Monday Montage 83

Welcome to the Monday Montage blog hop!  Every other Monday, my friends and I share inspiring projects.  Be sure to visit all the stops....you don't want to miss anything!

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and what I'm going to call Lazy Sunday. Most of you know that my son is serving in the US Navy and this was the first Thanksgiving that we have spent apart.  We did a little pre-Thanksgiving celebration when we visited last month and he had amazing weekend plans with a good friend, so I was handling the separation really well.....or so I thought.

 

 

He called around midnight on Wednesday to say that he and his friend had arrived at the hotel.  They were very tired from the long drive and were going straight to bed.  I got another call around 6am.  Someone had entered their hotel room and stolen their wallets, including all forms of identification, credit cards, and money.  Fortunately, he still had his cell phone and car keys and neither of them were hurt.

 

 

From out of state, we were frantically trying to find a way to get them some money.  Because it was a holiday, we were having a difficult time contacting friends in the area, as many were out of town.  We found a distant cousin that lived 2 hours away, but that was a lot to ask of someone on Thanksgiving.  At one point, my son called to tell me that he didn't know how they were going to eat that day and my heart just sank.  It was truly the most helpless, awful feeling in the world.

Thankfully, a police officer provided them with a small amount of cash to get something to eat and enough gas money to return to base.  If you want to know how to get me to cry, just do something nice for my boy.  I am so very thankful to this police officer and I realize that he was away from his family during the holiday as well.  The least I can do is send a Thank You card to this fine officer's department and hope that he knows how much that small act of kindness meant to us that day.

 

I CASEd this card from Andrea Withers and used the new All Things Thanks stamp set, which will be available in the Occasions Catalog in January.  The sentiments are perfect for many different thankful situations.  Even though our Thanksgiving did not go quite as planned, we still have so many things to be grateful for.  I'm thankful for someone watching over my son and helping him out of a tough situation. 

And I'm thankful for the Monday Montage girls!  We've been hopping and bopping regularly for over 2 years now.  They always inspire me.  Click next to see what the Wonderful Wendy has created or click back to check out Julie's fabulous project.

 

Back to Julie

 

Next to Wendy

My Favorite Things

I've gone back and forth on this post, and I've finally decided to share my favorite gifts for the holidays with all of my faithful blog readers.  This post is full of affiliate links.....now, with that being said....I will never suggest that you purchase anything that is not currently in my own home and being used regularly by myself and my family.  Like Oprah's list, you'll find gift ideas in every price range and I truly LOVE each item!

 

GhostBed Mattress

I know! I know! What kind of a gift idea is a mattress?

As a chiropractor, I always get asked to recommend a mattress to my patients that will help with their body aches and pains.  Up until recently, I've refrained from making any specific endorsement of a mattress.  Let's face it, store-bought mattresses are expensive and everyone has different tastes.  Here are a few of the reasons I LOVE my GhostBed:

• Made in the USA
• 101 Night Sleep Trial (if you don't like it, they will arrange pick up and you don't pay anything)
• Monthly no-interest payments available
  
• Firm support that doesn't get warm
• I sleep like a baby and rarely wake up with any back, leg, neck pain, etc.

 

This is a great comfort gift!  GhostBed also has awesome pillows and a fabulous Black-Friday special.

You can save $50 on your purchase by using this link:  https://mbsy.co/fRsQw

 

 

 

Wildtree Workshops

Have you every wondered.....What's for dinner?

We all have! I've been using Wildtree for a few years and my current favorite product is the Freezer Meal Workshop Bundles.  There are 12 workshops to choose from, including grain-free and Paleo options.  Each bundle has enough products to create 10 meals that will feed up to 6 people--you just add the proteins and veggies of your choice.

If you're tired of the same thing for dinner, short on time, or trying to provide healthier meals for your family, then this is a wonderful option.  I find the meals are kid-friendly and very easy to prepare.

You can shop in my Wildtree store anytime and be sure to check out the promo bundles and Make Fresh Dinners Bundles.

 

 

 

Stitch Fix

I used to love shopping.  Not so much anymore. It seems like nothing fits right and I cannot find stylish clothes that flatter my body.  Enter Stitch Fix.

I signed up over a year ago and I love this service.  Here is how it works:

You fill out a style profile with your sizes and style preferences.

Schedule a fix.  You'll be charged a $20 styling fee.

You'll receive 5 items custom selected for you.  You have 3 days to try them on at home and decide what to keep and what to send back.  The styling fee can be applied to anything you keep.  Shipping is free both ways.

I've gotten so many cute pieces in the past year.  It's amazing what just one or two fresh clothing items a month can do for your wardrobe.

They've recently started offering this service for men, too.  Gift certificates are available in almost any amount.  You can learn more here:  http://stitchfix.com/referral/7090564

 

 

And my list would not be complete without my favorite Stampin' UP! products.

 

Big Shot--it cuts, embosses, and so much more!  If you don't have one, you NEED one!

 

Magnetic Platform--if you've already got a Big Shot, this is your next MUST-HAVE!

(and it'll be specially priced on November 28th)

 

Oh Happy Day Card Kit---This kit includes everything to create the 20 cards shown here.  Just add adhesive!  It's perfect for beginners and experts alike.

 

And of course, I always have Gift Certificates available in any amount.  Just email me at [email protected] for more information.

 

I hope you found this list helpful. Let me know if there is anything you would ADD to the list by leaving me a comment below.

Have a great Turkey Day and enjoy the beginning of the Holiday season!

 

 

 

Monday Montage 82

Welcome to the Monday Montage blog hop!  Every other Monday, my friends and I share inspiring projects.  Be sure to visit all the stops....you don't want to miss anything!

 

I'll be honest.....I feel like I just finished a marathon.  Not the kind of marathon my dear friend Wendy does, because you'll never see me run.  However, I've been going non-stop for weeks!  In fact, I think the weeks is turning into months already.  And just when I was hoping it would slow down, somehow Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away!  GAH!

I left the Stampin' UP! OnStage event last week very inspired, but not quite ready to play with all the new goodies. You know how it feels when you hear Christmas music playing in June?  Well, that's how I feel about the upcoming catalogs.  I really need to get through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years before I can even begin to create stuff for Spring!  So, today you get a Christmas card.  LOL

 

I haven't shown much love to the Christmas Pines stamp set, but it is fabulous!  There are so many great greetings and the images are very elegant.  I paired it with the new Stitched Shapes framelits to create a simple, yet stunning Holiday card.

 

The background is embossed with the Pine Bough Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  I used the coordinating Pretty Pines Thinlits dies to cut out the pine cones and branches.  I highly recommend using the Precision Base Plate with the Big Shot for these detailed dies.  A little wax paper in your sandwich won't hurt either.

 

My pine bough was topped off with a bow made from the 1/4" Gold Natural Trim.

It's not too late to create your Holiday cards and this one is perfect for mass production. You'll find a complete list of supplies at the end of this post. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Be sure to visit all the stops on the hop.  Click next to see what the Wonderful Wendy has created or click back to check out Kreative Kaitlyn's fabulous project.

 

Back to Kaitlyn

 

Next to Wendy

Print Recipe

Product List

Christmas Pines Photopolymer Bundle [143496] $54.75	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00	Pine Bough Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [141831] $7.50	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [126978] $6.50
Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650] $9.00	Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115318] $8.00	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119686] $8.00	Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102584] $8.00
Gold 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Natural Trim [141484] $7.00	Big Shot [143263] $110.00	Precision Base Plate [139684] $25.00