New Year's Eve....

The Glorious Contest is in full swing, and there has been some nice participation! We are still accepting LO's to be considered, so hop on over and show us your beautiful creation using the Glorious Kit.

Here are some fabulous layouts featuring the kit~

Also, I've seen a couple "My Top Photos of '07" threads floating around, so I took a lokk at the last year, and narrowed it down to these few. Heart tugs!!

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We are big lame-O's over here and we aren't doing a thing tonight. Blame it on the hubby who thinks waiting till Dec 30th to look for a babysitter will work.... ;)

I'll see you in the new year!

Happy Dance....

I am so excited! I've waited a long time for this!

I just finished purchasing an AlienBee and a Large foldable softbox! I've really been wanting a studio light for a couple of years, and with my recent wedding bookings, it became a possibility. I am so excited to have more control over my shoots, especially on location in a customer's home. I'm especially excited about the yummy rectangular catchlights I'll be getting now.

However, this will be a HUGE learning curve for me, but I am more than up to the challenge.

I've also got a red Jill.e bag coming my way! I first learned about these designer feminine camera bags at ILP. Women were just raving about how wonderful they are. I had been eyeing the Donna Downey bags for a while, but they were either sold out or too backed up for orders. And how could I resist red.... mmm.....

FYI, Tracey Joy also makes some cute customizable camera bags....

WOOT!

Hey! Don't forget the SALE!

A Contest and a SALE!!

WOOT! Its a GLORIOUS Contest! Create a LO using the Glorious Kit by myself and Amber Clegg, and you could WIN some fabulous prizes! Then all you have to do is post us a link to your LO in THIS THREAD at The Digi Chick.

Let's have some GLORIOUS fun! :c)

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HUGE INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE at The Digi Chick Dec 29, 30, & 31. You DON'T want to miss out.

I personally have quite a few things RETIRING away forever, so snatch them up quick!

All of my retiring kits are priced at $2, and my retiring elements and mini kit are priced at $1. You can't beat that!!! You'll find it all in my shop in the Boutique, and also in the Bargain Basement. **Just a small hint... but my stuff *might* already be on sale... ;)

Come January 1st, they'll be like dust in the wind....

Santa Came to Town....

Christmas was good here in the Burns House. Santa found us regardless of our move, and I had the BEST time watching the boys and their new toys.

Seth got the Autoblox Mini's, My First Batmobile (along with a My First Batman & MF Superman) a remote control car, a shake and go airplane, candy land castle game, ratatouille dvd, iPlay Rocket (this is SO CUTE!) and some other odds and ends and dvd's.

Lucas got the Sing and Go Choo Choo (the whole line!) a build a bear workshop Koala bear, his first Rumble Truck, a stroller tray toy, and a few other small things.

They both got a big ole wagon too.

Santa ended up leaving a letter thanking Seth and Lucas for his cookies, and told them to check the basement ... so we went downstairs, and the train table greeted them. Seth's excitement was just palpable, it was great!

Christmas Day was so funny watching him go between the 2 floors playing and alternating the toys.

I of course got my China Hutch, and under the tree was my black iPod Nano and armband. I also got my tradition of Rochere chocolates, and Nate surprised my with my own red space pen (LOL!) and a customized Starbuck's GC.

Nate got a bunch of PS2 and PSP games, some camping gear, a couple new shirts, and some gourmet coffee. It was a great day!

My Christmas dinner went fabulously! I still needed to work out my timing a bit. Everything was ready, except my beans took a bit longer than I thought.

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Yesterday was my mom's birthday, so we took her to the mall and we ate at Cheesecake Factory. Cuban Sandwich's all around.

So, get this....

My sister also came over for mom's Bday lunch, and we BOTH needed a pair of black dress pants. So we all go to the Gap, where they are having a great sale.

I've been a nice size 6 since the summer with all of my running, but b/c of my foot and the holidays, the 6 was too tight so I wanted the 8. There were no 8's out on the floor.

So in the dressing room I ask the saleslady to bring me a pair from the back, and she does. As she's handing me a pair of size 8, my sister comes toward the dressing room and asks the saleslady to check and see if she has another pair in the back for her, also size 8. The saleslady finds them, and hands them to my sister, who goes and gets in line. I poke around and find a pretty silver blouse, and then I go get in line behind her.

The cashier rings up Amelia, and her pants are $28. COOL! She pays and goes to the side to wait for me.

I get up to the front, and my pants are $50!! I shook my head and said that my sister JUST BOUGHT the same pair for half as much. So they compare skew numbers and it turns out that Amelia's pair has this tiny pink stripe on her waist lining, thus making them different lines. I asked for them to bring me a pair of the sales ones, and of course my sister got the last pair.

LOL! My sister asked AFTER I had asked, and she ended up with the sales pair.

I did end up buying the pair, but thought that it was insane, that the same pair and style of pants were so differently priced.

oh well!

Christmas Eve....

Busy over here... I'm baking a bunch of Christmas goodies today and cooking some stuff ahead of time for tomorrow. Our Christmas Eve service is tonight at 7, and its going to be a festive time.

I also wanted to share that my house FINALLY became a home over the weekend!

We finally finished unpacking everything, and then the Crate and Barrel people brought over my Christmas gift of the China Hutch! I was finally able to set up my china, arrange photos, and we went all around the house and (semi) finished hanging stuff. Its a Christmas Miracle!

Here are some Before & After's for you!

First, the living room~

And now, the Dining Room~

Merry Christmas Eve to all of You and Yours!

Tickled....

I did it.

I won!

I am so STOKED! That image is one of my favorite images too! My sister and bro-in-law were in the truck, and he was saying "Treat. Treat!" to get Asher to look up at him, and it worked.

And how cool is this..... I've been emailing back and forth a bit with Tara, talking to her some. Love it! My prize is that she's printing it big on canvas and sending it to me. Which is great, since I haven't printed it out yet myself, LOL!

I am so tickled! THANK YOU so much for your support and your votes.

Choices Survey...

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?

1. Produce: mango
2. Bakery: french bread
3. Meat: fillet mignon (hey, you didn't give a specific $ amount!)
4. Frozen: Breyer's Ice Cream
5. Dry goods: long grain rice

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?

1. jeans
2. slippers ( I get cold tootsies!)
3. a cute top

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. Seth, Take A BITE!
2. Lucas, just hold on a second!
3. Nate! Can you help me for a second?
4. Seth, That's One. That's Two. Don't make me say Three! ( ;c) )
5. I'm working on it!

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?

1. eating
2. drinking my coffee
3. hugging my smilie boys

You're driving down the road, and suddenly you're hit with this sense of road rage. What 3 factors probably contributed to it?

1. someone stopping in a driving lane, and motioning for someone in the turning lane to come on in. Seriously... this happened!
2. 2 cars going to exact same speed in the fast and slow lane, and I have to get by!
3. at red lights, people stopping with one or 2 car lengths between them and the person in front of them... so much so that they don't even make it to the light itself before it turns red, AGAIN. Seriously... this happens here too, frequently!

Sweet, you just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. on the Internet
2. in Photoshop
3. shopping
4. watching a movie
5. grabbing a bite to eat, OUT

We're going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. elephants
2. lions
3. polar bears

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Rules of Engagement
3. How I Met Your Mother
4. Miami Ink... LOL!

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. Mint Chocolate Chip
2. Mud Pie
3. Banana

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?

1. driver's license
2. pictures of my children
3. tide to go pen
4. credit cards
5. cell phone

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. Fashion Photographer
2. Songstress
3. book critic
4. Actress

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?

1. Don't be such a dork
2. Stop trying so hard
3. Do better in College your freshman year!
4. invest in cellular phones and pixar/ cgi

6 Sleeps Till Christmas....

Just letting ya'll know that voting ends Wednesday morning on Tara's Blog, so if you haven't voted yet, go ahead and meander on over, LOL! You have to scroll down a bit to see the new contest. And old one is what is featured on top.

And of course... the picture is #1, the dog and truck photo, LOL! BUT! If I weren't in the contest myself, I would vote for the galoshes in the air pic, number 14. I want a pic like that!

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Our Christmas party was so much fun the other night! It was our High School Youth party, and it was formal. It was really neat to see the girls get dressed up, and I was surprised at how a few boys got into it too! Everyone looked very dapper. I wasn't sure how formal to go, thus my knee length dress, but next year I'm pulling out the bridesmaid dress that I just wore.

Here are some pics....

Nate and I

the girls who attended... aren't they all beauties?

The whole dinner crew. This represents about half our of High School students. We had a great dinner of stuffed pork tenderloin, seasoned potatoes, and green beans. The finale was Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Then we played a few Holiday games, and held a White Elephant. Hilarity ensued.... as shown below with one of our Sponsers modeling his gift.

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I had some layouts to print, and I decided to give Shutterfly a try. They recently put up some blank templates for Digi Scrappers to print out, full bleed, no border.

I just got them back in the mail. I got a 12x12, an 8x8, and some 5x7 cards to test their color. They came back beautiful! Color is spot on, and the clarity is nice and sharp.

However, I do have to tell you that I got a bit confused in the creating process. Going through the steps was kind of hard, they don't have clearly marked the directions for Digi Scrappers. I had to contact customer service for some help. HOWEVER, once they apologized for the confusion, it was just a matter of clicking"Next" to get to the template I needed. Shutterfly also did say that they are currently in the process of clarifying steps to make it easier for us.

So, do I recommend them? Yes! Once I got past the first little hump (that will be fixed!) its easy, and the results are beautiful.

Have a great Tuesday!

HOLY CRAP! Come vote for me!!

THE Tara Whitney has picked my foot picture to be featured in a contest on her blog!!

It's #1. Please only vote once, but I'd LOVE to win! ;)

VOTE HERE, & See Pic HERE!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Yourself....

Yourself: Trying to be better organized. In life, in my house, on this computer, everywhere. Trying hard to stay on top of it and not getting overwhelmed.

Your partner: The best husband and father in town. Very patient and very giving of his time. I adore that he is such a renaissance man... he really can do it all! I love him so!

Your hair: Auburn Brown hair....and letting it grow out...

Your mother: A prime example of how a woman should love her husband. She adores her grandsons... to the point of my neglect, LOL! ;)

Your father: My children's biggest JOY!!!!! He has all the coolest toys to play with (ie. tractor and motorcycle).

Your favorite item: I love my camera...and my wedding ring.

Your dream last night: Big Spiders. Enough said. LOL I have weirdo dreams.

Your favorite drink: COFFEE~COFFEE~COFFEE. My current passion is Tanzania Peaberry.

Your dream car: Ha! A Toyota Sienna with drop down TV's and DVD, LOL! If I weren't a mom, then I think those Nissan Murranos are pretty sharp... Or should I go with the '66 Mustang Fastback?

Dream home: A Craftsman style cottage in here in Maryland or in Durham, NC. Decorated wall to ceiling like it came out of Cottage Living, or by the hands of my sister-in-law Gen (she awesome at interiors!).

The room you are in: My newly finished basement, the part of the room that is my Computer/ guest/ studio room.

Your fear: Losing my spouse or child. Enough said about that too.

Where you want to be in 10 years: Holy Cow... Seth will be in Middle School! Hopefully a single family home, in this very same area.

Who you hung out with last night: Nate and I had dinner at PF Chang's, then we went home and watched The Wedding Crashers.

You’re not: technically inclined. Seriously! Photoshop was a challenge for me, as I'm sure setting up a photo studio will also be a challenge, LOL!

One of your wish list items: An Alien Bee Light (or 2!) and an 85mm lens.

The last thing you did: I played Holiday music in the bank with some other musicians from our church, then we braved Walmart.

You are wearing: Old Navy khakis, red Express Sweater, one black Mudd shoe and one stylish orthopedic boot.

Your favorite weather: Hands down, SUMMER. But Christmas time is ALSO my very fave!

Your favorite book: If you've read me long enough, you certainly know the answer to this, LOL! Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Last thing you ate: Nate made me french toast this morning, YUMM.

Your life: OVERWHELMINGLY THANKFUL for the opportunities I have had to raise these beautiful babies, watch them grow and still work in the midst of that. Head over heels in love with my guy and can't imagine life without him.

Your mood: Excited for the party later tonight, stressed out that my house is still a big unpacked, not-totally decorated mess.

Your best friend: Nate!

What are you thinking about right now: how I need to go up and curl my hair...err.. at least try to.

Your car: VW Jetta

What are you doing at the moment: Typing this.

Relationship status: Happily married, 6 years

What is on your t.v: Nate is watching sports center

When is the last time you laughed: At the bank this morning, during our set. The other flutist with me and I were having a hard time. We were sight reading, playing an octave higher than what was written, AND they just started a song in B flat, when our stuff was written in C. HAHA! Fun times, LOL!

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So this party tonight is formal... and this is what I'm wearing. LOVE it! I LOVE that I was able to buy it a size smaller than I'm currently wearing, LOL! I'm a bit disappointed that I have to wear my boot on one foot and my lovely silver heel on the other, but oh well.


Good Times!

Glorious!

Surprise!

Amber Clegg and I teamed up to bring you something close to our hearts, to hopefully inspire Holiday creativity!

Glorious is a huge brand new collaboration between myself and Amber Clegg. Beautiful Holiday themes come together to highlight your most loving memories.

Included in Glorious are 11 artfully crafted papers, 4 bows, 4 trims, 4 trees, 3 stars, 3 glittered elements, 2 tassels, 2 journal spots, 1 heart, 1 stamp, 1 frame, and 1 set of sequins. Not All Items Shown in Preview.

Get it HERE! 20% OFF today!

***ONLY AVAILABLE FOR ONE MONTH!!**

Have a Glorious Christmas!

Here I am, Kiersten's Matron of Honor....it was SO fun! And I didn't care, I totally let my hair down, danced and had so much fun.... I felt so pretty that night, LOL! Why can't I have a personal hair dresser everyday, AND wear a ballgown everywhere.... ;)

The groomsmen were cute, gentlemanly, and they all LOVED to dance, what a riot! It was good to catch up with some old friends, and actually make a few new ones.

BTW... the dancing... yes, I did it with the boot, and am TOTALLY paying for it now! I'm all swollen and painful again, but I don't care, LOL!