sigh

It's the most wonderful time of the year......so why am I so depressed? I have a major love/hate relationship with the holidays. It's such a nice time of the year but it juggles up so many memories. A lot of good memories, and for some unexplicable reason it makes me sad. Sad that things aren't as happy for me anymore.

Today was actually a pretty good day. Nice and quiet, I had a zillion things I should have been doing but never actually managed to get anything done- but a couple of scrap pages and those were with some RAWKIN templates :)!

The boys took a nap together today! It was so nice. I took the opportunity to take a nice boiling hot bath. It was long overdue and so relaxing. It actually improved my mood for a bit today. I'm going to have to remember that when I'm feeling really down! I wish I could go and take another bath right now.

Well, I'm going to cut this one short. I do have some other stuff to blog about but I'm just not feeling up to it :(.

The Perfect Time of Day from The Everyday Inspiration Collection by Meredith Fenwick. Slightly Off Template by Vicki Stegall. Folded Stitched Ribbon by Amy Martin, Felt Flower by Gina Miller, Ribbon Flower by Amy Martin. Fonts are Susie's Hand and 2Peas Hot Choclate.

Every Little Thing kit by Dawn Stocstill. Slightly Off Template by Vicki Stegall. Font is 2Peas Hot Chocolate.

blah blah blah

It's just been a blah day here in Bella Gypsy Land. I have been tired and dragging all day. I couldn't sleep last night. Seriously, I was up til nearly 5 am. Every time I laid down I felt wide awake but when I got up I felt sleepy. It was a very long night!

I had to go the store today too. We were out of milk, pepsi and cat food. Three things that we have to have! So I had Robert watch the boys for a few minutes while I ran down to the teeny little HUGELY OVERPRICED store just a stone's throw from our house. Luckily, while at the store I found $10 I didn't know I had. That never happens so it was a very pleasant surprise. Too often I find myself with less cash than I hoped!

I uploaded some new kits to ACOT and DSS today. Nothing new, just stuff that I had spread out around other stores. I figured I will try having some of the same stuff up. To celebrate here is a little coupon for ACOT!

holidayblahs

It's 30% off until 12/2 :)! Hopefully you can grab something nice! I know when I'm feeling down a little retail therapy always does the trick for me!

I'm still in mourning over Lost. I used to look forward to Wednesdays so I could see it. I was going to watch Daybreak but I forgot. I ended up watching Law and Order reruns on USA instead. February is so far away *wah*!!!

No luck with tandem naps today. The little stinkers took turns sleeping, which is no great surprise. In fact, Tristan fought his nap again today, law, tooth and nail! I ended up rocking his grumpy little self to sleep again. I know it's actually kind of sweet, I just wish I didn't have the attitude that comes with it beforehand.

As I mentioned yesterday, Tristan has taken to crawling in my chair behind me and hugging me. I love it so much. It's such a sweet thing to do. He is such a sweet boy. He is full of mischief and naughtiness but he has these priceless moments of sweetness. He has such a soft little heart.


I did get to scrap today :)!!! This is Gabriel on the day of his first hair cut. Like an airhead I forgot to take my camera with me so no photos of the actual cut!

His Playtime from the Expecting Sweet Stuff Collection by Robin Carlton and Christy Lyle. Chipboard strip alpha by Gina Miller. Fonts are Susie's Hand, SP Toby Unleashed, and Century Gothic.

Here is a darling photo I took of Tristan in October. We were having a little photo shoot and this is one of the best photos I got!!

Harvest Time kit by Carla Gibson, String and Nails by Kim Christensen, Chipboard heart by Robin Carlton, Felt Flowers by Gina Miller, Tag by Amanda Rockwell, Stamped Alpha by Dani Mogstad, Decorative Edge by Shabby Princess.

a christmas classic!

So who is watching A Charlie Brown Christmas right now? I love this show, I look forward to it every year. It really does lift my spirit. It makes me remember how magical Christmas was to me as a child. Children are so wonderfully pure. It makes me sad and hopeful at the same time.

Awe, Tristan has crawled in behind me right now and is hugging me from behind, my little guy!! Sometimes he does the sweetest things!! Of course, sometimes he does the naughtiest things too! Now he has crawled off the chair and it attempting to wake up his sleeping brother by plowing a toy into him *argh*! And now we have a tantrum because I took a my Creative Keepsakes magazine away from him before he ripped it shreds. Ah...... life with a toddler.

I finished up a kit today! I'm so in love the colors. I like to have never chose a name for it. I hate it when that happens! Of course, I finally did settle on the name Jubilee! It's perfect for the happy light hearted feel of the kit! It's going up at Elemental Scraps soon, so look for it there :)!
What a day it has been here. The boys let me sleep late, which NEVER happens, so I was sooo happy about that! I couldn't believe it when I woke up and they were BOTH still alseep. Of course, everything comes with a price. No tandem naps today :(. In fact, Tristan liked to have never napped at all. What a grumpy tail he has been today. I finally did get him to sleep but only by rocking him. It was kind of nice actually. His super sweet cuddles only come when he is worn out.

After watching Days yesterday, I was all geared up to here more about Phillips impending face transplant *giggle*! However, it wasn't meant to be. Minutes before the show was about to start, Tristan comes toddling up to me saying "koos koos". Which is his way of saying Blues Clues *lol*. It was too cute to resist, so we watched Blues Clues. I did get to see the last half of Days but I was also trying to do a million other things so I'm not sure I absorbed anything.

I have determined that Willow (my cat) is out to get me. On top of constantly trying to give me a heart attack by leaping down on me at any chance she gets. I can hardly take a step without her furry little tail under my feet. Any idea how hard it is to walk with a toddler and cat vying to see who can get in front of you the quickest?

I'm in heaven tonight, after Charlie Brown, both of my Law and Order shows come on! I've heard that tonight Mariska Hargitay makes her return to SVU, hurrah :)! I'm also looking forward to CI. I think I've developed a crush on Detective Goran. At least I hope it's Goran tonight, sometimes it's Chris Noth. He's okay but I like Vincent D'Onofrio better :)! Of course, being a lonely single mom, I guess it's easy to develop crushes the cute guys that I see on TV. One day I'll have to tell you about Steve and Joe LOL.

I did get to scrap today!! Yay, I'm so enjoying scrapping, it's like I have fallen in love with it again. This has always been my most favorite photo of Gabriel. He has special needs and it sometimes a challenge to get a good photo of him smiling. I just love the expression on his face. It's so sweet and it really gives a glimpse into his personality. BTW, this kit is on sale for 2.50 right now!! Loving Jacob by Lena Brandenburg!!

Loving Jacob kit by Lena Brandenburg. Ribbon Stitching by Becky Vosburg. Chipboard flower and ribbon by Dani Mogstad. Bow by Gina Miller. Stitched Ribbon heart by Amy cheeseman and Felt Flower by GinaMiller.

This is the one of the only photos I have of Tristan and I together when he was a baby :(. I'm so sad that I don't have anymore. I took it myself at my arms length.

A Mother's Love: Gentle kit by Amanda Rockwell. Alpha and Word art also by Amanda Rockwell. Stitch on Alpha by Gina Miller. Stitch on Word art, flower, ribbon and leather heart by Amber Clegg.

Naughty nappers and other things....

Hey scrappers! I hope all is well out in blog land today. I've been a busy little bee today :)! Here is my newest kit available at A Cherry On Top! Basically Boy, grab it for $2 today only. If you don't make it today, it will still be on sale, but for $4 tomorrow (Tuesday)!

Aside from getting a new kit out, I spent my day playing with my boys, scrapping and cleaning. I did some laundry and some dishes and some general tidying of the living room. It's amazing how quickly things get messy!

Tristan has been quite NAUGHTY today! Seriously, this kid was pushing ALL my buttons. This is how I found him earlier today!

Looks like a black eye doesn't it? I FREAKED out! I couldn't figure out how on earth he would hurt his eye so badly it would look like that yet NOT make a peep! Of course, closer examination revealed it was NOT a black eye. I couldn't seem to get it off but I also couldn't figure out what it was. Finally after exhaustive search of the house I determined it was lipstick. Not plain old lipstick though. Cover Girl lipstick. The kind you PAINT on. The kind that won't come off without a special remover or something like baby oil, which I don't have. So he's stuck like this until I get out to the store. Little stinker.

Luckily, I got another double nap today. I feel like I won the lottery! What are the odds of THREE DAYS in a row I get both boys napping at the same time. It's got to up there with lottery winners. Now if only I played the lottery.

Anyone watch Days of Our Lives? Am I the only one who burst into HYSTERICAL laughter today when Victor revealed he was going to see that Phillip had a FACE TRANSPLANT *LMBO*! See I can't even think about it without bursting into laughter. I'm sure there is some greater purpose for this story line but come on! Actors come and go on these things all of the time. Phillip has been replaced once already, why bother with the elaborate wackiness of a face transplant. BTW, I DO NOT like the new Shawn, he constantly looks like he is in pain.

Can't wait for ABC tonight. I love Wife Swap, it's such a guilty pleasure. Can't wait to see what is happening this week. Of course, who can forget the season finale of the The Batchelor: Rome. I'm curious to see who he is gonna pick. I may flip back and forth between that and House. I just started watching that show in reruns. It's pretty neat :)!

Oh I have been meaning to share this silly little story from the other night. Remember when my friend Kesha visited me. Well we went out to have Chinese food, a little tradition of ours! I got Tristan a plate full of kid friendly food I thought he would enjoy and he seemed pretty pleased with everything in front of him. Well as the meal was nearing it's end, I found a squid in my seafood stuff. I usually try and not get them mixed in but this one snuck past. Being silly I grabbed it and plopped it down in front of Tristan. You should seen the look on this kids face. He made a little noise that sounded suspiciousy like an "ewe". Then he promptly picked up the squid, pulled the straw out of his cup an attempted to plunk the squid in his water LOL. It was HILARIOUS. It was like he was trying to put the squid back where belonged.

I scrapped today too! Here is my first page, Loved. This is one of the very few pieces of clothing that Tristan has ever owned that wasn't a hand me down. This was a majorly fun page to do!

Right Now by Carrie Stephens (Fish Scraps). Cardboard Alpha by Traci Reed (ACOT). Pin Alpha by Tiff Brady (PDW). Heart stamp by Laura Alpuche (The Digi Chick), Crocheted Flower by Gina Miller, Button by Vickie Stegall (PDW), Tassle by Tiff Brady (PDW). Green Trim by Gina Miller.

And my second page for the day! My little naughty napper! I found him napping under the Christmas Tree. Caught with the garland still in his hand!

Winter Wonderland by Vickie Stegall (OScraps & PDW). Ribbon buds by Tiff Brady (PDW). Folded Stitched Ribbon by Amy Martin (SBB). Fringe by Tiff Brady (PDW)

Sunday best...

I don't know if I can get enough of these quiet days! It has just such a nice relaxing day. Unbusy quiet days are too far and few between if you ask me! It makes it interesting trying to come up with a fruitful blog post but I think I can handle that *lol*!

I have most watched the Project Runway Marathon on Bravo today. I so love that show, I think I like all of Bravo's reality shows. Heck, I think I like all realities shows in general! I find it somewhat amazing that I had not seen ANY of this past season of Project Runway. Maybe it aired when I was living without Lena (aka sans cable!) It was fun to get to watch it today. I did have to take a few Blues Clues breaks but I did see most of it.

I am now patiently waiting for the mini marathon of Law & Order: Criminal Intent! I have just recently started watching that show. I have been a long time fan of Law & Order and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Law & Order: SVU :). That is one of my most favorite shows ever. I got a bit lost in the season, living with Lena becuase Mariska Hargitay disappeared and I fear she's not coming back. I really love her character on that show. I hope her absense is only temporary. I know she is/was supposed to be undercover for the FBI.

We had an unfortunate incident with a green inkpen last night. Tristan found it somehwere, took it apart and broke it. I found him green handed LOL. I still havent' gotten all the ink off of him, I suppose it will eventually all come off.

I'm so frustrated with my nails. They are so wimpy and thin and tear and break so much. I tried going out and buying some of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener but I've haven't seen any superb results so far. I'm very unimpressed!

We had another blissful napping interlude today! Tristan fell asleep on me laying on the couch. It was so sweet. Gabriel had dozed off in the floor. So I got to lie down for a while watching Project Runway, in a nice quiet house with my little guy snoozing on me. I so wished someone had been here to snap a pic. Unforutunately that is just one of the sad things about being a single parent :(.

Here is my segue into my first page today! Here is my little ode to my family of three!

Cinnamon Sugar Toast by Paula Duncan. Fonts are Johann Sparkling ITC and 2Peas Hot Chocolate.

Finally, here is a page of Tristan when he was 3 months old. Throughout my pregnancy I called him Little Star, so this is an homage to my little star! This is the first page that I have scrapped in a long time that wasn't for a creative team! I do love all my CTs and I wouldn't trade them for the world but some times it is really nice to just scrap for myself.

Lucky by Amanda Rockwell.

Blissful!

It was a nice quiet day here in Bella Gypsy Land. It's been absolutely wonderful! The boys even took a nap AT THE SAME TIME! If you only knew what a rare occurance that is! Talk about blissful. I was going to nap with them so I got all comfy on the couch and started to watch Steel Magnolias. Every gal loves a chick flick. I never did fall asleep but it was so nice to just lay there and "veg" out!

I did break down and do a little bit of shopping today. Just a teensy bit though. I got a lot for my dollars though! I spent just a little over 11 dollars and got SIX kits! I grabbed these two amazing kits by Michelle Underwood at SBB.

Then I couldn't resist grabbing this super fun collection by Tracy Ann, also at SBB!



I can't believe I got so much for so little. I seriously need to get on a scrapping regimen, I have such an enormous stash of horded kits!

So now I'm watching Meet The Santas on Hallmark :)! It's a fun little Christmas movie, I've never actually seen it before which is amazing! I love Christmas movies. I love Christmas in general! So it has been a really cute movie, it's got Steve Gutenberg in it, and the girl who used to play Helen on Wings. I can't remember her name off the top of my head. She's been really cute in this movie, but she has this ginormous hair piece that looks so fake. Oh well, not watching it for the hair *lol*! It's cute when Steve Gutenberg (aka Santa) laughs he literally goes 'ho ho ho ho' :P! It's pretty cool, Hallmark is having a whole marathon of Christmas movies.

Oh, I'm so excited! I can't believe we have to wait until JULY 2007 but the new preview for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is out. It's 51 seconds of tantalizing goodness! See it HERE! it's soooooo good, July is so far away!

Okay now, I promised a picture of our Christmas tree today! This tree was given to me by best friend Kesha and her husband Tim :)! It's my first big fluffy tree, I've always had these cheap little ugly trees. Last year I told Kesha I wanted a tree just like hers and after Christmas she brought me their tree!! Wasn't that so nice of her.

Okay now, this is not a designer fabulous or anything. All of my ornaments are from my childhood. They may not be the most beautiful ornaments but they are certainly the most meaningful. Without further adieu....

Heartfelt HollyDays by Kari Hentzelt.

Here is another layout I did today. I just came across this photo of Gabriel and knew it was perfect for this awesome kit. He is such a little angel!

Super Star by Vickie Stegal and Holly McCaig

tis the seaon....

Hey bloggers! I decided to dress up the blog for Christmas! What do you think? I used my Wonderland kit available at Scrapable! The holidays can be really hard, especially if you are already suffering from depression. I'm trying to stay upbeat and optimistic for my little guys. They don't really understand the whole Christmas thing yet but I want to make this as fun for them as possible. I remember this time of year being pure magic to me when I was a child. I'm hoping to give that my little guys too.

I have been trying to blog all day, but it's actually been a busy day here in Bella Gypsy Land, so no such luck! NO! I did NOT hit the Black Friday sales. I have yet to see a Black Friday sale GOOD ENOUGH to lure me into the early morning shopping frenzy! I hope many of you got awesome deals. Sadly my finances also dictated that I was unable to hit any of the super online sales either, oh well, like I NEEDED another kit anyway LOL I have over 300 unused kits on my HD *ack*!

My dad and stepmom dropped by today. They brought me a big piece of carpet for my living room. It's hard to explain why, this was necessary. It's not perfect, but it's better than what my floor looked like before *lol*! It was quite the adventure getting the carpet down without actually removing the furniture from the house. Tristan was sooo excited about all the hoopla going on. He was upset that he wasn't allowed outside depsite the fact the front door was wide open but he dealt with it pretty well. Gabriel slept through the WHOLE thing! He didn't wake up until after the carpet was down and we had completely re-arranged the living room furniture!

My best friend Kesha (you remember she and dh got Willow for me :)! --hi Kesha!) also came by today. That was a very unexpected and VERY welcome surprise!! I don't know if you have noticed, but I don't get out much! It's so nice to have company!

My dad was nice enough to drag my Christmas tree down out of the attic! So Kesha, my stepmom and I, put up the tree and decorated it. I promise I'll have a photo for you tomorrow! It's so nice to have the tree up! It really makes this feel like the Christmas season! With the arrival of the tree I have discovered two things.

a: Cats like Christmas trees.
b: So do two year old boys.

They like them a little too much. I've been spoiled all the previous years becuase the boys have had little to no interest in the tree. This year with a super curious/mischevious toddler and his feline partner in crime, I'm in for a treat LOL! Hopefully, they won't torment tree too badly.

Kesha and I had a wonderful time today, chatting and catching up with one another. It is sooo wonderful to have a really good friend to connect with. I'm so lucky to have Kesha in my life. She is an amazing friend!

I did some scrapping tonight!! It's about time, I finally scrapped, it has actually only been a few days but it felt like AGES! Here is my first page of Tristan when he was almost 1. I just love his little baby face. I can't believe he's almost 2.5 now *thud*!

Bombay Paper and Elements by Jennifer Howland (Joyful Heart Designs. Sunkissed photo action by Michelle

Pearson. Fonts are Susie's Hand and 2Peas Hot Chocolate.

This precious baby girl belongs to a friend of mine! Isn't she absolutely darling! Makes you wanna snuggle her, huh?

Pocket Full of Posies by Paula Duncan and Amy Bleser

Gobble Gobble?

Happy Thanksgiving Bloggers!! We're off to a lovely start here in Bella Gypsy Land. We will soon be departing for our Thanksgiving Celebration at my Aunt's house but I wanted to drop in and let you know I'm all SET for Black Friday for you girls! I have two new kits for you this morning! Tough Guy is at Elemental Scraps where I have started my 50% off sale EARLY!!
Here is my new kit, Beautiful Day at Scrapable! All my kits at Scrapable will be 50% off Friday thru Sunday!



I hope everyone is sure to take lots of pictures today and I can't wait to see all the wonderful Thanksgiving layouts in the gallery!

i'm baaaaaaaa-ack

Thank you for all your concern over my earlier post (hugs). I am feeling better! I did make it to my dr's appointment and I have new prescriptions for my depression meds! I will be going to my family Thanksgiving tomorrow. It'll be good for me and boys! As hard as this single mom stuff is, my boys are my world. They are my inspiration, my joy, my peace, the answers to my prayers.
Now to share some of the funnier parts of my day. I love tuna salad. It's cheap, it's tasty, it's filling! A single mom's best friend ;)! So I was making a nice big batch this morning. I like boiled eggs in my tuna salad, so I always start by boiling eggs. I'm usually in a bit of hurry when I make them, so I cool down the eggs by putting them in a bowl full of cold water and setting it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. I usually set the timer on the stove when I do this, but today I forgot. I also forgot all about the tuna salad period. I got busy with cleaning and the kids and designing. I had my dr's appt. I come back home and DING DING DING. I remember, I'm starving so, of course, I finally remember. As you can imagine, I find a bowl full of frozen water with four hard boiled eggs trapped inside LOL!

Later, after I managed to thaw out said eggs, I discovered I have NO mayonnaise. I'm not so happy to report, that Tuna Salad CAN be made without mayonnaise....but it's not quite the same. Also, a cat will jump in the trash can to get empty tuna cans!

I also had a cute conversation with Tristan today! It went something like this:

Me: Tristan, do you love Mommy?
Tristan: No
Me: Do you love brother?
Tristan: No
Me: Tristan do you love Daddy?
Tristan: No
Me: Do you love Blues Clues?
Tristan: YEEEEAAAHH!

I guess I know where this kids loyalties lie *lol*!

I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving! I've got a nice little idea brewing in my head, I'll let you in on it soon ;)!

Don't forget to hit my BF sales!

Thanksgiving Eve

I hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's been a rough one here. I battle depression pretty hard. I'm currently off all my meds which has made this week even more difficult. I'm supposed to have a psychiatrist appt this afternoon but I'm not sure I can make it to it. People that are supposed to be there for me are flaking out. I understand, their lives are more important to them, than mine. I guess that is the natural way of things. At this point, I'm not even sure I'm going to go to my family Thanksgiving celebration -- I recognize this is all from the depression, but merely recognizing it does not solve anything or make me feel any better. My holidays are a continual disappointment, so why should this one be any different?

Well, onto more pleasant things. My new kit, Boy Meets World is finally up in my new store! I am going to be selling at DigiScrapShak!

Be sure to stop by DSS for a little Black Friday Special on Friday [of course]!

I also have a new kit up at ACOT!

This is Boheme Chic! This, and all my other kits at ACOT will be on sale for 60% off through Monday!! So this great kit is only $2!!!

Also look for awesome 50% off sales on my products at Elemental Scraps and Scrapable!

misery loves company

So glad you could stop by today and wallow with me. I'm throwing myself a little pity party this morning and everyone is invited! Misery loves company, right ;)? Have you ever been to Amy Edward's blog? The owner of SBB? Well now, don't run and look! Amy is one super busy gal and her blog hasn't been updated since September! Anyway, the reason I mention it..... Amy's blog header has a quote on it that reads "No one cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy." I get tickled every time I read that header! Now, if only I could follow the advice!

I have often seen say to/or about single moms, "I don't know how you do it?" Honestly, I don't know how I do either. I guess it's survival. This is by far the hardest thing I've ever done. You can't really understand it unless you have been here, in the trenches doing it by yourself. I certainly wish that no one ever had to find out what it was really like.

Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. It's hard though. Really, really hard.

Okay, enough of that!

I had planned to reveal my new kit and new store today, but my stuff isn't up yet! SO check back tomorrow! Sorry girls!

Black Friday sales.....
Still trying to decide exactly what to do for Black Friday. A couple of the stores I'm at have special things planned which I will be participating in. The other two stores are leaving it up to us. All I have to say, is make sure you check ALL 4 of my stores, there will be some super deals at all of them ;)!

Now, as for those photos....you'll have to wait LOL! I DID clean yesterday....but things are still not quite as like them. I am not taking pictures till it's all done like I want it.

Monday, Monday....

What a weekend :)! I was supposed to leave and go out of town Friday for an early Thanksgiving celebration. Of course, the way my life always goes, one thing after another delayed me to the point, I was too tired to make the two hour drive!

So I was on my way Saturday morning. I had been warned that if I wasn't there by 2 pm, there would be no turkey left *lol*. I was there by 12:30 ;)! It was a big family affair. It was my stepmom's family. They are such a friendly bunch. We had all the fixings and lots of fun.

Tristan had a blast with all the kids, he was just in heaven playing with them all! Gabriel slept most of the day. Shortly after we got there, he fell asleep in the floor and didnt' wake up until practically everyone was gone!

We were the last ones to leave, helping get things cleaned up and put away. It was also nice to nab some of the leftovers!

I'm finishing up a new kit right now to be debuted at my new store! It should be up by tomorrow hopefully, so I'll spill the beans tomorrow :)!!

I've got lots of stuff to do today! Lots of stuff that I have no desire to do. Ugh, what a fun day ahead of me LOL! I have to do laundry today! I have to tidy up the house! In fact, as way to hold myself accountable, I will take a few snapshots of my nice tidy house today and post them tomorrow. That way if they dont' get posted, you will know I didn't follow through!! Make me be accountable girls!

Busy Busy Busy

Busy, busy, busy! I've been a busy little bee creating stuff! Check out Scrapable for my new kit and a free sampler!

I am going out of town this weekend! My Thanksgiving festivities are beginning a little early! My stepmom's family is having their celebration on Saturday and I can't wait. What fun, fun, fun. I'll be sure to take pics!

BTW, it's GRAB BAG day at PDW! Go and grab the super stuffed $2 grab bag by Tiff Brady and Shannon Carlson. IT IS SO WORTH IT!

kids are impatient

I mean REALLY impatient! If Tristan wants something from me and I don't respond ::IMMEDIATELY::, I mean INSTANTLY, a tantrum ensues. O M G! It's days like this I want to hide under a rock! Being a single mom is SO HARD. It's so hard to have no help, no one to be the extra set of hands. No one to help share in the household duties or child rearing duties. Have you hugged a single mom today? If not, you should!!

So I'm ready to spill one little secret! Are you ready for it! I am going to be a designer at Scrapable! I'm so excited, it's such a rocking store. I'm so proud to be designing amongst such HAWT mamas!

I'm not revealing all my secrets yet though! Stay tuned for one more thrilling announcement!!

I finally managed to complete a Christmas kit! I can't wait to actually scrap with it myself!

It's 20% for two days only at A Cherry On Top!! $4.00 is an amazing value for this jam packed kit!

Don't forget to take advantage of my coupon just for blog reader! Get 3.00 off Bella Gypsy products at ACOT with this coupon:

blogbuddies

Coupon good one per customer, expires November 21!

Rain, rain go away!

It's rainy dark and overcast in Bella Gypsy Land today! It's amazing how much weather can affect your mood!

You know what happens when you are not used to having a cat? Said cat jumps off the refrigerator when you are standing at the counter and scares the bejeezus out of you! I thought for sure some monster had me *lol*!

You know what happens when your two year old gets really quiet? Said two year old is probably writing ALL OVER the aforementioned refrigerator! At least it was in pencil!


I finally started working on a Christmas kit yesterday! I know I'm so behind with it! It's coming along very well, hopefully it will be up at one of my sites today or tomorrow.

Speaking of sites, I just added a new one!!! I'm not spilling which one yet though, so stay tuned ;)!

My second eBay box FINALLY arrived today. I was just about to e-mail the seller. I had opted for it to come via UPS because it was a dollar cheaper. I was getting really worried but it arrived safe and sound this morning. It's such a relief to have all the boys clothes taken care of for these cooler months! I don't actually *need* that many clothes because we mostly stay at home!

Introducing

Dark Garden Paper Pack by Jennifer Howland. Ribbon by Amy Martin. Felt Flower by Gina Miller.

Thank you to everyone who suggested a name for Miss Willow Clementine! Special thanks to Kimberkatt and Angie for suggesting the winning names!

If you suggested a name and didn't recieve an e-mail from me, please let me know! I have a little something for you!

Also you may have seen I have released another creative team call! It has very specific requirements but if you are interested please e-mail me at tabatha@tabathareed.com :)!

It has been a really quiet weekend here at the Reed household. It's been really dreary weather so we've stayed in. We watched a large portion of THE BEST DAY EEEEEEEVER!! Spongebob marathon *lol*. Love the sponge!
I'm working on a new kit and planning an entire collection.....or two!! I'll be sure to keep you updated on how they are coming along!

Be sure to stop by my chat tomorrow at 9 pm EST at the Elemental Scraps chatroom. I'm going to be giving away my brand new kit, Siren, which has yet to be released! I want to make up for the last few weeks. I have been absent at the chat for one reason or another :(.

How will I ever choose?

I honestly don't know how I'm going to choose a name for our new kitty :)!! I've gotten so many great suggestions so far. So many of them seem just right! How many names a can cat have?

She has been such a pleasure. She is such a sweet little girlie! She's so loving and so good with Tristan. He's a little too interested in her. She keeps jumping up on the computer desk and laying on my mouse cord LOL. I've got a little mouser already! Hopefully that's all the mice she'll find in this house!

She has definitely made herself at home and declared herself queen of the house :)! I'll be glad to share that title with her ;)!

Wanna know how cluttered my kitchen table is right now? It's so cluttered, I had a LARGE box from eBay sitting on it and didn't see it *eek*! I guess it's time to clean off the table. I can't tell you how long I searched for the box this morning only to discover it right under my nose. I got some *new* fall duds for the boys. Well not really new, but new to them LOL! I pulled out some 3T jammies from the box and my eyes bulged out. Are my babies really that BIG?! Since the jammies fit, I guess they are really that big. Where has the time gone?

Interesting tidbit to share! Did you know Gabriel was born on the day that the War In Iraq started? Yep, he was! I remember laying in my hospital bed, all dazed from my c-section watching the "Shock and Awe" campaign and thinking it was amazing that my child was born during war time. Even more amazing, Gabriel is 3 1/2 and we are still over there.

Name that cat!

I got a kitty, I got a kitty, I got a kitty......Hey Hey Hey Hey :D!!

I'm so excited a got a kitty :)! My bestest friend in the whole wide world, Kesha (hi Kesha!), knew how much I wanted a cat so she and her dh made it their mission to find me the perfect cat for my family!

Amazingly kitty is nameless! I believe her previous owners called her "cat" LOL. I think we can do a little better than that! She's really sweet and loveable and extremely tolerant of Tristan. She has a strong little voice on her! I like pretty, feminine, whimsical names!

So, send some great suggestions to tabatha@tabathareed.com and if I choose a name you have suggested I'll send you ALL my kits that are currently available as an appreciation gift :)! If you wanna see what I have available take a peak at my store links to the right :)!

Here is our newest addition to the Reed household. My best friends husband, Tim, is giving her a little loving here :)! She has the prettiest green eyes, sorry I couldnt' get a shot of them too!

Introductory Pricing for two days only!

I'm also working on another kit right now, it should be up in a day or two at Elemental Scraps, I think :)!

Can I just rave about my coffee again for a moment? If you have never tried it and you like coffee and creamer.... Please go and try Folger's Gourmet Chocolate Truffle Blend with International Delights Chocolate Mint Truffle Creamer. It's truly sinful. It's so decadent. It's perfection.

So Lost is on tonight. I can't wait. I MISSED the last two weeks of Episodes. Once because of the move, I just forgot :(. Then again last week becuase I got wrapped up in watching Top Chef on Bravo *gasp*. Thank goodness for ABC.com :D! I was able to watch both episodes online for free!!

still uploading!

I promise I'll get you previews of all my new solo kits as soon as they are all up in the stores! I'm still uploading to ES. In fact, I'm uploading as we speak! I should have the previews to you by tomorrow. Feel free to go peaking early though ;)!

In fact, to entice you too go and peak, here is a little bloggie coupon for my ACOT store! Good for $3.00 off any of my products at A Cherry On Top!

blogbuddies

One use per customer, this coupon will be good until November 21!

I have felt kind of crappy the last few days. My throat has been cough-y and scratchy today. Thank goodness for coffee. No strike that! Thank goodness for coffee creamer. I don't actually put enough coffee in my creamer to be a self-respecting coffee drinker *lol*. My poor throat has been soothed today by Chocolate Truffle coffee and Mint Chocolate Truffle Creamer. Sinfully delicious! I am always sad when the holidays are over becuase then all the delicious seasonal creamers vanish too :(. *wah*

Speaking of seasonal goodies! Has anyone seen mint chocolate m & m's out there? They are near impossible to find around here!! I want some BAD!

You may have noticed my list of CT's has grown!! Wow, has it ever! I am loving every second of it. I am simply on the best CT's. I'm so lucky to get to work with all the amazing products these designers release. I highly encourage you to give their work a try, if you never have. I know that is a lot of CT's but I love it. It takes some major organazational skills to keep track of everything. My high tech approach is post it notes LOL!

BIG CHANGES!

Hello out there!

It's been a LOOOOOOONG time since my last post and MUCH has happened. You may have heard that Lena and I are no longer designing together. This is true! We have retired all of our collaborations together and are now designing independently of one another. I am keeping the company name, Bella Gypsy Designs.

Lena and I are sisters and we always will be. We just needed to go our seperate ways for now :). I will continue to sell at A Cherry on Top and Elemental Scraps. Look for Lena's designs coming soon to Elemental Scraps :).

Isn't it funny, that when you have all kinds of neat stuff to blog about, you never actually have time to blog. Then when you have lots of time to blog, you have nothing much to blog about. What a conundrum. Living in Ohio with Lena, we were always on the go for something. We were always doing something neat that would have been fun to share. However there was never enough time to actually blog!

Now that I'm back in Kentucky, moving with a slower pace of life, I actually have lots of time to sit down here and chatter away. Of course, nothing interesting to chatter about though LOL. Of course, I do have a bit of an update for you!!

I am so happy to say that I now have DSL!!! It's wonderful. Prior to moving to Ohio, I had a satellite internet connection. It was okay. It was better than dial up. Not exactly ideal for a designer, but WAY better than dial up. I had given up on my little dinky town ever getting DSL. Imagine my SHOCK when I came home and found out DSL is now available down here, woohoo!!

While I was waiting for my DSL to be connected, I designed lots of great new kits. I put 3 up at A Cherry On Top today, looking for the other two coming soon to Elemental Scraps. I'll post previews tomorrow sometime!