Welcome to MY world

Bella got a Facelift!

2011-08-08T10:02:00.007-05:00

The Bella Blvd. blog has gotten a complete makeover. I don't know if you've seen it lately, but check it out here! Laura is doing a great job! Stephanie has decided to to re-introduce the original "Artistas" this week...and guess who's featured today, along with the Fabulous Gail and Allyson! Check it out!

Another Layout...Another Winner!

2011-07-18T20:01:00.004-05:00

Here's another CHA layout I did for Bella using Too Cute to Spook. I love the thunder clouds in this line ...so spooky! It's a little dark - a little hard to photograph, but here it is...

The winner of yesterdays Christmas Wishes giveaway is....Margie

Margie said...Ohhh-your boxes are so sweet! They would make a great home dec project for the holidays, or to hold a gift (inside a gift)!

Margie - email me at beth@scrapbook-store.com with your mailing address and I will send your package right out!!

And the winner is.......

2011-07-17T15:34:00.002-05:00

The winner of the Too Cute to Spook and Finally Fall paper is...Lori

Lori Said...Those samples are so adorable, Beth! You are so creative! They would make such great gifts!!

Lori- please email me at beth@scrapbook-store.com with your address so I can send the goodies out to you!!!

Everyone else- Check back tomorrow to see if you are a winner of the Christmas Wishes package!

Christmas Wishes and Another Giveaway!!

2011-07-16T11:21:00.008-05:00

Introducing "Christmas Wishes", the new Christmas line from Bella Blvd. This line is so much fun to use! You can check out the whole collection here!

I was assigned two projects with this line, an altered project and a layout...check them out!

First, I made this bow - never did this before, but after googling it, it was super quick and simple.

The bow goes on top of this box...

And this box goes on top of this box...

And here's the finish project.....

My layout is of my niece and nephew, Rebecca and Evan. I love this picture of them!!

Wanna win some of this?? Look at it all...just leave a comment below and a random person will win it all on Monday. Don't forget to check back to see if you're a winner!

Win it before you can buy it!!!!

2011-07-15T08:29:00.007-05:00

One of the awesome perks of being a Bella Artista, is being able to see and create with brand new product that no one has ever seen before. I LOVE it when I get the box with all my goodies in it! Stephanie is so generous with her product and give us so much that it is near impossible to use it all, sooooooooo, I decided to share!! Yippie!!

Today, I am showing you some pictures of projects I've created for the Bella Blvd. CHA booth. I will showcase the Too Cute To Spook line and Finally Fall line. Stop on back tomorrow for another chance to win a whole bunch of Christmas Wishes!!!!

Don't you just love this witch's boot???? I saw these boots all custom painted and with such cool decorations and detail, and decided I had to have one. I contacted the person that made them and asked if I could purchase one completely bare. She agreed, and within a few days I had a naked paper mache witch's boot. I took it from there and painted it and decorated it with the Bella Too Cute to Spook line. It was a bit of a challenge since the boot is not flat. It was a bit difficult getting all the paper placed without it bubbling up. But all in all, I was very happy with the result! I made a couple other projects using this line, but you'll just have to come on back to check it out!!

This layout is on my beautiful cousin, Athena. Can you believe she is only eleven???? WOW! I just love these pics of her, and it was so easy using the Finally Fall line with so much to choose from!!
Here is a little wine bottle box I created. I love all these paper mache products that are available now, and you can bet our store will soon be stocking them!! I loved creating this with the Finally Fall line.

And look at all these lovely goodies I'm giving away! Just leave a post below and I will pick a random winner on Sunday the 17th - that's right, you may win it before it even ships into stores, since it is not shipping until mid August!! Don't forget to stop back tomorrow to try and win some more and on Sunday to see if you are a winner of this....

Sneek Peaks!!

2011-07-14T12:47:00.003-05:00

I have been crazy busy lately between the daycare, extra hours at The Scrapbook Store, and Designing CHA projects for the Bella Blvd booth. But, I am happy to say I've completed all of my CHA projects and even threw in an extra little project.

All week Bella Blvd. has been releasing peeks of their four new lines they will be introducing at this summer CHA show in Chicago. It's so exciting to be a part of such a great team, and I just love playing with all the product when it's still top secret. Below are a few sneak peeks of my projects. You're gonna just love the new lines. Like all of the other Bella lines, these will not disappoint!!! Check out the Bella blog here to see the complete collections, and be sure to stop back and check out my blog tomorrow for some COMPLETE projects that will be revealed. Oh yeah....

And I'm also gonna have a giveaway you won't want to miss!!!

Too Cute to Spook

Finally Fall

Another Layout!

2011-07-08T14:10:00.002-05:00

This is a layout I did for Bella Blvd using the Cricut Expressions. My cute little nephew, Evan, is so photogenic...just love those cute little freckles!!

So many Great Ideas!!

2011-07-07T06:53:00.004-05:00

It's not too late to check out all the fantastic crafty ideas over at the Bella blog! There are so many amazing projects to create!! Moving on with the Cricut team up, below is a little Wedding Planner I made for my daughters up-coming wedding. I made it out of a file folder and Bella Sophisticates line. Once folded, the folder created four pockets for me to put the tags into. On each tag is a wedding fact with different categories on each tag. It turned out cuter than I expected and was so much fun to make! Keep checking back for more ideas!!

Provo Projects!!

2011-07-06T09:34:00.002-05:00

These projects were so much fun to make, and I learned so many new techniques!! These are some of my projects that are featured on the Bella Blvd blog! Check them out and be ready to be amazed at so many other projects done by so many talented people! Teaming up with Cricut has been a blast!!!

I used the Birthday Bash Cricut cartridge to make this cute little treat jar!

Here's a card gift set using the quilling sets by Provocraft - so much easier to make than it looks!
And a simple card made by using the Cuttlebug embossing folders!

Check on back for some more great ideas! Thanks for stopping!

Loads of Inspiration Coming Your Way!!!

2011-07-04T10:24:00.002-05:00

Teaming up with Maya Road was so much fun last week, that we decided to do it again, this time with Cricut Circle. For those of you that may not know what a team up is, it's when two companies work together and combine their products to create something unique. So, for this team up, Bella was given Cricut product and Cricut was given Bella product. Then the designers of both companies get to work. One of the great benefits of being a Bella Blvd Artista is all the wonderful product you receive to create with, especially the product you wouldn't typically buy or use. Not that I don't like the product, but sometimes I just don't know what to do with it.

I have to admit, I have never used a Cricut before this assignment, but I've always loved what other people have created with it. It always seemed a little too putzy for me. For this team up, I used the Cricut Expression, the embossing folders for the Cuttlebug, and a quilling tool. I had so much fun, and I was amazed at just how simple it was to use. I have to say, my personal favorite was the embossing folders. I couldn't believe how it changed the whole look of the cardstock and how easy and reasonable this technique was.

All of the Artista's had many projects to create for this team up - and all of them will be featured on the Bella Blog all this week, thru Saturday. If you feel like it, stop by the Cricut site here and see what their design team has been up to. Be sure you come back and check out my creations!

Day One: Check out this super adorable 4th of July Wand that Sheri Feypel made - she's so creative!

Final day of Team UP!!!

2011-07-02T15:07:00.004-05:00

It's the final day of the Maya Road and Bella Blvd. team up. My mini is featured on the Bella blog today. This book is filled with a few of my daycare kids having a great time playing in the bright sunshine!! I loved working with Maya Road and the Bella Sunny Happy Skies line!!

Tell me these kids are not the cutest ever!!!

Team Up and a Giveaway!!!!

2011-06-29T09:16:00.004-05:00

All week Bella Blvd. is teaming up with Maya Road and two of my projects will be featured, along with so many talented people. If you get a chance, hop on over to Bella and Maya Road for some great inspiration (and a fantastic giveaway)!!!

This is a layout of my cute little nephew, Evan. I remember always thinking that I never wanted his baby teeth to fall out because they were the cutest little "Spongebob" teeth. While his smile is still the cutest, I have to say I really miss those little teeth! I'll be posting some more layouts I've done with the Mr. Boy line soon!!

The Awesome Giveaway over at the Bella Blog!

A New Chapter for a Dear Friend

2011-06-28T23:15:00.005-05:00

I moved into my current neighborhood back in 1988. Within the first year, I had met and became friends with my neighbor, Penny, who lived across the street. We pretty much became instant friends with her and her family. Her son, Michael, and our daughter, Alyssa, became best friends and continued to be throughout their childhoods and even into adulthood.

Penny and I had a lot of the same interests and hobbies and still do. If I ever need anything, anytime, no matter what or when, Penny is always there. She's such a trooper, more so than I, and is always willing and able to do anything.

I've trusted her completely with with many real life moments, both good and bad, and many secrets.

The past few years Penny has had a tough time, and yet, she has overcome so much. I am so very proud of her and I continue to be inspired by her and admire her deeply.

As of this coming weekend, Penny will no longer be my neighbor. She has made a very brave decision to move on and out on her own. I helped her a bit tonight, and plan to help her more over the next few days. This is so small and minute in comparison to what she has done for me over the years. I will truly miss my neighbor, and I know it will take a bit of getting used to, but I guess this gives us an excuse to have more "girls nights".

I have many friends, but few of them like Penny. She is truly a gift and I feel blessed to have her in my life. Thank you, my friend, for all that you've done for me and continue to do every day. I have no doubt you will be very happy and will continue to inspire me with your strength, positive attitude, and courage. Love you tons!!!

Penny sitting out on her new balcony at her new patio furniture.

Featured Bella Projects!

2011-05-17T22:39:00.009-05:00

I have been featured several times lately at the Bella Blvd Studio Blog. I thought I'd share a little of what I've created for different challenges. Here's a layout that I had to do using the words "Love, Mom" Check the post out here!
Another layout I had to do was this one. The challenge was to scrapbook about myself as a mom. Here's what I decided to do. Check out the rest here!
This layout was posted today. I had to make a project using a new technique, and embossing Bella's alphabets was what I chose to do. See the tutorial here! This cute little princess is little Jordan!

Have I ever said how much I LOVE being an Artista for Bella Blvd?? I absolutely consider it to be a great honor to design for such a wonderful company and Stephanie, the owner/designer. The paper lines are my true favorite and are so incredibly easy to work with. I just can't get enough of it! Thanks so much Stephanie for this opportunity! Love you!!

I'm Published!!!

2011-04-25T21:37:00.002-05:00

This is the coolest book ever!!! Over 500 ideas, and no advertising!! I don't ever remember such a huge book of scrapbooking ideas. It's made by Memory Makers...and that's my layout on page #131! Can you believe it?!?

Recent Class

2011-04-19T07:12:00.004-05:00

So, every once in awhile, I teach a class at The Scrapbook Store. Those that know me, know that this is not my most favorite thing to do. Not that I don't like the people or even like to teach, because I really do. I just have a difficult time with the many different levels of scrapbooking there are amongst the students. My eyes can't be everywhere, and so, the people that choose to move ahead often make mistakes before I can get to them. Then, they get upset when they do something wrong. Uggg. I have no patience for this! So, another employee, Debbie, and I came up with an idea, since she loves to teach. I design and cut the kits for the classes, and she teaches them!!!

I love this idea because there is no pressure for me!

Here is a recent class that we did last week. We used the Tail Waggers and Cat Naps line from Bella Blvd. It was a hit!!!!

I usually do a single and a double page layout. Here is the single page of Oooooo Doggie!!

And here is the double page

Mr. Boy!

2011-04-06T19:48:00.002-05:00

Here's another project I did for Bella Blvd. featuring the Mr. Boy line and May Arts ribbon. Just thought I'd share!!

A Bella Blvd. Mini Album!!

2011-04-04T12:17:00.004-05:00

So...Bella Blvd and May Arts Ribbons have teamed up and are featuring their products tofether all week. Check out all the inspiration all week!!!

Here's a mini book I made of my friend's dog, Luke! I used the Tail Waggers and Cat Naps line.

Check back later this week for another little project!

I'm Back!!!!!

2011-02-13T22:29:00.008-06:00

As you can guess, I've been super-dee-dooper busy! So much has happened in my life the past few months and I've gotten so far behind in my blogging among other things.

As previously posted, my friend, Angie and I have purchased The Scrapbook Store in Greenfield, WI and things are going extremely well for us!!!! We just got back a couple weeks ago from the Craft and Hobby Trade Show in Los Angeles where we bought TONS of new and exciting product. It's been streaming in every day!

I have to admit, I'm a little partial to Bella Blvds. new lines! Below are a few layout I did for the company! Picture quality may not be the best - they are cel phone pics...

This is the new Sophisticates line. This line has been featured as one of CHA's top ten's!!!! How cool is that???

This new line is called Mr. Boy. I just love all the vibrant colors!

Tail Waggers and Cat Naps...even tho I don't have a cat or dog, I still love this line! This is the cutest pet line that's been out since forever! That's Alyssa's future sister-in-law's dog, Petey.

OK...so, Alyssa turned 21 this year on the 25th of January. I can't believe it. She had a couple celebrations, and it's safe to say, I think she is enjoying being the legal drinking age.

So, once the Green Bay Packers beat the Bears, we decided to take a trip to Green Bay to watch the game in "Title Town"! We stayed in a suite at The Tundra Inn, which was a couple blocks from Lambeau. We had an absolute blast!! After the Packers won, we high-tailed it over to Lambeau and celebrated along with the thousands of other people. It was quite and experience being right in there with the crowd. On Monday, we all went back to Lambeau to take a tour of the stadium and visit the Hall of Fame...Awesome!! Here's a few pics!

Alyssa before the game

Sue, during the game...she had quite a fan club, especially when she started the "Wave". Oh, how we love Sue!

We have a tradition while watching Packer games. Every touchdown, (or not), we need to have a shot of Bailey's. This was no exception. These are our special Packer Shot Glasses!

Carole...the number one fan!!
The Packers win the Superbowl!!!

Paul at Lambeau...it's a little cold!

This was taken from one of the private suites. It's a pic of the fans shoveling out the stands. Did you know they have to turn down a minimum of 300 people a day that come to shovel??? On this day, they turned away over 1000...amazing fans!

My Blog has Suffered!

2010-09-19T23:01:00.003-05:00

I've been so busy with the new Scrapbook Store, that my blogging has really taken a backseat. We've been working so hard to get the Store up and running by October 16th, but the days are going by a little too quickly! We'll see. We do have a blog set up for your viewing of our progress. It's very new and under construction, but you can view a few pics. We are trying to allow people to share the journey with us! Check it out here! You can also follow us on facebook here!

I'm working on a few layouts for the new store and will post them as soon as they are done.

I'm off to catch-up on my blog reading for awhile...it's been way too long!

Check it Out!!!

2010-09-07T13:41:00.003-05:00

Check out the layout I did of Jose for Bella Blvd using the new Mid Term line!!!! It's right here!

Exciting things are Happening!!

2010-08-29T10:26:00.006-05:00

So...we did it!! Angie and I are the proud owners of The Scrapbook Store, in Greenfield, WI. For those of you that may not know, The Scrapbook Store has been in business since 1996 and has had one owner and 3 different locations (4, if you include the 2nd store in Germantown, WI). Lee Friske, the owner, at least the owner up until last Friday, is retiring. Angie and I just couldn't bear to see the store close, so it will be re-opening by the end of October at a new location, 4466 South 108th Street, Greenfield, WI! We are so excited about this move and change! We will be re-vamping the store (so-to-speak), focusing on krops and special events, while carrying the latest and greatest product. We even have a few new ideas up our sleeves. I will soon be posting a link to our new blog, so you can track the progress along with us!! Stay tuned for more info!!!

On A different note, my friend, Dawn, opened an Etsy shop. She makes beautiful handmade jewelry...check it out... http://www.katzworld.etsy.com/

Hello Again!!

2010-08-22T19:50:00.005-05:00

I was recently told that my blog was "boring" because I've been AWOL lately. That is from the blogging world anyway! I've been super-busy with a few projects which has allowed little to no blogging time. One project I can't officially mention yet. I've never been a superstitious person before, but for some reason, I feel the need to wait a bit longer before mentioning it. Some of you that know me, know what I am referring to, and I'm really hoping to announce the big news this week sometime.

The other little project keeping me extremely busy lately has to do with my daycare. Kids come into the daycare and before you know it four or five years pass by and they are off to school. This is a little sad for me, to think that all their little friendships they have made can come to an end after spending more waking hours with each other even over their parents in most cases. So...way back when, I decided to get these cuties back together with their friends at least once a year during our "Backyard Campouts".

Each year the groups that grew up together (usually 6 or 7 in a group), get together at my home and we have tons of games, always different, with a few traditional things thrown in such as water balloon fights, silly string fights, and scavenger hunts. The kids really enjoy this, and I have to say, I love listening to them all reminisce about the past years they've spent together.

I leave it up to the oldest in each group to end the campouts, which go well into their high school years. This year I have one coming to an end and I have to say, it is very bitter-sweet. I know we'll keep in touch in other ways, but the campouts are such a huge part of keeping in touch. This particular group happens to be the only group that is all boys. That's right, 6 guys and 2 girls in one tent (Me and Carole), eating beef jerky and telling spooky stories (my personal favorite is Brett's Bloody Fingers which he tells every year)! The tent has gotten smaller and smaller through the years and maybe even a little smellier as the years past, but I still love it!!!

Here's a picture of the little guys taken 10 years ago:

Here is Brett, Joe, Alec, Nicholas, Brandyn, and Ethan

And here are the big guys now at our "Survivor" campout this past weekend:

Jordan (he joined us about 6 years ago), Brett (he's about 6' and 230 lbs), Alec, Ethan, Joe and Brandyn

The end of an era...tear tear...love all you guys!!

Final layouts for CHA

2010-07-29T21:26:00.004-05:00

Here are my final layouts that I did for Bella at CHA. The first layout is of Nicholas and Gracie. She adores him, and he usually returns the affection even though it may not look that way in this picture. I used the new Lovey Dovey line...so stinkin' cute! (sorry for the glares)
This next line is completed using the Hello Beautiful line. I thought I was going to have the most difficulties using this line, but to my surprise, it turns out to be one of my favorites! This is a layout of my nephew, Ean and his buddy, Parker. They are like two peas in a pod. Stop back tomorrow for a couple altered projects.

CHA Layouts - day 2

2010-07-28T23:27:00.005-05:00

The second day of CHA came to an end. I can't tell you all the fun inspiration I saw at the show and I have over 600 pictures to proove it. I just love looking at all the new product and can't wait to get my hands on it all!!

Below are two more layouts I did for Bella Blvd. The first layout is of my niece, Taylor, using Socialite. The colors in this line are amazing and so classy...love it!

This next line was done using One Fall Day. This is of my daughter, Alyssa, and her friend, Brittney at the pumpkin farm. There are so many patterns to choose from. I had a difficult time deciding what papers to use. It's a little busy, but I like it. See you tomorrow for a couple more layouts!

New Bella Layouts!

2010-07-26T22:29:00.008-05:00

This is a super late post, but as promised, here are the first two layouts I did using the new Bella Blvd lines. The first is made using Sunny Happy Skies. I'm loving the bright colors in this line. I created a couple other fun things that I will be showing the end of the week using the same line! These are four of my goofy daycare kids hammin' it up! That's Nicholas, Logan, Abby and Alexis having a good ole' time sunbathing.I love this next line. In fact, I've never seen a school collection that I've liked so much. I'm especially excited about this paper because I got to see this paper during the printing process. Get a load of all that paper (sorry about the picture quality, it was taken with my phone)!! I was absolutely amazed at the presses and the entire process. I even got a few freebies...thanks, Stephanie! The layout I made using the new Midterm paper line is of my future son-in law, Jose (that sounds so weird). This paper is perfect for grade school and right up through college. Don't forget to stop on by tomorrow for more layouts.

Sneaky Peaks!!!

2010-07-26T21:01:00.002-05:00

CHA is Here!!!!! So, yesterday I was at CHA helping Stephanie set up the Bella booth. What a process! I've always been on the receiving end, shopping for product for the Scrapbook Store. So, this was a blast, getting to see all the "behind the scenes" stuff. I'm amazed as to how everything comes together. Stephanie and Robin are incredible...brilliant! Gail and I were pretty-much "Gofers", but it was so worth it! I can't wait to see how it all looks tomorrow. If you are lucky enough to attend, stop by the Bella Booth (you'll know it cuz it's the cutest booth there) booth number 621.

I created a bunch of projects for the booth, so this week I will be showing them all off, so don't forget to stop back each day this week for a new reveal! Here's a few sneaks. Stay tuned for full reveal beginning tomorrow.

NEW STUFF IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!

2010-07-16T11:49:00.006-05:00

WOW!!! If you havn't gone on the Bella Blvd. blog in a while, hop on over and check out all the sneek peeks of the new releases!!!! They are fantastic, and I can't wait to show you what I've created with them! Here's just a smidge of what Bella has in store. To see more go here!!!

"Read All About It"!!!!

2010-07-09T17:37:00.004-05:00

We want to expand our Bella family!!!! Please go to the Bella Studio Blog for details on how you can become the next Bella Artista!!!!

Boom Boom Pow!!!

2010-07-05T00:34:00.007-05:00

We had a fabulous 4th of July, as usual...and we managed to somehow keep the neighbors quiet this year. We usually have at least one neighbor complain about our fireworks display, not because of the display itself, but because of the noise. Most of my neighbors have dogs that I guess go apes**t when they hear the bangs and booms. Well, my friend Penny said it best when she said that we have to listen to their dogs bark at all hours 365 days of the year, so they can put up with us one day of the year!

This year, along with Bob and Carole, Jose's Mom and Dad joined us. We had yummy shiskabobs on the grill, a little pool fun, fire pit, and a pretty nice fireworks display, despite the few raindrops and big winds at times.

Here's a few of the explosives Alyssa and I bought...they had a sale :) - I am unable to upload the video to blogger and I'm so bummed about that! Since I was taking video, I didn't get any stills of the fireworks so, you'll have to take my word that the fireworks were awesome!!! I can't wait for next year!

The Winner is...

2010-07-02T12:29:00.004-05:00

...Toodie!

Toodie Said;
Congrats on your new shop. And such a cute name. I love the kits you offer! ...

Congratulations, Toodie! Please email me any questions and your mailing address at thefuzzycaterpillar@gmail.com I will get your kits out to you as soon as you visit my shop and let me know the kit numbers (2) you'd like!

Thanks everyone else for the kind words and well-wishes!

My Big News!

2010-06-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

So, I've been saying that I have something I've been working on for a while. Well, I finally got everything in order and up and running with a LOT of help from my friend, Stephanie, who designed my new look! She is amazing... Thanks so much, Stephanie!

Some of you, my readers, may already know that I used to design page kits for the Scrapbook Store. Well as of recently, I decided to give that up, and dum-da-da-dum.....

Introducing, The Fuzzy Caterpillar, my new ETSY shop! Featuring 12x12 page kits!!! I'm so excited about this and hope to keep expanding!!!

So, be sure to check it out as soon as you can and spread the word! Here are a couple of peaks:

Oh, and to honor the opening of the Fuzzy Caterpillar, if you leave a comment below, I will be announcing a random winner on Friday Morning, giving away 2 kits of your choice from my shop!

Under construction!

2010-06-26T23:13:00.002-05:00

You'll have to bear with me for a couple days while my blog gets a new look, and also a new addition that I will be introducing in a day or two (soooo excited). My friend, Stephanie, has been helping me with a little project that's gonna be an added little adventure. Be sure to check back in a few days to see what's new!!

A little Inspiration!

2010-06-22T13:16:00.007-05:00

The weekend before last I went to Watertown once again for a scrapbook weekend. I mainly worked on pages for an upcoming class I will be teaching at the Scrapbook Store. I would give you a peak, but I can't because I am using a new line from Bella Blvd that will not be revealed until CHA Summer in late July. However, if you'd like to get a peak, the Scrapbook Store is having it's 3rd quarter class kickoff this Thursday (the 24th) from 6-7:30pm. The class will be out for viewing then and only then and will have to be put away after until August 4th when the class will take place. If you sign up for any classes that night, you will receive a 10% discount! The new Bella lines are Fantastic, as usual!

Anywho, here are a couple other layouts I can share with you...

This first layout is of little Cecilia in front of our (Paul's) rose bushes. I used the Delovely line for this layout...love it!

For this layout I used the new Echo Park line. I bought the whole kit and some extras because I just loved all the colors! This is a pic of two of my little daycare girls, Samantha and Hailey. They love picking the flowers!

Buzzzzzzzzzz

2010-06-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Check out the "Bella Buzz" newsletter today. One of my layouts is featured. If you do not receive Bella's online newsletter, go here to sign up! Click on the image for a close-up.

OMG...OMG...OMG!!!

2010-06-09T12:32:00.006-05:00

I feel like I'm getting soooo old.

My baby girl just got engaged this morning!! I can't believe how the time flies by. It seems like just yesterday that she was flying into the house yelling "I'm going to prom with him!!" That was 4 years ago already. I can only imagine how fast the next two years are going to go. They're planning on Spring/Summer 2012.

Congratulations Jose and Alyssa. We couldn't be any happier!!!!

The happy couple:

The beautiful ring!
On a different note, I'm going to Watertown this weekend to scrapbook with the girls, so check back next week to view my accomplishments...I'm planning on getting a lot done. But, then again, that's always the plan, isn't it???

A Sneak Peek!!!

2010-06-04T06:45:00.001-05:00

So, Stephanie and Gail are going to be doing a workshop (layouts and cards) at summer CHA in Chicago and it's going to be fantastic! The new lines are simply amazing, and I just know everyone is going to agree! Just look at that border peek. You can sign up today at the CHA show website. Here are more details about the class. It's gonna be great!!!!

New Stuff...Can't Wait!!!!!

2010-06-02T06:45:00.003-05:00

Ok, so last night Stephanie (from Bella Blvd) called me because she had a TON of work to get done and didn't want to be alone at the studio. Since I had no scrapbooking projects prepared, I agreed to come and keep her company and work on a few things I needed to get done on the computer while she plugged away on the new collections for the CHA summer release. So, I decided to take a break from trying to write a tutorial for a very cool project for the Bella blog. Yeah, that didn't happen...for the life of me I just couldn't figure it out. So, no tutorial...oh well! Anyway, I'm sure after the first hour of my being at Bella, she was regretting my being there. I was a little chatty and a little needy, and a little (a lot) amazed at all the new collections!!!! If it's at all possible, these are some of the BEST collections yet!!!!! Stephanie just never disappoints, in fact, I don't think she's capable of disappointing. Just look at the little busy bee...hard at work! While I was taking a few pictures of the tutorial-not-to be, I decided to to snap a few pics of one of my favorite people.......

Oh hey, if you get a chance, pop on over to the Creative Charms site. My friend, Gail, is featured there today!!!! She rocks the cards!! Be sure and leave her some love!! Thanks for stopping by!

Ahhhhh...Summer is finally here!!!!

2010-05-24T21:12:00.002-05:00

Enjoying all the nice weather hasn't allowed too much time for blogging, but I did get some awesome pictures that you will be seeing a little later on, on a layout!!!

I also have some exciting news to announce sometime in the very near future (sooooo excited)... Until then, here's a couple pics of Dylan, Grace and Nicholas enjoying the 94 degree weather!

28 years ago today...

2010-05-17T06:51:00.002-05:00

a baby girl was born! Weighing 7lbs. 7oz., 22" long, and perfect in every way! After 22 looooong hours of labor with NO pain medication, she was finally born after having to use forcepts because her little arms were outstretched making it impossible for me to push her out. Worth every minute of the pain, Kelly Michele came out kicking and screaming and cute as a button!! I can't believe it's been 28 years...where does the time go??

Happy Birthday, Kel...we love you tons!!!

The Family Tree

2010-05-07T10:13:00.004-05:00

This week, Bella Blvd. teamed up with Helmar adhesives and all the Artista's have been working on little projects using all Helmar adhesives. Check out the Bella blog to see my mini book entitled The Family Tree. I used the Estate Sale line. Thanks for stopping by!

Great Bella Give-aways!!

2010-05-01T12:51:00.002-05:00

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!!! I really wish I could be scrapbooking today, but my house-cleaning is calling me, and a new grill to put together, so my time is pretty much accounted for. But you can hop on over to the Bella Blvd. blog for some great give-aways to honor National Scrapbooking Day!

Taking a Giant Leap!

2010-04-28T07:01:00.004-05:00

This is another layout that I put together in Watertown. I used Making Memories paper and alphabet (the orange "giant" is by Jillibean) along with the Pink Paislee ribbon pleats, which I absolutely Love!

What happens in Watertown, stays in Watertown!

2010-04-28T06:35:00.006-05:00

Another great, fun-filled weekend krop in Watertown was this past weekend! I always enjoy getting together with frinds, scrapping the weekend away, even if I seem to work slower when I'm not on my own...just having too much fun, I guess...is there such a thing?? Anywhoo, here are a couple layouts I did over the weekend.

This first layout (sorry about the glare), is of Hailey, who stops smiling immediately once she has a camera in her face. I used Doodlebug for this layout. My LSS hasn't sold Doodlebug for quite some time and I really missed it. Doodlebug has some of the most fun paper lines and I love working with it. And I really like the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements. I have to admit, when I first bought them, I didn't have any idea how I was going to use them, but I like how the ink collected in the little nooks...yes, I will use those again.

And this is my Little Gracie. I did this layout in about 15 minutes. Don't you just love when you have an idea that's so simple, yet doesn't really look like it?? I popped up the "FUN" scallops.

Look What I Found!!

2010-04-26T22:14:00.004-05:00

I am so LOVING these cute little buttons and stick pins I found at this ETSY shop that Stephanie passed on to me. I love all the colors and designs. I just got them in the mail today and already used one of the fun buttons!!!! Tell me what you think!! Are they not the best???!!??

Have a great day!!!

2010-04-13T17:55:00.003-05:00

I just had to post this....Have a great day!!!!!! And thanks for stopping by!

A Last Minute Visit!

2010-04-07T20:23:00.004-05:00

I love visiting my family in Long Beach, CA. Unfortunately, I'm not able to get there as often as I'd like. With the weather we've had here in Milwaukee this past week, it was almost like being there. If I can't get there, it's always nice to have my siblings, nieces and nephews, and sometimes cousins, visit us. This time it was my beautiful niece's turn to visit. She was here for a week and we had a great time! We went to a Brewer Game, checked out Dave and Busters, spent Easter with great Friends, and of course, we had to go to the Coach Store. Taylor loves Coach. I have to say, she was rubbing off on me. I saw sooo many things I wouldn't mind having. Take a look at our finds!!!!

Taylor loved this purse, and I must say, it suits her very well!

I have been looking for a black purse for a while and came across this fun patent leather one. I just love it!!! Kelly liked it too, so much so that I had to go back and get her one for her birthday.

Of course, I had to get the matching wallet.

And this white leather was one of those..."should I?? shouldn't I??? oh, what the hell" kind of purchases. Love it!!!!

And lastly, you can never have too many sunglasses....can you????

Final Four

2010-04-01T13:29:00.003-05:00

So, here are the final four layouts that I did at the Watertown Weekend krop last weekend. I've been doing my best trying to use up some older product that I have.

This layout was made with Kaiser Craft paper, with a little bit of Jillibean added in.

Ok. This paper isn't old. I lied. I love My Minds Eye!

I reeeealy lied. Here's a layout using Basic Grey's Green at Heart line. I love this paper so much, I bought everything in the line!

I don't know for sure what company this last layout was made from, since the back side was blank and there was no paper slug that had the name on it, but I'm thinking it could possibly be KI Memories. It looks a little like some of their old lines. I don't have a clue where or when I got it.

This is NOT my post!

2010-04-01T06:29:00.018-05:00

I love looking at other blogs. It's such a great way to see what people are up to, especially when it's someone that I don't speak to regularly. I blog hop for many reasons. Sometimes it's for scrapbooking ideas, sometimes to catch up on what's going on in everyone Else's lives, and sometimes just to be inspired with others' gift of words and articulation. I try to review the blogs I follow at least once a week, time permitting, but there is one blog that I visit every day. This blog never disappoints (unless she doesn't have a new post when I check). I have told many people to visit this blog just because because of the gift of being able to feel something and write it down in a way that you actually feel what she is saying.

Recently, my friend, Katherine made a post that I can totally relate to and when I read it, I thought she was reading my mind! I want to re-post her post (I hope she doesn't mind) just to give you an idea of what I mean. Also, because I love the post. If you want to see for yourself, check out her blog here. Thank you, Katherine for being such an inspiration to me!

Katherine's post;

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Dying and Rising
Ever since I can remember I had a fear of death. Maybe it is not so much the fear of dying itself but the mystery of what happens after we die. In grade school I was taught by the nuns what to believe, but the lack of statistical evidence, and many unanswered questions made me dispute their predictions for the afterlife. Would I really have to live my worst moments over and over (at the time that was endless hours of practicing the piano) until my sins were repented in purgatory? Would I really be united with my loved ones and be able to enjoy Grandma's cookies again? A wonderful concept, but non of it biblical.

I bring this up today at the start of Holy Week. The week that we celebrate the dying and rising of a man, who was God. A concept, that if it appeared in print today, would seem like a scam, a tabloid. But something we as Christians fully believe and accept as truth.

Curious that today the MSN homepage has an article on the same topic. Pictures that people drew of their near death experiences, scientific concepts to help support the idea of heaven, and new book on the topic of our fascination with the afterlife. Interesting that in this world of political correctness and materialism, 81% of Americans believe in the concept of heaven, up from 72% ten years ago. But what that belief actually is, seems to be all over the board.
I sometimes wish that Jesus, during one of his teachings, would have laid out the description of what heaven would be like in more detail. I use to worry and struggle with giving my children the answers they sought about what happens when we die. I didn't want to mislead them to believe a concept that may not be true. And I have to admit that after all the thought I have given the topic I am probably more confused now than I was as a child. But what I have concluded is that we are not meant to know. And although I am still curious about the topic, and am sure to read that new book, I am content in exploring, but not knowing. I think possibly heaven was never described for us because it is so indescribable.

So today what I need to believe in is that unbelievable sacrifice 2000 years ago. And to celebrate my faith during this holiest of weeks.

Non-Productive Weekend????

2010-03-31T11:56:00.005-05:00

Why is it that when I scrapbook at home, I can pound out page layouts pretty quickly, usually able to create at least three layouts in an evening, and when I go away for the weekend, I seem to be in a non-productive mode? Maybe because when I'm at home I have nothing to compare my work to, so whatever it is, it is. When I get with my friends, I'm distracted by what they are doing and I never seem to think my work is up to par. I was scrapbooking all weekend, beginning Friday morning at 10:00am until Sunday at around 1:00pm, and guess how many layouts I completed? I have to say, this was the most unproductive scrapbooking weekend that I can ever remember. I completed a whopping 7 layouts. Yep, you heard me right! Of course, I guess I have to compare my being home alone in my scrapbook room, to being out with amazing friends, that keep me laughing all weekend. I would have had just as much fun not scrapbooking and just hanging out with the girls. I think what may also help next time is to to keep the Bailey's Irish Cream and laptop at home! Yeah...like that will happen!!

Here is a sample of what I did;

Love me some American Crafts!

I mixed Theresa Collins and Adornit for this layout of Kelly.

And, of course, Cosmo is always great to work with!

Bella Inspiration

2010-03-19T19:07:00.008-05:00

Did I ever tell you how much I LOVE Bella Blvd??? I absolutely love how versatile all the lines are. I love mixing and matching lines and I couldn't be happier that Stephanie added double sided paper to the collections!

I thought I'd share a few recent layouts I made!

I used Man of the House for this layout of Nicholas playing in the snow, and the snowman was made from the flip side of the Bits a Bella...love those big circles! (And thanks, Cheryl, for the snowflakes)!

This layout of the kids at one of the daycare campouts, was made with a combination of the Honey, I'm Home line and Camped Out line.

And here is a layout I did for my sweet friend, Morgan. It's of her and her grandpa, using the Man of the house line.

A New Toy!

2010-03-15T11:50:00.006-05:00

A couple months back, my desktop crashed. I went to turn it on one day, and nothing. It wouldn't even go on. Luckily, my friends' husband was ale to retrieve all my "stuff" off of it. So, I was left with my laptop. My poor laptop was getting tired and a couple days ago I opened an email that had a virus in it. So, now my laptop was pretty much fried too. So, after doing a little shopping, my friend, Penny, showed me an email she received from Dell, and I was able to personalize a laptop any way I wanted...so...check it out! I just love my little toy, almost as much as I love looking at those big pink polka dots!

Getting "Lost" in scrapbooking!

2010-03-10T06:44:00.004-06:00

Alyssa started her new job last week! She's not used to being on her feet for hours on end, and when she gets home, she said it feels like her feet are on fire. So, since we had the night filled with catching up on the shows we watch and scrapbooking, there was only one thing to do. Nothing will keep her away from scrapbooking...hence, the photo below. Sorry about the lighting, but I didn't have time to change the setting on the camera if I wanted this quick, candid shot.

I have learned that trying to scrapbook while watching shows like "Lost", are next to impossible. So, one lone layout is all I completed :( This was taken of Ean, Rebecca, and Evan last Christmas. I used the We R Merry and Bright Christmas line.

Congratulations TeenaBugg38!!!

2010-03-08T06:25:00.003-06:00

Congratulations, Tina! You are the winner of my handmade "Bella" gift card holders! Please email me your address at art@bellablvd.net so I can get them right out to you. Thanks for "crawling"!

Thanks to everyone that participated in the blogcrawl and a special thanks to everyone that left such wonderful comments bout my gift cards. I had such a good time reading them all! It was a huge success and such a blast!!

It's Finally Here!!!!!

2010-03-05T07:15:00.009-06:00

Finally, what we've all been waiting for!! Tons of hand-made giveaways by over 50 designers of Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup and Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker!

How would you like to win Bella beautiful-ness worth $50?! It's Bella's brand new CHA winter products! For a chance to win Bella Blvd's giveaway, leave a comment over at Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker blog. Nikki will choose the winner on Sunday night and you will find the winner announced on Bella's blog Monday morning.Then are you ready to Blog Crawl?!

Here are the details:The Crawl is a "free-style" crawl, meaning there is no correct order to hop from blog to blog. We have all the Bella Blvd Artistas participating in the Handmade Craft Giveaways listed below. Each one of us has a unique, one-of-a-kind handmade craft to give away. From frames and cards to party favors and gifts, they were all made with Bella products!Each company will also be giving away large prizes retailing at $50.00!!!! Simply hop on over to all the company and designer blogs, leave a comment regarding their giveaways, and hopefully, win!!! I know there are many participants, but remember, you have all weekend to hop! Winners will be announced Monday, so don't forget to check back and see if you are the lucky winner!

Check out my giveaway...it's a collection of eight gift card holders (cash not included) using several Bella Blvd. lines. Leave a comment to win them all! Internationals are welcome to join in!

Now, hop on over to ; Akiko Kuroki, Brittny Lejeune, Celeste Smith, Elizabeth Carney, Emily Jones, Erin Wells, Estee Stone, Gail Hoecker, Jana Eubank, Janis Medina, Jenneke Knol, Jessica Jo Salber, Lorendana Bucaria, Michelle Alynn Clement, Michelle Lanning, Mimi Leinbach, Sheri Feypel, Stephanie Hunt, Tanisha Long, Trica Wilson, Wendy Cieklinski, Heidi Sonboul
Good Luck and Have a Blast!!!

DON'T FORGET......

2010-03-04T12:02:00.002-06:00

It's gonna be fantastic!!!! You don't want to miss the chance to win free product and giveaways from over 50 designers and product giveaways from Bella, Jillibean, and Nikki Sivils! Come back tomorrow to see what I'm giving away!

A few Sneak Peeks!

2010-03-01T06:25:00.002-06:00

Here's another reminder for you to get ready for the fantastic Blog Crawl between Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup, and Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker beginning this Friday.

Here are a few sneak peeks of what I will be giving away during the blog crawl. I can't wait to show you everything. Stop back this weekend and check it out to win!

A Door County layout

2010-02-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

Don't forget about the BLOG CRAWL next week! Check out Bella Blvd. for more details, and check back here Monday for a couple of sneak peaks of what I'm going to be giving away!

Below is my final layout I did for the Creating Keepsakes blog last month. I used the All Inclusive line from Bella Blvd. I love all the bright colors in this line. This is a layout of my daughter, Alyssa, taken in Door County last summer. Looking at this layout makes me anxious for summer!

HELP!! I Just Don't Get It!

2010-02-25T06:30:00.001-06:00

So, I've been dealing with a situation for the past 25 years, and I just can't seem to get it! Don't get me wrong, I love my husband dearly (most of the time), but I'm STILL trying to figure out why, after all this time, I feel the need to repeat myself over and over again. I can tell him something, and an hour later, when I bring it up again, he looks at me like I'm some kind of alien and claims I never told him.

I've gone over and over and round and round in my mind and can't seem to make heads or tails of it. I used to think maybe he suffered from short term memory loss, but ruled that out because if I tell him something like "hey, let's watch the game tonight", he'd nag me and remind me of my commitment right up until kick off or tip off or what have you (this is solely a metaphor. I would never really ask him to watch a game). I also ruled out that he did too much acid in the sixties, since I realized he would have been a very small child then. Maybe he just doesn't give two hoots about what I have to say? I can't believe that could be, since I consider myself a person who has plenty of interesting things to say...hummmm...maybe I'm the only one that sees myself this way.

I don't know. I need help with this because it's very frustrating. Most of the people that read my blog know, I've worked at the Scrapbook Store for the past 7 years and pretty much work with the same people, and talk about them ALL THE TIME, yet, the other day when I told him Debbie and Donna were in charge of the weekend krop that the store put on last weekend, he said, "Really? Who's that? Oh, Debbie works at the Scrapbook Store?" I wanted to hit him right there and then...REALLY HARD! I've been talking to him on numerous occasions about this, because I usually run the krop, and didn't have to this year, and Debbie has worked there for years. What the hell??? Another good one was when after we were talking about Bella Blvd a few weeks ago, he says to me, "Tell me again exactly what "Bella" is". WHAT???? I've only been working and doing projects for the company for the past two years! What really kills me, is he can come home from work (he's got about 400 employees) and tell me a story that includes several people, and if I don't remember everyones name, rank and serial number, I'm accused of not caring about him and what he goes through throughout the day.

Sorry for my rambling, but I just don't get it!

Here's another gem. I tell Paul this past Monday that I had to go into the Scrapbook Store to drop something off and I said I'd be back within the hour. I get to the store and my phone rings. Guess who it is? And guess what he wants? Yep, you guessed it. He wants to know where I am. I wanted to reach through the phone line ( I guess I mean cel tower) and strangle him. I hang up the phone and tell my friend, Cheryl my situation and she proceeds to tell me this:

She said she purposely waits until the last moment to tell her husband anything, because he won't remember. She says, "I held off and didn't tell Jim until Thursday night that I was going to be gone at the weekend krop Friday afternoon through Sunday because I knew he'd forget. Then, what does he do? Friday comes along and he asks me if I wanna go to a fish fry."

So, I guess I'm not the only one. And I guess I'll still be looking for the answer 25 years from now, if he lives that long.

Goofy Evan!

2010-02-24T06:30:00.002-06:00

Here's another layout I did for the CK blog. I loved working with the Man of the House line, because I don't do many masculine layouts. This is a great line. I had a tough time choosing what product to use because there's so much to choose from. This is a layout of my nephew, Evan. He's such a goof and really knows how to make a person laugh!

WIN! WIN! WIN!

2010-02-22T10:00:00.001-06:00

This is going to be so much fun!!

On March 5th, Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup and Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker are teaming up and there will be large product giveaways from each company! Crawl from blog to blog to be eligible to win! It's easy. There will be more info to follow to see how it works!

And it just gets better and better!

Oh My Gosh, if you go to the designer blogs from these three sights, you're in for a ton of more surprises. Many of the designers are also offering awesome giveaways including Yours Truly. I know that's a lot of blogs, but not to worry, you have a whole week to hit all the blogs. So check back to see what you can win!!! And tell your friends to do the same!

Little Girls are Heaven's Flowers!

2010-02-19T09:20:00.000-06:00

I just can't decide which of the new lines from Bella Blvd is my favorite. I love Estate Sale because it's so versatile. This layout is of 3 of the adorable little girls I watch at the daycare, Karlei, Samantha, and Grace. This is one of the layouts featured about a month ago on the CK blog.

By the way, be sure to stop back Monday for a very special Bella announcement!

A Simple Card

2010-02-17T06:47:00.001-06:00

Here is a card (actually the only card) I made for the Bella Blvd. booth at CHA last month. I'm not really too much of a card person. I don't know why. It just seems like they never look as good as the vision in my head, or as good as most of the cards I see created by other people. This one was made using the Man of the House line.

Happy Birthday to my BFF!

2010-02-15T10:06:00.002-06:00

The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've ever had. Love you, Carole!! Have a great Birthday!

LOVE IS...

2010-02-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a layout I did using a little bit of Bella!

2010-02-08T13:30:00.005-06:00

I've wanted one of these little guys for quite some time now. Since I am highly allergic to dogs and cats, I thought this would be a fun alternative. Royal Dandie pigs are extremely clean, intelligent, able to be litter trained, non-allergenic, and not to mention, ADORABLE. They only grow to be a maximum of 20 pounds and unless you leave food around, they pretty much stay out of trouble. I've done much research on these little guys and am in love! Just one problem (besides the fact that Paul is not too thrilled with the idea, but he can be swayed), there is a "No Swine" ordinance in the city of Milwaukee. I was told it was not going to be changed unless they could be classified as a "house pet". While the popularity is growing in other places, not so much in Milwaukee. I was told to keep checking back to see if and when the ordinance will be lifted. So here I wait. In the meantime, I've invested in this guy. While he may be quite boring, at least he's pretty-much no maintenance.

Meet "Jaws".........

CHA - Great Success for Bella Blvd.

2010-01-27T10:59:00.003-06:00

The girls are having a great time at CHA in Anaheim! Just check out the Bella Studio blog to see the amazing work that has gone into putting on a great show!! Below are a couple of my layouts using the "All Inclusive" and "Estate Sale" lines.

Look Ma - I'm on Creating Keepsake's Blog!!

2010-01-15T06:30:00.002-06:00

I can't tell you how excited and honored I am to be guest - hosting Creating Keepsakes blog today. I can't show you much, but hop on over to their blog and check me out. You'll also have the opportunity to see sneak peaks of Bella Blvd's new collections, along with a fantastic give-away if you leave a comment! Below are just a couple little teasers!

SUPER EXCITED!!

2010-01-14T12:32:00.009-06:00

Tomorrow's the big day!! I will be guest hosting the CK blog and I'm so excited, I just had to share a couple sneak peeks of the latest Bella Collections with you. This is just a sample of what you will see when you visit their blog!

Sweet and Simple Pages!

2010-01-13T18:10:00.000-06:00

Some of you may already know that in addition to being a Bella Blvd. Artista, I also work at my local Scrapbook Store. I do various little things such as organizing the quarterly newsletter, run krops, and I am the class coordinator. My friend, Rhonda, and I also make what we call our "weekly kits". Some of our customers have requested that I post some past layouts for simple inspiration. So, here they are. Every Monday evening, we introduce a new kit. All kits come complete with step by step instructions and a photo. They are very simple and the great news is they only cost $5.50 each! It's really a great deal. So, if your ever in the Milwaukee area, check us out!

By the way, I apologize in advance for the photography. I hate not being able to use natural lighting, but it's been rather chilly here to take the pics outdoors.

Thanks for the special birthday, Sissies!

2010-01-11T12:44:00.007-06:00

I had a great birthday weekend, scrapbooking with all my sissies at the Scrapbook Store! I didn't get as much done as I would have hoped, but only two more Bella projects to go, and I'm all done until...I don't know. In addition to all the Bella, I was able to do this cute layout below of Sammy - yes, another daycare cutie. I bought this paper with my sister this summer in every color. I just love polkadots, checks and stripes!

Oh, and in case you don't know (I think I've been announcing it to everyone I see), check out the Creating Keepsakes blog on friday. Yours Truly is guest hosting!

Christmas Decorations Can Wait!!

2010-01-08T11:47:00.006-06:00

I've been working diligently on CHA projects, among other things and I'm so excited to show you...but I can't :( Not yet, at least. I know everyone is so excited to see the new Bella collections...but all in good time!

In the mean time, I'm posting a couple quick layouts I did while scrapbooking with Alyssa last night. Remember, you can click on the images to enlarge.

This first layout is of Roman, a cute little "Newbie" here at the daycare. He looks just like big brother, Dylan, with a smile that lights up his whole face! How cute is he?!!!?
I've been so excited to use this paper by October Afternoon. I just love it, and bought a ton! Here's a layout of my niece, Rebecca, and my nephew, Evan, on Christmas Eve. I think this picture is adorable and love how it captures the spirit of the season!

Alyssa did this layout, but I though it was so cute, I just had to post it of her and Jose... such a cute couple!

Stay tuned for more layouts next week (and another cute, new little face), since I'll be scrapbooking pretty much the whole weekend! Sooner or later I'll get to those Christmas decorations...priorities...

STOP YELLING AT ME!!

2010-01-04T12:53:00.016-06:00

Ok. Everyone can stop yelling at me for not posting on my blog!! What can I say? I've been busy. There's just always too much to do and not enough time to do it all. We've been pretty much on the go since a couple weeks before Christmas and I feel like things are just winding down now.

We kicked off our holiday season by heading over to Elmbrook Church in Brookfield where they had their Bethleham Marketplace program. This is the second time I've been there and I was once more, amazed by how they transform this huge area into the birthplace of Christ. It was truly amazing seeing the hundreds of volunteers dressed in costumes and all the live animals used (even camels) to create the scene.

The following night we celebrated Christmas with Bob, Carole, Sue and the boys. We always have such a good time together. We had a Mexican dinner, and with the help of Marie, Jose's mom, I think everything was a success, even though I don't think I will ever be able to duplicate her authentic mexican recipes.

Chistmas Eve began with Kelly and Alyssa making Brunch which was very yummy!!! Then we opened our gifts.

Alyssa got TONS of clothes, among other things.

Kelly got her Play Station 3 that she wanted. She was so excited, I thought she was going to bail out when she saw it and take it to her house to play.

And I got this pretty little thing. Love it!

Paul did get gifts, but I guess we were all so excited to get ours that no one took a picture of him...poor guy.

Then, Christmas eve night was spent with my sister, Mary, her husband, Gary, and their three adorable kids, Ean, Rebecca and Evan. We had a blast playing the Beatles Rock Band on the Wii. I have no pics, only video, and I promised not to post that on my blog! However, they didn't say I couldn't YouTube it...hmmm

Christmas day was spent quietly at home until we went over to my uncle's in the evening. This is the only holiday where everyone that's in town gets together, and it's so nice to see everyone.

On New Years Eve, we have a tradition where we go on over to Bob and Caroles. We have a nice dinner, play some games or cards, a little karaoke, although this year we did our singing via Rock Band. I don't know who has more fun, the adults or the kids. We ring in the new year with a toast, and a bunch of noise...then we head outside with our pots and pans, noise makers, blow horns and fireworks. This year we had a great display!

Lis amd Jose

I thought I'd close this post with this goofy (or scary) picture of Paul, taken New Years Eve. He's playing Mind Flex. I guess he's supposed to be keeping that ball up in the air by mind power...I'm not too sure about this...

Santa's Helpers

2009-12-03T21:11:00.010-06:00

When I saw this I just had to do it with my family. I plan on looking at it anytime I'm sad for a good laugh. I hope you do the same! Nothing like a good laugh to kick off the holiday season! (Double click on pic to view video).

Catching Up!!

2009-11-30T21:19:00.007-06:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. I've been so busy so I thought I would make a random post to catch up on things. I've been really busy with the daycare. A couple weeks ago we had a illness spread throughout the daycare and resulted in a thorough cleaning and scrubbing of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! Then, just when I thought I had dodged any sickness, I contracted Bronchitis, which kicked my butt!!

We are all well now (knocking on wood as I type this), so things are pretty much back to normal.

We had our "Jungle Day" this past week since we've been learning about jungle animals and the rain forest. We turned the daycare into a jungle safari! The kids had a lot of fun playing jungle games, hunting for bugs in the dark (with their flashlights), making paper elephants, breaking open a tiger pinata, and eating a jungle lunch!

This is Coraline posing with Diego.

They each got a rescue pack filled with goodies that they needed throughout the day.

Nicholas getting ready to eat his curly worms (hot dogs cut lengthwise in fours), crock teeth (apples cut in triangles), dried ants (raisins), beetle wings (potato chips), and green juice.

Then, last Wednesday we had our annual Thanksgiving Feast, where everyone brings a dish to pass. They love to eat, and Carole and I love that they take a nice long nap every year after the feast!

OK...Isn't she just about the cutest little thing you ever did see? Little Brooke really dressed up for the occasion!

And these little yummies brought by little Samantha were a big hit!

Then, on Thursday we were off to our good friends, Bob and Carole's house for a huge Thanksgiving Feast of our own. They always make Thanksgiving so special and this year was no exception!

Bob cracks me up!!

The fam.

Every year, Joe digs into that drumstick!

And Matthew made a Thanksgiving word search. Alyssa won first place for finishing hers first, winning her a medal (made of paper) made by Matthew. I came in second.

Even though he doesn't look like it, Luke had a great time too. Isn't he a cutie?!?

Me and my BFF, Carole!

OK...I know this is getting long...and boring for some, so I will say goodbye for now and will not wait so long before I post again!

Nice, Relaxing Door County Weekend!

2009-11-10T08:58:00.005-06:00

We had a fun weekend in Door County again, as usual. I love being up there and enjoying all the silence and peacefulness, although being up there with my 7 year old niece, makes it a little less peaceful than usual (I mean that in a good way). She's such a busy little thing. I think that someday, when she can sit still long enough, she'll make for a great scrapbooker. She makes me tired just watching her! She's a pretty funny kid. I did, however, manage to get done a few layouts, as well as a weekly page kit for the store, while listening to The Little Mermaid II and Spy Kids over and over on the dvd.

Since I started working on Nicholas' book, most of these pages are for him. I did manage to start Halloween with one layout using pictures taken at our annual Halloween party for past daycare goers! By the way, in case you don't notice, I only used bling in one layout this whole weekend!! Those of you that know me, you know what a challange that is for me...

Click on image to enlarge.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!

2009-10-31T20:04:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I already posted this layout that I did for Bella Blvd. But since my grandma is truly my hero, I figured she deserved another post. This woman traveled to California when I was a year old to take me back to Milwaukee with her after learning my mother, a pregnant mother of four, was just diagnosed with cervical cancer. I lived with her for a year, until the rest of my family could re-join us. For the next ten years to follow, I stayed with her on and off when my mom would receive cancer treatments. Once my mom died, a couple weeks after my eleventh birthday, I pretty much stayed with her on weekends. We would talk, and talk , and talk until all hours. She would tell me stories...so many stories, and I loved listening, even if I had heard it before. So many nights we'd stay up playing Scrable, Rummy 500, and many other games.

As I got older, our relationship grew even stronger. I could talk to her about anything. We would talk every night on the phone, and I remember every New Years Eve (when I wasn't with her), I would call her a minute or two before midnight and we'd do the countdown into the new year.

My one regret is that my children will never be able to experience such a bond with their Grandmother. But for now, I hold all those wonderful stories deep in my heart, and share them when I get the opportunity. And , of course, that's what scrapbooks are for!

On Halloween, in 1995, it was my grandmas 85th birthday, and the whole family went over to her house that year, and every Halloween to celebrate. All the kids would be in costume and she loved seeing everyone. On this particular morning, I was talking to Grandma, and she told me that she never, ever dressed up for Halloween. Well, I just wasn't gonna hear of that, so I quickly made a witches costume, and got over to her house early. She dressed in the costume, and as the various families arrived, she greeted them at the door. When Alyssa saw her, she said, "Grandma, you already have a real witches' nose!" Oops...but Grandma had such a great sense of humor, it made her laugh so hard. The picture looks a little scary, but I think it was the angle... oh well, witches are supposed to look scary anyway!

Happy Birthday, Grandma! I love and Miss you!!!

That's Alyssa as Princess Jasmine

THE GREAT PUMPKINS!!

2009-10-27T21:52:00.007-05:00

Next to Christmas, Halloween is definately my favorite holiday. It's just such a fun holiday where you can pretend to be anything you want to be. I love all the scary decorations, the spooky marathon weekends on TV...speaking of that, can I just say, the Exorcist is still the scarriest movie of all time to me. I watched it the other night and even though it was cut, it freaked me out. I remember seeing it for the first time back when I was 15 years old. My good friend Claudette and I snuck into the theater (you were supposed to be 17). I thought my older brother was exaggerating when he came home from seeing it and drank a whole bottle of holy water. From that point on , I knew I had to see it. Well, after the movie, we went back to her house and neither one of us would sleep in the bed and I was begging for some holy water! Scary movies freak me out, but I'm still drawn to them! Anyway...

...another thing I love about halloween is pumpkin carving! Tonight Me, Paul, Kelly, Alyssa, and Jose carved some kick butt pumpkins...

What a Great Weekend!!!

2009-10-14T07:02:00.004-05:00

I just love getting together with friends!! We had such a great time talking, laughing, and oh yeah, scrapboking! I have to say, I was also enlightened and a bit educated thanks to Angie, Donna and Stephanie...I learned more than I needed to about triangles and "Q" words, and saw some pretty wierd videos... but I think that's all I can say about that.

Anyway, here's a few layouts that I managed to get done; Daycare kids, of course...

Nicholas and Dylan

Johanna

Nicholas and Dylan

Pretty Coraline

And here are some projects I did for Bella Blvd. recently;

My very special Grandma, whom I miss soooooo much!
Cute little guy, Dylan!

My Sweet Gracie!

and a wreath using the flowered paper from the Honey, I'm Home line.

"C" is for Cookie!

2009-10-07T19:19:00.007-05:00

So...every once in a while we have a special day here at my daycare. This week we focused on learning the letter "C". In honor of that, I decided to have a cookie exchange, where each child brought in different kinds of cookies to pass out to their friends. All the cookies were great and might I say, extremely Delicious, and most were homemade which made them extra special. I just had to share these unbelievable, extra yummy goodies that Dylan brought in. Let me tell you, these were a frosting lovers' dream! Thanks Dylan!!

2009-10-05T10:56:00.005-05:00

Alyssa and I kicked off this past weekend getting pedicures Friday night. Normally I love to do this and it usually takes about an hour, but wouldn't you know on a night where we had other plans the place would be empty so we got extra special treatment. Two hours later we walked out of there, almost making us late for a movie. We picked up Jose and went on to see Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D. These are two of my favorite Disney movies (I have many), so I just had to see them. They did a pretty good job of converting the movies into 3D.

Saturday morning I went to see Matthews soccer team beat the pants off the other team!! These kids are so cute, playing their little hearts out. But of course Matthew was by far the cutest!

Saturday night we went out to dinner and drinks with Bob and Carole, and then back to our house to play some cards. I love spending fun times with good friends!

Then Sunday it was off to Oconomowoc for Rebecca's 7th (golden) birthday. It was an American Girl birthday if I ever saw one. I can't believe my little niece is already 7 years old. Where does the time go??

Some New Bella Layouts!

2009-09-15T20:08:00.008-05:00

I've been working on some new layouts for Bella. Below are three layouts using the Flirty, Plastino, and Super Stud paper lines.

This first layout is of Alyssa's friend, Monica (her boyfriends sister). As you can see, she is very photogenic. The Flirty line is so much fun to work with and of course, I had to Stickle the flowers because I am the sparkle queen!

This layout is of Cute little Hailey. Remember her from one of my older posts? She's so much fun to take care of. She smiles all the time, except when I'm aiming a camera at her! Go figure!
She loves to pick my flowers. I used the Plastino line for this layout since it's all about summer!

Lastly, this is Dylan. I just love him! He's such a sweet boy. If I had a son, I'd want him to be just like Dylan. He's one of the few boys I have here at the daycare at the moment. The Super Stud line was perfect for this layout.

If I Were Alone...

2009-09-05T14:25:00.007-05:00

This morning, while sitting in the bathroom starring at the empty toilet paper roll hanging from the wall and getting progressively angrier and angrier after realizing that the cupboard where the extra stash was kept was empty too, I began to ponder...

If I were alone, I would never run out of necessities since I would be the one realizing the product is nearing the end, therefore, replenishing as needed.

If I were alone, My house would always be tidy and clean because no one but I would be there to mess things up and I consider myself a fairly organized and neat person.

If I were alone, I could watch "whatever" and "whenever" I wanted, the big screen with surround sound and high def, and never be interrupted. Imagine that, full control over the remote control!

If I were alone, my utilities, especially those generated by the television and hot water (due to 20 minute showers sometimes twice a day by the same person), would decrease drastically.

If I were alone...I could decorate my gazebo any way I'd like, with all the frilly side panels and not have to worry about them being taken down the second I step out the door.

If I were alone, I would no longer feel like I just entered the aftermath of hurricane Katrina while stepping into the bathroom after a certain person finishes HIS shower.

If I were alone, there would be no more worries about "what's for dinner", since a rotisserie chicken could last me a week, thereby cutting down on my least favorite thing in the world to do known as grocery shopping.

Yes, the list goes on and on in my mind, until it is interrupted by a man walking in the door after working overtime on a Saturday morning. I begin to think as he says, "Hey, let's go out, just the two of us tonight", if I were alone...

If I were alone, I would never be waiting for someone to come through that door anymore.

If I were alone, I might just miss the sounds of the screaming crowds coming from the living room during any sporting event, from football to billiards to badminton and anything in between.

I have to interrupt this post to let you know that he just came in to inform me that we are out of toilet paper...anyway...

If I were alone, no one would be there to dart out of the house to help me unload my car of the groceries from the dreaded grocery store visit and car load of goodies from Target.

If I were alone, I would have to wait in those long, long, painful lines at the DMV which I despise and refuse to do.

If I were alone, I would absolutely, unequivocally, with no doubt in my mind, have not a single house plant. They don't like me.

If I were alone, no one would be here to put out those lame Halloween decorations claiming that the only reason he does it is because all of the daycare children love it.

If I were alone, I might miss when he gets my blankets all ready for me and my pillow fluffed after coming home from a late night of scrapbooking.

If I were alone, I would have to cut the grass and shovel snow, both of which I am not a fan and can count on one hand how many times I've done either.

So, after giving it much consideration, I've decided that I guess I am kind of lucky and blessed that things are quite balanced in my life and are much more favorable than not. After all, I really think it may get quite boring eating rotisserie chicken every night.

OMG...Penny's Obsessed!!!

2009-08-27T12:16:00.012-05:00

As scrapbookers, we all know the over abundance of "stuff" we accumulate over time. I often wonder how much money is spent on what becomes "unwanted" in the future. Tens, hundreds, thousands (hopefully not thousands) of dollars possibly? I myself, have become recently aware of this (it only took me 13 years) and have pretty much decided to only buy what is needed for a specific layout. At least that's what I tell myself. Anyway, I like to think I've gotten much better with my purchases. I know I've dropped down considerably from being the 3rd top ranked customer as far as sales at the Scrapbook Store about 4 years ago.

So, I've de-cluttered my scrapbook room and recently spent time purging items I haven't used in the past 2 years (plus a bunch of other stuff). I've donated some of it and plan on trying to sell the rest in an up coming rummage sale at the Scrapbook Store.

I really thought I had a lot of stuff. At least I've always been told I have waaaay too much stuff by my scrapbook sisters, but let me tell you something. If I have a lot, I don't even have words to describe the amount of product my good pal, Penny has.

I guess I've inspired her to do the same, and unload all unused, unwanted items. I spent a few hours at her house last night organizing her room and we got through the paper. Yep, patterned paper that is. Can I just say, she is going to make a killing at the rummage sale. We haven't gotten through embellishments yet, but from what I can see, she only has maybe 4 or 5 bins of those. So, one more night to rummage through that and another to package up and price her stuff, and we should be done.

Here's a little peek into her obsesssion...yes...this is ALL cardstock. ONLY cardstock. 12x12, 8x8, and even some cardstock border strips thrown in. I banned her from buying cardstock in the future. The question is, will she obey??

I think even Penny was surprised to see all this paper when we stacked it up!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2009-08-19T22:31:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks have been crazy! I thought I would post a few layouts I did for Bella Blvd. using the new releases. I just love all the paper lines along with the new Blooms a Bella flowers!

This is a layout using Super Stud". This little cutie, Nolan, is the son of Kelly's friend.

Next is a layout of one of my favorite little daycare girls, Alexis, using the "Plastino"line.
Another daycare cutie, Hunter and his dad. I love the "Camped Out" line!

Lastly, again using "Camped Out" Hunter, Callie and Alexis at one of the daycare campouts!

We spent a week in Door County scrapbooking, shopping and relaxing! I took a ton of photos of Alyssa and Jose'. These are just a few of the many. They had a hard time getting the hang of riding this bike, but eventually did it. We had a fantastic time!

Babies, Babies, Babies....

2009-07-23T13:26:00.003-05:00

Babies are popping up everywhere around my house!! A few weeks ago I began watching Baby Brooke, Nicholas' little sister. She's just as adorable as can be. I'll be posting some layouts soon of her. She's such a wonderful little baby, and sooooo easy. It almost makes me feel guilty charging the parents to care for her. And last night baby Roman (Romy) was born, a wapping 8lbs. 13oz. I can't wait to meet him. I'm sure he's gonna be as cute and lovable as his big brother, Dylan!! I'm just so excited to welcome him into our little daycare family! Stay tuned for pics!

I'm Gonna Call the Po-lice

2009-07-11T14:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great 4th. We have a tradition with best friends of ours, Bob and Carole. Every year on July 3rd we go to the lake front and watch the fireworks, never being disappointed. This year was no exception. The fireworks were awesome and so was the company. On the 4th, we invite Bob and Carole and their boys, Joe and Matthew over for a cook-out and blast off a few fireworks of our own. I usually go to the firework store and pick out some of our favorites, however, this year I waited until the last minute (I completely forgot with everything else I had going on). I could barely get into the store, and didn't have a lot of time, so I only made it up the first isle. I took what I thought was pretty similar to what we usually get, knowing that we are somewhat limited, living int he city and also trying to be respectful of our neighbors. I got my permit and got through to the checkout line pretty quickly and didn't think much more about the purchases.

When the time came to blast off the fireworks consisting of basically showers of sparks and a few fire crackers, we all anxiously awaited while Bob and Paul got everything ready to go. It's always been amazing to me that when you witness fireworks in your own yard, it can be just as much fun as the fantastic show they put on at a park, or by the lake front. I guess something about setting them off by yourself is exciting even if they are only sparks and a few crackles. Well, you can imagine our amazement when the first fuse was lit. We all heard a "woosh" and up it went like a rocket at least 100 feet up in the sky and broke into a beautiful full blown firework. Hearing no complaints, we decided to pace ourselves and blast one every 5 minutes or so, so we would more or less blend in with the noise of others around us.

Paul always gets a bit paranoid when I buy these things because he never knows what's in store, and he's a bit afraid of fire. Actually, he's extremely afraid of fire. He blows out candles if I have them burning in the house. Perhaps it's because of his aunts barn he burnt down to the ground when he was 11. I don't know...Anyway, the rest of us were determined to have some fun. So, we blasted off the twelve remaining fireworks we had. Then we decided to blow off the last one I bought which was a cluster of just 16 showers of sparks and crackles. Not... I really had no idea that these were a cluster of 16 fireworks that lit up our little piece of the sky and I had to admit in my head I was saying, "How do we make it stop"? Too late, that one brought out the neighbors along with the threat of one angry man calling the police. Good thing that was our grand finale. After wishing him a Happy 4th, Paul got rid of all the evidence and we had a blast (no punn intended) making smores and sitting around the fire. I can't wait 'til next year... Below are a few of our very own...

I want to show everyone...

2009-07-07T16:11:00.005-05:00

The past couple weeks I've been so busy working on Bella projects and helping Stephanie with her new office/warehouse, so little time has been left for blogging. I just can't wait to show everyone all the projects, but I must. The new paper lines have been so easy to work with. I just love them all!!

I am able to show a layout that I did for a book Alyssa made for Jose's parents, thanking them for taking her to Las Vegas. She had such a great time and the pictures portrayed all the fun!! This is a picture of Kelsey, Jose's step-sister. I love the Alissa line by Bo Bunny.

I Think I'm Gonna Like You!

2009-06-23T15:53:00.005-05:00

Meet Hailey. Today was her first day at my daycare and all in all I think it went well. I usually prefer to watch children from infant on, and am a bit hesitant to take one on at this age. Hailey is almost a year old and will only be with me twice a week, so I wasn't quite so sure about this, but if every day goes like today, I think I'm really going to like her.

Just look at that adorable little face and those big blue eyes. She did cry a bit today, but that's understandable. Another couple days and I'm sure she's going to fit in just fine. And she already has so many cute little girlfriends.

I think a few more layouts for the Scrapbook Store are in order!!

Goodbye, Olivia!

2009-06-11T23:10:00.021-05:00

People sometimes ask me how I can handle being with preschoolers all day long. They ask if I ever lose my patience listening to whining and crying all day.

Well, let me tell you, in my experience, most kids whine and cry 0 to 5% of the day. The other 95% is spent smiling, singing, dancing, giggling, learning and playing anything from peek-a-boo to hide and seek to memory games. I don't know many occupations where you get continuous hugs and kisses without asking, and an occasional "I Love You, Bethie" thrown in, even right after they've had a Time Out. I just love how unconditional children are.

My Olivia has been a perfect example of all the above.

Like most of the children I care for, Olivia has been with me since she was three months old. I've watched her grow from being a perfect little infant baby with her big brown eyes and eyelashes that touched her eyebrows, to an even more beautiful little girl. She's gone from a meek and quiet little thing to a spunky girly-girl with attitude and I love watching the growth! She's gone from singing "Google Heads" to "Don't you Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me" (that's her new one as of today).

The hardest part of my job is watching the kids leave me to go off to school. Even though I do keep in touch with the majority of my past daycare goers, the idea of not having those little bodies around me everyday breaks my heart. So, the 5% of crying and whining pales in comparison to what the worst part of my job is...saying goodbye.

My hopes for you, Olivia, is to always be true to yourself and keep your compassion and unselfishness towards others, along with all that liveliness and spunk!

I love you tons and you will be missed dearly, Baby Girl!

Here are some pictures I took of Olivia today. I told her I needed to take one picture and she decided she needed to do a complete photo shoot. So here are three of about the twenty I took. She's such a little "Poser".

I HAVE A TITLE!

2009-05-29T11:36:00.006-05:00

Wow, ten days since my last post, where does the time go? I've been so busy lately getting the yard ready for summer, catching up on housework and working, that I haven't had much spare time to post. And now, in addition to everything else, I can add that I am the new "Special Projects Coordinator" for Bella Blvd! So far I haven't done much. I'm currently working on the next Bella Artista submissions. So, if you are interested in becoming a guest Artista, check out the Bella Blog for all the details. I'm so looking forward to this new venture, and want to thank Stephanie for giving me this opportunity!

I'm Soooo Excited!!

2009-05-19T11:59:00.016-05:00

The past couple weeks I've been privileged to get a few sneak-peeks at the new Bella Blvd. lines which will be released this July at summer CHA in Orlando. I'm so excited for Stephanie and her growing new company. The new lines are absolutely fabulous and I can't wait to get my grubby little paws on them and start creating. I'm so fortunate to be a small part of this wonderful company and even more blessed to have Stephanie as a special friend! I'm so proud of you, Stephanie!!

How Cute is "Luke"?

2009-05-11T10:45:00.006-05:00

I really don't consider myself a dog person. Not that I don't like dogs (or any other animal for that matter), it's just all the rest that comes along with them. They seem like more work than a child. Well, if anything can change my mind, it would be this little adorable Boxer puppy that our friend picked up last weekend. He's 7 weeks old and just about the cutest little thing I've ever seen. I know he's a newborn, but he is such a little cuddler and snuggler. I just love him. I wish there was a such thing as a mini-boxer. I would definately consider adding one to our family.

Check out little Luke Skywalker...Luke, for short

FLASHBACK FRIDAY - week #5

2009-05-08T06:39:00.008-05:00

This is the 5th week of 'My Evolution of Scrapbooking'. Here are some the the techniques I used approximately 4 years ago.

Metal and wire was a pretty big thing. I liked the metal look, but I think just as other things and new trends, they tend to be overdone at times. This is a layout of my adorable little nephew, Evan when he was a couple months old. He used to make the silliest faces ever! What a Goof!

I also began using chalk, ribbon and chipboard back then, so other than the style, not much else is new.

This a picture of Kelly's appartment in New york. Itty Bitty, but very cute.

This is about the time I used a lot of plastics too (tokens, charms and letters).

I loved anything "Doodle Bug". Including these little flowers.

And yep, I also used a lot of glitter in my pages (Wendy would freak). I don't use so much anymore, thanks to Stickles!

...and more flowers!! I think I'm catching up!

I hope you enjoyed. It's been a fun trip down memory lane!

Some Recent Layouts

2009-05-06T08:06:00.002-05:00

Here are a few recent layouts I've completed for Olivia's book. I have about six more layouts and her book (s) will be complete. I tried to squeeze all the layouts into one book, but it's impossible. I guess I have to stop taking so many pictures. Yeah right!

This is the first page of her book

FLASHBACK FRIDAY - week #4

2009-04-30T17:36:00.036-05:00

Following through with my evolution of scrapbooking, here are a few more layouts from the past. I've been going through all of my old books and it's been quite fun looking back at all the memories. As hokey as some of these layouts seem, I remember enjoying making every one of them. I recall even back then, thinking to myself, 'what else can be created for scrapbook use'? Wow, as most of us know, it is never-ending because I'm still wondering! Take a look and see if any of these techniques look familiar.

I used my crimper for the title of this page, and this is hand-woven. I remember looking everywhere for the perfect color cardstock.

In this layout, I cut the title out of vellum, which I used quite a bit at the time.

Remember these page kits? I loved them and I think I had them all. That's Alyssa as the witch, Rachel Sawdy as the cheerleader, Kelly's the Statue of Liberty, Nicholas Prueher as the mummy and my buddy, Aaron Steinbrenner as Elvis! These were taken during our annual Halloween party.This was a fun page to make. Remember when we would cut out the people in the pictures?

And colorblocking. I still have all these templates. I loved using these and I may even use them again! I also could have owned stock in Deluxe Cuts!
Here's another page kit I used for this Dozer Days ayout. By the way, if any of you have young boys (or girls), I recommend Dozer Days. It was a blast!
Don't be afraid of this next layout...

brace yourself...

It's a Coluzzel puzzle. I had completely forgotten about this page. I just have to say, I love coluzzel. I think it's the best cutting system out there and I'm sad it's discontinued. I think I should re-patten it or something because I could make some awesome shapes and borders and shapes. I need to write a strongly worded letter to Provo! All those that agree say YA! (I would, however, let them keep the puzzle templates)...

Here you go....

Next week: I introduced "metals" to my pages - YIKES!

Cashews Anyone???

2009-04-26T22:23:00.005-05:00

Alyssa and I love Chinese food. We've been ordering it at least once a week since we found this new place that's very good, reasonably priced and they deliver. I'm kind of hooked on this cashew chicken dish, so tonight that was my order. Since they are a little light on the cashews,(they only put maybe a 1/4 cup on a large order), I asked if they would not "skimp" on the cashews and I'd pay a little extra. Well, we couldn't stop laughing when the order arrived and we took off the lid. Get a load of this. And the picture really doesn't do it justice. Those are cashews right down to the bottom of the container!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY - week #3

2009-04-23T11:27:00.010-05:00

I'm getting into some pretty creative things now in week three of my flashback Friday (My evolution of scrapbooking). Layering the mattes was pretty popular as you can see in the next layout.

I loved the rich colors in this layout and the sparkly stars really added to the page.

Here's some pop up pages I promised you. This is a few of many. These were a pain in the ass, but I just loved the surprise when the paged was turned. (pretty dorky huh)?

Oh, the punches. How I loved to create with punches. My sister and I even took a class on creating with punches. Had I known they would come back as they have, I wouldn't have given most of mine away.

I had to put this one in here because I thought the illustration of the heart die cut usage was great and hey...I made that wedding cake!

Remember those little guys in the bottom right corner? I had a ton of them. I loved to chalk them and add googly eyes.

What can I say about this? Stitches run-a-muck! I thought it was cool at the time!

Flashback Friday week #2

2009-04-15T12:48:00.012-05:00

Back in the day, very little, if any 12x12 patterned paper was made for scrapbooking, and if it was, you were not encouraged to use it for fear that the pictures would get "lost" in the page. 12x12 pages looked a little dopey when you used an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper on it. Of course, back then, we didn't see it that way. As long as you followed your theme, it didn't really matter. And when you couldn't find themed paper, you simply made your own. Note the examples below:

perfect example of that 8 1/2 x 11 paper.

I made all those tubes with cardstock! It may not look like much, but I remember it took me a whole "Lifetime movie" to complete.

What can I say about this? Corner punches were in, along with diecuts.

I had to make this bathtub, because they didn't

make them big enough and I needed one to

complete my vision! Lordy, Alyssa, thank God for braces!

Yep. I cut 1" strips and used a heart punch for this! And don't you just dig those templates again?!? Stay tuned for next week. Can anyone say "pop-up" pages?

Happy Easter Memories!!

2009-04-15T12:10:00.011-05:00

Every Easter, we go over to our friends' Carole and Bob. We spend the Easter Holiday with them and their two sons, Joe and Matthew and moms, Sue and Alice. We always have so much fun and enjoy spending such special holidays with them. One of the Easter traditions is to have all guests participate in a silly string fight. Have you ever tried having a silly string fight while taking the pictures? I've actually become quite good at it. This year Matthew (7) decided to have an Easter egg hunt for the adults. He's such a thoughtful little boy as are both of their children. It was great fun and the first time I've ever been the "hunter" instead of the "hider". Thank You Matthew!

Sue, and Kelly trounce Alyssa

Don't get the camera, Bob!

Carole, Bob, Matthew and Joe