MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013

From my family to yours ..
 

Christmas 2013

View the entire collection of cards.

MEET JINGLE JANGLE

He's our Elf :) He came to us just last year and once he was home, I couldn't remember why I had fought getting him. He is SOOOOO fun! My sister says he's creepy (and i get it) but he's grown on me and I love having him around. Last year he did a great job keeping the kids in check. This year might be a little more difficult, though, because my oldest is 9 and has decided he doesn't really believe in Santa anymore (sob!!!). On the plus side, once the kids are older, Jingle Jangle can get into the 'not so nice' things. So, there's that, i guess ... 

Anyway, here's my Jingle Jangle in all his elf glory last year:

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME ...

...of the year is NOW. Once September comes I'm so anxious to get the Fall things out. I try to hold on as long as possible (I don't wanna be the crazy lady on the block) but by September 15th, orange and pumpkins are fair game :) Cooler weather, hay ride, trips to the farm, Halloween ... all leading up to this. November. {Heaven}. Some people might think that November is only good for leading up to Christmas but I think November is glorious all on her own. So, I'm relishing every last bit of it before the craziness of the Holidays creeps up. It's the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. Right now.

 If you follow me on Facebook, you know I helped my sister plan & execute her wedding.  It was a simple, country, rustic, outdoor affair and the venue was so beautiful, I couldn't really mess it up too badly :)  I wasn't too afraid of the paper things; after all, that's what I do.  But I made her table decor, cupcakes, chalkboard signs, and {for the first time EVER} all 4 of the bouquets.  I was TERRIFIED of the bouquets but I think they turned out nice for a first timer :)  I have some picture to share of some of the things {and, of course, of the beautiful bride and groom}.  The pictures from the photographer are still coming in but here is a sample .... enjoy...

Happy First Birthday, Polka Dotted Bliss!! {a blog hop}

Today, I am helping my scrappy friend Kimberly celebrate the 1-year anniversary of her Etsy Shop, Polka Dotted Bliss. She has had a spookalicious line-up of talented girls sharing polka-dot Halloween creations all week long on her blog! AND, she's giving away some blog candy each and every day this week. Hope you've stopped by the blogs every day this week, caught some inspiration and entered the giveaways! 

{In case you missed it:  This week's lineup}
10.20.13 Created by Donna K
10.21.13 Karen's Krafty Moments
10.22.13 Krista's Paper Cafe
10.23.13 Little Honeybee Studios
10.24.13 Scrap Your World
10.25.13 {yours truly} WhimsyPics
10.26.13 Polka Dotted Bliss


I'm sure you've figured out by now the theme is Halloween!  Most of you know that I haven't really created anything new in ...well, a REALLY, really long time.  I'm so grateful to Kimberly for inviting me to participate in the Blog Hop Anniversary Party and giving me the impetus I needed to get my rear in gear! Of course, since it's been so long, I decided to take baby steps.  I used the Webster's Pages Once Upon A Halloween collection to make these ACEOs.  I love how these tiny pieces can pack a punch. And you all know how I loathe to throw out even the tiniest scrap of anything.  ACEOs and gift tags are perfect for using up those tiny bits!  A spooky series of 3 ... enjoy!

3 in the Series

1st - A Haunting We Go

2nd - The Story

3rd - Chills and Thrills

I hope you've enjoyed the projects I've shared!  I'm excited to get back to what I love - hopefully sooner than later :)  Don't forget to enter today's giveaway {details below}!

Here are the goodies Kimberly is giving away today! To enter the giveaway, head on over to Kimberly's blog here for a chance to win! **Giveaways open to US residents only. 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

OK, I'm a little late :)  But I do hope your 2013 has gotten off to a great start!

Little Tommy has been keeping me busy.  He's 8 months old already! There's so much that I didn't remember about having a baby in the house again.  Like, how much of your time they require!  My memory isn't great, I admit it, but I kinda remember being able to craft when my other two were little.  It's all I can do to get dinner on the table these days and never mind keeping the house tidy or doing any crafting.  But I realized the other day that I'm kinda sad that I've not been able to create anything.  Even sadder when I realized it's been a YEAR AND A HALF since I sat down in my craft room and made something just 'cause I wanted to!  Yikes. 
 
So, I decided that I will change that.  My craft room is in complete disarray.  I'd gotten a few orders over this last year and every time I made something to fulfill the order, I just kept all my supplies on my table or strewn about on my desk.  Well, I've started to clean up but, my goodness, what a task it is!!!  It'll take me weeks to get down to where I can get back to work but, just being in here and seeing my things makes me feel so much better already.  I've got lots of stuff to get rid of, including some of the things I've made and not sold.  I want to start fresh when I open my etsy shop (WhimsyPics) back up.  (I do have another etsy shop, www.4ArcherStreet.etsy.com for my upcycled creations).

With a clean space in mind :)  I've decided to host some giveaways!  This first one is for a set of 5 all occasion greeting cards I made a few years back.  Envelopes are included. The sentiments are:
*Miss You
*Keep in Touch
*Time Flies
*Thinking of You
*Thank You

I'm using rafflecopter to host this giveaway - just enter using the link below!  The contest will run through Saturday, March 1st, at midnight.  You can tweet about it for an extra entry every day! Don't forget to tell your friends.  Check back to see if you're the winner and then look out for the next giveaway!  You've gotta help me clear this place out 'cause I'm itching to get to work again!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway