Momma's week, card challenge & stuff

My goodness...can't believe how time flies.

I have been stalking some big time fun craft blogs and have been enjoying all the many creative ideas people have which I've been implementing in some of my card creations. One of those such blogs is The Paper Player. Every week they post up a different challenge with a different theme for anyone to try out and link up to their site. I've been wanting to try my hands at their challenge but it seemed like something always got in the way. Well, it just so happen that this week, I happen to have a card that I created for my card group swap last month and what do you know, it fits into this week's theme, which is Birds, Bees, Flowers, & Trees, so I've decided to enter my card in that challenge.

Here's my card for this week's challenge. This is a Black Magic technique card...a technique I learned on Splitcoaststampers. If any one's interested in how to try this technique out, go here. Totally appropriate card for this occasion, don't you think?

Speaking of which, I made a really cute gift for my mother-in-law. Well, it's kind of a belated Christmas, belated birthday and Mother's Day gift all roll into one. I think I've mentioned before how my MIL loves getting pictures from our family, all she ever asked since we live so far away from her. But instead of just mailing pictures off to her, I always try to find ways to make the pictures a little more creative and so I've been wracking my brains out for how to present our latest family pictures when I saw this tutorial done on Dawn's blog.

This is an Envelope album..all made from card stock, background papers, simply scrapping kits from SU and then some. Cute uh? The next images are what the album looks like once it's opened. I know my MIL will totally flip over this gift of hers.








I used vellum envelopes(five total for five tag pages)for this album. I had so much fun making this album and totally loved it, I almost don't want to give it away.

~~sighs~~

I'll probably make another one for keeps with just the pictures of the kids. Cool thing about this gift is I will actually be able to hand this gift to my MIL in person so I get to see the look on her face when she receives it..she'll be here in a couple of week for my daughter's graduation.

Anyways, in light of Mother's Day coming up, I've been kinda treating myself a bit over the week. Yep, I've actually gone online shopping crazy and ordered a bunch of little fun treats for myself..well, most of the stuff I got are for the family, but still...One of the things I got for myself is this book below...it was written by one of the bloggers I stalk(eheh) and boy is this a wonderful treat. I've already finished reading it and will be writing up a review for it later on.

And I also got myself a new hair cut/do. It was actually a highlight of my day after getting my hair cut to see my kids come home from school, the looks on each of their faces. Unfortunately, I didn't do a before pic..so here's what me in my new do.

(Picture is a little blurry..oh well.)
I think this is the shortest I've had my hair. I just love it so much I couldn't stop feeling it. It's like I've had a ton of weight lifted off my head, it's so light now. And I love that I don't ever have to worry about running a brush or comb through it...no tangles to worry about.

To that end, I wish all you moms, moms to be, grandmas, aunties a wonderful Mother's Day. If anyone deserve to be pampered more is you all you absolutely wonderful moms!! Love and God bless!!

A Mother's Day I can actually call the BEST!!

I wanted to continue on from where I left off last time about Mother's Day. It was actually the best Mother's day ever. After my last post on Saturday, our family went to a Mother's day barbecue that some of my friends and I planned. The hubbies were the cooks for this barbecue. There were so many different kinds of food, omg, I was literally stuffed like a turkey..lol. We even had live music at the party. And because the party was all about us moms, we were totally the center of attention. One of my favorite part of the party was the dancing..we, moms, were learning all kinds of different Tahitian dances and had such fun entertaining our men..lol. It was definitely a great party.

Mother's day, I was awaken with breakfast in bed...my daughter Jen and son Danny made me pancakes and omelette(my favorite kinda breakfast). How sweet is that? Then in Sacrament, Joey gave a talk. He was reluctant to do it at first so his dad offered to go up with him and his talk was full of all the reasons he loves me...awwww. Cool thing about his talk is that he wrote it all by himself, he was just a little too nervous to be in front of everyone. After his talk, the Primary sang a song, "My Mother Dear" and then the Bishop gave out a little surprise for the moms. Unfortunately I still had to teach my Beehive class but they were such great girls I didn't mind. I even had them make a card for their moms.

All day my son Chris kept offering to do something for me. It was really sweet. The kids totally came through for me....Jon didn't complain once, there was no fighting or bickering from any of them. They were actually cooperative with each other. I had my long awaited nap without any fuss and ohhh, I got my coupon's worth and got me a foot rub..can you say Heaven? LOL

Then my daughter, Steph made the best dinner ever. She made shrimp and ribs. She went online and found some recipe on spare ribs and totally dazzled us with her incredibly amazing cooking skill. Don't tell her this but she literally put my cooking to shame. Everyone was sooo impressed with her cooking, we've all voted to make her a chief chef in this house. It was the BEST mother's day ever.

I know this sound like such a brag post but I can't help myself. I just love it when the kids do something sweet. But I think what even made it a great mother's day is the fact that I was actually able to give something for Mother's Day. I made this post about sending a card to my special people, the ones who follow my post that I would send each of them a hand-made card, for them to send me their mailing address...there were seven people who responded, so I was able to send out six cards to six people. One of the people who responded, her email came a little late so I wasn't able to send her a card to make it to her for Mother's Day so I'm going to be sending her a different card, hope she doesn't mind. Anyways, that was actually an highlight for me, I love getting hand made gifts so giving hand made stuff is even double the fun. Those of you who are on my follower list that I've missed this time, there are still special days coming up, you can still email me your mailing address and I will send you a card for any occasion you want. The topper, I get to play Santa for Mother's day and stop by Crash and Swirl's houses to surprise them each with a card.

It truly was the best day ever. I was really impressed with how my family pulled together to make sure I enjoyed my day to the fullest.

Happy Mother's Day to all

Yesterday I picked up my Elementary school boys from school and each of them had a special Mother's Day gift for me. Awwww, wasn't that sweet? And all three gifts were hand-made....have I mentioned how much I love hand/home-made gifts? My favorite kind of gifts because I know the maker/giver put some very creative thought and time into making them. Not that any store bought gifts don't mean anything to me, they do but there's just something about the hand-made kind that I just loooove.

I don't know what the three older kids are making or doing for me for Mother's Day so I can't wait to see..lol. So without boring any of you further, I'm going to show you all what my three very sweet boys made for me.

This is what Danny made for me. It's a card but inside he wrote what Mothers mean to him. I love his hand-writing. This is what he wrote: Mothers
Mom makes me feel happy.
Open things.
Told me I'm next (When asked what this means, he said for next in line for birthday, silly thing.).
Help me eat my food (I had to be creative since he's not a eater.).
Embraces me (wow, big word!).
Remember my birthday (how can I forget?lol).
Serves me lunch (interesting, since he hardly eat lunch at home).
Isn't that cute? I just love how creative he is for coming up with what each of those letters stand for. The next one is Joey's gift he made for me.

I love this one. It's a big heart he cut out, colored the flowers (look how beautiful his coloring is) and then fold the heart into a cone. Inside the cone, there was little bag of potpouri and little hearts with things he wrote about what he would be doing for me for Mother's Day.

This is the most creative of all the Mother's Day gifts I've gotten so far. (Hope the other kids don't find out I said this..lol.) But seriously, don't you think this is the most clever and creative gift? (A big mahalo to his teacher for coming up with this idea and helping him made this.)


This is what Jon made me...a coupon book. I love coupon books..the home made kind where the kids list things they would be doing for me. Notice the first coupon he wrote "no complaining"? I guess he know how much it bothers me when he complain about doing his chores so for the whole day tomorrow, I can tell him to do anything and he will not complain one bit. Can't wait to start collecting on these coupons...he said they are only good for one day...tomorrow. (You can click on any of the pictures to see a bigger version of them if you want to read the words in the pictures.)

One of the coupons he has in there is a foot massage coupon...Oh I love getting foot massage. One of my most favorite thing to get as far as pamper goes. Both him and Joey said they would watch their baby sister so I can nap...so yeah!! I get to nap tomorrow. I will so totally use those coupons tomorrow...I will sleep and make sure I get my foot massage...I couldn't ask for a better Mother's day present. I am soooo proud of these very creative boys of mine and I will definitely cherish these gifts. I have to remember to send them to school on Monday with a "thank you" cards to their teachers.

So folks, you like my gifts? I haven't forgotten you guys...I have something for all of you mothers out there. The next gift or award is for all the moms, grandmoms, soon-to-be moms, the women who are thinking about starting a family soon...this is for you. You can copy this gift or award and paste it on your blog...my gift to you. (I didn't make it, mind you but I know we moms deserve to be recognized for all that we do, can I get an AMEN to that?) So here it it, hold out your hand....or is it you PC..lol.

What do you think? Isn't is beautiful? Yes, mothers are special...means YOU, yes you are special. Take this and display it on your blog with pride, aight? While you display that on your blog, here's a little something else to put a smile on your face...see how very nice and considerate I am? I can't just enjoy my gifts and not share something with you lovely people.

I just love her beautiful voice ..this is the same lady who was the voice of Ariel in Little Mermaid. I thought this is just the perfect ending for my post...after all, those little people running around in our house are the reason we women earn our "Mother" title...no?

Hope you all have a great Mother's Day and that you do remember that it is your special day, to make sure you enjoy it to the fullest, leave the cooking, cleaning, dishes and all those other things that keep you so busy that you never take time out for yourself, to someone else and focus on yourself. If anyone deserve to take a whole day off from their load, it's you, mothers out there. With that said, I wish you the best Mother's Day ever.!!

Love ya and God bless!!