.

For each ecstatic instant. . .

2009-11-04T22:48:00.004-05:00

I haven't scrapped in over a week and I have some very needy craft supplies calling my name. There will definitely be some time set aside this weekend to jump into that pile of crafty goodness.

I made the layout above about our first trip to the Corn Maze at Queens Farm. It was hilarious watching Sarah run around the maze, collecting pieces of our map, and generally having a great time getting lost. It took us over a half an hour to get out, and that was with cheating. There are some great mazes about an hour from here that seem really challenging. I think we may have to go for those next year. Although you do get a little freaked out when you realize you've been going in circles and have no clue how the heck to get out. And that's also about the time you realize you shouldn't have had that last cup of apple cider :P

The other image shows the super simple, super fast invites I made for my daughter's fifth birthday party. I used Helen Dardik's awesome birthday line with Creative Imaginations and whipped up something cute that Sarah could help me make. We covered the envelopes with the balloon pattern and then did some layering on the invite with coordinating cardstock and stickers. Of course, I was very tempted to stick on some pop dots and ink, but I refrained. It was hard. But I did it. She needs to give them out to her friends before I rip them open and glitter them up :D

Quote of the Day: poem by Emily Dickinson

Quick Share for the fam...

2009-10-25T18:16:00.005-04:00

Just a few photos for our trip to Mill Neck Manor. So many more to still waiting to be edited before I can order the yearly family photo book. So much to do, so little time!

Favorte Sarah quotes of the week:

After telling her we were bringing chocolate cookies for snack, Sarah responded with a very boisterous: "Oh ya! We're gonna rock out like rock stars!" No clue where she gets it from, lol!

Last night, after waking up at 2am to "hang out" until about 3am, Sarah responded with this after I asked her if we could try to get some sleep: "Finally, mom. I could really use some shut eye." Oy....like I was the one keeping her up!

Oh, totally. Totes Magotes.

2009-10-19T20:04:00.005-04:00

Weekend in review:
1. Fab dinner party with friends. Awesome recipes, tons of laughs, can't wait to do it again.
2. Read almost all of Olive Kitteridge and am loving it. Devouring every word.
3. Edited family photo shoot at Mill Neck Manor.
4. Ordered Xmas cards - go me!!
5. Made and decorated Halloween cookies for Sarah's class snack at school today.
6. Cleaned the entire house (which is a wreck again..how does that happen)
7. Stressed about the H1N1 vaccine, talked to everyone about it and still have no clue whether to have Sarah get it or not. grrrrrr
8. Photographed all my layouts, in bad lighting mind you. Hence this post ;)

If you try to stop us, or vamp out in any way, I'll stake you without even thinking twice about it!

2009-10-03T18:15:00.005-04:00

Thanks so much, everyone, for the warm welcome back!! One thing I love most about the crafting community is how sweet everyone is. It really is like coming home :D

The weather around here turned suddenly cool and rainy....and I'm loving every moment. There's nothing like spending the day in bed, nestled with my dd, watching a movie and crafting. We watched crappy movies and ate way too much junk food. Love.

Sarah made her first scrapbook! I think I was a little more into it than she was, but I'm hoping it'll grow on her. She's not really the "crafty" type yet. She prefers building forts with daddy and sword fighting. Did I mention she's a tomboy?? Ya. For Halloween she's going as a night in shining armor. I'm going to try and sneak a bow on there somewhere so people will know she's a girl, lol. She did ask for a Barbie for her birthday, though. Of course, it had to be the Three Muskateers Barbie with the sword. We love that she's not the typical girly-girl. Especially since I've never been the "typical" anything in my life....like momma like daughter!

I made the Halloween countdown calendar using a bunch of new goodies from Dream Street. Tracy Whitney designed a halloween line called Superstition that I just fell in love with! I'm itching to do another Halloween project. Perhaps a banner or a minibook after all the trick or treating is done.

In big Sarah news, she read her first word today all on her own! She's been sounding out words and "reading" familiar books with basic site words and charaters with our help for a couple months. But today, I watched her look at a word on a sticker, sound out all the letters, put them together a couple times and finally come out with the word: Love. It was one of those moments I never ever want to forget. What a wonderful word to start her reading life with! :D

Movie Quote: Lost Boys

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

2009-09-29T14:11:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments on my last post!! It was an utter joy to read those kind words from all of you :D I dare say that I have started scrapbooking/creating again...and it feels great!! I'm finding the joy I once loved in this hobby. Plus, I'm enjoying all the new releases I haven't gotten to play with yet! I'm a little rusty so I'm starting out simple.....and loving it.

What's been going on in my life? Well, that's a longer story. A MUCH longer story. You just never know what life is going to hand you. But I've learned that relishing in every moment is what matters most. More on that at another time.

So, to anyone still checking in on the blog, thanks for keepin' the faith! I'm back and thrilled to be scrapping for fun again :D

Hugs,
Alexis

Last post for a while....

2009-05-19T19:11:00.006-04:00

Sorry I've been away for so long! Life has pretty much put my plans into a blender, pureed them, and spit them back out into my lap. I'm on a whole new track and I'm loving the fresh outlook it's brought to my life :D Things are finally starting to make sense in my life and that is so exciting!

First off, I'll be going back to teaching in the fall! I'll be teaching a fourth grade gifted class. There are no words to describe how excited I am. Since I found out, I've been planning curriculum, reading great children's literature and stocking up on the neccessities - classroom stuff, work clothes, work shoes...ya know, any reason to go shopping :P Plus, it feels great to know I'll be making my own money and no longer need to "ask" for things. Although dh is wonderful at providing Sarah and I with everything we need, it'll be great to know I can get it myself from now on and contribute to the house bills, as well.

Secondly, I will no longer be scrapping as a "job" any longer. It was a hard decision to make but I'm happy with it. I know there will be limited time to spend with my family once I start teaching. I want to be able to spend every moment with them and scrap when I want to, instead of scrapping for a deadline. I'll miss the push to create and the wonderful teammates I've had on various teams, but I know this is the best decision for us. Plus, I think I'll finally be able to enjoy scrapping again. The pressure to create awesome stuff every month was kind of getting to me. Sometimes, I want to just throw a layout together and not worry about balance and proportion and colors. So, this decision will provide me with the opportunity to get back to the "fun" of scrapping...when I have the time, that is!

Here is my last project I created with the Label Tulip Project kit, which I created!! And, it's sold out!! WOO HOO!! I also helped create the main kit this month, which also sold out. Nothing like going out with a bang! It just warms my heart to know that so many people are enjoying and scrapping with the products that I hand picked simply because I loved them so much! If you picked up either of the kits, have a blast with them!

Book Review: The Spare Wife

2009-04-16T21:18:00.006-04:00

If you haven't joined Mothertalk, you should definitely check it out! Among other things, they do these great book blog tours where every reads the same novel and then reviews it. This month I was lucky enough to be included in the tour! I was assigned to read The Spare Wife by Alex Witchel. Here's my review::

I was immediately drawn to this book for two reasons. First, it takes place in my hometown of NYC. Secondly, I was in the mood for a dose of some interesting chick lit. On the up side, I enjoyed the way the book delved into the underbelly of Manhattan's A-listers. The gossip, the backstabbing, and the "sleep you way to the top" overtures definitely kept me reading. I did, however, find the incredible attention to detail somewhat distracting in such a purposefully superficial novel. A few times I found I needed to push myself to actually finish the book, which was disappointing. Some chapters failed to move the story forward. But once I got passed them, I found myself wanting see how the characters were scheming in the next chapter.

The heroine, Ponce, a gorgeous model turned widowed lawyer was an asset to the novel. Her scheming two-faced nature as well as her secret life were interesting and fun to read about. But my favorite character was Shawsie. She actually seemed real and relate able. I hated Babette, which the reader is supposed to, so kudos to the author for evoking the very emotion I'm sure was intended. Most of the other characters in comparison, although interesting, fell a little flat.

Overall, I enjoyed the book for just what it was. A quick departure from everyday life into a life I normally only watch on tv shows. I found myself laughing many times at the stabs to the NYC 'elite' and recommend it as a fun beach read.

Thanks Mothertalk for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour!

We played a game you couldn't win... to the utmost.

2009-04-16T19:50:00.003-04:00

Here's the full reveal! Label Tulip main kit plus the addon :) I really wish I could have done more but my life got in the way. Best laid plans, eh? Anyway, I hosted no less than three get-togethers(including Easter) at my house, attended one all you can eat crab fest out east, a birthday lunch, a full day play date complete with picnic and parachutting rabbits, and am now looking forward to dinner and festivities in Williamsburg. An awesome week to be had by all...

Have a fabulous weekend everyone. The weather is off the charts gorg right now....I hope it is in your neck of the woods, too :D Enjoy it!

Quote of the Day: Drugstore Cowboy

Don't think so, gigolo.

2009-04-14T10:47:00.002-04:00

I've neglected the blog. Mostly because I haven't been doing much of anything by way of scrapping. I'm living life to it's fullest. And by that I mean filling my tank twice a week to compensate for my trips out east and to Brooklyn as often as possible. As well as driving Sarah around town looking for fun things to fill our days. We're loving the library, the park, the mall (they have the cutest ride on animals - for 10 bucks a pop, grrr) and just hanging out at home.

Here are some sneak peeks for the latest Label Tulip kit...LOVED it. As usual. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Check out the full reveal tomorrow. It's gonna be a fun time :D

Quote of the day..err...month: Happy Go Lucky

I'm not perfect, but who are we kidding, neither are you.

2009-03-16T21:19:00.005-04:00

So, this post amounts to about all the scrapping I've done this month. I'm hoping to get my printer up and working again so I can scrap some more. The colors are coming out all wonky. I think it's the new ink and not the printer. Crossing fingers!

Yet again, I loved this kit. LOVED it. Talk about major doses of gorgeous colors, incredible variety, the cutest new embellies, rubons from BG and Hambly that I fell in love with, glitter, chipboard, and the most perfect mix of new Thickers and new BG chip alphas. Grab one while you can!! I'm sure this one is not going to last long ;)

Happy Scrappin everyone!!

Quote of the Day: Wedding Crashers

I'd rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special...

2009-03-15T22:43:00.008-04:00

I'm baaaack! I took a little haitus from the blogging world to enjoy the last days of winter. A bunch of us headed up to Vermont to a gorgeous house up on a mountain (thanks Brianne!!) and basically had a blast. I haven't laughed so hard in forever. Between sangria induced rounds of Catch Phrase and Scattergories, scouting the outdoors for great shots, a little bit of Top Chef: Stewart's Edition (pretty much like a glorified 7-eleven), snowmobiling (I actually drove my own and friggin LOVED it) and just plain 'ol vegging out, it was just what the doctor ordered. We're planning a camping trip next. Can't wait!

I'm desperately trying to get this house ready for Easter. There's so much I want to do, so much I want to buy, and so much I want to refinish. I'm hoping to get somewhere near my "vision" before the holiday arrives. I think my problem is that I"m always buying the accessories for a room (frames, vases, candles, decor items) and not the bigger pieces that bring it all together. Which is probably good since I'm on a budget afterall. After some wainscoting in the formal and some new paint colors, I think things will feel more pulled together. I hope.

BTW, that's Kelso in the photo. Basically the coolest dog, besides my Dixie ;)

I'll be back tomorrow with my Label Tulip layouts! I LOVED this kit, yet again :D

Quote of the Day: Steel Magnolias

Don't do anything I wouldn't do! Or don't do anything I would!

2009-03-03T20:21:00.004-05:00

The healthier side of the Hardy family is finally making its appearance into our everyday life. Sarah still has the horrid cough, but I'm hoping it'll be gone soon. Otherwise, she's a crazy monkey, running around the house and making us laugh all the time. Just this morning she tried to fit into her baby chair. When she couldn't get into it I told her she was growing (which she is usually very proud of). But this time she pouted, hands on hips and yelled, "THAT'S IT! I changed my mind. I want to be three forever!!" Gotta love her ;)

Then in a quiet moment, she snuggled up next to me and said, "Mommy, when you were gone last weekend, I found one of your shirts and I hugged it because I missed you very much." I nearly melted into tears.

And her favorite exclamation right now is: "Aye Chi-MA-MA!" Totally cracks me up. That and when she calls me "young lady!" :D

The layout above was done for the latest catalyst at Creative Therapy. I was totally honored to be the Guest Artist this week!! My catalyst was: What’s something you do every day just for yourself? (If nothing comes to mind, create the art around what the one thing would be and why you’re not doing it.)

And here's what I had to say about it::
This catalyst spoke to me immediately. Every night, before bed, I set aside some time to read a good book. It’s my way of escaping the day and clearing my head so I can fall asleep peacefully. When I thought about how to represent that feeling artistically, I knew I had to incorporate actual book pages into the design with some splashes of my favorite colors. Overall, I think it really captures how it feels for me to escape into a good book!
Those flowers were so much fun to make!! I know I'll be making a bunch more in the future. Here are the steps I used to create them::
In order to connect the theme of the layout with my embellishments, I created my own flowers out of old pages from a Reader’s Digest. First, I laid three torn book pages on the large piece of scrap paper (to protect the floor). Next, I sprayed each page with turquoise and mimosa Glimmer Mist in smooth, sweeping layers and allowed them to dry. Then I cut two 4×4 squares and one 5×5 square from the misted book pages. I took a pencil and drew a spiral starting at the edges of each square, swirling in toward the middle (the spiral does not need to be exactly perfect). Next, I cut out the spiral and discarded the remaining paper. Finally, I started rolling the paper up, starting at the outer end. Don’t roll too tightly or your flower will appear closed. Keep rolling all the way up to the inside and you’ll find that you can use the last part of the spiral as a base for the flower. Play around with the layers, loosening them up where needed. You can use a Glue Dot at the base of the flower to hold it all together.

The layout turned out to be my favorite one this year. And I have Creative Therapy to thank for that. The artists on that site truly inspired me to step outside me box and do something a little more artsy than my usual. I really enjoyed and I can see myself delving into this style more often!!

I'm heading out with the chicas for a weekend getaway and I can. not. wait. I need it more than words can say. Of course, I'll be bringing the awesome Label Tulip kit with me...you're going to love it if you love COLOR...and you know I do ;)

Quote of the Day: Mermaids

A magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan, bedazzlement, a sensual ravishment. It will be: Spectacular Spectacular.

2009-02-18T16:58:00.003-05:00

It's raining. It's snowing. It's windy. It's cold. So, we're snuggled up on the couch, watching movies and hoping the weather will break so we can get out of the house again soon. We did manage to get my mom's and my eyes checked. My eyesight has actually improved so I got a new pair of glasses and sunglasses. They're both a little more edgy than the current pairs I own....so exicted to get them :)

I was honored to be the Color Combos Galore guest designer this week! I got to use my new Dream Street papers to complete the soft teal - mandarin orange - vanilla pudding - sundance color challenge. It was a blast to do and I'm so happy that they invited me over to the site :D Color is one of my favorite parts of a layout, so the challenge was perfect. I hope you guys will join in on the challenge and upload it to the Color Combos Galore site.

In other Dream Street news, my Menagerie collection was featured in BHG Scrapbooks Etc. this month!!!! I can't tell you how over the moon excited I am about it!!! Check out page 44 of the February issue, under Debb's picks :D I think I bought at least four copies of the magazine :D And I saw two layouts in the current ST using past paper lines of mine. It's still so surreal to see people using my papers and I am SO GRATEFUL for it. You guys make it all worth it!

I'm looking forward to Lost tonight and hopefully getting some more scrapping done. I've almost kicked this cold. almost. Hopefully I'll be much better by the end of the week. Trey and I have a gourmet group we're doing and I have to cook a Lump Crab dish as well as a root vegetable roast. I figure having working tastebuds would help in that area. ;)
Quote of the Day: Moulin Rouge

You can't ride two horses with one @$$, sugarbean.

2009-02-15T23:59:00.005-05:00

I actually got out of bed today and enjoyed the sunshine :D I still sound like I'm talking through my nose and I'm totally stuffy, but at least I'm up and around again. I'm keeping my hopes up that Sarah and Trey don't get it. Thank you so much for all the well wishes :D

I had a blast with this month's Label Tulip kit. I actually broke out the glimmer mists and got all technique-y this time around...who would have thought?? And I liked it ;)

Anyone else loving Lost? I love that things are finally coming together....but not. American Idol has got me hooked again, as usual. And I'm still a big fan of Grey's Anatomy, although it killed me that he didn't pop the question!!! grrrrrrr. Totally enjoying the cross over event, as well.

I've also started doing Pilates 2-3 times a week, although I did stop for the two weeks that I've been sick. But I'm planning to get back on that horse this week and keep it up. Next step is adding in cardio, but I'll get to that once I can fully breathe through my nose again, lol!

I've got a great guest dt spot to share tomorrow so check back :D :D :D Have a great day, lovies!!

Quote of the Day: Sweet Home Alabama

Armand, why don't you let me be in the show? Are you afraid of my Guatemalan-ness?

2009-02-12T23:15:00.006-05:00

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am still SO SICK!! I can't kick this horrid cold. I usually don't take any cold meds since they make me all loopy and speedy but I broke down after not being able to get a good night's sleep (or being able to function during the day like a sane person). Other than making me sleepy, I'm not sure it did all that much. I'm still stuffy and tired. Send me some healthy vibes if you've got any to spare :) Everyone I talk to lately is either sick or their family is sick. I am so over winter right now.

I did manage to get some scrapping done, though. Those are the sneaks for the Label Tulip February kit that debuts on Sunday, so don't miss it. There aren't any addons this month to tempt you.....instead, we'd love to see what you do with all the goodies you've been hording in your stash from the past kits. Yes, I do it too :P

I'm going to lay my very heavy head down and get some much needed sleep. Thankfully, my little Sarah is taking very good care of me during the day. She truly is my everything!

Quote of the day: Birdcage

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop & look around once in awhile you could miss it

2009-02-05T19:42:00.004-05:00

I'm alive :) After Sarah got the stomach flu she so lovingly passed it on to yours truly. Worst Body Aches Ever. Highest Fever Ever. I didn't eat for four days. I didn't stand up for 2 days. And my stomach is just now getting "better". I'm hoping by tomorrow life will be back to normal. There's a lot of stuff to miss when you're out of commission for a week! If I've missed an email from you, I promise I'll get back to you by the weekend ;)

Also, if you reach me through facebook, my account apparently no longer exists. I'll say no more on that, lest I drag my dear hubbie through the coals again. If I "friend" you again in the next month, it's me...not an imposter pretending to be me. Not that anyone in their right mind would want to do that :P

In good news, I'm now on the VERY awesome and seriously talented Kitschy Digitals CT by Danielle Thompson. She's pretty much my scrapping idol so this is such an honor for me. The layout above was done using her kits, found right here. They are so kwirky and fun....just what I need to chase away these winter blues. Now if only I can find my mojo....I think the 103.4 fever may have burned it off. So bare with me if my layouts are simple this month. I'm gettin' back on the horse as fast as I can!

I'm heading out to Brooklyn this weekend for some much needed girl time. Good food, good movies, good drinks, good laughs. Brooklyn does a body good :) I hope you all have a wonderful one as well!

Quote of the Day: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I'm putting all this down in my memoirs, so if I grow up twisted and warped, the world will know why.

2009-01-27T19:56:00.004-05:00

I totally forgot to post my Label Tulip layouts for last month with all the CHA craziness! It was a great kit and I'm really looking forward to the next kit :) They are just so inspiring.

The booth is doing really well at CHA and we're getting lots of orders, so that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy right now. The state of the economy has been worrying me lately but it looks like scrapbooking is doing well! :D

Right now, Sarah's down with some horrid stomach bug and I'm just praying I don't get it. Hopefully she'll nap soon and I can get some sleep after a night of.....I'll spare you the details ;)

Quote of the Day:: Brighton Beach Memoirs

Sneaky Peekies at Heartsong!!

2009-01-19T16:02:00.002-05:00

Shhhh...I'm not sure I'm supposed to be sharing this just yet...but here's some stuff I did with Heartsong!! It's so hard to scrap with your own line (I swear I spend half the time picking it apart!!) so you may recognize the layout designs from some of my previous work. Nothing like scraplifting yourself ;) Here's hoping you love it as much as me :D

Thanks for the lovies :D

2009-01-14T18:02:00.002-05:00

Thanks for the lovies on the new line, chicas! Makes me all warm and toasty on this FRIGID day in NY....brrrrr!!! I should have them in my hands on Saturday and I can't wait. I got to see my own proofs this time around (color issues again...what else is new??) and in person, they look soooo sweet. Don't get me wrong, I love them on screen too, but there's nothing like holding them in your hands ;)

Speaking of which, there will be some awesome Dream Street giveaways on the Dream Street blog during the week of CHA. And there might just be one here as well. I'll keep ya updated ;)

I posted my sneaks on the Label Tulip blog, but I figured I'd put them here as well. This was a great kit to work with, especially the Valentine add on. Not too much pink, lots of hearts, red and kraft. How can you go wrong?? Join us on the board tomorrow night for the reveal of the January kit and the amazing Tulip Girls Gallery! See you there!

I know who I am! I'm the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude!

2009-01-12T01:19:00.005-05:00

It's that time again!! The time of year when I bite my nails down to nothing and then give up on doing said nails after the fifth coat of Staz-on ink has coated them yet again. Yes people, it's winter CHA time! And Dream Street has seen it fit to print another line I've put together for our scrapping pleasure. eeeeeek. I'm excited to hear what people say about it (do they like the colors, the patterns I've chosen to put together, the theme, etc.) but I'm also terrified of the fact that people will not like it. I think I've developed a pretty tough skin after releasing seven paper lines, but alas, the anonimity of the internet can sometimes bring out the worst in people. But let's not dwell on my need to make everyone happy, (btw, thanks mom for that lovely trait :P ). Let's just get on with the goods!!

So, here it is! Heartsong :D It reminds me of my youth, of spring, of my daughter and most of all of the joy of just letting lose and having fun. I hope it inspires some great scrapping for all of you :)

And please, check out the Dream Street blog all week long. I'll be posting all SIX of our next collections, one each day. So check back often :)

And thanks again for the continued support, guys. You make going through the craziness of this biz well worth it! HUGS!!

Quote of the Day: Tropic of Thunder. (Robert Downey, jr.)

Reality, it is so much more interesting than happily ever after

2009-01-05T12:07:00.004-05:00

It's about that time again! CHA is around the corner and the sneak peeks are starting! I love this time of year. It's just the spark I need to get back into the swing of things. I haven't had it in me to scrap the past two+ weeks. I'm hoping the mojo comes back since the new Label Tulip kit is on the way and it's gorgeous yet again.

Thanks for the continued emails/inquiries about Dawn and her daughter Lexi. I guess the best I can say is that they are doing as well as can be expected. Dawn is so strong. I admire her strength so much. And Lexi is her usual bundle of energy, but you can see she is starting to understand. Everytime I think about it I wish that there was more I could do. I'm praying for winter to go by quickly. It seems just so depressing and I think the spring weather will really help them. Being cooped up in the house isn't great for anyone.

Not sure if I posted this, but I am sitting this CHA out. I think this is the first show in three years that I'm not going to. I just feel like I should be around my family right now. And I'm doing a bit of reprioritizing as well. Got lots of plans in the works ;)

So the one sneak peek I can show you right now from Dream Street is the adverstisement that was in the January issue of Creating Keepsakes! It's on page 60 :) My collection is one of those three. Can you guess which one??? Let me first just say that the colors are WAY more saturated and gorgeous than they look in jpeg format in the mag. Thankfully, when they print in CMYK format for the paper, they look exactly like I planned them to ;)

So, which one is mine? Here's a hint. It's a little different for me, perhaps a little "softer". ;) ;)

Quote of the Day: Grey's Anatomy

Happy New Year Everyone!!

2008-12-31T12:53:00.003-05:00

Here's some more of the December Daily album! I still have to do the past week's events....nothing big....just Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, NYE....ya know..the small stuff :P

We're having people over tonight after going to our fav restaurant. Live music, awesome Italian food. You can't go wrong! Then I have a feeling a battle of Rock Band and Scene It on the 360 will follow :D

I hope everyone has a safe and FUN NYE!!

BTW, thanks Heather for the heads up on the missing songs, lol! I'll link 'em up in the next post :D

Best of 2008 According to me PART TWO

2008-12-29T20:27:00.011-05:00

Five Favorite layouts of the year (I think....it's hard to narrow it down...so many have such personal meaning to me!)

Five Favorite Photos of the Year: Of course they're all of Sarah...nothing makes a photo more special than having the love of your life in them!

Favorite Songs of the Year:

Favorite Movie of the Year (revised!!): The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Because of it's profound emotional resonance and it's visually stunning scenes, this is a movie I know I will love for years to come.

Favorite Male Eye Candy of the Year: Robert Downey Jr. Yum. Yum. Double Yum.

Favorite Place to chat online: Label Tulip

Best Kit Club: Label Tulip Kit Club. Cindee and Cathy create such utterly inspiring kits every month. The mix of the papers, colors, embellishments and unique finds make their kits the best out there! And to top it off, the community is totally sweet and supportive. You can't get better than that :)

There just might be a Part Three if I can get to it before Wednesday! We're hosting the eve's festivities so we'll see just how much "me" time I can squeeze in before that, lol. Does it ever end?? I hope not :D

The Best of 2008 According to Me - Part One

2008-12-25T23:15:00.034-05:00

So here are my favorite things of 2008! A little bit of everything from my crazy world to yours :D ENJOY!!

Best Debut Album and all around hottie: David Cook, hands down.

Favorite Purchase of the Year: Finally, the home of my dreams :D

Favorite Etsy Artist of 2008: Lisa Evans

Fragrance that Makes Me Feel LIke I'm a Hottie again: Deisel Fuel For Life

Fav Makeup (Never have I gotten so many compliments on my skin!): bareMinerals

Favorite Mac Function: Making Your Mac Say Anything You Want, lol. And I mean anything. Open Terminal and type- say hello. Type say and anything else you like. You can chance voices and add a key stroke so you can highlight bascially any text and have your mac speak it back to you in System Preference>Speech. Tons of fun to annoy people around you ;)

Best TV Character: Lafayette from True Blood. Oh my effing hell.. LOVE.

Most Awesome Search Engine: Search Me. Forget list view. This search engine lets you flip through each website. A must for any mac lover. It's got the ease of Itunes album view for the Web.

Coolest Site for Checking out Children's Books on the Web: Lookybook

Favorite Gizmo of the Year: Itouch and all my new apps.

Favorite Itouch Apps: Grocery IQ, Word Up!, TwitterFon, KidsCards, Labrynth

Clothing Store with the best fashions this year: Anthropologie. Amazing fabrics and classic design with a touch of the vintage kitch I crave.

Most awesome piece of furniture I'm not allowed to own: Mackenzie Child's tree bed.

Best Meltdown and Comeback: Britney Spears. The girl has a ways to go still, but talk about a round trip to hell and back. Here's hoping she working on her mental health as much as she is her body. Because damn, she looks GOOD!

Best Foreign Film: Let the Right One In. If you love coming-of-age flicks, this one's got an awesome bite ;)

Favorite Hair Product: Fekkai Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse. Makes my hair like silk. No grease. And I barely need to flat iron...I KNOW!!

Best Kid's Toy: Leapfrog Tag Reading System
Most Enthralling, Addicting Books...pretty much EVER: Twilight Series

Best Mindless TV Show: Tie - Rachel Zoe Project/True Blood/Intervention

Favorite Scrapbook Tool: Basic Grey Magnetic Mat. I can not scrap without it. I no longer fear leaving a layout out overnight that hasn't been glued down. It even stands up to Sarah and Dixie :)
Favorite Movie of the Year: Iron Man. I could stare at Robert Downey Jr. in a body suit allll day loooong.

Favorite Fashion Trend: The Summer Scarf. Which I wore all year!

Part Two is on its way!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T00:16:00.002-05:00

Create your very own robot holiday song here :P
I hope your holiday is filled with love and laughter :D

I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins

2008-12-23T18:00:00.007-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone! We did our final trip to the mall today. Basically just for fun :P I know, who goes to the mall two days before xmas for fun? Apparently we do. We live so close and the sales are so insane that I just had to pick up a few winter tops for Sarah at Children's Place and the Gap. After a few goes on the rides there (Sarah loves the pretend rollercoaster- makes me nauseous) and some McD's for the little one, we headed to the grocery store for some last minute ingredients. I host Christmas Eve at our home. I like to make a simple lasagna with mushrooms marinated in red wine on the side. It's filling, fast, and leaves some room for hot cocoa and cookies in front of the fireplace!

Check this out to see Sarah and I on the news! We visited Portrait Bug to take photos with the most amazing Santa. Sarah usually refuses to sit on Santa's lap and will cry the whole way through. But this year, because she was able to hang out with him and he was super sweet to her, she actually sat for a few photos. And guess what! ABC World news was there doing a story on Santa and actually used her photo and footage :D

Here's a great FREE calendar from the awesome people at Mibo. I found it on someone's blog but, of course, I opened the link and then closed the blog window, so I have no idea who to give credit for the great find. But it was too awesome not to share!

I decided to share my Dec 08 month in the life mini album a few pages at a time. I fell in love with Christine Middlecamp's minialbum, but since I couldn't take her class all the way over here in NY, I did my very own take on it. The October Afternoon papers are just awesome to work with. I loved every minute of making it. I think there might be a few more 'month in the life' books in my future! I wanted to do a daily album, but I knew the pressure of taking a photo everyday and making 31 pages wouldn't work for me and my short attention span. :P

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone! Hug your loved ones tight and enjoy every single moment. Even when you want to pull your hair out and get back into bed with the cookies you just made since no one deserves them but you :P :P :P I kid!! Merry Christmas!

Quote of the Day: Elf

Don't throw me down, Clark. I'll try not to Aunt Bethany

2008-12-22T13:54:00.012-05:00

We're all pressing forward around here. Keeping things as normal as possible for the kiddos. Presents are wrapped, shopping is done and I'm back to scrapping here and there. It helps to keep busy. Thank you so much for all the comments and the emails. They really touched my heart and I extended your prayers and well wishes to both Dawn and Lexi. They are so greatly appreciated. BIG HUGE HUGS.

This month was difficult scrapping wise, but I managed to get some simple layouts done for the ever awesome Label Tulip kit. It was jam packed with great graphic prints that made it very easy to scrap with. I stuck with a lot of color blocking and used the Heidi Swapp circles on almost every layout. Love those!

Sarah was in her first play last week with Lexi at their school. They were both angels in the 3 year old version of the Nativity. lol. It was too cute. Especially when Sarah picked her nose for two minutes! She's so shy so it was great that she got out there and sang her songs.

And I must take this opportunity to tell the world that Trey is no longer "ass of the year" and has now graduated to "cutest ass of the year". I kid I kid :P Without him, life would be unbearable. Thanks for all you do and I love you, baby :D (Yes, he reads this blog, but I would say it anyway:)

I'll be back tomorrow to post my Month in the Life minibook. It's my first one and I'm really happy I did it. One of my resolutions for 2009 is to stop stressing so much and to make scrapbooking more like fun and less like work. The Month in the Life mini album was the first project in months that I made for my family. When Trey saw it, he asked when I needed to mail/photograph/post it. When I said it was for us, his eyes lit up. "You made that for us?" he said. And that made me feel a pang of guilt. It made me realize I lost sight of what scrapbooking is really about. It's about my family's memories more than anything else. I think that will keep this hobby fresh and exciting for me in 2009.

Thanks again for all of your support, guys. Major hugs.
Quote of the Day: Christmas Vacation

Don't ask why, there isn't an answer this time...

2008-12-19T18:01:00.004-05:00

I've let the blog sit for a while. A lot has happened and I just didn't want to type about it, lest it become more like reality and not like a nightmare we might all wake up from. I know I've written and posted photos of Sarah's best friend Lexi on this blog before. They are like sisters. And as thier parents, all four of us became like family as well. We vacationed together, lunched every week, spoke on the phone and spent countless days/nights together. Like last Friday. We planned to go into the city with the kids to see the tree and celebrate Brian's 48th birthday. Instead, Brian passed away that morning. On his birthday. Leaving his wife and 3 year old daughter behind. We don't know why. We probably never will. But we do know that they are now more a part of this family than ever. Anything they need, we will be there. In Brian's memory. Always.

It's hard to even type about this. And maybe I just won't. Maybe we'll wake up soon. Because these things should not happen. Ever.

Transfer to Washington. Transfer to Jefferson. No one at Westerberg is going to let you play their reindeer games

2008-12-07T18:46:00.006-05:00

Sarah's kiddie birthday party just ended and we're all basically decompressing on the couch watching Shrek :P Here's some randomness that's I've been meaning to post but never got to.

We visited Portrait Bug a couple weeks ago because IT"S OPEN!!! The store looks fabulous. Totally boutique-like. Love. Everything is organized by color, which basically makes me want to live in the store. A rainbow of scrap goodness surrounds you at all times. It's heaven....imagine a rainbow of Thickers surrounding the most gorgeous chandelier ever. If you've ever wanted to come to NY, here's just another reason to visit!

Sarah also took some photos with Santa in the portrait studio that day. She's been deathly afraid of Santa all her life, but this year, she was actaully able to hang out with him, so the photos came out much better than in past years. She almost as a full smile.....but you can kinda see the fear in her eyes. "OH NO! The man who brings me toys is here...EEEEEK" :P

If you're in the NYC area and need some awesome photographs, check out Portrait Bug. I'm headed back for a new headshot that doesn't include me looking in the bathroom mirror and subsequently cropping out the camera in CS2....
And here's a simple layout I did a while back for PB but totally forgot to post. It based on the flicker bar I keep seeing on people's blogs lately. If I had a flickr account, I would have to have the same one. But since I don't and wouldn't use it if I did (I'm amazed I remember to blog) I did a layout inspired by it.

Time to clean up this disaster area....happy happy joy joy...maybe one more cupcake before i start? ;)

Quote of the day: Heathers

Well that was absurd, let's eat dead bird...

2008-12-03T22:08:00.007-05:00

I've been MIA, but for good reason! I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time this year. And it was awesome. Food was great, company was fun, Sarah loved every minute of it and we had leftovers for days :D

This week has been filled with Sarah's multiple birthday parties (and preparations for each), Dream Street final proofs and rubons were due, making digi xmas cards for business and personal use, yada yada yada. It's been insane!

Thanks for all the comments on the Xmas card! We ended up going with the first one. They've been ordered, received, stuffed and half addressed...go me. Thank again :D

Sarah's fourth birthday was today :D We ate cupcakes, played with her new little "guys" (she loves tiny dolls and figurines - she got the Sleeping Beauty set today), snuggled, made our own band with her new instruments and basically had an awesome day! She also had a party at school, lunch with gma, and a family party tonight. It was like a mini Xmas around here! She has her friend party this weekend...can't wait!

BTW, if you're looking for a cool toy for your preschooler, I highly recommende the new Tag Reading System from Leap Frog. Amazing product.

We also had our fair share of bad luck this week. My tooth fell apart in my mouth. Pain. And my dentist is on vacay (my luck) so I had to see some other guy.

Then, on the same night, my dear hubbie decided to drive me to an early grave...the man, heretofore lovingly referred to as "ass", decided to put a half a pound of cooked pasta down the sinkerator....which got clogged (DUH) and then proceeded to explode out of the bathroom sink located behind the kitchen. A river of capellini flowed into the hallway and through half the kitchen. Sarah took the opportunity to wade through said river and pick up the strands of pasta as they rushed by her feet. :P

Finally, trey tapped it off somehow....minutes later he's standing in front of the sink again trying to figure out what to do....meanwhile pressure is building rapidly....and POW....HUGE burst of water knocks him the heck down...with flying pasta mind you. You had to be there. Had it not been my kitchen I would have died from hysterics!

300 bucks and a hole in my bathroom wall later, i would like nominate him for "ass of the year". (love ya hun!)

Anyway, I'm off to hopefully work some scrappy magic into my schedule tonight. I leave you with an awesome stamp sale over at Label Tulip. And a photo because what would a post be without some sort of photo?

Loves!

Quote of the day: Home for the Holidays

I kinda had an awesome day ;)

2008-11-25T18:01:00.003-05:00

It was a good day all around. I was asked by Melanie (mellypea) over at 2ps to be one of the peas they profile in November. I was given some awesome goodies to work with from the 2ps store and then posted my creations in the gallery today. I've been a member of 2ps for so long and I really felt honored to do some work especially for them. That site has been the source of so much inspiration, laughter and friendship for many years. It was an honor to do the projects and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

And then, to top it off.......my layout was picked as the featured layout of the day!! A double honor day. Love that. For real. Does it get better? And the comments from the peas always make me smile. Sharing something you've created with others and having them love it as much as you do has to be the ultimate reward in this hobby. (Because it sure ain't money, bwahahaha!!)

I finished my Thanksgiving shopping and set the table. Tonight I need to edit Trey's firm's holiday photograph and then create a holiday card for them. I have to be very restrained with my style when I do corporate stuff, but it's money, right? And I soooo need some of that.

Last night was a blast, as well. About 30 of us from town got together, rented out a theater, catered the event with wine and food, and watched Twilight. The first time I saw it was with a bunch of tweens....the squealing was enough to shatter glass. And I wasn't sure if I liked the movie. But the second time I saw it with a glass of wine in hand changed the whole experience. I was able to relive the book and all those moments that made me fall in love with Edward and Bella. I'm either going to read the first book again, or take my mom to the movie. I think I'll do both :P

There's vampire in your cleavage. Here let me get that for you.

2008-11-22T13:25:00.005-05:00

I've got a Christmas card dilemma. I have the two versions above and I can't pick which version I should send out. If anybody wants to post a comment with their favorite one (holiday or joy) I'd be forever grateful! I'm so stuck!!

Tonight I'm heading out with the chicas to see Twilight. At least that's what we plan to do. Sometimes the wine gets in the way of our plans :P

I got a couple layouts and a mini picked up for April Scrapbook Trends. :D :D :D I swear that Label Tulip kit has made me really define my style. I'm not sure what I would do without it!

I've been planning my first Thanksgiving dinner in the new house. YIKES! It's a lot more than I anticipated but I'm sure it'll all work out well in the end. Thankfully, I live about 5 mintues from my father's bagel store now, so he's going to cook the turkey in his enormous oven. Score. I need the oven space for dishes like this and this.

True Blood finale is tomorrow night, which means I'll be rewatching the entire season tomorrow while a finish up a project for a looooooming deadline. Can't wait. It might just be the highlight of my weekend. I would totally be a fangbanger, if that were even possible :P

It's that time again for Dream Street Paper proofs for Winter CHA. And, as usual, nothing goes smoothly on my end! So, this week I'll be editing colors, playing with the rubs again and crossing my fingers that it all works out before I chuck my macbook out the window of a moving vehicle.

It's finally freezing here in NY. And I loves it. But why do even the little ouchies hurt so much more when your fingers are frozen? I swear, I think I'm going to invest in some unfashionable gortex gloves soon.

AND there's a giveaway going on over at the Label Tulip Blog!! You could win all of these goodies::

So, head on over to the blog and post a pic of your messy messy scrap space on our message board! So simple. Sasha will pick a winner and I'll post it on the blog next week!

Quote of the day: True Blood

You're a pain in my butt, you have bad hair. But I like you a lot.

2008-11-15T22:46:00.007-05:00

If you haven't seen Home for the Holidays, with Robert Downey Jr. and Holly Hunter, it's a must see!
Since it's that time of the month again, this will be a photo heavy post - be warned! The Label Tulip kit was awesome again. And the banner kit.....to die for. for real. And I hate to tempt you because it's already sold out (less than an hour after going on sale! - go LT!!)

Plus, I have a little toot to share :) Got a card picked up for the April Cards mag. Totally made my day. Plus I have another secret toot that I CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE! Soon....whether I can spill or not it will be soon because I can't keep it in! :O

We did a mini make-over on the house this month. We got new hardware for the kitchen, a new fireplace screen, new bar stools for the kitchen island, a big ol' clock for the kitchen, repurposed the dining room hutch to be a cool credenza with loads of frames on top in the formal ( I love that my hubbie is handy!!) and got some new drapes for the kitchen and family room. OH! And new drapes for our bedroom along with one of those huge mirrors that lays against the wall. Our room just needs some new paint and it'll be perfecto.

Ok, off to ogle at Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man. Yum.

Quote of the day: Home for the Holidays

It's amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy.

2008-11-12T18:40:00.007-05:00

----

I am busssssy. And I love to be busy, but this is a little much. In a nutshell, tomorrow is my mother's birthday dinner party, Dixie is getting spayed on Friday, I need to finish up three assignments this weekend (totally happy about being swamped in that area!), I'm hosting Thanksgiving/housewarming this year so I've got to get a menu down for 10, the following week is Sarah's 4th birthday so I also have to plan the family party at our house and then her kid party the following Sunday, which will be Gingerbread themed! And somewhere in there I have two Welcoming Club nights - book club and gourmet night. Sheesh. I need two or three more of me. And a couple thousand dollars would help, too. thanks :P

Oh wait, and Twilight is coming out on the 21st so I either need to drive to couple hours and meet my girl Tracey so we can watch it together becase she won't fly her butt up here (I hope you're reading this!!) or just go local. Either way, I CAN NOT WAIT!!!

I got my hair cut today, finally. It was getting way to heavy to even handle. We're talking at least an hour to blow dry. And that's not even completely dry. Julie (my hair bff) thinned it out with lots of chunky layers that look awesome straightened. And she actually made the bangs that I'm trying to grow out look cool. Love her. I think I've sent at least three of my friends to her. She's the absolute B.E.S.T. I should take a photo. perhaps perhaps.

So, on the scrapping front, here is a mini album I did for Crate Paper using the Lemon Grass line (which I LOOOOOVE). And then some sneaks of the great Label Tulip kit for November. I had a blast with this one. Especially the holiday banner kit!!! It's their first kit ever and it rocks. for real.

Tonight I'm going to nurse some serious pms and drown myself in some great music and/or literature. BTW, how gorgeous is this woman??? Seriously, just wow. I have to keep reminding myself that it's her JOB to look that good. And it's my JOB to make cupcakes for Sarah's bday party and test then test them out :P

Quote of the Day: My Best Friend's Wedding

That is just like you, Harry. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you!

2008-11-06T15:50:00.003-05:00

Ok, fun's over. I am officially disgusted with myself. The wieght needs to start coming off. Or I need to at least tone up. Winsor Pilates will become a nightly routine once again. I love those dvds. I just feel great after them and I tone up fairly quickly. (knock wood) Plus, it's only about 20 mintues so I can fit it into my day without the excuse - "i have no time so I can't exercise". We'll see how it goes :P

I finally got to dive into the Crate Paper dt box and created the layouts above! I am so into these fall colors. Lemon Grass has got to be my favorite line to come out all year. It's just so gorgeous. And the Prudence line is satisfying my recent obsession for anything and everything grey. (As I sit here in my grey sweater dress, grey boots, grey nailpolish, and silver jewelry. :P )

I'm finding that with the time change, I'm really so much more tired at night. Unfortunately, that's the only time I get to scrap these days. So, the layouts are coming together slower, but I must say that I actually like them better! So I guess it all works out in the end. Speaking of which, I have my Label Tulip kit in my hands! Only one layout done and one being worked on, but I love it all so far!

Quote of the Day: When Harry Met Sally

Let this be the change that will unite us all and bring hope to the futures of our children

2008-11-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

There is no spoon...

2008-11-04T17:04:00.003-05:00

So, here's the worst photo ever taken of me. Never mind the busted chick in the mirror....the handbag is gorgeous. :P
I haven't even filled this beauty with my stuff yet. Technically, it's my xmas present from the hubs and he's cool with me using it now. But I still can't seem to start using it. I'm in the "admiring" stage for now. Maybe I can get myself to take it out on the town soon. BTW, the camera could not capture how gorgeous the color is on this bag. It's a stunning Navy with cracks in it. love.

Quote of the Day: The Matrix - reminds me that some obstacles are only as big as we perceive them to be. Great advice for me right now.

It's just a jump to the left.....and then a step to the riiiiiight

2008-10-31T10:02:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween!!! I just doing a quick post since we've got a little get together at the house and I've got a couple things left to do!

In shopping news, I just got my new Balenciaga purse in the mail and I AM IN LOVE. I could just stare at it all day :P

In diet news, I'm still fat. Damn the fall holidays and my need for homemade treats!

In Sarah news, she has THREE costumes this year. A Pirate, Batgirl and Ratatiolle. Photos to come. Plus, we've learned that she is tiny. Like in the 10th percentile tiny. LOVE. Since I'm only 5'2" it's kind of expected and I love the fact that she looks the youngest in the class, even though she's the oldest, lol!

In house news, I want to do about a 5 grand worth of improvements. But we can't afford it right now. BOO.

Have a great Halloween everyone!!!

There's an eye in me soup.

2008-10-27T13:55:00.007-04:00

Along with Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride is another one of my favorite Halloween movies. Heck, I watch them all year long. Tim Burton has a direct line to my morbid artsy fartsy heart. And it doesn't hurt that he often uses Johnny Depp in most of his films ;)

I did that layout above for Portrait Bug last month and I totally forgot to post it. oops. Since the layout was about the Empire State Building, I went with a grid look to mimic what the streets looked like from all the way up there. Very graphic for me, but I love I think I love it just the same.

Last night we packaged all the candy treat bags for Sarah's three halloween parties this week. And I didn't eat even one piece. That might be because my eating habits yesterday were slightly less than stellar. In a nutshell, I ate a donut for breakfast, butter cookies for lunch, a full pasta meal with homemade sauce (which means I ate too much of it), apple pie AND a brownie. It was a banner health day at the Hardy home :P

We're off to Sephora now to pick up a couple of these. I leave you with some photos from the pumpkin patch this weekend. Outtie ;)

Quote of the day: Corpse Bride - must see halloween movie!!

Clearly. Respectively.

2008-10-24T01:56:00.004-04:00

We just went to the most awesome pumpkin walk at the Nassau Art Museum. 3,000 hand carved pumkins displayed throughout the gorgeous grounds....spooky music....delicious fall treats....live music for the kiddos. PERFECTION! It was so much fun. Just another of the reasons why I love being a mother. I can live see the beauty of life through my daughter's eyes. Cliche but so so true.

We also got Ghosted last night! Basically, someone comes to your door with a bag of treats and a picture of a ghost. They ring the doorbell and run before you answer. Then it's your job to 1. eat all the candy you got. 2. Hang up the picture of the ghost on your front door to protect your home from ghosts and gouls (and so you don't get ghosted twice) 3. Ghost three other houses withing 48 hours under cover of darkness. We're headed out tomorrow night to return the favor to a friend's house and then two other random houses around our block. I just LOVE this town!!

The photos above are off Sarah and her best friend, Lexi (short for Alexis...too funny). They run to each other, yelling each other's names and collapse into a huge hug. It's like watching a black and white love story. I just hope they stay friends for a long, long time. I'm so happy she has such a close friends, especially since she is an only child.

I'm planning on scrapping with some Crate Paper goodies this weekend so I'll post those soon :D

ETA:: Seriously!! 3,00o pumpkins! It was amazing :D

An entire generation of Cinderellas and there's no glass slipper comin'

2008-10-21T23:09:00.010-04:00

It's that wonderful time of year again, when wearing layers of black and grey clothing, having loooong black hair and eating candy all day is totally acceptable. Ahhh, October. Why can't you last all year??

Sarah now has two costumes for this year. Her Batgirl costume that she wore to Mickey's Not So Halloween Party and her beloved "rat" costume that we just got at Old Navy for half off! She's in love with Remi from Ratatoille so that's who she's saying she is. I was apprehensive at first....I mean, a rat??? But, OH MY HECK did she look absolutely ADORABLE in it. It's all padded and puffy and actually cute like a mouse. The best part is that she loves to run around it all day and it makes me want to snuggle with her 24/7.

Sarah has been doing really well in school. She's made so many adorable craft projects that I've been photographing for an upcoming mini book. And her teacher says her favorite part of the day is craft time. Like mother, like daughter!

My hair is officially WAY too long, like 4 inches too long, so I think I'm going to get it cut. Not sure if I'm going to do layers or just blunt cut it all the way around. Decisions decisions....

It "only" cost $50 to fill my tank today. Soooo much better than $75 but still not great.

The pumpkin pie from last week came out scrumptious!! So this week we are trying our hand at an apple pie. I think Sarah's the one with the culinary ability since I've never been all that good at baking. But I must say the breaded shrimp we made tonight came out AWESOME!

I really want to see a good movie...any recommendations??

I leave you with one of my favorite scenes from a movie....ever.

Quote of the Day: Almost Famous

But last time I did not receive a piece...

2008-10-16T17:43:00.008-04:00

Classic line from Office Space. I love that movie. So here are all my layouts from the most recent October Label Tulip kit. This kit seriously just flowed for me like no other. The layouts almost did themselves. I love when that happens! Stress free, fun scrapping. It doesn't get better than that!

I had Sarah's first parent/teacher conference today. To put it lightly, I was a mess! I used to do 20 parent teacher conferences in a night when I was teaching, but I never realized just how nerve wracking it is for the parents on the other side! Thank goodness all is wonderful with her. She's opening up to all the kids (she was very shy!), she loves craft projects, self initiates play with others, recognizes all letters, colors and shapes ( although she confused the rectangle and the square - hello, she's three...i think that's fine!). She even spelled mommy for me today. And thankfully the massive attitude she's been displaying at home has not made it to school. Luckily she saves those precious moments for me :P

I just baked my very first pumpkin pie and I'm praying that it comes out tasty. Sarah had a ball helping me so either way it was well worth the experience! And she only dropped on egg and two dirty spoons...not too bad :P

If you aren't watching True Blood, you must start. Lafayette is seriously my favorite character right now. I literally rewind his dialogues and replay them over and over again. Flippin hilarious.

Today was muggy and humid and nasty. I am NOT happy about that, mother nature. Please fix that for tomorrow...thanks so much.

Sneakage....

2008-10-14T16:57:00.003-04:00

I'm back from an awesome vacay...details are coming soon. Today is Trey's birthday so we're headed out tonight and then we have a jam packed weekend of dinners, a play and some oyster festivities!

I can't wait to post some photos from Mickey's Halloween night so I'm going to start editing them asap. For now, here are some sneaks from the October Label Tulip kit. I have been craving all things autumn so this kit absolutley spoke to me this month.

Ok, off to shower and beautify this wretched face before the birthday boy gets home :D

One Last Post

2008-10-05T13:38:00.003-04:00

. . .before I head off on a jet plane to visit with THE mouse! I feel like it's been a while since I've posted a good old scrapbook post so here it comes....

I did all of these layouts for Portrait Bug, which should be open this month! You can check out supply lists on the Portrait Bug Blog and then buy them directly from the store if you feel so inclined ;)

I hope they inspire you to scrap in some small way!

Dream Street DT Additions!!

2008-10-03T18:25:00.002-04:00

Here are the wonderful and talented chicas we have chosen to add to the existing (and awesome) Dream Street team!

Michelle Lanning
Linda Harrison
Danielle Flanders
Nicole Stark
Sherry Wright
Wendy McKee

We wanted to add SOOO many more, so if you don't see your name up there, wait for the Guest DT list to come out. Twelve more amazing designers will be creating with our papers throughout the year and it could be you! I can't wait for that list to go up. I think I love it as much as I love the Design Team list :)

As an aside, why is it that I can't buy jeans for less than $200??? I tried, like FOR REAL, tried on at least twenty pairs ranging from $70 to $200. After much sweating and sucking in the old spare tire, the ones that fit me best were the most expensive. GRRR!! But my Colombian bootay looks like you could bounce a quarter off it. :P This time I went for True Religion jeans since they have the stretch I love and the most flattering fit on the extra 15 pounds I'm carrying around my middle...puke. I love my Sevens but they just seem to make my muffin top all that more muffin-y. SO not the looking I"m going for this fall.

I"m going to spend the weekend nursing this headache, packing, washing clothes, planning and packing some scrap supplies so I can do some Label Tulip layouts that are due when I get back.

OH!! And Sarah asked for a PRINCESS DOLL TODAY!! Of course, I bought it. She wanted Jasmine...GLITTER Jasmine at that. Perhaps she really is a girly girl after all!

Have a great friday night everyone!

Con muchos besos, abrazos, y muchos bendiciones de Dios

2008-10-01T23:24:00.006-04:00

ok, have you seen the latest Mohawk flooring commercial?? With the Rubix cube! I am so doing that with a bunch of pattern paper and a photo. asap. I think I'll be packing a cube in my luggage to Disney....dual purpose...entertainment on the plane AND a new palette to work some magic on. Be on the lookout for that in the near future ;)

The layout above has been a long time in the making. Not in the planning so much, but in the trepidation of actually completing it. The photo reminds me of my Awi (my toddler-speak way of saying 'abuelita' which stuck for two generations), who passed away a couple of years ago. It's not a photo of her, per se, but a photo that reminds me of her love for my daughter. She gave Sarah the little puppy toy in the photo. We still have it today. It's beaten up but I cherish it, as I always will. Awi used to rock Sarah to sleep, holding her for hours. You could tell that her arms were hurting and that it was hard for her to hold her for so long, but she wouldn't put her down. Not for anything. The bond they shared was beautiful. As was the bond I shared with her. She was "my Awi". And I miss her more than words could ever express. So this layout was very hard to get through. It needed to be soft and beautiful, like she was. It needed to be fun because she always loved to laugh and dance around with us. It needed to feel like some of my best work, because her memory is worth that, at the very least. And i think I achieved that for me. I just wish she could see it.

Ok, enough tears over here. On a lighter note, my girl Amy is having a very cool guest dt call for her digi designs. I design with her stuff so I can say first hand.....she does flippin' awesome designs. Clean, crisp, great colors and always some added element to fall in love with and want to use over and over again. Plus, only one month of commitment. How could you go wrong!!

On a side note, wth was up with those dresses on Project Runway? I"m off to watch rzoe project...hoping that will be much more inspiring. Plus, I'm still on the fence with Tay....love her most of the time but I also want to slap her :P

Quote: Some of the last words my Awi wrote to Sarah - 2nd birthday card.

Let's turn on the juice and see what shakes loose...

2008-09-30T22:28:00.004-04:00

I'm around and creating some stuff but I can't share any of it yet :( But my Dixie dog is in the September issue of Scrapbook Trends! It's my first published digi layout so that's kinda cool. I think everyone in the family has been a mag or idea book at this point. oooo, except my grandparents. Need to work on that one so they're not jealous or anything :P I kiiiiid, I kiiiiiiid.

I'm headed to Florida/Disney on Sunday so expect some radio silence from me next week. We'll be doing the "not so scary mickey's halloween" at night.....sooo stoked about that. Sarah is going as Batgirl. Can you tell she's her father's daugher? She wants me to be a princess and Trey to be a pirate. So off we go to the costume store tomorrow. Should be fun....i haven't worn pink in DECADES. At least I'll get another use out of the tiara from my wedding. What was that about?

As soon as portrait bug puts up my work I'll post it here, too. I can't wait to share what i did with their goodies. The store should be open soon!

I also need to confess to the diet gods. I ate a big mac today. and it was glorious while i ate it. but now that i think about it....ewwww. One every year can't kill you, right?

Quote of the Day: Beetlejuice

Meet the new Tulip Girls!!

2008-09-27T15:31:00.002-04:00

WOOHOO!! I'm back on the Label Tulip team and I couldn't be more ecstatic! I've been on a few kit clubs and I have to say that no other kit kicks my mojo into high gear like this one does. And to work with the talent on this team (and the last 2 teams because they have seriously rocked my socks as well) is just awesome. I'm going to add a side bar with links to the new tg's blogs this weekend. I love how all of our styles are totally different. It's gonna be a-mazing to see how we all rock the same kit. awesome.

I'm nursing a hangover so that's all for now. Just a word of caution...if you ever plan on hangin' in Brooklyn, where your boots and be ready for just about anything :P

You are an obsession, you're my obsession...

2008-09-23T14:22:00.001-04:00

Yellowish gold shoes. One flat. One Pump. CHECK
Yellowish gold handbag.....still searching.....

Story of my life. I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.

2008-09-22T12:10:00.008-04:00

I love True Blood. So much so that I usually "rewind" it as I'm watching so that it lasts longer. Plus, I'll only watch it in HD because it deserves to be viewed with as much definition as possible.

I just bought these boots in grey and I'm in love. They have a hidden heel but they look flat. In other words, I'll look taller than my towering 5 foot 2 inch stature.

Sarah is really starting to enjoy having company over to the house. She shows them around and even points out her favorite spots to play. It's really beyond cute to watch her. But at the same time it's kind of sad. She's growing up so fast now!

I'm scrapping today for ME. You heard me right. FOR ME. No manufacturer, store, kit club or magazine involved. SHOCK. It's been a while since I've done this just for fun. I think I remember why I started scrapping in the first place!

I can't eat enough of these. I would eat two a day. They really taste like ice cream to me. YUMMO.

I'm kinda over people asking me when I'm going to have another child. For anyone else who might be wondering, not now. I'm just not feeling it. My last pregnancy was very difficult and included 6 months of bed rest. I also lost weight instead of gained. And I'm not all that positive that Sarah would understand why mommy needed to lay down all day. Maybe when she's in full time school...maybe.....

Grey's Anatomy starts Thursday. Two hour Premier. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

I gave Sarah a haircut the other day. Those cutterbee scissors are great on hair. It's a little uneven, but when you consider the fact that I've never cut hair before and that Sarah was wriggling around the entire time, it's not bad at all.

We're off to Target for some shopping. What would a week be without dropping a handful of cash over to them anyway?

Quote of the Day: Some Like It Hot

You're going to be bad for business, I can tell.

2008-09-19T09:50:00.005-04:00

I have my windows open right now and I'm actually a little chilly. I needed the covers pulled up to my face this morning with the cool breeze coming in my bedroom window. My 'way too long' hair is down and I'm not sweating. Basically, IT'S FALL WEATHER and I'm ECSTATIC!!!

The layout above is the first digi I've done in a long time. I'd say at least two months or more. It was great to flex those skills again. I forgot who wonderful it is to manipulate every one of your elements to be exactly the size you need. Thickers just can't do that :P Everything is from Audrey Neal's new Bohemian Autumn kit at We Are Storytellers. I found some pics of Sarah in the pumpkin patch from last year that I didn't scrap. I love how things work out like that. I would never have scrapped them if it weren't for this kit coming out before we visited the pumpkin patch this year. I always scrap my new photos first and some great ones inevitably get lost in the the shuffle.

I've got some great design team news. Dream Street is having a design team call!!! I'm dying to have some great designers on the team who can work a layout with that special something that makes you just want to stare at the layout all day. Lucky us that we have found some wonderful women already and only need to add 4 new members to the team. But we'll also be adding 12 guest designers! So seriously, that's some really good odds of getting a spot. Plus, we literally have 'something for everyone'. Each of our lines are so different so you're bound to find something you can't wait to design with. And Tara.....she is a rock for all of us AND she just basically rocks in general. I'd try out if I didn't already get all the paper :P
I can't wait to see all of your entries!!

Plus, Label Tulip's design team call ends tomorrow I think, so get you're stuff in quick chicas! That kit BEYOND rocks my world. Best kit out there in my humble opinion :D

Quote of the Day: Moulin Rouge

Over the mysteries of female life there is drawn a veil best left undisturbed.

2008-09-16T14:16:00.005-04:00

Having one of those weeks where nothing I do seems to satisfy me. My house isn't clean enough, my work isn't good enough, my cooking isn't tasty enough, my clothes don't fit right. I just have those BLAH blues this week. Could have something to do with the time of the month :P

But this definitely made me laugh last night. If you were standing outside my bedroom door, this is what you would have heard:

me: laughing at some cute thing she said
sarah: "Can you actually stop the laughing now?"
me: laughing harder "Ok, baby"
(off in the distance someone in the house passes gas - SOOOOO not me - guess that leaves you trey :P )
sarah: "Can you actually stop the farting please?"
me: "bwahahahaha...that was daddy, sarah!"
(silence for a couple minutes. I turn my head and exhale.)
sarah: Can you stop breathing through your nose? It's driving me crazy!
me: laughing (I wanted to say "excuse me for breathing" but I know she would have picked that one up and used it against me at some future date. This kid is quick....can't give her more ammunition than I'm ready to handle, lol.

While Sarah was in school today, I cleaned and vacuumed my scraproom. It's still a hot mess with boxes all piled in one corner, but until I get enough money saved up to buy another piece of furniture, that is where it is going to stay. I hate it but I've got no choice other than to deal with it. What I'm really looking for is a storage bench that will look pretty closed with some pillows, but at the same time house the chaos. I found a great one at Pier 1, but of course they discontinued it. Just my luck. ETA:: Pier 1 found one for me!!! And at half off! Things like this don't happen to me so someone up there must have known I needed a smile this week...thanks ;)

The Label Tulip reveal was last night and it was an awesome one! I love what the other TG's did with this kit. Such a great mix of talent at that site. Here's what my feeble mind came up with during the mighty waves of hormones and bloating that plagued me this weekend. TMI much??

I'm gonna go change the laundry out and fold about a hundred tiny pairs of white socks. I swear it's a form of chinese water torture, isn't it!

Quote of the Day: Little Women

Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair.

2008-09-13T17:02:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if people realize that the titles to my blog posts are all quotes from movies or songs. If not, there's got to be a few people out there who think I totally flunked the "find the main idea in the title" portion of fourth grade. Maybe I'll start posting the source of the quotes at the end of each post from now on. Kinda like a bonus tidbit of information, just to say thanks for visiting my blog.....I'm generous like that :P

So up there, as you may have already guessed, are my Label Tulip sneaks. I should just copy and paste my Label Tulip paragraph every month, since every month I say the same thing. And this month is no exception. LOVED it. GORGEOUS. Don't miss it!! The kit and the addons are PACKED with new CHA loot :D

And guess who just graced the pages of Scrapbooks Etc. again after about a year or so of no love. Yup, you guess it...ME! Page 55. I think my style sticks out like a soar thumb, but hey, it's me and I happen to actually like me right now. SHOCK.

Sarah's first week of school went wonderfully. She was sold by her new school when she discovered the green playdoh on the art table. Green is her favorite color. Upon seeing it she exclaimed "It's GREEEEEEN. My Favorite Color! Oh My GOSH!" She had the new finger action going on, too. I need to take a photo of that since words can not describe the cuteness factor of this new move.

Everyday I notice how much Sarah is like me. We're homebodies....totally love a good book, a good tv show or even just some paint, pencils, crayons, and paper. Thank goodness the shows she loves are educational because some days, it's nearly impossible to separate her from the tube. She loves to play with it on in the background. I am seriously amazed at how much she learns from it. She's got her sounds down pat, letters are a breeze, she can compare and make great connections, and is now learning some great science terms. She told me not to eat her playdoh egg the other day since it was old and "decaying". And to think, all we had was Sesame Street and Scoobie Doo :P

Quote of the Day: Steel Magnolias

Smile, it enhances your face value.

2008-09-09T21:29:00.005-04:00

Just a few photos from the road trip to Pennsylvania. I haven't played around with my ps actions in so long, so these were a blast to edit. Sometimes, I just love photos to look totally played with. They add that little amount of character and whimsy that I can't yet achieve on my own with the camera. I think my goal for 2009 is going to be to take a good photography course around here. Maybe I'll ask for that for xmas ;)

I love that swing ride soooo much. It's pretty much the closest you can get to flying, for me at least. I'll never, repeat, NEVER jump out of a plane or off a cliff unless my life depended on it. And even then, maybe not. I love the wind in my hair mixed with the slight fear that a chain will break loose and my little swing will fly hundreds of feet through the air towards my impending doom. :P

I just got my Label Tulip kit, which of course means I'm itching to create. Plus, our Potrait Bug meeting went great, as usual, so i've got some more goodies from the store to play with as well. Btw, the online store is up and running, which is a very dangerous thing for my wallet. I had to get the new Thickers and more of the Cosmo Cricket lines. LOVE those sooo much.

Plus, you won't believe what i got at Urban Outifitters on 50% sale. I got a bunch of stretch canvas prints from Creative Thursday, an awesome faux wood lamp base, and some great fall gear that I was in dire need of. Sarah got some Ugg boots - which I hate on me but look oh so cute on her. After we tried on about three different pairs of boots, she put on the Ugg's and said "ahh, these are the perfect ones!"

Plus, True Blood started this past weekend and it was AWEsome. I can't get enough of the whole vampire lore lately, so this is right up my alley. And having the main character be a strong willed, smart, respect-demanding chick with an affection for vamps is nothing short of perfection.

Honey even if I were in jail, I wouldn't have that....situation

2008-09-04T21:04:00.004-04:00

We're busy getting ready for Sarah's first day of preschool on Monday! She's been going to this same school with the same teacher for the past year and a half so it won't be such a big deal to her. But on Tuesday's and Thursday's she'll be going to a new preschool program as well. Since she misses the cutoff date by TWO DAYS, she'll always be the oldest in her class. And since the preschool class she qualifies for is for 3 year olds, I'm afraid she'll feel bored. When we went for the interview with her teacher, they said they'd be starting by teaching the children the letters in their names. Well, Sarah knows all her letters and the majority of the sounds that go with them. She can sound out very simple words and even write a handful of letters. (She's still stumped by the squiggly ones, lol) She's also adding single digits. So, I'm letting her stay in the class she's been in (which is where she learned the phonics in the first place) and then adding in the new preschool so she can make more friends and be in a more school-like environment with centers. If the four days is too much for her, we'll cut back. But I doubt it. Two hours a day seems to be perfect for her :)

In other news, the Portrait Bug blog is doing 7 days of giveaways, so head on over there and check out the goods! Plus, the online store preview is finally up. So cute. There's even a DT picks section where I get to list the products I like to use best. So if you were ever wondering what my scraproom is stocked with, keep tabs on that section, lol. You can be a supply hoarder too, just follow my lead :P

The card up there will be on the Portrait Bug blog soon with a tutorial on how to make the little cupcake liner "skirt". After seeing a bunch of people use the cupcake liners on SIStv, I knew I had to give it my own spin.

OOOoooo, plus Label Tulip is doing a DT call. They have the absolute B.E.S.T. kits around. And it is an absolute pleasure to work for them. NO drama, clear communication and only the best and latest products mixed in a way that'll make your creative juices overflow with mojo. You know I'm gonna try out again!! I simply MUST. Who's gonna join me!?!

Can't fight against the youth, 'cause we're strong. . . them are rude rude people

2008-08-30T10:39:00.005-04:00

"Sarah, why do Darth Vadar and Luke have buckets on their heads?"
"Because they need them for winter. It's cold."
:D

Labor Day weekend is heeeeere!!! We've got lots of little things do to around the house (like hang shelves and unpack some MORE boxes) and then we're off to Pennsylvania. We're packing up the car and taking the 3+ hour drive with another couple and thier 3 year old daughter to a great theme park called Dutch Wonderland. It caters completely to preschool kids so I'm sure the girls will LOVE it. We're spending the night at a nearby hotel with an indoor pool and then heading to the Hershey Chocolate Factory on tuesday (yummmmmmy) and then to the Crayola Factory on the way back to NY. Basically, we're planning on a couple days that the little ones will never forget :) We're all staying in one suite so when the kids fall asleep the adults can hang together and not have to worry about the kids needing to be watched in separate rooms. Because we need to have a little fun, too!

My new baby.....isn't she pretty!?! Can't wait to use her tonight :)

As for today, I need to do my dt requirements for Portrait Bug with all the loot we got at the last dt meeting. I"m excited to mess up my little scraproom with pretty scraps of paper and tiny little 3-d foam adhesive squares. Thank goodness I have my own room now. When I scrap, I have to have EVERYTHING out around me in a big messy circle. Then I sit in the middle and grab what I need. When you design for a store, you can only use the products they have in the actual store, so this method works great. I can have all their products around me and not even touch what's in my drawers. It makes the creative process somewhat easier I guess. I have WAY too much stuff to have to think about using all of it. I need limits :P

I was thinking of changing my blog format again. I realized that since I have this one set on wide format that some readers may have to scroll to see read the entries. That kind of sux and I'm sorry if you've had to do that! Maybe I'll play with some ideas on the long ride to Penn. I'd love to use a template since they have such cute ones out there now. But then again, i know digi too well to not do it myself. Unless of course I get lazy :P

This post is getting entirely too long, lol. I've got some new Sarah news to share, but I'll save that for the next post. Suffice to say, she's adorable, moody, and getting way too smart too fast! She really surprises me with how much she picks up. Yesterday she taught me about diving and built a lego diving board :) Her favorite movie is "the ring movie", which is Lord of the Rings. Blame that one on daddy. He has her watching Star Wars and LOTR. And she LOVES them. I'm not all that happy about it, but she actually understands what is going on and explains it to me. Plus it's adorable when she says "Souran is baaaaad" ;)

It's my way or the long island expressway

2008-08-27T01:32:00.007-04:00

I'm knee deep in paint...green paint to be exact. We're redoing Sarah's room to be somewhat pottery barn-esque without the huge pricetag. So that means a lot of store hopping, looking for deals. So far I found the Pottery Barn Kaitlyn quilt for half the price (new!!), matched the pb paint color at Home Depot, got the cutest floor lamp at Home Depot, an awesome wicker couch on HUGE sale at Pier 1, and really pretty gauzey (so just created that word) window panels and gorgeous crystal finials at Target. It's a long process but totally worth it as it comes together. Oh, and a great ledge shelf at Home Goods. That'll hold all of the cute prints I've scored off of Etsy for her....or me...I mean her ;) I also got this on sale at pb today:: (Yes, i could have made it, but for some reason, I'm not all that crafty when it comes to home decor....i'd rather buy it. Is that weird? )

Here's some of the gorgeous stuff I'm eyeing at Etsy these days::

so cute

this one I got from one of my fav artists. Check out her amazing abilities here.

this one I have as well....got a few of her other prints for the family room as well. i just love that they are on vintage book paper! check 'em out here.

Plus, I got this from Lisa (how much I adore her work is indescribable. She's such a strong, colorful and inspiring person. Not to mention way talented. Her blog is a must visit if you haven't already. She just made the Chatterbox team, so HOOORAH chica! Thanks a mil for the "award"...luv ya!

So here are the rules:
(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.
(2) Link the person you received your award from.
(3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
(4) Put links of those on yours.
(5) Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.

Here are my nominations::

1. Cathy Pascual :: Cathy rocks the paper, digi, and hybrid in amazing ways. Plus she has a daughter about the same age as mine, so I love checking in on how similar our lives are dealing with the drama of a three year old in the house!
2. Shaunte Wadley :: She already got this award, but I have to nominate her again, simply because the woman makes me bust out laughing pretty much everyday with her take on daily life.
3. Holly McCaig:: Gorgeous photography, amazing designs both digital and paper, and she's REAL people. Girl ain't afraid of speaking her mind from time to time. Gotta luv that ;)
4. Michelle:: Her artwork makes me smile :) Such awesome colorful goodness!!
5. Emily I could stare at this chic's artwork all day. She's one of a kind and totally adorable to boot. Click on the Martha Stewart link to watch her in action :)
6. Candice Carpenter This woman needs no introduction. She is just all around awesome!
7. Leena L - This woman comes up with the most amazing paper/embellishment combos. Love her style!

oldie but GOODY

2008-08-21T11:20:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite songs EVER. It gets me in a good mood no matter how down I'm feeling. So, just in case anyone else needs a smile today....here's an oldie but goody ;)

I'll come back when you have judge on the menu....

2008-08-18T21:10:00.024-04:00

Just when inspiration is needed, inspiration appears! This time it was in the form of boxes of brand spankin new CHA goodies. The Portrait Bug team had its second meeting this past weekend, which basically consisted of lots of laughs, lots of product, lots of ideas and very little actual scrapping :P Except for Kim, our fearless leader, who rocked out the most adorable mini album.

I scored the most gorgeous yellow pumps WITOUT a peeptoe (which is like finding the holy grail). I'm going to wear them in the fall. Say what you like, but the leaves turn yellow in the fall, and that means you can wear yellow shoes in the chilly months :P

The Label Tulip August kit was unbelievable this month. And not just because some of my new dream street papers were in there :P The colors were just awesome. AWEsome. Here's what I did with it:

I'm in the process of organizing and painting my scraproom. It's slow going but I think I'm gonna love it when it's done. Pics coming soon!

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K

2008-08-14T21:56:00.004-04:00

I love that quote way too much. If just fits a multitude of situations. Anyone remember the movie??

Thank you for all the well wishes for my friend. He had his surgery today and it went well! The surgery was shorter than expected and his brain activity is great. They are going to make him move around and do some cognitive tests to make sure everything is working properly. But as it looks right now, the surgery was a success. I can't tell you how happy I am right now. I want to cry and laugh and just thank God so much for looking after him.

Here are a few projects that I never uploaded from the Dream Street CHA-S booth. Label Tulip layouts will be coming soon! But I put a sneak peek at the end here just for kicks :P

There are some fish that cannot be caught

2008-08-11T16:34:00.007-04:00

We had a little "stay-cation" to the Atlantis Aquarium in Riverhead this weekend. Fun was had by all. But it was especially had by the little sting ray friends Sarah made. She fed them enough little slimy fish to keep their bellies fat and happy for quite a while. It was unnecessarily hot (what is mother nature thinking!) but Sarah enjoyed every minute. Trey and I, on the other hand, felt like we were in a bad episode of "Sweatin' with the Oldies" :P The Sea Lion show was a favorite. As was were sharks and huge sea turtles. We had a proud parent moment at the end of the Sea Lion show when Sarah insisted that we push through the massive crowds to get the the front of the stage and thank the women who put on the show. That's my baby! Now if only I could get her to say thank you after serving her dinner....ahh the terrible three's :)

I'm still reading "Breaking Dawn". I KNOW! I've been savoring it. I don't want the saga to end. Maybe I can stretch it out until the movie releases. Either that, or I'll just have to read it again. Speaking of which, I've never been the type of person to reread or rewatch something, unless it was REALLY worthwhile. So, based on the fact that I have watched the Sex and the City movie no less than 5 times in the last two weeks must say something. I'm either addicted to the fashion ( I NEED ME SOME CERULIAN BLUE or YELLOW PUMPS NOW) or fact that they feel like some of the friends I already have irl. It's also been a great inspiration while scrapping. Who knew!!

I've already vacuumed, mopped, done two loads of laundry and actually put makeup on today. As I figure it, I'm way ahead of the game. I can either go shopping for some much needed food or scrap....hmmmmmmm...... :P

Check out the action on the side bar!!

2008-08-10T22:11:00.002-04:00

Thanks Tracey.....ya know I luv ya more than my luggage :) Check out the Twilight widget on the sidebar over to the left. You can click on it, it keeps you on this blog (instead of sending you hurling through cyberspace) and you can watch previews of the movie and schtuff. Thanks for hooking a girl up, chica ;)

And thank you to all of you who put some positive prayers/energy out there for my friend. Unfortunately, the surgery was canceled due to a possible defect with his heart that would require surgery to correct before the brain surgery. You just never know....I'll update when I know more....

I'm in the middle of a scrap a thon with the AWESOME Label Tulip kit. And i do mean awesome. Yes, I"m on the dt. Yes, I get the kit for free, but dayum people. I would buy this kit twice, it's so goooooood!! All new CHA goodies to boot. And lots of color. I'm in scrapper's heaven :) I'll post some sneak soon...promise!

Ouchie day...

2008-08-07T10:13:00.002-04:00

A very dear friend of mine is having surgery today. 6-7 hours of major surgery on his brain and arteries. If you're the praying kind, or even if your not, I would be so grateful for some positive energy in the air for him today. He has a 6 year old daughter that loves him more than life itself. He's one of those fathers that lives unconditionally for the happiness of his daughter.

Thanks.....

Things i'm thinking (and at times, scaring my husband by screaming out loud)

2008-08-04T19:47:00.003-04:00

Spoiler alert:
DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BREAKING DAWN YET!!! No details will be included but you might be able to figure it out anyway...

While reading Breaking Dawn (to be updated periodically)

I missed these characters so much!
My father would so want that car.
He's there....swoooooon. He had to come. That must be tearing both their hearts apart. It would mine.
Hey, yo, where are the details on that one....i need more details ;)
I have a strange urge for eggs :P
Oh heck, she's probably, nah
OH HECK, she is!
Ok, if he's that scared I'm not sure if I should feel happy or totally freaked out for her!

Please bear with me...

2008-08-04T14:44:00.002-04:00

There will be a break in blogging while i savor the above. Can you blame me!!??!!

Gorjuss ain't she...

2008-07-25T17:07:00.004-04:00

This one's for you amy and cindy. The artist who creates those awesome little girl prints in my previous post is gorjuss . You can buy her prints here. I'm dying for the one above. And a couple others as well.....i need a bigger budget :P

Just scored this rug for the family room. I swear someone needs to take my credit cards away from me whenever I enter either anthro or pottery barn. That's the look I"m going for above. I need as much color in my life as I can get. Although I'm sorta regretting the light yellow couch right now....especially with a dog and a 3 year old. But man is it comfy and beautious :)

speak to me

2008-07-24T22:24:00.002-04:00

Drive by posting here....couldn't resist this coolness. Snatched it from Holly's blog. You can make your own too!

I shall wash, but I shan't be clean...

2008-07-24T15:36:00.004-04:00

Meredith tagged me, so here it goes:

what were you doing ten years ago?

I was 21 years old.
Totally obsessed with working out and lifting weights.
Dating a body builder and spending all my free time either on the phone with him or at his parents' house in the basement ;)
Studying to be an elementary school teacher.
Enjoying my new found "legal status" and doing some bar hopping.

today's "to do" list?

Continue to unpack my scraproom and sarah's room
Sweep the first and second floor
Find sarah's school registration info

i'm addicted to:

Rocky Road trail mix
Snickers
Diet Orange Soda
Shopping for new housewares
Scrapbooking
Twilight Series and anything Stephanie Meyer related
Reading

i would do if i were a millionaire:

Take my daughter and mother to Paris again.
Pay off all my parents' bills
Pay off our house and redecorate all the rooms with everything and anything I want
Take sarah around the world
Buy a condo in Bermuda to visit every couple of months
Hire a maid

i've lived:

Queens, NY
Atlanta, GA
Long Island, NY

Totally fun Mer, thanks ;)

And the winners are...

2008-07-22T23:29:00.003-04:00

I know I said I'd pick a couple (meaning 2) winners, but there were just so many that I had to pick three! In truth, I wish I could send papers to everyone :)

So, I random number generated the following winners.....thanks everyone for taking the time to post! I'm totally guilty of drive by blog reading so you've inspired me to take the time and COMMENT more! Anyway....yes...winner.....are.......

Nikki Bellish

Lea L.

Jessica (art unplugged)

......oh, and why not one more....

Amy Coose

So drop me a line at Eclipse940@aol.com with your addy and I'll send it out asap!

Hugs,
Alexis

You have the right to remain unconscious....

2008-07-21T19:21:00.003-04:00

...and I plan on doing so very soon. I am EXHAUSTED!! Between set up, standing up on the show floor 8 hours a day and then the dinners and drinks at night, I could sleep for days. My back hurts, my eyes hurt, my head hurts....and it was all well worth it :) The new releases at Dream Street were accepted lovingly into the, albeit enormous, CHA-S show. It was great to see the faces of those tried and true customers who come back year after year and gush over the designs. I think my favorite thing to hear is that they love how diverse each of our collections are. Kinda like one stop shopping. It's my favorite thing about Dream Street...I get to design papers I would love to use and then see others scrap with them as well. Dream come true!

As usual, I got to walk the floor some and I absolutely fell in love with some other great releases. Here's a few off the top of my head: Basic Grey Urban Prairie, Cosmo Cricket, Crate Paper Prudence and Mia, Hambly Birdcage, Fancy Pants Daily Grind, Pink Paislee Vintage Moon.....

I got to lunch with Cindee and Jamie from Label Tulip at one of the most gorgeous restaurants I've seen in Chicago yet. The food and company were both delish! I got to see a sneak peek of the upcoming kits......OH MY HEAVENS......LOVE. Nuttin' but LOVE. Which reminds me, I never posted my Label Tulip layouts.....so there they are above ;)

I'm going to read through all the comments from the giveaway post. Seriously people, you made me feel totally humbled by all your responses! If even one or two of you actually come back and visit every once in a while and enjoy my blabbering, that would be awesome :) I know there are a bunch of blogs that I visit religiously....and those people actually feel like friends to me. Even though I've never met some of them. I hope I can do the same for some one out there as well. It really helps sometimes to get lost in the lives in other people from time to time.

Be back soon with the winners!!

Twilight Movie!!!!!!

2008-07-15T10:56:00.001-04:00

This needs it's own little post. Check out the trailor for the Twilight movie coming out in December. (Thanks Tracey!!) I already preordered Breaking Dawn and am signed up for the Release Party and bn. Yes, I'm a dork :P

yes, I wiped the concrete off my feet...

2008-07-14T14:36:00.007-04:00

(ETA:Blog giveaway is in the second post below "I can't brain today, I have the dumb")

We're getting down to the wire. I'm desperately stalking the UPS guy for some Crate Paper goodies and hopefully even some Hambly yumminess tomorrow. (eeeeek!) My Dream Street projects are done - i think. 3 layouts, 2 cards, one little altered box, a treat bag, and a door hanger. All really small things but I just didn't want to pack the suitcase like I have in the past. Especially with the airlines charging for baggage now. Can I puke over that or what! Someone somewhere needs to do something about this gas crisis. And fast. I own an SUV for heaven's sake! And spending over $100 a month on gas is just not in my budget :P I've been forced to become a homebody lately. Thank goodness for internet shopping ;)

Sarah has really been HILARIOUS lately. There's no way to put the details on this blog and make it seem as funny as it really is, but I'll try anyway.
-While putting her down to sleep a couple nights ago, Sarah offered me her thumb to suck. And when I wouldn't take it, she kept saying "aw, come on" in this hilarious voice. We laughed forever over it.
-She has a new saying when she messes something up "Ahhh pipple juice" Not a clue what it means but it works!
- She has the uncanny ability of mimicking Mary Murphy from So you think you can Dance. It's insane. She screams and repeats what she says and sounds JUST LIKE HER. But she won't do it for anyone else but me so you'll have to take my word for it.
- If we're at a store and I won't buy her everything she wants, her inner drama queen surfaces and she starts shrugging her shoulders, scrunching her face, lifter her arms and saying "You can't do this to me mommy, you just CAN"T!" Gotta luv it...
-She's obsessed with horses and guitars. She puts on her mean face when she plays the guitar tho....she gets serious when she rocks out :P

In other Sarah updates, she knows all her letter sounds and can figure out how to spell a word based on the way it sounds! She spelled PIG the other day. I'm one proud momma :)

There will be a Label Tulip chat tonight at 6:30 PST so stop by and chat with us!!

I can't brain today. . .I have the dumb

2008-07-12T17:01:00.005-04:00

It's reveal time!! Here's my new line, The Menagerie, releasing at CHA-S with Dream Street Papers!! Everything is shipping on Monday so hop on over to the site to check out the rest of the great collections.

It's so hard to get the papers' colors correct for everyone's screen. If it seems WAY bold and brash, it's not that bright. If it seems dull and cloudy, it's really not, lol. If you know me, you know I love color, so these shades were picked because they are my very favorite colors to scrap with!

Let me know what you think! Post a comment and I'll pick a couple winners after CHA to get my entire new line :)

Fronts of the papers:

Backs of the papers:

Sprinting for the Finish Line

2008-07-10T19:13:00.008-04:00

CHA is almost here. And the freak out session has begun. I JUST got my Dream Street box yesterday, which has turned this weekend into a whirlwind of scrapping instead of the hair appointment I wanted to squeeze in. Still waiting on other dt product for booth layouts. Hopefully next show things won't have to be so crunched. It makes the creative process so messy and stressful :P But in the end, it always seems to come out great. Just as long as I don't kill someone on the way to the finish line...

Lovin' the house....LOVIN'. It's so much bigger and my clutter no longer seems so daunting. I've gotten a few new pieces for the living room, dining room and kitchen. Not to mention the new bedroom set and the new couch in the family room. I promise to take pics once I'm back from CHA and life returns to normal. For now, those are a couple pics from the front yard. The darn thing is huge. Poor trey needs to gain some mowing stamina or hire a company to do it for him. This is no longer that patch of crabgrass we used to call a yard. This is like, for real, a front yard. Trust me, it's something to drool over in NY. You don't come by much grass that you can call your own very often. At least not if you want to live somewhat close to the city.

My reveal of my new Dream Street line is tomorrow on the blog! I'll put the pics here as well, just cause I'm a ho like that. Hope you like! It's a kid's/animal line that seems to be quite the trend so far for CHA-S. It's the first time I've been WITH the trend instead of behind it (with paper designs, mind you....my closet is packed with trendy goodness that I'll wear twice and then give away in a year :P)

And I might as well throw in some Label Tulip sneaks! The celebration is on at the site so drop by!! Plus they have a brand new look to the site....so clean lined and stunning :) Is it cheesy to say that I love working for this kit club!?! 'Cause I do....I really realllllly do ;)

Catch ya lata!

Let me 'splain. No there is too much. Let me sum up...

2008-07-03T08:42:00.003-04:00

So far so good! We've got the kitchen unpacked and the family room is looking good. We've still got sooooo much to do. But at least we have a three day weekend to get stuff done. I've got some exciting news to share but I can't let the cat out of the bag until I get the "go ahead". :D

But here is some fun news I can share. Label Tulip is having a great 1st Anniversary event at the site! There will be challenges, prizes, and tons of fun. I can't wait for the chat, personally. I could talk scrapbooking all day. And I usually do if Amy is available :P

Today we're taking our little Dixie to get a puppy cut. The hot weather is just wilting her spirit. So it's time to lop off some of her gorgeous coat :( But I'm sure she'll be adorable anyway. We're going back to the place we bought her for the grooming, which is in Queens. I lived in Queens for a while and taught a mile or so down the street from the groomers. So it'll be nice to walk around and visit the area for a while. It's a predominately Asian area, so I love going into the stores. It's like stepping into a whole 'nother world. And you can get things you can't find anywhere else.

I hope to dig out the camera today so I can share some pics of the new home. I *think* I know where it is :P

Check this out....

2008-07-01T21:58:00.003-04:00

Got an email today for "Moodstream" by getty images. It's supposed to help your creativity flow. It's a blast to play with all the settings and see what kind of stream pops up. Some of the images are really stunning and the music definitely helps set the mood. I like the simplify and excite presets the best so far. I think I might need to go and scrap now! If only my scraproom were unpacked :O)

I'm hooked up!

2008-07-01T14:40:00.002-04:00

Just got internet a couple hours ago.....in the new house...buried in boxes.....IN LOVE with the new digs.....be back later with an update!!

Something happened for the very first time with you...

2008-06-24T17:56:00.007-04:00

Score #2! Helen Dardik is one of my very favorite artists. She has such a fun and quirky style that inspires me so much. I scored this print of hers off etsy this afternoon. It'll be perfect for Sarah's room. Speaking of which, I need to start dinner for her. We had the most delicious dinner at our neighbor's house this past weekend. He made a REAL Italian tomato sauce that actually simmered for four hours. It was unreal. And the dressing he made for the salad.....equally incredible. And then he made this bacon pepper celery thing that was like nothing I had ever tasted before. But I couldn't stop eating it! And neither could Sarah. We shared some champagne, red wine, great stories and lots of laughs. Makes me wish we would have done more dinners like this over the years we lived here. But, you never truly know what you are going to miss until it's gone. Luckily though, the sauce isn't gone, lol. He graciously gave us a huge container filled to the brim. So that's what I"m off to heat up with some angel hair right now. I'll be back later on with a new layout ;)

ETA:: I'm baaaaack ;) Dinner was DE-lish....

On a sad note, George Carlin died this past Sunday. He was such a hilarious man. His social commentaries were poignant and really made you think (while you laughed your butt off). I remember watching his early stand ups with my father and just recently watching the last HBO special with Trey. If you haven't heard any of his work, I'd definitely put his shows on my "to watch" list.

The layout above was done for my girl Amy T and Oscraps. I used the new collab kit that is coming out some time in July. It has amazing colors and awesome elements. Keep an eye out for it if you're a digi lover like me :)

I won't go home without you....

2008-06-18T16:22:00.002-04:00

So many great songs on the radio right now. Seems like everytime I put the radio on, my heart strings are being pulled, my eyes are welling up or I'm shaking my Colombian bootie to the beat. Today was the absolute perfect day, weather wise. Until it threatened to rain. But right before the clouds turned an ominous shade of black, it was fabulous.

The house is about half packed. We have SO MUCH to do. It's actually making me queasy to think about it. We have to still do my closet and clothes, Sarah's room, the other half of the storage room (yikes) and the garage (double yikes). I'm not looking forward to any of it.

Sarah's last week of school is next week. I'm so sad that the year is coming to an end. She has blossomed so much over the past months. She's still got that touch of shyness, but mostly, she's an outgoing, fun-loving child that just loves to play and laugh. Except when she's negotiating with me. I don't know what it is, but as soon as she turned three and a half, everything I ask her to do (or not do) becomes a negotiation. And I find myself actually making deals.....with a THREE YEAR OLD!! Gotta luv it....

Those layouts above are from the fabulous new Label Tulip kit. As always, the embellies and the papers were just fantastic to work with. I can always count on the LT kits to spark my creativity!

LT Sneakage

2008-06-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

Here's a little sneakage of the awesome June Label Tulip kit :)

We had a great time tonight with some friends. Good dinner, good wine and great laughs. What could be better! Plus they have a daughter the same age as ours so they had a fun time as well. There was a huge thunder/lightening storm so we shut off all the lights, filled the living room table with candles, and told stories. Between Trey and the flashlight wars and our friend losing his shoe in the river that formed outside our house (LOL!) it was a much needed break from the stress of packing and moving. I will definitely miss them when we move, but I'm sure they'll be one of the first couples we invite over for a get together at the new house!

Does Barry Manilow know you stole his wardrobe?

2008-06-12T21:19:00.002-04:00

New digi goodness coming at ya! These layouts are from Audrey Neal's new SIStv kits - Morning Glory and Rain or Shine. I also used her elements kit -Scribblies. So much fun!

Bought myself yet another pair of my very favorite pants/capri/shorts in the world. If they're not Hardtail then they're So Low. I swear I hardly wear anything other brand of clothing on my lower extremities. They are so comfortable and they make your butt look luscious :P Plus they don't make the ol' muffin top look too muffin-y :P

Seriously, WOW

2008-06-12T02:00:00.003-04:00

I love So You Think You Can Dance. I think it's because part of me still wishes I would have pursued dancing more. Dancing is pretty much the only time I feel really sure of myself. Really secure. Really beautiful. Now, whether I am or not is beyond me.....the point is that it makes me feel that way. Tonight on the show, there was one routine that had tears flowing from my eyes. I dvr'd the episode and have since watched it at least 10 times, and cried at least ten times. The song (amazing lyrics - No Air by Jordin Sparks), the choreography and the emotion they danced it with gets me every time. The Youtube version does it NO justice, but I had to share.....sigh....off to watch it again. Someone grab me the tissue box ;)

SCORE!

2008-06-10T16:22:00.004-04:00

I just picked up this GORGEOUS print for Sarah's room in the new house. I'm already searching for bedspreads, pillows and accents to compliment it. Isn't it just amazing? I think it'll be something Sarah can enjoy because of it's whimsical nature and I love that it's a handmade etsy find. I need a 12 step program for that site. But this was one print I couldn't pass up. I got the 11x14 size so all of it's amazing details can really be enjoyed :) Check out the rest of Yellena's prints....I'm eyeing a couple of them for the basement ;)

Where in the world is....

2008-06-09T00:35:00.003-04:00

Found this cute map maker tonight so I figured I would make a visual record of all the states I've been to :) Looks like I have the East Coast almost covered and most of the West Coast. Just gotta work on the whole central part ;)

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

And here's where I've been in Europe. I'm dying to go back with Sarah, but three is just not old enough. But I did watch a special on Disney cruises today and it looks like they either go or will be cruising to Europe soon. That may be the perfect vacation for us :)

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Sadly, if you haven't already noticed, I'm STILL reading the same book I was months ago. I must have stopped reading for the entire month of May and June so far. But I vow to read every night before bed like I once did. I have way to many books to waste my time watching the boob tube :P So off to read I go!

We're mooooooooving........

2008-06-06T18:16:00.003-04:00

It's official. We are moving! We're in contract with the new house and our house is in contract as well!! WOO HOOO!!!! It looks like we'll be in in about a month. Hence the tiny blog break....I've been attempting to pack the enormous amount of stuff we've hoarded over the last six years. YIKES. Anyone need about 30 mismatched coffee mugs? I mean seriously? How does one even amass THIRY mugs? I couldn't bring myself to wrap them in bubble wrap so I think they are just going to get chucked :P

Today was a day from h-e-double-hockey-sticks. (always wanted to say that) Between rude health insurance people, Sarah coloring her entire right arm and fingers in blue marker, stepping in poop, chasing the dog down the block, cleaning flicked chicken and applesauce off the wall (ah the joys of a 3 year old), and finding out that two dear friends have to have surgery, I"m just about ready to grab my keys and head to a movie (even if it is by myself, lol).

The Label Tulip kit is on it's way to me so I'm very excited to actually scrap again this month. It's been so hard with all the house showing, but finally those days are done!

Plus I have a TOOOOOT!!! I was invited to join the brand new Crate Paper Design Team!!! It's always been my experience that the design teams I have been asked to join (instead of my submitting and trying out) have been the most enjoyable. I really can't wait to get all the new paper for summer CHA and to meet them all in Chicago.

I finally bought my tickets to Chicago. I seriously can NOT believe it's in a little over a month...YIKES!! I'm hoping my new release will do well. The colors are bright and fun and it was blast to create. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Just a Quickie....

2008-05-28T18:20:00.003-04:00

Just stopping by to upload a new digi layout of my dd (is there ever any other subject!). Things are looking up today. Offers and contracts are seemingly falling into place. Thanks for all the well wishes and good thoughts! Hopefully this goes through and we won't lose the new house...keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

I actually feel hopeful that the future will be good for us. I just need to seriously learn how to not stress out so much and turn into psycho woman :P It's a role I play all too well but I think it's finally time to retire her. First step: learning how to breathe and think about where the feelings are coming from before I react. Things seems to always work out in the end when you have loved ones around you, so I'm really going to try to trust in that more often :)

So You Think You Can Dance is on tonight!! Happy me :)

My Mama says that alligators are ornery because they got all them teeth and no toothbrush.

2008-05-27T16:14:00.003-04:00

It's official. I'm IN my thirties. The big 31. Do I have to actually grow up now? Nah :P

We spent the weekend enjoying the beautiful weather, hanging out with the family and visiting a new petting zoo out in Suffolk County. It was "bouncing castle" day so Sarah had a blast going from bouncer to bouncer, jumping to her heart's content. Until a little boy clocked her in the head with his foot. Daddy had to accompany Sarah on all subsequent rides, lol.

I got to stay up late, sleep in and even scrap a little. All in all, it was a very nice birthday weekend. Sarah is still sick so we plan on going out next weekend to dinner and movie when she's feeling better and I don't feel so bad dropping her off with my mom. Not sure if I want to make him suffer through Sex and the City or if we should just go and see Indiana Jones...

Here's a random thought: How is it possible that my husband can literally DESTROY the house in a matter of hours, leaving no semblance of my organization or constant cleaning in his path? I swear there is in inch of dirt where once there was a nice film of Lysol All Purpose Cleaner. I spent an hour today just making a dent in the piles and dustbunnies. Then it was off to soccer. Tomorrow the house will be back to normal, just in time for the weekend. Darn these short weeks! ;)

I think therefore you is....

2008-05-20T22:11:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've just been naming my posts with my favorite movie quotes. If anyone can get this one, I'll be totally surprised! My bro and I used to quote this one to each other all the time. Yup, we're total dorks....would you expect any less?

The scissors and pop dots have been flying around here. My DT layouts for Label Tulip are up and my CT layouts for Audrey Neal's SisTV kits (Iconic and Drama Queen) are done as well. It's been a fun month with all the great products I was given to create with. There really is nothing better than being on a great team. I can honestly say that every woman on my teams inspires me in some way. Truly a blessing :)

We're still showing the house and praying that it will sell fast. My poor baby is sick so it's really hard for her to be cool with the constant cleaning and keeping her toys put away while the buyers come to check out the house. It's been a hard week so far :( But this Friday is my birthday so I'm hoping things will look up by then. I'm really not sure what we're going to be doing....for some reason I don't feel like doing the NYC dance/bar scene. Have I finally gotten OLD?? Nah, just refined :P Give me a GOOD dinner + a GOOD movie + a GOOD bottle of red wine to share with my loved one + let me sleep in the next day and scrap = I'm a happy old biddy. LOL.

On the David vs. David front, I pick David. Man is it hard to choose between the two of them. But I think I'm leaning toward David Cook. Gotta love those bad boys!

So You Think You Can Dance starts on Thursday! It's my favorite show to watch and I pine for it all season. I can not wait to see what this season brings. I'm not sure if I'm going to record that show or the Grey's finale.....what a great night for vegging in front of the tube.

Sneakage

2008-05-18T16:05:00.004-04:00

Here are some sneaks of the newest Label Tulip kit....which of course I LOVE. I had to scrap all cramped and neat, but I think I did it justice nonetheless. At least I hope so! The gallery reveal will go up the 20th, so be on the lookout!

On the homefront, it's proving to be much more stressful than I thought to sell the house. We had an offer we accepted, wrote up the contracts and were waiting for the down payment when our buyers realized they actually couldn't afford the house after they added up all the monthly expenses :( So now we are continuing to show the house and praying that we get another offer we can accept soon. We got two more offers today so please keep your fingers crossed for us that one of them goes through.....we'd be ever so grateful :)

That ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet.

2008-05-09T18:08:00.004-04:00

I'm still alive....technically. This house selling business is harder than I thought! We've been living in utter cleanliness, which is not out of the norm, but making sure that all of Sarah's toys are put away as soon as she finishes playing with them is not always easy. Plus the constant turning on and off of the lights and fake candles, vacuuming and swiffering, dusting and windexing, and having to be home for every real estate agent who wants to show the house is definitely tiring. But it's all very VERY worth it. I love the new house we found and I"m knocking on wood that it all goes through smoothly :)

And of course I'm starting to feel like I'm going to miss my house soooo much! This is really our first home and I actually don't want to give it away :( Especially since it's finally just the way we want it. But it's going to be a better life in the new home with amazing opportunities for Sarah that are just unparalleled anywhere else. Plus, who can say no to central air conditioning and four bedrooms! I get to have my own craft room now! YAY!!

I've been hitting the digi scrapping hard lately since my scrap area has to remain very organized, lol. But the Label Tulip kit is on it's way so I'll have to morph into a very neat scrapper overnight. We'll see how that goes :P

Sarah is coming out of her shell with the kids on the block this month. She actually yells for them across the street and runs to play with them. It's great to watch her blossom. But she's still the shy little girl who likes to play with her mommy and grandmom most of the time :) And to tell the truth, I'm enjoying every minute of it!

I was lucky enough to have two mini albums in Scrapbook Trends latest MiniAlbum idea book! I love they way they came out. They photograph our artwork so well. It feels like such an honor to be a part of their publications. It's not about advertisements and wasted space with them. They feature the artwork as a focus and I love them for it! The funny thing is that with my complimentary copies came a box of goodies. And in that box of great scrap goodies came MY OWN PAPERS! My Story of a Seed line with Dream Street! It was so much fun to have that little surprise and to know that everyone who was published in that book got my papers as well. I hope they have fun with them!

Growing a Green Thumb

2008-04-23T23:24:00.003-04:00

So, I spent the past two days wrist deep in soil, mulch, and paint. But my house now has some great curb appeal thanks to our very experienced neighbor. He transformed our so-so backyard into an oasis that even I want to spend time in! And our front yard is gorgeous as well. I must say that my painting ability on our mailbox had a lot to do with that ;)

I haven't had much time to scrap lately since I've been packing up the house and sprucing it up for the open house. I've been doing things that I should have done years ago. I'm actually loving some of the rooms that seemed so "stale" to me for YEARS. Silly how that works. I love the way the house looks better now than I have in a long long time. Hopefully other people willl love it as well.

Sarah has been having a great time playing with the neighborhood kids. When there's a large group of them, she'll just watch and partake in a few little activities. But when it's a small group, like it was today, she truly comes out of her shell. I was almost in tears watching her run around and play tag with her friend Gabriella. I'm sure we'll have to come back here and visit every so often so they can play together.
I did this layout with Amy Teets new kit at Oscraps. I love all the papers and the colors are soft but still pack that punch that I love.
And this layout I did with Madame Mim's new kit. I love everything she does.....and this layout was picked for the Catwalk at Sistv this week :) Totally made my week!!

Well, I'm headed to bed. My entire body aches. Keep your fingers crossed for us that the owners accept our offer on the house :) I'm praying they do because i realllllllllly love the house!