A few snow/ice pictures

YUMMMMMMYYY

I am not exaggerating when I tell you this cookie will change your life. Sorry the picture is so small, but they are Nestle Tollhouse Ultimate Caramel filled cookies. OMG. My mom (the diet sabotoger-don't know how to spell that word), brings over these cookies last night (with a half gallon of chocolate marshmallow ice cream) and they blew us all away. I only ate one last night (that's really all you need), but this morning they were even better once they had fully cooled and hardened. Analee, you will die especially if you are hooked on the Dove with caramel right now. Everyone must try these, and try the other varieties as well. I think they have chocolate filled and a turtle variation. Luckily there are only 12 cookies in the pack!!!!!!

Thursday's thanks

Stamping has been on my mind today, so I am appropriately giving thanks to Stampin Up! Split Coast Stampers, Mojo Monday blog, and Analee for getting me started with stamping and helping me become the best stamper I can be. I am hooked. I have been since the first SU party. I am so grateful for the resources that are available for beginners like me because they give you the tools you need to get the creative juices flowing. Take Split coast, for example. Yes, I have the stamp sets, but no I don't always know what to do with them! A simple search on this site, and I am given countless examples of cards using the very products I own. Awesome! The same holds true for Mojo Monday. I use this blog as a template with which I base most of my card designs on. This blog even includes example cards of the various templates. Love it!

There is just something about stamping and making cards that I truly enjoy. It is calming, challenging, and rewarding all at the same time, and I love the feeling I get after coming up with something really clever and unique. I know this is a superficial thanks for the day, but I really am thankful to have stamping in my life! I hope that doesn't sound too pathetic! And maybe the people that receive my cards are thankful that I made them-

Weekly Updates

I am going to try something two of my fellow followers have done in the past. I think it might help on those days when I can think of absolutely nothing to write about. It is a weekly run down of blog subjects by day. For example:

Monday- Monday movie reviews
Tuesday- Tuesday will be tech day (pictures, videos, etc)
Wednesday- Weigh in day (the "w" fits better for Wednesday)
Thursday- Thanks (what I am thankful for)
Friday- Food and Fun

We'll see how it goes. I am going to start with today for my next blog entry.

Interpretation of previous candle card

This is just my first attempt at this card. I'm sure there will be MANY more. It is such a fun, generic type birthday card!

Monday weigh- in

It's that time again. Back to the weekly weigh-ins. I haven't gotten too off track with the holidays, but I am a few pounds higher than when I was last reporting (forever ago!). Anyway, today's weight is 181.2, and I am shooting for 180 by the end of the month. Actually next Monday will be Feb. 1. I have given myself weight goals for each month, hoping to lose about 4-6 pounds per month. Not too strict. If all goes well, I will be close to my pre baby weight by June!!!!! Combine that with my major loss on the top and maybe I can actually find a cute bathing suit this summer!

One more card post

I finished all of the cards for the month. It's a shame you lose the little details in the photograph. The cupcakes are glittered and look so pretty in person. I love this little cupcake stamp my mom bought from Michaels. It was one of the dollar stamps! I have one more project I am working on for a friend's baby shower, so when I am done with those I will post pictures.

Chelsie's birthday present

This was the hardest thing to photograph! Out of about 20 pictures, 2 were postable. It would help if I knew more about the camera settings. Anyway, this is for Chelsie's birthday-hope she likes it!!!

Anyone need a card idea?

I am completely in love with this card! I found it on Splitcoast stampers, and I can't wait to make my version of it. This is part of the Stampin Up! stamp set I will get free from the sale-a-bration catalog, so unfortunately I will have to wait to place my order next month. I think it is called Whimsical Words. LOVE IT!!!

New Look

My blog will undergo a major face lift in the next few days! I have found (through a friend on Facebook) this woman who does AMAZING scrapbook style headers for blogs, and she will be creating one for me. Check out her site and her family blog!

http://thepolkadotpig.blogspot.com/


Take a look at her blog portfolio to get an idea of what I am talking about. The hardest part was picking out a design template! Here is a preview of the one I chose.

http://designsbykrista.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=155


I tried to post pictures, but I guess everything has some sort of copyright or something. I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

More cards

February is a busy month for card making! My calendar is full of 5 birthdays, a baby shower, an anniversary, and of course Valentine's Day. I was going to attempt to make valentines for Gabe's class, but I hung up that idea pretty quickly. Besides, I found Spiderman valentines with tatoos that I know Gabe would have picked out himself. I went ahead and bought them because I remember last year I almost waited too long and had trouble finding good valentines. Off to make one more card!

More big boy milestones to report....

Yesterday, Gabe did something brand new as far as using the potty goes. He has been potty trained since about July, and he has really mastered going alone (getting on his stool, sitting or standing, flushing, wiping, etc)in the last month or so. Anyway, last night he went to use the potty, and I followed behind to see how he was doing. He was standing right up to the toilet without using his stool! It looked hilarious-this little boy standing in front of that big toilet. But amazingly, he is the perfect height, and there were no major messes to clean up. So now he really is a big boy, and he told me he no longer needs his "baby" stool.

On a side note, this only further confirms the fact that he has had a major growth spurt recently. Between his pants not fitting in length anymore and this new way of peeing in the toilet, I would say he has probably grown another inch or so.

A few new cards.....

Gabe's Big Boy Bedroom

Here he is the morning he saw his new room.




For Gabe's big birthday present we bought him a new twin bed and updated his old "baby" room into a new and improved big boy room! Gary and I spent New Year's setting it up and decorating, then Gabe saw the surprise the next morning on his birthday. He LOVED it!

More Pictures from Gabe's Party

Pictures from Gabe's Birthday Party

Here are some of the highlights of Gabe's third birthday party!

Who needs Tumble Bus?

This video is pretty self explanatory. Gary looks just about dead in this one with Gabe tumbling all over him!

Gabe's party at school

I am trying out my new Flip camera and finally figured out how to post to Blogger. I love this video camera!!!! I need to post more videos now that I know how it works. Here is a sample from Gabe's party at school.