Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #76

I hope you're all having a fabulous Friday! It's time for another TE Sketch Challenge! I'm still off at CHA...in fact, today I'm demo-ing the TE make and take for the CHA Craft Supershow at the Splitcoast booth. I'm so excited to meet tons of stampers and online friends and share a little piece of what I love. I made this card a few hours before I left for the airport to come to Orlando and I was so excited with how quickly it came together. I've seen a few of my Baker's Dozen girls use the calendar cuppie from A Year of Sweets II with the sunflowers sentiment from Faith and Hope. I never would have thought to do this on my own, but it's almost like they were made for each other! I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with Copics. Then I cut it out with my Spellbinders circle die and embellished Cuppie's cherry with a red candy dot. I used Early Bird patterned paper (which is now in stock at the TE Store!) with Rose Medium, Sunflowers Medium, and Island Mist Light Prism cardstock. The image is popped up on foam tape and I finished the whole thing off with some Caribbean satin ribbon. And now I'm so excited to introduce you to another Featured Sketch Sampler this week! I've had my eye on Teresa Kline's blog for quite some time and she never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful creations! I love the sweet simplicity that she brings to many of her designs and she always knows where to add the perfect little touch. It was this card with the pretty wide ribbon that caught my eye. And today she's sharing another wonderful card using this week's sketch. The colors she chose are so striking and I love the three brads she added underneath the sentiment! You can check out all the details of this card and the rest of Teresa's beautiful creations on her blog: Enjoy the VA Sunshine. Thanks for sampling the sketch, Teresa! Now it's your turn to try the sketch! Just create a card using this sketch and link your creation below with Mr. Linky by Friday, August 7th. I'll choose the cutest creation from the submissions to be the Featured Sketch Sampler. Your design and blog will be featured on my blog during the sketch challenge on Friday. If you're uploading to an online gallery use keyword TESC75 (for Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge 75). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Don't forget to head over and check out what the crew designed: Ana Wohlfahrt, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jami Sibley, Lynn Mercurio, Monika Davis, Sherrie Siemens, Vicki Chrisman

CHA Summer 2009

We made it to Orlando late on Monday night and we were knocking down the doors of the convention center early Tuesday morning! Yesterday was the first day of the show and we had fun catching up with friends and checking out all of the latest and greatest from our favorite vendors. My favorite booth is always the Doodlebug booth and they delivered again this show! The whole booth was set up like a little gingerbread house complete with gingerbread cookies cooling on the vintage stovetop! They also had a vintage sewing machine and some of the cutest decor you can imagine...the pictures just don't do it justice! My mom took this picture of me from outside the "house" as I was peering out the window. The window box is filled with cupcakes and other goodies on sticks! I'm always in love with the decor in the booth so imagine my excitement when I found out that Doodlebug is now carrying storage and other accessories! There's an adorable little 9-drawer cabinet that you can customize with your own pictures, patterned paper, fabric pieces, etc. And the scalloped shelves are sweet and cutesy while still being practical. And then they have the most wonderful quality white shadow boxes in two different sizes! I can't wait to show and tell more about all the products we've seen so far! You're going to love the new Smooch colors (yes... 8 new colors!) and I'm soooo excited about the awesome new patterned paper collections! I wish I had more time to chat, but I have to get to the show today! Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #75

Good morning! Happy Friday and Happy Cupcake Day! Whew... this week has been a doozie (does anyone even use that word anymore?)! Jon and I are preparing for a weekend away from home as we head back to his hometown of Orange City, IA for our sister-in-law's baby shower tomorrow and baby dedication on Sunday. Then on Monday I'm off to Orlando for CHA!! And then when I return we're kicking off the August stamp release at the TE Store! Busy...busy...busy... fun... fun... fun! As I was unpacking and organizing all of my supplies I came across so many things that I forgot I had! It was Christmas in July with each box I opened! I put these forgotten treasures inside my desktop organizer as a reminder that I wanted to use them. I looked up at the organizer today and found these cutie felt cupcake embellishements by Martha Stewart. I went to my patterned paper stash and discovered that the Tiny Dancer Collection complimented my cupcakes perfectly! The card came together super quick because the only stamping is the sentiment. I used Clear Crystal Strips to accent my sentiment and the tops of the cupcakes. Then I just finished it off with a pink polka dot bow. I'm so excited to get back into the Featured Cupcake Sampler! In order to get back on schedule I'll be chosing two Featured Samplers from among last week's participants. The Featured Sampler today, Alex Maldonado, wowed me with her amazing coloring on this sweet teddy bear card. Alex's designs are always so amazing... her coloring is fabulous! She's so sweet that she made this adorable sunshiney card to remind me of California in case I was a little homesick. Even though I do love our new home I'm still a little homesick and seeing her California-inpsired card was the perfect way to cheer me up! She used lots of items from our latest July Key Ingredients release. We've had a ton of response to this kit and it is currently sold out. We're expecting back in stock at the end of the month though! If you're interested in being notified when it's available click here and enter your email address. You'll be the first to know when it's back in the store! You'll want to check out the rest of Alex's beautiful creations on her blog: Alex Stamps. Thanks so much for sampling the sketch, Alex! Now it's your turn to try the sketch! Just create a card using this sketch and link your creation below with Mr. Linky by Friday, July 31st. I'll choose the cutest creation from the submissions to be the Featured Cupcake Sampler. Your design and blog will be featured on my blog during Cupcake Friday. You're not required to use cupcakes for the challenge, but if you got 'em why not use 'em!? If you're uploading to an online gallery use keyword TECC75 (for Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge 75). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Head over and leave some love for the Cupcake Crew... they do such a wonderful job each and every week! Ana Wohlfahrt, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jami Sibley, Lynn Mercurio, Monika Davis, Sherrie Siemens, Stephanie Hargis, Vicki Chrisman

Sprinkled with Love

We had so much fun at The Fray concert on Tuesday night! It was nice to get away for a night! We decided not to spend the night in Minneapolis so we drove home after the concert. We didn't get home until 2:30 am!! I can't remember the last time I stayed up until 2:30! I do a 1:30 or 2:00 every once in a while, but 2:30am is not my thing! I was trying to keep Jon awake during the drive, but my eyes wanted to shut so badly! Anyhow, we made it safely and I posted a picture below of us at the concert. I spent yesterday recovering from the late night on Tuesday, but I was back to creating in my studio today. During our transition to Iowa we've had so many friends extend kindness to us. We had friends cook us dinner, take us out to eat, host farewell get-togethers, and even show up on moving day to help us load the truck! Those things don't go unnoticed and I want them to know how much we appreciate them. So I'm making it my goal to make at least one thank you card each day! It pains me to mass-produce cards so it might be a couple weeks before I get these sent out. Hopefully the time I put into making each one unique will be appreciated by the recipients! I started today with the CPS125 Sketch Challenge which is being sponsored by JustRite Stampers this week. So I grabbed my JustRite oval stamper and the "Sprinkled with Love" border from the Celebrations Demi Phrases. Because the Demi Phrases are half phrases they can fit into several different wood stampers (1-5/8" circle, 2-3/8" circle, 2" circle, & 1-3/4" x 2-5/16" oval). And you can finish the phrase however you want (with the 15pt matching font)... or don't finish it at all (like I did)! The 'Sprinkled with Love' sentiment was begging for a cupcake image and I happened to have my For the Love of Cupcakes set still sprawled on my desk from last week's cupcake challenge. I stamped the oval sentiment in Rich Cocoa ink and cut it out with a Spellbinders oval die. Then I stamped the cupcake inside and colored it with Copic markers. I used Periwinkle glitter on the frosting and popped up the little heart with foam tape and paired with image with some patterned paper from the Crate Paper Sweet Branch Collection. Over the last year I've lost my "More is More" mentality when it comes to making cards (my friend Jami is probably *gasping* at that comment!). I'm not sure where it went, but it came back for a bit as I was making this card. After "finishing" the card with ribbon I decided it just wasn't quite finished so I added another strand of ribbon.... still missing something, so I added some rhinestone swirls... still missing something, so I pierced around the edge... still missing something, so I added white gel pen to my piercings... still missing something, but I had to stop! I wanted to add a little cupcake charm on the ribbon, but I didn't have one in my charm collection (that *must* change soon!) so I just called it good and took the picture! Thanks for putting up with all my rambling today! Hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you here tomorrow morning for the Friday sketch challenge!

Taylored Expressions @ CHA Craft Supershow!

Yes... it's true! I'll be leaving for CHA in Orlando, Florida in less than a week! I held off on buying my tickets until I decided if we were settled enough to allow me to leave town for a week. I decided after all the stress of moving the best thing for my creative spirit was to head to CHA to reconnect with friends and inspire creativity! For those of you who may not know, CHA stands for Craft and Hobby Association. The Craft and Hobby Association puts on a semi-annual convention where retailers go to see (and purchase!) the latest and greatest products from our favorite manufacturers. If you've been keeping up with the CHA buzz, I'd love to hear what you're excited about! I'm always looking to expand the products available at the TE Store and your opinions are important to us! So leave a comment here if there's something you'd like to see in the TE Store! In addition, for the very first time CHA is hosting a Craft SuperShow for consumers! Now you can share in all the excitement with your favorite retailers! I'm so excited to announce that I'll be at the Splitcoast Stampers Booth (#2219) during the Craft SuperShow! I'll be hosting a Taylored Expressions make and take on Friday, July 31st from 2pm - 4pm. We'll be using an exclusive image and sentiment designed especially for CHA! If you stop by to do our make and take you'll receive the image and sentiment used to make the above card FREE! I hope you'll stop by and say hello! I look forward to meeting you!

P.S. Remember The Fray concert tickets that Jon got me as a birthday present!? We're driving to Minneapolis tonight for the concert... I can hardly wait!

July 20th Key Ingredients now available!

The July 20th Key Ingredients kit is now available for purchase! Each month we're excited to bring you a brand new set of coordinating patterned paper, card stock, and embellishments... enough to make at least 16 cards for just $16.95. Each month our Key Ingredients subscribers receive their monthly kit at a discount in addition to many other benefits! You can read more below about all the benefits of becoming a Key Ingredients Subscriber.

º Tons of creativity in a box! Everything you need to make at least 16 cards (including 6x6 patterned papers, 8.5 x 11 card stock, ribbon, and various embellishments) in a different color palette each month. The subscription kits will coordinate well with the TE stamp sets, but you can also use them with the many other stamp sets you own. Simply add the stamps, ink and adhesive to cook up a batch of coordinating cards.

º Key Ingredients savings
Regular KI price = $16.95 per kit
3 month Subscription price = $15.95 per kit + shipping
6 month Subscription price = $14.95 per kit + shipping

º You get them FIRST! These kits will debut in the store on the 20th of each month, but they will be shipped out to our Subscribers on the 15th, so in most cases you’ll have the product in your hands before anyone else even sees it!

º Monthly Challenge. Each month there will be a KI Subscriber’s Challenge included in your kit and you will have until July 31st to upload your card and link it back to my blog to be entered into the monthly prize drawing. Of course playing is totally optional, but we just can’t wait to see what you come up with!

º Baker’s Dozen Samples. Each month when the KI’s are debuted on the 20th, half of the Baker’s Dozen will share a creation they've made with elements from the KI Subscription kit so you’ll have plenty of project inspiration!

º Storage. Subscriber kits will come in a plastic storage case. This $3.00 value is a FREE and exclusive benefit to Subscribers only. Non-subscribers purchasing the kits on regular orders will receive their Key Ingredients in the cellophane envelopes they've always been packaged in. The plastic storage cases will not be available for separate purchase in the store for at least the first 6 months of our subscription program.

º Store Discount. Subscribers will be given a special discount code to save 10% on any order placed between the 10th – 14th of the month to be combined with your KI Subscription auto-ship.

This month I've issued another challenge to half of the Baker's Dozen to get busy with their new Key Ingredients kit! Because of my recent move I've had home decor on my mind a lot! I think it's fun to mix in some handmade decor around the house so I challenged everyone to make some type of decor for the home... whether useful or purely decorative. Somewhere between here and California I seem to have lost my pencil cup. It's always the most obscure items that turn up missing in a move! I was just about to run to Office Depot and buy a boring pencil cup when I found this revolving wooden contraption that would be perfect! My "pencil cup" was originally unfinished wood so I grabbed a bottle of yellow acrylic paint and finished it off. Then I adhered pieces of the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird patterned paper from the kit and covered it with a coat of Mod Podge. In order to designate my new tool cart, I used some Making Memories rub-on letters to spell out 'tools'. I covered one of the chipboard frames that come in the kit with patterned paper and adhered it to the front with foam tape. And that's it! A super simple project that certainly trumps the basic pencil cup! We'd love to have you join us for the challenge this month. If you're a subscriber you've probably already received your Key Ingredients kit and can jump right in! Just create a home decor project and link your creation in the Mr. Linky below to be eligible for the prize drawing. If you haven't purchased the July 20th Key Ingredients you can still get in on the fun! We have a 3 month and 6 month subscription option available and you can also purchase the kit individually. If you make your subscription purchase before July 25th, the July Key Ingredients kit will be your first shipment. After July 25th and your first shipment will be the August Key Ingredients Kit. Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Blog Candy Winners!
Set of Perfect Package - Card Boxes... Allison from The Paper Menagerie
JustRite Halloween Card Candy... Annette Pagnusat

Email me at tayloredexpressions@gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll send these off to you right away!

Don't forget to head over to the Baker's Dozen blogs to see what they've created for our Key Ingredients challenge! Donna Baker, Karen Giron, Laura Fredrickson, Jodi Collins, Charmaine Ikach, Ana Wohlfahrt

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #74

Happy Friday and Happy Cupcake Day! Wow... it feels so good to say that again! I've really missed doing the challenges over the past several weeks and I'm so glad we're back today! My inspiration for today's project came from this yummy cupcake notebook I picked up in the Michael's $1 spot. How could I resist a notepad with realistic cupcakes on it! I love all the different colored polka dots on the side of the journal so I drew my color inspiration from that. I used the For the Love of Cupcakes set. I stamped the images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored them with Copic markers. I didn't have any patterned paper to match the colors in the journal (I know... *gasp*) so I made my own version of patterned paper by punching out little stars and adhering them to the white base. I also stamped the sentiment directly onto the white base and pierced a circle around it in order to follow the sketch. I suppose if I was willing to part with this journal, I'd have a quick and cute gift set! We'll see... it's so hard for me to say goodbye to my creations, but my room is already overflowing with them! Keep your eye on the Greeting Card section of the store and you might see some of my recent creations popping up soon! Now it's your turn to try the sketch! Just create a card using this sketch and link your creation below with Mr. Linky by Friday, July 24th. I'll choose the cutest creation from the submissions to be the Featured Cupcake Sampler. Your design and blog will be featured on my blog during Cupcake Friday. You're not required to use cupcakes for the challenge, but if you got 'em why not use 'em!? If you're uploading to an online gallery use keyword TECC74 (for Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge 74). I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine with the Featured Cupcake Sampler! Can't wait to see what you all come up with!


And don't miss the inspiration from the Cupcake Crew: Ana Wohlfahrt, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jami Sibley, Lynn Mercurio, Monika Davis, Sherrie Siemens, Stephanie Hargis, Vicki Chrisman

JustRite Design Team Blog Hop

If you were here yesterday, you saw our Christmas in July Blog Hop, but today I’m switching the holiday with a Halloween project for the JustRite Design Team Blog Hop. JustRite has recently released lots of fun, new sets as part of their first summer release. The following new products are all available at the TE Store today!

Preserves Borders & Centers (fits 2 3/8” circle stamper)

Witch Way to the Treats Borders & Centers (fits 1 3/16” circle stamper)

Friendship Borders & Centers (fits 3 ¼” circle stamper)

Calendar Borders & Centers (fits 1 ¾” x 2 5/16” oval stamper)

Wood Stamper 1 3/4" x 2 5/16"

As you hop around to check out the rest of the design team projects you’ll also see some sneak peeks of what’s to come in the second summer release from JustRite! These products will also be available in the TE Store at the end of August.

I know I’ve said this before, but I love Halloween! So when Kellie hinted of new Halloween themed borders and centers I knew these would be a favorite! I love the cute little size of the Witch Way to the Treats borders and centers and there are so many punny sentiments perfect for cards and treat packaging! I love making treat packaging, but I usually try to keep it simple and easy to mass produce. Since we’re in a new home this year, I have no idea how many trick-or-treaters we’ll get, but I thought it would be fun to send each of them home with a little handmade treat package! We all know it’s never too early to start on these projects! I started by stamping several of the border and center combinations and punching them out with my 1 ¼” circle punch. Then I layered them onto 1 ½” scalloped circle punches. I purchased a ton of these cute little treat bags on clearance last Halloween. I filled them with a few pieces of candy, sealed the flap, and punched a hole in the top corner. I picked out some coordinating ribbons and tied a bow in the hole. Then I attached one of my scalloped circles with silver cording. There you have it… a quick and cute treat that you can start and finish in about 5 minutes! Since I had so much fun creating these little pieces to tie onto my bags I couldn’t stop. I ended up with lots more than I needed and thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway. I adhered my “card candy” to a piece of transparency, decorated around it with Doodlebug patterned paper, the Martha Stewart goo punch, and Making Memories glitter letters. I slipped the completed card candy inside an A2 cellophane pouch and it’s ready to travel to a new home. If you’d like this Halloween card candy to use on your projects, just leave a comment on this post and I’ll draw a name on Saturday and send it off! And while you're here, check out the blog candy offering in yesterday's post!

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope to see you tomorrow for the Cupcake Sketch Challenge! And don’t miss the inspiration from the rest of the JustRite design team: Barb Schram, Becca Feeken, Debbie Olson, Heidi Blankenship, Kathy Jones, Kellie Fortin, Lauren Meader, Lisa Somerville, Michele Kovack, Michelle Wooderson, Sharon Harnist, Sharon Johnson, JustRite Blog

Pssst... mark your calendar for August 17th... a JustRite Christmas Blog Hop!

Christmas in July Blog Hop

Today the Baker’s Dozen and I are celebrating Christmas in July. Merry Christmas! I have presents for you too so make sure you keep reading! Today we’re introducing a brand new, exclusive product during our blog hop! Taylored Expressions is proud to bring you a custom Perfect Package Card Box specifically sized to fit a set of cards and envelopes! In addition to storing a set of cards, these make great gift boxes, storage for small embellishments, ink pads, and even makeup (I found my Bare Minerals fit perfectly!). They're made from sturdy covered chipboard with a white matte finish. The box has a magnetic closure and it easily folds flat for storage with a tug on the ribbon tab. I created this short video on YouTube to show you how these boxes come together quickly and easily, yet fold flat for storage. I promise my videos will get better!! Bear with me... I'm still getting settled!

Since we’re celebrating Christmas in July today, I decided to get a head start on my Christmas cards with this project. Anything sooner than 2 weeks before Christmas is a head start to me! And what better way to get motivated to create holiday cards than to make a pretty package to store them in. I may even give these away to my sister. She loves sending my cards to her friends so I know they would be appreciated. I used Sticky Tape to adhere patterned paper to the front and sides of the box. The little reindeer cuppie is from the Season's Sweetings set. I stamped him in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored him with Copics. I spelled out Holiday Cards using Making Memories glitter stickers. Each box holds approximately 8-12 cards and envelopes depending on how “thick” you make your cards. I created a set of 8 cards for my holiday card box.Then I got started creating the cards for the inside. I'll share three of them with you today and save the rest for another day! I used stamps from the Season's Sweetings and Home Sweet Home sets paired with the Be Merry patterned paper collection from My Mind's Eye. The images are stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa ink and colored with Copic markers. My favorite is the gingerbread house card! I used Red, Baby Blue, and Baby Pink Candy Dots around the top of the house, a red rain dot in the middle, and lots of glitter on the gumdrops! It looks positively yummy! I also added some white liquid applique to the roof for the frosting effect...mmmm....frosting...reminds me that it's been a couple weeks since I had a cupcake! *grin* All of the cuppies on the Season's Sweetings card are from the Season's Sweetings set. I masked each of them as I stamped down the line... I love seeing them all together like that! Then I used the Making Memories glitter stickers for the sentiment and finished it off with some red/white stitched ribbon, a red rain dot cherry, and a Martha Stewart Border punch. I've got too many pictures and not enough words to fill the space between pictures s you'll have to scroll down a bit more to see a picture of the inside of my box filled with cards and envelopes. And that's it for this project!

I know you’re going to love this new box as much as we do! They’re available right now at the TE Store and they’re a great value… 2 boxes for $5.95. You can stock up and get a head start on your Christmas gifts this year! We’re also helping you into the holiday mood with a 20% discount on our Christmas stamp sets, Season’s Sweetings and Home Sweet Home from July 15^th – 25^th. And it just wouldn't be a proper Christmas in July celebration

without presents too! In honor of our newest product, I’m giving away some blog candy! One lucky winner will receive 5 of the Perfect Package Card Boxes! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and I’ll draw a random winner on Monday, July 20^th.

Thanks for stopping by today! Make sure you check out the rest of the Perfect Package inspiration from the Baker’s Dozen: Ana Wohlfahrt, Charmaine Ikach, Donna Baker, Jodi Collins, Karen Giron, Karen Motz, Laura Fredrickson, Sankari Wegman, Jami Sibley, and Guest Designer – Rachel Sztonyk

Fresh Flowers & A Duckling Story

It was soooo fun to get in my studio yesterday and create! I'm looking forward to showing pictures of my new space, but you'll have to wait until I get it in a little better order. Right now I have my typical 6" square of working space on my desk, but I'm hoping to have some time soon to find a place for everything and maybe even put some decor on the walls. But for now at least it's functional! I'll have to wait to show you the projects I created until later this week, but I still have one more card I made before we left and haven't shared yet. For this card I used the Fresh Flowers set paired with a sentiment from Branching Out. I stamped the image and sentiment with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored them with Copic markers. I stamped, colored, and cut out an extra flower to pop up over the original for some dimension. I used my Martha Stewart embossed flower border and added a rhinestone to the center of each flower. It's hard to see the embossed flowers in the picture, but they are there! The patterned paper is Basic Grey, the swirly ribbon is American Crafts, and I glittered my own brads with Bronze Splendor glitter and clear embossing powder.

I know this is going to sound funny, but after living in "the concrete jungle" (Los Angeles) and moving to a home where we have a clear view for miles from our back porch, I feel almost like I'm living in a different country. Each day I see something new and different. Yesterday Jon and I were driving on the highway (a 2-lane road at 60mph... quite different from the 6-lane 80mph freeway we're used to) and a mother duck was ushering her five little ducklings across the highway. They're all waddling obediently behind her and all of the cars stopped to allow them to cross. It was such a sweet sight...just couldn't resist sharing!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you'll tune in tomorrow for the Baker's Dozen Christmas in July Blog Hop! Have a wonderful day!

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Good morning! I can’t believe I haven’t blogged for 9 days! As you can imagine, life has been crazy. We moved into our new house on Tuesday! Jon’s parents, my parents, Jon’s brother-in-law, my sister and her boyfriend all arrived that morning to help us unload the truck and get boxes unpacked. We spent the rest of the week welcoming furniture deliveries, cable installation, carpet cleaners, locksmith, etc. etc. Last night we actually had enough out of boxes in order to hang a few pictures around the house and now it’s finally starting to feel like home.

I’ve lived away from the Midwest for five years and it’s amazing how quickly I’ve forgotten what the weather can be like here. Last week on Thursday morning the skies suddenly turned dark and rain started pouring from the sky. I was ready for the sirens to go off and hunker down in the basement, but then I saw the neighbors all out in their cars and heading to work! Apparently my time away has turned me into a weather wuss! There was absolutely no way I was going outside in that! We just don’t get that kind of rain in California! And then the thunder was so loud it rattled the windows in the house. I actually thought we were having an earthquake and had to remember where I was! This is the view of the storm from our front door. Pictures never do a storm justice… this thing was blowing about 60 mph with small hail, rain, thunder, and lightning. And then it was gone just as quickly as it had come! We ended that same day with this beautiful sunset, a view from our back porch. I’m looking forward to many more beautiful summer sunsets at this house!

Thank you all for being so patient with us during this transition! I really appreciate your emails, prayers, and blessings as we start this new chapter in our lives. The TE Store is now back to regular daily shipping and we’ve got tons of new products on their way to the store. I’m also back to my regular blogging schedule so expect to see daily updates from me again! The Baker’s Dozen and I have a fun blog hop (and a sale!) planned for Wednesday, a JustRite blog hop on Thursday, and then Cupcake Friday is making its return at the end of the week!

This morning will be my first time actually creating something in my new studio, but I made this card before we left California and I’ve been looking forward to sharing it. The image is from Kim Hughes The Birds and the Bees set from Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped them in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored them with Copic markers. Then I cut them out with a Spellbinders classic heart die and layered it onto the scalloped version. I made a little pennant for the sentiment and bent the edges around a pencil to create the waved effect. The image and sentiment are popped up on foam tape and then I just added some Large Crystal Swirls for a little bling. The patterned paper is from the Sassafras Lass Woodland Whimsy collection. Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

A MidWestern Gal...that's me!

We finally made it! Jon and I got into Des Moines on Thursday night at about the same time although I left three days after Jon did! I definitely owe a lot to Jon and his dad for driving out here. Normally it wouldn’t have been too bad, but it seems the trip was cursed from the beginning. We spent a painstaking 7-8 hours packing our 25 ft. Penske truck on Monday. We took special care to make sure the boxes marked fragile were on top of the pile, our furniture was tied down, and all of our picture frames were well-padded with not an inch to spare. We woke up the next morning and Jon and his dad got on the road about 9am. I got a call from Jon at noon that the truck had broken down in the middle of the desert… temperature 110 degrees. They waited at a rest area for several hours until a technician showed up to check out the truck and tell them it was no longer safe to drive. Then they waited another 8 hours for a replacement truck to arrive. And that’s not the worst of it. When the replacement truck arrived they were up until 3:30am unloading the contents from the first truck (the one we had painstakingly loaded the day before) and re-loading them into the new truck. When that was finished they headed to a hotel to get a few hours of sleep. You’re probably wondering where the cats were during all of this commotion. We had given them a sedative (from our vet) before they left that morning so they slept in the air conditioned car all day. When Jon got back to the hotel that night he let the cats out of their carriers to stretch, eat, use the litter box, etc. They fell asleep for a few hours and got up early to get out on the road again. Before they could leave they went to put the cats back in their carriers, but Skitters was nowhere to be found. I got a frantic call from Jon early on Wednesday morning that Skitters was gone. They had looked everywhere inside the hotel room, walked all around the hotel shouting his name and shaking food in his dish. He said they had to get on the road and didn’t know what to do. I was bawling…. my little baby was lost in the desert! I hung up the phone and called my mom to comfort me. My mom always knows what to say, but she was silent on the other end of the line. During our silent “conversation” the call waiting buzzed on my cell phone. It was Jon calling back. I switched over and with relief in his voice he said, “We found him.” Of course I wanted to know where they found him. Skitters (being true to his name) had gotten scared during the night. He’s a 22 lb. cat, but he had somehow managed to crawl into a 3” space underneath the dresser. After making it under the dresser he climbed up behind the dresser drawers and was perched in there. In a last ditch effort, Jon had decided to take the drawers out of the dresser and that’s how he found Skitters. I wish he had taken a picture, but he was so relieved just to pull him out of there. Skitters wasn’t responding to the offer of food or calling his name because Jon had given him another sedative before they fell asleep a few hours earlier so they would be ready for a full day of driving. I still get a little shaken up thinking about the whole situation. I’m just so glad they both made it safely… in fact, Morris is cuddling in my lap right now.

Luckily, the rest of the trip was uneventful. The truck didn’t break down, the cats didn’t get lost, and they were able to make good time on the road. Jon took some beautiful pictures along the way. He loved driving through Colorado and you can see why:

And Utah was very pretty too:

You can imagine you'd be pretty bored stuck at a rest area in the middle of the desert for 10 hours. I think these pictures show the level of boredom....lol. Jon photographed this clever crow who found a cup full of discarded sunflower seeds. It picked up the cup in its claws, landed on the post, and propped the cup against the post while it ate the seeds.

We’re staying in Jon’s sister’s basement with our cats for four days. We close escrow on Monday and then take possession on Tuesday when we’ll finally be able to unload our life from the Penske truck! I can hardly wait! Today we're heading to the local 4th of July parades and perhaps the farmers market. I hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating our independence! I know Jon and I are so grateful to our military who has made and will continue to make such great sacrifice so that we can experience freedom. Have a wonderful weekend! I'll keep you updated as we move into our new digs next week!