Friday Night Fab Five: I Want It Now! Edition

When I was younger, I sometimes resembled Veruca Salt from "Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory" whenever I would act...well, let's just say not as patient as I should. I admit that I am not one for delayed gratification, but I'm working on it! So this week's Friday Night Fab Five is all about things that I "don't care how, I want it now!" LOL Well, maybe not now but if I had a ton of money to blow and time on my hands, here is where they would go:

1. Atomic Cheesecake Studios

Stacey Barich a.k.a. Action Girl has a home studio in Maryland and she specializes in pin-up, Hollywood Glamour and similar style photo shoots. Her motto is "Celebrating the tradition of the Great American Pin-up" and her shoots look like SO MUCH FUN! She does hair, make up and wardrobe and come on, who wouldn't want to be a pin-up for the day? I've asked Chris if I could have a photo shoot here for my birthday, Christmas, Arbor Day and whatever other holiday I can think of present. So, who's with me?!?! (Plus, it's in Baltimore so maybe while I'm there I could meet up with some blogging friends! *cough*Jocelyn*cough*) I realize that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but it sure looks like fun!

2. Pikes Peak Wedding

When I was getting married, I stalked this site almost daily. I lived in Colorado for a while and LOVED it! I'm a Carolina girl at heart but would move back to Colorado in a heartbeat! We decided to get married here at home but I still look at this beautiful bed and breakfast and wonder how long we should wait before we renew our vows here. The packages include flowers, pictures, cake, so much more and what a scenic place to get married or renew vows! *sigh* One day...

3. These shirts from Think Geek.

You buy these in pairs and the hearts are your "health" (gamers will dig these!). Whenever you get close to one another, the hearts fill up! Awesome...

4. Ninja New York

The next time I'm in New York City, I'm going to be sure to go to this restaurant. Japanese food served by ninjas?! I am so there!

5. Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Yeah okay, so I don't actually want to buy him or anything but look, he's so pretty! Although I have to admit that I'd probably run if I ever saw him in person. He scares me a little...

Well, that's it for this week's Friday Night Fab Five! It was kind of all over the place this week, but hey, that makes it more fun I think! :P What is everyone up to this weekend??? I got a new amigurumi book yesterday so I'm going to see what kind of damage I can do with it! lol

Have a great weekend everyone!

Where I Am? Who Did This? Huh?

So I've started to notice that since I had Toot, my mind is shot. 1. I've got no attention span (although I think the video games started me down that path way before Toot came along) and 2. I tell my friends the same stories over and over again though they don't call me on it because I never finish the story (see #1).

All that to ask, did I post this layout already?

I did it a while back but was too lazy to look through my posts to see if I already blogged about it. If I did, please do one of two things:

1. Be kind enough to act like it's the first time you've seen it and comment accordingly

or

2. Be kind enough to tell me how to get my wits back together.

Either way, it's win win for all of us, yes? lol :P

EDIT: I'm back, I forgot to tell you something! (see what I mean?! LOL)

First of all, my friend Mel bought me this bag for making a scrapbook for her, how cool is this?!

Second of all, how freaking cute would Toot look in this hat?!?!

Okay, I think that was it...carry on!

Swapping Goodness and Walk the Layout

Well the Favorite Things Swap at Dandelion Wishes is winding down and with boxes criss crossing all over the country, I got my Favorites box from my partner Renee today! Even more amazing, she got her box from me today too!

So here's the box she sent:

I wonder what could be in it?!?!

Another box! Ooooo mysterious...

Quite frankly I would have been happy at this point had it only been this box. Hello, it's pink and black and cute! lol But I had to press on...So with trembling fingers and nervous glee (think Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" opening his Red Ryder) I opened the fabulous pink polka dot box and discovered a treasure trove!!!!

Holy smokes! Knee socks! A gossip mag! Whoppers! A mini sewing kit! It goes on and on and on! I wish I could get a better picture to do it all justice. All I can say is THANK YOU SO MUCH RENEE! What a fabulous treat to get in the mail and you have some awesome favorite things for sure!

In much less exciting news, here is the layout I made for last month's sketch contest over at LPS. I didn't come close to winning but I liked how it came out!

I have yet to touch this month's kit yet and the sketch contest for this month ends in a few days...I better get to it!

In Your Face Crochet!

I did it! I cannot believe I freaking DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, let me back up...

Remember this post? It was the post about me buying this amigurumi pattern:

This is the Prince character from the Katamari Damacy series of video games. I admit that I have not had much luck crocheting any and all amigurumi. I further admit that I am the type of person that gets fabulously and most dramatically frustrated when I attempt something for the first time and I am not instantly fantastic at it. Grrrr...

But I've been trying to "keep moving forward" and not give up so quickly and would you look at this! Patience and perseverance actually work?!?! What kind of madness is this?!?!

I did it! I did it! I did it!

Now he's not perfect but who cares?! I finished him AND he looks somewhat like he's suppose to! Woo hoo! I was so excited I decided to attempt another cupcake:

Yeah, this cupcake isn't quite right yet either but hey, it's better than my first attempt!

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go do another happy "I am queen of the world" dance. I feel like Kevin Bacon at the end of "Footloose"...

"Let's daaaaaaaaaaaaaaance!"

Her Name Is Christy And She Is A Craftoholic...

Welcome to this week's edition of Craftoholics!

No idea what the what I'm talking about? Go here to find out more!

This week's Craftholic is none other than the fabulous: Christy!

What crafts do you enjoy making? What is your favorite?

"A new craft that I enjoy making is altering paint cans. They are so much fun and they can be used for so many different things. They are great for childrens activities, storing arts and crafts, or organizing an area in your house. I also enjoy making cards as well as scrapbooking!"

When did you start making crafts? Was there a particular reason or event that got your started?

"As long as I can remember I have been making crafts. When I was a little girl I always made “friendship bracelets”! My mom was always buying craft kits at the store. I enjoyed making anything. In high school I was able to take a crafting class (YES that was an elective at my all girls’ high school!) In that class we did all kinds of crafts such as altering cork boards, decoupage boxes, and scrapbooking. I also love to sew so I try to incorporate this into many of my crafts!"

Oh my goodness, I made SO many friendship bracelets back in the day! lol


I love the sparkly castle on this altered can!

What do you like to do when you aren't crafting?

"When I am not crafting I enjoy spending time with my husband. I also love to read. Some of my favorite books right now are the Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson and the number series by Janet Evanovich. I also like to go walking and play tennis. In the summer time I could spend everyday all day by the swimming pool!"

What makes you a craftoholic? What drives you to create?

"I am a craftoholic because EVERYTHING I see in the stores I investigate to see if I can make it on my own. If I can make it myself why buy it? I get a lot of inspiration from blogs that I follow on the web as well as message boards I read. But most importantly, my love for crafts drives me to create!"


Christy is so great at making a multi picture layout look uncluttered!

What is your favorite food?

"My favorite food is spaghetti or any type of pasta. I could eat pasta EVERYDAY (I know not a good idea for your body LOL!!)"

What food do you hate to eat?

"I am not really a picky eater but you will never see me eating sushi."

How long have you been blogging?

"I have only been blogging since February of this year, but I am addicted!"

What do you like best about blogging?

"My favorite thing about blogging is that it’s like keeping a diary of you, but everyone gets to read it! I just enjoy writing about everything that happens to me. It’s fun to go back and read what happened in certain points of your life. I also like the fact that I don’t have to post everything that I type so if I just need to get something out I can, but it doesn’t have to be posted!"

What craft have you always wanted to try but, for whatever reason, never have?

"I can’t really think of a craft that I have always wanted to try but haven’t. If there is something I want to try I am going to do it. I might not always be good at it, but at least I tried!"

Oh no! You've been ship wreaked on a deserted island! (Luckily you grabbed your adhesive and scissors before you jumped ship!) Name 3 other crafting supplies that your creative survival depends upon! (Note: Capt. Jack Sparrow is not a crafting supply!)

"Stickles, Buttons, and Journaling Cards!"

Stickles?!?! My sister! lol

Thanks for letting me interview you Christy! You are a major Craftoholic!

Be sure to check back next Monday when another lucky victim...ahem, I mean crafter will be added to the Craftoholic family!

Friday Night Fab Five: I Still Love Lucy Edition

First things first, Traci at Sweet Cheeky Designs is giving away a free blog makeover to someone that she finds inspirational! (Or you could just be a kook like me, she likes that too! lol) She is the artist behind my new look so go check out her blog to learn more!

Now on to this week's Friday Night Fab Five! This week (in my humble opinion) is the most fun week yet! Let's get to it!

I felt like going "vintage" for this week's Fab Five for some reason and what could be more of an icon for vintageousness (yes, I just made that word up) than "I Love Lucy"? The clothes, the furniture, the physical comedy and one liners that still make me laugh till I cry! It holds up so well to the test of time and isn't that what vintage is all about?

1. On their way to Hollywood, Lucy and the gang make a stop in New Mexico, Ethel's home town. Unbeknown st to the others, Ethel has been telling everyone back home that she is the star and decides to put on her own show which is promptly crashed by Lucy, Ricky and Fred. This scene at Ethel's show is one of my favorites!



2. In "The Benefit", Lucy once again gets Ricky to be in a benefit for her ladies club. Thinking he has one over on her this time, he picks a song where Lucy has a small part and none of the punchlines. She of course finds out and turns the tables on Ricky. (And check out Ethel's corsage, holy mum!)



3. Seriously, every time I see Lucy crashing one of Ricky's shows I laugh so hard I cry. Mostly because Ricky's expressions are PRICELESS! In this episode, Ricky has said no to Lucy's show business dreams, especially now that Little Ricky has been born. Not willing to let Fred and Ethel be the only ones in Ricky's show, she crashes in the usual fabulous Lucy style.



4. When Lucy convinces Ricky to demand a raise, he gets fired from the club. Lucy and pals devise a plan to make Ricky's now ex-boss see he made a mistake by reserving every table at the club, showing up in different costumes and then leaving when they discover Ricky is no longer appearing there.



5. Tears.Streaming.Down.My.Face. That's all I need to say to introduce Lucy rehearsing her commercial for Vitameatavegamin.



How in the world I picked just five "I Love Lucy" moments, I'll never know! I really could have made this a Friday Night Fab 100. lol Oh what the heck, we can't have scenes from "I Love Lucy" without including Lucy and Ethel working at the candy factory!!!!



If you are a fan of this show, I'd love to hear some of your favorite Lucy moments! I hope y'all enjoyed this week's Fab Five! Hopefully it put a smile on your face and got you in the mood for a fabulous weekend!

Postpourri

Before I get into everything here, Callista is not well and is currently being treated in the hospital. Please keep her in your prayers today! Thank you so much!

**********************************************

Yesterday Chris had a day off after working two doubles in a row, it was really nice to have him home! And leave him there apparently, LOL because I snuck out to a scrapbook store that is closing and grabbed a couple of things for 40% off including a pair of really nice heavy duty Fiskars fabric scissors for $4.99. I thought that would make a good addition to my new sewing paraphernalia. While I was out and about, a friend met up with me and surprised me with this vintage Disney story book:

Awesome! There's all sorts of stories from different Disney TV shows like Zorro as well as some of the usual fairy tales. So cool!

Later, Chris and I ended up taking a field trip to the mall and I finally pulled the trigger on this Hello Kitty necklace:

I've been eyeing this thing for literally years! lol I finally decided to get it! All mine! lol

While at the mall I strolled through Macy's and couldn't believe what I found. I spied (with my little eye) a Calphalon covered deep skillet that was all dressed up with a dish towel, a wooden spoon and the Top Chef cookbook (I love that show!!!):

Regularly $125.00 and I got all of this for...wait for it...$30.00!!! Yeah, I know, I couldn't believe it either!

I also got off my butt and took Lebowski to get groomed. His fur had gotten so long and he looked so grungy, I cried uncle and took him in. Here's a before picture!

Okay, that's actually Chewbacca from Star Wars but Lebowski was looking pretty close to that! Here's the after:

Ah, you can see the relief on his sweet face. He feels, looks and smells much better now! lol

And that was my Wednesday! lol Hopefully today I can start playing with my newest kit from LPS. FUN! I won't drag this post out any longer but I just had to share my most recent finds! lol Have a great day everyone!

Oh what the heck, here's a random picture of Toot, she wishes you a very merry Thursday! :D

I'd Like To Thank The Academy...For The Bachelorette

First of all, Toot woke up at 6:00 this morning (no!!!!!!) so I dragged my tired butt out of bed, fed and played with her and now she's asleep again and I'm wide awake! Where's the justice here?! :P

Anyhoo, I got some awards! And I have been a very bad girl in delaying to post about these so by now these awards may have been taken away from me, yes? lol ;) *holding them to chest protectively* I have a great excuse though! You see, there was this bird and...no, that won't do. Well, the sun was in my eyes and...no, not that either. Okay, so I have no excuse, happy now?! lol :P

This was given to me (a while ago, eep!) by my fantastic friend, Callista. Thanks Callista!

By the way, Callista is still very sick. If you think about it today, please say a little prayer for her! Thank you!

This award was given to me by the very talented Whitney! Thank you so much Whitney!

And then I got two lovely surprises from Melissa!

Wowowowowowowow thanks Melissa!

I think between all of these I have about 1,000,000,000 blogs I'm suppose to award these to and I can't possibly decide something like that!!! I visit so many fabulous people in my daily blogwalk and have so many beautiful friends that I award these to all of you! Thank you for being my sweet friends, for thinking of me and for including me in your crazy cool blog world. I love it!

Now, we have to discuss! Who watched the first episode of "The Bachelorette" this past Monday, hmmmm?!?! I was really pumped to watch this season as Jillian from Jason's Bachelor season is now in the driver's seat! And this episode was really...uh...well, it was...um...

...

Okay, did anyone else think all these guys looked kinda the same and that there was barely a decent one out of the bunch? What about creepy foot fetish guy and the one calling himself "Billbro"? Yuck. I hope these guys step it up cause right now I feel bad for Jillian. lol

Enough of my admitted Bachelor/Bachelorette addiction, have a great day everyone, we're halfway through the week!!!

Oh The Places You'll Go...And Sew...

Please join me in welcoming the newest addition to the family:

Isn't she gorgeous?!?! And look what I made with her this morning!

Okay, that was a lie. This is actually a vintage 1935 beaded satin gown with ostrich plumes, courtesy of thefrock.com. Anyone have a spare $6,300 dollars lying around they can loan me? I would look fabulous in this! ;)

I haven't really made anything with my new darling yet but I have high hopes of making a quilt out of Chris' old video game t-shirts. He has like 3 billion of them so I don't think he'll miss one or two. lol

Now on to something I actually did make: I finished my Spring ATCs for the Life Preservers Scrapbook Club swap! I...am...AWESOME! lol Okay, maybe not awesome but I was starting to get a little stressed that these things were never going to get done! My creative mojo just hasn't been there but for some reason yesterday morning, it came to me like a flash and woo hoo!

I'm not sure about a couple of them but at least they are now on their way to their new homes. Mission accomplished!

(Now on to my other 300 missions needing to be accomplished...) lol

Her Name Is Melissa And She Is A Craftoholic...

Welcome to this week's edition of Craftoholics!

No idea what the what I'm talking about? Go here to find out more!

This week's Craftholic is none other than the extremely talented: Melissa!

What crafts do you enjoy making?

"Scrapbooking Layouts, Cards and I'm starting to try mini albums and altered items."

I'm still trying to get the hang of mini albums myself! lol

When did you start making crafts? Was there a particular reason or event that got your started?

"I started scrapbooking when my son was born, but my LO's were very basic as I just had a Winnie the Pooh kit from a friend and some edged scissors. It wasn't really my thing, but I forced myself to get through my son's first year...in November of 2007 I decided to give it another go and fell in love. I found a bunch of online avenues to express myself with scrapbooking and met a lot of other women who shared my passion."

From a Winnie the Pooh kit to this? Wowzers!

What do you like to do when you aren't crafting?

"I mostly spend time with my kiddo's, watch too much reality TV, work and read."

Another reality TV addict?! Oh girl, we need to dish!!!

What makes you a craftoholic? What drives you to create?

"Definitely wanting to be able to preserve our families little space of time. I want someday for my great great grandkids to pull out the album and be able to see what was happening in the early 00's."

I love the overlapping alphas!
What is your favorite food?

"I love pizza, and marshmallows. Not together, but they're my favorite(along with Diet Pepsi)."

What food do you hate to eat?

"I hate sushi, a lot."

How long have you been blogging?

"Almost a year, actually I think exactly a year this month (and possible today come to think of it)." (April 28th at the time of this interview)

Happy Blogoversary!

What do you like best about blogging?

"I love being able to express myself, write and share. I love being able to blog hop to all my friends' spots and leave a little love and have them do the same as well as discover places I've never seen before."

What craft have you always wanted to try but, for whatever reason, never have?

"Working with acrylic mini albums. But I have a Christmas one ordered so, maybe by the end of the year I'll be a pro."

I have no doubt about that!

I am so afraid of using yellow, this layout makes me want to try!

Oh no! You've been ship wrecked on a deserted island! (Luckily you grabbed your adhesive and scissors before you jumped ship!) Name 3 other crafting supplies that your creative survival depends upon! (Note: Capt. Jack Sparrow is not a crafting supply!)

"Ok...how about Sawyer and Jack from LOST?

No?

Ok, ummm....Cardstock, paper trimmer, patterned paper. Those 3 things can go a loooong way."

Thanks for letting me interview you Melissa! You are one awesome Craftoholic!

Be sure to check back next Monday when another lucky victim...ahem, I mean crafter will be added to the Craftoholic family!

My Blog Feels Pretty, Oh So Pretty...

Well well well...looky look at the new digs around here! I'm so happy with the way the blog turned out and can't thank Traci at Sweet Cheeky Designs enough! You ROCK Traci! I'm still working on what I want to do about a giveaway so stay tuned! Muwahahahahahaha!

Well my friends from Canada are with us and we are having a blast! I was pretty sure I would like my friend's girlfriend but nothing could have prepared me for what she brought with her: a Cricut! Yep, she brought her Cricut with her for me to play with: I've always wanted one but that's not in the financial cards for me at the moment (I keep spending all my money on Stickles, LOL). How am I going to let it go??? lol

Anyhoo, we've been playing with that this weekend and she also showed me a couple of things on my new sewing machine, this girl is awesome! I'll make sure to post pictures later this week, until then I hope y'all are all having an amazing weekend (tell me all about it!!!) and make sure you come back tomorrow for a fantastic Craftoholics interview!

Friday Night Fab Five: Best Day Ever Edition

Wowowowowowowowowowowow this is the best day EVER! Wanna know why???? How about I give you five fabulous reasons why on this week's Friday Night Fab Five:

1. A good friend of ours from Canada is coming down for the weekend from Toronto! Woo hoo! I haven't seen him since I was pregnant and now they get to meet Toot and we can play video games and drink beer and break it down! Oh yeah!!! lol He's bringing his girlfriend who I am ready to grill...my first question, "Just what are your intentions, hmmmm?" lol

2. Today I received a box in the mail from a certain special someone and my exact words upon opening the box were, "Holy smokes Jocelyn!"

Can you believe this?!

Seriously, I am the luckiest person in the world to have such sweet friends that think of me like this! Thank you so much Jocelyn, you are such a beautiful person inside and out and I am so lucky to have you in my life!!!

3. AND I got my new fabulous Etsy Japanese coin purses in the mail today! My mailbox is on fire!!! Yippee!

4. I'm getting my very first sewing machine today! Woo hoo!!! I found one on Craigslist for a very nice price and it hasn't been used barely at all! I pick it up this afternoon and although I have fantasies in my head of sewing clothes for the whole family, I'll probably just end up sewing on every layout from here on out. But then there's nothing wrong with that, eh??

5. I'm so full of joy today that I'm going to tell you the new name for my blog because I just can't hold it in any longer! May I have a drumroll please? The new name for my blog will be...

*drumroll*

"Just Add Glitter and Stir"

Isn't it perfect?!?! It's a little housewifey...It's a little crafty...It's a little glittery...It's so me!!!! LOL

So to celebrate all of the fabulous-ness going on around here, I've got one of my favorite You Tube finds to share with you! This video is from Japan and you don't need to understand Japanese to laugh at this video. This is a prank where 100 people single out one person and hilarity ensues...

Please to enjoy:



Have a great weekend everyone! And thank you for being a part of my madness! Much love to you!!!

I Hope My New Blog Look "Stirs" Your Imagination!

Okay, right now Traci at Sweet Cheeky Designs is working on my blog like a fabulous madwoman and listen, I know that I'm prone to melodrama and I hope I do not build this up too much when I tell you that you are going to LOVE the new look around here! Please let them love it, please let them love it!) lol Also the new name! Well, there's hint #1 in the header space and hint #2 is in this post title...Ooo intrigue! :D

If you are looking for someone to give your blog a new look, I'm telling you right now that you will not be disappointed with Traci's work. She is amazingly talented (affordable!) and fantastic to work with and because of that I'm...let's see...90% sure I'm giving away a new blog redesign created by her to celebrate the changes around here. Anyone wanna convince me through that last 10%?! Huh huh? lol :P

I've been so busy drooling over Traci's work that I have made squat lately! Boo! lol But my kit from LPS is on it's way to me so woo hoo! New things to play with! Muwahahahahahahahahaha So since I've been lazy I thought I'd share a sampler I cross stitched for Toot's arrival:

By the way, Happy Friday! Yippee! We have friends coming in from Canada to stay the weekend with us and we are so thrilled to see them again, eh! What is everyone else up to this weekend???

The Etsy Bitsy Spider Ran Up My Credit Card

I've looked around Etsy on and off in the past, mainly by following links of friends to their various shops or finds. I never really investigated the site thoroughly as I am a notorious "skimmer". But the other day, Etsy and I were brought together under tragic circumstances...

Years ago I was in St. Louis and found a hippie shop that sold these cute patchwork coin purses made from old clothes. I got one and have been carrying it with me as my wallet ever since. That was until....my dear sweet innocent husband went to get something out of it and promptly broke the zipper. All his talks about fixing it and the subsequent battles with "the light", hammers, chainsaws and blow torches and still...broken coin purse zipper.

Unable to say goodbye, I've still been carrying it around (fully open) praying my ID, credit card and pocket change don't try and jump ship. I finally cried uncle and since I'm not planning any trips to St. Louis in the near future, I knew I wanted to try and find a handmade quirky something or other new coin purse. The first place I thought of was Etsy and 4 hours later I had 2 coin purses, one crochet pattern and about 100 sellers on my favorite list. Love at first purchase!

So rest in peace sweet friend:

You will be missed.
2003-2009

And move over to make room for your younger cuter Japanese replacements!

Don't cry, it did take two to replace you!

And please remember me in your prayers as I try to crochet this:

Unfortunately my forays into the world of amigurumi have been...let's see if I can find a delicate way to put this...uh...SUCKY. lol But I have faith that anything I buy on Etsy (including this pattern) has magical properties to make me awesome!

Viva la Etsy!

Out With The Old (Pictures) and In With The New (Book)

First things first, a little business to attend to I believe:


My very first scrapbook layout!

I was tagged by Jocelyn to post my first layout and there it is! I betcha can't guess what party I was at when I made this beauty, eh? LOL ;) Check it out (top left corner), I still haven't journaled on this page! lol

If anyone else would like to post their first layout(s), let me know because I'd love to take a peek!

In other news, I bought this book earlier this week:

It's a basic information on Japanese cooking along with some health statistics. Very interesting so far and we love Asian cooking so I'm excited to try some recipes out!

Speaking of cooking, I inherited this 1960s Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from my grandmother:

Check out all of that food! lol

There are sections for meal planning, entertaining and how to make your house presentable. Well, one out of 3 ain't bad, right? (I'll leave it up to you to guess which one! lol)

And that reminded me that I bought this apron years ago! lol I think it's from the 50s but the shop tag got ripped off and now I can't remember:

I would have taken a picture of me in the apron with a feather duster but then I remembered that Lebowski ate my feather duster when he was a puppy. Seriously, I came home from work one day and thought a bird had gotten into the house and then promptly exploded...

Buckle Up, It's Going to be a Bumpy Post

There are so many things in this post so I hope you're ready! lol By the way, if you missed my interview with Jocelyn, you can catch up here!

*deep breath*

1. I am a bad bad Stickles mother because I still have them sitting on my bar instead of upside down like a good little crafter. So one day I notice I'm missing a couple of them and realize that they have tipped off the bar and gone right into a baby formula jar. (Don't ask me how they both ended up in there!) So I go to rescue them and instead they get caught in this jar like some sort of fingers cuffs (remember "playing" with those as a kid? I could never get out of those things!) and I ended up having to break the glass to get them out of there! So the lesson here is store your Stickles correctly or they will do it for you:

2. Thanks to LL at Paper Princess, I am now determined to save my pennies and get Toot one of these fabulous dolls! Who needs American Girl when you can get a handmade custom Bamboletta??? I guess Toot can thank "Auntie LL" for being a bad influence on Mommy's spending! lol By the way, you are missing out if you don't go scope out LL's scrappy goodness, she is awesome and is already aware of me "scrap stalking" her! lol

3. I have decided on a new blog name and I hope you all dig it! (I'm scared to post it now! *nervous nervous nervous* lol) That being said, I am not going to create a new URL as I don't want to confuse everyone and make y'all move around all over the place trying to find me. Hopefully the new name won't confuse people either!

4. Speaking of the new blog, I'm really considering having a giveaway once the new look is up, all shiny with that new blog smell. I've never had a giveaway before so I figure this is the perfect time, yes? So what shall I give away...??? Some goodies from Margarita Bloom? A box of fabulous-ness from Etsy? A kit from LPS? How about a total sweet blog makeover?! Hmmmmm.....Any of those sound interesting???

And saving the best for last:

I mention time and again how much the crafting community means to me. Whether it's the forums that are nice enough to listen to me go on and on and on about Stickles or The Bachelorette (starting Monday, May 18th on ABC! Woo hoo!) or you fabulous people that make my day by visiting my blog and leaving all of your thoughtful and lovely comments, it all boils down to the people. I scrap for my family and I craft for my own sanity but there's a big part of me that is invested in the community. I love visiting your blogs and it means so much to me to view your amazing artwork or read your life stories.

I have made friends through this medium that mean more to me than some people I've known in real life for years. lol You are all so different, so loving and so talented in your own ways and I feel so blessed to be even a small part of your lives. I remember one of the first "scrapbooking" blogs I ever read was Lynn's Pretty Paper Swirls. This blog was what opened my eyes to scrapping beyond "stickers", lol. Lynn taught me what Distess Ink was and (more importantly) what Stickles were (bless you Lynn!) and I still visit her blog to drool over her work!

I started to notice one blogger in particular that frequently commented on Lynn's blog and that was Jacque. The first time I visited her blog I thought, "Holy crap, I'll never be this good!" lol I instantly fell in love with her paper bag albums and her sweet spirit. When she started following me and commenting on my blog I about fell over! lol What an honor for me to have this talented lady reading what I wrote and looking at my work! I was intimidated at first but just kept on posting my creations, talking about my life and of course that includes a healthy heaping dose of Toot! lol

Keeping my "star struckness" in mind, you can imagine my jaw-dropping shock and amazement when this arrived in the mail for me today:

Jacque, a fellow crafter and one fabulous lady, made this fantastic layout of Toot, just for me! (Notice the use of glittery alphas, the woman knows me, hello! lol) Can you believe it?!?! Chris' jaw hit the floor when he saw it and he babbled for about 10 minutes before he could make a coherent sentence. lol I am shocked on so many levels...the fact that I get to see her amazing work up close, the fact that she took time out of her life to create this for us and the fact that she thought of us...wow...amazing!

To Jacque: From the beginning, I've thought you were one of the nicest, most talented crafters out there. Thank you for your sweet ways and thoughtfulness and thank you for sharing your art and life with us! Thank you so much for thinking of me and my Toot, this layout will be framed and put on my wall for everyone to see and so I can look at it whenever the mood strikes me! I adore it!

To everyone that visits my blog, follows my blog and those that leave comments: A special thank you for taking time out to read my ramblings and look at my work! It such a treasure to me that you come here and I hope you will for a long time! Thanks to all you thoughtful, wonderful, talented, crazy ladies that keep me smiling, laughing and sometimes crying. I only have a brother in real life and it feels good to find some sisters!

Thank you so much!

P.S.-This pic is for you Jacque! :)

Her Name Is Jocelyn And She Is A Craftoholic...

Welcome to this week's edition of Craftoholics!

No idea what the what I'm talking about? Go here to find out more!

This week's Craftholic is the one of the sweetest gals around: Jocelyn!

What crafts do you enjoy making?

"I love to scrapbook and make cards!!!! I have been doing this for about 11 years. I also love to cross stitch! I love to alter anything I can get my hands on, from old picture frames, to bird houses and even my mail box!!!!"

Wow, I never thought to alter a mail box!

When did you start making crafts? Was there a particular reason or event that got your started?

"I started cross stitching about 20 years ago and then came the scrapbooking addiction!!!!! My Mom had brought home a cross stitch kit for me from North Carolina and I taught myself how to do it!!! I only do counted cross stitch and have made so many beautiful pieces for family, friends and myself! My Mom and I joined a Stamp Club about 11 years ago and we just loved making handmade cards and then the birth of my first grandson started the addiction to scrapbooking!!!! I have never looked back!"

Cross stitching is one of my favorite things to do!


Where the magic happens! (Craftoholically speaking of course)
What do you like to do when you aren't crafting?

Spend time with my family, garden, go to antique stores, and I am just learning how to play golf!!!!!"

Antique stores are the best!

What makes you a craftoholic? What drives you to create?

"Creating is an outlet for me!!!! I love to take the time to sit down, start creating and then view the end process!!!! I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I have completed a project and of course it always brings a smile to my face!!!"

I love the cardboard embellishments and the stamping!

What is your favorite food?

Funny...does any food that I don’t have to cook count??? I love Mexican Food, Italian Food, good ole country comfort foods also!!!!

What food do you hate to eat?

"I do not care for Sushi!!!"

How long have you been blogging?

"Less than a year, but I just adore it!!!!"

What do you like best about blogging?

"I have met so many wonderful people and made so many new friends, that I can share my life with!!!! I get inspiration for creating!"

What craft have you always wanted to try but, for whatever reason, never have?

"I always wanted to learn how to knit, but can’t find a single person to teach me. I have read books on it, but I am more of a hands on learner!!!! I will accomplish this!!!!!!"

Knitting is a big one for a lot of people (including me!), I have no doubt you'll learn someday!

A tile Jocelyn made for Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays and I love this, check out the leaves...

Oh no! You've been ship wrecked on a deserted island! (Luckily you grabbed your adhesive and scissors before you jumped ship!) Name 3 other crafting supplies that your creative survival depends upon! (Note: Capt. Jack Sparrow is not a crafting supply!)

"Shoot, no Captain Sparrow, well then pics, rubons and a sharpie!!!!"

Pictures! I didn't even think of that, good one!

Thanks for letting me interview you Jocelyn! You are definitely a Craftoholic!

Be sure to check back next Monday when another lucky victim...ahem, I mean crafter will be added to the Craftoholic family!