Monday Montage #178

Fa-la-la-la-laaaaa-la-la-la-la!! Yep ... it happened! I am in Christmas mode. I have even put up my Christmas tree and decor ... something I have NEVER EVER done prior to Thanksgiving IN MY LIFE!! This year has just been too much! I was definitely in need of some "joyful and trimphant" feelings, so I just went straight from Halloween decor to Christmas decor ... and I don't even care!! We are having FOUR people at our table for Thanksgiving this year ... FOUR! I am ok with it because we are doing our best to try to stay safe from all the pandemic-dom ... but I feel even less bad now about skipping over my Thanksgiving decor. Thanks to it being time to play with the Monday Montage girls, I went full-on jingle bells with my card!

Cheryl (Curtis ... as in one of my fellow MM girls and my BFF) is out of town. She had a Stampin' Up order arrive and asked if I would run over to her house and get it off the porch for her, which I did. She said I could "play" with her toys if I wanted to, so I did!! Aren't these jingley bells SO MUCH FUN??!?? The detail on the dies is BEAUTIFUL!

Stamps: Cherish the Season

Paper: Very Vanilla, Shady Spruce, Mossy Meadow, Plaid Tidings DSP, Copper Foil DSP

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Shady Spruce, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Sounds of the Season Dies, Stitched Rectangles Dies, Forever Greenery Trim Combo Pack

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog 
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

This past week has been much too much! We lost my dear uncle last Monday due to complications from diabetes/strokes AND Covid. On Saturday, we lost his sweet sister after a long illness. So my mom has lost TWO siblings in ONE week! UGH!! I am happy for them and the reunion they are having in Heaven with their parents and siblings and other family members who have been gone for years. Sigh ... I am ok, honestly. But it is just a bit overwhelming due to every dang thing else that has been happening!

Click "Next" to see what Bree Renwick ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... YAY!!!

Fab Friday #202

Every once in a while when the planets align or something, I end up doing two blog posts in one day!! Considering how little I have blogged the last few months, I find this kind of odd! Thanks to my Fab Friday friends I am back writing my second post today. The only thing I did between posting my last one and writing this one was take my doggie for a walk. In other words, I have nothing else fun or interesting to tell you! 

Stamps: Well Said
Paper: Mint Macaron, Cinnamon Cider, Bumble Bee, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
Ink: Mint Macaron, Cinnamon Cider, Bumble Bee
Accessories: Detailed Bands Dies, Stitched Leaves Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Bumble Bee Gingham Ribbon, In Good Taste Elements

 This is a fun combo! I liked playing with them a LOT!

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

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Mindy Backes
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

What are YOU all doing for Thanksgiving.  In trying to keep with the recommendations from out state government officials, we are planning on keeping thing VERY small. We will be Skyping/Zooming with my kids who can't be here ... we will be making WAY more food than 4 people can eat ... and we will be grateful for the blessing of family and the health we are currently blessed with. 

Freakin' Happy Holidays!

I'm going to make an admission ... and I am CERTAIN that I am not the ONLY one who can admit to this ... I put my Christmas decorations up already. I know, I know ... it's not even Thanksgiving yet! But it IS 2020 ... and everything is VERY wonky this year!! So I was happy that the Control Freaks were playing "Happy Holidays" this month!! You should just have come from the merry blog of Melissa Davies. TOTALLY gets you in the mood for the holidays, right???

First off ... I created some lovely Christmas candles to burn a little brightness into your season. And I am once again using some Plaid Tidings DSP ... because, as I have mentioned before, it is the BEST-BEST-BESTEST!! Took me longer than you would think to make such a simple-looking card ... but I was distracted by Netflix ... and my doggie ... and my cravings for snacks!

Stamps: Sweetest Time, Celebration Tidings
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Mellow Moss, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Mellow Moss, Mango Melody, Versamark 
Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Stitched Shapes Dies, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Whisper White), Hammered Embossing Folder, Stapler

Here are some sweet-sweet candy canes for you to share!! (And there aren't ANY calories in these ones!) The Sweetest Border Dies are the BEST, aren't they?? Black, white and red are good for ANY season!

Stamps: Sweetest Time
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Sweetest Borders Dies, Stitched Rectangles Dies, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Whisper White), Textured Embossing Folder, Stapler


It has been ridiculously and unseasonably WARM here in Salt Lake City this past week! We have had snow and and sub-freezing temperatures already ... and somehow we are now back to the mid 60's and low 70's. Our weather seems to be going through menopause or something ... again 2020 ... sheesh!

Next up??? Super clever and creative ... Cindy Elam!! Love her AND her creations!!

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Monday Montage #177

Guess where in the heck I am??? I am currently staying in a beach house with my BFF, Bree (as in my Monday Montage buddy), on the Oregon coast - Pacific City!! Can I tell you how LOVELY and AMAZING it is to be here soaking in the peace and tranquility and hanging out with my dear friend???? It is the BEST!! Which brings me to my Monday Montage card for this week ... I am happy to have been able to come up with something using very limited supplies. THEN I had to figure out a place to take a photo ... which really did NOT happen! So I am apologizing ahead of time for the lousy photo. Who knows?? Perhaps I will take another one tomorrow and replace the cruddy one I am posting right now!!

I got the Curvy Celebrations Variety Bundle in the mail the day before I left to head to the coast. Bree told me she was bring Real Red, Mellow Moss, Crumb Cake and Whisper White cardstock with matching ink. So I knew I was going to end up making a Christmas-y card. So here ya go, friends! Not gonna lie ... I'm starting to think I may be one of "those" people this year ... you know the ones I mean ... the ones who put up their Christmas trees BEFORE Thanksgiving!! Hmmmm .... I'm thinking aobut it!




Stamps: Curvy Christmas, Quite Curvy

Paper: Real Red, Mellow Moss, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Mellow Moss
Accessories: Curvy Dies, Real Red Braided Ribbon Trim

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts 

Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog 
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

We will be hanging out by the ocean here until Wednesday. I plan to soak up every single ounce of ocean breeze and air. My cup is being refilled ... much needed!!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... LOVE these women and their beautifully-creative ideas!

Fab Friday #201

Sadly, I missed the last Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge ... our 200th!! Sigh ... sometimes I just get so busy that I forget where I am and what I am supposed to be doing.  To be honest, that is what happened to me last go 'round! I ended up going with my hubby, my son, his buddy and his girlfriend back down to Rockville, Utah (by Zion National Park). It was glorious and relaxing and a much-needed walkaway from the world for a while. I skinned my knees pretty good on one of the hikes we did, but wouldn't change the experience for anything! I LOVE the outdoors, especially with people who mean so much to me.

I think that the whole election this year has exhausted me (as it has every one). Doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you are, there is nasty and name-calling and better-than-you assumptions being leveled at every side.  I believe that the vast majority of Americans are good and kind and just wanting the country to be on the same page with itself ... and that is what I am hoping happens by the time all is said and done.  I've always been a true believe of "love one another' ... and I believe we will get back to some point of that before too very long. 

So as I sat down to make this card I was feeling very uninspired ... too drained from what has been happening in our country, our world ... and then I was reminded by a dear friend of mine who had posted this on his FB page - "Plot twist: 2020 has actually been the best year of your life. You've faced challenge after challenge, you've adapted, and you've overcome. 2020 has forced you to grow exponentially. Don't take that for granted." Pretty profound, eh??? I choose to try to face the coming days with this in mind as I get out of bed ... we can do hard things and come out stronger at the other end.  Just keep on being YOU ... the world will follow behind!

With all that deep thinking, I finally was able to clear my mind and make this card for the Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge ... and then I went and took my doggie for a walk, came home and add a delicious chocolate caramel apple made for me by my sweet friend, Cheryl.   We are good, you guys ... don't let what you see on the news every day change your mind about that!

Stamps: Monogram Messages
Paper: Whisper White, Petal Pink, In Good Taste DSP
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Forever Greenery Trim Combo Pack, Good Taste Elements, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, Trio Corner Punch, Metallic Pearls, Stitched So Sweetly Dies

I couldn't stop myself from doing a "more-is-more" version of this fun sketch!

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

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Mindy Backes
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

My sweet mama had her 85th birthday on Tuesday.  With her officially being on hospice, there is a very good chance that she may not be around to celebrate another birthday.  We had a small group of family get together to give her a surprise birthday dinner.  It was lovely ... the look of love and joy she glowed with all night were worth the effort ... and lasted clear into the next day. Her day nurse called me after her visit and said, "Your mom was just so SO happy today!" I knew why .... and my heart was smiling.