I realize that this is late, (the story of my life) however, it was so cute I couldn't not share it with you all, and I want to be able to find it next year!!
Hope your holidays have been as special as all of you are.
Have a safe and fun New Years eve & day, don't forget your black eyed peas!
~Jill

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves,"
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid.
The runners had been removed from his sleigh,
The rust was termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened
His fur trimmed red suit was called, "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife
Who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life.
Joined a self-help group, packed and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur
Which means nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise
Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic
No candy or sweet...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
No fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were the Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was on ecological
No baseball, no football, someone could get hurt,
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe,
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed.
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've to to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion.
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift, its price beyond worth
May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth,.

R U Kidding Me????

The ac/dc wall unit battery charger for my laptop died...yes, it's true. I'm in mourning, I'm also lost. What I realized in the last 3 days is, my life is lived thru my laptop. How crazy is that?
Time to change?? I think at least time to improve!
I sincerely enjoy my on-line life. The wonderful ladies that I have met and learned from are amazing. I enjoy interacting and engaging with my "on-line" family.
As much as I enjoy my papercrafts I find that instead of "doing" I spend alot of time "watching", which is okay because I feel like I have so much to learn. However, with the constant changing/evolving world of crafting I don't think I will ever "catch up". Nor will my budget!
Another "small" problem, my jeans no longer fit, with my discovery of my altered/craft life, I haven't moved, as in I haven't moved AT ALL! We have a beautiful 2+ mile track not 2 blocks from my home, have I enjoyed it? NO, have I used it? No!
Since I've had my eyes pried wide open and the beginning of a new year is approaching - it's time to make some changes!!
So, that is my declaration, resolution, and inspiration all rolled into a single post.
some other things that i would also like to improve are:
1. more frequent blog post
2. better communication with friends not on-line
3. more attention to special days (cards, phone calls, etc.)
4. better budget responsibility
~~~~~always room for more improvements~~~~~
p.s. I ordered a new charger, it should be here on Monday or Tuesday...
...wish me luck...
Thanks for stopping by,
~Jill

SNOW?? (in Texas?)

Look what I woke up to this morning....


Thanks for stopping by...I'm under the covers!
~Jill

Have you heard???

The Wonderful People at Custom Crops strike again!!! They are hooking up with "The Gypsy Spot", where they are giving away a Gypsy!! Yes, you read that right, GIVING away!! Go over to http://the-gypsyspot.blogspot.com/ and follow the rules!
Good Luck to all of us...
Thanks for stopping by, and have a very merry & safe Thanksgiving.
~Jill

Another Wonderful Giveaway.

Quickly, I Wanted to share the word that http://www.etsy.com/shop/itsalwaysfabulous is 120 sales shy from 1000 sales and to celebrate she is hosting a give away with http://stampingattiffanys.blogspot.com/ The giveaway ends Dec. 5th it will include; Jenni Bowlin perpetual calendar, Tim Holtz holiday stamp, Jenni Bowlin large christmas bingo cards, and a surprise gift from 7 Gypsies.
Go to Tiffanys blog and follow her directions to win.
In addition itsalwaysfabulous is offering a 10% discount off of your order if you mention this giveaway during your order.

Have fun shopping!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Jill

I'm Bad....

Mickey & Minnie (my Darling Granddaughter is Minnie!!)

My Darling Grandson (check out that smile!)

My Darling Son & Darling Daughter (a very rare picture together!)
Howdy from the big D!
It's been so long since I've posted I'm almost embarrased to finally post. (type of shame, going on here....) We had a wonderful Halloween weekend we went to Austin to be with the kids and it was a blast!

Tonight I'm looking forward to the November virtual crop at "the beach". (see link on side bar of blog)

Til next time...

thanks for stopping by, if you haven't given up on me...

~Jill

"The Beach" TWS Sept. '09

This is the mini-trade that I did for Shelly over at "The Beach" Trade Wind Scrappers for September 2009. I've tried numerous time to upload the video that I did of the mini and with zero success, so luckily I also took these horrible pictures so I am at least able to complete a slide.
I had a ton of fun doing this mini, there were alot of challenges for myself starting with the style and composition...it was alot of fun.

I'm currently working on my October trade with Hope and having a ton of fun with it as well, stop back by in a few weeks to see the finished product of that as well.

Thanks for stopping by...
Have a wonderful day,
~Jill

Sharin the ♥

Just wanted to let you know about a giveaway that is happening to support the opening of a new etsy shop, go to http://awalkinthecloudswithsandra.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment.
We wish you all the best.

Thanks for stopping by on my life adventure.

~Jill

Lances Graduation Book

Howdy, sorry I've been so neglectful on my blog, lots going on in my world, so lets get back at it....
I decided to give my son his mini album that I made for him, originally it was to be a Christmas book, but I felt that he is moving on with his life so fast that I wanted to give this to him while he still held some of the pride of his accomplishment. Also, to let him know how proud we are of him and the man that he has become.
So, since this was no longer in the gift pile I wanted to share it with my friends that have joined me on my life adventure.
There are alot of really cool items and techniques that I used on this book. If you have any questions please leave a comment. My first obstical was the book itself, you can purchase any size, shape, layout your hearts desire if you are wanting to make a book of the University of Texas, Texas A&M, but if you happened to graduate from Texas State, good luck so my answer was to design a book specifically for Lance. The actual raw book was purchased from Creek Bank Creations during the Arlington, Tx GASC, you can access their store by googling Creek Bank, check them out I think their stuff is amazing. I have lots of ideas swimming thru my head for future custom books.
One of the things that I learned is that it's not so easy to flatten a Miller Lite bottle cap (without damaging the logo!)...lol!
I trust that everyone is safe and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Thank you for stopping by,
~Jill

How Could I Forget the Doggy Door?

Back in May, while visiting us here Emma discovered the doggy door, her inquisitive spirit was working overtime, you could "see" the wheels turning.
postscript; while here in August, Emma could navigate the doggy door as fast as the dog!

Thanks for stopping by,
Have a happy scrappy day!
~Jill

Emma's first scrapbook page!

While we had Emma last week one of the things that she enjoyed doing was going upstairs to play with the new easel that we had bought for her from Ikea and sitting at Mimi's desk playing with her goodies...
With a little help from Mimi Emma produced her first scrapbook page, I layed out a group of pictures and told her she could pick which ones she wanted, notice Mimi didn't make the selection, however Sara (the dog) and Papa made it right along with a picture of "Momma & Dadda". I see where I rate! Other than turning a picture right side up and placing the border piece in the background the rest is all Emma (I did put the flower pieces together before I gave it to her...lol)
While I leave you with a few impressions of our week with Emma I want to thank those who make my day special and to let you know that I appreciate how truly blessed I am, may I never take the goodness for granted. ♥



Thank you for stopping by,
Have a happy scrappy day!
~Jill

Blog Candy Alert!!

I just lucked upon the coolest blog site, and they are having a blog candy drawing...hurry, go check them out!!
http://scrapadillyrocks.blogspot.com/

Good Luck to us ALL!!!

Have a great day...I know I'm having a great life!

Thanks for stopping by,
♥ ~Jill

forgot the little blinkie...so cute!!

Check this out!!!

Just a quick note to share what was shared on my meetup group.
Go check out this blogspot if you are a fan of the cricut. They are giving away a cartridge a week until Christmas, plus the ideas these ladies come up with are truly inspiring!!
Go check it out...
http://cricutchristmas.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by,
~Jill

p.s. it seems like everything I have been creating has been for a future gift, can't post it here because you never know who might decide to drop by...

Here are a couple of pictures of the new family arrival!!
So blessed that mother and son are doing so well. 9.2 lbs was a big boy, gratefully DD is a trouper!! ♥ them all, just had to dump a picture or 2 to share my blessed event!

Thanks for stopping by...
~Jill

He's Here!!

Just a quick check in, my grandson arrived this a.m. at 7:50, weighed in at 9.2 lbs! He looks just like his daddy, I would love to update a pic, but since I am at my dd house running off to the hospital it's probably not going to happen for a couple of days. We are bringing my beautiful granddaughter home with us for a week so, if you don't here from me it's not because I don't love you all but my attention will be elsewhere for a week or so.
Thank the good Lord above for all of the beauty he creates in our lives, today mine couldn't shine any brighter!!
Thanks for stopping by,
~Jill

Blog Candy Alert!! (Chica style!)

Wanted to let every one know that there is a great give away going on at, http://craftcravingchicas.blogspot.com/ Go check it out...they make amazing kits, the winner will not be disappointed.
Thanks for stopping by.
~Jill

The Vacation I didn't take...

This is a dual page layout that I did of my daughters family on a week long vacation to Florida. Ask, you may, why I would do a vacation layout that I didn't go on??? Easy, it was Emma's (grandbaby #1) first trip to the beach!!!
Here you go, enjoy...
Thanks for stopping by,
~Jill

I forgot to mention this is also a challenge completion. My girlfriend and I went to check out "Big Lots" after everyone commenting on you tube about their "hauls", the challenge was to create 2 layouts using nothing but what we purchased at that shopping trip... -- it's harder than it sounds! Obviously, I had to get permision to use my paint to paint the K & Co chipboard frames that were only $1 !!! Good Luck Kim, I'm can't wait to see what you create! ♥

The Emma / Papa Paperbag book

Here it is!! I wanted to do a paperbag album about Emma and her time with us last summer --- One problem, every picture was only of Papa and Emma (guess who takes the pictures), so here is my Emma / Papa paperbag album.
Thanks to Marion, I really enjoyed following your album directions on you tube.

Thanks for stopping by,
~Jill

Blog Candy Alert!!

PINK BLOG CANDY!!!
Bona is offering a live drawing on July 31st for the most AMAZING Blog candy give away! She was named/awarded for her you tube channel and is sharing the party with the rest of us to have the opportunity to win her blog candy. I follow her you tube channel, her blog, and now I posted it to my blog so I have 3 chances to win!!!

J.T. in the belly!

These pictures were taken back in the beginning of May while Emma, Lana, and her girlfriend Christy were visiting us from Austin. I had fun making a couple of layouts from Christy's amazing pictures...thanks!

Thanks for stopping by, make sure you say "hey".
~Jill

p.s. I spent some time learning how to make my own glitter paper (the kraft), I love the look of glitter paper but I find it extremely expensive, using glitter glue that I have had for 10+ years I "adapted" some paper using the glitter glue and an old credit/gift card - I'm really pleased with the outcome!

Big Girl Bed

I had fun tonight! Made this 2 page layout all about Vince and I playing "The Griswalds" driving sons truck from Frisco to Austin with Emma's big girl bed tyed to the back of the truck. We got a few funny looks...never a dull momment.
Thanks for stopping by...

Tent Camping layout

This is a layout from a camping trip in September '07. I bought the "camping" laser cut at GASC and it was fun adding a little pen art to it. I really like the title being done with the die cuts. (something else new)
It was our first camping outing after having the motorhome for 6+ years, can you say "spoiled"? It was a bunch of hard work, but I am ready to go again, I will wait until the fall when it cools off a bit.
Thanks for stopping by,

GASC - Score!!!

Sorry, the photos are in reverse order and I can not figure out how to fix it!





Well here it is...this was my favorite find at the Arlington GASC last week or so ago. Of course, it's all about my favorite subject, Emma, and her 2 best buddies. The photos don't do it justice it came out so cute and I can't wait to give it to Lana. It is superduper thick chipboard cut out with the letters BFF the vendor has a great website "creekbank creations". Check it out.
Thanks for stopping by,

BFF's

A matchbook album - BFF...lol
I made this using the kit that I won by entering Sally's blog candy contest.
Thanks Sally!!
Thanks for stopping by,

Baby Emma

Here is the "baby Emma" book that I made to help with the transition of the new baby brother, the hope is that if Emma is to see what a fuss we made over her as a baby she wont feel left out with J.T.?? Here's hoping anyway!
Thanks for stopping by,

It sure feels good!

This is some of the "backlog" of layouts that accumlated during the "Wedding Album" creation. It feels good to be putting this down in paper form and getting those ideas out of my head!!! These are pics from my Mom & Al visiting Austin when Emma was a newbie. Plus their road trip to San Marcos.

Lana (dd) and her girlfriend Christie came to N. Tx and we three (wise or not!) did Canton, Tx. Part junk yard, part craft fair, mostly just stuff...but it was a ton o' fun!! I felt like a "real" Texan having experienced Canton.
Thanks for visiting.


p.s. LOVE T!m's new mini-mask!!! Check them out they are Wonderful & Easy and leave a great effect.