Andrea Gold has some new products

Andrea has some great new products at GDS. First up is her Holiday Splash kit.

It's on sale right now for $3.20.
Next is the Add-On for Holiday Splash, on sale for $1.20:

Here's a page I did using both kits:

I love the deep, rich colors and elements! :)

She's also released her 2nd set of classic templates, in a set called Classic 50 pack Template Bundle #02. :)

And here's a quick review of all the templates included:

That's less than 55¢ per template! :)

And her latest release is a grungy, purple-y kit called My Imperfect Life. I promise I'll have something done later this week, to show it off. :D


And finally, Andrea is offering an awesome promotion!

That's right: Spend $5 and get this great QP collection (see the bottom middle one? That's mine! :D)

and if you spend $10, you get $5 credit toward your next order in Andrea's shop!
Don't forget, when you spend $10 at GDS, you automatically qualify for the design team's collab kit. So basically, you're getting (at least) 3 kits, a QP collection, a HUGE collab kit, and $5 back, when you spend $10. woot!

Christmas wishes fulfilled!

We hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Day! Ours is just about over, and it was wonderful. So many things to be thankful for:
Nice weather
Not being in the hospital
Miaka is here! :)
P-chan didn't have to work today
The boys didn't get a case of the "gimmees"

Our day started just after 7am, when Krillin woke up for the bathroom, and stayed awake for the stockings. LOL He was considerate enough to wait (and even wake up) Kenshin before digging into the stockings. Since I never knew what they asked Santa for, I was a bit anxious that Santa brought something they would like. Santa won big points today! :D Krillin got the new Superman movie and some FunKeys, and Kenshin got the Walle movie and FunKeys.

Here's summary of our favorite gifts of the day:
What was the gift you were most excited about giving?
Dad: Flight of the Conchords DVD set, to Mom.
Mom: 6-Minute Stretching book, to Dad.
Krillin: the "Dad's Fix-it Shop" sign, to Dad.
Kenshin: The RC car, to Dad.
Miaka: I didn't give anything, I was just cute and pooted all day.

What is the gift you are most excited about receiving today?
Dad: 6-Minute Stretching book, from Mom. I've been looking for this book for months, ever since I lost the one I had, on the trip to FL.
Mom: Flight of the Conchords DVD set, from Dad. These guys are hiLARious!
Krillin: mini Transformers set, from Mom & Dad. (At least, Mom thinks this was his favorite....)
Kenshin: Ben 10 Omnitrix watch. "I've been wishing for this all DAY!" Really, he's been asking for this for months, but that's what he said today. He also hugged it, and for a few seconds, I thought he was going to cry.
Miaka: I got some very cute clothes from Auntie Emily.

Funniest quote of the day is brought to us by P-chan. A little background, first: We have had a certain frog candle for years (I think we got it when we got married); the frog is relaxing on an inner tube, with his legs hanging out. Over the years, between moving 5 times and having kids, it has gotten pretty beat up. Legs missing, elbows cracked, etc. Last week, P-chan decided he was going to burn it. We put it on a fire-safe plate and forgot about it. Today, he remembered his vow to burn the frog, and placed it in front of the tiny manger scene we have, and told the boys it would keep Jesus warm. About 45minutes later, I heard, "Look, the frog gave his eyes to warm baby Jesus!"
For the record, it was a good 15 minutes before I could stop laughing. Miaka was very upset at me. P-chan is now chagrined at his own comment, but I don't think it was sacrilegious, just irreverent. Thoughts?

Merry Christmas!

Have some fun with these brain-bending Christmas song titles! The answers will be in the comments. :D

1. The apartment of 2 psychiatrists.

2. The lad is a diminutive percussionist.

3. Decorate the entry-ways .

4. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.

5. A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.

6. Present me naught but dual incisors for this festive Yuletide.

7. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.

8. Exuberation to this orb.

9. 288 Yuletide hours.

10. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs.

11. The red-suited pa is due in this burg.

12. Stepping on the pad cover.

13. Uncouth dolt has his beezer in the booze and thinks he is a Dark Cloud's boyfriend.

14. Far back in a hay bin.

15. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.

16. That exiguous hamlet south of the holy city.

17. Behold! I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.

18. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.

19. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

20. As the guardians of little woolly animal's protected their charges in the shadows of the earth.

21. Frozen precipitation commence

22. Monarchial triad

23. Oh, member of the round table with missing areas

24. Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres

25. Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling

26. Wanted in December: top forward incisors

27. We are Kong, Lear, and Nat Cole

28. Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element

29. Oh small Israel urban center

30. Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your yuletide season

31. Parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster

32. May the Deity bestow an absence of fatigue to mild male humans

33. Natal celebration devoid of color, rather albino, as a hallucinatory phenomenon for me.

34. Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.

35. Tranquiltiy upon the terrestrial sphere.

36. Have hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief

baby Miaka is here! :)

Just a quick note to let you all know that I had my baby! :D
Miaka was born at 9:06am EST on December 19, 2008. The labor was short and easy. Well, in my eyes anyway! :) She weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 19 inches long. She has a full head of dark hair, and seems to have blue eyes...but you know that could change. :)
She looks a LOT like Krillin and Kenshin.

It's been a long time, but I did it!

Yessirree, I locked myself out of the house. I had just gotten the boys on the bus, and remembered it's garbage day, so I went inside to get the garbage and outgoing mail. I put both of them in their proper spots, returned to the house, and that's when I found the door locked. I don't even remember locking the front door when I took out the trash. It's a good habit to have, I guess. I've caught myself doing it when the boys and I go for a walk. But this time I didn't catch myself. oops! Why not go in through the garage, you ask? Well, because I don't like the idea of someone getting into my house through the garage, so that door is deadbolted all the time. And the back door? We have our Christmas tree in front of the back door, so of course it's deadbolted, too.
I went down to Becca's house to borrow her phone and phonebook. After a few minutes, I realized that all of the listings are for greater Louisville, and...well, I don't really live "that" close to Louisville, and I would probably be charged extra. But then Becca's husband tried a spatula to unlock their door, and it worked. So we came back here, he tried it, and VOILA! It worked! I'm very thankful for that, but also a little freaked out that a plastic spatula can open my locked door.
So I am safely back at home. No harm done. Becca and her husband saw me in all my Morning Glory, of course, so maybe there was some harm. ;0 I'm in my jammies, with a fleece hoody, a fleece hat (to cover my bed-head), and no make-up. hurray for mornings!

Thanksgiving and more

December 1 already?? That means I'm down to 2 weeks until the baby's due date! As excited as I am, I really hope that she doesn't come this week. Why? Because P-chan AND Jessica are going to be out of town for their jobs. Jessica is my BFF here, and in the Original Plan, she would watch the boys while P-chan and I went to the hospital. In the Backup Plan (if P-chan was out of town) Jessica would take me to the hospital, and the boys would stay with Beverly. So for this week, we're down to a somewhat last-minute and spontaneous plan, going something like this:
If it's Tuesday, Wednesday, or early Friday, Beverly will drive me and Donna will watch the boys.
If it's Thursday, Donna will drive me and Amanda will watch the boys.
P-chan will be home by Friday afternoon, and Jessica will be back Friday evening.
I love plans, don't you?

Thanksgiving was spent with Amanda, April, and their families (and another friend, but I can't remember her name, oops!). The food was delicious, and it was nice to be around people we like. :) But on a homesick note, it just wasn't the same as being with Emily and her fam. I really miss you, Emily!

Black Friday, I did not venture out at 4am. Nope, it wasn't until about 10:30 that I left the house. My first stop was CVS, where they had some freebies and a few "better than free" items. Almost everything was still in stock, too. :) Of course I got rainchecks on the things I missed. Next, Jessica and I went to see Twilight. Without giving anything away, I liked it, but still thought parts could have been done better. If they make the 2nd book into a movie, I will probably see that as well. After that, I went to Meijer, and realized that the sale ended at noon (it was almost 3pm). Doh! So then I went to Lowe's to take advantage of their gift card offer, and also got the drill set that I've been oogling! :D And the final stop was Walgreens, where I got paid to take several tubes of Colgate Total toothpaste. LOL Then it was back home, where the boys and I spent a nice evening "at home" (usually I'm dragging them to several stores) while P-chan went to work.

Saturday I got a tank of gas, and paid $1.56 per gallon. :D