The First New Years Scrapin Project DONE

My First Scrap Project DONE for 2006!!!!

I kept going after I finished the Christmas Mini Album.
I finished this lil Album of Rowan making Smore Brownies one afternoon this past Fall.
I am going to take both to work tomorrow afternoon and Journal in them on break.

I feel like I accomplished something!!!!!
Click on the Pic - to see the entire Album!


Disclaimer - the following pictures contain SPARKLING APPLE CIDER!!!

This was us at MN Chicago Time.
Sure - everyone ELSE was already in 2006.....
Hey - we were there before those of you on the West Coast.....

Happy 2006!!!!!!

Whistles and Bells, fireworks and Shouts from the street!

It's good to live in the City!!!

Nat was not into the New Years Kiss.
She couldn't understand the ball dropping in NY and not here in Chicago.......

Rowan - she's all love and hugs.....
She is still in the baby step mode.
I am afraid the other one - she is taking bigger steps DAILY!!!

While I was busy Scrapin my girls were scrapin as well.

We are a family of Scrappers!!

NOW
-
you have to
go to my Hubby's blog
and check out this card that the girls made him
tonight with my rejected Scrap Paper they inherited.

What a creative work of art - you have to check it out!!!!

Okay - that's all I wrote - I have to go to bed. I am turning into a Pumpkin!!!

WELCOME 2006!

Chicago is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun on New Years!!!!!!!!

I can't believe I live here, I can't believe it's 2006 I can't believe.......

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!

The Last post of 05

Toast to 2005!

There were good and bad times
-
but for the most part I am so blessed by God....
for my family, friends, home and job.

I am blessed because ......
I am saved, born again and set free!
I have a hubby who unconditionally loves US!
Two beautiful Girls that reflect so much of me!!!!
Because I have a job that I LOVE!!
Because of my GREAT health and my health of my family!
Because of my friends!!
Most of all - because 2006 is a beginning to an AWESOME New Year of many new things, new adventures, new hazards and obstacles, and chances to "do-over."


I blessed because I got to scrapbookg today.
I started and FINISHED this mini album on Christmas 2005.
I am going to curl up and journal in all the journaling spots...

Click on any of the picturs to go to the whole layout.

Some of my New Years Intentions include using paper I have AND making more mini albums.
I am not getting alot done with one page layouts and starting to get overwhelmed with my ever growing pile of pictures.

May 2006 bring more finished Mini Albums to my house.
I have all these cute lil Longenberger Baskets I have acquired
(impulse buying - if you want to have a great home direct sale party - invite me)
that I can put them in around the house.
That way - people come over they are out for viewing.
They are out for the girls to go thru
-
and most importantly they are out for ME to finish my journaling!!!

Last post of 2005 I am sure!

CHEERS!!!!!

Cheaper by the Dozen

We just got home from "Cheaper by the Dozen II" and it was very good. Not as good as the first movie but it's worth seeing as a "family movie."

There was one scene (not really a spoiler) where Steve Martin (as the dad) looks out onto the lake and watches his next oldest daughter (the Tom Boy), Sarah, get her "first" kiss from a boy (the rival family Murtaughs). You know the innocent lil "kiss" on the cheek. Elliot, the boy, asked Sarah to the movies. So Steve Martin goes outside, while his daugher Sarah is coming back from the lake. He is pretending he didn't see the whole scene at the lake as his daughter is running up. Sarah is getting ready to ask "dad" if she could go to the movies with Elliot and Steve Martin is trying to change the subject, put the question off, defer, pretend like his baby isn't growing up - and asks her to count out 25 paces for the egg toss practice. She begins to walk away and Steve Martin says "No Sarah those steps are too small," as she is trying to get the words out to ask. He then says "No Sarah those steps are too big." and Sarah finally spills out - "Daddy can I go to the movies with Elliot?" Steve Martin has this look on his face like 'yup there's my baby girl growing up - bigger steps than I want."

So I sit there in the theatre tearing up.

MAN I must be hormonal!!!!!!

Thank Goodness the very next scene was hillarious.

On a side note.....



This book is FABULOUS!!!!!! I keep getting ideas and I have only read it 4 times!!!!

Okay - back to the fam.

Happy New Years to all........

The last day....

It's the last day of 2005!!!!

I just got home from work and trying to get tix to a movie for the four of us tonight.
I want to go see Memoirs of a Geisha (but not a great movie for the girls). The girls want to go see Cheaper by the Dozen II (and so do I) and Norm is about Narnia (Again).

I think I am getting tix to Cheaper by the Dozen.

Now to bed - to get up an PARTY later.

Actually "party" means snuggling down with the fam - my two girls have all of me today. We are going to scrapbook a little - but then movies, food, food fights, pillow fights, dvd's at home, more food, more food fights.... you get the pic. Girl stuff!!!

IF I don't post - EVERYONE have a Happy and SAFE New Years Eve!!!!!!!!!!

BELATED BIRTHDAY

Okay - I am bad. It's a day late.....

My good friend Emily - just had a birthday on the 29 December.

Stop by her BLOG and wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Happy Birthday EMILY!!!!! Miss you!!!!!!

Can you say "Sleeping Weather"

If I hadn't worked a 16 hour shift last night and didn't have to go back tonite at 7PM I would have loved to spent this DAY? Scrapbooking. But instead - this was the BEST sleeping weather we have had in a while. This is a picture of Chicago at 2PM. YES! 2PM in the MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON!!! I think the light you see in the sky, background, are the lights from Wrigleyville - not a sun trying to peek out.....

Darn this would have been an awesome scrapbooking day....

Or - better yet - curl up in a chair with......

I just got it!!!!! It's a master piece. LOVE IT!!!!! Just in time for Valentines AND lotsa freinds B-days!!!!!

Okay gotta go get ready for work. I am taking this in with me. Hopefully there will be some down time. I asked to be put in Urgent Scare. I have alot on my mind with the trip to India next week. I am starting to get nervous about leaving my girls. Who wants to bet the airport is going to be a blubberfest???

Maybe that's why Santa put a box of travel tissues in my stocking?????? I am going to be sitting on the plane - a grown adult - with my Purple 2005 Nikki bear from Build a Bear - that the girls made me for christmas - playing the pre-recorded message - "we love you mommy you're the best, kisses hugs" going up the runway with my box of tissues GONE.

So my prayer this AM was that everything goes smoothly and God is in control (I have to remember that.....)

The new and revised....

Ta Dah'

My hubby was nice enough to take pictures of my scraproom/office and upload them for me while I was (am) at work. So here it is.... new and improved.

Still a little ways to go but to me it's alot more organized. Everything has a home.
I am not walking into a mess.....

I know it's not the most sophisticated and most endearing room

-

but it's MY ROOM and I love it.

I have room for my sewing machine, computer and desk, books, mags, papers, filing cabinet and tons of shelves. There is another whole wall of shelves you can't see to the left of the pictures. The one wall to the right is all windows - a beautiful view of my neighborhood - from my sewing table. You can see my green run way tote at the bottom........ On the far left wall you see a CTA map so I can find myself around Chicago..... I can't lose that!!!!

I also have shelves to the right next to the windows. I need to go to IKEA and get jars to put all my ribbon in. Right now they reside either in a basket wrapped around clothes spins OR in the cute little paper bag tote that they were put in at the LSS.

It's definitely a catharsis cleaning this!!!!!

PET PEEEEEEEVE

Okay I have several of them.............

LIKE CRACKING YOU GUM while standing next to me.....

or

getting offended when I don't know you and I tell you Merry Christmas when I see you public - trying to be nice. COME ON IT IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY. I am honestly not trying to push my beliefs on you!!!

BUT the one thing that annoys - ESPECIALLY when I am at work - is

NOT KNOWING THE METRIC SYSTEM!!!!!!!

It is so flippin easy it's pitiful - EVERYTHING is in TENS! How hard can that be!!!

I tell you your temp is 39.2 and tell you we consider that a low grade fever GO WITH THAT. A fever is a fever. Swallow some tylenol or motrin - it will go away.

ZERO is freezing! How easy is that!!!!!

I tell you your weight is 29.5 KG - go with it.

It's a 5K race! It's a 8K race! What difference is it if you see it in miles? It's the SAME distance.

My scrapbooking cutter has metric on it and I LOVE IT. I have much more precise sizing. My hubby got one for Christmas that has only ENGLISH measurement on it. Rest assured I won't be borrowing it.

I embrace the metric system. IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO easy.

Okay - I feel better..... sorry, had to get it off my chest......

I DID IT!!!

I DID IT! I cleaned by Scrap Room last night!!!! Something made me do it. Actually I was looking for my bone folder (I think) and was frustrated with my extremely unorganized and cluttered Scrap Room. It's funny because I can NOT stand clutter. There I stood infront of a CLUTTERED Scrap Room - a woman on a mission. My Hubby (bless his heart) helpped. He filed all the papers in their perspective file folders. I purged many papers I will never use, scraps I will never figure what to do with and stickers that I have no desire to use. My girls made out - they have been scrapping all morning. I have a pile of their projects on my bed as I type!

I even re-organized my shelves. They now have dymo stickers where things go. Now - when I or my DH use something we know right where they go when we are done. My card stock is all separated and easy to get to. I have a STACK of mags to go through - happy reading to me. I can actually see the top of my scrap cart now. WOW. My Scrapin table is neat as well. NO piles of paper scraps falling off the edges.

Actually - what I found were - lotsa projects I need to do. I am set for at least a few months. Will that stop me from going to my LSS????????????????????

NAH........................

On a side note - I never found my bone folder.......

BLESSED

I was sitting up - insomina AGAIN - realizing how blessed I am! I got home from work at about 0330. It was BUSY as all at work. Winter hasn't really hit - but it was busy!!! I was tired. I live like five minutes walking to work. When I get off from work a nice security gaurd takes me home in a nice heated vehicle and waits while I enter my domain and wave to him that everything is A OK! I am SPOILED. I use to drive over an hour to work and from work. No one EVER heated my car up. No one EVER waited for me to get inside my domain safely and many times it was all I could do to get home after working 12 hours. I am so blessed my commuting days are behind me.

I walk into my place and - it's home. It really feels like HOME! The Christmas tree is still on and the girls are snuggled in their beds ever so angelically. The kitchen is a mess as is the bathroom - but eh.... whatever. I pour a half a glass of wine, curl up with my I Book and try to relax. This would never happen in MI. I would be so exhausted when I got home either I started cry at the diarray of the house, the fact that I barely made it home - or that I was so tired all I could do was crawl in bed.

I look at my portable SB table piled high with projects I was working on this week - and I smile and realize I need to do a lay out on how BLESSED I truly am. Everything feels whole. Don't get me wrong - I have BAD days and GOOD days but as a complete package - I feel like God put us here - and wants us here.

I had to share..... maybe I am hormonal or something..... sappy??????

Ok - to curl up with a book - more snuggly than the MAC. Good night! TOMORROW - Scrapbooking and MOMMY DAUGHTHER time with Nat. Lunch and a hair cut!!!!

Leah - you are in for so many GREAT moments with Gracen!!!!!!

Can 't sleep....

Just got home from work EXHAUSTED but can't sleep. I will live to be 100 + 1 day and never figure out how one can be exhausted AND insominac at the same time. So I sit here on my MAC (I LOVE my MAC) trying to get more tired so I will fall asleep. My hubby is in our bed snoring - so that room is off limits for me. That is like fingernails on a chalk board to me (which ironically never bothered me like it bothers others - but you even slightly snore....AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH drives me over the edge!!!!!!)

I guess I am probably thinking - in NINE days I am leaving for India. I have alot on my mind about that actually.

I need to give it up to God. I am excited about going I am just worried about the girls. They are excited about me going except my mommy radar notices that there is this shadow of despair surrounding Nat. She is such a sensitive girl. I am just praying that all will be well with them while I am gone and they read my blog while I am gone....

NOW - my insomnia might possibly be caused by??????? my visit to the Green Crack House on the corner at 0545????

Nah - I am caffeine immune at this point in my life.......

Okay I am trying bed again...... Pray the see saw has stopped.....

BTW - it's not just my hubby - Nat and Ro snore as well - and I go crazy........

Chaos to Recovery

Yesterday was so much fun!!!!!
I love watching the girls OPEN thier gifts.
I am so thankful to be home on Christmas Morning.
So many of my RN friends had to work.

At first it looked like the girls were on information overload....

but it did take them long to get into the mode of OPENNING PRESENTS!

Apparently Natalie was excited that Santa brought the Easy Bake Oven.
I told her she wouldn't starve now when she gets home from school and wants a snack...

She's already made a few dishes.
I never knew it was a LIGHT bulb that cooked the food....
amazing what you don't know as a kid.
As an adult
-
I wish I never knew about the light bulb and just kept on thinking it was a MINI oven.

I am not sure what the look is on Nat's face but Rowan was excited to get her Leapster Lmax.
I was informed
(when trying to show her how it works)
-

Mom I know already okay - I am not a baby!

What happened to this box you ask???????????

Say hello to the monster "present" open machine.
She just RIPS that box right on open despite the cleverly placed tape keeping it intact.

Then there is Proud Papa with his D50.
He was VERY surprised.

Noone is safe now.
If you don't watch out your picture is being taken

(in multiple frames)

just about doing anything.
I am glad he liked his gift. He is hard to shop for!!!

I could get him scrapbooking stuff
-
but then I would feel like I am buying for myself since we share everything (BUT PAPER).

As I was leaving for work yesterday AM
-
this was what I left behind.
(Only I think it was worse in person - because it spread across THREE + rooms - not just one.)

This is what it looked like last night as I was sitting on the couch RELAXING!
Amazing that there was a recovery from the disastor that hit.

I got up this morning to get ready for work
(which is an entire other story I am not going to share)
to Chaos II.
All the toys I neatly put away - were out again.
Strung across several rooms.
My kids are just as ADHD as I am.

To be a kid again......
I love my girls I could just eat them up with hugs and kisses.

I hope all had an equally impressive Christmas time with their family.

Support the man.....

Okay
-
not only did my husband GET a Nikon D50 for Christmas
-
he started his own blog!!!!!

You have to check it out.

He's a little shy about posting but having a blast figuring it out....

He also became a "Pea"
and
is combing the photography messge board.......

He is all excited about what 2006 can bring as far as pictures and scrappin!

Below is the card I made him for Christmas. I finished it on Christmas Eve on breaks at work....... I'm kinda proud of it.......

Truly
-
God inspired me cause............. I was DONE after finishing the Christmas Cards we sent out.....








You can see the complete layout on my hubby's blog....

I hope all are rested for tomorrow (Monday AM).
The kids are in bed, I am sitting here sipping a nice glass of Pinot and RELAXING.

YES I AM RELAXING!!!!!!!!!

My Christmas Card

So my hubby got (made) me this card for Christmas.

I just love it!!!!!!!

Here's the inside!!!!

I think he did a pretty good job!!!!

He's a keeper!!!!!

Merry Christmas

I'd post photos but I am curled up somewhere on my couch in my trashed living room. I worked a four hour block at work. I call it my "get out of bed and get the butte' moving" shift. The girls got me up at 0745. They were so adorable. Natalie crawled in my bed at like 0700..... I quickly snuggled her up and prayed she went back to sleep. She did!! (Praise God) About 0745 she sat up in bed, looked out to the living room and made a bee-line out there. THEN she ran into her room and I could hear her trying to wake up Ro. Ro was protesting loudly being the red head that she is that is until Natalie said "Rowan, Santa - big man, red suit, lotsa presents... he came last night." THEN they both oh so quietly ran out to the living room and started going thru their stocking putting their fingers to thier lips telling each other to be quiet. They put everything back and preceded to look under the tree. THEN - when they couldn't take it any longer - they ran into our room and preceded to PULL me out of bed. They left daddy alone for some reason.... So outta bed we dragged..... (mind you I got home at -0300 and was up till 0400).

I had so much fun watching them open thier gifts. They had a blast. They were really good this AM too.

My favorite gift..... a scrapbook Nat made on her own. She took cardstock (as I politely asked while reading - this isn't my good cardstock is it?), drew pictures on each page and then journaled around the pictures. THEN she punched holes in the side, bound it with Ribbon and wrapped it all by herself. It was so special.

THEN - the girls got me a "Build a Bear" for Christmas. They went and picked out the Nikki III bear (they have Nikki I and II). They recorded thier own message - "We love you mommy, you're the best!!! Hugs and kisses!!!" I started to cry. This is the bear I am to take on my flight to India (as if the trip ends there - I don't know why I phrase it that way.... )

Norm got his D50 Nikon SLR that came the day my MAC IBook came. He was very shocked and surprised.

Nat's favorite gift was her Easy Bake Oven (sigh) and Rowan's favorite gift was her Baby doll and Doctor Check up table.

All in all - my favorite part of the day is being with the Fam. Work got me moving and grooving - but sitting here watching the girls play in our trashed living room - jumping from gift to gift, sharing without shrieking, happy and content -just sets the scene on this day!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope your's is as special!!!!!

It's Christmas time....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here I am at work..... ringing in the Christmas day.

I leave at 0300.....

I get to stuff the stockings when I get home.

Anyone have bets as to how much sleep I'll get before the girls wake me up in their oh so genteeel way (NOT) ?????????

Merry Christmas to all..........

May you dream wonderful dreams of scrapbooking, cardmaking, stampin and PEACE.

Back to reality

so, I am rushing around today - before going to work. Wanted to get to the LSS for the 50% off sale on ONE item. (I was going to get the Quickcut Holiday set). Nat is in my room and says "mom, I have a problem." I ask her what the problem is and she says this ----

Well you see, I am having a hard time keeping Jesus focused in my head with the presents under the tree. I keep trying to make myself focus on Jesus but then I think about the presents, and Santa and the stockings. So - I tried singing this morning - singing about Jesus. But - still I keep going back to the presents. What should I do mom.

REALITY SMACK!

I told her that it happens to ALL of us and it only gets harder as we get older. Something from the world is ALWAYS trying to take our attention off from Jesus.

HELLO

She felt better - but told me that she is just going to keep trying to focus on Jesus.

Out of the mouth of babes..........

STILL going

My husband is a trooper.
He is wrapping gifts.
I just got home from work.
I am working on a few cards.

(like his - I forgot to make my hubby a card.... DUH!)

The girls went to see SANTA today......



Nat refused to let me do her hair - she like the "Curls" her braids left when she took them out this AM. She looked cuter in person than in the photo.
Rumor has it they were going to ask Santa for a "baby brother."
(So they told daddy)

Norm asked them when they left if they asked for a baby brother.

Nat said -

"Well dad I was kinda scared, if I asked him and he really brought us a baby brother it might be in the box too long and get really sick."

It's not Christmas till you have the picture with Santa.
All is done then no matter what you have left to do.

PLEASE do no misunderstand - I am not saying Christmas is about Santa.
This is just a tradition I hate to miss every year. PLUS - this is the LAST Marshall Fields downtown Santa Claus. The last pin that will say "I visited the Fields Santa." Next year it's the "Macy's Santa." (just doesn't sit well........)

Truly - we are trying to get away from all the gifts and having them give gifts to others. A portion of their Christmas went to their compassion international kids and a portion went to a few South Side kids. Next year I hope to make it more (as they grow older....)

Okay back to my hubby's card
shhhhhh it's a surprise......
I am letting glue dry right now.....

Tags Tags and more tags... oopse the birthday

WE got alot accomplished tonite - on NO sleep I might add.

I finished (for the most part) our cards and they are addressed ready to go to the post office in the AM.

Norm wrapped most of everything (after the girls FINALLY went to bed).

I finished the tags for the packages....

This is actually a picture that makes me sick - all those lil tags......

WHAT was I thinking?????

THEN I remembered -
my Dad's Birthday is on Christmas and I did not make a card.

AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH

SO I whipped this lil Christmas-y one out.
It's kinda cute for 1 AM no sleep and my mind in overdrive.

I am now going to sip my pinot, curl up in bed with a book and sleep till 0700.
Work tomorrow.

God - really - get me thru this!!!!!!

Last Minute Christmas Rush......

Here I am still up....
it's 2200 here!!!
I do not know what is keeping me awake, less than adrenaline.

The above card is from KI paper.
Again - not traditional colors.... love them....

I got ALOT of CARDS done.
Now I have to address them and send them out.....

I am not sure what the paper is....
BUT - it's just that. Scenic paper that I cut in squares and glued on to a card front.
The rest is embellishment.

My hubby is currently wrapping, wrapping, wrapping....

I had this thought in my head - and then....
It just doesn't strike me like I thought it would. Maybe I needed to make the jar top black as well.... The gum drops have glitter on them. You can't see it in the picture here.

The hubby was nice enough to scan and upload for me, pics of some of his favorite cards that I did.

I have to say - while this is fun - I am starting in July next year.....

What am I thinking.... JANUARY please.....

This card is a tri-fold card. Up close in person it's actually quite striking.
Closed you just see the first third.... and you open it to read the entire quote.

Enough of the ADHD post. Back to tag making......

YES - I MUST HAVE A SCREW LOOSE - I am making the tags for our gifts......

Tomorrow - going to drop a load at the post office mailing cards......

To me Christmas Cards are important because we rarely ever send out "cards." Usually it's emails to our friends and family. Cards - especially homemade - make a statement of caring, thought, and personalization.......

HERE is what took me so long.............

I wanted something new with my newsletter that we send to family and friends.
I came up with this mini album......

Open it up and it's an accordion album filled with pictures of us this year. Inside of each pocket is a tag corresponding to the picture on the pocket.
I sewed paper onto the cardstock base for the accordion folder pull out.

Each square tells a story of us through out the year 2005.

I made 6 of these and 6 of the matchbox version below.
The matchbox version has a page with pictures and corresponding story.

See why I need to start in January for next year!!!!!!

Christmas Cards too....

Okay - back and I am manic. Two days left before ole St Nick comes and about 23 hours till I go back to work.... Cards to make, presents to wrap, family time to be spent and sleep???? (nah - I can sleep later....)

These are some of the cards I finished last night for Nat's friends at school....

I think they look GIRLish and perfect for her friends......

This one is for her teacher who Natalie LOVES!!! (seriously - Mrs. Neiman is the "Bomb!!")

We just got back from the Christmas production at school. Nat looked so beautiful.

Apparently one of the boys in her class thought she resembled Julia Roberts.....
The teacher told me she wasn't ready for that....
LIKE I AM????????

She looks 16 here.... my lil baby girl.....

Okay - back to card making......

Oh about the time out for the hubby..... Apparently Natalie was having a panic hormonal moment this AM. Her hair, her nails, her ear rings, her dress, the stockings... all had to be PERFECT for the Christmas Show. Daddy - knows how to push her buttons and all I heard was shrieking from her AND HIM!!!! I am trying to calm her down and dry the tears so she doesn't have puffy eyes and Norm is just eggin her on... So when I went to tell him he had a time out in the back room I said for "40 minutes." Then I realized it was to be longer than that.... and I got more flustered and just sent him to school with Nat.

Apparently they made it okay - she was stunning at the school show
and Norm returned home unscathed.
I fear the teen years... he should too....
is there a book for dads on that?????? Anyone????

MARATHON Christmas Card Session

YUP a marathon......
Going on no sleep and desparately need a visit to the green crack house on my corner.....

After a WONDERFUL Christmas Party at our place last night - we (the hubby and I) had a MARATHON Christmas Card/present wrapping session. We were up til 0500 EEEEK. Then up at 0700 to get Ms. Nat off to her BIG DAY at school (post more later)

Nope didn't get ALOT of cards done - unless you count these Gift Bags for Nat's class ALOT.

Yup I did each lil tag - ALL 21!!! Aren't they cute....

Then did the Bag for the teachers gift......

Stamped a bag I got when I purchased the gift. Clever huh....

Okay must run - gotta catch Ms Nat's play and Brunch....

More later - like why I almost put Norm in a time out this AM - and I couldn't even figure out how long to make it.....