Our little round corner of the World

I missed a day yesterday blogging... it kind of felt strange, but you know what, it's okay!

Here's my llittle cyber Christmas card to you all. A few pictures out my corner of the world.

Although I feel the excitement and the thrill around this time of year, I also sense the stress to get everything done and have everything magical by Christmas day.  To those who can do that with a jolly smile on their face and a caring heart bursting with love, I give them much credit for all they do!

Now get back to that wrapping!

Seeing Red

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... see them in the background?

We had a diversified weekend.  Friday night the hubster got home from work and we turned right around and went back the same direction to the Sears Center to watch the Chicago Express minor hockey league play. (FREE tickets) I had never heard of them before. They aren't even the minor league for the Blackhawks... minor league for some Ohio team... dollar hot dogs and beer night.  Lots of families and young kid hockey teams in groups, loud music and lots of give-a-ways.

We woke to about an inch of wet snow on the ground, easy to shovel and easy to melt. Saturday night we went to a neighbors Christmas party.  Their house is decorated beautifully.  I'm just amazed.  It makes me want to do more around my own house, but then I think... happily that I have less to take down and pack away.

Sunday the Packers weren't being shown locally, we had to listen to them lose on the radio... boo.  But we went out to celebrate dear hubby, dear daddy's birthday... a day early!

I've heard people complain that it doesn't seem like Christmas because we don't have any snow.  It was wonderful being able to run all the errands and not have to worry about other crazy drivers in the snow!

Beautiful day on Jeff's birthday... sunny and 42 degrees.. wishing him a great day!

The Present

A great gal and a cyber friend of mine have been writing a blog for a few months.  To give you a sneak peak what we do, here is my post re-typed here today, because it is very special to my heart! ♥

Yesterday's the past and tomorrow's the future. Today is a gift - which is why they call it the present


Every day is an amazing day! And I mean every day!


One of my all time favorite Christmas presents wasn’t actually the gift, but how it was presented to me.


Twenty-one years ago my husband and I were newlyweds in our first apartment together. He was actually still trying to impress me.  That is one of my love languages. Subtle surprises with a lot of thought behind it. I can’t quite remember all the details behind the actual gift but I must say he put a lot of thought into how he was going to give it to me.

Christmas Eve 1990 we were excited to be sharing our first together as a married couple. I was tired after a day of active people watching at the Mall. That was one thing we loved to do. It was especially fun on Christmas Eve because we were done with our shopping and we just sat and watched all the people scurrying around with crazed looks on their faces in a panic to find last minute gifts, something… anything. After our fun day at the mall and a leisure night, I eventually kissed my husband and said goodnight knowing he had ‘something’ to do.


Just like any kid around Christmas time, the anticipation of what gifts I might be getting was killing me, but I was truly exhausted and fell sound asleep. Christmas morning we woke together. My husband is ever and always the cool one, he has this smirk on his face when he is up to something, but that’s all I know. As we got out of bed I noticed from the hallway in our small apartment that there was an extra bright light shinning. I thought that maybe he upped the tree lights in the living room. He kind of shoved me forward out of our master suite and I peeked around the door frame. He was still pushing me a bit and I became very nervous.


Not only was the tree on and lit, but there was a person standing next to the tree with a spotlight on them! I was surprised and turned around into him screaming and stomping my feet slapping him with my hand… “Oh my God, there is someone standing there!!” With a laughing grin on his face, he turned me around and pushed me forward. In cartoons the characters put the brakes on, I was actually planting my feet into the carpeting and he kept shoving me forward.



Now what’s worse is that I have very poor eyesight, I need help from my contacts and glasses. My glasses prescription isn’t always the best, it relieves me from constant eye fatigue that I might get from wearing my contacts ALL the time. So, the person next to the tree was really fuzzy looking from that distance. He finally dragged me literally kicking and screaming toward the tree where I finally saw that it was a full mannequin dressed in a brand new outfit, my Christmas present from my new husband.


I looked at him and we both fell back laughing really hard. I didn’t stop lovingly slapping him in shock and disbelief.


That dear sweet man had gone out and first of all, found and bought an outfit from head to toe that I had commented on while window shopping. Then he placed many phone calls trying to find a store to rent a full bodied mannequin. He then while I ‘slept’, dressed the mannequin, placed it by the tree, set up a spotlight and got it ready to flip the switch so that before I woke on Christmas morning it was styled and waiting for me!


Like I said at the beginning, every day is an amazing day. With the technology available now, it has become a trend to record special moments in a couple’s life. Recently I have been watching YouTube snippets of marriage proposals. The thought and planning that goes on for some of these events is just mind boggling. It would be amazing if my hubby had been able to record his thoughts and ideas of planning my special present. Here he is walking into a rental shop looking for a body, then bringing it out in pieces and putting it in the trunk of his car. Waiting for me to go to bed and the nervousness he felt putting the clothes on and getting the body together. Then as he nudges me to wake up, camera zooms in on my face and I say “what are you smirking about?” And then the reaction of me hitting him in the chest and squealing and dancing around screaming that someone is in our apartment…. As the camera pans to the lifeless mannequin perfectly posed with an outdoor spotlight shinning on her catty wumpus wig!


It’s a good thing to have a memory and be able to articulate and write the stories down. We might not become a YouTube sensation, but the twinkle in my eye is the light to the camera in my mind as I remember what a sweet and kind man that is in my life, giving me the wonderful gift of his laughter and love!!

Snowball Fight

I know it's coming... too mild of a December to not think we're going to be hit big time with snow!  This snowman is ready for a good old fashioned snowball fight though!

I used the Cuttle bug to emboss the bubble pattern on the background.  I think it's a bit too much, but it sure adds dimension to the overall card.  I love the bright colors of his hat and scarf... he sure doesn't look like a boring snowman!

You get another look at my card stand, my treasured Flower Frog!

I think it's time to start wrapping some of the Christmas gifts or I'll forget all my hiding spots and then people wont get their gifts.  Taking the Pommy to the vet... he's just seeming to be his old cranky self.

It Takes Guts

Inside the bluesy mini scrapbook I showed you yesterday, are 6 envelopes decorated with pretty snowfall patterned paper.  Each envelope is cut so that there is a separate tag inside for journaling or a cute winter photo.  (I just make the mini scrapbooks, I don't fill it with photos or journaling, or scraps from an event)

I kept the snowflake theme throughout the book.  This is my favorite Martha Stewart punch.

I had fun trying to 'work' the embellishments.  That's one thing in mini scrapbook making that I have difficulty with.  Since I don't purchase the parts and pieces, it's making the embellishment items look like they are unique and that they belong, have a purpose for enlightenment on the page. 

Made lots of mini tags in blues and craft paper brown.  Added white ink smudge marks to the edges. It gives this book a slight grunge look, which is a good thing.

Love this patterned paper by Bo-Bunny.  It comes in a 6"x6" pack, all with designer coordinating colors, so you really don't have to think, all the pages match.  The circle lolly with the 4 snowflakes is actually on a clip that can be removed.  I like creating fun beaded charms with all my left over beads, it adds a great dangle.  Below the beads are a few more layered tags to give dimension to the front cover.  The ribbon is seam binding tape that I learned accepts Glimmer Mist.  So, you can make the white ribbon ANY color of the rainbow and more, if you purchase ALL the colors.  I just happened to have a blue... that worked out perfectly.

Went to a job interview yesterday.  I was not nervous at all.  I feel I've been to so many, but it was the first time I was in a group interview.  Two managers and 5 potential employees, all in one room.  They asked us questions and went around the room waiting for each one of us to give our take on what we would do in a situation.  Hmmm, do I feel good about it....? I don't really know what to think.... Stay tuned to see what happens!

Having the Blues

 Using a mish mash of different techniques and styles I created  a unique one of a kind Christmas gift for a friend and her two daughters, all things match in hues of blue.

Above are two personalized gift card holders. They are about 2-1/2"H x 4"W.  I have a lot of the very large chip board letters laying in my stash so I added some of the patterned paper, roughed the edges and then inked them.  Added them to the top of the white inked tag and topped that on the gift card holder.  I Glimmer misted the white ribbon so that it would coordinate with the blue color scheme.  Topped each letter with the perfect Martha Stewart snowflake punch. The gift card holders close together with velcro.

 When I make a mini scrap book after I use directions fro Following the Paper Trail with Laura, I have gotten in the habit of making  a matching card from the left over scraps.  That way, if I give the mini scrap book as a gift, I don't have to scramble to find a similar card.... one already matches from the scraps.  A snowman who has the blues. You've seen this snowman in a recent post.

Front cover view of the 'stacked' mini album.  I'll show the guts on another post.  I really love how all the elements came out on this mini made with small envelopes.   Topped with ribbons and bows, snowflakes an lolly flowers, tulle and beaded charms and a whole lot of inking going on.

So this is really a gift with a mix, but everything matches.  Gotta love that!  And it's made with a whole lotta loving going on!!!

Reindeer Pause

I like goofy and whimsical.  They are even both fun words to say!  These reindeer are pretty cute popping up on their paws to wish someone a Happy Holidays.

Last week I was visiting Archiver's and I really love to slowly walk around and capture the ambiance of the place.  I love to look at all the cards, projects and page layouts they have posted above the products.  Good marketing tool.  The one thing I realized however is that most of my CASe-ing is about 3X the size of the actual stamp.  Sometimes I have to do a double take when I see a familiar image. I think wow! that's cute, oh yeah, I've CASed that before.... my is it tiny... I would never be able to draw it so small.

This is just a basic card layout with a framed image and patterned holiday paper.  I put some glitter stickles on the stars to give the card a bit of a pop!

Excitement of the holiday is all around.  You can feel the stress in the air too.  Great Packer win over the weekend!  We Skyped Bubba (aka College Boy) he's got finals this week, give him a little supportive prayer.  He leaves campus for a whole month Thursday night, same bus to Woodfield Mall.  Sissy went to the Winter dance... she dressed at someone elses house, so we don't even know what she looked like.  I have a sick Pom Puppy today :(  Last minute stocking stuffers shopping....