OH MY GOSH . . .

I made a DESIGN TEAM!! I am on the 4 Scrappy Sisters Full Kit Design Team to be more precise! I'm sooo excited . . . I can hardly wait to get my package in the mail and start. I've really been working hard to get my work out into various sites, and it really feels awesome to not only have been selected, but to have made so many wonderful connections with so many new people. I truly look forward to logging on to 4SS daily to see what's happening, and how many new hot guys images have made the message boards! It's an amazing feeling to know that all of my hard work has paid off!

I've been busy . . .

it's been soo great to create!! I love it! Yesterday I got quite a bit done in not much time because Patrick got sick ... so after the girls hit the sack...I got right to work! Here's what I got done . . .









A lot of these I did using sketches from Creative Scrappers. They are having a SketchFest! It has been pretty fun so far!
Later, my mom and dad are coming over for dinner. The girls are VERY excited and can hardly contain themselves!! Happy Saturday!!

Here's my photo challenge entry for

this week . . . I challenged the girls at 4SS to take pictures of their hometowns . . .I created a slide show using mine . . . not the best pictures, but it was what I had on hand! I hope it shows up as a slide show:

Monday morning . . .

Wow how the time has flown!! So, we are officially members of the Nampa Rec. Center and it has been the best decision that we have made in a long time! The girls actually look forward to going swimming every day. It is soo great to watch Em be in the water and not be afraid anymore. Sophia of course is like a little fish and totally loves it. Patrick and I both swim laps . . . although my friend Mary, the phenomenal swimmer, would laugh at us!! I know that we don't swim nearly as many laps as we need to, but I'm sure we'll get stronger after a while.
My grandma took my mom, aunt, Emma, & I out for my birthday lunch & a movie yesterday! We went and saw Mama Mia! Emma loved it.
It actually was pretty good! I would recommend it if you are into musicals!
I also was able to scrap this weekend, too! Here are my latest creations. I used some sketches from the Creative Scrappers website, so they were quick and easy to make!
Happy Monday, everyone . . ."I’ve come to the conclusion that Mondays last 50% longer than the other days [each]." ~ Turtle Dundee, 7/25/06

This is what I created today . . .

They were soo fun and soo easy to make!! I'll post more later!! I'm off to the Nampa Rec. Center with my hubbie!! Happy Wednesday to you all!!

Still More fun from Sat.

Since it was 100 degrees outside . . . just 89 . . . I thought that it would be fun for the kiddos to play in our tent that Patrick and I recieved for our wedding present which I think we have only actually camped in once!! Oh my gosh . . . the girls had a blast!! They thought it was soo cool. These are pictures of them eating their lunch in the tent!! Oh and by the way, Sophia did fall asleep eating . .. she's just a really good faker!!

Yesterday's Fun . . .

So . . . I worked on all of these projects this weekend. . . this was the best photo I've ever taken . . .nor is it the best layout . . . it was actually a pain in the butt to do, but I guess it turned out okay!

This layout is the new home for 2 very old pictures of my now 4 year old daughter . . . I just love the look on her face!!
This is a more recent pic of my daughters . . . it was a fun layout to do!!
Quick and easy card . . .
A quick and easy layout . . . I love the ocean and I miss it!!

I was picked . . .

Well, actually my layout of the Flakes and I that was in my last post was picked as Layout of the Day yesterday at the 4 Scrappy Sisters website!! I just love it over there!! The girls are so fun, and I'm really getting a lot of scrappin' done!! It's sooo cool!
In other news, the girls and I went to the library today for story hour! Em first figured that she DID NOT want to go, but then changed her mind, and then changed it, and the finally decided that she would go!! Crazy kiddo!! She had a great time though. I helped her and Sophia with a craft project that they each picked out at JoAnn's . . .Sophia picked a green & blue dog and Em picked a flowered necklace and ring set. They had soo much fun.
We had some dinner and then the most exciting event of the summer happened . . . are you ready for this? Caution: those of you who are a little bug squeamish . . . BEWARE!! I spotted a large black beetle and thought I'd show it to Soph . .. well, apparently that was her idea of winning the lottery. She put it in a pie tin complete with grass and rocks. Then the beetle pooped, so she figured that it had a "stinky diaper." Then she had to call and talk to Nana, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, and Marcy, too! It was sooo funny! Needless to say, there was no harm done to the black beetle!! have a great weekend!!

Oh what a beautiful day . . .

I had an absolutely terrific day today!! I got to scrap in the a.m. Here is what I have been working on:



I did these all last night and I added finishing touches today! Sooo much fun!! Then Em and I grabbed a quick bite to eat and off to Salon Salon we went!! Can I just say how fantastic my hairdresser is?! He is sooo cool! He totally got that Em would be a nervous wreck today and didn't push her into the chair . . .he just let her do her thing. He trimmed the back of her hair just a little bit . . . he's going to attempt more next time. He was just so relaxed and awesome with her!! I love him!! Then he gave me a bitchin' new do!! He said that he's got a rockin' idea for color next time . . . oooohhh, I can't wait!! Then we rushed back home to grab Soph, change Em into her swimming suit and off to the Y for her 3rd lesson. I tell ya. . . Em is getting the hang of it!! Today she jumped off the side of the pool and even "kind of" liked going underwater!! Progress!! Yes!! Now it's 10 p.m. and I might read or scrap or just go to bed . . .

No new pics . . .

Only the vivid picture of a scream red-head as she was forced into the pool at her swim lessons today!! Argh . . . it was sad. I think that it was a combination of things: not really having a nap {she finally fell asleep at 3:30- swim lesson started at 5:10), being scared of the water, but most of all a CHANGE!! I can tell you one thing for sure . .. my kiddos DO NOT like change! I don't really either . . .but they are extremists about it!! She informed the instructor and I that she would not be crying tomorrow . . .let's keep our fingers crossed!!

4th of July Fun . . .

I tried to narrow the numerous pics of the night to just5 of my favorites . . .

Here is Sophia with little pop it fireworks that Paul had . . . she loved them as you can see below!

Emma on the other hand . . .watch from far away on the deck . . .
Emma and I sitting on the side of a road out in the middle of no where near Melba waiting for the fireworks to begin!!

This is one of the firework shots that I kind of managed to get . .. this is the best one . . . all the other ones look like flying octopus . . .this one just looks like a jellyfish!! We had a BBQ at Marcy's and then went the Melba to watch an awesome fireworks display. . . far more awesome than my lame firework picture!! I promise!! All in all . . . it was a great time had by all!!

Another new thing . . .

So I've been trying a lot of new things in the scrapbook world . . . last weekend I participated in an online crop at the Scrapperie website . . . I'm taking part in a blog challenge and now I've decided to enter this:


Here the basic jist of the contest:
Welcome to our 2nd Annual “Summer of Scraplovin” challenge here at ScrapLove.

Beginning July 13th, participants will compete in 6 weekly challenges for a chance to win great prizes and a chance at a one-month guest Design Team Lovely spot at Scraplove.com. Winners will be chosen by the Scraplove Team and a surprise guest judge and will be announced on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008.

Each Sunday a new challenge will be posted and you will have approx. 6-7 days to complete the challenge and upload your page to our challenge gallery. All pages must be original and created specifically for this challenge. Challenge pages can be posted in other website galleries, by you MUST mention that it is part of the ScrapLove Challenge. Failure to do so will result in elimination from the contest.

It sounded like another fun, new thing for me to try plus I have a chance of winning this:

First prize is a spot as our Guest Design Team Lovely from October 1 – November 1, 2008 along with a $50 gift certificate to the Scraplove store.

That would be a cool prize . . .wish me luck!!


P.S. Mary. . . I have not lost my mind . . . yet!!

Freedom to me means . . . .

that my two girls will grow up in a happy home allowed to enter into whatever school they choose. They will then be able to choose their own career paths, and marry whomever they choose. They will not be forced to marry someone they don't want to . . . or even have to marry. Freedom to me means that my children will not be forced to sew shirts in a factory for nickels or dimes. I love the country that I live in for this reason!

July Blog Party . . .

What's a blog party you ask?! Well. . . the funny thing is . . .I didn't know what a blog party was either!! It's actually a contest that this fantastic site { http://www.serendipityscrapbooks.com/} that I stumbled upon is having. There is a person in charge of this contest, and you get points for visiting people's blogs and leaving them love (1 points). I also get points by doing challenges . . . I will get 3 points for doing this challenge!! Then I think that I get points for blogging on my own blog {2 points}!! I think that it will be really fun and that I will get to meet a lot of cool new people!!

Mary . . .I know that you're going to think that I've totally lost it . . . but that's OK!! I still love you!!