July is super crazy around here, and there is one week in July that is really crazy. Usually I’m at CHA for Shelby’s birthday and my anniversary, but this year it worked out and I was home. I can’t believe Shelby is three. Where has the time gone. It seems like I just had her. Anyhooo, I took her to have her picture taken yesterday and she had a blast. That girl is such a ham and always so happy. Here are some of my favorites from the nearly 60 photos I had to pick from.

Tonight I’m going out with Michelle and Jeannie to the Melting Pot to celebrate my birthday. It’s ladies night, so I’m sure we’ll have fun. I’m a big fondue fan anyway, so the combo of the fondue and two of my favorite people… well, what could be better than that?

I said I’d talk more about Tim Holtz when I posted last so here are some more littel things I learned.

1. Black Soot distress ink… ever notice how it is really one of the only TRUE black inks. Seriously, it really is black. Someone asked why that was and how while we were all standing around watching Tim play. The answer. Black Soot. Yes, the color really is BLACK SOOT. Tim wanted it black and apparently the color chemists told him how black wasn’t actually a color and they make black with a variety of other colors, which is why they aren’t really a true black. So my firends, all your black soot distress ink pads are full of soot. :P

2. Tim’s embossing ink has some special stink. Go find one and sniff it. It smells pretty, lol. Apparenlty he was tired of using stinky embossing ink, and if you’ve ever smelled them you know all about that. So when developing his he asked Ranger to make it smell good and had a special scent added.

3. Cut ‘n Dry foam and it’s hidden use… Apparenlty, and this never occurred to me before, you can use Cut ‘n Dry foam to make custom stamps. Just heat up the grey side, you’ll start to smell it and see a change in surface when its ready, then make your impression. You can press another stamp into it for a reverse image or just things you have laying around. The harder you push and hold it into the foam, the deeper the impression. The foam will hold that impression until it is heated again!

I also mentioned the other day that Tim has a phobia, and considering who he is this is actually pretty funny. Turns out Cut ‘n Dry Foam freaks him out. (A lot like how I feel about mustard.) He can’t touch the white side. He actually had it at the booth in the package and peels away the plastic to get at it with scissors. He’s fine with the back and the edge, but keep him the heck away from the white side. He had to touch it once and looked like he was really struggling to find his happy place.

I’m trying to get motivated today so that we have clean clothes in the house. Denny coming home to a clean house probably wouldn’t hurt either. :P

~j