Good evening! Did y'all get snow today, too? It was warm, but we still got a couple centimetres of the white stuff. I didn't want to go out and shovel it- I didn't even want to brush it off my car! I guess other things around the house were more important.
Last weekend, and the weekend before, were fabulous. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their grandpa M's 70th birthday, and they enjoyed even more their own birthday, which was the following Friday. We spent the day at home, just by ourselves, and spoiled the girls rotten. They got their most favourite foods at every meal on Friday, they got to open their presents, and their mama made them each a birthday cake (one cake mix, but two round cake pans) with the color of icing of their own choice. It was a really good day.
Saturday was an absolute blast. We threw a party for them, and invited the rest of the family (grandparents, aunties and uncle, and some new friends- to the girls). We had quite a few guests grace our house (and spoil my children rotten), but it was a really great time of visiting, catching up with old friends (and making new friends in the process! Our children had never met, and they're only a week apart!!), eating fabulous food (and no, I'm not trying to toot my own horn! LOL), and beating a pinata senseless. It was just very simple affair- a fruit platter, veggie platter, grilled cheese for lunch, some finger foods, and the best.idea.ever. for a birthday cake.
Dairy Queen blizzard cupcakes.
Ever heard of them?? Ever had one??
I think that was the biggest hit. The kids loved it, and I'm pretty sure the adults enjoyed them, too. There's still a few left over, and one of them is calling my name. Unfortunately, its too late at night to enjoy them!! Maybe tomorrow night...
Now that I've caught you up on the events in our lives this past week, I can share with you a new layout that I made.
Not that long ago, I decided to go out and buy acrylic paint from the Dollar Store. I wasn't sure how much use I would get out of it, so I only stuck to purchasing a couple bottles. (I wound up having to buy another one, because one of my girls got a hold of it, and emptied the entire bottle on herself and the love seat in the living room. It was the end.of.the.world.) No word of a lie. There's still some faint blue stains in the carpet (leading to the bathroom), but every ounce of the blue stuff came out of the love seat. Phew!! I know that both can be replaced, but I'm not as concerned about the carpet as I am the love seat. I don't want to replace the love seat any time soon; one of these days I would love to replace the carpeting in the living room with hardwood or something else. One of these days, we do plan on tearing out the carpet on the main level of our home. Having said that, though, I'm elated that most of the blue paint came out of the carpet, too. We need it to last until we CAN replace it!
Anyways...
On the last few layouts (two of which aren't being posted because they are not cooperating), I've been using my acrylic paint. I've been using my acrylic paint to paint wood veneers that I've been finding down at Walmart recently. In the scrap candy aisle. They're only a $1.00 each, and there's maybe 6-7 pieces in each little packet. I've got everything from leaves to crowns to helicopters and wedding dresses. I urge you to go and pick some up if you haven't already! They make great accents to any project!
So, on this project, I found a crown and painted it Island Blue (DecoArt brand). Its such a pretty colour! I had done part of the title in blue alphas, so I wanted to pick up more of the blue throughout, which is why I chose to paint the crown blue. To bling it up a little, I added some Recollections pearl rhinestones, and a clear rhinestone.
The centre part of the layout originally was dedicated to journalling (on the sketch that I used that inspired this layout), but as I was trying to figure out how I was going to make the journalling portion pretty, I came up with the idea of layering a few strips of scallop punched paper, on an angle, for some interest. I liked the way it looked so much, I decided not to cover it up (after adhering journalling strips and not liking that it was covering up the prettiness). Instead, the smaller blue half circle that's beside the larger circle (matting the crown) is actually a pull tab for hidden journalling. It also includes the date of the event we attended.
You're probably wondering what the deal is with the hats. Our niece got married on the first of September (2012), and silly hats were encouraged at the ceremony. The guests that came up with the most unique/goofiest hats would win prizes (which wound up being a bottle of wine. Pretty nice prize, actually!) There's a story behind Kyle's tacky piggy hat, but that'll be shared in a future layout. The girls, and their cousin Chloe, all got hats from the Dollar Store, so they could participate, too. Not that the hats lasted long.
I'm also trying to use up some of my older paper lately. The patterned papers I used on this project came from K&Co's Best Of Collection. There's 360 sheets of paper in it, and its great, but my only issue with it is its thin. Not always very functional if you want to...say...die cut something with your Cricut. Grr. Minor pet peeve. Sometimes even my paper trimmer messes up the paper. Anyways, there's a lot of gorgeous patterned paper in there, and I wanted to find something that would work well with red card stock, since red is the color of love, and since the major theme of this particular layout (though maybe understated) is a wedding.
You may or may not see more of it in future layouts. We'll have to see!
You WILL see more paint in the future- and in more colors than the three I currently own (blue, green, and antique white). Eek! I feel a Dollar Store shopping spree coming on!
See you next time,
~a
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, November 5, 2012
Spoiled Rotten
My birthday this year was probably the best one I've ever had. Seriously. I was spoiled.rotten. by the bestest husband in the universe!
On Friday night, we had dinner at Jubilations, a dinner theatre at West Edmonton Mall. To sum it up in one word: fun!! Dinner was delicious, and the show was superb. (We saw the musical version of NCIS, for those that are interested).
Saturday, husband let me shop: I needed new clothes and bras and undies, so I hit up Old Navy for some new clothes, and La Senza for the rest. For dinner Saturday night, we went to the Melting Pot. For those that live in the Edmonton area, and want to have a romantic, out of this world FONDUE meal, go to the Melting Pot. I have a few pictures from our romantic meal:
First up came the cheese fondue
I didn't get a picture of the salad, which came before the entree, which was an oil fondue
the flowers Kyle bought for me (apparently you can have them arrange flowers for you, and placed at your table before you get there).
Your picture is also taken during your meal, too, and they give you a copy of it, placed in a nice photo folder. Here's the picture they snapped for us, just before dessert.
Oops- what's left of our dessert. I highly recommend the brownies with milk chocolate fondue. In my humble opinion- and please excuse me- but its better than sex. No word of a lie. I had three plates of it. All complimentary, by the way.
This last picture was taken just tonight- the girls sang me happy birthday. We put candles in each of our cheese cakes (that was my birthday cake) so that the girls could blow out their candles, too. It was actually kind of funny watching them try to blow it out. Addison somehow blew hers out, but poor Maren (in the purple jammies) couldn't blow hers out. (The cheesecake was delicious, by the way). Hit up Costco for one of those...
In other news, Friday happened to be reveal day over at Lets Capture These Sketches. You can find sketch #156 there.
Here is my take on this awesome sketch:
I had a lot of fun working with this beautiful sketch. I think its one of my favourites! For a little added interest, I stamped the white card stock in the background- I felt that it was too white. I used SU ink in Summer Sun. The hearts are also stamped using the same ink.
My new favourite colour combo (after making this layout) is red and teal- what a gorgeous combination! Yummy! THe one piece of teal card stock is stamped using SU Not Quite Navy ink. Looking back at it now, I kind of think I should have stamped the other teal piece of card stock with the same stamp and ink, but at the time, I like the contrast.
When we took the kids to the air show in town this past summer, one of them fell to sleep in daddy's arms. I think it was Maren, but my memory has become a bit rusty. Anyways, I love this picture and just needed to scrap it! The journalling reads, 'we love to snuggle with you!' The chipboard 'favourite things' helped to reinforce our love of snuggling with the girls, as did the hearts.
Some of you may be wondering how things for me have been going in the recent past. I thought I'd share a bit of an update with you.
At the beginning of September, Kyle and I began seeing a marriage counsellor, to help us break the communication barriers, and improve our relationship. Its helped us out immensely! During the course of our counselling, it became apparent that I've been suffering from Post Partum Depression. I knew that I had it- my ob/gyn told me I was displaying symptoms already when I was pregnant. We let it go, because I couldn't take anything while I was pregnant, and the symptoms worsened after the kids were born. Mind you, Addisons' colic and terrible constipation for their first year didn't help matters, either. Every doctor I talked with after the kids were born wouldn't listen. They kept telling me I was just stressed out, anxious, and they didn't necessarily think it was PPD. Not until my counsellor asked me about it. She encouraged me to see my family doctor again (which I did- and brought along the depression scale questionnaire I filled out at the beginning of counselling as proof that I did indeed have depression- which she says is severe).
I've been on medication now since the beginning of October, and honestly began to notice a difference immediately. I've progressed to the point where I'm doing things again that I haven't since before the kids were born. I feel like myself again; human again.
I am also researching different discipline/raising methods in regards to the kids. I've began to implement 1-2-3 Magic- which is working beautifully with the kids, and I seriously want to read Raising A Spirited Child. (Though I'd like to read 1-2-3 Magic, too). Any other material/child rearing methods are definitely welcome!
Lastly, we received news today that Kyle is diabetic. Things went south again after I got straightened out. It seemed like we switched roles. As soon as I lost the grizzly bear persona, my husband picked it up. I strongly encouraged him to talk with his doctor again, and have blood work done, and this is the final result. His fasting glucose levels are slightly above what the doctor would like to see, but no matter how high or slightly high it is, its still diabetes.
Life is about to change drastically for us! But, in a good way! Its unfortunate Kyle has diabetes (its hereditary), but now that we've had this wake up call, it'll do us all some good, I think. Once I"m done this post, I'm going to print out some diabetic friendly dinner recipes. Even though it'll be a few weeks till we meet with the dietician, there's no reason why we can't start making lifestyle changes now!
Sorry for the novel!
~a
On Friday night, we had dinner at Jubilations, a dinner theatre at West Edmonton Mall. To sum it up in one word: fun!! Dinner was delicious, and the show was superb. (We saw the musical version of NCIS, for those that are interested).
Saturday, husband let me shop: I needed new clothes and bras and undies, so I hit up Old Navy for some new clothes, and La Senza for the rest. For dinner Saturday night, we went to the Melting Pot. For those that live in the Edmonton area, and want to have a romantic, out of this world FONDUE meal, go to the Melting Pot. I have a few pictures from our romantic meal:
First up came the cheese fondue
I didn't get a picture of the salad, which came before the entree, which was an oil fondue
the flowers Kyle bought for me (apparently you can have them arrange flowers for you, and placed at your table before you get there).
Your picture is also taken during your meal, too, and they give you a copy of it, placed in a nice photo folder. Here's the picture they snapped for us, just before dessert.
Oops- what's left of our dessert. I highly recommend the brownies with milk chocolate fondue. In my humble opinion- and please excuse me- but its better than sex. No word of a lie. I had three plates of it. All complimentary, by the way.
This last picture was taken just tonight- the girls sang me happy birthday. We put candles in each of our cheese cakes (that was my birthday cake) so that the girls could blow out their candles, too. It was actually kind of funny watching them try to blow it out. Addison somehow blew hers out, but poor Maren (in the purple jammies) couldn't blow hers out. (The cheesecake was delicious, by the way). Hit up Costco for one of those...
In other news, Friday happened to be reveal day over at Lets Capture These Sketches. You can find sketch #156 there.
Here is my take on this awesome sketch:
I had a lot of fun working with this beautiful sketch. I think its one of my favourites! For a little added interest, I stamped the white card stock in the background- I felt that it was too white. I used SU ink in Summer Sun. The hearts are also stamped using the same ink.
My new favourite colour combo (after making this layout) is red and teal- what a gorgeous combination! Yummy! THe one piece of teal card stock is stamped using SU Not Quite Navy ink. Looking back at it now, I kind of think I should have stamped the other teal piece of card stock with the same stamp and ink, but at the time, I like the contrast.
When we took the kids to the air show in town this past summer, one of them fell to sleep in daddy's arms. I think it was Maren, but my memory has become a bit rusty. Anyways, I love this picture and just needed to scrap it! The journalling reads, 'we love to snuggle with you!' The chipboard 'favourite things' helped to reinforce our love of snuggling with the girls, as did the hearts.
Some of you may be wondering how things for me have been going in the recent past. I thought I'd share a bit of an update with you.
At the beginning of September, Kyle and I began seeing a marriage counsellor, to help us break the communication barriers, and improve our relationship. Its helped us out immensely! During the course of our counselling, it became apparent that I've been suffering from Post Partum Depression. I knew that I had it- my ob/gyn told me I was displaying symptoms already when I was pregnant. We let it go, because I couldn't take anything while I was pregnant, and the symptoms worsened after the kids were born. Mind you, Addisons' colic and terrible constipation for their first year didn't help matters, either. Every doctor I talked with after the kids were born wouldn't listen. They kept telling me I was just stressed out, anxious, and they didn't necessarily think it was PPD. Not until my counsellor asked me about it. She encouraged me to see my family doctor again (which I did- and brought along the depression scale questionnaire I filled out at the beginning of counselling as proof that I did indeed have depression- which she says is severe).
I've been on medication now since the beginning of October, and honestly began to notice a difference immediately. I've progressed to the point where I'm doing things again that I haven't since before the kids were born. I feel like myself again; human again.
I am also researching different discipline/raising methods in regards to the kids. I've began to implement 1-2-3 Magic- which is working beautifully with the kids, and I seriously want to read Raising A Spirited Child. (Though I'd like to read 1-2-3 Magic, too). Any other material/child rearing methods are definitely welcome!
Lastly, we received news today that Kyle is diabetic. Things went south again after I got straightened out. It seemed like we switched roles. As soon as I lost the grizzly bear persona, my husband picked it up. I strongly encouraged him to talk with his doctor again, and have blood work done, and this is the final result. His fasting glucose levels are slightly above what the doctor would like to see, but no matter how high or slightly high it is, its still diabetes.
Life is about to change drastically for us! But, in a good way! Its unfortunate Kyle has diabetes (its hereditary), but now that we've had this wake up call, it'll do us all some good, I think. Once I"m done this post, I'm going to print out some diabetic friendly dinner recipes. Even though it'll be a few weeks till we meet with the dietician, there's no reason why we can't start making lifestyle changes now!
Sorry for the novel!
~a
Monday, July 16, 2012
Reveal Day
Reveal day for Team B over at Lets Capture These Sketches was last Friday. You can find sketch #140 and everyone's incredible work right here.
This is my take on the sketch:
Good things come to those that wait: some of the layouts I made of the kids' twin cousins' birthday party were a bit of a surprise- I had done them for DT assignments! This is one of them. Obviously, mama and daddy are helping P and O blow out their candles.
Because there were some people in the background that I didn't necessarily want in the picture (and cropping them out wasn't an option), I decided to blur the edges of the picture to help keep the focus on the subjects I wanted: the birthday kids and their parents.
Also, reveal day for Miracle's Momma's Design Diva's was over the weekend, too! If you haven't already, you should really go and check out her wonderful blog; you'll find Sketch #21 (the latest sketch template) and the design teams' gorgeous work!
This is my interpretation of her sketch:
Addison told me, after wanting to 'jump' out of their playhouse into my arms that she loves me and I'm '...her hero'. If she ever wants to melt my heart, all she needs to do is say mushy stuff like that. I'm defenceless against it! Hence the title of my layout. I took a picture of the rock wall leading up to the playhouse to help illustrate the fact that Addison jumped out of (though I would have rathered her go down the slide instead of exiting the wrong way) the playhouse.
There is hidden journalling to help tell the story as it actually happened (behind the photo mat), but the journalling that's obviously out in the open is a brief heartfelt note to my sweet daughter, letting her know that if anyone's the hero around here, it would be her sister and herself, hands down. Being their mother is teaching me to be more patient, diligent, considerate, problem solver extraordinaire, creative...the list goes on. They are incredibly special and even more incredibly loved!
Well, this is all I have to share for right now. I don't quite understand why the pictures I took this weekend aren't loading to the computer. So, I guess I'll have those for you (keep your fingers crossed!) tomorrow!
Until then...
~a
This is my take on the sketch:
Good things come to those that wait: some of the layouts I made of the kids' twin cousins' birthday party were a bit of a surprise- I had done them for DT assignments! This is one of them. Obviously, mama and daddy are helping P and O blow out their candles.
Because there were some people in the background that I didn't necessarily want in the picture (and cropping them out wasn't an option), I decided to blur the edges of the picture to help keep the focus on the subjects I wanted: the birthday kids and their parents.
Also, reveal day for Miracle's Momma's Design Diva's was over the weekend, too! If you haven't already, you should really go and check out her wonderful blog; you'll find Sketch #21 (the latest sketch template) and the design teams' gorgeous work!
This is my interpretation of her sketch:
Addison told me, after wanting to 'jump' out of their playhouse into my arms that she loves me and I'm '...her hero'. If she ever wants to melt my heart, all she needs to do is say mushy stuff like that. I'm defenceless against it! Hence the title of my layout. I took a picture of the rock wall leading up to the playhouse to help illustrate the fact that Addison jumped out of (though I would have rathered her go down the slide instead of exiting the wrong way) the playhouse.
There is hidden journalling to help tell the story as it actually happened (behind the photo mat), but the journalling that's obviously out in the open is a brief heartfelt note to my sweet daughter, letting her know that if anyone's the hero around here, it would be her sister and herself, hands down. Being their mother is teaching me to be more patient, diligent, considerate, problem solver extraordinaire, creative...the list goes on. They are incredibly special and even more incredibly loved!
Well, this is all I have to share for right now. I don't quite understand why the pictures I took this weekend aren't loading to the computer. So, I guess I'll have those for you (keep your fingers crossed!) tomorrow!
Until then...
~a
Thursday, July 12, 2012
the Big 3-0
Just a quickie for you tonight. I'll be sharing a card with you, rather than a layout.
I'm not sure that I mentioned we'll be heading into Edmonton again this weekend. If I hadn't, we are {grin}. We are heading up there so that we (Kyle and I) can enjoy a date! I hope the weather holds off- we are going to Monster Jam on Saturday night down at Castrol Raceway, but I saw on the Weather Network that thunderstorms are forecasted for Saturday evening. Hopefully it hits after all the festivities are over! Given Marens dislike of loud noises, we opted to leave the kids at their grandparents' place (this time Kyle's dad and step-moms; they haven't gotten to see the kids in such a long time, I thought it would be a nice treat!), so they'll have a wild and terrific weekend, too! We are also celebrating my sisters' 30th birthday, which happens to be today! (I never thought, in a million years, that either of us would reach 30- or have kids, for that matter! Cuh-razy!!)
I made this card in honour of her 30th birthday. I used Got Sketch #147 again (you can see the other card I made using this sketch over here. We are planning to take her to the IHOP for breakfast on Sunday morning. Should be a good time! Too bad there's only one in Edmonton!
I hope you all enjoy your weekend! Stay safe and cool and I'll catch up with y'all again on Monday!
I'm not sure that I mentioned we'll be heading into Edmonton again this weekend. If I hadn't, we are {grin}. We are heading up there so that we (Kyle and I) can enjoy a date! I hope the weather holds off- we are going to Monster Jam on Saturday night down at Castrol Raceway, but I saw on the Weather Network that thunderstorms are forecasted for Saturday evening. Hopefully it hits after all the festivities are over! Given Marens dislike of loud noises, we opted to leave the kids at their grandparents' place (this time Kyle's dad and step-moms; they haven't gotten to see the kids in such a long time, I thought it would be a nice treat!), so they'll have a wild and terrific weekend, too! We are also celebrating my sisters' 30th birthday, which happens to be today! (I never thought, in a million years, that either of us would reach 30- or have kids, for that matter! Cuh-razy!!)
I made this card in honour of her 30th birthday. I used Got Sketch #147 again (you can see the other card I made using this sketch over here. We are planning to take her to the IHOP for breakfast on Sunday morning. Should be a good time! Too bad there's only one in Edmonton!
I hope you all enjoy your weekend! Stay safe and cool and I'll catch up with y'all again on Monday!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
One
...and the birthday goodness continues! This layout is based on sketch #146 at Got Sketch? I rotated it so that it would work with the photo that I wanted to use. All the paper I used here are scraps (yay!!), except for the base black and white card stock. The size of the photo (cause I know y'all are wondering what size it is) is 5x10. Cool, huh? I loooove using over-sized photos!
That's all for now, but I'll be back later with another photo post. We had a busy weekend around here- the in-laws were up visiting for the weekend. We played hard and got another home project done! Whoo!
Pictures to follow!!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Cheers
Good evening! Where has the day gone?! The weather has been gloriously beautiful today- although muggy. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous right through next week, and I suspect that all the thunderstorms that have by-passed us this past week will probably dump on us this week. At least, I hope! Some cooler weather would be almost a good thing :)
I have another layout to share with you. Today, its a two pager! The next few layouts are going to contain a number of pictures. I've finally made it to the point in the month where we celebrated with the girls' twin cousins on their first birthday. If you recall, a ton of pictures were taken that day, so a few layouts are going to be dedicated to that day! I'm waiting on permission from my cousin, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to post the layouts I make with her kids in them. But, if this is the only layout you see of that day (possibly one more), then its because I don't have permission to post pics of her kids on the net! Just a little forewarning!!
The inspiration behind this particular layout comes from the incredibly talented Kelly Klapstein. She created this layout for a new segment in the Canadian Scrapbooker magazine called 'Double the Fun'. We were encouraged to play along and try this sketch out for ourselves- with the possibility (I think) of being published along with her. After thinking on it for quite some time, I decided to try it out. I must say, I just LOVE how it turned out!
All the accent patterned papers are from the same sheet(s) of 12x12 paper. I cut out the mushroom portion of the paper to make the border along the top of the page, and the lined/stitched portion for the bottom of the page. The flourishes were also part of that paper, so I fussy cut it out, then cut it in half and adhered it to the bottom right corners of each page. The banner was also created using the same paper- the parts of the paper that hung off my 8.5x11' card stock base got transformed into that- its double sided paper, so both sides were effectively used. Its incredible how much usage a single sheet (well, two, really, so that I could take advantage of the all the mushrooms and lines) of paper can give you!
For a little bit of drama, I outlined the flourishes, banner and photos in black pen, then decided to make the only horizontal photo a focal photo, by drawing two lines around it, and adding the buttons and ribbon (I wanted to highlight the fact that it was the only picture with both girls in it on this layout). I guess the journalling helps draw the eye to it, as well! (And, speaking of how well things worked- how about the flourishes underneath the only two pictures with water?? In my mind, they kind of mimic water...perfect, or what?!)
Here's a few close ups:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I stamped in a few places on my layout with SU's whisper white ink, using an Easter stamp (of all things) for a bit of a subtle 'something else'.
301* that Maren finally told me (numerous times today) that she loves me (which I never doubted, but its always nice to hear)
302* all four of us had the opportunity to really play this afternoon
303* and how good it felt
304* the slushy/treat dear husband is bringing home for us
305* cuddles with Gregory
306* someone came and had a look at the trailer (here's to hoping they buy it!!)
307* how excited Maren was over their tickle trunk full of toys
308* that their trunk full of toys finally made it into the house!
(and thus begins my nightmare---I'm seriously going to have to go through their toys and donate all the ones they no longer need/play with--they're no longer babies and don't need baby toys!!!)
309* that their (my) storage trunk made it into the house
(now I can put all the clothes that I want to hang on to into their 'trousseau', or whatever you want to call it)
310* that dear husband (and J) made an even bigger dent in the garage clean-up tonight. yay!!
Here's to a great day, and looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow! Cheers!!
I have another layout to share with you. Today, its a two pager! The next few layouts are going to contain a number of pictures. I've finally made it to the point in the month where we celebrated with the girls' twin cousins on their first birthday. If you recall, a ton of pictures were taken that day, so a few layouts are going to be dedicated to that day! I'm waiting on permission from my cousin, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to post the layouts I make with her kids in them. But, if this is the only layout you see of that day (possibly one more), then its because I don't have permission to post pics of her kids on the net! Just a little forewarning!!
The inspiration behind this particular layout comes from the incredibly talented Kelly Klapstein. She created this layout for a new segment in the Canadian Scrapbooker magazine called 'Double the Fun'. We were encouraged to play along and try this sketch out for ourselves- with the possibility (I think) of being published along with her. After thinking on it for quite some time, I decided to try it out. I must say, I just LOVE how it turned out!
All the accent patterned papers are from the same sheet(s) of 12x12 paper. I cut out the mushroom portion of the paper to make the border along the top of the page, and the lined/stitched portion for the bottom of the page. The flourishes were also part of that paper, so I fussy cut it out, then cut it in half and adhered it to the bottom right corners of each page. The banner was also created using the same paper- the parts of the paper that hung off my 8.5x11' card stock base got transformed into that- its double sided paper, so both sides were effectively used. Its incredible how much usage a single sheet (well, two, really, so that I could take advantage of the all the mushrooms and lines) of paper can give you!
For a little bit of drama, I outlined the flourishes, banner and photos in black pen, then decided to make the only horizontal photo a focal photo, by drawing two lines around it, and adding the buttons and ribbon (I wanted to highlight the fact that it was the only picture with both girls in it on this layout). I guess the journalling helps draw the eye to it, as well! (And, speaking of how well things worked- how about the flourishes underneath the only two pictures with water?? In my mind, they kind of mimic water...perfect, or what?!)
Here's a few close ups:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I stamped in a few places on my layout with SU's whisper white ink, using an Easter stamp (of all things) for a bit of a subtle 'something else'.
301* that Maren finally told me (numerous times today) that she loves me (which I never doubted, but its always nice to hear)
302* all four of us had the opportunity to really play this afternoon
303* and how good it felt
304* the slushy/treat dear husband is bringing home for us
305* cuddles with Gregory
306* someone came and had a look at the trailer (here's to hoping they buy it!!)
307* how excited Maren was over their tickle trunk full of toys
308* that their trunk full of toys finally made it into the house!
(and thus begins my nightmare---I'm seriously going to have to go through their toys and donate all the ones they no longer need/play with--they're no longer babies and don't need baby toys!!!)
309* that their (my) storage trunk made it into the house
(now I can put all the clothes that I want to hang on to into their 'trousseau', or whatever you want to call it)
310* that dear husband (and J) made an even bigger dent in the garage clean-up tonight. yay!!
Here's to a great day, and looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow! Cheers!!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Chuckle
74* how delicious the asian lily smells that Kyle gave me for Mothers' Day- I can smell it all over the house
75* days that aren't a fight to put the kids to bed
76* laughter
Kyle's new favourite thing to do these days is cruising YouTube. Do many of you sit and watch videos there, as a way of vegging out and relaxing? It isn't my cup of tea, but I do have a few things to share with you because they're just so darn cute and funny!
JUST.CRACKS.ME.UP!!!!!!!! I'm laughing just thinking about it!
Maru has got to be my most favourite cat- next to Gregory- ever!!!!! I'm also loving the music that's playing in the bg- very befitting of a cat!!! And, you'll have to bear through this entire video to get to the.best.part.EVER. Seriously. You'll laugh your pants off!! And, I don't mean to make this sound like its a lame-o video or boring. It isn't. Just, the best part occurs at the end of the video.
77* animals
Its a little hard to see in this pic (at this size), but I've stamped (in SU's old olive ink) the numbers 3 and 8 inside the green circles- which when you put them together makes 38. (And, as a matter of fact, all the patterned papers are SU, except for the beige strip separating the blue and green polka dots. I don't know what lines they are, except the green paper is actually Christmas themed). They're to represent the amount of years my parents will have been married come May 18th- their wedding anniversary. I'm not sure if we'll be in Edmonton (or have any reason to go to Edmonton) before then, so I'm bringing their anniversary card with me tomorrow, when we *do* head into Edmonton. (And, while they are in church, and before we head over to their house, I'm hoping to hit Michaels for a little retail therapy! Eek!) Every little piece of paper here is scraps except the beige card stock base.
And, another card is looming large in the very near future, too. My cousin texted yesterday, letting me know about her twins' FIRST birthday party!!! (I can't hardly believe they're going to be one already!! It doesn't seem that long ago that she called me up, out of the blue, asking me a whole bunch of questions about 'what its like raising twins'. (She actually had my sister do some detective work for her before I got the phone call, so I assumed she was prego with twins, but I wasn't totally sure until she told me). That's the abridged version of that story. LOL. Anyways, it isn't until June 9th, but I've already started thinking about it! Yay O and P! Can't wait to celebrate with you!!!!
A few posts back, I shared a wonderful picture of a piece of cheese stuck to my patio door. It was such a great, goofy thing to happen, that I needed to scrap it. *I* never would have thought to stick my kraft cheese slice to the door. Would you? LOL
Anyways, here's the little nugget of goodness I made to lovingly remember my children's quirkiness by:
Every single piece of paper on this pretty charmer is scraps, except the sentiment sticker at the bottom. I'm love, love, LOVING the polka dotted patterned paper. I'm thinking I should go out and find me some more- in colours other than festive Christmas!!
I hope what I've posted has brightened your day a little - if not the scrapbooking crafts, then at least the video's I posted. They really are good for a little chuckle!
(And, on a side note, let me know if the video's even work for you when you read my blog post. If they don't, I'll add the links so you can go directly to the video on YouTube. When I read my own blog post after posting it, my computer tells me that I've got a missing plug in, so I can't view them. It just makes me wonder if you're even able to see them??)
75* days that aren't a fight to put the kids to bed
76* laughter
Kyle's new favourite thing to do these days is cruising YouTube. Do many of you sit and watch videos there, as a way of vegging out and relaxing? It isn't my cup of tea, but I do have a few things to share with you because they're just so darn cute and funny!
JUST.CRACKS.ME.UP!!!!!!!! I'm laughing just thinking about it!
Maru has got to be my most favourite cat- next to Gregory- ever!!!!! I'm also loving the music that's playing in the bg- very befitting of a cat!!! And, you'll have to bear through this entire video to get to the.best.part.EVER. Seriously. You'll laugh your pants off!! And, I don't mean to make this sound like its a lame-o video or boring. It isn't. Just, the best part occurs at the end of the video.
77* animals
Its a little hard to see in this pic (at this size), but I've stamped (in SU's old olive ink) the numbers 3 and 8 inside the green circles- which when you put them together makes 38. (And, as a matter of fact, all the patterned papers are SU, except for the beige strip separating the blue and green polka dots. I don't know what lines they are, except the green paper is actually Christmas themed). They're to represent the amount of years my parents will have been married come May 18th- their wedding anniversary. I'm not sure if we'll be in Edmonton (or have any reason to go to Edmonton) before then, so I'm bringing their anniversary card with me tomorrow, when we *do* head into Edmonton. (And, while they are in church, and before we head over to their house, I'm hoping to hit Michaels for a little retail therapy! Eek!) Every little piece of paper here is scraps except the beige card stock base.
And, another card is looming large in the very near future, too. My cousin texted yesterday, letting me know about her twins' FIRST birthday party!!! (I can't hardly believe they're going to be one already!! It doesn't seem that long ago that she called me up, out of the blue, asking me a whole bunch of questions about 'what its like raising twins'. (She actually had my sister do some detective work for her before I got the phone call, so I assumed she was prego with twins, but I wasn't totally sure until she told me). That's the abridged version of that story. LOL. Anyways, it isn't until June 9th, but I've already started thinking about it! Yay O and P! Can't wait to celebrate with you!!!!
A few posts back, I shared a wonderful picture of a piece of cheese stuck to my patio door. It was such a great, goofy thing to happen, that I needed to scrap it. *I* never would have thought to stick my kraft cheese slice to the door. Would you? LOL
Anyways, here's the little nugget of goodness I made to lovingly remember my children's quirkiness by:
Every single piece of paper on this pretty charmer is scraps, except the sentiment sticker at the bottom. I'm love, love, LOVING the polka dotted patterned paper. I'm thinking I should go out and find me some more- in colours other than festive Christmas!!
I hope what I've posted has brightened your day a little - if not the scrapbooking crafts, then at least the video's I posted. They really are good for a little chuckle!
(And, on a side note, let me know if the video's even work for you when you read my blog post. If they don't, I'll add the links so you can go directly to the video on YouTube. When I read my own blog post after posting it, my computer tells me that I've got a missing plug in, so I can't view them. It just makes me wonder if you're even able to see them??)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Bits and Pieces
I was absolutely blown away this morning when I logged into my blog first thing this morning. I entered a challenge in order to celebrate national scrapbooking day over at distress to impress and I won! You can see the layout I entered into the challenge here. Lots of fabulous goodies are in the prize package, including a subscription to scrap 'n art magazine.
Eek! How exciting!!
We had a busy day today, though we really didn't do much, other than go to the girls' playmates' birthday party at noon. It was such a beautiful day, they just played outside the entire time. We had a weenie roast, played with bubbles, jumped on the trampoline, slid down slides, and finished the party off with a yummy piece of ice cream cake. I wasn't really sure I wanted to go to the party (long story), but in the end, with husbands' gentle encouragement, we did go. I sat down, minutes before we left, to quickly pump out a card for P.
Seriously, I finished it in like 10-15 minutes. I am by no means a fast scrapper, so I'm pretty impressed with myself for finishing it so quickly!! Its amazing what can happen when you've got an idea in your head, and it comes to life in such a short amount of time.
Poor Maren lately has been having some problems with #2, so I've been feeding her and Addison prunes to help out. The poor girl has had so many tummy aches, that she'll wake up in bed just sobbing saying 'my tummy, my tummy'. She's never had issues like this before, so I don't quite know what's causing it. The only thing I can think is that she isn't drinking as much as she used to (when they drank with sippy cups). Now that they're drinking from cups, I only give them something to drink when they're eating and when they ask for a drink. I waste enough food as it is!!
So, she came to me from the basement, telling me she'd made a poopy (thankfully she got it all out last night, though it hurt her immensely. She hasn't cried like that in a loooonnng time), and she wanted to sit on the potty. I put her on the potty after cleaning her up, and I noticed my finger was bleeding. I don't know what happened, though a few minutes before I was trying to cut off a hang nail. I must have made myself bleed. I put a band-aid on it, and Maren starts begging for a 'boo boo'.
LOL
She had no owies, but she wanted a 'boo boo' anyways. Oh, my dear child! You're really too much sometimes!! Here's her 'boo boo':
And, here she is kissing it better:
Too cute, right??
45* invisible owies
46* boo boo's that make everything better
And, here's the mini update to the layout I posted yesterday.
I layered the punch work, and alternated the scallops in a wave like pattern because I didn't like the way the unpunched parts of the strips of paper looked showing underneath the layer below it. I also thought alternating it like this made for a really cool effect!
The flourish I totally made up on my own. Its a bunch of bits and pieces from K&Company called 'pillow stickers'. Its floral in nature, but has other elements incorporated into it- paisleys, hearts, flourishes- and all filigreed. And blingy. Very pretty! So, put all the parts together, and you've got a pretty flourish!
I am trying to stamp more, and I thought I'd try stamping on ribbon. All the inks I have right now are water based, and obviously don't work very well on this satin type ribbon. Maybe alcohol based inks or other permanent inks would work better, because this is already starting to bleed and doesn't look as crisp and pretty as it did as soon as it was done. Boo! Live and learn...Oh! I should mention- my title work was cut out of K&Company packaging. All the packing comes with printed cardboard backs (and they're all different), and I realized not long ago that I could use them on my projects. Brilliant!!!! Ingenious on their part :)
Lastly, I wanted to share the tag and the sticker I added to it. I'm not sure if the sentiment showed really well in the picture of my layout, but its so true of both my girls: they are loved and adored!
There's still challenges going on over at scrapbook.com until the end of June, I think, and I plan on getting in on some of those, too. Who knows, maybe one of my projects will win another prize?
We'll see!
47* that Kyle's boo boo has finally burst and is draining
48* that I am able to drain it for him and play nurse (even though it grosses me out- although it isn't anything like the one he had on our wedding night. Watching the dr.'s lance and drain that one, then push all the puss and blood out of it made me feel like I was going to pass out! I nearly did--I had to leave ER, and as I was leaving, another dr. asked me if I was alright. LOL. I told Kyle I was never going with him to the ER again. I would wait in the waiting room...)
49* that he might finally begin feeling some relief
50* that my spider plant is doing so well, I actually transplanted it tonight into a larger pot!
Eek! How exciting!!
We had a busy day today, though we really didn't do much, other than go to the girls' playmates' birthday party at noon. It was such a beautiful day, they just played outside the entire time. We had a weenie roast, played with bubbles, jumped on the trampoline, slid down slides, and finished the party off with a yummy piece of ice cream cake. I wasn't really sure I wanted to go to the party (long story), but in the end, with husbands' gentle encouragement, we did go. I sat down, minutes before we left, to quickly pump out a card for P.
Seriously, I finished it in like 10-15 minutes. I am by no means a fast scrapper, so I'm pretty impressed with myself for finishing it so quickly!! Its amazing what can happen when you've got an idea in your head, and it comes to life in such a short amount of time.
Poor Maren lately has been having some problems with #2, so I've been feeding her and Addison prunes to help out. The poor girl has had so many tummy aches, that she'll wake up in bed just sobbing saying 'my tummy, my tummy'. She's never had issues like this before, so I don't quite know what's causing it. The only thing I can think is that she isn't drinking as much as she used to (when they drank with sippy cups). Now that they're drinking from cups, I only give them something to drink when they're eating and when they ask for a drink. I waste enough food as it is!!
So, she came to me from the basement, telling me she'd made a poopy (thankfully she got it all out last night, though it hurt her immensely. She hasn't cried like that in a loooonnng time), and she wanted to sit on the potty. I put her on the potty after cleaning her up, and I noticed my finger was bleeding. I don't know what happened, though a few minutes before I was trying to cut off a hang nail. I must have made myself bleed. I put a band-aid on it, and Maren starts begging for a 'boo boo'.
LOL
She had no owies, but she wanted a 'boo boo' anyways. Oh, my dear child! You're really too much sometimes!! Here's her 'boo boo':
And, here she is kissing it better:
Too cute, right??
45* invisible owies
46* boo boo's that make everything better
And, here's the mini update to the layout I posted yesterday.
I layered the punch work, and alternated the scallops in a wave like pattern because I didn't like the way the unpunched parts of the strips of paper looked showing underneath the layer below it. I also thought alternating it like this made for a really cool effect!
The flourish I totally made up on my own. Its a bunch of bits and pieces from K&Company called 'pillow stickers'. Its floral in nature, but has other elements incorporated into it- paisleys, hearts, flourishes- and all filigreed. And blingy. Very pretty! So, put all the parts together, and you've got a pretty flourish!
I am trying to stamp more, and I thought I'd try stamping on ribbon. All the inks I have right now are water based, and obviously don't work very well on this satin type ribbon. Maybe alcohol based inks or other permanent inks would work better, because this is already starting to bleed and doesn't look as crisp and pretty as it did as soon as it was done. Boo! Live and learn...Oh! I should mention- my title work was cut out of K&Company packaging. All the packing comes with printed cardboard backs (and they're all different), and I realized not long ago that I could use them on my projects. Brilliant!!!! Ingenious on their part :)
Lastly, I wanted to share the tag and the sticker I added to it. I'm not sure if the sentiment showed really well in the picture of my layout, but its so true of both my girls: they are loved and adored!
There's still challenges going on over at scrapbook.com until the end of June, I think, and I plan on getting in on some of those, too. Who knows, maybe one of my projects will win another prize?
We'll see!
47* that Kyle's boo boo has finally burst and is draining
48* that I am able to drain it for him and play nurse (even though it grosses me out- although it isn't anything like the one he had on our wedding night. Watching the dr.'s lance and drain that one, then push all the puss and blood out of it made me feel like I was going to pass out! I nearly did--I had to leave ER, and as I was leaving, another dr. asked me if I was alright. LOL. I told Kyle I was never going with him to the ER again. I would wait in the waiting room...)
49* that he might finally begin feeling some relief
50* that my spider plant is doing so well, I actually transplanted it tonight into a larger pot!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
oh {GLORIOUS} day!!!
What a GLORIOUS day it is today! Wow--the kids WILL play outside ALL DAY and there's no two other ways about it!! I might even come away from today with a T.A.N. (ok, more like a burn). Its about TIME!!!! HA!
Today is also Kyle's birthday, and look what I did for him:
36. Times. One for every year of his life.
I think he said there are a few extra. I lost count after 15. Or 20. But, its the thought that counts!
I'll have to share the picture he sent to me later. The girls in the office decorated his pick up, and it looks FANTASTIC! It made me giggle. Lets just say that A LOT of saran-wrap was used. And a green hard hat.
2* my dear husband
3* his day of birth- without him, there'd be no HIM, no US, no FAMILY of FOUR!
I'm pretty sure I've shared the card I made for Kyle. If you missed it, you can find it here
My other *must* on the agenda today: SLURPEE!!!!!!
Today is also Kyle's birthday, and look what I did for him:
36. Times. One for every year of his life.
I think he said there are a few extra. I lost count after 15. Or 20. But, its the thought that counts!
I'll have to share the picture he sent to me later. The girls in the office decorated his pick up, and it looks FANTASTIC! It made me giggle. Lets just say that A LOT of saran-wrap was used. And a green hard hat.
2* my dear husband
3* his day of birth- without him, there'd be no HIM, no US, no FAMILY of FOUR!
I'm pretty sure I've shared the card I made for Kyle. If you missed it, you can find it here
My other *must* on the agenda today: SLURPEE!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Cheers!
This month is full of celebrations. It begins with Easter- and in the case of our wedding, they actually shared the same date in 2009- April 11. So, next, naturally we celebrate our wedding anniversary.
(Just ignore the cigarette in kyle's mouth in this picture lol)
Next comes Kyle's birthday- April 19th. And, in the same vein, when we learned we were pregnant, the due date we were aiming for was April 4th. So, there would have been another birthday to add...but, thankfully not! Enough happens in this month already!
Here's the card I made for Kyle. He turns 36 this year. Yikes!!
And lastly, Kyle's dad celebrates this birthday in April, too. His isn't until the 28th, but we're planning to celebrate their birthdays together this year. My parents, Kyle's dad and step mom and some friends here in town (hopefully) will be coming out on the weekend to help us celebrate.
Next on the agenda: make his birthday cake!!
(Just ignore the cigarette in kyle's mouth in this picture lol)
Next comes Kyle's birthday- April 19th. And, in the same vein, when we learned we were pregnant, the due date we were aiming for was April 4th. So, there would have been another birthday to add...but, thankfully not! Enough happens in this month already!
Here's the card I made for Kyle. He turns 36 this year. Yikes!!
And lastly, Kyle's dad celebrates this birthday in April, too. His isn't until the 28th, but we're planning to celebrate their birthdays together this year. My parents, Kyle's dad and step mom and some friends here in town (hopefully) will be coming out on the weekend to help us celebrate.
Next on the agenda: make his birthday cake!!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Wheels Are Turning
and working in high gear. Now that Christmas is over, my energy has turned from deciding on Christmas presents and getting some festive baking done to birthday cakes, birthday parties, invitations and party favors. Truthfully, the upcoming milestone has been on my mind for a number of months already, but now we're coming down to the wire. Husband thinks that turning one isn't a big deal, and I shouldn't make a big deal out of planning a party for them; but, it is a big deal- you turn one once only, and it's their first party ever. I've got to set a precedent-- I don't want them to have a bunch of disappointing birthday parties just like their daddy and I did growing up (of course, if I can help it). Besides, I sort of think of it as a mothers' right of passage--something that's expected, almost mandatory, to do for your children. They are special and they deserve to be treated that way!
Should the girls' party be on their birth date or should it be over the weekend? Should I even give out party bags--most of the kids that will be there are babies themselves, and younger than my own children. Small toys and candy just won't do. Who should all be invited--I need to make up a guest list (I might take this whole party thing a bit far, but I'm a list maker. If I don't do it, I forget. Blame it on baby brain or disorganization or too few brain cells up in the attic; whatever you call it, it works for me!!) Should I make invitations? What are the girls going to eat--I am not sure they can eat cake, and I am not crazy about letting them eat icing. Would a litte bit of pudding be kosher instead? Should I make up a few fruit and veggie platters for the grown ups???
Big question marks...
I'm actually excited about the invitations part. I can't not make invitations for the girls' birthday. Its what I do...as one of my new years resolutions, I've promised myself to make more time to craft (aka do things that make me happy), and as a result, I'm hoping (and so far am succeeding, though some of them may be late to their recipients) to make birthday cards for all my family, close friends and everyone else that is special to me- and that includes making invitations to announce the pending birthday party for my dear twin girls. Just, how am I going to make them? Another Big question mark there. (I also am realizing that I am a pro at procrastinating and so always end up with less time than I like for scrapping and general paper crafts. I've got to get better at that!)
The only definite in the midst of all this uncertainty is that it is going to be a Dora the Explorer themed birthday party. I've noticed the girls smiling at her in tv commercials and when the show is actually on, so I think that's the route we're going to go. I've enlisted sisters' help in coming up with party favor ideas for small children, and I'm thinking of enlisting a friends' help with coming up with ideas for invitations. I am pretty sure Wilton has a Dora cake pan, and i know a lady that sells Wilton, so the plan is to get on the horn with her and order it, then somehow learn how to decorate it so she actually looks like Dora!
Think I've bitten of more than I can chew? Maybe when it comes to the cake, otherwise...NAH!!!!!
Should the girls' party be on their birth date or should it be over the weekend? Should I even give out party bags--most of the kids that will be there are babies themselves, and younger than my own children. Small toys and candy just won't do. Who should all be invited--I need to make up a guest list (I might take this whole party thing a bit far, but I'm a list maker. If I don't do it, I forget. Blame it on baby brain or disorganization or too few brain cells up in the attic; whatever you call it, it works for me!!) Should I make invitations? What are the girls going to eat--I am not sure they can eat cake, and I am not crazy about letting them eat icing. Would a litte bit of pudding be kosher instead? Should I make up a few fruit and veggie platters for the grown ups???
Big question marks...
I'm actually excited about the invitations part. I can't not make invitations for the girls' birthday. Its what I do...as one of my new years resolutions, I've promised myself to make more time to craft (aka do things that make me happy), and as a result, I'm hoping (and so far am succeeding, though some of them may be late to their recipients) to make birthday cards for all my family, close friends and everyone else that is special to me- and that includes making invitations to announce the pending birthday party for my dear twin girls. Just, how am I going to make them? Another Big question mark there. (I also am realizing that I am a pro at procrastinating and so always end up with less time than I like for scrapping and general paper crafts. I've got to get better at that!)
The only definite in the midst of all this uncertainty is that it is going to be a Dora the Explorer themed birthday party. I've noticed the girls smiling at her in tv commercials and when the show is actually on, so I think that's the route we're going to go. I've enlisted sisters' help in coming up with party favor ideas for small children, and I'm thinking of enlisting a friends' help with coming up with ideas for invitations. I am pretty sure Wilton has a Dora cake pan, and i know a lady that sells Wilton, so the plan is to get on the horn with her and order it, then somehow learn how to decorate it so she actually looks like Dora!
Think I've bitten of more than I can chew? Maybe when it comes to the cake, otherwise...NAH!!!!!
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