Lots of changes

Fall is finally here is our neck of the woods. Lots of change going on outside. Lower temps, falling leaves...but also a lot of changes inside too.

My boys are having a great school year so far. Here is Connor on his first day of third grade.

And here is Zachary on his first day of sixth grade! When did this happen?

One of the big changes at our house is that I am now working 5 days per week at preschool. It is a bit of an adjustment as I was only working 3 days last year but so far it is working out. Everyone is realizing mom can't do everything she used to do and they are pitching in to help! The great thing is I get killer vacation time and my schedule is the same as the boys.

Another change is that I will no longer be designing for Kraft Girl. Pam has decided to close the site to have more time with her family. I wish her all the best and thank her so much for letting me be a part of such a great team! I loved all the kits and had a blast working with her! She is having a great sale on kits so make sure to check it out here.

TGIF and an awesome sale!

Head on over to Kraft Girls where Pam is having a great sale on kits!

For this weekend only (Friday, September 11th-Sunday, September 13th), buy the June, July, August, or September kit and get the November or December kit for $5! Now that's a deal!

I don't know about you but I am so glad it is Friday! Have a great weekend everyone! Oh and I promise I am going to post some pics of the boys first days of school soon!

September Kraft Girl kit!

Yay! It's September 1st and you know what that means! The new Kraft Girl kit reveal! This month's kit was packed with great new goodies from CHA summer. Here are my layouts.

I just loved the Report Card paper from Jillibean Soup! It was perfect for Zachary's first day of school picture!

Lots of Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend in this kit! I used the September KG sketch for this one. And the Jillibean Soup Alpha twill went perfectly with the back 2 school layout of Connor.

Now, I know I did two back to school layouts but don't be fooled! This kit can be used for way more than that! Here is a layout from our vacation in Myrtle Beach.

Here is a fun, super simple note card. I just loved the pencil side of that CC paper!

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's projects and the entire kit here! You can also see the September sketch. Kraft Girl is also the sponsor for the Scrapfit challenge blog. You can win a July kit! Pam will also be doing a giveaway on Facebook so if you haven't become a fan of Kraft Girl, what are you waiting for? Check it out here. Have a great week!

Last day of summer vacation

Yep, it is our last day of vacation. Tomorrow is the boys first day of school and I go back to work at the preschool as well. Today we have orientation where we get to meet the boy's teachers and see their rooms. I am ready for the structure school brings but not ready for the schedule.

On Saturday Connor had his first scrimmage. They did really well considering they played last years champs. Connor is the one in the middle (white pants) on the right side of the photo. He had a great game which included an interception and a fumble recovery.
He is to the right of Eddie in this photo.

Wanted to share the layout I did with this month's Kraft Girl sketch. It is perfect for the scraps of paper I had left from August's kit. Check out the sketch here. You have until August 31!

More photos!

As promised here a some more pics of some of the fun activities we participated in while on vacation. The activities staff at the condos really had some great things planned everyday at the pool and surrounding areas. Here Zachary is trying out the dunk tank. Here is Connor trying to navigate the limbo bar.

Zachary doing his best in the watermelon eating contest. You had 60 seconds to eat as much watermelon as you could.

And then Eddie gave it a try. If I wasn't there to see it I wouldn't believe it if you told me my husband ate 7 pieces of watermelon in a minute! He was mowing through it! Everyone was hysterical and the employees said it was the best watermelon eating contest they ever had! LOL!

Well, that's enough of the vacation photos. I will leave you with a layout. I seem to be doing a lot of these layouts of Zachary lately. Gotta love the tween years!

We're back!

Last Saturday we left for a week long vacation at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina with my parents. We did so many fun things and had a great time!

There was lots of swimming.

The pool at the condo we stayed at was beautiful!

We played in the ocean.
And of course a trip to the beach is not complete if you don't build a sand castle!

At night, after dinner we enjoyed walking around Barefoot Landing and Broadway at the Beach. They are two very popular spots with lots of stores, restaurants, and attractions. We also played mini golf. It was extremely hot and humid during our stay which is okay during the day because you are in the pool or at the beach but at night it very uncomfortable.

Look for more pictures in my next post. They had lots of fun activities at the pool and I got some great pics. Can you say watermelon eating contest?

Wanted to also let everyone know that Kraft Girls is this weeks sponsor at 52 sketches 52 weeks. You can win Augusts kit if you make a layout with this weeks sketch. It's a good one too!

Busy week ahead. I am taking an infant CPR/Pediatric first aid class on Tuesday and Thursday (required for work). Football practice Tues, Wed and Thurs and I have a haircut on Wednesday night. We are trying to enjoy our last few weeks of summer before we all have to go back to school. So not ready for that!

Heading south.

We are headed to the beach today for a week but before I left I wanted to post my work using the August Kraft Girl kit. The kit goes on sale today, August 1st. Oh, and Kraft Girl has a Flickr gallery now. You can check it out here. The DT will also be posting their layouts in this new gallery but we want to see what you guys are doing with the kits as well. Feel free to post away! I really loved all the Sassafras in this kit especially the paper posies!

The AC fabric thickers were a favorite too! In the layout above, I painted them. Look for more on that later.

Hambly rub-ons and Jenni Bowlin letters. Yum!

Ok, there is a bunch of stuff going on at Kraft Girl this month too. Please check the blog for the August sketch of the month. November and December kits are 50% off and March's kit is 25% off. There is always something fun going on so check the blog often! There might even be a fun giveaway!

Have a great week everyone!

One more sneak....

Wanted to post the last sneak I have for the August Kraft Girl kit. Don't forget the kits go live on August 1st as well as all the fabulous new DT's projects! From all the sneaks I have seen I know I can't wait until the full reveal! Also, there is still time to enter July's sketch contest. All the info is here and you have until July 31st.

I really need to get going on packing for our vacation. Well, I guess I need to first wash the clothes that need to be packed. That would help! Really looking forward to getting away!

He's got a uniform!

Connor is playing tackle football this year and last Friday was the equipment handout. He was so excited and just had to put them on for me so I could get some pictures. This is his practice jersey. The game jerseys have not come in yet. He also has football pants but was way more interested in the helmet and pads. Practice has started and Eddie is one of his coaches. I can't believe he is old enough to play tackle. It seems like just yesterday he was coming with us to watch Zachary play. Now it is his turn and he is way excited!

We took the boys to see Harry Potter last night. We all really enjoyed it! What we didn't enjoy was the price tag! Ouch, it is expensive to go to the movies. Did you know that a small drink is 4.50! It is just crazy what they can charge you! I guess we are spoiled. We have a small mom and pop movie theater downtown that only charges 3.00 per ticket. They play first run movies but only have one screen and it wasn't Harry Potter. So we were forced to go elsewhere and pay 9.50 per ticket. See, I told you we were spoiled! It was worth it though as we all love Harry Potter.

I have two more sneaks of the Kraft Girl August kit for ya today! Have you been checking the blog? There are tons of amazing sneaks for your eyes to feast on! Have a great Monday!

A sneak and some farm market finds.

So, I have been busy with the August Kraft Girl kit and wanted to share a sneak. Who says you can't use pink and flowers on a boy page?

This kit is full of some of my favorite manufacturers and is just bright, cheery and fun! Make sure you are checking out the blog for more sneaks from the new DT! From what I have seen so far, there is going to be tons of inspiration when the kits go on sale August 1st!

The other day the boys and I stopped by a local farm's road side stand. I just couldn't resist this beautiful bunch of flowers. Aren't they pretty?

I was in search of some tomatoes but found this instead. A gorgeous bunch of basil. For a buck! I must be doing something wrong because the basil I grow looks nothing like this. I have been cooking with it all week. Just tearing it up and adding it to salads, pastas, etc. The lady at the farm told me to freeze it in aluminum foil and put it in a freezer bag. It won't turn brown and you will have fresh looking basil all winter! Who knew?

We are ready for the weekend. Our last baseball game is tomorrow. Football practice tomorrow night. Oh, and I need to start getting ready for our vacation at the beach!

It's Friday!

First, I just want to say thank you for all your kind comments on my last post. Especially the well wishes and prayers for my Uncle. Everything went well and he should be home today.

Connor finished up football camp yesterday. He ended up winning the passing and punting contest and came home with a football jersey from the high school that put on the camp as his prize. They also made a DVD for each child highlighting their week at camp. Love this idea as it was great to watch all the kids in action if you didn't get to see it in person.

Later on in the day, I surprised the boys with a trip to a local water park. We went with Erika and her kids. They had a ball! We got there at 5pm so we could take advantage of the starlight ticket price of 15.99 per person. It is 29.99 if you go all day. The park closed at 9pm so we got 4 hours of fun. Which was perfect because at that time the park is clearing out. There were no lines and we got to ride everything in the park as many times as they wanted! We will definitely be doing that again!

Last, but not least here is a sneak peek of the August Kraft Girl kit. Oh yes, I will be stalking my mailbox for this one!

Lovin' summer!

Man, we are enjoying summer. Lots of swimming, baseball, Popsicles and playing outside with friends. I especially enjoy all the summer fruits and veggies! I went to a local farm/store and bought the best plums, peaches and cantaloupe I ever tasted. Yum!

Connor's baseball season is coming to and end. His last game is Monday. This past Sunday, he got called up to play for a 9/10 year old team that was short a couple of players. (He plays on an 8 yr old team) One thing I noticed right away is it is way more intense than our league. It is all kid pitch and boy can those kids throw some heat! Connor did well. He got up twice and hit the ball on his first try but got out at first. The second time he struck out but he did swing at good pitches. I could tell he was a little scared but he played through it and it was a great learning experience.

Got a happy email from Pam at Kraft Girl. I will be staying on the team for another term!
She has announced the new team today and you can check it out here. I am so happy to be working with Pam again and all the crazy talented gals on the new team!

Looking forward to cropping with Nik and Erika Friday night at Archivers. It has been a while since we have gone anywhere so this will be fun.

I will leave you with a layout I made with the November Kraft Girl kit. It is simple but I love it! Remember, all 2008 kits are 50% off! You get tons of product for an insane price!
One more thing. If you could please keep my Uncle George in your prayers. He is having angioplasty done tomorrow. Thank you so much.

Sharing some photos...

from the 4th of July. We had our yearly BBQ with friends. This year it was at Erika's house. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees and cooled off so much that while watching fireworks we had to put on jackets. Of course the kids had so much fun with sparklers and snaps while the dads lit all the fireworks. We toned down our firework show this year but luckily our neighbors picked up the slack and provided a great show! Fixing the AC on your car will really put a cramp in your fireworks budget!

I did manage to scrap some over the holiday weekend. This layout was done using the November Kraft Girl kit. I really had fun using the Maya mist that is included as well as the Scenic Route chipboard frames. Remember, you can get one of these kits at 50% off right now at Kraft Girl! It is full of great product!

Can you believe it?

It is already July 1st! Summer is just flying by. The first of the month also means the new July Kraft Girl kit goes on sale! Here are my layouts using this month's kit.

I just loved the beautiful butterfly Pam included with this kit. I did some hand stitching too!

Tim Holtz's crackle paint was so fun to use. As were the Jenni Bowlin buttons and Maya Road stick pins!
Loved using the Scenic Route chipboard circles on this layout.

This kit is full of embellishments. Those Prima Crystals are gorgeous!

There are a lot of things going on at Kraft Girl right now including a sale on some past kits, a sketch for July, a giveaway and a DT call! You can check out all the details here as well as the rest of the Design Teams layouts for July!

Thanks for stopping by!

I didn't realize...

how much I loved and missed Michael Jackson's music until this weekend. As a child of the 80's I grew up with his music but really haven't listened to much of it...until now.

VH-1 payed homage to the King of Pop this weekend by playing Michael Jackson videos both Saturday and Sunday. We were glued to the television. Suddenly, I was back in high school. I can remember being so excited to watch Thriller every time it came on MTV. Those same feelings came back as I watched it along with Beat It, Bad, Billie Jean, etc. I would tape his videos and my friends and I would play it back, bit by bit, learning all the dance moves to recreate for our cheer leading routines. What was cool it that my boys were lovin it too. I will definitely be downloading a bunch of my favorites on my ipod. No matter how weird he got there is no denying his music was great.

I have one last sneak of the July Kraft Girl kit. How fun is that crackle paint? Don't forget kits go on sale July 1st!

Some sneaks for you.

It is almost July 1st (Holy cow!) and you know what that means? Yep, the July Kraft Girl kit goes on sale! Here are some sneak peeks to wet your whistle while you wait!

The kit is full of beautiful papers and filled to the brim with embellishments! Seriously, I have made three layouts and a card and I still have lots left over!

Wanted to mention that Kraft Girl is having a Design Team search. You can check out all the details here. Pam runs a great kit club and is a joy to work with. The kits are always gorgeous and full of product. I have truly enjoyed every minute of my term!

The weather is really heating up in our neck of the woods. It is supposed to be near 90 degrees today. Zachary is in basketball camp all week. We will be headed to the pool for sure when I pick him up! Have a great Wednesday!

Backyard camping

We had our first backyard camp out of the summer with the boy's friends Dylan and Carter from next door. They roasted marshmellows, made smores, caught fireflies and told scary stories. They had a great time and we will be doing it again real soon. Connor has been attending baseball camp all week. He is learning a lot and having fun. Today, they had to wear their bathing suits as they were going to learn how to slide using slip and slides. I say were because it is pouring and that has forced them inside the gym. Maybe tomorrow.

I made another layout using the June Kraft Girl kit. The American Craft letters were from a previous month's kit but everything else is from June. I did add some more buttons from my stash though. This is a pic of my oldest. He was about 16 months in the photo. He is now 11. I know I say this all the time but I can't believe how quickly time flies. I remember this trip to Myrtle Beach like it was yesterday. My dad loves to take the kids on the rides. We are going to the beach this summer with my parents and I know he will take them on all the rides they can stand! Also, Pam has posted a sneak of July's kit so make sure you hope on over and check it out here. Have a great Wednesday!

Quick and Easy summer favorite

In my post the other day I mentioned Caprese salad. This is one of my favorite ways to eat all the yummy summer tomatoes we will be growing. I realized I had all the ingredients on hand to make one that night for dinner. Then I realized maybe some of you guys would like to know how to make this super simple dish. Here is what you will need. Please note I am channeling my inner Pioneer Woman with the pics. Note to self: clean the tops of your salt and pepper shakers. Yuck!

• Tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Basil
• salt and pepper
• Fresh Mozzarella

All you do is slice the tomato and arrange on a plate or platter if you are making a large quantity. Season with salt and pepper.Drizzle with the olive oil. Place basil on top of tomatoes. I like a lot. Slice the fresh mozzarella and place on top of basil. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. That's it. Super easy and delicious. I like to make it a little before dinner so it has time to soak up the goodness. Also, don't forget to get a good loaf of Italian bread for dipping in the oil when all the tomatoes are gone. Yum!

We are having a yard sale this weekend. I need to go finish setting up. My goal is to make enough money to buy our pool pass for the summer!

It is also my turn to post on the Kraft Girl blog today. Go check it out.

He has a green thumb

Zachary has always loved the outdoors. Digging in the dirt and finding bugs is one of his favorite things to do. He is also a great helper.

This past weekend he and I went to Home Depot to purchase some annuals. We came home with some lovely hanging baskets full of impatients. The big score of the trip were two decorative pots overflowing with three different kinds and flowers for 13.97 each! We didn't have to plant a thing. We plopped those babies on the front porch and called it a day.

We also bought some tomato plants and sweet basil. Zachary got right to work and planted everything. He did a great job and hopefully will see the fruits of his labor later this summer. Now, if only he could make fresh mozzarella we could be eating caprese salad all summer long.

Here are some pics I took when we were in NC for my dad's birthday. One of his friends gave him the "Topsy Turvy" tomato plant. You know, the thing that hangs upside down and grows tomatoes? Zachary was grandpa's helper and I hear the plant is growing like gangbusters.

I will keep you posted on our little gardens progress. Happy Wednesday!