Visual DNA

Take a break for a second and go take this 'picture test' -- it's really fun and for me it was sooo true to my personality!!

When you click on THIS LINK, a series of about 15 pictures will come up. Click on a photo in that category that appeals to you. Again 15 pictures will come up, click the one for you and move on. Just continue to keep picking. At the end it will give you a profile of yourself.... It's called a visual DNA.... Your choices dictate your profile.

HAVE FUN ;o)

~TFL & Enjoy~

I {heart} Your Blog

My stampin' friend Michelle 2{stamp}is2b has shared this award with me! We have known each for for just a short time, starting out meeting thru SCS where her hubby recognized where I was at in the whole wide world by the background of my avatiar picture! So we started chatting via PM's before we met up this summer at her family campground out in Sturgis, SD when we made our annual trek out to some of my most favorite places to be ~ the Black Hills!! Make sure you check out her blog as she creates wonderful projects ~ she is soo talented!

The rules for accepting the “I {heart} your blog” award are:
The winner can put the logo on their blog
Link the person you received your award from
Nominate at least 7 other blogs
Put links of those blogs on yours
Leave a message on the blogs of the people you have nominated

Thanks so much for thinking of me Michelle, I am honored!

Here are my nominations:
Gretchen Inspiration in Action

Faith Stampin' with Markie's Mom

Diane DD Stamps in Montana
Amy Amy's Inky Dreams
Colleen Stampin Away
Mercy Lord Have Mercy!
Debbie Thinking Inking

Make sure you visit these awesome blogs that I've nominated and give them some love!
Stampin' Huggs 2U!!

How about a pop-up card?

It starts out flat, but with a little pull here and a push there, this card stands up to display your special message.

A fellow SCS'er, Mary Jo Albright, will show you how easy it is to create one of your own!

Supplies you'll need for this project include:

Paper Cutter with scoring tool
Cardstock
Stamps
Embellishments
Sticky Strip®
Crop-a-Dile®
Hobby Blade
Mat Pack

Here is the direct link to the step by step tutorial

Here is the link to the standing pop up card gallery!

Now have fun creating your own!!

~TFL & Enjoy~

Miss Malia ~ An Update ~

Hello Everyone!

We received an update today from Miss Malias parents ~ I have pasted it here:

Things are progressing – we’re having another good week (outside of the common issues – a little nausea, risk of infection, etc.). Malia had a routine visit at the clinic today with vitals, weight, exam, CBC (complete blood count to determine ANC which is the ability to fight infections), and Vincristin push (chemo). Her weight is slowly climbing – today’s visit brought a number just over 38 lbs. so she’s getting really close to her original weight. Her blood work looked great (no need for a blood transfusionJ) and her ANC was good (but we still need to give her the daily Neupogen shot through Sunday). She’s in great spirits (outside of the shot and port access/de-access L) and seems to be showing more curiosity and is asking more questions.

I just made a connection with a mother of another little girl in Washington who was also diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma earlier this year – she just finished her chemotherapy and is doing very well. Her name is Ashley Ann Nakata and is just a cutie pie. You can read her story at www.ashleyannnakata.blogspot.com. There are some things about her story that just completely mirrors ours whether it be similar occurrences, timelines, or emotions…it simply sounds like us. Anyway, Kyle and I read her story and looked at her pictures with Malia. There’s one picture of Ashley in the bath tub with a great shot of her resection scar. When we explained to Malia that Ashley was going through the same thing she was and had the same “line” as Malia…just a curvy one instead of a straight one, Malia just wanted to keep going back to that picture. I think she finally started feeling a little less alone with this whole mess which just makes me so happy but at the same time brings tears to my eyes as I write this. She knows that we are here with her and that we are effected by all of this too but she is the only one getting chemo, she is the only one that has a tube in her nose, she is the only one that vomits, she is the only one that had to get “cleaned out”, she is the only one that has to get a shot every day (by her parents, nonetheless), she is the only one with the line across her tummy…until she saw the picture of Ashley.

So she asked me why she had the tummy aches and I told her that she had a tumor which was like a big ball in her tummy. I told her that the tumor grew in her tummy because of Cancer and that both her grandpas (Grandpa Hight and Grandpa Pettus) had cancer as well but just in their neck and not in their tummy. I explained that the cancer chose her because she was special and that it must have just thought that her body looked really comfortable to live in but we’ve kicked it out and said go live under a rock somewhere else…”you’re not welcome here”. So she seemed to understand that and was satisfied. She even joked around saying that the cancer said “…hey, I want to play…” and we said “no way Jose, go somewhere else!” J. I just wish I had a video of that because the animation on her face was just heartwarming.

So here’s another relieving tidbit: I asked the Dr. at the clinic today about Malia’s AFP (Alpha Feta Protein which is a certain type of protein which is abnormally high in tumor patients). In general, the higher the AFP level in patients with cancer, the bigger the tumor. AFP decreases when your body responds to anti-cancer therapy. The normal amount (number) of AFP in a healthy body is about 5, in the beginning of all this Malia’s level was over 300,000. They did an AFP test on her blood on the 18th, which was the morning of the day we started her 2nd round of chemo and it came back at 1,608! YIPEE!! He said we should continue to see it decline over the next few months.

On that note, I’ll say thank you again to everyone for your continued love, support, and encouragement. We have so many cards saved – when this is all over I will be making a big scrapbook for Malia and everyone’s cards, kids’ drawings, special notes and postcards, and pictures, will be in there for her to have forever. We will keep you all posted (hopefully more of the same on a weekly basis) – but isn’t there a common saying about “no news is good news” or something like that?

Well anyway, that’s what I’m running with. Love to you all.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and cards ~ things are really looking positive at this point for Maila ~ Thank GOD!

Punkin' Patch Peek #2

Hello!

So it's now the end of August ~ where did the summer go anyway?? Tonight I snapped some pics of the punkin' patch! How fun it has been to watch it grow, grow, GROW (and weed, weed weed)! lol ...I know, people have looked at me a bit crazy when I say that I have weeded the punkin' patch ~ but it looks soo much better AND I can peek at the growing progress at the same time ;o)

Remember my last post of the punkin' patch in July? HERE is a link to that so you can see just how much the patch has grown since then!

As you can see now, the vines have now taken over the entire space ~ I have a pair of scissors that I use to keep the vines trimmed on the four outer sides - that way when I mow by them its nice and even and it helps to keep them contained! I have just recently started trimming some of the vines down in the patch - where its nothing but vines I trim up to the last bloom and I am thinking that will help the nutrients go to the different pumpkins, melons and gourds currently growing.

Nope, this isnt a black and white picture ;o) We are also growing 'ghost pumpkins' - which grow white in color ~ cool huh?

This is just another variety of pumpkin ~ this one is a bright scarlet French pumpkin and that is because of the shape and deep 'grooves' it will end up with - short and round. I think I have also heard this referred to as a cinderella or princess pumpkin too!

What a pretty deep orange color this one already has!!


Chirp! Chirp! The birds are going to love this one next year once it drys out and we can make it into a bird house! These are called 'birdhouse' gourds ~ see why? How fun!!! Don't ya' just see some stampin' opportunities here too?? Yep!

These will also be fun for fall decorating -- and maybe fun when they dry out and turn into a little natural musical instrument too!!

Of course, we have watermelon too! I am personally not a big fan of it but others are so why not try growing some of that too!!

The cantaloupes are well on their way as well! We should have plenty of these to share as well as I am not a fan of eating these either -- I really am not a fruit fan at all!!!

Humm...so what could these be? If you have hung with me thru this entire tour of our patch I thought it would be fun to turn this into a 'blog candy' question!! Nope, I won't send you punkins' and stuff...but rather other fun stampin' related stuff!! So the first person to post with the correct answer to what these are will WIN WIN WIN ;o)

Thanks for joining me on the tour today ~ I'll be posting more pics as we get closer to the pickin' of punkins' season ;o)

~TFL & Enjoy~

Loose Your Marbles!!!

Have you lost your marbles? Go find them!

Our friends over at SCS have a seriously simple way to roll your way to a super cute project in no time!

Supplies you'll need for this project:
Ink refill
Marbles
Plastic box
Cardstock

Here is the step by step tutorial for you to follow once you find your marbles ;o)

Here is a gallery of lots of other cards made with this same technique!

~TFL & Enjoy~

An Update for Miss Malia

Hello Everyone!!

I just wanted to pass along the latest in regards to Miss Malia from her parents:

This week was definitely a better one. Malia was in great spirits, she was keeping formula feeds down, going big potty J, and even eating a few nibbles by mouth each day. We had a good week. She was admitted on Monday afternoon after her scheduled clinic visit in the morning for the 2nd round of chemo and as long as things continue as planned we will be home late this afternoon. Since she had a little bit of a runny nose, she can't go to the 2nd floor (our normal home with the other Hem/Onc patients, renal patients, and bone marrow transplant patients) so we have been on the 3rd floor. She has a private room and a chemo certified nurse has been brought up when the chemo needs to be administered but it's still not the same. We would much rather be on our normal floor with our friends. She's not on contact precautions but if she wants to leave the room, she needs to wear a mask but she still can't go to the 2nd floor playroom. Luckily there is a playroom on the 4th floor but it's not the same. Hopefully we'll be on our regular floor during her next round in September. After her Cisplatin infusion (the chemo through her IV) on Monday night, she was doing fairly well and we were managing her nausea and such pretty good until yesterday evening when she vomited once and then once again early this morning. She’s acting as though she’s feeling fine right now so hopefully, we are out of the dark zone with that. Her red blood cells are a little low and since they know that they will continue to drop from the chemo they are going to do a blood transfusion today before they give her the last two chemo drug pushes and then we can go home.

During this past week, we said goodbye to all of Malia’s “sick hair”, and the remaining stubble has thinned more so this round may wipe it out completely. She understands that we had to get rid of all the sick hair in order for her new healthy hair to come in. She has received so many cute hats from so many friends and she is having fun wearing them…usually only outside because she knows we have to protect her scalp from the sun since her hair hasn’t come back yet. We have pictures that I will upload later this week so you can see how big her already beautiful eyes appear now.

If it was possible to send thank you cards to each individual that has sent gifts, money, cards, postcards, well wishes, positive thoughts, and so much love - I certainly would. Since that would take hours upon hours (time that I cannot seem to find right now as I’m sure you all understand) I will simply have to say thank you here. Once again, I can’t even begin to tell you all how lucky we are to have you in our lives. There are not enough words (actually I don’t even think there is a word in existence) to accurately express how truly grateful and appreciative we are of all your support. We love you all!

I'm still posting pictures of little Malia before she got sick. As soon as we receive pics of her since her haircut I'll post those with updates too ~

Thanks Everyone!!!

3 x 3 Card Box

Making little cards to slip into a lunch box or tie onto a gift bag is fun, so why not create a bunch and then make a box to store them in!

Our friends over at SCS have us in *awe*, once again, with this fabulous tutorial ~

Supplies you'll need for this project:

Paper cutter with scoring blade
Card stock
Patterned paper
Corner rounder punch
Bone folder
Strong adhesive

Then be sure to check out the Box Gallery to see some awesome bitty boxes made by other members of the SCS community!!

~Enjoy & TFL~

Vacation Memories

I just wanted to take a moment and share with you some pictures of our latest trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota this summer -- we had an absolutely wonderful time! It was the best weather in the 17 years my husband has been going out there -- no rain and wonderful temps! Yes, we did go out for the Sturgis Bike Rally but we love to spend time away from the mass chaios of the bike scene too!! We had fun one afternoon just taking pics of the scenery, including the buffalo in Custer State Park.

I love photography and taking pictures - especially now that the digital era is here - if the picutre doesnt turn out just delete it!!! ;o)

Oh and last but certainly not least - I had to take a picture of "The Purple Pie Place" which is located in Custer, SD -- my huband loves his sweets! We found this place which makes home made pies and sweets -- Dean stopped in and left with TWO pieces of pie ;o) So if you are ever in the area stop in to entertain your sweet tooth!!

Miss Malia ~ An Update from this past week

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to post the latest update on Miss Malia. Her Mom had a chance to send out an update today, Monday August 11, 2008:

Well – it’s been a mighty hectic, tiring, and stressful week which is why there has been no update until now. HOLY COW has Malia’s body been through the ringer this week. Okay so, after having her NG tube placed things were going well. She was even showing interest in eating little nibbles here and there. She had been receiving 16 oz of formula (“Joey Snacks”) continuously while she slept at night and 16 oz throughout the day but through bolus feeds (not slow and continuous). We went in for her scheduled clinic visit on Monday and she had even gained back about half of what she had already lost which brought her back up to a little over 37 lbs! She received her next dose of Vincristine which is one of the chemo drugs. It’s a nasty little poison that is extremely constipating which is why we had her on a regimen of three different laxatives/stool softners. Well, unfortunately they hadn’t been working and starting early morning Tuesday things went downhill quickly.

It started when I gave her the first bolus feed on Tuesday. As soon as it was finished, it all came right back up with all the meds I had given her as well. We skipped the next scheduled bolus to give her tummy a rest and she seemed okay when I gave her another at about lunch time…until 40 minutes later when that came up. Then at night, when we gave her the third bolus (after anti nausea meds), that too didn’t stay down. So we called the Oncologist and he suggested giving her more tummy medicine, letting her rest until we started the continuous feed (since she had a good record with that), and see what happened. If she got sick in the middle of the night we would have to bring her in to the ER for fluids. She did well…YIPEE…until that afternoon. I hadn’t given her anything…not even meds to make sure everything stayed down. We were in the middle of getting her hair cut by my friend Michelle (another BizEMom) at the salon and sure enough, it happened…right in her wastebasket! Sorry Michelle. To make matters worse, her NG tube came up too so I had to pull it through her nose which she was not happy about. I knew then that we were going to have to take her in to the clinic.

When we got to the clinic, they gave her IV fluids which greatly improved her mood and color. They also placed another NG tube so we didn’t have to be the bad guys. We went home and she had her continuous feed at night again with the laxative in the formula because there was still no news in that area and we could not give her anything by mouth because it would come right back up. The next day, Thursday, we were just giving her the anti nausea meds, waiting 30 minutes and giving her a bolus of only 1 oz every 4 hours. She kept it down but by the evening her color was all gray again. The doctor said to give her the continuous again, and if she did okay, put her on a continuous during the day. The only thing was that we had to make sure we got her “poopie” meds in her as they felt that was the main culprit. So I slept with her that night and she did well. We woke up a little before 5:00 AM and I gave her some more tummy medicines and then about 40 minutes later she said she had to go to the bathroom J. Unfortunately, nothing in that area presented itself but, yep, you guessed it, she vomited about ½ of her night feed. Now we knew we had to go in again.

We went to the clinic and they had told us to pack a bag because she’d probably be admitted. We arrived at the clinic Friday morning, they gave her fluids and anti nausea medications, as well as more Miralax and when there was still no voiding, we were admitted. Oddly enough, as soon as we got to our room, she went big potty, but it was still not enough. By the next day, Saturday, the doctors said that she needed to be “cleaned out”. So it was not going to be a pleasant night because they were going to be giving her 4 liters of Go Lytely (the stuff you have to take before a colonoscopy). YIKES!! We had to put the NG tube back (since that too came up on Friday morning) and I had to be the one to do it L. I actually did a pretty good job (Malia had some anxiety meds before so that was a big help). They started the flushing process and they were right, it was not a fun day. Kyle stayed at the hospital that night so he got the worst of it. Sorry Honey!

Well I am happy to say that the “House of Malia” is clean! We were released from the hospital on Sunday evening after Malia had been on a very conservative continuous feed for about 6 hours and no vomiting. She now needs to be on that same very slow continuous feed to make sure that she’s able to handle it because tomorrow, she gets another dose of that Vincristine which could seize her up as quickly as that night so we need to be cautious because we do not want to put her through that flushing process with every round of chemo! So far so good, Malia is doing well with the exception of being totally and completely PO’ed that Joey is connected to her all the time now – she can’t just run around everywhere; which, now that she’s starting from scratch, she’s feeling very active.

Her hair looks adorable! Even though she would not let Michelle finish the haircut, it still looks so sweet on her. We keep getting compliments on how cute she looks. Thank you Michelle! Unfortunately, her hair is starting to come out now. By looking at her you can’t notice anything other than the texture and shine of her hair is not the same as it used to be. But, it’s all over her clothes, pillow, bed, toys, even us – so we’ll see what happens.

We’ll keep you all posted – and once again – we thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, support, love, and friendship.

Happiest Birthday Pouch

How fun is this pouch? To make and to receive!! Cool! Thanks to our friends at Stampin' UP! for designing this cute project -- once again this is made with the new Big Shot die cutting machine they recently released!Stamps
On Your Birthday stampset

Paper
Baja Breeze card stock
More Mustard card stock
Real Red card stock
Whisper White card stock
Baja Breeze Patterns Designer Series paper

Ink
More Mustard Stampin' Write marker
Real Red Stampin' Write marker

Stampin' Up! Accessories
Silver brads
Stampin' Dimensionals
Star punch
Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!
Top Note Bigz die

Diaper Fold Pouch

With the first day of school right around the corner, and trips for supplies and new clothes on agenda of many a mom, it's fun to think back to the simple origami you did to pass the time during class! Our friends over at SCS have done the work for us and created an awesome tutorial! I just love that place ;o)

Supplies you'll need for this project
Patterned paper
Bone folder

Here is a link to the tutorial

Here is a link to the gallery so you can see different ones that have been created!

~TFL & Enjoy~

Alcohol & Stampin' .. a different twist!

One of the first things new stampers learn is how to add color to stamped images with markers. It's generally done with water-based markers but with the popularity of alcohol-based markers, why not try those, too? Once again our friends at Splitcoast Stampers are showing off this technique in a very cool tutorial -- thanks to Gina Krupsky for showing us how!!

Supplies you'll need for this project
Stamps
Card stock
Alcohol markers
Rubbing alcohol
Misting bottle

Here is a link to the step by step directions

Here is a link to the gallery to see more ideas done with 'misting with markers'

~TFL & Enjoy~

Little Girl Outfit & Bookbag

Isn't this just the most adorable project you have seen? Thanks to our friends at SU! for designing this cute little ensamble ;o) Once again this is done using the Big Shot!!
Accessories
Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon
Pewter Jumbo Eyelets
Flower Layers w/Leaf Bigz die
Flower Layers Originals die
Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!
Buttons
Fabric
Felt
Sewing machine and thread
Shorts
Tank top
Black crochet thread

With Gratitude

Here is another fun card from SU! using the fun new Big Shot they recently released!

Stamps
Define Your Life stamp set
Little Flowers stamp set

Paper
Baja Breeze card stock
Pumpkin Pie card stock
So Saffron card stock
Whisper White card stock

Ink
Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad
Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad
So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad

Stampin' Up! Accessories
Baja Breeze 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon
Stampin' Dimensionals
Scallop Edge punch
1/2" Circle punch
Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!
Birds & Blooms Sizzlits Die 4-Pack
Chipboard

Let's Celebrate with Big Shot!!

Cool! Stampin' UP! has released a new fun tool for us to use!! It's called "The Big Shot" It's a manual die-cutting machine that can be used to die cut materials for use on cards, scrapbook pages, business tools, home décor projects, and even clothing--the Big Shot is a big deal! This project was made using the Big Shot machine and dies.

Stamps
On Your Birthday stamp set
Sprinkles stamp set

Paper
Baja Breeze card stock
Naturals White card stock
So Saffron textured card stock

Ink
Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad
VersaMark pad
Stampin' Up! Accessories
So Saffron 7/8" poly twill ribbon
Linen thread
Stampin' Dimensionals
1/16" Circle punch
3/4" Circle punch
1-3/4" Circle punch
Birds & Blooms Sizzlits Die 4-Pack
Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!

Miss Malia ~ An Update ~

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to share the latest update that Malia's Mom posted tonight ~ Thanks again for all of your kind words, cards and prayers You are all very much appreciated!

Sorry for the delay in the update…it’s been a bit hectic around here this past week. We are starting the week in a much more relaxed state than we did last week which I am very happy to say J. It was definitely a stressful time trying to get Malia to eat and take her medication and basically do anything that we asked of her this whole week. We have a little relief now.Thursday, Kyle called our case Social Worker at the Oncology/Hematology clinic because we just did not know what to do. We were battling with her for what seemed like hours to just take a sip of water or juice and we needed some help. They told us to bring her in so they could give her IV fluids and check her blood chemistry to make sure she wasn’t dehydrated. My mom and I took her in and they did all her vitals, her blood work, and gave her fluids. All looked good except her weight – she lost more. Her total weight loss was now between 7.5 and 8 lbs. The Nutritionist said that they normally place an NG (Nasogastric) tube when a child has lost 5% – 10% of their body weight…Malia was already past that. So as we discussed that with the Nurse Clinician, the Nurse Practitioner, the Nutritionist, and the Social Worker, Malia finally realized that what we had been telling her about the nose “tubey” was real and we were not lying to her. She kept saying that she wanted to “pay attention at home”…meaning she wanted to eat at home and also said she was hungry and wanted to have lunch. So we ordered her lunch at the clinic and explained that she had to eat all of her lunch and continue to eat everything we gave her at home or she would have to have the tubey. She agreed but we were still a little unsure when we took her home because she still had to be coaxed to eat her lunch. To our delight, she was really trying to eat at home that night eating mashed up avocado with added coconut oil, chicken and cheese quesadilla, juice, etc. When we calculated what she had eaten, we discovered she was going to have to eat a lot more. The Nutritionist had said she needed to consume a minimum of 1400 calories to maintain her weight and if we wanted her to gain some weight back she’d have to consume 1500 – 1600 calories! We knew we had to get more in her because even if she was eating well at home all weekend long but had lost more weight when we went in to the clinic for her scheduled appointment on Monday, they were still going to place the tube. So we made a rule that every night she to drink a “teddy bear milk” (PediaSure). She didn’t want to and it took a long time but she did it like a trooper! Then 10 minutes later she vomited everything up. We felt HORRIBLE! I knew at that point that because her tummy had shrunk so much over the last couple of weeks, that she would not physically be able to consume the required amount of food to maintain her weight. Because we didn’t want to keep pressuring her to eat as much as she could all weekend long and end up having the tube placed anyway, we elected to go in on Friday and get her feeding tube.We explained to her on Friday morning what was going to happen and surprisingly she seemed to understand. She actually seemed a bit relieved because she understood that we didn’t want her to eat so much that she threw up but that she had to eat more than she was able to in order to not have the tubey. We explained that she still would have to take all of her medicines but Mommy and Daddy would not be hounding her all the time to eat and eat and eat. She could eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. I think she really had a sigh of relief with that. Of course, the placing of the tube was traumatic for her (just like everything else has been L) but when we got home she was in great spirits. She even asked me to make her lunch! When I asked her what she wanted she was very specific – M&Ms, marshmallows, Jelly Bellies, and juice, all the 4 food groups J. When the pump was delivered, I told her that we’d have our own Wall-E (that’s what we called the IV pump and pole in the hospital). We also named the Pulse/Ox machine, which was blue, Eva (Wall-E’s girlfriend in the movie). When the pump arrived at home, she said that Wall-E had a small face – “like a baby”. Because the Kangaroo Joey pump is blue and small, we said it’s Wall-E and Eva’s daughter named Joey. She really liked that and now Joey is wearing a dress (a scarf that my best friend Amy had sent), some flowers, and a hat of all things. We even got a couple of pictures of Malia hugging her. We’ll make sure to upload some more pictures soon.So needless to say, it has been a crazy week for us but with Joey helping out with Malia’s nutrition, we no longer have to battle with her to eat. We still have struggles with the medicine and the shots but our stress level has definitely gone down. Of course, we’re still anxious about what is to come. The medications that she is being given for her therapy has some delayed side effects. We’ve already seen some (loss of appetite, constipation, etc.) but the lowered blood count which increases her chance for infections and complications, and hair loss is still just around the corner. The effects are also cumulative so this first round is over but we still have 3 more to go through and that, of course, is all unchartered waters for us. We are just taking this one day at a time and today is a good day J.We are still continuing to receive so many cards and messages which mean so much. There are no words that can accurately express the amount of gratitude and appreciation that we feel. We’ve got so many friends that are doing so much; making meals, sending cards, sending money, doing fundraisers – so much that it makes us catch our breath all the time. Not only has this experience with Malia changed us, but the abundance of support and love that we have received from all of you has changed us forever. Thank you!

I've been Tagged!

For the "You've Been Tagged award, I have to share 7 random facts about me - and then tag 7 others.....

I was tagged by my friend Michelle out in the wonderful Black Hills of South Dakota!! Here is a link to her blog ~ go on over for a visit and some inspiration and show her some of yer' love
Michelles Blog


Ok - here is the next step - to share 7 random facts about me --

7 Random Facts About Me:

1-I grew up on a farm

2-I moved away for college but returned back to my home town & married

3-I have been riding motorcycles since I mastered my training wheels on my bicycle

4-I have a new little niece or nephew who will make their appearance in October!!

5-I love to bake (and eat for that matter too!)

6-I sleep during the day and work at night

7-I am a Mom to four boys - Otis, Jake, Gus & Vinny -- they wear fur coats and purr but to ask them they think they are just little people too!!

For the last part I am to nominate and tag 7 other bloggers -- well -- ummm -- I am not going to do that but I thought it would be fun to play this much anyway! LOL

~TFL & Enjoy~

Sneek Peek ~ Birthday Wishes

How cool!! Once again SU! is doing a great job of getting us all pumped up for the new catalog! Yeah!! This is a fun, different size, card we can all do!!

Stamps
Wow Flowers stamp set

Paper
Pacific Point card stock (6" x 6")
Whisper White card stock
Kiwi Kiss textured card stock
Riding Hood Red textured card stock
Tangerine Tango textured card stock

Ink
Kiwi Kiss Classic Stampin' Pad
Riding Hood Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad
Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad

Accessories
White Stampin' Emboss powder
Vintage brads
Stampin' Dimensionals
Crafters' Tool Kit
Heat tool
Paper Cutter
1/16" Circle punch
1" Circle punch
1-3/4" Circle punch
Silver elastic cord

Instructions
Pierce overlapping half-circles in Pacific Point card using paper-piercing tool from Crafters' Tool Kit.

Stamp "Birthday wishes" in Whisper White ink on card. Cover sentiment with White Stampin' Emboss powder, and heat emboss.

Punch three circles from Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, and Tangerine Tango textured card stock using 1-3/4" Circle punch. Create four score lines across each circle using scoring blade on paper cutter. Adhere circles to card and trim as necessary.

Stamp wheel image in Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, and Tangerine Tango ink on Whisper White card stock. Punch images out using 1" Circle punch. Punch hole in center of each circle using 1/16" Circle punch, and attach Silver brads.

Adhere circles to card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Adhere silver elastic cord to card.

~Enjoy & TFL~