Ink Diaries

Holiday Lovliness.

2007-11-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yah! It been a while since my last post. This ole' blog is looking mighty dusty! I think a little bit of holiday cheer will liven it up a bit. Well. We've been busily decorating our house! There are still some things we need to do, but the bulk of it is done. That feels really good. :)

Now on to the really important stuff. Here's our pretty December kit, "Gumdrop Forest." Um. I like this kit a lot. Like a reallyreallyreally lot! :)

We have two add-on kits that will be unveiled with the rest of the site on December 3rd at 8 PM MST.

$28.50

Kinda vintage looking, but it plays off the main kit in a really fun way! Those Prima flowers are AMAZING! I wish I could use them on everything! And check out the tree stamp. It's like the cute baby sister to our tree from last year. :)

$36.75

Well. What's not to love abt this pretty? That Maya Road album is so super (see my sample below) and the vintage book page and those trims...::sigh::

$47.00

This banner will take your breath away in person! There is so much sparkle and texture on this piece! I know it'll become a total fav! And the stamp that comes with it is so versatile...you can use it to make it's own banner or to make ornaments! Fun stuff! Oh, and there's enough stuff to make 2 different banners. BTW: these are really limited. :)

AND! Here's a little sample of inspiration from the DT.

Heather Burch:

(This is that album I mentioned above! It's going to be my catch-all for all of our holiday memories this year; decor, parties, gifts, giving, charity stuff, recipes, receipts....even without all the bits inside it's so thick and yummy!)

Kelly Noel:

Kelly McCaleb:

Heather Thompson:

Dina Wakely:

Doris Sander:

Celeste Smith:
Sally Davidson:

AND! Like I promised. A little January peekie. The kit is called, "Love Birds," and it's packed with pinks, oranges, and browns. I've totally fallen for all of the colors and textures. I hope you will too! :)
Later, friends! :)

Feeling Fallish.

2007-09-17T16:10:00.001-07:00

So. The October kit, "This Tiny House." This kit just has me written all over it. I LOVE the fall colors mixed with the funky bits. And how cool is it that scrappy companies are coming out with fabulous crocheted flowers? Really cool. My mother thanks them, because way back in February she was a crazy lady trying to crochet all of those little pretties. So many great manufacturers in this kit; Making Memories, Love Elsie, Imaginisce, Poppy Ink, 7Gypsies, Heidi Swapp, Queen & Co., Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin. Um. That's a lot of greatness for one kit. :)
Is it October yet?

And the boy. Last year in the fallish leaves.
I really do adore this time of year. Bring on the corn mazes and apple cider.

Besides the autumn poets sing,
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the snow
And that side of the haze.
~Emily Dickinson

Later.

Giveaway #3

2007-09-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hiya.

Okay. This photo is not so great. BUT the goodies really are. It's missing the tags from Every Jot and Tittle, and that owlie wristlet is like *CUTE* in person. I promise.

To win this little prize head on over to the Poppy Ink MB and participate in challenge #3. I'll see ya' there! :)

Giveaway #2

2007-09-12T16:48:00.002-07:00

Here's the pic of giveaway #2. I'm headed over to the Poppy Ink MB right now to post the challenge! Yippee! My big sis tried to steal that blue vinyl bag, but I totally caught her.
I do what I can for my Poppy Ink peeps. :)

Giveaway #1

2007-09-09T19:52:00.001-07:00

Yum! I had such a fun time putting the giveaways together. This will be the first one, and this is how it'll work. Tomorrow at 6 PM MST I'm going to post a challenge in the Poppy Talk forum. You'll have 24 hours to create a layout (based on the challenge) and post it in the giveaway gallery. The cut off time will be Tuesday at 6 PM MST. I'll put everyones name in a hat and Gibb will pick the winner. The winner will be posted that evening. Fun, right? New challenges will be posted on Wednesday and Friday...the giveaways for those will be just as super! :) Yea! I'm so very excited for this!

AND! Here's a little peekie for the October kit, "This Tiny House." Aren't they cute? ::sigh:: I think I love them. ;)

See ya' tomorrow!

The goods.

2007-08-31T09:39:00.001-07:00

Here is the September kit: Cherry St. Um. I love it. It's a little bit fall and a little bit back to school, with some super funky bits thrown in! The buttons are gorgeous and those bling cherrries are AMAZING in person. Lots o' loveliness in this one, friends. :)

This add-on is called Prep School. The 4-piece stamp acrylic set in this one is a must have! There are so many cool possibilities with that little pretty! The price will be 38.50.

Be still my heart. The add-on, Ive League, is GORGEOUS! The fleece birdies and the fall leaves and the sweeeeet rubs. I totally love it. Don't even get me started on the stamp set is this one. Those frames are beyond versatile and the woodgrain in the second one is like the best thing ever. This add-on is 49.80.

We're also going to have a paper pack add-on, Prep School Too, with pretty papers and card stock. It'll also come with the die-cut arrows and labels from Scenic Route. Those are AMAZING!

Since we don't have a Poppy Project this month. I planned two really fun projects that you can make using the kits. This pencil bouquet is one of them. I think it would be a great teacher gift or an accent in a play room.

Just a reminder: The September reveal will be on Monday at 12 AM MST. All of the add-ons may be purchased then, and we do have subscriptions for the main kit available. You are not going to want to miss out on the coming months! I promise. :)

Oh, and all of the little monkey-motif shirts that Gibb has been wearing are from oliebollen
The brand is called Small Paul. I've like really become addicted to their clothes. They're cute without being cutesy and they're funky without being over the top. Make sure you check out the socks and undies, too!

Thank you for all the well-wishes abt my uncle. I really appreciate it. I'll see you on Monday.

A beginning. An ending.

2007-08-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

The ending part.

My Uncle Lynn passed away yesterday. I'm still reeling from the shock of it all. It just seemed to happen so quickly. As a kid, I spent a lot of time with him. We owned a little trailer next to my aunt and uncle's in Duschene. We spent so many summers there...riding the four-wheelers, finding horny-toads, taking long walks, boating, sitting around the fire. He was a tall man with a big personality and after hearing abt his condition, right before he passed--it doesn't sound like the same man I knew. I remember being 6 or 7 and I was on the 4-wheeler with him. He started going up a steep hill and the front of the 4-wheeler started tipping up. I fell backwards into the dirt and he caught himself with one arm before he fell on me. With the other arm he pushed the 4-wheeler off of us. I'll never forget that. The smell of gasoline and the ringing in my ears. And the look on his face. The concern and the fear. I remember holding onto him very tightly as we drove back to the trailer and the apology he gave my mother for putting me in danger. He was a good man.
There is a very large part of me that is relieved that he is at peace, but he will be so very missed.

"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality." ~Emily Dickinson

The beginning part.

Gibb started Preschool on Monday. Lots of mixed feelings...for the both of us, I think. We decided to go with a Montessori school, and I'm so happy that we made that decision. I was wary at first with the whole idea of self-directed learning, but I think it'll be so good for him. Gibson is loving the birds in the classroom and the teachers tell me he's doing great with all of the independent activities. I worry abt the social aspect. Most of the kids were together last year and already know each other and the format. He says that the girls stare at him and won't talk to him. Robbie told him to get used to that. HA! And then there's the humus. They give them humus at snack time. We're not humus people. Anyway. I think I'm over-thinking this whole thing. He's three. And he's perfect. And one of his favorite things to do at school is water the sunflowers. :)

Catch ya' later!

Such goodness. :)

2007-08-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

SO. Here's the little teaser peekie for the September kit, Cherry St. I'm LOVING how this kit is turning out and I can't wait to show this pretty is all its glory! Weeeeeee! :)

And really quick. Here are two of my current favorite things:

Martha Stewart's Halloween goodness is out at Micheal's. Say what you want abt her. Her products are really super, and she totally knows how to get down on Halloween. I'm really loving the banners and the skull picks and that owlie stamp. I need to figure out how to make him look less angry so I can use him on other crafts.

Be still me heart. This is not the most healthy salad, but it is the most delicious. I took this ready-to-assemble beauty to my sister's yesterday and we ate it all and then wanted to lick the bowl. You can find the recipe here. I substituted the walnuts for sugar-crusted almonds. Delicious.

Catch ya' later!

Hello, Hello

2007-08-12T20:57:00.001-07:00

Firstly, I wanted to say a little thank you to all the ladies who've decided to send cards and sweet sentiments to the Barnes family (read below post). I appreciate it so very much and I know they will too. There's still time to send one, if you send me an e-mail I can send you my addy. Make sure you include your return address so I can send you a thank you goodie.

From that to this...

Here's the little peekie of the August Poppy Project. I really do love this album. There's something really silly abt it, and I just adore that.

AND. We just got back from a family vacation on the Oregon Coast. It's so amazingly gorgeous there. Robb's mama owns a house that overlooks the ocean and the view from the balcony takes my breath away. Gibson loved it and he was so psyched that there was a train that went between Garibaldi and Rockaway. The boy is way into trains. I've never seen anything like it. My big sis lives in Washington so we took a quick day trip to see her and her little ones. We went to the children's museum at the Space Needle and Gibby had the best time painting in the mini-art studio. He's been very into painting train tracks. And he should be. He pretty much rocks at it. :) ::sigh:: He's so great.

Well. Here's to a great week, friends. :)

A fallen soldier.

2007-07-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

I need your help.

Robb and I stayed the night at my mom's house the night before we flew out to CHA. As we pulled into her neighborhood we were overcome by the flag-lined street. There were 400 flags leading up to the Barnes home. Across their house was a huge banner that read, "Sergent Nathan Barnes: Returning with Honor." I was so very happy. Their soldier had returned home. The next morning, we drove to the airport and I heard the news. Nathan had been killed in Iraq. He was exiting a helicopter that was under fire and he was shot. I was just so overcome. The Barnes family are the loveliest people. They are kind and generous and I just could not believe what had happened--my heart just ached.
I went to my mother's this weekend and I saw Brother and Sister Barnes in sacrament meeting. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. But I knew that I wanted to do something. And I need YOUR help. I want to put together a box of cards to give to the Barnes family. I'm asking for anyone and everyone to make a card dedicated to this lost son/ brother/ uncle, so I can send them to his family. Through the feelings of loss and sadness I feel this overwhelming gratefulness. Nathan gave his life for this country and now his family must survive that loss.
If you are willing to help, please e-mail me at papertangos@yahoo.com and I'll send you my address. If you are a Poppy Ink member, you can send your card to the return address on your boxes. Please send the cards to me by August 20th. If you can, please spread the word. I want this family to know that their son will not be forgotten and that amazing people from all over the country know abt his story.
You can read more abt him here.

Thank you.

And we're off.

2007-07-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Um. Hi. :D

We are leaving tomorrow on our CHA journey. Yippy! And then not-so-yippy. I have like a mega-load of work to do...think positive, Heather, think positive... :P

We don't fly out until early Thursday morning, but we're staying the night at my mom's so we can be a bit closer to the airport. I'm thinking that this whole thing is going to be pretty overwhelming, but I'm like totally excited! And my little man. I'm going to miss him. The little man, however, keeps talking abt all the things he'll be doing with his munga fuss (grandma) while we are away. Is it weird that I want him to miss me? At least a little. I wrapped up a little gift for everyday that we're away, and I tied a photo of Robb and I to each one. It would be impossible for him to forget abt us in six days, right?

Here's some pics of our latest little lake trip. We head out when things get stressful and the bickering starts. I think it really helps us unwind and be more productive, and Gibby LOVES being there. I love being able to sit one my pretty beach blanket with my shades and a bag-full of magazines and just veg. Really it's the best thing ever. :)

AND. Robbie has been too busy to post the sneaky-peek of the August add-ons so I'm posting it here. There'll be two, and they're darling! I can't wait to show off everything. :)

Well. I really must finish up with the wash and get packing! :)

See you in Chicago!

2007-07-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's a cake.

2007-06-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I know it's not the greatest cake decorating job, or anything. BUT Gibb loved it! And I think Robb did too. I really wanted to go all out this Father's day, so I totally cooked three meals. And dessert! Yes. I realize how pathetic that must sound to most mama's. Cooking three meals is something I should be doing every day. I sooooo don't.
Before the big cake reveal, we went on a picnic. I pulled out the metal lunch boxes from Gibb's birthday and filled them with sandwiches and potato salad and raspberries and delish Jones Soda. It was so great to relax. Robb found the best spot under these big shady trees and a stream bubbled in front of us. We just sat there and chowed with grins on our faces. After dipping our toes in the freezing water, we headed out for a little fishing. I'm not into fishing. At all. But since it was father's day, I decided to pretend like I loved fishing. Oh yes. Fishing is super-awesome. ;-)

On Saturday we went to Summerfest! Lots of fun and painterly things going on. Here's my fav pic of Gibson. Just look at that color composition. ::sigh:: He's so very talented!

OH! I've been meaning to point out my newest Etsy find! Check out Andrew Daniel! I bought some of his prints and they are amazing. The color and movement is just sublime!

In other news: Gibb has become obsessed with getting a puppy and a little sister. The puppy I can handle, but the little sister? I'm not so sure abt that...

Catch ya' later!

Hello.

2007-06-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Holy tamale. The blogging train has fallen off the track. BUT here's a sneaky-peek of the Funny Face Poppy Project. It's scrumptious! If you were quick enough to get one, you won't be sorry. :)
And a little pic of the boy. This is our unfinished living room. The color on the walls is blue gossamer and it makes me happy. I walk into that room and I feel so very content. The house is still not done. Nothing has been done for the last two weeks. Blah, Blah, right? When we walk into it, and it's all ours, this'll all be worth it. For sure. :)

And since I'm a little down-in-the-dumps here's a sweet quote:

Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there in in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.

OH! I'm totally going to silverbella with my mom and two sisters. I can't wait. If you're going, let me know!

Later.

Mama Day.

2007-05-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'll never ever forget the day he was born and I became a mama. It was the best day ever. And the hardest. He is such a blessing and I'm so very grateful that I have the opportunity to raise him. Mamahood is so much more wonderful and so much more heart-wrenching than I ever imagined.
Here's a silly story. I have these huge house dresses that I bought when I was pregnant with Gibson. I still wear them sometimes, and every time I walk down the stairs wearing one of those brightly adorned tents my Gibb exclaims, "You look so pretty. You look sooooo pretty." That's the only time he tells me that. ::sigh:: He's the best.

This is what I made for my mama this year. I realized two days ago, when I was in the midst of kit-packing, that I hadn't made her anything...and then my JB kit showed up. I found a few hours yesterday morning to put these together for her. What she really wanted was a steam cleaner (which my sisters and I got for her, too) but I don't think a mother's day has passed that I didn't make something for her. The front of the card says, "This I know for sure..." and then I listed all the things I love abt her.

Anyway. I best be off. My sweeties are making me steak alfredo with ceasar salad and raspberry lemonade. I can't wait. :)
Ta-ta!

Sigh.

2007-04-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is turning 3 tomorrow.
It makes me happy to watch him grow.
But behind my smile, my heart is breaking.
::sigh::

Her Lovelies: May Poppy Project

2007-04-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

"Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.
A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown?
What's that suppose to mean?
In my heart it don't mean a thing."
~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

I realize that I'm becoming redundant, but I cannot wait to put this pretty little album together. It's the perfect place to keep all of your lovelies or it'll make the perfect gift for a lovely lady. It'll also come with a scroll acrylic stamp that is just too good to be true. :)

Have a sweet day!

And rest.

2007-04-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm dazed.
And totally exhausted.
It's almost laughable how tired I actually am.
I don't think I've been this tired since Gibb was a newborn.
Would you like me to go into further detail about the extent of my tiredness?
I'll spare you. :)

This past week was a whirlwind! Taking care of my sickie boys, packing a million bajillion fabu kits, picking out finishes for the house, totally reworking the May kit, washing (and drying) the cell phone...ya' know, normal stuff like that. Now I have a Tuesday deadline looming for some top-secret design work ::wink::. If you could hurl some mojo through your computer screens I would greatly appreciate it, so very much.

We've been picking out some super things for the house. We're doing limey green, pretty yellow, white, and black for our bedroom. The wall color will be yellow sash. We found this really fab black bed...it's distressed wood, at Down East Home. It was soooo very inexpensive! It's pretty and it makes me happy. Our bedding is going to be:

In this color:

I'm basing the whole scheme for the kitchen/dining. family rooms on this tablecloth:

Is that weird? I just really love all of the colors...
The walls will be a light blue and I just bought the cutest orange side table for the living room. LOTS of decisions to make.

Oh! I found the coolest artist on Etsy. I'll post a link later. I think the site is down right now...

Well, I best be off. Robb and I are going to cuddle and watch some movies, indulging in some much needed down time!

I need to post some pics of Gibb at Easter. We had such a fun time!
Ta-ta! :)

Hello.

2007-03-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

So. How are you? I'm super. Just super. :)

Here's a little peekie at the April Poppy Project, "Nesting." It's going to be a banner with pretty tags and bits and glitter and the sweetest little nest stamp. It also comes with some new 7Gypsies rubbings. They came today and they're so very cute! I know that I say this every month, but I'm so excited to put this pretty together!
Last week I taught a little class and we put together these board books. It's three board books that we glued together with a felt binding. I added tons of ribbon bits and some pretty felt and fabric flowers and then a little monogram. This book doesn't really have a purpose except to look pretty, which is reason enough for me! :P Gibby loves to pick it up and hand it to me and tell me he's giving me a present! Tee-hee. Man, I just love that kid.

Speaking of Gibson, here's some pics of him in the rain. He had such a ball that day.
Umbrella from Munga Fuss(Grandma) + Rain Gear from Mama+ Puddles at the park= nearly too many giggles and splashes to count

Have a good weekend! Robb and I are headed to the movies. Thank goodness. :)

And the winner is....

2007-03-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last month we had a lil' contest over at Poppy Ink. Amber Skolnick taught a fab class, and we challenged the participants to lift her layout. They posted their pretties in the gallery, and today The Gibb picked the winner. The winner will receive the whole KI Color Theory line. Hip-hip-hooray! :D

::Drum roll, please!::

BTW, how cute is my Gibson? Looking at these pics like really make me wanna wake him up and squeeze him. But I won't. But I mean, seriously, how cute is he? Okay, mama moment over. Let's get back to the reveal.

He totally got a kick out of doing this, btw. He totally loves it when he can do Poppy Ink stuff. He can pick winners and help me sort buttons and carry the occasional Priority box out to the truck. He pretty much rocks the kit world, ya' know?
Back to the reveal.

And the winner is......

Congrats! Send me your addy and I'll get these goodies off to you super-soon! :)

Catch ya' later, ladies!

A Little April Peekie...

2007-03-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

Aren't these lovely, my friends?!
They are the sweetest 3-piece foam stamp sets and they'll be in the add-on kits in April.
::sigh:: I can't wait to put these pretties to use. :)

At 27...

2007-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. Long time no blog.

I turned 27 last Sunday. I really can't believe it. I never, in a million bajillion years, thought I'd be 27. 27 is almost 30. 27 is on the downhill slope of the 20's. 27 sounds a whole heck of a lot older than 26. 27 is going to be a big year for me. I can feel it.
In honor of the big TWO-SEVEN, I thought I'd post 27 random facts about me. And a photo. Don't laugh at the photo. :D Okay, go ahead and laugh. I won't hear ya'!

1. I think abt my grandma every day. I miss the way she smelled like gingerbread and the roses she pinned in her hair.
2. I've been really into emerald green, navy blue, and candy-apple red.
3. I bought my first car this past year (navy blue Durango that I am beyondbeyond in love with).
4. I drink entirely too much Pepsi. And it's gotta stop.
5. I'm learning a lot about limits. I can set limits for myself and others around me, and still be dedicated--even passionate.
6. My heart races with I see a pretty display of crafty items.
7. While my own kit site was updating on the first of this month I was totally worried abt being able to purchase a Jenni Bowlin kit. I really think that kits are the best way to get scrappy stuff.
8. I love reading Memoir. My fav is David Sedaris.
9. I like buying new pens.
10. My mom's house is truly my quiet place. I walk in the door and I suddenly breathe easier.
11. I want to go back to school and get a graphic design degree.
12. Ever since I bought these for the May kit, I can't stop thinking abt how fun they'll be to use.
13. My hair has major root action going on.
14. I LOVE gyros.
15. I can't wait to take Gibb to Paris one day. I'll never forget what it felt like to walk beneath the Eiffel Tower and look up. Totally changed who I was.
16. My fav perfume is Clinque Happy.
17. I'm a fan of cookie dough.
18. I'm a chronic pessimist (good thing I'm married to a hopeless optimist).
19. I can't have enough legal pads.
20. I'm buying my first house. Eeeek! :D Robb and I have been so very excited abt decorating!
21. Listening to my Gibson sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" makes me get all teary.
22. I've started making bead necklaces! LOVE trying new crafty hobbies!
23. I don't cook. Ever.
24. My favorite poets are Sylivia Plath and Walt Whitman.
25. I love traveling. The best part is walking into the hotel room and crashing onto the bed and totally soaking in that I'm no longer home....love that...
26. I have a button obsession.
27. Watching my sister's become moms has been the sweetest journey. I look up to them. My sister Jen has been a second mama to Gibb this past year...couldn't have done any of this without her.

OH! Here's a pic of the March Poppy Project, Ellen:

I've loved making this project. The outside is fabric and the inside is mini-folders. My album is abt my Grandma. She sold Studio Girl, and kept a scrapbook of photos, letters, and clippings that had to do with he little business. If you bought this kit you're gonna LOVE putting it together! I'm sooo doing more of these in the future!

AND! Here's a photo of our lot. They've started bringing in dirt and are getting ready to pour the foundation! Eeeeeee! Too joyful for words! :D

Catch ya' later!

Dossier # 1732: A Family Portrait

2007-02-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

This was the Poppy Project for October...
I've had a few people e-mail me abt this project, so I thought I'd post the photos here so you can check them out! It's pretty cute. ;)
Catch ya' later!

Giveaway #2

2007-02-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

SO. I'm a day late on the giveaway. ::gulp:: We'll be doing the giveaway tonight on the PI MB at 5 PM MST. I'll ask three questions in the Poppy Talk forum, that have to do with our first month in business. The answers can be found in the Feb 2006 gallery and newsletter. The first person to answer all three questions correctly will win this prize! Good Luck! :)

Peekie Time.

2007-02-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

Main Kit Peekie

Add-on Peekie

Yea for March!
I think you're gonna like this one! I do . :)

I named this kit after my grandma. She was so very amazing and all the colors and patterns in this kit reminded me of her. We'll be making an album with a fabric cover and I'm going to fill it with pics of her.

Later. :)

Giveaway #1

2007-02-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

On February 13th at 6 PM MST I will post three questions on the "Giveaway #1" thread in the Poppy Talk forum on the message board at www.poppyink.com. The answers to the questions will be found in the February 2006 gallery (our first month in business) or in the February 2006 newsletter. The first person to answer all three questions correctly, will win the prize! :D

Here's what you can win:

Cute, right?
The purse is from Pretty Little Things by Lori Marie
The bead necklace is from Urban Outfitters
The note cards are from the Paper Princess
The birdie pins are from Speckled Hen

Good Luck! :D

Well, hi. :D

2007-02-10T20:36:00.001-07:00

Woooosh!
Time is flying, I tell ya'! :)

Here are some updates. In list form.

Gibson:
Turns out the little man had a super-bad ear and sinus infection. The doc prescribed antibiotics (the first time he's taken them) and they worked like a charm. We asked abt asthma and our doc also prescribed an inhaler, but we didn't ever have to use it. I'm hoping that he is not going to have asthma issues....but he's back to good, for now. Thank goodness. ;)

Sneaky Peekies for future kits:
I have been shopping, my friends. Hardcore shopping. It's soooo hard trying to shop CHA without BEING at CHA. Never again. Robb and I are already making plans for Chicago. Here's the scoop:

March: Cosmic Energy/ Cherry Arte (with LOTS of fab things from WRMK, KI, Heidi Swapp, Lil Davis, Gin X) Lot's of stars! In fact, this kit is called Rockstar!

April: Scenic Route (pretty birdie schtuff), Perhaps/ Basic Grey, Perfectly Posh/ Tinkering Ink, and 7Gypsies for the embellies. We're also doing the CUTEST little birdie stamp from Poppy Ink. The product is already rolling in and it's AMAZING!
--side note: We live in the same town as Mr. Tinkering Ink and we went down to their warehouse to pick up our order. Such a great guy and I'm so happy they're doing well! I heard that their autumn lines are going to be super! Can't wait! :)

May: Love Elsie, Blue Boutique/ Sassafras Lass, Mod (the primary line)/Autumn Leaves and I'd love to do Queen and Co. for the embellies and some other really super surprises.

I also ordered a bunch of pretties from Gin-X's new office line. I was soooo very psyched to see this line. It's pretty much perfect.

Housing:
Oh, this topic has me going nuts right now. We put in an offer on a new home last week. The offer was not accepted (there were competing offers) , but the seller did offer to build us the exact house for the exact price in the same neighborhood. So great. We'll be able to pick our finishes and he'll have it completed in 3 months. We're still in negotiations over a few issues, so nothing is signed yet. I'm just praying it works out. Poppy Ink would have a WHOLE basement to call its own, and Gibb would have a playroom. THAT is almost too good to be true. We'd be able to live normally instead of like we're living in a warehouse. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Lastly:
AND! We'll be doing a fabric album for the Poppy Project in March. Here is where I'll be getting the fabric: Purlsoho. I'm so psyched for this. Seriously. :D

A few recent pics of The Boy:
This is Gibb making his Daddy's valentine. I love watching him be crafty. He loves it and he's so deliberate and thoughtful.

Hee-hee. We're doing the 14 days of Valentines at our house. I bought those valentine chair-backers from Pottery Barn and we've been leaving little gifts for each other. On this day Gibby got a sock monkey and he was so very cute abt it. Now I need to pull out that sock monkey stamp and make a layout! :P

Have a good one! :)

Sleepy.

2007-01-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, the Gibb. He totally fell asleep today watching The Incredibles. He looked so sweet. I had to snap some pics. I'm having a really hard time reading what's wrong with the poor little guy. He's not sleeping very well. He has these yucky cough attacks that are brought on by cold air, running around, and crying. I think he's missing school and hanging out with his cousins. He'll be back to good super-soon, and our lives can get back to normal. Oh, and he calls the puppy and binkie, puppabink. They're a duo. He has to have them both when he sleeps. We've been trying to let him know that when he turns 3 the binkie fairy will be coming to take his bink and give it to a baby who needs it. He's not buying it.

Too Much.

2007-01-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

So.
Just overwhelmed and totally exhausted. The trip to Utah Vally didn't turn out so great. Gibby came down with the flu and we had to come home the next morning. I hate the flu. My poor little man was so very sick. The flu should be banned. Why did he get that flu shot again? So. We get home on Saturday afternoon and try to get last minute items wrapped up and take care of the sick boy. I decide to get the Feb peekies scratched off the list, but the camera is nowhere to be found. We searched every room in our house. My mom searched every room in her house (that's where we stayed the one night in Utah Valley)...apparently it disappeared. I totally started freaking out. There were tears. Lots. So Robb goes out to get a new camera. He brings home a 350D Rebel. I'm dumb-founded and shocked and totally left with this awesome camera that I don't know how to work. Lovely. Fast forward to today. Gibby is still sick. Now he's started with a horrid cough and a fever. I just need my little man to be well. It breaks my heart to see him so sick. AND on a more selfish note, it leaves me with no time because he can't (obviously) go to school. I don't know how to run a business and take care of a sick toddler. And I've already lost the lens cap to my new camera. Double lovely.

In other news: We did find our SUV tonight. It's pretty. A navy blue Durango. I'll have to post some pics of the Poppy-Ink-Package-Mobile super soon.

Here's to waking up with a better attitude, friends!
Heather

Lots of pretties.

2007-01-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

So. I picked up this idea book at a fabric store. I totally freaked out! It's probably common knowledge--the whole making scrapbooks out of fabric thing, but I've never seen it done. I am SO going to put together a Poppy Project using Fabric as a base for a book! I recommend getting this book! There are some super-great ideas in here, and the colors combos are so very happy.

::sigh:: This is maybe one of the funnest boxes I've ever opened. Seriously. There are some sweeeeeet pretties in there. This product is going in the Poppy Project for February. It's called, "Pretty Please". So cute. " It's going to be a totally random album with a super-funky binding. :)

My little guy. Last week we had a perfect storm that brought tons of snow. Gibb was just so very psyched to play in it. Last year he wouldn't sled, but this year he didn't want to stop. I even went down once and I screamed and howled and laughed. It was so fun. I totally can't wait to do it again...we need more fluffy snow though. Oh, and he loves making angels. Every so often he'd just fall back and start swishing his legs back and forth. Gosh, he's cute. :)

AND. Happy mail day to me! I received an Anthropologie order. Lots of stuff on clearance over there. Here's a few things I picked up:
These are only $3.95. So cute and so inexpensive. I think they'd make cutie gifts, but I'm totally keeping mine!

I bought this too! Totally on sale and I think it's so very cute. I'm really loving the tunic length. AND it's called Paintbox. Fun stuff.

These are great! I can't wait to frame them for my scrappy space. Pretty colors. Pretty birdies.

Anyway, friends. I hope that you all are well and that you have a great weekend! We've been shopping around for a new SUV (to tote all the boxes to the PO) and we haven't found one we like so we're headed to Utah Valley where they have every car manufacturer ever, all in one place. Cross you fingers that we find something we like and something that we can afford!

"When we face the worst that can happen in any situation, we grow. When circumstances are at their worst, we can find our best."
--Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Catch ya' later. ;)

Sweet Sonnet

2007-01-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the peekie of the January Poppy Project that I promised. It's so very sweet. It'll make the perfect gift for your Valentine, and it even comes with it's own wrapping paper. I can't wait to show you the whole thing!

Here's my favorite sonnet:
Sonnet XVII
Pablo Neruda
I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving

but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

Whoa.

2007-01-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

So.
I'm not a very good blogger. Scratch that. I'm a blogger with good intentions, but not a lot of follow through. Blogging in a more regular fashion is at the top of my resolution list. It surely is. It's up there along with putting the wash away after folding it and putting the milk back in the fridge after using it. We'll see how it goes. ;)

Oh, Hawaii. What a sweeeet time that was. In some ways it wasn't really a "vacation" because we were sleeping in a 4 year olds room (thanks again, Hayley) on a blow-up mattress with Gibby sleeping 3 inches away on a toddler bed..so in that way, it was kinda more like "home for the holidays" than "tropical vacation." But we still had like this totally great time, and I'm so grateful to my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law for letting us stay with them. Most of my photos are stuck on Robbie's laptop, but I have a few that were still on the camera...
This was our last beach day. We drove out to Sunset to check out the waves. So great.
The island shack. It's across the street from Sunset. We walked in and sat down and the waitress totally ignored us until Robb's sister started waving her menu in the air. She then sauntered over and took our order in a totally aloof way. So funny to me. Here we are in a shack without a floor and corrugated metal for walls and we're getting attitude from the waitress. It took an hour to get our plate lunch, and when it was over Gibby proceeded to swipe the plate onto the ground. And break it. I guess we lived up to her expectations. T

I've never been prouder of my little man. He was a bit freaked out abt the ocean. He loved the sand, but wasn't really sure abt the water. It took him abt 45 minutes to get in the first time we went. Later in the week Robb bought Gibb this board so he'd be able to see the fish. We took it to Hanama Bay, but he didn't want to get on. The next time we went to the beach he totally did it. This is sooo Gibby. He takes his time to do things, and does them on his own terms. I like that abt him.

Okay. I love this photo. This is Gibb at Waimea Bay. Perfect.

I'll be posting a sneaky peekie of the January Poppy Project on my blog tomorrow. I LOVE it! :)

Catch ya' later!

a little peekie...

2006-11-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

So. How the heck are ya'? I've been a bit busy and now with the holidays looming I'm feeling a bit glassy-eyed and overwhelmed. BUT. There is nothing like a Sneaky Peekie to perk up a gal. So here goes nuthin'! ---------->
Here's a little peekie of our December Poppy Project. It'll feature sweet Sassafrass Lass papers and the Decor Boards from Junkitz. There's four super-cute trims and a darling little tree stamp that I'm soooo using on my Christmas cards. I can't wait to get this put together! So fun and soooo holiday!

In other news: I hope you all had an awesomatastic Thanks giving. We totally did. Lots of family time and food and fun activities and fights over who got the top bunk...total bliss, I tell ya'! :) Love this photo of the Thanksgivng table. Makes me a little teary even looking at it because I had such a beautiful week at my mom's house.

Catch ya' later! ;)

Sheesh.

2006-11-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

What in the world? It totally snowed. That's right. It snowed.
When Gibb woke up from his nap on Thursday it was snowing. Huge heaps of the white stuff was poring from the sky. So I got us both decked out in our gear, which takes a lot of time. When we finally made our way out the door, the snow had stopped. Shoot. Gibb played in the puddles anyway and ran around pretending to be a monster fighting dinosaurs (do I have the only 2-year-old that does that?)...then all of a sudden the snow started again. And I got this photo. There were only a few flakes, but Gibb was so very psyched. Sometimes it's the small things, ya' know?

In other news, Robb and I went and saw Stranger Than Fiction tonight. I *heart* this movie. For reals. I LOVED everyone in it; Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Will Ferral, Dustin Hoffman. A superb cast. A super movie. It totally all comes down to Milk & Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies and Flours....and all that comes from simple things just like that.

Catch ya' later!

HApPy hALoWeENie

2006-10-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

SO.
I realized last night that we, the Burch Fam, totally forgot to get pumpkins at the patch! Yikes! We've gone to like a bajillion halloween events, but I totally forgot abt the pumpkin picking. I took the little guy to wally-world today and I saw a bin of pumpkins in the front and I was this >< close to putting The Gibb into the bin just so I could get pics of him picking a pumpkin. I chickened out! Hee, Hee. O-well. We shall have a fab halloweenie without pumpkins! Happy Halloween! :)

PeEkiE time.

2006-10-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

There will be two totally *FaB* add-ons for November, Grin and Cherish. They are so very packed with cutie items and each one has a 2-piece stamp set. Be still my heart. They're so very darling. :D

::sigh:: The Poppy Project, Giggle Box, is just *SwEet*! It comes with LOTS of goodies and an 11-piece stamp set that makes me so very happy. I really do get giddy thinking abt it. So great! :)

Sept. Winner

2006-10-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

So.
This is a little late in coming. BUT.
The winner for the Sept. contest at Poppy Ink is...

Congrats, girlie!

Little Spidey.

2006-10-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Burch Fam went to a Halloween fesival yesterday. SO. MUCH. FUN. :D Gibb got all decked out in his Spidey costume (which he loves, btw) and ran around all over the park--his 6 extra legs flailing about. In the above photo he was romping in a pile of leaves that was surrounded by hay bales and he was searching for his prize. First he found a cheetah mask, but then he found a big oogy spider. He was so very thrilled. And so were we.

What the photo doesn't show is right before I snapped this one, I told Robb I was gonna' kick him if he didn't get his arm out of my shot. He laughed. The ladies who were running the booth looked at me like I was nuts. ::sigh:: I am.

In other news: We are ready for winter! Bring on the snow! I found out this summer that seasons are much more fun when you buy the right outerwear--probably a concept that most people already know about. I bought my first swimsuit in years, this past summer, and I had a blast going to the pool and the lake. So this winter I've armed myself with a new coat and snowpants and boots. Here's my coat. I think it's cute.

Catch ya' later!

Oh, the digi frame I used is from Designer Digitals. It's Sunday so they've loaded all their new goodies! I don't know anything abt digi, but I LOVE their frames!

A PeEKie

2006-10-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hoo-ray! It's sneaky peekie time!
Here's a photo of the Poppy Project that we will be selling mid-month (October). The kit will go up for sale on Friday the 13th. They'll start shipping next week. I really can't wait to dig into all of these goodies! Those 7Gypsies stamps are MASSIVE. I was soooo not expecting that! Hee! It was a good surprise! And don't get me started on the papers. Reds and lime greens and bits of pink. So very perfect.

Anyways. I must get back to packing kits!
Have a good one!
Oh, and my sweetie celebrated his birthday this weekend. Happy Birthday, sweet cheeks! :D

In other news: I stepped on my paper cutter today and slashed my foot on this hinge/corner thing that it has on the side. I almost fainted. I don't do well with blood. Yuck. It totally still hurts. I get a little nauseated thinking abt it. So, I think I should stop thinking abt it....

Little Bits of Happy.

2006-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

That's really all I need. Little doses of happiness--spread out over the minutes, days, weeks...just little doses. There has been so much ugliness in the news and in outer facets of my life that I just have to focus on the *hAppY*

Here's what makes me smile.
1) Getting my inbox down to one page. I cannot even express how fullfilling that is. That's a HUGE dose of happy.

2)Gibb's laugh. Even the girls at school talk abt his laugh. He has the greatest laugh. Even when he was a newborn he laughed like an adult, but only when he was sleeping.

3)Planning kits. I LOVE putting product together. Seriously love it. I don't know what I'd do with my time if I didn't have that to do. Maybe I'd take up knitting. Nahhhh... ;p

4) New clothes. I think clothes are my biggest weakness. I've always been that way. I stopped liking clothes when I gained weight. But now I like them again.

5) Getting kits. I got a kit in the mail today. That, my friends, is one of the bestest things!

6) Robbs afro. My sweetie has curly hair and he's just letting it grow and grow and grow. When it has product it looks very tame, but when he combs it out, it add a full 12 inches to his head. Tee-hee. He cracks me up.

7) Visiting the mom. That is where I decompress. I walk into her house and it feels so fresh and quiet and relaxing. I'm so grateful that I have a place to go where I can get away.

8) Grey's Anatomy. I didn't really get to watch it tonight, but I did get to hear it. It's my little vice. I think it's good to have a little vice. It keeps us human.

This quote makes me happy:

"Let your soul stand ajar, always ready to welcome the estatic experience." --Emily Dickinson

Oh, and I made these shirts for my sweet nieces. I bought cheap-o shirts at Walmart and embellied them with Heidi Swapp iron-ons and my mama's crocheted flowers. I think they look pretty cutie.

Catch ya' later!!

Fun day.

2006-09-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Burch fam went on a little picnic in the canyon today. Munga Fuss was visiting and my sister and her cute family went with us. The leaves are like totally crazy-beautiful right now. We have a ton more photos that must be taken before the leaves all fall. Geez, fall is just too short. I *heart* this photo of Gibb and I. I know it's blurry and Gibb is soooo not looking at the camera and I have a silly look on my face, but I don't have very many photos of the two of us. What a fun day, as Gibb would say :). Totally just what we needed.

Well. I'd better get back to work. Only 4 more hours until the new site is loaded! Here's a little of peek of all the great stuff that we have in store...seriously great stuff. :) And isn't my niece like the cutest thing ever? Yea. She totally is. :)

I'm back.

2006-09-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Man, alive. It's been a nut-so couple of weeks.
My little man, Gibson, is doing really well. I'm glad/ grateful/ relieved that it's not last week. I knew that it was going to be hard to hand my baby over to the doctors, but I was certainly not prepared for the reality of that situation. The surgery was delayed by an hour or so. We tried to keep him busy with trains and drawings and the movies that the nurse brought in. It was rough. He was hungry and thirsty and kept asking for juice. It was sooo hard to just try and change the subject. I'm so very happy that my mom was there. She is such a calming influence and Gibb totally adores her. When it was finally time I picked him up and Robb and my mom followed behind us. We got to the end of the hallway and the anesthesiologist reached out to take him and my heart just dropped. But he kinda took him and I grabbed onto a train that Gibb was holding and a nurse walked over and started talking to me and I let go and the doctor took Gibb away. It was probably the most empty and scary feeling I've ever felt. I mean, it was a small procedure and I trusted the men who would be taking care of him and Robb had given him the most beautiful blessing that morning and I knew that everything was going to be okay. But in that moment when I watched Gibb go around the corner, all wrapped in his train blanket, my heart stopped beating.
The surgery took longer than expected, and after abt an hour I heard a baby crying. I knew that it wasn't my Gibb, but it really put me on edge. So I stood at the door of our room. Waiting. I'll never, ever forget how he looked when they wheeled him back into the room. He looked so tiny. The bed looked so very big. They'd covered him with his train blanket and had laid his toy train and train slippers at the end of the bed. He was sleeping so sweetly. The nurse came in and said that he had gotten really upset when he'd woken up so they let him go back to sleep. We were in the recovery room for a long time. When he woke up he was very quiet and looked very confused. I sang his lullaby over and over and stroked his hair. The nurse brought him in some flavored ice. As soon as he saw it he shot up in the bed and kinda smiled. Anyway...to make a long story a bit shorter...his recovery has been pretty remarkable. He's doing great. By the evening of the surgery he was on the rug playing with his trains, and wanting to eat. A lot. :)
I snapped a few photos of Gibb after the surgery and I'm so grateful that I did. I totally believe in remembering and keeping and scrapping these moments. Totally.

He's already back to his old self. I took this pic of him at the park on Monday. Ha! I think he's such a cutie! ;) That's the train that my mom bought him the morning of the surgery. He's been carrying it all over the place!

Thank you to everyone who has sent their well-wishes and to all the PI ladies who've been so patient with e-mails and issues!

In other news:
I know this is cruel and unusual, but lookie-lookie what I have! Huzzah! It's Bam Pop, people and it's gonna be the crowning glory of the November kit! I can't wait!

AND! I did a little shopping on Monday. Just look at these pretties. LOVE the Designing With Color book. Such great inspiration! And don't even get me started on these stamps. I think I'll be using those date stamps on every layout. They are beyond perfect! And who doesn't love new pens in pretty colors? I think everyone should go out and refresh their pen collection. ::sigh:: I LOVE new pens.

My Little Man...

2006-09-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

My Gibb goes in for surgery tomorrow. I'm trying to be okay. I keep telling myself that there isn't anything to worry abt. That he'll be totally fine. I went in for the pre-op appointment today and the nurse was explaining that for the first 20 minutes in the recovery room we won't be allowed in. I just can't imagine him coming out of the anesthesia without someone near him that he knows. It makes me sick to my stomach to even think abt it. So, I'm trying not to.
Yesterday we took him shopping for new Thomas Train PJ's. We bought him three pairs and some Thomas Train slippers. He was sooo psyched. He's crazy abt trains. My mom brought him a Thomas Train car wash thingie and Auntie got him a new Thomas Train coloring book with tattoos. He already has one on each hand. I bought him nearly every Thomas Train item that he doesn't already have. Are we seeing a pattern? In my family when there's a crisis, we buy things...::sigh::
Here's a few photos of Gibb earlier today... man, I just really love this kid. He's beyond amazing. And I know that he's going to do great tomorrow.

fLEa maRkEt October Kits

2006-09-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here's just a little peekie of the kits that are coming up in October. The one ^up there^ is a mix of three add-ons; Junk, Bits, and Baubles. We're starting a new plan this month with the add-ons so that there will be a range in the prices...pretty trims, funky finds, crocheted flowers (thanks mom :), a lil' bling, more ledger accents (wink)...so many little pretties.

The other pic is the main kit, "Flea Market." I left a lot out of this photo because I wanted it to be a surprise. It's good. Reeeeally good. :)

Catch ya' later. :)

just thinkin'

2006-09-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

Gibb's asleep. Thank goodness.
Robb's asleep. Thank goodness.

I'm not. It's been a rough couple of days--in many areas of my life. Gibb was scheduled to have surgery tomorrow (Wed.) to have his tumor (tiny little benign mass on his stomach muscle) taken out, but he's sick with a cold. I took him to the doctor today and we decided that it would be best to wait until the cold clears up...with my bad attitude I just thought, story of my life...what else will go wrong before some things start going right? Certainly not the right way to think of things, because there are many things that are right with my life. Too many things to count. I am so very blessed. And granted, I've hit a rough spot, but (like my husband has told me many times this past week) you just have to take it one step, one problem, one sad/ sweet/ disgruntled/ angry/ helpful/ grateful/ frustrated/ forgiving customer at a time. So that's what I'm doing. And I've started finally feeling okay, that I am doing the best that I can, in this moment.

I've also been getting crazy-inspired by the new fall clothes coming out at Anthropologie.

Geez Lousie. It doesn't get much prettier than that. I love the colors and the pattern and the cut...

Oh, yes. I could totally wear that. And scrapbook with paper in that pattern. LOVE the bright/ happy colors against the mossy green. Really fantastic.

Anway. I'm off to lay in bed wishing I could fall asleep.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
--Buddha

::sigh:: I think that may become my mantra.
Catch ya' later.

This n' that.

2006-09-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

So.
Do you remember that day when I said that I would try and post everyday? HA! Clearly. That didn't happen. This whole blogging thing feels a bit strange. I live a small life. A life that I totally love, but awesome/ amazing experiences do not spring from my life very often. Ya' know what I mean? Here's some things on my mind:

School:
Gibby started his curriculum-based day care yesterday. (saying the curriculum part makes me feel better :) It really was awful. The leaving him there and then all the guilt abt leaving him there. A lot to take. I had a really hard time concentrating b/c I couldn't stop thinking abt him. But the facility is amazing. The teachers seem so great. And they have a huge indoor play set, a computer room, three large play rooms, an art room, a reading room, a quiet room, an outdoor play set, and a cafeteria. When we picked him up yesterday he was rolling around on the floor amidst hula-hoops. Happy as a lark. We'll have to see how it goes. Today Robb picked Gibb up and he looked like he had a great time! And his white shirt was covered with paint and his diaper was full of sand. Both good things that I can live with. :)

Little Pretties:
I received a couple of really fun orders for the add-ons kits in October. Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy. I don't think it gets much better than this. ::sigh:: I love paper. And everything associated with it.

Munga Fuss:
I snapped this photo of Gibb and his fuss (my mom) on our little train ride. We had the bestest time ever this past weekend. We went to the zoo and took a 3 hour train ride and just chilled. Such fun. I also coerced my mom into taking on a super-huge project for the October add-on kits. Well. It really was all her idea, but I kept adding to it until she made me stop. But really people. There is going to be such a fun surprise in the October kits. Have I told you lately that the main kit, "Flea Market" is drop-dead gorgeous? It is. It *reallyreallyreally* is.

Cute hat.

2006-08-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

Gibb and I went on a little date. Robb was at school, and we only had an hour before we had to pick him up so we decided to go the old part of downtown and take a few photos. Gibb really likes his hat. Everytime he puts it on he says, "cute hat, mama." He also likes taking photos in front of brick walls. :) I bought him an oatmeal cookie and a juice at a little bakery, after we'd walked around taking photos. He took one bite and slipped off his chair and said, "more fotos walls, mama...peeeeese." So we ditched our cookies and took more pics. He also found a bike shop that he was totally psyched about. He stood in front of the open door and watched the owner fix bikes with his cute dog laying at his feet. When Gibb turned and walked away he said "many bikes, mama, doggies too ruff-ruff."
I love this kid.
I live for days like this.
:)

Catch ya' later.

Etc.

2006-08-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been a little MIA in the blogging arena. My apologies. I think that I'm gonna make it a goal to write a little blurb once a day...we'll see how that goal goes!

I totally wanted to share this last week, but I kept putting it off. I taught a little class to my sister's young womens group (an LDS chruch group). It really was fun! I put little kits together from left over Poppy Ink stuff. We did a little AAM album. I printed them off a whole bunch of these labels from Rhonna Farrer (which if you haven't bought, you should :) and gave them bits of paper and ribbon. It was a paper bag album that I spray painted with a homemade mask. I really do love how it turned out and I think the girls had a great time!

In other news it's back 2 skool time in the Burch house. Robb headed back to school yesterday, and I think it was super hard on Gibb. He LOVES his daddy. They are the bestest of buds and they've been able to spend a ton of time together the last few months. When we dropped Robb off yesterday Gibb was so very sad. I was too. I don't like that summer is over. We've had such an amazing time. We took one last trip to the lake on Saturday. It was bittersweet. It was FREEZING, but we had a great time. ::sigh:: It's been an awesome summer. Here's a pic of Gibb at our last 2006 lake outing...man I love that kid. :)

AND. Without furtur ado. Here's a peek at the September kits at Poppy Ink. I used items from the main kit, Home Sweet Home and the 2 add-ons kits, Acorn and Hearth. It's a little mini-album abt a fall outing. So, in lieu of a Poppy Project this month...you can make this! Acron will come with 2 chipboard slide mailers for the album. So very fun to make! :)

Catch ya' later. :)

Whoa.

2006-08-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

It has been a nut-so couple of weeks. Seriously.
-finished my KI album and sent it off (check)
-spent lots of fun, amazing, refreshing time with the family (check)
-picked three amazing designers for the design team at Poppy Ink (check)
-packed KoolAid kits (check)
-made lots of CHA orders and checked on orders already made (check)
-played at the pool (check)
And now I'm sleepy. So I think I'll just post some photos of the boy from our little vaca and head to bed. We went to the zoo where they had a train and Gibb almost nearly passed out from excitement and these amazing gardens that I wish I could live in and this cool little park full of wooden castles and spaceships...fun times, fun times :)

Catch ya' later.

Home Sweet Home/ September Kit

2006-08-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Fall is my very favorite season. I love fall. The September kit, "Home Sweet Home" at Poppy Ink is soooo very fall. ::sigh:: I just love fall. New school clothes. Crunchy leaves. Long nights. Cool days. Time moves slower. Life takes on a weathered feel. Orange. ::sigh:: I love orange. :)

There'll be two add-on kits, "Acorn" and "Hearth." They're fabulous. New Heidi Swapp journaling spots and ghost clocks. Mini-framdangoes from Everlasting Keepsakes. Birdie Stamp from Poppy Ink. Ribbons from We R Memory Keepers. ::sign:: I love ribbon. Tags from Foofala. I LOVE Foof.

AND, my little Poppy Ink Pals, you're gonna flip when you find out who the guest PopARTist is. Seriously. You'll flip. I did. :P

*sPoiLeRs* for Future Kits:

October: Flea Market
New BasicGrey (Lily Kate and Gypsy) and Sassafrass Lass (Papers, diecut trims, rub-ons)
TONS of new Heidi Swapp in the embellies (4 things in the main kit)
Picot-trimmed ribbons
And that's just the main kit. :)
HS Bling and Iron-ons/ BacicGrey chipboard and metal tiebacks...
A Poppy Project that is packed with new 7G's. It's totally gonna rock your socks off. Really. It will.

November:
New Play papers from American Crafts (can you say, "Thickers" :) and KI
More Heidi Swapp & Doodlebug in the embellies/ Fancy Pants Big Board
7G's stickers and stamps
...and a few surprises :)

Geez, you ladies sure are spoiled. :P
I'm so excited for the months ahead! Let me know what you think and if there are other items or manufacturers that you're looking for. I'm all ears.

Boxes.

2006-08-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

My life is all abt boxes these days.

Priority Boxes:
*haPpY pOpPy InK sHIpPiNG DaY!*

This is what my living room looked like this morning! That's a lot of boxes, my friends.
Most kits went out today. Hoo-ray! That is SUCH a good feeling!
The rest will go out tomorrow. :)

Heidi Swapp Boxes:

I received my CHA order today. Eight boxes of amazing yummy goodness. Everything looks soooooo fun! I can't wait to put all these pretties in some kits! ;) Gibb totally helped me go through it all, and I think he was just as excited as I was! My favorite thing was the ledger chipboard letters, Gibb's was the martha bling borders

Boys in Boxes:

A couple days ago Robb and I came downstairs and the boy was eating his cereal in not one, but two boxes. We had a good laugh. He's pretty silly. This boy is used to having boxes around. Who needs a puppy when there's a bevy of boxes to sat in.
Make sure you check out the mis-matched pj's, too...that's my fav part. Tee-hee. :P

In other news: It's time to go grocery shopping. Gibb ate pickles and corn for dinner. Yea. I know.

Just Breathe.

2006-08-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

I love that photo. My boyz. Again. HA! I guess I can do that since it's my blog!

We just got back from the Doctor. ::sigh::
I love good doctors. You know the ones that put you at ease and explain everything in such a way that you don't feel stupid, and when they're done you don't have any questions. Gibb's totally fine. We are going to take the tiny little mass out and it'll be an outpatient procedure. He will have to go under anesthetics, and that makes me nervous, but I'm trying just to think positive... The surgeon told me that we can plan the surgery around our time schedule. He told us not to cancel vacations, and to just plan for it during a time that would be good for us. So that's a good thing. I think we're gonna plan it for mid-September, after kits are sent out and I can just focus on my little guy. He was such a trooper. He usually screams when doctors approach him, but he didn't this time. He just laid on the table with a train in each hand and let the doctor press on his belly. He even chattered a bit abt his button...my silly little man is gonna be okay. Thank goodness.

I'm feelin' chatty, so I think I'll do Sophia C's blogging challenge.

Top 10 Surprises in My Life:
(in no particular order)

one.
Call it inexperience. Call it naivete. I didn't expect motherhood to be this hard. I mean there's lots of good stuff, but there's lots of rough stuff too...

two.
My scooter. My sixth Christmas I found a bright blue scooter under a quilt. Man, that was a great Christmas.

three.
Until recently I thought Alaska was an island. Really. I did. I was *sHockeD* when I found out that it's atached to Canada. Geography is soooo not my thing.

four.
Kissing is like really fabulous. ::blush:: I won't tell you how I found that out. ;)

five.
The day my grandma passed. I never ever ever thought I'd lose her.

six.
Valentines Day 1999. Robb planned the bestest date ever. He sneaked into my dorm room and took me to the beach for breakfast. We had cereal and just watched the sunrise. While I was gone he had my friends decorate my room with balloons and flowers Then we went for a hike to a waterfall and he brought a picnic and sketch books with oil pastels. We just sat on a rock and drew pictures. Then we went to a movie and dinner and sat on the beach some more. ::sigh:: Those were the days. ;P

seven.
I can buy flowers for myself. AND enjoy them.

eight.
Scrapbooking. I so never thought I'd be a scrappin' mamma. THAT is a B I G surprise. Even now.

nine.
Finding music. My parents were never really into music. I mean we listened to it in the car, but in High School I really got into it. And it wasn't just because I dated a boy who played guitar. I swear. ;)

ten.
Surprise birthday party in 8th grade. I didn't really have great friends that I could count on until that year. I remember being so floored that people would take the time to put something like that together for me...

Something Simple,

2006-08-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

My boys have become bikeriders.
A couple days ago Robb brought home this contraption that looked like something that would end up being on a recall list. It attaches to the bar in between the seat and the handlebars. The Gibb is crazy over it. He totally loves that thing AND the best part is he loves his helmet and knee and elbow pads. They've gone on at least one bike ride a day, and I think it's fabulous! :) They really are best buds. I must admit, I feel a bit left out at times, but watching them together makes up for it! :) Thank heavens for simple things like cute boys on bikes. ;)

Something not so simple: We found out today that Gibb has a tiny little benign tumor in his tummy. He had an ultrasound last week b/c he has this bump above his belly button...We have an appointment with a pediatric surgeon on Friday. You know, I thought I was okay with the news, but now that it's settled I'm feelin' a bit overwhelmed. I don't like my boys name and the word, "tumor," in the same sentence...even if the word benign is in there, too. I'll keep ya' posted.

Catch ya' later!

Happy Things.

2006-07-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

So.
I've kinda been avoiding blogging the past few days. Just feelin' a little unsettled and crazed. Ya know? So many, many things to do. Great things. Awesome things. Just lots of things. :)

Yesterday I received a HUGE order of buttons, and I couldn't wait to pour them into one of my canvas bins and just look at all the prettiness...I know. A grown women shouldn't be so obsessed with buttons. But, geez. They're like little bits of plastic sunshine. Buttons make me happy.

Not a lot of time these days to read and relish, but these paper morsels keep me sane. Seriously. I love reading abt politics/ art/ literature/ fashion all in one place. It makes it easy peasy. The New Yorker makes me feel centered.

New scrapping tools. I've never speant money on the right scrapping tools. I buy cheap adhesive and cheap scissors and cheap inks...you get the idea. It was so great to go out and buy the right tools and I'm soooo happy with the results. Erica totally inspired me to exacto! I had a ball at the class learning so many great tips and gaining a bunch of inspiration. I'm soooo gonna start investing in the right tools. My cool little glass mat: 12.50. Me learning the right way to exacto: priceless ;).

My little man. He has been a pill lately. What is up with the twos? Two days a week he stays at my sisters house so I can have more time to work on Poppy Ink stuff. Her house is like Neverland! They have a massive yard with a huge treehouse/ swingset, a trampoline, a bazillion bikes/tricycles/ bigwheels/ wagons, a dog, a cat, cool water toys, an awesomatastic sandbox.... Needless to say, the boy doesn't like coming home. And when he is home all he can talk abt is Auntie Jens house. Not so easy on the mommy. Robb thinks I'm silly, but I want him to like being at home, too.
O-well.
He had a ball in the pub tonight (his words) playing in his new Thomas Train bubbles. I don't think they have those at Auntie Jens. ;)

LOVE this photo of my niece at the lake. She loves gathering living things. She found this tiny dragonfly and wanted a photo snapped. I love her sandy hands. When I see this photo I can almost hear her bubbley giggle. :) That's happiness.

"There are sounds to seasons.
There are sounds to places,
and there are sounds
to every time in one's life."
--Alison Wyrley Birch

I'm In!

2006-07-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend I started my KI album for the contest! Can I get a woot-woot?! :)
I didn't think I'd have time, but I decided that I'd make time! Because I LOVE the Color Theory papers. They're amazing and sooo fun to work with! I came up with a theme that's totally doable in the time frame, and one that I'm so excited about that I can hardly see straight.

I've had good luck with album contests in the past, so it'll be fun to see how this one goes!
Look at all that yumminess...:) I took a photo of everything because it's so very pretty and it totally makes me happy.

I have to say though, that I am not a fan of buying stuff at my LLS. It had been a while since I'd been in there and I don't really want to go back anytime soon. Besides the yummy KI, they didn't have anything new or really great...I NEVER thought I'd be saying that, but it's kinda true...

Here's to an amazing and productive week, my friends! :)

Here's my to-do list for this week:
-cut and roll all ribbon for kits
-start working on August gallery
-get Gibb's Dr. appointment
-finish off the KI album
-get the new forum for Erica Hernandez's class up and running
-LAUNDRY!!
-finish off the projects for the week of tips and tricks at Poppy Ink
-POOL TIME> man it's hot here!

...lots to do! :) What are you up to this week?!

A little bit sentimental...

2006-07-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I get like this.
All emotional and sentimental. And just drained.
Totally feelin' like I need three thousand hugs and a nice hot cup of tea.

I was a bit apprehensive about "showing and telling" my BasicGrey Be Bold album, but I think it'll be cathartic. And I think this is the right time.

I made an album dedicated to my brother, James. He passed away as a newborn. I wasn't even born then, but I've always known about him. I was born a little less than a year later. I think because I wasn't alive when he left, I was never able to grieve. How do you grieve for something you've never really lost? I still feel a very strong connection to him. Like I knew him before. Believe me. I know that sounds strange, but it's true. I've always felt like I missed out. I felt a bit cheated. I felt lost without my big brother. This album, "Who I Am: A Letter To My Brother" is a compilation of moments that he missed. My wedding. The kissing tag fiasco in Kindergarten. Meeting Robb. Meeting Gibb. Teenage angst. Moving to Hawaii. My love of books. Grandma's Funeral. The birth of my son. Small glimpses into my life without him.
On the back of each layout is a letter. The last one reads:
Dear James,
I am a 25-year-old mother, star-gazer, wife, sister, daughter, dreamer, scrapbooker, writer, reader, dish-washer. I am brimmed with memories and moments that you missed. That we missed. Hollow in spaces that even my dreams can't fill. I am still just a sister searching for her lost brother. I can't stop wondering who I would have been if you had been a physical part of my life. James, I've forgiven your absence. I've forgiven the holes. I concede to you being my Gaurdian Angel. Patched, mended, we'll swap stories soon.
Always Missing You,
Heather

Yea. I know.
I'm really grateful to BasicGrey for having a contest that required us to dig deep and be bold. I never would have created this album without that push.

Here's a photo of Gibb and my mom at the lake on Monday. This little boy loves his munga fuss (that's what he calls her, silly little guy). These are the moments, ya know?!

"And through and over everything, a sense of glad awakening."--Edna St. Vincent Millay

In other news: We're going to Hawaii for Christmas. Robb's mom and sister both live on Oahu. It'll be my first Christmas without snow. Excited and a bit sad.

Hello, August. :)

2006-07-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

"Sweet Summer"

I'm sooooooo excited for August at Poppy Ink! I love the colors in the papers; I love the stamps, I love the sweet pin alphas; I love the flocked chipboard; I love the HUGE ric-rac; I totally *heart* the Poppy Project (It's not an album and won't come with any paper. I think you're gonna love it, too); I love the designer lunch bags; I love, love love all the pretty buttons; ::sigh:: I just really, really love everything about August!

Last night I pulled out all the goodies from the main kit, the three add-ons, and the Poppy Project, and made a little display. There's something from every kit in the photo! ;) We'll be posting more specific sneaky peekies on the site, on the 15th.

Just LOTS of things on my sleepy mind...

2006-07-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm over-the-moon about*:

*Erica Hernandez is teaching an online class on July 18th at www.Poppyink.com. It's coming up reeeeaaaally quick.
I'm totally psyched to see what she comes up with.

I need*:
*Like really really need.
We've tried for the past month to get the PO to send us the amt of boxes we need.
Every time they show up they only bring us 25 when we ordered 500.
I'm not happy with USPS.
Not happy at all.

I want*:

*This isn't the exact one, but it's similar.
I'm hoping I can talk the sweetie into it.
I showed it to him today, and he liked it.
The one I like has less pink and more orange and is more paisley then floral...
okay, so really it isn't like this one at all, but they didn't have the one I liked on the website, and I'm soooooo not scanning tonight.
But, this one is pretty too.
It's just not me.
So I guess I don't really want it.

I'm beyond psyched about*:

PopARTist Call

We are currently looking for a few amazing popARTists to join our design team. Submissions are due August 14th and the winners will be selected by and notified on August 21st. If you’re interested please read the instructions below. E-mail me, Heather Burch, with any questions you may have at dtquestions@poppyink.com.

Please e-mail three layouts that showcase your best work and personal style. These layouts can be one or two pages and any size that you customarily scrap in. I’m looking for a variety of scrapping styles.

I would also like to see one altered project that you’ve made. If you don’t alter, just send an extra layout.

Along with those four things, please e-mail a photo or a scan of a card that you’ve made. You don’t need to e-mail work that no one else has seen. I just want to see your best work.

In your e-mail list your name, phone number, location, and when you started scrapbooking.

I would also like to know why you’d like to be a PopARTist on the Poppy Ink DT. And lastly, give me a list of what would be included in your dream kit. What papers, embellishments, and trims would you put in a kit?

Recap:
Email photos or scans (keep attachments under 200kb each):
-3 layouts
-1 altered project
-1 card

Body of Email:
-Name
-Phone Number
-Location
-When did you start scrapping?
-Why would you like to join our team?
-Your dream kit
Email your submissions to: dtsubmissions@poppyink.com

If you are chosen you will have a photo and bio posted in our design team section. You will have your work featured in our gallery each month. Compensation for providing 3 layouts and 1 project a month will include a free kit and you get to keep the projects you make. I also send goodie bags with really great items from the add-ons kits.

Regretfully, we are not accepting international submissions. In addition, we are only accepting submissions from individuals who are not on other kit club DT’s (manufacturers and other online store DT’s are fine).

Let me know if you have any questions.

*C'mon, you know you wanna try out.

Catch ya' later! :)

So you think you can dance....

2006-07-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, he can. :)

Should I worry that he was the only one at the parade dancing to the marching band? Man he looked cute marching around in circles with his arms flailing...love that little guy! We had a fun 4th...lots of running around and sunshine and watermelon. No fireworks, though. I'm kinda not a fan of the whole fireworks thing. They scare me a little bit. Even as a kid, I was always like, "...and when did it become okay for you to put a lit stick in my hands?" I know. I'm a party pooper. AND my sweetie has a huge scar on his head from when he was a baby and his sister, Cherri, poked him in the head with a sparkler. Yea. I know.
We'll have to go to a fireworks display on the 24th (pioneer day in Utah). Anyway, who needs fireworks when you have a kid who can dance like ^that^?! I mean c'mon people! :)

I totally packed all the add-on kits and Poppy Projects. Yes.
I had some of the project kit's laid out and I thought all the repitition looked really elegant, so I snapped a photo. So pretty. ::sigh:: I love that kit! :)

random fact: Spilled food underneath the burners on the stove can totally make a yummy spaghetti dinner smell like sewage. Yuck.

Funny.

2006-07-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

My son has the best sense of humor.
Really, he does.

I had totally forgotten about this photo until tonight. I was going though some photo files and I found it. A couple weeks ago, after he'd woken up from his nap, he asked for his little person bookend that was on his bookshelf. He usually asks for some weired item when he wakes up...So I handed it to him and we went downstairs to have lunch. I was making him some cheese (aka pb&j sandwich on whole wheat bread) and I heard him scream, "Mama, funny! Mama, funny!" I walked into the family room and he was beaming in front of the wooden IKEA sculpture and his little person bookend. He'd posed them on the couch. We both stood there for a second, admiring his little art installation, and then he walked off saying, "Oh mama, it's funny." He's right. I think it's pretty funny, too.

Those little moments are the kinds of things I don't ever want to forget. I start getting all teary and emotional when I think about how fast he's growing up and how much I've already forgotten....Even as I cling to every moment--try to preserve all the nuances that make him him
I feel things falling away from me. If scares me because I want to remember everything. It seems like some women fall into wifehood and motherhood seamlessly, I'm not one of them. Marriage and kids take a lot of selfless work and I wasn't born innately selfless. I have to work at it. I feel like all those little moments are what make all the sacrifice worth it, and I don't want to forget them...Like tonight, Gibby and I ate pizza and watermelon in the family room on the floor for dinner, and I just had the best time gibbering and hanging out with him. There was no time outs and no yelling and no pokes in the eye (Since when so kids do that? No one warned me about that one)...just pure together time. What happens if I forget that moment...

Anyway, enough mindless rambling...
random fact: I want to be the type of person who values quality over quantity. Totally something I need to work on.

Catch ya' later.

A little bit of help...

2006-07-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

...can go a really long way. To learn more about how you can buy a shirt and help out a little bit, click on the link and read the story of an amazing individual whose story has inspired me more than I can say...remembering alex

I bought this shirt for my mama because she is a runner. I remember being little and feeling so proud of her when she raced. It was a big deal to me. I'll never ever forget when we all went to St. George so my parents could run the marathon. I was so proud of them. I was especially proud of my mom because she crossed the finish line before my dad... :) He had waited for her when she got sick in the middle of the race, but at the end, when it looked like they'd cross together, she raced in front and beat him. That is sooooooo my mom, for ya'! :)

She just recently had her second knee replacement and she hasn't slowed down a bit. She's a pretty amazing lady...

Oh, and that kid^^^ is pretty amazing, too!

Whew, another week. Lots of kits to pack and ship...
Happy 4th of July weekend, everybody! :)

Happiness is...

2006-07-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

poppets! I've had the best time playing around with the Poppet stamp sets from Claudine Helmuth. I did a family portrait for me and one for my dad with all the grandkids. If you can swing it, totally get these sets! The paper is also amazing and the sweet diecut outfits are *almost* too good to be true. I found these super-cheap canvases at Walmart and I painted the backgroud . Fun Project

Here are some other *haPpY* things that have happened lately:

-two BIG boxes of the new Cherry Arte papers showed up at my door (hint, hint)
-seeing Fuss and Papa
-two full days of just creating
-movie with my sister (The Devil Wears Prada! LOVED this movie!)
-seeing my first design turned into a stamp (more news to come)
-holding my sweet boy while he's sleeping (he asked me, in his sleep to sing the "Bye" song...I nearly melted)
-new rug for family room
- overwhelming feelings of gratefulness for the success of Poppy Ink
- sweet e-mails from people I admire
...lots of things to be happy about lately...

By the way, my new word is Moodling. LOVE that word. Here's a quote from Brenda Ueland, "So you see, imagination needs moodling- long, inefficent, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering."
When I was little my mother always told me not to dawdle. I was soooo a dawdler. I liked to take my time, and think things out...to really *see* the world. I've lost that. I've missed being a dawdler.
I think I'm gonna give myself permission to be inefficent--to be happily idle--for the rest of the evening...

Geez, Louise...

2006-06-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Can I have three more days until July 1st? Please???
Here's a little peekie at the new July site, coming way too soon. I had the greatest time creating my little muse mannequin. I found her looking very sad and dusty on a clearance shelf at TJ Max. So, I whisked her to my studio and dolled her up in duds I can only dream about;)! She's wearing a necklace that's from a broken piece of jewelry I received when my grandma passed away. She is one lucky muse...I miss my grandma...
The clipboards are 7Gypsies and I'd like about a ba-jillion more! I love those little guys!
The Gibb (aka my son) was at Fuss's (aka my mother) house with my sister and her kids, for the past two days. Now he's home and sleeping in his bed, where he belongs :)! It's good to have the little guy back! I'd almost forgotten how interesting trucks and trains can be. Fuss bought him a new tractor at the petting zoo, and he was super stoked to show off his new toy. Hoo-ray for finding happiness in small things like John Deere tractor toys! Leave it to him to help me put things into perspective.
Well, I'm off and back to my BFF. Photoshop.

later.
Heather Burch

::sigh:: I wish I could dance.

2006-06-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

I do.
Like really, really wish.

We got the awesome chance to see my sweet niece in her dance class today. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so precious. My niece tends to be a little shy so it was great to see her really get out there and tap her feet and point her toes. Wonderful! :)
Totally took me back to my own venture as a tiny dancer. I was a Golden Girl. I still remember the cheer we did during parades:

We are the Golden Girls
and we are proud
that's why we yell
so very loud
::pause::
All right!

I totally still know the hand motions. I'll spare you the video feed of that little diddy. :P I do it for Robb sometimes. He laughs and pretends to kinda' chant along, but I see through his pretend interest. He doesn't share my dancing dream. ;)
It was one of those situations where I really REALLY wanted to be good, but even at seven I had cankles. Not a pretty look in pink tights and jazz shoes that were a couple sizes too big.

::sigh::

I'll have to stick to my little misses dance class and watching "So You Think You Can Dance" LOVE that show. I've cried every show! There are some amazing dancers. I LOVE Benji and Donyelle. The end of their cha-cha last week rocked my socks. Man, that's a great show. ;)

In other news:
I cooked again today. There must be something in the water...
I haven't cooked two days in a row since....well, ever...

random fact: The Gibb will be spending tomorrow night with my sister at my mom's house, without me. I feel a little weepy, but a little relieved, too. LOTS to do.
Catch ya' later! :)

so very wierd....

2006-06-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well.

It's official. I've entered blog world.
Like I said. So very wierd.

So much to do with Poppy Ink. I feel my head spinning a bit, just thinking about it. In a totally good way. :)

Oh, and I made potato salad today. My first time, and I have to say it...best potato salad I've ever had. Seriously. I know that sounds a bit cocky, but it's totally true. I think my secret ingredients of celery, celery salt, and pickle juice really made the difference. ;) I also made fruit dip. Whoa, I'm never eating fruit without fruit dip again. I used this recipe and added a bit of marshmellow cream. Sooooo YUM!

Random Fact: There are such things as yellow watermelons. I know this because I accidently bought one today.

The Gibb (my 2-year-old who calls himself "the boy") LOVED the yellow watermelon.

Not the world's coolest first blog entry, but it's all mine. :)

Catch ya' later.

Ink Diaries

Holiday Lovliness.

Feeling Fallish.

Giveaway #3

Giveaway #2

Giveaway #1

The goods.

A beginning. An ending.

Such goodness. :)

Hello, Hello

A fallen soldier.

And we're off.

It's a cake.

Hello.

Mama Day.

Sigh.

Her Lovelies: May Poppy Project

And rest.

Hello.

And the winner is....

A Little April Peekie...

At 27...

Dossier # 1732: A Family Portrait

Giveaway #2

Peekie Time.

Giveaway #1

Well, hi. :D

Sleepy.

Too Much.

Lots of pretties.

Sweet Sonnet

Whoa.

a little peekie...

Sheesh.

*HApPy hALoWeENie*

*PeEkiE* time.

Sept. Winner

Little Spidey.

A *PeEKie*

Little Bits of Happy.

Fun day.

I'm back.

My Little Man...

*fLEa maRkEt* October Kits

just thinkin'

This n' that.

Cute hat.

Etc.

Whoa.

Home Sweet Home/ September Kit

Boxes.

Just Breathe.

Something Simple,

Happy Things.

*I'm In!*

A little bit sentimental...

Hello, August. :)

Just LOTS of things on my sleepy mind...

So you think you can dance....

Funny.

A little bit of help...

Happiness is...

Geez, Louise...

::sigh:: I wish I could dance.

so very wierd....

HApPy hALoWeENie

PeEkiE time.

A PeEKie

fLEa maRkEt October Kits

I'm In!