WRECK THIS JOURNAL

My hubby and I went to Starbucks the other nite and gathered some books and sat in the cafe'.

Why?

That's what you do when your kids are in MI with their grandparents and you have time to actually SIT together in the cafe', sip a non-fat latte and peruse books.

(You aren't constantly looking at the kids section praying your children aren't wrecking the pristine new books. )


Anyhoo.......
I picked up this book and fell in love with it.



I want this book.
I didn't buy it that night because I just didn't.

(perhaps my book shelves are runeth over with books?)

But - I do want it. It's on my want list and I can't wait to wreck it.


For the record - I LOVE Keri Smith. I have her other two books!!! If you haven't checked her out before PLEASE check her out now!

Proof

I don't know why I feel the compulsion to PROVE that I am scrap booking or being creative but here it goes......



This is my table that was set up a lil over two weeks ago. It doesn't look like that now..... Now it looks like a flat version of my scrap room. Paper, stamps, pictures and tools all over it!

What have I been creating?

Well - since my girls have been gone I have been making them cards each day and sending them in the mail to them........

(I am such a sentimental blech.....)

Here is my latest - oopse I need to get back into practice - card.



This is one of Nat's favorite stamp sets that I have so I wanted to send her a card using it. IF you can't figure it out - the two girls on the left are symbolic of my girls and the one girl on the top right is me.

Friday my DH and I are heading to the Scrap book Expo in St. Charles. I have tickets to the crop at nite for both of us. I am excited - because I actually have a few mini albums to work on!

The Girls Room

As some of you know - my girls have been at their grammy and grampy's for the past few weeks. While they were gone things happened at our house.....

No - this is not a book sale gone bad nor a book sale we raided.......

This is what WAS here

Yup -we did it!
We went thru their room and re-did it.

We went from this......

to..........

Stay tuned for the new and improved "GIRL ROOM"

I would post here now - but my girls read my blog

I would hate to spoil the surprise!

Skinny Cow

Wow - I just found this most awesome low fat snack

SKINNY COW


What's even better........

Skinny Cow does this!

Even better - apparently she hits the circuits......

Fe Fi Fo Fum.......

I see the cubs are number one!!!!!

I have been creating

I have tried to keep up with at least one card a day or something creative that isn't knitting or making up new excel spread sheets at work.... (ha ha).

I have created two cards in the last two days but I can not post them because my children are avid readers of my blog - in Michigan they are.

The Cards have NOT made it to Michigan yet......

BUT I have taken pictures and uploaded them - but can't post til Nat gives me the....

"Hey mom - "

On another note - I can't wait for SCRAPBOOK EXPO in St. Charles.

My hubby and I are doing a crop night and I am taking one of the cosmo cricket classes.

It's the last yipee before our girls get back......

Now I am going to curl up with one of my books from library. You have got to go to the this place and check it out. I have created a group in mine with our family's summer reading challenge. Check it out!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Natalie - I have sat at work all day in wonder of how awesome it is that God gave me such a beautiful, talented, smart, independent, discerning, caring, tender, sensitive, strong daughter as you........

I knew from the day I concieved you that you were special and each day you amaze me more.


You are a born leader.....
You have a heart for people's needs.....
You are able to discern right from wrong (and still manage to push the limits when it comes to yourself)
You are tender and compassionate but strong and firm when needed.....
You are level headed and precise in how you carry out your day.....
You are so smart and have so many roads and avenues available for you in the future...
You are artistic and creative.....
You are vulnerable.....
You are strong.....
You are quiet and serene.....
You are a gale force wind - a storm to not be reckoned with.....
You know what you want and you don't stop till you get it.....
You are passionate and in charge.....

You are developing in to a most beautiful woman of God....

But most of all.....

Your sister looks up to you......
I look up to you......

Happy Birthday my beautiful child of God!!!!

What happened on Aug 7 1997 at 0340?

They say it's your birthday......

Happy Birthday to you.......

Today my baby girl steps from single digits to (gasp, pick me up off the ground) double digits. Today my baby girl is TEN!

Happy birthday Natalie Leona! I love you so very much!

More Card Making

I went to a Card swap tonight and had a BLAST! It really got me motivated to scrap and create....



Basically - everyone who comes makes a card to bring and everything to make that card. I love this card - but of course I had to add a twist to all my cards. I think I phunkified the colors on these animals and left them in tag format.

Such a kid card! I might send it to my girls in MI....



The card that I posted yesterday is the card that I took - which apparently took up the most time. I was a wee bit embarassed...... but I had fun creating it.


I love this card set up but then again - I couldn't copy completely - I had to ad my own twist. I put "friend" on it and added the dots. The scallops started out as a mistake - and - I just kept doing the mistake over and over again....


I love this set and wouldn't normally use this - but I kinda like the elegance of it.




And again - this one - I can't put anything on straight even in I had a ruler. Therefore - I purposely gave it a slant. I like this simple layout - you could do alot of different things with this.

Tomorrow - I have to finish my daughter's birthday mini album/card.

You say it's your birthday......

Proof I am scrapbooking

Proof that I am scrapbooking....

Well - how about being creative?

This is a card I made for a card swap.

There is something missing. I haven't decided what yet.

I am excited that I can go to this card swap tomorrow nite.

I will come home with more cards I have made and I will post them here as well.





My husband and I looked at the St. Charles Scrapbook Expo class list online. We signed up for a crop together on Friday and I think I may take one class - however he is encouraging me to take a couple.

I don't want to get burnt out - which is easy to do at those expos. You do too much and you don't have time to enjoy the expo arena.

We have free tickets to get in this year because we answered a survey last year on the location. I guess it was insurance I would go - given my recent absence from scrapbooking.

Well - not that I am getting old but my husband and I biked a little over twelve miles today after church - and I am getting old because I can feel it.

I - at the early hour of 2246 - need to grab my book and head off to bed.

More to come tomorrow!

A new blog????????

Look

My FAVORITE Scrapbooking store has a BLOG now!!!!!

BREEZE BLOGGERS

How exciting!!!!!!

I need to get in there and buy some supplies!!!!!

I'm BACK!!!!!!!!!

I am BACK.... how long has it been now? I shudder at the thought of looking at my last post date. I breezed by it when I logged on much like I breeze by the mirror when getting out of the shower each day. It is amazing, without any effort at all, how you can avoid looking at yourself in mirrors, windows and walls that reflect. But that is a tale for another time.....

Today marks the fourth day I have been childless.... well minus two children. The oldest child (who acts the youngest of the three), my dear husband, is still residing in our home. My two beautiful girls are off exploring Michigan with Grammy and Grampy. While I miss them terribly I have been quite productive while they have been gone.

Norm and I have been biking several double digit miles a day. I think my bike is in shock (I know my legs are). Today we spent four hours biking around Chicago, checking out the Harold Washington Library and hanging out on the lake. Something I noted while on the lake front.... baby strollers should be banned. No if ands or butts about it. They are dangerous for the kids and dangerous for those on the bike path.

I actually, gasp, (you may want to sit down for this one), created a scrap book. Yes Sesil - it's true. I sat down - pulled out stamps, adhesive, paper, card stock, ribbons, brads and vellum. I created a wedding album to give at a bridal shower. I would have pictures to post - but I finished it about four minutes before I headed out the door. You will just have to take my word for it!

Tomorrow - I plan on making a few cards. I know - it's a shock isn't it?

What else is new???????

Well - God sometimes throws surprises our way and sometimes he throws them in our lap. A few months ago I ventured into a deal that allowed me a discount on "scrapbooking supplies." While many of you salivate at that idea - I was only hoping it would motivate me to "SCRAP!"

It didn't......

Months went by and I didn't even look at the catalog much less the stack of magazines piling up in my "hang out" room.

Then - I was informed that - gasp - I needed to requalify in order to keep my discount. All was lost. I had no money to really re-qualify and had no time to work on a way to re-qualify. (a-ha just went off in many of your minds.....)

So - giving in to the every unrelenting advice from my friend Sandra, who introduced me to this in the first place, I had a workshop.

I invited everyone I know (with and email address) and low and behold four people showed up.

We lifted it up in prayer several days in advance and then - the most miraclous thing happened..... I made my re-qualification.

What does that mean? You will just have to go here to find out.

I am now, retiring to the couch with a book. That story too for another post.

It feels good to be back!