Still up to my elbows in scraps in this room trying to finish everything before I leave for California in um, 1 1/2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, to give you something new at which to gander, here is some Hambly Newness!!!
New Graph Paper & fleur de lis rubs, paired w/ the Curtain Flourish overlay, Orange vintage, and journaling overlays 
New ‘Out on a Limb’ paper and Star rubs:
ok…back to work…
Needless to say by the looks of this blog, I’m still swamped. I still have TONS to do in the next week before I leave for CHA, but, since I got the go-ahead, I wanted to share what I’ve been working on the last 6 months.
Introducing the Military Life Collection from Uniform Designs. I will be designing papers and other products specifically geared towards military scrapbookers. Let’s face it, military papers can look the same, over and over and over. We’re trying to change that. Make them better. Moreover, we wanted to create papers that focused on life events, filling MANY requests of military scrapbookers. Look for so much more to come!!!
I designed everything but the stickers (btw, the copy of this is so much better in real life, but switching it to a jpeg kinda digitized it a bit). Oh, and that me and hubby on our wedding day at the bottom! :
The Military Wedding Collections is a compilation of some photography that I did right here in the house. It’s funny for me to look at them this way…Saber & Rings was taken in Em’s room; Saber Arch in the Kitchen; Patriotic Bouquet in my bathroom (it has a great skylight!); and I Thee Wed in my Bedroom. hehe! This collection is very dear to me because that is THE saber that Chris wore on our wedding day. Our names engraved on it and everything (they are hiding behind the flowers!) And you see the green pillow??? Yeah, straight from my bedding ensemble! LOL! Oh, and, duh, those are OUR RINGS!
The Fallen Heroes Collection was especially difficult to do. Any memorial paper would be, I suppose. We really wanted to make it understated, soft, somber, etc. So I did pencil sketches for those, then changed the color. Love how they turned out.
I even designed the catalog! (which is where I’ve been the last 4 days, at least. 
)
Thanks for letting me share!!! Now…..back to work!
It’s no secret that I have to withstand watching Dora AT LEAST once a day, but usually way more than that. And Dora dolls all over the house. And a Dora story before nap and bedtime. It can be a little annoying. But now I have good reason to love Dora.
She taught my two-year-old Spanish.
Em and I were just cuddling on the couch reading our nightly Dora story, and I’ll be darned if she didn’t count one through seven IN SPANISH!!!! (She was counting the seven seas in the Dora Treasure Chest story). Clear. As. Day. Uno. Dos. Tres. Cuatro. Cinco. Seis. Siete. Chris and I, quite literally, just sat there with our jaws wide open. When I finally had the wits about me to turn the page, I continued reading the story. I got to the part where I read, “Vamonos”, and Em replied, “Let’s Go!” (um, for all of you non-Spanish-saavy folks out there, that’s what Vamonos means.)
Holy cow.
I swear that kid is a sponge for knowledge.
So I’ve been pondering the last couple of days. Trying to figure out what the heck to write about.
Truth is, I’m swamped! I’ve been pumping out tons of layouts for CK Hall of Fame. Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment. I’m entering for my fifth time. After I got the HM nod, I got addicted. And, well, even if I don’t even place (again), I have SOOO much fun doing it! It really brings my mojo back, big time. I have been totally enjoying myself doing them, so that is always good. We’ll see in March if it is fruitful or not. Pray for me.
Right now, I should be preparing for a Stampin Up show, but, obviously, I’m not. I only do one a year, for Monica, so I’m out of practice. But we’ll still have fun.
And then I have another kit for CK to do. Gotta love the money!!!!
So I’ve been hunkered down in the scraproom lately. Don’t know if I’ll make it out any time soon. And, yippeeeeeeeeee, I leave Jan 27th for 4 1/2 days in California, BY MYSELF, with all of my scrap buddies! I CANNOT WAIT! It’s always so wonderful going and putting faces w/ the names of people that I chat with all year. Scrapbooking really is amazing like that - I adore how it brings people together. Can’t wait for that. C’mon - who else is going to CHA?????
So, you see, that’s all there is to talk about. Pretty boring, right?
Wow. I’ve been gone a while. I’m sorry. The few days before Christmas and Christmas week itself were just nuts. In a fun sort of way, of course!!!!!!!!
I was completely behind in the days leading up to Christmas. I even had to stay up until 4:30 am on the 22nd just to get the wrapping done. WHEW! We threw the gingerbread house together at 9pm on Christmas Eve…you get the idea.
But there were so many wonderful things. Dad and Bette showed up around midnight on Christmas Eve. The kids had NO idea they were coming. We even encouraged the kids to have a sleepover in Emily’s room so Dad could have a bed. So when they woke up Christmas morning, we said, “Wait until you see what Santa brought!” Dad and Bette were hiding in the laundry room, and when they threw open that door, the looks on the kids’ faces were absolutely priceless. Emily instantly ran for her Poppop, and after Gabe gave a couple of hugs, I asked him what he though. He replied, “That’s cool.” hehe. The story was that Santa had so much to bring that he stopped by Poppop’s house and asked him to follow him in the truck to help him bring it all. Cute, right??
The kids were, of course, spoiled beyond belief. Emily got TONS of Dora and Disney Princess stuff. Gabe’s big gift from Santa was a Lego Airplane. They both got some art sets and the Plug and Play Piano (a video game piano) from Mommy and Daddy. Dad brought them a HUGE ride on airplane video game thing - I don’t even know how to describe the thing. Uncle Eddie sent his XBox, which was definitely a big hit. He wasn’t using it anymore, we didn’t have one, so Gabe inherited it. All he’s played since Christmas evening is Star Wars Lego and Cars. Yes, it even came with the steering wheel.
Of course, I think the highlight for me was how much I shocked Chris. He was totally spoiled this year, and he had NO CLUE! I love that!!!!! I gave him an XM radio for his car, and the kids gave him the 3500 piece Star Wars Lego Death Star. HUGE, I tell you. So huge that it took him 3 days to start it - I think he was a wee bit intimidated. So he’ll be busy for a while. The dining room has officially been converted to the Lego factory.
He spoiled me, too, though. I got a brand new HP 4890 scanner. This thing is so freakin amazing. It scans in 2 seconds flat. That’s luxury compared to my other 4-year-old one!!! He also got me a Bed and Breakfast gift card - I get to choose where!!! I think we’re going to have Mom come on President’s Day weekend and we’re going to go to Asheville, NC. I hear it is beautiful there, and it is somewhere we’ve wanted to go since we lived in NC when we first got married. Maybe I’ll even get to see some SNOW, because I’m really in winter-weather-deficiency mode around here. Last but not least, the 26th he took me to Costco to pick out an iPod. I’ve been welcomed into the 21st century. And well, it is pretty cool. I can even download movies to watch on the airplane flight to California this month! WOO HOO!
Mom also came, on the 28th through the 1st. Yes, more presents. She gave me a kickin gift card to Kohl’s (to help rebuild my wardrobe as I continue to lose more weight). Lots of other things, too, but I think my fave was my new Vera Bradley eyeglass case. Silly, I know, but it’s pretty!!!! And Chris got a surprise, newly released 2007 Lego Star Wars Imperial Landing Craft (um, do you see a pattern here???)
Then, of course, was New Year’s Eve. We spent a quiet evening at home. I made a buffet of assorted things and played games with mom and the kids all night. My kind of New Year’s bash. Both kids even managed to stay up until midnight and ring in the new year with us.
So now you know why I haven’t been in existence lately. I’ll try to be better. Now I’m going to update my little slider of pictures for the month of December. My Picture of the Day challenge at Scrapvillage is over, and I managed to take a picture every single day. 
Take a look at the slider on the right!
And, as Emily has been saying for the past few weeks…’HAPPY NEW YOU’ (cracks me up how appropriate that is!)
Categories:
