Ode to Michael (waltrip!)

OK...so i was watching Speed Channel today.......as usual right??? and yes everything was rained out, but one thing i DID manage to catch went to heart. They interviewed my Mikey, and he was talking about some fan who was like teh biggest Michael Waltrip fan ever! This guy aparently had Napa all over him but his hat was like all old and worn so Mikey, being his normal fab self gave him the hat off his head! (omg, would have fainted on the spot right?) Anyways....it got me to thinking......I in no way claim to be the BIGGEST Michael Waltrip fan ever.....oh no....I don't have a corn field with the Napa car carved into it or a tattoo with the #55 or Mikey's name (scared of needles here!!!, and no corn field! LOL!) BUT! I am a very devoted fan nonetheless!!! Lets look at some examples:

exhibit A: My most PRIZED possession! This is a shirt that i personally designed. I got tired of the fact that there is no quality merchandise for women, so i made my own and proudly wore it to talladega last year...how lucky of me to get to actually MEET mikey while wearing it!!! because the shirt I designed didn't have the signature on it.......that was added by Mikey himself! My #1 fav moment!!!!!!!

exhibit B: My diecast collection. I'm not rich, so its not too big, but i love it! need some more 55's!

exhibit C: My seat cushion! it isn't that comfy, so it is on my wall for display!

exhibit D: My other tshirt colletion, my MWR shirt is the BEST!!! cause i am also a big dave reutimann and marcos ambrose fan....anyone working with mikey is ok in my book! and both of them are superior!

exhibit E: my hats! love them all! wear the crap out of them!!! and oh...check it out...yes, they are all signed , but the visor i was wearing when he signed it...something about he had to be careful when signing my shirt so i didnt 'slap him??? is he INSANE???? no way i would have slapped him! he could have well...nevermind...anyways....he signed my hat too...LOL!

exhibit F: my nascar hotties sign! mikey is front and center! the hottest of them all! right in front of me when crafting/blogging...yummo!

exhibit G: my poster....hubbie bought it for me actually...he supports my habit...LOL! do u think he would be supportive of a little.....(use your imagination!!!)

exhibit H: my necklace....got this at richmond last year, and welll...it turned my neck GREEN!!! aaaackkkk!!! anyone know where I can get a better one??? i would LOVE to wear the #55 all the time!

exhibit I: my phone and keys.......as soon as i foundn out i could get a 55 skin for my phone...well....i ordered it! yay!!! adn my keychain, well...it is an old 15 one, but i hang on to it for posterity sake.

so....like i said....i am not the biggest fan, but i think i rank at least! top 5 maybe?? LOL! u tell me! what do u think??? mikey??? have i gotten you to at least take a peek yet???

**disclaimer: i'm not a stalker....really! just a fan/admirer/fantasizer....LOL!**

under the wire here...

phew! i somehow managed to get all of this weeks cards done for 365 cards!!! YAY!! I have 3 cards to showcase tonight here. First is my favorite one...it is for Day 27: Touchy Feely Friday! I had to use different types of texture on my card here.....I did 2 types of dry embossing (cuttlebug folders), 1 heat embossing, and i used crackle accents! Heat embossing is on the 'dream', crackle accents on the innermost flower layers:

next is todays challenge: Day 27, scraplift yourself! I had to chose one of my fave Layouts and well...shrink it down into a card! One of my fav layouts is this one....where well it displays ME! and pretty much how much i heart michael waltrip...LOL! Here is the LO:

and here is the card! what a great hysterically funny stamp set eh????

last but not least...Day 24: Setting the scene. What better paper than DCWV's green stack!!! check out all the woodland creatures! LOVE them!



in other news.....raceday tomorrow from martinsville, va....right on the other side of the state from me! i am PRAYING for no RAIN! I want to see some racing!!! im really hoping michael has a great day tomorrow......he has been doing so good lately, I want to see him in victory lane sometime, then again...i think i would pee my pants if that happened!!! go mikey! i'll risk it! LOL!!!!!! shoutout to david reutimann and marcos ambose as well.....david is the 'franchise' apparently, and well....i saw marcos on Trackside last night, and he is just TOO CUTE!!!! LOVE all his 'Australia-isms!!!' MWR rocks my WORLD!!!!!!!!

why i LOVE cafemom!!!

OK....I got the BEST suprise EVER about an hour ago....courtesy of one of my FAV hangouts online, cafemom!!! I have been a cafemom member for going on 2 years now and well...you might say I'm a bit addicted to it....LOL! A few days ago, I got a message from the cafemom influencer program notifying me I had been selected to receive a Kodak ESP-7 All in one printer, if I agreed to do 3 projects with it and journal about them. Well of COURSE I will do it!!! I get to KEEP the printer! a 200$ printer! So I immediatly filled out the form, and then read how it was on a first come, first serve basis, and to wait for another message if I was actually going to receive one. Well...since I heard nothing back...I assumed I was too late and hadn't been truly selected. Until....my husband comes down to my scraproom and says...'look what the big brown truck just brought you!' and he has the printer in his hands! HOLY CRAP! They actually sent me this printer!!! I can't believe it! I am so excited!!! I even burnt dinner I was so excited about it, totally forgot I was even cooking! So...yes....I am an even BIGGER fan of cafemom than ever now, if that is even possible...LOL! Now I have to clean my scraproom to make room for it....geez...and Trackside Live is coming on in about an hour..what to do, what to do....! I'll let you know how awesome this printer is once I get it hooked up! THANKS SO MUCH CAFEMOM!!! AND KODAK!!!

cards, cards, cards!

What else is new right??? More 365 card challenges!!!!!!! Today I have 2 challenges done! First is Day 26~ color me anything..but THAT! Which meant...I needed to use the color i normally shy away from...in my case, that would be YELLOW! The only time i like yellow is when it is with blue for NAPA, and Michael Waltrip! Yellow on cards? Not so much my fav...LOL! But...here is my yellow based card for ya:

The next card is for day 25: ad inspired challenge. Here is the ad I was inspired by:

I picked up on the colors, and the flowers!!! It helped that I just got some awesome new stamps from Wendy!!! Love them!!!!!

On another note....tomorrow (or should I say, later today...LOL...) is NASCAR on SPEED DAY! YAY!!! will be parked in front of my TV all day watching SPEED CHANNEL!!! GO Mikey! and all of MWR! (which has a blog now....woohoo!!! got em linked to my blogroll! ) Will update tomorrow on Mikey's qualifying status....fingers and toes crossed for ya!

Crossword Connection...

Back to the cards!!! I made this card last night for Day 23 at 365 cards. The crossword puzzle image was provided for us to print out and add to our cards in some way. At first I had NO idea what I was going to do with it, so I printed it out (on vellum for some reason??) and put it aside for a day. Then, I remembered a sketch on Simply Scrapping, and thought..hmmm.....got it! And this is what I can up with! The crossword puzzle was printed on vellum and then embossed with black soot distress embossing powder. The patterned paper is all Making Memories Love Notes line. Thanks for stopping by! More posts to come, probably today!

Simply Scrapping.....

Evening scrappers! Nascar fans! I have news on both fronts tonight!!! First....I will talk about Simply Scrapping....it is a fairly new online forum, with shopping, and FABULOUS sketches! As I am broke, I have not done any shopping yet...BUT! I have fallen in LOVE with their sketches! They are super fabulous!!! I worked on one of them tonight actually! I am in crunch mode as I totally forgot I have a design team LO due for All About Scrapbooks....my LSS which I am on the design team for. The theme is all about SPRING! So..spring pics, spring colors.....you get the point! Since I work best with sketches, I went straight to Simply Scrapping! This is my adaptation of their newest sketch.....I think the store is going to be happy! I know I am! Don't mean to toot my own horn TOO loud, but I really love this! Thanks to the DT at Simply Scrapping for the sketch!

On another note....

In nascar news....and maybe I am WAY behind the times on this one...BUT! Got some exciting news last night....God help me....Michael is SINGLE! Well...accordiing to his facebook page at least.....could be wrong right? But...my sources tell me it is true! Why am I happy about this? As I am a married woman?? No idea! But it just makes me HAPPY! I should be upset and feel sorry for him...but instead I'm like...OMG...what if??? LOL.....BAD TRACEY!!! to even THINK thoughts like that! But seriously??? do u fault me??? Just makes the fantasy that much BETTER!!! We all fantasize right??? Sweet dreams to ME!!

a sweet suprise!

So...in doing my daily blog hop the other night, I noticed Teresa had a nice blog award on hers! Of course she should have it, as she always says the nicest things to people, and makes fabulous stuff! Then I noticed, she was passing it to ME! HOW super sweet!!!!! So...here it is! My second award! I'm so proud! Does this mean I spend too much time blogging? LOL!!! I can't help myself! I just LOVE looking at everyones stuff and being inspired! I'd like to pass this award on to a few different people, one being a group of people.....the DT at 365 cards for always brightening my day with their awesome comments on my cards! Second, my friend Wendy, who always always leaves me the nicest comments, and well...she is just a great person! Karen Lee....who I don't know personally, but she also visits my blog often and leaves me super nice comments...thanks Karen! Janet....well...she just always always has the nicest things to say!!! And....of course, my BFF Lesley!!!

Thanks again Teresa for thinking of me! And pass it on ladies!

bristol....and cards!

ok....so one of my FAV races to watch....BRISTOL!!! So, i ran all my errands this morning, put dinner in the crockpot and settled in for some racing! Well....less than halfway in...my day was rained on....sort of. Mikey had a tire go down and had to pit under green. So...that helped him get 2 laps down i think....then there was some sort of lug nut problem with the pit...so back for round 2 of green flag stops...THEN...i hear something about a speeding penalty in the pits....so when this is all said and done....i look up to see mikey 5 laps down! At this point, I figure it is un-recoverable, and am bracing to hear on my scanner some UGLINESS. BUT! This is my favorite part...Mikey actually is POSITIVE! He actually thanked his crew for the adjustments they made on the car, and says they will just have to keep on going and hang in there! Holy CRAP! I was SO PROUD to be a Mikey fan at that moment! When the chips were stacked against him...he kept his cool and was positive! Sometimes...that is the way to go! I mean, yes....finishing 32 isnt' the best...but a positive attitude goes a LONG way! We'll get em next week!

Now..on to the cards....LOL...its all about the cards..which i made some while watching the race actually! 3 more to 'unveil' for 365 cards! I actually am very excited about todays sketch (day 22). I used a set I have had for along time and haven't used yet. It is called Make it Count, by Close to my Heart, and has clocks! Not sure why I haven't used it yet, but I got it out the other night and SWORE I was going to use it....and this sketch was perfect! It helped that DT member Gloria used it as well for the sketch....just the push I needed! thanks!!!!!

My next card is for Day 5: thankful thursday. This is a card that is supposed to be easy to reproduce! I used another ctmh set..but this one, well....i use it ALOT, because it ROCKS! It was septembers stamp of the month last year, 'treasure life' and i'm PRAYING it makes anotehr appearance in the catalogue this year, it is fabulous!

Last but not least, well...maybe it is least, as it didn't come out how i pictured it..LOL! This is for Day 4: ad inspired challenge. I was inspired by the colors and the tall flowers. Like I said, this isn't how I envisioned it...but....here it is!!!

Now...off to make some more cards!!! Have a great week everyone!

halfway there....

...for now at least! I have 11/21 cards done for this month in 365 cards! Since I plan on making cards for the rest of the night...i'm hoping to get even closer to completing them all! Got 3 more here to display......

Here is my card for day 20, inside out! This one is very simple on the outside, and embellished on the inside! Of course, I went straight to my cricut for this one....it cut a card out nicely for me!

Next we have day 15's sketch! Pretty straight forward here...except OH! I got GRUNGEPAPER today! So...my butterflies are make from grungepaper!!! Thanks to Stephanie at Scrap-a-doodle-doo for hooking me up! LOVE it so far! One thing though....umm...this stuff will burn if you heat it for too long! yes...i had smoke in my scraproom today....ooopsie! Whole new learning curve here.....LOL!

Last but not least....Day 18...going GREEN! I am LOVING this little guy....the stamped bug (not sure what kind of bug he is....!) is from a set of Crafty Secrets Stamps I got. I now have 3 sets of their stamps...they are amazingly cute!!!

Big day tomorrow...BRISTOL!! Mikey rolls out 21st which is not too shabby considering he is in a backup car! Yes....he wrecked the napa toyota during practice yesterday...i cringed in my seat to watch it! But....it appears the backup car is just as good....looking forward to a great day of racing!! Go Mikey!!!!

somebody STOP me!

I'm on a major card kick!!! I am obsessed with catching up on the 365 cards!!! Right now I have 8 out of 19 done!!! So I'm not even close to catching up!! I need to do some Layouts and other stuff too...i'm just STUCK on CARDS!!! Is that so bad though?? really??

Anyways....today I did Day 19: keep it to yourself. This one was supposed to be a birthday card with no sentiment! The image was supposed to speak for itself! So...I chose cupcakes! Hope the message is loud and clear! I used the Close To My Heart 25th anniversary set, Good Times for this one....it is so CUTE! And, it was free! So...even better!!! The rest of the card, i am happy to say, I made out of my scrap bin! YAY! now that it is organized...it is much easier for me to grab scraps for cards!

This next one is for 2 different things...I used the sketch from Day 1 on 365 cards, AND it was a swap/challenge on cafemom! We had to send a baggie with specific card supplies to a partner and then make a card using ONLY the supplies we received back. I about died laughing when I opened mine today! Linda sent me these stamped images of this chicken!!! Not sure what company they are...but HYSTERICAL!!! I LOVE it!!! So of course I had to make my card immediatly!!! Hope it makes y'all laugh as well!

Now to switch gears a bit...after the week off last week...nascar comes back tomorrow! woot woot!!! I'm gearing up for a much needed day of race coverage from Bristol tomorrow...I'll be sure to voice my opinions on everything all weekend!

the SUN came out!

After 5 days of rain in a ROW...the sun FINALLY came out today! It has been wet and cold and miserable for so long, it was a pleasant suprise today! We even grilled out for dinner! Of course....looks like more rain tomorrow...but I'm just happy we had sun today! So how fitting that 365 cards had a SUN card challenge?? Day 16 was called 'imagine this' and was about sunshine! I couldn't resist working on that one today!

I also made a card for a new blog I found, CPS--card positioning system. I have been seeing sketches for about a year now with 'cps' on them and never knew what it meant! Now that I know....I am playing along!!! This is my card for CPS107! I know it is simple....but simple and sweet!

Happy St. Patties Day!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy St. Patricks Day today!!!!! Be sure to check out the St. Patricks Day ATC challenge over at if the shoe fits...scrap it!! Now off to find some green beer.......(just kidding! way too early for that...LOL!) Have a great day, and thanks for stoppin by!

4 cards for 365 cards challenge...

ok.....so i did some catching up this weekend on 365 days card challenges....I still have a lot more to go before I am completely caught up...but I got 4 more done!!! So....

This first one is for Day 14: DIY! I hope this counts....we were supposed to make a homemade flower embellishment, I did it using stamps.....it is a 3 flower stamps layered on top of each other with pop dots and then stickled with faded jeans distress stickles.

This next one is for Day 13: Festive Friday! Colors were red, blue and yellow. I'm not really in love with this one....but here it is, it is a tag shaped card!

This one is for Day 9: Just the Scraps! I found some old DaisyD's paper laying around in my scrap bin and made this set of 4 3X3 cards. I made a box to put them in too...but that i had to get a piece that WASN'T scraps for...so just showing the cards here!

Last one is for Day 2: Less is more! Use no more than 2 embellies! Well....if you count the butterfly, I have 2 embellies! the butterfly and the ribbon!!!

I am LOVING doing these card challenges....I will definetly be going back and doing more...my goal is to do ALL of them...so...more to come! thanks for the challenge!!!

BUSY weekend!

To say I have been busy crafting this weekend would be an understatement! The crop in cafemom isn't even over but I am running on empty here! In one weekend, I made 22 cards (some for 365 cards blog....i'll have to sort them out later!) 2 layouts, and an atc! Thought I would share my layouts for now until I can figure out what days the cards I made go to over at 365 cards. I can't believe I got all this done, I have NEVER made this much in such a short amount of time!!! Now the bad news....my scrap room is a MESS! Looks like a tornado came through here! This is NOT going to be fun to clean up...guess I will be very busy for the next few days.....stay tuned for my card post coming tomorrow probably! Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

365 Cards: Day 12 Challenge

Ok...so I found this blog called 365 Cards...and LOVE the idea of making a card a day! Considering my first card is day 12, I'm a little behind...but I can catch up right! Anyways...todays challenge was to make a card with the theme of 'A Big Move'. This was challenging for me, as I don't have ANYTHING related to that theme! No house stamps, nothing! So....I decided to open up a stampset that has been sitting on my shelf unused and just write my own sentiment on it (using my CTMH alphabet stamps set!) The image and patterned paper come from Stampin' Up (frome wendy!). I know it isn't a typical moving card, but it works right? I like it! I may even stash it away and mail it to someone next time the Navy uproots us!

In other news....no race this weekend...boohoo!!! Whatever will I do without my Mikey fix??? OH WAIT! There IS an online crop this weekend in Cafemom....in cropnchat! Sounds like a plan to me! A whole weekend of scrappiness.....I'm even thinking about doing a midnight house cleaning tonight in preparation.....oh yes...that IS what I am going to do. Nothin' like scrappin' to take my mind off the absence of a race this weekend....

Just a few....

LO's I have made recently! I have been a busy bee working on challenges lately! Some of these were for groups on cafemom, others for If the Shoe fits....scrap it! Just thought I would share them here today! (plus, it keeps me from cleaning!!!)

In nascar news.....I'd like to give a big shout out to KURT BUSCH! Keeping Hendrick out of victory lane for a 4th week....yay Kurt!!! Mikey finished 25th yesterday, which I must say is GREAT considering how much I heard him complaining about his car on his radio yesterday...all i can say is Bootie Barker is my HERO! How he keeps his cool with Mikey is beyond me, but he is the star of MWR right now as far as I am concerned. Love Mikey to death, but man! Bootie is the man!!! No race next week...I will probably go through withdrawals this weekend sometime....good thing there is an online crop scheduled in Crop n Chat on cafemom this weekend to keep me bu

Procrastination over...back to cleaning....ugh.....happy monday everyone!

Best Comments Award

My good friend Wendy over at Paper Therapy was nice enough to give me my first blog award! What a nice suprise this morning!!! Wendy....same thing you said on your blog....your projects make it super EASY to leave nice comments! They are fabulous!!! Now to spread the love to some more deserving gals....I hereby award this to the following 5 people:

Kristy: My corner of the studio

Jill: Is this my life really?

Lesley: Scrap-a-daisy

Tammy: momof2lilboys

Christy: ScrappinforJacey

I hope you ladies will all accept this award and pass it on!!! thanks to y'all for leaving me such nice comments on my work, and thanks Wendy for giving me this award!

Cuttlebug Watercolor Challenge

I made this card yesterday for a be inspired challenge on Cuttlebug Challenges. It was alot of fun! I had been wanting to try this techniqe for a while, and it got my butt motivated to do it! I took 3 distress inks ( broken china, tea dye, and dusty concord) and smeared them on my craft mat. Spritzed them with some water and then smooshed my paper around in it until it was covered. Then..as I am impatient, i zapped it with my heat gun to dry it. It looked beautiful with the mix of colors! Next step...I pulled out an embossing folder I bought a while ago and had never used...inked it up with walnut stain distress ink and embossed my watercolored paper. The end result was so lovely! I'm not sure that I did it justice with the card I mounted it on, but I did my best!

Today is cleaning day for me....I have gotten alot done already today, but not nearly enough! Hoping to get some more done after lunch so I can get crafty again tonight! And of course I can't clean tomorrow...nascar is on Speed all day! I must watch!

Oh one more thing....and this is so LAME of me! I recently started a facebook page..yes...another thing for me to sit and look at all day....and of COURSE I had to send mikey a request right?? I know, I know, he has like some 3000 people on his page...but i just HAD to be one of them. I got approved today! yay! I spent a good part of my cleaning breaks today browsing his many pictures....LOVE them! Thanks Mikey! or whoever clicked the little approve button...LOL! Brightened my day!

2 worlds collide...

on this! my new wall hanging for my scraproom! isn't it grand??? I started working on this during the Daytona 500 (dh was being an ASS!) and just never got it done. Today i was determined to finish it so I had something attractive to help motivate me with my scrapping!

It is a sheet of posterboard I covered with some paper, and cut out all my fav hotties from a nascar illustrated magazine...then embellished! Title is cut out on my cricut using mini monograms cartridge, the cars and checkered flags are stamps from Close to my Heart Stamp set 'finish line', and the lips, cut out of indie art cart. I made it sparkle with some stickles of course, then hung it right above my desk! I am already feeling like scrapping, even though my kids have been screaming and fighting all day...thanks tony, mikey, jimmie, denny, elliott and kasey for inspiring me with your hotness!

Mom's Bday Card

OK...well....it is Tuesday, so..no nascar til friday...guess it's time to get scrappy!!!

My mom's birthday is tomorrow, and I had the PERFECT stampset to make her card! She always has the most beautiful gardens, vegetable and floral. She has a green thumb that i am green with envy over! I just can't seem to keep stuff alive, let alone have plants thrive the way they do in her yard! The only time I even came close was when I lived in Pittsburgh and she came over the help me!!! So....when I got my Close to my Heart order last week and Ms. Gardener was there....I just HAD to use it to make her card!

I stamped the image of Ms. Gardener on white cardstock, and then patterned paper. I cut out her pants and hat from the patterned paper to create a paper pieced image. The rest of her was colored in using my Close to my Heart watercolor pencils, and blended with our blending pen. The sentiment and flower pot are also from the Ms. Gardener stampset, and flower pot is also colored with watercolor pencils.

I am VERY happy with how it turned out, and hope she likes it when she gets it. My mom is visiting my sister in Charleston, SC right now, and won't get home til thursday, so she will have her bday card a day late. Funny that keeps happening!

OUCH!!!

well..not the kind of day I would have hoped for my mikey.....but, it cant' be a perfect year right???
i tuned in for the race at las vegas today with high hopes for the napa toyota, and well...it could have been worse right?? 27th...well...16 people did worse right??? and hey..he is still 12 in the standing....i mean 12! that is spectacular!!! i am still proud of my mikey..he might as well be winning in my book!!!
onto other more juicy stuff...cause that is what you tune in for right??? so... i have always been a huge hendrick hater forever right??? yes...it's true..can't stand em. and jimmie johnson..well why does he alway win!!! spread teh love man!!! i have hated him for as long as i can remember! my dd alexis even knows we don't like JJ!!! Sooooooooooo why in the HELL did i start dreaming about him a few months back???? Who knows...but man..he is HOT!!! not so hot today as he hit the wall...LOL! Can I have a hot dream tonight??? Anyways...mikey is still 12th in points, which is SPECTULAR!! GO MIKEY!!! LOVE YA BABE!!! (grey beard and all...LOL!!!)
off to post my first post for my other blog...if the shoe fits...please come join me!!! happy scrappin and sweet nascar hottie dreams to me right???
check it out ...for...well...not so good for mikey...

Has it really been THAT long.....

.....since i made it to the bottom of the laundy hamper????? APPARENTLY!!! LMAO here!!!
so i decided i would stay up super late tonight and clean my house while kids are sleeping...no interruptions, noone to mess up a room as soon as i finish. I am starting my 2nd load of laundry here a little after 12:30 am when i discover a suprise......there is a TON of stuff in the bottom of the hamper, that AREN'T CLOTHES! Stuff that has been MIA for quite a while!!! Alexis' shoe has been missing for a LONG time! But there it is at the bottom of the hamper! Along with the 2 controllers to the Vsmile, a book, a few pictures from my bookshelf, PRINCESS DORA(can't believe Alexis hasn't been freaking about that one!), and other random toys. HOLY CRAP! Am I seriously THAT delinquent on the laundry??? I'm shocked...seriously. What the heck have I been doing??? Good thing I finally got to it right? No telling how long those things could have been down there....phew! they are rescued! Now i better get my BUTT back to the cleaning so I can watch the RACE tomorrow....(technically later today i mean) and do some quality SCRAPPING!!! GO MIKEY!!!