a shmoop's life

Jessica Sprague's Bloghop!

If you came for the BLOGHOP goodies, you are at STOP number 35!  

Be sure to unzip all the goodies for the wonderful products and quick pages AND to get all of the quote strips......

If you ended up here in the middle, here's the awesome Jessica Sprague blog which is the START of the bloghop and will get you to the beginning.  Click here

 

Here's a preview of the Quick Page i have created for you using the designer's bloghop goodies!  Hope you like it! 

Link has been disabled sun pm  

The next stop is the AMAZING Miki and you can get to her here

She is a very creative and FUN lady with exceptional talent!!!!!  You will SO love to get a taste of her work!!!!

Have fun....and remember the links will be disabled sunday night so be sure to grab all the wonderful YUMMIES before then!

 

Jessicasprague.com birthday!

Join us for a birthday blog hop next weekend!

GO GRAB IT!

Oh my goodness!  Jessica Sprague is offering one of her Photoshop Friday tutorials FOR FREE!  But it's only good until midnight tonite so go grab it now!    jessicasprague.com

Barbies.....

What American 7yo doesn't love them?  I know I did!  Now I'm skeptical of course!  I mean, they ALL have a size 25 waist, huge bust that sits UP on their chest, and perfect skin.  Ugh.  so much to live up to!  LOL!  Anna LOVES her barbies.......all of them.  She has names, skits, you name it!  I have to bathe with 10 of her barbies "watching" me every night!  sigh.  The scariest/funniest thing for me is listening to her playing with them!  OMG!  Is that her mimicking me?  The way I talk? yikes.....She has mean interaction sometimes, valley girl type interactions, and LOOK OUT when something doesn't go "her barbies" way!  Ooooh how MEAN barbies can be to each other!  I know, it's all a developmental process!  tee hee.  Barbies.  I think they need to at least make some that look like REAL women for goodness sakes!!!!

Enough of that already! We got some real GOODIES in the store   this week....  AND a bunch of new classes!  Go check it out!  

Here's a layout I made using The Modernist  Papers and Elements by ITM designs, Linda Roos.  Stitches by KPertiet. I love the clean, fresh approach to Linda's designs!

I cannot believe summer is almost over!  The kids are having a FIT but are excited at the same time!  Have a great monday!

 

Mama's Potato Soup....

Very easy recipe....i had forgotten about it until a friend of ours brought us bags full of garden goodies! YUM!

1. Dice up potatoes (no particular number...i just fill a stock pot about a quarter full) Salt and pepper and add onions if you wish, i used minced (i like EASY!)  

2.  Add water to cover them by an inch over the top of the pile.

3.  Cook until potatoes are ALMOST done

4.  Add milk to about 3inches over potatoes and allow to come to a boil

5.  Mix 2c Bisquick with 2/3c water and spoon by spoonfuls onto top of soup

6.  Simmer uncovered 10m, covered 10m

7.  Serve over the top of a chunk of velveeta or american cheese.

variation.....which i did this time coz we have SWEET CORN fresh from the garden too....add corn to initial pot of potatoes.

I know.....simple recipe, takes no time, not fancy, but YUMMY.....and that's the way I roll!  :)

where HAVE i been?????

It's a funny little thing i call "real life"!  You know, those little bumps in the road that make the ride a little unpredictable!  Well.....we have actually hit a MASSIVE crack in the road, making it seem impassable!  But, i put my big girl panties on, jumped in my 4wheel drive 2ton and now I'm ready to plow ahead! PHEW!  It's tough sometimes, i tell you!  Thank God this Earth isn't my forever home.  :0

My wonderful parents celebrated 50 amazing years of marriage!  They have FIFTY years under their belt, 8 children, and i think 28 grandchildren!  Amazing.   They truly are amazing people and I'm so blessed to call them mine! :)  

Layout credits:  All products from jessica sprague shop  Template by In The Making designs Linda Roos a set called It's a Start 4,  papers by Liv En Route Solids & Queen of Quirk Cirque du Ciel   Elements by Kari Save the Date vol 5,  Queen of Quirk "you are here" and "sitting pretty" accents

We had a lovely celebration in Seward NE ....really a picnic type party with a slide show.  Then a picnic and family olympics on sunday.  My parents are still so in love.  It's truly inspiring.....especially as Paul and I face the biggest challenges in our married life so far!  I want to celebrate 50 years someday!!!!

Another fun memory was the 4TH of July!  We all had matching suits, LOL!  Luckily you can't see mine....sometimes it's good to be BEHIND the camera! :)

all supplies from jessica sprague shop  I used In the Making design (linda roos) Tri-color mini kit

I LOVE the simple elegance of Linda's kit.  It's stunning!

I hope to be catching up on life here soon!  Do we ever really catch up???  :P  I'm focusing and practicing my word for the year.  Forgiveness.  I have to forgive a man that I barely know who has never asked me for forgiveness or shown that he is even a tiny bit sorry.  now THAT my friends is a challenge!

One really COOL thing i have to look forward to is CREATIVE ESCAPE!  YES!  It's now t-9days til i leave.  I will keep you posted on all the cool craftiness of this escape!  Much needed! 

 

I'm sorry I've been away...

We have been so busy these past weeks....life is like a whirlwind and it hasn't been happy, vacationey type stuff!   Paul's mom, Veda, passes away July 1 after a long 10y of paralysis after a stroke.  She went home to be with Jesus, her husband, her daughter and many other friends and family.  We are thankful she went peacefully with all of her children at her side.

 

All supplies from Jessicasprague.com.  Liv's Freedom papers, Queen of Quirk's brushes (sitting pretty elements) , and Nisa's Borderline frame brushes!  

On another front, we have very dear friends, Pradipta and Sharon, whose daughter Asha is struggling with a bleeding brain lesion.  We have been back and forth to travel to see her (2.5h each way) as she has been in the ICU.  Her surgery is tomorrow at noon.  We are praying for a successful outcome...I guess the surgery is quite risky but the alternative to no surgery is not good either.  Please pray for them.  My heart aches....I cannot imagine what kind of pain and anxiety they are facing! 

I hope to catch up on my whole life after she gets through this surgery tomorrow!  I'm anxious to get back to scrapping and blogging and just keeping up with my home!  But I know all of that takes a very back seat right now!  Keep them in your prayers!!!

 

Jessica Sprague's "You Are Awesome!" 3rd Birthday Blog Hop!

Hi there!!!   If you came for the bloghop you are in the right place!   Posted below are the rules for the bloghop.  Don't forget to assemble the quotes you find tucked in each freebie to make a phrase and email it to [email protected] to have a chance at a prize!
Jessicasprage.com is turning THREE!  I can't believe it's been 3years and let me tell you, it has been an AWESOME 3y full of education, fun and friends.  Everyone there is *AMAZING* and I've made life-long friends there.   Truly that place  has changed my life forever!  <3

So.....Please join us for challenges with prizes and 20% off the shop!!!  Who doesn't LOVE a sale!!!  :D 

 

If you are joining the bloghop with my blog as the first stop, please go back to the beginning and start with the amazing Jessica's  blog!   My blog and freebie is the last stop in this bloghop!  

......and now on to the freebie!  I have created a quickpage using the "you are awesome" collab kit from Jessicasprague.com designers!  Hope you enjoy!  sorry, link has expired.

 

Remember to start at Jessica's so you don't miss any fabulous freebies!! :)

 

{If you DID start at the beginning and this IS your last stop, THANK YOU for joining us in this awesome 3rd birthday celebration!}  ......and remember "YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!"    

xo shell
 

 

Myrtle Beach.....

Trying to play catch up after vacation and PHEW! ... it's a LOT of work!  We need a STAYcation after our VACation!!!  I have tons of pictures to post and stories to tell but that'll have to wait til i can catch my breath!   Suffice it to say......it's been an INTERESTING and CHALLENGING year so far.....anyone else ready to go to 2011??  LOL!

New products galore in the shop , and EVERYTHING is now on sale in honor of our THIRD birthday!  How cool is that?   This is a page made with Jessica Sprague template 5 and Linda Roos "Make a Splash" paper pack.  I {HEART} templates with my busy life and the colors in Linda's paper pack are absolutely perfect for summer layouts! 

 

Come on over to the site and play with us!  Happy Birthday Jessicasprague.com!!!!  

Head on over!

To Jessica sprague for the Birthday Celebration going on this month!  There are challenges, a FREE class, and the store is ON SALE!!!! Read some of the announcements below to see what excitement is there!!!

 

 

 

SEE YOU THERE!!! :)