Happy Leap Day!

Scrap Girls Panamoric View Challenge: I snapped this picture about a month or so ago. Norm has built us a new firepit, since the old one basically is falling apart since we used it so much last year. It was so nice and warm outside that evening. The kids had a blast jumping on the trampoline, playing on the swing fort, and riding their bikes. I was playing with my camera settings and this is what I came up with. Not bad, huh...I love this camera, it is one of the nicest gifts I have ever received.



Paint Swatch Challenge - Disney's Buzz Lightyear Paint Swatches After seeing the swatches they offered for the challenge (Greens and maroons,) I wanted something brighter... I went out on a limb here, and started searching the internet for paint swatches. I found this site(link above), which had an assortment of Disney Paints. I think I found the yellow (or at least a version of it)I want to use to paint the office as well....LOL. It needs a coat of bright and cheery.



Frame Challenge: This was a freebie, and we were challenged to use it in a layout. I went to down and used MANY different papers and embellishments.



On another note, this has been another of those upside down kind of weeks. Norm came home from work on Monday not feeling well. So after some rest, he still felt like CRAP, so off to the doctor he went. They seem to think he was getting a sinus infection, and popped him on antibiotics and a day off work, yesterday and today he seems much better....Thank Heavens, cuz I don't want it.

I got a note from Marcus, who is now in Kuwait, he seems to be doing really well and of course staying busy.

Bre & Sam went to the Virginia Symphony yesterday, to which Samuel informed me he slept through...such soothing music...LOL. Today they are venturing into the Virginia Living Museaum, so it should be a fun afternoon of hearing all the details
when they get home later.

It was good to finally chat with Adrienne this week, have missed you doll!

Tracy, I just wanted you to know I am thinking about you and John. I know that baby girl is going to be so blessed...and please update me on what you find out. I know someone has a birthday coming up.....Hope you receive a wonderful birthday gift.

Thanks for dropping by and taking a peek....off, to do the mommy thing..Later folks.

Favorite outfits: Challenge done for ScrapGirls. This is my daughter in her first professional photo's. I still have her dress tucked away in her baby keepsake box. I changed the hue and saturation to take the colors down, but the dress is navy blue and cream. She had matching cream tights, and the shoes she was wearing are now bronzed on a picture frame, with this picture on top.

"THEN"



I finally convinced my little princess to cut her hair since spring and summer is coming. I just love the way she looks in a cute little bob cut. Her hair is so thick, like her father's, that she gets so hot in the summer.

This is also another challenge done for ScrapGirls, This one was to use some brown and blue color swatches they shared. This is what I come up with. I used a stained glass picture frame. The swatches, a few flood fills of colors from the picture, and a couple of gradients to fill in the edges.

"NOW"

Ohhh's & Ahhhh's THE CIRCUS!!!

What a fast week it has been since the kids were out of school for President's Day on Monday, then Jadan woke up with a sick tummy on Tuesday. Finally everyone was back to school on Wednesday, I thought I had a nice break coming, but Breanna called me in the afternoon, she needed a change of clothes after spilling something on them at lunch, of course when Samuel seen me they both wanted to come home...they only had an hour left of school so I was like OK fine...Thursday I had a doctor's appt, so the little guys stayed home since I wasn't sure if anyone would be here to take them off the bus, or if I would have to take them to the sitter's. In addition Samuel wasn't feeling well, I think it was more like playing hooky from school, but what's one day right? Then we all got geared up for field trips on Friday. Kindergarteners went to the CIRCUS, and Third Graders went to a "Play" at another school in our area to watch "Schoolhouse Rock". (How many of you remember that from 20something years ago?) I was kind of anxious going on the trip with the boys, considering the others were out on a field trip on the other end of the city...what if something happened? BUT I bit the bullet and went with the boys, since I went with the older two when they were in Pre-K to the Circus.

We had decent seats, and the boys had a blast. When I get a chance, I will post a video I got of all their ohhh's and ahhhh's...more like WOW, WOW, WOW....LOL...I love capturing their reactions on film. I took 1 GIG of pictures and video, WOW!!!

Well yesterday's challenge was to use 3 or 4....or MORE papers in a layout...I used EIGHT different papers, and elements (Thank you RaspberryRoadDesignz)! I couldn't have found this kit at a better time. I love how it turned out!

Legacy & Norm's Pictures

I finally got around to scanning some my husband's pictures, that I have been aiming to work on. He doesn't know what I have been upto........I hope he will like what I did with them. I tried to bring out the primary colors hoping to bring out the playful/little boy side of his personality.

It's amazing when you start out one direction on a layout and then suddenly you realize it took a turn somewhere in the layers. This layout was supposed to be called: Stole my heart, about when our love was new...but it took a turn to be more I admire and cherish you. Anyway...I think the layout says it all.



This is a legacy layout I have been wanting to do, however I just haven't been able to get the perfect composition of pictures that I liked. I wanted to use color, yet all my photo's seemed to be a combo that didn't quite all fit together. I was sitting here looking at the post card and just decided to change them all the pictures to sepia tones and I think it turned out pretty well. I am finally happy with it, and was able to journal my thoughts after almost twenty-one years. I am very grateful to have had this wonderful, kind, caring, loving, one of God's Angels in my life. I can only hope to leave such a legacy for my children and grandchildren someday.



Journaling:
When you were little your family owned a Dairy Farm.

You went on to marry and have three boys who adored you.

God graced you with a love beyond understanding, peace to deal with life and health, and an unwavering dedication to your faith.

You were truly a woman after God's Heart.

You taught me to love myself, and even though we don't always understand others, to try to give them the benefit of doubt.

You struggled daily with life, but always had a smile on your face.

You were never frivolous, and always made do with what you were blessed with.

You cooked, cleaned, worshipped God, and made your family your top priority.

You always made people feel special.

We loved you and miss you daily.

I can only hope to be...Just like you.

Celebrating me...

I was able to update my blog header, yesterday and did a BUNCH of work on the picture in this scrap.



I am not the kind of person that feels the need to ever be in the spotlight. I avoid pictures,in fact I tend to put others before my self the majority of the time. My greatest accomplishments are my children, and are what put a smile on my face. (who couldn't guess that, right?) Sitting here I normally scrap only my family, and realized I don't have anything done to "preserve" their memories of me. Sure, they have their scrapbooks created by me about, them...but not really anything about their momma's life.

I know one of the things I cherished the most was the stories other family members used to tell about their lives. So I am hoping to start scrapping a little about me to share my memories, stories, and facts about me.

This is a picture of me, I have done MUCH restoration on to remove imperfections on due to not being well preserved. I am not sure how old I was, but no doubt in my first year of life, but it allowed me to scrap in my favorite colors: Dark Pinks and purples.

I was able to also pull up pictures of my children and compare our resemblances. I think my next layout is to put all of our baby pictures on the same page, in a mini family tree.

Thanks for taking a peek.

ONE HUNDRED LAYOUTS DONE, since 9/24/07

THANK YOU SCRAP GIRLS!!!

As of today, and the challenges from Scrap Girls, I have managed to complete ONE HUNDRED Layouts in just under five months. Am I addicted....YOU BET!!!, and I love the idea that my scrapped pages will be passed on for generations to come in our family. I have had a chance to get a couple of "re-scraps" done this week, and I am so proud of how they came out considering the photographs I used were scraplifted from paper scraps I had done previously.

Today's challenge was by Dianne(MomToCam), to either scrap what you, your children, or someone else wanted to be when they "Grow Up..." I chose Breanna since I have many pictures like this to rescrap of her. Here is my result.




Well I didn't sleep well for the last few days and I am exhausted...I think I am off to bed, and into Ambien land....will probably update again tomorrow when I finish 101!

Good Night All....

Valentine's Day 2008

Picture taken this morning, while there was a two hour delay before school, due to a light dusting of snow. The kids got to have a couple of extra hours to spend with me before school.

Norm, spoiled me. He got me a dozen roses, an animated teddybear w/frame, a picture frame, a box of candy, and a new night gown, and the cutest card. Thanks sweetheart.

Happy Valentines Day!

I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you make/have many memories to cherish, with your significant other, for the year to come. May your hearts be filled with love, your mind fondly think of the special person in your life, and your day be filled with "sunshine".

This year I have decided to surpass the "Hallmark made holiday." I designed this layout to add to my album of Norm and I. The picture was taken on Easter this past year but worked out so well with what I needed to compose this layout. This year I also made Norm's Valentines Day card. I was quite pleased with the way it came out, and if I get a chance I will add it here. It not only was special to me...but it allowed me to say what the sentiments of normal card's don't. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more personal....I think I like it.




The challenge yesterday was to use the PSP Brush (Love...one word, ...so many memories"). I had several ideas what to do with this challenge but settled on the layout below. It was neat to look back to their ultrasounds and at the present. SO MANY MEMORIES, and time is passing by so quickly. More layouts to come...

Flat Stanley Visits FLORIDA!!!

Who & What is Flat Stanley: Click here


One of the many advantages of being flat is that Flat Stanley can visit his friends by travelling in an envelope. The Flat Stanley Project is a group of teachers who want to provide students with a meaningful reason to write. Students' written work goes to other places by conventional mail and e-mail. Check out the Flat Stanley List of Participants to see where you can send a Flat Stanley or who might be sending a Flat Stanley to you.


Students make paper Flat Stanleys and begin a journal with him for a few days. Then Flat Stanley and the journal are sent to another school where students there treat Flat Stanley as a guest and complete the journal. Flat Stanley and the journal are then returned to the original sender. Students can plot his travels on maps and share the contents of the journal. Often, a Flat Stanley returns with a pin or postcard from his visit. Some teachers prefer to use e-mail only, and this is noted in the List of Participants. Especially creative hosts send the Flat Stanleys back with pictures, souvenirs, stories and reminders of the visit.


The Flat Stanley Project is a penpal activity- but it's far more than that, too. By sending a Flat Stanley it's as if the senders and the recipients have a mutual friend- a little flat guy they can both talk about.


Samuel and Breanna are participating in the "Flat Stanley" Project at their school. Flat Stanley has been visiting Florida, we received a few pictures and Grandpa Randy is going to be telling us all about Flat Stanley's Travels, VERY SOON~!

Yesterday while I was gone to take the boys in for their eye appointments, Norm came home early so that he could be here when others got home from school. When I got back home, Norm and Breanna were outside, working on putting the surround back on the trampoline. I got my camera and my little camera model started bouncing on the trampoline and little did she know that her hair was standing on end. I got a few good shots, but this is my favorite. This layout is a scraplift done as a challenge for Friday's Customer Challenge Scraplift.





This one was a challenge on Tuesday Freebie challenge. Daily Scrap Girls sends out a newsletter with a freebie, and this challenge was to use the frame (Black) at the top. Once again while it was beautiful this week she had to chat with her friends on the trampoline.





On to another Jadan funny:
So the weather had continued to be beautiful all week until today when it fell short of warm outside. On Thursday, I went outside with the boys when they got home from school and we stayed outside for the remainder of the afternoon. It was so beautiful, that it was just a shame to be in the house...housework can wait...LOL.


So we are outside and I grabbed the boxes left over from some pool chemicals, and stuck them in the firepit. As I am picking up some tiny kindling limbs around the yard, I look up and Jadan is taking chairs off the pool deck and angling them around the firepit. Me: Jadan, honey don't take all the chairs off the deck, you can't sit in five chairs at once, just leave them up there and get you one to sit in. Jadan of course ignores me and goes on moving the chairs. I am thinking to myself, what is he doing? I go on picking up the yard, and he finally comes over to where I am and starts quizzing me. "Mom, whatcha doing?" I give him a little explaination and we move on. I finally get the sticks, and other stuff in the fire pit and get a little fire going. I look around and ask Jadan: Jadan, honey why did you take all the chairs off the pool deck and put them around the fire....Mooooommmmmm!....when Breanna and Samuel get home we all have to have someplace to sit.....Awww, Jadan that is sweet of you.....Now mom, Sit here beside me and rest awhile.....Ok.


Later, as we are sitting there Jordan comes out to join us and the chatter begins....Discussing fingers and what each one means etc...Thumb, pinky, ring, index/pointing and middle finger. (Just a little note here: Jadan used to have the tendency to point with his middle finger, don't know where he picked that up from...but we have told him many times not to do this, that some people find it rude...yadda yadda yadda). So Jordan and Jadan are chattering away to each other and the conversation comes back to me again....mom you are sitting in the pinky chair....Jordan is sitting in the thumb chair....and Me....I have to move...cuz I am in the MIDDLE FINGER CHAIR and that's just rude. I just about fell out of the chair laughing....but I guess he has a point. For the rest of the afternoon my little guy sat in the "pointing finger" chair at my side when we sat down and weren't doing other things.

Congratulations Breanna & Tales of the Mad Scrapper...

Well that's FOUR Layouts in twenty-four hours! Life is good.


Saturday was such a nice day, we had to get outside. Last weekend Norm built a new fire pit, and we cleaned up the back yard of all the boxes and the majority of the bulk from the corner of the yard, limbs, bags of leaves, and other stuff that needed to be taken care of. Plus we had to fix the fence where my little buddy had started exploring the ditch. Sunday Norm carried the kids to the park while I stayed at home and finished up some of the inside work that needed to be done. I sent my camera with him to get some pics of the children in the process and below are the results of "some" of the pictures.


First off CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Ms. Breanna. She made straight A's on her report card, we are so very proud of her. Changing schools has been a wonderful thing for them. They are all finally getting comfortable in their academic achievements. Breanna is also just elated, she found out her teacher is expecting a new addition to her family in July. Little Momma is in full swing, and the ring leader of putting her classmates in the "Be nice to the teacher." mode...LOL. Breanna had a blast at the park and here are a few of her pictures from her trip to the park.

**Click on the pictures for a larger/better view


Here is Mr. Samuel. He did very well on his report card as well, all A's and B's. He has been having quite a few headaches lately, so we got him scheduled to go to the eye doctor, and sure enough, we have another addition to the "I need glasses" club. With new glasses, it will be interesting to see what happens with his grades as well. He will get his glasses in about a week or so...I will update pictures when he gets them. He seems to be excited about getting glasses, so we will see how that goes. I couldn't resist scrapping this picture of my little man. He has hazel green eyes, and is starting to get freckles just like momma. Watch out girls....this little man is going to be a heart breaker.





On to Mr. Mischief, aka Mr. Jordan. Jordan did very well on his report card and is making wonderful progress in his reading and adjusting to the new school. We read on a daily basis, and Jordan is starting to sound out his words, and is picking up on a bunch of new words. He even occasionally can find books he can read all on his own. Jordan tends to be the quiet one of the bunch the majority of the time...and a little sneaky. He has a heart of gold though, and gives lots of hugs and kisses. He's a whiz on the computer and video games, even occasionally teaching the other children new things, that they didn't know. the look on his face in this layout says it all.





Mr. 10,000 questions...I mean Mr. Jadan, also did a superb job on his report card. My children are are amazing me with academics. It's amazing what a few simple changes can make in their success. Jadan is my little comedian. He comes up with some of the most off of the wall things sometimes. I believe it was his pleas to daddy to go to the park that awarded them the trip. Norm has a hard time saying no to his "mini me" when he turns on the charm. Jadan has so much fun at the park. They have rock climbing, swings, forts, and all kinds of things for kids to do over there.


This layout I did for him was a challenge for Scrap Girls from my friend Ang, I did another two page layout and this is what I came up with.




Page two

It's Saturday

...the sun is out and it's rather warm...what's up with this weather?


Today's Scrap Girl challenge was to use Mardi Gras Colors (Purple, Green and Yellow) to do a layout. I couldn't resist this one for making a layout for my little buddy.


I didn't use the traditional bold colors, but toned it down a bit to make this layout...hey that's what challenges are for, to challenge your creative abilities and see what you can change to make it your own. The idea in general is to have a starting point, and then flip, recolor, and do what ever you like, so that you have something you are proud of....that's what scrapbooking is all about.


First I changed the color picture to black and white. Next, I used the Scrap Girls Anniversary kit, which I purchased some time ago but hadn't worked with yet, my results are below.


Harley thanks you for the challenge Scrapgirls, I like how this one came out.





EDITED: I was encouraged by one of my fellow Scrap Girl friends (AngRoCamp - Angie), to do my first two page layout...so here is Part II, as well.)





This is my Cairn Terrier, Harley. He's my little buddy, and often when I scrap he gets up on the children's toybox and hangs his head out the window, or simply lays down sleeps up there. This is a picture I took of him yesterday. My son was playing on the laptop, I was scrapping, and Harley decided to come join us.

TGIF & a funny!

***REMEMBER, Click on the pictures for a larger view***

Well another week has flown by and here we are the first day of February.


I finally got my camera back and am finally a happy camper again.


Today the weather has been all over the place...freezing cold last night, Rainy this morning and up in the 70's, major winds, sheets of rain, calm then the sun came out.
Strange, Strange, Strange.


Here are a few layouts that I worked on this week:


The first one is of the boys and their first haircut. The boys were just over a year old. As tradition would have it...my stepdad and Norm took them to have their first hair cuts, like they did with Samuel.




The second layout is of me...yes me. I rarely do layouts of myself, so when I found this picture, I was thrilled to scrap it...it's one of my favorites, if it's possible to have a favorite...LOL. I was twelve years old, and living with my grandmother at the time as my parents were getting a divorce.





The third layout is my calendar layout for the month of February 2008, featuring my beautiful daughter.





On the funny note I have to include this note from Norm. (He's still figuring the whole blog thing out..LOL)


Note from Norm: My daughter should have been born blonde. I was reading a readers digest last night with my glasses on and she walks in and ask "Dad, what you doing?" Obviously I was trying to read an interesting article, and she was interrupting my train of thought. I responded, "Looking at the pictures since I can't read." She returns with "Daddy you need to get your contacts."


I just had to laugh.


Have a wonderful weekend!!!