Rainy Day Monday

It's cold & dreary outside but we are celebrating inside! Today is Chase's 13th birthday and we are going to party! Well, okay --- just a family dinner --- but with the numbers in our family, it's sure to be fun! His special request for dinner tonight is breakfast foods --- so the menu looks like this:

-Strawberry & whip cream waffles
-fresh cut hashbrowns
-bacon & sausage
-eggs
-english muffins!
-double chocoloate cake for dessert!

Thirteen --- that only leaves one left, one that is still a young boy. Not a teenager or adult like the others. Man --- I don't feel that old!



Also happening today is a new challenge up on the Scrap Tiffany Blog! It's a sketch challenge and I had the honor of creating the sketch!





Give it a go and upload your design on the challenge blog for a chance at the November prize!

It's week #4 over at Sassy Scrappers and the challenge this week was an ad challenge. We were to be inspired by this ad:



Here is my challenge layout created with some new Crate Paper Product:

A Big Announcement - Just a Little late....

I spend the day today at the CK Convention in Bellevue and so I didn't have a chance to announce my big news! I am so excited and proud to be a new Design Team member for Imaginisce Designs! This is so much fun! Head on over to their website and check out the amazing product that they carry! In addition, you can find the announcement on their blog. All day long at the convention when I saw their stuff, I just got a huge smile on my face! I am especially excited to work with the i-top brad maker! Join the fun and become a fan over at Facebook too!

Are you ready for the rest of my good news? I just found out last night that I could announce another new Design Team assignment! With all the sports photos and teams we have at our house, I am really excited to be designing for Scrappin' Sports & More! I am going to spend the weekend playing with great new product that they've just released! Whoo Hoo!

Can I just say that I am on cloud 9! It's been quite an amazing few days! I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have been given and I am so excited to make this next step in my scrapbooking! So darn excited! Thanks to everyone who encourages me and pushes me to put myself out there and take chances! I love ya! Wish me luck!

A Couple of ...

... new layouts for you. The first one is a recent favorite. I just love how it turned out! I combined my two favorite things, stitching and layering, and came up with this creation for the week #3 challenge over at Sassy Scrappers.



The journaling reads:

1. Stop & smell the flowers.
2. Nap often.
3. If it feels good, go for it.
4. Forgive & forget.
5. Love unconditionally.
6. Be happy & share the joy.
7. Play every day.
8. Be persistent.
9. Scratch the itch.
10. Make people smile.


I used the Paper Boy Line for SCRAP WITHIN REACH. The papers were so easy to work with! You should check them out!

I made this one with the same paper line --- but with a much cleaner, simpler approach:



**********************************************************************

I wanted to tell you about a fun opportunity --- My design team time is almost up over at the Scrap Tiffany Challenge Blog and she is looking for some new designers to add to her team. Check out the announcement and give it a shot!

As a result of...

..... this:



I have pets that do this:





all day long. I'm so jealous.

A New Month --- More fun Challenges

Head on over to the Scrap Tiffany Challenge Blog! A new month means new challenges and a chance to win the monthly prize giveaway just for participating!

The first challenge this month is to use Lace on a layout!

Here is my layout:



Wow --- my girl was so stinkin' cute and so little! Sweet! Head over to the blog to see what the other designers came up with! You will be inspired!

Here is another layout from when Jordan was tiny --- in this picture, she is only a couple months old! This was created for week #2 of the Sassy Scrapper's contest.

Reveal Day!

November 1st -- a perfect Autumn morning -- it's cold, crisp and wet outside but inside it's warm and cozy! I am especially thankful for an extra hour of sleep today!





What do you think? I can tell you that working with this kit just made me happy --- the colors are so warm and cozy! It was an amazing kit and I loved that it came with 3, yes 3, alphabets! WhoooHoooo!









Head on over to Dixie Pieces today and check out this kit! It is a steal of a deal at only $28! And don't forget to be inspired by all the wonderful designs from the Design Team too!

It's also time for a new sketch from Lucy over at My Sketch World. You have all month to play with it and get your design posted for a chance to win a prize!



Check out the gallery of designs from the fabulous designers!

In even better news, two of my favorite places are teaming up this month to combine challenges! Dixie Pieces and My Sketch World are working together to help us "USE OUR STASH"! Make sure to register on both sites to play along! There is a Dixie Pieces Kit up for grabs as well as a couple other fun RAKS from Lucy & I! You can find all the details on either site today with the challenges going live tomorrow!

Happy Halloween!

I really never get into all the Halloween prep and planning --- but I love to see my kids having fun and using their creative sides! They are responsible for their costumes and it was fun for me to watch the process evolve. We made our last stop at Goodwill today --- where we found the cowboy hat for 75 cents and an old grass hula skirt for 60 cents (this turned into the straw for the scarecrow)!

Here is what they ended up with:

Luke was an adorable scarecrow -





Chase was a handsome cowboy -





Austin & Jordan were volunteers at the church Harvest Party and went as Thing 1 & Thing 2 ---- the picture doesn't show their cute handmade kites --- very creative!





and the extend of our participation in Halloween, courtesy of Jordan and her face-painting skills:



We didn't even get our pumpkins carved until last night --- and it was bittersweet for me. No one needed me to help them --- they all cleaned, planned and carved their own. This was the first year in 23 years, that I didn't have to help someone carve -- the beginning of a new season in my life.









Even Cooper tried to get in the fun:



Okay --- maybe he didn't WANT to be in the fun:



He certainly wasn't interested in posing for a family photo:

I was challenged ....

...today to remember where my online obsession with scrapbooking started. It was about 3 years ago and I had already been scrapping for about 6 years or so. I was working part time at my local scrapbook store and one of the design team girls from there told me about a contest at an online store. I wasn't sure how it all worked but it sounded like fun. I remember at the time that I didn't understand how the forums worked so I basically followed along with the contest without ever participating in the forums --- they intimidated me! Well, I made it to the last round and we were mailed out a fun packet of product from the contest sponsor, Urban Lily. I was so excited when I got that packet! It was a big stretch for me and my style at the time - funny when I look back I can see similarities with how I scrap now. My designs were pretty simple but so cute with that fun paper line. So, here you go ---- the first 2 layouts that I ever did online - I won that contest and I've been hooked ever since!





The really exciting news is that Urban Lily has been picked up and will be distributed by a new company called Urban Swank.

Here is one more old layout using Urban Lily Products:



I can't wait to see the new releases that will be coming out!

October 28th - WOW!

Another month almost over and life is plowing full steam ahead to 2010 --- truly amazing to me since I remember the 2K scare like it was yesterday! Oh well, can't dwell on time flying by ---- on the agenda today is a cooking lesson with Luke. He is going to make orange Rice Krispy treats --- look for some pictures later!

Had a fun weekend - spent our Saturday date night at the MLS Sounders game with Jordan and a couple friends. It was a great game, lots of excitement and a packed house. The fans NEVER sit down. That is no exaggeration! I was lucky to have an aisle seat so that I could sit down and still see our goal and the big screen! We enjoyed Karmel Korn and Garlic Fries ---- and a milkshake from BurgerMaster on the way home.



Here is a random layout that I played with last night --- no particular reason --- those are my favorite kind!

Back in the Swing of things...

Finally! After a whole week of the crud - I finally feel rested and ready to get back in the swing of things! I spent some time in my loft today - decided to create a few things for the Imaginisce DT Call. So thankful for the extra energy today -

Monday mornings...

...make it tough to get out of bed --- but today was even tougher. Still pitch black outside, torrential rain pounding on the roof, my 80 pound fur baby snuggled up on my bed, and a very quiet house. I could have slept till noon!

I think this is the first really dark and gloomy day of the long fall/winter months. As long as the creek stays within its banks, it's all good. Oh yeah, leaving the snow in the mountains would be good too!

There is a new challenge up today over on the Scrap Tiffany Blog. The challenge was to be inspired by the song "MY WISH" by Rascal Flatts.



Stay warm and dry today!

Can I just say....

that I feel cruddy today? My allergies/sinuses are going haywire and I haven't been sleeping well. That post nasal drip that keeps tickling the back of my throat is going to drive me crazy! The good thing is that there is no reason to leave the house today so I can take it easy and get in some scrap therapy!

I'm playing along in the Miss Sassy Contest over at Sassy Scrappers and our first week's challenge was to answer a question from a list provided. I went with "What is your biggest accomplishment?" --- here is what I came up with:

Focus on School

This week -- that is the plan. Focus on School. We have no classes this week at the resource center so we are home all week together and have big plans to get lots of things accomplished! Yesterday Luke had a cooking lesson, Austin started his cell model by creating a plaster cast of a bowl and Chase studied up on the universe playing games on the internet! All in all, a very fun day of homeschooling. Today we are all cozy in the living room near the fire:



Coop loves it when we are home and hanging around on the living room floor doing school ---- we do it for him you know!



So this next picture is of a wall in my living room --- the only room in my house that is a boring color. That is going to change very soon. I just bought new paint and you will never believe what color it is. Leave me a comment and take a guess ---- just to rule out a few for you --- the other walls in the house are dark red, denim blue, chocolate brown, earth green, and sky blue ---- what am I missing?



I will post pics this weekend after it's painted!

Stay tuned for some fun scrappin' news coming soon too!

Great Grandma would be proud!

Luke rocked the CHARLESTON at the 1920's party at school today. Not only was he the only one besides the teacher who dressed up, but he was totally into the dancing. He whooped it up to Louie Armstrong...





Here are some layouts from the past weekend at the crop:

















There were a few more but they are for kits and you will get to see them really soon! I had tons of fun playing with felt, fabric, and yarn! The funnest was putting some crocheting on my layouts! Lots of playing and experimenting this weekend! Enjoy!

A Perfect Fit

Any uncertainty that we had about the new select baseball team for Austin have all gone away with the distribution of this memo to the team:

it said....

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUMMER BASEBALL

1. Always let your coach know if you are sick or will miss practice or a game. This is your responsibility.
2. Report to practice on time. Never leave practice until your coach excuses you.
3. Report to practice with the proper gear.
4. "Huh, uh huh, nah, and yeah" will be replaced with "yes, yes coach, no and no coach".
5. Don't lose your composure.
6. Drinking, smoking, drugs, or theft of any kind will result in dismissal from the team.
7. When on the field, run everywhere.
8. Don't sulk - see the coach if you have a complaint or problem.
9. Don't ever argue with a teammate.
10. No swearing on the field.
11. No arguing with the umpire.
12. No throwing bats or helmets.
13. Always practice good manners everywhere you go. Be respectful to teachers, coaches, opponents and fellow students.
14. No wearing of jewelry during practice or games.
15. Remember, at all times, you are a representative of the Seattle Bombers, your coach, and your family.
16.Missing or being late for practice will have a direct affect on your game and playing time.
17. Clean -cut haircuts throughout the season.

Those are the same things we feel strongly about -- gotta love it.

Catching up.....

....after a long, fun, scrapbooking weekend! I missed blogging! But, I have had tons to smile about lately! Left bright and early Friday Morning and got back late last night --- had a great time - especially seeing and visiting with Tami and the girls! They are definitely good for the soul --- and laughter too! We laughed till our sides hurt ---good times!

I have been absent for a few days --- a couple planning and packing days and then the weekend --- but I will be back tonight after I get a chance to photograph and organize the new stuff I created! So, look for a photo post later today!

Off to school --see you later!

Emma makes me...

...smile. Getting ready for my weekend scrapbook retreat - working on Photoshop files of Emma. I've had a permanent smile on my face for a couple hours now. Here are a few new shots:

Snail Mail

Can I just say how fun it is to get "real" mail these days? In a world of text messaging, email and facebook --- it seems like the personal connection is lost. So, when I rec'd a homemade card in the mail today, I just couldn't help but smile. It was the highlight of my day. A friend of mine, Jen, took the time to make a card, pick up a starbucks card and write me a sweet note to let me know she was thinking of me. Jen --- you rock!

Countdown has started --- 80 hours till I get in my car to escape for 3 days of scrappin' with my buddies! I can't wait ---- there will be lots of smiles going on!

The new Monday challenge is up over at the Scrap Tiffany Challenge Blog. The deal this week is too use homemade flowers on your layout so I crocheted some of my own and added them to this design:



Enjoy!

What happened to ...

...yesterday's post? hmmmm......it disappeared. Could swear I had posted, but maybe I forgot. That happens a lot on Saturdays. Lots of things get forgotten in the midst of life craziness that Saturdays are around here. It is always a juggling act trying to get everyone where they need to be (including Jordan) with only 2 cars. Especially when Jordan drives one of them and gets herself to her game --- that leave three games,two adults and one car. I have to admit though that walking the dog and Luke home from his soccer game was quite refreshing and full of smiles. Watching Luke & Coop together is always a reason to smile. There is nothing better than a boy and his dog.

Here are a few pics from Luke's game yesterday:







The bummer is that I got some really great shots during the first half while Luke was on my side of the field --- but turns out that the memory card wasn't in the camera! heheheh--- oh well, there is always next time!

Austin had a great game this morning in the beautiful sunshine at Kasch Park. It truly felt like a cool August morning. There was nothing about the warmth and sunshine that said October in the Pacific Northwest. You gotta love that. It was a great morning, but then David got a migraine and ended up in bed all day. Migraines are the worst thing ever. I feel for him. He is doing a bit better, but still down for the count.

He had the house to himself most of the day though --- Jordan, Sarah & I went to Auntie Evie's house for Lacie's Bridal Shower. There was almost 40 ladies there --- fun, loud, and crazy with some amazing food!

I love this picture of Auntie Deb & Lacie --- she is going to be a beautiful bride!



Jordan & Makena are best buddies - watching them interact was a really good reason for smiles:

Smiles

all day --- well almost all day. Smiled all day until I took Austin to the dentist and then AFTER the cleaning --- they informed me that his cleaning wouldn't be covered by insurance because it had only been 4 months since his last one. Funny -- but since it was their idea and they said it was necessary -- I think they should have told me that it was going to cost me $110 BEFORE they cleaned his teeth. UGH.

But, other than that --- smiles all around. Especially while watching NW University play their hearts out on the soccer field. They played fabulous against CONCORDIA -- a team ranked nationally. They lost 1-0 but were so in the game the whole time --- fabulous game. Watching Jordan command the game from her goal -- constant smile of pride!

Dixie Pieces October Kit

Here's the YouTUbe Video of this month's kit!



I saw another fun thing today ---- Scrapbook News & Review is a very exciting online magazine full of inspiration, news and tutorials. I was blessed to have some layouts in there this month --- and if that wasn't cool enough --- I went to their home page and I was one of the highlighted layouts this month! How fun is that?

My Stamp Box

I am so excited! My Stamp Box announced their new Design Team today and even though I didn't make the team, I am thrilled to get to serve as a Guest Designer this December! It is such a great opportunity, I can't wait to get started!

Head on over to their blog and check it out! In fact, they are having a very cool blog hop introducing the new designers --- and there are prizes up for grabs!

No way! October 1st already?

I say this with the beginning of every month --- but I truly remember last Christmas like it was yesterday! Time really does fly by when you get old!



Do you know what that is? That is the brand new --- just released --- October kit from Dixie Pieces! Remember that they sold out within a few hours last month ---- so make sure you head over there today!

This kit was the perfect color combo for quite a few of my pics --- so I just loved it! Here are my 2 favorite designs this month:





You can see the rest of my designs as well as all the fabulous work from Lucy, Susan, Mimi, Sherry & Wendy in the October Design Team Gallery over at Dixie Pieces!

October is going to be another fun month over there too! We have a huge Holiday Card Mania event that starts later today! The participation prize this month is a $25 gift certificate to the store!

Finding the Joy Day #2

Rec'd my first paycheck today for scrapbooking services rendered to my first "real" client. Now, I probably should deposit it into the checking account and use it to offset the water tank expenses of last week. Instead, it is going into my scrap fund and I'll use it in January at CHA Winter Anaheim.

My joy today comes from knowing that the Lord provided me with that job --- a complete stranger puts their faith in me and their memories in my hands. That doesn't just happen for no reason. That is the Lord providing for me, encouraging me and letting me know He is present in my life.

Smiles - Photo Therapy

Photos for today to make you smile ---

Dogs in sunglasses make me smile:



Black spotted piglets make me smile: