More...

And a few more! The second one is a free "make and take" from the event. Everything is from Stampin' Up and was given to each of us to assemble. I put it right to use. I loved their ideas for journal blocks with the ribbon like that. I copied it in another layout!

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layouts

Back to my roots...paper scrapbooking. What fun. My flash blurred some of these out but you get the gist. I got lots of the important ones out of the way. I tend to avoid holidays! And these were heavily inspired by some layouts seen in magazines or online. Jamie Waters and Kelly Noel in particular, thank you!

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all things halloween

Today has been a day to prepare for the week ahead. I have a small level of participation in Shelby's class party, I donated drinks and am to attend during the final 15 minutes. I am the room mom (oy!!) for Olivia so the photos above depict the making of a toilet paper pumpkin! Today we glued 21 leaves, to 21 stems and then of course, my girls had to make a few pumpkins of their own. Pretty cute idea, huh? Don't you know I saw someone selling the same thing on etsy for $8! I also printed labels with each child's name for the treat bags shown, and stuffed those with a few gifts. They will also be getting tattoos, candy, and a few other prizes for doing the games. Pretty crazy. I am beginning to feel the vibe at the school and am slowly becoming a very active volunteer. I love it, I do. But the more of my talents I reveal, the more sought after I will become. It appears to be a slippery slope.
Ok, then to end the day on Halloween, we are hosting our 2nd annual neighborhood trick or treat kick off party. I have totally lost my mind, it would seem. Everyone brings something to share though, we plug the crockpots into a surge protector, and just dig in so it's relatively laid back. The weather forecast is dry, but cold. We'll survive.
Yesterday, I scrapbooked all day at a "crop". I will share some pages later in the week. It's going to be one of those weeks where the extra memory card might get some use, and all the batteries need to be charged. And oh heck, Halloween is also my sister's birthday too. Party on!

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sprinkles

I was motivated to take a bunch of tub shots recently b/c Shelby calls the wrinkles you get from soaking too long; sprinkles. I love this one! I made a digital layout using some others.
Trying to return to good, clean and wholesome on the world wide web!

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if

if you think you cannot go on a girls weekend trip for 4 days b/c :

your kids will not survive, they will

your husband cannot do it, he can

you will miss your kids too much, you won't (not too much, just enough)

you cannot afford it, you can

you don't deserve it, you do

you're way too content to stay at home, you're not

I learned this plus more; check it out!! And enjoy a quick view of the bars, the beaches, the bands...of Florida. Also in breaking news:

I can party like a rock star for 3 nights (sure, I now have self induced laryngitis, but that is a minor detail)

I can survive without seeing the inside of a grocery store for 4 whole days.

I can survive without a true serving of a fruit or a vegetable.

I can meet a young Kenny Rogers look a like;

or a John Kerry look a like (and it is OK if you are not a fan of the Senator, really just express yourself openly) at the same bar.

9 girls can get ready and catch a sunset on the beach....almost.the bigger the margarita, apparently the weirder the other bar patrons behave.

and on that note, i will take a short break from photos!! stay tuned, if there is not a backlash, there may be more! Pin It

kids do say funny things

Last night, Shelby said:
I cannot see them with my spy-noculars-as she held her hands like binoculars to her eyes.

Last week, Olivia said this:
well, heat rises; after I said it is cold down here on the floor.

Just feeling a little moody, as I am leaving my babies for 4 days! Trying to remember their sweetness instead of how I have to practically beat them each morning to get out of bed, eat breakfast, potty, brush teeth and get dressed! It is pretty hard to imagine I get 4 days off from that but I also have to miss 4 days of the endearing details of their sweet little lives :) Pin It

can you suggest a good book?

I am going on a little trip at the end of the week, and I need some good suggestions. Got any? Leave me a note. Pin It

tonight

I am off to my 20 year high school reunion. I am no spring chicken! I am looking forward to seeing so many of my old friends; both the ones I stay in contact with, and those I have probably not seen in 5 years or more. It's a girls' night out too so no unnecessary torture for the men!



Here's a little layout about my sweet girl Olivia:

The journaling says:

You have been faced withone of the facts of life...that kids can be mean.You told me a few weeks agothat a few girls said you were“hairy”, and that is true. For alittle girl, you hav e a lot of darkhair on your legs and I knewthis day would come, that someone would make fun. Youseemed to take it in stride on thatday but you told me again afew nights ago, that one girl hadsaid it again. Gosh, I want tothrottle that girl! That is my firstmama bear instinct. Instead, Itried to talk to you about howto handle it and what to say toher in return. The reality is, this is going to be the first of manystruggles. Kids always can sniff out a weakness, or somethingabout yourself that you are not sure of, or confident in. Ihope I can give you the tools tosort things out. And always reassure you that you are beautiful.Fall 2007Age 6

Curse the dark hair I tell you!!

Everything is from mydigitalmuse.com. Audra Little Second Spring and graph alpha. Scalloped frame by Jessica Sprague at CK.

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dahlings...aren't i fabulous???

A little sneak peek of Miss Shelby in her Halloween costume. She is dressed right down to her toes if you notice! Kinda looking like a playboy bunny more than a black cat (or pink cat) depending on the day you ask her what she wants to be, thus, the happy compromise you see here...black velvety fabric with pink maribou. I have seen MANY cats in my day just like this. Haven't you?

What the heck, here is another picture b/c frankly, she is just that cute! Try to erase that filthy mirror out of the background, and your mind. Pin It

what i have read recently

About 6 weeks ago, I read Dedication, by the author of the Nanny Diaries. I have never read that book, and it was not in at the time I looked at the library, so I picked up the other. Kind of a strange book, I followed through and finished it, but it was not so riveting. The way it was written was sorta difficult to follow, more like a blog (like this one in fact!), not very structured. And funny, I had dinner w/ my friend Amy and she had the same impression and did not even finish it. I will probably still read the Nanny Diaries though, that is more likely to happen than me seeing the movie. Movies here, not so much...

Next stop at the library and I needed a new book to fill my hours of sitting outside patroling kids. I have read many of the Mary Higgins Clark books, and just picked up the newest one I had not read: I Heard that Song Before. It was pretty good and a quick read.

I picked up a new novel last week, the name now escapes me, because that afternoon my neighbor handed over her copy of Paula Deen's "It Ain't all about the Cookin'", which is her memoirs I guess, maybe you'd call it an autobiography. I like Paula, I think she is fun to watch on TV and the book was well done. She had some tough spots in her life, that's for sure. She is a real American success story. And heck, her sons, especially that tall one, are darned cute!

I also picked up Everyday Food at the library. I like the format and style of the recipes. I may have to buy the next copy though, b/c I like to dog ear, and then tear out recipes to try. The whole, magazine from the library, is not really conducive to that!

I am off to round up the girls to go buy a new pumpkin for the classroom. It seems the one they got at last week's field trip, somehow got cracked and is rotting. No way it is going to make it until a decent date for it to be carved. Olivia has taken this particularly hard. And since last week, in my first duty as Room Parent, I missed the teacher's birthday, I thought this might be a nice gesture to acknowledge her day belatedly...replace the pumpkin. I sent a note to all the parents to have the kids bring cards tomorrow, as a belated surprise as well. Olivia made hers earlier and it so sweet...she spelled Mrs. as "misis". And the inside said "look at the picsr bloe" translated to mean: look at the picture below. Love it! Pin It

my digital muse

Next week, hybrid week is going on at My Digital Muse. I will be teaching people how to attach transparencies with paint on Wednesday. Come over and grab some of the free goodies, or possibly win a prize!! The top 5 freebies are way too cute.

At the end of the month, the my digital muse site is closing, sadly. I really enjoyed my few months there, and the products I have received have been overwhelming both in number, and in their awesome-ness! I really found my groove as a digital scrapbooker, and expanded my horzions by about a ton as far as using PhotoShop. It's all good.

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a found treasure

Being a scrapbooker, I have pretty much documented or at least saved, all the details (plus some!) of my kids lives. So imagine how distressed I have been for the past 4-5 years, to not be able to find the first year calendar I kept, quite meticulously, for my oldest daughter who is now 6. During this time, I have done at least a half dozen extensive searches in all the most likely places. Well today, I hunkered down to begin clearing out only the bottom, of my office closet. That resulted in a huge bag of garbage, a full size garbage can full of junk, a 1/2 car load for donation and then in the very bottom corner, this tiny box with no lid. Sitting right on top...that calendar. And below, the sign from her bassinet at the hospital, my bracelet and hers from there, and just so many sweet treasures. One of the best surprises, I printed out a bunch of emails that I received the day before my scheduled c-section...which actually got postponed by a week...and when I sent an email to update people on that, I got so many well wishes in return. I cannot believe I printed them...and found them. The faucet immediately turned on and I have been weepy since. Feeling pretty grateful right about now.
Although, how in the world did I accumulate so much schit?! This closet is about as big as a minute. I had stuff stacked on top of stuff. Now...to tackle the two upper shelves and then consult with my handyman/father in law for some shelf installation. I am really trying to stay on task about de-cluttering this house...and it ain't no small task... Pin It

shaw's farm and other stuff..

First, I am so annoyed with Picasa and it losing the ability to upload my pics directly to blogger. It keeps saying I am not connected to the internet, and a'hem, I am!

So I have to do it the longer, harder way. But these are worth it:

I love this one with my niece Kacie hodling Shelby's hand and their shadows are visible in front of them. That was just a happy accident.
And then this one. Dang, I do not even particularly like animals but this clearly is how you become a pet owner...you see a puppy (or about 8 of them) this stinking cute! The Basset Hounds puppies were for sale at the pumpkin farm. They were not so cute that I forgot that they will still poop and pee (which read below, I have my share of) and that I do not have a fenced yard. My girls were beyond enamored with them. Oh, did I mention the price tag? $450!

Olivia is at another big farm today, in KY, with her class for a field trip. I sent her in shorts and a t shirt b/c yesterday was about 85, and they called for the same thing today. Instead, it has been barely 65 and we had one big rain shower here. I am beside myself that she is wet, freezing, and has her first Brownie meeting directly after school.

Shelby is watching Barbie as the Island Princess, a DVD she earned by pooping 5x's in a row in the potty. Too bad all that concentration seems to have resulted in more tinkle in the pants accidents! She needs to figure this out...as a female...she must multi-task!

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