I'm Back...

So...I have been gone awhile.

FIRST, I didn't feel well...AT ALL.

THEN I sliced my finger and had to get 4 stitches.  I can laugh about it now but that night...Ugh.  I was home alone with my 8-year-old, Rick was due to get home in 5 hours but the house was still a mess, dishes not done...you know all those things I intended to get that done right before he gets home.   With no other adult in the house, I had to call my neighbor, Heather, to come take me to the ER and her daughter, Kristen, to please come watch Chase.  Thankfully, Heather is that kind of neighbor and they came right over.  Ryann was at a movie with the boyfriend on her first "date".  Kristen texted Ryann "I'm watching your brother while your mom is at the ER".  You know where this is headed... I get a panicked TEXT from Ryann.  Jeez, you would think the situation would warrant a phone call-her entire generation hates speaking on the phone!

THEN I went to my sister's and saw the amazing P!NK Truth About Love Tour for the second time. The first time we saw her last spring we bought tickets the day of the show and literally sat at the very top of the venue.  Literally, in a folding chair on the edge of the top level.  This time

we saw the show FROM THE FRONT ROW...OMG I cannot even put into words what that experience was like.  She is such an amazing performer but seeing it up close, seeing every facial expression, every dance move...was just perfection.  Karma worked in my favor.... from the last row to the front row.  

The woman has some RIPPED abs.  Why?  Because she does this while she sings

We were so close I actually couldn't get a good photo.  Through the entire show she is LIVE singing while performing circus tricks.  It is insane and yet she sounds AMAZING.

Part of her opening number.

THEN my daughter, Ryann, had her first winter formal and I was busy with shopping for dresses, getting nails done, and thanks to my friend Brandin and the wedding-for-free-hair deal, Ryann had GORGEOUS hair for the dance.

THEN our power went out for 5 days this last week.  Hard to craft when it is 50 degrees in the house and no lights.  After freezing the first night and next afternoon, I packed up the kids and we ended up staying at a hotel for 3 nights.  Rick was...conveniently...flying a FedEx jet all over the country so he missed the fun.

I came home Thursday to power and had to immediately empty the fridge and freezer right into trash bags...

...the only positive that can be had after a power outage...a clean freezer.

Whew... you are all caught up.  Oh, one more thing.  This text is from my 8-year-old Chase.  It still cracks me up.  The picture is Ryann and her boyfriend. It was his first visit to the house and my sister wanted a picture so I told Chase to sneak down and get it.  He grabbed his iPad Mini and snapped this...she never knew.  A month plater he send me this text....

The kid cracks me up.  

Hope your day is filled with Sunshine and GLITTER.

Come back tomorrow for my 12 Tags of 2013 November Edition.

Happy HavaLeen

I have probably blogged about this before but my son always used to call it "Havaleen".  Some of my children's adorable baby-speakisms just never leave my head and "Happy Havaleen" is one of them.  The weather in Michigan is CRAPPY with a capital C.R.A.P.P.Y.  They are predicting a 100% chance of rain (fortunately just regular water and not jellybeans).  The bad new is storms are predicted to  start around 4:00.  Terrific.

I spent a small fortune on candy. We have a really fun neighborhood for trick-or-treating.  The subdivision has a clear border and it is just big enough for a nice big candy haul without being overwhelming.  Lots of moms dress up to hand out candy (hmmm, hmmm I will be a rainbow fairly thingy).  Several families build fires in their little portable outdoor fire pits, round up chairs and sit in their driveway handing out goodies.  A few even hand out alcohol to the parents....a treats all around.   Because we are so much fun.... lots of people drive over just to trick-or-treat here.  Every year someone brings a wagon load of people pulled by a tractor.  I must say, it is pretty fun.  I have tried to take pictures in the past but it is impossible in one frame to really get a feel for just how jubilant and busy the neighborhood gets.

Lots of trick-or-treaters means I bought a ton of candy (running out is just not an option).  If the storm is bad and trick-or-treating is a bust, I will have 1000's of little candies in my house.  That is NEVER a good thing.  I can't even send them to work with the husband- he flies for FedEx so it would be him and the Captain eating the 1000's of candies.  Better him than me I guess but still....

As I worked on the October tag for the 12 Tags of 2013, I was trying to find something to fit in within the frame.  I thought I had the small pumpkin Tim used-come to find out, I don't-but as I was going through all my dies I found the Mini Scary Jack-O-Lantern (the face) and the mustache from Mini Mustache and Pointed Finger and I HAD to try it.  

I die cut the pumpkin from Grungeboard using Alterations Pumpkin Jack and painted it using Ripe Persimmon Distress Paint.  In the photos it looks like the Grungeboard is peeking through the paint but it is actually Black Soot Distress Ink that I used to edge the pumpkin.  The face holes are backed with glitter paper to mimic candlelight- who am I kidding, it is just an excuse for adding GLITTER.  

For the mustache (also Grungeboard), I applied Glossy Accents and Black Soot Distress Glitter.   I attached the mustache using hot glue only in the very center.  This allowed me to bend the ends to give it some dimension. The stem was glittered using Glossy Accents, Shabby Shutters and Brushed Corduroy Distress Glitters. I simply used a pinch of glitter at a time, sprinkling them over the area unit it was covered.  More hot glue was use to attach the stem to the pumpkin.  

It has been a long time since I used a patterned paper for a tag background but this paper is just so gorgeous and lends a vintage vibe to the piece.  As usual, I edged the tag with Black Soot Distress  Ink before using foam tape to attach Jack.  Embellishments were kept to a minimum so as not to distract from the whimsical Jack.  I added an Idea-ology Ring Fastener to the tag and attached an Idea-ology Jump Ring and Idea-ology Halloween Muse Token.  Idea-olgy Mirrored Stars were glued on with Glossy Accents and I dyed white seam binding using Ripe Persimmon Distress Stain.  That's it.  

Happy Havaleen.  Hope yours is drier than mine looks to be!

Witches Shoes Tag

Every Witch needs a great pair of boots and a fancy gold broom.  

The boots were cut from Grungeboard using the Alterations Ice Skate die. 

I snipped off the skates and painted the remaining boots with a generous coat of Black Soot Distress Crackle paint.  After that dried I covered the entire thing with Black Soot Distress Ink using a Blending Tool to brighten the color.  The heel was made glossy by adding Glossy Accents.

I added alternating purple and green mini eyelets along the edge and added Black Tinsel Twine for the lacings.  I attached the boots to the card using hot glue and foam tape.

The broom was made using part of a bamboo barbecue skewer, washi tape and gold tinsel.  I often use tinsel in my projects.  Simple pull apart a tinsel garland and hot glue pieces to the stick until it was full and looked like a broom.  THen I hot the tinsel with the heat gun to make it curl.  Not all tinsel reacts this way so practice first. 

Hope your Halloween is filled with Sunshine and GLITTER.