*It's been quiet* And thank goodness for Gail Owens

Heh gang:
Sorry that I haven't been posting. Yesterday I spent my day making these invitations for the new scrapbook store Scrappin at the Pink House. The preview is this Saturday..so if you aren't doing anything..like maybe after Serika's class at The Scrapbook Store in Mt. Pleasant..you want to head down to this store off N. Rhett! Anyway..I made the invites..in the correct color scheme and everything..and then I forgot to take a picture! How crazy is that...? Then I went to drop them off and I picked up my next assignment.
But then Gail calls me! CATALOGS HAD ARRIVED AT HER DOOR. I called Lauren and we hit the street like crazy people. The catalog is beautiful. I am not sure what the heck I am going to do. I mean..seriously..everytime you get a SU catalog you always say that..but this time..I REALLY MEAN IT. Plus you have to spend twice as much money in half the time! ARRG! Anyway..so finally..the kicker of all my days...Ryan was scheduled to leave early this AM with the baby girls to take them to New Hampshire. BUT as Lauren and I were off to an adventure....Ry calls me..his flight is canceled due to weather. SERIOUSLY! The topper..I have to drive to Savannah's airport. So whatever adventure I had planned for today went away! Stampin' at Michelle's house..plus I said that I would go and help at the Scrapbooks tore...AHHHH!
Okay..enough with my venting! I will be taking them this afternoon so I will be back tomorrow!
xoxo
ronee

*CHA Chicago here I come*

Heh gang:
So while I was on my North Carolina trek tour I got an email from fellow Carolina Girl Patti. She said that there was a scrapbook store opening In North Charleston and they were looking for design team people. Also demonstrators for classes and hourly employees. SO yesterday I met with Michelle. Now she is the daughter of the owner..but the girl in charge..and she offered me the chance to head to CHA with her in Chicago. How INSANE is that? I mean seriously..I know her all of one hour and she tells me she already have everything in place..all I have to do is get to Chicago..SHUT UP! Anyway..so we talked for about two hours..discussed what she wanted for the store and things like that....When the store is in FULL SWING you guys are going to love it. Right now they are going to have a soft opening this Saturday. HOW crazy is that..THIS SATURDAY! But they have a kids play room...and then paper everywhere..well there will be paper and everything....everywhere! I am so excited. As much as I love going to Mt. Pleasant and Elise's store..I love the closeness of this store being right down the road! Anyway..check out the new store. www.Scrappinatthepinkhouse.com. I will be there Saturday..so come see me! In a few days I will be putting up some "sprinkles" (aka blog candy) cause I am almost at a thousand hits! Hope you are as excited as I am!
xoxo
ronee

*a trek to North Carolina*

As promised, I am going to blog about my crafters expedition to north carolina. I have to say I keep great company...but we did a lot of things..and I took a ton of pictures..and will not post them all..but I have a few..
The idea to head North came from the want to head to Archivers. If you haven't been to an Archivers...you should. You can visit them at www.archiversonline.com. They have a great variety of things that everyone LOVES. They always have a HUGE clearance section.
Thanks to Sean and is awesome former girlfriend Jeanne we headed to a store called Carolina Memories in Durham. Visit their website at www.carolinamemories.com. It is by far the best store EVER. The owner Christina was such an awesome person. She working on the computer when we were there and she was SO helpful! Not to mention Charlotte. This store was so worth the trip. They had EVERYTHING..well okay..not everything..but pretty darn close. It was such an awesome store that we visited it twice! You know you are addicted when...Just kidding..here are the ladies outside the store!
My friend Gail Owens found an ATG. Now we have been checking this bad boy out for over a year..and this is the first time we got to see one in person. As soon as we used it we knew SHE had to get one...I am such an enabler. I knew she wanted it. So all she needed was a little push.I am horrible yea! Sorry Gail..but go ahead and tell me you LOVE IT! I really loved this store. Thanks Christina and Charlotte!
We then headed to Enchanted Cottage.

It was overwhelming as a store. See it was so huge that I had to take three pictures. The store is actually two parted. One building..and then a "Cottage" across the street. I spent tons of money there and the stamps that they had was INCREDIBLE. Seriously I don't think I have ever seen so many stamps in one place. Marilyn there was such a great person. She was so helpful! Visit them on the web at www.enchantedcottagenc.com. I can't wait to go back! Our last night we spent in Charlotte. We decided to have a no event day and make some paper boxes and bags in the hotel. Trust me..all the driving that day. Not really that the drive was all that long..it was that we seem to find traffic at every turn. BUT God was great to us and kept us safe the entire trip! We got up and headed to the mall. And then we headed home. I was grateful to get home. I REALLY missed the girls! Ryan is about to take the two baby girls on a trip North to see his parents..but Tyra and I are going to hold down the home front. I love time alone with my children. So I think that Tyra and I might decide to go on an adventure. We aren't sure where yet. BUT she is about to turn 12. So maybe we can bond and have some quality time together. Anyway..thanks ladies for a great time!
xoxo
ronee

Okay I only have a quick minute

So I gotta make it count...I will show off my goodies..and then head off to bed..I am tired..but I will promised to blog it up and post all my pictures..OKAY!

It was a great trip..and I am glad I went with the girls I went with! Everyone is awesome!!!
love you guys
xoxo
ronee

Hotel Blogging!

Heh there out there:
This North Carolina trip has been OUTSTANDING. Yesterday when we arrived..we hit ARCHIVERS first..then headed back to the hotel. Slept..and hit the road to CAROLINA MEMORIES. Please vist them at www.carolinamemories.com. It was the greatest scrapbook store I have EVER been to! I hope Christina, the owner sends me tons of cool stuffs..Just kidding! But you are going to love it! I will post pictures when I get home. I am monopolizing Michelle's powerbook...after she goes to bed of course..so I was able to post..we had a SUPERSTAR time and adventure. We got lost a bit..but thank goodness for the rest stop map from the Visitor Center! Well I will try and post more tomorrow. We are heading to Enchanted Cottage in Lewisville, NC..then on to Charlotte. Oh I can't wait!
HI KAT
xoxo
ronee

North Carolina Bound

Heh blog readers..all four of us out there!!!
My crafty buddies and I are headed to North Carolina. I can't wait. So I will be taking tons of pictures..but you might have to wait till I get back to post..SO I know you are licking your lips..cause what will you do without a daily post from me..right! Anyway..I love you guys!
xoxo
ronee

Mondays Adventure

I didn't really stamp yesterday....well I did, but I am not finished so I can't post them yet today..but instead of spending the day in the Craft room..I did laundry. I know you all want me to stop swearing at you..but someone had to do it..and I have OCD about my laundry so Ry isn't allowed to do it. Anyway..but we also headed to the movie theater to watch that Silver Surfer! The kids LOVE the movies. Well Tyra and Traysea can watch anything..Nanea on the other hand, takes some effort. She ended up falling asleep..which is fine..because I got to hold her while she slept. AHH...just five years ago you were a tiny tiny baby girl..and now you are a four year old on a tear! Oh well..while waiting for Ry to get ready I clicked off a few pictures of the girls being silly.
Don't you just want to bite them! I do! My girls always make me smile! Doesn't Tyra look like she needs to go back to bed. I never really really noticed that Tyra always has those eyes. Even when she is wide awake. My friend Mae was talking about it the other day. She said droopy eyes are hot. UH OH..Tyra is about to turn 12, Ry and I are so not ready for the life of a 12 year old! Then I let the girls play with the camera. Nanea loves to take pictures..and with the Kodak Easy Share on Auto Mode it is the easiest thing! So here are some pics

Photographers in training. I think because I take SO many pictures of the girls that they are always wanting to click the camera too!
Well I will stamp today and take pictures of my final project...OH on Wednesday I am heading out with some of my friends on a stampin adventure...SO I will post tomorrow..and then see you guys again come Saturday!
xoxo
ronee

All I want to do is stamp lately!

Heh everyone! So I finally finished Ry's thank you cards. Interesting enough once I started them..they just came rolling out. The best thing about it was that I was actually able to make 20 of the exact same card. Here they are!
Ryan graduated from the Citadel. The school flag is a red flag with a Palmetto Tree. It is basically the South Carolina state flag but red. Anyway..that's why we went with these for his thank you cards. Here is a closer view

We are including this picture for the inside
and I am actually getting Ryan to write out his own thank you cards! I love that those are done! I made a few more cards last night..so I will take pictures of them and post those!
Enjoy your monday!
xoxo
ronee

WOW what a post! Happy Father's Day

So firstly, every month a group of us here get together and swap! Our Carolina girls swap is always an awesome event! God has rewarded me with a group of friends that have SUPERSTAR skills! I love being a part of their group. Thankfully ChiChi put that Choco box on her blog! These are the swaps that I scored yesterday!








BEAUTIFUL yea! I loved every minute of yesterday afternoon. Kim was the host and she always has great projects. Kim is SO gifted as a papercrafter! She is the third person that does stamp camp! If you are ever in this area..Kim, Michelle, and Gail hold stamp camp the first Saturday of every month! It's $15. TOTALLY a steal! Anyway..so my friend Keri is cleaning out her stampin studio. Yes when you get up there in the world of paper crafting you go from craft space..to craft room..to craft studio. I am still at the craft room stage! Anyway....so she brought me some of her stamps. Oh boy! PRESENTS!

Then the gifts keep coming. Every year, around this time I need to stock up on paper. I pretty much buy my load of paper right before the new catty comes out. I am not sure why it is that way..last year I knew the price was going up. Same with this year..but I think I just take a year to go through all the paper I bulk up on.
SO here is my paper presents. Just some here and there colors..but also my NEW In Colors. I can't wait to break into them..but I didn't get ink. I don't know what I was thinking!

Last and for surely not least. I got a HUGE present that I have been waiting to buy and get into my hot hands for about a month...are you excited..cause I am excited!

Yes that's an Ellison Big Shot! So of course I had to break her open and start to make something. Trysha needs thank you cards...so TADA
I know there are shadows and everything. But after I unpacked all my goodies..put them up and started on these it got pretty late! So I finished those. I just need to go to WalGreens and pick up my pictures. I try to always put a picture in thank you cards! Anyway..I have to get a start on RY's thank yous. Yes he got commissioned at the beginning of May. Yes it is over a month. But Ry and draggin his feet. So now I am going to have to knock those out. But instead of working on those..and playing with all this stuffs I felt inspired. So I decided to get a start on Tyra's birthday invites. Ty turns 12 in August...I know I have issues. Who starts birthday invites two months early, when you haven't even finished the thank you cards for Ryan. Well me..since I had this paper in my thoughts and knew that there was a design I wanted to try out. So I came up with this

Again, not the best picture. But it was like 10:30 at night. But I don't know how I feel about them yet. I know they are a bit on the mature side, but Tyra is turning 12. I think we are going to do something big. It is her final pre-teen birthday so we might want to do something crazy! This card is a 8 1/2 sheet cut the wrong way. You know the long way. It is 4 1/4 by 8 1/2. I have been on this size kick lately. I did the baby shower invites...Trysha's birthday invites and now there in that style. I love how they look. I cut about a half inch of the one size and used the slot punch to hold them close. The flower hides closure. I love the colors! The paper is awesome. Tyra is liking it! We just have to come up with what we are going to do now.
So staying with the same paper and I was looking at the scraps I had around. I flashed back to seeing color blocking on someones blog. So I decided I would make a 4x4 card with the scraps.

A while back Beate sent me some scalloped ovals so I thought that it would be perfect for the front of this card. I inked the flowers in Cool Caribbean and used my marker to ink the stems. I came back with the word "wish" from Everyday Flexible Phrases. I am loving this card. I think it is the color scheme and the paper. Whatever it is! It was a productive day. So I was guessing I was on a roll and who cared that now it was almost midnight I had another idea floating around in my mind.
Nothing great...but I loved this Designer Paper. I am going to send this out to someone that I love. I feel they need it..so off it goes come Monday! Ryan finally made me stop so we could go to bed. But there are still some ideas floating in my head and I plan to get them out of there into a creation hopefully this afternoon!
OH and I spent some of this morning cleaning up my craft room. Because seriously it has turned into the CRAP room. Not because of us storing things in it...Cause my lazy butt hasn't cleaned it in a while. So this is a before picture

So today I am cleaning the desk and vacuuming the floors and reorging my paper storage. Maybe I will find that bag of primas I have lost! Oh well! Oh and Happy Father's day. I made Ry a card that the girls and I signed. We are going to make him dinner...that is what he requested! Ryan is a home body. He LOVES staying home..so that is what we are going to do!
Have a great Sunday!
xoxo
ronee

Carolina girls swap

So a few months ago I found an awesome group of peeps that love to get together and stamp once and month. This month's swap theme is "Button and Bows". Now when you hear that what do you think of? I thought pink with lots of fluffy ribbon. But I could not think of anything. So since I had just made those Chocolate boxes for Nang's shower, I decided..what the heck, stick with that! So here they are!

I used SU's So Saffron cardstock with Light Brown grosgrain ribbon. I also used Heidi Grace's Glitter and Printed flowers just to add to the front of the boxes. Each box is stuffed with Caramel, White Mint and Cocoa Chocolates. They came out alright. They aren't totally in the "button and bows" but I hope they work for Saturday!

Happy Monday!

So today Ryan FINALLY went back to work. Trust me it was a tough 30 days! They say the thing that ruins Navy marriages are Leave days and Shore Duties! I know a lot of wives feel that I am horrible that I love my husband to go away. But it is not that I like him to go away..I just sometimes need to be reminded why I married him. Because as of today...I am not really seeing it! But today he is back at work and it has already been a better day. Dinner is in the crock pot. I living room is clean..I do still need to hit the dining room and kitchen..but it is progress! When Ry isn't home I think I am totally productive. Like I said before...if I see him lying on the couch, why not cuddle in next to him right? Anyway..I am nearing the 500 mark SO I am suppose to come with some "sprinkles". I think that is going to be what I call my blog candy. Now normally I hate hate blog candy..why you ask..well cause it is as if I am begging people to come and check out my blog. So that's not what it is going to be. I am going to come up with a way to reward everyone that comes by! Well send me a suggestion or two! I am going to be stampin today..with ry out of the house...and the day being cooler, I will let the girls outside to play!!!
See yah soon!
xoxo
ronee

*On to the next party*

That is what is Ryan said yesterday. So we get home from Trysha's birthday party and we open presents..and then I tell Ry..oh I gotta finish Nang's baby shower favors. He smiles at me and laughs..."On to the next party!" Which is funny...because that is sorta true! BUT I LOVE PROJECTS! I think when I have projects it actually makes me stamp. I guess I really sometimes just need a reason to stamp. Without reasons..sometimes I am just not motivated! So..here they are! I always seem to put this pressure on myself that it has to be a "WOW" project. I was going to be lazy and just purchase a favor kit from Target...cute little tins that you could just fill with mints or whatever, but when I actually started to make the favors..I just was not happy with anything. So yesterday, on adventure with Lauren and Kate, we stopped in at Target Summerville...they happen to have Ghiradelli Chocolate on CLEARANCE! Some how in Target those small red signs call out to me. So Nang like those squares so my wheels started turning. So TADA, these are ChiChi Allen's Ghirardelli Chocolate Square Boxes. I used Cool Caribbean card stock, tear tear, as the base for the box. If you would like to see the tutorial on this box you can visit it here at Chichi's blog "Dreams Come True". I still have not figured out to how add links to this blog yet, sorry! I have been on this personalized bit, so I pulled out SU!'s Big Deal Alpha and made everyone's name. I hope I didn't forget anyone. If I did, I went with a few that say thanks! I also used American Craft reversible ribbon. I LOVE ribbon! Not as much as Jody..but I think I am catching up to her quickly! Anyway..I need to finish wrapping prizes and printing out my game! But it's going to be a great day! I love Nang..she is SO cute! She is having her first baby and it's a boy. Now technically this is their first child...but she has played an important role in raising her nephews! We miss you Ali, Marco and Rico!!! Oh yea their parents too!!!
Okay I gotta run...Sorry the pictures are a bit dark..I took them last night at about 11!
xoxo
ronee

Our baby turns 4

Today is Trysha's birthday! We had a great time..we headed out to the movie theater for a viewing of Surf's Up! It was so much fun! Trysha loves to hear about the day she was born. It is so funny. I think all my children like to hear stories of what happened when they were younger! It makes me laugh. But it is hard to believe that Trysha is already four!!!

My AM vent

Well it's Friday and of course..in true Ronee spirit I have left a lot of things to the last day! I have no real excuse except that when Ry is home it seems like life just sorta stops! Seriously..like right now..what is he doing..lying down on the couch..which makes me want to lie down on the couch next to him. Heck the breakfast dishes! Not to mention the vacuuming my home needs. But he works hard..when he is actually working..so I have given him a real break this leave period. Sleeping in, no errands..one or two things to do around our house..BUT I have left him with the girls a billion times..while I go on stampin adventures. It is funny though..leave or not..I would have left Ry if I could. I think it is an investment in future underways. For those of you not Navy or just not familiar with underway periods, it is when your husband gets on a boat and sails away...for undisclosed amounts of time. Price of the Navy. I actually am a weirdo and like the underway period. Not that I don't love my husband. Because in the weird get away from me way..I love Ry to death..but underway periods remind me what I love about him. It works for us..maybe not for others..but when he is gone..we have to talk..via email, letters, even phone calls. Though I hate those crazy 2 am phone calls from some foreign port with those full or emotion "I love you". I know you Navy wives know! Anyway..underway always rebuilds Ryan and mine relationship! BUT the man has not been on a boat..or underway for almost five years! Let's say not the ideal situations for me! They say I should learn to embrace that he is home. Of course as soon as I get around to that..Ry will be assigned to a boat..and the three year sea tour will start. BUT then Ryan got picked up for Engineering Duty Officer. Of course my husband gets selected for something that he will never get underway for! AARRGGH! But it's okay..it's Grad School. In a field he wanted! So if I have to have him at home..at least it is in a job he loves! Hopefully in Cali. But after this year..if we choose to cash in our EDO option..Ryan will only have one more sea tour. Another silly part to us...Hawaii isn't some place we really want to go back to. I know..insane right? What Hawaii girl doesn't want to go home? This one. I'd love to go home and visit. But I don't want to live there. It gets so comfortable. If we move back right now..my daddy is retired..and it would be perfect. Daddy would love to run around and get the girls to this and that. Tyra would be playing basketball for a program that I LOVE..with coaches that I TRUST. Traysea and Nanea would have the chance to grow up in Hawaii. The down side...everything in Hawaii is the same. But I would love lunch with Mayumi...Saturday clinic..basketball games! ALL OF IT! Okay..I am going to stop before I start to cry. Anyway..I should go already..enough sitting around...right..those breakfast dishes are starting to call my name!
Love you guys
xoxo
ronee

Coaster box that I made at Michelle's

So as promised here are the pictures of the coaster box we made at Michelle's house the other day! Gail brought the coasters and all the paper. Isn't the K and Company paper pretty gorgeous?
Look how awesome it is inside. It's divided! I can't remember off who's blog we got that idea from...but it was a pretty awesome thought! Then at stamp camp the last time Kim's friend Wendy came up with the idea of pushing in the bottom coaster to stabilize the entire box. It is pretty awesome!

Then as a final touch she brought the template on how to lace up the sides. I used raffia. I thought it matched the box pretty well. Plus I love raffia. I think it might be my island roots!
I love it. I think that I am going to make a few of these..for what I don't know yet..but I can't just let the coasters I bought sit around and take up space! Gail has a bind it all..I think we should have to go over there and play with it a bit!
See you soon Gail Owens!

*Party favors*

So today I was a good wife and didn't go to the scrapbook store...it was again with the must create before you get more things! SO today I created. Trysha's party is Saturday so I needed to get those party favors finished. Thanks to my wonderful friend Felicia, she mentioned to me that Target has these favor boxes in the dollar bin that might be perfect. So I head there, after I take the kids to Chuckie's...target is across the parking lot...and bought them all. I was figuring it was better to have too many, then not enough! Because I was going to make the popcorn boxes from the circut's tags and more. After racking my brain for two days..this is what my final project looks like!

Aren't they cute! They make the window sill in my craft room look so cute! I decided to stay with the monogram theme and put them on the favor boxes. I decided to use SU's retired set "Tall Tales". I love this alphabet! I also used the Happy Birthday from SU's Eat Cake set. I love that set.
I know they are a bit girlie, but it is Trysha's birthday. The boys will have to deal with the cute primas! I can't wait till this weekend!

Seriously, get a life!

Now if you aren't my stalker..then this post isn't for you..but it is funny how people just need to let things go. As for today..I am happily married with three beautiful daughters! I have gone through a lifetime of being hated. People have either been jealous or just out to be horrible. Whatever makes you happy, then fine. But to have to find post I make on other peoples blogs and then forward them to my friends in the hope that they will no longer be my friends is so teenager that you really just need to let it go. Why not work on yourself? I could easily attack you in a mean and horrible way..but why? This post was already more energy then I wanted to put out..but I felt that a message to you was necessary. Be happy with you! I will work out my flaws, why don't you do the same? I have found my peace with God, maybe that is somewhere it should start. God has provided me with so many blessings! Maybe if you stopped...he might reward you too!
To all my blogging friends...sorry I had to post this message, but sometimes..grown women can't stop acting as if they are still in high school!
Hope you guys have a great day!
xoxo
ronee

*Saturday's fun*

We gang..Saturday was a busy day. I headed to the flea market. We got to hang out with Xavier! Oh I just want to eat him! But anyway, the flea market really hasn't been all that great lately. BUT of course I still always find something...right?? Well here is my haul!

I bought the alpha stickers because I am playing with an idea in my head for Trysha's birthday party favors. OH I got these great boxes from the Target dollar bin. They are too cute. I will make a few of them and then show them off. But anyway..so I was going to make backpack tags with their initials..keeping with the theme of her birthday invite. Well I will let you know how all that goes!
After the flea market we headed to breakfast, a quick jump into target..then off to AC Moore. Oh I love paper..and ribbon. I was good though. I have made a deal with myself..that I can't buy if I don't create. I spent Friday night after Chuckie creating Mel Mel's birthday present and her card....plus I had made Tyra's teachers their stuffs..SO I was totally okay to go to AC Moore...all this was on sale!


I bought that Heidi Grace stuffs because it matched the stuffs that I had bought from the flea market. You know I am all about the coordinating! Anyway..so then I made a quick stop at home..cut Ry ry's hair got the girls ready to go to Mel Mel's party and then I headed back out to stamp camp! Stamp camp is always a good time. This months one was just the bunch of us. I asked Lauren if she wanted to go. Not knowing that Lauren had never stamped before! She did awesome though..and I think we created a monster. I love to share stampin. I mean seriously..how awesome is that to see someone stamp for the first time..and fall in love with it!

I love this card! This is my goodbye to Balmy Breezes! I love this set. I really hope SU comes up with something just as awesome!!!

Michelle was the creator of these two cards. Aren't they awesome!
I love this card using the On Board Accents. I didn't take an individual picture of the second card. Why..cause I am silly.. Then Kim came up with this!

I love stamp camp! It is always a blast! My favorite thing today is that I got to spend time with Xavier...BUT mostly that Lauren has been bit by the stampin bug. We have to keep her motivated though. Stamping alone sucks..so i will have to make sure that she comes over all the time and stamps!!! So I guess I will see you this week Lauren!
xoxo
ronee