This is Halloween!

*Sigh* I never did get to see the 3-D version in theatres this year. Perhaps it will be showing again next year when Bryan will be around. But, I might just have to pull out the DVD after the kids are done trick-or-treating and fast asleep. I so love Halloween!

To pass the day, I will be finishing decorating Hazel's Halloween gingerbread house. Not as easy as it looks people...not easy at all. But, at least I got it all stuck together last night. So, the fun part is all that's left...the decorating! I'll post pictures of it when I finish it up later on today.

And, I'll be taking the kids into town tonight to go trick-or-treating. My parents live up on the mountain...out in the boonies. It's too dark up here, and the houses are too far apart. So, I have to drive into town, and take them to collect candy from another neighborhood. It's been pretty chilly outside. But, luckily, we're all starting to feel a little bit better around here. I'm sure to have lots of pictures to post tomorrow!

And, I was tagged by the lovely Helena. It's been a while, so here are 7 randoms...

1. I suffer from TMJ. It has gotten worse in the last year. I am plagued with near constant headaches, and my jaw is almost always clenched. I don't even realize it most of the time. And, since this is considered a "dental disorder" by the military, they don't cover the treatment. So, unless I come into some major money, it won't be getting fixed anytime soon.

2. I got caught smoking in the girls' bathroom when I was a freshman in high school, and had to serve a Saturday detention. Tsk. Tsk.

3. I've met Tori Amos in person. She's such a tiny little thing.

4. My favorite flowers are tulips and stargazer lilies.

5. Seattle is my favorite place that I've ever lived/visited. I miss it so much. Maybe someday, when the military is finally done with us, we can move back there.

6. My dream is to buy an old house from the early 1900's and fix it up. I am fascinated with old homes.

7. My birthday is the day after Christmas, and I've never, in all my 29 years, had a birthday party. At least, not on my birthday. We had them in the summer when I was little. I'll be 30 this year, and I'm sure it will be no different. My mom doesn't do the babysitting thing, so I probably won't even be able to go out with friends. What a shi**y way to spend an already shi**y birthday! I'm not ready to let go of my 20's...even if your 30's are supposed to be "the new 20's."

I think that all the bloggers that I read regularly have recently been tagged, so I'll spare them from being tagged again. But, if you're up to the challenge, go blog 7 randoms and link me back up!

Happy Halloween people!

Queen of the Accomplished

Well, at least I feel like it. Maybe it's just because I'm so freakin' sick, and all I really felt like doing was staying in bed all day. Whatever the cold was that we all started out with...it has now turned into some kind of flu nastiness. Or maybe, we just got sick twice. Either way, I feel like I got hit by a mack truck. So, the fact that I got anything done today is amazing.

Pumpkins carved - check



That skully one...yup, that's mine. The Sponge Bob thing is my step-dad's. And, of course the Lite Brite face is Hazel's. She loves it. Poor little thing was so crushed when I told her that, no, she could not take it to bed to sleep with. She actually helped create it, and is so proud of it!



Laundry completely done - check
Grocery shopping done - check
Swap partners divvied up, and e-mailed - check (Phew! That was more time-consuming than I had thought.)
One LO done - check (Can't show...it's for a contest)
One nap taken - amazingly enough...check
All e-mails and phone calls returned - check (except for you, Kasie...don't think I forgot about you! I'll call tomorrow. Promise, promise.)

And, now...I am off to get caught up on my fave bloggies before some dinner and much-needed rest. Plus, tonight is The Big Bang Theory. Love that show!

REMINDER...

Today is the last day to join my Favorite Things/Secret Santa swap. I already have quite a few people signed up, but I would always welcome more! So, if you're interested, e-mail me at charmedgirlnc@gmail.com by 11:59 pm Alaska time (that's 3:59 am Eastern time). Okay, I'm still sick...back to bed.

Just a quickie...

I finally put the finishing touches on my LO for the Dina jack over at scrapjacked.



It didn't photograph as well as it looks in person. But, I pulled out the tissue paper, and tried this technique that I haven't done in years (not since I was really into altered books). Anyway, you take some tissue paper, and can stamp on it if you want. I used the new Heidi Swapp damask stamp with some gold pigment ink. Once the pigment ink dried, I painted some gold glitter glue over the top of it and crinkled the paper up. Not only does it provide a cool effect, but it gives the tissue paper some extra strength. Such fun. Like I said, the technique looks so much better in person, it doesn't photograph quite as cool. But, I had lots of fun with this challenge. Dina Wakely rocks...she has to be one of my favorite artists! Anyway, that's all for today. I'm sick, and off to take a nap.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Look at that beautiful stuff falling out of the sky! I love the snow. Well, at least when I know there's an end in sight. I probably wouldn't be so happy if I knew that I had to deal with is for another 6 months. But, hey...I'm going back to hot, sticky, sunny North Carolina right after Christmas. So, I am going to enjoy the snow as much as I can. It's beautiful. And, I am even enjoying the shorter days. The darkness doesn't bother me as much as it does some people. To me, it just signals the start of the holiday season.

And, with the holiday season comes cold and flu season. And, boy...have we been hit hard. Both of my kids are sick, sick, sick. Luka hasn't slept for more than 2 hours in a row for the last 2 nights. His nose is so stuffed up, he can hardly breathe. And, the Vick's rub and vaporizer isn't really helping all that much. Needless to say, I haven't been getting any sleep either. I thought I was actually going to escape this cold. But, alas, I started feeling the aches and sore throat a couple of hours ago. I just took a good dose of NyQuil. So, hopefully that will help.

I think I'm going to get the kids in bed, and curl up with my new Pottery Barn catalog that just arrived today. Well, after I finish my LO for scrapjacked. Gotta' love some Dina Wakely. And, speaking of the new Pottery Barn Christmas stuff, who doesn't love this:



Seriously...this makes me want to totally re-do my guest room. I would leave this up year-round. After all, who really changes all of their bedroom decor just for Christmas? Well, other than Martha Stewart...

There. That's better.

What a wonderful start to a brand new week. I got A LOT done today. But, most importantly, I finally finished my altered paint can for the Christmas in Afghanistan project.



A soldier's mother over at scrapbook.com put together the idea for this program. Her son is currently deployed to Afghanistan (although, not with the same unit as my husband), and she wanted to make sure that all the soldiers in his unit had something for Christmas. So, she asked that fellow sb.com members donate as many altered paint cans as possible. Each can is also filled with all kinds of goodies for the soldier. Mine is packed with gum, candy, an electronic hand-held game, a sudoku book, baby wipes, some funny little toys, some hand sanitizer and chapstick. Hopefully, whoever receives it will enjoy it. I wish that I could have made tons more. It was so much fun, and I always try to find one charitable cause to donate to at Christmas time (usually something military-related). Plus, I just love how the can came out.

That 12 Days of Christmas patterned paper line from American Crafts ROCKS! It is my fave holiday collection so far. I totally busted into a lot of the product that I had been hoarding. And, for what a wonderful cause! You can't tell, but the snowflakes on the can are covered with beautiful glass glitter. I just spent all afternoon in the craft room, rocked the Christmas music, and got stuff DONE! I'm totally in the holiday spirit today!

I also got some more done on the assembly line that is my Christmas card design. Hopefully, I'll have some finished product in the next couple of days. And, I definitely need to crank out my entry for scrapjacked. But, for now, I'm off to upload more 365 days photos to Flickr. I've been a little, um, shall we say "lazy" about uploading for the last couple of weeks. I think I'll pop The Holiday into the DVD player while I'm at it. That's a good Christmasy movie to keep the mood goin'! Hope everyone else had a wonderful Monday!

Seriously...

I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait until Monday. I just want to put this horrible, yucky, no-good weekend behind me. My hair (that for the first time in my life, I LOVED) was effectively destroyed in just under 2.5 hours by some hairstylist that was either too ignorant, or too greedy to just say, "I can't do what you want." Seriously. That's all she had to say. I would have happily walked out the door, picked up my kid, gone home, and begun a search for another hairstylist. To add insult to injury...she charged me $225 for this nastiness. I have NEVER...I repeat NEVER...paid that much for anything to be done to my hair.

My hair was this nice, dark, dark brown with BRIGHT red chunks in it. LOVED it. And, although, I have never "loved" my hair until this point, I have never walked out of a salon in tears. Never. When I told the stylist what I wanted, she said, "Well, we don't have that exact color, but I can get it REALLY close." Yeah, not so much honey. Orangish-burgundyish, so-dark-you can't-tell-the-difference-from-the-rest-of-my-hair-unless-in-bright-sunlight = NOT THE SAME THING. Not even close. Ugh. Not to mention that my hair is so damn short that I can't get it in a ponytail...also NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR. And, my bangs are so short, it's ridiculous looking. I can deal with the length; it will grow back. Color...not so easily fixed. Especially when you're hair is as fine as mine. If I had the money (which I totally don't), I would have gone immediately to another salon to have it put back the way it was. But, not only do I not thave the money, my hair is too fine to take all of that processing. I'm counting the days until Dec 1st, when I can go somewhere that can actually DO WHAT I ASKED. So, that's 6 weeks of hair hell. I'm seeing lots of hats in my future.

So, I'm welcoming tips from anyone that accidentally used a shampoo that faded their color really fast. While, for most that isn't desirable, I NEED it. Anyone, anyone??? If I can get this gross red to fade out, I can pump it back up to semi-what-I-want with my trusty Manic Panic.

And, let's not forget the fact that my mother had to watch Hazel while I was at the salon, and it seemed to have put a MAJOR cramp in her style. And, I won't be allowed to forget that. That "alone" time...SO NOT WORTH IT. I would give it all back, and spend every waking minute alone with both of my kids until Bryan comes home, if I could just have my hair back, and side-step the guilt-trip train. I would even give it all back, and take to dealing with my son who has taken to screaming NON-STOP for no apparent reason for the last 3 days. At this rate, I won't have any hair left to worry about...I'm gonna' pull it all out! I need a good, strong margarita, and a toast to the rest of this deployment going by in the blink of an eye. I had reached a calm within myself, lately, about Bryan being gone. "Just deal with it. It will all be over soon." But, I just broke down yesterday. It's days like that that I miss him the most. Days when I feel like I'm being ridiculous, and don't have anyone to talk to. And, I know I'm being ridiculous because anyone I TRIED to talk to, made it BLATANTLY clear. Bryan will always listen, and always make me feel better. I miss him.

Well, if you've made it this far, sorry for the long rambling. Hopefully blogging this off my chest will make me feel a little bit better. Sometimes, a little bit of that left-over PPD just kicks in. I'm off to dig through my hat collection, and take Hazel to a play date. Bring it on, Monday. I am so ready. Happy Sunday all!

Speaking of swaps...

I am currently hosting a swap over at scrapbook.com. But, you don't have to join sb.com to participate. You can just e-mail me your information to charmedgirlnc@gmail.com. Here are the details:

I recently participated in a "Favorite Things" swap over at Red Velvet Art, and it was SO much fun. I thought it would make a great rendition on the Secret Santa swap. So, here's how it works:

You send at least 3 of YOUR favorite things to a predetermined partner. It doesn't have to be a scrapbooking product, but let's try to include mostly scrapbooking prodducts in your package. Handmade items are also allowed. Remember, these are YOUR favorite things that you would like to share with someone else. But, keep in mind to include things you'd be thrilled to receive!

Some ideas, in addition to scrapbooking products , might be a favorite candle, some lip gloss, a scrapbooking or artsy-craftsy book that you enjoyed reading, a handmade journal, or some delicious candy.

And, since this will be a form of a Secret Santa, let's package our items in something "Christmasy". Maybe a stocking, a papier mache cone decorated in a Christmas theme, or a specially decorated box. Use your imagination!

Okay, so here are the technicalities:

*Yes, you can participate if you are international.
*To sign-up, please send me an e-mail that includes the following information: your name, mailing address, and a little information about yourself (your interests, if you have children and how many, their ages, your favorite colors, etc.) AND, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE WILLING TO SHIP INTERNATIONALLY!
*Sign-ups will remain open until October 26th. I will assign swap partners during that weekend, and will notify you of your swap partner on Monday, October 29th.
*You will need to mail out your packages by December 1st (a little earlier for international mailings). So, that gives you about a month to prepare your swap package.
*There will be a spending amount of $20. If you want to spoil your swap partner with a little more than that, feel free.
*Please keep in mind that this is a busy time of year, and I know that money can be tight. So, please don't sign-up if you don't feel that you can't honor your commitment.

And, feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions. This should be fun!

Get it? Got it? Good. :0) You have until Oct 26th to sign up. And, now, I'm off to a CAbi party with Tina. Should be fun!

Paquet-cadeau!

That's French for gift-wrapping! Or, so the online French-to-English converter says. Hopefully, it's correct, and I'm not actually cursing at you in French. LOL! :0)

I spent all morning wrapping up packages for swaps and such. Most importantly, I finally finished putting together my 7 days swap for my little French friend, Pauline.



We had to select at least 7 scrapbooking or crafting-related items, wrap them individually, and tell why exactly we selected those items for the gifts. As always, I went a little bit above and beyond, and sent 10 things. But, it was so much fun! I hope that she likes it, and can't wait to see what kind of French goodies I receive in return!

I also wrapped up Melanie's RAK, and a little pumpkin patch-kage for Tina.





I love giving gifts...probably more than I actually enjoy receiving them. Anyway, I will be off to the post office bright and early in the a.m. to get these all sent out.

Some other little random tittles...Luka stood up for the first time on his own last night. I didn't manage to get any pictures of it. By the time I got the camera, he would have already fallen down again. But, I did get this cute little photo:



I don't know why he makes this face, but he has figured out that it makes everyone laugh. So, of course, he does it all the time (while making some weird snorting noise). Cute little guy, huh? I got some Halloween cards done today, and here's a peek:



That's all for today. I'm off to watch Smokin' Aces. I've been putting it off for several days because everyone keeps telling me that it was a little bit disappointing. I'll have to let you know what I think.

And the winner is...

To be absolutely fair, I put the names in a bowl and let little Miss Hazel pick the winner. Here's her LO:



Melanie, e-mail me at charmedgirlnc@gmail.com with your address, and I'll get that RAK in the mail to you with the quickness! Congrats, girlie!

So, last night Tina came over for craft night. Ever have one of those days when NOTHING you tried to do came out the way you had envisioned? I totally ruined 2 LO's that have now found a cozy new home in the good old circular file. Some Li'l Davis paint, that looked to be a beautiful blush color in the bottle, actually ended up looking more like spilled blood on paper. One LO wrecked. Then, I was working on this tribute LO for Bryan's dad, and it just wasn't happening. No matter what I did, it didn't work. I salvaged some pieces of it, and junked the rest. After two failed attempts at scrapping, I decided to just print off another huge batch of pictures to work with for the next couple of weeks. But, alas...that wasn't in the cards either. I have been having the hardest time getting my Mac to synch up to my mom's printer when it comes to the color output. The colors just keep coming out so wonky on all of my prints. I'm all calibrated for my printer at home, and I really don't want to change it all up just for the next 2 months. Argh! It's so frustrating!

That's okay, though...Tina didn't feel much like scrapping either. So, we just talked, munched on pizza, and watched The Big Bang Theory. Fun times. I'm really going to be sad when it's time to go back home, and not be able to see my girl whenever I want. But, hopefully, she can come visit us soon in 'Bama.

This morning, I finally got the kids' Halloween portraits from JC Penneys in my e-mail. Here are a my favorites:

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF JC PENNEY PORTRAIT STUDIOS






I know I'm a little biased, but I don't care...Luka is the cutest in that caterpillar costume! Anyway, I went to bed last night feeling so blah...like I hadn't accomplished anything. Hopefully, I can get a fresh start today. I'm off to give it a shot. :0)

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

But, it's such a wonderful day to stay inside and get crafty. It's snowing again here, but it isn't cold enough to actually stick. So, it's just piling up in huge mounds of slush. I guess it's still pretty to look at coming out of the sky. I got a couple of new LO's done for this week's challenges over at SIStv.





I think I'm done working on scrapbook pages for a few days. I really need to get crackin' on Christmas cards and gifts. Plus, I am actually going to attempt AGAIN to enter CK's HOF contest this year. So, I need to get some LO's done for that. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post them online. So, I might be a little short on any eye candy for a while. But, I'll still try to get some stuff up here.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I'm off to start on my Christmas cards! Oh, and P.S.

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO SUBMIT YOUR LO'S FOR MY CELEBRATION CHALLENGE! So, link me up for your chance to win this nice little RAK.

The Power of 4's

I love me some Jill! She sent Luka this adorable little pumpkin hat in the mail yesterday. (Sorry for the blur, my camera was on the wrong setting, but even after I switched it...this was still the cutest picture).



And, now for some Saturday fun! I was tagged by the other Jill with the "Fours" game. So, here we go...

4 Jobs I've had:
1. SAHM - The best job I've ever had!
2. Child Support Services - Next to being a SAHM, this was my fave job. I worked on investigating and locating dead-beat parents that were trying to evade child support. It was like being a detective!
3. Jewelry Catalog Photographer - I worked for a high-end jewelry company (that shall remain nameless) photographing their catalogs. This was the WORST job ever. I worked 6-7 days a week for at least 10 hours a day. I was doing what I went to college for, but I was MISERABLE, and had no time for a personal life (or to find another job).
4. Shift Manager at KFC - This was my job all through college. Not the best job, but still better than the jewelry company.

4 Movies I could watch over and over:
1. Amelie
2. The Family Stone
3. Christmas Vacation
4. About A Boy

4 TV Shows I watch:
1. 2 1/2 Men
2. The Big Bang Theory
3. The Hills (when I actually remember)
4. Any of the CSI's

4 Houses I've lived in (I've lived in TOO many, so these are my faves):
1. My current home in NC. Not because it's anything great, or because I love the area, but because it is MINE, and I've put so much work into it.
2. My old apartment in Queen Anne (Seattle). It was built in 1918...totally the coolest apartment EVER. If I could go back and live anywhere all over again, this would be the place!
3. The condo in Alaska that Bryan and I first lived together in. It was one of the ugliest places, but it was OUR FIRST PLACE.
4. My parents house in Alaska.

4 Favorite Foods:
1. Sushi
2. Fried Chicken (especially from Lucky Wishbone)
3. Spagetti
4. Meatloaf (only the kind that my mom and I make)

4 Favorite Colors:
1. Turquoise
2. Red
3. Green
4. Orange

4 Places I'd love to be right now:
1. Santa Fe, NM
2. Back at my house in NC with Bryan
3. Seattle
4. Spokane

4 Names I love but could/would not use for my children:
1. Violet - I used to want to name my daughter that, and I can't stand the name now.
2. Caitlyn - Because almost everyone I know that had a girl within the last year or so, named their daughter Caitlyn.
3. Richard - Although it was my father-in-law's name, and it IS Luka's middle name...I never would choose it as a first name. I don't want my child being called "Dick," "Ricky," "Richie," or any of the other nicknames associated with Richard.
4. Gertrude - My husband loves this for a girl's name. Hello? This is not a pretty name, honey.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I promise to have some scrapiness to share tomorrow. :0)

Shhhhh...

Today I bought this:



Because I feel like I have so many. And, maybe, so I wouldn't feel so alone...even if for just a little while. You can check out more on this project here.

7 Yummy Little Random Things...

1. Tooks the kids to Penneys today to have their pictures taken in their Halloween costumes. They came out SO cute! Can't wait to share them. Luka was so freakin' adorable in his caterpillar costume.

2. I am totally lusting over these. But, I proudly resisted the temptation, and walked out of Nordstroms empty-handed.

3. Had my favorite asian chicken and rice noodle soup with a dash of sweet soy for lunch. Yum.

4. Bryan passed his cholesterol test. Somehow, it dropped almost 100 points. I'm thinking that the first test might not have been accurate.

5. I am so cozy right now. Curled up under the heated blanket, watching some good re-runs on tv, sipping hot cocoa, while my little ones nap.

6. This doesn't really fall under the "yummy" things list. But, we will be moving to Alabama (probably in January). So, anyone near the Fort Rucker/Enterprise area...feel free to hit me up with some good local tips on shopping/restaurants/craftsy events.

7. Tina is coming over for craft night tomorrow. This makes me most happy. :0)

Happy Wednesday all!

I want, I want, I want!

I spent last night going through the Sept/Oct issue of Blueprint magazine. And, damn if I didn't find so many things that I want for my house. I seriously I seriously need to organize and decorate my craft room. I just got right to work creating stuff, and never took the time to actually make the space creatively inspiring (or neat). Tee hee. I found some great scientific stuff that would actually work really well as organizational stuff like these, these (great for paint brushes, pencils...even ribbons), these (they used it as a water pitcher...also makes a great vase), and these (would be cool for buttons). And, they are all so reasonably priced!

I love the bright colors on these:



And, I always need more file folders:



I can definitely think of more than one way to use these:



Has anyone checked out Martha Stewart's new line at Macy's? If not, I highly recommend that you check it out here. These, I must have:



You have no idea how hard it is to find things to go with the colors in my kitchen: turquoise, orange and brown. I'm always trying to find turquoise stuff. There is plenty of turquoise stuff in her new collection! Needless to say, all of her woodgrain pieces rock! And, how cute is this cake mold (especially if you're in/from Alaska)?!?



I am so glad that we have a Macy's back in Fayetteville! I can't wait to get back there and get me some new Martha goods. *smile*

And, I definitely think I need some of these. They would be great for getting all of my fabric, magazine tears, and paint samples organized into a binder.

Anyway, that was some fun window shopping...and JUST window shopping. There's no money to spend on me right now! Well, I'm off to go check the mailbox to see if there are any loves for me from the mailman. :0)

Rhi "jack"

Here's my LO for the Rhi "jack" over at scrapjacked.



I scattered the irridescent sequins randomly around the top of the page because I thought they looked so much like the bubbles in the photos. The journaling reads: "A child enjoys her play. Not because it is easy, but because it is hard." I had so much fun with this challenge! And, I had so much fun playing bubbles with Hazel, and snapping these pictures. That was probably our last bubble-blowing adventure for the rest of this year. It's getting to damn cold out for any of that! Anyway, here's another LO I whipped up in about 30 minutes last night. I seriously love this photo of Luka and me together.



Hope everyone is having a good start to their week! I'm off to go relax with some more magazines!

It's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas? WTH?

I know I'm in Alaska right now, but I really wasn't expecting this when I woke up this morning:



Yup, that's snow. It's not much, but still... It was the first time that Hazel had seen snow that she could actually remember, and she was EXCITED. She couldn't wait for Nana and Grandpa to wake up so that we could all go outside and play. She desperately wanted to make a snowman, but there wasn't anywhere near enough snow for that. Not to worry...there will be TONS of it soon enough. Even though she didn't get to make her snowman, she did enjoy tasting the snow.



I could hardly get her to take any pictures, she was running all over the place. And, any time she saw me pull the camera out, she'd run away screaming for me not to take her picture. Don't most little girls love to ham it up for the camera? I know I did! I don't think I hit the, "don't take my picture" phase until I was a teenager. Oh, well. I did get this one great one of us together:



And, this is what happens when, "YOU'RE STEPPING ON MY SNOW!"



And, of course, I had to snap one of my adorable little man all bundled up in his snow suit!



I'm off to curl up under my electric blanket and take a nice afternoon nap. Hope you all had a wonderful Sunday!

Something New...

I got the last of my 2 LO's done for the challenges over at SIStv. I managed to do all but Gretchen's challenge done. I just don't so a whole lot of LO's with 10 photos. I have an idea for one, but I will have to actually TAKE enough pictures for it. Maybe I can do it by the end of this month. Anyway, here are my last 2 LO's:





I had a great Friday night with my girl. We tried to go to the First Friday art walk, only to realize that, like everything else in Anchorage, everything was closed by 8 pm. Bummer. But, we had fun anyway...and some GREAT sushi. Again, we forgot to take any pictures. I didn't even get sushi pics for a LO that I have in mind. But, there will always be next time.

Now, I'm off to flip through my growing piles of mags that I need to catch up. What a great weekend so far! I hope you are all enjoying yours as well! :0)

Hey, baby...nice RAK!

Okay, so it took me a couple of days to decide what to give away in this RAK. Since it's October, I decided to go with a Halloween theme. So, here's a peek at the goodies:



There's 4 different kinds of Martha Stewart adhesive ribbon, some silver skull confetti, assorted buttons, vintage cupcake picks, pumpkin and skully buttons, a cute little owl stamp by Wordsworth, black flocking, purple glitter, Queen & Co. large sequin flowers, Cat Eye pigment ink pads in black and orange, a mini marble memo pad, 3 sheets of Martha Stewart double-stick glitterable/flockable stickers, pkg letter stickers, black bottle caps, a plastic embellishment case, assorted Halloween ribbons, and 1 pkg houndstooth designer tissues. And, that's just what is pictured. There are a couple of items that I have ordered that haven't arrived yet, and a handmade gifty that will be a surprise!

So, again, you have until Oct 15th to link me up with your celebration LO's! If you're new...see the previous post for details. Can't wait to see them all! :0)

And, in honor of Halloween and Andrea Wiebe's October challenge over on SIStv, here's my LO for that challenge:

BREAK OUT THE BUBBLY! (plus a little challenge/RAK)

I'll start with a little LO that I cooked up last night. I have been working through the We Dare You book. I didn't start at the beginning, I just picked the first dare that appealed to me: Scrap Your Fear. So, here's a peek into my biggest fear:



Now, on to the celebration...

First of all, yesterday was my mom and step-dad's 24th wedding anniversary. So, here's my little photo tribute to them from when they were on their way out last night:



Second of all, Bryan passed his flight aptitude test with flying colors! I'm so excited for him, and for us. This will open up so many opportunities for us, and it means a signifcantly bigger paycheck too! I am married to a soon-to-be helicopter pilot. That's a little difficult for me to grasp, but it is such a huge success for Bryan! So, now he just has to complete the rest of his physical and subit his registration packet. And, then we will just wait for him to get picked up for the next available class session. This also means that we will be moving to Alabama for the next year and a half. So, if any of you ladies are living in that neck of the woods, hit me up and let me know what craftiness there is to be had in those parts. :0)

Here's where you guys come in. Since I've got all this celebrating to do, and I'm in such a freakin' great mood...I thought I'd let you all in on the action. Here's the challenge: make a LO about something major that you celebrated or want to celebrate. It could be the birth of your child, a new job, a promotion, finally being able to buy something that you had saved up for forever, an anniversary...whatever! Link me up before Oct 15th, and I'll pick a RANDOM winner to receive a nice little RAK. Check back tomorrow, and I'll have a little sneak peek at the goodies!

I'm all amped up for the Poppy Ink October kit to go on sale tonight. See some of you gals over there!