Summer Smooches Thank You

Can you believe another card WITHOUT Dimensionals!!! So out of character for me but this card combines so many things that I really like! And I especially like the color combination of Rich Razzleberry and Lucky Limeade! This card is the Thank You card I am sending to my customers for July. The inspiration for this card was again Dawn Olchefske at DO Stamping with Dawn. She is part of the Control Freaks group and their blog hops are truly inspirational! If you have time, do a "tour de Freaks" with the Control Freaks! 

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade and Whisper White card stock; Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper
• Stamp sets: Sassy Salutations and Bright Blossoms
• Classic Stampin' Pads: Rich Razzleberry and Lucky Limeade
• Other: Basic Pearls and White Grosgrain ribbon (from not sure where)

The original card I posted on July 20

I want to show you one more card today. It is actually the Comfort Cafe Shutter Card I posted on July 20. Since I already posted it I didn't think it deserved a separate post. I did a little Step-it Up before I sent it to my friend Nancy for her birthday.

New & Improved

I decided to use the Occasions Alphabet stamp set for extra sentiments because my friend Nancy is extra special:) I also added a Basic Rhinestone for the head of each butterfly. I really like the way it turned out and I think Nancy will to when she gets the card this week in the mail! Sometimes when I think a card is "missing something" I just have to look at it for a few days and ideas start coming. 

I hope you have a wonderful Monday! Guess what? I have another card for you tomorrow!

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

My photo for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat is a little "love" I got in the mail from Vicki, my Stampin' Up! upline:) I really enjoy getting "love" in the mail (hint! hint! hint!)! This was a card she made and sent to thank me for being me! How sweet is that?!!! I love what she did with the lace and the circle with the faux stitching. And how did she know I LOVE Rich Razzleberry?!!! Thank you Vicki! You're the best!


Well, it's time for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat started each week by Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. Carla has been busy sewing lately so check in to see all the great things she's been making. I really like the clothes pin bag she made! 


Okay, let's get started. I am


Reading...A new knitting magazine I purchased last week.


Watching...Just finished watching Broken Hill on Netflix. Some beautiful music in this movie.


Listening to...The air conditioner blowing in the background. Puppy is outside so don't have him snoring next to me this time. However, our Great Dane is chewing on a nylabone on the floor near me. Would much rather have him doing that than chewing shoes (his favorite!).


Baking/Cooking...I have had a bad headache all day (better now) so haven't done much cooking. However, I will be baking whole wheat bread when I finish this post.


Happy I accomplished this week...I got several cards made--whoo hoo! The house is clean and the laundry is done:) 


Looking forward to this week...Don't really have anything on the agenda this week. I am hoping to get some apricots picked and dried and a few more cards made to post. We will hopefully be spending a day next weekend with friends and that is always special and fun. They have a girl visiting from Denmark who was their foreign exchange student two years ago. She is so sweet and lots of fun to visit with.


Thankful for today...I am thankful my headache is finally gone! I don't get them often but when I do it's not pretty:(  Not sure what caused it but suspect it was the pistachios I ate last night--too much salt! 


What are 3 RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness) you witnessed this week...

1. A woman brought a huge bouquet of roses--several colors to distribute to residents in the assisted living facility. She goes from room to room arranging them in a vase for the residents. And these were roses that smell good!
2. A family that invites people to share their lunch with them after church. They drive their motorhome to church and park it in the parking lot. They always cook enough (ahead) for a small army then invite a few families from church to share their lunch. And the fellowship is even better than the food.
3. The card I received in the mail this week (see picture above). It just makes my heart happy when I receive a card or letter unexpectedly when I go to the mailbox.

Okay, now visit Carla to see what she has for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! I will be back tomorrow with another card to show you. It's yet another one I CASed from Dawn Olchefske so check back tomorrow to see which one it is.


Kat

Thirty-One Giveaway on Bringing Up Allie

This morning I was blog hopping (AGAIN!!!) and found this cute new blog called Bringing Up Allie. Amanda is giving away the Thirty-One Utility Tote and Zippered Pouch pictured here. I am going to make you scroll down through Amanda's pictures of her adorable daughter Allie to the post for July 25 for the Giveaway just because I think the pictures are adorable! This Giveaway is open for one week.


Have a great day! Kat

Comfort Cafe Thank You

I am not a "blue" person. Blue is NEVER the first color I think of for ANYTHING!!! Nothing against people who like blue, it's just not MY personal favorite! However, I really like Stampin' Up!'s new Midnight Muse! It's somewhere between Night of Navy and Not Quite Navy and it goes sooo nice with the Soft Suede on this card. I hope you like it as much as I do. Thanks goes to Dawn Olchefske at DO Stamping with Dawn for this great card inspiration! I CASed it pretty close! Notice how I sponged Soft Suede ink on the dsp squares--makes a huge difference.


For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Card stock: Midnight Muse, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla
• Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper
• Perfectly Penned stamp set
• Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
• Soft Suede 3/8" taffeta ribbon

What?!! No Dimensionals!!! I can't believe it!!! Just goes to show you CAN make a card without Dimensionals...I guess!

I have been having a good time making cards and have more to show you next week. I hope you'll visit again on Sunday for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! I am really enjoying taking part in the Sunday Night Chit-Chat and I hope you enjoy it too! See you then! Kat

Triple Time Creative Elements

I figured out what was wrong with the camera. It was charged but...the battery was in backwards! Now, the SD card can only go in one way so why couldn't they make it so the battery could only go in one way??!!! Oh well, camera is charged, battery is in correctly and I was able to take pictures of my recent projects:) 


I have two lovely ladies to credit for this card today. I first saw the card on Dawn Olchefske's blog DO Stamping with Dawn and I used her video tutorial to make this card. However, what inspired me to make this card was the one made by Kim Score at Paper Punch Addiction. This is a simple and fun way to make a super elegant card. Dawn's video tutorial is excellent!


For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Card stock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red
• Stamp set: Creative Elements
• Classic Stampin' Pad: Basic Gray
• 3/8" red ribbon from "who knows where" (not Stampin' Up!)
• Dimensionals (how can you make a card without them??!!!)

Thanks for stopping by today! It is always so nice when you stop by to visit:) I am off to run errands and visit friends today but will be back again tomorrow with another card project that I CASed from Dawn Olchefske! What a talented lady!!! 

Kat

Wonderful Wacky Women--a review

I know I promised you a card today and I made one but...when I went to take a photo the camera wouldn't go on. Hmmm...maybe needs to be charged. Anyway, I will get the situation taken care of and have a card for you tomorrow! So, instead, I decided to share with you about a card line that I am super excited about!


I rarely purchase cards because I enjoy making and giving my own. However, recently I was perusing a card rack at a local gift shop and found cards that really touched my heart. I purchased two:) This line of cards is called Wonderful Wacky Women and they are sold by Blue Mountain Arts. The artwork is edgy and fun. The sentiments are everything YOU would have said if you'd had the words. These cards are simply amazing!

"This exceptional collection of cards by Suzy Toronto celebrates family bonds, friendship, love, and unleashing one’s potential, complemented by bold illustration styles and quirky, engaging characters. They are printed on high-quality textured paper embellished with glitter, varnish, and jewel accents." --from Blue Mountain Arts website On the back of the cards Suzy explains why her people don't have faces... "Why no faces? The concept began over a decade ago with my 8-year-old sone, who is adopted..." I am going to let you purchase one of Susie's cards to find out the rest of the story:) These cards are truly wonderful, wild and wacky! I LOVE them! Suzy Toronto has her own website with lots of fun gift items to see and purchase. When you move your mouse you will see little green pixie dust--unexpected and fun. Her website is a work of art just like her cards. Check it out at http://www.suzytoronto.com/. Her personal blog is Pretending to be Normal. If you want the perfect card for the perfect person, check out Suzy's cards at your local gift shop. For a store locater, you to the Blue Mountain Arts website to use their store locater. This review is unsolicited and I received no compensation for it. Just my humble opinion:)

Weekly Money Check-Up

The picture for the Weekly Money Check-Up looks sooo yummy! I wish my pies looked like that. Mine are a little anemic looking. My friend, Cary said to brush them with milk (non-dairy works fine) and then sprinkle with a little sugar. I will try it with my next pie.


The Weekly Money Check-Up is started each week by Ginna over at My Pretty Pennies. I enjoy playing along so let's get to it!


The most money I spent this last week was on...My Stampin' Up! order! Guilty pleasure of doing business?!!!


Today I am thankful for...Lots of good food to eat right from the garden:) Love all the fresh fruits and veggies!!!


Money can't buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was...There were actually several last week but the top two are: A day spent with close friends and a long telephone visit with my brother while he was driving home from the dealership in his new car (new car has bluetooth)!


I will consider this week a success if I...Stay on target with my Weight Watcher's Plan and walk on my treadmill 4 days. Trying to lose weight for my 40 year high school reunion in October!


I am most looking forward to the gymnastics in the Olympics. I am in awe of how hard each person has worked to get where they are. However, I am concerned about the rumors surrounding the size and weight of the participants. 


Thanks for checking in on my Weekly Money Check-up. I will try to have a card for you tomorrow. I found some really nice cards as I was blog hopping today and I am anxious to reproduce them. Also need to do the Thank You cards for those who ordered from me this month:) So, see you tomorrow! Kat

Summer Smooches Petite Purse

Our Happy Stampers had a fun time making this adorable little purse last Wednesday night! Each person chose their own card stock color to coordinate with the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper. This little purse holds 4-5 Hershey's Treasures or would be perfect to present a gift of jewelry to a little (or big) girl! I have seen them made for Bridal Shower or Baby Shower favors--sooo cute!!!


For this project I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Big Shot and Petite Purse Die
• Paper: Tempting Turquoise and Real Red card stock; Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper
• Island Indigo Designer Printed Brad; yellow brads (from not sure where)

Side View

So easy; so fun; so cute!!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!  Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

The above quote is a good one for me. I am always afraid to start new things and really need to want it more than I'm afraid of it. Just jump in with both feet and make things happen!


It's time for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat:) Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily starts the Chit-Chat each week and I so enjoy playing along. Check out her answers to the Chit-Chat!


So, let's get started...

• Reading...The Seventh Day Ox by Bradley Booth. A story about a pastor who was sent to Siberia because he wouldn't give up the names of his parishioners to the KGB.
• Watching...The Glades on Netflix.
• Listening to...The wind blowing really hard:(
• Cooking/Baking...Absolutely nothing today. I plan to make bread tomorrow.
• Happy you accomplished this week...Stamping Club (fun projects and the ladies liked them) and the house got cleaned good:)
• Looking forward to this week...organizing, making more cards (never have enough) and doing some sewing.
• Thankful for today...hubby has lots of work right now (works on commission so that's good); yummy food in the garden; phone call from my brother:)
• What is my favorite summer food and/or drink treat...My favorite summer food is pasta salad and cantaloupe (not together) and my favorite summer drink is Raspberry Lemonade mixed with Rooibos iced tea--yumm!!!

Well, that's it for me for this week! How about you?!!! Tomorrow I will have our third stamping club project for you to see. Thanks for visiting!  Kat

Comfort Cafe` Shutter Card

Our second project for our Happy Stampers Club meeting on Wednesday was this shutter card. It looks REALLY hard but is more labor intensive than difficult. You will see why another photo. When I finished the card I wasn't very happy with it. I thought it needed something but wasn't sure what. See what I mean? Kinda blah! So I asked a couple of my stamping ladies what I should do and this next photo is the result...

All I can say is WOW! made a huge difference. It looks even better in person! I guess this would qualify as another Step-it Up project. It doesn't take much to go from blah to WOW!


A big Thank You to Dawn Griffith for a great video tutorial for making this card at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts. 


I am so struggling with getting the right lighting for my photos right now. I had a chance to purchase a photography light box with 4 backgrounds, lights and tripod for $30 (regular price was $100) and I didn't do it! I am still kicking myself. I will keep looking but if you see something let me know.


For this project I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

1. Card stock: Summer Starfruit and Very Vanilla
2. Comfort Cafe` Designer Series Paper
3. Stamp Sets: Creative Elements and Sassy Salutations
4. Classic Stampin' Pads: Cajun Craze, Soft Suede and Summer Starfruit
5. Other: Basic Rhinestones, Soft Suede 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Dimensionals

This is what the inside of the card looks like. I will probably add a few birthday sentiments to the card before sending it off but didn't have time to do that before Stamping Club. This project took more time than our club projects usually do but was sooo worth it!

The Stampin' Up! Convention is currently under way in Utah so all demonstrators who were not able to attend (me!) are anxiously awaiting news of fun changes to the company we love! So I will keep you posted on anything that will make your stamping experience better. Speaking of better, if you haven't tried the NEW Stampin' Up! Foam Stamp Pads, you are really missing something! It is taking me a little re-learning but I LOVE them! You just lightly tap the stamp on the pad not press and grind like the old ones! The coverage on the stamp is great and the stamped image almost looks printed. They are truly amazing!

Well, that's it for me today! I have a house to clean and some food to cook:( Guess I should be happy I have a house and food, right?!!! Anyway, join me on Sunday evening for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat and I will have our third Stamping Club project for you on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend! Kat

Happy Stampers for July

My Happy Stampers met last night and we had a great time as usual! I love those ladies!!!


I have seen easel cards on the stamping blogs for a long time but was afraid to make one because they looked difficult. On morning when I was blog hopping I came across a beautiful card made by Brian King at Stamp with Brian so decided to take the plunge and try the easel card. Brian suggested the tutorial from Split Coast Stampers and he was so right! Their tutorial was easy to follow and the card turned out to be easy peasy! I was very happy with the way my card turned out and will be making more easel cards in the future for sure!

Side view

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Card stock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink
• Stamp sets: Perfectly Penned, Mixed Bunch
• Classic Stampin' Pads: Basic Gray and Melon Mambo
• Other: Basic Rhinestone and lots of dimensionals

I think I might send my card to my sister-in-law for her birthday:)

Have a great day! I'll be back tomorrow with another of our Happy Stamper's projects! Kat

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Today has been a strange day already and it's only 8:30 am! Oh my, what does the rest of the day hold?!!! Decided with the day I was having maybe I should do a GBU post so checked in with Mysti at Digging Out from our Mess to see if I could make myself feel better. Well, I think she was having a better week than me:( Oh, well, tomorrow is another day with so many wonderful possibilities!


The Good:

• My birthday was Sunday and I got a new swivel-rocker recliner plus lots of other fun gifts:)
• Lots of birthday emails, phone calls and cards!
• My Happy Stampers meet tonight--whoo hoo!
• Temperature cooled down a little--might even be able to bake tomorrow
• Hubby has had lots of work
• Yummies in the garden--cucumbers, tomatoes, raspberries, apricots...
• Had some nice visits with friends

The Bad:

• The house is a mess:( I am cleaning it TOMORROW for sure!!!
• Thunderstorms this week
• Haven't felt like cooking for about two weeks
• Headache today--think it's allergies
• Got stung by a bee on my toe on Sunday--that's what I get for going barefoot:(
• The season is over for Dogs in the City and The Firm--sure hope they renew!

The Ugly:

• Our "adorable" English Bulldog, Rocky, found some mud this morning and literally rolled in it--covered head to foot! But that wasn't the worst of it--when my hubby opened the door to come in the house Rocky ran past him, mud and all! Hubby tried to catch him but he was too fast; ran into the living room (yup! carpet) and hunkered under the coffee table. When hubby reached down to pick him up he peed on the floor (Rocky, not hubby)! Well, needless to say, I have a mess on the floor and a dirty dog that I don't have time to clean up today because I am blogging and have stamping club tonight! LOL My son will bathe the dog when he gets home from work (it IS his dog after all) and I will get the floor taken care of tomorrow. That's the thing with housework--it will still be there tomorrow!!!

Have a wonderful day! I think mine will have to get better from here, don't you?  Kat

Reason to Smile

I know this is really silly but one reason I have to smile is my new blog header! I just love it!!! Every time I look at it I smile:)))


However, the reason for the title of today's post is The Reason to Smile stamp set. It is a promotional item from Stampin' Up! for the month of July! When you order $50 in Stampin' Up! merchandise you can purchase the Reason to Smile stamp set for just $5!!! It is a 2-step set with 7 images.  The one I used on this card is only one of them. Now, that's a reason to smile!!! So, if you want this stamp set be sure to email me with your order:)


For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Card stock: Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals and Whisper White
• Stamp sets: Sassy Salutations and Reason to Smile
• Raspberry Ripple Classic Stampin' Pad
• Daffodil Delight 1/4" grosgrain ribbon
• Dimensionals

This second card is oh so similar but I guess it would qualify as a Step-up card. I used the same supplies as above...almost!

• I replaced the Daffodil Delight ribbon with 5/8" Whisper White Taffeta ribbon
• Embossed the bottom of the Whisper White card stock with the Adorning Accents Textured Embossing Folder
• Handcut one of the flowers that I then popped up on dimensionals and added an In Color Dahlia for the center!

The inspiration for this card came from my upline Linda Gutierrez and you can see her card at Stamping Year-Round. I pretty much CASed hers but I didn't have the ribbon or embossing folder she used so made due with what I had! 

There you have it! Two birthday cards ready to put in the mail tomorrow!!!

Have a wonderful day and remember to say thank you to someone today:) Kat

Birthday Cards

Yesterday was my birthday and I received a handmade card from my granddaughter! If I'm not mistaken she used her new Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad and Pixie Pink Classic Stampin' Pad (retired)! She is 7 and I think she did an amazing job stamping. There was a handwritten note inside wishing me a happy birthday with a request for me to call her to tell her how old I am. So yesterday morning I called her and told her I was 58 years old. She said, "Gramma, that's old!" I said, "I know but aren't you glad I don't have wrinkles yet?" She said, "Oh yes!" Sooo funny!!! I love these precious conversations!!!

The second card I want to show off was made by my daughter! She has come so far in her card making and I am so proud of her. I love it when she takes the time to make cards for me:) 


The next picture is not of a card but it is of the beautiful flowers my husband got me for my birthday.

I love the yellow, orange and fuchsia! Such a bright spot in my dining room right now. 


Today will be a busy day getting ready for our Happy Stampers club meeting which is on Wednesday--nothing like procrastination!!! I hope your Monday is filled with only good things. Kat

Sunday Night Chit Chat

Welcome to the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! For my picture this evening I chose to show off the new swivel-rocker recliner I got for my birthday! We purchased new living room furniture 3 1/2 years ago but I wasn't ready to part with my Papasan Chair yet so didn't purchase a new chair for me. My hubby is a big man--6'6" tall and weight to match--so purchased a Big Man's Chair for himself. I wanted something that fit me so we got this lady's leather swivel-rocker recliner at Costco. I thought they looked funny sitting next to each other. Definitely a "Papa Bear/Mama Bear" thing! Beau is relaxing on the carpet in front of the chair:)


Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily starts the Sunday Night Chit-Chat every week so be sure to check her blog to see what her answers to the questions are.


Here we go...I am...


Reading...Still reading All Together in One Place by Jane Kirkpatrick. Really not in the mood for reading right now.df


Watching...Nothing at the moment but if I can stay up long enough I might watch The Mentalist. Highly unlikely though:(


Listening to...The wind blowing HARD outside and the puppy snoring beside me inside! Love his sweet little snore!


Baking/Cooking...It cooled off just a little today so make Hashbrowns and Scrambled Eggs for breakfast and tacos for dinner. Everything turned out yummy and everyone was happy.


Happy that I accomplished this week...I got lots of thank you cards made and sent this week!


Looking forward to next week...Stamping Club on Wednesday night! Always so much fun creating and visiting with the ladies!!! 


BONUS QUESTION:


What is my top priority right now? Definitely cleaning and organizing my office and craft room so I can actually do something in them. I need to make a schedule to reflect that it is a priority!

Weekly Money Check-up

I'm a little late with the Weekly Money Check-up but again, better late than never! I seem to be running a bit behind all week this week:( The Weekly Money Check-up is started each week by Ginna at My Pretty Pennies. I don't participate every week but like to do it when I can. 

1. The most I've spent this last week was on...Well, today it was a new chair. That doesn't really count as last week but it was a significant expense. My birthday is Sunday and after trying several chairs out we decided on a leather, swivel-rocker recliner. It is a small chair that fits me just right! We got it at Costco, of course!
2. Today I am thankful for...My new chair:)
3. Money can't buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was...
4. I will consider this week a success if...I get ready for stamping club!
5. This week I am looking forward to...spending Saturday with friends AND my birthday on Sunday!!!

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend! Check back for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! 

In Color Hello Doily

Better late than never! I finally got another 10 cards made and this time remembered to take pictures!!!


Oh how I love the Hello Doily stamp! I think it's because I really enjoy crocheting pineapple doilies. The inspiration for this card came as a result of the Pals Blog Hop. On the blog hop I found some great card ideas so stay tuned as I will be CASing some of them in the near future. The cards I made today (and yesterday) is from Angie's Musings and it was actually a previous blog hop. I thought it was a great way to showcase the new In Colors AND my favorite doily stamp:)


For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Cardstock: Raspberry Ripple, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green and Whisper White
• Classic Stampin' Pads: Raspberry Ripple, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit and Gumball Green
• Stamps: Hello Doily, Tea Shoppe (inside) and Day of Gratitude (sentiment)
• Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval
• Other: Dimensionals

I ended up making 21 of these cards altogether as I always need thank you cards!


I'm not sure which of the new In Colors is my favorite because I love them all--separate and together. AND I LOVE the new Classic Stampin' Pads!!! It takes a little practice to change old habits but once you get the hang of lightly tapping the stamp on the pad it is great! I get a much better stamped image with the new stamp pads! I only have them in the new In Colors at the moment but am looking forward to getting some of my favorite colors in the new stamp pads as well--like Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie:) One-new-pad-at-a-time!


Be sure to check out the Pals Blog Hop--you won't be sorry--lots of inspiration!


Kat

Ach!

I made 11 cards yesterday (all the same except color) but put them in the envelopes and got them ready to mail WITHOUT taking pictures! So have to make a few more of those same cards today (so cute--wait till you see) and will be sure to take pictures this time. Check back later for picture and details!


Have a great Wednesday!!! Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday! I love the picture Sandra used this week because I really like lavender--the look and the smell.


Each week Sandra starts the Happy Homemaker Monday and I get to play along! You can too! Just got to {Diary of a Stay at Home Mom} and follow directions! 


So let's get started with our Happy Homemaker Monday...


The weather...The heat finally came to my part of the world! Today it is 90F degrees; yesterday was it was closer to 100. As long as I waited for heat, I am not going to complain and hubby just put a small air conditioner in so the house is very comfortable.


On my reading pile...

• My Bible
• All Together in One Place by Jane Kirkpatrick
• The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey

On my TV...Looking forward to the season finale of Dogs in the City! I really hope they renew this series!

On the menu for this week...

• Monday--Artichokes
• Tuesday--Big Salad
• Wednesday--Dinner out (Hubby's birthday)
• Thursday--not sure yet
• Friday--Mizidra--a favorite at our house
• Saturday--Dinner with friends
• Sunday--Tacos--it's my birthday!!!

On my To-Do list...

• Make tote bag--at least start it.
• Make cards (absolutely have to get done today and tomorrow)
• Work on organizing craft room

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting or creating...Nothing at the moment. Got stuck on my Wheat Doily so have to find some help. I will be working on a tote bag and some cards this week.

Homemaking tips...One of my favorite tips is for cleaning the microwave--place a cup or bowl of water in the microwave. Microwave for 2 minutes. Now you can wipe the microwave clean with no scrubbing! 

Looking around the house...The house is empty except for me...ahhh! There are a couple loads of laundry that need to be put away and I need to clean out the dishwasher but otherwise everything looks pretty good.

From the camera...

Still had pictures on my camera from the 4th of July parade. This is picture is one of the older fire trucks from the Ione Rural Fire Protection District. 


On my Prayer List...

• My mom is really sick right now and doctor doesn't know what it is yet.
• My daughter has a nasty flu bug--makes it hard to be a wife & mom
• Friend's grand opening of their restaurant as a vegan restaurant (hoping to do a post on this next week)
• Friends traveling to Maine next week

Bible Verse; Devotional...

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14

Thank you for joining me for Happy Homemaker Monday! Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

My picture for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat is of hollyhocks that volunteered just outside the fenced garden/orchard area. Neighbors about 5 miles away have hollyhocks so a bird must have dropped the seed. When my hubby realized something was trying to grow there he ran a 1/4" tubing from the main drip line to the fledgling plant. After adding some fish fertilizer, this is what we got. The plant is now about 7 1/2 feet tall with lots of beautiful pink blossoms!


If this is your first time to visit on Sunday Night Chit-Chat night, here is how it works:  Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily posts the answers to her questions. Then anyone who has a mind to can post their answers to the same questions on their blog and then link back to Carla. I have been enjoying the Sunday Night Chit-Chat for several weeks now. Sooo, let's get started!


What am I...


Reading...Just started a new series by Jane Kirkpatrick called Kinship & Courage. The first book is called All Together in One Place. Jane Kirkpatrick does a tremendous amount of research on all of her historical novels. Many of them are written about places that are very close to where I live.


Watching...Just finished watching Cafe` with Jennifer Love Hewitt. Interesting movie.


Listening to...The new air conditioner blowing in the other room. We have lived in this house for 17 years and finally got a small air conditioner:) Last summer we put up a third solar array so now have the power needed for some air conditioning:)


Cooking/baking...Too hot for baking or cooking today so we had corn on the cob and bagels with vegan cream cheese, avocado & tomato--yum!


Happy I accomplished...Oh my, where do I start?

• Got the house cleaned and laundry done
• Designed and uploaded new Blog Header--whoo hoo!!!
• 4th of July went off without a hitch:)
• Two years of maintaining a blog
• Craft room and tote bag will have to wait till this week:( Maybe I was trying to bite off more than I could chew last week!

Looking forward to this week...Hubby's birthday is Wednesday and we are going to Portland! Mine is next Sunday and I am hoping to get a new chair that fits ME! Found a small leather swivel rocker recliner at Costco that should just fit the bill.

Thankful for today...A husband who can do and does just about everything! He does the gardening and maintains the yard, keeps the cars clean and in tip-top working order, does the grocery shopping, manages our household budget, AND put the new air conditioner in today! His next assignment, should he choose to accept, is put a ceiling fan in the living room:) How can I NOT be thankful for him!


Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 18, line 4 and type what it says... "thing straightened out," Mazy said, "If I'm going, I'm taking things that mat-" 
--from Altogether in One Place by Jane Kirkpatrick


Thank you for stopping by. Be sure to check out Carla's Sunday Night Chit-Chat at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. Kat

Happy Blogoversary to Me!

Hello to you, dear Blog Friends! I started my blog two years ago today! What a fun ride it has been. I have learned so much on this journey and am looking forward to learning so much more. Most recently I learned how to add buttons to my blog so you can check out things I think are important or fun. And an email button so you can contact me!!! My most recent accomplishment was the new blog header! Whoo Hoo! Did I ever feel good when that was done! I have a few tweaks coming to the header in the next week but am so happy with how it looks! 


I have learned that if I want people to read my blog, I have to WRITE! Go figure! Blogging takes commitment and consistency. I have the commitment and I am working on the consistency.  


I am constantly amazed and thrilled that YOU take time out of your day to check my blog to see what I have to share. WOW! That's humbling! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! 


Have a wonderful Sunday! I will return later for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! Kat

I Did It!!!

I finally got my new Blog Header finished and it debues TODAY!!! I designed it using Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio and I LOVE it!!! The best part was the learning process--learning HOW to do a Blog Header using My Digital Studio and then how to upload it to my blog! Whew! Fortunately Stephanie made a You Tube video showing how to make a Blogspot Header in MDS. Thank you Stephanie!!!


Have a great weekend! Kat

A Little Love in the Mail

Happy 4th of July to you! We will be having a fun day with family and friends in the little town of Ione, OR--population 200 +/-. The parade starts at 1:00 pm then we will have a picnic in the park. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by.


One of my Stampin' Up! team members and dear friend, Kathleen, sent me this card in the mail. I love getting mail and especially handmade cards!!! The Tea Shoppe is one of my favorite stamp sets! Love it Kathleen!!!


Now let's see if I get the supplies for this card correct...

• Paper: Soft Suede and Very Vanilla card stock; Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper
• Stamp Set: Tea Shoppe
• Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
• Labels Collection Framelits but not sure which embossing folder.
• Punches: Eyelet Border Punch (retired); Modern Label Punch
• Dimensionals

Thanks again Kathleen. This card is great!

Kat

Weekly Money Check-up

So far my week is not going as planned but detours can be fun too, right?!!! So far mine haven't been too fun but I'm trying to look at this from a "glass half full" kind of perspective!


I missed the Happy Homemaker Monday:( but will try to catch it next week. I also didn't get any card making done yesterday as hubby and I went to town to purchase fun food for tomorrow--Independence Day!!! So what is fun food you might ask. Well, at our house for July 4, it means everything to make a super, duper Potato Salad, hot dogs with all the trimmings (veggie, of course--our favorite are Loma Linda Big Franks), Kettle Barbecue Potato Chips, and lemons for Fresh Raspberry Lemonade:) 


Well, I am happy to take part in the Weekly Money Check-up started each week by Ginna at My Pretty Pennies. So let's get started!


The most I spent this last week was on...My Stampin' Up! order but I get to console myself that it's business related!


Today I am thankful for...A chance to stay home and get some housework done.


Money can't buy happiness. One free thing I did last week was...visit with my brother on the phone. Also, I love picking raspberries and we have had a lot of raspberries to pick. It's like a treasure hunt for me!


I will consider this week a success if...

• I get my stamping order delivered
• Pull off tomorrow's picnic without forgetting anything major
• Restore this house to a semblance of order
• Have a post ready for next week's Titus 2sday (at the blog Time-Warp Wife)
• Post at least one card to my blog this week
• Finish new Blog Header

This July 4th I am...Delivering most of my stamping order then having a picnic with family and friends, watch the parade, listen to some blue grass music in the park in the teeny tiny town of Ione, OR. 

I hope you will be enjoying your 4th of July with family and friends. Kat