10*31*10

Just some pictures of Halloween. Lacy and Dusty brought Jordyn and Ryan to our house after they went to the trunk or treat in their Aunt Linda's neighborhood. It rained pretty bad last night, but we managed to get a few houses in our neighborhood as well.

Trick-or-Treating

Ryan as Harry Potter and Jordyn as Little Red Riding Hood

You should have seen Jordy skipping. She says that LRRH skips all the time. So cute!

Shane and I with Ryan and Jordyn. Shane is supposed to be Freddy, but all he did was put a hat on and his Freddy glove that he made in highschool. Still, he is scary huh?

Diane, my dad's girlfriend, at their house out to greet the trick-or-treaters

10*30*10

I absolutely love Halloween. It is my second favorite holiday (4th of July is the first). I love to dress up, watch scary movies, see other people's costumes, go to parties, and hand out candy to the kiddos. I wasn't going to dress up this year because there are no parties to go to, and Shane and Garrett didn't want to dress up. So I didn't think there was a point.

Well, this morning I was bored. So I went on YouTube and searched Halloween makeup. Wow, if you ever have some free time to waste, do that. It was pretty cool. There are SO MANY videos for this. And some of these people have serious talent.

Anyway, it put me in the mood. So, I went and got me some red hairspray and cheap lipstick. Below are my results. Whadya think? Now I'm all dressed up with no place to go. Hmmmph...

10*28*10

I forget to blog things a lot in my life that are really important. Mostly because I started this blog as a place for me to share my cards and scrapbooking projects. But, my family is who comes here the most. So, I should be sharing my life as well.

On that note, a couple of weeks ago we went down to see some of my mom's side of the family in Mesquite. We haven't seen any of them in about 15 years! That is way too long when you only live 5 hours away from each other. We had some serious fun.

After a hilariously fun road trip with just us sisters (Andy couldn't make it), we spent the night at Aunt Lori's house on Friday night. We went to a car show and fall festival in Overton with Lori and Grandma Hoopes on Saturday morning and met some cousins who don't really remember us lol. They were too young last time.

I'm really glad we went to see them. Grandma has emphysema and lung cancer, so it was important that we did after so many years.

Uncle Rick and Cousin Alicia Singing at the Festival

Mexican Dancers at Festival

Kim, Lacy, Alicia, Lori, and I with Grandma (Dora) Hoopes

Then we drove back to Mesquite and went for a night out on the town with the cousins (Leslie, Preston, and Charlotte), their significant others, Aunt Bonnie and her hubby, Tyler, and Uncle Shan.

There are more pictures, but I didn't really want to surf through them all to pic some good ones for the blog. So, you can find them on Kim's or Lacy's facebook if you're interested. I'm tagged, so even if you're not friends with them, you'll probably see a lot of them if you just click on "view photos of Michelle" under my profile picture.

If anyone knows her, this is so Bonnie!

All the girls--Leslie, Charlotte, Heather (Preston's wife), Lorie, Bonnie, Lacy, Kim, and Me

On our way home, we went to see my mom's road marker where she died. I had been able to avoid picturing the accident up to this point because I couldn't picture where it happened. As soon as I saw the marker, pictures flashed in my mind. Emotions flooded me. She must have been terrified. It was very emotional for all of us. I couldn't have held it together without my sisters there. I kind of wish Andy was there just for this moment. But, then again, maybe it's better that he wasn't. He can barely remember her as it is. But I still wish he'd been there. It was kind of like putting it to rest in my head. Gone but not forgotten.

Me with Mom's marker

Lacy with the marker

Kim with the marker

Her name, birth, and death dates are on the black steel part. You can't see them very well anymore. But they are there.

I love and miss you mom!

10*27*10

I just wanted to share some cards I've made over the past week. I think I've already stated this, but I've made a deal with myself that I can't buy anymore stamps until I use each set I have at least once. Of course, that deal never entered my head until I had already ordered a new one. Dah! I'm so bad. To be fair though, I am in a stamp club. So, I had to by something. I'm obligated. Plus, the set that I bought goes with punches I already own. So it will help me use my other stuff. Right?

This one was made about a month ago at a workshop. But I liked it and wanted to send it to an old friend that I thought would like it.

These next two were also sent to some old friends. Hope they all liked them. I have a thing for zebra stripes. I {heart} this card lol.

I really like the colors on this card, and I used a stamp set that hasn't been used. The rest of the cards below use this same set. It is the A Little Somethin' set from Stampin Up.

One set-down a zillion to go lol.

I hated this card when I first made it. But, when I took the pic this morning I was really liking it.

I just made these last two today. The argyle on both was stamped using the All Around Argyle set from SU. The star was made using the same set I mentioned for the above cards.

I always have a hard time with boy cards, but I think these are awesome. I was originally just going to do the one, but then a piece of the blue bayou patterned paper (also from SU) fell down next to my black and I was in love with the color combo.

This one is my fave! I really like the colors and grunge look.

Well, thanks for looking.

No news on the employment front. I did find some promising leads on the Utah jobs website today, so hopefully something good happens soon.

10*20*10

Just wanted to share a couple little bits of paper-crafty goodness with y'all. My sister, Kim, had a birthday about two weeks ago. I had a good friend of mine make her this watch. Then I made the matching tin and card below. All are in her fave colors--blue and green. I hope she liked it. If I know her, she probably liked the little paint can most lol. She's a cute container lover.

And, this is a card I made today for a good friend of mine that seems to be having a hard time with the whole unemployment thing. We worked together at Roberts, and were laid off at the same time. It's been about three and a half weeks since I've seen her now. I know that doesn't really seem like long, but when you spend every day with someone right next to you for 9-12 hours, you grow on each another lol. I know she was really worried about us losing touch, so I wanted her to know that I could never forget her.

This looks like kind of a masculine card, and truly I didn't know who I was going to give it to when I made it. But the sentiment is perfect, and I know that she'll love the little guy.

I probably need to make some cards for a few of my other girlfriends I used to work with at a previous job as well. They might already think I've forgotten them (oooops). I really haven't though. You know who you are, and I love your faces! I'm just lousy at keeping in touch sometimes.

I'm trying to use every stamp set I own before I purchase any new ones (aside from the ones that are already coming--yikes!). So, you never know if you might get one soon lol.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

10*8*10

Just thought I would post some pictures of one of the best camping trips I've ever had in my whole life. Seriously--we had some great friends with us and it just made it so much fun. We didn't harvest any deer, but I think you can imagine that I don't really mind that too much ;)

I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do. I guess I was just too busy having fun. I wish I would have, but hopefully I'll have plenty more opportunities in the future to take more.

Beautiful Colors

Colin and John with the grouse they shot

Dustin with his 9mm

Garrett shooting the .22

Ryan shooting the .22

Uncle Shane teaching Ryan to shoot the .22

Shane shooting his 9mm

Dad shooting Dusty's .22

Ryan being bored and wanting a ride

Dad and Diane

Shane's Dad

Pam and John

Garrett

Shane

Colin

Dustin

Ryan

Me and Shane

Yep, we sure did order pizza while camping.

Cute kids

To be continued next year..........

10*5*10

Wow, I'm unemployed. I've looked forward to this day for months, and now that it's here, I just don't know what to even do with myself. I feel like I should be stressed out, and so I am. There is plenty to stress about as far as bills or money are concerned, but that's not what I'm stressing over. I feel guilty......like I'm sluffing (sp?) work or something. Like any minute now I'll get called into an office and yelled at. Then I remember. I'm free.

I haven't been unemployed since I was 16 years old. It's odd.

This is the first job that I ever really owned. I loved it. I enjoyed it. I woke up excited to go to work. I made very good friendships. I had it all.

Then it all just started falling apart. I woke up with knots in my stomach. I saw the same fear and stress in my friends faces. I cried all the time. I yelled at my family. It wasn't fun anymore.

So, yes, it is bad to be out of a job in this economy. But, no, I am not sorry. I will find a new job. Hopefully I will enjoy it. For now, I'm free. I can do what I want to and not live in fear. I will love life for now.