100th Post and a Giveaway!!

Wow, I can't believe this is my 100th Post - Let's Celebrate!!

Have you heard of CSN stores? They have everything, from sofas to cookware to shoes. There are over 200 CSN stores and they are so easy to navigate to find the products you are looking for. And guess what - Ashley from their promotions team would like to send one of you a super cute apron!!

This cupcake apron is my fav!!

But these are super cute, too...

To enter to win just leave a comment on this post.  For additional entries become a follower and leave a second comment (existing followers can leave a second comment too) and/or blog about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

The winner will get their choice of apron from this link.

Giveaway closes Friday Night!!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Did you all enjoy the 2000 celebration at Funky Junk Interiors?  And did you see that I was lucky winner of giveaway #1 - an adorable tote bag from Tangerine Totes!!

This is the bag I won, how cute?!?

Unfortunately, I never received it :(  Christine from Tangerine Totes sent it out super fast - it was scheduled to be delivered 2 days later.  But my local post office screwed up.  They marked it as delivered, but the package never made it to me.  They are trying to tell me that it must have been taken from my door step, but I'm not buying it.  I think it never made it or they brought it to the wrong apt.  And if it is the latter, that "neighbor" has failed to return it to me.

I'm pretty bummed that I won't get to use that awesome bag, but I am even more disappointed in whoever it was that blocked me from receiving this package.  The universe does have a funny way of working and I am sure it will all be worked out in the end.

Still, I'm sending out a huge THANK YOU to Donna for hosting such a fun party extravaganza and to Christine for offering and sending such a great prize.

Vegas Mini Albums

I'm headed out to Vegas this morning with my hubby. We are meeting my parents, brother and sister there to celebrate her 21st birthday. Sis and I have been there once before, but we were 18 and 13. She vowed on that trip that she would be there on her 21st birthday. Her birthday was 2 weeks ago, but I'd still say she got her wish.

Since I needed a) a birthday present for her b) a mother's day gift for my step-mom and c) an excuse to get scrappin', I made us each a mini album for the trip.

Since I watched the Live with Prima videos marathon style, this album is a combination of techniques from many videos.

The Cover fits us Kaplan girls very well - zebra, pink and bling :)

Can I tell you again how much I love Sure Cuts A Lot?  I was able to cut the actual Vegas logo with it!!
I also made some beaded flowers for the spine.

Here are a few of the inside pages:

I'll be back late Wednesday night!!

Happy 101 Award

I've received another blog award - YEAY!!

Alicia from Thrifty and Chic has bestowed the Happy 101 award upon me.

So here are 10 things that make me happy:

#1 - my hubby :)  he is simply the best

#2 - phones call with my sister

#3 - reading books and magazines

#4 - crafting

#5 - anything vintage french/parisian inspired, especially in shades of pale pin and cream

#6 - a good glass of french red wine especially bordeaux and burgundy

#7 - the ellen degeneres show - she is so funny and generous

#8 - glee - I look forward to 9pm on tuesday every week :)

#9 - donuts - so simple, so delicious

#10 - daydreaming - I love getting lost in my thoughts, it's just fun.


Now, I must pass this along to 5 other bloggers, but how do I choose?  Many of the blogs I read are "big" bloggers and I feel funny sending to them.  There are also a lot of girls who just don't do awards and I don't want to end up giving awards to the same people over and over.  So I've decided to let you choose for me!!  The first five bloggers who leave a comment sharing something that makes them happy will be the recipients  and I'll post a link to your blog below, too.

So, what makes you happy?

I'm a Winner!

Do you read Blue Cricket Design? Becca's blog is full of great tutorials, a weekly blog party and great giveaways. I was the very lucky winner of her recent giveaway with Charleston Scrapbook Company - a $30 gift certificate to spend however I want!!

In my comment, I said that I loved the Oceanside stickers because that is my hometown. Of course, the first things I put into my cart where both sets of stickers and the matching papers.

Maybe I should fine my old cheerleading pics and do a layout.

I got three rolls of scor-tape...

And some fun rub-ons.

Two packs of prismatic cardstock,

Some fun papers, the top two are Paris themed and the bottom two are flocked.

Three sheets of paper and the coordinating ribbon from the Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie Collection.

And six sheets from the Basic Grey Bittersweet Collection.

Laurie, the owner of Charleston Scrapbook Company is so sweet!! She surprised me by sending the Bittersweet coordinating stickers...

And this cool Fiskars 6-in-1 tool!

Laurie has a great shop and amazing customer service - please check her store out.

Thank you Becca and Laurie for hosting this fab giveaway :)

SCC Supply Box Swap

Gina @ The Shabby Chic Cottage hosted a supply swap for all of her readers and it was so much fun!! She paired me up with a wonderful girl named Andrea. I got my box today and it was filled to the brim with the most amazing stuff!!

Everything came in a cute fabric box.  Inside was this wooden birdhouse.  Too cute!  Can't wait to decorate it.  There was a also a huge spray of little pink flowers.

When I finally get a sewing machine, my first project will be turning this gorgeous piece of fabric into a pillow.

A package of brads, pretty paris stickers and a keyhole applique - swooning!

There is a metal H with hooks on the back so I can hang it up.  Isn't that little hanger the cutest thing ever?  And see that green packing tape?  It's actually patterned.

How pretty is that?

More cuteness - two fun clips, flower stickers, a white satin ribbon that says "love, cherish, together, forever" glitter and twine.

This star deserves a picture all its own.  I LOVE IT! I am going to have to design a project entirely around this :)

Some more amazing metal pieces and a white box for me to decorate.

The cutest metal tin and vintage magnets out there!

And tags!! I love tags!!  The baby shipping tags are adorable - I love the way Andrea decorated them; and I have always wanted those white tags with the silver frames.

Andrea, thank you so much for everything!  Anytime you have extra stuff you can send it to me :)

And thank you to Gina as well for hosting.

Silly me forgot to take pics of what I sent to Andrea - sorry :/

Baking Challenge - May '10

So May's dessert wasn't baked, it was an ice cream float. The recipe was for three different flavored syrups - blueberry, strawberry and mint. I chose to make the blue berry because it was the easiest :)

Start out by placing 9 oz. (2 containers) of blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar into a saucepan. That is all the ingredients!!

Cook them over medium for 10-12 minutes. Here they are halfway through...

And here they are done!

Pour the berries into a strainer, but don't push down on the berries! I gently moved them around to try to get most of the liquid to go through.

Discard the solids - there were a lot!

I don't like floats, so I had a sundae instead.  I used vanilla frozen yogurt.  The recipe said to let the syrup cool in the fridge, but I wanted it warm on my sundae.

Mmm, it was so good!!  I'm gonna have to try the other flavors too.  The next morning I used the leftover syrup in my yogurt and that was really good too!

I *Heart* Prima

I mentioned before that I started watching the Live with Prima videos on Ustream. Once I started I couldn't stop!  I finished watching them all a few days ago and I am so hooked on Prima!

They have a great blog where they share all kinds of great products, projects and updates.

They just shared their May picks, a bunch of flowers in the most gorgeous shades of purple, look:

I'm dying - I want it all!!

I just finished a project using Prima products and techniques I learned from the videos.  I can't share it yet because it is a gift, but here is a hint - it is a mini album.

Cricut Bags are Back

My friend was organizing a woman's breakfast at her church this past Saturday and I offered to help her put together the favors with the aid of my cricut. Last year she hand cut each template (ahh!) but this year we let cricut do the dirty work.

The templates were cut, assembled and ready for decoration. We found some flower packs in the $1 bins at Michaels and used brads to attach the blooms.

We made 52 bags in all, but only stuffed and took 40 to the breakfast.

Inside we placed two teabags, tied together with string and a cute steamy mug label.

The favors were a huge hit!!