Mark Your Calendars Scrappers!

We will be scrapping for a cause over at the Scrap-Diner September 26-28. We will be joining SCRAPBOOKS ETC. and the Susan B. Koman foundation as we crop to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness. There will be some great challenges to help get your mojo flowing and you will be able to win some great prizes too! Join us and help raise money for a cure. Participation in the crop is free, but we encourage everyone to make a donation of $10 or more to help the cause. We are excited to have a couple special people already willing to match all money raised by us over the weekend! SO, come on over for some fun and help out at the same time!

Fun Stuff!

I'm feeling a little under the weather today and have spent the whole day in my pajamas. To top it off, I took some Tylenol for a headache this afternoon and accidently took Tylenol PM instead. So, I have been in a semi-comatose state ever since!

Lots of stuff going on this weekend. The boys are on retreat at church and Jordan is on an overnight scavenger hunt at college. So David & I have an only child all weekend! He is already spoiled but he will basically get whatever he wants the whole time! In addition, we hope to get some stuff off our remodel list this weekend. My big item would be replacing the french doors in the kitchen with the new one. I think it will make a huge improvement. We are also going to tackle Jordan's bathroom. Pray for us that we get a lot done!

The Seahawks are on TV tonight and I forget how much I love to watch a good game. I can't wait for the real season to start. In addition, there is lots of talk about McCain's VP announcement. I usually stay away from political comments - but I have to say---she rocks! I don't necessarily mean politically--but as a woman and mother---she is impressive.

The big news tonight in my scrappy world is that I took 2nd place in the contest over at Scrap Love! I am so darn excited! I had a great time and the challenges were so much fun! I stepped out of my comfort zone and created things that were new for me! I never expected to end up in the top three - so it was an awesome surprise! Thanks to all the fabulous people over there who made it such a great contest! And kudos to Michelle & Jeri for finishing in the top three too! You should head over and check out their work! To make it even more fabulous, I won a $40 Gift Certificate! You gotta love that!

Been playing with some stuff on and off today---who knows how it's going to come out in my sleepy stupor but I will be able to post it tomorrow!

I did finish up a really cute mini book for the Scrap-Diner and their Viva La Friday Challenge. The Challenge is to make a quick & Easy small mini by Sunday! There are 4 other VLF Challenges this month too and there are still 2 days to get your stuff done and posted to qualify for the monthly prize!











Hope everyone has a great long weekend! Be safe!

Countdown to Christmas!

I know---we still have almost 4 months to go but with the help of a great challenge over at the Scrap-Diner I am getting a head start! I created this fun Countdown to Christmas frame with one of these:



and some fabulous Teresa Collins Patterned Paper "Tis the Season" --- you can find it at the Diner --- and this is what I ended up with:



Luke created a pocket to hold the rest of the numbers for me:



I use some Basic Grey magnets between the mats on the numbers so that they would attach to the frame --- the snowflake is magnetic too!

It was great!

The party was fabulous! Rain and all---we just gathered in the house and on the deck undercover and enjoyed ourselves! None of my pictures are good---but I'll share anyway!

The birthday boys:



Uncle Bud & Makena:



The neighbor guys:



The Dining Room Table Discussion:



The RecRoom crowd:



The crowd around the cake table:



David & Chase:



Cooper --just hanging out:



Lily:



Naomi--love these pj's!



so you get the idea---David had a great time and none of us melted in the rain!


Here is a layout for you----week #1 -- Cycling Layout---circle paper and circles on the layout:

Happy Birthday David~

It's my honey's 50th birthday today and it just feels so much like a milestone ---We are not big on birthday's at our house, but 50--well that deserves a party! So we are having a neighborhood BBQ tonight and are expecting 40+ people. Should be a great time---pics to follow!

We have really been celebrating all weekend!

Friday night we took the boys for burgers and to see "THE DARK KNIGHT" --it was quite a treat because movies are just one of those things we don't spend money on. But, we had free tickets and we totally enjoyed ourselves! The movie was fabulous if you like that sort of thing--and we do!

Then yesterday, David & Austin went golfing--just the 9 hole course by our house. We followed that with a trip to the eastside to watch a preseason soccer game of Northwest University. Then David went to play poker with his friends and came home the big winner. Yeah for that!

Today--well it has just started---but he got to sleep in till 10am which is like all day to him--quite a treat. Now we are in clean up mode and just getting ready for the BBQ.

I really want to wish him Happy Birthday though----he is totally the love of my life and I want to spend 50 more years with him!

I'm sure you have noticed that I have been a bad bad bad blogger! I have been just so crazy with planning for school and all my fun scrappy projects that I haven't had much time to share. I hope to rectify that this fall---by actually scheduling blogging time---how's that for organization--a little OCD don't you think?

Anyway--those scrappy projects---let me share a few with you!

The contest over at www.Scraplove.com came to a close this week. I completed week number 6 which was a book about me. I altered a basic Making Memories book by cutting out the pages and sewing them back together with office tags. I then converted it from a post bound album to a ring album. That is another trick Joy Madison taught me! Thanks, JOY!!! It was fun---I stitched them for added stregnth and got sappy with my journaling! Just a few of the pages, but you get the idea.





This was last weeks entry--week #5 --forgot to share it with you:



The contest is based on points and the winners should be announced this week---there was some fabulous talent and guest judges. It was a lot of fun. Go over and check the entries out in their gallery!

Scrap-Diner is going strong and we are planning a huge 1 year birthday party that will last the whole month of September! I can't wait. www.scrap-diner.com --- make sure you head over and get registered so you can join in the fun! Should be a great time. Here are some projects designed for the Diner this month.

This is with Cloud 9's Max's Backyard: ---sorry for the blurry pic!



These are with Sassafrass Lass Whale of a Tale:





All my DT's are celebrating their one-year birthday's in September. The Urban Scrapbooker is having their party on September 13th. If you are local--you should join us---she is having some great prizes and Scenic Route will be in the house doing the make & take! In addition, she is running a great contest which will start soon---these are my samples:









Can you guess the contest theme?

And a few things just because:



This is a card box:







Of course I am always in the middle of something---so I'm sure it doesn't surprise you that I am starting another contest! But, I can't share the layouts with you until they are revealed on the contest site---so that will be coming soon!

Hey--I love everyone and I hope that your last few days of summer are awesome!

Happy Birthday Baby!

WOW--20 years ago today my first child was born! I know it is cliche -- but it really does seem like yesterday -- at least because I can remember it so clearly. It was 2 weeks before my due date and David had just had his first knee surgery. This was suppose to give him plenty of time to recover in time for the birth. NOT! Travis decided to be born the day after his surgery and David was a site to see-moving around the labor room on his stool with wheels. But we made it through and were able to recover together for a few months afterwards. Those were sweet times -- Just me, my honey and my baby together with nothing else to do but hang out. Life was easy---for the most part!

After 20 years, Travis is still my baby, at least, in my heart. I haven't figured out how to let go of that yet. Maybe moms never do, I don't know. I do know that I love him so much and have since that first moment I saw him 20 years ago. I think I need to remind him of that more often---

Here are a couple of old pics for you:

This is the morning he was born--I must have known - check out those huge glasses!



Here is David hanging out on the couch trying to recover-



and my baby today ---I love you Travis --Happy Birthday!

First a rant.....

Why isn't anything ever as easy as you think it will be? Why isn't it easier than you think it will be? Why? Someone please enlighten me!

SO, I get up really early this morning and my plan is to tackle touching up the paint in the living room before the heat sets in. So, I get everything ready, I stir the paint - which by the way is brand new from Home Depot last night - start to paint and think---hmmm, this doesn't seem like the right color. But, I check the paint lids and sure enough it matches completely with all the numbers, style and brand of paint that was on the original paint can. So, I think it must just need to dry. So I keep painting. Just for reference, all I was hoping to paint was about 10 nail head holes that the contracators "popped" while building the remodel. There was also a square patch about a foot square. take me 20 minutes max. So, I paint it and let it dry and it is definitely NOT the right color---it is grey and not tan. But, the catch is ---all the numbers match and it should be the right color--so there is no way now that I am going to get the right color mixed. I end up taking 4 hours and painting the whole living room! so mush for quick and easy. I didn't carry the color into my office because I don't want to move all that stuff out of my office so I have this really cool line from ceiling to floor on the main wall where the colors meet. UGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

See---it could have been sooooo easy but not. I am learning to expect that when Home Depot is involved. They use to be so great! Everyone knew what they were talking about and they had real "experts" working there. Now----I don't htink there is ever anyone there that knows what they are talking about---most of there employees have absolutely no home improvement experience --- in fact most of them still live at home with their parents! Hate what a crappy economy does to the work force.

Okay---enough whinning.

Chase is at a friends house, Austin is with a buddy at a lake up north, Jordan is at school, David is outside shoveling dirt and Luke is just hanging out! Luke & David are having some one on one time tonight so it will be just me at home---organizing and scrapping! Yeah for me!

I decorated some new wrappers for some huge Hershey bars to give to the kids for Halloween --- it was a very cool challenge over at the Scrap-Diner. We are all about getting the holidays started early over there this month. Head on over and check out all the fun things going on!

Sun & Soccer

It was hot-hot-hot today! Temps hit 90 something and are suppose to be even hotter tomorrow! Record temps---of course during a soccer weekend. After all you know these soccer fields --- no shade for the most part!

However---heat and all, it was a great soccer day. Austin and his team won all three of their preliminary games and are scheduled to play in the finals on Sunday. Hopefully, it will be a bit cooler by then.

Here are the boys trying to keep cool and busy:



Austin getting a treat between games:



My keeper:







and his team:



Jordan downloaded some pics from the church retreat and I had to steal some of my favorites to scrap. Look for these soon - coming to a scrapbook page near you!



















and my absolute favorite----reminds me of God's Glory and Grace ---so beautiful: