Embossing We Will Go!

Hi there and Happy Saturday (or whatever day you are reading this on)!  I hope life is being very kind and generous to you!

This week's Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge over at The Outlawz is to emboss the background for a project - you can use dry or wet embossing.

I chose to dry emboss using an embossing folder I got several years ago and have never used until this project.  It's a nostalgic Christmas scene, almost like the old Currier & Ives prints (hopefully you're not too young to know what that is).  When I was young I used to look through the Sears and JCPenney catalogs and dream of someday having a set of Currier & Ives dinnerware for the Holidays.  I haven't thought of that in years!  Oh well, maybe something I need to check the antique shops for.

I added a tag that I backed with some black cardstock (I think every card needs a tough of black), added a snowflake with a felt flower on top, some baker's twine and a pretty buttons.  The color of the cardstock is almost a distressed color, and I sanded lightly across the embossed parts to highlight them a bit more, than around the very edges.  I put some pretty paper behind it, which is just peeking around the edges.  It was actually very pretty without the snowflake/flower combo, but it's just not me to go too CAS. 

Okay, now on to my children.  As I have mentioned, my son is a freshman at Virginia Tech where he is a member of the Corps of Cadets.  Michelle (my daughter) and I went down to visit him this past weekend and attend the football game.  The cadets all wear their dress uniforms to the games, and WOW!!!, what a sight that is!  I just can't describe the emotions I felt seeing my baby all dressed up like this the first time - it was a sight to behold for sure!  This is him and Michelle:

Yes, I am a proud mom!  Thanks for stopping by!  Big hugs!

Welcome!

Welcome!  That's our theme this week over at The Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge.  In honor of the beginning of Autumn here in the United States, my personal favorite season, we are welcoming things.  You can welcome fall along with me, or you can welcome a new baby, a new neighbor, or whatever strikes your fancy.

I decided to make a wall hanging for my front entryway/foyer.  I used a 12 x 12 blank canvas and a sheet of Webster's Pages new fall line to make the base for the project.  Then I made the "Welcome" banner using a die set that I bought several years ago from Pink Cat Studios, which I attached with some baker's twine and cute skeleton brads.  Then I added some additional lettering and stickers that I've managed to stash away over the years.  Very simple, very quick, but I think it's going to be a big hit with the family and visitors.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you join us in our challenge over at The Outlawz!  I am getting ready to head out the door for a 4 hour drive to Virginia Tech to visit my freshman son and see the football game tomorrow.  I haven't seen him in a few weeks, and originally wasn't going to visit until next month, but just needed to go see my baby boy!  I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to share when I get back!

Love and hugs to you!

Okay, it's Ms. Procrastinator here - again - procrastinating as usual.  This week's Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge over at The Outlawz is to make a project that deals with "time flies" - there is a lovely Latin phrase for that, but of course I can't remember it right now. 

I made a scrapbook page about my son who just started his freshman year in college at Virginia Tech.  This is a photo of him in kindergarten and one taken on the day he checked into Virginia Tech.  He is in the Corps of Cadets there, which is similar to being at one of the U.S. military academies, but it is incorporated into a civilian university.  Actually, Virginia Tech was all military until the early 60s, when they started having "regular" students.

And then I have this funny photo to share with you, also of my son and his fellow cadets.  This past Saturday (the day I was originally supposed to post this), all 400+ new cadets traveled to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia for a tour.  The memorial is privately funded, and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is the largest sponsor of the memorial.  These kids wake up early every morning, have physical training, go to classes all day, have 4 mandatory hours of study each evening, and get to bed at 11 pm.  They are TIRED, as evidenced by this photo of one of the busloads on the trip back:

That's the top of Chris's head closest to the camera.  He is surviving and doing well at VT, and says he is enjoying himself.  His goal is to become a U.S. Army officer (like I was), so add him to your prayer lists please - these kids need all the help they can get.

Thank you for stopping by!  Love and hugs!

Traveling along ...

Happy Saturday!  And for those who are getting a long weekend, YAH!!!  I surely needed one myself, as I have spent the last two weekends traveling back and forth to Virginia Tech (a 4+ hour drive one way) getting my son settled into his freshman year and the Corps of Cadets there.  I needed a weekend to rest up and hopefully get a few tasks done around the house.

And speaking of traveling, our Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge over at The Outlawz this week is a travel theme.  Travel for me is usually related to business, and while fun, sometimes there aren't a lot of fabulous memories involved.  But a couple (actually 4) Christmases ago, the kids and I spent a week at Disney World.  But being the procrastinator that I am, I am WAYYYYY behind on getting things scrapped.  In fact, I rarely do any scrapbook pages anymore - I've get to get on top of that problem!

This is a layout of my beautiful daughter, Mommy's Princess!  I love all the pretty colors and flowers and bling too!  I have several 12x12 shadow box frames that I got at Target, and I put scrapbook pages in them to display around the house.  The pages look really nice and I get a lot of compliments on them, and they are always great conversation starters.  This one is going into one of the frames today!

Thanks for stopping by to visit!  Big hugs!