Fun & More Fun in the Country!

Hi folks....hope you are having a great week!!  I have soooo much to get done this week...work stuff...cleaning...phone calls (ugh)...paperwork.  So I will try and have something crafty here on the blog by end of week.  With the end of school next week I have a lot going on with the kids and things to get ready for the summer.  I was thinking of my to-do list last night in bed and started having an anxiety attack....so I decided this week I'd conquer most of those things so I could relax a little and not worry.  I don't know about you but when I have things that have to get done hovering in my mind it causes me A LOT of stress and almost freezes me from doing ANYTHING.  So I have to face all the to-do's and make the phone calls and get the stuff DONE.   So I managed to clean most of the house yesterday, and have some organizing projects to do today and a fun project to complete, most of my phone calls will get done by tomorrow.  Then I just have some blog posts to type up and some paperwork to finish.  I can't write with a pen for very long anymore...my hand cramps up terribly and my writing is illegible so I have to do it in bits & spurts...HATE THAT.  So anywho that is what I will be doing this week so don't worry when you don't see much on this blog for at least a week LOL.  I am still alive!  Plus summer is starting soon so I will not have as many crafty posts on my blog as I soak in the summer with the kids and family events.

We had a blast Memorial Day Weekend....we kicked off the weekend with the Kenny Chesney concert along with Eric Church, Eli Young Band & Kacey Musgraves.  I won the tix thru the Washington Women's Redskins club and when we arrived they asked if we wanted to upgrade to the sand bar (pit)...ummmm heck yeah!  Hubby was nice enough to drop us off at FedEx Field while he went to a Nats baseball game in DC.  Riley was at his best friend's all weekend for his birthday so he wasn't with us.  Alexa and I ended up one person from the stage...OMGEEEE whoot...it was amazing!  At the end of the concert we walked about 1.5 to the metro so we could meet hubby downtown for a late dinner.  If you've ever been to a concert, esp a country concert you know that people DRINK..crazy drink till they're drunk...one thing I hate about the concerts.  Well quite a crowd was walking to the metro and there were 4 lanes of traffic leaving the stadium at quite a clip.  A drunk girl ran into the traffic and got hit...by a car...flew thru the air and landed in front of us.  It was AWFUL...I will never get that sound or image out of my head...totally traumatizing.  Luckily a police office was nearby and ran over to radio for help and get her triaged a bit.  It was not a great ending to the night that's for sure...I sure hope she ended up ok.  I also got into a verbal fight with a drunk woman behind us at the concert...she decided to pick on Alexa and try to get in front of her by pushing and shoving and calling her nasty names.  Little did she know that her momma was standing right there along with about 15 others we friended who had her back.  A few words with her stupid self and she shut right up....don't MESS with my kids and you know what, try NOT drinking and see how that works for ya.  UGH I swear...never a dull moment and I don't take any crap from stupid people that is for sure and if you mess with my kids you better watch out.  Especially when they aren't doing a darn thing to you.  The guy in next to me was a Marine and he said "I don't want to mess with you cuz I think you'll beat my ass too" LOL...yup yup buddy! ;)  I may have some broken bones in my foot but I can still take you out if need be....hee!

Then Sunday was a NOTHING day...no chores, no nothing other than hanging out in the sun and relaxing...although I did fix dinner ;)  On Monday we headed to DC to see the Nats play the Orioles and that was fun...although our Nats won it was hard to feel bad because we love the Orioles almost as much...they are our hometown teams.

And this weekend...more country fun....yeehaw...me and Alexa will be in the PIT for Tim McGraw...oh yeah baby.  Him & Luke are my #1 faves....I love them...so if I get up front by stage (which I totally plan on) I may have a heart attack LOL.  Gonna be a good Saturday!

Concert Pics:

 Pretty cute & we got to be up close & personal with Mr. Kenny LOL!

I also got some of my pics that I took below posted by WMZQ on their Facebook site...your welcome WMZQ LOL!!

Shabby Chic Butterflies!

Hi everyone!  I hope you had a great week!  For those in the US have a great 3 day weekend for Memorial Day and to those who serve (or served) our country....THANK YOU each & every day for your work and sacrifices!  I think a lot of times we forget what this holiday is actually about in the rush to have some summer fun.  So just my two cents on it but wishing all those who have served the US a very restful holiday weekend as well.

I won tix to see Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves in concert tomorrow night through the Washington Redskins Women Group...whooohoooo!  I almost peed my pants when I found out since I enter contests ALL the darn time but never win.  Well I won and I will be there at FedEx Field with Alexa whooping and hollering LOL.  Its gonna be in the 70s so I will be wearing a coat LOL...not sure where the HOT weather went but I want it back...NOW!  Then on Monday we will go see the Washington Nationals play the Baltimore Orioles...our 2 fave teams facing off...gonna be a good one!  And blissfully on Sunday we have nothing...nothing but hanging around and doing nothing LOL.

Only 2 more weeks of school left...my kids get out on June 6th and not only are they excited but SO AM I...omegosh!  Between field trips, choral events, exams, projects and papers due...I'm TIRED.  Why these high school teachers assign so much in the last 3 weeks of school is beyond me.  But they've both had hours of homework each night and I'm DONE with editing papers.  They both had 4 papers EACH...two of which had to be 10-14 pages long...and I'm the family editer...I'm over it LOL!  Alexa doesn't know but she's getting a BIG award on Tues for her academics (she has a 4.1 GPA) so she will be surprised.  So proud of her because she's had a TOUGH year with all her AP classes, Calculus and Chemistry...lots of homework, tests and projects for those this year and she's pulled straight A's all the way through...that's a tough accomplishment.  She will be applying for early acceptance to her #1 choice Univ of SC in August.  They base early acceptance on Academics only, nothing else so I'm hoping she gets in with that round...if not she can apply again in Oct.  She's also applying to Auburn Univ, Florida State, Towson Univ and U of NC.  So we shall see...hard to believe she will be a senior in the fall.

If you need more reading, I have some new posts and projects on my other blog "Bitz of Me" HERE that you may enjoy!! :) 

PS...if you hover over my blog pics now you will see an AQUA P...that means you can pin it to Pinterest if you'd like! :)

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Altered Cigar Box....Shabby Chic Style!

Soooo this is my Mother's Day present for my mom....yup its late...yup she doesn't have it yet LOL.  I will HAND deliver it in a few weeks when I see her and she will see it here on my blog as well ahahaha.  But I had good intentions to get it done in time but some of my "supplies" didn't get here when they were supposed to...ugh.  But I got it done and I'm purty pleased with how it came out.  Its a bit shabby-chic-french-country and yes its another altered cigar box.

This is what it started out as...a plain old cigar box minus the cigars (eyucky)!  I removed most of the stickers and sanded it down a bit in places.  You can see my other altered cigar box I did HERE!

The papers are all Graphic 45 "French Country"...that I ADORE and just ordered more of LOL!  Everything was distressed with my Zutter Distress machine (ohhh how I love that thing) and inked with Distress Inks "Vintage Photo".  I glue on my papers to the wood with Modge Podge...the things you can do with that stuff...me luv!  I added feet to my box as well...they are unfinished wood feet from Michaels (2 in a pack for 99 cents) that I painted cream and distressed.  I used just cream acrylic paint and also painted any edges of the box in places but after painting wiped with a rag so it looks a bit more worn.  The front lock is from a Tim Holtz Idea-ology pack that I wiped with cream paint and then sealed.  I added the legs with Gorilla Glue and then all the metal embellishments with Best Glue Ever (stuff is SUPER strong and is truly the best evah).

The flower postcard image is actually a stamp from Crafty Individuals Stamps (yup I used the chicken stamp on my last box) and this one is called "Postcard Blooms" and its in stock at SCACD.  I stamped it on dark cream cs, added a bit of color with Copics (B99,B97,B95,B91/E43,E42,E40) to it and a few Stickles for sparkle...then distressed it well. The other postcard is from the Graphic 45 pack that I distressed more.  The swirls/scrolls were done with a Memory Box die "Val Flourish" (one of my faves) and then inked.  All the butterflies are metal and they came in a pack of 5 at JoAnns in the clearance section for $2...forget what company they are from but I love that I can bend them and ink them.

The blue butterfly underneath the large metal butterfly is a Jenni Bowlin accent...as are the hat pins.  Flowers are a mishmash that I inked to distress and the ribbon I buy off of Etsy already tea-stained.  Tiny paperclips are from Idea-ology as well.  **Funny story about Jenni Bowlin...we grew up together and went to school together in Maryland.  Lost touch during college but one day when kids were much younger I was watching a Scrapbook show on TV that used to be on and this guest was on doing a stamp bleaching technique.  I was like "I swear that looks like Jennifer Russell, she talks like her & has same mannerisms"...hubby was like "oh yeahhhh right"...so I tracked her down online and sent an email asking if it was her by her maiden name.  AND IT WAS HER LOL...I took art classes and ran an art club in high school and Jenni was NEVER interested so how funny we ended up in the same industry.  But her mom was into antiquing and junking so I see that influence in her designs and store!  We see each other at CHA every year and catch up...its nice to do that and so funny how it all came to be.**

I didn't do much to the inside other than line the bottom...I like to leave the wood burned branding on the lid intact as I think its part of the cigar box charm.  I have to say I'm QUITE enjoying these boxes...I have a few more on hand and already thinking up some ideas for them ;)

I'm sure my mom won't mind that I put the box in my living room to display until I give to her....bwahahahaha...NAW I'm joking!  I just put it there to get some pics of it "staged"...its safe & sound in my studio where the cats can't get at it ;)  Anyway I hope she loves it...if not I know of another good home for it !

Have a great weekend everyone!

Got Your Sunnies On?

Happy Tuesday to everyone!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend and the week has started well for ya!  We had a great but very busy weekend...prom weekend ya know so it was a bit crazy.  And it decided to be dreary and rainy on Saturday...go figure...all the other proms in the County got sun and our high school prom was the last and it rained.  BUT it stopped long enough for some pictures outside which was nice.  She got her hair done at 1 and the girl did an amazing job...looked just like the picture Alexa had taken in.   Her and a few of her girlfriends came over and got dressed together so there was lots of squeals & giggles & shoe clomping upstairs.  Sad to think just one more year of this...sigh...makes me sad!  But Alexa and her friends had a BLAST...she went with her good friend Zack, they are just friends and a group of others to dinner & then to the dance.  The great thing about her class is a good majority of them all know each other and get along well...my class was like that as well and its nice.  We went down to the Potomac River to take pics with 42 of them...yep 42 kids all trying to fit in one picture...well I did my best LOL.  One thing that makes me a proud parent is the kids all looked classy, elegant, beautiful and handsome...no inappropriate dresses...they just all looked beautiful...love that!  The dance ended at 11...all the proms are held at the Conference Center back in the woods on the river in my neighborhood...literally 2 streets away from us so that's nice to know they are close by.  Then after the dance the same 12 that went to dinner together went over one of the boy's house for chitter-chatter, pizza and movies till 1 am...he lives just a few streets away too so I knew EXACTLY where they were LOL.  Thankfully I don't worry about these kids drinking or drugging or being too stupid...they are all straight A students with their eyes on the future thank goodness.  So all in all she had a wonderful time and made lots of memories.  It rained on Sunday so we had a jammie and tv day...that was REALLY nice since it rarely happens.

Riley had spent Saturday morning at 10 am till 3:30 in the afternoon at a paintball farm nearby with some of his friends...its over 300 acres and it was raining...MUDDY...which means they were dirty, sweaty and GROSS when they got to my house.  Six teen boys showering, eating and spending the night making lots of noise LOL.  My mom was up so she got to experience a NORMAL weekend in the Dean house hee hee....loud, chaotic, crazy and did I say LOUD.  This is why I always look forward to the quiet of Monday...kids at school, hubby at work (well in NC this week) and the house is peaceful.  LOVE IT!

And prayers to all those in Oklahoma affected by the horrific tornadoes yesterday...my heart is breaking for you and especially the parents of those beautiful children.  I cannot imagine but I am sending up some prayers for peace and safety for you all (and anyone in tornado valley).  So terrifying and sad!

So here are some Prom Pics for ya if you'd like to see:

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Got Your Sunnies?

Today is the Team B Inspiration for the Magnolia-licious Tues Challenge...its called WEATHER IT and you have to create projects that show some kind of weather (you have until May 27th to enter).  At first I though about doing a wintry card...but then I thought about it...a lot...and since SUMMER is my fave time of the year I decided that I didn't want to feel wintry LOL!  The weather is warmer and it was blue skies & sunny today and it just makes me HAPPY and I wanted to showcase that in my project as well! 

I used this cute Mini Magnolia stamp from Magnolia-licious called "Mini Beach Tilda"...one of my fave lil' summer Tilda stamps.  The papers are from Echo Park "Paradise Beach" and I distressed all the edges and then inked with white Palette Ink to soften.  The sunglasses are a Cameo cut file...I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder on the lens part of the glasses for fun texture...I inked the edges of the sunglasses as well.  The "FUN IN THE SUN" is a Cameo cut file as well...I cut it twice (once from white cs & then from yellow cs) and layered...then added a coat of Stardust Stickles to the sun and then sprinkled Glamour Dust on top of the wet Stickles for extra sha-bam sparkle ;)  I layered some flowers and the flower die is from Marianne Designs, the white "Prized Chrysanthemum Outline" die is from Memory Box that I cut in half and used at each end of the card.  A few PTI buttons tied off with yellow Scrappers Floss to finish it off.

She was colored with Copics:  BG72,BG11,BG10 / Y15,Y11,Y00 / E11,E00,R11 / E47,E31,E50

Some stickles on her ruffles for sparkle!

That's it for me today!  Today is clean house day and weed veggie garden and work on other projects day.  Hubby is in NC thru Wednesday night so its just me and the teens...wheee LOL!

Have a good one!

Mother Love!

Hellooooo & Happy Friday to you...its the weekend!  I'm pretty sure I will be excited to see Monday after this weekend and I NEVER say that :)  Prom festivities have started...Alexa (and me) got pedicures yesterday.  Her best friend that moved to Georgia is flying in tomorrow evening for the weekend and to go to prom and she's staying with us...so the girls are excited.  My mom comes up today too and we will be doing some stuffs as well.  Riley is paintballing on Saturday morning, I'm going to the nursery to get some flowers for my pots, Alexa has a hair appt at 1, I gotta pick up her date's boutinniere, take Mom to lunch and then prom pics at 5ish.  Phewwwwww!  Then the adults are going to dinner and Riley is having friends over for the night and we will have some of Alexa's friends here after prom too.    AND YES if you follow me on FB and Instagram I will have tons of photos of prom up this weekend if you wanna check em out!  HINT:  Alexa's dress is my FAVE color :)

This end of year school stuff is always killer but as they get older there is ssoooo much going on all the time, its like a whirlwind.  Most of you may have noticed I'm not traveling and teaching as much this year...not that I'm fully stopping but I'm definitely not doing it as much.  After 3 years of non-stop traveling I felt the need to take a bit of a break.  Plus I want to be home more as this is Alexa's last year of High School and I don't want to miss a thing.  Being a good mom and wife has always been important to me...you only get one chance at this stuff so I feel you gotta be really present & good the first time around.   I also have A LOT of "other" things I want to do, try, accomplish and I just haven't had the time to do while I was traveling.  And yes I miss it but I know what's MOST important in my life and I felt for both me and my family I needed to be home a bit more.  Doesn't mean I'm stopping what I'm doing...it just means I'll be doing A LOT more of stuff LOL!  I have lots of ideas and time still flies by but I'm trying to cram as much livin' in as I can!

AND as soon as I get my PC laptop fixed and/or get some software for my Mac so it will accept my camcorder I will have LOTS new videos coming, not just coloring but other things too....so stay tuned!

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A Mother's Love

So I consider myself a thoughtful, loving and caring person, I really do...I always have the best intentions and tend to lead my life with my heart first.  However I suck at getting people their cards and presents on time, its a character flaw but I readily admit to everyone trust me...the thought is there I however SUCK at mailing stuff or getting it there on time.  So this is my Mother's Day card for my mom LOL...she's coming tomorrow so I figured I'd just hand deliver it.  She knows me well enough to never be surprised by this...plus I consider the card a "thing" not the only representation of my love, admiration and respect of my mother who I count as my #1 best friend and fan.  So one of her favorite colors is lavender (and blue) so this card was custom-made for her.  I'm still working on the other part of her gift...not my fault though lol...the supplies came later than I had expected!  Will share that when its done!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Just Hanna Stamps (mothers)

Belli Challenges (Mother's Day)

Fresh Brewed Challenges (flowers)

So Ms. Sherri Baldy has some awesome new Besties digis...heck if you follow her on FB she has new ones up every day that make me drool.  So when I saw this cutie, I had to have her...reminds me a bit of myself (she's admittedly much cuter than me though lol) with my gray kitty Poncho.  Funny story about Poncho & my mom in a minute...she will get a chuckle out of this card for sure.  But this Bestie is called "Besties with Kitty", she's a doll huh?  

When we first had Poncho (and his sis Millie) he was a REAL DIVA...he still is but he's more mellow these days.  For whatever reason Poncho did not like my mom that much LMBO...she'd walk by him and he'd hiss or swat at her...even when she'd try to pet him.  It was hilarious...he really only let me and Riley be his "keeper".  Then a few years after we had him he had a bladder infection and blockage...he was really really sick and had to have surgery.  After surgery he came home more mellow but about 6 mos later he was still sick...so I took him to our new vet and they discovered the catheter had been left inside after surgery OMG...he was close to a deadly infection so he had to have surgery again.  Well after that he came home a changed kitty-man LOL...he's very mellow and never hisses or swats anymore.  Although Mom tends to still avoid him a bit when she comes up...so that's why I made this kitty gray...like my Poncho ;) hee!

Supplies: Papers are by Prima and all were distressed with my Zutter Distress machine.  I love a monochromatic theme and this one is a bit shabby chic.  The decorative corners were done with a La La Land die "Filigree Corner", ribbon is from Michaels, charm I've had for ages and the leafy elements were done with a Memory Box die.  Flowers are a mix of Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts.

She got colored with Copics:  V99,V95,V93,V000 / E11,E00,R11/ E47,E35,E31,E50 / C5,C3,C1.  Then I added Diamond Glaze to her eyes and Stickles o her shirt for sprakle.

So that's all from me....busy weekend ahead!  See you next week & have a great one!

Monster-riffic!!

Hello everyone & a Happy Wednesday to you all!  I have been busy tearing through the house doing projects and more lined up for next week.  Today I have the vet coming to give dogs their shots & yearly check-ups....we are lucky to have a vet that has mobile service so they come to the house and the dogs aren't spooked or upset too much.  Then I have my new family furniture being delivered...finally after 3 mos of waiting...I'm so excited to get it.  Our family room furniture is over 10 years old...its held up really well but its time for it to be retired.  Still hunting for a new chair to replace the older one, but have yet to find one that fits "my idea" LOL.  I'm going to put the couch and an almost-like-new Lazy Boy chair on Craigs List and see if I can sell it and get rid of it. 

Next on my list is to paint my mudroom/laundry...its the ONLY room in my house that has never been painted is SCREAMING for color and and some fun decorations and organization.  I'm doing some batten-board on the longest wall with old hooks to hang stuff on.  I'm excited to start on that next week...and yes Suzanne is doing it ALL by herself ;)   Then we will get Riley's new bedroom downstairs done and painted and all set up.  So lots to do!

And this weekend is da-da-da-dum.....PROM...so lots going on this weekend too...no downtime for this gal!

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Monster-riffic!

I made this card for my hubby....he's been so great lately with stuff and I just love him to bitz..he really is my best friend and I'm so happy I got to marry him.  We have a fun quirky, banter, joking and loving relationship...and the sentiment "Do You Believe in Love at First Sight? Or Should I Walk By Again?"...is SOOOOO something I would say LMBO!  Cracks me up!  So this is my love card for him and I snuck it in his briefcase yesterday to find at work...just a small way to say I Love Ya and was thinking of you!  And these monsters from SCACD "Oddly Sweet Curiosities" and this cutie is "Loves Me?"  It just makes you smile doesn't it?  :)

Check out the NEW Art Anthology Colorations Mists at SCACD and all the NEW yummy paper pads too (that b/w Authentique is MINE)...mmmmm!

I used some fun papers from Echo Park "Paradise Beach" and kept the colors fun and bright...perfect for anyone including a guy!  I like the circle theme...I pulled in circles with buttons, polka-dot paper, and Swirls CB embossing folder.  The large orange circles are a cut file from Silhouette Cameo "Background Lace-Circle" and I cut them apart to add a few around the image.  Diamond Glaze on the monster cutie for shine and some Stickles on the scales and background for a sparkle factor :)

So hope this one made you smile or chuckle...hubby liked it, so I'm happy!  Enjoy your day!

Calendar Girls!

Happy Monday to you all!  Its Mother's Day as I write this up and I'm getting frowns from the family for doing any work today...hahaha!  So I won't clog up your brains with my jibber-jabber so I don't get in trouble and can enjoy the rest of the quiet evening with my family.  For those that celebrated I sure hope you were spoiled rotten, loved by many and got rested up and relaxed for the week to come!

My weekend consisted of:

Working all day Saturday mowing the lawn, trimming, planting and mulching...which resulted in me being very DIRTY LOL.  I'm a tomboy at heart...I've always loved digging in dirt...and gardening appeals to me in that way.  So the dirtier I get outside, the happier I am :)...yeah another Suzanne oddity!  But my yard looks gooooood! (I won't tell you how much scrubbing it took to get all that black muck off of me heehee)

Then I followed that up with some Mexican food...mmm guacomole and a big ole' Strawberry Margarita...just what I needed ;)

Spent Mother's Day at Nats Park in DC...sadly Nats lost, again ugh...but we had a good time and the weather was nice.  Riley is STILL going thru a "I'm not gonna smile in pics because I'm too cool" phase but I refuse to let him off the hook LOL!

And of course a day is not a day without some goofing off...me and Alexa pretending to be avoiding the PAPARAZZI...ahahahaha!

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Calendar Girls!

Today is Mini Monday over at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog as it is every Monday...just this time its my turn to participate :)  I've been wanting to create some pretty calendar pages to use in my studio and have had time run away on me this year...we all know how THAT goes eh? LOL!  So I thought I'd get a jump start on it and try to create 2 pages each month...that way I'm always a month ahead...smart girl I am..ha!  And what better to use than these cute Mini Magnolia stamps...the are just the right size for these mini calendar pages.  Make sure to hop over to the Challenge Blog to see what my DT-mates have created too!

Make sure to check out the DEAL OF THE DAY on the home page of Magnolia-licious HERE everyday.  Different stamps, dies and products are heavily discounted for 24 hours each day...so check it out for items that may be on your wish list!!

First up is May...my favorite month...my birthday month and Mother's Day month of course. My favorite flower is the tulip...so this cute Mini "Tilda with Three Flowers" was the perfect one to use for May.  She is colored with Copics and accented with Stickles.  Who doesn't love tulips...so many varieties and colors and elegant in their beauty!  I decided to keep my calendar pages mostly monochromatic...I love the look and a great way to keep each month separate and different.  These papers are from PaperMania and I distressed them before placing.  I used the same layout for both calendars and I will probably continue that throughout the rest of the months of the year.  The scroll is by Memory Box "Val Flourish" and die cut out of white cs.  My mini calendars are a free printable from HERE...I printed them on white cs and then cut them down to the size I wanted.  I added a strip of paper and cs to each month for my Tildas to sit on and to customize them.  The scroll stamp is from PTI and I lightly stamped over the calendar in a few places with pale pink ink.

For June I went with a yellow and black theme to match cute Mini "Honey Tilda" and she's colored in Copics as well and some fun Stickles on her wings (there is a Mini Honey Jar you can buy for her to sit on too...so cute).  The layout is the same and the papers are by both PaperMania and PTI.  I used the same scroll die and stamp and added some yellow pearls to accent.  PS----my calendar pages have magnet strips on the back to stick to my magnet board in my studio...I forgot to take a picture of that, sorry LOL!  Cute as a bee isn't she? heehee

So I'm working on July & August and I will share those soon with you as well.  Its fun and easy to create these mini calendars...because they are small they don't take too long to make.  And keeping a similar layout while varying the images and papers makes it a bit easier as well.  Twelve months of these bound together would make a super cute gift!

Vintage Country!!

Happy Thursday to you all!  The week is almost done...seems like this week has flown by.  I have to take Alexa out after school today to get shoes, clutch & jewelry for prom.  Her dress is red and she wants gold accessories so I hope we are able to find everything today as I have no time this weekend to do it.  Prom is next Saturday and there are 42...YES 42 kids having their pictures taken together...oy vey.  And then about 6 girls will be here early getting ready, 12 for pictures at the house including Alexa's date and then we go to the park to take pics of all 42 of them.  Her friend Maya is coming up for the weekend from Atlanta (she moved in March) and will be staying with us and going to prom...so they are all super excited.  Alexa gets her hair done at 1 and then all the girls will be here at 3 to get ready...so my house will be overrun with girls, giggling and yelling LOL.

My mom is coming up for the weekend as well...so its gonna be a full house...crazy...chaotic but always FUN!  Of course if you follow me on Facebook you will see all the prom pics up there first LOL.

This weekend we are doing more yard work on Saturday to get the yard finished up for prom pictures and then on Sunday we will be in DC at a Nationals game...yup my Mother's Day will be at Nat's Park for this gal...its all good (as long as we win of course).  I asked for a large lilac bush for my Mom's Day gift...I love the smell of lilacs and my Gram has a HUGE lilac tree/bush that I just adore! Hope mine blooms like my Gram's does...its gorgeous and the smell is HEAVEN!

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Vintage Country!

One of my fave projects I've done in awhile....this one is for ME and takes its spot in my kitchen.  I collect antique recipe boxes, they have to be special and different for me to add them to my collection.  But I have a bit of a rooster/chicken fetish too...I have a few rooster & chicken things around the house...you won't come in and see a BUNCH of them though, no way but I do have a few here and there.  I like just a few and they have to be special for me to display them...I don't do cute knick-knacks in my house, cuz' I hate extra clutter or stuff just sitting around.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Make It Monday (anything goes)

Crafty Creations Challenges (old/new)

Divas by Design (anything goes)

Whimsical Designs (alter it)

Loves Rubber Stamps (anything goes)

This is what my project started out like....a plain, wooden cigar box and some Tim Holtz metal legs.

I have a few cigar boxes...when I see them I grab them...don't ask how many a "few" is LOL!

I used Graphic 45 "French Country" papers...I LOVE LOVE LOVE them...got that...I LOVE these papers LOL!  Match my colors in my first floor of my house perfectly!  All my papers were distressed...heavily with my Zutter and then inked heavily with Distress Ink and Stain in Vintage Photo.  I attached all my papers to the box with Modge Podge.

The rooster image is a Crafty Individuals stamp called "Fresh Eggs & Chickens"...I love their collage stamps and SCACD carries some of their line too (I think I want the ship next..yuppers).  The "Recipes" was done with two PTI stamps and then distressed.  The lil paper clips are from Tim Holtz too.  I added a bit of color to the chickens with TouchTwins to just make them pop more.  The decorative nails holding the recipe down are actually brads...I cut off the backs with my Tonic scissors, press them flat and then add them so they look like nails.  The scroll underneath Recipes is a Memory Box die "Val Flourish", the clock die at top is an SCACD die "Classic Timepiece"...both were cut out of the same patterned paper used on sides of box.  The postcard is actually from the Graphic 45 paper pad, I just cut it out and distressed it a bit.

The legs from Tim Holtz Idea-ology just add an extra oomph to it I think!  They are kind of burnished silver but I used acrylic paint in black & brown to distress them...let it dry and then added an acrylic sealer so it doesn't chip off.

After the modge podge dried on the box I went back in with a sanding block and roughed up all the edges and paper...then went over it with Distress Stain in Vintage Photo.

The clasp on the cigar box was brass and I didn't like it LOL.  So I added the same acrylic paint mix to the clasp.  The lock is from Tim Holtz added with some wire and I added some paint to that as well...when dry it was sprayed with acrylic sealer.

I didn't alter the inside...I like the wood stamp that is in the cigar boxes and wanted to keep the wood untouched.

So there ya go...my altered cigar box...sitting in my kitchen so I can see it all the time!  Will I use it for recipes?  Probably not LOL!

Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead!

Happy Tuesday to you!  Doesn't that title make you wanna sing the song from the Wizard of Oz?  Whenever hubby & I are out and we see a person being persnickety or nasty I start singing it...loudly...to be annoying and hopefully make them recognize that they are being ugly.  Does it work?  I don't know but it always gives me a giggle :)  No sense in so much nastiness in this world I tell ya...I just don't understand it.  I cannot leave the house without someone cutting me off on the roads, someone yelling or *itching at a counter or restaurant, or someone trying to run me over as I cross the parking lot because they are in a hurry.  SLOW DOWN PEOPLE...I mean really I live my life in a mad rush...I'm always looking at the clock...I live by the clock most days.  BUT I try to keep my temper in check, remember that people are usually doing the best they can and of course take care to watch for human life.  Seriously I do...but if you throw your nastiness this way in an offensive way...well it ain't gonna be pretty...I will warn you.  I do not take nasty people or attitude lightly...ask my family...ask my friends...I will be in your face going right back at you BUT I'd much rather be smiling and laughing with you.  So take your nasty-ass attitude back home, do some breathing exercises (or have a drink for heavens sake), evaluate your life and get it together.  We all are struggling with different things, we are NOT the only ones with issues, sadness, problems, stress so why make it worse.  We have a chance to be NICE every moment of our life, to share a smile, to make someone laugh, to give a hug or a moment of relief....isn't that so much nicer than the alternative?  Doesn't it make you feel so much better when you are smiling and sharing a smile?  I know it is for me and I try to approach every moment that way...it doesn't really take that much energy and the prize you get back is HAPPINESS...and that my friends makes it ALL worth it!!  I'll get off my soapbox now...hee...but I really wish more people would think before they speak, pause before they act and consider their actions and thoughts.  One life people...we get one...remember that!

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Oz is Fabulous...Yes Indeed!!

Today we present "The Wizard of Oz" quartet here at ScrapBitz hee hee!  I love the Wizard of Oz...I grew up watching it every year on our black & white tv (yeah I'm old..what's it to ya) and I still love watching it.  My kids don't like it...must be the flying monkeys or something LOL but they refuse to watch it with me.  I liked the new Oz movie too and I've read ALL the books AND I've seen Wicked...yeah a wee obsessed I may be :)  These Wizard of Oz stamps are digis from Karber Digital Images and come in a set for $10...and Toto (I didn't get him) is on sale for $1!!  You know I have 2 cairn terriers...mine are blondies but I grew up with a gray one named Huckleberry...Toto was a cairn terrier.  Yes indeed, I love my cairns...most loyal and smart dogs EVER (and hypoallergenic hee hee).  So I decided to make four cards all using scraps I had on my table...a nice set for a gift!

I'm entering these cuties into the following challenges:

Make It Monday (anything goes)

Forever Friends (anything goes)

Lexi's Creations (birthdays)

Love To Scrap (anything goes)

Challenges 4 Everybody (anything goes)  

 

Here's the cutie Tin Man and Cowardly Lion...so cute right?  All colored with Copics, paper scraps, MS border punch, pearls and SBs dies.  Also distressed all my papers and used some white PTI ribbon.  Diamond Glaze on that tin man in a few places for added shine!

And here is Dorothy with Toto and Scarecrow!  I love

how they all turned out and if you add some envies and tie them up with a ribbon or place in a clear box from PTI...what a gift right?  Fun too for a Wizard of Oz lover like meself :)