ten on tuesday

1. For the record, I won again in the oscar contest between Shaun and I;) I got 15 picks right and he got 9 right. I totally get lucky on the sound mixing type categories every year;)

2. One of our favorite restaurants has amaaaazing grits. I always thought I hated grits until I had these...the key is the smoked gouda cheese;) I was searching for a recipe I thought would be similar and found the exact recipe by the chef of the restaurant:) We made it and it tastes exactly the same. If they weren't so bad for you, I would probably be making them a lot...perfect comfort food.

3. For dinner last night, I made these. They were so yummy. Even Miss Picky Aislynn liked them. Kieran ate the filling, but when it came to the pepper, I had to pretend like I was one of the Thomas trains telling him to eat his food. So silly, that boy;) I made them with quinoa instead of millet.

4. While we are talking about food, here is a new pancake recipe I have been making that is pretty darn yummy.

5. The Nook is sweetening the deal for new subs. All new subs will receive a Valentine's kit (filled with Crate Paper Paper Heart) as well as a grab bag! Yay!!

6. My sister and I are doing another community yard sale/craft show this weekend. I am bringing my cards, but I am actually hoping to sell some of the kiddos' spring/summer clothes. Both of them went through major growth spurts since then! waaah, stop growing kids!! Especially A...is it just me, or do the clothes after 6x not look so little girlish anymore? I don't want to dress her like she is a teenager!!

7. I have decided to not do Project Life the traditional way. Which I am sure you are not surprised...I never really started;) When we were in Savannah, we wandered into an art supply store and I found these really cool page protectors. They are similar to baseball card protectors but there are 20 square pockets. I am going to do monthly focus pages, rather than a whole week. we'll see about moving to weekly if I can get this done for a year;) As soon as I get January's finished and might as well do February, I will share them with you:) I think I bought to many protectors too...so maybe a little giveaway is in order;)

8. I saw this on the Eighteen25 blog and thought I would share. I love this company and their products...trying to narrow down what I will use my credit on:)

9. You still have a couple days to participate in my (easy and really fun!) challenge at the Ormolu blog:)

10. We have decided that we are going to do a little container garden this year. We know nothing about gardening. So please...help me. Give me your best tips. I want to do it organically, so please share what you know!!!

oscar picks:)

You might remember this post from last year. Shaun and I are (well...were more so before kiddos) really into movies. Most of our dates were going to see movies and we sneak away to see them whenever we can get the chance, which unfortunately is not near enough;)





Last year I had seen all of the best picture nominees and Shaun saw 9 of the 10. This year we saw 4 (The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Artist, and The Descendants) of the 9 ( I am wondering why there aren't 10?). I personally think this was a bad year for movies...there were not that many that appealed to us...and one of the best movies we saw, Drive...was completely snubbed, if you ask me;) I still want to see Hugo and A Separation.


So....with 4 years of me winning our Oscar picks contest...let's see who shall win this year;)

Here are our picks:

Best Picture
Pam: The Artist
Shaun: The Artist
*We both loved this. We both loved The Tree of Life too. I think that is going into my favorite movie roster. I can't recommend it to everyone because parts of it are kinda out there...and I really did not like the end of the movie, but the middle is soooo so good. It captures being a parent and a sibling so beautifully:)


Best Actor
Pam: Jean Dujardin
Shaun: George Clooney (Shaun is going for the safe bet here...I will be kinda disappointed if George Clooney wins...he was fine in The Descendants, but nothing that out of the ordinary for him, I think.)


Best Actress
Pam: Meryl Streep
Shaun: Viola Davis


Best Supporting Actor
Pam: Christopher Plummer
Shaun: Christopher Plummer


Best Supporting Actress
Pam: Octavia Spencer
Shaun: Berenice Bejo (I want her to win!!)

Best Animated Feature
Pam: Rango
Shaun: Rango
*You better step up next year Pixar...see what Cars 2 got you? Nothing! I hope you learn from this!

Cinematography
Pam: The Tree of Life
Shaun: The Tree of Life

Art Direction
Pam: Hugo
Shaun: Hugo

Costume Design
Pam: Jane Eyre
Shaun: The Artist

Directing
Pam: The Artist
Shaun: The Artist
*Can you tell we loved this movie?!

Documentary Feature
Pam: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Shaun: Pina

Documentary Short
Pam: Saving Face
Shaun: Baghdad

Film Editing
Pam: The Artist
Shaun: Hugo

Foreign Language
Pam: A Separation
Shaun: A Separation

Make-Up
Pam: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Shaun: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Original Score
Pam: The Artist
Shaun: Hugo

Original Song
Pam: Man or Muppet:)
Shaun: Man or Muppet
*Oh, how I hope this gets performed tonight;)

Animated Short
Pam: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Shaun: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Live Action Short
Pam: The Shore
Shaun: Pentecost

Sound Editing
Pam: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Shaun: Drive

Sound Mixing
Pam: War Horse
Shaun: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Visual Effects
Pam: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Shaun: Hugo

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Pam: Hugo
Shaun: Moneyball

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Pam: Midnight in Paris
Shaun: The Artist


That's all! Most of them are pure guesses since we hardly saw any of the movies nominated;) So we will see who gets lucky this year:)

What movies were your favorites from 2011?

march nook kit

I wanted to share one more project I did with the February Nook kit before March. I scrapped some more photos my sweet friend, Shel, sent me. These were of her son dressed up as Indian Jones for Halloween a couple of years ago:

I left room for her to do some journaling:)

The March kits are arriving on some lucky girls' doorsteps now and it is filled with loveliness:

Isn't it so pretty and springy?! It is filled with My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline.

All new subs get this grab bag FREE (while supplies last!):

The grab bag includes:
3 matching papers from the My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody line
5 yards of twine
1 rub-on
1 journal card
1 Webster's 12" Rose ribbon
1 Jillibean stamp
1 handful of buttons
1 Petaloo flowers
1 Webster's binder ring
1 American Crafts Thickers

Items may vary in color.

28.00 dollar value.

Members can purchase the grab bag for $10 HERE.

ormolu shares

I have a couple of pages using Ormolu goodies that I wanted to share. The first one I created for a challenge that went live on the blog today, please go check it out and see what some of the other creative team girls did! I hope some of you will participate;)

Here is the page:

I thought it was about time I scrapped how Shaun and I met;)

Here are some detail shots:

I had this page on the blog last week:

I created this to showcase the flappers (my very favorite ormolu product)

This is one of my favorite pages I have made recently...I think it has something to do with the pictures;)

We had an amazing weekend. We had so much fun with my siblings...the kids had fun with Grandma and James too:) I will have photos soon, or as soon as I can get a chance to edit them;)

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I will be back with oscar picks;)

greetings!

I seem to be on a bit of a card kick lately. I go through phases like that, do you?

The first one I have to share, I made using the February Nook Kit and I created it for Jessy's Sentiment challenge on the card forum.

**edited to add that I fixed this card to actually say "howdy," not "hodwy," ha ha;)
I used my one inch square punch on the alphabet paper that came in the kit. Then I stacked my squares all together and rounded the corners of the top and bottom letters.

For the second card, this sticker in the American Crafts Amy Tangerine sticker book caught my eye because of the state on the map;) I had to use it on a card!!

I still love this line so much. I am itching to get my next dt box from American Crafts because it will contain the new goodies just released!! Exciting!!

Have you been making any cards lately? Link me up, I would love to see them!!
*****
I am headed to a kid-free weekend with the man to Savannah, GA. We dropped the kids off at my Mom's and are meeting my 2 brothers, sister, and their significant others:) Fun times (even if the forecast holds LOTS of rain, boo!) will be had;)
Happy weekend!!!

american crafts daydreams

I was going through my stash of photos I have had printed for a long period of time with a goal to get some of them scrapped before I print out more. I stumbled across these photos of Aislynn playing with her ponies forever ago (2years!) and decided that the American Crafts Daydreams line would be perfect to scrap them! Don't ya love when that happens?!

I am a teeny bit sad that she doesn't play with her ponies like she used to...I loved to hear her make their voices and watch her line them all up. Growing up, ugh......

Some close ups:

Since I had all of these goodies out and it Valentine's Day coming up (when I was making these), I pulled all of the heart from the line together to make a card:

 Making a card with the scraps on my desk after a layout is my very favorite way to build up my card stash;)

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week:)

february nook kit

Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I suppose the groundhog was right, this weekend we are having chilly weather! What is the weather like where you are?

Today I want to share some of my projects I have created using the February kit from My Scrapbook Nook.

Just a heads up...all new subs will get a December kit with their first month (February) AND a grab bag with $27 worth of coordinating goodies;) It is a great deal and supplies are limited, so get 'em while you can;)

This was the first page I scrapped with the kit. I used some of my friend's photos of her and her husband at a hoedown;) Thanks Shel!!!

Some close ups:

I LOVE LOVE the flower sack that came in the kit. It is so fun layering all the die cut pieces to make your own embellishments:)

  

This is a card I created for Danni's color challenge on the card forum. More of the die cut flower sack pieces here;)

I have had this photo printed forever....about a year since that is when she first lost her tooth! I thought the greens in the kit would be a good match for it;)
I feel like this page is not my usual style? But I like it:)

 

Have I mentioned my typewriter is working again?! I bought a new ribbon for it and that was all that was wrong. I am so happy to have it back!!!

Another page about teeth, ha! Seriously HOW much older does she look in these photos? These were taken in early January, so not even a year between them!

This page I created for a recipe challenge I am hosting. Check it out HERE...I hope you will play along, you have 2 weeks!!!

Some close ups:

I will have at least another card and layout to share with you before the month is over. I am loving this kit more than I thought I would (the western theme scared me a bit, hee hee!)...but you can't really go wrong with October Afternoon, can you;)

ormolu cards

I had a couple of cards up on the Ormolu blog last week, so I wanted to share them here as well:)

You know I am not much of a big stamper, so for my card making, I always have to get creative for the sentiment. Here is what I came up with:

I used the Line and Letter Negative Scallop Tag for this, adding some thickers on top of the negative letters for my sentiment. Underneath the negative letters, I added a Fact or Fiction Fabric Swatch...love the herringbone.

I used up some scraps from the Nook January kit:)

This one is my favorite:) I used lots of goodies from the Fact or Fiction line here.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I have some projects from the February Nook kit to share and I have a challenge going up on Sunday, so I will be sure to link back here.

********

I was lucky enough to be given this blog award from 2 sweet friends, Marinette and Alex.

Here is a little bit about the award:

The idea of Liebster award is to bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

One of the conditions in accepting the award is to pass it along to five more blogs. For those interested, the Rules are:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your five picks for the award and let them know.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogshare-other bloggers.
5. Finally and the best rule of all..........have fun and spread the love! 

So here are a few of my favorite blogs I am giving the award to:

1. Shel: for her yummy recipes and craftiness

2. Sarah: I love her scrappy style:)
3. Becky: Another gal with great style...she works magic with paper;)
4. Kari: love her clean sense of style and love of kraft...

5. Deanna: love her photography and pretty paper projects:)

Check them out and be ready to be inspired!!

Happy Weekend, friends!!!

january american crafts shares

I wanted to share my projects I made in January for American Crafts. I made 2 cards and a layout. I *really* wanted to get to a mini album for goals for 30 (oh, did I let is slip that I turned 30 last month? oops!!), but there just wasn't enough time. Maybe this month...

I made this using the Garden Cafe line. This line has so many elements that are perfect for card making! Plus I love the color combination!

I used the Chap line for this card. I even stamped, yay! I love the chipboard frames that are from this collection, and I cut them in half here:)

This layout didn't turn out at all like I had in my head, but I like it better:) I stamped the background with one of the stamps included in the Chap collection. I used mostly the Amy Tangerine line here, and the new little envelope holds K's curl that I saved after his first haircut...which was a few days after this picture was taken.

HERE is the entire design team's January gallery. Prepare to be inspired...every time I see what the girls create with AC, I feel so lucky to be creating alongside them!

Have a wonderful weekend!

project life

Although I am having serious doubts about my ability to complete this project...especially because it is February and I haven't even completed one weekly spread...I want to. I shared my cover page on the Ormolu blog last week and want to share it here as well. I don't know if I will be sharing my weekly pages...will you guys find them boring? We'll see...

I used some of my favorite bits and pieces from the Fact or Fiction line and I pulled some favorite photos from 2011. For the very back page of the album (trying to think optimistically here!) I will add my favorite photos from 2012.

Some close ups...

I still need to get the page protectors, but you get the idea. You know I like bright colors, so I feel like the cover page reflects that pretty well, lol;)

I know I have been quiet lately...have had the sickies going around over here and still not 100% yet:( Hopefully I will be back to share some more projects tomorrow!

p.s. There are 2 challenges going on over on the Ormolu blog, HERE and HERE. Check them out and play along for a chance at some goodies;)

january nook kit

I had my Nook January kit in my hands early early this month. I think even before Christmas? But with moving and all that comes with it (why is it that the scrap supplies are the last to get unpacked?) I hadn't had much time to delve into it.

Now the January kit is sold out, so all new subscriptions will start with February...which features October Afternoon Sasparilla:

You can snag yours HERE!!!!

I still want to share some of my January projects though, plus I had a challenge go up today for the New Year Crop, and I would love to see you participate in for a chance at winning the December kit.

Here is one of the layouts I made with the kit (the other one needs to get photographed!):

Love these pictures of little A...these were when she was 3!!

some detail shots:

I am obsessed with this chevron paper. The kit came with 2 sheets, but I need about 4;)

The next 3 cards, I made as examples for my challenge:

I still have a layout to share and I might make some more cards up with this kit....for some reason I am finding Lily Bee easier to make up cards? I adore the colors in this line for love-y, valentine cards;)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

new space

Finally getting around to posting pictures of my new scrap space. In the kitchen, there is a breakfast nook, but since we have a pretty large dining room table here, I snatched up that space as my own:)

Here is a peek standing in the kitchen, looking towards my desk:

Looking out how I have it set up now...I can't believe how I just had all this stuff next to our bed in the condo!

Here is a peek at the shelves:

from left to right, top to bottom I have:
stickers, paper and cardstock, American Crafts goodies, binder with rub-ons, mists, buttons, embellishments, ormolu goodies, nook kits, inks/paints, stamps, embellishments, drawers have twine and bling in them, jar of ribbon

a view of this shelf:

the smaller shelf on the left holds my punches. the tall shelf from top to bottom:
magazines, basket of extra adhesive, miscellaneous things, box of cards, homeless layouts, all my albums. 

in front of the shelf is all of my sewing stuff...which will hopefully get used now that it's not in our closet;)

and a peek of the top of my desk...which has a peek of a challenge I am doing this Saturday for the Nook crop;)

this space certainly isn't fancy or matching, but I love it:) I am one happy girl to have a dedicated space to scrapbook in again:)

i have to share

this.

After working 5 days in a row (someone has been on vacation, I normally work 3), I have been a tired mama. Then this afternoon was kinda blah...kids fighting, throwing all out fits over who got to push the baby doll in the toy stroller, not cleaning up their toys and me threatening to throw them away, not eating their dinners...then on to the evening routine and fits over brushing their hair, teeth, and more over that damn darn baby stroller...a pretty typical evening?

But there were a few bright spots. Like when we played "airplane," where I lay on the floor and put my feet on the kid's tummy and hold their hands and lift them in to the air...and tickles, lots and lots of tickles. Then me and the kiddos snuggled in to A's bed (Shaun was working tonight) and reading this before bed and having the kid's burst into giggles every time I said "hoobie doobie." Then the kisses and snuggles that come before tucking them in.

After the childrens, as Shaun and I call them, were sleeping tight, I plopped on to the couch and started going through google reader. I read this post on Karen Russell's blog and decided to check out the article. As I was reading it, it started to make me cry. A good cry. She hit the nail totally on the head.

Then I came to share it with you all, and I hope that you will share it with all the mamas you know:)

ten on wednesday...scrappy edition

totally missed Tuesday...oops! I have been a bad, bad blogger. I am totally blaming it on the move...we are finally pretty much settled in, thank goodness! I am itching to get into my new scrap space, I have worked a little in there and it is nice having my supplies at my fingertips...not in a separate room!

Anyways, lots of scrapbook shares/news, so this list will be pretty much dedicated to that;)

1. First of all THIS! I am so excited! I love that collection from Little Yellow Bicycle and can't wait to play with it! I am so happy my fellow Nook dt member, Shellye, will be designing along with me:)

2. Ormolu launched a new website recently...check it out! I think it looks awesome! The blog took a little break over the holidays, but is back on full force with some great projects:)

3. My Scrapbook Nook has a month long crop going on, with new challenges posted on Saturday and Sunday, check out the challenges, there are some pretty good prizes to be won...including a chance at the now sold-out January kit.

4. Through the 20th...if you sign up for a new subscription at the Nook, we will send you a free December kit! Read more about that HERE.

5. CHA sneaks are popping up everywhere now...to say I am excited about the American Crafts sneaks is a major understatement. I am pinching myself all over again that I get to work with them!!! Here is a peek at Dear Lizzy's new line, Neapolitan:

yes. that is ruffled paper:)

These come as pictured...how cute are they? Takes all of the work out for you!!

6. Next from American Crafts is Amy Tangerine's new line, Sketchbook...which I can't wait for either;)

how AWESOME is that notebook?!

7. Today, American Crafts revealed Gardenia, which again...I love:)

I love the hand drawn look to the thickers!!

I am a bit in love with the tags (that is always my favorite part of the collections!!), but seriously lovin' the clothespins too!

so cute!!

8. Other things that have caught my eye....
Jillibean Soup Neopolitan Bean Bisque Soup

9. These wood veneer frames from Studio Calico:

 

10. The Storyteller line from Crate Paper:

What do you think? What has caught your eye out of all the sneaks?!