Sweet Cupcake!

I LOVE cupcakes! I think I've said that before...but they are delicious, of course, and just so sweet-looking and fun! I've always said that I'd love to open a bakery shop, so it's probably no surprise that I am always drawn to patisserie-styled images! The ones by justjohanna are really my favorites! The colors and layout of this thank you card just seemed to fit the cupcake image. Everything is sweet and happy! Hope you are having a happy Saturday! We are getting settled in with having two children now, and it's been a good day here. :)
Stamps: you take the cake, cherry cupcake (justjohanna). Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Soft Sky, Petals and Paisleys DP. Ink: Black. Accessories: Sponge, Pink Rhinestones, Cotton Candy and Xmas Red Stickles, Pure Color Pencils, Blue Polka Dot Ribbon by May Arts.

Orange You Sweet

I love the cute fruit images from justjohanna and, of course, all of the coordinating (and punny!) sentiments!! I made this thank-you card using Carriage Orange and Orange You Sweet. I especially like how my shading turned out on my leaves! Hope you like it!

Stamps: Carriage Orange, Orange You Sweet (justjohanna). Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Only Orange, Certainly Celery, SU! Apple Cider DP. Ink: Black. Accessories: Pearl Baubles (stamping bella), Pure Color Pencils, Dimensionals.

And...it just would not be right to post and not share some pictures!

Katy meets Uncle Mike! Mike says he is now twice the uncle he used to be. Get it?? TWICE the uncle! Haha....

Cameron and Grandpa enjoying some Cheetos...gotta love the orange lips and fingers!

Here is Cameron with his friends Emily and Bethany. I LOVE this picture! Bethany is after Cameron's hair!!

Welcome, Katy Elizabeth!

Well, I woke up at 3:15 this Thursday morning and found that my water had broken! At 12:52 p.m. on Thursday, December 20, Katy was born! She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 19 3/4 inches long. As you can see, she has lots of dark hair! I am excited thinking about how cute bows and ribbons will be in that hair! Wow, it was a MUCH easier time the second go-around! ;) She is just beautiful, and we are all enjoying her so much! Cameron (her big brother) is really loving her. He just wants to hold her and kiss her all the time. He keeps trying to pick her up and doesn't understand why we won't let him. Haha.... I hope you enjoy the pictures!

On a last note, I know I promised Christmas projects and Blog Candy, and there WILL be some in the next few days! Sorry for the delay. I HATE delays! But I am certain you all understand. ;)

Seasonings Greetings!

Hi everyone! I made this quick Christmas card today because I've barely started my Christmas cards and am needing to get them done!!! I used the Candy Cane Tree and "Seasonings Greetings" stamps by justjohanna. Peppermint is a seasoning, right? It works for me. Also, notice the little red and clear rhinestones hanging from the tree. I imagine that if you HAD a candy cane tree, this is what the "fruit" looks like when it first blooms. Kind of like seeds or something, right?? Work with me on that one!

I have a few other things to share with you, but I'm actually going to TRY to post a little more often here! So check back tomorrow for some gift card holders... Dad and Mike, don't check back tomorrow. Heh heh... I'll also being giving away some BLOG CANDY this week! :) So be on the lookout. ;)

Baby Treats!

When I was pregnant with my son, I made treat bags to hand out to our visitors at the hospital in lieu of cigars. I made little cello bags of blue and white m&m's and attached two round tags to each bag. One tag said "I'm here" and the other had a "c" for his first initial. I wanted to make something to hand out for when Katy is born as well. Long story made short, I made little Peppermint Patty treats. I just used the SU! scalloped punch to make a front and a back for each candy. I used Pink Passion paper and Pink Passion and Pretty in Pink inks. I'm not sure where the butterfly stamp came from, but I think it is an SU! incentive stamp! The sentiment is from the "I'm Here" set. I added Prima flowers and dotted the middles with Diamond Stickles for some bling. Drew and I found the packages of Peppermint Patties that are for Breast Cancer Awareness, so each candy is wrapped in a PINK wrapper! And...even better!...the cream in the middle is PINK, too! :) How fun! And appropriate! Here are some pictures of our treats... Hope you like them! If you are one of the people who will visit us in the hospital, make sure you pick one up! :)

Exciting News!!

No, the baby is not here yet. Ha! But I do have some exciting news that I can finally share with you all! I have been selected to serve on the justjohanna DESIGN TEAM! :) I am so excited to have this opportunity, and Johanna's stamps are FABULOUS! Check them out at www.justjohanna.com. You will NEED some! :) More later....just had to share!

Define Good...

I love this justjohanna sentiment! :) The little owl here has a halo on to imply that maybe she hasn't been so good! I mean, just THINK of all the trouble this cute little owl could get into! I only have a few Christmas cards finished, and this is one of them. I really need to get crackin' on those because I already have Cameron's Christmas pictures ready to go out in them! (Thanks again, Mom.) Have you finished yours? Christmas will be here before we know it!

Stamps: Allison, define good, tiny gift, halo (justjohanna). Ink: VersaMagic Brilliance Graphite Black. Paper: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Basic Black, Basic Grey DP. Accessories: Stickles, Dimensionals, Corner Rounder Punch, Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Black Eyelets.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day full of good food and good fellowship! I have so many things to be thankful for, and God has truly been developing that in me. I am learning to be thankful and content in all situations. I am especially thankful for my family and friends; it IS the PEOPLE in life who mean the most, isn't it? I am blessed with a wonderful, godly husband and a sweet, amazing son! And we are about to experience the blessings of a new little baby girl soon! It doesn't get much better than this here on earth, does it? :)

To all of you, count your blessings. Thank God for them. Thank God for being GOD.

To all of you who are dear friends and/or family, I love you and thank God for you today.

Love,
Mandy

Baby Announcement Cards

Okay, so I got a good prod to get finished with (read:start working on!) baby announcements! We are due in six weeks, and last Thursday night I had to go to the hospital because I was having minor contractions. Everything is fine, but it was a wake up call more than anything. I was thinking, "Hmm...I'm not ready yet!" And then I thought, "Hmm...I should probably start feeling ready!! It's coming soon no matter what happens!" So anyway, I put together a simple baby announcement using Groovy Guava and Blush Blossom. I really like that combination! It is very soft and girly without being the "usual" pink and purple (which I like, too, by the way). What do you think? I am planning on probably putting the baby's picture on the right side above the pearls. HAVE A GREAT TUESDAY! Tuesdays are ALWAYS great for us.... It's House, M.D. night! ;)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Oh, yes. Our Christmas tree went up on Monday night this week. Monday. Usually it is Drew who wants to decorate for Christmas in, oh, August. We actually pick on him for it. But I've been the one itching to decorate and do Christmasy things for a while this year! I think it is because our baby girl is due January 1, and I want to really enjoy the season and do all the things I'd like to do...even if she is early. We decided to do all the fun, bright, crazy colors on the tree this year. I think it turned out pretty cute! We both like it, and it makes us happy! I think Cameron likes it, too...maybe that's why he keeps messing with the tree. ;) You should have seen him trying to "help" us put the ornaments on. He would go and get the ball ornaments out of the package (BEFORE they had hooks on them!) and threw them into the tree! It was pretty funny.

I made an ornament, too! This one is like the ones Emily Giovanni posted on her blog at http://www.emilygiovanni.com/. All you do is punch patterned paper with the scallop punch, fold them, and glue them together! So easy! I would like to try to do a stamped image on cardstock in the next few days! This ornament was made with some penguin paper I had leftovers of (I'm not sure who makes it - sorry!). I added some Crystal Stickles to accent the bellies of the penguins. Black sheer polka dot ribbon finishes it off.

Thanksgiving is Coming...

THE TURKEYS ARE HIDING!!!

My Turkey Lurky is disguising himself as a pumpkin! :) Can you believe that there are only 11 days until Thanksgiving? Wow! Time really is flying! Hope you are enjoying the season despite the rush. It's so easy to get caught up in having so many things to do and to prepare for, so be sure to take some time to just....be thankful. God is good. And, thankfully, God is GOD.

Stamps: Turkey Lurky, Pumpkin Hat, hi pumpkin sentiment (justjohanna). Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White. Ink: StazOn Black, White Craft. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Ribbon from Sherbet Ribbon Originals, Silver Brads, 1 3/8 circle punch, Corner Rounder punch.

Simply Cupcakes

I love cupcakes! Something about them is so cute and fun. And even simple! This little cupcake image from justjohanna is so cute! I love how it can be used alone or clustered/grouped with other cupcakes for a cute effect.

In other news, many of you know that I had to have another ultrasound yesterday. This was my FOURTH ultrasound for this baby, and the doctor wanted to check on her size; she was feeling a little small. That was really not fun to hear two weeks ago when I had just found out I had gained SEVEN pounds in the past two weeks! Yikes! But anyway...the ultrasound showed that all is normal and the baby is doing very well! :) Yay! I am about 32 and a half weeks pregnant, and I need to work on some decorations for little Katy's room and also the baby announcements. Hopefully I can work on some of that in the next week or so. I'll post when I get that done! I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Stamps: Mini cupcake (justjohanna). Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Salt and Pepper DP from Reminisce's French Kitchen line. Ink: StazOn Black. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, AquaPainter, White Grosgrain Ribbon, Pink Jewels (Heidi Swapp), Corner Rounder Punch, StarDust Stickles, Dimensionals.

Wedding Dress Card

I made this card to send as a congratulations card to my sister-in-law. She just got engaged! I drew the template myself, and it was pretty simple to do. I've actually been making these dress cards for quite some time. I have trouble finding wedding stamps that I like, so the solution for me was to design something I could be happy with! The dress is very shimmery in person; it is embossed with Iridescent Ice powder. Congratulations to Tara and Steven!

Stamps: Floral Flourish (justjohanna). Paper: Whisper White. Ink: Versamark. Accessories: Iridescent Ice EP, White Organdy Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, Small Adhesive Pearls (K and Company).

Turkey Feathers!

I created this cute treat tin for the justjohanna design team call. I was pretty excited about it mostly because I had this idea without having seen it before! That is always a good feeling, isn't it? I saw some Indian Corn (like candy corn but brown, orange, and white and chocolatey), and thought it would go well with this super-cute turkey! Turkey feathers! :)The turkey (Turkey Lurky) is actually glittery and there is Apple Cider designer paper wrapped around the tin. I had a hard time photographing this project! Gotta practice with projects like this. I hope you are all having a great day! Can you believe Thanksgiving is only SIXTEEN days away! Yikes!

Stamps: Turkey Lurky (justjohanna), Rough Edges Alphabet (SU!). Ink: Dew Drops Graphite Black. Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Apple Cider DP (Getting hungry yet?). Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Scallop Punch, Coluzzle, Paper Piercer, StarDust Stickles, Sponge.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

My brother turns 25 years old today! Hope it's the best one yet, Mike! Cameron thought Uncle Mike (Mack) would like me to post this picture of the two of them from last week. Crazy guys!

Trunk or Treat!

We did a Trunk or Treat at our church on Halloween night...SO MUCH FUN! It is the first time we tried this event, and it was sponsored by our youth (my husband is the youth minister at our church). Our youth did a fantastic job with the kids and our church members really outdid themselves with their trunks AND treats! Cameron, of course, had a great time walking around and seeing everything and everyone. The above picture is of him with two of our youth who are always so sweet to him! He loves hanging out with Madison and Jessica! :)

Happy Halloween!

Wow, I've been really bad about posting to the blog this past week! I feel like it's been crazy here. I've started going to the OB every two weeks, believe it or not! I can't believe I'm already 31 (and a HALF!!) weeks pregnant! I am also doing physical therapy for a lower spine problem twice a week, so that on top of all of the usual craziness has made for a busy couple of weeks! Today should be the worst this week for busyness, so I'm hoping for a little rest tomorrow and Friday!! Anyway, I have one card to show you! Let's get to that and then I'll show some cute pictures of Cameron in his Halloween costume!!

Stamps: Dotted Autumn. Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Pumpkin Pie, Glossy White. Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa. Accessories: Chocolate Taffeta Ribbon, Neutrals Beads. Technique: Faux Tearing.

On Saturday, we went to a Halloween party at our good friends' house (hi, Lanny and Jaime!!). It was a lot of fun to get the little ones together and dress them up in their little costumes and take pictures! Jaime did the coolest thing...for dinner, we had quesadillas in tortillas that she cut in Jack-o-Lantern shapes!!! I should have taken a picture- It was too cool! Here are a few pictures of Cameron in his costume. He is dressed as Mumble from the movie Happy Feet. He LOVES Happy Feet!

Don't you love the smile in this picture?? Cameron just keeps looking more and more like a little boy!!! Know what I mean? This picture was taken in front of our house before we left for the party. Ya GOTTA have a picture by a pumpkin, right??

This picture is of Cameron with his buddy David (our friends' sweet little son) and his new friend Michael (who we met at the party). Cameron is (obviously!) the oldest child of the three, so that explains why the other two are kinda toppling over! How cute!

A Few Pickups!

Are you tired of pictures yet? Well, I have a couple of cards to post for you! Both of them feature Loads of Love, which is actually really not one of my favorites. However, that truck is just perfect for some people, isn't it?!?



This card was made for a (belated, unfortunately!) birthday card for my uncle. I watercolored the images and filled the bed of the truck with JustJohanna's mini cupcake! I popped a few cupcakes up on dimensionals and added dots to the Canvas background with a white Signo gel pen for interest. I added the crystal for a headlight (I've always thought the truck needed a headlight!).
Stamps: Mini Cupcake (JustJohanna); Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories (SU!). Paper: Brocade Blue, Whisper White, Basic Black. Ink: StazOn Black, Brocade Blue. Accessories: Celery Ribbon, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, AquaPainter, White Signo gel pen, Xmas Red and Crystal Stickles, Heidi Swapp clear jewel.


This card was sent for my Monday Mailer partner. I like the headlight on this card better, although it didn't turn out as great in the picture! I used a green Ice Rhinestone brad and it really looks cool on the card!
Stamps: Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories (SU!). Paper: Brocade Blue, Whisper White, Basic Black. Ink: StazOn Black, Brocade Blue. Accessories: Pumpkin Pie Ribbon, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, AquaPainter, White Signo gel pen, Ice Rhinestone brad, Black Brads.

My Gym Birthday Party

Okay, we really did have a busy weekend! But Cameron had a BLAST! People have always told me to get Cameron involved in a baby/toddler gymnastics class, and I've kind of bucked the idea. I mean, he's a boy, right? Gymnastics??? Then we got invited to a birthday party at a place called My Gym...HOW MUCH FUN!!! Cameron had so much fun running from activity to activity. He got lots of good exercise and just had fun! We were surprised at how well he did at some of the activities! His favorite was definitely the trampoline...and he doesn't even jump yet! :) I'll share a few pictures here of Cameron playing at My Gym... If you have itty bitties and ever get the chance to take them, GO!

Okay, after we went to the party, we met our good friends the Colemans for dinner at Chili's! We had a great time visiting with them! Cameron loves all of them, and especially the two girls, Jessica and Amy. Here is a super-cute picture of Jessica and Cameron giving eskimo kisses! Thanks, girls, for loving Cameron and being so sweet to him!

Friday at the Museum

We went to the Greensboro Children's Museum on Friday with Cameron's friend Colton and Mommy's friend Emma (Colton's mommy)! We met up with a couple of Emma's friends and their children, so there were lots of children to play with! We had a great time playing with all the fun stuff they had to do! Cameron's favorites included an airplane cockpit (he LOVES pushing buttons....both literally and figuratively!), a firetruck (he wanted to drive, "dove", it!), and a thing they had set up where the kids put plastic balls into a tube and they roll down. Lots of fun! Enjoy the pictures!

Cameron's Day with Nana and Grandpa

Cameron had such a big weekend! The next few posts will share all that he got to do! This first one shows Nana feeding Cameron an ice cream cone! Cameron was *supposed* to eat the sherbet and leave the cone for Nana, but he was under the impression that he should eat ALL of it! :) We were all able to spend several hours with Drew's parents on Saturday, and it was great! Cameron loved every second of it! He didn't want to leave. We went to lunch, a toy store, and where Grandpa works with them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Happy birthday! Wish we could spend the day with you! Hope it is a GREAT day for you!

ALL Cards Need Glitter.

It's just an unwritten rule. Except for the fact that I just wrote it, so now I guess it is just a rule. ;) I love adding glitter, bling, etc. to cards! Do you see the first card posted? Do you see what is in the background? GLITTER. What's on the candles? GLITTER. And look closely....what is that on the distressed edges? Could it be? Yep. GLITTER! I just love sparkles!


I was needing a few cards all at once for some girls in our church youth group. Two are similar in style, layout, everything except for the stamp used! The third card is for a girl who loves bugs! I thought Bugs and Kisses would be the perfect set to use for her! The final card is one I made for the Monday Mailer program I am doing. I used the faux stained-glass technique on that one. With the stained-glass, you stamp your image on vellum, color the other side (watercolor, whatever you want...) and layer it on top of a piece of white cardstock.



Stamps: Eat Cake. Paper: Whisper White. Ink: Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Barely Banana, VersaMark. Accessories: Yellow Stickles, Stardust Stickles, Iridescent Ice EP, Pink Ribbon from either American Crafts or May Arts- I can't remember, Pink Jewel from Heidi Swapp, Distresser.
















Stamps: Eat Cake. Paper: Whisper White. Ink: Basic Black, Orchid Opulence, VersaMark. Accessories: Stardust Stickles, Iridescent Ice EP, Black Polka Dot Ribbon, Distresser.























Stamps: Bugs and Kisses. Paper: Certainly Celery, Whisper White. Ink: Certainly Celery, Ruby Red, Garden Green, Ballet Blue. Accessories: Lime Green, Xmas Red, and Waterfall Stickles, Sponge, Scallop Punch, Celery, Red, and French Blue Ribbons.

Stamps: Doodle This, Loads of Love Accessories. Paper: Certainly Chocolate Chip, Vellum, Whisper White, Apple Cider DP. Ink: StazOn Black, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Garden Green. Accessories: Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Antique Brass Brads.

This last picture was just something that made me laugh. I was doing the laundry and noticed that the label on one of my shirts is fading. I just bought this white t-shirt from Motherhood Maternity (I am pregnant, remember...) a couple of weeks ago, and it's one of those shirts where they print the label inside the shirt instead of on a tag. The name of the store USED to read "Motherhood". But after one wash, what does it say now??? Oh, yes.... "Otherhood". I guess I buy my clothes at the Other Hood now! Just made me laugh!

JustJohanna Stamps!

I received my first JustJohanna stamp order in the mail yesterday...WOW! What fast shipping! I am loving the whimsical, unique little images. I had a little time to play today, so I stamped a few really quick cards.

This first card is for Cameron's Sunday School teacher. She loves hot tea, so it will go along with a little gift we picked up for her. I am planning on creating a card similar to this one to submit for the JustJohanna design team call. Do you see the little vellum teabag tag? :) I stamped the little flower flourish on the tag and put Stardust Stickles on it for some shimmer.

Stamps: grandteacup, Allison little, steeped in love, floral flourish left(all justjohanna). Paper: Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Chenille by Basic Gray, vellum. Ink: StazOn Black, Brilliance Graphite Black. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, AquaPainter, Orange Peel and Stardust Stickles, thread.

I was actually just sitting here stamping my new images and had the idea to stamp just the bottom of the mini cupcake and put the pumpkin cap hat on top of it! It's a little PUMPKIN CUPCAKE! HA! I have a great recipe for that, so I will have to use this on tags, mini cards, etc.

Stamps: mini cupcake, pumpkin cap hat, hi pumpkin(all justjohanna). Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla. Ink: StazOn Black, Brilliance Graphite Black. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, AquaPainter, Stardust Stickles, sponge, Very Vanilla ribbon.

This is just a quick card for my husband. He's not had the best day! :(

Stamps: Allison little, hi pumpkin, pumpkin cap hat(all justjohanna). Paper: Kraft, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie. Ink: StazOn Black, Pumpkin Pie. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, AquaPainter, Velvet Ribbon from Sherbet Ribbon Originals, and Stardust Stickles.

Pumpkin Picking in the NC Mountains

We went to the mountains this weekend, and we all had a great time! This first picture is from our room Friday night. Cameron was SO excited to be on a trip! He kept running around the room and laughing and pushing buttons, etc. He had so much energy!

We visited Hickory Nut Gap Farm for pumpkin and apple picking, petting and watching the animals, and taking in the sights! Cameron has come to love pumpkins...and it is the cutest word to hear him say! :) He tried to pick up several of the pumpkins, which were too big for him! Of course he LOVES apples, too. He enjoyed sampling the cold fresh apple cider, and whenever he got his hands on an apple, he would put it straight toward his mouth! Yes, he did get a bite or two... Enjoy these pictures from our trip! And for those of you who know me, GUESS WHAT?? The farm is an ORGANIC one!! :)

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