Happy

This is a page I completed for the Chirper Challenge. We were challenged to use foam (the flower), a musical theme, and stripes. Here is my interpretation of the challenge.

This page is from Allison's (my niece) 3rd birthday in 1999!! My 2 nephews are right there with her. (They are driving now!! How time flies!!)

From trash to treasure...My ribbon organization project!

First I took some packaging that some blinds had come in. I cut the packaging apart on the edges so that I had really long pieces of clear plastic. Then I put the plastic on my Cricut mat, used my file that I created, and cut out these...

So I spent the afternoon sorting my ribbon. Of course, being OCD, I had to put it in ROYGBIV order (red, orange, yellow, etc.). All the cool colors are on the left and the warm colors on the right. This took all afternoon. I think I finally have a solution for my ribbon...I can see it all, it's portable, and it looks pretty hanging there.

If you would like the .cut file for Design Studion download it here. It uses the George cartridge and multicut of 4.

I've been busy!!

Ok, so I haven't posted anything in a long time!! But I have been busy (who isn't?)! So I finished this page tonight. I started it last week. This is a picture of Chloe on her actual birthday. She was in her jammies and heading to bed. Some friends had come over to play pool so she was acting silly for them. This is a page I created for the first Cricut Color challenge. We were challenged to create something using white, pink, and light green. This is Chloe at the zoo in August. This page is totally scraplifted from the package of stamps I just bought and used on this page.

Ok, I'll share more later!

What a Trip!

This is a layout I made tonight of a trip I took with my brother. It was a nightmare of a trip but we sure had fun! I didn't have my camera but I wanted this story to be preserved for all to enjoy. I used my new Cricut Street Sign Cartridge to make the title and the cut outs of the signs! I love that cartridge! Take a minute to read the journaling:

Sunday, August 3, 2008-- Tim came to me and wanted to know if I would go to Atlanta with him on Monday. I thought, hmmm, I wonder if there are any good scrapbooking stores on the way....so I agreed to go.
Monday, August 4, 2008--Tim called and said we would leave tomorrow and wanted me to buy food for our trip.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008--I left my kids with Luke, grabbed the food, a cooler, a thermos of ice tea, and my overnight bag and hopped into Tim’s truck. He had a trailer hooked up to the truck with some huge woodworking machine on it. We hit the road at 1:00 pm. As we drove through some mountains in Tennessee it began to get dark. All of the sudden, his truck made a CLUNK, CLUNK! Tim says, "Oh, no! Oh, no!" We were careening down a hill and he is saying that! I looked at him as he was messing with the shifter thingy on the floor that makes the truck shift from 4 wheel drive to 2 wheel drive. He didn’t say anymore as we kept flying down the mountain. "What?" I asked. No response. "What? Are we gonna die!?!" That got a response. He laughed and said, "No, we’re not gonna die. Something’s wrong with the transfer case." ...like I know what that is! He explains that it’s the thing that allows the truck to shift into 4 wheel drive. He doesn’t know what’s causing the clunking. He calls Dad and they think we can make it to Georgia and back. Every 45 minutes or so, it would CLUNK, CLUNK, and Tim would have to "put it back in gear." As we got closer to Georgia, the clunking became a little more frequent. At midnight, we stopped at a Super 8 and slept for the night.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008--We got up at 7 a.m. and headed for the woodworking shop that bought the CNC router. We spent all morning there as they unloaded the machine. We got back on the road and headed south to Kennesaw, GA where Tim dropped me off at the Joann Superstore so I could scrapbook shop while he picked up the skid loader he bought. I found all kinds of bargains and loaded my cart. I waited and waited. Finally, he called and said he was there. I jumped in with all my new purchases. I made some sandwiches as we headed home. The clunking was becoming even more frequent. Tim kept insisting that we could still make it home. As we approached Nashville, the clunking began to occur every 2 or 3 minutes! Tim would try to get it back in gear but there was just a terrible grinding. We were in rush hour traffic in Nashville when Tim says, "We’re done!" We exit and limp into a truck stop. Tim calls Eddie and tells him to be ready to come get us. We sat in the truck stop parking lot and Tim decides that he can make it. So we get out of the lot and head up the entrance ramp to the interstate and Tim couldn’t get it in 4 wheel high. We stopped on the entrance ramp. He got out and we sat on the side of the road for a while. He tried to call Eddie again to come get us but he wouldn’t answer. We called Mom to come get us. She didn’t want to come alone so she decided to bring Luke, who was watching my kids. Tim told her to wait, he’d try again. Persistant guy! So we hop in the truck. After much grinding, Tim realized that we had lost the high side of the gears and only had 4 wheel low. This meant we couldn’t go any faster than 25 mph! We needed to get across 4 lanes of traffic to a left lane exit for I-24. Needless to say, we didn’t make it. We kept heading north on I-65. I grabbed an atlas to see if we could find a way that wasn’t interstate. We exited and started limping slowly home. Tim decided we couldn’t make it at that rate so he pulled into Advance Auto Parts. He told them our problem and they started calling around looking for a junkyard that might have a transfer case. At 6:58 p.m., right before closing time, they reached a place that would rebuild the transfer case the next morning. They just wanted us to take the transfer case out and bring it to them. Taking it out was possible but how could we bring it to them? Tim bought some tools to take out the transfer case, stopped and bought peaches from a man on the side of the road, and we limped the few miles back to a hotel that was 2 miles from the transmission shop. I sat in the Super 8 parking lot and ate peaches while Tim took the transfer case out of the truck. Now we were disabled and wouldn’t be able to drive anywhere. We went to our hotel room and Tim showered. Unfortunately, we had only packed enough clothes for one night. So Tim washed one set of clothes in the sink and we hung them over the air conditioner in hopes that they would dry. I fell asleep thinking that I should be home by now...
Thursday, August 7, 2008--We woke up early and ate. We had the hotel clerk call us a taxi to take us and our transfer case to the transmission shop. We arrived at 8 a.m. and they said they could order the parts and we’d be on our way that afternoon. Yes! We weren’t sure what to do with our day, so the taxi driver suggested we spend the day at the Opry Mills Mall. He drove us there and it cost $40 for his fare. We walked in the Opry Mills Hotel (the mall wasn’t open yet) and stood there and thought, how are we going to waste a day? I turned around and saw a Hertz rental place in the hotel. It turned out we could rent a car for $10 more than the cab fare to get us back! Equipped with a little Hyundai, we felt free. We drove to the mall and Tim went in a tool shop. I wandered around the mall. We met back up and decided to watch a movie to waste time. Our movie wouldn’t start for a while so we went to The Rainforest Cafe for lunch. The food was overpriced and undertasty. I went to Old Navy and bought a jacket and then we went and watched Swing Vote. After the movie, the transmission shop called...bad news, one part that they had been sent was wrong and it wouldn’t be there until morning!! We called our preacher, who used to work in Nashville and got a recommendation for a restaurant downtown. We drove downtown and ate at the Tin Angel. After our meal, we went back to the mall and I bought some clean clothes since we’d have to spend ANOTHER night in the hotel.
Friday, August 8, 2008-- We got up and went to the transmission shop at 8. The part had arrived and they were putting it together. When it was finished, we put the transfer case in the rental and rushed back to the hotel. Tim started putting it in while I raced back to return the car within our 24 hour time frame. I sat at the Opry Mills Hotel for an hour while he fixed the truck, showered, and packed our stuff. He picked me up and I realized he forgot my pillow. We went back to the hotel and got my pillow. "On the road again..." we sang. We drove towards home without any clunking! We got into Illinois and Tim realized he needed fuel. We passed a Love’s truck stop; bad experience there on the way down. I picked up the atlas and started asking him state trivia. He got distracted and passed the next exit. Uh, oh! He pressed the accelerator up and down. We were out of fuel! I ran to a house next to the interstate in hopes of some diesel fuel. No luck, but he gave us a hose to siphon some fuel from the skid loader on the back of the trailer. No luck, so we started walking. After a few minutes a man picked us up and drove us 13 miles to a gas station. We bought their last 2 gas cans and filled them. I asked the station attendant if there was a taxi here as I didn’t enjoy hitchhiking. A man at the counter offered to give us a ride since it was on his way home. Sweet! We got back to the truck and got it started. "On the road again.." we sang. As the St. Louis skyline appeared, thump, thump! "We had a blowout!" Tim said. Could this trip get any worse? He pulls over and hops in the back of the truck to grab a little jack. I questioned the ability of that jack to lift the thousands of pounds sitting on the trailer. I suggested that he drive the skid loader off the trailer and then the jack would work. Better idea, use the bucket of the skid loader as a jack! He changed it and we were "on the road again..." But wouldn’t you know that a traffic jam in O’Fallon made it take even longer to get home. Our overnight trip turned into a week long adventure. "Never again," I told Tim. His reply, "You’ll come again because you’ll be afraid you might miss something." We laughed because it’s true!

Noah's Gash Page

This is a page that goes next to the page below this. Ed was out fishing when Noah cut his head open. So the kids wanted in the picture with him. All the green embellishments are painted chipboard.

This is the page for my book about Noah's gash.

Here is a page I created for Noah's big gash he received. Read further down in my blog for the complete story! This page will go in his book.

More Scrappin' Pages....

This is a page about when Noah got his bunkbeds right before starting kindergarten. I haven't added the journaling yet. Oops!

Chloe was helping me this summer to make the beds. She really wasn't much help!! My friend Cheri challenged me to use that stinking Teardrop Cricut cartridge (for the title) that I said I hated and wouldn't you know, I don't quite hate it anymore. Go figure!

Love

This is a picture that Noah took of me and my honey on our 7th anniversary. We went out to eat at Red Lobster! Yummy! And no trip is complete without a trip to Hobby Lobby and Archiver's. Noah took this picture of us when we got home....not a bad pic for a 5 year old!

Scary Day!

I took Chloe to a dermatoligist today for these raised spots on the inside of her right thigh, the outside of her left thigh and 2 "bumps" on her belly. I had been to her pediatrician in January and he didn't know what it was but prescribed some cream that did NOTHING! Mom convinced me to go see a dermatoligist. The doctor looked at her legs and thought it was "significant" and thought she would need a biopsy. He also thought I should see another derm. down the hall. So off we went to the 2nd dr. She got us right in and looked and looked. She left for a moment and came back with a 3rd dr.! He looked and they talked for a few moments about what it definitely wasn't. They think that it is just the way her skin is in that place, kinda like a birthmark, that her skin formed that way in the womb. It is not on the surface or 1st layer of her skin (which I knew and that's why no cream worked and why I knew it wasn't an allergy) but in the 2nd layer of her skin. Which is how I described it to people, like the bumps were under her skin and pushing up on the skin! LOL! The 3rd dr. said, from the point of view of a dad, that her suitors will never notice and when she gets a tan she will just have to put some tan cream on it because it probably won't tan. :) (I bet he is a great daddy with the way he thinks!:) )They gave me the number of a pediatric derm. to call. So while my mind is at rest and and I can stop panicking after hearing a "significant" problem, I may schedule another appt. just to give my mind some assurance that my baby girl is OK!

UPDATE: I was fixing my hair the other day and looked in the mirror and guess what I saw!! I have those same bumps on my left arm really close to my armpit. I had noticed them a long time ago but forgot about them because you just don't look at that part of your arm often. So I guess the derm. guy was right....it is hereditary and she got them from me!!

Big Boy

This is a page about Noah and realizing that he is a big boy and not just my little boy anymore.

The journaling will go on the lines. I wrote a note June 24 that says, "I can't believe how much you have grown recently. We went camping last weekend and you slept in your little tent all by yourself! When it rained early in the morning, I expected to hear you cry out. Not a peep! When we got back, I decided to wash everything. Yesterday, as I was washing all your blankets from your toddler bed, you told me to pack them away, you were done with them. You said I could give them to someone who needed them. You are growing up and you are so kind and compassionate. My baby boy is gone. I love you my son, Mom."

My Girl

I went to a scrappin' retreat last weekend. What a blast! I got quite a bit done. Here's the first one. I had 2 random pics of Chloe from late this summer so I put them on a page. I haven't written anything yet. It will go on the lines in the corner.

I'll add more pages later....I'm off to bed for now!

My Scrappin' Partner

Ed had to take a test last week for his job. He sat up in my scrapbook room while I scrapbooked. He never comes in my room. He hates the Cricut Green walls! LOL! I had to sacrifice turning off my music while he completed the test but it was worth having him in there!

How do I find time to scrap???

I have had people ask me how I have time to scrap since I work full time and have a 4 year old and 5 year old.......Easy! The kids entertain themselves and of course, they have to be in the same room with me. So while they were playing "Guess Who?" I was busy creating the "So Spoiled" page. I copied this page from Amy at http://janellerichmond.typepad.com/sketchthis/

I used Opposites Attract Cricut cartridge for the title and Mini Monograms Cricut Cartridge for the circle and scalloped circle. Paper is my My Mind's Eye. Cardstock is Bazzill.

Today....

was rainy and gloomy all morning and then the sun popped out! Thank goodness!

I have a funny story to share.....This evening when Noah was unloading the dishwasher (yes, he does that at 5 1/2) he held up the apple/potato peeler and said, "Where does this skinner go?" I cracked up laughing....skinner....makes sense, it does skin potatoes and things now doesn't it?!

My 200th Page This Year!

Here it is.....My goal for the year was 200 pages. I made it and it's only September! I used Base Camp for the title and George and Accent Essentials for the flowers. This picture was taken on Easter this year.

Flooding!

It's amazing how the effects of Hurricane Ike can reach a 1000 miles away! This is a picture of our front yard. Well, our "side" yard really.

We took this picture out the window of the car this morning as we were going to church. All that water goes under our driveway. It's just a different angle of the same water from the top picture.

Noah's First Day

So, yeah, I know it's been a few weeks since the first day of school but I've been busy. Life has been been one busy moment after another!! Anyway, this is Noah on the first day of kindergarten. He is loving it. He is beginning to read simple books (and I mean simple, like "I see the _____.") and is learning all about the 5 B's. Be kind, safe, cooperative, respectful and responsible. He will let you know when you aren't following them, too!! So you better mind your B's around Noah! LOL!

Easter Egg Hunt Page

I made this page for Chloe's book. It didn't take too long (well, aside from getting the kids in the bath). I didn't use my Cricut on this page. The letters are Heidi Swapp chipboard.

I did a page today!

This page is a 2nd page to a LO I created Thursday. I did it in response to DailyScrapper's challenge. (See her blog here http://abusyplace.blogspot.com/ ) She got me motivated today. I used Mini Monograms for the scallop and Storybook for the flowery flourish in the corner. The butterfly was made using the Cuttlebug. Oh, I used Stickles on the center of the scallopy flower.

Look Cari!

Guess what came in the mail today....yep, you guessed it. The kids were so excited to get their packages. Thank you so much. You are a fantastic friend. We love you and miss you and Chris and the kids. Tell the kids hi and give them hugs and kisses for us.

Just Because Card

Here is a card I created thanks to the Daily Scrapper and her blog. The challenge was to make a card using black and white, ribbon and of course my Cricut. I used TBBM to make the tag and Storybook to cut the big black frame with flowers. It is using Frame and shift "L". The "just because" is a rub on from Stampin' Up! I added a little bling in the top corner and inked the edges with the Charcoal chalk ink pad. It's a very simple card but I really like it!

Gully Washer

After a bit of stress today, I decided I needed to head up to the scrap room and create something. Here is a super quick page I created from 1999 when I went to Six Flags Houston. I used Doodletype for the title and Home Accents for the swirly using my good ol' Cricut Expression.

A Day at the Zoo

I went yesterday to the zoo with my good friend, Cheri and her son. We had a good time...once Noah rode the train. He wasn't agreeable about doing anything until we rode the train.

Latest Layouts!

Supplies: Paper MME and cardstock from Bazzill, Edge punch from Fiskars, Journal stamp and swirl from Autumn Leaves, and Title was cut from Jasmine cartridge.

Supplies: Swirl cut from Graphically Speaking cartridge, Journal stamp from Autumn Leaves, circle cut from George cartridge, and the title is made from Basic Grey stickers. Paper is MME and cardstock is Bazzill.

Supplies: The title is cut from Graphically Speaking, journal stamp and swirls (stamped on the circles) from Autumn Leaves and the circles are cut from George. Paper is MME and cardstock is Bazzill.

Supplies: The title is cut from Graphically Speaking. The paper is MME and cardstock is Bazzill. The journal stamp is Autumn Leaves.

I used the new Graphically Speaking cartridge for "Play" and scalloped circle, Home Accents for the swirls, and Storybook cartridge for the title. Paper is from MME.

I used a Quikutz die to make the scallop out of felt. The circle stamps are from Sandylion and the date stamp is from Autumn Leaves.

Supplies: The title and arrow are cut from Graphically Speaking cartridge, the circle is cut from George, paper is MME, brown and yellow ribbon is Basic Grey, and the yellow paint is MM.

Stamps are from Stampin' UP! and the paper is MME. The title was cut with Mini Monograms, the flowers were cut with George and the flourishes are Autumn Leaves.

This page was completed as part of a challenge group I just joined. The 5 mesh is cut from Graphically Speaking, the swirl is from Fancy Pants (Fresh Mod set) and the flowers are primas.

Had to cover the faces of these 2 who were so anxiously awaiting cake!

Supplies:

Paper-MME

Cartridges-Alpalicious

Threading water punch-Fiskars

Flowers-Prima

Ribbon-Basic Grey

Stamp-Autumn Leaves
Brads-MM

Supplies:

Threading Water Punch-Fiskars

Chipboard photo turns-Basic Grey

Flowers-Prima

Brad-MM

Paper-MME

Glitter-Sugar coating Doodlebug

Supplies: I used flowers by prima, Ribbon by Basic Grey, brads-MM, journal stamp-Autumn Leaves.

"Love 2 Scrap" supplies: Bohemia and MME papers, Bazzill CS. I used Fabulous Finds, Alphalicious, and Storybook cartridges from my Cricut. I also used Heidi Grace rub-ons, Primas,

Brads by MM, and Date Stamps by Autumn Leaves.

Scrapfest with Jan

Well, I'm on the tail end of a 5 day Scrapfest with Jan. I have completed 18 12x12 layouts. Not as many as I wanted to complete but not bad considering we went shopping and exercised every day. I'll publish some pictures later.

Beauty gets BUSTED!

Here is a layout I did at Jan's house. I added the journaling after I took the picture. Chloe got into my fingernail polish in my bathroom while I was sleeping and painted her toes, yes her TOES! She got it on the floor and carpet so I made her clean it up! I used my new Storybook Cricut cartridge on the letters "Beauty" and the pink swirly.