Look Honey! It's the...

...leaning tower of our mailbox.

Awesome, no?  I know that secretly, really deep down you all wish you had a leaning mailbox like mine, with a faded cedar slat missing off of one side.  You don't have to admit you are jealous, I understand.  Oh, and the dead lantana around it?  Yeah, that is a specialty of mine, killing plants that are designed to live in Texas.  It's a gift really.  

Let me give you a little history of this mailbox, because it is our 3rd one since we moved into our home, and the first of our home improvements that we are doing this spring.  

We live on the corner of Brodie and Accomac, so about every 2-3 years we get someone who meanders off the road and takes out our mailbox.  Our first one got all dented up by a tow truck that was trying to do a 50-point turn between our house and the neighbor across the street.  Our second one got obliterated by someone that I can only assume was being chased by Vikings in Lamborghinis because he couldn't stop to say he was sorry, let alone be bothered with paying for a replacement.  

Part of me hopes that the Vikings caught him a bit down the street.  

And this one?  I think (again, best guess here), that a mailbox elf came along and just kept rocking it back and forth on its rebar base until it ended up constantly tilted to the side.  It sort of looks like a pound-puppy that just heard a strange noise at the neighbor's house, with its little head all tilted like that.  

So, what to do when you have a fun house mailbox?

This:  

Point to mention...my postman delivered my mail yesterday.  Into this box.  As you see it right now, laying at the end of my driveway.  I don't know if I should give him serious props or ask that he be drug tested, but I'm going to err on the side of thanks that I even got mail yesterday.  

Right now, a very talented stone-cutter is working diligently in my front yard giving me a new, sturdy, GORGEOUS mailbox:  

The part that is covered in that tangerine colored tape (Come on y'all, this is a stamping blog...you didn't think I was going to say "orange", did you?) are the house numbers on cast stone.  

And, after a day of working, I now have this in my yard: 

Can I hear a "WooHoo!"?  No more sad little tilted-head puppy, we now have a strong stone sentinel standing watch at the end of the driveway, and hopefully the pizza guy will be able to see our house numbers now.  We like our cheese thermo-nuclear hot around here.  

Enjoy your weekend, and go stamp a card for someone.  That always makes opening your mailbox a lot more fun!  

So, What's Up?

You know, a little this and that.  Or, I should say "This and That".

Actually, we have a TON going on at Chateau Williams' these days.  After years of wanting to do a lot of stuff to the house, this is the year.  More accurately, these are the two months.  While part of me is excited ("YES!  New paint!  New deck!  New stone mailbox that hopefully won't get run over!"), part of me is less than thrilled ("Oh, we have to empty out my stamp room, don't we?  The deck work is going to take about 10 days, during which time I have to walk my wild dog on a leash?").  I am going to just keep telling myself how absolutely worth it all of this will be once it is done.  I'm pretty sure I can convince myself, too. 

Now, onto a card!  I took the challenge design from Stamping Challenges which was this:  

And pulled out a couple of stamps and some goodies from the new "This and That" kit and came up with this:  

Stamping Stuff:  Stamps--Quint Essential Flower, Collage Curios; Cardstock--Pool Party, Whisper White, This and That Epic Day DSP; Ink--Calypso Coral, River Rock, Pool Party;  Accessories--Scalloped Circle punch, This and That washi tape

Pretty quick and easy, which is what I was going for this week.  I'm pretty sure I'll be leaning toward "quick and easy" a LOT in the next few weeks, especially when my house is in the middle of the chaos that proceeds the finished product.  You may want to be on the lookout for me in South Austin, because while we are in remodeling mode here I am likely to be hiding in the local house of coffee worship (St. Arbucks) enjoying a latte and some stamping away from the wonderful crews that will be here.  

And, I promise that there will be plenty of before and after pictures, with more than one amusing story to share.  Mostly amusing for you, dear readers.  I think I'll probably be able to laugh about them one day, but if Mr. Murphy is correct I'm guessing there will be some hiccups along the path.  

Stamp something that makes you happy, and be sure to share it with us at Stamping Challenges!  Until next time...

Kim

Spinning Round and Round

Welcome back, happy stampers!  I have had a spinning round-and-round kind of month, and not in the busy fun way, but in the extreme vertigo that won't stop way.  The good news is, all of my spinning feeling is because there is a minuscule little something in my ear, just floating around in there.  I never realized that one little out of place piece of whatever it is could wreak so much havoc on a girl.  The second bit of good news is, it will fix itself.  Always a plus!  It is when the doctor looks at you and starts scribbling down the name of a brain surgeon that things start taking a downhill turn, and since that hasn't been the case yet I'll count that as a blessing towards me. 

The bad news?  

There is not a thing I can do to hasten the process.  

So, I spin.  

Appropriately enough, this week's challenge was full of spinning circles to play with:

I took the sketch, rolled with it (you see what I did there?) and came up with this: 

Stamp set:  Easy Events

Cardstock: Gumball Green, Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit, Print Poetry DSP

Ink: Gumball Green, Primrose Petals

Accessories: Summer Starfruit stitched ribbon, Designer Builder Brads, Big Shot with circle nesting dies

Not bad for someone who had to plant her feet on the floor to make sure it didn't move, right?  

Now, for some news to make everyone feel better.  This weekend, from April 6th-8th, Stampin' Up is giving free shipping on every order, no matter what the size.  Want to order a SNAIL refill?  NO SHIPPING!  Need a pack of Pretty in Pink cardstock (it is retiring!)...NO SHIPPING!  Anything you want, no matter how big or small is included.  So, pop over to my webstore, click on Products>Shop Now, and enjoy a weekend of free shipping for anything you want.  Oh, and anyone who orders will get a super-cute card from me as a big "thank you"!  

So check out the the specials, make something pretty, and until next time, Happy Stamping!

Kim

Is it summer yet?



Let's start with me saying that you might want to read the title of this post twice, because I don't exactly enjoy the paint-peeling heat of summers in Austin.  However, I am actually growing weary of the cold these past few weeks.  I have completely given up on the mystical day or two that we call "spring" around these parts.  It seems to me that you will see tulips poke their little heads up on a Monday, and by Friday they are either frozen to death or have wilted under the scorching summer sun.  Spring in Austin is like an alien sighting, you probably have heard someone say that they have seen it, but they are few and far between, and you never really trust them about it.  

 

So, for me to say that I am ready for summer should give you an indication that we really do need some relief around here.  And rain.  We can always use more rain. 

 

To put myself in more of a summer mood I took the sketch this week from Stamping Challenges and made it bright and sunny.  Take a look:

 

 

 

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri, Itty Bitty Banners

Card Stock:  Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Summer Smooches DSP

Ink:  Daffodil Delight

Accessories:  Bitty Banners Framelits (with Big Shot), Brights Designer Buttons, Linen Thread 

 

I love how the buttons look like LifeSavers candy across the card!  And the colors are so bright and happy that they make me feel like summer is just around the corner.  (Because, remember, this is Texas...so it is.)  I don't want any of you to be surprised is next week I am writing to you all saying how hot it is already, or hoping that my air conditioner can keep up.  And, I hope that you if live in Central Texas that we all get to enjoy a few days of spring before the scorching sun comes down on us.  So get outside, take some bluebonnet pictures, and then stamp something happy for a friend.  You won't regret it! 

Until next time, Happy Stamping!

Kim

A Nod to Paula Deen

Hi Everyone!  

I know you have heard it before, but inspiration can come from absolutely anywhere when you are playing with your paper.  This week, my inspiration came from my favorite southern lady, Paula Deen.  

Paula and I could be soul-mates.  She cooks the kind of food that I remember growing up with, made with love in a kitchen filled with aunts and cousins and love and laughter.  I have to tell you, my mom was one of nine kids, and when we would visit my little sweet grandma in Prentiss, Mississippi everyone would come over.  Never mind that grandma's house was probably 1000 square feet, not counting the screened in porches.  Never mind that there were enough cousins running around to fill a school bus.  

We didn't care, because we were family.  

Also, our moms kicked us all outside, locked the doors, and told us not to come back in until dinner time or if one of the cousins had bleeding that would not stop.  (OK, I may be exaggerating just a bit, but truly as long as the garden hose was working and the plum trees were bearing fruit there really was not any need for us to be inside the house.)

So, back to Miss Paula.  (In case my momma is reading, I know to show respect to my elders!)  I noticed this week that the graphics in between segments of Paula's show have changed, and the colors are a beautiful, cool blue with a deep purple.  I knew immediately that those were Pool Party and Rich Razzleberry, and those two colors are my favorites so I had to put them together.  

I took this week's sketch over at Stamping Challenges and made my card with the colors from Paula's show:

 Stuff I used:  Stamps:  Pretty Petites  Cardstock:  Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer paper  Ink:  Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry  Accessories:  Petite Curly Label punch, 1 1/4" Scalloped Circle punch, Sycamore Street buttons and ribbon, Pool Party baker's twine

Who knows, I may just stamp an envelope and mail this down to Savannah, with my thanks to Paula for reminding me of the lesson that my mom, grandma, and aunts taught me:  a home-cooked meal is more than just nourishment for your family, but a reminder to them of how much you love them.  

Go cook something yummy for you family, then make a card for someone, and until next time, Happy Stamping! 

Kim