Bedtime Silly Willies

I finally got around to scrapbooking these photos from last summer. They are of Emma being silly in her bed. Being silly is one of the things that Emma does best~and definitely one of the things this old grandma loves the most!

I used SU's Cottage Wall DP and Rich Razzleberry Ribbon. LOVE the colors!

Sprinkler Play

Emma LOVES to play with the sprinkler!

Yes, ANOTHER Ladybug!

By now you know that I love daisies and ladybugs because they adorn my precious grand-daughter's bedroom. I am always on the lookout for anything with daisies and ladybugs. So when I came across a tutorial for this pocket card, I knew it would be adorable with a daisy and a ladybug! (You can view Stephanie Luman's tutorial here.)

I recently got a Cricut, and I decided to make this card as my first project. I actually made it a few weeks ago for Lori's birthday, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise. This is also for CCBJ17, which required a card with a unique fold. The base of this card has three folds to form the pot. (See my supply list here.)

The piece with the flowers pulls out and has space to write a note.

I LOVE my Cricut!

Little Crafter

Emma's already becoming quite the little crafter, and she's only 2!

Happy Monday!

Davis' Farm

Davis' Farmland (Sterling, MA) is a farm animal petting zoo with a mini water park! Emma LOVES to go there. Here she is with her beautiful mama.

Here she is brushing a calf.

She loves petting the mama and baby goats.

She loves the peacocks! There's even an albino one.

Emma and Brittany played at the face painting table. Emma cried when their turn was finished.

Here's a short video:

Happy Saturday!

Go, Bella!

Jamie gave us another great sketch challenge this week for BSC79! Here's my take on it. I used First-place-abella by Stamping Bella. I flipped the sketch upside down to accommodate the ribbon. I love the colors in this paper~so soft and pretty! (Supplies.)

TFL!

Bellariffic Friday Challenges

First up is last week's Bellariffic Friday challenge. I made this for a friend who recently gave birth to an adorable baby boy. His room is decorated with jungle animals, so of course I had to make a card to match! Welcome, Dylan! (Supplies.)

Here's this week's Bellariffic Friday Challenge. I just love this new stamp! She reminds me of playing "dress up" as a little girl, and of watching Brittany and now Emma play "dress up" as well. She's just darling! I painted over all of the paper with Shimmerz. You know how much I love to add bling to my cards! (Supplies.)

Hope you're having a great week!

Booming Uncle Keaton

Emma LOVES to "boom" Uncle Keaton!

Emma's Got Bling!

Emma has been asking for earrings for awhile. So Brittany and I took her to get her ears pierced on Saturday. Of course, Jack had to accompany her. She was so excited!

She thought it was funny that the lady first made purple polka dots on her ears.

Emma chose tiny "diamond" (the faux variety) earrings. She cried for about 30 seconds afterwards~right up until the lady handed her the lollipop jar. LOL Check out how curly her hair is becoming!

Then the tears shut off and she was as happy as could be with Jack and her "wollipop."

Next, Emma ran straight to the puppy store, and all was well.We ended our afternoon with a stop at Starbucks. Emma said that she wants "princess earrings." I'm not sure if that means Disney character earrings or real diamonds. Papa could be in trouble. LOL

Robyn Fest Days Four and Five

Day Four was pretty quiet. Emma and Robyn had fun playing with Emma's balloon.

Then we took Emma to see Up. Robyn hadn't seen it yet. It's a great movie! Later in the day, Robyn and I went out for a nice dinner, then went to see The Proposal. Two movies in one day~that's a first for me!

We spent Day Five in Boston, walking along the harbor and through Boston's North End (aka Little Italy). Here's Boston's Customs House.

Here's a photo from the docks.

We lunched at Pagliuca's, a small, family-owned restaurant that looks like it's right out of a movie. The food was delish! Emma loves Chicken parmesan, and apparently napkins. LOL

And then we hit Mike's Pastries, home of the best canolis this side of Italy!

Then it was off to the airport. Sigh...

Thanks for coming, Robyn! I had so much fun!

Robyn Fest, Day Three and Brennan's 21st

We didn't do much today, just ran a bunch of errands and got ready to celebrate Brennan's 21st birthday. He didn't want a party or a big deal, so we kept it low key and promised not to tell the restaurant that it was his birthday. We went to dinner at The Texas Roadhouse Grill. He ordered a beer, and in checking his ID, our server realized it was his birthday. She had made no such promise! The funniest part was that she kept calling him "Brendan," which made us all laugh even harder!

When we were in Mystic, CT, we bought Brennan a nice pair of Oakley sunglasses for his birthday. He also requested a crockpot and an electric skillet~he is moving into an apartment in September and wants to do some easy cooking. Yes, he's practical. But he is going to Vegas this weekend with his friends, so he's not too practical! LOL Here he is with Brittany.

Here are Brennan and Keaton.

Brennan is not a huge fan of cake, but he loves cookies. So we spent the afternoon baking for him. Emma just didn't understand why Uncle Brennan didn't want a birthday cake. I asked, "Do you think that birthday cookies are a little bit silly, Emma?" She replied, "Birthday cookies are BIG silly, Giffy!" Nevertheless, she wasted no time gobbling one!

Emma adores her uncles! Here she is hugging Uncle Keaton...

and playing with Uncle Brennan.

Emma LOVES Robyn! I was such old news~all Emma wanted was Robyn from the moment she woke up until she went to bed. She kept saying "My Robyn!" Of course, I had to engage in the battle for Robyn with a two-year-old, so I kept saying, "No, MY Robyn!" She finally agreed that we could share Robyn! LOL

And here we are with the birthday boy/man. It's hard to believe that's he's 21!

Happy 21st, Brennan!

Robyn, I'm glad you were to celebrate with us!

My Glittery Splendor

For this week's Bella's Twisted Challenge, Hope challenged us to use lots of bling. Does she know how dangerous it is to ask me to use glitter or bling? LOL I seriously use a little bling on every card I make.

For this card, I went to town! The image is Solly Tude by Tiddly Inks. I used Stickles on her skirt, hair bows, and the balloons. I highlighted her hair with Copic Spica Buttermilk. I used Copic Spica Clear to color in the background, as well as on the edges of the image mat and the scalloped oval. Then I added some of Bella's Glitter Dots. (Supplies.)

So there you have it~me in my glittery splendor! LOL

Robyn Fest, Day 2

On Sunday, Robyn and I drove to Newport, Rhode Island . It is a postcard-place: a quaint, New England, seaside town, full of charm and brimming with activity. First, we stopped for lunch at The Barking Crab.

Then we strolled through town, popping in and out of the shops and walking along the docks.

Then we toured the Vanderbilt mansion, which they referred to as their "summer cottage." The history was fascinating and the view was breathtaking!

The flower beds were shaped like pianos!

We came home to a delicious filet mignon dinner. Thanks, Rick and Brittany!

You Color My World

Can you tell that I LOVE the new SU Razzleberry Lemonade paper? It's been on the last few cards that I've posted. This year's SU In Colors are fabulous!

The image is Tiddly Ink's newest, called Addy Tude Is on Top of the World. She is so versatile! (Supplies.)

Have a happy day!

Robyn Fest, Day 1

That's right! Robyn, who lives in CO, is here visiting for 5 days. I am so happy! I haven't seen her for two years. When I lived in CO, we were joined at the hip: worked together (3rd grade teachers at the same school), went to the same church, and basically did everything together. I miss her so much!

She arrived on Saturday. We immediately hit the road and drove to Pawtucket, Rhode Island for a Paw Sox game. They're the minor league team for the Red Sox. You know me and my Red Sox!

Emma's favorite part of the game was the food! First a hot dog and french fries...

followed by cotton candy!

More tomorrow. TFL!

Misquamicut Beach, Rhode Island

Last Sunday, we hit Misquamicut Beach in RI. Emma LOVES the beach! If I looked this cute in a swimsuit, I would love it, too. LOL

Emma and Papa enjoyed splashing in the waves.

Emma wanted to collect seashells, but couldn't find any. So she decided that rocks were the next best thing.

She built her first sandcastle, too! Uncle Brennan had as much fun as she did.

Yeah, life is good!

Stella Digs It

This is for CCBJ19, in which Janet challenged us to make a summer-themed card. That's hard to imagine since I live in New England and it has been gray and rainy for about five weeks. But this weekend should be gorgeous, so maybe I'll get outside to do some weeding.

Stella, however, is enjoying her garden. This is Stella Digs It by Stamping Bella. She reminds me of the purple-haired, little old ladies I see around town! (Supplies.)

Sorry for the fuzzy photo. I'd retake it, but I already mailed it off to somebody.

Hope your weekend is full of sunshine!

Mystic Seaport, CT

Here are a few scenic shots of Mystic Seaport, CT. It's a lovely, quaint little town. I'd be quite happy to live there, especially since there's a needlepoint store right off of main street.

This is the only photo we got of me~that's what I get for hogging the camera! LOL I took this one because Emma was so proud of her polished nails!

A Sparkly Attitude

For this week's Bellariffic Friday challenge, Em gave us another wonderful sketch. I flipped it on its side. I used the stamp called Addy Tude Loves to Sparkle (by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella), as well as the new SU Razleberry Lemonade paper. I LOVE this paper! (Supplies.)

Happy Friday!

Never Too Old for Recess

While we were in Mystic Seaport, CT, we searched for a park so that Emma could have some play time. Seems like the big kids had just as much fun!

Emma begged to go "higher and faster" on the swing. A girl after my own heart!

Rick mastered the four-foot-tall rock climbing wall.

Brennan flew a kite.

Brittany played on the whatever-it-is.

Keaton called his girlfriend from the top of the jungle gym, then played on a swing.

And I was the photographer.

Recess isn't just for kids, you know!

A Little Less Hard Time, A Little More Bliss

Welcome to my second Bella's Show and Tell Challenge!

Monday, hard to wake up

Fill my coffee cup, I'm out the door

Yeah, the freeway's standing still today

It's gonna make me late, and that's for sure

I'm running out of gas and out of time

Never gonna make it there by nine

There's gotta be something more

Gotta be more than this

I need a little less hard time

I need a little more bliss...

(written and copyrighted by Sugarland)

Does this sound familiar? If you are a fan of country music, then you surely recognize these lyrics. And who hasn't had a day like this? My challenge for you this month is to make a card showing what you do when you need a little less hard time and a little more bliss. Do you garden? Do you listen to music? Read a book? Take a bath? Go shopping? Stamp? Whatever it is, I want to see it! So peruse your collection of Stamping Bella stamps, and make a card that shows what you do (or would like to do) for a little more bliss!

For my own card, I used Alexis' Bad Hair Day (by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella). When I have a rough day, I love to put on my favorite worn-out, funky jammies (Nick & Nora flannels), my robe, and my slippers. I curl up in my chair with my dogs and watch one of my favorite TV shows (the Red Sox, Law & Order, or The Closer), read one of my favorite books (anything by Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or James Michener), or watch one of my favorite chick flicks (You've Got Mail, Sweet Home Alabama, or Miss Potter). So this stamp is perfect for me! The glitter is a very luscious purple, even though it looks blue here. (Click here to see my supply list.)

At 9:00 PM EST on July 15th, I will randomly draw a winner from among the challenge participants. The prize is a $15 gift voucher to Stamping Bella! To be eligible, you must post your card in the SCS BSAT2 gallery by 9:00 PM EST on July 15th. I will randomly draw a winner at that time, and will post the winner in the challenge thread on the morning of Thursday, June 16th. Click here to participate in this challenge.

P.S. I apologize in advance if this tune gets stuck in your head, but happy humming while you stamp!

Baby Beluga...

I can still hear that Raffi song playing in my head! LOL All six of us went to Mystic Seaport, CT for July 4th weekend. Our first stop was the Mystic Aquarium, home of the only beluga whales in North America. Emma had so much fun playing with one at the tank window. This whale was hilarious! He would swim by nonchalantly, then bounce with his mouth opened wide at the kids. All of the kids screamed, except for Emma. She laughed hysterically! The whale did this five or six times. It was quite entertaining!

Emma was convinced that the whale was kissing her. He also kept blowing bubbles at her.

This is Emma demonstrating what the whale looked like when he kissed her. LOL

She loved the whale so much that Mommy bought her a little stuffed beluga whale. She named him Bubbles.

Emma loving on her Mommy.

Emma also liked the sea lions. Listen closely to the video: Emma thinks the seals are burping! LOL

More tomorrow! Thanks for visiting!

A Beautiful Kimono

I love the Japanese Ketto stamps from Stamping Bella! It's so much fun to paper piece their kimonos. This is Ginger Ketto, paper pieced from Basic Grey's Euphoria. (Click here to see my supplies.)

Thanks for visiting!

CASEing Tracy

Congratulations to Tracy Cornhill for being selected as this months' Bella's Favorite Stamnper! (Tracy has an incredible gallery, which you can view here.) To celebrate Tracy, we were asked to CASE a card from her SCS gallery~this means to copy her card, changing at least two things. I chose this card from her gallery. Here is my CASEd copy:

I used the same stamp (Maisy Ketto by Stamping Bella), the same black grosgrain ribbon, and the same layout. I changed the paper and colors, I colored with Copics instead of with Prismacolor pencils, I changed the embellishments, and I added a sentiment. (Click here to see my supplies.)

Congrats, Tracy! It is an honor well deserved!

CCC (Coffee and Chit Chat)

This is for this week's Bellariffic Friday Challenge. The image is Javabuggs by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella. I used the new SU paper called Razzleberry Lemonade. I love this paper! Thank you, Hope! (Supply list.)

Have a great weekend and Happy 4th of July!

Beyond Ready for Summer!

This week, Sparkle challenge us to make a Stamping Bella card with a summer theme. I live in New England, and it has rained almost every day for the last month. I am so beyond ready for summer! (Click here to see my list of supplies.)

Thanks for a fun challenge, Sparkle!

Welcome, Camryn!

In May, my younger brother, Mark, and his lovely wife, Nicole, welcomed a baby girl! Her name is Camryn Taylor. She is beautiful! Her room is decorated in pink and brown, and Nicole loves daisies. So I made this card to welcome her. (I used Jamie's BSC78 for this card. See my supply list here.)

I asked my dear and mega-talented friend, Christy Croll (aka Tiddly Inks), to make a special nameplate for Camryn's room. I love what she did! She painted this with watercolors.

Thank you Christy!

Welcome, Camryn! I can't wait to meet you in August!