Day 2 of Potty training

This morning was ROUGH! She was FURIOUS with me for taking her out of the diaper (we are not staying dry yet through the night); then she was furious with me for taking something away, and in retaliation she did not want to go to the potty for the first two hours. However, I am more stubborn; so she went every five minutes until she got it! LOL! After that it was smooth sailing. She had I think five accidents today, all around nap/bed time or when she was so involved with something else. The biggest accomplishment today is that she is starting to tell us when she needs to go!!! She comes and gets our hands and leads us in there. We only have to remind her every so often about taking the panties down LOL! She went once all by herself, no prompting, timer going off or anything but forgot to take the panties down! She was so proud of herself and could not figure out why she was wet. Poor girl! BUT she IS getting it!

Say good thoughts for DRYNESS and PATIENCE tomorrow as I am going solo on this one! Daddy will be at work!

30th Wedding Celebration

My parents have been married THIRTY years tomorrow, March 1! I am so impressed and in awe. They are good together even if they are polar opposites. I would like to share what my parents have taught me through their marriage:
1. Every day will not be perfect, every month will not be perfect shoot not even every year but how you handle it and communicating is how you get through it.
2. That no matter what happens they will always be there for one another.
3. That becoming a Grandparent can breathe new life into you.
4. Distance and weather are no worry when your baby girl is going into surgery! They drove all night one night because I was having surgery on Monday and hubby was in Korea and again when I was induced with Caitlyn.
5. You can have TOTALLY different interests, hobbies but if you love one another you will figure it out.
6. Love really is about sticking next to one another on the poorest of days in the worst of situations. Trusting and loving one another will make it work.

I love you both and hope that Jonathan and I have all the wonderful (and hard) years you have! I hope we have a great family like you do and many happy and sad memories, because without the sad/bad how do you know what is good/happy?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Here is the card that I made and sent them:

Kim and Fern Love me!

Ok, so the rules for this award are:

1) Add a link and note of thanks to the person giving the award

2) Pass the award on to 15 bloggers whose blogs you have recently discovered that you love

3) Share 7 things about yourself

I am so honored that KIM and FERN passed this awesome blog award on to me. Thank you ladies, you both inspire me daily! I love being on the DT with you both!

So 7 things about me:
1. I am crazy for Coke Zero and chocolate.
2. I am an Army OIF Vet.
3. I am trained in teaching.
4. I love the colors blue/brown and red/white/black together.
5. I can scraplift with the best of them!
6. I love designing, creating and making things.
7. I love my family and friends to a fault and no one messes with them but me!

I am sharing this award with ALL my followers, so feel free to take it and link me so I can find out things about you too!

Also sharing with:

LYNNE
GINA
MELISSA
LISA
STEPHANIE
and ALL my followers and DT sisters!!!!

Because I am a moron

Here are my fixed pages! I cannot BELIEVE I got distracted so much that I did the WRONG number!

P.S. Potty training is still going strong! Keep dry thoughts please!

GO PEE PEE IN THE POTTY!

This is not craft related but it is a proud mommy moment! Scroll down for layouts!


Last night Caitlyn took Jon's hand and led him to the bathroom where she sat and did her business, we are so excited. We decided to go for it today again. We were VERY successful! In about 12 hours we only had six accidents, which is awesome since she was going every 10-12 minutes! She has her routine down! Opens up potty, pulls panties down, sits, does business, tells us all done, wipes, pulls panties up, empties into big potty, closes both, flushes and washes hands if we remind her! WOOHOOO! GO BABY GO!!!!!! I cant believe you are so grown up!

8X8 Number book-Five

I hosted this swap over on the cricut.com board. I am also hosting a shape book, will start those soon. For this page I used four different Cricut Cartridges and two cuttlebug folders. I did some ink work and some welding in design studio. I used George for the hills (circles at four and two inches cut in half) then ran them through the cuttlebug swiss dots folders. The pigs are from Animal Kingdom at 1.5 and 1 inch. I did all the pen work instead of fiddling with those teeny tiny pieces. The font is BaseCamp welded as is the number 5. The clouds and sun are from Going Places. I cut the sun at 1.75 on shadow blackout, the clouds are at 1.25, 1 and .75 and then ran through the cuttlebug swirl folder. I was going to use two other carts for a barn and tree but there was not room. I had to make 12 of these, the first two sets did not work out. I hope you like them!

Practical Scrappers-Stamps

Are your stamps collecting dust or put away and therefore out of sight out of mind? Do you have tons of stamps but never use them? Do you buy stamps like me because they are easy to store and can be used over and over but then forget about them when you are creating? Then come and join us at Practical Scrappers this week! We are exploring the use of STAMPS. I have learned quite a few things from my DT sisters AND the participants this week! Christine is also talking about this super cool new product StampeeFoil! Come and check it out HERE. If that was not enough incentive we are giving away THREE prizes this week! This week there will be a top three and a Grand Prize Winner. The Grand Prize winner will receive bonding powder and a Stampee foil of their choice. What are you waiting for???? Come and play and share!!!!

Here is my submission. I used Learning curve at one inch for the title and some beads! For the stamping portion I dug through my stamps and used Versamark to make the bottom border. I also had a Stampin Up set with tools so I stamped those in black stazon and then mounted for embellishments. The calendar on the right side is also a stamp and highlights when we did this renovation in the new house. The counters were painted by my wonderful husband with get this, acrylic paint, some Martha Stewart glitter, polyurethane, and a plastic bag. They turned out wonderful and looked like granite for about oh 5 bucks or less since most of the items came from my craft stash! How cool is that!?!? Hope to see you at Practical Scrappers!

I want to get to know you!

I love reading your comments and looking at your blogs but I would like to get to know you. Would you please answer these please!?!?! ( i took some of these from another blog!)
Lurkers, stop lurking and get talking!

1. What's your name (first is fine if you are super secret)

2. Where do you live?

3. What do you like to do in your free time?

4. If you are crafty, what do you like to craft the best?

5. Do you have a blog? Leave a link if you do! I want to come visit you.

6. What do you stink at?

7. What do you rock at?
8. Would you participate in challenges if I put them on here?
9. What is your favorite color?
10. What is your favorite subject/theme to scrap?


1. My name is Crystal.
2. I live in MD.
3. I love to scrap, bake, read, and walk.
4. For now I am only a paper crafter, I don't need another medium to get addicted to LOL!
5. Well you know my blog LOL!
6. I stink at running.
7. I rock at organizing, being on time and planning ahead!
8. I love challenges!
9. My favorite colors vary on my mood but red or brown.
10. I love to scrap my DD, everyday moments and have recently gotten into scrapping about DH and I! YAY!

Lisa loves me! Sunshine Award

Lisa at http://aruplife.blogspot.com/ loves me! She sent me this pretty award last week and I am a dork and just now getting to post it! Thank you sweetie! I love your wild card series and will be joining soon but I am not really a card maker anymore! Thanks hon! You are so sweet!
NOW, the rules for the award are as follows: I must pass this on to 6 of my followers. Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

--Pass the award onto 6 bloggers.

--Link the nominees within your post.

--Let your followers know that you are giving them this award by commenting on their blog

--Share the love and link to the person for whom you received this award.

Ok so here are the ones I am giving out:

LYNNE-This girl has become one of my dearest friends and we have never even met in real life. She was so supportive when I was pregnant and is still today! We bonded over a cuttlebug folder WOOHOO! I think that was like three years ago almost!

KIM- Kim is on the Practical Scrappers DT with me and is so sweet. She ALWAYS has nice things to say and share! I love her style and the fact that she is a fellow KY girl (even though I am relocated) is even better! Thanks for always being so kind and sweet!

CAROL- Carol you are super talented and sweet. You do not give yourself enough credit but HUGS for you since I think you are wonderful! Thank you for creating and sharing and listening to me whine ! LUV YA!

JEWELS You know I feel bad but I am not sure that is her "real" name or not BUT I love this girl! She is super sweet and I love her outlook on life. She is super talented also and serves on the Practical Scrappers D.T too!

JAMIE Jamie is on the DT with me also but I think I knew of her before then. She is super talented and does awesome with her sketch interpretation. Thank you for sharing with us!

BETHANY This girl does amazing things with what she has! She taught me (or tried to) how to make my own glimmer mist and the way she puts together what she already has as page kits makes my mind spin. I stink at that! LOL! Thanks for sharing and being so sweet!

Tattoo removal

This is the other layout that will go next to the one titled "Ink me Baby" (scroll down for it). Thickers and various chipboard for title, LOTS of bling, George and Basic Shapes for the star journaling spot, some felt stars, and ribbon and ink. Nothing fancy but it is so sparkly in real life LOL!

Polkadots and Plaids for Frosted Designs

I did not INTEND to join this challenge but it just happened on this layout so here you go ! LOL! I used Cricut Sweet Treats for the cake, Thickers for the title, Stamps for the plaid circles and all patterned paper is from DCWV Guy Stack! I heart that stack it was my big splurge last weekend, sort of a Valentines Day gift.

Rock the Faux Hawk!

*Practical Scrappers challenge is a few posts down!**

I have had these pictures printed and done since LAST April! These pictures honestly INTIMIDATED ME! Have you ever had that happen? They are SO cute and SO once in a lifetime that I did not want to mess them up or making a blah page for them! I have been skipping over them for over a year now. I even posted them on cricut.com and asked for title suggestions, um like six months ago LOL! I know I know horrible me! BUT they are DONE and I actually LIKE THEM! WOOHOO! I did not use much Cricut but I love the sketch I used. I also "made" my own flowers for the bottom right and small top left flowers, I stamped with stazon timber brown ink to make them polka dotted! What do you think? Did I do OK!?!!

Penny has some awesome blog candy!!!

Penny is one of my cricut card fairies! She has one of the kindest hearts I know and is super talented too! She is in Italy and still sends to almost every mission we have done and we are up to 520 in less than two years! WOOHOO! Hop on over to her BLOG and check out her amazing blog candy in honor of her blogoversary!

Various layouts

********Please scroll down for the Practical Scrappers challenge this week!!!******

Practical Scrappers-FLOWERS

This weeks challenge was to use FLOWERS! What scrapper does not have these in SOME FORM in their supply stash? I know I do but then again I have only one daughter that I am scrapping about. Anyways this week we are working with flowers, make them your own, cut them, spray them, sew them on, rubons, primas, etc etc. Just have fun with it.
We're going to pick three winners - the most creative use of flowers, the project that uses the most flowers (leave us a comment so we know), and again our favorite project! We will also be picking one winner randomly generated to get some bling from Glitz Design.

Here is my design for flowers. I LOVE Songbird cricut cartridge and used it to make the title "Flower Girl" at the bottom. I also layered a few primas in the top left and secured with a brad. I then used George cart to cut the two flowers I used for a journaling block, added ribbon in my stash for stems and leaves. What do you think?

Page kits-finally put together!

I went to CKC in 2008. Yes almost two years ago. I bought these there after doing the first pages in a Basic Grey class. I just put them together. Don't ask me why. I do not know. Here you go!

I also wanted to share some of the amazing flowers that my MIL made for me! YAY!

Quick candy holder

I made this for my hubby quite quickly last night. I used TBBM for the crayon box at fit to page and then cut up a cartridge holder for the acetate window, filled with Reeses Hearts, used the window cut out as a tag and there you go. Simple and cute!

Final Day of Valentine swap-Day 7 Homemade

Today's word was homemade/handmade. Boy I got spoiled!! Check out my goodies from Melissa! She knows I love red, and my kitchen is that color. She is trying to enable me to use my alcohol inks, and knows I love love love Strawberry shortcake and journaling and mini albums! Thanks hon!!!!
Sandy spoiled me too! Look at those gorgeous cards! She rocks those, the one with the polkadots and the little pocket is my favorite! I will be stealing that idea! She sent me some flat backed pearls to help me make something homemade and three lovely containers of skittles! Thank you sweetie!

I WON AT UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES!!!!!

WOOHOOOO! HAPPY DANCE TIME! YAY ME!!! WOOOOOHOOOO! I know it is not a big deal to some and it was a RANDOM drawing but I am super excited!! YAY!!!!!!! I won for this layout!!!!!

Day 6 of Valentine swap

Today's word was CONTAINER! I love containers and LOVE to organize so this was RIGHT up my alley! Yes I know I am a dork but that is OK! Makes me unique LOL! Anyways here are my WONDERFUL AMAZING goodies for today!!!

Melissa sent me the coolest thing ever! I have ALWAYS wanted to try to alter those poptop can but never did get any poptop cans LOL! Inside were some SWEET TREAT CUPS with all sort of sweets!!!! I love me some polkadots so those buttons are GREAT! There was some BLING WOOHOO, ribbon, eyelets/brads, lace, and skittles! What a CREATIVE IDEA!!! I love it!!! Thank you hon!!!! And of course I heart the colors!!!!
Sandy made this amazing Birthday tracker for me! I love it!! I will be filling in all the dates soon! So if you want on my birthday list let me know LOL!! She also sent me some yummy yellow glimmer mist, Sentiment stamps (really needed them!) and a cute clear stamp set of fruits with various sayings (very cute!). I love the magnetic clips that she altered, they are super strong, where did you get them from hon? I love them they are on my metal board holding special pictures right now! Do you see that little album at the bottom? That is going to be PERFECT for pictures of my passed on Grandma! Thank you sweetie!!!!! I love it all! You and Melissa are SO talented!!!

This was a good thing to wake up to since little miss was up most of the night then SLEPT until 703 am which she NEVER does for me, but did for Daddy. I was a little upset! LOL! Happy pre Valentines Day!

Spa Sock Cupcake

I scraplifted this idea from the cricut MB. Here is the LINK Mine do NOT look as good as hers but you get the idea. I used the cut file that Rach1fun was kind enough to put up on her blog here. I don't have any cellophane but you get the idea. I topped mine with a dove chocolate YUMMY. One will go out in my snow mailbox for our awesome mail carrier tomorrow and then the other is for a friend. I picked up a pair for me too! I think these would be adorable for ANY girl gift! The socks are super soft too! What do you think?

Our snow mailbox

Scroll down for Practical Scrappers and Valentine swap!


So we cannot see our mailbox and our poor mail lady does not have anywhere to deliver it since the front of the house walkway is covered in ice no matter what we do. SO! We came up with this. Jon dug an alcove out and labeled it MAIL and it worked. All the snow from the culdesac is in front of and ontop of our mailbox and it will be WEEKS before it is seen again. What do you think? I bet she was laughing!

Day 5 of Valentine swap

Today's word was FAVORITE. The top two pictures are from Sandy! She did a fantastic job! I love notebooks, and she made me a mini album too! It says "My Dreams" it is GORGEOUS! She sent Caitlyn an activity/sticker book with her favorite character on it! I just got an ITOP and so she sent me some brads for that and who does not love fun ribbon? Thank you sweetie! You are so talented and WAY underestimate yourself!

These are from Melissa! Can we say WOWZERS?!?! I love blue/brown and she rocked that color combo. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the magnets that have Cs face! They are so precious, they made me tear up a bit, she is getting too big too fast! She also made me a cute cute notebook, bookmark (how cute!), card and some alcohol ink tags. I have some alcohol inks but have not used them, I will have to now. Melissa you are so sweet, perfect items and I love them all!! Thank you!!!

Practical Scrappers BRADS

This weeks challenge at practical scrappers is BRADS! You know you have them and probably (if you are like me!) they are tucked away and out of sight out of mind right? WRONG!!! Get those little gems out and check out Practical Scrappers for some inspiration. Let's rock those oldie but goody brads!!! Here is my take, I made this card for my SIL, she turned "over 30" back in January. She is a kid at heart (just like her brother!) So this is what I came up with for this challenge. I used an abundance of brads for the eyes and buttons on the gingerbread man, buttons on the TV and for the chocolate chips on the cookie! What do you think?

8X8 Color book-PINK

I recently hosted and participated in an 8X8 color book for kids. The end product is amazing. I will get pictures up later on when there is some sunshine of all the pages. This is my pink page, and yes this one is crooked, hence why I still have it! LOL! The pig is from Animal Kingdom I think and the title is welded with DS from Base Camp I think. The little poem is something I came up with after asking two other friends my juices got going!

So we dug out the cars today and tried to go out this morning but it was super scary and everything was closed. I hope to get out at least for a little bit with munchkin tomorrow as I hear rumors of another storm coming Sunday-Tuesday UGH! The shoveled snow is taller than my almost six foot hubby! We don't have room for any more!!!! I did get way ahead in Design Team work, I think I am caught up until mid March!!! YAY!

Everyday Valentines for Unscripted Sketches

This is my take on the above sketch from this week. I am not a big card maker and have been snowed in for going on a week now so I was itching to get something done. I am not too thrilled with the buttons (wish I would have randomized them more) but they are stuck. Everything except the base cardstock is from my scrap bin! YAY! ME! Fabric thickers for the title. It is hard to tell but the top white piece is lightly embossed with hearts. I used my labels one nestabilities for the small journaling spot, a Tim Holtz ticket, Target Dollar spot heart brads that were raked to me and a felt heart that I inked that was also raked to me. Hope you like it!

Day 4 of Valentines Swap

Today's word was LOVE. The first picture is from Sandy! She altered an amazing little album of pictures of Caitlyn! I love it! I will carry it always, the colors are fantastic and I have to find out what she used for the inside pages as they are awesome! She also altered a little tin and put love note cards inside for me to write to Caitlyn and Jon, how sweet! She sent Caitlyn a Love kitty book, and another fun Love title all glittered! I love it all thank you!!

The second and third pictures are from Melissa. She sent me two gorgeous cards! I love them! And some awesome stamped images, there are even STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ones in there! Love that, I have a Strawberry Shortcake doll from the day I was born! LOOK AT THAT FRAME! It looks like canvas and I love it! I Love the picture and the colors are PERFECT for my craft space. Caitlyn will NOT put this down or the duck! She got the Mickey Mouse mini discs taken away since she tried to impale Mommy with them! LOL! I love this frame and Caitlyn keeps saying "Baby Slide!" and then runs and gets her shoes! So cute! Thank you!

Icicles and towers of snow

This icicle is almost touching the snow! It has to be at least three feet long or more! It has started melting already too!
This is the view after a little shoveling out my front door.
My six foot hubby next to the mountain of snow that is taller than him!
Massive icicles in the backyard
Another view of our massive icicle, see I told you it was almost touching the snow!!!!
Well according to the BWI Airport we got 19.5 MORE inches yesterday bringing the total to 89 inches in the last 12 months! HOLY CRUD! I wanted to take a few pictures to show you what we are dealing with. Here you go.

Day 3 of Valentine swap-BLING

Bling was the word for this day!The above is from Melissa! WOOHOO! I love me some glitter glue, pink is always a hit and look at the yummy Christmas bling, I have not started scrapping Christmas yet!
These are from Sandy! I Love me some swirls, and never buy it for myself, the layered title is perfect and very glittery and of course you can never have too many clear rhinestones!

Thank you ladies!