Well, it was a GORGEOUS day today! Our temps were in the low-70's by noon, and stayed at that comfortable temperature until the sun started to go down. It was SO nice. All we have had so far is a frigid spring....so the past three days have been wonderful. But, alas....all good things must come to an end, and we are going back to our cold spring again starting tomorrow. But...I have to look at the blessings from this. We still have snow pack that is melting very slowly. If we don't go through an abrupt warming trend....it will stay this way and we will have less to worry about when it comes to fire season. Last year's fire season was AWFUL to say the least...so here is hoping we get to have a beautiful summer. That would more than make up for such a cold spring.

I thought I would share my April Provo Craft assignments tonight! This first project uses the new "Home Decor" cartridge and my Cricut Expression. I call it my Apples & Pears Party Set...pretty original, huh? The party set includes an invite, of course...and then a place mat, name card and a napkin ring. And look...I actually used some of the Martha tableware for the table! Who would have thought?!

And my other project for the month is this wedding card. It uses the new "Wedding" cartridge and my Cricut Expression again. The new "mini" carts are really neat. They don't have as many options to them, thus the lower price...but they included some fabulous images. Like this card.....the whole base image is part of the cartridge, as well as the bridge & groom image. Love it!


Well, that is about it for me tonight. Thanks for all the sweet comments on my last post! If you haven't thrown your name in the ring for my Martha RAK....just post a comment on that last post! I will be posting the RAK receivers on Thursday morning!

Also...I know that I still need to post photos from Yellowstone, but I just haven't had the time to edit them all so far. Hopefully soon I will get to it!

Lucas & Peyton forever (sorry...I watched One Tree Hill tonight),
~Lea

I went to Michael's today in search of the new lace border punch by Martha Stewart. I picked it up, and then just wandered around for a little bit. In the clearance section, I came upon this great Martha Stewart kit called "Embossed Eyelet Table Decoration".

Looking closer at it....I thought it would be PERFECT for paper crafting instead of table decorations. So, I got myself a kit...and then bought two to use as a RAK to the sweet people who comment on my blog. So, if you would like your name put into a drawing for one of these kits, and some other surprise goodies....just leave me a comment about what you think of the kits! I will draw the two winners on Wednesday night and post the winners on Thursday. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you!

Tomorrow means there will be a new sketch up at the CPS Blog! Yeah! It has been awhile since I have done this....so here is a sneak peek of my card for the week. It will be posted at some point this week on the blog! We have some fun things planned at the CPS blog in the coming months, so be sure to check back often!

Due to getting ready for it and then going on vacation...I got behind on my cards for the CPS Blog. But, the girls are so understanding that they haven't kicked me off the team yet! Tee hee! So, here are a couple of cards I did today to "make-up" for the sketches that I missed!

This one was for sketch #60....posted two Sundays ago.

Product: Cardstock (Bazzill), Paper/Felt Stickers (K & Co.), Paper Lace (Martha Stewart Crafts), Chipboard (Heidi Swapp), Ribbon (SEI), Rhinestones (Doodlebug & Westrim Crafts), Ink (Clearsnap), and Corner Rounder (EK Success). **Told you that MS kit is AWESOME for paper crafting! :)**

This card is for sketch 61...which was this past week's sketch.

Product: Cardstock (Bazzill), Paper (KI Memories), Chipboard (Heidi Swapp & KI Memories), Brad (KI Memories), Rhinestones (Glitz Designs & Heidi Swapp), Rub-ons (7Gypsies), and ink (Clearsnap).

And I am so excited and refreshed tonight because I had church!! Why so excited, you might ask? Well, I left my old church two years ago because of some actions that I thought weren't very Godly. It had been my church since I was 16, but I just didn't feel comfortable with things. Josh has to work on Sundays, so that meant I would have had to find a church by myself. I am quiet and shy and a little awkward around people I don't know...so stuff like that is hard for me when I am alone. So, the physical part of going to church was reduced to only when we were at my parents for the weekend, and we obviously attended my dad's service.

But, the youth pastor who previously worked at my old church has started a new church in a community called East Missoula....just a few miles away from me via interstate. Tonight was the first service!! And Saturday night services mean that Josh can come too...which he is very excited about! He is in Texas right now with his family for a week....so he won't be able to make it until the Saturday after next. But, we are happy that we are going to have a "home" church again.

Tonight was just great! The worship team was fabulous, and the message was so relevant to today's life. God's presence was abundant...I could just feel it. To quote from one of my favorite movies....God's presence is like the wind. I can't see it...but I can feel it. And I felt it tonight in that room. God has always been with me. He didn't need a church to speak to my heart for the past two years. But it feels good to have a church again. It is hard to explain why....but it just does.

Be sure to leave a comment for that cute kit!

God bless you this weekend,
~Lea

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11

"So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time...." ~James 4:7-10 (The Message version)

Wow...what a week at work so far! It is always hard to get back into the swing of things when you are gone for a week. And of course, our political season decides it is going to get underway immediately....with Obama requesting avails to advertise. And then the Clinton campaign swooping right in after Obama's campaign placed his orders...almost like they have a freaking radar! Who knew the great big but underpopulated state of Montana would see some presidential election money?

Anyways....before I get back to how our vacation went, I wanted to let you know that I posted a tutorial on the Glitz Blog about the digital card kits they offer. Below is a little glimpse of what I did...be sure to check out the blog for the entire tutorial!

Alright....back to our vacation in Big Sky. The next couple of days it snowed, and snowed....and snowed some more. We were very content relaxing in our condo, playing games, eating so MUCH food, and just enjoying each other's company.

We played Chicken's foot, Farkle, Uno Spin, Trivial Pursuit....see that winning pink piece above? That would be mine....thank you very much. Tee hee!

Of course, we did venture out and explore the great (but VERY snowy) outdoors as well. Just check out all the snow!!!

These are my in-laws....aren't they so sweet!? I thought his photo was adorable of the two of them. Miss Vanessa prays and prays for snow every time they come up here....and it seems to happen every time. God sure listens when she prays....tee hee!

And I had to add this photo in the mix. We met this sweet little ball of fur named Hannah on one of our walks. I was missing the pups by the time we saw her....so she was a good fix. She is a black haired version of Sadie...just with a whole lot more hair! She was so lovable...she let us pet and love on her for the longest time. And she LOVED all the snow. She would burrow her face into it...roll around in it....eat it. She was adorable!


Well, that is as far as I have gotten into editing photos so far. I hope to post some Yellowstone photos by the end of the weekend. I took HUNDREDS of photos at Yellowstone...so editing could take some time. It will be worth it though....from what I have seen, we got some really cool shots.

Oh, and guess what!? Casey had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and he is 100% cleared! He can start lifting again, doesn't have to wear the brace any longer (not like he was wearing it the last two weeks anyways)...he is free to do as he pleases! I am so excited for him. His elbow is still bigger than the other one....but the doctor reassured us that it is scar tissue and not swelling. So, we are so happy. I am so happy for Casey. I know he is ready to get back strength and muscle tone....and start SMOKING people in the 400m!

So ready for the weekend,
~Lea

Well, we got home yesterday afternoon. Had some issues to deal with in our house....but I won't go into the details of that. We had an AWESOME time away....very relaxing. It was nice spending time with Josh's parents...we always look forward to that! I took tons of photos! So, for the next few days I will recap what we did, and post some of my favorite photos!

Our vacation officially started on Friday after I got off work. We drove over to Sheridan to spend the evening with my parents, and to be closer to Bozeman.

On Saturday morning we picked up Josh's parents at the Bozeman airport, and we all went to Casey's first track meet. He did pretty well. He placed in the 200m, and the two relays. But, he really struggled in what was one of his best events last year...the 400m.


This was him after the 400m. He was definitely out of shape, and lacking some practice. He also isn't nearly as strong as he was last year due to his elbow surgery. He isn't allowed to lift still, and he has lost a lot of muscle in his arms. He did realize after this meet that he is going to have to practice harder in order to make it to state this year in any of his personal events. I know he will get it done! After the track meet, we picked up some groceries for the evening....and made our way up to our condo in Big Sky!! That night we unpacked, cooked a nice dinner, and just chatted and relaxed.

We got up early the next morning to drive to Sheridan for service at my dad's church. He preached a good message, even though he felt it wasn't...and then we all went to lunch together. It was so nice to have my parents and Josh's parents together with us, being one big family. We had a great time, laughing and talking and enjoying the company. It is nice to have families that get along....we are so blessed in that area.

Once lunch was over we made our way back to Big Sky....stopping wherever we wanted along the way and getting groceries for the rest of the week. We did stop in Nevada City...which I have never done before. We always drive past Nevada City and stop in Virginia City instead. I am so glad we decided to stop here...because I got some photos that I love. Here are a few of my favorites.

First, I was enthralled with this old train car just sitting on the ground. All rusted and beat up....but beautiful in its own way. But....

I was more enthralled that for some reason it had a rear view mirror on it. It was a passenger car...so I wasn't too sure about the reasoning behind the mirror. If anyone knows....let me in on the secret! :)
Restored buildings from the booming Gold era in Montana. If you look in some of the buildings, they have original pots and pans, and handmade curtains that look like rugged lace....for lack of a better term. Nevada City isn't open this time of year, so we couldn't actually go in to explore. I would love to do that this summer.


And this is just a shot of Josh and I that I liked on that old train car I was so enthralled with.

So, our vacation was off to a nice start. I will post some more about the trip and some more photos in the next couple of days.

Thanks for all the sweet comments while I was away! I will visit your blog soon!

Tomorrow means back to work,
~Lea

Well, I will be leaving you with my card for the CPS Sketch blog this week...where we all did digital or hybrid cards. It was a fun change! I used the Glitz Designs digital "Create a Card" CD to put my card together.

I most likely won't post on my blog for the next week because we are on VACATION! We will be relaxing the days away at Big Sky Resort.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week, and I will be back next weekend.

HUGS,
~Lea

I am normally not a venter, especially on my blog. But, I am also not a perfect person and sometimes need a way to express my frustration.

See this layout? It was picked up for Memory Makers SBIG call. I did all the paperwork they require, which honestly feels like more paperwork than it took to do our refi or our taxes. And I sent it in.

Once they received the layout, I got an email saying they needed photo releases from the players. It was a scratch my head kind-of moment...because the photos aren't of a particular player. They are just general baseball shots...you can't even really see their faces, especially in the one where there backs are to me.

To make a long story short, forwarding them an email from the owner of the team stating that it was fine to publish the layout and thanking me that I included the Missoula Osprey on it wasn't sufficient. They wanted photo releases from the owner AND every player. I told her to forget it and to just send the layout back to me. It just isn't worth it in the long run.

I scrapbook for the fun of it...and part of that fun for me is seeing my stuff in magazines. That is why I submit to them all. I don't really care about the payment. I have a real job that pays for my bills. So, payments from a mag is just extra fun money that I set aside to buy things for my camera, or whatever I want. But, family members get a kick out of seeing themselves in print, and it is exciting seeing my projects in them as well. This was not fun, so I won't be submitting to them in the future. I will stick with the publications that continue to make scrapbooking and card making enjoyable.

Well, this ranter needs to get back to work. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day so far! And on a not so negative note...I am getting my hair cut tonight. Yeah!!! It needs it!

Officially on vacation at 5:30pm tomorrow night,
~Lea

I was scrapbooking some photos of our trip to Yellowstone on Sunday afternoon...and I just became overwhelmed when editing some of the photos. I remember how overwhelmed I was when we saw the sights in person. It is just amazing to me. God made these beautiful sights....humongous in nature but full of detail. I felt so small and minuet compared to them...but so BLESSED because with even how small and unimportant I truly am, God hears my every thought, prayer, worry, wish....he knows what is in my heart. I am important to God, regardless of what I do or how I act. That thought gives me goosebumps, and makes me so thankful.

I can't share the layout I did, but I can share one of the photos. This is my favorite off the layout that I did. Every time I look at it I am just awestruck.
Only four more days until we are officially on vacation. We are so excited to see Josh's parents, and just have a relaxing week at Big Sky Resort. None of us ski, which is good since the actual mountain is now closed. BUT, it is gorgeous up there...and so peaceful. Last year we had a wonderful time...so we are looking forward to this year very much!

I will leave you with a song that I love. I thought of it as I was overwhelmed by those photos this weekend...I think it explains exactly how I was feeling. Hope you like it!


Have a wonderful evening,
~Lea

It has been quite a week. Not a bad one, just "a week". It will be nice to get some relaxation time in over the weekend. The rest of this week's cards have been posted at the CPS Blog, including mine. I will admit...I struggled a bit with my card this week. Stamping does not come naturally to me...and I kept stamping things CROOKED! But, it finally came together. Here it is:

Card Supply List: Cardstock (Prism & Bazzill), Paper (Crafty Secrets), Stamps (Gina K Designs), Rhinestones (Doodlebug), Ribbon (Michael's brand), Ink (Close To My Heart & Clearsnap), Border Punch (Fiskars), and Corner Rounder (EK Success).

Josh and I lost our first tennis match on the Wii last night...grrrr! I find it HIGHLY unfair that with the very small amount of experience points we have, that they are making us play the computer players that have 900+ points on their side. Humph...the nerve. (Totally kidding!)

I have gotten quite a bit of scrapbooking done lately....I just can't share any of it. I will say that I am really happy with all the layouts that have come together for me recently. I love it when it works that way!

Only one more week until we are officially on vacation for 9 days! It is going to be so nice!! We haven't had a full week off since last April...so this is definitely overdue. We are going to Big Sky again this year with Josh's parents. It was tons of fun last year! I am pretty sure Yellowstone will not be open this time around...so we will have to find some other adventures!

Have a happy Friday,
~Lea

That has to be the lamest title ever....but I can deal with it. I know I am a big dork! :) Just wanted to give an update on my little bro Casey. He got his cast off last week, and is now wearing a brace on it for the next month. The awesome news is that he has started track practice, and will get to compete once he has put in the mandatory practice hours! I did this layout of one of his meets that I made it to last year.

This year's track layout(s) are going to end up looking a bit different. Doctor's orders are NO jumping. So, Casey will be focusing on sprinting this year. He will be running the 100m, 200m, 400m, and two of the relays. The kid is FAST....so it is probably a good thing he is focusing on sprinting this year. He made it to state as a freshman last year in two sprinting events I think....hopefully this year he will make state in all his events!!

Do you want to know what I have gotten done scrapping wise the past two evenings? Nada...nothing...zilch. We got a Wii on Monday night, and played until it was time to go to bed. And then last night we watched a couple episodes of Dexter on demand. Maybe I will get something done tonight? We will see!

Can you believe it is April already?
~Lea