Blog Candy Alert

Hello sistahs! I wanted to post this card as my entry into Cheribella's awesome blog candy contest! It is not the "traditional" Halloween card, but if you read my earlier post on this card, you will certainly understand!! ha ha ha!

So here are the rules/details for Cheri's blog candy contest:

1. You need to create anything for Halloween…card, candy bag, hat, etc, you decide.
2. Leave me a link so that I can check out your awesome creations. My real motivation here is to lift some of your ideas LOL.
3. You need to post a link to my blog on for all to see, including me.
4. All entries must be submitted no later than Saturday, September 27th at midnight and the winner will be posted on Sunday the 28th.
5. I thought I would be a little different here and let all of you choose the winning entry. Please let me know what all of you think of that idea. I could post images of all entries on Sunday the 28th and then the winner may not be posted until the 29th. Or we can go the usual way and draw a random number. Tell me what you think. Since this is my first time I am open to suggestions. THIS HAS BEEN CHANGED TO A RANDOM DRAWING TO MAKE ENTERING LESS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE…NO VOTING.
So far the prize consists of a full sheet of uncut rubber for “Any man in your Life”. You know how hard it can be to find any masculine stamps, well this is the perfect solution. Also, I have included a Fall glitter matstack of paper, 6 small sets of Halloween acrylic stamps, a six pack spool of fall color ribbons, a plastic pouch of flowers, some bling, and a small plastic divider that snaps shut from Archiver’s. I plan on stamping out some images to go along with this blog candy–but those will be a surprise. Since it’s still almost a week away who knows what I may add to this collection before the end of the contest.

Be sure to visit Cheri's blog at http://cheribella.wordpress.com/ to enter the contest and to leave her some comments on her awesome work! Cheri has always left the most wonderful comments on my blog, she's great! Thanks!

Bella Birthday and Nugget Box

This is a card and nugget box I made for my next door neighbor whose birthday is tomorrow. She is such a wonderful person and I want to show her that her friendship has meant so much to me. She's the one who had to call 911 when I had my allergic reaction about a month ago and she took good care of me! She's helped out numerous times with watching the kids, giving a supportive shoulder to cry on, etc. I loved the cards I saw on SCS recently with this layout. I used stickles on each of the ladies, my favorite embellishment right now. And can you believe this is the only Happy Birthday stamp I have right now?! I love to make nugget boxes. This is the first time I used DP for the cover on the nuggets, instead of labels. It was so much easier and faster, plus I could match it to the paper I used for the card! All of the paper came from a pack I got somewhere. I love all the colors. Only problem, I think I ate more nuggets than got in the tin! Stress reliever! I hope she likes it! TGIF!

Ever Have One of Those Weeks?

This week has been quite hectic! I have a kindergartner who has suddenly developed a serious case of separation anxiety. His first week he was fine, then it all fell apart! I made the mistake of telling him that we went on errands while he was at school. He dropped to the ground at the end of the driveway and howled for like 20 minutes. The neighbor two doors down heard him and came to see what had happened, thinking he was injured or something! Then the next day the girls had their first day of ECFE where he also had ECFE and preschool. That didn't go over so well either. Ever since, when I walk him across the street to school and he gets in his line to wait to go inside, he hangs on my leg and whines and cries and won't let me go. I talked to the teacher who told me that it is very normal, especially for boys, that the second week they start this behavior. All of a sudden they realize, "oh, this is every day" and "what am I missing out on when I'm not home." Then I had to leave for the evening last Friday and we had all the windows open, he again howled and screamed out the window for me. Again, the neighbor two doors down and the next door neighbor came over to see what was going on. Well yesterday, both neighbors came over with their kids to get Parker to walk to school with them, hoping to "break" him of some of this. He was promised that if he got through Friday without screaming and what not, he'd get a treat. He hasn't liked it, but he's done it. Whew! I know it's normal and it will change, but it's so emotional and hard to leave your child when they are screaming and crying for you like that. Then the girls have been whiny and clingy because it's the third week of me babysitting at 18-month old and they aren't liking it either. They don't want my attention on him, and... he's been a biter this week! He bit Paige twice yesterday, very hard, she screamed for about 20 minutes. It's been utter chaos and craziness, on top of an already full-blown PMS week. I have not been handling it as well as I would otherwise! So I thought up this card last night as I got everyone to bed and thought what a witch I've been all week. Can you relate?! P.S. And this scene is really me! Paige always wants to be held, 24/7, Mackenzie won't cuddle and will only hold my hand, and Parker has literally been hanging on my leg!! And I drive the soccer mom van! Have a great day!

My kids and our dog!

I just wanted to share these pics that my husband created with Photoshop. A little back history, since Parker was born, we have taken him, and then the girls too, to the State Fair every summer and get their caricatures done. We go to the same guy every year. I had put one of the pics on a shirt for DH for his birthday, he wore it the next time to the fair and the guy got a huge kick out of it. We think he does such an excellent job and has great detail. So this is all 5 that we have so far. It's neat to see the progression of the kids looks each year and what the guy sees in them each time. The next one is our dog, Loki, now 5 months, with a bunch of pictures since we got her at 8 weeks. She's grown from 8 pounds to 30!! She's such a beautiful dog and really coming along with her training and behavior, she's very smart! She loves to be with the family and cuddle. The vet said we should hook her up to a sled this winter and let her pull the kids around, she'd love it! I think it would be a hoot!

First Day of Early Childhood for the Girls

Here's a few pictures of my girls from their first day at the Multiples ECFE class yesterday. They had such a good time. I'm so excited for this class, when the moms split from the kids for group discussion, we will all have similar things to discuss!!! Good thing is that three other moms I already know from my Moms for Multiples group. I'm looking forward to a great year and we have some of the same teachers and assistants that Parker has had in the past and they are just wonderful! Thanks, have a great day!

Babies, babies, what's in the water?!!!

I just wanted to share two cards I made tonight. One if for a co-worker of my DH who had a baby girl this week. The other is for a mom I know from the kids' Early Childhood/Preschool program. She is expecting her 4th in February. I also know two other ladies from the school who just had their 3rd babies, respectively. Whew! I'm also really excited to be on the Sunshine Committee at my Moms for Multiples group. The sunshine committee person is the one who sends out cards for new moms that join, moms that have their multiples, if someone is ill, in need of assistance, etc. I have Dubbatrubbabella and am working on some layouts to use for cards for births and/or birthdays, etc. Anyone have any good ideas to share?! I also have both Expectafellabella and Babyfellabella, so good choices for the group. I just love the baby stamps from Bella, like all the others... he he he! Thanks for looking! And thanks again for all the great comments!

Now for the cards

I did manage some time this week to make a few more cards. Still playing around trying to use up paper and embellishments that I have had around, and inking up some stamps not yet played with!

The first one is in honor of the first Monday Night Football Game of the season tomorrow night. Minnesota Vikings v. Green Bay Packers. Go VIKES!!! We are huge football fans in our house and I am so excited for the season to begin! Our team is showing promise this year and I have a great team on my fantasy football too. This game will be of particular interest because of all the controversy during the off season and preseason with Brett Favre and rumors that he wanted to come to Minnesota to play. Green Bay would have liked to see him play for anyone, EXCEPT Minnesota!! We are huge rivals and it will be a great game! GO VIKES!!!

The second card I got the idea from a post I saw on SCS, but changed up the layout and paper. I loved the sentiment though and couldn't resist trying this card out! Having three kids and a Siberian Husky, it can be a challenge to keep the house clean! Just keeping them all in check is overwhelming most days! My twins are 2 1/2 and showing every bit of the Terrible 2's with their constant crying, whining, tattling, screaming, etc. Then my 5 year old joins in with the same behaviors for attention... gets real interesting!

The third card is another one I saw on SCS but changed up the layout a bit. I love this Hanna set and it was my first time inking her up! I wish I looked so good when I was cleaning the house!!

Wow... what a week... yet still stamped!

Wow, what a week we had...first, Parker, my just-turned 5 year old started Kindergarten this week. The school is right across the street from us, our front door looks right at the front door of the school. Ever since Parker could talk, he's been saying that, "when I'm 5 I get to go to the big school!" So here are a couple of pics of him on his first day. He got a nice big hug from his sisters for good luck. Group hug!!! My mother-in-law was here all week to help out, my daughter, Paige, had an MRI to check on her Sturge Weber, which I mentioned before, to see if the area of her brain that is affected has spread, grown, or changed in any way. We have to wait 72 hours for the results... we are hoping for great news!! It's so hard to go to the variuos appointments all the time and see my little baby go through so much, but she's tough, and as you can see from the pictures, quite a trooper! She's all smiles waiting for her procedure! She's pulling the curtain open and shut to play peek-a-boo with the nurses and technicians outside her room. Isn't she darling?! We also celebrated Grandma's birthday with a special dinner for her and I made her an angel cake. She loves angels, wears one on her shirt every single day, so I made a cake in the shape of an angel and frosted and decorated it. Parker drew her pictures and I gave her the card I made for her, see below. She is so awesome and was such a help with everything we needed to accomplish through the week. I'm always sad to see her go. She's only 2 hours and 15 minutes away, but I wish we were only blocks away! Also, I spent the weekend getting prepared for my latest challenge to come! Tomorrow morning I am starting to babysit full-time for my DH's cousin's son, who is 14 months old. I know, I'm crazy, right?!! I just get one in Kindergarten and add another!!! But I think it will work out great for both of us, I'm actually excited and hoping my girls love the idea of someone smaller than them to play with (or boss around!)