Sites of the week

*****SECOND POST! Please scroll down to see my MFT Teaser post!*****

Ok, I am going to start off this post by saying that sometimes what is in your head does not always translate onto paper just as you imagined it. Case in point below.

This might have something to do with Nic waking up a few times a night. Long winded translation: Baby cries in the middle of the night. Mom and Dad try to let him cry it out, but cries increase. One of us goes to check on him. He is crying in his sleep. Turn on sound machine and put the plug pacifier in. Repeat 2-3x per night until feeding at about 5:30 or 6. Lay back down for a little while and attempt to get the least amount of shut eye before the day has to begin.

Dear God, if this is your form of a joke. Haha! Ok, enough already!

On the note of babies… One of Tony’s college buds’ wife is delivering on Thursday. Being that I am so on top of it and prepare everything in advance {those who **know** me have fallen out of their seats laughing}, I have this card done and ready to go.

Before you look at it, remember what I said up at the top. Some things in my heads don’t translate onto paper! LOL! Actually, I don’t think this card is bad, I just wish that I hadn’t gone so overboard with the polka dot embossing folder. Let’s not focus on that though. Focus on the die cuts, which is what this TCP Tuesday is all about!! Amy Rohl {my muse for this line of buttons} is your Hipster Hostess with the Mostess and she is issuing the challenge of using your brand spankin’ new TCP die cuts to create something fabulous.

I used the new Buttons CutUps to create the string/border/line of buttons going on here. I love that this die comes with FIVE sizes of buttons, making it easy to mix, match and layer. In addition to this die, there are 2 other dies that were recently released. Amy, as well as many of the Cat Packers have some great samples to show off using these. Want to play along with us for a chance to win some serious Cat Cash {moolah to spend on TCP goodies}? Find out all the deets HERE on Amy’s blog! Good luck and happy stamping cutting!

PSST…25% off SALE going on at The Cat’s Pajamas site RIGHT NOW!!

EDIT: The alpha used is COOLVETICA from TCP. It’s my ALL TIME FAVORITE alpha and the “Welcome Baby” sentiment is from the new baby set, And Baby Makes…

I’ve mentioned it a couple of times here and on Facebook {where you can become a fan of SFYTT **wink**} that I have experimented with sugar cookies and royal/corn syrup icing. I’ve done a few awfully ugly batches, but the cookie gods were with me for the ones I made for Ellie’s party.

I packaged these in cello bags with a purple satin bow. They turned out real cute!

These are cupcake toppers that were on her cupcakes. The purple is cut from sparkly American Crafts paper on the Cricut, the green from Nesties, yellow was punched out. The “4″ was stamped with my favorite alpha set of all time…Coolvetica from TCP.

Alright gals, gotta run. Have a good day!!

No need to adjust your screen; you are in the right place!! Different look, same ol’ me! Thanks to Sara for fixing me up with this great new design! I wanted a new streamlined design and Sara nailed it. You’ll notice all my contact, Sketch For You to Try {with Facebook link} and Design Team information is all over there on the left. I cut out a lot of links and blinkies. I am going to be working on a separate page with additional links and such, but my sidebar will be all the needed info.

Onto some craftiness…

Remember those fun flowers I made from fabric? HERE is a link in case your rememberer isn’t remembering.

I decided to make them into some fancy footwear. Whatcha think?

These are my faves! I love the denim…you could pair it with just about anything and make it cute!…

Last year I grew a person. This year…frogs. TWELVE of them. I was told that there would be a bit of a mortality rate. ONE died, so there was a DOZEN flippin’ frogs in my house before Operation Frog Drop {taking them to the pond}. Here’s a few pics of the life cycle, less the very beginning and end…LOL!

I have LOTS of stamped projects sitting on my desk, but none that I can show until next week…ahhhh! I can only say that I think that it will be worth the wait. Until then I just have a little of this and a little of that.

First, if you are interested in winning a $30 VERVE STAMPS gift certificate, be sure to check out this past week’s SFYTT post HERE.

IMPRESS RUBBER STAMPS is holding a fun contest with a sweet prize HERE.

TCP Tuesday is being hosted by none other than the {in}famous Alma HERE. Break out those colored pencils!!

I’ve found a couple of fun sites to peruse and I would love to share them with you…

Bake at 350
Attempting Creative
Joy’s Hope
Tatertots and Jello

I found these as I was looking for cookies and cupcake recipes and just kept clicking along…you know how that goes!!

Last week I got to cooking some sweets. I did {another} trial run of some royal iced cookies. The cookies turned out great, but my icing skills need some serious work. Oh, if I could only make my cookies like the Bake at 350 chick!!! I just have to think that when I started stamping, those projects kinda sucked, too! Practice, practice {eat the practice} and more practice! I did make some DE-LISH Neopolitan Cupcakes…

I found THIS recipe and modified it by using strawberry cake mix and then topped it with Vanilla icing. There are tons of possible flavor combos with this recipe! I think I may have to experiment and personally take responsibility of ruining all of Tony’s co-worker’s diets since I won’t keep these in my house!

In addition to cooking yummies for the big kids in this house, I have been making my own baby food, too. I got a new blender {the Ninja} and love how it works for baby food. Even though I could just mash up an avocado, I put it the Ninja and froze them for Nic’s food cubes . I thought this looked “interesting” enough to share…

Anyone else make their own baby food? I did this with Ellie, too. I really enjoy doing it and I’d love hear of any stories, ideas or helpful sites, etc.

I took some pictures of the kiddos recently, too. Here are a few of my favorites…

The look on Nic’s face makes me giggle…

Finally, here are a couple of solo pics of my babies…

Ellie, who celebrates her 4th birthday next week…

Whenever I am out and about with Nic I get the comments:
1. “Look at those cheeks!”
2. “Well, he sure hasn’t missed a meal has he!?” {BTW…I think this is kinda rude to say to someone that you don’t know! ~Especially since he is no where near being fat or even a real big baby.}
3. Ohhhhh…those eyes!
4. He’s so…pretty! LOL!

As you have probably read from her blog, Susan’s husband, Eric, is currently undergoing treatment for a very aggressive form of lymphoma. Through this battle, my BFF has always found a way to make lemonade out of the crappy lemons life has been handing her and her family lately. I admire her strength to smile on days that I know are filled with rain clouds. Eric is strong and is making it through the treatments one day at a time. There have definitely been some setbacks with adverse reactions {meaning kidney function, fevers, and complete loss of appetite} and needed transfusions. And, the reality of it is that the bills are adding up and Eric is out of sick time at work. This is where you can help!

My Favorite Things, Verve Stamps and The Cat’s Pajamas are having a benefit sale Friday through Sunday (EDIT) with 10% off your purchase and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Liles’ family. You can support them and get stamps…win, win!!

OR

There is a DONATE button on the side of her blog. You can read more about it on THIS post that her sister and friend wrote. If you have any questions in regards to this, please contact Sheila {a longtime friend of Susan’s} at sheila@remember4faith.com

Tonight I am bringing them some BBQ chicken, pasta salad and sliced strawberries to hopefully ease the day to day stuff that goes on with or without cancer knocking at your door. I hope you can my friend, too!

PS-I love what Alma wrote on her blog about our friend. You can read her post HERE.