Nap's Scraps

My new weight loss blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Good Saturday afternoon all! I wanted to come over here to let you all know that I've started a new blog (non-scrappy)... Getting To Know The Real Nicole...my journey to lose 130 pounds and getting to know the real me. Stop on over and say hello if you'd like! This has turned into my life's passion right now, so I'm more apt to update over there a LOT more than over here, lol!

Enjoy your weekend!

Getting caught up...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:03:00 +0000

...is not going to happen, lol. It's been a while since I posted (it's summer and it's been a busy one!) but I've missed blogging so here's a bit of this and that of what I've been up to and perhaps several useless and random thoughts. :)

I've read Elizabeth Edwards's memoir, Resilience (I REALLY enjoyed it.).
After my first design team term with Citrus Tree Studio was up in July, I decided not to continue on with the second term. I think I just need to take a scrap break.
I've been anxiously awaiting all the green tomatoes on my Topsy Turvy to turn red. I've got a lot on there but sheesh, where were all the warm, sunny days this summer that the tomatoes love? Oh well, at least it hasn't been so humid!
I'm seriously IN LOVE with Febreze vacuum bags. Oh my stars, they make my house smell soooooo clean! Have you tried them? I can't find a link to them for some reason but I have a Hoover and get mine at Walmart.
I'm going to make this Fresh Pea Salad soon! Doesn't it look refreshing? I'm going to dial down the fat though...reduced fat cheese (Cabot makes a 75% reduced fat cheddar that is delicious!) and maybe non-fat yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream instead of the mayo. Oh and probably no bacon. :)
I turned 34 on August 25th. I believe it was my BEST birthday on record, lol! Will share why in a soon-to-come post! :)
I've recently installed the Weather Station Google Gadget on my home page and being a weather nerd, I LOVE it! Real-time radar and forecast! LOL!
I read 3/4 of Melissa Gilbert's (she played Laura on Little House on the Prairie for those of you who have been living in a box, lol) memoir, Prairie Tale. I returned it to the library not fully read. The first half was interesting and the rest of it...well, wasn't. I got really sick of the Hollywood name-dropping and...I was just over the book, lol. I kind of wish I wouldn't of read what I did read. It tarnished my "Half-Pint" vision. :)
I've discovered (by help of Google!) that Tea Tree Oil is very good at stopping the itch and help heal chigger bites. YUCK.
Umm...has anyone watched Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC? OH.MY.WORD.
I found this recipe for homemade taco seasoning, made it and tried it with shredded chicken for our taco night. I love that I can control the sodium (I cut it down to a 1/4 of the amount). It was really good!
I've been living on our front porch this summer and loving it! I'll take whatever book I'm reading and sit out there in the sun, take my laptop out, make my grocery list, talk with my neighbor lady and sometimes just soak up the rays. I love that this summer wasn't a hot, humid one for the most part!
I think I'm going to spend some birthday money and buy these Rollerblades!
My sister, her boys and I went to the Cincinnati Museum to see the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit as well as the Omnimax film, Dinosaurs Alive. It was really an amazing exhibit and the boys kept saying how awesome it was! ;)
I'm sad that The Next Food Network Star is already over! I really liked watching it. Melissa's new show, $10 Dinners, seems okay but I just can't get into it, lol. I'm more into watching Ellie Krieger's Healthy Appetite these days.
I started Aquatic Therapy and it's kick started a new healthy way of eating, exercise and an overall different attitude about myself over the last 7 weeks! More to come on that soon!
DH and I bought a new kitchen island light (it was on clearance, so I can't find an image except that one on Ebay, lol) at Lowe's and had it hung. Fun!
I am not looking forward to fall at all. I think this is the first summer in the last 10-15 years or so that I have thoroughly enjoyed 100%. I do NOT want it to end. The other day, hubby and I went for a walk and there was a house that was all decked out in fall decor already. It seriously made me sad, lol. I was like...uh, it's still August, people! I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed for a warmer-than-usual fall. ;)

Okay, lots more to come soon! :) Enjoy your day and make the most of it!

Still here...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Who's ready for a new post? Coming soon! Neener, neener! LOL! :)

Win a Tamron lens!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Oooooh, this would be a fun one to win, don't you think? You can check out all the details here! Good luck!

Yum Cupcakes!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Please try not to lick the screen. Please. I'm out of lens wipes.

These were so much fun to make and I loved how colorful and of course how delicious they were! Thanks to Recipe Girl for the inspiration!

Look at how blue that batter is! Smurfville city, don't ya think? ;) I loved how the red, white and blue batter looked through the cupcake liner.

Festive and rich - icing in red, white and blue and my husband couldn't keep his fingers out of it! I think he shed a tear when I dumped the leftover icing down the drain, lol!

I used a star tip to pipe the icing on. I piped and piped...

...and piped and piped, 56 cupcakes! Yes. 56.

Have no fear... they were gobbled up! My nieces, nephews and in-laws really enjoyed them and I had so much fun making something festive for the day! I think I'll carry this "I want to bake something red, white and blue" tradition on each July 4th!

Have a great night! :)

Citrus Tree Studio: July "Days of Summer" Kit REVEAL!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Happy Monday all! Looks like a beautiful day here today! I hope it's also lovely where you are!

Yesterday was the 5th which means *reveal day* for Citrus Tree Studio's July "Days of Summer" kit! This is truly my favorite kit thus far! It's right up my alley with the bright, vivid colors, the summer/beach/pool/vacation theme is always a FAVORITE of mine and this kit is bursting at the seams!

I was also up for this month's Product Spotlight which features Kaiser Craft's wood albums. I chose the Fancy Flower one and had a super fun time creating it while using July's "Days of Summer" kit (will edit this post when I have a link)!

{Notes}
1. All projects were created with Citrus Tree Studio July's "Days of Summer" kit with stash item exceptions noted below each project.
2. All photos taken with my underwater digital camera (in case anyone is wondering!)

Stash items: Bazzill white cardstock, American Crafts green button

Stash items: Jenni Bowlin patterned paper & Bazzill white cardstock

Stash items: Bazzill white cardstock

For this card, I used my American Crafts Slick Writers to "dot" the foam Thickers to help them stand out against the white...

Stash items: Scenic Route Grid patterned paper, Bazzill white cardstock

Stash items: Scenic Route Grid patterned paper, Bazzill white cardstock, American Crafts Thickers

What do you guys think? Isn't it a great kit?

Thanks for looking! Have a super Monday! :)

Red, White & Blue Treats...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:46:00 +0000

I've been seeing so many fun July 4th (red, white and blue-themed, of course) treats on some of my favorite food blogs and I'm bound and determined to make at least one of these recipes (you can find the recipe links below each photo) for Saturday!

At first, I saw these "Happy Meals" around Father's Day and flipped out! Come on! The "hamburgers" are cupcakes, brownies and icing and the fries are made from sugar cookie dough! Oh dear! I just love them and think they'd be fun for this coming weekend!

{Photos/Recipe}: Bakerella

Then I saw these Red, White & Blue Finger Jello treats and for heaven's sake, I LOVE all the layers! Don't they look delicious and festive?!

{Photos/Recipe}: Recipe Girl

My eyes soaked these up too! I'm a huge cake/icing lover and these are surely scruptious-looking cupcakes! Love the swirled icing!

{Photos/Recipe}: Recipe Girl

Or maybe these cheesecake bars with raspberries and blueberries?! These look so creamy and rich, don't they?

{Photos/Recipe}: Recipe Girl

Last but not least, these are calling my name also! I just want to pick one up and try it now! Love the star shape!

{Photos/Recipe}: Brown Eyed Baker

Decisions, decisions!

What are you making this July 4th? Anything festive? Link me! I'd love to see!

This and that...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:32:00 +0000

I don't know where you are, but it's HOT and STICKY here and I'm soooo glad for central air! LOL!

I meant to post the Father's Day cards I made ON Father's Day but alas, time got away from me.

I made this one for my father-in-law. Isn't the crossword puzzle paper cute? I was originally inspired by this card and since my father-in-law enjoys his daily crossword puzzles, I wanted to use the idea but when I went through my stash, I didn't have any paper like that. So, I went online and printed this crossword puzzle on cardstock. It worked perfectly!

This was the card I made for my dad. Isn't that little grill hilarious? That's one of those $1 Studio G stamps I picked up at Joann's. Love those little stamps!

With all the different color challenges on various blogs, I was excited to see that my assigned design team challenge was color this month. These are the colors I chose (and the cards I made) and I just love them together! You can join in on my challenge here! We're always looking for newbies!

Can you tell I was in my October Afternoon stash that day, lol? I just LOVE their stuff!

Okay, one more card. I made for this one for my sister-in-law. I had a photo to send to her and thought it'd be a lot more fun to tuck it into a handmade card, right? ;) The majority of the products are from Citrus Tree's June "Zinnia" kit.

You may remember this card? I did the same for the card below by sewing 2 of the die-cut papers together (in the kit!) and used my hole punch down the side. Remember those Lil' Davis ticket alphabet stickers? Holy smokes, those are old! LOL! I've always loved them though! Those were in my stash!

Speaking of Citrus Tree, the design team and board members are all getting geared up for our "Christmas In July" crop - Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26, 2009! Dig out those Christmas photos, papers and supplies! We'd love to have you stop in and participate! Cindy's prizes are OUTRAGEOUS!! You can read all the details here!

And just because I can...a photo of my dog's horribly hard life. Oh my. She's a worker. I don't know how she does it, day in and day out. *Whew*. I should really give her a break. ;)

Alright, off I go to plan my day. Hope you have a wonderful Friday! Nice of you to stop by! :)

A little more Project 365...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Have any of you seen the Disney*Pixar movie, Up yet?

I went with my sister and nephews last weekend and it was really cute, although I'll warn you to bring a tissue (or four), lol. Gosh, my sister and I were shedding some tears! It went over the boys' heads but not ours, lol. It was a cute movie and we had fun. I'd definitely recommend it!

Okay, a few more Project 365 photos to share with you! I'll get caught up eventually, lol.

I finally reorganized all of my acrylic stamps and put them in binders, so I set up a blanket with the pupster and I on the porch one day. I got a little sun and finished my stamp organization!

A little braid in my hair...

Trash day!

I was starting to get behind on backing up my photos, so one day I sat and did it. That's always a relief to get done!

I picked up the book, "The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families--How they Do It" from the libary. It was interesting and I read it in 2 days.

Every year I hang Boston Ferns from our porch - 4 hang from our wrap-around porch and 1 from our back porch.

Violas that I planted. This ceramic planter sits on our table on our front porch. Bright and cheery don't you think?

Off to bed I go! Thanks for stopping! :)

This is a BIG one!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:13:00 +0000

For Pete's sake. That was a long blogcation, lol. So, let's take this slow and add a little at a time. :) I am at least 5 weeks behind on posting my Project 365 photos, but I'll get them up in time. Today, I'm posting a few and will get the rest of them up here soon. I will, I will, I will! ;)

BUT, first of all, today is reveal day @ Citrus Tree Studio and there's LOTS to share! This month Cindy put together TWO wonderful kits (a full and a mini...although it's not very mini!)! "Easy Rider" features the Rebel line from Glitz and "Zinnia" features the Little Yellow Bicycle Zinnia line. Both of these kits are packed full! You can pick them u here!

I created 4 layouts and 4 cards and still have a LOT of product left!

Easy Rider Kit exclusive except for the Jenni Bowlin alphabet/star stickers (available in Citrus Tree's May "County Fair" kit) and American Crafts Thickers

Easy Rider Kit exclusive with the exception of the 7Gypsies "Journey" stamp, Jenni Bowlin alphabet stickers (link above) & additional white cardstock

Zinnia Kit exclusive with the exception of the chipboard owl (thanks to my friend, Beth)and Prima flower

Combination of Easy Rider and Zinnia Kit

For this card, I sewed together 2 of the Zinnia die-cut papers and to finish the edging I used my hole punch to give it a notebook paper feel...

Zinnia Kit exclusive

For this card, I cut the spades from the patterned paper and then hand-formed the flower...

Combination of Easy Rider and Zinnia Kits

Combination of both Easy Rider and Zinnia kits with the exception of the "friends forever" rub-on. I also used the American Crafts Photo Corner packaging (the black/white polka dot cardstock).

Combination of both Easy Rider and Zinnia Kits with the exception of the rub-on
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Okay, here's a few of my Project 365 photos that I'm behind on posting. Excuse my rounded corners and the inconsistency, lol. I'm practicing and went overboard on the plane one, lol!!

My pile of Box Tops that I gave to my mom to take to her school...

I was making eggs one morning and to my surprise, I cracked into a double yolk! Isn't that good luck or something? Did I eat twins? Ha!

While driving home on the interstate, I saw this plane. We have an airport really close.

Hubby and I took 2 of our nephews to our favorite pizza place one day. We had so much fun with them! Notice the ginormous balls of bubble gum in their mouths! LOL!

My sister's birthday cookie. Don't ask why it says what it says. It's a loooong, funny story!

Taco salads/tacos at my parent's for Sunday dinner...

We ordered pizza in one night. Yum! I like a little green pepper on mine. ;)

Hubby's brother came over and worked alllll day on replacing/fixing some plumbing in our basement.

*Whew*! Thanks for stickin' with me! :) I'll be back this weekend to post some more of my photos! Have a good one!

A couple of cards...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Are you looking forward to the big holiday weekend? I bet you've all got lots of BBQ plans and outdoor activities going on, right? I think my mom, my sister and I are going to go The Cheesecake Factory for lunch today and then hubby and I are going to do some yard work later on. As for tomorrow and Monday, I'm not really sure what's going on except of course for church.

Well, I'll be posting my Project 365 photos soon, but for now I have a couple of cards to share that I made last week.

One was for a friend who suddenly lost her father last weekend. So tragic and unexpected. I've always known it to be true but you truly really never know when it's your time to go (or someone else for that matter).

The other card I made was for a friend who's going through a difficult time. I just wanted to send her a little pick-me-up and let her know I'm thinking of her.

Can you tell I'm still loving my border punches? I think I've used them on every project I've made over the last few months, lol! At least I'm using something in my stash! :)

Have a great weekend!

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:05:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Thought I'd share a few cards that I'm giving to some very special mom's today! ;)

These were cards I did for my challenge at Citrus Tree Studio. The challenge is to distress! You can check it out here as well as see the other challenges for the next month here. Come and join us! We'd love to have you!

For all you mothers out there, enjoy your special day!

Citrus Tree Studio's May "County Fair" Kit is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:06:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a great week!

This month was my first month designing with Citrus Tree Studio and what a fun month to come on board!

Today was reveal day for the May "County Fair" kit and it's full of Jenni Bowlin! Can't go wrong there! I really love the colors in this kit and the chip buttons are really fun! Check it out!

Here are my creations! Can you tell I'm totally diggin' my border punches, lol? :) I was so happy to make a couple of cards because I have like no card stash at all so I'm going to try and start building it up. I get a little envious of those of you who have a good stash, lol. I want that.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by! I love my bloggies! :)

Playing catch-up...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:15:00 +0000

I think I'm taking a chance with this post as Blogger has been a royal pain for me today, ugh. Here goes anyway! *crossing my fingers*

Hey, did you see my new header? I made it last night and I think I like it, although I really miss my vacation photos. I might have to sneak them in somewhere else here, lol.

I'm finally getting the majority of my Project 365 photos posted after a few weeks of life being a bit different than usual, but it's all good (as my friend, Patti says). There were a few days that I didn't take photos and a few that I prefer to keep private. I feel like I'm keeping up for the most part and I'm still enjoying it so I think that's the most important thing. :)

Off we go! *Excuse the absence of day titles this time around but no worries as I have them in order in my pictures folder on my laptop. ;)

Around here, farming equipment on the roadways is a common site - even in April snow!

Beijing (our pug) had a fit and got in the trash! Bad dog! (bad me for leaving a few Easter candy wrappers in there, lol)

My mom doing her therapy exercises after shoulder surgery...

I took my camera to the cemetary when I saw the trees beginning to bloom.

The moon while sitting our front steps...

Happy birthday, Honey!

I noticed the Hawaiian Shaved Ice Shack took off their covering. It must be time for snow cones!

Went to the library to pick up a book I ordered from another library. Isn't our library gorgeous?

Picking up printer ink at Staples...

The tree in our backyard with all it's beautiful buds! Since this photo, we now have full leaves!

A trip through the Dairy Queen...

I made dinner for my parents and took it to them after my mom's surgery...

Giving Beijing a bath - not her favorite activity, lol...

I got in the car and it was a rainy day but I loved the green tree buds and the lone blossom that my wipers had cleared from my windshield...

This is what I call a swap! WOAH! I joined a share/swap (basically each participant stuffs the box full of what they haven't used in their scrappy stash, send it to the next person, they take what they want from the box and add what they're done with. It continues until it goes full circle) and we're already up to 4 (yes, FOUR!) HUGE, HEAVY, STUFFED boxes!

One of the entrances into the town I live. Love how beautiful the trees look!

Ahh, it's time to dangle that arm and soak up some sun!

*Whew* I'm glad to get that caught up. I was starting to feel really behind.

Enjoy your Friday!

Earth Day, Layout & Card...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Happy Earth Day everyone! I'm not a big environmentalist or anything but it seems like that's all I've heard about today. ;) I do my part in regards to recycling, putting trash where it belongs (it REALLY bugs me when people just throw their trash wherever it lands, UGH!), keeping the lights off when they're not needed, running my dishwasher in the evening and things like that not to mention a general respect for nature. Have you seen Google's Earth Day image this year? I love it! The blues and greens, sea life, water and trees! I just wanna take a swim in it! ;)

I have a couple things to share that I created a couple weeks ago. Some of you may have already seen them here or there, but for those who haven't, here they are. First up is a layout for my *Ad/Art Inspired Challenge over at Citrus Tree Studio. I found the following advertisement and loved it's randomness as well as the clouds, rainbow and birds! I felt inspired right when I saw it! *Come on over and join in the challenges! We'd love to have you!

My inspired layout: I used photos of my sister jumping in my in-laws pool almost 4 years ago, but they reminded me how ready I am for summer!

I also made a card from my sister and I that we set up on my mom's kitchen island with a bunch of tulips for when she got home from surgery a couple weeks ago. :)

Hope you're all having a wonderful Wednesday wherever you are! It's turned into a beautiful, sunny day here even though it's a bit chilly. Looking forward to 70's and 80's starting tomorrow and into the weekend! Thanks for coming by!

Citrus Tree Studio!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:49:00 +0000

I've been meaning to post this for a couple weeks but life has just been a bit different than usual lately.

I've wanted to share that I am so stoked to have been asked to join the Citrus Tree Studio design team as a full-time designer! I happily accepted and am looking forward to the next several months with Cindee and the rest of the team!

I had taken some time off from designing/design teams and the break was good but I was really starting to miss creating and it couldn't have come at a better time!

If you've not visited the site or seen the kits, feel free to drop by and take a look around! Cindee puts together FUN kits (see the April kit here!) and the message board is so friendly and welcoming! We'd ♥ to have you!

Thanks for sharing in my excitement! :)

Easter/Project 365 Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Good morning everyone and Happy Easter weekend to you! The sun is screaming here and it looks like tomorrow is going to be beautiful too! So happy for that! :)

It's going to be a quick post as hubby and I have several hundred eggs to stuff. Yeah, I said a several hundred, lol. It's a tradition that hubby started with his nieces and nephews many, many years ago and we've carried it on together. :)

So, I'm a week behind in posting my Project 365 photos so thought I'd get them up before I post this week's photos tomorrow, lol!

SUNDAY - My open bible

MONDAY - Isn't this photo so trashy looking? I took this photo when hubby and I went to drop off my car at the shop and way in the back was all this trash and this funky car! LOL! I assure you we know the mechanic and he's nice as pie. :)

TUESDAY - I made a big batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies as a thank you to said mechanic

WEDNESDAY - I installed my new Photoshop Elements 7.0! YAY - and upgrade from Photoshop Elements 4.0! By the way, PSE 7 is a steal @ Costco for $49!

THURSDAY - We grilled Spicy Chicken Sausages and sat outside to eat. It was so nice out!

FRIDAY - Hubby and I went and looked at lighting at Home Depot. I'm looking for a new light for my kitchen.

SATURDAY - We went to a local park since it was such a beautiful day. The trees are looking so lovely! Come on Spring!

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter blessings!

I'll be back soon and will share a fun little tidbit that I'm very excited about! I just want to give it it's own post. ;)

Thanks for all your sweet comments and for your visit! I just LOVE and appreciate it! :)

Project 365 Photos 3/22 - 3/29 & Sympathy card

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:15:00 +0000

Good evening everyone! I have my photos from last week for my Project 365 to share but first a card. I made this for a challenge over at SBO hosted by my friend, Celeste. It's inspired by this Becky Fleck sketch. :)

Isn't that Fiskars Sun Circle border punch so cool? I've had it in my stash for some time and decided to dig it out and try it! I really like it!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, on to the photos!

SUNDAY - No photo! It seems like this is becoming a habit on Sundays!

MONDAY - It was a good mail day! SCRAP FUNSIES!!

TUESDAY - I met my sister-in-law for lunch and we both had Cobb Salads. :)

WEDNESDAY - When I get home from the grocery store, I "process" all my veggies, herbs and meat. I scrub/wash all my veggies, dry them and put them in the crisper. I rinse my herbs (parsley and cilantro this week) and spin them in my salad spinner, then wrap them in paper towels and store them in Ziploc bags in the crisper. I also divide and wrap bigger quantities of meat for the freezer. It's a time saver!

THURSDAY - Uh oh...another no photo day! LOL!

FRIDAY - My mom and I took a trip a to Sam's and came across this FABULOUS patio/pool furniture! Look at that double lounger! I just LOVED it!!

SATURDAY - A stop by McDonald's for a scrumptious Iced Coffee! This particular McDonald's in our town has 2 drive-thru's. Have you seen them? Kind of cool. :) I always wonder how they keep the orders straight because it gets busy and all the cars get out of line it seems! LOL!

So, there you go. Another week in photos! Before you know it, we'll be half way through the year! Time just flies so fast!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping! :)

Project 365 Photos - 3/15 - 3/21

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:39:00 +0000

First of all, YAY for my 100th post!!!!! I totally should have done a giveaway or RAK or something huh? I'm a loser, LOL!

For now, all I have to share with you is my Project 365 photos from last week. Yeah, I know it's Wednesday. I'm a little late. Whatever. :)

Yeah, a shower photo, lol. See that beautiful coral-colored bottle of Caress body wash? I love it. I love the color of the bottle, the bottle design, the name of it - Tahitian Renewal (ahh), the bits of pomegranate seeds in it, just all of it. Now mind you...normally I'm a simple girl when it comes to body wash. Typically, I wouldn't pay $3.50 for a bottle like this, but I admit...I got sucked into the allure of it all and I'm okay with that, this time. :)

Remember last week I told you that I had ordered two subscriptions through my nephew's school fundraiser? Coastal Living arrived last week and this week my first issue of Travel & Leisure arrived. Love it!

I took this photo at an intersection that I find myself at quite a bit. Every time I look across the road throughout the year, it's such a "seasonal" place. Right now, the trees are still sticks and icky brown so I can't wait for Spring to turn it green! There's a nice river under that bridge as well. :)

My pot rack in my kitchen. :) My SIL gave this to me years ago and I still just love it. Crate and Barrel - what's not to love?!

My little nephew and I being silly with my camera. Is he sweet or what? We were giggling and laughing!

On Saturday, hubby came home with subs and surprised me by stopping by our favorite mexican place and picking up chips and salsa. We LOVE them!!

That's as exciting as this post it going to get, LOL!!. Enjoy your evening and thanks for poppin' in! :)

Sympathy card & 99th post!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:58:00 +0000

People, I just realized that this is my 99th post! :)

Just a quick post to share a card I made. Unfortunately it's a sympathy card and I have another one to make this weekend. Sympathy cards are kind of sad to make, huh?

Inside sentiment:

May the memories that fill your heart help to bring you comfort.

I hope you're having a wonderful first day of SPRING! It's a cold one here but the sun is screaming so it's all good! :)

PS - How do I underline in Blogger? Anyone know?

Project 365 Photos - 3/8 - 3/14

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Hi everyone! While sitting here watching Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel (she's in Hawaii this episode and I wanna go!), I thought I'd get last week's photos up. :)

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Sunday - It was so nice out that hubby washed our cars!

Monday - Our dog LOVES to sit on the front porch and watch all the comings and goings of the neighborhood, lol.

Tuesday - My nephew had a school program but without the permission of several Kindergarten classes (lol!), I won't post it here.

Wednesday - I was playing with my webcam on my laptop, hee hee!

Thursday - You just don't know how happy this made me. My nephew had a fundraiser and I chose to buy 2 magazine sub's from him - Travel & Leisure and Coastal Living. I received my first issue of CL and for pity's sake, I LOVE IT! I sat for the longest time and soaked every last bit of it up and then I came out of my haze and realized I was back in reality...in the Midwest. Ugh! LOL!

Friday - Those of you who know me well know that I LOVE palm trees, right? Well, several MONTHS ago, my Mom was so cute and dropped off 2 rolls of paper towels with palm trees on them. OMGOSH, I just love them but I just couldn't bear to open a roll until this week, lol.

Saturday - Yesterday, my Mom and I sat at my dining room table (my messy, scrap table, lol) and booked a flight for my Dad.

So, there you go! I'm going to work on my journaling for my 365 project this week becasue I'm

B E H I N D!! ;)

Enjoy your Sunday wherever you are!

My GINORMOUS Ebay dealio & a layout!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Don't ya just love that word "dealio"? It's hysterical to me! If you've seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite you'll know that was said by Uncle Ricco! What a character! ROFL! I know, stupid movie but it's so dumb it's funny! Okay, I'm cracking myself up!

Anyway,I was reading through my subscribed blogs the other night and came across a post on Adrienne Kennedy's (from My Sentiments Exactly) blog. She had mentioned that MSE was selling units of 100+ sentiment stamps on Ebay and it totally caught my eye. I went to the auction and the current bid was $15.00. I think they were selling either 10 or 20 units between 2 auctions, so I figured I had a chance. Well, I got the dealio for $17! Woohoo!! Check it out! Just a few stamps for my stash, lol! I can't wait to get them!

I also have a couple layouts to share with you. This week, I scrapped a layout using the Fancy Pants Daily Grind line. Sheesh, I just love Fancy Pants these days! I also have the Summer Soiree line coming to me soon!

This is my sister and I last October. She was in a very serious car accident last summer and broke her back in 2 places. On this particular day in this photo, she had just had her back brace removed after having it on for 3 months. It was a day with varying emotions. I am so deeply grateful that she is still on this Earth with me. I can't imagine life without my sister. I just love her so much!

As always, click image for a larger view...

Here are a few close-ups...

Thanks for letting me share and thanks for your visit! I just love all the pop-ins from my blog friends! :) Enjoy your Thursday!

Project 365 Photos - 3/1 - 3/7

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:16:00 +0000

Good Sunday everyone! Hope you're all enjoying your day whatever you're doing. :)

The weather is kind of strange here - 60's, overcast, rainy and under a Tornado Watch. I was just outside because the sun started to peek through the clouds and it was raining at the same time so I knew there would be a rainbow. Sure enough, there was a faint one but I couldn't get a photo because my neighbor's house was right in front it, lol. So pretty though and I just love the promise of it!

Okay, another week of Project 365 photos and I have to say...there were two days I didn't take a photo! ACK! LOL! Oh well! Life will go on! ;)
-------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY - NO PHOTO!

MONDAY - gas price in my area. Is this about average?

TUESDAY - NO PHOTO!

WEDNESDAY - drycleaning day for a couple of hubby's suits...

THURSDAY - Our 16th Engagement Anniversary! We went out to dinner but I decided to choose this one of hubby putting some air in my tire at the gas station! LOL!

FRIDAY - YAY for new knobs on my piano! My old ones fell out over the last two years, so it was time to replace...

SATURDAY - Hubby and I went to a gourmet market and it was such a fun time! I took so many photos but I loved this one of the wine department. There was also this chilled compartment of wine and we were trying to scope out the most $$$ bottle and the highest priced one we saw was $300. Sheesh. I can think of MUCH more exciting things to spend my money on! LOL!

So, you remember yesterday when I posted about The Little Professor calculator being an owl? Btw, LOVED all your comments about it! So fun! Well, I went back and edited my post because it was not an owl as I had remembered, lol!! I was thinking of this calculator and although I didn't have one of these (It was called the Quiz Kid), at the time I thought it was cool! Is it just me or are his eyes creepy? LOL!

I'm off to enjoy the rest of the evening, especially since it's still light out! YAY!! I love that it's lighter longer! Thanks for poppin' in on my little world! ;)

Quirky bits of this and that...

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Good Saturday morning everyone! I love Saturdays, especially when my hubby doesn't have to work. :) I am really looking forward to today. It's supposed to be near 70° and I just know it's going to feel good! I am ready freddy for Spring!

Okay, so just a fun, quirky post for today. I saw this posted on my friend Marjorie's blog and thought I'd give it a whirl. :) I typed my answers out yesterday, so they're one day outdated, lol!

Two Names you go by
1. Nicole
2. Honey

Two things you are wearing right now
1. Grey top
2. Red, grey, black & white pj bottoms

Two of your favorite things to do
1. Go on vacation - especially to the beach!
2. Be with my hubby & family

Two things you want very badly at the moment
1. To be healthy
2. Vacation

Two favorite pets you have/had
1. Currently, a Pug - she's 9 years old
2. Fish

Two things you did last night
1. Went out to dinner to celebrate our 12th engagement anniversary
2. Watched American Idol

Two things you have eaten today
1. Cobb salad (made it for dinner)
2. Lebanon bologna for lunch

Two people you last talked to
1. Hubby
2. My very best friend of 17 years

Two Places You have been in the past year
1. Smokey Mountains
2. On the computer, lol

Two favorite beverages
1. Iced green tea with fresh mint
2. Water

If you'd like to play, then play! I'd love to read yours, so let me know if blog it!

Okay, one last thing that's been on mind, lol. Please tell me someone else had The Little Professor calculator when they were little? Remember these? I LOVED mine!! HELLOOOOOOO...remember it was an **owl!?! It's so funny how popular owls still are in scrapbooking and with how much I love them, that it makes perfect sense that I had one when I was young! LOL!

Sooooo, did you have one? I think there was 2 different kinds, but this is the kind I had and I thought it was so cool. :) I'm thinking it was circa 1980 or 1981...

**ETA: I've come back here to say that my recollection of the Little Professor being an owl is wrong, rofl (thanks Leigh for jogging my memory!)! I had another calculator in mind. Will share that one (and it IS an owl, lol) tomorrow! ;) But I still loved my Little Professor either way! ;)

So, that's it! I told you, quirky post! Enjoy your Saturday!