Postcards from Paris...

I went to my local scrapbook store, All About Scrapbooks, the other day to drop off my design team projects, and well...decided to do a little shopping while I was there! I happened upon the most fabulous paper from Websters's Pages. They had a bunch of different lines there, but I was most drawn to this "postcards from paris" line....so I bought all they had! I was disappointed they only had one sheet of the paper with the hot air balloons on it, so I figured I better make the most of that sheet. So....I found a picture I LOVE, and used it! (Im actually suprised I didn't hoard that sheet for like a year! LOL!) After 48 hours of working on this, I am finally done! I used a sketch from Simply Scrapping to get this one done (sketch below!)

(the fabulous sketch by Judy at Simply Scrapping!)

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to check out Simply Scrapping to see more fabulous sketches like the one I used!!!

~tracey

Sketchy Thursday Challenge!

A new 'blogger buddy' of mine Diana, has a fabulous little challenge blog called 'sketchy thursdays'! The sketches are AMAZING! I peek at them every week and somehow never get around to actually doing any of them....until now! I made time and got scrappy! Check out this fabulous sketch:

and here is mine! imagine that, a layout of me and my bff Les.....i even titled it BFF!

Thanks for stopping by today!
~tracey

Digital Ink #2

I made this card for a challenge on Digital Ink - Co. Their challenge this week was a sketch challenge! Easy right? I used June-bug paper from Basic Grey and some stamps I picked up in the dollar bin at Michaels!
Thanks for stopping by!

~tracey

Embrace Imperfection!

So...the story behind the title! My best friend and I like to do silly things sometiems during the races....today we decided to do a 'speed round' of card making! Yes...we worked very quiucly, and had time constraints to make a card, even a time for when it had to be posted to blog....lol! SOOO.....I am about to be on time now, and here is miine! Maybe not perfect, but, as my title states, I am EMBRACING IT! This is for a sketch on Simply Scrapping made by Judy, you REALLY need to check out Simply Scrapping, it is a fabulous site for scrappers/cardmakers, tons of fun and challenges to inspire you! (and prizes! LOL!) So there you have it, my card, unfinished as it may be, I'm not adding anything to it!!!!! Love ya Les!!!

2 trips to Heaven in one year???(Richmond!!!)

OK WOW! I'm actually still reeling from this past weekend, but have FINALLY gotten time to sit down and tell the tale! And oh, what a tale it is! Richmond....the race I have been looking forward to for quite a while....a race, in my backyard, 2 days before my birthday....what more could I ask for????

So Friday, Lesley and I headed up to the track to see what was going on that day. We really wanted to see Riki Rachtman, but found out rather quickly that his appearance was not for the general public...oh well right? We would see him on Saturday, hopefully! So we drank some brews and hung out at the track and had ourselves a GOOD time! Maybe too good a time, because we figured out we had drank a little TOO much and were unable to drive home. So..we decided to stay and check out the Nationwide Race....

(les and I!)

(the Nationwide race...go Denny!)

Ahhh..Saturday has arrived....RACE DAY!!! WE packed up around 10am with me, Les, Tanisha, Tim and Zach and headed to teh track! Started off the day with a PINK DRINK!

Here are Les and Tanisha...2 of the best friends I could EVER ask for!

So the deal was.....about a month before the race, I had scored some VIP passes for being a Sprint customer and having race tickets. I had 2 passes to attend the post race Chase celebration in Victory Lane! How cool eh? Of course, I always felt bad about this, as I had 5 people in my party. I felt horrible that Tanisha, Tim and Zach would not be able to go with us to the celebration, but they were ok with it. Until, the opportunity presented itself....

I was also the messenger for the Walnutz this weekend, which meant, I was deliivering fan letters to Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann. I had these 2 binders full of messages for them that I had to drop off. When I went to the track, I had high hopes that I woudl meet Michael at his souveneir trailer, but those hopes were dashed when I found out....not gonna happen. I resigned myself to the fact and dropped off the binders with Mike in the trailer (Mike who works there, not MW!) A few minutes later, Tim wondered off...wtf TIM! We hunted him down on the other side of the midway, and low and behold, what do my ears hear? I hear 'and Michael Waltrip will be appearing.....' and it drowns off....OMG! where! when! I must find out! Further investigation and I find out it is at the Sprint tent! AND...they are playing Sprint PLINKO! So i run over, as I have a Sprint phone right? Come on! I have a blackberry with a Michael Waltrip skin on it! So, I get to play PLINKO, and what do i win???? 2 more VIP passes! So now Tim and Tanisha are hooked up for the party! POOR ZACH!!! BUT! even BETTER (for me....heehee) as I am up there, the guy who has me playing plinko, gives me....a private meet and greet pass to meet Michael! What are the odds???? So now, i am meeting Michael, Tim and Tanisha have VIP passes! WOW! and THEN, Tanisha manages to get one more pass for Zach! It is amazing! Everyone is happy! OMG! I have to go retrieve teh binders so I can deliver them in person!!!

So......I go get teh binders....and prepare to meet Michael! Turns out....I can take one person with me...and Les demands that Tanisha go! Awesome!!! And here we go, teh big meeting! Check out this picture...see that smile? It is for ME! Michael came back with a huge smile, walked over and gave me a super huge hug! I about melted..He asked if I had something for him, which now I knew, he knew who i was! Tanisha asked, jsut to be sure....LOL! She is like....'do u know who she is???' and he confirmed!

So I deliver teh binders.....

and get my picture!

ANd then go out to watch the public appearance...which, I am so incredibly happy, nothing else matters!

So then, I had pit passes too....and Tim and I tour the pits...look! it is Wendy Venturini!!!

Michaels pit box...awesome!

the most beautiful car in the world...

ANd now....into the track....

the second most beautiful car.

the 3 of us!

and then the REAL fun begins! we headed inside the track at lap 360.....I met Miss Sprint cup! Anne Marie! She (and Monica!) are AMAZING!

And then, for the second amazing moment of my day....I got to talk to Jimmie Johnson!!! We got to ask the chase drivers anything we wanted, and all i wanted to do was wish Jimmie Johnson a Happy Birthday! I am exactly 3 days older than him and wanted to share! So....i got the microphone and told him! I was shaking teh whole time! my lips were quuivering, it was amazing! I tlaked to Jimmie! WOW! He said thanks, I told him about my bday, he said 'so we are in this together!'....wow! look! here it is! he is talking to ME here!

And then......they ssang happy birthday to me! in Victory lane! WOW! I feel so incredibly lucky! I think I am the luckiest girl in the entire world! And so lucky to have friends like I do....I am so glad they were there to share my day with me! It was teh best day ever! Here are a few more pics from Victory Lanee.....we got up close in personal with the drivers!

This truly was like a trip to heaven.....I am not sure I have come down yet...it was amazing. Funny, I keep thinking of other things I would have said to Jimmie and Michael if I could go back....guess I will have to wait til next time eh???!!!!! Hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures at the track!!

WOW!

i love this picture! just wanted to share it quickly before I go to bed! promise i will fill you all in with the details tomorrow!

A not-so-quick Card

I set out today to make a few cards...and it is now almost 8 and well, I only got one done! I am just DRAGGING! Anyways...this card is for 3 different challenges.

1. Cupcake Craft's Pearls and Swirls--I have pearls in the center of the flowers and swirls coming down from teh butterflies, made using perfect pearls!

2. Simply Scrapping Card sketch #26, visit Simply Scrapping for a TON of fabulous sketches, for cards and layouts!!!

3. Pile it On! their challenge was to use all black and white and add a 'pop' of color.



Short and sweet today, I am extremely tired for some reason, so i think I will take a nap! Thanks for looking!

~tracey

Want to win THIS???

Come join me at Simply Scrapping during the month of September and play along in our monthly challenges for your chance to win the above scrappy goodness! Last month, we only had 5 participants! That was a 1 in 5 shot to win BIG! Don't miss out this month! Hurry over to Simply Scrapping TODAY!!!

Crazy for Challenges #1

I found a brand new challenge blog....yay! It is called Crazy 4 Challenges, and this is their very first challenge. Maybe I can win at this one! (not likely, but, we all know I will try!) I'm not sure what all teh challenges will be, but this first challenge was a sketch! I REALLY liked this sketch! Check it out, and then my interpretation:

I used Making Memories Love Notes line for this card, along with Wino-bella! This card, unlike most others I make, has a destination in mind. I made it for my main 'crush' Michael Waltrip. Yes, I know, I am silly, but, I will be seeing him this weekend, and well, no way I could actually meet him without giving him a card! Cards are what I DO! I HAD to make him one! Anyways...thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out Crazy 4 Challenges! It looks as it will be something new and definetly exciting!

~tracey

dear michael:

ok, for all those nosey's out there, this is a letter to my mikey.....hopeing he will read it. It is NOT juicy or anything, just , i need a way to write him and this is the only way i know!
so..
Dear Michael,
MESSAGE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY MICHAEL!
~tracey

Basic Grey September 09 sketch

I made this LO yesterday (and today!) based off of Basic Grey's September Sketch. For the life of me, I don't know where I got the sketch online, as my BFF emailed it to me yesterday, and well I printed and didn't save! So....you are just going to have to trust me that it is off of their sketch! Im not really happy with this one overall, but i think my firework embellishments turned out good! I stamped a flower upside down and embossed it black, then added a bunch of stickles! Oh, and since it was a Basic Grey sketch, I used all Basic Grey! I used the Ambrosia line, just seemed to fit with the fireworks!!!!! That's all I got for now....thanks for stopping by!
~tracey

Cry me a River...

From time to time, I get very overwhelmed with life. And, I don't know what to do about it...sometimes I feel like I have nobody to talk to, so I just hold it all in. I have decided to let it all out...here. This is my blog right? I can do whatever i want....so...i'm crying my river on here.....
I should be ECSTATIC right about now. It is 5 days til the race at Richmond. I have tickets, AND a bunch of cool VIP stuff, like, pit passes, and tickets to the post race Chase celebration, where I may be very close to some of my fav nascar hotties. Yet....I am not excited. I am sitting here crying instead. Im not even sure I am looking forward to the weekend. When I originally planned this weekend, it was well...MONTHS ago....and it was going to be me and 4 of my gal pals going out for 'ladies night at the track'. My birthday is 2 days after the race, and THIS is what I wanted for my birthday. I asked my husband if he could arrange to have the weekend off so I could spend the weekend at the track, which is something that i just LOVE. Within the past week, it has just all gone to shit. Of the 5 original ladies that were going, 2 have bailed. I don't blame them, life happens....they can't go. My poor BFF has to drive up here after she gets off work on thursday, which is MIDNIGHT! I am so worried about her driving all night. And then I know she will be tired on Friday, which I d on't blame her at all, i want her to rest up. This possibly means not going to the track on Friday. A sacrifice i am willing to make for her...she is going to alot of trouble to get here. My other friend who is still coming, well....now we have a guy coming..LOL! No more 'ladies' night....oh well...at least she is still coming, I would have been super bummed if she didn't come. I just want everything to go smoothly...and have a fun day at the track, like i have beenlooking forward to. wish i could get this empty feeling out of my stomach.
And then there is the other drama that surrounded the race for the past week. My husband found out...he has to work! So, i had no babysitter. Over a MONTH ago, I asked my MIL if she would be willing to come down here a few days earlier than she originally planned just in case this happened. My husbands entire family is headed here a few days after the race for my BIL's chief induction ceremony on the 16th. I figured, my MIL could come a few days early, to help me out in case Jaime had to work. This was like i said, over a month ago i asked. She told me she had a doctors appt on that friday and she didn't want to reschedule it. This disappointed me. Honestly, I have rescheduled TONS of appts if something else came up, to me , others are more important. I'm nto saying she doesnt' feel this way, it just disappointed me. And then, wehn it came down to no shit, he really has to work, well, we had noone. I had made arrangements to drive my kids to PITTSBURGH (from virginia, where i live...7 hour drive) on friday and then go get them on sunday, just so I could go to the damn race, which is supposed to be my birthday present.Even with that, she was still unwilling to budge on the doctors appt. This sereiously upsets me. Seriously. I bend over backwards for others all the time. Do you know how many roadtrips i have made alone with my kids to go visit others??? ALOT! Seems like I do it all the time. People don't realize it is not an easy thing to do, and it has a major effect on me for a very long time after I make those trips, wears me OUT! But...I do it. And I will continue to do it, it is important to visit and help out family in my opinion.
but now I am straying from the main piont. Turns out now, Jaime is saying he will be able to be home on Saturday and I can go to the race as planned. So sad that i am not excited about it...but all this has just well..taken something away from it for me I suppose. I hope I start to feel better as the week goes on...but at this point, I just have this empty feeling in my stomach.

On to other things...thta is just a stream....and i said i was crying a river. My life here at home. well....I hate it. I feel so overwhelmed all the time. there is so much to do, and I just don't have the energy. I think I am so overwhelmed by it all, that i just sit and do nothing, which essentially makes it worse. my husband, well, he doesnt help me. he has the attitude that since he works, he doesn't have to do anything around the house . every once in a while, he will do like one thing..but rarely. it would never occur to him to maybe help me with the dishes, or shit, even just sit and talk to me while i wash them. nope. he just plays xbox all day. and smokes cigarettes. that's it. i do evertying. cook, laundry, dishes, careing for the kids. everything. when do i get a day off? granted, a little while back, i DID get like a little over 48 hours off when i drove to my BFF's house for the weekend. it was such a SHORT time though! It just FLEW BY! Everytime I am washing the dishes now, for some reason, i cry. i don't know why, i just cry. i just hate it so much that i feel like i am always washign dishes. i dread it so much. when we are sitting down eating, i can't even enjoy my meal ever because i am thinking about how i am going to have to clean it all up when we're done. it sucks. i know....waa waa waa...right? i chose to be a stay at home mom right? i get to stay home all day and not work. well....it is not all it is cracked up to be. i rarely get to sit down for more than 5 miinutes before one of my kids needs/wants something or is running to me crying and tattling on the other one. it is not fun. i think my husband loves his xbox more than me. he spends way more time with it than me. i asked him the other day if it would kill him to spend 5 minutes talking to me when he gets home from work before he runs to the machine.....he just said, 'ok', and then well..ran back down the hall to the xbox. it will never happen. he will continue to love thexbox more than me. what can i do? nothing. honestly, maybe i love my computer more than him. but...i feel i have been forced into this. what else can i do? i have retreated into my own little world here online due to lack of a real life at home. so if i say he is addicted to his xbox, i have to be fair and say i am addicted to my computer as well. but...i would give it up if i was asked to. he douesnt' seem to care though. he rarely notices me anymore i don't think. my birthday is a week from today. i would be willing to bet he doesn't get me anything. instead, i will spend the entire day cleaning in preparation for his family to arrive. nice....

now lets dive a bit deeper into my little 'fantasy' world i live in...it is so unhealthy. i am addicted to twitter.almost always have tweetdeck up on here (shockingly, i haven't logged on today yet) my fav fantasy guy michael waltrip lives on twitter. i always look forward to reading his tweets and tweeting to him. i get all giddy every tiem he writes back to me. it is sick really. what do i think is going to happen? he is going to sweep me off my feet and take me away? not likely. yet, i sit and fantasize about it, like it REALLY will happen. honestly, im not even sure if that is a good fantasy! what kind of life woudl that be? not any better than where i am now most likely. so why can't i pull myself away from it? i really need to, it is really not healthy for me. alot of what i do isn't healthy, but i feel like i am stuck in this downward spiral and i just can't reverse it. i drink almost every day, probably more than i should. i just am so unhappy and when i drink, well...it makes thing a little bit better..sort of. Funny though that Michael Waltrip actually tweeted me once about alcohol.....he said to me, and i quote: "careful sister. itll make you feel single and see double" i think he is right! but then again, i feel single all the time. i feel so alone. so i drink, come out of my shell and pretend to be happy and loving life. it is all a lie. i'm not really happy, alcohol just helps me fool myself. for those couple hours a day though....it is a release. an unhealthy one, but a release. what else can i do to escape? not sure. wish i knew.
if i dont get out of this rut soon, i think i am going to hit rock bottom and it scares teh shit out of me. i hate feeling like this everyday. i hate everything about me actually. i am extremely overweight, and well, this depression is not helping. the worse i feel, the less energy i have, the harder it is to do anything. i sit and eat instead of doing someting beneficial to me. i don't know. not even sure what writing this has accomplished. honestly, i'[m pretty sure not many people, if anyone will read it, which may not be so bad. i think i just needed to get it out. i noticed that if i don't post links to my blog posts all over the place, noone ever actually comes here. i have to put bright flashy links out there saying 'please come read my blog!!!' for anyone to actually read it. im not going to do that for this post.
im not looking for pity. i just needed to get it out there, and off my chest i feel so horrible right now. i have been having small anxiety attacks, which are getting worse, for the past few days. i need to do someting to make it better. just not sure what. i know i have probaby brought this all on myself, my actions have led to my current state. i can't blame anyone else for it. so i will have to be teh one to change it, i just don't know how. i am scared.

One card...3 challenges

I made this card this afternoon for several reason...first and foremost....it is my friend Tammy's birthday on Tuesday, and since there is no mail tomorrow, no way I can get it to her in time! Sooooo...Tammy...happy birthday! Here is your card! LOL! Now for challenges it fulfills...

1. Pink Elephant Challenge #30: 1 Ribbon, 2 Squares, and somethign sparkly. You can't tell from picture, but my brads and balloons have white glitter on em. I tried to take a closeup, and well camera battery died! Figures! I swear they are sparkly!

2. Color Throwdown #58: colors are Always Artichoke, Regal Rose, and Chocolate Chip!

3. Pile it on! Lucky for me, their theme this week it BIRTHDAY!

So there you have it...Happy Birthday Tammy! I hope you like your card! And with that, I'm out...struggling to stay awake here and there is a RACE about to start! I must find some energy so I don't fall asleep before it even starts! Have a great Labor Day everyone!

~tracey

Back to School Challenge at Simply Scrapping

Simply Scrapping is hosting a Back to School challenge from now through Sept. 20, and since it was open to design team members as well....I just HAD to do it! The challenge was to use a specific list of items including a shoelace, a paperclip, a recycled item, the word 'school' in chipboard, 3 buttons, a brad, a rubon and something round...and use the colors red, yellow, white and black. It was tough, but i managed to put it all together! I'm actually quite pleased with it, even though i now need new shoe-laces...LOL!

I had to share how I made my recycled item...I used a beer can! I cut it open, flattened it out, and cut out flowers using my cuttlebug. Then....i embossed the aluminum flowers, and colored them with alcohol inks. Who knew there was another use for my beercans??

So, if you still haven't joined Simply Scrapping, what are you waiting for??? Head over right now and sign up!!!!! Thanks for stopping by!

~tracey

what's NEW...at the SHOE!

If you haven't been to If the shoe fits...SCRAP IT! recently...you NEED to go there! The Shoe has undergone a makeover! It has a whole new look and all new fun challenges!

This first card represents todays Fashionista Friday challenge...it is a color challenge, colors being red, yellow and orange! Any projects submitted by next thursday, sept. 10 will be considered for 'Shoe of the Week'!

Next we have my sample for our 'Bonus challenge'! This challenge was posted to celebrate the new look of the shoe by using our new colors: black, white and pink! and HEARTS!! All entries for this challenge will also be used to determine our very first 'shoe of the week'!

And, finally, one more chance this week to be crowned 'shoe of the week'! This is for the Dot!Dot!Dot! challenge which is just what it sounds like! How many polka dots can you get onto one project?? Get scrappy and find out!!!

All 3 of these challenges are current and we will be awarding our very first 'shoe of the week' from all the combined entries. Between me and you....with all the fabulous entries so far, I am pretty certain there may be more than one winner! I hope you will swing on by the Shoe and check it out! Lookin' forward to seeing everyone at the Shoe!