Still Thinking...

DC Metro

2012-02-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

When I flew into DC alone for the first time, I foolishly boarded a cab and had the driver take me literally "across the river". Silly me! I had no idea how convenient it would have been for me to take the Metro the mile or so to my destination, which just so happened to be directly above a Metro stop! I was amazed at the cleanliness, safety and ease of use of DC's subway system and happily saved myself a cab fare by taking it back to the airport for my flight home.

This page came together fast with papers from the Basic Grey Wander travel collection!

Patterned paper-Basic Grey, Sassafras. Lace cardstock-Basic Grey. Letter stickers-Basic Grey, Doodlebug, Sassafras and 7 Gypsies. Other: Deco paper clip.

My New Toy

2012-01-31T19:09:00.000-08:00

When Tommy asked what I wanted for Christmas this year, I actually had an idea. So, after going back and forth trying to decide whether it would be frugal for me to invest in a die-cutting machine, I gave in and placed my order. Now I've got to prove it was worth it! On the layout below, I cut out not only the lettering but the oval doily embellishment as well. I love my new toy!

I also love this photo of my daughter and the Amandapur vending truck, along the path in WDW's Animal Kingdom. They are both decked out in the same color!

Patterned papers-Basic Grey Lauderdale and American Crafts Margarita. Flowers-Prima Marketing. Fabric brads-Basic Grey Out of Print.

RE-Finding My Groove

2012-01-28T19:34:00.000-08:00

Whew...finally! For the past two months I've been recuperating from knee surgery and scrapbooking has been put on the back burner. But now, with physical therapy down to once a week, life is slowly getting back to normal. And that means I can spend more time engaging in my artistic therapy which I have really missed! Yeah, it's kind of like riding a bike. You don't exactly forget, but those first tries after a long time off are a bit shaky.

Bits and pieces of this page have been sitting on my desk since before my sugergy. I handcut the little hearts intending to arrange them into a bouquet. This is what happened instead. I think I like it!

Patterned paper-Graphic 45 and 7 Gypsies. Foam letters-American Crafts. Other: corrugated cardstock, ribbon, trim, button, and decorative punch.

Up, Up, and Away

2011-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Another WDW memory from last summer!

And then we had to go home. Oh boy. All week Kevin had been asking, facetiously, if we could rent a car and drive. Or if Christopher, who was already back home, could take the van and come and get us. The experience of flying to Orlando had not been good one. The pressure differences in the cabin bugged him from almost the moment we took off. "Swallow" I would tell him, and the overly exaggerated and contorted act would begin. Eventually he complained that his throat was hurting. After what seemed like forever, we reached a cruising altitude and all was well...for a few minutes. And then we began our descent. Oh boy. The photo on the layout below was taken before we left the gate at New Orleans, when everything was still exciting and fun.

Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey, Little Yellow Bicycle, and Creative Imaginations. Fabric tag-Little Yellow Bicycle. Chipboard airplane-Maya Road. Chipboard phrases-Jenni Bowlin. Letter stickers, metal alphabet nailheads, ribbon, and airplane charm.

Fall Tag #2

2011-11-10T05:23:00.001-08:00

My next tag incorporates shades of teal in the ribbon and on the "Autumn Wishes" card along with the more traditional colors of fall, rust and orange. I love the combo! The quote on the playing card seemed a great sentiment for the season, "These are days of miracle and wonder."

Fall Tags

2011-11-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

When my friend Nancy Burke started her 12 Tags of Fall project a week or so ago, I tried to resist playing along. I still have mountains of Walt Disney World photos to scrap and a ton of other projects on my to-do list. Who has time for tags? And fall...what's that? Rustling around through my stash of stamps, patterned paper and embellishments, I realized that I had precious little in the way of fall stuff. Duh. (When you don't have much of a fall, you don't accumulate fall "stuff"!) Still it didn't take long for me to shake off that negativity and get totally caught up in this creative seasonal diversion. Here is my first tag, an ode to the fairs and festivals that populate every weekend this time of year:

Supplies:

Beautiful Views

2011-11-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney World is such an explosion of sights and sounds, that it can become overwhelming. So many people. So many attractions. Always rushing from one place to another. Sometimes you just have to stop and take it all in. These two pages feature two of my favorite photos, taken when I managed to do just that.

When the crowds could be no thicker down the main drag of the Magic Kingdom, we decided to take a leisurely ride on the train that skirted the perimeter. On the way up to the platform we got a good view of the maddening crowds we were trying to avoid.

This next page features a scene quite divergent from that of Main Street, a serene view of the Expedition Everest namesake "mountain" with prayer flags draped across the vista. This is about as close to the real Mount Everest as I'll ever get!

One Thing's For Sure...

2011-11-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

Kevin will NEVER entertain thoughts on becoming an astronaut, pilot, or anything else that sends his body into warp speed through either the atmosphere or the space outside it. Epcot's simulator attraction, Mission:Space had two options from which to choose:

GREEN-the "lighter" version of the attraction with simulator action similar to Star Tours at Hollywood Studios.
ORANGE-the vomit-inducing, high velocity centrifuge that isn't for the weak of heart...or stomach.

Knowing how much Kevin enjoyed the intense roller coaster rides, Rock N Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest, we figured he'd be cool with the the all-out version of Mission:Space. While the rest of us opted for the Green queue line, he joined Brendan and Laura in Orange. OMGosh, what an experience! During the ride, Laura could hear him lamenting over and over..."I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this! "When it finally concluded, he stepped out of the ride and walked right into a wall! Nope, no astronaut aspirations for him. This page features the brave crew BEFORE boarding the "death chamber".

Star Tours

2011-08-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

The longer we stood in the queue, the more warning signs we read. Eventually, Julie chickened out...and Tommy stayed behind "to keep her company". The rest of us had an exciting adventure on the flight simulator, modeled after those that are used to train astronauts and pilots. With all the dips, turns, twists, and climbs, it actually felt like we were dodging asteroids and swooping down on extra-terrestrial landscapes. Later that same day, we rode again and the scenario presented was completely different from the one experienced earlier. How cool!

The papers from October Afternoon's Rocket Age were perfect for this layout about our "ride through space".

Since I hadn't bought any of the embellishments for this line, I decided to make my own decorative bottlecaps.

Supplies: Patterned paper-October Afternoon. Label and word stickers-October Afternoon. Corrugated letters-Jillibean Soup. Felt letters-American Crafts. Glitter star-Junkitz. Small stars-KI Memories.

Remember This?

2011-08-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Facebook Flair! Remember when these faux buttons adorned everyone's profile page? It was kind of like collecting bumper stickers and slapping them all over your car...only more easily removed. Some of my favorites are the "i-Bob", Blue Dog, and Cookie Monster sitting in front of his PC, utterly alarmed at the message saying "DELETE COOKIES"!

They're gone from Facebook now, but I captured a screen shot of my "Flair Board" before they disappeared, with the precise intent to scrapbook this phenomenon. And that's just what I did, using papers almost as colorful as my buttons.

Supplies:
Patterned paper-BasicGrey, October Afternoon. Flowers-Prima Marketing. Letter stickers-Doodlebug Designs Inc. Chipboard letters-American Crafts. Flourish border-KI Memories. Other-dye ink, extra-large brads.

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-08-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Christopher's new home-away-from-home is quite the space! Four guys share a generous kitchen and simply furnished living-dining area, complete with microwave, full size refrigerator, lots of cabinet space-for what, I wonder? And they each have their own bedroom! He's on the ground floor, so no waiting for elevators or hiking up and down stairs. I can't think of a more perfect arrangement.

Also, his dorm is only half a block away from the newest dining hall which operates more like a food court, with areas for various types of cuisine, all included in his dining plan. Choices include Asian, pizza, fruit and salad, pastas, baked potatoes, veggies and meats, drinks and desserts. When eating there during freshmen orientation one evening, the manager came around hawking "FRESH ROLLS, GET YOUR FRESH CINNAMON ROLLS!" We didn't even have to get up from the table. Tray in hand, he was passing them out, hot from the oven, with tongs. Can you say "freshman fifteen"?!

And the campus. Tradition and beauty all mixed up together.

Oh, and then there's football. It's expected that Alabama and LSU are going to be the big SEC contenders, one of which could have a shot at going to the Sugar Bowl, which is the BCS championship this year. Exciting times at Alabama. Roll Tide!

Best Salmon Ever

2011-08-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

When Kevin was about 2 or 3 of age, we discovered that he liked salmon. It was a pretty weird fare for a picky toddler who otherwise existed on more simpler foods like Cheerios and chicken nuggets. But whenever we served it for dinner, he ate it, in spite of the slightly fishy smell pervading the kitchen! I would rub the fish down with a little olive oil and generously sprinkle lemon-pepper on top before baking. It was a favorite of everyone at our house.

And then I tasted Salmon in Bermuda. Maybe we were just extremely hungry after hiking the Railway Trail that morning. Whatever the reason, this citrusy relish-topped salmon from a little counter service eatery in Hamilton could well be "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"!* I would LOVE to know all the ingredients that were used, and I even tried googling recipes that I thought might be similar. No such luck. I wish I could recreate this dish at home, but I will have to settle for the memory instead.

Supplies: Patterned paper-BasicGrey (Out of Print collection), Letter stickers-BasicGrey, KI Memories, Corrugated letters-, Felt leaves-Making Memories, Fiber, Dye ink, tag, burlap.

*There's a show by this name on the Food Network, a channel that is on at our house almost as often as Disney. Tommy is a cooking show aficionado!

100 Days of Summer-NOT

2011-08-12T00:45:00.000-07:00

I WISH there were 100 days of "summer"! Alas, summer, as defined by Kevin, is from the end of one school year to the beginning of the next, and there are only 74 days between the two. 74 days of relaxing, unstructured freedom. Days to fill with swimming and board games (Bananagrams and Spongebob Monopoly are faves), a vacation to the beach (Disney this year), sleeping in and staying up late. Days without school. And in case I didn't emphasize it enough, DAYS WITHOUT SCHOOL! Yep...100 such days would be nice, but I'm sorta looking forward to the routines of fall. (Did I say that?!)

Supplies: Patterned paper-Simple Stories (100 Days of Summer collection), BasicGrey, Lace cardstock-KI Memories, Stickers-Simple Stories, Bingo Card-Jenni Bowlin, Chipboard letters-American Crafts, Letter stickers-BasicGrey.

The two little girls in the photos below are my daughters, now 28 and 30! I recently came across these photos from a company "picnic" on the beach in Biloxi. The kids swam in the murky gulf water while the adults played volleyball in the sand. Fun times.

Supplies: Patterned paper-Simple Stories (100 Days of Summer collection), BasicGrey, diecut paper-BasicGrey, flower-Prima, dye ink.

Lollipop Flowers

2011-08-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

The whole family, my sisters and brother, our spouses and kids, all dressed up as hippies for Mardi Gras this year. During a break in the parades, Kevin posed with his cousins and a friend, hamming it up for the camera. I scrapped the picture with cool papers from the Basic Grey "Out of Print" collection. After assembling the page, and scattering a dozen or so punched flower embellishments over the top, it just didn't seem complete. The little flowers were cute, but not substantial enough. "Hmmm..." I thought, "maybe I could make some of those lollipop flowers I'd been admiring on other people's pages!" And I did. Sooo easy. Instructions: Cut out circles of varying sizes from patterned paper. Ink edges. Wet edges slightly and bend upwards. Let dry. Layer and finish off with a button.

I'll be making these whimsical, fun flowers again!

Patterned paper-Basic Grey (Out of Print, Wander, and Oxford Collections). Edge punch, flower punch, dye ink, mini-brads, ribbon, and heart pins.

New York, New York

2011-08-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

On our first afternoon at Walt Disney World, we arrived slightly early for our reservation at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant so decided to take a short walk down the "Streets of America". The forced perspective of this scene is so cool! The background of buildings is actually a two dimensional "cutout", with painted facades. Step back and it is a realistic portrayal of the New York skyline. Although I didn't capture the entire scene in my photo, I was able to add my own illusion by extending the buildings onto the page using the various patterned papers. As for the rear-view photo of the family, let it be known...if you don't stop for a picture, I'll shoot your butt! ;)

I entered this layout in a contest at 2Peas and won stuff from one of my favorite companies, BasicGrey! Yeah!

Supplies: Patterned paper, chipboard letters, chipboard sign, and rub-ons-BasicGrey, Chipboard apple-Maya Road, Chipboard car-Cosmo Cricket, Taxi brad-Karen Foster, Calendar-Jenni Bowlin, ribbon.

To the Moon!

2011-08-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

I had no grand plans for this title, and was only looking for a nice mix of naked chipboard letters when I stumbled upon an "0" that was long and skinny. Wow, what do you know, it was perfectly suited for a planetary ring!

Supplies: Patterned papers-BasicGrey, KI Memories. Chipboard letters-BasicGrey, Making Memories, and American Crafts'Thickers. Acrylic paint-Ceramcoat by Delta. Other-Spaceship pin, ephemera.

Triceratops Spin

2011-07-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

On the day we went to Animal Kingdom, we hightailed it to Dinoland, expecting to ride Primevil Whirl, the calmer of the park's roller coasters. We arrived to find it boarded up, and down for maintenance. (I wondered why no one else was sprinting down the path behind us. They already knew!) So, while Laura set off to pick up Fast Passes for Expedition Everest, the more terrifying coaster, we had a leisurely spin on the "Tops", little dinosaur cars that went up and down, around and around...a tame ride to start the day, and one of the few on which Tommy would join us! Whee!

Supplies: Patterned paper-My Mind's Eye. Flowers-Prima Marketing. Chipboard letters-Basic Grey. Chipboard clock-Heidi Swapp. Flower punch, mini-brads, buttons.

Tomorrowland Speedway

2011-07-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

This wasn't on my list of to-do attractions, so when Laura, Julie and Kevin got in line to ride the cars at Tomorrowland Speedway, I took a seat in the grandstands and took pictures instead. Kevin was not thrilled with his experience. The pedal on the car was extremely difficult for him to press and steering provided yet another challenge. "I'll never be able to drive!" he lamented. I assured him that when the time comes, he will be taller, stronger and capable. We have a few years yet. Thank goodness.

Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey. Chipboard journaling spot-KI Memories. Cardstock letter stickers-Sticker Studio.

Temple Ruins

2011-07-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Disney's attention to detail fascinates me, especially at the Animal Kingdom theme park. Everywhere you turn, there are incredibly realistic interpretations of places near, far, or imaginary. In fact, the "Imagineering" is what sets this place apart from say, the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Along the Maharajah Jungle Trek, crumbling murals depict the history of Amandapur and its rulers. You can find the complete (his)story here. And as you walk the paths in the land of Asia, pay attention to the little things, such as the grouping of jugs and pitchers with a sign "Safe Water for Travelers", seen in the layout below.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Executive Designer Joe Rohde said "Detail is there to make you believe in the reality of the story you're immersed in." They have certainly achieved their goal. I didn't even realize there were REAL water fountains just below the cluster of vessels until I read about them in another of Shawn Slater's blog posts. To create such authentic detail, Disney designers actually went on location, researching Asian customs and practices. Now that's a job I'd love to have!

Supplies: Patterned paper and letter stickers-Basic Grey. Ribbon, lace, fiber, and buttons,

The Tree of Life

2011-06-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

A few years back, and apart from any planned Disney vacation, I picked up a book about the making of Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World Florida. It was a fascinating account, describing in detail how the park came together, along with its iconic symbol, the Tree of Life. Did you know that there are almost 400 animals carved into its cement exterior?! The animals seem to be born from the branches and trunk, taking life from the tree. And I guess that's how it got its name.

Looking back at this picture, I wish I had taken the time to zoom in on a few of the carvings, or photograph it from different angles. I kept thinking I'd have another opportunity to slow down and take more detailed photos. But it didn't happen. By the time we were heading back out the park, and past the towering tree, I was too tired to even look up. I'm glad I got this one nice shot!

Supplies: Patterned paper-Fancy Pants Design, Chipboard Tree and paper bird-Maya Road, Cardstock border stickers and journaling card-My Mind's Eye, Chipboard circles-Bazzill, and Chipboard letters-Basic Grey.

A Magical Time

2011-06-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

When the realty company called to tell us that the beach condo we had booked was being taken off the rental market, we were disappointed...for all of two minutes. I immediately set to work, trying to figure out if we could "do Disney". Could we manage it logistically and economically? The older kids were psyched and ready to chip up for their airfare. Kevin was ecstatic. Chris was planning a trip with some of his classmates, leaving a couple of days after graduation...for WDW! His trip would overlap ours. We were able to book a family suite at the All Star Music resort. It all came together...and we had a magical time.

When we returned, I checked in with the group at Disney Scrappers just in time for some challenges, the perfect incentive to get busy and get scrapping. Below are the first two pages documenting our trip.

The proprietor's warning sign at Kali River Rapids had me laughing...and convinced dh to stay behind (with my camera)! But I did manage to snap this photo of scenery before getting into the queue for our wet ride. Supplies: Patterned paper-Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey, Chipboard letters-Basic Grey, calendar card-My Mind's Eye, Cardstock stickers-Little Yellow Bicycle, Sassafras, corrugated cardstock, twine, bottlecap, rubber stamps, and tag.

Hands down our favorite WDW show was Finding Nemo, the musical. There was such an amazing multi-tasking crew of performers. They played the role of actor, singer, and puppeteer...and did so beautifully. It's not to be missed! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey (Lauderdale), Cardstock letter stickers, Foam fish-American Crafts, tag-KI Memories, rub-on letters, sequin trim, fiber, lace, brads, flower punch, and heart pin.

Inspiration in a Box

2011-06-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

...a priority box. After digging deep into my stash these last few months, I've rewarded myself with a few new supplies, just in time for summer scrapping. First up, the Margarita collection by American Crafts, perfect accompaniment for my vivid pictures from Bermuda. Love these brightly colored and shimmery accented double sided papers. The page is embellished with all sorts of things from my stash-American Crafts foam accents, felt flowers, an MME deco brad, a KI Memories acrylic tile, and metal letters from Making Memories. The flip-flops were rescued from a cake top!

Vacation Get-Away

2011-06-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Finally, I scrapped a couple of photos from LAST year's beach vacation and they are two of my favorites! It was fun mixing patterns and colors on my page, Pit Stop. Along with a photo from inside the restaurant, I included another one of the sign out front. Its colors inspired papers that I chose. An old technique fave was revisited: painting, sanding, and antiquing chipboard. Pen-stitching gives everything a bit more dimension. Fun stuff! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey, October Afternoon, and Bella Boulevard, Letter stickers-Basic Grey, Chipboard letters-American Crafts, Chipboard accent-Jenni Bowlin, Postcard journaling card-October Afternoon, chipboard-Maya Road and more, bottlecap, label.

My son...and his quirky ideas! Kevin explained to us one day why certain birthdays are more special than others (in his mind). And it's mostly about being old enough for certain privileges. I've had the journaling on my desk for a couple of years and am finally getting it documented! LOVE how this number paper works here. It's also a good use for this random beach picture without going beachy. And, if you haven't noticed, bottlecaps are becoming my trademark accent. Love them! Supplies: Patterned paper and cardstock stickers-Cosmo Cricket, ticket-Jenni Bowlin, tags, and rubber stamps.

Catching Up

2011-05-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

School's out for summer! (Can't you hear the Alice Cooper anthem?!) A little more than 9 months ago, Kevin was heading off to his first day of 5th grade. I snapped these photos of his smiling face and scrapped them recently. Supplies: Patterned paper, cardstock stickers-October Afternoon, chipboard-Maya Road, chipboard letters-American Crafts, acrylic accent-KI Memories, and buttons.

A couple of years ago, we evacuated for a hurricane, spent an interminable two days in a hotel and couldn't wait to get home, even though our house had no electricity. Home sweet home! Supplies: Patterned paper-, acrylic shape-Maya Road.

Now that Kevin is a Boy Scout, I'm missing the twice yearly family-centered Cub Scout campouts. Sniff-sniff. These pictures are from our last campout before his "graduation". Supplies: Patterned paper-Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Ribbon-KI Memories.

Our little Super Hero shows off his web-throwing skills as Spiderman. Supplies: Patterned paper and journal block-October Afternoon, Bingo card, month card, and letter stickers-Jenni Bowlin, cardstock sticker-Sassafras, chipboard letters-American Crafts, brads and ribbon.

Whew...still going strong and scrapping from the stash.

Four More

2011-05-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do this FOREVER...take leftover letter stickers and collage them on a page. I love how it turned out and can't wait to try it again...maybe in a shape next time! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey, Bingo card, chipboard button-Jenni Bowlin, Cardstock stickers-Sassafras, letter stickers-Basic Grey and more.

Boy pages can be pretty too! Especially when the pictures include rainbow colored bubbles! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey, October Afternoon, Transparency frame-My Mind's Eye, Foam and chipboard letters-American Craft, Acrylic sticker-KI Memories, Flowers-Prima, ribbon, and heart pins.

Easter morning and it's all about the candy! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey and The Girls' Paperie, Cardstock letters-Basic Grey, Flowers-Prima, Chipboard "K" accent-Sassafras, Acrylic sticker-KI Memories, ticket stub-Jenni Bowlin, metal egg accents, buttons, ribbon, and flower pin.

Weddings!

2011-04-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

So many weddings! Life's come full circle as nieces, nephews, and friend's children are all getting married, all at the same time...it seems. Already this year, we have been to three wedding ceremonies, have one this weekend, and another two this summer! A few weeks ago, we went to a gorgeous affair at Holy Name of Jesus, complete with a small orchestra providing the church music. But the absolute best idea for fun and memories was a photobooth at the reception. How cool! Guests took turns donning hats and masks and other props, then having their photos taken in the booth. One strip of pictures went into the couple's book and the other the guests took home for themselves. Here's what I did with ours:

Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey, KI Memories, Sassafras, October Afternoon. Letter stickers-Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin. Chipboard elements-Cosmo Cricket, KI Memories. Label stickers-October Afternoon, Jenni Bowlin, Sassafras. Card-Sassafras.

Blast from the Past!

2011-03-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

Aside for the occasional piece of cardstock, I haven't spent a dime on scrapbooking supplies since the middle of last year. And it's not a problem. After several years of DT work, my stash is overflowing with papers and embellishments perfectly suited for today's pages. I am out to prove that you don't have to have the latest and greatest to put together fun and pretty layouts. Here are a few of my favorite recent creations.

White space. Always a problem for me...because I want to fill it up! The clean and sparse style is not my forte. But looky here; I did it! And I've put to good use a trio of fabric rosettes given to me by scrapping friend, card-maker extraordinaire, Nancy Thomas. Thanks Nancy! Papers,journaling cards-October Afternoon. Chipboard letters-American Crafts. Ticket-Jenni Bowlin.

Believe it or not, the bright rainbow colored background papers are from an old MME Christmas collection! Topped with overlapping strips of various sized Sassafras papers they take on a brand new look. Sheer letters-Heidi Swapp. Fabric letters-American Crafts.

Assembling this page was a real blast from the past! At the bottom of a drawer of supplies, I found those old acrylic Junkitz letter discs and the metal art dragonfly. The distressed metal was coated with acrylic paint and rubbed off slightly with my fingers. The flowers are a combination of ancient artifacts from Prima, Heidi Swapp, Imaginesce, and a flower punch. Remember those HS sheers?! The mini brads are from one of those famous LM swaps. Sigh. Good times. Patterned paper-My Mind's Eye, Scenic Route. Fabric letters-American Crafts

My old scrapping friends might remember some of the elements on this page. Most are repurposed from old design team work: the Christmas tree and poinsettia from a card, the woven paper heart from an ornament! LM projects reborn!

I can't even remember the company name, but the patterned papers and coaster board elements on this page have to be 7-8 years old. Yikes. Why did it take me so long to use them?!

Stay tuned. You never know what I am going to find and use next!

Back to Spinning

2011-02-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

The final test. I went to my first spinning class since surgery...and it was great! I seemed to get a good range of motion, even better than when I was on the bike at physical therapy. I could set my seat height same as before and it felt like old times. Yeah!

Closer to Fine

2011-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

At over two months out, the knee is great. Although I'm still attending physical therapy twice a week, I should be "graduating" soon. Then it will be all on me to keep up the strength and flexibility that I've accomplished. I'll have to get over the fact that it will never bend to the degree that a normal knee will, but I'm told that with 130 degrees (the maximum that I've mastered, and possibly the maximum that this knee is capable of bending) I can do most things necessary in everyday life...like climb up and down stairs comfortably, ride a bike (back to Spinning!), etc. There's still some swelling and the numbness of my shin is looking more and more like it's permanent, but I can only hope that my left TKR has as great a resolution.

Physical therapy additions:
*Eliptical-10 minutes. When I began, the PTA asked if the resistance was too hard...or too easy. It seemed doable. A few minutes later, whew! It was really quite a workout.
*Stair stepping-Up and down, 25 reps, slowly, leading with left leg, working the quad.
*Balance and strength- stand on left leg, slight bend, 1 minute x3. Look ma, no hands!

Therapist insists that I should continue to ice the knee. Brrrr. In this weather?! At night, I just stick it out from under the blanket and it's cooled down naturally. LOL! I must remember to take time out during the day and use the ice.

A New Normal

2011-01-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to "forget" about my knee at times. Which is a good! Walking is pretty much back to normal, with no limping or favoring one knee or the other. You wouldn't even know I'd had surgery except for the 6 inch scar. The only things that slow me down are stairs and getting in and out of the car when the seat is pulled up. Stairs are pretty easy going up. I can take the steps alternating legs, without hanging onto the rails. Going down is another matter. Shallow steps are no problem but steps such as those outside my back door cause the knee to bend more than is comfortable. I take them gingerly while holding onto the rails.

I recently reduced physical therapy to twice a week, in order to "save" days for the right knee replacement, in case I schedule it for the fall. I feel like I've accomplished most of the goals set forth, and can do further strengthening on my own. Once released I'll take my exercises to the gym at Elmwood and work out a work-out.

It's official. My knee length discrepancy is 2.5 cm. or approximately 1 inch. That's quite significant, so I had a of heel lift made for my right shoe. Sidney Stokes, of Fit Feet, measured me and created the custom cork-like lift. The lift itself is NOT 1 inch. 1 inch is undoable. It wouldn't work with most shoes, and would probably be a bit uncomfortable. Instead, it's about 1 1/2 cm. Now I feel a lot better balanced. Hopefully when the next knee is done it will even things out and result in legs that are closer to the same length!

Problems that I am still experiencing at 7 weeks:
*Swelling. It's not uncomfortable, but the left ankle seems to have disappeared for good. Even after a night's sleep, the swelling remains.
*Numbness and hypersensitivity. The left side of the left leg is still extremely numb in places (and may be like that for good). The hypersensitivity doesn't seem to be as severe. I've decided to slowly decrease and then discontinue the Lyrica that I've been taking for the nerve ending pain so that I can see if it is getting better or if it is the medicine that is keeping it in check.
*The unexpected appearance of a dark purple line directly under the skin of the scar, which may have been caused by a tiny ruptured blood vessel. After a week, it is hardly noticeable.
*That "band around the knee" feeling that I've heard mentioned on TKR health boards is still there. It is really weird. It feels like someone has placed a think rubber band around the knee. It's not painful, but a very strange feeling for sure.

My PT Workout

2011-01-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of easy days later, swelling is under control. Thank goodness, since this morning's physical therapy was quite a workout and lasted 1 1/2 hours. I thought I'd try to list the exercises we did today, which included a couple of new ones:

*First, ice on the knee, with a pad under my heel, with slight electrical stimulation, designed to relax the knee, reduce swelling, and prepare me for the workout to follow.
*Next, several minutes of biofeedback, 10 seconds of working the quad (intensely pressing the back of the knee into the table) followed by 10 seconds of rest.
*Not sure of the name of this next machine. It's sort of like a stepper. I step down with the tkr leg, pushing it back until it locks, holding for a few seconds. Then I push down with the other leg. Repeats for 6 minutes.
*10 minutes on the bike. No resistance. Simply meant to loosen up and work the bend. It's kinda hard to get the seat at the right height for the pedals and NOT stress the knee on the upstroke. Ouch. But it gets easier as the time progresses. I usually try to get a bit of an aerobic workout with this exercise. It's just 10 minutes but it's better than nothing!
*With this next exercise, the knee pushes against a pad with moderate resistance. Straighten, hold for a few seconds with knee locked, then bend. 3 sets of 10.
*The same machine is then set to do hip abductor exercises for the tkr leg. Push leg out to the side, bring back down slowly. 3 sets of 10.
*Since my quad is getting stronger, they have added in the machine where you lie back and push with your legs against a resistance. 3 sets of 10.
*I refer to this next exercise as self-torture. For some reason they have replaced the machine that bends the knee with a do-it-yourself routine. I lie on my stomach and hold a strap that is slipped over the shoe of my tkr leg. I pull the leg towards my buttocks, holding the knee at an uncomfortable stretch for 10 seconds, then slowly lower the leg to the table. This self-torture is repeated for several minutes.
*The leg curl is an easy one, but only if I'm on the right machine. For some reason, the "other" machine causes my knee to "pop". 30 reps on this and then calf stretches. With a strap hooked over the toes of both shoes, pull back for 10 seconds, and relax. Repeat for 3 minutes.
*Another new one, this exercise involves walking backwards (with a strap and moderate weight) for a few paces (until the end of the rope so to speak), then walk slowly forward. The backwards walk works the knee which is straightened pulling back until locked against the weight. Walking forward works on balance as the weight is pulling on the one knee while walking towards the machine. 15 repetitions took probably 15 minutes. Whew...I could really feel this one on the back of the leg!
*Finally, time to ice the knee and work the quad with electrical stimulation of the muscle.

After such an intense therapy session, Tommy was surprised to see me doing my at-home exercises this evening. LOL!

Saw "god" today. My surgeon. The guy I've only seen three times in my life for probably a total of 10 minutes (not counting the time he spent in surgery with me unconscious)! And I'm being generous. I am so used to NOT seeing him, that I had already asked the PA all my questions and was getting ready to leave, when she said, "Hang on, he'll be in to see you in a few minutes". Huh? And he really did come in to see me. Looked at the scar, pushed the kneecap around a bit, had me straighten and lift, then bend to my maximum. Everything looked fine, fine enough that I don't see him for 6 months!

Oh, and now I am a card-carrying metal detector setter off-er. When I cause the alarms to go off at the airport, I'll have a card to show the TSA employee who will be eyeing me quite suspiciously and take me off to be searched anyway. I'm sure it will be fun.

Christmas and New Year's

2011-01-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

Whew...it was a busy week. I managed to attend three physical therapy sessions and did a lot of work each time. Flexion has reached 130 and from what I've heard various manufacturer's replacement knees have a limit. I wonder what mine happens to be??? So we are no longer concentrating on the bending part. It's the straightening and strength of my quad that apparently still needs work. So we work.

And just when I'm feeling pretty good, I do too much. We attended a wedding the night before New Year's Eve. On my feet a lot that day, I went to bed with a pretty swollen leg and woke up with it not much better. But I couldn't afford to stay off of it on this day of all days. We had so much to do to prepare for our NYE party that night. First, we made a WalMart run before the crowds got too bad. Arrived home and wanted to just sit back and relax a bit before the real cleanup and food prep began. But no, a new problem. I seemed to have developed a UTI. On NYE of all days, when none of my doctors are in their offices. I had to go to an urgent care center to get a Rx. Sure don't want a raging infection of the urinary tract to compromise my new knee. A week of Ciprofloxacin should do the trick.

Now...back to preparing for our party. Roasts to cook. Table to set. (Thankfully the silver serving pieces had tarnished little over the year and we let go of that chore.) Cleaning house required most of my effort. Vacuum, "swiffer", dust, straighten. By 8 o'clock, and the arrival of our first guests, I was already pretty tired, but still had to cut the roasts and make the gravy! The next three hours were pretty much a blur. The roasts, although a surprise substitution, were a hit. Last year's guests who were making a return visit were expecting Tommy's gumbo. LOL!

We had a nice crowd. Friends and family. Plenty food. Sparklers and fireworks. And a grumpy old maid neighbor threatening to call the sheriff's office. Hahaha. Nothing new. Except by 11:40, after a few of our guests had departed, we agreed that we must be getting old because here it was not yet midnight and we were slowly fading too. I was exhausted. Later, when everyone had gone home, Tommy sent me to bed too, and he did the rest of the cleanup. I couldn't have managed. I hope I can recover sufficiently for physical therapy on Monday.

Learning How To Walk

2010-12-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

Actually, I'm RE-learning how to walk...correctly. And it isn't as easy as it sounds! My natural tendency is to protect that "new" knee by landing on it bent. Which is not good. But it's scary pushing it back and locking it when you step! It feels like I have no control and it's just going to fly back without stopping. It's the quad muscle that needs some serious strengthening. Where my muscle tone went, I just don't know. Before surgery, I attended some really tough spinning classes and I had great muscle tone. But it's gone AWOL. So I'm taking baby steps again...and pushing that knee back.

Today's therapy session was really pretty good. A different physical therapist was there to monitor my activities and he gave me lots of good advice. And pushed me hard! But that's all good, because I achieved 123 degrees bending of my knee. The next goal-130. Ouch. I'll get there eventually. :)

A Shopping Date

2010-12-20T21:14:00.000-08:00

Today we did something different. Tommy and I spent the day together, without kids! Since he has off until after the New Year, and I am walking well, we decided to go shopping. After dropping Kevin off at school, we went to Target. Bought a few presents and headed to the other anchor store of the mall, Sears. Bought a few presents there too...and priced refrigerators. (Our fridge is on its last leg. It sounds like someone drilling when the compressor goes on. We had the repairman out and American Home Shield decided that they will pay what it would cost to repair it, over $600, if we want to replace it.) We really liked a 26 Sq ft. side by side by Whirlpool, but we didn't buy it yet. (Have to shop around!) Then it was time for a little rest, and treat, at Starbucks. Yum...I love their passion iced tea! Finally, it was time to head on over to the biggest and most dreaded mall. Found a spot close to the elevators at Penney's. Struck out on a suit for Tommy and new lampshades, but we did buy a few other gifts. Next, we drove over to the furniture place, Comeaux's. We're still trying to get the coffee table that we ordered. Went upstairs and drooled over the piece I want to buy next to act as our TV stand. (It's actually a media chest that goes with a bedroom set, but it's GORGEOUS and would be the piece de resistance in our family room!) Then it was time for lunch. Like a real date! Just the two of us. Adult only conversation. It was wonderful. After lunch we headed BACK to the mall and went to my favorite smelling place...Hollister's. LOL! I LOVE their fragrances. Bought a couple things there, and a GC for my niece. Then, before you know it, it was time to pick up Kevin from school! Where did the time go? Still, it was a very productive day. Besides, doing the dreaded chore of Christmas shopping is so much better when you can share the task. :)

The Weirdest Thing

2010-12-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

My left leg is now at LEAST a half inch (maybe an inch!) longer than the right! First, I thought that the difference could be attributed to the large amount of swelling or that maybe the joint had to "settle" in place or something. But now I think I need to mention it to the orthopedist. Not that there's anything to be done about it (except maybe a riser in the other shoe). Of course, it COULD be evened out when I have the next knee done, but THAT'S not happening anytime soon. One day...but not now. Standing in church yesterday, I was trying to figure out just what the difference was between my limbs. I'd stand straight on the "new" knee and raise up on the other toe until my hips felt "even". It seemed like I had to flex those toes quite a bit to get to the same level. I should have been paying more attention to Mass, but this was really intriguing me how different these two legs were since surgery. LOL! When I go to see the doctor about the rash (which is finally showing signs of receding), I'll have to remember to mention this to him.

2 steps forward, 1 step back

2010-12-11T07:39:00.001-08:00

That's how it feels. I'll be doing great one day, working through the PT and seeing improvement, then BAM. Seems like mornings are best. I guess it's because the leg has rested all night and swelling is decreased (wearing an ace wrap to bed). Also, I usually take a pain pill in the AM to help with the backache that I wake up with. I try to sleep on my back with the leg stretched out to prevent scar tissue from forming that will hinder straightening of the knee. Inevitably I end up on my side with the knee bent...but I try. So, in the morning, I feel like super woman. By mid afternoon, not so much. When I told the PA that I was trying to cut back on the pain meds, she actually encouraged me to continue them as needed, saying that less than a month post-op, it still makes good sense to take them. Sounds good to me. And it's sure better than being miserable. Spacing them out between driving duties next week will be the trick. Although they don't make me loopy, it'd rather not have them in my system when bringing Kevin to school or picking him up. I'll refrain from taking one until AFTER I drop him at school and return home, and then not take another until after I get him home in the PM. Should work.

A new complication. Day nine of my Bactrim Rx (prescribed at my first visit post-op) I developed a rash. Minor at first, it seemed to concentrate around the inside of my left (replaced) knee and thigh. By the next day, it was more or less everywhere...most notably on the stomach and back, a little bit on the other leg. And my left foot had this itch that was driving me crazy. So now I have an appt. with the Dr. for Monday. Gosh, I hope this rash is gone by then, but I've read that antibiotic-induced rashes can last a week! Sure hope the itchy foot syndrome doesn't last that long. I took an Allegra for the itch and it seemed to help. And icing the foot after icing the knee also gives some relief.

Today, 21 days post-op, I'm going to try to attend Mass. The biggest hurdle is to find something to wear! Something that will fit over my ace-wrapped leg...ugh. I tried on one of my baggiest jeans yesterday and think they just might work. But will I be able to sit comfortably in them with my big knee??? We'll see.

Ooooo...most happy that I've found a decent PT group for my outpatient visits! Initially, when I called our insurance company, they were giving me names of small "hole-in-the-wall" PT operations. You know...a single physical therapist hangs out his/her shingle and takes patients. NOT what I want! I want a GYM! A GROUP of PTs and PTAs! A WELL-KNOWN group! When I went through the list myself, I found it. Not as close to my house as the others, but I remember picking my Dad up from PT at this place a couple of times. It was nice. Yeah! So Monday should begin a new part of my adventure, outpatient physical therapy.

Baby Steps

2010-12-08T16:56:00.001-08:00

Not quite 3 weeks and I've graduated to a cane. (Actually, I've been walking short distances around the house without it.) Three times a week, the PTA comes to the house and pushs me with harder and harder exercises. She keeps adding more too...to the point that I need at least 30-45 minutes to do everything. And I'm supposed to do them 2-3 times a day. Whew. The good news is that I've reached 0 degree straight and 110 degrees bent.

Scar is looking better, but the knee is still HOT and tender, especially on the inside. The bruised feeling on the back of my thigh has not gone away yet. But the biggest problem is the hypersensitivity of my lower calf. Yikes. I can't stand anything to tough it. We've been having COLD weather (freezing night-time temperatures) and yet I wear shorts. To help with the swelling (and keep it warm) I wrap an ace bandage from ankle to above the knee. And then I can cover with a blanket. But if that ace slips....eeeek. Finally making some headway with the swelling. Yesterday for the first time, I actually had an ankle on the left leg.

I'll be discharged from home health and home physical therapy over the weekend. And then it's off to PT on my own. I hope I can find some pants or jeans that fit loosely enough over that leg! I'll try driving this weekend. Funny thing-Kevin doesn't want to be in the car with me the first time I drive...as if I've forgotten how. LOL!

Still a bit of pain towards the end of the day. And back pain in the morning. That should resolve itself when I can sleep comfortably on my side with my legs drawn up...my favorite way to sleep. Meanwhile, I see lots of hours on the clock. Sometimes it's Tommy's snoring that keeps me from falling asleep, but it's also the uncomfortableness of my knee. Baby steps.

Going back to the doctor's office tomorrow to meet with the physician's assistant. I have to remember to ask about this irritating discrepancy in the length of my legs since surgery. I might need a lift in one shoe to even things out...because I'm not having the other knee done anytime soon!

TKR

2010-12-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

I'm dusting the cobwebs off of this blog to record my progress after Total Knee Replacement surgery. This is day 14. There's light at the end of the tunnel. Wish I had thought of blogging about this sooner, because I'm sure to forget a lot of what I've gone through. I think the mind does that to protect itself, because a vivid memory of those first few days would probably discourage me from ever having the second knee done.

What I remember:
Day 1-Woke up in recovery area. Not in pain. A bit later I tell the nurse that I feel bad...VERY bad. She asks if I'm nauseous. I don't know...feeling worse by the second. She hands me a container in case I get sick. Next thing I know, there are twenty people around me, calling my name, getting ready to "bag" me. I dropped the container and passed out. Heart rate dropped to 20 bpm. Thankfully I came back on my own, but that was scary, very scary. Once more I had that bad, bad feeling and my heart rate began to drop, but again I recovered on my own. These events caused me to be placed in a room on the telemetry unit, where my heart rate was monitored constantly.

Anesthesiologist thought that perhaps it was the nerve block meds that were causing the problem, so it was discontinued. They were still able to manage my pain pretty well without it.

Day 2-Now, I had another problem. Every time I would exert myself in the least (like sit on side of the bed or stand up with PT) my heart rate would jump to 150 and up. This would cause the nurses to come running to check on me. And I was tired...very, very tired. Turns out I had lost a lot of blood during surgery. A normal occurrence with knee replacement.

Days 3 & 4-Working with PT, learned to walk with a walker. Knee extremely swollen. Drainage normal. Still tired and hematocrit not rising. (Duh...with all the fluids I was receiving, it would stand to reason!)

Finally (and it took 4 days to decide this), it was determined that I needed two replacement units of blood. Since receiving blood is not without its own risks, they try not to have to resort to it. But after taking iron pills for three days, and then off the IV, hematocrit was the same. (Before surgery around 38. After surgery dropping to low 20s.)

Day 5-Going home. Took an ungodly amount of time to actually get a wheelchair and cart to take me out. But what a relief. Home at last. And I'm sure Tommy was even more relieved as he had spent each night and every day with me. We both relished being able to sleep in our own bed, sleep being a misnomer for me. I would see every hour on the clock. Not used to sleeping on my back, keeping my knee straight, I was MOST uncomfortable.

Day 6-Home health nurse, followed by PT. Gave myself my first Lovenox injection (to be given each day for 20 days to prevent blood clots). Later that evening, the bruising on my leg looked so much worse! Heel to thigh bruising. I called the nurse and asked for her advice. She didn't remember seeing that much bruising earlier, so off we went...to the ER...just to make sure everything was OK. After some blood work, they determined that it was a normal (albeit more pronounced than usual) result of the surgery. Blood that had leaked into the tissues was spreading out just underneath the skin of my thigh and calf.

Thanksgiving Day-Tommy cooked a turkey, brought it to my parents' house where the family was gathering, and brought us back the works. Yum! Probably one of the first times I have been hungry since surgery. My appetite was back.

At The Car Wash

2010-06-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what's on a 10 year old kid's bucket list? Well, one day a couple of months ago, Kevin tells me, "Mom, do you know what I REALLY want to do one day?" I had no idea. Go to a favorite band's live concert performance? Vacation in Walt Disney World? Ride some fantastical roller coaster? "What, Kevin?" I ask. "I want to go through a car wash!" he answers. WHAT?! A car wash?! How has he not experienced this? It boggles my mind...both that he has never been through an automated car wash...and that it stands out for him as something not to be missed. LOL! So, a few days later we hop into Julie's dirty car and go. I had to take pictures of this momentous occasion and memorialize them on a scrapbook page:

Not Again!

2010-06-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Another online scrapbook supply store is closing its doors. :(

What to do...what to do? How do I proceed with another DT position eliminated? Without a product to promote or technique to teach, I don't know where to begin! OK...hmmm...maybe with those hundreds of unscrapped photos? Heh-heh-heh.

Without direction, it's sometimes hard to decided what or how to scrap a photo. But these new papers from The Girls' Paperie were enough to fuel my creativity and I finally scrapped these photos from Brendan's high school graduation...May of last year. Mixing things up is my favorite way to scrap, so I was happy to find a use for some of my really old stash in the process. Those ancient letters from Making Memories began my love for chipboard. :D

If there could be a bright side to a store's closing, it would be that Serendipity Scrapbooks is now offering great discounts on remaining merchandise. Check it out HERE.

Oil in the Gulf

2010-06-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

A widget for viewing in real time the disaster at the bottom of the gulf:

Retro TV

2010-05-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

"Knock it off!" Wally would say to a bothersome little brother whose favorite expression was "Swell!"

Can you guess the show?

Yep...Leave It To Beaver, a favorite of mine from "back in the day".

The weekend of May 21-23, travel back in time with the Serendipity Scrapbooks DT as we host our next cyber crop. There will be games and challenges inspired by our favorite retro TV shows and commercials. Two pre-crop challenges are already posted. Hop on over to The Serendipity Show and check them out!

May Kit Layouts

2010-05-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

It was such a pleasure to work with Serendipity's May "I Deserve It All" scrapbooking kit. The colors of the Crate Paper and My Mind's Eye papers are so versatile and there are embellishments galore. My favorite is the plethora of chipboard, but a close second is the really cool silk-like flower trim...in my favorite color!

Treme

2010-04-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Treme-a New Orleans neighborhood; an HBO TV series; pronounced with 2 syllables, accent on the second "e", which sounds like a long "a". First "e" is short. Got it?!

Always a little skeptical about TV shows and movies that attempt to depict New Orleans, I was REALLY wary of this one, set in the early post Katrina landscape. But then I watched the 2 hour premiere. Not bad. The accents don't have me cringing...too much. Now that they've gotten a Jazz Funeral out of the way, an episode about voo-doo will complete the ridiculous stereotype, and they can get on with the good drama. Hahaha. Maybe it will be a good series. Time will tell.

Monkey Business

2010-04-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the nice weather during Kevin's week off after Easter and visited the zoo...twice! Our first visit included a trek past Monkey Hill, through the Cajun exhibit and on to Jaguar Jungle, and concluded with lunch and ice cold drinks at the cafe. On our second day, we arrived just in time for the elephant show! We also got a rare treat of seeing the gorillas active after receiving a few treats from their keepers.

But the cutest thing ever was getting to see Menari, the baby orangutan!

Here's her dad, Berani, the escape artist who no longer gets to play with t-shirts in the exhibit. LOL!

These two monkeys were pretty cute too.

April Kit Reveal

2010-04-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

As the Serendipity Scrapbooks April kits go up today, the gallery is hopping with design team examples. I had the pleasure of working with the Altered Kit this month, which included the unique designer Star album of quality press board from Kaisercraft. It was a great backdrop for the photos and story of our Saints' run to and through Superbowl XXIV to emerge as champs!

Here are a few photos of my Believe album:

Four more layouts were created with the April Altered kit contents and this is my favorite. Layering an assortment of colorful strips on a white background looks downright beachy! I'm already beginning to anticipate our days in the sand.

Check out the Serendipity Kits Gallery for more projects. I find it amazing how each person creates with the same supplies, such unique and inspiring works!

Cluck, Cluck

2010-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

It was a busy time, but I was able to eek out a few minutes (or hours) to complete Susan Stringfellow's Poultry Recipe Challenge at the Taste of Serendipity Crop. These were the necessary ingredients:

A Pinch of Flour--use at least one flower
2 T. of Spices--measure out 2 T. of buttons (It's more than you think!)
Chicken--paper piece the chicken presented HERE!

These photos of our post-parade gumbo were perfect! After all, chicken is a primary ingredient of CHICKEN and andouille sausage gumbo. :)

My Lists (Collected)

2010-03-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Lists are my friends. I make them, I add to them, I check them off, and I rewrite them. I have lists for everything!

Do you have an endless assortment of lists in your purse, on your refrigerator, or laying around on the kitchen table or counter? If you're a list maker like me, you do! I love my lists, but wanted a way to keep them together...an attractive way if possible. With a little mini notebook/assignment pad I can write my daily/weekly to-do list, grocery list, etc. and not lose them to the depths of my purse or worse. When one list is done, I can tear it out and throw it away, but the others stay put. And with a little help from my scrapbook supplies, my List Keeper is an interesting piece of collage art as well!

My Emeril Live! Challenge

2010-03-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

BAM! He’s done it again. On the strip in Las Vegas, at one of Emeril’s newest ventures, Lagasse’s Stadium, the famed chef has taken the average steak sandwich and kicked it up a notch. Known as the BAM’wich, it’s a mouthwatering 8 oz. of grilled prime sirloin on homemade herb focaccia, dressed with blue cheese slaw, balsamic braised red onions and Emeril’s steak sauce. YUM!

Your challenge is to make a BAM’wich as part of your layout design. Using at least 8 strips of patterned paper (each with a different design), layer them like a stacked sandwich. Tear or cut with deco scissors, space evenly or overlap, cut all the same or of varying lengths, pen-stitch or ink edges…anything goes, as long as the papers are horizontal (not vertical) and there are at least 8 different designs.

Then, just as the “holy trinity” of Cajun cuisine, bell pepper, onion, and celery make up the foundation for great Louisiana classics such as gumbo, jambalaya and étouffée, you will be required to use three of my favorite embellishments on your page: a tag, a ticket, and a journaling spot. You can use pre-made items or stamp, print, cut and make your own.

Additional embellishments are allowed, but each page must have 8 paper strips, a tag, a ticket, and a journaling spot.

Here is my page. I chose papers with colors that coordinated with those in my photo…the yellow, brown, orange, and green of the grass, with a bit of blue and white to compliment my son’s jersey. I tore one paper, cut others varying lengths and widths, and layered haphazardly underneath my photo, adding the tag, journaling spot, ticket along with a couple of leaf embellishments. The title was drawn in paint, then cut and glued directly to the picture. BAM! I love it!

Sweet Taste of Serendipity

2010-03-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

Friday marks the start of The Sweet Taste of Serendipity online crop, a virtual crop with challenges and throw-downs inspired by The Food Network and our favorite food celebrities. As Rachel Ray would say...YUMMO! The fun and games, challenges and blue light specials will continue throughout the weekend. I wonder who will be crowned the next Top Chef?!

Typical Tuesday

2010-03-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

This is what I do on Tuesdays. Along with a number of other moms whose son(s) attend(ed) Jesuit High School, I paint yard signs that are sold to the students/parents/grandparents of the school. The bluejay mascot is called "Jayson", and he comes in many different outfits/poses...band, cross country and track, wrestling, football, lacrosse, swimming, baseball, ROTC, golf, soccer, rugby, or diploma in hand wearing a graduation cap. It's a relaxing way to spend the day, and a great way to keep up with school gossip! :)

While I contemplated getting a cross-country Jayson for Christopher, I decided to go with the "all-purpose" pose instead.

Cute little fellow!

Map Envelopes

2010-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Make your own Map Envelope! Isn't this cool?! You enter an address or location and Google Maps finds it for you and inserts the image into an envelope template. Just print, cut out, and glue your custom envelope.

For this envelope, I didn't even need an address. I typed in Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans and there it was...making me hungry! The only thing cooler would be the capability to zoom in closer and smell the beignets. Oh well...technology has to catch up to my ideas! ;)

Best Biscotti

2010-03-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ever since discovering this recipe for almond biscotti, I can't let a week (or half a week) go by without whipping up a batch. It is easy, uses ingredients that I have on hand, and doesn't break your teeth when you bite into them the next day. It makes a fair amount but disappears rather quickly in this house. Although I can't imagine a better taste, I might try dipping them in chocolate the next time I bake a batch.

Here is the recipe from Under A Blue Moon:

Almond Biscotti

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp.
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Milk (to brush over the top)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit.

Cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs slowly and mix well. Add the extracts.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl (tip: use a whisk to combine).

Add flour mixture slowly to the butter/sugar mixture until combined. The dough will be sticky. Add the chopped almonds.

Using a spatula, spread the dough onto a baking pan that has been lined with either a Sil-Pat or a piece of greased foil. You can either make two narrower rectangles or one wider one. Once you have the general shape, wet your hands and smooth down the dough.

Brush with milk and sprinkle the reserved tablespoon of sugar over the top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and slide the Sil-Pat or foil, with the biscotti on it, onto a cooling rack. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees farenheit.

Cut biscotti into 1/2" wide strips and return, cut side down, to the baking pan (no Sil-Pat or foil needed at this stage). Bake for 10 minutes then flip over and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheet. Enjoy!

HOS Week 3

2010-03-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

The House of Serendipity Week 3 challenge presented participants with a choice of two sketches on which to base their page. I chose the one below...

...and scrapped a photo of Brendan and his friends, gathered for a picture before one of his last Brother Martin dances.

Homecoming maybe? I'll have to ask him. (I don't even remember the name of the girl!) But his buds are Michael (with their friend Mia) and Josh (with girlfriend Sara). Wow...I know everyone but the girl that my son is taking to the dance!

POTD Puttered Out

2010-03-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't even make it a month. Life just gets in the way of taking pictures sometimes! But that first week of photos made it onto a scrapbook page giving a glimpse into the first 7 days of the New Year:

This was also my House of Serendipity Week 2 Challenge entry. I chose the color red and worked it into parts of my page, namely the photo mats. Gathering the hodge-podge of lettering for the P, O, T, and D reminded me of how much fun it is to create these mixed up titles. They add so much interest to a page, especially when the title is so short.

March Kit Reveal

2010-02-28T19:49:00.001-08:00

The groundhog may have seen his shadow, but the colors and patterns of the March Serendipity Kit have me thinking spring! These were perfect papers for scrapping a class field trip to Red Bluff Farm,one of the best field trips I have ever attended with my son. There was so much to do...all hands-on. He planted that little seed and looks like he is expecting it to grow right away! :)

Pineapples are a traditional symbol of hospitality, so I created one as an embellishment for this layout about our porch redo. A Basic Grey paper was the perfect base. With stitching between the diamonds and tiny tiles in their centers, it came alive.

This page uses one of Serendipity's brand new papers for the background. The Rooftop Greenhouse papers compliment the Basic Grey collection perfectly. Directions for the ruffle flower can be found in Serendipity's Technique Forum.

On my Garden Journal, I did a little something different with the lace cardstock...turned it over and used it wrong side up! (The white contrasted better with the background paper.) Then I had way too much fun littering the spiral with all sorts of cute stuff...a birds nest with eggs, buttons, butterfly, and canvas tag.

This turned out to be my favorite project from the March kit...and it's mostly made with leftover pieces of patterned papers from the other pages. Can you see the bird peeking out from the lace cardstock?

HOS Challenge #1

2010-02-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

The House of Serendipity Event is in full swing, with the first challenge distributed to participants according to their answer to the following question:

What statement below best describes you.....

A- When it comes to scrapping I am well organized and have to have everything in its place at all times including my house and laundry.
B- My house is a disaster my kids need food but you will find me in my scrap room! Anyway isn't that what pop tarts are for!
C- Its been awhile since I scrapped and I still can't find my desk!
D- Scrapping????I just like to collect pretty paper.

I answered B and was given the following challenge..."to use purple in a layout". Judging by the number of pages with purple flooding the gallery recently, there are a lot of pop-tart popping kids out there. Hahahaha!

Shuffling through my paper stash, there's not a lot of purple to be found, and most had to do with Halloween, so that's where I went with it:

The HOS Event is brought to you by these fine manufacturers:

KiKi Art-a fairly new eco-friendly company with bling, chipboard, flocked papers, fun tape, and more.

Altered Pages-your one-stop shop for all your altered art needs, they carry an amazing array of vintage images and unique findings.

Cosmo Cricket-patterned paper collections, ribbon, blackboard, and the coolest spinner cards among other things.

Sassafras Lass-eye-catching patterns and trend-setting colors, their products are amazing!

Lombardi Gras

2010-02-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

After the trophy and team were honored by the city with their own parade on Dat! Tuesday, the Tuesday before FAT Tuesday, the moniker Lombardi Gras took over! Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees paraded as King of Bacchus. Coach Sean Payton joined the celebrity monarchs of Orpheus. Krewes everywhere paid homage to the Super Bowl champions and the new unofficial Saints anthem could be heard booming its bass up and down the parade routes. "Stand up and get crunk!" Mardi Gras was shaping up to be Saintsational! Like so many others, we donned our jerseys on Mardi Gras day, wearing them in place of costumes.

Those who did dress up in other attire often had a decidedly Saintly theme. Pigs Fly were one of the cutest groups inspired by these surreal happenings.

The Lombardi Gras "football heads" were another.

Think if I put Kevin's name on the season ticket list that maybe his kids or grandkids might benefit.

Bless You Boys!

2010-02-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Pigs have flown.
Hell has frozen over.
The Saints are going to the Super Bowl.

All of a sudden, there's so much to do.
We need flags for the cars. And car paint too.

When planning the food, we know we'll need these...
tons of cookies, with Fleur-de-lis!

Get out the jerseys, the scarves and the hats.
I wish we had one of those "Bring the Wood" bats.

It's time for the game. No one can sit still.
At halftime we're nervous. They can do it. They will!

An onside kick? What an ingenious play!
If they pull this out, it will be such a day!

The seconds tick down and our Saints are on top.
Listen outside as the fireworks pop!

Oh...my...gosh...
We won!

The last minutes of the game are a blur. I'm not sure why? Maybe it's because I had my hands over my eyes...afraid to look? But when the final seconds ticked off the clock, pandemonium broke out everywhere. Phone lines were swamped. Outside...people far and wide whooping it up. Fireworks in the sky. Cars piling up at stop lights, their congratulatory honks echoing back and forth. As we neared downtown, traffic began to crawl. French Quarter exits from the interstate were blocked. The world was descending on the center of the city. We had to go too.

We exited at Canal St. Bumper to bumper traffic. Happy traffic. Kids hanging out of car windows, waving flags and umbrellas. We only made it a few blocks in before calling it quits, driving past the Superdome on our way to the I-10 onramp. Who would have believed it 4 1/2 years ago, when the roof tore open. The Saints, our home team, going to and WINNING the Super Bowl? These are the days!

An Ordinary Day

2010-01-31T11:19:00.000-08:00

A Team Player

2010-01-30T22:20:00.000-08:00

For a little while now, I've been wandering the web, meandering through message boards and stores, trying to find an inspirational and welcoming new home on the internet. A few weeks ago, I found Serendipity Scrapbooks. And it just so happened that they had recently posted a design team call! So I got busy creating a couple of new pages, sent my application in for the team, and anxiously waited for word. Word came! I am happy to report that I was offered a position on the team, and can't wait to start "working" with my other very talented team members. Yippee!

Serendipity is a rocking place, with daily challenges, monthly contests, special event crops, and more. Join in the fun and sign up for the House of Serendipity Event. You won't believe where we're staying:

Edward, the butler, has been preparing the house and stocking the fridge with Chocolate and the bar with plenty of drinks to go around. Bo, the Pool Boy, has been cleaning the pool and hot tub and making sure that all there is plenty of tanning oil by the chairs so he can help the guest get a perfect tan. The house has everything that a lady could want!

I am so there! Won't you join me?!

Spread the Word

2010-01-27T20:26:00.000-08:00

Are you drooling over all the new products being presented at the Winter CHA Show? Well, guess what! Products from Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, Sassafras Lass, Pink Paislee, and Tim Holtz are now available to pre order in the Serendipity Scrapbooks store!! And best of all, you can get 15% off these pre-orders by entering the code: Winterchagoodies in the code box at the very bottom of the shopping cart.

[Please review the info on how to order pre-ordered items. Also note that some papers and embellishments will be in future Serendipity kits. If a product line is slated for use in an upcoming kit, it will be mentioned on the main page for that line.]

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN WIN PRODUCT---- Post this on Facebook, Twitter it, blog on it and share on any board that doesn't have a store. Get your name entered into the Crop drawing for the Kit for each place you post, then link back HERE.

WINTER CHA 2010-Cosmo Cricket & Sassafras Lass Open thru Jan. 30th (Ships in February)
WINTER CHA 2010-Pink Paislee & Basic Grey Open thru Feb. 15th (Ships in March)

His Bucket List

2010-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kevin: "Mom, do you know what I want to do?"
Me: "No. What do you want to do Kevin?"
Kevin: "I want to go through a car wash."
Me: "A car wash?"
Kevin: "Yeah, I've never been through one."
Me: [shocked silence]

How did that happen? In all his life, we have never taken him through a car wash!? Some kids yearn to see a professional football, basketball, or baseball game. Others desire the newest video game or gaming system. Others still will plead for tickets to see their favorite music star in concert. And what does Kevin want? To experience a car wash!

I remember when Laura was little, going through the "Big Bird car wash" was a favorite activity. (She named it after the lovable Sesame Street character whose feathers reminded her of the big plumes of cloth that whirled and scrubbed the car clean.)

So we did it. Julie's car had been showered with dirt when she parked in an area that was undergoing construction. It was in bad need of a bath. I grabbed my camera for this momentous occasion:

Looks like the ELMO Car Wash to me!

SWEEEET!

2010-01-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

It was a great day for a birthday. The treats began after the 9:30 AM Mass with the Men's Club Donut breakfast. A favorite lunch was to follow, meatballs and spaghetti! Then the piece de resistance, the Saints defeating the Vikings for the NFC Championship and a trip to Miami for the Superbowl!

At some point during the 4th quarter, we stole a few minutes away from the game to celebrate Kevin's birthday with the most delicious King Cake from Randazzo's. No more single digits! He's ten years old!

Ticket Freebie

2010-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

:source:

What a Crock

2010-01-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

First there was The Julie/Julia Project. In the book (which I am currently reading), Julie Powell gives herself a year to make every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".

365 days. 536 recipes. Did she succeed? I might just have to finish the book to know for sure, but I do know this. She succeeded in turning her cooking blog into a best-selling book, and that best-seller into a movie. Julie (and Julia's) style of cooking? Very odd French recipes. Extremely labor intensive. Not. For. Me.

Ahhh...but here's a cooking blog I find so much more appealing! In A Year of Slow Cooking Stephanie O'Dea resolves to use her crockpot EVERY... SINGLE... DAY in 2008 and shares both her recipes and her family's verdict. Dump everything in a pot and cook it all day. THAT'S my kind of cooking.

My cooking resolution: to expand my crock pot repertoire.

In 6 hours we're having beef stew.

Can't wait!

Party In The MIA!

2010-01-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

It's going to be a long week until that NFC Championship Game on Sunday! But I believe!

Playing With Paper

2010-01-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

Bits and Pieces

These are a few of my favorite things! Music, books, foreign films, paper arts, photography, family and travel. All done with a favorite color combo of red, black and kraft. And a few of my favorite supplies: pretty patterned paper, lace, and chipboard. I love the fleur-de-lis...and the scissors...and the "potty" person. Fun stuff.

And a few peeks at what I've been working on lately:

Who dat?!

2010-01-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

It's the little fan in his sister's hat, wearing his Reggie bush jersey under his Saints sweatshirt, getting all pumped up for Saturday. They are allowed to take a break from their school uniform and wear Saints' apparel today in anticipation of the playoff game tomorrow. Geaux Saints!

Top Ten

2010-01-12T23:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the memories! For over six years, my home on the web was LifetimeMoments.com. Getting to know the wonderful owners of the scrapbook superstore, being invited to be a part of their design team, and working with the other very talented members of the team was was an awesome opportunity. With the sad news that the Lifetime Moments store, message board and gallery would be closing, I spent many hours perusing the site, revisiting my favorites gallery (filled with inspiration from other members of the DT and board), and transferring work of mine (scrapbook layouts, cards, and other paper art projects) back to my computer. I could hardly believe all the pages that I've done throughout the years! I picked out 10 of my favorite projects for 2009 to share once more:

The Monster In The Closet

2010-01-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

On one of the coldest nights of the year, it decided to scare us. With four feet of smoke hanging from the ceiling in the den and the smoke alarm blaring, we shut off the heater, dialed 911, hurriedly dressed in warm clothes and opened all the doors. After welcoming a half dozen firemen into the house to check things out, we determined that nothing was (still) on fire but there were some serious malfunctions and we shouldn't run it until having the serviceman out...again. So we hit Target and WalMart to stock up on space heaters. Brrr!

Looking Back

2010-01-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

Kevin, the last of five, came into this world on a frigid January morning in 2000. Boy was that life changing...again. The diapers, the colic, the middle of the night feedings!

Julie graduated from Mount Carmel Academy, spent a semester at Ole Miss, and returned home to finish her education. Home sweet home.

We took the kids to Disney World where all 7 of us crammed into a Wilderness cabin! The Murphy bed, waiting at the rope, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear again...and again...and again, Rockin' Roller Coaster with my eyes shut, Laura winning at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Good times.

Kevin and I attended I to I (Infancy to Independence), a moms and baby/toddler play group. He loved their marble maze, snack time, and swinging and sliding outside. Field trips included the zoo and Sesame Street Live.

We discovered Christian Brothers School, and their motto, "Your sons into young men, young men into Christian gentlemen." We couldn't have chosen a better middle school for Christopher. Go Falcons!

I discovered scrapbooking, and had many of my pages published in various books and magazines. For over 6 years, I designed for Lifetime Moments scrapbook store, while my supply stash grew and grew. :)

Elmwood Fitness Center. Spinning class. Cafe Zucchini. Swim lessons for Kevin.

Tommy discerned and was accepted into the Diaconate formation program for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He attended classes twice a week.

Kevin attended preschool at St. Ann. He returned for his first two days of Kindergarten and then...

Hurricane K atrina devastated New Orleans. We couldn't go home for 3 weeks. 5 kids at 5 schools...all affected. Luckily, we got Kevin into St. Rita's kindergarten class. Christopher attended Christian Brothers' afternoon program (noon-6) held on the Rummel campus until they went back to their City Park campus in November 2005. Brendan was registered for Rummel's morning platoon (6-noon) until Brother Martin returned to New Orleans in January 2006. Laura and Julie signed up for the University of New Orleans internet classes...and liked them so much that they continued to schedule online classes for most of their studies!

I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. I filed, wrote thank-you's, processed applications, and solicited donations of materials for the Construction Manager.

Award trip travels: a Caribbean cruise, Puerto Rico, a Mediterranean cruise, an Alaskan cruise, and the Bahamas! Such luxury at a great price...FREE!

The kids enjoyed vacationing at the beach with their cousins. Riding the waves, kayaking, surfing, sunning, eating, playing Chicken Foot and Balderdash. Poker tournaments late into the night. Uncle Chris' beach hikes.

Two university diplomas showed up in our mailbox during this decade. Neither Laura nor Julie were interested in attending their graduation ceremonies. No matter...they did it!

I emailed and called my congresspersons. I wrote letters to the editor and had a couple published in The Times Picayune. I co-facilitated a social justice "formation class" and the "graduates" formed a Social Justice Committee in our parish. Our first venture was a Fair Trade Fair.

Christopher, while at Jesuit High School, joined the Cross Country team and spent most fall afternoons at practice, Saturdays at meets. He took the PSAT as a sophomore and college mail filled a shopping bag. He took it again as a junior and we're waiting to hear...

Tommy was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate and was assigned to our parish of St. Ann, and to Holy Cross High School as a co-chaplain.

Brendan graduated from Brother Martin High School. He volunteered and trained with the Third District Fire Department and now hopes to get into an upcoming NOFD recruit class. WTG!

Kevin tested for Christian Brothers School in December of 2009. Crossing fingers...

And that's the decade in a nutshell.

Here's to a healthy and prosperous new decade for our family and friends!

Cousins

2010-01-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

My parents have fourteen grandkids (five of them mine), and THIS was the first time I can remember having them all together in the same place at the same time! Mark was home from college. Olivia was visiting for Christmas. And no one was working or made other plans.

Smile! Out of a dozen photos, there wasn't a single one with everyone smiling and/or looking at the camera, so I took the best picture, merged it with part of another, and you can't tell one bit. We REALLY need to find a better spot next time, but we knew the light was nice under the tree and there was no time to search out another location. The natives were getting restless as it was. :)

Cemeteries...Again

2009-12-29T21:17:00.000-08:00

My youngest sister came to visit during the Christmas holidays and, like last year, we ended up at a cemetery. Or three. But this year it was less of a sight-seeing adventure and more of a recconnaissance mission to locate my grandparents' plot at Greenwood Cemetery. Found it:

Our next mission would be to find a restaurant without an hour long wait. One that served gumbo. Mandina's-X. Liuzza's-Check! We were squished between the bar, the video poker booth and some unfortunate family with a table by the door, while we waited almost 30 minutes to be seated. Why did everyone in the world want to eat out on this random Tuesday, I'll never know. Thankfully, a party of 9 were a no show and we happily took their place, with the addition of an extra chair. Frosty mug sodas. Fried green tomatoes appetizer. Cream of shrimp and artichoke soup. Boiled shrimp po-boy. Yum!

Next stop-Fulton St., downtown New Orleans, where it snows every hour on the hour. (If you squint and use your imagination, those tiny soap bubble clusters can look as much like snow as anything else in this semi-tropical locale.)

Walking Through a Winter Wonderland!

Christmas Eve Rainbow

2009-12-25T01:40:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of a dreary, rainy afternoon, this is what appeared, a beautiful double rainbow. It began over a neighbors house and ended over our garage. I wonder if we'll find a pot of gold inside!

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

Today is baking day and cookies for Santa is #1 on the list! Hmmm...what should we make? Peanut butter blossoms, sand tarts, or sugar cookies? Oooo...I know what I want to bake! And I know exactly where to find my collected recipes thanks to a little project I fashioned from an old Maya Road tin. The tin, with its clear window in the top was the perfect size for holding recipe cards featuring our family’s favorite Christmas cookies. The cards inside the tin can be rotated so that the recipe currently in use is viewable through the tin’s window, keeping the card free from drops and splatters and other kitchen mishaps while we're baking. For added durability, the painted and papered tin is finished with a coating of clear varnish. Here are photos of my tin and the recipes stored inside.

The recipe cards have a home-spun look, each decorated with a different design pieced from a variety of coordinating patterned papers. Holiday wrapping paper designs provided inspiration for several of the embellishments.

YUM...I think we'll bake old fashioned sugar cookies today!

Mini ME Albums

2009-12-23T18:21:00.001-08:00

I made a these little booklets a couple of years ago to give to my girls. It has pages to record their favorite things in life, people they admire, favorite songs, movies, TV shows, and places to shop, as well as dreams they have and places they'd like to visit. The pages are slipped into little name badge holders which act like tiny page protectors, then they are tied together with ribbons.

A fun little album!

And yet more...

2009-12-22T11:19:00.001-08:00

TAGS!

This Junk Drawer Advent Calendar caught my eye just as the 12 Days of Tim's tags were ending! Whatdayathink? Can I stop at one or two? A few? Here's my first:

Candy Stash-->Candy House

2009-12-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's almost that time again...time to raid the candy aisles for delicious little tidbits suitable for gingerbread house decor. M&Ms, SweetTarts, slivered almonds, miniature candy canes, gumdrops, chocolate chips and more are arranged in little plates on the table. Most years we use graham crackers for the house roof and walls, cemented together with canned frosting, but last year I cheated and bought an already baked ginergread house kit. Man was that easy! Whichever way we do it, it's always fun and one tradition that is sure to continue at this house.

Gift Tags

2009-12-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Wendy made these tags a couple of years ago, and I have been planning to make some of my own. The corrugated cardboard base gives it such great texture! Then pair that with the pretty embellishments and a bit of sparkle and it couldn't be more special! Now to tear up some old priority boxes...

Rudolph the Red Reindeer

2009-12-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Once I inked the heat embossed reindeer, I wasn't quite sure if I liked the color. But he's growing on me. :)

Shiny and Bright

2009-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

Oh my! I love this tag! Chipboard letters and shapes are covered with an artemboss metal sheet, embossed with a stylus, colored with alcohol ink, then distressed with steel wool and paint. The soft colors and blackened metal give it the look of a vintage mercury glass ornament.

For Crying Out Loud!

2009-12-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

Although Tim Holtz provided all the images for his tag on his blog, I substituted my own photograph for the focal photo. This picture of Laura on Santa's lap always cracks me up. I'm not sure who is most terrified, my 1 year old daughter or Santa Claus himself. Laura clutches her bottle and screams bloody murder, while Santa has that deer in the headlight look! LOL!

(Another substitution. In place of the filmstrip ribbon, I printed a filmstrip image onto a transparency.)

Playing With Plaids

2009-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed? Plaid is everywhere! This traditional fall fashion trend is not just for lumberjacks. In fact, Day 3 of Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas features two tags, two plaids, created with alcohol ink! It is such a fun technique, that once you get started, you may not want to stop. I love the contrast of colors on this first tag. The black trees against the warm and colorful plaid is stunning.

The Santa tag with its green and red plaid background has a charm of its own.

A Bigger, Better Tag

2009-12-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

After a friend of mine sent me a dozen and some-odd of the #8 manila shipping tags (the size preferred by Tim Holtz for his tag project), I decided to try working with these larger tags. Oh yeah. More room to play is always a good thing. Here are three more tags:

The Rains Came

2009-12-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

It had been raining off and on for days, so the ground was thoroughly saturated when the rains came on Saturday afternoon and the water had no where to go. I always wanted lakefront property! :)

We parked the cars wherever we could. Laura's was backed up onto the lawn. Unfortunately, she didn't get it up in time. The carpets were a little damp already.

12 Tags of Christmas

2009-12-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

There's Christmas music on the radio, some of the neighbors have already put up their lights, and the shopping mall parking lots are full to bursting. And yet one more sign that Christmas is on its way...the start of Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas. Beginning on December 1, the guru of grunge and artsy stamping presents us with 12 days of tags, each with full tutorial. I've ooohed and aaahed over his tags for two years, but this is the first year I am determined to actually DO them, albeit in my own way. Lacking many of the stamp sets and other supplies, I will have to make do with what I have in my stash and experiment with alternate methods to achieve the "look". Here's my take on Tim Holtz's first tag of the series.

Not having any real snowflake stamps, I inked chipboard snowflakes and stamped with them instead. My frosty fellow was cut from a piece of rogue chipboard and base coated with white paint. Stickles glitter glue gives everything, background and snowman, the shimmery appearance of snow!

Give Yourself Wings

2009-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

When Debbie V. first posted her canvas art class, "Give Yourself Wings", at Lifetime Moments, I was intrigued. She claimed that anyone could create these beautiful works for themselves, and that it required no artistic talent or special training, nothing but a willingness to play with paint, paper, brushes, corrugated cardboard, and bubble wrap. Yes, bubble wrap!

Yet, I was so skeptical about my ability, that I created my first piece NOT on an artist's canvas board, but on the back of a priority shipping box! LOL!

My next painting was my own interpretation of Debbie's class sample, with a quartet of whimsical trees. The most amazing part of the painting is the background. I just love the mix of colors, their translucency, and how they show just a hint of the patterned papers beneath the paint. So cool. Can you see the bubble wrap in the trees? :)

Now, I was on a roll and had it in my mind to attempt a portrait, a la Kelly Rae Roberts' style. But once I had that beautiful background, I was really intimidated and thought I was sure to ruin it once I tried to paint a face! Sketching the face out on paper, I found it wasn't that hard. Now...to just transfer it to paint! To make things easier, I cut out the oval face and traced it onto the painted canvas. Filling it in with flesh-colored paint was a bit tedious as the lighter colors take sometimes 3-4 coats to cover well. But once it was done, it was easy to add eyes, lips, a simple nose, eyebrows, and hair. And to my surprise, she actually looked pretty! One of the best tips I took away from Debbie's class was to use charcoal pencil to shade. Here I used it on the face and neck of my portrait. Oh my...that was so easy! And the way the charcoal settled in the ridges of the paint gave such a neat effect!

A cityscape was next.

And I can't wait to do another one. (I think I need an intervention.)

Rustic Fall Centerpiece

2009-11-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

The Cub Scouts, working on their Citizenship activity requirements, created these adorable stick vases for the residents of Sunrise Assisted Living facility, and arranged them on their dining room tables before the evening meal.

It's one of those projects that requires lots of preparation. Gathering the hundreds and hundreds of sticks and twigs and cutting them down to appropriate sizes took hours! But the end result was worth the effort.

Basic Instructions:
*Collect sticks and twigs, cut to various sizes appropriate for the jar selected.
*Clean empty jar, removing any labels. (Plastic peanut butter jars are perfect.)
*Wrap jar with a rubber band, twice if needed for snugness.
*Insert sticks under the rubber band, until the jar is completely covered.
*Secure sticks with hot glue, slightly above the rubber band.
*When the glue is cooled, scoot the rubber band up and over the band of glue.
*Hide glue and rubber band with ribbon tied around the stick vase.
*Finish with real or silk flowers.

The Day We Met

2009-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

My sorority was having a 50's dance the next weekend and I had choices to make: Ask the boy who liked me.(My mother said that I didn't like him because he was so nice! LOL!) Go with Patty's friend's friend. (I was tempted for his long hair.) Or go with Kathy's boyfriend's friend. (Sight unseen. Uh-oh.) So on Thanksgiving Day, after the turkey had been devoured, Greg and Kathy introduced me to one of Greg's best friends, and the rest is history. That was 36 years ago.

Christmas Planner/Journal

2009-11-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

(LM Archives)

30 Days of Gifts 2007 - DAY 9:

Christmas Planner & Journal

by Madeline Fox, LM Design Team

The turkey is but a carcass. Black Friday shoppers have gone and conquered. As December bore down on November, it became clear that I needed a plan. Better yet, I needed a planner! This was my favorite holiday season and stress was not going to get the better hand!

I began with a 7-gypsies Composition Book Naked Journal and patterned papers from Basic Grey’s Figgy Pudding, Dasher, and Blitzen collections. After adhering papers to the chipboard cover, I used book tape to reinforce the corners and spine. My book would become a combination Christmas planner/holiday journal and pages were designed to hold an assortment of journaling boxes, pockets, tags and booklets. The double-sided papers from the Figgy Pudding line were perfect for making library pockets. One design shows on the outside of the pocket with a complimentary design peeking from inside! With so many additions, my planner/journal became quite plump. An elastic cord closes it neatly.

Planner Pages:

* Do You Hear What I Hear? (pocket pages hold CDs of favorite Christmas music)
* Books (pocket page holds booklet listing favorite Christmas books, checklist of those we own)
* Movies (pocket page holds booklet of favorite Christmas movies, checklist of those we own)
* Traditions (library pocket to hold tag(s) for listing and/or journaling about favorite seasonal activities)
* Christmas Card Checklist
* Party List (menus, who’s bringing what)
* Gift Lists (pocket page)
* Receipts (pocket page)
* Holiday Decorating
* Favorite Ornaments
* Favorite Foods (journal box, library pocket)
* Christmas Eve (tag to journal what we did, who visited/where we went, favorite memory, funniest thing that happened)
* Christmas Day (tag to journal what we did, who visited/where we went, favorite memory, funniest thing that happened)

Page embellishments include Basic Grey rub-ons, stickles glitter glue, Queen and company felt fusion, alphabet stickers, ribbon and fiber.

Favorites Book

2009-11-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

(LM Archives)

30 Days of Gifts 2007 - DAY 21:

Scrapbook Favorites Book

by Madeline Fox, LM Design Team

Since beginning to scrapbook several years ago, I’ve accumulated quite a few albums filled with bulky layouts. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t get to share these pages with my parents or extended family as often as I’d like. The weighty books are not easy to carry around, so they sit, gathering dust on a bookshelf. I thought it would be nice to share prints of my favorite pages in a more compact and easily portable manner by using a Maya Road 4" x 8" Chipboard Binder Album.

The landscape orientation allows me to display either two layouts side by side or a two page spread on each page. The chipboard pages are thick, and the sturdy binder just begs to be decorated. I chose fun, colorful papers from KI Memories Pop Culture for the cover and embellished it with ribbon, a Magistical Memories Chipboard nested star shape, Fancy Pants Fashion Sense heart pins, and American Crafts Thickers chipboard letters. A little sparkle was added to the title with Stickles glitter glue.

Instructions:

1. Paint edges of chipboard binder with paint to match or coordinate with the patterned papers for the front and back covers. Let dry.
2. Cut patterned paper for front and back covers, 4 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches, and adhere.
3. Cut 1 inch x 4 ½ inch strip from coordinating patterned paper and adhere near spine.
4. Cut patterned paper for title, 2 inches x 6 inches. Mat on contrasting colored paper and trim.
5. Cut a 3 x 7 symmetrical rectangle from lace cardstock. Adhere title block to this rectangle and attach to front of album. Stick heart pins under title block.
6. Tie ribbon around front cover.
7. Paint chipboard star and attach with beadchain to the ribbon.
8. Cut various patterned papers, 4 inch x 8 inch, and adhere to chipboard pages.
9. Mat prints of favorite scrapbook layouts and add to album pages.
10. Apply stickles glitter glue to title chipboard letters on cover and set aside to dry.

Holiday Memory Book

2009-11-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

(LM Archives)

30 Days of Gifts 2008 - DAY 8:

Holiday Memory Book

by Madeline Fox, LM Design Team

Easily put together by you and your child, this Merry and Bright Christmas memory album is made from one collection pack of My Mind's Eye "Be Merry" patterned papers with plenty left over for cards, layouts, or other projects. Plain or lined papers provide copious amounts of journaling space (or a place to add photos). Page embellishments are either die cuts from the pack or images cut from the papers, with ribbons, and a couple of chipboard embellishments thrown in. The 3 ring "quarter pint" chipboard album by Basic Grey measures 6 inches by 6 inches. It includes front and back covers and 6 interior pages. I was having so much fun that I cut and added four more! Older children can create this project completely on their own, but younger ones don't need to be excluded. They can paint the chipboard edges of the album, tear papers, glue elements, and provide their adorable handwriting for the page titles.

This book could easily be adapted to using many of the cute holiday paper collections in the store. Visit our Christmas Themed section for ideas!

Basic instructions:

1. Paint white border around all chipboard pages, and around grommets in front and back cover.

2. For interior pages, cut background papers 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 (or piece patterns to make a 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 sheet.

3. For exterior pages (front and back covers and their insides), cut background papers 4 3/4 x 5 3/4.

4. Adhere papers to chipboard pages of album.

NOTE: When adhering papers to pages, adhere only one page at a time so as not to cover up the prepunched holes in the chipboard. Adhere paper to front of page, punch holes, adhere paper to reverse and punch holes again.

5. Add die cuts and other embellishments from your stash (chipboard, ribbons, glitter, etc.) Additional images can be cut from the patterned papers (Christmas trees, snowmen, and squares for presents).

6. Label pages and fill with memories!

DIY Snowflakes

2009-11-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

I wonder if we will get to see snow again this year? If not, we can help mother nature along and make our own snowflakes...on the computer screen! It's very addicting, trying to make that most beautiful flake!

Snow Days

It's also a good place to try out various designs and THEN cut them out of REAL paper. A fun winter craft!

Dear Santa

2009-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Don't know who to attribute this to, but it's precious!

Dear Santa:

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground, and thirty-five rolls of wrapping paper so my son can win a plastic whistle.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a Target receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Campout Snapshots

2009-11-13T19:54:00.001-08:00

(Archiving LM Blog-October 24, 2009)

Over the last few years I've taken all the requisite camping photos...the tent, the campfire, the boys in their Cub Scout uniforms. This year I tried to be less conspicuous and more observant at the same time, and came out with some wonderful shots of my son and his friends. I particularly like the one where three of them are huddled at the end of a dock overlooking the lake, immersed in talk. I would have loved to hear what they were saying!

Instead of trying to get the entire pack during their tug-o-war contest, I focused in on a smaller group to capture their expressions. They were having so much fun.

And Kevin requested this last shot. He remembered posing exactly so a previous year and wanted to recreate the picture. I think he had a great idea! With the rails acting as a yardstick, comparing the two photos will give us an idea of his growth from one year to the next.

Now comes the fun part, deciding on scrapbook papers. There's Camped Out by Bella Blvd., Nutmeg by Cosmo Cricket, and Autumn Bliss by My Little Yellow Bicycle, to name a few. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Journaling Cards

2009-11-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

(Archiving LM Blog Post-October 17, 2009)

They might be called "Elements" by Cosmo Cricket, "Postcards" by Amber Road, "Journaling Cards" by Collage Press, "Cut-Outs" by Bo-Bunny, or simply "Cards" by Fancy Pants. Whatever you call them, these cut-apart cardstock accessories have become one of my favorites when building or embellishing scrapbook pages. Often they are double-sided with one side reserved for journaling...the perfect size for a date and a sentence or two. (And that's just fine for a scrapbooker like me that doesn't always have a lot to say.) Other cards are decorated in designs that coordinate with the patterned papers in the line, sometimes with words or phrases, or a fitting image, the perfect layering accent. Group a few together or use them as a grounding point for flowers or other embellishments. Larger cards can form a base for your title. For more dimension, try roughing them up; distress the edges with ink, tears, and creases. One page of "elements" can dress up several layouts. And they are perfectly sized for cards.

These two pages are embellished with elements from the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel collection:

No Photos, No Problem

2009-11-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

(Archiving LM Blog Post-October 9, 2009)

I am too reserved and shy when it comes to taking photos in a restaurant. Not only am I not comfortable, but I'd get serious groans from the kids. Still, when we stopped for lunch on our way to Florida, I should have at least pulled out the camera to capture a picture of the restaurant sign. Unfortunately, I failed to remember until we were bumping down the street away from Felix's...and there's no going back when the beach is beckoning. No problem! Even without accompanying photographs I scrapped a page, a DOUBLE page, about our road trip to the beach, and had a GREAT time being creative without the constraints photos would bring. Try it! Use a large title or an elaborate paper piecing, and tell your story with journaling. Having such a unconstrained area in which to play can unleash your creativity! But next time, I WILL try to get at least a couple photos of our stop.

DIY Flower Leaves

2009-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

(Archiving LM Blog Post-August 17, 2009)

There was something missing. I had layered three patterned papers with a journaling block, ticket stub, tag, big plaid heart, little bird, and three flowers. And in the middle of each bloom were fancy flower centers: a Maya Road chipboard button, a Jenni Bowlin milk cap, and a star sticker, each brushed with a generous amount of KI Gloo. Pretty flowers, yet there was still something missing! Then it came to me. Why not add leaves? Never mind that I didn't have any ready made ones on hand. Dimensional leaves would add a bit of extra color to the page and finish it off nicely. I had the perfect paper at hand. The backside of one of the sheets in the Collage Press collection that I had used for my layout was a nicely muted green. I went about cutting several little leaves and defined their edges with inking. Then I creased each one down the middle, tucking them underneath the flowers, adhering only the inner edge to the page so that they would remain dimensional. There you go! A quick and easy homemade flower accessory!

Cross Craft Inspiration

2009-11-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

(Archiving LM Blog Post-August 7, 2009)

Quilting was a hobby I dabbled in during my pre-scrapbooking days and my biggest project was a queen-sized, hand-pieced, hand-sewn Dresden plate quilt for our bed. I loved sorting through the quilt shop's printed fabrics, picking out just the right ones for my design. After I cut the various fabric into the hundreds of "petals" I then had the task of arranging them into individual sets of 19. I would play with the pieces until I found that "perfect" arrangement, stitch them together, and then go on to the next plate and find another harmonious pattern, each one different from the last. I had the same sort of feeling as I arranged and rearranged patterned paper squares for a recent scrapbook page. After punching out dozens of squares from scraps, I placed two rows of five across the top of a piece of cardstock. I went through so many combinations and arrangements, shuffling them around until I had what felt right for my photo...then hurriedly adhered them to the page (before I rethought the arrangement and changed them around again)!

Pleased with the finished project I then tried a variation on the design and created a total of 4 pages using that same little square punch! It was sort of like quilting again, but without the needle and thread! A fabric design also became the inspiration for the cute little crab on my page. The piece de resistance were it's button eyes! I knew that I could create something similar with paper. Forgoing the sewing machine, I gave my paper squares and paper crab pen-stitching to achieve a similar look. It was so much quicker using the pen. ;)