(diva)logues

Labor Day weekend...

... minus the labor.  Our weekend will start off tomorrow with the annual Mizzou vs. Illinois football game.  Bob was able to get tickets from State Farm again.  This year we're taking my parents to the game, too.  Our seats will be close, but not right together since we asked for their tickets a day later.  Afterward it's back to our house for dinner & "Game Night," which means plenty of wine + popcorn.  ;-)

I really have been creating quite a bit lately, just haven't been able to post much of it yet.  But here's a couple sneak peeks at my almost-completed HIP 2B SQUARE kit for August...

 

It is one CUTE kit!  

And oh how I ♥ you, Marvy Uchida!  SRM Stickers will be featuring them on our blog next month and have they been GENEROUS with us!  You think I've been addicted to my punches lately?  You ain't seen nothin' yet!  

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!  I hope yours is full of lots of fun & good memories!

Fun mail...

Thanks again to Julie for the sweet early Christmas gift.  It's always fun to receive an unexpected package in the mail...

The tote was filled with goodies, including this little ornament...

 

Too funny!  Thanks again, Julie, for your generosity & kindness! 

The weather has been beautiful this weekend, so Bob put up the outdoor Christmas lights today.  We won't actually turn them on until after Thanksgiving, but it's much better to put them up when it's nice & sunny, than to wait until it's cold & rainy/snowy!  A BUSY week ahead.  I can hardly believe that Thursday is Thanksgiving already.  Time flies!

Just coming up for air...

As I was cleaning the house like a mad woman this morning, Bob (who is at home from work today) said to me, "Did you have some sugar for breakfast this morning?"  I said, "No.  But if I don't get all this done now + run BEFORE I go into the craftroom to finish up projects, I'll never get to it."  Somehow once I set foot in that room, time passes by at lightening speed & before I know it, it's time to jump in the car to pick up Bryn from school. 

The good news is, I've completed 9 layouts, 4 cards & 2 mini albums since I got home Saturday night.  I'm not finished yet.  I still have a few more things to accomplish, but I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel now.  I guess it was a bad time to leave town, but the good news is, I'm becoming a bit faster at scrapping (especially with KITS, which I am SO LOVING to use these days... SO  much easier!) AND it doesn't seem like work to me.  It's not stressful.  I LOVE IT.  Here's another sneak...

I also love the "HAPPY MAIL" I received  on Monday from 2 friends, Laura & Julie!  I walked outside & saw 2 packages.  The return address on the box from Laura was "The Scrap Room."  I thought to myself, "Did I order something from them?"  LOL!  Pretty bad, when you second guess whether you ordered something or not.  All I could think when I opened it was OH MY GOODNESS!  4 scrapbooking kits...

There was the SWEETEST note in there, too.  The surprise certainly put a smile on my face.  Thank you again, my sweet friend Laura!  That was so generous of you & I can't wait to get started with it!  Your work inspires me, I covet your veggie garden (on my list of things to do!) & I wish you lived closer than Australia so I could visit you!  Not that I can say I'll never visit Australia, it's just that 20+ hour plane ride to get there that doesn't sound fun to me! 

I also received the sweetest gift from Julie, too, but since she sent everyone something on our our FAV THINGS design team, I think I'm supposed to wait until all the girls in the Netherlands receive theirs!  But thank you again, Julie!  You are TOO kind!

One last thing!  My friend Sally has opened her etsy shop!  Yay, Sally!  Check out all the cuteness here!  She'll be adding totes soon & they are the CUTEST ever.  She made one for Bryn a couple years ago & she still uses it!  Holiday gift-giving ideas...

I ♥ to travel...

 

A new challenge is up at These Are A Few of My Favorite Things!  This time we want to know... where was your favorite trip/vacation?   I've been to so many beautiful places & had so many good trips & memories, but one stands out as my best.  It was our 10-day trip to Spain (Madrid & Marbella) & Portugal (Lisbon).  It was my first trip ever with Bob (about 11 years ago) & we had a blast!  Some day, we'll have to return.  I used a combination of products on the page + a map that I found with all the old photos. 

Check out the blog for more inspiring ideas.  There are 3 prizes up for grabs this time, so we'll be picking 3 winners!!!

We are busy packing & getting ready for another trip... one that, according to the 10-day forecast, will involve a lot of SUN.  It will be shocking to actually see some sun, as it's raining yet AGAIN today!  

Right before we left to get Bryn's hair cut yesterday, we noticed a package on the front porch for Bryn.  It was a HUGE package of scrapbooking supplies from my blog friend Nicole...

Thank you SO MUCH, Nicole!  You are just so kind & generous.  You certainly put a huge smile on Bryn's face yesterday! 

And she decided to go shorter...

 

I think she looks cute!  

One more thing... TODAY ONLY... use this coupon for 50% off EVERYTHING AT PAYLESS.  Bryn needs new ballet shoes & maybe tennis shoes, too.  So we're there!   

Feeling very happy...

Just a few of the MANY things making me feel so HAPPY right now...

I received surprise mail from one of the most talented artists I know.  Chris painted a watercolor for me & I'd swear she's seen my house because the colors she chose could NOT have been more PERFECT!  I got tears in my eyes when I saw it.  Is she not insanely talented?  Thank you, thank you, thank you Chris!

 

I have very neutral colors in my home with pops of red, orange, purple & lime green.  When I asked Bob if he noticed it on the counter he said, "She made that?!  I thought you bought it somewhere today.  She needs to sell those!"  Yes, everyone has been telling Chris to open an etsy shop.   

 

Last night my sister & her boyfriend came over for dinner & "game night."  I laughed so hard, my stomach & my back hurt.  SO MUCH FUN!  Don't get to see her nearly enough.  They spent the night because they were helping Joel's parents out with their garage sale this morning & they live close to us.  I woke to a note she wrote me about something funny from last night & started laughing all over again! 

I also woke up to this note in the doorway of my bedroom from Bryn...

 

Seriously.  I get notes like this almost every day.  Most of her notes are hand-written, but sometimes she'll get on Word & type them.  I tell her all the time that I am the luckiest mom in the whole world. 

Oh... and this makes me happy, too... 

I'm happy with only 4 squares... unlike Dark Chocolate Raisinets, which are just WAY too easy for me to overeat. 

It's a very rainy day, so I'm running 4 miles on the treadmill & then I may just have to hang out in the craft room for awhile.  What's making you happy today?  Could be a great starting point for your next layout! 

More CRATE & SASS from my Hip kit...

Well.... I didn't have much left after creating my Hip 2B Square mini book, BUT I did manage to create a layout + 3 cards with all my left-overs!  For my layout, I decided to hand-write my journaling from my experience with my follow-up mammograms & ultrasound, since the paper was lined.  I ran out of room, but said most of what I wanted to remember about that day.  I also did some editing with the photo I took from the waiting room that day.  I made it all black & white, except for those dumb flowers on the wall I kept staring at...

  

 

 

In addition to having the cutest kits ever... Kimberly has recently added a lot of NEW products to her store!  AND..... right now she's having a 40% off paper sale on select styles!  Go check it all out! 

On a side note...  thank you SOOOOO MUCH to Julie for these ADORABLE tags! 

It's like a rainbow-assortment of colors & patterns!  I can't wait to start creating with these!  You are too SWEET! 

Sneaks & other happy things...

The sneak peaks of the Hip 2B Square main kit & add-on kit for September have been posted here!   

I can't wait until they arrive so I can start creating with these fantastic kits!  So excited about how the add-on kit will work with the main kit! 

Here's a link for a lot of templates that could be useful for scrapbooking.  Thanks to Chris for that info!  I think I may need to use the dress form for something... maybe fashion show pics?  The champagne card might be cute for something, too!

Here's a layout I made with a lot of paper piecing, hand-stitching & machine stitching.  I also used one of Bryn's Webkinz tags for the "yard sign."  While she can't have real dogs & cats because of her allergies, she certainly makes up for it with the "stuffed" versions...

And... MANY, MANY thanks for the "happy mail" we received yesterday!  I received the SWEETEST letter & an iTunes gift card from Bekah... thank you SO MUCH, my friend!  You are just SO kind & thoughtful!  Bekah is a great example of a young woman living life in a positive way.  I am always impressed by her devotion to her church, too. 

Then on the same day, a surprise package from Sarah!  She sent the layout she made for me + some scrapping goodies AND some scrapping supplies for Bryn, too!  She wrote a little note for Bryn on the back of a photo of her puppies... 

You should have seen the smile that came across her face when she saw the photo of Maui & Hilo.  The girl is ALL about babies & dogs!

I am constantly feeling so thankful for everyone I have "met" through this FUN world of scrabooking.  I NEVER in a million years would have thought that by creating my blog almost 2 years ago, that it would be such a blessing in my life.  Your kind words, positive thoughts & funny comments ALWAYS make me smile & for that alone... I feel VERY lucky!  

We beat 'em like a drum...

The Mizzou vs. Illinois Arch Rivalry game on Saturday was a blast.  Of course, it's always fun to kick Illinois' butts 37-9.  Curiously, Illinois was picked to win the game?  Bryn was decked out in her tiger gear.  Toward the end of the game, she & I were on one of ESPN's cameras.  How you could resist a little "tiger" in the 2nd row? 

 

 

 

The seats were so good, that you sometimes had to watch the monitors to see what was going on in the game as Mizzou's team was standing right in front of us blocking our view.  Marci & Joel's seats were up pretty high, but after half-time they came down to find us & sat by us for awhile.  It was a really fun day, that ended with dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  Smiles...

 

Sunday & Monday were pretty laid back.  I was able to finish up quite a few projects that are due & Bryn was finally able to watch the new Hannah Montana movie on dvd.  I thought it was cute, too.  Last week we rented the new American Girl movie, "Chrissa," that I loved even more.  It was about bullying in school.  The Amercian Girl movies are such GREAT family movies, with such GREAT messages.  Love them... 

On a side note, I just wanted to thank Sarah again for this beautiful layout she made & emailed me on the night before I went for my follow-up mammogram.  I, of course, burst into tears when I saw it, leaving Bob to wonder why the heck I was suddenly crying.  Everything happened so fast last week with them calling me & then scheduling me for the next morning that I really didn't tell family & friends, other than my sister.  I really didn't want to worry anyone if it turned out to be nothing.  I did email my FAVORITE THINGS design team & ask for prayers.  With everyone on that team in different spots all over the world, I figured prayers coming from all over could only help.  (And it did!)  We've become a pretty close-knit group.  They are one fun group of women!     

 

She wrote on there, "A couple days ago, I read that a girl named Bryn kept a positive attitude even though she was unsure of the outcome.  She must totally get it from her mom, Deana.  You are in my thoughts and prayers, Deana.  Keep your head up and stay strong.  Hugs, Sarah."  And, of course, the title of the layout is the song Bryn was singing when she was completing her swim test the other day.

I printed it out & left it laying on the counter in the craft room the night she sent it.  The next morning Bryn said to me, "I saw that layout that Sarah made for you.  That was really nice of her."  I said, "It was really nice of her.  It made me cry, too."  A few days later she picked it up again & said, "I keep thinking how nice it was of Sarah to make this for you." 

Thanks again, Sarah.  You really are very kind... and reminding me of Bryn's positive attitude was just what I needed to hear that night.   

And one more thank you to Scrapping the Music for picking my Mr Blue Sky layout for their winner.  That was a total surprise! 

MAJOR "happy mail!"

Bryn was on her way out the door today with Evan & Olivia.  Bob was taking them to the pool.  I walked out to get the mail before they left & found this HEAVY package on our front porch addressed to Bryn.  It was a HUGE box of scrapbooking supplies from Julie! 

 

 

As she opened the box & began to pull things out, all I heard was, "Wow!  Cool!  Look at all this!  Look, Mama, you have one of these, but yours is red!  Pixie Sticks... COOL!"  She was so excited!

 

 

Plus, Julie wrote her the sweetest note about having braces & how her son, Adam, had to go through it, too!  Bryn read the note outloud to me...

 

I can't tell you HOW MUCH was in that box... tons of paper, embellies, scrapbooks, stickers, stamps & MUCH MORE!  She was smiling from ear to ear as she would reach into the box & say, "There's more!" 

 

And.... Julie even had a surprise in there for ME, too!  The cutest Christmas wine tote!  How did you know I like wine?  LOL!   

  

Let me just say, Julie, how happy you made Bryn today.  That was SO kind & generous of you!  I know she is going to be very busy scrapbooking with all her new goodies.  In fact, she already made a thank you card for you today!  You are tooooo SWEET! 

9 years...

Yesterday was our 9-year anniversary.  Hard to believe it's been 9 years already, but it's hard to remember life before him, too.  It was a good day.  A normal day, but normal is good!  I spent it working out & running errands, while Bob was at work & Bryn was at school.  We didn't make any dinner plans for 2 reasons... Bryn had her last night of dance class before her recital this weekend AND we have dinner plans with friends tonight!  We also decided NO GIFTS.  May is a big month for me... Mother's Day, my birthday, our anniversary.  Bob's been itching to get a new flat screen TV, so I suggested he get it & call it our anniversary gift.  He did bring home roses & dinner though... and bringing home dinner is ALWAYS welcome in this house!

And speaking of our house... I just finished a lay-out for the current One Little Word challenge to use the word REFLECT.  I also used some more of Gudrun's paper.  I do love her clouds and YES, Julie, I am hoarding the rest of them...

 

I received some "happy mail" yesterday... my prize from GCD Studios for my Mother's Day layout...

 

It was a TON of stuff... in fact, they sent 25 sheets of the journaling spots.  25 sheets!  25 sheets of like 17 journaling spots on each.  I keep thinking it must've been a mistake?  I'm going to have to do another RAK soon, because as much as I LOVE to journal... I can't possibly use that many sheets of journaling spots.  It was a GENEROUS gift, to say the least! 

And a quick card to get rid of some of the MANY scraps on my table...

Off to work-out, then to school for the end-of-the-year party & then tonight it's Date Night!

Have a great weekend!

I am speechless...

You have to see this, this & this! I was giddy & crying!  I am speechless that Sarah made these for me...

  

This is the MOST fun I've EVER had scrapping... swapping photos with Sarah.  My first photo swap.  I was so excited when she asked me to do this.  It was a creative challenge for me to scrap meaningful photos to Sarah... to put my own stamp on it, but to still do the photos justice... to not let Sarah down.  It was exciting for ME to give Sarah MY photos... the anticipation of the result... & to know I was going to LOVE it before I ever even saw it.  I am endlessly inspired by her work.  It's as simple as that.  When I'm uninspired, I look at her gallery of work to find inspiration.  A simple THANK YOU is not enough... but thank you, Sarah.  Your time, your creativity & your words mean so much to me.  You are one talented artist...       

Happy mail from the Netherlands!

What a wonderful way to begin the week!  My sweet friend, Jenneke, sent me a package of goodies that I just can't wait to use!  Fabric, trim, stickers, butterflies...  SO MANY CUTE THINGS! 

  

Bryn was excited to see all these goodies, too!  Thank you, thank you, thank you Jenneke... ♥ you! 

By the way, you still have until Midnight tonight (Monday) to submit your Hybrid lay-outs to Ad This!  Trust me, if I can do Hybrid... ANYONE can!

Just a quickie...

... busy day today.  Spin class, volunteered in Bryn's class at school, running errands, etc.  Finished a lay-out last night with using one of the vintage milk caps my sweet friend Julie sent me (for absolutely NO REASON other than because she's just a very kind person!)...

 

Back tomorrow with my race story and photos!