It was HER day!

Yesterday my sweet princess turned 9! WOW does time fly.  The biggest hit of the day was having her dad home for her birthday.  I remember when we sat the kids down to tell them Russ was going overseas and the FIRST thing Alexis said to him was, "You're going to miss my birthday!" 

We celebrated her day ALL day yesterday.  She really was treated with royalty.  Brandon wanted to start her day off right by serving her breakfast in bed.  I couldn't believe this was his idea.  The kids are going through the "stop looking at me" stage.  I was relieved to still hear kindness from there mouths. 

Here is the start of her day!

Brandon was wearing the Justin Bieber hat when he woke Alexis up.  He told her it was cold and maybe she should wear it.  Again, I wanted to faint from all the *LOVE* I was seeing. 

Russ and I had lunch with the Princess at school.  She really wanted to go to the American Girl Doll store in DC but the only thing I could think about was the traffic getting there.  I compromised with her and said we will go this weekend. Instead I took her to have a Pedicure.  Of course I enjoyed one too. <smile>

Extremely relaxing!  We both enjoyed.  We came home to pick up the boys and then we were off to her "spot" for dinner.  After dinner we topped the evening off with a fun birthday cake and 9 spankings and a pinch to grow an inch!

It was a GREAT day!!

Here is the card I made for my princess. 

I used all kinds of new products on this card.  The stamp set is called Sweet Cake.  Super cute and the BEST thing I love about this card is something you cannot really SEE or SMELL! I added the Vanilla Scented Stampin' Emboss Powder to the swirls on the cupcake.  LOVE that we have these embossing powders. We also carry Melon and Cherry.  How fun is that? I used a VersaMarker so that I could emboss in that tiny area.  She could smell the Vanilla as soon as she opened it. 

Other fun products on this card that I used would be the Sweet Shop DSP.  I love that this DSP can be used for so many occasions.  From Birthday, Valentines or just a Candy kind of card.  Very fun.  I used the new pleated ribbon along with some new Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine.  I even used some Seam Binding ribbon.  Lots of fun things. 

As always, you can find all these fun products in my Online Store. 

This weekend Alexis has her birthday party with friends.  I'll share her birthday invitation soon.  She is having a Doll & Me Tea with her friends at a special tea shop.  I'm not sure who is more excited, her or myself. 

Have a fabulous week!

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Wonderful You

Today is the first day I've felt HUMAN! Today I fee FANTASTIC! Over the weekend I thought I was dying from a sinus infection.  The bottom line is I figured out I cannot cure myself.  Grr! I had to drag myself into the Doctor's office over the weekend because I just felt terrible.  It's amazing what a good antibiotic can do. 

Today I jumped into my stamp room and stamped away.  YIPPIE! I couldn't stop with this card above.  I just kept adding new fun things.  Holy COW the products are fantastic to work with from the new Occasions Mini.  I did add a little sneak peek of a Sale-a-Bration set. 

I used the Attic Boutique Designer Paper with the Attic Boutique Side Notes (MUST HAVE!) and the new Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon.  It's all so pretty.  Very feminine.  The crown comes from an oldie but a goodie stamp set called Artistic Etchings.  This is a stamp set I have always adored.  I stamped the crown with VersaMark and then embossed the image using the Cherry Cobbler embossing powder.  What a rich looking powder.  I used it again on the sentiment.  The sentiment comes from the set Loving Thoughts.  Beautiful sentiments in this set.  I added a few pearls, ribbon and buttons just because we can! Overall, this card made me happy.   You can find all these beautiful products in my online store.  I hope you'll visit soon. 

Tomorrow is my little girls 9th Birthday.  I can't wait to share her Birthday Card with you! We have a big day planned for her.

XOXOXO

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Getting Back to Work!

I think I'm ready to say I'm going to jump in with both feet and start back to work.  Over the last month we've taken a lot of time for our family to readjust back to the normal family routine.  Like I said before transition is not always easy especially if you have a 10 year old son like mine who still believes he is the MAN of the house.  We asked Brandon a few weeks back while sitting down for dinner who the "man of the house" is now that Daddy is home.  Without hesitation he blurted out, "umm, of course I AM!"  I looked at Russ and he looked back at me and we knew we had a few things to work on.  All is well and Brandon is realizing (not always on a good note) that Dad is back! It's a process and it takes time but all will be good soon.

Our Christmas was extra special with Russ home and being in Florida with all my family.  The kids had a blast and seemed pretty happy with everything Santa and family had given them.  They played non stop with their cousins and I'm always grateful for how well they get along. Here are a few photos of the kids and my mom while we were in Florida. 

We are unpacked and all the Christmas decorations are put away until next year.  Sometimes I think Christmas is just a blur.  I hate that.  I want the spirit and season of Christmas to last forever.  The only thing I could do without is the sweets that come with it.

With all the craziness that has been going on in our little world the one thing that has been lacking is the stamping.  Today is the first day in three weeks that I came down into my stamp room and was ready to put a few stamps and ink together.  I felt the creative block coming on pretty strong but I finally pushed forward and just started grabbing new products from the Occasions Mini to play with.  This new mini is one of the best in my book.  Lots of great products.  The excitement of playing with the new stuff brought back all my warm fuzzies I have for Stampin' Up! products and the company.  I'm working on a plan to get back to my normal business schedule and start putting classes/workshops together again.  It's been a long time but I wouldn't change a thing. It's just time to get busy again!

I'm excited to show you what happened in my stamp room today.  Let me share!

As I was playing with all the new products in my room the one thing I kept saying over and over was WOW, I love this paper.  Stampin' Up! really tickled me pink with all the new DSP they have in the Occasions Mini.  It's just girlie and pretty. The base of the card is where the FUN begins.  I folded a piece of pool party cardstock in half and used my new Edgelits Die called Adorning Accents and the new Adorning Accents Embossing Folders. WOW WEE what a difference these little things can make to a card.  This card became elegant in a matter of seconds!  I think you have to have one!!  I used the new stamp set Apothecary Art.  Lucky for you I don't have to pronounce this set.  My tongue does not like to say Apothecary!  The beauty of this stamp set is how it coordinates with the Framelits Labels Collection on page 6 of your mini.  WOW. Love this label and love these dies.  I stamped the image with VersaMark onto Naturals White cardstock and then embossed the image with Pewter powder.  I colored in the small flowers with a blender pen and made this very simple. I used the Attic Boutique DSP which is stunning and pared it with the Pleated Satin Ribbon that makes me smile every time I touch it.  Gone are the days of pleating my own ribbon while I have this beautiful ribbon on hand.  I used the Pear Pizzazz ribbon. If you look closely enough you will notice that I used the scallop edge from Adorning Accents Edgelits  under my pretty Designer Series Paper too.  I dazzled the card with a few tiny pearls and a few of the new biggie ones too.  Last thing I added was a little shimmer and my Spritzer tool with Early Espresso and Pool Party markers.  Viola! Kimberly STAMPED!!

Hopefully by seeing all of these exciting new products you are ready for a few yourself.  You can find them all HERE! I like to call this my little Vintage Shop.  Boy is it filled with lots of things I love.  

I'm getting ready to turn the lights out for a few hours and then I'm coming back tonight to play a little more.  That's HOW excited I am!! 

XOXOXO

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Transition

When your spouse has been away for awhile there is a little bit of a transition that occurs when he comes home.  This is something that Russ and I have been through before but it's been awhile.  The last time he was deployed was in 2006.  That was quite awhile back.  We are starting to get back into our normal family routines again but somethings are hard to let go.  For instance, I'm the one in charge and Brandon being the Man of the House.  Ut Oh! I guess I'm having a hard time giving up my role.  I kinda liked being in charge.  Evidently so does Brandon.  Last night after dinner we sat down to have a little family meeting. Basically we need to get back to our personal family values and live as four not three. We also realize this takes time.  It's not an overnight success. I started out the conversation with the kids and asked a simple question. "Who is the man of the house?"  Brandon piped up pretty quick and said, "ME!" He looked at Russ as if he was letting him know this is the way it was going to be.  I could tell this tugs at Russ because he wants to slide back into Daddy mode like he never left.  However, this deployment rocked our kids boat and we need to take it slow.  Russ explained to Brandon that he did such a fantastic job taking care of me and Alexis.  He was super proud.  BUT… he's back and now he's the man of the house.  It was time to give Brandon a break and let him (Russ) take care of the three of us.  I could tell by the facial expressions that Brandon was not taking this lightly but he took it all in. I also love how Russ is being very gentle with the kids emotions. It just takes time.

Homecoming's are always amazing but they are bittersweet.  When you've lived apart for so long it does take awhile to get back to your normal family dynamics.  One thing NEVER changes and that is the love that you have for each other.  In fact, I believe in the old saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder!"  I love him more today and I can tell the kids do too.  

This past weekend we were part of something pretty spectacular.  Operation Welcome Home Maryland is an organization that is welcoming home all the Troops from Iraq as they come home through BWI airport. They were also a big part of the Arlington National Cemetery Wreath laying event this past weekend.  90,000 wreaths were placed on the headstones at the cemetery.  It was an amazing event and the kids really enjoyed being a part of something so big.  They walked their little legs off but we were grateful to be with Russ on this day. 

Can I tell you one complaint? My car has been pushed to the side.  Russ bought a new car and he's taken over the garage.  Now my pretty car sits outside and gets CHILLY every night. Not only that, it has a big bird POOP on it.  Grr. It's my only complaint. 

Lastly, the card.  It's been awhile since I've had anything creative on here.  Here it goes: This is for my Prince.

XOXOXO

Today's goal… Find the stamps, blow the cob webs off and make something pretty.  I'm going to pray this really DOES happen.

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One Month Later…

I know! How can it be a month since I last spoke to you? A lots happened and I'm happy to report it's all good news.  It's just been a crazy 30 days.  Crazier than I thought it would be.  I'm going to catch you up to speed as fast as I can and also post a pretty I made long ago. 

Here is a quick overview of what we've done and the ending is pretty spectacular!

*I turned 41.  No biggie. Only change I feel is the need for new glasses.  I really cannot see unless you put it way far in front of me. 

*I had a HUGE Bunco party with 21 new friends.  It was a big hit and we had a grand time. 

*I had a Water Main break that cost me $4000! That's a lot of pretty shoes that I will not be buying. Good news- it's fixed and my yard didn't suffer too much damage. 

*My kids have me running at 100mph every single day with new activities that we brought on board. The latest is their love for swimming.  We are at the pool pretty frequently but they love it and they are getting to be really good.  This makes my cheeks hurt from smiling. However, being the one man show with driving them is exhausting.

*I became a full on Girl Scout Leader.  Before I was mainly the helper.  Now I'm the go to person with two amazing Co-Leaders who rock my world. 

*Working on new badges with Brandon as he works towards his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts.  Not much longer and my little boy will be a big Boy Scout.  Where did the time go

*Alexis asked if I had RETIRED from Stampin' Up!  Oh jeez.  "No sweetheart, I'm just taking care of you my love."

* Went to a Kansas Concert with my BFF Denise.  We didn't know all the music but we sure did have fun.  It was the first time I had been "out" in a long time.  I was excited because my neighbor was keeping my kids overnight.  At 1030pm I received a call from the kids. Both were crying and wanted to come home.  REALLY? I picked them up, pj's on and they crawled in my bed.  I went to bed early that night, too.  I kept thinking how lucky I was. While I didn't get that night alone that I had really longed for I was grateful my kids needed me.  When you are a single parent you tend to think of yourself as the bad guy all the time.  Glad to know they still loved me.

*Thanksgiving was a HUGE success. I had a pity party the night before.  Then on the morning of Thanksgiving myself and the kids went to a homeless shelter to help them serve food.  It was such a fantastic morning.  I'm  not sure if Brandon really understood.  About an hour into serving I was on the food line when he came up to tell me he was hungry.  I tried to keep my eyeballs from falling out but he kept insisting he needed to eat too.  I gently explained to him that he didn't understand what hungry really meant and the people here receiving the food were much more hungry than he was. About 10 minutes later he was sitting comfortably with a homeless man eating breakfast.  No comment, but Lord give me strength. We finished our day with military friends who invited us to dinner.  We came home and I crashed on the couch.  Very disappointing as I really wanted to go Black Friday shopping. 

*Brandon went camping in 19 degree weather.  I spent a lot of money getting this boy ready for the camping trip.  There was nothing left out, or so I thought.  He called me about 930pm from someones cell phone.  "Mama, I can only talk for a minute. I'm in the No Electronic Zone."  You can hear his teeth chattering! He says,  "Did you pack chapstick?"  No, Brandon.  Why? "My lips are really chapped."  Are you kidding me? I worried all night long knowing he was cold. He came home and his lips were AWFUL.  Next time I know what to pack first. 

*The kids had their first school dance.  The week prior was dramatic as to who they were "taking" to the dance.  I was a bit surprised at how big of a deal this was considering their ages.  Not to mention the prep involved for getting ready for the dance. I kept telling the kids I was just as excited about the dance.  They couldn't understand why.  I finally told them I would be doing the "worm" and "moon walk" across the cafeteria floor and I couldn't wait to show them other dance moves that I know.  I thought Brandon was going to pass out.  He begged me not to.  I told him he better behave at home.  Worked like a charm.   Nevertheless, they enjoyed the dance and they were BEAT when we got home.  They really danced the night away. I did shake my bootie for a few songs and laughed watching other mom's wiggle it too.  They can't keep a good dancer down.  

*I took the kids Ice Skating.  It was their first time.  I have never laughed so hard in my life.  It was hysterical. They came out without broken bones and wanting to do it again.  

*The countdown to the Prince coming home was making us giddy.  Russ left Baghdad on November 30th and arrived in Kuwait.  He stayed there for 4 days to chill out and refocus.  It was killing us knowing he was almost here.  December 5th he arrived in the United States.  Only to fly out again 3 hours later to Norfolk, VA for another Out Processing routine.  Knowing he was 3 1/2 hours from home was painful.  This process was supposed to be 4 days long.  Russ called the morning of the 6th to let me know he would be on a plane that evening and was coming home.  I couldn't believe it.  The next 6 hours was spent running around in circles.  I hurried to pick up balloons and a banner for the kids to hold when he got off the plane.  We hurried to the airport and worked a little magic to get directly to the gate so we could see him right away.  I had everything ready, even the Big Camera.  As he was coming up the escalator I was ready to shoot the pics of the kids all excited and nothing was happening.  My CARD was FULL.  I wanted to cry.  Instead I whipped out my iPhone and started shooting.  Not the pictures I wanted, but it's okay.  What's important is HE is HOME! We can't get enough of him and I am truly in a zone I haven't been in awhile.  It feels exciting to know he is not going anywhere for awhile.  The kids are completely distracted this week at school.  They just want to be near him.  The night he came home Brandon tried to catch him to speed on everything that he's done in the last 7 months.  Quite exhausting for Russ but he just smiled and let the boy do his thing.  The kids slept in our bed the first night with us.  We call that a Family Night for them and a "WE don't get SLEEP" night for us.  All in all it was exactly what they wanted and needed.  It feels so good.  LIFE IS GOOD!

Now, over the last 7 months I've learned a lot.  I've learned that FAMILY will always come before anything else.  I've learned that although my husband is home I will continue to support military families with deployed spouses and pray for their safe return home.  Another very important thing I've learned is the support I've had (and my family) from the stamping community and Stampin' Up! friends.  It's quite overwhelming.  Your cards, thoughtfulness and caring emails will always be cherished forever.  I cannot thank you enough for the things you not only did for me, but for my children and Prince.  They know they are loved by my stamping friends.  They talk about you all the time. 

I know I promised a card, and I have it but I have to edit it. I am heading out to a Brownie event.  I will upload when I get home. 

Forever Grateful,

XOXOXO

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