Back in Action!

I am unstoppable! You can not keep me down... ladahdahdahdahdah.

I have been home from the hospital for a little bit now. It is nice to be home. I had them release me earlier than they wanted... but I have a RARE disease... so they want to poke at me, when I could be at home... taking the meds and getting well. So I went home, since they were just giving me meds I can take here anyhow. I have been doing well. My Takayasu's is being monitored by some great doctors and I am taking my steroids like a champ!

I have some projects to show you this week! My mom brought me some fab finds from New York while I was in the hospital... she wanted me to replicate the goods. So, I have some crafty beauties for you.

Thank you so much for all the well wishes etc... I SO appreciate it. 

All of your prayers and positivity really keep me upbeat about my prognosis.

And a special thank you to the amazing rock star who left the beads and more for me at the Funkie Munkie, Stephanie couldn't remember who... poor gal is so busy with the closing of the store!

In other news. My boy graduates Kindergarten this week!!!!!!!! 

Such a crazy Month it has been! 

We are having a celebratory BBQ at our House on Friday.... stop on by if you are local!

Hospitalized.

OH Lovelies. I tried! I pushed through and did a lot of crafting, but the pain proved to be too much. I held steady until my husband was back from his trip out of town... and then went in for a CT scan.

Turns out I have Takayasu's arteritis or something similar. 

So... I am hospitalized until further notice.

Keep me in your thoughts, if you think of me normally!

:)

Handmade Jewelry for Tuesday.

A little while back, my friend Kel sent me the links to some jewelry online that was very pricey. She said, "Now, that could be made for less!" 

She is right. And she is a perfectionist who would make stunning jewelry, and when she does, I will link you to hers... because mine is amateur night!!!

I used what I had in my supply closet, so these are not necessarily the colors I would choose, all I purchased was fasteners, etc. 

I will post the link to the inspiration underneath the piece.

Inspired By this piece!

Inspired By this piece!

Thanks for all of the well-wishes yesterday!! :) Y'all are too sweet! I am feeling a little better everyday, and my lump is going down... hopefully it STAYS down!!!! :)

Monday, Monday.

Monday is here, and rainy as ever! I have been a bad bad blogger and crafter.... but I have a good excuse. I woke up last week, with a huge lump on the back of my neck. Ugh. My luck right. So, it is a lymph node or whatever. Lots of meds. Lots of rest. Lots of praying that it goes away, so that it isn't something serious. Boo.

I am feeling better. So, this week... I m dedicated to crafting.

A craft a day and back to my crazy company countdown. Those are my goals!

A Card for Monday!

Make-up, meet Crafter.

Hello 'Make-up Addiction', I am a MAD CRAFTER. I will find a way to make you into a craft project... I WILL. 

So, with that said, I did. I recently fell in love with Mineral Make-up. They are loose powders. So I decided to 'press' them into a palette. I took Bare Escentuals 'Get the Look' Color combos... let's just say I 'face-lifted' them... kinda like scrap-lifting.  I pressed them into an empty makeup tin... so they are no longer loose powder. I decorated 2 sets with my cricut and some vinyl... this is the cherry blossom palette.. one holds 12 and the smaller holds 4 colors and has a mirror/applicator. 

 This Set is Cupcake/Beautiful. Same number of colors 12 and 4.
What I love about the vinyl is that I can peel it off easily and change the look... just like you can with the removable colors!!!

Here are the colors that I pressed inside if you are interested!
'The looks' are in rows of three going top to bottom. I used the far less expensive than BE colors from The She Space Clearance Section.

If you need an empty palette for your own makeup, or one that you can choose your colors... check out Coastal Scents or Stars MakeUpHaven.

PS.  I also used my airbrush on some vinyl pieces..... I am in heaven.

Loving the EARTH this week!

It has been a long few weeks for me! Phew. I am more than exhausted. We had a whirl wind trip to Disney this weekend... I am talking 2 days!!! With two kids (6 and 1) traveling by myself as usual!!!

We arrived back home on Monday, to a clean house - but no Daddy - he had to fly out on Sunday to Texas for work! So, I am on my own all week with the kiddos too!!!

My project today is for Earth Day! Why not?

Bind-it-all Cereal Box Notebook.

Why Not turn those cardboard cuties into some notebooks!! I recently saw ones like these on SALE on Etsy. And I thought, who would PAY for that... so Recycle your boxes/etc today!

Update on my 1 year old Daughter: The Doctor would prefer not to Xray, But she severely injured her ankle and can not walk on it or flatten it out. We have another check up on it this week!

YIKES....

So my week has been mad crazy. Spring break ended and my boy had 2 field trips this week, and an awards ceremony at school, he also had a fundraiser!!

We are suppose to fly to disney tomorrow to meet up with my Mom, just the kids and I... and of course... life is hectic. 

Today my One year old fell off a high bed, and is currently being checked out at the hospital right now!

Pray for my pretty if you the praying type!

Spring is HERE... time to share a few of my favorite things!!

Every season, it seems that I find new things to love... clothes-makeup-more!!!

This season I love TOO much!!!

Warning: I am NOT Trendy! I do not think that KNOWING what is Trendy actually MAKES you trendy... in fact, I have NO desire to be Trendy! I have a 15 year old Sister = Trendy! I am into simple, sophisticated and pure looks. Trends come and go, I want timeless grace... does anyone know if there is an online retailer for that?

First MINERAL Make-up, I LOVE it.

 

TSS Colors are on Clearance for $2! Go Vegan at Orglamix!

Top it off with the best Gloss ever!!

 

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish My Fave: DOLLY!!

I am OVER my dry winter skin! On to spring! This 2-minute miracle is AWESOME! - Watch the video at the website!!!

I have tried the Aloette version of the enzyme peel, and it is great... this is cheaper and you get the big pump of the body version, which is GREAT for my dry feet!

We all know I am kind of a Hippie-Chic... I love organic... yada yada.

This is my new fave: Gaia Conceptions! Everything there is amazing.

I LOVE it... and I will own it soon!!

This is my Favorite necklace currently! I get a lot of Compliments when I wear it.

When I am in Michigan visiting 'home', I always make a trip to the Jewelry store by Forever 21... it is a whole shop full of shiny stuff... and I am easily distracted by shiny objects!!

I am all about looking better, and adding some embellishments to myself! And this is the cheapest and most selection I have found!

Baby Leggggs - I love these... Yes it is spring, but it gets cold at night still! Sydney So Sweet has the best price and the cutest bows, clippies and crocheted head bands!!!

 

These baby legs work great as leg warmers or arm extensions... you can not even tell that your kid doesn't have an undershirt on under that short sleeve top! And they slide off with ease!

Last but certainly not LEAST, my LOVE for spring was a gift from my LOVE.

He brought me some Luscious SOAP AND LOTION from Spain - From Enjabonarte! It is amazing, I promise... not into international shopping? - check out LUSH!

Yes, I love and adore Bamboo shirts, organic fabric, handmade soaps and vegan make-up.... and am so glad that the going green is far more popular now! It makes my favorites affordable!

Wednesday... keeps showing up every week!!!

Morning Sunshines!

We are slowly getting back into the flow of the school week here, spring break was fun-fun-fun!

It was also exhausting!

Today, I have an Easel Card with a hidden drawer to show you! 

My son loves this one!

You can see why! I filled it with jelly beans!!

TGF Royal Battle and SPRING BREAK!!!

Well Lovelies, My son has been on spring break... today is the final day off! 

I thought this would mean lots of crafting time for myself, while the boy entertained his sister! 

Well, I forgot how much fun it was to have him home!!!

We did SO SO SO SO Much... we were exhausted all week!

I am going to get back to crafting this week :) 

My team made it to the next round in the The Greeting Farms' Royal Battle!

Thanks for the votes y'all!!!

If you would like to show us some more love, we would appreciate it!!

Here is our Card, Carefully Crafted by Genetta! Isn't she just fabulous!!

If you would like to vote: Go here! All you have to do is leave a comment on our pretty, voting is that easy!

Good Morning Sunshines!!! TGF BATTLE ROYALE

Calling ALL Voters!!! My team the FAUX FARMERS, wants NAY needs your votes!!!

Our Card was designed by Jodi Stanisch !!!

We would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you commented/Voted for our card!! Go HERE and Vote today!!

Do you Love the Chair that Jodi used??? It is adorable right! Well, Melissa turned into a Digi Download. She rocks right? Go get it!!!

Thanks so much for your comments/votes in advance!!!

Crazy Company Countdown... POST TWENTY-EIGHT STARVING ARTISTAMPS

The best of intentions keep failing me!! I fully intended on posting this week! But we have been super busy!

So, without further excuse... company number 28 in my stash... sad isn't it!

Starving Artistamps

I LOVE these fun stamps. They were on of the first companies I bought!!! My son loves them too!!

Here is a shirt he stamped!

It's Monday, blah, How about a Recipe!

Today, I thought a recipe was in order! I am going to get Crafty later today! But until then, if you Enjoy AUTHENTIC Mexican Cuisine... then perhaps you have had Mole. A cocoa chicken of sorts. Here is a way to have that at home! (For those of you who do not already!)

A Quicker Mole

By Carolina Pena Nacianceno

Ingredients:

·         10+  Chicken Drumsticks & Thighs

·         Orange Peel

·         1 Jar Dona Maria Mole Sauce

·         2 Heaping Tbs. Peanut Butter

·         1 Tbs. Chili Powder

·         2/3 tsp Cumin

·         2/3 tsp Garlic Powder

·         2/3 tsp Paprika

·         2/3 tsp each Salt & Pepper

·         2-3 Tbs. Flour

Directions:

Cover Chicken in large pot with water and Orange peel, boil at low simmer.  Remove Chicken from water. Keep covered to maintain warmth.  In the water, dissolve jar of Mole Sauce, Peanut Butter & Seasonings.  Stir until completely dissolved. Dissolve 2-3 spoonfuls of flour in water, and add this to thicken the sauce. Re-add the chicken and simmer.

I use about 15-20 skinless drums/thighs depending on size! The picture above was my first time with my Grandma's recipe and it was SUPER saucy with LOTS of sauce left over!!!

Where MY Belles 'n Whistles Live!!! *Updated*

The Bells 'n Whistles Blog is having a little fun... so I thought I would join in!!

My Beautiful Belles live in South Carolina, with the sweetest little princess. She calls them her 'babies'. All mamas stamps are 'my babies'... I love to hear her sweet little voice laying claim to my stamps already!!!

My little shirt was stamped with Memento and colored with copics. I then heat set it and it was ready to go!

Crazy Company Countdown... POST TWENTY-SEVEN MY FAVORITE THINGS (MFT)

As far as acrylic goes, I am not a real big fan. I started on acrylic, but have come to prefer unmounted red rubber! I do like HIGH quality acrylic, but I am a knit picky stamper, and hate the 'stains'. 

I will sacrifice my preference in the name of cute stamps though!

So today, I submit for your approval... a fabulous acrylic company for my countdown... My Favorite Things (MFT) Stamps.

I love this set... BOHO BLOSSOMs. I sprayed my card with smooch spritz... I am an official addict.

Crazy Company Countdown... POST TWENTY-SIX FLOURISHES

Today I whipped up a sketch challenge card for scs!

I used Flourishes for my company countdown!

I LOVE this set.

I sprayed this card with smooches spritz AFTER I took this picture, and I LOVED it more, so I will update the photo.

Crazy Company Countdown... POST TWENTY-FIVE BOMBSHELL STAMPS

Warning... I come from a HEAVILY tattooed family!!! I have a cousin that has tattoos covering his entire body... scalp and toes included. I am the ONLY one of my cousins, without a tattoo. No worries, I made up for that by putting holes in my body as a kid! Ah Youth. 

Today I am featuring Bombshell Stamps in my Crazy Company Countdown!

This notebook is for my Aunt... she is going to LOVE it.

She is a Harley, tattooed Fun Lovin Mama.

Crazy Company Countdown... POST TWENTY-FOUR CC DESIGNS

I am back in action!! It is a sunny 70 and my kids went outside to play! So I opened the windows in my Scraproom and got BUSAY.

Today my number 24 company in the Crazy Countdown is CC Designs!

 

This is another Card designed for my Granny. She loves Angels and Pink. So, I am always drawn to stamps that have sentimental value - and that she will like when I send her the card!

 

My blog needs help.

No worries! I plan on rescuing it shortly!

I need a make-over (for my blog, I personally am super hott, hahahhahahahahahha)

And I need a title! 

I originally started my blog as a family/crafting blog... but the hubster wanted me to do a separate family one. He is not into the crafty, but the family he loves. Ha.

I am open to suggestions if you have some!

Maybe I should have a contest!

Today I am the Suburban Crafter!

I took a deep breath this morning... breathing in the South Carolina air.

And I thought, I am a long way from Detroit Baby.

I grew up 'urban', back then we called it 'ghetto'.

A little Mexican girl with big dreams to leave it all behind, and be the me I always wanted to be!

I did, I did leave. But you know you can never leave it all behind.

(My Dad and I 1987, THE ONE AND ONLY Birthday my Dad was not locked up for! Ha.)
Today I LOVE being a Suburban Mama. Educated, married to the LOVE of my life with two beautiful kids, a beautiful home and the best friends and family a girl could ask for!

 

(My Dad and I, a year before I buried him. I am never without him.)

I have begun to loathe hearing others complain about the ho-hum life of the suburban gentry. Seriously... I worked hard for this station in life... APPRECIATE IT... count it is as a blessing. Stop wishing you were somewhere, someone else! There is nothing better out there... I promise!!!

Lost my Mojo... New Copic Mini Journal!

Being sick has killed my Mojo. Hellllp.

I did decide my Copic Mini journal needed some more fun!! 

So I revamped it, with the new downloads!
The Downloads were printed and then cut to 4.25x5.5 for the inside pages!

I of course added the plastic page (using a discarded package)... the page is removable and snaps into the book under the page that I am coloring under! I simply added the holes for binding and then clipped the edge on each hole with scissors!

The downloads I used: Copic Mini Journal, Spica Chart and this book I used the Labeled Recommended Marker Families by Copic Munkie (instead of Page one from the original download of the Journal)