Seeing New York on the Bus

Okay, so my hair HATES the east coast!! That said I loved seeing Manhattan by the On/Off Bus. The architecture  is wonderful and out guide was full on information about the city.

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

Merry Christmas

                     May joy & peace be with you today and everyday!!

Dear Santa

Mikey's Funnies is generously hosted by Agathon Group, website development and
hosting with a ministry heart:
http://www.agathongroup.com/

today'sFUNNY===========================

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned, and cuddled my two children on demand,
visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to
raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground, and figured out how to attach
nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write
this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room
between cycles, and who knows when I'll find any more free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except
purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze, but are strong
enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last
pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like a car with fingerprint-resistant
windows and a radio that plays only big-people music; a television that doesn't broadcast
any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment
behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes,
Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two
kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the
use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, "Don't eat in the living
room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be
just out of my children's hearing range and can be heard only by the dog.

And please don't forget the Playdoh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year
for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to
crumble on any carpet, making the in-law's house seem just like mine.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my
teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room
temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday
season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It would clear my
conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without
demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my
toddler didn't look so cute sneaking downstairs in his pajamas to eat contraband ice
cream at midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry
room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your
wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don't catch cold.
Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the
carpet.

Yours Always, Mom

P.S. One more thing: You can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young.

The Bronx for Hawaiian Food?

Once we got to NY, check into our hotel we took the subway to the Bronx to have dinner. My son is amazing with his phone navigating the intricacies of the subway trains. His GF & I just followed him.

The food was more Korean than Hawaiian but it was good non the less.

I used the No Limits layout in Studio J since I only had 2 pictures of us at the restaurant.

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

They Don't Get Any Cuter

Here's my son and his girlfriend. Aren't they cute??

I had never taken the train from West Point into New York so we did! What a blast. The train is fairly comfortable and pretty reasonable in price. What is priceless is all the sights you get to see. If I lived on the east coast I would love to use the train to get around. Maybe I would feel differently if I lived there but as a tourist it was a blast

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

Army Football

So in October I went back to New York to see my son, take in a football game at Michie stadium and do some shopping & sightseeing.

I cannot tell you how amazing it is to be at West Point watching Army football. And yes, before you ask....we lost!! Grrrrr

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

A Christmas Version of 1 Corinthians 13

Mikey's Funnies is generously hosted by Agathon Group, website development and
hosting with a ministry heart:
http://www.agathongroup.com/

today'sFUNNY===========================

A CHRISTMAS VERSION OF 1 CORINTHIANS 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny
balls, but do not show love, I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet
meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I'm
just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to
charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of
holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed
the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be
in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to
those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving
the gift of love will endure.

West Point Moms

So you know my son is a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, right? And this is one proud Momma!

So to celebrate together with other proud Mommas is always a pleasure. To talk about what our cadets are going through, the highs & the lows with others who "get it" is therapeutic. And add in a little food & wine is just a bonus.

Studio J again makes my being able to keep up with my scrapbooking so much easier.

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

Sedona With My Family

Sedona is beautiful. My family & I spent an enjoyable afternoon driving down, eating a great lunch and visiting the art museums.

In the picture on the left you can see my mom and sister in front of a set of those beautiful mountains.

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

Bio Dome

So, believe it or not, I love to tour interesting attractions. It doesn't matter what  if it is an old mission, a beautiful park or a Bio Dome.

 

When I was down in Arizona celebrating my birthday with my sister & mom we took a road trip down to the Bio Dome. This structure was built as 7 different living environments and 8 people lived inside for 2 years without coming out.

 

Now I love to grow my own fruits & veggies BUT to grow your own coffee?? Not!! But that is what these folks did. It was so interesting to see how they lived, what the plant life was like, the experiments they did and the living quarters.

 

Studio J made this a fun way to remember my trip!

 

Enjoy your day
Lisa

 

50 Is Nifty

                                     Studio J is awesome!

 November was the anniversary month for Studio J so the layouts were $5.00. Normally they are $6.95 which is a great price BUT $5.00 is even better!!

I only had 5 pictures from my birthday dinner but no problem with Studio J. This layout came together in a very short amount of time and was FUN!

Try Studio J for yourself on my website. There is no charge for playing. If you'd like a private lesson, email me and we can set up some time to show you all that can be done with Studio J

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

Happy Thanksgiving

                               May your day be filled with blessing.


                                              Love, Lisa

Another Sing Glory Card

Again using the Sing Glory stamp set, Snowhaven paper packet and Cranberry ink. This card also shows off the Triangle Border  Punch (Z1997) which is super fun to use. After you have used the punch on your paper you can add Shimmer Trim Red behind it.


Enjoy your day
Lisa

Sing Glory

This wonderful stamp comes from a Hostess only stamp set. What?! How could I use a stamp set you can't order? Weeellll, sorry! but it's just to gorgeous not to use. AND you can get order it when you host a workshop or place a qualifying order.

This card was designed by Vicki Wizniuk, who does amazing work.

The standard card base is then layered with Snowhaven paper cut 4"x5 1/4", the strip on the side is 1 1/4"x4 3/4" and is the flip side of the layering piece


The angel is stamped with Whisper ink then rolled into Slate, then stamped on a 3" circle cut on the Cricut with CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge. Once you've stamped the angel, stamp the sentiment with Cranberry ink. THEN clear emboss the angel for that final BAM!! I  like to sponge the edge of the circle with Whisper ink. Adhere to the card

Stamp the holly on scratch cs with black ink. Cut out with scissors, yes you have to use scissors!! Haha.  You can use the new ShinHan alcohol marker Red to add color to the berries. Mount that with mounting tape for dimension.

Enjoy your day
Lisa

Always Grateful

My favorite stamp set Always Grateful (C1559  $13.95) works for so many different times of the year. We made this at the last Christmas card workshop & the ladies loved it!!






Starting with a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" NE Ivy card base then layering on a Colonial White 5 1/4" x 4" cs. On the Col White piece about 1" from bottom dry emboss 2 lines, leave about 1 1/2" space then dry emboss 2 more lines. Mask the dry embossed lines and then sponge with NE Ivy ink in circular motions the open space between the embossed lines. Once you like how much coverage you have remove the mask.
Stamp with Cocoa ink the tree and sentiment.
Mount the Col White layering piece to card base.

Enjoy your day
Lisa

Choose Joy

CHOOSE WISELY
By Michael Halleen

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 
118:24) 

The Psalmist had made a decision.  The Lord God had given him that day.  Now he chose to 
live through it with a positive spirit and a hopeful heart. 

Nothing is more crucial to the quality of our lives than the choices we make about HOW we 
will approach the circumstances, relationships and crises of each day.  In the end it is 
that attitude which largely determines the outcomes we will find.  I CHOOSE God as my 
refuge . . . I CHOOSE to believe . . . I CHOOSE to find a way. 

Mrs. S. had lived alone for many years and got out only with the help of a wheelchair.  
Every Sunday she wheeled herself into the side aisle of our sanctuary (one without 
handicap access) where she worshipped attentively.  She always seemed to be 
"up," a radiant person who made people smile just to be around her. 

One evening Mrs. S. spoke to the youth of the church and was asked how she could always 
be so alive, so full of joy.  She responded, "Well, I certainly didn't choose to 
live the last half of my life as a widow.  And I didn't choose to have my son killed in 
the Korean War.  I didn't choose to have to ride around in this chair for the past ten 
years.  But one thing I did choose - to be happy.  I decided to make the best of every 
day and to see the best in every person." 

A friend who has been a missionary in South America for many years told me of taking some 
American visitors through his city.  One of them spotted a beautiful large poinsettia 
tree in front of a small house as they passed by.  The visitor wanted to take a picture 
and, not realizing that the plant was brittle, reached up to pull down a branch for the 
camera.  A six-foot length of flame-red poinsettia snapped to the ground. 

At that moment the woman of the house stepped out of the door and confronted the gringos 
standing there, poinsettia branch in hand.  Humiliated, they tried to express regret and 
offered to pay for her loss.  But they could no more fix the personal damage than they 
could repair the tree.  Still, instead of adding to their embarrassment, the woman 
cheerfully asked them in for tea.  She chose to forgive them, to overlook their clumsy 
behavior.  She CHOSE to offer them grace. 

This is the day the Lord has made.  We are responsible to decide how we will live in it.

 

 

I personally really needed to hear this today. Nothing seems to be going right but I'm alive, my heart is beating and God has my in the palm of His hand.....so it IS a GOOD DAY!!

Forgot to Share This

This card is from the old Idea book but I love how it shows you can use the new ShinHan markers to color the clear button.
Just wanted to share

Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Life Is Good

                                      Created by Cindy Herman

Using the Workshop On The Go kit (G1081  $29.95) this card makes use of the Chalk It Up Assortment (Z3009  $4.95) with the puffy arrow. A few sequins add more texture.

Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Chalk It Up Layout

                                      Created by Cindy Herman

I will admit I don't do traditional scrapbooking anymore. I LOVE Studio J that Close To My Heart offers for digital scrapbooking.

That said, this layout is darling!! Can't you just see your pictures on this page?

Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Chalk It Up Washi Tape card

                                     Created by Cindy Herman

Sometimes simpler is better.....'nough said.

Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Chalk It Up

Created By Cindy Herman

Using the Chalk It Up paper packet (X7184B $9.95)  I love the clean look of this card. The colors Lagoon, Sorbet, Olive really POP!!

See the little sequin? Those are Gold Sequins (Z2012 $2.95) have 3 shades  & there are 108 adhesive backed 6mm, 8mm, 10mm in there.

Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Designer Bag

                             Created by Cindy Herman

                                      Showing the bag open

                                      
                                      Close up of Chalk It Up Assortment

You can really dress up the Designer Bags, just like Cindy has done. I love how she added the "flap" to the top of the bag.



Love the different patterns you receive in the 12 pieces total. 4 each of 3 designs; 5¾" × 4¾".


Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Always Grateful Card

                               Created by Me!
   

 

This was a card I made for my national swaps and taught in my September card workshops. It is soooo easy to do.

 

The base card is 4"x6" Autumn Terracotta

The layer is Champagne embossed with the Quatrefoil Embossing Folder (Z1926  $8.95)

Then Black cardstock corners rounded layered with Champagne cardstock also corners rounded
With a 1 1/2" circle mask at the top of the piece I sponged Sunset then Autumn Terracotta then Honey Ink. I used a rubbing motion to get the solid appearance.
Remove the circle mask
Stamp with Black ink using Always Grateful (C1559  $13.95)

Using the Scallop Border Punch (Z1851  $17.95) add the Black cardstock edging


Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Happy

                               Created by Cheryl Tingley

                                      I think this says it all..

Enjoy Your Day!
Lisa

Designer Creations Slate Paper Bags

                   Created by Cheryl Tingley

The new Designer Creations Paper Bags are 12 pieces total. 4 each of 3 designs; 5¾" × 4¾" all for only $3.95. They come in different colors Ruby, Honey, Slate, Lagoon with 3 different patterns in each package

Here is a sample of the patterns. Aren't they great? You can dress them up or use them as is without embellishment.

Enjoy your day!
Lisa

Scaredy Cat Card

 
                                   Created by Cheryl Tingley

I love this card! How funny is that saying "If the broom fits, Ride It!"?!! This card doesn't scream Halloween to me but won't it be a hilarious birthday card? or just an any occasion card for that BFF?

I love how Cheryl distressed the B/T paper with ink.

Those Black Enamel Stars are found in the Scaredy Cat assortment ( Z3011 for $6.95) with other goodies and all are adhesive backed.

                                         Enjoy Your Day!
                                                    Lisa

Designer Creations Honey Paper Bags

How stinkin' cute are these bags?? I made these for the national swap I participate in. Along with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge this bag just came together nicely.

Did you notice the texture in the acorn? I used the Paper Fundamentals Basics paper packet (Z1939  $19.95). You get 20 double sided 12"x12" sheets (2 each of 10 designs), same design on both sides, one side with glossy pattern.



                                                          Enjoy Your Day!!
                                                                   Lisa

5x7 Pathfinding Card

Here's another card I made using the Pathfinding paper packet. This card pattern is from the Originals book. Using this pattern book makes making cards so easy. It gives you all the cutting directions, paper sizes and a colored picture to inspire you. Sometimes I just need a little help in the creative department & Originals does this for me.

I used Olive CS as the base
Chocolate CS is run through the Cuttlebug with the new Woodgrain Embossing Folder (Z1996 $8.95)
 
                        

Then Pathfinding B/P paper at the bottom
I used the new Score Board (Z1937  $24.95) to add a border around the card then sanded it to expose the white core of the cardstock


The image is from Fabulous You (C1533  $13.95) stamp set which is one of my favs!! I stamped with Chocolate pigment ink and colored with the new ShinHan alcohol markers....LOVE THESE!!


      To finish it all off I used the new Bling Gems Gold Assortment (Z2023  $3.95) in the  corners of the card. BAM! done.

                                      Enjoy your day!!

Pathfinding

 

I made this card for the national swap that I participate in. So many new fun stamps, accessories that I got to play with.

 

 

Isn't this a fun set? Lifetime of Happiness (C1589  $13.95) is a set of 21 stamps....yes, 21 stamps for $13.95!!

 

As you can see I took the banner and added 4 layers of mounting tape behind the curve to give it dimension.

 

New Gold Shimmer Trim is cut in half lengthwise for just a little something-something

I stamped the flower onto colored cardstock (Canary cs with Autumn Terracotta ink) then punched out the center. Used mounting tape to pop the center. Also used a hole punch to add the Canary cs for the center of the little Glacier inked flowers, also with mounting tape behind it to pop it too.

 

I love how this card turned out...hope you do too!

 

Enjoy your day!!