Candy, Candy, Candy!

Our newest premade layout has arrived just in time for Halloween.



I loved Halloween as a child.

We never really bought our costumes, we had to use our imaginations & creative talents and design them ourselves. It was always so much fun creating our costumes. We got to wear them to school and march in the parade. Then there were all of the Halloween parties at school and at our friends' homes. It was so much fun. When we were younger we were only allowed to Trick or Treat in our neighborhood. Then when we were older, we were allowed to venture into the small little town that I grew up in. We would do a little Trick or Treating and then attend the huge bonfire at the park by our house.

My favorite moments came after the Trick or Treating was over. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a candy fanatic. I love candy bars, bubble gum, hard candy, just about all of it. We would sort our candy treasures into piles and begin the trading process. Lucky for me, my brother liked all of the candy that I didn't like and he was usually really nice about trading with me. I would make myself so sick eating candy. I would shove piece after piece of bubble gum in my mouth to see just how big of a bubble I could blow. As far as I can remember the candy never even lasted until Thanksgiving.

We don't get Trick or Treaters in our neighborhood now, but I still buy the Halloween candy. Last year I even dressed our weenie dog up as a hotdog and had her ring the doorbell with me. My darling husband, bless his heart, gave her a puppy treat and me a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I just can't let go of a fun holiday. lol.

I designed this layout for all of those Halloween lovers out there like me. If you like it, you can purchase it here in the Etsy store. This year take lots and lots of pictures and don't forget to take pictures of that fantastic haul of candy that you get too!

Creatively Yours,
Kristy

Halloween Greetings

Halloween is right around the corner so I thought that I would share a couple of Halloween cards that are in my Etsy store.


Don't you just love how cute the little monsters and witches are? They're not scary at all, just want to help wish a friend "Happy Halloween". If you like this card, you can purchase it here.


This one is my favorite. Although there are no words to wish a Happy Halloween, the googley eyes lend just enough cute creepiness to let you know what the message is. You can see more pictures here.

I'll be posting some Halloween pagekits very soon so keep an eye out...

Creatively Yours,
Kristy

Sunday Visitor

I let the doggies out this morning and was greeted by a visitor. This little turtle was taking a break in the middle of our driveway. Where he came from, I'm not sure, but once the doggies found him, he wasn't very interested in staying. Our weenie dog, Miss Lilly, was very curious about him. She sniffed around his shell, but when he stuck his head out and hissed at her she decided it was better to let sleeping turtles lie. He wasn't very shy and let me get some good close up pictures of him, sticking out his head really far and showing his huge claws on his feet. My darling husband carried him over to the flowerbed and we watched as he went on his way. I have no idea where he came from or where he was headed to, but I do know that his visit was something that brightened my day a bit.

Have you had a visitor lately that brightened your day?

Until next time,
Creatively Yours,
Kristy

Memory Round Up 2009

It's that time again! The KISS Crop-n-Shop Memory Round-Up is right around the corner and we'll be vending there! If you have ever considered attending a weekend scrapbook retreat, let this be your first. Shannon, the owner of KISS (Keep It Simple Scrapping), really knows how to do it right! Enjoy 2 days of non-stop scrapping, fun classes. and fantastic shopping.
Details can be found here on the KISS site.

Hope to see you there!
Creatively Yours,
Kristy

Seventh Inning Stretch Crop

This past weekend I was a vendor at a crop in Lawrence, Kansas. Diva Designs held their 36 hour long Seventh Inning Stretch Crop. It was a great time and I got to meet so many wonderful scrapbookers. My mom and friend Jean came too and we had a great time! I thought I would share a few pictures from the weekend:


This is my booth.


Here is the Embellishment Bar where you can purchase individual items instead of a whole package of something. Perfect when you only want one flip flop brad, ect.


This is a close up shot of the Embellishment Bar.


Paper piecings and goodies for your pages.


Yummy Intricacies Papers.


The Diva's - Vicki and JJ


150 scrappers still going strong!


A layout completed by Jean.


Jean being a goofball.


Jean and me.

We really did have fun and I even got some scrapping done myself. It's the first time I've worked on any personal scrapping for a very long time. I have to say that if you love to scrap and have never been to weekend crop, you really must try it. I'll be vending at a few more crops this year so look for new posts telling you all about them. Until then, Happy Scrapping!

Creatively Yours,
Kristy

Goodies from The Memory Cafe

Don't you just love it when you a get a package in the mail? I know I do. Today I received a package from Suzy at The Memory Cafe. Suzy started her FaceBook fanpage last week. I jumped at the chance to become a fan because Suzy's die cuts are so amazing. Not only did I become a fan, I became her very 1st fan so she sent me a little package of goodies. How cool is that?!?!?!?

Here's what she sent me:







Now don't be jealous just because Suzy sent me these fantastic goodies. You can actually win some goodies just like these and more. How can you win? Well, let me tell you...just become of one of the first 50 fans of The Memory Cafe and you'll be entered into a drawing to win some amazing goodies. You can become a fan right here. One last thing, if you do become a fan of The Memory Cafe, be sure and tell Suzy that Kristy sent you. ;)

Something for the Furbaby in Your House

Ahhhh, I just finished a custom order of puppy treat holders and posted them to my Etsy store. I'm really happy with how they turned out and honestly can't choose which one is my favorite.





Remember, even though these treat holders are already spoken for, I love custom orders. I can even create one that's personalized just for your little furbaby.

1 Creative Bug

Recently I was visiting 1 Creative Bug's blog. Christy was showing some of her newest chipboard book designs and asking for comments on our favorites.

Guess what?!?!?

I received a RAK from her yesterday in the mail!
Here it is:




Isn't this the cutest little doggy album? I have the perfect subject to scrap too!
The timing couldn't be better either because in 2 weeks I'll be attending a crop in Lawrence, Kansas and will actually have a little time to scrap for myself. I guess I know what I'll be working on :)

My Subject:

This is Miss Lilly

So if you really like this chipboard album by 1 Creative Bug, I have really good news for you. She has just opened a 1 Creative Bug Etsy store and loves custom orders. I encourage you to browse her shop and see what goodies you might find.

Sunday Salad

In honor of the 4th of July, I made my darling husband and I a red, white, and blue salad for dinner.



I began by grilling some boneless, skinless chicken breast. I dusted the chicken with ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, and cinnamon. While the chicken was cooking I started preparing the salads. I used some butter lettuce as the foundation of the salad and then added strawberries (red), blueberries (blue), and cucumbers (white). I lightly tossed the salad with a homemade strawberry vinagrette dressing while the grilled chicken was resting. Then I cubed the cooked chicken and placed it in the center of the salad. To top off the salad, I sprinkled some feta cheese over the chicken.
The end result: A wonderful, filling yet light supper that completely tasted of summertime! Bon Apetit!

Happy Independence Day!

Wow! Can you believe that it's July 4th already? Where did the first half of this year go already? Things have been really busy around here. We are in the midst of the summer tourist season and my dear husband has been working alot of hours lately. As a matter of fact, he's working right now. Yes, he's working on a holiday, something that happens quite often around here since we do live and work in a tourist town. We really don't have big plans for the day, just relaxing when he gets home, a nice grilled chicken and fruit salad, and then, if he's not too tired, maybe we'll go watch some fireworks at Big Cedar Lodge.

Last Sunday night we took my mom and dad to the Honor America celebration at The College of the Ozarks. We started with a fantastic BBQ buffett dinner. there were BBQ ribs and grilled hamburgers out on the patio.


Inside we had choices of bratwurst, BBQ chicken (I had seconds), and hotdogs with all of the fixings. Potato salad, coleslaw, fresh fruits and cheeses rounded out our meal. Oh, and yes they even had miniature cupcakes that I just had to try ;)




After dinner we retired out to the patio to enjoy another beautiful ozarks sunset before the fireworks. The weather finally gave us a break and the evening air was very enjoyable. There was popcorn and strawberry lemonade, homemade ice cream and even old fashion popsicles for dessert. Then, as dusk aproached we heard the firing of the cannon letting us know the fireworks would soon begin.





We were not disappointed. The fireworks were absolutely beautiful! Blazing reds, greens, pinks and blues filled the night sky. There was oohing and aahing all around us. My husband's favorites are the ones that look like a weeping willow tree and he said it every time one of those showed up in the sky. (cute) It was a fantastic display to honor our country's birthday.






I also want to remind everyone that many, many years ago there were brave souls that risked everything for the freedoms that we have today. We now have more brave souls that continue to fight to protect those freedoms that many of us take forgranted. I want to encourage all of you that the next time you see one of our brave soldiers to simply say thank you to them. You'd be surprised how happy you make them with a simple smile and a "thanks for doing what you're doing to keep us safe".

I hope you all have a great 4th of July, be safe and take lots of pictures!

A Breath~In Stillness

Recently Kristy's Custom Creations was hired by Abby Lewis of Healing Naturally to design custom cd packaging for her first cd. I wanted to take a moment to share with you about Abby and her vision.

Introducing Abby's 1st CD
A Breath~In Stillness



Stressed Out, Worried, Depressed, Frustrated, Overwhelmed, Disconnected, Addicted,
Sick & Tired, Financial Troubles, Broken Relationship, Problems in your Job.

Abby Lewis once suffered with all of this and so much more but she healed naturally and restoration took place within her spirit, her mind and her body, all through the Power of Stillness.

This CD is designed to help lead you into Stillness. It consist of three 10-15 minute powerful exercises:
Let Go & Let God Flow, Healing With Gratitude & A Journey Into Stillness, plus Abby shares
her testimony on how she healed through Stillness.

A Breath~In Stillness $15
First 100 Copies Now Ready
To purchase visit www.belovegivelove.com

Abby has a heart to teach others the importance of stillness and how to truly be still and know that He is God. She offers private one on one and group sessions/classes. Below is an article Abby recently wrote. It might help you understand her view of stillness better.

Stillness: Article written by Abby Lewis 06/26/09~Published in the In Branson Etc., Summer issue.

Do you remember the art pictures that have all the dots and when you stare at the dots long enough a picture some how appears in the midst of the dots? When I first looked at one of those pictures all I saw was dots and thought to myself how in the world could there be a picture, all I see is dots. Then the person next to you says, “I see it, I see the sailboat.” Then the thought crosses my mind, “there is no way there is a sailboat in the middle of this mess, all I see is dots.” So I try harder and persevere because if he saw it, then I can see it. After several minutes of trying I found myself getting frustrated, my eyes started to hurt and I wanted to give up. I started believing that I would never see the sailboat. I envied the person next to me because they saw it and I didn’t, and they were so joyful and happy because of it. But in the weariness I just took in a deep breath, relaxed and just sat there awhile longer because I knew that I knew that I knew that there was a sailboat and I was determined to see it. I stay focused and then out of no where, when I least expected it, the sailboat appeared in the midst of all the dots. I was overtaken with joy because I finally saw the sailboat. Each time I went back to that picture it became easier and easier to see the sailboat, to the point now, all I see is the sailboat I can’t even see the dots anymore.

So, are you focused on the dots in your life or the sailboat? The dots represent the chaos. The sailboat represent the peace in the midst of the chaos, you could call this God. Maybe the dots are anxiety, constant worrying, anger, frustration, depression, judgment, control issues, sickness, relationship problems, bad circumstances, financial issues, negative attitudes, negative thoughts and words, death in the family, addictions, and the list could go on and on. Maybe you are at the state where you don’t believe there can be peace in the middle of this mess. You’re frustrated, depressed, and ready to give up because you can’t find the sailboat or maybe you don’t even believe that there is a sailboat to rescue you. So how do you find the sailboat?

Let me share with you part of my journey. A little over 7 years ago I experienced the lowest point of my life. I found myself in a pit of hell suffering with intense panic attacks, addictions, control issues, hidden anger. I was hearing voices, hallucinating, my marriage was falling apart, my face and left arm were going numb, I had acquired a lot of debt from my addictions and not one thought in my head or one word that came out of my mouth was peaceful. My life was 0% peace. I was losing everything. I wanted to give up. I became more and more frustrated with my circumstances. I had no idea what I was going to do and I was terrified. I desired peace so much but had no idea how to get it. And one day while sitting outside in nature I stumbled onto something that changed my life forever, it is called Stillness. I went outside seeking to just get away from it all and a ladybug landed on my arm. I gazed upon it and for some reason stayed focused on it for quite awhile wondering why God created it. I got lost in this little ladybug as I noticed the colors, the dots, the little legs, the wings and the way it felt on my arm as it walked around. After about fifteen minutes or so, I felt a peace come over me that I had never felt before. I remember saying to myself, “Oh my Gosh, I’m not anxious, what is this?” That experience left me craving more and more of that peace. So I went back every chance I could, seeking to find that peace again and every time I found it. Healing took place within my spirit, my mind and my body with each experience. I found my sailboat in the midst of all my dots. God met me right where I was and rescued me. Now I am aboard the sailboat. I am happy to say that I never received medical help or professional counseling or any other sort of thing you would think to heal. I healed completely naturally and became a whole person...spirit, mind & body, through the power of Stillness.

So let me ask you…are you suffering in some sort of way? Is your life or your mind full of chaos? I promise you, there is a sailboat ready to rescue you. You just have to choose to be still long enough to find it.

Be Still & Know That I Am God...Psalm 46:10

Abby Lewis is the owner and operator of a local business called Healing Naturally. She graduated from College of the Ozarks with a degree in Health and Wellness and also graduated from Professional Massage Training Center. She has an intense passion to encourage and teach others how to become a healthy whole individual and how to heal naturally through the Power of Stillness. You can purchase her new CD called A Breath~In Stillness and learn more about her by visiting her website at www.belovegivelove.com.

Choose to have the Vision of Love!!

~please feel free to share this information with other~

Abby Lewis of Healing Naturally
417.336.8234 healingnaturally@suddenlink.net

Etsy Treasury Feature

We been featured in a Treasury on Esty! Suzy at The Memory Cafe put this fantastic treasury together to celebrate her youngest's 1st birthday. Absolutely great!



Our birthday layout is in the top row, center.

You can view comments on this treasury here.

Sunday Sa-Wheets

Hello, my name is Kristy, and I am a cupcake-a-holic. Ahhh, sweet relief, I finally got that off my chest.



Every Sunday my husband and I go to Sunday brunch at the College of the Ozarks in Southwest Missouri. My husband earned his degree here and we like the food. (Okay, so we love the food, and his alumni discount makes it taste even better. Wink, wink.) Normally he starts with breakfast and will work his way towards the lunch area, move onto salads, and then he might have dessert.
Oh, no, not me. I have to start with lunch because I love their ham. It's fantastic and they actually raise the pigs and cure the hams right there at the college. Yummo! Shhhh, sometimes, I even go back for more ham because it's so good. Then I have to have some salad because they have the best homemade ranch dressing that I have ever had. We have even purchased it by the mason jar just to have some at home. Then I might have a smidge of dessert. I ususally have to try what ever flavor of butter cake they have that day and maybe a chocolate truffle, but not too much because my favorite item is waiting for me by the door.


You see, as you walk into the dining room there is a quaint little coffee counter that has fresh muffins and pastries showcased right in front. They're on one side of the case and on the other is my weakness, my nemesis. Sa-wheet, delectable, mouth watering, slap-yo-mamma cupcakes. Vanilla cupcakes with thick, creamy buttercream frosting. Some are topped with a white chocolate covered strawberry. Some have beautiful fondant sunflowers or butterflies resting on top of their frosting. The chocolate ones are drizzled with caramel and have crushed bits of candy bars blissfully sprinkled on topped. What you don't understand is that I cannot control myself when I see these delicious creations. I HAVE to get one. Every week, I get one. My husband knows I'm going too. I might have just said, I'm fuller than a dog tick on a hounds ear", but he knows I'll be taking one of those cupcakes home with me.



Oh, I don't eat it right when I get home. I don't even eat the whole thing all at once. I usually have half of it Sunday evening for a snack and then the other half Monday evening for dessert after dinner. Then I'm completely satisfied for the week. I know that I can hold one until Sunday rolls around again and the sweet little voices of the C of O cupcakes call my name from deep inside their glass case as I'm walking out of the dining room..."Eat me, eat me, eat me."



So, now you know my secret weakness.
Cupcakes.

"Hello, my name is Kristy and I'm a cupcake-a-holic. It's been 7 days since my last cupcake and oh my, look at the calendar, it's Sunday already, here cuppycake cuppycake."