Appreciation Night Fun

I was so happy last night. It was the little things that made me happy. I had planned to cook this chicken dish for everyone but realized as I was making it that preparing it for 30 people took a lot longer than for my family of five. (duh) and then when I stuck it in the oven I worried that since there was so much jammed in the pot it would probably take a lot longer to bake (duh) so I jacked up the heat and hoped everything would turn out okay before all my hostess and club girls walked through the door...and it did! Yea! The food turned out okay and there was enough. I was also happy that everyone fit in my home. (I was kind of worried about that). I was also happy that I had managed to finish making a little treat for everyone. It's the sort of project that once you start, you have to finish because it's not like I could only give half my guests a thank you treat. This was made using the petal cone die that I received as a birthday gift. I've already put it to good use.

Most of all I was happy to be with friends. Here's some pictures from the evening. Here's Marianne and Louise stamping. Great smiles girls!

One of the major highlights of the evening were these cupcakes that I commissioned one of my club girls, Nicole, to make. What's special about them is that they are iced in the soon to be released 2011-2012 in colours: pool party, calypso coral, lucky limeade, wisteria wonder and island indigo. She also made little toppers using a new stamp set called pennent parade cut out with the co-ordinating punch.

I even dreamed about these cupcakes last night. I knew going to bed that left over cupcakes is what I wanted for breakfast. I could only do that because Kevin and the kids were away for the weekend so no one would see me pigging out on cupcakes at 8:00 am in the morning!

Here's the cards the girls stamped:

A simple card made elegant with the tulip embossing folder. We used the retiring Eastern Blooms set (not too late to order it!) and the colours are certainly celery and perfect plum.

A thank you card for the summer season. The cardbase is regal rose and the dsp is from the brights paper stack. The stamp set is the sunny fun set coloured in with my many marvelous markers (of course)

And my personal favourite:

Isn't this just the perfect little birthday card for kids? I CASE'd it from Jacque Craig a demonstrator from Hawaii. It's using the celebrations dsp and the party this way and fox and friends stamp set.

So, I'm hoping a good time was had by all at my annual hostess appreciation night. I know I had a great time. I loved ending the evening by giving everyone a free stamp set. Who doesn't love free stamps? My shameless plug is this: if you don't want to miss it next year, make sure you book a workshop with me. Why not earn some beautiful things from the new idea book and catalogue, have fun with friends while learning stamping tricks AND reserve your spot for my next annual hostess appreciation night? Email me now to set a date!

Energy Conservation

Not the kind of energy for electricity. My physical energy was the topic of the day today. I started out well so I thought it would be a good day but I think there was still motrin left in my system. Once the older kids were at school I started feeling gross again. I resigned myself to just sitting in one spot and stamping and trying to keep child #3 occupied. I really wanted to participate in our team card swap and here is the card I think I've decided to make. It uses the clearly for you stamp set and the sentiment is from friends 24-7. The ink colours are cherry cobbler and crumb cake. I don't know if you can see but I've sprayed it with my shimmer paint/rubbing alcohol mixture to give it a subtle shine.

Normally when I have only one child with me, I'm out running errands, going shopping etc. Today we just sat at home. I realized that we have very funny conversations. Here's a sample (just to give you a feel of my day today)

setting: mom and Nathaniel sitting at table crafting

mom: "I love you"

child: "medium"

mom: "medium? What does that mean?"

child: "I love you medium"

mom: "oh. Well, I love you lots"

child: "I just love you medium"

setting: oldest child is home for lunch and sees the pathetic state of his ill mother. Before going back to school he says to his little brother:

Ethan: "do not be bad for mommy. be good for mommy. she's sick"

Nathaniel: "I will"

Ethan: "if you are not good for mommy, I won't play beyblades with you when I get home from school"

Nathaniel: (exasperated) "I will be good"

Ethan: "don't bother mommy, be good for her and let her sleep"

Nathaniel: (more exasperated) "I'm always good!"

I managed to sneak in a short nap and when I woke up this is what I saw:

My very good child #3 fell asleep on the landing on the stairs! I did briefly worry that perhaps he feel down the stairs and was unconcious with a concussion but since he looked so comfortable and had his favourite blankie, I figured he probably just fell asleep. Boy, was he grumpy when he was woken up by his siblings coming home from school.
Anyway, that's my day today.

sale-a-brate Bliss

Here's a wonderful sale-a-bration stamp set called: Bliss. I love the flourish and the butterful in this set.

This card uses some of the new items released in the occasions mini catalogue, namely the tulip embossing folder as well as the Springtime Vintage dsp and Big Designer Buttons and the rose red seam binding ribbon.

Make sure you shop or host a workshop in order to earn this stamp set free.