A Creative Outlet

A rainy 4th and random thoughts

2009-07-05T14:27:00.005-05:00

We didnt go to see fireworks last night as I had hoped. It rained most of the evening so the large public displays were cancelled. I heard at least one was rescheduled for tonight but I'm not sure if we will go or not.We did go to Trent's parents house for dinner. Talk about some yummy food. His father grilled ribs and tenderloin. Oh man oh man!! I could have eaten my weight in them. Poor Trent

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T16:36:00.001-05:00

I would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe 4th of July. I'm off to a BBQ and hopefully to see fireworks.

Camping

2009-06-16T12:33:00.004-05:00

Steven, Lathan and I took a break from the madness and went camping with some family a couple weekends ago. We went over to Sugar Bay in Land Between The Lakes or LBL as we call it around these here parts.We only stayed Saturday night and most all day Sunday but the boys had a ball. I wish we could have stayed a bit longer but our schedules wouldn't allow that. Steven had a game early Saturday

Sympathy Card

2009-06-06T08:57:00.001-05:00

I made this card for some friends of ours who recently had a loss in their family. It had been a long, hard, emotional road for them and I just wanted them to know they are in our thoughts and prayers.Materials:Basic Grey "Blush"Queen & Co. Felt FusionTim Holtz Distress Ink "Tea Dye"VellumXyron 500 adhesiveTFLMonica

What to do on a rainy day?

2009-05-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

We made these the other day to give us something to do while it was raining...The birds love them.If you've never made one they are so easy. 1. Get a pine cone.2 Spread peanut butter over it.3. Roll in bird seed.4. Tie string or yarn around one end.5. Hang from a tree.I have seen a couple cardinals enjoying them and have been trying to get a few shots of that. So far no luck..hehee

Today he turns 10

2009-05-03T11:40:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Charile. I love you more than you will ever know!!!!!!!!

Prayer Request. PLEASE!!

2009-03-24T07:38:00.002-05:00

Hello to all my very special creative friends. I can not go into detail at this time but my family and I are going to a very rough time. I am asking for prayers from you all. Please pray for strength, understanding and that this is resolved quickly. Thank you all so very much. I have a special place in my heart for each one of you.Love and hugs to you all.Monica

A quick update and a call for some creative help

2009-03-04T07:41:00.002-06:00

Boy time flies when you're addicted to Facebook game apps....I didn't realize I haven't posted anything on here in a little while. I really need to start limiting my time on that site. Oh boy!I wanted to update on Steven's ACT test....as of right now there isn't an update. He said they told him after the test that it will be 3-8 weeks before he hears of the results. As of today we've still not

Proud Mommy Moment & a quick card

2009-02-21T06:42:00.002-06:00

Steven is one of only 11 kids in his school that was chosen for the Duke University Talent Search for gifted children this year. I can not begin to explain how proud of him I am. Now that he is officially a teenager I've stepped into a whole new chapter of mommyhood..To be honest there are times when I had just rather skip this stage in his life..hehee. But with all the struggles he and I have

My Valentine's Day gifts

2009-02-20T07:26:00.004-06:00

I have been meaning to post pictures of what Trent gave me on Valentine's Day for a few days now but I've just not gotten around to it. So here they are.Trent, bless his heart, has been working so many hours lately. 10 hours a day 7 days a week for the last few weeks to be exact. With no real end in sight. He's so tired when he gets home that he barely has time to eat supper, take a shower and

New bloggers in the neighborhood Let's give them a big welcome.

2009-02-18T16:52:00.002-06:00

Two very special people to me have joined the blogging world. They are both very creative and talented.The first is Kristy. Her blog is Webfrndz. She has quickly became a very dear friend to me. The fact that she's married to my cousin doesn't have anything to do with it..heehee. Kristy is an amazing photographer and does not give herself enough credit. She dreams to become a professional

Ice Storm Photos

2009-02-12T12:37:00.015-06:00

An ice storm hit us January 26Th and 27Th. We were without power for the 10 days following. Not to mention cell phone service was out for the first several days. There were over 170,000 homes in Kentucky alone that were affected. There are still thousands of homes across the state without power. Power crews from other states came to Kentucky to work around the clock to help get utilities back on

Study Time

2009-01-21T08:17:00.005-06:00

I've been spending the majority of my time reading and studying lately. Well, that's if I can pull myself away from FaceBook long enough. In the time since my last post I've completed 2 more sections in my Interior Decorator course.." Principles of Color" and "Decorating with Fabric'' as well as completing two more photography classes at HP.com. One on camera composition and the other on

Playing with a Christmas Gift.

2009-01-17T01:08:00.005-06:00

The boys and I gave Trent a Game Trail camera for Christmas. For those of you who don't know what they are..they are used for hunting. You attach it to a tree in the area you plan to hunt to see what kind of activity is going on. Check it out more at Cabela's .Trent put the camera out here on the farm just to check it out and see what we could get. He placed it in an area where he know deer

Ya learn something new everyday!!

2009-01-12T08:06:00.005-06:00

I'm taking free online Photography classes at HP.com. I just completed the first class. Now I am on to my second course "Camera composition: change your perspective". I just wanted to share and pass on the information just in case someone may want to join me in these classes. Monica

Every girls crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man!!!

2008-12-18T06:49:00.002-06:00

Trent's parents came by Saturday evening to bring Lathan a new church outfit. I wish I had gotten a picture of him when he first saw the clothes. Talk about a happy boy. So Sunday morning I had to get some pictures of him in his new duds. He was more than happy to model for me. He looks so grown. I told him he looks like a business man so now he says he needs a briefcase..heehee. Every time I

Puppies, Puppies, Everywhere

2008-12-16T23:59:00.007-06:00

Here are some pics of the puppies. Half Siberian Husky, Half Neighbor's Dogs...Yep, they are mutts but they are adorable. They're just about 3 weeks old and just opened their eyes a couple days ago. I would love to keep them but Trent wont let me. Then again we are already feeding 3 dogs 3 cats and a horse on top of the 6 of us. So I guess he's right on this...But they are just so darn cute. I

Autumn Theme wedding card

2008-11-25T10:32:00.004-06:00

I made this for my neice. She asked me to make a Fall/Autumn theme Congrats card for her friend's wedding. This is what I came up with. The card and envelope were cut on my Cricut. The paper is Fancy Pants.Thanks for looking...Happy Thanksgiving!!

Just a quick one.

2008-11-23T01:12:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I know I haven't been around for a while. Sorry about that. I'll try to do better. But I just had to make a quick post and leave this. A bit of food for thought during the upcoming Holiday Season and throughout the coming year. This was sent to me in an email from my sister. Yes, this is one of "those" emails, but the story was so touching I could not help but to get teary eyed. I had to

October is here...Where did September go??

2008-10-04T16:05:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it is already October. I haven't posted since the end of August. Oh my where did September go??? Maybe with baseball, tball, and PTO planning for the Fall Festival?? But now that it is officially the Fall season it is time to decorate for Halloween and Autumn. I've been working on a few home decor items. I hope to be able to post in the next week or so. Have you started

Long time no see

2008-08-28T08:08:00.003-05:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I've posted. Stacey Sent me a couple "hints" to update my blog so I thought I had better get on over here before she sent out a search party...heehee....You know I love ya Girl!!So what's been going on with Monica lately. Well being the glutton for punishment that I am, I have signed 3 of my 4 monkeys for Fall Baseball and T-Ball. And if that weren't busy enough

Hug me

2008-07-24T09:17:00.005-05:00

I found this fun little quiz on my sweet friend, Tracey's Blog "Running With Scissors" My results ended up being the same as Traceys heehee. Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out. Your heart is open to where ever love takes you! Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out Your flirting style: lots

They make dirt look good!!

2008-07-23T16:39:00.004-05:00

That's a great title for a page don't ya think??I walked out the back door the other night to call the boys in for supper and this is what I found. Rex and Lathan laying in the dirt with their cars. Oh two happy boys they are. I almost hated to make them stop playing to come in. But BOY were they filthy. Of Course I had to grab my camera........They love to pose. Check out the dirt on Rex's upper

CHA time..

2008-07-19T11:39:00.003-05:00

Its that time of year again. CHA-Summer. I have to admit the past couple days I have been blog hopping to see all the cool new exciting products being released. Oh what I wouldn't give to have a chance to go. I know several people who are there now and I read their comments just to feel like I'm there too. I'm curious as to who else is with me on the blog hopping. Are you searching for the new

Just for Laughs

2008-07-11T19:13:00.002-05:00

Ok so here I am searching the net looking for some funny quotes for a mini book I am making for a friend and ran across this. Some of these really made me giggle so I just had to share. Hope you get a laugh.A Woman's Dictionary Argument (ar*gyou*ment) n. A discussion that occurs when you're right, but he just hasn't realized it yet. Airhead (er*hed) n. What a woman intentionally becomes when

Subscription Linking Troubles---Fixed

2008-07-07T15:26:00.002-05:00

It has came to my attention the subscription link to the blog wasn't working correctly. I am so sorry for any trouble. I do believe I have if fixed now. Unfortunately you will need to subscribe again. If you have any more trouble please let me know. You can either comment here or email me directly at monicajo4@mchsi.com. Thanks for understanding and again I am very sorry for the trouble.Until

The 4th at home with family

2008-07-06T17:23:00.006-05:00

We celebrated the 4th of July at home with family. Trent's parents, brother, sister-in-law and their boys came by to spend the holiday with us. We bought our own fireworks and several sparklers for the kids. It was nice to be at home and not fight the traffic and crowds of the large public displays.Some of my dear friends from the MemoryWorks message board gave us some tips on photographing

Water Logged

2008-07-05T10:33:00.004-05:00

I made this page using some of the pics I took when we went swimming at my parent's house. I've also entered it into a couple challenges. This is one of those designs that I had in my head and drew a rough sketch. The photo sizes didn't quite match up the way I was wanting but in the end I actually liked the difference in the sizes. Just another example of a page making itself. I always follow a

Lathan is 4!!

2008-07-02T13:51:00.004-05:00

Sunday, June 29Th was my youngest son Lathan's 4th birthday. Oh did he ever have a BIG BIG time. Here are a few pics of the big day. (Don't mind the wet spot on his jeans. That is chocolate milk)We let the boys choose what they want for the food and our little McDonald's addict chose just that. So 25 cheeseburgers, 15 large fries and 5 nugget happy meals it is. We also let them pick out the cake

Summer Fun

2008-06-28T14:02:00.017-05:00

The boys and I went swimming at my parents house Thrusday and Friday. This was the first we've been so far this summer. Now the older I get the less I seem to be interested in swimming myself. I had every intention of just sitting on the deck, taking pictures and enjoying the sun. After all four boys and my parents...... for lack of a better term....pestering me about getting in the pool...(not

Congrats to the Cosmo Cricket Top 12

2008-06-25T11:44:00.003-05:00

I'm just wanting to send a huge CONGRATS out to all the Uber Talented ladies chosen for the top 12. Good luck to the next round.I also want to give a HUGE KUDOS to Cosmo Cricket. They are truly a TOP NOTCH company in my book. For each of the entrants CC has gifted a $5.00 gift certificate. How cool is that?? That just shows what an extraordinary company they are.Thanks so much I will be using it

A prayer request

2008-06-23T13:56:00.002-05:00

I have a very dear friend going through a tough time in her life right now. I will not mention names or go into the details. I am asking all who read this to please lift up a silent prayer for her...for strength, courage and GOD's guidance through this time.Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.XO~Monica~OX

"My Boys" Wall Hanging -Cosmo Cricket

2008-06-20T16:17:00.006-05:00

This is yet another attempt to show my work using Cosmo Cricket papers. ( Can you tell I am yet one of thousands of scrappers trying to be selected for the Cosmo Cricket Design Team? )I am still loving the Cogsmo Line. What's not to love, right? They are just the cutest papers to work with. And so easy. The ideas just design themselves. I have been wanting to make something like this with my

Play Time?? - Cosmo Cricket

2008-06-18T19:18:00.004-05:00

This is a page I made of my (third in line) DS Rex. The journaling reads..." You wanted to go to the park to play. When we got there all you wanted to do was draw. Ummm Son?? Couldn't we have done that at home?"I used the Cosmo Cricket "Cogsmo" line here with some "Be Happy" chipboard. How fun is this paper? I'm telling you if you haven't gotten the chance to play with these papers..go now...

Aspire Canvas

2008-06-17T22:47:00.005-05:00

This is a canvas I made inspired by Ali Edwards word for the year. The DeZine Girlz over at Sb.com posted a challenge a few months back for our group to choose our word for the year, then create a project using that word to hang in our creative space to serve as a reminder.I chose the word 'Aspire'. The Webster's pocket dictionary defines as... "aspire: to aim at high things; to soar." To me, it

Birthday Banner

2008-06-16T20:00:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to show a banner I made for my Great Nephew Leland. My niece Tia wanted to go with a monkey theme...which was perfectly fine with me. I call my kiddos monkeys all the time. So this fit right up my alley. Besides..It was a perfect excuse to play with my new Cricut Expression. This is a close up of one of the monkeys. I made one for each side.For the bananas I cut three half moons

CONGRATULATIONS TIA & JASON and wedding projects

2008-06-12T15:52:00.007-05:00

My niece, Tia, was just married May 17th, 2008 to a great guy, Jason. I am so proud for them. She looked so beautiful that of course I bawled like a baby. As I watched her walk down the isle, I saw a curly blonde headed 2 year old with a Kool Aid mustache, running around bare-footed in the yard. Where have those years gone? Now this little girl is a Wife and Mother. Tia & Jason, Aunt Monica

Birthday Lacing Card- Cosmo Cricket

2008-06-09T13:43:00.004-05:00

My parents asked me to make another set of Lacing Cards as a birthday gift for my step-brother. That was the greatest compliment to me. I had made a set for their anniversay, and they loved it so much they thought it was be a great gift for him. WOW! So of course I was more than happy to make it for them. And of course I was more than happy to play with the lacing cards again. I just love them. I

Out with the old in with the new!!

2008-03-23T10:55:00.004-05:00

With the upcoming release of the MemoryWorks Product Catalog and Idea Book 2008-2009 That means we have to make room for all the cool new products we have coming in. When companies start making new lines some lines become retired. Therefore we are trying to sell out the retired items to make room for the cool new must haves. Check them out today because they will be going fast. Don't forget the

Some creations

2008-03-17T06:51:00.012-05:00

I haven't posted any of my projects since before Christmas. Things got crazy as it normally does that time of year, but for me it hasn't let up since. I have only popped in for quick posts here and there. I haven't even ran any challenges.As for the challenges I have something new in the works. More on that at a later date. Right now I am just posting random cards and gifts I have made since

Sneak Peeks and coupon specials

2008-03-13T12:55:00.003-05:00

Hello my dearest creative friends. I am so excited to announce we have more sneak peeks for the new catalog release next month. Hope on over to MemoryWorks and check out the new product releases .Three Bugs in a Rug(My absolute Fave) Cosmo Cricket Yes we have BLACKBOARD!!!Fancy PantsBe sure to keep checking back for more yummy sneak peeks to come. Don't forget to check out the Warehouse Clearance

20 free fonts~ How's that for AWESOME

2008-03-09T13:55:00.004-05:00

I got an email from ScrapNfonts the other day that I just had to pass on. 20 free fonts. They are so cute. And what better price than FREE?CLICK HEREWhen you download and use these cool fonts on a project, be sure to email a pic of what you made so we can share. Send to Monicajo4@mchsi.com with "font project" in the subject line.Enjoy!!Keep those CREATIVE juices flowin'~XO Monica

Sneak Peek~ Scribble Scrabble

2008-03-06T08:49:00.009-06:00

Oh it's that time of year again. It's like Christmas in Spring. New products are arriving from CHA for the new MemoryWorks Catalog due to be released next month. But here's your chance to pick up some of the yummy products early. Introducing SCRIBBLE SCRABBLE!! Check these out..........

Let's go shopping

2008-03-02T15:48:00.007-06:00

Hop on over to my new shop for "A Creative Outlet" Shirts, journals and all kinds of goodies. (Link also to left under "Dress Creative (and other fun stuff). I will be adding more designs soon. So stop on over there and check it out. Bookmark it so you can visit often. There are some awesome gift ideas over there from journals, mouse pads, and coffee mugs. You just have to check it all out.Keep

A work in progress- Note new name

2008-02-25T13:07:00.002-06:00

I am in the middle of the new changes so please don't mind my mess. The reconstruction process is underway. As you can see I have changed the name from "Crop Drop and Roll" to "A Creative Outlet" I want to thank Tara again for loaning me the idea for "Crop Drop and Roll". It is such a cute name and she was a dear to play along with helping me come up with a name. TARA- THANKS GIRL YOU ARE AN

A birthday Card for my nephew

2008-02-24T14:46:00.004-06:00

I made this card for my nephew's 5th birthday. I used my Cricut to cut the cake. I also used some scrap Fancy Pants papers. I inked the edges with my ColorBox Cats Eye ink pads. I just love those little things.

Changes are a comin'

2008-02-17T17:23:00.002-06:00

Hello dear friends. I'm just stopping in to make a quick post to say HOWDY and to let you know that I have not ran away. I know each of you can relate as to how LIFE can sometimes take over and laugh at any plans you make. Well do not fret!! I am coming back and have some great new ideas for contests and challenges. Also I have plans to change things up a bit around here. Stay tuned...

Button challenge WINNERS!!

2008-01-10T13:08:00.000-06:00

I am sorry for taking so long to post the winners. Sometimes Life just takes over and time flies by in a blink of an eye. (more on that in a later post) With that said I would now like to announce our challenge WINNERS!!That's right, I said winners. We had a tie for our button challenge. Two very sweet and talent ladies I met at Scrapbook.com, Tracey Jackson and Tara Young (aka toofclnr). These

Nov Buttons Challenge Entries

2007-12-20T11:02:00.000-06:00

I'm so sorry that I am late posting the entries for the challenge. December is such a crazy month isn't it?? But Better late than never right.First I want to thank each and everyone of you who entered. You are really making this fun for me.I plan to start the challenges back up after the first of the year when the rush of the holidays is past.With out further blabbering from me here are the

Just an update

2007-12-04T08:45:00.000-06:00

This is such a busy time of year, and I have had a couple requests to extend the November Challenge. So I thought I would extend it till the 15th of December. So anyone else who wants to enter will have another week or so to finish. Just please be sure to send in your MemoryWorks wish list along with your entry if you haven't done so already. This gives me an idea of what to choose from to

WINNER!!! October Challenge

2007-11-27T09:39:00.001-06:00

I would like to announce the winner to October's Use Old Papers Challenge.She is a very dear friend of mine. I met her over at Scrapbook.com and we became fast friends. Congrats Kathy!!! (Scrap-Time at SB.com) You can check out her gallery here. I asked here to answer a few questions for me so we could get to know more about her scrapping style. Here are her answers.1. How long have you been

November Challenge- Buttons!!!

2007-11-04T15:38:00.000-06:00

Happy November Scrappers!!!!First of all I just want to say I am sorry for posting this month's challenge a few days late. I have been having some computer trouble lately. Don't you just hate it when that happens?So I have been thinking about what to do for the November Challenge and trying to come up with some ideas. While I sitting at my scrap table looking at my stash looking for some

Using Old Papers Challenge---UPDATE!!

2007-10-27T11:29:00.000-05:00

I will be extending the deadline for this CHALLENGE till Novemeber 7th. That gives one extra week to get your pages emailed to me at monicajo4@mchsi.com. Don't forget to send your MemoryWorks wish list too. Thanks to all who are participating.I will be posting November's Challenge soon. I have been tossing around a few ideas but if you have any suggestions for future Challenges I would be happy

MemoryWorks Express Kit November Sneak Peek

2007-10-22T05:27:00.000-05:00

November 2007 Kit Sneak Peek!Autumn SplendorFalling leaves, changing colors and crisp cool air - all gentle reminders of Autumn splendor. And nothing says fall quite like our November 2007 kit - full of rich warm colors, beautiful designs and heart-warming scrapbook elements and embellishments. Plus, chances are you won't be able to resist our special acrylic themed altered project and add-on

Using old papers Challenge.

2007-10-14T15:56:00.003-05:00

I am loving the pages that are coming in for the Use old Papers Challenge. Since this is the my first challenge to post I forgot to add a couple bits of information. Send a copy of you Layout to my email monicajo4@mchsi.com by October 31, 2007. I will post each layout here on the blog for voting. Voting will last one week. Then I will send a small RAK from your MEMORYWORKS wish list. IF you

Using Sketches

2007-10-12T08:09:00.000-05:00

Up until a few days ago I hadn't used a sketch for a page. It's not that I have anything against using sketches. I think they are great for inspiration. It is just that I haven't done it. No excuse really. Well while I was running through the "Challenges" forum at Scrapbook.com I noticed a Sketch challenge for the month. So I thought to myself why not. I ended up using 2 of the 3 sketches offered

The Ugly Paper Layout is finished

2007-10-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

This is the finished page from the swap/challenge. The flowers are cut from each of the uglies using my Cricut. This is the 3x5 quote card also made from the same papers. Now lets see what you can come up with. The CHALLENGE....pick at least 3 of your least favorite papers from you stash and turn "Ugly" into "Beauty".

Using up the old papers

2007-09-28T04:21:00.000-05:00

I know I am not the only one out there that has bought paper upon paper just to have it sit and not get used. I have more than I want to admit at this point. My boys love to get into my supplies and play when they get to "feeling crafty", so those less than desirable papers are the ones I let them get out to use on their projects. With the thought of having all these papers I don't like and

2007-03-15T21:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, So I have been lacking in the bloggin area. I have no excuse for it. I really want to, but it seems that everytime I try to sit and type what comes out ends up being erased. I am an emotional person. I tend to wear my feelings on my sleeve. But when It comes to putting it all out there in written form I struggle.So here it is, My second installment in the blog.I have been trying to get my

2006-10-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

Well here I am trying out this blog thing. I used to keep a journal when I was younger. It had gotten into the hands of some people that I had rather not known my deepest secrets. That is when I threw it away and haven't had a journal since. So why am I blogging now? Especially when it is posted for anyone to see? Well, I am older, and would like to think a little wiser, and not as insecure