Elmo and Happy New Year

Hi all!!! 
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!!!!  I sure did, great time with family and friends!  It was really spectacular!  And we had safe travels and everything - it was near perfect.  Hope yours was too!  I think this will probably be my last post for 2010.  Mike and I will be enjoying the holiday with my bestie and her family and friends in Southern Indiana. 
I made this cute card one of girlfriend's kids.  She just turned 5 and she loves Elmo so I thought this was appropriate.  I am not a big Elmo fan - he stole the spotlight and left my beloved Grover standing in the dust.  Everything is Elmo now days and although I have to admit he's cute, I get sick of his voice.  Grumble, grumble.  I like the classics best cause that's when I was a kid.  Grover, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird....etc.  But GROVER has always been my fave!!!  :)  Love that furry, blue monster! 
Anyway...
Here is the card I made!
I used my gypsy which made it extremely easy!!!! 

Well, here's to a FANTASTIC New Year's!!!!  :)  Talk to you next year! 

TTFN,

Tammy

Wicked awesome

Hi my friends! 
What a great vacation we are having so far!  Let's see....to begin the weekend - I got an iPad!!!  What a great gift is that?!?!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! :)  It was a great way to start the weekend! That was Friday.  Saturday, I spent a lot of time making cookies and hanging with my BF.  He fixed the fabuloso steak dinner I had blogged about.  YUMMO!!!  Seriously...I don't think it's legal for food to taste so good! Sunday was good too - more baking, good times with my fam.  It was great!  Then Monday was my first official day of vacation....I took the kiddos shopping, we got all finished up and had a good time together.  I think they are aware that Santa is watching...but I don't care what the reason.  We really did enjoy eachother! 
Then....last night.  WICKED!  Wow!!!  What a great musical!  It is a new fave!  We had a wicked awesome time!!  I'd gotten the tix for my daughter's 13th bday....she has aspirations to perform on Broadway.  I think she will make it too!  She's pretty amazing!  If you get the chance...you should see it!  You won't be disappointed!
Today has been wonderful too!!  We had a jammie and movie day!  We have done next to nothing all day long!  :)  Nice and easy!  We have watched 3 movies and laughed and chatted, we did wrap a few presents, but that's about it.  Days like today are so few and far between I am so happy to get to spend them with my babies!!! :) 
I am going to share a few pictures with you....
Hope you are having a great week as well!!! :)
Merry Christmas!!
Tammy

My daughter ready for Wicked:

The set for Wicked:

My brother with his blankie!  :)

 My pretty little puppy all ready for Santa...

And, finally, I asked my son to get me a pop and this is what he brought to me.  I really heart that boy!!!

(I love you, mommy....Awwww!)

Calendar Gifts

Hi Crafty people!!!
I was given a gift similar to this a few years ago and have thought about making one ever since.  Well, now I'm wondering which one I'm gonna keep cause they all turned out pretty stinkin' cute.  I just took an acrylic frame and used my beloved cricut to add some jazz and printed off a 2011 calendar.  Voila!  I love the result!  I did a blog on them a little earlier this year, but thought it may be a good idea to repost as Christmas gifts are in the making!  I know some of my lady friends will be getting these!  :)
Hope they like them!

TTFN,
Tammy

Randomness

Hi pals....
I really do think of you all as my friends.  In saying that, I have some true to life friends that I actually see on a regular basis.  A few of them are even followers!  I felt the need to point that out because I may be embarrassed for sharing today, but here goes.
I am wearing the most God-awful, uncomfie pair of granny panties that I think I've ever worn.  Why am I wearing them then, you ask.  Because I need to do laundry, that's why.  Not just a load or two.  Oh no, that would be a cinch!  I'm talking about possibly 10 loads!  Ugh!  I really hate laundry.  Actually that's a lie, I don't mind doing it - I HATE folding it and putting it away.  I am tempted to take off these panties and just go commando.  That is pitiful.  I should be embarrassed, I s'pose, but who hasn't been here, really.  With so much other more fun important things to do, I really just don't want to do laundry.  So there.  I want to shop, read cards, wrap presents, make cookies, eat cookies, eat treats, eat everything.  I don't want to do laundry.  I just had an idea!!!  MAYBE...I'll just shop for some new panties!  There!  Problem solved!  :)  I love it when things come together!  :)  Okay, not practical.  Esp not when I have better things to spend money on right now.  Including a reciprocating saw that my BF just told me he would like to have.  What the heck is a reciprocating saw!?!  Honestly, I love tools although I don't play with them much, so I'm figuring that this will be a win/win type present cause it looked pretty neat when I looked it up on the Sears website.  I think there are some projects I could use it for AND it could get some things done on the Honey Do List as well! 
YAY, I'm off of work next week.  I'm looking forward to playing with the kids, eating too much, baking too much, visiting neighbors, watching movies, sipping cocoa with Bailey's and alcohol infused whipped cream!  OMG...have you tried that stuff???  If not, run out and get some.  It's a little pricey - about $10 a bottle and you have to shake the tar out of it before it will come out smoothly, but it is sooooo worth it!!!  Delish and delish!  :)  Totally yummy!
This weekend it's just me and Mike in the house.  Oh how I am looking forward to that too!  Not even any games to go to.  All we have to do is breath all day.  WOW!!  AND he said that he's going to get steaks for us for tomorrow night.  OMG!  You don't even understand...this man is a grill MASTER!!  He makes the best steaks I've ever laid my lips on!  Seriously!  I no longer can order a steak at a restaurant unless it's very high end (which I hardly ever go to).  YUM!!!  Reason 5,234,985,439,299,001 that I love him so!  He really is a great man, I am a lucky girl.  
Okay, I guess  I'll end on that mushy note and I will wait impatiently patiently for this last workday to go by so I can return home from work and so that we can start our 'together' weekend and let our batteries recharge for a busy, fun, family-filled , alcohol infused week! 
Hopefully I will touch base sometime next week, but if not, have a Very Merry Christmas!!!!!
TTFN,
Tammy

PS - I'm thinking I will lose these panties any minute!  YUCK!

Personalized Bag

Hi friends!! 
Sorry it's been a while since I've blogged....tis the season, I suppose!  :)  Hope you all are doing well!  I have been busy, busy!  We are working on a HUGE project at work and I've been working a lot lately.  That's okay...I love my job!  But I do wish I had more hours in a day so I could craft every day.  I'm sure we all do!  I haven't seen the craft room to actually make a craft in a while.....I use it to wrap though also and I've gotten a lot of that done though!  YAY!!  I need to get my son a few more things though....any inexpensive ideas for an 11 year old??? 
Well, I did make one of my gf's daughters this cute bag!!! I found all of the stuff at Hobby Lobby....the bag was $4-$5.  The zebra material is actually a bandana!  I just used fuisable web on the back then cut it out on the cricut with the Hello Kitty font.  I had the feathery stuff and used that to bling it up some.  Oh, and I used fabric paint around it.  I think it turned out pretty cute! 
Hope you are all having a great holiday season!!
TTFN,

Tammy

Cuppie cake card

YAY!!  It's Friday!  That is niiiice!  Tonight we are gonna go get our tree too - yay!!!  Christmas will be in the house!
I expect to get some serious wrapping done over the weekend and a Christmas party on Sunday.  Fun!  I may do some baking but I am actually taking the week before Christmas off with the kiddos so I may wait so that they can help me. 
I wanted to share a cuppie cake card that I recently made.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute. 
 



Well, as the card tells ya....Have a great day!
TTFN,
Tammy

Penquin Card and General Ramblings

Howdy do!!!
Baby, it is cooooold outside!!  Seems like January weather in December.  I'm hoping that means a nice long spring and not a longer winter!  Does make it feel a little more like Christmas maybe, but it makes me want to stay inside!  I have a lot to do before Christmas still....oh well!  We will be getting our tree on Friday and we'll decorate it up then have my brother and his family over on Sunday.  That will be a good time.  Grandma is going to join us too!  YAY!  :)  I'm going to try a new recipe that Mike's dad's squeeze, Lynn, gave to me (boy, say that 5 times!)  I'm sure it will be good!  I don't think I've shared any recipes on here yet....hmmm.  I'll have to do that.  I love to cook!  I try to make a menu every week - works out fairly well.  Grocery shop on the weekend according to what we need then prepare as much as I can to make things easier through the week.  Saves money and I feel like it is a lot healthier even if it's hotdogs, green beans, and mac'n'cheese some nights (last nights fine dining experience). 
I wanted to show you this card that I made for my boy who looooves penguins.  I'm not exactly sure why - could be from Happy Feet?  That was a cute movie...  I'm not sure, but he sure likes them and I like him so therefore I like penguins too!  :)  Although we don't agree on everything, mind you...the music he is listening to right now.  Eh gads!!!  He usually has pretty good taste, but he is stuck on some song that is driving me batty. 
We are almost done shopping...just a few things left to get.  I need to wrap, wrap, wrap.  I also need to get some gift bags for the odd-shaped stuff.  I just don't don't need that extra challenge right now!  I do like to wrap though.  (just Wrap...not rap, that takes me back to my son's music selection...ugh!)  And Ugh takes me to my daughter's wish list....UGG boots.  I tell her that they are appropriately named cause I just think they are UGGLY.  :)  Any of you think that too?  I don't know yet...they are awfully expensive.  I'll have to see what Santa thinks - she has expensive taste, but she doesn't ask for much. 

Okay, enough rambling.... here's the cutest summery penguin card that I've ever made!!  (the only one too!)  And look - no cricut!!  Although that Create-A-Critter penguin is cuuuuuute!



I'd love to hear what you are up to!!
TTFN,

Tammy

Stuff

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! 50 followers!!!!!!
This is a great way to start the day!!!!  Thank you!!!!!  :)  I truly am humbled and really enjoy that I can inspire you!!  Trust me, you are all an inspriation to me as well!!  Thank YOU!!!!!!

Also want to give a THANK YOU to  my new friend at http://attemptingaloha.blogspot.com/2010/12/girls-room-project-2-shabby-chic.html  look at this cool clock she made from a $5 clock at Walgreen's!!!  Check out her blog and she will send you the template if you want it!  She must have spent hours working on it.  Thanks!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!
I don't know many people that celebrate, but we always put a little something (a clemintine and some chocolate) in the kid's stockings on St. Nicholas day.  It lets them know that they are on the right track for Santa to arrive.  Kinda a fun tradition. 

Today is also the little Princess Tinkerbelle's birthday!!!  She is 7 years old!  :)  Yes, she's my dog.  I know it's insane, but I love that little girl!  To celebrate we bought her a present...it's stairs she can use to climb up and get on the bed!!!!  YAY Tink!!!  See, she's only 3 pounds and can't jump on the couch or bed, or anything.  She's just a wee one.  We always have to give her 'elevator rides' to get up.  Problem is, she looooves to sleep in bed with us, but she often will jump down to get a drink or whatnot and then she whines for us to lift her back up....no longer!!!  Now she has stairs at the foot of the bed and she can make her way!  YAY!!!  I think the gift is as much for us as it is for her, but she loves them, I can tell!  We also got her blechy wet dog food and some treats.  She is gonna have a very happy birthday!  LOL!  The kids even think I'm off my rocker, but oh well.  She really does bring me a lot of joy, so what's the harm?!?! 

ALSO - the 12 days of Christmas is over, but I still have gifts to make so you will still see some more!  This week I plan to make some of the glitter ornaments and also some sock cupcakes and body scrub.  I know I've seen those around blogland a lot...but they are soooo cute!  I think most women would be happy to receive them!  AND I have my Christmas stuff out!!  Wahoo!  I just need to get a tree on Friday and decorate the heck out of it before Sunday then I will be all done!!! :)  WHEW!!!

Happy Crafting!
TTFN,
Tammy

12 Days of Christmas - Day Twelve The Beatles

YAY!!!!  I did it!!!!  I love it when a goal works out!!  This is my 12th post to help give inspiration for easy, inexpensive gifts!  I have saved one of the best for last!  I can't tell you how my jaw dropped when I saw this posted on http://always-in-wonder.blogspot.com/  Thanks, Jennifer!!!  You should check out her blog - she's awesome!!!!  Anyway, I copied her idea and printed off the Abby Road image from google, cut out the fab four, ran them through my sticker maker machine.  Slapped them on the blank canvas and then I went to work with Black Acrylic paint.  Once I was satisfied with the way it looked I carefully removed the sticker.  Super easy and SUPER DOOPER COOLIO!!!!  Man, look at that!  Amazing!  I have a couple of mess ups, but I don't care.  I can't wait for my BF and his son to open these on Christmas day!  I am ready to do more!

Thanks so much for looking and here's what you may have missed:

Thanks again.  I hope you all have happy, healthy holidays!!! :)
This has been a lot of fun!
TTFN,
Tammy

12 Days of Christmas - Day Eleven - Flower Tacks

Happy Day 11!  Wahoo!  Hope you are getting some inspiration and hope you are getting your gift list tackled! 
This was a fun idea that a friend shared with me.  Flower Tacks!!!!  I should have taken step by step pictures, but I didn't think about it until now.  However, it is easy, peasy!!  My kind of craft.  Looks very chic, but anyone can do it! 
Take a piece of scrapbook paper approximately 4 inches square then draw a spiral starting in the middle going out.  Do this on the plain side of the paper - this will be the inside of the flower.  Here is an example....

You will need to cut this out on the line so you end up with a springy piece of paper.   Play with the diameter and height to get different looks!
Next step is to roll.  Starting with the outside end start rolling tightly.  Be careful to try to keep each roll tight and straight along the bottom.  (there is a tool you can use to assist with this that makes a world of difference!  if you plan on making more than one of these, i would highly recommend it!)  when you get to the end you will be left with a little 'flap' that fits nicely against the bottom of the flower.  Carefully stick a tack through that flap with the decorative side on the outside and glue the flap to the rest of the flower.  Be generous with the Elmer's to be sure it sticks the flower together too so that it won't unravel.  Once you've got your flower all nice let it dry then I like to smoosh (yes, technical term - don't let it intimidate you; this is easy) it down so the 'petals' fold in a bit.  I suppose you could do that as you go too. 
Cute!
Then I just tacked them onto some cork that I cut to size a frame I had.  I had to use two layers of cork though because the tack was long and looked funny. 
I think it would look nice on someone's desk!

And, here's what you've missed:

TTFN,
Tammy

Tie-Fleece Blanket

Hi fellow crafters!!

One of my co-workers is amazing.  Well, more than one is amazing, but one in particular is extremely fabulous!!!  My friend Lynn, who is really more like a mama to me is awesome!  I can't tell you all of teh reasons why but reason 5,223,234,090,957,001 is that she taught me how to make a fleece blanket.  I thought I knew how to make these as I made some several years ago, however, I am sooo much better now!  First of all, I didn't even use two layers way back them - I used a layer of fleece and a layer of fabric.  This way is so much better!  I also didn't know how to do the corners - I'm still not sure how cutting a 4" square out of the fabric in each corner makes the corners come together, but it works!  I'm glad I trusted her!  :)  It was kinda a pain to cut and tie, but honestly not too bad.  The bad thing is that Lynn suggested 2.5 yards of fabric for an adult and said that she believes most are made at 2 yards.  WELL, becauase my brother is 6 foot 6!!!!!  (yea, he's TALL - I'm not overweight, I'm undertall!) I decided to go with 3 yards of each the top and bottom fleece.  The results....a beautiful, but HUGE blanket!  JUST WHAT I WANTED!!!  I want my favorite brother (my only bro heehee!) to have enough blanket to tuck under is feet and pull up over his shoulders.  I want him to be as comfy as possible and I think this will do the trick!!!  Shhhh....don't tell him!  I picked out a cool fisherman's fabric because when we were kids he may as well have slept in a ball cap with his fishing rod!  He loves to fish the way I love to pester him....well, it's close anyway.  :) 

Front side of blanket

Back side of blanket

Look how loooong it is!  I put sized 8 mens slippers next to it so you can see how long!  It's approx 8 feet long!  :) 

Isn't that pretty fabric?!?!  Not really my style, but my bro will like it!  I think my BF and his dad would too.  Hmmmmm............  Maybe another trip to Hobby Lobby is in store?!?!  It's 30% off right now.  This blanket because it's so long - cost me $35.  The pattern is $10/yard and the solid is $7/yard. 

Now I have a new problem....I kinda want to make one for me!!!  I loooove comfy, cosy, blankets!!!  :)  Guess I should wait until after Christmas when I have a bit more 'extra' money!  :)

Hope you are all doing well -  I really need to get in gear and put out our decorations.  The kids aren't too into it this year for some reason so it makes me less excited.  Ugh.  Wish me luck! 

TTFN,
Tammy

12 Days of Christmas - Day Ten - Chalkboard Menu Frame

A MENU BOARD FOR DAY 10!  :)

I love, love, love this and it is hanging in my kitchen.  Yes, a present to me from me!!!  YAY!  :) 

A canvas, chalkboard paint, liquid chalk, big 'ol frame.  Voila! :)  Try it.  It's easy! 

Cool things you've missed.

TTFN,
Tammy