I haven’t done a Smilebox in FOREVER it seems.

This one is a reflection of time.

I wanted to do something, to show each childs growth over the years. What better way to do that than with Christmas photos!

So, I did a quick Smilebox, only 5 pages. I was excited to find I had simalr first Christmas photos of Alexa and Amber!

It shows each child from their very first Christmas to present. It was a fast way to show how much they each have changed, and grown in this short time.

Makes me all sad and sappy, thinking someday, they will be grown, and I will be looking at their children.

Time has flown past. I cannot believe that I have 3 children who just yesterday seemed to be babies, but are these little “people”. Each one very different from the other, yet amazing.

Tomorrow comes so fast, and we never know what will be year to year.

Hope you enjoy watching.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Well I want to thank all of you for sharing my excitement over my latest finds, and uploads. I really hope that my insanity has helped you with your Christmas ideas 😀 I know I am enjoying the feeling of accomplishment!

I hope that I can continue to share some more cool stuff as the season approaches.

I have gotten some great mail from some friends and reader’s. So thank you so much! I will be emailing you to say thank you 😀

I had a awful week here. All 3 kids-sick! Dealing with my aftermath of tooth discomfort. Not that that’s a big deal. You wonder HOW I have posted here? Well sometimes I can do a few days at a time-just go in and add as needed.

Noah had the 2 day stomach bug starting Wed. AKA constant vomiting/fever. Then his cold turned to croup Thursday night – I was up with him since 2 am on Friday- took him to the the doctors TWICE. Out all day with 2 sick kids. Walk in the door-to the phone ringing. It was the school- Alexa got sent home-white as a ghost, shaking, and a fever of 102.1 (axillary).  Looked SCARY! That;s my Alexa! Perfectly fine one second-crashing the next! She has doen this since birth. Takes a quick turn. Her teaher was so freaked she came to my house to see how she was! (Pays to ALWAYS have your house clean, let me tell you. Sorry thats my OCD kicking in)

Packed our bags.

Went to the ER with her, for the battery of tests-after 6 hours-Pneumonia AGAIN! Thank God, she had good O2 sat’s and her counts were good cause we got to come home on antibiotics, and neb treatments! Was I ever happy.

Saturday-11 am Noah’s 5th b-day party (yes Im insane!!!)! But it went well, and the kids were feeling better. Except mom-exhausted. Seriously, it was a great party.

Now I get to come here, vent and share 😀 AHHHHHHHH!

I know you are all dying to see my Target finds.

I feel they were worth the wait.

So, while browsing the clearance section, I found the BEST thing! I took ONLY 3. Thinking to myself “Lauren, you have TONS of alter-ables, and coasters. You aren’t here to shop for fun, don’t go crazy” So, I put like 6 sets back :C

WHAT! WHAT! What did I put back?

They were bags, with a set of 2 glass coasters in them. They have a silver frame-and in the back, a slot to place a photo! They were on clearance for $1.38. Well I get to the register and it was like 50% off THAT!! So it was only 0.69 CENTS for 2 glass coasters!

I paniced! Had I known how SUPER CHEAP they really were, I would have cleaned them out!  Wanting to go back, but time wa not on my side. I had to get home to get Noah off the bus. Besides I had NO IDEA what I would (if I even would) use them for!

Now I kick myself! I went back-gone. How sad I was.

So here is what I did with them. I made paper weights! Or you could hang them up with pretty ribbon-heck use them for their initial purpose-a coaster! LOL!

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Elenore Roosevelt

I stamped the sentiment on the glass with Pallet ink in black. I stamped the flowers on the insert, so there is a gorgeous layered/3-D appeal to them IRL. BEST part less than 2 minute’s to make each one!! That my friends ROCKS!

LOVE that sentiment by CTMH. Flowers are Stem Silhouettes by SU!

I figure they are great for the secretaries or co-workers for Jason! OR I may put them with the Teacher gifts! They can remove the insert I made, and exhange it with their own thing if they choose.

I will tie each one with ribbon and a tag. I have 6 total. Here is another view of them

 Dont they look so pretty?

OK my next BIG find-again MORON only bought ONE!

Here is a heavy duty plastic tray.

I got the tray for 0.89 CENTS! Its large and really nice to work with!

I had planned on adhering the bottom panel insert under the tray. BUT stupid Lauren, used nail polish remover to get the sticky tag off, and it made it all scratchy and foggy! GASP!!! My tray-ruined!!! Oh well.

 I decided to put in a insert, IN the tray, that can be changed depending on the event! Nice table decor too. You even thought about laminating it for those times you want to throw food items on it. Then just wipe it clean.

The cool gift idea would be figure the color’s of your recipient’s decor then go from there. I also like the idea of giving it with a couple insert’s for them to switch up.

The large candle was only 0.35 cents, and the little ones were a box of 12 for $1.

Just wrapped the candles, then tied with this satin ribbon, that I also got at Target. Gift wrap/bridal invite section-15 yds $2.99! ALL sorts of colors. Yes, I am going back to collect them all.

The bottom of the small candles have scalloped adhered to then for interest. They can even catch any wax that may collect form burning the candles.

Do you LOVE my paper? I did NO stamping, cause I LOVED that paper. It’s crisp. clean, yet detailed. You know what-Its Martha Stewart wrapping paper 😀 On SALE!!!! $3 a roll.

LOVE it. This set took 15 minutes to make-MAX!

This could be the beginings of a great gift set of things. All shrink wrapped, with a bow.

 I did alot of gift basket of handmade stuff last year (made myself), cause I always love the themed one’s I find that cost like a million dollar’s for $50 worth of stuff.

Remember PRESENTATION is EVERYTHING!!!!!

Now those are some way cool finds. I hope that Target keeps them coming 😀

I also hope it was worth the wait to you. If not for the fact you can’t find the items, but look at some you may have, waiting to be made into a reasonable gift from the heart.

I really believe that people remember that stuff most.

Just don’t make anyone Fruit Cake! I don’t think anyone likes that gift-and they will definitely remember WHO gave it to them! LOL! Only so they don’t re-gift it to them.

OK I hope you can all take that as a joke. I know someone is out there who reads this, and makes fruit cake religiously every year!

Tomorrow I share my Elzybells cards-that’s right card “s”!! I made a sample with each new stamp 😀 I had too much fun-and could NOT stop.