November SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!!

If you came from Michelle's Blog...you're on the right path. Check out my tips and ideas for the Around the Block set and then scroll down and follow the link to see who's next on the blog hop.

As always, the stamp of the month is only available this month. You can purchase it at full price or get it for a discount or free based on your qualifying order. Email me or check out my website for all the details!!

Hubby is home this week so I waited until the last minute to play with this set and I wish I had started earlier! I have tons of ideas floating around in my head for it now...but I didn't have time to put them into action. :-)

Here's my first project...


I used the Grace paper pack and stamped the house in cocoa on one of the texture papers. I used chalks to add some color to the house.

You could use this card to invite a friend over, congratulate someone on a new house, welcome someone home....

Next up: Gift Bag

Great way to share a housewarming gift, welcome a new neighbor or simply say from my house to yours....



Tips and Ideas:

Since the roof is separate you can make your house short or tall. I made the house on the gift bag a little bit shorter by stamping the roof on a separate piece of paper and paper piecing it.

Use the set for a home improvement or new house layout.

Make a welcome home goodie bag for someone who has been away for a while.

Make a little goodie box and send it off to your favorite college student - Love from home...

Make a gift card holder and put a card for a home improvement store inside....

See...the ideas are endless!!!

Now it's time to hop on over to Jessica's Blog to see what she came up with.

Here's a complete list of consultants who are participating in case their are broken links or you get a little lost on the hop....


Jena DeVries
http://www.livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/
Helen Onulak
http://www.hookedonstamping.com/
Carla Ironside
http://www.carlacreates.blogspot.com/
Cindy Leek
http://www.papersandpictures.blogspot.com/
Laurie Levnik
http://www.creationsbylaurie.blogspot.com/
Krista Ritskes
http://kristaritskes-simplycreating.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Androlewicz
http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/
Paige Dolecki
http://www.paigespaperparadise.blogspot.com/
Shannon Pelletier
http://www.mycolorfulworldinvt.blogspot.com/
Jody Gustafson
http://www.cre8nmemories.blogspot.com/
Laura Dame
http://www.thecroppersconnection.blogspot.com/
Terrie Dodd
http://www.my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/
Lori Brown
http://www.savingmine.blogspot.com/
Cibele Glazer
http://www.flowerfoot.blogspot.com/
Caren Goldsein
http://www.scrappycaren.blogspot.com/
Traci Godbee
http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com/
Dawn Ross
http://www.iamahappystamper.blogspot.com/
Maricar Harris
http://www.maricarharris.blogspot.com/
Jamia Bankhead
http://www.papermadnessinc.blogspot.com/
Laurie Newton
http://scrapsfromthebeach.blogspot.com/
Nona Davenport
http://www.nonapearl.blogspot.com/
Tanya David
http://www.scramperscorner.blogspot.com/
Sheila Bennett
http://sheila-bennett.blogspot.com/
Melissa Laverty
http://www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com/
Amy Edwards
http://paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com/
Lori Leng
http://www.pinkcloudscrappers.blogspot.com/
Kristie Herdener
http://www.goofyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Jill Lucas
http://scrapwench.blogspot.com/
Adeline E. Brill
http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/
Michelle Nist
http://michellenist.blogspot.com/
Dawn Heuft
http://www.stamptildawn.blogspot.com/
Jessica Booth
http://jessicabooth.blogspot.com/
Susan Brooks
http://www.stampingintheopen.blogspot.com/
Sarita Schraeder
http://www.blessedscrapper.blogspot.com/
Katy Donaldson
http://www.scrappinkaty.blogspot.com/
Mary Eisen
http://www.mestamp2.blogspot.com/
Deb Young
http://www.scrapbookczar.blogspot.com/
Haley Dyer
http://www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Kimberly Smith
http://verykimberry.blogspot.com/
Barbra Otten
http://barbraotten.blogspot.com/
Tammy Lea Pinchard
http://mycreativeclubhouse.blogspot.com/
Nancy Brown
http://www.creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.%20com/
Karen Norman
http://www.gettinscrappywithit.blogspot.com/
Judy Burger
http://makingtimeformemories.blogspot.com/
Sylvia Jacquot
http://stampinsylvia.blogspot.com/
Brae Montgomery
http://thebrae-er.blogspot.com/
Pamela O'Connor
http://www.cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com/
Antoinette Herrin
http://www.godblessyourart.blogspot.com/
Debra Van Patten
http://memoriesoftheheartbydeb.blogspot.com/
Jen Patrick
http://www.roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/
Wendy Kessler
http://www.myscrapbookingblog.com/
Beth Naumann
http://www.bethscreativeblock.blogspot.com/
Misty Jackson
http://www.misstscraps.blogspot.com/
Brenda Harmless
http://keepsakeswithheart.blogspot.com/
Amy McVey
http://www.clearlystamping.blogspot.com/
Linda Shewchuk
http://www.awesomememories.blogspot.com/
Chris Shouse
http://www.houseostamps.wordpress.com/
Pam Klassen
http://eimmap.blogspot.com/
Michelle Bourlet
http://michellescreativeconnections.blogspot.com/
Jen Rubio
http://www.jenrubio.blogspot.com/
Wanda Riley
http://www.creatingwithwanda.blogspot.com/
Lori Miller
http://www.clearlyfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Carol Taggio
http://craftycarol55.blogspot.com/
Tracy Oleksak
http://www.mamaolie.blogspot.com/

Back to Biking....

So I forgot to mention in my post about all of my October "fun" that my bike broke down too!!! It was in the shop for 3 weeks!!!!!! I won't even bore you with the reasons it took so long. Mostly because I think the shop just messed up. The ironic thing is that I was supposed to pick it up the day after my car broke down....the day I was driving a rental car with no bike rack.

I couldn't make this stuff up. If you see me in person, check and see if you see a little black cloud following around behind me. LOL!

So anyway... I rode a couple of times last week. I took it easy and was picked up part way through so that I could get back in the hang of it. Then yesterday I rode the whole way home for the first time and it was absolutely amazing!!!! It felt so good. From the moment I got on the bike, I felt great. I felt strong. I felt invincible. It was one of those PERFECT rides when everything goes well. I struggled a bit up the last rise, but I made it....without stopping!!

Of course a couple of hours later, after the adrenalin wore off, my body reminded me that I'm 42 and out of shape. I was feeling pretty sore. I'm still a little sore today, but I'm looking forward to another great ride home.

Perhaps my PERFECT ride was the beginning of a better kind of "fun?" I'm thinking it might be.....

Bridge to Tarabithia

Last night I went to see CYT's production of Bridge To Tarabithia at the East County Performing Arts Center. They did such a great job!! It was opening night and there were lots of parents in the crowd and I'm sure they were proud! Everyone was wonderful, but I think that Dallas Perry's Rhythm of the Rain in Scene 7 was absolutely amazing!!!! I don't want to give it away, but if you know the story then you know it's a tear jerker and his portrayal was heart wrenching!

Of course the highlight for me was getting to see Shelli's daughter Ashley play Miss Edmunds. She was the cool hippie music teacher and she did a fabulous job and has a beautiful voice.

Fun times!

I often forget or don't make time to do things like this and I'm soooo glad I made it to this one. Need something to do this weekend? Why not take the family to see a play?!

Dear October...it's time to go already

So not much posting from me lately... I wonder why?

Could it be because my husband got really, really sick and had to go to a hospital in Wyoming? The only thing worse than listening to a man whine, moan and groan because he is sick when he is at home.... is to listen to them whine, moan and groan when they are hundreds of miles away and you're worried about them and there's nothing you can do but pray.

Now, I'm not entirely sure when that fun began. It could've been in September, but the fall-out from it continues to haunt us in October. You see, when a truck is not moving because the driver is sick...well... nobody makes any money. And when it takes over two weeks to deliver a load that should've taken less than one week.... You get the picture....

So hubby's return to the living wasn't instantaneous. Think about the last time you got really, really sick.... remember how the first few days you just didn't have any energy. Yep, that was poor hubby...

So hubby FINALLY gets back on track and starts moving some freight around the country when...he gets sucked into the Bermuda Triangle that hosts his home terminal. And then he heard those wonderful words... "You get a brand new truck!" Woo Hoo... happy times. But wait... While you are here... you have to pee in a cup and take a bunch of safety tests and we have to hook up your qualcomm and your inverter and 5 days later he finally heads out of the terminal and guess what... we're not going to pay you for your extended stay. (Still fighting that one!)

And then.... the BRAND NEW TRUCK... broke down!!! And then.... we had to foot the bill for the hotel (at some point we will be reimbursed, but apparently not right away... stilll fighting that one!) But wait, it gets better... You know when he was moving freight around the country, supposedly making money. Um yeah, you have to turn the paper work in in order to get paid... and when you and the paperwork are stranded on the side of the road with no where nearby to turn in the paperwork? Yeah, it sits in your truck...unpaid.....

Meanwhile what's going on on the home front. Let's check shall we? Hmmm... First the washer broke. Then the car started spontaneously leaking radiator fluid and that's never a good thing. So let's spend more money on a rental car and then let's pay for a new water pump. (Thankfully we have a great mechanic that saved the day and a ton of money!)

Fun, fun, fun.... and so I say Hurry up October and be on your way... and take all your fun "treats" with you. pretty, pretty please? I've had enough....

Good thing Joshua and I have been reading Dave Ramsey and taking our lunch and avoiding all un-needed expenses!!!!! Otherwise I'd probably be crying while I wrote this instead of shaking my head at the fun we've been having.