Visual DNA?

I saw this cool thing on several blogs now. It is called "Visual DNA" and I just had to try it. You get to go through several options to choose your "likes" and "dislikes" and then the site puts it into this cool little slideshow for you:

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

So this is my "visual DNA", my favorite would have to be the "this is gross" slide, haha!!

We bought Taylor a "big girl bike" at Walmart last night. Surprisingly enough she taught herself how to ride w/o training wheels on her old itty bitty bike. Her poor knees were slapping the handlebars. So we picked her out a purple and pink girly girl bike complete with sparkly tassles, ornaments on the spokes, and a "must have" zippered pouch on the front to store all the treasures of a 7 year old :)

Have you seen the new kits at They are simply fabulous and Rebecca is adding more kits for the month of July.

I have been having fun using the new "Love, Elsie" line by KI Memories. Here is a fun layout I did last night:


Toodles (OMG haven't said that in FOREVER, haha) for now!!!

Is It REALLY Almost June???

WOW. Where did May go? Seriously. This has been a crazy busy couple of weeks. The girls have had games 2-3 times a week, I've had a game every Monday night, we had a garage sale, went to Fox Island, to the Toledo Zoo, and are wrapping up the end of the school year for the girls. I am thrilled for summer!!! Best news yet, our pool will be open this weekend...YAY!

Here are a couple of photos from our Fox Island and Toledo Zoo trip:








I've also been super busy scrapping!




Hope everyone has a great week!!!

I've Been Tagged

My good friend Rebecca, owner of www.createmykeepsake.com has tagged me! Here is how it works:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves.

People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

I have LOTS of quirks but will be brief, haha!

My ceiling fan runs in my room 24/7, all year long.
I make "popcorn balls" with popcorn, a long story but I'm surprised Chad still agreed to marry me ;)
I crack my knuckles.
I still sleep with a nightlight on.
I am scared to sleep alone in the house at night.
I don't like generic brands of pretty much anything.
I own an absurd amount of storage containers (and yes, I label everything!)
I have never flown.
I sing in the shower and while driving.
I enjoy watching reality t.v.

Now I'm tagging:

1. Susan Opel
2. Beth Opel
2. Sue Fields
3. Carrie Postma
4. Rachel (happay)
5. Andrea Deer
6. Michelle St. Clair
7. Carolyn

Some Of This & Some Of That

Have you ever done a kit swap at an on-line site? Well not like this one! I host the kit swap at Create My Keepsake and these ladies continue to WOW me each month!!! I received this gorgeous kit from my friend Roree today! Sign ups for the next round will take place next month. Come check it out in the "roundtable" at the CMK forum :)

I have one more Hambly layout to share. I have scrapped these photos over and over, they are my favorites. I love the Urban Lily with the Hambly graph overlays. I am going to have to get some more of those!!


And I have such a busy week ahead of me!
MONDAY
*Mail paypal items and IRS payment.
*Pick up (2) birthday presents.
*Call about re-financing the house.
*Call all the women helping with the Teacher Hospitality meal at Harlan.
*Schedule nursery duty at church.
*Taylor and Hanna both have practice.
*I have practice for softball.
TUESDAY
*Get groceries.
*Clean house, grandparents are coming over.
WEDNESDAY
*Taylor has practice.
*I have practice.
*"Serving Up A Little Humor" at Harlan Elementary that night with Taylor.
THURSDAY
*Make chicken for 60 teacher's at Harlan.
*Make brownies for ladies at church.
FRIDAY
*Pick up food from amish ladies.
*Drop off food at Harlan Elementary in the teacher's lounge.
*10:00 am, get food and all preparations ready.
*Drop off Brownies at church.
*1:00 pm, clean up food in teacher's lounge.
*Hanna has practice.
SATURDAY
*Make Buffalo Chicken Dip for friend's birthday party. (35 people)
*Birthday party from 1-3 PM
*Birthday party from 2-4 PM
*ANOTHER birthday party from 3-?

Sorry. It really helps me to make lists :) :)

I'm a Cover Girl!

I am so excited to announce that I received an e-mail last night from the editor of PaperCrafts magazine letting me know that my card "Love & Bloom" will be on the cover of their Card Creations 5 Idea Book!!! Thanks Brandy!

On other notes, Taylor and Hanna started t-ball and lobb ball this week. After that nice hard rain, Chloe had a fun time romping in the mud with her brand new little pink sketchers. I should have figured! Hanna had a lot of fun and is looking forward to playing. It will be a busy summer at the ball diamond with Taylor, Hanna, and me playing each week.

Chad's job is going well. He has been working a lot of hours and is still training. This week he has been in Defiance all week. So he gets different shifts each week, and different city locations. It has been such a nice change from construction, and we are this much closer to finally having insurance again...YAY!

I have had the pleasure of working with Hambly Studio product this month at Create My Keepsake. I do have to say that I think I am now addicted!! I NEED more Hambly LOL! I would love to share some of my work with you...




And I did a fun game with Google. You take your name like this "Tina needs" and google it. Write down the first 15 things you "need" LOL. Here is mine:

Tina Needs...
1. your help to build it (OK)
2. to win this (really?)
3. love (I do need this :)
4. to move on (from what exactly?)
5. a home desperately! (what's wrong with mine? LOL)
6. your HELP (I need help a lot :D)
7. a break (oh yes, I can vouch for that)
8. to be kept as an indoor cat (ouch)
9. to get over herself (well, I never realized!)
10. some funds so she can buy the rifle she wants (HA, I am such a hunter ya know)
11. a weave (do you think?!)
12. to shave a bit (hey, how'd they know that???)
13. to get a laugh eery 10 minutes or she gets nervous (what????)
14. to make a choice (everyday!)
15. to go away and get a life (how rude!)

OK, now go play and post here so I can read all about YOU!!!

Chloe is officially 2!!!

As I'm sitting here cleaning an OH SO dirty house I can't help but smile as I reminisce about the past 2 years since Chloe has joined our family. Sure the kid is a handful (LOL) but she has brought us so much joy! I had a hard pregnancy, and was on moderate bed rest for several months. The complications lasted from week 13 to week 25. Everyday that we made it closer to the due date was such a relief. Once I passed the 32 week mark or so I was elated and began to worry less and less. And now here we are, 2 years later, blessed with her. God is good indeed!

Taylor and Hanna are getting ready to star Lob Ball and T-Ball. Ahhhhhhhh another summer spent at the ballpark! When I asked Hanna if she wanted to play again she said, "oh yes, bring on the consession stand!" So I'm paying $50 for hot dogs and laffy taffy basically, haha.

The kids only have 8 weeks of school left!!! I can't believe it. Time goes too fast. I want to make the most of this summer as Hanna is going to start kindergarten in the fall. I have plans to buy a zoo pass to the Fort Wayne Zoo, having picnics in the park, and having lots of get togethers and cook outs.

In the scrapping world I have found stamping with acrylics and am IN LOVE!!! I can't get enough of it! My favorites are KI Memories, Heidi Swapp, Autumn Leaves, Fontwerks, and Back Porch Memories (designed by Wildflowers). It is also the end of the month which means Poppy Ink kits and add-ons go on sale tonight. Love that! Also, is having a HUGE on-line crop to celebrate their 2nd anniversary. Pop on over if you get the chance! I made this layout for the Becky Fleck sketch contest:



She has an awesome site!!!

Punky Moods

If you notice to the right of my blog, I have a new heading. "Today I Feel" and the little cartoon emoticon were taken from an idea on Lindsey Teague's blog. I love these little things! If you sign up at the site, there are 100's of different emotional "punky moods" to choose from.

Today, it says I feel relieved. And why is that? Because my husband left me a note this morning that made me smile. Usually, when we have a financial problem, or just a problem PERIOD, he shuts down. He gets angry and moody and frankly isn't very fun to be around. Well, his truck is giving him some major trouble and it doesn't look like it is going to be cheap. So you can imagine his mood last night. After talking with his uncle he came up with some pretty good solutions and I am so proud of him for talking it out and coming up with a game plan. So for that, today, I am one relieved chick!

And how can it be the end of another month???! My little baby will be 2 in a couple of days *sigh*. How time flies. Remember my last post about her crazy antics? Well you'll get a kick out of this! Yesterday, 5 minutes before we are supposed to leave for a BRAND NEW church, she comes out, stark naked with blue marker on her face, her teeth, arms, legs, torso, and even on some unmentionable parts [blush]. I couldn't believe it and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was dancing around singing, "me! me! see me!" So I laughed...after we returned home she proceeded to take her diaper off at least 5 more times...SHEESH. The last time she went #2 after taking off her diaper. She then thought it would be a GREAT idea to take her little people cars and run over it....OMG!!! Are you kidding me??? Chad wants to duct tape her diapers to her rear, lol. I am tempted too I tell ya!!!

Oh yeah, what do you think of the new blog header? My good friend Rebecca Cross, owner of Create My Keepsake, made this for me. Isn't she one talented chica? I think so!

Is the 3rd Child Always So Ornery?

Seriously. My third child, my third GIRL, Chloe, is always into EVERYTHING. I mean EVERYTHING. I love this girl soo sooo soo much and couldn't imagine life w/o her. But WOW she keeps me on my toes. Most the time I can laugh about it, other times I want to cry, lol. Let me share some examples with you:

1. This girl EATS chicken and beef bouillion cubes. Have you ever tried one? Disgusting.

2. She won't stop taking her darn diaper off. She loves to be naked. Honestly this girl loves the breeze on her tush. The problem? She pees. And where does she prefer to take her diaper off at? Why my bed of course...

3. What happens when you combine a curious toddler, with 3 tubes of glitter glaze, and excitement? You have a kid so covered in glitter that you can see her a mile away, a scrapbook room that has MILLIONS of little splatters that will take forever to clean, and 3 completely empty tubes of paint. Thanks Chloe.

4. Let's have a pretzel party. What is a pretzel party you ask? It is where you take a bowl full of pretzel stickers and you joyfully throw them in the air while yelling WHEEEEEE!!! You then proceed to step on them and crumble them into the carpet. That, my friends, is a pretzel party.

5. Wanna make your room smell like chamomile and lavendar? All you need is one bottle of Huggies lotion, a bored 2 year old, and voila instant aroma. Oh yeah, I don't know if one would consider the full bottle squeezed onto the carpet then rolled the best way to achieve that. Obviously Chloe does.

6. What would make a brand new kitchen table even prettier? How about some fork stabbing all over your seat. That is what I found on the spot where Chloe sits the other day. She is trying to kill her chair by fork. How original.

7. Baby girl, a toilet scrub brush is not a toy. Once again, gross.

8. How about a popcorn party? Yes, this is much like the pretzel party but MUCH much more messier.

9. The other day she shut herself in the bathroom. That girl is smart as a whip I tell you. She then opened the drawer so when we tried to open the door, the drawer prevented the door from opening but a couple of inches. WHAT???! Yes, and by the time we found something long enough to stick in the door, and push the drawer shut, she had some nice red face paint smeared across the back of the door. Isn't this how Picasso started out?

Well, I had better go. Chloe just peed on my comforter. Kind of ironic considering what I am blogging about...

Happy {Un} Birthday Crop Event At CMK!!!

We have just announced the details of our {UN}Birthday Crop Event that is taking place on March 31st!!

Follow along with us as we create projects inspired by the adventures of Alice In Wonderland!

CMK is turning 2! However we wanted to finish off National Craft Month in a big way, so we are celebrating early! What is all the hype you ask?? Well how about this:

We have teamed up with Becky Fleck from PageMaps to host a contest based on a sketch designed just for us!
We are going to reveal the name of our new digital designer and give away our exclusive Celebration digital kit FOR FREE!
We will send you on a scavenger hunt throughout our site for a chance to win a $100 Grand Prize!
We will post new challenges throughout the day and have prize pack giveaways for each challenge.
And lastly…we will reveal free project ideas just in time for the Easter holiday!
Do I even need to convince you to join us?? I hope you can clear your calendar to join us for some serious inspiration and fun!

Hope to see you all there! Here is the web site address:

http://www.createmykeepsake.com

My Dear Sweet Mother Sent Me This...

...and I just wanted to share it with all of you. I smiled as I read it because it is so similar to my nights, as I'm sure so many of you can relate :) Thanks Mom!

WHY I LOVE MOM

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired , and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed".

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV s, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...? CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL..... (and we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!)

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. -Mark Twain

Help me find a new BLOG name!!!

I've been thinking. I'm not crazy about my blog name. Sure I know the meaning of it but other's may think I'm vain, LOL!

PLEASE help me think of a cool/fun/totally me blog name. If you will post it here, I will choose my fav and send you a fun little rakky rak! It involves some NEW Pressed Petals, some Heidi Swapp, and other goodies :) :)

************ETA***********

Thank you thank you thank you to those of you who gave me some awesome suggestions! I decided to go with "SupahStar", the way Molly Shannon pronounced it on the show. Thanks to Carrie Postma who is so brilliant!!! Love ya girly!!!

A Challenge By Rebecca At CMK.

Rebecca, the owner of Create My Keepsake, issued a challenge to the bloggers on her site. She wanted us to tell some things that others may not know about us. I hope I still have friends after this LOL!

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

* I have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

* I have to sleep with socks on

* I loved English and Social Studies in high school

* I was once in a severly abusive relationship

* I can't wink

* I eat, A LOT, I have always loved food!

* I've detassled corn, worked at Subway, did customer service/shipping & receiving/and sales for a kitchen equipment manuf., I've taught pre-school, and taught scrapbook classes

* I have mitro-valve prolapse, a condition where one of my heart valves is faulty

* I've never had stitches or broken any bones other than my little toe :)

* I have played softball for 20 years now

* I took tae-kwan-do lessons 8 years ago

* I was a cheerleader in high school

* I'm allergic to cats and asparagus, LOL

* I have a fear of flying

* I had Bell's Palsy when I was pregnant with Taylor

* My husband is a volunteer firefighter

* I have never had a speeding ticket (that doesn't mean I don't speed ;)

* I have friends in my life that have been there for 25 years.

* I am extremely impatient, and I wish I weren't!

* I have regrets in my life but have learned so much from those mistakes

Thank you for taking the time to read a little more about me that you may not have known before! I swear I am normal, LOL!!!

Shoplifters, New Job, and Other Changes

Well, here is some of my recent work. There really isn't much new with me. I'm kind of stuck in a scrapping rut. Where are my creative juices, lol? Maybe they left with Chad :) The 3 Bugs layout was done for Create My Keepsake, the KI Memories was done for Luv2scrapbook, and the other one was just for pleasure :)

So yesterday, I'm leaving Walmart and I see two guys running down the sidewalk. I thought, hmmmm, they must be in a hurry. Then I see tennis shoes falling from the first guy and something told me they weren't paid for :rolleyes: So the other guy behind him and a girl were on the phone running after the first guy. I pulled my truck in front of him and told him the security cameras have his picture so he might as well stop. He looked at me, dumbfounded for a couple of seconds and then a cop pulled up. He was arrested right there. It was crazy, I had never seen something like that :eek:

Chad is in Georgia, training and taking schooling to be a freight conductor with CSX. We are so excited for the opportunities that will come about because of this job change. Better medical insurance (WAY better), 401 K, retirement, not to mention a much better paycheck. Chad is really excited to be out of construction and I'm just happy to see him excited about this. He is doing really well in the schooling and will be done soon. YAY!

Lots of changes for the new year!

Yes, I've taken quite a break from my blog. I just have not had time nor have I had anything really interesting to say, LOL. So I will start again by doing a little re-cap of the past 8 weeks:

*Christmas was NUTS I've never been so busy. PTA, classroom parties, church events, family get togethers...next year I'm going to relax and enjoy my family :)

*We've been sick, multiple times, I am tired of seeing my doctor's face (no offense Dr. Sauer)

*I am the new 2007 DT Coordinator for CMK...thanks Rebecca!

*I got to scrap with the awesome and oh-so-talented Beth and Susan Opel. Not only are these girls seriously GOOD at scrapping...they are silly, real, down to earth, chatty, lovable, good friends, so so cute, and I could go on forever! Love you girls!

*I made the 2007 3 Bugs In A Rug DT!!!

*Chad has had an awesome career opportunity present itself recently. I will go into more detail when I can!

*The girls are getting bigger and I couldn't love them anymore than I do! Taylor and Hanna are doing well in school and Chloe is sweet and 100% trouble :)

*I got 2 mini albums picked up by Scrapbook Trends YAY! and a layout was requested for their May issue :) I *heart* Scrapbook Trends.

*My house is still a mess but we are happy :)

Here are some of my CHA layouts for 3 Bugs:

Create My Keepsake 2007 DT Call!

In 2007 we will reveal our brand new website design and our brand new Design Team! That means we are now conducting an open call to find the new members of our 2007 Design Team!

If you love working with new products, saving money on your favorite supplies, inspiring others, or just showing off your work – then this is the opportunity for you! We are currently conducting a "design team" search to find those individuals who love to scrapbook and create paper art projects as much as we do! If you want to become a part of one of the fastest growing scrapbook sites on the net then we want to hear from you!

Here is what our design team members will be asked to do:
1.) Commit to a 10 month term beginning February 1st, 2007 with participation thru November 30th, 2007.

2.) Each month you will be required to design 4 projects for our manufacturer sponsor galleries. We will be asking you to create 2 scrapbook layouts, 1 card, and 1 altered item. The projects you create each month will be used to showcase manufacturer products that are provided by our sponsors. We will also use these projects in our monthly newsletter and in other promotions as desired.

3.) Every 7 weeks you will be required to develop 1 design inspiration that will be posted in our forum so everyone can learn new tips, techniques and trends to try for themselves. You will be asked to provide a project sample and quick tips so that everyone can learn how to create “the same look.” (This is new for 2007 – this will replace our weekly challenges. We want to switch gears and inspire our community members instead of posting actual challenges!)

4.) We also ask that our design team members post additional projects in their own personal design team gallery.

5.) We also ask that our design team members participate in forum discussions on a daily basis to help facilitate the growth of our online community. The community involvement is very important to us here at CMK so we ask that each member try their best to devote a few minutes to our forum and gallery every day.

6.) We also ask that our design team members promote our website to friends, family members and colleagues to help facilitate the growth of our online store, our newsletter registration, our gallery and our forum.

7.) We may also ask you to develop an article for our monthly newsletter at least once during the 10 month period.

Here is what Create My Keepsake will provide to you as a design team member:
1.) Each month we will send you FREE products from our manufacturer sponsors so you can develop and design your required monthly projects.

2.) Our design team members will save an additional 20% on personal purchases. (details of the discount program are outlined in our agreement which will be provided upon acceptance to the team.) I promise you…you will love the savings!

3.) Our design team members will receive 1 free shipping opportunity each month.

4.) Our design team members are featured on our Design Team page along with links to their work in the gallery.

5.) Each month we will feature a different designer in our newsletter as our designer in the spotlight.

6.) You will receive Design Team recognition in our forum and gallery and you will have the freedom to use the Create My Keepsake design team logo on message boards and resumes.

7.) You will have access to the private Design Team forum so you can trade tips, ideas and project ideas with one another.

8.) You will receive other perks, goodies, and freebies at random throughout the 10 months. (ya know…like that coveted welcome gift we are so known for…)

Design Team Guidelines:
1.) Applicants must be at least 18 years of age on February 1st, 2007.

2.) Applications are open to everyone. International applicants are welcome. This is not an exclusive assignment. We accept applicants from other design teams either local, online or manufacturer.

3.) Previous design team experience is not required.

3.) Submissions will be judged by the owners of Create My Keepsake and two additional judges that we will appoint for a total of 4 judges.

4.) We will be selecting 5 individuals for the 2007 CMK Design Team. We will be looking for designers with all different levels of scrapbooking, papercrafting and photography skills.

5.) Candidates must submit the application and 3 original project examples by January 14th, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. CST.

6.) We will make our selections no later than January 21st, 2007. Selected team members will be notified via e-mail to confirm their acceptance.

7.) The formal announcement will be made in our forum on January 22nd, 2007.

How To Apply:
So…does this sound totally fabulous? We think so!! Here is how you can apply:

Upload 3 of your favorite projects into our 2007 Design Team Gallery. We would like to see 1 layout, 1 card and 1 altered item. Just be sure to show us your best work!

Here is the direct link to the DT Call gallery:
http://www.createmykeepsake.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=657

Here is the direct link to the DT Call thread:
http://www.createmykeepsake.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6183

Copy the questions from below; answer them and e-mail it to us at: createmykeepsake@yahoo.com

First name:
User name:
e-mail address:
phone number:
what is the best time to reach you:

How did you hear about our design team search?
How long have you been scrapbooking?
Do you have a preferred layout size?
Are you comfortable working with several different product lines?
What are some of your favorite products?

Are you currently designing for any manufacturers? If so, which ones?
Are you currently designing for any other online teams or kit clubs? If so, which ones?
Are you currently teaching or designing for your local scrapbook store?

Do you have a personal blog? If so, what is the blog address?
Do you have an online scrapbook resume? If so, please provide us with a link to view it.

How do you stay current on the latest techniques and trends in scrapbooking?What subjects or individuals do you tend to scrapbook the most? Kids, pets etc.
Tell us a little bit about your daily life and what a typical day is for you:

Is there anything else you would like us to know? List it here:

We just can't wait to see your designs! We have great things in store for 2007 and we are looking forward to adding design team members who are passionate about scrapbooking and papercrafting! Thanks so much for considering our offer! If you have any questions about this opportunity please send me an e-mail at rebecca@createmykeepsake.com

Sincerely,
Rebecca Cross
Owner

I've been tagged by my pal Carrie!!!

This is my first *tag*. The talented and oh so sweet Carrie Postma has sent me this cute ABC quiz!

A - Available or single: available to my hubby ONLY!
B - Best Friend: my mom
C - Cake or Pie: cake
D - Drink of choice: Diet Pepsi, coffee
E - Essential Item you use everyday: my cell phone
F - Favorite color: green
G - Gummy Bears or worms: gummy worms!
H - Hometown: Woodburn, Indiana
I - Indulgence: scrapbook supplies
J - January or February: February
K - Kids & Names: (nicknames) Tee Tee, Hanna Banana, Chlo Chlo
L - Life is Incomplete Without? my faith, family, & friends
M - Marriage Date: April 24th, 1999
N - Number of Siblings: 2
O - Oranges or Apples: oranges
P - Phobias or Fears: spiders
Q - Fave Quote:For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.For poise, walk with the knowledge you never walk alone.~Audrey Hepburn (this was Carrie's and I love it!)
R - Reason to Smile: my children, a God that loves me!
S - Season: Fall
T - Tag 3 or 4 people: Andrea, Sue, Susan/Beth, Danielle
U - Unknown Fact about Me: I have OCD
V- Vegetable You Don't Like: I like all veggies!
W - Worst Habit: getting sucked into the computer, procrastinating
X - Xrays: none
Y - Your Fave Food: homemade popcorn, anything mexican
Z - Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Um...slacker?

Yes, that is me! Such a bloggin' slacker! Life has been busy, you all know the routine :)

Thanksgiving was wonderful...so much to be thankful for. I have my health, a wonderful loving family, a nice home to live in, there is nothing I could want or need that isn't supplied to me. I have a wonderful God who is my strength. Yes, life is good!

Me, my mom, Peggy, and my friend Krista went shopping on Black Friday. Target was a flippin' madhouse!!! Women clanking carts into other carts and giving each other dirty looks, sheesh. So I told myself the next woman I see do this I am going to say something, hehe. 20 seconds later it happens again, CLANK, and then the scowl. So big mouth me blurts out, "well, what do you expect? There are 300 women, and 200 carts in a tiny area and you don't think you're going to run into each other?" I mean honestly...if you can't come out in a good mood and come to expect how BUSY it might be then maybe you should stay at home! I think it is great to go out early and search for bargains and I do so with a smile on my face the whole time. I'm not there to grab the last cabbage patch kid :) I love a good deal as much as the next person but they are just material objects...I just don't understand people getting upset over these things is all :)

We got our Christmas lights up over the weekend. This time of year always goes WAY too fast. It is so busy and chaotic that sometimes it is hard to celebrate the season, KWIM? I have the tree up and the lights on it, but no ornaments yet. I'm waiting until we have time together as a family to start that. I have been working hard on PTA things and tomorrow is "Dad's Night" at Harlan so hopefully I will have some time after that.

I haven't had much time to scrapbook :( There are lots of ideas swirling in my head that I REALLY want to get down on paper. My space is a total disaster area and should probably be cleaned before I tackle any new projects!!!

And I about knocked myself out today, seriously. I put the ladder up to the attic (well, I thought it was up) and it came crashing back down, straight on my noggin. Yep, I saw stars and kept telling myself not to pass out. It was bad...REALLY BAD. I have a nice lump on my head and will definately make sure that sucker is ALL the way up next time, hehe.

On a GREAT note I am done nursing!!! And Chloe has slept ALL night 3 nights in a row now...that is wonderful!!!

Chad and I spent Saturday night at friends house playing Texas Hold Em'. Can you say new addiction???! I kicked butt!!!!!!

We are also currently looking for land so if you know of several acres for sale in the Harlan/Grabill/Leo area...let me know!!!

Well, I'm off to make my speech for Dad's Night tomorrow!

I will leave you tonight with some jokes from Taylor :)

What did the boy octupus say to the girl octupus?

I want to hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand

What's the best food when it's cold outside?

A burrrrrger

Wishing I were scrapping

Well, I'm doing EVERYTHING and ANYTHING but scrapping. Cleaning, organizing, painting...all 24 hours before I have 15 women in my living room for a tastefully simple party! It should be a good time...lots of food! That is always a good thing :)

I need to scrap, I have a couple of deadlines and a couple of calls that I want to submit to. Haven't had the time to that in a while. I got some of my Create My Keepsake DT layouts done though. We had MME as this months sponsor. Love their stuff! I also have the privelege of working with Heidi Grace this month for Luv2scrapook. Next month we have AMM and KI Memories to work with from Luv2 and 7 Gypsies for CMK. I love these 2 sites!



Well, I better go. My kids won't go to bed and I'm losing my voice. They are driving me nuts tonight!

Family Time

We've had a lot of that lately. Family time. I love spending time with the girls, outside, exploring, enjoying each other. Chad made this HUGE pile of leaves on Sunday for the girls to jump in. Of course it has been YEARS since I've taken the plunge into a pile of crunchy leaves so I took the leap, lol. BIG mistake. First off Taylor had to help pull me up and I spent the next hour picking bits and pieces of leaves from my underwear. Yes people, crunchy pieces of leaves were in my underwear. The girls thought it was the funniest thing in the world though :) So mission accomplished.

Ahhhh, darn blogger won't allow me to load the rest of my fall pictures :( I will atempt to do so later!

I Love Fall!

Wow, the leaves are changing SO fast here! What a beautiful sight, I love the array of warm colors :) A total fall fan here! This week we are going to Kurtz Pumpkin Patch to get our pumpkins. The girls love going into the pumpkin field to pick out "just the right" pumpkin!



I have been busy working on some 3 Bugs In A Rug layouts with their new releases "Smitten" and "Maverick." They are even better in person! Love their stuff! And I'm not quite sure what is going on with my scrappy style lately, but I love it. I am feeling the need to lean more towards clean lines and vibrant color. I love this hobby for the fact that it is always evolving!

Nothing much new here. Had a girls' night out on Saturday night. We had a SO MUCH FUN! 4 of my friends are teachers and they had some very interesting stories to say the least. We ate at Logan's, walked around Jefferson Pointe, and hung out at Starbuck's until midnight. I can't wait to do it again :)

Taylor is still kicking butt in soccer...I enjoy watching her play so much!

I just finished re-doing the girls' bedroom too. Their walls are now sky blue, and their bedding reminds of some yummy Scenic Route paper! Seriously, the colors are delicious!!!

OK, another special shout out to my friend Beth Opel. At Memory Trends, they will be announcing SOY (Scrapbooker of the Year) and she is a shoe in! A brilliant scrapbooker...I hope she wins!