(diva)logues

Winning...

It was a "winning" weekend around here... with much food, wine, basketball, football, family and friends.  The weekend began with a family dinner for my dad's birthday.  Every time we're together, it's constant laughter.  I always leave feeling very, very lucky to have the absolute best family ever.  I also end up wishing we could get together more often...

So... we did just that & we invited my parents over to our house on Saturday night to continue the party and watch the Mizzou vs. Kansas basketball game.  And woooooot wooooooot... Mizzou won the game.  So awesome!  We were all yelling & cheering... I was hoarse by the end of the game... 

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Sunday was of course the Super Bowl.  We watched it with friends.  I could've cared less about the game and was only looking forward to the Halftime Show.  Madonna did not disappoint.  Although I really don't like her new song AT ALL.  Her old school stuff rocked though, I was loving LMFAO & Cee Lo, too.  Also won $25 for some reason in the last quarter of the football game (or actually I guess I really won $5, because I had bet $20 at the beginning of the game).  I'm going to try not to spend that all in one place... that's some big winnings...

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And finally... I used random.org to pick a winner for my blog give-away & the #2 comment was picked...

CONGRATULATIONS, Teresa, who said:

So, if I post more than one comment does that mean I now have two chances to win????? ;)

Posted by: Teresa | February 01, 2012 at 02:19 PM

I'll get your prize out to you right away, Teresa!

And thank you, everyone, for the sweet comments... about my crafty projects AND my shoes!  LOL! 

Have a GREAT week, everyone!

I am a very lucky girl, with the absolute BEST family ever...

Just a quick reminder about the give-away on my blog!  The winner will be randomly chosen tomorrow night... Sunday, February 4... at 7pm Central time. 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend! 

4 years of blogging...must be time for a GIVE-AWAY...

Actually, my first day of blogging was on February 15, 2008.  Not much has changed since then.  Bryn has changed A LOT.  The formatting of my blog changed, too, so my photos were cut-off with only 1/2 the image showing on some of them back then.  I snagged this image from that month...

... and nope... that hasn't changed either.  In fact, I just bought 2 new pairs of shoes recently...

I do love animal print... especially leopard print & snake skin.  Crazy since I really HATE snakes.

Sooo...how about a little give-away to celebrate?  I have lots of extra unused Nikki Sivils' products to share with one lucky reader...the Ellies Day Out paper collection, buttons, brads, a mini book, 4 6x6 paper pads, stickers & Breadless Tabs... 

 

Just leave a comment on this post to be entered into the give-away.  Maybe you could tell me why you read my blog... is it to see my projects or perhaps because you love to see me mention Zumba for the 500th time?  LOL  I get a lot of hits every day, but only a few people leave comments so I'm just curious.  Curiosity killed the cat, you know, so maybe I shouldn't be curious?  Hmmm.

I'll leave commenting open until this Sunday, February 5 at 7pm Central time.  

And much thanks to those of you who have been visiting my blog over the years.  It's been nothing but a great experience in a FUN industry and I have loved every day of it!  Your comments keep me laughing, for sure!   

Big hugs...

Give-away winner...

 

I like the 3d stuff, too. That cupcake paper skirt WAS extra cute!

Posted by: erinrwillis | February 28, 2011 at 12:49 PM

CONGRATS, Erin!  You'll be receiving some new SRM Stickers!  And thanks again to everyone for all the great tutorial ideas!  It really helped me a lot! 

I ♥ SRM Stickers...

Just received my free copies of Scrapbook Trends Magazine along with some free scrapbooking supplies in return for my page that they published in their September issue... 

 

 

SRM Stickers simply make your projects look great.  And that page is FULL of them! 

And the winner is...

  

credit

 

I want to try Zumba because I love to dance. :)

But right now my physical therapist says I have to stick with walking. Hills are good for working up a sweat.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Posted by: MelanieJ | November 19, 2010 at 01:01 AM

 

Running defintely works up a sweat. Thanks for the awesome giveaway. Love Nikki Sivils

Posted by: Michele Marshall | November 19, 2010 at 02:23 PM

Michele & Melanie... please email me with your address so I can send out your goodies!

How about a little giveaway?

How about TWO little giveaways?  I'm so thankful for everything I've been blessed with in this industry, that I wanted to share some of the things I enjoy creating with so much!   

 

 

Each set of Nikki Sivils' goodies comes with a 6x6 paper pad, a mini chipboard album & a set of burlap buttons. 

Just leave a comment telling me your favorite way to work up a sweat.  (Ummm... without telling me about your sex life, ok?  LOL)  You already know my answers... Zumba, Spin, running and my cardio/weight class.  It's the start of my day, every day! 

I'll  leave commenting open through the weekend & pick 2 winners on Sunday night!

I decided to pick TWO winners...

The card looks so cute! And I love the Tree!

Posted by: Natalie K | September 01, 2010 at 11:59 AM

I love how you made the tree! Cute Cute card.

Posted by: conniemelancon | September 01, 2010 at 10:50 AM 

 

CONGRATULATIONS to Natalie & Connie!  Please email me with your full name + address so I can send you the goodies!  

Sweet treats...

There's a new challenge posted at the Nikki Sivils blog!  The design team was asked to create a card or layout using the My Friend Birdie line.  I made a Get Well card after reading this post via Julie's blog...

 
So here's the challenge!  Create a card, layout or project using ANY Nikki Sivils line, old or new, and post a link here for the chance to win a complete line of YOUR choice!  A sweet deal, eh? 

How about another sweet deal?  One random commenter on this post today will receive a package of the Burlap Buttons I used on my card + a Pocket of Treats Stickers from me...

You have until MIDNIGHT tonight, Central Standard time.  I'll post the winner tomorrow!

Off to Spin class & then to see if I can make some more progress on the calendar I've been tackling.  It's coming along slowly but surely...

My weekend recap...

My weekend was spent like this...

• About an hour at the subdivision pool + a rainbow snow cone from the snow cone truck...

 

(I love when I forget to bring my camera & only have my cell phone.  I also loved that it was 99 degrees + 105 degrees heat index.  Thus, the one hour-ish time frame.  Yucky.)

• Zumba class + running
• A little time to create with the new Blueberry Hill line from Nikki Sivils...

• And some time creating a card with the Baby Sticker Sentiments from SRM Stickers...

 

• Watching Bryn's excitement about finally receiving her birthday present ordered at the end of May, that was on backorder until now.  She named them "Jack & Annie," after the characters in the Magic Tree House books...

   

(Always a messy face when eating.  I suppose she'll outgrow that some day?)

• Games + some popcorn...

• Seeing the movie Ramona & Beezus with Bryn & her friend...

(Am I the only one who cries at kid's movies?)  

• Packing for CHA.  You know, important things like my SRM Stickers projects, my camera & comfortable walking shoes...

• Picking a winner for my SRM Stickers giveaway!

 

Newbie here...I am looking forward to our family vacation to Branson. I have not been in almost 10 years.

Posted by: Michele Marshall | July 23, 2010 at 03:17 PM

Michele Marshall... email me with your address & I'll send out your stickers! 

 I hope you all had a GREAT weekend! 

I ♥ the annual Anniversary Sale at Nordstrom...

For the past several years, I've purchased a new handbag for the upcoming fall season during the annual sale at Nordstrom.  They put out all their new fall merchandise in July, slash the prices temporarily & you get to buy at the sale price before it goes up to the regular set price at the beginning of August.  Since most of my bags are kept & reused year after year (I try to not buy anything too trendy, so it works for more than 1 season), this year I needed to get a new brown bag since I sold the one I'd been using for the last couple years.  I went with this one...

   

I may have snagged a new pair of sunglasses, too.  ;-)

 

If you're interested in getting your own good deals during the sale, check it out here before the prices go up on August 2! 

And speaking of deals, have you entered your comment on this post for a chance to win my SRM Stickers giveaway?  You have until tonight at 7pm Central time before I choose the winner!   

Sweet & girly... my favorite kind! (And how about a give-away?)

Now that you've seen all the new Quick Cards sets at the SRM Stickers blog, take a look at the new Sticker Sentiments sets shown yesterday & today!

I adore these Everyday Girl stickers.  They are so sweet & girly... perfect for making a page about Bryn!

Bryn let me use some more of her American Girl Doll paper pad...

It's a simple design, but it lets the stickers shine bright! 

I also made a card with the new Everyday Boy set.  I don't make many boy-themed pages around here, but I can ALWAYS use birthday cards for boys!

 
 
How about a chance to create with some of the new SRM Stickers?!  I'm giving away all the new Quick Cards sticker sets to one lucky winner (minus the Teacher set because curiously, I must've used all 3 of my sets to make 2 teacher cards... HUH?)...

Ok so... if you want the chance to win just leave a comment on this post & tell me something you're looking forward to... coming up soon or something in the distant future.  Become a new follower of my blog & your name will be entered TWICE!  I'll choose a winner on Sunday evening, so you have all weekend to comment! 

For me... I'm looking forward to CHA & meeting friends I've made online.  4 more days.. can NOT wait!  Now... what to wear, what to pack???   

How about some treats for Valentine's Day?

I'm having a very HAPPY week, I'm ready for Valentine's Day & I'm spreading the LOVE!   I thought I'd share some of my new Nikki Sivils goodies that are hitting the streets now!  So here's what's up for grabs... a Pocket of Treats sticker pack, a package of Burlap Buttons, & some of my Baker's Twine!  Lots of RED in this gift to celebrate...

 

In order to get your name in the "hat," become a FAN on Nikki Sivils' Facebook page, if you're not already.  Did you know she does give-aways there?!  In fact, every day this week, she's giving something away in honor of Valentine's Day... such a GREAT reason to be a FAN!  Then leave me a comment telling me how you plan to spend your weekend!  Easy enough, right?!  You have until Noon on Sunday to comment here & I'll announce the winner on Sunday night! 

My weekend started today with lunch at PF Changs with my Valentine after my interval class this morning.  Then I ran around like a mad woman trying to finish up my list of things-to-do... like "treats" & things for V.Day.  Tomorrow night, we're making a nice dinner at home (crab legs, lobster, salad, appetizers, wine, dessert... & lots of other festive "treats.")  And aside from that, I'll be doing Zumba, running & a little crafting.  I'm posting tomorrow & Sunday, with some new projects & Monday will be the start of another GREAT week! 

Off to get Bryn from school!  TGIF! 

A "FULL" day and I have a winner...

Thanksgiving was very nice & the food was yummy!  We celebrated at my parent's home & were happy that Bob's sister & her husband joined us this year.  After a big lunch (& some pie for dessert!), Bob, Jeanie, George & I went to the hospital to visit their dad, who is doing a lot better.  He's still in the hospital, but it looks like he won't need surgery after all.  That is the news we were hoping to hear!  Still unsure of when he'll be released, but things are looking better anyway. 

Jeanie got up at & left our house at 4:30am to go shopping this morning.  I, however, stayed asleep until almost 8, had breakfast & then did my butt-kicking interval class at the Y (I swear that class NEVER gets any easier).  The only shopping I'm doing today is ONLINE! 

Am I missing something or do you have to pay to use the Random Number Generator???  Since that appeared to be the case & I think that's just simply a rip-off, I had Bryn pick a name the old-fashioned way... out of a bucket!  So... here's the winner of my Crate RAK...  

 

Bethany... please email your address & I'll send you your prize!  I still don't have it yet, but I'm hoping to receive my shipment by the beginning of the week & I'll mail it to you asap!  Thanks to everyone for the funny comments you left.  I laughed every single time!  And a special thanks to Jenneke, who made me laugh 3 times, with 3 different jokes!  You are all the BEST.  So thankful our paths have crossed!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! 

Rainbows + clouds = love...

This Crate kit was sent to me with my October HIP 2B SQUARE kits.  I almost started jumping up & down when I saw it.  It was a GREAT package to come home from Arizona to, as I had been meaning to go buy some of this new Crate line... 

I made 4 layouts, 4 cards &  a mini accordian album for the little tin case that's included.  I can't say enough, how FUN this kit is! 

For this layout I  used one of Bryn's new school photos.  I usually never have any use for the huge 8x10 print that's included, so this year I decided to scrap it.  I cropped the width of the photo down a bit to better fit all my embellies on the page.  The "scallops" on the side were made by punching 4 circles.  I inked the edges to define it a little more & stitched over it all when I machine stitched my border in red.  I wanted a defined area in which to put all my embellies & journaling about who she is & what's she likes as a 3rd grader... 

More machine stitching here & used the contact sheet size prints along with a 5x7 photo...

This was really just a for-FUN layout.  I used Bryn's 60-piece marker set & wrote all the things I'm loving right now in rainbow order + more contact sheet size photos...

Finally scrapping these photos from my sister's birthday in May.  The red burlap was fun to use!  I was unsure how best to adhere it, so I just machine stitched over it in red.  Notice the red machine stitching for all the layouts?  I'm lazy when it comes to changing the thread on the machine, what can I say? 

... and my 4 cards...

 

I loved this kit SO MUCH that I called Kimberly & ordered some more items from this kit to use for a RAK!  With Thanksgiving coming up, it seemed like an appropriate time to do a give-away.  I certainly am thankful for all the sweet friends I have met through this blog!  To be in the running, just leave me a comment telling me something funny.  I don't care what it is, just make me laugh.  And here's a hint... I laugh at everything, so this should be easy.  I'm going to leave this contest open until Friday, as my products won't arrive until next week.  So, I can't send them out until I get them!   

If you're interested in this kit or any other fabulous HIP 2B SQUARE kit, contact Kimberly! 

Tomorrow I'll post my mini accordian album that I made with this kit!  Happy Monday!   

Jumping for joy!

VERY excited after receiving a phone call yesterday...

 

Ready for take-off (or was I just landing?  Hard to tell...)

 

No, I didn't just become 6 months pregnant...

 

I received a call from Nikki Sivils...

 

... who told me I had been chosen to be on Willie B's design team, her new scrapbooking company!  She is debuting her new line at CHA in Orlando this summer and I'll be part of the team to help her get her company off the ground & running!  I literally screamed & jumped up & down when I hung up the phone!  Bryn just looked at me smiling, wondering WTH I was doing, I'm sure!  "My Sweet Cherry Pie" is her first paper line...

CONGRATULATIONS to all the other girls on the team & a special congrats to my friend, Julie, who was also chosen to be on the Willie B's design team.  So very excited for you, too, my friend! 

My able-bodied photographer/assistant helped me set up this photo shoot & then asked if she could do it, too.  She said, "I'll be jumping for joy since it's my birthday tomorrow."

 

And excited she is.  Today is her birthday!  It's my favorite day of the whole year.  I still cannot believe I have an 8-year old.  I cannot believe she will be in 3rd grade in a few months & wearing braces in just a couple weeks.  We are celebrating today with shopping & an early dinner... per her request.  It's her favorite thing to do.  Where does she get that? 

And finally... I'm sending out tags to all 9 who commented on my RAK blog post if you want them!  So... Aimee, Beth P., Julie, Jess, Kim W., Sasha F., Amber & Nicole... email me with your address & I'll send them out this week.  (Jenneke... yours are going in the mail with a few more extras!)

I need inspiration... so how about another RAK?

We spent the afternoon playing with Sydney & then watching her last session of Little Gym yesterday.  She was a star! 

 

I love how close these 2 are... like sisters... only they're cousins (of sisters!).  Always hugging each other, holding hands... it's precious.

I'm feeling slightly unorganized about Bryn's Luau-themed family birthday party on Sunday.  I have most of what I need, but still have quite a bit to accomplish.  But... at least I have a dress to wear...

 

I ♥ Forever 21.

Bryn is not feeling well today.  She has a bit of a cough, a low fever & just feeling generally icky.  So... my plans of going to the Y this morning & running a bunch of much-needed errands will be put off until Bob comes home from work this evening.  I've gotta wrap things up! 

I need some new inspiration.  So... I thought I'd do another RAK & give away some cute GCD tags!  The tags have bright, fun patterns & colors and worked well in my Hawaii mini that I just finished.  Leave me a link of something inspiring you lately & I'll throw your name in for the RAK.  I may just have to give away more than 1 set, so don't be shy... comment away!  I'll pick a winner(s) on Sunday evening!  Have a great weekend!   

How about some Hybrid action?

I have the honor this week of being the Guest Designer for Ad This!  Here's this week's ad for inspiration...

... and the catch is to make it a Hybrid lay-out.  WELL.... I know zero about digital scrapping.  I sat down once to figure it out on Photoshop & 3 hours later I decided I could've made at least 2 traditional lay-outs in that amount of time. 

For those that don't already know... Hybrid means it's a combination of digital & traditional paper scrapping. So, I went back to my Kitschy Digitals printables I purchased the other day, printed my woodgrain background paper & my HELLO title letters & built the rest of the page as I normally would...

  

I also used a new software package Photoshop Actions by Maggie Holmes to edit my photo with a POP of color. 

I'll be picking a winner tonight for my NSD give-away... so you still have time to leave a comment here for a chance to win!  Have a GREAT week!

Since it's still NSD weekend...

... then I guess I had to go to Archivers today.  Bryn & I met my sister for lunch at Cheesecake Factory & since Archivers is right next door... well, we just couldn't resist!  Even better than new scrapbooking stash... free appetizer & cheesecake coupons!  They gave us some with our bill for an upcoming promotion...

  

I ♥ free stuff from Cheesecake Factory.  As IF I need a reason to go... this just gives me a reason to go more OFTEN! 

And... just something kind of funny.  We pulled into the garage & there sat a duck on the roof of our house.  Bryn & I just burst out laughing.  I ran inside to get the camera & told her not to make any sudden moves to scare the duck away...

 

 

Maybe it's not that funny.  We really do laugh at anything.  She's my little mini-me.

Don't forget to leave a comment here to be entered into my little NSD give-away!  

Happy National Scrapbooking Day...

I'm having a great day... running, scrapping, blog hopping & entering contests.  So many give-aways this weekend... like Purple Onion for instance!  Bryn's been outside playing with neighbor girls & I've managed to finish 2 lay-outs.  One for the Category Stories challenge to use UNEXPECTED in the title...

 

... and the other for an upcoming design team challenge! 

Sooooo... I thought I'd do my OWN little give-away!  Just leave a comment about how your spending your weekend and you'll be entered to win some fun scrapping supplies!  You have until Monday evening!