~Happy Birthday Rachel~

Who would believe I have a 16 year old??
Well, it's true;)

Happy Birthday Rachel, I love you so much and I am proud of you in every way imaginable. You are beautiful on the inside and out!

I can't wait to see what the next 16 years of your life hold for you...

Love,
Momma {yes, that is what she calls me, still}

A Lot To Say & Blog Candy {blog cookies} & WCS41

I haven't even been to my own blog in so long that I forgot about my beautimus new blog banner! What do you think?? Springy enough??

Ok, 1st matter of business:
The most fabulous giveaway is going on at the Unity Stamp Company Blog!!

You not only get the chance to win the hottest stamp kit called Love is Toxic but you also get to peruse the Unity Stamp Company catalog and choose your favorite kit...then if you are chosen as this weeks winner you get Love is Toxic plus your favorite stamp kit!!

So, RUN don't walk over to USC's Blog and post your comment!!

2nd matter of business:
I just recieved some new kits from Unity and I made 2 cards with them today:)

The kit I used is called Spring In The Mail. It has 6 stamps and would be perfect for cardmaking and scrapbooking! It is mounted on cling-foam and is just an adorable set!! Be sure to check it out, it might be your favorite set and you might win it if you comment on USC's blog;)

This card is for Beate's WSC41:

The patterned paper I used on both of these card is by DCWV, one is the "Spring Matstack" and the other is the "Spring Glitter Matstack" and they are both filled with patterns that I love!!

3rd matter of business and last one, I promise, is the blog candy I promised a week ago!

All you have to do to win is comment here first that you are going to go and comment on the Unity Stamp Company blog post I mentioned above. Once you comment here and there, you're in!!
*eta: if you already commented at USC, say so and you are in, too*

What we have here are some oh so delicious Tagalongs...yes I am sacrificing a box of my favorite Girl Scout Cookies {I only have 3 boxes left, hehe), a brand new Bella "Ohsoprettyabella", some little tiny olive colored half-pearls, a Studio G clear stamp set and a set of SU! rub-ons from Sale-a-bration called Love and Happiness!!!

I will draw for this blog cookie {lol} giveaway as soon as Angela from Unity Stamp Co., draws for her giveaway {which I think is Wednesday...not 100% sure, it's late, sorry}.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed your visit:)

Wanna Win This Stamp Set??

It is called Simple Pleasures and it could be yours!

Hurry over to the Unity Stamp Company blog NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Time is running out, this is the last night to post to win this stamp set and to have our idea for a stamp set possibly made into a Unity Stamp Company Stamp Kit!

Have a great night and I will be back tomorrow with a giveaway of my own!

ETA: I am really working on a blog candy giveaway of my own, but have not had a chance to actually blog about it!!!!!!!!!!! It will be good, I promise!

FS59 ~ PickleTree

I had to do today's Featured Stamper challenge on SCS when I saw that Amy, Pickletree, was the Featured Stamper!! I am a HUGE fan of her gallery and her blog!

We are in a swap group together and she is such a sweet and talented person. Congrats Amy:)

I chose one of Amy's 1st cards she uploaded as my starting point: Amy's Card

I changed everything except the layout.

This is also the birthday card to a very special friend of mine..."whooo" could it be for??

Supplies-
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush and Patterned Paper
Stamps: Pick A Petal (SU!), Gina K
Accessories: Papertrey Ink Satin Ribbon, Scallop Punch (SU!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Yay, I'm Loved...{hehe} & Would You Like to Design Your Very Own Stamp Set??

Before I get to the tagging fun I have an important announcement!

Run, don't walk to the Unity Stamp Company blog right now! Angela, the owner of USC is having her weekly stamp set giveaway along with the chance for you to have your idea for a stamp set made into a reality! Go and post on her blog to win the stamp of the week and if you have an idea for a set you would love to see, post it also and it may be chosen to become a new design for Unity Stamp Company!!

Now, I know that some people don't like to be tagged and everyone is different, but personally I feel special and loved when I am tagged!! It's just nice to know someone is thinking about me, kwim??
So, guess what?? 2 people were thinking about me and I was tagged by my friend Kim Muhl on her blog and my friend Elaine on her blog Carpe Diem!!

For Kim's tag I am to post 7 random facts about myself and then tag a few other people. I can try to list the facts but I don't have any other blogging friends that she didn't tag already...very funny, Kim;)

My 7 random facts:

1. I don't eat pointy french fries. They have to be square on both ends or they go to the dog or dh...
2. I work for the most wonderful and generous company in the world. I am officially a "legal secretary"...but for 9 of the 12 months in a year I surf/blurf for 5 hours a day (and we only work for 7.5 hours a day)...and I am totally allowed to do it!! Oh and I read all my magazines and books while I am working too.
3. I get very motion sick. It has gotten worse as I have gotten older, I can barely sit in the passenger seat of a car! But I am fine on roller coasters...go figure.
4. For the past couple of days I have had a zit that won't go away on my upper lip that I have been "covering" with a brown eyeliner pencil...can you say Cindy Crawford??? LOL...It was all dd's idea, I swear!
5. I am a night owl. I would love to stay up every night until 2 or 3 am and sleep until at least 10:00 am!
6. I LOVE television. Especially reality television. I love The Bachelor and this particular one is really getting to me...I am thinking about him at work and at night...it must the the accent and that British humor, I love it! I also love Americas Next Top Model, American Idol and all the reality shows on Bravo. I love CSI & CSI Miami, Grey's, Desperate Housewives, Men In Trees, Lipstick Jungle...and probably 20 other shows. Luckily I have tivo in 2 rooms of the house to keep me straight!
7. I love clothes more than I love stamping. I love having the newest clothes from my favorite store New York & Company, I go there weekly, sometimes more if it's convenient. And I don't really like the clothes at any stores besides NY&Co. I can never find anything anywhere else that looks as good and fits as well.

For Elaine's game of tag I have to answer the following questions and tag some other bloggers...are you still with me?? hehe

1. WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO? - Working at Outback Steakhouse and having lots of fun being footloose and fancy-free.

2. WHAT WERE YOU DOING 1 YEAR AGO? - Probably the same thing I am doing right now, well not blogging but working and having fun stamping:)

3. NAME YOUR 5 FAVOURITE SNACKS? - Reese Peanut Butter eggs, Bubble Gum Ice Cream, Pizza, Carrots, Big Red gum

4. NAME 5 THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU WERE A MILLIONAIRE? - Quit my job, visit my family that is far away from me (give them lots of $ too:), buy lots of purses and shoes, build a new home with a HUGE stamping room & hire a personal trainer.

5. NAME 5 THINGS YOU LIKE DOING? - Watching tv, stamping, shopping, having a day off, going on dates with my husband

6. NAME 5 THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER WEAR AGAIN - Tight-Bottom Jeans (please everyone stop wearing these NOW and stores stop selling them NOW), high-top sneakers, scrunchy socks, jelly shoes, track suits in public

7. NAME YOUR 5 FAVOURITE TOYS! - all my stamps, my Cuttlebug, my Wii, my iPod, my computer

8. YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE - "That's Hot", made famous by Paris Hilton {lol}

Now for this game of tagging I am going to tag back my friend Kim and also add my friends Sherry, Katherine, Frances, Kimme and Amber to the fun and games...you can thank me later girls!!

I hope everyone is having a great Easter weekend and that you get to spend time with the ones you love!

Gina K Stamping & Dreaming

Saturday night I dreamt about stamping all night long! I have never done that before which is weIrd considering I think about stamping for about 15 hours a day, lol!

Specifically I was dreaming about this particular stamp set that I just got in the mail on Thursday.

Honestly, I have had Gina K Designs stamps for a little while now...and never used them! Typical I suppose, considering this world we live in where we (I) have to have everything right away that is new and fantastic...even though there isnt enough time in my lifetime to use it all!

This set Basket Full of Happiness is the one that I recently got, that I dreamt about, so I still havent used the ones I got last month! Oh well, someday right??




Stamps: Gina K Designs, Basket of Happiness

Paper: Papertrey Ink White; So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Lavender Lace, Bashful Blue by Stampin' Up!

Ink: Palette Noir; Copic Markers

Other: Double Stitched Wild Wasabi Ribbon, White Tafetta Ribbon, Ribbon Slider & Brads by Stampin' Up!; Scalloped Oval Punch by Marvy; Coluzzle; Cuttlebug

**DON'T FORGET TO GO TO UNITY STAMP COMPANY'S BLOG**

TO WIN THE WEEKLY STAMP SET GIVEAWAY

Unity Stamp Company Weekly Giveaway #2!!

This week's Unity Stamp Company Giveaway is for this gorgeous set: Butterfly Beauty

Very talented scrapper/stamper Christi Snow has some gorgeous samples using this set on her blog!!

To win this set go to Angela's blog and answer this question:
Where is your favorite store/website to get your scrapbooking/stamping supplies?

If Angela reaches 500 comments she will DOUBLE the prize! There will be TWO winners this week!

GOOD LUCK STAMPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH AND T.G.I.F.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Payton Elizabeth

Here she is!
Payton Elizabeth, my new niece:

And here she is with her Big Sister, Cadence:
I didn't think I could miss them any more than I already did......

I'm An Auntie {again}

And I am soooooo happy and excited!

My sister was due the 20th of this month but like all the women in this family my new niece decided to do things her way and come a little bit early;) Don't you just love an independent girl, lol??

So my niece, Payton Elizabeth was born in Italy at 1:59am on March 9th and here in VA at 7:59pm on March 8th...cool, she gets 2 birthdays!


My sis and brother-in-law live in Italy with the Navy so I can't be there right now with my baby sister and it is killing me. We are so close that it is physically painful not to be with her right now and not to get to hold my niece. They have one girl already, my niece Cadence (who I am missing like crazy right now, too), and I am so excited for her to meet her baby sister, to be there for that moment would be pure heaven...

But as so many of you know, military life is all about sacrifice and even though I am not the one in the Navy, my dad was and my brother-in-law is so it is a HUGE part of my life, too.


Hopefully, I can go and meet her sooner rather than later!


To help myself deal with my feelings of overwhelming joy and utter sadness, I made Peyton her 1st birthday card tonight:

I used all Papertrey Ink supplies to make this card and I wrote a horribly, sappy letter to my niece on the inside, covered in tears and all...geesh, since I have become an Auntie (4th time now) I have become so emotional...what will I do with myself if either sister has another one??

I hope everyone has had a great weekend so far.
And hug your family that is close to you, ok?

Oh, my friend Katherine is a new Auntie tonight, too! Congrats Kath and I am praying for your niece...and brother and sil...

Who Wants Free Stamps?

Everyone, right????
Well, right now Unity Stamp Company is having a great big stamp giveaway that will last for weeks...

Unity will be doing a weekly give away till the official release of their line of stamps and handles.

Their "Gift of the Week" will be kits of un-mounted red rubber stamps from their "Only Me" sets. These un-mounted red rubber kits will work with your current acrylic blocks as well as their new handles debuting in May. Each week Angela from Unity will post her "Gift of the Week" kit on her blog.

If you would like to be considered for the drawing you simply *need to leave a comment on the "Gift of the Week" blog entry*.
You can qualify for the first "Gift of the Week" starting tonight. Angela will post Gratitude = Joy set on her blog at 5:00 Central Time. The winner will be chosen at random Tuesday at 5:00 pm central time. She will ship your product directly to your door.
**Check out AJ's blog for great samples using this set**

BONUS! Between now and April 30, if you subscribe to her blog you will also be added to a large drawing being given away May 1st that will include a *full* set of her handles as well as 3 Unity Stamp Kits.

Since the weekly contest is open to US/Canadian addresses only, we will offer a separate, international ONLY, winner on Thursday April 10th.

Thank You's for My Sister

My littlest sister is having a baby girl very soon, her 2nd girl (yeah).
Right now the date is March 20th and I am so excited! I am also so sad because she lives in Italy and I won't be able to be there right away to meet my new neice, but soon, I will get there to meet her no matter what!

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to make some Thank You cards for her to have on hand to give to people that give her and the baby gifts.
I saw these cute cards on Renee V.'s blog Stamping for Sanity and I just loved them so much, I have had them *starred* on my Google Reader since she 1st posted them.

I decided to make 10 of them for my sister. I also have a few friends that I asked to make some Thank You cards, too, so we can shower her with Thank You's!

I used Papertrey Ink Cardstock in Spring Moss and White and Pretty In Pink by SU!. The stork stamp is from Lizzie Anne Designs and is in the "Petite Phrases" set. The circle thank you is from Green Grass Stamps and I really wish they would come out with some more stamps (Please!) because I really like the sets I have:). Ink is all by SU! Oh, I finally opened my Nestabilities and tried them out. I used them for the scalloped frame but didnt think it was all that necessary to use them for the white stamped on piece. I just measured that and cut them with my trimmer, much faster!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!
TTYL!