One Little Word 2010

Anyone else giving Ali Edwards' One Little Word a whirl for 2010? I haven't before, but it sounds like a fab idea for the coming year!

{LIFE}

...to live it, breathe it, try it, adventure through it, eat it, find it, document it, grow from it, share it, celebrate it...

...to love it!!!

Hope your New Year's Eve is safe and anywhere from pleasant to rip roarin'! What do you think or hope 2010 might bring for you?

Tim Holtz Tag & Christmas Teacher Gifts

Rocky Candy, how I love you....let me count the ways..... Well, if I truly did count.....this post would go on and on and on and on and on and on and ON! {And since I'm already a chatty gal, I'd rather just leave room on the post for that chatter!} But, needless to say, I LOVE the stuff, both the Stickles and Distress Crackle Paint alike...thank you Tim Holtz!

Here are some of my tags that I made based on his first inspirational tag from Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas:

I made five total. These three went on top of the blank Stampin' Up! tags I made for my son's teachers' Christmas presents this year.

In addition to the uber fabulous Rock Candy Stickles and Distress Crackle Paint, I loved how I made my snowmen! I do not have Tim's fun snowman stamp, so I punched out three circles, taped them together, layed them on top of Grunge Paper (I didn't even realize it was Grunge Paper and not Grunge Board, until he did a tag later down the line with it.......then I went back and looked and what do ya know!!! :>), traced and cut out my snowmen.

Next, I inked them up with black ink and embossed them twice with clear embossing powder. I inked up the snowflake stamp with Versamark and then pressed it down into the embossed snowman while the embossing powder was still warm. When it cooled down, I removed the stamp and it left a snowflake depression in my snowman (Thank you Claire for showing me that technique! :>). And then I added the white paint, followed the rest of Tim's instructions, and I had SO MUCH FANTASTIC FUN!!!! I felt like an inky, sticky kidlet making these and I think I had a permenant Chesire smile etched into my face! :>

Using assorted Stampin' Up! tag stamps, I made fifty-four tags, eighteen for each teacher. I used my Spica glitter pens to add some sparkle, some crystal Stickles for snow, and threaded each one with coordinating embroidery thread.

To present them, I threaded through each set of tags with a double strand of silver cord, put a signed large Tim snowman tag on top, and tied them off. School let out a week before Christmas this year, so these were practical for the teachers to use on their gifts. Practical, crafty, and fun makes for a great gift in my book and hopefully, in their books as well. These three women have been wonderful assets in our son's life and we are thankful for all of them!

Supplies:
Cardstock: White - Georgia Pacific; Certainly Celery - Stampin' Up!; Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink; turquoise & blue - Stash
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Certainly Celery, Brocade Blue - Stampin' Up!; black - India Ink; Faded Jeans, Broken China, Worn Lipstick, Weathered Wood - Tim Holtz Distress Inks for Ranger
Stamps - Stampin' Up! (all except snowflake....$ stamp from stash)
Other: silver ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Grunge Paper & Board, Stickles, Distress Crackle Paint, Spica glitter pens - Copic; Paint Dabber - Adirondack; Versamark ink; clear embossing powder, embroidery floss & fibers - Stash

Attack of the SILLIES.....

Giggling...

...HARD CORE GIGGLING...

...was erupting from me....

...I was simply trying to take a picture of our Christmas tree (still not sure I accomplished that!)...

...Hubby came out to turn off the tube that has been on the Science channel all day, so that I could "attempt" to take a pic of our beautiful Christmas tree (which is in the corner, next to the ol' tube)...

...he started cracking comments...

...not quite jokes, but I was laughing hysterically, nonetheless...

...our baby boy (who is not quite that baby boy anymore....I was even wondering tonight as I put him to bed how he was ever small enough to fit inside me!...) came out of his room...

...disrupted from his attempts at sleep by my laughter, my fits of giggles that just wouldn't stop...

...and he asked, "What happened to Mommy's noodle??????!!!!!!"

...he had heard his Dad, Hubby, asking me what 'busted up my noodle' (aka my fit of giggles) before he came out of his room...

...and then the filter came off...

...more giggles came out...

...more laughter...

...TEARS from the INTENSE giggling that followed...

...just GOT TO LOVE a fit of GIGGLES for no really good reason, RIGHT???!!!

Merry Christmas!

After staying up late to wrap presents, my eyes are puffy, and I'm a wee bit tired. But, truthfully, in the end, seeing someone's face all lit up when they have a wrapped present in their lap, is worth it. :>

I like the little things in life. Its the little things, life's little moments, that make me smile. I thought I would share a few of those little moments that have placed smiles on my face and in my heart this season.

* Strolling down memory lane as I took each ornament out and hung it on the tree.....made me smile!

* Handing my Princess a box of ornaments to hang all by herself for the first time....made me smile!

* An Auntie taking the time to track down a gf/cf chocolate advent calendar......makes me smile!

* Children racing, checking the date to see whose turn it is, to open the next door on that advent calendar......makes me smile!

* Taking the kidlets on our annual Christmas lights drive.......made me smile!

* Hearing squeals of delights and sounds of awe when we saw a beautiful or fun display of Christmas lights.....made me smile!

* Cheering a friend on and smiling from the inside out when we all welcomed one of my closest friend's newest baby into the world.......made me smile!!

* Singing Christmas songs with my kidlets......makes me smile!

* Listening to my son sing in his Winter Concert......made me smile!

* Getting inky and making some Tim Holtz Christmas tags.....makes me smile!

* Winning one of Tim's giveaways during his 12 Tags of Christmas and having a couple of girlfriends immediately know that it was me because of my :> greater than smiley face smiles.....made me smile!

* Telling my son that the present he just shook and swears is Legos is really just a box of rocks....made me smile! (Don't worry....he's laughing too!)

* Having Hubby home for four days this Christmas.......makes me smile!

* Chatting online with my best friend last night while I was wrapping presents.....made me smile!

* Family and friends, emails, phone calls, cards, pretty pictures, smiles and happy faces....make me smile!

* And of course, YOU and this fabulously fun blogging world.....make me smile!!!

Thank You!!

Source: freefoto

Charming Giveaways

Who is interested in some absolutely charming giveaways? How about three giveaways? If you like pretty, unique, and absolutely delightful, keep reading....

Blogging has allowed me to 'meet' so many different and wonderful people all over the world. And one of those people who make me smile is Karyn at French Charming! Her posts are full of gratitude, wit, and oodles and oodles of eye candy that make you smile, add a little pretty to your day, and provide some fabulous inspiration! She has three, count them....one, two, three! giveaways that you can throw your name in the hat for! Please take a smidge of time and visit her! (The giveaways are linked at the top of her blog, under the header.) Tell her I said 'hello'! :>