Scrappin’ STARS ~ September Blog Hop by SUStars

Welcome to my little piece of scrapping here - you should have arrived from Eileen LeFevre's blog if you are following the SUStars blog hop. The next stop is down at the bottom. A link to the home stop so you can go back to the beginning is also at the end of this post.

(Psst - my post is up early - I have had it scheduled for a couple of weeks - and just added the links and couldn't wait, so it's up Friday night - the blog hop actually starts Saturday morning, Sept 17)

This really is no big secret, but I was a scrapper before I was a stamper. I started scrapping when my youngest daughter Katie (who is 24 today, September 17 – Happy birthday, mi bebe!) was 4 years old. That means I started scrapping – wow – 20 years ago!

My friend Kim is really responsible for me beginning to scrap. We lived in the beautiful town of Iola, Texas ~ one block off Main Street on a dirt road in the church parsonage as my husband Bo was the pastor of the Baptist church in town there. One weekend we packed the kids in the car and went to Houston for a few days to see family and friends since that is where we are both from (we’re high school sweethearts ).

We got to visit with Kim and her husband Greg, and Kim was showing me some scrapbooks she had started for her kids. I was SO excited about this great idea. Having always been into painting and creating things, I couldn’t wait to get back home and start pulling out pictures and put them in albums in a creative way. Turns out, it’s a really good thing I was so excited that I pulled them out before I unpacked. Unbeknownst to us, while we were gone the air conditioner pan had overflowed and was running down the wall of the little closet where ALL my photos, including my formal wedding pictures in their humongous white leather album were. The water (I can still see it in my mind’s eye) was only an inch or two from my wedding portraits!!!!

If not for Kim and her sharing nature, I would not have some of the pictures I so love to have scrapped over the years!

So, speaking of sharing, I have some things to share with you!

I used to make and sell a LOT of scrapbook pages, mini albums and scrappin’ lunch boxes on eBay, back in the heyday when you could make some serious money doing so. One of my favorite projects was to make a quick mini album like this one. this particular one was done with my stampers one year.

I’m not going to share the whole thing due to the fact that you have several other blogs to hop to, but this mini album included pages like this:

and was given to my mom. I think I still ended up putting the pictures in it for her :).

Currently, I pretty much scrap 12x12, mostly two page layouts, and have a ton of layouts I could share, but will limit myself to a few favorites:

One of the layouts from the album I created for Katie when she graduated high school and left home for the first time…The first sets of layouts were based on a song sung by Sandi Patty called, “Masterpiece”, but as they are not all SU, those are a share for another day…. this one celebrates just one tournament of many that Katie played in.

…and a layout celebrating my first grandbaby, Ava – who is now a bit over 3…

(Circle Circus © Stampin’ Up! 1990-2012)

I love Circle Circus and the circle punches from SU made this a snap to create. Some circles are popped up on dimensionals. On the title piece, I goofed up and smudged a stamping when I had it almost done, so I took the 3/4 inch circle punch and punched out a few holes to cover up – how did I do?

…and more recently, Emma, Ava’s baby sister, now 8 months old

(and yes, that’s my in the green jacket, and my hubby, Bo, in the next picture, and Katie in that great sunlit photo)

All letters and punch art shapes by SU – Big Shot for the alpha letters.

And Ava and Emma’s mommy, Kari – my oldest daughter – growing up pictures with Katie, and then the two of them with Ava at about a year old.

White gel pen, Big Shot letters and flower – simple, simple sketch!

Finally, a layout that means so very much to me because, however I started scrapbooking, it has become such a vital part of my life, and is so much cheaper than therapy ;)

My Heritage is the name of this layout – from the left are my mother’s parents and Uncle John, my dad’s parents and my sister Connie – they died the year I was born and this was taken before I was here. Then, my mom and dad’s wedding photo, in the middle, the two of them in uniform – Daddy was in the Army Air Corps and mom was a Cadet Nurse. Next a photo of my mom’s daddy, who died when I was only 7, and my Aunt Carolyn who died when I was 17, with her baby daughter Lisa, who was born on my 8th birthday.

Finally, my mom and daddy, holding the three granddaughters they had at the time. Hannah (4/15) my sister’s first grand, Ava (7/3) my first grand, and Zoe, born in August to our cousin/brother, John (long story – but he’s my big brother – trust me!). Daddy died in March of 2011.

I hope that you were inspired by my layouts and mini album. Please come back for more scrapbook sharing this week!

Click here for the next stop on the blog hop - Carol Parcell's blog: www.cjstamps.blogspot.com

http://su-stars.blogspot.com

I have something to share....

.... raising my hand, jumping up and down a little (no, not for THAT!).....

but for this!!!!!!
It's a girl.... Peanut has officially been determined to be.... a girl....!!!

Many names have been suggested to my daughter and SIL for this one... the first grandgirl, Ava, is now 2, and her full name is Ava Kate (after my other daughter)... Robles (NOT robulls... pronounced RO-bless, in case you wonder)....

One young lady suggested.... Lily, Lucille, Vada.... what do you think - have any cool names that you think Ava's sister might be? Please feel free to comment....

(She's not due til around New Year's.... about the time my house should be done, lol!)

Also - I'm working on Ava & Peanut's daddy's birthday card - I'll share when it's done, even though I am SO CASEing it from someone.... it's a Deere card....

for now - I've got to get to bed - I'm beat! This going back to school thing is interfering with my play time!!!!

Watch for my card later this weekend... and don't forget - if you're in Texas - this is Tax Free Weekend - certain items are tax free through Sunday night at 11:59!

Happy Birthday to Ava!

Although she is arguably the most intelligent and wonderful two-year-old on earth in my eyes, she doesn't read yet, but still, I must wish my beautiful curly-headed granddaughter, Ava, a happy 2nd birthday.
And even though we've had massive amounts of rain, here on the dirty side of Hurricane Alex (yeah - I'm still blaming it on that, lol), the sun actually shone for awhile on our little firecracker's day!

Her great-aunt Karen made the cutest Sponge Bob cake, with a companion small cake for Ava to bite into - and she did (and I have the pictures to prove it - but I took them on Kari and Garrett's camera, and I bet they haven't had a chance to upload them yet...).

Even though we had to leave the party and go back to the old house and pack up more stuff and move a few more things to mom and dad's, it's been a great day!

One funny - we were late to the party - because I sent Bo back to the house to get my punches so I could make a Sesame Street card for Ava - kind of like this one - WHICH I DID NOT MAKE but copied really well, lol...I *think* the credit for this goes to Jackie Topa, but if you know for sure, I'll be delighted to give the creator credit!!!!!! Anyway - this card was a HUGE hit - Kari let Ava open it first and she was so delighted with "Melmo"that she nearly didn't get on with opening the remainder of her gifts, lol!
(So whoever I cased this from - thanks! it was a BIG HIT!)

Moving

Ah, moving is SO much fun!!!!

But, it needs to be done. In case you've missed my saga, here is the Nancy's digest condensed version... we decided over two years ago that it would be wise to plan for mom and dad to be living in the same house as us as they are getting to the point where they need some extra help, and we all are adamant that we won't be shipping them off to a nursing home or assisted living place unless it were absolutely medically necessary... so we started talking about building a house. Well, here we are - we had hoped to be in the house last September (!), but purchasing the acre from our daughter and son-in-law was insanely difficult thanks to the employee of Chase who no longer works there, because evidently she did others like she did us (fax that to me TODAY - then not look at it for 2 weeks after my wonderful SIL called her three times to ask about it... then something else always had to be done that she hadn't communicated to him, etc, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat - when she was replaced, her replacement got us finished in 2 weeks!), then the county approving the plat of the land took months, plus an additional $6K in surveyor's fees (which he definitely earned:), etc, etc, etc...

Now, FINALLY, Bo will, dare I say it? - be able to get our building permit next week, but, since we decided it was time to close the LBC chapter of our lives and move on to a different ministry - we know not where or what at this point... it may be just taking care of mom and dad... we have to be out of this house (church parsonage) by WEDNESDAY - can you say... "Nancy is not packed yet" with me???

So today, I am packing, moving stuff and will be repeating that tomorrow, Sunday after church, Monday and Tuesday (thank God our SIL is off today and tomorrow and is willing and eager to help, God bless him!). I need to film and upload my blog hop entry... it is a 2 page scrapbook layout for the 4th of July, so hopefully it will inspire you... but then, once I get that done, I'm off the computer (yeah, we'll see) for a while!

Have a lovely weekend, and think of me while I'm packing, sorting and moving... and if you're in the Houston area and want to come help, I'll give you directions to my house, lol!!!

Still no power, but still so blessed

Well, just a quick update here - - - we've still no power at home. HALF of he little strip of apartments behind the parsonage has power now, as well as our neighbors on our street... the remainder of the apartments and the parsonage where we live do not - it seems they are on another transformer... Bo suspects that it must be gone.

As far as the church goes - evidently there was a line DOWN... and now it's just GONE. Bo said he thought that the power company must have cut it to get it out of the way and done something to enable them to restore power to the houses on Citadel Street behind the church... so we have to wait until they can come back and fix that, too... so tomorrow we will be worshipping without benefit of electricity... that won't stop us from praising God for His mercies throughout all this.

Do I want to be home? Surely... but I have to say - my house is safe, my dogs and cat (and betta fish) are all well, I am staying in an airconditioned HOME with mom and dad and Bo where I come home to a cooked meal (that part is spoiling me, lol), and I don't have feet of mud and yuck to clean out of my house when I do get to go back home***. Yeah - it's annoying and frustrating on some levels, and I want to be in my own space, but I am so blessed and so grateful to have what I have and I know it!

***Have you SEEN what some of these poor people are having to deal with in going back home? Inches or feet of mud and debris in their house or business - and let me tell you - this stuff STINKS!!!! Belongings and mementos, family pictures, scrapbooks, etc, knocked down into this stinky mess? Plus, some of these people will be living in hotels or FEMA housing for ages! We aren't talking good clean earthy mudpies your kids can make in your back yard! Man, I am SO blessed!

On being positive

I went to a friend's blog this morning to read her updates on the kitchen remodel they are undergoing, and I was struck (stricken?... nah - struck, I think :) by her spirit.

So many women today engage in husband bashing on the internet - why not, we think? He won't be reading those posts to the scrapbook or stamping groups I'm on, will he? (Um, no). So why is this a bad idea?

Well - we all DO need friends to whom we can safely vent, and that's not always a bad thing... but if our spirit towards our husband is continually one of criticism (no matter how well-deserved we think it may be) and anger (because we think he never meets our needs)... then that is going to bleed over into our everyday lives and spoil (as in 'make rotten') our relationships with him.

When I read Wendy's blog this morning, it just really convicted my heart - have I been unjustly critical of Bo? Good grief - so we didn't get to go to New York for our 30th anniversary as planned - not his fault that we had a grandbaby due smack in the middle of the summer and I was afraid to plan to be that far away when my first grandbaby was due, lol - and the man sent me 3 dozen long-stemmed red roses to work on our anniversary. He has never, ever - not a single time - forgotten my birthday, our anniversary, my parent's anniversary (of course, it's the day before ours :) or birthdays, nor our kids' birthdays. He is a bivocational pastor and second year special education teacher (at a new school - AND he got bitten this week by someone else's student and has to take shots to prevent Hepatitis now, plus antibiotics and a tetanus shot, poor baby). He does the grocery shopping (still - because he got in the habit of doing it before he started teaching because of my commute and his more relaxed schedule), NEVER fusses when I spend money, puts gas in my car and has it washed for me, and is a kind, gentle soul... and I don't tell him these things nearly enough!

So, what about you? Is your focus on you and your needs, or on him and his needs.... or even more importantly on Him - - - on God, and what He leads you to do? That's something on which I'll be meditating today.

We have wedding pictures - FINALLY!!!!! It has been an unbelievable pain in the..um.....PITA - yeah... to get these pictures. Bo finally had to drive to the Convention Center downtown where he was to call the guy and he'd come out and meet him with the CD. He called and got the guy's voicemail the first 5 times, finally, the 6th time Bo called in the half hour he waited on his last day of holiday before school starts back, FINALLY, he answered and came out with the CD. The pictures are great, however, I was saddened that once they got all our money, the service stopped...

I also have to say, his wife does a good job with the make-up, but they *own* the shop - and she kept ASKING my daughter for tips in such a way that Kari felt she had to tip her....

Good pictures, pitiful service...nuff said.

Focus on the good - focus on the good - focus on the good:
The pictures are really GREAT!

Happy Birthday to me!

Wow - 49 years old! Yep - I admit it - freely, and honestly! After all - eventually I'll stop aging - when I get to Heaven with Jesus...as for now, I'm just going to enjoy the life He's given me and praise His name!

It's been a busy few weeks - things are progressing at a manic pace at school - I'm feeling great job security there...and home, well - home's pretty busy, too! The kids are back from their honeymoon at Disneyworld, and seemed to have a great time! Still waiting on wedding pictures to get back, though! Just wait - when they do, I'll be scrapping them, and you will have the wonderful opportunity to see them!!!!!

Anyway, back to the birthday - as birthdays go, it was pretty cool! Bo got me this very cool new laptop on which I type (whoo hoo!!!!). My married daughter asked me for a couple of ideas - so I requested a DVD movie - she got me, oh, about a DOZEN of them!!!!! And packaged it in a big bowl with popcorn and popcorn shaker flavors (she's so creative!!!!) - it was very cute! My youngest, having just been home for Thanksgiving, couldn't make it back, but she called me...just as church was about to start - and guess who forgot to put their cell on silent??? Sooooooo - as Bo stands up to do the morning announcements, "I can only imagine" busts out of my cell phone...of course, I am on the platform at the keyboard, ready to lead the welcome song - yeeeech! So I hop up, run to the purse and stick it on silent real quick :)

She called and sang me "happy birthday" - awwww - it was sweet!

I got a lot of fun loot - new towels from mom (you know how long it's been since I got NEW towels??!!?!?!), a hobby lobby giftcard from my sis, along with a mug reading: "Sisters never forget. This is both good and bad."

If you have a sister, you know JUST what that means....

I didn't go to ONE mall today....


I went to *T*H*R*E*E* of them!


However, in case either of my daughters ever discovers that I blog and reads this - I have to be honest and say, it wasn't so bad....really! Quit laughing - it really wasn't !!! (Notice the lack of ominous music???)

Went to Dillard's at The Galleria - second dress Kate tried on - that was it! There *was* a moment when I was afraid it was going south fast in the shoe department, but we managed past that, and went on to the second place...to pick up Kari's wedding dress.(Of course we managed to stop and eat at Macaroni Grill before picking up the dress). Kari looks bee-yoo-teeeee-ful in it (the dress, I mean, not necessarily Macaroni Grill...)! And if you'd seen her you'd say so, too!

Actually, we went into the mall, Willowbrook Mall this time, between eating and getting the dress. Parked at the wrong end of the mall and walked all the way down to Victoria's Secret to get Kari a good bra, only to be unable to get anyone to wait on us [sigh - I really do not like Victoria's Secret]...so we took our disposable income elsewhere...

After lunch, second mall, wedding dress....we went over to Starbucks...then, hopped back on the Beltway so Kari and I could go the the third mall and Katie could head back to College Station by way of Bo's school. We also tried unsuccessfully to go to a school supply store for Bo to get him some calendar goodies, but alas, the one by the third mall had closed...so we went into Northwest Mall (the mall I went to as a teenager, back in the dark ages...and yes, we had electricity, gasoline powered automobiles and malls back then), and found the pink champagne glasses Kari has been wanting for she and Garrett - they have a set of 4 pink glasses and a tribute to breast cancer survivors on a lovely card inside - $25 bucks - awesome price, and a great cause (sez I - the daughter and grand-daughter of breast cancer survivors).

Finally, Kari and I ran by Garrett's work and got the receipt for the wedding bands they bought earlier this week....went to pick them up, and they talked me into getting my rings dipped (If Kari were reading this, she'd say HA - who talked who into what???)...anyway - my rings are now white gold, thank you - very sparkly and pretty!

Anyway - we all made it back home on the same day we left... the Astros won last night, and are ahead of St. Louis at the moment...I'm tired, but almost over my cold, Bo, Katie and Kari are all sick.... I guess you can't win them ALL! (Keep them in your prayers, would ya?)

Well, my WHOO HOO *did* wake Bo up, but that's OK....his whoo hoo when he was offered not one job...but two jobs was so faint I couldn't have heard it if I had been standing right by him and *not* been deaf, lol...he was in a state of shock for, well...I'm not sure he isn't still a little shocky! He is such a brilliant, competent, caring person - it amazes me that he is so surprised when other people recognize that! Of COURSE both principals wanted him - they'd be foolish not to! I think he will be an awesome special education teacher!

Glad we got that whoo hoo - not much Astros activity to whoo hoo about - although as I type they are tied with Milwaukee...won't help us any - we're firmly cellar dwellers...but it might open a door for, say, Chicago, to have a firmer grasp on first place in the NL Central Division...

In other news...well, tomorrow is the day - back to the dreaded....dare I even say it? Nah - you know where I am headed with my girls...keep me in your thoughts will ya? And just say a little prayer for me - NOT FOR PATIENCE - oh, no, PLEASE not that....but that my daughters would LIKE one another tomorrow, and that I would like both of them and they me, at the end of the day! And that maybe......just maybe - we will find the perfect dress for Kate, and get the rest of the errands done we need to!

Shopping at the Mall is like being pecked to death by ducks!

Jobs

I am SO excited!!!! Bo went for a job interview last week in a local school district, for an elementary lifeskills classroom - seems the teacher was resigning, but still considering whether or not she *really* wanted to or not. She took off Monday through Wednesday of this week...

So Friday night, during the Astros game, he gets a phone call on his cell - from another principal...who asked him to come in for an interview on Monday after he finished subbing. Since the 1st position was 'iffy', after discussing it with the principal he agreed...he talked to the first principal on Monday and told her and was pleased that she told him OF COURSE he had to go for that interview!

It was a good interview.

He was offered the job...on the spot!

But the way it works, is he isn't really offered the job until HR calls...which they did today...while he was subbing...obviously since he was in charge of children at the time he didn't take the call, but called back later...and accepted!

So now, I have a first year teacher in the house! Me, who've been teaching for 28 years! (well, working in education that long - been out of the classroom for 16 years!)

Suddenly I feel the urge to make a bulletin board! I'm SO proud!!!!!

Showers of the Bridal sort

So yesterday was the church shower for Kari. Would have been just great, except that Kari, Katie and I were 15 minutes late.

Why? You may well ask. Since the three of us were together, we decided that it would be good to go find Katie a dress for the wedding (she's the Maid of Honor). So we hopped in my car and headed to The Mall (Ominous music here).

Katie is a dream to shop with for me - my kind of shopper - get in, find the item, and get out! Easy peasy, right????

WRONG!

Since we were in a bit of a hurry, of course we found nothing suitable... however, hope springs eternal, yes? There are more stores out there....more territory to cover, more dresses to browse and more gowns to try on....

I can hardly wait (lol)...another trip to...

aw, I can't say it again...

you know where!

Garrett really seemed to like his card. Kari caught on real fast that I had bought that set just for the tractor...for Garrett. He's such a sweetie.

I promised some time back (I went back and read my own blog...) that I would share what we made at stamp club this month...I always try very hard to keep my promises. It used to drive Katie crazy (my youngest, almost 20 year old beautiful daughter - Maid of Honor in her sissy's wedding in 2 months 2 weeks and 1 day) because she'd ask me to *promise* to do something and if I was not sure I *could* promise that, I'd always tell her I didn't know if I could, but I would try... because, you see, if I promised her I would do something, she would NEVER forget that I had promised...

it's important to keep your promises....even if it's *just* to share art work.....

SO, here is what we made!



Scrapbook page is Garden Green, Summer Sun and Pumpkin pie...lots of punches and lots of fun...do you know how HARD it is to do a buggy page with my girls???????


This is one of my favorite cards ever....got the idea for the punch art bug from a couple of folks, but changed it to make it ALL punchart (yes - I *am* the punchart queen, lol - don't ask how many punches I own...you really do NOT wanna know!). We used the slit punch to make the border the ladybug is flying over. Another idea I used with the extra kits I made up to replenish my card supply - Curvy Verses and the StampAMaJig also work to make a lovely curvy trail....ink CV with the black Stampin Write, one phrase at a time, and use the SAMJ to place it - it turned out really cute!!!!!


I like this one a lot, too - one of my favorite color combos - Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Certainly Celery. The Priceless stamp set is so cute! We used the Cropadile to set those eyelets - way easy!


Kari found this design on SplitCoastStampers by a gal whose name eludes us...I'll be glad to give her credit when I find her name again! It uses Carte Postale and French Flair stamp sets...

We also used a very cool tool - the SCOR-PAL (http://www.scor-pal.com) - to score all these cards....we made over 200 invitations...it took a while, but the S-P made the scoring an accurate job since we didn't have to measure and remeasure to score the pieces... can you tell I really like this tool?

Here's the inside... no offense, but not knowing who may run across my little boring blog, I expunged the names and locations...

Whew - I'm tired...tomorrow's the first day with kids, and I've been fighting migraine all weekend, so I'm quitting for the night. Y'all have a wonderful, blessed week, and, as someone challenged me to do:

make a difference in someone's life this week, will ya?

Garrett's Bday card

OK, finished the bday card for my SIL2b...


I'm pleased with how it turned out - it got a wow from Bo, so that works :)

I appreciate the girls at SUDEMOSONLY, my Castaway group and KraftingKarensStampCamps for their color suggestions...I went with Wild Wasabi for the base, Green Galore for the tractor and darker square, and Yoyo yellow for the yellow....a little punch here, a little snip there...voila! John Deere, look out!


(the inside - made a little pocket in the pocket so the money would be accessible...)


(Happy Birthday, Garrett! Love ya, son!)