Show and Tell

The Lord has heard... and... treat yourself

Today is Friday, January 6. And I worked every day, all day, this week. Pretty cool, huh. Of course, you have to remember that our day is a part time day... but, still, I think that's pretty good!

After we got home, Ken and I took a mile walk around the neighborhood. We'll probably do it again pretty soon (probably before I finish this post). It's such a beautiful day here today. Hard to believe that at the beginning of the week I was trying to figure out if my coat would fit me because the high temperature was in the 30's. Today I think it's in the 60's... just about perfect in my book. And bright sunshiny blue skies... this is the reason we love living in North Carolina. :)

I've been wanting to show you this:

I don't know if you can read it or not, but this is a plaque that Ken had made for one of his golf buddies who got a hole-in-one while they were playing before Christmas. Ken said that all four of them who were playing saw the ball disappear into the hole and started screaming and jumping up and down and hugging each other. Makes me smile just thinking of what that must've looked and sounded like. :) I'm so happy for Bob. He's a great guy who has been a great friend to us. He's the one who made sure our leaves were blown and discarded back in November. Like I said, a great guy! (Congratulations, Bob!!)

 

I debated several different verses to use as the psalm for the day, and finally decided on this one.

Psalm 6:9

"The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer."

If you have time, you might want to get out your Bible and read all of Psalm 6. It's not very long... just ten verses. It is one of David's psalms and is one of those where he is so honest about how distraught he is feeling and where he pleads with the Lord for compassion and rescue. I can relate. And I bet you can, too. Even if you don't have a brain tumor. Because I'm learning that just about everybody has something. Something that is unpleasant. Something that is not easy. Something that is painful. Something...

And, we all need some rescuing. I'm so happy that I know the Lord. That He hears my pleas. That He answers my prayers. That He rescues me. And that He'll do that for You, too. 

 

Remember all the gift card holders that I made at Christmastime? Why not continue the gift card extravaganza into the rest of the year, too. Because, I don't know about you, but I give gift cards A LOT! 

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For this project, I made general use gift card holders out of patterned paper. Well, they're rather drink card specific because of the tags I tied around them, but I really like the way they look. And it seems like I'm giving Starbucks cards away almost everytime I turn around, so — even though I've already given two of these away — I do still have two left. Glad I decided to make several cards while I had all my supplies out. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Sip and Savor); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is American Crafts (Celebration: Pinata, Peachy Keen:  Easy as Pie, Hello Sunshine: Brilliance and Splendor); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black) and Stampin' Up (Melon Mambo); baker's twine is from The Twinery (Lemondrop, Cappuccino, Caribbean); also used several PTI dies (Gift Card Greetings, Double-Ended Banners, Tiny Tags).

That is all for today. We did take two walks... and I'm hoping that one of these days the fact that I'm watching what I eat and walking a couple of miles most days will start to show up and maybe the extra weight and inches will begin melting off. Sigh. Such a long road. But... I'm feeling good and pretty strong, and that's the most important thing.

Thank you so much for spending time here with me. I really appreciate your visit and your comments — and all the love you send our way. Let's talk again soon! Love to you from us. :)  

Give Praise to the Lord... and... Wine Bottle Tags

Today is Thursday, December 29. It's been kind of a blah day for me, so far. Which has kind of taken me by surprise because the last two days have really been pretty good. I've been in good spirits and felt mostly good. Today I've been tired and just a little crabby. I probably need to get out for a walk. That has helped in the past. 

Well, let's change the subject... Back in early December my sister-in-law Kris came to visit. We had a fabulous time together and a highlight was when we were invited to my friend Sara Gwynn's house for dinner. Sara Gwynn and Kristine had formed a strong bond earlier when Kris was seeking a way to get some champagne cupcakes from her home in California to our home in North Carolina. (The story is in the post here.)

It's about time that I posted some pictures of our time together, isn't it? Here is one of Sara Gwynn, Kris, and myself.

You can really see how tubby I've gotten to be. I'm gonna figure out how to work on that in the new year! 

Here's another photo of the three of us, but this time Sara Gwynn's husband, Doug, was included.

And, I need to post this one, too, so you can see that Ken was also with us. :)

And here's one of the reasons that I can't seem to lose weight...

Yep. I know way too many good bakers. :) (But, thanks, Sara Gwynn! We all had a fabulous time!) And, I'm so blessed with so many great friends!

 

Here is some scripture for today.

Psalm 148:1-2

"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!"

I have not really been having a very good day, as I mentioned above. But verses like this really help me to change my focus. It's easy for me to just think about me, me, me... and about my unfortunate lot in life (I say that with a bit of a smile...). But taking my focus off of me and praising the Lord instead, well, that makes a huge difference. He is to be praised. Afterall, He is the Lord who created the heavens and the earth... yet He still cares for little old me. What a wonderful thing that is! It's not a day to mope around and feel sorry for myself... it is a day to celebrate life and the God of creation! Won't you join me in the celebration? 

 

Well, let's switch gears from the gazillion Christmas gift card holders I've been posting and get to another type of gift. How about a way to dress up wine bottle gifts for the holidays? 

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Once again, I made two of this item. Since the patterned paper is two-sided, I cut one from each side... making tags that coordinated with each other. Which was especially nice since we were taking both bottles to our neighbor's house on Christmas Eve. 

(Take a good look at those snowman faces. Does it look to you like they've been imbibing a little? Their smiles are just a little too goofy. :) Didn't think of that until just now, but it is a little funny, don't you think? I know... it doesn't take a whole lot to amuse me!) 

 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Banner Builder, Fillable Frames #8, Tag-its #8); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is Basic Grey (Jovial: button nose); ink is SU (Pure Poppy) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); marker is SU (Basic Black); baker's twine is The Twinery (Mandarin); also used PTI dies (Double-Ended Banners, Wine Bottle Tag, Tag Sale #5).

Well, it looks like I may be finishing my post early again today. Yay for me! I've already been on one walk this afternoon, but since I'm posting early I think I'll be able to get another one in before it gets too cold and dark.

Thank you so very much for stopping by to visit with me... and for listening to my daily ups and downs. (I should probably say "my momentary ups and downs" because the downs are really pretty fleeting...) This is an interesting journey that I'm on and I'm so thankful that I have people who are willing to share it with me. So... I'm sending you big hugs of thanks and bushels of love!   

upraised hands... and... happy happy joy tag

Today is Thursday, December 22. After a break of a few days, I'm going to try to get back into blogging. I've missed you! :) But we did have a great time in Raleigh with Britt & Kenneth. The last time that I was there they hadn't moved into their house, so it was fun to see it in all its holiday glory.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures until after they had each left for work, so all you get are house pictures. If you look very closely at the photo above, you may notice a touch of orange at the right side of the porch. Yes... pumpkins. Too bad I didn't notice them earlier... because they could really use three little Santa hats to make their holiday display compete. :)

Since we're showing Christmas decorations here, did I ever show you our tree when it was all decorated and lit? Well, here it is:

 Check out the angel on top. It's kind of ugly, I think, but it's packed with meaning. First of all, I made it. It was our first Christmas and the fabric used to make the angel was mostly from our wedding... the angel's body was from the dresses my bridesmaids wore, her head was from my dress, and I'm not sure about all the rest right now, but I know that most, if not all, of the angel was made from pieces of our wedding. So it may be ugly with an early 1980's look, but it is quite meaningful to me. And to my kids... well, it's Christmas.

And since we're also (kind of) talking about our short trip to Raleigh, I thought I'd show you the radio display that I noticed on our way home.

I just love it when God shows up in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. How perfect that we were listening to Elton John sing about stepping into Christ. :) Isn't that what Christmas... really, what our lives... should all be about? Stepping into Christ? For once the radio display cut off at just the right letter.

 

So, let's step into Christ right now. Well, actually, we're going to go into the Old Testament... but the God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament and vice versa, right? :) Anyway, here is the scripture I chose for today.

Psalm 141:1-2

"O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help! Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering."

You've gotta love the psalms. They are filled with constant reminders to stay in touch with the Lord... to not hesitate to cry out to Him when you are in need... to pray and to praise.

Thank You, Lord, for hearing me when I call. For listening to me. For accepting me, even with all my faults.

I'm so thankful that I have a Saviour who cares about the details of my life! And He cares about your details, too. Share them with Him and listen to Him speak to you... He desires a relationship. Raise your hands to Him. Call out to Him... He loves you so!  

 

You may remember my crazy rule about using all new supplies at least once before purchasing anything else (from the same company... that's a new part of the rule. :) ) So, I have quite a few Papertrey Ink items that I haven't used yet — and one is the Tag-its #10 set which is birthday themed... however, I used it here to make a Christmas tag. Gotta love the versatility of PTI stamps!

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I also used the alphabet dies for the first time. Check two things off the list! :)

You can probably tell from the photo to the left that I don't get too crazy with bows on my packages. I'd like to but when it comes right down to it, I usually run out of time — so I let the tag do the job. And I think that's OK. 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Tag-its #10); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White) and Stampin' Up (Real Red); ink is SU (Pear Pizzazz, Real Red, Daffodil Delight); baker's twine is Divine Twine (Green Apple); ribbon is from my stash; also used PTI dies (Block Alphabet Collection and Tag Sale #2).

One more thing from our short time in Raleigh that I want to share. Since we don't have an Archivers in Charlotte, I usually try to make visiting the Raleigh store a priority when I'm in town. Like I need more stuff. But... it's just too hard to resist when you're nearby. And, you do know that Valentine's Day is coming up, right?

So do I. And now I have a stash of new stuff that will be great for Valentine projects. So, pretty soon all the Christmas stuff will be packed away to make room for the hearts and red and pink. How fun! 

That will be all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of your day! (Oh, Ken tells me that I haven't given you a medical update for awhile. I guess I don't really feel like there is much to report. But thinking about it now, I guess I didn't tell you about how my love-hate relationship with steroids is currently going. Increasing the steroids back up to 2mg a day was a good thing, I guess. I've felt better... more normal — whatever that means. And it definitely helped me enjoy the trip to Raleigh. So all is good. We'll stay at this dose through Christmas, I think. Then I suppose we'll take a look at how things are going and make a decision on what to do next. What an adventure! Thanks for caring... and, most of all, thanks for your prayers!)  

The Armor of God

Today is Wednesday, September 7. I have an appointment with my oncologist today — the first since treatment began. And only my second altogether. I think that's causing me some in-the-back-of-my-head anxiety because I've felt rather out of sorts and unfocused this morning. Not horribly bad... but for me — who just does not worry about stuff — it's a little troubling. I think I'll take a nap. That's how I have always dealt with unpleasantness. Usually works for me. :)

So — here is some scripture for today... taken from the Psalms.

Psalm 51:1, 8, 10-13, 15-17

"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.... Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me — now let me rejoice.... Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels and they will return to you.... Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." 

Well, I don't know how I could need God's mercy more than right at this moment. Nothing like being laid bare and totally weak, is there?

The above was written before I went to my oncologist and radiology appointments today... and I'll get more into that later, but now I am at a point where it is easier to have the joy of the Lord's salvation. When I started this post, I was struggling quite a bit to stay positive and upbeat. I mean, we all know that life isn't all bubblegum and roses. Sometimes it is just downright unpleasant. But, you know... today I was making it that way for myself. I was letting things into my head that are not of the Lord... doubt... fear... anxiety... stuff like that. I read my Bible. I started my blog post. I turned on my praise and worship music. I closed my eyes to take a nap. I had a snack. (OK... I had about 4...) Nothing really worked. And that troubles me a bit. Because I like to think that I'm "better" than that. (Sounds prideful, doesn't it? That's because it is.) Being humbled can be a good thing. And being reminded that you need the Lord (no matter how "good" of a Christian you are) is definitely a good thing. Now — I'm not fully convinced that next time I'm faced with an anxiety-filled situation that I'll be all calm, cool, collected, and spiritual — but hopefully I'll prep myself more in the days leading up to it. Targeted prayers would probably be a good idea. And, I hate to admit it, but my prayer life — while it probably seems pretty great and solid to you — is not to the level it has been in the past. Definitely time to change that! Because... I don't want a repeat of this kind of anxiety-filled morning. God wants me to be filled with peace so that I can exude peace and comfort to those I come into contact with. (By the way, he wants you to be filled with peace so you can do the same for those you know, too.) Hopefully I'll have the discipline to make the changes necessary. You can pray for that. :)

And, the Lord has been so good to us! After me eating my way through the house and being probably not very nice to Ken for the whole morning, we went to the oncologist, lunch at Dean & Deluca (and frozen yogurt at Pinkberry :) ), and then the radiologist. All my blood counts look good to the doctors — appropriate for a chemo patient anyway. The swelling that I'm having in my legs and elsewhere they said is due to the high dose of steroids that they put me on when I went loopy a couple weekends ago. Now they're going to start slowly backing me down on the steroids. Hopefully that'll go well (you can add it to your prayer list, too :) ). So — the day that started out with me going (quietly) bonkers, has turned into a good day after all. So God-like. Why do I not trust more at the beginning? Crazy. (And thanks so much for your prayers and support!)

 

Let's get into today's craft. It should go into the better-late-than-never category (if I had a category like that, anyway). This scripture tag book was supposed to be given a page at a time to the weekday school staff members who attended the monthly prayer breakfast during the last school year. Well, they never got a single page — but now I've made 12 complete booklets so twelve of the staff who attended will have a reminder to wear their armor on a daily (well... hourly... moment-by-moment!) basis. (I think I should've thought about my armor earlier today!)

(By the way — if you like wedding pictures or are a personal friend or are just the curious sort... you'll want to scroll down past all this craft stuff...) 

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Here are the nine pages...

one...

I wanted you to see the the back of the page more clearly. I stamped lines on the back of each page. The idea was that the teachers could take notes on each verse as we discussed it in prayer breakfast. But... now they can just write down some of their impressions as they read through each verse. (These photos will get a little bigger if you click on them...)

 

That was page 2 up there... 

and here's page 3...

page 4...

page 5...

page 6...

page 7...

page 8...

and page 9...

And here they are all packed up and ready to take to school...

My original plan had an attractive cover, a title... all that stuff. But sometimes plans change and this one went down to the basics. Of course no one probably would have even thought of that if I weren't such a blabber mouth. :)

AND TELL:  stamp is from Papertrey Ink (Journaling Lines); cardstock is PTI (Kraft, Vintage Cream, Rustic White) and Stampin' Up (Baja Breeze, Mellow Moss); ink is SU (Early Espresso) and PTI (Tea Dye Duo); ribbon is SU seam binding (Rose Red, Baja Breeze) and PTI satin (Fine Linen); baker's twine is Divine Twine (Aqua, Lemon); also used maps from a vintage atlas, a Cricut cartridge, and DMC embroidery floss #761.

Hopefully this little booklet will be a good reminder to those who receive it — your armor is essential to your defense. Wear it!

And here's what the little teaser above was about...

the blog post from the photographer of Britt & Kenneth's wedding (click on the colored words above). Such a sweet little write-up and some awesome photos of the day. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I know we weren't! :) (Thanks so much, Abigail! And Traci, too!)

Well, if you're still hanging in there with me, you've probably spent enough of your time here. But I really, really appreciate your interest, your prayers, and your love! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope the rest of your day is all bubblegum and roses. :) (That is... if you like bubblegum like I do... otherwise maybe it could be sunshine and roses... :) ) Hugs to you!!

 

Tags for Guy Bags

Today has been Saturday, August 6 (I think...).

We were released from the hospital a little before noon this morning, and I don't mind telling you that it's been a long and hard day. While it's good to be home — and I'm definitely looking forward to sleeping in a regular-sized bed with real sheets — nothing is normal and I've never been really good at being the center of attention.

That said, I cannot tell you how overwhelmed we are by the outpouring of love, support, and FOOD (maybe too much food!). It's so appreciated and so undeserved. (And we're going to be so fat!)

And here's what I looked like going home. 

I call it my mission trip look. When I was in Nicaragua several years ago I noticed lots of women wearing random t-shirts from various events in the U.S. — often with a non-matching skirt. Guess Ken likes the look because this is what he brought me to wear home from the hospital. :) 

 

Now, let's leave all that behind. 

Today I was planning to post the tags that I made for the bags that the girls in the wedding party used for their belongings after they changed into their wedding clothes. However, when I went to find the pictures... they simply don't exist. Oops. Guess that I had a mental lapse.

So — here's Plan B. The tags that went on the bags with the groomsmen and usher gifts.

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One color for the ushers and one for the groomsmen.

Premade tags, a little texturing, twine, and masculine-ish patterned paper. That's it. 

AND TELL:  (what? no stamps?!?), tags are from Avery (4-3/4"x 2-3/8"), patterned paper is from Bo Bunny 's Back to Backs line and Webster"s Pages (Petite Papers Garden Gala line); twine is Papertrey Ink (Rustic Jute); buttons are PTI (Royal Velvet); also used a PTI embossing plate (Picnic Plaid), a Cricut cartridge (Plantin SchoolBook), and bags from Walmart. 

They served the purpose and looked pretty good,too. (But, truly, I don't think the guys cared one iota if they got special bags or not... :) )

We're exhausted and Ken is here waiting for me to finish this post so he can get to bed. And so I can get to bed. So, I think I better close this out. Thanks so much for your outpouring of love and prayers on our behalf. And now we're off to sleep in our own bed with our own sheets and pillows. What a luxury. Hope you sleep in peaceful luxury tonight, too. :) Hugs from us to you!

Gift Box & Tag

Written late Monday night, August 1:

After my last post, I suspect that you may be at least somewhat interested in my medical stuff. So — when I'm able, I give you a brief update here. And then follow it up with something crafty.

I'm writing this on Monday near midnight while I'm waiting for my nurse's aide to wheel me downstairs for a scan of some kind. I drank all my cups of not-so-tasty fluid and just got the word that they now need to put a new and better IV thingy in my arm before they can do the scan. Bummer. But I'm assured they're sending in the pros. :)

Written Tuesday night, August 2:

OK, now it's Tuesday, and what I know is that my tumor is deep inside my brain, near the center, on the left side, but close to the right side. They can't remove it, but they are planning to bore a hole and take a piece of the tumor for analysis. I guess the best case scenario is that it will be non-malignant and can be shrunk with radiation or something. (Can you tell I'm not too medically minded?) [Well, truly, I guess the best case scenario is that when they look inside my head tomorrow there will be nothing there. Well... not really nothing. haha. :) Just not any of the bad stuff. So that will be my prayer. Complete healing.]

I'm scheduled for this surgery tomorrow morning, hopefully around 9:00. Of course, that is very subject to change as priorities for the O.R. adapt to the needs of the day. We'll see about updating the blog with the latest information — no promises, though.

Written Wednesday, August 3, about 1:00 p.m.

I thought I sent this yesterday, but the brain must not've been working too well. :) Last night they changed the schedule for today and now I'm supposed to be taken back for surgery at 3:30 — but they've started hooking me up to leg pumps and stuff, so I guess it could be anytime. If there's an abrupt ending to this information, I apologize. My time is not my own right now.

Grrrr. This is the third time I've started to finish this post... not saved... and lost my connection.

So — I just signed new consent papers that say they are going in to biopsy a lesion. Today I've been told that it could be a tumor, a stroke, a lesion, an infection... basically, they're going to try to find out what that spot deep inside my brain is. They'll take a piece of it to analyze and then, I guess, form a plan of action.

I'm going to try to teach Ken how to update the blog; we'll see how that goes. :) If we don't get to it, maybe Britt can take over when she gets back from her honeymoon. (Welcome home, Baby! :) )

So — thanks so much for your emails, notes, comments, messages, words of encouragement and PRAYERS. They mean more to me and my family than you know. Know that I go into surgery with peace in my heart and mind. My Lord is with me and all is well.

Now, how about some crafty fun. So much better than all this medical talk! :)

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I made this cute little box to house a special gift for Britt from Ken's cousin Kay. It is a salt cellar that, if I remember right, belonged to Ken & Kay's grandmother on the Hayes side of the family. Definitely a heartfelt gift and Britt was thrilled to receive such a special family heirloom — probably not valuable monetarily but certainly precious in sentiment.

Of course, the box needed a tag, too — so I whipped up a tag with kind of a hide-away message. (Good thing I was there to show Britt where it was!)

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Tag-its #3 and #4); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream) and Stampin' Up (scraps of Tempting Turquoise and Cool Caribbean); patterned paper is Anna Griffin (Isabelle Collection); ink is SU (Tangerine Tango, Regal Rose, Basic Gray); ribbon is from Michaels; also used SU's 1-3/4" circle punch and PTI's 1-3/4" Limitless Layers dies and Back to Basics Box template.

The weekend that Britt and her future mother-in-law came to Charlotte for the bridal showers, we spent part of Saturday night opening all the gifts that had arrived at the house.

There was quite a stack and my girl who likes to stay ahead of the game was eager to start writing thank you notes. :)

Besides the salt cellar from Cousin Kay,

she received a couples special items from her registry...

a creamer and sugar bowl from our good friend Susie, whose sister lives down the street from us (and who is always so kind to ask about our kids and be interested in what they are doing)...

and a tablecloth and napkins from Aunt Kris (and family). Aunt Krissy is an entertainer extraordinaire and it was fun to see her get Britt started down the road to fancy dinner parties and nice holiday dinners.

A real highlight was the gift from Aunt Lynne and Uncle Mike —

an oak end table handcrafted by Michael. I know it will treasured by Kenneth & Britt as the handiwork of Uncle Mike.

There were quite a few more gifts, but I had to stop taking pictures and start taking notes on who had sent what... the thank you note girl saw to that. :)

I was going to try to get a some posts ready to go for the next few days, but don't think that's going to happen. Sorry that you'll have to wait a bit longer for the wedding pictures and fun. And, since I'm not sure what to expect after tonight — well, I don't really know when I'll be back. I'll try to teach Ken how to provide you with updates. But know that you won't be far from my mind — and i hope you'll keep me close in thought and prayer. Love and hugs!

honey.... ah, sugar, sugar...

Do you remember that song by the Archies?

I loved that song. It was the first 45 that I bought using my own money. And most of you probably don't even know what a 45 is, do you? It is a little record that has a big hole in the middle that you play on your record player... one song on each side. That probably didn't clear things up much, did it? :)

Anyway, this gift tag was inspired by that song. Obviously, I was running low on ideas...

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As I mentioned before, I like to tie a gift onto the outside of the package, too. This one is a screen printed tea towel that I purchased on Etsy. I originally saw it on one of Cath's posts in her Moxie Fab World and decided that Britt had to have it. Gosh... it's kinda fun being the mother of the bride! :)

 

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Tea for Two Additions, Warm Happiness Too); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Barely Banana, Very Vanilla); patterned paper is from my stash; ink is SU (So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie); baker's twine is Divine Twine (orange); also used PTI dies (Mat Stack 4, Warm Happiness).

That will have to do for today. Things are busy, busy, busy around here. I've got lots more wedding related posts to share. Come back soon — I love visiting with you!

 

Ticket to Love

So, I had a bit of fun making tags for the gifts that I took to Britt's bridal showers. This one was inspired by something Britt told me that Kenneth says when he's really excited about an event — "punch my ticket... I love this ride!" Seemed like it could work as inspiration for a bridal shower gift tag.

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When wrapping a gift, I like to tie a little something on top of the package — kinda making it a gift outside and in. I bought these wooden utensils at a great little shop in Winona Lake when we were in Indiana last month. They're smooth as silk... so, so nice. (They can be ordered online, too, here.)

And — since I always like to know what's inside a box, I thought you might, too. This box held eight little accent plates that coordinate with the every day dishes that were on Britt & Kenneth's gift registry. (Teal colored every day plate on the bottom.) Pretty, aren't they?

AND TELL: stamps are from Stampin' Up (Alphabits, Straight Up Alphabet & Numbers, ) and Papertrey Ink (Just the Ticket); cardstock is SU (Kiwi Kiss) and PTI (Rustic White) plus some used to diecut birdies a long time ago; ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black); also used K&Company embossed stickers and PTI dies (Just the Ticket border, Button Card, Heart Prints, and Little Bitty Birds).

 And here's a picture that's sort of symbolic of the way things go around here sometimes. That's the upstairs trash that was on its way outside for trash day. Ken said, "I wasn't even moving too fast!" (If you know him, you know how funny that is... he doesn't really know how to move slowly.) :)

Also, today was my final day of work before the wedding. Tomorrow I'll finish up those last minute details (like I still need shoes!!!). Yep... the big day is almost here!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a few minutes here with me. I have another gift tag to show you tomorrow and see no reason why I shouldn't get around to it. Unless, of course, the search for shoes goes awry. (Surely not!) So — see you tomorrow! :)

It's Your Day

This tag should probably read, "It's Your Weekend!" Because that what it was nearly two weeks ago now... Britt's weekend.

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Britt and her mother-in-law to-be arrived from Raleigh on that Saturday morning — an hour before Britt said they would be here. Of course, since she was an hour early, my mom and I weren't home when they arrived. I mean... an hour?!? I was in the dressing room at Anthropology when Britt called to say, "Where are you and what is the code to get in the house?" Gotta use every minute, you know. And... when my house is clean, it's probably best for me to not be in it. I can trash a place faster than anyone I know...  :)

Anyway, this gift (which I actually took to the second shower of the weekend) was put together with Kenneth in mind. He loves to grill and was apparently quite excited about some of the options when they were filling out their bridal registry. Since he also seems to have a love affair with coolers and thermal beverage containers, I included one in the big bucket of goodies that I chose from their registry and supplemented with some party goods that just fit in with the color scheme — then I placed a wrapped grill pan underneath and tied it all together with some gingham ribbon. Yes — I know, I can get a little carried away... but it's hard for me to resist a pulled-together, color-coordinated gift package. Especially when it's for my daughter and her soon-to-be husband!

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Star Prints, Flower Fusion #1, #3, and #4); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White); patterned paper is Kaiser Craft (Vagabond Gypsy); ink is Stampin' Up (Wild Wasabi, Crushed Curry, So Saffron) and PTI (True Black); buttons are PTI (Scarlet Jewel); twine is PTI (Rustic Jute); also used PTI dies (Parisian Doily and Flower Fusion #1, #3, and #4).

So — I thinks that's it for now. I went to work today... and plan to go tomorrow, too — then it'll be one day at home pulling things together and early Friday morning we'll set off for Raleigh in two cars and with loads of bridal shower gifts, wedding gifts that have been delivered here, wedding clothes, and a variety of decorations and things for the festivities. Can't believe it's almost here! Just four more days. Woohoo! (How's that, Britt?) :)

Things seem under control, so I plan to be back again tomorrow. Thanks so much for visiting and I'll see you again soon!

Welcome

If you've visited me here before, you may remember that I like to leave a little welcome card in our guest room when we have overnight company. A couple of weekends ago, we had guests in three rooms at our house — my mom, Britt, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law. Time was short (as it has been often lately), so I made these simple tags.

SHOW

But simple tags are no good by themselves. They need to be attached to something. And since, like I said, time was short, I punched holes in prepackaged snacks and attached them all together with a binder ring onto which I tied the tag with baker's twine. That way my guests had snacks at their fingertips in case I didn't remember to offer goodies (which happens a lot to me these days... the not remembering thing). That means I started out our bridal shower weekend by making sure we had snacks... that's just so me... :)

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Wreath for All Seasons, Tag-its #3); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip); also used SU markers (Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie).

If I get a chance over the next few days I'll show you the tags that I made for the shower gifts I gave to Britt. And maybe some pictures from the showers, too. And then, before long, I should have some wedding pictures to show... it's only 5 days away now. (And, since yesterday I was gently chastised for saying "eek" after my countdown number, today I'll say, "YAY!" — just five more days! :) )

Thanks so much for stopping by... hope to see you again soon!