First Christmas Card of the Season!!

I love opening the mail box this time of year and seeing Christmas cards in there! It makes up for the rest of the year when all I get in that box is bills and junk! This one is from my friend Angie and her family. I just love it... Those litte hedgehogs are too cute!

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So, it has been a busy couple of days at Wally-work. Hope all your holiday plans are coming together and you are finding all the things you want for in your stockings and under your tree!

I am still working at my Christmas cards, but at least I got started!

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Take care!

Thankful

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am full of turkey and stuffing and ready for a triptophan induced nap! After a nap, then some dessert and coffee and pouring over the Black Friday Ads... nothing much has flipped my lid this year on the ads so far. Got the cute little poem below from two of my gal pals today... thought it was cute and wanted to share it with you!

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May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

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Also a little Thanksgiving freebie for you all.... Check out this free E-book from Living on a Dime. Just click for the link to the Gifts in Jar download. It doesn't take long at all! (Trust me, I have dial up and if I didn't think it took long, it really didn't take long!)

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Take care, maybe I will see you bright and early with the crowds shopping!!!

Counting Down til Turkey Time!!!

Starting tomorrow morning my DH is on vacation for twelve... yes, twelve days... I see a "Honey-Do" List in his future... of course he has his own list in mind.. something about hunting a BIG BUCK???

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Seriously, I hope he gets his big buck and I told him he could hang it anywhere he wants in his shed! LOL!

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My favorite part of the day on Thanksgiving is in the evening sitting around with a cup of coffee and a piece of pie and ALL OF THE BLACK FRIDAY SALE PAPERS trying to get a game plan as to what we really want and where we are going shopping! As strange as it seems, after fifteen years in retail... I LOVE TO SHOP ON BLACK FRIDAY!!! We usually have a big crew and we like to hit Wally-work first and then head out from there. I seriously crack my Mom and her friend Betty up... I am like... "Come on let's get moving... No time for coffee... If you drink it now you will just have to pee later!" Typically I do not like crowds or noisy places, but there is just something about the energy on that day that appeals to me, go figure!

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We have a secret weapon too, my baby brother (only brother) Char. He goes with us every year... even though he has to explain to his boss that he needs the day off to go shopping with the girls! LOL!!! We have to feed him through out the day, Shmuffins & coffee to start with and then a bigger breakfast later in the day. He is our go-to guy, fighting the crowds to get the things we really want. We pretty much get a cart and go hang out in ladies wear and let him bring the loot to us. Then he hauls it all home in the truck while we go for more! Gotta love that!!!

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After a day of crazy shopping we then come home, relax for a bit and then head out to our second day after Thanksgiving Tradition... Barb's Crop! She always has one on that day and she makes the WORLD'S BEST Homemade Vegetable Soup!!! (It is so good and the perfect thing for those of us who are all turkey-ed out!)

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In honor of the pumpkin card, here is a recipe for Crock Pot Pumpkin Pie Pudding. I have not made it or tasted it, but I have on good authority from several trusted cooks that it is to die for, like warm pumpkin pie without the crust, yummy goodness.

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Take care!

Nothing says fall like apple picking!

This is one of my favorite SU! sets, For Father. It was in the last mini catalog I believe. It has Three image stamps and one sentiment. The other images are a puppy with an old work boot and an old wooden tool box. I don't have alot of "masculine" stamps so this one is my go to set for all things guy!

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I don't know if it is like this for you all, but for me, getting started is the hardest part of doing my Christmas cards. I have the idea in my head, I pulled the card stock from my stash, but darn am I having a rough time putting the stamps to paper. I actually have gone with a MUCH more traditional look this year... Red, White and Silver. I also have been using the same sentiment in my cards from year to year as well. It is one the I like and it says what I want to say, so I just print the insides of the cards on the computer. Last year my cards were pastel and the year before that I was ALL PURPLE! I got a great little acrylic stamp set from Wally-work for $2.96. It has an angel, a flourish with a star and "Joy to the World" sentiment. Now I just have to get the motivation to get moving on them. I really cut down my card list this year as well, mostly because I want a much more simple holiday and sending out 50+ handmade cards is not simple at all!
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Take care!

Anybody out there????

Watercoloring is one of my favorite stamping techniques. I taught myself, like I learn alot of things, by trial and error, mostly error! The stamped image is from Art Impressions and is not one that I own. It belongs to a friend. I love swapping stampies with my pals! It is so much fun to share your stamps, since they can be an investment. Since coloring this fella, though, I have decided that I do need a scarecrow in my collection of stamps.

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Back to the original question.... is anyone out there? I catch all kinds of heck for not blogging for a couple weeks and now that I am back where did you all go? I am sure that everyone is just busy getting ready for Turkey Day!
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Take care!

A Few More Fall Cards for the next few days....

because once I have these all posted to the blog I am going to surrender to the snow and winter and get on with the Christmas ones....

This stamp is one of the first ones I think I ever bought, what seems like a lifetime ago! It is from Inkadinkado (6207P), not that I think it is still available. I pull it out every year and use it though! I colored the image with watercolor pencils and an aqua painter. The oak leaf pattern paper is from my immense stash of paper. It was either not marked or I cut that off and it is glued down on a card already. I do wish that I had about 10 more sheets of it since it goes so well with the stamp! Ribbon is Michael's $1 Bin.

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Things are slowly coming back together here at the Holbrook Homestead. DH almost has the top layer of sub floor in the bathroom done so I can start tiling it. We also nearly have the furnace woes taken care of. We got an updated replacement part for the broken mercury switch, which is no longer being manufactured. The (very) young kid behind the counter at the heating and plumbing store didn't even know what it was when Ken handed it to him. The older guy working next to him, chuckled and said he knew what is was and what to replace it with. Tomorrow will be a new belt on the motor and all will be back in business!

Ken is furiously working to get all these things done before his 12 day hunting vacation. It is funny, I thought I packed Murphy's bags and sent him packing, but apparently one night while we were both at work he sneaked back in.

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Any big Thanksgiving plans? I am really looking forward to the turkey!!! Thanksgiving is a pretty great holiday... almost as good as the 4th of July according to Linnie! (Linnie likes the 4th since you don't have to buy gifts, clean the house and you can throw away the dishes!)

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Take care!

Babs and the Amazing Top Note Bigz Die

Sharon (BS2) won the first to send her cards in award and Barb won the "My Favorite" prize. I love the stamp set she used, Stampin' UP! A Tree for All Seasons. It is definately a set that I will be adding to my collection! I will I also thought it was neat how by just changing the papers and ribbons a bit she got two different looks!

That really great curvy-pointed die cut shape on the front is also a SU! item. It is for the Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine. SU! has a whole bunch of great dies for cardmaking now in their product line. This particular one "Top Note" has been wildly popular and is on backorder at the moment!
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How are your Christmas cards coming along? Haven't even started mine yet (hanging my head in shame.) Don't even have an idea for the design yet!
Take care!

Sharon, Fastest Card Maker East of the Mississippi & My BS2!

As promised (a day late) these are Sharon's cards from the swap. Sharon does such a great job with her cards. She did the sweetest basket of peppermint patties for a make and take at my crop last week.

I just love that satin-y pumpkin ribbon on Sharon's Thanksgiving card!


Isn't that little ghost stamp on the envelope too cute!!
Next post will be my BS1's cards!
Take care!

Showcasing the work of my talented friends!

You may recall a little while ago I hosted an Autumn theme card swap. The cards are all in and I am sending them out today, so I thought that I would share those cards over the next few days. These beautiful cards were made by Jody, my dear chicksa from Washington, PA. She does the neatest things with chalk and templates! The card below just doesn't shine in this scan. The Give Thanks is done in sparkly bronze glitter!
I am hoping that I packed "Murphy's" bags and sent him on his way. We had to fix the tail lights on the car this week and the first time we fired the coal furnace this season the darn motor burned up. That has been repaired and we have a REALLY good batch of coal that burns super hot, so here's to a toasty house this winter!
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Tomorrow's cards by Sharon!
Take care!

He's the Big Brother

Being the oldest of five children has always been interesting. I have always told my parents that I did a poor job of preparing them for what was to come. (Yes, I know you read this Lynnette, and as you know your first born did not prepare you for what was to come either... LOL!) For those who don't know Lynnette is my sister and a mother to FOUR energetic active boys, can anyone say CRAZY? Look it up in the dictionary, there should be a portrait of her family next to it! I have some pictures of those nephews to post here as well. My first nephew just turned 14, can you believe it? He named me Aunt Meme many years ago.

I have had such a good time watching Ty be the "big bruvver" to his little sister. On this particular day he begged for several hours to hold her. Finally I relented, figuring that he would hold her for five minutes, get bored and go on about his business. Boy was I wrong on that one... He sat on the couch in the middle of all of those cushions and pillows and held her for almost an hour. He gave her little kisses and smoothed her hair and touched her teensy tiny hands. She slept contently the entire time.
I guess we should appreciate their special relationship while it lasts. It won't be long until they are getting on each other's nerves and picking on each other. I will keep these pictures around to remind Ty of what it used to be like!
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Take care!

Hey Tracy, Barb, Tina, Kathy & Joyce!!!!!

Okay my friends from Bedford! I am back on the blog!!!! Thanks for the gentle kick in the butt.... I know I have been neglectful!

This was the calm before the storm, so to speak. All peaceful, quiet and empty... not for long. A mere 15 minutes later and this was the scene.... Scrapbookers and supplies as far as the eye could see! The Camp Harmony crop grew to about 80 this fall and not without some growing pains, to say the least.

I actually referred to this crop as "Murphy's Crop" (as in whatever could go wrong... you get the idea...) I had two vendors and an instructor cancel, we outgrew the room that we usually use and were forced into the multipurpose building that has really bad lighting. Thankfully for the most part, scrapbookers are a very kind and understanding group of people.

Thankfully, we did still have a pretty good day. I got another vendor, did some make and takes myself and made up for the bad lighting with lots of good food. We had some GREAT door prizes as well. At the end of the day we packed up, went home, unloaded and I proptly sat down in the recliner, kicked it back and fell asleep until the next morning and slept like I haven't slept in weeks!

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Take care!