Digital Christmas Wishes!

Ya know, I'm not sure that I'll be back before Christmas and I wanted to make sure that I wished everyone of you who happen to visit my little blog a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Those of you that know me well, know that I love to scrapbook! Well, this year I took the plunge and began playing around with digital scrapbooking. Now, there are some of you who probably are saying to yourselves, scrapbooking on a computer?? Not really scrapbooking, but I beg to differ. My idea of scrapbooking is the preserving of memories, all the while creating something out of them. I see no difference, other than the obvious, between scrapbooking and creating with paper or scrapbooking and creating with a computer! I've always loved computers and it seems like a logical course of action for me to take my "art" (if that is what we are calling scrapbooking these days) onto a computer screen and hard drive!

That being said...earlier in November I had the extreme pleasure of having a very talented photographer, Chris Jenkins do a photo session with Mandi and me! This was such a dream come true for me. I have not had any professional portraits of Mandi done since she was about 9 months old, and I've never had the opportunity to take professional pics with her! We spent a few hours one Sunday and the results totally blew me away! I am so filled with joy and love when I see these amazing pictures of my baby girl! Of course, scrapbooker that I am, I wanted to know from Chris if it was alright to use them for my personal use and scrapbook them? Chris told me absolutely!!

I played around tonight and made a little digital Christmas card using one of the pics from that shoot! I honestly can't tell you which one is my favorite, I love them all, but chose this one...it really does capture my Mandi!

so, here you are, my warmest wishes for a very Blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! I look forward to more journeys in 2008 and the chance to share them with you here in my little corner of the world!

Until next time,
Blessings!

SHEESH!!!!!!!...Edited!

LOL...LOL....

man, am I seriously the only one who thinks Criss is a hottie??!! Wowzers...well, okay you all..fine, be that way (wink).

Got a scrappy project that I photographed this morning...I'll upload and share it later today!


EDITED:

So, I made this the other night for a Secret Santa swap I'm in! I covered a Creative Imaginations Bare Elements giftcard holder with some Sassafrass Lass papers, included some hambly!!, some of the new Creative Imaginations paper lace, grungeboard, thickers, ribbons, primas and made some small flowers out of the same patterned paper! I hope my person likes it!! Figure that after the giftcard is taken out, it can be used to hold a small photo!!

I think, with the exception of a few tags and a couple cards..I am done with my holiday crafts!! Now it's on to baking and wrapping!! Have a good night, I'm off to enjoy some wonderful Thai food and a martini with my girl Carol!!


Until next time,
Blessings!

We interrupt this blog....

with some eye candy!! Yep, nothing scrap related to show today, and it's basically been a quiet week so far, been working on finishing up some projects which feels good, and while doing my usual blog surf, I came across this picture...oh my heck, is he not the most delicious thing you've seen!!!! Apparently Cathy Zielske thinks so to and it's thanks to her blog that I was able to "lift" this lovely little gem of a picture to share here...

I share with you now, some holiday eye candy...enjoy!!! Yep, SERIOUS Criss Angel fan here..watch his show a ton! He does the most amazing illusions and tricks that I think I have ever seen and it doesn't hurt that I find him extensively easy on the eyes..yumm-o!

Okay, that's all I have for tonight....

Until next time,
Blessings!

Tim's Tag!

Okay, have you heard? Tim Holtz has a blog! Not only that, he is doing something so totally fabulous and it's free...a gift from him to us for the holiday! What you ask? Well, if you haven't visited his blog you totally have to and see for yourself...he is doing tags! Yep, a tag a day for the first 12 days of Christmas, complete with a list of supplies used and complete instructions, WITH photos on how to re-create them! Also, in the process, you are learning new techniques on how to use some of the fabulous Tim/Ranger products!!

Those who know me well, know what a fan of Tim's I am! I've had the pleasure of taking several of his classes both at CKU's and local stores and I have to tell you that if you ever have a chance to take a class with Tim, do! You will have such a great time and you will learn a ton! Tim is a fabulous artist and a wonderful teacher!!

Okay, so I decided after seeing his tags, that I wanted to re-create some of them and use them as gift tags this Christmas! Tonight I decided to try my hand at the first tag. Now, I have most of the supplies listed (cause, like I said before..big Tim fan here),but,I didn't have Old Paper Distress Crackle Paint (need to remedy that huh? LOL) so I used my Antique Linen instead....also used some different embellishments on mine but I like how it turned out and I hope the recipient of this tag likes it too!

Here's Tims' version: and here is my take on it:

This was soooo fun to make!! Also, since I didn't have any vintage sheet music handy in my stash, I utilized the world wide web and found some Christmas sheet music that I could print out. I then inked my torn piece of music with Vintage Photo ink, crumpled the paper, then inked again to give it a vintage feel! I think it worked well!!

Can't wait to make some more..I've got 9 tags to choose from and 3 more tags will be coming!

Hurry, run, don't stop, go directly to Tim's blog and enjoy these for yourself!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Winter Dance 2007

Wow, can it be true...another Winter Dance has come and gone? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was all choked up inside watching as my baby girl put on her first "grown-up" dress and headed off to her big Winter Dance at school? Is it really another year now and a new dress, still, I choke up when I look at her..what a beauty she is growing into! So, yeah, Mandi is now in 8th grade and went tonight to her Winter Dance. Of course we had to get a new dress, a girl can't be seen wearing the same dress to the same function, even if it is a new year..come on! So, we did the hair (I'm so not a hairdresser so it's pretty basic) and we dressed up in our new outfit and then, of course, here mom comes with the camera! Gosh dangit all...if I make one resolution this new year (I'm not a fan of resolutions but I am of life changes), it is to learn to take a decent picture!! I totally SUCK!! Yep, I said SUCK at picture taking...notice the lovely shadow behind my girl...look at the blank wall she is standing by...notice the lack of any decent lighting..not totally my fault but the builders as we have no good light in this house..but, it is my fault that I can't compensate for that!! I look through the lens and I just don't see things..ARGH!!!!!!!!! note to self..I will learn my camera...I will learn to take good pictures..this I resolve, even if it kills me!! LOL

So, even if it's not the best picture, and even if Miss Mandi isn't the most willing subject (who can blame her after making her do this year after year LOL)...here she is, my not so baby girl, all gussied up for her dance... I know I sound like a total mom, and I know I sound totally biased, and I know that it's basically the same dang pose as last year too but she really did look beautiful...much more so than my sucky skills allow you to see...

There ya have it....another Friday night, another moment in time, another bit of a young girl turning into a young lady before my eyes...the Winter Dance ala 2007!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Creative Cafe Day!!

YaHOOO!! Yesterday was a total, freakin, blast!! I got to spend the entire day with my friends and Danelle Johnson of Creative Imaginations. A few months back I got word that our local scrap store was going to be hostessing a day of creating with Danelle and I was sooo on that! Carol and I signed up immediately and have been waiting most patiently (well as patiently as girls can) ever since.

We had so much fun, and Danelle is so awesome! She really gave us alot of food for thought on how, why and where we take, keep, and print our photos. We did three really cool projects, a photo box which, while I haven't finished, is going to be where I keep all of Mandi's school pics, a centerpiece which I did finish, which is sooo adorable and now sits on my computer deck, and the last one was a photo/journal that we will keep for 2008. I didn't work on mine there, I want to add some extras to it and, well, truth be told, after a glass and a half of wine, I wasn't going to wreck something up by having a fuzzy head! Yep, the store gave us a real happy hour complete with wine and cheese, and sweets and treats! It was fab!! I hung out with some of my friends, Kathy, Bunnie and Jenn who I hadn't seen in awhile, saw some old friends from past CKU's and CE..hi Jeanne, Kathleen, Jeannie and Michelle, and got to hang out with two of my dt gals from RWS, Tracey and Amy! Let me ask you this, do
dirty minds go to work at all scrappy events or just the ones that I seem to attend? LOL!!

Anyways, it was a great way to start December, even with the horrendous winter storm that left my car encased in ice! (yeah, that was fun...NOT), and I can't wait for another event where we will all meet up and laugh like that again!

Here are a few pics from the day...one of Danelle and me, one of Kathy and Jenn, Kathy and Amy being a goofball, and of course, my favorite "ho" my bff Carol!! Yep, I stamped "ho" on her cheek...isn't everyone as immature as us? LOL



There ya have it, my fantabulous day of play! I sure hope I have the chance to take some more classes with Danelle again in my future! Thank you girlfriends, for giving me so many laughs that my stomach ached, I love ya all!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

My 15 minutes of fame!

LOL!! Well, sorta huh? It came this week, yep, my copy of the new Memory Makers idea book "601 Great Scrapbook Ideas".
It seems like ages ago that I decided to take a chance and submit a layout for this call...my first time submitting and I can't even tell you how excited I was when I got the email from them saying that they wanted my layout! I think I flew around on cloud nine for months!! Silly huh? I don't always think I need validation for my scrapbooking, in fact, while I like that others may think my layouts are nice, I do them the way I want because ultimately, they are for me and my family! But....it is very nice to have your work recognized by a magazine as being nice enough to feature in one of their books, that does make a girl feel really good about oneself!

So, after sending off my layout and all the necessary paperwork, the wait began...it would be months and months before the book would be in publication...well, it finally is and I now have my very own copy in my hot little hands!! I couldn't share the layout before, but now I can....soooo...here ya go, pics of the layout in the book...I'm a geek, you can say it! LOL!! Excuse the poor lighting in the picture...my house has seriously no good light for pictures at this time of the day, but I figure you get the idea, right? Plus, I was just do excited to get this on my blog to wait another day...again, geeky right? LOL!

and here is a closer look at the page...still a geek, I know! Again, bad..bad..bad lighting but oh well...
and, just so ya can see a decent shot of the layout, cause I know you are all so totally wanting and needing that too LOL...here it is!
Obviously it is a picture of my wedding day...and yes, the photographer was contacted and signed off the necessary waivers and agreements for this layout to be published, and yes Memory Makers is aware that I didn't take the picture myself (which wasn't in the requirements to begin with...just so ya know!)...
I loved the look of the scalloped paper by Creative Imaginations but wanted to use a patterned paper by Foof-a-La, so I traced the Creative Imaginations paper and then hand cut it out...I'm seriously love using black and white in my scrapping and these papers are one of my favorites!! I painted the chipboard letters and distressed them, I created a faux-label holder with Bazzill cardstock and stamped the word "forever", a Stampin' Up! stamp in the center on vanilla cardstock....a 7Gypsies label holder holds the date of our wedding, adding some buttons, flowers and some sheer black ribbon tied along the side finished it off! Viola, there it is...my 15 minutes of fame...along with hundreds of other talented and creative scrapbookers with which I am honored to be published among!

Thank you Memory Makers! Thanks for making this scrapbooker feel special, if even for just one moment in time!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Tree Trimming...

well, tonight was the night! I've had the tree up, and lit for about a week now, but tonight my mom, Mandi and I finally put the decorations on it. Would you believe I didn't take one stinkin' picture of the event?? What the heck kinda scrapbooker does that make me?? LOL Thankfully, Mandi was camera happy tonight and I've got a nice set of pictures to scrapbook! If I might say so myself, she's not half bad at picture taking either! While listening to some Christmas music and sipping on a glass of champaign (yes, I said champaign), the three of us did a nice job of trimming the tree! In fact, my mom, who isn't the best photographer around (sorry mom, but you know it's true...) took this picture of Mandi and me. I haven't cropped it or anything, just wanted to throw it up on the blog and share....
I know it doesn't show too much of the tree, and the skirt isn't in place yet, but I like this one...gotta love any picture I get of Mandi and myself really!

So, that's it for me....kinda tired, think that champaign made me a bit groggy so I'm calling it a night...putting on the pj's and climbing into bed..visions of sugerplums will dance around in my head tonight...Gosh, I love this holiday!

and, by the way...my little girl is in her place on my tree......

Until next time,
Blessings!

Holiday music has arrived and a new banner!!

It's here...it's here!!! well, I've been listening to holiday tunes for a few weeks now, just LOVE my holiday music!! I swear, nothing puts me in a better mood than some good ol Christmas tunage...soooo, for those that don't enjoy it, you'll have to mute me or stop the player LOL!! I wanted to show videos of all my favorites but, alas, not alot of them actually have videos, so I've created a playlist with just a few of my many favorites,and I'll probably be adding more as the season progresses, but this will get us started!

Also have a new little banner up for the holidays! This is my most treasured ornament. Yep, this little pipe cleaner, glue globby girl is my most favorite!! Every year as a little girl I would decorate the tree, hanging this little girl, an ornament that I got from my grandma, last on the tree in a place where I could see her twinkle and shine from within the tree lights. My grandma and I would sit on the couch at night with the lights of the tree glowing and watch that little girl hang there and we would talk, sharing precious moments together that I treasure even more than this ornament. Every year to this day, I decorate my tree and place her on it at the very last so that I can be sure she hangs in a place of honor where I can sit and watch her, and I remember my grandma!

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed holiday season!

Until next time,
Blessings!

scrappin'

Happy Saturday! Just playing in the sCRAP room today...ran to Michael's this morning and picked up some silk Poinsetta plants for the front porch and one huge one for the house...slowly getting a holiday feel around here and I'm loving it!! Gotta go video surfing and find some holiday tunes to put here today too!!

So, still finishing the cover of the planner but I thought that I'd share a layout I did a couple weeks back. I'm still playing around with Photoshop, learning how to add color to a black and white photo and having fun with that! This was a picture I took of Miss Mandi when we went to the pumpkin patch about a week before Halloween! Used some of my new Melissa Francis papers and embellies that I picked up while I was out in Phoenix in September...just love the vintage look of her stuff!! I also used some fabric that I had...as a border along the bottom and then I covered a piece of chipboard with it as a mat for the embellishment!


Got some big stuff planned for this weekend...again, can't share :( well, come of people, it is the holiday time right now!! LOL

Roger just walked in the door too....how's that for timing? He's been gone over a month now..wonder if I'll remember what he looks like? LOL!! Better go say hello huh?

Until next time,
Blessings!

so, it's been a couple days....

since I told ya'll I'd post pics of my project I was working on...what can I say, I've been super busy deep cleaning the house and finishing up some other things...have even been putting up a few Christmas decorations!! Yay!! I love this holiday!!

Okay, so I've been making this for a Secret Santa gift, it's a 2008 planner. It includes a two page layout for each month. On the left side is a calendar and on the right side is a place for notes and a place for adding birthdays and anniversaries to remember for that month. I used the new Sassafrass Lass line, Bazzill cardstock in black for the inner pages, chipboard for the covers and miscellaneous buttons, florals, ribbons, rub-ons and metals for embellishing the pages. I used my Bind-It-All to punch the holes in the covers and pages and a wire coil to hold it all together! Because it's kinda chunky (LOL), I added a 7Gypsies door knob and elastic band to the covers to help keep it closed. The only thing I need to still do is finish the actual cover...I have chipboard numbers that I am going to paint and Diamond Glaze so that it reads 2008 on the cover and of course add some pretty ribbons to the coils...include a nice pen and viola!! There ya have it!! I had fun making this and I sure hope that my person likes it!!

so, without further adieu: The planner!!!

Still waiting anxiously on the arrival of my copy of the Memory Makers new idea book "601 Scrapbook Ideas" that I was lucky enough to have a layout in!! I've seen the cover and a few of the inside pages and all I can say is WOW!! Can't wait to have it in my hot little hands!!

Okay, that's about all I got for today! Beware those of you who are not fans of the Christmas music!! Next week the blog goes Merry!!! Tunes for the holidays..can't wait!!!!

Until next time,
Blessings!!

Still here...

Hey, I'm still here!!! I know, bad blogger...no updates in so long but I've been busy with a ton of layouts (can't share yet..sorry!) and a project that I worked on all weekend...will share some of that later today or tonight, promise...

so, in the meantime, don't give up on me!! I am still here and will be back shortly!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

November has arrived!!!

well, another month has gone by and here we are in November! Now the countdown to the holidays will really begin. In fact, today when I was running errands, I turned on my radio station (one of 3 I listen too), and they have converted to their "All Christmas, All Day" format!! Yep, Christmas music!!! I love Christmas music and I can't decide if I think it's too early to start listening to it but when I turned on the radio and heard the music, it made me smile! so, guess that means I'll listen!!

I've put back my music!! Yep, had to remove it for the you tube Halloween trailer, so if you wanna listen to the trailer, you'll have my music mixing in LOL!! Oh well...anyways, LOVE Michael...this song just makes me smile...I figured that even though I enjoy the Christmas music now, I won't subject all of ya to it..yet! (wink wink)...but, beware, come the day after Thanksgiving...it'll be jamming on my blog!!

So, yesterday was Halloween. We didn't have nearly as many trick or treaters as we normally do? Wonder what is up with that??? I have a couple bags of candy left over..will just throw it in the freezer I suppose or if I go to a crop anytime soon, just bring it along for that! Mandi went to her friends neighborhood, which is about 5 times the size of ours and came home with quite the haul! She really didn't "dress" up....in fact, she looked more like a normal 14 year old then anything LOL...but, for her, it was different than her everyday look. I put some black eyeliner on her, she wore all black and a dew rag on her head! Oh yeah, can't forget the black nails!! I think she looked great!! Here are a couple pics of my girl from yesterday....
course I hadda have a picture of my little Oz man with her too!! All in all, she had a great Halloween!!

Alright then, so, it's November....Christmas music is playing and I wonder....is it too early to put up the tree???
Until next time,
Blessings!

Halloween 1 - the original trailer for the first movie, '78

In honor of today's "Hall-o-day", my favorite horror flick! Go ahead..watch it!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!!

Can you teach an old dog new tricks????

I certainly hope so! Took the plunge and re-installed my Photoshop Elements 4.0 software tonight. I've been wanting, since even before I got into digi scrapping, to learn PSE and just have never been willing to really take the time, I'd learn a step and then not do anything with it for months on end and forget and then get frustrated!! While I really enjoy using Microsoft's Digital Image Suite, it's super easy to learn, I finally decided that now is the time to learn PSE, with the hopes that once I learn that, I can then head into CS2 so that I can use some of the totally cool actions I've seen others use (but wait, I'm soooo getting ahead of myself!)...

so, I loaded the software...step one!, and have actually gotten a good handle on using the Photo Browser/Organizer...who knows, maybe my working with DIP has helped me understand the lingo and use's better..I dunno...anywho, got all my photos that were stored on my harddrive (which isn't too many, just the ones I hadn't gotten to moving to my external yet) into the organizer and tagged and into collections so that when I wanna scrap a picture of Miss Mandi, I click on the Mandi tag and viola!! there they all are, and in date order too!!! Big steps tonight huh? Tomorrow I'll try and unzip some of my "waiting to be unzipped" kits and see if I can organize them in there as well..of course, now this means I will need to organize all the hundreds of kits, I spent hours organizing into DIP, into PSE (they are all on an external too!)oh well....good practice right?

Then maybe, and that's a big maybe, I can throw together a simple layout in PSE....wish me luck!

That's how I spent this evening. Mandi and I just shared a taffy apple (yumm-o) and I'm about to get into my pj's and read my newest book (finished the Asperger's book last night..wow, what a read that was!). I'm now reading "90 minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper, so far, it's got me hooked! Anyways, need to make some tea and grab my book.

Lastly, I feel the need to share a picture and since I don't have a current layout, I'll share a picture that was taken of Roger and me about two weeks ago. We went to a fancy schmancy surprise 40th birthday bash for our neighbor...held at this beautiful historical mansion in town! I don't normally get to dress up much so I welcomed the opportunity to put on my party duds!! My mom took the picture of Roger and I...isn't it sad that every stinkin picture we take, we seem to take in this same place in our house??!! What the heck is that all about?? I'd say it's time to move to another room huh? Don't ya love the shadows behind us...makes us both look like, well..I don't really know LOL! Anyways, here we are!

so with that, I'll say:
until next time,
Blessings!

Some family time...

This weekend we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and get outdoors! Of course, being October that meant a pumpkin patch visit. Roger and I took Mandi up to Wisconsin to an apple orchard/pumpkin farm for the afternoon, wow, what an experience. Now, rock on all you "people" people, but Roger and I don't do well in the masses...they, well, they tend to annoy the heck outta us LOL! So, a crowded pumpkin farm might not have been the best idea but we rolled with it! I took some pictures of our adventure...of course I stink at photos and even this one that I took of Roger and Mandi isn't the best but it'll do for my layouts! We came home with a bag of fresh picked apples..Yumm! and two pumpkins for the front porch! all in all, a pretty good day and it was nice to get out and enjoy our indian summer that we seem to be having here in the midwest!

Didn't get a lick of scrapping done this weekend, that's the plan for this week....want to make a mini album, and I have a couple cards I need to do...that and clean house as Roger left again today for parts unknown! (well, I do know but....)

So, it's now off to put on the jammies and read for awhile! I've almost finished my book on Asperger's and I've got a pile of books just waiting to be read...think I'll start with Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"...looks really good! Ask me later about my newest adopted friend!

Until next time,
Blessings!

It's all about the boobs!!

Yep, you read that right! Boobs, tits, ta-ta's, knockers, hooters, a rack..whatever you call 'em, simply put, breasts!! I'm talking 'bout em! and that is because......

It's October and it's Breast Cancer Awareness month. I donate to this cause because, well, because I want to see cures, I want to see less and less women suffer this disease, I don't want my daughter to ever have to hear that she has breast cancer. I donate because I know people who have lost their battle with breast cancer. I donate because I know people who have survived their battle with breast cancer. I donate because I care. I'm asking that each of you dig into your pockets if you can and donate something...anything to breast cancer research. The very least you can all do is give a free mamogram to a goddess like yourself. Seriously, did you know that the Breast Cancer Site has a place you can go to, just click on a link and bang, you've donated a free mamogram! Nothing else needed, no forms to fill out, no personal information to be given, just a simple click! Please, I ask you to take a minute and CLICK!You will feel so good having done it and it just might save someone's life...how awesome is that? Talk about a heck of a RAK huh?


That being said, today's post is gonna be just this...again, please take one minute of your day and CLICK!
Until next time,
Blessings!

Last SISter layout!

Well, finished up the last of the layouts from the IL/WI SISter crop! Again, started this one and did everything but the title at the crop...put that on today!

I haven't been doing a ton of multi picture layouts recently so this one kinda looks funny to me! These pics were taken a couple years back....we took Mandi to a little pumpkin farm just down the road from our house...it's were we will probably go again this year! I used the new Melissa Francis fall papers that I bought while out in Arizona last month, some Fancy Pants crochet flowers, buttons (of course) and a little bit of Hambly!! The title is done using Heidi Swapp chipboard letters...and it's hard to see but I added some faux stitching rub-ons to the top and side of the pics. One more for the pizza box!! LOL
So, today I just kinda hung out...played around on the computer, finished the laundry, ran a few errands this morning...FINALLY ordered some new patio slider doors as our other ones totally suck!!! Last winter they continually got iced up, snow would collect in the tracks and they were almost impossible to close...ya shoulda seen me each time Ozzi wanted to go out, I'd have to un-jam the doors with a butter knife and a hair dryer..swore to Roger that this winter we would have new doors before the snow flies...so today I placed the order...should take about 3 weeks or so for them to come in and then we can install!!! Next on the list is a new front door...I'd love an all wood one!!

Oh yeah, just downloaded a new tune for my iPod...the Halloween theme song...so love that song and it's perfect to have playing at night in October, dontcha think?!

Tonight is Grey's...yippee, Mandi has already made mention to me (she loves this show)gotta love Thursday nights and Grey's..working on a new layout...maybe I'll get it finished tomorrow...
Until next time,
Blessings!

VAN HALEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

so, yep, today I'm still a bit fuzzy LOL...but it's not cause I drank too much or anything else, it's that I am head over heals in "crush" with Dave!!, that and my 40-something ears maybe can't handle all the loudness of a concert (heehee)...seriously, last night was a total dream come true!!! Seeing David Lee Roth back as the front man for Van Halen was it for me!! I've never, ever, EVER been a Van Hagar fan. Now, some of Sammy's tunes are ok, but I've just never liked Van Halen as much as when Diamond Dave was with em!

So, ladies, what can I say...he is freakin' HOT!!!! His body, OH MY GOSH!!! I coulda looked at him all night!! I mean, look at this:

I know, I know...he is a bit on the older side, but heck, I'm not a young-en either LOL!! I say he looks soooo much better now than his younger days...anyways, the pictures don't do him justice! His abs are cut man...so seriously cut that it's crazy and his tush...please don't get me started LOL..

okay, enough droolage for me....here are a few more concert pics...they are not taken from last night, but the costumes (if ya call the wardrobe that) are all the same, the set is the same, everything is dead on except that they were not taken in Chicago!!

Anyways, point is, I have marked another "to do" off my list, and that feels great! I had a fabulous time, probably more so than if I had seen them in my younger days...I have a great memory, saw some incredible eye candy and listened to tunes I've loved for more than half my life!! Thank you Van Halen! Thank you for bringing back Dave, for a wonderful night and for a terrific memory that I'll take with me! And, by the way, for Eddie to be coming off of throat cancer...man his guitar skills are still THE BEST!!!! Rock on dude!

Enjoy my video..."Jump" of course was the encore and the crowd went ballistic!!! Dave still has the jumps, the kicks, the moves....it's all good!


Oh yeah, for those that have asked....my grandmother's maiden name is Roth...according to my cousin Stacey Roth, Dave and I are like cousins somehow...very, very, very....soooo stinkin' very distant, but nonetheless cousins...there ya have it!

Until next time,
Blessings!

My Sweet Love

Well hiya! Just posting a quick share of another layout that I did at the IL/WI SISters crop a few weekends back! This one I started at the crop but put the finishing touches to it last night in fact, while listening to some Michael Buble!! His new song "Everything" is about my favorite song right now!! Oh such good ear candy!!

I'm not too sure how I feel about this layout though. I want to really like it, but I think that it's just..eh, eh for me! I love the picture of Mandi, she was (and still is in my opinion) so stinkin' cute!! Maybe if I had made the photo a bit larger?? I dunno...anyways, I'm not re-doing it so it will go into the album (or should I say pizza box) the way it is!! I used Bazzill, some Cloud Nine patterned paper, paint, felt, flowers, chipboard, Heidi Swapp Ghost Letters, buttons (when don't I use buttons LOL) and some Prima bling...oh yeah, cut the flowers out of patterned paper and used some Stickles to bling um up!!

I have one more layout left to share from the crop but it will have to wait until my next post...still need to put a title on it or something!

In other exciting scrappy news...CKU is coming back to Chicago!! WAHOOOO!!! Yep, I'm planning on being there in March for all it's scrappy fun!! Got a yahoo group started for it so if anyone is interested in attending CKU Chicago 2008, leave me a comment and I'll send ya an invite to the group. Every CKU I've done I've always participated in the Yahoo groups that go with it. You meet so many people, have a chance to join some really fun swaps and stuff and learn a ton about CKU as well. I highly recommend joining one if you plan on going to a CKU this year!!

Okay, that is about all for now. Gotta go get myself all ready...yep, tonight is the night...it's the night I've waited almost 22 years (probably even more LOL) for...it's the night that is going down in my "to see before I die" list...Yep, Roger and I are heading to the Allstate Arena to see VAN HALEN!!! Diamond Dave is back as front man and this is a dream come true for me!!! Ask me sometime how I'm related to him (wink)....anyways, I'm so excited I can hardly stand it...got my outfit all set, just gotta jump in the shower and get going...the limo (yes, we are going in style man!!) is coming in about an hour to cruise us over to the concert!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with details for sure, and, as you could guess, a new video!!

Until next time,
ROCK ON MAN!!!

Our Gang!

So, here is another layout that I finished at the SIS crop that I attended a couple weeks back! I had such a hard time photographing this puppy....kept coming out blurry on me, if I used a flash it reflected back into the photo...so, I eventually put it up against a small frame I had and took pics that way...course I didn't shoot from above so when I cropped it, it's not all together that straight!! UGH!!! I promise everything is on there straight when you see it in person! LOL

Anyways, here it is: This is a picture taken of my dad and his sister, my Aunt Lynn, when they were kids! Do ya'll remember the Little Rascals? Ya know, Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat and the gang? Well, my dad and aunt, when they were kids, were in an Our Gang (that is what they were called way back then) movie!! Yep, starred right up there with Spanky and Alfalfa!! How freakin' cool is that? This picture was taken on set, while they were in their costumes. The original photo that I have is teeny tiny so I scanned it and printed it out larger...I'm not great at the photo scanning/adjusting thing so this was as good as it got! In person it looks alot better! So, may I present, two of the "Our Gang" players...drum roll please....Philip and Adeline Lindsey!!

I tried to use papers and embellies that would give it a more vintage-y feel...it's simple but I like it! Actually used some of my own handwriting for the journaling (can you believe that!!!???)not sure if I like that but this layout is done!!

Okay, that's about all for this post...short and sweet! Hope everyone had a great weekend...
Until next time,
Blessings!

SISter Crop!

So, last weekend was our long awaited SISter crop! What is a SISter crop you ask? It was a crop that we put together with all the Illinois and Wisconsin Scrap In Style TV sisters. In case you haven't had a chance to check it out, Scrap In Style TV is da bomb!! It is such a terrific site, and I tell ya, since joining in June I haven't once gone back to my other haunt, 2Peas!!

Anyways, a bunch of us "SISters" (SIS is short for scrap in style), got together and spent the entire weekend at the Regency Inn in Antioch croppin' and talkin' and laughin' and eatin' the weekend away! Amazing as it sounds, I actually got 5 layouts completed, which is a record for me!!

We asked a very nice gentleman from the lobby if he would be kind enough to take our picture (of course this involved about 3 different cameras...we are scrapbookers ya know!), and this was the best of them, taken with Elly's camera!
Now doesn't this look like an awesome group of girls?!!

I had such a great time, feel badly in a way that it is all said and done though..we are talking about getting together soon to do an Archiver's crop though so hopefully that won't be too long!

So, um, yeah...5 layouts!! The first one is a layout I actually started awhile back, but I worked on it first at the crop and finished it off...thanks to Cathy, I am now an official Stickles addict!! This was a photo of Amanda when she was about 3 years old. We took her for the day up to Lake Geneva to the beach and she LOVED it!!

This next layout, to be fair, I started at the crop but didn't finish..it was the last hour of the crop and my mojo was pretty much gone! I had cut the background paper (Bazzill of course) and picked out the picture but that was about all I did! Last night I put this one together and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Can I also just say that I am LOVING the 6x12 format!!! I have seen a bunch of this size layouts all over SIS and have been wanting to give it a try...Martha gave me so much inspiration at the crop this weekend with her album of 6x12's that I knew I had to do one immediately!! I think this might just be a new size for me...already thinking I need to do an Ozzi album all in 6x12!!
Isn't my little guy just the cutest?! I swear, I never get enough of him, totally love me my Ozzi!!

I'll post some more layouts later...been fighting a migraine today, not sure if it's the weather or what...sure hope it's not me trying to get a cold, got a ton of fun stuff planned through next Tuesday and I soooo don't want to be feeling sick!

Alrighty then, until next time,
Blessings!

Wow..October Already and my new BFF!!

Yep, bad blogger! I know, just had a really busy couple weeks here and no time to jump on the 'ol blog and update!

Let's see...yeah, got a new BFF, her name is Cathy! Love ya girlfriend!! Cathy and I met about a year ago at a photography class. We had been on 2peas for awhile, trying to hook up because I knew that she lived by me and we were just never able to get together...fast forward to a photo class that I signed up for at our local community college last spring...well...I'm in class and the teach is taking attendance, calling our names and I hear her name called (she was late though and not there yet), so she walks in and sits right next to me. The class begins and during a break, I leaned over and said "Are you Cathy..." she said "yes" and so I introduced myself and we've been friends ever since! A couple weekends ago we met at Archiver's for a mania with a bunch of our other friends and had a blast! I worked on my Christmas cards (almost finished them...and I can't really share them yet) and Cathy worked on the fabulous layout that moved her forward in the Bad Girls Top Designer challenge (let me just say, that layout rocked!!!)...in between some serious scrapbooking and paper crafting, we took time for a photo shoot...even added some wonderful floral props to ourselves!!! Arn't these pics a total riot?!! Gotta love my girl Cathy, she is amazingly talented, a total riot, and super sweet!!! Love ya girlfriend, this is for you!

Here are some of our other friends who were croppin' with us, all very talented and fun girls to hang with!! Carla, Carol, Tracy (who wouldn't let us take her picture), and Traci!

so, there ya have us! We had a great time and I can't wait to do it again!! I got to spend this past weekend at another "sisters" crop...yep, Scrap In Style tv crop and I'll share my pics and layouts from that in another post!

Lastly, new month, new video (expect a change in a week or so though LOL)....and this one is for all my "Rockin' Like Dokken" sisters from our fabulous weekend!!!

You are never too old to ROCK AND ROLL MAN!!!!!!!!!
Until next time,
Blessings!

want me a Boxer baby!!!!

Oh my heck, working on my photo swap that I did with Robyn has just made me want a Boxer even more!! ARGH!!! Chester and Macy, her wonderful fur-babies are so dang beautiful!! I swear, my resolve is getting weaker and weaker by the minute!! Just looking at these two georgeous animals is driving me crazy with desire for my own!!

I sure hope Robyn likes my layout...she is such a fabulous scrapper, it's hard to compete with talent like that!! I used some new American Crafts that I got while out in Arizona last weekend, some Hambly (YAY!! Finally got my hands on some Hambly), Bazzill, 'Lil Davis chipboard that I painted and then coated in Diamond Glaze for a shiny look, Foof-a-La clear buttons that I painted the backs of to match the colors of the American Crafts, and I tried my hand at hand cutting some random circles to coordinate with the circle patterned paper! Of course added some black paint and used my Tim Holtz foam stamps for the title..and, oh yeah, some MM rub-ons for the puppies names at the top! Again, I had a great time doing this layout! Thanks Robyn for allowing me to scrap your babies!!

Okay, off to clean up my scrappy mess and maybe start another layout!! Hope everyone is having a great Sunday afternoon!!
Until next time,
Blessings!

A most righteous beverage....found!!!

well, some of you know that for years, and I mean YEARS, I have been on the quest for and have had an insane need for a Sonic Cherry Limeaid!! Yep, you read that right..a Sonic Cherry Limeaid!! We don't have Sonic's (and Shari, I use that in the plural form so get over it!! LOL), near me and every stinkin' time I see that fun couple in their car, dishing over the newest Sonic Blast or Blended Tea or drink in general I FLIP the heck out!!! I LOVE the commercials and it literally kills me each time I see one...I WANT A SONIC CHERRY LIMEAID DANGIT!!! To help add salt to my never ending Sonic wound, a group I've been a member of online for about 5 years now, well, every once and awhile, they will mention that Sonic is having a blah..blah..blah...sale this weekend and of course it starts the whole.."I don't have a Sonic" whine with me...

Flash forward now to last week when I was in Arizona with my sister....what did my wondering eyes behold?? Yes Maam...a dam* Sonic!!!!!!!!!! So, loving sister that I have, and sister that knows I would have ripped her head clear off her shoulders if she didn't take me, stopped at a Sonics so I could indulge my fantasy, so I could quench my thirst (so to speak), so I could give in to my need for the coveted Sonic Cherry Limeaid!!!! YEEEEE HAWWWWW!!!!!!!!

Of course this visit was monumental in my life and pictures had to be taken....even if the other patrons at the time found me to be somewhat off my rocker...who the heck gives a sh*t!! I got my Sonic, I got my Sonic (sing that part...it requires singing in a very childish manner)...and when I took my first, long awaited sip...well, the angels sang!!!!!!! The heavens shined down on me and I swear I heard a chorus of angels singing so beautifully it made me almost cry!! Alright, alright, so I didn't almost cry but oh my heck, was it sooooo good!!! Course, I've now set myself up for the fact that I love them and as is...they are NO WHERE NEAR ME!!!

Here's my Sonic picture...

So, thank you Shari...thank you for giving into the rantings and cravings of a lunatic on the search for a fast food drink!! and just remember....when I come out again, it's Sonic time!!!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Can't believe I spaced this one out!!

Wow, where was my head at yesterday?? I came back from my visit with Shari and, of course, checked the SIS board to see what I had missed (I mean heck, I was gone for 5 days from it!!!), and my gal pal Robyn, a most awesome scrapper that I met online about a year ago, well, we did a photo swap with each other...she sent me pics of her babies Macy and Chester and I sent her pics of Ozzi and this is the layout she created with them!!! I was sooooo thrilled to see her work in the gallery, to see my little man "scrapped" by her!! Isn't this just the most awesome layout evah??!!
I am soooo lovin' this layout! Thanks Robyn, you did such a fabulous job with my little guy! Now I need to work on my layout of her babies!!

And, to top it all off, Robyn asked me today if I would like the layout!! Hello!! Of course I would, not only is it of my little guy but it's also a layout by Robyn!! Thank you, thank you Robyn, this is the best gift!!!

If you want to see some serious photographic eye candy, check out her blogs. Her scrappy blog and her photo blog you will be so happy you did!

So, I didn't do much else today...grocery shopping and minor house stuff...tomorrow I plan to hit the scrap room full force!! Yeee Haawww!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

I'm back.........

yep, had a most awesome time visiting my sister in Arizona this past week/weekend! We did the CK convention in Phoenix which was fun...I'll try and post some pics of the projects eventually (truth be told, some I just took the kit for...it seemed way easier to pack to bring back then to complete in class and have to deal with packing!)...then we hit some of the local stores!! Can I just say that Mystic Paper so totally ROCKS!! I really broke the bank in that store but walked out with some waaayyy cool products!! Scrapbooks Etc. is also a most fabulous store, had some fun there as well!!

Even though I was only gone for 5 days, I feel like it's been forever!! I so need to put away my new stash and get serious again...spent today just doing laundry, paying bills and catching up on all that stuff (fun..NOT!)...and missing my partner in crime Shari!

So happy to see my Mandi though, missed her like mad and of course my little man Ozzi was super happy to have me back (I'm the softie that gets him whatever he wants!)...and surprisingly so, the house, left in Roger's care, was still in pretty good condition!! WOW!!

So, nothing to share picture wise...oh yeah, took some fun ones in Arizona and I'll try and upload and share those tomorrow!! Off to make some dinner and try to sort out my new toys!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Arizona Bound!!

Tomorrow morning, bright and early..wait...not so bright but very, very early I will be heading to the airport to catch my flight to Arizona for a visit with my sister and the Creating Keepsakes Convention! WAHOOO!! Seems like I've been waiting forever for this weekend to get here! Shari and I are taking 5 classes on Friday at the convention by Rusty Pickle, Quick Quotes and one with Lisa Bearnson of CK! Ooops...just remembered, I need to print off a picture for that one..whew!!! Everything is packed, bags are ready and so am I (for the most part anyways...) I always pack waaaay too much but this trip I decided to be better and really plan my wardrobe..heck, I can always wash a pair of capri's at Shari's house right?? So, for the first time my suitcase is not overloaded!! Wish me luck!

Roger and I had a lunch date today and that was nice...just sat back and talked for awhile, had some munchies and a drink...then I came home and decided that I needed to do one more digi layout for the road...I mean, I'll be paper scrapping this weekend away and what the heck will I do without my computer...AHHHHHHHH!!! LOL

So, here is another older picture...I am going to paper scrap this one as well but just piddled around with it today in digi. It's of Miss Mandi when she was about 3 years old. We had taken her to the beach in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for the day and she LOVED it! I just love that she is sitting on her towel, shades on and all!

Credits include: Traci Sims, Anne Langpap for 2Peas, Shawna Clingerman, Vendula Sediva (aka Natali), and Weed & Wildflowers...
Okay, gonna go hang with the family for alittle...need to get to bed early tonight as that 4:00 a.m. alarm is gonna stink big time!! See ya next week, and until next time,
Blessings!