Still At It

While it may appear that my creative gene has left the building

or that my blogging hat has been retired, I am still at it.

Wouldn't it be grand if we could truly spend each day as we desire

and not in the way that is sometimes pressed upon us.

I know we have choices and choices I do make,

but unfortunately for me, my choices these days have been limited to circumstances

that I can not control.

Control. . . there's a thought, an idea, a word I've long since had to let go of.

For those of us OCD types (yes, I am one), control is what we often seek, but never get

-- and rightfully so. Control is not what life is about -- choice is.

Which brings me right back to the beginning.

Choices.

Well, lets just say that I am making them, just not necessarily the ones I would like to.

Creativity is a necessity only second to choice in my world.

I live to create and thankfully, occasionally, I am blessed with the opportunity.

Thanks to my dedicated Scrap Gals

I once again eeked out some time and put together another class.

Loosely based on the Topstich CTMH Workshop on the Go,

I better get these posted so my gals can get their photos on them. Hope you enjoy.

Fun is Fundamental - We just love the zoo. Don't these show how much fun we have?

Determination Jessica - ;} Jessica's middle name should be Determination.

Behold Wonder - Walker was lost at the zoo for a time and when we found him this is where he was. Beholding Wonder. We spent a good 30 minutes just watching in wonder at this calf (only 2 days old) and her mother. I think they were just as curious as the boys were!

Remember you can click on each photo individually to see the image larger! Until next time!

Cards for Connor

I've got a notebook here full of things to post and share with you, but life just gets busier and busier and then in comes a story like this. Connor's blog will just give you strength. You can find it here. Kathy is a great friend and her husband is a bike rider who likes to ride his bike cross country for fun. . . you can read more about that here. The team and Project Life info can be found here. All of those links prompted me to do this:



(if you'd like to read this, you can click on the photo to see it in full view.)

And here's how you can help! Please share my post by posting a link to your blog or by emailing me at theinkboutique@gmail.com for a copy you can email to all your friends. . . share this on facebook, twitter or anywhere else you feel inspired. I realize not everyone can come to class, but any donations will go a long way towards achieving the $10000 my friends have pledged to collect.

Thanks for being you and for letting me share this with you!

You Owe Me A Milkshake!

A little something for a friend that is very nice to me. To make one of your own you will need 2 small wash cloths, a clear plastic cup, a straw and decorations of your choice. Roll the washcloths and layer in the cup, decorate, cut the straw, insert and add a "cherry!" Supposed to have been for Valentine's Day about 2 years ago, but I finally got one done!

Wishing You Love

For my 12 adorable Beehive Valentine's. . .

Completely and Utterly Off Topic and Yet Completely Relevant

Many know that I am in real estate, have been for 20 years. . . I love real estate, but never really blog about it because it's my job and blogging, along with my other hobbies are for fun. Anyway, this is a timely topic that I thought might help some of my readers regardless of where they live because of the economy which currently plagues us and by which I too have been completely affected. . .

A common question from borrowers and homeowners these days is how long they will need to wait to buy again if a negative item appears on their credit report. Different loan programs have different disqualification periods for Bankruptcy/Foreclosure/Short Sale. Once the automatic disqualification period has elapsed, the normal income/asset/credit requirements typically apply. It is also important to remember that if a mortgage account is included in a Bankruptcy, then foreclosure waiting periods apply with all loan programs. Here is breakdown by loan program:

Conventional Loans

• Bankruptcy = 4 years
• Foreclosure = 5 years
• Short Sale = 2 years

VA Loans

• Bankruptcy = 2 years
• Foreclosure = 2 years
• Short Sale = industry standard is 2 years

FHA Loans

• Bankruptcy = 2 years
• Foreclosure = 3 years

Short Sale = industry standard is 3 years unless no late mortgage payments have been made in the past 12 months and buying in a different geographic location (out of state job transfer for example).

In trouble? Find a qualified Realtor and find out all you can about your options before losing your home. It's worth trying to short sale first in most cases. Hope this detour from my regularly scheduled blogging helps someone!

P.S. For a more lighthearted post please see my post on my Moments in Time Blog and for a heart wrenching, but soul growing experience, you may want to check out my post here.

Twitterpated with Twitterpated!

I am just twitter-pated with Twitterpated! Who knew mushrooms could make such cute page accents?!?! I love how the layouts for my scrap club turned out this month! All the moving and unpacking has me still way behind on life and creating. . . it's the creating part I miss the most! So glad to have people who WANT me to be creative so I can share my time with them. Thanks to my 9 club gals for keeping me going!

When I revamped my class I took it from "Get-it-Done" to making 3-2 page layouts from the same kit, but it's not necessarily about getting as much scrapped as possible, but more about just making beautiful pages. It's loosely based on CTMH's Workshop on the Go, but I just prefer to make the class my own. You can buy the workshop on the go and make it on your own at home, so that makes it nice, but I like to have hands on classes too! It was a nice change of pace and the class loved the different looks we achieved with the same paper pack.

2 Page Layout One - Just SMILE!

2nd 2 Page Layout - Family and Friends

2 Page Layout - Oh This Face! (Wyatt)

- and once again I proved my old theory that you don't have to have boy themed paper to make boy pages. . . or maybe my boys just exude so much testosterone they can actually wear pink and make it look masculine!

CTMH Products and Supplies Used: Twitterpated Level 2, Twitterpated Workshop on the Go Exclusive Stamp Set, Ribbon Rounds in Chocolate, Basic Brad Assortment, Dimensional Elements Organic, Ink in Chocolate, Crystal Blue, Sweet Leaf and Sorbet

Studio J is coming soon and I've been using it during the preview period. I LOVE that my pictures can be any size and fit perfectly in the layouts and I don't have to print my photos! I LOVE that with the right photographs I can pick ANY paper pack CTMH has offered in the past 5 years and have a layout done in literally a few minutes. . . I don't love that there is no dimension, which is what keeps me from going all digital in the first place! This is an example of one of the things I will always love about traditional scrapbooking;

You just don't get this kind of dimension in digital scrapbooking. . . Now you can always do the layout and place the embelishments on at home and I'm going to try this next, but then the price (which is the other case made for digital/traditional scrapbooking) goes way up and I'm not sure the value is there. . . You'll have to take this journey with me to see what I decide. Hope you'll stay tuned!

My Baby is Thirteen!

SHHHHHH. Don't tell her I posted this picture, she's going to be sooooooo mad at me! I just had to post because I am so thankful for her. She definitely is on of the very best things I have done in my life. Mikensee, I love you. You are amazing and you are capable of doing whatever you dream of doing. Have a wonderful day! (or weekend I should say because she's having a sleep over tomorrow and we're having family birthday dinner on Sunday!) Hope you know how much you are loved!!!

Help for Haiti

Hello friends,

a blog that I follow is offering 2-$500 donations to a charity of your choice that is helping in Haiti. She is also personally donating 10 cents for every comment she receives in regards to this post. This expires FRIDAY, January 15th at NOON HER TIME! Please act quickly!

PIONEER WOMAN DONATES TO HAITI

My family has prayed since the moment this tragedy occurred and we will continue to pray for this nation that could easily perish from this horrific disaster. I, like you feel the need to do something to help and have already donated, but would love to be able to add to their relief that is already on the way.

My charity of choice LDS PHILANTHROPIES. . . They are already sending hygiene kits and baby kits. You can read more about their relief efforts HERE.

If you wouldn't mind, please take a moment and comment on her post (for a 10cent donation) and put in your comments the charity of your choice for your chance to win $500 to go to help in Haiti.

Thanks for reading and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pass this along!

Happy New Year, a thought and some Pancakes!

Happy New Year! I can't believe that it is 2010. 10 years since Y2K which some new we would never live through! I remember being a kid and thinking I'll never see the year 2000! I'd be 30!!! Well, I made it and this year I'll be 40!!! Holy Cow!

I don't know about for you, but for my family 2008 and 2009 were tough and because of that I know 2010 is going to be wonderful!!! We had a wonderful holiday. We moved and are hopefully in this new home to stay for awhile. My Walker man asked me this morning when we were going to move again (we've moved twice since August 31st!) and I told him I didn't plan on moving again for a long, long time and he said "good, because I like this house." Our last move was to our "rental-investment property" that we've owned since 2001, but never lived in. It was 1500 square feet and just a tad on the small side for us. Mostly it didn't afford any outside play and that was really hard for my very active kids to get used to. I was thankful for the place to land and wasn't that excited about moving (very hard, I don't recommend doing it any more than necessary and I'm a Realtor for heaven's sake!), but now that we are here and mostly settled I am thankful for the interim move because it has made this home much more enjoyable that I think it otherwise would have been. I'm very thankful indeed for this beautiful home.

I'll be updating my gratitude blog today and also posting my New Year's resolutions. . . I think I've finally figured out how to succeed at making (and keeping) them. . . we'll see!

Hopefully you have a New Year's Resolution or two. . . I think they are good for us. Even if we don't keep them it affords the opportunity to assess our lives and at least make a note on how we want to improve. We were, after all, created to become more than we are. Life is a process of growing and improving that should never stop. We can't be truly happy if we don't become more. It doesn't mean we have to strive for positions of supposed greatness or set goals to do feats worthy of world records, just to improve. How do you want to improve this year? I hope you'll share with me!

on to the PANCAKES! I have 2 small mama's boys that LOVE pancakes. I'm not a huge fan and don't find them to be entirely high on the health and nutrition scale. I have some whole wheat blender pancakes that score pretty well, but my kids don't LOVE them. I have a recipe from Rachel Ray called Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes that I do adore, but let's just say they qualify more for dessert than a healthy breakfast (or dinner!) My boys were good at church yesterday (if you don't count the belching contest at the drinking fountain as we were trying to leave *grin* *grit teeth* *grin*), so they wanted pancakes and pink chicken (left over ham) after church. I agreed to make it for them. I love to use sour cream in my pancakes (a tip from Rachel Ray), but I'm also on a much stricter budget than I used to be so I made sour milk for them and added oatmeal for the health factor. I have to say they turned out very well so here is my recipe for you. Budget friendly, food storage certified, and yummy to boot!

Rachele's Oatmeal Pancakes

(for a family of 6, cut in half to adjust accordingly!)

2 Cups Milk PLUS 2 T White Vinegar

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Quick Oats

2 Eggs

3 T Oil

2 T Brown Sugar (white will work too!)

1 t Salt

1 t Baking Soda

1 t Baking Powder

1 t Vanilla (optional, but i put vanilla in everything!)

Add vinegar to milk and let sit. Mix all dry ingredients and then add soured milk, oil and eggs. Mix to combine well, but don't beat. Ladle onto medium hot griddle (I use non-stick so no extra fat, spray with Pam or use butter if your griddle is not non-stick.) Cook until bubbly in the middle and dry on the edges, then flip and cook for another minute or two. . . smear with butter and serve with syrup!

A little more "healthy" for a pancake and pretty yummy too!

Candy Cane Bath Salts

I have long wanted to make this recipe, but I keep forgetting! If I post it here I can't not make it, so here is the recipe:

12-12oz canning jars with lids and rings

1-4lb cartons of Epsom Salts

4 lbs of sea salt or kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of glycerin, divided

12-15 drops of red food coloring

12-15 drops of peppermint essential oil

Cardstock, Ribbons, etc., for decorating

Wash, rinse and dry jars. Empty one carton of Epsom Salts and add 3 cups of sea salt. Stir well. In a small dish Add 1/4 teaspoon of glycerin and 6-8 drops of peppermint oil and add red food color. Stir until blended. Mix with salt mixture until completely blended. A Kitchen-Aid works well for this on low speed. Don't use a hand mixer or small stand mixer. If you don't have a high powered mixer use a spoon and elbow grease! Set aside red salts. Mix remaining salts with remaining glycerin and peppermint oil using same method above. Holding canning jars at an angle, layer salts in the jar alternating the white and red mixtures.

Makes 12 gifts at less than $2 per jar! There are other ideas and recipes you can find similar to this here and here and here AND here! ENJOY!

Christmas Paper Piecing

Everyone is looking for ways to get more out of their supplies and save money too! I think paper piecing is a great way to do this! It's a great way to use paper you think you would never use AND it's a great way to use scraps too! I found this link to 30 paper piecing templates (free-you may have to register, but that's what your hotmail email address is for), and hopefully you can find one you will use!

The link is HERE!

Should Have Taken More Pictures!

I feel like I take TOO many photos. I go to scrapbook or make a simple photo greeting card and I never have the right photo. . . is it just me?!??! I took 58 pictures at the Fiesta of Lights Parade. I took 15 pictures of my kids on the fireplace and do you think I could make any of them look like they fit in these digital cards?!!?! I should always take MORE pictures!!!

Twigs in faces or distort the image?!?!?!

Mikensee at the parade, Kids in front of the fireplace?!?!?! Weird!

This is supposed to be a vertical photo. . . ridiculous tipped on it's side!!!

I give up! One of these will just have to do, but which one?!?!?

I'll just call it INSPIRATION

If you have 20 minutes and a tissue click below and read about

Stephanie Nielson

You'll be glad you did.

Organizing Christmas and a Funny

Seems like I forgot this project in my previous post. These have been around for a while. . . A file folder converted to a pocket holder. Planning pages are from Organized Christmas. . . I just converted them to green since I'm not a fan of black at Christmas!

So this morning while getting Walker ready for school he asks me,

"Mom, what will you grow into?" (I understand Walker speak and knew exactly what he was asking!)

"Well, Walker, when you grow up and have kids I will be a grandma!"

Walker thinks for a minute and says,

"I don't want you to grown into a grandma, I want you to stay my mom. . ."

"You are growing up, Walker. . . every day you are getting bigger. You can clearly see you are not a baby anymore."

There is a long pause and then he says, "I want you to come over to my house then. I'll bake you some cookies."

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{BIG HUG!}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Christmas Goodies and a Christmas Wish

Running out the door (again!) but I wanted to post a few Christmas goodies before Christmas is over and done for 2009! Thanks to the numerous artists who inspired these projects.

Perpetual Keeping Christmas Calendar

Gift Tag Gift Set

A Minty Kiss For You!

Key Chain Post-It Note (if your name starts with T, it may be for you!)

Christmas Cocoa for 4

Mini Milk Crate - MMMMMMMM Good!

Hope your holidays are the best and that you enjoy the true spirit of Christmas no matter what the circumstances in your life happen to be. Christ is alive and well and that is what Christmas is all about!

Ho Ho Radio to Make you Merry!

Too nice to have playing in the background while I work!

Try it!

Ho Ho Radio

Hope you are decking the halls and enjoying the season! Artwork soon!

EDIT!

It didn't work that way, so you'll have to go HERE and then CLICK Ho, Ho Radio!

UP TIME!

UP TIME VIDEO {click}

Here is the text!

If you see injustice, STAND UP
If something needs to be said, SPEAK UP
If you make an appointment, SHOW UP
If you make a mistake, FESS UP
If you’re overstepping, BACK UP
If you get behind, CATCH UP
If they knock you down, GET UP
If you’re out of line, STRAIGHTEN UP
When your boss instructs, KEEP UP
When your elders speak, LISTEN UP
When your teachers teach, SIT UP
When your preachers preach, WAKE UP
When your country calls, MAN UP
Ladies too... WOMAN UP
When the fight is over, MAKE UP
If you’re being hard, EASE UP
If your heart is closed, OPEN UP
If you want to buy something, SAVE UP--
It’s not an entitlement, so SHUT UP!
If you make a mess, CLEAN IT UP
If you drop trash, PICK IT UP
If a car is waiting for you to
walk across the street, SPEED IT UP
If you’re cold busted, GIVE IT UP
If people fall down, HELP THEM UP--
Not the government, YOU STEP UP
If idiots start fighting, BREAK IT UP
If the music is wholesome, TURN IT UP
If the message is poisonous, THROW IT UP
If your words are vulgar, CLAM IT UP
If your words encourage, KEEP IT UP
If your pants are baggy, PULL THEM UP
If the belt’s too loose, CINCH IT UP
If your fly is down, ZIP IT UP
If you’re dressed half naked, COVER IT UP
If you can’t afford stuff, PASS IT UP--
No “bailouts” folks, PONY UP
If you made a promise, you BACK IT UP
And you can take your whining and PACK IT UP
It’s called personal responsibility, so TAKE IT UP
This country was founded on it, you can LOOK IT UP
It’s the American way people, so TURN IT UP
Because when life gets boring, you SHAKE IT UP
When life is good, you SOAK IT UP
When life’s unfair, you SUCK IT UP
When life is funny, you can YUCK IT UP
When life is sad, just LOOK STRAIGHT UP
And life’s too short people, so LIVE IT UP!

A Thought For the Day

Everything is always okay in the end;

if it's not okay,

it's not the end.

. . . a little something . . . Not Available at the "O"

This is a little gift that isn't available at the "O". I don't know about you, but that Overstock.com commercial is already on my nerves! This isn't that incredible, but a little gift for a friend - I have yet to make any of my own cards, but this is 16 cards to get her off to a slightly less stressful Christmas season. Money is tight around here this year, so chances are if I can't/don't make it out of my "I'm not a hoarder" stash, it won't be given.

If you would like to make a card gift box of your own, there is a very simple formula. Measure the length (L) and height (H) of your card. Measure the thickness (T) of your card pile. L + T + T and the H + T + T and cut one piece of cardstock to this measurement. For the top use the same formula adding 1/4 - 1/2 inch or L + T + T+ 1/4", cut. Now score both pieces at the THICKNESS measurement on all 4 sides. Cut one score line from each corner and for a nice flush edge cut a "V" from the cut score line. Glue tabs inside. For a standard 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 card with my pile of cards and envelopes meausring 2 1/4" I cut the bottom at 9 X 10 1/2" and 9 1/4" X 10 3/4". I scored on all sides at 2 1/4".

O, O, O. . . we'll let's just change that to HO, HO, HO and HOpe you are building up to a wonderful Christmas season with your family and those that are important to you!

Happy Halloween

I like Halloween. I'm not a Halloween junky like my friend Paula, but I like the cutsie side of Halloween. . . I'm sort of like the "Good Things" side of the Martha Stewart Halloween Issue. I think the "Bad Thing" side is fun to look at, but just not my style. Here are some Halloween treats from my recent Halloween themed classes. I know it's a bit late for Halloween, but most of these could be easily adapted to Thanksgiving or Christmas (or even Easter, the 4th and anything in between!) I made my very first computer template for the pumpkin box. I'm not tech savvy enough yet to know how to post a link for you here, but if you really want it, you can email me and I will send it to you. It worked for the class so I guess it's okay! I was able to print 2 to a sheet of 8.5 X 11 CS so it works for me! I made extras for my kids' teachers and they really liked them. The sisters that I visit teach enjoyed the goodie bags (along with my mom) and I gave the hats to a couple of friend's of mine for a little treat. If you'd like to see photos of my kids at the ward Fall Festival (translate Halloween Party) last night, pop on over to myMoments in Time Blog

we had a great time and my boys won Cutest Costume (again!) They have won the costume contest no matter where we have been every year of their lives!

Anyway you spend it; ghoulish or cute, have a very Happy and SAFE Halloween!

Long Time, No Time!!!

Thank YOU for Hanging In Here!!!

I have no time, but I'm making a quick post to share a couple of things. We are moving, I'm in school, still selling real estate full time and still managing a small bit of time of my creative endeavors! I have many stacked up, backed up projects just waiting to be posted, and they will post. . . E-V-E-N-T-U-A-L-L-Y!!!

Here are some fun creative photo projects I found today and if you are looking for some inspiriation and creative ways to decorate your home with loved family photos, click here

Creative Home Photo Decor

Also September is National Stamping Month and Close To My Heart is offering another fabulous promotion!

Click Here to See the EXCLUSIVE CARD KIT AND STAMP SET that is yours free this month for purchasing $60 in stamp sets

I have the new catty set for release September 1st! Combine purchases totalling $100 this month or next and receive the exclusive Stamp of the Month. . . also FREE!!! That's $62.90 in free product for spending $100 on the paper and stamps you already love!

This is the Summer Kids Cooking Class Cookbook I made for all of my students. . .nothing too spectacular, but the recipes inside are just YUMMY and the class was a blast. . . The younger set really enjoyed learning to make some recipes all on their own and the older girls had a blast making everything from Eggs Benedict to Animae Pasta Salad! Hoping to do it again next summer!