Saturday, July 31, 2010

CHA: Fun, Friends & a Headache

I wish I had felt better last night.  I HAD SOOOOO MUCH FUN AT THE CHA SUPERSHOW!!

I wanted to talk about everything I saw and experienced as soon as I got home, but I had a small headache during the day and it blew up into a full blown migraine last night.  It wasn't pretty. I couldn't even look at a computer screen let alone think about typing anything.  It was a little bit of a buzz kill, but now that I am feeling better I can take some time to share.

For starters I went to The Circuit Circle Meeting.  Right before I walked in I met another member and it ended up being a great thing. We spent the day with each other walking around the show and talking.  By the end of the day many people we talked to thought we had come there together and had known each other for awhile.

At the meeting they talked a lot about what they hoped the Circle would be for all its members. It was a great talk and we got to ask a lot of questions. They told us they really wanted the Circle to be more than free stuff. They wanted it to be a way for members to connect to other members..well I guess that worked out for me and my new friend.

I have a lot more to say but today is a busy day for us. It is National Dance Day!!!  We are having some people over mainly just to enjoy each other's company, but if dancing breaks out..so be it!

I will add more about the CHA including pictures..soon!!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Calling Cards at Last

Phone is From My Kitchen
Letters are Billionaire


I have my Internet back!!!  Thank goodness for the repairman who was here a few hours fixing our phone, Internet and TV service..YES all 3 were out for 2 1/2 days (try telling your 4-year-old who only gets to watch about a half hour of TV daily that she can not watch any because the TV is broken! Not pretty.) I am much more dependent on my Internet and TV than I should be, but we all have our vices.

Pop is Cherry Limeade

Flower is French Manor

NOW: The calling cards, The calling cards.  As I mentioned before creating only 1 or 2 designs in repeat mode would not really work for me, but when I started I had no clue what I wanted to do.  I headed for my scrap bin and that is where I stayed.  I only used what I had in scrap paper to make these calling cards...even the little gem stickers were left over form my daughter's birthday party invites...Can I call this recycling or being green?  Here are a few of my favorites. I included the carts I used in the details.  Hope to share some at the CHA tomorrow!!!
Hello is Cindy Loo
THIS IS MY FAVORITE!



Wednesday, July 28, 2010

It Not My Fault

It really isn't my fault that I failed my mission yesterday. I made 20 fun calling cards, took pictures and was all set to upload,BUT no Internet! It will not be up until tomorrow at the earliest! As it is I'm getting a pedicure and typing on my phone just to say I'm sorry. Hopefully I can fix all soon.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Calling Cards for Cricut

I had a wonderful weekend: worked on cleaning up the house (made 2 trips to Goodwill with things I did not even know I had anymore so I will not miss them) to get ready for all the room changes that will soon be occurring, had some down time with my husband and daughter and made my Mom's day when we took a family photo with my sister and her family: ALL 8 of us smiling (sort of)!

BUT...all weekend I was thinking about the fact that CHA is this week and I have not even started on the calling cards.  Last night I finally decided I better do something about it.  I did not get very far, but I have all these ideas swimming in my head so I am making a promise to myself and anyone else who reads this that I will have some done by the end of the day!! 

I got started by making address labels on my computer with all my contact information.  I was happy to find I had only clear labels so now they will pick up a background a little better..Now onto creation phase.  Check back to see if I meet my own challenge.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Exciting Family News

Last night the phone rang around 9:30.  I was surprised to see someone calling so late.  When the phone rings the number actually pops up on the TV so we can see who is calling (a very fun feature by the way). I saw that it was my brother-in-law, John. I called up to my husband that it was his brother and than it clicked in my head...he was engaged!

Melissa and John  have been together for a few years and she is a perfect fit for him.  She is so sweet. She also makes amazing treats: peanut butter cups and chocolate covered cherries..YUM. I knew John had been looking for a ring so I instantly knew that was why he had called us so late. I flew up the stairs as Erik answered the phone and I shouted out to both him and Melissa, "Are you engaged?" They told us the short story of how it happened and we were all very happy! They plan on having the wedding next summer sometime.  My daughter will now have a second Aunt and I will have my first sister-in-law.

My Mother-in-law, Sue, is so excited to have another girl joining the family officially. For a long time it was her and her boys.  When I came around John was a freshman in highschool and now he is getting married. I look forward to the family growing - I can only hope they will provide me with more nieces or a nephew if I am lucky!!  Congrats to them and my whole family.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Expression For My School!!!

I got the call!!

I am so excited. The school I work at will be getting of of the Cricut Expression machines that Provo Craft had Circle members make nominations for!!  I look forward to teaching others how to use it.  I also plan on getting the school some extra mats and paper to use.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Long Day (but good)

I am finally sitting in front of my computer for the first time all day long. I'm not saying that I am attached to the thing, but let's just say it often ends up going on vacation weekends with me.

I spent the day with my sister, Jenny. It was a wonderful day.  She lives in Nashville so days like this are far and few between.  If I take too much time to think about it I get sad so I am only going to focus on our great day today. It wasn't that we did anything special or different; I helped her return her rental car, we did a little shopping, had lunch and worked on making these yummy cake ball treats that she is bringing to her husband's family reunion this weekend. (I will come back to the cake balls later!!!)  It wasn't what we did, it was that we just had time together. We had my adorable niece, Emery, with us as well, but she is only 14-months-old so she isn't a big obstacle for our talking time.  I miss having sister time like this more often. She moved to Nashville right after my daughter turned 1 and it was really hard on us - do not even get me started about crying in the airport after I helped her drive down there.


I only wish that after the nice fun day with my sister, my four-year-old, had behaved as well.  She is pretty good most of the time, but 4 has been a challenge for us.  She is learning to talk back more, listen less and hates automatic flushing toilets - which can be a problem if you are at Disney World and they do not have any other kind.  Today she decided that she hated bath time. What is usually never a problem was a screaming mess this evening at my Mom's house. It didn't get better after that, which makes me question if she really had a nap today at camp? She is all tucked into bed now and tomorrow is another day. It is easy to forget anything bad form the day when they look so sweet sleeping.

NOW...CAKE BALLS
This wonderful invention is my new favorite dessert treat.  I would give you a recipe but their isn't one except this: 
1. Make any flavor cake you want. Bake it in any size or shape pan you want.
2. Let it cool than take it out of the pan and crumble it up into a bowl (my sister uses a fork I used my hands to break it up really small).
3. Add a whole can of cake frosting (again your choice on flavor) to the cake and mix it really good.
4. Roll the cake/frosting mixture into small balls (really roll them and pack them fairly tight and put on wax paper)
5. Put these in the fridge for about half an hour.
6. Melt some chocolate coating (they have colored stuff at Michael's and other craft stores, but you can get chocolate kind at the grocery) and dip each ball into it and fully cover.
7. Let the candy coating cool and there you have it. CAKE BALLS1

I am sure somewhere online you can find a more formal recipe but that is all there is too it and they are so amazingly yummy.

Well I have not had a chance to watch So You Think You Can Dance so I am heading to TV land and than to sleep.  Have a great tomorrow. I'll check in again soon.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

I think I'm going to like this!!

Well I am in full blown blog mode.  I seriously couldn't get to sleep last night thinking about what I wanted to post this morning and tomorrow and so on...

I knew that I wanted to make some changes to my blog layout and style and so I headed to kevinandamanda.com right away this morning.  On this website you will find so many amazing things. I have a button for the site to the right, but let me just tell you.if you do not already know about this wonderful place: recipes, scrap booking ideas (including a cute cardboard book for the summer), free fonts for your computer and digital scrapping, blog help, photo tips, dog stories and more.  Check it out and if you want to change your blog titles and dates to an different font than what is offered on your blog service.  Mine is called peamissywithamarker and you can get it at their blog for FREE!


HOW I'VE USED MY CRICUT LATELY:
I am always excited when I use my Cricut Machine (a die cutting machine for making well?? anything). I am trying to stay updated with my scrap booking but it isn't always easy to find the time during the school year when I am teaching and so I get back logged.  This summer I finally rearranged my office/scrap area so that my cricut is set up all the time (I used to get it out, put it away, get it out, put is away every time I wanted to use it..what a mess.) Now that it is out I have used it almost everyday.

Here are some of the things I have done lately with my Cricut that I have really loved or give good samples of the new Lite carts:
This is the countdown I made before our Disney World Trip. It hung in my daughter's room and we took a number off each day. It made the wait a little easier and we got so excited every night.

The Magic Kingdom is done in Lovely Floral's font. The teapot is from Once Upon a Princess and the font is Feeling Groovy (Lite). The Supercalifragilistic is made with Billionaire (Lite).

This is  my favorite page from the Disney Scrapbook so far. The hat and Disney wording are from Mickey Font. The Princess letters are Blackletter.
This year for my daughter's birthday we had a Fairy Tea Party. I made all the invites using Everyday Paper Doll and Paper Doll Dress-up.  I made a group of larger fairies to hang all around the party. Here is one.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Thanks!

I am a few minutes from the end of my first blog day and I just had to say thanks the Cricut Circle support I have gotten! I know my ramblings may be silly at times but I feel like someone is listening! I'm excited to see what is next!

So this is a blog...

I have heard about blogs, visited blogs, even commented on and downloaded things from blogs, but I guess I had never really thought about having my own until recently.  Not sure why I never thought about it before: I love to write, I love to share photos, I love seeing other people's thoughts and ideas and photos..so why not blog? 


What I do not know: I am not sure how this will go, when I will post, if I will keep it up or what it will be geared towards yet.


What I do know: This blog will be what I want it to be! It will be for me, my family, friends, enemies (if they really want to check this out) and people I am looking to get to know. I will talk about things that matter  to me: my family (let's just say right now Sophie will be a main feature), scrap booking, teaching, books and more!



I hope people come see my blog. I hope people comment and give advice to make it better.
This might not be how you see it, but it is how I see it!


I want to start with something I really liked at another blog Going Buggy: check out her Cute Card for Fairy Thursday.  I love fairies and this card was so adorable. She is also the first person to give me advice on my blog..Thanks so much.

Fairy Card Link