Sending You Hugs

I love the phases of growing up and wanted to capture what Marcel is saying these days. A few of his favorite words are: dude, brother and actually.

Here’s how he uses them:

• “Hey dude, DUDE, DUDE…come look at this.” Dude can be a friend, mommy, daddy, nana, brother. Everyone and everyone is a dude or dudes if you’re in a crowd. He’ll keep yelling dude louder until you respond.
• At any of his older brother’s baseball games where he expects another younger brother to be there to play, Marcel will approach one of the other moms. “Hey, where’s your brother?” Should be son…but they get the point and quite often respond, “My brother’s not here. He’s at home.”  Along with a good laugh..."Where's your brother?"
• This little guy is the master at asking the same question ten different ways. Maybe he’ll be an attorney when he grows up. Example, “Mommy, can I have ice cream?” “No honey, we just had dessert.” “Well, actually, can I have just a little bit of ice cream.” “Marcel…” “Actually, can I have some tomorrow?” Followed by, “Actually, how many minutes is it until tomorrow?”

He also has several words that he doesn’t say properly. 

• Festibal (festival). His Vs often turn into Bs. We practice saying it correctly and I know we need to keep practicing, but I love his sweet little voice.
• Head-ick (headache). This pronunciation has been passed down from Ryan. Ryan still says in this way and I feel no need to correct him or any of the other boys.
• Call-yin (Collin). It is so sweet to hear them play together. “Call-yin…where are you?”

Oh how I love this sweet little man and his fun little phrases.

Now, if you've stuck with me this long, here's a card. Nice easy CAS design using a variety of stamps from Hero Arts and Turning a New Leaf from PTI.

The color palette was inspired by Dawn's fabulous wPlus 9 Color Cue.  Only one more work day until the long weekend in the US!

Cast All Your Cares on Him

Ingredients:  Patterned Paper:  My Mind's Eye; Cardstock:  SU Whisper White and Real Red; Twine:  The Twinery; Stamps:  Verve and Hero Arts; Ink: SU Night of Navy and Ranger Distress Ink Antique Linen

Today has been one of those grumpy days.  One of those days when you yell at your children in front of their friends.  When they keep asking for more and more, and after saying yes for what feels like the 100th time, you say no, lose it and start yelling.  Yes...yelling in front of their friends like a crazy person.  And then you take their friends home and they still say thank you.  Your son apologizes to them for the "all the yelling."  And their friends respond, "It's okay.  Happens at our house too."  I don't particularly enjoy days like this, but they are reality.  And the good news is there are certainly less yelling days than great days.

My card today is for Jay Gee's Nook Challenge.  I made this a couple of days ago and adored the inspiration photo.  My mother-in-law would love this card as she loves anything with a boat theme and patriotic colors.  The sentiment seems very appropriate today too.   Hope you all are having a fabulous week.

Two Challenges in One

The title of this post could have been, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again..."  I wanted to try to combine two challenges into one:  CAS-ual Fridays Get Edgy and the Waccky Color Challenge over at a Passion for PaperTrey.  I pulled out some chipboard borders I've had for quite some time and made this card.  My thought was, "BLAH..."

Ingredients:  Chipboard:  My Mind's Eye Laundry Line; Stamps: PTI; cardstock:  SU Whisper White and Real Red

So I waited a day and create this card...happiness.  Much happier with this one...

 Ingredients:  Stampin' UP Real Red and Whisper White Cardstock; PTI Simply Stationery and Botanical Silhouettes Stamps; SU Ink (all colors) and Real Red Ribbon

What do you think? :)

Birthday Boys

Hello there.  My sister-in-law asked me to make a variety of birthday and thank you cards for her.  Since she has a little girl and boy, I'm making four boy and four girl birthday cards for their friends.  So...I have two boy birthday cards.  They are very different styles!  First up is for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge.  Kept this card very CAS.

Ingredients:  PTI Grunge Me and Hero Arts Stamps; Ink:  SU Basic Gray, Not Quite Navy and Real Red

My second card is for the Viva La Verve Sketch.  Just a little different style?! 

Ingredients: Basic Grey Wander Line Paper; Stickers; Hero Arts Sentiment Stamp and PTI Banner Die

My Time Made Easy Pretty Palette Challenge

Hello and welcome to this week's My Time Made Easy Pretty Palette Challenge!  We have some gorgeous pastel colors for you to play with this week.  I had fun learning more about digital stamping with this card.  I duplicated the sentiment in yellow several times and then added it once in pink.  Both the flowers (that I colored in the digital software too) and the sentiment are from the MTME Bee-Loved digital set. There are a ton of versatile images and sentiments in this set.

Be sure to check out the design team member's creations as well:

• Laurel - http://want2scrap.blogspot.com/
• Lauren - http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
• Lisa -http://kindcreations.blogspot.com/
• Lori - http://www.afternoons-delight.com/my_weblog/
• Romaine - http://bumblesnbees.blogspot.com/
• Sharon - http://theramblingsofafairy.blogspot.com/

Here's the detail on how the challenge works:

 

•You can use the palette on ANY type of project! While participation with products from My Time Made Easy ™ LLC is appreciated, it is not required to participate. You can use products from ANY company.

 

•Each week we will pick a winner from the palette participants and announce them the following week, when the next Pretty Palette Challenge is announced.

 

•The palette month will run from the 2nd Sunday of every month, to the 2nd Saturday of the following month, with the Winner announced that 2nd Sunday of the Palette Challenge.

 

PRIZE PACKAGE: Whoever plays along all month, in all 4 Palette Challenges within the month, will be entered to win a Pretty Package of THEIR Choice! Make sure on the 4th week of the challenge, that you leave a comment linking all 4 projects as well, so we are sure we do not miss you!

PaperTrey Ink Blog Hop

Good morning, it's the 25th and you know what that means! Time for the PTI Blog Hop!  I am on a serious CAS kick these days and I have two cards to share.  My first one PTI's Botanical Silhouettes anniversary set.   I absolutely loved the colors in the inspiration photo below and used them as an inspiration for my cards. 

My second card is also inspired by the colors, but I pulled out just the top portion of the rainbow.  I love how the PTI Simply Stationery set can be used to create a medallion of sorts. Lots of different options with this set.  This set gets lots of use for making teacher gifts.

PS How many of your are going to the PTI event?  Maureen and I are.  I'd loved to meet you there...to say we're excited probably is the understatement of the year!

Let's Chat

Ingredients:  My Mind's Eye Lime Aid Fly a Kite Paper; PTI Grunge Me and Birthday Bash Sentiments

Ladies...before I get to my card today, let's chat.  How many of you are clean desk/work area freaks?  The older I get, I find that I can't start working unless my desk/work area is clean.  I simply can't.  And...I think it is getting worse.  At work, I have to have a clean desk before I can dig into a project.  Same at home when it comes to creating cards.  I must have a clean work area.  Anyone else in the same boat?  What's your favorite organizational tip for your craft room?  I'm about to purge and reorganize...I can feel the need to do this coming.  Too many things I can't find lately or things I know I won't use because I've been hitting Archiver's and on-line shops a little too often.  I'd love to hear your feedback.

Now...onto my card above.  This was for my dear friend, Sandy.  We're going to catch up tomorrow for lunch and a pedicure.  I sent this card to her earlier in the week so I think she's received it by now!  I'm entering it for the current Wee Memories Challenge.

Tuesday Trigger: Lovely as a Lullaby

Hello there!  I was very literal in my inspiration from this week's Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger.  When I saw the trigger picture, I immediately thought of the fun polka dot Hero Arts background stamp.  I embossed this on white and then used Ranger Distress Ink (Pumice Stone) to ink up the whole background panel.  Similar to the picture, I stitched on three little ribbon tabs.  I used my Verve To the Moon stamps for the elephant and the sentiment. 

Oh...and how many of you have received your Stamp It Issue from PaperCrafts...goodness...I will be staring at this for hours!  Fabulous issue!

Sending You Love

Hi all.  I hope you had a wonderful first "official" day of summer yesterday.  I have a quick card to share with you today for this week's CAS-ual Friday's Color Blocking Challenge.  I've had this Hero Arts stamp set for a while and have wanted to use it.  Today's card has already made in the mail with a quick note to my nana. 

I also have a card for the current Passion for PaperTrey Challenge.  This card contains the stamp (Hero Arts Envelope) that may be moving to the top of my all time favorite list.  Sentiment is from PTI and the stickers are from Basic Grey.  In addition to the PaperTrey Challenge, I'll be entering this in the Gallery Idol challenge. 

Hope you like both the cards today...mid week...only a few more days until the weekend!

On the Mound...

The two little boys finished up their baseball seasons this past week, but Ryan's team still has a couple more weeks to go.  Ryan has been asking why I haven't shared pictures of him pitching on my blog.  It makes me smile that he stops in and reads what I write (and I know he likes to read the comments too...so thank you so much to all you nice commenters out there).  So...of course, I am obliging his request.  Here he is pitching on Saturday.  His team had a great 4-3 win.  He caught for the first four innings and then came in and pitched the sixth and seventh innings.  This is the first year that they are playing on a full sized baseball field. It is pretty amazing to watch the plays they can make at 13/14 years old.  And...no matter how old they get, it is still nerve wracking to watch your child pitch.  I love watching his confidence grow as he practices more and more and with each year is becoming an even stronger player.

And switching topics :), here is a fun birthday card for a teenage girl in your life.  This is going in my stash for one of my nieces.

The colors are inspired by the  Play Date Cafe Challenge.  I love the bright cheery colors.  Happy Tuesday!

Verve Challenges

Good morning!  I hope all the fathers/husbands in your lives had a wonderful day yesterday.  I know my hubby had a nice relaxing day.  He read quite a bit of his book and took a nap.  It was extra nice not to be in a rush to go anywhere. 

I need to start my day by wishing my wonderful friend, Sandy, happy birthday!  I can't post her card yet...as I need to make sure she has received it!   Happy Birthday Sandy!

I'm also popping in with a couple of cards for some recent Verve Challenges.  The first one is for the Get Your Diva On Challenge.

 My second card is for the Viva La Verve Sketch Challenge.  Using more of the My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Paper and Verve's To the Moon set. 

Hope you like them both! 

Happy Father's Day Pat!

Good morning, for my My Time Made Easy post, please click here.http://themangoboysandme.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-time-made-easy-pretty-palette_19.html

I wanted to pop in to wish my wonderful husband a Happy Father's Day.  I am so very blessed to have him as the father to my boys.  Many week nights and weekends around this time of year, you'll see him sitting just like he is in this picture from Ryan's game yesterday.  This was about mid game, Ryan had played catcher for the first three innings, was sitting out the fourth and then went in for pitcher for the fifth through seventh innings (came home with a 4-3 win too :)!).  Not only is Pat a wonderful coach to his own children, there are so many boys that he has coached through the years on whom I know he has made a positive influence. He loves our boys so much, challenges them to work hard, love, have faith and be a high integrity boy/young man.  I love him so much and am thrilled that we get to learn to be good parents together.

Happy Father's Day Pat!

Today's card was inspired by the Stampin' 411 Sketch.

My Time Made Easy Pretty Palette Challenge

Happy Father's Day!  Popping in with a CAS card for this week's My Time Made Easy Pretty Palette Challenge. My card was inspired by Cristina's card here.  I love her style.  This week's colors are some of my most used inks from Stampin' Up so I loved matching the GaGa for Gingham paper with Regal Rose.  A quick, easy card.

Ingredients:  Regal Rose SU Cardstock; SU Chocolate Chip Ink:  Patterned Paper; MTME Gaga for Gingham; Stamps and Gems: Hero Arts

Come play along with us!

Be sure to check out the design team member's creations as well:

•Laurel
•Lauren
•Lisa
•Lori
•Romaine
•Sharon

Here's the detail on how the challenge works:
•You can use the palette on ANY type of project! While participation with products from My Time Made Easy ™ LLC is appreciated, it is not required to participate. You can use products from ANY company.
•Each week we will pick a winner from the palette participants and announce them the following week, when the next Pretty Palette Challenge is announced.
•The palette month will run from the 2nd Sunday of every month, to the 2nd Saturday of the following month, with the Winner announced that 2nd Sunday of the Palette Challenge.

PRIZE PACKAGE: Whoever plays along all month, in all 4 Palette Challenges within the month, will be entered to win a Pretty Package of THEIR Choice! Make sure on the 4th week of the challenge, that you leave a comment linking all 4 projects as well, so we are sure we do not miss you!

You Make My World That Much Brighter.

Ingredients:  Cardstock:  SU Whisper White and Daffodil Delight; Patterned Paper; My Mind's Eye Fly A Kite; Stamps:  Technique Tuesday and Verve; Buttons:  Stampin Up; Twine; PaperTrey Ink; Ink:  SU Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie

Happy Saturday Morning!  We're off to baseball bright and early with a 10 am start for Jonathon's game.  This may be Jonathon's last game of the season if they don't win today...Ryan has lots of baseball left though as the older boys play into mid-late July.  We'll be all done by 3 though with no plans for the rest of the day and I'm looking forward to just hanging around!

Now...I loved the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger this week and it I don't get to play very often with the Tuesday Triggers.  So...a nice CAS card today inspired by all of the fabulous colors for this week.

You Make Me Smile

Good morning, I'm posting a bit later than normal today as I have the day off to see the boys perform today at Vacation Bible School and to run a few errands (like going to the dentist!)  If you're reading this in Google Reader, I'd encourage you to click through.  I'm thrilled to show you my new blog header designed by the fabulous Karen Baker!  She is amazing at taking a few ideas for design and turning them into exactly what you want.  Looking at my blog after her design simply makes me smile!  Thanks so much Karen! 

Before I get to my card, I thought I'd share a few of the "out take" photos of the boys.  I love the pictures of the boys in my blog header and thought you'd get a kick out of the pictures that I didn't use for the header!

First up, my youngest guy and definitely my most outgoing of the bunch.  Maybe that is what happens when you are the youngest of four brothers, but I can't even begin to tell you how outgoing Marcel is. He has never met a stranger!

 Highlighting his handsome face...

 I love profile shots of his sweet little face...

 Collin has hit the age where he either turns on the goofy smile or hides completely....pictures like this result in me trying again the next day!

 One handsome...little guy...

 Jonathon...my brown eyed boy...king of the mountain...

 Clearly...one of his brothers is doing something to make him laugh...

Hmmm..picking our nose?  This is what happens when your dad is standing behind your mom goofing around as she is trying to take a picture of you...

 And it continues....

And, if you've stayed with my post after all those pictures, here is a card for Jay Gee's Challenge.  You Make Me Smile is definitely an appropriate title for how I feel about working with Karen!  And yes, if you've been visiting this week, my Hero Arts Envelope Background stamp is definitely getting a work out!

Ingredients:  Hero Arts Envelope Stamp; Technique Tuesday Stamps; Ink:  Regal Rose, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black and Ranger Antique Linen

Little Tidbits...

Hi there, popping in with a few links of a variety of blog posts that I have liked lately...some crafty...some not crafty...:

• A good perspective on your growing pains.  No matter what phase of life we are in with our children I think the themes of this post hold true. 
• An anniversary post that made me smile.  I married Pat at the ripe old age of 21.  Susan's comment about having no idea what they were doing then or now but doing it together made me smile from ear to ear.  I often say, "How can I be the parent of four boys?"  I still feel young at heart.  Pat and I continue to try figure it out life together and are having a blast doing it.
• I found Jan's blog while browsing Gallery Idol.  Love her style.
• Are these little onesies not the cutest for twins...Copy and Paste...adorable!

And now...I'll leave you with a card for the current Embellish Challenge. The background stamp is the Hero Arts Envelope Stamp and the flowers and sentiment are from Verve.  I struggle with the placement of gems on my cards, but was actually pleased with the way this looked.  I love the color combination for this challenge.  Not my typical colors, but I like the deep, bold look.

Hope you have a fabulous Thursday.  I'm off tomorrow so not too long until my weekend starts.  Off with a group of girlfriends to see Bridesmaids tonight!

Heartfelt Sympathy

Hi there...today I'm popping in with a card for this week's Just Us Girls Technique Challenge.  The technique was to create a woodgrain effect.  Rather than go with a wood panel look, I decide to go for a rock wall look by using Stampin' Up Basic Gray paper, applying white ink and then Ranger Pumice Stone.  I love how it turned out.  The photo was hard to take for some reason and the leaves on the sentiment panel are a light green, but didn't really show up well.  Hope you can make it out!

Thank you also for all of your fabulous comments on my card yesterday.  I can't thank you enough!  I answered a few of the questions in yesterday's post.  Please let me know if you have more!

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Verve;  Stampin' Up Whisper White and Basic Gray Cardstock; Ranger Distress Pumice Stone; Craft White, Basic Gray and Pear Pizzazz Ink; PTI Buttons and Twine