I Love... Being Your Mom - Plantin SchoolBook, Don Juan - 12x12 (12x24) Two-Page Layout

This layout has taken me days...  And I mean days...  There were moments that I stopped and just stared at the pictures.  I changed the color combination at least four times. I switched the pictures, took pictures out, and added pictures in.  Finally, at some point yesterday, it all started to click.  Whew.  It's HARD to scrapbook about myself!!  :)  Once I turned it into something that still allowed me to say something to my oh-so-precious-kiddos though...  Well, it got easier from there.

Okay, so maybe I've been a 'helicopter' mom for most of their lives (you know, the kind that 'hover'?).  And maybe I've always asked too many questions about where they are going, and what they are doing, and who is driving, and do they keep the radio turned down, and everyone wears their seatbelt, right?  And no one can deny that I've stood in the pouring rain for hours to watch a game or a track meet, sloshed through way more mud than I'm comfortable coming into contact with at plenty of cross-country meets, and driven a ridiculous number of hours for a 6-minute wrestling match. 

But ya know what?  Wouldn't trade a single moment of it.  Sure, I might wish for a do-over after a silly argument or think I could have baked brownies for a special occasion that came too quickly...  But if it meant changing one single thing about being a mom to The-Girl-Child with her infectious smiles and surprise hugs or to The-Boy-Child with his passion for everything-sports-related and peanut-butter-and-banana-surprise sandwiches, well...  nope...  I'll take the occasional eye-rolls, sighs, and bickering in Walmart bundled up with the blessings of PVC-pipe-sword fights in Home Depot, pajama days packed with movies, and their willingness to hang out with their mom in public! 

Yup.  Life as The-Mom to these two is pretty good, and that's why I decided that a scrapbook page all about me and what I love would have to be titled -- "I Love being your mom".

All of the paper I used is from Creative Memories (Black and White Power Palette, Fabulous Power Palette, cardstock colors: Raspberry, White, and Pink Lemonade).  The flowers are also from the Fabulous Power Palette. 

The faux stitched hearts were cut with Don Juan (LOVE that 'stitched' feature for adding pen lines!) and the title was cut using the base feature and shadow feature on Plantin SchoolBook.  I used SU!'s black ink and my CM distressing tool to distress the edges of the hearts and the pink striped paper. 

The black buttons are from a generic pack of buttons tied with a strip of ribbon that I trimmed down so it would fray slightly.  My journaling strips (featuring some of the little things I love) were cut with my trimmer and distressed with a little ink before I used a paper piercer to add the zig-zag stitch lines that I drew in with a pen.

I hope you have enjoyed my layout.  If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and I will be happy to get back to you.  I created this layout for the following challenges (I hope you'll hope over to see the other entries and perhaps enter a project yourself!):
Lasting Memories Layout Challenges -- Challenge #36 - It's All About You!  (a layout all about you)
Getting Cricky with K Andrews -- Simply Sunday Challenge - Sew Fabulous (use stitching in project)
More Than Favors - Cricut Cartridge Chaos Challenge #16 - Plantin SchoolBook or Pagoda
Patti-Lynn Creations - Creative Sisters Monday Challenge #7 - May Flowers (use flowers in project)
Fantabulous Cricut - Challenge Me Monday #58 - Flower Shower (use at least 3 flowers)
Lynda's Creative Touches - April Showers Bring May Flowers (favorite thing to do in spring)

Until next time,

It's Party Time At... Decorate To Celebrate!! A BRAND NEW Challenge Blog with a Grand Announcement Giveaway!!

It's a BRAND NEW Challenge Blog!!  Decorate To Celebrate is dedicated to showing off your decorations (and all things 'party' related) for every celebration!!  The very FIRST two-week challenge begins June 1st (but the GIVEAWAY starts NOW!).  

Details from Decorate To Celebrate:

"We want to see your table decorations, centerpieces, wall hangings, banners, favors, invitations, and more!!  Each challenge will have a specific party theme (from baby to birthday to anniversary to holidays and everything in between!), and we want to see what YOU create using any method you desire -- paint it, cut it, mold it...  use your Cricut, Sizzix, any other die cutting machine (or none!)...  use paper, fabric, wood, glass, tile, florals...  the options are endless -- Show us your creativity!!

While we will have prizes offered for challenges, we also hope to spotlight our talented participants with Guest Designer spots for EVERY challenge!!  If you win a challenge, you will be invited as a Guest Designer for a following challenge -- allowing us to feature YOU... YOUR BLOG... and, best of all, YOUR CREATIVITY!!

For the next few weeks leading up to the announcement of our very first challenge (June 1st!), we are going to be kicking off the decorating and celebrating with inspirations, tips, ideas, tutorials, introductions, and...  oh, yeah!!  A GRAND ANNOUNCEMENT GIVEAWAY!!  How about we get to the giveaway now??

It's a "YOUR CHOICE" prize package!!

One lucky winner can select either

a SURPRISE gift box full of goodies

OR

a $50 Creative Memories Gift Certificate!!

(click here to browse the online catalog)"

So hop on over to Decorate To Celebrate and enter to WIN the giveaway (you can get up to TEN chances TODAY!!)...  This Grand Announcement and Giveaway will remain open until 11:59pm (EST) on May 31st!!

Celebrate The Occasion Challenge #12 -- Varsity Letters

You still have time to create a card, layout or project celebrating GRADUATION and entering it over at Celebrate The Occasion!!  Hop on over to CTO and check out all of the AMAZING creations by my incredible Design Team sisters...  Then get creating and enter YOUR project -- This month, you have a shot at winning the 'Simply Sweet' Cricut Cartridge!!

My project for the challenge this week is this FUN piggy bank...  I purchased several of these banks for just a few dollars and decided to personalize them with VINYL and my Varsity Letters Cricut Cartridge...  Rather than go with 'traditional' graduation colors, I chose to use a bright pink and a bright purple (this is for The-Girl-Child after all)...

My letters were cut using the 'Narrow' feature at 1.5"...  I have made several of these before with a different font, so the size of the letters surprised me this time -- I think when I do more, I'll take the size down to 1.25" or even 1"...  Although, I do like the fact that the pig looks like he is just BURSTING!! :)

I added some fun googly eyes and handcut a graduation cap...  My tassel was made from cotton string (that I often use on cards)...  This quick and easy project makes a GREAT gift for any grad...  Especially if you add some fundage for them to enjoy!! :)

Hope you enjoy my quick and easy graduation project...  Now head on over to Celebrate The Occasion and enter YOUR grad card, layout, or project by this Sunday (May 8) at 11:59pm (EST)...

Thanks for visiting!!  Until next time,

A Cricut-tastic Award... :)

WOWZERS!!  I've just received another award!!  This one comes from Karen (please hop over to Karen's blog to see her incredible talent)...   Thank you SO much for thinking of me, Karen!!  It really means a lot to me!! :)

Here are the guidelines for the award:

Your Blog has been deemed Cricut-tastic! Wear this Badge proudly on your Blog share it with friends! Since Cricut is 5 years old and they have an E2 out share this award with 10 people that you think have Cricut-tastic Blogs! You also have to tell 5 Cricut Related things about yourself

5 Cricut related things about me:

1. My first (and only) Cricut was a Birthday present from my mom and dad (it's an Expression) over 3 years ago!!
2. I had watched the Cricut infomercial at least 1000 times at their house (driving everyone crazy by making the 'chirping' Cricut noise -- at least they were sure it was a gift I would love)!!
3. When I used my Cricut the first time, I d-e-s-t-r-o-y-e-d the paper I tried to cut and was terrified to use it again (for months!)!!
4. I have since absorbed every bit of info I could/can find on the Cricut and I now regularly teach classes to others who want to learn more about getting the most out of their Cricut!!
5. My Cricut really is my therapist -- If I'm having a bad day, I spend a little time making something, and I feel so much better!!

Now I have to pass this one to 10 other Cricut-tastic bloggie buddies...   Wow, this is always especially hard, because I want to give it to EVERYONE...  But here are the ten...

1.  Kate from Small Bits of Paper
2.  Melissa from Disney Dreamer Designs
3.  Gloria from Girlia's Cards
4.  Tami from Tami's Craft Connection
5.  Kathie from Kathlee's Snippets & Cricuts
6.  Rhonda from Scrap Happens
7.  JulieK from A Little Bit of Bling
8.  GiGi from The Cricut Bug
9.  Melissa from Moe Creations
10. Rae from Wahoo Crafts

I invite you to visit each of these talented ladies...  Take a look around at their blogs, find some inspiration, and leave them some bloggie-love!! :)

Until next time, 

Your Last First Day of School, 12x12 Layout (12x24) -- Batman, Learning Curve, Making the Grade

Click on the photo to enlarge!! :)

Well, it's the very first layout that I've ever posted complete with pictures...  Why did I post it with pictures?  Or why don't I usually post with pictures?  Well...  both answers are a little bit involved, but I think the first question is super-important for this particular layout...

I created this layout for the Paper Cutz Challenge #89 (anything goes) AND Challenge #33 -- Journaling over at Lasting Memories Layout Challenges...  Recently, I noticed that LMLC was having a DT call...  I love creating layouts.  Of anything I make, the layouts are the most rewarding for me...  I love getting an idea and watching it come together...  This is very therapeutic for me because I am not able to do the whole 'idea-in-my-head-make-it-happen-in-real-life' thing with anything else!!  My mom can look at a room and redesign it into something amazing...  I look at the kitchen table (the catch-all for everyone's STUFF as they walk through) and decide I should just go back to bed, as I may never find the bottom of the pile, and I certainly don't have a clue where to put the stuff in the meantime!!  LOL...  But with layouts, I can see the finished product and I L-O-V-E working towards it...

The Journaling challenge at LMLC was actually the one I was most looking forward to doing...  There's something about journaling that really finishes off a page for me...  In some cases it completes the story and makes the memory much more vivid...  In a case like this layout, it allowed me to say things I want The-Girl-Child to know about how I felt that day...  This wasn't a challenge I could do up ahead of time without having the pictures for it yet, so I embraced the fact that I would be allowing you to see The-Girl-Child through my eyes...

As she stood on the porch and posed for the last pictures I would take of her on her first day of school, I saw her as that little kindergartener waiting for the bus with her big brother...  She's since ditched the 45-minute bus ride for a 6-minute drive on her own (she was even gracious enough to pause for a picture as she got into the car -- there's one as she's pulling out of the driveway and driving down the road too, but I saved those for another page!!)...  I also remember realizing that she really was a young lady now -- with a future full of opportunities and adventures!!

Sure, I still pack her lunch every day (exactly as she likes it with even numbers of everything, including the egg full of jelly beans that hopefully surprised her today!), even though she's capable of doing it herself the night before...  There's just something about sending a part of myself with her to school each day...

So as I worked on this layout to fulfill the four challenge requirements to apply for a DT position at LMLC, I decided this wasn't a layout that would speak without the pictures...  And journaling really is about speaking to everyone who sees your precious memories...  I personally prefer to handwrite all of my journaling -- There is nothing so precious to me as receiving a card or letter with a family member's or friend's familiar scrawl across the envelope...  Because of this, I try to use my own writing when I journal -- This way, I feel that every time a loved one looks through a scrapbook that I made, it will be like I'm right there with them...

On to the details of my layout...  I love creating great big die cuts for my pages!!  I found this apple on the Making the Grade Cricut Cartridge -- How perfect!!  There was a (red) leaf attached to it, but I cut that off and hand cut a green one instead...  I added a fold line down the center and some wrinkles to make it look 'real' and finished it off by adding some pop dots to give it some dimension on the page...

That fantastic lined paper is from the Creative Memories Cheerful School 12x12 Additions...  The fact that it's rainbow colored will not escape The-Girl-Child, for 'rainbow' is her favorite color!! :)  The "your LAST" is the font found on the Batman Cricut Cartridge (also great for POW!, BAM!, and Kazowie! should you need those phrases for a layout!!), and the "1st Day of School" is the base font on the Learning Curve Cricut Cartridge.

Page two of this layout features The-Girl-Child's silly personality, but no Cricut cuts...  The journal box was created using the coordinating photo mat paper from the Cheerful School Additions and was accented with some glitter brads from Stampin' Up!...

That awesome cardstock sticker can also be found in the School Additions (as well as a host of other photo mats, more paper, and a whole bunch of stickers and phrases!).

There is a pull out tag behind the top left picture...  I sometimes add these in case I think of something later that I really want to say on a finished layout...

I hope you have enjoyed this peek at The-Girl-Child through my eyes...  And I hope you've found some inspiration to do some journaling of your own...  The real reward for me comes when both of my kiddos will sit and read every word I've written over and over again...

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  If you have any questions about the layout, or if you'd like to share a thought, please leave a comment...  And if you have a blog, be sure to leave a link as I'd love to come and visit you too...  Until next time,

Easter Blessings 12x12 Layout -- Don Juan, Cindy Loo

This may be my last Easter layout/project for the year...  Since Easter was so late this year, I feel like I've worked on many layouts, cards, and projects (though admittedly, I did have a blast making the Easter Basket Explosion Box-- found HERE, if you haven't seen it yet)...  I may change my mind in a day or two when I'm inspired to create something with a rabbit, but for now....  :)

This layout was created for Challenge #34 - Easter Theme over at Lasting Memories Layout Challenges...  I recently discovered that they were having a DT call there...  To apply for the DT, you had to complete all four challenges from this month (due today at noon)...  I suppose I would have benefited from learning about the DT call earlier in the month, but even one of my favorite bloggie buddies (Girlia) can tell ya that I thrive on doing things 'in a dash'!!  LOL!!  :)  I've only entered one or two of their challenges previously, but I would love the opportunity to work on more layouts on a regular basis -- And sometimes it seems like I need that commitment to get it done!! :)  I've really enjoyed seeing all of the layouts and inspiration posted over there...  Please pop on over there to check out the amazing DT creations and to see what everyone else created too!!  :)

For my layout, I used the BRAND NEW 'Fabulous' Power Palette from Creative Memories...  The 'lace' background (cut from a 12x12 piece of white cardstock) can be found on the Cindy Loo Cricut Cartridge.  I used my Gypsy to cut it as large as possible (about 11.5").

The title was cut at 1.75" with the Don Juan Cricut Cartridge using the base font plus the shadow feature.  I topped the title with some wide ivory ribbon and added some punched flowers with pearl centers...

Easter certainly was a blessing this year...  Not just the day either, but the whole season of Easter...  It's so easy to get caught up in certain moments and forget what the rest of the moments are made up of...  I sometimes find myself complaining about the one bad thing that happened in the day when the rest of the day was absolutely fantastic...  This was my inspiration for my 'Easter Blessings' layout this morning...  The-Girl-Child and I spent Easter Sunday afternoon with The-Grandparents...  My parents generously offered to take us to see Mamma Mia (as part of the Broadway Across America tour) for Easter...  We love musicals.  I'd choose a day at the theater over a ham dinner any day, even on Easter!!  We had already had an amazing morning -- The-Boy-Child was home for the weekend (after thinking that he wouldn't be able to with his track schedule) so we had a HUGE breakfast with cinnamon waffles, eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and orange juice!!  We had no traffic and great parking when we arrived in Pittsburgh!!  My mom and I danced in the aisle during the musical!!  But ya know what didn't go just right???  I didn't take a single picture all day long.  Can ya believe that???

So when I learned that one of the four challenge requirements to apply for the DT at Lasting Memories Layout Challenges was to create an Easter layout, I went on a hunt for Easter pictures left over from ANY other year...  Nothing.  Apparently I really enjoy finishing the pages with colored eggs and Easter dresses right away!!  Despite the fact that (until today) I don't post layouts complete with pictures, I DO actually like to create my layouts with pictures in mind...  Since I use Creative Memories software to edit and crop my photos, I never worry about needing a certain size for a certain page -- I know that I can edit any picture to fit exactly where I need it...  This allows me to finish layouts before actually having the pictures in hand...  It also allows me to scrapbook what inspires me instead of feeling like everything has to be finished chronologically (um, sorry, I run out of mojo to plan another track, cross country, or fun run layout after about 5 or 6 or 1 in a row!!  I know they'll get done, but I'd like to work on some pretty pictures with bright dresses and flowers in between all the rainy, muddy track meets from this year!!)...

Anyhoo...  Although the layout didn't have to specifically be Easter pictures, I was inspired to create a true Easter layout because I wanted to remember the blessings of Easter...  Any 4x6 photo of my kiddos will do...  Or perhaps a photo that includes The-Grandparents too...  I mean, those four people are Easter blessing enough...  I could continue to count my blessings for you, but I'll go do that on my own now. :)

Until next time, may all your moments be a blessing...

Spring Means... Prom, of course!! :) - Opposites Attract, Walk In My Garden

How do you incorporate Spring into your layouts?  Do you use colors that seem more 'springy'?  Do you add flowers? Birds? Bees?  And do you find yourself drawn to any particular occasion to scrapbook about as Spring approaches? 

For me, Spring for the past four years has meant something pretty important to my kiddos...  PROM!!  And I'm always excited when I realize that I have some pictures with bright, colorful dresses to scrapbook!!  YAY!!  Of course, I realize that this year prom will mean something else to me too...  It's the only year I had to buy a dress for The-Girl-Child, and it's the last year we'll be involved in Prom activities...  I mean, I'm sure there will be other proms when a friend's son or daughter is going, but it's the last prom for either of my kiddos...

Now, The-Boy-Child was never that much of a fan of prom...  He attended a few years ago (I have the pictures to prove it!), but he spent prom night of his senior year doing something he enjoyed a whole lot more -- running (I have the pictures to prove that too!)!!  That was a fun driving night for me -- home for prom pictures with The-Girl-Child followed by a quick drive south of Pittsburgh for a big ole track invite with The-Boy-Child...  But I digress...

The-Girl-Child, on the other hand, has definitely enjoyed a prom or three...  And it's a great chance for me to see her really, really dressed up (she claims to really like uggs and sweat pants)...  For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting The-Girl-Child, let me tell you a little about her...  She's kind and generous and eager to help a friend in need...  She's dedicated and loyal...  She's determined and confident...  Sometimes I sit and wonder how she could possibly be my child -- I certainly cannot claim to be the one who taught her all of those things!!

When The-Girl-Child was a high-school freshman, and at the beginning of the season of semi-formal and formal dances, she told me that she had a plan to NOT buy a single dress for any event until her senior prom...  What???  What girl-child doesn't want a new gown or dress for a special occasion???  Even I, her unfashionable mother who really isn't too keen on shopping, like to treat myself to a dressy-dress every once in a while!!  I quickly realized, as each dance drew near, that MY girl-child was probably the only one who made this commitment...  However, the other girls were quick to offer their dresses from previous years!!  Their moms were ecstatic to see these dresses out of the closets and getting a little more use!!  The-Girl-Child had a selection of dresses for each dance that was actually BETTER than any clothing store could offer...  And she was almost guaranteed to not have the same dress on as anyone else!!  :)

But for this year's prom, she was to have a brand new dress...  And a beautiful new dress it is!!  And knowing that I would want to include a few pictures of the prom events in her graduation album, I created this layout for the occasion...

The pictures she takes with her friends are always important to her -- Several of her closest friends are the same friends she's had since kindergarten or earlier!!

I cut the 'Friends are a special hug from God' title from the Opposites Attract and Jasmine Cricut Cartridges.  The 'PROM 2011' was also cut with Opposites Attract.  The yellow flowers were cut at 1" using the Walk In My Garden Cricut Cartridge.  The yellow photo mats were embossed using the Cuttlebug 'Textile' embossing folder (one of my favorites).  The purple and teal flowers were punched with my Friendship Maker and Meadow Maker punches from Creative Memories.  I like to use pre-measured cardstock pieces as picture-place-holders when I'm creating a layout that I don't already have the pictures for...  This allows me to quickly crop my photos within my photo editing software and ensure I have the perfect size print for the page I'm working on.

I hope you have enjoyed my Spring-inspired layout today...  I am entering this layout for the 'Spring is in the air' challenge over at "Lasting Memories" Layout Challenges...  I hope you'll pop on over there and see what everyone else created too...  Your comments are also appreciated and enjoyed, so please leave me your thoughts (and your blog address if you have one -- I love visiting those who visit me!!)...

Until next time,

Celebrate The Occasion Challenge #11 -- Celebrating Mother's Day!!

12x12x2 layout :)  Background paper is CM's Delight Tone-on-Tone

Woot-woot!!  One of my favorite things to celebrate is my most spectacular mother!!  For those of you who know me personally or have followed me for a bit, you know that my mom is one of my most important people!!  I feel extremely blessed to have a very close and very wonderful relationship with my mom...  When I am having a bad day, I know that my mom is always there for me...  And when I am having a wonderful day, I know that my mom probably has something to do with it...  It's just who she is...

Fonts: 'like' from Calligraphy Collection, 'Mother' from Cindy Loo

So this week over at Celebrate The Occasion, the challenge is all about Mothers and that special day in May that's just for celebrating them!!  As I thought about what I wanted to make, it's no surprise that my inspiration came directly from my mom...  Sometimes when I'm in a creative rut, I talk to her about what I'm working on or need to finish...  Many times, she'll throw out an idea, and I'll grab it and run with it!!  :)

White 'lace' border cut from Cindy Loo

As I get older and my own children have grown and changed into 'little' adults, I've noticed how many things I have in common with my mom...  On a recent scrapbooking weekend, I found myself tapping my foot and singing along to Doo-Wop music right along side my mom...  On Easter Sunday, I found myself dancing in the aisles (literally) during Mamma Mia (the musical) right along side my mom...  And don't tell her, but earlier today, I thought I might actually look forward to the next sunny day when I could pull out the lawn mower and work out in the yard (which is exactly what she did in her neck of the sunny neighborhood today -- while we had nothin' but rain!)...  So you see, as this Mother's Day approaches, I realize that 'like Mother, like Daughter' really means so much to me...  I'd love to be the kind of mom my own mom is...  Dependable, courageous, and strong...  I might even learn to enjoy making mud pies and playing in the dirt...  But let's keep that our little secret for now, k?

Glossy Accents add dimension and shine...  Sheer blue ribbon creates the border for the 'lace' cut...

So whatever it means to you to celebrate Mother's Day, I hope you'll head over to Celebrate The Occasion and join in on the fun with a card, layout, or project...  You have until Sunday, May 1st at 11:59pm to link up your project...  If you're looking for even more fantastic inspiration, be sure to visit my very talented Design Team #1 sisters...  You'll find their projects over at CTO...  Or create your own blog hop and click on the links below to visit their blogs and leave them a little love (you'll be glad ya did!) ~~ Leave a comment HERE and on each of the DT#1 CTO projects, and I'll pick a lucky winner for some surprise Blog Candy (all entries due by Sunday, May 1st at 11:59pm)!! YIPPEE!!  (but I can promise you it won't be the 1152 jelly beans from my jelly bean jar cuz The-Boy-Child was home for Easter...)

Gigi 

Ivette 

Nicole 

Melissa 

Girlia 

Kimberly 

Linda 

Lisa 

Mary
Paper Panther

Flowers from CM's Delight Power Palette, leaves punched with SU!'s Build-a-blossom punch

What about that sketch I used???  Yup, my second sketch completed...

LMLC Challenge #35

I'm also entering this layout in the Lasting Memories Layout Challenges: Challenge #35...  I really enjoyed creating something with this sketch...  I might just have to try another!! :)  It's always fun to see what others come up with for the sketches...  I still keep mine pretty close to exactly what the sketch is...  But by changing the colors and papers used, I can see how versatile this sketch really can be!!  To try out the sketch challenge yourself, be sure to pop over to LMLC...

Have you visited Flaunt It Fridays yet?  This week's challenge (challenge #20) is an "Anything Goes" using the Cindy Loo Cartridge!!  I used the beautiful font found on Cindy Loo for my layout...  I also cut that wonderful lace border from Cindy Loo (I used my Gypsy to weld two of the borders together to make it 11.5" wide)...  This is my first time using Cindy Loo, and I'm so thankful that my bloggie friend Jennifer (Musings of a Crafty Mom) introduced me to this font with one of her AMAZING party decoration posts (Hello Kitty on March 12)...

Yippee, skippy (as my friend, Ann, used to say)... I'm so excited to enter my layout into the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #57 "Mom's The Word"!!  They asked participants to create a special project for mom and include the word 'Mom' (or Mommy, Mother, Mum, etc.) on the finished item...

Over at the Cricut Circle Blog, the challenge is to create a scrapbook page about you and your mom (or you and one of your children) and must have at least 2 Cricut image cuts...

What???  One more challenge???  Yep, that's right!!  For challenge #88 at Paper Cutz Challenge, make a card, layout, or project using pink, green, blue, purple, and white ONLY (you can use a small touch of black too if desired)...

Now get crackin'...  It's time to let that creativity flow and join in on the FUN!! :)  Until next time, I hope you'll find many moments to Celebrate The Occasion-- whatever the occasion may be...

Scrappin' Chics Challenge Blog -- 100 Follower Giveaway!!

There's a brand new challenge blog on the block!!  Have you stopped over to visit yet?  Jen and Kimmarie have this to say about their brand new Challenge Blog:

"This Challenge Blog is a place where we will have challenges and prizes for the winners. Our challenges will run for approximately one month.  The first challenge winner will be chosen by Jen and Kimmarie and then the winner each month will get to choose the challenge theme for the next month.  This is going to be a fun place where we can all be inspired by other scrappers!!!  "Our first challenge will start May 1st!" 

Right now, Scrappin' Chics Challenge Blog is having a 100 Follower Giveaway!!  Be sure to pop on over there and sign up to WIN!!  For all the details, CLICK HERE!!

WINNERS!! WINNERS!! WINNERS!! :)

I would like to thank everyone who stopped by this weekend for BOTH of the Blog Hops I was participating in!!  I would also like to thank both Rhonda and Misty for the opportunity to take part in such FUN Blog Hop events!!  Now, on to the winners....

"All Creatures Great & Small" Blog Hop Winner:
Random.org selected #25...  Kathie  from Kathlee's Snippets & Cricuts will be receiving some fun 'Critter'-themed card-making candy!!

"It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop Day #1 Winner:
 Random.org selected #20...  Paper Panther from Purple Peeps Techniques will be receiving some fun 'Easter'-themed card-making candy!!

"It's a Basket Case" Blog Hop Day #2 Winner:
Random.org selected #15...  Judy Evors from Living Life and Loving It Every Day will be receiving 6 sheets of 12x24 vinyl!!  Looks like you're gonna get to try out a project with vinyl sooner than ya thought!!  :)

And, FINALLY, The-Girl-Child was SUPER excited to learn that someone was ONLY 21 Jelly Beans away from the actual number in the jar...  Before I tell ya who guessed so ridiculously close, lemme tell ya how the Jelly Bean guessing came about...

 (insert dramatic music here for effect)...
There we were (The-Girl-Child and I) wandering the Easter Candy aisles of Walmart...

For those of you that don't know her personally, T-G-C really LOVES rainbows and peace signs (yeah, when asked her favorite color...  she responds 'rainbow!')...  So there, just at her eye level (and above mine), is a whole box of peace-sign gummy lollipops in rainbow colors...

"Oh, mom!!  LOOK!!  A rainbow-peace-sign-lollipop!!  Oh, pleeeeeeeeeease, can I get this?" (keep in mind that we were nearing the END of our shopping trip, so she had already snuck PLENTY into the basket...)...  And then I saw the Jelly Beans...

And I said...  "You can get that lollipop (that you will probably never eat) if you count all the Jelly Beans that are going in that jar for the Blog Hop on Saturday."  ... I thought she'd ponder it for at least a moment...  I thought she'd think about how large the jar was and the fact that I was buying MANY bags of Jelly Beans...  I thought she'd think I was crazy for the request...  Nope.  Not even a millisecond of a pause...   "OK!!  Yessssss!!"

And I've got to say...  It was the best buck (yes, ONE single dollar!) that I've ever spent...  Cuz I sure didn't want to count all those Jelly Beans!!  :)

But anyway...  Had The-Girl-Child only eaten 21 of those Jelly Beans, KATE from Small Bits of Paper would have been right on with her guess of 1131 (cuz there really are 1152 Jelly Beans in that jar -- FOUR whole bags of Jelly Bean goodness!)!!  Congrats, Kate!!  T-G-C wants to send you a very special gift for having the closest guess (sorry, I told her she couldn't send you the whole jar of Jelly Beans...  it's, like, 40 bucks in postage to Canada, but she'll select something good, I'm sure!!)!!

Congrats to all the winners!!  Please remember -- You have SEVEN (7) days to claim your prize or the monkeys at the zoo, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy have a shot at your goodies!!  :)  Email your address to scrapbookingwithamy at gmail dot com...

Until next time, enjoy some Jelly Beans for me!!  :)