happy NSD.... I hope it's better than mine :)

so not a fun way to spend NSD....

ok..... it's been great to come back home........
I flew back to KC on Wednesday and I will be in St Louis and Kansas City all month long..........

and that the huge storm that hit KC last night just missed us (my mom lives 30 min south of KC)....tornadoes and microbursts hit probably 15 minutes away on diff sides of us, roofs off of houses, humongous downpours, 2 inch hail, and heavy winds... we only had bad winds and 2 inches of rainwelll.....besides that......... my dh said that our 52" tv stopped working last night (it's maybe 2.5 years old), my flat screen computer monitor went out this morning (it's only 1.5 years old), the repair man came to check on our dishwasher on Wednesday & it worked fine for him even though it's been making crazy noises for us (it's maybe 4 years old), .............

AND......... my EHD won't work here.... I've tried connecting it to my laptop & my sister's computers & it just shows that there is an error with it (error 10, whatever that means).........all of my digistuff is on it... my grab bag designer spotlight stuff and EVERYTHING I have.......I hope the xray thing at the airport security didnt hurt it... I told them it was in my bag..it doesn't bother laptops, so it shouldn't hurt the EHD, but who knows...I don't know what the hell to do...............

and my mom doesn't have the internet, so I have to bug my sister once in a while, or bug my friend that I will be staying with when I'm in STL

oh... Griffin fell and busted his lip last night too

I did have one really great thing happen yesterday... Siren, the Norwegian foreign exchange student that lived with us 25 years ago is in for her 25th reunion... she landed 2 hours after me on Wednesday ... she is staying with her best friend from here .........we visited yesterday and I'm going to see her again next week before she leaves town anyway..........

any suggestions for my EHD

fabulous oh fabulous smiles

Tuesday has been a fabulous day!

My dh and I were in Vegas last night. We met one of his client's and his wife for dinner and played craps for a bit. Well, this morning I slept in until about 9am which was so incredibly awesome since usually Hudson and Griffin wake me up every morning around 6ish or earlier. A little later I played roulette with $50 of "house money". I let it ride on red and won $200. YAY! Then, my mom called later in the morning to let me know that Siren, our Norwegian Foreign Exchange student who lived with us for a year is flying in to KC a couple hours after I land tomorrow. She will be in town for her 25th high school reunion. Siren's best friend from when she lived with us sent my mom a letter to inform us. We are just ecstatic to see her for the first time in all these years.
And.... tonight... I'm sorting through my e-mail and found out that two super fabulous people gave me a fabulous award. (more below)

I hope all of you are having fabulous days too


*************

Two terrific and super fab ladies sent me an award! I am truly excited! Linda Cutshell and a fellow Gotta Pixel designer, Randi Oh are just the sweetest! Thank you girls for awarding me with the Arte Y Pico Award and for your kind words.

Linda sends out my Yahoo Ads and makes beautiful LOs with some of my goodies. Randi is just one of the sweetest and super talented designers around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those of you receiving the Award, here are the rules:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/Make sure you visit the link above. There are crafts of all kinds shown; you are bound to come away inspired!
5) Show these rules.

Technically, I guess I should be awarding 10 blogger friends..... but I'm still sticking with the 5.... I need to get to bed soon since I'm catching a flight in the morning

1. Danielle Engebretsen.... one of my best online buddies...and one of the super sweetest people in the entire world...... and one heck of a talented designer & collaboration buddy of mine

2. Amy Sumrall.... another one of my GP design team girls... and collaboration buddies

3. Lizzyworks.... one of my faithful CTMs......Liz has been with me for quite some time and is just a sweetie-pie

4. Laura Pitman.... one more GP design team buddy... and former OAKS girl with me

5. Beth Frank....an old friend and former co-worker....... and an avid blogger... I haven't seen beth in ages ... we don't live in the same city any longer.... but she is another definite sweetheart




*************

NSD lovin' happiness times....

Scrapdish is at least 25% off all week until the 4th........ my store is 30% off

Gotta Pixel is 30% off store-wide from May 1st to May 4th

**********
Gotta Pixel challenges:
To celebrate National Scrapbook Day (May 3) we are asking our members to complete as many of our regularly scheduled challenges from May 2 - 9 as they can.

This would include:

Color My Pixel
Font Fever
Ad-spirations
Gotta Journal
By the Numbers
Wonderfully Wordy
Scraplift

We have 7 donated grab bags -- one for each challenge and each member will receive a grab bag for each challenge they complete. The contents will not be revealed untill after the contest.

Members will be required to do a separate LO for each challenge.

Anyone who completes all 7 challenges during the designated time will get their name in a drawing for a grand prize - a $25 gift certificate to scrapbooksplease.com

**************
Gotta Pixel...
During May 1-9, the Pixel Pals will be on the prowl in the forums looking for active members to RAK! Each day, 10 lucky members will be getting a coupon for a free Gotta Pixel Mega Kit in the store. Any kit they want!! So head on over to the forums and join in the fun!
***************

Gotta Pixel...

It's a scavenger hunt called "Forum Forage". A Pixel Pal will be hiding acorn nuts around the forums for members to find.
There will be two winners who find the most, and a random winner who just played even once.
The winners will receive $6 coupons to diff designer's stores

**************

Gotta Pixel...

During May 1-9, the Pixel Praisers will be on the prowl in the gallery looking for active commenters to RAK! Each day, 2 lucky members will be getting a coupon for a free 3 Month membership to the Gotta Pixel Subscription Club (which currently has over 1500 great digital scrapbooking downloads). So head on over to the galleries and join in the fun!

blog lover's coupon :)

about an hour ago my 3.5 year old wanted a PB&J so he tried to get the jelly out of the fridge........ well, the jar was one of the larger sized ones that my dh picked up at the store yesterday............ it had only been used ONCE..........
well..... it was too big for his little hand............. and SPLAT.... it's a good thing we have Travertine floors.......... jelly isn't fun to clean up

one funny little thing about it....Hudson got a teeny cut in one toe... after I cleaned it up & wrapped a band-aid around it... he has asked for a wheelchair a few times since then...... Thanks, Cailou (LOL).......Cailou recently had an episode on there about a little child in a wheelchair

**********************************

Sew What: Stars & Arrows


and ...
Sew What: Corners


throw both the Sew What: Stars & Arrows and the Sew What: Corners in your cart together and save 20%.......... just scroll down to add both right now

both sets are Scrap for Hire ok... just like all the other personal use goodies in my store

notice the brand spankin' new packaging for GP? don't you just love the notebook paper look?

**********************************

love the beginning of my Sew What collection? love some other goodies?
it's been a while since I offered a coupon to my blog friends.......

sooooooooooooooooooooo.............
spend at least $10 in my store.... get 50% off
SE_BLOG_0408
expires midnight April 31st

happy shopping!

a couple PSAs

yesterday morning I was a witness to a dog attack close to my house at a greenbelt

well, it really opened up my eyes about having my guard up when we see dogs when we are out for a walk

I was over at the big patch of grass that dips down... Hudson wanted to play "chase me" & I'm so glad we didn't get started with that...........

there was a woman with 3 larger dogs resting on the smaller patch of grass on the opposite side of the sidewalk right there...... and another woman walking her two Yorkies through the big greenbelt and as soon as they got in the sight of the big dogs, one and then the other two took off for an attack..... (they were on a leash, but not a firm grasp & the owner was looking the other direction talking on the phone)................the attack dogs owner came to try and get her dogs and I ran over and pulled two of the big dogs off.... luckily a woman on the other side of the street came over to take care of my boys while they were screaming

when all was over... a nice woman driver took the little Yorkies to the vet... Nick is ok, but Nora had an intestinal issue with surgery and an infection last night, hopefully she recovers ok............. the owner had a chunk taken out of her arm.........I talked with her this morning, she had her first skin graft last night and will have to have another couple later

I stayed around for quite a while, the last witness...but I have no idea what happened with the attacking dogs... Animal Control was with with them when I left to take Hudson to school (the one that bit her was a Pit mix)

sooooooooooooooooooo.... now I am really going to have my guard up whenever I see dogs when we are out for a walk........please be aware of your surroundings... it only takes a brief moment with no warning for something like this to happen

*********

and.......... I have some fabulous, super fabulous edges now available at both Gotta Pixel and Scrapdish





How would you like the ease of having a portion of your layout already created for you.... while you can still be creative with the majority of it?

These edges are just the perfect ticket for happiness.

1 set includes 4 fabric edges and 1 set includes 4 torn paper edges, all are already embellished with loads of artsy, springy fun for you.

*all are Scrap for Hire ok*

This coordinates with the Spring It On Collaboration kit by Sara Ellis and Danielle Engebretsen. The edges were created by Sara.

Purchase either set together with the collab page kit and save 20%.


(all previews are linked up)

AND.... I have a fabulous coupon in this month's DST Insider - use it and save a bunch of money honey!!!

congratulations!!!!!!!

to me for adding a great new 2nd store...
and.............
Congratulations go out to AKHN
for guessing correctly about my newest store, Scrapdish............ she received this entire collection for free








Introducing the Colorwheel Paper Pack Collection by Sara Ellis..... a total of 72 unique colorful textured solid papers in 9 colors

Blast includes 8 beautifully textured red papers
Giggle includes 8 beautifully textured purple papers
Jump includes 8 beautifully textured orange papers
Lively includes 8 beautifully textured green papers
Passion includes 8 beautifully textured pink papers
Relax includes 8 beautifully textured blue papers
Shine includes 8 beautifully textured yellow papers
Shout includes 8 beautifully textured black & semi-black papers
Whisper includes 8 beautifully textured white & semi-white papers

$27 value to purchase every paper pack separately......
SAVE $12 by purchasing all of them together!!!
(all individually on sale for a fab intro price, as well as the bundle)

Enjoy & Scrap Sassy Silly!

finally... an update & a contest

I'm so sorry for the delay... I think this is the longest I've gone without updating my poor blog. soooooooooo...let's start out with some laughs...

Kids are Quick


TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America .

MARIA: Here it is.

TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?

CLASS: Maria.
_________________________________________

TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?

JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
________________________________________

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell "crocodile?"

GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L"

TEACHER: No, that's wrong

GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
___
______________________________________

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?

DONALD: H I J K L M N O.

TEACHER: What are you talking about?

DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
__________________________________

TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we

didn't have ten years ago.

WINNIE: Me!
__________________________________________

TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?

GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
_____________________________________

TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with "I."

MILLIE: I is...

TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, "I am."

MILLIE: All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
_________________________________

TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's

cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father

didn't punish him?

LOUIS: Because George still had the ax in his hand.
______________________________________

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before

eating?

SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
_______________________________________

TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same

as your brother's. Did you copy his?

CLYDE: No, teacher, it's the same dog.
___________________________________

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when

people are no longer interested?

HAROLD: A teacher.

all paint & doodle lovers will jump for joy with this...


Brought to you by popular demand - the alpha set from our Spring It On Collaboration.

This is the exact same alpha set that is included in the kit. One super fun double A-Z.

Each letter has two different colored painted doodles for your creative fun. BONUS included in zip

Need a little ease to make your creative masterpieces?

How about this little set of 4 beautiful 12x12 quick pages created by Sara Ellis using the super fun artsy painty Spring It On Collaboration kit (by Sara Ellis and Danielle Engebretsen).

This is so dandy for making gift albums and creating quick layouts, just add your photos underneath these PNG files and your journaling to these ready-made pages! Sha-zam... you're done!

album #1

and.....album #2


buy both together and SAVE 30% and.......... the actual coordinating page kit, Spring It On

__________________

and.. yes... this is Scrap for Hire/Others OK (just like the rest of my personal use items)

a couple of my FAVE layouts...





















by jenbalding

and...





















by TeresaP


****did you see my super generous coupon in this month's DST Insider?????

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONTEST TIME------->

I'm adding a 2nd store again.....
Can you guess where it is??? I'll give you almost 24 hours (until 11:59pm PST Thurs - 2:59am Fri EST) to guess where I will be joining. If more than one person guess the correct store, I will pick one random winner.

The grand prize???? My newest very soon to be released paper collection, Color Wheel (72 total papers & each one has a diff texture)

Runners up might be receiving a little surprise too... who knows .... LOL... keep your fingers crossed

you must leave your reply here... and you MUST leave your e-mail address if you want a shot at a fun prize :)

Spring It On, Baby!!!!

............by Danielle Engebretsen and Sara Ellis

a sweet painted artsy springtime kit called Spring it on,
this kit is filled with froggies and turtles doodled
and hand painted and flowers and 16 painted grungy papers, a must have!



and look how awesome these LOs look
with this super fun collab



It's available at Gotta Pixel,
Digital Freebies (big store-wide sale this weekend),
and Purple Paper Flowers

use coupon SE_NEWS_0430 at Gotta Pixel and
receive 30% off... exp midnight April 19

enjoy... and Scrap Sassy Silly!!!!

a little this and that

The field trip Monday morning with Hudson's preschool was pretty fun. We went to an educational crop farm. All of the kids watched a movie about a farm, planted their own mini garden, made a little bracelet, played on old stationary tractors, and went on a tractor ride. Hudson said the tractor ride was his favorite. We all sat on a long trailer with rows of seats while a guy drove us around the 2000 acres of crops. There was also a straw bale maze that was bunches of fun for him and his friends, but, dang... it really cute up his hands too

I still need to u/l my pictures. There are some super cute ones, of course.

***

I just added a super cute fun little mini to the store, Follow Faith.

~ Scrap for Hire OK (see TOU here) ~


Let your heart sing to you with Follow Faith by Sara Ellis.

Lots of fun is sure to be had with this beautiful mini kit. You will find fabulous painted pinks, blues, and greens.

6 slightly textured 12x12 papers
5 threaded buttons
3 painted spots
1 wordart
1 frame
1 painted flourish

~ get it for 30% off until midnight March 14th.... with coupon SE_BLOG_0211 ...
grab it HERE



Have a fabulous day... and don't forget to brighten someone's day by giving them a hug :)

the best baby shower

Yesterday I attended the best baby shower ever. The mom-to-be hosted her own shower and had lots of prizes and thank you gifts for her friends. That is just her. Very giving and genuine. It was almost four hours too. I think it's definitely the longest one I've ever been to also.

It started out with appetizers and drinks, of course, but we were also supposed to get creative too. She had a cute tub filled with lots of generic white onesies and a platter full of fabric markers. The onesies were sized from newborn up to 24 months. We all chose one each and colored away. There were very kindergarten like designs and some very cute ones. The first person to start designing was still coloring when I left. She is a professional artist and really took her time making the most adorable onesie with an octopus wrapping it's tentacles around the back. I tied for third place with mine. I just kept it simple with outlined multi-colored polka dots all over with "mini monster" on the bottom. It was also one of the very few ones that continued a design on to the back of it. Why do people forget that a back of a shirt needs love too? They just look unfinished with only something on the front. We had a judging contest for them by each of us pinning a mini pastel clothespin on our favorite.

We had a bingo game during the gift time. We filled out our own bingo cards with possible gift items. I think there were probably 10 prizes awarded for the first people with single line Bingos. I was one of the lucky ones and was awarded a very nice Junior League cookbook.

After the presents, the diaper raffle prizes were awarded. I totally forgot to bring diapers or wipes with everything else going on in my life (see the most previous bloggings). She really raked in the diapers and wipes from everyone though. Three guests won prizes. The first girl won 75 bucks cash. Sweet. huh? I'm glad that person won because she came with a huge tub filled with them. The other two lucky girls won special one of a kind handmade glass pendant necklaces. The person that made the octopus onesie is the same one that is the glass artist.

We all also received little votive candles in little glass holders as thank you gifts.

ok.. do you think my mom-to-be friend is genuine and so fabulous? She is just so sweet. I really needed yesterday too. I didn't know a single person except for her and I had a great time. With dealing with death recently, it was a welcome change to have this.

****

This morning I am going on a field trip with Hudson and his preschool class. We are going to an agricultural center and he has been so excited for this. He wants to see a barn so badly and ride a schoolbus.

I need to go pack our lunches and get us ready to go.

Have a beautiful day!

laughs and a contest

I know I haven't had too much to laugh about lately here... so let's start out today's blogging with a little chuckle...


Some really good & practical suggestions you REALY REALLY Shouldn't try. Enjoy. Bill

1. If you're choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling
water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove
itself.

2. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting
someone else to hold while you chop.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat
by using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and
bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins.
Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent
you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the
snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then
you'll be afraid to cough.

7. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it
doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and
does, use the duct tape.

8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Daily Thought: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD
FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS

If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical
problem.

I hope this will help you!

*****

Gotta Pixel's March Mania fun......

Win a Shutterfly book and other fabulous prizes by playing along each week.

Every Monday we’ll TIP-OFF the week with a new, exciting MATCH-UP.

There will be 4 Rounds:
ROUND #1: SWEET SIXTEEN
ROUND #2: ELITE EIGHT
ROUND #3: FINAL FOUR
ROUND #4: CHAMPIONSHIP

see the Sweet Sixteen participation prize and more details HERE

a few announcements...

exciting news for many.....

I'm now Scrap for Hire friendly!

All of my personal use items have new S4H Terms of Use attached to them.

You can view my terms HERE


*****

Only a couple more days remaining to grab my marvelous goodies for 29% off!

Hurry Hurry Hurry!!!!

***

my newest Word Up Challenge at Gotta Pixel ~ LIFE

Life is such a precious gift and you have to treasure everything about it. At no time can you take it for granted.

Two weeks ago today Phil Williams left us unexpectedly. He was a man full of life and loved to experience many things. He was only 41 yo and most likely had a heart attack. Phil was my ex-husband and the father to my oldest son, Cooper (17). (more details about this unfortunate circumstancebelow in my previous blogpost)

This challenge will be a tribute to him.

*You must use life as the theme and the word "life" must be prominent on your LO.
*must use at least three hearts (one for Phil, his wife Sarah, and Cooper)
*must use some beads (he loved a good party and Mardi Gras beads were part of his funeral)
*must use blue as the main color (both Phil and Cooper are die-hard St Louis Blues hockey fans)

Participation prizes are also available.

***

Are you looking for a great alternative for Valentine's Day layouts, cards and crafts that are not of the frilly and girly variety? Or how about a new, fun and funky way to scrap your loved ones? Look no further! Introducing Playful Heart, a collaboration by A.S. It Is Designs. (A.S. It is Designs is the collaborative team of Amy Sumrall and Sara Ellis)

his playful kit include:
10 textured patterned papers
6 textured solid papers
1 bright
felt/cardboard alpha (A-Z, 0-9, and symbols)
5 varieties of stitching
4 frames
2 word art
2 swirls
2 paint strokes
1 notepad journaling tag
3 painted cardboard circles
1 plain cardboard circle
2 felt embellishments
2 cardboard talk bubbles with painted text
1 plain cardboard talk bubble
1 embellished cardboard heart
1 "XO" sticker
1 S.W.A.K envelope
1 ribbon
1 string bow




with bonus Valentines (yes, it is after Valentines Day...but, hey, they are an extra added bonus)




and available separately to make your scrapping life more simple ....
8 4x6 PNG brag book pages


grab Playful Heart HERE

life.....

I have new previews from over two weeks ago... but that is the last on my priority list right now.....

**
LIFE.....

enjoy it, live it, love it........and be prepared for life's unexpected bumps

I have been away from the digiworld for most of the last two weeks because of a very unfortunate situation.....
on the 11th, my ex-husband suddenly passed away...he was the father to my oldest son (Cooper, 17)..... Coop came home from school and found him on the kitchen floor...he had already been gone for about 2 hours, most likely due to a heart attack.................
he worked out that morning, went home for a conference call (he was in outside sales), told his boss he was freezing (so not him) and was going to lay down, shortly afterwards he went to the kitchen and passed before he made it to the ground

I am very grateful that Phil, Cooper, and Sarah (Phil's wife/Coop's step-mom) had a nice family day together the day before (the first one in a very long time...they went to a boat show & out to dinner, then Phil took Coop to school the next morning and the last thing he said was that he loved him

everything has been one very surreal rollercoaster

it has also been a lesson for so many of our friends and family........
*please never lose touch with your friends... call your friends now if you haven't talked with them in a while
*have an estate plan ... please make a will and pick the guardian(s) for your children
*make sure you have a nice life insurance policy
*make sure that at least your spouse and/or other trusted family member knows about important papers
*don't take life for granted....live it to the fullest........... that is one thing that Phil definitely did
*give hugs freely ... brighten people's days

The Cooper Williams Scholarship Fund

c/o The 1st National Bank

12230 Manchester Road

St Louis, MO 63131

314-862-8300

this is labeled a scholarship fund on the account name only... it is a full trust fund for him............ there are two golf tournaments in the works, as well as another fundraiser in St Louis

for those of you that don't know... Cooper's dad stepped up to become a full-time dad when I moved to Phoenix a few years ago...... he only has 2.5 months left in high school before he graduates...... there was no way on earth I could have pulled him from his friends, hockey, and life there to come back with me....... it's the hardest thing in the world to not be with him every day..so much more so than ever before... at least I have the comfort of know that he has a huge support system there with his family and friends and his step-mom (she's only been his step-mom for 2.5 years) wants to continue with him ....... we all have a very good relationship, just the distance is difficult.....but I have 2 little boys here that I have to take care of too

also...... Cooper and Sarah have already started seeing a special trauma therapist

more funny antics....and then exciting news

yesterday morning Hudson went to the bathroom to go poopie and he was in there just a little too long...when I knocked on the door he came out with a bit smile and TONS of liquid soap all over his shirt and legs AND a ton all over the counter..an old soap dispenser was on the floor with the lid off...and a spray bottle of lysol was also on the counter.....I should add that he learned how to open the cabinets with the child safety locks a couple days ago (TROUBLE brewing)

Mr Independent 3yo that he is, decided to clean himself apparently......all just 30 minutes before we had to leave for preschool........

I, of course, took a few pics....but I haven't u/l them yet

well, he hopped in the shower and rinsed himself off...got dressed and we went to school........my dh came home for lunch in the middle of all this....
while we were doing the preschool run, he cleaned the counter to the bathroom

wellllll... I originally thought that maybe I left some soap in the old soap dispenser....... HA! ..... when I got home I noticed the huge jug of refill soap empty and upside down in the trash can.... I just bought it last week and it was almost completely full

nice, huh??

*************

I'm so psyched that I know half of the girls - a couple are former OAKS girls (Beth and Carla), one is a former CTM (Amy), and Randi and I became buddies after both of us resigned from another site a few months ago.

I already have a collab in the works with one of these gals. Sorry, no hint yet. LOL.... We're hoping to have it in the store by Friday. I am soooo loving it already!

****************

Sooooo.. if you want to stay clued in about my next collab or anything else to do with me and Gotta Pixel....please sign up for my GP newsletter over on the sidebar........ I will be sending out 1-2 newsletters a week........you never know if I'll be featuring your LO or not, or giving you a coupon, or sharing my newest products.

***************

last, but not least.....don't forget about my very first commercial use grab bag......*NO Credit Required*.......my Survival Bag will be released on Friday so grab it while you can...
hint - two brush sets inside and one are some super fun flourishes.... plus three more surprises

it's survival time

Do you need a little bit of tender loving care survival bag goodness?

If you love commercial products, S4H, or just regular personal products, this grab bag is the perfect stop for you.

5 files (5 zips) included...all in 300 ppi

**** sneaky little hints for my beautiful blog friends... I had a BLAST making my first ever brushes ...especially the swirly ones :) .......oh, one bit has some valentine inspired goodiness****

***************************

ya know something else survival related?..........me working at The Gap....... oh my....I have grabbed more bargain this week.....gosh, it can be a bit dangerous there at times...........last night I bought some of our boot cut style jeans...they were only $7.99 each....so with my discount, i grabbed both for right at $11 .........they are a lighter wash, but I don't care...hello...what a steal...........

oh......... and..... a grocery store down the street is going out of business (a big Sports Authority is moving in) and closing on Wed so everything is 75% off...it's really empty and picked through, but a few of us went there after work and stocked up on candy and a few other things.........only 17 cents for a big candy bar..you just can't pass that up

***********

as always.....
please sign up for my Gotta Pixel newsletter over on the sidebar.........and scroll down to find some coupons and a freebie :)

contest time

---

That's right, a chance to show off your talent and submit a layout of a special baby in your life. We will not be judging the cuteness of the baby, as that would simply be impossible to choose!! We will be voting instead on the cutest layout in one of two categories.

You can enter a layout with a picture of your baby, grand child, niece, nephew, etc---OR, you can submit a layout with a baby of the pet or animal variety!! You can use any kit, as long as the layout is showing off a baby.

The winner in each category will win four $10.00 gifts to the Gotta Pixel store. The first runner up will get two $10.00 gifts to the Gotta Pixel store, and the 2nd runner up gets one $10.00 gift to the Gotta Pixel store.

All who submit a layout will get this adorable mini kit made by two of our awesome designers, Ann Cobb and Kristmess.




Please upload your layout for this contest here. The mini kit will be given out after the contest ends. Layouts will be accepted through February 14th, and voting will take place on the 15th. Winners will be announced shortly after.

Come on everyone--lets see those cute layouts!!

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well, sadness today.....
OAKS is now closed :(
I'd like to thank Faith True and Victoria Feemster for taking me in over there about 11 months ago
I truly enjoyed my time on the design team and will greatly miss it......
I am also very grateful for the friends that I have made there too
...so long OAKS

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please don't forget to scroll down my blog.... there's a freebie and a couple coupons available :)

nifty little ideas....

....with baking soda....

By Deborah Snoonian

(This Old House) -- Everyone knows this kitchen staple fights odors in the fridge. What we didn't know is just how darn useful it is everywhere else in the house

1. Remove tape residue

Make a thick paste of baking soda and water. Rub the paste onto bits of tape stuck to windows, then wipe clean.

2. Douse flames

Keep a box of baking soda in your workshop or kitchen to sprinkle on a fire if one breaks out.

3. Zap roaches

Set out a shallow dish or bowl containing equal parts sugar and baking soda. Roaches are attracted to the sugar, but the mixture is deadly to them.

4. Spot-clean a rug

Sprinkle baking soda on greasy spots and let sit for about an hour. Scrub gently with a damp sponge or brush, then vacuum to remove any leftover grime.

5. Absorb moisture

Keep an open box of baking soda in your tool cabinet to fend off moisture that could rust saws or other equipment.

6. Keep drains clear

Once a week, pour a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar down your kitchen sink. It'll help keep your pipes clog-free. This Old House: Clear any clogged drain

7. Clean a shower door

Pour some baking soda on a damp sponge, wipe the door, and rinse with warm water. This Old House: Installing a shower door

8. Uncrust your grill

Sprinkle baking soda directly on an indoor or outdoor grill. Let sit overnight, then slough off the grime with a wire brush and warm water. This Old House: Grill Maintenance

9. Scrub your paws

Rubbing your hands with warm water and a palmful of baking soda will remove stubborn odors.

10. Banish book odors

Seal musty-smelling books for a few weeks in a plastic bag with baking soda sprinkled inside to eliminate mildew and odors

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one way that I use it ,,,more often than others...... sprinkling it on pee on the carpet...

it works for pee and milk, and probably other liquids too............ Hudson has accidents every once in a while in his room, so I just sprinkle it on the wet spot, let it sit and soak up everything, cover it with a rag or burp cloth, then vacuum it after it dries....it sucks up the wetness and the odor

:)

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remember to scroll down to find the coupons and a freebie that's available :) ............. and sign up for my Gotta Pixel newsletter on the sidebar (that will always keep you up to date)

:)

I finally scrapped...

it' a miracle....

for the first time in a couple months... I scrapped!!!!! yay! My newest Word Up Challenge at Gotta Pixel really got me motivated.... I really like the parameters I picked for every to get creative...

for my Word Up Challenge , "Love" at Gotta Pixel
*must use the word love
*must use at least 5 designers
*must use at least 1 patterned paper

Stitched Thoughts (notepaper) by Victoria Feemster
Purty Buttons (big button) by Christina Renee
Grocer Labels (date stickers) by Rachel Martin
Crumpled Hearts (brown wrinkled heart) by Dawn Wilson
(round scribbles) Isabel page kit by Lauraskathi
Sew Twisty (ribbon) by Karah Fredricks)
the remaining items are from the Boy Factor Collection by Faith True and Victoria Feemster at SBB (and OAKS til Jan 31st)
Loveable Luke kit - red and blue hearts, arrow, and frame
Zippity Zack kit - alpha and paper

font is DJB Janelscript

the challenge started late on the 26th and I've already had a pretty decent participation so far.... one of my fave LOs so far is by Cherie Shields

you can see her credits HERE

~~
and ... Hudson picks out his clothes about half of the time... but today he was even more creative than usual.... it definitely really shows off his goofy crazy self.....and he wore this to preschool today too


wordart from Kaleidoscope page kit by Faith True
paper, starscatter, and swirl from the Boy Factor collection (Adventurous Arthur page kit) by Faith True and Victoria Feemster
frame from Simply Frame Me by Cherie Shields
stitching by me

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scroll down.... I have 2 coupons available below for some items in my Gotta Pixel store

Greek Life

are you watching Rock of Love 2 on VH1? It's always so entertaining... it's one of my late night reality shows that I watch and enjoy........last night that large overly botoxed French girl finally got booted......she did a strip-tease for Bret and a couple other girls...that put her over the loony line....that and her extremely large lips... I swear they look like they must hurt so bad being as large as they are..........................they reminded me of when I sunburned my lips in Jamaica years ago and they swelled up super large and HURT ... it was so uncomfortable... how can people think that it looks good to have them at the point where they look like they are going to explode?

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ok..... as a bunch of you already know.... I'm a sorority girl and I 'm still very active in Alpha Phi as our SW Regional Alumnae Membership Coordinator.....

wellllllll.... I've been wanting to come out with some Greek alphas for a while now & I finally have the beginning of my new series..........I made it so that includes the full English alphabet too... isn't that fabulous??????

soooooooooooo..........

Do you need a fun alpha to help you scrap your old fraternity and sorority pictures? Have you taken a vacation to Greece? How about an a fun everyday anytime alpha? That's right...you can have all of that with my new Greek Life series.

Included:
All 24 Greek Letters
The remaining 12 English letters to complete the English alphabet (the other 14 are also Greek)
0-9
* & ! { }

all individually saved PNG files, 300 ppi

To begin, I just have two sets available - Brad and Gidget......more will be added later

now time for your blog friend coupon :)
SE_BLOG_1987
expires midnight Feb 7th
valid for ALL alphas in my Gotta Pixel store

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don't forget to scroll down to find another coupon... I always have at least one available.. right now there are two :)