Trimming the Tree

What a great day! We finally put up our tree. Watching the kids put on all the decorations was so much fun. All of the ornaments ended up in one place, but it's still beautiful to us! We also spent the day cleaning up so Santa has LOTS of room. Later this week, we'll make some cookies for him.

Winter Wonderland

It's been a hectic fall into winter. We have a lot of snow right now, which is great for the kids and for hubby! They've been out sliding and riding on the snowmobile daily. We bought some new sleds the other day because the ones we had were getting worn out. I remember having a metal red disc sled as a kid (like the one in the Christmas Vacation movie with Chevy Chase) and it was durable and FAST. Now we can only find cheap ones made out of plastic.

Holding Pattern

This summer my plan was to dig out all my favorite things and create some new cards and scrapbook page goodies! Well, so far I've been too busy so all of that has been on hold, but soon I will have a break. I'm in the middle of a graduate course that is very intensive. It's good for my soul to challenge my views and learn new things.

Saying Goodbye

This has been a very hard week for my family. We had to say goodbye to our best friend, Lucy. She lived a very long, fun filled life (13 years). Her hips were starting to give out and she stopped eating/drinking. Then, we knew it was time to let her rest in peace. She left us with memories that we will cherish forever.

Keep It Simple Please

When I first started scrapbooking I would spend so much time on each layout. It took me a long time to get anything accomplished. Some of those layouts were published in books and magazines, but they didn't seem like "me." It seemed like I was trying too hard to use all the "latest" embellishments and techniques.

Recently we had some photos taken by Stacey Cordes and they are gorgeous. I wanted to create an album that really showcased the photos. It seems like many of the layouts out there right now are "full" of stuff, so much so that the photos get lost. The photos are the reason for the layout so I've been trying "Keep it Simple" and make the photos SHINE! Here are a couple of the layouts I created using a digital kit from The Shabby Princess. I think I achieved my goal of showcasing the stunning photos of my girls.

PS: Thanks for voting for my layout at www.penscrappers.com. I'm crossing my fingers that I win the prize so I can use it at school with my Desktop Publishing students.

Pen Scrappers Contest

If you do any digital scrapbooking, there is a contest at www.penscrappers.com going on right now. I created an entry today with their kit. If you are not entering, I would love a vote from you! Also check back because I'll be posting another contest with prizes soon.

Here is the link to my layout: 10 Things You Do Each Day
Every day my precious daughter does so many things to add joy to my life. Here is the “short list” of the things she does.

Prize Winners!

YEA for FREE STAMPS! I used the random number generator at www.random.org to choose three winners and they are: Sandra, Kenzie, and Janet. Please send an email to admin@spunkystamps.com with your contact information and I'll send you some super Spunky Stamps!

Post to win FREE SPUNKY STAMPS

Welcome to my blog. I am going to post all kinds of fun stuff here including stamping projects and scrapbooking projects. On February 20th (my friend Donna's Birthday by the way), I will choose three people to win a Spunky Stamps prize package. So......post away! Here are two quick & easy layouts I made of my step daughter Maleea. She loves the snow.

And....here is my wonderful hubby. This is our wedding invitation I created using a digital kit from a fabulous digital scrapbooking site www.theshabbyshoppe.com.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack!

So....after a few years off I'm trying to get back to my hobbies of stamping and scrapbooking. Right after I created my blog in 2005, I began a new chapter in my life. I married a wonderful man and had a beautiful baby girl. She is now 3 1/2 years old. The past four years have been dedicated to my family, but now I'm ready for some ME time, REALLY! I'm just starting to organize my stamp/scrap room, which is the first step!

Also, I've been trying to update my Spunky Stamps website. I need to make a bunch of new samples, look for a design team, and make some new stamp designs. Oh, the work I have ahead of me.

Here is a photo taken by a very talented friend, Stacey Cordes, from Minneapolis. Check out her stunning work at www.staceycordesphotography.com. These are my beautiful girls. My daughter Lily and my step daughter Maleea. See why I haven't been stamping lately? These girls fill my life with joy.