Merry Christmas

This is the last of my Christmas lo's for 2008! I've never finished a year yet so this is huge for me.

Minnie .cut file

Snow Days

Here are pics from when we took the boys sliding. The paper is CTMH. I used chipboard on the title which was a challenge on the Pieces of Paper Forum. The layout came from Pagemaps.

Apple 4

I have finally finished the "A" pages for the boys abc books! **happy dance** The pictures range from 1999-2008.

Videos from Cory's Play

P is for Powder

Anthony's "P" page. Zachary dumped powered all over Anthony. I did take the time to clean out his eyes and mouth before I took pictures. The paper is K&Company. I used three carts: Storybook, George and All Mixed Up. The letters are Scal. The font is called "Cafe Rojo". The sketch was a challenge from Okie on the cricut message board.

Apple

This is Zachary's A page. The sketch was a challenge on the Pieces of Paper Forum. I used George and Calligraphy carts on this page. I used SCAL for the title. The letters were cut with a font called "Pea Lacy Chunky" and the numbers with "Pea Weanie".

Eeyore

Here's another picture from our 2004 Disney trip. The lo was a sketch challenge on the Pieces of Paper Forum. I used K&Company paper. It's my favorite!

Eeyore1 .cut

Cory's Play

Cory was in the musical Beauty and the Beast. He was a pepper shaker and a townsperson. He did a great job!

Princess Trouble

This is my beautiful niece. She isn't really any trouble except she will steal your heart! I used the unicorn from Zooballoo as a challenge from the Pieces of Paper forum.

The Cab

More Disney Photos from 2003. While Jeff, Rachel and Scott rode on the Tower of Terror, the boys and I checked out the local sites.

The layout was a challenge on the Pieces of Paper Forum. The challenge was to use ribbon for a boarder.

Ebay

I have decided to try and sell layouts on ebay. Here are the first two that I made today.

Disney page ebay listing

Beary Sick Ebay Listing

Apple 2

This is the weekly sketch at 52 sketches...52 weeks. This is only the second page I have finished for Cory's abc book. Bad mommy! lol

Tower of Terror

I made this for a challenge for the Pieces of Paper forum. We had to take one photo, make it black and white and then make it the center of out page.

Fish, it's what's for dinner.

Scott's "F" page. The title reads - Fish it's what's for dinner. I used the campout cart for the fish and scal for the title. The font is called "ale and wenches". This was a sketch challenge for the pieces of paper forum.

Helping Hands

This picture is from 2003. I'm adding it to Zachary's abc book.



Hammer and screwdriver .cut
(I did not make this .cut file. It was generously shared by someone on the cricut message board. If anyone knows who the original poster of this file is please let me know so I can give them the credit that they deserve. )

Apple

A page for Anthony's abc book. The sketch is from 52 sketches...52 weeks.

My Men

This was a challenge on Pieces of Paper Forum, no embellishments, just words! This was very hard for me but I did it. In the picture, the men are standing in front of reservoir in Royalston. We hiked a little over three miles that day.

Pears

Here are my crazy pugs picking pears for a snack. We have a very small pear tree that grows so many pears that the branches bend over and touch the ground. The pugs love to eat them. Griffen gains at least 5 lbs. each fall from eating pears.



file folder .cut

Zachary's Scrap Book

Zzzz....

Cory and Anthony sleeping in the hotel when we went to Disney in 2004. They were 8 and 2.

Eeyore4.cut

Yummy

Pictures of the boys decorating Christmas cookies. They used crushed candy canes, m&m's, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. There was a challenge on A Cherry On Top board to scrap pictures of eight cookies.

Zachary's QT Pie Page

I am currently working on ABC books for my four boys. Some of the pages will be similiar but since they go in different books I'm not worried about it.

Challenge #7

It's a sketch challenge. I love these.

The sketch:

My layout:

Challenge #6

Build-A-Challenge....

OK here's the list. You pick 6 items from the list. Whatever you pick, you have to use all items. For example, if you pick from the list "3 buttons" you have to use all 3 buttons (you can't just use 1 button).

4 photo corners
3 buttons
1 tag
2 different ribbons
3 circles
3 squares
glitter letters
5 rhinestones
3 different patterened papers
ric-rac
8 eyelets or brads
1 flourish
1 12 inch x 2 inch border strip

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I used: 3 buttons
2 different ribbons
3 circles
glitter letters - had to hand glitter mine
3 different pattern papers
1 12 x 2 inch boarder strip

Challenge #5

It's a sketch challenge! Here's the sketch:

here's my layout:

Challenge #4

Stamping challenge!! How often do you incorporate stamping into your layouts? Well today hopefully you will. You need to make a layout with some stamping on there. It can be the title all done in stamped letters, or some stamped images.

Challenge #3

It's a sketch challenge. Here is the sketch:

here is my layout:

Challenge #2

Focal point challenge.... so here's what you do. You take a photo, any kind. All of your embellisments, your title, etc.. have to be framing the photo and touching it or right next to it. Whatever you have to do to draw all eyes on the photo. Arrows, brads, title, buttons, etc. All on or right around the photo.

Mickey Photo Frame .cut File

Challenge #1

Challenge #1: card sketch - turn a card sketch into a layout

Here's the sketch I used:



and here's the layout:

Piglet .cut file

Online Crop

I went to an online crop today at http://piecesofpaper.lefora.com/headlines/. It was a lot of fun. Steph gave us 8 great challenges. I did all but #8 which didn't apply to me.

My Fabulous Sister-In-Law

My sister-in-law went to Joann's and found a great deal on 12x12 albums. Knowing that I'm broke, she picked me up four and I can pay her later! It only cost a little over $18.00. They are beautiful. I'm going to use them for the boys abc books. She bought two of the stripe albums.

Thanks Laura!

Usher

Cory was a junior usher in his Auntie Laura's wedding. The pictures were taken in 2004. He was nine.

QT Pie

The "Q" pages for Anthony's ABC book. He was one of the ring bearer's in Auntie Laura's wedding.

It's Official

Christmas is over. We just finished taking down the tree. Jeff is doing the happy dance. I'm a little sad but now I have more room to scrap! This is good since I'm doing an online crop tomorrow. Please join us: http://piecesofpaper.lefora.com/headlines/

Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride

This ones not my favorite but it's done. The purple stripe is bubble wrap. It came with my jukebox. I wasn't sure if it was acid free or not so I sprayed it with a neutralizing spray.

Abu .cut file

A Poem Based on the New England Ice Storm of 2008

Our Nightmare Before Christmas



Twas two weeks before Christmas and all through the town

it rained and it froze and the trees all fell down.

The wires that were strung on utility poles

snapped like a twig and the houses all froze.




We got our selves nestled all snug in our bed

while visions of warmer days danced in our head,

and me in my thermals and Pa in his cap

stayed huddled together for a bone chilling nap.



The moon on the ice made a crystalline glow

and we thought to ourselves, just how long can this go?

When what to our wondering eyes did appear

but our son with some coffee and donuts and cheer.



We could see our white breath in the darkness above

and deep under the covers I searched for my love.

His feet, they were frozen and so was his head ---

made me think to myself that he just might be dead.


The days passed so slowly, we must be insane

as we waited and wondered and called out by name

"On Thursday, on Friday, on Saturday,

on Sunday, on Monday, on Tuesday (please quit!)

on Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday (oh dread!)

the kerosene fumes must have gone to our head.


To add to the pleasure of winter's delight

two snowstorms came by - 28 inches of white.

The snowing and blowing made things bad to worse

and we prayed to the heavens our pipes wouldn't burst.



Pa’s eyes now were sunken, his express ion --- not merry,

his cheeks had a pallor, his nose like a cherry.

The odd little smile on his face wasn't fun

and he often was mumbling "go get my gun".



Then a rap on the door, and the fireman said,

"Are you sick, are you sane, and is anyone dead?

There's a shelter, there's warmth, you can come if you're able,

we have showers and kindness and food on the table" ---

and we looked at each other and thought --- "what the heck?"

yeah ... eleven days later you FINALLY check!


On night number twelve we heard the faint roar

of a convoy of trucks and we ran to the door.

To the top of the poles, to the stretch of the cable ---

please bring us your power just as fast as you' re able!


They spoke not a word, but went straight to their work

and the power came on with a hum and a jerk.

They heard us exclaim, as they drove out of sight ---

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

WE HAVE HEAT! WE HAVE LIGHT!

Husband challenge

I'm having surgery on January 15th to have a sweat gland removed. Crazy, huh?! Well my crazy husband wants me to bring it home in a jar so he can see it. I told him no way. Now he is saying that if I do this, he will buy me a new cricut cartridge. Hmmm. This may be worth considering. I wonder what cart he should buy me. Any thoughts?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that 2009 is a fun and safe year for you and your family. Let's all try to set new goals for ourselves and accomplish them.

My goals:
1. exercise at least 3 times a week
2. try not to stress the little things
3. save money for next Christmas starting now
4. save money for Disney
5. complete one family activity a week (with teens this may be the hardest)

What are yours?