A blog of chocolates

happy halloween...mwhahahahahaha

2010-11-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

mwahahahahahaha…halloween is over and we are returning to normal. that was a crazy couple of weeks leading up to that spooky holiday. but the costumes were made the fall festival was thrown…and all was a success. i have never seen the kids so excited for a holiday…i can’t imagine what christmas will be like this year. lol.
every year, i’ve been saying that i will make the little ones costumes and my costume and jon’s too…this year i finally did it. Jon was a penguin per amory’s request. and i was blueberry muffin…per maelee’s request. so here they are…our halloween pics…try not to laugh too hard at me and jon;)

august challenge...

2010-08-01T10:42:00.001-07:00

ya know...everything comes in threes:) so let's use that principle for this months challenge. try and do three things three times. For example in my lo i used:

1. 3 pictures.

2. 3 different kinds of circles (buttons, painted circles and circular journaling blocks.)

3. 3 yellow knots of embroidery thread. so now it’s your turn…go ahead and start creating…let’s see all of those sets of threes. p.s. i swear i don’t have ocd. lol;)

pulling strings

so there it is:) hop on over to the treasured board and see all the other wonderful challenges...maybe even play along with a couple:)

more bobunny happiness:)

2010-07-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

so here they are. the last three items for my bobunny call…two cards and an altered lamp. phew…so happy that i completed this one and submitted:) i was going to use an altered canvas as my altered item, but then found this lamp in my hallway closet and the shade was ripped…so i made a new one. tfl.

i'm in love...with you

it's not the same...without you

the hallway closet lamp...revamped:)

i hope you know how beautiful you are

i just couldn't decide about this one...i love it, but thought a more obvious altered item might be better. i'm so indecisive. lol tfl:)

bobunny beach adventure

2010-07-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

on monday we set out on an adventure! we headed out to the ocean to enjoy the view…only apparently to see the view you have to pay an arm and a leg. lol. every where that we came across was way to expensive to park. i just can’t justify spending money on parking. yes i know that’s crazy…but i just couldn’t do it. so 3 hours later, we finally found a place to park our car…free of charge…and yes the beach was super close. hooray! so we got out…played at the beach for 20 minutes (just enough time for amory to get plowed down by a wave and want to go home)and then got back in the car to come home. lol. so these pictures are form our little adventure:) i think i have learned my lesson though. next time i will bring the $15 and park right away. hahahaha:) tfl

as you look out at the ocean, i look at you and see that you are full of wonder and beauty.

almost all bobunny product:) i also used crackle accents on the letters and a rusty pickle tag.

bobunny:)

2010-07-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

ever since i heard that bobunny was having a design team call i have been totally torn. i’ve wanted to try out…but didn’t know if the folks over at bobunny would like what i do with their goodies. so earlier this week i threw caution into the wind and started on my bobunny stuff:) I decided that i love working with their product so what would be so wrong with having more of my projects done with a wonderful companies product? It’s a win win:) so here is my first layout that i’ll be submitting…with all my fingers and toes crossed. tfl

some july treasures...

2010-07-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

a wonderful couple of weeks creating some layouts…of course with the treasured scrapbooking july kit. what wonderful colors this month. i know i must say that every month. that’s because…i love what erin picks out:) so here are some of the creations i made for treasured scrapbooking...

it's girl time...she says with her hand on her hip and a sass in her voice

shh...these quiet moments are amazing...

the beginning of our adventures as the acosta clan:)

laugh every day:)

2010-07-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

the title of this layout is: you still make me laugh…even if i don’t always admit it. yes this counts for the broccoli voodoo dance you do and all those silly jokes you make…even when i look at you with that…”really” look. so this one’s for you babe. thanks for all the laughs as we head to our 8 year anniversary.

this layout was made using the fabulous july treasured scrapbooking kit:)

a momma's journal...

2010-06-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

phew…june is nearly over and i am gasping for air. this has been the busiest month ever. ty had prom and graduated from high school. amory had his carnival and graduated from kinder . maelee rose had her very first ballet recital. and of course there were the many thank you notes and gifts that went out to the various teachers. huuuuuuh. so in the last day of june…i have something creative to post. (i will catch up on all the family wonderfulness soon).
here is my momma’s journal that i made using webster’s products. this was so much fun. i have been writing down little bits and pieces from the children…you know all the wonderful things that they say and do…on little pieces of scrap paper. i’ve been meaning to make a journal…and finally when i saw the lullaby lane papers from websters…i knew that it was time. so this is what i came up with…

may reveal...

2010-05-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

it’s time for the may treasured scrapbooking reveal. here are four layouts using this beautiful may kit. having just gone to a farm to pick all kids of yummy scrummy fruits and veggies…this kit was perfect. i have one more layout to do with the kit but these are the four that are done so far.

you pick you pay

it's the little things

strawberry hunting

someday

this kit was so much fun to work on. you should check out the other ts girls to see what they're up too:)

the carnival has come to town...

2010-05-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

is it the first week of may already? yes it is…carnival has come and gone…and the school year is coming to an end. this year i chaired the art arena booth at maelee’s school…again. i tell you…there is nothing like seeing the whole community come together…and making this event happen for the children. you should see their faces. everyone is exuberant with energy…winning prizes, getting faces painted, cracking confetti eggs and then taking a break and creating in the art booth. next year i’ll actually be chairing the whole carnival…so if any of my mommas happen across this post…you might want to grab your booth for next year;)

wendy, me and sarah (thanks for the pic ellen)

wendy was my co-chair...thanks for everything:) you made this such a fun experience:)

the boys with thier flying prize...

me and my sweet treasure:)
face painting...i swear she was loving it. lol

the hand print art...inspired by a cricut design...

(thanks to my friend donna who hunted the cartridge down for me)

and the mini books...with cricut people

that my dear friends donna and leigh ann helped me cut...

you guys are rock stars;)

until next year:)

april reveal...

2010-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

here is my first reveal as a treasured scrapbooking dt member. when i got the kit in the mail i was overwhelmed with beautiful paper…that someone else had picked out and it ALL went together. unbelievable! erin did half of my work for me. seriously…if you ever wanted to branch out and try new papers and a wider variety of goodness…treasured scrapbooking is the place to get your kit.
here is my first official layout. thanks for looking…

stung

supplies:
patterend paper: pink paislee, bella blvd & crate paper
chipboard letters: rusty pickle
die cut: quick kutz
other:paint, pins and ribbon

there will be many more projects this month with the april kit…so keep in touch:)

good news

2010-03-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

today when i checked my email i received this:

Hello,Congratulations! One or more of the layouts you submitted to the open call for Memory Makers’ The Big Book of Scrapbook Ideas has been accepted for publication. You will receive an email by April 8, 2010 specifying which layouts have been accepted. Below are further instructions regarding submitting original artwork, forms and supplies lists. (This information is also attached for easy reference.) Again, congratulations, and we look forward to working with you on this project! You can look for the book to be available online and in bookstores in May 2011. You will also receive your complimentary copy of the book around this time. Best regards,Kristin Boys

can i say WAHOOOOOOOOOOO! so excited! i can’t wait to see which layout they’ve picked.

i also wanted to share an altered canvas/layout that i did for the last week of the treasured scrapbooking, we love our members contest. it may also be a class over at hearts-n-crafts as we have all the supplies. thanks for looking.

scrapbook treasures...

2010-03-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

i am triple tasking. i love to make use of my time and i love to scrapbook…so i am trying to get as much done as possible. over the past few weeks i have gotten some layouts done that i have really been wanting to do and i have found the perfect motivation for getting them done…work and a contest!
here are the last two layout that i have done. with gorgeous paper from my local lss, hearts-n-crafts and for the we love our members contest over at treasured scrapbooking. thanks for looking.

captured

on st. paddy day last year...amory was convinced that he could actually catch a leprechaun. the little piece of green felt in the lo..is the "actual" piece of fabric left behind by the leprechaun. i can't believe i was able to hold onto it for a whole year. thank goodness i finally got this lo done. lolthe journaling reads:"your idea...to catch a leprechaun. your mind never stops working. to you all things are possible.you set the trap then sat and waited, excited...hoping to capture the elusive character. in the morning all that we had caught was a piece of his green, felt coat. he had escaped, leaving tiny, glittery footprints behind.as i sit back and watch all of the possibilities flash across your eyes...i am amazed and humbled to be your mommy. maybe one day we can catch that leprechaun together."

i hope you always remember this feeling

maelee’s smile is so huge in this picture. whenever i look at it…i smile just as big. i love capturing these moments…and i love preserving them in scrapbook style too:)

more graphic 45

2010-03-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

yay! more graphic 45 projects! i was going to post more layouts…but then i loved them so much, that i thought i’d try and save them for possible publication…so here are a couple of altered projects. i got this cigar box from rusty pickle and the graphic 45 papers went so well with it. i loved layering the roses in the bottom corner. then of course a little dab of stickles makes them pop.
as for the washboard…i’ve had it for quite a while. i wanted to do something really special with it as it came from someone on my hubby’s side of the family. i really wanted to be able to use it. so when i saw the domestic goddess line of paper, i knew that would be perfect. i turned the wash board into a meal planner/date keeper. so we can slip our meal ideas under the magnets i made and clip up our planned events to the bottom “clothesline”. viola you have an altered washboard. i should have taken some close ups on the magnets too. they came out sooooooo cute with the dimensional glaze applied to certain items, like the juicy lemons and some of the logos. so cute, i can’t wait to hang it up.

thanks for looking. if you are coming over to see the graphic 45 stuff and you too have submitted...good luck:) can't wait for friday...or maybe i can...lol

2010-02-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Prima has something really big coming your way...

( Click the purple curtain to reveal a secret)...but we can’t reveal it just yet! We know you’re going to love it! And don’t worry-we promise to share the big news with you soon. It’s really hard not to spill the beans, but we are sworn to secrecy. So, in the meantime, we have an exciting opportunity for you to win BIG and it’s open to everyone! There are two fabulous prize baskets worth $100 up for grabs. Prima will choose one winner from the US and one International winner.

Here is what you need to do to be considered for the drawing:

-Post about our Big Secret on your blog and include a link to our blog within the post.

-Add a comment here under this post with a link to your blog.

-You have until Sunday night to enter

If you have done all of the above-you will be eligible for the drawings. The winners will be chosen and posted on Monday, March 1st! Good luck!

a new paper adventure

2010-02-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

here i go…on another paper crafting adventure:) a little more than a week ago i headed over to one of my favorite paper companies web sites… and what did i find? i found that graphic 45 is having a design team call. so i stocked up on my papers and got started. i still have a couple of projects to go (and only a couple of days left…yikes!) so i had better get crackin! here are a couple of layouts i did with some amazing paper. you should definitely check out the graphic 45 web site to see what beautiful things they have if you are not familiar. you will love everything you see:)

time flystime

i hope you like the layouts. i will post more of my entries tomorrow. there are some wonderfully talented ladies trying out for the design team, so wish me luck:)

under construction...

2010-02-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

just a quick warning that if you happen to find you way to my blog over the next few days...or weeks...lol...it may look a little crazy. i'm working on a blog lift;) thanks for stopping by...

a great company closes their doors:(

2010-02-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

this past year has been incredibly tough on Rusty Pickle due to the economic situation. they feel that they can no longer survive as a company; consequently they have decided to close Rusty Pickle. they would like to thank all our customers who have supported Rusty Pickle for the last 7 years.
Rusty Pickle will be liquidating inventory. they now offer everything at half price. on Rustypickle.com, everything is now 50% off - prices are as marked. the warehouse is also now open to shop. call or email to find out more of what they have. (801) 746-1045 or email
Jeri@rustypickle.com

i remember the first time i saw rusty pickle products. they were unlike anyone else in the industry. tasha and all invoved truly did add texture and dimension into the industry we all love so much. thanks for all of the great products you have provided. and another huge thanks for helping preserve the memories i hold so near and dear. thank you...

rusty pickle creations...

2010-02-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

here is my january work for rusty pickle. gosh i love their stuff! i also worked my first scrapbook expo for them in costa mesa. it was nice meeting lots of new faces.

every moment with you is a treasure

freedom

amazing gumball

i feel a creative month coming on. so hopefully this month will be full of posted goodies:)

is it hot in here;)

2010-01-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

so here we are in january. the days are speeding by…but today i had some precious moments with my hubby. our passion when we met (besides each other) was acting. we longed for it with everything that we were. and here we are 10 years later having moved away from those dreams only to be reminded of them once again. and as we were together snapping a few pics…his face has changed with our story…but he is still every bit the same. today i had the opportunity to see all the reasons why i fell in love with him in the first place. and hopefully you can see a little bit of why too.

sorry i just had to put this one it. it makes me laugh:)
jon was asked by a friend to help with a mammoth project. our friend john ireland is heading up the prop 8 trial re-enactment. so jon was there for the first day of filming…acting away. it had been 10 years since he had headshots taken so i snapped a few today for john ireland to post on the cast list.

the beginning of xmas...

2009-12-30T23:16:00.000-08:00

with the new year approaching (like within 24 hours) i am sitting for a minute and reflecting over the christmas holiday. where did it go? when school ended 2 weeks ago, i thought thank goodness i have 2 weeks of quality time with the kids and now that i have blinked those 2 weeks are nearly over and it will be back to the regular routines. so i wanted to go back and catch up on the holiday right from the beginning…our tree. every year (since amory was 1) we have taken the polar express to chop down our own tree. it sounds like fun and it is, but there are so many to choose from! so we spend so much time wondering around the tree farm. you should see us, i’m sure to an outsider it’s pretty amusing. i think all of us are hugely indecisive. no one wants to be responsible for a bad tree when we get home. so long story short, it takes us forever and we need a consensus before we start cutting so we can all be equally responsible. lol. it was the boys year to do the actual cutting (which honestly was a relief, because it was much harder than i thought it would be…shhhhh don’t tell the boys). so here’s to another year together, searching for our tree, cutting it down, strapping it to the car, making the long drive home and decorating it with all the things that are familiar to us. i hope that all of you had a merry Christmas…as we did!

the little duck ramp is so cute

2009-11-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

i remember running when i was younger. the fun run was one mile and complete torture. so i don’t really know why at 35 i decided to run a marathon. call me crazy! today i ran a 5k…i know i have a long way to go for the marathon, but i can honestly say that i never thought i would think that three miles was ”nothing”. it was so pleasant and enjoyable. sure…i wasn’t running to break any records…but i was running. and i ran the whole time…something else i didn’t think possible. the feeling that you get from finishing something is amazing. so many things get forgotten about or put of in life…and to actually be able to see the word “finish” and cross that line is something that you rarely get to do in day to day life. last night i convinced ty to run also. he got up with us at the crack of dawn and started the race like everyone else. only he finished in 3rd place for his division. he’s kind of like his dad…good at everything without realizing it. he is truly talented in so many ways. the last time he ran was about a month ago. He hadn’t really trained for this or anything. just a last minute decision. he finished in about 25 mins. i don’t actually know what time i finished as my name got left off of the list. kind of a bummer, cause it would have been a nice finishing touch to crossing the finish line…but that’s ok. it was probably around 40 mins. and i know you’re thinking i could probably walk 3 miles faster than that…and you would be right. running didn’t really become fun for me until i only started competing with myself and no one else. so for now that’s just what i’m going to do.i also had the privilege of running with rickey and jake. total troopers. rickey says he committed to today because i caught him in a moment of weakness. but i think he secretly enjoyed it;) and well jake…he won 1st in his age division! so congratulations to all who ran today!
some things i learned from my 1st race:
1. maybe pants are better when it’s foggy and cold outside.
2. life is about more than winning…it’s about living.
3. speed walkers are actually faster than me.
4. pay close attention to the route markers! Do Not get distracted by the cute little duck ramp! You will get lost!
and finally…
5. go to the bathroom before you start the race.

winner of thriller

2009-11-07T08:44:00.001-08:00

and the winner is….erin gudge. hooray! ladies i am so happy and flattered that you all stopped by and left such kind comments. thanks again to the beautifully talented Julie Walton…who passed the word along. as far as i’m concerned you guys rock! be sure to check back soon. i’m heading off the rusty pickle chef retreat later this week! so there should be lots of eye candy when us chefs get back. so thanks for playing and i will send miss erin her prize pack.

p.s. erin drop me a line with your contact info;)
have a fab weekend everyone!

winner of thriller

2009-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

p.s. erin drop me a line with your contact info;)
have a fab weekend everyone!

october goodies

2009-11-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

yipeeee! i logged onto blogger this morning and can now load pictures again! so now you shall see my october goodies:) also make sure to read all the way down to the end of this post for a chace to win some goodies:)

spooky treats

last christmas someone gave us a jelly belly dispenser. the jelly beans were gone with in a couple of day. well honestly who am i kidding i think my little ones shoved all of them in their mouths and they were gone in a couple of minutes. lol… so i’ve held onto this dispenser for a year…and this is what i’ve made with it:)supplies
double sided card stock, tags, aloha stickers & ribbon- rusty pickle
cardstock- bazzil
die cuts- quicktz
other- tim holtz distress ink, uniball white pen & craft wire.

enter if you dare

i could not get this too photograph very well. so i hope you still get the idea. it is actually hanging from a noose; with a spider web intertwined… i’m going to use it for our upcoming all hallows eve party…

supplies
double sided cardstock, alpha stickers & ribbon- rusty pickle
plain cardstock- bazzil
other- mdf, rope, clear acetate & paint

i just want to thank you

this one is for my hubby… thanks to the sketch from Julie Walton (you should stop by and see her amazing work).

visible journaling:
1. you love us no matter how we are feeling.
2. you are always ready to hug.
3. you’re not afraid to be silly.
4. you love being close to us.
5. you can make us laugh until our cheeks hurt…thank you.

supplies
double sided paper, card stock tags, buttons, ribbons & alpha stickers – rusty pickle
other- staples & tim holtz distress ink.

and now for the give away. i love the thriller line soooooo much that i want to share it. so go ahead and leave a comment on this post and a winner will be chosen at random! see easy! yo have until friday (11/6/09) at midnight. what are you waiting for?

september projects...

2009-09-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

lunch box love

supplies

patterned paper, alpha stickers, ribbon & journaling stamp- rusty pickle
cardstock- bazzil
alpha stamps- studio g
ink- tim holts & archival ink

i was originally making these cards for my little guy that just started kindergarten. i put little notes in his lunch every day. so i thought these little, mini notes would be perfect for him. that is until my husband walks by, and with a glint of excitement, says “who are you making those for?” which of course means “ooooo i hope they’re for me”. so i ended up making them for my hubby…who will be receiving them in his lunches over the next week.

who says it can’t snow in la?

supplies
patterned paper, alpha stickers, chipboard, buttons and journal stamp- rusty pickle
cardstock- close to my heart
glitter- glimmer mist
other- thread, ribbon, bling snowflakes and staples

we took this picture last Christmas time when my mum was visiting. it was an amazing night. the highlight was the nightly snowfall. which of course you would never really see in la. there was something magical about it. so mum…i’ll have to mail you this layout…once i get a few more done from your trip. hope you like it xxx.

the winner is...

2009-09-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

drum roll please… and the winner, chosen at random is snips and snails! congratulations! please email me with your snail mail info so that i can send you your rusty pickle goodies. thanks to everyone who stopped by over the weekend. it was so nice to have companyJ. i hope you stop back again soon… i’ll be doing other random drawings. don’t forget you can follow my blog or subscribe to it also. that way you wouldn’t miss any giveaways. so, hope to see all of you soon!

rusty pickle blog hop...

2009-09-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

friends give you the strength to dive in and the courage to ride the waves

you made it… to the next stop on the rusty pickle blog hop! hope you’re finding some inspiration along your way.

my project is a single page layout using some of my favorite tips and techniques.
1. i love incorporating the title and the journaling all in one. it makes things so much easier… for me. plus i like the way it looks.
2. painting. the brown background paper is actually painted with brown paint. it’s not that i didn’t like the boats it had on it…i just wanted them to be more subtle. so don’t be afraid to paint on anything and everything.
3. scrunching paper: i soaked the yellow sun paper behind the photos crumpled it up into a little ball, let it dry out in the sun and then ironed it. finally I distressed it some more with ink.
4. sewing: come on try it! you know you want to. if you haven’t sewn on paper you must try it! i bet it’s way easier than you think it is.
5. when you think you are out of fonts or lettering…look at your papers. the words “you” and “ride” were cut out from the tropical hangover paper.

so there you have it… some of my favorite things to do on layouts…at the moment lol. oh p.s. i also love staples…why use so much adhesive when you can just staple things on? lol
i hope you enjoy the rest of you blog hopping. your next stop will be the fabulous and fast paced {julie walton} :) i’m sure you are going to love her beautiful project. rumor has it that she is also hosting a fabulous giveaway. speaking of giveaways…i should do one here to! you could win all of the rusty pickle supplies to make this layout and more:) all you have to do is leave a comment and i will draw at random. so you can just introduce yourself…talk about rusty pickle or any other pieces of info you would like to share. it’s that easy! what are you waiting for? leave a comment and then hop over to {julie’s blog}. and p.p.s. thanks for stopping by.

amory's first day of kinder...i can't believe it

2009-09-10T10:22:00.001-07:00

the day has arrived…amory’s 1st day of school. i can’t believe 5 years have passed since i held him in my arms as a new born baby…with sweet smelling breath and the softest skin known to mankind. there he was completely helpless…only needing to be loved, fed and changed. i did everything for him. he only needed me and his family. and now here he is, moving outside of our quiet (well to be honest sometimes not so quiet) bubble. i’ve almost seen his every moment and been there for every part up until now. and now it is time to let go and share him with the others. well…i’m not very good at sharing, so this is very hard for me, heartbreaking in fact. i did manage to get through drop off and even the ride home with a smile holding my face up, but now thinking about it and writing about it…makes me realize that life as we’ve know it for the past 5 years is over and a new phase is starting.
we didn’t get there as early as planned this morning, so photos were a little rushed. plus once he saw his friends all he wanted to do was sit by them and hang out. he’s already got a little posse that he calls his friends. so cute i might add. you should see them together. so i know he is in the right place. it’s just that a part of me wishes my arms could be the right place forever.

with the teachers leading an adios…the parents all waved with feigned smiles and took the trek down to their cars and drove off without their kindergarteners…for the first time of the rest of their lives. we were the last out to our car…reluctant to take that walk down and say goodbye. it was just an empty street and us driving away…counting down the hours till i get to pick my baby up. four hours to go…still counting.

beautiful kisses

2009-08-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

here are my august rusty pickle projects. hope you enjoy looking:)

besame mucho

One day after school my son said “mommy, you have to come see the secret garden!” It was amazing a quiet little hide away filled with sweet smelling plants, flowers and trees. It was here that me and my dear hubby stole a kiss while my little guy (who is 5 years old) pointed the camera upwards and too this moment in time and put it on film. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. I hope that he keeps this picture of his mommy and daddy forever. And I hope that the feeling of each others arms and lips stays forever beautiful.

Patterned paper, chipboard, alpha stickers, overlay, rub-on and brown ribbon-rusty pickle
Tag and distress ink- tim holtz
Paint- delta ceramcoat
Other- stickles, staples, glimmer mist, thread and “you’ve captured my heart ribbon”.

exploring is your nature

I find it absolutely amazing how children find everything in nothing. They are explorers by nature and it always makes me smile when my son discovers the smallest things with such awe and wonder. Things that as adults we have forgotten how amazing they really are.

Patterned paper, tags, chipboard arrows, ribbon, alpha stickers, card stock coupons and buttons- rusty pickle
Cardstock- prism
Stamps- maya road
Tiny alpha stickers and paint- making memories
Ink- archival ink and color box
Other- staples

life is beautiful

Every week we meet with a group of friends and share laughter and stories and food and fun. We decided over the next couple of months to share more intimate stories with each other. So for now we a sharing our “spiritual journeys” (it means different things to all of us). So to help me tell my story I made this mini album. And as I shared my story I put the puzzle pieces together. When I was done telling my story the puzzle was complete. Well at least up until this point in my life.

Chipboard album, patterned paper, buttons, rub-ons, ribbon and alpha stickers- rusty pickle
Flowers- prima
Number stickers- making memories
Other- stickles and brads.

august sketch

2009-08-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

here is becky's fab sketch for august. i hope it inspires you to scrap. if it does...hop on over to the rusty pickle and enter this month's contest.

"grab the sunnies and the towels and let's head to the beach! Here is this months sketch for you!"here is my take on this months sketch:)

"if each grain of sand contained a wish i'd give them all to you"

"We challenge you to use action shots taken down the beach or at the park if there is no beach! We also want you to mix and match the Pickle, so use at least two different collections!
For your info:
use your choice of at least two different collections of Rusty Pickle patterned paper
project must contain 80% of Rusty Pickle product
One entry per person
please post a link in the comments and email your entry to rustypickleblog@gmail.com putting August Sketch as your subject
entires are due by 25 August 2009 12:00 midnight PST
The chefs will vote on the winner and they will receive a fantastic prize pack from Rusty Pickle".

so get scrappin and have fun!

new release!

2009-07-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

the day started off with a tow truck and no school for my little guy…but it got way better once i saw the new rusty pickle releases. this is super exciting!!!!!! the very first new release in my chefdom! i can’t wait to get a hold of these papers and create, create, create! so enjoy having a peep and try and wait patiently to get a hold of some for yourselves:)

birthday bash

thriller

p.s. for a more up close and personal look...click on any of the images above. it will take you to the rusty pickle web site and you can look at the individual lines.

did you know i'm a pickle?

2009-07-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

yes…i’m as thrilled as a pickle! i am so happy to be a rusty pickle chef. after two weeks of racing and three publications i am now a full fledged pickle girl! super exciting! thanks to everyone who helped me along the way. thanks to my family who put up with a very messy house (still to be cleaned…btw), fed themselves and well, were super encouraging. thanks to my sis…who stayed up late…well actually all night to keep me company. thanks to my nieces and nephews who only got to see me for a couple of days, but still let me get my work done. thanks to all the pickle girls and amazing racers for the support along the way (especially at the end when i needed to get my three pubs). thanks to my friends for all the encouraging words! and of course thanks to rusty pickle for the opportunity. you all ROCK! so make sure you stop by the rusty pickle blog to see my name as a chef…and if you want to see my publications..check out ready, set, create. not sure which issue they will be in…but go ahead and subscribe anyway! thanks again!!!!!!!!!

american girl b-day party...final stop on the amazing race!

2009-07-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

for this last leg I created an “american girl” birthday party for my little maelee rose. i know she won’t be 4 until next march…but let’s just say the amazing race gave me an opportunity to get an early start. and i’m sure she’ll still be into the American girl dolls. i looooooooove party planning. so this was an absolute blast (no pun intended). i hope you enjoy looking!

the whole shabang!

banner

centerpiece that has take home goodies inside the pieces of cake. the small top tier is for the dolls and the bottom tier is for the girls.

inside the "cake pieces" is a decorated crayon box and a mini book for the guests to take home.

invitation

party hats for girls and dolls!

as a thank you and a craft the girls can make their own little american girls...of course the pieces are already cut for them...they just have to choose which pieces they want.

matching pin wheels for girls and dolls.

and of course my reason for the party! love ya maelee!

amazing race stop #6

2009-07-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

the clue read:
i watch the world pass me by
a pen in my hand to doodle as I lie
it wiggles and squiggles, never a line
flowers and stars designed in a Scrapbook and Doodle time.

so off to scrapbook doodle i went...

the assignment was to make a fabric bound recipe album. the first thing that came to mind was a recipe book for love or something along those lines. but i felt as though i should keep it “simple” this time. there were a lot of pages in this album. i wanted it to stand up on the counter so i made a cover for it that was supported by a triangle cs base. the album includes the favorite recipes of my favorite women…or at least some of them…there were to many great people that i’ll have to make another one for. iI’ll catch you on the next one ladies if i missed you this time:)

i hope you soar...#5

2009-07-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

the race is going by so fast!
this is for my littlest one maelee rose.

the title sticker originally said "pirate princess" so i painted it and then stuck it through my printer for the new title "i hope you soar"

you are my treasure

when i see you standing there
and searching for the word
i wonder what is going on
deep inside your head

i wish i could just take my hand
and dig around in there
and flip a switch or plug it in
or turn your world around

instead i stand and wait and wait and stand
until it finds it’s way

sometimes it comes
sometimes it goes
and so we sit and wait.

(the paint on this page is "crackled"...you can't see that deail in the pic.)

word by word
and sound by sound
not even syllable
i hang on them like monkey bars
and dangle sometimes impatiently
waiting for the rest to come
sometimes so easy
sometimes forgotten
somehow they will come through.

(i layered the color photo on top of the b&w.)

most see you when you are quiet
few hear your heart.
i am one of the lucky ones
i know who you are
i hear your words
i hear your silence
i hear who you are.

my dream for you:
to find your wings
and fly so high you see?
to not be bound by anything to be so free you see
i will believe for you and me
i will be standing by…you
for you will fly from hear to there
and spread your wings so wide
and when you do I will be hear to listen to all of you.

rusty pickle...amazing race...stop # 4

2009-07-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

what kind of chocolate are you?

i am home and ready to blog away about the rusty pickle amazing race once again. for the two projects you missed you can check them out {here} or {here}. but for the most recent all you have to do is scroll down.

wow...this project was a a lot of fun...i didn't want to stop. i wish i could do another 10 hours on it!i turned it into an album that can stand on it's own...i also really like the ring/ribbon detail.

page 1.
maelee: smooth on the outside
with just the right amount of spice inside

amory: packed with energy in every bite!

page 2.
kelsey: creamy with special chocolate cookies bites from start to finish.

tyler: a complex mixture inside that is able to fit into a smooth chocolaty exterior.

page 3.
me:a yummy english chocolate
with a soft spot for those I love.

jon: a perfect mixture of chocolate, biscuit and caramel.
my hubby is strong and gooey at the same time.

all together: each is a different flavor on the outside,
but still the same chocolatyness on the inside.

i hope you enjoy looking as much as i enjoyed making. i was giggling all night:)

amazing race #1

2009-06-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

the assignment was tu use the gametime line to create a double 12 x 12 layout based on this sketch.

and this was my result

"a shot at perfection"

{out for publication!}

these photos were taken on mother's day this year...i was trying to get a great photo of me and the little ones. you know the kind of photo that you want to look back on and remind yourself of how great things were? (I swear I’ll get off this theme soon.) i didn't get 1 picture...i got a bunch of pictures, with something special about each of them.
the girls did some amazing layouts too. you should check {them}out for inspiration.

i'm off to check out the next clue!!!!!

day 1...

2009-06-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

yeahhhh! it's the first day of the rusty pickle amazing race. stop by their blog to win some cool prizes!

Here’s the first clue:
With a scrapbook page nearly finished, how do I embellish it?
Do I grab some bling maybe a button or two?
But wait a minute this page is on the computer
And the screen is oh so flat
What I would really like to know is
How do you embellish-online?

so i quickly headed over to embellish-online.com for our first assignment. you will be able to check out everyone’s race project there. The deadline is tomorrow at 12:00 mst. i better get crackin’!

no perfect title here

2009-06-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

yes…amory is pulling some kind of a funny face…and i know the quality of the picture is not so great. and I know there is no title to this page… there are so many imperfect things about this layout…yet when you hold it in your hand it says so much.

the journaling reads:
so here i am…trying to take a “perfect” picture that will jog all the memories. you know the ones i feel i need to hold for both me and amory. but there is no perfect picture. there is only the experience. the experience that is who we are. and I am so glad that amory (and i) got to share that experience with you…thank you.

this was my end of year gift to amory’s first teacher…a wonderful woman…who allowed my son and all of his friends…simply be who they are.

amazing race- scrapbook style

2009-06-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

good news! i was picked as a finalist for the rusty pickle amazing race. it will start on the 17th and us finalists will be scrappin’ the night away to make it to the next destination. or at least that’s how i understand it will work. i can’t believe my name was on their list. i had just about given up on contests…but thought I’d give it one more try. so with one week to go i started creating and i came up with these three projects. you can’t see much detail in the pics…but you get the idea. wish me luck for the race!

(double layout)

(altered window)
the tag reads:
"enjoy the roses inside your window"
{out for publication}

{out for publication}
(brag book)

check out the other finalists {here}.

observing

2009-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

" i love you right up to the moon and back"

-sam mcbratney

carnival

2009-05-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

you know as an adult…when you have to do things out of obligation…when going places like carnivals become a drag…but for whatever reason you still have to go. well seeing the excitement on a child’s face changes all of that. things that seem so simple and so “un”fancy…light up children in ways that adults forget about. carnival was a lot of work, but worth every second of it. i am so happy that it was a wonderful day for amory and maelee rose…with the highlights being: hair painting and the pony rides…oooo…plus the confetti eggs too! so here’s to another three years of carnival ahead!

working in the booth meant that i didn’t get to go around with the little ones, but they did stop in quite a bit. and i did get to meet some neat people and see a lot of familiar faces. i am still amazed with how great kelsey did all day long without taking a break. thanks kels. And i am über grateful for my other helpers who came to serve their shifts. especially to chris who turned things around and die cut like a master. plus connie and marsha…well you were completely awesome too! thanks guys. then of course there is my family who bring so much joy to my life…just for being themselves. i love you!

life's a bloomin'

2009-04-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

thanks to all the ladies who came to class on thursday night. i hope you had a good time. here are the photos of the finished albums…girl and boy. if you need any help just leave a comment on this page or give me an email. so thanks again…and someone was very naughty…thanks for the present in my tool bag!

p.s. don’t forget to bring your books and coils when you come in to have your books bound. see you then!

spring break!

2009-04-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

i got the urge to go on vacation for spring break…but i didn’t want to spend any money=dilemma: the answer=vacation from home. and that is what we did. we had a super busy schedule and two super tired kids by the end of the week (plus one tired momma too). .. all for free (thanks to my family for all the memberships). love you guys!

monday: zoo

tuesday: aquarium

wednesday: suppose to be a blimp tour but it got rained out…plan B= movies

thursday: mother’s beach

friday: the huntington.

all in all a fun week. i’ll be sad to see them back in school…sort of.

happy birthday my precious one!

2009-04-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

i found a photo when I was cleaning out the computer…it was a picture of me smiling and holding my baby maelee rose. where has the time gone? i feel that photo was taken yesterday, but at the same time it feels miles away. time goes by soooo fast. here we are three years older., three years wiser and three years closer. happy birthday to my sweet, precious, wonderful, beautiful, cherished ( i could go on all day) maelee rose. i love you!

pure delight

2009-03-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

ok… so i know that i am liking the middle square of my pages right now…just be patient and i will branch out soon. this is the page of the week at hearts-n-crafts starting tomorrow. all the pieces will be cut and packaged just for you. all you need is your pictures. so stop in and pick it up before they are all gone.
(p.s. don't worry i'll save two for you denise)

puddle jumping

2009-03-06T09:59:00.001-08:00

The journaling reads:
you never cease to amaze me.

the way you leap into life head first makes me excited to wake up every morning

and see what that day with you holds.

may you always find the puddles in life…and enjoy them as much as you do now.

another one of the fab new lines we have in is by sassafras lass. i think it was the parachuting monkeys that sold me on this line. the line is called bungle jungle and we have some of the embellishments too!

brotherly love

2009-03-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

the photo is older, but the paper is brand new. i couldn’t resist the little boy and girl on the dream street papers. they are from the heartsong line. it is one of the many new lines we got in at the store.

the journaling reads:
a hug that’s a little too big…
a kiss that’s a smidge too smooched…
a hand that’s squeezed a little too hard,,,
are all signs of…
brotherly love.

roughing it?

2009-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

have you ever had one of those outings where your heart is so happy and you keep telling yourself…i want to remember this forever? well i just had a whole weekend full of that. this is probably why there are so many pictures in this post. the kids were so happy! (exept for when amory scraped his knee, burned his hand and exhaustion set in, but you get the picture). when it was time for us to come home amory asked if we could stay another 20, 58 hours…which makes loads of sense to him. the other side of his argument for staying was, “i can’t go home…i’m allergic to the house.”
it’s amazing how there can be nothing but nature around and kids find a million things to do. they never run out of ideas. they are constant inventors of adventure. when i sit and watch it is even better than “desperate housewives.” and if you know how much i like that show it would give you an indication of how much i enjoy watching my children.
who would have thought that 5 of us cramming into a tent smaller than our bathroom (and made for 2 people) on a cold night could be so delightful?

top ten of the Acosta campout
top fifteen of the Acosta campout (ten just wasn’t enough)

1. seeing amory and maelee truly glow just at the thought of camping.
2. amory saying to one of his friends…”i wasn’t supposing to see you here.”
3. feeling the warmth of the campfire inside and out.

4. finding out that they had veggie burgers as well as the beef variety.
5. feeling the wind rustle the tent on the outside when we were all snuggled up on the inside.
6. being woken up by kels, thinking that there was a cat outside, only to inform her that it was just the cell phone dying.
7. unzipping the tent in the morning and seeing what the campsite looked like, having arrived in the dark.

8. cooking pancakes for everyone.
9. watching kels and maelee walk off together to play.

10. seeing amory make new friends.
11. amory’s amazement when we got to the creek.
12. watching my husband start a fire.

13. maelee driving around in the little ice cream truck selling ice-cream to everyone.
14. the boys sculpture….made out of huge branches they found… and toys.

15. not having a tv.

ok...just 1 more...us.

all in all we had unforgettable weekend. jon came back wanting to sell all of our belongings and buy nice tents for the family, sleeping bags and all the other camping stuff you need. he was ready to abandon the life we have for a life in the wilderness. although this is tempting…we came to the conclusion that it would probably not be the best idea.

can i have my ice cream now?

2009-01-12T20:52:00.001-08:00

our day started off so well. we were on our way to the zoo. we just had to make one quick stop on the way. who knew that would be a bad idea? as maelee was climbing into her stroller she caught her fingers…somehow… in the metal bars, just as the stroller was being opened. her pain was immediate and so was the blood. we race to get her back in the car and to the ER. she screams the whole way. our hazards are on and I’m driving as fast as I can, while jon is in the back, holding the tip of the finger on. this is going to be one of those memories that is so strong and vivid forever. when you have a situation like this you can’t help but play it in your mind over and over again. i think that’s how the memory stays so clear. you are constantly trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense.
we arrive at the hospital with her hand still bleeding and they package it up nicely in triage for the er doctor to open it and find a shocking surprise. all i heard was “ahhhh...ohhh. i can’t fix this one….i’ll have to call a plastic surgeon”. not the thing that you really want to hear. you want to hear, “oh this is nothing i’ll have it fixed up in no time”. he also said “i can’t believe she’s not crying more”. thus indicating that it is really not good. poor little maelee rose. my little baby girl is a huge trooper. as we sit and wait jon promises the kids ice cream when we get home. little did he know we would not be going right home. they now have to schedule surgery for my little 2 ½ year old baby girl. she had already picked out the flavor of ice cream she had wanted…a pink one…like the pink ice cream on her shirt. but she would have to wait until the next day for that particular treat.
they schedule the surgery right away and before we know it, it is time to say goodnight to maelee rose. they are making her very sleepy and it’s almost as though she is not really there. her eyes are open, but she is in her own little world. the last two things she asked for, before they had us leave, were her brother roo…and she wanted to know if she could have her ice cream now.

the doctors take her off into the operating room and i am lost without her. we go and sit and wait for what feels like an eternity, playing the scenario over in our heads a few hundred times, before the doctor lets us know that he is done. he has reconstructed the bone and put her tiny little finger back together. she is still sleeping and completely unaware that anything out of the ordinary has happened. (thank goodness).

when she wakes up they come and get us and walk us to recovery. the room is dark and classical music is playing. she is the only patient in a huge room of 10 or more beds. it was so dark and the hallway seemed so long. there was just one little light above her giant bed. and there she was. my precious, delicate, strong princess. we make it to her bed and all that she wants to know is…”can I have my ice cream now?” today, she did get her pink ice cream.

my bitty baby...

2008-12-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

maelee has wanted a bitty baby ever since she first saw a picture of one in a magazine. some of you may think that american girl dolls are overrated…and i had not even heard of them until the little girls amory’s age started raving about them 3 years ago…but when you take them out of the box and hold them in your arms it is pure magic. there is something just heavenly about them. so i asked santa for a bitty twin to match maelee’s bitty baby request. that way we could play together , both of us with a bitty something. now i kept trying to encourage maelee to ask santa for a bitty twin also. but she would have none of it. all she ever wanted was a bitty baby. that was until i opened up my bitty twin. and since then I don’t think that i have had a turn with it. she has overtaken my bitty twin and we have had a fabulous time together, just as i had imagined, my "bitty" maelee and me

christmas...day two

2008-12-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

we had two days of christmas this year. jon went out early to pick the big kids up and I got to work on the freshly made crumpets…yummy. when they walked in the house was warm with the smell of dough in the air. amory and maelee were so excited that they had one more present to open. on christmas night as amory was snuggling down into his covers he remarked that maybe santa could bring a wii next year. and he didn’t even have to wait a whole year ‘cause that was what was waiting for him and the rest of the family on our second day of christmas. everyone was overjoyed with their gifts. they loved everything from the little packet of bubbles to the wii and all that goes with it. so thanks again to all the santas out there! you know who you are.

I also wanted to share a poem that my dad wrote on christmas eve. i thought it was nice and think you might like it too.

Christmas 2008

My heart does yet sing
of what Christmas will bring
My heart pains this year
for those who aren't here
The hurts, the joys,
our girls, our boys
Some in person, some by phone
All in our hearts, if not our home
Decorations go up,
But not as before
Some hang from the ceiling,
Others, on doors
The presents, the people, the places, the chores,
Some different, some same, some less, some more
The food and traditions
oh how they will stand
By spirit, by power,
and by Nana's hands
Oh will my eyes tear, with bitterness and fear?
Or will my heart fight, with love, and with might?
I will take my stand
and uphold my joy
To remember the past
and say "oh boy"
But to look forward too,
with faith and with hope
To overcome all things,
with family… we cope
So, onward we go, it's 2008
Merry Christmas to all
... it's never too late!

By Robert Christmas Eve, 2008

and to all a good night...

2008-12-27T00:20:00.000-08:00

here we are on Christmas night…all snuggled up…still in our pajamas. except for maelee, who has changed several times throughout the day, as per usual.
thanks to everyone who gave us the most fab gifts ever. i wish you could have been here to see the kid’s faces as they opened each one. your smiles would have been so big, that by the end of the day your cheeks would have hurt. i hope that you can tell how warm and wonderful our day was from the picture, and i hope that yours was just as memorable and magical!

i'm dreaming of a white christmas

2008-12-23T23:22:00.001-08:00

had a wonderful visit with my mum. this picture is from one of the highlights of her trip. who would have thought that coming from the east coast, she would find so much joy from snow in LA (even if it was fake). so here’s to you mum…thanks for a lovely visit.

a little hope goes a long way...

2008-11-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

never before have i felt so strongly about voting. maybe it was the billions of dollars pumped in the campaigns or maybe it was just that this was the first candidate i have felt was “the one”. either way we voted and we felt proud. we voted and we felt that we were heard. we voted and felt that our votes counted. we feel hope about the world we live in and i am sure that hope is contagious. If everyone can just have a little ember of hope in their soul America will be a better place, the world WILL be a better place.

and so halloween begins...

2008-10-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

this will be the first of a few halloween posts. the kids will be wearing their costumes to at least 4 events this year so brace your selves for lots of pictures. the first event was their school halloween party. can you say cute or what? there is nothing like a bunch of proud, excited kids in adorable costumes. it really doesn’t take a lot to make kids happy. there were drinks, food, games and of course prizes. it’s funny that even with a lot of prizes to choose from amory and maelee kept picking the same ones. amory was a fan of the black spider rings and maelee was enamored with the purple bat rings. so they left with bags full of little plastic rings… and they loved them.
as you can see I did finish maelee’s tinkerbell costume in time. almost as soon as we got there the wings came off and she didn’t want to carry the wand, but she of course still looked adorable. and as for amory, the mustache and hat were quickly removed. tyler was the costume reject king. he just put on whatever they took off. by the end of the party he too was in costume.

checking in...

2008-10-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

the new schedule is keeping me super busy. who knew pre-school was a major commitment? i’ve been having a blast! here are three layouts i did recently. the halloween picture is from last year. amory was the tin man and maelee was dorothy. this year he will be captain hook and maelee will be (of course) tinkerbell. well, I’m off to go make the tink costume. i’ll let you know how it turns out.

locks layout

2008-09-23T11:45:00.001-07:00

here is the locks of love layout some of you were asking for. i used almost all pink paislee product. i wanted to post it on their web site so i tried to use their stuff. and really it wasn’t hard as they have such perfect products. if you haven’t bought anything pink paislee you need to. they are becoming one of my favs.

an awesome summer week...

2008-09-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

someone told me that “the greatest gift a parent can give their child is a sibling.” so i got lucky because i have two of them. my older sister and family came out to see us at the end of the summer and we had an absolute blast. even though we see each other maybe, once a year… when we are together it feels like we have never been apart. how many people in your life can you say that about? not many.

here are some of my favorite pics of our week together.

i can’t believe we’ve never gone to the aquarium of the pacific. it was awesome! the kids got to touch sharks. o.k. they were little, tiny sharks…but still, they were sharks. one thing we learned…don’t say your husbands in the bathroom when he’s not actually present. (inside joke).

noah’s ark at the skirbal center is totally amazing. my jaw dropped at some of the art. one thing we learned…you need to make reservations to get in.

the american girl store and tea room were just about the cutest place to celebrate my irsh twin nieces b-days. one thing we learned…you are never too old for a bitty baby doll.

oh… the swimming pool…we spent a lot of time in the pool. well at least more than i have done in a long time. and amory and maelee could both swim using floaties! if you know anything about my little guys…you know that is quite an accomplishment. one thing we learned… forget the advice “don’t give your kids a false sense of security with floatation devises”.

the main thing i learned that week: my sister and her family are so incredibly special to me. they make the world a better place and I can’t wait to see them again. thanks guys for a wonderful week! we can’t wait to see all of you again. xxxxxxxxx

1st day...

2008-09-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

here we are in september of ’08 and my little ones are heading out to school. for the past 4 years amory and maelee and have been in our own little world. it was just us all day long. we woke up together. had a leisurely breakfast together. thought about what we wanted for lunch and quietly ate small bites together. then we would sit and wait for daddy to come home. we have been cocooned by each other, while the earth whizzed around us at lightening speed. it’s been such a precious time together, like nothing i could have imagined. so here we are in september and the first day of school has passed for both of them and for me too in a way. things have changed. not in a bad way, but they have changed. we move on together to the next part of our lives. we’ve jumped into a big pool together…a pool called school. and the only words I can mutter are “thank god for floaties”!

tomorrows flowers

2008-08-15T02:02:00.000-07:00

i can’t sleep…as you can probably tell by the time of this post. i’m going through, or about to go through a huge transition. in fact, several of them. so i’m wishing that I had a shut off switch to my brain at this point. ‘cause when i can’t sleep, i don’t get enough sleep and when i don’t get enough sleep i get flustered and cranky. which is fine if you don’t have to be around me…but my poor family does. i guess i’m lucky that they love me so much.

anyway just thought i’d post a layout i did a while ago…featuring my precious girl and some cool rusty pickle product.
i hope you are all sound asleep dreaming sweet dreams.

cruisin'

2008-08-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

here is our new taste of freedom. after getting over buyers remorse…i am so ecstatic that we have a second vehicle. i had my eye on a minivan, but that was not to be at this point in time. if you have never been without a car, it’s hard to explain how limited your freedom actually is.
today i took the kids to the grocery store during the day. we didn’t have to wait for jon to get home to go food shopping. it is such a simple thing, but it was great to be able to say “we need to go to the store” and actually be able to get to the store. we left when we wanted to leave and we came back when we wanted to come back. having this car means that if we want to go to story time…we can go to story time…wherever we want. it means that i can take the kids to school. it means that i can schedule all of the kid’s activities during the day, instead of during dinner time. it means that we can get out and be more involved with the world and everything around us. i feel like someone has just opened the door on the bird cage and now we can fly whenever we want to or need to.

the beach

2008-08-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

this was maelee’s first trip to the beach. we had the car and we took off to see the sea. after a picnic lunch the kids ran straight for the water. which I never imagined would happen as amory is petrified of water.
it was quite a sight to see the kids heading for the water and ty heading after them in his “tight black pants”. yes “tight black pants”. i guess it’s all the rage…but at the beach?... really.

seeing them play together is a dream come true. ty is an awesome biggest brother and if you could see how the little ones look at him your heart would melt. at the end of the day we have some awesome memories and of course a lot of sand in our pants (especially ty).

2008-07-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

just wanted to share a peek of the wonderful prize package i got in the mail from Daisy D’s. how exciting! i’d love to share with you guys so let me know when you can come and crop…. tracey, you are already booked = ).

p.s. they have a contest every month you should try it. go for it!!!

firework extravaganza

2008-07-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

it’s not often that the English celebrate their defeat…but fireworks are so much fun that I put my pride aside and celebrated the 4th with those that I love dearly.
besides slicing my finger open with the forever sharp knife® (and let me tell you the knife lives up to its name). and getting a huge migraine at the celebrations, having to go to first aid and then throwing up my festive lunch (very colorful), the day was perfect.

the fireworks were more than amazing, but the looks on the kids faces while they were watching them were priceless! as the rest of the stadium was watching the show in the sky I turned to the children and tried to capture their awe. when I think about their expressions a week later it gives me happy chills.
so here’s to celebrations…with those you love close by. i can’t explain in words how much my family can lighten up a dark night. thank you…

p.s. thanks to sheila in first aid for taking care of me…

just socks and toothpaste

2008-06-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

it’s late and i am missing my husband who is hard at work…still… luckily i had the car today and was able to pick up a couple of simple and necessary items. not much really, but i’m hoping that it will put a smile on his face when he comes home…even later than now.
so to my dear husband, who i madly love…goodnight and i hope you fall asleep with a smile in your heart. i love you!

my greatest gift is you…a new class.

2008-06-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

this is a first year album. we will go all the way from month 1 to month 12. The album opens up from the middle to display 4 months at a time. i have wanted to finish my little girls portrait album for two years…yeahhhh! i finally did it. so come join me and make one for a baby on the way or a baby that has now grown into a toddler or kindergartner or 1st grader…you get the picture. just come and take the class. a boy version will also be available. date and time tba.

we love you

2008-06-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

my husband’s fathers day:
1. breakfast in bed, made by the children.
2. saw Indiana Jones at the movies (with the big kids)
3. came home to some warm pizza.
4. had a soaking wet water balloon fight.
5. played a few games with the fam.
6. ate some yummy chimichangas.
7. fell asleep on the couch.
8. felt loved by all.
i can’t thank you enough for being an awesome father and of course husband.

we love you!!!xxxooo

you are my...

2008-06-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

i can’t believe it. i won the Daisy D’s june challenge! when i was working on the layout i just couldn’t get it right. i even cut around the photo a couple of time because i hated what i had done. the challenge was to use their rub on tapes that look like stitching. last thursday i was complaining to the class i was teaching that i had to go home and finish one of “those” layouts. you know the ones that you just can’t finish, because every time you touch it, it just gets worse and worse. when it was finally done…i took a picture of it and slid in just under the deadline…time had passed and i decided to shoot off an email to see if i could find out what the winning projects looked like. to my surprise back came an email saying i was chosen for 1st place. unbelievable!

enjoy the ride

2008-05-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

i know i made the right choice, to be a stay at home mom. the thing is… that with that comes certain sacrifices. like having to taking the bus. sometimes i worry that it’s not fair to the children, also having to make sacrifices, even though they are too young to realize they are sacrifices. as we sit on the bus, that is too crowded, we are squashed and uncomfortable and pushed into a single seat like a can of something…and i think…”what have i done wrong”? then finally, we get off after a final ding of the bell and grasp a breath of fresh air. i push maelee... and pull amory along the street, dragging myself to the appointment we need to keep… wondering “what have i done wrong”? then as we walk, i am holding amory’s, little, warm ,perfect hand and he looks up at me and asks “tell me more about when you were a little girl”. i look down at my little rose in the stroller, fast asleep with her fairy wings tucked behind her all askew and i begin to tell my stories that even i had forgotton about. we then stop at the corner waiting for the light to change…and i look at the smiling, passing faces and i can see that they are thinking “there is someone who is doing it right”. we continue to walk and talk, in our own little world. everything around us is bustling and still at the same moment, as we enjoy every second that passes us by. and i remind myself that this is what it’s all about. my heart sinks as we arrive at our destination …and my heart longs for our next bus ride.

locks of love

2008-05-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

after nearly a year i had the thought that i needed a hair cut. at the same time i saw an episode of oprah. no, i don’t watch oprah (buy a mountain people) it just so happened to be on where i was. And as i was watching Hilary Swank came on, talking about donating hair. i had heard of this before, but at that moment in time it was a crystal clear. i needed to cut my hair and i needed to give it away. from that moment on it seemed pointless to cut my hair just to cut my hair. so it was decided…i would cut my hair for locks of love. after all, they only need 10 inches to make some child very, very happy. and change is always good for you. i will admit that it came out much shorter than i had imagined, but when i think that mine will grow back…and for some people it won’t…it makes it all worth while.

my double delight

2008-05-20T11:20:00.001-07:00

this photo was taken at our neighbor’s house. last summer my little ones would go over to her house and play in her sprinklers. they always had a blast. of course the fun was always followed by some sugary item (cookies, candy, cookies and more candy). Lois also has the most beautiful roses that i’ve ever seen. they are called double delights. they smell and look absolutely gorgeous. and very much remind me of my Baby Girl. she is more than an double delight, but you get the idea. sadly Lois is 85 and has moved into a retirement home…so this summer we shall have to admire the beautiful roses from across the street. unless, of course, we make friends with the new neighbors.

Painful...

2008-05-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

here is the rusty pickle entry for may.
and no, there were no children harmed in this photo shoot. he just got a little scrap from sliding one foot down on his favorite tree. and yes, as i was taking the pictures all the other mom's at the park did look at me as though i am the worst mother alive for photographing my son's pain as he screamed "painful" over and over, very loudly, i might add. but he is fine. a kiss took away all the pain.
p.s.hopefully you fellow scrapbookers will understand.

smiles are contagious

2008-05-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

bet you didn't know that smiles are contagious. all i have to do is take my little guy to gymnastics and i can smile for an entire hour, because he is smiling for an entire hour. having children is magic. it helps you remember what pure joy really is. when Amory smiles in that hour there is a ball of sunshine that comes from his belly and shines through his smile for all to see.

laugh with me

2008-05-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

i know this is also at the bottom of the blog...i love it so much...no matter how many times i watch it...i still giggle.