Oh For SHAME!

As a blog reader, there's nothing that peeves me more to see a poor, neglected blog. And my blog has become that poor neglected blog :D

I don't know, things have just been nuts. It's no excuse and it's the perfect excuse all at the same time! I won't even try to update you...we'll just jump back in with some layouts and some good news!

The good news first! In exactly THREE days I will be sitting at the Greyhound station at this time in the morning, waiting for my David to come home for Christmas exodus! He will be home for exactly two weeks and I'm over the moon!!!

When he goes back in January, it won't be that long before he is released from the Army, though. He will be getting an honorable discharge, but his ankles are simply preventing him from being able to run fast enough for the PT test. He can do push ups and situps till the cows come home but running is another story. They are still outprocessing him and the paperwork can take a little while, but at some point in January or February he will be home for good and we'll start our lives over....again ;0) David will find a new job (one with less running, hahah!) and then, you know what comes next right? Well happily ever after of course.

I'll leave you with a few pieces of eye candy!

The One With The Tedium

Organizing your scrap stash is SO tedius!!! I won a FANTASTIC prize recently and before cashing in on it, I want to make sure the kits I have are organized. I'm about halfway through and I'd like to gouge my eyes out. Some people enjoy organizing, but I just don't see it!

The good news is...when I am done organizing my files, I have a $200 gift certificate to use for Sweet Shoppe! Isn't that awesome?!?!?!?

So you have a great day...I'll be organizing!

The One With The Explanation

So I haven't been around in what seems like forever now! Things got a little crazy here! I was really struggling with the kids by myself in the middle of last week, so I decided at the last minute to go spend the weekend with my dad and stepmom for his birthday. Convinced my sister Tab to meet me there and we had a fun weekend. Instead of coming straight home to Ohio I drove the 2 more hours to Tab's house to see her for an evening. Got up on Tuesday morning to go home to Ohio...

Went home and was only home for 2 hours when I got a call from Tabatha that she had lost her pregnancy at 14 weeks. I hadn't even unpacked the van so we all just got right back in and drove the 3 hours back to her house. I spent the evening with the kids while she went to the hospital. On Wednesday we had a small service here at the house for sweet little Sebastian Judah Reed. I'm staying with Tabatha for another week to help her through the roughest part of the transition. Honestly more than anything I think I'm just keeping her mind off things. We have a very fun time together...we really are like two peas in a pod. So we are just hanging out this week but I'll be back around a little more regularly now!

have a great weekend!

The One Where I Spill The Secret

For years I have been making a really mean cup 'o cocoa and fooling everyone (EVERYONE) that there is a top secret ingredient in it. I won't let anyone be in the kitchen when I am making my cocoa. My husband, my sister, all of our family and friends who pop in as company...love my cocoa (and I do have a recipe but it's nothing all that special). I've had people guess "It's peppermint!" "It's nutmeg!" But I always just brush them off.

Here is the big secret, made with Libby Weifenbach's Cottonheaded Ninnymuggins. I used an empty spice bottle and made a 5.25"x3.50 label and made a 3.50x2.50" message to curl up on the inside:
Just keep it between you and me, okay?



Happy Veteran's Day everyone...be sure to thank a vet! I sent my daddy an e-card but I'm off to call him and talk to him in person. I appreciate the freedom I have in this wonderful nation and it is thanks to people like him!

The One With The Chompers

So at roughly 5 1/2 months, Parker got his first tooth. My favorite part about it was that I was on the phone with David when I accidentally discovered it! So he found out in real time which is unusual!

So ignore the scratch on Parker's forehead...I cut his fingernails yesterday but he still managed to scratch himself. The real purpose of the photo shoot was a quick one this morning to see if I could nab the pearly white on film. I don't think I really succeeded. I can see it in the third photo but I know what I'm looking for.

I thought I'd share the photos anyway because they are good for a laugh! :D

The One With The Layout Catch Up!

Just a quick post and run this morning scrappers!! Time to catch you up on some layouts :P I haven't been scrapping as much as I'd like to lately so I'd really like to scrap some more this week while Sweet Shoppe is down making the change to X cart! I hope you have a great weekend!

The One With Some Scrap Chat

I have a question for you today, scrappers. It's a spinoff of "what makes a good layout" but it's not that generic.

Generally when I am shopping, I'm looking for great textures on my papers, interesting patterns, preferably with stripes and floral, small prints. I am looking for unique elements like paper pieces and interesting hardware, etc. It has to have great colors. And a good and versatile alpha. I don't prefer alphas that are too adorned.

Recently I finished this page and I don't know that I've ever been so in love with a page...*swoon*. It's so simple but I could just stare at this page forever. I'm not even trying to be vain, I just love how simply and perfectly it came together.

{And on a side note...Barb...if you are reading this...Barb you are the queen of getting published...I see your layouts left and right in magazines! Is this publishable material? It just seems so papery I thought I might have a chance. Or am I out of luck because all fall layouts were called for six months ago? Should I scraplift myself and do a spring theme? :P}

back to topic:

Which led me to thinking...I used a great kit for this page: Stuffed by Libby Weifenbach, Shawna Clingerman and Melissa Bennett.
But, this page could have been created with a mediocre kit too. Or *gasp* even a "bad" kit! I mean, all I used was three solid papers, three pieces of ricrac, a plain alpha, a tab and a button. Nothing fancy about that! (and the kit had so much cuter stuff in it...maybe I'll go back and do a second layout to use the adorable little pilgrim or turkey.)

So I guess the real question is....can a page be great without the fancy fixin's from a fantastic kit? I think my page works, because of the cute photo and the clever concept, but could my page be better if I added some fancy fixin's? Or would it be overkill?

I'm just musing this morning. Don't wanna talk about politics :P

what do you think?

The One For David

I have a post today especially for my husband, as I peeked a comment from him in yesterday's post! Hi honey! (I knew he was reading and I got onto him for not posting...he said, "I don't understand blog protocall.") LOL!!!!!!!

Anyway, I did this layout for him. I used Gimme More by the Sweet Shoppe Designers...a freebie for a layout contest about why you scrap. I wasn't even going to enter honestly and I glanced across the room at the 5x7 photo of him in his ACU's staring back at me and I knew I had to do this page.

Journaling reads:

In the beginning, I scrapped because my sister was. Then I scrapped for the creative outlet. And then to preserve memories. But now it is different. I scrap because every moment he is gone is a moment he is missing something. Parker's first smile, the first time he rolled over. The first time Naomi said, "I love you." He can't be here for those moments, but I can share layouts with him about those moments. By scrapping the picture while the memory is still fresh in my mind, it is the next best thing to being there. He tells me that when he is able to use the computer to view my blog, he has a smile stuck on his face the rest of the day. I have scrapped for many reasons and I'm certain I'll think of more. But right here, right now, in this moment....I scrap to make him smile a little more, sigh a little less, and for a brief moment, feel like he was there.

He is going to have a rough few weeks that will be pretty busy and restrictive for him...so I'm not sure if he's going to get the chance to see this..

...but if you are, sweetie...I really love you.

The One With Beggar's Night '08

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but in Ohio we feel we have to go against the grain and not trick-or-treat on Halloween. It is generally the Thursday before Halloween, or if Halloween is on a Thursday, then we go on Halloween. So last Thursday the 30th we bundled up the kids and my MIL and I took them out...

I got the best deal on their costumes! I had Naomi be Nemo from Finding Nemo and Parker be Squirt from Finding Nemo. I paid $5 for his costume and $8 for hers...I was out less than $20 including shipping, and I got them in August :) I got them from the Disney Outlet online. What a deal! And everyone kept saying, "Hey look, Nemo!"

Naomi kept going around saying Nemo, Nemo, Nemo. My MIL bought her a clearance Pony costume yesterday and Naomi is calling IT Nemo too ;) She apparently thinks Nemo is what you call costumes :p

Naomi had a lot of fun even though she really didn't get it. She CAN say trick or treat, but she wouldn't. She CAN say thank you but she wouldn't. ;) At only one house did she start walking backwards and wouldn't go up, thanks to the fun they had set up in their garage.

Poor Parker had had immunizations that morning so he wasn't in that great of a mood, but he was a good sport anyway. I even got him to crack a few smiles.

We only went down our street that we live on, and that's all. It took us about 45 minutes and we were all sufficiently tuckered out. We spent the second hour handing out candy with my roomate Susan, who had about 75 spooks visit her house. All in all, a great evening. Hope you enjoy the photos!

The One Where She's Baaaack

;) Didja miss me?

I've been offline for a solid week while I fought with Sprint Broadband Wireless. I went through *count 'em* FIVE mobile broadband cards. None of them would activate properly on my computer. After being promised one would be overnighted and in my hands for DSD...well, it wasn't. So I was instructed to go into the Sprint Store and exchange in-person. I am now the proud owner of THIS new mobile broadband card.

Of course, none of this would have happened if my original card hadn't stopped working last Saturday. I have spent HOURS on the phone with Sprint technical support this week trying to solve the problems.

But, it's solved now...and I'm back. A day late and a dollar short, but I'm back nonetheless. I have plenty to share from the past week...trick or treating and all sorts of pics and layouts, but for now I'll just wish you a happy Sunday and I'll chat with you later ;)