yet another snow day and more snow pics!

Yup, we got hit again last night. Woke up to several more inches of the fluffy white stuff. It's getting deep now! We had some really strong winds last night and dh and I got out of bed around 1:30AM to watch the snow whip around, it was quite the sight, something we've not seen before. Heck, I haven't seen this much snow other than the few times I have been up in the mountains. If I had to take a guess, I'd say we have at least 15-18" if not more. As you can see it's up to our dog Angel's belly. It didn't stop her from havinf her fun in the snow though. ;) We're due for another 3" tonight/early tomorrow morning and another pretty heavy storm this weekend which they are saying could be similar to what we had last weekend which dumped 14" in many areas. WOW! The news reported tonight that this is the 4th biggest Jan. snow month in recorded history in Spokane. For sure!

Kenny put his foot down this morning and took the Expedition so I wouldn't get out and drive in this mess. He knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't have stayed home. And since I can't drive his truck with my cast, I was stuck. I did debate calling a cab, but decided against it. heehee. I really hated to miss Physical Therapy, but sometimes things just happen that are out of our control. Sigh. I just want to keep moving forward and missing a day will set me back. :(

We took advantage of the snow day yesterday though. I took the kids to Mission Park to sled yesterday for a few hours, and they had a blast! The runs were steep and icy and perfect for sledding! I got some pretty good pics, but it wasn't easy to get around. I then took them to Pizza for lunch and to visit Kenny at work. We stopped by the park again after lunch, but it was pretty busy so we went home. When Kenny got home we took them back for some night sledding. It was awesome! The kids tried some stepper slopes and had a super time! It was really cold, but we stayed from 6-8PM. It wasn't too busy and it was such fun to watch them. I was REALLY tempted to go down myself, but decided against it. I am so bummed that I am out of commission this year.

This is the card I made for the Di Hickman Jan. #5 sketch. I wanted to try something more masculine and simple. I like how it turned out.

I am working on my first DT project for MyAcrylicAlbums. I am really excited but nervous since this will be my first mini-album ever. I hope I do it justice. We shall soon see! Be sure to check out the contest for your chance to win a $25 gc to the MyAcrylicAlbum store!

Take care!

CMK Feb. kit reveal and a few snow pics

Here "she" is in all "her" glory! February CMK Kit. It's a slide show so be sure to watch the entire thing. ;) To see some of the DT work scroll down and bit and watch the slide show for a few of the projects. The rest of the projects will be posted by Feb. 1st, so be sure to check back to see how the designers used this gorgeous kit!

Today is another snow day. This is the second time this week. Yesterday the Middle Schools and High Schools closed an hour early so the buses could be on time for the elementary kids. I picked up all 4 of the older kids and it was pretty fun bouncing them around on the roads. lol!
I might take the kids sledding today. Get them out to play and run off some of their energy. We're due for another 5" or snow tonight and through tomorrow morning and then some more each day. I am loving it, but not many others are. ha!

I took these pics yesterday, a few while driving around (one is above) and the others are from our yard. They aren't that great, but it's not easy to hobble around on crutches in this stuff. It's so much deeper than it looks.

Have a great day!

wanna chance to win some Pink Paislee? (and other stuff)

Hey all! Rebecca is giving away an 'Office Lingo Collection' tomorrow. All you need to do is visit the blog and leave a comment about it and how you heard about Pink Paislee . It's simple and easy, so head on over there asap! http://pinkpaislee.com/blog/?p=17#comment-432 Good luck!

Today was a snow day for us, the first in 15 years in this area. We had over 14" fall during the weekend and are expected to have another 5" at least by this time tomorrow. WOWEE!!! I am loving it. It's really crunchy though and hard to get around in though. The roads were icky, but people were driving smart and slow. Not too bad.

Here's the last challenge layout I did over at Scrap-Diner. I even won a prize, but I am not sure what it is yet. lol! I was just happy to scrap 8 layouts that I like that I wouldn't have otherwise completed. AND I dug into my stash and used some of my favorite papers I have been hoarding (Fancy Pants Designs). So a big huge shout out to the girls over at the Diner! You Rock!!!

Have a warm and safe week!

{PINK PAISLEE}

I have been meaning to link this up for days, but I have been such a slacker. ;) If you haven't heard of Pink Paislee, you will soon! Rebecca and Holly are debuting this brand new company at CHA in a little less than two weeks. There will be 2 gorgeous paper lines, several stamps (some of them are smaller versions of the cute Pink.Sugar.Pop. stamps that Pink Paislee absorbed), alphas, cool paper shapes, and fun die cuts. The colors are fabulous!!! I am so proud of them and excited for this debut!!! There's nothing better than seeing someone have a dream and make it come true! I wish I could be there in person, but I'll be there in spirit. Here's the blog link, the site isn't quite up yet: http://pinkpaislee.com/blog/ Check out the fun layouts and great sneak peeks! I am eager to get my hands on some of this yumminess!!!

We had some decent snowfall today. Officially at the Spokane Airport we picked up 11.2" (there's more but this is what I heard a few hours ago) and even more in the outlying areas. It's really heavy and wet and compact. The streets are a slushy mess, but it's really pretty! I haven't ever seen this much snowfall in such a short time and there is at least 8"+ on the way for the next few days. The snowflakes were huge and they just fell hard and heavy all through the day. The kids aren't excited about having to walk to school in it and I am not all that eager to drive to Physical Therapy tomorrow morning either. But, thankfully life goes on and things keep moving.

some Scrap-Diner challenge layouts

I for one can't believe it's Saturday night already! Where did the week go? Skye and Ashlyn were home sick all week and I had PT, but that seems to be all I did and can't figure where the time went. Crazy!
Today I took the kids to Wal Mart just as it started to snow. Everyone else in town must have had the same idea because it was busier than I have ever seen it before. Yikes! We got in and out as quickly as we could. The cool things was that it was snowing really hard and just in the 45 minutes we were in there we got about an inch of snow and by the time it stopped a few hours later we had almost 4 new inches. Yahoo!!! There's a few more inches due to roll in early in the morning, too.
Then I came home and scrapped 3 layouts. Not too shabby. I still have one more layout to created to complete all 8 challenges over at Scrap-Diner, and I hope I can get to that tomorrow. I should be able to.
I hope you are having a great weekend!

scrappy time!

I am on a roll! I knocked out 3 layouts, 2 cards and an altered project with the Feb. CMK kit (pics to come in a few days). I created my card for the Di Hickman Jan. #4 sketch. (can you tell I have been listening to High School Musical? heehee. As soon as I saw this paper that song came into my pea brain and it's been "stuck" there since). I completed my last Jan. project for Heart In Hand Scraps using one of Chrys' gorgeous class projects (which I have been itching to do and I love how it turned out). And I have even completed 2 of the challenges over at Scrap-Diner for the Challenge Blast-a-Thon they are hosting from the 18th-27th. I still have some catching up to do to be current on the challenges, but I wanted to get as many done as I could. I just love it when I am on a great scrappy groove. I sure hope my mojo sticks around.

I splurged a little today and bought a MM Carousel from Scrap-Diner. I have been wanting one and I decided today was the day to take the plunge. I also picked up a few other things... just a few... ;) some Ggrungeboard (which I think is very cool, and I hope I am not intimidated by it) and some Doodlebug Sugar Coated cs and one of the kits. It's going to be a happy mail day sometime next week. *yay* And what was even better is that Sher called (the owner of Scrap-Diner) and we had a wonderful conversation. She's so fun and nice and I am thankful that I stumbled upon her site. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. It's got a great family feel. The gallery is fabulous, the boards are friendly, the store has plenty of great stuff, and the customer service rocks!

Other than that, today was pretty laid back. Skye and Ashlyn were both home sick and even laying in their beds they found plenty to argue about. *roll eyes* I just don't know where they think of all the little things to irritate each other with. At least when they get along they get along well. Those are good days, even though they are few and far between. Skye will go back to school tomorrow and Ashlyn will be home with me again since she's got a 102.9' temp. Hopefully it will be down tomorrow and not spike like it usually does.

This week is half over already. It sure is going by quickly. :) Have a good one!

Oh My Gosh!!!!

I am in shock!!!! I was selected to be a DT member for My Acrylic Albums!!! *clapping* I totally didn't expect this and when Kara told me that I got a phone call saying I was on the team and I thought she was kidding at first, but then I realized she couldn't joke about something she knows nothing about. I think it's good that I wasn't able to talk to Kris because I would have screamed in here ear! :)

Here are the other girls on the team. I "know" a few of them and am looking forward to getting to know the others. (and YAY to my girl Tina who is the Alternate member!!!)

• Kris Mazy Fullmer from AZ
  
• Cathy LaHay from IL
  
• Marci Knecht from IL
  
• Molly Peckman from HI
  
• Raechelle Bellus from WA
  
• Tanisha Long from NJ
• Sunny Kohler from UT
• Erin Gudge from OR
  
• alternate member Tina Albertson from IN

This month sure has been full of great excitement and opportunities for me and I feel so blessed! I know I've said it before, but I had a feeling this was going to be a year of change for me and so far it has been. WOW! I still can't believe my luck!

Speaking of change, etc. I have had my word of the year picked out for some time now, but I haven't gotten around to posting it yet. I chose Illuminate
–verb (used with object)

1.	to supply or brighten with light; light up.

2.	to make lucid or clear; throw light on (a subject).

3.	to decorate with lights, as in celebration.

4.	to enlighten, as with knowledge.

5.	to make resplendent or illustrious: A smile illuminated her face.

6.

to decorate (a manuscript, book, etc.) with colors and gold or silver, as was often done in the Middle Ages. This word came to me after my surgery when I started to feel brighter. Like the light within me started to illuminate once again. I am SO stinkin' excited about this too! I had a $30 off coupon I have been holding onto since mid-December for PSE 6 and today I went to Costco and bought it! I am determined to learn digi stuff this year, even if it's just editing. Kara is excited too. I think she may even be more excited that I am! That's all for now. My stupid computer is still pmsing and I can't get any pics to upload. Grrr... I want a new computer soon! Happy Monday!

Create My Keepsake February Kit Sneak Peek

Here it is, the sneak peek of the stunning Feb. CMK kit. This kit is packed with wonderful goodness! (taken from the CMK blog): This kit has a gorgeous hint of vintage with an extra side of pure class! With red, ivory, and black at center stage and hints of olive and baby blue woven throughout, the February kit is definitely something to write home about. And wait until you see beyond the paper…the perfect embellishments to add a final touch.

I have dug in and created 2 layouts so far and working on some more. The kit team has been working hard too and I can't wait to see what they have done with this kit! :)

We woke up to about 4" of snow today and a crisp cool air. It was so pretty. There was a brisk wind that was whipping the snow around and it was fun to watch the wind carry the snow up into the air and set it gently back on the ground. Angel didn't mind, but Charlie sure did. He was shivering as he was eating. I attempted to get the dogs some fresh water that wasn't frozen, however I spilled it right in front of the door and within minutes it was a sheet of ice. Real fun. I was planning to go outside and take some pics of the kids sledding down the ramp/hill they made about 10 days ago, but since I created a sheet of ice I was stuck inside. At least the kids had fun.

It's going to be a chilly week (as you can see above). The temps are actually pretty warm for this time of year. It's really not too bad as long as there is no wind. I used to dislike the cold temps, but I find that I prefer them now. I know I freeze my family out because even in these temps I have the kitchen window cracked open about an inch all the time, and the master bathroom window cracked. Sometimes I even open the back door for a few minutes to allow the cool refreshing air in. There's just something invigorating about it! My lungs feel so clean and fresh with each deep breath.

I was hoping to upload some other pics, but my computer is pmsing yet again. *sigh*

Have a great week!

This is VERY cool!!!!

Angela, the owner of Unity Stamp Company, has come up with an amazing idea and created a brilliant product for stampers! Check it out here. The bottom of the handle is "OPEN" to fit the stamps that are mounted on our inserts, AND you flip the handle OVER so that you can use the acrylic side with unmounted stamps.
UNITING wood and acrylic!
I am sooo excited about this! *clapping*

I have been seeing so many sneak peeks of new product ready to roll out after CHA. So many FUN things! I know I will be ordering up a storm. :)

Today was nice. Kenny and I took Skye to the mall to meet her friends and while we were there we ate a yummy lunch at Ivars. We both had Halibut and caesar salads with clam chowder. While we were eating we watched big snowflakes fall from the sky. It was great! We then went to Wal Mart to stock up and then to Michael's. Then it was time to pick Skye up from the mall and Meghan from work. Nothing overly exciting, but for once we decided not to take the kids with us so that was a treat in itself. lol! No "can I have this?" or "I need this." over and over and over.

I am off to work on my at home PT stuff. 3 times a day, although there have been a few times I have only done it twice (usually the 3 days a week I have PT because I get a full 90+ minute workout and I am really achy by the end of the night) but I am making huge progress. Yesterday was the first day I was able to get my foot flat on the ground! Yahoo!!! Now I won't be doing a lot of walking right now since it puts a lot of pressure on my knee, but it does mean that things should really start to progress as I gain strength. My ankle area tires easily and it's still achy all the time due to everything straining and stretching and starting to work again, but it's a good pain because I know it's the healing kind. I'll try to upload another pic tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

several Unity Stamp Co. projects

I have been busy creating with the great stamps from Unity Stamp Co. and here are the rest of what I have created for the first batch. I tried to create a variety of styles and keep some things more simple than others, and overall I like most of them. lol! The girls on the team are amazing! You should check out their blogs and see what they've been up to! (the links are on the Unity Stamp Co. blog)

My ankle is getting SO MUCH better! Yahoo! Today is 4 weeks since surgery and I can finally see that there is an ankle there. lol! There is still a good deal of swelling but each day gets better than the last. The bruising is almost gone too. My physical therapist is amazed at my progress and he wishes all his patients worked as hard as I do. He said he can see the change in my face and just in my general well being. I know it's there because I feel it too! I feel happy all the time now and it's wonderful!

I got the gorgeous Feb. CMK kit today and I am hoping to dive into it tonight and play. I need to find some pics and then I'll be good to go. :)

Have a good one!
Rae

a new card sketch

Here's my card for Di Hickman's Jan. #3 card sketch. It was a fun sketch and the other girls created such beautiful cards! Be sure to check them out. :)

Today is Skylar's 12th Birthday. Gosh, I just can't believe she's 12. Time sure flies. She's such a sweetheart and is always (well usually ;)) full of sunshine and has a huge smile on her face to brighten your day. She's becoming such a wonderful young lady in every aspect of her being. She's radiant and she glows and you can't help but be drawn to her. I love you baby!

Here are a few pics of the snow from a week ago. We had 9" in the morning, but much of it melted later that afternoon and throughout the week. We still have some in our backyard, but not enough to matter.
Charlie is getting big and he's such a cutie pie and overall a really good dog! He and Angel love the snow and play out in it for hours.

I am off to spend some time with Skye and wait for Kenny and Nathan to get home so we can cut into her scrumptious layered chocolate fudge cake. Yummmm.

it's Monday again

It just seemed like we had a Monday and here it is again. *sigh* Time goes by so quickly. Today is Kenny's (my dh) 42nd birthday! After physical therapy I went to Taco del Mar and picked up some fish tacos for him and then to the bakery to get him a mini blackberry cheesecake and surprised him with them at work. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful late morning! A perfect day to celebrate a birthday.

Here are two layouts I created: the apple picking is using sketch #39 from Valerie Salmon (CMK is focusing on her awesome sketches this month). Be sure to check out the January Got Sketch? contest over at CMK!

The birthday princess page is creating using a cute flower set from Unity Stamp Co. stamps. Cute stuff I tell ya!

We had a pretty low-key weekend. Saturday morning I scrapped a bit and then watched most of the Seahawaks/Packers game. Yikes! That was sad to watch. As much as I wanted the Hawks to win, I just didn't think they would. It's OK though, they still rock! I am already looking forward to next season. heehee
Yesterday we went out to Borders books to use a gc we received as a Christmas gift, then to Target and to Hobby World where Kenny bought some track pieces for his new slot car track he's working on. We stopped by the grocery store to pick up Skye's prescription and some milk. After that we came home and Kenny worked on his track while I did some laundry and read. Kenny, Skye and myself went to TGIFriday's for dinner to celebrate their birthdays (Skye's in on Wed.) . We had a nice meal and nice time. We then came home and I vegged a bit on the computer, mostly submitting to some calls and then created my Monday Muse layout for CMK. It was a nice day to get out, and really the first big outing I've had since surgery about 3.5 weeks ago.

Happy Monday!

Unity Stamp Co. projects

I received my great stamps from Unity Stamp Co. on Thursday and spent some time playing with one of the sets. These stamps are large, many of them are 3.5"x5". New designs are being posted on the blog every few days and I have seen numerous designs that the other DT members have received and there truly is a stamp set out there for everyone!

Today the Seahawks play Green Bay. Go Hawks!!! I have been watching almost every football game lately and plan the spend the weekend scrapping and watching the playoff games. I would also like to see the Patriots win today.

Happy Saturday!

One of my Jan. projects for Heart In Hands Scraps

Ok, is it wrong to be thrilled with how something turned out, because I am loving how these little ornaments turned out! :) These were created using Chrys' Christmas Ornaments class over at Heart In Hand Scraps. It's a great class and you aren't restricted to using a Christmas theme. Check it out as well as the other super classes that the fantastic designers have posted. You won't be sorry!

I had PT today, and I must confess that I was pretty nervous about going. The last time I went to pt was Nov. 21st and it was always painful for me. I was worried that the ultrasound would be uncomfortable and painful as it always has been in the past and that I would walk out in pain, which I didn't want since yesterday was the first mostly pain free day I've had in months and months, and today was starting out pain free too. Thankfully he didn't use the ultrasound. He decided that it will wait until next week so the area around my incision has another week to heal. Much to my surprise (well, my determination to move forward helped a bit ;)) I even made some progress today. Minute as it was, I was able to tolerate some stretching, light foot massage, strength exercises and some light floor weight-bearing WITHOUT any severe pain!!! It was amazing! Even my therapist was amazed. He didn't think I would be able to handle any of it with the way things were in the past. Now I won't be running marathons anytime soon, but I might be able to get my foot to a 90' angle in a few days which is progress. Maybe by the end of next week I will be able to run through all the sets of my at-home exercises without tiring out. That would be another huge accomplishment. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. The last thing I want to do is fall back. ;)

Today was testament that surgery was the right option. Today tackled my biggest fear. I will heal and not have to deal with this pain any longer. It's been 2.5 years since I have been struggling with this issue (first dropping the TV on my foot in Aug. of '05 and then before that fully healed, spraining my ankle back in May of '07) and it's been a long road full of many ups and downs, self-doubt and plenty of stress. I had tests and x-rays and MRI's and nothing ever showed up, so we all just figured it would pass someday. I am a slow healer, as I have learned through this process. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and when I hurt, it's not because it's something little. I always figured if I can have natural childbirth then everything else is cake. Not so true. There are worse pains that aren't rewarded by a sweet new life to make it worth it. Fortunately we (myself and the dr.) hit the dead end and the only option left was surgery, even though there was no guarantee that she would find anything. I am tough and determined to keep pushing forward and this was the direction. There isn't any lingering doubt in my mind now. If anyone has dealt with a long-lasting injury you are well aware of how mentally and physically draining it can be. Today was a huge step forward. Both physically and mentally. I can start closing all the doors behind me instead of having to leave them open because I would needed them when I fell back. I feel "new". Invigorated and refreshed. I feel better than I have in so long... and it feels wonderful.

Well enough about that. I didn't scrap today, but that's OK. Tomorrow is a new day. :)