Have a Cupcake Day!

So today I am leaving for Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I am all packed up and waiting to leave. My sister and brother-in-law are on their way down to meet up with me and then we'll be on our way. I can't wait because this will be the "first" time Liam will have gone to the beach. I put the "first" in quotes because we took him before when he was a baby but he doesn't remember and this time he definitely will and he is super excited.

While I am waiting I figured I would fill the time with a quick challenge & do one of Taylor's Cupcake Challenges. This is what I did..

Stamps: Inque Boutique - Party Cupcakes; Paper: SU Rose Red, American Crafts Play, Kraft Paper from Michael's; Other Supplies: Nesties, Copics, Spicas, Sharpie Poster Pen - Silver, Buttons (Doodlebugs mostly)

A Simple One

Tonight I decided to make a simple card. I looked at it and thought about adding more to it and then looked at it again and decided I liked it just the way it was...nice and simple.

Paper: Ultrasmooth White, MME Wild Asparagus, SU Blush Blossom & Appricot Appeal; Ink: Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Charcoal; Other Supplies: Nesties, Copics, Rubon Metallics

FYI - I'm heading out of town tomorrow, yes again! This time I'm going to Hilton Head, SC. My family is going to the beach because my nephew is about to start school and we wanted to take him for the 1st time that he will remember. Don't worry I'm sure I will be back with plenty of pictures.

I did it!

Well two things actually...the 1st thing is I finally made a background like Michelle Zindorf that I actually like (yes! I used actually twice in one sentence). And I finally after subscribing to Kim Werner's blog for some time now I finally got one of her challenge's done.

Here's this week's challenge...

Here's my submission...

Paper: White, Rose Red; Stamps: Inque Boutique - Memoirs & Bella Flora; Ink: Sage Shadow, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip; Other: Gold Brads, Clear eP, Acetate Sheet*, Sante Fe Punch

To make this effect I stamped the treetop from Inque Boutique's Memoirs on a piece of Acetate in Rose Red. I then sprinkled clear eP and heated it on a flat surface so that it wouldn't warp too bad. The cool part was once the eP heated it & the acetate were like one just slightly tinted. If I have enough requests I will be glad to give a tutorial.

Name Frame...Again!

I know at this point you are probably getting tired of seeing these name frames that I make and I promise sometime soon I will quit making them so that you have to look at them.

This one is another anniversary gift for a couple that I know that just hit their 20 year mark. They are such a wonderful couple and I really hated missing their anniversary party, but I already had other plans the weekend they threw it.

However, this is what I made... Frame & Card
Close up of card
Frame only

Frame details:
Jacaranda Bazzill CS & Misc. Blue cardstock; Stamps: CHF Pretty Pattern; Ink: Versamark; Other: Glittered Letters from Target, Misc Ribbon, Threading Water punch, Wedding flowers from Michaels, Misc Jewels, Pearl Ex Interference Gold, $3 Walmart frame
Card Details:
Misc blue & white CS, Basic Grey (Archaic Line) - Obsolescent; Stamps: CHF Pretty Pattern, PaperPretties Sealed With a Kiss, PTI Favor It Weddings & Wedding Day; Ink: Charcoal & Prussian Blue; Misc: Threading Water punch, Misc Ribbon, Pearl Ex Interference Gold, Copics, Sakura Jelly Pens, Black Pen, Sharpie Poster Pen - Silver, Liquid Pearls

I know, I know

You think I am missing once again and I really don't blame you. However I have really good excuse(s), no really I do. This has been one crazy week.

• Friday-Sunday- Family arrived from North Carolina & Illinois to visit


• Monday - Had my 1st session with my personal trainer*


• Tuesday - Just an inexplicable crazy day, then that evening I started having a migraine


• Wednesday - In bed all day with above mentioned migrain...grrr!! And can barely walk due to 1st session with personal trainer.


• Thursday - Went to see The Dark Knight - awesome movie and let me tell you Heath Ledger makes an very convincing demented person in his character.


• Friday - Had 2nd session with personal trainer (worked upper body this time so maybe I will be able to walk...typing, crafts, etc. that may well be another story)

*Personal Trainer...I've decided after much thought and deliberation...hang on while I laugh at myself, to start using a personal trainer. A very close friend of our family (my mom & his mom are best friends) is a personal trainer. I'm not a very motivated person especially when it comes to exercise so when I found out Joey could help me out, I jumped at the chance. So, now I am working out twice a week with him while he is making sure I follow up on my homework for the rest of the week including eating properly.

Well, part of my homework this past week was to find pictures of myself from the past that I would like to look like eventually. Don't get me wrong a am very realistic person so I don't in anyway hope nor believe that I will ever be able to get down to the size or shape I was when I graduated high school. However, if I get anywhere close I will be extremely estastic. Here are the pictures I was talking about, one being from my graduation party...the other two from my cousin's wedding.

Blog Candy Winner

Congratulations Jackie you're the next contestant on the blog candy is right. My mom picked #17 and from what I counted that's you babe. Please let me know your address so I can get your goodies out in the mail.

Blog Candy

The sign up for the blog candy is now closed. I'll be back later to announce the winner.

Going to the Mountains

Our trip to Helen was a blast but before I start to tell you about it let 1st warn you that this post may have quite a few photos although I tried to limit it this time.

Now, let me introduce you to the characters in our story.

We left for Helen, Georgia Friday morning in a van that the A/C had conveniently quit working in. Thankfully it wasn't as hot as it could have been. Three hours later we got there to find bumper to bumper traffic (which to be honest I was expecting at all).The first thing we did after checking into our cabin... this place was very nice. We had a three bedroom, two bath, & a 6 person jacuzzi.... we went tubing.

I have to say that tubing is a lot of fun and can be relaxing. I have several recommendations with regards to this though: 1) Swim shoes, not flip flops, not crocs, not tennis shoes, definitely not bare foot...SWIM SHOES. 2) I don't know if you can see the guy in the picture on the far right has a pole/stick across his lap. The tubing companies sell these for $5 or you can bring your own. Highly recommend because they are great for getting you unstuck without having to get out of your tube over & over again. 3) Although we had a blast it would have been so much better if the river would have been higher.

We were on the water for about 4 hours and by the time we got off we were definitely ready to be off, but it was worth it. That was pretty much day one.

Day 2

After everyone got up & ate breakfast, we had a great time sitting around playing games. When we got done with the games we decided to go shopping, where we started off at Fred's Famous Peanuts.

It was very picturesque. I brought my camera this weekend and Emily, Olivia, & I were busy playing all weekend with our cameras. So all pictures you see in today's story are brought to you by us and the letter M and the number 7. LOL, sorry I couldn't help it.

They had the cutest setup, very good peanut brittle, and frozen peach cider. Just as an FYI if your in the area.

Next we headed to this German Bakery called Hofer's. Which I don't know if I really need to tell you is very good, but it is!! Sorry, didn't get a picture of that. Right after that we just went walking through downtown Helen looking for normal food, too bad all we found was pizza.

Like said I'm not sharing all of the pictures we took because I don't want to bore you and I don't think either of us have that kind of time.

After all of this we headed down to the Habersham Winery & Nora's Mill. Here's where the warning of entirely too many pictures would definitely some into play so I will only share a few of my absolute favorites because behind Nora's Mill were ducks, turtles, egrets, wrens, fish, waterfalls, etc.




And that was the end of Day 2

Day 3

This was a sad day. This was the day we went home. We didn't go straight home we stopped at Unicoi State park's lake or creek depending on how you look at it.

The cool thing is Alex made a shark in the sand while we were there. He did a really good job. We left right before it started thunderstorming.


On the way back, we also stopped at this really big Farmer's Market named Jaemor's. I mean it is huge. They had all kinds of stuff. Here's Em & I sitting on a Amish made glider bench.

I'm Home

I'm home. I don't have anything to post just now however I'll be back later with pictures. Don't forget to sign up for my blog candy below you still have until the 10th.

Blog Candy for the 100th Post

To celebrate my 100th Post I'm giving away a very good package of Inkadinkado stamps. The new line of funnies. I will give it to a random winner on next Thursday, July the 10th.

Just as an FYI, I am heading up to Helen tomorrow and I won't be back in town until Sunday. Hope everyone has a great weekend.