The Gulf Coast

There's been no reason in the world to mention this on my blog so far, but I will today. Biloxi, Mississippi, is my hometown. If you've had your tv or radio on at all, you know about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Say a prayer, hug your loved ones, if you give, give to the Red Cross or other reputable relief agency. I imagine the Coast will never recover from this, not fully. Wow.

Lunch Boxes

So when did the Lunch Box craze begin in scrapbooking? Apparently, this great little box appeared and someone knew what to do with it. They sure are cute. The latest must-have-can't-find scrapbooking item. I think the last one was the Target Document Boxes. Yeah, I got some of those, but only because a new Target opened by us and they had them. And I got the lunch boxes. I'm expecting four in today's mail, and I bought the last five at my lss on Friday. Of course, I immediately sold three to friends. That's sort of why I nabbed the last they had, to cover my friends, too. Here's the one I made to sell. Wish me luck that my lunch box does well on ebay!

More Nekked Girls

The saga continues. Today, we were nekked again. Well, not me, THEM. The terrible twosome. The toddlers. The twins. I ran out of pull-ups last night, and they did ok in diapers with sleep-induced brains, but today, today, it was toddler bum free-for-all. Maddie even peepeed in the corner. So Mommy did what she had to: got the package tape and taped those suckers on. Yep, I did. Then, after a while, Emily comes down with her "Once Upon A Potty" book. Good book, that one. After reading it oh-so-carefully to them, Maddie decides she wants to -- wait for it -- go potty! She even let me take her diaper off, but no peepee was made. Eventually, we left the bathroom, took the potty to the family room, and Emily figured it was her turn. For an hour and a half, she sat there. She ate her lunch there. She drank her milk there. She read her books, she drew on her magna doodle. Finally, she decided her butt had gone to sleep and a diaper was better than that, so I taped her in, too, and now they are playing. At least their baby butts have actually touched the potty now; it's progress. And, needless to say, no scrapbook layouts to show today.

Tag! Now YOU'RE it!

Thanks again to Donna Downey, whose blog I read and got involved in the Tag game! The idea is that if you're reading this, you're obligated to post five random facts about yourself. I read her blog, so here ya go:

Hmmm, 5 things...
1. I sometimes let my twins fight because they have to figure out how to share and get along without me interferring.
2. I have lots of signed first edition Eudora Welty, Richard Ford, and John Grisham books.
3. I used to put every single thing away in my scrapbook room as soon as I used it, like glue dots. Use one, put the roll back in the drawer. I"ve gotten better about this.
4. I love coffee. Let me say that again. I love coffee. It's an obsession that started in grad school, and it doesn't make me feel old at all. lol
5. Since becoming a SAHM, many people are surprised when I mention that I went to grad school. BA and MA in English -- want fries with that??

Ok, now go on; you do it. Oh, and no new layouts yet because I've worked on ebay projects this week.

Nekked toddlers

Yep, that's what I've got. Nekked toddlers. My girls have decided that it's fun to remove their diapers and run around the house screaming and laughing. Oh, yeah, it's great. Let's run up to mommy and laugh. Let mommy put her hand on a baby bottom to ask where the diaper is, only to find poopy on that nekked bottom. UGH. This has GOT to stop. I used pull-ups to rescue myself. They seem to like those.

The girls love to sit on their potty, but not take their diapers off for it. They scream if I even suggest it. Lately, they even like a square of toilet tissue to "wipe" with. They may not want to try to potty like big girls, but I think we're gonna have to push the issue if this nekkedness continues.

Update

My ebay package arrived on Saturday. The postman teased me with it though! Usually, he delivers the packages in his truck, then walks the mail route house to house. So I called dh, he said no packages, and I said, uh oh. HOURS later, when I get home, dh comes out with a package -- THE ebay package. I say, huh? He says, postman came back later with it, like he forgot or something. I think, uh uh; he's just torturing me! Sheesh -- let's hope Monday brings my new GIN X rubons that were missing from the other package, and all this Friday business will then be totally cool.

Today's not been my day

You know how you get really excited about things coming in the mail? Well, I do. Today, I received one of my kit clubs in the mail. I ripped that box open poste haste! Bummer to find that one of the "you pick it" items was the wrong one. I sent an email and got an immediate reponse AND a phone call, so that was good. What wasn't good was that we continued talking. The kit owner made me a nice offer to be guest designer for their other club, but since I just this week did NOT make her design team, I decided to pass. Then she tells me that I missed it by one person. Then which person, and I got to look up her work. UGH. Mine is definitely better. I mean, really. Not just that I"m partial, either. I can't imagine why they thought the basic entries submitted were better than my very crafty ones. No accounting, I guess.....anyway, the phone call kinda bummed us both, cause it reminded me that I'd lost, and let her know how displeased I was. Oh well....what'd ya do, huh?

THEN, I've also been waiting for a package won on ebay -- a packed full set of Lil Davis chipboard and more. It didn't come today. It should have come today. The seller has mostly great feedback, but just enough not good, and not good at all, that I asked for her info and gave a quick call. That call started out ok, but also ended up a bummer because she was on the defense, and I am really worried about getting this package! Well, she gave me the tracking number, which is of no use because the system doesn't update, and basically didn't seem to have any sympathy for my plight. I sent her another email that I"m sorry she thinks I have attitude about it, and she called me back saying she's been looking at ebay trying to see why I didn't receive her emails. So maybe it's all good. Hopefully, the package will come tomorrow.

Still -- two deals kinda bummed my day. I'm sure both will work out fine. Tomorrow is another day, right?

I gave in

I shopped at the Hobby Lobby 50% off sale today. I didn't get a lot, and I'm sure less than a lot of scrapbookers, but still....I was trying to pass on it. I got MM Mixed Brite rubons, Spare Parts by The Paper Studio Marquee (acrylic) letters (3 sets, pink green frost), 7 Gypsies 97% Complete Family Stickers, and a couple of other things non-sb'ing. UGH. Is there no stopping me?

I finished a layout today that I got started last night. Love the new BG paper. I can't decide if this needs something else -- should I embellish the painted Heidi Swapp ghost frame? Anyway, I think I like it, but will sleep on it before calling it final. It's the same picture of Emily as the 'Girls Rock' layout, but this is actually what that picture was for anyway.

The husband is going out of town for a night this Thursday. I dred that. He is rarely gone; actually, this will be his first night ever away from the girls. I've not even done that. Still, he takes care of the girls and their needs as much or, at times, more than I do, so his being gone for a whole night isn't gonna be fun!

New Layout

Here's the layout I referred to on Sunday...working on another now with some new Basic Grey. You gotta get this stuff -- so cool!

Lots of cropping

That's what I've been doing. Lots of cropping. Not that it's a complaint, I just usually don't get this much cropping-away-from-home time. Wednesday at a friends' house, Friday night at the lss, Saturday 10-4 with the Stampin' Up! crew, last night here in my sb room. Wish I had more done. Wish I had more time. I made strides on my Disney honeymoon Bazzill gatefold album. Finished all but the story-telling of my pregnancy journal (it looks fab -- pics to come). Started on my Dirty Laundry lo of the girls in their daisy shirts. I will admit that I took those pictures just because I knew how great they would look with the Dirty Laundry paper. Is that just sick or what?! Can't wait to have that lo done and posted here for the fans. I know you're out there -- speak up, please! ha!

I think I screwed up my layout

I'm trying to use my handwriting as often as possible on my layouts. I guess it's the trend these days; also, for me, it's easier than going up from the basement to the PC desk where the printer is and doing my journaling. On this layout, though, I screwed up. The handwriting looked lost, so I tried to fix it with a mini-headline. The GIN-X rubons look fab, but the "Girls" handwriting sucks. I used too fine a point to start with, so I had to trace over it with a broad tip. I dunno. What's it look like to you? Don't you love my rock and roll chicks?? I couldn't believe the photo when I saw it. All I really wanted was a photo of Emily with her Magna-Doodle artwork, but they wouldn't stand still and Emily wouldn't stand by her screen. This is what I got, and it's the coolest photo. It provided me with a much-sought chance to use this MOD paper, too, not to mention the hard-to-match Gameboard chipboard alphabets.

Donna Downey Rocks!

It's funny the whole world of scrapbooking and the scrapbooking celebrities, as we love to call them. Regular people who really ROCK at what they do with and for this wonderful hobby and passion -- they are our celebrities and we love them. Today, I love Donna Downey. She's talented, real, friendly, and downright nice. She gracefully entertained an email request from me that I'm sure she gets tons of and probably would rather do without. And I emailed her because she was nice to me about a comment I made on her blog, taking full advantage of her friendliness and she didn't seem to mind. Doesn't that ROCK?? If you don't read Donna's blog, check it out under my "Blogs Worth Reading" links to the left; you'll be glad you did.

Donna Downey's A Trouble Maker

So I love Donna Downey's blog, but yesterday, she was a trouble-maker. She just had to mention and show Wendi Speciale's stamps, so, of course, I just had to go to the site. It was all over for me once I saw the large cuppa coffee stamp. Just when I was trying not to spend. MAN!!

Busy Busy

Suddenly, I find myself so busy.....I haven't felt like this since I worked full-time outside my home. Yes, I'm a stay at home mom now, but I worked most of my life. I didn't marry until age 37, didn't have children until age 39, so yep, I was in the work world a long time. Anyway, back to busy.

I went to a crop Friday night with my new scrapbooking mom's group. I just love this. I have been friends with two members since our CKU start-up last fall, but just recently joined their group. It's nice to be building a network of friends in the area after a year here. Oh, I got two more spreads in my pregnancy journal completed. Saturday, I went to Archivers to do the make and takes and pick up a few things. Not a bad trip; I spent $14 and that included the $5 make and take. Bought more of the cute new Junkitz paper and some Heidi Swapp pink spiral clips. I just can't resist her stuff or pink stuff, so I was in trouble the second I saw it. At under $2, it was a must buy. All last evening, I worked on my donation goodie bags for the Crop for the Cure and then my Stampin' Up! make and take for my vendor booth. I'm doing a cute "About Me" paper bag book that I hope goes over well with the 100 scrapbookers who have already registered and paid for this fab event. I'm also helping the group organize the event, since my friend is the founder and coordinator. I did that on Wednesday. It was nice to be able to bring the girls, let them run around with the other 9 kids there, and still get work done.

Today, the lovely husband has taken the girls to do some mall errands and to let them run around the play area there. More time to work on my SU projects. Also this week, I have a girls' crop on Wednesday evening, a crop at a different lss on Friday night, and a Stampin' Up! demo's crop most of Saturday. Even I am finding myself taken aback by all this scrapbooking and stamping activity. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Great day yesterday

I had such a great day yesterday. Lots of things happened. We got a much-needed refund from our move expenses last year. I had a FAB mail day. I went to a friend's house to help with the benefit crop that I mentioned in a previous post. My girls didn't tear her house up. I secured (I think) another donor to the crop (thanks, Jill!!).

Mail -- got packages! I acquired a large set of Cropper Hopper vertical holders and pouches for cash and trade (don't you love my baseball lingo); I received the lengthy order that's itemized below. I got envelopes with ribbon and alphabet goodies I secured from Willow Traders gals. I got my Q order of Lil Davis chipboard embellies. I got the new CK and Simple Scrapbooks. 'Woohoo' is all I can say.

Don't you love a good day? Today will, hopefully, see some scrapbooking done. I'm meeting a friend at the lss close to my house to do the customer appreciation make and take and browse the sales. I'm also expecting a Stampin' Up! order to arrive, and tomorrow, my demo preview order from the Holiday mini. Just in time for tomorrow night's stamp club show and tell. Not everyone can be there, but it should be fun regardless. Scrapbooking and stamping by myself is fun, so add even one more person and I'm in heaven, much less a few more around the table.

Climbers

My toddlers are climbers. I can't stop them. How long can they live in time out? How long can I live with the climbing? Any little thing they can wrap their toes around is a climbing tool. Cabinet knobs, edges and ledges, toys, moulding, her sister's head, leg, trunk, arms, legs. If they aren't in time out, their toys, chairs, etc. are. Two girls, two years and 7 months old, strong and strong-willed. What's a mommy to do??

Painting the Bathroom

It seems like it's taking forever to get our bathroom repainted. Not for lack of trying. Maybe for lack of time and energy though. And this: the lavender paint is stubborn! When we first previewed the house, I thought the bathroom looked nice, fresh and springy. Once we bought it and moved in, and the more time I spent in and out of the bathroom, I started to hate it....not so much slowly, but mostly all at one time. The previously-springy yellow walls started to annoy me in that yucky glowing-yellow sort of way. The trim around the little cabinets, laundry shoot, and built in curio (the house was built in 1940ish) turned out to be not a nice white contrast but a faint LAVENDER for goodness' sake. That meant that what I first thought was a nice blue painted sink cabinet was actually a weird purple-blue. UGH. Finally, we bought paint. After a few months more, we decided to get it out and apply some to the bathroom walls and trim. Well, to the walls anyway. I chose a nice beigey tone to bring some natural cleanness to the room. It's a bit dark, but nice. This past weekend, after several more weeks had passed since the wall painting, the husband got in there and started on the lavender trim, or should I say the stubborn lavender trim. It does NOT want to be covered. Yep, he sanded. Yep, he used more than one coat. I think it's just possessed or something. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm and I'll get my white trim. After that, we move to the cabinet to apply sage green. Ooohhh.....won't that be nice?

Here are two layouts I did last night. One is of the girls about a year ago; the other is my first pet layout; I promise the dog has a face...the angle of the pic and a bit of glare don't help though.