Scrapbooking Memories

National Boss's Day...

2008-10-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is national boss's day...I cannot believe I remembered. It was seriously dumb luck as I was getting ready to leave my office I checked out the calendar randomly and there it was - October 16th..."boss's day". So with some helpful ideas from my hubby, I decided to make candy bar wrappers for the big sized candy bars and then got a card for my two main managers. I have about six managers/supervisors who use my assistance on a daily basis, so I made a few extra bars. Here is a pic of the wrapper I made. I wasn't sure how to share it with anyone who wanted to print it...I figured it was probably too late anyway.

Besides boss's day tomorrow, it is my brother Jason's b-day. He's 18 months older than I and we were always mistaken for twins when we were younger. Happy B-day to Jason - wish you were near!!!!

Also, tomorrow is the 11th anniversary of my mother's brain aneurysm. Out of the blue on October 16th, 1997 at around 10:30 am, my mother had a cerebral brain aneurysm or a CVA which I believe they call a cerebral vascular accident. She underwent major brain surgery and was in intensive care for about 2 weeks and then the step down unit for another week or so. We were very lucky that she came away from this incident with really no damage. The only loss for her (which we joke about) is that she lost most of her sense of smell...pretty lucky considering what could have been. So, this is always a special day for me to remember how thankful I should be to still have my mother around.

Love and kisses to all...enjoy the rest of your week!!

Happy October!

2008-10-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

Once again, a great FREE desktop calendar from the Shabby Princess...get yours by clicking here.

Ummmm...were did September go?????

2008-09-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Isn't she lovely?

2008-08-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

A sweet pic I took of Lauren this weekend. We were headed off to a friend's b-day party. I used a few new techniques that I learned with PSE. TFL

Some digi layouts I did this week...

2008-08-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Backyard pool fun with our neighbors

Pics taken during our weekend road trip back to Boise

August calendar

2008-08-12T13:08:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to say, I love this blogsite and their free monthly "desktops" they call them. You have to go visit and see. This is the August calendar (desktop). Fun, easy, beautiful...the Shabby Princess

Do I ever get to scrap book anymore.....???

2008-08-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

It appears not, I know. Summer is so busy and on top of summer, life for me is so busy right now. Can't say I am not enjoying every minute of it, but I do miss my scrappin time. It's on my mind every day and each time I think I have a moment set aside to do something "scrappy" something else comes up....

Here's my excuse of what has been keeping me sooooo busy.....

Black and Whites

2008-05-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

I've been attempting to take more artistic photos - I think I am getting better each time. I took a few shots from our trip to the ocean this weekend and just flipped them to black and white. It's the most creative thing I have done in a few weeks, but it's a start....

Missin my MoJo......

2008-04-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't made or had the time to be very creative since Easter so not much to share on the scrappin side. Between work, being sick and getting taxes, etc. taken care of...I've left little time for my favorite hobby.

I have to share a wonderful digital scrapbook site where you can purchase the most adorable kits. It's called Peppermint Creative.com . You've got to check them out. I've purchased quite a few digi kits and even found a few for free! This particular kit, pictured below, was free for download and very, very cute. Click HERE to download.

I'm hoping to set some time aside later this week to play with some of the kits I got. Another of my faves for easter...picture below. It's called Sweet Easter and cost only $2.00. You've got to check it out...it's well worth the purchase so click HERE if you want to grab it.

St. Patties Day Digi LO...

2008-04-01T17:13:00.001-07:00

I downloaded this FREE digi kit at free digital scrapbooking.com...really cute site with lots of fun freebies. Just click here to get the kit and a few others...

This is who I am...

2008-03-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it. There was an article (which I found in the CK Book, Creativity Tips for Scrapbookers) about taking your own self portrait. I have read it several times, picked up my camera many times and then on Friday afternoon (when I was all alone, that window of time between when I get off of work, before my husband gets home from work and before I get Lauren from school) I took some pictures of ME. I checked them out on the camera and wasn't impressed, it actually got me a little depressed because most of them turned out pretty bad. I'm not the most photogenic person in the world and if you have never done it...taking a good self portrait is pretty hard - unless you are Tyra Banks ;o). So today I downloaded the photos on to my laptop and sat down and really looked at them. I threw out probably 90 percent of the photos of me, but I found a few that I thought I could work with. So, I'm going to be brave and post my Self Portrait. As the caption says, "this is who I am", so I better get used to it right? One of my goals for this year is learning to love and accept me for who I am. Guess this falls right in line with that huh?

Also, I found these cute, cute little tin pails at Target this last week. They were One Dollar each, no kidding! I picked up about 5 and I plan on embellishing them. Not sure what I will do with them, but it's gonna be fun figuring it out!

a slump or just a bump...in the road?

2008-03-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in a scrapbookin slump! While at work my thoughts will often turn to things I could be doing at home in my scrap room. All the projects I could be working on and of course I write all my ideas down. Then, when I get home, I am so exhausted that I go and stand in my room and just look at everything. So, is this a slump or a little bump in my road? Who knows right? And is there a difference?
I did spend some time cleaning up my scrap room from the busy week before Easter. I have to say I was pretty productive and creative that week, so I guess I can take a week off. It's just that I want to be creating so badly but when I get the time I am so exhausted. So that is the rub. But....I did get a raise this week at work, so that was a bright spot. More scrappin funds right???

I grabbed a notebook last night and started writing down things, anything, whatever came to mind. I think this will help get me back on track with my creativity.
I see, on a lot of blogs, that people get "tagged" from other bloggers and they complete little quizzes about themselves. Well, I've not been tagged by anyone, so I thought I would tag myself. Cause I think I'm pretty darn interesting (hee hee).
So for me (and you) here goes:

"Oh look, I got tagged by Ladybugs Momma" .... :o)

My favorite color:
purple, but I like black too...green is starting to grow on me cause it matches my eyes
Five things people may not know about me:
I love football
I hate to fold laundry
I want to drive a race car someday - really, really fast
Some days it is a struggle for me to get out of bed
I want to be a published author - someday
Three of my bad habits:
I am a procrastinator
I cut myself down on a daily basis (drives my hubby crazy)
I have a horribly difficult time making up my mind - the bad habit? I usually don't say "this is what I want" cause I can't decide what that is!!!!!
My dream job:
Gosh...to get paid to scrapbook
and... I would love to be a school counselor
My biggest fear(s):
Failing as a mother
MRI's
Someone breaking in to my home at night and...I cannot think about what horrible things they could do....
My guiltiest pleasure (food related):
baked potato topped with lots of butter, lots of ranch dressing and buffalo chicken strips cut up in pieces on the top. I'm not kidding....soooooo yummy!
Things I am thankful for:
My husband - who waits on me hand and foot and (I truly believe) he loves doing it.
My daughter - until she was born I had only dreamed of someone so beautiful, dynamic, full of promise and ambition. I am blessed that God gave me such a wonderful gift of being her mother!
My family - my father, my mother, my 5 brothers. What I wouldn't give to live closer to them...whenever I go home to visit, I NEVER want to leave. I cry every time we drive away!

Happy Friday to all !

Thought of the day...

2008-03-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
- Carlos Castaneda

Some Easter Pics...

2008-03-24T14:07:00.003-07:00

Just a few Easter pics of Lauren in her dress. I will write more when I get a chance....

Easter eggs and Easter treats....let the fun begin!

2008-03-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Easter is well on it's way to our house...eggs are boiled, so I am one step ahead of last year (when I normally do it last minute!

Here are some Easter goodies that Lauren and I made for her class and her teachers. The kids each got a "matchbook" with a little treat inside and we made this little basket for her teacher. It has little York Peppermint Patties in it - so that gives you an idea of how tiny it was. Very, very cute and lots of fun to make. We made some bigger baskets for her to give to the teachers to share. Lots of fun!! I found the link to the matchbooks from another gals blog...http://sherellechristensen.typepad.com/ and she had a link to the site where I ordered the templates for the matchbooks http://www.designerdigitals.com/ .

Here's to hoping you have a great Easter! TFL

Happy St. Pattie's Day!

2008-03-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

The start of another week and two holidays all wrapped up in the course of 7 days! Makes for a busy, crammed week for me. I finished Lauren's beaded socks to match her little St. Pattie's day shirt. Next I will work on her Easter outfit - for school - her Sunday dress is bought and done. Just need to get some pics in that. Also, will be spending the week prepping some cute little easter treats for Lauren's class and school and will need to get the Easter baskets ready and mailed to my two other kids who live in SLC. So...busy, busy, here but lots of fun!
Here are a few pics from Lauren this morning on her way to school. I managed to get everyone dressed in green - including my hubby! Hugs to all! Happy St. Pattie's Day!

What a week...

2008-03-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

So it's been a busy, busy week here and I am so glad that it is Friday tomorrow! I cannot wait for the weekend. I managed to catch a few pics of my little "fairy Easter bunny" as she was hopping through. Seriously, I could not believe how dolled up Lauren got, complete with dress up shoes and purple eye shadow. It was hilarious! I'm not sure why she thought the bunny ears went on her forehead, but she refused to let me fix them. So, here you go...a little pre-easter fun!

Also, I had a fairly productive week for projects. I am really striving to create more personalized home decor. So, I ended up making a little "Recipe" sign for my kitchen and then some "Faith" "Love" "Hope" chipboard signs for my wall plate holder. My mother in law gave us girls this cute little snowman plate holder this year. I was tired of winter, but I wanted to keep the plate holder up all year, so this was my solution. I also created a little chipboard collage of my "Lovely Little Ladybug".

We found out this week that our landlord is needing to sell his home - by April 15th. YIKES! This caught us very much by surprise. He offered it to us to purchase, but it is an older home and we would really like to be in a newer, bigger home. So, we have begun the search for a new home. We found out that we won't have to move out as soon as we thought, but we are still on the hunt for a new place to live. So, this keeps us busy....

It's a blessing in disquise and it sure is testing my patience and faith right now. I am sure we will end up with something incredible and a better appreciation for our ability to provide a better life for our family.

Happy Friday - Happy Weekend!!

Beautiful Butterfly

2008-03-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

LO of Lauren. A pic I have used before, but I do really like the green and pink here, really makes the picture pop.

Missing this girl....

2008-02-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

My husband and I created a small video collage/scrapbook for my parents at christmas. We used the song "Remember When" by Alan Jackson. Needless to say, it brought them to tears and it was so much fun to create/watch/share. Anyway...I digress.... :o)

I found this picture in the ones that we scanned - it's me when I was little. Probably not much older than my daughter is now. But, as the title indicates, I miss this little girl. The innocence, the happiness, the whole world at her feet. Sometimes I can still catch a glimpse of her in my eyes....Hmmmmmm, next step - Scrap It !

My Valentine

2008-02-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

Sat down and created this digi LO of my husband - my valentine.

our "Little Games"

2008-02-16T00:42:00.000-08:00

LO done for another bloggers contest...I was so glad I sat down to do it. I love to do LO's of my daughter, but it was nice to focus on my husband and I.

This layout takes me back to when we were dating...on one of our first dates he took me to a river on a summer evening. We "waded" out to a rock in the middle of the river and sat there for quite a while. He played a "little game" with me, trying to get to know me better. It's funny, we still play that same game from time to time now....Wilma or Betty? Peanut Butter or Jelly?

Just as it is today, we didn't agree on everything. I think that is what makes us such a good couple.

First Digital Layout - Beautiful Girl!

2008-02-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've dabbled and played with my PSE program a bit, but this morning I created my first 12 x 12 completed digi layout. Really pretty easy, I used a "quick page" to just learn how PSE works. Got my quick page free when I signed up with "ScrapWow". You ought to check it out...it's a great website. Anyway, hope you enjoy looking cause I enjoyed making.

BLINK

2008-02-08T23:18:00.000-08:00

My newest layout - my husband is asleep on the couch, all is quite, so I am getting some scrappin done! This is a pic that I took of my baby one night, she had just gotten out of the bath, clean jammies, yummy smelling hair and she was bouncing around with daddy. I caught her in a quiet moment and this photo is what I captured...so stunning. My first thought is - DON"T BLINK! or you will miss everything with this little girl.

Thus, the creation of my layout. I printed "don't blink" repeatedly on vellum - highlighting one in caps and bold and then journaled at the bottom. The pink "blink" has "in the" written on the B and "of an" written on the K and then eye next to the word - "in the blink of an eye". Journaling says "It's happening right before my eyes and I'm afraid if I BLINK ... I will miss it. You are growing into a beautiful little girl - no longer my baby. I see it in this picture more clearly than ever. You, fresh out of a bath, bouncing with your daddy and you have no clue that you are changing every moment. For now all I can do is hold on to you and pray the time will crawl - cause I don't wanna miss a thing!"

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

So, I took a small break from scrapbooking (sigh...) and created this little skirt for my dd for V-day. She is having a party at school and they suggested for the kids to wear pink or red for the celebration. Ummmmm ok, how about red or pink from head to toe??? Hopefully my dd doesn't look back at photos one day and say "Come on Mom - really? What were you thinking?" As for now, I get to dress her in all the cutsie outfits I can make and buy.

I took a pair of denim jeans, cut them, ripped them up the crotch, sewed the skirt and then embellished with cute ribbon - all grosgrain I believe. The little socks are beaded with red, pink, white pony beads - some heart shapes. Socks are especially cute cause they make a fun sound when she dances around. Toooo much fun!

" INFINITY "

2008-02-08T20:45:00.007-08:00

My four year old came home from school one day and her new favorite word was "infinity". Everything was infinity - "mom" she would say, "you are infinity beautiful". "I love this song infinity". So, when I asked her what infinity meant she said "It's more than nothing..." and she is absolutely correct. Here's the scrap page I did of her new favorite word. I think the picture depicts a little girl on the brink of growing up way too fast!

The vellum has the webster's dictionary definition of infinity and the little tags next to her pic are her infinity quotes.

The journaling says "What is infinity to you, my precious four year old? "Infinity", you say matter of factly, "is MORE than nothing". Such a big word for a little girl. My definition? YOU...you are MY infinity.