Merry Christmas to You!!

I hope the holidays find you

happy, safe and well.

Merry Christmas!

1 in 110

I don't normally talk about this alot but since my son's diagnosis but these statistics REALLY upset me. Below are the findings of a new report on Autism by the CDC released today. 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with Autism and 1 in 70 are boys.

"1 PERCENT – 1 in 110 – AS CDC ISSUES NEW AUTISM PREVALENCE REPORT, AUTISM SPEAKS ASKS “WHAT WILL IT TAKE?” FOR GOVERNMENT TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THIS NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS

NEW YORK, N.Y. (December 18, 2009) – In the wake of today’s new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stating that autism now affects 1 in every 110 American children, Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, called on the federal government to immediately step up its efforts – and dramatically increase funding – to address the growing national autism public health crisis.

“Now that the government has confirmed that one percent of American children have autism, the question becomes what it will take to get our elected leaders to wake up and take on this crisis in an appropriate way,” said Bob Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. “Must we wait until every member of Congress has a child or grandchild with autism, or until every household is impacted by this devastating disorder? With nearly 750,000 children on the autism spectrum, we need meaningful action now that acknowledges the scope of this problem and allocates the resources necessary to take the fight against autism to a new level. We cannot expect the millions of people impacted by this crisis to wait another 20 years for answers.”

>>Read the rest of the Press Release http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/cdc_autism_prevalence_1_in_110.php "

Sweet Smile

Are you getting excited for Christmas yet??

I am getting more excited about it as I get more DONE. I hate how I stress myself out EVERY year and worry whether or not I got the perfect present, if the house is decorated enough. I need to take some time to just soak it in.

Maybe next year-:)

As promised, I have a few new projects to share with you. I have finally got these uploaded-this is a set of 8 cards that I did with the new Polar Expressions line from Imaginisce (you can buy it HERE). I used the chipboard stickers, rubons to dress up these super simple cards.

(Border punches : Lace detail by Martha Stewart & Scalloped eyelet is by Fiskars)

This LO is using the new Sweet Cheri line (papers, rubons, dimensional stickers) now shipping! I loved how the papers are all double sided with coordinating solid colors, it TOTALLY takes the guesswork out of matching cardstock to paper and gets your LO together that much faster!


And lastly, I HAD to share this pic I took of Little Man at his Christmas party last weekend, the Santa there was so kind and patient with all the children and let them come back and sit on his knee as much as they wanted. I got ALOT of pics but the lighting wasn't optimal so I had to edit them-ALOT.

Thanks for stopping by-Happy THURSDAY!
1 week to go!
HO HO HO!

Milestones!

WOW. 1 year ago today, I started BLOGGING (I was SURE that I would NOT keep it up-I have a REALLY hard time commiting to ALL things written-I HATE to write, I have never been able to keep a journal, although I have tried - I SERIOUSLY struggle with writing ANYTHING-I am not very good at it. Words are where I REALLY lack imagination) BUT LO & BEHOLD, here I am a year later-at 142 POSTS!!-still at it. Again, I say-WOW. For those of you that check in with me periodically (and those you that read faithfully), Thank You for putting up with my run-on sentences, poor grammar, crazy spelling & typos!!

I love you all for reading & leaving comments.

I have ANOTHER milestone to share as well (and this one is SERIOUS cause for celebration). As of today, my adorable almost 5 year old has pottied (#2) NINETEEN times-WOOOOOOOT!! (yes, he is keeping a running total-he LOVES numbers) and has been in 'big-boy-underwear' for ONE week (no accidents)! I am BEYOND thrilled that my late bloomer is FINALLY getting the hang of it and is almost potty trained!! One hurdle left-NIGHT time potty training but THAT's OK, I can wait a 'bit' longer on that one.

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I have some new DT work to share but need to photograph and upload first. OH SO busy these days and there are NO signs of it slowing down anytime soon ;). 'Tis the season!!

Thanks for popping by-Happy Wednesday!

{9 MORE SLEEPS!! Woohoo!}

Do you do these?

I was blog surfing (I am WAY behind at keeping up-ACK) and noticed that my friend, Sweet Julie tagged me with this on her blog. I normally don't do these because I stress about WHO I will be able to send it to (I am a very shy person and always worry I am bothering someone with things o this nature-so I don't do them) BUT I have decided that I am doing this one and if you would like to play along, copy and paste this list to your blog and let me know in the comments on this post I LOVE reading these things and would LOVE to read yours.

All I have to do is respond to the following phrases with one word:

where's your cell phone: Purse

your hair: a-mess!

your mother: tough

your father: lonely

favorite food: spaghetti

dream last night: Twilight?

favorite drink: Diet Coke

what room are you: Den

hobby: Scrapping

fear: death

where were you last night: home

something that you aren't: punctual

muffins: carrot

wish list item: license

where did you grow up: here

your pets: none

friends: low maintainance

something you are not wearing: shoes

favorite store: Tommy Hilfiger

favorite colour: pink

last time you laughed: this morning

your best friends: non-judgemental/understanding ;)

place you go over and over: mall

person who emails you regularly: My Aunt

favorite place to eat: Vito's

THANKS JULIE-HUGS :)

Sussies December Reveal

Where is this month GOING?? I can't believe how much I still have left to do but I DO see the light at the end of the tunnel, so I will keep my head up and keep plugging away. In the meantime, I have this beautiful Scrapbook Sussies December kit to share with you, which showcases Crate Paper & American Crafts Seasonal Lines.

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This kit was perfect to showcase my photos of our family made wreck of a Gingerbread house.
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This pic is of Little Man with his new 'stuffie-friend'

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This LO is showcasing the Christmas ornaments that we collect from year to year which is becoming a tradition in our family. This was based on the monthly Sussies exclusive sketch which comes with each kit. (sorry this didn't photograph very well-the colors are much prettier IRL) .

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Wednesday!

Lucy Bird & Scooter's Vacation

I am SO thrilled to share these 2 new collections from Imaginisce with you. The first collection is called Lucy Bird and is made up with lots of fun, springy colors-complete with blooming flowers & cute little blinking birds-it is SURE to chase away your winter blues and make you think SPRING! (to see the complete line, click HERE ).

LUCY BIRD

The second collection is called Scooter's Vacation and is made up of greens & blues and has a playful travel theme. You can see this complete line HERE.

Scooter's Vacation

Thanks for popping by & be sure to check out the Imaginisce blog for 12 days of Christmas crafting ideas going on right now!

Have a HAPPY TUESDAY!

Only 16 more sleeps~!

Chance of Flurries

Today is reveal day for Love is in the Details December kit, 'Chance of Flurries'. This kit is CHOCK full of the VERY hard to get Collage Press line, 'Joyride'. Plus Lori got some very fun extras in the store to go with the kit as well. Check it out!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a happy Sunday!

Oh Christmas Tree!

I am SO excited to post my first DT assignment for Imaginisce. I had a ball playing with these papers, the colors and patterns are So 'me'! These first 3 projects are all using the Polar Expressions line. I am sneaking in one more using the Let's Roll Line.

Products used-Polar Expressions: paper, ribbons, rubons, chipboard

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(Close up of Rubons & ribbon)

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Journalling: Whenever you encounter a Christmas Tree, it's always the same. You start singing 'Oh Christmas Tree!' and start decorating it (even if it already has decorations). This pic was taken at Daddy's Christmas party, the night of the Santa Claus parade.
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Altered wooden frame (3x3") using Polar Expressions rubons, cosy sticker stackers, paper.
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Festive tree decoration made from Polar Expressions line.

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Anyone who knows me, knows my Little Man LOVES trains, so I HAD to do a LO with the Let's Roll line. It's so fun and playful. It will be easy to use up every last piece of this line.

Journalling close up.

Thanks for popping in! Have a Happy Wednesday!

Blog hop!

Happy December!

Thank you for joining our Love is in the Details blog hop! Wasn't Lisa's project gorgeous?? Don't forget to visit Chelsea, MelB, Melissa & Amber's blogs as well. You are SURE to be excited by the inspiration from my FABULOUS Team-mates!

I made this LO using the delicious goodies from the upcoming LIITD December kit. The items I used are used are from the new Christmas line (Joyride) from Collage Press (journalling cards, crafting strips, Oh What Fun paper, Around the World paper, American Crafts Fabric thickers (Delight font). Items from my stash are chipboard (CP-Joyride), buttons, DMC embroidery floss.

Thanks for stopping by (again!) Have a great night!

Dec 1!

The holidays are SO busy! I went to the US with some VERY FUN ladies and did some shopping on Black Friday, I have been decorating, catching up on scrappy assignments and dealing with a sick Little Man (just a VERY LENGTHY cold-nothing serious). I am sorry I have neglected my blog for so long, so I am hoping to post at LEAST a project a day (some might be a bit older than others) until the 24th (let's see if I can stick to it)-LOL. I was unpacking my C-mas decorations last night and came across this project I did 2 years ago, I STILL love it. Imagine THAT! I am glad that I picked classic colors and patterns. That might be the trick when making Christmas decorations. Check it out and stop back later today, LIITD is having a blog hop! (I love these things!)

Only 24 more sleeps!

Chronic Headaches

I get headaches. Sometimes I will go weeks or months without one and then BAM. Every day for a week. This past cluster has been BAD. I have had a lingering headache (more 'on' than 'off') for the last 3 weeks. It's been so bad that everytime I put my head down-I fall asleep, it's really draining-and it's been playing havoc with my scrapping-there's been hardly NOTHING happening in that department. I am THRILLED to say that last night I was FINALLY PAIN FREE!! So I played with a few scrappy supplies and I will have a few Christmas ideas to share (hopefully this afternoon). If you are still checking in here-Thank You. I'll be back!

New Treasures.

Hi Everyone! I haven't had much to share (that was scrappy related) this past week. I've had a SERIOUS case of the BLAHS this week. The season is already becoming busy-we went to a Santa Claus Parade last Saturday night, a kiddie C-mas party before hand. Plus C-mas shopping and wrapping. I am busy already and not even in the thick of it. Sorry I haven't posted but I should have some new things next week-I am planning on kicking my MOJO's butt into gear this weekend (wish me luck).

In the meantime, I have started reading New Moon (it's a REALLY easy read and a TOTAL page turner) and am definately looking forward to seeing the movie. Have you read it? Are you a die-hard fan? Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob? Are you planning on seeing the movie? I think I am Team Edward and plan on seeing the movie (hopefully in the theatre).

And then last night, my SIL and I went to the annual Christmas Craft Fair. It was more of the same, some great home-made goodies (dips & sweets). The Cake Box was there and I FINALLY tried a red velvet cupcake. OH MY GOSH. They are knee buckling. I came home with a box of 6 (for a very small fortune) but I just could NOT decide which ones I wanted.

BUT this is the purchase I was REALLY excited about. I also picked up 2 small prints from local artist, Jessica Doyle. Jessica and I were friends when we were little (and she even taught me how to do a cartwheel ( I think-LOL). I have been drooling over her art since I found her ETSY shop last fall. Her pieces are so vivid and graphic and if I could afford larger pieces, I would have at least one in every room in my house. Please make sure to check her out. You will NOT be dissappointed. Below are the 2 copies I bought from her. I can't wait to frame these little beauties. These will both find a home in my scrap room.

(Images borrowed from Jessica's site at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicadoyle )

Thanks for stopping by! Have a Happy Saturday!

My Stamp Box (LOs)

Hi Everyone! Me again!!

I almost forgot to mention that I have 2 LOs featured over at My Stamp Box today, rounding up the rest of my GDT work for them. Please make sure you stop by the blog and their store to check out some super cute stamp sets. In the meantime, here is a LO I did for My Stamp Box with the Bits & Pieces with some Imaginisce deliciousness (this was actually part of my DT app for Imaginisce)

I used the watermelon stamp from this set as a scallop which was SUPER EASY to do.

THanks again for stopping by! Have a GREAT Monday!

Chance of flurries

I just HAD to share! I am SO excited for this kit!

This is a sneak peek of Love Is in The Details kit for December

(designed by Mel Blackburn).

Thanks for popping in! I will have a new project to share tomorrow.

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

I am a total Procrastinator

I have been playing with mist again. I am having ALOT of fun with it too. I flipped my scallop paper to the WRONG side, misted and then cut the scallops off of my die cut paper, leaving me with this beautiful blue circle. I then got crafty with some scraps, free hand cut some circles, lightly distressed the edges and then secured the center with a button. The stems, I ran my scissors over (like curling ribbon) to make the paper softer, gathered up and stitched along gathers for dimension. This is a little more technique-y (is that a word??) than I usually get but it was ALOT of fun. I think I will need to invest in some more mist.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Friday!

My Scraproom.

Due to some good natured peer pressure :), I have taken a few photos of my NEWLY cleaned & re-arranged scraproom to share with you. All of my furniture in this room (with the exception of the organizational cubes which were a C-mas gift last year) are pieces that were no longer being used (luckily for me, they are all pretty neutral and match-y)

I moved the storage units to this wall from the wall on the right hand side (the desks were next to each other under the window with the dream sign on it-I hope that makes sense-LOL) The space is alot brighter now and the work space is more usable now that it's more square.

These cubes are SO great for storing all of the little goodies and special papers we collect for this wonderful hobby. This stack of papers goes from 3-bugs to Pink Paislee (yes, I have them stored alphabetically-LOL.


These 2 towers house the rest of my papers (die cuts and lace cardstocks are in the top 2 drawers) and I keep all my cardstock in the last column. My punches are in the bottom 3 drawers.

THIS is STOLEN (from my husband's tool bench-LOL). I used purple alphas that I KNEW wouldn't get used otherwise and housed of my oprhaned (left over) alphas from various chipboard sets. I also store buttons in one column and brads/eyelets in another-these are all stored by color.

This is where I store my flower stash & neutral buttons. There are spools of ribbon in the drawers.

Since my workspace is actually a pair of compter desks, I have a pull out drawer on each side. In one, I have all of my inks and extra stamp blocks (plus a few stamps that I was too lazy to put away.

This is pretty much where everything else has landed up. Things that I want to work on, scrappy mags, more ribbons, fancy edged scissors, grungeboard, large acrylic stamp sets, extra albums, etc. This COULD be better organized and is on my to-do list. Someday! LOL

This is my loose ribbon collection. I temprarily put them in ziplocks, punched a hole & eyelet (again using purple eyelets since I will probably NEVER use them otherwise) and hold them all together with a jump ring. Not the prettiest storage BUT VERY efficient.

I still need some curtains, to put up some shelves, my bulletin board & maybe a peg board. The space isn't homey yet but I am on my way.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my space. Maybe next time, I will show you what's IN all the drawers. ;)

Have a GREAT Wednesday!