My Layout for MM Idol...

so here it is....again, the darn thing looks crooked....hate that scanner....but it's not..... i'm a bit worried as they made a huge mistake and put my name on another girls layout....so it appears as though i have 2 layouts..... NOT good!!!! GO VOTE!!! :)

Create while I wait!

so something funky is going on with the MM Idol site/computers etc....we're not really sure what's going on but in the meantime i thought i'd keep my fingers busy & my mind occupied... kati is napping, lauren is playing with friends, terry is doing his thing and i shall create....

had the flu this weekend. yuck! i guess it was bound to happen...both girls had it and when you're the one to clean up messes, empty buckets etc...it's inevitable. i was pretty bummed that i had to cancel a class that i was teaching at Page Makers on saturday but we're in the process of getting it back on the schedule...

so anyway...please keep an eye out for the MM site to be up and running...you should be able to vote soon...

Today is Voting Day!

so today is the first day to vote! i'll post my layout after the contest gets underway. i figured i had better wait! so if you need a little somethin' somethin' to do go to the link below and cast your vote....for me! :) (but the competition is steep.... i am amongst some pretty amazing artists!) voting starts monday 26th @ 9:00 am (mst) and ends tuesday 27th @ 4:00 pm.
thanks so much!
http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/

finished....

my assignment for the MM Idol contest....i like how it turned out, i just hope the rest of the voters like it....20 people get voted off the first round. unfortunately, i can't share my layout with you just yet. i can tell you it had to be about "me".... which led me to taking photos of myself in the bathroom mirror....i hate having pictures of myself taken so i had to resort to this....my new headshot....

other news...poor kati had the flu today....good thing, she took a 3 hour nap which allowed me to work-out, do 2 loads of laundry, clean and finish my assignment. she's feeling much better, so hopefully it's only a 24 hour bug.

around the house....my handy husband built some awesome shelves for our basement this past weekend....i really should be down there reorganizing and cleaning up... guess my excuse is that kati isn't feeling well. :) i better have it done before he gets back from being out of town or he'll think his hard work is unappreciated.....

i really have nothing else to yack about so i think i'll close up....a quick thanks to everyone who sent me an e-mail or left a comment about the contest....it means a lot...and i'm glad you stop by to visit.... hugs

Random stuff....

got some good news a bit ago......i was chosen to be in the Making Memories top 50 of the MM Idol contest!!! yahoo......(click the link to see the top 50) i was so excited i haven't even looked over the other 49 :) i'm sure the competition is going to be tough....but non-the-less, very fun! now if i can just make it a little farther than i did the last time :)

here is the layout i did for the "how much is too much" contest....we had to use at least 5 of the following, tags, buttons, rub ons, material/ribbon and colors. my ribbon & buttons were too bulky so i had to take a photo of it....the scan looked terrible!

not much else is new....have to run....i'll check back in again soon..... hugs...

2nd Install from 2-14

ok, so here are the additional photos i was unable to load in my previous post.... i did the layout for a challenge..."how much is too much" (HMITM). the challenge was to use 7 pattern papers, 14 flowers & 21 stickers. i wasn't sure if we could go over those quantities so i used exact amounts. (not sure why it looks crooked...it's not) fun challenge! (scroll down to see the 1st post of 2-14....) xoxo

Happy Valentines Day!

lauren is so excited about it being valentines day today although, she is pretty bummed that she has a snow day! (can you imagine....i did backflips when they called school off!) we had a little winter storm that blew through yesterday. i usually watch the national news in the morning so i missed out on the school cancelations yesterday. so i bundle the girls up and we head to school. i guess my first clue should have been that i could barely see in front of me....i got to the school, which is only about a mile from our house (thank god) and there were all of 3 cars in the parking lot.... when i grew up in north dakota they hardly ever called school off. it had to be pretty major. school closures were even less when we lived in alaska! we just aren't prepared down here i guess.
any big plans for v-day? terry is coming home today after being in vegas. ya, i was painfully shoveling our large driveway while he was in vegas. :) doesn't sound like he had much time to play though....(i do have to say that a neighbor drove by on his 4-wheeler w/ a blade and cleared the other 1/2 of my driveway in about 5 min.!!! he saved me!)
not sure what our plans are for the day. probably take the girls out for dinner and maybe let them pick out a little something. terry is probably the most difficult person for me to shop for....he buys what he needs or it's just too darn expensive for me to even consider (on my budget, ya know) so i had a little photo shoot of the girls one day....always an adventure! i managed to get a few good shots so i blew up some pictures of them and framed them for his office or wherever he wants to put them. he's also getting a book..."for men only" by shaunti and jeff feldhahn.....a straight forward guide to the inner lives of women! a while back i had bought myself the women's version, "for women only." it was a very good book and something i should probably read again and maybe again! so here is the photo of lauren....i'm having trouble loading the one of kati....i had to crop the photos and edited them from color to b/w etc....
ok, so i can't get my layout or photo of kati to load....i'll try another post. the picture is too cute not to share. :) it's a typical kati....
hugs and smootches......have a good day!

This & That...

morning....i have a few minutes before i have to pick lauren up from school so i thought i'd post some layouts/projects i did for creative xpress (old layouts that i am now allowed to share via blog)....
not much else going on....i'll leave ya for now....have a great weekend...

Progress Report....

just poppin' in for a quick note....thought i'd let you know i finally stepped on the scale. with much hesitation i might add! i was praying for some results....even though i can see and feel that my body is changing the scale doesn't always show the same love....so it's roughly 7-8 lbs. that i've lost so far since jan. 1st....wish it were more as i used to drop that in a week back in my 20's but this time i'm doing it the right way so i guess i'm content and hope to get the same results, if not MORE next month!

thought i'd share a layout i did just this morning after working out...i don't recall ever doing a layout with my brother and sister...so i came across this photo the other day and of course made me tear up and get all emotional....the journaling just says...."my brother joe and my sister kim together at a family gathering...i couldn't be more proud to call them my family...i love them dearly and miss them like crazy!" (joe, kim and me) (my scanner sucks...the layout isn't crooked in real life)

looking forward for everyone to come back from CHA....can't wait to see and hear about all of the new products coming out... from what i've seen so far it looks like there are lots of fun new things.....oh, got some Li'l Davis lovin' in the mail today...geez, they sent the designers a HUGE box of goodies that i can't wait to play with!

alright, i won't bore you any longer...off to pick up lauren from school and then maybe take them to lunch? it's so cold here i almost hate to drag them anywhere....hugs....

Geez...it's been a while!

hi! guess i've been a bad blogger, huh. haven't had much of anything new and exciting to yack about so i guess i've avoided it....no new photos or projects to share but laura has "tagged" me so this is my motivation to blog......(for those who have no idea what being "tagged" means, i basically just have to answer a bunch of questions...) read on....


are you...1. a cuddler? yes, but don't cuddle often enough
2. a morning person? yes!
3. are you a perfectionist? oh yes!
4. talented? i can't tap dance if that's what you mean....
5. in your pajamas? not sure if this question is asking me if i'm "talented in my pajamas or if i am currently in my pajamas....yes to the first no to the second. ha ha
6. left handed? nope

Last: 1. friend you saw: Beth (another soccer mom)
2. phoned: my mom phoned me today
3. sent text: no one
4. received text: no one
5. message over myspace: don't have a myspace page
6. instant message: have it but don't use it often...

last night: 1. wore: to bed? pj's my mother-in-law gave me
2. last night was: ok...i was feeling sorry for myself as terry got to go out with some neighborhood people and i had to stay home. no sitter....
3. got any plans: watching a couple of "dumb" movies (jackass and something else i can't recall)
favorite:1. number: 11 (old softball number)
2. color: right now? orange
season: spring
missing: my family
needing: a message
wanting: a pedicure

first thing you did this morning: took a shower
q: do you have anything bothering you? not really
q: what's the last movie you saw?: don't recall
q: where is the last place you went? lauren's soccer game
q: do you wish upon stars? yes
q: are you a friendly person?: yes
q: where did you sleep last night?: in my bed
q: what color shirt are you wearing? a khaki sweatshirt
q: when was the last time you really cried? last night
q: what was your last thought before you went to sleep last night? i had better not say, my mother in law might read this....and no, it wasn't about her...
q: what are you about to do? give the girls a bath
q: if you could drink anything right this second, what would it be? diet coke
q: what's your job position called? stay at home mom (some stuff on the side for a little spending money)
q: what's your favorite month(s)? june, october, december
q: what was your elementary school's mascot? a wildcat i think
q: what's your favorite bottled water? i don't care
q: what were you doing at 9pm last night? taking a shower
q: did you attend your high school prom? no
q: did you go to someone else's prom? yes
q: do you prefer coffee or tea? coffee
q: something red within 5 feet? yes (a dictionary)
q: how much french do you know? maybe a dozen words if that...
q: ever crash a car, been in an accident? no
q: do you look good in yellow? don't know for sure
q: do you sing? um, no...in the shower and car
q: ever sing in public? maybe at church once
q: least favorite color? purple
q: ever had dippin dots? yup!
q: how many driving tickets have you had? 2
q: do you own your own house? yes
q: at what age did you/do you want to get married? probably 25
q: have you ever been married? yes...once
q: how many kids do you have/want? have 2 wanted 3 or 4 but we're blessed with 2!
q: do you like anyone right now? this question cracks me up.... i like a lot of people....no one particular person stands out right this second....

well, there you have it....good gravy that took me forever....

Not Much of Anything...

hi!...well, we survived the ice storm. we actually didn't get hit nearly as hard as most of the area....we never lost power and being as our development is newer all off the trees (in our yards) are still pretty small. so we didn't have to deal with any clean up. some people are still without power. i can't even imagine. i freak out when the power goes out for 15 min. let alone when it's 20 degrees and for 4-5 days! here are a few photos from our yard. the trees looked so neat... almost like coral.
i slipped in a little scrappin' time the other day...i used jenni bowlin's jan. kit for the layout. lots of fun vintage stuff.
i am proud to announce i am still doing well with my new years resolution (or "plan" as my sister likes to call it!) still working out every day. not every day is a "hard" workout of course. but i jump on the tredmill for at least 30 min. and use the bowflex and do a few other odds & end type things.... i'm still eating healthy but still drinking diet coke. that was never part of the plan so i'm not giving it up, at least not yet. ha ha i refuse to step on the scale and it's bad enough that my clothes aren't fitting any better. i know it's only been 2 weeks (now on 3) but i want that instant gratification....and so disappointed in myself when it's not there. but i have to keep reminding myself that it isn't going to happen over night and by the end of the first month i should start to see some results. or at least i would flippin' hope so!
ok, well it's story time before bed so i have to run....night...

Honest Opinion....

morning....so i've been playing with photoshop elements a bit (not much) and followed some instructions that my dear friend Laura sent to me and this is what i came up with (bless her heart for typing these out and sending to me! so sweet!) ....not sure if i did everything exactly the way she told me...i was a bit confussed,(doesn't take much) not by her instructions but my lack of experience with elements....so tell me what you think of the photo.... is it still too dark? i converted it from a color photo....maybe if it were an outdoor photo it would be easier but i have the dark background. so i'm not sure....so frustrating. i would really like to get this all figured out so when it's time for me to go back to work once kati starts school this is what i would like to do (with the support of my dear husband of course)....i have always loved taking pictures but if i can take decent photos AND edit them as to where they look good them i'm set. :) i have a lot to learn though...

Back to Normal

hi! well, lauren is back in school today and terry is traveling again...so it seems life is back on track. although, 2 weeks together was a nice break from the every day happenings....i'm glad to be back to our routine.
cute story... when i picked lauren up from school today she had this little piece of notebook paper in her hand. she said, "mom, look at what andrew drew for me." so i look at the drawing and from what i can make of it, it's a heart inside of an arrow....hmmm? we're driving home and i see her in the backseat studying this piece of paper....we get home and she's eating her lunch and out of the blue she says, "i wonder what the heart means mom?" i had a difficult time containing myself. i didn't want to bust out laughing and it's not like i would be laughing at her but at what i think the note is suggesting. so i was joking around with her and said, "i think it means he likes you"..... she just smiled....
it was pretty cute...i noticed she colored the arrow and the heart and has it on her bulletin board. i better go check out her class picture to see who this andrew character is...make sure he isn't shady....Ha ha
kati's potty training is coming along...she's doing great. i decided to train her the same way i trained lauren and that is without wearing panties around the house. she hasn't had a single accident EXCEPT for #2! and luckily i had her in a pair of underwear (she wanted to wear big girl panties, so i thought i'd give it a try) and the 2nd accident happened downstairs in the basement which is unfinished. she freaked out! and of course i think i did too! but the next day she actually sat on the potty and pooped. so i am thrilled with her progress. hopefully by her 3rd b-day (april) she'll be trained....except for at night and naps of course.... and i'm praying she doesn't take after her big sister and develop a fear of public toilets...you know the ones that automatically flush once you get up. well, to this day she hasn't forgotten about the toilet at the costco in anchorage that flushed "really loud" before she was even off of the toilet. geez, what a nightmare that was... she isn't afraid anymore but this happened back when she was 3.... poor thing was scared!
one week down....i've managed to work out every day last week and i ate healthy and cut out snacking! we did order pizza saturday night, which i felt totally guilty for eating but it tasted really good. ha ha i'm not stepping on the scale until next week though. i'm one of those that gets very frustrated if i don't get results right away....so i'm taking a different approach this time and hope it pays off... nor am i starving myself. i used to do that when i was younger too. but would gain weight back and then start the cycle all over again. so tired of that type of dieting/living... i even cooked 4 healthy meals last week....
i should be working on a class project and some assignments....sorry i don't have any photos to share today....have a great week!

happy new year

so i'm a few days late with my new years greeting! hope everyone had a nice/safe holiday!
not much new here....although, i can report i've stuck to my new years resolution now for 4 days! you know, the traditional lose weight, eat better and exercise resolution....the one that usually lasts 2 weeks....hopefully this will be the year i stick to it and change my habits for good....
so i've been tinkering around a bit....just have a few projects to share... the layout scanned terrible, it isn't crooked in real life. then there is the valentines day card....i used a lunch bag and sewed around the 3 sides creating a pocket. then there is the large "fancy pants" flower in the oversized soup can. i used a foam ball at the bottom, hot glued in place and stuck the flower right into the ball. and finally i had to share the black and white photo i took of lauren. i still have so much to learn about my camer and using photoshop...i have the limited edition of photoshop so i'm not sure if i have all of the options that photoshop offers....but i did putz with the lighting etc...of the photo. not sure if it looks good or not....it's certainly not a "tara whitney" photo by any means....anyone have any tips or tricks they want to share feel free....

Up & Running....

my adaptar arrived for my scanner so i thought i'd give it a test run....seems to work! so i'll share a few layouts i have done over the past few days....
so anyway....better get busy...i took the tree and most of the decorations down yesterday and have everything cleaned up for the most part.... kati is napping and lauren is outside playing with friends (it's like 60 degrees here again...) and terry is content sitting in his office listening to his satelite radio...which means i can do my own thing.....see ya!

ramblings...

hi! hope everyone had a merry christmas. it's hard to believe it's come and gone already!
we managed to make it through all of our parties and hoopla...and am ready to move on... ready to take the decorations down and get our house back in ship shape.... i thought i had a handle on the girls toys/clothes prior to the holidays but i didn't...so i spent the majority of the day after christmas reorganizing/throwing toys and clothes. the girls just get bombarded with new toys and clothes from their relatives... we shouldn't have to buy them anything new for quite some time! so for those relatives who peek at my blog but never leave me a comment (ya you!) thanks again for everything!!! the girls loved everything and have played with everything (and i have picked up everything many times!).
my dear hubby got me a new canon camera bag for x-mas which houses 4 lenses & my camera of course....hmmm? so does this mean he will buy me 3 more lenses? ha ha not sure i'd even know what to do with 3 different lenses. i'm still trying to figure out my camera! lets see....i also got a spa gift card for a pedicure and manicure (always a nice treat) oh, a dock for my i-pod, $50 for i-tunes and box of yummy chocolates that i DON'T need..... (thanks dear) so he did good for not having a list....
i got a nice little surprise the other day. the design team at creative xpress was having a holiday card contest amongst ourselves...the staff at creative xpress would ch0ose the winning card....which to my surprise was mine....i'm not a card maker or at least not compared to some of the girls on the team....so i scored myself a new making memories runway bag.....green of course. very fun!
i've actually been able to scrap a few pages....but my scanner died...well, i guess it's probably my adapter that died...so i have another one coming and hope that's all that it is.... other than that not much is new....just trying to get back into the swing of things. i guess that won't happen until winter break is over and lauren is back in school....
have a safe and happy new years!!!

Merry Christmas...

i just thought i'd stop by and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.... it's been crazy around here these past 2 weeks so i've neglected my blog....tonight is lauren's b-day party with her friends. i just finished up her "fish" cake...what a mess that was...geez i had this cute (or so i thought) idea to cut out pizza dough in the shape of fish and then have all of the kids make their own fish pizzas....mmmm, pizza dough does not cut well with cookie cutters. so i think we'll be ordering pizza and playing games. i'm so glad i tried to pre-cut the dough, otherwise we would of had a huge mess on our hands with 10 kiddos trying to make personal sized pizzas. ha ha it's only a 2 hour party so things should clip along pretty fast....and before you know it she'll be 6! (dec. 24th)
still doesn't seem much like Christmas around here....not a lick of snow is on the ground and temps have been in the upper 50's & 60's. i was praying for some of that denver snow to come this way but no such luck. i know, sounds crazy to wish for snow but Christmas just isn't the same without a dusting of the white stuff. (or at least for me....)
Merry Christmas to all....and here's to a happy, healthy New Year!
be safe in your travels....hugs kori

Just poppin' in...

good morning...just wanted to stop in here and say hi....it's going to be a busy week so i won't have much time to blog.... i'm hosting our Bunco group x-mas ornament exchange on tuesday. i'm really looking forward to it....then on Saturday Terry and I are hosting a holiday party with several neighbors. but in between all of that it's swimming lessons, gymnastics and a girls scouts meeting. oh ya, and an assignments i have to get done and a class to teach on sunday..... i kind of thrive on being crazy busy though. sounds strange huh!

well the photo is our x-mas card this year. taking a family photo just wansn't happening and time was running out. so i plopped the girls in front of the tree and after 10 attempts and threatening to take gifts away if they didn't smile nice (ha ha....no joke, i had to pull out all stops, lauren needed to get to school, so i wasn't playing around.... poor girls... needless to say this is the photo i got after the threat....so they get to keep all of their gifts. ha ha like i really would have taken them away.....) i made another covered candy bar....this one i made using the pink martini papers....i taught a class on saturday and for this class i used the PM papers so i thought it would be fun to do a give away using the papers as well....

so that's that....i had better pull myself together and start my week..... have a good one!

More to share...

i finally feel like i'm getting some things accomplished and crossed off my list...so i figured i could play a bit... i finished up a few projects i started....the big candy bar is a teachers gift...just wrapped with the pattern paper. so easy and cheap! (my friend michelle made these last year...got the idea from her...thanks michelle) i cut the pencils down with a hand saw and resharpened. i also finished my button ball.....it was cute before it got too many pins on it....now i'm not so sure i like it...but thought i'd share anyway...just another fun idea for an ornament. i really don't have much else to share...i had better get back at it before i get to cozy in this chair! take care.....

Not much...

hi there...well, we dug ourselves out this morning. i think we only got a few inches of snow so to us that isn't much but when it rains before, during and after snowfall...it's a huge mess. it was so heavy and not to mention it was like chopping a block of ice...i'm pooped and i didn't even help that much. ha

i just wanted to share my ornament i made today. i used the Pink Martini rub ons and the letter rub ons are from doodlebug.....

did some x-mas baking yesterday and today. finished up our traditional sugar cookies w/ royal icing. lauren had fun and of course kati just ate the cookies.

i'm off to make some more ornaments...thought i'd do some cute button balls....