a day in my life...

November LRS Sneak Peeks!

2009-11-15T00:17:00.001-08:00

Jennifer's October LRS Sneak Peeks!

2009-10-12T08:03:00.001-07:00

SD4U October Design Reveals!

2009-10-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

So, I was lucky enough to design with the wonderful Mega Halloween kit and have been LOVING it.

Here are my designs (so far) using this wonderful kit:

There are still a handful of these wonderful kits left here:

http://scrapbookdeals4u.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=223

Scrap Attack Scrapbooking!!

2009-09-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

I got to guest design this month over at www.scrapattackscrapbooking.com using their Simple Pleasures monthly kit. I just LOVE all the layouts that I created and how well they came together. I think that the kit is still available, so hop on over there and get it while you still can!!

Here's my stuff:

SD4U October Kits Revealed!!

2009-09-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

For October Martha put together THREE amazing kits!!! I'm crazy for the Halloween one since I LOVE halloween SO much!! I can't wait to get it into my hands so I can start creating with it!!

Without further delay, here are the kits for this month:

Halloween Mega

Bo Bunny Delilah

Pink Paislee Amber Road

LRS September Reveals :)

2009-09-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

LRS featured Pink Paislee Amber Road in their September kit this month. Such rich, beautiful colors! :)

Hope these layouts give you a little inspiration to use up your kit this month!

LRS September Sneak Peeks!

2009-09-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

The beautiful kit from LRS this month features beautiful Papers and Embellishments from Pink Paislee in their Amber Road collection. It's such a beautiful kit, and lucky for you all it's still available!!

http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/mmk.htm

And then, here are my sneaks this month:

An evening with Blake Shelton

2009-09-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

ahh, I'm in love! lol.

and here's a shot of me and pete. he just got done having a snowcone, lol. cherry. can ya tell?

I have some vids too, I'll share those tomorrow.

SD4U September Kit Reveal

2009-08-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

I LOVED this kit from SD4U. It was SO much fun to work with. :) The papers just screamed SUMMER to me, but while working on them I managed to make a non summer page too with them.

This kit is STILL available at SD4U, so you can get it here: http://scrapbookdeals4u.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1&zenid=0b2ba86f8ba76074558090b8fabbacf1

Scrapbook Deals 4U September Kits & a SNEAK PEEK!!!

2009-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to show you the beautiful kits that go up for sale to the public tomorrow:

October Afternoon Cherry Hill

Fancy Pants Delight

Basic Grey June Bug

Cosmo Cricket Snorkel *Special Edition Kit*

Scenic Route Garden Grove *Special Edition Kit*

Now, I was lucky enough to get to work with the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel kit. What a super cute line! It's great for water pictures, but it can be used for SO much more too! I can't wait to show you my full layouts in a few more days!!

Garage Sale Finds

2009-08-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

well, actually it was a rummage sale at the church down the street. I just happened to be driving by on one of those rare occasions when I was by myself in the car! So I stopped in. They had the usual 'junk', but in the back I discovered this little treasure:

I used to have this same exact set when I was a kid! Can you believe that? They only wanted $5 for it, not bad in my opinion! I brought it home and Trev hasn't stopped playing with it. I packed it up and it's up on my shelf in my room for now. I don't want it to get ruined, but since the lady at the church told me that she had the set in her 'preschool' for the last 33 years I figured my kids can't do much damage to it. I also go the little schoolhouse (missing all the pieces though, I'm hoping I can find them eventually). They only wanted $.10 for the school since it was missing pieces (score!). I'm way excited. They don't make toys like they used to.

My LRS DT Reveals

2009-08-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

me and Basic Grey haven't ever really gotten along. Whenever we get together, we just fight, fight, fight and never can get along.

So, saying that, I struggled with this kit. Basic Grey and my simple style don't mesh too well, but I did my best!

Here's my reveals:

Whooo hoooo!!

2009-08-15T10:06:00.001-07:00

I was asked to join the Scrapbook Deals 4u design team! Very cool, especially since my time on another DT just ended recently. :) I'm way excited!!

You should check them out here:
http://www.scrapbookdeals4u.com/

they have some awesome kits and I can't wait to get my first kit and start designing with it!!!

ohhh ohhhh ohhhhh

2009-08-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

I have some FUN news to share, but I can't share it yet...

hopefully SOON!!!!

Pagemaps!!!

2009-08-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Whooo hoooo!! I was sooooo surprised when I got an email from Becky telling me that she loved my gallery at 2peas and that she wanted to know if I'd do a page for her August Pagemaps!! How awesome is that?? Very cool in my book!!

Sooo...here it is:

August LRS Sneaks :)

2009-08-03T19:26:00.001-07:00

it's that time of the month again...for SNEAKS!!! :) Whooo hoooo!

Here's the August Kit from LRS:
it's still available for sale here: http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/mmk.htm

And...here are my sneaks for this month:

A layout just for FUN!

2009-07-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

lately all of my scrappin has been for work (DT stuff and stuff), but I made this layout just for me. And I love it. This was Trev on the 4th of July. He absolutely LOVES that dump truck!

More October Afternoon for that one. lol. I'm addicted to that paper line, I tell ya!

I have a {tiny} surprise to share with you all tomorrow too!

Oh...and don't forget -- tonight is the Online Crop over at Little Red Scrapbook! Lots of fun!!!

Menu Monday

2009-07-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

Monday - Hot Dogs, bratwurst kabobs, and other stuff left from yesterday that we didn't eat
Tuesday - Steak and loaded Baked Potato Salad
Wednesday - Spaghetti & Meatballs
Thursday - TBA (something in my crock pot though)
Friday - Paella

My fav layout that I made recently...

2009-07-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm totally in love with this layout:

I've probably done at least 10 layouts using this paper line. It's my fav EVER! Awhile back I found it on clearance somewhere for like $.20/sheet -- I stocked up! I still have about 5 sheets of 3 patterns left. So, be prepaired to see it more still! :)

ETA - the line is October Afternoon Night Light :)

LRS July Reveal - Bo Bunny Calypso!

2009-07-21T11:57:00.001-07:00

I loved the colors of this kit so much!! Fun stuff.

LRS July Sneak Peeks!

2009-07-07T08:01:00.001-07:00

This kit is just SO MUCH FUN! I loved the colors. One of my fav papers was the striped/water paper -- so pretty!

Anyways...here are my sneaks for this month. I can't wait to share the full layouts!

{SAS}sy Blog Hop!!!

2009-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

If my blog is the first place you have come welcome! To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the great {SAS}sy blogs I suggest you start at the beginning of the {Blog Hop} by visiting at Scrap Attack Scrapbooking at http://www.scrapattackscrapbooking.blogspot.com/ and then work your way around the rest of the blogs.

I've been a member of the {SAS}sy community for just a short time, but I fell in love the moment I joined in! Everyone there is sooo friendly and welcoming! Lauri has an awesome store too! I have quite the wishlist there...lol. And she stocks the newest stuff too! I'm dying to get some of the new Thickers that Lauri has in stock:

I'm really, really wanting to get my hands on those RED ones, aren't they great?

And today I just noticed that she has all the new Prima stuff in stock!!

Wow, isn't it great? I've got to get me some of those really cute Fairyring (and who can resist a name like that??) Flowers!!

Hopefully you're enjoying the Scrap Attack Scrapbooking {Blog Hop} today! There's definitely a lot of inspiration showing up on everyone’s blogs. You probably got to mine from http://www.ScrapAttackScrapbooking.blogspot.com.

Your next stop on the hop is http://www.craftycassiescorner.blogspot.com.

There are quite a few blogs so make sure you hit them all! Scrap Attack Scrapbooking will be donating prizes from all comments left on all participating blogs so make sure and comment so you are eligible to win!

2009-06-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here's my LRS sneek peeks this month!!

This was a fun kit -- great for lots of different photos!! The kit is still available, get it while you can from here:
http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/mmk.htm

Sassafras Lass Vintage Yummy

2009-06-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I showed the sneaks for this work, but never showed my work! eek!

Anyways, here they are:

I love how well this line worked for my childhood photos!!!

Thickers AGAIN at BL!!

2009-06-06T23:12:00.001-07:00

ohhh, I found some MORE!!! At the other BL here in Vancouver!! soooooo cool!

Firsts...

2009-06-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Ernie Rios

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? Nope

3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink? Watermelon Schnapps. Yuck.

4. What was your FIRST job? Kaiser Hospital in the Lab.

5. What was your FIRST car? Dodge Ram 3/4 ton Pick up

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? no one, I can't find my phone!!! It's been lost for about a week now!

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Trev, as he was trying to kick me out of bed!

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs Cummings? or was that Kindergarten? can't remember..

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? Into Portland to go to Prom with Pete :)

10. Who was your FIRST best friend? Gosh...I can't even remember my Elementary school best friends name. How sad! My middle school best friend was Mistie Smith.

11. What was your FIRST sport played? lol, none!

12. Where was your FIRST sleep over? hmmm...I can't remember. I do remember that it was for a birthday party sometime in Elementary school.

13. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Pete

14. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? I've NEVER been in a wedding!

15. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Checked my e-mail.

16. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? Boyz II Men with TLC opening for them.

17. FIRST tattoo and/or piercing? My parents had my ears pierced when I was a newborn.

18. FIRST foreign country you went to? Mexico

19. What was your FIRST run in with the law? well...I got pulled over when I was 17, does that count? Other then that, nada.

20. When was your FIRST detention? hehehe, I've never had detention

21. What was the FIRST state you lived in? California

22. Who was the FIRST person to break your heart? Ernie Rios

23. Who was your FIRST roommate? Nathan Lindstrom, my first boyfriend after I turned 18.

24. Where did you go on your FIRST limo ride? Gary and Tamara's wedding.

Thickers @ Big Lots!!!

2009-05-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

I totally scored!!!

October Afternoon Cherry Hill

2009-05-31T10:36:00.001-07:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this line!! I had the best time using it. :)

Here's my stuff:

My 3 kids, I just love this picture :)

The BEST burgers around. And boyyyy do I miss them! They SO need to expand and open one up here!

Ahh, the fair. What's better then the fair in the summertime?

Just a random shot of Hailey from last summer. We were in the car :)

This was made with all scraps :) Hailey always likes to go pout in the corner when she doesn't get her way.

MORE peeks for the LRS May kit!!

2009-05-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

NSD Crop Layouts

2009-05-13T19:19:00.001-07:00

I got 3 layouts that I actually like done at my NSD crop!!! And I did even MORE for an online crop, but these are my favs:

I was tagged.

2009-05-13T17:09:00.001-07:00

I don't much follow all the tags and such, and I'm sure I've been tagged before, so I'm sorry. I'm a bad blogger I guess.

Anyways, this tag was to post your very first layout.

so here it is:

it's from March of 2002. lol!

and here's my very first Design Team layout ever done!

Done in January of 2004 for a site called Scrap that Smile, they went out of business.

And...here's my very first published layout ever:

It was in Ivy Cottage Creations Baby Steps Idea book back in June of 2003!

and here's a recent one, just so you can see how much I've changed :)

and so now I'm supposed to tag 5 more people. So let me see...how about:

Nikki H.
Shemaine S.
Christie W.
Sara G.
AnnaMarie M.

(all LRS girls!)

Menu Monday (w/o 4/11 - 4/15)

2009-05-11T12:29:00.001-07:00

another week, another shopping list!

Monday: Pot Roast
Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Casserole
Wednesday: Slow-Cooked Beef Tacos
Thursday: Roasted Chicken
Friday: Turkey with Mushroom Sauce

LRS May Kit + Sneak Peeks!

2009-05-07T11:41:00.001-07:00

The MAY kit is now available at LRS!! It features October Afternoon Cherry Hill! It's BEAUTIFUL!

http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/mmk.htm

I loved, loved, loved this kit. I got ALL my work done in 2 nights. :) Everything came together sooooooo easily. I just love October Afternoon!

Anyways, here's my sneak peeks for this month:

My baby boy no more...

2009-04-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

I took Trev in today to get his first haircut!!! Eeek!

I love, love, love his long hair, but no one else does :( I'm so sad it's gone now, but he's WAY happy with it short. He keeps rubbing his hands over his head and telling me 'hair'.

I decided to cut his hair when last night we were out and this lady looked over and told me what a cute GIRL I have!

Anyways, here's the before and after shots...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

a Typewriter that I got...

2009-04-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

Recently I was looking at our little Goodwill and come across this little treasure (still NEW in the box!!!):

I don't have a printer, so all of my journaling has been hand written, but I thought that this would be FUN for a whimsical touch. It works perfectly, has a good ribbon (I don't know what I'm going to do when the ribbon runs out though) and is so cute. It's a kids toy, made in England. I've been having fun with it. I've used it on 2 layouts already, one for Scrapbook Sussies and one for Little Red Scrapbook. :)

the best part was that it was only $4! I'm really loving it! I can't wait to play with it some more now :)

Menu Monday on Tuesday

2009-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

lol!

Monday - Ricotta stuffed shells with a mean marinara sauce
Tuesday - Pork roast with carrots, potatoes, and biscuits
Wednesday - Scalloped potatoes and ham
Thursday - Make your own tacos
Friday - Pizza Night!!!

LRS April Sneaks!!!

2009-04-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the month again, my April design sneak peeks!! YEA!

This kit was SO MUCH FUN. I honestly wasn't sure about it until I started working with it and now I LOVE IT. I have a few scraps left that I want to use still :)

Easter Pics

2009-04-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

So, we went and saw the Easter Bunny today. Whew. Everything went okay, Trev was REAL excited about going, we kept talking about it all morning, but when we got there he got SCARED. He wanted nothing to do with the Easter Bunny at all! lol!

Also, these pics PROVE that Trevor HAS TO HAVE a haircut soon!!

Menu Monday!!

2009-04-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Whew, I almost missed this. I can't believe that Monday is almost over already...

Anyways, here we go:

Monday - Chicken Burritos
Tuesday - Homemade Chili with cornbread
Wednesday - Steak and Potatoes
Thursday - Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine
Friday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches

I'm the Guest Designer at Scrapbook Sussies this month!!

2009-04-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Whoo hoo!! Lara asked me to design for them this month and I had a BLAST doing it! I love all of the things I created using her wonderful April kit!! Also, as of RIGHT NOW there are a few of the April kits left if you all want to check it out: http://www.scrapbooksussies.com/

So, here's my stuff!! Yea!

I couldn't resist the sale...

2009-04-01T18:53:00.001-07:00

2peas had a HUGE sale today and free shipping if you spent $50, so I had to check it out. They had some great stuff, I got a handful of things (including Thickers, of course!), but I am mostly excited about getting these 2 organizing things:I've eyed them at Michael's sooooo many times, but every time I went in they were on sale for 30% off so I couldn't use a coupon. 2peas had the carousel for $24 and the desktop organizer for $16! I'm WAY excited. I can't wait to get them and put them to good use on my desk!

I got ALL of this...

2009-03-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

for only $11.16 INCLUDING shipping!!

Heidi Grace - Valentine's Day:
- Hearts
- Icons In A Row
- Phrases Clear Stickers

Doodlebug - True Love:
- Cinnamon Hearts Sugar Coated Cardstock
- Love Potion Crushed Velvet Cardstock
- Heart Strings
- Sugar Coated Cardstock Stickers

Pink Paislee - Sweet Cakes:
- Lovey Dovey
- Honey Bunch
- Sweet Cakes - Sweet Nothings
- Cupcake Cutie
- Sweet Cakes
- Sugar Pie Die Cut Paper
- Ribbon Set Sweet Cakes

We R Memory Keepers - Heart Attack:
- Be Mine
- Crush
- Lovey Dovey
- Valentine
- XOXO
- Flutter
- Sweetheart

American Crafts Foam Thickers Lullaby Sunflower

What a deal, huh? I can't wait to get my package -- I got the shipping notice this afternoon!!
oh, btw, I got it all from Rocky Mountain Hobbies! They are having a free shipping special right now, and just about ALL of this was in the clearance section!

Menu Monday!

2009-03-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Monday - Stuffed chicken breasts with broccoli and smashed new potatoes
Tuesday - Fish Tacos with all the fixin's
Wednesday - Homemade pizza/Pita Pocket Pizza
Thursday - Steak, potatoes and corn
Friday - 30 cloves of garlic chicken with roasted veggies and rolls

March is DEFINITELY my month!!

2009-03-14T13:47:00.001-07:00

lol!!

I won yet ANOTHER kit over at Willow Traders!!!! This time I won a kit from Scrapbook Sussies!! Their Sweetheart Sussie kit! and I LOVE it. I was JUST looking at those felt Details last week and really, really wanted them. And now they are mine!! And I have another little secret about Scrapbook Sussies that I can't share yet...but I will be able to in about 2 weeks!!

Anyways, here's what I won:

if you love it as much as I do, head on over to http://www.scrapbooksussies.com/ and check it out (it's still available for sale!!).

Snow Fun!!!

2009-03-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we (minus Kimberly, she was too sick to do her chores, so we told her that she was too sick to go play in the snow!) went up and found some snow to play in! It has been snowing on and off for a few days at our house, but nothing has been sticking and the kids were getting a little bit 'snow crazy' and wanted some to play in!

Here's a few pics from our outing (unedited):

anyways, everyone had fun!! :) Well, except Kimberly...who kept telling us that she felt SO much better and that she wanted to go...

OMG!! I won!!

2009-03-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

I entered a contest over at Willow Traders and WON!! I'm SOO excited!!

I won this kit from The Scrap Room:

Isn't that AWESOME?

It's not sold out yet, so if you love it as much as I do hop on over to TSR: http://www.scrap-room.com/

LRS March Gallery Sneak Peeks!

2009-03-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

What a FUN kit at LRS this month!

Here are my gallery sneaks -- the reveal of the gallery should be sometime next week :)

Come check out the kit here: http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/mmk.htm

October Afternoon Sketch #2

2009-02-19T08:08:00.001-08:00

Here's my take on the second sketch from the October Afternoon blog! :)

October Afternoon Sketch #1

2009-02-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

I'm LOVING the sketches on the October Afternoon blog! They are great, and they encourage me to actually USE my OA stuff instead of hoard it (like I normally do since I love it so much!).

Anyways, this is the first sketch & layout:

Trev's Valentine Portraits

2009-02-18T10:44:00.003-08:00

Here they are! I finally got the proofs back. These ones are my favs:

He had a *major* attachment issue with the darn arrow. I couldn't get it away from him, so that's why it's in most of the pictures. Also, he's pretty much hit that age where he doesn't want to stand still for pictures. so it was difficult there too. And the photographer wasn't the most patient either...so that didn't help either. Oh well. I still love the pics, even if they aren't perfect!

Oh, and on a side note. I LOVE the third photo the best, but is little belly is hanging out (you can see it if you look close). BUMMER! lol!

Shopping Day!!

2009-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

I SO needed a little bit of time AWAY. With the sick kiddo, and the kids being home, and Pete working all weekend, it was nice to take a few hours to myself :)

I ended up going to Michaels, Craft Warehouse, and Joann's!

First I went to Michaels. Didn't buy ANYTHING. lol. I wanted to check out the new EK punches that they were supposed to have, but they only had the display up with nothing on it. At all.

So, next I went to Craft Warehouse. I scoped out their clearance rack and found the Heidi Grace Baby line from last year that I really wanted but never bought (personally, I think that some of the Heidi Grace stuff is just too overpriced, but it's still oh-so-cute). I picked up 6 sheets of paper (4 of them are luster/flocked/shimmer), a pack of rub-ons, a pack of chipboard (there are 5 sheets of chipboard in the pack!), a set of stickers (cute!), and a pack of Thickers (on clearance too!). LOVE it all!

Cute, huh?

On the clearance rack they had these 2 sheets of Making Memories Animal Crackers line too, and since I love that line and have already used these sheets, I got them too:

All the stuff on that rack was 75% off! What a deal!

They also had the new Making Memories Flower Patch papers, so I got these 3 (they were only $.33 each!):

Can't beat that!

And then I went to Joann's. I had something to return there, so I actually didn't spend anything. lol. I came home with more money then I left with :) But I did get the new Heidi Grace line, Cheerful Bee. So freaking cute. All the stickers were 40% off and I got the paper pack for 50% with my coupon. It's so bright and cheery, perfect for this summers' photos!!

So...that's it! lol! Anyways, I had fun. I really went to Michaels to get the new Chelsea's Place paper and stuff, but I just didn't love it enough. I know, I'm weird. lol!

The Host

2009-02-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

I finished up this book over the weekend and it was SOOOO good! I didn't want it to end!! I totally recommend it to anyone that is looking for something to read. It's kind of a science fiction book about humans and aliens, but it really was good. :) Now I have to patiently wait for the second book to come out...next year!

Thicker Storage!!

2009-02-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

I've been having trouble with storing my thickers. I guess the real problem was that my Thicker collection was growing faster then I was using them.

I've tried lots of solutions, different boxes, containers, etc. But, even though they fit for a minute, pretty soon Thickers were piling up on my desk. It's almost like they were multiplying like they were rabbits!!!

Anyways, here's what I came up with today while I was at the store. It cost me a total of $9.75. And I LOVE it!! I'm just so happy to of found a solution that works well right now. And the rod expands, so I can ad more later if I need to!

So as it is right now it is easily fitting the 72 sets of Thickers that I have on it! I can't believe that I have 72 (!!!!) sets!! Geez. I also attached my Bazzill Edges and my Doodlebug Frills on the rod too since then. :)

Pictures & Layout from today (well...yesterday techically)

2009-02-15T00:20:00.000-08:00

Look at my Trev!!! These pictures were taken today and I just HAD to scrap them!! I love the look on his face on the main picture, but most of all I love the picture of him showing off in his suit! He just LOVED being dressed up. He wanted to wear his suit ALL DAY! lol!

My itty bitty scrap space

2009-02-10T21:57:00.001-08:00

I recently took over a corner of our room to put a desk for my scrap stuff! I am SO tired of having to take everything out and set up in the dining room, just to have to clean it all up at meal times. I wasn't ever getting much done! So I reclaimed my corner. I used to have this corner with my scrap stuff before Trev was born, but when he was a baby we had him sleep in our room and this is where his bed was. But since he's out and I've cleaned up and I got my space back!

So..here it is:

This is the whole corner :) lol! This was the girls' old desk, we got it at Ikea. It's okay. Not the best, but it works. Pretty sturdy actually, but not the 'prettiest'. Like my chair? I love it! lol! :) I got it at the Goodwill last week. Oh...see my little laptop? It's the BEST ever! My Cricut is right behind the chair...I want to get a little table to put next to my desk for my Cricut, but for now it's where it is, I can just move my laptop over there to use Design Studio. No biggie.

This is the wall right above my workspace. I love Halloween so I decided to use my felt Halloween buckets to hold my 'stuff'. The first one has loose ribbon, the second one has tools in it, and the third has my newly bought stuff that I haven't put away yet. Right below that is my ribbon spools. I hung up my large punches too, makes them accessible so that I use them!

This is on the right side of my desk, on the desk. It's just a letter file organizer thing that I got at Costco. Works for me since I scrap 8.5x11. I filed my black, white, and kraft cardstock on it in easy reach (my most used background colors). I also have my felt sheets on it and my little tool bag. My trimmer fits perfectly on the top of it. Behind it (by the wall) is my embellishment case and my cardstock (yes, that's ALL my cardstock!). I also have a few magazines there too in easy reach in case I need some inspiration.

and finally, under my desk. My tote has all my 'stuff' in it. I file away the majority of my stuff by 'theme', so each folder has a certain theme in it. Birthday, Boy, Girl, Summer, etc. Next it it is my thickers collection. And next to that are my 2 major projects, the CK baby kit and my Disney album. Those are ongoing projects. Especially the Disney album, I'm just SO not inspired to do it.

Anyways, there ya have it. Nothing special, but it works for me. And it really is nice to have a small corner that is all mine!

MORE of Trev's Baby Album

2009-02-09T21:09:00.001-08:00

I'm LOVING this kit!! I really, really am. Now that I've figured out my format everything is coming together SO easily. Here's 2 more layouts for his album:

Month 1:

Close-ups:

Our Family Tree:

Close-ups:

FINALLY starting on Trev's Baby Album using the CK KOTM kit!

2009-02-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Whew. I've only had this thing for several months now! lol! I've done the first 2 layouts now for it and I'm loving it! So easy to use! I need to get a new ink cartridge for my photo printer and maybe I'll get some more pages done later for it too. Maybe. I don't know if I'm going to the store today or now.

Anyways, here's the layouts I've done so far:

The opening page for the album. In the pocket is his stats and the bracelets :)

Here's the first spread, the expecting you one. I only had ONE picture of me pregnant, so I thought I'd add my ultrasound photos here too.

Here are those to pages up close:

So...there ya have it. Can you believe all that journaling? Ugh. I hate my writing. lol. But since this album is FULL of journaling prompts...oh well. I better get used to it!

eta: I got a few more pages done last night. Here they are:

Labor and Delivery. Nothing hugely special here, but I'm glad to get these pics done. I hate how unflattering labor and delivery pictures are, not only are you super tired and exhausted, but the lighting leaves a lot to be desired. lol

Trev's Birth Story. Of course, after I had this all done I noticed a few typos. Ugh!

LRS Feb Gallery Sneeks!!

2009-02-08T08:41:00.001-08:00

they love me, they really do!!

2009-02-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

this is pretty much just a follow up to yesterday's post about my top 10 layouts, but I made the Peas Pick of the day for my Heartbreaker layout!! Pretty darn cool if you ask me!

ohmigosh!!!

2009-02-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

I know that I JUST posted, but I went to check out the gallery at 2peas and BOTH of my layouts from the crop last night are in the top 10!!!! I've NEVER been in the top 10 there before!! WAY exciting!!!

Here's proof:

2Peas Online Crop

2009-02-07T09:15:00.001-08:00

so I participated in the online crop last night! it was a blast!! There were 4 challenges (1 an hour, the crop was 4 hours long), so ended up doing 2 of the challenges (I missed the first hour of the crop due to it being dinner time!).

The first challenge was to use 25 of something on your layout. I used 25 epoxy hearts:

I just LOVE that picture of Trevor!!

The next challenge was to scraplift your last layout. lol. Easy!

I love both of my layouts!!! :) I had so much fun too. And I won a prize for my not so Scary Monster layout!!!

Today's Layout :)

2009-02-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have 2 more that I'd LOVE to get done today, but I don't know if I'm up to it. I'm pretty tired today, Hailey didn't sleep good last night...so I was up with her for part of the night. Ugh. So tired!

Anyways, here it is:

This is only the 2nd time I've EVER used Basic Grey. It's usually not my thing, but I fell in love with it at the store. I used some of the items I picked up last week at my lss! Feels GREAT to use it up! I plan on using more on my next layout. I just love pink/red/white/black layouts SO MUCH. The cute little heart tree is a Cricut DS file that I got from the Cricut message board. Isn't it adorable?

Layouts from last night :)

2009-02-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

First off, I have to say I LOVE having a scrap table! It's SO much easier to be able to pull out everything I want to use and NOT have to clean it up for meal times!

Anyways, here's the 3 layouts I did last night :)

I have two more layout ideas floating around in my head that maybe I can get done tonight :)

I went to my LSS for the first time in about 6 months..

2009-02-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

maybe it's even been longer then that. I haven't been since they moved. It took me quite a while to even find their new store! It's kinda sad, not too, too long ago I had about 5 LSS, now we have one, and in my opinion it pretty much sucks. They are majorly into 7gypsies and that kind of stuff, and I'm totally *not* into that kinda stuff. We just don't mesh well. lol. But, I was dying to get out and just 'look'. And I did. All I bought was this:

yeah, that was it. But that's okay, I have enough stuff already. lol :)

Just for FUN!

2009-01-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

I hardly ever scrap just for fun. Usually it's because I have a DT deadline or something like that. But last night I just sat down at my *new* scrap table and got busy. It helps that I cleaned and purged yesterday so I re-found some forgotten supplies! Like Felt. I love Felt.

Anyways, here they are:

The little pink Christmas Tree

2009-01-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

I was out shopping over the weekend last weekend and came across this cute little (it's about 3' tall) tree at Michael's on display. I asked about it and no one could find any info on it, so they told me that they'd sell it for $1.99 to me!

SOLD!It's so cute, and SO pink! It's pink tinsel and has pink lights. It's so ME!

And for now...it sits in my bedroom on the floor! I'm going to put it away until next Christmas and use it to hang homemade ornaments on. I think it'll be cute!

The LAST of my Halloween Layouts!

2009-01-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY finished up ALL my misc Halloween layouts!! I've been working on the last 3 years worth of Halloweens for awhile now, so it's nice to be DONE. I can finally pack away all the fun Halloween goodies until November!!

Here's the layouts that I did last night and today:

2007

2008

LRS January Layouts

2009-01-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

here they are! I loved playing around with the American Crafts Teen line :)

This is me and Hailey :) Just a random picture. I don't have many of the 2 of us, so even if it wasn't perfect I still wanted to use it.

Here we are at Disneyland! This is probably my favorite layout of the 4. I just love it.

The annual black friday picture!

This is me and my best friend from High School. We've pretty much lost touch since I got married and had kids...but I still think of her often.

Menu Monday - 1/19

2009-01-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

Monday - Steak Fajitas
Tuesday - Chili with Cornbread
Wednesday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Thursday - Clam Chowder with Bread Bowls *Hailey's Birthday*
Friday - Chuck E Cheeses *Kimberly's Birthday*

The little pink bag...

2009-01-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for the perfect bag to carry my new laptop in. It did come with one from Dell, but I really, really, really don't like it (at all). I was browsing online and came across this one:

I wasn't sure about the size of it, none of the sites that I found it on had a size listed for it. So...since I found it on sale for a great price ($12.23) I decided to get it and see how I liked it. I figured if it didn't fit I could use it for something else.

Anyways, it just got here and I love, love, love, love it!

Not only is it the PERFECT color (if you go a few posts down you can see my new *PINK* laptop) but everything fits great it in (my computer, my wallet, my sunglasses, and my camera goes in the empty spot (since I was using the camera to take the picture it's obviously not there).

Anyways, I totally recommend this bag! Even for just it's 'normal' use (it's a Tote-ally Cool 3 Handbag) it's wonderful! It comes in blue too!

LRS January Kit Sneak Peeks

2009-01-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

When I first saw this kit...I was scared! lol! I'll admit it. The colors were bright and the patterns were...funky. lol. But when I got it and started working with it I LOVED IT! It turned out to be probably one of the easiest kits I've ever used. Everything came together SO easily, the patterns were fun and the colors great!

Anyways, here's a few sneak peeks to hold you over until the gallery goes up (probably not until next week sometime).

The very first peek is of probably my fav layout that I've done in a LONG time! I really, really like it! I can't wait for you to see them all!

Top 8 of 2008

2008-12-31T10:15:00.000-08:00

So...here are my top 8 layouts that I did this year. I didn't actually scrap much this year, so it was hard to pick out 8 favs. I hope I get to scrap more next year!

I absolutely love this photo, and the ruffled ribbon is too cute. I also LOVE the heart paper. :)

This is probably my #1 fav this year. I love the patterned paper and held on to it for too long before I used it. Also the letter stickers are SUPER old, but they look great on this layout!

I think the reason I love this layout so much is because I love the picture! Nothing too special on it, but I did use up some stash of blue items on it :)

I love scrapping Halloween, and this was the last Halloween layout that I did this year. The letters for 'Halloween' are actually iron ons that are glittered. I just love how they look IRL. These are about all the pics that I got of ToT this year, the kids were so excited about Halloween that they didn't want to take any pics -- they wanted to get all the candy!

I've had this photo of Hailey just sitting around for quite awhile now, and when I got these papers I knew they would look good with her picture. It's hard to believe that she is the same age in this photo that Trev is NOW.

This picture is very special to me. I took it at the check in to the hospital before Trev had surgery earlier this year. The surgery has fixed his breathing problems so much and I'm grateful that we went through and did it. It was a hard decision to make for us, but we feel that now it was the best choice.

These pics are just so fun. I know it's hard to see them here (I think you can click on the image to make it bigger), but I love the cake mess! :)

Okay, last one. Just a cute 'challenge' layout that I did. Used up some old stash on it. You know, I think I scrapped Trev about 75% of the time this year. I've been enjoying using boy colors after only having to do girl layouts for the last 5 years prior!

So...there ya go! My top 8 layouts for this year. I hope you all share yours too!

LRS December Layouts - Fancy Pants Arctic Chill

2008-12-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

This kit is STILL available! It's a WONDERFUL kit, and I had so much fun working with it. It's great for so much more then snow/winter photos (heck, I even scrapped a SUMMER photo with it!!!).

You can get it here (along with any add-ons that are still left):
http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/mmk.htm

Menu Monday! 12/29

2008-12-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

Monday - Tacos
Tuesday - Cheese Ravioli
Wednesday - Chicken Soup (homemade)
Thursday - Homemade Pizza
Friday - Something with Chicken...chicken fingers and oven fries maybe.

The story of the Christmas Tree

2008-12-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

So...we ALWAYS get a real tree. We enjoy going up into the woods and picking out the perfect Douglas Fir and cutting it down. The kids love it too. It's an adventure, and something that we've ALWAYS have done. Well, until this year.

Normally we would go out 2 weeks before Christmas and cut it down. But that weekend we went out to the coast to go clam digging. No biggie, right? We still had 2 more weekends before Christmas to get that special tree.

Except, how were we to know that 'Arctic Blast 2008' was going to come through and leave us snow. Lots of snow. Too much snow to even THINK about going up into the mountains and cut down a tree. No biggie though, there were LOTS of tree lots around with trees for sale.

Well, that was BEFORE the snow. We've spent the last week looking for a tree. Not even the perfect tree, ANY tree would of been great. But the lots have long since packed up and moved on. Ugh.

We've looked everywhere. Lowe's. Home Depot. EVERYWHERE! No trees to be found. Kimberly is starting to get worried. She thinks that since we don't have a tree, Santa wont have anywhere to leave presents. So...we found this TINY tree in the Christmas box (think maybe 12" tall). You know, one of those table decorations (nothing that we could decorate, it has all that stuff already on it). Not exactly what Kimberly wanted, but she decided that it could work. If that's all we can find.

So, I was determined today. I was going to find a tree. Except, I knew at this point a real one was out of the question...so I went on the 'fake' tree search.

AND I FOUND ONE! It's little (about 5 feet tall), but it'll work. I'm sure of it. I just got done putting it together (the girls don't even know about it yet!). It already has the lights on it. It's pretty :) I can't wait for them to wake up in the morning and see it now.

Whew. Christmas is saved here in the Swartz house now!

Snow!

2008-12-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

We've had quite a bit of snow lately. It's VERY unusual for this area, and even though it's a pain because we aren't 'prepped' for it, the kids have been loving it. We have over a foot in our yard right now, and more is supposed to accumulate today.

Here's a couple of quick pics:

Layouts!!

2008-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

I hardly ever just scrap to scrap. Especialy since Trevor was born. There just never seems to be enough time in the day. 2 nights ago I decided that I was going to scrap and have fun. The kids went to bed early and the house was quiet. I sat down and got THREE layouts and two cards done. I just pulled out an old kit and went at it.

And...I enjoyed it :)

2008-12-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

You Are Dancer

Carefree and fun, you always find reasons to do a happy dance.

Why You're Naughty: That dark stint you had as Santa's private dancer.

Why You're Nice: You're friendly. Very friendly.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

My early Christmas present!!

2008-12-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

My Dell Mini 9 is here!!!! I'm in LOVE!! I ordered it on Black Friday when it was on sale...and I am SO glad I did!

Here it is:

I got the option with Windows. It was a free upgrade on Black Friday!!

This is just to show you has SMALL it is! It fits in my purse!!!
I also ordered this bag to go with it...but it's back ordered :( It's supposed to be here on Wednesday though!! I can't wait!!

Gosh, isn't it cute?

December LRS Sneek Peeks!!

2008-12-10T11:02:00.001-08:00

I had lots of fun with glitter in this kit!! :) The glitter in the add-on is soooo pretty -- and it goes GREAT with the snowflake paper!

some pics from this morning

2008-12-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

we had a couple of extra minutes before the bus came, so I snapped a few pics of the kids. Kimberly is always making funny faces now when I take her picture, so it's hard to get her to smile! lol!

the BEST split pea soup EVER!

2008-12-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

lol. This recipe is GREAT!! Everyone in my house LOVES it and eats every single bit of it. And the best part is that it's super easy to make!!

1 pound dried split peas
2 cups diced onions
1-1/2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 chicken bouillon cubes
ham bone

Put all ingredients and 7 cups water into a 5-1/2 quart or larger crockpot. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or low 12 hours until peas are very soft and fall apart. Remove bone; when cool enough to handle, cut meat off bone, dice and return to soup.

Menu Monday!!

2008-12-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

Things have been SOOO hectic here!! I've been a terrible blogger.

Anyways, this week we are having:

Monday - Spaghetti
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Split pean and ham soup
Thursday - Steaks and potatos
Friday - I don't have to cook! We are headed to the coast this weekend!!

Recipe for MY Personality

2008-12-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Recipe For Jennifer

3 parts Boldness
2 parts Whimsy
1 part Intensity

Splash of Beauty

Limit yourself to one serving. This cocktail is strong!

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

LRS November Gallery Sneek Peeks!!

2008-11-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

Addicted

2008-11-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

even though I have a Cricut and 5 different fonts for it...I'm still addicted to alpha stickers! the whole reason I bought my Cricut is so that I wouldn't have to buy alphas anymore. *sigh*

Look at what I got last week!

I really, really need to stop buying them! And I'm eyeing several more sets that I really want too.

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a few of our ToTing pics! The kids had a great time, Trev didn't really understand (and he has a huge phobia of strangers, so he was scared too), but in the end even he was running around having a good time. We only took the kids to about 10 houses, but that was plenty for them. Trev was worn out by the time it was over!

And...we got our FIRST and ONLY Trick or Treater at our house!! lol! I had to scrounge in the cupboard for something to give her! But, the kids loved having someone come to our house in costume (and Hannah Montana at that!).

Pumpkin Carving!

2008-10-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday evening carving our pumpkins (well...I carved them, but I made the kids help clean them out -- yuck!). They had a GREAT time making a mess!!

Here's Trev first:

And then Hailey:

And then Kimberly had fun making a mess too:

Christmas Supply Purge

2008-10-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'm overwhelmed with supplies. I've been slowly cleaning out and going through them getting them ready to either use or sell!
Today I tackled my Christmas stuff. I had more then I thought I had.

My plan is to get it ALL to fit into ONE of these craft keepers. I love these for organizing so much. I have my supplies organized by 'theme' and I have one for each theme (IE Halloween, Baby Girl, Baby Boy, School, etc). They work perfect for me.

So...here's what I ended up with. You should see the amount of stuff that is in my SALE pile!!! Now it's all ready to be used up! :) And...I totally forgot about some of the stuff that I had, so it was fun to re-visit my stuff!

I am so FRUSTRATED with CK's customer service

2008-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I'm just SO MAD RIGHT NOW!!

I pre-ordered the Sweet Baby KOTM kit. It was supposed to ship on the 10th. I got the billing email on the 13th, and the funds were deducted from my account on the 14th ($54.48). The email I got telling me that I was going to get billed also gave me a order number and it said that it would ship out within 2-7 business days. Great!

So...when I didn't get a shipping notification I gave them a call on the 20th. I got the run-around and had to speak to 3 different people until they finally got me connected with Sherri, and she told me that then last batch of kits went out on last Thursday (the 16th) and mine should be in that batch (mind you, anytime anyone looked up my name OR my order number nothing came up in the computers). So, she said that she hoped I'd have my kit by Friday (the 24th). Friday has come and gone now. I called Sherri yesterday and she didn't know what to do since she can't even see that I actually ordered the kit (even though I have an order number) and since she can't get any info about that, so can't tell if I actually paid for it (hello?? I have a copy of my statement RIGHT HERE that shows I paid for it!). So she wants me to talk to someone else. Great. Aaron.

I called Aaron yesterday. He didn't know what to do since he couldn't find my order in the system (not by name, order number, address, or anything) and so he tells me that I need to talk to Stephanie and that she'd call me later that day. Of course, no phone call from her. So I call back Aaron's number today and I get someone else. He tries to help me but tells me that I'd be better off re-ordering the kit and putting in for a refund of the old kit. Except that they can't give me a refund because as far as their system shows I never ordered or paid for the kit in the first place!! WHAT? I'm not ordering again! I just want what I paid for I told him. Anyways, he tells me that I need to talk to Stephanie and that he'd email her so that she can call me back today.

I'm BEYOND frustrated. I really, really, really want my kit!!! It shouldn't be sooo difficult to get what I PAID FOR!!

Menu Monday!!

2008-10-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Monday - Grilled beef, corn on the cob, baked beans
Tuesday - Taco Soup with all the fixings
Wednesday - Grilled Chicken, green beans, biscuits
Thursday - Pork burritos
Friday - Halloween -- we will most likely eat out :)

I just wanted to share...

2008-10-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

2 pics that I got today (one I took, and one I got back from her Soccer team).

I took this picture today when she came home from a birthday party. I just thought she looked really beautiful. She's my sweet girl. :) Look at those dimples!!

And this one is her official soccer picture. Not bad if I say so myself. Kimberly tends to smile 'funny' these days, so I'm glad these look half decent. You should of seen her School pics (can you say RETAKE??).

Homemade Applesauce! YUM!

2008-10-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

I made 2 batches of applesauce on Sunday. YUMMY! The first one I made with more cinnamon (because I like it that way) and this batch I made just with the 'regular' amount. Here it is only Wednesday and it's ALMOST gone!

The VERY basic recipe is:
8 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices

1/2 cup water

2 lemon slices

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine apples, water and lemon slices in a large saucepan. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until apples are part sauce and with some chunks of apple left. Watch closely and stir often to prevent burning. Applesauce should be thick; add more water if necessary. Leave sauce chunky or put apples and lemons through a food mill or coarse sieve.

Stir in sugar to desired sweetness. Add cinnamon and nutmeg.

Serve warm or chilled.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to one week.

Yield 5 to 6 cups.

To make unsweetened applesauce: omit added sugar and select a naturally sweet variety such as Golden Delicious, Red Delicious or Gala.

Menu Monday

2008-10-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

Monday - Carne Asada Burritos
Tuesday - Tri Tip, Corn on the Cob, and baked beans
Wednesday - Free day, i'm thinking pizza
Thursday - Cheese Raveoli and Garlic Bread
Friday - Chicken. Some kind of chicken. Don't know what kind yet though.

Steamer Clams

2008-10-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

YUM. This is my little indulgence. It's not chocolate for me, but clams. YUMMMM. And whenever I make them, I have to FIGHT the kids off so I can eat some myself.

I went to the grocery store tonight and they had just got a batch of Manila clams in...so I HAD to get a couple pounds.

And they were soooooooooo good.

My VERY simple recipe is:

3-5lbs clams

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tbs oil

2 tbs butter

onions, garlic, parsley as needed

soak clams for a while (about an hour or so). in a pot, heat oil and butter until butter is melted. add garlic and onion and saute for a few minutes. add wine and cook for about 2 more minutes. add clams and parsley. cover and let steam for about 5-7 minutes. you were know that they are done when they are all opened. serve with warm french bread. YUM!

My new shoes!!!!

2008-10-19T21:46:00.001-07:00

I soooooo needed some new shoes, so I went out and bought them. I usually don't spend money on myself like that...but they were on sale! And I got another 15% off too on top of that :)

I got these:

And these too!Gosh, aren't they cute?

Busy Night!!

2008-10-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

After the kids went to bed last night I scrapped!!! I had recently purged all my Halloween stuff, so it really made it easier for me to actually USE it now! I managed to finish all my 2006 Halloween pictures!! :) YEA! I made a good dent in my 2007 pics too (but I still have quite a few left). So, here's what I did:

Halloween 2006:

Halloween 2007:

Halloween 2008:

Okay, so I caved.

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

I sold a punch on eBay earlier this morning (a picket fence border punch) for $18. Yea! I'm happy to get rid of it. I don't know why I buy things that I NEVER use (at least I only paid $11 for the punch to begin with though!), but I do.

So, that gave me about $15 after fees and such. I figure I could add that on to my budget for this pay period. So, as of this morning I had $35 in my scrap fund. Except...I bought a tote from someone at Scrapper Talk. Eeek. BUT, it was only $10 INCLUDING the shipping! And I've been wanting it for MONTHS. I'm hoping to use it for 'on the go' scrappin' for when we go out for day trips. :) And...it's CUTE!

Don't you think it's cute? I can't wait to get it now :)

So...I now have $25 in my scrap fund. I'm trying to keep accountable!

October LRS Gallery Sneak Peeks!

2008-10-16T19:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a few sneeks to hold you over until the gallery is up (hopefully tomorrow!!)

$3.14

2008-10-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's what I paid for gas per gallon last night.

Yea! It cost me less then $40 to fill my car!!