Tejas bound

I'm Tejas bound today to see family and friends. I'm very excited! :-) I might be able to post whiel I'm gone, but if not, I'll post tons of photos when I return!

Adios!
Bellawhoop!

Heather Lake (again)

This past weekend we enjoyed the most beautiful weekend together, hiking and snowshoeing to Heather Lake. Last time I went with Mars Hill Outdoors and the Bouckenos joined me while poor N was sick at home. It also rained on us when I went in January, but last Saturday was full of sun and it was truly wonderful! We enjoyed a wonderful time just being together and when we reached the lake, we ate lunch and enjoyed listening to (and even seeing some) avalanches. It was such an amazing sound! (Click on the photo below to go to my album.)I'm off to get ready for my trip to Austin. I can't believe it's already here. I'm so looking forward to seeing my parents, my in-laws, my Grannie, and a few friends. Should be an enjoyable trip!

Time

I have recently realized how much time I waste on the computer, especially reading stamping blogs. This blog started out as a blog of my life, i.e. events going on in my life and any random thoughts. It has since turned more into a stamping blog, which takes lots of time actually stamping and uploading. I have always tried to intersperse daily living and other thoughts, but those that visit strictly for stamping should know that I intend to go back to the original reasons of why I started this blog. I have also recently found myself really wanting lots of visitors to my blog and really focusing on that, especially in the stamping community, but that's not who I am and I need to step back and refocus. This is just a fun way for me to share what's going on in our lives with our friends.

I don't know if any of you have the same problems, but my Google Reader is completely filled with TONS of stamping blogs. I probably spend several hours over the course of the day reading all of these and in the process, find that all of my creativity is sucked from me (rather than gaining inspiration from others). In any event, I need to commit more of my day to taking care of my house and husby and focusing on being the best wife to N and best mom to Bex that I can be. This will cut back A LOT on my stamping because I'm spending more time with them and on my homemaking responsibilities. This was a tough decision to make, and I will still be stamping here and there, but my family is more important than my stamping addiction. :) Thank you for visiting and all of your sweet comments.

For my friends, the blog will continue on with reports on what we're doing and of course, photos chronicling these events. Please continue to check back.

Who am I?

My sweet friend had this on her blog and I thought it was quite thought-provoking. I had to think a little about some of these answers...
I am: who God says I am
I think: too little before I speak.
I know: what to do to lose weight, but I have difficulty with self-discipline.
I want: to be the best wife & mom that I can be.
I have: too much stuff.
I wish: I wasn't so lazy.
I hate: confrontation.
I miss: my family.
I fear: bears, snakes, flying in airplanes, & mean people.
I feel: the warmth of the sun/Son.
I hear: the birds chirping & my baby boy snoring.
I smell: coffee...mmm.
I crave: Mexican food. There's not any good places up here!
I search: stamping blogs a lot...too much.
I wonder: what Bexar would say if he could talk.
I regret: not finishing college and getting my degree.
I love: with my whole self.
I ache: for a child.
I care: too much (some would say) for my fur-person.
I always: let others' reactions control my emotions.
I am not: a doer; I'm a planner.
I believe: God.
I dance: with two left feet and zero confidence.
I sing: loudly and a lot, without a care in the world of what I sound like to others.
I don’t always: wake up easily or nicely.
I fight: self-control and self-discipline.
I write: to express my feelings. It's easier to write it than verbally say it.
I win: in the end - not because I have the most toys, but because of God's grace.
I lose: most arguments.
I never: can imagine life without my husby and Bex.
I confuse: lay & lie.
I listen: to all kinds of music.
I can usually be found: at home.
I am scared: of Nathan dying before me.
I need: people. I'm needy - what can I say?!
I am happy about: my life. I feel content.

You?

Busy but not forgotten

I've been very busy lately, hence the lack of blog postings. Also, I got a new computer (well, hubby's old computer), so I've been in the process of transferring all of my files. I haven't even been stamping, either, but I have been cooking and baking a little. I'll be posting a little more later of what's been going on in Bellawhoop's world.

Winner

I feel a little silly doing this, but random.org picked a winner from the three responses. LOL :)

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2008-04-24 18:30:09 UTC

This means that Betty is the winner! Here is what Betty said:

What I like best about Spring is the little bird family of barn swallows that returns to our house every year to produce their new little family...and how brave they are to protect their unborn babies (eggs in the nest). They dive bomb us when we come out to look in awe at their little family. Such a neat time of the year...renewal!

I also love this time of renewal. I love the birds, the insects (except mosquitoes), the flowers, the veggies, and the SUN! A goody box is coming your way soon. Thanks for visiting.

Happy Mail / Random Act of Kindness (RAK)

I wasn't feeling very well yesterday and along came the mail man bearing a gift! I guess God knew just what I needed because I received such a fun box of goodies from the sweetest lady, Julie Koerber. I forgot to include the cute zebra-striped binder clip...it's already on my desk! She included a hand-decorated journal with a sweet note inside, two fabulous cards (that I'm keeping for inspiration), ribbon, a Penny Black sticker page, some miscellaneous designer paper, and a sweet Clearly Wordsworth stamp set.Isn't that a fun idea?! I'll also have to pass along some fabulous goodies. I don't think I have enough people that read my blog to get much feedback, but I'd love for you to leave a comment with what you love most about Spring and I'll draw a name by Friday, April 18th. {If I know you're not a stamper, I will send an assortment of goodies that most people can enjoy.}

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you take time to do a small random act of kindness everyday! It doesn't have to be a physical gift, but it could be a kind word to a stranger, encouragement for a mother with a difficult child in the grocery store, a phone call to a friend or loved one to tell them how much they mean to you. Thanks for passing on all of these goodies, Julie, and I hope to continue to pass this idea on each and every day!

Spring Wings

I recently participated in an ATC color swap that called for turquoise, orange, and one other color of your choice. I chose pink for my other color and I used Cornish Heritage Farms' Delicate Wings for my image. I didn't add a sentiment to mine, because I thought someone might want to add it to a card, and then they could add their own image.
Deets:
The main image is watercolored with an aquapainter and SU stamp pads.
Stamps: CHF Delicate Wings
Paper: Black, Tempting Turquoise, Daisy Bucket Sweet Marabella "Stella" orange polka-dot paper, Pink, watercolor
Ink: Black Staz-on, SU Pink Passion, Only Orange, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Regular-sized hole punch (for black dots), SU Rose 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Mark Richards Crystal Stickers Elements (pink crystals), used scissors to distress both circle edges and Stella edges

Thanks for visiting and happy stamping!

Bakerella

Oh my goodness, if I didn't stumble upon the cutest site today! I found the cutest little lollipop cupcakes on Bakerella. She was recently on Martha Stewart's show and you can see the video here. Her blog has such fun things! Just wanted to pass on this fun site.
Happy Baking!

PS. I know I need to change the color of my signature, but I haven't had time to do that yet. :)

Spring flowers

Some of the flowers are beginning to bloom around the house, and with more of the gorgeous weather we had today (nothing but sunshine and topped out around 70!), it's actually going to start feeling like Spring! Click on the flower below to go to the album.

With the flowers and sunshine, I figured I needed a new blog banner, so I created one tonight. The flower is one that I took a while back while at the Lake Washington Gardens.

And by the way, we're officially certified for Red Cross First Aid and back country first aid with The Mountaineers. WOOT! I'm glad to be done with that class. :)

Happy weekend! I'll have some more stamping stuff up for ya next week.

A simple "Miss You"

See My Favorite Things? I wouldn't necessarily call these my favorite things, rather it's my new stamps from the company "My Favorite Things." I must admit...I wasn't crazy about these stamps when I first saw them; the headless gals just weren't my cup o' tea, but they've grown on me and the hats make all the difference! You all know I love my dog with all my heart, and I love the ocean, but admittedly would rather be on top, floating, snorkeling, or in a boat! I just had to have this set. You'll soon see the other set that made me place the order! :) This is a very simple card, and I wanted to break up all of my "Dudley" cards, but never fear, there are more of him!

Recipe
Stamps: MFT By the Shore
Paper: SU Almost Amethyst, SU Bashful Blue, SU Naturals Ivory, Watercolor paper
Inks: SU Almost Amethyst, SU Bashful Blue, SU Cameo Coral, SU Sahara Sand
Accessories: Aquapainter, misc. string, dimensionals

Happy Stamping!

Fun Circles

I made some ATCs this weekend for a swap that I can't post yet, so I'll post an older card that I think got overlooked. When my friend Anne came over to stamp in February, I used her stamps and circle punch to create this simple, fun card. I made several of these and still have lots of circles left! I used the same layout as the baby onesies and was originally inspired by this Thank You Dots card by "shanbz" on SCS. I changed the colors, and added a ribbon at the bottom. I left mine blank for now so I can add whatever sentiment I need. :)
Happy Stamping!

Expelliamus!

Dudley loves Harry Potter, and I caught him in the dress-up bin! Although I'm not a crazy Potter fan, I couldn't get this idea out of my mind since I first saw this set, so I decided to give it a whirl with Beate's sketch for the week, and this is what I came up with. Hand drew the Hogwarts emblems, his wand, and his shirt, tie, etc. I also hand drew the lines for the background to mimic the tie pattern. Microsoft Word supplied the starburst from the AutoShapes>Stars & Banners menu. For Expelliamus, I used my scallop circle punch to create those neat ends.
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms U R A Hoot
Ink: Black Staz-on, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Sharpies (black, orange, burgundy), Zig painty - gold, gold gel pen, black Zig pen
Paper: Black, SU Bravo Burgandy, Paper Reflections corrugated scrap pack - gold, watercolor
Accessories: Ohio Artist Materials gold glitter, Crystal Effects
Tools: Scallop punch & my trusty pencil

Happy Stamping!

Hootin' Tootin' Cowboy

It's Friday...let the round-up begin! I'm having more fun with Kim's owl. {Don't you love how I speak of the artist Kim Hughes like she's my BFF?!} She already has 2 more amazing new sets out at Cornish Heritage Farms: Baked with Love & Nature's Silhouettes.

I think this guy just looks like a "Dudley." I used SC170 for the layout, drew the belt on the limb and cut out, and added his buckle and lariat. Dudley is up late, "early" for him, ready to round up some strays.

Stamps: U R A Hoot, SU Smile Accessories (hat)
Ink: Timber Brown Staz-on, So Saffron & Creamy Caramel for card edges, & for watercoloring: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Bravo Burgundy, Taken with Teal, Old Olive
Paper: SU Whisper White, Cosmo Crickett Wanted Collection: Buffalo Bill & Doc Holiday
Accessories: MM antique copper mini square brads, yellow hemp

Have a fantastic weekend. The VSN Fashion Weekend kicks off today at SCS, 6pm ETD!

Owl Be Yours Forever

I've had the "U R A Hoot" stamp set from The Kim Hughes Collection (Cornish Heritage Farms) for about 2-3 weeks and finally cut them out this weekend. While I was cutting, the wheels started turning and I wanted to come up with different outfits for the owl. Well, I couldn't get this out of my head! I finally got some time to implement it. I drew in the tuxedo, bow tie, and boutonnière.
I'm still in the stampin' dark ages and don't have any Copics, so I must use what I have: stamp pads and an aquapainter. Maybe someday I'll get some Copics...maybe. I had trouble with photographing this where you could see the details, so here's a close-up of the owls on the embossed black paper.

Stamps: CHF U R A Hoot, Rhonna Farrer Scroll clear stamp
Ink: Staz-on Jet Black, SU! Black, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Only Orange, Silver
Paper: SU! Whisper White, Frances Meyer, Inc. Bulk paper (dry-embossed black paper) - I've had this for years...seriously, Watercolor paper (for owls)
Accessories: Jolee's by You flowers and stems, tulle (for the veil), Jolee's bow, A Muse creative candy, and Ultra Fine Prisma Glitter (that was my mom's many moons ago {I remember using this for making ear rings in the 80's!})

Happy stamping!

Rockin' Robin - Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

I love that song! I sing it often because there's a restaurant similar to Chili's called Red Robin, and that song always comes to mind when I see it. In fact, I call it "Rockin' Robin" instead of Red Robin, and of course, have to sing the song! :)

After the snow began melting the other day, I drove around looking for some nice photos. I happened upon a lot of birds in small wooded area. They were beautiful and I loved listening in on their conversations and observing them. I took this photo with my telephoto lens from my truck. Isn't the robin gorgeous?! I just sat in awe, looking at all of the birds, thinking how amazing it is that no two robins are exactly alike, just like people; yet, they all look alike to me! Yet, God knows each one that He created, knows the number of their feathers, and He takes care of them. Amazing!
Sorry I don't have any cards to share. Like I said earlier, the mojo is lacking, and my evenings have been filled with snuggling up with my husby and watching movies. I'm also working on a set of ATCs that I'm swapping very soon, so thanks for your patience.

Happy stamping (and photo shooting)!