My dear hubby is ever so sneaky. He's complained before that he can never surprise me because I know what he spends so if he tries to get me a gift, I know about it before he can even get home. But this year, he conspired with my mom to get me the best birthday present ever (well other than maybe the baby I've wanted for years now, but that's another story). So tonight, we went to dinner with my parents and sister and my mother passed a card over to hubby to sign.
I thought that maybe they went in together on a gift. 
But no, really my mom and her dear friend Pat just did my husband a favor to make the card for the gift she bought for him to give me so I wouldn't see the charge on the debit card... A Silhouette Cameo.
I thought that maybe they went in together on a gift. But no, really my mom and her dear friend Pat just did my husband a favor to make the card for the gift she bought for him to give me so I wouldn't see the charge on the debit card... A Silhouette Cameo. I am so excited. I won't get it until later in December, but I don't care that I have to wait. I'm so looking forward to seeing what it can do. I've heard such good things and, in the last couple of days I realized that I need a better machine. The Cricut just can't cut the details I need.
Over the last two days I did a project just for me: an advent calendar. I've wanted one for so long but never bought/made one. When we were pouring over the ads for Black Friday, I saw that Craft Warehouse had this adorable tree calendar. Surprisingly they still had them by the time we got there (we shopped from 7:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday including trips to Michaels, JoAnns and Craft Warehouse). So on Sunday night, I covered the boxes and the tree holder. Then last night, I cut out the numbers and started adding them, but my Cricut just didn't cut this font cleanly. I'm not sure if I need a new blade or what, but I just could not make it cut well. Now I kind of wish I had waited, but with tomorrow being the 1st, I guess I made the right call even if the cuts aren't as precise as I would like.
So now I get a new toy and had a fabulous birthday. My sister bought me a lovely new Jim Shore cat and I got another one from DaisyMae Maus too. They are absolutely fabulous. Plus I received Walmart and Joann shopping cards and cash, but I have to wait to shop because I'm now on the family-imposed "shopping embargo" where I'm no longer allowed to buy anything for myself until after the holidays so I don't accidently buy what someone else is planning to get me. But that doesn't include calling the satellite company to have them come upgrade us to that whole home DVR thing so I can watch what I want in the craft room while hubby's watching in the family room. That might save me from more episodes of Decoded and that crazy show he watches where the redneck scientists try crazy stuff that gives my husband too many bad ideas of things he can try...
Unfortunately, there's been a theme lately of bad photography because the picture just doesn't really do the card justice. I added just a touch of Stickles to the flower and it really shines (ha ha) in real life, but I just couldn't really show that in my picture (also the brads don't look quite so wonky in real life - I swear I used a Stampin' Up paper piercing template so they really are evenly spaced and look quite a bit straighter in real life). 
Maybe this picture gives you a hint of the sparkle to the card. It's really funny, before the Stickles I thought it was an okay card. But just a little tracery of Stickles on the flower and I absolutely fell in love with the finished product and knew it was "just right." Isn't it funny how sometimes we just know when it's done and others we just know it's not?
