{COOOOOOOOOL Blog Candy}

I won the greatest blog candy in early December. I was just not able to get a picture to you until now---I won this amazing cookbook by Ree Drummond aka Pioneer Woman (PW)! Now, I didn't win it from PW, I won it from Dawn at Spontaneous Clapping! I started reading her blog after she left a comment on mine once and I've been hooked ever since. Dawn aka Dandy went to see Pioneer Woman at a book signing and got an extra book signed to give to one of her readers---aka ME!!! :) (OK, I promise not to use "aka" again in this post.) I actually found out that I won it in this post! You can't know how excited I was----it's sad actually, but I won't go there---just know that I was SUPER excited to win this cookbook. If Ree had been anywhere near Raleigh, NC I would have been there with my camera. All sorts of my" blogging friends" got to see her at her various stops on her book tour and I was moaning about not having a book signing on the east coast. The next thing I know, Spontaneous Clapping is having some candy and I WON! HOW COOL IS THAT? Dawn got married on December 5th, so I didn't get the book until the week before Christmas. What a wonderful surprise to find it in my mailbox! It was like Christmas two days early! So many good looking recipes in this book- I can't wait to try a few. So, this was one of the thrills in my house in December---OK, thrilling for me. Everyone else just looked at me as I laughed with glee when I pulled it out of the envelope---but again, I'm not going there! I hope you have a great day---or night!

{I'm still here...}

So many posts.....so little time! Well, December is almost over and I have had so much to do that I just couldn't get to the computer for a post----clearly the blog isn't my priority! In the next few days, I'm going to show you some of what I have gotten done over the last few weeks----I hope to be able to blog more in the new year, but with all that we have going on, I just don't know if that will happen. I really enjoy this, but I never seem to find the time to do it. SO, as things go on in the Nelson house, I hope to let you know about them. Here are my three "babies" when we do the "pose with the cookies" right before bedtime on Christmas Eve! I'm sure my girls will be thrilled that I posted this!


One of the best things in December is Joshua's birthday on December 29th. What a fun day he had Tuesday.

My sister, Jennifer has been here for many of his birthdays since it's right after Christmas, so she has started taking Joshua out to breakfast on his birthday. They went to Panera this time and he took this huge book of Christmas seek and find that she had given him and they worked on it together. Then, she took him to Target to get him some early birthday presents---how cool would that be if you were a nine year old boy? Shoot, I'd let someone take me to Target and spend money on me and I'm just a little older than nine!

Later in the day our family went out to dinner. My parents and "Aunt Jen" came, too. The last couple years, Joshua has chosen Pei Wei as his birthday meal. We had such a great time there---love the food, love the atmosphere. After dinner we came home and had cupcakes and opened presents. Joshua decided since we had just eaten, that maybe it would be best to open the presents first----you know, to let our food digest a bit! Isn't he selfless and thoughtful about our well being? :)

Joshua is a fun kid---we are always amazed at what comes out of his mouth. Sometimes it's just silly, sometimes profound---but he keeps us laughing and reminds us of the Lord's grace in our lives. What a blessing he is to us. Just think, if we didn't have him, I'd have an empty nest in a few months---sooooooooo NOT ready for that. So, this is just one other reason I'm happy to have him in my own life!! He'll keep me young.....I hope! Thanks for peeking in on me today---I sincerely hope there's not another month before my next post!

{More Tags}

Here are a couple of the first tags I made with Holiday Button Bits~I have several things to show you this week if I can just get some good lighting---it's been really overcast and my house isn't the best for natural light on the brightest of days! This will be short because Joshua and I are headed to have a fun day at the Life and Science Museum in Durham in awhile---it will be a great time together---we are out of school this whole week! YIPPEE!

I used the holly image for these tags (obviously!)--that is one of the reasons I bought this set--I just loved this image. I stamped the leaves on Ripe Avocado cardstock with the same ink and then cut them out. I also stamped the image on the tag---on the one above, I ran it through my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder---I love the polka dots! I put the leaves on with some SU! dimensionals. I like that these aren't too high---that's why I use them so much. The buttons on these tags are Scarlet Jewel. I ran out of small Pure Poppy ones when I made my Christmas cards, so I need to order another bag. I still have some big ones, but they are TOO big for this project---yes, I'm rambling---THUS the blog name!

I haven't added the ribbon on these because I like to know exactly where I'm going to attach them first---sometimes I'll use actual ribbon, sometimes I'll use twine--so, that's why you are just seeing the tags here!

On this one, I used the threading water punch to create the border along the bottom of the tag---this tag was simple, simple to create and could easily be mass produced--trust me, I know about mass production---I'll show you some of that later in the season!

On the wedding front---we found Caitlin's dress last Saturday---it's SO beautiful and looks amazing on her---that's just the way it should be, right? I have hired a wedding consultant to help keep me together! I hope to be finished with the initial planning by the end of the year---if you have any great ideas for wedding favors, let me know! I'd love to make something classy! I have done some of my Christmas shopping, so I feel better about December--I'm almost finished for Joshua and Caitlin---I still have much to do, but I hope to knock it out this week! Enjoy your week---I hope you are with family or dear friends--

Holiday Button Bits Tags: (all supplies PTI unless noted)
Stamps: Holiday Button Bits
Paper: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Ripe Avocado
Ink: Ripe Avocado
Accessories: Scarlet Jewel Vintage buttons, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dot Embossing Folder (Provocraft), Dimensionals foam tape (SU!), Mini Glue dots, threading water punch (Fiskars)

{Gift Tags}

Last year I made most of my gift tags for my Christmas gifts and I LOVED it---I have always loved making packages pretty, but it's much more fun when I get to MAKE something to go on them with my "schtuff"---:) Schtuff, did I just type "schtuff"? YES, it's 4:30 in the morning so I may be a bit punchy~after waking up at 3:55 and laying there for 35 minutes, I realized that I WASN'T going to be able to go back to sleep, s0 I got up to talk to "you people"---those who exist only in my mind!!!

ANYWAY--back to the tags---I made these pretty large---I'll have to make some smaller, too, but I enjoyed making these first--I started with some Aqua Mist paper---ever since I got Papertrey's new Pigment ink stamp pad in Aqua Mist, I use this color all the time!

It coordinates perfectly with the Christmas paper Rustic Snowflakes. Anyway, I used that paper and the 2008 Holiday Tags' snowflake. I went simple on these tags, so I didn't bling up the snowflake---even though I thought of all sorts of ways to do that---stickles, rhinestones, embossing---just stamp and go this time.


I tied some twill with a button and stamped the "TO-FROM" from the same tag set. I will tie some more twill or twine when I attach it to the package, I'm just not sure how I want to use it, so I haven't put that on yet---
The other sentiment is from Holiday Button Bits. That set is proving to be so fun---I'm really enjoying it---more on that later---well, I had better do something more productive---like laundry! I hope you enjoy your day---and I hope you are still asleep!


Simple Christmas Tags: (all supplies PTI, unless noted)
Stamps: 2008 Holiday Tags, Holiday Button Bits
Paper: Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy, White cardstock, Rustic Snowflakes patterned paper
Ink: Pure Poppy, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: 1" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch (eksuccess), Aqua Mist twill, Vintage buttons in Aqua Mist and Pure Poppy, Rustic Twine

{A Christmas Thank You}

I love this sentiment----every year I send thank you notes to all of my students who give me gifts---when I saw this sentiment in the Signature Christmas set by Dawn McVey I was so excited---not that I don't have numerous "thank you" sentiments, but I just loved that this was specific to Christmas! I have been working hard on my Christmas gifts this year--but I just don't want show any of them yet---thus the lack of posts---I'm playing with my stamps as much as possible, so you'll see some of it soon, I hope!

When I came up with this idea, I knew I'd be able to share it---I ended up with 15 cards in just a little while! I'll still need to make some more, but I'll make another design--I just got on a roll with this one and made a bunch!

The tree is from the Tree Trimming Trio. There are three wonderful trees in this set---I just went with this simple tree for this card. There are "holes" in the tree where I stamped the star ornaments in various colors. Then I added the epoxy dome stickers to give them some dimension. I think these add so much! That's the only embellishment I put on this card---look Mom, no ribbon or buttons! I made the outline with a cheap roller ball pen and ruler---simple, simple. Here are a few of the color combos I used:

Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy, Ocean Tides

Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise

New Leaf, Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise

Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet

Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today--Hannah's Fall Theatre Production was last night, so I'll have some pictures to share soon---it was a fun night! The wedding date has been set and it's May 15th. I'm POSITIVE this won't be the last time you hear about that! There's so much to share---so much to do! Life is crazy~

Christmas Thank You: (all supplies PTI unless noted)
Stamps: Tree Trimming Trio, Signature Christmas
Paper: Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Rustic Cream cardstock
Ink: Memento Black (Tsukineko), Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, New Leaf, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush, Summer Sunrise, Raspberry Fizz (I went crazy with the ink!)
Accessories: Page Pebbles (epoxy dome stickers)

{One last Halloween post}

I love giving food gifts---baking is something I can do, so I enjoy sharing it. The usual recipients of these gifts are my children's teachers. Thursday night I decided I needed to make them some of my (mom's) famous brownies (it's actually Texas Sheet Cake, but my kids call it "mama's brownies")---I think I've shown it here before. I did a search and I haven't put them up here, so I'll include them in another post sometime---they are truly yummy and only 35-45 minutes from start to finish! Anyway, I hadn't done any stamping and I had lots to do that night, so I whipped up the "brownies" and then used my 2009 Halloween Tags to make these super fast---I love glassine bags for quick presentation of food gifts---the bag can handle something greasy without making a mess. You just slip the brownie in and then close it and add a quick embellishment. These tags took me about 15 minutes and that included cutting out the ghosts---Punches are my friend---they make everything faster. :)

I stamped the tag with black ink on colored paper and punched them out using the 1 3/4" circle punch. Then I punched out a bunch of scalloped circle punches. I used the small and large oval punches for the sentiment. So quick~

Papertrey has several tag sets and they are all this quick and versatile---I highly recommend them~
Enjoy your evening! Caitlin and Carson are coming over tomorrow night and we are going to try to find a date for the wedding---yippee!!
Kathleen

Halloween Brownie Tags
Stamps: 2009 Halloween Tags (PTI)
Paper: Orange Zest, Plum Pudding, True Black, Stamper's Select White(PTI)
Ink: Memento Black
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch (Marvy--blue),
1 3/4" circle punch (ek success), dimensionals (SU!)

{She's Engaged!}

Yes---my baby, my firstborn is engaged to be married! If I KNEW the date, I'd tell you! This will be the first thing we must tackle and hopefully it will happen soon. I know the whole thing will happen too fast for mom and dad!

Caitlin and Carson both entered NC State as Freshman in the Fall of 2007. They both attend Providence College Ministry and met there. They hung out together with a large group of friends. Carson makes a great first impression on parents with his kind, polite Southern way---always being willing to help, doing the "yes Ma'am thing", and he is still making great impressions. I have a friend who grew up in the north and she finds "Yes ma'am" a bit condescending, but I LOVE it and hope all three of mine employ a healthy dose of it when encountering their elders. I asked Caitlin in the Spring of 2008 of her interest in Carson and she let me know that she wasn't interested---they were just friends! (I have said that, too!) In the summer of 2008 they went to Central Asia to help some overseas workers there. The team was split up into two groups and they were put in a group of four and sent to a different area. They were there for 5 weeks seeing each other all the time, working long, hard days together. When they came home---still friends, but definitely spending lots of time together. Before we knew it they were dating and the rest is history---ha! They will both graduate at the end of this year---a year early--that's what love does for you.....forces you to get out of school so you can marry! We are thrilled with the whole thing and look forward to watching their life unfold. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for them as they follow his plan for them. OK---here's the engagement deets:

Carson had set it up with some of her friends to get her to the top of a trail here in NC---one of his favorite spots called Hanging Rock. It's actually a State Park here in North Carolina and you hike up to a rock that hangs OVER the edge---a "hanging rock"--thus the name---cool, huh? These are pictures that she took and that her friends then took after they got to the top---it's always more fun to tell a story if you have pictures! Here's a shot of the trail that Caitlin took long before she had any idea that something was up.

The plan was for her friends and her to get together and go on a hike (because one of the girls' needed to figure out if if would be a good "field trip" for her youth group to go on-yeah, right.)

But, Caitlin took the bait. The plan was for Carson to already be up there---which he was---and it was all supposed to happen around 6:00pm. But, the plan had a few variables and it took the girls a bit longer to get up the trail than they expected. He had put rose petals up the trail (how romantic!) and the girls wondered aloud if something "creepy" was going on! :) Those girls were great to help fool her!

Carson had it perfectly timed with the sun, but they were a bit late---they still got up there and all worked out! (Thank goodness for Photoshop---you wouldn't believe how dark these pics really are!) It's quite a story that I'll let HER tell you, but needless to say, Carson was waiting for her when she got to the top of the hike. She looked through the trees and thought she saw him and went to see if it was him.

When she got there and quit asking "what are you doing here"!?, he got down on his knee and asked her to marry him. Pretty sweet!

She said yes!!! :)

Enjoying the moment----what a precious day for her! October 30, 2009 will forever be a precious day!

You can sort of see the hanging rock from this angle---they are over on the left side of the photo~

OH, and the ring---it's a beauty!

Here's one more picture---here's the beginning of the best journey of their lives---as soon as I know when the ceremony is, I'll let everyone know---it will be fun---that's for sure!

After they got back into Raleigh, they met us and his parents at the Cheesecake Factory---one of their favorite places---and we were able to celebrate with them. That was so special to us---we are grateful that Caitlin will have such wonderful in-laws---I am so blessed to have great in-laws and I have prayed that for my children their entire lives. We look forward to sharing our lives and grandbabies (YIKES! ---someday!) with such a sweet family. Thanks for indulging me---what a great day for us!

Kathleen~