Confessions of a Digiholic

Menu Monday 1/30 - 2/5

2012-01-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

Menu planning. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love that we have a menu, I just hate planning it. Doesn't help matters that the grocery store has severely been LACKING on decent sales lately and it seems the only affordable meat ever on sale is PORK, blech or beef that is $7.99/lb. No.Thank.You. The produce has even been poor as well. I can't wait until warmer weather so that we can grow our own!

Monday - Lettuce, Chicken and Rice Salad with Garlic Bread - this is something that we threw together once several years ago and we've been making it ever since. You can eat it as a salad or put it in pita pockets or on tortillas, it's very versatile!

Tuesday - Bagelwiches

Wednesday - Beef and Broccoli ** New Recipe

Thursday - Creamy Mushroom and Potato Soup **New Recipe

Friday - Take out from Bambu - A local Asian Cuisine Restaurant. Ryan and I were given a gift card to there for Christmas, so that is what we're using :)

Saturday - Pizza (flavor to be determined)

Sunday - Since it's the Super Bowl we're supposed to go over to a friends house, so we'll see.

I'll post the new recipes after we've tried them with our reviews of them.

Our Menu 1/23 - 1/29

2012-01-22T22:59:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I've been lacking in the blogging department. The kids ended up with a snow day last Thursday due to inclement weather (poor visibility and FA-REEZING windchills). So the end of the week was a bit wonky.

We did deviate from our menu last week, but it all worked out in the end.

This week I'm trying HARD to stay on track, can't wait for tomorrow's dinner. What would make it even better though would be if we had asparagus to go with it. Oh well, need to wait a few more months until it's in season. We've also decided as a family that the older 3 will get to cook one meal a week. Generally Friday, Saturday and Sunday, however this week, since there isn't school on Wednesday Ashlynn will get to cook on Tuesday.

Monday - Steak Inspired Slow Cooked Beef, Twice Baked Potato Casserole, Tossed Salad with homemade dressing. This is one of our favorite comfort meals!

Tuesday - Pannu Kakku (again, but hey, the kids LOVE it)

Wednesday - Turkey dinner with all the fixins (just because I can)

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Tex Mex Chicken Salad (Logan is making this)

Saturday - Pizza and Salad (Brooklyn is cooking)

Sunday - Grilled Cheese burgers, french fries, cole slaw, baked beans and chocolate caramel creme pie (new recipe) - This is Ashlynn's birthday dinner, she'll be 9.

I've also decided to really track our finances to see where they are all going. I've created a weekly grocery budget and a rough budget for taxables for the month. I'm sure it'll take a couple of months before I get a good tracking of where it goes.

Have a great day!

< Doing the happy dance >

2012-01-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

Remember when I posted about a week ago that Me So Scrappy was having a creative team call? Well, I went out on a limb and applied. Jaclyn (no, not me, another Jaclyn) in her infinite wisdom accepted me to the creative team! I honestly shouted for joy when I got her email! The shoppe is chuck full of fantastic designers and I cannot wait to create with their goodies! You really should check it out for yourself to see what I mean! So look forward to seeing some layouts from me soon!

A Mulligan please?

2012-01-17T09:54:00.001-05:00

I would really, REALLY appreciate a mulligan for this year. Too many bad things have happened. Too.Many. Friday Ryan came home with broken frames on his glasses. Gorilla Glue to the rescue. He had to do something until we can get him in to the eye doctor. So they are "fixed" for the time being. Yesterday was a day of unexpectedness. NOT how I planned on spending his day off. Needless to say, NOTHING got done around the house.

First a review of last weeks menu.

The chicken broccoli supreme - This was the 2nd time we've made it. I doubled the batch this time and I'm not sure, but it didn't taste as good as it did the first time, the kids still enjoyed it.

Pulled Pork - yeah, this Momma could NOT eat it. Heck I couldn't even stomach the smell of it. Not because it was bad, but because pork roast/loin makes.me.sick. Ever since I was pregnant with Ivelynn. So I did not have any with the rest of the crew.

Southwest Lasagna Rolls - delish! Always goes over well, topped them with a dollop of sour cream, some lettuce and tortilla chips on the side, a complete meal!

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes - I love this recipe because it's so cheesy! I do omit the salt, I feel it's plenty salty enough without adding the extra. The recipe actually calls for bacon, but we put ham instead (although I'm sure it would be tasty with the bacon!)

King Boy Burgers - While the meat was very tender on the bun, it just was NOT a hit here. Ryan and I have tried to put our finger on why, but as of yet, not successful.

We didn't end up having chicken noodle soup at all, I just wasn't in the mood to make homemade noodles.

Potato soup - I didn't use a recipe this time. I tossed in some potatoes, carrot, onion and celery with fresh ground pepper and a couple of dashes of salt and let it go in the crock pot until the veggies were tender. Then I added a couple of tablespoons of butter and some cream (needed to use that up). It was more "soupy" than I had anticipated, but it was gobbled up, no left overs. I made THIS bread machine bread. It has a dense texture to it and was flavorful. I just REALLY SUCK at making bread. Some of the flour didn't mix it, one corner was caramelized because of the sugar. I just don't know what I do wrong with this darn bread machine. Yeast is NOT my friend either. Anyway, I digress... on to this week.

I do have a menu...... sorta. Last night we changed things because we got home so late and then Ryan realized that the ham we were supposed to use was in the freezer .

Last night the we had quesadillas and salad, which worked out better because of the late time we got home.

Tuesday - Pork Chops with mushroom dill sauce (no guarantee I'll be able to eat these either, but I'm going to give it a whirl), steamed rice and a veggie.

Wednesday - Pannu Kakku (a baked Finnish Pancake)

Thursday - Pigs in a blanket, fries and a veggie

Friday - Chicken, broccoli rice casserole (I don't have a set recipe for this, I just throw it together)

Saturday - Biscuits and Sausage Gravy - Ryan and the kids will have this, I'm supposed to go out with a girlfriend.

Sunday - Turkey Dinner

Southwest Lasagna Rolls

2012-01-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

The recipe as promised. I can't remember where I got this from. It could have been Pace or some other site. I've tried to find the original email, but it seems to be gone. Now, without further ado...

1 - 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 - 4oz can of chopped green chilies
3 oz. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1 - 16 oz. jar of chunky salsa (I use more)
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
8 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Mash the beans in a small bowl with a fork until they are smooth. In a medium bowl stir together the cream cheese, chili powder, green chilies, onion and Monterey Jack cheese. Spread 1/2 c. of the salsa into a shallow 2 qt. baking dish.

To assemble - spread each noodle with the mashed beans and then the Monterey Jack cheese mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style and place in pan, seam side down. Top with remaining salsa and Cheddar Cheese, cover with foil and bake at 375* for about 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

Makes 4 servings (2 rolls each)

Now we serve ours with some lettuce and tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream. My family loves this recipe and I love the fact that it's meatless!

Creative Team Call

2012-01-10T10:46:00.001-05:00

**Disclaimer - I am in no way affiliated with this store/site, but I do love the designers there!

Me So Scrappy is having a Creative Team Call! How exciting is that?! And, not only are they having a call, but, they are also doing an "Everyday A Giveaway"! You can find out more about it here! Good luck to all who apply!

10 on Tuesday

2012-01-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

Time for my 10 on Tuesday (and look, it's the 10th of the month).

1. Ten days into the new year and I honestly, totally, fully NEED a Mulligan for it. Seriously.

2. Strep is going through the schools. And L has it. Fantastic. Which means he's home through today.

3. I don't know about you, but when there is a full moon my kids and animals act all whackadoodle for at least a week prior. Last night was the full moon.

4. Not only did I have to contend with the antics and shenanigans of the full moon, but we are now under a winter weather watch starting tomorrow through Friday. Yippee Skippee (please note the sarcasm).

5. I'm suffering from insomnia again. It's for the birds. I TRY to sleep, it just never arrives. I wonder if I really ticked off the Sandman.

6. I love that I'm back to menu planning and that I've added in breakfast, lunch and snacks. My kids on the other hand, are NOT happy that I've planned out their breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Houdini and Monkey are more of "grazers" during the day. However this Momma needs some structure and it's not going to hurt them to have some as well.

7. I hate winter (please refer to #4.) I am NOT a winter person. I don't like the cold, I don't like the TONS of snow we get, I don't like winter outdoor activities. What I DO like is having a white Christmas. I could handle the snow IF the winters were mild and weren't so long.

8. With said insomnia, I've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest. I've been pinning like a mad woman. But since one of our goals this year is to go at least 75% handmade for Christmas, I have OODLES of ideas now!

9. As much as we didn't really need another dog, Andre apparently needed us. He stole our hearts from the moment we picked him up and he's fit into our home like he has been here his entire life.

10. Today is supposed to be 40!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO looking forward to it! Reminds me of spring. However I'm not that delusional to realize that winter is far from over. It's not. And I know that Mother Nature is going to hammer us hard with snow sooner or later.

Bonus #11. Today is my first day of NO soda what.so.ever. Now I'm not totally cutting caffeine, I'm still having my cup of coffee. I usually only have 1/day unless my day is going to pot, then it can be upwards of 4. However the soda drinking has gotten WAY.OUT.OF.CONTROL. So it ends. Today. It's not like it really does anything for me anyhow, I just like the fizz of it. Let's see how long I can go this time. I think for lent I'm giving up chocolate.

Menu Monday

2012-01-09T01:58:00.000-05:00

What a stressful week we had. We are glad it's over with. Hopefully this week will be BETTER.

I'm trying to get everyone on a good, solid schedule. And in doing so, that means getting back to menu planning. See, Ryan works until 5pm (like most people) and by the time he picks the kids up from school and gets home, it's nearly 6pm. Then we have dinner (9 times out of 10 to cook yet), homework (mostly L), bathing, picking up and then getting the kids to bed on time - L at 8:30 and the older girls at 8pm.

Here is my menu for this week (and we've already had to make adjustments LOL).

Monday:
Breakfast - Cheese roll-ups and smoothies
Snack - Homemade applesauce
Lunch - Pizza
Snack - Animal crackers and milk
Dinner - Chicken Broccoli Supreme

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Cocoa Wheats (I'm so glad that my kids like hot cereals!)
Snack - Cheese and Crackers
Lunch - PB & J sandwiches, celery and carrot sticks
Snack - Popcorn
Dinner - Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Fries and a side salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Pancakes
Snack - Fruit
Lunch - Grilled Cheese
Snack - Rice Crispy Treat
Dinner - Southwest Lasagna Rolls *recipe to be posted later

Thursday: (the weather is supposed to turn ICKY)
Breakfast - Muffins (flavor to be determined on Wednesday)
Snack - Carrot sticks
Lunch - Mac-n-Cheese
Snack - Saltine Cracker Toffee (IF I get it made)
Dinner - Ham and Scalloped Potatoes, side salad

Friday:
Breakfast - Waffles
Snack - Snack Crackers
Lunch - Corn Dog Muffins
Snack - Muffin (from Wednesday's batch)
Dinner - King Boy Burgers, Pasta Salad, Fries *A new recipe that we're trying

Saturday:
Breakfast - Bagelwiches
Snack - Graham crackers and milk
Lunch - Ramen Noodles (GAG me with a spoon, but the kids want it so...)
Snack - Tortilla Chips and salsa
Dinner - Chicken Noodle Soup (made with homemade noodles, the ONLY way I'll eat it)

Sunday:
Breakfast - Pannu Kakku
Snack - Yogurt with homemade granola
Lunch - Quesadillas
Snack - Popcorn (and a movie)
Dinner - Potato Soup and Crusty Bread

WHEW. It feels GREAT to have the menu made up though. Now I just have to stick with it and make sure things get done.

Not a way to start off the New Year

2012-01-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I've not been around, I had plans on blogging daily this week with a few things, but ....... The new year hasn't started off good for us. This week has been very stressful and emotional. Sunday morning my mother-in-law passed away from Stage 4 Cancer. She was only diagnosed with it the beginning of November, right around the time when I had Ivelynn.

Fast forward to Wednesday. I get a call from my sister. My grandmother passed away unexpectedly. She was 79.

I hope that by this weekend I'll have a bit of a clearer head and can move forward.

So, remember to hug the ones you love and tell them often, you never know when it could be your last time.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a safe New Year! We stayed home like we do every year. It's easier that way. We don't have to find a baby sitter, we don't have to be around crowds, we don't have to worry about drunken idiots on the roads AND we can go to bed early if we want. Plus the kids have been (are) sick with a stomach bug. It first went through Houdini, then 1.5 days later Sis got hit with it and I thought we were finally safe, but no. 48 hrs after Sis got sick, L is now sick so he won't be going to school tomorrow. FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.

This year I've decided to do the "one little word". My word is SIMPLE. I need more simplicity in my life. Less is more. So we're deep cleaning EVERYTHING. Going through and getting rid of clutter so that we can have a more healthy mental, emotional and physical life. I've also been pinning like a mad woman on Pinterest. Our plan for Christmas 2012 is to be at least 75% handmade items for the kids. They really enjoyed the handmade items they got in 2011.

Ryan and I also decided to start fostering again. A year ago we had been fostering for a "dog rescue" here, but due to some unforeseen circumstances we had to stop and things just went bad from there. Tonight, we went and picked up the sweetest boy - Andre - a rottweiler mix. He's fit right in. The girls have shown him who is boss and that was that ;).

I should have done a menu for this week, but with the kids being sick and a headache that won't quit we're kind of doing the "fly by the seat of our pants" menu. Tonight I made crockpot potato soup and tomorrow night we'll have leftovers (soup and salad). Wednesday night we'll have frozen pizza because we've got an all day appointment and Thursday I'll make Homemakers Holiday Casserole (will post recipe soon).

I'm gearing up to decorate for Valentine's Day. We try not to go over the top but it is a bit special to Ryan and I. See, that's the first holiday that we shared together (even though we were 5 hrs apart). So this year I've decided that I'm going to have a Valentine's Day Tree! I hope to get it up and decorated this weekend.

Have a great week!

Merry (belated) Christmas

2011-12-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas (if you celebrated it). Ours was very low key and quiet, just what I wanted! The kids all loved their gifts, including the penguin ornaments I made for them (found of course on Pinterest).

We also enjoyed having Ryan home for 3 days. He has a 3 day weekend this coming weekend too for the New Year. We will be staying home as we do every year to ring it in, in the safety of our home. We don't want to be out on the winter roads with the crazies!

I have changes coming to my blog with the new year, so stick around if you want (and I hope you do!) until then, have a safe and Happy New Year!

Elf Michief

2011-12-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

Buddy and Izzy got into some more mischief last night. Apparently they decided to have a game night complete with popcorn! Thank goodness they played quietly and didn't wake us ;).

Happy Holidays

2011-12-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

It's been one month since I've last blogged. A lot has happened in that time and things have been a bit hectic around here. Just over 4 weeks ago, we welcomed our 6th baby into our lives.

Ivelynn Hattie was born on 11.08.11, she was 8lbs, 15 oz and 20 inches long.

My surgery (c-section) went OK, but our stay in the hospital was extended due to a few reasons. She was jaundiced, her calcium and magnesium were low as were her oxygen levels. We ended up staying 2 days later than I had planned. It was very hard for me to deal with. I was 2 hrs from home, hadn't seen the older 5 in 4 days when we found out that we weren't being discharged. But all is well that ends well.

We then celebrated a very LOW KEY Thanksgiving. It was nice though, we all needed that time to rest and relax. I think the previous couple of months just caught up to everyone. Ryan ended up sick with some sort of bug and he rarely gets sick.

We're now into December. Time is flying by. Christmas is right around the corner and in 19 days, Houdini will be 4. How did she get to be so big? We are in no way, shape or form ready for Christmas. This time of year is always hard for me, it really makes me miss my Mom even more. She loved Christmas. I try to stay in the spirit and remember the true reason for the season, some days it's just hard to.

The kids received visitors yesterday. Not one, but TWO Magic Elves that they have named Buddy and Izzy.

These two are very mischievous though. Last night, while everyone was sleeping, they toilet papered our Christmas Tree. The kids now get to write a letter to Santa to tell him how sassy Buddy and Izzy were.

Who knows what those sassy elves will do next!

Last but not least - a menu - FINALLY!!!!! Oh how I've missed having a menu. The grocery circular was so uninspiring for many weeks, plus I had no appetite (still don't have much of one), which made it very hard to plan any meals. So for this week we have/had:

Monday - Beef Stew, Fresh Bread and Brownies, courtesy of my friend Kristin. It was the best stew I've had in AGES.

Tuesday - Biscuits and Sausage Gravy - I was very happy with how well my gravy turned out. It seems it's hit and miss most of the time.

Wednesday - Easy Taco Salad

Thursday - Chicken Parmesan

Friday - Broccoli Cheese Soup

Saturday - Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

Sunday - Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Homemade Mac-n-Cheese

I just want to say thank you for sticking with me when I've been such a slacker lately!

Menu Monday 11/7 - 11/12

2011-11-07T09:34:00.000-05:00

I know I've been a slacker again. I just haven't had much energy to do much of anything lately. I didn't even plan a menu last week, I was totally uninspired and let me tell you, I noticed it. We over spent :(. But, I do have a menu planned for this week!

Monday - Chicken, broccoli and hash brown casserole
Tuesday - Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Wednesday - Hamburgers and French Fries
Thursday - Quesadillas
Friday - Meatballs with a mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and a veggie
Saturday - French Bread Pizza

I probably won't blog again for a bit. Tomorrow I'm having our baby :). I'm excited, nervous, scared, anxious, giddy and a whole bunch of other feelings that I can't put names on!

Next post should have photos of our baby! Until then, have a great week!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

Since it is Tuesday ... I figured I'd do up my post.

1. I can't believe that in TWO weeks from today, our baby will be here!

2. I'm nervous about traveling now though because they are starting to forecast S N O W. Boo hiss!

3. Back during the end of August and sometime in September I bought 2 sleepers and 1 package of onesies for the baby. Lost. Couldnt' find them ANYWHERE. I thought I had given them to A to hang up. Nope, not in any of the closets. The other night as I was worrying about trying to find them. I looked at a Wal Mart bag that was on some totes and saw a bit of green. BINGO! Both sleepers and the onesies were in that bag! Whew. What was lost is now found.

4. I cannot believe that Christmas day is 2 months from today. Where are y'all on your Christmas shopping/gift making? I'll tell you exactly where I am. NO WHERE. And what's even more sad, I don't even have the desire to do any of it.

5. Apparently my body is preparing for the baby to arrive because all I want to do is SLEEP.ALL.DAY.LONG.

6. I really struggled with menu planning for this week. I'm hoping that next week is easier.

7. Michigan plays football on Saturday! Last weekend was a nice break, but now it's time to get back to business. GO BLUE!

8. Speaking of baby........... Friday we found out that we are having baby girl #4!! We still have a pink bouncy seat, so yay!

9. And since Christmas is exactly 2 months away, that means my current baby girl will be FOUR in 2 months 1 day. Where has that time gone?

10. I'm sad that I'll miss 99% of the craft shows this year, but oh so happy that we'll be blessed with another baby!

Menu Monday - a couple of days late

2011-10-25T21:03:00.000-04:00

So this week the grocery store doesn't have diddly on sale. Which then caused me to be totally UN-inspired and thus, caused a huge slump. However I think we've got this figured out for this week (well what's left of it).

Monday - We had Loaded Baked Potato Soup (recipe found here). It was OK, but seemed to be lacking in flavor. However, that being said, it did taste a LOT better today and I ate it without any additional toppings. While I did say I won't make it again, I may revisit my decision at a later date.

Tuesday - Tonight we had homemade chicken strips, french fries and green beans. Such a gourmet meal ;).

Wednesday - Goulash, salad and herb bread.

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner.

Friday - BLT Quesadillas

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Sunday - Beef Stew

I'm praying that they have a better sale circular next week.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-18T14:47:00.001-04:00

Here are 10 random things about me.

1. My two bestest friends, I have never met in real life. We live hours from each other. I pray that one day we will get to meet face to face though.

2. I hate the cold. However, with how hot it was this summer, I'll gladly take the cooler temps.

3. I'm a worrier. I worry about the littlest things for long periods of time.

4. My favorite color changes with my mood.

5. I LOVE to bake sweets, I just don't like to eat them.

6. Being able to menu plan and stick to it is both a blessing and a curse. It gets frustrating, especially in the warmer months trying to find foods that don't require heating up the kitchen.

7. I have a hard time falling asleep. I get really irritated with Ryan because that man can fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

8. I have nightmares that I really didn't graduate from high school. My diploma IS signed. I don't know why 16+ years later I'm still having nightmares about school.

9. I love to craft, but I don't ever have enough time (or as of late, energy) to do so and it's depressing.

10. I miss my Momma more and more every day. This baby would be grand-baby number 12 for her. I think it totally SUCKS that my children are gypped from ever knowing her. Life just isn't fair.

Menu Monday 10/17 - 10/23

2011-10-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

Our menu for this week isn't all that adventurous.

Monday - Left over "steak inspired slow cooked beef" quesadillas

Tuesday - Broccoli Cheese Soup (and HOPEFULLY bread bowls, if not, homemade bread)

Wednesday - Spaghetti Squash Lasagna *** New Recipe

Thursday - Shepherd's Pie

Friday - Chipotle Steak Tomato Soup (a recipe we made up - will share it on Friday)

Saturday - Mini "make it yourself" pizzas

Sunday - Chicken Pot Pie

Sunday Recap

2011-10-16T20:32:00.000-04:00

This was a busy week. The kids were off from school on Friday because of a teacher in-service. So we ALL went for my OB appointment. It did work out though because we had to get the older girls winter coats. It's been windy and rainy and COLD - they are even predicting rain/snow mix for Thursday, I'm hoping not. I'm really praying that the snow holds off for a few more weeks at least. Or if it does fall, it melts right away.

Anywho ...

Wednesday we made the Southwest Chicken Chili Mac and everyone liked it BUT Ashlynn. Not surprising as she is my pickiest eater. Ryan and I both agreed that it was missing something though. I did omit the garlic (still can't stand the smell and taste of it) and the ranch (same deal as the garlic). We did add some cheese to the top and served it with herb bread. Logan and Brooklyn have requested that I make it again.

Thursday we had the Tomato, Bacon and Cheese Quesadillas. These were a HUGE hit! It was like having a BLT without having to go through the hassle of toasting the bread as well as sans mayo. Ryan did add lettuce to his, but "forgot" to add to mine. Even without lettuce on them, DELISH! This recipe will be a regular in our house. Even Ashlynn who hates bacon liked them!

I didn't get a craft done this week like I had intended. I get tired quickly and have very little (if any) energy lately. My goal is to do some this week (again, hoping I reach that goal). I need to get Christmas gifts started and completed sooner rather than later.

Check back tomorrow for my weekly menu. The grocery ad this week is highly uninspiring, so we're running with what we've got again (which isn't much in the freezer, but we're getting MUCH better at making it stretch!!).

Saturday Scrapbooking!

2011-10-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

It's so relaxing to be able to scrap. I've missed it sooo much! My layout today was created using a beautiful fall kit called Fall Frolic by Marie H Designs. I just love the non-traditional colors in this kit. It's very versatile! Here is the kit (that you can pick up at Ginger Scraps!).

And here is my layout. I wasn't sure how I was going to like the polka dot paper with my blended photo, but the more I worked with it, the more I really, REALLY liked it!

Hehe yes, we are die hard University of Michigan fans! GO BLUE!!! Today they play one of the biggest rivals - MSU. We like to listen to this song right away on Saturday mornings to get us hyped up for the game!

Thoughts on a Thursday

2011-10-13T16:56:00.000-04:00

Today it's gloomy. And gray. And rainy. Matches my mood perfectly. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep. All.Day.Long. However that isn't possible. Oh well, c'est la vie, right?

Last night I ordered the tub for the baby. I'm slowly but surely crossing things off of MY to-do list a little at a time. Ryan on the other hand really isn't making a dent, but to be fair to him, he does have the big stuff to get done.

I'm feeling more and more tired and sore/achy as the time gets closer. Tomorrow I have another OB appointment and we're hoping they'll give us a date so that we can get all of our ducks in a row. See, I'm not a "fly by the seat of my pants" kinda gal. I NEED to have everything set and if we have to deviate from that somewhat, then so be it. But PLEASE do not make me do things at the very.last.minute. We have to get a date sooner rather than later so that our sitter for the kids can schedule the time off (thank you Faith!), Ryan needs to get the dates set at work and it would be really nice (for my sanity's sake) to just know exactly how much longer I have left.

I can honestly say that this pregnancy has been the hardest. Not so much with complications, but just uber physically taxing on my body. I'm not getting any younger and this IS my 6th pregnancy, but beyond that, my 6th c-section. I'm just getting anxious to meet this little one. Will it be a boy? A girl? Will s/he have blonde hair? Brown? Straight or curly (like the last 3)? What color eyes? While I enjoy surprises, admittedly it IS really bugging me that we don't know the gender of this one. Not knowing is causing me to not be able to plan ahead. And yes, I can get gender neutral items, but it's so much more fun getting the pinks or blues. Guess we'll find out in about 4 weeks! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to start an actual count down of days!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-11T08:00:00.007-04:00

1. Today marks the 4 week count down until Baby # 6 arrives! So much to do, so little time.

2. I've vowed to do at least 1 new recipe and 1 craft from my Pinterest boards every week. (Let's see if I have lofty expectations yet once again).

3. I am slightly addicted to Dunkin Donuts coffee.

4. Who knew that being a Mom of a middle school child would be so difficult? Middle school now, compared to when I went, is SOOOO different.

5. I don't think we'll EVER be ready for this baby. Ryan thinks we have all the time in the world, I tend to wholeheartedly disagree with him.

6. Speaking of being ready, we are no where near ready for Christmas either. My goal this year of being ready by the end of August quickly went out the window with Ryan's theory that we have "plenty of time".

7. This past week in the U.P. has been blissfully GORGEOUS! Hello Indian Summer! Please stick around for another 8 weeks or so ...

8. I detest winter. Ok, not really "winter", but the snow. I hate it. We get WAY.TOO.MUCH.SNOW here and it lasts for WAY.TOO.LONG.

9. I want to move from the U.P. However my list of where I won't move is hella longer than the list of where I would move. That puts us in a bit of a bind. Yes, I'm picky.

10. My darling husband busted his hiney Sunday night to paint the living room so we could cross that off of our list of "things to get done before baby #6 arrives"! Thank you honey!

Menu Monday 10/10 - 10/16

2011-10-10T08:00:00.005-04:00

I have my menu all done for this week! Hopefully we'll be able to stay on track with it, unlike this past week! I'm trying a couple of new recipes and can't wait! If they are good, I'll post the links. Without further ado...

Monday - Grilled Cheeseburgers and pasta salad

Tuesday - Buttermilk Pancakes

Wednesday - Southwest Chicken Chili Mac **New Recipe

Thursday - Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Friday - Tomato, Bacon and Cheese Quesadillas **New Recipe

Saturday - Steak Inspired Slow Cooked Beef, Cheesy Potatoes and a veggie

Sunday - Left overs

TGIF!

2011-10-07T09:10:00.000-04:00

Oh I'm so glad it's Friday y'all. These past few weeks have sucked hind tit. Yesterday was Ryan's birthday and me and my out of control, whackadoodle hormones ruined it :(. I have some MAJOR making up to do this weekend.

Yesterday, in addition to my hormones, I also ended up going in to one of the local hospitals here to be monitored. I'd been having cramping in my lower abdomen and into my back for almost 24 hrs and they were concerned that I was in preterm labor. Thank God I wasn't. Not even a remote chance of a contraction. They aren't sure what was causing the pain, but the baby was very active and had great heart rate accelerations! They released me after almost 2 hrs with strict orders to take it easy, no more lifting and/or carrying my 2 yr old and to make sure I keep ALL of my appointments (which I will).

This weekend we are going to go to the Pumpkin Farm, watch football (GO BLUE!) and Sunday I get to direct the painting of our living room, which was supposed to be done last weekend, but I was sick. So much to do before the baby gets here, so little time.

Have a great weekend y'all!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T19:44:00.002-04:00

Big Announcement

2011-10-03T08:22:00.000-04:00

I know most of you probably think I've fallen off of the face of the earth. Not so. I've just been otherwise occupied ;). In my last post I stated that I've had health issues that were keeping me away. That was (still is) true. You see, (some of you might know already) we're expecting baby #6 in just over 5 weeks! We couldn't be more excited! I even scrapped a page with one of our ultrasound photos.

I used a collab kit called Nine Long Months by Marie H Designs and Kat's Creations. This kit is so full of cute elements, great papers and I LOVE the word strips! It's available in a bundle so that you can save some money!

I've also decided to maintain only one blog - this one. It's my most "established" blog and with the baby coming, I'll not have enough time to deal with 3. So you'll be seeing some changes. More of a peek into my life, my menu planning, etc. Hope y'all stick around!

And now for my Menu Monday! I've joined up with a group on Facebook to do a Plan it, Don't Panic menu planning challenge. We've just started our 2nd week and boy, it's so great to read all of the other menus out there, gives me lots of ideas! Here is my menu for this week (Ryan's birthday also falls this week, shhhh, don't tell him I've told you, but he's going to be 35!).

Monday – southwest lasagna rolls

Tuesday – philly cheese steak sandwiches (made with roast)

Wednesday – chicken nachos (frozen chicken from freezer)

Thursday – stuffed shells, herbed bread, salad, apple pie

Friday – Cheese Burgers and pasta salad

Saturday – pizza puffs

Sunday – Chicken Pot Pie (subject to change due to warmer weather)

Thanks for sticking around and reading! Have a great Monday Y'all!!

Hello friends, it's been awhile!

2011-07-12T17:41:00.000-04:00

WOW, it's really been almost 3 months since I've posted? WOW!

I've been having a few health issues which prevented me from scrapping and sitting for long periods of time in front of the computer, but now I'm back and I finally scrapped today!!

I'm really happy with how this turned out! I used the July Mega Grab Bag from Scrappity Doo Dah to create this summer sunset layout of my 3 older ones.

Make sure to stop by SDD to pick it up! It's chuck full of goodies!

Creative Team Call!

2011-04-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Marie H Designs is having a creative team call!

The deets:

Requirements are:

* 1 layout per product taken

* Post in the Stores (SDD and SSS) as well as DST

*Enable in a rotating Schedule

To apply send an email to mariehdesigns (at) gmail (dot) com

Please include a link to your best gallery

A brief bio about you

Any other Creative Teams you are on

Everyone will receive a reply!

Easter Time

2011-04-19T09:15:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Easter is right around the corner. I remember when I was growing up, putting on my Easter bonnet and going to church. I LOVED my Easter bonnets! I don't think my girls would wear one though... Brooklyn maaaaaaaybe.

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile again, I've been sick with a nasty flu bug. It really has me exhausted. But while I am feeling OK for the time being, I wanted to show you two new Easter kits. The first one is a cute and cuddly kit by Marie H Designs - My Funny Easter (you can pick this up at Scrappity Doo Dah OR Sunshine Studio Scraps). I just love all of the cute elements in this kit - especially the ones that look as though they are pieced together! Great job again Marie on an adorable kit!

Here is the layout that I created using this kit..

Credits:

My Funny Easter by Marie H Designs

Template by Lori Bear

Font MTF Be Mine

And now for the 2nd kit I wanted to show you. This beautiful kit by Caged Bird Designs, Life Renewed. You can pick this up at Scrapable. I just love the soft, muted colors in this kit. It works great for scrapping those special memories.

And my layout.

Credits:

Life Renewed by Caged Bird Designs

Happy Scrapping! ~ Jac

Grab Bag!

2011-04-11T08:25:00.000-04:00

I love grab bags, they are always full of great surprises and the April Grab Bag by Mandy King does NOT disappoint! You can snag this at Scrapbook-Elements and it's on sale right now for only 2 weeks.

And a couple of layouts created using the goodies inside!

Happy Scrapping!!

Happy Saturday!!

2011-04-09T21:19:00.001-04:00

I have new goodies to show you!!! Marie H Designs has released the 2nd set of Letter Templates, F-I! I am totally L O V I N G these templates! Seriously, if you haven't tried them, you really should! You can pick them up at Scrappity Doo Dah or Sunshine Studio Scraps.

Here's a layout I created using the template 'F' and the kit All Together Now.

She has also released the cutest kit, Little Artist! Perfect for scrapping the photos of your little artist(s)!! This too can be picked up at Scrappity Doo Dah or Sunshine Studio Scraps.

And here is my little artist! She LOVES to be creative!

Happy Scrapping!!

Big News!

2011-04-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

I am one of the newest Creative Team members for Scrappity Doo Dah AND (as of yesterday) Mandy King! I feel so honored to be a part of those two teams. It's been awhile since I've been a part of a digital community and let me tell you, I've missed it! Scrappity Doo Dah is a very warm and welcoming community! If you've never checked out the site, please do! They have a daily download, FUN FUN challenges AND with the challenges you get to earn points which then can earn you a gift certificate to the store and that means FREE goodies!

So what have I been doing in the last couple of weeks? Scrapping! Being on the site CT, I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing kits from equally AMAZING designers! Let me show you what I've been up to ;)

First of all Marie H Designs has released the first template pack in her Alphabet series! I LOVE LOVE LOVE these templates and I may or may not have put the bug in her ear about them! So far, she's release letters A-E Templates Vol. 1.

This is a layout of Ashlynn. It's hard to believe that she was once that tiny... now she's almost in the 3rd grade. I used the kit Princess by Sweet Tomato Designs.

Our Brooklyn, her grin has NOT changed one bit! They grow up way too fast.

Kit used was Morning Spring by Marie H Designs.

Some of the (cup)cakes I've made for the kids throughout the years... and if you know me, I HATE baking cakes and hate trying to decorate them even more. My favorite I think would have to be the cow that I made for Logan's barn themed birthday party.

Kit used was Sweet Cookin' Duo by Marie H Designs.

These are MY dogs - two of our four. These are the two that are in my name, however I only claim them when they are good LOL!

Kit used - Brighten Up by Pixiemama Designs and JayaPrem's Hangout.

And lastly, but certainly not least, letter E for Emberlyn...

It's hard to believe she's 3, talks like she's 6 and acts like she's 20 some days, but she keeps me highly entertained and comes up with the darnedest things to tell me!

Kit used - Bring Me A Dream by Marie H Designs.

Then I had the opportunity to work with a kit called A Fairy Tale: Cinderella by Alla Designs and Lumik.

I thought that one of the photos I took of Ashlynn in her last years Halloween costume would be perfect for it.

Another designer that I had the opportunity to work with is Lisete and her kit ~ Sunny Time! This is such a bright and cheerful kit!

As I was going through old photos, I came across this one of Logan and Brooklyn and it really touched me at how she was so concerned when he got hurt on the playground.

And now for my newest CT ~ Mandy King. She JUST released this adorable kit - Spunky Sweet. The minute I saw it, I fell in love with it!

This particular layout was created for the April 1-15 Template Challenge at SDD. You can find ALL of the challenges HERE ~ Check them out, you'll be glad you did!

~ Make it a great day!!

Rain drops, rubber boots and mud pies

2011-03-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

Where we live, spring is all about the MUD. Lots and LOTS of mud. Thankfully not so much at our current home, but where we used to live we had to park at the road and walk down the driveway because it would become too muddy to drive on. As a young child I LOVED playing out in the mud. My sister and I would make mud pies and use our imaginations and spend HOURS outdoors (unlike a lot of children now-a-days sadly). Another favorite for spring are the rubber boots - my kids LOVE them and would wear all year long if I let them. So to stay in the theme of a muddy spring, Marie H Designs has released a cute little kit called - Duckling Rain available at Scrappity Doo Dah! I just love the little characters in this kit, they are darling!

And now my layout - I think it turned out so cute!

Sweet Tweets!

2011-03-25T08:41:00.000-04:00

It's time for $1 Tweets at Scrappity Doo Dah! The designers have added some FANTASTIC products to the $1 tweet sale, you do not want to miss out on snagging these. You can save up to 88% on some of them! Marie H Designs even has a couple of collections in there for only $1! But hurry, this sale is for 3 days only!! I know I'm going to pick up some things from this sale!

Spring has Sprung!

2011-03-17T09:25:00.000-04:00

Well at least at Scrappity Doo Dah it has! We still have a LOT of snow and no signs of anything green or growing. I did hear birds singing sweetly yesterday when I had my window open!

So how has spring sprung at Scrappity Doo Dah? With a brand new Daily Download called ~ Dots In Spring ~ by Marie H Designs! This kit is SO springy and bright and FUN! It gives me hope that we won't have to endure winter much longer!

You can find the daily download links in the Daily Download Forum ~ Make sure you register if you're not so that you can pick up each day! When you get each day, you'll end up getting all of the papers and elements to this adorable kit -

And here is the layout that I've created with it!

Sunshine and Faeries!

2011-03-16T14:35:00.000-04:00

I have TWO new kits to show you today! Both remind me of spring and warmer weather which we've been graced with somewhat and leaves me hopeful that true warmer weather will be here sooner rather than later! First off I want to show you Sun Burst by Marie H Designs. I really enjoyed working with this kit, I love the bright pinks, yellows and oranges in it!

This is available at Scrappity Doo Dah and for the low price of $1.99!

And my layout created with it...

Now the second kit I want to show you is an adorable kit called Frou Frou Fairy by Caged Bird Designs. This kit is perfect for the little princesses in your life. The soft, pastel colors would also make a great baby page and the elements in this kit are so cute!!

This kit is available at Scrapable and is on sale for 40% off for a limited time!!

Here is my layout created with this adorable kit!

Mr. Sandman? Yes?

2011-03-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

Bring Me A Dream! Ok, well no, I'm not singing for you, but I am here to tell you about Marie H Designs newest release ~ Bring Me A Dream! This kit is absolutely STUNNING! I had the opportunity to see a few sneak peeks of it when she was designing it and I instantly fell in love with it! It really is dreamy! See for yourself! You can grab it at Scrappity Doo Dah and it's only $2.50 for a limited time!

And a couple of layouts that I created!

And I've heard tell that you might be able to find a freebie over at Marie's blog !

Lucky

2011-03-12T11:56:00.000-05:00

Staying in the St. Patrick's Day theme, Caged Bird Designs has released her March Capture 365 Mini ~ Wee Bit O' Luck and a matching alpha ~ Gold Digger! Check out the cuteness!

And now my layout - not the cutest, but it does tell a story.

Make is a great day!

Luck O' The Irish

2011-03-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

Miss Mis Designs has outdone herself again bringing you an adorable St. Paddy's Day kit - Maybe It's Luck! You can get this kit at Scrapable and it's on sale for 35% off right now! Check out this cute kit!

I did a layout using pictures of my adorable nephew Mason (who was born on St. Patrick's Day!)

Make it a good one!

I Am Woman

2011-03-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

Marie H Design and Mandy King have teamed up to bring you a great Collab ~ I Am Woman! I really enjoyed working with this kit. The colors are so soft and I LOVE the word strips. Marie and Mandy did a fantastic job on this kit! It's on sale for 30% off for a limited time only!

I created 2 layouts with this.

And this was created for the Desktop Challenge at Scrappity Doo Dah

Bye Bye Birdie

2011-03-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, not really a bird, but my dear friend Michelle of Scrappy Towne, is retiring. All of her products are on sale for 70% off at Ahhh Scrap ~ you don't want to miss out on these deals!

Exciting News!!

2011-03-02T23:05:00.001-05:00

Oh I am TICKLED to announce that Marie H Designs (previously known as JKCreations) has opened up shop at Scrappity Doo Dah! She's re-releasing some older kits AND she's released some NEW kits as well! I just love working with her kits! First off, we have Crazy Love (which you can get in a bundle as well). Perfect for scrapping those Valentine's Day photos or photos of your loved ones!

That little lamb is so stinking cute!

Next we have a beautiful spring kit (makes me YEARN for spring so badly!) ~ Morning Spring!

Hence the reason this layout is titled the way it is :)

I'm not done yet... She is also having a CT Call!! Marie is so great to work with. I've been with her for several months and look forward to many more! So, without further ado....

Every Level of scrappers are welcomed.

Requirements :

* 1 layout per product (3 per month)

* Post at SDD, DST and one more gallery

* Enable at DST, your blog and/or FB

To apply send :

* Your name, blog and a short bio

* Your best gallery

* Your current CTs

to mariehdesigns@gmail.com

Good luck to all who apply!!!

Vintage

2011-02-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

Caged Bird Designs has teamed up with Modern June and let me tell you, this kit is GORGEOUS! Let me introduce ~ The Vintage Flea!

This kit has over 40 papers and 66 elements, PLUS an alpha!!

Templates

2011-02-22T16:28:00.000-05:00

I love templates. I know some hate them, others like them and some just don't care. But I love them. Often I use a template as inspiration, not necessarily adding photos to a template, but to give me a sense of direction. Other times, I do add the needed papers, photos and elements. If you love templates as much as I do (or even like them), then you're in for a treat! Miss Mis Designs has just release a new template pack - As The Story Goes! These are nice, clean templates! You can snag them at Scrapable!

And my little master piece created using one of the new templates and MMD's kit Family Matters!

You Anchor Me, My Love

2011-02-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

They do. That is, Ryan and the kids anchor me. They love me unconditionally, regardless if I'm in a bad mood or not. I couldn't imagine my life without any of them.

Keeping with the theme of LOVE this month, Chelsea of Caged Bird Designs has just released 2 kits today - Anchor Me Down and Capture 365, It's For Lovers. I love the little girls in Anchor Me Down, they are absolutely adorable! And the Capture 365, It's For Lovers works great if you're doing the 365 project (are you? I am) or just for scrapping those photos of your loved ones! You can snag both of them over at Scrapable!

My layouts created using this kit.

Now for the Capture 365, It's For Lovers...

Thank you for checking them out - Have a fantastic weekend!

Guest CT Call!

2011-02-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

Miss Mis Designs is having a Guest CT Call! Hurry though, the call closes on Feb. 19, 2011!

Miss Mis Designs is looking for guest CT Members there are 4 spots are open for March, April and May. You choose your length of term- 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months! Open to digital and hybrid artists! Open to new and experienced artists! These guest spots have potential to lead to full time spots!

Can you commit to:
* at least one project per kit
* 3 projects per month
* posting in 3 galleries (Scrapable, and 2 or your choice)
* social media support (blog, twitter, Facebook posts)

Still interested? Have you got what it takes?
Send a short bio, gallery link, and blog link to:
missmissdesigns at gmail dot com
Subject: GUEST CT CALL
Deadline February 19, 2011
Congrats and regrets will be sent out by
February 26, 2011

Good Luck Y'all!!

Show me the romance!!

2011-02-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

I'm a TOTAL romaticholic. I love to be wooed, love to be courted, love to curl up on the couch with my 'snowman' and watch a good romance movie. Yes, he actually DOES watch them with me (most of the time). Miss Mis Designs has a newly released kit for you today - Dark Romance. I love how luxurious the colors are in it and the matching word labels? OH MY!!! DELICIOUS!! Check it out for yourself!

And lastly, a layout by me! I love to browse galleries to get inspired and this layout is inspired by daisydil2.

Don't forget - Valentine's Day is just 5 days away! Make it memorable!!

P365

2011-02-03T12:50:00.000-05:00

Last year I had attempted to do Project 365. I made it through maybe a month if that and found it to be very daunting. I've determined that the majority of the reason I found it so was because I was trying to follow the prompts that were given AND I was trying to scrap each photo in it's own layout. Yeah, major FAIL!

This year I've taken a different approach. I am very relaxed about it, I take a photo of whatever strikes my fancy and instead of making individual pages for each photo, I used a calendar template. LOVE IT! See what I mean?

I've talked to a lot of people lately who, when I mention that I'm doing P365 are like "man, I wish I would have started that". Here's the beauty of it. You didn't have to start it on 1/1/11 (that would have been cool huh?). You can start it at any time. If you look at my calendar, you'll see that I missed 1/1/11. If you start, right now, today - just go through until this same date next year, SIMPLE!!

Now, where can YOU get this awesome calendar template you ask? Well ... At Scrapable! Miss Mis Designs created this awesome template for the Capture 365 "movement" at Scrapable. You can mix and match and create to your hearts content! You can find all of Miss Mis Design's kits here!

Love is in the air!

2011-02-02T13:47:00.000-05:00

For me, February is a very memorable month. My Momma's birthday is on the 10th, she would have been 64 yrs old this year. Then you have Valentine's Day where you should celebrate your loved one(s). February 20th has two very special meanings to me. First of all, this year will mark 13 years ago that Ryan and I met face to face for the first time (we've literally been together ever since) and it'll mark 7 yrs since our, eclectic, marching to the beat of her own drummer, daughter 'BeetleBug' was born!

Since it's February and it's all romantical and stuff - Miss Mis Designs has just released a new kit, Sweet Love! One of my favorite things about this kit (besides the soft colors) are the word labels. I LOVE word labels! I'm not sure why I love them so much, maybe because it adds so much to a page or maybe because you can create an entire page with them and not have to use any photos... Anywho.. Sweet Love is on sale right now and you can also pick up the matching Word Labels also on sale. Stay tuned after the previews for your chance to WIN this kit!

A layout by me..

Now, would you like a chance to WIN this kit? Misty is looking for some new friends! So head on over to Miss Mis Design's Facebook Page and "Like" the page! That's it, that's all you have to do for a chance to win Sweet Love and the matching Word Labels. She'll be keeping track of all of the likes from today (2/2) through Saturday 2/5. A winner will be picked randomly and announced on Monday!

GOOD LUCK!!

I've Been Published!!

2011-02-01T23:28:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Caged Bird Designs I had the opportunity to create a couple of layouts for her using her kits On This Night and Good Times. Both of my layouts were published in the ScrapStreet digital magazine, February Edition! Not only are several of CBD's kits showcased, but she also has an entire kit for FREE - Sparky Connection! This kit is SOO cute and will work perfectly for those Valentine Layouts or cards if you do hybrid! Here are my two layouts that were featured.

And my layout created using Sparky Connection!

Where did January go?

2011-02-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

I have a hard time believing that it's already February. January FLEW RIGHT BY! There are LOTS of exciting things going on at Scrapable this month!!! First off Caged Bird Designs teamed up with Jen Maddocks Designs and they created this great birthday kit called - Life of the Party! I had so much fun playing with this kit! Right now too, if you buy it you can get 3 style packs for FREE!!!

And here's what I made with it...

Now for the rest of the news! Scrapable is having a Sweetheart Social ALL.MONTH.LONG! The fabulous ladies there have MANY, MANY fun things in store for you! Check them out -

So make sure to stop by and join in the fun! I can't wait!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T07:02:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it's 2011 already! 2010 both crawled and flew right by. Sorry I've not posted in awhile. My family has been sick with a terrible virus that just won't quit. Croupy sounding coughs, sinus infections, double ear infections, fevers, ... you name it. I *think* everyone is finally on the mend though!

Since it's January, that means a new Build A Kit at Scrapable!!! I really am loving the colors of this months BAK - Winter Bliss - the purples, silvers and turquoises! I had the opportunity to work with Miss Mis Designs portion of it and created this cute layout of Emberlyn. When I was gone with my friend Aimee of Because of Mandy on a dog rescue, Ryan said Emberlyn kept sneaking off outside to play. This is how he caught her one of those times! She was none too thrilled with the cold snow on her bare hands!

Credits:
January BAK - Winter Bliss by Miss Mis Designs
Font - MTF Becki
Template - Snowflake Clusters Freebie by Busy Bee

The Perfect Holiday Gift

2010-12-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

Paying It Forward. That is what Misty from Miss Mis Designs is doing.

What I've learned in the digicommunity is that you create a family of sorts. And families stick together. I have made some fantastically amazing friends since I've started digital scrapping and even though we've not met face to face, they are all near and dear to my heart.

Now I suppose you're wondering what all of this has to do with paying it forward. Well, I'll tell you. You see, a few months back more than 40 designers got together to create a collab titled "That Much Stronger". It's GIGANTIC!! Over 200 papers, 300 elements, 50 word arts, 10 alphas and templates too! This kit is available for $10. Now would you like to know WHY they created this gigantic collaboration? I'll tell you. Chelsea, from Caged Bird Designs, her husband was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma and he needs surgery. Without any insurance, the hospital is requiring a deposit from them. The proceeds from the sale of that collab go to the Doudy family to help with the expenses.

Now what is Miss Mis Designs doing? She's having a $1 sale at both of her stores, donating all of her proceeds again to the Doudy family. All of her kits will be on sale for $1 and the bundles will be $2. This sale runs from Dec. 17 - Dec 31. So check out her stores at Scrapable and My Life and Scrap to hit up her sales and help a family in need! There's a bonus too... Anyone who purchases the Collaboration Kit That Much Stronger during those dates will receive a coupon from MMD - to find out how to get yours, visit her blog Miss Mis Designs - for the details.

Wishing you all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

~Jac

Holiday Fun

2010-12-15T09:02:00.001-05:00

Back in November, our 4-H club made ornaments. See, every year there is a HUGE Christmas tree at the Einerlei in Chassell that the local 4-H groups decorate with ornaments they've made. These ornaments are then sold for $1 a piece and all of the proceeds go to our local humane society. I wasn't able to go with the kids this year as I was home with a sick baby, but Ryan went. A few of our 4-H families showed up. The kids had a lot of fun. When I saw the kit - Fun, Fanciful & Bright by Caged Bird Designs, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I love the non-traditional colors in this kit and the cute elements plus the patterned paper is fantastic!! Here is my Layout:

AND... I just got word that this layout won LOTD at Scrapable!! What an honor!

If you want to pick up this kit for yourself, you can find it in Caged Bird Designs store at Scrapable!

On That Morning

2010-12-14T12:04:00.000-05:00

December 26, 2007 we were blessed with our 3rd daughter, Emberlyn. She was a late Christmas present for us and I remember when they wheeled me out of the OR so that I could snuggle her for a few seconds before the brought me down to recovery. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly 3 yrs since she came into our lives. In so many ways she's still so little, but yet, she's growing up too fast.

I recently applied to another creative team for Caged Bird Designs. Chelsea accepted my application! I had the opportunity to work with her brand new kit On This Night today. Since I don't have any photos of the kids in any Christmas programs I decided to use this kit to do a layout of Emberlyn when she was born. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Almost 3 years later and she still looks that cute sleeping!

She has this kit on sale right now for 40% off at Scrapable, so hurry over to pick up On This Night for yourself!

A Sad Heart

2010-12-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

It is with a sad heart that I announce this. JKCreations is retiring due to family obligations. I've been with Marie now for several months and I have enjoyed my time with her. She is not only a fantastic designer, but she's become a great friend too. I will miss her designs immensely. But not to worry, she'll still be creating beautiful layouts in digiland!!! Marie, I wish you all the best!

Because she's retiring, she's put her stores on sale until December 31. So hurry over to Scrapable or Digi Scrap Drive-In to snag her products at a great price!

Tooth Tale(s)

2010-12-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

My kids are a bit weird. The LOVE to go to the dentist. They look forward to their twice a year trips. You see, we have a pretty cool dentist, Dr. Tony, he's FANTASTIC with kids! Plus, they get a goodie bag filled with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, little flossers and usually a toy or two. The older 3 actually just had a check up in November, they all came back with really good reports ... well Logan will probably end up having to have a few teeth extracted due to not enough room in his mouth and Brooklyn HAS to stop sucking her thumb (which we've been trying to get her to stop for FOREVAH now).

In the spirit of clean teeth... Jolly Kids Creations has released Tooth Tale, a cute new "dentist-y" kit! Perfect for scrapping those trips (first or otherwise) to the dentist! This kit has 12 papers, 45 elements, 15 word strips and 2 alphas (the little kid elements are so cute!). You can snag Tooth Tale at Scrapable. There are also some Quick Pages you can pick up and there may be a freebie in her store too that goes along with it.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

2010-11-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

I hope all of my friends in the US had a great Thanksgiving, ours was nice and quiet, spent here at home with just us. The kids weren't feeling the greatest and Tiergan was just getting over having bronchitis. The weather was also really icky. Did y'all score some awesome Black Friday Deals? I missed out on the sales due to a nasty storm that blew in, however it wasn't heartbreaking to me because there wasn't anything that I HAD to have.

That being said, I apologize for being away for so long and not keeping you up to date on what is happening around digiland with the designers that I CT for. JKCreations released a elegant and beautiful Christmas kit last week. It has 8 papers and 55 elements! I particularly LOVE the garland in there! Here is a page that I created with it - the photo is courtesy of my friend Becki (used with her permission), she took it in her back yard! Isn't it just stunning??

Credits:

Holliday Cheer by JK Creations

Photo by Becki

Winter Wonderland Lyrics

Here's the kit, I just {heart} it!

You can pick your copy of Holliday Cheer up at DSDI!!

Christmas is coming!!!

2010-11-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that there are ONLY 37 days until Christmas. Where has that time gone? I am no where NEAR prepared and that stresses me out, but, unbeknown to my darling husband, that is ALL going to change this weekend, after the Tastefully Simple Party and the Einerlei tree decorating and...and...and... y'all know what I mean?

Even though I am not prepared doesn't mean that everyone else is. JK Creations has just released an adorable Christmas kit - Dotty Christmas. Let me tell you, I have had FUN playing with this kit! Christmas was always my favorite holiday as a child and sadly, as an adult, it's become my least favorite (rates right up there with my birthday). I'm trying to change my attitude toward it though and just looking at this kit makes me happy! You can pick up Dotty Christmas here at DSDI. Just look at how cute this kit is and it's filled (yet once again she doesn't disappoint) with lots of goodies! It has 15 papers and 40 elements and 2 complete alphas.

And a Layout I created of Logan pouting (heheeh)!

Have a great day!

Creative Team Call

2010-11-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

Ohh y'all are so lucky! JK Creations is having a HUGE Creative Team call! I love being on her team, she has such cute kits and she's a total sweetheart too! So, here are the deets, good luck to those who apply and I can't wait to see who joins the team!

Requirements
* Create 1 layout and 1 QP per kit downloaded
* Work with 2 kits per month
* Post your layouts at DSDI, DST and DSA
* Another store may be added in the future
* Enable and do Praising game 1 per kit used
* Help her promote her products
* 3 months commitment

To apply send an email to marieh (at) jollykidscreations (dot) com with the following information:

* Your name
* A little about yourself
* A link to your best gallery
* Your current creative team commitments

Call ends November 28th

Note : Everybody is more than welcome to apply ... Even beginners!!!

Yummy tummy in my belly!

2010-11-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

That is what Houdini always says when she tries something that she loves! I think it's so cute! You're probably wondering WHY I titled this blog post with that phrase. Because JK Creations has just released a brand new cooking kit! This happens to be one of my favorite kits of hers! This kit is FULL of goodies too. It contains 17 papers (12 different), 8 pieces of cardstock, 60 elements and 2 alphas. All the papers are 3600 x 3600 @ 300 dpp saved in jpeg and the elements are @ 300 dpp saved in png.

I've created a couple of recipe cards using this kit, more layouts to come soon!

You can pick up Sweet Cookin' for yourself at Digi Scraps Drive-In.

Family Matters..

2010-11-08T22:49:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when people really being to think about what they are thankful for. There are the 30 days of Thankfulness going on now around the web. There is the 30 Days of Giving going on as well. I love how most of my friends (and a lot of pages I've "liked" on Facebook) have posted what THEY are thankful for. In the spirit of being thankful, Miss Mis Designs has created this lovely kit called Family Matters. It really is a heritage type of kit and I personally love the colors because they AREN'T the darker, vintage colors that most heritage kits (at least that I've seen) are made from. I particularly love the tree in this kit! I took said tree, changed the opacity on it, treated it like an overlay to create the background paper on this layout that I did of Great-Grandma Myrt's yearly visit up here.

The kidlets were none too cooperative when I was trying to get this picture taken.

A good friend of mine has a dog rescue. You can find out more about it on her Facebook page, Because of Mandy. Ryan, the kids and myself have had the opportunity to go up there, play with the puppies and take photos of them for her. There are only 3 puppies left. Trixie (our foster puppy), Rudy (a new addition to the Because of Mandy household) and Benny. Benny is a sweet, yet shy (roughly) 4 month old Beagle/Sheltie mix. He would love to find his forever home! Isn't he sooo cute?

Make sure to check out the great Family Matters kit (and bundle) at the brand new Scrapable.co!

Scrap On!

2010-11-05T09:11:00.000-04:00

For some reason, hearing that phrase makes me think of the song 'We Will Rock You' by Queen hehe! However, that's NOT what this is about... Misty O'Brien Designs has release this cute mini kit called Scrap On! I love the reds and greens in it, it's so Christmasy! You can pick up this mini kit right now at FPD and the best part, it's on sale!! It's chuck full of goodies too - 6 papers and 20 elements!

And here is a layout I've done with it.

Have a great day!

(PS I may just be back with some more news for you later today!)

Happy INSD!!

2010-11-04T04:16:00.000-04:00

In celebration for INSD JK Creations will be doing several giveaways EVERY DAY from now until Sunday Nov. 7!! She'll be posting on her blog, Facebook and Twitter some questions - general questions about scrapbooking or specific questions about her kits and the best part? She'll be giving away kits, coupons and more!! So make sure to check out her blog now for a great freebie!!

Soup's on!

2010-10-22T17:02:00.000-04:00

Oh my hahahaha! The other night I tried a new recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup. It didn't turn out how I thought it would. It lacked a lot of something, so needless to say, I won't be making that specific recipe again, although I do have several others to try out. Even though I didn't like it, everyone else did. Tiergan was no exception. Let me show you what I mean....

I was cracking up! He had his head inside of his bowl trying to get the last drop of soup out! He thoroughly enjoyed the soup! After seeing this photo of him, I knew I had to create a layout! I've been itching to use the kit Tweet! Tweet! by Misty O'Brien Designs for some time now, so when I compared the photo to the kit (yes I color match) I knew they'd go together great! You can pick up this kit at Funky Playground Designs. She also has a cute Add-On and Glitter Styles and Sheets to match!

It contains 16 papers, 37 elements and 1 lower case alpha.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

2010-10-21T09:28:00.001-04:00

It's COLD here today. I've decided that I hate the cold and I won't miss it when we eventually move. Because we WILL eventually move. And because it's so cold, I have 2 kits to show you, one that is perfect for cold weather and one that can warm you up! Check out this so cute kit - A Scarf for the Soul! I love the cool blue colors! It's perfect for those cold, snowy days (and if you don't have snow, I'd gladly give you what we get every winter!!).

I just love her little people in here and that snowman is too cute!

Unlike me, my children LOVE the snow and spend hours playing outside in it!

Once you come in from the cold, you want to warm up. What's better than snuggling up in your favorite chair, with a cuppa and a good book? Let me show you - One Lazy Day! This kit is full of 14 papers and 50 elements and seriously makes me feel toasty warm inside!

Aren't those elements just too cute?!?

This is my now 10 yr old Logan with (RIP BEST.CAT.EVER.) Sammy!

PS both of these kits are on sale right now for a limited time!

Make is a great day!

Fall is waning

2010-10-15T12:49:00.000-04:00

But that doesn't make it any less beautiful! Fall is absolutely my favorite season, from the fresh, crisp air, to the stunning colors, to jumping into leaf piles! I probably take more photos in the fall than any other time of year (summer coming in 2nd)! So when I saw this collab by Misty O'Brien and Ruby Lane I knew exactly what I wanted to do! Let me show you this fabulous fall collab - Fall Festival!

The colors in this are sooo rich and warm!

Here's the layout I created with it (and I used the Letter Photo Template "F" by Misty O'Brien too!)

Have a fantastic fall day!!

Autumn

2010-10-04T10:39:00.000-04:00

I LOVE fall! The crisp air, the crunching leaves, pumpkin patches, apple pie, apple cider mmmmm, it makes me feel all warm and cozy (I do NOT like the season that follows though). Yesterday we took the kidlets to a Pumpkin Farm and they had a BLAST!! We were there for 3 hours! They did everything from feeding some animals to jumping on a trampoline. We were able to take a LOT of awesome photos, including the one in this layout....

This was created using the newest kit from Miss Mis Designs..

Autumn Air

You can get it on sale right now at Digi ScrapBook Mania.

Super Sale!

2010-10-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

JKCreations is having a Super Sale this weekend only from Oct 1 - Oct 3. Everything in her Stuff to Scrap store is 50% off (even her cute new Halloween kit Spooks and Candies!) While you're there, pick up the FREE add-on to the Spooks and Candies.

Sneak peek and a treat!

2010-10-01T08:14:00.002-04:00

First of all, I have a sneak peek for you. I am so very excited about this kit, it's so cute and *whispers* FULL of elements! Only 4 more days until it's released!!!

And now for the treat! Last night as I was browsing on Facebook, I saw that Misty O'Brien was having a one kit call! I volunteered and I was not disappointed! She is Guest Designing at Ginger Scraps this month and she's released the cutest little mini - Trick or Treat {Halloween Mini}!! I really love the worn/grungy look of the papers in this!

And here's the cute little page I created with it!

Thanks for looking!!

Spooks and Candy oh my!!

2010-09-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

JKCreations has done it again!!! She has just released this adorable new kit - Spooks and Candies! This kit is filled with 20 papers, 75 elements, 15 word strips and a matching alpha! Perfect for all of those little goblins and ghouls out there! Plus, it's on sale for a limited time only at Stuff to Scrap! isn't it cute???

And here's a layout I've created with it. How many of you remember and still watch Garfield's Halloween Adventure? *Raises Hand* I DO! I DO! I LOVE that cartoon, on of my favorites! When Garfield and Odi are trying to find some costumes to wear, Garfield sings this little ditty and it never fails, it ALWAYS gets stuck in my head!!

Credits:

Kit - Spooks and Candies by JKCreations

Font - MTF Magical Marilyn

Lyrics - "What Should I Be?" from the Garfield's Halloween Adventure sung by Lorenzo Music

HUGE Giveaway!

2010-09-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

The Finer Things in Life is having a huge give away! A Silhouette!! Can you believe it?! Oh I so badly want one of these! The possibilities are ENDLESS! So go and check it out for yourself at The Finer Things in Life!

Fall Splendor!!

2010-09-17T22:30:00.000-04:00

One of my besties, Michelle of Scrappy Towne has released the most GORGEOUS fall kit! Let me show you what I mean!

The colors are so rich, warm and beautiful! This kit includes 20 textured papers and 38 gorgeous elements! Plus for those of us who are 'cluster' challenged, she's included TWO clusters a leaf garland and a flower garland! I love this kit because you can scrap your fall photos, apple picking, pumpkin picking, or Thanksgiving! Here is my layout that I created with this kit!

You can check out her blog to see more layouts done by her talented creative team!

Continuing to limp along

2010-09-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm still using Ryan's laptop and I think that it has something to do with my headache that will not end. You see, his screen is SOOO much smaller than mine is was that it makes it difficult to scrap. So my apologies if my layouts aren't proportioned correctly!

But now on to the fun stuff! While my laptop died it's death and stressed me out, Marie of JK Creations released not one, but TWO cute, fun and funky kits! One for girls and one for boys! They are filled with lots of goodies too! Flower Girl has 14 papers, 65 elements, 5 word stickers, 3 word arts and one alpha! Whoowhee that's a lot! I personally LOVE it when a kit comes with an alpha because (admittedly) I tend to like to be matchy matchy lol!! I really had a lot of fun playing with this kit!!

It's hard to believe that my Brooklyn was once this tiny! These photos were taken when she was barely 5 days old!

Now for the boy kit! I think the name of it is so cute - Funky Boy! This kit has 14 papers, 63 elements, 5 word stickers, 3 wordarts and 1 alpha. I love the blues and greens in it too!

And Logan - just 6 yrs old in this picture. They grow up too quickly!

If you hurry, you can snag this kits on sale right now at Stuff to Scrap!

Down in the Swamp...

2010-09-15T21:20:00.000-04:00

you can find the cutest critters and pretty flowers and RebeccaB has captured all of that in her newest kit - Swampy Hollow! This kit is filled with 16 beautiful papers, 40 cute elements and an a-z alpha! You can pick it up HERE!

And because my laptop died, I didn't think that I was going to be able to get my layouts done for her, BUT, Ryan was able to install it onto one of my EHD's and I limped along and was able to create not one, but TWO cute layouts with this kit!

Don't forget to hop on over to pick up RebeccaB's newest kit and it's on sale right now too!

RIP Laptop

2010-09-12T19:58:00.000-04:00

Well it may be awhile before I can post any layouts again. You see, for some time now I've been having 'issues' with my laptop. Which is not quite 15 months old. The fan will run fast and make an awful sound. My web browser would freeze up and crash, I couldn't get any updates to work. .... Very frustrating. We did call Dell and they told us that it was a software problem and that we didn't have the software warranty, but for $124.99, they would gladly check it out remotely. HA! I think not. So back to the drawing board. We suspected that it was a hardware issue, but without Dell listening to us, not much else we could do.

Last night, I went to do some research about Carbonite - or any other online backup place so that we could put all of our thousands of digital photos somewhere just in case of a crash. Too late. The laptop crashed on me. No amount of trying to reboot it helped. I wouldn't go anywhere. So today, Ryan has been trying very hard to figure out a way to get all of the photos and important documents off of there. Before the crash last night I had JUST downloaded the camera to change my facebook photo, what could be cuter than all 5 of the kidlets dressed up in their maize and blue for the U of M football game (they won btw!! GO BLUE!!!), but nothing.

So, I am without a laptop (I'm typing this on Ryan's), without my PSE and without my only connection to any other adult out there. Needless to say, the last 24 hrs have been tense and stressful. Hopefully Dell will make good on our warranty we have and either A) fix it or B) replace it. Until then ... I'm unable to create :( boo. I hope y'all had a better weekend than I did.

STOMP STOMP STOMP!

2010-09-07T20:37:00.000-04:00

RebeccaB has done it again! She has just released this adorable kit called Stomp Stomp Stomp that's filled with lovely shades of blues, the cutest lil elephants and has 16 textured papers and 40 fun elements AND if that wasn't enough, she's also included a beautiful, acrylic alpha!! I just love when kits come with the whole kaboodle!! This kit can be found at Angel Baby Scraps and MLAS and is on sale for 50% off for 2 weeks only! Here are the previews.

And 2 layouts I have made with it, I just love this kit! RebeccaB is one of my favorite designers.

PS, if you go over to her blog, you'll find a freebie quick page!!

CT Call

2010-09-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

JKCreations is having a CT Call! Her kits are so adorable!!

School Starts TOMORROW!

2010-09-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that we're saying goodbye to another summer and hello to a new school year. My kids go back to school tomorrow and we'll have an even earlier school day than usual, the school day will start at 8am for us now, boo! I am so not a morning person!

To celebrate the kick off of school, Miss Mis Designs and Modern June Creations have collaborated to bring you this FANTASTIC school kit, appropriately named - Making the Grade. You can find this kit at Digi Scrapbook Mania. I seriously LOVE this kit, the alpha alone it too cute! Here is a layout I made with it of Logan's first day of Kindergarten 5 yrs ago ... and now he's a 5th grader!!!

I hope all of y'all that have started school already are having a great year and those that start tomorrow or this week, start off on a good note! Happy Labor Day!!

Back to school... back to school...To Prove To Dad That I'm Not A Fool..

2010-08-31T11:38:00.000-04:00

It's nearly back to school time here in the U.P.!! I have such mixed feelings about it. The kids are bored and fighting constantly and we're tired of the fighting and everyone just needs a break from each other. The last couple of days here have been so hot, humid and MISERABLE which makes everyone even more cranky. It's hard to believe that we have one going into 5th grade, one into 2nd grade and one into 1st grade! Since the first day of school has past for a lot of y'all and it's quickly approaching us (we start on September 7) have I got the cutest school kit for you to scrap those First Day photos (or any other for that matter!). JKCreations has just released this adorable kit - Ready Set School! found at Stuff to Scrap. It has the cutest elements in it!

This is Ashlynn, on her first day of Kindergarten 2 years ago.. I can't believe she's in 2nd grade, where has that time gone?

JKCreations has also released her portion of the September BAK (build a kit) at Stuff to Scrap. When I saw her portion, I instantly loved it! It's got the cutest lil monsters and it's so boyish! Which is great because lately I've found myself scrapping a LOT of girl layouts and very few boy ones! Check out her 'Awhhh' portion!

Here is my now 10 yr old (then 1.5 yr old), he was Frankenstein. I loved this costume because trick or treating up here can be VERY cold and this was pretty warm AND had the hat for his head. I'm hoping that Tiergan will fit into it this year!

The cutest lil witch!

2010-08-24T22:15:00.000-04:00

Here in the US, it's getting closer to fall, which happens to be my favorite time of year. The crisp air, the crunching leaves, the beautiful colors, the smells - pumpkins, apples, corn ... and candy corn! Along with fall comes Halloween. The kids love being able to get dressed up and go trick or treating for candy. They always get WAY too much candy and we ship the majority of it to work with Ryan. It's this time of year when I start thinking about scrapping the past Halloween photos and soon to be present. Well RebeccaB did not disappoint with her newest kit - Twinkle Gal Witch! This kit is so adorable and the purples in it, gorgeous! I again had the honor of guest CT'ing for her. As you can see from my layouts, this can be used for all of your Halloween layouts or as in my 2nd layout - a layout about a beautiful little girl!!

It's hard to believe that Ashlynn was once this small! She loved that costume!

My beautiful baby girl, Emberlyn .. The papers and elements in this kit are just so pretty!

Isn't this kit just adorable and beautiful??

You can pick it up for 50% off for a limited time at either Angle Baby Scraps or My Life and Scrap.

Super Woman!

2010-08-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

I KNOW a lot of you can relate. There are days when I feel like I'm trying to be Super Woman, to do it all. It can be exhausting, rewarding, tiring, stressful, fun, but when push comes to shove, it all boils down to the fact that despite how hard I try not to be I still am Super Woman. Being a Mom, you really don't have a choice!

I've always wanted a kit that I could use to just scrap how I'm feeling at that moment. When it seems like EVERYTHING is coming to a head and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I think Mis, of Miss Mis Designs is a mind reader. She has just released a great new kit that serves just the purpose I was talking about. Let me show you - The Do It All Mom! You can get it now on sale at Digi Scrapbook Mania, but if you want EVERYTHING, she's got it all bundled just for you!! I just love this kit and can't wait to play with it some more!

And last but not least, here is my layout I created using this kit and one of the alphas! I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

Bubble time!

2010-08-18T11:01:00.000-04:00

I think bubble photos are so cute, whether they are the kids blowing bubbles outside or inside taking a bubble bath! Jolly Kids Creations by Marie (aka JKCreations) has come out with a super cute Bubblely Bath kit! It's brand new in her stores and on sale for only $2!! You can get it at Designs in Digital or at Stuff to Scrap.

Happy (belated) Birthday!!

2010-08-14T12:45:00.000-04:00

To one of my bestest friends - Michelle (Scrappy Towne)! She joined the 30-something crowd on Friday the 13th! And in celebration for her birthday, she has a little sale going on! Everything in her store at My Life and Scrap is 30% off until August 31!!

*** Michelle, I hope you had a fantastic day and I really wish I could have been there to celebrate with you! Love you girl!

Tiger Lily

2010-08-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

Our next door neighbor has beautiful flowers in her yard. One of the flowers she has is the Tiger Lily. My darling 2.5 yr old pulled mine up by the roots. Thankfully, Jenny, lets us enjoy her flowers with her and Ryan took this photo of one of her tiger lilies. I thought that this photo looked striking against the black and dark green back ground. JKCreations (also known as Jolly Kid Creations by Marie) has released a new kit called Diopside Chic! It's a beautiful and elegant kit! You can find this kit at Stuff to Scrap and at Designs in Digital.

Credits:
Diopside Chic by Jolly Kids Creations by Marie
Template by Call me Kristin Designs

Story Book Lane

2010-08-08T13:17:00.000-04:00

If you missed the speed scrap last night, you missed a great layout. The steps are still posted HERE if you want to make a layout with them, however you aren't eligible for the posting prize, but I would love to see your layouts!

Jamie Dell Scraps has released the CUTEST kit, perfect for little girls! The minute I saw this kit, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I used it to create my layout for the speed scrap last night. Let me show you - Story Book Lane, by Jamie Dell Scraps!

Here is my layout that I did using this kit. This layout was lifted from scrappurple and her layout entitled night swim. Thank you scrappurple for inspiring me!

Have a great day!

Speed Scrap Saturday!

2010-08-07T00:09:00.000-04:00

It's Speed Scrap Saturday! In just under 24 hrs from now I'll be giving you the first step for the speed scrap. So join me tonight (Saturday August 7) at 11:59pm in the forum at My Life and Scrap!

BAK? No chicken here!

2010-08-04T17:10:00.000-04:00

I have to laugh every time I see BAK ... it totally reminds me of a chicken! The August BAK at DSM is filled with soft colors, perfect for just about ANY layout! I had the privilege to work with Miss Mis Designs portion and I loved that I was able to create a heritage page about my Mother.

Any my layout featuring my beautiful Mother.

Have a great day!

Summertime and the livin' is easy!

2010-08-03T23:13:00.000-04:00

That song is the song I chose for the Lyrics Challenge at My Life and Scrap this month... Summertime by Billie Holiday. What an amazing voice! My kids think I'm weird when I listen to her, but .. they don't know truly awesome music! Here is my layout I created for this challenge, I used the kit Relax in Paradise by Dream Big Designs.

You can join in on this challenge too!

Also, do you like contests? Well My Life and Scrap is holding a contest this month!

Have fun and good luck!!

The Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-02T13:50:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that August is here already... where has our summer gone??? I'm quite sad that it's flying by so quickly. We haven't gotten to do a lot of stuff on our bucket list yet and even though my kidlets drive me bonkers ~~most~~ some days, I do enjoy having them home and being able to do things with them. The school year tends to drag and drag and drag and it seems every time we turn around we're getting nickled and dimed to death from the school.

But, Stuff To Scrap ISN'T nickling and diming you to death, they are having a HUGE retirement sale this month! Sooo many great kits and an itty bitty price! You can find all of their deals here.

They also have a great promotion called Build A Kit (or BAK for short). JKCreations has added a portion that you can pick up for just $1.99 called Flower You. I love the soft summer colors!

Marie of Jolly Kids Creations is also hosting her VERY FIRST challenge over at Designs in Digital!! She's created a fantastic Word Art pack to use in this challenge. You can find the challenge HERE.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer!!

Crazy Week

2010-07-31T13:37:00.000-04:00

It's been a totally crazy week here. After we all got over having the stomach bug, it was time to get the house ready for Monkey's first birthday party and the in-laws to come into town. Let me just say, I was under a LOT of stress. The party went off without (too much of) a hitch, the in-laws weren't here for very long and I can honestly say, I am sooo glad it's done and over with.

I HATE cake. I know that hate is a very strong word, but I do. I've NEVER been a cake person. I'll eat angel food cake and maybe a piece of a really good red velvet, but that's it. I prefer to have cupcakes at a party because I think that they go a lot quicker and then there is less left here, although the left over cupcakes from Monkey's party went to my cousin and her family (they couldn't make it for his party). I did 4 dozen red, white and blue cupcakes with a homemade butter cream frosting and red, white and blue sprinkles. Of course, I did NOT get a picture of them, totally slipped my mind, but they weren't all that spectacular to look at anyhow, cake decorating is NOT my forte. The kids enjoyed them, so I guess that is all that matters.

I've decided that I am going to host the speed scraps only on Saturdays at My Life and Scrap. It was getting too difficult to rush and get things done in time for it to start on 9pm on Friday evenings, besides, that is when Houdini wanted her cuddle time with Momma. So, tonight, I'll be hosting a 10pm Eastern Speed Scrap at My Life and Scrap! Scrappy Towne is donating the participation prize for this evening! Hope to see you there!!

Oh and I will (hopefully soon) be posting pictures of Monkey enjoying his cake!

Be Tween or not to Tween ...

2010-07-27T01:16:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to play with a new Designer Duo Collab by Miss Mis Designs and Z Pink Boudoir Designs called Be Tween. This is the perfect girly kit! It's also on sale right now at My Life and Scrap. Isn't it so cute?

And here is the layout that I created using this kit. When I saw this kit it screamed 'Ashlynn' to me!

My Life and Scrap is also having a couple of calls again, for the Marketing Team and for the Spirit Squad!

ANNNNNNND if you love brag books, right now you can buy the brag books at My Life and Scrap for 25% off until Monday, August 2.

I've been sick :(

2010-07-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

It's been a LONG week. Last Saturday Ashlynn came down with a stomach bug, but was fine by Sunday and silly me, I thought we were in the clear. No.Such.Luck. Tiergan then got sick on Monday, was fine by Tuesday and by Wednesday Emberlyn, Logan and I were all sick. I wasn't as lucky as the kids. It took my up until YESTERDAY to feel 100%. I can't complain too much though, because that is the first time I have been sick since last October.

Since I was feeling better yesterday I went ahead and hosted the Insomniacs Speed Scrap at MLAS. The ladies made some beautiful layouts. My favorite thing about speed scraps are seeing all of the different, yet same layouts people create. The layout I got my inspiration from is called Being with you and it was created by tettletop20. You can see her layout at Log Your Memory. I really loved how simplistic, yet beautiful it was. Here is my take on hers, using the kit Bears Gone Fishing, by Dream Big Designs.

Speaking of Dream Big Designs.. she has a NEW kit out y'all! Jay Bird Street!

The colors in this kit are so rich!

And speaking of new ... Jolly Kids Creations has opened up a new store at Designs in Digital!! And what better way to celebrate than with a SALE!! All of her stuff is 50% off until July 28th!

One of my favorite kits of hers is Ducking Rain and I used that kit for last weeks Speed Scrap.

Have a great day!

Tiny bubbles (and some big ones too)!

2010-07-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

When I first started digiscrapping, I saw a photo mask and had NO clue what to do with it. Then my dear friend Michelle from Scrappy Towne called me and walked me through it. I LOVE photo masks! You can really change your photo by using one. Heck, you can change your entire layout by using one! When I saw that ScrapElf had a Bubble Mask set I knew I had to play with it. I really love how this layout I made turned out. Ryan took this photo on one of his little mini outings. When I saw it I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

This layout also uses the kit This Year by ScrapElf.

A layout and some pie

2010-07-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

I had a good time at the Speed Scrap last night. There were only a few people there, but the layouts turned out so great. If you've ever been to one of my Speed Scraps you know that I tend to confuse people and last night I didn't disappoint ... right Jen ? ;) ... Here is the layout that I created for it, I used the kit Duckling Rain by JK Creations. I was so thrilled when I found it because it matched my photos perfectly!

Did you know that the new challenges have started at My Life and Scrap? I love the gourmet challenge because those girls always make me so hungry LOL and Neissa didn't disappoint me this go round ... She's named her Gourmet challenge Banana Cream Pie! Yum, that happens to be one of my favorite pies ever!

So head on over to give that challenge a "taste" ;)!

Speed Scrap Friday!

2010-07-16T14:31:00.000-04:00

Gosh, it totally feels like FOREVAH since I've hosted a Friday night Speed Scrap! I'm so excited to be back tonight at 9pm Eastern in the forum at My Life and Scrap with another fun filled speed scrap! Hope y'all can join me there!

I've been Scrapping!

2010-07-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

It just amazes me how quickly we can get caught up with the every day things in life and forget to do FUN things. This past weekend we went to the beach, it was SO nice. We made a day of it, beaching it for about 5 hrs and then off to a little road side park with a waterfall for a picnic of hot dogs and brats (blech, my 2 least favorite things to eat), but the kids had such a great time!

I decided that I needed to take some time to scrap and I had the opportunity to work with a few kits that (at that time) hadn't yet been released (they are now released). This first LO is one that I did for the Night Owl Speed Scrap that I host every other week at My Life and Scrap. I just LOVE how this turned out (plus it helps that I have such a cutie to scrap!)... So Happy, using the kit Home of the Brave by Miss Mis Designs.

My next layout (that I LOVE too) was made using a brand new kit by jusmedigital called Sunshiney Day Mini Kit! I really love the bright, bold colors in here and those glitter flowers are too much! (PS it's on sale RIGHT NOW! at My Life and Scrap).

Last but certainly not least ... I have a thing for text paths. I love them, but do not use them as often as I should. Well Kate, from Kate's Digital Designs at MLAS has just released a new Text Path pack and I had the opportunity to play with it last night. I also used the kit Oh Baby! {Boy} by Miss Mis Designs.

The poem on this one reads:

Lord I'm asking for your help
To raise my newborn son,
Give me strength and guide me
Cause I know that You're the one.
That sent this angel to me
A little heaven here on earth,
For now I know my place in life...
I'm no longer who comes first.
Once I had no answer
As to why it is I'm here,
But when I looked into my baby's eyes...
It all became so clear.
This little bit of heaven
Owns me, heart and soul
And it's You that sent him to me
A greater love I'll never know.
So take these rugged hands of mine
Help me to understand,
Just what it is I need to do
To raise this little man.
Help me build a boy that knows
It's You that holds the key,
To all that heaven holds for us
Show him Your love through me.

- Author Unknown

(if anyone knows who wrote this please let me know so that I can properly credit them)

Rock on!!

2010-07-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

Ever feel like a rock star? Well my kids do, quite often and the things they do and the "outfits" they come up with crack me up. I always wanted to find a kit that would work great for those silly photos! Almost as if she heard my wishes, Dream Big Designs has come out with a new kit called Defiant. This kit is centered around the color blue, but works so well with many photos. You can find it at My Life and Scrap and it's on sale right now for only $2!

Night Owl Speed Scrap!!!

2010-07-10T20:19:00.000-04:00

I'm hosting my bi-weekly Night Owl Speed Scrap tonight at My Life and Scrap. Meet me in the forum at 11:59pm Eastern for your first step. All participants who get their layouts uploaded on time will receive a participation prize from jusmedigital!