1st Down and 60...

minutes to Miami!

WOOOO-HOOOO! What a Saintsational weekend this is going to be! We've getting together with the family AGAIN for a party. Lots of football pools entered. The names Brees, Bush, Karney, McAllister, and Colton will adorn our backs all weekend. We bought jerseys for the entire family! Anybody retires or is traded and the name and number get sewn over! laugh.gif Kevin wore his to school today...Black and Gold Day! It's so electrifying! We've never had this much excitement over our football team before. GO SAINTS!!!!!

Homework with Kevin

He can drive me insane. Seriously! He complains from the time he gets into the car after school until his homework is done...and that can be HOURS. Not that he has hours of homework. He doesn't. It's only first grade and he never has more than a couple of things to write (math sheet, spelling sentences) and maybe something to read or study. But his fussing and stalling and whining make it take ten times as long as necessary. Ugh.

Too Much Spongebob?

Kevin says he's hungry.
Tommy asks what he wants for lunch.
He replies, dead serious, "A peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich."
Tee-hee-hee!

He realizes what he said only after we crack up laughing!

Yep...too much Spongebob.

Anticlimatic Christmas

When the youngest woke us up at 7:00 AM this morning, we woke the rest of the kids too. Everyone went into the family room to see what Santa left and we exchanged presents. Meanwhile, Kevin had been digging into his stocking (Hershey's miniatures, sweet tarts, peanut M&Ms, etc.) and into the bowl on the table filled with Hershey's kisses. Soon he's complaining of a stomache ache and leaning over the toilet. I convinced him to go lay down and he slept for three hours but when he woke up and he still felt like he had to throw up. So here we are at home. On Christmas Day. Everyone is at my mom and dad's and here I am with Kevin and his Spongebob DVD. Hee-hee. I am so glad the cartoon is taking his mind off of everything he's missing.

Laura sat with Kevin while we brought the turkey over and I brought a plate of food back home with me. After they finish dinner, Tommy is going to trade places andI can go visit for a while. Then we'll trade places again this evening so he can go visit his mom.

The weather is fitting...overcast and dreary, looks like rain.

Deja-Vu

I am making reservations for evacuating! (Same day last year we were booking our rooms in Jackson, MS.!!!) I tried to ignore things at first, but my sister AND my mom called this morning saying that they are booking rooms and our favorite places are already sold out! :shock: Where do I want to vacation now? Destin? the mountains? Sea World in San Antonio? LOL! Might as well make it fun this time!

Well, we ended up booking 8 rooms (big extended family) in Memphis for Wednesday 4 nights. I'm hoping that we really don't need to go. But better to have those reservations and not use them than to be a wandering bunch of gypsies, unable to find a room at the inn! LOL! Been there...done that!

Textbook Costs

This just burns me up! Julie is going to college part time with only THREE courses this semester. She came home with her books today. She was able to get one of them used, but the others she had to buy new. (You know...the updated edition where the only update is the change in the copyright year on the second page. Grrrr!)

$600---Six hundred dollars! That is just ridiculous! And of course when she goes to sell them back she will get hardly anything for them...that is if she gets anything. They are good at changing books every year.

What gives? They are taking students (and their parents) to the cleaners.

Sketchlift a Friend

From the LM Archives

Sketchlift a Friend

By: Franny Lesniak, Design Team Member

It’s still summer, and very likely your scrapping time is at high premium. Did you follow Vickie’s suggestion and tips from her article in last week’s Lifetime Moments newsletter to select a layout or two of your own creation and scraplift it? If so, how did it go? Did the process occur more quickly than the first time around? Are you ready for some more scraplifting tips? Well, stay tuned, as I’m going to give you more pointers to complete layouts while shaving time off of the creation process.

This week, the topic is generating a sketch based on a layout that was created not by you this time, but by a friend or other scrapper whose work you admire.

When you see a layout that especially strikes your fancy, what is it in particular that you like about that layout? Is it the color scheme? Is it a particular use of an embellishment? Did that person make use of a design element that stood out? Or was it the overall basic design - the structural foundation - of the layout that you found appealing? Identifying the specific part of the layout that you might want to emulate will help you in the jotting down and sketching process.

Sometimes all you need to do is to jot down some notes about the color scheme that you liked, while other times you might want to draw a quick sketch of the layout, which may include just the basic bones design, or it may include more detail than that. Whatever the case may be, make sure to always have a notebook or sketchbook nearby so that you can record these inspirations. Some people find it helpful to use graph paper when making sketches. Just remember, you don’t have to be a talented sketch artist to get down the gist of the design elements!

Another point to remember – when perusing the gallery, if a particular layout strikes you, but you feel that it doesn’t really suit your style, don’t be dissuaded from sketching out the design. Focus on the basic bones structure. Keep an eye out for balance. Once you have made your sketch or notes, then all you have to do is fill in the blanks. You get to make the selection of papers and embellishments, which will result in a layout that will reflect your own style and flair.

Don’t forget, a sketch doesn’t tie you to any commitments. If as you create your sketch you think that this round element in the original design would look better in that location on your layout, and maybe as a different shape entirely, don’t hesitate to make the changes that you feel would work better for you. The sketch is only a starting place. You are free to take creative license and make it your own.

Once you get into the habit of sketching, I am willing to wager that you will find that this little bit of effort may make a significant difference in your creative process. You may begin to find inspiration all around you, all the time. But without making sketches and notes of these moments of inspiration, they can easily slip into the part of the universe where uncaptured inspirations go, sad and unused. Don’t contribute to the waste of perfectly good inspirations! Make sketches!

If creating sketches just isn’t your thing, but creating layouts based on sketches does work for you, then be sure to take a look at these books by Becky Higgins (“Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking”, and “Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking2”). Her sketches will certainly provide you with some great inspiration!

On a final note, there is truly nothing like the good feeling that comes from asking a friend if you can scraplift her layout. Just try it, you will see. :wink:

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Design Team Examples

To view all layout ideas and products used, please be sure to visit the Design Team Gallery: Sketchlift a Friend

Or Click each image below to see a larger view!

Sonya		Scraplifted From ConnieT
		Scraplifted From Mestebla
		Scraplifted From Purplbtrfly
Franny		Scraplifted from Scrappin Jenn
		Scraplifted from Debbie V
Susan		Scraplifted From Deblew
		Scraplifted From EdFred
		Scraplifted From Annalee
Miranda		Scraplifted From RJNetta
		Scraplifted From Debbie King
Madeline		Scraplifted From Joannie
		Scraplifted From LaLunatique’s
Nancy		Scraplifted From Clairbug
		Scraplifted From Melissa in SC

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