Going Green

Today's challenge is called Going Green. Since I use green in almost all my cards, the challenge for me would have been to not use green. Riley Moose is cutting up dead trees so he can build himself a home and give the un needed wood to the poor so they can heat their homes. How's that for being green?

I am making chicken tetrazinni for dinner, Yummmm. I love it when I wake up with a plan. There's not much to say today. I haven't even read the paper yet, so I don't know the news of the day.

Metal Challenge

I am again trying to do two challenges at once. The SCS Challenge was to use green and minimal layers, the Hanna Stamps Challenge is to add metal to your card. So, I have a metal brad and a beaver charm on my card. We have a friend who goes to Canada for two weeks a year and fishes, and the beaver gives this a Canadian charm (pun intended.) Hanna Stamps has tons of stuff at 25% off right now, so this is a great time to go help the economy.

I wish I had a photo of my oldest son to upload today. I took him to my friend Steph's house to get his hair buzzed. She put on a longish buzzer clip and half way through his haircut it broke. Rather than leave him shaggy she had to trim him up a bit. He loves it, but it is pretty short. He recently started Tae Kwon Do and he said his hair makes him hot and he needed it cut off. His hair grows like a weed and I am tired of paying Great Clips every month. My husband has clippers, he just needs to learn to use them, it could save us tons of money in the long run.

Todays plan includes laundry and a trip to Target for a wedding shower present for a niece. The invitation for the shower just came and the shower is next week. I have plans and can't go, but need to get a present in the mail so I don't look like a deadbeat aunt.

I need to come up with a topic to teach in Sunday School, too. I am the teacher of record for this week in our adult class, and I planned to talk about the group Answers in Genesis. This is the group that founded the Creation Museum in Kentucky. They state the earth is only 6,000 years old and that man and dinosaurs lived at the same time. I tried to get info off of their web site and couldn't find anything I could download. I sent a very polite e mail requesting info but did not hear from them. Maybe they sense I think they are odd as scientific evidence refutes a lot of their claims. I was surprised no one in class had heard of this group which appears to be taking over fundamental Christianity very quickly. Our class is a group of well educated individuals and I was hoping we'd have a great discussion, but it looks like I may need to come up with another plan. I am open to suggestions.

All Around the Town

After creating the Riley Moose card and little bags for the SCS challenge today ( a color challenge, to use Very Vanilla, Kiwi Kiss and Baja Blue)I was all over town running errands.

Last November we painted the family room and I commented at that time that I thought we should paint some of the doors in the house. Doors like the pantry, the bathroom, places where dirty hands are evrywhere and door knobs are not always used. Scott told me what type of white paint to buy and I did. I sat it near is stuff, then I sat it in the laundry room where it would be very obvious. but after ten months I have decided that he does not understand that when I say "we should" I really mean "you should."

I broke down and started painting yesterday and today went out and bought some new door knobs at Lowe's. I know Scott will install them, but he will really think they are a waste of money since the old door knobs work just fine. The old knobs are the cheap gold round ones that came with the house. The new ones are silver, like our light fixtures, and have some flair to them. That should teach him to make me do menial labor. If I have to paint it, I' am going to make it look nice, too!

Anyone know what I can do with the old door knobs? It seems wasteful to throw them away when they really are perfectly good.

After Lowe's I went to the grocery, the dollar store, the scrapbook store, the craft store and lunch. Whew. I came home just in time to paint some more before the kids came home and touched something again. They really do seem to wash their hands enough, but I guess it is not enough if they live dirty hand prints behind them. Who gave them permission to touch stuff in my house anyway?

Freaky Hot

Usually on September First I wake up and am thankful that our hot and sweltering August is over. This year, not so much. September is bringing us a freaky heat wave that feels nothing like fall. Is there a word for this? "Bah humbug" is my general mood in reaction to the weather we are having, but it just doesn't sound right when it's not Christmas.

Hanna Stamps is releasing a Ballet Moose this Friday. I stamped some on Shrink Plastic and colored them in with sharpies. Once shrunk I put them on hair barrettes. You know I only have boys, so I'll be making hair barette items for the next little bit here, in order to use them up. Seth saw these and wanted them immediately. I tried to hold him off. But today as we headed out to the us stop, he proudly showed me that he put one in his hair to wear today. yes, a pink barrette with a ballet danicing moose. I know when he comes home today he will bust out the shrink plastic and color in some more moose for himself. I just hope I don't get a note home from school this year about his possible gender identity issues. I should be proud I have a child who doesn't care what the other kids think.

I posted this todat at SCS for the sketch challenge. It's Riley Moose on a bike. Now I am wondering how he'll look as a hair barrette. I have another moose card to post, but I think blogger didn't put it up for my blog, I'll be back with it in a minute.

Vacation Day is Almost Here!

WooooHooo we are leaving for a few days near thew ater and I'll be back to check in at the end of the week. Then I leave in a few more days for a trip to Dallas. I am happy to be on the road. I am never quite so happy as I am when I am somewhere new and fun. If some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, then I was born with a backpack over my shoulder.

The card is from Hanna Stamps' sketch challenge. I used the provided sketch and the bonus was to make it a Christmas in July card. I used Riley Moose in the chimney and added all sorts of extra touches, snowflake brads, star brads, ribbon, glue and glitter, a white gel pen and some marvy Uchida punches. The paper was scraps I had around, so I don't know who made them. sorry.

We are trying to convince the boys to clean their rooms. It is amazing how much laundry they find that needs to be washed when they do a good cleaning. Or even a half hearted cleaning, we aren't picky. We just need to pack up and hit the road tomorrow.

I Don't Know What I Was Thinking

Every Friday Hanna Stamps hosts a challnge and Design Team members are encouraged to play along. We announce the challenge and encourage others to post cards. This is my week to host the challenge and I told everyone what my challenge would be weeks ago. My challenge is to use acetate (see through plastic) on your card. I made a card from acetate and added the Riley Moose Pirate image. The martini glasses in the background are from the Anthony collection. This was a challenge for me as I generally never touch this stuff, despite having a box full of it.

The kids are out of the house and I was looking forward to having a quiet and lazy morning. I awoke to a phone call from Scott asking me to come and get him as he had a flat tire. It took me a minute to realize he was on his bicycle. I started to leave the house in my pajamas, then thought that it really was not an emergency so I came back in and put on clothes.

The good news is that I am up and ready and able to face the day!

Not much to say

Maybe it is good for you that I have so little to say today, but thought I'd post anyway.

This is Riley moose from hanna Stamps and I made this card for one of my kids to carry to a birthday party today. I then forget and had them use a different card. So this guy is mine now. He is adorable on his surfboard, eh? I used nestabilities for the square and the fish is from Stampin Up's set, penguin Paradise. the papaer is from a pack by Daisy D's.

Tornadoes ripped through the area where I live but we are all safe and sound and so is my family. My dad called at 8 AM to tell me he was okay. I was still asleep. You know you are used to the storms when the last words I heard last night was my oldest son walking to bed who peeked in my room and said "Tornado warning." I said "Okay, Good Night" and we all went to sleep. My husband though is always awake very late and I rely on him if we should need to wake up and go to the basement for cover.

Stampin' Friday

Sorry for the blurry photo, but you get the idea....it's a card made with Riley Moose for the Hanna Stamps Challenge of the week. We were supposed to do some paper piecing and add some bling. I gave Riley new clothes to wear and added bling to the clothes, and to the corner of the card. The paper is from daisy D's and already had some bling in it. I added pearls to the flowers, too. The tennis balls are added from the Small Dogs set from Hanna Stamps.
I made this with 2 new sets from papertrey Ink, Mailboxes and Honey bees. I used a wide variety of Stampin' Up colors, so you just have to find colors you like and go with it. The set has a row of mailboxes, but I did paper piecing and just added one to my little corner of prairie.

Not much happening here. It's the last weekend for soccer and we have ganes at 8 AM and 5:30 PM tomorrow, and the kids have two birthday parties to fit in as well. Maybe on Sunday I'll nap!

Teenage Trouble

Okay, pre teen trouble? About a year and a half ago my son went out to play with a friend and soon came in yelling that other kids in the 'hood had taken his friend "hostage" and were shooting them with airsoft guns. (Air soft guns are sort of like bb guns, but milder. They shoot small rubber pellets.) I went to sort it out and took custody of the guns.

I told the kids they could get them back after their dad came over and had a talk with me. I had been to their house before and talked to their dad about behavior issues, but nothing had ever seemed to happen. Predictably, their dad never came over. The kids came over, telling lies and wanting the guns back, but I never gave them back. Today they came back asking about the guns. They were bothered that I said I had thrown them away and wouldn't continue the discussion with them and I shut the door while they were attempting to goad me into an argument. Sheesh. Give it up already. Their parents may not have backbone, but I do. I am now thinking they'll egg my house or something. they have already been scolded by another neighbor for climbing the fence to the neighborhood swimming pool and skateboarding in it.

Todays card is another one for the "Use your brayer challenge." It is Hanna Stamps Challnge #17 I think. HSC17 would be the search word on Splitcoast. I used Riley Moose in his tube floaty and brayered the background before paper piecing him and adding him to the background. The paper is a Basic Grey card pack, if I remember right. I added ribbon, dew drops, colored with copics and SU oval punches.

Outside it is cold and rainy tonight. I hope it is better tomorrow, I'd like to see some pretty spring days ahead.

Earthquake!

Yes, my dears, we had an earthquake right here in indiana. It registered a 5.4 on the Richter Scale. It came just about 5:30 in the morning and both Scott and I both sat up straight in bed. The stuff on our dressers shook and when it stopped we laid down and went back to sleep. It was all the news this morning for hours and hours. Seriously, people, how long does it take to say "We had an earthquake, there were no injuries and no damges." I thought I might never get my morning dose of Matt and Meredith, Al and Ann. I can't live without strating my day with them.

Scott said this morning that he thought I was doing something to shake the bed. Now, we all like to think we have some fabulous bedroom powers, but come on! Anyhow he has been sick all week and I am not cruel enough to bother his precious sleep especially when he is so tired and is a light sleeper. I diagnosed him with a sinus infection yesterday and sent him to the doc for meds today. His teeth hurt, and that is a sure sign of a sinus infection if ever there was one.

I made this card for the Hanna Stamps' Friday challenge, HSC 13. The challenge was to use polka dots, which I technically failed to do. Using pink and flowers was an added bonus according to this week's challenge. I used Riley the Moose who needs a co ordinating stamp that says "With enough caffeine I could rule the world." I saw one in a store recently but it wasn't cute enough for my needs.

The kids have a half day of school today and are home begging for food, so I'd better go feed the mongrels. I made a huge batch of Snickerdoodles yesterday, so they will be very happy today.

Friday Challenge

At the Hanna Stamps forum on Split Coast Stampers it is Challenge Day. Beth is in charge this week and she had us create cards that incorporate three colors from Stampin Up!, Blush Blossom, Ruby Red, and Chocolate Chip. I used Hanna's Riley Moose stamp to create the trailer scene. The accessories are from Hanna's Route 66 set and the trailer is a Stampin Up set called Happy Camper.

As an added bonus we were to create our own patterned paper background. I stamped hearts from the Sweet Celebrations set by Hanna Stamps. I chose More Mustard as my ink color as the Blush Blossom was so faint I was afraid it would not appear in a photograph. The sentiment is from Hanna's sentiment set.

I spent the day with my friend Rebecca. We decided to watch a movie in her theater room and chose Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I don't know how good it was, as we both fell asleep. They have some darn comfortable movie theater chairs! We then went to Zionsville to check a new (to us) bead store and I got some pretty little silver pieces to play with. Tonight is the Winter Carnival at Seth's school, so it will be a full day all around.

It's Hard Out Here For A Moose

Poor Riley Moose caught a bit of my bling addiction. Who knew it could be so contagious? I made him with paper from Chatterbox and Archivers. The leprechaun was a little treat I got in the mail from Kristi who owns Hanna Stamps. I used glossy accents on Riley's shamrock in his hat and on his drinking glass. I love Riey Moose from Hanna Stamps! He is my new love. No wonder he got the full box of bling. I love how it looks like he caught the little leprechaun, too. This is really a card that is so much better in person when it isn't shining too much from the light of the flash.

We are in the middle of a dark Indiana winter and outside photos in natural light just don't look good when there is no natural lght. Can you tell I have been up since "zero dark thirty"? I apparently need a bit more sleep so my chipper self can show through.

Riley Moose Clip Art

Stampyblock on SCS posted some of these clips last week and I just had to get on the bandwagon. These clips are found in a 2 pack in the Target dollar aisle. They are magnetic on the back and I put art on the front. I love Riley the Moose from Hanna Stamps and just love to play with him right now. This is a quick and easy project and when I make more I will coordinate them with post it note holders or something and can make a basket of office supplies as a gift.

I had a nice quiet day. Painting class in the morning and then on to Kroger to stock up on Diet Rite before the 5 packs for 10 bucks sale ends tonight. And, to no one surprise, they were out of Diet Rite. I got a rain check, but what does it matter if you can never find the stuff?

Happy Day with new Stamps

My moose look a little dark, but they are lovely and ddelightful in real life. I swear it's the truth, I am not just saying it. These stamps are so me! I have had a lot of fun with Hanna from the the Hanna Stampsline as she is not anything I have ever played around with before. She has been fun to color and decorate and show, but the new line that is coming out, Riley Moose? I really love Riley like there is no tomorrow. To me, Riley is like comfort food. He is cute and can be quick and easy and adorable all at the same time. I am loving this new line from Hanna Stamps.

Riley Moose will be released in February at CHA Anaheim. So, if you love him to, you can have him in just a few short weeks.

I made the bookmarks for my boys, they are forever looking around for bookmarks. This won't help much, as it is an ongoing problem, but maybe it will cut down on the amount of toilet paper or kleenexes that we use for bookmarks just a bit.

I banished a neighbor child from my house. I grounded her for one week. She is one of those only child spoiled brats who thinks the world revolves around her and if you call her mom about her behavior she just sort of shrugs and says "oh, that sounds like Allie!" So I decided if her parents won't discipline her, I will. She got banned for breaking things in my house. This is an ongoing problem at other neighbors' homes as well. First she broke a little clay dinosaur that seth made, then she broke a magic wand ( a decorated paint stick) Noah made. And then she broke a box Noah keeps little treasures in. She was mad and just punched a hole in it.

It was just a little plastic school box, but still, these things are important to my children. I had a nice quiet weekend without her and all the other neighbor kids in my house. Thankfully all the neighbor kids wanted to play together, but since one of them has been banned from my home, they played elsewhere. It was nice and quiet here all weekend!