Uncle Sam is SO NOT my Favorite Uncle at the Moment!

AAAAGGGGGHHHH.  Is all I have to say after spending months on an issue with my least favorite uncle.  Are you serious?  Could this be any more frustrating?  Yes it could so I will just accept the blessing that it is not and say a prayer of thanksgiving that it will eventually be resolved and things will run smoothly after that.  Right?  Right. 

Anywho on the other shoe, school is going very fine.  Very fine indeed.  Despite the fact that I am surrounded by chattering 18-20 yos, I love it and am doing very well.  The old bowl of jello still has all its flavor.  Yes indeed.  No loss of wrinkles in my brain no matter what my hubby says.

On to better subjects than my frustrations.  I know that I am going to look back on the post I have made these past few days and wonder why in the heck I was having such a bad week.  Which is so not the case, I am have a series of fortunately good weeks that happen to have a few bad moments (disclaimer).  That being said, I will move on.  On to some awesome blog action today.  Hello, I visit about a hundred blogs a day (why the heck do you think I don't update my own? just sayin) but today was a good day to visit blogs. 

First American Crafts stunned me with a gorgeous layout that I can't wait to scraplift by Piradee Talvanna using these products (how cute is that butterfly paper?)

And than Melissa Phillips does another page that I am totally going to scaplift for my niece and she leaves a really simple recipe for homemade Oreo Cookies that I am also going to lift for me and the little guy to make. 

On to Pinefeather who did a tutorial on the cutest simple card!  I can't wait to try it and you know mine will have a drawerful of crap on it and so not look like hers when I am done.  I am also going to go and buy myself a cuttlebug this weekend.  I have been holding out long enough.  I know that as soon as I buy it, a new machine is going to come out that is better but I won't be able to get it bc I just bought this one and .....oh sorry, having a baby bug flashback.  My bad.

Ok, mini albums are my thing and I love to make them but this one by Katie Watson on the Maya Road DT blog is the bees knees.  OMGoodness you have to see it.  

If I ever made a card for my mother that was as beautiful as this one that Ingvilde Bolme made for hers, she would move in with me and cook me dinner every night for a year.  Seriously. 

Ok, I am supposed to be working on a science project idea so that when I call my science partner we have something to discuss but I have no idea where to start.  Hello, science is my worst subject second only to math!  Geez. 

Thanks for stopping by and have an incredibly good day!

Somebody is Going to Get a Black Eye

And since it is illegal to give them to your kids, I guess it is going to be me!  That little boy is acting like a complete butthole today and I swear if he doesn't stop, it is going to get ugly!!!!  Mommy time out (at the scrapbook store and the boys have to fend for themselves for dinner) is fast approaching.  Why is he crying when he is ticking me off?   UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH  Oh, sorry he is not crying, he is singing which is so much more appropriate. 

He informed me that he is having a bad day because he only had crackers and a sunny d for lunch and the lunch lady would not listen to him (and even had the nerve to insist that she was helping him) when he was trying to tell her not to call me or his dad because we were not available.  I am serious people.  I gave in his lunch check on the 1st and it is in his backpack right now.  Why did he not just tell her his check was in his backpack?  No clue. 

I am going to insist on a raise when my husband gets back!

National Zoo

We visited this fantastic (free) place and had a ball.  One of the things I love the most about living in DC is how much there is to do.  With the weather so bad lately, we really haven't done much but it was gorgeous out and we had a great time.  I, of course, forgot my camera but here are the pics the little guy took with the cam he got for Christmas.  He is doing so well with it that I think there is a better one in his future.  Maybe for Easter.  He absolutely loves the thing!  The most interesting thing we saw was a wolf.  I have been to a lot of zoos and have never seen a wolf.  Boy do they stink!!!!!  But this one was red and looked like a very tall fox, hence the nickname, fox on stilts.  It was almost as tall as a zebra.  The female lions were also beautiful and huge, huge, huge.  I am still always slightly surprised by big they are when I see them in person. 
This is my favorite, the meerkats and they were the most active in the zoo besides the little teeny monkeys. 

These were in with the sloths and they were so tiny. They were about the size of a small cat or an older kitten.  They played with each other like children.

This is the wolf, so graceful and beautiful.  I would go back just to see him.  He might even end up on my Christmas cards this year!

Speaking of zoo, the hubby is trying to get cool daddy points by putting this in Q's room

I think he won the popularity contest hands down this week.  It even has an ugly crayfish in it. 

 Oh and I think he put the crabs in there too.  I told them that if the crabs get out there was going to be trouble.  We had them before and they both escaped.  The kids would come home and they would be in the middle of the living room.  Yuck!!!!  Because I am evil (HAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAA), when the boy walks in the door from school, I will ask him to guess what I sucked up the vacuum hose.  Works everytime.  He freaks out and runs to dump the vacuum tray to find his crabs. 

Just wanted to pop in for a quick second.  Off to do a massive amount of science homework and to play catch-up with housework, phone calls and emails. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! 

If You Could Change One Thing.........

That is a question that I have been asking myself and really thinking hard on these last few months, years really.  Seems as if I am growing up.  I know, I know, that is an odd thing to say for a woman who is over 25 (you didn't think I was going to tell my real age did you?).  I am very happy to say that there is not much that I would change and most of what I would change is because my actions caused pain to someone that I love.  Have I been an angel?  Heck no!!!! Far from it, I just think of the great lessons I learned from the things I screwed up on and how those lessons have and are still shaping my life.  My world has ended more times than I can count but I am still here.  I am still important.  I am still contributing.  I am still learning.  I hope to never stop.  I am so happy to say those things about myself because for a very long time, I felt that I had no purpose and no reason for being here.  Okay, deep communication over.  On to the good stuff.

Went to see Alice in Wonderland yesterday and while it was not nearly as good as I thought it would be, I keep finding myself yelling, "I NEED A PIG HERE!".  Easily the funniest part of the movie for me!!!!!  And Johnny Depp, he is so odd.  I could not get into his character, but when he danced at the end of the movie, SO funny.  But Helena B. stole the show.  She was the most entertaining. 

I put pictures on a couple of layouts.  I have been wanting to.  I got a whole but of pics developed at Target but they are all 4X6.  Not that there is anything wrong with 4X6 photos, but a girl needs a little variety.  My printer has been crapping all over the photos that I printed at home.  So annoying!  Great photo, half of it anyway than pink on the other half UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!  Excuse the exclamation points, I am very emotional about this.  So anywho, I ran to Staples to pick up some (expensive as all get out) ink and what should I find there?  A $50 photo printer!!!!  Get. Out.  I am beyond over joyed and the darned things prints like a dream.  O but I tell ya, if those boys use my printer, there is going to be trouble..........

Here is the first layout.  I put a pic of this layout in progress a few days ago and it has really changed.  I am very happy with how it came out. 

This is a layout that I did during the big snow storm.  Love it too. 

This is what is on my desk right now.  Not sure where it is going to go but so far liking it. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and see you next time.  Hope you had an incredible weekend!

Inspired by Donna Downey

I would love, love, love to go to inspired this year but am still not sure if I am going to be able to.  My schedule is crazy and I don't really have anyone to go with me as most of the folks in my "circle" here are not crafty.  Anywho, off topic, again.  I am inspired by all the canvas that she uses and the bags that she is making.  I love the idea of a canvas purse and have been playing with paint, stamps, gathering and beading to make a new purse.  Although I ended up using muslin because the canvas was too heavy.  Don't have pics yet bc I am far from having a finished product, but I hope to post something next week, just wanted to get the idea in writing and see if any other crafty souls were thinking along the same lines. 

Here are a few more pics of the baby cards that I made.  Still haven't done anything else with them.  I guess I should be glad that I lined the envelopes and leave well enough alone.

I finally got my 2 scrappy titles and am going to do these 1 challenges from the 52 challenges book and try one technique from delight in the details-

• Get inspired by an outfit (52)
• Button bouquet (delight)

A recent dinner conversation between me and my hubby

• Why Bother?(him)  Excuse me(me) I said why bother? (him)  This is about my use of salad dressing.  He who drowns his salad in lite dressing can't understand why I use so little.  So as I was trying to explain it to him, he looks over at the little guy munching away on his own salad, sighs and says nevermind.  Q just happens to like his salads with NO dressing at all. 

(Is it normal to put pictures of your food on your blog? Just curious.)

This is what I am working on now.  Loving the color scheme but it sure does need a lot of work at this point! 

Just finished this yesterday and have to get some picks of the new house and all of us together in front of the fireplace.  Can't believe that this time next year, we will be 3 instead of 4.  My little birdies are flying the coup so, so fast......

The paper that I used is glittery and I love it, but you can't see it in the pic above.  Plus the colors are not as dark.  I took another pic with the flash on and it shows the glitter and softer colors better.

And last thing for this super long, super pic filled post is the photo cube that I made from scratch.  Yes, from scratch. 

Side 1

Side 2 (my favorite with that handmade flower and leaves)

and side 3 (I didn't take any pics of the last side which is just for journaling).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you had a fantastic weekend!

A New Camera

I definitely want one but the cost of the one I want is a little steep right now.  This is what I have and it is a pretty good camera. 

This is what I want and it is not "cheap" enough for me to justify just going out and getting it (oh to be a Oprah's child at this moment).......

                              

So I started digging around on the web and found a few websites that "teach" you to take better pics (I am totally unsure that I am able to be taught to take good photos, Ronee tried her best, hence the waiting on a pricier camera) and am going to give the learning experience a new try. 

My lessons seem to be starting with the snow picks I have been promising my girl.  She is in SC and sent me snow pics of her own.  Global Warming?  I have never seen the south get that much snow and I have met a ton of northerners that say the amount of snow we are getting is CRAZY not normal.  Where is Al Gore?  I have a couple of questions for him.  The first one will be about the slow death of my favorite hairspray because everylady was trying to save the ozone layer by not using it.  Ok, i'm rambling, just a little.  Anywho, here are a few pics my girl (and anyone else that wants to take a looksie).  The first one is of our backyard.  That fence is almost 6ft tall and the bird bath is approx 3.   

                            

We had to dig a path to the trash cans because the snow just sucks you under and you can't walk.  Trust me, Q's shoe is in there somewhere. 

A project that I have been working on.  Now that the girl is no longer at home, whenever I come across a picture of her I get very nostalgic.  I always wanted a little girl, from the time I was a little girl I have dreamed of what she would be like and my little girl is exactly what I imagined her to be.  No less know than when I dreamed of her before she was born.  So that is what the title and the journaling mean.

Nothing is glued down and I still have to add the title and finalize where I want to put things, my journaling, etc.  But so far eatz goood for me.  Check out Christine Middlecamp's blog for a tutorial on the border.  She is so creative and it was so fun to make. 

                         

I got a the book "Snow and Ashes" as a gift and read it in a week.  That was a few years ago.  I was a little lost in some places and since I never read the descriptions at the front of the book, didn't realize that it was because this was the last book in a series of 6.  There were 5 more that I hadn't read!  Was at BAM and found the whole series.  Of course I bought them all and will spend the next few years of my life reading them b/c they are all about 3" thick.  I never, ever reread a book but am going to make an exception with Snow & Ashes.   If you would like to read the series and are willing to wait for me to finish them, I will happily mail them to you.  I am halfway thru the first one (Outlander) and have been staying up till all hours of the night to read it.  Consider yourself warned!

                     

I also ordered these 2 little beauties and intend to spend the next year doing all the challenges and projects.   Can't wait for them to get here.  Wish me luck! 

            

Sorry (again) that it's so long.  Gotta run, late for class. 

Hello Friends

A couple of the snowed in projects that I have been working on.  Sorry for the crappy photos.  I would like to blame it on the lighting but I can't.  It is just me.  Hope you enjoy anyway. 

I found the directions to make the easel card on split coast stampers.  Hello, I love that site!!!!!

This is a candle that I made and love.  I keep it in my living room and am so happy with how it turned out.  And it was made with scraps even (except for that large, gorgeous blue flower).

I've been making baby cards.  I made 3 boy ones and 3 girl ones.  I can never make the same design twice so they are all different.  Looking at it here, it looks a little plain and I think I will add some ribbon or something to it.  After that, I just need to find some folks that are making babies to send them to, hmmmm. 

CJ and I plan to actually go out on V-day so I made this for the pics I know he is going to take:

(see that heart?  That is a throooooowback EKSuccess shaker box from way back)

It is unbelievable how much snow we have gotten!  I am one happy girl.  Aaron & I shovelled the drive and the walk yesterday and had to dig the car out.  When I say dig, I mean that the car was buried up to the door handles and there was 3 feet of snow on top of it!  Can you say what the heck?  I am used to the snow in the south that is here today and gone in one hour.  Not here I tell you.  Wait till you see the photos of the parking lots and side streets.  They don't have anywhere to put the snow in the parking lots so there are mounds that are about 12 ft high in the larger lots.  Unbelievable.  We are definitely going to get one of these babies! 

Every now and than, I will stalk my daughters facebook page.  Look what I found when I was looking at her pictures.  I adore my baby brother and he is so good with all his nieces and nephews.  My daughter spends a lot of time at his place when she is in town.  I can't wait to scrap this!

Sorry about the long post.  Gotta go finish the sidewalk before we leave for the movies. Going to see Avatar (again).  Best movie we've seen in a long time!