It's My Half Birthday!!

Hello everyone~

Well today I am 6 months old!
Yup, it's my Half Birthday!
Mommy says she can't believe I am 6 months old now.
She keeps saying I'm growing too fast.

Last week I moved up to my own room....she cried.
I had been next to her in the cradle that my Papa made when she was born, but it was getting too small, so I'm now in my big boy crib and loving it.
Besides, my Daddy is coming home this week and I think he would keep me awake. (He's been gone for a long time on a big ship!)

Mommy found me once in the middle of the night giggling...
I was awake and watching my aquarium in my crib, it's like my own TV I tell ya! It plays music, lights up, bubbles and the fish move....and I know how to turn it on!!
She came up and turned me around...and turned it off.
I went back to sleep. But each morning, when I wake up and she's in the shower, I turn it on and babble away.

I'm rolling all over the place now. Mommy says I need bumpers.
Sometimes I end up half under the couch! and I even take my toys with me. They end up all over the place.

Since I'm 6 months old, she even started feeding me in my highchair! I'm not too sure about this event, but I'm catching on. The food tends to come out easier...out of my mouth that is. I think its something called gravity, but Mommy scoops it back in so that I can grow to be big and strong some day.

I've been eating fruit and cereal for a while but she gave me juice yesterday for the first time and WOWZA! that stuff is good. I can even hold my juice bottle all by myself, if I'm laying down.
Where has she been hiding this???

But, I wanted to let you all celebrate with me. I'm decked out in my Red Sox gear today....the outfit is a 12 month and I'm only 6 months, but it won't fit for too much longer...I'm already growing so big! Must be the bananas! The hat fits just right, aren't I adorable? Go ahead, you can admit it :)

Love to all,
Garrett

Gratefully Remembered

Memorial Day

A day set aside each year in remembrance of all those that died for the freedom we enjoy. Never forget.

My hubby is currently in the USNavy and deployed on a ship (coming home soon!!), both our fathers served in the Navy as well, and of course there were Uncles/Cousins that served. My two nephews are in the military now...one in the Marines and one in the National Guard. I'm proud of all of them.


I made this card this morning using a January sketch from Mojo Monday (see the blinkie on my sidebar), I love having some place to go to get a sketch to get me started. SCS does sketches too, it's great!!

The yellow ribbon is a retired color from SU, I had colored the stamped ribbon coming down from the flag, and it got me thinking about this placing the ribbon there, to go along with the sketch.

This DSP is also retired, but it has stars all over it, so I thought it would be a perfect touch.

I stamped the image twice, then I water colored the image of the soldier and cut him out so that I could layer him over the whole image and make it pop. I was temped to use the new Navy cami colors, they are shades of blue, but I went traditional instead....maybe next time.

Set: The Free & The Brave, Small Script
Accessories: Western Sky DSP, Whisper White, Ruby Red & Not Quite Navy cardstocks, Aqua Painters w/Ink Pads, Maize Grosgrain, Rain Dots, Cutter Kit, Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Sponge

Hubby sent me an email this morning with a few comics on it, I thought you might enjoy these two. With all the Idol stuff from this past week, the first one really caught my eye.

Strength

One of the blog rolls that I belong to, Ocean's 11, does a challenge...just about weekly. Well, this past week the challenge was to make a card with either scripture or a quote on it. And while these aren't Stampin' UP! stamps that I used, they seemed to jump out at me for this one.

My mom has been through a lot over the past 21 months, since my dad passed, and I know that she wouldn't have been able to get through this hard time without the strength of our Lord. She also leans on us, which I'm so happy that she does, but God is really her strength.

So, I thought of her while making this card and I will send it off to her this week.

This card is crisp and clean....I usually sponge my edges and I had a hard time holding back, but I really felt like it needed to stay crisp instead of that shabby chic look.

I searched through some sketches over at SCS and chose this one #SC215, I really thought the layout would be great for what I had in mind for the card.

This was my third take on the lion. I just couldn't seem to get the colors right, but I think I hit it on the head with this one. He's a beauty!! I'm a cat lover, large and small....and he's really something.

I received an order this past week, and while most of it was supply things (paper, glue dots etc) I did get a few fun things in as well, and these buttons were one of them. These are the Buttons Latte, I also got the Button Bouquet in as well....might as well get both while I was at it. I love the design and variety with these. And when I pulled out this DP, it went so well together! I believe this was paper from SAB this year.

Have a great week!!

Stamps: Lion:D-410 PSX, Verse: 343G Biblical Impressions
Accessories: Delicate Dots DP, Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Certainly Celery & Whisper White cardstock, StazOn, SU Inks w/Aqua Painter & Water, Button Latte, Tag Corner Punch, Paper Piercer, Certainly Celery Twill

Baby Jars...not just for baby anymore

Now that my little guy is eating fruits, I thought I would take advantage of it and use the jars for my own personal crafting use. I remember my dad using the jars in his workshop. There are still countless jars in his workshop to this day.

These are the smallest of the jars, so I didn't have much room to work with and decided to keep it simple. You know all those things that you buy at the craft stores that come in bags instead of containers?? Well, this is perfect for storing them!!

I hadn't even thought of decorating a jar since the Starbuck jar rage a couple years ago!!

I used some retired DP, my punches and some ribbon. I think they are kinda cute! And just see how much easier these rhinestones will be to access!!

I am displaying these, along with my Primas and Stickles on a shelf that my dad made my mom many moons ago. She had a collection of glass ornaments, that I only vaguely remember...which ended up broken over the years, so the shelf became mine. At first I was displaying cards etc on it, but this is a much better use. I'm always reorganizing my craft space :)

Accessories: Sarah DP, Apricot Appeal, Brocade Blue & Certainly Celery cardstock, Apricot, Celery & Bluebird (retired) grosgrain ribbon, Primas, Stickles, Eyelet Border Punch and 1 3/8" circle punch.

Prison Break

Any other fans out there?

It never fails. I get into a series and it ends.

I was only introduced to Prison Break 2 seasons ago when I was back home after my Dad passed. It was one of the shows Mom was watching, so I started watching it with her and I was hooked. I've yet to go back to season 1 & 2 to see how it all began, but I have plans to do that.

Anyway, I watched the 2 hour finale last night and it was all going so well. I knew it was ending, so that wasn't a surprise....and when they all were exonerated and went off to their lives, I was happy...then they show 4 years later....they should've warned me that I'd need Kleenex! Yes, seeing Michael's nose bleed on the beach and Sarah start crying, I knew it wasn't a good sign. But, seeing the dates....I don't think he even saw his son being born. How sad. Yup, I was crying like a baby...and actually holding my baby at the same time. He must've thought I lost it. But, luckily a baby won't remember that his mother was crying like one, lol.

I guess I don't have much else to say about it, but I've felt the nagging feeling to post about it all day. So, if you're a fan....give a shout out.

And for all my stamping buddies....I'm working on a couple things and I hope to post them in the very near future :)

Mother's Day Continued.....

So, I went to church yesterday...as I normally do :) and of course our pastor talked about Mother's Day and one thing I couldn't believe was that he showed this over the screens, lol.

I have seen this before and it's classic, if you haven't viewed this (by Anita Renfroe) then you have to click and watch.

Then he talked about a Mother's Garden.

In this garden we plant 4 rows of P's......Peace of mind, Peace of heart and Peace of soul.

Then we'll need squash....squash criticism, squash gossip and squash indifference.

Lettuce is good to have too.....lettuce be faithful, lettuce be kind, lettuce be patient and lettuce love one another.

And no garden is complete without turnips......turnip for church, turnip with a smile and turnip to help out.

And to finish off the garden we need Thyme.....Thyme for each other, Thyme for family and Thyme for friends.

Water with patience and cultivate with love. There is much fruit in your garden because you reap what you sow. ~Unknown

He also read off a list of questions/answers of 2nd graders....(no Pastor isn't all jokes, but he is a fun guy) and one that caught our ear was:
Q: Is your mother perfect?
A: Well, she's perfect on the inside, but the outside needs something called plastic surgery.
LOL


And finally....you can have a house....but is it a home???

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

I am such a lucky girl. My mother is currently here visiting with me. I don't know if she knows how much I miss her when she's back home, I am so enjoying her company right now. Being a military family, we are often months apart from family, so when the time comes for connection, it's time to soak it all in.

She's such a wonderful, strong, loving godly woman. She is who I've always looked up to. I can't ask for a better woman to be my mother. I'm so blessed. She is so loved.

And also....thinking of my mother-in-law, for without her I wouldn't have my wonderful husband.

For Mother's Day I thought I would tackle the flower pot cards that we've been seeing all over the blog world lately. I followed the link provided by SCS over on Stephanie Luman's blog for the directions on making these cards. They are actually pretty simple to make, it's the flower details that can take you longer to put together. You can make them as simple or accessorized as you'd like.

These first two are the ones that my mother and mother-in-law will receive.

Along with those two are a couple others that I made...before I decided which were for them and which ended up on my Etsy store ;) I had my daughter help me in that decision.

I pulled out some DP that I hadn't used in a while. What better way to get it out of the package! I also realized that I didn't have a decent flower punch. So, not wanting to wait for an order to come in from SU, I headed to the local craft store and bought one that worked beautifully, I also picked up a fern punch. Then I added SU buttons/ribbon to the card.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Mother's Day....if you are a mother, I hope they all spoil you today. And if you can give your own mom a huge hug.