hola...

Hi! hope the wk. end was good to everyone. It always seems to go by way too fast! Not much new here. Had a halloween party to attend and a soccer game that ended the season. Here is a pict. of the girls. Lauren is the second from the end. Such a cute group of girls...
and there is a story behind the layout....if i could slow down and read directions more carefully....i saw that maya road was having a design team call. i love their products! embellishments are my favorite! i love a good pattern paper too but fun embellishments just do the trick! so anyway....i crank out this layout, load it, send it etc.... THEN i go back and re-read their call w/ the details etc....turns out they wanted a "project" not a layout....so i frantically e-mailed them and thank goodness they didn't seem too annoyed with my lack of ability to follow directions....i created a project and sent that off....whew!
anyway...have a safe halloween!

Morning...

hi....been a while since i've posted.... so i just thought i'd pop in here and show off my daughters kindergarten picture. i was pleasantly surprised! i was expecting the cheesy smirk, i don't wanna take this photo kind of look....but she actually smiled nice....and looks so cute....(ok, so that's a mothers opinion!) before i dropped her off i made sure to tell her not to let anyone do anything funny with her hair! ha ha (only a mother would give that advice!) i remember some of the frumpy helpers that would volunteer to help the students before getting their pictures taken....they'd comb your hair all funny, paste it down to your forehead or lick their fingers and wet down your hair. yuk! so needless to say this picture of lauren was a nice surprise! (the blue background was a bit brighter than i thought it would be though! yikes)
have a good week!

WHEWWWW!

Hi! wow, it's been a while since i've posted...been a crazy few weeks.... my in-laws just left this morning after a weeks long visit. had a great time with them! i love having company! we've lived so far away from family for so long that it's such a joy to have family around whenever we can! we still live 800 miles away from them but at least it's a car ride vs. a 7 hour flight.
well, i celebrated my birthday this past week and my dear hubby got me the most awesome gift!!!! yup, a canon eos digital rebel xti! he also bought me an additional lens but i can't recall it's size..... i'm still learning but have played a little bit and love it! it's so fast! now i just need a new photo printer and i'll be set! ha ha (x-mas is just around the corner, right!)
i haven't worked on many layouts this past week...i did get a nice little e-mail from CK wanting a layout from me! first time being published in CK!!! very excited. i'm sure you've all heard the sad news about Scrapbook Answers? if not, their closing up shop. the pub. co. decided to close them up.....but none-the-less it's sad! there will be one more issue coming out, the november issue. so look for that!
thought i'd share a few layouts....the green layout is for Creative Xpress DT this month...we had to create a layout using our favorite color (i don't have just one but chose green as it's one of my favorites) and the hog heaven layout was just for fun... have a great week!

Random Stuff....

Hi....i really don't have anything all that exciting to chat about...but i wanted to share a few Li'l Davis layouts i did for their booth at Memory Trends.... each layout has something new that their bringing out at the show...new glitter garden, printed flowers and the rockstar rounders....
to answer your question michelle...about the circles...for the bigger circles i used my coluzzle nested circles and for the smaller ones i have a sizzix die. i never thought i would use a coluzzle template for anything...until i had an assignment at CX....i LOVE it...i use it all of the time.
that's all for now....have to get back at it!

TGIF

another week flew by! crazy...but it was a good week.
the design team for Creative Xpress loaded their layouts for Aug. into the design team gallery today...4 of the layouts i posted here are for aug. the "Learn 2 Skate" layout is for Pink Martini...this is the new Pink Squirrel line...so cute. the yellow paper has a faint turquoise grid on it....it's so cute. i didn't notice it until i started working with the papers...and the 2 strips of brown at the bottom that have the words on it....are also on one of the pieces of paper that came in that line....the words i cut out were so appropriate for this page...they say, " worn out and screaming, "woo hoo" & "preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways" too funny....
not much else going on...have some what of a busy wk. end planned. soccer, dinner and a b-day party and i'm sure other stuff will come up. i have some more assignments to get done but other than that...oh, and potty training...that's top priority. kati has used her potty 3x's now for me and i couldn't be more happy! i've been putting her on her potty for months now and she has never gone....so i'm hoping now we're at least on our way to "getting it".
have a great weekend! be safe....

New PINK MARTINI papers!

hi there! thought i would share the two layouts i created for the new Pink Martini paper line coming out at Memory Trends in Vegas in just a few weeks!!! they were so much fun to work with...i think the Creamsicle line is my favorite but i haven't worked with the Pink Squirel line yet....so maybe i'll change my mind. the pool layout is the Flirtini line and the sisters layout is the Creamsicle line....the rub ons will be coming out at the show....

Here is my Secret....

i had this in an earlier post but had to remove it due to it being a secret (and i didn't know it was to be kept a secret....oops) so now i'm putting it back out there.... got a nice e-mail a few weeks back from renee camacho (who is now the creative director for Li'l Davis designs, inviting me to be on their team! i know those of you reading this who don't scrapbook or aren't part of this industry are probably reading this and thinking what's the big deal...... the list of names on this team is amazing. such talent and to be designing for one of the manufactures i have always L O V E D! is sa-weet!!! i am so honored that they picked me out of the crowd!!!
here is there blog and website (hopefully the links work, i've been having trouble with adding links???) http://www.lildavisdesigns.typepad.com/

Random Stuff...

Happy Friday to ya! another week zoomed by! crazy how that happens!

did you watch grey's anatomy last night? man, i love that show! but of course i cried like a baby. ha ha

not much new going on....the usual running around...we have a birthday party to go to tonight for a neighbor girl who turned 5. tomorrow is a soccer game and out to dinner with a neighborhood couple.we're both celebrating our wedding anniversaries. we're going to this funky little restaurant in st. louis called Yai Yai's. can hardly wait!

i have a fun little design team secret...i posted it in an earlier entry without realizing it was still supposed to be a secret....so i earased it...i'll be able to share soon, i hope. it's killin' me not to share....this is one i've always wished i could be a part of....

a little Pink Martini plug....amy sent out their new paper lines yesterday along with some cool letter stickers (rubons are late) so the designers get to work on a couple of layouts for their booth at Memory Trends using the new papers, which is in just a few weeks. the papers are so fun! my favorite line in Creamsicle! wish i could show you.....but their still underwraps. their web site is also being updated so if you visit there are several areas that won't open (or at least they didn't for me).

i got the chance to work on a few layouts this week. the green/black layout is created using most of the Jenni Bowlin Sept. kit....i love that pict. of my daughter. and the 2nd layout i have actually scrapped those pictures before but i like them so much i wanted to do something else....i actually did a 3rd layout but i submitted that one so i'll wait and see if SBA picks it up....speaking of Scrapbook Answers....have you seen the holiday issue? lots of fun stuff in there!

have a great weekend! be safe...

Finally...

finally getting around to updating my blog...it's been a busy 2 weeks. all is well on the home-front. the garage sale was a hit...i feel as though i made enough money to have made all of my efforts worth while. i still have a few boxes in the garage that the salvation army is picking up on friday...but i'm just so relieved it's over. not sure i'll do another one of those for a while!
my dentist appt. wasn't as successful. 1 root canal and 2 possible root canals. ya, not good. the tooth that bothered me was from a previous root canal that the dentist never put a crown on. the cavity cracked and i got an infection...or so they tell me. i'm going to focus on fixing one tooth at a time....i have my parents to thank for my crappy teeth....i guess my sweet tooth probably hasn't helped matters. but they look good. ha ha
here is a layout i finally finished up after 2 weeks of moving it from spot to spot. i just never had time to finish it and when i did get the chance i was in a funk...
so i cranked it out today....i can't get the title page to look straight. it isn't crooked in real life...i swear....
so in the midst of gymnastics, soccer, 4 design teams, weekends packed with going here and there....i signed up for a bible study class with my neighbor. i have never taken a bible study class before so i'm actully pretty excited about it. i am not a super religious person, but i do believe in god and i do say my prayers every night :) the study is called, "how to act right when your spouce acts wrong." ha ha should be a good one! (i'm not pointing the finger at only my husband here.....i often times act "wrong" over certain situations as well) there i said it....just don't tell him i said that....ha ha
this weekend i'm taking the girls to see Monsters Inc. on ice. we're going with our neighbor and her 2 girls as well. i'm praying kati can sit through the show. i'm not sure how long it will last but i think they'll enjoy it!
alright, well project runway is calling my name. love that show....design star was another good one...they'll bring that one back again for sure! or at least i hope so....good night all....

Dreading Today!

morning....so today is the day i have long avoided! but unfortunately i can no longer avoid! i have had a tooth ache for 2 days now!!! i am so not a dentist person....in fact i would much rather give birth than even step foot into a dentist office. i like nothing about the dentist....oh, i take that back...i like how my teeth feel after i have them cleaned! and that would be it! i hate the smell, i hate the drills, i hate novacain, i hate that light that shines over your eye balls, i hate seeing that tray of sharp nasty tools.....there is nothing enjoyable about the friggin' dentist! nothing.... but i simply can not tolerate pain in my mouth either...it affects your whole head and just makes ya feel like crap.....so off i'll go. i wonder what my blood pressure would be when i walk through the office doors. ha ha i've never been given the gas...but maybe today if they have it i might ask for it.... i'm bringing my i-pod for sure....crank that baby up so it drowns out those darn drills....
other news....just getting ready for our garage sale....i was all prepared until i decided to sell all of the girls old clothes....tubs and tubs of clothes....all of which are pretty nice. i can tell i wasn't on a budget back in those days...all of the clothes are from gymboree or the gap! and they all mix and match and have shoes and hats....
ok, well wish me luck....i'm sure it won't be as bad as i'm making it out to be....hopefully this dentist will let the novacain take affect before drilling....ya, i've had a dentist start rootin' around in there before i'm numb....he hit a nerve and i almost popped him one! i better stop writing about it...i'm getting all worked up again...ha have a good one!

How can it be Friday?

hi! so it's still been a good week, just can't believe it's already friday! crazy how time flies so fast!
well, i didn't make the scenic route design team....it's all good. i wasn't holding my breath on that one....they chose a lot of good designers though!
lauren started gymnastics yesterday. she absolutely loves it! i knew she would...
she has taken tumbling classes and dance classes in the past but they were just done at the "Y" or it was when she was only 3 and doesn't really remember much. well, she's going to a huge facility that's just for gymnastics....so when we walked in yesterday there were tons of "bigger" girls flippin' around...she was in awe! she has always had great balance and is very coordinated so i'm hoping she sticks with it and enjoys it! i just wish it were a little cheaper! geez
i really can't think of anything else to chat about so i'll close up...have a great weekend!
oh....here are my creative xpress layout for the month of july....well, i guess one is a project...(2 mini band aid tins from provo craft...stuck together...one for each of the girls) and the layout is of my beautiful niece courtney.... (using products from We R Memory Keepers)

It's a Good Week!

it just dawned on me as i sat down to write this entry...it's been a good week! {and it's only wednesday!} can it get any better? what makes it such a good week you ask?
* i created a couple of projects for Pink Martini Designs and they loved them and will be recreating them as class kits!
* one of my best friends from high school called me the other night!!! so fun catching up! thanks kari!
* lauren still LOVES school!
* it isn't so stinkin' HOT here anymore...doesn't mean it won't be 99 degrees tomorrow
* tomorrow is my mom's birthday! LOVE her!
* i moved and reorganized my scrap space
* i'm pretty much ready for our subdivisions garage sale in 2 wks
* i sent a little gift to my friend nichole in california...
* amy from pink martini designs shared their 3 new paper lines with me last night. OMG they are fabulous!!! they'll be coming out for memory trends in oct. hopefully we'll get samples to create projects for them before the show! can't wait!
* and finally a trip to target and costco today! i love restocking the cupboards! filling up the cereal containers and straightening the soup cans....i know i know...it's the OCD thing again!
now, if only layle from scenic route would call me tomorrow and invite me to be on their design team! (ha ha...ya, me and the 500+ sb artists!) that would make for a killer week!
hope you're having a good week! hugs!

School Photos

thought i'd share some photos of lauren on her 1st day of school...all went ok. i had my melt down before we left the house and lauren never shed a tear! it was kati who screamed her way down the hall as we left! she wanted to stay and play! geez!when i picked lauren up from school she said, "mom, i love school!"

Today is the Day!

we're all ready!
* outfit picked out and ironed....check
* matching hair ponies picked out....check
* backpack by the door....check
* mom spiffied up the flip flops....check (it's still 90 degrees here, flip flops are a must for lauren when it's 90! her feet would sweat and then she'd be all mad at me cuz i made her wear "normal" shoes!)
* box of kleenex in the car....check
* space on my camera for pictures....check
* battery charged....check
i think we're set! i'll let you know how it goes.....
here are a few albums i made yesterday for a neighbor....she is giving them as gifts.... (the boys name is kai...)

One more day!

til' lauren heads off to kindergarten....i think we're all ready. still have to pick out the outfit and find a paint shirt....my camera has room for a few new pictures, so we're good to go! oh, and i had better stash a box of kleenex in my car!
i was able to work on a few layouts over the weekend...for the "pooped out" layout i used a lot of supplies from the Jenni Bowlin aug. kit....too cute! i'll never get the hoola hoop one to line up next to eachother but it's pretty obvious they go together! i did that one a few weeks ago...when my niece was staying with us....
have a good day! hugs...

Happy Dance!!!

ok, i feel a little silly about tootin' my own horn...but i'm too stinkin' excited to keep it a secret! amy goldstein from pink martini called me today and invited me to be on their design team! a little excited here! reinventing things is totally my thing....i love doing layouts etc...but embellishing something or creating something other than it's intended use makes me happy! so fun! thanks amy! can't wait to work with the rest of the team!
we're in the middle of a thunderstorm so i had better cut this short....hugs

trying to fix the link....

Debbie Hodge's blog ok, hopefully this will work? i had trouble w/ blogger yesterday so maybe that is why the link isn't working? if it doesn't work you can google debbie hodge and her blog name is unexpected destination. sorry for the hassle.

Debbie's GoT PhoTos!!!

if you visit Debbie Hodge's blog you'll see some awesome photos from the SBA girls weekend retreat! she has a link off to the right side that is titled SBA girls weekend retreat....check em' out... she did a great job capturing the "other" side of some of the girls! (ps. NO, i did not get up on stage!)

Back from Az...

wow, what a fun weekend! ok, so i have to admit it wasn't all fun and games nor did everything run smoothly 100% of the time....but overall it was a great experience and i met some great people! for instance: Amy Goldstein from Pink Martini...loved her...she has this dry sense of humor, this sarcastic personality....she oozes New York and i love it! Jill Davis from Scrapbook.com....wow, what a nice/genuine person!! and the rest of her crew was just as nice and down to earth! Michelle Hill from li'l davis...super sweet...leslie the editor from SBA....super sweet and you'd never know it but she's one hell of a singer/dancer! ha ha Kim Kwan & Lindsay Teague were super fun..... on looker Kim Kesti was there....loved her too! so very nice and hard to believe she has 7 kids! she doesn't look a day over 25! hee hee (serious!) and then of course meeting Jenni Bowlin is always a treat! she is one of those people who is so kind and has such a pleasant demeanor....and it's real! but what i think i enjoyed the most was meeting 4 of the other design team members! nichole (my roomate), mandy, debbie and danielle! love these girls! we had a blast together and hopefully we'll keep in touch! i'll share some pictures as soon as i get some...i didn't take very many with my camera but will snag some from nichole!
terry managed the house fairly well while i was gone....the house was still standing and the girls were in one piece....so i'm thankful! probably not as clean as i would have liked it to be but he did a good job and i'm certainly not going to nit pick about the clean dishes that had been left in the dishwasher since last wed. or the clean clothes he dumped into a basket to fold later.....um, i just rewashed those! no sense in even trying to fold them. bless his heart....he did good!
so i'm in the process of cleaning, doing laundry and getting lauren geared up for kindergarten. she starts on the 23rd! i have a feeling it's not going to be a good day for me! i got teary eyed today just thinking about it! :) but she's excited!
better get back at it....hugs to all!

back to reality!

saying "bye" is always so difficult for me! my sister and her family left early this morning to head back home. i think it's easier to say "bye" if you're leaving from some place else...vs. when someone is leaving your house. you get into the routine of having coffee together in the morning and planning out your day....and then the next day your house feels empty and you're drinking your morning coffee alone. (it doesn't help that my husband is out of town and i'm alone w/ the girls) to put it mildly....saying "bye" just sucks!
but good thing is i have a busy/exciting week ahead of me...
*head to lauren's new school to drop of kindergarten paperwork (can't believe she starts big girl school in 2 weeks!)
*tuesday is highlight day! thank god! i have 2" roots showing on the top of my head!
*pack for my trip to phoenix
* wednesday...leave for the "all girls weekend retreat for SBA"!!! i'm a little nervous about this....1.) i haven't left my girls since they've been born 2.) i'm getting on a plane alone, leaving my family behind 3.) my husband will be running the household for 4 days! ha ha
i know he can do it...he's just never had to....note to self....give him instructions on how to use our washer before leaving! (don't want that to be an excuse for not doing laundry for 4 days!)
my coffee cup is empty...getting back to reality! have a great day!