A Week in Daytona Beach

Hi All! I don't know if I still have readers anymore from being gone too long but HI anyway! The Hubs and I went to Daytona Beach together with a group of teens and a few adults to be at this thing called BigStuf Camps. 3,500 students came to the event and it was an awesome experience!!! The only down side, the hotel WIFI wasn't as awesome as the view off of my balcony. I got proof.

this is only one side of my balcony

This is what you see on the other side of the balcony.

But like I said, the WIFI wasn't as awesome as those views! I had to go to Starbucks a couple of times to make sure my scheduled bill payments went through. They have never missed but I just had to check because I couldn't. You know that feeling? Now you know I'm a nutbag. lol 

I took my junque journal with me and people looked at me weird when they saw me rip a french fry box apart at Burger King and started gluing it into my book. Nothing is funnier as when people stare at you like you are a fugitive because you carry a Tombow Dot roller adhesive with you [like it's a deadly weapon] and it even gets funnier when they saw me pull out my white gel pen, however this time, they were more like in awe because they probably haven't seen one before. LOL

Yes, world! There are crazy people like me who do such things at a fast food place. I can't resist myself. If I could pack my craft room and have it handy with me, I would most definitely do that! Crafting relaxes me. It makes me forget how terrible road trips are. It makes me see the good side of things and it directs my attention into the great memories away from my whiney self. It makes me happy like this particular view made me happy:

 
Hope everyone is staying cool!!!

25 Random Things

1. I love to bake. I am good at it. But my best truly comes out through my baked goods when I am upset.   There is no explanation to this. So if you want anything tasty from me, get me upset first... I guess. lol
2. I am not attached to old clothes or shoes and other things.  I am always eager to empty my closet and give my stuff away to make room for new stuff, I am the same way with my craft supplies and baking ingredients.
3. I hate getting up early. Although if asked to, I will do it... Just don't expect me to be all wide eyed and bushy tailed.
4. I don't and can't craft at night.  For some reason this is hard for me to do. I have tried but I have a hard time coming up with original ideas at night. Besides, if we are not with friends for dinner, it is usually date night around here.
5. I don't like the beach. I believe this is the case because I was surrounded by it while I was growing up. I guess I don't not like it. I think I am more like NOT excited by it unlike John and other people.
6. Being my Husband's wife is the best job. I love teaching, I love doing it whether I am paid to do it or not. But being the wife to an amazing husband I believe is way up there for me. Look at it this way, I gave up teaching [5 years] to be his wife! He is so amazing  I have actually enjoyed being the highly educated housewife.
7. I am allergic to cats but I live with 3 of them.  Thank God for the makers of Zyrtec and the injectable anti-histamine!!!
8. I don't do second chances.  There is this group of people that have wronged me awhile back... Yes, I have [truly] forgiven them, but I don't believe I will want to be their friend again.  
9. I don't hate halloween, I just don't see the point in it.  Whoever thought dressing up like silly characters was a great idea was one very very bored person.
10. I wear shorts and flip flops all year round.
11. I married my husband a week after I met him in person. Yeah, I am brave like that. : )
12. Netflix Streaming and our two DVRs saved my [TV commercial/ad-hating] life... 
13. No knick-knacks for me. I thought I liked them for a while but as John and I are working on our house, we have come to realize we do not like them because we don't like to keep dusting them. 
14. I look forward to Sonic's Happy Hour.
15. John and I have two great friends, Sara and Quinton.  If you can't get a hold of me, call Sara. She usually knows where to find me. John and Q have their own thing going on too. 
16. I {heart} washi tape. Otherwise known around here as happy tape.
17. I am an adhesive fanatic. I have at least one from each brand out there. 
18. I prefer printing photos at home. They look better when I print them myself.
19. My camera and I are inseparable.
20. I would like to have an Instax mini. This goes out to my darling Hubby! <3
21. I watch too much Food Network and Cooking Channel.  Way too much!
22. I just started Lisa Nola's Listography. It is so much fun!
23. I am excited about going to Bigstuf camp with our church youth.
24. I don't get to go to regular church anymore, but I sure enjoy learning with my K-5th grade kids at children's church.  The kids keep me going on Sunday! They crack me up so much and I learn a lot of things from them.
25. Lastly, I love babies... especially those that don't have mommies and daddies. It breaks my heart thinking how many kids are out there wanting to find a home.

Thank You Jannie!!!

Guess what I just got in the mail!!! A package from my friend, fellow TCS designer from the Netherlands, JANNIE of http://knutselfrutselen.blogspot.com!!! Check out her blog, this lady has some mad paper crafting skills! 

Jannie, you have no idea how happy you made this girl today! I love getting stuff in the mail especially the ones I am not expecting. And this one is totally unexpected and a great surprise. You totally made my day. The card is gorgeous and this little notebook is darling!!! It was my pleasure working with you awesome crafters at TCS. I learned so much from all of you.

Thanks again Jannie!

Whitney [and Sara, too]

This girl is my friend Sara's daughter, Whitney. :) Just like me and her Mom, she loves to craft and bake. She is forever in search of something to make or bake. Yesterday, her Mom and I hung out at their house pretty much all day making cookies to take to a swim party we organized for our church kids and their friends. When she got home from doing some summer work at the library, I showed her my junque journal and told her what I was going to do with it... Before I knew it, we were looking through Sara's and her stash for paper to put in her book. 

That's her and her junque journal in the photo. She made it her own... She is everything that the cover of her junque journal says. She is her own person, she is very brave, and honest. She is a fast learner and is always eager to learn new things. Her excitability [if that is even a word] is very contagious... And I believe that's why I love her. She is like her Mom in that way... That's why we are such great friends. 

I never thought I would find such people in this world, especially when I moved here but I have and I feel soooo blessed to have found them. : )

Have a great rest of the week friends!

July 4th

Hey friends, I hope everybody's having a nice 4th of July! :) Here on my end, we are not only celebrating Independence Day we are also celebrating my Mom-In-Law's birthday. Her actual birthday is tomorrow, but she has always celebrated it on the 4th. I made her the card [above] with a Hero Arts stamp, Adirondack Embossing powders, and Distress Inks and my handmade polymer resin flowers.

We didn't have the usual barbecue but we had fried chicken and a spread of great stuff. Like I do every year, I made a birthday cake for her. With the help of my Nestabilities dies, American Crafts Thickers, Copic Markers and my butterfly stamp from Inkadinkado, this cake was another hit. My MIL loves white cake, and yellow buttercream. She is pretty easy to please! 

    [click on photos to enlarge]

It has been a fun day so far... The whole family is here and having a great time. Hope all of you have a happy holiday!!!