Hope & Love! A wonderful weekend!

This is the third year that I have co-chaired an event called the Hope & Love Ball for Hannah's Hope Fund. This year we hit it out of the park with our Mardi Gras Masquerade theme! People had so much fun. Check out the Times Union photos {here}. I was also interviewed by the local news: {YNN: Hope & Love Ball}... Our local community has rallied behind this family and the results have been so incredible! Here we are right before the Ball - the kids come to the event dressed up and then go home and have a nice quiet evening. Todd, Xavier & I stay for the event!



We are blessed to have FotoMagic come to the event and donate their time to making really fun magnets. This year, the kids grabbed some props and got silly!


It was another incredible night - we raised a bunch of money - ate delicious food and 370+ strong stood silently as Dr. Steven Gray gave us the wonderful and inspirational update on his progress! Just days after the meeting with the FDA, the crowd learned that the delivery system for a GAN cure is mere months away from possibly happening.


Here is my amazing husband (with whom I co-chaired the event) and my son Xavier, who escorted Hannah to the Ball.


How could we possibly top that night - well, watching our beloved New York Giants come back and win the Super Bowl made the weekend one of the most memorable we have ever shared as a family!




We were up singing Frank Sinatra's "New York, NY" and Queen's "We are the Champions" in the back yard at about 11:00 at night!




Enjoy every single moment of today!!!!!!

Papertrey Ink Anniversary Festivities! {plus a freebie}

I cannot believe that it is February again! This is a very exciting time for Papertrey ink as they enter their fifth year in the business! Each year seems to top the previous! Thank you all so very much for your support and love - both for my stamping and my family. We have endured so much that my blessings jar is overflowing!

Today, the Papertrey Stamp Designers are supposed to be sharing our favorite stamp set with you. As a mom to six, there is no real way for me to choose a *favorite*. Like my spectacular six, each of my stamp sets is unique and fun in its own way. It's so hard to choose a favorite stamp set. Last year I had several sets come out and the year was quite a whirlwind for me - with Todd and Karen's traumatic injuries - and life in general. As their healing started to plateau and I got back into crafting, the time I felt most creative was when I was working with Lock and Key. I created in *THE ZONE* and it seems that every single time I took that set out - magic was unlocked (pardon the pun). If you want to see my favorite Lock & Key posts, click {here}.



Now onto the freebie! The image I created is perfect for you to make those last minute Valentines! Super cute - print it on Red, Kraft, Pink, Purple - just about anything and whip up some cards in no time!

Here is my super simple valentine with the freebie!



Click {HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD}...and be sure to stop by all the other Stamp Designer blogs to see what they have listed as their *favorites*....

Nichole Heady
Lizzie Jones
Dawn McVey
Erin Lincoln
Heather Nichols
Lexi Daly
Lisa Johnson
Maile Belles
Melissa Bickford
Tiffany Pastor

I really hope that you will take the time to create something from the freebie sheet that Nichole has created! Be sure to enter the contest too! Just create something fun with the images and add it to the contest {here}

Please feel free to let me know which of my sets was YOUR favorite!








paper: rasberry, black and white
ink: printer, copics
misc: ribbon, glitter pen & punches


Enjoy every single moment of today!!!!!!