Life is a Highway....

Today's post is my entry in the February Moments to Remember challenge. The theme was "daily stops". Everyone seemed to be taking photos of where they sat in the house or stores they went to daily. I wanted to run in a different direction with it and think it turned out cute.

I was supposed to attend my Meet Up Group scrapbooking event at the local scrap store, but Ivy-Brooke is home sick (second day). Tuesday she had tonsils the size of marbles, but it was picture day, so muddled thought the day. Wednesday she felt awful and I took her to the Dr and they said she has pneumonia! So she is hanging out here on the couch watching Scooby Doo (one of my childhood favorites too!).

It's all about ME!!!

I've never done a page of just me. I decided after seeing so many of other fellow scrapbookers, I would try one. I found this paper line I liked My Minds Eye, and embellishments by K&Company. I think is turned out alright. I'm just getting into these new color schemes (kinda a retro throwback). Still in the process of working on a page for a contest and a couple of current challenges.

Love to a 9yr old...

Today I didn't get to do any crafting. Kate needed new jeans badly, so I picked her up at 1pm and we did a bit of shopping. So I thought I'd post a picture of my Valentine's Day card from Ivy. She made it in art class at school and was so proud! I look forward to making a scrapbook page with this photo soon.

Back in Time

I often swing between caught up with nothing to work on and years behind. I'm sure many fellow scrapbookers can identify with this. I got so caught up when my youngest daughter entered Kindergarten, that I stopped (yes, STOPPED!) scrapbooking my kids photos. I got my creative need filled by doing scrapbooks for others as gifts or just to save them time and the next thing I knew...4 years had passed! So I am back to the albums of my children. Today I was working on finishing Ivy-Brooke's kindergarten year-LOL (she's in 4th grade now). Back when I took my break, my style was scrapbook all holidays, all parties, any event worthy of taking pictures! While they only attend kindergarten once (thank goodness) I think I made that year my POTD project! I have so many pictures from that year...so since I did most of the year in that style, I felt I should finish it that way. It was painful to say the least. But I did make it all the way thought graduation and summer trips. My next page to scrap when I work on it again is the annual picture from the first day of school. Even this now seems cheesy! I love looking back at them...we laughed at several in the pile (ok PILES) of pics to be done. I am starting her first grade year tomorrow and I am changing the style to a my more present style. While looking through the stacks of photos I can across the first pictures I took while my old Canon Point and Shoot....from when it was new (vs. my new DSLR). I can remember taking about a dozen photos of the Ivy's classroom eating watermelon and running down to the local 1hour lab to get them developed! Of course they pale in comparison with my new cameras abilities....but it's funny how you can look at just one picture and remember so many things.

So here is my Layout for the day...the only one I feel "proud" to even show today. I jazzed it up a bit since it was a photo take from that summer and the entire book was about to be changed to a current style.

Ivy's first shoot

Tonight it was just girls night for Ivy and I. Katie is spending the night with a friend and I took Ivy for some alone time out on the town! We first stopped at the park to grab a few "golden hour" photos...for her first time posing and me being so green with this camera, I am VERY pleased with the results.

We then headed down to our favorite meal - IHOP! After stuffing our bellies with pancakes and hash browns we were off on the great shoe hunt! After hitting 2 stores and driving like 15miles....we finally found the pair she wanted in her size! We then ran over to Target and picked of socks and undies for everyone...you can never have too many! I think socks are among my favorite things to buy. Hanes low cut or no show socks are the BEST! There is nothing like the feeling of a brand new cushy sock on my tired feet. (OCD maybe) I pick up a new back of 6pairs of socks almost weekly ~ don't tell on me! I think I believe socks are disposable...although I don't throw them out, I give them to the girls after the first washing or two. The more I type, the stranger this seems?!?! Ok...well we have an excellent time together tonight.

As seen on TV...Deal or Dud?

Yesterday while scrapping with new friends, I was introduced to the best thing I've ever used scrapbooking...Pioneer's Snapload! For anyone who has attempted to add pages to a post bound album, you know this is not an easy task. The last time I added pages it involved a screwdriver and my husbands help! YIKES...that is FAR too much trouble.
While purchasing it, I ran into an old friend Susan, who was probably as sceptical about this as seen on TV gimmicks as I was....but we laughed and I was off to try it out!
This gadget is the real deal. I did have to read the directions 2-3 times...maybe because I was distracted running my mouth with my new cropping buddies...but once I absorbed the info printed on the back...it was a cinch! I Love It - it allows you to add pages to those albums so much easier! Sure wish they would have come out with these sooner. I quit using craft store albums 8yrs ago due to the inconvenience of adding pages, but I will certainly reconsider after finding and trying this awesome product!

DEAL!!!!

A Mommie Play-Date!

Today I went on a crop with new friends. I belong to a local Meet-Up group Scrap N' Memories. Most of the meeting have been nights and weekends - not the best for me, but I found some other gals in the group, who are available for days and we met up at the Scrapbook Pad. We had a great time getting to know each other and cropping. I didn't bring near enough materials to keep me busy...but it was a fun day for us all. I was able to finish my Recipe scrapbook page for this month and play with a page of Ethan.

My favorite nephew!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of baby-sitting my nephew for the day. This was a double whammy for me as I love spending time with him but even more, I could also play with my camera too! I don't know if he like having his picture taken or not...but he can't tell me how much he hates it yet (unlike my girls) so he is the PERFECT subject! We crawled around a bit, played with some Easter eggs and opened up the shades for some natural light pictures. I took 42 shots, these are my favorite 4.

Days gone by

I have decided to repost the photos lost when my original blog was deleted, but not to attempt to recreate every post. If you have a question about any of the designs or layouts, feel free to contact me!



This card was made using a sketch on a challenge at Feeling Scrappy!
This weeks sketch and Challenge...

Katie's paper bag album of her 14th birthday photos.

She took it to school to show it off to her friends and it was a big hit!

I made the girls handmade cards for the valentines gifts...they always love that.

They turned out pretty cute, so I took a picture!

The Soulmates page was made using a sketch at Page Maps website!

This page was made just to record my appreciation for Katie and was an original design.

Katie's BFF page was made as my entry into the "Be a Guest Designer" at Back Porch Memories.

It was also using a PageMaps layout as required by the Challenge!

Layout made for Back Porch Memories Layout Challenge

This page was created using a Page Maps Layout.

Need a good cut

This morning I took the girls out to get their haircut. Ivy has decided to let hers grow out (agian) and Katie got hers cut a bit different. They both turned out well...there's nothing better than a fresh cut!

Nice to be Loved

My wonderful hubby brought me roses from Valentines - even after we agreed not to buy for each other since we both just got something we really wanted. (him - a new truck and me - a new camera) They were just so pretty and were the "striped" variety. Now I can enjoy them everyday I see my blog postings!

Love bites...

Today was the Valentines party at Ivy school - this will be one of her last years to have class parties. She is in her final year of elementary and the school tend to start eliminating the class parties. We began discussing her choice for her Valentine's Box a few weeks ago - I really wanted to get all the projects done and not deal with the last minute rush this year. In past years I have made a variety of boxes for the kids. One year they had Cat in the Hat "Hat Boxes" and another year they had Elephants....each year is certainly an adventure. After much discussion, she decided on an Alligator was saw in the Pack-O-Fun Magazine this month. They always have wonderful ideas! I followed their directions with the exception of adding eyelashes and using Styrofoam for the scales. She was so proud as she walked away from the car this morning....she new no-one else would have her box!

So Sad...

After posting daily for over 30day - my blog was deleted by a silly fool who didn't know waht they were doing!!! #$@!?




[me]....

It will take me a few days to put it all back