Sisters

Another layout using MY KIT! Photo was taken yesterday at my brothers b-day party. We were laughing because I was horsing around prior to the picture.

RACHEL {the mini kit} more...

ok... This is kit is SOOOO ME! I am loving these colors! I am trying to stay with just what is available in the mini kit right now just to show some ideas. But watch out...I am going to start mixin N matchin soon!

Ok...the top layout is my younger brother. He turned 28 on the 17th. Zayden is his son.
The bottom layout is my sister. She will be 32 next month. I grew up hating this girl more than anything else on the face of this earth. I am NOT kidding. But I am proud to say she now my ROCK, my best friend. I love this lady more than I ever thought was possible. Funny how time has a way of changing things. God knew what he was doing when he made her my sister! Love you SIS! No really, I do! Promise!


ETA: William took the photo of Amy Jo too! I just cropped it a little more and went B&W. I have a wonderful little photographer on my hands!

RACHEL {the mini kit}

I am going to be flamed for this but I don't care...

Here is what I did with my new mini kit. Watch for it at http://www.polkadotpotato.com/ on 4-22-08 for only .99!

William took this picture of my nephew Zayden today! Not kidding! My 5 Y.O. captured this shot! Straight out of the camera, I swear!

It's coming again!

POLKA DOT POTATO .99 BAR!

I have played with Krystal's 3 mini kits and let me just say, you will want to make sure you have an extra $2.97 on April 22. You HAVE TO BUY THESE KITS! wow! I will give you a few hints. Fantasy based, Floral embroidery, and Wild, Bold, see-thru! If you want a PEEK...go to her blog. She has few tiny previews of the mini kits. These are being named after her CE members. We got to pick our 'theme' and she went all Krystal on them! My fingernails are gone waiting to see mine! I am NOT A NAIL BITER but man...I can't take this.

So consider yourselves warned. You WILL NEED these mini kits! The top selling kits will get turned into full sized kits! So make sure you 'vote' for your favorite so you will get the full kit later! I have a feeling it's going to be a tie. You will want them ALL!

He's Mine!

Credits: Tara Sroka Designs
HollyDays kit, Nutrional labels, Love Muffin kit, Queen of Green kit, You ShamROCK kit.

Divas

I saw this kit listed on Digifreebies and I just had to whip something up. I will give full credits later. Off to work, long day. But I had to show this one to Wendy & Shell. I just love this photo of us. I have used it a few times but that's ok!

Credit: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/misfitsscrapz/

By Missy of Misfits Scrapz

You may now address me as...

Madame President! LOL hahaha Of course I must say, no one else wanted it either. So I stepped up to the plate and decided to take the position for our Parent Group at school. I made sure I got my dearest friend to be my VP. So that will be a nice time. The only other president position I have ever held is the Krystal Hartley fan club president! LOL

So we will see what next year brings me. Wish me luck and pray I find the strength, knowledge, and guts to do it and do it well.

Off to finish a project for kindergarten round up. Due tomorrow. Is it really April 15th already?? Gosh this month has been crazy with florida trip and grandma passing. I need to get busy.

Friends-KH

Here was my second choice layout for the Swap. But instead, I am using as CE requirement! LOL

Credits: ALL KRYSTAL HARTLEY!!
Includes Sweetest thing {the kit}, Blooming Happiness Pack 1, Goin' Girly paper, Listen (Freebie), Little black alpha, Gladness Freebie, Carnival -the green lace (not available)

I think that's everything. I am not one to stay within the given kit. I have to mix N match! And her products allow me the chance to do just that! I love her stuff! Don't you! Go support her and get yourself a kit. The little black alphabet is only $1~ Seriously!

Journaling reads: Without TLC, I would have never met one of my dearest friends. Krystal Hartley. I admired her work for a long time and then I find out she thought of me as her muse. God has a way of bringing people together. Our friendship was just meant to be! I will cherish it always. I may never see her again but I will always have her friendship.
Photo taken at TLC Convention 2007.

TLC Swap

Well, here is what I came up with for my layout in the FORMER TLC CONSULTANTS SWAP hosted by Krystal Grant. I couldn't decide on my 'theme' but I think this will do just fine. I decided to go with a single photo of myself. I have another done up with my favorite, most cherished photo of my hero and me. But I guess I will use this one.

Calling all former TLC consultants

My upline (oops...Former Upline) is having a layout call for all former TLC consultants. We are going to create a layout about ourselves and what POSITIVE things that we got out of Top Line Creations. I have many many things to be positive about TLC. My Friendships with most of my readers is due totally to TLC. Without Top Line Creations, I would have never met some of you. Probably all of you, really. Whether you were a member of TLC or not I probably wouldn't have crossed paths with any of you had I not been with TLC. Everything happens for a reason. I am firm believer in that statement.

Here is her post to get the details. I am doing this one for sure. And you can bet your life saving on it that it will be done using only Krystal Hartley stuff. Without her, I would have never thought about doing what I do today. Thanks for the inspiration, believing in me, and lifelong friendship.

HELP ME DECIDE:
I have several photos that I can use on this layout. But I am not sure what direction I will take this. It has to have one photo of myself in there. Would you all want to see a layout of just ME or include my photos of all my friends with me? Majority rules.

Grandma Tommi

This is Grandma Tommi and her Mom. I made this layout for my MIL. She loves this photo of her Mom & Grandma.

Here she is with all but 3 her Children. She lost one back in 1996. And the other two just could not be there. This was at our Uncle Jeff's 50th B-day party last year in North Carolina. We lost her at 3 am this morning. She has gone Home. Visitation is Monday from 2-4 & 6-8. Funeral is 10am Tuesday.

I LOVE YOU GRAM!

BasicGrey Bracket Album

Credits: Template & papers by Amanda Dykan at www.purplepaperflowers.com
Paper pack is called Pemberly.

10000 views

Cool. Who would have thought it would happen on my tiny little blog! Fun. Of course probably half are me from posting. LOL And this is post 515 for me. Just had to share.

Stepping stones

Still here

Life is just crazy right now. I have 3/4 of my Hybrid album printed out. So that is still in the works. I took a day to spend with DH yesterday afternoon and went shopping. enjoyed that.

Just kicked off a new BoxTops4Education collection program at the school so that is keeping me busy too. The big VOTE is Tuesday. Let's hope someone steps up to the plate so I don't have too.

Josh's grandma is getting worse daily. So the stress of that is heavy on my mind. Just had Birthdays for BOTH in-laws yesterday. It was so awesome! We had several families member there which NEVER happens. We put 110 candles on two mini cakes!!! Seriously, you could feel the heat coming off it when they got carried in! Photos to follow!

Off to work today. Long day. It will be nice to have something to focus on and keep my mind off the not so pleasant stuff in my life right now.

Working on a hybrid project!

I just ordered my Basic Grey Bracket album and others from Sweet shoppe yesterday. I also bought this: Template Set

I am out of ink at the moment so I am at stand still. But I am heading to town today to get more. I am so excited to try this!!!

Andy & Sarah

Credits: Tara Sroka Designs- I Do for the background paper. Other paper was just colored to match the dress sash. Template by Fryske.

This is my Dearest Friend Bev's son's wedding last year. You can see Bev in the blue dress. Her hubby Jim and son Andy and new DIL Sarah. I was honored to be asked to shoot the wedding for them.

TAG

10 YEARS AGO-I was living in Ionia, Michigan waiting for the birth of my first child. Working full time in Lansing for Dr. Woodland.

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST
1. Work on my CT layouts tonight
2. Sell off my TLC inventory
3. Visit Josh's Grandma
4. Visit my Grandma
5. Hug my family

5 SNACKS I ENJOY
1. Popcorn
2. Pretzels
3. Chips
4. Chocolate at times
5. Cheez its

5 FOODS I LOVE
Mexican
Spaghetti
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Fried Rice
pizza
Potato casserole that my mom makes

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire.

1. Pay my poor uplines that just got screwed.
2. Pay off my OWN Debt
3. Take a long vacation with all my family
4. Buy my Grandma's house
5. Help my family out too.

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED
1. Hudson, Michigan
2. Holt, MI
3. Lansing, MI
4. Ionia, MI
5. Hudson, MI And that is literally ALL of them! It would have only been 4 but I did move BACK to Hudson!

FAVORITE QUOTE:
Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened.

Florida Memories

I have been trying to figure out how to use this gorgeous yellow paper from Krystal Hartley. I love yellow. It has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember. But it has to be the right shade of yellow or else I hate it. Go figure. Well this yellow paper made me smile. I have had my eye on a shirt for awhile too that is yellow, black. white, and grey. So here is my spin on the shirt since I can't buy it. Its really retro looking and these flowers remind me of it. You never know what will inspire me to create a layout.

Credits: All Krystal Hartley: Freshalicious paper pack, Build your own Dragonfly, Sweet floral Freebie, Sweetest Thing {the kit}, FS Easter Collab kit, and spring fever doodles at PPF.

New Job!

I've gotten myself a new job! I am now on the Creative Team of Amanda Dykan of PurplePaperFlowers.com
These layouts are done with her Pemberly Paper Pack.
This layout is done with her Radio Ga Ga paper pack.
For full credits just click on the photos.

Floridaaah

Credits: Krystal Hartley- Sculpted Glass:Nature and Rough N Red alpha and freshalicious paper pack

Just had to try these new Sculpted Glass embellys! Made for a fun page don'tcha think! I saw the word Floridaaah on a billboard at the airport and just had to use it!!

on a side note: I had to make sure one of the boys got red swim trunks this year so I could use all those red alphas of Krystal's. I love love love them!

Home Safe

Well I made it! Everyone is home, safe and sound. And I have literally thousands of emails to catch up on...soo....more later!

MIA

Ok...I am leaving at 4am for our whirl wind trip to Florida to pick up my Grandma. We fly into Fort Myers and then we will drive home on Friday/Saturday. I will NOT have internet access there. No computer for 4 days??? WOW!! But I will have my camera so I can share some sunshine when I get back.

I will miss you all and we can figure out the camera strap situations when I return. It will give you more time to pour over the fabric choices, right! And change your mind a million times!

See ya! Don't have too much fun without me! XOXO

Wiener Mobile

Click on photo for credits. Posted at www.designerdigitals.com for a web challenge.

Camera Strap Covers

Hey Friends~ My Girl, ElisaLou, is finally making camera strap covers! I am going to be putting in a party order the second week of April. If any of you want to get one of these, just email me directly. Or post here. I was her very first Sales Rep and I just took a break over the holiday when she stopped the business for her house remodel. Well, I am getting back into it and wanted to show off these little goodies! Production time: 5-6 weeks She also makes killer bags and laptop covers. So it's not just these camera strap covers. So it takes time.Cost: $20 shipping will be $1 per strap from ME only! You can view her fabric samples by going to her site www.elisalou.com I have a bunch of fabric that is not listed on the site that is exclusive to her reps. (she only has 2. Keeping it small)

So tell me a color scheme and I can photograph what I have in stock and post the fabrics I have in that color to help you out.

But for me to get the credit: You MUST order WITH ME not off the site. For anything. So thanks for thinking of me if you wish to order one!

FOR KH: you STILL need to pick out your Laptop cover that you paid me for months ago! LOL

Snow Day

Credits: All paper & elements {Lilac Twilight} and {Baby it's cold outside} Krystal Hartley except for the blue flakes border.
What a great day we had with our cousins from North Carolina. They never get to play in the snow so we took them sledding at Thompson's Hill. We were happy to have one last Snow Day.

Our cousins were all home to say GoodBye to Grandma. She is still hanging in there. She is at home and resting. All 8 of her children were there at one time! This is the first time in a very long time that they were ALL in spot at the same time. It was a blessing that we could all share in life one last time! Some have gone back home and others continue to wait. It's a very stressful time but she is happy to be home vs. in the hospital. We will keep her comfortable until the end. She comes in and out of "spunky" times. She will sit up and talk to us all then the next we know she can't hardly move. So we are just praying she stays comfortable.

We are aware of the outcome and we are at peace. So just pray for a fast trip Home. He is waiting for His daughter to return. But Heknows we needed her for a few last days. I Thank Him for that. Not everyone is lucky enough to have this time like we are now.

So continue to pray for her and us. We are doing fine but the stress is getting to me. I just need a break. So I came home to scrapbook a few pages. Now I am going to head into town to get stuff for our Florida trip. I have faith that we will be able to continue with our plans to make to Florida on Tuesday to pick up my Grandma and bring her home Friday/Saturday. And if the Good Lord has other plans, that's ok too. All in due time...

Bunny Trail

We woke up Easter Morning to find these bunny tracks in our back yard. There were only tracks leaving our house so we are not sure how he got IN? We had to go out and track him down but never saw him. March 23, 2008

Credits: Tara Sroka Designs papers --Hippity-hop and spring fling paper packs--

Template: Freebie source unavailable

Found it!

Here's my little Will hunting down the eggs! I love the look on his face in the lower photo!! HAHA

Credits: Amy Sumrall's Brand New kit called April Showers
Little Black Alpha by Krystal Hartley

Motherhood

Watch for the next layout...Motherhood...No one said it would be so hard! You won't believe the photos for that one! LOL haha Just kiddin...

Credits: All papers, alpha, & elements by Krystal Hartley.

Template: http://www.tracireed.com/teamblog/

Round 4 March Madness

Here is my last challenge at www.gottapixel.net. Click on the photo to go leave me some love!

This challenge was a scraplift challenge. You got two layouts to pick from. You had to use the color from one and the design from the other. You could pick which way you wished to play.

The pictures here are from Saturday at my Mom's house for Easter. The Top left are my siblings. The top right are the Cousins. The bottom left is my family. The bottom right is my step dad and my step siblings.

Why we didn't do one with my mom is beyond me. She was busy taking them, I guess. Next time. Can't get those times back can we? But I have the BEST FAMILY EVER! We all get along perfectly. (most of the time that is!)

Looking up

Found out today that they are currently going to leave Josh's pay scale alone "for now". I guess that leaves them an out if they want to be jerks again. The are moving him to another office. Same company just different location. But he will no longer be management. Which is totally fine with us. Nothing but a head ache anyways, right!

I got my birthday party hat albums in the mail yesterday. Remember the one from Shell's blog. Well, I had to call Shell to figure out how to do a step. The directions where wrong and even Josh was getting into trying to figure it out. That's when he finally said, "Is there anyone you call about this." I said, yes, Shell! So I did!!! HI!!!

What a pick me up!

I get to go to the eye doctor today for my yearly exam and pick out new glasses!! My all time favorite thing to do!

I got a call from my Grandma in Florida. She's coming home! So myself and the boys are flying down 4-1-08 and helping her close up and then driving her home. So that was a whirl wind. Happened in over a few hours. Got a great deal on our one way tickets. $101 each! I was thrilled with that price. Not that I have to pay it...she will. But still!

Josh's Grandma was released yesterday. The breast cancer has spread into other organs. So they sent her home to make peace. We don't have long but we still have her!

So see...things are looking up. Just as I knew they would. But sometimes we all need to vent and have a shoulder to cry/lean on when we need to talk. THANK YOU ALL. I am soooo blessed to have you all in my life. Each one of you are special to me.

Warning: GROSS

WARNING: KH DO NOT LOOK AT THIS!!





This has to be the grossest thing I have ever had happen to me. Oh my word...
I went to the basement to get the Easter stuff and picked up a handful of eggs and put my thumb through a REAL egg... from LAST YEAR. UGH....I have never and pray to never again, smell something of that nature. WOW...

But at the same time, how could I not document this horrible thing. It is now funny. But at the moment it happened...NOT FUNNY AT ALL. YUCK.

ETA: Don't the colors match so well with the egg! And the half circle reminds me of the egg. The flourishes are what I wished I had to fan the smell away. The circles represents my eyes rolling around in my head. The paper is for the mental note to NEVER do that AGAIN. The ripped cardboard is the box that I buried that sick mess in! The flower for the air freshner scent that sprayed. And crazy frame to show how insane I was over this whole issue. Oh...the irony of this layout.


Sorry if this makes you ill...

Coloring Eggs

Credits: Papers, grass, dragonfly- Krystal Hartley
Flowers, bunny, eggs, basket- Designs by Krista
Chicks-Pam Odd
Template by Lori

Easter '08

What a great day! Even though we had all that snow hit us we still made it to my mom's house for Easter Dinner. We were all there too! This the first time I have seen my step brother Nate since about 1989. So it was sooo nice. We took pictures of us all but they are not on my camera so I have to wait until my mom sends them to me. Anywho...This is a few of us coloring eggs.
It was just what I needed to get my mind off the recent hardships. More layouts to follow. I just HAD to do this one real fast before I head to bed.
Credits: Designs by Krista freebie kit. Template by JenC.

HoHoHo...Happy Easter?

This is just crazy...we got about 9" of snow last night. I had to run out and take this picture and make up this layout before we head out to my mom's for Easter Dinner today.
Credits to follow tomorrow...But you can bet one is http://www.krystalhartley.blogspot.com/ and http://www.tarasrokadesigns.com/
Easter Elements are by Designs by Krista

Being Tested

Well the news that no family ever wants to hear was told to us today. Josh's office is closing its doors.

WHAT??? I am numb. I need some down time so I probably won't be around here for awhile. I have to do some soul searching.

7 Random Facts

I was tagged by Gina Lideros. So I am playing along.

1. I am a total giver. I have a hard time saying no to anyone.
2. I married my Elementary, Middle, and High School sweetheart at the age of 23.
3. I live in the house I grew up in.
4. I love animals. I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, a bird, and CO-own a guinea pig with a school teacher! And have been know to have hamsters and fish at any given time.
5. I HATE SNAKES! I don't count them as my #4 random fact. I mean household pets!
6. I love going to the zoo.
7. Family First Always

I am tagging:
Shell
Krystal H
Krystal G
Shelley
Jan
Wendy
Meredith

Personal life

Just a quick update. Josh's Grandma was admitted yesterday and we found out she has liver cancer. Just went thru breast cancer a while back. So...this is going to cause my personal life to change over the next few days. So if you don't hear from me, this is why.

We find out today how aggressive it is and how long we will have with her. But they told us yesterday there won't be a Christmas with her either way. Soo....yet again...more craziness in my life. I should be so used to it by now.

I will do my best to keep my life as normal as possible. God will take care of us.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

These are few hybrid cards I made for the kids to pass out. I printed them and mounted them on green cardstock. Didn't get a chance to photograph the final product though.
Credit: www.tarasrokadesigns.com

Cheers!

Here's my 3rd layout for the gottapixel challenge. This round we needed to use 4 specific colors to create our own layout. I have no clue how to create anything so I just used the Paint bucket tool! LOL KH...I needed help on how to design something! LOL
So this is how computer stupid I am...I had to save the color swatches a photo and bring it into Photoshop to use the color picker to get the right color. Is there an easier way?? I swear, I have to be the most "blonde" computer person out there. I amaze myself that I can do ANYTHING in photoshop since I so dumb about things. hahaha...

So anywho....go leave me some love over there! Click on the layout to get you to the right spot!

Soon!

I just had to play with that grass of Krystal Hartley's! And those dragonflys are super cute too! I wasn't sure I was going to post this since it really isn't about anything of importance but hey...spring is important right! We hit 56 degrees on Friday and boy oh boy did that feel GREAT! Still piles of snow around though. We had so much of it that it takes forever for it to melt completely. This is a picture of a lily that I took last year for the photo contest. Which I took 2nd in!!!

Sorry

Sorry I have been so quite this week. Dealing with a few issues and not really in the mood to do much of anything. I spent ALL day today downloading a special kit. (THANK YOU DESIGNERS...You know who you are!)

I have been saying a lot of prayers lately trying to find the right path to take in life. I have had a few options presented to me as of late that I really didn't want to deal with but I feel I must. I think God has called me to do something that I didn't think I wanted to do. It has to do with our schools PTO. I was doing so well saying NO but I have been asked to say YES just one more time. What to do, what to do.

I have also been mislead in another area of my life as of late and I am feeling it with heavy heart. Some of you can probably guess because a post is missing that was here.

So if you have the time, give me a few seconds of prayer to help guide my decision about our PTO group. I am torn as to whether I should run for president of this organization. I have been asked by many to do so. I said no repeatedly but was pulled into a yes by Him. So I think I have no other choice. I see so many reasons to say yes now. Time....

2*Gether

I adore this woman. She will kill me for telling this but she is my mother's age and yet we are truly best friends. I can't explain it and don't even try. But I knew the minute I saw Krystal's newest paper, that it screamed Bev and Me! So here it what I saw the minute I opened this pack of paper.
Credits: www.KrystalHartley.blogspot.com for everything but the glitter bracket.
Glitter bracket belongs to www.karaperriendesigns.blogspot.com Finally figured out where I picked it up. Sorry ladies if I left you all hanging with the designers name on that bracket.

Hybrid boxes

Credits: Template by www.primahybrid.com

Pink one is www.krystalhartley.blogspot.com

Green one is www.tarasrokadesigns.com

Round 2 March Mania

Here is my layout for round 2 at http://www.gottapixel.net/

This round was all about the photos. We had to have pictures of the following:an animal, a house, a person, something sports related, something red, a school, and something you love.

Click on the photo to go to my layout and leave me some love!

Credits: www.krystalHartley.blogspot.com True to yourself freebie

Family

Found this photo and decided it needed to be scrapped. This is myself with oldest son and cousin Cassee on 1-1-08 just after the ball dropped.
Click on photo for credits!

Friends

Here's to you all...my friends. Feeling a little lonesome today. I need a friend fix soon.

Credits: Click on layout and then leave me some love! I need it! Sick of winter and ready to move on to warmer weather.

Family First Always

This has been and always will be my MOTTO in life. Just a few hodge-podge of photos from last year. The upper left is my Grandma Joyce and my boys, Top photo is my sister & my mom, bottom right photo is my boys and my sister at the Binder Park Zoo.

Credits: Holly days Collaboration kit by Tara Sroka & A. Smith and Tara Sroka's Feeling Green kit. Chipboard sign is from Pompey. Template by Lori.

Love Muffin

Posting my first layout for my TSD creative team. This is done with her Love Muffin kit.
Template by Lori.

Big News!

Found out Sunday that I was offered a position on the Creative Team for Tara Sroka Designs. I am now also a Green Girl. Shock and disbelief don't even begin to describe my emotions. I NEVER thought I would get it. I only did it to prove to myself I had the guts to try. WOW! huh?

So I gladly accepted the offer and now I have another "job" in the digi world. COOL! Whodda thunk?!

I joined a challenge

Doing the March Round Up at http://www.gottapixel.net/
Here is my layout

This is my first ever challenge with them. So far it was fun. We where given certain items that we had to use on the layout. This was the challenge: 3 solid papers, 2 patterned papers, 1 frame, 2 ribbons, 4 flowers, 2 alphas, 2 photos.

Go see what I did! And leave me some love!

PAPER FANS: I added a cover book to my slider on paper crafts by me. It was the December Artist's Choice kit. Note to self: Make sure you look at the book BEFORE you glue down pages so you can have it open the proper way! LOL