Scrap Gal New Blog Contest

The Scrap Gal ladies just started a new blog and are having a contest to go along with the new blog. Between now and November 6th, stop by the blog and become a follower for your chance to win this fantastic prize:

Dying lace...

There was a question posed on the Scrapbook Express forums about dying lace. It just so happens that I had some lace that needed to be dyed for a little home decor Halloween-themed project I'm making.

All you need is some shimmer spray (I'm using Shimmerz Spritz in Licorice), your lace, and something to catch the extra spray (a cardboard box works great!).


Now, for the fun part. Spray liberally. I mopped up any extra spray with the lace.

And a close-up of the end result. It turned the lace a nice vintage gray color - you can even catch a bit of the shimmer in the photo.

As my 4-year-old would say, easy-peasy. :)

Have a great one!

Scrapbook Get-Away Blog Hop!

The Scrapbook Get-Away is having a blog hop next weekend in celebration of their first birthday! There will be RAK's and a prize, so come join the Get-Away gals on August 19-22!

Some new(er) layouts...

Right now I'm in the middle of organizing my acrylic stamps. It's taken much longer than anticipated, but I think it's going to make my life easier once the process is done (I hope!). I'm really trying to get organized and simplified...unfortunately, it takes a while when you've got a lot of stuff! ;)

One more thing, you need to stop by Top Shelf Memories. Taryn has all her past kits (plus some other goodies) on sale 50% off!!! And shipping is really reasonable (flat rate $5) and super fast! I got a package today with the three kits I ordered a few days ago. Very happy mail! ;)

I've been a busy girl lately...

We started our summer quarter at work two weeks ago, and it's been crazy! With the merger, and our high numbers, we've been hopping. I seriously spent every night the first week just recovering from my day. This past week has been so much better thankfully, and now I only have 43 days until the end of the quarter - not that we're counting or anything ;).

I'm still in the Camp Friendzy competition over at http://www.scrap-friendzy.com/. There is a fantastic group of ladies over there, and I encourage anyone who scraps to stop by and visit. It's such an encouraging place, and the best part - it's drama-free!

I'll upload a few newer layouts once I switch them from one computer to another, but this is my layout for this week's challenge. We just had to tie something on our layout. I pulled out my baker's twine and went to town!



I used papers from the Pebbles Tree House line - it's adorable!

Now I'm off to clean the house. It amazes me the mess that accumulates while Max and I are working during the week.

Before I go, though, a big Happy Birthday to my Dad! We love you!

A new scrappy home...

After Scrap Diner closed, I've been looking for a new scrappy home on the web. And I think I've found it! I saw a contest for www.scrap-friendzy.com advertised on www.scrapbookcalls.typepad.com and decided to check it out. Good move! What a fantastic, friendly group of ladies! I've felt so welcomed and so "at home"...I've even scrapped for the first time in months!

So, for any of my scrappy friends, I strongly encourage you to check them out. Camp Friendzy is taking place right now - and there's still time to sign up! Just tell them Dawn sent you! ;)

I'm off to work on another challenge!

Home today...

I'm doing a rare thing...staying home today. I caught a little stomach bug yesterday evening, but thankfully I'm starting to feel better. I have to admit, I'm enjoying the extra time with the boys, even if I'm not at 100%. Cuddling and watching dvd's is always a good thing. ;)

I made a fun scrappy discovery today. I was catching up with emails and some sites I had bookmarked, and I found out that Top Shelf Memories is having a launch party on their blog. I'm personally giving the sketch challenge a try...I need a push to start scrapbooking again! Definitely check it out - they're having a great sale in the store as well!

Before I close, I thought I'd share a couple pictures from the past week.

First up, muffins...we made chocolate chip, strawberry, and blueberry muffins this weekend. Yum!



Next up is the jumbo-lego mini golf course that Will created in the playroom. That boy is super talented!



And lastly, here's Christian feeding one of the horses next door. I'm not sure if I'll ever get tired of looking out the window and seeing horses at the fence...and the boys have definitely made some four-legged friends!

Have a great Wednesday! God Bless!

Saving money is good...

We're trying to be more frugal (not an easy task for me) and have decided to start using coupons. I used to be a great sale/coupon shopper, but got out of the habit. With the help of the Southern Savers website, I embarked on grocery shopping trips to Publix and Winn-Dixie, coupons and sales flyers in hand. I stocked up big-time...we were over-flowing the back storage area of the van. In the end, I spent $190, but I saved $155! Math nerd that I am, I had to figure out the percentage - 44% off the grocery bill! Besides milk, we're now stocked for at least two weeks.

For Mother's Day, Max let me go on a little scrapbook shopping spree at Scrapbook Chicks. They happen to be having some fantastic sales running right now. I bought over $60 worth of product for $35 (including shipping)!

Moral of the story...saving money feels really good!

A season of change...

I feel like I've lost the entire month of April. Working full-time has been hard on me and the entire family. I'm so thankful I'll have a few weeks at the end of this quarter to spend at home with my boys. I miss them so much every day; it's hard to walk out that door and leave them behind.

Fridays are my favorite. I only have a half-day at work, then a full weekend at home with my guys. Makes Momma happy. :)

Things have been so busy with work that I still don't have the scrap-room unpacked and organized. It's sad really, as we've been in the house since February. I'm making it a priority to get that room finished because I need to start creating again. I've got so many ideas in my head that I really want to get out - plus it's just plain fun to play with paper and paint, not to mention all the embellies floating around! I've decided to commit to submitting to some mags and really putting forth effort into my scrapbooking. I have a couple ideas up my sleeve and want to move forward with them.

Before I close, I want to share a couple pics of Will and Christian. We recently had a visit with "Flat Tyler" and the boys took some pics with him in the yard. I have to say, I'm still a little blown away by the fact that we can pet horses from our backyard. Living in the country makes me very happy!





By the way, that's Max mowing the lawn in the backyard. That riding mower was our 10-year anniversary present. We're so romantic (insert eye-roll here!).

P.S. I got an email today from Vocalpoint...Pampers is giving away samples of their new Dry Max Cruisers. Just follow this link! You must be a Vocalpoint member to get the diapers, but the sign-up process is super quick!

Last night was amazing...

Will and I went to see Skillet and tobymac down in Tallahassee...such an amazing experience to share with my son. The joy on his face when tobymac took the stage blew me away. I'm super tired today, but it was so worth it.

We actually got the tickets for free (thank you Way-FM ). On a side note, please support your local Christian radio station. I wish I could give more to ours - it's always on in the car. The boys know the words to the songs, and I'm so thankful that we have the opportunity to share "Jesus music" with our children.

Skillet was fantastic! The talent in that band blew me away. Seriously, if you don't know their music, check it out. Their drummer rocks it out - that girl had some skills...wow!

The highlight of Will's night was tobymac...the rest of the concert was just an appetizer for him. His face when tobymac walked up to the platform was priceless - I tried to get a picture but I just couldn't capture the sheer joy on that boy's face. And tobymac did not let us down - that man had such a high-energy, crowd-pumping show that the entire crowd was on their feet! It was awesome! And he sang "Jesus Freak" toward the end, which was pretty cool. I did feel a little old when I realized that the teenagers around me were babies (at best) when the song was released. Yeah.

And as a souvenir, what did my son choose? Not a poster, or stickers, or a hat or t-shirt. No, not Will. He had to have drum sticks. Now he wants to know where he can get a drum set. ;)

Some changes...

I've updated the blog background, and am committing to regularly updating the blog. I need to get my craft room unpacked so I can start creating again. I'm working on opening up an etsy store (it's actually created, I just need to fill it!), and I've got some plans for later this year. I'm hoping for some positive changes in 2010. We're in our wonderful new home, and I'm working on actually being home to enjoy it with the boys.

Right now, I'm focusing on the tobyMac concert I'll be attending with Will later this week and a nice long weekend. :)

I love living in the country...

This morning, the boys and I were able to pet some horses while standing in our yard (the advantages of living next door to a horse farm). A year ago, if someone asked me if I wanted to live on a dirt road next to a farm I would have laughed "no way!". And now, I couldn't be happier. These past six months have been a time of trial and tribulation for Max and I, and God has brought us through even better than before. I read through the book of Job last year, and while what we've been through doesn't even begin to compare to his turmoils, I learned an important lesson. When God allows you to face the trials, He will completely, abundantly bless you on the other side. Stay strong in Him!