THIS CARD IS CUTE, BUT NOT AS CUTE AS LAYLA……..
Okay, so I think it has taken me so long to blog this time because I knew when I posted that Layla girl’s adorable picture was gonna get pushed down under cards, I have so enjoyed turning on my blog in the morning and seeing that pretty little face and it’s close to mine……where it will be next week!! I can hardly wait, Jenna and Layla arrive on March 5th…..yippee, yahhooo!! So anyway- the time has come to post, it’s kind of like once they are here, I do not intend to need to fill my time with blogging, so I better get one in before they get here…….thankfully I am just getting OVER the flu, I so would have hated to feel the way I have felt when they are HERE…..so God is good,,,,if you have to have the flu at least He timed it right for me!! :):):) I hate the flu. I don’t think I have had it in like 5 years, I kid you not. I never get sick,,,,although after these past two weeks I said I would never say that again so I guess I should say I never used to get sick, cuz man, I have been like a noodle for two weeks now. I even took off 2 days from work, and guess what? They got along fine without me!! Bekah worked on Presidents day for me which was so sweet of her…..she would have had a day off but she worked for me……thanks Bekah!! Anyway- in the last week since I have felt somewhat better I have been stamping up a storm cuz I still don’t feel like doing anything else…….Isn’t that card I just passed by cute? That I think is my new favorite current in the regular catalog set and it’s called Blooming with Love…..it’s just so cute that it brings out the kid in you when you stamp with it. You know, they said there’s a little girl inside all of us, I’m just making lots of cards with that set getting ready for LAYLA!! My other most favoritist set in the whole entire history of Stampin’
Up! is this other set here called Bloomin’ Beautiful that has a poppy and a most beautiful vase of hydrangea’s in it…..I am a hydrangea FREAK…..I remember when SU discontinued like the third hydrangea in a row a few years back and I was like ready to jump ship to some other stamp company who realized the importance of having at LEAST one hydrangea set at all times……so anyway- I have gone kind of crazy with this set, trying to stamp so many different arrangements of hydrangeas that I get SICK of them before the mini catalog is done for….but so far I am not sick of it…….I just LOVE that hydrangea stamp and I love the poppy too! So far I have stamped seven, that’s S-E-V-E-N different cards using the hydrangea and making it all different colors – you will have to go check out my SCS gallery to see most of them……cuz I can’t possibly blab through all seven……you know right now I feel like I have the flu all over again, but I think it’s cuz first of all I stayed up last night, or this morning, however you want to look at it, until 3:17 in the morning….. STAMPING……so I woke up sort of feeling sick…..and then I have been on a diet and I have lost about 20 pounds, and I am just about almost not quite but nearly just where I want to be, so today at a weak moment I ate about 42 skittles and then took a nap cuz I am so exhausted…and I think that’s why I feel like I have the flu…..the skittles, the lack of sleep, the nap, I do not recommend 42 skittles before a nap, actually, 42 is a lot to eat all at once no matter WHEN you eat them……but anyway, I think 
I had actually forgotten what it feels like to have the flu, if I had sick days, like in the good old days at AIM I am sure I would have been out the whole week, but I HAD to go back to work cuz I am training a new girl, (that’s the story of my life, I am ALWAYS training a new girl) and I could not leave her alone!! Here’s the first hydrangea card – is that not beautiful? I don’t usually brag about my own cards but that is my fav that I made with the hydrangea……the others you will have to see in the gallery – this is my fav and I am just going to post the one of the hydrangea here…..aren’t hydranga’s like proof that there is a GOD? They are the most beautiful flower in the entire world, and poppies are no slouches either…….SU really got it with this set!! I already know I will never get rid of this set……there is a bee in it however that is sort of the stuff NIGHTMARES are made of – just a wee bit TOO realistic for me, but hey- I love all the other stamps in this set – it’s an awesome set!!Back to the flu, you know this flu does not quit. I went to the doctor, and was on two different antibiotics and I thought I was like almost better and was just left with a little cough and I went to bed one night and woke up in the middle of the night and I was like, WHOA, it’s like FREEZING in this house…..well, I checked and it wasn’t and I was like tossing and turning and aching and freezing and this was after I was better!!!!! And then, miraculously and little by little I started to feel better, until now and like I said, I think it’s the 42 skittles that did it…….my poor diet. Why did I DO that? It’s like my body was just getting used to healthy eating too and then kabam, you go and eat 42 skittles,,,,,and skittles are not even my favorite……like if I think about it there are a lot of things I would much rather eat 42 of then skittles…….it’s kind of hard to think of anything but skittles right now and I don’t think I will be buying those puppies for a very long time……..skittles are one of those candies that make you sick every time you eat them, have you ever noticed that? Maybe I always just eat too many,,,,sort of like jelly beans, Buttered Popcorn jelly beans, now THOSE are some candies WORTH eating 42 of…..and I am sure I have done that many times in my life and the belly ache that follows is well…..sort of…..worth it, know what I mean? Like when you eat 42 skittles you are like what the heck was I thinking, I am ready to
launch, and when you eat 42 Buttered Popcorn jelly beans you are like, man I am about ready to launch, now what did I do with the REST of those jelly beans….and you make it 43…….they are just about as wonderful as hydrangeas!! But skittles are sort of like dandelions in comparison….they just are not worth it……this belly ache would feel so much better if only I had eaten Buttered Popcorn jelly beans instead…..I’m gonna remember that next time…..gee I honestly wondered what I had to blab about this time but magically I always think of something…..and here we are to the next cute little bring the kid out in you card…….and yes, I hope your day IS blooming with love…..mine is like blooming with skittle regrets….but I hope YOURS is blooming with love…..next week after Wednesday ALL of my days will be blooming with love……that baby girl is gonna make my day every day that she is here, I just know it. I cannot wait to bring her to work and show her off, Jenna too mind you, I LOVE my daughter in law too, but she will look the same and talk the same as the last time I saw her, but my Layla girl, she’s changed so much since the last time I saw her that I just cannot wait to get my hands on her!! Jenna will probably let me read to her at bedtime and put her down, and sing to her, and all that good stuff I did with Tovah before they left for Africa. I hope I don’t cry too long and hard the day they go home. That’s the hard thing about those visits is they all must come to an end. I am so grateful to my son for sending them. I was on the phone with him and telling him how I play Laylas msgs over
and over and over again till I run my battery dead and he said gee ma, you need a visit, huh? and then the next thing I knew they were calling me up giving me dates……I am so grateful to him for sharing his precious two girls with me for 2 whole weeks when he himself can not get off from work to come but he’s sending them anyway- thanks Mike!! Love you man!!! Thinking about greeting our girls on Wednesday is almost enough to make me forget how many skittles I ate….oh happy Wednesday, and Dr. Sato said I can bring them right to work, and show them off the very first day…. I want to do so many things with them when they are here, Layla keeps saying we are gonna stamp gramma……and we are…..I will have to take some pictures and post them after they leave thru my tears……and I am gonna lay off the skittles while they are here, cuz I wanna feel good…..isnt’ that a pretty poppy over there? Poppies are awesome….. flowers in general make me think all is well, God is in HIS heaven, Layla and Jenna are coming, and all is right with the world…….think of me over the next two weeks, and say a prayer that they last a long, long time!! Happy two weeks everyone!!
Penny
March 2, 2008Oh you do make me laugh about the skittles!! You must have been on an artificial colour and a sugar slump…..anyway, love your flower cards a lot. Where I grew up all the hydrangers were always blue because of that particular soil, so I guess they are blue where you are too 🙂
I needn’t say it as I know you will, but have a FANTASTIC time over the next 2 weeks! Look forward to more photos after that!
Anonymous
March 2, 2008Karen, you’ve got to stop holding out on us! These are amazing! Buttered popcorn jelly beans..why does that not appeal to me LOL! Have fun with Layla!
Nancy
March 3, 2008Karen, I got to meet Jenna at the backwards workshop Friday, she did a great job and her card was fantastic. We had a great time, thank you for providing one of your black magic cards for everyone to make (I need a bit of practice still to get it down). And as an added bonus we got to hear Layla do her Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, tooo cute. Enjoy your visit.
Nancy
Anonymous
March 3, 2008Karen, you are just so entertaining in your skittle story. I love your cards. I would love to get that stamp set after seeing your awesome cards, but I don’t think I could begin to do it the justice you do. You are one talented lady.
Have a wonderful 2 weeks with your girls!! Joyce T
Cindy Lawrence
March 5, 2008GORGEOUS cards my dahling! Thank you for yet another ten minutes of laughing until my sides hurt! Geez, woman….when are you going to write a book??? You would make a KILLING on it with your candid sense of humor…just talking about stuff we can all relate to!
Love you my friend! Have a blast with Jenna & Layla!
~Cindy
Penny
March 5, 2008Hey Karen, guess what? The new release of Impression Obsession have a hydrangea stamp!! It’s a stylised version but very pretty for colouring I think. Have a look here :
http://impression-obsession.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=L2154&Category_Code=NEW
Penny
March 5, 2008I don’t know if that link came out right but what I did was put in ‘Hydrangea’ into the search box and what do you know? There are LOADS of different stamps! I hadn’t realised and I am on the design team!! Oh well, I can be forgiven as they do have what must be more than a thousand stamps now 🙂
Anonymous
March 6, 2008Oh my goodness you crack me up. I got a message from Michelle Grimm-Gossett. She told me that after reading your blog, she knows where I get my funny!!!! 🙂 For the record, I would prefer 42 skittles to 42 buttered popcorn jelly beans ANY day. 🙂 I love you funny lady.
Unknown
March 10, 2008Hey there Karen. I totally agree with Cindy – you should right a book. I know I’d buy it. The cards are gorgeous, of course. Have a truly fun and blessed time with Layla and Jenna. Michele H.
Anonymous
March 15, 2008I still have my SU! hydrangea set! Some things are just keepers…Karen, you really have a way with humor as well as your talent for gorgeous stamping! As all the others have eluded, you should be writing a manuscript because you could be published one day! Think of all the people who would love to happy “Karen humor” on their bookshelves any time they need a laugh or have a pick-me-up moment! Enjoy every precious moment with Jennya & Layla! Easter Blessings to all… Deb
Deb
My Little Hobby
March 28, 2008Oh my goodness, Karen! Your cards are so pretty (but not as cute as Layla!) and I just love the first one. It looks like you might have used that white crayon technique that you told me about. It really turned out well in this card. I do not need any more stamps, but when I see this image, it makes me want to copy your card exactly as it is! Thanks for the tips! Have fun on your trip too.
Shirley
October 9, 2008Wow! These 5 are beautfiul too! I am noticing that each of your cards are so distinctly different from one another and so lovely.