Monday Montage #57

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Hol-ly ... FA-LA-LA-LA-LA LA-LA-LA-LAAAAAA!! What comes after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and putting up ALL the Christmas decorations???? A WEEK-LONG NAP!!! Hahaha!! Don't I WISH??!!??? BUT ... Monday Montage DOES come after all those things!!

I now need to clean my CraftCave so that I can make all my Christmas cards (the rest of my house is not too bad at the moment, actually!)!!! But this card came together much more quickly than I had anticipated!! I LOVE looking in my Google images search or on Pinterest for inspiration, don't you??? Sometimes it's just a color scheme or a layout that just gets my gears rolling ... and the fact that I FINALLY got a new package of Blackberry Bliss cardstock (LOVE this color!)!

I was feeling SO in the mood for a Christmas tree (since I have decorated TWO of them already since Friday!)!! These little trees were MUCH quicker and easier, though. I feel a little like Bob Ross ... aren't these just "happy trees"???? I think so!


Stamps: Festival of Trees
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Crumb Cake, Gold Foil DSP, Vellum
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Banner Punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack (Star), Tree Builder Punch, Gold 1/8" Ribbon

If I can actually get some time to make my family Christmas cards I will be excited!! I have one designed ... just need to see how feasible it is to "mass produce" ... I always seem to go overboard when it comes to making them!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... their creations are just BEAUTIFUL!!

Fab Friday #78 ... AKA Black Friday!

How can it be BLACK FRIDAY already again???? And it also happens to be Fab Friday!! HOORAY!!

To be honest, I have been a most SERIOUS Black Friday shopper for about 20 years ... no joke!! (For those of you not from the US, Black Friday is an INSANE excuse for retailers to get people to act like complete lunatics by waiting in line in the dark and cold, and then pushing past THRONGS of people to squeeze through the doors, and then RACING like a maniac to try to find that "special" item that you saw in the retailer's ad that was "on sale" for the "first-come/first-served" people). I have actually been very successful doing these for a great many years ...

HOWEVER ... it is really turned into a kind of UGLY thing! And I finally decided THIS year that I was going to forego the trek to any store at Zero Dark Thirty ... and I have been doing all my Black Friday shopping ONLINE!!! IN MY PAJAMAS!!! YAY ME!!

On to my card for this week's challenge ... there is a local florist shop that has the most GORGEOUS poinsettias I have EVER laid eyes on ... and I have been tempted MANY a year to buy one. Alas, we all know the life expectancy on a poinsettia is very limited ... and I can't seem to justify the $50+ it costs to buy one ... so I MADE one! And YES ... they DO look like this!!

Stamps: Among the Branches, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Gold Foil
Ink: Crumb Cake, Really Red
Accessories: Softy Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Festive Flower Builder Punch, White Accents (Colored with gold Sharpie), Gold Sequin Trim, Circle Framelits, Burlap Ribbon

This is a really great and really simple layout ... LOTS of room for interpretation!






Excited to see what all of our challenge players come up with!!

Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Tomorrow is the Annual Weixler Family Apple Pressing Day!!! Food, laughter, hugs, work ... and close to 500 GALLONS of apple juice are gonna happen!!! Best.Family.Tradition.EVER!!

It's Freakin' Christmas!! (ALMOST!)

As the temperatures drop it is getting inevitable that our thoughts turn to the holidays!! Good thing the Freaks are ALL OVER THAT!! Did you see the wonderful things that Dawn Olchefske made??? She is AWESOME!!

To be honest, I am sitting in the same-day surgery waiting room ... it is 6:02 PM ... and my daughter is having a little surgery to remove some scar tissue from an ACL reconstruction that was done six months ago!! They call it a Cyclops Lesion ... and least it SOUNDS cool!! Good thing(??) our maximum out-of-pocket expenditures have been met for her this year (what??)! I'm so grateful for modern medicine and their ability to "fix" things ...

So, it IS beginning to feel a bit lit Christmas (my crazy neighbors put Christmas lights on their house the day AFTER Halloween ... not EVEN kidding!)!!! It's taken me a while to get in the swing, but these cards sure helped!!!

Stamps: Peaceful Pines
Paper: Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer DSP, Season of Cheer DSP
Ink: Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Perfect Pines Framelits, Chalk Talk Framelits, Mini Treat Bag Framelits, Rhinestone Basics

And I know that this stamp set/edgelits die combo has been used a LOT since it came out (because, well ... it's GORGEOUS!) ... but I finally got a chance to play with it a little ... it's super FUN!!

I am actually enjoying the cooler temperatures (which is funny for me because I get cold SO easily). Since I have been getting seriously into running I have a whole different outlook for coldness!!

Stamps: Jingle All the Way
Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer DSP, Vellum
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Perfect Pines Framelits,, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Sleigh Ride Edgelits, Lucky Stars Textured Impression Embossing Folder

Next up??? My running/stamping/online shopping/vertically-challenge partner in crime, Mindy Backes!!! Her "style" will AMAZE ya!

Monday Montage #56

Today I am feeling so totally grateful ... had a WONDERFUL day yesterday with our extended family doing the Annual Weixler Apple Pressing Day in Alpine. Couple of WEIRD things happened that could have had such TERRIBLE outcomes ... but didn't!!! Everyone is safe, happy and had a great time together. Amazing how easily we can take things for granted. Needless to say, I want to hug EVERYone today!!! (So consider yourself HUGGED if you are reading this!!)

Grateful to be part of this amazing group of women for the Monday Montage Blog Hop. They are sweet, kind, funny and WICKEDLY talented. A true blessing in my life, to be sure!! And after all of this crazy WARM AND MUSHY stuff on gratitude I have ... a CHRISTMAS card to share!!

This is one of the cards I made last weekend with my stamp club girls. I think I am TOTALLY addicted to the Mini Treat Bag Framelits Dies ... all the little accessories are so stinkin' CUTE!!! I have been using them a LOT lately!!

Stamps:  Cup of Cheer, Your Presents
Paper:  Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Gold Foil, Season of Cheer DSP
Ink:  Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories:  Gold 1/8" Ribbon, Mini Treat Bag Framelits, Oval Framelits, Occasions Paper Piercing Template, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat

How can we be back to Monday ALREADY???!!! So additionally grateful this week that I only have to go to work two days out of five!!! And I have started my marathon training in EARNEST ... what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger, right???

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... super friends, amazing talent!! And an extra special "shout out" to Amy this week ... she just found out this past weekend that she will be a member of Stampin' Up's 2016 Artisan Design Team!!! You GO, girl!!

Fab Friday #77

Here we are back to another Fab Friday ... and I am ALMOST back to a "normal" schedule. My sister-in-law took over for me at work while I was doing a TON of globetrotting last month (okay ... I guess I was only actually "countrytrotting") ... and then she went out of town for a bit to celebrate her birthday with her daughter in NYC ... which means that I have been working a LOT of extra time ever since I got back from all my crazy running around!!

I was THRILLED when I headed down to the Craft Cave yesterday to create for this challenge ... and GUESS WHAT??!!??? It was actually CLEAN!!! The table was all cleared off and ready for me PLAY!!! That almost NEVER happens!!!

Stamps: Vintage Leaves, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Cajun Craze, Hello Honey, Very Vanilla, Typeset DSP
Ink: Cajun Craze, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey
Accessories: Greetings Thinlits, Leaflets Framelits, Burlap Ribbon, Woodlands Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, White Perfect Accents, Happy Haunting Designer Washi Tape

Lookie at all the purdy fall colors!!!









Excited to see what all of our challenge players come up with!!

Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Tomorrow is the Annual Weixler Family Apple Pressing Day!!! Food, laughter, hugs, work ... and close to 500 GALLONS of apple juice are gonna happen!!! Best.Family.Tradition.EVER!!

Monday Montage #55

Somehow I KNEW the month of October was going to be a BLUR ... and it WAS!!! I had SO much fun and was SO very busy, but I can honestly say I'm ready for a break from all the crazy running around! Welcome to another version of Monday Montage! (Ironically, I am "officially" starting to train for my first marathon, so the running will CONTINUE, but it a different way!)

Fall is in full swing. After having been on BOTH coasts in the past two weeks, my barometer and thermometer are TOTALLY out of whack!!! Orlando was HOT and HUMID ... and Anaheim was HOT and a little LESS humid. Utah is TOTALLY chillin' ... the weather for Halloween was crisp and beautiful. I think we had about 500 trick or treaters!!! But the trees are GORGEOUS and the air smells like Heaven!! So this card totally expresses my sentiments at the moment ... grateful for this time of year. Grateful for my family. Grateful for the many wonderful opportunities that life gives me.

Stamps:  Among the Branches, Happy Scenes
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow
Ink:  Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso
Accessories:  Happy Hauntings Designer Washi Tape, Burlap Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Venetian Crochet Trim, Squares Framelits Dies, Bitty Banners Framelits, Into the Woods Elements, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... grateful for BOTH of them and the MOUNTAINS of inspiration I get from them ALL the time!