Just a post for fun

Well... spring is in full force around these parts! This means wedding season is in full force, so i'm busy busy with my makeup artistry business, my kids are chomping at the bit all the time to go outside, my husband is busy working more and more and my poor craft time gets neglected.

*sigh* I will get all of my ducks in a row one of these days, right?

I have had some pretty fun jobs this month aside from the weddings (which I do truly love to do!) including a Charter Media/Ford/Nascar commerical and a Heros Among Us story for People Weekly. Fun times!

So unfortunately, with the recent PMS sale and busy with work, I havent had as much time to craft this month. BUT, i did take these pictures this past sunday! We had a family fun day outside in the water. :D Ok, so the boys played in the water and I just took pictures!!!

Gabe discovers the puddle

Gabe discovers the FUN of the puddle

And now both the boys discover the puddle...

Who can get there first?! And can you tell them apart?

Jack gets his turn...

The boys play in the hose to get cleaned off before getting muddy again

Our silly dog that likes to eat the water

And that concludes our fun day in the sun!

Now i actually do have a card for tomorrow.. so be sure to check back in! :D

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sorry for the lack of posts!

Man what a WEEK i've had! Just as i think i can catch up from being sick, my computer DIES! AGAIN! Clearly there is something wrong that is making my harddrives fail. Failed harddrives are not an uncommon problem with macbook laptops. My hubby thinks it's because i have too many programs open at one time. Well... i have to multitask! In any case, i'm so sorry for the lack of posts! The sad thing is i have things to show you and just havent been able to get them posted! I finally told my hubby something had to give. I NEEDED to get online. I run an online company for pete's sake!

So, i've taken over my hubby's computer (he still has his laptop, i havent left him totally without!)

Bear with me as i get caught up from all this mess! I still dont have all my programs and that KILLS me! So much for wrking on my makeup site! *sigh*

Be sure to check back in tomorrow... i do have not 1 but 2 cards for 2 of the most fun challenges i've done in awhile! Yeah, you know you are excited to find out!

Here's a tip... the song you are giggling to about now... well it's part of it!

But since i'm getting ready to type up some scheduled posts, i cant schedule the music too. :D Wait, maybe i can. Eh, this is more fun. It gives you a reason to come back in the morning!

Have a wonderful evening!

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My CHA blast of a trip!

Ok, so i promised photos and things from CHA... and then the MTME release was happening and then the PMS release was happening and whew, i'm just finally getting around to it! Some of these pictures are "borrowed" from others but they are all of my trip. :D It was SO much fun and i definitely cant wait for the next one!

Here is me with my basic expression for the entire trip... a big goofy grin on my face!

Let's start at the beginning....

Ginger and I began the long drive first to my parents and then got up at 5 am to drive to chicago from indiana. We arrived on the very last day of the vendor show (not the smartest move, we missed all the swag giveaways!) and were told to head straight to the Provocraft booth because they had the most giveaways, etc.

We stood there, got as many raffle tickets as we could and didnt win a thing. And lost lots of valuable time that we SHOULD have looked at other things. Live and learn, right?

This is when i saw Kimmie Reid! That was fun!!! I've known kimmie online for awhile, but it was fun to introduce her to ginger who is a HUGE fan.

This picture is actually from the last day, but our first picture was blurry and this one is much cuter. :D

Then i got my first moment of feeling über special.... i'm just walking... i I hear, is that Katie Cotton?! What... someone RECOGNIZED me?! Are you kidding? I spin around and it was the wonderful Jessica Diedrich! And she was with Sara Henton!

At that moment, i decided THIS was why i came to CHA. The new stuff is cool. The giveaways are fun when you can get them. The shopping is well... SHOPPING, but actually meeting the people you feel you've known for years.... priceless!

Also at the vendor show i got to meet this wonderful lady!

Realize my ASTONISHMENT when she knew WHO I WAS?! This is Debbie Olson. And when i said my name, she said and you're from Greenville South Carolina! My jaw dropped to the FLOOR! Turns out that she is from south carolina originally so she has always associated it with my blog.

I also got to meet Marianne Walker of Copic Stardom!

I have followed Marianne's blog since my first site of copics almost 3 years ago. LOVE her work!

Then after the vendor show closed, we got to meet up with our roomies! These pictures were actually taken on day 2 when i was suffering from the worst headache i've ever had! They couldnt have wanted to take pictures when i was a little perkier? hahaha!

I finally got to meet up with one of my design team members, Maria. I love this girl! She is just as sweet if not more so than i expected her to be!

In this picture is Ginger, our new friend Jen and myself... I loved meeting this girl and finding a new friend!

Here's another shot of meeting lots of new peeps and meeting some i've "known" for years! What fun this night was!!!

This is mostly the unity and ippity gang... plus a few extras (um, like myself, but many of them i felt like i've known for years) the group grew and grew! My standout from this shot is my new friend Pinky! Um, can you pick her out of the crowd? HAHAH! This girl rocks and oooooozies creativity!

Ok... onto day 2... the first day of the Super Show!

More meeting up with friends... Here's a picture of Marti and I

So marti and i totally did NOT recognize each other! BWAHAHA. We were chatting away about Viva Decor pens and then i said my name and she said OMG, katie, it's Marti! And we both had head smacking moments! I missed Suzanne Dean by THIIIIS much she said and i was totally bummed i never got to meet up with her since we are on the Copic Creations design team today and i just love her. :(

Here i met up with Cammie King, another blog i've followed for quite some time. She knew who i was too. Again... feeling quite special!

These gals I've known since i hopelessly followed them around when i discovered Unity.

It's Maren, Jimmi and I.

I totally wish this pictures didnt turn out blurry.

Man i need to figure out my camera phone settings!

Let's start day 2...

Here's Ginger and I doing a hopelessly fabulous make n take. We decided to revisit about the 6th grade making shirts at camp! We also did a heinously fabulous glitter card! I may just have to post it tomorrow! I'm telling you, it's faaaaaaaaabulous!

Here is Shermaine Smith and I...

I've known shermaine since back in the day as well but i was really happy to sit, chat and get to know this wonderful gal better!

Ok... i love this woman!

This is Angela, owner of Unity Stamp Company, which i'm sure you already knew.

Once upon a time i was a hopeless Unity ADDICT. Ok, i still am, i really need to pull out some unity that i havent had as much time to use lately! Angela has always been so wonderful since I started my own stamp company and has offered the best advice. I'm so glad i got to meet her in person!

So this concludes the photos i have of my trip! I met so many other people that I dont have pictures of. it was a wonderful trip! I'm SO glad i went!!!!!

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A peek into my world... and a friends new blog!

Hey peeps! Nothing crafty to share with you today, BUT a friend of mine from WAAAAAAY back (i'm talking we went to school together from kindergarten thru 8th grade, and we still keep in touch!) started a new blog called CovetLiving. Its all about Coveting the Life you Live.

LOVE IT! The blog is just starting up but i love the design of it and both Steph (my friend) and Karrie (who i know, but not well) are both such fun and amazing women with fantastic energy, this blog is bound to be a good read! So if you are interested in such blogs.... check out

CovetLiving

Now one of the first entries is titled Goodwill Hunting... all about being a recessionista in these crazy times. Love that word! If you scroll down a bit in the post you'll read about finding mismatched frames. I love that picture of the frames behind the bed! I might have to do that too! Karrie did this as well in her recessionista version painting all of the frames black. I love the clean feeling it gives. Here's the thing for our house... it doesnt match our more rugged aesthetic. BUT i do have a slightly different version, leaving a lot of the frames mismatched. But i did do some modifcation to many of them... check out the wall we found boring recently in our living room...

My wall isnt very extreme with pictures... but thats because it's just begun!

My pictures are also mostly in color with a few black and whites. However my friend Jess in LA has her place completely done over in black and white and I love that look too!

There are truly 101 possibilities!

For the most part, our frames are all black. Either because thats the way we got them, or because I made them that way. Dont get a can of black spray paint near me, i go nuts!

There are just a few exceptions to add some color

Yes i know this picture is blurry, but my 4 year old has since "stolen" my camera from when i just took these pictures and is taking pictures of random things all over the house.

This picture is one of my favorites on the wall. It's from when i was pregnant with Gabe and Jack and I were hanging out on the bed during a belly photo session with Jen Rogers Photography. This frame was also a wedding gift and was sadly not in use, so put to use it went!

Here's another favorite. Now i do love that picture of the hubs and I but i LOVE this frame too!

This was a cheap pick up by my hubby from Big Lots.

Then there are the "modified" frames.

This was just one of those super cheapies from Ikea. Plain wood... nothing special. I just painted crackle paint on it and let that set for about 15 minutes (needs less time when you don't paint the first coat) and then painted black acrylic paint over it. Easy peasy! I actually did this to about 3 frames on the wall. You can also use a different color underneath before you paint the crackle if you want a different color popping thru.

And now to show some of the super fun frames! The more personality/meaning the better!

This frame i've had since no joke... the 8th grade! My BF since the womb (the one in the photos with me) put it together for me. And i've kept it. Now since not only it shows some pretty hilarious pictures and is a fun green color, it's actually meant to be a table top frame for it sticks out slightly from the wall. but i think it's fun that way!

This frame back did in school. Hence the not quite perfect paint job. The picture was taken in school as well and then it was wrapped and given to me as a present from jack. So cute huh!

It's definitely a one of a kind frame on the wall!

Last but notleast... is the artwork in the middle. It's a print by Brian Andreas. I LOVE this artist! I have given many of his prints as gifts. If you havent heard of him, check out www.storypeople.com.

He is an artist, writer and well you just have to check it out!

So thats a peek into my world. :D Have a wonderful day!

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It's a beautiful day!

A beautiful day in so many ways!

First, it is literally just gorgeous outside! Bright, sunny, warm with a light breeze.

Perfect!

Then I had a date this afternoon... with my 4 year old. He chose to go to sonic.

We ordered our hot dogs, tots and slushies and proceeded to just chat and eat in the car.

He says to me, "Mama, i never knew eating in the car could be so much fun!"

Perfect!

Some members of the PMS design team are getting the recognition

that they definitely deserve!

Randee's sprout silouette card made the front page of Splitcoast's Facebook Page and the Makeup for the Weekend post with Christi, Lisa, Gabby, Tina and Dawn's cards made the Best of the Blogosphere post on www.cardoftheweek.com!

Perfect!

And after some more playing outside with the family, i come inside and check out some of my daily blog visits and i see that my sweet, awesome and talented friend, Gabby, has given me a blog award!

Perfect!

And now i get to honor 10 more peeps who deserve this award!

PERFECT!

and then i realize... only 10?! I can pick only 10?!?!?!

ok, that part is not so perfect! Seriously!

Ok, so with a bit of a heavy heart of not picking EVERYONE and i'm not picking any of the PMS design team since i cant pick them all, but please feel free to check them out too!

here's 10 people i totally *heart*

1. Ginny

2. Elaine

3. Tracey

4. Pam

5. Kristie

6. Anita

7. Tracey (different one!)

8. Dawn

9. Jessica

10. Jessica (yep, a different one!)

And now... i think the fam is going out for ice cream!

PERFECT!!!!!

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Dreaming of a new craft room

So i'm coming to terms with the fact that I am not going to be getting my hubby's office across from the dining room (which is more affectionately known in our home as PMS land).

My craft room, while it's a very large room, it's not used to it's best abilities.

On top of that, I want one of those craft room that pops up on blogs worldwide as the room that everyone wants to have! One of these days i WILL have that room!

For now, i'm in planning mode. We wont financially we able to outfit a new room until the summer. So, for now, i'm weeding thru the excess, re-organizing, selling off the things i don't need and am PLANNING!

See, the tricky part of my room is the slanted ceilings which makes for short walls. There are only certain places some furniture will fit. Since I would ideally like to move "PMS land" also upstairs so that everything is in one place, i have some major planning to do!

Here is a slideshow of roughly my craft room looks now. I've gotten rid of the bed which gives me a lot more space to play with.

My biggest things i'm wanting to do it.... PAINT, goodness i want to paint!

Get all things of 1 type in the same places. All tools together. All embellies together. All paper... all ribbon... you get the idea. :)

I need a new table. No more plastic folding table please? It's not cute. It's doesnt stamp well.

More things need to be put AWAY and not as easy to get into. As much as i love the idea of having my own room that is my own personal space without little sticky fingers... it's not going to happen. SO, i need some storage solutions!

And then the biggest one, is having everything be cohesive! I'm not saying everything needs to be totally matchy matchy ... but i'd like for them to look like they belong in the same room!

SO - show me your craft rooms! Give me ideas! I'll even feature them here on the blog! You can all take my crafty journey with me!

Let's DO it!

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phew... what a day!

Sorry nothing crafty to post today. The classes i taught today were lots of fun! 12 Ladies (2 of which took both classes, love ya Angela and Karen!)

Then when i got home my 3 year old announced to me that now we got to go fishing!!!! He was so excited. So we all piled in the truck and went to a nearby lake to fish for a bit. To my son's disappointment we only caught 1 fish and it was a prickly fish so he didnt get to hold it. Imagine a 3 year old telling you all this with a big *sigh*. So sad. haha. Then we went out to dinner... (i totally heart golden corral! is that bad?!) and i came home and finished taking pictures of the pile of stamps i gathered to sell to good and loving homes! They are now all up on the Feeding the Habit blog . Most everything is at LEAST half off the retail price if not more, and most of it is barely used if used. I have so many unused stamps it's ridiculous!

Ok, tomorrow i am really going to try hard to make something crafty to get up here, i promise! :)

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tickled and peeved

Ok... so i'm both thrilled that i'm figuring it out and peeved that i worked all day on figuring out how to create my own blog backgrounds and i have quite mastered it yet. But i'm starting to understand. What i cant figure out is my my sizing is all stretched and off. Why isnt the background that i've created just the background for the blog? Why does so much of it hang off and leave other parts too large?

Does anyone know the answer to this that can help me? I have the main image 14.5 x 11 at 100. Uploaded to photobucket at 1 megabyte. I just cant figure out why it's all stretched out. But now it's 12:30 am, and i'm exhausted and just too tired to think anymore. And i spent all of my crafting time this afternoon working on this. I want it to be so much more, but i still have a lot of learning to do. *sigh*.

So it's both fun and frustrating! I think tomorrow i'll have to take a break from it and do some crafting that i actually know how to do! :)

But other than the fact that it seems a little bit distorted... what do you think??

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Whew - what a week!

Ok, so i feel like a total schmuck for not posting at all really this past week. But it's been a busy week at least! My in laws came to visit... Paper Makeup Stamps has a release (today actually - but i had to get all the preorders out), there were some new whole sale orders (yippiee) and i had lost my camera... found it... then lost it again. Sheesh.

So nothing to post except for the promise of lots of cards very very soon! I've been coloring images here and there as a stress reliever!!! So now all i have to do is turn them into cards. And also photograph the 2 cards i've had done since last week. Yes, it's definitely been a busy busy week!

But there is a release today over at Paper Makeup Stamps with new stamps and new product on the website. Yes this is a totally shameless plug here. But i'm doing it anyway. Dont hate me. :)

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i did it!

Totally random post... but i did it! The crazy wedding i was doing hair and makeup for today is over! It's done! And i got everyone ready on time! (for those that dont know about this crazy wedding i had today... there were 12 bridesmaids.... yes, not 1, not 2.... 12! That is not a typo you see!) So everyone got done... the bride looked fantastic! Everyone was super pleased. The baby was good all day (he went to a wonderful lady's house that goes to my church). And i treated myself to a double quarter pounder from McD's! Now my feet are thhhhhhhhrrroooooooobbing! But all it well and i'm done! No more work until next friday. Oh, and i have to clean out kit because it's now a disaster! We opted not to go to the christmas parade tonight so i think i'm going to try to get a coupla card challenges done for Paper Craft Planet! :) Go ME!

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Happy Thanksgiving

Brace yourself folks... this is going to be a long post. I have a lot to be thankful for! :)


I am so thankful for my hubby who thinks i'm the best at everything and i have to remind that there are better crafter's in the world since he wants me to sell everything i make! :) He thinks i'm beautiful when i don't, he thinks i'm crafty when i've lost my mojo, he thinks i'm a good mom when i'm frustrated, he thinks i'm not being paid enough and that i'm over qualified when i think i'm lucky to find a job, he thinks the world of me and i think the world of him. :)


I'm so thankful for my kiddos! Having kids rocks. I love having a family.

I'm thankful for all of our family and friends that make living worth while!

I'm thankful for my "online friends" Being a stay at home mom can get a little lonely. It's nice to have friends there at all times of the day (and night).

I'm thankful for my blog and all of it's followers! I'm still amazed that anyone is really all that interested in what i have to say and make. I have people for all over the place tune into my blog and everytime i get a comment i get a big giddy smile.


I'm thankful for my craft room finally starting to come together! I love having a place of my own. There is still some i want to do to it, but it's clean and organized so thats a great start! FYI - click on the above picture and you can see a slideshow of my craft room!

I'm thankful for all these stamp and crafting companies being so generous and giving during this current economic recession!

I'm so thankful that i'm where i'm at in my life. There are things i miss from my past, but i really couldnt trade in all that i have now for anything!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

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