Ick

I'm sick. And Mom's don't get sick days. Ugh. At least now I have a legitimate reason for not doing housework.

Here's the layout of Breena that I recently finished. I love her but gosh she has been tough this past week. They've been sick (which explains how I got this) and sometimes complain that their teeth hurt so we're hoping that maybe their final (6 between the 2 of them) 2-year molars are coming in. Which hopefully explains Breena's regression back to constant whining and temper tantrums. Hopefully.

The birds are a 3 part punch from Stampin Up! Much like Baylinn's layout, I'm not in love with this one either. I really wanted to use the punch so I based the lo around them. Sad I know. Kind of like when you dress your kids up in a certain outfit and then take pics so they will perfectly match some gorgeous scrapbook paper you have. Not that any of us has ever done anything like that....

I Remain Completely Un-Domestic

It's now Day 2 of my Avoiding Housework Week so here's another layout that I finally finished up. I love the pictures, but really don't like how the layout turned out. I screwed up the corner when using my border punch so I made that big flower and stuck it over the mistake. Which would've probably been okay if not for the large, crackle-painted, chipboard swirly thing that I had already glued down in the opposite corner. It's just too many big elements for one page. Oh well. Can't love them all.

As for the kid....this is Baylinn. Yes, she is as sweet as she looks. She is also the first to be fully potty-trained, (not counting the accident we had this morning on the 30 second drive home from the Y. ) while her sister remains completely uninterested in the process. *sigh* One down, one to go.

The photograph credit for these gorgeous pics goes to my niece Kyla. She took tons of beautiful pictures while we were in North Carolina visiting for Thanksgiving. Her mom (my sis-in-law) is a professional photographer...it's obvious such talent is in the genes!

PS: Summer asked yesterday if I usually scrap just one picture. I guess my answer is "uhm, sometimes"...? I suppose it all depends on the pics and the supplies I want to use. Or if I'm inspired by another one page, one pic LO that I saw online or in a magazine, or if I'm working from a sketch.

I should be cleaning something.

But instead I've decided to finally finish a few layouts that I've had laying around for awhile now.

Basically all that was left was journaling. Imagine that. I know how important journaling is....I've been scrapping for like, 13 years or something so I know. I know. I KNOW!

But I hate it. (There! I said it! HA! How liberating!) I hate my handwriting. I hate trying to put my thoughts and feelings into a short paragraph that I know other people are going to read. I hate having to edit myself. I hate trying to figure out how to get it on the page so it looks like it belongs instead of an afterthought. (How do the scrappers in my magazines get their journaling to print right on their 12X12 paper??!!)

So I have a cheat method for journaling and I'm going to share it with you right now....instead of cleaning a bathroom or folding laundry.

I write on the back of the layout. I sign my name, I write the date I finished it and I write some journaling on the back of the layout and then stick it in the page protector and TA-DAH! Journaling. Done.

I still include important information on the front and I don't write on the back of every layout. But in the layout titled "Cousins" I wrote a little paragraph on the back about the picture and where it was taken.

The nice thing is that no one knows it's there - for now at least. When the girls are older and we look at my scrapbooks, I'll be able to pull out the layouts and they will see my handwriting and what I was really thinking when I made the layout - no editing necessary. Misspelling and bad grammar and all.

Check back later this week for pics of the other 2 layouts that I (finally!) finished.

A Future Scrapbooker?

This is Breena. Don't let the cuteness fool you. She's one sassy 2-year old. Based on a couple recent conversations with her, she might also be a future scrapbooker:

(yesterday, in the car)

BREENA: Mom! Doggies!

ME: No sweetie, those are miniature horses.

BREENA: Horses?

ME: Yep.

BREENA: They're cute!

ME: Yes they are.

BREENA: Get a picture!

(today, Breena goes upstairs to track down her Daddy who is working in his office)

BREENA: Daddy, let's go!

BRIAN: Go downstairs, I'll be done in a minute.

BREENA: Okay.

BRIAN: (hears suspicious noise, goes to investigate, finds her sitting at my desk, in my scrap area)

What are you doing in mom's Scrapbox?

BREENA: (exasperated) I'm busy!!

Let's talk about another hobby for just a second...

My husband loves to fish. I don't. I actually don't get the hobby at all...and I live in Florida which is like, the fishing capital of the world. But fishing bores me to tears. I take a scrapbook magazine with me and get irritated if I have to put the mag down to reel in a fish. And I sure as heck ain't touching anything yucky...like the bait or the fish. No way. So while we don't fully understand why the other likes their respective hobby.... I support his love of the sport and he supports my desire to make stuff out of paper.

A friend of mine - who shall remain nameless (and blogless *sigh*) - told me today that her husband is less than supportive of her scrapbooking and cardmaking hobby. Wait. I'm being too nice. He actually used the word - now brace yourselves - "crappy" in describing her latest project. Yes, I can hear your gasps from here. I, of course, was outraged at his audacity, especially since one of his hobbies - one that she supports and feigns interest in - is fishing.

Does your husband or significant other love to fish? Does he come home smelling errr...." ripe" after a long day on the water and regal you with stories about fish that would break world records for size and girth? Do you smile, nod politely, and pretend to be interested in his "one that got away" and "it was THIS big!" stories while silently planning what you are going to pack for your next crop?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, take a moment to watch the video I have posted below. And take comfort in the knowledge that we papercrafters are too smart to ever attempt to perform our hobby in a kayak:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cV4FCwtTEo&feature=player_embedded

FanGtastic Valentine's Day Card

If the names Bella, Sookie, Queen Betsey or Anita Blake don't ring any bells, you probably won't be impressed with this card. But if you love boys with pointy teeth as much as I do, you'll totally appreciate it...


The Drippy Goo punch from Marthat Stewart - not just for Halloween anymore. I used the new Stars embossing folder for the Cuttlebug. Alphalicious and the Gypsy font (I think) for all the words. Distress Ink is Black Soot and Stickles are Xmas Red. The cardstock is all from my stash. The teeth are from SCAL. Happy Valentine's Day!

More Moxie Fab

Yes, I just can't get enough of the sassy Anne Taintor Challenge over on Moxie Fab World. Here's another card I made for the challenge:

"It would, of course, have to look like an accident."

I love this picture for a number of reasons:

1) This was taken from a 1957 Tampax ad.

2) Which one of us hasn't had this exact same thought during that time of the month?

3) The woman on the right is holding a blunt object that could be used as a weapon.

BIG Giveaway

I saw this on Summer's blog and thought I'd share too. Check out the info on these freebies here: