a glimpse!

At the beginning of summer vacation, we had an opportunity for all 4 of the kids to go to a golf camp. It was hot and it was humid. The kids really had fun. The boys had done them before, but the girls were finally "old enough"! I tried to get some action shots. I uploaded the pictures and this one of Absolutely's face (under the hair) just look so old to me...like a glimpse of what she is turning into...a beautiful young lady. Thank you to dear Lorilei Murphy who allows me to fiddle with her beautiful kits, and this one is no exception. Devotion at Rosey Posey Studios.

not a Britt girl!

well poopy doo! lol, I admire Britt and her work. I got the sorry and regret letter...and smiled. Ya never could know unless I tried...I applied and gosh, last September, I wrote my first letter to a designer, dear Charlie, and she graciously allowed me on her team! She is off and running at DSO, and I am out playing at all the forums! lol I think I like the applying process!

Old pic, new life!

About 5 years or so ago, the family drove to up to Albuquerque to go to the BEACH! Ha ha...New Mexico is a land locked state, and although there is a beautiful White Sands (albeit gypsum) in Alamogordo a beach with water and waves is a man-made phenomenon. I think it has since closed down. Honestly, it was pretty run down when we were there, but we had a blast! Thunderclouds threatened the whole time, but it was a blast. I bought one of the disposable water cameras, and we took 36 pictures...I have this one here that I scrapped of my toes sticking out (I was in a inner tube, waiting for the wave machine to start) and could see my hubby (tony) so totally relaxed in his tube. I love this shot...and had a blast with Rejuvenate a collab by Lyndsay Riches & Tracie Stroud.

It makes you itch! and ugh!

This morning, I go into the living room with my handy dandy Starbucks coffee cup (pink and keeps coffee hot for hours). Good day, because we have church tonight and house is in okay shape. I sit to check email and see what the day holds before praying.
A little spider runs across my laptop! I smoosh it. Gross. Another falls from the ceiling in front of my face...this is getting silly. I see a few more and totally lose it.
Okay kids, we have an infestation here.
You must know that Yuba City is in harvest...of peaches, prunes and a few other lovely fruits. With this harvest comes an major amount of spiders. I mean major amount. Two times a week, the kids go around with this nifty tool. It is a cobweb brush! It goes on a telescoping wand, and you twirl it around all the corners and edges of the outside and inside of the house...Because the spiders are vigilant! They will take over fast! But seeing that many at one time, totally grossed me out! I told the kids, move was going to conquer the living room...I pulled down the curtains, into the wash, moved all the furniture, washed all the walls (wood paneling), vacuumed and then saturated the room with bug spray! This meant I had to rearrange. You who know me, I usually rearrange at least once a week. Life has been so busy and my knee was out for a few months, will be surprised! My living room has been the same since Christmas!!! Amazing, but not now... I sit in my chair in a new and spider free zone!

One kit call!

Yeah, I had free time, and no kits to play with, dangerous! lol, I applied for a couple CT calls...and my fingers are crossed...Britt over at Scrap Matters, who I can honestly say is the only designer I have ever paid for kits! How I love her hangly danglies....lol and Krystal Hartley, I did a Flourish (from MSA) layout with one of her kits and loved it...so I sent each my begging, I mean letter of application of me, and hopefully will hear something in August! If you know either of them, please put in a good word for me!!!!
So until then, I have scrap time and no kits...so enter BeDeSigns, and this huge kit; Soccer Kids. I have lots of old pics never scrapped of Eric in soccer in New Mexico. But, I also have 4 kids starting soccer in September...so, I plan ahead! The papers really drew me to this kit.

Look at my teen ager at age 4! Isn't he just the cutest thing!?! He loves soccer!

This was Eric's last day of soccer in New Mexico. We all knew that we would be leaving to start a church somewhere, at this time we didn't know where...but my boy played his heart out and was just plumb tired! See this papers? I really think they are beautiful!
EEEK, I did another layout and forgot! Sorry dear Carolyn, I finished it this morning before church! My brain melts between then and now! Carolyn at Scrap and Tag has these two beautiful kits for babies. Sweet Baby Boy and Sweet Baby Girl. Well, no baby pics here, but the cow in the girl kit is just beyond precious to me, so I dug out these pictures of the Farm Museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico a few years back. There was a milking machine that is permantly hooked to a fake cow...you can actually feel how it feels, weird...but it was fun! My boys at work! Eman is being a ham! lol

Now, I am tired, we had a full house in church today, a full blown children's church and it was beyond wonderful! Hope everyone's weekend was wonderful! Last week of July, go play and take lots of pictures!

One kit, three layouts!

Lyndsay Richie, over at Scrap Orchard popped this kit on us(her CT) Monday, I think? It has been a different week for me in digiland. Days kind blurred together! Weird I know!
As soon as I opened her new kit: Cool Summer, I knew what picture was going to be scrapped. Six years ago, when we brought the girls and G home, our Mr. E was bit stand offish about this sibling group invading his territory...but Popsicles really helped them be together as they enjoyed the evening and the melting colored sugar water pops!

So, I had "fulfilled" my requirements for the CT, went merrily about my business, rather proud of the layout I did, loved the stitching and how I had "cut" the paper to go in the stitching...lol. I really love to show a kit off for designers...so people wanting to buy it, go wow, there is all kinds of things to do with this kit. I sat down at my desk and opened a new layout....hmmm...oh the boys and Tony in the pool with the boat...I pulled the pics up and once again, Lyndsay's kit went with it perfect!


Yep, another one! This is Mr. E poppin' out of the water and it is a bit chilly! He is trying to get warm by going up and down in the water!Lyndsay has an add-on that goes with the kit, and I haven't even opened it yet...but pop over to her blog and get it! The image is linked!

I'm Amps in January!

Oh did I laugh...and Christine (my4boys) hugs to you cause it is so my fault...and I love a good giggle!
I have been applying for guest spots due to my schedule with homeschooling being so wickidy wicky wack. Amy sent me the sweetest email, and I am pretty excited to do some guesting with her stuff in January!
Life is streamlining itself. I have been making layouts all day, and now I can't show any of them til Thursday night! That is the hardest part! But I will say, one kit I did 3 layouts in less than 24 hours and mopped my floor! Let me tell ya, that is a kit that is worthy, not that it helped mop my floor! ha ha

Pour your heart in it!

Sometimes, I scrap and smile at the pictures, and the antics of my kids or hubby! I am really a blessed woman. I enjoy sitting at the computer and creating. I can't paint anything but walls, my drawings are flat, and well I did pottery once...lets just not go there. But I love digital scrap booking. It is sometimes frustrating getting the leaf or string to get where I want it to...but satisfyingly when it does!
Carolyn Rose Kite, (I still pinch myself that I am on her team) came out with kit; What is Love?, and her heart is really all over it. There is pain and a sweetness to it, that really made me ponder a layout. I opened it and bam. It just happened.
We moved here about 1 and half years ago, we have a strong congregation going, and precious souls in it. I have made acquaintances, but my buds and comrades in arms so to say are far away. Sometimes you can't call, and being alone can become dark...I call out to my Savior Jesus Christ, and am so content being smack dab in the middle of His will for our lives. I may sometimes feel alone, but I am never lonely! I hope you understand.

Just Hilarious!

You know the ads that show up above your pages at Yahoo? This was one of them, and I clicked on it...and laughed and laughed... I watched all three episodes...yeah it's an ad but you scrappers will laugh.
No money from this is going to me...but click on it and be prepared to laugh!

Digital Scrap Obsession is ROCKIN'

Happy 43rd Birthday little brother...a few days late! ha ha ha what a cutie hey? I had to lead off with this layout...read more about all the happenings in digi world!


I so hate keeping secrets...I am the worst...we people ask, "Can I tell you a secret?" I usually say, "NO!" because I tell! I get all excited and blurt it out! So Charlie told us a few days ago, she was closing up her shop at eSS, and going to sell at DSO! I did a little happy jig...well, honestly, it was more like a pumping of the arms and a woo hooo!
Digital Scrap Obsession (DSO) is a well established store and forum. The store is known for it's high expectations and quality control! The people are known for laughter, kindness and encouragement! I know this because I CT for LouCEE, who just began selling her beautiful designs there. I hope you will join me over there with Charlie and LouCEE. This is the first time I have had two designers at one store...and I am looking forward to it!
Charlie is loading up her kits and checking them twice to make sure all is okay, she has Geisha Girl ready for you now! Pop over to Charlie's and wish her happy moving in!

LouCee has released a marvelous kit, called Freshly Picked. Freshly Picked will be on sale for the first week.. 40% off!
I love the dark yet elegant feel to this kit! I played with it, and don't know how my little brother made it in an elegant kit...but the little pixie in it...looked liked him...ha ha my little bro in 1966!ha ha
LouCEE also has a freebie add-on that goes to this lovely kit, so pop over to her blog and get it!

oh yeah, great idea...

Sometimes I have some real hair brained ideas. A few days ago, I had an hour before making dinner and thought, I should teach my kids Phase 10 (link to Wikipedia) it will be a blast!
So it is 10 minutes to 4, we eat at 5. At 4:45pm, we had gotten thru 2 phases...and my hair needed to be dyed again! The gray hairs were rapidly popping out! They were getting it, but it was slow..the what if's questions were coming fast and furious. So I initiated..no what if's, must be something that is happening. What if's will be answered real time only. Mom has gone down this road a few times. Four kids with vivid imaginations and mom's attention becomes a 4 headed monster! lol We moved the game to the monstosity, (see previous post) and had dinner and a day went by!
Fast forward today! It is wicked hot! 108 easily. We ate at the food court of Sam's, cheap and cool! It was to hot to stand over a BBQ and I had eaten M&Ms. (totally off subject, but I have been off chocolate for a little bit, and I totally OD'd on them today). The chocolate put me in a funky anxious mood!
Okay, we eat, get some stuff at Sam's and homeward bound. Kids in pool, I download some scrapstuff (new designer...top secret) and Tony is puttering. He goes to bed at 8:30pm, (early and long day tomorrow) HE DIDN"T get the job he applied for, but we are cool with that. the job at TARGEt is a blessing with the hours and he is able to do what needs to be done for the church! I divert again...sorry back to the story:
The kids come in from pool and were gonna play a game together.
Now we had been at events with the homeschool all day, but hadn't really been together(if you under stand?) so I said...(this is the part, I need to be slap smartly in the back of the head) "Lets play some more Phase 10. "
TWO hours ....TWO hours later, yep at 10:30pm, my exhausted children are zoned and out of it...have managed to get thru 2 phases! Although I am quite proud of myself, as my head didn't blow up and I answered 80% of their questions.
Yeah, I'm winning, but only because I see all of their cards...ha ha..
tomorrow we try again!

Square Oaks Academy

Poppin' in to babble...get comfy!
We have been streamlining our lives again! Those who know me in real life, have seen my reorganization in full living color! I truly love to make life simple. Making it simple means most times throwing stuff away and organizing to help not just me, but the rest of the family flow easier.
The wrench I threw in May was the decision to home school my four kids! This causes great commotion as there will be more coming into our home and that means I have to clear areas and throw things away. You know that got me smiling.
First we did a fashion show...summer and winter we have these...everything pulled out and tried on and shown to mom. The bins for winter are pulled out also. We clear all ripped, horribly stained and tight items right off. The boys take about 30 minutes and we have a list of what is needed to get thru the winter and store the summer items.
The girls, well they are girls. I put together church outfits...that they can choose from together. Then we have a shirt area, pants or capri/shorts area. They go shopping. Each girl takes turn making an outfit...it is folded together and stored in their drawer. When they do laundry, swapping takes place and remaking of outfits happen. This has really been a great thing...so they match and I don't go half the day and notice one of their outfits at Walmart and cringe...eeek...have you had that on all day???????????????...lol
Gabriel and I had a day together before school got out and we pulled all our school supplies and filled a closet! It would work, but was awkward....the door opens and the hall is blocked...Abby's tendency to shove quickly away was going to be an issue.
I knew I needed a bookshelf. I didn't want a regular bookshelf...but started the search for the right thing!
We found it Sunday after church. A store closing, one of the fixtures, for $20! It is on wheels and I can move it around the dining room. I have it already kinda stocked as I await our curriculum.
We also got these nifty tables with the bookshelf thingee (all for one low price)...it needs a name...monstrosity I believe fits! There are two tables and the little one slides right under and nest with the big one! We use the table for scoring, crafts and testing!
This morning I worked out our Do-It list..it goes on the fridge. We have 4 areas of chores; outside, living room, dining/kitchen, bathrooms/hall. We swap out every two weeks. The kids have magnets on the chores needed to be done that day. When chore complete, they move the magnets. In the evening or next morning I set up the magnets for what needs to be done that day. If I do the chore for example, deep scrub the bathrooms, then I move the magnet! lol
The kids like this...and it is one less thing I have to tell them to do...that helps my brain.
Then I did our schedule for school. We have some independant curriculum; spanish, history and spanish, and then math and english need a bit of guidance to begin. I want to be able to work with each a bit each day, just us in areas of interest and struggles. I put up the schedules and they all got excited all over again. The Rosetta Stone Spanish is going to be everyone's favorite!
So.....
I'm ready...and I have a whole month to wait!
oh goodness I forgot!
Square Oaks Academy! That is the name of our home school. We are the Square Oaks Lumberjacks!
When people ask my kids where they go to school, instead of saying we are homeschooled, I pondered it out. Most of their work will be at our square dining room table. I don't think it is oak, but it sounded good. So Square Oaks was born! I told the kids and they liked it and Eric came up with the Lumberjacks! We are going to make a crest and a motto this year!
For those old enough to remember Monty Python, I have that song...I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay...running thru my head! lol

feelin' way better

I had just the flu/cold yucks, but am relieved to say, I feel so so much better. A couple nights with 9-10 hours sleep can really put a girl in new spirits! I am usually 6 hour a night sleeper, so I guess my body said, you need more sleep and you are taking it NOW!

Life has been its normal fast paced, we have all our homeschool curriculum ordered and got a rockin' deal today at a last day going out of business clothing store. The fixtures were all on sale. There was a fixture of cubicles, three columns of 3 cubes on both sides On wheels...sorta like a bookcase but oh so classy and moveable, so we can use it as a partition too! We picked it up along with two nesting tables for $20! They were marked $100 each...but it was a freeding freezy in the store today...so glad we went.
After church we got it and I moved all my supplies out of a closet and rubbermaid boxes...and our dining room has been transformed to Square Oaks Charter School. The square oak being our dining room table! woo hoo!
I wanted to post this layout, because I loved it. It is a collab with Lindsay Riches and Simple Scraps at Scrap Orchard. Gabriel caught this butterfly and they were all so excited! Abby took the picture and well, it was just a fun time. I enjoyed putting this layout together, and so hope you like it too!

I have the flu/cold achies..yuck

I feel horrible...just horrible...head, body, nose...waaah...be back when healthy...and not so whiny...

retirement comes early

no not me...although for a little, I thought I might be...our internet is a bit spotty until school starts! Yeah lets hear it for charter school paying for me to homeschool!
but retirement is for some of Charlie's earliest kits. Kits that I cut my CT teeth on...kinda. I am sad to see them go away, but excited to see what Charlie has up her sleeve...I looked up her sleeve and saw one trick and it's a good one...woo hooThis combo pack (available HERE)includes 3 full sized kits at the low price of $5.00
It includes:
Wedding Treasures (This kit contains 33 papers, 42 elements and a 6 page brag book.)

Honey Love (This kit contains 9 textured natural looking papers,26 beautiful realistic elements and a full alpha set with bonus keyring)

Shabby Old Blues(This kit contains 25 elements and 24papers)

This combo pack will be on sale only from July 9th until July 23rd

Do you already have these kits or maybe 1 or 2 of them?no problem.!.each individual kit is also on sale 30 % off from July9 – July 23!

Been busy makin' layouts!

I am trying to get all of 2009 scrapped to date...and love it when the designers I CT for come out with kits that go hand in hand with current pictures...lol
As some of you know we have made the decision to homeschool our 4 kids...I have been busy getting that together and am now an assistant organizer for our homeschool group! (I can't do sidelines, have to BE IN THE GAME)!
Charlie came out with this kit called "To Sir with Love" one of my fav movies and am currently reading the book. (pondering it for next year with the kids):
Charlie's kit is available at ESS.
I did this layout, and am pretty excited to add this to our 2009 album:
Lyndsay has kept me busy over at Scrap Orchards, she did a collab with Amy Stoffel (whom I have my fingers crossed for a guest appearance) and I loved the vibrancy: Here is my layout with her kit; Garden Magic
Another one from Lyndsay Riches, from a contest she did a while back, but is now selling the kit; Earth Day. I wasn't into the contest so hadn't downloaded anyone but my Charlie's kits. lol, but this is a fun one! I had to do G-man's hoodie, which he finally decided to throw away...big thank yous to my mom (you awesome grandma) who gave him a hoodie that gave him the strength to part with his ol' nasty one! This was one done last month, but holding for a while! Being a part of Doris Castle's team, means getting to do a guest designer for the Flourish newsletter as part of MSA! This month was Kristenl Hartley, and her kit Colors Me Happy. The pics in the layout are of Anna coming down the slip and slide...I layed at the other end and laughed just as hard as the kids came down the plastic!I spent most of yesterday back and forth on the computer working on the following layout. I had the pics, then played with layers, textures, and opacity. The journalling was hard a Ind I'm still pondering it in my head. I loved Lorilei Murphy's kit: Crossings from her Studio; Rosey Posey Studio. It had so much, I wanted to put all of it on the page, once I settled to just use the few pieces, it went together a bit easier;

I hope all enjoyed their holiday in America and your weekend for the other countries! I am off to get my other blog up to date!

a quick one for Wilmz and Jim

got a phone call of laughter and joy tonite, from our buds in Alamo; Jim and Wilmz...and although they just left here last Saturday, it is so special to answer the phone and hear a friend across the miles voice and to just bust out in pure laughter!
I have to sit down and put some more pics from the impact team on, but I did this layout with the start and finish. If you click on it, it should get bigger. But I hope it captures the visit in how quick it went...it just seemed like seconds.
I promise, I will sit and transfer more pics tomorrow my friends...