Wow, that was fast

My last post said that Christmas is nearly here. Well, here we are on Friday following Christmas, and I'm wondering how it came and went so quickly. We had a nice Christmas day. The girls didn't wake too too early, so our day began about 8 am. They noticed immediately their Santa presents. We don't wrap Santa big gifts, and this year, they got the Little People Castle and each a baby doll and baby stroller from Santa. They loved them, but boy, those Little People sure are popular here! The Castle set is especially loved because it has hee-haws in it! The girls have nice wooden rocking horses they ride that were gifts from Oma and Opa. I used to tell them, "EEeeeeee-haaawwwwww!" when they rode. So now, they call horses hee-haws. Go figure. Other gifts were loved and admired and being played with, used, appreciated, eaten, cooked, munched, you get the picture. Especially popular are the Dora DVDs that seem to play non-stop now. And you know they now loop? I don't even have to hit play; the darn things just start themselves! Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I guess it's good when I"m trying to do something like clean the kitchen counters off or take a shower.

Let's see, what else....Oh, I gave up my charming little scrapbook room so the girls can have a playroom in the basement. Our house needs for them to have a playroom! Way too many little things everywhere.....so now my sb room is in the more open basement room. Not happy with the current configuration, so this weekend we'll try again. Also some painting in our immediate future, because I just can't stand the yellow that's been there forever. I want fresh and bright. I want my Behr Asparagus paint back!!

In the meantime, I did get to do one layout using some of my BG Blitzen paper finally. Also used some BG Holy Cow rubons, my new QK Olivia alphabet, and a Creative Imaginations Santa metal plaque from a package I won. Not sure I love that, but will go with it for now. Big Heidi Swapp alpha at the bottom - just love those! The thing at the top is just a clip holding the page; also some glare on photos from camera flash.

It's nearly here

Christmas, that is. Three more days! Not sure if my girls can hold on that long, having no real concept of days, it seems, but it'll be ok. They are talking about Santa, saying "I love Christmas," and such. Real 3-year-old fun stuff! They turned 3 this past Saturday. I can't believe how they are growing.

So it's holiday week....still got presents to wrap and a couple of little scrapbook projects to do. Hope the next couple of nights are productive! I'm not working again at Archivers until Saturday, so I need to be working here, not to mention trying to clean house for Christmas day. Oh, gosh, and we need to take the ham and the chicken (for the cornbread stuffing) out of the freezer! I better get to work.

Super busy weekend

I hate when the weekends pass too quickly. It's nice to get things done though. Seems like we are just plummeting towards Christmas! I cropped with Tina on Friday night, and that was really fun. Not only is it my favorite store at which to crop, but it was a potluck dinner, and there were some really tasty foods and treats! Also, I worked on a Christmas gift and got it completely done with time to spare at the end of the night. That's really cool. On Saturday, we had family Christmas pictures made at Penneys. That went over as it usually does with the girls (like the proverbial lead balloon), but I think we got some passable portraits. Hopefully, by the time Easter or the next photo opportunity comes around, the girls will be past their dislike of the process!

I put in a few hours at Archivers after that, and after getting our Christmas card photo taken here at home. Again, the girls didn't get the concept, but I got a cute photo, don't you think? I just wish their faces showed more.

The rest of the weekend brought some scrapping time, when I worked on more Christmas gifts and our homemade Christmas cards. Just about finished with those and hoping to make the mail tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. We'll see.

December already!

I am a bad blogger. I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged and also read blogs. So I've been catching up this morning, at least on the reading. The girls are playing house, so we'll see how much I can type before they decide they need to be on my lap.

Let's see....we travelled for Thanksgiving. Had a very nice time with family on Thanksgiving day and the day after. Hi, Oma, Opa, Tori and Tim! We miss you and all the family! We brought home a truck load of gifts for the girls from the family, both birthday and Christmas. They are all still sitting in our living room in the bags and box from the car. We did get the tree up, but that's as far as it goes so far. Just the tree, no lights or anything yet. My 29 cent poinsettia sits on the dining room table, and my $5 Santa on the entry table. Story of those: I shopped the 90% off sale at Hobby Lobby after Christmas last year. The santa was $50, and the poinsettia was $29.99, but it was marked down to $2.99, and the sales person (even though I told him it was marked already) said, 90% off marked price - 29 cents! Cool, huh? I also got some stocking holders on that sale that aren't out yet.

The husband and I received very nice gifts from family ~ gift certificates to Lowes and Home Depot. We desperately need some things done around the house, and we are very grateful for these gifts!! We decided that we would enjoy the fruits of those gifts in time for Christmas, so over the past week and a half, we have put down a new kitchen floor, rearranged the stove and refrigerator for a much better, roomier look, and installed a new light above the sink, a pendant light. Cool, huh? We also worked in a clearance-priced rechargable Swiffer/Red Devil power handy vac and a pack of batteries for just $13 total over our Home Depot gift card.

And this past weekend, with the help (mucho help!) of a friend's husband, we installed a brand spankin' new potty! Our old potty had a leak into the basement. It was not a huge leak, we could catch it with a bucket, but what a pain, right? It leaked only when flushing, so it was a toilet problem. That, combined with a crack in the tank and just general ugliness of an old potty all added up to one thing: we needed a new one! We didn't go super designer or anything, but we got a nice basic American Standard "toilet in a box" that had all pieces and parts in one package. That and a new halogen bulb for the new pendant light in the kitchen took care of our Lowes gift card and about $4 extra.

We really made those gift cards work for us. For an additional investment of $10, we put a new bathroom floor with the leftover kitchen tiles (a cottage wood look, so it also works in our gardeny bathroom). The final spending was about $20 at Ace to cover plumbing pieces that friend needed to fix the stupid pipe thing that was wrong with old potty. Now we have nicely installed new potty that won't give trouble to any future moving or changing either. Of course, if we had much more money and tools and ability, the floor would have been these wood plank (think Pergo type) floor, and tile in the bathroom. But this is good; we like it; it was affordable; it's a good thing.

Also news: I'm working at Archivers! We decided that the family could use a little steady extra income, and if I could get a job at this fun store, it would hardly be like working! Well, that's not exactly true (after 6 hours yesterday, lol), but if I gotta work, it's a total blast to also be surrounded by scrapbooking while doing it! I get to see new stuff, talk sb'ing, and get paid. Even more cool beans, especially right at the holidays.

So this is how far I made it. The girls are now in my lap. Well, Maddie is. Emily is serving me coffee in her Little Tikes cup and saucer. So cute.... Ok, off to more of my day. I will try to add a pic or two later on, but the coffee pot (the real one) is calling my name for now.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

The husband and I married 5 years ago today. Wow....what a long, strange trip it's been (thanks, Jerry!). When I think back...it's hard to believe all we've packed into our five years. As far as us together, the girls, our family, things couldn't be better. Sure, we bicker over stupid stuff, we all have our stupid stuff, right?, but in general things are golden! (errr...or whatever the 5 year anniversary is). Wish the external world were as easy to control. Hopefully, in time, the external things, very important things, will clarify and improve as well.

What else....I've been ebaying a lot this week. When I work at it, it works for us, so a listing, listing, listing, I go! Here's my latest craft that's listed. Love these lunchboxes!

Tagged

My dear sb'ing buddy Kara tagged me, so here goes!

2 names you go by
1. Tracey
2. Mommy

2 parts of your heritage
1. Austrian
2. Cajun

2 things that scare you
1. having money issues
2. my girls growing too fast!

2 of your everyday essentials
1. routine
2. coffee

2 things you are wearing right now
1. My CKU dorm t-shirt
2. comfy hoodie jacket

2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment)
1. Oh, gosh, I don't listen to a lot of music unless you count The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown
2. John Mayer if I have to name someone!

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love)
1. responsibility
2. trust
2a. fun
(see how I got that 3rd one in? lol)

2 truths
1. i should do more housework than I do!
2. i love love love being married and having children!

2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex)
1. PHysical things? a nice butt!
2. Things? being nice, good sense of humor, patience (because I don't have it)

2 of your favorite hobbies
1. scrapbooking
2. blogging, reading, going to the bathroom by myself

2 things you want really badly
1. Paid-off bills
2. Total security for my family

2 places you want to go on vacation
1. Disney World
2. Cooperstown

2 things you want to do before you die
1. Attend my children's well-thought out and desired wedding ceremonies when that time comes (oh, please, at least 20 years from now!)
2. Retire with security

2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick
1. I love chocolate
2. I love jewelry, purses, shoes, clothes, bath stuff

2 things you are thinking about now
1. ...how am I going to turn off the Bob video (Veggie Tales) because it's stuck and won't play anyway without the girls having total breakdowns? It's stuck because a year or so ago they chomped into the dvd and near the end it sticks.
2. ...will husband be home on time tonight?

2 stores you shop at
1. Target
2. Michaels

2 people i would like to see take this quiz
1. Tina and actually publish the blog!!!!
2. Cynthia again and be even more funny, if possible!

They say it's my birthday....

well, it was last Monday. Been a busy week or two here in our household, some good, some not so good. Since the husband's birthday, I've also had a Stampin' Up! workshop, my birthday, a household full of sick babies and sick Mommy, and now plans are firming up for our anniversary next week, then Thanksgiving soon after. The girls' birthday is in December, then Christmas....yep, we got everything absolutely as close together as possible. Lots of celebrating and gifts and loving around our house! We didn't do a lot for our birthdays...had a joint dinner out, some free babysitting (thank you, Nietra!!), some lounging around Borders like grown-ups (something we haven't done since the girls were too tiny to make a fuss), and, on my birthday, a trip to the McDonalds playland for dinner. Hey, don't knock it...the girls played while we sat and knew they were right there and safe. Well, Emily did get scared at the top of the tower thing and the husband had to climb up and get her, but she was never unsafe. Maddie was all over the place like Laura Croft, dangling by one arm and stuff. I had meant to spend some of my birthday weekend scrapbooking just for me, but I didn't do so until last night. I got two pages in my "me" book done, a 12x12 page of the husband's birthday picture, a Scrabble Scores altered comp book, and cleaned up a bit in the sb room. Oh! I received this cool new mug and some coffees for my big day, as well as a Fiskars Craft Drill. Just call me Donna Downey!

Halloween Bugs

Here in Des Moines, Halloween night is just another night. Oh sure, there are parties and such and big people celebrating, but in kid terms, it's nothing. What we have here is "beggar's night" on October 30. Yeah, that's what I think, too. For some reason a good while back, it was determined that Halloween was out of control or something and having little kids on the streets while big people partied wasn't a good thing. So, Sunday was our day to let the girls have fun. We dressed up our cute little ladybugs and set off. The plan was to bring them to the local mall trick or treat at 4, spend an hour there, then come home and take them around to our closest neighbor's houses during the official 6-8 Beggar's Night time frame.

The mall was a ton of fun. The girls had a blast going from store to store. We saw a couple of friends, too, so that was nice. Emily reached her point of saturation early and seemed only interested in what was already in her bucket. I could see her little mind thinking, now how long do I collect this stuff without actually eating any? Of course, she hadn't napped like her sister had, and her mood wasn't as good after a while. She had to be carried a little in the end. The only thing that saved us was SpongeBob. I wish I remembered what store this was, but this wonderful guy dressed in a Sponge Bob spongy outfit just delighted Emily and she had to run to him and cackle. Yes, she cackled. This is my best Halloween picture. I can't wait to scrapbook these things!

As for the neighborhood, we saw when we got home that none of our close neighbors had lights on, so we decided to just give out candy and let the girls play. We didn't even give out a lot either -- for some reason, there weren't the trick or treaters this time like we had last year. Aww well. More dum dums for the girls.

TGIF

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I blogged! I was so good and writing every day for a good while. Time really does just escape these days. My girls are doing great. Halloween is this weekend, and they will transform into the cutest little ladybugs, complete with wings. I hope they like them, because the wings make their outfits -- otherwise, it's just red shirts, black pants, and freckles added. We'll see and hope. They will have fun regardless.

The husband and I have discovered something fun and so simple to spend a little time together and relax some. Twice this week, we played Scrabble before bedtime. It was such fun! Santa gave us this Scrabble game last Christmas, and we didn't even open it until this week. Did you know the new games don't come with wooden tiles? They are plastic, made to look like the old wooden ones. We'll be on the lookout for a garage sale set in the future, just for the nostalgia of it. We haven't taken score, but we will next time maybe. Need to start a little earlier to get in a good, competitive game. I've got Yahtzee on my mind as well. I love Yahtzee.

Once again,

time flies. The weeks sure do seem to pass quickly this time of year, Maybe all times of year. I love the season though. As previously mentioned, fall is a fabulous time, quickly followed, heck, overtaken by THE holiday season -- Christmas. My projects for ebay have already turned to Christmas ones, and I'm having a Christmas Card workshop for Stampin' Up! in a few weeks. I haven't even begun to think about my personal projects for Christmas, and I need to. I really do like hand-crafting things for others. I remember years ago when I would see such things at craft sales and such, I'd wonder why they were more expensive than I thought they would be, cards and such. Now, I know. Not only do supplies cost, but the time, effort and creativity has a "cost" also. And, really, when you look at the current cost of a nice (or even not as nice) card from Hallmark, a nice hand-crafted card doesn't seem so expensive. Neither does the price of a set of stamps that can be used over and over!

Our weekend will fly by, as usual. Tomorrow we are taking the girls, once again, to Penneys to take Fall pictures. We went last Saturday, and got a good picture of Emily, but both girls were mostly uncooperative. Maddie gave us nothing, so we go back tomorrow to try again. Let's hope!! I may have to actually put on make up and wear something matching, have the husband do the same, just in case we have to resort to a family picture holding the girls. Sheesh.

My fledgling stamp club meets tomorrow, too. We sure do have fun, even just the few of us. Hopefully, the encroaching holiday season will inspire our craftiness.

Otherwise, I'm working on some contest entries, items to sell on ebay, and a few other things. Maybe one of the contests will go my way. Ya never know.....

Long Weekend

I love long weekends, when the husband has an extra day off. In this case, the extra day is today, Monday, Columbus day. We've had a busy weekend trying to clean house -- both literally and doing a lot of ebaying of stuff that needs to go. Doing ok on both fronts. I plan on finishing yet another layout this afternoon then starting a lunchbox for ebay. It's my last one, and I want to get it done and see if it'll go.

Picture day on Saturday was, well, a struggle. We took the girls to Penneys, where we have the Portrait Club membership, to get fall portraits done. They had other plans. No interest at all in getting up on the table for the photos. After about 45 minutes, we got a very nice pic of Emily, a cute, but not great pic of Maddie where she had something partially blocking her face, and nothing of them together. We ordered Em's and go back on Saturday to try again with Maddie. "It's just the age," the photographer, who, I think, is new, said and had the patience of a saint.

In the meantime, here's another lo I did this weekend. Happy Columbus Day!

New layout and Potty News

I finished this layout last night. I started it last week, but the vision wouldn't come to me, so I set it aside. Yesterday, I read a sentence by Sarah Ackerman Hale that just gave me the exact notion of what I wanted to do with this layout. Last night, I went downstairs and pretty much put it together in no time. Love the Alphabet Soup -- my first time using it!

Potty news!

I made the headline here pink in honor of my two little pumpkins. They are doing so well with the potty all of a sudden. Emily uses the potty to peepee almost exclusively. If she has on a diaper, she either goes in it or takes it off and uses the potty. She is still not doing no. 2 in the potty though. Maddie has done no. 2 in the baby potty twice now, once yesterday eve and once this morning. Awesome!!! She peepees in it here and there, but until day before yesterday, was just as happy to remove her diaper as her sister does, and then use the floor for peepee. And as late as yesterday morning, she did no. 2 on the floor, too, but told me immediately about the (yeah, I know, get this...) "babies!!" YIPES!! No idea on that one. Still, potty progress has come when I wasn't looking, and that is, indeed, a good thing. I don't want my lil pumpkins to grow up any faster than they have to, but some battles I can do without, ya know?

Circle Journal Hell

I love circle journals. I love the concept, I love the surprise of opening and thumbing through that next one that comes in the mail, I love getting one back complete. What I don't love, however, is circle journals! I do not love that they are rarely sent on time, that I more often than not get packages with two or three cj's in them because the person before me is late or behind on them, that they take a ton of postage, that they seem to take forever to finish.

This past weekend, I was determined to knock out three that I have sitting because they've been here a while. In my defense, I got them all in the same mailing. I'm expecting two more this week, and, yep, you guessed it -- in the same mailing from the same circle. I got two of them done pretty quickly (didn't even stop to think!), and have the third almost done. Look out, Sarah -- they are heading your way by week's end!

I am in one cj group that's pretty darn good -- a big shout out to my friends on the CKU KC circle journal board! I ended up not even going to CKU KC, but these wonderful ladies kept me around anyway, and the cj and our message board has been a blast. We had so much fun with the cj, which is still going, mostly on time, too!, that we're doing a rolodex card swap next. With these ladies, I don't mind at all......

On a separate note, a big shout out to Wendi Speciale, a very kind person and artist. Check out her blog in my links to the left, and definitely check out her stamps!!

Fall

I absolutely love fall. The colors, the air, the leaves....well, not raking or anything, but how pretty they can be and such. Our birthdays, anniversary, the holidays we love, all in the fall. I guess I'd have to say Christmas is my favorite holiday, but fall is definitely my favorite season. So I'm really enjoying the atmosphere here in Iowa in the fall.

Other things -- eh. Working on being and getting better at things we need to do, work, home, budgets, getting the girls to bed, all of it. It's time to shape up, ya know? It's so hard to turn around old habits, but the time is now, so we're working, ebaying, cleaning......

One project to show, another lunchbox -- this one is, hopefully, sold to my sb'ing friend in New Zealand. Waiting to hear from her today!

I cropped!

Not much new since yesterday, but I did scrapbook a layout. Woohoo! Hopefully will do something else tonight. Good therapy, this. :)

Catching Up, Clearing the Fog

What a week. Busy weekend, ups and downs, tired mostly, trying week so far, terrible day yesterday. Wish I had some scrapbooking to share. I feel like I need to cleanse my soul of burden and stress right now. I want to stare some scrapbook paper and photos in the face and it be for me, for my books, for my girls, for our family, for fun. No projects for sale, no samples, no make and takes, no circle journal entries. Maybe later tonight.

Until then, I'm on my guard. I'm watching the girls, not letting them get too far from me without worrying with what they may be into. Yesterday, what they were into was poopy diapers. I couldn't believe the mess -- the husband came home early to try and clean it up. My back was still hurting from Saturday's activities, and I didn't want to push it, so he was able to help. Maddie had two baths yesterday because, yes, she got into a diaper twice. Amazing, I know. We're now stapling the diapers on them, and that mostly works. Today it does, anyway.

Also yesterday, after all that happened and I had the girls sitting with their lunch, and I was sitting with mine, I feel something with my tongue, and it turns out a filling has fallen out of my tooth. The upper one all the way in the back on the left. UGH. I mean, how much worse can this day get? So I make a dental appt for today; dh has to come home early again. I hate dental work. Hate it. I am way beyond just cringing. I have a terrible sensitivity to it. If the drill is being used, I"m ready to throw up. If it touches my lip by accident (you know how they might move the handle part around and it touches), I can throw up. That vibration just makes me ill and hurt and puts chills up and down my spine. My knuckles are white the entire time and my whole body clinched. I hate it. My former dentist understood this, and if I needed so much as a filling (not often, thank goodness), he'd use the heavy drugs. For a cleaning, I'd use nitrous. It helps. We'll see what today brings. I asked if they had nitrous and told them I"d be needing it.

Today

Today things have not changed significantly, but seem better. Just little things can adjust how you feel about things, you know? We finally got our over-due travel refund, which helps get the bills paid! Good thing, that. I am trying to accept that someone else's stress is not my stress and not to let mean remarks get to me. And I'm wondering if they offer boarding schools that potty train. You think?? maybe?

UGH

Well, I'm having one of those 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' days. I thought I had things going pretty well. I thought I was contributing in some way in one thing I'm involved in, I thought I was doing ok with the girls, I thought I was helping our budget....but today doesn't seem like it's working. Apparently, I don't have the right priorities. Apparently, I am not a good mommy. Apparently, I take one step forward and at least a step and a half back on the budget most times.

About being a good mommy -- I do not know what to do. The girls aren't responding to using the potty. They won't keep their diapers on, and I"m running out of packing tape. I now have to go between their legs with it, too, or they can pull the diaper out from under it. Putting overalls on them doesn't work. Anything with snaps, like a onesie, etc., they can get off and get to the diaper. I bought them big-girl panties to see if that would work, figuring it would be SOMEthing between their bare bottoms and the house, but Emily peeled those off instantly. I don't know what to do.

Budget -- cleaning out the sb supplies! Need to make up to our very very tight budget for some dumb spending. That's going ok, just wish I had more time to go through stuff.

The other -- well, I"m the terrible person in a group, I suppose. I have stronger feelings about something than others do, and I feel like I'm being "put in my place" about it.....not sure what to do here, but I know that it seems I can't do or say anything right these days. I guess I"ll go through with my committment and just keep any thoughts or feelings to myself. What else?

Just having a baddddd day, I guess. Hope yours is going ok though!

Time flies

I think this is the first time I've been a week without posting....just happened. I've been pretty engrossed in the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Still, I cry. Some days I can't watch at all. Keep those prayers coming!

Scrapbooking -- this has been a week of working on ebay projects and Stampin' Up! projects for the Crop for the Cure (www.debbie.com/cropforthecure). I have a vendor booth, plus am on the "committee" sponsoring the event, so since it's in 2 weeks, there's lots to do. I am creating some projects with stamping like small scrapbooks, little bags, a lunchbox, all to "raffle" off. The raffle tickets are given with sales -- a ticket for each $5 earned. The husband gave me that idea, as it's what his baseball card shop guy does. Sounds reasonable and fun. I have actual SU product, too, but wanted to show what you can DO with the product, you know? Fun stuff....

Circle journal HELL. Ok, love the idea. Ok, hate the mailing. I seem to be the link in the chain where everyone decides to "catch up;" on three separate cj's, I have received 2 at a time, and am expecting 3 on one today. I know sometimes it's that the person before me is ahead, but sheesh -- how did I get to be the lucky link? I am going to be VERY selective regarding cj's in the future! I'm currently in the post-CKU Minneapolis cj (love it), a pre-CKU KC cj (love it, but am not actually going to CKU KC); a 2Peas 1980s cj that I angeled for when I was frequenting 2Peas; a local sb friends one (easy and small circle). That may be all. It's so hard to remember at the rate they hit my house.

What else -- had a quiet labor day here. The husband was off work on Friday, too, so we finally got to the bathroom painting. Yes, the same bathroom painting mentioned long ago. Sans some final touch up and installing the curtain rod once we find the hardware (another story, that), I think we're finished! Of course, this is my cosmetic make-over. It now looks like a room we decorated instead of the previous owners. What were they thinking with all that lavender and yellow??? Someday we'll replace the toilet, sink and cabinet....someday.

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.

Stuff I Just Ordered

Products
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1 x Rusty Pickle Patterned Paper -- Black Crackle Dots (317) = $0.35
1 x Rusty Pickle Patterned Paper -- Taylors Alphabet (320) = $0.35
1 x Center City Designs Tribeca Patterned Paper Set (23009-23017) = $4.95
1 x Gin X Say What Say Anything Paper -- You Must Chill (22146) = $0.55
1 x Gin X Say What Say Anything Paper -- 7 Unreturned Calls (22150) = $0.55
1 x Gin X Say What Say Anything Paper -- Bought Sold or Processed (22152) = $0.55
1 x Gin X Some Kind Of Green Paper -- What's Up (22161) = $0.55
1 x Gin X Some Kind Of Green Paper -- A Historical Fact (22162) = $0.55
1 x Gin X She Wears Pink Patterned Paper -- Candy Machine (22167) = $0.55
1 x Gin X She Wears Pink Patterned Paper -- Touche (22164) = $0.55
1 x Gin X Flyby Patterned Paper -- Shes Lost That Loving Feeling (22186) = $0.55
1 x Gin X Desperatley Seeking Summer Patterned Paper -- The Fifth Ad (22177) = $0.55
1 x My Minds Eye Kaleidoscope Patterned Paper -- Princess Flower (1103) = $0.70
1 x My Minds Eye Kaleidoscope Patterned Paper -- Princess Dots (1104) = $0.70
1 x Wild Asparagus Paper -- Adventure Stripe/Teal (2006) = $0.89
1 x Wild Asparagus Paper -- Adventure Floral/Green (2007) = $0.89
1 x Urban Lily Patterned Paper -- Be Yourself Set (130-135) = $3.30
1 x May Arts 3/8 Satin Reversible Stitch Ribbon -- Garden Party () = $0.45
1 x May Arts 1/2" Jumbo Ric Rac -- Grass () = $1.00
1 x May Arts 1 1/2" Flower Ribbon -- Kiwi () = $0.80
1 x May Arts 3/8 Striped Ribbon -- Gumdrop () = $0.50
1 x Prima Got Flowers -- Small Pink () = $5.30
1 x May Arts 1/4 Nylon Rick Rack -- Sage (ar16) = $0.45
2 x Rusty Pickle Patterned Paper -- Mocha Dots (328) = $0.70
2 x May Arts 1/2 Checked/Stitched Ribbon -- Girly Girl (abb17) = $1.00
1 x May Arts 1/2 Ribbon -- Coffee Bean Stripe (tg32) = $0.50
2 x May Arts 1/2 Checked/Stitched Ribbon -- Sunset (abb22) = $1.00
1 x May Arts 1/2 Checked/Stitched Ribbon -- Shamrock (abb16) = $0.50
1 x May Arts 1/2 Checked/Stitched Ribbon -- Raspberry Patch (abb15) = $0.50
1 x May Arts 1/2 Checked/Stitched Ribbon -- Rainbow Sherbet (abb28) = $0.50
1 x Rusty Pickle Patterned Paper -- Girly Girl (307) = $0.35
1 x Chatterbox Patterned Paper -- Rec Dots (20533) = $0.55
1 x Chatterbox Patterned Paper -- Rec Sandbox Flowers (20536) = $0.55
1 x Chatterbox Patterned Paper -- Rec Denim Sandbox Flowers (20529) = $0.55
1 x May Arts 1/2 Squares/ Stitched Ribbon -- Desert Cactus (ab16) = $0.50
2 x May Arts 1/2 Squares/Stitched Ribbon -- Nature Walk (ab32) = $1.00
1 x May Arts 1/2 Checked/Stitched Ribbon -- Fruit Punch (abb46) = $0.50
1 x Basic Grey Fusion Patterned Paper -- Flirt (fus248) = $0.65
1 x Basic Grey Fusion Patterned Paper -- Infatuation (fus250) = $0.65
1 x Basic Grey Fusion Patterned Paper -- Posh (fus251) = $0.65
1 x May Arts 1/2 Checked Stitched Ribbon -- Lime Rickey (abb67) = $0.50
1 x Foofala Peek-a-Boo Patterned Paper -- Party Dress (47005) = $0.49
1 x Narratives Medium Transparent Mini Albums -- Play () = $2.99

Good thing I've been cleaning out and selling older stuff, huh?

Toddlers and More Pages

My toddlers are out of hand on a few things, and I've no idea how to control them. I think that, as twins, they egg each other on, and when the two of them start getting into something, it's nearly impossible to stop them. We have a silverware drawer with no silverware. Oh yeah. The silverware divided tray thingy is sitting high up on top of the microwave right now so they can't grab things out of it and run around the house with them. Same thing happens if we attempt to load the dishwasher around them. They grab and run. And the climbing! They climb in the kitchen. They wrap their cute little toes around the handles of the lower cabinets and up they go, grabbing what they can. And you know that opening just under the door of the dishwasher? the one above the bottom panel so that the door will open without bumping? Yeah -- in my house, it's a toe grab. Their Daddy came home from work yesterday to just about everything the girls own being in time out. Their Little Tikes chairs, toy crates, THEM, you name it. Toddlers -- they are 31 months old, 2 1/2 and counting. Does this get better? I hope? Maybe it's the twin thing....gang up on Mommy and Daddy, yeah, that's the toddler ticket!
Just a quick post with a photo of some pages I've done in my Pregnancy Journal mini book. This is turning out to be a lot of fun. I'm using a lot of embellishments, especially alphabet pieces, that I've had for a while, and they match the Foofala paper pretty well. Not to mention that it's fun to recall all the details of that exciting time for our lives.

Today's Post

I'll start this new blog home with the post I made today at my previous blog. Have fun!

It's only 8:49 am, and I am tired today. I stayed up too late last night. I was ready for bed before midnight, but saw on 2Peas that QVC was having a scrapbook show in the next hour, so I stayed up and watched a bit of that. Nothing earth-shattering, but it's still fun to watch. I found a good while ago that most of what they have to offer is either too much that I'd never use from one kit or too "ready-made" for my style. Every once in a while they have a must-have though. Anyway, I crawled to the bed around 2 or a little after. UGH. So of course the girls were up early today -- 7 am.

My project (above) is slow-going. It's fun, but I didn't totally have in mind how to do each little page, so it was a slow start. I've done the cover, inside cover, and most of the first two envelope pages, so hopefully it'll be easier from here now that my groove is on with it. It's such a fun book, and the site from which I ordered is, of course, out of them now.

My favorite sites right now:
www.amillionlittlethings.com
www.willowtraders.com
www.rustic-artisans.com
www.blackberrybuckets.com

Have I mentioned?
I am attending a wonderful event as a Stampin' Up! vendor come this September 17. A friend is the founder and coordinator of this wonderful event, the Des Moines Area Crop for A Cure, a Susan G. Komen Fundraiser. Check this out: www.debbie.com/cropforthecure . The goal for this 2nd annual event is $10,000, and I think they'll make it! Who wouldn't enjoy a day of scrapbooking with friends, chances to win door prizes, getting a goodie bag, doing make and takes, and generally having fun?

Ok, off to see what the day brings. Enjoy.

I've moved!

In order to have more options for the look of my blog, I moved to blogger.com! Have a look around the place while I settle in, and I'll catch up here after a while.