Thankful

I took a stroll through Doodlebug memory lane the other day when I broke out the Happy Harvest collection from last fall. Isn't it colorful and fun and that squirrel with the acorn...too stinkin' cute!?!?!

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I have so much to be thankful for! I could write long long lists! There's not a day that goes by that I don't appreciate every little thing...from a healthy breakfast in the morning all the way through to the end of the day when I get to curl up in a nice warm bed and my family is healthy and safe! 

Thankful for Home

Ahhhh...home sweet home! There's no better place I'd rather be than with my family! I created this whimsical greeting with another paper collection I came across while cleaning the office. Do you recognize it? It's Doodlebug's Happy Harvest collection from last fall. 

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It's been fun playing with these older lines I have stashed away...getting a little more use of them before I donate them to friends and family. 

Goodbyes are Difficult

It is with a heavy heart this morning that I write this post. Doodlebug Design has posted the names of their 2014 design team and unfortunately I'm not on it. Creating for Doodlebug for the past couple years has been great fun and an honor and I will really miss it!

I thought I'd take this moment to show you a couple extra projects I've made recently and haven't shared yet.

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This card was created with the festive Home for the Holidays collection.

This design was made with the Happy Harvest line.

I'd like to Congratulate all the talented ladies on the new 2014 team! I look forward to following you along and seeing the fun Doodlebug creations you inspire all of us with!

Thanks for an amazing couple of years, Doodlebug! :)

Got Wine?

'Tis the season for holiday gatherings and what better way to thank your hostess than with a bottle of their favorite wine and a handmade card?

The Happy Harvest collection is perfect for creating Thanksgiving cards and tags, don't you think? When I was making this tag I realized this image of apples in a basket would work equally well for a bottle of sparkling apple cider!

If I want to get a little more fancy with my gift, I'll pack the wine in a basket full of goodies like fresh seasonal fruits, chocolates, flowers and home-baked goods...it's so versatile and well received!

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I Smell Cake - Design Team Call - First SEI Post

If you love cake you're going to enjoy today's post inspired by this yummy pin by Wendy Sue Anderson and posted on one of Doodlebug's Pinterest boards. As soon as I saw this pin it reminded me of one of my favorite fall activities...baking! 

There's nothing like warming the house on a chilly autumn day and filling it with an irresistibly sweet aroma from the kitchen! I have a recipe for banana bread that I've been baking for nearly 30 years! Yes, I'm that old! Anyway, this recipe is simple, it's delicious, it's moist and it's out of this world! And it really should be called cake!

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I bake at least four mini loaves at a time because it's that good and and if by some small miracle you don't eat it all within a couple days, it can wrapped in foil and popped in the freezer to be enjoyed at a later date! It keeps for months and tastes fresh baked when microwaving it for a few seconds before serving.

I also use this cake, I mean banana bread, for quick and easy gift giving. It's a perfectly yummy way to express gratitude. :)

Enough said, here's the recipe...

Banana Bread

1 cup Butter

2 cups Granulated Sugar

4 Eggs

1 1/2 cups Mashed Ripe Bananas

2 1/2 cups Sifted Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

Cinnamon and Sugar for Sprinkling

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in banana. Sift together dry ingredients and add to banana mixture. Mix until well blended. Pour into greased mini loaf pans. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

By the way...in all my excitement to share this recipe with you, I forgot to mention that my card and packaging were created with Doodlebug's Happy Harvest collection! Isn't it adorable? It compliments this bread deliciously, don't you think? ;)

Attention Doodlebug Design fans who have always dreamed of being part of this awesome design team...the call is on! Click here for details.

Last, but certainly not least, it seems like it's been ages since I made the announcement that I'll be joining  SEI's 2014 design team! And guess what? Today is my first post where I share the festive November Card Kit with you and a couple cards I created with it. Hope you have a moment to check it out and leave me some love! ;)

Well that was a long post, but worth it for the cake recipe alone or the Doodlebug design team call info, right? :)

Have a great fall day! 

Hello Fall!

It's officially fall ya'll so I created this Nuts About You card to kick off the season! 

I adore squirrels! We are fortunate to have many residing in our neighborhood. I never get tired of watching them scamper about burying or digging up acorns and chasing one another! In fact, Saturday, on our way home from running errands, one decided to sit in the middle of the street in front of our card eating!  We sat there watching, laughing and waiting for him to move on! :) 

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When our family from Australia visits they are captivated by squirrels since they don't have any there.

Anyway, I created this adorable squirrel card with the new Happy Harvest collection from Doodlebug Design. There's so much to love about this line, besides the squirrel! ;)

I hope you enjoy every moment of fall! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Grateful for You!

I'm so grateful to be able to create everyday and share my projects with you! And I'm grateful for fun and colorful collections like Happy Harvest from Doodlebug and awesome dies from My Favorite Things! What do you think of these feathers? 

The hubs says they look like surfboards! I suppose...they have the same shape, but I've yet to see a surfboard with slits along the sides! ;)

Hope it's a wonderful Wednesday for all! Thanks for visiting! :)

Fall Colors & Giveaway Reminder

I can't resist autumn! There's something magical about the trees turning from their summer shades of green to a rainbow of warm hues. When I drive the two lane roads that wind around Wake Forest the trees are so spectacular to see as their leaves float to the ground! 

These are the images recreated in this card using Doodlebug's new Happy Harvest collection. To make all these leaves, I combined patterned paper die cuts, Icon stickers, a dimensional Doodle Pop and one of the new Doodads badges.

What do you think? I think mother nature is quite inspiring!

Hope you have a lovely weekend! Before I head out to run some errands, I want to remind you that today is the last day to leave a comment here for you chance to win the following Pebbles' Basics goodies pictured below.

Additionally, Pebbles is giving away a $200 package of Basics! Click here to find out how you can win.

Good luck! :) 

Gobble Gobble

I can't imagine Thanksgiving without a delicious roasted turkey! Or fresh baked pumpkin pie! And Doodlebug's new Happy Harvest collection includes these favorite Thanksgiving images in warm fall hues! 

After posting yesterday's Happy Harvest project on my blog, I couldn't resist playing with the line some more! I was also in the mood to use dies and layer lots of accents. This is the first project I used the feather die from My Favorite and how perfect it is for a turkey card, don't you think?

I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Doodlebug's new Pixies! The little coffee straw accents that I used to make the 'gobble gobble' flag with. I've been brain storming ways that these can be used in unique ways and I will be coming up with some projects for you soon.

Hope you have a lovely day. Friday and Labor Day weekend are just around the corner. Do you have any special plans? We're going to take a ride on an old Steam train. We go about every year...Christopher always looks forward to it and seeing the model trains on display.