Dad and his favorite "kid"

He's not as grumpy as he looks... And that mouse lookin' thing in his vest, is his darling daughter, JOSIE, the favored child of the family. She is pretty cute, though. She is one of those rare friendly chihuahuas, except if you try to bug her while she is sleeping on my dad's lap.

Presents!!

Today after a less-than-desireable Storytime at the Library (Tate had crack for breakfast), we went over to my parents' house and helped my mom clean a variety of rooms. I am helping her to organize her scrap stuff, and she has A TON of it. The best part, I left with PRESENTS!!

The paper is from "DCWV" (Die Cuts With a View) Fall Stack and there is some good stuff in there. She gave me one of each, as there are 3 sheets of each pattern. They have really upgraded the quality of those stacks. A few years ago, my mom had purchased the Spring/Summer pack and it was ok...ya know the stuff you MIGHT use in the wayyyyy background. This new one has papers that I would pick out at the scrapbook store and pay the 60 cents a sheet for each one. She got the stack at JoAnns, and before coupon, it was $19.99. Awesome deal and worth a look.

She also gave me this awesome leather photojournal with places for the photos on one page and blank 7gypsies-like manila blank space on the other page. Too cool and I can't wait to fill it.

Smokey fantasizing about going outside to play in the fall leaves.

And Sabrina wishing she could scrapbook.

ONE MORE DAY UNTIL HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Post

Click Here

I don't know how to change the date, so this posting is in the wrong order...

TAG--if you read this you're "it" :)

I was tagged by reading a fun blog that I discovered on one of the many scrap blogs I visit. Hi Natalie!

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. USAF Pilot
2. Pharmaceutical Rep
3. High School Teacher
4. (Currently) Mom

4 Movies I Could Watch Over & Over:
1. Almost Famous
2. Fools Rush In
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. Sweet Home Alabama

TV Shows I Watch: (only 4???!!!!)
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. The Hills
3. Real World 500 ( sad to say I am old enough to have watched the FIRST Real World regularly)
4. Sarah Silverman Program

Places I've Lived:
1. Sacramento, CA
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Ann Arbor, MI
4. St Louis, MO ok, really Swansea, IL (the 'Burbs of STL)

Favorite Foods:
1. Really Good Cheese, Bread and Wine
2. Thai Food (Tate was grown on Yellow Chicken Curry)
3. Mexican Food cooked by Dad
4. Caprese Salad

Places I'd Love to be Now:
1. In bed SLEEPING
2. At an overnight scrapbook convention
3. In San Francisco
4. With Paul in our STL Living Room watching good TV

Names I Like, But Would Not Use for My Children:
1. Lake
2. Soliel (LOVE it, but I can see mean teenage boys altering it in the future)
3. Chloe (too many these days)
4. Irina (means Peace, but my brother has already shown me how it can be altered in that #2 way)

Again, if you are reading this, you are tagged. :)

Scrap Tips from Other People

So I am was wandering around online tonight, waiting for Tate to fall asleep (he was yelling "Mama" for the 400th time) and found some GREAT scrap techniques on youtube.

I've used youtube, mostly to watch innapropriate humor my brothers have shown me. Who knew there were also scrap tips on there??

Here are a few cool things:
GLITTER CHIPBOARD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaJPSNRRlk4
GRUNGEBOARD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODmW_qULL8
CUSTOMIZED PLANNER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXHxWzbzv60
***This last one is long, but it is a cute project. Also, this woman is a champ. She even toted he 4 kids along with her to Staples and she still manages to look cute and have time to scrap. I am officially a wimp.

More OcToBeR Cards!

Here you go. I am usually done and mailing my Halloween cards out by now...

And Tate created yet another nest. If you don't know what I am talking about, refer to old post here.
And since I have almost ruined our camera from throwing it in the diaper bag and letting Tate do his own photo shoots... a new camera case. LOVE IT! (got it at Target.)

Happy Monday!

Glammys

I love reviews of beauty product and have always been a fan of such things as the Glammys. http://www.glamour.com/fashionbeauty/slideshows/2007/08/glammies

So I am inspired to regularly review stuff. Let's start with facial moisturizers since my face is always dry:

Philosophy Hope in a jar-

L'Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Face Cream -

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer-
Nivea Visage Glowing Moisturizer-

Ok the winner is...L'Occitane. It is simply moisturizing, not a lot of fragrance.

Second is Kiehl's, with Philosophy as a close 3rd. Philosophy Hope isn't worth the $30 price, though I love the smell, but it bothers my skin under my eye. It is supposed to be AMAZING, and it just isn't. The Kiehl's isn't worth it either--if you want to splurge, use the L'Occitane.

I don't think they make the Nivea anymore, but it was great for it's under $10 price. I can't use their other products because of the AHA or the fruit acid or whatever they put in it to "Safely exfoiliate". More like "Burn like hell" for me.

I invite you to PLEASE add your own recommendations for this review or any future reviews!

Mini Book for Paul

While Paul is away, I have been sending him mini books with the latest pics of Tate. It makes me make them quickly because I can drag a scrap project F-O-R-E-V-E-R....

Nesting

This week, we have been skipping TV in the morning. Unbelieveable, Tate plays with his toys after he figures out the magical light box is not being turned on.

He has been making nests with his toys and then piles blankets on top and sits on top of it all. I think he is part bird.

This kid cracks my "stuff" up.

Cool Site

Make a e-cupcake and send to a friend, while helping raise $ for CancerCare for kids:

http://www.cupcakesforacause.org/choose.html

Absent Blogger

Hi! I've been helping plan Catie's 13th Bday party (Halloween Themed), which explains my lack of blogging. I will have pics later--my mom had the camera.

Here is a preview...imagine several 7th graders drinking Mt. Dew and cheetos mixed together, gooey plastic eyeballs being thrown, and a few trampoline injuries. Fun was had by all.

New Blog Template

As you can see, I changed the look!
I love the way a black background makes photos "POP", but I was ready for a change. I was bored with myself.

Does anyone know how to make one of those cool personalized headers?? Or how they get a scrapped header for the title of the blog?

Lovin the cool weather today...tea and coffee taste SOO good when there is a chill in the air.

My first video post: Why I am so tired!

The Country Mill

Last Friday, we went to the local Cider Mill to pick apples and pumpkins. It ended being 90 degrees out and while we had fun, we were soaking wet with sweat by the time we got back to the car. We definitely opted for cold cider instead of hot cider on this trip!

A Fav Corner of the Casa

Ok--Random pic of one of the favorite parts of our temporary home. Tate loved the little house and likes to name all the components, such as "tree", "light", "roof", etc.

The framed art is really just scrapbook paper, the house from my mom (she won it at a PartyLite party), The bikes from a garage sale, and the shelf from my sister.

Slow Scrapper

A few more pages... These were from a CKU class I took last year that I hadn't finished because I wanted to change them up a little. I still need a few more pics on the first one and the "u" in "cutie" fell off and I didn't even realize it until I posted the pic.

Off to go pick some apples at the local cider mill/orchard!!

Have a great weekend.

This day has sucked

Yea...it is just one of thse days, but these pictures make me laugh :)

Tate is going to be Steve from Blue's Clues and I guess I am going to be Blue. There is NO way he was going to put on the Blue costume...

Oh and we scored a Thinking Chair off ebay. Yea--I HATE TV character stuff, but I guess I give in.