How could something so good...

...be so wrong? I have passed by this unassuming jar in the store on several occasions and just last week decided I needed to give it a try.

I should have just walked on by.

It is sin in a jar I tell you.

Wonderful, hazelnutty, chocolate loving sin.

Does anyone have any recipes using this stuff, because as you can see the recipe of the moment is sticking a spoon in the jar and lapping it up.

*NOTE: I didn't even take the time to put away the groceries in the background before digging in.

Sinful.

And in unrelated news a sneak of a layout you can see in full here:

This warmer weather is bringing out some great thrifting finds! I will share later this week :)

The downside of teaching your kiddo to read...

Aven has been doing great reading and spelling words and trying to read books. We are super proud of him. But I am beginning to realize there is a downside. For instance, we can't spell words in front of him, unless they are long words, to keep him from understanding our conversation. Surely you moms know what I mean, right?

And then a few days ago while picking up his room he came across the instructions to put his track together on his train table. He looks at me and asks, "Mom didn't you say this train table was from santa."

uh oh.

"yes it was. why?"

"Then why do these instructions say Toys R Us on them?"

Busted.

In other news, the Buzz and Bloom design team has been posting their favorite techniques over on the blog.

Be sure and check them out. Lots of ideas.

And about that snake..you all are too funny. Rory actually came across it slithering over our driveway. So what does he do? Puts it in a trash can to show the boys and I. Of course they thought it was super awesome and I ran to grab the camera. It could have been a black mamba for all I care--I hate snakes. I know this one is suppose to be "good" though. The kicker of the whole thing? We were going out after dinner to see it one last time.

I voted we kill it. I was outvoted.

But before we went out Aven came running in to tell us the snake was gone.

G O N E

He said he had left the lid off to the trashcan...the trashcan sitting almost inside our garage.

Yet another reason to avoid cleaning out our garage ;)

There's still time to enter the 100th post giveaway below. I plan to draw the lucky name tomorrow. Have a great day!

Up on Buzz and Bloom..

One of my favorite banners I have made ever. Lots of vintage goodies combined with some new product for Buzz and Bloom.

You can check out the full banner here. Let me know what you think :)

And in other news we have a new resident at our house...

for the time being anyway. It's funny to have a pink Barbie laying around amid cowboy hats and trucks. Aven has a birthday party for a preschool buddy this friday and then she will reside elsewhere, but I have to tell you he was all about getting her the right gift. In fact, he asked her at preschool last week what she wanted. She said a Barbie. He said what kind. She said a mermaid princess kind. He told me all this on our way home from church and then said, "Momma, I don't know what that is. I think it's a girl thing."

HA!

So we got to the store to try and find a mermaid princess Barbie. I had doubts she existed, but lo and behold there she was. I tried to sway him towards the purple or blue one, but they didn't have crowns and he said , "She has to have the one with the a crown mom! That's the way you tell she's a princess and that is what she wants."

Well then there you go ;) Gotta love a 4 year old girl that knows what she wants and her 4 year old friend going the distance to get it for her. So sweet.

Enjoy your day!

And one more thing...

Have a layout over at the Buzz and Bloom blog today. Here's a sneak peek:

By the way, I am approaching 100 posts. Are we thinking a giveaway might be necessary? ;)

FINALLY!!!

THANK YOU Mr. Sun for deciding to peek out today! It might hit 60 degrees, a mini heatwave compared to the temps we have had. Yea for sun! It makes everyone's mood a bit lighter and brighter. In fact, when I picked up Aven from preschool he said, "Mom, I've had an awesome day." Gotta love that :)

That's all today. Just thankful to see the sun! Oh, and I have a layout over at Buzz and Bloom.

Hope you are enjoying some sunshine wherever you are!

What??

...you aren't up at 130 a.m. sewing a #2 on a shirt? ;)

So while I'm here...

More Freehand Scraps sneaks:

**Kits go on sale March 1st and it is definitely one not to miss out on!

and one Buzz and Bloom:

Enjoy your weekend!

Here's to the beginning of a lovely week

Lovely flowers

Lovely cookies

Lovely sneak peeks

Freehand Scraps March kit

Buzz and Bloom

Here's wishing you a lovely week.

notice the new blinkie over here------->

Extremely thrilled to finally tell you I am on the 2010 design team for the wonderful company Buzz and Bloom!

So surprised and blessed to see my name listed among these talented ladies from all around the globe.

Check out their incredible products here and leave some love for my fellow design team members here.

I first got to play with their chipboard & cord clouds in the November kit from Freehand Scraps (which I hear there are only a few left!) and fell in love with how versatile and fun their products were. Can't wait to get a box on my doorstep and start creating :)

Happy early birthday to me, huh? ;)

Happy Fall

Would this be a nice door greeter for our Thanksgiving day feast?

Special Delivery

I get excited about mail.

Particularly mail that comes in a box.

But sometimes that excitement rises to a whole new level.

Especially when that box contains this...

Yep. I now love doing laundry. Unfortunately I didn't get the machine that actually folds the clothes and puts them away, but I am able to wash 20+ towels in one load so I guess that makes up for it ;)

And I swear my floor isn't crooked ;)

My picture taking skills, however, are.

A simple fall layout using some buzz and bloom chipboard I cut apart to create "leaves".

Misted the shapes first and then zig zag stitched with different colors to create more falling leaves. Simple and fun.

When I showed Rory he said, "oh cool. I see the little footballs."

umm...no.

Those would be leaves.

But we do love football around here and it is fall so I will let it slide. **If you do this project maybe try a straight stitch instead for the leaf middle, to avoid any football confusion ;)

A fall themed altered book cover (yes I am addicted!) coming tomorrow.

A time to "Gather"

First off..."AArrRGGgGHhhh Mateys! Me hopes ye had a frightfully fun Halloween, ya scalleywag!"

And now to time to "Gather". This kit knocked my mismatched socks right off! The buzz between designers was it's the most favorite yet and I have to agree. In fact, there *might* be a rumor floating around that I could marry this kit I love it so...*might* ;)

On to the good stuff.

Paxton's first treat: a sucker from Cookie Cutters. He ate every last sticky bite and loved it! --Although my mom claims he has had a sucker before on her watch. I guess that's what Grandma's are for ;)

Loved clustering all the embellies and paper here and as you can tell I am LOVING my new camera--those instant pics are too fun! The smiling alligator was a great touch--he already comes stitched.

I used a piece of Buzz and Bloom chipboard I already had as a mask for the mist and then sewed around it it orange--the color of the sucker :)

Glad to actually get a birthday layout done! Would you believe that I have NEVER scrapped a birthday or holiday before this one? Aven is all about super heros and that was the theme of his party a few weeks ago. The lighting at the party combined with super busy 4 year olds did not lend itself to great pictures, but he loved every minute of it and the few I got were priceless.

I realized after I finished that I didn't really leave room for journaling. Sure there was some white space that could be used or I could have wrote on the edge of the cardstock, but I felt it was busy enough sooo...

behind the clouds it goes! I've never made an "interactive" element to a page but loved doing this. And those SAWEET chipboard and cord clouds?? From Buzz and Bloom, an Australian based company and they are SUPER hard to find here in the States my friend. So if you want a chance at them this is the kit to get!

I used this title on a post awhile back and it's also the theme song on the Noggin channel for the season. I couldn't help but use it here after seeing Aven in the leaves. We have PILES AND PILES of leaves here and although most have fallen by now, a few weeks ago when I would look out leaves would falling so softly so I tried to mimic that with the leaves I cut out using the Slice.

I used the leaves as a mask before attaching and also pop-dotted a few to stand out.

Saw this twig in my craft room (yes, I had a twig in my craft room!) and decided it would be perfect to have the title falling from :)

Such an easy peasy project. Grabbed an old book and ripped off the cover. The clouds were the inspiration to find a quote I loved and wanted to display. I took the negative piece of the chipboard from the Buzz and Bloom clouds to paint with and then added the chipboard and cord clouds on top.

Used some fishing line (also found in my craft room! There could be anything in here I tell you!!) and hand-cut some raindrops to hang from the bottom. I can definitely see myself making these hanging covers for holidays and baby's rooms..all sorts of ideas :)

So there you have it. The SUPER AWESOME November kit from Freehand Scraps! Definitely take time to check out the AHhMAZInG gallery this month! All the designers are so talented and the guest was pure INSPIRATION!