Download Paper Pack Here*I changed the preview and updated the link to one download instead of two, because the files are not so big that they need to be split up.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
My First Freebie
Ok, it's not much, but I designed my first paper pack. I might dabble in trying to make some embellishments to add to the kit later, but for the moment this is it. There are 13 papers in the kit. If you have any suggestions or any ideas for elements you would like to see in an add on, I would love to hear them. If you send me your layouts and I will post them on the blog. Please leave some love if you download. :) *Sorry, this is no longer available as a freebie. You may now find this and other products available for purchase in my Blog Store.*
Download Paper Pack Here
*I changed the preview and updated the link to one download instead of two, because the files are not so big that they need to be split up.
Download Paper Pack Here*I changed the preview and updated the link to one download instead of two, because the files are not so big that they need to be split up.
Sally
My daughter introduced me to her imaginary friend "Sally" a few weeks ago. She usually joins us at meals, but sometimes she shows up to play dolls with BittyBit. Tyson thinks it is silly to have imaginary friends, but he probably never had one himself. When I was a child I had "Jamie-boy" and we got into all kinds of trouble together. I was more than a little jealous when my younger sister Robyn took over as Jamie-boy's best friend. I had kind of outgrown him, but I didn't want to share. Good times.
LittleMan learned how to wave goodbye this week, and he also learned how to sign "milk". He got so excited when he made the sign and we actually delivered a bottle. Now that he knows how to communicate, he gets extremely impatient waiting for us to prepare his food.
I finished my first digital paper pack today. I might make elements for it later, but for now I'm just going to package up the paper. I'm still getting the preview ready, writing up my terms of use, and getting ready to upload my files to the file sharing site, so it might be a few days before I post it.
LittleMan learned how to wave goodbye this week, and he also learned how to sign "milk". He got so excited when he made the sign and we actually delivered a bottle. Now that he knows how to communicate, he gets extremely impatient waiting for us to prepare his food.
I finished my first digital paper pack today. I might make elements for it later, but for now I'm just going to package up the paper. I'm still getting the preview ready, writing up my terms of use, and getting ready to upload my files to the file sharing site, so it might be a few days before I post it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Memorial Day Fun
First of all, I want to say thanks to Julie for picking me up for the second time in a week so that I could be part of the festivities. It is driving me nuts having to rely on other people for everything, but maybe the Lord is trying to teach me patience and humility.
Julie came by my house early Monday morning and helped me round up the kids and load them in the car. We camped out at her house in the morning while she prepared food for her BBQ later that day. The food turned out great and I had a wonderful time hanging out with old friends and meeting some new people. My daughter ran around with Shannon and Kelly and the other kids and managed to get completely soaked by a water gun, but it was so hot outside that I bet she was more comfortable than the rest of us.
BittyBit and Shannon after a serious water gun fight.
LittleMan chilled out most of the day, in spite of being tired.
In the evening we all went over to another friend's house for Jenny G.'s going away party. The gals who put the party together did a wonderful job and we all had a great time. It was nice to be able to get together for one last hurrah before Jenny & her family move far, far away. My only regret was that neither of my kids got much of a nap, and they both pitched fits for a good portion of the party. Especially my eldest child, who realized how slow I am on crutches and decided to take advantage. It is always humbling to have the worst behaved child at a party. Check out Missy's blog for some great pictures of the event (I mean the party, not the tantrums).
Last, but not least, I finished another layout. I've been trying to complete this one for weeks, but I couldn't find papers I liked that didn't clash with the page that will go next to this one in the album. The two pages are of different events, so I didn't want to use the same papers. I finally found a kit that has a similar feel to the other page I did, but isn't too much the same. As always, click on the layout to view it larger.
Credits: Template by Andrea Gold, Papers from Danielle Corbitt's Don't Be Shy kit. Font:CK Stenography. Atomic Cupcake action used on title.
Julie came by my house early Monday morning and helped me round up the kids and load them in the car. We camped out at her house in the morning while she prepared food for her BBQ later that day. The food turned out great and I had a wonderful time hanging out with old friends and meeting some new people. My daughter ran around with Shannon and Kelly and the other kids and managed to get completely soaked by a water gun, but it was so hot outside that I bet she was more comfortable than the rest of us.
BittyBit and Shannon after a serious water gun fight.
LittleMan chilled out most of the day, in spite of being tired.In the evening we all went over to another friend's house for Jenny G.'s going away party. The gals who put the party together did a wonderful job and we all had a great time. It was nice to be able to get together for one last hurrah before Jenny & her family move far, far away. My only regret was that neither of my kids got much of a nap, and they both pitched fits for a good portion of the party. Especially my eldest child, who realized how slow I am on crutches and decided to take advantage. It is always humbling to have the worst behaved child at a party. Check out Missy's blog for some great pictures of the event (I mean the party, not the tantrums).
Last, but not least, I finished another layout. I've been trying to complete this one for weeks, but I couldn't find papers I liked that didn't clash with the page that will go next to this one in the album. The two pages are of different events, so I didn't want to use the same papers. I finally found a kit that has a similar feel to the other page I did, but isn't too much the same. As always, click on the layout to view it larger.
Credits: Template by Andrea Gold, Papers from Danielle Corbitt's Don't Be Shy kit. Font:CK Stenography. Atomic Cupcake action used on title.
Friday, May 16, 2008
How Firm a Foundation...
...at least it is after today. We had the foundation company who did the repairs 12+ years ago come back and adjust 7 of the piers, as well as install 5 new steel piers. The piers that they previously installed were still under a partial warranty, so we only had to pay 50% of what they cost to install twelve years ago. The other owners never had any supports put on the front side of the house, although the foundation needed them. Because of that the house shifted down several inches on the front side and slid off of the piers that were supporting one side of the house. That is what caused the pipe to burst under our slab several months ago. We are going to fix everything correctly this time, and hopefully we won't have to deal with any more foundation drama while we own the house.
This is what the house looked like with all the foundation jacks sticking out from under it.
I thought these jacks looked kinda cool. They must be strong to be able to lift the house.
This is what the house looked like with all the foundation jacks sticking out from under it.
I thought these jacks looked kinda cool. They must be strong to be able to lift the house.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Rude Telemarketers
I always try to be polite to people who call my house, even when they call me when I am home by myself trying to get both kids ready for bed. I really don't like it when the telemarketers call. I have been getting tons of solicitations recently and only realized last week that it is because my time on the National Do Not Call Registry had expired, so I had to put my numbers back on the list.
I think most sales people take a speed-talking course before they begin the job. As soon as I pick up the phone they begin their sales pitch, not even pausing to breathe, and I am left listening carefully for an opening to tell them, "No thanks". I make an effort to be polite, because I know that they are just doing their job, but as Dear Abby once said, in response to a whiney letter from a telemarketer (I am paraphrasing) - "People have no obligation to talk to sales people on the phone. Hanging up on a telemarketer is not terribly rude, as the call was unsolicited and the caller often doesn't give the person a chance to disconnect politely."
I spent close to a minute listening to the guy who was trying to sell me a termite treatment package. When he finally took a breath I said,"No thank you, I'm not interested." At which point he promptly hung up. No mumbled "thanks" or "bye". So I've decided I'm tired of being polite. I'm not interested in torturing the poor people who try to sell me something(like my brother in law enjoys doing), but I'm not going to feel obligated to listen to their sales pitch either.
I thought I'd list some of LittleMan's accomplishments
words: Ma-ma, da-da, (He said his sister's name once, but he has yet to say it again)
talents: clapping hands - he just learned this skill last week
crawling, pulling up on the furniture, and a little bit of "cruising" along the furniture
giving kisses - the big, slobbery, open mouth kisses that babies give, but he does it on command
moving around on his ride-on toy, Mater (he can do this by himself, but prefers to ride around with his big sister)
He is very happy and laughs a lot. I can tell he's going to have a great sense of humor and maybe even be a joker like his dad.
BittyBit and LittleMan riding Mater
I think most sales people take a speed-talking course before they begin the job. As soon as I pick up the phone they begin their sales pitch, not even pausing to breathe, and I am left listening carefully for an opening to tell them, "No thanks". I make an effort to be polite, because I know that they are just doing their job, but as Dear Abby once said, in response to a whiney letter from a telemarketer (I am paraphrasing) - "People have no obligation to talk to sales people on the phone. Hanging up on a telemarketer is not terribly rude, as the call was unsolicited and the caller often doesn't give the person a chance to disconnect politely."
I spent close to a minute listening to the guy who was trying to sell me a termite treatment package. When he finally took a breath I said,"No thank you, I'm not interested." At which point he promptly hung up. No mumbled "thanks" or "bye". So I've decided I'm tired of being polite. I'm not interested in torturing the poor people who try to sell me something(like my brother in law enjoys doing), but I'm not going to feel obligated to listen to their sales pitch either.
I thought I'd list some of LittleMan's accomplishments
words: Ma-ma, da-da, (He said his sister's name once, but he has yet to say it again)
talents: clapping hands - he just learned this skill last week
crawling, pulling up on the furniture, and a little bit of "cruising" along the furniture
giving kisses - the big, slobbery, open mouth kisses that babies give, but he does it on command
moving around on his ride-on toy, Mater (he can do this by himself, but prefers to ride around with his big sister)
He is very happy and laughs a lot. I can tell he's going to have a great sense of humor and maybe even be a joker like his dad.
BittyBit and LittleMan riding Mater
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Dinner & a Movie?
Saturday morning Tyson and I packed up the kids and headed to a nearby park for a family picnic hosted by the Priesthood quorum. The guys (and a few girls) played softball while the rest of us watched the kids run around on the playground, then we ate hamburgers and hot dogs and chatted.
Saturday afternoon, Tyson and I asked Connie to watch the kids so that we could go to a movie. At least she thought that was why she was watching the kids. Tyson helped her reface the frame of her kitchen cabinets last fall and they built new cabinet doors together. Connie primed the doors months ago, but between her surgeries, social life, and Tyson's busy work schedule, the doors never got installed. Tyson headed over to her house and dusted off all of the cabinet doors, then lined them up to see which one went where. Then we fastened the hardware and installed the doors, assembly line style. Tyson drilled the holes for the hinges and screws, then I attached the hardware to the door and took the finished door inside and placed it in front of the cabinet to which it belonged. Then I would bring out another door and we would do it again. We had a pretty good rhythm going and finished the project in about 3 1/2 hours. We wanted to affix the knobs to the doors too, but the cabinet doors needed another coat of paint, and I knew if we spent any more time away, she would be suspicious of our "dinner & a movie" ruse.
This is the "before" shot.
Some of the openings are different sizes, so we lined up all the doors to see where they fit.
Tyson drilled the holes for the hinges.
I attached all the hardware - with a screwdriver at first, until I began to get blisters, and we hunted for a spare cordless drill.
I held the doors in place while Tyson marked where to pre-drill for the hinges on the cabinets, then we took turns attaching the doors.
Finally, after all our hard work, the doors were all in place. We couldn't find the drawer panels to go in front of the sink, and we didn't have time to make more this time. Later Connie told us that she already has the wood to make them, she just hasn't gotten to it yet.
We tried to put everything back where we found it, but we almost made the garage too clean. We had to sweep up all the sawdust and beat it out of some carpet runners that she has next to her car. I think I put one of them back in the wrong spot. She told us later that she walked from the garage into the kitchen and thought, "I don't remember leaving the garage this clean". But she was still surprised when she walked inside and was greeted by nearly finished cabinets, instead of open shelves. She was pretty happy that we'd gotten all that done for her for mother's day, but she also was a little disappointed that we hadn't actually taken time to go on a date ourselves. Connie is awesome that way, always looking out for everyone else. I think we did get our date, and it was a service date, which was somehow much more fun than a traditional date.
Saturday afternoon, Tyson and I asked Connie to watch the kids so that we could go to a movie. At least she thought that was why she was watching the kids. Tyson helped her reface the frame of her kitchen cabinets last fall and they built new cabinet doors together. Connie primed the doors months ago, but between her surgeries, social life, and Tyson's busy work schedule, the doors never got installed. Tyson headed over to her house and dusted off all of the cabinet doors, then lined them up to see which one went where. Then we fastened the hardware and installed the doors, assembly line style. Tyson drilled the holes for the hinges and screws, then I attached the hardware to the door and took the finished door inside and placed it in front of the cabinet to which it belonged. Then I would bring out another door and we would do it again. We had a pretty good rhythm going and finished the project in about 3 1/2 hours. We wanted to affix the knobs to the doors too, but the cabinet doors needed another coat of paint, and I knew if we spent any more time away, she would be suspicious of our "dinner & a movie" ruse.
This is the "before" shot.
Some of the openings are different sizes, so we lined up all the doors to see where they fit.
Tyson drilled the holes for the hinges.
I attached all the hardware - with a screwdriver at first, until I began to get blisters, and we hunted for a spare cordless drill.
I held the doors in place while Tyson marked where to pre-drill for the hinges on the cabinets, then we took turns attaching the doors.
Finally, after all our hard work, the doors were all in place. We couldn't find the drawer panels to go in front of the sink, and we didn't have time to make more this time. Later Connie told us that she already has the wood to make them, she just hasn't gotten to it yet.We tried to put everything back where we found it, but we almost made the garage too clean. We had to sweep up all the sawdust and beat it out of some carpet runners that she has next to her car. I think I put one of them back in the wrong spot. She told us later that she walked from the garage into the kitchen and thought, "I don't remember leaving the garage this clean". But she was still surprised when she walked inside and was greeted by nearly finished cabinets, instead of open shelves. She was pretty happy that we'd gotten all that done for her for mother's day, but she also was a little disappointed that we hadn't actually taken time to go on a date ourselves. Connie is awesome that way, always looking out for everyone else. I think we did get our date, and it was a service date, which was somehow much more fun than a traditional date.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Haircuts and Treadmills
I got my hair cut again today. I love going to Erik to get my hair done. It always looks much better after he styles it than I can ever get it to look on my own. Tyson's mom was talking to him the other day about how male hairdressers usually make more money than females. If a woman cuts another woman's hair and tells her it looks good, the patron might believe her, or she might think that the hairdresser is just trying to get some repeat business. If a guy cuts a woman's hair, when he tells her that her new 'do looks great, she is more likely to believe him.
I don't know if there is any truth to that, or if it is one of those made up statistics, but I can see how it could be true. Assuming that the guy cutting my hair does a great job, I'll keep going back because I will take a little flattery wherever I can get it (I said flattery, not flirting). Tyson has always been good about noticing when I change my hair, and sometimes a few weeks later, he will notice if I buy new clothing. I think (especially after the relationship is no longer new) that sometimes guys forget that women need compliments. Once you get married, friendships with people of the opposite sex are mostly off limits. You are pretty much limited to your spouse's friends, and if you do remain friends with people you knew before you got married, the dynamics of the friendship definitely have to change.
I walked over five miles on the treadmill today. Tyson's comment that I looked pregnant in the sweater I wore to the wedding finally motivated me to either kill myself or start working out, and since everything else in my life is going ok right now, I guess I'd better start exercising. I watched a Cold Case episode and part of Northanger Abbey (thank goodness for DVR) to keep me busy while I walked. Now I am going to be hooked on all of these Jane Austen movies. I have already recorded over 30 hours of them from PBS's Masterpiece Theater. I wish real life were as romantic as the books. I think after reading enough of Jane Austen, no man will ever be able to measure up!
Here's another scrapbook page I finished yesterday. This page was the last of the June '05 pictures, now I am ready to tackle July.
Credits: Template by Andrea Gold, Spring Garden kit add on by
Mira Designs of The Digichick, Font - CK Stenography
I don't know if there is any truth to that, or if it is one of those made up statistics, but I can see how it could be true. Assuming that the guy cutting my hair does a great job, I'll keep going back because I will take a little flattery wherever I can get it (I said flattery, not flirting). Tyson has always been good about noticing when I change my hair, and sometimes a few weeks later, he will notice if I buy new clothing. I think (especially after the relationship is no longer new) that sometimes guys forget that women need compliments. Once you get married, friendships with people of the opposite sex are mostly off limits. You are pretty much limited to your spouse's friends, and if you do remain friends with people you knew before you got married, the dynamics of the friendship definitely have to change.
I walked over five miles on the treadmill today. Tyson's comment that I looked pregnant in the sweater I wore to the wedding finally motivated me to either kill myself or start working out, and since everything else in my life is going ok right now, I guess I'd better start exercising. I watched a Cold Case episode and part of Northanger Abbey (thank goodness for DVR) to keep me busy while I walked. Now I am going to be hooked on all of these Jane Austen movies. I have already recorded over 30 hours of them from PBS's Masterpiece Theater. I wish real life were as romantic as the books. I think after reading enough of Jane Austen, no man will ever be able to measure up!
Here's another scrapbook page I finished yesterday. This page was the last of the June '05 pictures, now I am ready to tackle July.
Credits: Template by Andrea Gold, Spring Garden kit add on by
Mira Designs of The Digichick, Font - CK Stenography
Monday, May 05, 2008
No boots in the house
Last night BittyBit wanted to wear her cowboy boots in the house. We usually take our shoes off while in the house, and it was almost bedtime, so I told her that she could wear them to school tomorrow instead. She looked at me and said, "I don't want to go to school tomorrow". Most of the time she loves school, so I asked her why she didn't want to go. "I don't want to go to school tomorrow because I'm mad at you mom", was her reply. I had to fake a cough to cover my smile. I am glad that she can tell me when she is upset, and even gladder that she can be civil when she tells me. It just surprised me and the expression on her face when she said it struck me as funny.
I started the layouts below about a month ago, but I have not been able to get the second page to look right. I think I'm done messing with it for now though, so I will post it. I can't wait to start scrapping 2006, when I lost the rest of the baby weight. Those pictures are always easier to look at.
Credits: Sketches by Becky Higgins. The papers and elements are from Buzy Bee Scrapper Designs
I started the layouts below about a month ago, but I have not been able to get the second page to look right. I think I'm done messing with it for now though, so I will post it. I can't wait to start scrapping 2006, when I lost the rest of the baby weight. Those pictures are always easier to look at.
Credits: Sketches by Becky Higgins. The papers and elements are from Buzy Bee Scrapper Designs
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday layouts
The weather has been so nice lately. I love to take the kids for walks in the stroller, but I have been reluctant to do so recently because BittyBit is still in the potty training phase. If I'm going to get out and exercise (and sweat, yuck!) then I might as well get my time in. I used to take 3+ hour walks with BittyBit before LittleMan was born, but I don't know where to stop for a bathroom break along my route. I finally decided that I'd walk to a park about a mile and a half from my house, then after BittyBit had played for a little while, I would go to the nearby strip mall and try to find a restroom we could use. Instead I ended up making a mad dash for the nearest elementary school when I saw the look on BittyBit's face that told me I had about a minute to find a potty or it would be too late. It was almost 6pm, but thankfully the building was still open, so our mission was a success. Then we were able to play for a few more minutes on the playground and I was able to take my time the walk home. LittleMan even fell asleep on the return trip, which was nice.
I completed two more scrapbook pages today. My goal is to scrap the rest of my pictures for 2005 by the end of the summer. Then I am hoping to finish 2006 by the end of this year. We will see if that actually happens. Here are my layouts.
Credits: Template by Mrs. Wresh, font - Georgia, papers from Miriam Lima’s LDD Celebration kit, bear sticker from Nancy Kubo’s Hullabaloo kit.
Credits: Template by Andrea Gold, Papers from Mints & Taro kit by
Fei-Fei’s Stuff.
I completed two more scrapbook pages today. My goal is to scrap the rest of my pictures for 2005 by the end of the summer. Then I am hoping to finish 2006 by the end of this year. We will see if that actually happens. Here are my layouts.
Credits: Template by Mrs. Wresh, font - Georgia, papers from Miriam Lima’s LDD Celebration kit, bear sticker from Nancy Kubo’s Hullabaloo kit.
Credits: Template by Andrea Gold, Papers from Mints & Taro kit byFei-Fei’s Stuff.
Monday, April 28, 2008
My mom's birthday bash
I have stayed pretty busy since we got back into town at the beginning of the week. I can't think of anything specific that I did, except that I helped a little in putting together my mom's birthday party. I was going to post pictures of my mom's birthday party and how my sister's neighbor's house caught fire, but she beat me to the punch. You can check it out on Jenni's blog.
Jenni and I started thinking and we realized that we couldn't ever remember anyone having a birthday party for my mom. We usually had a little something as a family, but we couldn't remember a party with guests. When we were growing up we didn't have any money for parties, and as adults it was some of the same, plus several of us girls have moved out of state at some time or another, so it just didn't come together. Jenni planned the entire thing, she just delegated a few things to me. I created a slideshow with pictures beginning when my mom was a child, and concluding with pictures from this year. I also made the punch, which Tyson told me it didn't taste very good, but I don't really care because it was pretty. I thought it tasted alright.
We met at Jenni's house for cake and punch, then we went out to eat with most of the party guests to a restaurant. After dinner my mom said that this party was the second birthday party she had had in her entire life. The first one was when she was eight. I'm glad that we were able to have this one for her and that so many of her friends and family were able to make it special.
I also have a few more scrapbook layouts to share. I didn't do these a while back, but I'll share them here anyway. Credits: Sketch by Becky Higgins, font-Eras Medium ITC, polka dot paper by DCorbitt, Dreadfully Happy collaboration kit by Digital Crea used for the remainder of layout. Atomic Cupcake action used.
Jenni and I started thinking and we realized that we couldn't ever remember anyone having a birthday party for my mom. We usually had a little something as a family, but we couldn't remember a party with guests. When we were growing up we didn't have any money for parties, and as adults it was some of the same, plus several of us girls have moved out of state at some time or another, so it just didn't come together. Jenni planned the entire thing, she just delegated a few things to me. I created a slideshow with pictures beginning when my mom was a child, and concluding with pictures from this year. I also made the punch, which Tyson told me it didn't taste very good, but I don't really care because it was pretty. I thought it tasted alright.
We met at Jenni's house for cake and punch, then we went out to eat with most of the party guests to a restaurant. After dinner my mom said that this party was the second birthday party she had had in her entire life. The first one was when she was eight. I'm glad that we were able to have this one for her and that so many of her friends and family were able to make it special.I also have a few more scrapbook layouts to share. I didn't do these a while back, but I'll share them here anyway. Credits: Sketch by Becky Higgins, font-Eras Medium ITC, polka dot paper by DCorbitt, Dreadfully Happy collaboration kit by Digital Crea used for the remainder of layout. Atomic Cupcake action used.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Stupid Computer
I fully intended to post yesterday, after Jenny G. and I had another fun scrapbooking session, but my computer is acting up. The power in our neighborhood has been intermittent since the last big storm. It usually works, but it will surge a few times a day and then my computer turns off and I lose whatever project I was working on. Tyson had a spare battery backup and offered to plug my computer into it so that it wouldn't die if there was another power surge. He also gave me some new RAM for my computer a few days ago. After he plugged my computer into the battery backup, my computer wouldn't boot up. I started stressing out because I knew that Jenny would be coming over soon to learn more digital scrapbooking and my computer wasn't working. He messed around with it for half an hour and finally got it working. He thinks the new RAM might be incompatible with my computer, which would be a shame, because it my computer was running twice as fast as before with the new RAM.
I was so glad when Jenny showed up with her two boys, because the kids entertained each other for the most part. Before she showed up I was seriously considering locking BittyBit in her room and not letting her come out until she was ready to be married off. She kept trying to play with LittleMan, but she was being way too rough and I kept having to pull her off of him. At one point I stepped out of the room to start a load of laundry (my next house will have a laundry room in the house, not in the garage). Tyson was home, so I thought I could step away for a minute, but through the walls of the garage I heard LittleMan crying, so I charged back into the house. When I got to the living room, I found him lying on his back fussing. BittyBit was leaning over him, repeatedly slamming her forehead into the softest part of his stomach. I think I set a land record running across the room to pull her off of him. I was so mad, because I had already chastised her three times for hitting, pushing, and "tapping" him with her foot. She looked at me with this blank look and said, "But mommy, I'm not hitting him, see? I'm just bumping him with my head." Right...I guess I'll have to sit down and consider every possible physical assault so that I can forbid each one individually.
The computer worked the entire time Jenny was here, but almost as soon as she left, my monitor went out. It started blinking, then repeatedly turning itself on and off every few seconds. I finally had to unplug the darn thing. I have a feeling the motherboard is going to go out on my computer soon. So many things are going wrong with this computer. I really wish this would happen at a better time, not when we just got hit with a huge tax bill. That is another story entirely, but one that I don't want to talk about right now.
Well, Jenny told me that I should post more of my layouts, so here are some pages I finished today. The first one I completed several months ago, but I tweaked it today and created the second page. The templates and papers are by Andrea Gold. The rusty brads are from Jennilyn's RustIron kit. The overlay around the edges is from Shabby Princess's Two Soon collection. I used CK's Corral font for the title and journaling.
I am thinking about creating a freebie mini kit of digital papers, and maybe a couple of elements. I have never done this before, so I don't know how long it will take me or how good they will turn out, but if anyone has a specific theme or color request, leave your suggestions in the comments and I will consider them.
I was so glad when Jenny showed up with her two boys, because the kids entertained each other for the most part. Before she showed up I was seriously considering locking BittyBit in her room and not letting her come out until she was ready to be married off. She kept trying to play with LittleMan, but she was being way too rough and I kept having to pull her off of him. At one point I stepped out of the room to start a load of laundry (my next house will have a laundry room in the house, not in the garage). Tyson was home, so I thought I could step away for a minute, but through the walls of the garage I heard LittleMan crying, so I charged back into the house. When I got to the living room, I found him lying on his back fussing. BittyBit was leaning over him, repeatedly slamming her forehead into the softest part of his stomach. I think I set a land record running across the room to pull her off of him. I was so mad, because I had already chastised her three times for hitting, pushing, and "tapping" him with her foot. She looked at me with this blank look and said, "But mommy, I'm not hitting him, see? I'm just bumping him with my head." Right...I guess I'll have to sit down and consider every possible physical assault so that I can forbid each one individually.
The computer worked the entire time Jenny was here, but almost as soon as she left, my monitor went out. It started blinking, then repeatedly turning itself on and off every few seconds. I finally had to unplug the darn thing. I have a feeling the motherboard is going to go out on my computer soon. So many things are going wrong with this computer. I really wish this would happen at a better time, not when we just got hit with a huge tax bill. That is another story entirely, but one that I don't want to talk about right now.
Well, Jenny told me that I should post more of my layouts, so here are some pages I finished today. The first one I completed several months ago, but I tweaked it today and created the second page. The templates and papers are by Andrea Gold. The rusty brads are from Jennilyn's RustIron kit. The overlay around the edges is from Shabby Princess's Two Soon collection. I used CK's Corral font for the title and journaling.
I am thinking about creating a freebie mini kit of digital papers, and maybe a couple of elements. I have never done this before, so I don't know how long it will take me or how good they will turn out, but if anyone has a specific theme or color request, leave your suggestions in the comments and I will consider them.
Friday, April 11, 2008
New Scrapbook layouts
I thought with all the time that I am spending teaching others to scrap, I really ought to do more digital scrapbooking myself. I am way behind and trying to catch up. Here is a double page spread I did today of a friend's birthday party in June of 2005, when BittyBit was 5 months old. (You can click on the images to view them full size.)
I based my layout on a sketch by Becky Higgins. The papers and embellishements are from Sweet Moon Graphic's Summer Sea kit.
I based my layout on a sketch by Becky Higgins. The papers and embellishements are from Sweet Moon Graphic's Summer Sea kit.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Master Bath progress report
This is the famous master bathroom remodel that is 3+ years in the making.
Here is a picture of what the shower area looked like when we first bought the house.
There was not even room to put your arms out to shampoo your hair. Tyson and his dad demolished the old bathroom and discovered termite damage in the sheetrock and studs, so he had to completely rip the bathroom apart. He replaced the studs one at a time and re-sheetrocked the entire bathroom and outer walls. 
We decided to enlarge the shower, so we took about a foot from the linen closet that was on the other side of the bathroom wall. This picture below shows Tyson's dad helping to install the new window. This picture was taken from the hall before they re-sheetrocked the wall between the closet and the bathroom.
This is what the shower wall looked like after Tyson installed the travertine tile in the new shower and on the floor of the bathroom. He even built in a bench.
He poured the shower pan in our master bathroom earlier this week and today he installed the mosaic tiles on the shower floor. Terrence came over to help. Really he usually offers moral support, but it gets Tyson motivated to do the projects, so I welcome all the "help" we can get.
This is the completed shower pan, all ready for the tile installation.
Tyson and Terrence prepping the floor for tile installation...
And here is the floor with the tile. He'll grout it next week, then we're going to pick out a new pedestal sink and faucet and install all of the fixtures and hardware. Tyson still needs to seal all the tile too, but the end is in sight!
Here is a picture of what the shower area looked like when we first bought the house.
There was not even room to put your arms out to shampoo your hair. Tyson and his dad demolished the old bathroom and discovered termite damage in the sheetrock and studs, so he had to completely rip the bathroom apart. He replaced the studs one at a time and re-sheetrocked the entire bathroom and outer walls. 
We decided to enlarge the shower, so we took about a foot from the linen closet that was on the other side of the bathroom wall. This picture below shows Tyson's dad helping to install the new window. This picture was taken from the hall before they re-sheetrocked the wall between the closet and the bathroom.
This is what the shower wall looked like after Tyson installed the travertine tile in the new shower and on the floor of the bathroom. He even built in a bench.
He poured the shower pan in our master bathroom earlier this week and today he installed the mosaic tiles on the shower floor. Terrence came over to help. Really he usually offers moral support, but it gets Tyson motivated to do the projects, so I welcome all the "help" we can get.
This is the completed shower pan, all ready for the tile installation.
Tyson and Terrence prepping the floor for tile installation...
And here is the floor with the tile. He'll grout it next week, then we're going to pick out a new pedestal sink and faucet and install all of the fixtures and hardware. Tyson still needs to seal all the tile too, but the end is in sight!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
New Ab Workout
For those of you looking for a new way to work your abdominal muscles, do I have a workout for you! I call it the Respiratory Infection Ab-ercise, or RIA for short. This thing is going to be all the rage, and the best part is that it does not cost a cent to get started*.
Here is how to begin:
If you have small kids, take them to a park, church, preschool, or daycare, and let them play with the other kids. This is a nearly foolproof way to bring some sort of bug home with you. If you do not have kids, you can borrow a grandchild, niece, nephew, or a friend's child. In a pinch you can ask to borrow someone else's kid at the playground, but do this only as a last resort, as parent's tend to find it creepy when childless adults hang out around the playground and ask to borrow other peoples' children. If you have absolutely no access to small children, do not despair, sometimes (as in the case of our test subject) a severe allergy attack can bring on the same symptoms.
If you rarely get sick (or do not live with small children), some additional preparation may be required in order to bring about symptoms. One of the easiest ways to bring on a lowered immune system is lack of sleep. I recommend starting a good book that you will have difficulty putting down. If you have small children, sleep deprivation is not hard to come by; in fact, it is a natural byproduct of the parenting process. If you do not enjoy reading, or find that you possess too much self-control to allow yourself to stay up all night reading, drastic measures may be necessary. I' am talking about World of Warcraft, the most addicting massive multi-player online role-playing game of all time. After a few days of playing WoW, you will have no desire to see your family ever again or to engage in frivolous pursuits such as eating and sleeping. Yes, your body will be exhausted and the perfect place for a respiratory infection to set up shop.
Once you have a respiratory infection, the RIA practically takes care of itself. Your lungs will fill up with fluid and your body will try so hard to expel those fluids that your abdominal muscles will clench in agony virtually all day long. You will cough (thus working your Abs) all day and, if you are fortunate, all night as well. This will interfere with your sleep, but do not dismay - sleeplessness further inhibits your immune system, prolonging your intense Ab-ercise experience. If you are lucky, your cough will be so severe that you will not be able to keep down any food or water, and while fitness is really the focus of the RIA program, minor weight loss can be an added bonus. While you may be tempted to let your respiratory infection develop into full-blown pneumonia, this is not advised; the doctors and medication that follow bouts of pneumonia tend to counteract the severe cough reflex that is necessary for RIA to work your muscles effectively.
A few days on the program is usually sufficient to bring about noticeable change in the strength and tone of your Abdominals. While no guarantee is implied, participants in a recent study** experienced dramatic results. They described results from one week on RIA as being similar to an entire month's worth of Abs of Steel.
Disclosure: While it is true that the RIA program can bring on extreme discomfort, Bonnie F, Inc. (hereafter referred to as "the company") recommends that you get over it. After all, no pain, no gain! By choosing to participate in RIA, you agree to release the company from all liability related to injury or illness resulting from RIA.
* Although RIA does not have startup fees, there may be hidden costs later in doctor bills.
**By study, the company means a case study performed on one Bonnie F, the author of this blog.
Here is how to begin:
If you have small kids, take them to a park, church, preschool, or daycare, and let them play with the other kids. This is a nearly foolproof way to bring some sort of bug home with you. If you do not have kids, you can borrow a grandchild, niece, nephew, or a friend's child. In a pinch you can ask to borrow someone else's kid at the playground, but do this only as a last resort, as parent's tend to find it creepy when childless adults hang out around the playground and ask to borrow other peoples' children. If you have absolutely no access to small children, do not despair, sometimes (as in the case of our test subject) a severe allergy attack can bring on the same symptoms.
If you rarely get sick (or do not live with small children), some additional preparation may be required in order to bring about symptoms. One of the easiest ways to bring on a lowered immune system is lack of sleep. I recommend starting a good book that you will have difficulty putting down. If you have small children, sleep deprivation is not hard to come by; in fact, it is a natural byproduct of the parenting process. If you do not enjoy reading, or find that you possess too much self-control to allow yourself to stay up all night reading, drastic measures may be necessary. I' am talking about World of Warcraft, the most addicting massive multi-player online role-playing game of all time. After a few days of playing WoW, you will have no desire to see your family ever again or to engage in frivolous pursuits such as eating and sleeping. Yes, your body will be exhausted and the perfect place for a respiratory infection to set up shop.
Once you have a respiratory infection, the RIA practically takes care of itself. Your lungs will fill up with fluid and your body will try so hard to expel those fluids that your abdominal muscles will clench in agony virtually all day long. You will cough (thus working your Abs) all day and, if you are fortunate, all night as well. This will interfere with your sleep, but do not dismay - sleeplessness further inhibits your immune system, prolonging your intense Ab-ercise experience. If you are lucky, your cough will be so severe that you will not be able to keep down any food or water, and while fitness is really the focus of the RIA program, minor weight loss can be an added bonus. While you may be tempted to let your respiratory infection develop into full-blown pneumonia, this is not advised; the doctors and medication that follow bouts of pneumonia tend to counteract the severe cough reflex that is necessary for RIA to work your muscles effectively.
A few days on the program is usually sufficient to bring about noticeable change in the strength and tone of your Abdominals. While no guarantee is implied, participants in a recent study** experienced dramatic results. They described results from one week on RIA as being similar to an entire month's worth of Abs of Steel.
Disclosure: While it is true that the RIA program can bring on extreme discomfort, Bonnie F, Inc. (hereafter referred to as "the company") recommends that you get over it. After all, no pain, no gain! By choosing to participate in RIA, you agree to release the company from all liability related to injury or illness resulting from RIA.
* Although RIA does not have startup fees, there may be hidden costs later in doctor bills.
**By study, the company means a case study performed on one Bonnie F, the author of this blog.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
American Accent Quiz
I found this quiz on a blog that I read occasionally. Jenni, I can't wait for you to take this so that I can laugh at you. :) I think this is sort of funny since I have lived in Texas my entire life, but I guess that's what happens when your dad is from NY and your mom is from Idaho.
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta. | |
| The Midland | |
| Boston | |
| North Central | |
| The South | |
| The Inland North | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The Northeast | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Goodnight Ladies
I am so proud of my daughter! Sometimes I let BittyBit watch a show in the morning, but often I make her wait until after nap time. That way she has an incentive to actually take a nap. She wanted to watch a particular show that comes on in the morning, so it wasn't available to watch when she woke up this afternoon. I suggested Meet The Robinsons instead, but she said,"No, I want to watch Goodnight Ladies". That is what she calls The Music Man. I sang show tunes to her a lot when she was younger, but I hadn't sung any Music Man songs in a long time, but the other evening BittyBit began singing "Goodnight Ladies" at bedtime. I told her that the song was from a movie and asked if she wanted to see it. She watched some of it the next day but lost interest about half way through. Today she sat down and sang along while she watched the entire thing.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Blog headers
I made my own blog header last December when I first started digging into Photoshop. There are so many digital creations out there, but most individual designers (of digital scrapbook papers and embellishments) do not want their designs used in blog design, so I decided to create my own stuff. I did have a few items that were ok for projects like this, but everything else I made from scratch.
I offered to make a blog header for my mom, back before I made mine. After she saw the header I made for this blog, she said I could design one for her. I didn't know as much about photoshop, so I didn't have as many creative options at my disposal. It is suited to her personality though, so I think I was successful.
I figured out how to mess with html today. I told my sister back in January that I would make her a blog header, and I finally finished it today. In my defense, I never said when I would finish it. :) I was somewhat lacking in inspiration, but I knew that I wanted to create the papers and embellishments myself. After browsing through some Microsoft clipart, I got the inspiration for this layout.
The clipart had flowers and circles and the stripes in the background, but it was done in mostly greens with some pastel colors on the flowers, and the picture didn't have any depth. I created these flowers and layered them to look like they were pieced together in a 3-D collage. I created the background paper from scratch, as well as the background for the title font. I like this one much better than my own blog header, so I will probably redo mine sometime soon.
I offered to make a blog header for my mom, back before I made mine. After she saw the header I made for this blog, she said I could design one for her. I didn't know as much about photoshop, so I didn't have as many creative options at my disposal. It is suited to her personality though, so I think I was successful.
I figured out how to mess with html today. I told my sister back in January that I would make her a blog header, and I finally finished it today. In my defense, I never said when I would finish it. :) I was somewhat lacking in inspiration, but I knew that I wanted to create the papers and embellishments myself. After browsing through some Microsoft clipart, I got the inspiration for this layout.
The clipart had flowers and circles and the stripes in the background, but it was done in mostly greens with some pastel colors on the flowers, and the picture didn't have any depth. I created these flowers and layered them to look like they were pieced together in a 3-D collage. I created the background paper from scratch, as well as the background for the title font. I like this one much better than my own blog header, so I will probably redo mine sometime soon.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
New teeth and photography lessons
LittleMan cut his second tooth three days ago. At this point, it would still be incredibly difficult to get a picture of the teeth, but when they have emerged a bit more, I am sure they will be more visible.
Of course, some of the pictures turned out like this...
I guess her photography skills still need some work, but with a little practice, she'll be a professional in no time!
I am so smart
Most of the moms I know take tons of pictures of their families. Even those who started out barely able to find the shutter soon blossom into competent photographers. Many of these moms also choose to scrapbook to preserve these memories. One common problem we all face is that because we are usually the one behind the camera, we have thousands of photos and only appear in a handful of them ourselves.
Some days I am more than fine with this (especially the mornings that I can barely roll out of bed and don't want a picture to remind me that I didn't get any sleep and didn't bother fixing myself up), but occasionally I would like some proof that I was actually with the family on that last family vacation.
My solution? I taught BittyBit how to use my old Kodak digital camera. It has been gathering dust on my desk since I bought my Canon, so I figure that with proper supervision, she can learn how to use it and eventually might take some decent pictures. I see only positive things coming out of this. She finds the process of taking pictures highly entertaining. She likes taking multiple pictures, so one of them is bound to be my good side (unlike my husband, who will only take control of the camera when I beg, who usually takes one shot, then when I ask, "Did that picture turn out ok?" -glances at the camera and says,"Yeah"-when what he means is you were blinking and there was something in your teeth). She actually did a good job for her first time using it. More than half of the pictures were in focus and after the first few, I showed her how to center her subject in the viewfinder, so most of the photos contain the subject she was trying to photograph.
Of course, some of the pictures turned out like this...
I guess her photography skills still need some work, but with a little practice, she'll be a professional in no time!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Remodeling, blog books, teeth, and BittyBit-isms
Final Phase of LittleMan’s room
Today Tyson and I picked out carpet for LittleMan's room. It looks like we will not be able to have it installed until the middle of next week, but at least everything else is finished. They are going to come measure our house tomorrow so that they know how much carpet to order. We are only installing the carpet in LittleMan's room right now, because Tyson wants to update all of the other rooms, and said it will be much easier if he can just tear up the carpet when he is ready to do each room. That way he does not have to worry about messing it up when he busts up the old windows and installs new ones. He also won't have to worry about making a mess when he re-textures the walls, replaces the trim, and paints everything.
My friend Elizabeth sent me a link to this site, which allows you to turn the entries from your blog into a soft or hardcover book. I have not used it, but I will definitely give it a try. I know a lot of you use your blogs as journals and this might be useful to keep all of those entries from getting lost in cyberspace.
LittleMan now has one, on the bottom. I would take a picture, but it is barely poking through the gums and it is usually covered with drool and his tongue. He has been working on this tooth for about a month and a half, so I was very excited today to see that it had come in.
Big Momma
I had to add another BittyBit-ism. Sometimes at naptime or bedtime, I will tell her, “I love my big girl”. A couple of days ago after I told her this, she followed up with, “I love my big mommy”. Uh…thanks kiddo. I guess it is the sentiment that counts.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Gordon B. Hinkley
The president of our church, Gordon B. Hinkley, passed away today. He was 97 years old. I think he is the prophet that I feel the most attached to so far, since he has led the church for my entire adult life. He dramatically increased the number of temples worldwide and the church experienced amazing growth during his years as president. He is loved and will be missed, but I can't help but be happy for him since I know he is now with his beloved wife, who passed several years before he did.
We had ward conference today and the spirit in the meetings was just amazing. Our stake president has a very strong testimony of the scriptures and he always teaches very simple but powerful lessons when he comes to speak to our congregation. We brought a friend to church today and then the missionaries came over for lunch and we watched a church video that I had never seen before ("Testament"). Overall it was a very uplifting day and I was glad to have been spiritually fed and uplifted.
We had ward conference today and the spirit in the meetings was just amazing. Our stake president has a very strong testimony of the scriptures and he always teaches very simple but powerful lessons when he comes to speak to our congregation. We brought a friend to church today and then the missionaries came over for lunch and we watched a church video that I had never seen before ("Testament"). Overall it was a very uplifting day and I was glad to have been spiritually fed and uplifted.
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