{just me}

Brrr its cold here...

I think today I actually lost feeling on my nose. It was SO cold! Today though was a very productive day, got the booth all set up it looks so cute. Flights are all back up so the show floor should be packed. Its such a different vibe, the toy fair. So many more people than CHA I love it. We have a lot of FUN planned for the booth this week for the buyers. We are giving away a IPAD!!! Plus lots of custom crafty bands more on that tomorrow. Had a great dinner tonight and walked around in the freezing cold. On the home front the family is having a good time with out me. Seth has full control of the xbox live, I think he has played all day on it. The washer broke but thankfully Evan found one on craigslist (were so cheap lol)to replace it. Well I hope you all had a awesome Saturday. Here are some photos from today....

 

Came outside to this...You don't see this everyday in Cali...

ToyFair 2013... So FUN!!

The adorable booth... Crafty Bands..

Finished the night with Dinner in Times Square... Great Day!!

Hello again...

Hi long lost blog. So a lot has gone on the past 4 months. Seth turned 10 and I turned 39 (ewwww). Remodeled a kitchen and bathroom. Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went and we brought in the New Year with a cozy night at home with the kiddos. Then Friday January 11th came and it was the WORST day of my life. My mom passed away. Her heart just simply stopped the morning she was supposed to have hip surgery. Needless to say the past month has been the worst and saddest time of my life. I loved her so much even on the days of my life that we didn't get along. I never knew how much hurt one person can have until I cried for 3weeks straight. My kids loved there "nana" so very very much that it hurt my heart to tell them on that awful day. I gave my mom a beautiful service at our home and so many wonderful friends and family came to celebrate her life. Today is better than yesterday and I know tomorrow and each day forward will get better. It just pains me to never talk to her again as we talked everyday. Thank you so much to all my friends who sent emails, cards, Facebook thoughts and just for being there. This week I am in New York for Toy Fair 2013 for Crafty Bands. It's a nice diversion away from my thoughts plus I love working and talking with all the people. More on New York tomorrow..

Cupcakes and Coffee

That is my Friday morning. I know cupcakes are bad for you but it TASTE good. Not the best cupcakes as they were made from a box. It is about the only thing I can bake in a kitchen that is a mess. The kids liked them though and I guess that is all that matters. They don't seem to care that our house is so crazy nutty right now or the fact that they don't have handmade from scratch sweets. They do read the menu everyday though to see whats for dinner. I love seeing them standing there reading it. I am hoping when this kitchen is done to paint the back of the door that leads out to PDW land {aka the garage} with chalkboard paint and doodle the menu each week. Before that will happen though we have lot's of other stuff to do around here. So what are your weekend plans? We have soccer of course, I also have to drop off my fall class at Paper Tales and LOT'S of priming and painting. My goals for the weekend would be to completely have the kitchen primed and living room and the scraproom re-painted. We will see how far we get. I am also hoping to take the kiddos on a hike and then church on Sunday an back to the daily grind on Monday. I wish it was in our budget to hire a bunch of people to just come in and get EVERYTHING done. {I think I have been watching way to many HGTV shows} We don't have that budget though so it's weekends and a few hours here and there during the week. The kids are off on Monday for a furlow day, good grief so maybe I will put them to work somewhere around here. Today I have a HUGE pile of awesome stuff I got at the goodwill that is going to get a new look with all sorts of spray paint. As soon as the coastal clouds move on. Well HAPPY FRIDAY everyone I hope you all have a FANTASTIC weekend!!!

Finally GREAT weekend!!!

So we all know I have been in and out of a "funk" lately. I tell you it's this house, it is stealing my mojo and will to get out of bed. I am learning though to embrace it, love it and be thankful I have a house even if it is not all together yet. So jumping to the weekend. Evan scored some prime seats to the Padre game on Friday night. Now we all know I am no where near a fan of baseball but the thought of getting out on a friday night even if it was with the kiddos I was all over it. I guess his friend at work is a season ticket holder and had 4 field seats for FREE. So off we went to downtown San Diego, I will admit I was a bit envious of all the hipsters down there partying there night away. I then quickly realized that alcohol is calories that I do not need and I have not even had a glass of wine in like forever. The family and I parked and went into the Petco park and it was a PERFECT night. The kids shared nachos and I got a diet coke that Evan I shared. {Yes we shared I was not paying 10.00 for 2 bottled soda's} The Padres lost of course and again I will say that baseball is pretty boring for my brain. Unlike soccer that I can watch for hours and hours plus the guys are way more fit than baseball players, just sayin. Saturday was game day for Lillie all the way in Temecula and we lost, Lillie took it pretty rough. I decided to go to hobby lobby to soak my sorrows. LOL.. She was quickly better though as we went to Pat and Oscars for lunch. The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning and organizing. So today, Monday has been pretty good I do wish though it would get cold so I could wear my boots instead of flip flops. Well I hope all of you had a great weekend also. On a side note I made a fun Washi Tape flower tutorial over on my PDW blog. I have a few fun projects I will be sharing here later in the week.

 

Middle Of the week...

Thank goodness almost to friday. So I am pleased to say I am out of my funk, I think. Made a "list" of all the house to-do's and slowly checking them off. The kitchen is going to take longer I have accepted that and can now move on. {lol} I guess my expectations get the best of me and I assume stuff can be done in a day at least in my brain it always seems that way. If we had a team of people I am sure it could but since we are on budget and evan is doing all the work it is what it is. It's gonna take time. So today I am working a bit on PDW, trying to get my little company back up and running. I am also cleaning up this insane scrapbook room, boy it gets messy. It's time to clean it out again, something I do about every quarter. I enjoy cleaning out all the old stuff I will not use and donating it. Also I cannot wait to start decorating this house when it is done. I think you all will love my vision and the direction it's going. A little colorful, a little shabby, but most of all a HAPPY COLORFUL HOME! I have been collecting stuff for the last few months but this purchase last weekend at the Queen Bee Market is by far my FAVORITE. Not sure where its going to go but I also need to find a smaller one for the bathroom to hang towels on. I got it from this company. So I hope your Wednesday is going great and your crossing things off your to-do lists. Oh and on a side note you know how I make weekly menus well this is going on next weeks menu for sure it looks SO yummy. Tonight's dinner is corn beef and carrots and potatoes and I think I will bake some brownies for dessert...

Happy Wednesday Everyone...

See MESSY!!!

Isnt that the CUTEST EVER!!! and it was only $32.00 deal of the DAY!!! oh the things I can hang off of it...

A Grouchy Weekend Re-cap...

This was my photo I posted eating a bag of candy corn...self pity...

So the weekend came and went SUPER fast. It wasn't even a good weekend. Didn't even make it to church :(. We had two soccer games one in poway at 3 in the afternoon and one on Sunday. Both games we lost, not sure how our team started off so great and the last few games have not been so good. I know today though there coach is going to ream them. She was pretty mad yesterday after the game. Then there is our house, uggggg this house. To many projects started and not ONE of them finished. I feel so displaced. For me personally I have a brain that needs constant tasks. I am not a relaxer or someone who can just "lounge" and do nothing. My baking is put on hold as my kitchen is in chaos. My decorating for the fall is put on hold as the living room still needs to be re-painted. My scrapbook room is all messed up as we tried to touch up the walls with the WRONG color paint. So now the WHOLE room has to be painted. The thought alone of having to move everything is NUTS. So all this left me on Sunday in a REALLY bad mood. Pretty much just laid in bed all day annoyed. I am sure I made Evan's weekend not happy. I do have so much to be grateful for, I really do. Sometimes though I get in these funks and its so hard to snap out of them. So that's where I am at today trying to get out of my funk. Trying to find the positive happiness in my house. Trying to work on PDW cause that makes me happy. Maybe a trip to target will help. On a side note I did get to help out this past Saturday at the queen bee market and that alone made me REALLY happy. I love being surrounded by all that handmade goodies. So my friends how do you get out of a "bad mood". I would love to know. With only weekends for evan to finish this house I am afraid it's not going to be done till next year and that thought makes me cringe. So on that note...Happy Monday..right?????

 

July to September..not to bad..

I'm getting better...only a few months since my last post...So summer came and went, THANK GOODNESS. We pretty much did EVERYTHING on our summer list. So it kept us VERY busy. We also did a family vacation up to the bay area. It was a VERY long week all together, a few tears where shed mostly by me wanting the kids to get along. You spend so much money and energy to create family memories for them and all they did was fight. Next time I am flying somewhere lol. All and all it was good though there were some awesome moments and some great photos. Lillie finally got to see Stanford and got all the soccer team signatures. I got to go to some pretty cool shops and Evan got to meet his computer idol Leo Laporte. Seth got a minecraft shirt and pick ax, so he was REALLY happy. Then school started and our kitchen is still in chaos. { we are remodeling it and of course it always takes longer than you think in a house as old as ours} That is life though right? Scrapbooking has been full swing, getting myself back out there in the scrap world with Polkadot Whimsy and Epiphany Crafts. Lining up classes to teach and creating them is always fun for me. I just got back from a WONDERFUL event called Scrapfest, it is put on by the chain store Archivers. I went for Epiphany Crafts and taught our class and did the Make and Take. Working for Epiphany is always wonderful since I get to share the LOVE of the tool and use all sorts of fun papers and stuff from other company's. Still amazes me how many people have never used our tool. I LOVE LOVE these type of events, I always say it is being surrounded by your own kind. There is no need to explain to anybody what I "do". I love meeting up with friends and seeing all my past students eager to learn and scrap some more. Not to mention it's at the MALL OF AMERICA in Mn. That is always a plus and Archivers is a FANTASTIC store to shop in, I spent a pretty penny in there. So then I get back and the house magically did not get finished and there was the daily grind just waiting for me in piles. That's where I am today, the daily grind. Just stuff to get done trying not to loose my patience with this house of ours. So how was your summer, did you start any house projects or crafty projects??? Here are some photos I snapped at the Scrapfest event. I didn't take as many as I wanted I was so darn busy.

THE STORE that took my $$$...

Our Make and Take booth...Getting ready for all the ladies...

Typo also took my $$$$.... such a great store...

Brian and I....{Brian owns Epiphany Crafts}...I do believe I drive him nuts...lol

My margie...I have known margie forever and she is such a wonderful friend...and she LOVES pink just like me!!!

The class..I wish I would have taken more pictures but in a 45min class there is barley enough time to introduce myself...So thankful for all the students...

Proof that I shopped...

Oh I also crashed a Scrappy Girls crop....Next year I plan on scrapping with them...such a great group of gals all dedicated to the world of creating....

The view from above...I am pretty sure this was Mr. Tim Holtz himself... :)

More of my Scrappy Girls...they LOVE EPIPHANY!!!

awww Lynette and I...if i lived next to her we would scrap all day long.. :)

My breakfast everyday...oh how I miss you caribou....

Stacey and I...she is my PDW fan....Always a supporter of Epiphany's classes...

This is serena..she is SCRAPPER...and loves all things scrappy. I love all her outlooks of life they make me smile.

See scrapbooking and creating are so wonderful for me because I am a natural born people person. I LOVE people, I always have and being in this industry let's me meet knew people everyday. So LUCKY!!!

Happy Friday everyone!!!

 

 

 

Home..

Hello friends, Summer going good? I hope so, mine is in full swing from sitting on soccer fields to waiting in line at home depot for more paint. Our home is in the early phases of re-decorating. Starting in the living room and working my way room to room. What I have found out through all this is my brain is ALL over the board. So I needed to settle it a bit. I needed what I LOVE so much organization. I found this journal at Marshalls it was all I needed to whip something up to house everything. Paint chip samples, fabric samples, torn magazine pages, pinterest ideas, receipt's and all of the above plus it fits in my purse or backpack. I am loving the way in came out, it has pockets for each room and washi tape for that instant "pinning"...So how about I show you how to make one...

I grabbed the journal, pattern paper, avery tabs, I made a flower, washi tape, STRONG adhesive tape, label stickers, stamps, ink and plastic sleeves.

before I did the cover I started with the inside first. Take the avery peel and stick labels and cover them with pattern paper.

once covered on both sides add a label sticker of what your tab is. I typed mine of course..

See here are my tabs all covered, I still have a master bedroom and caitlins room to do.

place the tabs where you want them...and how ever many you will need.

I bought the sheet protectors from staples that fit the small binders and just trimmed off the holes and then covered the edging with washi tape...

Then on each pocket I stamped the word "ideas" with a cute icon next to them..I did this for each tab page.. {USE STAZON INK FOR PLASTIC}

I then used HEAVY adhesive tape and adhered it to the tab page and trimmed up some pattern paper to slid into the pocket {only because you could see the tape strips and it was driving me nut's...This is where though you can put anything..

I then took some WAX PAPER and taped it to the inside of the journal, then tore a bunch of washi tape strips and placed it on the wax paper....now instead of carrying a roll I can just grab a piece and pin it to a page...

least favorite part of the book but you will need something to house all those receipt's...and it is great in case you have a return it's all right there..

now this is the cover of the journal, it's cute and all BUT it's not me...SO I re-did it..

I die cutted a piece of cardstock and adhere it over the picture..

I have a ruffler for my sewing machine so I whipped up a fun flower and placed that on the die cut..

This was the scariest part...I was going to use alpha stickers but I didn't want them to wear off so I stamped the title....EEEKKK it was a little worrisome..but it look cute and you gotta love the mustard...and that's it...I also have a BIG band to wrap around it so "stuff" doesn't fall out..This idea though can be anything..

I hope you enjoyed it and I hope it inspires you to go create something fabulous....Make sure you check back daily as I have lot's of fun stuff planned for my personal blog to get you creating and updating your stuff.....

 

April-July....Hmmm I can do better than that!!!

How was my last blog entry in APRIL??? Goodness so sorry folks, this blog just has to become priority again. So what has been going on since April till today. Lot's, soccer, school is out, and one daughter graduated high school. I now have a 21 year old, a 18 year old high school graduate, a 8th grader and a 5th grader. Where in the HECK did all those years go!!! I get so sappy when I think about it time does fly. I am SO proud of katie b {that's what we call caitlin} she did it, she graduated high school. It was not a easy thing either but she showed us that all her hard work paid off. This fall she starts college at our local jr college and then we will see what she does. She got a summer job at H&M and I couldn't be more happier as that is where I buy allot of Seth's clothes and now we get a discount ...lol. Then there is lillie, aww my lillie she finished 7th grade with a 4.0. So proud of her to, to keep up with all her soccer and grades that is not easy. Seth also did a FANTASTIC job in 4th grade his report card was all O's and E's. He is a smarty pants,  just wont admit it. Silly boy. My oldest danika is now a manager for In&Out burger and she is running a WHOLE store, she is such a good leader to all her associates and I AM BEYOND proud of her being a single full time mommy and worker is not a easy task either. She is doing it though. Liam is in his terrible 2's that is for sure, just being a little testing at times but he LOVES his AMMA...and I LOVE HIM!!! So that's the family home front update. As for me just still creating and working on PDW taking a couple online business classes trying to make this little company of mine succeed. I LOVE creating though, summer has been tough trying to get into the craft room but I have been sneaking in. It has been nice I shut down the kit club part until september to get caught up and it has been awesome. I have been able to work 1/2 day and then spend the rest of the day with my kiddos going on some summer adventure. I am grateful to be able to have a hubby that supports that. So here are a few photos to update you on summer...Oh an GUESS what I am teaching again this year at scrap fest SO EXCITED..it is my FAVORITE EVENT!!!

The over priced fair...but they had a FUN day..

Miss. Katie B...all grown up... so sad but very proud...

The zoo...with liam..they all loved the zoo...

and YES summer has gone to my brain..I let seth get a pet rat..his name is oreo, Still freaks me out but I am working through it...lol

Happy Easter

Hello friends...I hope you all had a fantastic Easter! My weekend was spent cleaning, baking and cooking. It was all worth it though as my family loved all the Easter goodies and yummy dinner. Liam loved his basket of fun stuff and well seth was a little annoyed I guess he assumed Easter is like Christmas and your supposed to get a ton of lego sets. Oh well, He was still happy by the end of the day. Way to much candy though this year. I really have to fine a better alternative than all the candy. My kids are in that in between age where toys are not really a option and the only option left is candy. So I will see what I can come up with next year. lol ..Overall though it was a perfect weekend. We finished off the weekend by watching a movie called battle Los Angles. Not really my kind of movie but oh well. So this week my kiddos are off for spring break. I have already told them that i am not off so they are going to have to deal a bit with me getting work done. Later this week though I promised to take them to the titanic exhibit in san diego {remember my son has become obsessed with the Titanic} and the science museum and now they have added a picnic to the mix. So I am working hard the next few days so I can just hang out with them and evan is taking a few days off to also hang out with us. I wanted to share a few pics with you from our easter. I hope you all have a great monday...

The baskets..

Lillie loving her little soccer bunny...

Mr. Liam digging in...

Yes I baked for 5 hours straight... :) I haven't baked forever..

I LOVE this picture of my mom..she looks SO happy... :)

Egg hunt time...

Yes the bag was bigger than him...

My competitive lillie grabbing the eggs..

mmm sweets....

silly caitlin and her boyfriend...

isn't he just the CUTEST!!!

us with Seth...

and Miss Lillie....

i LOVE us....it was a perfect weekend....