When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on

It seems like so often lately that I have been OVERWHELMED by life.  So much, that I have wanted to get back into my sweats mid-day, lie in bed and suck my thumb.  But alas, I am a woman with too much integrity to let that happen (3 times out of 4) so I get my big girl panties on and trudge through.  Maybe it is part of maturing or being a mother and not wanting to let my kids down.  I don't know.  Either way, God gives me enough strength to get through each day, one step at a time (even if these are small baby steps done in sweats, and sucking my thumb) Ha! 

So, I will carry a "to-do" list, a cell phone with good friends #'s on speed dial, the good book and some tylenol with me all the time as I get through this chapter in my story.  And I am okay with that. 

St. Pattys' Day

So, I am totally motivated to make something super fun for St. Patty's Day with the kids.  Good thing I just got a SLOUGH of Michael's coupons in my e-mail this morning!
Here are my ideas:
-Rainbow cupcakes
-"pot of gold" with candy inside and a rainbow handle made from pipe cleaners
-shamrock paintings

Should be TONS of fun  :)

Up to zero

Today, I feel like it might take a miracle to get me up to zero.  It has been a rough and stressful week.  The good news is, that it is half way over.  With good friends, good food, great family, decent wine and a little sunshine everything will be just fine.  I know it.  This definitely keeps me going:

Cute cousins!

MORE MORE MORE Sneak Peeks! CHA Winter is going to R-O-C-K!

I have been receiving new updates every day, and I am so excited to share these with you.......some of our favorite brands are coming out with some AMAZING, and I mean AMAZING new stuff.  I think that I better get a second job in order to keep up with all this!!!!!

Here are some more peeks I have seen in the last few days:


Tattered Angels Spring 2011 Mist Colors
Jenni Bowlin Stamps and Paper
Jillibean Soup 6x6 pads
Jillibean Soup Shapes, Picks and Blossoms
Bella Blvd Full Reveal of Family Dynamix and Mr. Boy
Bo Bunny Blast Off, Double Dot Designs, and Vicki B
Cosmo Cricket Glubers
Crate Paper's Neighborhood Collection
Samantha Walker's Heidi collection and Koeshi Collection
Glitz Design Full Love Games Reveal, Full Laced with Grace Reveal, and Full Afternoon Muse Reveal
Seven Gypsies New Trays
The Girls' Paperie - Kitch and Jubilee
Fancy Pants - Beach Bum
Basic Grey's Sweet Threads and Life of the Party
Prima - Sweet Fairy and Masks and the Madeline Collection
Imaginisce new i-bond and i-rock additions and Berrylicious, Little Cutie and Happy Camper
Little Yellow Bicycle FULL REVEALS of Babysaurus, Twig and Elizabeth Park
Making Memories - Dilly Dally and Tie the Knot
Pretty Little Studio - Valentine's Collections
Sassafras Lass - Ellie's Tale, Sweetly Smitten and Starters
Hambly Screen Prints Paper, Washi tape, Portrait Gallery and Rub-ons
American Crafts Trimmers, Punches and more!
Tim Holtz - Ranger/Coredinations, Ideaology, and Sizzix Alterations

Can you believe all of this new great stuff!  This is in addition to my previous post wihich is LOADED with more previews.  I am in serious LOVE and serious trouble.  Have fun window shopping and contest entering!

Hugs,

Nicole

CHA 2011 Sneak Peeks!

This is going to be an AMAZING season.  I have been looking around at all the cute paper and kits coming out for CHA Winter 2011, and it is SO exciting!!!!!

Here are a the names and previews I have found:

7 Gypsies - Lille
American Crafts - Confetti, Hello Sunshine
Basic Grey- Hopscotch
Bella Blvd- Family Dynamix, Mr. Boy
Cosmo Cricket - Salt Air, Upcycle and Social Club
Crate Paper - Cute as a Button, Toy Box, Emma's Shoppe
Creative Imaginations - Splish Splash , Forest Critters and Tea Time, Magic Attractions
Fancy Pants - Beach Babe
GCD Studios- Fun House, Great Outdoors, Soul Food, Antiquities and Sping in Bloom ( 5 more to come!)
Glitz Design- Afternoon Muse, Graced with Lace, Love Games
Graphic 45- Curtain Call, Le Cirque
Jenni Bowlin - Be our Guest 
Imaginisce - Animal Crackers
Jillibean Soup - Spotted Owl, Dutch Mustard, Blossom Soup, Chilled Strawberry Soup & Stamps, Stickers & Sprouts 
Lily Bee - Picket Fence, This & That,  Happily Lost
Little Yellow Bicycle- Elizabeth Park, Twig (More to come!)
Echo Park- Springtime, For The Record and Summer Days
My Little Shoe Box - Home Tweet Home, Farmer's Market, Oasis
My Minds Eye- Good Day Sunshine, Stella and Rose, Lush 2
Nikki Sivils- It's Raining, It's Pouring,  Max and Mollie, Summer, Beatrice, It's Your Day, We are Family
Pink Paislee- Butterfly Garden, Soiree, Daily Junque, Hometown Summer *Hometown Summer - Sneak 2 *Soiree Sneak 2, *Butterfly Garden Sneak 2, *Daily Junque Sneak 2
Prima - Mistables
Samantha Walker - Blossom, Enchanted Garden, Kokeshi
Sassafras Lass - Paper Crush
SEI - A Fair Day,  Couture, Sunny Day, Corrine, I'm an Athlete, White Elegance
Studio Calico- State Fair, Countryside
The Girls' Paperie - Vintage Whimsy
Webster's - Spring Market, Yacht Club, Country Estate, Ladies and Gents, Trendsetter Pins & Silhouettes,Whimsies and Sparklers
Bo Bunny- Timepiece, Gabrielle, Ad Lib
Hero Arts - Full Catalog

I am still waiting *patiently* to see stuff from October Afternoon, Pebbles, Inc., We R Memory Keepers, and Jenni Bowlin!!!

Prima Color Palette

Isn't it GORGEOUS!  Can't wait to see what Comes out at Winter CHA  :)

Prima Pretty Color Palette

Click the link to enter their Giveaway!

-Nicole

Unity and Echo Park Challenge

Hi All! WHEW.....what a day so far.......I just spent an hour and a half at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and still left without my new tags  :(  Well, at least I had my scrappy stuff to come home to!  This is my most recent creation for the Unity Stamp Company Co-branding challenge.  I used their Echo Park stamps and came out with this:

PINWHEELS and a CARD!!!!

 Fun, Huh???????

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Echo Park and LOVE LOVE LOVE Unity!