the beginning of xmas...

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

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

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

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!

october goodies

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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

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!

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?

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!

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!