I am a WINNER!

Well I have known it all along but now someone else knows that I am a winner too! Just kidding! :) A cyber friend of mine Allie has a blog, and on her blog she posted a Sesame Street challenge to create something using Sesame Street as the topic since it was their 40th annv. Now I was/am a huge fan of Sesame Street so I was extremely excited to join in her challenge. I purchased some SS wood stamps at Hobby Lobby last year on sale, and boy am I glad I did, they were great for this challenge. I created a chipboard book using the stamps and the song lyrics for "Won't you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street". Well Allie liked my book and guess what??? I WON the contest, well I tied for the win, Allie liked another entry as well and so we both won, but I am secure enough in my winning to share. I get to be featured on Allie's blog and I get to add the "Croppie" award to my blog. Here is my book, it was so much fun to make.






Thanks for taking a peek, and thanks to Allie for the challenge, I had tons of fun!

Long Time- no news

Really a lot has gone on since I published last- Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner- I wanted to list a few people that I am thankful for everyday:
I really am a lucky girl to have so many people that love and support me!
I am thankful for my new husband:

This is Paul and I on our wedding day- It was quite an event

I am thankful for my beautiful daughter. Maggie you mean more to me than I could ever express.

Here she is getting ready to play in the CFHS Powder Puff football game- GO SENIORS!

I am thankful for my 2 wonderful nephews. Cutie Pie Noah.

And Cutie Pie Carter!

I am very thankful for my Pretty Princess Niece Teagan. Who I love having at school with me everyday- it is so great seeing her grow and learn in kindergarten.
I am also thankful for the rest of my family as well- Mom and Dad, my sisters and my new family. I love you all- Happy Thanksgiving!

My Senior

We had to finish Maggie's senior page for her yearbook this year. It was fun choosing the pictures (even though she wouldnt let me help her pick them out), and writing a letter that would be on the page. It was really hard thinking of what I wanted to tell her, I wanted to put something that would make her smile when she reads it the day that she gets her yearbook and 20 years from now when she reads it again. Anyway I hope she liked it, here it is:

Dear Maggie,
A Team- that is what we are and always will be- I can remember how excited I was so long ago waiting for you to arrive. I would talk to you while you were in my tummy and tell you all of my dreams and wishes for you. Now, 17 years later I am sitting here writing you this senior letter telling you how very proud I am of you and all of the accomplishments you have made. Life has not been easy for you, but you made the best of it, always laughed and smiled and always held your head up high. Maggie, you are so much more than I could have ever hoped for in a daughter all those years ago. You have a wonderful future ahead of you, and I know that you will excel at whatever you choose to become. This world, MY world is a better place everyday just because you are in it. I am truly honored and blessed to be your friend,
your team-mate and most importantly your mom.
I love you with all of my heart,
Mom

Win a GYPSY!

You can enter to win a Gypsy! OH I hope I win!!! They look so cool!

Honor Thy Senior

Well its offical- Maggie is a SENIOR- and I guess that means I am getting old. I never in a million years thought this day would come as fast as it did. Maggie had her very last first day of school today. It was a day to remember...

I wish you lots of luck this year kiddo! Study hard and and make me proud! I love you!

End of Summer Fun!

Well unfourtnately its that time again- Summer Vacation is OVER and school is starting back- I love the feeling of a new beginning, but I am dreading going back more than ever this year- I have enjoyed staying home- going to the beach- swimming in the pool and just hanging out in general- We have tried to do a few "touristy" things the last couple of weekends before we go back.

First we went to the ever popular "Build-a-Bear" they are running a special for the month of August- Any bear-any hanging outfit- and any pair of shoes for $30- That is a GREAT deal- so we took Teagan to build her a bear. She decided on the way that she was going to name her bear "Patch"- who knows why or where she got that name- but "Patch" is was going to be.

It didnt take her long to pick out the animal she wanted to build- now it turns out that Patch is not a bear- he is a dog- and of course she picked out the strangest looking dog they had.

Here she is giving Patch to the lady to stuff...

After you stuff him, you have to take him to the tub and wash and brush your pet- This was lots of fun- Teagan made sure that Patch was really clean and fluffy.

Here is Noah wondering when he is going to have his turn at building a bear...

And after looking around the store at all of the outfits- Teagan decided that Patch was definantly princess material- so of course she should dress like a princess- Princess Aurora for that matter- so Princess Patch Aurora it is. And here she is all dressed up and ready to be named. This weeked we had another grand adventure- we went to Freestyle Music Park... Oh Boy what lots of fun we had at Freestyle- They had lots of rides for Maggie and Teagan to rides- and an awesome fireworks show at the end of the night- The Time Machine Roller Coaster was the best - we got to visit the 80's and the 90's for some retro music- we rode and sang the whole ride.

Teagan and Maggie rode all of the spinning rides from the Fairie Boats to the Crazy Taxi Cars. Noah even got in on the action- Maggie took him for a ride on the Merry-Go-Round. Then we headed over to the part of the park called "Kids in America" . Teagan had a great time riding the hang gliders, and pedal planes, bouncy dune buggies, and big rig trucks. All in all we had a great time at Freestyle- we cant wait to go back-

...Wonder what next weekend will bring???

Altered Tins

I am in a swap with one of my yahoo groups and we had to decorate tins- like altoids boxes-

I was a little bit nervous at first, I didnt really know where to begin-The group is an all things Tim Holtz group so we had to use as many of his products as we could- here they are:

The first tin was decorated with stream/cranberry alcohol ink- after the ink was dry I dabbed silver alcohol ink all over to give it a shiny tint. The flowers on top were made out of the new grunge paper- I traced the flowers and cut them out, then I inked them with faded jeans distress ink, and I sprayed them with copper perfect pearls mixed with water. The penny in the center is a canadian penny that I found in my car.

Other embelishments include- a word tag, brad and game spinner from Tim Holtz, a piece of tulle, and various stickers, rubons and stamped images.

The 2nd tin was inked with alcohol inks as well once dry it was inked with gold alcohol for the shiny effect. The embelishments included are the stamped skull and crossbones on the top. I stamped the image onto grunge paper and cut it out, then I embossed the image with ranger black embossing powder to give it the evil look, I also did the crow the same way.

Other emblishments include- twine, prima silk flowers, stamped images from Tim Holtz, and various stickers and rubons.

Last but not least I did a tiny pill tin- it is so cute- but because it is smaller than the others it was difficult to decorate.

I inked it with alcohol inks as well. The embelishments include a grungeboard tag, and heart that were inked with fired brick and faded jeans distress ink, ribbon, stickers, rubons and a word pin.

I had a lot of fun creating the tins, I cant wait to do some more! Dawn :)