A Week of Creating

Another busy week has come and gone. This past week was filled with creating. Starting last Sunday with a mini event at Pam Black's beautiful home to yesterday my final two classes at Paper Vineyard with Cosmo. In between was filled with work, eat, sleep mode. Today is catch up for all the things I have let slide like laundry, clean the house, dishes and on and on.

Friday night was the first class by Cosmo at Paper Vineyard. Fast paced, fun and a ton of give aways. Lindsey Moore and Wanda were over the top in entertainment and generous gifts. We made the cutest little box container using Cosmo blackboard boxes. Saturday morning started with another box altered with a travel theme. Again fun laughter and generous gifts. Last class was the cutest card and a layout. Paper Vineyard did an excellent job of making us all comfortable with good food, lots of product to buy hee hee of course I didn't ha ha . Adriana and Jean were the best hostesses for the event. Thanks for a wonderful relaxing fun creative 2 days.

Our classes 2 containers and a card and layout with the new Cosmo lines



Our gifts from Cosmo Can you just say oh my. They were beyond generous


Wednesday night was our monthly Stampin Up class. Great class with 2 cards and little treat pockets. As usual lots of talking and laughter as we made our cards.



My newest piece of jewelry from Jamie. Love my ankle bracelet.


And that pretty much sums up my last 7 days. Now it is to the dredded "chores"

Day of Creating with Friends

Last Sunday was a get together with friends to create a Valentine Banner. What a fun filled creative day. Pam Black opened up her beauitful home to all of us. There was so much laughing, talking, teasing and a wonderful new phrase by Maija. Cracked all of us up. Each of us were given a letter for the banner. We designed that banner piece and then made 9 kits for everyone. I had the letter "I". I posted pics of my letter and kit in the previous post.
The food was over the top and so beautifully presented. Check Maija and Carol's blog for more pics.
Here we are at the end of our wonderful day
Back row Carol, me, Maija Kelli and Kim
Middle row Pam and Marni
Front row Earleen and Annette

The beautiful food bar

Our gift from Pam

Earleen's kit and yummy popcorn which I ate all of it

Annette's beautiful bright red cigar box with the kit inside

Kim's kit

Maija's kit

Carol's kit

This was the best way to spend a Sunday good friends, good food and a great project

Busy weekend

I see that once again I have been a slacker with my blog. Guess that means I have been really busy with work and I admit it playing on the new computer trying to figure out many things. I think I have a few mastered and now have figured out how to blog on a new system. Wasn't hard I just needed to get it done.

We have been blessed with lots and lots of rain this month. I am so ready for blue sunny skies , no clouds and warm sunshine. I do have to say there has been beautiful fluffy dark clouds but I have had enough and am ready for the sun.


My sister has a love of counted cross stitch and samplers. I was so surprised to receive this beautiful sampler from her. The hours of work stitching this had to have been so many. I love it and have it hanging up already

This morning I received a phone call from my daughter Jenn asking me if I wanted to go with her and Sadera for pedis this morning. Ummm ya!!!! So off we headed to our favorite place and relaxed as we received a most relaxing pedi. I chose red and hearts, Jenn was a coral and hearts and Sadera decided on a manicure with lavender polish and white and gold hearts. Following the pedis I was taken to lunch at one of the Vick's favorite places Oreganos in Tempe. can I just say yum yum yum. A good relaxing lunch. Great way to start my weekend

Tomorrow is my Valentine Banner event. There are 10 of us getting together to make a Valentine Banner. Each of us were given a letter and then we design our piece and make 9 kits to share. It should be alot of fun. My letter was "I" and this is what I came up with.

And here is the envelope I made to hold all of their goodies and the kit supplies.


More to come tomorrow as I will have pics of my banner assembled.

Cheryl had posted another great site on her blog. So being curious I checked it out. This looks like it will be a creatively good fun



You can check out this sweet Ezine and sign up here

Welcoming 2010

Finally I am getting to my blog. I have neglected it since the holidays. Of course I could offer a million excuses from the holiday bustle, no Internet, work and on and on. But truth be told I guess bottom line I was just pure lazy. I hate the words not motivated, no motivation so I choose L-A-Z-Y. There ya have it pure and simple.

The Christmas holidays although busy were so fun. I was able to spend time with friends and family and I think that is really what they are about.

I have done a ton of reflecting of where I am and where I want to go and decided no resolutions for me. A) I never keep them after the 1st couple of months and B) I think they are more negative than positive. I am pretty happy and satisfied with who I am at this point so am not making resolutions to change that. So instead I set a couple of goals. I am on track with one of them and trying to get on board with the second.

This year looks like it will be an adventure extraordinaire. I have signed up for all three of Kim Caldwell's events beginning in March. I am so looking forward to them. I am sure Southwest is too as I alone should boost their economy with my frequent flights to LA. I have also signed up for 4 classes in February at Paper Vineyard and am really looking forward to those too. Yeap I will be out and about again this year.

Friday I took a class at ETC with Earleen and Annette. Kelli taught an altered Valentine Board. She provided us with an abundant supply of vintage beads, flowers, papers,and we assembled the collage. It was fun to relax and create. As an added bonus I received a special gift for being a new student. A beautiful plate on a pedestal.


My completed collage

Tuesday was Stampin Up club and Jan had 3 wonderful cards for us to make. We had a new member and of course so many laughs and conversations. We missed you Colleen

Saturday the 26th of December was moving day for Colleen. I went over to lend moral support and to help. The movers were there packing like wild men. They rarely spoke, took minimal breaks and were very helpful to us. As imagined this was such a difficult day for Colleen. Her prized possessions were being packed in a whirlwind of activity. We had many tears, laughs throughout the morning. I knew how very difficult it was for her and was so glad I was able to be there to help. You can't begin to imagine how many boxes they packed and how many things we put in my car and Jen and John's car. I have enough aluminum foil, paints, swifter dust things, paper, stamps pads etc to last a life time. We were all so grateful for Colleen's generosity. I also filled my recycled and garbage from her throw aways:)

The best thing she parted with is this table. It has an enamel top and is the perfect size for my new computer

And here is my new wonderful Mac I received for Christmas. I love my Mac!!!! Slowly learning about all the things I can now do.

I didn't take many pics at all this Christmas. And either TJ or the kids had the camera and were snapping many pics of the ceiling the floor. You get the picture not many good pics to work with. But I enjoyed just hanging with family playing our newest favorite Ticket to Europe.
Anthony and Sadera taking many pics on I photo booth.

The table. Very simple this year

The food, ham, au gratin potatoes, squash, green bean casserole

And TJ Christmas morning loving having his picture taken

So I think I am now all caught up. Today I will finish laundry and picking up the clutter. I want to start my Valentine banner for an event coming the last weekend in Jan
Making no promises but will try and blog in a more timely fashion!

Happy New Year

To all my family and friends I wish you a very Happy, Safe, Healthy New Year. May all your dreams be fulfilled this year.

On a bright note my Internet has been restored late this afternoon and I am so very happy. Great start to a New Year

Busy weekend

My goodness this has been another busy packed weekend that has taken wings and flown right past me. I guess since it is the last weekend before Christmas that is to be expected. My shopping is done except for one small item I need to pick up for the Grand daughter. Now just need to wrap it all:) My Christmas dinner is planned and have almost everything here to make it. A quick trip to the grocery store will finish that off too. Everyone will be here for Christmas and I am so happy we will have a bit of time to relax and just be together! And needless to say after Saturday's baking I have enough sweet treats to last the next 3 months!!!

Colleen arrived back in town late late last night or should I say very early this am like 3ish. I had told her I had reservations for her favorite place in the whole world for 11. I am afraid she didn't get much sleep but like the trouper she is she was here and ready to eat. Imagine Colleen's surprise when we got to TC's and there Carol W was standing outside. Colleen thought it was just a big coincidence HA I finally pulled one over on her. She was surprised by the wonderful group of ladies that joined us. It was so good to see everyone and for Colleen to catch up with all her crafting buddies. Lunch as usual was the best or should I say breakfast as I think we all had breakfast. We sat and visited for quite a long time. Lots of laughs and good old bonding of kindred hearts.



Here we all are from L>R Kim J, Colleen, Jennifer W, Maija L, Carol W, Kim H, Tina W. Tina had the waitress take a group photo so I am sure she has a much better picture of all of us.

Maija presented all of us with the cutest wrapped package with a penguin tied on it. Love me some chocolate. I am saving him for my late midnight snack :)

Inside the package was the sweetest little crown. It is already hanging on my special ornaments tree.



Tina gave each of us a beautiful tag and again it is hanging on my special tree

I made everyone a little church or a house scene. Wrapped it tulle with a little silver ribbon




Saturday morning TJ came in and we started baking for the staff cookie exchange at work. Everyone that knows TJ knows we baked, dipped and frosted a ton of cookies. Tried out two new recipes and they were yummy.







I guess that is a brief look at my weekend. Now to wrapping gifts!