Thursday, November 27, 2008

What are YOU thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!

Not that I really have 'extra' time today - but I saw a friend post each day this month about what she is thankful for and I really wanted to do that - alas, it is Thanksgiving Day already - and I never did get to it!? So - here it is:

My Random List of 20 things I am thankful for - in no particular order, and definitely not a complete list...

My relationship with Papa (God!)
My incredible husband and amazing daughter
My Family (extended on both sides!)
SparkPeople
Beauty all around me
Grace, Forgiveness, Mercy, Love
Creativeness
Books
Scented Candles/Lotions & Potions
Smaller sized clothing
Starbucks
Road Trips
Scrapbook Retreats
Reconnecting with old friends
Connecting with new friends
Great music
Passionate Worship
Answered Prayers
Health
Laughter


So - what are YOU thankful for?! Share your random list (doesn't HAVE to be 20 things) in my Comments, and I will pick a random winner who will get a RAK to keep or give as a Christmas gift!

Count your Blessings, (and shout them out loud!)
~Karrilee~

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Christmas Cards... DONE! (...next!)

I had an incredibly productive weekend...
On Friday, during our Online Crop,
I started (and finished) my Thanksgiving Place Cards...
It's nice to be done with these...
unless of course we add some last minute guests,
which is ALWAYS a possibility!
Anyway, here are my Place Cards:
We (and by 'we' - I mean me!) love to give room for each guest
to write down some things that they are thankful for!
My plan this year?
To punch holes in the top of these
and make a little 'tag mini'!
Here are a few Fall cards... because I love Fall!
(& I LOVE this fun new Tree stamp from one of my BFFs!!!
Thanks Denice! I love it!)
Here are our Leavenworth photo's from last weekend...
Scrapped (& yes - All Caught Up!!!)
And... as if that wasn't ENOUGH to accomplish on Friday,
THIS is what I did on Saturday:

Oh yeah... that's over 60 cards, my friends!

Each one of a kind!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this paper from MME!
So fun & retro!
I had done maybe 7 cards & posted those earlier
- & that was all I had accomplished!
So - Saturday I made about 60 more,
AND hand addressed all the envelopes too!
A VERY Productive Weekend indeed!
Today, I am off to workout and then make even MORE cards,
as well as a few flipbooks or coaster mini's to list in my Etsy store!
Hey - why not?! I am on a roll!
Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~


















Monday, November 17, 2008

Custom Placecard Order, Leavenworth Trip, and still no Christmas Cards?!

Aaah yes... I have taken several days off again... which inadvertantly turned into another two weeks!? I am sorry... I don't even have a good excuse or a busy schedule to blame... I was fighting off a sinus deal - and that was wiping me out - but I am on the other side of it I think... so I will do my best to not only FINALLY update this Playlist to the left, but I will also try to be back at posting on a more regular basis... because, well - I know you all missed me! Even if you don't say it - or leave me Blog Smack... I know you love me! LOL! In fact, I know Christina and Denice love me tons because they BOTH gave me Blog Awards last week! Thank you girlies! So sweet!

I have been working on a Custom Thanksgiving Placecard order today and that has been super fun! It has also reminded me that I have, in fact, not yet done my OWN Thanksgiving Placecards and I need to get those done asap!? This is a sample of what I am working on...

Dave and I had a WONDERFUL weekend away with two other couples in Leavenworth! We normally go with the Gibsons and the Joneses to Leavenworth in October... that is when the colors are at their best... but even though the colors were fading and the weather was crisper - we still managed to have an incredible time with lots of laughter, games, fun, food, walking, shopping, praying, sharing... what's not to love, people?! Here are a few shots from our weekend!






I really do need to get back to my scrapbook area SOON... I have my Scrap Happy Crop night this week and that will help get me feeling creative again - which should translate into FINALLY getting some more Christmas Cards done and maybe a flip book or two to list?! I still have stacks of Coaster Chipboards that I need to make some Christmas Mini's out of too... not to mention some gifts to make and hopefully more custom orders to fill in the next few days!? Whew?! See... this is why I have not gone downstairs in awhile?! (Well - this long list of things that need to be done - and the fact that Michele keeps kicking my butt in our weekly SparkPeople challenges of Squats, Crunches, and Push Ups... I am not associating my Scrapbook area with pain - severe PAIN - and am apparently avoiding it now at all costs?! Gee - thanks Michele?! That's nice... LOL!

On to my Blog Awards and Sharing the Love...
First off - my first ever Blog Award was given to me by Christina - a fellow Scrapper, Stamper, and Sparker!!! She can be found here: http://wernstrumfamily.blogspot.com/

She gave me this Award:

So Sweet!

The rules for the Encouraged Blogger Award are as follows:
1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

My Nominees:

OK - so here goes... people/blogs who Encourage and Inspire me:
Kris Vallotton - I love this guy! He is awesome - and his books are powerful. We heard him speak over the summer and I LOVE his transparency and love for God and for truth! He definitely inspires and encourages me! ( http://www.kvministries.com/blog )

Kim Hughes - She is AMAZINGLY talented and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE her Blog... not to mention her Stamps and all her Craftiness on Display!!! ( http://www.paperhugs.typepad.com/ )

Max Lucado - Another powerful man of God who inspires me all the time! I love his writing style and his ability to paint a picture with words and stir your heart at the same time! What a Gift! Enjoy! ( http://maxlucado.com/ )

Alicia Britt Chole - Alicia is amazing - and has the same gift that Max does! In fact, she has been referred to as the Female Max Lucado! (Nice! That's what I want to be called!!!) ( http://www.truthportraits.com/ )

The Shack - this book is amazing and the forums are super fun... * Te forum is currently over loaded - so I will post Paul Youngs' blog for now! ( http://windrumors.com )

NEXT UP my friend Denice awarded me with this little beauty:
The Rules for this one:

List 6 things you value, six you don't, and six receivers.


Things I value:
1. Papa... well - The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - you just can't beat those guys!
2. My family... my Husband ROCKS and my daughter is such a joy! (Oh yeah - and the rest of the extended families as well! I am blessed!)
3. My Friends... while I am not a phone person - I am all about talking and connecting over coffee or even online... I cherish my friendships and value them immensely!
4. My Freedom... so many little things we can take for granted - and yet I am so thankful for hte freedom to do even that!
5. Honesty/Transparency... I am a very discerning person - and I love and value honesty and the ability to be real - to be 'you' wherever you are!
6. The Written Word... the Bible of course, but just books in general... I LOVE to read and value a well structured sentence, or a paragraph that comes with it's own soundtrack in your mind! I love a book that I want to read over and over again!

Things I do not value:
1. Lying/Deception
2. Selfishness
3. Feral cats (good one Denice! Ill keep it - Kinda... how about SPRAYING cats?! Ugh?! LOL!)
4. Constant Negativity
5. Cutting people off in traffic in general (Specifically cutting people off in School Parking Lots?!)
6. People not RSVPing

My six receivers are:
1. Kim Niles - While she is not wordy on her Blog, her art is so whimsical and fun - you can't help but smile when looking at her artwork! ( http://kiniart.livejournal.com/ )
2 Darcie - While she 'encourages' me all the time (and by encourage I mean Smack Talk), she always cracks me up and she is Oober Creative!) ( http://three-monkeys.blogspot.com )
3 Natalie - Natalie is amazingly talented in all things period! She is a writer, a scrapper, a Mom, and Wife, she does lots of crafty things and is SUPER organized... she has a love for all things recorded and put in Notebooks! ( http://nataliemyrwold.typepad.com )
4 Corinna - Amazingly Creative... honest and fun... ( http://www.clstevens.blogspot.com )
5 Kim Hughes - OMG... you will LOVE her!!! ( http://www.paperhugs.typepad.com )
6 Pursuit of Craftyness Team - Seriously - you will want to make stuff!!! http://pursuitofcraftyness.blogspot.com )
Have fun Blog Stalking...
Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~






















Monday, November 03, 2008

More Flipbook Scrapbooks, my new favorite Fall Pictures, & a Happy Day!

It's true... I am on a roll with these super cute little flipbooks! I can't wait to start playing with them using Christmas papers! (I said CHRISTMAS, not OWLS Chuck!) But - here is one I made for my sister-in-law for her Baby shower yesterday... I forgot that the name is kind of a secret... so no one say anything...


Here is my Fall flipbook, complete with pictures now!!! I love it (...because, I love - oh, never mind - you know!)
Speaking of Fall... check out these gorgeous pictures taken on a road WAY out West...





Nice, huh!? Saturday was grey and rainy - but the colors of the orchards were vibrant! I spent much of Saturday running errands and visiting with friends! I started it out with a Morning SparkTeam walk at 7-stinkin':30 am!? What was I thinking?! At least it was not raining... yet?! We moved on to Starbucks for coffee right when it started to sprinkle... and by the time it was all-out raining, I was finishing up my Bunko Prize shopping and headed home to craft for a Baby Shower! (See above Flip book!? LOL?!)

Today I got to plan my Bunko Menu and go grocery shopping... I also had a nice surprise waiting for me in my closet... after my workout with Millie I decided to weigh in even though it is not, in fact, Thursday! I felt, as my sister says, "lighter" - and I was right! I lost 3#s over the weekend and when getting dressed for my day, decided to pull out those Sarah Jessica Parker "Bitten" pants that I scored for $8.97 in August - knowing they were too small! I bought them as Goal pants as they were a size too small at the time! I could pull them up but zipping them was not an option - and even if I could suck it up long enough to do that - well, let's just say they were inappropriate (or maybe retro if you grew up in the right - er - wrong? - circles?) However, today - they fit perfectly! They zipped up and buttoned without trouble - and they were - um - way less intimate than before!?

Yep - it was a good day...
"I'd give it an 8!" ( ~ Brian Regan)
Happy 8 Day!
Scrap On!
~Karrilee~