Happy Halloween!

I am as happy as can be right now. Imagine my surprise and delight to find a package on my front porch just a few minutes ago! Can you see it?How about now??First of all, let me tell you that I am involved with a Secret Sister swap. For the months of October, November, and December we are to make a gift for our Secret Sister and mail it to her anonymously. Then in January we will all get together and personally give our last gift to her in person to reveal ourselves. I am so excited. I just love gifts! I have been feeling a little sorry for myself as I haven't received my October gift yet...well, just a few minutes ago, I went out on my front porch (that we rarely use and that I don't ever recall the mailman using) to turn on the lights for our little trick or treaters tonight. As I turned around, here was a package sitting next to the door-kind of hidden behind the deck box we have out there to hold the cushions for my wicker porch chairs. Looking at the postmark, it has been there for over a week! (and believe me, I have checked out that post mark real good trying to figure out who it came from...I know the return address is not a clue as we all use different addresses-you know how the post office is these days, you have to have a return address on it-even if it's not your own.) I now feel bad for doubting my Secret Sister.Just look at this adorable paint can that she altered for me! Halloween, what a perfect day to find my gift! Have I mentioned that I love gifts?? Well, I do!!

Even better, it was filled with some fabulous Giradelhi dark chocolate-my favorite!Thank you Secret Sister! I love it!

I would love to show you what I have made for my Secret Sister, but I can't do that just yet, she might be looking at my blog and then I'd be giving my secrets away! So, Secret Sister, you'll just have to wait and see what you get next. Remember what I said about using someone else's return address? Well, we also go to great lengths to mail them from different post offices to get different post marks, too. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky...

Happy Scrappin'

Trick or Treat

Here is what my little goblins will be receiving this year at our house when they come Trick-or-Treating. I simply made up some bag toppers to put on their candy bags. Very simple, but cute. I just can't hand out candy without dressing it up a bit (of course, I don't get that many kids at our house so I can do a bit more). I have so much fun with it and truly enjoy the spooks that come out.If you are local to me, stop in with your ghouls and get a treat!Happy Halloween everyone!
Happy Scrappin'

Spicy Cranberry Warmer

At the request of a couple of friends, I am posting my recipe for Spicy Cranberry Warmer-a delicious hot cider recipe that I have served many times. This crisp fall weather is perfect for a warm mug of this wonderful cider! Enjoy!

Spicy Cranberry Warmer

3 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole allspice
4 cups apple cider
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cups cranberry juice

Simmer spices and apple cider, covered for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and simmer another 5 minutes. Add cranberry juice and heat. Strain before serving.

Happy Scrappin'

Over The Top

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that Brenda sent me this wonderful blog award. Thank you Brenda, I read your blog all the time and am always inspired. I truly appreciate you!

This is a fun award and I loved reading Brenda's answers, too! Here is how it works: I need to pass this award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word.

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your hair? Cut (just got it done this morning)
3. Your mother? Linda
4. Your father? Gary
5. Your favorite food? Shrimp
6. Your dream last night? None
7. Your favorite drink? MtDew (that's one word, right?)
8. Your dream/goal? Peace
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Scrapbooking
11. Your fear? Failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
13. Where were you last night? Work (not that I wanted to be!)
14. Something that you aren't? Rich
15. Muffins? Blu'Bana (really, it's a word and I have a recipe)
16. Wish list item? Laptop
17. Where did you grow up? Clayton
18. Last thing you did? Baked
19. What are you wearing? Jeans
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your Pets? Barney
22. Friends? Sista's
23. Your life? Busy
24. Your mood? Satisfied
25. Missing Someone? Children
26. vehicle? Tahoe
27. Something your not wearing? Shoes
28. Your favorite store? Michael's
29. Your favorite color? Green (you know that bright green color that was Rhonda's favorite? It's become my new favorite, too!)
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Morning
32. Your best friend? Dale
33. One place that I go to over and over? Work (Once again, not because I want to!)
34. Facebook? Yes
35. Favorite place to eat? Bona

I am passing this award on to: Keeley, Antie, Aaron, Tina, and Lisa. I check these blogs out all the time and find lots of inspiration there. I feel like I know all these women personally even though a couple of them I've never even met! I am really enjoying this blogging world!

Thanks again, Brenda for passing this award on to me!

Happy Scrappin'

Kiana's Scrapbook in a Purse

I have to say-I am so impressed with my niece Kiana. She had a seed project to do for school. Well, these nieces of mine don't do anything part-way. They do it up big. Kiana wanted to make something cool for her seeds to go on. I showed her a couple of ideas and she decided on a Scrapbook in a Purse. Her mom had to help her cut some of the paper, but she put it all together herself. Of the 3 girls, she is the craftiest of them. I love the way it turned out-and so did her teacher. Her teacher even talked to me about it at a game the other night. This is one talented little 8 year old!This is Kiana at her 8th birthday party (a Tinkerbell party of course). Isn't she just adorable?? I sure think so!If you go to the left column of my blog and click on the label "mini albums" it will bring up a post from March 18th of this year with photos of a Scrapbook in a Purse that I made earlier. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email (www.tammyhellstern@myctmh.com) if you want the instructions emailed to you.

Happy Scrappin'

50's Party and Club

Oh my gosh, what a great weekend I had! Saturday was filled with lots of laughs at the surprise birthday party we threw for my friend Leslie. Since she turned 50, we decided to also dress up 50's. What a blast we had-we even had 50's music playing! Good friends, food, and fun! You just can't beat that! Don't we look just adorable in our 50's outfits??Then along came Sunday. It was the first meeting with my new Club girls. If you want to join, it is not too late. Once a month we get together for a girl's day of creating. I design a layout for you to make for free and then you just work on your own projects till whenever. I will try to always show you some new technique so you are learning something along the way, too. In return, you just order $20 in product each month from me. Each month, one of the club members is the 'hostess' (although it is always held at my house). She then earns the hostess rewards. If she wants to have a party (or just get outside orders) during her month to boost the sales and, in turn, boost the hostess rewards, she is certainly welcome to do that.

Here is the layout we created yesterday. It uses our new Twitterpated paper pack along with the new felt die-cuts. Remember I talked about teaching a new technique? Well, this Paint Brush Inking technique is shown in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book on page 21. It shows you how to use reinker to paint you stamp and then stamp it. Well, I have discovered an easier way to do the same thing. Just ink up your stamp like normal and then use a dry paint brush over the ink to create whatever pattern you wish. I just ran mine straight across the stamp a couple of times. Very easy, but I love the look. I just love this leaf from the Many Thanks stamp set.Happy Scrappin'

Sucker Bouquet

I am going to a surprise 50th birthday today. Well, I had planned to make a sucker bouquet and then totally forgot about it again until last night. About 8:00 I ran to the grocery store to pick up 50 suckers. This morning, this is what I put together. I think it turned out pretty cute. Now, just don't tell my girlfriend until after the party (I am banking on the fact that she won't be checking out my blog-at least until after the party today :)All you have to do is put some floral foam (which I just happened to have in my craft closet) into a pot of your choice (which I also just happened to have). I just covered mine with tissue paper as that's all I had at such short notice. Then you just poke your suckers in. Easy, peasy!

Happy Scrappin'