Thanx to all of you...

...who were so concerned about our well-being due to the marsh fires!  Even though it's rained consistently for two days, we're still keeping a low profile because the smell is still pretty bad.  My husband said he heard it's actually remnants from the BP oil spill burning and it DOES kinda ring true; if you could SMELL this crap you'd understand what I mean!  The great thing was that we got to just laze around yesterday...talking, laughing, NAPPING!  John couldn't get the grill cranked up in the rain so he made an assortment of chicken wings for us in the oven.  Ahmad is a chicken FANATIC...remember the page I did as an ode to his seasoned fowl obsession???  Well, one of his favorite ways to eat it is swimming in hot sauce.  A lot of places call them Buffalo Wings...we just call 'em HOT WINGS!!!  We normally buy him a large bag from Wal-Mart for about $11.  In the last month, that price has risen to almost $15!  That, coupled with the fact that Wal-Mart had packs of chicken wings on sale last week prompted our experiment today.  I mean, the sauce is WAAAY too easy to make for us to keep throwing money at the millionaire Waltons when Mahd is craving them! And did I mention that the teenaged disposal dude can eat an entire bag in TWO sittings????  YEAAAAAAH!  So the hubbs did a large batch of wings (like close to forty) and left some unembellished (HOW YOU LIKE THAT, my scrappin' sisters???).  He put BBQ sauce on some and made hot wings with the others.  The guys had fries with their wings but I ate mine with a spinach leaf salad.  They were DEFINITELY yummy for my tummy!  Have you ever been in a situation where you KNOW one more bite will make your belly POP all over the furniture but your mouth is still watering from the yumminess you've just experienced????  YEAH...that's how I felt last night! I'm proud to say that I resisted...there's always today,right??? ;)


I still can't access my beloved Kreatorville (SIGH) but I'll survive!  I've been busy playing with the September kit.   I actually have three pages that I've finished...I just have to print the pictures to put on them and do the journaling.  Is that weird...sometimes I design the page first and THEN stick pix, a few more  embellishments and journaling on them.  There's some GORGEOUS Fake Bake Shimmerz Enamelz in the September kit!  I haven't used embossing powder in YEARS!  My issue is this: I love when an artist has used it and it's all thick and LUSCIOUS looking!  And I didn't know how to achieve that effect...so I moved on to the next technique.  Well, out of the blue my girl
sends me a package with one of her beautiful handmade cards with a HUGE jar of this

included!!  The card said that she noticed that I gushed about commented on her using this on one of her cards so she decided to send me some.  Yeah...that's the kind of heart she has!  So I HAD to up my embossing game then!  Through trial and error I've realized that, if I add more powder to the embellishment while it's still warm and reheat (and repeat...and repeat...and repeat!) I can achieve that thick look I love SOOO much!  I can't wait to share how I used the embossing powder on my September projects!

I see that the September Page Maps newsletter has gone live!  'Member I was telling you that I'm one of the featured artists this month? I was TOO excited to see my double 8.5x11 layout on this page!

Didn't like that my name is misspelled at the top. I've been called "Kendra" soo many times in my life...don't like it, though!  It IS right further down

 

I laughed when I looked at the actually layouts next to the sketches. I think I had the ONLY project that isn't identifiable as having been inspired by the sketch!

I PROMISE you that I DID use the sketch to kreate it...even though you may not be able to see it!  OH WELL!!!  Becky told me to make the sketch my own...and ya KNOW I did! I'm obsessed with origami hearts right now so I thought the center of the life preserver we were photographed with was the perfect spot to stick one!

I've had this piece of Hambly transparency

for about FOUR years...glad I finally got to USE IT!!  Here you can see the cluster of STUFF I threw loving placed on the left side

along with my VERY SCIENTIFIC tear at the top of the page and the cluster of stuff on the right side

 

 

I don't know WHAT was on my mind when I put the collage of these two pages together because I actually cropped the ENTIRE right side OFF!  Here's the right page and a closeup

in case you want to read ALL of the journaling


OH!  I actually found the picture that was missing from THIS page...here's the revised version:

(To me, it's just 100% better with those beautiful eyes staring back at you!!!)

I HAVE to get some rest...I've gotten maybe 12 hours in the last three nights!  I have layouts to finish today and a little painting to do...IF my husband can stand it!  And of course...some chicken to eat!!!!

Just AWFUL.

It's bad enough that we're thinking about Katrina right now.  Yeah...I KNOW it's been SIX years and other places have experienced weather disasters since then.  BUT...when you don't have a hospital, WalMart, movie theater near your house...you can't HELP but think about the cause of these things not being around any more!  I THOUGHT my focus would be on praying for those affected by Irene this week.  But here we are...dealing with crap again.

When I awakened Monday morning, our house was filled with the smell of smoke.  I went around smelling all the outlets but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.  This was about 7AM and I don't normally turn the TV on when it's just me and Kea (he watches TV in the back).   I was SOO scared that I called my husband at work to tell him he might have to come home because something was on fire.  That's when he told me about the marsh fires.  When the little and I went out Tuesday I realized that the ENTIRE city looks like this

There's no escaping it.  I could smell it in Wal-Mart; everyone in the Social Security office was coughing Tuesday because it was coming in through the vents.  To make matters worse, we live about a mile and a half from where the fires are actually burning.  Thank God John and Ahmad have awesome immune systems and haven't really been affected.  The littlest has been plagued by congestion, coughing, vomiting and fever all week.  There's no where that I can even take him to get him into clean air except almost 100 miles away!  I've been coughing and looking at so much vomit all week has my belly feeling wonky. John saw somewhere that a vinegar and lemon mixture helps to dissipate the smoke smell.  I placed a bowl of it in almost every room.  Don't get it twisted...THAT crap doesn't smell like roses either.  It helps though so I guess it's more like the lesser of two evils!!!  It did rain today and should rain for the next few days so prayerfully we can get back to normal next week!  The teen's second football game is tomorrow.  I doubt that the littlest and I will be able to go if the smoke is still thick...SUX!!!!

THEN I try to view Kreatorville's blog (kreativity.kreatorvillekraft.com) and I kept getting a "Server Not Found" error message...wha????  After several hours of back and forth I was told that the confusion should be cleared up in about five days...{{{SIGH}}}

On a positive note, I had a card

posted on the Platinum Scraps blog.  This is the card I made for Ahmad for his birthday.  His favorite color is red...a boy after my own heart!!!  And my last project as Guest Designer for Color Combos Galore

has been posted.  These are pix from my sister friend's 40th birthday celebration.  I really loved being challenged by the combos...I'm sure I'll play along again soon!!!


Well, gotta make the donuts!  NAH...but I DO need to sleep so I can get up early.  I have a list of 73 items to finish before next month!

In the last twenty days I've...

...enjoying talking to/spending time with the teen.  He just got an Iphone from his father so I've heard a LOT of "C'mon Ma!"  in the last few weeks

(You KNOW I'm lovin' that!!!!)  

*been playing around with party decor 

My sister is getting married in October and we're celebrating my 40th in November.  I was soo excited when Ray told me that she wants a vintage feel for her reception decor!  Add to that the fact that our celebration colors are almost the same!  I'm decorating Mason jars for her party and with a few changes, I'll use them the next month...can you say WINNING???

*Speaking of winning...this sweetie peetie has given me this

If you've never met Cindy...go on over!  She is the CUTEST lil lady I've ever seen!!!  To answer the twelve questions:

Favorite color: Red
Favorite song: I love SOO many songs!  One of my faves right now is I Give Myself Away by William McDowell
Favorite dessert: Oreo cookies WITH Lay's Original chips!  Yep...TOGEEEEETHER!!!!
What wizzes you off at the moment?People who make promises which they don't keep!  Just tell me "I MAY be able to"  DON'T say you promise...TICKS ME OFF  
My favorite pet: Somebody else's
Black or white? Both,please!!!
Biggest fear: Not using up every ounce of my kreativity!
Best feature: My kreativity!
Everyday attitude: Don't ever look back and regret that you didn't live each day to the fullest
What is perfection? Good food and good times with good folks
Guilty pleasure? Pinterest, scrapbooking
When you're upset. . . it shows all over my face!

So, I have to give this award to six peeps who interest me and {{GASP}} they're not all scrapbookers!!!

Charity who has a beautiful blog design with beautiful pages displayed there!

Amy who works like a ROCKET LAUNCHER to churn out beautiful kreations!

kidtropolis.  They continuously inspire my desire to give my boys rooms like movie stars' kids!

Pinterest.  I'm continuously caught up and forget to feed my family inspired by this site!

Miche who amazes me EVERY.TIME. with the versatility of her art!

Milla and Kahli. I don't know these ladies...I just ran across  their blog yesterday.  But I love their blog design and the CONTENT...these ladies can wring a thrift store DRY!!!  Plus, I think they're beautiful (IDENTICAL TWINS!) and sweet as 7up cake!!!  I've been so inspired by their decorating already!I guess they ACTUALLY count as two people, bringing my count to 7!  Oh well...this IS my blog! 

If you can, check out these blogs and let me know if YOU think these ladies rock as much as I do!  And thanx for the award, Cinds...love you, lil lady!!!!

*I FINALLY finished stenciling the walls in our bedroom and bathroom.  The teen was soo amazed he asked me to do his walls too!  I'm not sure I like ANYBODY enough to do more stenciling right now!!!

*We've been celebrating a few birthdays.  My niece

turned 20 a few weeks ago and we celebrated my sister's 40th with a dinner last night.

*Of COURSE I've been kreating!!! You can GO HERE to see some of the projects I made with the August Kreatorville kit.  But I also made this page

for the vintage sketch challenge.  I love that I was able to incorporate one of the handmade titles 

from the July kit!  Remember you still have two days to crank out a page to participate in the challenge and be in the running for a scrapbook.com gift card!  C'MON...you can DO IT!!!

*I've had a few pages and cards showcased over at Platinum Scraps; my last page (as August Guest Designer) was revealed this past week at Color Combos Galore; I finished the two page spread 

 which will be featured in the September Page Maps newsletter.  I'm also preparing some pages because in October, I'll once again be MASTERFUL!!!!

Today I'll be twisting the teen's hair...his dreds have to be FRESH for school tomorrow (ahhh...the life of a high school football player!!!) Afterwards, I'll do a little cleaning before turning in early. After my sister gets married in October, she and her husband will stay with us for a week.  My goal for the next few weeks is to completely clean/decorate/organize before that time.  I have a party and the holidays to prepare for at the end of the year and I want that to be my sole focus...pray for me PLEASE!!!!

My teen is back...

...in the place to be!  We're off early in the morning to get a few more things for school (he'll be starting his sophomore year on the 15th).  And even though I COULD focus on some SERIOUS negativity right now (like blah blah BLAH...it's the same ole SAME OLE!!!)  I won't even go there.  Too many blessings right now to let the same foolishness stress me...ya feel me???  This first page was the first I completed as part of my guest designer stint at Color Combos Galore and was actually posted a few days ago

The combo this week really lent itself to a boy page.  And the inspiration picture just BEGGED me to scrap a beach picture!!!  This shot was taken on a beach in Biloxi (Mississippi...I just LOVE spelling that really quickly!!!)about three years ago.  Those stars?  The envelope that the stamps are in when you leave the post office!  You should REALLY go and visit the site!  There are some VERY talented kreators over there...check 'em out!!!

I have two new projects posted over at Platinum Scraps too:

This page was inspired by the sketch last week.  Even though I normally do 12x12's for my and my husband's scrapbooks...I love the idea of switching it up and having different sizes all thrown in there together!  And EVEN THOUGH my chin makes me look like Jay Leno's love child here, I love this picture SOO much because of my husband's amazing smile.  This was taken early on in our relationship when he was still trying to impress me. Now I just get the "men don't smile"  look most of the time!  I also took advantage of the card sketch this week to kreate a card 

for one of my classmates who just turned 40 a few weeks ago.  That piece of patterned paper is actually one of my all times faves from SEI...I may cry when I use the last sheet!  It has this AMAZING texture and beautiful shimmer to it...what were we talking about again?  Seriously...go check out the challenges at Platinum Scraps; they're sure to get your mojo rolling...get cha motor runnin'...head out on the highway...lookin' for adven...it's like 1:30 in the morning...I can be crazy if I want to!!!

My Chary threw down the gauntlet over at Kreatorville...she challenged us to scrap vintage pix this month.  I...ummm...stole borrowed a few from my mom...one when I was 1 1/2...one of me at seven and the third with my sisters (I was ten).  You have to go over to Kreatorville and check that one out...our expressions have always made me laugh!  If you decide to take Char's challenge and/or work with the sketch this month, there's a linky tool at the end of this post...share a peeky to your projects there and you could win a scrapbook.com gift card!!!

I was JUST telling Mahd that we would go to the thrift store tomorrow after we go to Wal-Mart.  When the baby boy and I stopped in last week, I was able to get a Dean Koontz hardcover that I never owned for $3.  I have a literary crush on him but most of my books were lost...so I'm LOVIN' being able to rebuild my collection with some $3 finds!  I also got a few baroque frames that I'll spray for the living room wall once we decide on the color.  The boys get soo excited about visiting thrift stores because they know they're about to score new books!  I have no problem checking out the books and home goods...it's the clothes that I just DON'T have the patience to go through!!!  I'm not a secondhand snob...I feel the same way in Dillard's...Macy's...I don't have the patience!  My Mom looks at me like I was switched at birth because I will online shop...just no in-store visits for me, thank you very much!  She can stay in one store for HOURS...who does that???  Well, when I visited the SEI blog a few minutes ago, guess what I found?  Sarah Larsen is guest blogging for them this week and she hasn't talked about paper crafting yet...just thrifting!!!  Click on the SEI link to see the cuteness her and her kids have scored from thrift and secondhand stores.  Will I woosah and check those racks tomo...umm...later today?  {{{I GUESS!!!!}}}

It feels good to know...

...that there are people who understand and support what you're going through.  In addition to the great comments from you, I had the Man's support.  I was typing the last post when he walked in the back to check on the littlest.  I finished the post...burst into tears and the Man walked back into the room simultaneously.  I fully expected to hear, "What the hell????"  but he walked over, hugged me and asked, "Are you thinking about your Dad?"  Now THAT'S love!!!

I decided to keep myself EXTRA busy this past week to push away the blues.  In addition to projects the hubbs and I are completing around the house, I found a FEW minutes to get kreative!  Sassafras' design team sponsored a few "we're at CHA but don't forget about us" challenges and I did pages for a few (of COURSE I forgot to post these in time to be in the running for any PRIZES but it's all about the PROCESS...right???):

For Megan's challenge to focus on the journaling I kreated this page

of myself and my aunt last summer.  I LOVE when I'm able to get an older picture put away in the books!  I'm not sure if this counts as focusing on the journaling since I still added circles and STUFF around the page!!!

Kimberly's challenge was to scrap your summer traditions which was EASY AS PIE!!!   

We don't visit the same vacation spots every summer; we don't always complete the same activities.  But two things are GA-RON-TEED to happen EVERY summer: the Man steps up his barbecue'in and as SOON as they're in season we partake of the crawfish!  We love to eat...don't judge!  BONUS: I got to utilize one of the handmade embellishments from the July Kreatorville kit...SCORE!!!!

Michelle challenged us with a color palette which inspired me to scrap these older pix of Kea:

I found an entire pack of these 35mm pix while transforming my studio into Kea's bedroom a few weeks back.  I'm glad because a lot of Noonie's baby pictures were lost on an old computer.  I LOVED-ED that bouncer when he was a wee tot because it knocked him out ALL.THE.TIME. 

I also scrapped some of those same 35mm pictures using the last palette from Color Combos Galore.  I started off making the base of the page first...I didn't know what pictures I would use.  But when I looked at those sweet cheeks and little teeth peeking out...I couldn't resist scrapping my baby boy.  Hence the girly colors!

 

I'm not too pleased with myself right now.  There's actually a front facing shot that I left room for where you can SEE those little teeth...you know...so you get the full effect of all his cuteness!  But, I've misplaced it!  Guess I'll repost this once I add it to the page!

My twin is giving birth to a little girl right now so I used those same colors for a congrats card

I'm practicing my card-making skills.  I have a sister who'll be married in October, another whose having a baby in February and 90% of my friends will turn 40 this year...lots and LOTS of cards in my future!!!

I have a cool post up at Kreatorville  on a stash-busting technique I use a lot on my kreations.  In other scrappy news, my webinar has finally been posted on Masterful Scrapbook Design...you should really consider signing up to hear all my wit, charm and sage advice!  (I'm a comedian...what can I say???)  

I've saved my best scrappy news for last:  Debbi just announced that I'm the August Guest Designer over at Color Combos Galore...say whaaaat????  I'm soo excited...I've already finished two of the pages!  Here's a sneaky peaky for you:

 
I'm hot as a cat on a tin roof right now!!!  Keep it coming, Lord...keep it coming!!!

Every year for the past five...

THIS has been the hardest week I endure all year.  My Daddy was born on July 15th...and died on July 22, 2006.  Normally, I'm soo down during this week.  We couldn't really fully enjoy Daddy's last birthday because we KNEW his time was short.  I start working myself up in June, dreading what's coming.  But...it didn't happen this year.  I mean, I still felt down in June.  I always think about the fact that Daddy never got to meet my husband or youngest son so every time they (or the older two boys) accomplish anything my first thought is: Daddy would have LOVED to see that!  As I type this...is the first time I've cried this week.  My Daddy was an awesome artist and I always think about how he would be the only one of my family (beside my husband) to truly celebrate my kreative accomplishments.  Before this week arrived I prayed: "God...please...give me strength to focus on the positive during Daddy's week so that I'm not soo down in the dumps.  In Jesus' name...Amen."  And it worked!  I had soo much goodness in my life this week that I only smiled when I thought of my Daddy...thought of how proud he would be of me.  When I read this comment from Debbie

It hit me...HE DID IT!!!  My Daddy had a lil discussion with God: "Say Big G...I was thinking: why don't we give Face (what Daddy called me!) a break this year.  Nothing but goodness this week." And that's why I've had such a blessed week.  Thank you, Daddy...and God for such a spectacular week...and for helping me hold back the tears until it was over
 

Was I Masterful?

The webinar yesterday started off like a train wreck but I ended up feeling like a lottery winner!!!  I was SOOO nervous and my heart was pounding.  I've never done this before and I was worried...would something go wrong...of COURSE it did!!!  I put the headset that Debbie sent to me on top of our freezer to make sure the littlest boy didn't destroy it before I got the chance to USE them...I thought that would be the crux of my problems...FOOL!! My discussion was scheduled to begin at 8:30...my computer froze at 8:05.  Hubbs and I decided that he would take the boys and leave for an hour.  When the technical difficulties began, I demanded asked the teen boy to stay home to be my audio technician...needless to say, I was NOT his friend!  He wanted to go with Dad to do something fun.  WhatEVER, dude!!!  Have you ever watched Royal Pains? This doctor lost his job because he chose to save a (nobody) kid over a billionaire hospital board member and his brother encourages him to become a concierge doctor.  Hank's the doctor and Evan's the brother.  Well, when Evan and Hank are having a phone conversation that Evan doesn't particularly want to hear, he pretends that there's static on the line and he's going through a tunnel.  Well, that's what Debbie sounded like.  I had to laugh to keep from crying.  First MY computer and then Mahd's? God WHY have You to led me to this webinar with faulty equipment???  When Debbie said, "You can just call in"...well, I REALLY heard angels singing.  I was having a good time...explaining my techniques to people who really care...and then the pages we were discussing disappeared from the screen.  I pray EVERY day, people...mostly for patience. I have LOTS of love and empathy...which I OBVIOUSLY exchanged for patience!  At this point, my chest started tightening up and I almost started hyperventilating!  It's a good thing I've looked at those pages about a thousand times over the last few months and I could see them in my sleep because I was able to visualize the elements she was asking about until Mahd was able to unfreeze his screen.  I really enjoyed it a GREAT deal!!!  I made a few new scrappy pals...what UP, Mary??  Get those HATS ready for our pictures in Vegas!!!  And Tams and I laughed but not so much that Debbie won't ask me to come back...right, Debbie?  PLEEEEASE???  I want to share a few (or SEVEN!) of the pages that I kreated especially for Masterful Scrappers:

I HAD TO share this page first (and separately!) because (in my humble opinion) it's the best one I've kreated lately.  Kea broke my Daddy's glasses and then cheerfully walked up to me to SHOW me that he broke them!  God was with him THAT day, because the idea for this page IMMEDIATELY popped into my head and I was too excited about kreating to choke him!  

Those are some GORGEOUS young men!  (This is my space...I can gush if I wanna!!!)

The "One with the 'Fro" page is another that came together rather quickly.  The picture on the left is of me and my Daddy Ernest in front of our church on Easter Sunday when I was 7.  When we took a picture together in the SAME SPOT this year, I knew that I had to scrap them together! 

I REALLY enjoyed this webinar and hope I inspired some artists (OTHER than Tami who MIGHT just buy stock in Sharpie!!!)


And it MUST still be rainin' on me!!!  I participated in Color Combos Galore blog hop a few days ago and when I logged on yesterday I saw that I won a set of handmade butterflies from Kelly!!!  I PROMISED her that I wouldn't hoard them so I'll show some kreations using them soon! THEN, I find out that my page had been chosen as the gallery fave on Color Combos on the 19th!

AND an email today saying the same page has been added to the Featured Pages gallery!!!

I logged into Pinterest and saw this:

(one of my FAVORITE older pages had been pinned!!!) and I got a message from Natty saying, "Congrats on being featured in the Two Peas newsletter!"  Wait...WHA...???  

HUHN...MIGHT NOT be such a bad time to try out for this team...you know, strike while the iron's hot!!!

Also, I received a blog award from my main chica, Pam!

So I've been instructed to thank the person who gave the award to me, tell you 8 things about me and pass this to seven others!  Thank you my sister ...you know I love you like Hot Tamales!!!  And speaking of Hot Tamales, that's fact number one!
1.  They are my favorite EVA candy!!!  I would eat them when I was
    pregnant with my middle and little boys and I could smell the 
    cinnamon in my breast milk...I thought that was the coolest!!!
    (Don't worry...I tasted it to make sure I didn't burn the 
    kids' mouths!!!)
2.  No matter WHAT I DO...what I'm feeling is written all over my
    my face!  I try SOO hard to disguise it...especially when I'm
    thinking "UGH!" but it doesn't work!
3.  I always wished my first name was Kelly.  In elementary school
    I would write my name as "Keandra Rachelle Kelly Theresa 
    Perkins" (Theresa is my confirmation name...I started out 
    as a good Catholic school girl!)    
4.  My favorite color is red.  Maybe that's why I have a jones
    for Hot Tamales...hmmmm
5.  I always wanted daughters.  I bought all girl clothes with son
    one and cried as I exchanged them.  I bought SOME girl clothes
    with son two and DIDN'T cry when I exchanged them.  I bought 
    some girl clothes with son three.  Then, I got a teenaged 
    stepdaughter.  I happily skipped to the store to exchange the
    girl clothes.  And just like that...I was cured of EVA wanting
    another vagina to reside in my house.  Sorry...just sayin'
6.  I'm EXTREMELY sensitive.  I cried while watching America's Got
    Talent the other day because the homeless dancer made it 
    through to the semi-finals
7.  I always root for the underdog (see number 6)
8.  I love HARD.  If I'm down for you there's almost NOTHING I 
    wouldn't do to see you happy.   But if you cross me...

I actually have fun doing those "getting-to-know me" posts!  And I have seven ladies who ABSOLUTELY deserve this award:

1. Chary

2. Natty

3. Tami

4. Cinds

5. Chal

6. Laura

7. Miche

And I'll ask that you spread some love: click on each name to be taken to that chica's spot.  Be nice...leave a comment!  And tell 'em Keandra Rachelle Kelly Theresa Perkins Willis sent ya!!!