Monday...Monday.....

This card is one of the tutorials at The Shaker Box this week. I LOVED making this card...want to make more!

Where did March go?????? Can tomorrow possibly be April 1st??? That means only a few short day before returning to work.....which means

**No more scrapping and chatting during the day.

**No more lounging around in my pj's!

**I'll have to go to the gym in the afternoon/evening with everyone else in the world!

**I won't be able to attend knitting at church on Tuesday mornings

**I won't be able to play Wii during the day (I LOVE our new Wii!)

**I'll have at least one more decent paycheck.

**I won't have the fridge here to snack out of all day.

**I'll have to go back to getting Alex up in the morning.

**Homework will begin again......

**Only 21 days until I am done working again!!!!

Here's some of the layouts I've gotten down yesterday and today during our Spring Fling Crop at The Shaker Box! There are challenges to use lyrics, use 20 of one item, use 3 things off a list....plus, tutorials on how to make cards, alter magazine holders, faux silk stamping....just to name a few!!!!!! The fun is lasting until Friday so come check it out!

Pre-Crop Challenge

Come stop by the Shaker Box for a PRE-CROP challenge.....the challenge is to document some accomplishment or something you are proud of WITHOUT using ANY photos! Decided this was a good time to document Evan's first year in Boy Scouts.

Make sure if you aren't signed up at The Shaker Box head over there now and get registered so you can join in the fun we're going to have!!!!!!

Happy Easter......

The Easter gift they had to do a treasure hunt for...but that doesn't work!!! Yep, Easter bunny brought them Rock Band for the PS2...which we then put together only to find out that the disk isn't readable...so it's all back in the box and will be going bakc tomorrow, hopefully to either just replace the entire thing or just the disk. Felt so bad for the boys...but luckily it's such a beautiful day here they are being made to play outside!!!!

Okay..not the greatest photos...as the sun was in our eyes...BUT, the only place in the backyard that wouldn't have shown our dirty pool cover, or falling over fence....LOL!!!! And the boys wanted to get out of their Sunday clothes and into shorts and t-shirts!!!!

Crops and Easter....

THAT'S RIGHT.............it's time for another crop at THE SHAKER BOX! BUT, what makes this one even better??? It's gonna last an entire WEEK!!!!! So, stock up on adhesive, clean off your scrappy space, get photos printed and be prepared to get projects done!!! We have over 30 challenges, tutorials and fun things planned for you! OHHH, and some great prizes.........you won't want to miss this!!!! The link to the the site is in my list on the side...and if you aren't registered yet, sign up and let me know so I can activate your account!!!!!! OH, and if you sign up for the site, introduce yourself and say I sent ya (I'll get points for in a mega challenge!!!).

Wow...can you believe it's Easter already??? I was watching, or rather listening to, Martha today and she was saying that March 23rd is the earliest that Easter can be...and that it will not be this early again for over 200 years!!! Ever wonder who sits down and figures these things out? Hope you have a blessed day......we'll be heading to DH's aunt's tomorrow for a family celebration and then Sunday will be church and hanging out at home.

Thursday 13

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Didn't show the East Coast....but over there I've been to....New York, Conneticut, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Got this off my friends blog......love the visual of exactly what states I have been in...most since I have been married (except the western states....went there as a child too). Someday they will all be filled in........

So for today's Thursday 13 I am going to list 13 places in the United States that I would love to visit

1. Washington DC
2. Mt. Rushmore
3. Yellowstone National Park (went here as a child....but Dave's never been there and I would love to take the boys)
4. Williamsburg, Virginia
5. The Canyonlands of Utah (did a quick drive through Utah as a child but only thing I remember was stopping at some of my dad's relatives houses and riding a pony!)
6. Colorado...anywhere there...in the mountains.....high mountains!
7. The area where the Amish live in Pennsylvania, Ohio......
8. New York City (went here when I was 14...would love to go back as an adult)
9. Vermont
10. New Hampshire
11. Boston
12. Maine
13. Tennessee.......

Deck of Me week 6.....

If you haven't been to the Shaker Box to check out Cheryl's Deck of Me challenge, go do it now!!!! Each week she is posting a challenge...usually a word, and we alter a playing card (or similar sized paper). This week was LOVE....now, I didn't want to do the obvious which would be my husband or family. So I decided to do Yosemite....a place that I LOVE!

Shaker Box, Sheetload of Cards and Scrappin'

Hmm...guess I could have titled this post the 3 S's......Have you checked out Sheetload of Cards (see link to the right) before???? Would you like to WIN a $25 gift certificate to The Shaker Box store???? If so....visit Sheetload of Cards.....and put your name and email in a comment for some BLOG CANDY!!!!!! And while you are at Sheetload, if you haven't ever been there before, download and print out their GREAT cutting guides to make some of the fabulous cards below! I LOVE the fact that they tell you EXACTLY what to cut and how to assemble.......

Let the creative juices flow....

Photo from Thanksgiving. Did this as a challenge to use more white/blank space on a layout. Patterned papers are from Close to My Heart.
This was for a challenge to scrap a non-people/pet photo....LOVE this photo of Lower Yosemite Falls last winter and that the rainbow came out! Patterned papers are American Crafts, stamps and ink are Close to My Heart
Quick card I made last night......

We're having another crop at The Shaker Box in a couple weeks! Come join us for a WEEK of challenges and fun!!!! We've got tutorials and about 30 challenges planned for you to take part in! It's going to be BIG!!! You won't want to miss it!

Thursday 13.......

Been a couple weeks since I did a Thursday 13...going to take spin off my friend Tisha's list last week....13 things I am thankful for...........

1. my boys
2. my husband
3. spring arriving
4. reconnecting with loved ones
5. my friends...here and online!
6. God's Love
7. a good book
8. time to scrap!
9. having a month off
10. my family
11. today's rain
12. my camera
13. my health!

A few signs of spring......

Alex and I took a walk around the university this morning...what a beautiful day to do be out...flowers blooming, baby ducks, and sunshine!!!!!! Can't get much better than that!

Photos of my boys....

Just a couple photos of the boys I took the other day while they were working on their Pinewood Derby cars for scouts. It was such a beautiful day!

I was tagged by Dee and Linda........I guess since I was tagged twice I better do it!

Seven Random Things About Me.here how it works:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog, so that their readers can visit yours.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 7 Random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog.Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I played the clarinet for 10 years......although probably couldn't play a decent note now!
2. I lived in the same house my entire childhood...parents didn't sell it until I was 19.
3. I am a planner....if it's not planned or on my calendar, it's not gonna happen!
4. I LOVE to buy socks...LOL...but don't really like to wear them!!!
5. Love dressing up and going out...although we never do!
6. I've been to England 2 times..and going again this summer!
7. Took a total of 4 years of Spanish (3 in high school and 1 in college) yet can't speak it!

I am tagging....TILDA, WENDY, TISHA, MEL,....and will think on the others!

Been Scrappin.......

For a challenge at Scrapcity last weekend, I altered these two CDs to hang on the wall of my scrapbook room.

Two more cards using the wonderful stamps from My Favorite Things. Be sure to go check them out (I read earlier today that she released some new stamp sets today!!!).
Quick, fun layout I made tonight for the Super Spring Mega Challenge at The Shaker Box! Managed to get a few points with this one by doing an SOS challenge, using the word "LUCKY" and striped paper! LOVE these photos of Alex and the Basic Grey paper!

When life gets tough...SCRAP!

Well..life has thrown some curve balls my way in the past week or so.......still trying to work it all out in my mind but decided that when life gets tough...the only solution (besides a GOOD glass of wine...) is to scrap!!!!

These two cards I made with stamps from My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com) who is the March Design Team sponsor at the Shaker Box. I had been looking at this stamp set for a long time and was so excited to finally get my hands on it! The perfect card to send to a friend....
This is my card for the Deck of Me week 4 challenge over at the Shaker Box. The prompt was...."A symbol you love"....I love lighthouses. Maybe it's because my parents did....maybe it's because they are near the ocean, which I love, maybe it's the peace that they have or the ever shining light that guides the way. The photo of the one on my card is the Hunting Island Lighthouse in South Carolina. It's the only one in SC that is open to the public and YES, we climbed all the way to the top!

Also wanted to point people over to SHEETLOAD of Cards for their celebration they are having this month!!!! If you are a card maker and haven't been over there go check it out. http://sheetload.blogspot.com/ They have GREAT patterns for making tons of cards and are giving away prizes this month!!!! So be sure to stop by and enter to win some prizes.