A Mother's Miracle...

Please pray for my friend Kim... she is the mother of the preemie baby girls. Baby T had a set back last night. All within an hour she went from having trouble breathing to being admitted to the NICU. Turns out she contracted the Group Strep B virus, and they caught it just as it was entering her spinal fluid. If Kim had waited another hour, Baby T would have been near death, in fact her kidneys and digestive system had just shut down. Kim is so thankful that the NICU readmitted Baby T, this is almost unheard of for a 3 mos old (1 month post-gestational). She is also thankful that it is the same nurses caring for her as it was the first 8 weeks of Baby T's life. Baby T will be there for the next 3 weeks recieving antibiotics... please pray for them, and for Baby M who is missing mommy and sister.

Speaking of Mother's Miracles, Kim had sent me a pic of her beautiful girls, and asked that I make a mini kit for her (she digi scraps a bit when she has time). So here is what I made for her, and it coordinates with the girls outfits in the picture, thus the unconventional colors. I also want to share it with my faithful blog readers, a gift for you all! Please pray and think of Baby T when and if you DL.

Link Uno

Link Dos (use when other is finito)

Please leave me some love when you take it! I crave my comments, and am checking all day long to see who wrote me a nice note. Enjoy, and I can't wait to see what you do with it!

On a lighter note, last night the Burns' family had a good time. We went to our nearby Prime Outlets and did a bit of shopping. I got Seth some summer sleepers. I am tickled that I found one with Blue Dogs all over it... his lovey is a blue dog. Hmmm... I see a LO coming...

At the American Eagle, I discovered a fabulous skirt on sale! I couldn't beat the price, so its all mine! Yummy summer casual wear! I picked up a T to go with it, and I can't wait to sport these later! Both are still available at ae.com, the skirt is in the Clearance section.

Nate didn't lose out either. We were in Gap, and he turns to me and says "what do you think of these camo shorts?" I, for one, had never really liked camo, nor thought Nate did. But once he tried them on, he looked H-O-T! We got him a Hula Girl shirt to go with it, and now my man is stylin'. I am so glad that this man is all mine.

On the way home, we stopped for some Mexican... I had the Fajitas Tejanas (Guess what that is!) Nate had stuffed peppers and Seth had a good ole time just dipping chips in the salsa. LOL~ we tried to get him to eat more, and he did eat a bit of my guacomole, but he was happy with chip dippin'. We came home, put Seth to bed and then watched our taped My Name is Earl & The Office, MAN! Those shows are so funny!

I don't have anything planned for today, just to relax. I do want to finish the Playtime kit for A Cherry On Top, all I need to do is the alpha. You guys will dig it, bright, playful, and BOY! Yummm!

BIGGER ARRGGG! There is a RECOVER POST button, and I messed it up by typing my last rant! CURSES!

curses! Blogger just ate my ginormous post! ARGGG!

Midday Mischief....

Midday Mischief had a small delay getting into the store, but it is now up and ready for you HERE. I went ahead and created a LO with it... and am tickled with the results. Isn't this photo so precious? It tugs at my heart, I adore my boys!

Midday Mischief kit by Andrea Burns at the Digi Chick, tan paper from Morning Glory. Rhonna Farrer jelly stars & date stamp, Font: John Handy LET.

This is somewhat of a scraplift of a LO in Scrapbook's Etc. Design Secrets. Journaling reads: I love watching the 2 of you together... craving each other’s presence, each other’s shining star.

Speaking of Midday Mischief... check out my little rascal and what he was doing yesterday...

I LOVE this kid! Molar number 6 has popped through... I am sure that the last 2 will appear within the next week or so.

So guess who was the weenie that caved and ordered a too-pricey dress? (sigh) I hope it comes in time for me to take on my trip....

Guess who is also featured at A Cherry on Top in a Beginner Digi Article? The very same weenie! Check out what StrangeJen wrote, using my freebie as an example! Look HERE.

And speaking of freebies.....

I have tried 4 times to unsuccessfully upload something for you all, but YouSendIt is being the BIGGEST pain, and has pooped out all 4 times. So I am now peeved and frustrated... and maybe tomorrow.

Reviews & Previews....

Yesterday was like Christmas morning here! My package from IdeaBooks4U came! I had ordered 3 books, and I couldn't be happier! I have flipped through them all, but I am saving my reading for when I am away and have no computer time. Here is what I got~


Designer's Eye For Scrapbooking

In "A Designer's Eye For Scrapbooking," Ali shares her design secrets on how to create attractive, charming and well-balanced pages that tell a story and reflect your unique personality. This inspirational guide to scrapbook page design will teach you how to preserve your memories in a meaningful way.







Scrapbook's Etc. Design Secrets

One of our very first objectives was that a book on scrapbook design must be colorful and fun. We didn't want it to be a stuffy examination of design theory. We wanted it to be a fun collection of everything we ever wanted to know about graphic design. But we also wanted to show all of the ways that design can help scrapbookers better tell their stories. Because a pretty layout isn't really a scrapbook page unless it tells a story in some way.



Autumn Leaves Designing with Photos

"Designing with Photos" is an all-in-one guide to photographing like a professional and then using the photos in incredibly creative and artistic ways. In friendly, easy-to-follow sections, this book takes you from simply documenting, to discovering, whether in an elegant handmade card or an intricate photographic anthology. Beautiful photographs and fantastic projects illustrate each section of the eye-popping, instructional book.

(the above descriptions are various one I picked up from around the web)


I can't wait to really delve into these books and learn what they are teaching! Since I have started designing, my own scrapping has suffered, and I plan to change that when I get back! More scrapping for me! I really want to get the Freestyle book next, the one that everyone is talking about.

Everyone has responded so well to my Morning Glory kit, I am so pleased to see people enjoying it! Are you ready for the next installment? I am just as tickled about this one, it is truly gender neutralal, featuring soft yellows and greens....

Available Tonight at The Digi Chick~ Midday Mischief is the second installment in the Hourglass Collection. Bright sunny and grassy hues are the basis of this kit, and will surely suit both male and female layouts. Midday Mischief offers 8 textured papers, 3 satin ribbons, 3 metal rimmed tags, 2 metal label holders, 2 satin flowers, 2 sets of colored stitching, 2 tied knots, 2 word art, 1 glittered flower, 1 vintage button, and metal hardware. Also included is a full glittered epoxy alpha, numeral, and symbol set.

I hope you all like it as much as I do! OK, off to work! Be on the lookout.... coming soon to a Blog near you... a lovely gift! ;)

Cooking Up Some Froglegs....

I live for nice weather! There is almost nothing better than being outside with the sun on your back, and the warmth seeping into your bones. In fact, I need tomake this short b/c Seth and I have a date to get outside... We go to a nearby park where they have a lovely outside 1 mile fitness path. I like to walk/ jog it 2 or 3 times, and then we go over the the playground and Seth gets to have his fun. He kills me with how social he is... such a blessing right now, but also a heartbreak... it just means someday his friends will be cooler than me... (sigh)

I have 3 projects I have to get done by Tuesday. That is a lot for me, and I am starting to feel overwhelmed. If you haven't noticed yet, I try to put one new kit up a month at A Cherry on Top, and I try to get it near the beginning of the month as I can. The rest of the month is dedicated to The Digi Chick. SO I have been working on something fun and BOYISH for ACOT. Here is my color palette as a sneak peek~

Tomorrow releases the 2nd installment of Hourglass Collection, and I have decided to wait till May to release the last 2. I just need to quit putting around and get to work.... Why Tuesday you ask? Because Nate and I leave for our District Conference, where all the pastors and superintendents, and big wigs and such get together and have business meetings... Then on Thursday we leave from there (Pittsburgh) and we go to my folks in MD, b/c Nate has a huge Frog Show, where he plans to launch his Jungle Jumpers business. He has froglets to sell, my prints, T-shirts, driftwood for tanks, and a custom built tank. Please cross your fingers that all goes well, he is starting to get nervous. Its called the International Amphibian Days, and its held in Baltimore. We will be home Monday.

So last night, I did something I have been meaning to do for a looong time. I have been ripping recipes out of magazine for a few years now. Except they have been sitting willy-nilly in a pile. Last night I actually (gasp!) sorted them out! They are now sorted by category, and are placed in folders. Please don't ask how many recipes I have actually tried... its shameful, but I do solemnly swear to try more! It also gave me the idea of creating my own cookbook, complete with my own photos... something for me to look into. Nate and I are planning a missions trip to Africa in 2008, and that might be a nice fundraiser....

OK, Seth is tantruming, so I must dash.... Happy Wednesday all! (oh yeah, as for my title today, J/K! Gross!)

Hallelujah Homestyle....

Lets sing the Hallelujah Chorus together! My new dishwasher has arrived! Albeit it at 8:15 in the morning, but it is here! Now... to just get it installed.... ;)

Many of you have asked me about the book that I modeled the You Are My I Love You LO after... its a book by the same name by Maryann Cusimano. You can get the book HERE. I actually just saw that she has another book, a Holiday book with the same type style and illustrations... hmmm...

Speaking of books! I just got Southern Living's Homestyle Cooking in the mail yesterday! I was looking for a cookbook that was "normal" KWIM? There are so many cookbooks out there that have far out recipes, and weird combos of stuff, that I wouldn't cook here at home. I have scanned through the book a couple times, and I have to say there is some neat recipes in there that I will have to try! Last night it put me in the mood, so I baked a new bread recipe that I found on pg 124. I made it b/c I wanted to see if the recipes tasted any good before I committed to keeping it. Also b/c I had all the ingredients on hand! So here you go...

Spiced Applesauce Bread

1 1/4 c applesauce
1 c sugar
1/2 c veg oil
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
3 T milk
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grnd cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 c chopped pecans, divided
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp grnd cinnamon

Combine first 5 ingredients in a lg bowl and stir well. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients: add to applesauce mixture: stirring well. Fold in 1/2 c pecans. Pour batter into a greased 9x5 in. loaf pan. Combine remaining1/2 c pecans, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and sprinkle over batter in pan. Bake at 350* for 60-70 min or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 min, and then cool completely on a wire rack.

YUMMY for breakfast!! I do have to tell you... I bake with Self Rising flour, so I always leave out the baking soda & salt. And I didn't have pecans, so I substituted walnuts, and it was still very good! Do you have any good Cookbooks? I am intrigued by Rachel Ray... any experience with these? I would love to hear!

Monday Morning Glory....

Over the weekend there was a slight snafu with Morning Glory papers... but they are up now and working, so go back to your account and get 'em! Here is a new LO I did with them... This LO is based off of a sketch from this month's Scrapbooks Etc, and I really like how it turned out! Like I said last week, this is a family self portrait, we used a tripod and my little remote! I took 2 in a row, and it was the first click that made Seth look at the camera, for this 2nd pic! Journaling reads: This Easter was a lot of fun! It was just the three of us this year, but that was OK. I love it just the three of us anyways. My Family ‘06

Morning Glory kit (from the Hourglass Collection) by Andrea Burns at The Digi Chick. Fonts: Georgia and Susie's Hand.

Can I tell you how much I adore having my husband home again? Sunday, as I was crying over the bowl of cheese Seth had tossed to the floor, I realized that I am blessed with a wonderful husband who is an awesome Daddy. I could not handle being a Single Mom, and huge Kudos to you woman to who do it everyday. You are true heros!

When I have more than 48 hours without Daddy at home... Seth tantrums more, and is just so much more of a handful... its like he craves his Daddy time and misses Nate too. He also tried to do all the boyish things with me... like head banging and body slamming. When Nate came home yesterday afternoon... I told him I was "Sethed out" and I wasn't changing a diaper till Tuesday, LOL!

Get this! My purple dress came.. Early! Or actually... on time! So weird, but I am sticking to the ivory ATL dress. I even found a black beaded necklace this weekend when I was at the mall. Can you tell I have an "itch" for dresses lately? There is this gorgeous number at The Gap... But it is $68! A little pricey for a cotton dress! I could understand if it was silk, or more formal.... but cotton/ linen? Anyways, I have it bookmarked, and am praying for a sale, with it still in my size, LOL! Nate now thins I am certifiably insane. And I might be... so are you if you are still reading and made it this far.... LOL!

Happy Monday!

Book Review..

Thanks so much for all of the support yesterday! I always find it such a blessing to read your little notes of encouragement. I am just a normal (OK, Nate says not so normal, LOL) woman, and I have insecurities just like the rest of us... so when I see such friendly faces leaving me such friendly notes, it tickles my heart. Thank You!

I stayed up until 2 am last night finishing the book Grace In Thine Eyes. It by the Christian author Liz Curtis Higgs. I really enjoyed her first series (Thorn in My Heart, Fair is the Rose, & Whence Came a Prince) retelling the story of Jacob & Leah from the Old Testament. It was set in 1700's Scotland and completely opened my eyes to how terribly "Leanna" was treated.... Anyways, this new book is a spinoff, and a story about their daughter Davina, retelling the story of Dinah. Liz Curtis Higgs has an awesome way of retelling the story, and everything is research based, Old Testament and historically to the early 1800's Scotland. The story completely captivated me and drew me in. A great read, I completely suggest all 4 books!

Have I mentioned lately how awesome Ebay is? Two years ago my mother-in-law found and won an antique milk bottle. It wasn't just any mil bottle, but of one that orginiated from the family farm. The man who used to own it was HJ Gregory, my mother-in-law's grandfather. Now, that family farm is still in the family... but its owned and run my a distant cousin, and its not a Dairy Farm anymore, so no more Milk Bottles.

Two years ago I put in a Search for a milk bottle for myself, and asked to be notified by email whenever the criteria was met (ie Sugar Hill Dairy). It took two years, but a little bit ago, I finally got my email that a listing was up! I did end up winning the bottle, and it now sits on my shelf, but How neat is Ebay? Where you can go and find your family history and bring it back home?
Are you LOL yet? Can you see that PS is open in my screenshot? Its always open here.... LOL!

Friday....

I am getting a late start today, I am just having one of those days! I am getting frustrated with certain things in my personal life, and am just wondering if maybe it is time to really rethink a few things. No worries, it is all non-scrapbook related...

Have you all bought the new Digital Memories Magazine? Have you seen my LO inside? I thought that I would share it here too, incase you have... or in case you haven't, LOL!

Pattern Paper by Carrie Stephens. Doodled word art by Taran Conyers. Fonts: Americana XBd BT & AbcKids

"You Are My I Love You" is inspired by the book of the same title, it is one I cherish and read to Seth often.

Here is a LO that didn't make the copy, but it is one of my all time favorites, and I just had to share. I LOVE how it turned out, how I was able to use lots of flowers on a tiny baby boy page... and how sweet?!?! Seth used to be so little! He was only 6 days old in that picture... (sigh)

Morning Breeze by Jen Wilson, stitching by me, Blue Chenille alpha by Katie Pertiet. Fonts: Susie's Hand

Journaling Reads: Your cry is so sweet and so terrifying, but in the few short days I have loved you, I can’t live without you. I am amazed at the fact that you are a symbol and a creation of the love between your Daddy and I. Little Man, you complete my heart and my world.

Hmmm... what else? Nate is leaving for the weekend, he has a retreat with some of the boys in Erie. I think I am packing up Little Man and heading to the Mall tomorrow for some proper perusing.

Hourglass Collection...

My washing machine is fixed, and I am currently on my 2nd out of 1,376 loads of today. Good thing too, b/c Nate ran out of undershirts... I need to pick him up some more. The one frustrating thing, is that the repair man did not show up until 5 pm.

5 pm.

What the heck?!? I waited all day, forgoing my walk/park play with Seth... I took my shower when Nate was home for lunch, lest I miss the man knocking, and then he doesn't even come till 5 pm. What a crock. The AWESOME news is, that it cost $30. Yep! Isn't that a blessing?

Turns out, that something rare happened with my machine (repair man's words, not mine). It actually ate a sock! One of Seth socks got sucked up into the pump, and then clogged up the pump, thus the no draining and spinning. So, the repair man dislodged the mangled, destroyed, and greasy sock from the pump, replaced a valve, and that was it. PHEW!

Now for some fun news! Introducing the Hourglass Collection at The Digi Chick! My Hourglass Collection will feature 4 kits representing the 4 major times of the day. First up is Morning Glory, and I am thrilled at how it turned out! I really feel that I have just grown as a designer with leaps and bounds the last few kits, and this one by far, is my favorite. I can't wait to scrap with it myself! It is available tonight!

Morning Glory is the first kit in a collection inspired by times of the day. Morning Glory features soft hues inspired by the first rays of morning light. This kit comes packed with 9 textured papers, 3 satin ribbons, 3 word buttons, 2 flowers, 2 threaded tags, 2 tabs, 2 colored sets of stitching, 2 word art, 1 glittered butterfly, 1 glittered flower stamp, 1 coaster, and 1 tied satin bow. Also included in Morning Glory is a full alpha, numeral, and symbol set.

Next week, you will see the next installment, Midday Mischief, featuring soft greens and yellows. I am a firm believer that kits should offer gender neutral papers, so mommies of boys, take another look, there are plenty of papers and elements above to scrap a boy page.

Teh-Co Teh-Co.....

Did you know that my washing machine has been broken snce Friday? That it has been sitting full of water since then? That the Burns' houshold is almost out of unmentionables? Today is the day. Ok, Monday was supposed to be the day, but it turns out Today is really the day that the repair man is coming. I really hope he comes. Not only is my basement starting to smell slightly of funk, but dang it, I want some fresh clothes.

I was washing some bedding on Friday, when I knew enough time had passed to put it in the dryer. So I go down... and it was full of water. I tried twistig the knob this way and that... but nothing. The kicker is, is that this wahser is only 4 yrs old, so we shouldn't be having this problem. We had to pull the bedding out, and take it to a laundry mat to spin it out, then bring it back hom to dry it.

And in liue of taxes... lets just say that I am praying that it won't cost so much. That is, if the man ever shows up!

Daydreams kit by Gina Cabrera, pin by Kirsten Smit, Font: AL Boogie Woogie

Journaling reads: When you laugh, when you smile, I adore you. When you cry, when you tantrum, I adore you. When you snuggle, when you ask for tickles, I adore you. When you throw your milk, when you hit, I adore you. When you woof, when you kiss, I adore you. When you tumble, when you fall, I adore you. In every little way, I adore you.

Seth did the most precious thing ever yesterday! We were getting dressed for the day, and I had just put his pants on him, and was about to put on his shirt, when he raised his arms, and said "teh-co, teh-co?" My heart melted into a puddle right there! He was asking for tickles for the very fiorst time! We do this old Shel Silverstein rhyme, where I say "Ickle me...... (point one finger) Pickle me..... (point the other finger) TICKLE ME TOOOOOO!!!" and then wild tickleing commences. Seth loves it, he is giggling on the first Ickle Me. So when he asked me to teh-co, teh-co, how could I resist?

Seth has popped out his 5th molar in the last couple days. My child is an overachiever when it comes to teeth. His first tooth was at the ripe old age of 4 months, and he had 6 teeth by the time he was 6 months old, all 12 by 12 months. Lets say nursing was an adventure... !!!

Well, this new molar is one of his 24 mos molars, and it has appeared in the same fashion as the others... very early.

Our fridge lock came in the mail this past weekend as well... and Oh My Gosh! Whoever invented that, was and is brilliant, and it was well worth the 5 dollars + $5 S&H! We got it at One Step Ahead.

We only got one, since we have a standard fridge, not the side-by-side thats pictured to the left. Best invention ever.

Hairific....

What is it with my titles lately? LOL! I always think up some random title... and then "why not?" I am a self-professed overuser of the elipses... and of exclamation marks, but ah well.

Wow, not even 2 sentences in, and I have run off onto a random tangent. Right On Andrea!

Those of you who guess that my Sethro got a haircut yesterday.... ding, ding, ding! You got it! The child had gotten beastly long. Actually I like it a bit longer, but our clippers at home cut one length... Military Crew, LOL. So off to a salon we went, this was last Friday. I wanted him to have nice hair for Easter.

So here is the Before~

They had a TV mounted to the wall, and the hairdresser popped in an Elmo video. Brilliant! The kid watched TV 90% of the time, and even danced some. My kid likes to shimmy.

Little Man giggling at Elmo antics.

Towards the end he got a bit antsy, but the hairdresser was awesome, quick, and even sang abit to him.

And now the After~

My little man is so handsome, is he not? Look at that face!

Now onto the "IT" that some of you were guessing... LOL! And NO Andrea, it is not another wee one, not quite yet. I have a few things up my sleeve, something Fab-U-Lous that I can share in a couple days (wink), and 2 somethings that are cooking up at ACOT. One I can share soon, another will have to wait.... (muah-ah-ah, as she lets out an evil laugh and rubs her hands together)

Now, Julie, lets talk about me being the "whitest cuban" you have ever seen.

Its true. I admit it. I am so fair skinned, and I have a million freckles on my arms and knees. I inherited the fair skin from my Mom. Now let me tell you... I am the oldest of 3 girls. My middle sis Alicia (there are recent pics of her and her DH, remember?) is a blonde, and my youngest sis Amelia is an auburn red head. Funny huh? Now I am the more latin looking of the 3 of us, with my dark hair and eyes, all 3 of us are curvy, but they have the dark skin that tans well.

Here is a LO I did of us way back in Dec~

Credits: Good Times kit by Carrie Stephens, Font: A Yummy Apology

Journaling Reads: The “Lopez Girls”, “Sisters” as Dad likes to call us~ as different as our hair, we are often very much alike, even though we’d be loathe to admit it. We are all so passionate about our endeavors, and they have led us in opposite directions at times, but when it comes down to it, we are still the famous “Lopez Girls”, and we are always sisters. Always.

Of course, that pic doesn't do their darker skin justice, but like I said... December, LOL!

Last night Nate and I had our long-needed date out. We went to the mall, and I finally got my glasses fixed. Remember how I said that I was so iffy about them, and they didn't fit well? The lady took one look at them and was like "did the guy even adjust them at all?" I was like "uh... yeah, but it was busy that night." She literally sat there for 5 minutes twisting and bending, and now they glide on my face, hug in the rigt spots, and most importantly, don't push out my ears. I am keeping them now!

I also picked up my wedding set, I had left them to be re-rhodium plated, b/c my white gold was really starting to look yellow. They are boo-tiful! I ooohed-and-awwwed over that ring I am still lusting after, I am sure that Nate is getting annoyed, LOL!

I also ordered Nate's Anniversary present! Yep, I figured it out! When we first got married, he wanted this Titanium Wedding ring, b/c it whats NASA scientists make rockets outs of (rolled eyes inserted) and b/c its a hard metal which can't be dented easily, nor resized.

(sigh) Except that Nate has lost 15-20 lbs since we were first married. And now his wedding band just falls off. So we decided that his gift would be a new band. And this is what we picked out~

LOL~ Yep, my man will be wearing a bit of bling! I told Nate that he has to take extra care of this ring, as in No Wearing it while working on the car!! We both like it... and of course that means he's obligated to, ahem, buy me a bit of bling too. ;)

We went to a local restaurant called The Log Cabin, authentic old cabin restored to serve awesome Steak dinners. (Katie, don't look!) We both had Top Sirloins, I had a baked Sweet Potatoe with cinnamon butter, and Nate had fries. Then we both split their amazing peanut Butter Pie with a granola crust. I think this place has the best steaks ever. Delish!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Grandma Arms....

Hi everyone! Did everyone have a lovely Easter Day yesterday? I hope so! We had a busy day, but it was well worth it, and we had a great time. Church service was wonderful, we did a narrative of the Resurrection Story, I had a solo, and it went well.

We had a change of dinner plans. Turns out our Sr. Pastor and his wife were going to be alone for dinner too, so they invited us and the widow to come to their house instead, which we gladly took. The more the merrier right? We came home really quick after service and before lunch. I wanted to family pics in front of our blooming Weeping Cherry Tree, and to give Seth his basket.

Giving him his basket was so funny! We put it under the tree, and once he saw it, he took off! I was snapping pics, but he was over there, and had opened a Snickers Egg and had taken a couple bites before Nate got there, LOL! Didn't Seth know that the candy was actually for us? LOL, we got him the Lady & the Tramp DVD, so he could "woof woof" his little heart out.

Isn't that face so precious? I adore this kid! Notice anything different? C'mon, take a guess!

So after that, we set up the tripod, and I took some self-family portraits using my little remote, and this is the one I like best~

Since when did I get flabby grandma arms? Must work on that.... wear some arm weights while I walk and some self tanner or something... maybe actually lose a few lbs... LOL! Do you see my new haircut? I like it! Side bangs are working out for me! It still a bit longer in the back, don't let those layers fool you.

Lunch was awesome, ham and potatoes. The pastor's wife made this ham gravy, which is a bit sweeter than regular gravy, and it was surprisingly good!

So Easter was a hit here, and it made my heart happy! How was yours?

BTW~ "It's" coming!!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from this Chick and her Duck!

Popsicles paper by Shabby Princess, Ali Folendore Flower, Holly McCaig S, Traci Murphy heart tear, Taran Conyers Doodle font

Good Friday

Timeless Question...

Does eating 4 marshmallow Peeps count as a healthy, well-rounded lunch?

Preview Wednesday...

Yeesh, I am behind on everything! I want to thank Jodi, Shannon, & Jenn for emailing some yummy looking recipes! And thanks to everyone else to left tips, my lips are just smacking over here, yumm, yumm!

My ivory Ann Taylor Loft dress just came in the mail... wow, I LOVE it! I can't wait to wear it! I need to find a fine-beaded long black necklace to go with it, just like in the picture below. If any of you super sleuth internet dectectives can find a similar one, please point the way!

I have deduced that my sore throat is allergy related. Now that it is getting warm, and the pollen is out and about, my thraot is closing up. Waking up in the morning is torture, and I can't speak till lunchtime. Not that I would want to speak... remember? I am a Delerious Grump in the am, LOL!

LOST tonoght!! I am sooo there! Who's with me? The actor who plays Sayid was on the View a couple days back, and he said that the finale would be "catastrophic and violent". The rumor mill is saying that it has something to do with the weather. He just said that they are all in fear of losing their jobs cause there are so many twists and turns and Barbara said "can you give us any news" and he said that there was going to be a Catastrophic ending this season.

I am thinking someone might die..... (coughpleasecoughletcoughitcoughbecoughanaluciacough)

Coming Tomorrow Night to The Digi Chick! My first Double Up with Mari K, Home Cooking.

This kit is Ginormous! 12 papers Lots of elements and a very cool alpha! An awesome kit to make your own cookbook, or to use when you participate with the weekly recipe group at TDC!

If you have been enjoying the glitter gifts, then you will LOVE this! 24 decorative Glitter goodies! Not ALL are shown in the preview, I couldn't make them fit, LOL!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Are Your Taxes Done?

Ours aren't... not quite, but almost! We worked on our taxes for a while yesterday. Did you know that Birth Control and Co-Pays are deductable? (well, for clergy anyways... maybe not you all...) We have our Cell phones to deduct too, but can't find out where to do that? Any tips? We are trying out Turbo Tax for the first time.

ALSO~ CALLING ALL COOKS! I am in need and have been looking for an awesome Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe and a Fudge recipe! Please email me yours at andreaburnsct@hotmail.com I have been using frozen CCB, but would like to make my own, and just tried a fudge recipe... that was a disaster!

The fudge I tried last night, used the term "bring it to the soft ball stage" and I had no idea what that meant. But I think I understand better now from a post at 2Ps... except, mine boiled over! I have the hardest time getting milk to simmer, and NOT boil over... maybe thats why last night's fudge didn't turn out. Its really gooey, even after being put in the fridge...

I am so happy that you all liked your glitter flowers yesterday! How much fun is this new trend? Well here is another gift for you~ a shooting star!

Download HERE

Haven't had any Scrapping Mojo lately... I did get out and shoot some pics the other day though. I was hoping to catch some awesome photos of Seth and his reflection in the puddles... but as you can see, he had a quick meltdown!

I will be shooting again to catch the ever elusive reflection!

So, even though my mojo is absent, my Creative Team has been rocking my world! They reallyare just the coolest bunch of girls, and have really created wonderful peices of art with my kits. So I am going to shamelessly show some recent ones off!

Aggie using Robin's Nest kit at A Cherry on Top, and Alphabella V4 at TDC

Traci using Robin's Nest

Tegan using Robin's Nest

Amy using Pretty Posies paper pack and Million Dollar Alpha at The Digi Chick

Melissa using Months Paper pack and Scratchtastic Alpha, and other Andrea Burns elements at The Digi Chick

Angelina using Mudpuddles at A Cherry on Top

Melanie using Sunrise Surprise at A Cherry on Top and Alphabella V2 at TDC

Glittertastic...

Happy Monday everyone... Isn't that a sort of an oxymoron? Anyways, I still feel like crud. Not too terribly sick, just sore throat and ears, and my body feels worn down and heavy. I didn't roll out of bed till 9:45 this morning, and I could go take a nap now.

I learned how to Glitter digitally! How much fun is that! So~ Just for you~

DOWNLOAD HERE

Come back, I'll have more Glitter Gifts throughout the week for you! Leave me some love if you take it please!

I have been thinking alot about Easter lately. Our closest family, Nate's parents, will be spending this Easter with my SIL and her fam, so it was just going to be the 3 of us here... all alone. Then I had a bright idea in church yesterday. We have a few older widows and widowers, and I am going to extend them an inviation to come eat with us. That way no one will be lonely on such a joyous and blessed holiday. I have already invited and gotten a "Yes" from one lady, and there are a couple more folks I need to call this afternoon.

As for the menu, I was thinking Chicken Cordon Bleu, Potatoes, fresh green beans, and a Strawberry Cobbler. WDYT? I think it sounds yummy!

Alright, thats all I can muster today. I am going to go lay down for a bit.

Sore Throat...

Its after 11 pm, and I really should go to bed.... I am not feeling well. My throat and ears are hurting... Ugg. And I have to sing in church tomorrow. Our Sr. Pastor asked me last minute to fill in, and now I feel unprepared and now my throat hurts. (sigh)

We also had a surprise visit from my In Law's today. It was actually nice~ the first time I had seen my FIL since his Peretinitis (the burst intestine) in January. He looks good, and was in good spirits. He asked if I wanted to see his colastomy bag.... um *ick* NO! He will have the reversal surgery in Sept to get back to normal.

I pray everyone has a wonderful Palm Sunday, and may you reflect what this coming week truly means.

LOST Dates...

Lets Talk LOST a second... are there any fans here? Any theorists like myself? Wednesday night was Crazy, no pun intended ;) LOL! I knew there was more to Libby than meets the eye, but I thought she was a doc in Hurley's Psych ward, not an actual patient. And I totally called the Dave thing early on. Did you all catch the number references in the last couple episodes?

Ep 17 Seas 2~
Locke's safety deposit box was number1516
Henry Gale's adress is 815 Walnut Ridge Road

Episode 18, Season 2~
"There were 23 people on that balcony, there was only supposed to be 8" (referencing Hurley's accident)

I am also becoming a big fan of Grey's Anatomy. Nate loves all of the CSI's, and I like them too, but LOST and GA, are my release from all the crime drama, LOL!

Hmmm... what else? Can we call myslef indiscisive today? LOL~ I am worried that the dress won't be here in time, so I ordered another one last night from Ann Taylor Loft. What is the difference between Ann Taylor & Ann Taylor Loft? I really like this one though, it has a bit of a spanish feel to it... and I could totally see Kelly Ripa wearing it, and I think she has fabulous style! (call me crazy... and yes I am a Regis & Kelly fan!)

I have a MUCH NEEDED hair appnt at 12:30. Just in time for Nate to come home for lunch and watch Seth. Trimming off a couple inches, adding more layers, and possibly getting some long side bangs.

Seth and I had a huge battle over breakfast. I have found that I can't attempt to eat or drink anything whenever he is eating, b/c he immediately assumes whatever I am having is better than his, and he throws a fit. This morning it was all about him throwing his Cheerios. First off, I have to tell you, I am NOT a morning person. My husband will put it nicely and just say that I am deliriously grumpy. Anyways, Seth was throwing Cheerios and I would get on his level and say "No Throw Food" take his tray away for a couple minutes as a sort of timeout. Then I'd give him back is tray... and he'd start to throw. An hour this went on! Madness I say! Seems my child has inherited my stubborness... imagine that!

Nate and I were supposed to have a much needed Date tonight, but none of our 3 babysitters wer available! The one family we like to use, their house burnt down 2 weeks ago (remember them?) the other has to work, and the last has a Play they are all going to see. So frustrating. We don't have any family that can help, and I don't feel comfortable unleashing Seth to just anyone. Oh well.

Happy Friday everyone!