Finally have my craft shop finished so am able to go and play in it. Here are a few cards I made today. Have tons of scraps so figured would make use of them. All of them are blank inside so that can just grab one when needed and add sentiment. This one was just a sheet of paper that was just stripes of patterns. Simply cut them out and made a banner of them and topped with a strip that had scallops on it. The backing is a couple scalloped note cards had laying around. This card was made by making a ATC card with the Prima paper doll stamps and colored with Copic markers. This is the first time I've used anything I have colored using Copic's. Had some purple pieces in my scrap box so went monochromatic with this card. Added some fibers had in a box and Dollar Tree Hydrangea stickers. These two (2) are Minion's. Saw these on Pintrest and had to make them. Sure my daughter will be naming them.

Well it has been a long long time since I posted on my blog. Lot has changed for me. I'm a stay at home wife and mom now. My son is a Senior in high school now and daughter is in college still. Maybe now I will be able to keep up with my blog! Looking forward to this summer where I will be home with my husband and kids. Lot of plans for this summer too. Going to fix things up that have been put off around the house, spend time with my kids and nieces and nephews, and play in my new craft shop. Hopeing to post all the fun stuff we do this summer as well as the not so fun stuff. Here is looking forward to a fun busy summer.

End of March Already

Wow! End of March already! Where oh where did the month go? Has been a crazy month at my house with kids both ending up with sinus infections and myself fighting with allergies. Some fun stuff did happen, the company I worked for had a team for the Susan G Komen of Acadiana Walk for the Cure. It was fun and did the 5K walk with my son, sister in law, her step god-daughter and a couple of my husbands cousins. This charity event is close to my heart since my mother in law is a 22+ year survivor of breast cancer. The company I work for also did the jambayala cook off. It was very Yummy! The walk had over 9,000 people participating.

After the walk hubby, son and myself went and saw "Beastly". We liked it!
Spring has arrived and the weather has been nice and cool! Soon we will be in the 90's with 100% humidity but for now the 70's and low 80's is soooo nice.

Fun with My Niece!

Last year I helped my niece (5 at the time) make Valentine Cards for her Dad, Mom, Cousins and Parrain (Pa –rain) (Godfather- which is my husband). This year she asked to make them again, so Aunt Dawn got everything together and this is the result of our cards this year. Now I did give her a little help with gluing, making a few flowers and a little design suggestions, for the most part it is all Elizabeth. We had a lot of fun getting messy and glued up. She loves to play with the stamps where she stamped “Happy Valentine’s Day!” on the inside of each of the cards.



On the Card below we cut out parts of paper heart doily's and she used markers to color them in. She did really well!


Found some of the items we used at Target in the dollar bin...like the card below.



Love Birds by Fancy Pants is one of the pieces of scrapbook paper that we used on these. We just cut out the little squares and used them on the different cards. I'm looking forward to making cards with Elizabeth again soon.

Cold Icy Day

Guess God didn't want us here in SW Louisiana to feel left out so he gave us a good ice storm Thursday night and Friday morning. Did not get as bad as it was suppose to Thankfully. I took a day of vacation since son was suppose to go to a "Dead of Winter Poetry" retreat. It is a weekend of intense poetry writing, in the end they should have a least one poem that can be published. You have to submit poems and they are reviewed by teachers and then they choose who to invite to attend. Guess son is getting head start on song writing skills LOL! Since this got cancelled due to our ice storm, I decided to still take my vacation day. Got up and was in a cooking mood so made Mexican Cornbread, Gumbo (chicken & chicken sausage) and Bread Machine King Cake. Using the stove also helped warm the house. Here is my Bread Maching King Cake Recipe...not even sure where it came from to start with or would give credit to them.


Bread Machine King Cake
3 oz Water
3 oz Milk
1 egg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 TBLSP butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast

Filling
¼ cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar mixed (white and brown)
¾ cup ground cinnamon

Combine first eight ingredients into the bread pan of the bread machine. Select the dough setting then, press start.
When dough is ready roll on to lightly floured surface, into 28 inch by 10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Roll jelly roll fashion, beginning with long side. Place on greased baking sheet and form a ring by placing the ends together. Cover with kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for 30 min or until it doubles in size. Once it rises bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

What I Have Been Reading

First off just have to say I am LOVING my NOOK! Was not sure when got it if I would like it, but OMG! how did I live without it before.

Yippee! Finished the latest book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Series "No Mercy". Took me almost a year to read all of them think there is like 25 + of them. They were very interesting books especially if you like Mythology. Sherrilyn's characters are very interesting and likeable. Most of the books take place in New Orleans which is great for me since the areas they are talking about are familiar to me and I can just picture the scenes so clearly. They do get a little racy at times, but if you can get past that the story and plot is really good.

Last month completed the Georgina Kincad Series by Richelle Mead, they were a very good read also. Richelle Mead also wrote the Vampire Academy books. Molly Harper is another author that has a great series of books in the Nice Girls Don't series. These are light and a fun read. My friend Dixie suggested the Molly Harper books to me since they were set in the south.

Just downloaded the 4th book in the Debbie Macomber Cedar Cove Series. I have really been enjoying these books, they are a good break from paranormal books.

If you really like paranormal a great author to read is Patrica Brigg's Mercy series. These books are AWESOME!!! Rachel Vincent also has a really good shifter series, that is about were-cats. Then there is Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Series that is really good too.

Jude Devereaux has a new book out to that is next on my list to get. It is a tie between her and Rexanne Becnel as my favorite all time authors.

I'm always looking for new authors and genres to read so feel free to suggest good reads.

Welcome 2011

Welcome 2011! The start of a new year! Seems like 2010 just flew by and I sure did not get much crafting done in 2010. For Christmas I received a Gypsy so looking forward to using it and getting some crafting done. Have a lot of ideas rumbling around in my head for craft projects. Hopefully will get them started and post them on here.

New Years day for us started with lots of fun. We went over to my dear hubbies brother's house and had brunch with him, his wife and children. Then after brunch we had a nerf gun fight. That was lots of fun!