alrighty

Hmm, more comments with links to bad news...viruses. I updated how comments can be made so hopefully that weeds the evil out, assuming it is spam and computer generated harassment. We'll try this for a few days, however, I am getting a new computer next week and I will not take chances on that one so the blog is still at question mark.
A little fun digi scrapping. I am really digging it and I *think* I am getting better:) The first is a template, nearly the whole thing was premade, I added pics, the dates (misty cato date bits) and some text. I got that from anamara.
The next one can be found here with all the supplies listed if someone is looking for an element.
Lots of cooking gone on too. Recipes to follow.

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2 more icky posts

Not sure why I am being singled out but I deleted another post. I am not really interested in battling this, nor do I really know how to protect my computer, and yours if you open one of those comments, so if I get anymore, I will discontinue blogging :( Pin It

a skater...and a swimmer...kinda

This is Olivia last week at her school skating party. Girl is definitely a fashion don't but as any seasoned Mom knows: choose your battles. I have actually let her wear these pants to an "out of uniform" day at school and to the skating rink. The purple skates came from Santa. She was better this year than last and I think once Spring arrives, and she practices outside, she will really get the hang of it.

Moving on to Shelby's second week of swimming lessons. First, I noticed a very scared look on her face about midway through the lesson. She had peed...in the pool. Again, you know you are a seasoned Mom when you basically just shrug your shoulders and return to your seat, rather than break into hives or maniacal laughter. I made it back to my seat just in enough time to settle in, look back over at the lesson and notice that my child was flailing, mostly under the water with arms above it. I screamed: Shelby, stand up! Which prompted the teacher to turn around and pluck her upward. The teacher is GREAT, thankfully, and talked to her enough that she even stayed in the pool vs. coming out by me. A little bit of a scare though, I am not going to lie. I think she just lost her footing but she really was not entirely panicked, she was trying to stand back up and get her head out of the water. Exactly why we need lessons.
So, is it any wonder that by dinner time, about an hour later, I was nearly suffering a nervous breakdown?! Just a long day.

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soldiering on...

In an effort not to be scared off by my evil-doer of yesterday, I am posting and taking a chance. I have said it a million times before...this computer is already on it's last leg so any other unnecessary shots will certainly put it out of it's misery. I need to get proactive about finding and financing it's replacement!
Same picture as a few days ago, different treatment and on a layout. This all takes me an embarassing amount of time to complete but I am still loving the challenge and all the digital goodies available.
Here's the scoop on this one:
Well darn it! It seems I cannot cut and past so if you want to know where something came from, click here.

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virus

I removed my last post b/c someone left a comment that had a virus attached to it. That sucks. Pin It

Valentine's Treats

Shelby and I made these bags for her classmates. I created the "bag topper" in photoshop and stapled them to cello bags. I wish I could have convinced Olivia to do something as snappy, but at 6, she is way over something like this. Sigh.

Next topic: Grannies Gone Wild.
Before your mind runs entirely away from you, this is the name of an Instant or Rip Off, as they are called at the Church Bingo, where I dutifully put my 2.5 hours in last night. For a few minutes, I wondered if I were on Candid Camera walking through the aisles, announcing: Grannies Gone Wild. See, I assumed they are all were accustomed to that type of Instant, only apparently, I was introducing them, to 83 people, for the first time. I got MANY comments. The ladies (the median age is definitely 60+, mostly female) either laughed and said something funny, or for a split second thought I was harassing them. The few men in attendance, asked where they could get one, said they were already married to one...you get the picture. It's not boring there. Let's just leave it at that.

A full agenda tomorrow: 2 school parties followed by a school Skating Party in the evening. My life, it is rich :)

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a trip down memory lane

11 months, first beach vacation

5 weeks old, garage photo shoot!

1st birthday thank you card, she was sick so we had to cancel her party

a Sears scan, her first Easter dress
the huge bow is to compensate for her baldness, the fat rolls=pure goodness

I was searching for a photo of Shelby, using Picasa, and anything marked with her name came into view. These are just a few of the heartwarming ones that jumped out at me. Time sure does fly! I cannot believe how much she has changed.

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more...for the horsey set

Olivia has had 4 lessons, she has ridden Ruby the Pony 3 times, and Dream, a horse, just once. She is definitely more confident on the pony. Actually, once she is riding, she does well regardless but grooming and walking the big horse is intimidating. Honestly, on those cold Saturday mornings, both the horse and pony variety have shown signs of being ornery! All that aside, I am proud of her!
I used a template to make this, I wish I could say it went quickly but I have some technical things (I think) going on here costing me major amounts of time. First, does anyone else have issues with Picasa and PhotoShop open at the same time. This seems to drag my system down (best case) or freeze it up (worst case). Not sure if this is entirely due to the fact I need a new computer, or if it just plain happens with all these large files going at once. This digi kit was also B I G, and I think that made things slower too. I am also open to, begging for, recommendations on what exactly to get in a Desktop upgrade. I will keep my monitor and printer so I just need a tower. Thoughts?!
Most everything used here was from freebies, the ikea goddess blog remains my top visit of the day. So much stuff to download, so little time, so little oomph left in the 'ol 'puter.
Ok, it is storming here AGAIN. It has rained for days and we have had tons of wind and such too. It is freakishly warm, high 50's which is just fueling things. They predicted things could get dicey again around 2-3 p, exactly when I get O from school. And it is. Ugh. Last night, the sirens even went off. The TV said only a thunderstorm warning, not tornado, so we did not move to the basement. I am wholly against that sounding unless it is the real thing!!

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what to read:

In the past 3 weeks or so, I have read the following 3 books:

Mommy Tracked.

Definitely chick lit, but a pretty quick read. If you are not a mom, probably not one that would interest you though.

Next I read Girl Talk.

Another I picked up from the NEW shelf at the library. Interesting. Extremely well written but at times a bit hard to follow. It held my interest, I wanted to read til the end but I did not feel like it was tied up too well overall. It did seem like a second novel could follow though.

And then Friday I picked up this: Plum Lovin'.

I was not disappointed. I began this on Friday and finished it this morning. I am on hold for Plum Lucky, a sad but realistic #147 on the library hold list. I thought this would kill some time, 36 hours is probably a little too brief though, eh?! Anyway, as always, I laughed out loud at the antics of Stephanie Plum and her cohort Lula. And I really enjoyed the character in this one, Diesel.

I am just about to snuggle up under my blankets, next to my baby (the three year old one), and begin a new novel I saw recommended on a blog. I'll let you know how that one goes!

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quick

Fun. Well, not really so quick for me b/c I am not a digital expert, but I love trying :) I am pleased with how this turned out. It was a little challenge about using all white w/ just a shot of color. The paper and frame were from from Little Dreamer Designs. And the cute letters are from Carrie Bombria.
It is sunny today, and might get close to 50 degrees so if anyone will cooperate, I am heading outdoors with my camera. Something I have not done in months, just for the heck of it.
And later, off to a friend's house for a little while for that thing called the Super Bowl. Needless to say, at 6 and 3, my girls are not quite at a great age for that!

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the masterpiece

Here it is: the first grade classroom project. My daughter's school has a Grand Event Fundraiser in the spring, last year was the first one, and they raised around $30K for the PTO. One of their big sellers/moneymakers were the projects created by each grade level, that sold at a silent auction. Last year, each class made the same item, a painted plant stand with in laid tiles. This year, each class chose their own project. Both me, and my partner parent on this task, had seen these large photo frames at retailers, she actually has one in her home. It measures about 24x24 and the black part is actually recessed, and the square photo is raised and mounted inside. Pretty cool. Most simply have a quote printed across the whole thing, however, we needed to incorporate 62 of something (that is the number of first graders) so we went with suns. After 3 separate time slots in each classroom, encouraging kids to color their square entirely and to use glitter glue sparingly, we moved on to attaching them w/ decopouge. The arrangement is not perfect but it is afterall, a kids project. The frame was built entirely by my partner's husband, and he did a great job. Currently, I am just happy it is complete but I have already looked around a bit and might create my own in the future. Check out the cool ones here on etsy.

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