Thanking God on Friday

** I am really thankful that today is Friday. It has been a long week for me, with a lot to do at work, planning for Jamison's party, and having to deal with unhappy, rude, and whiny people. I am ready to just be at home this weekend, hanging with my family and clearing my brain.

** I am thankful for crafty bloggers. I got so many ideas for Jamison's party from other bloggers. While I love all things crafty, I'm not that great with the initial creativity. It was nice to be able to check out other blogs for ideas and then put them in action. NOTE: I should be able to post pictures of the party tomorrow evening so check back.

** I am thankful that Rondell is off the entire weekend.

** I am thankful for the Daniel study. This week's lesson was amazing and had so much great information. Beth Moore really brings the scripture to life and since I'm very visual it works perfectly for me. She explained some very tough information very well and opened my eyes to things I've never heard before. God is using her in amazing ways.

It's Official

I'm a Stamper!

While I have made one other Stampin Up! order, that one was very, very basic...my most recent order is full of the good stuff...along with some other basic things that I need, like a pad to clean the stamps.

I ordered my first stampin pads...Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie and Real Red. I will eventually buy an entire color group set. These colors will take me through Fall and into Christmas.

I also ordered my first new stamp set, Hello Again (of course, the only stamp you can't see is the one that says 'hello'). Lisa gave me a great deal on a retired tag set that she had (because I have a tag punch and I love tags..she's so thoughtful), but this set is the first one I've had to label and put together.

Here's an up close of one of the stamps...isn't she beautiful?!?

I can't wait to dive in! I'll be sure to share what I make.

50 Questions

OK, I'm a thief...I stole this idea from Joanna because it looked like fun. Maybe some of you will steal it too (because I'm nosey like that!).

1. Where were you three hours ago? Right here, at work.

2. Who are you in love with? Rondell and Jesus (working on both)

3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? Not that I can recall, but I can’t be certain.

4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? I have a pen holder next to me that's pink

5. When was the last time you went to the mall? I can't even remember. I'm not a fan of the mall so I rarely ever go.

6. Are you wearing socks right now? Yes, always socks, unless I have flip flops on.

7. Do you have a car worth over $2000? Yes

8. When was the last time you drove out of town? When I went to Cleveland for my brother's graduation...I need to get out more.

9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? No, I don't even know what's out...so sad.

10. Are you hot? Not at the moment, but I usually am...I have a fan for that issue.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Coke

12. What are you wearing right now? A turquoise shirt and black pants. My aunt would be so proud that I have on color.

13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? I prefer to wash it.

14. Last food you ate? Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich and it was yummy.

15. Where were you last week at this time? Right here.

16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Nope, even though I could use a few new shirts.

17. When was the last time you ran? I don't understand the question :)

18. What was the last sporting event you watched? The Giants vs. Cowboys...go Giants (sorry Angie)

19. Your favorite animal? Dolphins

20. Your dream vacation? The Caribbean with Rondell, no kids, sitting by the water, reading, meditating, sleeping in, good seafood and a Coke.

21. Last person’s house you were in? Mine

22. Worst injury you ever had? I can't think of any...I'm happy about that.

23. Have you been in love? Yes I have and still am.

24. Do you miss anyone right now? My Granita

25. Last play you saw? Wow, it's been a while. I think it was a play I went to with my dad, Renee and family a couple of years ago.

26. What is your secret weapon to lure the opposite sex? I don't have to lure anymore, Rondell is already smitten.

27. What are your plans for tonight? Cleaning my room (ugh!), putting clothes away, talking to Tonya about our Daniel study.

28. Who is the last person to send you a Facebook message or comment? The last time I checked it was from my friend Tim. I just found him on FB.

29. Next trip you are going to take? Destin in May

30. Ever go camping? No, but man Vivienne made it sound like a blast.

31. Were you an honor student in school? No

32. What do you want to know about the future? Living more like Christ and being obedient. I would love to be more financially secure, giving all to my husband and children and loving others.

33. Are you wearing perfume or cologne? No, but I would love to buy some.

34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor’s visit? Nope, I'm pretty current.

35. Where is your best friend? He's at work.

36. How is your best friend? He's been kind of grumpy lately, but I think he's OK...he's been working a lot.

37. Do you have a tan? No.

38. What are you listening to right now? Quiet

39. Do you collect anything? Sun catchers, dolphins, and scrapbook supplies

40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? Ooh, this lady who works in another department that I do. Annoying.

41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? After my freshman year of college and my friend Melanie and I were driving home from Columbus. I got off with a warning.

42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Yes

43. What does your last text message say? I feel the same...in response to my friend Tonya.

44. Do you like hot sauce? Yes, yes I do.

45. Last time you took a shower? This morning...I can't leave the house without one. No, really, I can't do it.

46. Do you need to do laundry? Always.

47. What is your heritage? ??

48. Are you someone’s best friend? Yes

49. Are you rich? In the Spirit!

50. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? Sleeping

Kreativ Juices

My blog friend (and Twilight expert), JennyKate, gave me this lovely award. I just can't believe it because I'm still feel like such a baby in my Creative walk. I love crafting and really give credit to all of you crafty people out there who have given me much inspiration. I am having a lot of fun learning new things and attempting to share my new things (as much as I love tutorials, I need to work on creating ones of my own).

So, thanks JennyKate!

I'm passing this along to: Joanna, Heidi, Katie, Bobbi, Mandi, Cheryl, Laurel, and Lisa (my Stampin Up demonstrator). You really need to check these ladies out...they are amazing and inspirational! Go, right now...

Happy First Day of Fall!

Here's to cooler days, apple cider, Halloween, Fall decorations, pumpkin muffins, college football, Thanksgiving, my birthday (again, November 8) and beautiful leaves.

The Simple Woman's Daybook - September 21, 2009

For today...

Outside my window...cloudy, rainy and gloomy. We are supposed to get a lot of rain this week.

I am thinking...about Jamison's birthday party.

I am thankful...for Sunday naps. There's nothing like a nap on Sunday, so peaceful and refreshing.

From the kitchen...hamburgers on the grill, breakfast, and chicken tetrazzini (I didn't get to this last week).

I am reading...the book of John. BSF is studying the book of John this year and for our first assignment we had to read the entire book, mainly as an overview. It was not as overwhelming as I thought it would be.

I am praying...for obedience and discipline in a few areas.

I am creating...little touches for Jamison's party. I am working on little apron tags for the goodie bags, a menu for the kids, and the pieces for "pin the pepperoni on the pizza."

Around the house...messy. Clothes need to be put away, the floor needs to be vacuumed, etc. I need to get to work this week to make it pretty for Jamison's party.

One of my favorite things...birthdays. Not only do I love my own birthday (which is November 8 in case you want to make a note in your calendar), but I also love celebrating other people's birthdays. This is why planning Jamison's party is so much fun for me.

A few plans for the week...pretty much just getting ready for the party. I need to clean, buy some more supplies and finish my projects.

Go here to tell about your day.

We Went A Pickin...Apples, not Noses

After church today we went apple picking at a local fruit farm. You can see our trip from last year here, but this year Rondell was able to go too.

I am always amazed by how many apples there are to pick. This year we missed my favorite, Honeycrisp, because the trees had been picked clean already. Next year we'll get here earlier so we can pick some. This year we picked Jonathon (good for baking) and Cortland.

Princess of the apples, Jamison.

Gramma Lee and Caleb deep in apple territory.

Some of the apples were HUGE. I don't know if you can tell that by the picture.

Trees full of apples to pick.

Caleb, his faces are just priceless. He had a lot of fun picking the apples (and eating them too).

Here's Gramma Lee holding our huge bag of apples...while eating two, one in each hand.

I loved all the signs they had, especially this one that said "Keep going."

Afterwards we stopped at their market to get some goodies. I got already-picked Honeycrisp, some yummy salsa and pumpkin butter for Ron.

According to Vivienne this is now a tradition since we've done it twice. I like that idea.

Living It Up!

Today I went with some girlfriends to the Country Living Fair. It was such a beautiful day to be outside, looking at crafts and other goodies. I was surprised that I only bought one thing, a sun catcher (I LOVE sun catchers!). I discovered that my taste isn't as country as I thought, but it was still a really fun time!

Here are my girls...Laura, Jodie and Angela. They were so much fun to hang out with on a beautiful Saturday morning.

I thought it was so cute, all of the people who brought baskets to carry all of their goodies.

They had a lot of demonstrations. This is a demonstration on pottery. I love pottery and I meant to go back to this booth and forgot.

This was a highlight for me...a Stampin Up! booth.

Later the kids and I went to my friend Tonya's daughter's birthday party.

Princess "Bug" Jocelyn. She was so cute. Her favorite thing was the card her grandmother gave her...it played music.

Here's Caleb getting in on the gift opening action.

Side note: Today Caleb was that kid in the store stomping and screaming because he was not the one getting a toy. He kept saying "what about me?" That stinker.

Thanking God on Friday

** I am thankful for nice weather. The weather here has just been beautiful the past two weeks and I just love it. I love that the kids can go outside and play and that the windows are open, letting in a nice breeze. And in the evening I love the smell of people burning their fire places and fire pits.

** I am thankful Bible studies. I have a really hard time just opening the Bible, reading it, and then taking something away. I'm so thankful that I have been involved in studies that allow me to read and think, but also give guidance and great interpretation.

** I am thankful for Vicks vapor rub. Caleb is battling allergies and coughing all night and Vicks has helped ease that a bit. I love the smell of it too.

** I am thankful for planning. With Jamison's birthday coming up next week I have quite a few things to do. I sat down the other day and mapped it all out and I feel better about getting it all done. Today I am making the banner...it's going to say Party Time.

Great Deal That I Have to Share

I had to share with you all that Hobby Lobby has the Cricut Expression on sale for 279.99. I know this is still a little pricey, but the regular price is 399.99 so this is an amazing sale. Just FYI.

What's For Dinner Thursday!

I've shared this recipe before but for those of you who missed it, here's what we're having for dinner tonight.

Honesty Is The Best Policy

I received this award/tag from my new blog friend Christie. Christie is so sweet with her comments and she is a great mom to an adorable little boy. AND she's a first grade teacher and since I would love to go into teaching I need to pick her brain. Thanks Christie! You can read my other Honest Scrap posts here and here.

Here are the rules..

1.) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.

2.) Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.

3.) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.

4.) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving.

I'll share ten things that I'm thinking and dreaming about right now:

1. I hope Jamison does well at the dentist this morning

2. I really wish I could quit my job and do Stampin Up! full-time. I said I was dreaming.

3. I made lasagna the other day and I thought it was just OK, not one of my better ones.

4. I'm happy my friend Lyndsey was able to bring me to work this morning.

5. I am grateful that I feel OK with deciding not to take Jamison to BSF this year. She and I talked about it this morning and I've been praying about it. I feel that right now is not the right time for Jamison and I think we'll try again maybe next year or the year after.

6. I need to find some time to run to Hobby Lobby.

7. I can't wait for my newest Stampin Up! order to come in.

8. I really wish I could get a sitter for Friday and go to a Stampin Up! Hostess Workshop...do you see a theme of what is on my mind.

9. I love that Jamison loves to read and is doing well at it.

10. I'm excited to spend some fun time at home tonight...Ron is off!

Well, I've tagged people before and if you're out there and haven't done this consider yourself retagged! Come on, I'm nosey!

Tackle it Tuesday - School Bin

I am so excited about this week's tackle. OK, so I'm excited about all the tackles that I do, but this one includes organization...one of my favorite things.

I don't know about you, but I'm always losing papers that come home from school (like the picture day form...ugh, I'm still upset about that) and it can be very frustrating. It's also kind of annoying when Jamison and I are in the middle of a project or homework and we have to stop because we don't have all of the supplies.

Well, problem solved. Introducing my new School Bin! Now, there's a filing system and everything (I think) is all in one place.

First, I got a this clear bin from Target. I really wanted to use a cute basket but I just couldn't find what I was looking for.

I bought some file folders at Office Max (they are so cute!) and I made some labels with my handy dandy new label maker. Now I have a file for things that need to be returned to school, like permission slips, forms, etc; a file for Jamison's writing pages; a file for the art work that Jamison is working on (she's always creating something); and a file of papers that I get from her school that have tips about encouraging your child to read, do math, etc., so that I can refer to them as she's working.

I gathered some workbooks that Jamison has been working on.

Then I got these cup holders from Office Max. In one of them I put crayons, pencils and a pen for all things writing (or coloring). In the other cup I put her scissors, glue sticks, stickers and erasers for all thing creating.

Here's the finished bin. I put a notepad that I use to write notes in there as well. I'll keep you posted on whether or not this system works, but from what I can tell so far it is going to be great!

For more tackles check out 5 Minutes for Mom

The Simple Woman's Daybook - September 14, 2009

For today...

Outside my window...another beautiful sunny day. I am in love with this weather!

I am thinking...about how I am truly enjoying Stampin Up! I went to another workshop that my friend (that's what she is now, I've adopted her) Lisa had and I'm here to tell you that I had the BEST time. I was there for almost four hours making cards and it was a BLAST. I can't wait to get my new order and really get to work. I may never buy another card again.

I am thankful...that our Small Group has started back up again and that we had a nice time yesterday.

From the kitchen...lasagna, cabbage and noodles, breakfast, and I may take a stab at chicken tetrazzini.

I am reading...Charlotte's Web. When Rondell and I cleaned the basement we found, among other things, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. They were my books from when I was little and I decided to read them to the kids. So, every night we've been reading a chapter out of Charlotte's Web. It's been really fun (even though there are some parts that are a little deep for Jamison, like wanting to kill Wilbur for bacon!).

I am praying...for my friends. People in general are just going through some tough things and I'm praying for strength and patience for each and every one.

I am creating...things for Jamison's party. In the next two weeks I'd like to make a banner, a menu for the party, goodie bag tags, the big pizza for "pin the pepperoni on the pizza" and thank you cards. I better get to work.

Around the house...things are getting more organized and I love it. The basement is just wonderful...I need to get the donation stuff out this week.

One of my favorite things...watching football with Rondell. He was home in time to watch the second half of the OSU game and we had a great time.

A few plans for the rest of the week...We have a busy week. Tonight is BSF!!!! Jamison is going with me to participate in its children's program and I'm excited for her. Tomorrow is curriculum night...I am that mom the LOVES curriculum night. Thursday Rondell and I have our monthly Crown group. Saturday I'm going with a group of friends to the Country Living Fair and then to my friend Tonya's daughter's birthday party. Finally, Sunday we are hopefully going apple picking. Whew!

Tell us what's in your Daybook here.

FMM - Favorite Fall Shows

Amber has another great Fall topic this week: Fall Shows! We are to name the Fall shows that we are looking forward to. Here's my list:

Now I know this is not a Fall show because it doesn't start until January (they're killin me!), but since it is my favorite and most anticipated show of the year I had to put it on the list: