aMbeR's mY sO-caLLeD liFe

2008-04-22T19:30:00.002-04:00

HEY...for anyone who MIGHT actually be reading this.......well, I never though I would say this. But, Cayden has SCARLET FEVER!!! Ominous sounding, huh? And sort of rare to get these days. The doctor told me that he probaby started out with strep, then it turned into Scarlet fever. He had this sand papery red rash over him. EW! Poor little dude. He was miserable for a few days. So, crossing my fingers that no one else in the house gets it.

HEY, and for all of you wanting some free moola to spend at Happy Scrappin', enter their card of the month & Lay-out of the month contests!! You can only enter once a month/per contest & this month's almost over!!!! So you better get to crackin!!! Good luck to all who enter this month!

2008-01-15T00:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my dear sweetie. My dearest Brinley.

I had no clue what having a daughter would mean to me. You are completely amazing. Stubborn & independence emerging...which has completely numbed me with shock sometimes. You AMAZE me. The whole package. The girlish looks & diva-seeking ways. Your flare for the dramatic. Where did you get all this? Your persistence is always there. You have to try to do things yourself. And even if you fail, you keep trying. We're working on getting you to ask for help.

And then, there's all your quirks. I love that you pronounce things wrong sometimes. You still say nackman instead of napkin, even though I've corrected you lots of times. These days, I've tried to cut back on my corrections for the small, cute things you do. Because they are so innocent. Today, you opened a birthday card & had a 10 dollar bill in it. You called it "order." You've made that association between ordering from a drive-through or restaurant that you have to pay for it in the end. So funny and innocent. Tonight, whenever the birthday song was sung to you in the restaurant, your brother was eyeing your cake like a hawk. You spooned him out some first before taking a bite of it yourself. So thoughtful and kind. Maybe all the schpeels about sharing are paying off. You woke up in a great mood at the start of today, like you always do whenever you get plenty of rest. That's one of the many things that I just LOVE about you. I love your sassy flair that you bring with you when you reach your level of comfort around someone. I love your silly laugh. I love your need to keep things clean. You're constantly wiping off the table or dusting around the house or me. I love your need to take care of others. It's the little mommy in you. Someday you're gonna make a great wife and mommy. I love our night time routine of songs & snuggles & nose-rubs. I love the fact that you learn through song. You can remember so many songs or pick up any song you want to set your mind to. And I adore the songs you make up yourself as you go about your day. I love that you are finding 'you.' And for the most part, you're doing it all by yourself. And I love getting to know you better day by day & sharing in all of this self-searching. I love you for you. Even the part of you that tosses fits of stubborness my way lately. I love it all. We'll get through this year if we're blessed with it. And undoubtedly it will be another year filled with dress-up and tears and princesses and frills and more of your signature songs. And just those moments of you, my dearest Brinley. Here's to some of the most joyous & memorable three years of our lives.

2007-10-05T17:32:00.000-04:00

A SECRET SALE at 2 Scrappy Chix Designs!!!!!!!!!!!

How about some friendly competition? Starting RIGHT NOW, there is a secret sale going on. If you use the coupon code SECRETSALE, it will take 20% off your order. That means 70% off clearance stuff and 25% off all other stuff. The sale ends on Sunday at midnight!!!!

REMEMBER to PUT my name in your comments section of your order that I referred you!!!

A HUGE WEEKEND!!!!

2007-09-27T14:49:00.000-04:00

This weekend is HUGELY exciting!!!! COME scrap for a cause at Happy Scrappin'!!! The cause you ask? To join in on the fight against BREAST CANCER!!! Make donations, sign-up, & help us encourage one another September 28th - 30th. ScrapPINK is here!!!

2007-09-25T23:35:00.000-04:00

TUESDAY blog challenge!!!

What fall premiere are you looking forward to the most???

Well, it was Dancing with a Stars for me, although I do love ER. And I'm just telling you. I'm already obsessive about this season!!! I LOVE & I mean LOOOOVE the new professional dancer making his debut this season, Mark!!!! He & his partner received the highest scores from the judges in any first-season show thusfar!

2007-09-12T22:58:00.000-04:00

Another Tuesday challenge a day LATE!!! I'll see if I can post before my internet cuts out on me!

This fine Thursday brings you challenge to tell me about WhAT's hiding in your fridge? I'm talking about the good, the bad, & the ugly.

-Sippy cup filled with something that I don't know how long it's been in there. I'm afraid to check it out though!
-Last night's leftover meatloaf & mashed potatoes
-Cottage cheese, one of the kiddos faves
-REAL butter
-NO fresh veggies right now
-NO fresh fruit either unless fruit cocktail from a can counts
-2 percent milk
-tortilla shells
-a gallon jar of dill pickles almost empty (cuz they're my fave)
-11 eggs
-And last but not least, some concoction that my husband whipped up from left-over spaghetti. He likes baked spaghetti, which is what he attempted. However, he put bbq sauce in it. I could barely eat it. Shhhhhh! Don't tell him!!!

2007-09-04T23:39:00.000-04:00

My Tuesday blog challenge is short & sweet!!!

Share a SUMMER goal that you never got around to accomplishing.

For me? Cleaning out & organizing my closet. I cleaned it out half-way, got depressed that I couldn't fit into most of my clothes, & haven't been back since to finish the job.

FALL goal? Lose some weight.

Check out Joni's post here.

2007-08-31T16:07:00.000-04:00

It all begins tomorrow at 2 Scrappy Chix Designs....

and LASTS for an entire MONTH!!!!!

Check out these prizes! Plus, don't forget the other loot you could win for each challenge or game you WIN! There's going to be a 4-week lay-out challenge with points to earn, card challenges for EXTRA bonus points, our monthly CROP, games, & just TONS of FUN to celebrate 2sCD's One Year Anniversary!!! There'll be something for EVERYONE!

Come join us!!!

2007-08-28T10:39:00.000-04:00

Here's my Tuesday BLOG challenge! The other night my husband & I were talking about SCHOOL since our boy has started pre-school. This has sparked my challenge!

Remember how you felt the day before a brand new school year started? Or how about your first day of kindergarten or pre-school? Share your SCHOOL memories!!!

I usually felt nervous and excited all at the same time. I could barely sleep! Now starting a new school for Junior High & then High School....I usually felt a sense of dread. Especially when I had to start changing classes & remembering my schedule!! SICK to stomach for that first day. But I muddled through it all. And generally LOVED the school year give or take a few bad teachers or hard classes.

NOW....
I remember quite a bit about pre-school. My mother said that I bugged and bugged them to go to school, so they had to enroll me late in the year! I had a "boyfriend" named Andrew with blonde hair & blue eyes. And we kissed in the play area while the teacher wasn't looking. We had snacks every time we were there. I remember going down in the basement to be the SNACK HELPER for a day. I felt SO important carrying that can of juice. And my favorite game was Red Rover. In fact, my Mom came to pick me up while we were playing & I didn't want to leave. So, they called for me to "come over" one last time before I left.

For me, Kindergarten was ALL about riding the big yellow school bus for the first time. My Mom does have pictures of that! There was a little girl named Christabel who ran around kissing everyone. And, the day did have some MORE drama for me. My teacher Ms. Johnston was talking about NAP time. I raised my hand to ask if I had to take a nap because I didn't take naps. [My poor mother] Well, Ms. Johnston said "yes, everyone has to take a nap." I sulled up, crossed my arms, & sat there fighting back tears. I made a new best friend Laura Peters & we were inseparable. The best part of the year was a toss up between our awesome substitute Mrs. Garrett (an old old woman who taught us a really cool song called "Going on a Lion Hunt" & all the show & tell days.

What memories do you have to share??

2007-08-27T09:35:00.000-04:00

Celebrate good times, c'mon!!! It's a 2SCD celebration!!!! [insert Kool and the Gang tune here] Celebrate with us at 2 Scrappy Chix Designs for a month long celebration in honor of its 1 Year Anniversary!!! There will be tons of stuff to keep you busy, lots of games, & of course some VERY cool scrap loot! There are some cool things planned! Come celebrate with us! Starts September 1st!!!!! The countdown is on, so get your scrap on!

http://www.2scrappychixdesigns.com/phpBB2/index.php?c=12

2007-08-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

Here's Kim's 2SCD blog challenge: (btw, which are really awesome questions)

1. What three famous people (dead or living) would you like to have dinner with?
John Lennon, Maya Angelou, & Rosa Parks

2. What celebrity would play you in a made for TV movie about your life?
Claire Danes

3. Is there anything you would go back and change in your life?
I'd go back & try to respect my parents more, cherish every bit of time with ALL my friends & loved ones not missing out on a moment, & tell more people I love them. I'd also probably go back in grade school & stand up for kids who were made fun of.

4. If you had more than enough money and could donate large sums to any worthy cause, what would that cause be?
Stopping child predators.

5. What is your dream career?
I wanted to be a teacher. But that's exactly what I am to my kids. So I pretty much have my dream career.

The WEDDING!

2007-08-21T23:40:00.000-04:00

Heidi & Nate's WEDDING went very well August 10th! I wanted to update my blog since my internet hiatus with a few of my pictures from the wedding! The kids did SO well. I was shocked! WE had to keep bribing them with Smarties candies. Another incentive to do well was "you'll get to go swimming." As for the other flower girl, her parents told her she could get to go to the movies for the first time! haha! It was in the 100's the day of the wedding, but we were in the shade most of the time. It really wasn't that bad at all.

BamPOP fun

2007-08-07T20:29:00.000-04:00

I'm in a BamPOPpity good mood!!! Got some new BamPOP today from 2 Scrappy Chix & the challenge at the Scrapjacked blog which was to lift a Kristina Contes LO got me all inspired to use it! So, here it is. Click on the image for a closer look!

2007-07-31T00:19:00.000-04:00

Got back from CRAZY mini vaca at my hometown. Very fun & I'll have to post pics & info about our mini trip laterz!

So, Kate....this one's for you! My cyber BFF!!!! {btw, that totally made my day!}

Kate's New 2SCD Blog Challenge: Take a self-portrait & post it on your blog.

Here I am everyone......with that "Kate, are you kidding me" look. I'm in desperate need of a good eyebrow plucking/waxing. My husband freaks out if they're too skinny! We just had this conversation the other day in the car.

2007-07-20T00:03:00.000-04:00

Hey!!!!!!!! Everyone should check out 2 Scrappy Chix Designs for a HUGE 40 % off clearance sale!!!!! Mmmmmm.......good! Julie has got some awesome stuff in the clearance section! Hurry before it's GOING.....GOING.....GONE!!!!!!!!

We're talking 3Bugs, Basic Grey, some Bam Pop, Bisous, 7 Gypsies, Primas, Creative Imaginations, Sass Lass, & MORE! CLICK on the link below!!!

http://2scrappychixdesigns.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=49

WHat???

2007-07-18T01:17:00.000-04:00

Alright...Jayne! I feel so bad that you tagged me!!!!! I had no clue!

I've already written 7 random things about me in my previous post....so here's my 8th thing.

I'm IN love with watching & playing tennis. Not that I'm any good at it. But whatever! And they just sealed, fixed, & painted the courts we occasionally play on in a bright BLUE! I'm too stoked!

Alright....a short meaningless post. But a post none-the-less.

BTW, had a BLAST at the 2scD crop! I thought it went really well!

2007-07-12T00:55:00.000-04:00

Here's some ULTRA exciting things happening:

The 2 Scrappy Chix July ON-LINE CROP is this weekend, JULY 13th & 14th. Friday's session is from 5 pm to 9 pm Eastern. Saturday's times are from 12-4 pm Eastern. There are LOTS of cool projects in store, games, & prizes! Be sure to come get in on all the FUN!!! You will NOT want to miss it!!!

Also, be sure to check out Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking's offer of BUY a Cuttlebug Expression & get a FREE cartridge of your choice! This offer isn't going to last forever!!!!

I TOLD YOU IT was EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!

The Way I See IT

2007-07-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

The WAY I SEe It: (a blog challenge from Kate {mommaobrienx7} on 2SCD

I see 2 sets of eyes that really watch every single thing I do. And maybe I'm not always setting the PERFECT example for them. Of course, they need to know that everything in life CAN'T be perfect. And no body out there really is PERFECT. But I do know that I am trying to be the best Mommy I can be. The best wife I can be to their Daddy. Of course, like everyone I've got some kinks to work out. But at least I know where I need to iron those kinks out, & I'm ready to do something about it.

TOo excited!

2007-07-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

4th of July started off with a BANG! Alright.....I'm so excited! It's been a busy morning & I would have totally posted this last night if it had not been for my snoring husband who needed to get up early & go to work post-4th of July. So......late last night I discovered that I made the Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking Design Team!!! Complete shock, here!!!! I'm totally stoked to work alongside...check this out....16 talented ladies!!!! Here's the announcement: http://www.happyscrappinscrapbooking.net/showthread.php?t=2764

I've been tagged too!

2007-07-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

I'm back from a little rendevous in Lebanon, my hometown. It was fun, although very hectic. There's an annual 4th of July Church meeting going on there, so we were VERY busy.. The whole fam is still trying to play catch-up on sleep. And I for sure need to play catch-up on house-cleaning!!!! Zoinks!!!!!

So, I've been tagged, thanks to Jen! The rules: LIST 7 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF & tag 7 MORE PEEPS!

Here's my 7 Random Things:

1. I'm a caramel frap with tons of caramel junkie.
2. I have natural curl to my hair, so it frizzes easily esp. in the hot summer months.
3. Whenever I get hot, my whole face gets really red & it's white around my mouth. I blame this on my mother who spoiled us all to LOTS of air conditioning.
4. I am a DRAMA queen. I used to ACT in plays in school. I was Beth in Little Women & I totally played up the part where she died. I always wanted a part where I got to die. The play didn't call for the scene having me die. It was supposed to just fade out. But, I convinced my drama teacher that she should let me die on-stage. It was WAAAY too fun!
5. I USED to want 3 boys & 3 girls....like a whole Brady Bunch thing. I've since changed my mind.
6. I have always been spoiled being the youngest in my family.
7. I love to cook once I actually get in the mood.

I'm TAGGING in no particular order:

Angie
Kate {mommaobrienx7}
Julie
Mary {flutteringby}
Joni {kix}
Lisa {so-much love}
Kim L. {TexasKim}

SO get to crackin' on your list girls!!!!!!

2007-06-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

Alrighty....I'm a little depressed because I can't make the Celebrity Chat tonight at 2 Scrappy Chix. But, c'mon, YOU all have to check it out! Catherine Feegel-Erhardt will be the celebrity guest for a chat with the chix TONIGHT, June 29, 2007, at 9:00 p.m. EST. Catherine is a 2007 Memory Makers' Masters. You can visit Catherine's blog at http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/catherinefeegelerhardt/.

She sounds like a complete blast!!!! Just go to the 2SCD homepage & enter the chat room! BE thinking of me knowing that I really wanted to be there!

Here's a few sneak peeks that I promised for my upcoming crop challenge July 13th at 2SCD & LO's made with the kit.

And BRANDI, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY GIRL! I know you probably don't read my blog, but whatever. Just wanted to give a shout-out to you anyways.

2007-06-27T11:23:00.000-04:00

MMmmm....Oceans 13. Had a girlie evening with some friends last night. Went to a quaint little Chinese restaurant & hit the theatre for Oceans 13. We decided that 13 was a lot more enjoyable without our husbands. We took them when we saw Oceans 12. Yep, it went very well. I really enjoyed the movie. I PROMISE! As in the content of the movie, not just the nice scenery.

Hey, I have all of my pages done for 2SCD. Now off to work on my altered project. I'm pretty stoked about having them finished. I'll post some sneek peaks soon! For now, here are some pics in honor of last night's rendevous with George Clooney, Matt Damon, & Brad Pitt.

STARBUCKS frenzy.

2007-06-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm in love with my caramel fraps!!!! Yes, they are the best ending to a crazy day.

I walk to the counter, order the usual "caramel frap with tons of caramel sauce." I may have repeated the tons part....because the dude said "we want caramel on the bottom, sides, & top." He even marked 7 x's on the cup!!!! It took awhile for her to make it, but it was gREAT! Honestly the best one I've ever had. He then told me "yeah, isn't this great to have after a long jog?" I was all "yeah, defeats the whole purpose of exercise. Isn't caramel fat-free, though? I could drink that stuff by itself." Then he says "yeah, if you wanna be in a diabetic coma." BTW, for the record, I hadn't been jogging.

skulls skulls

2007-06-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

Skulls skulls & more skulls!!!! BTW, I hate it that my title doesn't show up whenever I post! Any tech savvy ppl can give me advice about this!

Alright this is how it all started. I guess being over at 2 Scrappy Chix, I've just become obsessed with skulls! They are so fun. So whenever I started getting a lot of skull product, I was scared to use it. Totally! I just didn't wanna mess it up. But here are my latest projects. One is inspired by my new Rue 21 shirt. A whole lot of doodling going on. The other is a frame that I've had 4-ever picked out to use with the Creative Imaginations stuff (hence, stuff that i was scared to use)!

Have a HAPPY Saturday all!!!!

OLW challenge

2007-06-21T14:43:00.000-04:00

Alright, here is my One Little Word challenge "my."

"My Quirks" The hidden journaling tag reads: I bite my nails. I hoarde things. I am a do-it-last-minute person. My middle name has a capital in it. I lose things.

WE know the list could go on & on. But, please, no comments about my quirkiness. haha!

Woohoo!!

2007-06-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Needed a nice pick-me up after this stressful month. So here's some exciting news! I made the 2 Scrappy Chix Designs DT!!! I'm joining the ranks of some really talented chix! Here's the line up:

Mary/flutteringby- DT leader

Joni/Kix- Sponsor Coordinator

Kim/Texaskim- Events Coordinator Michele/prockyjo- Public Relations

Amber/scrappin amber

Angie/Angie

Kate/mommaobrienx7

Julie/scrappingal

Be sure to check the site for challenges, chats, & our crops by clicking on the button at the right! It's going to be SOOOOOOO fun! If you are not a 2 Scrappy Chix, YOU NEED TO BE! It's sucha friendly site!

Everyone who entered definitely deserves a pat on the back! There was some awesome talent entered! Congratulations EVERYONE!

Healing.

2007-06-20T01:38:00.000-04:00

Healing...from loss has got to be hard. I know that such a wound can never be healed completely. I can't imagine. I really haven't been faced with much loss in my lifetime compared to others. And I definitely can't imagine losing a child like our best friend's did. J & C, we love you. Our hearts break with you. And we will never forget your precious son. He has imprinted our lives even though he was here a short time. He IS and will always be a blessing.

Hey....

2007-06-07T14:33:00.000-04:00

Just a few LO's from today. First one fits & was inspired by the "STOP" challenge over at One Little Word. You have to check this blog out!!! Too cool for school! Just don't procrastinate like I did cuz the deadline is tomorrow, I think! Oops! But, thanks to my photo processing center....I had to wait 5 days for my pics, which weren't converted to black & white or anything. So, I went with a completely different approach & different picture. I took a risk & processed the pic, having no clue how I would scrap it. Leave it 2 in the morning to get me punchy enough to make this page! Journaling including the pic: hi. This is how it is. I love to travel but GAS PRICES stink so...STOP the hike. I plan on doing more research on this one, so I can fill this KICKIN' Love, Elsie ledger paper with more prices on what we've been paying for gas. I like the BamPop road, birds & those furries beasts {?} If anyone knows what those furry dudes are called, I'd like to know.

One Little Word's blog: http://onelittleword.blogspot.com/

Also, here's my new SCRAP Mojo journal. I LOVE HAMBLY! The chandedliers just RAWK! Savvy? It's for writing color combos I want to use, thoughts after I create, thoughts before I create - just my moJO journal. goT moJO? If not, get your moJO on!

And before I go....I want to send {{hugs}} to Martha B. for the loss of her pug, Opie. I'm so sorry!

Lovely evening...

2007-06-06T02:39:00.000-04:00

Today was okay. Brinley got sick while we were outside. Luckily we were outside....so I didn't have to clean up the mess inside the house. Mother Nature is good to me.

Tonight, though, was perfect...except that I was gone from my babies for several hours. But once I got back, they were getting out of bed to greet me. I had to tell them a story. I had to sing them some songs. The usual requests. But I find, a little absence makes the heart grow fonder.

So here's another dialogue between me & my son.

Cayden: There's a moon outside. A big moon.

Mommy: Cayden, who made the moon?

Cayden: Grandma Maxine (he said matter-of-factly).

Mommy: She did?

Cayden: Grandma Maxine made the moon.

Mommy: No, God did. God made the moon.

That was SOOOO sweet! So here's a pic of MY Grandma Maxine, Cayden's great grandma. A few facts about Grandma Maxine. She love orange lipstick. Red-orange is good. She LOVES to work in her flower beds. I have lots of pictures of Grandma Maxine's flowers & I plan to do some LO's someday on them. And, she is an EXCELLENT cook. MMMmmmm.....do I crave her food sometimes. We need to go visit her soon.

Conversations...

2007-06-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

Cayden is mulling things over in his mind and decides to candidly speak to the waitress.

Cayden: I'm finished.

Waitress: Oh, you are?

Cayden: Yes, I'm finished.

Waitress: Okay, well I'll take that plate for you.

Waitress exits the scene.

Cayden is now sitting with Daddy & Sissy with a smile on his face.

Cayden to Daddy: That was SO awesome of her to take my plate!

That's my 3 going on 4 year old. More like 3 going on 7!!

The sweetest things......

2007-06-04T00:13:00.000-04:00

Here are some *SWEET* things from yesterday. We were at Church services & my baby girl was laying down on the pew. I was holding her hand & stroking it softly. She pulls my hand up to her mouth & kisses it. Then, she shot me the SWEETEST smile ever!

So, later that night after a long day....my Mom & Dad call me. Of course, they have to talk to the kiddos. During Cayden's turn on the phone to my Mom & his Grammy he randomly holds the receiver away from his ear, puts his other hand up to his mouth, & blows a kiss into the phone. Then, he says, "I just blew ya one." Blowing kisses over the phone. Definitely the sweetest thing.

Kids are the sweetest things.

Just wanted to share some Love, elSie projects with ya. I'm IN LOVE with this product! Esp. the Roxie line. I plan on making more projects with it possibly today. I'm just on a ROLL. I don't want lose the MOJO!

Happy creating today, everyone!

BTW, the pic of my son on my "i love to travel life with you" LO was taken yesterday while we were playing on his Grandma & Grandpa's deck. Too sweet!

Happy SATurday!!!

2007-06-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

I so need to get my act together today & take a bunch of clothing to donate. It's not just the kiddos who have been outgrowing their clothing....but ahem...me too. Depressing yes. Lee has put on a few pounds too after he lost some several months ago. So, it's time to shed this house of some of its clutter. Some clothes I hoarde so I can give them to my expecting friends. One of my friends is gonna have a little girl!!! I'm so excited!!!!!

I hope everyone has been doing well. These last few days I can't get scrapbooking off my mind!! I mean, I'm always this way, but ideas are just FLOWING! I need to write them down in my scrap journal....so I don't forget them.

Oh yeah! A shout-out to Kim L. , one of the chix who was in a car accident....I'm so glad you are OKAY! I hope you're not sore today!

And.....I'm so ECSTATIC about my altered project that I worked on last night for my 2SCD submission. I might just have to give you all a sneak peek in a few days. But, I 'm not even half-way finished with the thing! Lots of work....but it's worth it.

And here are some projects I've worked on. My B page needs a little something else.....doodling or flourishes or something. I'm not sure. Too "not junked up" for me. I made for my HTH Guest DT spot. BTW, does anyone have issues with their white gel pen ink SINKING into the paper??? Then I have to trace to get it to show back up. Just a question.

TGIF!!!

2007-06-01T13:10:00.000-04:00

Yea, it's Friday!!!! Okay, my mother might be coming over in like a few hours & my house is a WRECK!! Someone needs to give me a swift kick to the toosh!!! She's gonna freak out that my house is in such disarray because I've been SCRAPPING!!! Finally.

Well, I hope today is gonna be a good one. I've still got some designing to do for a Guest DT spot at HTH. Here's my first LO.

Hope everyone is having a great day! I hope my day gets better if my mailman brings me my 2SCD package with my Love, Elsie stuff!!! I'm crossing my fingers!

Still UP & scrapping

2007-05-31T23:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, I promise that tomorrow I will have some scrap creations to share. I don't know what my deal is. Summer FEVER I guess. I haven't been able to get my mojo flowing. Tonight, I made a LO that I like with my Guest DT from HTH Creations. I don't know how to describe it. Insert teaser pic here.....but alas, it's dark & the pic would be fuzzy wuzzy as a bear.

Today went well. I mean, I actually scrapped!!!! C'mon!!! Very cool. Speaking of which, I need to get back to doing that!!!!!!

The deal is, my friend Linda from HTH challenged me to get my LO's done by Friday. She knew my mojo has been on the fritz. So, I'm going to try my best to make a deal with her! DEAL or NO DEAL!!! We shall see!

Take care everyone!! Hope everyone is TGIF!

BTW, I added a hit counter thanks to one of my chix, Mary! I like the flaming counter, don't you?

Lazy Day

2007-05-29T19:00:00.000-04:00

It totally felt like a Monday to me, so my whole world feels topsy turvy! I do wanna make a special mention that it's Aimeslee's 20th Anniversary today!!!! Woohoo to Aimes & your Hubby too!! I will delight in the day that my husband & I can celebrate 20 yrs! We're not even to 10 yet.

I just finished shopping at the 2 Scrappy Chix store for Love, Elsie goodies. MMMMM.....do they look delicious! I can't wait to get my grubby hands on them. And knowing Julie's fast service, I know it shan't be long!

I'm leaving here in a few minutes to go eat a free catfish dinner at one of the local joints. My friend won a free meal. Plus, she gets to invite 3 other couples to eat for free. The problem is, we couldn't find a sitter tonight. So, I'm going solo. I guess every woman needs a night be by herself, although I will be the odd duck without her husband. Leave it to me. Lee doesn't even like this eating establishment anyways.

I hope & trust that everyone had a nice holiday weekend. It was pretty good around here. A little wet around the edges at times though. It was nice to reflect on the ones that have gone one before us. So, I guess the clouds crying was kinda fitting.

Take care everyone. Hopefully if I get my mojo going, I'll have some LO's to post in the next several days.

Tonight is the night.....

2007-05-26T15:40:00.001-04:00

Oh yeah. Orlando Bloom & Johhny Depp in a cataclysmic collision of action, excitement, and pirate humor. I'm ready. I'm going. I'm loving it. And I can't wait!!!!!!

The things kids say

2007-05-25T12:45:00.001-04:00

It's official. Last night my son called me a "cheeto." I don't know if it was an insult or if it was a compliment. I just know that he called me a Cheeto. I like Cheetos. He likes Cheetos. And he laughed after he said it. I guess I should just take it & chalk it up to something that made us both laugh. I guess it's one of those quirky incidents that makes life a little more interesting. It's fun to live with kids.

What I made yesterday

2007-05-24T20:33:00.000-04:00

Alright.....I made this yesterday. I don't know how to express how much I detest doing laundry. I wish there was a crap chute at the bottom of my washer & the clothes would disappear down into a deep abyss (then I could go buy new ones on a million dollar shopping spree). Or I wish I had a little laundry fairy who magically took my clothes from a huge mounded heap & transformed them into neatly folded piles. I don't dare post a picture of my laundry room right now. I have to climb onto the CLEAN clothes to get to my washer & dryer. Nice, huh? At least they are getting clean. So in honor of my loathesome feelings towards this mundane task, I made this altered name tag. Thanks Mary at 2SCD for the challenge! Now I can wear this whenever I'm doing laundry. And maybe, just maybe....I won't feel as cynical about it. This SLAVE is on STRIKE today.

Limitations & Sacrifices

2007-05-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

Sometimes once in a life-time opportunities come around in our lives that we can't act upon. And being who I am, I have limitations. And being a stay-at-home mother & a wife, I've got to make sacrifices. This can be difficult for me because I tend to be selfish occasionally. Maybe that's the price I had to pay for being a spoiled, youngest child. It just makes me feel like I can't dream as high as I used to. And maybe I'm really trapped inside these 4 walls. Trapped in somebody else's schedule. Trapped in debt. Trapped in defining moments that aren't always my best moments. Trapped in stigmas of motherhood. I just wanna be free. And I just wanna dream again.

Yeah, I know it's vague. I can't tell ALL about what things have transpired in my life lately. But, it will be okay. Nothing that I can't overcome.

I'm just having one of those days.

APOLO & JULIANNE JUST WON!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-22T23:13:00.000-04:00

He just won Dancing with the Stars Season 4!!!!!!!!! Ow!!! Ow!!!! I've been screaming, jumping, doing a little jiggin of my own!!! Way too excited! You go, honey!!!

Here's my Ode to Apolo & Julianne, his kickin' choreographer!!!

Back to the Bloggin' World

2007-05-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

Sweet!!!! I finally accessed my account!! I've been really busy lately. I'm having a blast trying to get my submission ready for the 2 Scrappy Chix DT call. If anyone is reading this, you should check it out!!!! The deadline is in June, so you better get to crackin! What am I saying! I need to get on it!

There's also a sketch challenge at HTH Creations too, if you're interested in winning a 20 dollar GC. Sketches are just TOO fun!

Things on the homefront have been going well. Cayden's new word is tacomole instead of guacomole. I am just pleased that he actually will eat something GREEN. The new fave movie of the week is Alice & Wonderland. Sweet Auntie Mindy let us borrow it, and I'm about ready to give it back to her. I'm really trying to limit the t.v. time around here. We'll see.

What am I sayin?? I need to limit my TV time!!! Well, that's totally gonna happen after the GRAND finale of Dancing with the Stars airs tonight. GO APOLO & JULIANNE!!! If they don't win, I'm boycotting next season. I voted a gazillion times for them!!! I guess we'll see if it was enough. Joey did well on last night's performance. And Laila, mmmm, didn't razzle dazzle me. She's cute though.

Lee has a new job which he really likes. I really like it that it's saving us in gas money every week!!! What's UP with the gas prices, people??? His new job couldn't have come at a better time before the hike up to 3.24/gallon. At least that's what I think it is here. I need to get out more. But who can afford to??? Really.

Catch ya all later!!!! Here's a few recent LO's for sharing. Preface to the first one. Beauty is on the inside. I just haven't finished my journaling yet.

5 Things That Made Me Smile This Past Weekend

2007-02-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

1. The decorations that my mom & dad put up for our little family birthday party for me (which included party hats)

2. My 3 yr. old son saying "responsibility" over & over like he's known that word for a long time.

3. Watching my daughter prance around in her over-sized little girl underwear....that went all the way up to her chest!

4. My son changing the words to a fave song we sing filling it in with his favorite made-up word "capshee" & laughing hysterically. Yes, I've asked him what a capshee is & he says it's a purple sheep. The things that kids will come up with!

5. The cold meds that my husband brought home for me definitely made me smile!

I know I would've smiled a lot more if the kiddos & I had been feeling better!

The 2SDC Crop Rocked!

2007-02-12T13:50:00.000-05:00

Okay I must admit I'm so addicted to on-line crops!!! They are such a blast! There's nothing like the excitement of hitting your refresh button over and over & seeing new projects being posted. What a rush! The DT did so great on posting their projects & their samples! I was completely inspired! Great job, 2SCD chix!

I so hope my mailman comes & visits me today. I think I'm more excited to see him come through my front door than my own husband. That's so awful I know! I guess it just depends on what mood my hubby is in. My mailman is always so chipper & polite. He cracks me up! I keep telling him that I'm gonna take his snapshot one of these days.

So, my bad news is that Cayden is sickly. He's been running a fever & coughing. In the beginning he was waking up screaming hysterically. And he would never wake up enough to tell me what was bothering him, nor to take a drink of water. The next day, he told me his head hurt. Poor lil guy. I've been shoving that Tylenol down his throat. I just don't want his fever to get too out of control. It's only been up to 102 so far. But for an already hot-blooded tyke, that's hot for him. He's been chilling with it though.

Lee is home for today & tomorrow to get things done around here & run errands. That's solely been his purpose he's been saying. Is it to give me a break??? No. Is it for my birthday on Wednesday?? No. Has he been in a grumpy mood? Yes. He says he's not feeling well either. His is all nauseous related. Maybe he's pregnant. haha! He's sure acting like a moody hormone-crazed pregnant woman. We usually get into a few lil fights while he's home. He has no clue what our routine is during the day, & he throws a big kink in it.

Maybe someday this century I'll post my fave pics from Brin's party. I'll try to get around to it.
Catcha later!

Couldn't Log into my Blog

2007-02-05T02:26:00.000-05:00

Okay....I know it's a lame excuse because Blogger support is so quick to return an e-mail if you forget your user name or password, but I'm using that scapegoat anyways. I'm so silly! Or maybe I should say lazy. No! Better yet.....I've been busy.

I met this totally awesome scrapper in person named Kathi on Tuesday of last week! We talked in over the phone for awhile discussing being DT members together at a scrapbook store 20 minutes away from me called Scrapbook Fever! Anyway, she's a blast!!! Talk about a STASH that girl has!!! I was drooling over some of the product she brought to the store to play with that day. And her projects?? Well, they were awesome. She referred me to her regular MB, where she's also a DT member so I'd already checked out her work. But IRL....whew!! I was blown away! Plus, she did this awesome random act of kindness for me that day....that made me feel so good! She's great! So, Kathi, here's to you GIRL!!! You keep rockin' it!

Well, Brinley's party went so well. I can tell this huge difference in her since she's turned 2! Number 1: the potty training front is going fairly well. Number 2: (maybe I shouldn't be using these terms since I just mentioned potty training LOL!) she is throwing more tantrums! Number 3: the attitude has increased! Number 4: a few days ago I kissed her and she said "gross." This coming from Lil Miss PDA herself! I couldn't believe it! Oh well. It's Terrible Two's I suppose. But, I haven't really been completely alarmed by it since Cayden's Terrible Two's were HORRIFYING. I think he's carried it over into the 3's.

Even though my son can be trying, he completely surprised me this morning. We only had 2 bananas in the house. And what a quick breakfast on a Sunday morning before Church. Ya know, I'm all about "no hassle." So, Brinley eats her's in no time and sees the other one laying up on the counter. I told her "it's brother's" & she goes into hysteria. So, once Cayden emerged from the other room I gave him his banana. He completely checked out the scene, must've heard that his "sissy" wanted another banana, & offers her a bite of his. He said "here, you can have a bite." Then, he ends up giving 2 more a little later. I totally jumped on the Praise Bandwagon & went all out talking about how well he did to share with his sister. Of course, after the last bite, he wanted another banana too. haha!

Well, I've got to get some zzzzz's.

Boy, it sure feels good to be posting again. I kinda missed it.

I neEd sLEeP!

2007-01-28T01:34:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby girl's birthday party was today that had to be postponed for two weekends in a row now. I'll post more later on the day's events & pictures. I'm so worn out. Throwing a party is such a stressful event for me for some reason. It took forever to unload the car & go through all of the gifts & find their place in our house. Plus, we had some company. Catch ya on the flip side.

Moonstruck

2007-01-25T01:39:00.000-05:00

"If I could catch the moon for you, sweetie, I would." The words of this mother tonight to my little 2 year old daughter as we looked out her bedroom window at the moon. We always have to hunt for it every night, whether we can see it or not. Lately, it's been cloudy skies or precipitation-filled skies for us. So she was so excited when I found the moon for her before we broke out in a verse of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star-one of the many songs she can sing by heart. God bless that little heart of her's. I'm in love with her. Even though the last few days after her birthday have been filled with screaming "terrible two" fits for her....I'm still in awe of my little girl. The little girl that has to put up with a brother who taunts her all day. The little girl that says "kiss it" after she gets hurt. The little girl who honks her Daddy's "honker" of a nose. The little girl who I caught singing her A, B, C's the other day. The little girl who gets to the number 10 then says 14. The little girl that tonight tore her napkin in two pieces so she could share it with her brother. The little girl who loves pink & frills & dolls & balls. The little girl who exerts her independence. The little girl who says "I don't like it" about everything it seems. The little girl who whispers little stories in my ear. The little girl who wants me to give her the moon. My little girl....always & forever. I love you, my little moon-beamed, star-struck girl.

INsomnia? i don't know

2007-01-24T01:42:00.000-05:00

I have been major issues getting to bed at night & then I want to take a nap whenever the kids are down for their's. I just can't seem to wind down. Who knows? Maybe it's all that I have on my plate right now. I have so many scrap projects to get done. My baby girl's 2nd birthday party is finally gonna happen this Saturday. It's been postponed twice due to nasty MO weather. I haven't told everybody that I invited the first go-around about the new date. So, I'll be on the phone most of the day tomorrow. My house needs a good make-over. Sometimes I wish someone would anonymously write Oprah or somebody & nominate me for some free year's worth of Merry Maids or something. OH well. At least instead of franctically cleaning all day, I played a lot with the kids. We made sticker collages & played with our portable phone's ring-tones. That thing is worse than a cell phone. It has like 15 different ring options. But it makes for great entertainment for a 2 & 3 year old. Maybe we just need to get out of these 4 walls more often.

One of my scrappy goals for this year is to keep a tally of all my LO's I complete. I'm telling ya. On-line crops make me shell out some pages! They are such a blast! As long as your power doesn't go off.

Here's a few pics from today! I'm gonna go try to catch a few zzzz's.

Power was on the FRITZ again!

2007-01-20T02:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of my sad tree. All the ice weighted it down. I hope it recovers.

So yes, today our power went out again. Yep, from a little before noon til approximately 6 pm....zilch on the electricity. I was anxiously awaiting some awesome post on 2SCD (which there's an awesome sale going on over there BTW) & all of a sudden.....WHOOSH!! The power went off & I was looking at a black screen. GRRRRRR!!!! Why does it always have to happen whenever I'm on the scrapbook forum?!!! Or hello! During the on-line crop!!! Yep, I'm obsessed. I know it. I'll admit to it. Scrapbooking is my obsession. When my lights go out, no on-line cropping. No blog stalking. No checking out chix's projects. No keeping up with challenges. No browsing new products. Nothing. Nada. So depressing. NO blogging. That's for sure!

So, to help you all understand (whoever reads my blog & since no body really knows that it exists....that's probably a big whopping 0) I'll let you in on my scrapbook hang-ups. Yes, I do have hang-ups about scrapbooking. And more than likely, these hang-ups will end up on a page. I scratched these down one night.

My Hang-Ups About Scrapbooking
1. People look at me crazy wheneer I tell them about the weird, "what-you-can-find-at-home" stuff I put on my pages or what sorts of things I alter.
2. At bedtime my mind is still overloading on ideas for projects.
3. I think I've come up with a cutting edge technique or unique idea & then I see someone else has thought of that in my next scrap mag issue.
4. Too many pictures, too little time
5. My urge to sleep in after staying up into the wee hours designing & not being able to
6. Dropping my scrapbook magazine in my bath water, because a bath can't be relaxing enough without checking out the latest trends & ideas.
7. Any time I get money, all I can think about is new product.
8. Any time I'm at the scrapbook store, I rarely walk out without spending money.

So, here's my philosophy on number 1 & 7. So maybe my scrapbook style is thrifty or maybe a little on the eclectic side. But I can't always make a trip to the scrapbook store or go on-line to buy new product. Sure, my obsession with scrapbooking has to be fed.....but...
so do my kids.

Toodles! HOpe everyone is safe, warm, & well-fed. I'm hoping my friends who still don't have power (going on a week today) get it back ASAP!

Snugglin' in MO

2007-01-19T02:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm gonna really try to get ahold of myself & take a skinny dip into the blogging pool. I realize that if I kept up with this a little bit everyday that it would help me remember the every day things in life that I'm really kicking myself hard for forgetting.

It has been crazy!!! I feel like I've been living in Mr. Freeze has bitten me in the toosh! We've had a huge ice storm hit the MO. The last time I had to sleep 4 people in a bed for body heat was back in 1988's icescapade storm. I had to sleep with my parents then. But this time, I was the parent sleeping with my two kids. We roughed it without power for days. No running water. That means, no showers, no baths, no washing hands!!!!!! I thought I was gonna go crazy several times. I had hand sanitizer though....but it's not the same! My in-laws were smart enough to fill the tubs full of water so we could flush the toilets. My husband & I were very unprepared. We had no way of heating the house, so we had to stay at the in-laws. Luckily, I can handle 'em. Eventually the tree branches started snapping under the weight of the ice, making our driveway impossible to pass except on foot. Needless to say, I've done quite a bit of hiking the last several days. I didn't know I had it in me! Of all the times I was out on the slick ice, I didn't fall!! I was so proud. I really found out how much a I really take for granted the simplest luxuries in life. Try taking pictures in the dark. It's really funny!

I can't believe everything that's happened! Friday the ice came & more came later. Sunday was Brinley's 2nd birthday! While she had a fairly good morning....I put birthday candles in the middle of her toast....we were without power later that afternoon. So, no party for her. We had to cancel that on Saturday due to the treacherous driving conditions. We'll make up for it somehow. I've got her Cinderella cake in the deep freeze (which luckily didn't thaw out while the power was off). [The best thing about her turning 2 is that she pretty much potty-trained herself during the whole ordeal! It was SOOOOO nice for me. I hope now that we have electricity that she's not gonna slack off. That goes for me too. I have so much catching up to do since I haven't been at my house since Sunday. You can imagine the pile of laundry that I had before the black-out. Now try to imagine the pile of laundry that I have NOW! Argggghhhh! I hate that dreadful chore!]

Then, came MOnday. Still no power. At my in-law's because they had a gas fireplace. It was our 7th anniversary. No going out to eat. Lucky to have something to eat. We did eat steak that my father-in-law grilled for everyone. Not too bad. It has just been way too stressful! My darling husband did bring me home a mocha with a shot of caramel yesterday afternoon that lifted my spirits a little. It felt so wonderful to drink something warm. My father-in-law is a huge coffee drinker, so he took a stab at heating some water on the grill. The smell of smoked coffee filled the air. I wasn't about to drink it! haha!

I've taken tons of pictures of my eventful last several days of existence. I'll have to post pictures later!

BTW, sorry there was absolutley no flow to this post. My brain is completely fried. I think I'm in the stages of post tramautic stress or something. I hope this finds everyone safe, warm, & CLEAN.

My first post!

2006-11-07T15:37:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is my first post! How exciting! I've been so busy scrapbooking as of late. It's such a great way to release all my stresses.

On the family front, everything has been going well. We were all exposed to the flu thanks to my loving Dad! Luckily, no signs of sickness yet. Poor guy, he hardly ever gets sick. Whenever he does though, it's usually this time of year. Last year I remember we all got the flu starting with Brinley. Cayden and I followed suit...then Lee a week later. It was awful! Bad memories and tons of laundry. (definitely one of my least favorite household tasks)

Speaking of laundry, I need to get to it. It's like Lee and I have been on a laundry stand-off. I can probably count the times that he's folded laundry on one hand since we've been married. I critiqued him ONE time after he folded it soon after our wedding...and he hasn't had the desire since. I felt so bad!! And once he noticed that I re-folded the towels after he got ahold of them. So, in an attempt to get him to kinda wanna help with this daunting chore...I've been letting the clean laundry pile up in a huge heap. He just goes in the laundry room, picks out what he needs, sighs a big sigh, then leaves. Maybe he'll pick up on the hint. We'll see. It's amazing how two little people thrown into the mix of our family can create so much more laundry! Brinley has to be the messiest eater on the face of the planet!!! It's made for some great pictures though.

I'm really concerned as to who is going to read my first post. I've done xanga before (oops, I probably shouldn't mention the competition) but I really like this format. My xanga site will be for my more wild side. And this one will be for the more structured part of me.

I better do something with all that laundry.

haPpy huG daY! I don't know where that came fromm, but every day should be declared a happy hug day!