Fabulous Card Friday #8

Alas, it is the final installment of Fabulous Card Friday, whereas my family reunion is just around the corner. I hope that you all have enjoyed the preview of my fun, and very EASY to make cards, and will join me in crafting, talking, and enjoying each others company. In other words, "Be there or be square."

This again is more paper from the neighbor's scrapbook sale.

Ditto, above.

Ditto above.

Ditto above.

This paper is left over from one of the fabulous magnet boards I made for the auction.

Look forward to seeing everyone in August!

July VT, part -2

Least you think I am over the top in VT, this is what my VT brought to me for July....homemade jam.... Yes I think we are a little uber competitive in this ward......

Sunshine in a jar.

Take one jar, (purchased at Tai Pan Trading, $1.57)

Add yummy lemon cookies.

Attach a cute note with the July visiting teaching message,

=

Sunshine in a jar.

Cascade Springs

We had heard of Cascade Springs, tried to find it unsuccessfully on one occasion, finally consulted a map, and located the elusive, beautiful area. It is located in the mountains off of the Alpine Loop, and has trails just right for the kids to walk around on, and lots of water features.

Lauren, Mark Katie. (Note the scowl, a frequent facial expression)

Katie was fascinated with the hollow grass.

Mark, in a picture, where he is actually looking at the camera? Not sure how that happened...

Beautiful scenery, beautiful Lauren.

The signs were just the right height and location for Katie. She paused for EVERY one of them.

Good news, observed the water, did not get in.

I loved this location so much that you will see it again when we do fall pictures!

An open letter.

Robert:

Thank you for your email inquiring about my buying process. I would like to take a moment to tell you about my experience with Larry H. Miller Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge. I did view your website and saw your inventory, and found two vehicles that I was interested in, the first one was a silver Jeep Commander, stock #P7077, and the second one was a tan Jeep Commander, stock # P7153. I printed off the information for both vehicles and came to the dealership on Friday July 24, 2009, to see and test drive the vehicles. The salesman who met me was young, mid-twenties, and spoke with an eastern European accent. I handed him the information I had printed off on the silver Jeep Commander and said I was interested in this vehicle. He said he needed to check and see if it was available. He came back a few minutes later and told me the the vehicle had just been sold. He then pointed out a black Jeep Commander and suggested I look at that vehicle. As we approached the vehicle I handed him the information on the tan Jeep Commander and said I wanted to see this car too. He briefly glanced at the paper and told me the car we were looking at was the one on the paper. I pointed out that the paper listed the car as tan, not black. He then pretended to check the VIN # and told me it was the same car, the color had just been listed incorrectly. When I got in the vehicle and started it, I noticed the mileage was 41,000, and the tan car listed on the Internet had 25,000. I told the salesman this was not the same car and I wanted to see the tan car, as I was not interested in a vehicle with 41,000 miles on it. The salesman told me the tan car was not available. I asked him how he knew this because he had not even checked the computer. He said "Well I don't see it" and then directed me to a different Jeep Commander, which was a sport package, after I told him the trim package I wanted was a limited. At that point I walked away because I had been lied to, and it was clear the salesman was more interested in selling me the car he thought I should have, as opposed to the car I was interested in.

I also noted that as of today both of the vehicles I was originally interested in are still listed as available on your web site, which further makes me wonder if either you are engaging in false advertising, or if the salesman just was flat out not interested in selling me the vehicle I was looking for.

The next day, I went to Ken Garff Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge in West Valley and purchased a 2006 Jeep Commander, limited edition, for $2,500 less than your advertised price for the tan 2006 Jeep Commander and it had fewer miles, plus was given a very fair price on my trade in. I was not lied to by the salesman, I was not shown vehicles I was not interested in, in fact the salesman actually listened to my requests and only showed me vehicles I wanted to see.

So please remove me from your email list, I am not interested in doing business with your company.

Tiffany Vincent

Meet my new ride!

(Best part, a third row, seat, which has become so necessary in dividing and conquering my children.)

WANTED: Control.

I have lost control of my life.

If you took my control would you kindly bring it back,

no questions asked.

If you find my control, please return it for a handsome reward.

(For those of you interested in searching for my missing control, start with Mark and Katie, they are the likely suspects in the theft of my control.)

Fabulous Card Friday #7

Are you excited yet? Are you going to come make fun cards with me? If your not a member of the Ison side of my family, are you interested in adoption? Because there are still MORE cute cards I designed, available to be assembled at my family reunion and taken home for you to enjoy! (I mean let's admit it they are just to cute to give away!)

This card was made with paper from the neighbors warehouse scrapbook sale.

This card was scraps from a bulletin board I made for Lauren, as well as a 2008 Mother's day project.

The Jackson's pool

When we first moved into this house I thought I wanted a pool. That was of course until my neighbors across the street put a pool in, hence relieving me of the burden. All of the fun, none of the responsibility!

Lauren jumping in!

Courtney & Katie.

Courtney & Katie, preparing to "head on down."

Down they went. (FYI, Katie LOVED it)

Mark discovered the best way to swim, on the back of your uncle.

Katie thought hanging with Uncle Brian was a good idea too.

However she was not too fond of the goggles.

Its good to have neighbors, especially ones that share their pool!

If you come.....

This summer the Ison side of my family is having a family reunion. As part of our fund raising activity for our family reunion, we do an auction/drawing. You purchase tickets for .25 cents a piece, (or at least that was the going rate four years ago) and then as items come up that you find particularly cute, charming, or something you just can't live without, you put tickets in the bucket for the items you want. You may put in as many tickets as you want, but only one ticket per item is drawn out, and that person wins the item. Of course the auction can't happen and be successful unless items are available. So to play, not only must you pay, you must contribute.

I have been putting all my crafty energy to work and decided to make magnet boards for my contribution to the auction. I loved the green and red one above so much, I had to make another one for the family reunion, because I could not part with the first one I made! (Bad side effect of good crafting. )

So come early August if you have Ison DNA, married into Ison DNA, or my grandmother has officially or unofficially adopted you, come, pay, play, and if you're lucky win one of my magnet boards.

Sometimes a girl just can't take anymore...

Its hard to be two, sometimes you just have to have a time out.

Of course it helps if the "pluggy" and blanket are involved in your time out.

Ode to the glue gun.

Ode to the glue gun, so fine and true,

you have been with me since 1982.

Oh the projects you have seen,

oh the many projects I have dreamed.

With you heat so hot, and your glue so sticky,

sometimes crafting with you is very tricky.

But alas, I've worn you out,

and its just so sad to throw you out.

But of your memory I will recall,

each time I look at the projects you have created on my wall.

Fablous Card Friday #6

No fabulous card collection is complete with out wedding cards.

The paper used for both of these cards came from a scrapbook show that I went to with one of my friends. We bought a big pack of paper, dirt cheap, and split it between the two of us.

Potato Salad

There are two things that remind me of summer, my parents homemade vanilla ice cream, always a 4th of July treat, and my Grandma Hales' potato salad, usually served on memorial day, 4th of July and Labor Day.

In my mind there is nothing quite like homemade potato salad. The store bought stuff just flat out lacks flavor. I will not even touch it.

When my grandmother passed away, I was lucky enough to skor her recipe, written in her own hand writing. When ever I see the recipe and her writing, it reminds me of her kitchen, with the red counter tops, the yellow appliances, and funky 60's something or another that was in the wall, that I never could figure out what it was....

For the 4th of July I volunteered to make potato salad. Primarily because I had been craving it. As much as I like homemade potato salad, IT IS A LOT OF WORK.

You have to start with boiled potatoes, diced. (Hence the name potato salad)

Then you add the hard boiled eggs, diced too.

Some green onions for flavor.

The secret sauce, Miracle Whip, sweet pickle relish, mustard, salt and pepper. Results = one yummy potato salad.

Bubbles

Last summer the bubble machine brought screams of fright to Katie, this summer it brought screams of delight.

Mark surrounded in bubbles.

Katie, not minding bubbles being blown in her face.

The two bubble monsters.

I don't LIKE my hair.

The other day I decided to try a variation on Katie's hair, because her hair is getting quite long, and even though I pull it back and to the side, she still looks like a rag muffin by the end of the day. So I decided to try the favorite hairstyle, or at least the most used hairstyle of little girls in my family, the pig tails. Did not clear this with Katie first. BIG MISTAKE.

Katie does not like pig tails, and as soon as I put them in a temper tantrum ensued, and she attempted to pull them out.

If she is this picky about her hair at two, in 10 years I will be in soooo much trouble. FYI, took the pig tails out, went back to the familiar.

The Talk....

Mark was assigned his first Primary talk.....fear swelled within my heart.... He simply cannot be trusted to speak in public, his edit button has never functioned properly, if at all... You would think after 18 months in Primary they would know that by now?

Worse yet, the topic was his family...and what he could do to strengthen his family. The topic alone was fraught with the chance to spill all sorts of good family secretes. So I wrote the talk with the hopes of containing and managing the damage.

Mark and I sat down to review his talk. The first time through he said everything I told him to say. Second time through he started adding in things here and there. I decided to skip a third time through because the talk may not resemble at all the intent of the author, i.e. me.

I told Rick he was ad libbing his talk, and Mark piped up "Yeah I am adding to it."

Sunday came and I spend the entire time in sacrament meeting trying to get Mark to use his "church" voice and whisper. He was being exceptionally loud. Finally it was off to Primary. Opening song, prayer, scripture, and then the talk. The counselor who was conducting said "Now it is time for our talk." Before she could introduce Mark he was up off his chair and said "Yeah that's me, Mark Vincent." No introduction necessary.

I went up to help Mark. After hearing me endlessly repeat during sacrament meeting the necessity of using his church voice, Mark thought the time to implement this would be while giving his talk. He whispered the ENTIRE talk. Good news, nobody could hear what he "added" to it..... My secretes are still safe.

Fabulous Card Friday #5

Did I mention I have had a blast designing all these fun cards?

Again, paper from my neighbor's scrapbook sale.

And yet more paper from the scrapbook sale. I was a little out of control at the sale, I know hard to believe....

Riverside

For weeks now the kids have been prepared for swimming. Lauren, my fashionista, with her new suit, a tanknni, Mark with his goggles, and Katie with her if the big kids are doing it, so am I attitude. Only problem standing in the way of our swimming adventure the monsoon known as the month of June in Utah. Lucky for us two things occurred, first near the end of the month it finally stopped raining, and second our good friends invited us to joining them for swimming at Riverside Country Club.

The only thing better than swimming is swimming with your friends! After all its not just about the activity, its about seeing and being seen, just ask Lauren.

Here is Lauren helping Katie into the pool.

Mark is playing with Tacie, who by the way has sites on marrying him in a few years, just ask her and she will tell you all about it. Unfortunately Mark has not gotten than memo yet....

Katie had no fear of the water, here she is nearly over her head, as usual.

Of course getting in and out of the pool is the best part.

I brought her swim ring. Before I knew it she had figured out how to get into it herself, and dive into the pool.

Finally, Lauren, who only surfaced out of the three hour pool party to eat a bit of lunch.

Best Friends

They are just so cute I can't stand it! Plus they really get along. Lauren LOVES being Katie's big sister and teaching her the ways of the girl, and Katie, thinks Lauren is the coolest person on the planet and copies EVERYTHING she does. Does life get any better than this???