I said I was taking a break, I think I lied!

Training for the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon kind of took over my life for a while.  I was constantly trying to squeeze in more training, shopping for the right shoes, worrying over whether my feet would make it, creating ipod playlists to get me through the pain....thinking, plotting, planning, worrying...

I was finally able to complete my 13 mile training walk, but I was way behind the pace required by Disney, so it was not a big surprise to me when I was re-routed on race day and unable to complete the entire race.  I still had a GREAT time and I loved every minute of it.  I am so glad I did it.  It was a very empowering moment when I finished my 13 miles on training day.  I was also thrilled to realize that my time for my first 4 miles on race day was a personal record for me.

Sandy, Valeri, Me and Amie

Look how many crazy women were lined up in the dark!!

There were wings every where!  Maybe that's what I did wrong. 

 I should have worn some wings!

Had to take a picture of the Castle.

As soon as I was done, I felt a huge relief lifted from my shoulders.  I no longer had to worry, stress, train... I could let my poor flat feet rest... 

And so I decided I was going to take SIX weeks off.  I was going to get back on my bike, go back to spin classes, maybe hit a few Zumba classes, and cut back my walking to just my dog walks....

and then....

They started a wellness program at work.  Volunteers were leading hikes, bike rides, mountain biking, walking, jogging... I looked over the list of options and the times they were available.  Bike rides at 12:15pm were not going to work for me, but that jogging class fit my schedule perfectly. And if I'm going to attempt Tinkerbell again, I need to pick up my pace....so I decided I would at least try it.

We meet twice a week and have to complete one more run on the weekends.  It's kind of a couch to 5k program so we do walking/jogging intervals.

Day 1 - I thought I was going to DIE!!!  Honestly, I finally had to skip one of the jogging intervals or I was definitely going to puke. I chose to walk.  Somehow that seemed less humiliating. 

Day 2 - I jogged all of the intervals, but I consistently found myself stopping about 5 seconds early.

Day 3 - (Homework) I used my ipod and my own timer and found that I was able to complete all of the jogging intervals.  I would look at the timer, see 5 seconds and push through.

Week 2

Day 1 - I'm repeating the same intervals as last week.  Not quite ready to move on.  I successfully completed all the intervals again and BONUS - I'm no longer quite as sore as I have been.  I'm starting to think there might be hope for me. (I did get lapped by the rest of the group that changed intervals though. LOL)

So.. I said I was going to take a break, but it looks like I lied... 

CTMH - A Bowwow AND a Challenge!

I have an obsession with our A-Size stamp sets.  At only $6.95, I only have to make a couple of cards before they pay for themselves...and trust me... I have made more than a few with this adorable pup.  Every time I look at it, it reminds me of how happy my little Maisy is when I get home.  She jumps and wiggles and gives kisses and just makes the worst day so much better!!

So I have been spreading a little of that "Maisy" love by creating cards with this set so that I can brighten someone else's day.

Challenge: Make a card (or choose one from your stash) and send it to someone...just because...  Leave me a comment on this post when you have completed the challenge.  I will pick one person from the comments and mail them a Bowwow card (not necessarily the one pictured below...)  Hurry - you have until Saturday, February 25th at 9pm to let me know you have completed the challenge!!

Step by Step with Studio J

Still not sure what Studio J is?  Not sure how to get started?  Worried about learning something new?

Well, I'm going to put out a little challenge to show you how simple it truly is and when I issue a challenge...there's sure to be a reward!!  The best part?  You can access Studio J, play with it, create layouts and see if you like it and you do not pay a thing.  You only pay when you choose to purchase your creations.

Step 1 - go to my website and set-up your Studio J account - Click Here

Step 2 - Go to the Studio J Art Gallery and pick out a layout to experiment with.  Choose one that has a link under it that says "See the Layout Instructions"

Step 3 - Login to your Studio J account and follow the instructions you selected to create your layout.

Of course you can create any layout you want, change the colors and personalize it in any way you'd like, but these fun step by step instructions help you to become more familiar with all the amazing things our digital software can do.

When you decide you love it...you'll definitely want to take advantage of our February Special.  

Create your account and purchase a 5-pack from me by February 29, 2012 and I will enter your name in a drawing to receive an additional FREE 5-pack!!  That's 15 layouts for the price of 5 for the lucky winner!!

February 2012 - SOTM Blog Hop

zIt's here, it's here - the February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. Whether you're starting here, or you came from Pam's blog, you're on the right track and you're sure to see a ton of great samples using February's Stamp of the Month - Thoughtful Tidings. I absolutely love this stamp set because I always need to share a little gratitude with the amazing people in my life.

We'll be making all three cards at this months workshop.  Kits are $5 each and include envelopes.  Reserve your kit right away!

Supplies Used:
X7147B Stella Paper Pack
Z1617 Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain
Z1705 Durable Studs
Z1702 Baker's Twine - Paradise Assortment
Z1710 Paradise Paper Flowers
Z1333 Opaques - Mocha Assortment


Next up on the hop is Debra

Glass Etching with CTMH Art Philosophy

This was so much fun!  I was completely addicted to it for a couple of weeks around Christmas, but I couldn't say anything because I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

The hardest part of the whole project was....finding etching cream!  I ended up having to order it online from walmart.com.



I'll try to write up a tutorial later, but here are a few little tips...

Supplies needed:
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (ok, you can use something else, but why?)
Vinyl or Contact Paper
Transfer Tape
Etching Cream
Pyrex Glass Dish (I bought these at walmart too)

Tips:
Pick images that are fairly simple with large open areas.
It's easier to work with a flat surface for your first piece.
You have to place each letter separately when working on a curved surface.
I used a wide popsicle stick to spread the cream.  You can also scrape the excess off and put it back in the jar.
Do not spread the cream too thick...it will drip!!
Do no get it on your hands!! It's acid!  Be careful!!!

Sorry my pictures are so bad.  It was really hard to photograph these.

This picture might spoil a surprise, but it shows how I placed the vinyl letters on the plate.  You might want to add some masking tape or more vinyl to the glass areas around the letters to give you more room when spreading the etching cream so that you don't accidentally etch the open areas.

I think I saw my Mojo!!

I don't want to keep making excuses, but I kind of feel like I owe some kind of explanation...especially since I have been helping so many people get their blogs rolling...and then suddenly I stopped blogging.

I've been a bit sidetracked with training for my first half-marathon.  In 13 days I'll be attempting the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon at Disneyland.  I'm super excited and I finally know that I can totally handle the miles.  My only problem is I'm still too slow.... I'm going to go for it and do the best I can, but I'm fully prepared to get pulled off the route.  It will be a happy little miracle if I get to finish!

Training and reading my new Kindle Fire (hubby spoiled me at Christmas) has done a great job of keeping me distracted from some other issues that have been weighing on my mind. I'm waiting to get some more definitive news before I figure out my plan of action.  Keeping busy distracts me, but for some reason I just couldn't get into the swing of things with stamping!

But, thanks to an amazing workshop with my wonderful customers...I think I see my mojo.  I'm starting to feel like stamping again.  The crazy thing is, I actually have a ton of projects to blog.  I have pictures on my camera and everything... so let's just get started and see if I can get my act together.

I got inspired to make a "Love" banner when I was helping Jennifer create hers at the crop.  I didn't have the same adorable paper she had, so I had to look through my stash to see what I had.  I used the Sweetheart Paper Pack and I kind of felt guilty using something that is retired...

But Guess What????

It's in the "While Supplies Last" section on my website for the amazing price of $3 - so hurry on over if you want to create some fun Valentine decorations and goodies!

Happy New Year!!! - Blog Hop Update

Next up on the hop is Vicki - head on over to her blog to see what she has created..

Whew this has been a long six months.  My auto-ship for catalogs/stamp of the month sets, got messed up and I have been scrambling to get the stamp of the month stamp sets in time to meet my commitment to the blog hop each month... and this month I completely forgot to order it.  Sheesh!!!

Good news is I have already received the next six months of stamp sets and I'm all set to get back on track.

Thank you for your understanding and I hope you have fun and get a ton of inspiration on the blog hop.