Be There or Be Square!

Come on a journey back in time...

You can enjoy this awesome musical...starring my son, 

JACOB TWEEDY,

Thursday, April 30th, 7 pm.

Friday, May 1st, 7 pm.

Saturday, May 2nd, 12 pm. and 7 pm.

all seats: $5.00

Easter "Milk" Carton

This is my favorite pattern to use for a small gift.  The carton is made from one 12 x 12 sheet of patterned paper by We R Memory Keepers.  You can find the pattern for this carton here.  Once I had the carton folded and taped at the sides and bottom I closed the top with ribbon so that it could be opened without tearing the paper.

I will be demonstrating how to put this together at craft club.  So if you will be attending make sure you bring the following:  12" paper trimmer with scoring blade, scissors, bone folder, sticky tape, extra paper and ribbon for embellishments.  See you there!!

Next time I'll be showing you pages from my recipe book.  The craft club is doing a recipe swap with adorable little books.  So much fun!!  I can't wait to see everyone else's books.  I think mine is just adorable.

I love to Circle Journal!!

The cover showing the theme: Simple Joys & Guilty Pleasures.

This is the first page in the book.  

This is my two page layout for the theme.

I think I've mentioned the Paper Crafts Club that I've been attending.  Six of us are participating in a circle journal.  I think they are so much fun!  I will be passing my book along tomorrow and getting another one to work on.  For my journal I used almost all Stampin' Up! products.  In fact, the only things that are not SU! is the flowers.  The book, paper and hardware are all SU!  The patterned paper is surely retired, it's been in my stash for quite a while and I love the bright colors.  I had plenty to be able to keep the coordinating paper throughout my book.

My friend, Martha asked for a quote from the Quote Book I shared last time.  So here is one of my favorites:

"It isn't the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it" -Anonymous

Quote Book

Some time ago I was introduced to the concept of a "Quote Book".  It had never occured to me to keep all of my favorite quotes in one place.  (at least not someplace other than a shoebox!) : )  I liked the idea, especially since I had been savings little quotes and such for years.  I found a 5x7 notebook at Target.  It came with three pocket dividers.  So I prettied it up with patterned paper and embellishments.  Meagan also has one started.  It's fun to look through and handy when you need a quote for something.  I hope you like!

Altered Manilla Folders

I mentioned a while back that I had started a project at craft club.  I have progressed this project enough to take some pics for you.  I will still be personalizing this with photos and journaling.  The project is made from two manilla folders cut and folded to make a three way holder of sorts.  I used paper from K & Company to cover all the visible folder pieces.  The chipboard accessories are from Oriental Trading Company.  I used acrylic paint on them and then adhered them to the folder.  The I applied Stampin' Up!s Crystal Effects to the chipboard which gives a great shiny look.  I embellished with some grosgrain ribbon and a liver heart charm.  Later I will add some photos of my kids to the photo inserts and journal a little of each of them on the back.  

I still haven't taken any photos of the Love Is... album, but I will get around to it eventually!

Jacob accepted to AMDA!!

My first child is very talented! No bias here.  : ) Last month he auditioned for a place at a performing arts school-AMDA.  (American Musical and Dramatic Academy)  We found out last week that he got in!!!  Just so you know about the competition, last year they auditioned 3,800 people and only 500 were accepted between their two campuses.  They have one in Los Angeles and one in New York.  Jake will be going local-Los Angeles.   But he will have an opportunity later to do one semester in NY.  We are very proud of our young man and look forward to one day attending a Broadway Musical starring Jacob Tweedy!!

Cub Scout Family Hike

We had a great family hike a few Saturdays ago.  I had never been to this particular State Park.  We took a three mile trial with nothing very exciting to look at and ended up back at the cars for lunch.  Even though the scenery was nothing special, the company was.  Here is a shot of all the kids up on a rocky hill.  My two are the highest of the group.  We had a fun day.  Next time we should go somewhere a bit more scenic!

love is...Chuck and Michelle

Walking hand in hand along the beach in Santa Monica. (January 2009)

Valentine's Day is almost here.  Chuck and I had our very first date on Valentine' Day in 1986.  But, in fact, we almost didn't go out.  I was planning on standing him up because when we made the date I hadn't realized that it was the super sappy love holiday and I didn't want him to get any crazy ideas about me.  But when he called to confirm on the 13th I just couldn't bring myself to stick with that plan.  So I went out with Chuck on a rainy Valentine's night in his leaky '72 Ford Bronco (which he still owns).  And the rest, as they say is history.

I worked for hours yesterday on a gift for my sweetie.  Since we were dating, Chuck has clipped the love is... cartoons and brought them to me often.  It all started on June 5, 1986 when we were in the midst of planning our wedding and the cartoon that day said "love is...getting married on nothing".  Which, of course, we were.  Over the years I have received dozens and dozens of these adorable cartoons.  And I've saved them too.  So yesterday I took about 45 of my favorites and put them in a photo album along with some journaling.  It has turned out so cute and I will get a few pics on here of it soon.

On a crafty note, I have been feeling so uncrafty lately.  But I did start a cute project the other day.  As soon as I finish that one, I will post pics.  It is a cool altering of manilla folders.  To see a beautiful sample you can do to Lisa's blog.  There is a link on my side bar.

Have a great Valentine's Day...I know I will! 

More of us are getting in on the biking act!

We don't usually tend to do things half-way.  And since the entire extended family is into dirt biking we're jumping in feet first.  Last week we bought two more bikes.  On is for Beth and I plan to share with her.  And one is for Chuck.  We are having a ball learning to ride.  Actually chuck is already a skilled rider so he is teaching the rest of us the ropes.  So far Jacob is the only one in our little family to not come out riding.  At 17, he'd rather sleep that get up at 7:00 a.m. to go out to the desert.

Beth looked awesome in her gear with her new bike.

Here is a better shot of Matt with his bike all made up in his Monster gear.

Chuck is loving his bike.  It's a 1987 Honda 600.

Here's me getting a lift from my sweetie.  

Next on our list of purchases is a helmet for me.  I did borrow a helmet and get acquainted with Beth's bike a bit though.  What fun!

Here's How We'll Be Spending Saturdays!

This past Saturday was our first of many to go out to the desert and ride.  Matt had a fabulous time on his new (used) Honda XR80.  He is getting better at shifting all the time. For years Matt has been saying that when he grows up he wants to be a dirt bike racer.  I would laugh since he didn't even have one.  But now that he does, I may have to start worrying!  We went out to the desert with Chuck's folks and his sister and her family.  Their four year old just got a dirt bike for Christmas so he was having a blast also.  Next Saturday we'll also be joined by Chuck's brother and his family.  

Once we had been out riding for a while on Saturday, Beth (age 13) decided that she would like to give it a try.  So Matt was generous enough to offer his bike for her to learn on and putt around for a while.  She was so excited and had a great time.  When she gave the bike bak to Matt, all she could say was, "can I have another turn?"  It certainly wasn't in our immediate plans to get her a bike of her own, but we did just that yesterday anyway.  So this Saturday she will have her own dirt bike to ride all day.  Hers is a 2004 Yamaha TTR125.

The first photo is a picture of her riding Matt's bike last Saturday. I got the photos on here in wrong order and couldn't figure out how to change it!  I'm a dork!

Happy New Year!!

Hello Friends!  I'm wishing you a Happy 2009!!  I'm full of hope for a great year.   I'm working on setting some realistic goals and making a plan to make them happen.  I've never been one to make those New Year resolutions.  They looked like a set up to fail to me.  But this year I'm going to set goals for my physical and spiritual well being.

Our family got a Wii system from Grama and Poppa for Christmas.  We are having tons of fun with it.   We also got the Wii Fit program. Today was day 8 for me.  I'm really enjoying the activities and can already see a difference in my posture and balance.  So one of my goals is to be more flexible and fit and lose some more pounds. (I lost 20 pounds in 2008).

My youngest son, Matt, got his first dirt bike yesterday.  His goal is to ride proficiently.  I'll post some pictures soon of him with his bike and in his gear.  He's a cutie.

Winter Wonderland in the Desert!!

Snow in the desert?  You bet.  It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, we try to enjoy every minute of it.  Of course, it took five hours for Chuck to get home from work, but at least he made it.  Plenty of commuters didn't make it home until late the next day.

I love the way the trees looked covered in snow and ice!!

This is the front of my house all covered in snow.  So pretty!

Meagan, Beth and Matt had a ball making a snowman.  This was early in the day.  By the end of the day, there was no grass showing anywhere. 

So Christmas vacation started two days early for the kids in town!  Yeah!  And while the kids played outside in the snow, I baked Christmas cookies.  A double batch of Spritz and a double batch of frosted sugar cookies.  Meagan did come in and help with the sugar cookies.  She did all the rolling and cutting out.  She is a great helper.

While we did enjoy the snow, we are glad that it is just a once in a while event.  I don't think I'd be too thrilled with the white stuff all winter long.

Have a great Christmas.  I will!!

iMac and Holidays Happenings

Today we brought home our new iMac computer. I'm totally excited. We have always had PC's so now we have to learn something new. But I think it will be a great change! And isn't is beautiful?? So in the next few weeks I may be moving my blog to an iweb page. I'll keep you posted.

On the family front, we are busy getting ready for the holidays. The tree is going up today. The lights went up last week. And baking will commence this week. Yeah!

Last night we went to the Drama Holiday Showcase at the High School. Jacob enjoyed playing several parts during the Showcase. It was really energetic and funny. Jacob is sad that so many chapters of his life are coming to a close now that it is his senior year. Tonight will be his last drama performance in high school. He's already turned in his Senior paper and is anticipating the Christmas Show Choir performance coming up in two weeks. He'll be singing a solo at that. Chuck and I are so proud of him!

Change is a good thing...right?

So if you follow my blog you know that I have been quite absent for months. I guess this is because I have changed. I started my blog to share my paper crafts. Which I have had a lot of fun with over the years. In case you didn't already know, I quit being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator back in January. But I was still doing crafting on a pretty regular basis for a while. Then in June I was called to be the Primary president in a newly organized ward. It is a way bigger job than I ever had realized. So my routines and priorities have changed. I only rarely do any paper crafting lately. And I don't really see that changing in the near future.

And I'm okay with that. I feel like I have started a new chapter in my life. I've been resisting this change and that is why I haven't been adding to my blog. I'm finally ready to embrace the fact that things have changed and the new direction that I want my blog to go. I will be sharing successes of my family, funny goings on in my life and just general ramblings.

I hope that you enjoy this new turn in my blog, as it reflects my life. I'm beginning to. So pop over and read the things that I find interesting as blog fodder whenever you get a chance. And take a moment to reflect on what things in your life may need some re-evaluation. I kind of feel like I'm cleaning out a closet in my mind as make this change. It's a good feeling.

What a Turkey!!

Okay, I always laugh when I see food that is shaped like something else...have you seen the cornflake shaped like Illinois? It's out there!! Well, Sunday morning I was making pancakes and this is what I saw. It's a turkey!! Do you see it?? Well, I decided not to sell it on Ebay. I ate it. It was good.

Family Tree

I actually did something creative recently!! A friend of mine hosts a Cricut Club twice a month and I was invited to go last time. The tree and leaves are cut with the Cricut. What a cool tool!! I wish I could afford one. Anyway, I thought this would make a great birthday gift for my MIL. So I bought some letter stickers and used some gem brads. I also sponged brown around the leaves and the edge of the page. I love the way this turned out!! I think my MIL liked it too.

Stamps for Sale!!!

Come one, come all, to browse through my Stampin' Up! stamps for sale. I do not have photos right now, but you can view the titles and if you need to view the stamps, you can check them out at SplitCoast Stampers.

All of these stamps are "retired" and are gently used unless noted with (UM) which means unmounted. All mounted stamps are trimmed close the image and placed in the center of the block. There may be minimal staining on some wood or rubber. This indicates that the stamps were well loved. *grin* These stamps have always been stored indoors in a smoke free home and kept in their original plastic boxes.

Teeny Tinies $5.00
Happiness is Stampin' Up! $5.00

Around the Block $8.00
Remembering You $8.00
Small Script $8.00
Doodle That $8.00

Background Sampler $10.00
Best Blossoms (UM) $11.00
So Very (UM) $11.00
So Very (UM) $11.00
Gently Falling (UM) $11.00
Noteworthy (UM) $11.00
A Little Love $10.00
The Fine Print $10.00
Along the Same Lines $10.00
Smorgasborders $10.00
All I Have Seen $10.00
Bud Basics $10.00
Phrase Starters $10.00
Lexicon of Love $10.00
Happiest of Holidays $10.00
Love Ya Bunches $10.00
Little Hellos $10.00 *SOLD*

Haute Couture $12.00
Very Punny $12.00 *SOLD*
Very Punny (UM) $13.00 *SOLD*
Very Punny (UM) $13.00 *SOLD*
The World Over $12.00
Fun Filled $12.00
Flowers & Friends $12.00
All the Best $12.00
Mini Messages $12.00
Aged to Perfection $12.00
Love Without End $12.00
Love Without End Brass Stencil $5.00
Sweet and Sassy $12.00
I like Your Style $12.00
Going Out in Style $12.00
Letter Patterns $12.00

Both Way Blossoms $15.00
Simple Sketches $15.00
Heartfelt Thanks $15.00

Sketch It $18.00
Swirl Frame Fun $18.00

Stamps will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Shipping will be added to the cost of stamps and I will ship once I have received payment. Make sure that you leave your email address when leaving a comment to buy stamps. I will need to contact you directly to give you all the details.

Happy shopping!!

I got tagged!

Hello friends!! I got tagged by my friend, Lisa. Check out her awesome blog, here. So I guess I have to tell some random facts about myslef now.

1. I hate to cook dinner, but love to bake.

2. I am totally a cat person, not a dog person.

3. I love lots of kinds of music and I love to sing, but I do not play an instrument.

4. I jumped off a cliff at Lake Powell this summer.

5. I love roller coasters.

6. I have pierced ears but almost never wear earrings.

7. I don't like nuts (except the ones I'm related to!!)

I'm so out of the blogging loop, that I'm not going to tag anyone else, but feel free to join the game if you so choose!!

Graduation Day

Tonight we are going to my niece's High School Graduation. Wow, I feel old today! I just don't know how we got here so quickly. And it's now only one more year until my first baby graduates, too.

Anyway, enough of the sentimental stuff, here is the card I made for my niece. I made it a 5x5 so that I would have enough room to write and include my little check enclosure. I started with white whisper card stock and stamped the graduation caps from the set Little Layers Plus and the flowers from Little Pieces using Basic Black and Real Red. The sentiment comes from All Year Cheer. I added red brads in the two o's and layered with red and then black. I also used my corner rounder on the white and red layer of the sentiment and the bottom of the card. I tied the layers to the card with red grosgrain and added a scrap of black grosgrain into a square knot.

For the check enclosure I wrote a little poem and printed it on the computer, folded it up and glued it together. Then I tucked the check right in there. I even stamped a little on the envelope, which is something I rarely do.

On a personal note, I will probably not be posting too often as I have a big new job at Church that is taking a lot of my time. Not to mention that summer is here and the kids are demanding attention. It's always more fun to play and hang out with the kids that to sit at the computer anyway. Talk to ya soon(er or later)!

A Star is Born

Well, he was born almost 17 years ago, technically. Jacob had the lead role in the Spring Musical at his high school. They performed Bye, Bye Birdie four times in three days. I was able to attend all three evening shows and loved every minute of it. Jacob played Albert Peterson. He was cute and funny and has a terrific singing voice. This photo shows Jacob in the brown suit in the center. He is telling (singing) about Conrad Birdie arriving soon.
Jacob will even get an opportunity to reprise his role at another high school's show. A nearby high school happens to be doing the same musical but, unfortunately, their student who was to do the role of Albert, has become ill. Jacob feels badly for the young man who has to step down, but is excited to help out and do two more shows. This does mean more rehearsals for the last two weeks of school and driving about 25 miles each way to get there. I can't wait to see him sing again! I'm such a proud mama!!