I DID IT!!!!

(amazing - Kaiser Craft paper, brads, rhinestones, Basic Grey Chipboard letters)

150+ layouts. Holy shit. That is a lot of scrappin'. A whole lot. I am vowing right now that this will NOT be one of my scrapbook goals for 2010. I will shoot for half that. Or none of that..... whatever. I am really glad that Haley put worth this challenge, but I think I have considerably different goals this year. All of the layouts here are old stuff. (Basic Grey Mellow patterned paper, brads, My Mind's Eye Kraft paper, Riff Raff Designs chipboard tree, Jenni Bowlin Bingo Card, Tim Holtz ticket, Jillibean Soup Journaling Sprout, Bo Bunny Brads, We R Memory Keepers Brad, Karen Foster Floss)

Some of it has been in my stash for years. And, I am happy with that. I am happy that I have accumulated enough that I can complete pages, be happy with them and at the same time hopefully reduce some of the clutter that is taking over my space. (PLAY BALL - Cosmo Cricket - patterned paper, chipboard, We R Memory Keepers - Brad, Walnut Stain Distress Ink)

I don't want to only use old stuff... and I know I will have a hard time keeping to the goal of not buying anything new until spring, but I also know that I am very fortunate to have what I do surrounding me in this room right now, and I can't very well purge every other room in our house, make the kids get rid of toys, and me not do the same. (avery byg - Scenic Route - patterned paper, Tim Holtz tickets, Prina - flowers, Bazzill Basics flowers, other flowers unknown, Doodlebug Designs- buttons, unknown eyelets, American Crafts Thickers)

So, I will happily use what I have. I will make do, and I think I will like scrapping with my friends better because I won't have as much crap to lug around!

(My Mind's Eye - patterned paper, chipboard, die cuts, brads, stickers, Jenni Bowlin - bingo card, SU! - grosgrain ribbon)

(Basic Grey - patterned paper, Prima - flowers, We R Memory Keepers - brad, Tim Holtz - tickets, SU! - grosgrain ribbon, other ribbon - unknown, journaling card - unknown)

So that is 2009 in a nutshell. I have been holding off on doing too much because I have a weekend away in February... and I can not wait!

Happy New Year and all the best in 2010!
TFL!

Phew! Another Christmas done.....

well... we survived! Did you? Why is Christmas so hard, fun, chaotic, relaxing, stressful, hungover all in one?! We did Christmas Eve with my mother, sister, and brother in law. There was a lot of scotch.... and I drank a lot of rum. One has to cope, non? And then Christmas morning was just us..... and it was soooo good. Just the four of us... No rushing to get out the door, getting up and dressed when we wanted.... so good. And that afternoon we drove to Calgary to go to my sister and Aaron's for the yummy meal. It was a really good time. I was happy that we were all able to get together with very little external stress. I know friends of mine who have had a hard holiday season because they have been made to feel guilty about spending time with their family and friends, and are being pulled to be with their inlaws when that wasn't the original plan. In that manner, we are very lucky. We just alternate. And that is that.....
So, now that Christmas is done, I have lots to do. I have a lot of MNC stuff to get going on, as well as some well deserved me time that I am going to make work if I have to dig a hole China to get it. I also went out this morning and took a ton of hoar frost pictures..... The light was perfect, the snow/frost/whatever it is was thick and sparkly, and I think everything looks better covered in frost. I also think it is really deceiving... It looks nice out, the sun is shining and reflecting off the snow... and then you go out and freeze your fingers off.... but I got some awesome pictures.... so I guess it is a toss up!
So, off to find that me time I was talking about!
TFL

#147

I am so happy with how this layout turned out. Especially because it is all old stuff..... everything on this page has helped deplete my stash! The paper was given to me in Blairmore (Holla Christime!), the felt snowflakes were from SU! last year, the stickles and the brads... all old!
Yahoo!

#146

This started out as a layout for a sketch challenge that is starting in the new year, but it ended up NOTHING like the sketch.... so, instead, I am including it as one of my 150...... I really have been on an roll these last couple of days, and I am so happy with how this one turned out. The page and embellishments are COVERED in stickles and glassy accents. COVERED. And I love it!
TFL!

Layout # 145.....

I cleaned out my scrapbook room last week, and tucked away in a dark, dusty corner was my mojo! I knew I lost it somewhere, I was just really happy to find it again.
That said, I have been sneaking a few minutes here and there between wrapping gifts, finishing shopping, and other general mom duties to get a few pages done.This is with old Fancy Pants stuff from the summer, Prima and Bazzill flowers, old tickets, old buttons, brads and ribbon. I am gonna use up my stash if it kills me..... ;)
TFL!

Does this Count?

Does a canvas count as a layout? If yes.... 145, if no, still 144.
I am planning on using this canvas every year for the kids' Santa pictures. I love how it turned out. I was a little leery about half way through because I wasn't sure you really could include flowers and snowflakes on the same project, but now it is done..... and I don't care if you can't. I love it!
TFL!

Yet another Christmas Concert Success

I might be a wee bit biased, but every year I think that the little kids singing their part in the Christmas concert is the highlight of the night. This year the preschool and kindergarten kids sang together, and it was a hoot. They yelled, er, I mean, sang their hearts out. Of course, I think the best part was when all of the kids had left the stage and someone's daughter runs back onto the stage to yell, "Mom, we are going to do a puppet show!" and then ran off the stage again. Hmmmmm, weird. So this is Avery, her neighbor friend Gilbert, and Meghan, her best buddy. They were great!

I miscounted.

I went back and counted my layouts. I didn't number quite a few of them, and so, my count was off...... I already broke it to Haley, but I am actually at 142 completed layouts. (Not including MNC kits, and mini albums!) And now, with these two, I am at 144! I have six more layouts to complete to be at my goal! I actually think I might be able to do it. And if I can't, I don't care. Look how much I got done this year! No wonder I am pretty caught up. I should set a goal for 75 next year, and then maybe I won't have to volunteer to do other people's albums like I did this year!
So, once I figure out how to deal with my newly broken Clip it Up!, I will clear off an area in my scrapbook room, and get to work.
And, I have 36 Ikea spice jars with nothing in them anymore. I need suggestions as to what I should use them for. I took out all my flowers and buttons, and want something else to go in them. Something that I don't use enough of, but will use more of if I have it nice and handy. Suggestions? (Tara already suggested Epicure.......)

Dance Dance...... gotta love the family dance night!

So on Thursday night we went to the family dance in Champion, and the kids had such a great time. Avery ran and danced, and screamed, and danced some more. It was so awesome to watch her! Cohen, well... he stood in the midle of the gym and swayed back and forth. I had a great time snacking on Spinach Dip, and the kids put on a great dance routine to Viva La Vida! They made their mama proud.

Layout #131 - Must Boat

When I started this layout, I was not happy with it. I couldn't work the wallets into a collage that I liked, but once I started adding the MME embellishments, and the Riff Raff clouds and sun.... I couldn't not love it. I added a little Glimmer Mist to the clouds and the sun, and popped them up. I am super pleased with how this one came together.
TFL!

Layouts #129 and 130

I am feeling the pressure. Haley is catching up, and this can only mean one thing. She is going to use it against me. I need to get to 150 first. So.... twenty more layouts in 20 days. I think I can I think I can........ I hope I can. Maybe I will shoot for 140. I don't think I have enough stuff to actually make 20 layouts. Yikes.

Layout #128

I accidentally downloaded some free digital Christmas paper. I don't know how it happened.... but I did. It was a huge mistake. All I have been doing since downloading that this morning is fiddling around with MDS by SU! Seriously! Do I have nothing else to do????
Anyhoo, this is something that I whipped up. I love it...... Even if Haley doesn't....... ;)

Proof that winter is really here......

Today is day three of this winter blizzard. The snow appears to have stopped, but now the cold has been blown in. It was chilly before, but now...... it is downright FREEZING. At least I can kind of see my neighbors now. Yesterday I couldn't see across my driveway, but today, I can see almost a half a kilometer away! Progress! Oops, I lied. I just looked out my window again.... and I can't see past my yard. Was this really in the forecast? Where was I?
So here are a couple of photos of what my yard looks like today. A lot of the drifts have actually blown away! They are a lot smaller this morning than they were yesterday afternoon...... Nothing that 36 hours of wind can't help out with!


This is my back door. Can't get out of it. I don't ever remember having this much snow in my entry area for the house. It is up to the steps! I have a little bit of shoveling ahead of me! At least I like to shovel..... but who knows? After this, I might not anymore!

A friend offered to come and plow our yard for me today. Grant is obviously gone, and if there was an emergency, I doubt we could get out of the yard, so I am truly grateful for that. Now, I just need it to clear up a little so I can leave the house and finish Christmas shopping!

It's beginning to look a lot like hell .....

Holy cow! It is CRAZEEEEE out there. I couldn't leave my house if I wanted to. My door is blocked by a huge drift, my driveway is snowed and drifted over, and the door to the shop is equally blocked. I guess it really is December. I get that our winters are snowy and cold, and I don't usually complain about the weather because there is nothing you can do about it, but the wind was blowing so hard last night I could honestly feel my house moving. Kind of a freaky feeling. Anyhoo, I am going to spend the day in my scrapbook room. I have a room to tidy, totes to unpack, and then about 15 layouts to finish to get to Haley's goal...... At least I won't feel guilty about keeping the kids inside today.... Their playhouse is full of snow, and the drifts are almost as high as the roof.

Layouts #126 and #127

Off With His Head!

This was the damage done to poor little Nemo on Cohen's birthday..... I used Bo Bunny and SU! paper and am relatively pleased with how this turned out.... but two pages are hard!

So.... Haley set a lofty goal os 150 layouts. And now.... Haley is upset that many of my layouts are single page layouts, and hers are double page. So, I have included one of each...... just to prove that I do double page layouts every once in a while.... but I find them very difficult to do, which is why the majority of mine are single pages.

Anyhoo, this one of Avery didn't photograph very well.... It is a transparency over the whole page, so, it is next to impossible to get a picture without a reflection!

Layouts #126 and

Layout #125

Sisters first.... friends forever. It took us a long time to get there. Why is it that you have to grow up fighting with your siblings only to find out that when you are older you have a lot in common, and that they always have your back, even when everyone else doesn't? My sister Nicole and I fought like cats and dogs growing up. We were always fighting. And now.... I would die without her. I can call her when I need to bitch about things I don't want to tell my friends, she will happily watch my kids for me, share clothes, and boost my self esteem when I really need it.
This was the last picture that the three of us will ever have taken at one of our weddings. This was Jani's wedding this summer.... and could I be any shorter?
TFL

Layout #123 & #124

Here are a few more layouts that I have recently completed. The first is with the new MME Life Stories Collection. Who doesn't love kraft paper????? It was perfect for pictures from my friend Amy's birthday party. It was a fun night... until I got home. But that is another story.
The second is with some Basic Grey Granola paper that I loved when it first came out, and then never really used. I thought it went really well with my Harvest Schmarvest layout. (Holla to Tara for that title btw...).
As for 150 layouts. I don't think I am going to get there by the end of the year...... it is December, and I have 26 to go to meet Haley's goal. Cross your fingers!
TFL!

Phew.... Nevember is done.

I am so glad that November is over. I don't think there were more than three days the whole month that we didn't have something going on. December is looking much more relaxed. Vegas was a blast, and I was lucky enough to get home from there, and turn right around and go scrapbooking for the weekend with four friends. We had a great time, with the exception of a few slips (like sleeping arrangements, mushroom allergies, and epic snoring), but other than that, it was a great time. Grant left for work this morning, and it really feels like he just got home. I am not looking forward to the next 18 days, but then we will have a nice long Christmas break. Christmas..... oh crap. So much for December being slack.
I will post pics of Vegas soon.... I just need to get brave enough to trudge outside in the snow to get my SD cards from my truck!