it's not all black and white....

sometimes ya' gotta throw some red in to shake things up a bit! Ahhhh, I'm so happy right now. I was finally able to get my hands dirty today making cards!!!! Isn't it the best feeling? Creating, designing, achieving. Bliss.

It's been a quiet weekend around here--my hubby and youngest son went on a father/son bonding trip to Chicago for the Vikings/Bears game. My husband is the Executive Producer of the Vikings radio broadcasts, so travel is part of the job. My son is a sports freak, but more specifically, a FOOD freak, just like hubby. So, the two boys got in the car early Friday morning and drove safely into Chicago--thank heavens the storm was over and they just experienced the aftermath....countless cars and semi's in the ditch, snow packed roads. I was so worried about them traveling during the storm I packed a winter emergency kit for the car! Living in MN, it's not such a stretch to have a winter emergency kit in the car, but it's not something we've really done before, until this trip. For some reason, I was scared for them, after listening to all the national network hype on the storm. But, thank God. They made it safely. They'll leave for home shortly after the game today (the Vikes are currently being clobbered by the Bears) and should arrive here around midnight. It appears the two of them are having a dandy time and are eating their way to oblivion! I'm so happy they got a chance to hang together for the weekend. That's so important.

So, here are the cards I made today.
I was at the LSS last Thursday and bought tons of new designer paper. These cards are made with brand new designs from Crate Paper--isn't it beautiful?? It's from their Crate Avenue Collection.
On each of the cards, I was also able to use my beloved Cuttlebug, which I havn't had much chance to play with since I got it. I made these cards for my neighbor who needs one for her girlfriend who turns 49 this week. One other note about these cards is that they are made using the UHU Glue Roller which I received FREE
from professional UHU craft designer Maria Filosa. So far, the glue is holding on my cards. I am slightly worried as I had to apply more of the product because my cards started falling apart after I initially glued them up. I am a die-hard Mono user, and we all know nothing falls apart with Mono! Maybe I should be trying their UHU Twist & Glue product instead....I'll keep you posted on whether or not the cards are still together by tomorrow morning! I definitely like the feel of the UHU glue roller, it's glides easily across the page. Feels great in my hand. I just need the glue to make everything stay put, a tall order for ANY glue roller, in comparison to Mono. I appreciate being sent the free samples, I think it was a great idea to target the craft blog users. Someone is a marketing guru......

This weekend, I made time to put up the Christmas decorations around the house....for some reason, I'm not in the holiday spirit this year. I can't figure it out. Is it because there's no snow on the ground? Possibly. Also, up until this week, we've had temps in the 50's, WELL above average for MN. Another possibility. It could be any number of things, I've gotten only ONE present purchased! I usually have many more by this point. Despite my feelings, I managed to get all the decorations up, and they looke great. But it was a struggle, and it just wasn't much fun. Does that make me a bad person? I hope the feeling goes away quickly, as it's not a normal feeling for me. I usually LOVE the Christmas season and all the trappings it offers. Maybe we need a snowstorm like WA just had to put me in the holiday mood.....NOT!!!! A light dusting would be preferred! Sometime in the next few days I'll post some pictures of the decorations around the house, ok?