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....

I shoulld be doing something else....

hey there....i stopped to check my e-mail and figured i should maybe throw in an entry to my blog...i have a zillion other things i should be doing....
well, i'm finally done decorating. seems like it took me forever this year. there is always something else a person would like to do or add but my budget only goes so far. being as i like blog entries w/ photos i thought i'd share a few from "around the house"....
and then the last two photos are of lauren's bedroom...the dollar store border :) the photos are dark but you get the idea....i'm just glad it's done. guess our bedroom will be next but not until after the holidays!
thanks for the appetizer recipes and web sites...i have found several that look yummy and i'll attempt to make.
so that's it for now. i had better get up and get some things done!

Bring On the HoliDays!!

happy thanksgiving! hope everyone enjoyed their day with family and friends....it was such a beautiful day here today. must have been in the mid 60's and sunny. i cooked the big ol' turkey meal w/ all the fixins' (ok, just a turkey breast but that still counts...darn thing cost as much as a whole bird!) everything tasted great....i have the darndest time with gravy...but it was good!
it's been a crazy week...lots going on and lots to do. i finally finished painting lauren's room. turned out pretty cute. 1/2 green 1/2 pink walls with a border in between w/ pink/green circles. found this at the dollar store of all places. i was a bit hesitant thinking there is no way this will stay on the wall....but so far so good. watch it will all be on the floor by tomorrow morning. ha ha
then on tuesday i started putting up the trees! i just couldn't wait anymore....what a fiasco that was....i had 1000 white lights on my tree....plugged it in, all looked great....5 min. later they all went out....ooops, i forgot i couldn't plug all of them into eachother....so i thought i had burned all of them out. took them off, unconnected them, plugged each in individually and they worked. uhg!! ok, this is good cuz at least i don't have to buy 10 more boxes of lights! so, i put them all back on the tree again, one of the strands is out. GEEEZ! luckily it was only the 2nd from the bottom....it took me like 6 hours to get this tree up....i'm still not done decorating the house but at least that is done.....
anyone have any fun/easy appetizer recipes they'd like to share. we're hosting 2 parties this month and i'm in search of some yummy fun appetizers....
anyone going shopping tomorrow? i have never had any desire to shop the day after thanksgiving! i am just not a crowd shopper....so good luck to those brave soles!
(being as i like posts with pictures...here is a card i made....supposed to be santa....)

Some Stuff....

morning....i just had this new entry almost done and i lost it. grrrrrrr..... well, at least you'll miss out on my ramblings....i won't go there again.
but here are a few things i thought i'd share with you....this 2 page layout i did for a class at Page Makers earlier this week. i was to use the theme thankful but i also wanted to use the scalloped paper and show them there are several ways to use the paper vs. just putting it in the center of your layout....

this next layout i used the Jenni Bowlin Nov. kit....i love this kit...the colors are so great. i really like how jenni customizes her kits. she creates something of her own and includes it in the kit. she's been making these journaling cards (not on this layout) that are so cute! i was getting 3 different kits a month but since being put on my budget i have cut back but just can't get rid of this one!

i have a few more classes lined up to teach in Dec. one of which will be this little paper bag album. lots of fun goodies on the inside....

well, i hope everyone has a great weekend. maybe i'll get my tree put up...we have 2 b-day parties to attend and i'm coming down with a cold so not sure how motivated i'll be....

have you ever noticed (my brother has) how i don't type with capital letters and a lot of times i use 3... in between sentences....so very frustrating to do spell check! ha ha ha have a good one!

morning...

good morning. i just have a few things to share today. the layout was just for fun. i had been busy doing layouts for assignments and wanted to play... the album is something i made to send to my sister. she has a group of friends who are scrapbookers....& every now and then i make up kits for them. in the box that i'm sending this week, i decided to make up some albums that they could give as gifts. (the word Joy is from Li'l Davis)
anyone else have the christmas bug already? i've been itchin' to put my tree up!
a few years ago i decided to go fake...we had always had a real tree but realized that each and every year i was taking it down by myself, hauling it out by myself and cleaning up a huge mess, by myself! it's a nice looking tree so i don't mind.
i'm forcing myself to wait until next week... it isn't even thanksgiving for pete sake! so i decided i could at least riffle through my decorations and test all of my white lights... i have a little 2" tree that lauren is putting in her room. she wanted it in there right "now"...so last night we put some lights on it and i told her we could make some ornaments for it... she was pretty excited. the martha stewart holiday issue has some pretty cute ideas.

A few to share....

well for some reason i am unable to load my pictures of my holiday paper bag album i did...i put 3 small lunch bags together, folded in 1/2, punched holes in the fold and tied the 3 together to make an album. some of you may have seen 2 of the layouts i posted today. but i haven't put them on my blog yet...
i've been busy working on assignments and enjoying our nice weather. it's been 75 these past few days. the girls and i just got back from spending almost 2 hours at the park! so nice.
had a photo shoot from hell yesterday. geez! first, i have to admit it was my fault. kati didn't get a nap...so before we even get to the park where the photographer is going to take their pictures, she is freaking out in the parking lot. (she is so not like lauren!) she wouldn't move. she just stood there and had a fit. i was able to take a few cute pictures before the photographer started but by this time they had dirt all over them, their hair was a mess as it was windy....uhg! so i'll be lucky if we get 5 good photos out of that batch. and here i thought if i were to hire someone to take their pictures they would cooperate for them. lauren was good, but i would hope so, she's 5. kati was ok for a while but she had several melt downs during the shoot. she definitely still needs a nap! i'd post some of the pictures i took but blogger won't let me for some reason.

Someone was watching over us!

i got a phone call yesterday from my mom....i had just talked to her the day before so whenever i hear her voice on the phone and i had just spoken with her, it scares me a little. i usually get this feeling that something is wrong. she wanted to let me know what had happened to my dad....(heart skips a beat)...he had been working in his garage/workshop as he usually does when out of no where a bullet comes flying through the wall just above his window. it made a hole through the wall and traveled through the garage knocking a bunch of stuff off of the refrigerator. he couldn't figure out what was going on as it made this huge cracking noise. he said his first reaction was to just hit the floor...he laid there for a few minutes and then got up and looked around to see what in the heck had just happened. he noticed the hole in the garage and figured it was a bullet. my dad makes guns as a hobby, repairs them for people etc...so he knows a lot about guns to say the least. he's been an outdoorsman all his life....BUT apparently the dipshits who were hunting across the road aren't aware of a few rules....1. ya don't shoot your friggin' gun towards HOMES, where people actually live. 2.just because you see a deer doesn't me you just shoot at it without thinking, "where will that bullet land if i happen to miss that deer? hmmm 3. when confronted about what had just happened ya don't laugh and make up excuses! this was a group of men (older), one of which is a neighbor of my dad and moms....the guy who actually shot the gun was very apologetic but his neighbor was the one who laughed it off. my dad told him he didn't think this was funny as he could have been going to his funeral this week! he stopped laughing. i can't stop thinking about this and the thought of what could have happened if my dad had been using his drill press or another saw that was in the path of that bullet. makes me sick. i have never had a problem with guns (when used for hunting or by the police)...but when a gun is put in the hands of someone who is careless& just down right stupid everything changes.... i can't help but to think someone was watching over my dad and our family that day.....

i'll post a project and some layouts a bit later....had to get this off my chest first :) have a great week!

Friday....

boy, i can come up with some catchy titles, huh! ha ha
how was halloween? we had so much fun. the girls dressed up like little geisha girls. kati who is only 2 1/2 had a blast. although, she pooped out after about 12 houses. she would open up her bag half was up the driveway and say, "trick-or-treat"....while all of the other kids had made it to the door and were on their way back to the street. she kind of got lost in the shuffle. it was too cute! they got more candy then they'll ever know what to do with....but the good thing is they have hardly even asked for it....so you know what that means. handfuls will disappear from their already hidden bags. seems wasteful but they just don't get much candy nor do they need it. not too long ago lauren threw up unexpectedly after she had eaten a ton of candy at a friends house....ya, so that was fun. guess their little tummy's just aren't used to it! so anyway, here is a picture of them all dressed up with the 2 neighbor girls....they even had the chopstick in their hair....(thanks grandma, they worked great)

well, i'm going to start teaching classes again! i've really missed it. i'll be teaching at a store called Page Makers, it's in chesterfield MO. i have to admit i was a little skeptical. just like with anything you never really know what to expect until you actually see for yourself. i have to say i LOVED the store. the space was great! very well merchandised (and having been a merchandise mgr. in the past this makes a huge difference in sales and the overall appearance of your store.... anyway.) she had a nice variety of product, a nice work area and just an overall neat store (of course i loved the cement floors!). the store owner, debbie was so sweet and easy going....so i think this will definitely be a good thing.

oh, remember when i entered the Making Memories Idol contest....well, for being one of the top 20 chosen Making Memories sent out one of their paper trimmers to each person. WOW! it arrived the other day....i love this thing! i've been using a fiskars for years and just never wanted to venture away from that....it was easy to use, light weight and didn't take up much room. well, move over fiskars....i'm lovin' this cutter. we'll see how much i love it when i have to change the blade.... but regardless, it's a nice tool....and what a great gift!
ok, i've rambled on enough....have a great weekend!

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!