Birthday Celebration- Christ Child

 

Happy Black Friday!  Are you going out to find the bargins?  Have you already gone?  I won't be; I'm opening the chocolate/coffee shop today!  Do you think I'll be busy??? 

 

I know everyone is about to get caught up in the crazy holiday prep and shopping.  Just don't forget why we are celebrating: Jesus' birth!  Please remember to share Jesus with everyone this season! 

 

Today is the last day of my birthday week.  I have one more file for you.  It is Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus.  Enjoy!

 

Thank you for celebrating my birthday with me this week!  I hope you enjoy all the files!  I hope to keep making more!

 

Merry Christmas!!!!

 

Birthday Celebration- Christmas Lights

Happy Birthday to me!  Yep, it is Thanksgiving and my birthday!!  (No, my birthday isn't always on Thanksgiving, but this year it is!)  Hubs and I are going to my parents' house and my brother is there with a friend. . .who is a girl!  OOOOO. 

The file I have for you today is all about Christmas Lights.  How cool would would these be with washi tape as lights or with glitter behind the lights?  I can't wait to see what you do with these!!

Birthday Celebration-snowflake

Happy Wednesday!  Can you believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already?  Where did this year go???  I'm hoping to get a pumpkin pie baked today to take to my mom's house tomorrow!

Today"s file are snowflakes.  Please enjoy!

Birthday Celebration- Tree

Day 2 of the Birthday Celebration week!  Here is just a little tree for this year!  Happy Tuesday!

Birthday Celebration- Stars

 

This week is my birthday week!!  With my birthday coming, I hope it will bring the arrival of my Cameo (which I begged for like a small child!)  In celebration of my birthday and the arrival of my Cameo, I decided to give away the cut files I've been creating lately.  I wanted to offer them to everyone for use in their December Daily or in Project Life.  Each day this week, I will post a new file that has a 6x4 cut file and a 3x4 cut file.  Enjoy the celebration and the cut files!

 

Today, I wanted to share a simple cut file of stars!

 

 

 

(Sorry to those who don't have a sillhouette cameo.  I don't know how to make these files for anything else!)

December Daily Templates

Hi!  A week ago, I shared some December Daily Templates that were just black.  Today, I'm here with another Christmas surprise!  For your enjoyment and personal use, I created a set of the same page templates in green, red, and white. 

Click here to be taken to the download page!  (I think I have it set up right this time!)  Simply select the Download option in the File menu!

Now, that I have all the colors, I need to get my pages started!  I just cut my covers for my DD today!  I cut them from some old mat board an art teacher from my old job in the school district let me have.  I plan to use binder rings to create my album.  I'll probably print all my pages and work from there.  I could glue pages together if need be so they have a front and a back.  I might include some extra photos.  I don't know right now.  As I've never done a DD before, I'm kinda doing this blindly.  However, it should be fun!

I'd love to see your December Daily.  Leave a link in my comments, and I will be certain to comment on your December Daily!  Let's share the love!

More Hours

I'm just stopping by to say this: I wish there were more hours in a day!  Of course, I wouldn't sleep them away.  There is just so much to do, and with work, my Etsy shop, and keeping house, I just don't feel I have time to do it all.

Today, I am pulling Etsy orders.  By the time they are done, I'm off to get ready for work.  I'll be at work until 5, and then off to Hobby Lobby for a couple things.  Then,  home, make dinner, eat, clean up!  By then, it will probably be around 8 (hubs gets home late).  Only a couple hours to take care of laundry and time with hubs.  Then it is off to bed to do it all over again!  OY!

My hats are off to all the mothers out there.  I just don't know how you do it and manage time for yourself!  Way to go!

Ok, with that said, I'm not complaining (well, maybe a little).  I'm happy with my life mostly.  I just wish I could do more!!  Hahaha!

Have a great Monday!

December Daily Templates

Good morning!  Ok, as you know, I've been playing around with designing things for scrapbookers.  It is really becoming quite a hobby!  (*squeal!!!)  Yesterday, I attempted to make some December Daily Templates.  I was quite pleased with how they came out!  I posted a tease like this on Instagram

 

I got quite a few postitive responses!  People stated that they would love to get a set of these for free.  I decided to make them available on my blog.  You get 31 6x4 page templates for the December Daily.  I actually designed them to fit in the now sold out Studio Calico December Daily kit.  I hope everyone can use and enjoy them!  Merry Christmas!!!  (This link will take you to the file on Google.  From there, just select Download from the File Menu.  If you have trouble, please leave a comment below, and I will do what I can to make the files available.  This is my first time to try to offer a zipped file!) 

 

*****ETA: I think I finally have it set up so anyone can download it.  However, if there is a problem, just let me know in the comments!

 

Officially, I am in the Christmas mood.  I'm working on all these Christmas items- cut files and page templates!  We have been practicing Christmas music at worship team practice for church!  I even started listening to the music in my car (shhh. . .don't tell anyone. . .they will think I'm crazy!)  Anyway, I hope to get a jump on a DD soon!

 

Please leave us all a link to your December Daily- no matter how far along you are!  Even if you are just getting your supplies together: I want to see!

 

 

Also, I wanted to remind you all that I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop!

Use the coupon code GIFT20 at checkout for 20% off!  Baker's twine makes great gift wrap and strings for tags!  Use it up this holiday season!

 

 

Have a great day!

Exciting things!

Good morning all of you in blog-land!  I just wanted to stop by to share two exciting things with you.  First, here is a sneak of my most recenly created cut file. 

 I created him for a December Daily, but I believe it should be easily resizeable for Project Life or just about anything else you want to use it for!!! He was very tough for me, but I learned a great deal while playing to create him!  I can't wait to use him!!  I'm trying to create some DD files for my etsy shop (this one plus the others in my previous post).  Would you be interested in buying these?

My other exciting news is here:

 

 

My gift to you comes just in time for your Holiday Preperation, I am offering 20% off in my Etsy shop!  Did you know Baker's Twine makes a great addition to your gift wrap?  So does my festive ribbon!  Come see all I have to offer.  Use Coupon code GIFT20 at checkout and get 20% off your entire order!

 





Studio Calico's 25 Days class

Hi All!  I was so busy yesterday!  I was cleaning house with a friend of mine.  She wanted to do something for my husband and I as a return favor for my husband tilling her yard.  We were so busy.  She scrubbed my kitchen spotless, and I worked on our extra bedroom- one that has been a storage room for 3 years.  I cleaned it out and set up the extra bed we had.  Yea!  We now have a guest room!

Anyway, I wanted draw your attention to this!

Studio Calico is offering a class to help us all with our December Daily.  What is a December Daily, you ask: it is a concept created by Ali Edwards for you to document all the exciting days of December leading up to Christmas! 

I LOVE Christmas and all the decorations and joy it brings.  I have been considering doing a December Daily, but I was reluctant as December is always so busy.  However, I think I am going to do it, and this class will help me!   Join me and take this class to help you be inspired!  I can't' wait!

Have a wonderful day!

Graphic LOVE

I have always loved graphics!!  I've never had any formal training; I only know what I've learned from sitting in front of my computer!  I love to manipulate graphics to make what I want. 
 
When I first started scrapbooking, supplies were so much different than they are now- especially Disney supplies.  I was a Disney fanatic, and I was working on scrapping two trips I'd taken to Disney World.  I couldn't find the embellishments I wanted.  That's when I discovered paper piecing.  For most, it was a simple way to dress up a paper doll or to make a simple shape.  However, I, of course, had to take it one step further.  I would take coloring pages and disassemble them in a graphics editing program.  I would create print files that were all one color from a character (ie: peach sections for the skin, blue section for a princess bodice and shoes, etc).  Then I would print those sections onto colored paper/cardstock to get the shapes I wanted.  After I had all my shapes, I would piece the characters together.  Layer upon layer and the character would come to life.  Below is one of my favorite: Buzz.  Both he and Woody are paper pieced.  However, I shot a close up of Buzz because he has so many layers!  (Don't laugh; it is a very old spread!)
  

 

 

So, now you understand my crazy love of graphics (and somewhat insane patience!)

 

For a while, I stopped scrapbooking because time just didn't permit.  Now, thanks to Studio Calico, I am back!  Recently, I heard about the Silhouette Cameo.  I understood it could cut True Type Fonts.  That is true, but it wasn't until later did I understand that not only could it cut True Type Fonts, it could cut shapes.  Naturally, my love for graphics kicked in.

 

In order to justify the cost of the Cameo to my husband and myself, I was trying to figure out multiple ways I could use it.  I discovered the software was free, so I downloaded it.  I started playing and with some help from some YouTube videos, I figured more things out.  This machine is incredible!  However, hubby and I have had a few small financial set backs, so buying the Cameo wasn't an option.  When I told my mom about this great machine, she was intrigued.  Though not a scrapbooker, she was impressed by the machine.  She offered to get it for me as a birthday gift.  Naturally, I took her up on that offer!  My birthday is in a few weeks, but that doesn't mean my creativity hasn't already started to flow!

 

I started playing around with making my own Cut files for the Cameo.  Since I don't have the machine yet, I emailed my designs to my friend, Danielle of Piperloo.  She was kind enough to cut my files, so I could see how my designs worked.  The first one wasn't the greatest as it needed some improvement.  When I made some of the improvements, I also made a negative cut file.  She cut that one, too.

 

Not bad for a first try. 

 

With that boost of confidence, I started creating other files.  While I playing, I heard about the December Daily which is Ali Edwards idea of documenting each day of December remembering holiday traditions and fun.  I thought it would be cool to include some holiday-style designs into my cut file repertoire.  Here is what I tried:

Disregard the pink arrow.  Danielle was showing me a spot to fix.

 

I've very excited how they came out!  I have some new designs in my head!  I'm thinking I might just see what I can do with them!

 

Now, the only hard part: waiting for my birthday and my Cameo!!!!



 

 

 

Pinterest Find

Hey, look what I found on Pinterest!

Yep!  Someone pinned my layout onto Pinterest!  It is the vertical 8.5x11 with the yellow chevrons!  I was so excited to see it, I snapped a not-so-great picture on my phone.  I was so excited!!  I discovered several of my items in my Studio Calico gallery have been pinned, but I can't find them!  It is just exciting!!!  (Um, yes, I do realize that I could have pinned it myself, but I don't do that.  Just knowing someone else liked it so much they pinned it is very cool!!!)

Bad Blogger! Bad!!

Oh, this blog has been calling me for weeks, but I just couldn't find the time!  It has been crazy!  So, just like all my previous posts, I will be catching you up!  Hahaha!!  Be ready for picture heavy craziness.  Are you ready to go?? :)
 
First of all, I DID finish the 30 Days of Lists challenge!  I also finished it. . . . .drum roll, please. . . .in SEPTEMBER!  Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Think Kermit dancing!)  If you know me, you'll realize that me finishing something on time (well, something crafty) is a strange thing!  I was determined to finish in September.  I got behind, but I also got caught up!  It just makes me happy! 
 
** No worries if you missed the September edition of 30 days of lists.  If I understand correctly, it should be back in March! 
 
Ok, here are a few of my favorite lists from the second half of the month:

List 19: Events I'd like to attend:

List 23: My Current Favorites:

List 27: The Bravest things I've done:

 
List 28: Little Joys in my Life:

 The 30 Days of Lists was a lot of fun!  It was neat to record a snippet of my life in lists! Plus, it will be a fun way to look back!  Next time, I think I will make it a little easier to complete.  I plan to just do a little journal or Moleskine notebook with maybe a picture and a simple hand written list.  Nothing fancy and no pages to make.  However, in doing this challenge and mini-album, I allowed myself to use whatever supplies I had in my stash.  It helped me to see great uses for the items I had in my scrapbooking stash.  I think it safe to say that I know have a new-found love for letter stickers and their versatility!  LOVE them!  Hee hee.

In addition to the 30 days of lists, the end of September held other exciting things including the DallasChocolate.org's Chocolate Conference and Festival!  My boss at Sublime Chocolate allowed me to help with our booth.  It was so much fun, but it was so crazy!  There were an enormous amount of people there.  By the end of the day, my throat was sore, and I was exhausted.  It was a great experience, though!

 
We made so many chocolates for this event.  We brought three truffles, and we made around 700 of each kind.  Plus, we brought a traditional Aztec-style hot chocolate (made with cocoa, water, lavender, chili peppers, and honey- spicy, but tasty!!), chocolate covered dates stuffed with an almond and a pistachio, and our Melange which is a layer or dark chocolate and toasted coconut, a layer of milk chocolate with pistachios and a white chocolate lattice on top!  People streamed by our tables all day!  When we had a few minutes, each of us got to walk around and see the other chocolatiers and chocolate makers and try their products!  It was fun, but by the end of the day, I was completely chocolated-out!  Yep, me! 

October came, and I can hardly believe it is nearly half over. Can you? Where has this year gone???  With the new month, came my awesome loot from the Studio Calico Swap Your Stash swap!  I was paired with Nicole (gothamgirl).  (Ironically, Nicole and I knew each other from 2Peas!)  She was so very generous!!!  Look at what I got!!!

 
This picture is just cute.  One of my dogs, Emma, is my Parrot-Dog because she likes to sit on my shoulder.  I finally got a good picture of her and I with my phone!

The Texas State Fair is one of the things that Hubby and I do together every year!  It is just something we love to do.  Eat and enjoy the sites and sounds plus spending the day together.  This year, we tried Fried Somoas!  Yeah, you know, the Girl Scout Cookie??  They were fantastic!  Look: 

 While we were at the Fair, we looked at all the people selling their products.  While we were walking through a tent, we saw a lady demonstrating this little guy.

She drug the stick (in his mouth) across the scales on his back and them tapped his forehead.  It made the sound of a frog.  It was so awesome.  I had to stop.  I tried all the different ones she had out.  I decided I had to take one home.  Hey, he's an instrument!  (For those of you who don't know, I'm a musician.  I have always loved instruments.  I always buy fun ones along with traditional ones.  I hate to see neglected instruments, and I always take them home.)  Naturally, this guy had to come home with me!  Love him!

October 6 was World Cardmaking Day!  Studio Calico had challenges on their blog (which you can still participate in until October 15!)  I created two cards.  I hope to get a couple more done, but I don't know when I'll have time.  Here are my first attempts!
 

 

The next picture is just one I had to share.   Hubby and I were playing bowling on the Wii.  I was laughing at his posture.  He would roll the ball and then hold the pose.  Funny, huh?

 
Here is a quick look at the Washi tape I got from Rosalie in the Studio Calico Washi Tape swap!  Aren't they the coolest!  I LOVE washi!

 

One last thing that happened at work yesterday. Troy and Sublime Chocolate were filmed for an episode of Storage Wars Texas. Apparently, a spray rig with a little chocolate in it was found in a storage locker.  They contacted Troy to have him talk about it.  They came to the shop yesterday to film.  They were there for about 3 hours for what will be a 3 minute clip!  Crazy, huh??  Oh, to quench your excitement, I will not be in the episode.  They asked us workers to stay as much out of sight as we could.  However, it was still very exciting.  The episode will air in January, so keep and eye out!

 

 This is Troy, Bubba, and Ricky in front of our store (and the store next door!)!

 

 

Thanks for sticking with me. . .even though I'm a bad blogger! ;)

30 Days of lists updates and more. . .

I know, it has been two weeks since I blogged.  It has been so crazy around here!  Today, I'm taking a little time to blog.  There will probably be more pictures than words!  Oh well.

First of all, I've been busy doing my daily lists for 30 days of lists!  It has been fun, but I'm always behind!  Here are all my new lists:

List 2: Goals for September

List 3: How my friends and family describe me

 List 4: When I need a break, I. . .

 List 5: Reasons to start. . . .

 List 6: Reasons to quit. . . .

List 7: Favorite Snacks

List 8: Outside my front door. . .(I did outside my back door)

List 9: Today, you can find me. . .

List 10: I'm at my best when. . . .

List 11: My favorite smells...

List 12: Fictional Places I'd like to live. . .

This is as far as I've gotten.  I hope to get some done today!

Of course, I'm still a Studio Calico addict.  Recently, my new add-on for the Central High kit arrived.  I haven't been able to subscribe to the kit for financial reasons, but I buy an add-on each month if I can.  This month, I purchased the Road Show add-on.  It arrived on Monday, and I was so excited to tear open the box.  With my Chai Tea Latte from Sublime, I was ready to go!!!

Here is what I received!  I'm so excited!  I haven't done anything with it yet, but I will!!!  Just need to print some photos!!!

Also, in my quest to be a trendy yet frugal scrapper, I'm always on the look out for great items at cheap prices.  I love washi tape, and when I saw on Instagram that people had found washi tape at Target, I had to go.  Sure enough, I discovered Target's washi tape along with a great little wash tin in the dollar section.  Aren't they great?  The mini binder clips are from Wal-Mart!  Great stuff, and I got all of it for under $15!!!

 

Oh, and I'm horribly addicted to Instragram (if you can't tell by my photos!!!!!)

I am still cooking and trying new things!  The other day, I forgot to get a roast out of the freezer, so I had to improvise dinner.  I knew I had some chicken breasts and some left over Swiss cheese.  Through the day, I thought about what I should do with those ingredients.  I knew I wanted to add mushrooms because there is almost nothing better than mushrooms in dinner.  This is what I created:



 

 

Seasoned Chicken breasts stuffed with Swiss Cheese, Roma Tomatoes, and Sauteed Mushrooms

 

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced

8 oz sliced mushrooms

Swiss cheese, sliced (I used about 8 oz, but the amount is up to you)

Spices (Oregano, Basil, Thyme, and black pepper)

lots of toothpicks

cooking oil

minced garlic

lots of tooth picks

 

Heat oven to 375F

 

1. Add a little cooking oil to a pan and sauteed the garlic and mushrooms until mushrooms are tender.  Remove mushrooms from pan leaving garlic and juice.

 

2. Add chicken breasts to the pan with the garlic.  Brown both sides of the chicken breasts.  Even brown the sides if breasts are thick.

 

3. Remove chicken from pan.  Butterfly breasts.  The inside should still be a little raw.  Layer cheese, tomato slices, and sauteed mushrooms.  Close the breasts and secure with toothpicks.  Sprinkle desired spices on breasts.  Spray breasts with cooking oil and place in a shallow baking dish.

 

4. Put chicken in preheated oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

 

It was delicious!  If you try this recipe, leave me a comment and let me know how yours turned out! 

 

That's it for now!  Hopefully, I'll be back sooner!  Come visit me at Sublime Chocolate in Allen if you can.  See you soon!