Crystal and Akiko

The Love of My Life

So, as you may have guessed....I sure did give birth to the most precious sweet potato and have fallin' in love all over again with my baby girl Kahlen.  Born January 5, 2011 at 6:17pm weighing 8lbs, 14oz...whoa  Labour didn't go as planned, but does it ever? hehe  And maybe there have been some complications along the way and a slow recovery but thank god it's me and not my little nugget.  But hey, starting to feel better and excited to get my fingers a bloggin' again =)

Just wanted to share some photos of "The Love of My Life" Kahlen Alves Tusim...  I'm sensing many scrapbook pages of this beauty to come =)

 

 

 

 

A hunka chunk of a baby gift

Whoa....so last night I walk into my studio and TAH DAH!!!!  I have this wonderful hunka chunk of a baby gift waiting for me to open.  All the teachers pitched in and bought me a car seat with two bases......WOW,  I was in total shock and so grateful to have these ladies in my life.  You gals really did outdo yourselves and for the 127th time...THANK YOU!!!!!  Big hugz and lots of slobbery kisses to Ashley, Andrea M, Andrea F, Patricia, Vanessa, Natalie, Sonia, Courtney and Sofia...xo    yup, I'm loved ;-)

I love it when I say "Pose" and this is what I get......bah ha ha

 
(From left to right:  Andrea F, Ashley & Patricia)

I also love how Ashley says she tried to be creative like me so doodled all over the gift....HAHAHA

 

Here's my Primo Viaggio SIP car seat.....WOHOOOO  Can't wait to install it tonight!

 
Speaking of gifts, just wanted to share with you what my cheapo self does to wrap a gift.  I don't know what it is, but I just can't buy wrapping paper....my body physically doesn't allow this....haha  To be honest, it's not the money, I just don't like storing rolls of paper.  Less rolls of paper equals more scrapping space =)

I printed a few sheets of "Happy Birthday Corey" that I designed on my puter in 2.5 seconds.  Glued the sheets together in about 1.5 minutes and wrapped the gift with personalized paper.  He was amazed I found paper with his name on it....HAHAHA

 

So, I was at the office....and needed to do a quick time card for my hunky hubby and wrap his gift before I got home.  Crafting supplies are a no go here so had to do what I had to do.  Grabbed a pad of lined paper and went to town.  When I got home, I stamped a little cake image, added some Crystal Effects and voila.

 

 

 

 

Oh man....soooo looking forward to scrapbooking with Akiko this Saturday.  It's been awhile :-S

My Festival Du Bebe

As Annie would say....."Oh my goodness....oh my goodness!!!!!"  Two days later and I'm still glowing from the most incredible Festival Du Bebe....nope, baby shower doesn't cut it, it was definately a Festival.  With over 60 of the most fabulous ladies in my life, lots of food, RIDICULOUS decor, fun games and an overwhelming amount of wonderful gifts, I still can't help this massive grinch grin glued to my face, I mean....I can't believe that this was all done just for me and my little sweet potato.  All thanks to my fabulous mom, and my besties Akiko and Paola.  I can't even describe what they put together, I call it Brilliance!  Akiko has better photos to share with you tomorrow, but I have some tons too =)  Take a deep breath, it's long.

The theme was a baby festival with butterflies signifying a new beginning....perfect!  I even got my own set of wings =)

The stunning cake made by my creative mama along with her homemade chocolate treats

  
(CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)

FOOOOOOD!!!!  Thanks dad for supplying all the food and drinks =)

 

The big-massive chair for the big-massive pregnant mama...btw, those were my wings =)

 

Gift Opening Time......WAHOOOO!!!!

 
 

A bib my mom knitted....adorable
 

The diaper hummer....whaaat!!!  Thanks Trish & Sandy =)  Trish's friend, Trisha (yes, very similar names) makes fabulous diaper gifts and more HERE 
 

My sister gets stuck as Head Elf every Christmas, handing out all the gifts and cleaning up all the paper....looks like it applies to baby showers too....hahaha  Thanks Tessa =)  Oh, and thanks Rock of Ages, Toronto for giving her the day off to support her big sista and soon-to-be nephew or niece.
 

Thank you Corey & Akiko for the bestest swing!
 

The fabulous trio who made this day so special for me and my hubba bubba....muah
 

Thank you to everyone involved in this most perfect day.  I'm so honoured and lucky to have you all as a part of my life......no wonder I've got it so good....hehe....MUAH!!! XOXOXO  And for the record, I'm still smiling =)

Now....here's what I have to tackle tonight in the nursery.....AHHHHH
 

Kiko Turns 5

This very special day my furby boy turns the big 5 years old!!!  Of course we will celebrate with delicious wet food that he will be sure to share with his sister.  Can't say she would do the same for him...hehe  He's such a good brother. 

Now when it comes to being a good doggy....well....he wouldn't dare do anything while we're around but is definately a mischevious one while we're outta the house.

Today he won't get in trouble for ALWAYS jumping on the couch, while we're not home, and messing up all the pillows so he can bark at other dogs through the window, or marking his territory on our BEDS (of all places), or leaving his tongue marks all over the glass table, or....the list goes on.  Today we will cuddle him, love him and spoil him with his favourites.

Happy Burfday Kiko boy!

 

Happy Belated Halloween

Handing out candy to all the cutie-pah-tooties didn't help my excitement for Halloween 2011, when it'll be our sweet potato's first Halloween...<squeal>  In the meantime, we still dress up our furry babies in the same costume every year...lol

Presenting, for the 4th year in a row, Spidey & Miss. Lady Boogie.....

   

 
Lemme just say, it was definately appropriate weather for cute doggy eskimo kisses....brrrr....I melted when they started doing this.

My El Cheapo $6 centerpiece...haha  Wrapped some vases I had in gauze and plopped in some flowerie stuff from the dollar store.

 

My favourite decor in the house, where the goodies are!!!  Well...whatevers left of them that is ;)

 

Surprised a friend in the hospital with some home baked Halloween goodness.

 

 
RECIPE:
Paper (SU!):  Cajun Craze, Basic Black, Old Olive and Wicked Fun Designer Paper
Stamps (SU!):  Wicked Cool
Inks (SU!):  Cajun Craze and Basic Black
Punches (SU!):  Large Oval and Scallop Oval

My mom is a Silpada Rep (LOVE THEIR JEWELLERY) so she saves all her boxes for me so I can use them for gifts.  By the way, I just held a Silpada Party and received $900 in FREE jewellery....WHAAAT!!!  Get my mom to represent your next party.

Oh ya...went to see Paranormal Activity 2 with my brother, Akiko and the hubbies.  Wow!!  So maybe I tinkled a few times....what?????  I'm pregnant okay?!  hahaha

This is no day for just a sliver!!!

BRING ON THE CAKES AND LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!  My student, Amanda, came 1st runner up on So You Think You Can Dance Canada so this is no day for just a sliver....WAHOO!!  Even though in my eyes she should have one, she still went home with a New Car, $10,000 and the most incredible experience of her life.  Congratulations darlin'....muah! 

 
I also want to congratulate our friends Francis & Claudia (also from SYTYCDC) for their engagement on live tv last night....I'm blaming the dramatic waterworks I had on baby hormones...ha!  Can't wait to see you guys again at our 2some Dance Event in February...xoxo

 

What better way to celebrate than stuff your face with goodies and make a super fast card...lol  I used my brayer on the dots embossing folder with SU!'s more mustard ink to get a vintage background.  I LOVE this clearmount hostess set from SU!

 

 
RECIPE:
Paper (SU!):  Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke & Whisper White
Ink (SU!):  Cajun Craze, More Mustard & Basic Black
Stamps (SU!):  Birthday Bakery (hostess level one) and Priceless
Other: SU! Dots Embossing Folder & Markers and Dollarama Ribbon & Button

Bumpity Bump Bump

All I can think about is Christmas and Babies.  My two favourite things that always make me smile =)  Maybe it's because my little sweet potato is due the day before Christmas, or maybe I'm just anxious to meet my little nugget....all I know is, with all of this constantly on my mind, I'm starting to combine Frosty's Christmas Tunes with Baby Bumps....hahaha

Has anyone started their Christmas cards yet???  eek!!!

Here's the 7 1/2 month "bumpity bump bump"

 

Ben & Corey's Game Night

It was our hubbies birthdays this past week.  Being 2 days apart and pretty much having all the same friends, it's always a combined party.  Seems like we have parties coming out of our ying yangs lately...hehe

I went with a game night theme and it worked out perfectly!  We had different stations set up for yahtzee, black jack, uno spin, wii, rockband and cranium.  It was so hilarious to watch people play, what a great time.  I made up signs for each station and plopped them in some frames I already had.  Here are the signs I printed.

  

Akiko and my mom are laughing histerically at the yahtzee station and here's the tidy cranium station before it was destroyed with 15 players....haha....sooo much fun!!!!

  

Now lets talk Decor!

I made playing card flowers and plopped them around the house.  Love how they turned out and sooooo quick and easy.

 

While Judge Judy and I caught up on some lost time, I wrapped some square vases and tealight holders I have in red & white tissue paper then added some black punched out circles to create dice.

 
We hung up some streamers and a banner I put together in about 5 minutes.  So easy.  I printed and cut monopoly money and bingo cards and picked up a pack of playing cards from the dollarstore.  Ran all of them through my sewing machine and voila....a custom banner that cost me $1 =)  Okay...maybe the cutting took me   h o u r s   u p o n   h o u r s.....

 

Now for another banner.  Using the Accent Essentials & Zoobaloo cricut cartridge I put together this banner for the boys and again ran it through my sewing machine.  Badda Bing Badda Boom!  Kinda went a little wonky since I didn't tie it tight enough =( 

 
Akiko and I decorated my house with all our board games and Akiko's awesome red stones.....loooove them.  Here's me and my little girlie furball.

 
More cute pics of my furry children...

And the best part....The Food Table!!!!!  I covered the table with twister, decorated it with more games, dice vases & tealights and my card flowers.  This area was me and my little sweet potato's favourite hangout....tee hee  Btw, Akiko is the best at decorating platters with scrumptiousness =)

 

  

 

CAKE and the birthday boys.

  

And PARTY FAVOURS....wohooo.  Everyone went home with a drink, a little treat and a game.  And here are the custom labels I made for the drinks.  Label making makes me happy....haha

 

 

 

  
lifted the label layout from HERE  To see the label bigger, click on the picture.

We are so lucky to have the friends and family that we do.  Everyone had so much fun that the last of our party-ers left at 4:00AM.....now THAT'S a party!!!!!

Did I forget to mention that in total it cost me $20 to decorate????  That's what I'm talking 'bout...whaaaat!!!

Halloween Technique Class

As usual, we had a blast with our crafting divas on Saturday during our Halloween technique class.  Making a 12 x 12 layout and 2 treat bags/boxes.

Akiko's broom treat bags & mummy boxes were a huge hit, some ladies even left to go make more at home...love it!

   

 

And I've fallin madly in love all over again...with the Paperdoll Cricut Cartridge (sorry babe).  This cartridge has pretty much EVERYTHING!  My mom picked it up at Michaels for $29...whaaaat!  The spooky fence is from this cartridge and used Lyrical Letters cartridge for the font.  Stampin Up! has the most adorable halloween stamps & designer paper.  I used the Wicked Cool clear mount set, Web Wheel and the Wicked Fun Designer Paper.  Was so much fun using these.  Can't tell in the pic but I also used crystal effects on the witch hat & boots....aren't those boots so darn cute?

 

    
RECIPE:
Paper (SU!):  Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Whisper White, Basic Black & Wicked Fun Designer
Stamps (SU!):  Wicked Cool clear-mount & Web Wheel
Inks (SU!):  Cajun Craze, Rich Razzleberry & Basic Black
Punches (SU!):  Curly Label, Large & Small Oval
Cricut:  Paperdoll & Lyrical Letters cartridges
Other:  Stampin Up! brads and crystal effects

A Fabulous Mothers Treat

Ding Dong!!!  The bell rings and my mother and brother come in bearing gifts and a feast.  What's the special occasion?  Nothing.  Just pure kindness =) 

Watching me outgrow ALL of my clothes as my buddah grows, my mother bought me a whole new preggo wardrobe to last me till the end.  Spoiled!  And following all that gift opening fun we feasted on pizza and parmesan & teriyaki wings from Wild Wings....Mmmmmm, my preggo fav!  And we must top it off with a chocolatey delight, frozen McCain cake....I'm in love.  Was such a treat to hang with my hubby, bro and mom last night.  My favourite thing to do, stay home in cozy clothes and hang with the ones you love.

Thanks mom...xoxo

A quick LO to share from my honeymoon.  Another from Greece.  Fun new stuff to play with, Smooch Spritz from Stampin Up!  I love the super fast effect it created on very vanilla cardstock.  A few spritz's of Log Cabin & Gold Glow and voila, a beautiful metallic-ie effect.  I know, my ribbon's all wrinkled...wah

 

 
RECIPE:
Paper (SU!):  Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue
Cricut:  Teardrop Cartridge
Other:  White Uni-bal Signo Gel Pen from SU!, Dollarama Rhinestones and random ribbon scraps and chipboard

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