My life... as a wifey!

I AM MOVING!

2009-07-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

I have my new website up and running officially today! So this will be my last post here on Blogger...I would love it if you would all check it out and dont forget to bookmark me to visit again!

Also, there will be some GRAND OPENING BLOG CANDY so check it out to win!

http://amylizschultz.com

Scrap or Dare 10

2009-07-07T20:35:00.001-07:00

Hey ladies! Sorry I have been running late on these Dare's lately... This week marks our 10th Dare!!! Thanks for those of you who play each week... which really is Iona and Emma haha

This week my Dare is a bit different! Just take a look at this adorable little back pack on the right... and use ONLY 2 of the colors* and a handmade flower on your project! I was challenged to create a flower of my own this last week and it was so much fun to think up something fun! I hope you will play along and enjoy these fun and bright colors... the combos are endless! *You may include a base color, such as white, black or cream.

COLOR OPTIONS:
Red
Green
Blue
Bright Pink
Light PInk
Orange
Yellow
Cream

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! If you have any problems with Mr.Linky, feel free to leave a link to your project as a comment :) I hope you all have fun creating!

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter -- e.e. cummings

2009-07-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

This adorable card is not only my very first circle card but it is my very first card created as a Pile It On DESIGN TEAM MEMBER! Yes, you heard me correctly, I am part of a Design Team and this week marks the first week out of a 6 month commitment. I can not even begin to express how excited I am to have been chosen as part of their team (their very first team, to be exact!) and I can not wait to see what these next 6 months bring through it all. To check out the rest of the new team and what they have created this week, check it out right here!

For those of you who are new to the Pile It On challenge, let me fill you in on all of the fun! Each week, Dalis or Vicky (owners) will challenge us crafty ladies to create a project in a specific way or using a specific embellishment or technique, etc. There is just one more very important part to this challenge... you MUST "pile it on!" On top of this challenge you will have to use at least one more challenge from another challenge site. This makes creating fun and exciting... seriously, it really makes me think outside of the box and I love it! Everyone is welcome to play along and then post their work to share with the rest of us -- lots of inspiration!

Here are the challenges that I used for this week's card:

Pile It On -- Use at least 3 Embellishments (Ribbon, Button and Rhinestones)

Paper Play -- Use a Hand-crafted Flower

Paper Blooms -- Create a card in a Special Shape

HOW TO create the Paper Flower:

1. Cut out several circles (this can be done with punches or by hand)
2. Use your micro-tip scissors to cut small slits all around the circles (about 1/4" apart)
3. Trim a tiny slice off of each slit -- this will help the "petals" stand out
4. Design the circles to your liking (here, I swipped the edges with ink)
5. Adhere the layers on top of one another and use your fingertips to curl up the petals
6. Choose an embellishment of your liking for the center and adhere (I used a button and Rhinestone)

7. Place on your project and admire the beauty of the work of your own hands :)

Scrap or Dare #9

2009-06-30T23:24:00.001-07:00

This gorgeous photo comes from a great blog I just happened upon called, Smart Bride Blog. It has tons of inspiration for beautiful weddings. I just fell in love with the colors and cant wait to play tomorrow morning! Have fun!

COLORS:

Buttercup (Yellow)
Black
White Daisy or Colonial White
Bamboo (Cream) ***Optional***

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! If you have any problems with Mr.Linky, feel free to leave a link to your project as a comment :) I hope you all have fun creating!

Welcome, Baby

2009-06-29T17:12:00.001-07:00

I REALLY wanted to make sure that I found some time to sit down and create today. Unfortunately, I was only left with 30 min. to do so... so here is what I created! I dont remember the last time I created a baby card so I was kind of feeling the whole baby boy thing today. Who knows will receive the card, I am young so I am sure that one day someone is bound to have a baby boy :)

Challenges that I used to create this card were:

Pile It On -- 4 or more Buttons

Stamp Simply -- Grassy Green & Sky Blue with Peircing Technique

Stamp Something -- Use at least 3 Embellishments (all the same or different)

CPS -- Sketch

RECIPE:

Stamps: CTMH- Tiny Typewriter Alpha
Chocolate Small Alpha
Decorative Dainties

Colors:
Heavenly Blue
Green Meadow
Black and White

HAPPY MONDAY, ALL!

What We Did Today...

2009-06-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

This collage represents the day we had today... sunshiney fun, filled with lots of love! We spent the day with my family to celebrate our many June birthdays, which included our two nephews, Tyson (7) and Seth (2). The reason you only see Garrett and I with our nephews (the lil blondie is Owen (4) in this collage is because that is basically what we did all day -- have fun with them! For Ty's gift we got him a Nerf dart tag game, which was a hit with all of the boys. For little Sethie, we got him a bubble blowing Lawn Mower!!! He spent quite a bit of time "mowing" my dad's front yard :) These boys are obviously a precious gift from the Lord and my brother and sister-in-law's # 4 is on his/her way!

Next, is the cake... yes, the awesome Lego Star Wars cake that I was up until 3am last night creating (mostly because I was too lazy to do it earlier that day!). Garrett built the lego thing (haha, dont know what to call it!) and helped instruct me on how to keep the cake "cool" versus "little boy-ish." I do appreciate it though, because Tyson just stared at it for awhile and told his cousin and brothers how "cool" it was. When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he immediately replied with "Chocolate!!" so I made him a yellow cake with strawberry filling and lots of chocolate frosting -- he later let me know that it was very good :) yay, Aunt Amy! hehe

... and yay for a fun weekend with family! It was a hot one and I am very thankful for the sunshine... Hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as I did and have a blessed week!

In Loving Memory...

2009-06-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

I heard the news while I was at work today and it just broke my heart. I just pray that the media and others will give respect to Michael's family and children during these hard times. The world made him the way he was and deep down I believe he was a loving person who just wanted to show love to others the way he desired to be loved.

I will forever remember all of the excitement that he brought into my childhood and will dance the night away in remembrance of him and his amazing talent...

Fresh Fruit For Sale!

2009-06-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

I am just lovin' the Pile It On Challenge (doing multiple challenges in one project!) It really does actually challenge me to get out there and do something I would not have ever thought of! Here is the list of challenges I completed with this Recipe Card:

Pile it On -- Purple

My own Scrap or Dare #8 -- Color Combo

Card Patterns -- Sketch

Stamp Simply -- Summer Recipe Card

Cardvaarks --Window Card

2 Red Bananas -- Summer Inspiration

SUMMER INSPIRATION: Other than papercrafting, my next favorite thing to do is bake and try new recipes. Summertime brings along a ton of fresh opportunities to find and try new recipes using fresh and delicious fruits! Point Loma Sangria is so refreshing, delicious and just perfect for a nice chill during the Summertime heat. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you ever try it out. I posted this recipe awhile back so you can find the recipe and a photo HERE.

Now as for the Recipe for this Card:

STAMPS:

Papertrey Ink -- Fruitful
CTMH -- Playful Flourishes; Journal Jots; Spot On Background

Embellishments: CTMH Clear Sparkles, Meadow Green Bigger Brad and Sweet Leaf Ribbon

For the window over the title, I recycled a clear sheet that I got my new Papertrey Ink stamps on and I used foam squares to pop up the center of the card so that the window would be seen clearly. It was important to me to use my own handwriting for the recipe and title because I love looking back at my recipes from my mom or grandma and seeing their very own handwriting. It gives it that authentic and loving touch! This recipe card turned out so cute, I may just have to duplicate it to send out to some special friends :)

Scrap or Dare #8

2009-06-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

We have been having absolutely beautiful weather here in Southern California so while my hubby and I browsed the garden center at Lowe's I couldn't resist snapping a couple photos! So, I also couldn't very well resist using one of those photos as this week's Scrap or Dare color inspiration. So I hope you will join us... But first to announce the WINNER from this year's Masculine Series color challenges... Drumroll please!

EMMA come on down!

Emma just recently has joined in on the Scrap or Dare color combos and she does a fab job on her cards... be sure to check out her blog when you have a chance :) Thanks for playing, Emma! And please email me at Ames33@gmail.com with your home address for your special prize!

And a BIG THANKS to all who joined in on the Masculine Series challenge for the last three weeks... it was awesome to see all of your creations! I hope you all had a very blessed Father's Day with your Father's and Hubbys :)

Now for THIS WEEK'S COLORS:

Petal (Purple)
Blush (Light-ish Pink)
Clover Meadow (Bright Green)
White Daisy
Sweet Leaf (Light Green) ** optional**

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! There have been problems with Mr.Linky lately so just in case it is not showing up, feel free to leave a link to your project as a comment :) I hope you all have fun creating and my project will be up VERY soon (going to play tonight)!

Hey there, Sunshine

2009-06-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend was absolutely beautiful (and busy)! Friday we had Father's Day dinner with my Dad, Saturday was Garrett's good friend's wedding and Sunday we spent the day with G's Dad. Sunday we got to join the family in some fun boysenberry pickin.' Here are a few photos to let you see just how beautiful the day was! We will start with my cutie hubby...

Goals n Things

2009-06-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I have been out of work for almost two months, I realize that I am starting to make more goals and really enjoying getting through them. So far, I have read one book... which is an accomplishment considering I rarely ever finish a book and I did so in just two weeks! But tomorrow starts a new goal -- working out and eating well.

My whole life I have never been the healthiest person and my weight has always been up and down. Unfortunately, I have not been blessed with the greatest metabolism or the desire to be active regularly.... but this all has to change. Last year I lost 20 lbs and since then, I have gained a little over 10 lbs of it back! I hate it because I know how good it felt to lose the weight and just have the energy to do more things. Tomorrow I am going to start up on journaling my meals and snacks and will be working my best at having a regular workout 1 hour per day, 5 days out of the week. I know that this will help keep me motivated to eat healthy too.

Here are a couple of other things I look forward to completing while "unemployed:"

-- Read my Bible each day
-- Pray more
-- Read My Sister's Keeper
-- Throw things away!
-- Organize my Scrap stuff
-- Catch up with my Albums
-- Work on items for an Etsy shop
-- Go to bed at a regular time!

Some of you may have similar goals and I hope that you guys all will be able to achieve them (in a timely matter haha). I am going to blog on my achievements as they come along, I hope you dont mind! Sometimes I just need a little accountability to keep moving forward and I am really looking forward to finding my successful in as many of these goals as possible while out of work. God willing I wont be out of work for too long, but either way, I hope that this time will get me into some better habits :)

Pack a Picnic -- Dainty

2009-06-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Now, as excited as I am about this adorable project and how it turned out, I am super bummed to see that I totally missed the deadline for the challenge that I made it for over at Caardvarks. I suppose I should just be thankful for the push to actually sit down and do it though :)

These last couple weeks have really thrown me off... helping with my nephews while my sis in law was sick, many birthdays, weddings, graduations... It is no wonder I am thrown off on this challenge! This project will become a fun class that I will be offering sometime this Summer, so check back for the date on that!

I used the *brand new* Papertrey Ink Timeless Template by Lauren Meader called Pack A Picnic. I knew that I needed to have it as soon as I saw it, SO FUN! The Recipe is below:

PAPERS: CTMH-- Key To My Heart
COLORS: Tulip, Juniper, Sorbet and Colonial White
STAMPS: CTMH-- Playful Flourishes, Chocolate Alpha Small
EMBELLISHMENTS: Clear Sparkle Rhinestone Minis and CTMH Bigger Brads in Juniper.
TOOLS: Martha Stewart Butterfly and Scallop Lace; Stampin' Up Scalloped Circle and 1 1/4" Circle

I decided to use the word "Dainty" because the 4x4 cards inside are so simple, cute and dainty and if I ever need a cute gift bag for a little/baby girl I have something fun to use! It ended up being quite cheap and easy to make, just 3 pieces of cardstock and one piece of patterned paper (for the basket). Hope you all like it!

Happily Ever After...

2009-06-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my husbands close friend from high school years is getting married! I think it will be special to be there since he was the Best Man in our wedding and I know he was always a great friend to Garrett. Today I had a very limited time to create, so decided to go for simple and sweet for the wedding card. I had a lot of inspiration for this card CPS for the Sketch and from Dawn McVey's color challenge and that is really what made it a quick card! Thanks, Dawn! (too bad, I created it too late to turn in for the challenge :(

I am also happy to say that I was in her Spotlight last week and I was so excited that someone as creative and awesome as Dawn was recognizing my card! Hope you guys like this week's card, using: Garden Green, Black and Colonial White.

Happy Birthday DAD(S)!!!

2009-06-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today is my Father in Law's birthday and next Monday will be my Dad's birthday. So needless to say I am definitely in need of masculine cards this month! I didnt have much time to work on them so they are simple! But I love these colors together for our these special guys!

I used the Scrap or Dare colors for this week. Star paper is from Stardust and I was able to use my Slice to cut out the frame in the center. Hope that you like them and have a wonderful rest of the week!

Scrap or Dare #7

2009-06-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

SCRAP OR DARE: MASCULINE SERIES

This week's Scrap or Dare #7 is the final week of this month's Masculine color challenges. I am hoping that these challenges helped you get all of your cards or projects done in time for Father's Day! A prize will be given to one lucky winner that will be randomly chosen at the end of the three week series. You will receive an entry for each time you post a project (up to three entries -- one a week). *Please post by Father's Day, Sunday June 21st.

I found this photo on furniturestoreblog.com and thought it would be a nice way to finish off the masculine series. I have been SO busy this week and last so I will have to create and post my creation with these colors (hopefully) soon. Hope you will play along!

COLORS:
Olive Green
Buttercup
Cocoa
Bamboo

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! There have been problems with Mr.Linky lately so just in case it is not showing up, feel free to leave a link to your project as a comment :) I hope you all have fun creating!

Thank You!

2009-06-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Awesome stuff! I just love blog awards... because not only do you get to feel some love, you get to show some love! Today I was surprised to receive 4 lovely blog awards -- one each from Karen, Leslie, Iona, Christina and Laurel! So thank you all for letting me know that you love my blog.

I am currently working on moving to Wordpress so get ready for that! But hopefully that will only make my blog much more lovely :)

The rules for this award are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3) Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my choices:

(I could only really do 8 right now -- all newly discovered and wonderful artists, for sure!)

Jaime
Leigh Ann
Rachel
Emma
Paula
Patricia
Jessica Lynn
Bec

Just want you ladies to know that you caught my eye and I love all of the creativity and inspiration I find from your blogs :) Keep up all of the wonderful work!

AWKWARD!

2009-06-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

...For those of you who know me, you might know that I am a "People Watcher," an observer really. I love being at Disneyland, the zoo or beach and just watch how other people live, act, grow, discover, etc. And well, this website that my hubby found certainly fits in with my addiction to people watching.

I promise you, I am NOT a stalker... and definitely not a weirdo who has nothing better to do. People are just interesting creatures and God created us all so uniquely different from one another. So, if you sometimes feel the same way, check out this website. If not... that is ok too; sometimes we all just need a good laugh :)

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

P.S. PLEASE dont be offended by this website -- it is all for fun and it is mostly interesting to see how times have changed over the years and how people really find joy or love :)

I can't believe my nephew is going to be 7!

2009-06-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I rarely ever make my cards for my nephews, but I saw an opportunity to make this card special and decided to go for it. There is also a new challenge going on, called Pile It On. It is actually quite inspiring -- basically, you are given a challenge and you must use that challenge along with at least one other challenge that comes up. There are MANY scrapbooking and card-making challenges out there and even if you dont feel like attempting the Pile It On challenge, I encourage you to at least check it out. They also have a link list of all challenges offered by the day that each challenge is released, so that can be helpful as well.

Here is a list of the different challenges that I completed with this single card :)

1. Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #54 -- Teal, Baby Blue, Green, Orange and White
2. Limelight Papercrafts Sketch and Product Challenge #23 -- Rhinestones
3. 2 Red Bananas -- Use 3 Different Patterned Papers
4. Three Clovers Designs -- Technique: Paper Piecing
5. Stamptacular Sunday -- Make it for a Boy!
6. Daring Cardmakers -- Use something with "Weather"
7. And of course, Pile It Up -- Non-Stamped Sentiment

STAMPS USED:
CTMH-- True Happiness D1365
Fun Times B1309

Accessories: Copic Markers to color Frog, Rhinestones and Foam Squares.

I had a tough time deciding whether or not to put that frog on there but I really did want it to be more little boy-ish. Just clouds wasnt going to cut it for my cutie nephew.

Swings are for Swinging

2009-06-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today I took our nephews, Owen and Seth to visit their Uncle Garrett for his lunch break. This is probably the third or fourth time that we have done this since we have been married, so it is always just a fun treat for the boys and my cute hubby. We usually drive out and pick up some Happy Meals at McDonald's then head to the park near Garrett's office. It is the perfect park for little ones and no one is usually there. Today was Seth's first time joining us, as it used to be Tyson and Owen when they were the younger ones (but now Ty is in 1st grade!).

The boys are so stinkin fun to be with and we love it. More than anything though I just love watching Garrett with them. He is a natural at just having fun and the boys LOVE him. They just ask for him the whole trip there -- priceless. On the way home I decided to stop and get some Golden Spoon since Ty would be home from school and I didnt want him to feel left out. It was, as usual, delicious. Seth surprised me and couldnt wait to ask for "gummie bears" on top of his chocolate ice cream... it was an exciting thing for him, you could tell. You have to watch the slideshow below of the few photos we took... even if it is just to see Seth's ice cream face at the end! Enjoy!

Scrap or Dare #6

2009-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

SCRAP OR DARE: MASCULINE SERIES

This week's Scrap or Dare #6 is week 2 of this month's Masculine color challenges. I am hoping that this will help you get all of your cards or projects done in time for Father's Day! A prize will be given to one lucky winner that will be randomly chosen at the end of the three week series. You will receive an entry for each time you post a project (up to three entries -- one a week). *Please post by Father's Day, Sunday June 21st.

COLORS:

Barn Red
Outdoor Denim
Grey Flannel
Black

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

I found this shirt at Urban Outfitters and I thought it fit perfectly for this challenge. This is also a shirt I may consider getting for my hubby, totally fits his cute style.

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! There have been problems with Mr.Linky lately so just in case it is not showing up, feel free to leave a link to your project as a comment :) I hope you all have fun creating!

I used this challenge to create a card for my cousin's high school graduation. He is a pretty creative guy so I think he will enjoy receiving this card. I think the font I used and the staples really made it more masculine and young!

Stamps Used:
Legendary Moments D1227
Delightful Alpha D1221
Argyle Backgrounds D1325

Embellishments: Black Brads, black Staples and gray Ribbon

Technique: Used the Paper Piercer all around the Barn Red cardstock and also used the brads to create a 2nd circle up in the corner for added dimension.

Thanks for checking it out and I hope you will play along!

Fun with PURPLE!

2009-06-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! LOVE LOVE LOVE Kelly Jo's Color Chef Challenge this week! We were asked to use Black, White and a splash of color. Since I rarely use purple, I decided that my splash of color (ok, so black and white turned out to more of a "splash" than the purple!) would be CTMH-- Petal. I combined this color challenge with Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch and I think they worked well together. Thanks ladies for helping inspire my beautiful card!

I used a bunch of different stamp sets to get the 1 1/4 x 1 1/4" squares for the background. All were such fun patterns!

Stamps Used:

Aspiration C1340
Argyle Backgrounds D1325
Boutique Borders D1332
Playful Flourishes D1212

Embellishments: Misc. Flower, black Brad, Ribbon and Foam Squares

Yummy!

2009-06-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a yummy day! We had some friends from Canada come to visit and I decided to treat 'em to a good meal while they were over. Think Teriyaki Grilled Salmon, Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce, Steamed Broccoli, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and to top it all off some delicious chocolate covered Strawberries... yum! Since it is such an amazing recipe, thought I would share it!

TERIYAKI GRILLED SALMON

-- Take your boneless, skinless Salmon Fillet(s) and rinse off in cool water

-- Pat dry with paper towels and rub on grated Ginger (I usually just have the sushi Ginger on hand so I just chop it up with my Pampered Chef Chopper!); doing this will help calm the fishy flavor a bit.

-- Place on a piece of foil (large enough to fold ) and sprinkle with Brown Sugar and Kikkoman/Yoshida's Teriyaki Glaze on both sides.

-- Fold the foil over and roll the edges of the foil up to help keep the glaze and juices from finding their way out.

-- Grill on the BBQ or Foreman Grill until done and enjoy! (I use my Foreman Grill because it is so quick! About 2 minutes per 1/2" of the fillet-- so usually about 4 minutes)

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH BALSAMIC BUTTER SAUCE

Wash Asparagus and lay flat on a cookie sheet (best for the sheet to have edges to catch juices). Spray with PAM or Butter and Sprinkle with Sea Salt or Garlic Salt. Bake in the oven on 400 for 12 minutes.

SAUCE:

2 Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 Tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Melt Butter in small sauce pot, add Soy Sauce and Balsamic Vinegar and bring to a simmer. Drizzle over the top of the Asparagus and/or fish and/or broccoli :)

______________________________________________________

On another EXCITING NOTE! I have created my own Scrap or Dare badge for anyone to place on their blog if they like. So far there haven't been a huge group of players but I am hopeful that this badge will help get the word out... so please feel free to place this badge on your blog freely!

Just copy and paste this code into an HTML gadget on your blog. If for some reason the link doesnt work for you, feel free to simply right click on the photo of the badge and save it to add to your blog -- just remember to link that photo back to my website please!

Hope you all will play along this week!

You Make My Heart Flutter...

2009-06-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

I definitely had a very successful search for new Sketches and Challenges this week. Ran across the Sweet Stop that has a new card sketch every Saturday! This was a really sweet sketch and I had a lot of fun making it my own. I combined it with Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge, where we were asked to use Chocolate, Kraft, Cream and a Bright Pink. Of course, I used my own CTMH colors and think it worked well.

Now all I have to do is make an envelope to fit it :) The finished size is 7 x 3.5"

Papers: CTMH-- That's Amore and Stampin' Up Bella Rose

Colors: Tulip, Chocolate, Bamboo and Colonial White

Stamp: Stampin' Up Great Friend

Embellishments: CTMH-- Colonial White Embroidery Floss, Clear Sparkles and Brads

Technique: Hand-Stiching and Foam Squares for the 3rd square

I was able to use my Slice to make the final square to add just a little elegance to the card. I have to say that I absolutley LOVE my Slice. Living in a one bedroom apartment doesnt really allow for larger tools (like the Cricut) so when the Slice came out, I absolutely had to have it! It fits perfectly in my small space :)

Mojo Monday! The Road Less Traveled

2009-06-05T19:52:00.001-07:00

I FINALLY got around to creating this week's Mojo Monday Card! You will probably be seeing a few more Stampin' Up papers in use here since I (for the first time, EVER) recently purchased a bunch of their sets -- and yes, I am still a hardcore CTMHer!

Papers: Stampin' Up -- Good Morning Sunshine

Stamp: CTMH -- Vintage Postcard D1207

Embellishments: CTMH Embroidery Floss and black brads

I have seen quite a few stampers create cute stamps for their cards like this, using the Provo Craft teeny tiny scallop scissors, and have always wanted to try it out! As soon as I decided to use the pear paper, I knew that I needed to do the stamp with it and love the result! The "stamp" is up on foam squares for added dimension. Not quite sure what event I will use this card for, but I like having cute cards that are left blank for any occasion around.

Hope you likey! Happy Friday!

2 Sketches 4 You Ultimate Card Showdown: CARD #1

2009-06-04T16:43:00.001-07:00

This month, 2 Sketches 4 You is having their 1st Annual Ultimate Card Showdown and I decided that I want to at least try out! There are already almost 200 entries so far and the few that I checked out are beautiful! After looking at a couple of the entries, I decided I probably should stop looking at what other's did and get going on my own. So here it is, my beauty :)

Papers: Stampin' Up Bella Rose

Stamp: Scarlet Lime

Embellishments: Misc. Fibers, Making Memories Green Flower, Brown Button, Adirondack Lights Snow Cap Dabber and CTMH Clear Sparkles.

I swiped the edges all around the card with the Snow Cap Dabber just to add some texture to the card. This will be my three year anniversary card for my DH and I know he will love it :) I truly am the luckiest girl in the world -- my hubby not only takes care of me, but also supports my art to the fullest degree. Even though my hobby drains his wallet, he still looks forward to what I am making with all of my new goodies and sometimes even helps me figure out what the card or layout may need to spiff it up. I love him for his creativity and love...

Thank you all for checking out my entry and I hope you found it enjoyable and inspiring :) If you are in the mood to send in an entry for this Challenge, you will need to do so by this Saturday, June 6th (by midnight mountain time)... to get there, just click HERE

All of a Sudden Card Crazy!

2009-06-04T00:16:00.000-07:00

What in the world...

Since I started scrapbooking three years ago, I never really got into the whole card-making thing; Mostly just when I needed a card. But now that I am becoming more and more addicted to the Scrapbooking and Card Challenges (thanks to Kelly Jo, who introduced me to them!), I find myself making more cards than ever!

Well, tonight I was searching for yet more Challenges that I could take part in... there are plenty of Color Challenges to go around and I really need some more Sketch challenges to help keep up with all of these cards... and I came across this blog called Caardvarks (you know like Aardvarks but with cards?) and I immediately fell in love! I am SO bummed that I didnt find it a day sooner since I missed the last challenge that ended at midnight! Anyhow, you have to check it out, lots of inspiration and the Designers there are amazing!

Also thought I would share a list of the Challenges I have been taking part in (or plan to). Feel free to share any others that you guys love and can't get enough of!

Kelly Jo's Color Chef Challenge

Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration

Amy R's Friday Sketch

2 Sketches 4 You

Mojo Monday

Caardvarks

So, that is pretty much it on my end... I better be careful not to get too carried away and fall in love with a million challenges. Right now I am unemployed, but as soon as I find a job, I KNOW that I wont be doing nearly as much scrapping as I do right now :( I will miss it for sure!

Celebrate Card

2009-06-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

I might just have to call this card one of my favorites! I combined Kelly Jo's Color Chef Challenge and Amy R's Sketch to create it. Honestly, I was very challenged by this color combo at first. I hated it (no offense, Kelly Jo!!).

One thing about Sketches is that I really have to be able to envision what I'm going to do with it before I even start... otherwise I end up with a lot of wasted paper! So I tend to just stare at the sketch for a couple minutes and envision which stamp set would go best with the style and placement of the Sketch. Now, with color challenges I usually end up having to make my own background or patterned paper for the project. That is where CTMH's Background stamps come in very handy (i.e. Argyle Backgrounds D1325, Brilliant Backgrounds D1251, Intrinsic Backgrounds D1335, or Spot On Backgrounds D1280 -- used here).

RECIPE:

COLORS: Cranberry, Honey, Black & White

STAMPS:

Spot On Backgrounds D1280
Butterfly Wings D1341
Say It In Style D1283

Embellishments: Misc. Flower, White Ribbon and Brads -- the Butterfly is up on Foam Squares

Scrap or Dare #5!

2009-06-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

SCRAP OR DARE: MASCULINE SERIES

This week's Scrap or Dare #5 marks the first of the next three week's Masculine color challenges. I am hoping that this will help you get all of your cards or projects done in time for Father's Day! A prize will be given to one lucky winner that will be randomly chosen at the end of the three week series. You will receive an entry for each time you post a project (up to three entries -- one a week). *Please post by Father's Day, Sunday June 21st.

COLORS:

Heavenly Blue
Autumn Terracotta
Desert Sand
Cocoa
Colonial White
or White Daisy

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! There have been problems with Mr.Linky lately so just in case it is not showing up, feel free to leave a link to your project as a comment :) I hope you all have fun creating!

MY SCRAP OR DARE #5 CARDS:

Stamps Used: CTMH
Intrinsic Backgrounds (D1335)
Thank You (D1361)

Embellishments: CTMH Hemp, CTMH Embroidery Floss in Colonial White, Misc. Eyelets and flowers.

I really wanted my cards to be as simple and masculine as I could get them! And I really love how they turned out. Unfortunately, my camera didn't really pick up the Heavenly Blue on the cards -- used on the exclamation mark and the base for the 4x4 cards. I really do like this combo but rarely ever use it :) Cant wait to see what you all come up with!!

Beautiful Sounds...

2009-06-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

I love this!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-05-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Now, normally, you wouldn't call this soup weather here in Southern California today... but it has been significantly "cooler" in the evenings this week, so I thought I could push it and try for our favorite soup just one last time before we retire to salads for the summer.

Last fall, I decided that I wanted to make Chicken Tortilla soup but didn't have a recipe, so I looked up recipes online... However, none fit all of the categories of what I wanted in this meal. First, I needed it to be a crock pot meal. Second, it really needed to be delicious! And third, I didnt want to have to use several dishes (pans, etc.) to create the whole meal. So I just picked at each of the recipes that sounded good and took what I liked from each... Here is the result for those of you that asked -- I just love how easy it is and for the most part you will usually have most of the Ingredients on hand/in the pantry!

Please let me know if you try it out and how you like it!

INGREDIENTS:

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (uncooked)
4- 6 Cups Chicken Broth*
1 Tsp Salt & Pepper
1 Tsp Ground Cumin (I usually do a heaping Tsp for added spice, add 1/2 Tsp if doing 6 C Broth)
1 Can Black Beans (drained)
1 Can (or 14 oz. Frozen) Corn
1 Can 1 Small Can chopped Green Chili Peppers
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (undrained)
1 Small Onion Diced (set aside for after soup cooked)
**Any other veggies you want to add... I usually add green beans as well)
Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
Salsa for added Spice
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Cilantro to top it off!

-----------------------------------

1. Spray bottom of your Crock Pot with Pam/Cooking Spray and lay all 3 Chicken Breasts flat in the Pot.

2. Drain Black Beans and spread over the top of the Chicken (this is important to keep the heat in the Chicken)

3. Layer Black Beans with all other veggies in order they are listed, leaving the Diced Onions for after the soup is done cooking.

4. Pour in Chicken Broth and add Salt, Pepper and Ground Cumin.

5. Set Crock Pot on Low (for 6-8 hours) or High (for 3-4 hours)

6. After it is done cooking, use two forks to shred the chicken (you can take it out of the Pot if need be).

7. Dice Onions and stir into the soup.

8. Serve with Shredded Cheese, Crushed Tortilla Chips, Cilantro and Salsa if you like.

* I add two cups of Chicken Broth and another can or two of veggies if I am cooking for 6 people versus 4.

Embroidery Floss Class

2009-05-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

This week's Scrap or Dare color challenge really got me! I ended up really loving the combo and decided to use them to create an upcoming class using CTMH Embroidery Floss. I dont have this class on the calendar yet, however, if any of you are interested in holding this class in your home with your friends, don't hesitate to ask! I will be happy to teach you and your friends how to use our embroidery floss as a simple and fun technique to make your cards and layouts have that extra something.

I really loved the Playful Petals stamp set as soon as I set my eyes on it! Haven't played with it for awhile so I decided to use it as the stamp set for these cards. It is actually a pretty versatile set once you think about it. I have seen people use it for bee wings, all sorts of flowers (like the tulip, I created here), as the flame on a candle and even a dragonfly! Hope these cards will inspire you all to find new ways to use this stamp set and to play along in this week's Scrap or Dare challenge :)

RECIPE:

Colors: Watermelon, Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue (out of Breeze paper), White Daisy and Black

Embellishments: CTMH Button, Sweet Leaf Ribbon Rounds, Brad, Paper Flower, Foam Squares, and CTMH Embroidery Floss.

Stamps:

Playful Petals (C1288)
True Happiness (D1365) -- Sentiment
With Love (D184) -- Sentiment & Leaf
Annotations -- 'Thank You' Stem

Scrap or Dare #4!

2009-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last week's winner was chosen at Random.org..... AND THE WINNER IS: IONA!!!! Thanks for playing, Iona! Send me your address for your goodies to Ames33@gmail.com :)

This week's inspirational photo comes from an article in Associated Content about Home Decor. I really wanted this week's Scrap or Dare to challenge you to use a different combo that you wouldnt normally think of putting together... So, I hope this works! **Next week I am going to start a three week series of masculine colors for the upcoming Father's Day!

COLORS: Breeze, Watermelon, Citrus Leaf OR Sweet Leaf and White Daisy

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! I hope you all have fun creating! I will post my creation soon!

Feeding Giraffes!

2009-05-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today I got to do something that I have always dreamt of doing! (Dont laugh at me!) I GOT TO FEED THE GIRAFFES!

My loving husband took me to the Santa Barbara Zoo to feed the giraffes and it was so wonderful! If you haven't guessed by my excitement, my favorite animal is the Giraffe. Such magnificent creatures and so sweet too! They have such long tongues that are pretty scratchy too! But it was so amazing to feel like I was his friend for awhile :)

When I asked Garrett what his favorite part of the day was (yes, I know, such a mom kind of question!!), he simply replied "watching you with the giraffes." I am so blessed to have a hubby that really enjoys seeing me happy. It was a good day. All of the other animals were just beautiful and then we went to the Wharf for dinner to end our fun day. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Dutch Festival 09

2009-05-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

Remember how in my last post I mentioned that I have never really been that patriotic in life? Well, now that I think about it... I have been more proud of the fact that I am half Dutch Indonesian! This weekend, we joined my family at the Annual Dutch Festival in Long Beach. Now, many of you may be saying, 'how can you be both Dutch AND Indonesian?' A brief explanation follows :)

Way back in time, Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch (from the 1800s up to the point that my Grandparents were married and starting their family -- late 1940s!). I am not exact on the date/years, however soon after my Grandparents were married, the Dutch gave Indonesia their independence and allowed them to then choose their nationality... they could stay in Indonesia and be citizens there or go to Holland and become a Dutch citizen there. My Grandparents took my mother (and I think my Aunt Maureen had been born then too) to Holland where they then became Dutch Indonesians. ((MOM, please correct any parts that I may have mixed up :)

It was very cool to hear this story from my mom, that this is also why they speak Dutch versus Indonesian. I think it is very important that we know these things about where we came from. After my Grandfather passed away last December I have been more inclined to read about what his experience would have been like growing up in Indonesia. It is very interesting to read what the Dutch did to keep rule over Indonsia (what they are calling colonialism)... I also know that my grandparents were both in a labor camp while the Japanese were there in the 40s... a horrible experience, I am sure. I always wanted to hear more about it from them when I was younger but didnt really know how to ask... my Grandma was reluctant to share.

Anyhow, thank you for taking the time to learn alittle about this part of my life that I am so proud of. I look forward to learning more about it all so that I can share with my future children, as well. Here is a slideshow of our fun time at the Dutch Festival (by the way, the FOOD is the main attraction at these things... sometimes you dont get a lot of these dishes but once a year at these gatherings!! -- it was all very delicious and as you can see, even my part Polish husband agrees that it is better than Borscht!!!)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2009-05-23T23:23:00.000-07:00

Now, I have never really been that patriotic... up until the time that I am now an adult living my own life and realizing what is going on in the world. I came across this organization called Cards For Heros that sends not only cards of encouragement and appreciation but also blank cards that the troops can write on and then send home to their loved ones. I have been wanting to get involved in something similar lately, so I am excited to have found such a great cause and organization!

This weekend Cards for Heroes is holding a Blog Hop, in which you "hop" over to several different blogs of those who are participating by creating special cards in honor of the troops! You hop from each blog to check out each of the cards and projects created by these talented ladies (I hope to participate in this next year!). If you would like to check it out, just click RIGHT HERE and it will take you to where you can get started :)

I decided to create a VERY simple card in honor of this Memorial Day weekend and will create several more to send in to Cards for Heroes. If any of you are interested in donating cards please go HERE OR even money to ship a box over ($11.95/box) please go HERE.

I truly do appreciate all who dedicate their lives to providing a safe and free country for us to live in. Please know that you are not forgotten and you will always be appreciated! May God bless you all and your families.

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #7

2009-05-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to participate in Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge for quite some time now but I always get there too late! haha, its ok because this time I checked every day since Wednesday (when the last one was closed) and have been determined to complete the challenge. I am especially excited about this color combo!

I also combined this color challenge with Amy R's Sketch Challenge for this Friday. I dont know if I used all the right embellishments, because it didnt quite turn out the way that I wanted it to... I think next time I would put the Sweet Leaf Cardstock behind the Patterned paper... all of the cardstock is in the center and there is no detail in the center and leaves this random blank space!! Bad planning on my part :/ The goal was to get a cute little girl's Birthday card out of it and I doubt any little girl that receives it will be disappointed haha... Im just a perfectionist! And there is nothing I can do about it now.

RECIPE:

Colors: Orchid Bouquet, New England Ivy and Sweet Leaf.

Embellishments: New England Ivy Buttons, Clear Sparkles (on party hat) and Colonial White Ribbon Rounds

Stamps:
Life's a Jungle (D1285)
Star Struck (D1237) **for the birthday hat**

Time to Scrap!

2009-05-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had a crop from 10 am to 10 pm and let me tell you... I got A LOT done! Considering that it usually takes me about two hours per layout and we had lunch and dinner in between (both of which, I prepared!)... I think that this is a great turn out. I knocked out a total of 6 two page layouts! And I think that calls for a big WOO HOO!

Here is a little slideshow of all of my layouts... a couple are incomplete without the title, but for some reason I had trouble with it that day... we will see what I come up with :) Enjoy!

** I apologize that the photos are not so great... I did take them in daylight but still a little blur on the images... one day i will have a better camera for these things :)

Scrap or Dare #3!

2009-05-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

This weeks Scrap or Dare inspirational photo comes from a wonderful little shop on Etsy called Boojiboo. They have the cutest aprons you could ever find! I recently just purchased one and decided that I would choose one for this week's inspiration :)

COLORS:

Ocean, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate and Colonial White

**My colors refer to the Close To My Heart colors. Feel free to use whichever colors you have on hand!**

To participate simply create a project using these colors and post it on your blog or a public forum. Then return to my blog to link your project through Mr. Linky! It is super easy!! I hope you all have fun creating and this week THERE WILL BE A PRIZE for a winner that is selected at random :) Please post by next Monday to be included in the drawing!

One of my new favorite stamp sets is Treetops, it makes for a sweet card! I can never resist using the tiny sentiment "Life is Good" along with the cards I make with this set, it is just so sweet looking!

Stamp Sets Used:
Treetops (C1368)
Spot on Backgrounds (D1280)

Embellishments: Buttons and Brads

Color Chef Challenge #6

2009-05-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that my favorite color is GREEN! This weeks Color Chef Challenge was Green, Dark Green and White... couldnt resist! Oh! and I just bought Martha Stewart's mini butterfly punch and have recently become addicted to hand stitching small details onto my projects...So here is my cute card.

**I am still deciding what to use for the butterfly bodies... thinkin Rhinstones? Let me know what you think!**

COLORS: Sweet Leaf, Clover Meadow and White Daisy

I used my paper piercer to make the swirl design and then hand stitched with white embroidery floss. I love the dimension you get with this quick and easy embellishment!

Lemonade Stand Award :)

2009-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Christina (...the Sassy Scrapper!) sent me this award today and I am so honored! Thanks, Christina! It is so awesome that we as artists are able to share our passion and artwork with one another and inspire each other. If you haven't seen Christina's blog before, check it out by clicking :::RIGHT HERE:::

The Lemonade Stand Award!

The rules of this award:

*comment on this blog
*cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog
*nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude
*link to your nominees within your blog post
*comment on their blogs to let them know they received the award
*link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation

And the award goes to...

Kelly Jo

Beth

Katie R

Tiffany

Sandra

All of these ladies are extremely talented and creative... they make my day brighter with their wonderful and sweet posts and ideas. Thank you girls!I also want to say "Thanks!" to all of you who have been following my blog and leaving me all of your wonderful comments :) Keep on creating!

Silhouette Wedding Guestbook

2009-05-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend, a bunch of people from our church have gathered together to throw a wedding for a young couple, Shane and Vicky. It has been awesome to see God bring together so many different talents and abilities to get everything together for tomorrow! I created them this cute little guestbook for the wedding. The CTMH Silhouette paper pack worked perfectly since they are sticking with neutral colors for the wedding. I just love how it turned out! I found the perfect font on Dafont.com and used that for the word "Guests" on each of the pages to sign. It is a smaller wedding (in my opinion) of less than 100 Guests, so this left me room for several pages in between with photos of the cute couple. All of the pages for signing are very simple. I covered the pages the 3 Ring Binder (from CTMH) with pattered papers and printed up the lines on Colonial White cardstock and cut it down to 4.5 x 6" to go in the center. I just stamped different flourishes on one side of the page in Bamboo for added design.

Rather than posting all of the photos to take up the whole blog, I have created a Slideshow for you to see all of the photos. Enjoy!

RECIPE:

MY CREATIONS THREE RING BINDER (Z1141)

Paper: CTMH - Silhouette

Colors: Black, White Daisy, Colonial White and Bamboo

Embellishments: CTMH Rub-Ons, brads, eyelets and misc. ribbons

Stamps: Playful Flourishes (on "Guest" pages in Bamboo)

I decided to keep it simple since people will be signing it! Thanks for looking!

Scrap or Dare #2

2009-05-11T21:44:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to thank Iona, for being the one and only participant in my first challenge last week! haha Here is to hoping that more of you might be more interested in this week's Scrap or Dare. I am going to change a few things up this week though, so pay attention!

Scrap or Dare will now include color suggestions to go along with the inspiration photo. Please note that I will be using Close To My Heart ink color names as a reference, however you can use any colors that may be similar on your project. Originally, I didnt want to post colors in order to keep from hindering any inspirations that you might have without them. However, I desire to promote CTMH colors since they are the loves of my life! (shh... dont tell the DH)

So please do play along and simply post a link to your project (not your whole blog, please) at the bottom of this post on Mr. Linky. If you have any Questions please dont hesitate to ask!

Happy Scrap or Daring!

This week's inspiration photo comes from the World Market (again... love that place!). The photo is of three beautifully bright embroidered pillows. I fell in love with the summery feeling they give off.

The card I created follows in that summer theme and I cant wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

Stamp Sets Used:

Treetops (C1368)
You're A Hoot (C1362)

Happy Together Layout

2009-05-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

**DID YOU MISS THE CTMH BLOG HOP?? Go here to get started! Links at bottom of her post -- Erin Herring's Blog

This coming Saturday, May 16th is my National Scrapbooking Day Celebration (wasnt able to do this on the actual day!). We will be cropping from 10am till 10pm and I am excited to give them all of their goodies, including the all new Summer Idea Book, A goodie bag filled with fun stuff from the new IB and this beautiful two page layout! I hope they love everything they get and that we all have a blast! We always do!

RECIPE:

Layout from Reflections p. 43

Paper: Bella

Colors: Smokey Plum, Olive, Desert Sand, Hollyhock and Creme Brulee

Stamps: Blooming Flourishes (D1263)

Embellishments: Misc. Green Grosgrain Ribbon and Dimensional Elements Monograms "HAPPY"

My favorite part about this Layout is the Title at the bottom. I used Desert Sand to sponge the color onto the DE Monogram letters. Honestly, I have always shied away from using the Dimensional Elements and other chipboard accessories, just because of the time you have to put into covering them with papers... but now that CTMH offers these in plain white (versus the usual chipboard color -- like cardboard!) I can easily get it to match my layouts without too much time.

Ways to use the Dimensional Elements (page 96 of the Idea Book):

1. Sponge a matching color all over it ** as shown.
2. Sponge around the edges, leaving the white in the center for a faded look.
3. Stamp over the top (this is especially easy with our Background Stamps!)
4. Paint over the top
5. Cover with Patterned Paper
6. Stamp on the edges with random stamps (i.e. a small flower or swirl off the edge of the DE)
7. Cover with Prisma Glitter
8. Roll the Rubber Brayer over the top with matching color.

Why I love Southern California!

2009-05-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

We had a weekend full of sunshine for all of our Mother's Day plans, it was such a blessing!

Saturday we started the day off by cheering on our nephew, Tyson, at his baseball game and then our whole family took off to the Ventura Pier for a lunch by the beach. Though it was a bit overcast when we got there, by the time we starting walking up the pier and around the beach, the skies cleared and the sun was shining! It felt amazingly good to have the sun's warmth on my skin. We ended the day at Golden Spoon for some yummy frozen yogurt :)

Sunday we drove out to the San Diego area to Garrett's Nana's home. It was nice to get to see both of his Grandma's and mom to celebrate. Lisa prepared a delicious brunch as usual and we all just got to spend some time together. The sun was shining and Garrett, his sister Holly and I got to take a small walk around the neighborhood. It is a beautiful area and we even were able to observe a snake crossing the road! It was creepy but they are pretty majestic creatures, if I dont say so myself! The flowers were gleaming in the sunshine, it was perfect!

We have so many photos from this weekend that I decided to place em into a Slideshow... so stick around and enjoy the show :)

Easy, Cute Stationary Gift Sets!

2009-05-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

**DID YOU MISS THE CTMH BLOG HOP?? Go here to get started! Links at bottom of her post -- Erin Herring's Blog

First of all, let me start by saying, NO! I dont have a lot of time on my hands (all the time, haha)... for now, I do, only because I was recently laid off. Sometimes I look at some of these ladies wonderful projects and wonder how they do it with so little time in the day and a lot to do (and I dont even have children yet!). But let me tell you, I am loving this time to create. It is a blessing from the Lord! I am taking advantage of it this week, because I know that in time, I will need to find another job and not to mention the fact that there are other rather important things that I could fill my time with beside papercrafting... though I love it so!

All that said :) I found this amazing template for this adorable (and easy!) stationary holder and immediately had to have it! I purchased it for $5.00 HERE at Papertrey Ink. They have plenty of other cute templates that I look forward to trying out soon, but for now I am sticking to this one. The first one took me an hour and a half just because I needed to figure it out and make it perfect... then for the next three, it just flew! I could do one in under an hour! So here you go.... a cute, easy, quick and cheap gift that people will love!

Set #1

Paper: CTMH May Constant Campaign -- Tickled Pink!

Colors: Blush, Crystal Blue, White Daisy & Sweet Leaf

Set #2

Paper: CTMH -- Unforgettable

Colors: Desert Sand, Tulip, Sorbet & Tulip

Set #3

Paper: CTMH -- Emporium

Colors: Cocoa, Crystal Blue, Sweet Leaf, Buttercup & Vineyard Berry

Set #4 and #5

Paper: CTMH -- Boom Di Ada

Colors: Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, Barn Red & Autumn Terracotta

Set # 6

Paper: CTMH -- Silhouette

Colors: Black, Colonial White, Bamboo and White Daisy

STAMPS USED:
Believe Lowercase (C1190)
Dream Wishes (D1331)
Star Struck (D1237)

Embellishments Used: American Crafts grosgrain ribbon and CTMH Pewter Brads and Edge Anchors.

And here is how it looks on the inside all put together! LOVE IT!

I created these for some of the very special women in my life, using their first intial for the stationary. The cards are VERY simple -- I just stamped their initial with the circle stamp in the different colors of the paper pack... same with the back of the envelope! There are 10 cards and envelopes, you could probably fit no more than 12 on each side. I cant even tell you how much fun I had creating these, and I know they are all going to very loving homes... just a couple more to make tomorrow!

Happy Creating!

Scrap or Dare #1!

2009-05-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

**DID YOU MISS THE CTMH BLOG HOP?? Go here to get started! Links at bottom of her post -- Erin Herring's Blog

I have been having such a blast doing Kelli Jo's color challenges that I have decided to try one out for myself. If you are interested in joining me, I would love to have you! Details are below :)

SCRAP OR DARE

-- A new Scrap or Dare inspirational photo will be uploaded to my blog every Tuesday.
-- Dare to be inspired by the photo/object and create something a little out of the box from the norm. It doesnt have to be crazy (unless you want to!!) but just dare yourself to open up to new things, new techniques, embellishments, stamps or products.
-- I will not post any specific colors as this dare is to be inspired and to do whatever the photo evokes you to.
-- Use Mr. Linky down at the end of this post to enter your project. Mr. Linky is super easy to use - all you need is your name and the link to your project!
-- Please do me the favor of simply linking directly to the project, not your entire blog.
-- Feel free to enter your project at any time, even if we have moved on to the next week's Dare!

THIS WEEK'S DARE!

This week's Scrap or Dare comes from World Market online. It is a gorgeous ceramic vase that features a bright color palette on a black base. I went with this vase in honor of Cinco De Mayo! Enjoy and here is my creation!

As soon as I saw this vase, it reminded me of this beautiful and fun paper I had gotten in my kit from Scarlet Lime; it is from the Socialite Gala line from Paper Trunk. The bright colors and black were perfect for some fun photos of my last birthday party! I sponged Citrus Leaf (CTMH ink) onto a large B from my chipboard letters and then stamped "birthday girl!" in black to make it pop. I also had some white fabric brads that were perfectly random for this layout. Very fun times! Sorry the photos arent so great, it was midnight but I really wanted to get them on here :)

A Gift for a Special Grandma

2009-05-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

**DID YOU MISS THE CTMH BLOG HOP?? Go here to get started! Links at bottom of her post -- Erin Herring's Blog

This Friday was my Grandma's birthday and I wanted to give her something special. I know I need to spend more time with her... sometimes I feel she gets the short end of the stick because my other Grandma has Alzheimer's and we are with her more to take care of her. This year, she made it really easy to find something special to create for her, she pretty much just told me (without knowing it)! Last time we were all together as a family, we took a photo of her with all of her children, another with all of her grandchildren and then with her great-grandchildren. She wanted to have them up in her house but didnt know how to do it with the little space that she has. So I created this for her!

She already had the 8x10s printed up so I had to work with that size... I used the CTMH Key To My Heart paper pack to create three 12x10 photo mattes. Then my hubby helped me use three page protectors (cut to size) to hold them in, we punched two holes on the top and bottom of all page protectors & added the layouts. We then took some grosgrain ribbon to weave in and out and hold them together.

I didnt have time to take a nice photo of the finished project before we gave it to her (because we ran out of time before the party and had to finish it at the party!!), but here are the photo mattes pre-photo and completion. The recipe is below for those of you interested in products used. My Grandma is a very godly woman who never fails to shine for the Lord, so I couldnt help but put the verse Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." We truly are blessed to have her a part of our lives and I really want to try to make her know that more often.

RECIPE:

Paper: Key To My Heart (CTMH Constant Campaign in Jan.)

Colors: Tulip, Sorbet, Juniper and Desert Sand

Embellishments: CTMH Chipboard letters - sponged with Tulip, Bronze brads, Big Pinks Flower, Misc. flowers and buttons.

BLOG HOP Summer 09!

2009-04-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our Close to my Heart Summer 2009 Idea Book Blog Hop and Im so excited to be a part of it! Over 40 Close to my Heart Consultants are celebrating the upcoming release of the Summer 2009 Idea Book by sharing their amazing creations using new products via their blogs.

This is simple do to- just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

This 5x7 card was so simple and easy to make with the new Bella paper! I love the feminine colors that really shine for both young and old! STAYED TUNED! I PLAN ON ADDING SOME MORE GREAT ARTWORK THIS WEEKEND FOR YOU TO ENJOY! SO COME ON BACK!

--RECIPE--

Paper: Bella
My Acrylix Stamp Set: The Good Life (Not from the Summer IB)
Ink Colors: Smokey Plum, Creme Brulee, Hollyhock and Olive
Embellishments: Chocolate Embroidery Floss, Just Blooms Paper Flowers, a Copper Brad and Lattee Button (not CTMH) and 3D Foam Squares!

I hand stitched around the border of the circle by piercing the holes where I wanted to them to go and then threading the Embroidery Floss (on the needle provided with our Piercing Tool!) and easy going in and out! This was my first time hand-stitching and I love it! It adds so much depth and dimension! For the title, I simply stamped "You're My Inspiration" in Creme Brulee and then the top and bottom edges gently in Hollyhock for a faded look. You can definitely use this technique on any project with any colors and it will always turn out lovely.

Now "Hop" on over to Tresa Black's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and see the great new Paper Packs and My Acrylix Stamp Sets! Remember, the Summer 2009 Idea Book goes LIVE on May 1st!

IF ANY LINKS ARE LOST OR NOT WORKING, FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT THE FIRST BLOG ON THE BLOG HOP: ERIN HERRING'S BLOG! YOU WILL FIND A LIST OF ALL THE LINKS THERE :)

Color Chef Challenge #4

2009-04-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

This Monday's Color Chef Challenge turned out beautifully. I am not going to lie, I am not a pink kind of girl, but am lovin this color combo and how the card turned out (yet again). Thanks, Kelly Jo, for helping me challenge my creative side again!

The Combo: Watermelon, Bubblegum, Baby Pink, Black and White.

I Used: Hollyhock, Blush, Baby Pink, Black and White (since I dont have the other inks)

Stamps Used:
Intrinsic Backgrounds D1335
Butterfly Wings D1341
Soul Mates D1254

I used Intrinsic Backgrounds to stamp the base in Blush, then sponged with Blush and then the edges with Hollyhock. I stamped the main frame with the Intrinsic Backgrounds bamboo stamp first in Baby Pink and then Hollyhock (randomly). I absolutely love the "All My Love" stamp from Soul Mates because I can curve it in any shape or swirly that I want... I use that technique with that stamp quite often actually!

This card was inspired by a card on Lisa Stenz's blog which you can see here if you like. She has a lot of creativity in those fingers of hers and I visit her blog regularly for inspiration. Thanks, Lisa, for always sharing!

HAPPY MONDAY!

Understanding what Cornerstone is doing....

2009-04-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in understanding a little more of what our Church, Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, is doing, here is a video that our pastors put together to help share what is prompting us and where we are attempting to go with this thing called "Church" out in the community. Enjoy!

Community from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.

Sunshine, Sugar and So Cal!

2009-04-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Our weather has been absolutely gorgeous! We have had a couple days in the hundreds and then down to the 80s and even the 60s but the sun is just shining and that is what I love about living in Southern California! This weekend it was too beautiful, we just could not resist a spontaneous roadtrip to Malibu for lunch and a scenic drive. We went to Neptune's Net, of course, for some awesome shrimp n chips. There were a bunch of guys out wind surfing and it was great to just watch from the cliff above. These guys are talented and I cant deny that it actually looks fun (but I doubt I am capable of the strength to do a sport like that!). It was so precious to see all of the cute couples stopping off the PCH to check it out and I couldnt resist capturing the moment of an older couple holding each other close. I love old couples!!

On another happy note, I have been baking A LOT this week! We decided to go out and meet some of our neighbors who we found out also attend our church. It was good and we are hoping they will all be able to come to our place for a BBQ this next weekend to get to know each other a bit more. God blessed our time out visiting and meeting our bros n sis' in Christ.
Gare asked me to bake up some goodies to give to each of the families, so I of course did not put up a fight. I made some Macaroons and Lemon Butter Pound Cake. Thursday I needed to bring a dessert to our Community Gathering, so I made my first Lemon Raspberry Upside Down Cake which was absolutely delic and moist! Oh and I also made some Red Velvet cupcakes for my dear friend Jackie's one year anniversary with her hubby (which is today!). Man the kitchen was ridiculously messy! And I thank God for a husband that is so willing to help me clean it all up... I think all of those delicious goodies are payment enough! :) Recipe for the Macaroons and Upside Down Cake are below. Let me know if you attempt and what you think!

Black-and-White Coconut Macaroons
( From Betty Crocker!)

3 cups lightly packed shredded coconut
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
Glaze
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1 tablespoon shortening
1/3 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped (I didnt use these)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Using food processor, process coconut until finely ground.
2. In large bowl, stir together coconut and cookie mix. Add sweetened condensed milk and almond extract; mix well. Mixture will be crumbly. Stir in cream of tartar.
3. In small bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into cookie mixture. Using 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop, firmly pack with coconut mixture and place mound on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining coconut, placing mounds 2 inches apart. Press each mound to flatten slightly.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges just begin to lightly brown (do not overbake). Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
5. In 1-quart nonstick saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Dip each cooled cookie halfway into melted chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on sheet of parchment paper; sprinkle chocolate portion with nuts. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 1 hour. Store between sheets of parchment paper in tightly covered container.

Lemon-Raspberry Upside Down Cake

**Derived from several web recipes**

1 Box Lemon Cake Mix
20 oz Frozen Raspberries or 3+ cups Fresh Raspberries
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 (4oz.) Package Sugar Free Raspberry Jello Mix **OPTIONAL**
3/4 Tbsp. Sliced Almonds ** OPTIONAL**

**Take frozen raspberries out of freezer atleast 30 min. before prep. Then place in pan and let thaw more while you prep cake, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan
2. Place thawed raspberries at bottom of pan until covered
3. Sprinkle sugar over top of the berries
4. Sprinkle jello mix over top of the berries
5. Sprinkle sliced almonds over top of berries
6. Prepare cake mix following box instructions and pour over top of berries
7. Place in oven for 35-45 minutes
8. take out and let cool, 2 min.
9. Invert cake onto cake pan or another 9x13 pan

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream :)

Color Chef Challenge #3

2009-04-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

Yay! I finished the Color Chef Challenge #3 tonight! Here I was trying to simply do one a month, but I realized that it is totally worth setting aside some time to create once a week! Not that I dont scrap every week... but I usually am busy working on other projects (i.e. a guestbook for someone's wedding next month!!). This Monday's Color Challenge was Watermelon, Sunflower, White Daisy and Black. However, I dont own Watermelon or Sunflower ink pads! So I went for Hollyhock and Honey. I think it turned out beautifully!

It has be a lot of fun doing these challenges because It forces me to create my own papers using my stamps versus relying on store bought patterned papers. For this card, I used Boutique Borders for the Honey patterened paper and then I sponged it with Honey all over. I love how it turned out! THen I used Hollyhock to stamp the flowers from the Tickled Pink stamp set (the Nat'l Scrapbooking Month CTMH Promo!) in 1st and 2nd generation.

It took some time to cut around the flowers perfectly and sometimes I look at other beautiful projects and wonder why they were crazy enough to do all of that cutting! But in this case, I figured I could handle five flowers :) Plus, this stamp set is beautiful! This photo to the left was an inspirational photo found on projectwedding.com. So this card is basically my interpretation.

Hope you like it and check out Kelly Jo's blog for more awesome cards created with this Color Challenge! http://kjsstamppad.blogspot.com/

The Official Blog Candy!

2009-04-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

So I have officially chosen exactly what I will be giving away as my 2 Year Anniversary Blog Candy :) Here is a photo and what will be included! Sorry, the photo isnt too glamorous, its late and I didnt really want to wait till morning to post!

-- One handmade 3x3 Mini Pocket Album created by ME! (using Perfect Day PP)
-- One Sheet K & Company Flower Chipboard
-- One Set Layered Stickers by Colorbok
-- Five Metal Rim Tags by Making Memories
-- Five Olive Green Flowers by Making Memories
-- Five Matching Buttons by Making Memories
-- One Roll-up of Green Fibers

I also decided to have THREE WINNERS, instead of just one! It has been so great to see how many of you are also celebrating an anniversary and I didnt feel right just giving one prize. So I created two cute pairs of cards to mail to the last two winners :) One using the Key To My Heart PP and another using That's Amore (one cased from Lisa Stenz)! I hope that you like them... nothing super amazing, but they are cute, if I dont say so myself!

Thank you all for taking the time to check out my blog and leave all of your lovely compliments on my slideshow and artwork. I will randomly select the three winners on the last day of the month using Random.org. So please remember to leave your email address with your comment so that I can have a way to contact you if you win! Have a lovely day and hope you are all able to find some time to create this week :)

Happy Scrapping!

HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH CLOSE TO MY HEART!

2009-04-16T21:05:00.001-07:00

...AND THE WINNERS ARE!!!

1st:Erica -- immystic99@yahoo.com --Blog Candy Goodies!
2nd: Jennifer Burt --jennilou01@aol.com -- Key To My Heart Card Pair
3rd: Kathleen -- kstopps@mchsi.com -- That's Amore Card Pair

I am so excited to say that this month marks my TWO YEARS with CTMH!!! First, I want to say how much I have truly enjoyed being a part of what Close To My Heart offers to scrapbookers and card-makers alike.

A few of my favorite things about CTMH:

1. The amazing (& quality) products they bring us in literally ALL of their Idea Books (three times a year!)
2. The awesome deals that they give not only their consultants but their customers, as well!
3. New friendships that I have made with other consultants AND my customers!
4. The inspiration to keep on creating and challenging my creative abilities.
5. Resources and knowledge from some of the most creative women in the world to help my creativity grow.

These are just a few of the things that I have gained from having CTMH as a part of my life and I know that as I continue with them, I will continue to grow in my creative abilities.

Here is a Slide Show of some of the art I have created with CTMH over the past 2 years... you will probably see some of my 'beginning' stuff.... but thats exciting! I have totally grown :) Enjoy!

Second, I want to throw out there that I am going to be giving away a little "Blog Candy" in honor of this little milestone! So for those of you who are as in love with CTMH and Scrapping and Stamping as I am, simply leave me a comment (along with your email addy) of why you love it so much and I will do a drawing for a lucky winner on the last day of the month (at midnight of course!).

So now you are thinking, oooohhhh what will it be! Well... I have a LOT of goodies around... some handcrafted, as well as some fun little pieces that will go great on your cards or layouts! So definitely check back for a sneak peak of what the winner will walk away with :)

A Busy Weekend: Garrett's Birthday, Party and Easter! WOW

2009-04-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was a crazy, busy weekend-- but stinkin fun! Thanks to everyone who was a part of it all. Garrett really enjoyed seeing everyone at his birthday party. His birthday was Friday, the 10th and I took him to Van Nuys for dinner at the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant and the food was amazing! This made me happy because I know that Garrett loves his food... so that was my main goal for this evening. This place was beautiful and we got to see the sunset as we ate our dinner. Then we went out by the fire before we left. Perfect ending to a wonderful evening!Dont forget to check out all of our photos here: http://amylizschultz.shutterfly.com

To close out the weekend we had an absolutely beautiful Easter Sunday! The sun was out and we were able to hang out with the Hooper cousins, playin games outside and hangin with Grandma. We also got an awesome photo with all of the older cousins that were there... somehow we all wore a color of the rainbow and it made for a perfect Easter photo :) Then we headed off to my parents house for dinner and some awesome Wii Game time with the Plaster gang.

This past month or so at Church really made this Easter mean so much more for Garrett and I. We are truly appreciative of what Christ did for us by dying on the cross for our sins. And not to mention His amazing victory by rising again!!! I just pray that everyone who goes to church only for holidays such as these were able to see His glory and choose to continue coming to church and glorifying Him with their lives. What an honor to be chosen by our awesome Creator!

Hope you all had a very blessed Easter with your families and that God was glorified through it all...

Color Chef Challenge #2

2009-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

So... it has been a while since I have been able to sit down and actually create! I have been craving it and finally had some time tonight :) Kelly Ratcliff is hosting a weekly Color Challenge on her blog, so I am going to TRY to keep up with them (actually, to be honest, my goal is to do one a month! haha -- gotta be realistic here!). Here is a link to her blog if you want to join in! http://kjsstamppad.blogspot.com So here is my card using her colors --Orange and Red,and the inspiration of the pillow as shown. I used Tulip and Goldrush (from the CTMH line of inks). Hope you all like it... this will be a wedding card for a friend of mine.

I used 2 CTMH stamp sets: Decorative Dainties (C1309) to Random Stamp on the White Daisy cardstock for the background. And Butterfly Wings (D1341) for the Sentiment. It was tough to get the Random Stamping just right, so I ended up using the Masking technique (though you probably cant tell since it is mostly covered by the Sentiment -- oh well!). I also used the foam squares on the sentiment for added dimension. To see the photos a little more up close just click on the photo :)

Yay, for letting the creative juices flow!

The House Search

2009-03-28T00:13:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, Garrett and I have been looking at homes and condos for a year now. It seriously has been a rollercoaster ride of emotion, but most of all a growing experience. We have learned a great deal about real estate and being wise with our finances... we have also learned a lot about trusting God and knowing that He has the perfect place ready for us, when He is ready to give it.

Lately at our church we have been discussing our purpose of life on earth and the short time that we ultimately have here.... that this is not our home. The other night I learned that while I was starting to feel convicted for having so much "want" in my life and devoting so much time to my future here on earth, Garrett was also starting to feel the same. We talked about it and know that God has us where He wants us for right now. There are other reasons in favor of not investing so much into our future by buying a house: like not being able to stay home with my future children and not being able to help others when they have a time of need. And while having all of the extra space and being able to personalize everything is a huge and exciting thing to think about, I am thankful that we have gotten our wake up call and finally feel... content.

My prayer is that we continue to be content in what the Lord has blessed us with. We live in a cute apartment with cheap rent that is right next door to my brother and his family, as well as one of my greatest friends and her family. We also have met a ton of great people from Church that live nearby and have been really enjoying our time with them. I know that when I am constantly seeking out what I want, that that means I need to take a look at my relationship with God... because the Bible says that "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." He gives me everything I need for now and I do not need to be concerned with the future because He will also provide for that as it comes along. It has taken a long time to fully understand this and I desire to live it out.

Thanks to you all for your prayers as we have been seeking a new home... please continue to pray for our contentment and trust in the Lord's ways. Even if God has a home for us soon... we will continue to seek contentment and joy in the life He has us living now.

I thank God....

2009-03-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

This past month has been absolutely amazing for Garrett and I! I have so many things to be thankful for right now that I cant seem to stop praising God for them. So when I realized that I should sit down and do a blog for this week, I thought, what better to blog about than God's amazing blessings in my life :)

1) God's Grace- The weekend before Christmas '08, my Grandpa passed away. This was actually a huge wake up call for me... God used my Grandpa's passing to remind me of His saving grace. My grandpa was never a believer up until the summer before he passed away. I never knew that the man that always silently looked away as I mentioned that I would be praying for him, would eventually be telling me that HE was praying for ME! After many years of saying prayers for him, that he would come to a saving faith in Christ, God was faithful and worked in many ways to draw my Grandpa to him in the end. I am thankful that his passing was not just sad but joyful too! I am thankful for God's everlasting grace and mercy that He has on our souls... that He loves us even when we choose to live for ourselves instead of for Him. The song 'Amazing Grace' now has a new meaning for me and I love it!

2) Open Doors- For awhile now, Garrett and I have been struggling in our walks with God - not going to Church, not reading our Bibles, praying or really doing anything for God. However, through that we grew a hunger and desire for Him more and more. We were weak without Him and quite unhappy. After begging God for direction and help to renew our minds and hearts for Him, God started opening doors last summer that have grown into life changing experiences. Our Church started doing 'community groups' in order to better spread the gospel to our neighbors, as well as to get to know and fellowship with our neighbors that go to Church with us. (This can be a difficult task when you have around 5,000 people in attendance at your Church!) The pastor of our area invited us to join them for a gathering and we have been attending every Thursday since last Fall! Through this we have built some amazing relationships with other strong believers and have gotten more involved in serving those that go to our Church. We are now working to reach others from the Church in our area, as well as our unbelieving neighbors. Garrett and I both have been very challenged through all of this and it has really changed our marriage and lives!

3) My Parents- I know that it may be hard to believe that sweet little Amy was not the perfect daughter in the world, but it is true! I was a pretty strong-willed (and selfish/spoiled) little teenager. Amazingly enough, I can honestly tell you that my parents have always stuck by me and supported me 100% even despite all that I put them through. More than ever I can see God working in both my mom and dad's lives and I am excited to be able to say that I have a godly example directly from my parents, which is not something that everyone has. I am so proud of my dad for making it to his 2 year anniversary of being sober this year and I know that plays a huge role in what God is doing through him and my mom. He finally gave it all over to God to help him conquer his addiction and allow God to use him. It is great to see them both be active in their Church and in the lives of their family and friends. I am thankful that they are not only that example but also have an unconditional love for both Garrett and I-- it feels good.

4) My husband's desire - I have seen Garrett's desire grow, as well as my own, to read the Bible and to grow in our love for God. He has gone out of his way to help keep the house tidy, to help with my household stuff, to share what he is learning from his studies and to spend time listening to me. I believe this is a direct result of consistent prayer and lifting him up to God daily. I strongly encourage any wife to do this for their husband and trust that God is faithful to make him the best provider, lover, leader and godly example that he can be for you. (Love the book The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, that I have read through countless times since we have been married for the last 2 1/2 years!) I praise God for his power and faithfulness :)

5. My Nephews- This weekend, Owen (3) and Seth (18 mos) spent the night in our tiny apartment! It was so much fun but tough at the same time. I have to say that I do not know how Tim and Kate do it! Especially Kate, since she is home with them all day! They are wonderful children and great listeners.... just a lot of work :) There are so many wonderful things about all three of them that I cant even begin to explain how much I love them. I just love them and thank God so much for the joy they bring into our lives!

Thanks for listening to my praises! I hope that these can also be an encouragement to you. Remember that God is in control, that He has your best interests in mind and that He loves you unconditionally with all grace and mercy. Have a great week!

Mammoth... here we come!

2009-03-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

So for my mother in law's birthday we all went up to Mammoth for a three day snowy weekend! It was a great time... Garrett got some snowboarding in with his dad and I got some shopping and cooking in with the girls! It started snowing on Sunday and it was a total blast to play around in it with Holly and Jenna :)It is always a bummer that these weekends can not last much longer but it is always a great time no matter what.

The people that shared their cabin with us had a huge collection of books and it was just perfect for a quiet and snowy weekend. I picked out a book called "Auschwitz" (sorry, dont remember the author) which was about a man who was determined to withstand the torture that the Gestapo put him through simply to defeat them for a moment at a time. I only got to read four chapters one evening but it was an amazing read. You might think I am crazy for wanting to read about torture but I am fascinated by people and how they think and react in real-life situations. This man was able to observe the Gestapo and use it to his advantage... and to me, that is amazing. I may try to buy the book to finish it.

We took a lot of great photos but I dont want to overwhelm my blog... so below is the link to the online album that I created for you all so check em out if you so desire! Snow is simply beautiful. While I truly love the beach and am forever dedicated to it (haha) I loved being in the mountains and enjoyed the opposite experience that it gives...

http://amylizschultz.shutterfly.com/

Scrap Product Review: Glue Glider Pro by Glue Arts

2009-02-27T22:49:00.000-08:00

GIRLS! You have to grab one of these, asap! I have been looking for an adhesive that not only works well but also last me a little bit longer. As I have been searching I have found some that are quite expensive and so I waited... SO glad that I did, because now I have the new Glue Glider Pro and I love it! Here is a photo of it with one of my latest projects (a binder to keep all of my bible study papers and prayer requests). I also included the super easy to remove and install refill cartridge for you to see :) More of the review and the best place to purchase is below!

Here is the Product description given by the company:

"Our new Glue Glider Pro allows you to apply a neat ¼” strip of adhesive exactly where you want it. The easy glide-on dispensing action, allows you to apply a small controlled amount or a continuous line of the best performing and most permanent adhesive ever offered. Our easy slip-in, disposable cartridges eliminate the worry of having to reload in the middle of a project. No mess, no fuss."

I can not argue anything in that description... all is true.

Other things to note:
--There are three different types of adhesives you can use with the Glue Glider Pro... I have tried them all and personally love the PermaTac & Repositional the best right now. It seems to hold the best (but beware! its not easy to fix mistakes -- so place lightly at first!)
-- It is larger than what we are used to but it feels very comfortable and has a great grip.
-- the colors are cute... perfect for cute scrappers!
-- Each adhesive comes with a different length (Perma Tac is 40 ft. , Repositional is 65 ft and High Tac is 40ft)
-- To remove or install a refill cartridge simply pull it out straight out or slide it straight in and start scrappin! SO EASY!

I got a great deal... so I thought I should share where you can get this great deal too! Here is the link that will take you directly to the order site. If you scroll all the way down you will see the "Introductory Bundle Package" which gives you the Glue Glider Pro that comes with a Perma Tac insert and one each of the different refills so that you can decide which works best for you! 20% OFF, Yay!

http://www.thegluestore.com/gluegliderpro.asp

It only took one week to get to me, so that was a huge plus as well :) If you get one, please let me know what you think :) I guarantee you will love yours!

An Update: On Life

2009-02-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

Gare and I are still looking at houses, but it is exhausting so we tend to take a week or two as breaks in between. It helps us to continue trusting in God's timing and just refresh our minds of what is going on with the market and the economy. Man, you should see some of the crazy homes we have seen -- really shows how odd people are! Thankfully, the prices are still going down... but a new problem arises...

I was informed that some serious changes are to take place at my job (MD Ford Warranty). We are downsizing our office as well as the staff and I can tell that if car sales keep going the way they are, we may have to make more changes to survive -- I know that means that I would lose my job. They asked me to cut back my hours, but we will see how bad it gets. Please pray that God will guide me to where He needs me. I know that He will provide for us. I just cant imagine having to spend any of our savings and risk our chances at buying a house due to this situation.

Gare and I have been diving into community with a group from our church. As a church we are seeking to reach out to our neighbors with the gospel, but the process has only just begun. It is similar to a missionary process. You can not just go in and share the gospel with people... you have to build a relationship with them, love them and live with them. At this point we are being 'trained up' to understand what God's Word has to say about the importance of this. We are enjoying the new friendships and being involved with the church again.

Happy Monday tomorrow!!!

Valentine's Day at the Schultz Home <3

2009-02-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

Since Valentine's Day was on a weekend this year, we initially had wanted to go on a small trip to celebrate it (yes! An excuse to get away!). However, we decided to postpone it since rain was predicted for the weekend... So we chose to stay in and have a relax day and just treat each other like true Valentines.

We slept in, Gare made me dinner (Steak, cheesie mashed potatoes and green beans), I made him some yummy heart-shaped cookies and we saw a movie. It was truly a relaxing day which we hadnt felt we had had in quite awhile, so very well worth it.

Also, the week of Valentine's I really just felt like creating! I was in love with all of the cards and other special gifts I had seen made in magazines and online forums, so I broke out my new stamps and papers (that just so happened to be Valentine colors!) and started creating. I made some mini 4x4 Valentine's for Jackie to give to her small group girls and then a card for each of our Mothers. I was pretty excited about the outcome so here they are!

Point Loma Sangria Recipe!

2009-02-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

I made this for a girls night and it was amazing! Gare and I will definitely be using this recipe again :) Maybe you will be lucky enough to join us when we do! Do try it though and let us know what you think!

1 750 ml. Bottle White Whine of Choice
2 1/2 cups Apple Juice
1 cup Triple Sec
2 Tbs Granulated Sugar
1 Medium Orange, thinly sliced
1/2 Medium Lemon, thinly sliced
1 Medium Lime, thinly sliced
1 cup Raspberries, fresh or frozen

1. Combine wine, apple juice, Triple Sec, sugar, fruit slices and raspberries in a large pitcher and press the fruit against the side and bottom of the pitcher to release the juices.

2. Chill, covered, until serving time. 8 Hours or Overnight -- The flavor of the sangria is enhanced the longer the wine is allowed to chill.

3. Add ice just before serving. For large parties or groups, double the fruit and use in an ice ring to float in a punch bowl.

Baby Noah!

2009-02-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

We got a chance to go visit Jenn and Manny's (our cousin on Garrett's side) new little baby boy, NOAH!

He is such a cute little baby duckling -- yes, I think he has lil duck lips! He is such a good little boy and Jenn is such a brave and strong mommy! I admire how good of a mom she is already and how she is just so comfortable with the baby; I can only hope I am that strong!

It will be so great to watch him grow up into a cute little Manny (that's a scary thought! haha jk, Manny you know I love you!)

A Friendly Reunion!

2009-01-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

My friend Amanda came to visit from good 'ol Oregon and it was really a great night! It felt like we reverted back to the old days when we all were just so close and together all the time. Lots of great memories with each of those girls, who I have been friends with since high school!

That is almost 10 years of friendship! We all were in each other's weddings and a great support to each other; no matter how far we may move or how much our lives changed after marriage, put us together and we have a blast!

The Goal of the Blog

2009-01-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

I finally feel like I can keep up with a blog. Many of you know I have tried before, but hopefully this year will be a different story. My goal is not to blog every day, but hopefully every week (baby steps, right?). I am even going to set an alarm each week so that I am sure to get on here and blog. A few things that I want to blog on, for memories sake as well as to share what Garrett and I are up to, are these:

-- My scrapbooking projects!
-- Our walk with God and service/ ministry here on earth!
-- Awesome Recipes that I have tried!
-- Family Photos!

Who knows what else will end up on here, maybe some emotions, praises, dreams, goals, prayer requests, etc.