A new challenge come and see !

Alrighty here I am! I came back in a few days..just like I said that I would. Shocker eh ? Well I am here with a challenge from Scrapbook Supplies Direct. I found these cute little ol' birdhouses at the Dollar Tree. Cute eh? Well I bet that you would like one to alter of your own, no?

If the answer is yes..then come on over to Scrapbook Supplies Direct and see my challenge. The winner will get a birdhouse, paper, embellies and a cute little birdie to put on the birdhouse. The challenge lasts until Friday Jan. 23rd. Hurry up and come over and see us at SSD !

Blog Candy alert !

Hey Everything Paper Crafts is giving away a sizely RAK that you should go check out! Hurry, It ends tomorrow ! Go here

Some new things to share :)

Hi all in blogland. Well how was your holiday, your New Year? We took it really easy and had a family night on New Years eve. It was good and well needed. It seems that we spent so much time rushing around before and after Christmas, that it was a well needed break.

We took our annual Vegas trip to visit family which was so very nice. Here is a pic of me with my little niece. She is just the cutest thing and full of tons of personality. She reminds me so much of my brother as a kid.

Well in the scrappy part of my life a few things are going on. My run at Tally scrapper DT has come to an end. Love those gals so much and it is still a special place to me. I will forever be a part of the board. The new DT is already doing a fantastic job :) In other news I have had the pleasure and honor of being published in this months Making Memories for you ezine. Yay ! check out this link. Everyone has been quite warm and welcoming on their board. Go and pay them a visit. There is also a call for the FEB. ezine too !

LASTLY are you in the mood for a sale..a great sale?! Well if the answer is YES...go visit Scrapbook supplies direct. They have a store wide sale going on. Here is the info:

Store-wide Clearance SALE!! - SALE!! - SALE!! Take 40% OFF ALL PAPER & CARDSTOCK*

Take 40% OFF ALL DISCONTINUED SIZZIX DIES

Take 20% OFF ALL CRICUT DIE CUTTER MACHINE & ACCESSORIES

Take 20% OFF ALL PHOTOBOOK MAKER SUPPLIES
*PLUS, We still have our "Buy 10 (sheets) Get 1 Free", which equals [another] 10% OFF of every ten sheets purchased!

OH gosh the countdown for CHA is drawing near. Is it killing you? I just can't wait! It will be so fabulous to sale all the new product that comes out of it. Any special faves this year for you ? I can't decide myself. Too much to choose from. Patience..I know I know !

Well,I am off for now..but I will be back in a few days to post a new challenge for SSD !

((Big hugs)))

Christine

Happy Holidays to all my family and Friends

Happy Holidays to all of you, friends and family that I am so blessed to have in my life. A Friend sent me this poem. It is perfectly befitting to all of you who I love and care for so dearly, so I thought that I would share it with you:

My Friends, My Angels

I believe in angels

Those helpers who are near

Exactly when they're needed most,

Then seem to disappear.

I know them when I see them

Whatever their disguise

They're patient and encouraging

Resourceful, kind, and wise

Yes, I believe in angels

The kind that heaven sends

And I'm surrounded every day

By angels I call friends.

God gave me someone special

When He gave me

A special friend like you

Have a Blessed Christmas (and Hanukkah too)
and happiness the whole year through!

~Author- Unknown~

If you are reading this and want to "lift" this poem for someone else...please do.

I had a wonderful Christmas day with my family. I hope that your holiday season is filled with many blessings.

*P.S. If you are looking for some scrappy fun. Go to tally scrapper now! Everyday until new years I will be giving out some Tally love (prizes). So come on by and join the fun! Look for the thread called "going out with a Bang !"

**P.S.S - If you are acquainted with "ms. Cheryl" who won the RAK on my blog this last week..please send her my way. She won the RAK, her link doesn't work and I would love to send her goodies. Thanks !

With much love,

Christine

For those last minute gals at heart

EDIT: WE HAVE A WINNER ! THE LUCKY GAL IS MS. CHERYL!! PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH YOUR MAILING INFO; Thanks to all who played. I am going to add just a little bit more of a bonus in the RAK. Cheryl I am waiting for you :) Iam really touched by all the sweet comments :) Thanks for all participating !

So I have been meaning to do this..it is a small little thank you/Happy Holidays Rak for my bloggy friends and/or readers. Tell me what you want fo Christmas and I will randomly select a winner on Sunday evening. It surely won't get there by Christmas,but defintely in time for you to scrap some Christmas goodness shortly after !

If you link this giveaway to your blog, let me know and I will enter you twice ! :)

And..Happy Birthday to my Friend's Illyse and Susan ! Today is your special day..you rock !

Love you all !

(((HUGS)))

Christine

December fun..December...RUSH

Gosh again guilty as charged. I am so behind on things. This past moth I have been sick on and off and it has really taken a toll. I am behind. Hopefully my excuse for next month won't be the same ! So much has happened and there is not enough time to share it all.

Let me start off by saying thank you to Jeanne at Scrapbook Supplies Direct for submitting out work to Cosmo Cricket ...and Thank you Cosmo Cricket for sending us so many goodies. I just got mine in the mail on Sat. and I can't wait to play with it ! Also I need to say thanks to Quickutz... May I just say it...YOU ROCK ! I have had some trouble with my Silhouette. I met up with a wonderful rep from QK and talked to him about it and guess what..VOILA...they are sending me a new one! Just like that ! So thank you...just in time for Christmas. Gotta love you guys !

In other news, since Thanksgiving...we have started singing... All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...in regards to Adam that is. So cute...he is missing booth his front teeth and he thinks that it is cool. Like he is some kind of big kid now.

Adam was a Sheppard in The Christmas play in religious ed. He was the first kiddo to start the play...he maintained an very serious exterior..but was very excited about it all.

Nicholas participated in a jeopardy like program called "a walk through California" in school last week. His teem won..so that made his day :) Here he is on the "expert seat".

Last night we took the kiddos to see the Christmas Lights in nearby Brea. It was a lot of fun. They enjoyed themselves as well as we did ! We took a bunch of pics..but most came out kind of blurry. However this one..which was kind of a mistake..is my favorite because it shows them in their true colors......

I am feverishly trying to get a few Christmas presents made and the rest shopped for. I am a little more than half way there. Also got to get those Christmas cards out. Watch your mail !

AND...there is some Scrappy goodness...here: There is a fabulous Christmas giveaway @ papermonkey. Follow this link ! http://blog.papermonkey.org/index/2008/12/happy-hauladays-my-biggest-giveaway-ever-.html

Lastly, my dear goofy friend, Illyse is turning 40 on the 18th ! Can you believe it... If you love her like I do, why don't you go on over to her blog and wish her well :)

Be back in a few days with some more things to share....REALLY I MEAN IT !

(((BIG HUGS)))

Christine

Time to catch up and share some goodies :)

HI all my friends out there who are s very faithful. It has been awhile since my last post so I will get to it right now !

First of all to do something that I haven't had the chance to get to..til now. I've been tagged by my friend Susan from Scrappydoo2u. Here's how it works:

Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Answer the five sets of five (this is the easy part)
Tag 5 people in the last section by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. Now for my answers..the truth shall be revealed !

Things I love
Scrapbooking & Papercrafting
My very boyish boys
My husband and family.
All my dear friends

80's music

Things I don't love
Narrow minded people

The horrific financial cuts from education

The war "that isn't over..but we did win it ya know"
Prop 8

Cleaning the bathroom

Songs on your iPod/Playlist
Duran Duran - New Religion

Franz Ferdinand- take me out

English Beat- Mirror in the Bathroom

Ok Go !- Here it goes again

U2- Pride

Favorite Foods/Drinks
Diet Pepsi with lime
Starbucks Passion Fruit Iced tea/no Sweetner
Pizza

Pasta

Salad

People I am tagging...
Yenny of Papel y tijeras
Alicia of Alicia Delano designs

Nancy of Life as a scrappin' engineer mom

Shirley of Standing on the edge

Tina K of A Handmade Tale

And in other news the new kit at Tally Scrapper is available TODAY ! It always sells out..so check it out and get on there! HURRY..you won't be sorry !

Here are a few things that I made with the kit.

If you go on the site you can see what the other talented design team members have created !

Family news: Nicholas and Adam got their report cards yesterday and did FANTASTIC. I have been saving them a special and little bit bigger of a treat than usual for a special occasion. Well this was the occasion..all A's and B's. They both seem to really enjoy reading and are reading above grade level. Good boys! I am so proud of them. SO.... I gave them Wii Fit. We all have been playing it since last night. Now I am going to see if I can use it a lose a bit of weight and build some strength myself. :)

Umm let's see what else....

*my mom just left today from a little visit. We had a very nice time. The boys are already missing her. :(

*Joe is biking as always...but today the winds are very strong about 30 mph at times...he is going to be wrecked !

*Today is Adam's last soccer game....woohoo. (oops did I say that out loud?) It happens.

* Last weekend Nicholas went to a birthday party...the boys were taken in an SUV-LIMO. Livin' large eh? They went out for Pizza and video games and then dessert at The Melting Pot, a fondue place. Anybody ever what happened to the birthday parties with ice cream and cake, and pin the tail on the donkey ?

* I am enjoying my term on both my design teams. I find it rewarding and a lot of fun. Okay that is it for now !

(((Big Hugs)))

Christine

A bunch of Ghoulish goodies AT Scrapbook Supplies Direct

HI all , time for my post to show you what I have been up to on Scrapbook Supplies Direct. Well the new kit has been released and it is ready to go. It has so much in it and so many creative projects to make. The entire kit will come with everything you need including tutorial sheets with photos to show you how to make each and every creation. This will be a great way to pump out those Halloween photos right after the holiday. Here are a few projects that I made just for that kit.

Now these are only my creations, but there are so much more to see, to do , to make. Leslie our guest Designer for October has made a wonderful selection of goodies for you as well. AND of course our fabulous Susan has also shared her expertise. This kit will have you working your fingers to the bone..which seems highly appropriate for an October Halloween themed kit. Don't you think :)

Also our Halloween Hoopla will be coming soon ! There will be games and prizes..and a lot of fun. You won't want to miss it. Halloween weekend we'll have lots of
games (riddles, bingo, scavenger hunts, and more),
challenges, swaps, and of course give-a-ways!
This year our grand prize will be a
PhotoBook Maker (valued at $100.00)!

It's a yummy treat for anyone who loves to create their
own books. Best of all it only takes ONE ticket to win!
(Tickets are issued to the winner of contests & challenges)
Many prizes!!!!
The mailing for details will be going out soon, if you'd
like to be in on the HOOPLA .... sign up for the newsletter now!

New kit @ Tallyscrapper, a challenge and everyday life !

Well I just need to get with it and post now don't I ? So here I am sharing some of the things that I made from the Tallyscrapper kit this month. It is a fabulous kit and sold out immediately (as usual) Their kits are HOT !

I am also hosting a challenge at Tallyscrapper called "Skeletons in the Closet" It is an altered item challenge. And there are great prizes ! Here is my sample journal for the challenge.

Go check it out !

In other news, something amazingly touching..beautiful happened to me on Friday. I am still in disbelief about it all. To make a very long story short.... When I was a kid I was very good friends with a boy who lived down the street from us. He was a lot of fun and completely geeky with me. We were friends from grade school - high school. After high school we both went to college in separate directions. We saw each other once after our first year of school and that was that..sort of lost touch. Then few years later someone that we knew in common had told me that my friend had tragically died. I felt a huge loss and was so saddened by it all. I became a bit upset with myself for not keeping better contact with him and by then it was too late. BUT THEN FRIDAY HAPPENED .......

On Friday an old friend of mine contacted me via email and told me that our long lost friend was actually alive and well. Someone..who I can't remember told me an awful rumor. I swear if I knew who that person was..."we would have a talk". Anyway regardless of that all, I found out someone that I thought had left us,maybe 15 years ago, is here. I contacted him by email and we have been talking now for the past 3 days. I cannot even begin to tell you how blessed that I feel. I feel like now I have another chance with someone that I "lost".

As kids we were really great friends and complete dorks...here is a pic of us trying to "recreate" a Calvin Klein, Obsession" add.

NEED I SAY MORE ? I think that were were like 15 here ? And no we were never boyfriend/girlfriend..more like brother/ sister. So anyway for the past 3 days we have been catching up and I am so tickled by the whole thing. Who knows the reason things happened like they did..but I do believe that we were brought back together for a reason and I am grateful.

And last famous pic of Mr. Adam and his missing front tooth !
And can't forget Nicholas up on the Rock wall...woohoo. He made it to the top !
Bye for now !

(((HUGS)))

Christine

So much fun..I am INSPIRED

Oh my goodness..just got back from Inspiration Unlimited yesterday. It was so amazing. Classes were taught by Layle Koncar, Teresa Collins and Janna Wilson. Their individual styles differed so greatly,yet each andevery singlie one of them inspired me in one way or another. Aside from all of that, they were all so personable, nice ladies and Layle is a riot. Love her sarcasm..a girl after my own heart. Teresa will talk to anyone and is genuine with all, and Janna she impressed me with her charm. She is so pleasant and just about the happiest/fun person that I have encountered in awhile. How refreshing to meet a bunch woman who are not full of themselves. They are all so successful in their own rites..but no one of them has let it get to their heads. I would defintely take a class or go to Inspiration Unlimited again.without a doubt. AND KUDOS TO GINGER, this was her dreamchild..it was a fantastic event and I can't thank her enough. Well done Ginger....you ROCK !

I had so much fun with my girlfriends. Illyse, Jenn and Donna were all there too which made it all the more fun. Here is a pic of us with Teresa. Donna was with her mom some of the time so she is not in the shot..that really would have completed it.

We all had a bit of a lucky streak and won some prizes as well. My biggest win was this.....

It was fun, and well worth it..can't wait til next year..I am SO THERE !

And in other news...this is big...well at least big to me....... I made the Design Team on my Beloved Tallyscrapper. I have been there since it opened and I am so excited to be a part of it. My kit is on it's way and I will have a tutorial coming out on the blog soon. I am so darn excited, that I just can't get over it. So those of you Tallysisters that voted for me...thank you so very much. I heart you for so many reasons and you just made my day a little brighter.

Family stuff...Adam lost his first front tooth. Oh my gosh too cute. He looks so funny and cute at the same time. I will post pics later. He is waiting for the tooth fairy to come tonight. Maybe pics tomorrow.

and Lastly... please visit this blog for an amazing Blog Candy that you don't want to miss. Don't be intimidated by the German, it is translated below in English for you to read. These are very generous ! Check them out here.