Tags Long Overdue!

I have been tagged several times lately (well, some of them were not-so-lately), but I'm just now taking the time to acknowledge them!

I was tagged by Holly over at Hog Wild About Stamping, Regina over at Stamps Alot and Kim over at Kim's Creative Stamping.

And I've received blogging awards from Michelle at Paper, Ink, & Glitter, Pam at Creative Inking, and Julie at One Crazy Stampin' Mama.

Oh, and my friend, Tiffany, at My Crafty World, actually tagged me TWICE, at two separate times! (she must really like me *blush*) Hee hee! Thanks, Tiffany!!

Whew! I think that's it for now. I am so honored to have been listed so many times. Thank you, ladies!

PS: Oh yeah, I was supposed to list 7 random facts about myself and display those awards... well, let's just say it took me THIS long to just list these wonderful people! If we waited for me to come up with 7 new things I haven't told you, or for me to upload these images that you've all seen before, well, then it'd be Christmas before I got these tags acknowledged!!

Takin' Care of Business...

I'm so overdue on this... I don't know why anyone tags me at all with how long it takes me to respond!
Cheryl Moody over at God and I on the Railroad Tracks and Tiffany Bauer over at My Crafty World both gave me this wonderful award AGES ago and it's about time I officially thank them for it! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long! Thank you ever so much for your kind words - I am truly flattered to have been listed among your favorite blogs to visit!

And more recently I was tagged by both Megan Klinkenberg at Stamp With Craft and Nicole Stalker. Since their tags were within 24 hours of each other, I'm treating them as one... well okay, so the real reason is that I don't think I could come up with 14 more interesting facts about myself. So here are my 7 - and I've lost track of what I've told you already, so I apologize if these seem familiar:

1. For the summer, I got my hair cut to my shoulders. It hasn't been this short for many years, so it's taking some getting used to! But I'll be glad once our true Texas summer kicks in (it's been quite mild so far).
2. I recently finished reading the "Twilight" series and highly recommend it! You have to see beyond the fact that it's about vampires... it's really good!
3. I love to pull weeds. Just something therapeutic about it... like ridding yourself of impurities or something like that. Perhaps a spa treatment would make more sense...
4. I originally majored in theatre... but I guess Hollywood wasn't in the cards for me.
5. I can't whistle. Used to be able to, but then had an accident involving my front teeth when I was 12 and seem to have lost the skill... along with those teeth. :o(
6. I snap my fingers with my thumb and ring finger instead of the tall one.
7. I've had the same Seiko watch for about 15 years now and despite the fact that my husband wants to buy me a new really good (ie: expensive) watch, I just can't part with this one!

I will admit right here and now that I have not been blog-surfing in quite some time, so I feel totally unqualified to tag anyone or pass on any awards. This industry is chock-full of incredibly talented people and it's sooooooo difficult to choose just a handful of them anyway! I hope you will forgive me in that instead of going to search for who hasn't been tagged, I will spend my time coming up with a new creation to show you. :o)

I've Been Chosen

I have been chosen not once, not twice, but THREE times to receive the Arte y Pico award shown here! Thank you to the incredibly talented Silke, to my very kind new reader Suzanne, and to another sweet new friend Pam for all choosing little ole' me. I am truly honored to have been listed among their favorite sites to visit.

In following the rules, I will link to the originator of the award, but since this award has been making the circuit for quite awhile, it's going to be hard to find talented folks who have not been chosen already. Because of that, I will simply direct you to my favorite blogs - I've updated them and they are listed at the bottom of the left column of my blog. These people truly are my favorites, and when I do take the time to blog-surf (which isn't often), those are the ones I visit. I know there are a ton more out there that I would love to have on this list... but if I spent time searching and surfing fabulous blogs, then I wouldn't have time to stamp!! It's all about priorities, you know!!

Tags, Tags... Everywhere Tags...

Apparently I'm "IT" several times over... Sweet Vicki over at InkingArt.com tagged me, and so did Cheryl over at God & I on the Railroad Tracks and Marie at the Perky Pomegranate. Thank you, ladies, for being loyal readers!

Okay. We all know the rules... I am supposed to list 7 random facts about myself, but not only would it be impossible for me to come up with 21, it would be impossible to expect you to read them all! So instead, I'll just stick to 7, and I'll keep it short and sweet...

1. I love kitty cat paws and their pink tummies.
2. My favorite singer is Michael Buble.
3. I love to pull weeds.
4. I am phobic of cockroaches.
5. A pet peeve of mine is crinkling wrappers in church.
6. I nearly choked to death when I was 7.
7. I have never dyed or even highlighted my hair.

And there you have it. Sort of a weird combination of tidbits, but there they are. I am going to break the rules by not tagging anyone... after being out of town as much as I have been, I simply cannot take the time to find people who haven't been tagged! So keep the game going - and pardon me for being a tagger-pooper. :o)

I've Been Tagged!

I was tagged back on February 23rd by my friend Jackie. You can see all of her brilliant designs here! Okay, here goes...

Stamping Style:
Clean and simple, not too busy, and definitely not the "grunge" look.

Inspiration:
I love to surf other blogs when I have time (check out my list down the left sidebar), but usually things just pop into my head while I'm working.

Color:
I've been using a lot of Old Olive lately, so that's what I'd have to say right now. This changes on a weekly basis.

Work Space:
My office with two Ikea desks side by side down one wall. On a good day, you can actually see my desk. :o)

Perfect Day:
When the baby lets me sleep in past 6am, but still takes a nap long enough for me to create a new card!

Wildest Dream:
To live a long, healthy life alongside my husband where we can watch our boys grow up and have children of their own.

Ink:
Stampin' Up! of course.

Family:
My husband of 15 1/2 years and 3 sons. ...oh, and a dog, 2 cats, a snake, and a multitude of fish.

Beverage:
Water. Maybe OJ in the morning, but water at all other times.

Biggest Challenge:
Maintaining the balance of work (Stampin' Up!) and family. I enjoy both so much! Oh, and keeping my house clean, meals cooked, and laundry done. A momma's work is never, ever done.

What An Honor!

I was named by Nancy Morgan, of PaperSmiles, to receive this rather prestigious award.


I would like to thank my producers, my editor... oh, um, wrong industry. Uh, I would like to thank my wonderful husband of 15 years for putting up with my late night stamp attacks. I thank my boys for their support and their enthusiasm to want to create cards by themselves. I thank Nancy for the honor of her nomination. I thank my wonderful customers and friends who continue to make my head swell by their lovely comments. I would also like to thank my parents who gave me a... wait, don't start the music! ...who gave me a loving home in which... why does the music get even louder? It's just rude! ...in which to grow and learn! THANK YOU America!

**giggle**

I have also been asked to present the next award for an outstanding E-rated Blog. And the nominees are:

Marelle Taylor of ThINKspot
Jayne Mercer of {ME} and my thought
Ali Manning of New England Stamper
Jackie Wright of Jackie's Blog
Aly Schilling of Stamping with Aly!

And the winner is... oh heck, they ALL win!

I've Been Tagged...

Actually, I was tagged back in late December... but I forgot! I've been so excited about tins and mailboxes and such!

The lovely Diane Noble of Diane's Designs was who tagged me. I am supposed to list seven random things about myself. So here goes:

1. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Texas when I was 18. My parents and my brother moved before me, but because I was a senior in high school, I stayed behind on my own to finish. I guess you could say I was a pretty responsible teenager and my parents knew I wouldn't wreck the house. (and i didn't)

2. In high school, I was the President of the Drama Club. My first major in college was theatre... I don't really know why that didn't stick. But alas, Hollywood was not in the cards for me.

3. My husband and I only knew each other for 3 months when we got engaged. We were married 3 months later at the tender age of 21. Now, 15 years and 3 kids later, I guess we knew what we were doing despite all those people who doubted us!

4. When I'm not stamping (which isn't often!), I love to read. My favorite books are historical fiction - stories of pioneer families with all their struggles. The strength that they had to have in order to survive inspires me. I still hold to the belief that I was born in the wrong generation! I am a simple person, and long for simpler times... times without cars and electronics, times where we weren't all rushing from one errand to another. Times where food was cooked from scratch without artificial flavors or preservatives. Times where children knew what hard work was and understood that it was necessary to survive... I could go on and on.

5. I am an animal lover. I've had pets of all kinds - cats, dogs, rabbits, birds (finches), hermit crabs, turtles, fish, hamsters... currently we have 2 cats, 1 dog, some fish, and a snake. Never thought I'd own a snake, but out of EVERY pet I've EVER had, she is by far the easiest! Her name is Bailey and she's a 2 year old Brooks Kingsnake. I could say I got her for the boys... but I'd be lying.

6. I would really love it if I could find the time to learn sign language. I took an ASL (American Sign Language) course in college and loved it. Maybe some day I can go back and continue.

7. I have a fear of choking... not myself, but mainly my kids. I choked on a piece of hard candy when I was 7 and my teacher saved my life. It was pretty bad... everything she tried failed, so she had to resort to sticking her finger down my throat. The whole experience has scarred me for life. I suppose my kids are affected, too, as I do not allow them to eat hard candy! They know it's irrational, but they understand my fear and know that when they're out on their own, they can have all the hard candy they want. (secretly I hope they won't ever feel the need for the teeth-rotting stuff!)

Well, there you go! I have looked for people to tag, but since I waited so long on this, I think everyone else has already been hit. I'm sorry, Diane, for taking so long! Love your blog, and thanks for your kind comments on mine!

Tag... I'm It.

I've been tagged by Andrea Walford over at Sunny Stampin'! Thanks, Andrea... this is a fun one!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet, current car)
Cricket Pathfinder
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream, favorite cookie)
Vanilla Sugar
3. YOUR FLY “GUY/GIRL” NAME: (first initial first name, first 3 letters last name)
M-for
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Sage Cat
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Louise St. Louis (I suppose this should be pronounced "San Lou-ey" to make it sound more soap opera-ish?)
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters last name, first 2 letters first name)
For-mi
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink and add” the”)
The Yellow Water (oh, come on... now that's just plain hilarious!)
8. NASCAR NAME: (first names of your grandfathers)
Dale Karl
9. STRIPPER NAME: (favorite perfume, favorite candy)
Mackie Twix
10. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s and father’s middle names)
Lee Eugene

Wasn't that fun? Okay, now I'm supposed to tag some others. Here's a list of some of my favorite fellow bloggers:

1. Of course Marelle of thINKspot is first on my list. I'm dying to see her names!
2. Nancy Riley of iSTAMP... I know you were tagged with a different assignment recently, but this one's short and fun. I'd love to see your answers!
3. Jayne Mercer of {me}...and my thought - I know you're probably way busy with the move, but give it a shot. Might be a fun break for you!
4. Tami over at Addicted to Stampin' - I need to get you posting a little more often, friend! I love to see your stuff...

I look forward to reading your posts!

Now... back to work! Stay tuned for a fun Christmas card I made. I may get it posted today if Baby cooperates, but if not, definitely by tomorrow!

Tag... I'm it

I've been tagged! Andrea Walford of Andrea's Stamping Blog tagged me. I am to share 7 things about me and then tag 7 others. So here goes:

1. I can't whistle. Very sad, actually, because I used to be able to when I was little. But I lost the ability somewhere down the road and it hasn't been found since.

2. I snap my fingers differently than most people. I use my thumb and RING finger instead of the tall finger. The ability to do this "properly" must've run off with my ability to whistle.

3. I am PHOBIC of cockroaches. (Is there a scientific name for this disorder?) I mean it, people... I freak out at the sight of one. My skin crawls and I get the eeby-jeebies. If I actually have to be the "mommy" and kill one, well, it ain't a pretty sight. Fortunately, I've only seen ONE in our house and that was a long time ago. I hope I killed it before it found a girlfriend and had... well, you get the idea. I have to stop thinking about this and move on.

4. I have a pet snake named Bailey. Even though I have 3 sons, Bailey is MY pet. She's a 1 1/2 year old Brook's Kingsnake. Very sweet little girl. Never thought I would have one, but I'm actually quite fond of her! (Yes, people, I can hold and feed a snake, but I climb the walls at the sight of a roach. Makes no sense, I know.)

5. I think I was born in the wrong century. I love the 1800s and how life was so simple - no electronic anything, no super highways, no private gyms, no ginormous grocery stores on every corner. Men and women worked very hard with very little and saved what little they earned. Kids were taught to cook, sew, plow, and harvest. Sundays were reserved for worship and family. Preparing for Christmas meant making homemade gifts, not fighting the crowds to buy one. There were no telephone poles, power plants, or worthless billboards to clutter up the beautiful landscape. I could go on and on... I have such respect for our ancestors and the lives they lived and the legacies they left behind. One small paragraph is simply not enough to express my thoughts on this topic.

6. My husband proposed to me 3 months after we met, and we were married 3 months later at the tender young age of 21. Now, 15 years and 3 kids later, we will both tell you that our marriage is our single most greatest achievement. We are truly blessed and we try very hard to not take any of it for granted.

7. My favorite movie (okay, it's a mini-series) is Lonesome Dove. See #5 above. 'Nuff said.

Okay... now I'm supposed to tag 7 others, but I am having a hard time finding people who haven't been tagged recently. I've spent too much time searching already, so for the sake of my family who would really like dinner before 10pm, I'm just going to do 3. I hope I don't cause myself to have 7 years of bad luck or whatever else happens if you don't follow the rules exactly. :)

1. Tami at Addicted to Stampin'
2. Wendy at Wickedly Wonderful Creations
3. Lori Craig at Make a Difference

Very talented ladies! Thanks for playing along.