Pics from Vacation

Learning to sew with Great-Grandma

Swimming with Dad and Aunt Jamie

He was napping inside but apparently heard how much fun we were having outside and wanted to join us.

The dog was confused as to why the baby voluntarily crawled into the cage.

Riding the carousel with Grandma Mary.

Elsie and Emma came to see us!!! We went to the bookstore and later did a photo shoot. Of course.

Aunt Brittany is hot. She's got the LOCKS!

Sebastian with 'Aunt' Katy. We've adopted her. She brings Sebastian fun books to read and he likes to play with her camera.

Swinging is his favorite.

The Winners!

I read every one of your comments and I'm proud of you de-lurkers. The four winners are:

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jodie m said...
Love these albums! I have been reading your blog for about 4 months now and I love it. Always gives me such great ideas. Thanks heaps for the give away!!

Jodie
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stephanie southwick said...

I am one of those lurkers! I have been reading for probably 2 or 3 months. I also love your account on sistv.
-Stephanie
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linda in sweden said...
I have been reading your blog since you started it. I really like your style and you make wonderful things.
Thanks for being such an inspiration.

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rachael said...
i have been reading your blog for sometime-i'm not sure how long-but it's one of those on and off things. i'm not like stalking your blog but i do check in!
-Rachael
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So, once you girls read this, e-mail me @ Redvelvetart@hotmail.com with your home address and list these albums in order of your favorite with #1 being your most fav.

That was fun. If you haven't stopped by the RED VELVET blog in awhile, we're doing a SwapJack. Check out the details and send me your info. before Aug. 17th to play with us.

Also, check out those fun shoes I got while I was in OKlahoma. I'm using this pic in a LO for the August Paper Kit. Should be posted on the Red Velvet Kit Club blog sometime on Monday.

Thanks for the comments about this blog and the others. It makes me happy.

Oh, and a blogger that makes life feel 'so worth it'.

Sharing the Love.

WHO WANTS ONE?


I'm giving away four chipboard albums from the Lola and Riley collections. All you have to do is leave your name and how long you've been reading this blog. Its kind of a delurking opportunity for those who wish to remain anonymous or feel a little shy about leaving comments. I'll pick four winners at random on Sunday night and post your names to let you know you've won.

A big thanks to Elsie and KI Memories for designing such beautiful things to work with!

I'm back!

Not quite to California but back to internet access. I finally got the kit info. posted last night and a nice typepad fairy fixed the picture size for me.(thanks E)

I've got a lot of pics from our trip that I'd like to share but they'll have to wait until I can work on them in Cali. I did want to show you the fun box I got in the mail last week! I've done two LO's for the *Love,Elsie* DT with them and I'll be doing a give away later this weekend with the extra product! A girl can only use so much, right!




I used the Lola and Riley lines at Hobby Lobby for these two LO's. Love them!!! If you don't have a Hobby Lobby near you, check out this site.



Thanks for looking! More soon.

And she became a little sad that it was over.

Jessica's quilt is finally finished. BIG THANKS to my mother who watched Sebastian all afternoon yesterday while I sewed the three layers together! Its such a good feeling to know that I made this with my little blingy machine and that I can do another one for myself someday! These fabrics are so beautiful together and with the chenille backing and coordinating binding, its truly a special piece. Jessica, you're going to stay toasty warm this winter!
Thank you for the comments along the way. I enjoyed this big project and especially enjoyed meeting someone online that turned out to be someone I would have gotten along with really well if we had gone to college together.

We're flying away tomorrow at noon for three weeks of family get togethers in the Midwest. The machine stays here. I've been thinking of projects I could bring with me to work on while S naps in MO and OK but I know I'm kidding myself. I think it'll be a sweet time to let the crafting rest and give some time to the people I don't see often enough. I'll still be connected to the internet so I'm not disappearing, just relocating for awhile. Sebastian gets to see Brett's family for the first time since October '06 and I think we'll get a fun visit from high school friends and Elsie and Emma!

So, here's to safe travels and smooth transitions. If you're the praying kind, I'd love to be on your list tomorrow.

July Project Kit! Display Board

This kit contains everything you need to create a personalized display board to hang your latest 6" x 12' LO or magazine clipping inspiration with your perfectly coordinated fabric-covered pushpins. Embroidery kit comes with instructions and is designed for beginners. Cork tile hangs easily to your wall with the foam tape provided. This personalized display board is the perfect way to add a punch of color to your creative space!

Go get your kit before they sell out!

July Project Kit Sneak Peek!

Ooh, I can't wait to show you the full kit!

This month we're using these FABULOUS embroidery patterns from SUBLIME STITCHING as the focus of our Project Kit. I've been wanting to work these into a kit ever since we started the club so I'm really excited to see how this comes together in our examples and your own finished projects!

The kit also includes fabrics from Heather Bailey and Amy Butler, two of my favorite designers! And if you've always wanted a way to display inspiration or your latest 6" x 12" LO or cards, this is the kit to do it! Can we say, 'Make your own fabric covered buttons'?

Check the RVKC blog on the 15th for full details!

WIP Quilt

So, the whole quilt top is sewn together! Thats the hard part, right? Right? I went to JoAnne's for more chenille and left an hour later without chenille but with a copy of the 100th CK issue that you all told me about. (My mom's copy)
I spent some time working with a very helpful Susie who didn't know how to find the SKU # for the Cream Chenille that they were out of. I was hoping to place a special order but finally we both decided that it would be faster for me to just come back tomorrow when they get their new shipment in to see if its back in stock. Otherwise, a 6-8 week waiting game. Well, thats time I don't have.

Sebastian flirted with the ladies in line behind us. I almost flipped to the back of the issue to show him off but I resisted. I didn't think they'd be as excited as my mom. Speaking of the fabulous Elsie...if you haven't seen her new blog and heard about the latest exciting news, you'd better get moving! Its in stores already because I've seen it posted on SisTv.

Happy Wednesday.

I can't stop!

Just kidding. I totally can. In fact, I've got to. It's time to redirect that energy into Grandmother's 50th album.
I had a hard time with this one because I don't like to reuse a product on every page I make. It took me a long time to figure out how to make this work but I'm happy with the end result. I wanted to make a page about S's birthday and this turned out to be a fun way to remember the story of how he wouldn't touch his cake.

I've used these LO's and the ones you've already seen to get your creative juices flowing with this fabulous kit over at the RVKC blog. I've posted a few challenges to keep things interesting. Expect to see Mara-May*'s goodies sometime later today. Thanks for the comments. You girls are sweet.



Challenge #3

Another One.

I can't stop with this July Kit. I love it so much. We've talked about a wedding date but our schedules just don't match up.

Tagged Again.

Jen tagged me! So, in honor of 7/7/07, I will list 7 random things. I'm watching Amelie for the 5th or so time. Its whole introduction of the characters is random things about them so I figure its fitting. Oh, the small pleasures of life.


1. I took an oil painting class two summers ago that made me feel more alive than I had in awhile.

2. I used to teach English to Japanese business students who were older than I.

3. I hate to grocery shop.

4. I don't know very much about being grown up.

5. I have spent two of the three previous Valentine's Days arranging and delivering flowers for extra money.

6. I love movies from the 40's and 50's but not the 60's or 70's.

7. I used to spend my evenings in England with street kids in the park who eventually let me in and ate my 'chips'.


Feel free to post 7 random things about yourself if you'd like. If you've lived in England, too, then we'll have to write each other e-mails about how much we miss it, except for the weather.

7/7/07

If you're getting married today, your husband has no excuse for forgetting your anniversary. Plus, you get to tell everyone who asks when you got married that your day was more special than theirs because your numbers were all the same. Well, thats something, I guess.

I'm going to spend this historical day taking care of S and finishing up a few more pages from the July Paper Kit if I can sneak it in. I've got to get to the fabric store for a 1/2 yard more of some Amy Butler pink fabric for Jessica's quilt. The top is about 1/3 pieced and I've finished sewing together all of the scraps of the fabric to use for my binding. Its taking over the formal living room but my parents are so good to me. They haven't asked me to overhaul my space yet.

Here's my latest LO using the July Kit. I love the 6" x 12" size so much!



I think I'm going to do at least 8 of these babies in the next few weeks and mix this style in with my 12" x 12" LO's in my album. I love Courtney DeLaura's tutorial on SisTv for storing these beauties. If you aren't a member and can't access the site, she pretty much sewed down the middle of a 12 x 12 page protector to make two compartments. You can also sew across the middle and the top and cut a thin slice off the side to store those horizontal layouts. Genius!

I've posted a new challenge here. Thanks for reading!

Yummy. But he didn't want any.

I would've been a little disappointed to see it ripped into, I guess. Sebastian wasn't even curious about it. He kept turning his head every time I tried to give him a taste. Maybe next year we'll get a real show.

His favorite present!


Loves his Momma even if he doesn't love her cake.



He hates fireworks. Its official.

Thanks for the well wishes on his birthday and I hope you all enjoyed your 4th and got some cake on your face.

Tomorrow is Your Birthday!

Sebastian is turning a corner tomorrow and running right into toddlerhood. He came into the world surrounded by those who loved him on Independence Day and I think he'll be reaching for his own independence more and more this year. I remember lying in the hospital bed with Sebastian sleeping next to me and Brett trying to nap on the chair beside us. He was only four hours old when we started hearing the boom of the fireworks nearby. Our window was closed and all was peaceful in our new little world. He's been the sweet kind of boy. He's got six sharp little teeth and long feet to match his long legs. He got his first haircut this week which makes him look even older.

In order to celebrate I'm making an Angel Food cake with butter cream frosting topped with strawberries and blueberries and a little #1 candle. We are staying away from a big fireworks show this year. We took him outside on Sunday evening when a local church shot their fireworks off and he about jumped out of his skin. It took about 30 minutes of holding and rocking and distraction to calm him down. The man doesn't like loud noises and bright lights! Duh, mom!

My mom, dad, brother, husband, Sebastian (in the jogger) and I are going to be running a 5k tomorrow morning @ 7 a.m. My family is full of runners. We used to run the Fireball classic in a beautiful park in Ada, OK every summer on vacation so we're continuing on with the tradition and adding another member.

Also wanted to thank Charin for this fun card she and Katie-Shae made for Sebastian's birthday! Katie is exactly 6 months younger and so sweet looking. I think Sebastian has a crush!

So PRETTY!

ALSO





Check out the details of this fab kit on our RVKC blog. Its pretty hot!