Calling all Prayer Warriors

If you believe in the power of prayer, please pray for my Uncle Mic. He was diagnosed with peripheral T cell lymphoma and is hitting some bumps in the road to recovery. The family would really appreciate all your prayers. Please feel free to pass this prayer request along. The more praying the better.
Thank you

Shoebox Swap

Just to let you know I really HAVE been creating, but it's for CHA and I can't show it to you yet. Ü I do have some things in this post to show that I've been busy.

I've also been busy just working on the house. This is when I have time to do my "spring" cleaning. I am enjoying my time at home sooo much! I am able to cook full meals for my "boys" as well as many sweet treats that they like so much.

Edited to add: The theme to my shoebox swap was "Very Vintage"

I also fixed the link to the last swap I entered. Sorry for the confusion

LONG post...
I entered my second Shoebox Swap that Carrie and Monica host. I had so much fun with my first one (see details for that one here) that I just had to enter to play again. This time I was partnered with Monica. I don't know how Carrie does it, butshe matches up partners perfectly! Monica and I had so much in common and it was so much fun to create a pkg for her.

I had so much fun opening this package and going through all the goodies that Monica sent. I can't wait for the next one! LOL!!

Here is a picture of everything all together:

Monica made this ADORABLE bag! You can read more about how she made it on her blog here. Two fun books to read. I love reading cookbooks and old ones are especially fun. This one also has some yummy recipes I'm going to try.

We get a survery to fill out to know our swap partner so we have an idea of what they would like. I had mentioned to Monica that as a family we like to play games and watch movies and that DH makes the YUMMIEST popcorn. (we have an old crank style popcorn popper and he adds sugar to the oil after it gets hot with the kernels. Then when it all pops together it has a sugar coating...YUM-O) So Monica sent these fun popcorn holders for our next movie nite. I can't wait to use them.

oh my....be still my heart....a bag full of vintage lace, buttons and lots of goodies!
Some yummy flavored tea bags.
A beatiful frame with verse that Monica made for me.

vintage tray that I can use to carry tea and goodies when friends come over

Can't wait to play with this kit. These flowers will be perfect for Christmas decor projects.

I have to tell you a story about these star tins. I was in Grand Island in an antique store and had tins exactly like this in my hand. I knew what I wanted to do with them, but for some *reason* put them back. After I got home I was kicking myself for not getting them. Then I get Monica's pkg and here they are!! I think it's cool that God knew I wanted these and prompted me to put them back knowing they were coming in the mail. I will have a post later for what I plan to use these for with the holidays coming up.

Goodies to use to make invites for having friends over for tea.

Here is just a little bit of what I sent her. I think she will post the rest on her blog.

She mentioned that she needed notecards and I have had this Stationary Box tutorial saved in my favorites for a long time ever since I saw it on Jackie's blog. SCS now has a step by step tutorial and a video that you can watch. It really is so easy and quick to make.

This is what it looks like closed

and here it is opened when you take the lid off

the little pocket by the note pad is for postage stamps. I put some in, but forgot to take the picture with them in

a close up of the pocket with candy

here are the tags I made that she can attach to a gift with a card if she wants

and here are the cards. I made them very simple so that she can use them for any occasion that she needs them for

Here is the vintage tin I got her and put ribbon, buttons, books and other goodies in.

You can see what others sent by going here to Carrie's blog: http://watibg.blogspot.com/

Zentangle

Ever heard of it? I had never heard the word til the end of last month when Joanna with Tombow challenged us to create a project with this technique. Basically it's a fancy word for doodling, but with more detail. You can read more about it here.

Now, while I like to doodle, this isn't exactly my type of doodling. But I found some tutorials on YouTube and someone had doodled a paisley, so I went with that.

This month Tombow is also partnering with Basic Grey (I know!!! One of my all time favorite paper companies!!) and I rec'd a lovely Cappella packet. So very vintage and lovely!

For this card I used their paper, brads and some lovely vintage lace from my stash that matched perfectly! To keep with the scallop and circle theme in my "zentangle" drawing, I punched one edge of BG paper with an eyelet scallop punch.

Here is the inside:

I colored my image with Tombow's markers and put the whole card together with Tombow's Mono-Adhesive Dots. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Vintage Cappella

I love this new Cappella paper by Basic Grey. I received this lovely package with papers, stickers and brads from this line. To me it is very vintage.

Tombow is highlighting their Mono White Gel Pen this month. I used this on both of my cards today.

For this first card, I stamped with a versamark ink pad on a Basic Grey black paper then pierced around the image and then "connected" the dots with the white gel pen. I love how it looks like chalk on a chalkboard. The brads are from another Basic Grey line.

The stamp set is a retired one by Stepping Stones. I used the two smallest flowers and a sentiment.

For this next card I went totally vintage! All the papers are from the Cappella line. The ribbon is from my vintage stash and the lace was white. I rubbed peach ink on it and then spritzed it and rubbed the ink into it more evenly. I love how it turned out!

The mini tag is from SU! from long ago that I still had.  I stamped the "for you" with my Karen Foster snap stamps. The pin is from last month's Maya Road pkg. I wondered what I was going to do with those pins. They match the Cappella paper perfectly!

I used Tombow's Mono White Gel Pen to make "eyelet" dots along the peach scallop border.

Both cards were put together with Tombow's Mono Adhesive Dots.

Week 2 Pantry Challenge

This is what we ate for June 6-12.

Sunday:
lunch: Cheeseburger Pizza & Snickerdoodles
Nebraska has a buffet style restaurant called Valentino's and they serve a cheeseburger pizza that we like. I had a little hamburger and bacon that needed used up so thought I'd give it a try. Since it was still just DH & me, I used two flour tortillas for our shells. To 1/2 cup pizza sauce I added 1 TBSP ketchup and 2 tsp mustard. I fried diced bacon, onion, chopped dill pickle and hamburger for the topping and then added cheese (I think American shredded would have been better, but just went with what I had in the fridge).

Snickerdoodles:
1 cup soft butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup sifted flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix butter, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Sift together the flour, tartar, soda, and salt. Add the two mixtures together and stir. roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 TBSP sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft @ 400* for 8-10 minutes.

supper: hamburgers on the grill, chips, veggies, cookies


Monday
dinner: we just had cereal. Aaron slept in til noon (very tired from being gone all week)
supper: grilled steak, veggies, tator tots, snickerdoodles

Tuesday:
dinner: pancake puff, fruit
supper: beef & noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, angel food cake

Wednesday:
dinner: leftovers
supper: BBQ meatballs, scallop potatoes, veggies, strawberry/rhubarb crisp

Thursday:
dinner: homemade egg muffins with egg, cheese, ham and homemade English muffins
supper: grilled pork steak, scallop potatoes, green beans, leftover strbry/rhubarb crisp

Friday:
dinner: leftovers
supper: lasagna, salad, garlic bread made with homemade English muffins, brownies

Saturday:
dinner: leftovers
supper: homemade pizza, scotcheroos

Pantry Challenge 6-3 to 6-5

The third was our 21st anniversary. DH made me deer steak for dinner and we went out for supper.

Day 4:
lunch: grilled cheese and leftover baked beans, raw veggies
supper: hamburgers and homemade french fries

Day 5:
lunch: french dip, potato chips, raw veggies
supper: roast and corn, homemade bread and leftover pear cobbler

Note: unless I post otherwise, Breakfasts are cereal, pancakes, scrambled eggs, waffles, french toast or muffins (banana or blueberry). If I make anything different than that above I will post with a recipe. 

c.r.e.a.t.e.

To create this fun wall hanging, I used a "page" from Maya Road's Wavy Layer Chipboard Book. I painted the front and back a creamy white color then sponged the edges with permanent brown ink. I hand cut a piece of Basic Grey patterned paper from their Porcelain line, sponged the edges with chocolate ink, machine stitched around the edges and adhered with Tombow's Mono Adhesive Power Bond.

I used Tombow's Mono Aqua Liquid Glue to adhere brown glitter to Maya Road's David Chipboard Alphabet. I used the Mono Aqua Liquid Glue to adhere the letters to the wallhanging.

The bird and leaf is punched from one of Stampin' Up's punches.

The flower is made by stamping several scallop circles, wadding them up in a ball

and then flattening them back out.

I made two holes with my piercer and threaded the vintage button with crochet thread for strength and knotted to the back.

I then spritzed the flower very lightly with water and one layer at a time started scrunching the flower up around the button. After the flower was completely dry, I brushed the edges with brown ink and ahdered the flower with the liquid glue.

I added a ribbon hanger with Maya Road's Pink Sophisticate Striped Ribbon.

Be sure to comment all week on the Tombow blog for prizes.

Missing U

This month Tombow is featuring their wonderful Dual Brush Tip markers. I colored Maya Road's chipboard letters with four of the markers (see supply list for colors I used) using the brush tip end. Then for the inside of the card I hand wrote "missing" with the pen tip end.

Tombow's Mono Multi Liquid Glue is perfect for adhered the jewel flowers (also Maya Road) as well as the letters to my card.

 supplies: Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, Dual Brush Pens #873 (peach), #743 (pink), #452 (turquoise), #192 (green); Maya Road Clear Jewel Flowers, David Chipboard Alphabet; Making Memories Paperie Poolside patterned paper, EKSuccess scallop punch

Be sure to stop by the Tombow blog and comment to be entered to win a prize. Ü

Pantry Challenge Day 2

Good Morning! For today's pantry challenge, we will be eating:
lunch: tortilla roll-ups (sundried tomato tortillas with sourcream, salsa, leftover grilled chicken and lettuce, roll up and cut in half), carrot sticks, potato chips and for dessert we will share a LARGE blueberry muffin from Perkins (couldn't eat it yesterday and it came with my meal)

supper: grilled hamburgers, baked beans, veggies, pear cobbler

June Pantry Challenge

In January, I followed some others in a pantry challenge. The challenge was to eat as much as possible just from what is in your pantry/freezer and buy as little as possible. I knew I wanted to try it again this summer, so I've decided that June is that month. My goal is to only buy items that are dairy, fresh fruit and veggies and staples, like flour, sugar etc.

I will keep you all updated with our meals and share recipes when I can and also how much I spend on groceries for the month of June. If you would like to join me, please let me know and keep me updated on how you are doing.

The boys are in TX this week working at a camp getting it ready for campers. Meals have been light since they left early Saturday morning.

Today I ate out with mom (she paid) for lunch and I'm not sure what Bruce ate, but probably leftovers or cereal.

For supper I made grilled chicken which had been marinated in lite Catalina dressing, lettuce salad with tomato and shredded cheese and garlic bread made with homemade bread.

I hope to get back to stamping this week. I had big plans and they've all changed for what my week looks like.