Michelle Strachan's Blog

I got my Rebel!

2010-06-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! It feels soooo good to be able to take photos again! PLUS, my last day of work for the summer was Thursday, so I might even be able to do something with the photos! I am so excited to hang out with my kids this summer and be a Mommy again!!!

Jack Playing Hockey

2010-03-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

We have been wanting some of you to get out to see one of Jack's hockey games. We understand that isn't too realistic right now for Mommy and Daddy, so this will have to do. A huge THANK YOU goes out to my friend, Elsa, mom of two of Jack's buddies and teammates for taking these shots! Enjoy!

Seriously...

2010-01-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

I need to stop entitling posts "Has It Really Been This Long?" Because this time it has been over seven months! Just wanted to record some of the cute things about the kids. Jack is loving ice hockey and has little league evaluations tomorrow. He's into reading the My Weird School books, and is all about hanging with his best buddies he has had since kindergarten.
Speaking of kindergarten, Charli is a kinder and loves it. She is reading, her faves being the Brand New Reader books.
I am working at a fabulous school in the district. The principal is an amazing woman! I love my colleagues, the parents, and especially the children! Since I can no longer be Volunteer Extraordinaire at my own kids' school, I still participate by being on the Construction Site Committee, and I am on the Committee for an upcoming Bond Election.
What else? Ran a half marathon in October, took a long break, and I am slowly getting back into it now.
The kids each had sleepovers last night, and now they want to go to the indoor trampoline park. WOohoo! I tend to be the oldest person jumping there, but I don't mind! It is sooooo FUN!
Both my kids are super loving, and have had a tough adjustment with me returning to work. Jack has the odd cry over missing me, and both of them love to run their sweet, loving little hands over me when we hang out at story time (or whenever.) I looooove them! In fact, I am going to hang out with them RIGHT NOW!

Has it really been this long?

2009-06-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Has life gotten so much in the way that I've forgotten about reflecting? Indeed it has! But now we are on summer vacation! Woohoo! Hopefully I'll be posting more. This is crazy. The entire last year has just FLEWN by!

It's a bizarre, drizzley, overcast day here in Los Gatos. Unusual for June. But perfect for running! Now, if Denyelle would wake up, we could get going! Jack's got a bit of a cough this morning, and Charli is still asleep. Apparently the last week of school wore them out! Bring on the sleeping in!

I'm pumped to go to a family gathering today. I need some family time!

Vicki's Birthday Present

2009-04-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Vicki (my sis) asked for some scrap pages to hang on her wall. I DORKED and only took a pic of ONE of the three. I created two on foam core and one on cardboard. This one is on black foam core. I LOVE it, and Vicki did, too! Enjoy!

I scrapped!

2009-04-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, I actually did this a few weeks ago, but never posted. Janna never checks my blog, so I think it's pretty safe to assume she won't see this! This is the first page I did for her and David's wedding album. I did double-duty and did it for a scraplift challenge over at ScrapLove, too. It felt soooo good to create!

Ok, Seriously...

2009-03-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

How on earth did I think I could do 365 with a broken camera and no time to scrap??? This project does not seem to be working out for me, but I can still try. We'll see. Life is SUPER busy!I have been trying to save Spanish Instruction at Jack's school, I have been helping DH a it with Pacific Ice, Jack is taking ice skating lessons, DH's commercial debuted yesterday, Jack's school had a Jogathon Friday, and, most importantly, Charli turned five this week! Today we're having a family birthday party for her. Since we had a commercial debut party last night, we haven't even begun prepping for it. It will be casual BBQ style, so that is fine.

I miss scrapping. I miss it terribly. It's driving me CRAZY that I am too busy to scrap. I might need to start staying up some late nights so I can scrap for my own sanity. I just received a GORGEOUS prize package from DreamGirls!!!! Wow! Thank you! I can't wait to play with it. Oh! And I received Janna's wedding photos!!! Woohoooo! Can't WAIT to play with those! I have dug into the stuff I was saving for that project... just stole a bunch of solid colored cardstock... stuff that's easy to replace. I need to get on that!

Alight. The kids and I are having cookies for breakfast. I think we better have a little protein and fruit, too, so we don't have a sugar low in an hour! LOL! Ciao for now!

More on 365...

2009-01-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Ok. I know I already talked about Project 365 in my last post, but here it is again. For those of you who don't know, Project 365 is about documenting a year in your life. So I plan to take a photo every day, and do weekly pages compiling them together. I had heard about it, but didn't pay much attention. I figured it was just another 1-a-day challenges. And it is, to a point. But Becky Higgin's forgiving, flexible attitude made me realize I can participate in any capacity I choose. If I miss a day taking photos, no biggie. I can journal about it. Or not. Totally up to me. Kinda took the stress off, and I got all excited about it. The more I thought about it, the more I was totally convinced. I was sucked right in... hook, line, and sinker.

On another note, today are Little League tryouts. Didn't realize Jack had to try out. I'm sure he'll be going into Coach Pitch, which is the next level for him. Jeff plans to coach, too. Should be a fun season! I'm excited to see how today goes, and I'm just a little nervous for Jack, because he tends to get nervous in these situations. Regardless, the dude is playing baseball this spring for sure. Woohoo!

Project 365

2009-01-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm late. But I want to play! I've decided I want to do Project 365. Unfortunately, I missed a few pics for my first week of January. But that's ok. I can journal about those days, and at least I have 7 pics for the week. I'm so excited! I think I'm really going to enjoy this project! I plan to have my first layout up soon.... I will keep them simple so I can just get them done. Plus... they need to be simple to fit all the pics! Cheers to a fabulous 2009!!!

The Wrinkley Thing

2009-01-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

I just noticed that the last three layouts I posted have crumpled, wrinkled paper backgrounds. And I like the wrinkled look. But I think I've been overdoing it. I think next time I need to iron the paper back out after I crinkle-and-ink or wrinkle-and-sand. I so need to be scrapping more so I can find my groove again!

Magic of Christmas

2009-01-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

I just love the magic of Christmas. The trees. The lights. The scents. The music. Santa. I love it all. This was my favorite photo from Christmas 2008. Unfortunately, I kinda ruined it by overdoing the layout! LOL! I think I'll do a second one and keep it simple!

Weekend at The Rocks Ranch

2008-12-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

What an amazing time we had at The Rocks Ranch! Check it out!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

DreamGirls Challenge #18

2008-12-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

I had a ball with this challenge! I haven't scrapped in AGES, and feel like I've lost my groove, so it was great to scrap something again, even though it wasn't my best work. Thank you, DreamGirls for the inspiration! We were to use this sketch

by Liz Qualman, bling, and a holiday song for a title.

Here is a little of the detail.

DreamGirls Challenge #15

2008-11-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

I was so inspired by this challenge! We were to use a song that inspires us, a coffee filter, and distressing. Loved it! Thanks for the inspiration!

Another ScrapLove GDT Layout

2008-11-02T12:02:00.001-08:00

Here's another! This one is my fave!

ScrapLove GDT Layouts

2008-10-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've had so much fun playing with the supplies Suzanne sent me from ScrapLove! So far, I've done these two layouts, using supplies from the store!

Kids Ice-Skating

2008-10-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

We've been taking the kids ice-skating the last couple Sundays, and the just LOVE it! They can both skate on their own now, and Jack is starting to pick up a little speed. It's a super fun family activity for us!

Greek Salad

2008-09-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for something fresh for dinner. Jeff and the kids ate at the Keiners after Great America, so I'm on my own for dinner. Woohoo! Looking forward to devouring this thing!

Charli's First Day

2008-09-06T18:47:00.001-07:00

Charli started Pre-K this past week. Here she is at home, all excited to start the day!

And here is the back of her. Love the bow on her dress, and, of course, I made the hair accessory to match!

And this one is my favorite. It's so Charli. She's in her cute, girlie outfit, but her hair is already messed up before school starts, and she's all over the monkey bars! That's my girl!

August is almost over!

2008-08-29T11:34:00.001-07:00

And I haven't done a single post for August. Charli is being needy, so this will be quick. Jack started school this week, and here's his first day pic. Isn't he adorable?

Hitting the club pool today, and did yesterday after school. I love summer, but only wish the heat would hit during summer vacation instead of at the start of the school year!

Dream Girls Challenge #8

2008-07-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I love scrapping meaningful things, and often forget to do it! Thanks to the girls over at the DreamGirls Challenge Blog, I was inspired to do this layout. The challenge was to scrap a love relationship. This is about reassuring Jack that there was still plenty of Mama Love to go around after his baby sister, Charli, was born. Thanks for the great challenge!

Plenty of Mama Love

The twist was that we were to use distressing and flowers on our layout. This close up shows both. I crinkled, tore, sanded, and inked! :D

ScrapLove Layout #2

2008-07-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here's my layout for week 2 of the Summer of ScrapLovin' Challenge over at ScrapLove. The challenge was to use at least 3 non-scrappy, or "junk drawer" items on the page. I used six! 1. cardboard 2. newspaper 3. coffee filter (for the flower) 4. zipper 5. cheesecloth 6. popsicle sticks. TFL!

ScrapLove Layout #1

2008-07-20T11:44:00.001-07:00

Here's my first layout for the Summer of ScrapLovin' Challenge at ScrapLove. We were to use a colorful photo collage of gorgeous photos for inspiration!

Another Crop Layout

2008-07-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

I was able to complete one more layout for the ScrapLove Summer of ScrapLovin' Kickoff Crop. It was for a "wings" challenge.

ScrapLove Kickoff Crop

2008-07-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

So I had a little time to play over at ScrapLove, and got these two layouts done during the crop. Hope to get one or two more done before it's over!

Dream Girls Challenge #7

2008-07-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

I really felt like being artsy last night and just playing. So here this is. The challenge was to have some raw journalling, office supplies (I used staples on the ribbon) and stamping with household items (I used silver paint and a lid.) I'm not sure the journalling is raw enough for this challenge, but I still like this layout! Had fun with it! I like all the wrinkles and cracked paint.

July 1st, 2008

July Art at The School of Scrap

2008-07-01T17:21:00.001-07:00

I just posted my Art and Design assignment at The School of Scrap. The students were to use this art piece, which is my son's class' rendition of Van Gogh's Sunflowers, for inspiration.

Here it is:

And here is my take on the piece:

Come check out my class!

Charli Diving

2008-06-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Just had to show off how well Charli is doing in the water already this year! Enjoy!

Water Babies

2008-06-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

We just had four days back-to-back of water fun! My wonderful neices, Alexandra and Sophia, visited for the two days after Father's Day, and MY kids looooooove spending time with their cousins! And we continued on with the water play the next day! Here are four pics, one from each day, in chronological order.

Discovery Bay

The Club

State Beach

Sprinkler Play

Dream Girls Challenge #5

2008-06-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

The challenge was to scrap five random thoughts in five different places on the layout, and to have some doodling. It's not my best work ever, but it's done! Jack was pressuring me to hurry up the entire time, as HE wants to do a page. Man, I was hoping for JUST ONE DAY to relax and scrap. Just one. But the kids will NOT stop bickering, whining, crying, and driving me crazy. What's happened? School ends and all H breaks loose???

We made it!

2008-06-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

We survived the school year! Woohoo! What a wonderful year it was! Here are the kids and me this morning at Jack's school. Yay summer!

Kid Pics

2008-06-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any pics of the kids in awhile, so here ya go. Our lives continue to be very full! :D

Here's Jack blowing bubbles at the park:

And here he is on Fun Day at school. Notice the bangs cut. Ain't he cute?

Here's Charli having fun with water:

And here she is at school. What an angel!

Reading Journals

2008-06-09T17:34:00.001-07:00

Here are the reading journals I created for Jack and Charli to ensure we keep the reading going this summer! They are just altered/decorated composition books.

Slacker

2008-06-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, feeling really guilty about slacking with Jack's reading lately. We've had many late nights, busy times, and we've done very little reading lately. At least Thursday he signed up through the library for the summer reading program. I also made both him and Charli reading journals. My plan is to make the reading and journalling part of our daily routine over summer.

I'm really looking forward to summer break and hanging with the kids. I have all kinds of fun art, science, reading, writing, etc. ideas to do together. Plus (and more importantly right now) all the FUN we'll have! Especially swimming at the club, assuming a nice summer will actually arrive soon!

Oh, I can't wait! I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait....

Has it really been this long....

2008-06-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

since I wrote a meaningful post? I was just looking over my calendar, and here are a few things that have been happening lately (my little excuses for being MIA.) May 18th was our Day on the Green fundraiser at school. Put in back-to-back 12+ hour days for that one. May 30th was our Principal's retirement party. So bummed he's leaving. Today was voting day, and I've been helping a bit with the Yes on Measure E Campaign. We'll find out soon if it passed (hopefully.) Let's see... it's tournament week for Little League, Charli had a birthday party today, I've been exercising a bit... for several weeks now! Mostly running with Denyelle Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I've done a couple exercise classes at the club, as well. Wondering what's up with this unseasonably cool late spring we're having. Ummm. What else? Oh, one weekend recently we had five events in one day. Ummm... yeah, that was May 10th. The last birthday party we had to bail on. We were just wiped at 12:30am after going hard all day. Still need to load some pix from Jack's 7th birthday that day... didn't really get any good ones, though. So tomorrow we have a baseball game, Friday I'm working Snack Shack, Saturday we have our last game followed by our year-end party, followed by my awesome friend, Amy and her hubby Jim coming over Saturday night before their Sunday triathlon. Oh, and did I mention I had Allison's little girl, Bella (who is Charli's best friend) for about five hours Sunday and then for a Monday sleepover? Oh, and I think I had them all Friday, too? Or did I? I keep forgetting which days I've had Allison's kids lately, but I know I've had them a few times. I'll have them again this Friday, and then she'll watch mine while I do Snack Shack. This is really just a mindless rambling. Just updating my MANY readers (ha!ha!) of what I've been up to. A lot. But not much at the same time.

My Grandpa has cancer. I need to call him. Darn, it's already too late tonight. If I could slow my life down a bit, I could remember to call him and have a meaningful conversation. Meaningful. That's the second time I wrote that in this post.

I'm looking forward to hanging out with the kids this summer. Last night I made them reading journals for summer. Will have to get pics of them and upload them soon. Well, just rambling. Time to go. I did another DreamGirls layout recently. Here it is:

First Sketch-Abilities DT Layout

2008-05-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the layout. Los Gatos Little League Day fell on Jack's 7th birthday, and he's #7 on The Storm!

Here's the sketch:

Measure E

2008-05-02T20:39:00.001-07:00

So this is what I've been up to lately. Trying to renew funding for Jack's school. Check it out!

Sketch-abilities DT Entry

2008-04-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Holly Hooven has started a new sketch site called Sketch-abilities. She is having a DT call, and just extended it until the end of the month. I love this first sketch, as it is something WAY outside my normal way of thinking. Here it is:

Here's my take on the sketch. Embraced some white space and used a grocery bag for kraft paper.

First two DreamGirls layouts

2008-04-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

So my friend, Dolores, and her friend, Debbie, started a new challenge blog called DreamGirls. These are my first two layouts from their site! Thanks for the inspiration, Girls!

The first challenge was to use the word dream, plus scallops and paint on a layout. The paint is a bit difficult to see here; it's white, and makes a frame and mat for the photo. I'm into recycling lately, so I also put a piece of lemon bag on there!

The second one was to use a reality TV show for the title, felt, and stamping. I stamped the buttefly on vellum, and stamped the frame.

Thai New Year

2008-04-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had quite a fun and new experience, Thai New Year. Our good friend, Sroison, is Thai, and she invited us to the celebration at her in-laws' house. We arrived late, as the kids had a birthday party to attend beforehand. (Fun party, BTW. Lots of great animal crafts. My good friend, Katrina, is a rockstar of a Mom!)Anyway, upon our arrival, the minivan was doused with buckets of water, and we were greeted by a bunch of kids with water hoses and squirt guns, as well! This is a Thai tradition (of which we were unaware.) We had been told to bring a change of clothes, but I had no idea it would be like that! The kids were too scared to get out of the van, so I had to call in on my mobile phone to negotiate. Jack eventually joined in the fun. I think Charli would have, too, if we had arrived earlier. What a fun time! Additionally, the hostess, Ayre, prepared an amazing Thai feast. We were so lucky to be invited!

I tell you what, though. If we're invited back next year, we'll come prepared with loaded squirt guns and tarps for our arrival! LOL! I didn't get any photos, but use your wildest imagination, and you're probably dead-on!

Santa Barbara Pics with Humpback Whales

2008-04-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

We just returned about an hour ago from our weekend in Santa Barbara. Of course, I could not wait to post pics and videos from our amazing trip! Though the weather wasn't as warm as it usually is when we go (we usually go Memorial Day or early October,) we enjoyed ourselves just as much, if not more! In fact, I would say it was our most memorable Santa Barbara trip yet! We did our usual buggy ride, and this year, they had these cool, new buggies which were much easier to use! We went for about an 8-mile loop. Aren't we cute?

And, of course, a Santa Barbara trip at our favorite little boutique hotal isn't the same without some pool and jacuzzi time. They kept the pool almost as warm as the jacuzzi!

Of course, you really want to read (and see!) about our Whale Watching expedition, right? Well, look how happy we were!

And why shouldn't we be happy? After all, we got to see real, live, wild humpback whales! Apparently we were lucky, as they were a bit "early" this year. Otherwise, we would have been looking for grey whales. We did spot one... they are travelling this time of year (not feeding,) so we didn't get to see much of it. But the highlight was the six, yes SIX humpback whales we saw! We saw two different groups of three. They were obviously different groups because of their tale coloration. We also were lucky enough to see a rare site, a basking shark. This creature was very curious about us and came RIGHT up to the boat! Here are a few pics and videos of these spectacular encounters!

One more layout

2008-04-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Totally multitasked with this one. It is my layout for Art and Design class at The School of Scrap. I did double duty and used the Be Somebody song from Music Class for inspiration. And it doesn't stop there. I used it for a white space layout with a homemade embellishment and one color at ScrapLove, AND I used Dolores' Doodle Challenge from March over at Treasured Scrapbooking for inspiration. I really have fun using my noodle to multitask challenges!

Layouts from the SAW contest at ScrapLovers

2008-03-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not in the contest at Scrap Lovers , but I'm playing along just for fun. Here are my layouts so far:

1. Con Carino - Challenge was to use a love theme, rich, deep colors, a foreign word, and at least three hearts.

2. Prince Charming - Challenge was to use colors purple and gold, one large photo, and a crown.

3. ura hoot - Challenge was to create a monochromatic blue layout in the shape of a circle, and to use at least one bird.

4. H2O play - Challenge was to use water pictures and have multicolored title. Catching up on some old pics. I usually don't scrap so "clean," but I like this just the way it was, and didn't add all my usual "stuff."

Catch Up

2008-03-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post for no reason, really. Just to make sure life is documented. Life is so good. I could not possibly by any happier. We are so blessed to be living this amazing life. I am crazy busy, and love every minute of it. Today we're just taking it easy, taking a breath. We're talking about going on a family bike ride, but neither Jeff nor I seem motivated to make it happen. I think my attitude will change now that I got some lunch in me! (never ate breakfast.)

So why is life so good? I'm just so lucky to have these gorgeous, healthy, kind, sweet, silly, funny, athletic children. Jack and Charli are amazing little people. Jack had his first Little League game yesterday. It was so darn cute. These little dudes get to run all the bases and nobody gets out, so they learn to love the game and to build self-confidence. Jack is getting stronger at catching and throwing, but we need to practice with him a bit more to help him not fear the ball. He's a pretty strong batter, though! :)

Chalri is loving preschool, dance, and gymnastics, and loves all her little friends. She obsesses over playing with my zippers, ties, buttons, whatever is on my clothing at the time, and I love the feel of her little hands.

Both kids are extremely loving and thoughtful. We must be doing SOMETHING right! :)

That's all I really have to say for now. Sometimes I say these things to myself and forget to jot them down. I'm not a journaller, so my blog is the next best thing. Need to be using it more! :)

Amost Saint Patty's Day

2008-03-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a few layouts and memories from Saint Patrick's Day. They're nothing great, as they're mostly older layouts (and let's hope my scrapping has improved!) but thought I'd share 'em anyway (I do like the first one, though. Was inspired by Elsie.) Jerry and Gary Bagozzi are visiting, and last night we had the Valentines over for dinner (for those of you who don't hang out with me on the message boards and haven't put it together, The Valentines are our neighbor friends... Allison Valentine is my buddy I always mention on the boards.) Made the kids green punch in honor of Saint Patty's Day! Some years the kids and I like to do an art or cooking project like tie-dying green T-shirts or making shamrock cookies. Not sure, yet, what we're doing this year! Wearing GREEN for sure! :) Here are a few past St. Patty's Day layouts!

Happy Birthday Charli!

2008-03-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had Charli's 4th birthday party, and it was soooo cute! We had a My Little Pony theme, and had a REAL LIVE pony! This was an Icelandic Pony, and we were all quite surprised by her size! She was large enough for an adult to ride! Kria was a very gentle pony, and most of the kids enjoyed her. Charli was a bit scared at first, so big brother, Jack, came to the rescue and took the first ride!

Charli warmed up to the idea right away, and had three turns!

Deleted a couple other pics here, b/c other kids were in them. Not sure it's OK with the parents.
It was a fun and memorable day!

Heart Layouts

2008-02-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Over at Scrap Lovers, they recently posted a thread about using hearts on layouts. Since it's Love Month, I thought I'd post some of my layouts with hearts here! (Some are a bit older, and you'll be able to tell, but I'll show 'em anyway!) I didn't realize I used hearts so often! Enjoy!

Love layout with hearts of several different media:

Picture of inanimate object:

Punched hearts to create a flower:

Playing with felt:

Love layout with heart for the letter V, large heart, and heart bullets:

Buttons to create a heart:

Heart die-cut for journallig (didn't know how to layer embellies back then...):

Hearts all over for Valentine's Day:

Hearts on pocket page for Valentines:

Cool Homework Assignment

2008-01-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

Jack was out sick Monday and Tuesday this week, so we had quite a bit of math homework to catch up. Mind you, it's only first grade math, but Jack is a first grade student (who happens to be a math whiz, by the way) who easily gets distracted by little sister, Daddy, heater noises, dents in the eraser, you name it. So homework took forever! I enjoyed my time with him, though, even though I had to keep on him every few minutes to get through the assignments.
The best part of homework was the poetry. Their IB unit, Keep a Poem in Your Pocket, is focusing on poetry right now. So today they learned about Acrostic poems, which are poems where the first letter of each spells something. We were to write together with our children so that each of us writes a poem.

Here's Jacks poem:
Sharks are animals.
Have you seen a shark?
A shark is tough, real tough.
Rapidly they swim along.
Know they are not land animals.
Sharks are coming. Look out!

Here's mine:
My wonderful child.
You were my first baby.
So much joy you bring to our family.
Older brother looks after Charli.
Naturally happy, your have a beaming smile.
Jack, you make this world a better place.
Always believe in yourself.
Compassion is one of your best attributes.
Know I love you more than anything.

We both really enjoyed our time together! He's such an amazing little dude!

A few fave layouts...

2007-12-31T10:53:00.001-08:00

As promised...

2007-12-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

here are the Christmas cookies I made this year! There are Russian Teacakes, Chocolate Crinkles, two types of Chocolate Chip, Stained Glass Cut-Out Cookies, Iced Cut-Out Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies dipped in dark chocolate, and Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies dipped in chocolate and crushed candy canes! Aren't they beautiful?

I think the prettiest are the stained glass...

But the tastiest are the chocolate chip, russian teacakes, and peanut butter dipped in dark chocolate.

The kids had fun decorating cookies at Auntie's house with Alexandra and Sophia on Christmas Eve...

Black Jack Strachan gave us magic show...

and Charli enjoyed her new sweater from Sophia and scooter from Gramma and Grampa...

This post is getting quite full of photos, so I'll just share one more... Jeff making a fabulous Christmas morning breakfast! Yum!

I love PageMaps!

2007-12-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

Whenever I'm in a rut and can't find my mojo, I can go to PageMaps, pick a sketch, and create a nice layout from it! Well, after looking at PageMaps and recognizing a few friends as contributors, I thought I would like to be a contributor, too! So I asked Becky, and she said yes! And now January PageMaps have been posted, and you can see my creation there! I'm so excited! Thanks, Becky! Posting the layout here, too!

Kitty Missing

2007-12-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Crank is missing. I'm so bummed. The other day he was frantically trying to get into the house, and I didn't let him (except for his and Jax's kitty room, of course.) I thought maybe the cold was bothering him, as he seemed a bit off. I didn't think a thing of it, as he and Jax can snuggle to keep warm, and they know how to get into the water heater closet in their room for extra warmth. And I always lock them in at night. It didn't even phase me. Maybe it should have? Maybe there was a coyote lurking?

Yesterday was Christmas, and I noticed the cats were out early. "Did someone let the cats out?" I wondered. Turns out, Jeff had, so I wasn't concerned. It was Christmas, and we were busy watching the kids open gifts, we had a huge breakfast, and sorta vegged until time to get ready to go to my parents' house. As we were about to leave, around 4:00pm, I went to call the kitties in. Crank wasn't around. Odd, I thought, since it's pretty cold today. So I left the outer kitty door open so he could get in when he got home. At 9:30pm, or whenever we got home Christmas night, there was still no Crank. So, again, I left the outer kitty door open. I also cracked the water heater closet for Jax, just in case. This morning, no Crank. It is now 1:00pm, and still no Crank. He has never been gone this long, especially not when we're having cold nights. I'm so worried. And sad. I'm on the verge of tears. My poor little kitty! What could have happened to him? We have lots of wild animals around, but he usually stays close to home, and I always lock the cats in at night. And the occasional neighborhood dog comes onto our property, but I haven't seen any in quite awhile. I just shudder to think about poor Crank cold or hurt or lost or scared. I so wish I had let him in. Let him relax his old muscles in the warmth of the house. Maybe a neighbor let him in and he doesn't want to leave? Yeah... I should let myself believe that...

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

It's 7:20 am on the 24th, the kids are sleeping, it's almost a white-out with fog up here, and all I hear are the keys under my fingers and the hum of the heater. The kids are asleep with all their cute little snoring noises in the other room, and probably with images of Santa and presents in their heads! I was able to get all my Christmas errands and jobs done this year with little stress. Cards were sent out, gifts were mailed, shopping was done (though I still have TONS to wrap!) It's been a nice season, and now we get to relax and enjoy each other! (except for poor Jeff, who is working today... that's another story altogether.) I baked cookies all weekend... here's a pic of the cannisters... I DORKED and didn't get photos during (actually, DH had camera, and I forgot about back-up camera.) I'll post a pic of the platter I'm bringing to my parents' house tomorrow, along with a list of all the types of cookies!

The kids actually HELPED a little forming balls, and, of course, decorating. They even did dishes! What a blast they had with that! There was water everywhere and they were toooo cute saying, "Mommy, you never have to touch the dishes again!"
Didn't get a photo of that, either, but I'm sure it's not the last time.

So last weekend we went to the Christmas party at Redwood Estates. There are arts and crafts, games, treats, and Santa! Here are pics of each Jack and Charli on Santa's knee. He's such a cool Santa, and takes lots of time with each kid. Before Jack talked with Santa, he was skeptical, especially because of his shoes. But afterward, he said excitedly, "Mommy, that's the REAL Santa! I know because he told me I take care of my little sister, and that's true!" It was precious!

Today I have to see the doctor to follow up on my appointment last week. I'm going to bring the kids to Jeff's work. How silly is that on Christmas Eve? But we're in a bind, so what can we do? Then after that, it's off to Auntie's house (my sister, Vicki) for the late afternoon, and into the early evening for dinner and gift exchange. Then we'll come home early, hang stockings, maybe open ONE gift, and go to bed! I bet you can imagine what I'll be doing after the kiddoes are asleep!

Merry Christmas to all!

Oh, Well.

2007-12-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

What can I say? I had a miscarriage today. I'm bummed, but life goes on. Literally... I have two beautiful children. And Jeff and I can try again. It's still a bummer, though, as we had already started thinking about names. We like Avery for a girl, Beau for either a boy or a girl, and maybe Oliver for a boy. But we'll have to revisit names if and when we try again in a couple months. My parents were fabulous and met me at the doctor's office to watch Charli, because I couldn't get a babysitter on such short notice. They ROCK! I love them!

On a happier note, here's our tree this year. Poor Jeff had told me that the kids and I would probably have to get a tree without him, as he is super busy at work. So we did. We went with Allison and her kids to get a tree at a LOT (Heaven Forbid!) instead of a place in the mountains, where we cut down our own tree. $118 later, we have an 8-foot tree imported from Oregon instead of our usual 12-foot local tree we cut down ourselves for $50... or is it $35?

But our tree is beautiful. It has our hodge podge of wooden, stuffed, and ceramic toys, along with our colorful lights, ball "fillers," and our hand-made ornaments. We love it. Excuse the photo quality... I'm not very skilled at holding the camera steady with slow shutter speeds! LOL! And I don't own a tripod. But you get the idea.

We have two skiing Santa ornaments, and this year I told the kids they're mine and Daddy's. After all, we have to have SOMETHING special for us on the tree. The kids each have special ones of their own. Jack loves his Thomas ornament, his foam gingerbread man he made in Kindergarten, and the Crank and Jax (our cats) ornaments. Charli loves her wooden giraffe and turtle ornaments, and anything with sparkle. That's my Bling Girl! :)

One Week!

2007-12-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

Could Christmas really be one week from today? Actually, I'm so excited! I feel relaxed... almost. Most of my shopping is done. Christmas cards are almost all out (yes, cutting down to the wire!) The house is feeling Festive (though, chilly, too!) The kids are counting down the days. I can't wait! I still have tons of gifts to wrap, though. And one more Secret Sister gift to send out, which needs to go out tomorrow.

I love Christmas time. I love the excitement, the cheer, the traditions. The kids and I have been singing Christmas songs like crazy. Their faves this year are Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman (no surprise there!) I can't wait to make cookies this weekend (cutting that down to the wire, too!) I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve at my sister, Vicki's house (though it needs to be EARLY, b/c last year my kids fell asleep on the way home and missed out on before bed activities at home!) Christmas Eve and morning at home, and Christmas dinner at my parents' house.

I also have a couple layouts to post. One, "Made with Love," is from Christmas a few years ago... Jack decorating Christmas cookies and singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. So cute! I wanted the layout to have a real homemade feel.

The other, "California Fresh" is another Jack layout, a couple years ago in Santa Barbara. I love the Bam Pop bird, and the title elements are all homemade. I need a better image, though.

I'm also super excited to see my layout come out in January's PageMaps! It will be my closest thing to being published, since I never submitted a single thing in the entire year of 2007! Maybe I'll get my butt in gear and submit next year! Or not! :)

Wishing everyone a warm and wonderful holiday.

Cheers!

Big Changes at The School of Scrap!

2007-12-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

Come on over to The School of Scrap and see the fun changes going on! There will be fun challenges posted, tutorials each month, and other fun changes going on! See you in the halls!

I also wanted to show a few of my recent layouts, some of which are using products from our incredible sponsors!

First, there's "Patch '07," which uses products from Club Scrap, Tie One On, and Magic Mesh.

Next is some detail work of a layout using the beautiful papers from Paper Trunk.

Here's one where I tried to make my own title using a technique from Deluxe Techniques magazine.

And here's one I did making the fun flowers taught over at
One Little Word.

Welcome, November!

2007-11-05T10:01:00.001-08:00

Well, we survived Halloween, and what a blast we had! Three Halloween parties, two school Halloween parades, Trick-or-Treating, and a Halloween carnival later, we're welcoming November with open arms! So far, November has been amazing, with sunny weather in the mid-to-high 70's! I Loooove living in California! We're also going to Disneyland with Ron and Roberta (Jeff's parents) for (American) Thanksgiving! We're so excited!

We had two fun dinner parties back-to-back this past weekend. The first was with friends where we had a wondeful Thai meal (she's a FABULOUS cook!) And the next night was bolognes over fettucini plus baked Mac-N-Cheese (the good homemade stuff.) Great company, fabuous food, and nice wines each night. We're so lucky to have such fabulous friends here! And, of course, the kids always have a blast getting together.

Not much else to report. Yesterday we had an open house, so took the kids to see The Bee Movie. Pretty cute. But while we were parking, Jeff backed up into a pole, so the mini has yet another dent to deal with. It's amazing this thing is still in one piece! (sort of!)

I hope everyone's having a wonderful day! I certainly am! :)

The Great Capsize of 2007

2007-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

First off, Saturday was HECTIC! Jack's soccer game was a late one (12:45) and we had THREE Halloween parties to attend after that. Since DH had to take his cousin to the airport after soccer, he missed the first Halloween party. At each of the first two parties, we were to bring an appetizer. I made antipasta platters (salami, wet mozzarella, olives, brie with sauted garlic, etc.) My friend, Allison, makes this fabulous queso dip, which is melted Velveeta, tons of veggies, other cheeses etc.

So I drove both families to the first party (minus DH, since he was going to the airport.) Allison loaded TWO crock pots of her queso into the back of the van, since we weren't going to stop at her house in between. Each crock pot was in a box to stabilize it. So we have fun at the first party (which we arrived at late, due to soccer and getting all the kids and appies ready) and stayed for an hour or so. Then we headed up the hill to get DH and my second platter. As we're approaching my house, one of the lil boys says, "The queso tipped over." We weren't too worried, because nobody heard anything, and he could have been exaggerating. As we pull into the driveway (it's now completely dark, and we don't have lights along the driveway,) the hugest, scariest witch you've ever seen jumps out in front of the van. It's DH, of course. The kids were all screaming, but I figured it was fine. I stopped the van, and we were gonna all run in to grap jackets and fleeces for party #2. I go to Charli's door to get her, and she's absolutely hysterical. Completely shaking in her boots and sobbing. I guess Daddy's costume sorta back-fired. So Allison and I run in to get jackets, and Michael, Allison's DH, walks in and tells me, "Uh, Michelle. I'm going to have to comfirm a full capsize." So I open the back of the minivan, and sure enough, the box with the crock pot is UPSIDE DOWN! The ENTIRE back gate had queso dripping out all over the bumper, and the raised gate was raining queso all over the place. Then the van lights went out, since it timed out. Then I couldn't find my keys. So there we are, nine of us, completely in the dark with queso everywhere, scared children, and we're late to the second party. We finally find the keys, get everyone in (took the crock pot out and soaked up some of the mess, but left much of it to deal with later.)

DH made Michael drive, because his long, black, witch fingernails were in the way. Charli wouldn't have anything to do with Daddy, out of sheer terror. I thought he was holding the platter of antipasta, but didn't pay attention, since I was comforting a frightened Charli. As we arrive at the second party, the platter of antipasta goes FLYING off the center console, onto the front carpet. Wet mozz balls and garlic olives were rolling all over the place, and Michael calls out, "Who has a pink razor? It just got doused with olive oil." Fortunately, my phone survived, and most of the platter did, but what a total scene we were!

Allison and I laughed our butts off all night, and we will forever remember The Great Capsize of 2007.

Life is Good

2007-10-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

That's our favorite phrase lately. We've been wearing those shirts, too. This fine October day, it will be in the 80's, so I'm taking the kids to the Club for a swim right after school! Ya gotta love Indian Summer in California.

I've decided I need to do more blogging. Not just posting layouts and talking about crops and other scrapping events, but blogging about my life and the kids. I don't keep a journal, so this is the next best thing. AND, I can send my blog addy to my friends and family in case they want to have a look!

I just snapped this picture of Charli. She asked for curlers in her hair last night after her bath, and here is how it turned out. Pretty cute! Just a few curlers fell out. Her hair's really coming in nicely after "the incident" this summer.

Fall is fabulous. School is busy. Jack's having fun with soccer and Bionicles with his buddies. Charli's loving preschool. My kids ROCK. Love my hubby.

Life is Good.

Charli just now

Jack at soccer recently

Two recent crops!

2007-10-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a ball at two recent crops... the first was the Crop for a Cure crop at Scrap-N-Circle where I did this layout, Mama's boots.

The second was at
ScrapLove, where I did this Rolling Along layout,

along with this Family canvas.

It feels really fabulous to scrap just for fun!

A couple more layouts

2007-10-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more DT layouts I did for The School of Scrap!
The first was using a quilling kit from Lake City Craft Company.

The next one is another Junkitz layout using more of the Fanciful line! I also had the need to get some felt on there!

TFL!

Junkitz Layouts

2007-10-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Has it really been three weeks since I last posted? Well, I went to Michigan for my sister's wedding (beautiful and intimate!) and since being back, have had two major school functions for Jack, plus chaperoned a fieldtrip yesterday. Today I'm sitting here, catching up, and hope to get a little scrapping in!
Here are a couple Junkitz layouts I did using the FUN papers Junkitz sent us at The School of Scrap!

9/11 - Daze for Days

2007-09-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, it didn't even occur to me that today was 9/11 until I just read Kirstie's blog. Even now that I'm aware, today is (almost) just a regular day. But I remember 9/11 very vividly. I was home on maternity leave with Jack. Jeff was working from home. I received a call pretty early in the morning, which was fine, since I was always up early having an infant. It was my sister, Vicki. She said, "Have you turned on your TV?" I answered, "No. Why?" She said, "The World Trade Center is GONE!" "Gone?" I asked. "Yes, GONE!" I replied, a bit confused, "You mean, the Twin Towers in New York? How can they be gone?" And then I turned on my TV.

We sat and stared in a daze for days. Though I didn't personally know anyone who was killed, or even anyone who knew anyone who was killed. I cried. And cried. I sat in disbelief. I worried about our safety. I had many thoughts about how Jack's life might be affected by this tragedy. For some reason, even with all the wars over the years, this time I was really struck and saddened that such a huge world tragedy could happen in my lifetime. Maybe that was ignorant, maybe selfish, but that's how I felt.

And yet, lucky for me, life has gone on. Today I get choked up to think about the people whose lives were drastically changed that day. And I get choked up and thankful that we were spared. Today I hold my head high. I don't live in fear. I am proud to be part of a nation and a world that has survived the worst. And I know we will go on.

Crop for a Cure

2007-09-10T15:58:00.001-07:00

Come check out the FUN Crop for a Cure we're having over at Scrap-N-Circle! It's going to be a BLAST, and it's going to a worthy cause!

Do you like guitar?

2007-08-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

If you do, you simply must check out my brother's My Space page at http://www.myspace.com/markburtonguitar. He's a wicket guitar player! The page has guitar music playing, so be forewarned if you're at work!

I made it!!!

2007-08-26T17:47:00.001-07:00

Wow, I am so thrilled and honored to be moving on to Week #6 in the Summer Circle Contest at Scrap-N-Circle! Just had to share!

I've been tagged again!

2007-08-23T19:29:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I was tagged earlier this month by Lisa, and just found it today! So what you're supposed to do it post eight (hopefully interesting) facts about yourself on your blog, and then tag eight other people who will do the same!

Here are my facts:
1. I was a diver (in the pool, not the ocean) in highschool and college. I recently got on a diving board at the swim club and had a blast playing! :)
2. I love to wax my arms in the summer time!
3. I still eat raw cookie dough (I know...eewwww!)
4. Twice I trained for a marathon, got to about 13-14 miles, and then quit. If only I had trained for a HALF marathon! LOL!
5. I used to make and sell beaded jewelry in college at a little store in Berkeley called "By Hand."
6. I love to mix beer with V8 or tomatoe juice. Yum!
7. I adore pedicures, footrubs, fluffy socks... anything to do with my feet feeling good!
8. I probably need therapy for my obsession with my kids' clothing!

I'm tagging:
Michelle
Aeryn
Lori
Vanessa

Another Contest Entry

2007-08-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

So this is my entry for Week #5 for the Summer Circle Contest at Scrap-N-Circle!
The challenge was to use ONLY hand-patterned paper and at least one hand-made embellie! I had a blast with this one! Keeping my fingers crossed this week!

Life is Good

2007-08-22T21:29:00.001-07:00

That's my new favorite saying. Usually we say we're living "The Good Life," but since Jeff got us Life is Good T-shirts, this has stuck. I had fun creating this layout using Basic Grey Scarlet's Letter and ribbon from Tie One On Ribbon Club and Magic Mesh, who are generous sponsors at The School of Scrap!

Have a great day! After all...

Contest Entry

2007-08-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

This image quality is poor... still waiting to get camera back from DH... but this is going to be my Week #4 Contest Entry at Scrap-N-Circle! TFL!

I've been tagged!

2007-07-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, originally I was tagged by Maryjane, and somehow never got around to tagging everyone else! (So sorry, Maryjane!) This time, I was tagged by Linda!

Here's the deal...
1-post these rules
2-each person tagged must post 8 random(... hopefully interesting) facts about themselves
3-tags should write a blogpost of these facts
4- at the end of the post 8 more bloggers are tagged and named
5-go to their blog and leave a comment telling them they're tagged

My (interesting?) facts:

1. I can't stand eating mushrooms... it's a texture thing!
2. When I was a kid, I wore braces on my legs for two years to treat my pigeon toes!
3. When I was a teenager, I designed circuit boards that ended up in machines in Japan.
4. I am missing one of my middle, lower teeth... it just never formed!
5. I still love ketchup on scrambled eggs.
6. I've been bungi jumping and would do it again!
7. I have a weakness for fluffy socks, and would live in them constantly, if I could!
8. I secretly wish they would have some sort of Mommy Idol (instead of America Idol) so I could try to sing on TV! (and, no, I can't sing! LOL!)

New tags...
Stephanie
Michelle
Holly
Dolores
Mandy
Kathy
Heather
Kerri

More Sponsors at The School of Scrap

2007-06-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more layouts using some amazing products from our generous sponsors at The School of Scrap!

Tie One On Ribbon Club - April 2007

Tie One On Ribbon Club - May 2007

Scrapmode - May 2007

Tie One On Ribbon Club and Magic Mesh - June 2007

The School of Scrap Sponsor - Club Scrap

2007-06-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I keep forgetting to post my Club Scrap layouts here on my blog, so I'll post some from a past AMAZING kit I was so FORTUNATE to get from our sponsors, Club Scrap, over at The School of Scrap!

These four were from the April 2007 kit, Stratosphere. I'll upload the June ones once I have pics of all of them!

Bawling My Eyes Out

2007-06-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it's ridiculous, but I just can't help myself. I was down in my scrap room, when Jeff called down, "Michelle, where's the camera?" I answered, "Down here with me." He said, "You're going to want to bring it up." I grabbed the camera, and slowly walked the stairs (because my back was killing me.) When I reached the top, I saw it. Charli's head. Her gorgeous, blonde, curly locks were all GONE! She told me Jack cut her hair. There was an enormous pile of hair on the floor. All of it. Her bangs were short and shoppy, and ALL of her long, blonde curls REALLY were GONE. She has short, choppy hair, and needs it fixed ASAP.

As I was snapping (posed) photos, Jeff said, "It's not a scrapbook page, Michelle." I asked, "Then why did you have me bring the camera?" Whatever!!!

I know it's only hair, but I couldn't help myself from having quite a cry over it. I told her (after calming down after a little ranting and raving) she's still beautiful, and we'll get it fixed and she'll have the cutest short haircut EVA!

The truth is... I'm so bummed....

The Secret

2007-06-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

So you've heard of "The Secret," right? Well, I've dived in head first! I'm NOT a religious person, and I AM technical and science-oriented enough, so I normally would not go for this sort of thing. Having put that disclaimer out there, let me say that The Secret really rings true with me! And it WORKS!!! In case you don't know what it's about, it's basically about the power of positive thought and feeling those thoughts. Your thoughts create your world. It's pretty simple, really.
Well, the other day, I got a parking spot using it, and another day, I was feeling really thankful for the friendships I have. That VERY day, Jack begged and pleaded to go to his buddy's house. It ended up turning into a massive play date and impromptu family get together with two fun families at our house! And then last night, we went out with two other couples for the first time and had a blast! So keep those positive thoughts going... you never know what they might bring back to you!

Life is good! Enjoy it!!!

Spring Fling

2007-04-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

The Spring Fling Cybercrop is starting over at The School of Scrap, so come check it out! It will be a week long event full of fun, chatting, scrapping challenges, games, prizes, and more!

I also wanted to post a photo of the four of us this Easter... the little patch of daisies out in my parents' front yard was just TOO perfect a canvas for this picture!

Club Scrap

2007-04-12T18:47:00.002-07:00

Wow, wow, wow!!! Are you a member at Club Scrap? Well, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with their February 2007 Refresh kit, as they are our ever-so-generous sponser at The School of Scrap.
Here are a few of my layouts using this FABULOUS kit. It has high-quality textured cardstock both solid and printed, jewelry-quality beads, sequins, stamps, tons of ribbon, and MORE! Please do check them out at www.clubscrap.com and let them know you heard about them at The School of Scrap!

Hot Off The Press

2007-04-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have had our generous sponsor, Hot Off The Press at The School of Scrap for the month of March. Here are some layouts I did using the Vintage paper pad. It's such a hot little pad, the vintage papers are all distressed, plus all the cute embellies (tags, flowers, and even ribbon slides) all come right in the pad! I have TONS more paper and embellies left in this pad, and can't wait to do more with it! You can find their products at www.paperwishes.com! Take a look!

Free School Bucks!!!

2007-03-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! The School Bucks are flyin' over at The School of Scrap! Come join in the fun! If you post a comment here in my blog, you will get ten School Bucks from me just for posting a comment! Now how does that sound?

Focus on Stamping and Basic Grey!

2007-03-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

So we just finished our Focus on Stamps week at The School of Scrap. It was a blast! Here's one of the layouts I did last week! I stamped the background, stamped with ink, paint, and bleach. Stamped on paper, ribbon, chipboard and OVER paint. It was fun to use my stamps so much on ONE layout!

I also just got this layout posted in the Basic Grey Gallery today! I'm psyched!

Check it out!
http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/idea_gallery.php?designer_id=12361

I LOVE Spring!

2007-03-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's not really spring. But the last few days here have certainly FELT like spring! A huge and wonderful change from the snow we had a couple weeks ago! I'm so OVER the whole guilt thing of Charli not getting use out of her million dollar winter wardrobe... she can wear it next year, too! So today I got the thumbs up from Jeff to buy a few spring things for her! We got some DARLING stuff from Gymboree and GAP kids. The rest of her wardrobe will have to be from Target, Kohl's (though I haven't shopped their yet!) and Old Navy!

More importantly, the kids and I have been spending time OUTSIDE again, and it feels SOooo good! We've been exercising, exploring, running stairs, and taking caterpillars to turn into butterflies! At least THiS year, we know what their host plant is so we can feed them properly! Here's a photo!

Fly

2007-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

I did this page a couple weeks ago, but it's still one of my current faves. This was Jack's last day at the little gym. Man, he loved that place, even though sometimes he said he didn't want to go. He would bounce and skip around the entire time... all happy signs! Charli adored it, too! I would LOVE to sign them back up soon!

Yesterday was my birthday! It was a glorious, sunny day! I took the kids to a nearby ranch, and we fed carrots to the horses! We'll definitely be going back soon! My parents, my sister, and her boyfriend came over in the evening for pizza, cake, and presents! It was a great day! Also, today is my day to be in the classroom... I think one of the other Moms is bringing tadpoles and a dissecting microscope so the kids can see their (the tadpoles!) little hearts beating and stuff! I'm so excited! I LOVE being in the classroom!

March is Here!

2007-03-01T01:20:00.000-08:00

March, glorious March! That means spring is just around the corner! Woohoo! It is also the beginning of a new month at The School of Scrap! Please come join me in Art Class and try the first assignment!
Ok, students, for this month's first assignment, we'll be focusing on an Oil on Canvas painting by French Impressionist Painter, Camille Pissarro, who was a key member of the French Impressionist Group. I have selected Hillside of the Hermitage, which is pictured below for you to use for inspiration. Please remember that you may use as much or little as you like for inspiration... color, content, shape, whatever. After all, you're artists! Just mention what you used for inspiration in your description!
There is a catch, however. Since this is March, I would like your layout to be about something that makes you feel Lucky. You do NOT have to use the word Lucky on your layout. Lucky, Thankful, Grateful, or even no such word will do. It's totally up to you. Here's the painting:

Below is my layout using Hillside of hte Hermitage as inspiration. I've taken the color green from the layout, and the rows on the hill reminds me of a rainbow, so I took that, too. I feel lucky to have my fabulous kids!
I can't wait to see what you all come up with for this assignment! It is worth 100 Art points, and some amount of school bucks, too!

Charli is 3!

2007-02-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here is Charli on her 3rd birthday! She is so proud to say she is "fee!"

And here are some photos from her party, which was the day before her real birthday. The party was a giraffe theme, and was an absolute blast!

Heart Mini Book

2007-02-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

This is gonna be quick, because American Idol just started, and the family is calling me! Just finished this creation today. Did it for Design Class at The School of Scrap! Getting ready for Charli's Giraffe Birthday Party this weekend... it's gonna be FUN!

What a glorious day!

2007-02-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful, glorious day! The sky was blue, the air was clean, the sun was shining... I LOVE living in California! I had been a little bummed about having such a short winter. I felt guilty for spending so much money on the kids' winter wardrobes that they wouldn't wear. But when I felt the sunshine on my face today, I thought "The heck with winter wardrobes!" I'm sure we'll have some more (badly needed) rain, but today was amazing!!!

Also took the brain quiz today, and here's what I got...

Your Brain is Yellow

Of all the brain types, yours is the most intellectual.
You crave mental stimulation, and your thoughts tend to very complex.
Your thoughts tend to be innovative and cutting edge, though many people don't understand them.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about science, architecture, and communication.

What Color Is Your Brain?

Love Month!

2007-02-08T23:02:00.000-08:00

This is an old layout... I did it back in November. But since it is a Love layout and Valentine's Day is coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to post now! This is my cute husband and me on our wedding day, eight and a half years ago!

Rain is finally here!

2007-02-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

That may sound odd... being happy about the rain. But I live near a reservoir that is so low right now, we're going to be in trouble this summer if it does not fill up! So I'm happy about the rain!

What else is happening around here? Well, Jack is almost reading! It's so exciting! He just had his 100th Day of Kindergarten on Wednesday. I picked up some fabulous "Now I'm Reading" books by Innovative Kids, and he can read them!

Charli is so full of love these days. She continually gives pets and loves, and says "I love you so much! I love you ever and ever and EVER!" So precious!

I am so excited that Club Scrap is going to be a regular sponsor at The School of Scrap! I am also really looking forward to some scrapping buddies from Scrap-N-Circle coming over for a crop on Scrappy Sunday! I'm on a Scrappy High!

I've spent quite a bit of time on the computer today, so now I'm off to snuggle up to hubby on the couch!

Journalling Entry

2007-02-05T16:47:00.001-08:00

At The School of Scrap, we're given journalling prompts, and a recent one asked about the last time we cried. Thought I'd record it here. The last time I cried was a couple weeks ago when Charli had her almost-last day at The Little Gym. The instructors were asking if I had signed her up for spring. Well, I didn't sign her (nor Jack) up for spring, because our finances are too tight right now. I felt awful having to admit that... I felt sort of ashamed, I guess. And I was sad that Charli and I wouldn't be doing gymnastics together anymore (at least not for now.) Not to mention the fact that my local scrapbook store is right next door. So I had a little cry. I was sad and frustrated. But now that I've gotten over it, I've decided to look at the bright side. No more rushing to gym class! And the kids and I will have more free time to do whatever we want together! I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining! We've been doing Art, creating Valentine's Cards, and bouncing in the bouncy house!

Impromptu Cyber Crop!

2007-02-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

Please come join our Impromptu Cyber Crop at The School of Scrap this weekend! It's going to be a blast!!!

My First Blog Entry!

2007-01-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

Alright, I'm finally doing it. I'm finally starting my own Blog! So here it is! Right now Jeff is putting new batteries in Jack's remote control T-Rex, and Charli (the poor little thing) is sleeping after having a brutal cough all day!