Monday, January 30, 2012

Manic Monday was totally productive....

We had a great time.
And the mojo flowed......
as it should have.
I had originally just flung all my Christmas cards
in the pocket and then in the album.
And then I removed the page from the album
and decided to do it up right......ala AliE style.
This is the 5th year I've done it and I love it. All the cards
we received are on this layout.
And BONUS round....I got the 2 page challenge done.
It was late, but it was done!
This next one is 8x8 size for the kidlets album.
Grandpop, mom & Owen making
homemade pasta.
I love Jillybean soup.
 Printed these pictures awhile ago and found them
under my desk. Shocking I know.
Anyway I dusted it off and wa-la....a beautiful
page for me - because this won't fit in 
8x8 album. My bad :)
 I decided that each set of parents (2 diff fams) would have an 
8x8 American Craft d-ring album.
That way I can create pages, put them in a 
page protector and mail them out.
In normal packaging.
And all they have to do is put the pages in
the album. Easy Peasy!!!

My favorite eldest son turns 30 today....YIKES!!

His birth.
A total bundle of joy...
6 months old
He was a great baby. Sleeping through
the night at 4 weeks. 
Scarfing down cereal at 2 weeks.
He was a hungry boy.
2 years old. He loved the outdoors.
Kindergarten.
The teacher told me he was very chatty
and he'd probably be that way through
the rest of his school life.
Sigh.
Tween. (notice the McGiver look) lol!
He was as sweet as he looks.
Graduation.
Finally. 
Army...
Daddy...
He has brought me joy and grandbabies.
He has a fun sense of humor.
He is handsome (my side LMAO).
He's smart (my side as well).
He has blessed my life.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! AND MANY MORE.....
my favorite eldest son.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Interestingly enough....

these rocks were as they are.
Honestly, we didn't stop long enough
to stack rocks. I'm sure it means something but....
I just love the photo...
Stacked rocks found in the California mountains.
Which seriously isn't that odd in Callifornia
considering..............
Just when I think the mojo returns, it does in spurts
and then along comes life and sucks it 
right on out. 
I shall find other things to do until it returns.
Continue to pray for my favorite youngest son.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Ironically I wrote a hub about titles

and then needed a title. 
Any of you that scrapbook with me personally know I flail around with titles. 
So since I have trouble I feel others may too. 
Hopefully, clicking here will give you a few ideas on where to get titles when you're stuck. 
One of my personal favorite is mixing up a modern song with heritage photos. 
Who knew my gram and aunts could have this kind of fun. 
This was a well kept secret. 
Till the photos came out. BWAHAHAAHA!
Please click on link, read, vote UP, comment and enjoy!
 This is just too perfect for the title.
This ones for the girls. yeah.
Martina McBride

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Manic Monday wasn't too manic but it was productive

in that I wrote a hub about altering a composition
notebook that will help my friends mother
get her photos out of the box and her memories
preserved.
To read more about it, click here and please vote UP.
Thanks for your support!

Monday, January 23, 2012

The blue skies of Arizona.....

really just blew me away.
I have lots of blue skies in Florida, but for
some reason and maybe its the mountains
that make the skies bluer there.
I love the rustic-ness of it. 
And the cactus just march on like soldiers.
They are everywhere.
Had some emotional ups and downs going on.
Which seriously affects the mojo.
Keep the favorite youngest son in your prayers. 
He's making me crazy.

I have written a new hub please click here
to be amused about exercising with a purpose without
exercising on purpose.
Thanks for voting UP!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Find the hawk in the photo....

He's there watching me, watch him.
He's a poser and totally fickle.
I've been doing some spring cleaning
which I really needed to do.
Bashed my nail way below the quick
and its not pretty.
Still have a couple of rooms to go.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

3's company

I had to laugh when I saw this photo.
It's just too darn adorable.
I had forgotten I had misted using my new glimmer mist
Monster Mash,
following up with a couple of others for an accent.
And then placed the paper under my glass to uncurl it.
Sadly I think I need to clean the glass. LOL!!!
Anyway some kraft and basic grey.
Love it.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Another challenge completed.....

Scrap that tune....
And I couldn't resist with a photo of my
Gram and Aunt Toot partying.
Back in the day.
Girls just wanna have fun!
Says it all.
Kaiser Crafts, Technique Tuesday, Quickutz, Creative Imaginations.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Twas totally maniacal at Moments last night....

New challenges went up on Sunday
and combine that with Manic Monday and
you get some pages done!
Love Love Love it.
This page is the Pattern Paper challenge, involving dots,
flowers and stripe papers! Love the results....
 The Recipe challenge involved paint, 3 flowers, a circle
at least one photo and pop dots.
Totally pleased.
I don't use white cardstock often enough.....
 There's a new challenge - Stamping!!
Out of the gate - Stamp a border - which totally
brings the entire page together.
It was a good start and I'll be working on the rest of the
challenges because I'm far from done.

Monday, January 16, 2012

I've been in a funk.......

and just now recognized. Geez...
However, yesterday was challenges UP day at Moments.
And this is there heritage challenge.
This one is about Special Relationships and one
you may have had with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins,
Grandparents, etc......
As you know, I adored my grandparents and I'm
totally aspiring to be like them with my
grandkidlets.
When I discovered this photo of me and grandpop
well......a page had to be done.
Basic grey - no matter how old rocks, noteworthy, grungeboard and prima!
journaling: Always! Wherever grandpop was in my field of vision, I was in his lap or arms. We just fell in love /weach other from the start. I was attracted by his easy going, laid back attitude. (I also love how he treated my gram). I saw him angry-twice, heard him swear only once. He's been gone 30 years plus and I still cry and miss him so.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Friday, January 13, 2012

I'd like to blame the lateness on my

dentist appointment, but alas, it isn't so.
I couldn't decide on a title.
I know that shocks each and every one of you.
Snort.
Lots of mental gymastics, fights with thickers.
I do NOT like thickers.
They stick to everything except what I want them too.
And they fall off everywhere. 
However, got some new Creative Imaginations papers
and finally, a mojo break through.
Yeah!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

MMMMmm paper.....

Isn't funny how you can spend all the time in the world
picking out the perfect present
and the kidlets will focus in on and play with
the box or papers.
Priceless.
Cosmo comes through again.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

It's how I roll.....

Love this pix of Annie in her Santa hat.
Driving a sassy car.
I didn't have a lot of Christmas paper. 
Shocking I know,
but a stash of Cosmo Cricket was found.
Manic Monday was maniacal! 
Sadly I didn't get much done.
Our water heater had the utter audacity to
go on the fritz, so I was "helping."
Read batting cleanup!!

Monday, January 9, 2012

There's nothing like a good western....

and I do love them.
This is the sketch challenge over at Moments and of course,
I got carried away and did a 2-pager.
Using the collage creator in Picassa (which the sketch was a collage)
it doesn't quite match it in form but function.
I have so many great pix from Arizona, and this
is just Tombstone and Boothill.
Both were amazing.
As I mentioned in the blog account I did when I was out there,
Tombstone wasn't the movie set I thought it to be.
It is a real town that has people that can role play all day long.
What an awful job that is, right?
The bottle caps are from the sarsaparilla soda we
purchased that was a collectors item with the Earps
and Doc Holliday on the bottles. It was yummy!
Oh, and the patterned paper??? Cosmo Cricket - Wanted line.
Snort.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Love notes...

Nothing more romantic or precious
looking as mother and child.
Sleeping, Snuggling.
And of course, Jill rocked this 
Iphone photo. Again.
K&Co, Recollections, Creative Imaginations.
April's lace. (I have an entire satchel full).

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Too Cute to Spook....

The next challenge I was able to tick off my list was about stash 
and to use your leftover animals/insects.
I didn't really have any leftover aninmals/critters, however,
since I do have to wait for photos to roll in
from far far away, what better way to use stash/critters than to
incorporate some sparkly cats on a Halloween page.
I took the cue from the cat on Annie's shirt and found 
a cat stamp in my stash. Since you can't go wrong
with bling, I glam'd the cats up with some Martha Stewart glitter!
(photo by KevinDuffyphotography)
8x8

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

It's challenge time at

which brought the mojo back!!!!
So the first one is use the colors; blue, green, light blue
and a neutral. Well.....my neutral is red.
This may look familiar as I'm doing 8x8's for the kidlet's
album and 12x12 (or whatever for mine)
and I used the title boing!!!!
Again.
 Because its perfect.
 The journaling challenge was of course about the
New Year 2012 - so 12 intentions, resolutions
or in my case things. No sense setting yourself up for
failure so these are things I can do.....
 One little word - love this one too. 
 GIVE.
How perfect is this.
Hmmmm should've made that word a different color.
It does look better IRL however, so just make it bigger.
Head on over and check them out!!! 
There are a bunch more to come so stay-tuned!!!
Have a happy and blessed 2012!!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Jumping on the top 12 bandwagon

because after all its now 2012!
Secrets is about meeting my mom's birth side of the family
and the feelings that went with it.
Of course it resides in my Roots journal that
has been blown out into 3 albums.
 Smug mug is a favorite of mine because of course
its a great pix of me (I really take bad pix)
 and that of my fav youngest son.
 My grandson who is a hoot and this shot was so
funny and lucky! I miss him and think about
him often.
 My DH took me on a wild ride through DC to get
some night shots. It was a lot of fun.
 This was soooo special - meeting the family in NYC
and dining at Bobby Flays which was
delicious btw. 
But it was a family event that made my heart sing.
 My babies whom I lost so close together and miss
more than I thought imaginable.
 My brother who somehow didn't make it into many
of my albums. In the process of rectifying that.
 Some of the travels DH and I took. We have a
blast of course and the sights are so amazing.
 Yosemite was breathtaking. 
 And taking moody shots at Balboa Park was
so inspiring.
 I couldn't wait to get to San Francisco. 
And of course have 3M shots of the golden gate bridge
and Alcatraz. It couldn't be helped.
 An Old Town never ceases to get old.
I almost feel like an artist hanging there.
I have such a wonderful life! 
2011 was an amazing year and I feel so blessed
especially traveling and hanging with DH and family
and I know 2012 is going to rock!
Have a Blessed and Happy New Year!