...all good things must come to an end...

...what a year...and it just flew by...this is my last assignment with SRM Stickers!

SRM has an amazing new product...it's called {Party in a Bag}

...you recieve 4 TUBES...2 sticker sheets and 4 cards and envelopes...just what you need to create the perfect party supplies! This is the {Party in a Bag} I received and this is what I created...





I have felt honored to have been a part of the SRM team this last year...with each assignment I've always been given the opportunity to stick to my given style yet branch outside of my comfort zone and do something new. Susan, Jenyfur and the other ladies have been so wonderful to work with. I appreciate the support and encouragement I have received this past year. I can't say enough positive things about you all, the company and the product. My {LOVE} for stickers goes way back...and I will continue to use SRM stickers on my cards and layouts...encouraging my paper crafting friends to do the same...with that said...all good things must come to an end...and now it's time I say goodbye...to a WONDERFUL year with SRM...and welcome the new ladies to the team...

What a {FUN} weekend...

...a couple weekends ago we all jumped in the car and headed over the snowy pass and went to celebrate my sweet niece Brinley's Birthday! We arrived in Mount Vernon late on Friday night because I had to work...we arrived at about 10pm seeing her decorating her own {MUSTACHE} cake! ...rolling out the marshmallow fondant and covering her chocolate frosted pound cake...I was very impressed with her kitchen skills.

...we were looking forward to this weekend away...it was going to be filled with FUN..family...and adventures!!! ...not to mention snow and LOTS of it!!!
Saturday we woke up to rain, snow, sleet...and snow again...I don't think the weather could decide what it really wanted to do...but then it decided on SNOW...we had a delicious breakfast and then headed to Seattle...by the time we got to Seattle the weather was great and the sun was out! ...our first stop...Archie McPhee's...all the kids had a great time shopping...have you ever been there? What a CRAZY store! ...then we went to see the Fremont Toll...

Aunt Ashley is telling the kids all about the Troll under the bridge...I can't believe we've never heard of this place before...right now it's under construction...but it was still a BUSY attraction...
...the sun was BRIGHT...can you see Mason and Camryn...what are you two digging for? ...are they actually picking the Troll's nose!!! LOL Brinley is trying to gather everyone else up for a picture...before the rest of the tourists get up there...Kelli...can you believe I DID NOT get a single shot of them all up there together? I will send you what I have though ;)

...after visiting the Troll we went down to the Ye ol' Curiosity Shop...Aunt Ashley just spoils the kids...here she just gave them a coin to have some creepy lady in a box give them their fortune...as you can tell from the picture...the kids thought it was pretty neat!

and then we had a delicious lunch/Dinner at The Crab Pot...Yummy...
...Sunday morning we woke up to MORE snow...church had been cancelled but that did cancel our plans to drive to the Beach and cross the bridge!!!


Sunday Night we had a {TACO BAR} and Ted and Ashley ventured out in the snow and enjoyed a delicious dinner with all of us...it was wonderful to have dinner together as a family...play games...laugh...and just enjoy one another...we were just missing one very important person...peepaw!
...Ted...I don't know how you managed it...but you didn't get yourself in one single picture!

...as the weekend came to an end we decided it was time to celebrate Camryn's Birthday just a bit early...we hit the American Girl store and Build-a-Bear...
before leaving the West Side...
...and we had to stop and eat...we stopped at this amazing little place called Triple XXX Burgers...where I got this...and it was {amazing}...
...this little place had this old time feel...my dad would have {LOVED} it! ...we told our sweet little waitress we were celebrating Camryn's Birthday early...and this is what they did for her...I thought Camryn might cry...but she held it together...she totally doesn't like things like this...
...and then it was {finally} time to start heading back over the snowy pass...and just like that our weekend was over...
*** most of these photos were taken with my iphone...it's just so much more convienent...plus...I need someone who will some me how to use my new camera...I've had it now for 4 months...I still haven't figured it out!

{BAKING} can get you out of that funk right?

...this morning did NOT get off to a good start...so I decided by mid-morning that I needed to {BAKE} something to help me out of that terrible, no good...MOOD!!!

I've had this recipe for quite sometime...I do not even remember where I picked it up but {TODAY} was the day that I was going to try it out! Snow Day #2...the kids really can't even go out side because we have at least an inch of ice on top of all our snow...I think we will still have to try sledding regardless...because we are starting to go stir-crazy!

...over on FACEBOOK...I'm getting a lot of requests for the recipe so here it is...

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

What you will Need:

• Non-Stick cooking spray
• 2 cups All Purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/3 cup Pure vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam OR strawberry preserves
• 1/4 cup sugar

How to make it:

• HEAT oven to 375ºF. Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk, eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, peanut butter and oil to bowl. Combine ingredients on low speed of electric mixer, just until moistened. Do not over beat.

• FILL prepared muffin cups evenly with half of the batter. Place 2 level teaspoons jam or preserves in the center of each muffin. Evenly divide remaining batter between muffin cups. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pan 5 minutes.



{ my review: I think they need to be sweeter...and I would add MORE peanut butter than what the recipe calls for...and more jelly :)}

...just thought I should share...

I have never shared these...looks like I meant to back in the summer months and I never got around to it for some reason...hummm...well here you go :)


..this first one is of my parents 40th Wedding Anniversary in July...they renewed their wedding vows. Many of you know that my dad lost his battle with Brain Cancer in December...we all prayed that he would see this day...he did...and it was such a {HAPPY} day...



...the second LO...shares the lyrics {while I'm waiting} ...these photos where taken this summer also...all on the same day I believe...of Stuart's sweet Grandma's funeral...I went on an early morning run...I had stopped to take a picture of the sunrise...and a quick snapshot as I started off...



...this last year had been such a sad year for our family...I am hoping that 2012 will be different...but...grieving is making that hard...I am reading many different books trying to help me cope...I am not sure that it is actually helping...but we are going on with our everyday lives...we are doing the best we can...trying to find our new {normal}.

We got out 1st BIG SNOW today...

...and I wanted to make the kids something before they got back home from school...I grabbed a MINI TUBE from SRM and filled it full of the NEW KRAFT Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits...they are YUMMY! ...Then I went over to JessicaSprague.com and printed out this really cute card from EchoPark...and added my jeweled brad! ...That's it!!! I was all done in less than 10 minutes!




...by putting the Mallow Bits in the Mini Tube I am able to limit the kids to just this amount...instead of using the entire container! :)

I'm beginning to wonder...

...if I will EVER get this room back in order...back in August after Tom passed away...I just started tossing stuff in here and I kept the door shut...I kept telling myself I would get back in there and get all of this {STUFF} put away...then my dad kept getting sicker...you know what...this is how someone ends up on HOARDERS...yes...thank heavens it has only been contained to this one room...but this is just bad!!!

I have been telling Stuart and myself for months now I would get back in this room and get it taken care of...but it's been hard to get motivated enough to do it...let alone to even open the door! last night I managed to clean off my table a little bit...tonight I managed to work on the entry way...well at least I can see the carpet! I've still got a TON to do...but I managed to do a little tonight and that's PROGRESS :) Progress is good...even if it's just baby steps...

...I am always making sketches for upcoming projects/assignments...I found a TON of those tonight...I also found a bunch of quotes...this one I wrote down a LONG time ago...it was very fitting then...someone may find it also useful in their life now...so I thought I would share...



...well I guess I should probably either get back to cleaning or try and finish up this birthday present :) Which one do you think I will pick...

{Be Mine}

...how can it be that we are getting ready for Valentine's Day? I can finally share a couple SRM Projects that I made back in December...I used the following SRM Stickers: You can find a link to these stickers here ----> Quick Cards {Be Mine} #52027

You can find a link to these stickers here ----> Sticker Sentiments {Love} #51004


...this was such a fun little project...a couple fun little touches I added...machine stitching...to stitch the little banner down at the top and I even pulled out some stamps which I haven't had out in quite some time. I used { Bevy of Butterflies by UNITY Stamp Co.} on this one.

...and a {special THANK YOU} to my 12 year old son Ben for taking these photos of Stuart and I...we wouldn't have ANY photos together if it weren't for him! Thanks buddy! He has been taking photos of us for the last 4 years or so :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

My photo of the the day {1.9.2012}

...who is attempting to do {A PHOTO A DAY } for the entire year or Project 365 this year? I have started...we are at day 9 and so far so good! :) ...I have no goals with this except that I will tell my story...at the end of the year I will have a ton of photos which I usually do anyway...I am sure I will know my camera better but no real goals...

...I woke up this morning with a horrible headache not able to do some of the things that I wanted to do...and even some things that others wanted me to do...by mid morning I had decided I needed to talk to the person that would give me the best advice...I hopped in the car and went to visit my dad...but only I could do the talking...I keep hearing from people about the grieving process...I know it's different for everyone...some days are better than others...after this mornings visit...my headache went away...


...one thing my dad kept repeating to me over and over during his illness was... ...when we worry and worry about things...it just eats us up...let the little things go...my dad was a very smart man...I miss him...

{Photo taken December 2010}

{Plain Jane give-a-way}

How cute is this!!! It's made out of polymer clay {fimo} and it will be customized just for YOU if you win!!!

Jane from Jane's Doodles is giving this little guy away...you know you want it...head on over to her blog and see what you need to do to get it for yourself!


I hope I win...but if I don't...I hope you do! :)

Grey Matters!

Will you do me a favor? Please sign {THIS PETITION}

...this morning 566 out of 2012...this only takes a minute to fill out...my dad could still be with us today if research was funded for Glioblastoma Multiforme {GBM}...SO MANY people know nothing about Brain Tumors...together we can spread AWARENESS...
{...a glimpse at my dad's 1st year fighting this terrible disease...a true hero in every sense of the word...never complaining...looking to God for comfort...praying...never giving in and giving up...FIGHTING to the very end...}

...what this petition wants to do is INCREASE BRAIN TUMOR AWARENESS: the Gray Ribbon represents Brain Tumor Awareness...however many people are not familiar with this!

The goal is to make the GREY RIBBON just as important and recognizable as the pink...people of all races and all ages are dying at an alarming rate!!! It is time to make Brain Cancer Awareness a priority not an option! I've had my GREY RIBBON on my car for the last year...trying to build awareness in my community...every little bit counts...


I also would like to state that I know and have many friends and have had family members suffer from breast cancer and I am not saying it is not important and doesn't deserve the recognition it receives...it's just that Brain Cancer is one of the orphan cancers...which means it is not given a lot of recognition or awareness...it's time to change that...

Here are some facts about Brain Cancer and Brain Tumors:

• Brain tumors strike men, women, and children of any race, at any age.
•Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among children under the age of twenty.
•Symptoms of a brain tumor may include: headaches, seizures, cognitive or personality changes, eye weakness, nausea, speech disturbances, or memory loss.
• An MRI is the best diagnostic tool for accurately detecting a brain tumor.
•More than 600,000 people in the United States are currently living with a primary brain tumor.
• There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors, which is one reason why treating them is so difficult.
•Both malignant and non-malignant brain tumors can have a severe and debilitating impact on quality of life.
•Only one out of three adults diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor today will be alive in five years.
•Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among males up to age 39.
•Brain tumors are the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women ages 20-39.
•A brain tumor patient’s outcome depends on several factors, including the type of tumor, location, response to treatment, age, and overall health.
•Brain tumor treatments, which can include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, may have life-altering side effects.
•Brain tumors in children are different from those in adults and are often treated differently.
•More than 72% of children with brain tumors will survive; however, they are often left with life-long physical, psychological, and/or cognitive deficits.

{Don't forget to click on the link above and sign the petition today...it only takes a minute...and it could help save the life of someone you love...}