Sorry Abby

So apparently I spelled my nieces name wrong - how funny - or not!!!! Sorry Abby - auntie Stacey loves you!!! :)

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MY MIDDLE NAME?

Here are the rules: 1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers. 2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name). 3. After you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers. 4. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details.)

Miss my family
Artsy
Romantic
Interesting
Excited about Scrapbooking

I tag Jodi, Denise, Jayne, Stacey & Rachel

STUFF!!!

At this exact moment I don't really have too much to say - but I will post some thoughts later.....but thought I'd post some of my recent creations.


Card from a Card Sketch done by Stacey Lokovik at Feeling Scrappy



Ok I lied I do have a few things to say!!!!

1) I think almost everything at Star Hitched Wagon is on sale - some stuff marked down to 80% off - crazy good!!!
Like these earring below - 50% off - makes them $10.00 - see crazy - that's sterling silver and freshwater pearls. Yeah I know! CRAZY GOOD!!!!

You really have to check it out!

2) Cropper Bowl this weekend at Feeling Scrappy - you gotta come check it out - so fun!!! Last time I got a TON done.


3)
Next month the Bead Trends Magazine should come out - I think! I am supposed to be in their March/April issue - don't they usually "release" the month before? I am so excited to actually see MY STUFF in print!! WOW!!!! I have to say I am a bit nervous too - not sure why - but I am. But mostly just so excited!!!!

4)
This amazing kid contacted me about donating for his upcoming fundraiser and I thought it was a great cause - maybe you do to. You should check him out. I say way to go Spencer!!!


Ok that is it.....I gues I had a lot to say!

New Goal

Trek To The Top

Yeah - I think I may be nuts. Steve asked if I would like to register for this crazy event!!! His place of employment has a team and will pay for our registration fees. So I said what the heck. I started running stairs yesterday just to get used to climbing stairs - it's insanely hard and this is 40 flights up up up - 870 steps. My stairs at home are 15 steps - I ran up and down them yesterday for 10 minutes and did 465 steps up and 465 steps down - but I don't know what it will be like to go up 870 steps without stopping. Maybe a little insane. And I registered under the competitive category - what????? I don't want to walk them - I want to "trot" them - does that word work here???? I think so...anyways...stay tuned - hopefully I arrive at the top of the 40 flights of stairs that wonderful February morning!

I'm Missing Family

And you can see why:

A year in the life - week 3

The word was Blue - so here is my take. I like it. It's a good reminder for me - a huge reminder for me - this card has a lot of meaning. I mean really what do I have to be blue about - it's so easy to sink when you focus on the bad - but when you focus on the good - it's really hard to be blue.

Some More Valentine's

So I thought these turned out pretty cute - I made these real quick with a formica sample (the bigger ones you can get)and some fun valentines themed papers and goodies - I tied them to my pretty green chairs. They look so cool!!!

Slacking on doing challenges

OK so I have been bad......I haven't done the blog challenges at O Scrappy Day like I had promised myself. So consider this catching up. This post will have the #2 & #3 challenges.

#2 - This is copied from Suzanne's blog - Focus on JUST the first half hour of your waking day. Write a blog entry describing it in depth. Include details such as what time you wake up and what your mood is generally. Are you usually well rested? Do you use an alarm clock to wake? If so, is it set to music or buzzing? Use lots of descriptive words!

I wake up to a rather annoying alarm - that really makes me cranky!!! I quickly jump out of bed to hit the snooze button so I can get that additional 8 minutes of sleep. Which - come on - it really isn't sleep - it's just putting off the inevitable. I then go downstairs to get my cup of coffee - oh this is my favorite part of the morning - my cup of coffee that is already made because my Steve is a giver (as he always says). With coffee in hand I march back up the stairs to start the wake up process - Macey is already up almost done getting ready (thank you Macey) - but the boys - oh the boys are monsters - hiding under their covers - whining about how tired they are. I rub their backs explaining how I know they are tired that I am tired too but it's time to wake up and start the day. Then I go get in the bath tub - yes I have time in the morning to take a quick bath - I insist on it. Then I get out and if the boys aren't up - I start yelling about how it's time to get up - if they don't get up right now they are going to be late for school. And so the battle begins.


#3 This is copied from Suzanne's blog - Rant and rave! What holiday drives you nuts? Think of a holiday people fuss over. Write about loving and/or disliking that holiday.


I am going to be totally positive here - I love Valentine's Day (I really love all holidays - even with the annoying stuff). I love the color's - the pinks and reds. The planning and making of the valentine's that the kids will pass out on the big day. Hearts galore - I love hearts - who doesn't love hearts. This year has a new addition - my dear Connor who is only 9 (10 before Valentine's Day) has asked if he can buy his "girlfriend" a special valentine and I said yes. WHAT????? Are we there already - so sweet. So I am looking forward to being there when he picks out that special little valentine. I look forward to dinner out with the kids and Steve on Valentine's night - don't feel right about leaving the kids out - they are all my special Valentine's so we should all go out together. So there you have it - why I love Valentine's and some sappy thoughts to leave you:



True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach

Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
~Author Unknown

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning

Some new layouts

Just a few of the layouts and 1 card that I have done this year. I am happy to say that in 2008 I have completed 11 layouts, 2 cards, 2 year in the life cards, and 1 altered item.

Project Studio - almost complete

So I am really loving my new studio. Steve and our friend Itchy put together my new bookcase for me this past weekend. I LOVE IT!!!! It's perfect - it looks great and holds tons!

I have been watching the little red suitcases at Hobby Lobby and they went on sale - $4.00 each - I got all that they had left - which was 4.

I had also been watching the milk bottles and tool caddy at Gordman's - so I finally picked those up - I am loving their "functions" - they are working perfectly and look so good.


Got lots of red boxes all on clearance at Gordmans's too - so I can finally break things up and store them together (although I still am working on that).

Loving this huge jar from Target - so cool with it's fun red lid - holds tons of ribbon (alhtough I think I need one more). Like the cool body - my little sister did this for me - looks great up here!! and the fun little jars from World Market - they hold paper clips, mini clothespins, and......one's empty for now.

Put the step shelf on top of the table to give me more storage and to get the TV up a bit so I could see it better while scrappin. Steve made the step for me for Star Hitched Wagon products for shows - they aren't being used right now so this one has a new job. And it has a perfect amount of space for my cricut.

Funny - this chair looks so beautiful in the studio. I stole it from our living room. It's twin and matching ottoman are still in the living room. This one didn't get used much it mostly just filled empty space. So I moved the other chair and end table to fill up more space so it doesn't look bare - it works and now my studio looks so beautiful!! Now I have a comfy reading chair (or TV watching chair).

Notice the bare space on the wall above the chair - this is where a Jamie Stoltz original will be going. My sister is an artist - although she constantly says she is not crafty. She is working on a beautiful canvas - a nudish silhouette type piece - in the red-ish black colors. She gave me a sneak peak over Christmas - it is going to me fantastic. I can't wait to hang it.
The next things will be to get a new desk (Trestle desk from Target), a new computer desk (corner desk from JCPenney) and a new desk for Xander/Steve (Trestle desk from Target). Needs a bit of art and some framed pictures on the walls. But a few things at a time. In time it will all be done. So far I am LOVING it.

Thanks to Stacey - she listed me as one of 10 blogs that give her some inspiration (or that she likes). :) Thank you Stacey - it's so nice to know people read my blog!!! :)
So now it's my turn to return the favor. Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!
So here it goes:
1) Only a Stones Throw Away
2) A Bit East
3) Here By Grace
4) Live and Learn
5) Random Thoughts
6) Bethany
7) One Little Word
8) Jessica Claire Gossip
9) Hand to Paper
10) Tammy Tutterow

Project Studio

So Project Studio....took the couch out and moved it to the sitting room and now I have a lot more room to work with. I have been whining to Steve about how much I want the studio to be beautiful and very well organized. I haven't done anything to it - I just stuck pictures on the nails that were here before we moved in and there is no rhyme or reason.....I want some shelving with jars for my ribbon, a new desk that is bigger than the one I have - maybe even a table - something bigger......and I need more paper storage so I can sort mine better and something to store and organize my scraps and embellishments....and...and...and - you see the trend. And I also need some art work on the walls. I want to frame the black and whites from photography class - think those will be a great addition - oh and I want to paint the walls - the colors theme will be brown/beige, red and green based on bedding I saw at Pottery Barn.

Project Sitting Room

OK so project Sitting Room - I added some furniture took some out and this is where I am at. I am planning on hanging the old door/window above the couch with a layout in each space - the layouts are done. To view them see Slacking...sorry
I need something in front of the window - maybe a chair and small ottoman or a bench..... And I need something on the wall beneath the stairs maybe a set of old suitcases stacked as a little table.......Oh and a print above the table between the sconces....
What do you think - I need some advice!!!!

Score!!

How cute is this coat??? I really needed/wanted a new dressier coat that I could wear with dresses, slacks, jeans, etc....that wasn't fleece. But I just couldn't bring myself to buy one before Christmas because I knew they would all go on sale after the holidays and boy was I right!!! I got this baby plus another one in black and they were each only $24.99 - can you believe it? $24.99 - regular price $120.00. That is my deal of the century. I was so excited I had to call my mom. Yes I am a dork but I am a very pleased dork with not just one new coat but two and for under sixty bucks!!!! YEAH me!!!

P.S. I went to the mall to shop for Steve not me - so what a bonus.

Soon to be Published

So back in October I discovered a website for a jewelry magazine called Bead Trends. So I looked at the publication calls and thought what the heck - so I submitted 6 pieces of jewelry. I just did it - and didn't put too much thought into it after it was done. To be very honest I thought it was a long shot - which is silly but that's a whole other personal battle. Anyways...2 1/2 weeks later I recieved notice that they would like to publish 4 of the 6 pieces that I submitted. Can you belive it???? Little ole me?!?! Published in the March/April 2008 issue of Bead Trends magazine!!!! I say HOORAY!!!
I will remind everyone when the magazine comes out - then you can make sure you get your hands on the issue. I will then post the pieces on here - once they have been released back to me! :)

My walls

I have decided to do another weekly challenge - a blog challenge - to keep things fresh! Suzanne at O' Scrappy Day is the brains behind this one (she is doing the other weekly challenge at Feeling Scrappy too)
Here is her challenge:
Look at the wall hangings on your walls. (family portraits excluded) Post a photo of your favorite one and write about it on your blog. Where did you get it? Why do you love it?

Here is mine:

I purchased it off of Art.com with a gift certificate from my mom and dad. I love it cause it's so darn funky and I love pasta - it's the Italian in me.

New table and chairs

Steve's mom Suzy gave us this beautiful table and chair set plus matching serving table for a house warming gift this summer. We finally were able to bring it home!!! Isn't it beautiful? It is in my dining room - our dining room has pretty much been empty since we moved in - I just can't see spending money on a formal dining room. We just aren't formal dining room people. I wanted to turn this room into a sitting room - now it's transformation is starting - this piece will be the inspiration!!!

Thank you very much Suzy - we love it.

Tagged!!!

I've been tagged by Jayne:
2 favorite scrapbook topics: Our little Curry Family, the rest of the families
2 best places I've been to: Flathead and almost anywhere else in Western Montana.
2 things I do everyday: Go on-line and kiss one of my children
2 things everyone knows about me: I love to scrapbook and I live in Omaha. (I totally used Jayne's answer :))
2 places I wish to visit: Italy and Maine
2 things you may not know about me are: I have two tattoos and I married my highschool sweetheart
2 favorite foods are: Pasta and cheese
I'm going to tag Jodi and Becca Not sure if they will play along but it would be fun! Thanks girlies!

A Year in the Life of....

ME!!!
I've decided to do a year long challenge at Feeling Scrappy called a Year in the Life. It's a weekly challenge - a small card (no bigger than 5 x 7) she prompts us with a word and we do whatever we want. Mine are an odd size - 3 x 5 1/2. I decide to put them in a little chipboard journal that I had not used yet - I altered the cover - very cute - anyways it only has so many pages - so to fit them all in - I have to do two per page which means 3 x 5 1/2. (in case you really care) :)
How fun it is going to be - to be able to look back at how I thought in the year 2008. I think this is something I will do every year from here on out.
This is my week 1 card - the word was Resolve. What comes to mine when you hear this word?

This quote is such a perfect perfect life statement. It is a HUGE thing to live by - but what a wonderful statement. I have been wanting to get a third tattoo for some time - a life statement - no more moons - just a thought to live by. And I think this is it!

Christmas recap

So Christmas was wonderful - maybe a bit too much expectation to create the perfect moment - but in all it's imperfection it was perfect. I adore being with my family and all the chaos that comes with it.


We have a large family - parents, sisters and brothers and brother and sister in laws, nieces and nephews, Grandma, lots of aunts and uncles and cousins and I love to get to spend time with them. We didn't get to see everyone over the holidays but I am so happy about being with those who were in MC.


Jodi and Brady hosted an awesome Christmas Eve - their house looked so beautiful and the food was ultra yummy - the cheese plate might have been my favorite.


Christmas morning was exciting as ever!!! And moms rolls were yummy! We were all spoiled and recieved some fantastic gifts. Jamie, Pat and Sydney got me an awesome rolling scrapbook bag - a huge one - I am so excited! It is fabulously pink and brown! YEAH!! Jodi, Brady and the girls got me two awesome movie packs - my favorites - the 80's brat pack and too cool for school pack - 6 movies in all with a music cd - so fun!!!

Mom and Dad got me beautiful red footed mugs - exactly what I had been wanting and a $75.00 scrappin gift certificate. WOW! Macey got me Goonies and Family Stone - mmmmm.....my favorites. Suzy got me two pairs of pjs - her tradition - so fun - and they are wonderful. Steve filled my stocking to the brim with such fun gifts - I love love love opening stocking gifts. My favorites were the three fabulous pairs of smart wool socks. He is sooooo good. Connor and Xander gave us adorable picture ornaments that we will cherish each year!!! Ok not that you all wanted to know every gift I got but I am so excited I just have to share. Like I said SPOILED!!! Every gift had such thought behind it - every single gift!!! Thank you everyone - you are all so very thoughtful.
The kids got fun gifts: guitar hero three for the Wii,

Spider Man Monopoly, Disney Scene it, Catch Phrase Music Edition, Clue for 1. Xander got lots of legos that he busies himself with constantly.

Santa brought the boys ds lites and Macey a Fox coat that she has been wanting for sooo long. And Steve got lots of running related gifts.
So I know Christmas isn't about the material things I really do. But I am amazed at the thoughtfulness that everyone puts into giving.
Christmas Day dinner was hosted by mom and dad. The food was so yummy - and there was a TON!!!
We had fun playing Guitar Hero,


scattergories, uno spin and catch phrase music addition.
Maggie was he-lar-i-ous with her ET stories. She is facinated with ET - mom and dad had a copy that she fell in love with so Santa brought her own copy - man was she excited. Her ET impersonation had us all in stitches. What a ham.

Abby is a wonderful model - she was so willing to let me take pictures of her. She has such a beautiful smile - so natural never cheesy.
Just like her mom - very photogenic.

And her dads pretty handsome too

Megan was at mom and dads a lot which is always fun. The kids all love her. Macey and her spent most of their time driving around (Macey thanks you Megan) and playing guitar hero - man they were entranced!!!

Macey was excited to have Ivy come visit from Sheridan. They has a great time together. Their friendship in an amazing thing. Very unique - very special - they are very lucky!!!

I was really excited I got to see Carrie Ann and Will - friends that I haven't seen in a long time.
Yes Christmas was wonderful!!! I loved sitting around visiting, drinking coffee - just taking it easy. No agenda - love the slower pace of being back in Montana. I really do. I really hope your holiday was as blessed as ours!