yummy.

This is one of the five yummy holiday gift ideas in a download called "Handcrafted and Edible: Treats for the Holidays" at the Fiskars website. The download includes detailed photos and instructions as well as the recipes for all the treats - and it's free! There will be a total of four December 2009 Downloads with tons of crafty ideas, so make sure you check it out.

quick post.

This card is on the very last page of the November issue of CardMaker...I used My Mind's Eye patterned papers. Don't you think they look so very Thanksgiving-ish?

I just popped in to post this on my way out the door...on my way to a weekend of dancing girls and Jesus music and grapes and friends and hotel ice!

Don't forget to check out the other hoppers' blogs over the next several days because they will be posting new thankful crafty stuff:
Debbie Hodge http://www.debbiehodge.typepad.com

Kelly Purkey http://kellypurkey.typepad.com

Lisa Dickinson http://lisadickinson.typepad.com

May Flaum http://mayflaum.wordpress.com

Patti Milazzo http://pattimilazzo.blogspot.com/

Stacey Kingman http://staceykingman.blogspot.com/

Stephenie Hamen http://cropgirl.wordpress.com

Margot Potter http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/

Lain Ehmann http://knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com/five_things/

Margie Romney-Aslett http://www.margieromney-aslett.typepad.com/

Rhonna Farrer http://rhonnadesigns.blogspot.com/

Wendy Smedley http://wendysmedley.typepad.com/

Jodie McNally http://jodiemcnally.com/

Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/

Becky Novacek http://www.beckynovacekphotography.com/

Jennifer McGuire http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/

Elizabeth Kartchner http://elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/

{“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Psalm 95:1-2}

giving thanks {blog hop}.

A Thanksgiving card...


I made this simple Thanksgiving greeting with the October Afternoon Weathervane collection and Prism cardstock. I'm off to Dallas in the morning, but I will have something new and thankful to post when I return on Monday!

Welcome to the Giving Thanks {Blog Hop} 2009...

Thanks to some very amazing artists, over the next week, you will be able to hop around the web and find some amazing projects celebrating Gratitude and Creativity. We are very excited to be bringing you a cross-section of artisans, sharing their stories, creations, and thanks with all of you. Not everyone will post something everyday, but, there will be something somewhere every day. You will just have to hop around and see what you can find. Each person participating has the full list of attendees posted, so you can hop from each one to another. We hope you find something that inspires you, sparks your creativity, or reminds you to be thankful this Thanksgiving.

From our house to yours, please enjoy your week and our gratitude...

Debbie Hodge http://www.debbiehodge.typepad.com

Kelly Purkey http://kellypurkey.typepad.com

Lisa Dickinson http://lisadickinson.typepad.com

May Flaum http://mayflaum.wordpress.com

Patti Milazzo http://pattimilazzo.blogspot.com/

Stacey Kingman http://staceykingman.blogspot.com/

Stephenie Hamen http://cropgirl.wordpress.com

Margot Potter http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/

Lain Ehmann http://knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com/five_things/

Margie Romney-Aslett http://www.margieromney-aslett.typepad.com/

Rhonna Farrer http://rhonnadesigns.blogspot.com/

Wendy Smedley http://wendysmedley.typepad.com/

Jodie McNally http://jodiemcnally.com/

Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/

Becky Novacek http://www.beckynovacekphotography.com/

Jennifer McGuire http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/

Elizabeth Kartchner http://elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/



Have a lovely weekend...

{Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18}

Hello, Monday morning! We had a cold front blow in last night and I have all the windows open to let the fresh, cool gusts of wind cleanse the air in my house. (I wish it could somehow cleanse my boys' bedroom as well because that place is a mess!) I'm going to have to find some door stops, though, because the wind just blew a door shut and I literally jumped out of my chair.

Don't forget to check the Project of the Day at the Fiskars Crafts website. There's something fun and new every single day this month! November's focus is handmade crafts for gift giving, which is such a great resource if you are wanting to make special handmade gifts this year. The projects I have seen so far (and it's only halfway through November!) have been so unique and creative, but definitely do-able.

My project that was featured this weekend is pictured above. Go to fiskarscrafts.com to see more photos and all instructions. Let me know if you try this one. I'd love to see your projects!

Ooops...it's time to go pick up the kids from piano lessons. Today is my drive, drive, drive day. Just like tomorrow. And Wednesday. I'm just thankful I can come home between their activities and classes so I don't have to be out all day long...

{This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 1 John 5:2}

why it took me two weeks to make a card.

Here's my card for the CPS Blog this week.
It's all October Afternoon...I love the happy polka dots.
Well, of course I used Prism cardstock - in Butter Cream.
And the rub-on is from Melissa Frances.
But the rest of the card is OA.
It took me two weeks to make this card.
No, really.
I started it,
made about 87% of it,
looked at it on my table every day for two weeks as I rushed in and out of my house,
couldn't finish it.
I mean, I could have...
I just didn't feel creative.
Too much stress in my once-creative days.
I'm so tired of feeling like all I do is clean and drive.
Wait.
I'm on the verge of complaining.
Back to my card.
Two weeks later, I had to turn it in,
so the procrastinating/avoiding/dilly-dallying had to end.
I turned it in late.
Story of my life these days.
I'm tired of apologizing for being late
so
I didn't.
Now I'm sorry for not apologizing.

So.
This won't come as a shock to you at this point,
I'm sure.
I stepped down from the CPS Blog design team.
I'm finishing out the year.
I'll miss this little group so much
but I know there is someone who is less busy-
or maybe just better at fitting it all in-
who will do a great job with it.

Aside:
If anyone from my writing class reads this,
please know that this blog is not an example of acceptable writing.
Complete sentences are not optional in my class.
Do what I say
not
what I do.

So I had meant to blog about something else...

It's Thursday again!
How did Thursday come back around so fast?
I feel like Thanksgiving and then December are rushing at me
with the force of a
tsunami.
Run, Stacey!
Hide!
Seek higher ground!
Every day a (sweet, adorable, talented) child
brings me something to add to the calendar in December.
It's full already!
It's over full!
I am so thankful that the powers that be in my homeschool co-op
made us (okay, I had a say in this) start in early-to-mid-August
just so we could have a break between Thanksgiving and the beginning of January.
I am (understatement) so looking forward to this break.
I'm not sure I could face the holiday season if I was still maintaining a normal school schedule...

So.
This weekend Hymn Fest. (Hymns should be filling the air as I type this. Why is no one practicing?)
Next weekend Dance Revolution in Dallas. Three days of girls and moms and fun...
Then Thanksgiving.
I love Thanksgiving.
The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday. My friend Angela and I got up at 4am to shop last year and it was FUN.
Somewhere in there, I'll put the Christmas tree up.
There's so much more on my list and it's overwhelming me to think about any more of it...

{Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Ephesians 5:15-17}

thursday.

I am loving Thursday.

In about five minutes, I'll be in the garage sorting through four years of curriculum. I know it sounds boring and no fun, but I am thrilled to be able to work on my garage without having to leave to drive people around!

I have already done some closet organizing, some cabinet rearranging, and finished the book I've been reading. I ate the last mini Butterfinger from the kids' stash - so glad those are gone! I'll also be planting some onions later this afternoon and overseeing the cleaning out of my car.

Thursday is just the best day of the week!

This morning the boys watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I guess Corey picked up the "sly dog" thing from Peppermint Pattie because she refers to Charlie Brown as a "sly dog" sometimes. So I heard Corey saying, "You sly dog!" and I asked him who he was talking to. He said, "My brain said a bad word, so I called my brain a sly dog!" Silly boy. (Oh, and the bad word? Not so bad, but I didn't tell him.)

{We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 2 Thessalonians 3:11}

mini book.

I made this mini-book-in-a-tin for an article about mini projects at the Fiskar's website. Click on the link to see instructions, lots more photos, and other mini projects from other designers. (I just realized that I already linked this, so just ignore one of the posts.)

I know I promised myself I'd blog every day this week. (I also promised myself I wouldn't eat another Butterfinger before breakfast. Halloween is evil in so many ways.) I have lots to write about, but my life just keeps me going a hundred miles an hour.

Tomorrow is Thursday. Thursday is my best day. I can breathe on Thursday. Thursday is the light at the end of the tunnel for me.

Thursday, I love you, man.

{She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." 2 Kings 4:24}

cards, cards, cards.

This card is one of three I did for an article about holiday card making at the Fiskar's website. Two other designers contributed to the article and there are lots of great ideas!


One of my recent CPS Blog cards...I love this acorn from Gina K. Designs. I used it over and over last month!


Last week's CPS card. All Prism cardstock except the small piece of OA pink polka dots.

{I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 1 Corinthians 16:21}

peek.

I did this layout for the Good Grief Blog. I have never, ever been a simple scrapper, but so far my Good Grief layouts have been quite simple. It's the only way I can seem to do them. FYI: simple layouts take as long to complete as non-simple ones.

Just a peek into blogland this evening...I really miss blogging. If I could blog at red lights or in the parking lot at the various places I am dropping people off, picking them up, or just sitting and waiting for them, I could easily blog daily - several times daily. My life is one big exercise in chaufferism. Driving someone somewhere several times a day...except Thursdays. Please don't ask me to drive anywhere on Thursday. It's my only day with nothing scheduled, well, almost nothing... I love Thursday more than chocolate right now.


Here's a little book I did for the Fiskars website with October Afternoon Weathervane collection patterned papers. You can see lots more photos and instructions here.

I am promising myself that I will blog tomorrow. My blog used to be my source for the journaling on my layouts...I recorded all the cool stuff in our days and I loved to go back and re-read my blog entries! I've really gotten away from that, haven't I?

Does anyone ever read this anymore? I guess it's really okay if the answer is no...

{I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8}