Determined and Happy!!!

Happy Monday evening dear friends!!! I trust you had a wonderful weekend!!! Ours went by so fast!!! My sweetie and I had an hour together on Saturday and the whole day on Sunday!!! What a blessing!!! We actually stayed home and cleaned house together on Sunday. I am so glad it's done!!! Sigh of relief here!!! Now we can take some time next Sunday and head to Yellowstone Park!!! I look forward to spending some good quality time with my best friend!!!

Today I found out that a dear cyber-friend was diagnosed with Cancer. Such a dreadful disease!!! My heart hurts deeply every time I hear of another dear friend diagnosed with this
cruel disease! This September will mark the second year since my mom's passing....so hard!!! If you think of it, please pray for Lisa!!! I know she is a fighter and she will have lots of prayer behind her, thank goodness!!! She is an amazing woman and I pray the Lord, who is the great physician, will heal her and keep her strong during this fight!

This news keeps me so very determined to keep my priorities in order. God, family, taking care of myself....all at the top of my list these days. Everything else pales in comparison in the light of eternity! I want to encourage you, my dear friend, to recheck your priorities today. Get rid of those things that aren't going to matter in the long run. Take good care of yourself physically and spiritually. Take good care of your family!! That's what matters when it all comes down to it!! You are special and dearly loved. I appreciate each and every one of you!!!

Well, I am so happy to say that my sweet Heidi is beginning her final undergraduate year at MSU today!!! Whooo hoo!!! Gooooo Heidi!! We are so proud of you!!! It has been tradition since I can remember, that I have made a card for my kids on the first day of school. Today is the last card I will make for her unless she attends graduate school, in which case, the tradition will continue! I have really been into this card design lately. Such an easy, but sweet design!!!

Supplies used:

Papertrey Ink Cardstock: Kraft, Rustic White and Sweet Blush

Papertrey Ink Felt Simply Chartreuse

Prima Flower and Lace

Velvet trim from my stash

Papertrey Ink Stamps

Versamark Ink

Sizzix Embossing Folder

Thank you for stopping by my blog!!!

I hope you have a spectacular Tuesday!!!

Kristii

Happy Mail and Scrapping the Music

Happy Thursday evening dear friends!!! I hope you have had a wonderful week!!! My week has been exhausting and I have been nursing a cold, but it has been absolutely wonderful!!! I just love the first days of school!!! The new freshmen and the newness of it all just get me all excited and ready to tackle the days!!! We've had many new visitors to the high school library and many familiar faces as well. I just love it!! I am so looking forward to this year and I plan to "bloom where I am planted"!!! Things may not have worked out the way I had planned, but I am determined to make the most of where I am at right now!!! I hope you experience a freshness in your coming days and decide to "bloom where you are planted as well"!!! A change of perspective is like a breath of fresh air! I hope you remember that you are amazing and you are "where you are" for a reason and a purpose my friend!!! If we encourage one another in this race of life, we will make it through each and ever turn we face!!! I am thankful for each and every one of you who visit my blog!!! You are so very special!!!


Happy Mail!!!!!


Whooo hoo!!!! I had a visit from my friendly Fed Ex delivery man and he delievered my prize package from my favorite company ever...Webster's Pages!!!!! I received the gorgeous Wonderfall Line and some very pretty Sparkler's to match!!! I am so excited!!! I haven't been able to buy any new paper for quite a while and this is such a treat!!! I just love Webster's Pages!!! Now, I have to decide what to make with these beautiful papers....decisions, decisions....

I also had another surprise blessing....I was a winner in the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!!!! I am so excited....I just loved my project and it blesses my heart that so many others liked my work as well!!! You can see the announcement here on Nichole's Blog!!!! I was able to choose any stamp set for my prize and I decided to choose the Leaf Prints stamps and you can see them here. Whooo hooo!!!!! I have been blessed!!!

Scrapping the Music #149

This week's song at Scrapping the Music is Love Shack by the B-52's....Way fun song!!! Michelle has giving us some awesome inspiration week in and week out!!! Michelle you rock!!!! I decided to use the lyrics "Love Rules", since love totally rules in our family!!!!! My dad took this picture the weekend before Benny left and our family was all together...Thanks Dad!!! I treasure each and every photo!!!!

Here is a close-up:

Supplies used: Patterned Papers: Sassafras Lass, October Afternoon, My Mind's Eye; Stickers:Sassafras Lass; Florals: Prima; Alphas: Sassafras Lass and Cosmo Cricket; Mist: Tattered Angels and Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Punch: Martha Stewart.

I hope you have an absolutely wonderful Friday!!!
Thanks for stopping by,
Kristii

PTI August Blog Hop

Hi Friends!!! I am so excited to be participating in my first ever blog hop!!! I was so excited that this month's challenge was to use a brown paper bag!!! I knew I had just the idea!!!

I love to give my co-workers a fun little gift on the first day of school and I got the wild idea to make a school house out of the brown paper bag!!! My PTI Home Made Stamps and School Time Stamps worked perfectly!!!

Back to School Treat Set

Supplies:

PTI Rustic White and Kraft Cardstock

Bazzill Black and Red Cardstock

PTI Stamps: Home Made and School Time

PTI Pure Poppy Ink

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Claudine Hellmuth Modern Red Paint

Ribbon: Joann's

Prima Lace

Punches: Fiskar's and SU

Copic Markers

Close-up of the school house:

Side view:

Back side tied with bow:

Card:

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Have a wonderful evening!

Kristii

We're home!!!

We took Benny to Butte and spent some time with him before he was shipped to Missouri for his AIT training. We were able to talk and laugh, and of course, mom cried. We ate at Fred's Mesquite Grill...yum!!... and Dad buzzed his hair... my poor bald boy!!! It was so hard to see him go, but he will get some good training at MP school!! We miss you and we are so proud of you bub!!!

Scrapping the Music

This week's song at Scrapping the Music is Craig Morgan's, That's What I love about Sundays. Sundays are special days full of Worship and family!!! Sundays are the only days that my hubby and I are off for the whole entire day...we don't see each other much during the week and spending time with each other is very precious!! We had a couple of Sundays this summer when our entire family was together!!! What a blessing!!!

My heart is full just looking at these pictures of us together with our family on Sunday...of course I had to include a picture from Matt's Great Adventure...that was a great Sunday!!

Little Red Scrapbook Reveal

I just loved working with this month's kit!!! Sassafras Lass is always a favorite and Indie Girl is no exception!!!!

I used my PTI stamps and felt on this card...way fun!!! I also used a Sizzix embossing folder...don't you just love the texture it creates!!!

The quote in this layout states: "When Mom and Dad don't understand, a sister always does. Isn't that the truth!!! I am so thankful that my kids are so close to each other!!! We are so blessed!

The photo in this layout was taken by my friend Susan Beth!!! The colors of this kit were perfect with this photo and I got the wild idea to title it 12 feet and counting....not because we are expecting new grandkids or marriages in the family at present...but we will be sometime in the near future and I can't wait, hint, hint, hint......

Today is the last Friday before school starts, and I have lots to take care of before my new schedule begins. I will be working afternoons instead of mornings and I think I am going to work into it just fine. I will still be able to run before work and that is a good thing. Slowly but surely I am seeing some results....I wish the changes would come quicker, but I will keep at it. Taking better care of myself is definitely a priority and I am going to continue to do it!!

I hope you are taking good care of yourselves my friends!!! If we don't do it, no one else will. It is amazing the demands that are put on mothers these days. We have the mentality in our society that we can do it all. We always take care of everything else first and take care of ourselves last. I hope you take time today to do those things for yourself that you need to do. We can't keep putting off for tomorrow what needs to be done today!! You are special dear friend!! Take care of you, physically and spiritually!!! You and your family will be glad you did!!

I hope you have a wonderful day!!!!

Kristii

Little Red Scrapbook Sneaks!!!

Whoo hooo!! It's that time of the month again!!!

I just loved this month's kit!!! Sassafrass Lass Indie Girl is so much fun to play with!!! Sara and Rachel have put together an awesome kit once again!!! You ladies rock!!! So, without further ado,

here are my August sneaks!!!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!!!

I can't wait to see what you all do with this kit!!!

Kristii

Scrapping the Music #147

Happy Wednesday evening dear friends!!! It's that time again~~the Scrapping the Music reveal!!!

This week's song is Remedy by Jason Mraz and once again it's an awesome song to scrap and I hope you join in the fun!!! This week I chose to focus on the lyrics..."I won't worry my life away"...but rather than do a page, I decided to do a piece of wall art to remind me not to worry!!

I saw a piece like this some time ago and I have kept it tucked away in my mind for future reference and decided this would be the perfect time to pull it out! I cannot remember who the artist was, but I thought some bright colors and the always perfect "Don't Worry, Be Happy" quote would remind me to keep giving those things that occupy my mind back to the Lord!
Here is a close-up of all the goodies in this project.

Supplies Used:

October Afternoon patterned papers

My Mind's Eye patterned papers

Girls Paperie patterned papers

Papertrey Ink Dies and Felt

Martha Stewart Punch-Butterfly

EK Success Punches-Scallop, Circle, Heart

Kaiser Kraft and Prima Jewels and Brad

Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy

Frame-Target

I now have this fun little wall hanging up on my wall to remind me not to worry. I don't know why I do any way! It doesn't add any more hours to my day, it doesn't change the circumstances, and it doesn't improve my outlook on life, that's for sure!!! I don't know if you have any worries that are keeping you busy, but I want you to know that you are special! Be courageous; step out and try something new!!! You will never know what you can accomplish if you put your worries aside and go for it!!!

Wishing you smiles and sunshine,

Kristii

Scrapping the Music #146

Hi Everyone!!! Happy Wednesday!!

It's reveal time at Scrapping the Music!!!!

This week we are featuring the song, Let Go by Frou Frou from the movie Garden State. I chose the lyrics "Let Go, Jump In, There's Beauty in the Breakdown".

Once again, I raided my stash and pulled out some Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup, and Sassafrass Lass scraps, some American Crafts Thickers, Cosmo Cricket alphas, and Splattered the whole affair with Claudine Hellmuth Modern Red Paint. The photo was taken by my friend Susan Beth!!! Thanks again Susan Beth! I treasure these photos!

I have to tell you that there is a lot of symbolism in this layout because this song hit me to the core of my being. My sweetie and I have gotten to the place were we just have to let go and trust. There's nothing more we can do at this point but trust....hence the breakdown...the realization that only through Faith will we get through this difficult time ...sigh ...that realization is beautiful! In the midst of changing schedules and re-prioritizing, my relationship with my hubby is deeper and sweeter than ever and that makes the difficulties easier to bear. We have been blessed beyond measure and we are so happy together!!

I hope you know how special you are dear friends!

Thank you for stopping by and I wish you a glorious day!!!

Kristii