In Living Color

Guess What?

I post my scrapbook layouts to this site called Log Your Memory. And they have occasionally picked my layouts to be featured on their site.

Well...they took all the layouts they featured last year and printed it into a lovely album.

And I was chosen as the featured scrapper for February.

And they even featured one of my all time favorite layouts:

It was so fun to see my layouts printed like this!

And for good measure...here's a few of my recent layouts:

It's so nice to be creative again.

murphy's law

well. it's been a day.

and the post i had planned for today...well...it went out the window when i accidentally deleted the photos.

ack.

so instead...here's a few of my recent scrapbook pages:

here's joshy's 2nd birthday. he totally freaked out when he saw the candles. lol!

this is when mikayla donated her hair to locks of love.

this one is about joe...finally learning to love to read -- thank goodness for harry potter!

becky made this great chalk drawing. I had to scrap it!

this one is about emma's new haircut.

had to scrap mikayla at all county orchestra.

love this photo of katie -- just wiped out.

emma and katie in the snow.

our house in this last snow.

phew. it's so nice to be creating again -- all it took was a six month break! : )

Keeping Memories

My life got so busy I just had to let some things go...so I closed my shop at ScrapMatters and gave up most of my creative teams. While, that was hard to do, the upside is that I am finally scrapping again.

It isn't much, just a page here and there, but it's so great to be preserving our families memories.

I am working now on making sure that everything is spelled right on my finished pages and sending them off to be printed. Can't wait to have all those pages filling up my sadly empty scrapbooks!

These first two are actually updates of older pages that I wasn't happy with. I hardly ever feel like i'm "done" with a page ...but I am finally getting rid of the original layered files and sending them to print.

(Kit: EZ Wishes from Erica Zane)

(Kit: Battle for the Galaxy, Lauren Grier and Penny Springmann)

And this is a totally new page I scrapped.

(Kit: Passion Fruit, DeCrow Designs)

Going over my pages...it's been fun to see my style change. I am finally feeling like i'm coming into my own.

One page from 2007, one from 2008 and one from 2010.

Think i'll ever get caught up?

Sing Out Loud

So, there was a little fundraiser tonight for the PTA at Barnes and Noble.

Now, the PTA ladies, they're no dummies...I mean, you have a fundraiser, and only so many people are going to come.

BUT, you have a fundraiser, and invite every one's children to perform, and you KNOW that people are going to come out.

Well, it worked.

I mean, it even got me out of the house, so that's some crafty marketing ploy.

But, just so you don't think me completely cynical, it was really cute and the children did a wonderful job.

Joe and Emma are in the choir at school, and the performance was really good. My only wish would have been that we could see it and hear it a little better, but it was worth it, regardless.

Of course, I was directly behind the man who felt he needed the photographically document almost the ENTIRE performance, and so most of my own photos are of his camera as he moved it into my field of vision, or underneath, around, or over his outstretched arms...like so.



But I did manage a couple of unobstructed shots.





In unrelated news, I love Christmas.

I thought this just captured the wonder.

SUPERjosh

So, today is the day.

Josh if SIX!!!!



Holy cow.

I can hardly believe it has come so quickly.

So, in honor of Josh's birthday, I wanted to tell you six things I love about Josh.

1. He is always happy.

2. He ALWAYS smiles when he has done something wrong...maybe this explains why he always seems like he is happy. LOL!

3. He asks the best questions...stuff that is deep and funny...that grown ups sometimes ask, but that he intuitively gets.

Like, why do we park on a driveway?

4. He is the best BIG brother. (Notice I had to qualify that, although is the CLASSIC little brother!) He adores his little sisters and would do anything to keep them safe, make them happy, and just loves them.

5. He is super sensitive. It is amazing to me how much feeling and emotion little boys carry around. He hates to get in trouble. LOL! oh well.

6. He is a great kid. Josh was the first kid that I got to be a full-time SAHM with, and I have to admit that I spoiled him a little. (Okay, a LOT.) And, Troy was still at the law firm then, so we saw little of him...consequently, Josh got the soft touch...but we have worked with him on being more responsible and reliable, and he is really coming along.

So, Joshy, Happy Birthday. Hope it's a good one.

It Isn't That I Don't WANT to Sleep

So, in addition to making jam and trying to survive our first week of middle school...I haven't been sleeping.

I never do when my husband is away. What can I say...I'm a wuss.

Bad for me, good for my scrapbook.

Just a few (okay, a lot) of layouts that I have been working on...these were not all created this week. Really.

Becky and her "friend" Evan at the water park.


Here's one of just Evan at the water park. I couldn't resist.


Mikayla on the first day of school.


Emma at the peach farm.


Joe on the first day of school.


Becky at the peach farm.


Josh at the Beatty Reunion.


Katie at the peach farm.


Beatty Family Reunion fun.


Troy in Paris.

Go Ahead, Complain

So, as you know I have really been enjoying my new camera, and try to take it with me wherever I go.

Consequently, I have gotten some really great photos.

But, not everyone appreciates my new found hobby. Namely, my husband.

Now, don't get me wrong. Troy is very supportive of my desire to take photos, but he doesn't love it too much when he is the subject. And, he is even less pleased with me when I scrap about it.

So, because he complained...I wanted to share my latest layout with you...and some of my favorite photos of the man I love. (I really do!)









He's a good sport! I am so lucky!

Summer in Three "Easy" Weeks

Well, the kids have decided that they have to make up an entire summer of playing in just three weeks.

I might not make it.

In addition to the party that Troy and I had, we have had numerous playdates, sleepovers, and all around chaos. We even managed to fit in a little girls night out with Emma, Mikayla, and Mikayla's friend Vanessa.

We got manicures. Aren't they cute?



I still have to find time for an entire summer's worth of school shopping and doctor visits. Luckily, I have a Master's Degree in shopping (maybe even a PhD), and have finished nearly all the school shopping.

But we have three orthodonist visits, a hearing test, four eye doctor appointments, and a well child visit still to go.

Did I mention that we also have three birthday parties, another sleepover, and a wedding anniversay to fit in?

Oh, I know, it's my own fault for going away for the ENTIRE summer.

It really was worth it, but geez, I am going to need another vacation once school starts!

Well, enough of the pity party...I did manage to find some time to scrapbook, so it can't all be bad...haha.

I just had to share this layout...I really love it.



And if you made it this far...you get to hear the Joshisms.

First, to tell you how long we have been gone, and how much we have been travelling...when Troy got home from work today, Josh wanted to know if Troy had brought him a souviner. LOL!

And secondly, I forgot to tell about something funny I overhead Josh say while we were on vacation.

Josh was telling Joe something. And Joe said that he thought that Josh was lying about whatever it was.

Josh was really upset by this and said, quite emphatically, "I AM NOT lying! I used to lie all the time, but now I just lie a little...and this time is the truth."

Can I just tell you...that kid cracks me up.

Woo hoo!

So, I am happy to tell you that the contest that I put my life (and my family's life) on hold for during May is over and today they announced the winner...

I won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (See here if you are interested.)

I have really enjoyed digital scrapbooking, as I am sure you are aware, since I reguarly insist on boring you with my layouts.

But I actaully really LOVE it. It is a creative outlet for me that is so exciting, and I really feel like I have something that is just mine.

There are so many parts of my life that belong to other people...and I wouldn't change my life for anything. But I am so excited to have something that I am really passionate about and that brings me some external validation.

...again, I wouldn't change my life, but if I am being honest I will tell you that there aren't very many thank yous or much appreciate for being a mom. That isn't why I do it, but having had a "job" for so many years, there is something to be said for paychecks, raises, and performance reviews.

And now with my scrapbooking, I get to share what I love and recieve feedback from others who also love it. It is such a great feeling.

So, the prize I won?

Well, it was supposed to be a one month guest spot of the creative team of the scrapbook site whose contest I won. But, they have actually offered me a full time spot on their team.

This basically means I get to scrapbook to my hearts content with all the digital scrapbooking products they have available....basically a scrapaholic's dream come true!

Joy, Pure and Simple

I just wanted to share this layout of Josh.

I am loving my new camera, and although there is still so much I don't know about it, I love what I CAN do with it already!

Most Unproductive Person

Yes, that's me.

I have OFFICALLY been given the title of most unproductive person on the planet.

I have spent the month entered into a scrapbooking contest which ended last night, much to Troy's great relief.

So, while there wasn't much house work done this month, I do now have several very full scrapbooks.

So, if you come over, feel free to take a peek, and if you see me looking longingly at the computer...Troy is prepared to stage an intervention...you are more than welcome to participte.

Here's a few of my favorite layouts.






And if you didn't see the boys and I at church today, it was because we stayed home to do housework.

I am again competing for the meanest mom award, and when we went to get them dressed for church, where do you think I found the boys church clothes?

Well, if you guess in their closet or in the dirty clothes hamper, you would be wrong.

The correct guess would be under their beds, rolled up into a ball.

Just where they go.

And if you made it this far into the post, your prize is getting to read this HYSTERICAL story from my friend Brianna...about...well, you'll just have to read it.