Bootybella Designs

Speaking of Veggies...

2011-10-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time since I updated this blog....but for good reasoning....

Any thoughts?

Picklefest 2011....

2011-08-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to make homemade dill pickles for years. A friend of mine makes wicked ones so I enlisted her help, as well as my new found friends, Tim & Dave from the Hutterite Colony just east of the city!!!! And voila!!!!
WE HAVE PICKLES!!!!!
Zee following is zee story of how zee cucumber becomes zee pickle...grab your popcorn, put your feet up and enjoy!!

FRIDAY NIGHT
After picking up my 40lbs of cucumbers from the Farmer's Market, 5 lbs of dill and 5 lbs of garlic, I return home to unload.
The evening is spent with help from my dahling hubby in the prep so we are reading to rock and roll first thing tomorrow morning!!!
Splish splash...Bootybella's cucs are takin' a bath...

Drying off on paper towels...

The freshly bathed and dried cucs settle in for the night in a garbage bag lined box...

My 40lbs of baby cucs juuuuuusssttt fit into our downstairs fridge, to stay crisp for the night before their big debut tomorrow morning!

SATURDAY MORNING...
One full dill head went into each sterilized mason jar...

A "minimum" of 3 cloves per jar...just for the bottom, of course we put more on the top!!!

The dill heads & garlic cloves patiently await the arrival of the cucs....

As far as the eye can see....

A sea of pickles....

Packed pickle jars awaiting dill & brine (oh yeah, and of course MORE GARLIC!)...

Fresh dill sprigs to top each jar...

Ingredients for the brine....

And just incase you wondered what "37"jars of pickles looked like....

And just because I hadn't had enough, why not pickle some spicy beans and a jar of peppers?????
Like the cucs, the beans started out in an icebath to be cleaned.....

Tipped all the beans....

In goes the dill, garlic and cayenne pepper & chilli peppers...all to help create that "KICK"!

And finally we will add the blanched beans, covering with a brine and sealing!

And I figured I would pickle a jar of peppers - something to give the guest that you want to leave your house!!! All I know is "I" am not eating any of these!

Fingers crossed that they all seal and I am gonna be in pickle and bean heaven for the next year....ummmmm...and apparently I will need an abundance! Wink wink, nod nod!!!

Stay tuned....
MWAH~

"Sexy Deck"...

2011-07-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well, finally complete!!! We built this 3 tier deck 2 years ago and finally got around to staining it up! It was a long journey because it wouldn't quit raining in this country for more than a day!!! Now that is it done, maybe we can have that deck party we have been talking about having for the past 3 years!!!

Back corner of deck with garden planters...

My dahling hubby spent countless hours on his knees (he also had these sexy green foam knee pads that he wore while working) putting on the stain to our gorgeous deck!!! Sorry ladies, I didn't manage to snap a photo!! All his "sexiness" paid off cause now I got me a "SEXY DECK!"

We ordered too much rock for the front flower bed so just decided to incorporate it into the back yard....

Cherry Tomatoes...

Peas...

Yellow Beans...

These container gardens are perfect for the city gal that wishes she had the space to plant a garden of fresh produce! My amazing friend had these things in her pots, called "Plant Nanny's" and they are terracota spikes that go into the dirt. You then fill up an empty wine bottle (of course this would mean that you would have to drink the contents first, so be very careful!) and turn it upside down in the "Plant Nanny". As the plant is "thirsty" it will draw water from the bottle! Genius!!!!

And this concludes my backyard tour!! Off to soak up the rays on my "SEXY DECK"!
MWAH~

Ta-Da....The Finale!!!

2011-07-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well.....the topsoil finally arrived and everything got cleaned up and put away, just in time for a nice fresh rain. That soil looks so nice and black I could hardly wait to get muckin' in it!!!

From the driveway...

This is what is looks like from the road driving up to our home....

So we also decided to pull up all the pea-gravel that we had down the other side of our home. We replaced it with a darker mulch and the "heaviest-dutiest-tarpiest" stuff to go on the ground under it!!! I don't want to see another clump of grass, thistle or anything growing on that side of my house other than these beautiful trembling Aspens that we staggered. I saw them staggered in someone else's yard months ago while driving around to get some ideas, and loved the "natural" look it gave, as opposed to planting them in one symmetrical line...

This is what is looks like from straight on....this will be stunning once they develop...

Dogwoods & Purple & White Hollyhock...sorry mom but I think it is beautiful! Haha!

Before I started digging holes all over the place, I carefully placed the plants in their pots where I thought I would put them. This was a good hour long process, since I am so bloody indecisive!!! Something else that I did was drew my flowerbed out on a sketchpad, building a key on a separate page. I drew circles with numbers in them on the sketch, then on the key you just have to match up the corresponding numbers to find out what plant is planted there!!! I thought I better come up with some kind of system, seeing as someone was bound to come over in the next 40 years and say "OMG - that is stunning - what is it?" Bwahahahaa!!!

What a find from Wally World of all places - this rock fountain pretty much blends into the front fascia rock of our home...AND, it was on sale!!!!

When I stopped for the day, this is what was left to look at...

More plants...that didn't get planted yet...

And finally, here is a shot of the Rock Fountain, the Dogwoods, my Guacamole Hosta, and some others...

So as I promised to post when this beautiful creation was completed, I am soooo excited to share these photos with you! Although this project will be an ongoing one, adding to the large empty space in the middle, and any spots here and there, I hope you are half as pleased with this creation as I!!! I would love to hear your suggestions of what I can fill my spaces in the bed with!
MWAH~

My Long-awaited Flower Bed....

2011-06-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

So I have been dreaming of having a place to muck around in, to plant perennials and pull the odd weed or two. But with the way they build homes so close together nowadays, they leave you with limited space to accomplish the building of any flower-bed or garden. But this summer, once it finally arrived, brought with it hope that I would finally get a space to fill with luscious green foliage and scent-full blossoms!!!
And so the breaking of the ground began....

A deep trench needed to be dug first, then packed with a mixture of sand and gravel to eliminate the shifting of the rock down the road - or so I am told - I hope this is the case....

I had many ideas of what I wanted but after many trips to the rock depot, I settled on this slate look, as it went with the exterior of the home so well. So we began to lay the base layer of the wall...

Once the base was complete, the wall got built up, piece by piece, leaving a jagged modern look to the bed.
During the building, some rocks were glued to each other to for extra reinforcement.
This is what the bed looks like just prior to topsoil fill - the smaller areas still need to be filled in with smaller pieces of slate...

And this is what you see when driving up to the front of the house, from the road....

Will be taking more photos and updating as we go, but so far, I am pretty pleased! What are your thoughts?

Lilac Season...

2011-06-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

So I planted these two lilac bushes in my back yard 4 years ago now. And every year, the odd branch blossoms and I have to refrain from lopping the branch off and taking it into my house to fill the air with this cherished smell.
But this year, both bushes had multiple blooms...so today, I could contain myself no longer...

I love this varietal, with both the purple and the white...

And a close up so true, you can almost smell it...

MWAH!

A 40th Birthday Giggle....

2011-05-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

So I saw this stamp set called "Girlfriends" by Art Impressions and knew the exact application!!! I would make a 40th birthday card for an amazing girlfriend!!!!

I pulled out my copics and got coloring to add some pop to the card. I was inspired by a fellow cardmaker, Brandi Wiggins with the freehanding along the edges of the stamped image!

And what's a fun girlfriend card without a little "blingity bling"???

Hope you enjoyed this little gem of a card!
MWAH~

Recipe Card Dividers Tutorial...

2011-04-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

So those that know me know I am a recipe junkie!!!! I have recipes collected from my grandmothers to my mother to friends from near & far. I also love to play with recipes and alter them to create wonderful yummy concoctions to please my palate!!
But I have struggled with how to "organize" all my treasures!!!! And then I found these...

I have purchased 4 (yes...four...as I said I have ALOT of treasured recipes!!!) for my project. I print all my recipes on 4x6 recipe cards, so these tins are the PERFECT FIT!!!!

This tutorial will teach you how to make some amazing recipe card dividers that will have your recipe box gasping in sheer excitement!!!!

We will start off by talking about some of the products you will need to make these beauties....

A Scotch TL901 Thermal Lamintor - awesome investment!!! My DH bought this for work, but I have scooped it up and totally earned it's value back ten fold!!!! We got it at Wally World for $35 - best price we could find around!

1-2 packages of Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches (20 pouches per pack - 5mil - 135x185mm) - I found these as well for the best price at Wally World at approx $5 per pack...

One package of velum paper and my pdf of "The Ultimate Recipe Label Collection"...

DSP packs...I used two of these to complete this project, but keep in mind I made ALOT of dividers...

Word Window Punch (SU), Making Memories Chocolate Brown Paint, & Make Up Applicator Sponges...
You will also require adhesive (I used my PINK ATG gun which worked marvelously!!!) and a pack of recipe card dividers (I picked mine up at the Dollar Store for $1 for a package of 50! Smokin' deal!!!)

LET'S GET STARTED: Place adhesive on one side of recipe divider card. I did two cards per 12x12 DSP piece. Place them on one edge of DSP, butting right up on top of each other. Once adhered, use exacto knife and trim them off DSP.

Flip your recipe divider card over and run adhesive on the unfinished side, lining up on the excess paper from your DSP sheet...

If you haven't done so already, turn your laminator on to heat up. I recommend with this laminator to change the Heat Setting Switch to 5mil from the regular 3mil setting, as these are thicker objects going through your laminator...

Trim the excess DSP from around the recipe divider card...

I then took a chocolate brown paint and some make-up sponges (these are cheap and work great for edging!!) and applied a quick coat of paint to all edges of the recipe divider - it antiqued it up a little!!! It also helps to cover the edge of those nasty cream colored divider cards from the Dollar Store!!! LOL!!!

Finished altered recipe card dividers.....

Place your altered recipe card divider into the laminator slip...Next you will have to take the categories that you print out on velum or card stock (I used velum as I liked the finished look it gave my projects!) and the Word Window punch, and punch out your category title. Carefully place this on the top tab part of the recipe divider (I chose not to adhere these down as you can see the adhesive through the velum - it just sealed it in place when I laminated it! - If you are using regular card stock you can definitely adhere to divider!)

Feed the lamination sheet, sealed side first, into the laminator and watch the magic begin...

Coming out of the bottom of the laminator...

When it comes out of the laminator, this is what it should look like...carefully trim the excess with an exacto knife.

And here is the finished product!!

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and I would love to hear everyone's feedback on this project.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me via email at bella013175@hotmail.com
MWAH!!!

Coming Soon.....

2011-04-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, the agony of not having enough time in the day to post!!! Well, I figured if I actually posted something saying I am going to show you my latest project that has been consuming my time, I will just have to make the time to post!!!
Soooo, I have been committed to making recipe tins to store all of my gems of recipes that I have collected for the last 30 some years! I promise to post photos, instructions and "my version of the divider card" in the weeks to come. So check back often for updates or follow my blog - cause you won't want to miss this one!
Cheers

2011-02-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

It's about that time again....those who have been asking and waiting with baited breath....I will be opening up a NEW Stampers 10 group up in March called INKed Mah-mah's!!!! Now, all silliness aside now in the name, you don't have to "physically" be a Mah-mah to be part of this amazing group of gals!!! You do, however, need to be willing to enjoy yourself for 2-3 hours once a month!!!! Do any of these things interest you.....

If I've tweaked your imagination in the slightest, send me an email to bella013175@hotmail.com and I will reserve a spot for you and maybe even a couple of your girlfriends!!!! What are you waiting for? Let's get INKed!!!!

Christmas Craft Sale Goodies....

2010-12-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

So this year I was in my first Christmas Craft Sale! It was definitely ALOT of work, but in the end, was well attended and therefore, well worth it all. My dahling girlfriend helped out manning the table. She sells wine for a living but sure knew how to work the crowd, selling me out on various projects!!! She's the best sales lady in town!!!
So I thought I would share some photos from the day....
Enjoy!

"Advent Calendars & Tree"...

"Card Display & Cards For Sale Rack"...

"Whisking You A Merry Christmas"...

"Holiday Fudge"...

"Doggie Bags"...

Close up of "Doggie Bags"...

Close up of "Holiday Fudge"...

Close up of "Whisking You A Merry Christmas"...

Close up of "Glitter Balls"....

Panned view of the table...

A Great Time To Join Stampin' Up!!!!!

2010-09-11T16:09:00.001-07:00

Lookie lookie....this fun & versatile tote will be coming your way if you decide to join as a Stampin Up Demo before October 18, 2010!!

Dates: September 1-October 18, 2010, or while supplies last

Details
New recruits who join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator during the promotion period will receive a FREE craft tote (valued at $49.95) with the purchase of their Starter Kit.

Greenhouse Gala Craft Tote Description

•100% twill nylon exterior; 100% nylon interior
•Dimensions: 15-3/4" x 7-5/8" x 8-7/8"
•Includes attachable shoulder strap for easy transport
•Center section fits 12" x 12" card stock, Craft Keepers, and Paper Cutter
•Outside pockets fit extra-large punches perfectly
•Outside flap pockets offer secure spot for accessories
•Back zipper pocket holds up to seven Stampin' Pads

To get your hands on this super duper cutie patootie tote, contact me to sign up!!!

Tool Tip: Stampin Up Marvelous Markers

2010-09-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever created a marvelous project only to get frustrated when you couldn't find a coordinating marker? The unity of colors throughout your project means everything when you look at the final outcome....so pick up the Many Marvelous Marker set, and you'll have all the colors you need to make your projects pop!

■ Dual tipped markers: .5 mm fine point and flexible brush
■ Set of 38, packaged in rigid plastic case with handle
■ Includes colors from all 4 color collections (does not include Whisper White or Very Vanilla)
■ Odorless, water-based dye ink
■ Coordinate with Classic Stampin’ Pads and exclusive Stampin’ Up! card stock
■ Finger grips on cap aid in easy cap removal

Don't forget to order these fantastic tools (item# 119806) to add some detail to your projects!

What's That Lassie....Jasper's In The Creek???

2010-08-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

So as some of you may have noticed, I hadn't posted in awhile - as I have had alot going on. I have just started a new job and am enjoying that immensely!!! Meeting alot of great new people, as well as learning the ropes of the business. I had some "family time" planned as well, and we had 10 great days with my parents, brother, and other family members back home last month as well.
I thought I would share a little story about our travels with you. While out relaxing at the farm, I had decided one day to take the pooch for a walk. As we headed down the 2 mile lane, I was snapping pictures of nature, and this was the last thing I saw of my dog.....gazing off into the distance, watching the ducks take off of the water....

Suddenly, he was no where to be found. As panic settled in, I frantically called out for him, hearing whimpers coming from further down the road, at the base of the creek. Now, I know you cannot understand the depth in this next photo, but it is VERY deep!!!! Soooo deep that I could not reach the soaken wet puppy that was whimpering for help. He was like Lassie, only I think he was saying "Little Jasper fell down the creek, help get me out!!" It took a few moments, which seemed like for hours, as the grass was soooo long it was hard at times to see where he was. Finally, I dug my shoes into the road, and reached deep down and managed to grab him by the edge of his collar and flail him out!!! OMG!!! I was so happy to see him. We carried on our walk down to the water, where he stayed out of the ditch with the long grass only for the first 2 minutes - what a short memory!!!!

This is him mimicking a beaver that he saw swimming in the water!!! What a goof!!

And here he is all wet and muddy from his adventures...he had the time of his life!!!

Onesie, Twosie, Threesie....

2010-08-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Have been dying to use the new Baby Tees Jumbo Wheel from SU, as I love these little outfits!

I made three different versions of this card, one in Marina Mist & Crumb Cake, one in Melon Mambo & Crumb Cake, and the third one is all three colors together...for the person that doesn't know what they are having - are there still these people out there????
I rolled them out, cut them out, colored them up, and popped them up!!!

Here is a shot of all three versions!

I also used the new Vintage Wall embossing folder, for some added texture to the card.
Hope you enjoy!!!

Inspiration Just In My Backyard....

2010-07-04T16:01:00.001-07:00

So a couple people asked me to post where my inspiration came from on my Hot Cocoa Hydrangea...as I mentioned, it was from my newly planted Rose Garden!!! So here is a quick snapshot of them roses......

So the whole purpose of this post, is to show you that you need not look further than your own backyard for inspiration when creating a card. One of my favorite aspects of my backyard are my Swedish Aspen trees. A few years back, I planted these and have enjoyed watching them quickly grow!!! But the most cherished thing about these trees is, on days when a gentle breeze blows through my yard, the little leaves make such a beautiful rustle, that is so relaxing and soothing!So without any further waiting, I have decided to show you what I made with Bouquet Bunch from the new Summer Mini Catalogue. I used the trunk stamp, and then stacked the leaf bunches three to a tree to create my own Swedish Aspens!
I then colored in the leaves with Pear Pizzaz and outlined them with Old Olive to achieve the depth in color of these beauties!

I also used Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Soft Suede & Pear Pizzaz in cardstock colors. A little stitching to add some punch, and some scraps of torn paper from the Elements Of Style Butterfly cards from a previous post rounded out this card.

Going with the same theme, I used Bouquet Bunch again to create this 3x5-1/2 card, planting the leaf bunches in pots this time. A simple card to say "I'm Sorry" for any time you need one...I find I need to make these in batches of 10 for my husband to give to me!!! Bwahahahaha!

Colors used here, were Crumb Cake & Marina Mist, Whisper White, Pear Pizzaz & Old Olive. The butterflies were from a retired set called "Branch Out" but were the perfect size for this little card, so I had to use them. Same coloring technique as the first card to create depth. Finished off with a little Hemp Twine and voila!!!

2010-07-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is an absolute "Must Have"!!! If you have ever looked at your piles of cardstock and wondered..."Where do I start?" this tool will help you jump that hurdle each & every time!
Let this "new and improved" color coach help you put together custom color schemes to express your unique creativity! Whether you want a quick reference of all colors in a collection, a card for every color, or blank cards to record your own color combinations, this swatch book is definitely for you!!!

Includes 55 double-sided cards with removable metal post fastener
Includes color theory cards and individual color swatch cards
On individual color cards, one side shows color, the other side lists coordinating colors
Card size: 2-3/4"x 4-1/2"

A great way to start your 2010-2011 catologue order is by adding the Color Coach to the top of your list. Order the Color Coach (item #121620) for $18.95 today!

Happy color matchin!!!

2010-07-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Drumroll pleeeeze.......it is official!! Today, marks the official launch date of the new Stampin Up 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catologue!!! It is jam packed with great new stamp sets, paper, inks & embellishments, not to mention a "humongous" selection of new tools & accessories!!! Head on over to my online store to download the pdf and to place your first order of the catalogue!!

Next up is the new and improved and thicker and jawdroppin' Definately Decorative Catologue!!! Download the pdf on my website and take a mouthwatering look at all the new vinyl to get your hands on! Once you have picked out your first order of this lucious stuff, head on over to my online store to get it rushed to your doorstep!!!

I hope you are half as pleased as I am with these new catalogues and the new and exciting products that Stampin Up has come forward to offer you! Any questions, hollar!!!

Happy shoppin!!!

Hot Cocoa Hydrangea.....

2010-06-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was at Home Depot looking in their garden centre and found THEE most beautiful roses - they almost looked artificial they were so gorgeous!!! They were called Hot Cocoa. So I picked a couple of them up and made room for them in my back yard.

As I was sitting, admiring them, it got me thinking......

I love this color combo of Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, and Pear Pizzaz!!!

I luv hydrangeas and so when I got this stamp set, Because I Care, in my pre order, I was thrilled. This will be a Level 1 Hostess Set as well!!! It comes with a couple saying, "Because I Care" and "Thank You" (pictured below) as well as a single petal hydrangea (which is what I have stamped in the background to jazz it up a little) a ornate row of flowers stamp, and finally, the super duper yummy Hydrangea! I stamped mine in Cherry Cobbler on the flower part, Early Espresso on the stem, and Pear Pizzaz on the leaves, with some blending of Cherry Cobbler into the leaves for a realistic look. I then colored in the flower with Riding Hood Red and accented some areas with Cherry Cobbler. To finish it, I just used my white gel pen and dotted it up a little. NJOY!!!

Funky Friends Never Fade...

2010-06-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

This just might be my favorite new "In Color Combo" going right now... Ladies & Gentlemen, put your hands together for Pear Pizzaz & Concorde Crush!!! Yum Yumm - I love these RICH and full colors and when paired together - look out!!!

So this was a simple card that I used the Friends Never Fade set (a new one coming to you as of July 1st, 2010). I love this set - I took the Ornate Blossom and stamped the same color of ink and created a background on the card front itself. Then I layered it with the opposite color of card stock in the middle, then the corresponding color of inked ornate blossom on whisper white, then the opposite color of card stock scaled down, and finally, a new sentiment stamped from Occasional Quotes (one of the new Level 3 Hostess Sets)!

I also popped each double layer (the color adhered to the white card stock) from the card with dimentionals. I have to say, this set and these colors remind me of being a child. Well, you know what they say, "Everything is new again!!!!"

If you haven't gotten a sneak peak of the new catty, I sincerely promise you - you will NOT be disappointed!!! It is packed full of new sets, new paper packs, new accessories, new organizational tools, and new colors that are sure to jazz you up!!!!

Sew Sew....

2010-06-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

"Sew" (haha!) I have bought the proper needles and read up on all the sites, and have taken the leap into sewing on cards!!! I have seen "sew" many projects with this simple addition to it, and I always thought it makes the cards pop. "Sew", I pulled out my Brother Sewing Machine, and put it to work. Not alot on this card, but the simplest line adds some punch to the card, or "sew" I think!!! Ok, no more "sewing" jokes....mwahahahahahaha!!!!

I used an old retired set that I had bought second hand called "So Lovely" and watercolored the flowers with Bashful Blue and Old Olive.

The card itself was built on a piece of Old Olive cardstock that was hit with the texture wheel and matching ink, Melon Mambo & Chocolate Chip DSP, Tiny Tags Stamp Set, punches (tags) and finished with a mini library clip.

"Sew" (couldn't help myself!!!) that's as simple as it gets folks!!!

Next up, new catty samples......

Tool Tip: Color Caddy

2010-06-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

A place for every pad and every pad in its place! The Color Caddy is compact, yet quite roomy. The top tray holds ink refills and other accessories. Just grab the handle, turn the caddy, and select your favorite pad. Some assembly is required; instructions are included.

■ Requires a 10-inch square space on top of table or counter.
■ Approximately 16-1/2” tall.
■ Holds 48 Classic or Craft pads
■ Made of strong, durable plastic
■ Top tray holds up to 48 ink refills or other stamping accessories
■ Rotates 360 degrees
■ Die-cast aluminum handle for ease in turning
■ Extender kit available

Get yours today by visiting my online store here. Retails for $84.95 Item #104335)

This definitely makes finding the right color super duper easy & accessible!

MWAH~

Retirement Party...Well Sorta!!!

2010-06-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ok – so one of the most awaited days has come - the last chance lists are here!! That's right, and if this retiring list is any indication, the next catalogue is going to be PACKED TO THE SEAMS of amazing new products! (I have seen some, and I promise you, NO ONE will be disappointed!!) And if that isn’t exciting enough, the new catalogue is 16 pages bigger!!!

Now, I don’t really know exactly WHERE these stamp sets go when they retire, Phoenix, Cali, the Caribbean, but what I do know is that YOU CAN NEVER GET THEM AGAIN!!!!

If the Last Chance Lists are something foreign to you then read on for a brief explanation! The last chance lists are all the product in our annual catalogue that will be retired forever - it's your last chance to buy them NOW - in fact, many of the items have already sold out as of this afternoon, so if there is something you want to make sure you get, you need to get in there and shop now! (Plus there are a bunch of sales too! – WHO doesn’t luv a sale????)

The REALLY fabulous thing is that this year, all the stamp sets, accessories and Decor Elements are listed and their status current on my online store, so you can browse the lists there.. and some of the retiring items are 25-50% off! But only while supplies last!

If you like a good deal... get in there now and place your order (and get it shipped directly to you!!) While you are there, check out the clearance rack as well (only available on online orders) and get some other GREAT deals! Once an item is gone, it is GONE! Don't delay!!

Make sure you check back to my online store often - as you can see, many of the items have sold out already (a * indicates this). The best way for you to get your hands on these retiring items is to place an order through my online store here - that way you can check out quickly and grab those items before they are gone FOREVER!

Sooo, without any further hesitation…., I now present to you the Last Chance Lists! Click on the Last Chance image below to see all the lists in action!

Please note though - the BEST way to see these is going to be on my website (shop now button), because it will be updating constantly, and you can see pictures of them at the same time!

Happy shopping sistah's!!!!

MWAH~

Tool Tip: Sponge Daubers

2010-05-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sponge daubers and stamping sponges make a great team for sponging any project. These are a staple supply that I use on a daily basis to ink edges of cardstock and make those extra special embellishments POP! Daubers slip right onto your fingers, giving you more precise application control. These are small sponges attached to plastic tubes. And with 12 to a package, you can have one for each color that you use frequently. I have a set for each color family!! Don't forget to order this fantastic tool (item# 102395) to add some detail to your projects!
Happy Spongin'

I'm The Queen Of The Castle.....

2010-05-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

And you're the dirty rascal!!!! This card was made with two of my favorite colors, Melon Mambo & Soft Suede.
I think is pretty fun - what do you think?

The sentiment was from a new set from the Summer Mini called Favorite Thoughts. I masked off the word queen at the end of the sentiment and cut out the letters instead using the Big Shot and Timeless Type Letter Medium Sizzlett Dies, adhering them to the card using the glue pen. I used a strip of Melon Mambo DSP, and free handed the tear to expose the white in the paper. I inked the edges of the WW cardstock that I built the foundation of this card on as well, with MM ink.

Next I stamped out 5 little crowns from the Tiny Tags stamp set, alternating in Soft Suede & Melon Mambo. I punched these out using the 3/4' circle punch, then punched out opposite circles in 1' and layered them accordingly. I popped these all up along the top, alternating the colors!

And finally, I looked at this card and thought, for a Queen inspired card, it was missing some "blingy sparkly-ness" so I pulled out my Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz and iced it with a couple splashes of it. I might just have to keep this card for myself, unless you know any other Queen's out there in lala land?!?!

Vintage Elements of Style Butterfly...

2010-05-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

So, I was in need of a couple cards and was itchin' to use my new Elements Of Style set. I stamped on the Butterfly that I cut out using the Big Shot, and gently shaded with Rich Razzleberrry & Old Olive. I wheeled the Rich Razzleberry cardstock (the base of my card) with the Very Vintage Wheel in the identical color for a watermarked look. I have been dying to use some Wild Wasabi (an old in color that I was saving a couple pieces of cardstock from because I loved it so, but now that it is returning....I can cut away!!!). So I wheeled with the Very Vintage Wheel in Versamark & heat embossed it with Whisper White Embossing Powder - that's what gives it that glossy look.

I also free handed a tear job on the one side of the Wild Wasabi, exposing the core of the paper. I really like this vintage, old look that it gives a project!
I then popped the butterfly with dimentionals, after I inked up the edges of it with Chocolate Chip.

And finally, the sentiment (popped too, again - me and my poppers!!) was cut out using the Lots of Tags Sizzletts for the Big Shot, stamped with Sincere Salutations & Teeny Tiny Tags added the floral that I thought was a pretty good match. I love the shape of this tag! One of my favorites!!

Hope you enjoyed tonight's card!
~MWAH!

My Digital Studio Add On Downloads

2010-05-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

So since this wonderful program has launched, Stampin Up! has released a miriad of paper packs, stamp brush sets, punches, ribbon, rub-ons, overlays & more.
So in an attempt to bring them all together, I will be posting photos of each product, the product code, price and release date in this post. PLEASE NOTE* These are this listing of the files that DO NOT come with the MDS Software and are available to purchase for a small fee from my website here!
Check back frequently for updates!
~MWAH!

DESIGNER SERIES PAPER
DSP NIGHT & DAY - (118115) $6.95
DSP CAST A SPELL - (118114) $6.95
SPRING SHADES DSP - (120172) $6.95
SUMMER SPELDOR DSP - (121067) $6.95
GEOMETRIC LINES DSP - (121068) $6.95

CARDSTOCK
TEXTURED CARD STOCK - (120168) $6.95

OVERLAYS
PRESTO PATTERNS OVERLAYS - (122142) - $5.95
VINTAGE OVERLAYS - (121061) $7.95

EMBELLISHMENTS
SENDING LOVE BRADS - (120169) $2.95
SATIN RIBBON - (121063) $5.95

TEMPLATES
MINI PROJECT BOXES - (120171) $2.95

KITS
RECIPES BY DESIGN KIT - (118869) $13.95
YOU'RE INVITED INVITATION KIT - (120884) $5.95
MY SWEET PEA KIT - (119978) $13.25
CHRISTMAS COCOA II KIT - (120880) $13.25
MERRY MOMENTS PHOTOCARD KIT - (120883) $5.95
ICICLE PHOTOCARD KIT - (120882) $5.95
WRITE STUFF II KIT - (120881) $13.25

BRUSH/STAMP SETS
GO GRADUATE PLUS (121069) $7.95
JUMBO OUTLINE ALPHABET (122143) $13.95
CONTEMPO ALPHABET (122145) $13.95
CALENDAR BASICS KIT - (118120) $13.95
CALENDAR GRID BASICS KIT - (121423) $5.95
VINTAGE VOGUE BRUSH SET - (121062) $5.95
WELL SCRIPTED BRUSH SET - (121064) $5.95
ROUGH TYPE BRUSH SET - (121066) $13.95
CIRCLE CIRCUS - (118126) $7.95
MEDALLION - (118124) $2.98
PUMPKIN PATCH - (118122) $7.95
GREATEST MOMENTS II - (118121) $13.25
SCHOOL DAYS II - (118116) $13.25
FRIEND BY DEFINITION - (118118) $2.95
BERRY CHRISTMAS - (118117) $7.95
JUST PERFECT ALPHABET - (118119) $13.25
ATHLETIC DEPT. BRUSH SET - (121065) $9.95
JERSEY STAMP BRUSH SET - (122263) $13.25
SCOREBOARD STAMP BRUSH SET - (122264) $7.95

PUNCHES
TWO STEP BIRD PUNCH - (122131) $1.25
FANCY FLOWER PUNCH - (122132) $1.25
JEWELRY TAG PUNCH - (122133) $1.25
PINKING HEARTS BORDER PUNCH - (122134) $1.25
PINKING HEARTS CORNER PUNCH - (122135) $1.25
SCALLOP TRIM BORDER PUNCH - (122136) $1.25
SCALLOP TRIM CORNER PUNCH - (122137) $1.25

HOW TO ORDER THESE...
If you wish to purchase any of these, you will need to shop online on my website HERE (click SHOP NOW) and enter the item codes in your order. You are more than welcome to place other Stampin Up! items to your basket as well, then simply check out! Once you reach the Order Confirmation Page, click on the DOWNLOAD NOW link or the DOWNLOAD MANAGER LINK. Select which ever operating system that you are running your MDS on (MAC or Windows), then select either DOWNLOAD A FILE (to import them directly into your MDS software), or select FOR OTHER APPLICATIONS if you are wanting to use these in Photoshop or any other digital program. When prompted, select RUN. When you have completed downloading all your files that you purchased, simply open My Digital Studio and, voila - your new downloaded files will be waiting for you to use!!!

Tool Tip: Forget Me Not Keeper

2010-05-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Can't find what you are looking for when you need it? Unorganized, frustrated & forgetful? The "Forget Me Not Keeper" by Stampin Up! is what you need!
This versatile, archival container provides a convenient way to store & organize photos, or to use as a card organizer for remembering the important people in your life. The twelve dividers allow you to organize photos by theme, month, or occasion.
- White polypropylene with silver metal snaps
- 12 polypropylene dividers included
- 8.5/8" long x 6.5/8" wide x 5" high when assembled
- Ships flat
- Archival quality, assembles quickly & easily
- Holds approximately 720 photos

Don't forget to order this fantastic tool (item# 105525) to keep you organized!

King of The Flowers & Ice Cream!

2010-05-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

So thought I should post this month's Stampers 10 Cards....
I think I am safe to say that ALL my ladies had fun making these three cards, playing with brand new sets, learning new techniques, and bidding farewell to some memorable colors!!!!
First up....

This card was spring inspired with colors -Brocade Blue, Pink Pirouette - cause it's coming back! & Certainly Celery round out this palate...Using the new, Awash With Flowers set (in clear mount - which was a great hit!!) we stamped 3 of the daisy solids in Pink Pirouette on Whisper White, one in the middle and two off to either side. Then we took Pretty In Pink and stamped the silhouette outline. Stems were all done in Certainly Celery, flipping the stamp upside down to get the two stems off the blue flowers.

Two more daisy flowers were stamped out on an additional piece of WW in Brocade Blue and then we simply cut them out, and popped them up offset to the other flowers, using dimentionals. Prior to assembling we took the Brocade Blue and the daisy silhouette outline and stamped around all the edges of our card. We then assembled the layers, and VOILA!!!! Sentiment is from the new In A Word set in the Summer Mini! Doesn't everyone need a card that screams..."So Sorry!!!"?

Next up - we got da King of da Grill Man!!!! I LOVE THIS SET!!!! I guess I am a little partial to it because my hubby cooks EVERYTHING on the Barbie, so when I saw this set - I knew I was getting it, just to make stuff for him!!! Oh yeah, did I mention - I LOVE THIS SET?!!!
Ok, so we used Basic Black, Crushed Curry & Perfect Plum for the base & the layers. We stamped the image on Whisper White - once again, super duper easy in the clear mount - in Black Stazon, as we were coloring the image and did not want any of the black to pull into the image!! Although I simply cannot stand the fumes of CHERRY CHERRY CHERRY sifting up into the air while using the Stazon, this is an absolute must have if you are coloring, in my humble opinion.

The sentiments in this set are AWESOME so we stamped one out and punched with the word window punch for shape. Then we punched out a modern Label Punch of Crushed Curry and adhered the two together. Finishing off with a Mini Library Clip for a little metal, we popped the sentiment label with dimentionals.
Card was texturized on the front panel with Sizzix Embossing Folder, for a manly-er feel!!
Isn't it BTUiful?

And once you've had your burger fix, we can move onto dessert....bwahahahah....sometimes I just amaze myself!! LOL! Ok, so this card is done with the Sweet Scoops set, once again, from the Summer Mini. I earned this set after regionals, and was really excited to use it! Cardstock is Melon Mambo & Chocolate Chip, with a slice of CC Designer Series Paper. A bow was made out of the Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon and adhered to the top and back of the DSP. Then we secured down our DSP onto the cardstock.
*NB* At this point it is very important that everyone knows that the whole point of this card was to demonstrate the difference between the clear mount and the wood mount to my groups of ladies!! I did not, nor did I allow any of the ladies to use the Stampamajig for this project - so that is why I am proudly displaying a NON-PERFECT project!!
We then stamped 4 cones in Melon Mambo on the Melon Mambo to give the watermarked look. We repeated with the tops of the ice cream. Oh god, was this ever off!!! The good news is you got to pick your WORST ice cream cone and cover it up with the tag that we made!! The tag was free-handed as well, simply due to the size we needed to stamp the ice cream cone on. We stamped the cone in Chocolate Chip on WW. Then on a separate piece of WW, we inked up the ice cream top with Melon Mambo and pressed the zebra looking stamp right up to it - I believe this is called the "Kissing" technique. This "removed" some of the Melon Mambo ink off the ice cream top stamp and left an image. We then stamped the image and cut out, added chocolate sprinkles, and popped it up over the chocolate cone. Once the tag was cut out in WW, we glued it to some Chocolate Chip cardstock and trimmed up the layer. We punched out a circle in MM, folded over the top of the tag, punched a tiny hole through it all, tacked a piece of ribbon behind and covered up our worst cone!
The "piece de la resistance" was the Crystal Effects that was added to the ice cream to make it look all shiny!!! Don't forget this take quite a while to dry!
I should also mention my girlfriend did this card which I thought I was casing off of her but apparently Nancy Riely designed it, and then she cased it from her - so her is the link to Nancy's card if you want to check out her blog!!!
Well, hope you enjoyed these three projects - if you have any questions - hollar!
~MWAH!

Tres Chic...Tres Patience!!!!

2010-05-06T17:06:00.001-07:00

Well, today was D.E. Day (Decor Elements Day) at Bootybella's Stampin Pad!!!! I decided that I have been putting this off for way too long, knowing full well, that this was going to be one, big project. So this morning, I took the plunge at put up the Tres Chic Decor Elements in my half bath. Needless to say it was QUITE the experience, so I thought I would take photos and walk you all through it......

So for starters, here is what the wall looked like behind the "toilette" in our half bath...

So I removed the bamboo painting and cleaned the wall. Then I began cutting up all the letters into their grouping, there were small 'x's at the top and bottom of each word that you would line up to the one above, with the idea that if you get the first piece centered correctly, and always match up your 'x's, your whole application of 14 PIECES (yes, you read right!!) will be applied straight! So after much measuring and fancy footing over the "toilette", I managed to get this piece up on the wall....

BELIEVE ~ I believe this will be beautiful once it is completely up.
FRIENDSHIP ~ My friendship with the "toilette" is a special one right now, I am hoping and praying I don't slip and fall in while applying this vinyl!
LUCKY ~ I will be very lucky if I don't slip and fall in!!!

ADORE ~ I adore how these line up so beautifully with the 'x's, even a monkey could put this up!!!

TOGETHER~ This decor elements is going "together" like no body's business!
CLASSIC ~ If my husband saw me straddling the "toilette" like this he would think a photo of me would be classic!!!
IMAGINE ~ I am imagining what a nice glass of vino could do for me right about now...

LIFE ~ Life throws you challenges (like putting up this application!) just to see how committed you are. I will complete this, even though I am on my 3rd hour of application...

ENJOY ~ I really am enjoying this glass of Malbec right now...I am now pressing on my 4th hour of application...

FUNNY ~ Isn't it funny that I thought this would look soooo amazing over the "toilette", but never considered that I would need calf muscles of steel to stand this long on the rim of a pooper?????
HOPE ~ I hope I will finish this job soon!!!!

Ohhhh lookey....only 4 MORE PIECES TO APPLY!!!!!

HEARTFELT ~ I hope as people visit my loo, their find it in their heart to comment on what a fantastic job I did!!!

FAMILY ~ My family better love this half as much as I do - cause I WILL NOT be taking this down!!!!
INSPIRATIONAL ~ Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!! What can I say, I hope this "inspires" my bathroom guests to...do what they need to do!

LOVE ~ I would love another glass of vino right about now....how many pieces to go - 5 hours later... but doesn't it look amazing????

GENUINE ~ This is genuinely the most intricate looking piece of decor in my home!!! Oh yeah...this is also the most genuine Malbec I have drank in a long, long time!
CREATE ~ I can't believe that in 6 short hours, I have created this masterpiece!!!!

Oh, I thought NOW would be as good of time as ever...to show you how I got the vinyl off the paper onto the wall. So, you use the plastic decor elements applicator (it looks like a credit card without and credit on it! LOL!!) and rubbed each and every little piece of vinyl. Then you slowly start to peel it back and it should stick to the sticky side....

Sometimes it doesn't, especially the little intricate pieces, so you need to rub it a little bit more with the applicator, and slowly peel it back. Easy does it sailor.....

I used my gel nails that came in rather handy for this task!!!

When you peel the backing off, this is what you are left with on the sticky side - now run over to your wall, don't spill your wine, and line up the 'x's!!!!!

Use your applicator once again, and go over everything liberally. You will now need to set your wine glass down on the back of the "toilette", as you will need two hands to carefully pull back the sticky paper...revealing your perfectly applied swirls, swooshes & words!!!!

MEMORIES ~ Oh, the memories I will have, every time I look at this project, knowing the sweat equity that went into it!
JOY ~ This project brought me such "joy", reflecting on each word as I applied it, but the most joy this project brought me, was completing it!!!!
So here is the finally.....
6.25 hours in the making....

Please excuse the slanted photo...this is what happens after 4 glasses of Malbec!!!! In all honesty - it is on my wall completely straight and looks freaking fabulous!!!! I would love to hear your comments so post away!!!
I would also like your opinion - at the very top of the vinyl application, there is a straight line. This is NOT on the photo of the Tres Chic Application, but I am undecided if I want to leave it up there, or remove it. What would you do?
So to recap on this project:
~ Give yourself ample time to put this up - it is not a project that you can just "slap up"!
~ You will need sharp tweezers to remove the little 'x's from the wall after your project is complete.
~ Assess your access to where you are applying this vinyl, prior to starting to apply it!
~ In between each application, walk away, sip your wine & reflect on the experience. Then repeat till complete!
~ Applying this project while indulging in any wine or spirit, may impede your skill levels and decrease your chances of perfection!!!!!

MWAH~

Last Post For The Evening...Season of Friendship...

2010-04-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

So I simply HAD to have this set, and tonight was the first time I have inked it up since owning it for 6 months! I know, disgusting!!!! Well, worth the wait, I say! Look at this beauty of a color combo - Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Old Olive & Perfect Plum!! YUMMIE!!!! Stamped all the leaves in different colors, cut them out and popped them up - cause that's what I do - POP & LAYER, POP & LAYER, POP & LAYER!!! Bwahahahahaha!!!

Oh yes, and a word to the wise....I hope you notice that my sentiment is stamped crooked on a card that took such detail to make!!! I really could have screamed!!! So make sure you put them on the blocks straight people - or THIS will happen to you!!!
I have just done my preorder for the new catty all in CLEAR MOUNT - fingers crossed that they work for me this time round! This should eliminate my angling!!!
Have a great nite peeps!!!

Mama & Papa Day Cards....

2010-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

So with these holidays sneaking up on us, my last Stampers 10 class did a couple simple cards for ma's & pa's!
This mother's day card is gorgeous close up....we used Soft Suede & Barely Banana. Running a piece of Whisper White through the Big Shot in the Manhattan Flower Embossing folder created a subtle & elegant print. Then we took the brayer and inked it up in Barely Banana & went to town over the embossed image. Super cool effect!
Sentiment from All Holidays.

What father wouldn't love this fun little card done with Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, & Old Olive!! Whisper White Craft ink gave a gorgeous imprint of the wood for the background. I then stamped out all the tools in the Tool Time set, colored with SU Markers, & cut out. Popped them off the piece of Woodgrain printed Close to Cocoa and wrapped them with Hemp String. Sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes, Modern Label Punch & Word Window Punch.

Rich Razzy Medallion....

2010-04-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Love, love, love this color combo - Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black & Whisper White. Clean, crisp & sassy!!!
Lots of layers, even with the ribbon this time! As well as using the Medallion Background stamp, I also used my favorite go-to thank you right now from With All My Heart. Added some "bling-age" to the centre of the Medallion for an extra special pop!

A Twist On The Two -Step Bird Punch...

2010-04-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

So, here's the little secret behind this simple card....
Punch out the bird & branch using the Two Step Bird Punch (which is simply wonderful by the way!!) on some scrap paper. Then, THROW AWAY WHAT YOU PUNCHED OUT! Yes, you read right, all you are going to use for this technique is the piece of paper you NORMALLY toss out - the stencil!!! Uuuuhhuh!!!!
Take your daubers out and sponge on the body of the bird with Soft Suede, then move the wing to where ya want it - then go darker with the Soft Suede. Finally, I used Old Olive to sponge on the branch. Finished up with the Thank You sentiment from With All My Heart!!!!! I also wheeled the Soft Suede background with the Very Vintage Wheel before adhering to the Crushed Curry base.

Next Up...Trendy Trees Times Two

2010-04-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite "go-to" stamps sets, Trendy Trees is super fun to play with. It does require using the Stamp-a-ma-gig or to be able to see into the future - which ever one you have!!! LOL!!! This first card is done layering the squares and I have also used the owl from Animal Stories to jazz it up a little. Colors used here were Whisper White, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango & Soft Suede, as well as Modern Label Punch.

This next little number uses a great color combo - Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry & Basic Grey. Lots of layers make this card quite simple, yet elegant!

My Dear Kind & Wonderful Layers....

2010-04-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

In an unprecedented attempt to make up for my lack of blogging lately, I finally rounded up some cards from my last few classes and snapped some photos!!!!
I love this color combo of Melon Mambo & Soft Suede - lots of distressing & lots of layers. I used I Heart Hearts Stamps Set from the Occassions Mini as well as All Holidays from the big bold catty!! The gals LOVED this one - hope you do too!!

A close up shot shows how popping a few pieces adds texture.

A Safari Shower for A Little Someone...

2010-04-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend had me craftin' like crazy to make a fun, unique & practical gift for a friend for her baby shower. After lots of thought and head scratching, I decided to do a set of stamped onsies and 48, yes - you read right - 48 thank you cards! I also bought a Safari themed scrapbooking kit to get her started on "the addiction"! To my surprise, when I arrived at the par-tee (which started at 2pm and went till 3am!!) I was thrilled to find out her baby's room theme was Safari! Woot woot for me!! She seemed very pleased with the gift so I thought I would share some snapshots with you! All images were stamped with black Stazon and colored with Copic Markers, then heat set.

The Color Renovation!!!

2010-04-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Well this has definitely been a busy three months - bad on me - blogging was something I didn't do very well at. What I did do VERY well at though were my SU Sales these past three months. We have come to a close on this great time of year, Sale-A-Bration, and I have managed to be in the top 20 rank of sales for Alberta! Yay for me!!!
So with the end of one promotion, comes BIG announcements from headquarters....
So without further hesitation....
Stampin' Up! announced a Color Renovation for the July 2010 catalog and I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT! I am excited by the color chart with the four new color collections. Stampin' Up! is on trend with the paper craft market and best of all, they are bringing back some of those In Colors from years past.

The new Color Collections include:

Brights Collection:
Regal Rose, Melon Mambo (current In Color), Rich Razzleberry (current In Color), Pacific Point (former In Color), Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight (new!), Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango (former In Color), Real Red

Neutrals Collection:
River Rock (former In Color), Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Early Espresso (new!), Crumb Cake (formerly called Kraft), Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black

Regals Collection:
Elegant Eggplant, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Garden Green, More Mustard, Cajun Craze (new!), Riding Hood Red (former In Color), Cherry Cobbler (new!), Bravo Burgundy

Subtles Collection:
Pink Pirouette (former In Color), Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Marina Mist (new!), Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze (former In Color), Wild Wasabi (former In Color), Certainly Celery, So Saffron

The following colors are to be retired on July 1:
Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pale Plum, Orchid Opulence. Lovely Lilac. Lavender Lace, Almost Amethyst, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue, Taken with Teal, Glorious Green, Handsome Hunter, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss, Green Galore, Gable Green, Barely Banana, Yoyo Yellow, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Going Gray Be sure to start stocking up on ink, paper, and accessories now! After July 1st, these colors will no longer be available!

~Things to remember~

~You'll notice that Neutrals has been added as a color collection and Earth Elements has been eliminated and many of the colors from all collections/families have been reorganized into different collections.
~Kraft has been renamed Crumb Cake. This also means that this color will not only be available in card stock as before, but you will also be able to purchase the ink pad and marker! (Yippee! I love this color!)
~Stampin' Up! will continue offering brand-new In Colors! This year we can expect 5 new colors and they will last 2 years, instead of one! This means that after this first year we will have 10 new In Colors at a time.
~Don't stress if you have items that come in a set like the markers, watercolor crayons, pastels, etc. Stampin' Up! will be coming out with Color Kits to fill in those items with the new colors as well as some more new fun products!
A lot of the colors on the retiring list I do not use, nor have I in a while. This has revamped my stamping enthusiasm because I love the In Colors and now I can pull out my stash and stamp with them again!

I also place my Summer Mini order next week and will be looking forward to playing with the few new goodies I ordered.

Free Stamps Sets FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!! MWAHAHAHA!!!

2010-01-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

Can I get a woot woot???? That's right sistah's ~ it tis that wonderful time of the year again - no, not Christmas, that just finished!!! It is Sale-A-Bration time with Stampin UP!!!! And yah know what that means dontcha?????

Free Schwag!!!! So, I betcha you are wondering what you can get for free and how?

From January 5th until March 31, twenty-ten (I just love saying that!!) when you place an order of a minimum of $65 dollars (before shipping & tax of course) you will get to pick from FOUR exclusive Sale-A-Bration stamp sets, a package of 6x6 DSP and for the first time evah, you can even pick an exclusive PUNCH!! Wowozers!!! Just wait, it gets better....so what if you are so busy spending you have earned everything in this SAB catty and now what? Well hold on to your shorts senoritas, cause SU has opening up their catty for you to pick ANY stamp set under the value of $19.95!!!! That is an additional 80 stamp sets!!!!

Here are the deets:

Customers - Get a free SAB item of your choice for every $65 (before shipping & tax) that you order.

Hostesses - If your workshop closes at $395 (before shipping & tax) you will earn a free SAB item of your choice, in addition to regular hostess rewards!

New Recruits - Join SU during Sale-A-Bration and SU will let you choose a FREE stamp set (excluding hostess sets) from the Idea Book, valued up to $56.95...PLUS....the kits are 15% off!! Holy jumping jacks!!!! So instead of paying $269 for the Standard Starter Kit it will only be $225!!! Or if you are interested in the digital aspect, the Digital Starter Kit is no longer $239, but a mere $199!!! And do you seriously think that would be all? Well, one last thing - I have decided to match SU's offer on the free stamp set of a value up to $56.95 if you sign up as a demonstrator with ME!!!

You can't pass up this offer!!! That is THREE free stamp sets, a discount on the starter kit, and ME as your upline!!! That is over a hundred dollars worth of free sets!! What are you waiting for? Click here to contact me ASAP!!!! And the sooner you sign up, the more free sets you are going to start earning with your 20% discount!!!

What else could a gal ask for????

MWAH~

Project 365 for Twenty Ten!

2010-01-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

Holy smakers!!! I can't believe we are in full swing of 2010!!! A new decade full of creativity. So this year (amongst other things I plan to resolve!) I have decided to commit to creating a Project 365. For those of you that don't know what this is, it is a scrapbook (that I have decided to design digitally!!!) that I will be doing a 12x24 layout for each week of the year. The pretense it that I am supposed to take photograph each day and journal about it. This is pretty scary, but if I can complete it, I am thinking I am going to have something amazing to look back upon.

I am building the project in MDS (from SU) until I get the Photoshop thing down pat!

I am having so much fun with it, and thought I would post my title page. I haven't put any photos on it yet, because I am thinking that I will place my favorite ones from the year on the cover, in circular format. I am going to do some digital pages about myself to splash throughout the book on top of the 12x24 layout I have already committed to! Sounds like a great idea right now! Mwahahahahahaha!!!! So please let me know if you have done one of these before and link me to your pages for some inspiration, cause I know there will be days when I need some!

MWAH~

John Deere Green....

2009-11-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

Harvest is finally over for most people, including my family. So I thought I would put together a page that celebrates their work and the machinery they love the most ~ John Deere!! This is a digital scrapbook page that I created using My Digital Studio and some fun fonts that I have in my massive collection! This is my favorite time every year, and miss not being part of it when I can't make it home. The photo was dragged to size of the page minus a little on top and at the bottom, and then I turned it opaque. I think it looks pretty cool - tell me what your thoughts are?

MWAH~

My Xmas Advent Calendar.....

2009-11-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

So this is the post that many of you have been waiting for....it all started with one little mini muffin tin, some paper, some magnets, some punches, some markers...and of course...some chocolate!!!! I had seen this done before a couple of times and wanted to try it out for myself. So this is how I made it...I cut large circles out of cardboard (using heavy material so it would stand up to lots of touching!!) I used the Big Shot to cut these out. Then I cut the same sized circle out of DSP that was Christmas themed and adhered it to the cardboard circles. I then used little magnets (2 per circle) and stuck them to the back with glue dots.
Then I placed each circle over the muffin tin hole. Now comes the fun part...time to embellish!
Using Christmas Themed Stamp Sets (all from Stampin Up) and Die Cuts for the Big Shot, and punches too...I got busy!!! I also used glitter, brads, paperclips & ribbon, as well as dimentionals to pop each embellished circle. Then I used the Big Shot once again to cut out letters to spell..."Days Till Christmas" and used my 2 Way Glue Pen to adhere them onto the top piece of cardstock and bottom piece of cardstock.

I punched tiny little snowflakes out and freehanded the numbers on them because I didn't want them too big, taking away from all the other goodies on the advent calendar.
So this is the finished product!!! Let me know what you think! All that is really left to do is tie a ribbon to the top to hang it (my neighbor is going to do that tonight for me) and fill with Choc-o-late!! YUM YUM!!! Hope you enjoyed!!!! I am offering this as a class in a couple of weeks if anyone is interested. Cost for the class will be $50.00. What a great way to celebrate the holiday season!!!

MWAH~

This Year's Xmas Cards....

2009-11-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

So I found this cutie on SCS and thought I would try my hand at making him!!! It was so fun to make this singing reindeer card and it is probably one of my favorites to date. As you can see, there were alot of punches uses to create this card, as well as a swirl die cut in the Big Shot. I think my elbow now has Puncher-itis from punching all these pieces out, but now they are done. I have done the card in Soft Suede & Rich Razzleberry, using some DSP that is retired for the carol book. I also searched high and low for the most appropriate sentiment and went for a retired one from Peaceful Wishes, just cause it seemed so darn bang on!!! The gals will be making a version of this card at the next Stampers 10 class!

MWAH~

Peaceful Wishes....

2009-11-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well here are a couple cards I made using the same layout but in different colors. These are once again 5x5 cards ( I love this size!!!) and use the Peaceful Wishes Stamp Set from SU. The first one is done in Kiwi Kiss & Chocolate Chip and the second one is done with Bermuda Bay & Chocolate Chip. Enjoy!!

MWAH~

Christmas IS Coming...And So Is The Inspiration!!!

2009-11-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

So this is a little card that I made using a couple of my favorite standby colors...chocolate chip & bashful blue. I used the new Delightful Decorations Stamp Set from SU, along with some bling I purchased somewhere else!!! This is a 5x5 card, using the ticket corner punches to accent the layers and some retired chocolate chip satin ribbon down the side. Very simple and elegant!! Hope you like!!

MWAH~

Announcements & Invitations Coming Your Way...

2009-10-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Well, since my Photoshop CS4 got loaded onto the Mac, I have been busy learning new techniques, along with working in some digital programs. I have fallen in love with making announcements & invitations with these programs...please leave me some comments to let me know what you think. I just find these so fun to make and I think they would probably been relatively inexpensive to print. I am thinking that if I can find a local printer that can give me some decent pricing... I will start selling these custom gems. Baby showers, baby announcements, save the dates, wedding invitations, wedding thank you's, party invitations....if you dream it, I will build it!!!!

Thanks so much for looking....

~MWAH!

Some Thanksgiving Haha's

2009-10-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

With Thanksgiving peaking just around the corner….it makes you reminisce about the things that you are thankful for. Unfortunately, I don’t know why it takes a holiday for us to actually be thankful for things, non the less, this is always a time that people reflect on their have’s and have not’s in life. Things like….

I am thankful that I don’t already have everything I desire…because if I did, I would have nothing in life to look forward to.
I am thankful that I don’t know everything…because it gives me the opportunity to learn.
I am thankful for difficult times…because during these times I will grow stronger.
I am thankful for limitations…because they give me opportunities for improvements.

And mostly, I am thankful for my mistakes…because they will teach me valuable lessons.

This year we are very “thankful” to be invited to someone else’s home for the dinners (Yeah God!) and not only one dinner we were asked to be part of, but two!!! (Watch yer elbows!!!) So I thought I would share some Thanksgiving Dinner rules that someone emailed me that might help laugh off some of that turkey you are about to consume…..

10 RULES FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER AT MY HOUSE

1. Don’t get in line asking questions about the food. “Who made the turkey dressing? Is it egg in there? Is the salad fresh? Is the turkey organic or grain fed? Who made the mashed potatoes? What kind of pie is that? Who made it? Ask one more question and I will punch you in your mouth, knocking out all your fronts so you won’t be able to eat anything.

2. If you can’t walk or are missing any limbs, sit you’re ass down until someone makes your plate for you!!! Dinner time is not the time for you to be independent. Nibble on some damn pecans and walnuts to hold you over until someone makes you a plate.

3. If you have kids under the age of twelve, I will escort their little asses to the basement and bring their food down to them. They are not gonna tear my damn house up this year. Tell them that they are not allowed upstairs until it’s time for Uncle Stevie to start telling Family stories about their mommas and papas. If they come upstairs for any reason except for that they are bleeding to death, I will break a foot off in their asses!

4. There is going to be one prayer for Thanksgiving dinner! JUST ONE! We do not care that you are thankful that your 13 year old daughter gave birth to a healthy baby or your nephew just got out of jail. Save that talk for somebody who gives a toot. The time limit for the prayer is one minute. If you are still talking after that one minute is up, you will feel something hard come across your lips and they will be swollen for approximately 20 minutes.

5. Finish everything on your plate before you go up for seconds! If you don’t, you will be cursed out and asked to stay your greedy ass home next year!

6. BRING YOUR OWN TUPPERWARE!! Don’t let me catch you fixing yourself a plate in my good Tupperware knowing damn well that I will never see it again! Furthermore, if you didn’t bring anything over, don’t let me catch you making a plate period or it will be a misunderstanding.

7. What you came with is what you should leave with!! Do not leave my house with anything that doesn’t belong to you. EVERYBODY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO A BODY SEARCH COMING AND GOING OUT OF MY DOMAIN!!!

8. Do not leave your kids so you can go drink & smoke in the garage. This is not a DAYCARE CENTER! There will be a kid-parent roll call every ten minutes. Any parent that is not present at the time of roll call, your child will be put outside until you come and get him or her. After 24 hours, I will call child & family services on you!!

9. BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM BEFORE YOU COME INTO TOWN!! There will be no sleeping over at my house! You are to come and eat dinner and take your ass home or to your hotel room. EVERYBODY GETS KICKED THE HELL OUT AT 11:00 pm. You will get a 15 minute warning bell ring.

10. Last but not least! ONE PLATE PER PERSON!! This is not a soup kitchen. I am not trying to feed your family until Christmas dinner! You will be supervised when you fix your plate. Anything over the appropriate amount will be charged to you before you leave. There will be a cash register at the door. Thanks to Cousin Scottie and his greedy ass family, we now have a credit card machine! So VISA and MASTERCARD are now being accepted. NO FOOD STAMPS OR PUNCH CARDS YET.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Weekend and that you are surrounded by friend & family & fun!

~MWAH!

My New Must Have.....

2009-08-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

So after a full day of techniques and tutorials, Sherrie has me hooked on the Copic Airbrush System. Once you see how this thing works, you are going to pinch every penny you have to invest in it!!! It will take your scrapbooking and stamping to a whole new level!!!! This is the ABS1 System, which is the least expensive on the market. The creme de la creme is the system with the compressor, you heard right ladies, a compressor! But we have been warned that one should not venture into the garage and take flight with their hubby's sitting on the work bench. It needs to be a specific compressor or you will blow your copics to pieces...not to mention have a hell of a mess to clean up. So for now, I think I am going to purchase the starter kit seen to your right! I am going to purchase mine through Scrapbook Pantry because Crystal was so darn nice to me yesterday!!!!! They have a full collection of everything Copics because, like I, she loves them too! This system will get me up and running until I win the lotto so I can purchase the compressor system (that is an add on to what I am going to purchase).

I also had the divine pleasure of sitting next to Miz Allison Cope!!!! Check out her amazing work on her blog So Sketchy! She filled me to the brim with Copic tidbits and I am so happy that I got to meet her! She travelled all the way from Elkford, BC to get Cer-t-fied!!! And she brought along her secret compressor weapon and explained it to Miz Elke and I! Woot woot to Allison!!

So back to the airbrushing system.....I just want to share with all of you that as I watched Sherrie demonstrate the product, I was mesmerized with the fact that this opened a whole new outlet up to me. Think of all the possibilities this would give me - no more buying colored ribbon - just white - and AIRBRUSH IT!!! Buttons, dewdrops, primas - AIRBRUSH THEM ALL!!! I was holding onto the edge of my seat while she talked about using Copics and the Airbrush System to do all these amazing little projects!!!!

So in closing....if you haven't started your hoarding of these inky little gems, get on it! You will not be sorry!!! And congrats to Tanis once again for winning my blog candy! I can feel her excitement across the world wide web (although she is only in Edmonton and shipping should only take a couple of days at most!). Tanis does not own any copics to date so I am proud to enable her to that level!

MWAH~

Copic Blogcandy Giveaway & Certification Update

2009-08-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Layydees....

It has been a very busy month and with the certification class all day yesterday, I was all inked out!!!! Sherrie was beyond my expectations!!! She was as entertaining as she was knowledgeable and the day was one I will never forget. Not to mention getting to meet some other amazing women that were taking the class!!

So as I am officially a certified copics instructor now, as I promised, I am giving away some markers to help feed someone else's addiction!!!! So without further ado.....the winner picked randomly after writing down handfuls of names from all 4 blogs and entering into a big bucket...the DH drew the lucky winner and she is..... TANNYP (Tanis!)!!!! Please contact me to arrange for me to ship these to you!!!! Congrats! They are great markers to add to a collection or great colors to start out with!!!!

Thanks everyone for visiting all my blogs to enter and check back often because ya just never know with me ~ I could be giving a truckload of cupcakes away next!

MWAH~

A Little Blog Sweetness in Celebration of New Look & Additional Blogs!!!

2009-07-14T08:21:00.001-07:00

So I have decided to give a little blog sweetness away to celebrate the blogs....yes, that is correct, make sure you check out my other blogs and post comments on them as well as Bootybella Designs, to increase your chance at winning!!!! I have some beautiful Copic Ciao markers that I will be sending one lucky winner's way!!!! Six lovely colors can be yours just for leaving a comment on any of my blogs (links are off to the right...) and shabam....you may be coloring in no time!!!!

The colors that are up for grabs are G99 (Olive Green), V15 (Mauve/Purple), E29 (Dark Chocolate), E37 (Milk Chocolate), B00 (Baby Blue) & BG01 (Turquoise)!!!!

The winner will be drawn on August 21, the day before my Copic Certification Class at noon!!!!

Good luck to everyone and thanks for stopping by!

MWAH~

This Gals' Gonna Get Cert-T-Fied With Alcohol!!!

2009-07-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

OMGoodies....how thrilled am I that I was one of the lucky gals that get to partake in the Copic Certification coming in August!!!! I started on these pricey little markers months ago when my dear friend at Green Eyes Designs got me hooked by buying my first couple.

Now I think I am up to a mere 90ish markers and the drive is still there!!!! These are amazing markers that I can hardly wait to learn all the little secrets of the trade from Miz Sherrie who is coming in from BC to teach!!! Can I get a woot woot??!!

And just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more colors....drumroll puleeze....

A new set of 12 to torture the soul!!!!! I simply love these new colors.....

MWAH~

New Look for Bootybella Designs....

2009-07-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I am trying to fluff around with the blog a little and trying to change it up a little with the addition of my 4 other blogs (listed to the right) ~ all in hopes that whatever I do - I don't loose content!!! Ahhhh!!! That would put my over the edge!!!!

MWAH~

SU Country Living Promotion

2009-06-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Dates: June 15 - August 31, 2009 or while supplies last

Make your summertime gatherings memorable with the Country Living™ Summer Cookout Kit

Spending time with family and friends can make the splendid, lazy days of summer ones you’ll always remember. With the simple and speedy projects in the Country Living™ Summer Cookout Kit (item 118070), every occasion to gather becomes a reason to celebrate!

For just $24.95, you’ll have what you need to throw a smashing summer barbecue:

• Creative invitations

• Fun food wrappers

• Customizable coasters

• And more!

CONTACT ME TODAY TO ORDER THIS EXCITING, LIMITED-TIME KIT.

Below is a template for a box that you can make from a piece of 12x12 to put all your bbq goodies in......

Inspiration

2009-06-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

While surfin the net this last week I came upon this amazing quote:

"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinion drown out your own inner voice. Most imporant, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." ~ Steve Jobs

Hope it speaks to you the way it did to me!!!! Just what I needed to hear actually!
~MWAH~

Busy As A Beaver!

2009-06-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

OMG!!! This is so nasty of me ~ I really can't believe that it has taken 4 months for me to get my shite together enough to post on here!!! Ok, promise that won't happen again!!!!
So, lots is obviously new....bought a new camera so I have been studying the world of SLR Digital, slowly but surely. Had an amazing trip to the family farm in May - wish I could have stayed longer - it is always so peaceful and relaxing out there. Took the pooch with me and he burnt off a few pounds running laps around the farm. Came home, the DH & I took a roadtrip to the USA for some power shopping which was a nice little getaway.
A near & dear friend of mine had a baby girl a couple weeks ago so I have been spending alot of time with her and the baby whenever I can. I threw a baby shower last Saturday for the little one so I am hoping to post some photos when I get them (seriously I was too busy to take any!)
Well off to update my SU Business!!!
MWAH~

And Yet Another Project...Diaper Cakes!!!!

2009-03-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, I had seen some of these genius little gifts in a baby store....Diaper Cakes!!! So I took it upon myself to try to assemble one of these little gems (well not so little after I finished!!!) I have given these out as shower gifts for probably the past twenty or so baby showers that I have attended, with many people asking HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT???????

So I thought I would post the instructions that I use......

HOW TO MAKE A PROFESSIONAL DIAPER CAKE

Ingredients:

I package of Brand Name Diapers (approx. 96)
a round cardboard cake tray or round metal/aluminum pizza pan - this is the base
scrap ribbon (approx. 4 yards)
more ribbon for the cake itself
hot glue gun
goodies to decorate your cake based on color & theme

For a 3 tier cake with 96 diapers you will need:

48 diapers for the bottom layer
32 diapers for the middle layer
16 diapers for the top layer

To start, take your round tray and place something round and fat in the middle of your tray (this could be a tin of food or soup, a roll of toilet paper, etc.)

Starting with the bottom tier, we will use 48 diapers. Pick up three and space them in your hand, bottom part facing out to the left ~ do not open them up! Layer them slightly so they overlap ~ one, then the second one slightly to the right of it, and the third slightly to the right of the second one. Bend them slightly to give them a slight curve. Place them, on end, leaning

against your round object in the middle of your round tray. Add more diapers to the outside of your diapers~ you will be adding the diapers on top of each other in the round.

You should use 40 out of the 48 diapers in the outside layer. When you have all 40 diapers pinwheeled around your object...you now use a piece of your scrap ri

bbon to tie your diaper tier. Tie it snug with a bow ribbon, not a double knot, as you will want to remove this later.

You are left with a hole in the middle where your round object is...the other 8 diapers fan into that hole.

Repeat for 2nd layer using 28 diapers on the outside layer and 4 on the inside layer.

For the top tier, you will want 14 diapers on the outside layer, and 2 diapers in the middle inner layer.

Once all 3 layers are complete, go back and straighten out the diapers and double check to make sure your spacing is even & uniform. Your scrap ribbon is holding them securely so you should be able to pull & push them into place and make them even.

Now it is time to add YOUR ribbon. Without removing the scrap ribbon just yet, you will want to measure out the length you will need & add 2" inches to that to create a nice, clean edge.

Cut the ribbon & wrap it around the tier. This is when you will use your glue gun to glue the ribbon to the ribbon. (Careful not to get glue on diapers!) Wait until glue has cooled before carefully reaching behind the ribbon to remove the scrap ribbon.

One layer of thick ribbon is great, however more is very appealing! To add ribbon, you will want to glue the new layer directly to the first layer that you have secured on. Make sure it is straight & glued all the way around so that it does not slip. Use a smaller width of ribbon for the second layer of ribbon you are attaching.

First layer of ribbon should be 2" inch width of floral ribbon
Second layer of ribbon should be 1" inch width of floral ribbon
Third layer can outline the top and bottom of the 1" width ribbon by using 1/16th grosgrain ribbon.

Decorate the cake with the goodies from the theme or color theme you chose. Attach objects to the cake with colorful diaper pins. Your imagination is your only limit!!!!

Other things to take into consideration:

NEVER use tape, not only does it look bad but will damage the diapers.
Use brand name diapers unless you know the parents are using store brand. What a shame if your cake isn't used the way it was intended to be used because the diapers weren't something the parents were confident in.
Diapers ABSORB, very well ~ that is their purpose after all!!!! They absorb smells & fluids. Keep your completed cake in a dry location, away from dank smells (smoke, food, gases, etc.) Wrap in a cellophane bag if need be.
Simple and elegant is better than busy and cheap!!! Use items you are proud to give the new family
Have fun with your cake!!!! Make it something original that the recipients and guest will never forget!!!!

St. Patty's Day is On The Way.....

2009-03-04T15:26:00.001-08:00

The luck of the Irish may be knockin at yer doorstep!!!

2009-03-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

Lookey lookey at what I just bought today!!! Not as big as the traditional ATG Gun, however it is PINK afterall!!!! I absolutely love this new product! The new Glue Glider Pro allows you to apply a neat ¼” strip of adhesive exactly where you want it. The easy glide-on dispensing action, allows you to apply a small controlled amount or a continuous line of the best performing and most permanent adhesive ever offered. The adhesive is clear and it even diappears behind transparencies so this is great for attaching velumn. The easy slip-in, disposable cartridges eliminate the worry of having to reload in the middle of a project. No mess, no fuss. Yahhhhh!!!!!!

~MWAH!!!!

My Favorite Photographer!!!!!

2009-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

I love love love photos....and even bettah if someone who knows what they are doing is takin them!!!! Despite my longing research on finding that perfect camera so that I can try and learn to take pictures like the pros....it still boils down to the the fact that one person can't possibly be great at doing EVERYTHING!!!!! That's my excuse and I am stickin to it!!!!

However, I do know a gal that is FREAKN FANTASTIC at it!!!!! Her website is LP Photography and I truly encourage all the sistah's out there to take a peak!!!! She does amazing work, AND is she scores 150% in the personality department!!!!! She does family portraits, weddings, scenery, and has worked in the film industry for quite some time!!!! Everyone knows someone who is pregnant, has a family, or is tying the knot this year ~ so take my recommendation on this one laydees - book this sistah for your next event or memory that you never want to lose!!!! At the least, drop her a line and let her know what you think about her website and her work she has posted on it!

~MWAH!

Some Humor Leading Upto V-Day!!!!

2009-02-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought it was only fitting to post a couple links that I discovered while searching the net the other night, in relation to this glorifying holiday that all single people dread and even as a married woman, I cease to see the value in (unless you own a chocolatrie, flower shop, jewelery store, and lets just put it out there....pawn shop?! LOL!!!)

So in an attempt to make a few of you giggle from deep down, to follow is a list of links that may generate some laughter!!!!

When you just don't have the words...let Cupids Dear John Letter Generator help you find them!

Even the hillbillies have it rough at this time of year...Backwoods Apology

One brilliant explanation of To Bling Or Not To Bling

If you simply can't bear to be alone...use this Cheesy Pick Up Line to hook you up!

And finally, without further ado, here is our Top 15 List of What NOT To Get Her for Valenitines Day...

1. A box of chocolates, clumsily rearranged in an attempt to hide the fact you ate all the caramel ones.

2. Flowers from a hospitals gift shop--or worse, a mortuarys.

3. Anything you could have bought at the gas station mini-mart on the way over, even if you didnt.

4. Anything that even remotely implies that she is not physically perfect: gym memberships, Botox, diet plan subscriptions, self help books and the like.

5. A bathing suit. Unless it comes with a trip to the Bahamas, she does not want your input on this personal matter. What's more, you're likely to give her an anxiety attack when she thinks about trying it on (especially after the great binge/food fest with the in-laws that were the Holidays 2008).

6. Toys. Women usually do not want video games. We might occasionally like to kick your butt in Wii, but that does not mean we want Street Fighter II (or whatever game it is you're playing).

7. Homemade coupons. Whether they're for dish duty, garbage duty, dinner, or something else, she's not likely to be impressed. Did your high school girlfriend even use hers?

8. A gift certificate. Step it up with something a little more personal--unless it's for 300 dollars and you can't wait to take her to the store and shop. All. Day.

9. Food. Unless you're the Iron Chef or Gordon Ramsay, skip anything home-baked. When her friends ask what you got her for V-day, she does not want to have to regurgitate. Literally.

10. A magazine subscription. Bo-ring.

11. Tickets to the "big game." Hate to break it to you, but when she said she loved football, she was lying. Save the sports stuff for your buddies.

12. A DVD box set of your favorite show. You've both already seen every episode. It will just accumulate dust with the rest of the collection.

13. Same goes for CDs. Hello, iTunes.

14. Appliances. Every man has made this guffaw. Just because she says, "I need a new vacuum" does not mean you should buy her a vacuum. This includes any household item, power tool or other item from the harder side of Sears!

15. An apologetic look followed by the words "Was that today?"

Valentines Day (val*en*tinez dae) n. A day when you have dreams of a candlelight dinner, diamonds, and romance, but consider yourself lucky to get a card!

Happy Inauguration Day!!!!

2009-01-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

Seriously, it really is a shame that I don't get this thrilled and excited (as a Canadian) about getting a new Prime Minister!!! But today is a day that we will probably all remember and think back....what was I doing when Obama, the new President of The United States, takes office today? I follow very little when it comes to politics, only because I have seen nothing but the same unispiring people get up infront of us and make promises that they never intend to keep! It becomes a part of life, being let down by our government time after time. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be a Canadian and have the rights that we have every day we wake up. It would just be something else to have someone as inspiring and compassionate about change and the people, as the people of United States will have in power as the sun is setting today.

To see the tears of joy roll down the faces of millions and millions is something else to watch. He has promised change and for once, as a bystander, I truely believe he will bring it! This is breathtaking to watch, the hope that he instills in his people and the courage he brings to all!

I think this is the most brilliant man I have seen speak in my lifetime...but then again, what do I know about politics?! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Some SU Housekeeping....

2009-01-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to do a quick post of some of the greatest and latest from SU.....

Well, it is official! As of yesterday, we can now order from the fabulous new SU Catty!!! I am super thrilled about this as I think this catty is one of the best ones they have printed in a long long time!!! My wish list is massive...so I just need to find the patience (and courage) to NOT ORDER IT ALL ON MY FIRST ORDER!!!!!!

Starting February 1st, running until March 31st, is SU's SALE-A-BRATION!!! For every $60 you spend in merchandise in the catty, you will recieve one free stamp set (these are new stamp sets and accessories that will be released in the Sale-A-Bration Mini Catty on Feb 1st and you can only EARN these adorable sets - yes, I have seen a sneek peak! and they are superb!!!). There are 6 choices in total and you will luv em!! Trust me!!!! Not only are there stamp sets but also ribbon and DSP to choose from!!! Get out your credit cards ladies!!!!!!

This is a great time to place your first order with me if you haven't already!!!!

Okotoks Scrapbook Convention

2009-01-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

I know I posted this awhile back, but I just wanted to let you all know that Registration starts today for this amazing conference. My trusty partner in crime, Bev, and I will be teaching two classes at this convention in March. If you are interested, click here to be redirected to the site!

MWAH~

My Brand Spankin New Mac From My DH

2009-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

2009 has started out sensationally!!!! The DH bought me a new computer and none the less, it is a MAC!!!! Can I get a woot woot????? Oh yeah baby!!! Now I am just having to learn to do everything backwards but it is well worth it!!!

Thought I would share some pictures of it for all the sistah's out there, I also have a wireless mouse and keyboard. If you evah get the opportunity to go wireless....do it!

MWAH~

Holy Woowzers...The New Catty Has Arrived!!!!

2009-01-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

OMG!!! This morning the mailman left me a nice shiny key in my box, that acted like a treasure hunt to the next box, that when I opened it, I found two white boxes from SU!!! You know it!!! The new catties arrived!!!! Ladies, all I can say is that this is THEE BEST CATTY in forever. The new die cuts are phenomenal!!! There is even a cupcake die cut set for the Big Shot!!! I really want to place my first order right now, this very minute, but unfortunately we cannot order out of it until the 19th, dang it!!! The new stamp sets are "slap yo momma" sensational! I could barely breathe as I turned page after page of exciting sets!!!! Well, I will have to try to update a little more later on, I am off to my first NHL hockey game with my awesome neighbors!!!!!

Chat with ya later sistah's!!!

MWAH~

A Warmer Holiday Season

2009-01-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, thought I should post a photo of where we spent our holiday season!! We left on the 19th of December for 10 glorious days in the south to Phoenix, Arizona. The weather was not ideal but blew the -40 degree weather we were having in Alberta out of the water!!

We did a day trip to Mexico to scout for good tequilla and knockoff handbags ( which I found lots of but really don't remember thanks to the tequilla! LOL!!!) We spent a day in Tuscon, checking out the beautiful scenery, and returned to Mesa for some rest and relaxation. That didn't last too long, as I needed to invest some of my hard earned cash into the department stores and outlet centers! Believe it or not, but I somehow managed to come home both under the luggage weight AND my return allowed quota!! What the......!!!! Oh well!

We had a fabulous Christmas with my family, and I feel so lucky to have such an entertaining group in my life!!!

A New Year...A New Start to Old Habits!!!!

2009-01-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

For some, New Years offers us a sort of “get out of jail” card, and allows us to make some promises to change our lives from here on in!!! What a fantastic ploy we play with ourselves to make a deal with the devil for mainly, what I have found as, dissapointment. So a few years ago, I forbade the practice of making new years resolutions, rationing…if I don’t make them, I can’t break them!!!!
So in welcoming in 2009, I will post some “REALISTIC” statements that I have stumbled on over the years. These may (or may not…) let you start your new year with a chuckle or two!!!
* I will no longer waste my time relieving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.
* I will not bore my boss by with the same excuse for taking leaves. I will think of some more excuses.
* I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.
* I will avoid taking a bath whenever possible and conserve more water.
* I will give up chocolates totally. 100%. Completely. Honestly....
* I will try to figure out why I *really* need nine e-mail addresses.
* I will stop sending e-mail, ICQ, Instant Messages and be on the phone at the same time with the same person.
* I will spend less than one hour a day on the Internet. This, of course, will be hard to estimate since I'm not a clock watcher.
* I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it.
* I will not tell the same story at every get together.
* I will stop considering other people's feelings when they so obviously don't consider mine - if that unwashed fellow sits next to me again, I'll tell him he stinks!
*Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my pj’s. Instead, I will take my laptop into the bedroom with me.
* I will eat ice-cream at midnight - every midnight of the year!
* I will not let the dog hog the pillow, growl at me from the sofa, and snatch the bun from my plate - this year he's going to learn that I'm the Alpha of the house and only I get to do certain things!
* If I see a UFO I won’t tell anyone about it.
* I'm going to learn cusswords in different languages. Broaden my vocabulary.
* I will not tell lies – ok, that might be a lie…..
* I will balance my checkbook….on my nose!
* I resolve to be nice to people without bringing Jesus into the equation.
* With that cloned cow having given birth and everything, I resolve to pay more attention to where my food comes from this next year.
* I hope to be able to make people think happy thoughts when they think of me.
* I will go on long ego trips.
* I will prognosticate that I will probably procrastinate engaging in all the objectives I have premeditated for this approaching twelvemonth.
* Chat more over phone.
* Read less.
* Stop exercising. I will only run at high speeds if a wild animal is chasing me.
* Procrastinate more.
* Drink. Drink some more.
* Start being superstitious.
* Spend less time at work.
* Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
* Take up a new habit: Maybe smoking!
* I will not shout at the top of my lungs in the dark, as I am hiding behind the door to scare my husband as he is trying to find his way in the dark to the bedroom!! I thought it was funny but appartently not!
* I will remember that life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.
* I will remember it isn't worthwhile wrestling with pigs - you get all muddy and don't the pigs just love it!
* I will take neither myself nor any of the above seriously.

Happy New Years' 2009 to all the sistah's!!!! MWAH!!!!!

Just Rite Stampers

2008-12-17T17:30:00.000-08:00

I simply have to share my new find from Ms. Claire in Calgary. During a recent swap of "Your Favorite Things", Ms. Claire delivered a package to my doorstep brimming with tags created by this wonderful company "Just Rite Stampers". I had looked at these products briefly in the past but was blown away with the applause they commanded!!!! The deal is is that this kit helps you create your own momogrammed border!!! These are fantastic, and a great addition to any stampers room & collection!!! Can we say.... "MUST HAVE"? Check out their entire website by clicking here! Happy Shoppin Sistah's!!

Bakerella's Holiday Sweets

2008-12-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

Just checking out some different blogs out there and stumbled upon this darhling site or Bakerella's!!! She has some amazing holiday treats and sweets to help jazz up your christmas season!!! Hoho Pops, Reindeer Pops and Tree Pops will be sure to excite your guests...or just you, if you feel the need for greed!!! LOL!!!!

Check them out by clicking right here!

Crop Till Ya Drop!!!!

2008-12-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

I am sooooo thrilled to announce that I have been asked to participate in the Okotoks Scrapbook Convention on Saturday, March 14th!!! This is a few years in the making and I was fortunate enough this year to be brought in to teach. My trusty soon to be downline, neighbor, and BFF, Beverly will be accompanying myself, armed with stamps, ink, paper, adhessive & scissors, to the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks, Alberta!!! It is gonna be one crazy weekend! Apparently last year they sold out in hours - registration is JANUARY 12TH, 2009 at 10AM ONLINE!!!! Don't miss it!!!! Click here to check out the deets on this amazing convention!!!
There will be make and takes, layout contests, goodie bags, classes, prizes galore, meals & most importantly....vendors to shop from!!!!!!
This event is gonna run from 10AM until 11PM ~ that is insane!!!!!! If you have any questions feel free to email me at bella013175@hotmail.com
Hope to see ya there!!!
~MWAH~

You Say Goodbye...and I Say Hello!!!!

2008-12-16T17:17:00.001-08:00

Well my sistah's...it is that time of year again....the retired list is out and this means only one thing....THE NEW CATTY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!! Yes, it is true....I have seen some sneak peeks of the new products that will be lining those satin touched pages!!! And I must say, I am quite pleased!!!! Here are the deets...the new catty will be released on January 9th, I am told, so bearing any unforseen circumstances....(my preorder went in today)....I will be able to put it in your hands within that week!!!!

With this excitement, lends some sorrow....of old sets and accessories hitting the dust. This must go in order to make room for the new and exciting sets that are coming your way!!! If you want one last kick at the catty, click here to view the list!

Items on the retired list are available only while supplies last—and once they’re gone, they’ll never be available again. Don’t miss this last chance to get them!

Don't forget about the dormant list...(oopps....I did!!!) These sets are not seen in your catty but are still available for purchase!!!!

New Month ~ New Career

2008-11-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

Well ~ have I been busy!!! OMGoodies....well I resigned from my job as Events Manager for the Media Company I have been with this past year, to find myself in an awkward position of the opportunity to work for TWO different companies!!!! Let's just say I don't wish this choice on anyone, as it was a very hard one that involved a few lost nights of sleep!!!

Anywhooo, in the end I chose to return to my old company in the Wine Industry, but this time, in the capacity of a Territory Manager for Southern Alberta Sales!!!!!!

I am super thrilled with my decision and look forward to new goals and ventures with this company!!! (Not to mention having the opportunity to drink fine wines again ~ as well as my favorite Porto companion, Taylor!!!!) Wish me luck!!!!

~MWAH~

Geared for All Hallow's Eve...

2008-10-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well, whether we are ready for it or not (FYI~ I am!!!!) Halloween is only days away!!!! Just wanted to load them up so eager eyes could see my popcorn wrapper Halloween Creations!!!! I found these individually wrapped microwave popcorn packages from Kernells Popcorn (10 to a box) that pop bright orange buttered flavor. I took DSP and wrapped each one (non SU) and then used Batty For You to stamp out Frankensteins, Bats & and other spooky creatures, and affixed these to each wrapper. I am thinking that the kids will love the popcorn, the mother's will love the creation!!!
Hope everyone is ready to be spooked!!!!

Amazing October Specials With SU!!!!

2008-10-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Join the Stampin’ Up! Family for Only $119!
Becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator has never been easier! For a limited time, you can choose one of three different Starter Kits—stamp–focused, scrapbook–focused, or home décor–focused—and each one is only $119 (including business supplies)! Or, choose the standard Starter Kit—featuring $350 of stamping and business supplies for only $249—and get a stamp set of your choice from the new catalog for FREE!

Celebrate World Card Making Day!
From October 4-11, in celebration of World Card Making Day, get 20 percent off Stampin’ Up!’s Simply Sent® card kits and Card Elements—no additional purchase necessary! World Card Making Day celebrates the art and creativity of handcrafted cards, and these kits contain everything you need to create and embellish beautiful cards every day.

Happy Birthday, Stampin’ Up!
Stampin’ Up! is celebrating their twentieth birthday by giving YOU a 20 percent discount on a selection of birthday stamp sets with a $20 purchase of any Stampin’ Up! products. Birthday stamps are some of the most popular and widely used, so take advantage of this special offer before it ends October 31!

Extra Hostess Benefits!
From October 1-November 30, host a workshop of $350 or more and get a FREE stamp set from the Fall-Winter 2008 Catalog Sampler in addition to the already fabulous hostess benefits! Space and time are limited, so schedule your workshop today!

Special Product Offer!
From October 1-31, you can get a single large-tip Aqua Painter® for only $8.50. The Aqua Painter is an easy-to-use water coloring brush that gives fantastic results. A single Aqua Painter has never been offered before, and may never be offered again, so be sure to take advantage of this special offer today! For more information on any of these limited-time offers, contact me today.

Spooky Spider Décor Elements
Spooktacular Spiders Just in Time for Halloween!
Make your home and Halloween projects spooktacular this year with Spooky Spider Décor Elements! Decorate your candy jar to thrill the treaters, or adhere it above your door to scare off the tricksters. Spooky Spider comes in three sizes and is priced low so it won’t break your candy budget. These spiders won’t hang around long, so contact me today to get your Spooky Spider Décor Elements before they vanish into the night!
Black White Description Price
114761 114764 Décor Elements Spooky Spider (S) $6.95
114762 114765 Décor Elements Spooky Spider (M) $12.95
114763 114766 Décor Elements Spooky Spider (L) $17.95

Happy Shopping! ~MWAH~

Are You There God?….It’s Me…Bootybella

2008-09-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

So today I was sorting through some stuff I had collected on my laptop. Mostly work related articles, and tutorials on different projects. Then I spied this one. Ahhhhh….The Happy Period….it was labeled. I let out a deep belly laugh as I reminisced reading this letter someone had emailed me months ago. I remember reading Judy Bloom’s book years past, that shed some light on the monthly “friend” that would pay a visit for the rest of womanhood. But really – this letter, my friends, really explains it all!!
Word has it that this is an actual letter from an Texan woman who sent her opinions, all typed up in one nice (some may say lengthy, but eloquent) letter to Proctor & Gamble, in regards to their feminine products and their current ad campaign ~ Have A Happy Period. Have a happy period. Are you kidding me? Why don't they have a joyous root canal! If the advertising slogan exec who came up with that little gem is a woman, P&G needs to do us all a favor and take her out now - she doesn't deserve to belong to the sisterhood. If it's a man, I'm really not surprised. I'm sure he's out there at this moment campaigning for effervescent mammograms and hallelujah pap smears.
I think Wendi has done a superb job at touching on some of issues that bother her (along with those belonging to most of the female population). Just thought this deserved a post to share with the sistah’s!!! Can I get a “Woot Woot Wendi”?

Oh yeah!!!! In the meantime, I hope the boys at P&G have a titillating prostate exam!

Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your ‘Always’ maxi pads for over 20years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without theLeakGuard Co re or Dri-Weave absorbency, I’d probably never gohorseback riding or salsa dancing, and I’d certainly steer clear ofrunning up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But myfavorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos onbeing the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it isthat maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can’t tell you how safe and secureI feel each month knowing there’s a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever sufferedfrom the curse’? I’m guessing you haven’t. Well, my time of themonth is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonalforces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes fromnow, my body will adjust and I’ll be transformed into what myhusband likes to call ‘an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.’ Isn’tthe human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you’ve no doubtseen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens du ring yourcustomer’s monthly visits from ‘Aunt Flo’. Therefore, you must knowabout the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about ourintense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. Yousurely realize it’s a tough time for most women. In fact, only lastweek, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove herboyfriend’s testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because hetold her he thought Grey’s Anatomy was written by drunken chimps.Crazy!

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America isjust crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants… Which bringsme to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes ofcramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out myuterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on theadhesive backing, were these words: ‘Have a Happy Period.’

Are you f—— kidding me? What I me an is, does any part of yourtiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling,laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Didanything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, didit, James? FYI, unless you’re some kind of sick S&M freak, therewill never be anything ‘happy’ about a day in which you have to jackyourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your housejust so you don’t march down to the local Walgreen’s armed with ahunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap amoronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn’t it make more sense to saysomething that’s actually pertinent, like ‘Put down the Hammer’or ‘Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong’, or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effectiveimmediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I havechosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I willcertainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss yourbrand of condescending bullshit. And that’s a promise I will keep.

Always. . .
Best,

Wendi Aarons

Austin , TX

~MWAH~

My Secret Indulgence....

2008-09-23T13:42:00.001-07:00

I thought it was time to share my favorite indulgence with all of with my sistah’s. Following the rule of simplicity…the secret to Zen-ness is the decadent combination of Truffles and Port. This is utterly the most godlike combination for tranquility. Believe it or not, when it comes to making chocolates at home, these are by far the easiest. And with that said, when it comes to the truffles, I live by the philosophy of “mo’ chocolate, mo’ better” so below I will share my favorite recipe for truffles, followed by a couple inspirational ways to alter this morsel.

The History of Truffles
Chocolate Truffles are a rich and elegant, bite-sized petit four made with a creamy mixture of chocolate, cream, and butter to which various flavorings are added (liqueurs, extracts, nuts, coffee, purees, spices, candied or dried fruits). This mixture is really a Ganache that is rolled into mis-shaped rounds to look like the real truffle fungus that grows around the roots of trees in France and Italy. Piggies usually sniff these out....
Same goes in this case! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Once the truffles are formed they are then rolled in cocoa powder to simulate the 'dirt' that the real truffles grow in. While cocoa powder is the traditional coating, truffles can also be coated in confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, toasted and chopped nuts, tempered chocolate, shredded coconut, or even shaved chocolate.

Now, the taste and quality of the truffle is primarily dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with. Remember not all chocolates are the same. Chocolate begins with the beans from the tropical tree Theobroma which translates to "Food of the Gods". There are three types of cacao beans (Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario) and the type and/or blend of beans, their quality, and where they are grown all contribute to the quality and taste of the chocolate. Other factors affecting taste and quality are how the beans are roasted, how the beans are ground into a mass called chocolate liquor, how much extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor, quality and amount of other ingredients added, and how long the chocolate liquor is conched (processed). A chocolate with a velvety smooth texture will produce a truffle that is velvety smooth. However, the most important point to consider when choosing either a bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate for making your truffles is whether you like the chocolate when eaten out of hand.

Once you have decided on your chocolate, you then need to decide on your choice of alcohol to flavor your truffles and also the coating. The choice is yours but there are a few things to consider. For example, if you want a hazelnut flavored truffle it is a good idea to add Frangelico to the chocolate and cream mixture and then coat them in chopped hazelnuts. Or if you would like your truffles to have a coffee flavor stir about one tablespoon of espresso powder into the hot cream and then add Kahua to the truffle mixture. For fruit flavored truffles use 2 tablespoons of fruit puree or jam (raspberry or blackberry) in place of the alcohol. Orange flavored truffles can be made by adding about 1 tablespoon of orange zest to the hot cream. Let the cream steep for about 10 - 15 minutes and then strain out the zest. Then add Grand Marnier to the truffle mixture. There is also the option to add different flavoring agents other than alcohol. Chai tea can be steeped into the whipping cream & butter, and believe you me….curry powder & cardamom seeds add an amazing flavor when paired with the chocolate. As you can see there are endless variations to the basic truffle so experiment and come up with your own recipes.
Truffles store very well. They can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or frozen for several months. However, truffles are best when served at room temperature.

Thee Recipe
Truffles:
8 ounces (227 grams) milk, dark or white semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons alcohol (Port, Bonny Doon’s Framboise Dessert Wine, Demi-Sec Champagne, Cognac, Brandy, Grand Marnier, Kirsch, Rum, Bourbon, Baily’s Irish Cream, or Kahlua to name a few) (optional)

Different Coatings for Truffles:
Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
Confectioners Sugar (Icing or Powdered)
Toasted and Chopped Nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios)
Toasted Coconut
Shaved Chocolate

Time…4 hours including chilling. It is really easy to drink the remainder of the port in that time frame…I know. But it is essential that one re-corks the nectar to savor with the truffles.

For Truffles: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur. Cover and place in the refrigerator until the truffle mixture is firm (this will take several hours or overnight).

Place your coatings for the truffles on a plate. Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator. With your hands, or else a melon baller or small spoon form the chocolate into round or mis-shaped bite-sized balls. Immediately roll the truffle in the coating and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or tray. Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm.

Now…for the Porto….
What in the World is Port?
The distinctive character of Port does not come only from its method of production. Like that of every great classic wine, it is also born of an association of climate, soil & grape varieties unique in the world. Being fortified, Port is capable of ageing in wood for much longer than most other wines – from two years to many decades, depending on its character and potential. It may mature in cask, vat or bottle - or a combination of these. These differing periods and methods of ageing give rise to a diversity of different styles, each with its own distinctive character and purpose.

Hands down my ultimate favorite…
Taylor 20 Year Old Tawny.
This is what I commonly refer to as the “nectar of the gods”! I had the privilege of working with the distribution agent for this company, and was spoiled senseless with the option of tasting all their ports. Taylor 20 Year Old Tawny is a magnificent and finely-balanced tawny of outstanding richness and complexity. The additional ten years of aging it has on the 10 year tawny produces a fine balance between the rich, raisiny fruit and the nutty, honeyed finish - a taste to linger over. This rare port is traditionally enjoyed as a dessert wine or at the end of the meal, or in my case….whenever I can get my hands on truffles.

I truly hope that this post has inspired a few of you to go outside the norm, and try my favorite pairing. Just don’t call me the next morning, complaining of hair cramps because you didn’t know when to stop!
~MWAH~

Great Cause & Some Amazing Blog Candy!!!!

2008-09-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.....I just got an email today about this incredible woman, Cammie. Click on her blog here to see what this amazing woman is up to!!!! Her grandmother passed away in June from Alzheimer's and with the release of her gorgeous stamp set Whimsical Autumn, she is graciously donating ALL the proceeds to the Alzheimer's Association. Along with this she has reached out to the stamping world and received donations from the most amazing companies to collect come seriously great blog candy to give away to one lucky winner. What a haul some lucky winner is going to recieve!!!!!

All you have to do is read her post here and follow the directions. One of the best parts about it is you get to make a card to send to a caretaker or a person affected with Alzheimer's.

And the best part is it is another one of those feel good type of giveaways.

Here is the card that I made with my new Pocket Silhouette's stamp set from SU.

Halloween Ramblings.....

2008-09-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well...it is just around the corner!!!! I found myself at Wally World the other day to pick up a few things and was astonished to see the entranceway lined with shelves brimming of morsals of sugar!!!! It never ceases to amaze me what they come out with each year to package and sell to the consumers that want to be "the cool people on the block with the cool candy"!!!!
While sifting through mounds of chocolate, a shiny black & orange box caught my eye one row over. As I approached this find, I thought to myself what a brilliant idea!!! Kernels popcorn individually wrapped mini bags of microwave popcorn ~ and are you sitting down...when it pops it pops "orange". Not from the butter inside the package, but from the small amount of food coloring (aka...die) dribbled into each package! Hey, it all can't be good for you!!!
Seeing as I had previously done popcorn wrappers for microwave popcorn and toothfairy tins in my last post...I had an ah-ha moment and thought this will be perfect for the little trick or treaters on Halloween nite!!!! (Not to mention, their mother's may ooooh & ahhhh at the packaging job that I am gonna do over them!!!!) So I guess I will be working diligently on that project for the next month and a half! LOL!!!
Because of my luv of popcorn...this got me thinking about what the worst Halloween candy we got as a kids was. The candy selection has come a long way since I was a little one (braving the cold, sometimes snow covered grounds in our plastic apron style costume that tied over our snowsuits, and not to mention the plastic mask that was sure to crack just below your chin from the bitter cold, and tear away at your lower jaw all night long!!!! Even the costumes are much more plush these days!!!)
So here is my top 10 list of thee worst candy to hand out on Halloween:
10. Mini boxes of Raisins ~ these always seemed to be covered in some wierd form of waxy crud, had to be washed before they were eaten, and let's face it....they were healthy!!! Come on people!! This holiday is about sugar, not spice!!!

09. Apples....after all...fruit is nature's candy! Now I don't know if they were bruised when they got dumped into my bag, but they sure always managed to come out that way. File that one right into the garbage!!! Uck!! P.S., Please see #10 for health concern.

08. Mary Jane Kisses ~ that would be the proper name for those taffy concoctions that are wrapped in the black & orange wrappers. This really has zero flavor to it, and you may just be deemed pathetic if you find yourself actually scrapping the bottom of your sack to eat these droppings. Shame on you people for buying these and passing them off as ligitamit "candy"!!!

07. Circus Peanuts - wow...these may even have less flavor than #8 - take a peanut and cover it in a rough bland shell, put it in a fancy box and call them Circus Peanuts!!! These always had a way of making their way out of their container (maybe it was the expensive packaging process) and into the bottom of sludge in the base of my bag.

06. Dental Floss or Toothbrushes ~ are you lookin to be cleaning hardened on egg yolk off of your front porch screen door on November 1st? I heard toothbrush work really good for getting into the screen netting. Really....how dare you!!!!

05. Double Bubble Bubble Gum...from last year!!! The stuff that you tear open and pop into your mouth, biting down and realizing your back molars just ripped out? Thanks so much for thinking of me!!!! You may as well have thrown in a handful of Chalky Valentine Hearts from February and some leftover Peeps from April! What the hey!!!!

04. Any, and I mean any...banana flavored candy. Laffy taffy, runts, whatever shape or form, this idea was simply WRONG!

03. Juice Boxes....ummmmmm....yah, I really don't have anything to add to that one.

02. Anything Carob - this is simply the wrong. Your 'mocklate' should never have crossed the threshold of your granola eating home into my collection of chocolate treasures. Cardnal rule of Halloween - don't mess with the chocolate....if it is safe for the dog to eat, I don't want it!!!!!

01. Pennies....for real. Look, you are a kid and you already have to lug around a pillowcase full of crap....as if it isn't heavy enough. Pennies are filthy, heavy and they are worth...well, you figure it out!!! That is really just ghetto!

Weekend Projects

2008-08-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

What a busy Saturday Morning I have had....I have had all these fun ideas whirling around upstairs, and finally decided it was time to put them in motion!!!

I saw these online and thought it would be great to recreate them using my personal touch. They are called Tooth Fairy Tins! These will be great as little gifts for all my pregger friends...and those that already have little tikes running about! I bought the Wilton Favor Tin Kit, so I got 30 round tins to do this project. Now, for the hard part....I had to create a template to produce these little suckers!!! Thank goodies for my fine skills in Publisher. It took a little while, but I managed to make 2 separate templates (one in pink & brown for little girls & one in blue & brown for little boys). And then my thought was to share these with others who might like to try their hand at this little project! Here is a photo of what they look like currently, I am still playing with them to give them a little more punch - I am probably going to do more ribbon to the top along the lip! We'll see.

The templates can be found on the RHS under templates.

I also did these cute little Microwave Popcorn Wraps. I used designer paper and a box of 10 mini Kernels popcorn packages....cut the DSP to size, wrapped and once again, created a template for the labels. I believe both the labels above as well as these ones will work with the SU punches. Hope you enjoy using them!!!

The first batch say's "Just Popping By To Say Hi" - a great just because gift!

And the second batch say's "Look Who Is Ready To Pop!!!" - great baby shower take homes for your guests!

The label template is located on RHS under templates! Enjoy!!

I really hope you guys enjoyed these projects, I just can't seem to get enough of altering stuff so hopefully it will keep you coming back for more & more!

~MWAH~

August Class Projects...and a Couple Bonus Ones Too!!!

2008-08-27T20:51:00.001-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers....yes, I know it has been awhile since I have posted!! Tisk tisk on me!!!! Well, I have been busy making all sorts of projects to appease my audience!! MWAHAHAHA!!!

First up, we have a couple projects from the August Sistahood of The Traveling Stampers Class.

This month we used a few NEW STAMPS and some NEW IN COLORS!!!

This card was made using...Inspired By Nature from SU, along with Close to Cocoa & Kiwi Kiss Cardstock....

And this one used Upsy Daisy from SU, along with Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, & Baja Breeze Cardstock...let's just say the girls had fun poppin this card when I introduced them to dimensionals!!!

We also made this adorable mini milk carton using the Pink Pirouette Card Stock, alot of patience with the Scor Pal, and stamped it up with Embrace Life & Taggers Dozen, both from SU! It wasn't the easiest 3D project to build but everyone was "tickled pink" when they completed it!! These are great to fill with little chocolate kisses, or better yet...a cocoa milk bath! See recipe below.

Chocolate Lover's Milk Bath

2 cups powdered milk

1/4 cup cocoa

2 tablespoons cornstarch

optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together all ingredients and place in cello bag, seal & put in mini milk carton.

Now....

I have also been busy constructing a couple projects for some swaps as well as some upcoming just for shits & giggles gifts.

Here is a seed packet that I made for a 3D swap I am in - I used the new Under the Stars set to stamp the skeeter for the background and the bear on the label. The labels & template, I must give credit where credit is due to Katy at http://www.katydidcreations.typepad.com/. They are so fun and cute and allow you to add a little personal touch!! I used Close to Cocoa & Caramel to color in Mr. Bear!!!
And finally....here is my first attempt at an Altered Paint Can! I simply LUV the brown, white & blue color combo on this designer paper - this paper is from A La Carte and is titled Focaccia! When I got to punchin the holes for the handle posts with my SU 1 3/8 " punch, I decided that this paper was just to yummy to waste...so I punched circles with all the leftover paper and POPPED my can!!! The detail is a little difficult to see in the photo but it just gave it some lovely dimension!!! This can is going to be full of chocolate themed yummies that I am going to send to my best friend out in Quebec...I am thinking it should be called "The Kids Finally Went To Bed" Can - so she will be able to put her tootsies up and feast on one of her favorite things....CHOCOLATE!!! I hope she loves it half as much as I loved making it!

Well, that's it for tonight kiddies....hope you enjoyed these projects! I have this exciting idea of mini s'mores kits for next months 3D project so check back soon to see what I can come up with!

~MWAH~

My First Blog Candy Giveaway...and it's a Doozy!!!

2008-08-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Woot Woot Bootybella Sistah’s!!

Since I decided to join the world of bloggers a few months back, I have become sincerely overwhelmed with all the great relationships I have made and all the supportive comments from sistah’s afar!!! I am thrilled to have surpassed my 100 post mark! I really appreciate each and everyone one of you taking the time to stop and drop me a line!

So to celebrate my excitement of Bootybella Designs ~Sticky Walls….I am giving away THREE custom vinyl wall rub ons. That’s right – whatever you want it to say ~ I will make it for you!!! (See “Lookey Lookey What I Made” post!!!!)

Value is approximately $50 CDN per Rub On ~ I will ship outside of Canada so I welcome everyone to post & play!

What do you need to do to win?!
1. Leave a comment to THIS post and a link to your blog ~ tell me one feature on my blog that you enjoy and suggest a feature you would like to see added to my blog!
2. Please be sure to post about this blog candy give away on YOUR blog with my web address. Don't have a blog? That's fine...just please tell me in your post that you don't have one, but how you did share it with someone else.
I will have a number generator pick the 3 lucky winners!!!

Good luck to you all and thank you so very much for your support!! You have no idea how much it's appreciated!!

**THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP UNTIL THE COMMENTS ARE CLOSED AT 12:00 AM (MST) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th, 2008. I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS ON THIS BLOG THE SAME DAY AT 9:00 AM (MST) ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th, 2008(Please scroll down for the newest posts!)

THANK YOU SISTAH’S!! ~ MWAH ~ AND GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Two New SU Promotions!!!

2008-08-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

The first promotion is the NEVER SEEN BEFORE Stamp Set Sale!

This is so exciting because you don't have to purchase a minimum amount before getting a deal! Stampin' Up! is offering never before seen savings on brand new stamp sets in the brand new Catalog! From August 11th through September 30th you get 15% off of the following stamp sets and the promotional price is stated below:
111690 Snow Swirled $25.46
111586 It's a Stretch $24.61
111544 Putt Putt $25.46
111626 Pocket Silhouettes $19.51
111710 Upsy Daisy $19.51
111556 Under the Stars $30.56
111644 Heard from the Heart $22.91
111570 Contempo Alphabet $41.61

Click here for the the full brochure.

The second promotion is a MINATURE STARTER KIT!

There are three kits to choose from - which is awesome if you've wanted the benefits & discounts available to a demonstrator but already had a bunch of the materials in the regular $249 starter kit. There is a kit for stampers, one for scrappers, and one for chic home decor accents. These kits are discounted to $119 and can be purchased online starting August 11th. See the full brochure here. If you are interested in seeing what is in the kits above, the regular starter kit OR if you have wondered what type of discount & commission a demonstrator makes - contact me and I'll send you more information about it.

Introducing The New Fall Winter 2008 Catty!!!

2008-08-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

I am soooo thrilled that the new catty is finally here!!!! It will run from August 11th until January 18th, 2009! This catty is packed with over 200 pages of inspiration and ideas as well as a full supply lists for every project featured in to, making it much more than just a catalogue!

Backed by 20 years of quality, award-winning designs and innovation, I know you’re just going to love our product offering this fall. The stamp sets are cute, and unique and amazing & there are over 20 new Designer Series Papers, 6 new hot In Colors and 5 new punches that are sure to be on everyone's wish lists!!! My list is already busting at the seams and the ideas I have are astounding!!!!!!

If you live in Canada, and you don’t already have a connection with a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator that you buy from, then I’d love to send you your own copy of the Idea Book & Catalogue (Value: approx, $15) for just $5.00. All you have to do is email me at bella013175@hotmail.com with your name, address & phone number and I will get it to you. Or if you are local, in the Calgary region, and you want to get this catty free of charge, just call me & sign up for my Stampers 12 Group!!!

My First Blog Award.....

2008-08-05T10:41:00.001-07:00

Woot woot!!! Thanks to Krista, I just received my very first Blog award!! I met Krista on SCS through a secret sistah swap and have frequented her blog on numerous occasions! I also just won her blog candy!!! This award also comes with rules... I now have to share this with 7 new, beautifully talented ladies as well... Here goes!

Here are the rules:
1. Post the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate 7 other worthy bloggers.
4. Add links to their blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their logs.

So without further ado, here are my picks for exceptional blogs...
1. Chrystal
2. Mel
3. Heather
4. Krystie
5. Angie
6. Julie
7. Amy

These are some amazing ladies with some remarkable talent in my eyes, so make sure to drop by and check them out!!!!!!

Everyone Loves A Winner....

2008-08-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Wow - my weekend just keeps getting better & better!!! Look what I won from my sistah Krista at Perfecting Imperfection!!!

A brand new set of standard circle Nestabilities!!! These are going to work fabulous in my new BIG SHOT!!!! I have always wanted to try the nestabilities, and it looks like I won't have to wait that much longer!!!! Thanks again Krista!!!

Lookey Lookey What I Made....

2008-08-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

OMG!!!! Words cannot begin to express how excited I am! Well, maybe after you read this you will think otherwise!!!

~ I just macked out my laundry room with vinyl ~ a little creativity and some patience (it only took about an hour -not bad for my very first time), and my trusty laptop that holds over 6000 fonts!!!

I am soooooo excited I just want to open up the front door and invite everyone in to see this masterpiece!!! Well, seeing as it is 11:30pm, probably wouldn't be well received!!!!

I am hoping to do custom vinyls in peoples homes...so if you like what you see....email me at bella013175@hotmail.com for a quote!!! There are no boundries with Bootybella Designs!!!

~MWAH~

I Bit The Bullet.....

2008-08-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been a mere 24 hours since the annoucement of the partnership between SU & Sizzix (The Big Shot). I woke up this morning and decided to bite the bullet on this one an purchased myself a beautiful new addition to my scraproom....

This machine is going to rock your socks off!!!!! Ummm...lets see what I can tell you about it:

This machine will apply to a wide variety of crafters!! After researching, this machine is AMAZING!!!!!
The Big Shot works with ALL competitive dies (Cuttlebug, Cuttlekid, Quickutz etc.), and the steel rule dies can cut through an impressive list of 50 different materials including the following:

Brass (.055)
Light weight steel
Aluminum (.016)
Tin (.008)
Aircraft plywood (1/64")
Basswood (1/16")
Balsa (3/32")
Paperwood
Mat board (adhesive or none)
Chipboard
Fabric
Silicone
Foam with chipboard (.1)
Corrugated pad
Adhesive-backed cork
Fine sandpaper (.00)
Strene
Extra thick template plastic
Template plastic
Plastic canvas (7 mesh)
Bubble wrap
Sheet foam
Friendly (jewelry) plastic
100% pure beeswax (cut with parchment paper on top & bottom of beeswax)
Adhesive and non-adhesive rubber
Ruffleboard
Static cling vinyl
Warm & natural batting
Fusible fleece
Quilt batting
Adhesive and non-adhesive flexible magnet
Heat n' shrink plastic
Adhesive and non-adhesive felt
Pop-up sponge
Shiny self-adhesive and non-adhesive paper
Iron-on fabric
Poly foam adhesive and non adhesive
3-D illusionary plastic
Glow in the dark adhesive and non adhesive
Suede paper
Funky fur
Personal Embossing Plastic (PEP)
Shaggy plush felt
Canvas
Vinyl flooring
Shelf lining
Placement
Embossing rubber
Thin leather
Gasket material

And just when you thought that was all it can do…there’s more! Texturz plates enable you to add subtle background images to your cards and layouts. Fiskars Texture Plates will work as well. As will the Cuttlebug embossing folders!! Holy Batman!!! If it would just be able to clean my house once a week – I would REALLY be amazed! LOL!!

You don't need anything extra, just the original white platform and the 2 clear cutting pads that come with the machine. The big shot does not require the use of electricity- just a flat surface, therefore making it very versatile to transport!

You can start ordering the Big Shot and dies through me from Stampin’ Up! on September 2, 2008. Who wouldn't want this machine? Yeah I didn't think you could answer that?!!!!

Email me for a brochure bella013175@hotmail.com

My Anniversary Gift!

2008-08-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Now....I simply have to rave about my DH who bought me the "Sure Cuts Alot" program for my new cricut expressions...for our anniversary of all things!!!!! Sweet! He is simply the greatest!!! Whoever owns a cricut (either the regular or expressions) needs to have this program. It converts any and all fonts & dingbats on your computer to the cricut, and therefore....da da da dahhhhhhh....eliminates all your cartidges (you need to have ONE plugged in - but it doesn't matter which one!!!)!!! I don't know about anyone else....but this just jumped ahead of sliced bread!!! When I loaded it up and did a test drive....I believe I heard the Cricut Angels sing "Haliluja" - too bad Provo Craft didn't get their "stuff" together like they promised. Totally Terrific Todd beat them to the punch!!If anyone wants to purchase this glorious software, click on the box...

Chirp chirp!!!! Thank you DH....you made my scrapbooking life!!!! Oh yeah, he also gave me a pink golfgirl bag!!! What a haul! ~MWAH~

A Sweet Story...

2008-08-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my girlfriend hosted a baby shower for her sister-in-law. I, of course, couldn't let her do this without getting my two cents in and casually asked her what she would be giving away as "thank you gifts"? To make a long story short, I found myself over at her home a couple nights before the event, helping make these gorgeous candy bar wrappers!!! I am so proud of her for having the patience to make these and everyone was thoroughly impressed!!! Great job Lynnie!!! We used some designer paper, the NEW SCALLOP EDGE PUNCH, pink cardstock, scallop circle punch, chocolate chip ribbon & ink, and So Many Scallops Stamp set.

Pretty fabulous if I do say so myself!!!

MWAH!!!

Bootybella's Bella Rose DSP!

2008-08-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

A company after my heart....named after me, (kidding!!)here is a sneak peek of that gorgeous new paper!! One of the things I just love about Stampin' Up! is all our Designer Series Paper. This paper will be available in our new Fall Collection, available August 11. When the new catty is released all of The Sistahood of The Travelling Stampers will be getting their brand new copies...hot off the press! If you would like to join a new group and recieve your catty free of charge, email me at bella013175@hotmail.com!!!

The Sistahood of The Traveling Stampers

2008-08-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful group of sistah's that get together at my house once a week for a class - from here on in, they will be refered to as The Sistahood of The Travelling Stampers!!! Each month we make three projects, two cards & one 3D item!!! This last month we started with a basic 3x3 note card, made with Circle of Friendship....isn't it cute?

Our second card was a fun birthday card in Chocolate Chip & Brocade Blue! We took Eat Cake and stacked our cakes so high for the end result of this yummy card that anyone would be happy to recieve!!!

And finally, our 3D project for July was an Instant Birthday Tin. We took an inexpensive tin and altered it (stamped on satin ribbon with Taggers Dozen, and added a circle of black cardstock to the top, along with more pink satin ribbon along the lip of the tin lid), stuffed with pink tissue, and placed a Little Debbie individually sealed cake, along with a pink birthday candle into the tin - and voila....it's a instant birthday in a tin!!! Luv it!!!

I am eagerly planning our August class where we will be making mini milk containers!!! (With the new In Colors of course!)

Whose The Big Shot Now???

2008-08-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official!!! Stampin’ Up!® is pleased to team up with Sizzix®
to offer you a multipurpose, manual die-cutting system! With the Sizzix Big Shot™ and dies from Stampin’ Up!, you can create multiple die-cut shapes, envelopes, and tags quickly and easily—a significant timesaver for workshop preparation and holiday projects! Use the Bigz™, Originals™, Sizzlits®, and Decorative Strip–sized dies to make personalized cards, scrapbook pages, home décor, and more. The Big Shot machine works with more than 50 materials, including card stock, Designer Series paper, fabric, chipboard, plastic, and more. The Big Shot uses our exclusive Stampin’ Up! dies or Sizzix dies—plus it’s compatible with other dies on the market. This will take the SU family in a whole new direction!!!

Stampin' Up! Demo

2008-07-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow Bootybells.....

Well, I have just noticed that it has been quite some time since my last post!!! No way to run a blog, some might say! Well that my friends, is a changin!!!

I have just joined the ranks of the Stampin' Up Demo's and hope to use this little blogger to share some great ideas with all my scrapbooking sistah's!!!! Seriously though, I joined the company about a month and a half ago, only to find such great customer service and support! That is something that not everyone can toot their horn at! So way to go SU!!!!

I really encourage you to check back regularily for updates on my Stampin Up! business, current specials, and weekly & monthly projects!!!

Right this minute...CONVENTION is happening. I, am not there, but will be sure to be there for next year's!!!! Thanks to some awesome friends that are there, I am being kept in the loop with semi-play-by-plays of the latest and greatest that SU is unveiling!!! It looks like there is alot of loot in the new catty that I can't wait to get my hands on!!! Here is a sneak peak at the new catalog cover!!! Take note of the scalloped edge....Lots of cool new stampsets and embellishments are busting at the binding to get out and into your scraproom!!! So, get out your calendar and GET YOUR WORKSHOP BOOKED NOW! Watch for my new clubs starting in October and get your book FREE!!!

Here is a teaser of the new punches!!!! If you are anything like me - you'll want them all!!!!

There appears to be a curly label punch, an oval label punch, a larger circle punch, and a scalloped square punch. Rumor has it that there, of course in true SU fashion, will be coordinating stamp sets to go along with these necessities!!!!

Martini's Anyone?

2008-04-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I have joined in the land of bloggers....after looking at all of my scrapbooking sistah's blogs....it was clearly the next step!! I thought this would be a great way to show all of my friends & family what I have been up to, so we'll see. My husband has informed me "you know you have to update those things daily don't you?" to which I answered, "Whatever!" So if I am sparatic you will have to forgive me, because I do have a life that may get in the way every now & then. So sit back, relax and pour yourself a martini! Because every bella knows that everything looks better after a martini (or two...or three...but that's my limit...seriously)~MWAH!!!!~