What have we been up too???

OH man.. we have been busy people. If you have seen on Facebook we have been doing way too much for my taste lately. Although FINALLY it feels after almost what.. 6 years we LIVE here????

We never REALLY decorated our home much and "made it ours" NOT LIKE I did our home in Mississippi. That house we did OUR WAY. I always kinda felt this house was done by the people that lived here before us. We just kinda stuck our stuff in it and went on. Bella kept all of her play things in the living room where I could see her and lay on the couch when I felt bad.
I am doing alot better now and she is older. Now, I WANT all that stuff OUT haha. INTO HER ROOM! I want our family room back.
We are still "work in progress" on this one. although, NOW finally it feels like we are digging out and able to do more. We FINALLY are able to do some things on this home and "MAKE IT MORE OURS" THE JONES home. It looks more like WE live here. Like it is OURS. You can look at it now and say ahh ya I can see that that would be Yall's house. Not that you couldn't before, but (ok ok I HATEDDDDDDDDD that carpet absolutely detested!!! With everybit of passion in my body and you know I do NOT LIKE that word at all!) I will be so happy when we can RIPPPPPP the rest of it out.
wow. I said it. That felt SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOD! wheww that was great therapy.


So we (again we being John) did the floor now he is painting the trim in the living room. I can't do the fumes. They set me off something fierce.

Here is Before when John pulled up the carpet, and There is OL' Blue...


We had purchased the furniture ON MAJORRRRRRRRR sale Labor day and it came in.
We are still work in progress. (IT TAKES TIME)



Dude did everything but offer us his next grandchild to buy that rug. He kept discounting it and discounting it and discounting it.... (hated to tell him IT WOULDN'T FIT IN OUR CAR)

John did a BEAUTIFUL JOB on the floor. Im so proud. He never ceases to amaze me at what all he can do.



Soooo, We have THIS BIGGGG Garage sale this next weekend. ALOT of families in our neighborhood will be participating. Sooo We have been cleaning out, going through stuff. Digging and sorting.
We have been wanting to do one (we really need to BAD, I still have things from when Bella was a baby.. SERIOUSLY!) SO MUCH I Need to get rid of. AMAZING HOW MUCH stuff You have when you don't have a regular garage sale yearly. (We used to do this all the time)
This is the first year I have felt good enough to do anything. I used to consign alot but The last couple of years I have actually been in the hospital or have not been in good enough shape to fool with it.


So THIS weekend SATURDAY its on. we have been attacking this house. have been so far for the last several days. IT looks like it too hahahahaa.
Bella has her plan also. A cooler with drinks out front!
So if your in the area lookin' for good deals stop by. You can email me for more information.


NOW.... to get rid of the HORRIFIC wall paper in the bathroooms....... hmmmmm.... hahahhaa! Yes I think he has created a monster. HEHEHE!

whole lotta

so remember last month when I said I HAD to make 2 of THESE? I worked on this pretty much most of the weekend (on and off) finished it up last night. Photographed it today.
This is for my mom for her birthday using this months Unkit you can find it HERE

I love to make Mini albums. I do a lot of scrapbook pages, don't get me wrong, but there is something about creating a little mini book that is just fun for me. I do them a lot of times as gifts. I think they like getting them also. at least I hope so. I have them all over our house. Especially in my scrapbook room.
I had a lot of fun with the BE POSITIVE Glimmer Glam from this months kit and the Glimmer glazes and Claudine Hellmuth paints.

I also have used some products that were not in the kit but I will tell you the additional things I added. That is the good thing about Unkit you can use what you like add to it or take away.


The mini album is 7 gypsys Envelope album. I Love Love LOVE Tim Holtz Tissue tapes. see them in the back ground behind GRANDMA? also at the bottom behind ME and that Basic Grey sticker border. They blend in so well when you use them with the papers then use the colorbox cats eye chalk inks. SEI makes awesome Chalk inks also!Vibrant colors Their Blue one is so gorgeous.
I also added some Teresa Collins papers that I inked so they would match.
Maya Road scrolls were a must have, I inked after I glimmer glamed the sticker letters to match, inked them as well. Cut the little girl card out of the paper folded her over and used a cute little my minds eye brad in the corner. painted those flowers and made them sparkly with that BE Positive (it makes your hands look like they are bleeding if you get it all over it, which I did when I was coloring the lace ribbon)
American crafts button in the bottom corner and some bling bring it on home.

lets open this up and look at the first page




I made the little flappy thing, where it would fold over and accent the photo of each page. Do you see what I see? YES, more Tim Holtz Tissue Tape. Told you I love that stuff. The brad and flower came out of my Cupcards2Go kit. HOW CUTE IS THAT? and It is perfect to spin that little web of thread around to hold the book all together when no one is flipping through the pages looking at it.

*TIP* I used Glimmer glaze to color the thread here to mach my papers I only had white so I ran my Thread across the tip (it comes with a nail polish type applicator) and voila custom matching thread!

Tied it in a cute little bow through that button to go with the lace accent. All edges were distressed with my handy dandy favorite tool the Making Memories Edge Distresser. DON'T leave home without it!


The background on this page was accented with the Claudine Hellmuth paint that is shown for purchase in this months unkit.
I also used SEI chalk inks to go around the edges in seinna. (love it) also the papers.
I used The Be Positive Glimmer glam to dye the lace. THAT WAS FUN! OH IT IS SO SPARKLY!!
The 2 little die cuts are from My Minds Eye (not in the kit) And the Blingy Sunflower Basic Grey.
I journaled on Crate paper from last months kit. That is another thing. So much from last months kit went so well with this months kit. so, You can use your leftovers. HOW COOL IS THAT! BONUS!
(The journaling contains little quotes about Grandparents/Grandmothers)



Pink paislee papers random buttons and more of that scrumptious Tim Holtz Tissue tape I added it to the pink paislee Paper then distressed it inked it and layered it. How fun is that?


This is a journaling page for Grandma's notes. I found some cute little quotes cut them up and placed them here. I left the envelope open for her to put little notes and pictures that Bella mails to her inside if she wants. I added the bling pearl the lace and the sunflower bling at the bottom. Notes is from last months kit, it is off a sheet of Teresa Collins paper that I cut out. The red you see on the flower and around the edges is Be Positive Glimmer Glam. That stuff is so fun! Sparrrrklyy!!! :said with spirit fingers:



This paper is the OTHER SIDE of the Pink Paislee. I distressed the edges and used this cuteeeeeeeeee American Crafts trim I think these are supposed to be flowers but, Bella saw it and said it looked like the cookie dough. She is so right! Way to go BUG! I thought it looked so cute with these photos. Yeah yeah I KNOW it didnt come with the unkit but LOOK HOW CUTE THIS IS!!! Go get it! you can ink it and spray it with your glimmer glam glaze mist stuffs and it will be fineeee.

anyway. at the bottom I used those cute stickers inked em up with SEI Chalk inks
and yes that is more Tim Holtz Tissue tape. What I did is I put it on a piece of paper then I pulled it up. Then put it down on there and it curled. COOL Huh?



My mom loves purple. Her favorite Flower is SunFlowers (so yall get it now why those two things are in here so much) So I combined the two on this page I have had these little bling flowers for a bit and ceased the opportunity. More claudine Hellmuth paints. This is Patterned paper from last months kit. Tim Holtz Tissue Tape My Minds Eye Die cuts, Bo Bunny flowers, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Basic Grey blingy flowers.
crate paper I used to Journal on quotes about Grandma's from various sources.
Glimmer glam from Tattered Angels.




Again the flap will fold over to compliment the papers from Basic Grey Basics, Flip side of the Crate papers and the edges distressed and inked with SEI and colorbox chalk inks, Claudine Hellmuth paints.



Basic Grey patterned paper, Graphic 45 papers, Fancy pants, My Minds eye die cuts, assorted brads, glimmer glam, glimmer glaze, glimmer mists, American crafts button and doodlebug bling used on this page I used the brad to close the flap that will open and additional photos or cards, notes can be kept inside.



Graphic 45 patterned paper Basic grey stickers, October Afternoon stickers, Teresa Collins stamp, Doodlebug jewels Claudine Hellmuth paints all used to accent this photo on this page Oh and a strip of Basic Grey paper. Colorbox fluid chalk inks. on the edges




Basic Grey papers, Tim Holtz tissue tape, and tiny attacher, American crafts buttons, Bo bunny flower, Doodlebug jewels, Pink Paisley papers, Claudine Hellmuth paints, Be Positive Glimmer Glam, Making Memories edge distresser around the edges of all papers. Edges have been inked with Colorbox fluid chalk inks

and here is the back of the album



I just put a brad through the paper so the string could wind around it and the flower with the brad :) to hold it closed easily.

Hope this all makes sense easily to you. If you have any questions about how I did anything on this album, feel free to ask. As Sudie talked about last night on UNKIT LIVE. We shouldn't be afraid to experiment with our supplies. Its fun to get messy and get in the glitter and paints. I KNOW I LOVEE TOO! hehe.





DO you participate in GET YOUR CRAFT ON TUESDAYS? IM LINKED UP! YOU SHOULD TOO!

and then .....

Bella has the MOST EXPRESSIVE face. I just love watching her talk. I ask her so many questions about ANYTHING. Her day, the cats, GUIDO. ONCE UPON A TIME... anything. she cracks me up, this kid. I enjoy every second of her.
She is just JOY overwhelming. ALL the JOY IN MY HEART that I could muster and it just EXPLODED. Booom! out came Bella.

least thats what I tell her, she just looks at me like I have two heads that are on fire. "NUGH UGHHHHH! THATSSS NOT WHAT MY TEACHER SAIDDDDDD! BUT YOUR REALLY CLOSE MOM!"
sigh.. whatever.

SO I got my kit from Paper Posies. soo cute! I focused on these expressions Bella makes when she talks.
check it out:





This is from this months sketch challenge. Hope you have a great day. SURVIVOR STARTS TONIGHT! YAY!!

ohhh doorbell! That was my kit from Scarlet Lime so I KNOW tonight, I will be watching Survivor and scrappin, with this!!! WOW! holy wow!
(It is sooo O.M.G. FINEEE! so many yummy embellies in that thing let me tell you!)
We (aka John) are almost finished with the floor. It is lookin' good. He went back over the top last night now it has that leathery look to it. soo cool. put the sealer on it. Just has to do one more section. (and let it sit) Now I need to find the perfect rug.... This will be fun.

My little cardmaker...

My mom's birthday is tomorrow so Bella and I made her cards....
Here is what Bella made:


That is the front



The inside



She even decorated the back and the envelope.

I think Gramma is REALLY gonna LOVE THIS!
She used KI memories Paper American crafts and Imaginisce stamps with Versamark inks.




I made this one with the September Cupcards2go Kit. (this kit rocks by the way) Love the colors!

I added a little bit of my own glitter to the butterfly as well as additional glimmer mist to the doilie and the butterfly as well as acrylic paint.

Thanks for looking :)
Hopefully my mom will get these in time.

Also I have LINKED UP with kim on Todays Creative Blog.
Go check her out and some of the blogs there she has.
Leave em some lovin!

Letting Go.....

We all hold on to things, ideas, People... that we want to protect. I know there are so many things that I keep a grasp on that I keep so close to me that I just can't seem to figure a way to loosen my grip on. Maybe it is because of some of the things that have happened to me? losing my father the way I did, Maybe because of illness? growing up with very little, other things that have happened to me over the years who knows? I am not sure, but, I know I hold people, and some things so close, and so tight, it is so hard to loosen my grasp, its like that precious butterfly. You have to be so careful or it will never fly... I know with my child I walk that fine line.
This is what this layout is about I took this photo on her first day of school this year I think maybe you can see some of the many feelings in my heart.

John and I so desperatly wanted to have a child and were so blessed with this little girl.
Not a day goes by we are not thankful for her. I truly am so humbly grateful for her.
Watching her grow every day and enjoying her is such a blessing we cherish and are truly so thankful.
It is just so hard to let her go into this cruel evil world especially thinking of the anniversary of yesterdays evil events. When I look at this sweet beautiful innocent child and releasing her into that...

as always you can click on the images to see them larger.

we stop to remember...

I hope that you will thank your servicemen and women today for all they do to keep us safe.

On this day 9 years ago I will never forget when those planes crashed into those towers. Our lives will never be the same again.

America changed that day. not only the way it looked but our trusts our thoughts everything for so many people in a matter of minutes changed.
so much we have that we all need to be thankful for on a daily basis.
We take so much for granted!


What are you grateful for today?

We have so many blessings in our lives. Our family, wonderful friends. Im so thankful for them all.

Today my husband is relentlessly working on the living room floor. He finished the sanding and is starting the Acid wash now.
It's looking good though I must tell ya. I have some before photos here.
Well sorta before photos. These are kinda striped down before photos.
There is ol' Blue as we are calling her... The ejector couch sitting in the middle there.
She has been a good one. Has slept many a friend and relative.
It looks to be in good shape just glancing at this photo.
looks can be deceiving. Just sit down on that left side there and it will AUTO-CLINE ya.


The back flips back the bottom extends you will be "clined" as Bella says.
yup you don't get a vote sometimes. other times it might be ok. depends on how you sit. The next time you may end up with your hind end lower than your knees.
Then if you happen to get situated good there and someone plops down on the right side. HANG ON. Your gonna "cline" as Bella says.

can be entertaining at times.
I think I had said it was around 11- 12 years old John corrected me. Its older than that. WE have been married 12 years. I had it 3 years before that so I STAND CORRECTED.
ONE WEEK FROM TODAY....

my living room will go back to looking like a home. My new furniture will be delivered I hope! (I hope it is here by then) They are puting 487 coats of that oh crud I just spilled something stuff on it. whats it called?

MAYBE Our life will return to some sort of normal?
hahahaha! whatever that is.

I loved that couch but My hind end is NOT SAD to see it go BUBYEEE ol blue!

ahhh relax....

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind kickin' back, for a bit.
Just let all my cares just wash away in the waves as I set sail on a big cruise ship and sip a big fruity drink. Well that is just what my brother did in this photo on this altered canvas that I did.

(He hasn't seen this yet by the way haha) I am sure he will be happy to hang this somewhere like on the floor or in the dog house maybe in his office to remind him of stress free days of yesterday. (and his loving, beautiful, sweet, funny and smart little sister YES THAT WOULD BE MEEEEE quit acting like you don't know THAT!)

When you look at this photo do you not just want to be swept away to some vacation spot? some Island getaway? Do you not hear the music?
ahhhhh.


(You may click on the image to see it larger)

So, You wanna know the "how I dunnit?"

Directions:
CUPCARDSTOGO AUGUST KIT!
SEEEE you can make more than just cards from these kits! I made this project AND I made a mini album see THIS POST HERE! I still have a box full of stuff left to make cards with! You definitely get your moneys worth from these kits!

I also had the little add on that I won from the blog hop!
THANKS DANI! ::waving::
It was so cute. had the little crushed shells and sand.
I used the embellishment pack that was in the kit the paper also.
I added The Canvas, The wooden word RELAX, Glimmer mists, acrylic paint and inks they didn't come with that kit.

I misted the canvas.
The canvas is 8 x 12 (you can find them at most craft stores) I like the ones with big open backs)

I sprayed it with several different shades of blue. It got kinda crazy and I got a lot of different variances of blue.

The word RELAX is a wooden word my mom had found at some good will or place like that. I have some other words like this in my box of stuff waiting to be altered.
I thought this one was PERFECT for this photo. It went so well with this kit this paper all of it so well. (put it was the WRONG color) had to fix that!
easy!

grab that paint. (I have a wall full of it grab a brush lets get busy!)

after my paint dried I sprayed it with the glimmer mist and oh wow what a cool thing it did. It started to kinda puddle up.It looked so neat.

I loved how it made the kinda shimmery lazy loook at the top kinda dreamy.
I glued HEAVILY with ALEENES TACKY GLUE the crushed rock and shells THEN sprinkled
the sand on top of that.

While all that was drying. Put on some Groovy tunes and start planning what you want to do to the rest of it.

Hope you liked this you can see the newest kit up on her site.
This was actually made with her AUGUST kit. She has another one out now that I am about to dive into. This one has been so much fun.
Thanks for looking Hope you get a chance to RELAX
and have fun creating!
xoxox
me!

Veggie Inspector B

Veggie Inspector B was a big help when hubby brought home a heap of veggies from the farmers market Tuesday (so now you know what all I have been doing!)
He got us a bushel of peas, butter beans, some Okra, a few tomatoes and him some squash.
(Bella and I don't care for things named after noises and Squash is a sound not a food)
YESSS we have tried it all kinda different ways fried was ok... Thank you and IM SURE your grandmother's recipe handed down 75 generations is LOVELY. GO enjoy.
Thank you so kindly for your generosity and caring. bless you. no thanks. hahaha. no can do. Seriously I have tried. Its a texture thing. we really have tried it cooked a bunch of different ways and I did ALMOSTTTTT sorta almost swallow it one of them.
I just cannot get myself to eat it. anyway before I get sick thinking about it

We cleaned the veggies and Inspector B helped pick the bad ones out, the trash (hulls, dirt, bugs eww, or any thing that isn't supposed to be in there. What? These are FRESH HOME GROWN VEGGIES. Where do you THINK they GROW? IN THE REGRIGERATOR? THE DIRT! so ya theres DIRT on them. so ya THERE IS A PROCESS. SO, I'm passin' it on down like my grandmama did, and my mama did. (minus the shooting water all over the ceiling, the kitchen,.. found out it can reach the living room when you use the vegetable sprayer and also the stove) I was soaked.

Bella was sorta wet,
Kitchen was really wet,
John had gone to the store to get some other things I had needed (more zip locs,towels and probably alcohol. I mean corn ya, corn!) He came home to my face just... well,ughm ya. Bella was singginnnnn' and diggin in the peas. I'm Just staring at him. with that.... face. SO, He knows something is up.
(yet afraid to ask) finally he says "WHAT?!" then he hears "YOUR DAUGHTER" then HE LAUGHS! because he knows whats coming! anyway, We were tired.

We had a big weekend. I am not used to doing a lot at one time. My shoulder has started to feel better. (Thank you lord doing the YAY dance)

Our couch has an ejector seat on it. you sit down on one end and it EJECTS you. It is the same couch I have had FOREVER. like 14 years. (Yes I'm serious) whether you want it to or not.. You will be ejected. so it was time. There were some amaaaazing sales this past weekend so we went "loooking" at furniture.
THEN, we came home and he got the bright idea. HEY! Lets pull up the carpet. well, guess what is under there when you pull up carpet?

omgosh, it's nasty. I couldn't stand it. He is staining it or something? anyway,
I was losing my mind.

We looked at these floors and they are soooo gorgeous.
(they were all done by these professional stainer, art people
that have websites and have done this before for years and years)

pray for me. just sayin'

although, the good news... its floor.. can always cover it up.

stain is expensive though!

He is making me a nervous wreck! He keeps saying things like "so David will be just
next door. IN CASE."

IN case of WHAT? I don't even want to think about that right now.

I do have to say it looks better with that carpet out already.

In other news:

Bella entertained us tonight after supper with her guitar. She is doing quite well with her guitar lessons.
She rocked out to "SPANISH THEME IN G" after our lovely meal of fresh veggies. (what? you think we were gonna eat somethin else after all that work? please!) She did a great job didn't even look at her fingers. (don't judge by the photo that was not a photo from tonight) So proud. She is becoming quite the little guitar player. Here is a PREVIOUS (see the carpet in the background) photo of her playing the guitar NOT tonight. She had a horribly dirty face tonight stained with BBQ sauce from eating ribs (DON'T ASK) couldn't get it all off until bath time. so I will just let you see this photo (PER NANA'S REQUEST HAHA) I have a better photo where she is looking up but, I am saving it for something else :)

so. SORRRY. You will have to wait :) I have been scrappin' like crazy. Staying busy. Doing my physical therapy.

well... I THINK HE THOUGHT THOSE VEGGIES and THE CARPET AND THE FURNITURE THING AND all this other extra stuff he has been having me do, this like domesticated stuff is part of my physical therapy routine. (like I paid attention to the ones I got, so well)hehe! DON'T THAT COUNT??? Anyway, I still got lots of stuff to do hubby stopped at the LSS down in Foley today and got me some cool stuff. HOW MUCH does HE ROCK? I just love him! (even though he does eat squash) YEEEUUUCK!
See ya laters
xoxox
Me

Scrappy lil mini me!

Bella had a project for school due tomorrow, an "All About Me" poster. I was not really shocked when she said "OH OH MAMA lets SCRAPBOOK IT!" I had to tell her though this was HER project I did help her with the cricut and daddy helped her with the lines. We made sure of course she didn't hurt herself with the scissors and the trimmer. (was a little hard for her to cut the cardstock) But ya she did this herself.
She picked the embellishments (rummaged through my stash) YES that is MY NEW AMERICAN CRAFTS embellie on that poster! All for the good of the grade sigh...
The things we do for our kids haha!

I let her dig through my photos and pick the ones she wanted.
ughh.. Our house looks different... She has grown since then,Amazing looking at these photos how much has changed in such a short time..just since April.




We went through about 4 and half glue sticks on this project. She doesn't hold back on the glue.





We used the trimmer to learn how to measure, along with the ruler. she wanted to layer her papers like I do mine, So I showed her how. I have created a monster!!








*TIP*I laid the letters out for her and then she came back and put glue on them and put them all down. IT was REALLY HARD. The letters were kinda small and the glue stick was kinda sticky on her fingers and the letters would tear.
We learned next time to use the xyron and just run them through.
I was trying to let her do it all with the glue stick though. so THERE IS A LITTLE TIP FOR YOU. They say hind site is 20/20 huh? The Cricut was great to use though on this project.


She wrote her sentence under each one. Even added an extra sentence under Bebe's photo.



She has been working on this project for a while now. We finished it up late last night. (as you can see from the last photo above)
she just kept adding embellishments saying "it just needs something. JUST ONE MORE something mama" (she is her mothers child after all)



I think she did an outstanding job. She is making a great little scrapbooker. Im very proud of her. She did so good working on this and she listened really well.
(shock) 4 and half glue sticks and one day early her project is turned in.
She even challenged herself to those hard hard letters instead of just taking the easy way out. Im proud of her for following through even though they were hard to do. great job lil bit!


Great goin' kiddo! Mommy is VERY proud of you and the hard work you did on this!

Scrappiest scissors in the errrrr..... SOUTH?

So back during C.H.A. (for my non scrappy friends that stands for CRAFT AND HOBBY ASSOCIATION remember that) I won this prize package from COOL2CRAFT. I thought I had just won this scissor set (holster and scissors) I was pumped about that. (Yall that follow me on facebook KNOW I never can find my scissors because something small cute and blonde is always taking them, or... I set them down and never can find them.
USUALLY its the first one. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

IMAGINE MY SHOCK when I OPEN THE BOX to THIS!


I KNOW! I was doing Bella's YAY DANCE! just shocked! SO MUCH YUMMY STUFF IN THERE! WOW THANKS YALL!

SOOOO I FINALLY took that scissor holster (you see the purple thing in there?)
Had J'Lo'd it out! I saw them do this in the demo but I did mine a lil different. So tell me what you think.

I sprayed it down with some Popsicle glimmer mist (yummy) made it all sparkly.
Then I put a piece of rick rack you can't see it though. I glued the sides right and left then glued the feathers from a piece of a boa BElla had (that had been pretty much destroyed) tucking it behind it twisting them around and under and all whichaways. THEN I took the Pebbles chipboard flower. Popdotted that sucker but added extra glue I wanted it really on there.

Then took a sparkly purple button and
used this is the string from one of those shipping tags...
I used some Heidi Swapp Viva Pink glimmer mist
just put a drop or so (after you have swirled it up good) on waxed paper folded it and ran the string through it ( dyed the thread) then put it through my button)




HOW CUTE IS THAT??
I hang it beside my Desk now AND Hopefully it will STAY THERE! hehe!
I would like to thank Lisa and everyone at COOL2CRAFT.

If you guys have never been to one of these shows YOU MUST COME! They are so fun AND come share your projects. GET A CAM. SHOW YOUR STUFFs.

JOIN THE HIVE This is a cool place for all kinds of crafters (NOT just scrapbookers its crocheters, knitters, quilters, painters, mixed media artists, any type of craft you can think of... they have it or will get a group for it! Tell them Nancy Jones sent ya! (I get points for that!)

Hope you have a wonderful week!