And the Winner IS.....

Thanks for all the lovely comments left by all you beautiful people on the Divas blog hop! I promised some blog candy for new followers and comments and the winner is...Nannette! Special thanks to my 5 year old son Cade for helping me write down names & then picking your name out of a hat! (He had a lot of fun playing this game!) Nannette - please send me your address so you can get your goodies!

Please come back and visit again and don't forget to check out the Creative Scrapbooking Divas on our new blog!

Happy Crafting~
Stephanie

Twilight Time!

Reminder: I am offering a chance to win blog candy (free stuff!) for new followers and comments through tomorrow!

Many of you share my love for all things Twilight (and if you don't, you're missing out!) and even though I prefer the books to the movie, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join a Twilight Tag Swap over at MAS (Mini Album Scraps). This swap takes place over the course of several months and focuses on only one movie at a time. The first swap took place in June and of course focused on Twilight, my favorite book, but least favorite movie of the series. Although we were only asked to make one tag design, but six actual tags, you'd think it would be easy. Alas, I have to make everything harder on myself. There were so many scenes from Twilight that I had to make six different tags!

Here is what I came up with:

The papers are a variety of combinations for the front, pics are all from the internet. The backs had to be decorated too, so I actually took my beat up, well read paperback copy of Twilight, scanned the pages from which the pics on each tag were taken, spritzed them with Candy Apple Red glimmer mist, added a rub on and the Twilight obsessed tag.

This was my first tag swap at MAS, and I'm so proud of how they turned out! I am working on my New Moon tags now, due August 23rd, so come back and visit to see how they turned out!

Happy Crafting!

~ Stephanie

Divalicious Christmas in July Blog Hop

Welcome to the Creative Scrapbooking Divas Christmas in July blog hop!
It may not feel like snow outside in the Northern hemisphere, but if we start our holiday projects now, we just might be ready by December! We would love for you to plan and play along! Please join us as we share with you the wonderful holiday projects of CS Divas.

If you are just now joining us, you can go to Luisa's blog to start at the beginning so you won't miss a hop stop and be eligible for the blog hop prize.
Our blog hop list:
Luisa: Creative Designs by Luisa
Sandy: Scrapbook Blessings
Stephanie: The Magic of Ordinary Days (you are here!)
Jessica: Jessica's Craft Shaque
Yolie: Just Yolie, Just Create
Vanessa: Creating Sensations
Pam: Dreamer's Klub
Alecia: Welcome to Alecia's

Don't forget to comment on the main Diva blog here when you are done for a ticket to be entered for the blog hop prize!!! I am also offering blog candy for new followers & comments!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was the advent calendar my mom bought every year with little pieces of chocolate behind those magic paper doors that every day my sisters and I couldn't wait to open! Advent calendars have come a long way since then, & for quite awhile I've wanted to make a muffin pan countdown calendar like the ones I've seen on line.
So, let's get started!

Supplies:
1 - 24 count mini muffin pan (got mine from Wal-Mart!)
Scraps of paper (however you choose to make yours; I used 24 different patterns, but you could do a repeating pattern of the same papers)
Magnets (from your fridge or craft store)
Alpha stickers/rub-ons
Pencil/pen
Scissors
Glue (Elmer's Craft Bond Rubber Cement
Punches, embellishments
Let's Get to Work:
1. First I measured the opening of the muffin wells (2") & made my circles a little bigger (2 1/4") so they would clearly fit over the opening instead of falling in.
2. I picked my papers & cut each circle by hand instead of using my Cricut so I could place the patterns exactly where I wanted them.
3. I decided to make my calendar vertical instead of horizontal, choice is yours!
4. Next I figured out the layout of my circles & numbered them on the backs so I wouldn't forget or lose my place.
5. Once all my circles were cut, I set them aside & grabbed my magnets. Using the same 2 1/4" circle pattern, I traced 24 circles from the magnets. Cut around the circle two times, making the circumference just a bit smaller so the edges don't show once glued to the patterned paper.
6. In order to protect your work surface, place a mat (I use a large sheet of foam from Hobby Lobby) on your table before you start gluing.
7. Use the rubber cement to glue the magnet to the patterned paper. Important: always make sure you're placing the glue on the non-magnetized side! (when you're gluing 24 circles it's easy to just glue without thinking!)
8. Lay your glued/magnetized circles on your muffin pan & choose your alphas for each circle.
9. Embellish
10. Display: You can either place your advent calendar on a stand or drill a hole/holes in the top to draw ribbon through and hang wherever you choose.
What I'll be putting in my calendar:
1. Candy placed in one well per row. (hey - it's for the kids!) 2. Write your wish list to Santa & mail it. 3. Hop on one foot & sing Jingle Bells. 4. Send Christmas cards to troops overseas. 5. Read the Angel visits Mary (Mark 1:1-8). 6. Drink Hot Chocolate. 7. Watch Polar Express. 8. Create a mural of the nativity scene. 9. Buy a new Christmas book to add to our collection. 10. Bake Christmas cookies! 11. Wear Christmas pajamas & take pictures by the tree. 12. Memorize Bible verses from Luke chapter 2. 13. Visit a local Christmas tree farm & buy fresh boughs to make the house smell good. 14. Drive around neighborhoods & look at Christmas lights. 15. Make family Christmas ornaments for 2011. 16. Build a gingerbread house. 17. Make food for Santa's reindeer. 18. Attend Christmas Eve services at church.

I would love to see what you come up with! For two tickets to win the CS Divas blog hop prize, please post your entries using Mr. Linky by July 12th, 7pm eastern, to be entered to win the hop prize.
Thanks for hopping and have a Divalicious Christmas!
(Remember - post a comment at the Divas blog letting us know that you've left comments on all the Diva blogs for a ticket to win! Thanks for stopping by, leaving a comment or becoming a follower! Winner of the blog candy will be announced in one week! (going out of town next week!) Let's head over to Jessica's blog now!
Happy Crafting!
~ Stephanie

Blog Happy

Hello Friends and Family!

Just wanted to take a moment and let you know about an exciting event in my scrappy life - the new blog for the Creative Scrapbooking Divas! I'm in my second term on the design team with these ladies and I have to tell you, it's so much fun and they are all so friendly! I hope you'll follow us on our new blog http://creativescrapbookingdivas.blogspot.com/! We will continue to have awesome challenges, prizes, tutorials, tips and inspiration here and we hope you'll come play along with us!

I will still be working with the Fun Techniques and Products group, and my bio. goes up July 13th. The fun has already begun and gets even better with a Divalicous Christmas in July blog hop set for July 9th. Please visit our blog for all the details. I know there will be prizes and blog candy involved. :) Leave us some love on our new blog and come get creative with us!

Happy Crafting ~

Stephanie

Homecoming

Well, it's been almost one week since my husband returned from his 23 days of Army Reserve training, and the kids and I are so glad to have him back! Although we made it work with him gone, I am happy he didn't have to be gone longer. I know compared to deployments these past few weeks may not seem like a long time, but it is the longest length of time since Cade was born that we have been apart. Here are a few images of his return:

I am so proud of him, and the example of honor, duty, country that he is setting for our children. This Fourth of July weekend I am so thankful for the men and women who volunteer to serve and protect our country, and for their families who sacrifice their loved ones so we may continue to live freely.

Hooah!

~ Stephanie

50 Days of Summer Fun Project!

Say the word "summer" & it usually conjures up images of fun in the sun & lazy carefree days. Most summers that's just fine with me. This summer is a little different for our family in that my DH, Cass, will miss the first month due to 23 days of Army Reserve Annual Training at Ft. Carson, CO. Our 3 yr. old tends to handle daddy's absences better than our 5 yr. old son, who is a bit more sensitive & very attached to his daddy. I was wracking my brain trying to come up with ideas of how to overcome Cass's long trip, when I came upon the perfect idea over at The Crafting Chicks blog. I love this website & visit it regularly. They have some great ideas of things to do this summer with your kids including science camp & making summer achievement badges (much like Boy Scout achievement badges) which I would love to make, but think I'll tackle that project next summer! But I digress - 50 Days of Summer Fun is the perfect solution to summer's inevitable "I'm bored". I love that you can make up your own activities and create your own chart, or download a free, (but blank) copy of the vertical chart above. Being the scrapbooker that I am, of course I had to make my own! Here's what I came up with and how:
I started by opening both a blank Word document & Jamie's chart on the Crafting Chicks website. I copied the 50 items onto my Word doc. & began to edit.
First I changed the page layout to landscape (horizontal) & then formatted the text into three columns. I added the title 50 Days of Summer Fun using the font Marcelle. (download for free here.) The hardest part was actually reading through the list & deciding what I wanted to add & delete.

When I was finished with the list, I printed it out on a piece of pink Basic Grey cardstock from Michaels. (original size was 12x12 so I cut it down to 8 1/2 x11) The background papers & stickers all came from the Echo Park 'Summertime' paper kit available from Hobby Lobby in the paper kit aisle. The blue paper is 12x12, but the argyle is cut down to 4 four inches. I placed them side by side, flipped them over & ran a strip of double sided tape down the sides & across the top. Then I adhered them to a heavy piece of cardstock for added thickness and stability. I glued the list to the blue/argyle, added the stickers, and used a 2" square punch to add Cade & Macy's pics to the right corner. I printed & punched the Marshall Summer 2011, added four banner stickers (Echo Park "A Walk in the Park" kit from Hobby Lobby), topped it with white embroidery thread, buttons, and voila!

The plan is to do as many of things as possible throughout the entire summer, check them off as we go, take lots of pictures, and have a fun-tastic summer! Check back regularly to see how many we've done! Better yet, make your own & leave me a link in the comments section so I can see!

Here's my list:

1. backyard campout 2. finish a chapter book 3. family movie night 4. go to the bookstore 5. go to the movies 6. backyard swim party 7. go to Bouncin' Bears 8. go to a baseball game 9. Pop Pops & Gma Linda's house 10. Read/tell scary stories 11. go to the Farmer's Market 12. make a craft 13. run through the sprinklers 14. have a sleep over 15. go on a nature walk 16. go to a parade 17. fireworks show 18. blow bubbles 19. walk to Mike & Sam's 20. Decorate/rearrange your room 21. water gun fight 22. play flashlight tag 23. celebrate an unbirthday 24. family picnic 25. sidewalk chalk art 26. go bowling 27. make s'mores 28. eat snowcones 29. play at a friend's house 30. make homemade ice cream 31. go on a road trip 32. night stargazine 33. make a summer collage 34. Children's Museum 35. Build a fort 36. Family Game night 37. go on a treasure hunt 38. build a sandcastle 39. Pizza Party 40. Ice cream sundae buffet 41. Grammy & Grampa's 42. plant flowers 43. play at the beach 44. airplane museum 45. kids take pictures 46. chart animals/birds in yard 47. visit a historic landmark 48. play at the park 49. perform a random act of kindness/volunteer 50. visit daddy at work
What's on your list???

Happy Crafting!

~ Stephanie

This project has been linked to:

A Crafty Soiree & Yesterday on Tuesday

Memorial Day Fun

The summer always kicks off with Memorial Day weekend, and while last year we went to the beach, this year was much more low key. Cass had to work the day shift, so at least he was home in the evening. The kids and I played in the backyard sprinkler and had a Silly String fight before dinner. It was a pajama/bathing suit/pajama day and that was just fine with me!!! Here are some images from our day...

Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day as well! Before we did anything, the kids and I watched several M. Day youtube videos. We talked about Daddy being in the Army and what it means to serve in the military. In two days Cass will be gone until the end of the month on an Army Reserve training op, so today had special significance for our family. Special thanks to all the members of our military who have served, and special remembrance to the soldiers and families who died in service to our country. We owe our freedom to you.