Happy, Happy New Year!

 It's been a crazy end to 2013, but all in all it's turned out to be a pretty good year.  Ups and downs, as every year has.   A week ago or so it was 45 degrees, almost spring like--snow was gone--yup spring like!

 

Then this happened-----------------------

and the temperatures plunged to this!!!!!! and we were in the middle the deep freeze!!

 

We settled in to celebrate Christmas, anyway!  First with Jackson and Jenna up from KC.  Jackson thought his John Deere Tractors were "Awesome" .  He had some serious discussions with Grandpa, the JD expert on how they all worked.

Jenna had a more serious response to her gift card and presents.  Hard to believe they are growing up so fast.

At home we had 2 parties--one on the 27th and one on the 29th!

The food was prepared---------

The cookies were baked and ready

 

 Where were the presents?   Hmmmmm and who is Santa?  and how come he didn't come to our house on Christmas Eve?

Dakota decided to wait it out UNDER the tree (and sometimes IN the tree).

And  why are all the presents up on a high table

 

Tell us more about Christmas --do we get presents, too!  Dakota decided he could help wrap--in charge of the ribbons,  he tried to keep them unknotted!and why are the presents hig up on a table--Hmmm- could it be that some critters would be snooping and tearing and chewing them up??? 

At any rate Christmas got celebrated. 

 

Ella was fully capable of opening her own!

 

Dakota just wanted the paper! Everyone had a great time.

 

 

and today we are back to building snowmen--inside!

and Dakota---well he's just glad all the commotion is over and he can just curl up on mom's lap and sleep !!!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!      May 2014 be our craftiest year yet!

Tis the Season!

 Last week was a busy and exciting week, ending with another "favorite things" party for just us girls who work at Memory Bound!  In a favorite things party each person brings  one or more of their "favorite things"  within the set price range all in a pretty wrapping and one for each person participating.  We had 17 of us playing along, so we each went home with 16 "gifts!  We decided to do this instead of secret Santa this year! 

 

This is what they all looked like before we opened them, almost too pretty to open up, for sure.  But then what would you expect of 17 people who work in a Scrapbook Store!

Hannah Grace finished up her Christmas orders this week and
is starting on her valentines things (to be shown later. 
Tags and bags were her special orders this week.  She is getting
pretty good with the copic markers!

And this is a table showing them all opened up!    Everything from food to soaps to CD's to Scrapbooking items and more!   These parties (remember our GNO group had one last Monday night) are the absolute greatest parties ever.  They are almost as much fun putting your gifts together as they are opening them all and getting to take them home!

 and I have been getting ready for 2014 classes!  Wow already!  I have several in January and February, including a Prima doll tag class where we will make these 4 tags and learn how to "dress" up our Prima dolls.  I will also have my Kids classes, my Expression 2 classes, and an organizational book class where we will make a little book to carry with us where we can put all the supplies we buy a lot of (like washi tape, dabbers, dies, etc.  Hopefully (if we keep them up), we won't end up with 3 of anything, like I have on many occasions.

 

 
And last of all, kitten update---First of all these pics are very deceiving. 

Just this morning I moved the few remaining ornaments from the very bottom of the tree to higher , safer ground!  This innocent looking little guy is certainly destined for Santa's "naughty" list if he doesn't quit using the ornaments as his toys!  He has a hundred "bells, mice, paper bags, etc." to play with!  And it isn't as is he doesn't know better--all I have to do is say his name and he takes off to the other side of the room like he wasn't doing a thing by the tree!  LOL 
At any rate, these pics were taken this week (can't believe I had my camera right beside me--doesn't usually happen!)  .  Dakota decided to snuggle up next to a sleeping Ella!  I was pretty nervous, but decided not to interfere .   I was worried Ella might be startled but he just walked over to her, gave her a kiss or two and settled in .  She barely opened her eyes to see who it was!  Sometimes he is such a little lover!
 
On this note, on to another busy week--no parties, but busy non the less.  I would wrap the few presents I have, but with a paper playing kitten and 2 snoopy dogs who would manage to open everything under the tree just to investigate the contents, if I wrap them, I don't dare put them under the tree!     
So here's hoping everyone out ther is having a great start to the week before Christmas!  Relax and have fun this Holiday Season!     Happy Crafting!!!

Lots to Catch up With, But such a fun Month!

This has been a very FUN, Busy, and Interesting Week!  It went so fast, I can hardly believe I got it all in.  I worked several days--always fun this time of year--but "tis the season" of kids programs and Christmas parties!  Thursday night was Hannah's school program.  She plays the French Horn and it's always fun to see the improvement year to year!  Friday night, I had my boys, Nicholas and Aiden for a few hours while  Aly and Todd went to their Christmas Party and last night was the First of our Memory Bound Parties!  Never a dull moment at these parties! 

Now the theme of this years party was Duck Dynasty!  To set the record straight, I know NOTHING about Duck Dynasty!  I have tried to watch it twice---got thru 5 minutes each time, understood nothing in it, got bored and changed channels.  No, it will not become one of my favorites!  But we knew enough about it to know they have beards and wear camo--so we all added camo to our wardrobe and proceeded on to a very fun time!  Have you ever played "pass the plunger"  for the grand prize--a roll of toilet paper????  

This was the gathering--lots of pics being taken for the Scrapbooks (that's what SB people do you know)

There was a "Good Will" store to spend our "Bucks" we had been collecting all over the store all week.  Lots of SBing stuff as you would imagine, some candy, decks of Dynasty cards and other Dynasty "stuff".

The Tables were set "hunting" style--antlers and all--there were plenty of turkey and duck calls about and as usual the food was out of this world--GOOD!

There was plenty of "Swamp Juice" and the absolute best time was had by all!

I also managed in the early mornings before work to get a few cards done for Staff Studio.  Have a bunch of new stamps to try out!  Love little girl stamps as most of you know, so when I found the little girl and the polar bear--who could resist!I also recently got these cute little bird stamps at the store. 

I think I posted the single bird in a previous post, but these cuties were irresistible too!

 

And then there is my all time favorite Artist, Phyllis Harris and her Brandy and Emma Stamps!  Never , ever, get tired of doing these and this one is so adorable!

Another one of my favorite Artist is Angie Blom and this is her newest angel stamp.  She is perfect for any kind of card you can think of from "Thinking of You" to Birthday to Christmas.  Love coloring her in an assortment of "mystic" colors.

Of course, I couldn't leave out our newest baby--Dakota-  Seems he has settled in entirely and now has his favorite spot to hang out.

One seems to be the back of my chair, whether I'm in it or not!

And as I mentioned, I had my boys, Nicholas and Aiden--well it only took them 5 minutes to head for my craft room

and start creating!  Nothing the grandkids love better than having "almost" free reign of an entire big scrap room (with supervision of course!).  Anyway, my bling drawer got hit hard as you can see.  On Aiden's you can't see all the "GLue" , but the pic  is 5/8ths glue, 1/8th paper,  and 1/4th Bling!  Took it hours to dry, LOL!

 

Back to Dakota and his antics--he's very curious and this is where I caught him the other day, on my craft counter looking the paper cutter over.

 

I think he wanted to cut some kittie paper, but luckily could not get the blade lifted up.  Some things, I told him are best left to mommie!   I doubt this is the first "adult" thing he will try on his own!

As we all start another , probably busy, week (I know mine will be), Don't forget what the Season is all about!  Lots of people need our help, our thoughts, and our prayers to get through the holidays!  Be kind to one another and give of yourself ! 


                                                                       Happy Crafting!