She's BAAAAAACK!!!!

In the spirit of celebrating Halloween I thought I'd jump in and say BOO!!!

So, what have I been up to? Well, in a word: STAMPING!!!! And more specifically "Stampin Up!"

In February I signed up to be a Stampin Up! Demonstrator & I haven't totally consumed with designing and preparing class projects, orders etc. It's been so exhilarating!

Let me show you a few of the Halloween projects I've done this month.

The first is a Trick or Treat Jar made with our SPOOKY Vinyl Decor Element. If you have 5 minutes you could totally have one just like this in your house. It's the only spider I want hanging out in my house!

And guess what he's guarding? Yup! These sweet babies!......

They are like those little sour cream containers that you get for your baked potato at fast food restaurants. But these are holding CANDY! (OF COURSE! It's Halloween Baby!) For the first couple of days after I made this Carson would take the lid off of the jar, take a good whif of the chocolately goodness inside & exclaim: "Smells like a happy Halloween to me!"

Wanna meet my new friend? His name is Fun Times Frankie! Isn't he DREAMY?!

We made Frankie at our last club meeting and everyone fell in love with him too! And of course he's filled with Sweetness too!

So that's what I've been up to! If you want to know more about making some fun & creative projects of your own, contact me or visit my website !!!
Happy Halloween! It's so good to be back to Blogworld!
~Melanie

OH MY GOSH!!!!!

OH MY GOSH! I'M TRYING NOT TO FALL OVER HERE!
Ya'll 'member this card I showed you a few days ago?

This is the insert that pulls out.....

Well......I got the COOLEST news today....my friend, Brenda (shower honoree) has a younger sister who is dating Shelli Gardeners nephew. (He packages all of the embossing powders) So she tells me today that she showed THIS VERY CARD to THE GARDNER CLAN! I am telling you that *MY CARD* was handled by *THE FAMOUS SHELLI*! Co-Founder & CEO of "Stampin Up-Shelli! She told me today that they loved it! I was so honored and UBER EXCITED! (As if you can't tell, right?! hee hee) What an honor! I feel so close to royalty!! LOL

EDITED TO ADD: In my uber gooberness & excitement, I totally misunderstood....the card was NOT handled by Miss Shelli, in REAL LIFE.....but in my dreams & imagination, I'll continue to think so, and that while I'm told that the others that handled it were indeed, impressed, it's totally fine with me if the rest of you continue to imagine RAVE reviews from Miss Shelli as well. *wink wink* I do apologize for the misunderstanding and honest mistake! *Hugs & Kisses to all of my fans---both real and imagined! hee hee

Tech the Halls.....

Tech the Halls with tunes of mp3-ers!

We had some happy, happy kids this year! Carson got his first mp3 player, the Sansa Shaker mp3 player, he dances around with a big ol' grin on his face shakin' that little blue tune machine. (I need to upload a video of that....the boy's got MOOOVES! I'm so incredibly serious!)

Darren & Karlee got matching mp3 systems! They will be listening to their tunes on ZUNES! Darren's is black and Karlee's is white (with a lime green cover of course!)

They've been spending a lot of time downloading music and videos and comparing who has what, it's been pretty fun.

Don't ya just love this picture? I love how cute they are together. My friend Valerie Chandler wrote this post about this awhile back and I found myself completely agreeing with her. What moves me the most is watching these tender moments with the kids.

And come February, I will be singing "Sail Away with Me" or the theme from "The Love Boat" when Darren & I take This Cruise! It's more than a 3 hour tour & I'm so excited, but I swear if I hear the name "Gilligan", "MaryAnne", "Skipper" or "Ginger", I'm gonna freak! I'm fine with the Professor though and I wouldn't mind a donation from the Howells!

We are going with Darren's brother Gary & his wife Laurie and their daughter, Danielle & her husband Tyrell. I can't wait! I'm toying with the idea of renaming Darren that week & calling him "Thurston"....think he'd call me "Lovey"?! hee hee

So that's the highlights of our gifts this year. We all received many nice gifts and were feeling so fortunate. Of course it goes without saying that the gift that we are most grateful for was the gift that was given 2000 years ago in a humble stable. This year we watched this video of the Nativity after Darren read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible. It was my favorite part of the night.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well! Now my focus is on Carson's baptism next week! Woohoo! We're so excited!

Nicknames

Today I got an email from my friend Janeal AKA "Chicee Bum". Over the course of the last few days I've had the opportunity to use several nicknames for my friends and have them call me a few terms of endearment. (They are endearing, right guys?! Guys? Guys? Right? You still love me, right? Oh good!)

So it's got me thinking about how these names came to be. Most of my life there has been someone that has called me MEL. I don't mind it most of the time. In fact, I think Darren calls me Mel more than Melanie. Its familiar, it's cool, it's ok. But I confess, there are some people I do NOT like to call me Mel. There is a woman at church that tries to call me that, I correct her everytime. She's a big ol' bully woman, it's the only way I can correct her on something without declaring WWIII! I know, I'm such a pacifist! The Queen of Mean hasn't earned the right to call me that! *grins*

My friend Lindy calls me MeeWee! She's the only one that is allowed to call me that! Truth is, it makes me laugh to think of this TOUGH ol' Tattooed, Harley ridin' biker woman calling me such a "soft" name. She's sworn me to secrecy so I can't tell you that even though she's tough on the outside, she's really a marshmellow on the inside.

Left to right in the back: Me (as Tink minus wings and wig), LesaLesa & the Cult Jam Force (Lesa), PollyWog (Polly), Amers (Amy), Jeanie Weanie (Jean) and Front: Lindy Lou Who (Lindy). We had all just received Temporary Tattoos close to our hearts to match Lindy's Butterfly Tattoo.

Several of my friends call me TINK. This all started about 6 years ago when I dressed up like Tinkerbell for Girls camp. It was so fun having an alter-ego that Tink became a frequent & favorite visitor at "wake-overs" and other parties. I haven't seen her for a few years....maybe I'll have to invite her over sometime.

My friend, Xina calls me MayNayNee! My old friends Renae and Debbie called me Melvis, My sister, Natalie calls me Melanwee and some kids I used to babysit called me "Mentally" or "Mental". They were probably the most accurate in their nickname descriptions! (Babysitting 6-8 kids under the age of 8 would tend to make someone mental wouldn't you agree?! LOL)
Left to Right: Me, Lesa, Vicki (in the back), Xina, Michelle (Who is Vicki's sister)......Don't you LOVE Xina's T-Shirt?

The truth is, I've always liked my name, Melanie, but I'm so glad that I'm surrounded by people that love me, that feel comfortable enough to give me an extra comfortable tag of love. I'm sure I've got other nicknames...heck, my kids have probably called *ME* "The Queen of Mean"....and I am, like after I've told them to stop fighting 48 times or to clean their rooms 96 times or even when I'm just feeling like I want to try out for the "Miss Crabby Pants" role at church when it becomes available again! *evil cackles*

So what's your nickname? How'd ya get it? How do you like it? And to Janeal, would you still turn around as fast as you did in 9th grade when I hollered "Hey Chicee Bum" to get your attention? hee hee

Have a GREAT Day!

~Melanie

Happy Anniversary Darren!

Sunday was our 19th Wedding Anniversary! I have now been married as long as I wasn't. That's a cool and weird feeling. In so many ways I really do feel as though I've grown from infancy in my marriage. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who has been patient with me (like right now when I should be packing and getting ready to go & I'm still in my jammies needing a shower!), a husband who has encouraged me to become "ME". I had no idea when I met Darren that there was an budding artist within me. I had no idea that paper, ink, adhesive and all things scrapbooking & rubberstamping would play such a role in expressing my love for others.

And who knew that we would have these 2 beautiful children come into our lives the way that they did and completely take over our hearts they way that they have? Sunday I wasn't feeling very well. I stayed home from church while Darren & the kids went. I stayed in my jammies all day and just kind of lounged around. Darren had a church meeting to attend. While he was gone, the kids got this romantic notion in their heads that they wanted to surprise us with a romantic dinner. They worked together for over an hour putting together this "GOURMET MEAL".

Dinner was served by candlelight the moment that Darren arrived home. We were seated at an intimate setting (card table covered by layered tableclothes, set with my china, goblets (complete with plastic straws), beautifully folded paper-towel napkins, and a large candle. The atmosphere was further set with Josh Groban singing in the background, Carson rushing in to beg us for another bisquit, "prompting" us to dance or kiss under his improvised misletoe--pinecone garland piece) and Karlee LOUDLY whispering "Carson, leave them alone, let them have romance!"


The dinner menu consisted of:
Beverages: Our individual Favorite Sodas served in Goblets with Plastic Straws
Fruit Bowl Appetizer (1 small can of fruit cocktail enhanced with 1 large can of pineapple with 1 green apple sliced in for color & variety.)

Rice with Gravy and Bisquits (Similar to Hawaiian Haystacks)

White Cake & Peppermint Ice Cream for Dessert. The cake was inscribed with:
"Happy 19th Wedding Anniversary Mom & Dad"

Afterwards there was dancing, Misletoe Kissing (CARSON!) & Photos.

(When looking at this photo, please consider the fact that I had been in my jammies all day & was only dressed up because Carson had INSISTED "MOM! Go get a dress on...NOW! Ya gotta look nice for dad!)

It was so sweet that I didn't even mind doing the dishes afterwards! I'm just so proud of our 2 thoughtful kids. I couldn't help but think about how romantic they are going to be with their spouses someday.

Lost but now I'm found!

So has anyone missed me?! hee hee Things got so crazy around here....in case you've wondered, I've been consumed by all things stamping related.

Here are a few of the projects I've been working on:
I made 60 of these baby shower invitations for a shower I'm helping host.

This one card took me 16 hours to make! Only wish it had been appreciated for 16 seconds! *sigh* What can ya do?

Only wish the photo could show the layers of sparkle, embossing and uber Gorgeousness!

So far I've done approximately 25 of these in the last 2 days! They hold a little tube of chapstick and are SO MUCH CUTE! *grins*


These are so easy! Wish I'd ordered more lotion and done a ton more of these!



These are darling but sure were a lot more work than I thought they'd be! Maybe it's just that I was starting to burn out & had a ton more to do! Here's a side view.


And I still have Christmas Cards to make, Baptism Announcements to make and send out! But today.....well, today I'm running off with a really hot guy to celebrate our anniversary! (It was 19 years on Sunday!) I'll post about that in a minute!

So, I hope you forgive me for not updating my blog! If you don't hear from me, it's entirely possible I've fallen asleep on an inkpad somewhere!

~Melanie

Prayers for my Mom

Today I received one of those calls you hope you never receive. "Hi, is this a good time? I need to give you an update on something going on with me." OK, when my mom says that it really means, "I need you pay attention to this, it's really important and I don't want you distracted." Over the last few months my mom has experienced some real serious health issues that started out relatively mild. It's went from a run of the mill check up, to thyroid issues to a trip to the ER today with some major heart issues. She thought she was having a heart attack. Thankfully she was not. But I guess it's true, her heart is working over-time! Right now it appears that both chambers of her heart are trying to pump at the same time resulting in 2 heartbeats at once. She is wearing a monitor and been given STRICT instructions to rest.

Now, if you know my mom at all, you know that it's possible that the only way this is going to happen is if you strap her down and administer some MAJOR tranquilizers. My mom has NEVER been able to sit still AT ALL. She can't, she just doesn't know how to do it. She's going to have to have people help HER for once, this is a completely foreign concept to her. My dad's going to have to do things around the house & help her in ways that are new to him and she's going to have to let him and that's going to be hard for her.

And to top it all off, this is the week of Thanksgiving. A week that would normally have her cleaning "Mary Style"---vacuuming the tops of draperies in rarely used bathrooms, wiping down shelves before replacing newly washed towels & linens, washing & painting baseboards, shampooing carpets, dejunking drawers & cabinets, yard work etc. All of this (and MUCH MUCH MORE) in preparation for cooking dinner for upwards of 40+ people (its been as high as nearly 70 people). The highlight of the entire meal is always "Mary's Rolls". She makes THE BEST hot rolls EVER! So when the Dr. told her today that she was NOT to do any of the cooking, it must've been quite a blow. Luckily my new BIL, Brandon, volunteered to take over. He's a former restaurant manager and will do fine. Wonder if he'll attempt the rolls?! LOL
(Pictured: my sister, Annie, Brandon and their daughter, Isabel)


EDITED: I am editing this because of the private & delicate nature of this original post. I do ask that you respect that. My mom is well now & I'm so grateful for your thoughts and prayers.
~Melanie