Oiy and ouch....

I have severely neglected my blog..... for reasons why too numerous to post here.

One thing good about the last month (that FLEW by) is my ability to CREATE and FINISH my Christmas cards - which got me BACK in the Scrapbooking MOOD! (much to my DH's delight as well as my girls..... they were starting to worry.....)

I also gave (as presents) four hand made date books. I got the idea from HERE! They made GREAT gifts.... I have one myself that is a work in progress. I dis'd my PDA a two years ago when it died. The first year a didn't have a Date Planner (imagine how lost I was.....) and last year I made the one by Donna Downey and took the class here. So this year I made one of these for myself. Every month there is a slot for the beginning of the month and end of the month layouts. I am hoping I can track the months through the year 2007 this way. It's just the right size for me.


I love the size and I love the ability to adapt it to anything!!!!! I have had several people write down the website to order these! They were developed by Lisa Flanigan. She is just sooooooo darn cute!!!!

I like how the weeks are mapped out and before the start of every month there is an insert page that you can decorate front and back. This is the End of Decembers page.....



This is a blank page that my lil girl Rowan put pictures in. She just slid them in. She was the one that took these photos.... my lil photographer in training. Here birthday is in February (Ground Hogs day to be exact) and I am hoping to get her THIS!


This is the back page... this just happened to be the first day of school 2006 for them. The beads on the end are beads from my hubby's efforts at making stitch markers for my friends and I. I attached two to the end of this ribbon in hopes that he will make me a more appropriate (hint hint) I made one for my dad loaded with tons of pictures of the girls. I made three others with base pages waiting for the owner to put in photos and more embellishments. What a way to enable others to become a "scrapbooker." It feels good to get this going again....

Christmas went by fast BUT was good to us. (As you can tell from these pictures....)


It's amazing what a trip to the dollar store and sample isle of Target can do for Santa when he stuff's his stocking. These girls were VERY happy with their stockings that Santa stuffed!!!


This is a wonderful SOHO loft kit. The girls get to build, decorate and accessorize a model sized SOHO loft. That will reside in our NEW guest/play room. They have already started building..... it's so cute.....


They could hardly WAIT to tear into each gift. Occasionally they would stop and want to investigate further their present.... but with me having to get to work at 1100 (hopefully my last official year to work a HOLIDAY much less Christmas) I was pushing to hurry them along......

Of course CLOTHES were a major part of their christmas collection of gifts... and thankfully Santa had GOOD taste this year.... who knew pleasing a 9 year old and a 5 year old would be so difficult?????


Rowan - begging to explore her creative side more - LOVED this gift from Santa.....



And what is a Christmas WITHOUT slippers?????? Hello Kitty to boot!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!

And the MESS!!!! What is a Christmas morning without the mess???? luckily..... I was off to work at 1100.... next year I might not be so lucky......

There are some awesome scrapbooking photos here are there not? I can't believe I am even uttering these words after my long absence from scrapbooking.....

Before Christmas the girls hung out at the Navy Pier at Winter Wonderland


The girls had a blast exploring this.... they thought it was very way cool.....



Many different trees many different decorations to explore... and they did.......

All inside - warm and cozy.... a perfect place to hide away for the day.......

They were all dressed to see.......

NOT THIS GUY........


But this guy........




Santa AND MRS CLAUS of course....... (okay I know.... the girls said this guy was a bad imitiation as well.....) NOT THE MARSHALL FIELDS Claus by any standards......

We MISS the Marshall Fields Claus..... Macy's just doesn't cut it.......

BUT - What's Christmas without a visit with Santa???????

And here..... the girls Official Christmas photo included in ALL Christmas cards......




and the SHED......

This was really a nice day - we started at the wee hour of 0900 (which after getting home from work at 0500 - this was THE WEE HOUR!!!!

Lotsa informational things to look at...... There was no one there so they could take their time and read!!!!!

And Make and Takes...... something to keep them busy!!!!!!

These pictures describe it to a tee..... a GREAT break from the holiday madness.....

Stay tuned for more scrapbooking posts and general posts about us...... Hope all had a GREAT Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!

BTW - if anyone has SNOW they would like to send our way.... we would be much obliged..... We have seen very little to no snow this season and the girls and I are getting quite ansy.......