*Updates*

I have updated my Autism page on the top header with some wonderful news and also have updated my weight loss tracker! I didn't realize that it had been 2 months since i've updated it, but the 150's were a pain to get through! As you see, I only lost 7 pounds in the 2 months I didn't update it, but hey, progress is progress! Ever since my boys started school, along with my schoolwork and domestic duties I have been super busy but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things with my blog since my new IMAGINE will be here next week! Woohooo!! It finally shipped! I'm just a little excited!! hehehehe =) I've been dying to get my hands on that Best Friends cart! Next up, is the Better Together cart! Anyways....hope you guys have a GREAT weekend!! :)

From OWL family card :)

I'm pretty addicted to Sarah's stamps. (PinkCricut). They are just absolutely perfect for anything. I got her second collection set and it came with her "Go Green" stamps and I didn't think I would use them much because i'm not huge on nature. Well, I think after today I have fallen in love with them. Isn't the stamp just so adorable??

**Please excuse my horrible picture. My camera battery died and I had to use my Blackberry.**



Card base- 8 1/2x 11" cardstock cut in half.
Scalloped circle from Mini monograms cut at 5".
Individual circles cut from Mini Monograms at 4 3/4", 4 1/2", 4".
Owl cut from Create a Critter at 2".
Brown ribbon.
Go Green Pink Cricut stamp sentiment. :)

Stamp card

I am SO lost without my gypsy. It's out for repair (should be back soon) but I just feel like my quality of cards isn't as great anymore without it. Oh how we take things for granted right? LOL. Well, I have really gotten into stamping lately and I hope to take some Copic classes very soon. This is my first attempt at a card with just paper piecing and stamps. I think it came out alright! =) I used a stamp set from Michaels (love the little girls!) and Glimmer Mist for my flower. The stamped sentiment is from Pink Cricut's Shopoholic stamps.

Birthday Card

I had a very relaxing weekend with NO kids in the house so I spent most of it relaxing, but I did get to work on a few cards. I quickly put this one together, using sentiments from Pink Cricut's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun stamps and also used some of Tim Holtz "fragment" clear tags. So cute!

Surprise packages in the mail!

Halloween card.

I made the tag using Tim Holtz' grunge paper (which I'm IN LOVE with!), the pumpkins are from my Martha Stewart punch and the ghost is cut from Happy Hauntings. =)

Haul video!

Finally got to do some shopping and I found some neat stuff! Hope you enjoy! =)

How to make a Coffin

Ok- here is the video on How to make a Coffin from Happy Hauntings. I've gotten a few requests for this and I hope you find it helpful!

Halloween Tri Fold card

YouTube is being a stinker with me so I haven't been able to upload some how to videos on some of the projects i've been asked about, but hopefully tomorrow it will be a better day! =) In the meantime, I wanted to show you my Halloween Tri-Fold card. This is going to my husband's step-grandmother along with some pics of the kiddos. I used the DCWV Midnight paper stack and some Halloween stamps from Michaels. The ghost are embossed (hard to tell) and of course, have jeweled eyes! Hope you enjoy!

Girly side step card.

I have the cutest husband. He was watching tv after he came home from work and saw that I was trying to figure out how to make a side step card. After frustration and lots of cut up paper, I gave up. Then he comes over and says "try again! I know you can do it!" lol. And guess what? FINALLY GOT IT! hehe ;) I will post a video on it tomorrow as it's a little more complicated than usual but I wanted to use a stamp from PinkCricut's "Shopoholic" line. Isn't it CUTE?!? I also used Forever Young for the purse and Paisley for the rest of the cuts.Hope you enjoy :)

You're just PLANE cute card :)

I got my stamps in today from Sarah at Pink Cricut and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!! I bought the Oh Boy! set because I thought it would be perfect with my B is for Boy lite cartridge and was it ever! I used her stamp sentiment "You're just PLANE cute" and a plane from the cart. This would be so cute for my little nephew or one of my boys. :)

Weight loss- before/after pics!

Today I wanted to brag just a little bit! ;) I have now officially lost 68 pounds since I started my weight loss journey in January and in honor of that, I wanted to show you some before and after pics. Below is a picture of me about a week and a half before I gave birth, the pic was taken in December of '09 and this picture is of me today! I get a lot of questions asking how I did it and today I just wanna let you all know that if I could do it, so can you! Just some discipline with calorie counting, a bit of South Beach Diet along the way, exercise and WATER! I am a DIET COKE addict but the last few weeks I have noticed that the more diet coke I drink, the less I lose. The more water I drink, the more I lose! :)

Happy Birthday card :)

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days! Crazy week! =) I finally got back into my scrap area and made my MIL a birthday card. We are going out to dinnr with her and FIL tonight to celebrate so I'll give it to her then. I used Hello Kitty Greetings for the birthday gift and i've taken out my Cuttlebug and fell in love with it all over again! :)) The brown glittery paper in the background is from a DCWV paperstack my circle sister Michelle sent me! Yay! =)And I used my Tim Holtz inks on the inside page. Hope you enjoy! :)

Once Upon a Princess 3D Castle :)

I didn't think I could do it. Who has the PATIENCE to put together one of these things?? Well, I challenged myself today to do it and I got it done!! WOOHOO! I call it Princess Julianne's castle (after my inspiration and who this castle is going to). Isn't it SO cute?!?!? I take a lot of pride in what I do, but this takes the cake. I'm really proud and excited how it came out. Please don't mind my messy desk. I had just finished playing. :) I will post directions after I get my house cleaned. LOL.

**Giveaway winner**

Congrats Lizzy!!

And thank you to everyone who participated! :) Keep your eyes out for another giveaway soon!

How to MS scoreboard envelopes and great news!

I'm SO excited! I was one of the winners for the Cricut Circle Labor Day challenge! Woohoo! It's def an ego boost, especially once I saw all the layouts and how GREAT they all were! Congrats to all the other winners!

I made a quick video using the Martha Stewart scoreboard to make envelopes and also to remind you to make sure you enter my giveaway that ends tomorrow! I'm in SUCH a great mood I might just have to have another giveaway soon! ;) Enjoy!

Paisley card

Have you ever had days where you NEED to make a bunch of cards and have NO creativity in you? LOL- welcome to my week! I made sour cream containers that were inspired by Okie, now today, after throwing away 4 cards I was working on because they just weren't right, I decided to throw in the towel and take inspiration from my Cricut Sister's card she made me! When I opened up my package and saw the paisley mushrooms I thought it was SO BEAUTIFUL! So much so, that I went on the hunt for "bright" colored paper. So Michelle, thanks for the inspiration!

**Make sure you check out her blog! She ROCKS!**
Here is her link: Click Scrappin with my bug!

Halloween Sour Cream Containers

I have been dying to make some sour cream containers since I saw Okie's video tutorial on them but didn't have a paper crimper. Well, I used my 50% off coupon at Michaels today for one and got to work! While I was there I also purchased the cutest Halloween stamp set with this circle stamp that says "Trick or Treat, smell my feet" and has an image of witches boots. Love it!



Okie's tutorial: Here!





**Dont forget to enter my giveaway on the post below for the Beyond Birthdays cart! It ends this Friday!**

Beyond Birthdays Cart giveaway!!

In honor for all the hard work both my sons are putting in to school and their therapies and my son turning 6 on Monday I've decided to host another giveaway! I will be giving Beyond Birthdays to a random follower who comments on THIS post! =) (The cart has been opened but not linked, just like new!)I will pick a winner using random.org on Friday, September 10 making this a weeklong celebration!

*Make sure you sign up to follow me to qualify and to comment on this post!*

Have a great holiday!!

Birthday Explosion Box!

First off- Happy Birthday to the greatest husband ever! I love you! =)

*Also-please excuse my kitchen table. I was trying to take pics while hubby is asleep and this is the best spot I found. hahaha.

I made him a Birthday Explosion box with my first ever 3D cake. I worked all night on it and since my Gypsy broke I had to kind of "invent" stuff. So all the little pieces that people weld together to make the cake? Yeah, didn't have it. LOL. So cut up pieces of paper and hoped for the best that it would look like a cake! hahaha :) I think it turned out great and not too girly. I know he will like it and I plan on giving it to him during dinner tonight with his parents. I'm so excited!

I used DCWV Grade School paper pack for all the patterened paper. The lid looks pink in the picture but it's really red. The squares are at 4" and the tag holder was made using Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cut at 6". The actual tag was also made using TBBM cut at 3". I have another explosion box post here with a link to a great tutorial on the basics. Here ya go! Paper Pastime

Update: we are also taking our 2 oldest sons to the Autism Treatment Center in Dallas today for all day evaluations. Please keep my little guys in your prayers! Thanks!! :)