Happy 60th Daddy...

We just got back from a fun week away.  (I mean...it was the 2nd week of school for my Kylie...didn't we all need a break?! :) Hee hee)  We rented a house down in St. George (about 4 1/2 hours away...in the southern part of Utah) with my family to just have some time all together.  My newlywed brother and his wife and my college brother were only able to be there for one of the weekends we were there.  My oldest brother and his family (wife and 6 kids), my parents, and my family were able to be there all 9 days!!!  It was WONDERFUL!  My 6 year old had a BLAST with her cousins and the AMAZING backyard set-up.  (There was a pool, a putting green, a swing set...that was barely used because of previously mentioned pool, etc.) 

(Look at my CUTIE! parents!!!)

Now...my Dad turns 60 on the 24th of this month.  So while we were all going to be together...I wanted to throw him a surprise Birthday party to celebrate!  So the first Sunday we were there...celebrate we did!!!!  It wasn't the easiest party to throw...considering we were all staying at the same house, I was out of town and didn't know the set-up of the house until I got there the night before, and EVERYTHING had to prepped and ready before I left so I wouldn't forget anything!  But the party went great, the set-up was fun, and although I didn't go quite as crazy as I normally do...it was crazy enough!  :)  So on to the stamping part of this post...the party.  It was cowboy themed.  No...my dad isn't a cowboy. But he has ALWAYS wanted to be one!  So I thought it was fitting!  And this was the door he got to walk through...

Don't know if you can totally tell...but it looks like one of those old time Saloon doors!  Gotta love party stores!  :)  (Truly...I DO love party stores!  Could walk around them for HOURS AND HOURS if ever given the chance!  :) ) 

Then when you first walk out you see...

Sorry this picture didn't come out so well.  (Dang sunlight!  :) )  But this was the table that greeted everyone.  It was "the Watering Hole", if you will.  I was rushing around right before we surprised him so I didn't get a chance to get the best photos.  So this is the only picture I have of the pennant banner I made with the now retired old Pennant die.  (That I will NEVER get rid of because I LOVE IT!!!  Hope you have it!!!) Sorry I didn't get an up-close pic...but it was really cute.  :)  And then the center of the table had a fun cowboy boots picture, some hay, IBC rootbeer, our plates and silverware, and a "60 sucks" gift for my dad (that I didn't even get an up-close picture of!) that was a basket of 60 suckers.  (Hee hee...thanks Pinterest!!! Saw that idea a long time ago and have just been waiting for this day to use it!!  Hee hee.)  Here are some more close-up pictures...

 

LOOK AT THE FUN SILVERWARE!  :)  Love that cowboy.  (Sorry...it's a retired stamp set.)  I got this idea to wrap the silverware in the napkin from an AMAZING birthday party I went to a few weeks ago...thanks, Heather!  :)

Then here is a shot of the food table not quite together with everything yet...

 

I know...far away.  Well...here are some close-up's...

 

The chalkboard signs I made with the retired Chalkboard vinyl were a fun touch.  SO EASY to make with some Designer Series Paper in the frame, my Big Shot to cut out the ovals to put on the glass of the frame, a few punches, a stamp, and retired rope ribbon.  (Should of taken a close-up of just the frame...sorry!  Hopefully you can tell how cute they are!  :)  )  Then just use a chalkboard marker to write all the food names on them!  LOVE the details! 

Then for their favor...I set up a candy station with treat boxes for them to fill up...

The sign on this station says, "Grub to Go".  I thought that sounded more cowboy than "Candy Bar" or "Candy Station" or something like that.  :)

Also had a photo booth.  Nothing super crafty here.  (Just some mustaches hot glued on to a skewer)  But here is a pic of the kiddos in their get-up...

Aren't they cute?!?!  :)

I wish I would of taken a pic of the whole thing all together because it was so cute.  I had balloons hanging around also.  (With a marble in the bottom so they would stay hanging down...thanks again Pinterest!  :) )  I just didn't get enough photos.  Here is one with some of the balloons though...

Can't miss a Big Birthday Cheer for my AMAZING Daddy!  (And look in the bottom left corner...that's the "60 sucks" sign in the basket of suckers.  :) )  Being the only girl with 3 brothers...I definitely am a Daddy's girl!  (Not to say that I am not a Mommy's girl also!  :) )  HAPPY 60th Daddy!!!! 

Hope you enjoyed this party!  :)  Wish everyone could of been there!  Thanks for visiting!!!

A Little Thank You...

Wanted to share a card with you that I made awhile ago.  The main focal flower image was from a special Stampin' Up! did that is now over.  So hopefully you have the set and can make this card as is.  :)  Or if you don't...switch out the layout with any other flower you have and I am sure it will still look fabulous!  :)  Here is the card...

I also used the stamp set, Everything Eleanor, for the other stamped images you see.  The color combo is Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Rose Red, and Old Olive.  So fun and fresh looking.  Love the large pearls on the accent element the flowers are on.  Then that paper that is under the Rose Red banner piece?!  That is from the fabulous specialty pack called, "Natural Composition."  The pieces all look embossed and fabulous.  Here is a close-up where you can see it better...

See how shiny it is?!  It creates some fun texture with the raised and shiny images.  Here is a close-up of the focal point as well...

Hope you enjoy this card!  Thanks for visiting! 

Add a Little Purse Flair...

PHEW!!!! Take a deep breath, Ashley.  Life has been SOOOOOO busy lately!!!!!  My BABY started 1st grade this past week!!!!  Make me cry!!!  (And I have...lots!!!)  Why don't people tell you that time goes by SOOOOO fast?!??!  (Ok....they do....all the time....you just don't believe it until it's happening to you!!!)  She loves school...but mama struggles.  There is an almost 5 year gap between my two children...so Kylie has been my BUDDY for years!  (And will continue to be...of course...just don't get as much time with her! :-( )  We would pal around together everywhere.  And now....she is gone SEVEN hours A DAY!!!!  Her little sister and I miss her terribly!!!  But we also decided to plan a family vacation and we planned it during the 2nd week of school.  And we are taking family pictures while we are gone.  SOOOOO...had to get ready for school, and vacation, and starting all of Kylie's activities for the school year (dance, tumbling, soccer) and family pictures...on TOP of everything else happening in life!  It's just been hectic and crazy, after a hectic and crazy summer.  I guess the good thing is after vacation we can get into a schedule.  But anyway...been hard to find a time to breathe these days.  :)  But here is my baby getting on the bus this year....

Isn't she gorgeous?!?!?  :)  

But after ALL THAT RAMBLING...I DO have a crafty project for you!!!!

One day I decided one of my purses needed some new flair added to it.  So...BIG SHOT and Stampin' Up! fabric to the RESCUE!!!!  I used the Scallop Circle Dies (the big scallop and the the Scallop #2 die) and made this...

See that big pink scallop in the top left of the purse?!  Yeah...that's what I made.  :)  Isn't that FUN?!  Just adds a fun pop of color.  And you could make LOTS of them to coordinate with any outfit you have!  It's fun being a girl sometimes, isn't it?!  :)  Here is a close-up...

I just cut out 4 scallops of both sizes that I used.  Then I folded them into quarters, and hot glued them onto a scallop I cut out of some felt.  Then added a large button that is now retired (but maybe it will end up on the Clearance Rack someday...I always check out that place!)

I just hot glued a pin to the back and added a felt strip over it to secure it even more.  Here is a pic of that...

It was so easy and so much fun!  Go make some yourself and let me know how they turn out!!!!  :)

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you enjoy this project!

Incentive Pillow Gift Time...

The BEST part of any Stampin' Up! incentive trip (ok....just ONE of the best...it's all amazing!) is the pillow gift surprises each night.  Brandi was SO SWEET to carry on this tradition!!!!  When we got to our actual hotel room during our incentive trip (quite late I might add)....look what we had waiting for us...

 Look at that DARLING basket!!!  Filled with YUMMY treats!!!  And our own PERSONALIZED name frame!!!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!  Here is an picture of just the frame...

How fun!  :)  And here is my roommate, Heather's, frame...

 And here are us smiley girls with our fun gift...

(sorry I am a little blurry in this photo...)

 And HOW CUTE is Heather?! I LOVE her!  :)

Thanks SO MUCH for visiting!  Hope you enjoy!!!!

Incentive Trip Centerpiece...

I have posted a few posts about the Incentive Trip in June that my up-upline did. (The term upline means the person you signed up to be a demonstrator under.  So my up-upline is the person that the person I signed up under...signed up under.  Clear as mud?!  :) )   I have to show you the FABULOUS center pieces that were in our "work" room.  (She had the room all set up for us to STAMP away!  This was where we spent most of our time and it was AMAZING!  :)  Here is view of the tables in the room...

(sorry it's kinda dark.)  That's my darling up-up line...Brandi...presenting the room.  She is AWESOME!!! 

Then here is the centerpiece on the table...

LOVE LOVE LOVE the coordinating punches and buttons scattered around it!!!!

And then here are some close-up's of the MAGNIFICENT Centerpiece...

She used the Rosette die to make the big Rosette flowers. The largest flower uses the scallop edge, and the smaller flower uses the pointed edge.  I LOVE these colors together (Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, and Wisteria Wonder...the colors from the Flirtatious fabric) and just LOVE how she put it together.  That little pennant as the third "flower"....OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!  LOVE IT!!!  Seriously....we just ranted and raved about this. 




Oh...how could I not point out how FABULOUS the stamping was on these.  NO...it's NOT Designer Series Paper...it's all stamped!!!  LOVE it!!!!

BUT THE BEST PART...our final surprise (of MANY, MANY surprises...she SPOILED us!!!) of the event was we each got to take one of these Centerpieces home!!!!  YAY!!!!! 

I have to make sure you see this CLEVER way she held the flower and pennant in place in the arrangement...

 She put fabric in the Mason jar and just stuck those wood skewers into the fabric to hold them in place.  GENIUS!!!  I will be trying this in the future!  :)

Then here is the lovely "filler" in the jar...

Are those beads?  Marbles?  What are they?!  Well....they are CHOCOLATE!  Sixlet candy in LUCKY LIMEADE color!  Can't get much cuter!  :-) Only bad part about it...the chocolate will be wasted because how can I ever eat that fabulously coordinated candy?!  :)  I just LOVE the look of it so much!!!!

I so hope you enjoy this project.  I know I enjoyed seeing it myself!  Go make some yourself and then show me yours!  :)

Thanks so much for visiting!!!

I Am So Lucky!

Want to know WHY I am so lucky?!  Well just look at this swap card I received....

(I did NOT make this card...a WONDERFUL and AMAZING Heather made this card!)

There are SO many details on this card!!!!  We had a card swap at an Incentive Trip I was fortunate to go to in June.  This was the card she made to swap with us.  Here are some close-up's of the details...

Seriously...AMAZING!!  The color combo and Designer Series Paper that is on this card is again from the Afternoon Daydream Simply Scrappin' Kit!  I will tell you...those kits are SO fabulous!  They are for SO MUCH MORE than scrapbooking!!!!

 Now...you think this front is fabulous?!  (And it definitely IS!!!)  Look at the inside...

And a close-up of the presents...

She put so much time and effort into this card!  I SO appreciate it!!!  I LOVE this card!  Thanks, Heather!!!  :) 

Hope you enjoyed this card!  Thanks so much for visiting!!!

Make Any Event Special...

Want to share an idea with you that will help make any event you do feel so special to your guests that come.  This was given to me by my friend, Heather, when I went on an incentive trip in June.   (I have mentioned this in the past but haven't posted further details of our event...will still do that though...don't worry!  :) )  We did a little swap with the three of us that were there, and this is what she made us...

How fun is this?!  A bag of treats and a water bottle...all coordinating!  Here is the water bottle...

How fun is this little tag to hold a sweetener for your water?!  :)

And then the treat pouch...

Treats that coordinate with your drink?!  Can't get much better!!!  :)

Both of these items use supplies from the Afternoon Daydream Simply Scrappin' Kit...the cardstock colors and the Designer Series Paper.  Then just use the fun new Butterfly punch with some Rhinestones for some bling. 

Hope you enjoy this!  Thanks SO MUCH Heather for sharing with me!

Super Fun Idea...

I HAVE to share with you this super cute idea I got at Convention.  Seriously....SO MUCH FUN!  I was in a swap where we made a bigger "class style" projects to trade with each other.  Yesterday's post was what I made for that swap...the wreath and frame.  This was one of the projects I received in the swap...

HOW CUTE IS THIS?!?!  Now again...this is something I received in a swap.  I did NOT make this.  But I LOVE it!  :)  She decorated the frame, added some netting stuff in the back, MADE the earrings with Stampin' Up! embellishments, and VOILA!  HOW cute?!?!  :)  Here are some close up's...

The earrings are made with the Vintage Faceted Buttons.  OH so fabulous!  :)  Hard to get a photo of since they are clear...but they are really fun in person! 

Hope you enjoy this project!  Thanks so much for visiting!