My Picture Princess...

If you see the photos that I upload and the layouts I make, you will see that of my four children, only one will still pose for photos. Tina IS my picture princess, so when I saw this contest, I knew I had to enter her! PLUS...I think my Picture Princess will look adorable in this!!

Shabby Apple is a cool clothing store that also supports a charity that supports women on a global level to fight poverty.
So enjoy some photos of my Picture Princess and if you have one of your own (and even if you don't) check out Shabby Apple!

Howdy, Y'all

Tina's birthday season is on us...Mariah's usually lasts a week or two, but this year she kept it to one day!! Must be feeling old. Shortly afterward we began celebrating Tina's 7th birthday which will end sometime in the wee hours of Christmas Eve :o) She just took over my birthday, which is the day after her actual date!! How many 40 somethings do you know who ask to have their birthday dinner at Chuckee Cheese?
Anyway, the big celebration was at a horse ranch in our town. My youngest son volunteers there and the ranch mostly does Hippo Therapy. We are honored to have anything to do with the awesome folks at Rocky Top Ranch. Here are a few photos of her big day (not to be confused with the lesser days to come ;o)
the first is Tina on her horseback ride
the second is our smallest cowpoke of the day and my favorite babysitting buddy
third is our largest cowpoke of the day, Matt, wrangler extraordinaire
and finally, cowpoke wannabe (or goat trying to get discarded marshmallows!!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

So Thanksgiving is over and I haven't even posted Halloween yet!! Been kindof Crazy here will illness and such...enjoy Halloween...hope to get to Thanksgiving tomorrow. Then its Christmas...now that's scary!!

Scraptoberfest!!

Anyone else playing Scraptoberfest at Lifetime Moments?
It is one of my favorite games and the only time I ever get a lot of layouts done. I think I still have to put my layouts from last October into albums ;o)
Here is a layout using the sketch from the Day 3 challenge...The layout is from last December and the 1st Annual Santa Scurry here in Keller; a 5k race complete with Santa, Elvis (of course) and a bbq. I LOVE Texas!!! There are more photos of this event to come!! Sorry about the horrible photo!
So why don't you all pull up a beer and some scissors and join and join me in Scraptoberfest!!

Happy National Card Making Day...

WooHOo...but alas, no card-making for me today...we are heading out for a little family time at six flags later. I am still nursing a major tooth, ear, headache. I think it all stems from the same thing. I was having a fever, too...but it came and went? hot flashes...sigh.
I saw Gina K is having an awesome give away to encourage cards for the troops...I definitely am going to do this!! Great cause and a great prize doesn't hurt either. Check it out here...
And finally, I DO have some layouts to share!!

TFL!!

More Layouts...I am on a roll

These challenges have been hard, but I am getting some scrapping in, so I can't complain. I also did some cards...I will try to post some later this week.

The first layout is for my friend Terry in Puerto Rico. I was to send her a package of stuff from her profile, but I know she likes handmade items, so I made this for her to scrap some beach layouts :o) Hope you like them Terry...it is for a 4x6 and 2 4x4 photos.

The second challenge was to use the title "I wish/pray for you..." I couldn't think of anything so I used one of those cute quotes from Daisy D transfers.

OH, and those big fingers holding up my layouts. I finally got a photo of one of my older kids :o) I see a layout/rant in my future!!!
TFL!!
hugs,
Holly

Under the weather...

the kids spent three weeks sliming me, and it finally took :o( I am nursing a bad cold and feeling blah! Managed to get my challenge layouts done for this week, whew!! I used CTMH Perfect Day for the papers and chipboard (football layout uses only my paper and one embellishment--chipboard)I am missing one photo and not sure if the error was due to the cold or Walmart, hmmmm. I am betting Walmart! The second layout is the first of an album that I want to complete on our new house here in TX. I had to make a layout about something I love, and I LOVELOVELOVE my tower. I know it sounds weird but it is what drew me to this community. The fact that I ended up with one in my yard was a huge draw for me!! I am so glad I am finally doing this book!! TFL!

Not much Ike, but still crazy...

I guess with four kids I should just learn to deal with it :o)
We didn't have too much Ike, this weekend though our prayers are with our fellow Texans who were clobbered.
Posting my challenge layouts...

I scrapped...

Again, its a miracle. But I joined a team challenge and I needed to get them done today!! These are very old photos of my daughters and my nieces. They were battling their brothers for the use of the pool :o) Tough girls!! All Close to My Heart papers and K and Co elements. I was going to make the circle flower embellishments with CTMH papers but ran out of time. We learned a great technique at the Got Sketch class. BTW, these are both based on sketches we got in class (thanks Valerie and Jana...these are sketch one and two :o)
Oh, and good luck, Michelle ;o)

Home again...

Spent most of the summer in Pennsylvania with the kids. Nate stayed here in TX to practice with the high school football team, but the rest of us froze in PA. I am not sure how I lived there my whole and never realized that all those trees block out any sun!! I ended up with S.A.D. from lack of sunlight...and it was July and August!! I think the only reason we don't all jump off the roof in the winter is because all the trees drop and we can finally get some sun!!

Looking forward to starting up my CTMH crops again. The company rewarded us with an AMAZING new catalog!! I can't wait to share with my local customers at the crops!! But I will share a new card kit that we have available. I sat down and made 16 cards in a day with the kit!! Needed an ink fix after being off scrapping all summer!!! Too cute! Off to charge my camera batteries.

This photo is one from the summer. While we were in PA, the Jonas Brothers played Montage Mountain. While I have vowed never to sit on the lawn, my girls begged soooooo much, I relented. The Brothers were about as big as the letters on this post but they didn't care. Tina was still able to yell, "I LOVE Joe Jonas" loud enough to get his attention, I am sure (Joe, if you are looking for Tina, she is too young for you!!) We were excited to see the Brothers driving in while we were standing in line. Luckily they had a police (well, several police ;o) escort because they were close enough to grab and there were some excited girls!! I think I got a glimpse of what Beatle Fever must have been like! Then we started hearing rumors that they are living here in TX now!! The girls couldn't wait to get home!! This picture was Jaqui and Tina posing by the Jonas Bus :o)

So you would have thought I rode the race...

I have been so tired all week, but Shawn is doing great. He did say on Sunday night that he might never ride a bike again in his entire life, however, he was back in the saddle by Friday...not so bad. I, of course, am still recovering. I don't know how that happens...We were trying to figure out how to find him when we were watching the finish line and I told the kids, look for the guy on his cell phone. Sure enough, Shawn finished the race while participating in a work conference call :o) That's my guy!!
Now as for the blog candy, I am sorry I was so late picking it...I first need to say thanks to everyone who sent a donation. Shawn's team made almost $700 for the multiple sclerosis society. So yeah all of you!!! Shawn would love to send get well cards so if you donated, please send me your snail mail.
AND the stamp set goes to...
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

5
Timestamp: 2008-05-10 20:13:25 UTC
The winner is MELISSA who said...
I just donated for you. Good luck to your DH in his ride, and to you in your struggles with this disease. I cared for someone with advanced MS for a few summers in my teens, and she had a great impact on my life. Thanks for sharing your story with us!


So Melissa, again, please send your snail mail!!
Thanks so much to all of you for supporting my husband and this wonderful cause!!
hugs,
Holly

Blog Candy for a Cause

As some of you may know, I have MS. I have suffered from this chronic disease for many years and thankfully, God has allowed me to fare well. It isn't so for everyone. Multiple Sclerosis can be devastating for families because the disease is so unpredictable. One can go to sleep fine and wake up unable to walk. My family has always been very supportive of me...I remember my husband taking the babies with him to do the walk in PA to raise funds and awareness for MS. Well, here in Dallas, there is a major event to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society called the MS 150--a 150 mile, two day bike ride that benefits the MS Society. My wonderful husband has stepped up to the plate. He and a dear friend, Daryle, formed a team called Team Holly. I want to support this effort in some small way. I am going to have an eBay auction later this weekend and for right now I am going to offer some blog candy for a cause. I am going offer this stamp set as blog candy for a cause, and anyone who makes a donation of any amount to the MS Society in Shawn's name at this link
http://www.ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=221833
will be entered into the drawing for the stamp set. The art work at the top of this post is made from this beautiful set, Simple Beauty. Please make sure that if you donate you leave a comment. Also, please comment if you too have been touched by this disease. Remember, even $1 will help and its tax deductible :o)

Stressful Day

and so I scrap...my cousin and her first baby. These photos are from last year and I am so happy to being scrapping some photos!! The papers and elements were from a free kit at A Peek into Yesterday.
TFL!!

I survived...

DH went away for the weekend. He and his boss were going fishing...and they were going to catch a fish, come what may. Well, the fearless hunters got back, sun-burned and bearing fish. Me, the four kids, and their friends who flopped with us for the weekend made it pretty much unscathed as well...so did I tell you my husband went fishing this weekend ;o)

He just got back and took my six year old for a bike ride. The big kids are sleeping. I have sooooo much work to do, but I turned away from the shattered remains of my home and dropped pizza boxes and like any good scrapper...I did some layouts. I am only sharing one because the other I plan to embellish more. This one is finished. I love these photos of my nephew and I miss the little stinker!! I don't think he remembers that I am his favorite aunt anymore. I am going to have to buy him a pony when I get back to PA this summer. That should do it!

This is based on a super sketch at Gettin' Sketchy
the digi papers and elements are mostly from Digital Design Essentials (her monthly notebook is an amazing value and has GREAT stuff!! This is the first time I ever bought it, but I am a believer now!!)

OH MY!

I scrapped...its been a while. This is for a sketch challenge on a yahoo group I belong to. My daughter stopped liking school. She said it was too hard and the kids teased her. Daddy took her shopping and her attitude changed. She still has trouble with take aways, but it just doesn't seem to matter anymore ;o)Look out, Hannah Montana!!

And Up, Up, Up with PIFs

Wow, I was getting to be kindof a complainer...sorry. I worked myself up into such a tizzy about this whole Soulja Boy thing I forgot to pick the winner for my random.org picked it as comment #6 (6 Timestamp: 2008-04-08 18:38:30 UTC)
Poster #6 Carrie please post your PIF and send me your info!! Thanks to everyone who entered. If you didn't win, I will have some candy soon, so stay tuned!

Down with Soulja Boy

Wish I was posting my bella babe card, but instead, I am sitting here heart sick. I have two boys that I hope become respectful young men and two girls who I pray remain young women of virtue. But when I observe the culture in which they are enmeshed I become very afraid. I spent almost 15 years working with youth in PA and feel like I am at least aware of what the kids try to pull. But there is a part of me that resists that children are really this callous. When my children would play a very catchy tune by SOULJA BOY I would tap along...but eventually it sounded to me like he was saying superman that ho...what is that!! Well, Ho did it for me...if it sounds like a ho, then it probably is! I am not stupid. Evidently, however, I am naive. This blog was pointed out to me by a friend (thanks Irene!) I thought I was a careful parent; now I know I am not vigilant enough. I want my children to live in the world, but I don't want them to contribute to the evil.

DOWN with Easter Grass...

Those of you who have known me for a while may remember the horror of the peep incident. About two years back, I was terrorized by an unnamed group in Indiana who were holding peeps captive until I gave into certain demands. I have never stopped fighting for the peeps release from captivity despite videos and photos that hope was futile. Yesterday I received confirmation that hope was, indeed, warranted, when I received this Peep Offering from an unknown location...Join me in celebrating the "safe" return of the peeps after two long years!!! Now, I don't like to mention this, but Easter is over for a while now and just when I thought it was safe to turn on the ceiling fan, I have green grass floating all over the house again!! I think it is time we demand that the Easter Machine stop using that green floaty grass that ruins vacuum cleaners everywhere!! Said in her best RosannRossannadanna voice, "Its always something!"

But enough of that, I went on this blog of my friend Julie, and she was offering a PIF (pass it forward)...So anyone who comments here by Monday is eligible to win this PIF...BUT you have to pay it forward. So when you win, you must send me a link to your blog showing the pif you are offering and then I will send it out. You may PIF whatever you like, however, I will be Piffing a GC to Stampin' Bella!! Lets Go!!

really Good Friday candy???

This questionnaire is on Melodee Langworth's blog...I decided to answer it here and post it for all of you...if you answer it on her blog, you have a chance to win a BEAUTIFUL album kit. She is one of my scrapping idols, so good luck with the album (I mean if I don't win it!!!)

1. What do you put in your kids Easter baskets?
it differs every year, but I ALWAYS put a little candy and a lot of other stuff...they get too many sweets as it is. I just put my favs and hope they share!!
2. Do you go to a sunrise service at your church?
we usually go to the Easter Vigil...and as many events as we can that lead up to it, including Good Friday Stations of the Cross.
3. Name one traditional dish you always serve/ eat on Easter.
Peanut butter eggs ;o)
4. What is your fondest memory of Easter as a child?
All my cousins getting together and doing an egg hunt. One year, our dog got out first and ate all the eggs...she was sooooo sick!!
5. Do you color eggs at your house?
yes!! here we are coloring this years eggs...I am not sure who got more tattoo's; the eggs or the girls!!
6. As an adult, what is special about Easter to you?
Now that I understand the true meaning of Easter, I am always amazed that God could love us so much to send His son and allowed Him to go through all that for us. I am humbled by the whole experience and look forward to Lent in order to spend this special time preparing for His Resurrection.

Spring Break Hell...

Any body else...if you are in it, you know who you are!
So, I have had some internet challenges in the last few weeks, but I think I am up and going again!! Yeah!! The first thing I am doing is thanking my super Bella Sistah, Lyn! What a great package she sent me. Lyn, yours is going postal as soon as I ship the little darlings back to school!! Mwah!!!

Sushi anyone...

DH and I had a rare moment out tonight...the kids were being really good, so we slipped out to mass alone and then decided to go to dinner. I let him choose since he works so hard and groaned inwardly when he chose *predictably* Cowtown Sushi. I don't like sushi. To be fair, the only time I tried it was when DH fixed it himself (rule number one, don't eat homemade sushi unless you already love it!!) Well, I LOVED it!! I am a convert. I had to laugh though because fully half of the tables were teenagers. I am going to have to convert my kids or they will be social pariahs..
I am posting photos of my contribution to the valentine swap at bellaholics anonymous...hope you like. I am thinking of doing a workshop with a couple of cards. Do you think these are too plain for a workshop?
thanks for looking and have a great weekend!!!
hugs,
Holly

A card and a winner!!

My DD and I made this card for her friends bday this weekend...I just love Bellas...check out her hair (yes, her friend really does have dyed black ends...sorry its so hard to see--Mariah took the photo in the car while driving to the party--oh, like you don't procrastinate...
But enough of that...I made you ladies wait long enough. I promise to do more candy soon...this was fun. I wish I could send it to all of you (mwah!!) but the winner is number 24 (used random.org)...who said...

tyrymom29 said...
A Campingbella and 4wheelingbella and fella would be awsome !!! I love the idea to have Milatary bella fella !!!! I Love the stampin bellas They are way too cute!!!!!


24

Timestamp: 2008-01-22 00:47:16 UTC

Please send me your mailing address and I will mail this right out!!
hugs,
Holly

We're gonna have us a hog-killin' time today :o) (BLOG CANDY!!)

Now I don't want to kick up a row...I like hogs as much as the next guy...but I just found the cutest site on western-speak. Since I didn't have a chance to pick up my copy of "learn to speak southern in 3 days or less" I figured this is a great chance to practice. I want to fit in here in Keller, LOL. I found this site at Sunflower Studio where she has western stamp blog candy--so head over and see the elephant ;o)

Now I am adding my own blog candy--yee haw! I have a savaayshoppabella, three copic markers including EOO skin white, and one of those elusive clear topped nugget tins (I probably started the whole shortage...I wanted them for a workshop :o( To win you must post your favorite new bella name (maybe Em will check). I emailed a while back I wanted Sleighbella, hellsabella, and a few bella-fontes but so far I got nuthin'!! So post with your most wanted new bella and I will draw a random name on Monday 1/21.

My cards are for challenges at one of my yahoo groups and Lifetime Moments. The altered tissue box is creative imaginations and is for my Frosty Pal that I love even though she is tormenting me and I will never be able to look at a Peep again, sigh...maybe one day I will post the You Tube...

Speaking of You Tubes, Gina K had this one on her site today and I LOVED it...had to share too, in case any of you didn't see it...I hope you all had a heap of fun but I gotta shin on outta here before I cause any more shindy!!
hugs,
Holly

Has anyone noticed...

days are going by really fast...do you think the earth has eroded and it is making the rotations go faster. Or is just me...but I digress. I am here to share some bellas!
We have had some serious Bella-fever going on here and I want to share some cards I made. Orignally they were for the Bella-babe contest, but due to that erosion thing, they were modified to fit some challenges at one of my Yahoo groups and at Lifetime Moments. But the actual cards are for my very patient December Card of the Month partner (so sorry Dawn...its in the mail), booboobella for my swim instructor who is going to nursing school(aka that little girl who is trying to kill me, don't get me started...), and the superbella is for a very dear "invisible friend" who has been fighting cancer for some years. I chose superbella because she is a superwoman in my book. I love her and I pray for her and wish her all the very best and great big hugs and kisses (mwah, Linden!!)
So, I have been wondering if I am the only one who reads my blog (and Dianne, waving hi!!) and if it has anything to do with how fast the world is spinning and time flying...so before I digress again, stay tuned for Blog Candy tomorrow or Saturday...in honor of my first crop that I am hosting I am going to give away some fun stuff and I think if you have Bella fever, you might want to tune in.