Bentley

This is Bentley.

Bentley is a 6 year old, 3lb, full-coated, Yorkshire Terrier.

He is the sweetest dog you will ever meet.

Truly.

His whole goal in life is to find a lap to warm.

Bentley disappeared from our backyard this morning.

Devastated does not begin to describe how I feel.

He has id tags and is microchipped.

We've made calls, put up flyers, searched the lake by boat, searched the neighborhood by bike.

He is simply, inexplicably just....gone.

Brian, neighbors, friends search while I sit by the phone and sob.

Please pray that Bentley comes home.

What's Up?

Man, I've been busy. My crafty to-do list never seems to get shorter...I just keep adding stuff to the bottom of it.

Above Rubies Studio is getting to kick off Club Ruby in August, which means I've been designing my butt off for that. I've been asked to make a couple 12x12 scrapbook albums for other people. I had some custom jewelry to make. I have two craft fairs coming up in October that I'm trying to make inventory for. There were a bunch of events in July I made cards for. And of course, there's the house to clean, the kids to yell at, dinner to cook, groceries to buy.

Here's one of the birthday cards I made for hubby's niece. I think it came out cute.

And here's a card I made for his nephew - who also had a birthday in July. In my opinion, boy birthday cards are not any easier than man birthday cards!

Thank for looking...!

The Girls - At 3 (and 2 months)

I was a little late getting the girls 3 year pics done this year. But don't worry, it won't happen again...cuz it's just too damn hot in Florida in July to do an outdoor photo shoot.

I am so, so, so happy with how these turned out, and how quick my photographer got these images to me (we just did the shoot on Sunday!)

Here's just a few of my favorites:

A huge, HUGE thanks to Christine Sorrell for taking these on an early Sunday morning. Visit her website to see more of her gorgeous work:

http://www.sorrell-photography.com

So there was this SNAKE...

...in my bedroom the other day...

Yeah, not exactly something that I want to say more than once a lifetime.

I had just put the girls down for a nap. I came downstairs, got the clean sheets out of the dryer and walked into our bedroom to put them on. As I came around to my side of the bed (of course it would be on my side) I looked down.....and started screaming.

The next thing I know, I'm standing on the bed hyperventilating while my husband pounds down the steps to find out what appendage I have severed because that is the only thing that could've caused a scream that long and loud.

I don't know how I got on top of the bed. And I don't recall the exact conversation we had while he was standing in the door (when he saw me standing on the bed, he didn't come very far into the room), but it was something like this:

Him: What's wrong?!

Me: THERE'S A SNAKE!

Him: What?

Me: A SNAKE!!!!!

Him: Where?!

Me: On the floor BESIDE THE BED!

Him: I'll be right back.

Me: NO! I'm coming with you!!!

Him: You stay here and watch it in case it moves.

(I hear some noise in the kitchen and then he's back with....tupperware.

As he heads for the snake, I yell...)

Me: WAIT! Get my camera!

Him: What?!?!

Me: I want to take pictures.

Him: Why don't you wait til I trap it first.

Me: Okay, that's probably a better idea.

If you compare the size of the snake to hubby's hand on the tupperware, this obviously wasn't of the boa constrictor variety. But still....IT WAS IN MY BEDROOM.

We debated on whether to kill it or not. Killing it in the bedroom (on our new, post-flood, wood floors as hubby pointed out) seemed kind of gross, so he managed to scoot the thing out the sliders and in to the yard. So the beast lives. For now at least.

Since the incident, I've managed to scare the hell out of myself on at least two more occasions. One turned out to be just a stretchy, black headband that was under the bed and the second one was a pair of black stretchy pants that I left pooled on the floor of the walk-in closet.

I'm not sure if I'll ever fully recover....

Breast Cancer Charm

By request...

Whose Team Are You On?

For me, the choice was easy:

(soon for sale in my etsy store)

Card Patterns Sketch 71

I saw this Doggie in the Window and just had to have her!

(Ok, ok.... that's a lie, but this Poodle Stamp in Michael's just doesn't have the same ring to it.)

There was also an "Ooh LaLa" stamp next to the poodle but I knew that saying was on my Forever Young cartridge so I decided to keep my $1.49 and cut out the phrase on my Cricutinstead of buying the second stamp.

I really, really liked how this card turned out -- until I got out the glitter pens and Stickles. I don't know what comes over me when I get a bottle of that sparkley glue in my hand, but suddenly the poochie looked like a hoochie and there was no turning back.

I've never entered the Card Patterns challenge before, but the sketches are fantastic so I will definitely be participating again!

I'm Obsessed...

..with making these bracelets.

I've got a ton (a TON!) of other stuff I should be doing, but this compressed paper and acrylic paint keeps calling my name. I've used up the grungeboard sheet that Angie gave me so I convinced hubby to stop at Tuesday Morning yesterday so I could run in and buy more - while he stayed in the car with the girls. Such a good hubby I have!

I even figured how to attach snaps (which I found at Walmart of all places). I've been using the paint I have in my stash, but I keep thinking about heading out to Walmart in the pouring rain for more colors. And more snaps.

I'm not sure if these are something I will sell on etsy. I would probably have to try to make them adjustable or custom make them to size. Until I decide, I'll just keep making them for myself!

I've Been Busy, Busy...

July is a major month for birthdays for me...plus I've got a bridal shower and there were a couple of new babies born in the last few weeks....so since I refuse to give the Hallmark company one red cent for a card I know I can make myself, I've been busy making some things. (Hence the slightly sticky tile in the kitchen and the pile of laundry waiting to be folded and put away).

Have you ever made a card - or anything else - that you like so much that you don't want to give it to the person you made it for? That's how I feel about this bridal shower card. Sadly, the glittery parts on all the flourishes didn't show up for the camera...you'll have to take my word for it that it sparkles like a vampire in the sunlight (a Twilight reference just for you Marci!)

This necklace is for a co-worker of my husband's who just had her first baby, a little girl named Riley. I used the pearl for the dot on the i because the baby was born in June and pearl is June's birthstone. I don't know the mom personally, so I hope she likes it. I'm thinking about selling these in my etsy store for about $12 or so...you pick the name and stone/gem. Think they would sell??

Alright, two blog posts in one day is over my limit so I gotta go tackle the housework that will not go away, no matter how many times I wiggle my nose and make a wish.

Sharing

I (finally) downloaded the pictures from when my mom, sister, niece and nephew were here a couple of weeks ago. I just wanted to share some of my favorites:

Baylinn...just chillin' in the Bay she was named after.

It should be of no surprise....Breena put the glasses on herself.

My nephew Lucas. He LOVES the beach!

My niece Aubrey. She is 9 months younger than my girls. She's just the cutest.

I Think It Looks Like a Corsage...

....and ain't it cute?!

My friend Angie bought some grungeboard and I had some grungepaper so we traded. She also told that she had seen a tutorial on how to make a bracelet out of grungeboard. Of course I had to google that and see if I could make my own version.

The flower is from the Forever Young cartridge and it's out made out of grungepaper, distressed with Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick and Black Soot. I put a silver brad in the middle and hot glued the flower to a strip of grungeboard that I pained with black acrylic paint. I used a velcro dot to secure it since that's what I had on hand, but yesterday I found snaps in the craft department at Walmart and they worked great on another bracelet I'm working on.