Check out Melinda's blog for a chance to win a huge Imaginisce prize giveaway. I would love to win all of these wonderful goodies, but good luck to everyone.

A puppy after my own heart!

Penny loves her copic markers just like her mommy! So, if you're wondering where I've been...I've been teaching Penny how to use her copics. After all, I am now a copic certified instructor.

Okie Dokie Artichokie

Okay, I took in a teenager and I'm quite busier than I ever imagined. My own is 21 and has been "gone" (5 hours away in school) for 3 years, so having a teenager is quite an adjustment for me. I also got a new puppy...her name is Penny. I promise that I'm still around and will get this blog up and running soon.

I'm Alive!

I'm so sorry I haven't been around and wanted to say that I am still alive. It's that crazy time of year when I am writing individualized education plans for all the students on my caseload and having meetings with all their parents. I feel like I've failed blogland, but I will be back soon...promise.

New boots!

My new, comfy, cozy, UGG boots arrived today! My feet are very happy to say the least.

Life and some sweetness

Hi Everyone! As you can see, Maggie's eye is healing quite nicely. Within the past couple of weeks it has looked better and better everyday. When her stitches were first removed, her eye was pointing far left...I felt terrible, but at first, it was a little creepy to look at her. There, I said it...what kind of momma am I? I got used to it, though. It's still not centered, and I don't know if it ever will be, but I'm so happy it has healed so well. I'm just sorry she had to go through everything she did...it bites, but she's a trooper...I'm not sure it ever really did bother her.





One of my precious students asked me today if I liked vanilla. I said yes. She said, "No, I mean do you like vanilla?", to which I again replied, "Yes, it's my favorite". She then asked, "But do you like vanilla ice cream and vanilla flavored food?". I said, "I love it, why?". She "I bought you something" Me "What? You did? You didn't need to do that" A few minutes later she waves me over and points to this array of vanilla strawberry goodies on her desk and says, "I bought this for you". I said, "How sweet. You didn't have to spend your money on me. Why did you do that?". To which she replied, "I wanted to because you're so special". It made me feel so good. How can you top that feeling?


I told her I was going to make her a card tonight, and middle schoolers, you just have to love 'em...She started to say Well, whooptie doo...it was so obvious, but then she stopped herself and lowered her voice at the last moment, because she knew she didn't mean it, and I knew she really wanted the card. She sometimes asks me for little scraps of stamped images that she sees on my desk for scrapbook club. And somehow I know that those little scraps make it to a special place in her notebook or inside of her locker. Anyway, I stamped the below card for her. All the images are layered...the top is flat and the other three are pop dotted at different heights. Simple, but just like the sentiment...sweet. I'll give it to her tomorrow. All the stamps are dollar stamps and are colored with my copics.



One of my favorite Greeting Farm sets(and the only one I own) is "Me Time Anya", a relatively new release. I think it will be perfect for tags to hang on body wash or baskets of bath goodies. So cute!
I used puff paint for the bubbles. I love, love, love how fluffy the bubbles look after I heat them with my heat gun. Makes me wish I was Thumbelina sized so I could hop into that little bathtub and just relax and soak. I used my copics for the coloring, scallop circle nestabilities from Spellbinder, and gemstones from Hero Arts. The purple scallop paper is shimmery which is why it was hard to get a great picture...light just so wants to bounce off of shimmer in a million different ways. Still, it's so pretty in real life. Background paper is Basic Grey Eva.
Today was a day filled with good things and sweetness. No matter what wasn't perfect in my day, I still have the , "I wanted to because you're so special,". Actually, that's why I took the picture...not for my blog, but because I wanted the memory to be documented and filed away with all those great things I want to remember forever. Find a little sweetness in one of your days this week and hold on to it...hold on tight.

H{ippity} Hop

Hi! I hope everyone was able to stay warm and enjoy their weekend. I know I was a big Lazy with a capital L. We had a snow day on Friday which is only the 2nd snow day we've had in 12 years, so I certainly made the most of the day. I went to Murfreesboro with my girlfriend and did a little shopping. I picked up a new Spellbinders scallop set and a few other goodies, and then came home and enjoyed the rest of my day. It was such a cold day for this area (about 15 degrees), so getting out of the car wasn't exactly what I'd call pleasant. I did have a good day, though, and it's always nice to see my best girlfriend and to do a little shopping.

The first card this week uses a sentiment from the set, "Just Wanted to Say", and some elements I cut with my new Slice that my wonderful MIL bought me for Christmas. I used Ranger Embossing powder to emboss the sentiment. I cut out a couple of scallop circle images using patterned paper and my slice, scored them, and fan folded them to make the flower elements. The leaves were also cut out using my slice. A button and some twine finished the card off and now it is ready to give to my coworker tomorrow.


The second card uses a label and a sentiment from the same set, "Just Wanted to Say". The flourish was cut out with my Slice using the basics 3 design card. I embossed the label with Ranger Distress powder. The sentiment inside the label is embossed with distress powder, too. Again, a button and some twine add the finishing touches to the card. This card is super duper simple. I cut out a bunch of shapes with my Slice (I'm still in the playing stage and am just enjoying cutting stuff), and I put them in a envelope, and they are there to use when I need them. I just picked a shape that I thought went with the stamped image, did a little arranging, and there you have it. Easy Peasy and ready in no time.
I hope you enjoyed today's blog hop and were able to make it to all the stops. Have a great rest of the day and a great week, too! Stay warm!

H{ippity} Hop Monday!

Good morning everyone. Welcome to this stop in {Ippity}'s first blog hop for 2010! As you are well onto your way in this morning's hop, I am probably well on my way into 2nd period math or 3rd period reading (I teach 3 classes of math...6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade, and 1 class of reading...7th grade). I so love the ability to schedule a blog post for uploading because it has allowed me to play in these Monday hops, which I've come to look forward to. For this week's hop, I decided to make a mini canvas. I picked the canvas up at the craft store last week, and I've been wanting to do something creative with it since I purchased it. Now, when I say mini, I mean mini. This canvas is 2.5 X 3.5 inches...pretty much the same size as an ATC. My original idea was to use the canvas for the house "foundation" and then add a roof, but the size of the stamp didn't work with that idea. So, instead I used it as a traditional background for a little work of art. I used stamps from the "Devoted" set that I colored with my copics. I sponged on Ranger Distress ink for the sky and the ground instead of coloring with my copics, because I was going for a softer look than I thought I would get with copics.

I stamped the tree two times and used pop dots to layer it so that it would stand out on the page. Although you can't really tell in the picture, it also made it look a little more full which is what I was hoping for.

Thanks everyone for stopping by my blog today. I have an uncanny ability to jump in at the last minute and am usually close to the bottom of the list, so if you are still with us, I appreciate it even more. Have a great rest of the day and week! I'll leave you with a recent picture of my daughter and myself...she's the pretty, young one...LOL...She is on her way to ski in Colorado this week before going back to school next week, and I already miss her like crazy!