Celebrate You!

Happy Thursday!  How many of you have been to Michael's in the past several weeks?  They have been having some awesome sales going on....great deals!  The floral chipboard in the center of this card was purchased out of the $1 bin for 20 cents!!!  There is four floral chipboard flowers in each pack.  I purchased several packages....cannot pass up that kind of a bargain!

All papers used in making this card were from my scraps.  The sentiment, "Celebrate YOU!" is from Cardztv Stamps.  You can purchase Mary's awesome stamp sets HERE.

Have a great day!

See ya later, alligator!

Mom and Matthew

Ali and her Mom, Kim

Ali's Dad, Biaggio and Matt's Grandma Page

Matt's Dad, Steve and his other awesome Mom, Kelli

Matt's other "Dad", Billy

We had a great visit with Matt before he left for his deployment overseas.  I had a wonderful time getting to know Ali's family and visiting with Steve, Kelli and Page.  Billy was a trooper driving through horrid weather to get me to Lawton.  There was a lot of food to eat and lots of laughter.

As Matt was going over my "duty assignments" during his absence, I could not help but marvel at what a responsible, mature young man my son has become.  He held it together and made sure that each one of us got to spend time with him.   We had a great time laughing and telling stories during meal time.

And then, it was time to say goodbye.  I have "sent" Matt off several times.  During summers in high school, I  sent him to Ruidoso to work at the racetrack.  I sent him to Texas A&M to attend college and he graduated in 2009.  It was so different this time, because it was the U.S. Army sending him overseas...not me.

I did not cry and I did not say goodbye.  "See ya later, alligator!"  was what I whispered in his ear as I hugged him.  

I received notification that he arrived in Kuwait yesterday and is waiting for his Visa to cross over to the United Arab Emirates.  

As mothers, fathers, stepmothers and stepfathers, we raise them the best we can and leave the rest to God. 

I have a feeling this is going to be a very long year. 

Happy Monday and Current News!

Hello!  Happy Monday!  It is already getting hot hot hot here in Texas and not a chance of rain in sight.  Trees, grasses and plants are pollinating...achoo!!!  Kleenex weather!

I have a number of things going on right now....my son will be deployed on Friday and we are leaving tomorrow for Oklahoma to see him before he leaves.  From there, we are going to take a mini vacation.

I am going to take a break from blogging for awhile...probably for around 30 days or so.  I value each of my crafty friends...so don't forget me while I am gone!  In the meantime, here is a card I made today...

My goal for reconnecting with you guys is sometime around Memorial Day.  Until then, I will have my laptop with me as we travel and will check in with my crafty buddies now and then.

Ta Ta For Now!!!   HUGS!

The Scrapbooking Queen's Royal Digi Challenge

Hello!  It is time for another digi challenge at The Scrapbooking Queen's Royal Castle!  Come and play with us! Make a card, altered project, or layout with a Flowers or a Mother's Day theme!!!  With Mother's Day approaching next month,  it is the perfect chance to get those Mother's Day cards done and enter a challenge at the same time!  Easy peasy!

Here are some rules  for winning our wonderful

Sponsor Blog Candy...

1} please become a follower of  TSQ Challenge Blog

2} follow our sponsors on FB (HERE)

Our sponsors for this challenge are Pink Cat Studio, Bugaboo Stamps and Meljen's Designs!
Check out Meljen's Designs HERE
Check out Pink Cat Studio HERE
Check out Bugaboo Stamps HERE

You may enter more than one project, but each project

MUST be a new creation (no back posts) and MUST be linked

 directly to your project post, NOT a general link to

 your entire blog.  TOTAL LIMIT OF FIVE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Please include a backlink to your project.

ARE YOU READY????

Here is my adorable card!

 Digital Image from

Meljen's Designs

Image was so easy to color...I just used Bic markers to color the adorable flowers and bees.  Add some cardstock and a sentiment and you are all set!  

My April Calendar

Every month I create a calendar to put on the wall in my craft room.  Here is my calendar for the month of April:

The calendar base is 12 inches by 12 inches and the paper I selected is from a selection of cardstock that my good friend, Janis, of  PAUSEDREAMENJOY sent to me in a RAK last year.  I just love the bright colors of the flowers on the bottom of the brown cardstock.  The grid for the calendar, days of the week, and the numbers are cut from the Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge.  I cut the clouds with the sentiments from the Create A Critter 2 Cricut cartridge at 1.25 inches.  The sentiments are from CARDZTV.  I used the Think Spring and For the Birds stamp sets.  All of the stickers are from various packages in my "Spring Embellishment" box.

It is so much fun to make these calendars!

CardzTV Challenge No. 27

Hello!  It is time for another CardzTv Challenge!  Are you ready to play?

Cardz TV Ch# 27 "Mix It Up!"

Make a card, layout or craft project mixing 3 patterned papers

Starts: Fri, April 5th

Ends: Thurs, Apr  @ Noon EST
Prize: 1 set of Cardz TV Stamps 

Here is my project for this challenge:

inside of card

Recipe:

6 x 6 card base in camo green
All papers used are from The Paper Studio Army Paper Pack
Soldier cut at 4 inches from the Stand and Salute Cricut cartridge
Chipboard and Tag from "Army chipboard pieces" from The Paper Studio
Sentiment from CARDZTV Simply Said Stamp Set
Label for sentiment from the Fabulous Finds Cricut cartridge cut at one inch

Come play with us!
...

A Very Special Announcement

As most of you know, I have one son who is absolutely the light of my life.  He is everything I ever hoped for and has grown into a phenomenal young man.  Matthew is currently serving in the United States Army.  He enlisted after graduation from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.  He is scheduled to be deployed to the United Arab Emirates sometime this year.

Last weekend, he proposed to a very lovely lady, Alison McPhee, and she accepted!  Ali is currently completing her Master's Degree at Texas A&M and will graduate in August.  She is everything I have prayed for as the perfect soul mate for my son.

Matt and Ali have a bright future ahead of them.  I am so excited to be able to witness and share in their journey together.

Paper Playtime Challenge #7

Hello!!!  Happy April Fool's Day!  What "Fool's" pranks are you planning on doing to family, co-workers or friends today?   In celebration of all the pranksters out there......here is our next challenge!!!

Ch#7 Use a PUN
Begins: Mon, Apr 1

Ends: Sun, Apr 14

Prize No. 1: $15 Gift Cert. from The Robin's Nest
Prize No. 2, from My Craft Spot

Winner announced in the WINNERS Page Tab

Here's what I created for this challenge:

RECIPE:

Pack Your Bags Cricut cartridge, ship cut at 3 inches

Clouds...Fiskars small cloud punch

Waves...Fiskars border wave punch

Card...A2 size card measuring 4.25 by 5.25

All papers used are just scraps from my stash

Sentiment:  Oh, ship!   from Joy's Life Summer Puns stamp set (SHOP HERE)

This card was extremely easy to make....and I got a great chuckle out of that sentiment!!!