SNEAK PEEK!!

i don't have time to upload all my pages of the December album seeing as it's dinner time, but here's a little peek : )

THE FRONT:

I have a long way to go yet, seeing as I don't even have it bound (I will use office rings and tie ribbons on them). But I think I've decided to finish it (17-31) without numbering pages, esp. since the last half of the month is much busier than the first half. That way, once I print the pictures and know what I am journaling, I can add the numbers then. I also have some baseball card protectors I want to cut up and add to this book for wallet sized photos.

After the snow today, I am much more in the holiday spirit. Goals for the week: 1) finish Dec. book and 2) pull aside all my Christmas decoration bins in the basement. I should probably get Mike to bring in our tall black bookshelves that are currently in the garage so I have a place to put some decorations!! We have to decide if we are getting a real or an artificial tree, too (we've had a real one since Mike and I got married)

More to come in the next couple days...

projects...

so here are some layouts I did in the past 2 weeks or so. The owner at the store gave me some product to use. While I am not big on the Disney stuff, I have plenty of pictures from when we went through Make a Wish in '05. Then, low and behold, I found pictures from when my family went to Disneyland in 1985. So I used some of those pictures for the pages I did, too. Those are the first pictures I've scrapbooked of "little" me.

What's funny about this layout is I strategically placed the flowers to cover some guy's head that got in the way of the photo (bottom right!) I know I have a second super cute photo of the penguins and Mary Poppins and my sister and I somewhere, but for some reason it's MIA. I have no idea who the kid in the Harvard shirt is!! I attempted to cover him, too, but it just didn't look right (remember if you click on the picture you can see it up close!)

California in 1985

at the entrance to Tomorrowland in 2005


I came across the following projects I forgot I made but found while going through boxes. Hooray for finding stuff from a while ago!!

I altered a cigar box. This is my friend, Danna & I.

I created this mini book as a class I taught last Fall. I'm glad I found it, maybe I will actually fill it in this year with pictures and journaling!!

I made this with free product I got from CHA (scrapbook trade show) back in July in Chicago. Most if not all the materials are by Chatterbox, and I have been trying to find more of it some where, but no such luck! I love the stuff!! Isn't the owl adorable?? I think I'll hang it by a nail with some cute ribbon. Don't know where to hang it though...

I started working on my December book. I got to day 16, but I also made several blank pages to put wherever. It's kind of "busy", but I think it'll turn out fine in the end. I figured this is a great year to do a project like this, since it's our first year in our new house. That'll be my next post!!

And, last but not least, way to go Jets. Way to crush the Titans undefeated record. woohoo!! And tonight Monday night football--go Packers!!!

Today we woke up to a surprise snowfall! Only about 3", but I had no idea. Cal was so excited. Only 3", but my dang minivan got stuck in the driveway. Poo. I can't wait to get an SUV again.

playing with templates...

So I've been wanting to attempt to create my own template for a blog, but what I've read I thought it was way over my head!! Low and behold, my friend forwarded me a link to an article by Elizabeth Kartchner and in it there were links to blog template sites--cute, scrapbooky looking ones--without me actually having to design it myself. Yay!! What do you think?? I know the scripty font is harder to read, but I couldn't resist, just for a little while!! I am so proud of my technologically challenged self!!
http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/index.php

(Okay, so I changed the font back to a much more readable one!!!)

field trip!!

Mike worked on his Grandparent's house all weekend. The kids sang in church Sunday. After church, my grandparents came over and hung out and watched the Packer game. Maddie played Barbies with "Papa". I love this picture.

My friends and I went on a field trip today to two different scrapbook stores. There were 7 of us (3 kids, 4 adults). I was impressed how well the 3 kiddos travelled, with nothing interesting in store for them!! But they were good. Us Mommies bought lots of great stuff, and came home in just enough time to get kids from school! I can't wait to do it again. A good day had by all. Maddie was such a little helper with the younger two. My intentions were to buy this photo carousel from Archiver's, but I just couldn't get myself to buy it...even with the 30% coupon it would've been nearly $30. maybe I'll get one yet.

I haven't posted much because I've been SO tired. This cold crummy weather does it to me I think. I could've gone to bed so early the past few nights, but darn cable TV...Sundays I'm addicted to Storm Chasers. Been watching lots of "House" reruns/marathons, too. I really like that show, but I should really start at the beginning. Monday night football on ESPN. And I'm happy the kids love PBS. They VERY rarely have other stuff on (once in a blue moon, Cal will watch some of the Nick shows, but even that's rare). I don't have the TV on typically till the kids go to bed. I love the silence all day (other than Maddie playing). Sometimes if I have stuff I want to get done, I'll throw a movie in for Maddie. Mike and I definitely like the interesting shows. Last night we watched one on conjoined twins. I like HGTV alot, too. His favorite is Dirty Jobs, which actually I don't mind either. We watch TV in our room because it is so blasted loud to have the TV on in the living room, it's like being in an auditorium (should've considered NO high ceiling in the living room!).

Saturday during the day I tried bridesmaid dresses on for a wedding I am standing up for in May. My favorite was so beautiful, but not what the bride had in mind. So I'm not sure what the final decision will be. We had lots of fun anyways. Then I had friends & family over Saturday night, too, for a Tupperware/Scrap night. It was fun, though the scrapping got started late, and none of us really got anything done. But I really don't care; I really just like having those girls around because it is inevitable that I will laugh till I cry.

My project tonight was to finally put my ribbon in this silly little case. I am not sure if I like it; and I realize I really don't have much specialty ribbon and too much of the inexpensive stuff that comes on rolls at Joanns or Michaels. I definitely should've bought some cute frilly and velvetty ribbons today. Oh well, there's always next time. Alot of the ribbons in the bag are such small (4" or so) pieces, I don't even know if I can use them. But they're cute, so I couldn't toss them.

My big project for the week--I want to start my own Christmas book similar to the one Ali Edwards posted on her blog, 25 days of Christmas.

I have so many Christmas supplies it's crazy, seeing as I've done very few Christmas pages. I have been collecting Christmas Scrap stuff forever, so what better time to use it. I haven't bought a whole lot for the project itself, I'm hoping to use alot of what I have. Okay, I did buy some new. I'm excited to do it, but I'm kind of stuck on how to start. I don't make books/mini books very often if ever. The idea is to have it done before December so literally you simply journal and add pictures through the month of Dec. to document the month/holidays.

My friend, Sarah is flying in from Oklahoma to stay for a few days. She has been in pilot training for quite sometime (she's an officer in the USAF), so it's a well deserved break. Hopefully we'll have some fun this weekend.

yeah, babY!

Go Brett Go!

As Cal put it yesterday, "Brett still has it in him!!!"

searching...

for an incredibly cool idea to get me moving along on decorating. I feel stuck...I don't know where to hang stuff that I already have. I never had that problem anywhere else I lived. Especially for the kid's bathroom. I'd like that room & maybe the laundry room to be a little non traditional, (seeing as the rest of the house is pretty traditional I'd say) Anyways, I've been spending way too much online looking for ideas--curtain ideas, wall ideas (arrangement of things and what to hang!) it's starting to stress me out a little bit.

here's an updated pic of the outside of the house. Mike finished putting on that crown stuff above the other windows, and our fake vents above the 2nd story windows. Can't wait till spring when we will paint the porch & steps white!! Oh by the way, the grass in front is coming in so awesome, Mike even had to cut the grass last week. The kids have been playing soccer and kickball in the front yard, too. Hooray for grass!

It was snowing today. I guess the cold may be here to stay, after being spoiled with multiple 70* days!!

I am determined to have some curtains or shades hanging by the end of this weekend. Okay, at the very least, purchase them. I am tired of being blinded in the morning when I walk out of our bedroom!

as promised : )

I don't care what y'all think...They still got the "right stuff" : )

layouts from weekend retreat

click on the picture of the layout to enlarge it.

Kaycey, the soccer all star!

Cal's 9th bday

this one is one of my favorites, even if it's kinda plain & unfinished. I am going to paint the chipboard swirl pale pink and glitter it, too. I sanded some cute embossed Elsie paper from the Jack and Abby collection on the left of the layout (the cupcakes paper).

Yes, it really says "My heart beeps for you". I journaled on it after I took the picture of the layout. Every time Kaycey's heart is beating fast she says, "Mom, feel my heart, it's beeping so fast!"

another one of my favorites!! I've been itching to use the Elsie cloud paper forever. Maddie's pages just turned out so cute this time. I love this picture of her and Mike, too. The white space will be for journaling and a title...not sure on a title.

Cal was so mad at me for putting "Smarty Pants" on his page.

Another cute Maddie LO. I am recently obsessed with all the Elsie products I've been hoarding, can you tell???

Cal and his injury

Kaycey and her new hair-do

Maddie and her big smile !!

trick or treat?

It was so cool to trick or treat at night...it was a first for the kids, and for me!! Actually trick or treating for our town was on last Sunday. It was so cold, and terribly windy. We didn't make it far with all the houses spaced further apart and all the long driveways!! But in the village, they have trick or treating Halloween night, so we went out (it was a balmy 53 degrees!) While we only stayed out an hour, we got plenty of candy.

Cal was Indiana Jones.

Kaycey was a gymnast.

Maddie was Ariel (without the red wig, because I waited to long to go buy one, and when I went there was nothing left. : (