Just Jenn

Lots of changes

2009-10-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-01T04:36:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-12T04:42:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-08-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-07-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

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....

2009-07-29T05:04:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-07-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-07-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-07-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-07-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-24T05:01:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

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!

Baseball

2009-06-06T05:49:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was opening day for baseball season. This is Connor's fourth year. He started with T Ball, then went to Rookie 7 where a pop up machine pitched to them, and now he has graduated to coach/kid pitch. He has pretty much played with the same group of kids but we did get a lot of new kids this year. I love this picture of him in the dugout. He is always cracking everyone up. This is the first year we play with a catcher. Yep, that's my boy behind the catcher's mask. If you are the catcher, you have to wear a cup. He thinks that is cool. If I had a dime for every time he asked me to hit him "there" I'd be rich!

Here is his first at bat.

He whacked in into the outfield.

He also played first base. New this year for him are baseball pants. You don't have to wear them but he insisted by saying, " Mom, we can slide this year and I don't want to get scratched up". You can see assistant coach Eddie in the outfield in this shot.

He also pitched an inning. (the coaches pitch for 2 innings and then the kids pitch 1 inning) I don't have any photos due to my frantic nail biting. He walked a lot of the batters but managed to get 2 strike outs.

Our second gamed got rained out. We don't have a game today but do have team pictures.

Have a great weekend everyone.

I know, I know...

2009-05-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

its been a while. But I have been crazy busy. Preschool has ended but we are cleaning our rooms and getting things stored away for the summer. We have been to North Carolina twice in May. Once for my niece's first communion and again for my dad's 70th birthday. That is two 9 hour drives back and forth each way people! So I guess the reason for lack of blogging is I haven't been home and when i got home I was doing laundry. LOL!

Since it is the first of the month I wanted to post my June Kraft Girl kit layouts. This month's kit is chock full of fun, bright papers you will want to use over and over! Here is what i made.

The title on the above layout was made using the Slice. Thanks to my amazing BFF Nicole who let me use her machine. It was very easy to use and I can see why people are loving it!

Here is a shot of my dad blowing out his candles on his birthday cake. My mom really pulled off a great surprise as he did not know we were coming to his party. We arrived just after all the guests and we just walked outside to the deck where he was sitting and yelled "surprise"! He was shocked and then started to cry. My Uncle George (my dad's brother) and Aunt Donna surprised him the day before when they flew in from New Jersey. It was really great to visit with family. We laughed. A lot.

Busy week ahead. The boys last day of school is Wednesday and then we will be in full summer mode. Baseball season has started so we will be at the park twice a week. I will fill you in on Connor's first game in my next post. Have a great Monday!

5 Days

2009-05-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

Yep, just 5 days left of preschool and then I am officially on summer break! Whoo Hoo! It's been a great year. We had our spring program Friday night for all the kids who are moving on to kindergarten next year. The kids have been practicing so hard for the past month and sounded great...until the actual performance. They kinda flopped but were just the cutest kids you ever did see!

Speaking of summer, here is a sneak peak of Kraft Girl's June kit. I am loving the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel and Basic Grey Lime Rickey! It is going to be perfect for all my summer photos! It goes on sale June 1st. I hope to be getting mine this week and should have some sneak peeks very soon!

First Communion

2009-05-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday Connor received his First Communion. We had lots of family in town to be there for him on his special day. This is Connor with my parents. Don't my boys look so handsome?

Here is Connor looking so grown up.

We couldn't have asked for a better day. We had great food afterwards at our house (courtesy of Olive Garden, yum!) and the weather was simply gorgeous! Congrats Connor! We are so proud of you!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T13:01:00.001-07:00

It's the first of the month and you know what that means! It is reveal day for the Kraft Girl May kit! Here is what I did with this months kit.

This last layout is based on May's sketch. Make sure to check out the KGK blog for the sketch and to find info on May's contest.

As you can see lots of fun stuff in this kit. I really liked using the Bazzill stitch template too! And the Maya Road stick pins are to die for!

Big weekend ahead for us. Connor receives his First Communion on Sunday and we have lots of family arriving from out of town. I will be sure to share some pics next week! Have a great weekend!

Better late than never, right?

2009-04-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am getting these sneaks in right under the wire. This was such a great kit to work with. They go on sale tomorrow at the Kraft Girl site and you don't want to miss out. Trust me.

Weekend update and new RAK winner.

2009-04-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Let's get to the good stuff first, shall we? I picked another winner and it is Rachel! Rachel please email me your address so i can get your goodies in the mail. I took a pic of the loot and this is what is coming your way! We sure did have a busy weekend. Mother nature decided to give NE Ohio a taste of summer. It has been in the mid 80's for the last couple of days. Geesh, we go from one extreme to the other. But that is Ohio. Tomorrow the high is 65!

Saturday Connor and I attended a program for all the kids receiving First Communion. Lots of crafts, baking bread, singing songs, etc. After the program we had to practice for the big day which is next Sunday.

I have been getting the house ready for all the family that will be in town next weekend which consumed most of my Sunday. I did manage to take a break and watch the Cleveland Cavaliers sweep the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. Go CAVS!

I did receive my Kraft Girl kit in the mail but haven't been able to touch it. It is delish and I am hoping to get a layout or two done tonight. Look for sneaks soon!

Back to normal.

2009-04-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the kiddos are back to school today. We had a great spring break. I have to say that I was a little sad to see them go back. We had such a fun, laid back week but now it is back to normal.

Here's a pic of the boys coloring eggs the night before Easter. I forgot to post is last week for the grandparents!
Lots on tap for today. Connor's yearly check up after school and then the first baseball practice of the season.

Can't wait for this to arrive at my doorstep so I can tear into it!

I almost forgot. Rita, i am still waiting for you to email me your address. In case you didn't know, you won the Rak that I posted last week! I have it all ready to go all I need is to know where to send it. If I don't hear from Rita by Wednesday I will pick another winner.

We have a winner!

2009-04-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all the lovely comments on my last post. Man, you guys really know how to make a girl's day!

I used Random .org to pick a winner but for the life of me can't get the picture to post! The lucky winner is # 12! That would be Rita! Congrats Rita and please email your address to jennifercz@adelphia.net so I can mail out your goodies!

So today is Tax day. Hopefully yours are all done and mailed out. If you are looking for a really good deal this April 15 head on over to the Kraft Girl blog. Pam is offering the October, November and December kits at half price! They are just 16 bucks a piece! This offer is only good today so better hurry before they are all gone!

Rita, don't forget to email me.

Happy Monday!

2009-04-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Easter yesterday! We had a very quiet low key day, just the four of us. You know what? It was nice. The boys loved their goodies the EB brought them. They each got a new baseball glove and lots of candy. Connor got a webkinz he was wanting and yes, Zachary got the Old Spice body wash and deodorant. I got to say, it doesn't smell half bad. He is definitely walking around with a lot more swagger! LOL!

Now, on to some cool news. I always start my morning checking in at Two Peas. Imagine my surprise when I see this! My jaw hit the ground from shock. Thanks so much Molly you really made my day! To say thank you, I put together a small RAK. Just leave me a comment by 9pm Tuesday and I will pick a winner Wednesday morning. I am in the process of getting it all together but so far there are lots of acrylic stamps, Scenic Route chipboard, a mini album, lots of trims, a cute acrylic tag album and some Prima goodness.

And because I think a post without a pic is boring here is a layout I did of Connor last baseball season. Have a happy Monday and don't forget to leave me a comment!

Spring Break!

2009-04-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah! It is finally here! We are enjoying our break so far and I love not have to set an alarm clock and living with no schedule! The weather has been nice and the boys have been playing outside a ton. Cul-de-sac baseball is in full swing.

Wanted to share something so stinkin cute. We found this last night hanging on the fridge. He is totally serious too! He no longer believes in the EB and I guess Old Spice body wash is all the rage with 11 year old boys. I love how he even wrote down the specific scent.

Got a happy email last night! One of my layouts was picked up for the ST Holiday Idea Book. It has been awhile so I was excited.

We are having a very low key Easter. Just the four of us and one big a** ham! Hope the family likes leftovers.

Have a great weekend and a very Happy Easter.

Drive by post.

2009-04-02T04:30:00.001-07:00

I am out the door on my way to work but I wanted to post my layouts for the April Kraft Girl kit. This was such a fun kit to work with! Great colors and new product!

Have a great day!

Sneakin' in at the last minute...

2009-03-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

with some sneaky peeks of the April Kraft Girl kit. It is full of fun, bright and new goodies from CHA.

They go on sale tomorrow here!

Zachary had a great time at Mohican. And by the looks of his dirty laundry, I think the boy rolled in every mud puddle he could find. Among his favorites were seeing the snakes and going to survival camp. He also loved dorm life but could do without the stinky showers.

While it was weird (and quiet) with Zachary gone, it was a perfect time to give Connor some one on one time. We went to the movies, had friends come over to play, played games, and had a pizza night. He loved it and made him not miss his brother too much! LOL!

I will be back tomorrow to post all my KGK layouts!

He's off!

2009-03-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

Zachary left today for the annual 5th grade class trip to Mohican.

Mohican is an outdoor school where the kids get to learn about science and nature through a variety of of activities. They have some indoor classes but for the most part they are outside learning about trees, plant and animal life through hands-on activities. They also get to experience dorm life as they will be there until Friday.

He was very excited to go as you can see. I just hope we remembered to pack everything! Eddie and I went to school to help load the kids on the bus and say our goodbyes. Zachary loves the outdoors and animals so this experience is right up his alley. I can't wait to hear about all his adventures when he gets home.

Stay tuned for some sneaks of the April Kraft Girl kit soon!

Are you feeling lucky?

2009-03-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yes? Then head on over to the Kraft Girls blog. There is a fun giveaway in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Plus, there are more March kits for sale! Pam restocked them and you can buy them now!

If that wasn't enough, there is a sneak peak of April's kit. Yummy new CHA goodies!

Meet Buddy

2009-03-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

Connor has a new pet. His name is Buddy and he is a cute little guinea pig.

Connor has been wanting a pet of his own for a long time. Zachary has a leopard gecko and a milk snake and has learned tremendous responsibility from taking care of them so we thought this would be something good for Connor to learn as well. Now, let me say I am not a huge animal person but have come to except that my boys are and I have to deal with it. Yes, the idea of a snake, even thought it is small, living in my house, even thought it is in a tank with a locked lid is a bit unsettling to me. But how can I resist when they take such good care of them? It brings them great joy and I love to see them happy. So, I caved. So far, Connor is doing a great job of taking care of Buddy!

Connor is finally feeling better after being sick and missing 3 days of school last week. Zachary was able to bring all his work home that he missed so we could get him caught up and not have a huge pile of work to return to at today at school. I have tremendous respect for parents that home school their kids. After helping Connor with his work, I know for a fact I am not cut out for that!

Looking forward to this Saturday. Nicole and I are going to Scrappy Chic in Michigan for an all day crop! It is a super cool LSS that has a great selection of product. Pretty sad that we have to travel over 2 hours to find anything decent but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! LOL!

Have a great week everyone!

Recovering

2009-03-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

From the weekend.

We had Zachary's birthday party Saturday night. A sleepover with 6 of his friends.

You would think it would be shear craziness, right? Wrong. These boys were so well behaved it was insane. They all get along so well. Maybe that is the reason they had their second undefeated basketball season in a row?

They got no sleep at all and ate more than I thought was humanly possible and they were sad to leave in the morning. I guess they had a good time!

My parents are in town. They were great at occupying Connor so he wouldn't get in the way of all the big kids. He did get to play with the group but also got to do some fun stuff with just them.

In other news, the March Kraft Girl kit went on sale yesterday. Boy you had to be quick because it sold out super fast. I can totally see why as this was such a fun kit with lots of great product! If you missed out I think Pam is trying to see if she can order more. Check out the Kraft Girl site to find out more.

This boy...

2009-02-24T18:04:00.001-08:00

is eleven today. Happy Birthday my sweet Zachary! I hope you have the best day ever!

We are having a super fun sleepover Saturday night with his friends and my parents are flying in from North Carolina on Thursday to spend the weekend with us! It's good to be 11.

ETA: I saved this post last night. Zachary's bday is today, February 25th. Didn't want my family to think I didn't know my own son's birthday.

In my last post I promised some sneaks of the March Kraft Girl Kit so here goes.

Let me say this was an amazingly fun kit to play with! The colors are just so fun and bright. Trust me when I say you will love it! Make sure to stalk the Kraft Girl blog to see sneaks from the rest of the design team too!

Don't forget about the challenge over at Caardvarks. You have until March 3!

Friday randomness...

2009-02-20T12:24:00.001-08:00

I am really looking forward to the weekend. It has been a rough week. I have been sick and we have been busy. Sorry, I don't have any layouts to share as I haven't scrapped lately but I did receive my Kraft Girl March kit in the mail yesterday. (click on the link for a sneak peek) I am looking forward to digging right in as this kit is right up my alley! The colors are really fun and it includes some of my fav papers! Look for some sneaks next week.

Speaking of Kraft Girl, they are this month's sponsor over at Caardvarks, a card challenge site. All you have to do is make a card using kraft cardstock. How easy it that? Pam is giving away not one but two November kits as the prize! Hurry, you have until March 3rd!

I leave you with this picture. I know it is poor quality but it sure made one little boy happy. Connor plays in a basketball league for 2nd and 3rd graders through a local Catholic high school. Each team gets a chance to play at half time of a varsity high school game for 8 minutes. Tuesday night was our team's turn and this is a photo of Connor making a basket. He is wearing a green shirt with a grey t-shirt underneath and is to the left of the boy in the green shirt and shorts. I think you can see the smile on his face from the back of his head!

Have a great weekend!

Move over Eddie....

2009-02-13T04:05:00.001-08:00

You have some competition. He is four years old and his name is Sheldon. I love preschool!

You might want to check out the Kraft Girl Blog today for a fun giveaway! Does anyone like kraft cardstock? With a few extra goodies thrown in? I thought so.

Ahh, Monday!

2009-02-09T07:37:00.001-08:00

Some people hate Mondays. Me...I love them! Everyone is back to school and work and the house is peaceful. I actually got a lot accomplished this morning which is a good thing because with the busy weekend we had, nothing got done!

OK, remember when I posted my Feb Kraft Girl layouts and blogger wouldn't let me post one of them? After many attempts, I just had to take another photo of the page and for some crazy reason it let me post it. I was a bit intimidated to work with the Heidi Swapp butterfly transparency but I like how it turned out. Don't forget to check the Kraft Girl blog for February's sketch challenge!

Last week, I received this cool planner in the mail from my friend Heather. Isn't is the cutest? I so need this for my purse to write down all the things i seem to forget! Love the buttons!
I can't say enough about Heather. She is an absolute sweetheart and such a talented scrapper! I only wish we lived closer so we could see each other more often. Heather, you need to move to the US!

Have a great week everyone!

Kraft Girl February kit.

2009-02-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

The February Kraft Girl kit went on sale yesterday. It is a beauty and you can check it out here. These are the layouts I made using the kit. I have one more to share but blogger is being wonky and won't upload it in my post.

Don't you just love the felt butterflies?

Make sure you check out this month's contest too. It is a sketch challenge. Just make a layout using this sketch, email it to Pam and you could win some goodies! While there, please make sure to check out the gallery and see all the fabulous creations from the rest of the DT!

Happy Monday!

Sneaky snowy Wednesday!

2009-01-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

Woke up to a nice surprise today...no school! It started snowing last night and is still coming down pretty heavy. I think we have about 5 or 6 inches so far with another 4-6 inches expected for today. Since working at the preschool I now understand my kids excitement when we get a snow day!

Wanted to share a few sneak peeks of the Kraft Girl February kit. The kit is full of amazing paper and embellies! You will just love it! The kits go on sale February 1st and make sure to check out the Kraft Girl blog for more sneak peeks from the rest of the DT!

Have a great Wednesday!

So excited!

2009-01-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a Kraft Girl!

Got an email from Pam this week and I begin with the February kit! Check out the rest of the talented ladies on the team here. Very excited about working with these gals and the amazing Kraft Girl kits!

The boys and I are home today. It is a teacher workday but I did not have to go in. Just got back from sledding and lunch at McDonald's. It was perfect weather. Lower 30's, not too cold or windy. I took a couple of pics and then my battery died! Hopefully I got a couple good shots.

Thanks for all your great comments on the meal planning and to those who recommended some sites to check out. I am happy to report this week has gone great. I stuck to the meal plan and it really helped alleviate a lot of craziness at dinner time. I will be doing it again for next week.

Enjoy your weekend!

Meal Planning

2009-01-18T07:05:00.001-08:00

There are many things I want to do better in 2009. One thing in particular is meal planning. I never know what I am going to make until late afternoon and by then I just want to make something easy and mindless. Does that happen to you? So, I have been checking out various meal planning blogs for ideas and recipes. Do you know what? I can do this! I sat down this morning and planned out our entire dinner menu for the week. I am going grocery shopping today and I made a list on the back side of the menu so I can get everything I need.

Here is what we are having this week. (Dad and Tony, I know you will all get a good laugh from this. Remember, I have been house bound due to sub zero temps for four days with a lot of time on my hands!)

Sunday-Spaghetti and Meatballs, salad
Monday- Pork Roast in the crock pot, potatoes and green beans
Tuesday- Chicken, sauteed zucchini, brown rice
Wednesday- Burgers, baked potatoes, broccoli
Thursday- chicken stir-fry
Friday- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn
Saturday- bubble up enchiladas with a salad

The schedule might vary some as we always have sports or scouts during the week. Here are some of the sites I have found helpful. http://thematzats.blogspot.com/ and http://orgjunkie.com/ if you should want to give it a try. An added bonus for doing this, my boys will no longer keep asking me what's for dinner.(they start doing this at breakfast) They can look on the fridge at the menu for the week and figure it out themselves.

I have also managed to scrapbook while stuck in the house. I made this yesterday and it lists some of the things I will try to work on this year. Just getting in down on paper feels good!

Enjoy your Sunday! Oh, and if anyone has any tips or recipes on meal planning please share!

Snowy weekend

2009-01-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

We got our first official blast of winter over the weekend. This is a pic I took on our back patio yesterday afternoon. The accumulation in now over 8 inches. The kids have been outside non stop and are outside as I type this building snow forts and planning their attacks for the huge snowball fight. Eddie took them sledding last night to try out the new sleds Grandma Pat got them for Christmas. The official word was they worked great but need to be waxed to get maximum speed.

Not much on tap for today. I am taking Connor to his friend's birthday party at an indoor pool this afternoon. Go figure, snowballs in the morning, swimming in the afternoon. Should make for one tired little boy.

Huge football game on today. I am confident my NY Giants will kick butt! I am taping the game to watch later. Yes, I am obsessed.

Wanted to share a layout with you. I made this for the December Scenic Route monthly challenge and I am happy to say it was picked as one of this months winners! Whoo Hoo! Have a great Sunday and go GIANTS!

Channeling my inner Laura Ingels

2009-01-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

I received a sewing machine from my mother in law for Christmas. I have wanted one for a while but just couldn't justify the purchase. After all, I don't know how to sew and I would only use it for scrapbooking. Eddie makes fun of me because I can barely sew a button on a shirt, let alone use a sewing machine. Well, not anymore! Do you see that? Those are cub scout patches people! That I actually sewed onto Connor's uniform. I am happy to say he is now sporting every stinkin' patch he has earned and can earn as many as humanly possible because I can now sew them on! Please don't tell, but before I got this machine, I was actually going to hot glue the patches onto the shirt. The shame. I think I am going to darn socks next!

I will leave you with a layout. I did this a little bit ago and never shared. Thanks so much for all your comments about my top 10 layouts. It really made my day! Happy Sunday!

Happy New Year and my top 10

2008-12-31T07:03:00.000-08:00

As today is the last day of 2008 I want to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and safe new year! A special shout out goes to my mom who after today is retiring! We love you mom!

There is a thread at Studio Calico to post your favorite 10 layouts from 2008 on your blog. Heather challenged me to do it so here are mine in no particular order. If you listed yours, link me up. I would love to see them!

A good time was had by all.

2008-12-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! The boys were just ecstatic with their gifts this year! Santa did a great job and did not disappoint. Here they are modeling the new football jerseys Uncle Tony gave to them this year. Zachary's is Dwight Freeney of the Colts and Connor's is Ladanian Tomlinson of the Chargers. Santa brought them the new Nerf game for the Wii along with Rockband 2 for PS3. Zachary's big gift was an ipod Nano and docking station.

Connor got the Star Wars Clone Trooper helmet he has been coveting along with the clone trooper blaster and the Clone Wars video game for Wii. Are you sensing a trend? They also received lots of gifts from Grandma and Grandpa including Cavalier and Ohio State jerseys and lots of games. All in all, they made out like bandits.

As usual, our Christmas was filled with great food and lots of cookies! Too many cookies! Eddie's mom is arriving tomorrow and will be here for New Years. Last time she was here we had 2 feet of snow. I don't think that she will be that lucky this time.

5 days and counting....

2008-12-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

until Christmas. Are you ready? I just have to wrap a few things and I am done! Speaking of done, yesterday was our last day of school. Yippee! No alarm clock for 2 weeks!

Zachary's basketball season is in full swing and here is shot from one of last weeks games. This was a tournament. They made it into the championship game but lost to a very tough team. That would be my kid in blue in the middle of all those guys.
We also attended Zachary's Christmas band recital last week. He is in the 5th grade beginner band and plays the trumpet. I wish I could share a photo of him playing the trumpet but they all were sitting down and had the stands in front of them so you could not see any one's face. He did get up to introduce one of the three songs they performed.

The weather sure feels like Christmas in Ohio. It has been cold and snowy. My parents and brother arrive on Tuesday for the holiday and the kids couldn't be more excited! Hope you have a great weekend!

This is for my dad and brother.

2008-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

You know you've been a bad blogger when the two people who tease you about having a blog are complaining I haven't updated in a while! It has been a crazy month and it seems like it was just Thanksgiving and now we are 11 days from Christmas!

Wanted to post some layouts I did with the November All Moments Remembers kit. Better late than never, right? As always, the kit was packed with goodies. I am really going to miss these kits! The pic is not the best on this first layout but wanted to use it anyway. You would think Disney photographers would do a better job. I will say the lighting was horrible inside the castle.

This is from this past Thanksgiving. OA Weathervane was perfect for this!

Ooops, sorry! I had to remove this LO for publication. It will be back soon!

Stay tuned for more with this awesome kit. Just to let everyone know even though AMR won't be doing monthly kits anymore they still will continue the message board and online store. There is a big one year anniversary crop January 9-10. Lots of fun things planned with lots of RAKS! Check the message board for details!

Just one more week of school left for me and the boys and then we are on Christmas break! Yay! Zachary's basketball season is in full swing and the team is doing really well. Our weekends will be full of Bball until February. He is also performing in the band Christmas concert Tuesday night. Connor is busy with Cub Scouts and will start basketball in January.

I hope everyone has a great week! Now I must go wrap something.

I've been tagged!

2008-11-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged by my friend Debbie!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial We always forgot to water our real tree!
3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend.
4. When do you take the tree down? January 1st
5. Do you like eggnog? Not at all!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Barbie Townhouse
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, under the tree
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Ugly sweater
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Early November
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Eggplant Parmigiana
16. Lights on the tree? yes...tons, all clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home....
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither. We have a vintage Santa.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? the crowds
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red, green and gold
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Our traditional Italian feast!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Nothing, I like to give, not receive.
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? I hope everyone!!

I am tagging anyone who would like to play along!

It sure it looking like Christmas as Ohio is seeing it first snowfall of the year! It is only 30 degrees!

A layout and a discovery!

2008-11-10T05:48:00.000-08:00

Friday night Nicole and I went to Archiver's to crop. I managed to get three layouts done which is quite an accomplishment for me since I am such a slow scrapper. I got a lot of my fall photos scrapped including our trip to the pumpkin patch. I am lovin' Collage Press Jackson's Lodge! It was perfect for these photos of my boys.

Like so many of you, I love pumpkin spice lattes. The other day, while grocery shopping I found this bottle of goodness! Coffemate Pumpkin Spice creamer. It is delicious and it almost tastes like the real thing. If only I had whip cream in the house I would feel like I was at Starbucks! While searching their website I discovered a myriad of seasonal flavors including peppermint mocha. What? Oh yes...peppermint mocha. It will be mine! Woke up to a few flurries today. I am in complete denial about winter. My boys on the other hand were stoked! Go out and get some Coffemate. You will be so glad you did!

An organized Christmas?

2008-11-04T07:53:00.001-08:00

Is there such a thing? Well this year I am going to try. I found this great site, Organized Christmas and it is jam packed with tips on how to keep organized this holiday season.

One idea they suggest is to make a holiday planner. I decided to give it a whirl. I used a 7 Gypsies mini album that I have had for years but never used. I used some Scenic Route Sonoma, Collage Press Camden and some Making Memories Noteworthy for the cover, along with some Making Memories Christmas wordfetti from my stash.

Here's a close-up view. The numbers are American Crafts.

I still have more work to do on the inside pages of the planner but wanted to show you some of the pocket planner forms you can download free from their site. This one is for gift ideas but they have many more to choose from. You can find them here.

This was a really fun project and it came together quickly! I hope you will give it a try.

Don't forget to get out and vote today!

Trick or Treat.

2008-11-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

A good time was had by all this Halloween! If you can't tell, Connor was Indiana Jones and Zachary was...well I don't know what he was exactly but he was calling himself scary Petyon Manning. As usual, my boys couldn't be more different. Zachary loves all things gross and scary for Halloween and Connor does not. In fact, it down right scares him. Both of them managed to bring home quite the assortment of goodies that will surely send them into sugar shock for the next couple of weeks.

We played our last flag football game this morning. We won, 29-6 and that got us 5th place. The boys played so well and really seemed to gel. To bad it was their last game. Connor played center and linebacker all season. Our coaches decided today to give the kids who really never carry the ball a chance to do so. This was Connor's chance. Tears filled my eyes with pride as I saw him run 40 yards for a touchdown! He was ecstatic! He also had a great day on defense stopping the other team on the 1 yard line on fourth down.

A few posts ago, I mentioned that one of my layouts was going to be featured in an online magazine. Well, the November issue of Scrapstreet.com Magazine came out today and you can see my layout here. This was my first time seeing this magazine and I must say it is full of great inspiration. You need to check it out! Thanks Stacey!

Some sad news to report. All Moments Remembered is going to stop selling monthly kits. You can read about it on Heather's blog. I am sad but also looking forward to new things to come. I so enjoyed my time on the AMR DT and working with Heather and Debbie! There will still be a November and December kit so I will still have a bit a work to share!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Fall Favorites

2008-10-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

Football and pumpkins are two of my favorite things about fall. I mentioned in my last post that we had a weekend of football and pumpkin patches. I just wanted to share some photos I took.

Saturday morning Connor had flag football. Round one of the playoffs. He is such a tough little guy. All summer long Connor and Zachary played football in our backyard with lots of boys in our neighborhood. All the boys, except for a few were older than Connor and I think that really helped him this year in flag. He was not afraid to block kids that were much bigger than him. Would you look at the look on his face. He plays the game with intensity. We ended up losing the game but we do get to play on Saturday for third place.
On Sunday, we made our annual visit to the pumpkin patch. We went back to Grobe Farms since we had such a great time there last year. They had tons of pumpkins! As usual, Zachary found his first and Connor can never decide. Zachary helped him and I think they both came home with the perfect pumpkins!

The fall weather has come to Ohio. The high today is a brisk 49 degrees. I have to say that I am loving the cool temps! It is breezy so our backyard is full of leaves. You know what that means? The boys said after school they are going to make big piles of leaves and jump in them. I will be there with my camera for sure!

October All Moments Remembered kit.

2008-10-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share my layouts using the October All Moments Remembered kit. I really loved the new Collage Press papers and all the Prima! Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's layouts including our guest designer, Amanda Probst here!

Yep, that is me on my 21st birthday with my mom. Hard to believe that was 20 years ago!
We had a busy weekend with football and pumpkin patches! Yesterday, Eddie and I celebrated our 17th anniversary! Can you believe that! Happy Monday everyone!

Sneaking in at the last minute.

2008-10-17T14:17:00.001-07:00

Here are some sneaks of the All Moments Remembered October kit. The full Design Team reveal will be tomorrow on the new AMR Blog. Also, Amanda Probst, our guest designer this month will have a little something on her blog tomorrow. You might want to check it out!

A good time was had by all!

2008-10-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Connor's eight birthday party. We had it at Game Day which is an indoor football/soccer field for kids and adults and they just so happen to have birthday parties there too. We invited Connor's entire flag football team plus a few other friends from school and our neighborhood. Needless to say, they had a great time! He got some great gifts! Lots of legos, gift cards and football attire! Go BUCKS!
Here is a pic of the boys on the field during their game. After pizza they switched to kick ball.
I am happy to say that after two losses their flag team won their third game on Saturday. We came in third place and next weekend starts the playoffs. Hard to believe the season is almost over but don't worry, Zachary's basketball sign ups are Tuesday!

Lastly, wanted to share a layout of Connor on his first day of school this year. I just love this October Afternoon paper and finally got around to using it. Have a great week everyone!

I love teacher workdays!

2008-10-10T05:06:00.001-07:00

Most schools in our area are closed today for a teacher work day. Yipppee! Gotta love a day off! For our school at least it is a freebie day so even the teachers get to enjoy the day including preschool! Shhh, don't tell the parents! LOL!

Here is what we have on tap for today:

Flu shots for the boys
Haircuts for the boys
need to buy the goody bags for Connor's party
fill said goody bags
take the boys to lunch ( I feel bad they have to get shots on their day off)
Maybe a trip to the pumpkin patch

We are gearing up for Connor's 8th birthday party on Sunday. It is at an indoor football field where they can play football, soccer, dodge ball and kickball to their hearts content! It should be a blast. I will share pics for sure.

I got a bit of happy mail this week! I was contacted by an online magazine requesting to use one of my layouts for a monthly column on journaling! Boy, this made my day as this particular layout is one of my favorites! I will share the link when the issue comes out in November!

So, what manufacturer should you design for? Take this quiz and find out! Cyndi56 posted it on the AMR MB and we are having fun with it. Mine said KI Memories.

Don't forget that tomorrow is All Moments Remembered online crop from 4pm-12am est. As always there will be challenges, prizes and lots of fun. Our guest designer this month is Amanda Probst from Creating Keepsakes and she will be joining us on the boards to chat it up! Hope to see you there! Have a great weekend!

All Moments Remembered October Kit

2008-10-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this! It's the yummy October kit, Indian Summer from All Moments Remembered! And yes, that is new Collage Press Jackson! How cool is that! And just look at all the embellies you get in the main kit. Isn't that Maya Road chipboard owl mini the cutest?
The add-on, Fireflies is just as gorgeous! I am in love with those Jenni Bowlin mini bingo cards!
If you would like to see a list of the contents for the main and add-on go here! It just so happens to be the new AMR blog! Look for cool things to come from the DT including our projects with the kits debuting on October 11! And don't forget to join us on the message board for our online crop on October 11 4-12am est. as well. We always have tons of fun, challenges and prizes! Hope to see you there.

Back to normal

2008-09-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Last week was a bit hectic. Normally I only work at the preschool three days a week but was asked to cover for another teacher on my days off. To say I am not used to that schedule is an understatement! I am back to my regular schedule this week and boy I am glad!

We are in the midst of flag football season around here. Our team is doing great! We are 2-1 and the boys are learning and more importantly having fun. I wish I had some pics to share but I suck at taking sports photos so most of them didn't turn out. I will try again next Saturday!

Wanted to share a layout that I did a while ago and never got to post. It is about my two BFF's Nicole and Erika. I was thrilled when it was requested my Memory Makers for their idea book, Fabulous Friendships. I love that stamp and that American Crafts paper that the flowers are cut from it one of my all time favs!

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers for both of my friend's families. It means so much. Have a great week!

It's been a rough week.

2008-09-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a good friend was laid to rest. I got to know Aleida Franklin through Studio Calico and All Moments Remembered message boards. She was beautiful, encouraging and always knew how to make you smile. Last Friday on her way to work she died in a fatal car crash. She leaves behind a husband and two small children. My heart aches for them but I know that she is in heaven with God scrappin' to the music.

Last Sunday, NE Ohio was experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Ike and took the life of my friends little boy. He was riding his bike, on his way home and a branch of a tree in front of his house fell on him. He was 12. I just don't know how they can bear this?

Please, pray for these families. They need it so much. And one more thing, please tell your loved ones just how much you love them everyday. You just never know.

Happy Wednesday!

2008-09-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

It is back to work for me at the preschool. I am really loving it and the kids so much! I also like having a four day weekend.

Just wanted to share some Chatterbox projects made with mostly Eclectique. I love this fresh and funky line! This is a layout of Connor. Just love that toothless smile.

This is a mini I made of Zachary. It is 10 things about him at 10 years old. If you would like to see the all the pages you can check it out here.

Make sure to check out Heather's blog today. She is supposed to reveal another surprise!

We sure have been getting some relief from last weeks heatwave. It is feeling like fall is just around the corner. Have a great day!

A lazy Saturday.

2008-09-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

And that's okay. After the busy week we had we could sure use one. It is raining which to me is the perfect weather for scrapping. If you are in the mood to scrap too check out the online crop today at All Moments Remembered. It is from 4pm-12pm est and will be full of challenges and prizes from AMR. I am hosting from 5pm-7pm and I would love it if you joined us!

Well I made it through the first week of preschool! The children in my class are wonderful! So sweet and smart! I love working with kids this age. They are too young to know how to talk back. LOL!

I was tagged with this blog award by my BFF Nicole Harper and Amber ( a new friend I am getting to know through the AMR MB)recently and wanted to say a big thank you to both of them! I love both of their blogs too!

I am nominating these 7 people to receive this award too!

Here are the rules:

(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.

(2) Link the person you received your award from.

(3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

(4) Put links of those on yours.

(5) Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

Have a great weekend everyone!

All Moments Remembered September Kit

2008-09-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

Had so much fun creating these layouts with Summer Dresses (Main kit) and Patio Lanterns (Add-on kit) from All Moments Remembered. Lots of new Heather Bailey goodness including paper, rub-ons, chipboard and stamps! Let's not forget the Prima too! You can get a full look at the kit contents here and see what our guest designers, Beth Johnson and Chris Hertel did with the kit as well as Heather and Debbie. Don't forget, the AMR online crop is this Saturday, September 6 from 4pm-12am est! Lots of challenges and prizes and Beth and Chris will be chatting too! I am your hostess with the mostess from 5pm-7pm and have some cool challenges to share! Come on over and say hi!

The fabulously talented and new MM Master Vee Jennings is giving away an AMR September kit on her blog. Make sure you go and visit and leave a comment for your chance to win!

We had a pretty quiet weekend. We went to see our local High school football game Friday night and Nicole and Erika came over Saturday night to scrapbook. Always a fun time with those two! Sunday and Monday were spent hanging out at home listening to the sounds of the entire neighborhood playing in my backyard! Have a great week!

It's been a while.

2008-08-29T06:08:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging over the past week but with the boys going back to school and me starting my part time job at the preschool it has been a very hectic week. Here are some pics of the boys on the first day of school. I am happy to say they both had great day and love all their teachers. So thankful for that! Zachary started 5th grade and has 4 different teachers for math, science, English and Social Studies. The rest of his subjects are taught by his homeroom teacher. He loves moving around to different classrooms and says it makes the day go faster. Connor started second grade and is loving it! Most of his football team is in his class and he loves his teacher! Please note the messenger bag. My fashion plate of a son didn't want a backpack this year. LOL! I guess he feels this is how he can accessorize since they wear uniforms.
Wanted to share some sneaks of the September All Moments Remembered kit. Heather has put together another great kit with lots of goodies. Our online crop is September 6th from 4pm-12am est. As always we will have lots of challenges from the DT and lots of Raks! We have two guest designers this month as well, Beth Johnson and Chris Hertle. Check it out and join the fun!

Wanted to say a big congrats to the new US Chatterbox DT! Unfortunately my name is not on the list but I have to say I was totally thrilled and honored to be one of the finalists. The team that they have chosen is absolutely incredible and I know we will see great things from them. Congrats ladies! The international team is still to be announced.

A new adventure.

2008-08-20T03:53:00.000-07:00

My boys are not the only ones who will be going back to school. I have accepted a part time position at the preschool I subbed at last year. I will be working with 4 and 5 year olds three days a week. I am really excited! I have been wanting to find a part time job but couldn't find the perfect one that would allow me to pick the boys up from school and have the same vacation schedule as they do. I have hoped all summer the preschool would have an opening and they called me last week. I have been busy going to classes and today we have a teachers back to school lunch. The preschool is on the same grounds as my boys school so I will still be able to volunteer at the "big" school too. I really enjoy working with the kids. It is a win win situation all around!

Thought I would share a layout using Chatterbox product. I still had so much stuff left after I submitted my projects for the DT audition and I was wanting to use some more! That is a pic of my mom, dad, brother and me from 1974! My mom sent me some old pics from my childhood and I love this one! Would you look at my dad's clothes! I really loved using the Chatterbox Eclectique for this layout. It is the right amount of funky and that is what this pic needed!

We just announced at All Moments Remembered the guest designers for September. Yes, designers! We have two! Beth Johnson and Chris Hertle. Beth is know in blogland as the mini book Queen! Chris is the winner of AMR's guest designer challenge. Both gals are super talented and I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Summer is winding down.

2008-08-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

You can feel it in the air. The end of summer. Just two more weeks and the boys will be back to school. We have had an incredible summer with lots of trips and fun things but truth be told they are excited to start a new school year. We have all the required school supplies. New shirts are at the sewing shop being embroidered. (My boys wear uniforms) We found an awesome buy one get one half off sale for new school shoes. Yep, I am done with back to school shopping! Whoo Hoo!

Now, for some scrappiness. I can finally share these layouts. They appeared in Memory Makers Readers Idea Gallery 2008. I was so excited to get them picked up because I love them both!

Make sure and check out the All Moments Remembered store for tons of new product. Stacey has been adding new goodies just about every day from CHA summer! We also are going to start Santa's workshops very soon. These will be really cute gifts you can make to give as presents for the holidays. Check out the message boards at AMR for all the details. The girls are so friendly and chatty they will make you feel right at home!

Go USA!

2008-08-11T04:28:00.000-07:00

Our house has Olympic fever! We have been watching non stop since the games began. Last night was definitely one of the most exciting moments of the games yet. Did you see the men's 400 meter relay? Holy cow, was that exciting! I was jumping, screaming and crying all at the same time!

Friday night Nik and I met up with a fellow Studio Calico friend Jen Armentrout at Archiver's to crop. Jen was in town visiting her family. Let me just say, Jen is an absolute sweetheart! The three of us had such a good time chatting and laughing. I did not get a thing done but I loved getting to know Jen better! If you don't know, Jen and some of her friends started a challenge blog, Method Playground. Go check them out! Wish I could share a picture of the three of us but none of them turned out. A really nice lady at the crop offered to take our pic but I knew we were in trouble when she said, "Why do you guys have these really fancy cameras?"

The rest of our weekend was spent playing outside and enjoying the freakishly cool weather. Yesterday, I put on a light jacket as the temps did not even reach 70 degrees. Is this August? I am sure our little taste of fall won't last long so we may as well enjoy it while we can. The AC is off and the windows are open! Enjoy your week!

Are you ready for some football and some Kaiser?

2008-08-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

We started flag football practice this week. It is Connor's first time playing football and Eddie's first time being a head coach. The team is made up of first and second graders and boy do these kids work hard! Here is Connor running suicides. Nice name, huh? Wanted to let you know about this great Australian company, Kaisercraft. They had a great booth at CHA and and even greater gal, Melissa working their make and take booth. Isn't this a cute mini? Even though I jacked up the rub on, i still love it! I had never worked with their products before and I was very impressed with their quality for the price. The mini is made of wood, not chipboard. Very sturdy. Those wood flourishes are to die for and their bling is amazing! All Moments Remembered, my fav online store is now carrying tons of Kaisercraft products! Rub ons, epoxy brads, bling, albums and paint. Yes, they have paint too! You can check it out here.
While you are there make sure to check out the rest of the "whats new" section. Lots of new Tim Holtz stamps for pre-order, the new Pink Paislee and just in from CHA winter, the Karen Russell Easel mini albums. Stay tuned because this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as new products go!

My kids are bored...

2008-08-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Why is it that kids can't just stay around the house and have a lazy day? We had a busy weekend. Don't they want to relax? Friday we went to our parish festival. I volunteered at the game booth. Zachary came with me and got to man the basketball hoop game. He was in heaven. Eddie and Connor came a little later to help out and then we all walked around, ate, played games and had a great time. Saturday, we went to a BBQ. There was swimming, football, games, and tons of good food. They roasted a pig. Need I say more? So with all that you would think they could use a little rest and relaxation but no, they want to do something.

I admit, part of the reason I want to stay home today is so I can play with the huge box of Chatterbox goodies that came in the mail last week. Can I just say how generous this box of product was. I was blown away! It's round 2 of the DT audition and I am halfway done with my assignment. Here's hoping Mr Mojo pays me a visit.

Wanted to let everyone know that All Moments Remembered is expecting both new lines of Pink Paislee next week. It is listed in the store available for purchase! Run, don't walk!

Good news. Three boys just rang my doorbell asking to play with my boys. They are now all in my backyard! Yippee! Looks like we are no longer bored!

Swoon...Vintage Moon!

2008-07-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

I got to play with one of Pink Paislee's new lines that debuted at CHA, Vintage Moon. This is supposed to be a fall line but let me tell you it is not only for fall photos! I actually used it to scrap a favorite photo of Connor at the pool this summer. I just loved the blue/yellow color combo and how cute is that owl! Connor is always a ham and this pic totally captures it. The title of the layout popped into my head as soon as I saw the photo. The owl added the perfect touch! I cut it out from one of the papers. Speaking of the title, I stamped it using Pink Paislee's Pop Alpha stamps. I am in love with this font. The stamps are so easy to work with...even for a newbie stamper like myself! I colored the letters in with a blue souffle pen. Be sure to check the All Moments Remembered store for both of Pink Paislee's new lines and the stamps! We are continuing to have a great summer. Between playdates, sleepovers and the pool we have been keeping busy.

This weekend is our Parish Festival. I am volunteering at one of the game booths Friday night. After my shift, Eddie and the boys will meet me and we will get to enjoy the fair. Pray for good weather!

New goodies!

2008-07-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

While in Chicago Stacey and Heather showered me with all kinds of scrappy goodness. Really, they were way too generous. One of the favorite things from Stacey was my All Moments Remembered T-shirt. We wore them on Saturday to the show and got so many compliments on how great they looked. The lady at the Kaiser make and take took this pic of us. For the life of me I can't remember her name but she was a doll! I loved her Australian accent and because of her I have a very nice collection of Kaiser bling! Now, I have been coveting the Funky Bag Lady purses ever since Nicole got one. Imagine my surprise when I opened a package and this was inside. Heather got it for me for my birthday. Ok, my birthday isn't until mid August! She wanted to give it to me in person and also because shipping from Canada is crazy! I love it. She said it reminded her of a layout I did.

I will say it again, the best part of CHA for me was to meet all the friends I've made through this hobby. Got to see Ali. So good to see her because we only see each other once a year! Loved meeting Julie from All Moments Remembered, all the peeps from Studio Calico, lots of peas at the 2 peas social on Saturday night, Karla Dudley, Vee, Christine Middlecamp. I know there are more that I am forgetting. Just know that I loved meeting you all and can't wait until next CHA!

CHA Chicago

2008-07-21T10:13:00.001-07:00

CHA Chicago was a blast! Nik dropped me off on Michigan Ave on Thursday so I could meet up with Stacey and Heather from All Moments Remembered and shop for the day. I was a little nervous as we have only spoke online and never met in real life but as soon as I saw them all those feelings went away. They are two of the sweetest, funniest, craziest girls around. We spent the day in the city and had the best time. Aren't they cute? Friday was the first day of the show and it was everything I thought it would be and more. Tons of new product as far as the eye could see. Here are a few a my faves. Love these new AC puffy thickers!

Jenni Bowlin's booth was to die for and Miss Jenni was a sweetheart to boot! Here are some new labels.

Saw some really cool stuff from Pink Paislee, October Afternoon and Crate Paper. You also need to check out Chatterbox's new release too! Their booth was gorgeous! I wish I would have taken more pics but i was just in awe of everything and having a great time I didn't take the camera out as much as I should have. I am hoping Heather will email me some pics because she took tons!

The best part of this trip for me was getting to meet friends who up until now, I just spoke to online. It is so great putting a face to a name! I also got to see "old" friends and catch up with what's going on in their lives. All in all a great weekend with great people!

Heading out to CHA

2008-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

I will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning with Nicole headed to Chicago for CHA. It is my first time going and I am really excited. I will be meeting up with Stacey and Heather from AMR and lots of girls from Studio Calico.

The boys arrived safely yesterday and they absolutely loved the plane ride. It is so good to have them home! We took my dad to the airport today and he should arrive home shortly. Want to say thanks again to mom and dad and Uncle Tony. Uncle Tony spoils them rotten with video games and movies and the boys love it! Your a cool dude Uncle Tony! The boys are already planning next years trip!

They come home tomorrow!

2008-07-14T05:12:00.001-07:00

After a week long visit with my parents, Zachary and Connor are coming home tomorrow. They are flying back to Ohio with my dad. Eddie and I are ready to have them home. The house is way too quiet! It was nice spending time with each other and doing things as a couple but now we are ready for the mayhem! A very big thank you to my mom and dad for having them and keeping them entertained with movies, swimming, eating out, ice cream, baseball games and amusement parks. I know they had a ball!

Wanted to post my layouts for the July All Moments Remembered kit. Again, another month chock full of product and I just love the colors. Make sure to visit Heather and Debbie's blogs to see what they did with this amazing kit as well as our Guest Designer, Danielle Flanders!

I received my copy of this new idea book by Kitty Foster and Wendy McKeehan. I have a layout in there about my Bff's Nicole and Erika. It is a beautiful book with lots of great layouts all about friendships. You can order it here.

Have a great Monday!

Don't forget!

2008-07-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

All Moments Remembered online crop is today from 4pm-12am est. There will be lots of challenges and Raks and our Guest Designer, Danielle Flanders will be chatting after 9pm. We would love to have you join us!

A little getaway and some great news!

2008-07-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

For Eddie's birthday I booked a two day trip to Niagara Falls, just the two of us. His birthday was in April but I knew that my parents were taking our boys to North Carolina for a week this summer. I planned it when they were away so we didn't have to worry about a babysitter. Neither one of us had been to Niagara Falls and it is only about a four hour drive from Ohio. A nice lady offered to take this pic of us after seeing us try to take it ourselves. We stayed in a hotel on the Canadian side and this was the view from our room. Love the rainbow.
These are the American Falls.
These are the Canadian or Horseshoe Falls. Do you see that boat? That is the Maid of the Mist. It takes you right by the American Falls and practically into the Canadian Falls. They have to hand out rain ponchos because you get completely soaked! I was amazed at how smooth and steady the boat was as we were looking at the Canadian Falls! We also walked through tunnels and went behind the falls. It was amazing and again the ponchos came in handy!
We saw all the sights and even went to the casino one night. We are not big gamblers but wanted to try our luck at the slots. We lost! We had a great time and thanks mom and dad for watching the boys so we could get away!

Monday night as we were walking around Niagara, Nicole calls. She sounds weird. She knew we were away with no internet. She informs me I am one of 35 finalists for the Chatterbox Design Team Audition! I go crazy on the streets of Niagara Falls. Never in a million years did I think my name would be on that list! I am so excited and honored to be on that list with such talented ladies! Did you see some of those names? I wish everyone good luck as we now are waiting for product to be mailed to us to make a layout/project to see who makes it on the team.

I have a long list of things to do today. One of which is picking out a paint color for the upstairs bathroom. Have a great day!

July 4th weekend!

2008-07-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome holiday weekend! My parents were in town and we invited everyone to our house for a July 4th BBQ. The weather was perfect and even was a bit below normal for July. Nicole and Erika were there with their families and brought such delicious dishes to share. Girls, I need the recipes please. Here's a pic of my parents with the boys. Now, because a trampoline, fort, and swing set aren't enough entertainment, Eddie set up the volleyball net. It was a huge hit not only with the kids but with Eddie too!
When it got dark, we all headed out to the cul-de-sac to watch the firework show. Eddie and Erika's husband, JR put on a great show for the crowd and it is definitely a great way to end the BBQ.

Saturday night, Eddie and I got a chance to go with some friends to an amphitheater and see an orchestra perform. We packed a yummy picnic dinner and sat on the lawn to enjoy the music and firework show! We aren't really classical music people but enjoyed ourselves all the same.

My parents left this morning and my boys went with them. They are going to spend the next week in NC having fun with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Tony! They have all kinds of fun things planned for them to do. It will be so good for the boys to spend some time with them and for Eddie and I to have some time for us too!

I went to see Sex and the City with Erika and Nicole today. I never watched the show but they did and I knew they wanted to go see it. We laughed, we cried, we loved it and I was able to keep up even though I was clueless about the show!

Nothing on tap for tonight. Looking forward to a relaxing evening just doing nothing!

I need to use my crockpot more.

2008-07-03T04:55:00.000-07:00

I always forget about it but when I use it I love the results. I decided to drag it out this morning and make BBQ Pulled Pork. Yum! My parents are arriving today from North Carolina and dinner should be ready just as they pull in. I am going to serve it with cole slaw and corn on the cob. I haven't done this before, so I hope it turns out. In other news, Connor had his first sleepover Tuesday night with his buddy Zachary who he has known since they were 3 and in preschool together. My son, Zachary helped them build a tent with sheets and blankets in the basement (which is finished) and then camped out with them. They had a blast!

We are gearing up for our big July 4th BBQ tomorrow. My friends Nicole and Erika will be here as well as several of our neighbors. Lots of fun, food and fireworks! Eddie and JR put on quite the show when it gets dark. The kids love it!

Got an exciting email this morning about a new idea book by Memory Makers called Fabulous Friendships. It should be hitting stores soon. I have a layout in there and I can't wait to take a look!
Ok, I need to go clean something. Have a great day!

AMR July sneaks!

2008-06-30T10:56:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would share some sneaks of the July AMR kit! I know the gals on the MB are dying for some peeks so I shall deliver! As usual, it is gorgeous and full of product. The kits go on sale tomorrow, July 1st. The best way to ensure your kit is to get a subscription as the kits go fast and there are only a few to go around!

This month our Guest Designer is Danielle Flanders! She is crazy talented and I can't wait to see her take on this kit! Don't forget about the online crop July 12 from 4pm-12am est. She will be there chatting sometime in the evening. As always there will be awesome challenges, RAKS and fun! I can't wait to share my challenge with you guys!

Strawberry picking!

2008-06-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, we indeed went strawberry picking yesterday. It was a perfect day for it too. Overcast and a bit of a breeze. The boys were unsure if they would like it but as soon as they got on the trailer full of hail bales pulled by a tractor to take us to the fields, they changed their tune. They each got a basket and then went to town. And for a little over an hour I watched as the two of them worked together. They helped each other fill their baskets trying to find the perfect berry. They laughed and chatted. There was no fighting...no refereeing by mom. It was perfect. I got some great pics too.

A 4qt basket full, and I mean overflowing is only 7.50! On the way out we stopped in the store and bought some cherries and zucchini, all grown on this farm. The boys just could not stop saying how much fun they had during the car ride home. I'd say we got our moneys worth!

Hi there!

2008-06-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post. Hope everyone is enjoying their Wednesday! We are going to go strawberry picking today! I haven't been since Zachary was a toddler and I think the boys will love it! We may even stop into Old Navy to buy our t-shirts for July 4th.

Just wanted to share this layout. I think it is safe to post. It appeared in the May issue of Scrapbook Trends and it is one that I love. The pic is not the best but I am too lazy to take another one! LOL!

Enjoy your day!

Weekend recap!

2008-06-23T07:49:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend! The weather could have cooperated a bit more but we managed to do lots of things despite the rain.

Friday night and Saturday morning, Connor had baseball games. During Friday nights game he hit three doubles and made some great defensive plays. I think most of his team was still asleep for Saturday morning's game as they didn't look that sharp. It was the first time I kept track of the books for the game. Let me tell you, you can not look away or talk to anyone for even a second or you might miss something. Good thing Zachary was there to help!

Saturday night Nicole came over to scrapbook. Her husband Mike and daughter Allie were going to the races at the Sandusky Speedway and asked Eddie and the boys if they would like to join them. My boys were looking forward to it all day and wouldn't you know just before it was time to leave there was a bad thunderstorm. The races were cancelled. Plan B...Kung Fu Panda.
Crisis adverted!

Nicole and I were wanting to go to Archivers and we grabbed our third partner in crime, Erika and her daughter Cali with us. Erika's company picnic plans were cancelled due to the bad weather so she was home. It was Cali's first girls night out! She was a trooper and we were able to hit Archivers and the new Cord Camera! I picked up the new Cosmo Cricket Hello Sunshine and Prima Dude papers! Score!

This first half of Sunday was beautiful. We spent some time in Erika's backyard with her boys and having fun on their humongous Banzai water slide! Then, it started to rain and pretty much rained on and off the rest of the day. We had a great weekend, despite the bad weather! I think we may hit the pool today! It looks like a beautiful day!

Thought I would end this post with a layout. I did this for a Simple Scrapbook sketch they posted a while back. I love that Scenic Route paper!

Ahh, Summer!

2008-06-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Even thought the temps in NE Ohio are way below normal, (upper 60's!) it is definitely feeling like summer around here. Since we got back from our vacation we have had kids in our backyard everyday, all day long and that is just fine by me. When they aren't in our yard they are running back and forth between their friends yards. The fort and trampoline are being put to good use for sure! Good thing I stocked up on Popsicles!

Finally starting to get back into the groove of everyday normal life since getting back from Disney. I am all caught up on laundry...I think.

We have started a monetary reward system for the boys. Every time they do a chore, help out around the house or I just catch them doing something plain 'ol nice they get money! We are starting out small, just quarters. The bigger the chore, the more they can earn. I think they like it because Zachary just woke up to tell me that he not only made his bed and straightened out his room but made Connor's bed and my bed! I like this!

Ok, now I have a PSA. Please, if you are over 70, male, and very hairy...do not wear a tank top with shorter than short silky shorts to Taco Bell! People, if I said he was wearing Daisy Dukes that would be too long! Now that I think about it, if you are any age please don't wear underwear longer that your shorts. Erika and I almost lost our lunch trying to keep all four of our boys from staring! PSA over.

Busy weekend ahead full of baseball games and scrapping with Nicole. I better get started printing pics.

Magical!

2008-06-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

That is the word I would use to describe our trip to Walt Disney World! We met up with Eddie's two brothers and sister and their families along with Eddie's mom in Florida. All 19 of us! Sometimes we all hung together and sometimes it was just the four of us. It is safe to say that I think we did everything Disney has to offer including both water parks. It was so fun to watch all the cousins interact while riding all the rides and having fun. Here are just a few pics from the week.

This was taken during our dinner at Chef Mickey's. We got to eat dinner while visiting with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto.

Love this pic of my boys walking down Main Street holding hands with the castle in the background.
Fantasmic. This was the best show EVER and well worth the wait! It is in Hollywood Studios and it a water/firework/pyrotechnics/laser show in an outdoor amphitheater. Mickey is having a dream and battling some of Disney's popular villains. A definite must see.
My boys loved Expedition Everest. Zachary and I sat in the first car and I think I had my eyes closed the entire ride. I never even saw the Yeti!
Eddie was picked as an extra in the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show. That's him in the orange robe and blue turban. The show was very cool and I must say that Eddie was the best extra!
One of my most favorite moments is one that I don't have a picture of. We were on Big Thunder Mountain at night while the firework show was going on in the Magic Kingdom. You could almost touch the fireworks in the sky! It was amazing!

We enjoyed the fine dining of Disney as well. We ate in Cinderella Castle, The Coral Reef, Mexico, Italy, and the Grand Floridian Hotel. Gotta love the Disney dining plan!

I absolutely love fireworks, so I was thrilled to get to see the firework displays at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot!

I know there is so much more I am forgetting so I will just stop there. More to come soon.

Happy Monday!

2008-06-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

Gearing up for a busy week ahead. The boy's last day of school is Wednesday and then we leave for Disney World on Friday. My to do list is a mile long to get us ready for the trip. To say we are excited is an understatement. The last time we went to WDW Connor was only 3. He doesn't remember much and he was afraid of all the characters and would only ride some of the rides. Now that he is 7, he is looking forward to it all! Zachary was and is still a daredevil and will ride anything!

The June All Moments Remembered kit debuted yesterday. It is sold out again! Wanted to share my layouts that I made using both the main kit and the add-on. Both include fun, bright papers perfect for your spring or summer layouts.

The pic below is a BE frame included in the add-on kit. The ribbon, buttons and letters aren't from the kit.

Be sure to join us for our online crop, June 7 from 4pm-12am est. I won't be able to be there as I will be is Disney, but the rest of the AMR DT will be there with lots of challenges, RAKS and fun. Stephanie Howell, June's guest designer will be chatting in the evening as well. Please be sure to drop by her blog and check out the beautiful layouts she created with this kit. She amazes me with her talent and is one of the sweetest gals I know!

Finally some sneaks!

2008-05-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

of June's AMR kit! It is so full of bright and yummy papers and embellies I just can't stop creating! Make sure you join us for the online crop on June 7 from 4pm-12am est for lots of fun, challenges and RAKS! Did I mention that one of my most favorite scrappers ever is our guest designer? None other than Stephanie Howell! You don't want to miss it.

Enjoying our weekend.

2008-05-25T04:00:00.001-07:00

My parents are in town for Memorial Day weekend. They arrived Friday and we have been on the go ever since. Yesterday was opening day for Connor's baseball team. Grandpa was the third base coach for the day and here he is giving Connor some base running advice! Our team did win the game but our boys need to practice their fielding big time if they want to continue to win. Grandma took the boys shopping and Connor, being a total lego maniac, picked out the new Indiana Jones legos. He came home and put it together immediately, with some help from his brother. Zachary is not into toys as much as he used to be so he just took the cash and will spend it on something of his own choosing at a later date. That's what I would have done too! Today, my parents are taking them to see the new Indy movie and they can't wait!
Just wanted to share a few layouts I made recently. Stacey, the owner of All Moments Remembered sent me some Pink Paislee to work with and I absolutely love this paper! What I like even more is the die cut sheets! You can do so many things with them! I also used Pink Paislee's alphabet stamps on this first layout thanks to Nicole! I am not a huge stamper but I have to say that they were so easy to work with and produce a clean, crisp image every time! Not to mention the font is delicious.

I also made this little project using Jenni Bowlin chipboard butterflies, Pink Paislee and some American Crafts chipboard. All these items can be found in the AMR store. I got the metal garden fence at the Dollar Store. I am not a project person, but I like how this turned out. The picture is not the best as it is much cuter in person.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your long weekend. The weather had been excellent so far but they say rain is on tap for tomorrow. It figures.

It's Wednesday!

2008-05-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day! I had a great day of rest and relaxation! Eddie told the boys if they wanted anything they had to ask him, mom has the day off! I didn't cook a thing! He took the boys out for a few hours so I could get some alone time. Best of all, he helped Zachary with his Social Studies project that was due today. Zachary and I tend to butt heads a bit when doing school projects so this was huge! The boys got me two huge beautiful hanging baskets to hang on our shepherd's hook.

I have been wanting to scrap this photo forever and finally did so yesterday. It is a pic of Eddie and his defense on the field during a game. I used some new Scenic Route paper that came in my Studio Calico add-on last month. They announced a new addition to their DT yesterday. None other than Miss Stephanie Howell! Love her work and she is such a great addition to the team! Congrats again Steph!

I have a busy rest of the week planned. I have to work at the preschool tomorrow. Friday is the walk-a-thon at my boys school. I am on the planning committee and will be there all day. It is quite possibly the funnest day of the year for the kids. Lots of cool stuff planned. DJ, magician, scavenger hunt. I am in charge of picking up the cotton candy machine...won't the teachers love that! Hee Hee!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T03:44:00.001-07:00

Wanted to wish all my family and friends a very happy Mother's Day! I hope your day is filled with lots of rest, relaxation and love. And no cooking of course!

This is a picture of me and my mom and dad at Myrtle Beach last August. I won't get to spend Mother's day with my mom since she is in North Carolina but wanted to let her know that I love her and think she is a great mom! Miss you mom! They are coming for a visit Memorial Day weekend so we will see each other soon. As I was searching for a photo to post I realized I didn't have one of just the two of us...we will have to have someone take our picture when she is here for sure.
I was shocked to find out that this layout was one of the featured layouts on Creating Keepsakes website this past week. I didn't even know until Joscie, one of the gals at AMR started a post about it. The other layout featured was by Deborah who is another AMR gal!

In other scrappy news, I got my Scrapbook Trends goody box last week. It was filled with scrappy goodness and two free copies of the magazine. It is my first time being pubbed in ST so I was so excited to see it. If you are interested it is on page 33!

I also received my RAK from Studio Calico this week. Last reveal night they had a crazy avatar contest and I won! It was full of American Crafts goodies! They are one of my favorite manufactures so I was thrilled when I saw it! Thanks again to April and Scarlet and to Jenn who issued the challenge in the first place! Boy, it's been a great mail week!

Guess what's back? Yep, a trampoline. You may remember our other one freakishly blew away during a storm. Well, the boys missed it so much we caved and bought a new one. This time, this baby will be anchored into the ground so it won't end up in our neighbor's yard in a million pieces.

And this would be my third child who had to have the first turn jumping on it! I guess its only fair since it took him two hours to put together!

The fort.

2008-05-07T06:01:00.001-07:00

The plans have been in the works to build the boys a fort in the backyard for a long time. This past weekend it finally happened. The boys helped paint and construct their fort along with Eddie. They decided to go with a castle/log cabin style fort. I know, strange but that is what the wanted. They still have to paint black lines on the walls to make it look more like a log cabin. This is Eddie hard at work. I don't know why the pic posted upside down but you get the idea. Eddie decided to make it a two story fort and the boys have a ladder to climb up to the second level. The boys and their friends have been in it non stop since Sunday! Now we are just waiting for the trampoline to get here and our backyard will be set!
We finally are experiencing spring like weather in NE Ohio. Perfect for playing outside. I hope you are enjoying the weather in your neck of the woods and get to play outdoors!

I can finally reveal...

2008-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

my layouts with the May All Moments Remembered kit. It features beautiful papers from Websters Pages which are much more vibrant in person than in the photos, trust me. It also contains crackle paint from Tim Holtz. I have been wanting to try it and I have to say I really like it. It adds great texture to anything you use it on. Isn't Nicole a cutie! You can't see it very well but she is holding an felt embellie that says, Real Life. She truly is a gem!
Another fun item in the add-on are the dictionary scallops. I love how they look on these two layouts!
These fabulous lacing cards by Cosmo Cricket are in the add-on as well. Instead of doing an accordion style mini with them, I decided to turn them the other way and let them hang. They are now proudly displayed on the back of by front door!

Make sure you stop by Heather, Debbie, Linda and Tracy's blogs to check out their amazing work with this kit! And don't forget AMR's NSD online crop tomorrow from 4pm-12am est. Christine Middlecamp is May's guest designer and will be on the boards chatting after 8pm!

More sneaks!

2008-04-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would give you another peek at the May All Moments Remembered kit. I know you gals won't be disappointed with the papers and product! I have made layouts, a card, and a project and I still have tons of stuff left to play with! Don't forget to check out Debbie and Linda's blogs for more sneaks! They did some amazing things with the kit!
It is a beautiful spring day and I am getting ready to go for a walk with Erika. Yesterday, Nicole and I walked 4 miles! I love walking with friends. We talk the whole time and the miles just fly by! Enjoy your Wednesday!

Sneak Peeks!

2008-04-21T09:46:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of sneak peeks of All Moments Remembered May kit. Trust me when I say you will love the everything about this kit. I am working on a little project from the kit and I will share a peek when it is complete.

Debbie has a sneak too so make sure to check it out on her blog. In fact, look for sneaks from all the DT this week! Yay!

Don't forget to join us for our online crop for National Scrapbooking Day, May 3!

Christine Middlecamp will be joining us for an online chat that evening too!

It is a good mail day!

2008-04-18T09:50:00.001-07:00

My May All Moments Remembered Kit was on my front steps when I came home today! The papers are delicious and it is jam packed with embellies. I can't wait to start working with it this weekend. Look for sneaks on my blog next week! Have you heard who our guest designer for May is? Christine Middlecamp! I can't wait to see what she does with this kit!

I also got my Pink Paislee that I ordered from the AMR store! I have been dying to work with this paper ever since it debuted at CHA in February. Stacey, AMR's owner is such a sweetie. There among my paper was a clear envelope full of Hershey kisses and a card. You can tell how much she appreciates her customers and customer service is number one in her book!

Something fun happened this week. My layout, Double Digits (see previous post) was featured on Teresa Collins blog. You can check it out here. I was thrilled to see it the other day.

Wanted to share a layout I did this past weekend. I have had these pictures from July 4th for a while now. I love how they look with the new Cosmo Cricket Get Happy line. I am so lovin' their black chipboard too!

We have a full weekend on tap! Enjoy yours!

Pinewood Derby Sunday!

2008-04-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Connor's first Pinewood Derby. He and Eddie put in a lot of time making his car and they finally got to see what it was made of. Now, if you have a cub scout you know the rules say your car cannot be over 5.0 ounces. Well lookie here! 5.0 exactly! And yes, the driver is a lego. It seems like yesterday that we were here for Zachary's first Derby and Connor was a three year old toddler who I had to chase after. Fast forward four years. Here he is lining up his car for his first race. He didn't win, but he sure had a lot of fun trying. The best part, everyone got a participation trophy. He was ecstatic...it was his first trophy ever!
Right after the races we headed out to see the Cleveland Cavaliers play their last home game before the playoffs begin. We all had a great time and the Cavs even won! Sorry, I can't remember the score. We have Indians tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday night too. Can we fit anymore games in this week?

This is a layout I did for Nicole Harpers challenge on the Studio Calico blog. It was to use numbers. It is quite simple but I love how it turned out. Plus, it got me to write down some feelings about my oldest turning 10. His mama was having a hard time with this one. But it's all good now.
Don't forget to check out Karla Dudley's layouts using the April All Moments Remembered kit.

She made the coolest mini!

Wanted to share...

2008-04-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

some more projects using the All Moments Remembered April kit. This is a card I made using a great stamp from Inkadinkado. The chipboard butterfly is from Foof a La and the pearls are K&CO. I used the Fiskars scallop punch as well. Not only is this stamp in the kit but there are two other stamps as well. This layout uses more of the Foof a la chipboard. I can' t get enough of that stuff! And who says you can't use flowers on a boy layout? Not me.
Don't forget, tomorrow is Scrap Chat Hour at AMR and yours truly will be your host. The MB will be hopping as the girls are always fun and friendly! I am off to take a walk!

Recap of our weekend!

2008-04-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Eddie's 40th birthday! He wanted it very low key and relaxed. The boys made signs and we decorated his office doors with them and some balloons. I think he really liked his present too. I booked a little get away for just the two of us to Niagara Falls in July.

Connor had a basketball game on Saturday as well as Flag Football sign-ups. While they were gone, I baked Eddie's birthday cake. The rest of the day was spent outside playing since it was such a beautiful day. Lots of sun and near 60 degrees! We grilled steaks for dinner, Eddie's favorite and headed back outside to play baseball!
Saturday was AMR's online crop. It was a blast and to top off the night Karla Dudley came on the boards to chat it up with the ladies. Here are some of my DT layouts for this month. I really enjoyed working with the kit. Some of the paper were new to me so I was excited! The kit is jam packed with goodies and I have a lot of stuff to play with still so be on the lookout for more layouts!

Connor had another basketball game on Sunday and then his friend who is on his team came over to our house to play. It was another beauty of a day. I hope this weather lasts!

I am off to enjoy some of this sunshine! Have a great Monday!

Ahhh, Monday!

2008-03-31T07:31:00.001-07:00

Not much going on today. The kids are back to school after their Spring Break. I have a bunch of errands to run...dry cleaners, post office, DMV. Whoo Hoo!

Wanted to share a layout I completed when Erika and Nicole came over Saturday night to crop. I really wanted to use the calender page from my Studio Calico kit. I love the way it turned out.

Don't forget the Survivor Challenge at AMR starts today! Go check it out! Happy Monday!