Happy Thoughts This Christmas

Oh Man, it seems like forever since I've had a chance to stamp, and because of that my blog has been very slow lately.  So sorry about that, but life with 2 little boys under 3 has become hectic! But, just look at them! It's hard to resist these adorable, loving faces when they need me! Anthony is 3 and Alex is a shocking 6 months old in this picture. (He actually just turned 7 months earlier this week.)  We also went on a mini-vacation to visit family up North for a wedding a few weeks ago and I finally unpacked the last bag just the other day.  Things are slowly getting back to normal now and I was able to stamp for this week's DRS Designs Blog challenge!

                                   

The challenge this week features the hot trend using chevrons and arrows.  I used one of DRS Designs newest Christmas stamps, the Christmas Village Post Office (114D) and 3 other stamps from their catalog to create my challenge card: 

Double Chevron Card Edger (904P)

Peace Heart and Home Christmas Greeting (986F)

One Line Happy Thoughts (951D)

I used the Chevron card edger to decorate my red card base before adding any other elements to it.  Then the white layer was stamped with the last 2 lines of the Peace Heart and Home Greeting and then it was embossed with the Swiss Dots folder for some texture.  Next I stamped the Happy Thoughts greeting on beige card stock, trimmed it with blue card stock, and then added red ribbon before adhering it in place.  The final step was to stamp the Post Office image, color it with Copics, and then mat it on a blue oval.  A bit of fine glitter was added to the snowy areas of the roof top and the ground.  That little bit of glimmer really pops on this card! 

Well, that's it for me today.  I hope to be able to stamp and blog more often in the coming days and weeks--and I have every good intention of doing so, but if things are quiet here for a while, you know why.  No worries though, I'll be back soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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He Has Risen!

Happy Easter to you all!

Yesterday we went to the local greenhouse for their Easter event and took this picture of our oldest son with the Easter Bunny. This was the only picture we took and I'm over the top excited about it because it is perfect! We never get pictures of him where his head and eyes are both facing directly at the camera along with a perfect smile on his face!

Despite visiting the Easter Bunny, cleaning house, preparing food, and dying Easter Eggs, I even had time to stamp up this CAS card.  Both the image and sentiment are by DRS Designs. The Three Wooden Crosses (1116K) were colored with Copic Markers, masked, and then sponged with yellow ink behind the crosses and brown ink for the dirt.  He Has Risen (1138E) was stamped in the smooth section below the image.  I love the decorative flair this Nestie die gives this card overall and how it really shows off the image. I hope you like it too!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderfully blessed day with your family and friends!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Two Loving Hearts

You know the song, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!" Well, that last event is exactly why I haven't posted since January 1st.

Alexander John, our second son, was born on January 3rd, weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces and 20 inches long. Big brother Anthony is proud yet very curious and is adjusting fairly well.  Despite this latest change in our home, I'm eager to get back into a routine and get back to some me time. Luckily, I was able to get some alone time earlier this week and create a wedding card for the Love and Marriage challenge over at DRS Designs.

I used the Silhouette Love Heart (213D) for my focal image, stamping it twice so that the images overlap and I carefully cut them out.  I did this for the symbolism that two become one in marriage.  I adhered them with foam tape for some dimension on red carstock that was die cut with a Nestability Label die.  I created a horizontal panel to show off the sentiment using "Congratulations" from the Ribbon and Curls New Baby Greeting (111G).  Three small, white pearls and some twine tied in a bow embellished this panel nicely.  The card front was made with plain white cardstock that I decorated up a bit with a border punch and I added a pink layer that was embossed with a hearts embossing folder.  Finished cart size is 5.5" x 4.25."

Well, that's about it for me today. Stay warm my friends!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Love You More

Hi Friends! Happy holidays to you! 

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!  Christmas for us was wonderful!  We were blessed to have 4 separate family parties to attend which were full of all our loved ones, great food, and wonderful holiday spirit! Anthony is now 18 months old (I just can't believe it!!) and he might not understand what Christmas is all about just yet, but with all of the gifts he received, he's a pro at opening wrapped gifts! It was such a joy to see him so excited and I know this is just the beginning! I struggled for weeks trying to get him to cooperate for my family Christmas cards and at the first family party it took about 30 of us chanting his name to get this one.  He sure doesn't look 18 months in this picture does he?!?!   

 Now that the Christmas holiday is over I'm slowly getting back to stamping and blogging.  DRS Designs is gearing up for their next release (January 5th) and the card I'm showing off is a little sneak peek of what's to come. 

I created a Clean and Simple card using this week's sketch challenge from the 365 Cards Challenge blog for my inspiration. Play along for a chance to win a prize toward free stamps from DRS Designs.

I stamped the Interlocking Heart Background (808H) to create the patterned paper. The sentiment will be available for purchase next Saturday January 5th.

Stay tuned to my blog this week to see more of DRS Designs new stamps. 

Have a safe and wonderful New Years!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Half A Year, Already!

Just a quick post today to show you who has been occupying all my time lately.

Here is my favorite 6 month picture of Anthony. 

He'll actually be 7 months old this Sunday, January 29th. 

As his Doctor said recently..."It's time to start planning that first Birthday party!" 

YIKES! ;-)

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Merry Christmas!

Couldn't help but share my Santa Baby with you today! 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New year!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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3 Months!

I know I've said it before, and I'm saying it again...Time flies!

Anthony is 3 months old already!

He is a very happy baby and hardly ever complains.  At 3 months old he smiles constantly, laughs and giggles, makes small motions of hand/eye contact by reaching out and grabbing objects, has gained six pounds and 5 inches since birth.  He's growing like a weed and we're loving every minute! 

Smiles,

Jennifer

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My Sister, My Friend

DRS Designs has had a lot of sponsorship opportunities lately and I hope you're enjoying them as much as I am. This week we have another chance for you to win a $20 store voucher for completing the sketch challenge over at the Card Patterns Blog.

I used this sketch to create this card for my sister. I used DRS Designs Treasured Sister Greeting (1142F) as the focal point on the card front. I stamped it in Real Red ink and then used the same ink to sponge around the edge while it was in a Nestie die. I accented it with a heart brad to match the rest of the heart theme that I used on the card front.

The background was created by stamping the Interlocking Heart Background (808H) also in Real Red and then I colored in some of the hearts with a Copic Marker. The panel behind the sentiment was dry embossed with a heart embossing folder and I layered some fabric and paper flowers according to the sketch. Finished card size is 5.5" x 4.25."

Don't delay! Run over to the Card Patterns blog and link up your challenge card today for a chance to win the $20 shopping spree from DRS Designs.

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Our Newest Addition!

Our newest addition has arrived!

I am pleased to finally be able to introduce you to Anthony Michael, who is already 2 weeks old!

Born June 29th, 2011

11:26 pm

8 pounds 6 ounces

20 3/4 inches

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Transition #2: Ready and Waiting!

Remember my Transition #1 post where I talked about changing over my Scrapbooking/stamping room into the Nursery for our new baby who's soon to arrive? 

Well, it's now complete and ready to go.  We are anxiously awaiting baby's arrival. 

Click the link above to see the before pics of my stamping room. What a difference! Here's what the nursery looks like now!



Teddy Bears Galore!
Gotta find room for them once baby arrives so I have a place to sit when I rock my little munchkin!

 

It won't be too much longer now.  Doctor says I definitely won't make my 4th of July due date and that she anticipates baby's arrival within the next week!

Can't wait to introduce you to our new son or daughter very soon!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Transition Part 1

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, the transition is underway for my Stamping room.  It will soon become our Nursery!  Although I am sad to see it go (still trying to figure out where I will be creative once baby gets here) I am also very, very excited to meet our little one!  Not too mention the 12 weeks I will have off of work during the Summer is a nice added bonus as well.

Of course, I can't have a post like this without pictures so, just to show you what I've been busy doing over the last few weeks, here's the first picture of the nursery.  As you can tell it is still very much my messy (very messy!) stamping room. 

I've cleaned out a quarter of it to make room for the crib.  The table in the far back/left side was taken out and that area was reorganized to make room for it. As you can see in this picture, you can still see some of my paper folders.  It's a little awkward having a crib in there, but it's definitely growing on me quickly!

If I would just get in there to make room for the dresser that is in our foyer, my Husband would be a very happy camper!  Soon and very soon, I should have Transition Part 2 for you!

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Back In Business!

I know it has been quite a while since I've posted regularly on my blog and for those of you who are still following, I thank you!  You've probably noted that many of my most recent posts indicated that I wasn't feeling well and therefore I was unable to stamp and blog.  Finally, I am on the mend and ready to explain!

Hubby and I are expecting our first child on July 4th, 2011! I have been ill with Morning Sickness which has completely defeated my creative side for about 4 weeks.  In my case, this condition is more appropriately called All-Day Sickness!  It truely has been difficult trying to keep myself afloat to just get thru a work day. All extra curricular activities were cancelled and even the holiday decorating was minimally completed.  However, this past Saturday I woke up feeling like a million bucks and more or less I've been feeling pretty good ever since.  I even stamped out 2 Christmas cards on Sunday and will be sharing those with you very soon! I'm glad to say that I think I'm back in Business!

Taken yesterday at 10 weeks along (30 to go!) and measuring a teeny, tiny 1.5" in length, here's the lastest picture of our little firecracker!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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My Sister, My Friend

I'm trying to do the Splitcoast Card Sketch challenges more frequently.  It's amazing how quickly a week flies by and before I know it, there's a new challenge posted!  So, here's my challenge card using last weeks sketch, SC288.

The Treasured Sister Greeting (F1142) and the Hearts Background (H808) are by DRS Designs.  After stamping the sentiment, I inked light purple ink around it while it was still in the Nestie die to create the white frame around it.  Each element of this sketch seemed to fall easily into place. 

Ok, now I'm off to do this weeks Splitcoast sketch challenge.  Stay tuned to see it tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Changes!

I apologize ahead of time for today's boring post.  No pictures, no projects, only a bit of rambling.  I'm also sorry for not posting as often as I usually do.   I've been undergoing a bit of a transition and I thought I'd share a bit to fill you in.

This last month has been a bit of a struggle to keep up with everything in general.  I work afternoons and on April 2nd, my husband switched shifts from midnights to days permanently.  For the last 9 years, I've stayed up late at night with him, and now that he's been going to bed earlier and getting up much earlier in the day, I find myself slowly adapting to the same trend.  However, I'm still on the afternoon shift, so that means I only have a few hours in the morning to cook, clean, stamp, and blog becuase by the time I get home from work I'm exhausted from getting up so early, so I just go right to bed.  In due time this should correct itself, but in the mean time, boy what a change!

Another change that has come about is that I've recently been named the DT Coordinator for the DRS Designs DT!  I'm really excited about this position and eager to start "coordinating" some upcoming events. In adddition, the DT has also recently expanded to include 6 additional team members.  I've been busy trying to get many things scheduled for the team and getting the new members on board and acclimated with the team blog etc. Of course with every new position, there are also new duties that come along with it, but unfortunately, those duties have taken me away from my stamping room for a bit.  I am happy to report that DRS Designs has a lot of new and fun stuff planned for the upcoming months, and I'm very excited to share the details with all of you! However for now, I must keep my lips sealed, and let me tell you, that IS the hard part!  Once the DT becomes situated things should calm down a bit, so in the mean time please accept my apology for my sporatic posting. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me.  You all mean a lot to me and I greatly appreciate your comments.  Stay tuned for some fun stuff from DRS Designs coming very soon!

Hope all of you Moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Sad News

My Grandpa has been sick for quite some time, and his suffering has finally ended.  He passed away peacefully Sunday afternoon.  I will be spending a lot of time with my family this week, and won't have time to work in my scrap room or blog.  Please bear with me during this difficult time and please keep my family in your prayers.

(Three cross image by DRS Designs.) 

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Heavy Heart

It's a sad day for us today. At the age of 93, my Great-Aunt Joann passed away yesterday morning. I am a little teary, but I am more relieved than anything else. I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm honestly happy that she's no longer suffering. It really has been a long battle, and her passing is such sweet sorrow. I'm glad she only spent the last month of her life in the nursing home & not a day longer.

Here she is with my sister and I on her birthday this past February. Thanks again to all who sent her cards and helped make that birthday extra special.

Of course under the circumstances, I won't be blogging again until later this week.

Please keep Aunt Joann & my family in your prayers.

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Time Keeps On Ticking...

...away from me this week. I can't believe it's Thursday already! Day by Day my To-Do list is getting longer & longer and I'm hardly tending to it enough to cross some things off of it.

Two weeks ago my Great-Aunt went into the hospital with breathing problems. She's the one who turned 93 this past February. (Here's a pic of her when she turned 90!) As it turns out she was in congestive heart failure and she had a lot of fluid in her lungs. After a 10 day hospital stay, she was recently discharged to a nursing home for Rehabilitation. Unfortunately due to her worsening dementia, doctors have deemed her unfit to be left alone and unless we can find good, cheap, 24 hour care, she won't ever be going back to her home again. This transition has been a difficult one for all of us and I haven't had a lot of free time in the last week or so for stamping. I hope to have some time to myself after work this weekend to get back on track.

Please keep my Great-Aunt and family in your prayers.

Thanks so much!

With a hopeful smile,

Jennifer

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What a Beautiful Wedding!

Did you miss me? Well, my SIL's wedding is finally over and all of the festivities that went with it. We also just returned from a family vacation to Tennessee, so I'll be back to stamping and card making very soon!

Here are a few pics we took from my Sister-In-Law's Wedding on Saturday August 8th. It was a beautiful day, even though it rained the entire day, and it was so much fun!! Unfortunately I didn't get a close up pic of just the bride and groom--it's hard to take a lot of pics when your the Matron of Honor and it rains--you really need to make sure you take care of that dress so it doesn't get dirty or wet!

Enjoy!

DH and I

My SIL and I with other family members

SIL, Cousin, DH and I

Be back soon....

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Landscaping Helps Makes a House a Home!

Whoo Hoo! Our yard is finally a little greener! Our landscaping and sod are now complete!! I'm loving all the green and the beautiful blooms our yard now has, and let me tell you it's been a long time coming! We've lived in our house for over a year & half and up till now we've just been staring at dirt, and alot of it!

I know the pics above make it difficult to see some of the individual flowers we have so I've taken a few close ups of them.

Knock-Out Roses

Day Lillies

Service Berry Tree, surrounded by Knock-out Roses, Black Eyed Susans, Purple Palace, Day Lillies and a rock! (Pic taken before the mulch was laid.)

Japanese Maple surrounded by decorative grasses, Day Lillies, and Salvia.

We also have Purple Iris plants. Unfortunately I took this pic before the top soil and mulch was laid around them. I planted some cute little pink daisy annuals in the top soil around the irises--I thought about retaking the picture, but now they're not blooming anymore.

I'm really excited to see how all of these plants will grow and expand in the spaces around them over the next few years. Things look a bit bare right now, as everything that was planted are just babies. Isn't it amazing what a little Miracle-Grow will do in just a short time?

Well, this is just one major project that we've finally completed as we prepare my house for my Sister-in-laws wedding. She'll be getting ready at our house for her big day! 11 days to go & counting!


Smiles,
Jennifer

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National Police Week 2009

On Wednesday my Husband and I left to go to Washington DC for a long weekend in honor of National Police Week. May 15th is National Police Memorial Day and this week recognizes the service and sacrifice of U.S. law enforcement. National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.


Thousands of Police Officers from around the U.S. gather together to take part in many of the events that take place during this week. One of the most popular is the Candle Light Vigil that was held Wednesday evening. This first picture is of my DH and the second picture is of Kimmy's Husband. I love the soft look of the candles in these pictures. It's really neat to see all of the officer's in their uniforms and to see all of the different styles of uniforms. They are all so unique!

This was my 5th year going with my Husband. He is a Police Officer and this week is especially important to him since one of his co workers was killed in the line of duty in 2002 and even more so now that his is in the Metro Detroit Pipes and Drums Band.

Also during this week, the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is decorated with flowers, wreaths, pictures of the Fallen Officers and name etchings. Here's some pictures of what the Memorial Wall looks like.

Jessica Nagle-Wilson was the officer my Husband worked with.
In case you are interested, you can find more information & more pics about this event here, at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memoral Fund website.

Well, it's always nice to be home after time away, and now it's back to stamping & card making for me. Stay tuned for another DRS Designs Blog challenge posted bright & early tomorrow morning.

Smiles,
Jennifer

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