ca-ca-ca-candy

Here's a sampling of the candy I made for Christmas this year. I didnt take a picture of everything... I started packing tins before I remembered to take pics. *doh*

Merry merry!!

Checking in on my new laptop and wishing everyone a very merry christmas and a wonderful festivus!!

The candy man can

First of all.... My new slippers....dont they rock? I found them today while christmas shopping at Target. I just couldnt help myself. I had to buy them. I deserved a present for all the running around I did today. I finished up all my christmas shopping and then I started making candy

I had never really made candy before... unless you count that one time in girl scouts (circa 1987) ...but I figured it couldnt be that hard. I had SO much fun! I made peanut clusters, pretzel clouds, toffee crunch, peppermint crusted marshmellows and chocolate covered marshmellows. I also made gigantic pretzel rods. (chocolate toffee,chocolate peanut butter and just chocolate)

I ran for 13 hours straight! My candy is put away, my kitchen is clean, my laundy is done, my shopping is done and I can finally crash. Im kinda proud of myself and boy am I tired. Thank God for my Rhodiola supplements! I took one at 5 to get me going. It really helped. I think I'll be taking alot of them this week. I still havent wrapped anything, I need to buy a couple candy tins and I really need to vacuum. That'll have to get done after work tomorrow. I am toying with the idea of stamping tags to tie to my pretzel bags... but I dont know if I'll have time.

Why do all my bright ideas come at the last possible second??

and for those of you who arent sick of photos of my nephew yet... here are the halloween pictures....

Oh Christmas Tree

Make you you pop over to Scrapbook Heaven and take a looksie at the mid-December kit.Its full of vintagey papers and fantastic trims. Check out the fun layouts I was able to make with this kit



And while you are there sign up for the fun on the message board. There is a thank you card crop tomorrow (Sunday) from 4pm-8pm EST. There will lots of fun cardmaking techniques.

challenge time!

I am pleased to introduce the NEW improved Category Stories challenge blog. We have moved to wordpress and we have lots more catagories to share with you! Check out our current category **Decorate** and upload your creation to our Flickr group. I tore us an Anthropologie catalogue to make my layout.

We are also looking for a few new story tellers! Check out this post on how to apply.

I had some extra time now that I finished all of my design team projects so I decided to do the wicked cool guttergirlz challenge. (prompt 12) I tinted my photo red and scrapped about my problem with 4 letter words. *warning* the journaling is explicit and full of swear words. (as per the challenge) Please dont read if you are easily offended.

Now I want to scrap some more. I need to find more challenges! I love the crazy ones.

Core'dinations

A week or so ago I recieved a big box of cardstock from Core'dinations. My goodness this stuff is cool. My favorite is the black magic... black cardstock with a colored core. Its the coolest thing ever. I loved sanding the black away and letting that color peek thru. You rip it...and color! I really had fun with it.

Want a chance to win some?? All you have to do is participate in the current Caardvarks challenge and create a card with no patterned paper (I know it scared me too) Here's what I created.

On the Trail

Have you ever played the game Oregon Trail?. I first played on a green screen Mac when I was in the 3rd of 4th grade. Man I loved that game. I was giddy on computer lab days.

Later I played the deluxe version and would toss all my old boyfriends in my wagon and ford the rivers til they all caught cholera. It was very cathartic.(LOL) I probably havent played that game in 15 years... and now for some reason I have to play it. Someone mentioned it the other day and now Im obsessed. I went thru most of my games. I swear I had this game at some point... but I cant find it. I wonder if XP would even play it if I did.

Somehow, someway I am going to get copy and Im going to play it. Heck its so old I can probably find somewhere to download it for free. I need to check that out tomorrow.

I managed to get some much needed scrappy time in. I created 5 cards for the upcoming caardvarks challenge AND got in a layout as well. Im almost finished with my category stories project too. whoo hoo!


I would scrap daily if I could. After Christmas I will have more time. :) I cant wait

Rose Bowl baby!

Oh yeah! Penn State is Rose Bowl bound. I'm so excited for my Alma mater. I wish I was back at school at the moment. I remember the feeling of victory that spreads throughout campus.... and the craziness.....a happy drunken mix of young and old. Its electric..that feeling. I love being in the middle of it.

Being a Penn State fan didn't exactly make me popular amongst a sea of Ohio State fans at work this evening, but I didn't let that ruin my enthusiasm. Ohio State is my 2nd favorite team and I loved watching them give Michigan a pounding.

Can you believe its Sat eve and I havent seen Twilight yet?? :( The tickets to the midnight show sold out several DAYS before the show. I wasn't sure of my work schedule so I had to wait. I was hoping fore the midnight because I can never go out on Fri/Sat nights. I usually work 10/12 hour shifts and I'm up mostly at night. *fingers crossed* I can go tomorrow. My husband is feeling fluish and I want him to sleep as much as possible. I could always scrap.

I actually made a few tags the other day. I hadn't made a tag in 2 years. I found this big box of shipping tags my mom had given me when my step dad sold his store.

I decided to make a tag for my tally sister Renee and then it all just went on from there. I couldn't stop. I will just choose a ribbon and tie them onto packages. It was fun to use my stamps. I'm so making some for Christmas. I just need to dig out my Christmas stamps. I'm currently rearranging my tiny scrap room and its a HIDEOUS mess but it already feels alot better. I wish I could go buy this storage from Target. Maybe when we move :)

Have you seen it?

The mid November kit from Scrapbook Heaven! Its an awesome mix of Crate Paper, MME and Maya Road. There is even a pink paislee stamp. Here are a few of the projects I created with the kit





If you havent been to heaven in a bit be sure to check out the 12 days of Christmas Crop going on NOW thru November 24th. Join us for lots of Christmas projects, decorations and gifts!

the big 3-0

A little over a week ago I turned the big 30.... and the world did not end. I didnt even cry like I thought I would. I just had a blast.

The day started with a surprise Breakfest at Tiffanys themed tea party thrown by my Mother. It was so creative and cute and the food was delicious. We had chicken salad croisants, bruchetta, scones, tea sandwiches, cookies and more! We also had wine and cheese and watched the movie. It was so much fun. I actually got something from Tiffanys! A beautiful silver bracelet from my Mom & Skip. I also got an awesome set of Audrey Hepburn atcs and an amazing 8x8 address book handmade by my tallysisters. It is the coolest thing ever! My mom took pictures of everything but I dont have them yet. I will share soon.

After my afternoon tea it was time to go out drinking! We had a group of friends over for drinks and appetizers before heading out to the bars. Of course at the end of the night it was just Me, Matt, Matthew and Mindy as usual. We are always the late night crowd. Of course by the end of the night your makeup is gone and your hair is a wreck... and you decide to only make funny faces at the camera.


I slept til 11 the next day and woke up without hangover. Matt and I decided to get a picnic together and go check out the leaves at Mohican state park. It was absoutely stunning. It practically glowed red and orange.


After walking around and taking photos we stopped at the lodge to relax for a bit. It was so rustic and warm. My husband sneaked over and booked us a room for the night. Of course we didnt have anything with us... but we always like an adventure. We did find a store about 20 minute away and left to buy necessities and something to swim in. We had a nice romantic dinner and went swimming til they threw us out. Afterwards we explored the place before snuggling up in our room. It was such a spontaneous fun night.

It was a heck of a way to forget about being 30 :)

Hangin w/ Wy

Dontcha just LOVE twilight? I tend to be a little obsessed. I cant wait til the movie comes out... only one more month! Im thinking of reading the books again. I cant find my copy of Vampire LeStat anywhere so at the moment Im stalled on Ann Rice... and a girl needs something to read in the bathtub. A nice bath can make my back feel better.

Im still on restriction for my back. (I hurt it a few weeks ago when a beer keg fell on me and I caught it)Im only getting 3-4 days a week at work and they are short shifts... its like 20 hours a week. My pocket is starting to feel the cut in hours. It makes me wish I had persued this thru workers comp.... but at the $3.50 I make an hour I didnt think it would be worth the hassle.

It is good that I have a few days off. My poor SIL is in the hospital. (if you are the praying type please say a prayer for her) She has bad inflamation and they are still doing tests. I ran up there yesterday after talking to my brother and took Wy so he could go to the hospital. We had a great time playing and watching Veggie tales. Here are a few picture I took. Dont mind the lack of makeup and messy hair.



Isnt he just the sweetest little guy! He is almost 7 months old now... and boy oh boy does he look like my brother!

Iver also been getting ready for the crop this Friday at Scrapbook Heaven! If you arent doing anything this Friday stop by the message boards for a spooktacular time! It runs 6-midnight. While you are there (or perhaps NOW) go check out the massive kit sale... 40% all kits (including this months!)Hey Caardvarks fans....Bety's fabulous card kits are only like $10! Tell them Sarah R sent you to make Shannon happy at me :)

Here are projects I made with my last Scrapbook Heaven kit

Tag your it!

I have been tagged by the rockin Rusty Pickle chef Kelly

So here are the rules!
1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

East peasy lemon squeazy! Blogs I love (in no particular order....)
1. Kris Casting on (girl designed my rockin blog banner)
2. Michelle Confessions of a Scrapaholic
3. Brandy Brandy Productions
4. Rachel Memories of Mine to Thine
5. Christi created by coffee
6. Leah Not home alone
7 Staci Stop its scrappin time

Im gonna be so tired...

I don't know why I'm still awake. I have to leave in 6 hours for a business seminar for Artistry consultants. (I don't know if Ive even mentioned it on the blog, but I sell vitamins, cosmetics and skin care. Anyhow... I'll be driving to Cleveland in a coma tomorrow morning. I don't do mornings... comes with being a bartender and working til 3am. It is only about an hour away and I have do have a few fun CDs. I'm going to have to caffeine up and hope it doesn't make my lead foot worse.

Matt was supposed to force me to go to bed at 1 but he is on the phone with our buddy who is in the Air Force. He's sitting in an airport here in the states waiting to get the plane home to FL. He just finished his 3rd term in Iraq. Id rather him talk to him. He hasn't been able to much in the last 8 months.

Man I am going to be hating life at 0700! I'm having a glass of wine with the hopes that it will make me sleepy. *fingers crossed* it will work. If I go to bed right now I will get 5 hours of sleep. That's not too bad. If only I was tired.

Are you ready for some football?!

I know I know... another month without blogging. Feel free to punch me in the ovary

Football season is in full swing. This is the time of year where my life gets incredibly chaotic and crazy. I start working more hours... hell I sometimes work 30 hour weekends between home high school games, Ohio State saturdays and Browns/Steelers Sundays (and Im not supposed to work sundays but I have been) That isnt even counting Monday night football and college Thursdays. Thank God Im in LOVE with the sport or Id probably be alot crankier. Plus the money is there.... so I can save up to go to Hollywood next May. (among other things)

Scrappy time is limited though.. which makes me sad. Ive been working around it by staying up all night to scrap. Ive been starting layouts at 2am lately while catching up on my dvr. Late night tv has caused this song to get in my head....



Its the Pierces... its from the commercial for Dexter (new this sunday!) It isnt much of a video... just a slide show... but the song kicks ass. Its in my head constantly. I just got the CD (13 tales of love and revenge) in the mail this afternoon and it is awesome.

Almost as awesome as this months tally kit that the uber fabulous Christi designed. Im not on the design team anymore, but I managed to get 3 layouts and an altered project finished with it already. One is for Guttergirlz so I cant show you yet!





I wish I could tell you to go buy one, but its already sold out. You can however get some cool Christi stuff here