Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween Costumes for $12

Shiver me timbers!
They both decided to be pirates this year.


So, of course I made them matching outfits!


I spent less than $10 for the stripey red fabric and the gold used for sashes.
The black felt we had on hand, an entire trash bag full!
It made vests, hats, and eye patches.
The ruffles are just strips of old t-shirt, gathered and sewn onto white felt
 that we pinned onto K's collared shirt.
We also had the lace and black tulle that trimmed her skirt.
The hook and sword came in sets from The Dollar Tree.


There you have it, Halloween on a budget.

Friday, October 28, 2011

snow?

Here it is, just the end of October.  Dragging myself up the steps this morning, I heard the weatherman say, "Tomorrow, we'll have rain with a mix of rain and snow in the afternoon."  Are you kidding me?  I'm not ready yet!

Every time I go to Wal-Mart, the jumbo can of hot chocolate is not out yet.  You know, the one that makes 6,857 cups of cocoa?  Almost literally.  I've not seen hide nor hair of it and I've been keepin my eye out.  We get one, or two, every winter and it sees us through all the cold mornings and late night sleigh-riding.  This can't be happening!

Rest assured I've got some ol' favorites to rely on.  Cinnamon PlumAfrican Honeybush, Mandarin and Orange.  I do love them, we all do and so, we'll survive. 

But really? 

Snow already?

Say it ain't so?


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Freebie Friday!

Hello again, it's Freebie Friday.  So, without further ado...




Go to MyMemories and use Promo Code STMMMS74641 to get $10 off. And don't forget to leave a comment here to enter to win a free MyMemories Suite of your very own!

soccer on thursday

It was just another regular day at soccer.


Until I caught a glimpse of this...


Boys at their best.


 
A little friendly WWF amongst comrades.


These boys, they rock my socks.


Even the obnoxious ones.


~ That'd be mine. ~


And he's not really obnoxious.
Promise.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

another freebie!

I'm falling behind here, but I promised to show you K's Christmas page...
(K is ten and she did this herself!  See, you can do it too!)


Now, I usually have "Freebie Friday", but just for the fun of it, let's mix it up and have Freebie Tuesday!  This week, I have a couple of great quick pages for you. 

Today's page is all about polka dots...


Q:  What are quick pages, you ask? 
A:  They're pages that are already setup and you just drop in some photos and voila!  You're done!  

Q:  Can you add more? 
A:  Of course!  You can add other embellishments, words, etc.  A little or a lot.  You choose!

Q:  Does this require cutting, pasting, or gluing?
A:  NO WAY!  It's all digital.  So, in the software, you place things where you want and print.  Insert the printed page into your scrapbook and it's that easy!

Go to MyMemories and use Promo Code STMMMS74641 to get $10 off.  And don't forget to leave a comment here and enter to win a free MyMemories Suite of your very own!

Disclosure: I received the MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software referenced above for free in exchange for a mention of their product on my blog. Regardless, the comments and opinions in these posts are my own, I have not been paid to give positive feedback of their product. Additionally, you're email address will NOT be used by the company, sold, leased, or given to anyone other myself. It's sole purpose is to contact you if selected as winner, so that you may receive your free code for the MyMemories Suite.


Monday, October 17, 2011

MyMemories quick pages

Since I was gone all day on a field trip with K to Pamplin Historical Park, I decided to customize the "Partini in Paradise" quick page from MyMemories.  Our theme for the Food Services Crew was Luau.  So, I inserted a photo of our crew from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure and added pink flowers, lace, ribbon, stitching, staples, and a quote box.  I was tired and didn't have a lot of time on hand, nor much attention span for staring at the screen.  With that in mind, I think it turned out pretty well.  Proving that even the most novice can succeed at scrap booking with this easy-to-use program. 

Here's the before...




And here's the after...


Tomorrow, I'll be sharing a page that my 10-year old created. I opened the program, gave her minimal instruction and let her go with it.

Also, don't forget to leave a comment here to enter a chance to win a free MyMemories Suite.
Copy and paste Promo Code STMMMS74641 to receive $10 off your purchase at MyMemories.com.

Disclosure: I received the MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software referenced above for free in exchange for a mention of their product on my blog. Regardless, the comments and opinions in these posts are my own, I have not been paid to give positive feedback on their product. Additionally, you're email address will NOT be used by the company, sold, leased, or given to anyone other myself. It's sole purpose is to contact you if selected as winner, so that you may receive your free code for the MyMemories Suite.

Friday, October 14, 2011

adversity

It promises to be another busy weekend, but in ways I'm not quite sure of, I am ready.  Today was a staggering reminder of uncertainty and God's mercy.  After an early phone call from Dr. B, our outstanding vet, I cried the morning away until I was forced to get it together in the shower so I could venture off to take my almost 96 -year old grandad to an eye appointment where I was sure (and even hopeful) that he would not pass the test in order to renew his license.  Let me set things straight here, before you go callin' me the bad guy.

  1. He backed into our little car (you know, that's how we refer to things here) and didn't even know it because he drives so slow. 
  2. He has a ton of accumulating scratches on his back bumper where he adamantly claims that other people have hit him.  Imagine that.
  3. He is deaf as a doornail.  Even with his hearing aids.  In the car, crowds, any where there is background noise, he can't hear worth a fart (my dad would say, pardon my french).
  4. Lastly, the first time the sweet lady at DMV said, "Grandaddy, you cain't see those letters.  I'm sorry, I cain't give you your license unless you can read 'em.  You'll have to take this form to the eye doctor and have 'em fill it out.", he exclaimed to me, "Well, I couldn't read the d*$@ letters the last time and it doesn't matter if they give it to me or not, I'll just drive to the store anyway."  I admit, that ticked me off a little bit a lot.  What if some blind, deaf ol' coot backed over top one my kids in the Food Lion parking lot?  I bet grandaddy'd have a lot to say about driving without a permit then!
Anyway, he passed by the skin of his teeth, only in ONE eye, which is passing according to DMV's requirements.  Waiting for these tests to be completed, I did keep myself busy, quietly catching up on David Platt's "Radical Together".  So, there.  That's a positive bit.

Then, we were off to the dreadful DMV.  Shoot me now!  I pleaded inside my head.  We sat and sat and sat there some more.  I was already emotional, and somewhat irritated.  I hate it when people that come in after you, get to go before you.  Does this make sense to everyone but me?!  This made me even more cross and I began to fidget.  I swore that if any of those clerks even batted an eye at me the wrong way, this God-fearing woman would come across that counter before they could blink an eye, rip their head off and punt it like a football all the way to Minnesota.  I swore it.  Now, that's very godly, wouldn't you say?  I think not, but anyway, I was havin' a moment and the devil was havin' his way with me.

Once out of there, I drove home as fast as illegally possible, dropped off my grandad and parked my butt for awhile to decompress.  Eventually, I wound down, things were OK and I even accomplished a couple of things, but boy, it was a morning in the face of adversity.

I have since prepared a pumpkin cheesecake for the reunion tomorrow, soup for our fellowship at the farm tomorrow night, and have one apple pie left to make.  I picked up and straightened a few things and I do mean a few, but life will go on.  Tomorrow, the sun will rise on a brand-new day, filled with God's promise and maybe this feeling of having a ping pong ball stuck in my throat will go away.  It comes with sorrowful moments.  You know, when you'd like to cry all day, but you're holding it back.  In Chapter 3, David Platt says "that God is indeed sovereign and that in their suffering he may actually be plotting their satisfaction."  Hmm, now that's something to think on, wouldn't you say?  God is still good.  ThankyouJesus.

Freebie Friday

I thought I'd never make it here today.
A dog put down.
Hours at an eye appointment with my 95-year old grandad who can't half hear.
And tortuous time spent at the DMV.
Tell me your day was better?  Please?
It had to be.

At least the sun shone, right?
You picked the right day to go man.
It was beautiful and breezy.


Now, I'm offering up a freebie, courtesy of MyMemories.  Blue is my favorite and I couldn't say no to sweet stripes.  So, in memory of our sweet and mischievous Dan, here is a little tribute and intro to this free set.




Now's your chance to get this Designer Pack of the 2 quick pages shown and all of its elements.  Download now!



*And don't forget, you get $10 off using Promo Code STMMMS74641 at MyMemories

Also, don't forget to visit my giveaway for your chance to win the MyMemories Suite, a digital scrapbooking software for free!

Disclosure: I received the MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software referenced above for free in exchange for a mention of their product on my blog. Regardless, the comments and opinions in these posts are my own, I have not been paid to give positive feedback of their product. Additionally, you're email address will NOT be used by the company, sold, leased, or given to anyone other myself.  It's sole purpose is to contact you if selected as winner, so that you may receive your free code for the MyMemories Suite.




Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Pumpkin Patch Page & giveaway

Did I mention that MyMemories offers 83 free digital scrapbooking kits?
Yep.  You heard right.  Eighty Three!

Maybe you're thinking Pumpkin Patch like me.

Yep.  You heard right again. The Freebie Section.



Say it with me now....Eighty Three Freebie Kits.
Great Job!  Now, give yourself a pat on the back.

Tomorrow, I'll be back to share more exciting stuff from the MyMemories Suite.
In the meantime, check out their Dollar Store section and Weekly Deals.

Don't miss it...I'll also be hosting Freebie Friday to give everyone 3 free design kits.

And don't forget to sign up for the giveaway I'm hosting for a
MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software of your own!

Disclosure: I received the MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software referenced above for free in exchange for a mention of their product on my blog. Regardless, the comments and opinions in these posts are my own, I have not been paid to give positive feedback of their product. Additionally, you're email address will NOT be used by the company, sold, leased, or given to anyone other myself. It's sole purpose is to contact you if selected as winner, so that you may receive your free code for the MyMemories Suite.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Giveaway!!!

Recently, Liz Gardner from MyMemories contacted me, wondering if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway for their MyMemories Suite, a digital scrapbooking software.  While I've never really been one who scrapbooks, I decided to check it out.  I jumped over to their site and was instantly smitten with their cute designs and many options.  I admit, I was impressed.

So, I accepted Liz's offer and days later, I downloaded their digital scrapbooking software.  Immediately, I jumped right in.  First, I chose an album from the designer template and began to insert some Christmas photos that I took last year whilst making my Christmas cards.  You can see my finished product below...





It was so simple!  The pages I used were pre-made, so at the click of the mouse I could add/delete elements making this a quick operation.  (You can also choose to start from scratch and create your very own masterpiece!).  Now, it doesn't stop there!  While I chose "export to JPEG" so I could share them with you here, there are many options for what you can do with your finished album, here are just a few...
  1. Print the pages to insert in your scrapbook.
  2. Create a calendar.
  3. Make an interactive album (can be burned to CD-R or DVD-R discs).
I thought these ideas would make great gifts for the upcoming holidays!  Hopefully, today's post has you thinking about this chaotic time of the year and how you can save on stress!

Now, in honor of Liz's gracious offer, each day this week, I'll be sharing an album I've created or tips and tid bits about the MyMemories Suite.  In the meantime, hop on over to MyMemories and score $10 off by using Promo Code STMMMS74641. 


I know you've been waiting for it, the low-down on the giveaway and how to get extra entries...
Giveaway Rules:
  • Go to the MyMemories site, pick out your favorite digital paper pack or layout.  Then, leave a comment here telling me what your fav(s) were.  Include your email address so you can be contacted if you're chosen as winner.  *If you're worried about leaving your address in cyberspace, it can be typed like so...       sheads(at)live(d0t)com. 
  • Please leave one comment per entry (additional entry information can be found below).
  • If you forget something and need to leave a second comment, go back and DELETE your first comment.
  • This giveaway will end on Wednesday, November 2, 2011.
  • One winner will be selected.
For additional entries...
Want to see more about this exciting digital scrapbooking software, go here and watch the video! 

Disclosure: I received the MyMemories Suite digital scrapbooking software referenced above for free in exchange for a mention of their product on my blog. Regardless, the comments and opinions in these posts are my own, I have not been paid to give positive feedback on their product.  Additionally, you're email address will NOT be used by the company, sold, leased, or given to anyone other myself. It's sole purpose is to contact you if selected as winner, so that you may receive your free code for the MyMemories Suite.

Wishing you luck, 

Monday, October 10, 2011

raw

On the soft carpet, I fell to my knees in the doorway of the living room.  The kindness of others overwhelming me.  I thanked God as I felt utterly undeserving and unworthy.  I thanked him for each person who had touched my life on this bright sunny morning.  Thankful for a kind word, many kind gestures.  I sobbed as I begged, "Why me, Lord?  I am so undeserving."  Because you are Mine.  "Yes, I am Yours, but Lord, I have so much to learn, so much to do, I can never repay You and how can I repay these kind souls."  You don't have to He said.

In his book Radical Together, David Platt says "While we can never do enough to earn acceptance from God, Christ offers this acceptance as a gift when we trust in him."  During revival last week, Larry Johnson said this, "Park yourself by the promises of God's word and you can be sure he'll pass by there in His own time.  Just wait there!  You can count on God to supply everything you need."  I have parked myself by His promises and I have and am waiting on him.  Day after day, week after week, He has shown His unending love and devotion to me.

So as I sit, now dazed by the pouring of His love exhibited through others, I am grateful.  Truly grateful.  My mind races with possibilities of how I can show my gratitude to these people.  In time, His time, we'll figure that out.

Thank you, compassionate, gracious, merciful folks, for making my day, my week, maybe even my year.  This may have seemed small to you, but it made a world of difference to me.


With love,

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

super glue, never again will I touch

I was simply trying to glue a magnet onto the back of a foam picture frame for the man.
Knowing that I didn't want to glue it more than once,
I made the decision to use super glue.
It was guaranteed to stay, right?
A little bit extreme, but it was not coming off again!
Some days I feel so blond.
No offense, it's just a saying.
I have two blondies.  Quite bright ones, I might add.
And I have blond friends who are quite genius too.
OK, I'm rambling.  Back to the subject at hand.

Well, nothing came out of that little tube and it was fairly new,
so I squeezed and squeezed and squeezed harder.
Until it flew like a bat out of well, you know and all over me!

Yep, you heard right.

I now have a hand covered in super glue.
Spots of super glue on my neck.
I did manage to get them off.
My sweater and scarf are sporting crunchy, dark spots of yep, you guessed it...super glue.

Needless to say, before it dried,
I found that my rings were beginning to seriously stick to my fingers.
I panicked.
Hysterics began.

With his agile mind, C ran to the cabinet and grabbed the cooking spray,
sprayed my hand and I worked the rings off.

My rings, they now look like this...(sniff)


In the entirety of my life,
I will never ever touch another tube of super glue so help me, as long as I live.
That's a promise.

I also have forbidden my children to touch it, eeeeevvvvver.

It will now be stored in the "workshop room" for the rest of its sticky stinkin' life!
And I will stick to ~no pun intended~ Elmer's school glue, carpenter's glue, liquid nails, epoxy even, anything but Super Glue.

On the other hand, I am not sad about my rings.
OK, maybe I am.
Just a bit.  I'm clearly in denial.  (sniff)

This will be one of "those" stories that will be told forever.
Oh, there are sooo many.
You can't make this stuff up.
C will laugh his butt off about this.
F.O.R.E.V.E.R.
And tell our friends.
I'll never live it down.
I'll just learn to laugh with them.
And one day it will be funny.

For now, I am thankful, praising God, that we got them off before they completely adhered, before I was sitting at the hospital or waiting for them to "wear" off. 

There, I have made lemonade amidst my lemons.
Today, I will be content.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

les cercles



Ever feel like you're running in circles?

Hmmph, me neither.




Monday, October 3, 2011

birthday bliss

Saturday night we celebrated the man's 5th birthday and it was a blast.  We carried out the whole pirate theme and had his favorite meal - pancakes, sausage, bacon, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, oranges, orange juice, milk, coffee, hot chocolate and some soda.  The weather was perfect, cool yet sunny.  I had given up my desire for warm weather, I found peace and contentment in the fact that there was no rain.  Clouds loomed overhead, but I didn't care. We were all snuggly inside.  I had decided, coffee and hot chocolate put ease to the cold and it did.  Inside, the carport was warm with the many small bodies and affectionate friends that had gathered to celebrate our son.


I only checked the weather once Saturday and left the rest to the Big Man Upstairs.   I trusted He would take care of it and He came through.  I had worried for nothing (isn't that always the case, I worry when He's got it all covered.)   So, I spent the entire day Saturday in praise of the wonderful weather conditions.  And, I didn't fret when I had to leave the man's game early to bring home a pale and weak K, who got sick just as we pulled in the driveway.  (She showered and thankfully, she was fine afterward and for the rest of the day.)  As I gaze outside now, I am thankful for the rain. Thankful that He held it off until our little party had wound down to the last few guests. 

You probably expected to see photos of our party, but ya know, throughout the entire epoch I didn't even think about my camera, not once.  There have been times when I felt regretful, guilty even, that I didn't catch precious moments "on film".  But after it was all said and done, it didn't bother me one bit.  I have learned, sometimes you must live in the moment and immerse yourself in every last second of joy and tenderness, and not feel guilty about it.  And that is exactly what I did.  There are times when I can't stand to stay behind the lens for all of the excitement happening in front of it.  I adored watching the minis delight in each other as they played.  Only for minutes, did they stop to devour their food and return to their fun.  I too, relished the time I spent with family and friends, deep in conversation about life as a mom, life in general and all things in between. 

It always amazes me, how enthralled I feel when we're entertaining.  Surrounded by the people we love, all having a fantastic time, immersed in conversation and good food.  I never want it to end, but eventually, we all get tired, our minis wear out, and it's time to clean up and put everyone to bed.

Thank you, Lord, for a terrific evening spent with loved ones.  It couldn't have been better.