had to share and a vent

Okay first off what an incredibly LONG and tiring week it has been keeping the electronics off in our house. Alex was pretty easy going with it, Kira however was quite the grump about it by the end of the week. Of course her beloved reading is not the same as playing her DS. Looks like she will be unplugged some more.

Anywho... at the Family Dance Party, I hung this amazing banner that we got from Staples for $19.99! Seriously. Hubby had a coupon for a 6' x 2.5' banner. Love it. The graphic I will let you know came from my favorite of favorite Aliens. She did such a great job on it. LOVE IT!! It was the logo for the week of fun we had (we being the PTA).

I was the photographer at the Dance Party taking pictures of the families and groups of kids which I then emailed to the parents so they would have these great memories. I had to test my lighting and such and I had two adorable subjects on hand....

This is before they danced like fools all night and were hot and sweaty. But they are kinda cute! It was a fun night. I need to get the pictures hubby has of Alex 'break dancing' on the dance floor from his phone. So cute.

Now for the vent... today went to the Childrens Place outlet up in Kittery, Maine. We usually go there since the closest mall with a Childrens Place is about 45 minutes away and they have a better selection as it is a bigger store than most of the mall ones. I loaded up my mesh bag full of jeans for Alex (he is destroying the knees on all of his jeans), short sleeved polos for Alex, capris for Kira and a couple of tank tops. Pretty full bag when we got done.

I get in line with my coupon for 25% off and my Place Card which gives me an additional 5% off my sale. I'm thinking I am doing well. The girl rings me up and we do the small chat stuff. She sees the coupon I have and continues to ring me up. At the end she gives me the total before my discounts and I hand her my coupon and card. She looks at the coupon, converses with the girl next to her and tells me my coupon does not work in the outlets. ummm... since when?? I have been doing this for some time now (like since Kira was born) She tells me they have separated the two companies. Now there is the Childrens Place in the malls and Childrens Place Outlets. hmmm... I must have missed that email that they sent to all their customers on this big change. Especially since I am a Place Card holder AND I get their emails practically every day with coupons.

I was like okay ring it up whatever. Then I get thinking about it after we leave and I am not happy in the least. Now as it is about 4 1/2 hours later, I am really really not happy about it. So I go and look in my inbox and there is an email from Childrens Place Outlets. It's the only one so this is something very very new. I open it and there is a coupon there for 25% off!! ummm... I had one of those. They couldn't have used the correct code (as I am sure it was somewhere in their computer system having worked retail before I know these things) since obviously I have received emails from Childrens Place. Tomorrow we are going back up there after a birthday party and I am getting my discount or they can return my entire purchase and forget about me shopping there again.

Don't mess with someone who has worked retail before. I know how things work and they could have done something for me especially since the amount was over $200. grrrr. Not like I went in for one shirt on sale for $2.99 and wanted it cheaper, I was buying a full bag of stuff.

If you have made it to the end, thanks. If not... no biggie. I feel better getting it off my chest. Now I can have a nice evening with hubby. TTFN

the first of alex's turning 6 celebrations

Every year we head to Syracuse to celebrate Alex's birthday in February when everyone is on break. It makes his birthday stretch out for about a month. I don't think he minds much. Here's Kira, my father in law, Alex and hubby waiting for everyone to arrive so we can start the party!! As you can tell... Alex was beside himself waiting to open his gifts.

Here is a great shot of him opening a Pokemon figure. Cannot tell you which one of the 600+ there are, but he can and that's all that matters.

Another pretty exciting find from Grandpa.

Time for a big ole hug for Grandpa for such a great present. Can you say excited?? Love the smile on Grandpa's face.

Here's another happy smile for a Pokemon. Okay... so he can be a bit of a ham.

The AMAZING cake created by the wonderful bakers at Wegmans. I sent my parents into the store with a picture of a cake and they recreated it perfectly! We supplied the figures but they did the rest. I was so happy. I am writing a letter to the store for making my little guy so happy on his day.

Had to share this picture of Alex. Whenever he wears a shirt with buttons, that is where his hand usually rests. I love that I captured it for all time!!

Big wind there! Happy pre- 6th birthday big guy!!

It was a good but quick trip to Syracuse as we got snowed in on Thursday and had to leave on Friday instead. Hoping to go back at the end of May for the newest Foltz addition from brother and sister in law, but with these insane gas prices we'll have to see. Filling up caused major sticker shock to us. Seriously... we filled up in Syracuse after driving the entire trip and it cost us $71.55 for 18 gallons! Coming home it was $63.05 for 17 gallons. ouchie!

happy leap day and merry christmas

Happy Leap Day to everyone out there! I had a fun idea for my POTD (picture of the day) which was to catch the kids leaping. So out to our retaining wall we went. Love the angle of this one and the kids had fun jumping off the wall. 

In the card challenge group I am in, the card below was our inspiration this month. We could use any part of it (or all of it) to create our Christmas card for this month. I was totally inspired by this card. So many great elements from it that I made five different cards! I was going to create five cards a month anyways so that I'll have a good chunk of my cards made by November, but this month it was easy to have fun and use up my stash for each one.

This is the first one. I have an 8X8 paper 'stack' (it's a very small stack but I love the papers) I also used some of my homemade bakers twine and left over Christmas brads.

This one I took the circle and popped it at the bottom of the card for a new twist. More homemade bakers twine, three clear snow flake ornaments (with the hanger part removed). I popped the middle square so that it wouldn't look funny resting on the twine.

I have had those mini embellies FOREVER!! Really. The tag is a stamped image that I cut out and pop dotted. Yes more homemade bakers twine.

A little Santa love happening here. I think I removed the hat and mittens from a card or kit or swap item since it didn't work with my pictures and have been holding onto them for a bit. Happy they are being used.

Last one. I don't like the snowflake brads in the small squares at all. They are very flimsy and bend when I am trying to open the backs. I'll get over it just not entirely pleased with the way they look.

The snow is starting to fly around here. I hope they are wrong with their prediction of 6-10 inches. I am trying not to worry about it since the weather people around here have been wrong pretty much all season. My luck they will get it right today. It would put a small glitch in our family birthday party for Alex this weekend. We shall see....

my donation for the pta basket raffle part 2

I am pretty sure I have shared these Thank you cards before on my blog. I had made them for a friend of mine awhile back. These are ones that she did not want and I have not used yet.

Heat embossing on these with the gold.

Used Sizzlits dies to cut the corners and the center detail.

Lots of fun sewing on this one.

Stickles filling in the stamped image.

The next ones are Blank Inside cards since you always need blank cards. Used my Cuttlebug to emboss some scraps.

There are two of these cards.

And the last four are Congratulation cards. This first one I found on Pinterest. Totally love how this is laid out. Of course I like the one on Pinterest better but still very happy with mine. The Congrats is heat embossed with a kaleidoscope embossing powder which makes it rainbow-ish.

This is another one that I found on Pinterest which took me to Jackie Rockwell Design's blog. Her's is amazing but again, I am happy with what I came up with as my interpretation. I cut the flowers out and then backed them with white cardstock flowers to give them depth. Added some mini buttons that have been living here for many, many years. Used some of my white pre-colored bakers twine and some letter stickers to complete it.

Oh look at that.... another amazing card design found on Pinterest!! (Seriously am loving that site) The link on Pinterest took me to the PaperCrafts Connection site where they had a contest and this card created by Lindsay Amrhein was hanging out looking a thousand ways of awesome. This is my attempt on her card. All stickled up and looking pretty!!

This is the last card for the card box and I will have to admit it is my all time favorite!! I would love to boast and gloat that I created it with just the smarts of my own brain, but that would be a total and utter lie. I wish I was that creative!! Nope... found it on (can you guess?) Pinterest!! The link at Pinterest took me to craftieodamae's blog. Lots of goodness hanging out there and you should check it out!!

Anywho... hers is to die for. But I do love mine as well. Love that it is all white (yes I know it looks light blue in the picture. What can you do?? I need a better lighting system here.) But it is an all white card that I embossed and border punched and added some amazing fiber I've had forever. I think it might all be gone now. Oh no!! LMBO I punched the star six times. I attached three together to make two thick stars and then pop dotted the top star. I heat embossed the sentiment on the inside of the card as I didn't want to mess up the total white look. Thank you Olga for some great inspiration!!

So that's the entire box. Whew... I need to pick up a clear bag to package it all up for Unplugged Week but I have a few days of vacation to do that!! Thanks for stopping by and looking!!

my donation for the pta basket raffle part 1

Every year the PTA puts on an amazing week of activities that were part of the National Turn Off TV Week. Our school vacation always falls during the 'official' week so we have always done it the week after. This year, we have changed the name of the event due to many students (mine included) saying that they could play video games and play on the computer since we were only "turning the tv off". So this year the week long event will be called Newmarket Elementary Unplugged Week. 

Not only are there activities to bring families out and together, there is also a basket raffle. The PTA receives donations as well as purchases items for these baskets. This year I am contributing a few baskets as I have been picking things up throughout the year as I find them on clearance and such. One of my baskets is a handmade card box with cards.

I have been working on this amazing card box that was a tutorial found on my LSS's blog in November!! Seriously, I have been working on this project since then. At times I thought I would never get it done, but I have. whew...

The box was made from half of a tissue box. No seriously it was. Added some chipboard to give it enough sturdiness to handle the 28 cards that are now happily living inside of it. The box itself was pretty easy to make. The creating of enough cards to fill it up took much longer. 

Front view-

Side view- The other side and back look the same just different angles.

Here is the start of the cards that are now living inside. The first four are Hello/ Hi cards. Some I have had on hand and some I have been cranking out since November. They are mostly made up of scraps from my stash. Love being able to use up some of my stuff.

Obviously this is a Hi card. LOL

Used a Fiskars border punch and Cuttlebug embossing plates on this one. And yes Stickles!!

These are the Sympathy cards that I created. The sentiments on all of these were created with stamps from Getting Cricky with K Andrew. Amazing stamps that I totally love! The set is called Sympathetic Sayings.

This is the inside of the card above.

Slightly blurry due to the picture being taken at night. Sorry. Home made bakers twine. See card below for more information on that yumminess.

This one is stamped on the inside. The bakers twine on this one is some that I made myself!! Found how to make it on Life {Sweet} Life's blog. Love that I can now have any color of bakers twine that I want.

The following are Birthday/ Celebrate Cards. The stamps used for this I have had for awhile and don't have the original packaging so I don't know who to credit for them.

There are two of these in the box.

The following four are Thinking Of You/ On My Mind cards. I was having some fun trying new things out. Totally love to play!

This one is stamped inside and heat embossed. I know I have shown these four before when I created them, but wanted to get them all in the same post!! Sorry for the repeats.

 I'm gonna finish this up in another post. Don't want this to be too photo heavy!! Catch you in a few!

february sketch challenge completed

Here is the sketch which was presented to us in the challenge group. Love the banner but haven't had much luck with working with one. I think I was over thinking the whole thing. This layout took me awhile since I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted for a title much less what to use for a banner. I got trapped in my mind thinking it too much and making it harder than it needed to be.

Anywho... this is what I came up with. I found some so totally adorable pictures of hubby and Alex that screamed at me to be scrapped. So I obliged them. I can't believe Alex was that small. Not that he is huge now but still... my baby is growing up.

I am happy with this banner. I made strips and then folded them, inked them up, and stuck down the back section, slipped the fake bakers twine in and glued the top part down. I may try that again sometime. oh my fake bakers twine?? It is so much fun to make. This go around isn't that great, but I have better markers now so I think it will look 100% better next time. The how to is HERE. This could save me big bucks in getting all those wonderful colors of twine that I drool over all the time.

I have had the Vikings embellies FOREVER!! Seriously. The store that I got them from has been out of business for at least three years. Guess I was waiting for the perfect layout. Glad it finally showed up!!

Very happy that at least for more pictures are now scrapped. I would love to continue, but I have 10 cards I have to make. Best get my butt in gear so I can get them off my mind. Have a great one!

a little love and fun

Oh the day of love. I went to spend the day with Alex's kindergarten class. It was a low key celebration with each of the kids decorating a bag to hold their Valentines. So cute!! This is where we set them up. Then each student had the chance to dress up like a mail person to deliver their Valentines to their classmates. Lesson learned on this one... alphabetical order is the way to do when setting these bags up. Trust me!!

Here's my little mail guy. Love the uniform they each got to wear. I am sure the school nurse would be cringing seeing the whole class wear the hats as there seems to be a small lice issue in the school. Thank goodness it hasn't gotten to the kindergarten classes.

Here is my toothless little lady. It took her over a month to get that tooth out of her head. Love how she pushed her tongue through the hole. Silly girl. Then she asks me if I am the tooth fairy. ummm... last I checked I do not have wings and I like to sleep at night. I am certainly not flying around the world collecting teeth. Not sure if she bought it or not. I hate this age since the magic seems to be slowly fading away. Darn them for growing up and questioning things. I knew I should never have taught them to talk. Too late now.

Kira has a friends birthday party to go to this afternoon and Alex has an eye appointment. Busy afternoon for this group of peoples. Enjoy your weekend with those you love.