Scraps of Life

My Christmas Present

2010-12-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

Isn't it purdy?! It's a Cricut Expressions machine. Oooooooooh. Aaaaaaaaaaah. Wooooowwww. This one cuts up to a full 12x12 size. And it's green! To match our sofa and other decor. I have the 6x12 Cricut, but it's going to find a new home with my mom as soon as I teach her how to use it.

I'm so excited, I might have to cut out labels for everything in my house. Ok, not really. I have a label maker for that. ;)

Things Kids Say...

2010-11-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

We took a trip down to Tucson this weekend to celebrate my Grandpa Black's 80th birthday party. We got the car packed up, loaded up the kids, plugged in the portable DVD player and headed out. An hour and 45 minutes later, we reached the Tucson city limits. Austin and I were chit chatting the entire way there, so we were surprised we got there so quickly. I turned around to get the girls' attention and said, "Hey girls. Look, we're in Tucson already!" Hailey turns around to look out the window and matter-of-factly states, "It looks a lot like Arizona."

*sigh* That's my girl...

Mix & Mingle Album Banner

2010-11-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

I'm being such a bad girl. I'm posting pictures of a project before I give it to the person I made it for. But, she's 8 years old and doesn't read my blog, so I figured it was okay!

My classroom neighbor, Chris, has a daughter my girls just adore. They walk to school together and play in our classrooms while we get work done. Luci's birthday was in October and I wanted to make her something, a banner, to match her bedroom. Here's what I created for her:

The finished product!

I used 6 of the 8 mini album pages...

Covered the chipboard ones with Bella B&T using Tombow
MonoAdhesive, used the finishing files to make the edges
smooth and inked the edges for effect...

I used Liquid Glass to adhere more Bella B&T to the
acrylic album pages, cut letters out with my cricut and
put ZOTS 3D clear dots under each of the letters...

Added a few charms, flowers, brads and some riboon
to dress it up...and I'm done!

This was an easy project to do, but hard in that I wanted to make sure it looked nice for Luci. All products used are CTMH unless otherwise specified.

Thanks for looking!

Back to RIO we go!

2010-11-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

After a month of swimming back in the advanced classes at EVO, the girls realized their skills were beyond the level of that class. We were wondering how we would handle this as Callie especially did not want to go back to QC. Enter David, owner of EVO and director of RIO, who tells us that he's opening a Junior 1/Junior 2 hybrid class at the EVO location...with Bryn as the coach! Yayyyyy! The girls were so excited they were doing flips in the pool.

So starting today, the girls are back on the Junior One team through RIO! Practice is still three days a week for an hour each time, but we won't have to drive as far. We'll see how it goes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

I inherited a kid for the weekend...

2010-10-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

...A Brown kid, so you know that means trouble! Kelli came out from Utah to go trick-or-treating with the girls. Here's the pics:

Halloween breakfast at Denny's

Austin, Hailey, Kelli, Callie and Jenni

Trick-or-Treat!

Bowling and Beer

2010-10-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

This week has been a very unusual week. We just back back from October Break and now this week we had a half day on Thursday AND Friday. It makes teaching a tad on the difficult side because the kids seem to think they don't have to pay attention or behave on half days. On Thursday we were stuck at school until around 7:45-8:00 pm for Parent-Teacher conferences. It makes for a very long day. I get up the day after conferences and say what most kids say when their parents wake them up in the morning, "But, I don't want to go to school!" At least today was a half day too! One of the few things that helped me get through the day was knowing that Austin and I were going out tonight for some bowling and beer. Okay, no beer for me...I think it's yucky.

C & H got picked up by Grandma and Grandpa right after school so that they could go up north to the cabin. That means, no kiddos!

We met the Roberts' family (Chris, Kelley, Luci and Momma Zoya) at Brunswick for a night that promised to be fun. I mean who doesn't like to bowl? Even if you can't bowl, it's still fun to gather round the lanes with a good crew to keep you company. We bowled two games, and I didn't do too badly. The first game was weak (ouch!), but in the second game I totally came from behind to beat Chris, my classroom neighbor, and that's all that really mattered, because now I have bragging rights. It's sooooo nice. Austin as usual gets mad at himself because he bowls a 120-190. I think that's good, but you know how competitive those silly boys can be. ;)

After bowling, we ended up at the Roberts' homestead playing pool. We hung out, had a few drinks and just let the stress of the week melt away. I forgot how good Austin is at pool. it's like he's naturally talented that way. He can "see" every shot he needs to make, whereas I can't figure out the angles to save my life. All in all, a good time was had by all.

Halloween fun with the Parsons-Geary clan!

2010-10-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

Every year, Austin's sister Corrine puts together some Halloween fun for the kids. This year the kids got to paint pumpkins and eat mummy hot dogs. Here's the pics:

Pumpkin painting chaos

Yummy mummy dogs

Corrine & I made Halloween candles

Half Day Fun with Kelley and Luci

2010-10-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today we had a half day. The amazing part to that was that we actually got to leave when the 12:01pm bell rang! Or at least I did since my grades were done. It was so exciting, I didn't know what to do with myself. Thankfully, the girls and I had a playdate scheduled with my classroom neighbor's wife and daughter. The girls walk to school together in the mornings and also walk back after school. They've made instant friends with each other and it's really nice for them to have someone to pal around with so that I can get some work done.

For lunch, the five of us headed over to Mi Amigos for some americanized mexican food. I love their chips and salsa! After lunch, we headed over to the Roberts' household for some fun. The girls ran around doing whatever it is that three girls do, while Kelley and I just hung out and talked about life. Surprisingly, we have a decent amount in common. I already get along well with Chris, my classroom neighbor, so it's nice that the wife and I get along too. :)

Around 3:30pm, we headed out for some free swim at EVO Swim School. All three girls had a blast in the indoor pool and sufficiently tired themselves out. There was no fight to go to bed, just the quiet sounds of the girls snoring from their bedrooms. Needless to say, it was a half day well spent and I hope to do it again sometime soon!

Back to EVO we go

2010-10-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

This summer was an interesting summer for C & H. They swam for the Rio Salado Swim Club on the Junior 1 team. It was hard work. Practice was 3-4 days a week for an hour and we had swim meets almost every weekend. The girls did their best and won quite a few ribbons. Plus, they stayed busy and got all of their energy out. :) All was going well until the first week of Fall Swim League. C was tired and was having a bad day. Another dad at practice was in a crappy mood and decided to take it out and C & I. He pointed his finger at C and told her she was an embarassment to the team. That he didn't pay his money for his kids to practice with her and to watch her swim like she was. WTF?! As far as C was concerened, that was it. She was done. She was torn down and defeated and no longer felt safe. We contacted the owner of the swim club and told him what happened. He asked that we continued practicing until the matter was sorted out, but C didn't want to go. After two weeks of the dad ignoring the owner's calls, C finally said she was unhappy and didn't want to swim Junior 1 anymore. We pulled her from the team. Of course, since C wasn't on the team anymore, H didn't want to be either. H often feels lost without C by her side and will do anything to protect C when C is in trouble.

After two weeks of no swim, the girls got bored. They wanted to swim. I called the swim school they had graduated from before they made the RIO swim team. The guy who owns the RIO club also own the EVO swim school. Julia in the front office was ecstatic to have the girls back. We signed them up for their Advanced Stroke class, with the same coach they had before. C & H were excited to go back and that's what I was excited about. It's only once a week for an hour, but it is a step in the right direction for C & H.

The first practice came at EVO and it was like old times. The girls were so happy and having a blast. They worked hard and enjoyed themselves. And that was they key. C told us that swim just wasn't fun anymore and that going back to EVO made her want to swim again. Made it fun. THAT was the million dollar moment for me.

C & H will try for RIO again this cummer, but for now, they're both content to just enjoy swimming at a more leisurely pace. It's made life less hectic for them...and us! ;)

It's ours!

2010-09-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

And we are moved in! That's why there haven't been any posts lately. Between moving and school, life was pretty hectic. Thankfully we have a good base of family and friends to help us along. :)

We are adjusting to our new digs (we've been in the pool at least 4 times a week since we've moved in) and are slowly but surely figuring out where all the little things need to go. This weekend we are working on the garage - that's where we stuffed all the stuff from our attic and the boxes we didn't know what to do with. We hope to park our cars in there soon!

In addition to unpacking, Austin and I are working on a plan to decorate for Halloween. I know it seems early, but for 7 years we knew exactly where all of our decorations would go. Now in the new house - not so much. We have an extra garage peak to deal with, so we will be shuffling lights around in order to get the most out of what we have. And there's some pressure here. The people here on the block have always done a pretty nice job of decorating for Halloween and Christmas, so we don't want to let them down.

All in all, we LOVE our new house and know that this was the right move for us. Austin and I still say to each other, "Can you believe this is real? I never thought it would happen." We got a little bit more room for the family to spread out (an extra living room, my office), and to come together (the pool!) as a family. I am so excited to write this new chapter in our life.

Oh, we already had our first house guests too! Part of the Brown family came out for a funeral and they crashed in my office and on the couches. Hotel Parsons is open for business...

Could it be true?

2010-08-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

I think it may be...but check back on Monday night for sure, because that's WHEN WE CLOSE ON OUR HOUSE! We actually signed all the papers on Friday, but the house doesn't fully record until Monday afternoon. I'm sooooo excited. Eeeeek! Seven months later we finally have a resolution to this mess. And thankfully, it's a positive one. There's a lot of work to do, but it's very much worth it. This is a beautiful house and I am so lucky to *almost* be the owner of it. I've been so patient for so long that now it seems impossible to wait these last 48 hours...hurry up and come 4:00 pm Monday! :)

House Update #3,463

2010-08-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

So we might have a new date. That new date may be August 31st. Supposedly the people at IBM transferred our file back to Chase. And to the same negotiator that already knows our case. So there's progress. And hope. Hope that we won't have to live out of boxes for much longer. Because if I'm going to unpack boxes, man, I want it to be in our new house.

Keep your fingers crossed!

School's In Session

2010-08-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Our first day of school has come and gone and MAN am I glad to be in school. I'm not quite sure about my students, but I need a routine in order to function. :) My numbers are decent - no huge classes - so that's promising. My prep hour has been moved to the last hour of the day and it's killing me. There's no time during the day to pee! Sorry...TMI.

C & H seemed to enjoy their first day of school as well. They were both chatting away about their day as we drove home. AND, get this - they both said they can't wait to go back tomorrow! Yayyyyyyy! That's what this momma loves to hear. I hope the excitement continues throughout the entire school year for their sake. There's nothing worse than having a horrible teacher to make you want to hate life. We shall see!

House Update #3,462

2010-07-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really. But it seems like it. So here we go: We didn't close on the house today.

Why? Good question. It goes a little something like this:
Our side of Chase said we could close by July 30th, but in reality we couldn't. Our Loan Officer dropped the ball a few times and has to be checked up on in order to do his job. Our Loan Processor has been working "the best he can" but said the Loan Officer had no idea what he was talking about when he said we could close by the 30th. Our Loan Officer retorts that the Loan processor has only worked for Chase for three weeks and doesn't really know what he's talking about.

ARE WE IN JUNIOR HIGH? It sure feels like it. I just want people to do their jobs and not blame someone else for why the job didn't get accomplished.

Oh, and my job won't fax back a stinking employment verification sheet that will take all of two minutes to complete, so that's another reason why we can't close. How lovely...

So, now we wait. Since we didn't close by July 30th, we found out that the seller's side of Chase that was the servicer of the loan FANNIE MAE owns, no longer is the servicer of the loan - some company called IBM (not the computer people) now owns the servicing rights. So even though we have permission from FANNIE MAE to buy the house, we have to go through ANOTHER company to still close on the house. *sigh*

How long will it take? That's the thing, nobody knows. It could be one week, it could be three months. So we wait. Stay tuned...

So what do the girls do on their first day off from swim practice?

2010-07-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Ummmmm, yeah. I bet you'll never guess.

In case you can't see the screen, here's a close up:

They played Mario & Sonic at the Beijing Olympics for over an hour. And what sport did they pick first? Swimming. After a good arm workout they switched to ping pong for a bit, but ended up right back in the pool.

They're fish in AND out of the water!

End of Summer RIO Pool Party

2010-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, this was the last week for the summer instalment of the RIO swim team and it ended with a pool party the whole family enjoyed. The Parsons girls (Austin was working) packed their picnic basket (aka - a plastic Walmart bag) and headed off for some fun in the setting sun. The team rented a HUGE 19ft blow up slide that both kids and parents alike enjoyed. They even had a swimmer/parent/coach relay race. But the highlight of the evening was watching Rich and Bob (RIO coaches) swim a race against David (RIO team director). Now, this may seem like an unfair advantage, but let me share with you this little fact: David was a competitor at the 2000 US Olympic trials. He can SWIM!

I've posted the race below. Coach Rich (C&H's coach) is in the lane at the bottom of the screen. Coach Bob is in the middle lane, and David is in the lane at the top of your screen. NOTE: According to his swim team kids at the party, Coach Bob always says "he could win a race against Coach Rich." Hmmmmm. Let's just see about that.

And the medals go to:
GOLD - Rich "The Record Breaker" Jacobs
(not surprising since he TOO was at the 2000 Olympic Trials for the 400 IM!)

SILVER - David "TAke IT to the wall" Tait

BRONZE - Bob "Big Talker" Chen

The second highlight (I know, it should be the first highlight, but even the girls thought the coaches' race was cooler) was when the girls got their summer swim team medals. I'm so proud of them. :)

Happy Birthday ALYSSA!

2010-07-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

You're so OLD now...jeez. You are the best niece. I love you to pieces!

Another altered composition notebook

2010-07-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

This one I made for one of my students this past school year in exchange for a homemeade blinged out Greenfield Grizzlies t-shirt. I used papers from CTMH's Cocoa Cafe Collection (retired), Spring Felt Ribbon from Michael's dollar bin, CTMH's Liquid Glass (used for the clear "bubble" inserts in the ribbon and to adhere the felt ribbon to the book).

A Dual Crafting Day

2010-07-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

I was a busy little girl today. First off, I wanted to finish the THIRD version of a clipboard for one of C&H's old swim coaches at EVO. The first time I made it, I glued it with the glossy Mod Podge. It looked terrible. The second time a made it, a bottle of Gatorade was spilled on it and stained it before it was sealed. That looked terrible. So this is the third attempt. I used CTMH's Animal Cookies Creative Basics Papers, Making Memories Glitter Stickers and Mod Podge. That's it! Very easy. I think it came out grrrrreat! What do you think?

The second craft thing I wanted to check off my list today was seeing if I could repaint one of the bear planters I bought for my classroom. There's a little shop up in Heber/Overgaard that specializes in this sort of bear figurine stuff. So everytime we go up to the cabin, we make sure to stop off at the Bear Ridge Trading Post for another addition to the bear family in my classroom. Why the bears? Well we are the GRIZZLIES!

So, what's the problem? Good question! All of the bear stuff you find on the internet or in stores are BLACK bears. What's the difference? The color of the bears. Black bears are mostly black, and have darker brown snouts and ears. Grizzlies are a darker brown with lighter brown snouts and ears.

And the big deal is.....? Well - because I WANT grizzly bears, that's the deal! My classroom is decorated like a cabin and I currently have a whole family of bears (some black, some grizzlies) living in my classroom. It's my way of showing some Grizzly pride.

Anyways, here he is all repainted and ready to go back into my classroom. He's a planter, and in his belly normally lives a small philodendron (did I spell that correctly?) that I removed for his close-up. I think he's much cuter...

Appraisal COMPLETE

2010-07-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with our realtor Garrett Lines (HI GARRETT!) and the appraisial is complete and we might be able to squeak out the July 30th closing. I'm packing!

Here's a picture of Garrett. If you're in AZ and need a good realtor, he's the one! Let's see, in our family we've bought 3 houses with him and have sold 3 houses with him. Yeah, I think that's right. Here's his link: http://www.movingthevalley.com/

Tootles!

July 30th

2010-07-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

That's supposed to be our closing date on the new house. Of course, if something doesn't go right that can be postponed by the bank. If that happens, the seller will incur a per diem rate and we know that she'll back out of the deal if she has to pay any more money. I'm thinking positively about the whole situation and hoping that our side of Chase will have their stuff ready to go by then. They just completed the appraisal on the new house this Monday, so that is one of the last big hurdles to clear.

Could this finally be happening? After all this time? It is hard to believe and I am trying to hide my excitement as I know things can still go horribly wrong. But, if this tells you how excited I am...I've already packed up the kitchen and most of the pictures that were hanging on the walls!!!! ;)

Love to all! - Jenni

Summer Swim Meet #4

2010-07-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

More Saturday madness at the pool. And I take back what I said last swim meet. THIS is the hottest day of the summer!

Here's the candids:

Mommy: Quit messing with your goggles while you swim!
C: But I'm in first place right now. Who cares!

H: Look Grandpa, I got second place!

H: No, I'm not drowning. This is me doing the Butterfly. Wiggle, wiggle, stroke. Wiggle, wiggle, stroke. If you did it, you'd look funny too!

Happy Belated Birthday, Margaret!

2010-07-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

You stinker! I hope it was a good one and that you enjoy your Roaming Gnome..."I've got to call for backup. No wait! Don't back up!" Too cool. Thank you for sharing your birthday cake with us, too. :)

Happy Birthday Aunt Sue!

2010-07-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

I love you! And thanks for getting me addicted to scrapbooking...

We were on TV!

2010-07-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

For all of ten seconds during tonight's DBacks game! Nana, C&H and I went up to the top of the nosebleed section to hold up our signs and cheer. The DBacks were losing to the Cubs at that point (they were winning earlier!) so we were trying to cheer them onto V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

We were also on the jumbotron about 6-8 times during the game. I know it helps having a set of riduculously cute twins sitting by you. Right girls?

The Fourth

2010-07-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

My cousin Mark came up with us again this year to relax in the tall pines of Heber/Overgaard. It was gorgeous up there. At a few points, it was downright chilly. But I'll take it when I know it's 110 degrees plus back down the mountain. Here's the yearly family picture from the fourth:
Aren't we so cute? The boys had to stop their ususal horseshoes tournament so we could take pictures. Mark surprised everyone (including himself) by beating the pants off Dennis, Austin and Mike. It's always nice when Mark comes up with us so the boys have a foursome for horseshoes and no one has to sit out.

At the parade this year, they took away the water. The fire department used to spray people in the desginated wet zones with water from their hoses and cannons. It was AWESOME. Needless to say, without the water it was kinda boring. No offense to the people in H/O, but with no water, it just isn't as fun. The kids still had fun, but I think this may be the last year thhat C&H will stay occupied with the parade for that long.

We went to the park after the parade to eat luch and wander among the vendors. The kids went off to play all the games and brought home a few prizes. The coolest part was that the fire department pulled a smaller fire truck onto the grass and let the kids run around in the spray. Both C&H got to operate the fire hose and they thought it was so neat!

The fireworks were of course, AMAZING. As I say every year, there's just something about the sound of the fireworks echoing across the canyons that is just awesome. You can feel the booms rattle in your chest. We actually had four grand finales this year. Wow...

All in all, it was a restful vacation. No one wanted to go back to the heat, but I know we all missed our beds. And the internet. :)

Happy Birthday Kaylin!

2010-07-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

We had fun up at the cabin with you. I hope you enjoy bowling today. We love you!

Happy Birthday Austin!

2010-06-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

I know it sucks having to work on your birthday - especially since your UPS truck feels like it's 130 degress in there - but enjoy your day! You are now officially into your 30's. :)

7/5/10 Update: Here's a pic from your party up at the cabin. Such a cute smile...

Summer Swim Meet #3 Pics

2010-06-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday, another swim meet! It's getting kinda hot for this. I think this is the worst it's been all summer. Eeeeeew. Sweat.

Here are some candids:

C readies herself for the Backstroke race. Look at those muscles!

C, a friend, and H relax in the practice pool between races.

I see you Mommy!

New Home Inspection Tomorrow!

2010-06-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

Chase accepted our offer and sent the seller their demand letter yesterday. So, I set up our home inspection for tomorrow. WooooooHooooo! I get to see the new house again. Eeeek, it's exciting!

Happy Birthday Mike!

2010-06-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I like you so much better now that you don't wear that stupid Yankees hat. ;) Have a happy birthday and we miss you. See you soon for the 4th of July!

Summer Swim Meet #2 Pics

2010-06-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

Another swim meet this weekend! Both girls did well. As the coaches say, it's not about how well you place in your heat, it's all about your times. C&H's times were steady and I'm soooooo proud of them. :)

Here are a few candids:
"Team Spirit"

"Perfect Entry"

"Ribbons"

Summer Swim Meet #1

2010-06-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Summer swim league has begun! The next six weeks will keep us all busy with the start of the summer swim league. I can't wait to see how C&H will do in comparison with last summer.

Here are a few candids:

Austin volunteered to be a timer for this meet. RIO has volunteer requirements that each family must meet.

H focuses for her next race

C in her Backstroke race

OPEN Craft Labs schedule for June

2010-05-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

Hi! Summer open craft labs are scheduled for the month of June. These labs are open for anyone who needs/wants to:

*finish up a project you've already started and need to finish
*start a new scrap/craft project but don't know where to begin
*get out of the house for some easy and fun craft time

Open Craft Labs are "drop in" labs where you may come anytime during the open lab session. Please call/email the night before to let me know you'll be attending a lab session. All labs are held at my house (email me for directions). Open Craft Labs cost $2 and include a light snack and beverage AND all-you-can-use stamps and inks from my stash. Please feel free to bring with you any additional supplies you need to complete your projects. There will be an opportunity to purchase paper, cardstock, embellishments, adhesives, etc. on a per piece basis during Open Labs. Prices range from $0.05-$5.00. Open Lab prices are only limited to stock on hand. Special orders can be arranged.

The Open Craft Lab dates for June are:
Saturday, June 5th from 1-4 pm
Wednesday, June 9th from 4-8 pm
Thursday, June 17th from 1-4 pm
Friday, June 25th from 5-9 pm

Don't have anything to craft, but still want some time out of the house? Come to an Open Lab and try one of my Famous $5 Favorites, an easy peasy craft even a 9 year-old can do! RSVP your choice - Choose from the following:
--->personalized Hershey Nuggets candy tin (candy included!)
--->personalized stamped pillar candle
--->8"x10" altered dry erase board
--->altered spiral notebook
--->altered composition notebook with matching binder clips
--->two page simple scrapbook layout with take home layout directions

Please RSVP your choice of project three days before the lab date when choosing a Famous $5 Favorite project. All project materials will be pre-cut and provided for you.

P.S. Interested in hosting your own craft night with your friends and family? Email me for more information...

P.S.S. Interested in earning FREE scrapbooking/stamping supplies? Host a gathering! Email me for more information...

Our last day at EVO :(

2010-05-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you coach Bryn for helping us get to the RIO swim team. We will miss you!

Thank you Sarah and Larry for putting up with us when we goofed off in class and made you mad.

How many push ups do you think we had to do while we were at EVO in your class? ;)

Dreaming from afar

2010-05-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

*sigh* I wonder, will this ever happen? Or are you simply a dream from afar? I mean, how hard is this really? You paid $320,000 for a house worth $175,00. We offered you $169,000. The bank likes our offer. Now you are unsure. Pleeeeeease say yes!

We have a negotiator...again

2010-05-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today we learned we have a Fannie Mae certified negotiator on our file and had a new BPO completed on the Monte house. Yay! Even better was that they requested to see our LSR (our loan pre-qualification info from the bank) again, so progress is being made. The Monte house is scheduled for a Trustee's sale on 6/17/10, so we are racing the clock. Not that Fannie Mae/Chase seem to care about this little fact. ;)

An answer to our offer is imminent, I just hope it comes soon!

The Book is HERE!

2010-05-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's here, it's here...The Summer Idea Book is here! Chock full of new papers, stamps, embellishments, and alterable items galore. Bright tones and cheery patterns to bring some summer-lovin' sunshine into any crafter's project. Whether it's cardmaking, scrapping or stamping, the team at Close to my Heart has put together one of their best catalogs yet. If we weren't saving for a new house, I'd buy ALL the new stuff! Okay, I'm buying a decent amount of the new stuff already. Shhhhh. Don't tell my husband. He let's me keep all the scrapbook stuff I can fit onto my shelves. Hmmmmm. maybe I need more shelves...

Click HERE for the new catalog link.

Another House Update...sigh

2010-04-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

So, it seems that we have been under the impression that Chase is the one who is in charge of the loan on this house, but noooooooo. They are only the "servicer" of the loan. We found out that the loan is actually held through Fannie Mae. (oh great) So now the file has to be re-assigned to a negotiator that is Fannie Mae certified. (who knows how long that will take) This is one of the WORST companies to work with when involved in a short sale. So we are back to square one in a sense. (jeez this is a real pain) We started this thing back on February 5th and there's really no progress made. You'd think if the banks really wanted to sell these houses, they'd light a fire under their "fannies" - if you get what I mean.

At this point, over 65% of the homes on the market in our area are short sales or foreclosures. So there's no way to walk away from this deal in hopes for another. Again, patience is not my strong suit and this is the longest test of my patience in history. Well, besides being pregnant with the girls...

The HEAT is on!

2010-04-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

As of this week, we officially hit ninety degree weather. We've been at 90-92 degrees since Tuesday and today it got to 96 degrees on our thermometer. Wow. C went outside this afternoon to ride her bike and we had to tell her to make sure she came in to get water when ever she felt hot. She was out there for maybe five minutes before she came back in to tell me it was hot out. Gee, really?

The mornings and nights are nice, though. We've had the ceiling fans going and the windows opened up to let in the cool air. We try to get as much of it in as we possibly can before we have to close up the house. It really helps cut down on the electricity bill. :)

If there's one GOOD thing about the 90's, it's that it means that school is almost done. May 27th, here we come!

Countdown to the Summer Idea Book!

2010-04-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Oooh la la, I just <3 all of the new products Jeanette and her team have lined up for the new catalog. A sneak peek is on your left. Here's a few more hints...

Paper Packs: "Cherry-O" Cherries, Disney/Circus "Zippidee" do dah , Earthy "Splendor" and handwritten travel "passages"

A Few New Stamp Set Themes: farm and zoo animals, Earth day, fruits and veggies, cute kiddos, Family Ties pets, more Ms. On the Go and more new In the Month Of...

Other: 4x6 scrapable recipe style box with magnetic closure (can you say card workshop?!), cherry bling, Designer Brads, new mini medly assortments, Fancy Fuzz, board books, and a pretty punch.

Stay tuned for the catalog link on May 1st!!!

Yolanda's GNO Candle Party

2010-04-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

I met a mom through EVO, where my daughters' take swim lessons, who wanted to host a candle stamping party. I taught her and three friends how to make candles to match ANY decor. They were so surprised how easy it was, they plan on making more! We had a great time and I met someone who enjoys stamping like I do. :)

Here's what they made:
Yolanda, the hostess, made this candle with cute mortar board caps and diploma scrolls in school colors of red and blue...

and this perky patterned Class of 2010 candle. Gotta love the circles in the background! :)

Her friend Greta made this stunning block flower pattern (that wraps all the way around) candle for her friend...

and this funky and colorful random stamped candle. None of her friends thought this candle would come out that good, but wow! Greta random stamps like a pro. :)

Janine made a candle with brown stars to match her living room. She even "distressed" the candle to make it look more rustic instead of the regular "smooth" candle texture.

Thanks ladies for inviting me over for a night of fun. I enjoyed it and hope to be able to craft with you again soon! -Jenni

EARTHQUAKE!

2010-04-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right...EARTHQUAKE! We were just settling down after Easter "Linner" and eating Nana's birthday cake when boom...shaking. Papa and I were in the office getting ready to get on the computer when I felt the shaking and the desk started rattling. I thought I was dizzy or something so I turned to Papa and said, "I feel like I'm in the middle of an earthquake." He laughed but then pointed at the blinds in the window. They were swinging back and forth and then we both felt the floor shaking. Weird...

So then I hear my Mom saying to my cousing Mark, "When we lived in California the pool looked like that when we would have an earthquake." Mark and my Mom saw the pool water sloshing around. Papa and I walked out to tell them what we saw/felt, but they didn't notice the shaking. Good thing Mark saw the water because Papa and I thought we were going crazy!

I called the non-emergency line of the police department and I told the lady who answered the phone, "I have a stupid question." She laughed and said, "Okay, what?" "Did we just have an earthquake a bit ago?" She laughed again and said, "Yes, we felt the 6.9 earthquake that was in southern California. We got a lot of phone calls about it, so no worries. Turn on CNN."

So yeah, today we had an earthquake. In Arizona - sorta. Kinda weird...

I'm a yearbook adviser

2010-04-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know that? I didn't until today. My principal sat me down and explained that due to all of our budget cuts and the current yearbook adviser leaving, I now fit the bill. I am honored, but a little scared. This is a huge responsibility. I'm sorry, this is a HUGE responsibility. Apparently, because I scrapbook and know how to use computers quite well, that qualifies me for the yearbook adviser position.Who knew!?

On the flip side, it means I have job for as long as I choose to be the yearbook adviser. My principal told me she's giving me the gift of endless job security. ;) No yearbook teacher has ever been fired or RIFed. And I do like being creative. So maybe this is a good fit. We shall see!

House Update...

2010-03-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

As of today, the BPO that was ordered two weeks ago still hasn't been completed yet, BUT the bank has stopped the foreclosure process on the house. Golly gee Chase bank, can't you go any faster?

Our nation waits with baited breath

2010-03-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our tv has been on CSPAN almost all day. The healthcare vote is called for at 9:30 p.m. ET. The decision? Whether or not our country will have soicalized medicine...

This is a decision that will define our children's and grandchildren's future. Whether or not it will be a bright one, or one filled with overwhelming governement debt is still to be decided. I have written to my representatives to state my opinions on the issue and I have voiced my concerns in appropriate forums. Now the waiting is almost over...

I'm Rockin' with "You Rock!"

2010-03-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an almost finished layout using CTMH's "You Rock" papers. My friend Amie and I went to go see New Kids on the Block awhile back and I'm only now getting to the pictures. We were in the 13th row, the closest I've ever seen them before. When I was a teenager living in Boston, I always had to sit in the nosebleed section due to my lack of funds and my parents not being insanely rich. :) I haven't gotten to the journaling yet, so the two blank spots will be filled with all the info and my ticket stub - if I can find it.

The layout itself is from Jeanette Lynton's how-to book Cherish. It's on page 80 and is called "Golden Section."

I used CTMH's Rhinestone Frames that were a special last year to highlight a few parts of my photos. It gives it that little bit of bling that every layout needs. The NKOTB letters are pop-dotted and placed on 1.5" scallop punch backgrounds made from the different "You Rock" B&T papers. The gold and silver round rhinestones are from Michael's dollar section.

P.S. Jordan Knight is still my favorite...eeeeek!

A fresh coat of paint

2010-03-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

We repainted C and H's room this weekend. They used to have blue and green walls, but we chose a muted white (it actually has a purple-ish grey tone to it) to freshen up the rooms and make them brighter. Here's pics of the action:

I gotta get more paint, Mom!

H was our paint drip monitor:

Wow! What a nice paint job. :)

Finished!

NEWS! Step 3

2010-03-10T18:28:00.000-08:00

We found out today that the bank finally assigned a negotiator to our case file. Yay! The BPO was ordered and we will soon know what the bank thinks the house is worth. We're hoping it comes in close to $169,000 because if it is valued too high, they will reject our offer. Keeping our fingers crossed...

News...

2010-03-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

...on the house, but not really. We got an update on Wednesday that the bank still hasn't assigned a negotiator to the house. So until that happens, nothing happens. We are thinking of having C & H write a letter to Chase Mortgage to see if we can play on their sympathies a bit. :)

When I hear news, I'll post it here!

I was in the snow!

2010-03-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

And I have proof. See? That's ACTUALLY me standing in the snow, taking pictures of the new snow that fell overnight in Heber/Overgaard, AZ. And look at my poor car! It has never been in snow before...it looks cold. ;)

I'm not a big fan of snow. The almost nine years we spent in Massachusetts was enough to let me know that I don't ever want to live in that cold of a climate ever again. I am a desert rat through and through. I get cold in anything below 72 degrees. Brrrr. Don't get me wrong, I love the winter olympics and the snow is really beautiful, but why does it have to be so cooooold? I think I'd like snow better if it was warmer. :)

Anywho, I got roped into going to the snow because the last time the girls saw snow was two or three years ago. They don't really remember it, so Austin's parents asked us if we wanted to have a snow weekend at their cabin. Austin and the girls said yes right away. I, on the other hand, had to be coaxed. Okay, bribed was more like it. The only way I would go was on my terms. Would there be an ample supply of Swiss Miss hot chocolate with mini marshmellows? Was there some place in Arizona that sold thermal underwear? Would I be able to stay snuggled up indoors without the rest of the family complaining that I wasn't going outside to play all day? The answers to those questions were yes, so I was in.

The drive up was pretty uneventful. Austin kept pointing things out like, "Look at how they plowed the snow into the guardrails. It looks cool." Yes honey. I've seen it before. "Ooh. Look at how tall the snow is piled up! It's higher than the car." Yep. That happens when it snows a lot. "Look at the trees. They look so beautiful." Uh huh...been there, seen that. I tried to be excited for him, but the idea of snow was not as new to me as it was to the rest of my family. The wind that weekend was chill-y. It wouldn't have felt as cold if it weren't for the wind. That however, did not stop C and H from playing in it for hours. It deterred the adults, but the not kids.

On our way back down the mountain, we were in a pretty good snowstorm. It was neat to see how the weather changed as we came down in elevation. When we left H/O, it was snowing lightly and the sun was shinning. As we got closer to the rim, the sky darkened up, the wind picked up and the snow whirled around us violently. A bit farther down, we hit sleet. The sleet changed to rain and as we pulled into our driveway we were greeted with partly cloudy skies and sunshine. How weird is Arizona? I love it. There's such variety here.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip. I'm glad I went and I think I might even go again next year. Just as long as I have my thermal underwear.

Shamu attacks! :(

2010-03-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

So, how do you tell two nine year-olds who loves Sea World that "Shamu" killed one of his trainers when they ask about it?

I'm stumped.

No news is good news?

2010-03-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Other than the fact that the house we're trying to buy is no longer listed for public auction in April, there's no new news on the house. Our realtor emailed the seller's realtor to get an update on Thursday and we haven't gotten a response yet. It's been three weeks since the sellers got their paperwork to the bank, so you'd think we'd at least have an idea of what the BPO would be at this point. I've been told that if our offer is at least 70-80% of the Broker's Price Opinion, that we should be okay. Housing prices are still declining in our area and there are more than enough short sales and foreclosures on market at this point. Almost one-third of the listings in our area are short sales/foreclosures. So hopefully the bank will want to make some money on the property now before prices dip even lower.

The local news is dramatizing the whole housing market crash in Arizona. It's quite funny actually. I remember a few years ago when our little house (not much over 1400 square feet) was worth almost $200,000. It was ridiculous. We all knew the house wasn't worth that much, but with people flooding in from California and investors forcing the housing prices up, that's exactly what buyers were offering for a house our size. A few of the houses that have been foreclosed on in our neighborhood were bought for THOUSANDS over the asking price. Bidding wars broke out, prices surged and banks lent out more money than they should have for the properties. The person who bought the house we're trying to buy paid $320,000 for it a few years ago at the peak of the market. ?????WHAT????? That's crazy. Now they are upsidedown in their loan and the house isn't worth what they owe.

It's a sad thing to watch house after house after house in your neighborhood be scooped back up by the bank. It's a sad for the families, too. Well, some of the families. There are a few that mortgaged themself to death and had multiple Lexus and Audi cars parked in their driveways. They always had the latest "toys" and trendy clothes. They spent more than they earned in an effort to keep up their appearances. It'll be a good lesson for those people I guess.

Anywho, I guess at this point the silver lining is that no news is good news. Since they haven't called to tell us "no," it's still a "yes" at this point! So keep those good thoughts coming our way. We appreciate all the support we can get. (((HUGS)))

Tuesday's Texts

2010-02-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

I made my friend Aime a candy tin for Valentine's Day (see my craft blog for pics). I stamped on little address labels and wrapped the labels around Hershey's Nuggets to make them pretty. She must have just opened it up because here's how our texts went tonight:

A: Frank [her husband] says he's going to smack you the next time he sees you.

J: Why? What did I do now?!

A: Well you're in big trouble next time he sees you...

A: He can't get the Valentine candy open.

J: It's DIET candy!

A: So since you can't get it open it's diet?

J: Yep. ;)

J: He's a handyman. Tell him to get out a box cutter!

A: "Slice my finger off trying to open a tiny piece of chocolate?"

J: Why not, take one for the cause!? Or should I say, what the heck kind of handyman cuts his finger off with a box cutter?

A: He's just grinning. Oh wait, what kind of craft person makes childproof candy?

J: The kind that has twins that will eat the candy before I get the chance to make it into something.

J: So wait if the candy's childproof, then logically, Frank is a child! ;)

A: Ummm you just figured it out? He's 45 going on 14.

I don't know why I found this sooooo funny, but the family and I were driving to Walmart and we were laughing hysterically. I had a hard time reading the texts out loud I was laughing so hard. I think it's because I feel safe knowing that I have good friends around me who aren't afraid to keep me in line. AND, that those friends need to be kept in line every once in awhile too...

Here's to hoping all of you have friends that can do the same for you. Happy Tuesday! (((HUGS)))

A new house...maybe?

2010-02-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

So Austin and I have known for the past few years that we are outgrowing our current house. With the girls getting older, we feel like we need a little bit more room for them to expand and "have their own space" so to speak. Austin and I (okay, mostly me) would both love an office. With me being a teacher, I bring work home all the time. It would be nice to spread out and not have to worry about the girls getting into my stuff and/or have to move everything out of the way so that we can eat dinner. Plus, I could use the office as a "crap" room for all my craft crap. Well, we think we may have found a house. It's a little over 1,800 square feet and has three bedrooms and a den. In addition, we would gain an extra living room, dedicated dining area and a bit more yard space. There's a diving pool in the backyard too! It's a very nice layout. for the most part, it is move-in ready. There are some things that need to be fixed, but nothing huge. The price is even in our budget.

So what's the catch, you ask? It's a pre-foreclosure/short sale. Ugh. The seller is asking $169,900. We offered them $169,000 and signed an "as-is" contract stating that we would not ask for any work done with the house like you would normally do with a regular house for sale. Now, if the inspection came up with something big, we would have the chance to withdraw our offer without penalty, but we are trying to make this sale go as smoothly as possible. Why? Because even though the seller accepted our offer, the bank who is foreclosing on the property still needs to accept out offer. So now we wait. We wait for the bank employees to let our paperwork sit on their desk until they decide to get to it. And if they get to it in time before the property is auctioned off to the highest bidder in early April, then the house is ours.

I am not a patient person. I had a hard enough time waiting the 36 hours for the seller to accept our offer, let alone now waiting the 2-6 months it takes for the bank to do their job on a short sale. And it's not like ordering a pizza online where you can see what stage of the process the bank is in. We just sit and wait for a phone call out of the blue. *sigh* Did I mention I'm not a patient person?

If you want to see the listing, go here: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7124-E-Monte-Avenue_Mesa_AZ_85209_1115736315

Please say a little prayer for us. We have been patiently waiting and researching for a house that's just a bit bigger and still in our price range. Our family hopes that this may finally be it.

Love to ALL!

Wright Night Out

2010-01-27T20:38:00.000-08:00

My neighbor and I recently set up some time to craft together. She comes over once a month to get out of the house and have some fun. This month, we made Hershey's Nugget Tins for three of her kids. She will ship them off for Valentine's Day in a week or so, just to remind her "single" babies that they are loved on a day that is so overwhelmingly a "couples" holiday.

Each band on the tin features an image stamped from CTMH's "Family Ties" stamp sets that she then colored to match her kids. In addition, we used a few retired stamp sets (Fabric Finishes, February Word Puzzle and Sweet Love) to decorate the individual nugget bands.

I made a few of these tins in early January in preparation for Valentine's Day (see post dated 1.2.2010) and again, I love this idea. Why give plain old chocolate when you can personalize it and make it special?

Stamping on Candles

2010-01-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Amie! I made you a stamped candle. It was so easy to do, Callie actually helped me do it. But don't worry, you can actually burn this candle without burning your house down because the image gets "melted" into the candle. So go ahead and light it! And every time you light it, think of me and how a friend like you is a bright spot in my life. I am so blessed to not only have you as a friend, but to also work with you and see you on a daily basis.

I know you can't see it from this picture, but I actually stamped another flower in purple (your second favorite color) on the back. And just for fun, I stamped the word "Friendship" inbetween the two flowers. So the next time I make you mad, just remember who made you this awesome candle! ;)

Want to know how I did it? Email me at ctmhcrafts@gmail.com. I'd be more than happy to share!

TIME to craft!

2010-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

My girls are always bugging me with the question, "What time is it, Mommy?" So I decided to do something about it. But you know me...I won't just go out and buy a regular clock. Nooooope. I bought a standard clock so that the girls will practice their time-telling skills AND so that we could decorate it. This is a boring $3.97 clock from Walmart that has been turned into something my daughters actually like to look at when they want to know what time it is. This is Hailey's clock. Her favorite colors are pink, purple and blue so the retired paper pack "Whoops A Daisy" from CTMH was a slam dunk for a background. We used coordinating white and colored cardstock for the numbers on the face of the clock. We cut the numbers using my Cricut and glued them on with Tombow liquid adhesive so they'd stay put. I hope you like it as much as Hailey does!

"You Rock" rocks!

2010-01-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

So I have to admit that due to a scare of being paid in IOU's from my school district this year, I haven't ordered anything yet from the new catalog. I have had my eye on the brand new paper pack called You Rock. It has been calling my name since I first saw it in December. The paper is colorful and quirky. I love the "vector file" quality to the paper that is similar to the background images I love for my computer and web sites. It's a versatile set of papers whether you are cardmaking, crafting or creating layouts. I haven't gotten my hot little hands on any papers YET, but if this paycheck is good - I'm splurging! Here's a picture from CTMH that show the papers:

A new start in a new school

2010-01-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

Fourth grade started off well for C and H and they were enjoying their friends at their small, public charter school. After being in different classes for the past three years, the girls were placed in the same class because there were not enough fourth grade students to allow for two classes. This should've been my first warning. There were two third grade classes with around 20 students in each the previous year. That should've been enough to make two fourth grade classes the next year. But when school started, one class of 23 was made. Where was everyone? I knew some families had moved, others had lost jobs and had houses foreclosed, but where was everyone else? I put it out of my mind and was happy that the class size was still a good size for optimum student success. A new program was implemented where the 4th, 5th and 6th graders would switch classes and have three teachers for the year, each teacher specializing in a core subject. This was supposed to be the perfect preparation for junior high.

Weekly progress reports came home from their "home base" teacher that were positive and uplifting. No missing assignments, good behavior and good progress was being made. Fast forward to 1st quarter progress reports. C has almost all D's and 2 F's. H has a little bit better scores, but still mostly D's. Austin and I are dumbfounded. Speechless. Confused. The first words out of my mouth were, "What the he** happened?!" There was never any indication made that my daughters had low grades. When Austin and I picked up the girls from school the next day, we left messages with all of the girls' teachers and the principal. In response, we got notes on the weekly progress reports that said the girls had numerous missing assignments that were dragging their grades down. We addressed that issue letting the school know that we had never been made aware of the situation and that had parent contact been made, Austin and I would've done something about it. After two weeks, we are assured by all involved that the situation has been rectified and there is nothing to worry about.

WRONG. First quarter report cards come out and while the F's are gone and most grades are raised, three D's remain on each girl's report card. ????? At a parent-teacher conference we find out that the three teachers aren't communicating with each other and that the information they are receiving is horribly sparse and flawed. None of the teachers can seem to keep C's grades separate from H's grades and mistakes are being made all over the place. But it's not just with our girls. More than 3/4 of the class is failing. Parents are outraged and the school is doing nothing to fix it.

We once again leave messages for all the teachers and the principal. NOT ONE PERSON calls/writes/emails us in return. We are being ignored, and so are other parents. C and H do their best to muddle through the mess until progress reports come out for 2nd quarter. I am livid. They are worse that 1st quarter's progress reports. The girls are put on full-time restriction until things improve. Things don't improve. The girls work their butts off to no avail. I turn my attention to the front office and I am a mother on a mission. Don't mess with me! Give me answers or I go to your supervisor. It's as simple as that. But there are no answers. I move my way up the ranks and still no answers. I am one of 13 angry parents demanding answers and pleading for a meeting. We get ignored. Two families pull their children from the school before Winter Break. I inform the front office that I will be doing the same.

The very next day, a meeting is called. Parents voice their concerns and they fall on deaf ears. The principal refuses to ax the program that was her idea, the idea of rotating classes. After an hour of being told that the rotation had to stop, she finally gives in and agrees. But as far as Austin and I are concerned, it's too little too late. We inform the front office the next day that the girls are done at the end the semster. Teachers and the front office staff beg us to stay. The principal doesn't say one word.

Liberty Arts Academy did well by my kids for three years. But when they stopped caring about my students' success and wouldn't return messages, they crossed the line. It has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We moved C and H to the elementary school across the street form my school. Instead of having to rely on family members to pick them up from school everyday, they walk across the street to my school and complete their homework in my classroom while I finish my grading. They help me set up my classroom for the next day. We spend more time together and I love it! They love their new school and seem to be adjusting well. They are little fish in a big pond and have separate friends in their separate classes. It's almost like it was meant to be.

Something like this always reminds me that if you suffer through the hard times, good times always prevail. It's the way the world gets you to walk the path you were meant to walk. Even if life has to knock you down to get you there.

Candy Anyone? Nugget Tins...

2010-01-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a jump start on my Valentine's Day gifts with these simple Hershey's Nugget Tins. The one on the left is for Hailey's teacher. He's a guy, so I knew I shouldn't really pink it up for his gift. Instead, I used CTMH's "Good Work" and "Fabric Finishes"stamp sets to make the band for the box and the nuggets. And I used school colors to make it a bit more personalized!

The one on the right is for Callie's teacher. I used CTMH's "You Rock," "February Word Puzzle" and "Fabric Finishes" stamp sets and to make hers.

Each candy nugget has a hand stamped band that is wrapped around the candy and then placed into a window tin for display. I then cut a 1.5" band of white cardstock to stamp and then wrap around the outside of the tin. These are so easy to make, I think I'll make some more!

Want to know how I did it? Email me at ctmhcrafts@gmail.com for more information. Interested in hosting a workshop with this craft? Email me... :)

Another NEW Catalog!

2010-01-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

The Spring '10 catalog is online! Just when I think Jeanette and her team can't get any better, they suprise me yet again. The first catalog for 2010 looks amazing. Again, I love the new set-up and layout of the product, and I especially love the technique page featured at the beginning of each new paper pack. It truly is no wonder they call it and IDEA BOOK because I've gotten so many good ideas for projects, I can't wait to dig in. But enough talk, here's the link:

http://www.closetomyheart.com/en/Products/Online_Idea_Book.aspx

Go take a peek for yourself... :)

"Do I look like Mrs. Obama?" ;)

2009-12-31T21:52:00.000-08:00

I don't normally get political, but I thought this was hilarious. I used to love Saturday Night Live. The show had a way of making you laugh at what would normally be viewed as "serious" material. It made you look at the hardships of our country in a way that would make you laugh. It released tension. It made you think. Then, they changed the way the did comedy and started writing skits that were so one-sided it was ridiculous. There wasn't anymore "equal opportunity fun-poking" and the comedy became based on the writers political agendas and not what was happening with politics in real life. So to SNL I say, "It's about time." And that this is one of the BEST sketches I've seen since Alec Baldwin's Pete Sweaty's Balls on NPR's Delicious Dish.

No matter what your political affiliation is, I hope you can find the humor in the situation America has gotten itself into. And maybe, just maybe, when we take a step back to look at our great country in a way that isn't so serious, we can hopefully find a solution.

I'm getting OLD...

2009-12-31T14:46:00.000-08:00

For the past three years or so, I do pretty well with NOT getting all the crud that comes into the house or my classroom. I usually survive until late November and then I get a teeny, tiny head-cold thing that only lasts a few days. BUT, it always brings me this horrible cough that is non-productive and makes it tough to talk and breathe at some points. The cough lasts for months and finally disappears around February or so. I've been to the doctor numerous times. They tell me it's allergy related and that there's nothing I can do but wait it out. they give me a prescription for cough medicine with codeine and send me on my way. I take the cough syrup for a few days and then stop because it does absolutely nothing for me.

This year was no different...except...a friend of mine had been experiencing the same symptoms. She too had been frustrated with the sudden gut-wrenching coughing fits we had both experienced. After moving to Utah and seeing a new doctor, she struck gold. I get a phone call from her in the middle of the day with news that brings us both relief. She has bronchial asthma. I immediately call my doctor. I bypass the ususal doctor I see and ask for one of the younger PA's. The next day and a few harmless tests later, I too have been diagnosed with bronchial asthma. In fact, the PA told me I've probably had a mild case of asthma all my life. That my nasal allergies and draining could be linked back to bronchial asthma that makes your system produce more mucous. That my breathing issues that led to my tonsils being removed when I was younger were more than likely connected to bronchial asthma.

After three prescriptions were written for a nasal, nighttime and a rescue inhaler I can breathe easier. I don't cough all that often but when I do, it's short lived and can be remedied quickly. For the first time in years I feel like I'm not constantly sick or feel like I have someone sitting on my chest. It's amazing. And I am so thankful for a certain someone who moved to Utah to find my cure. :)

What can Brown do for you?

2009-11-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

A little over nine years ago, my husband started working for UPS. His first boss was Kyle Brown. Kinda funny...last name of Brown and he works for a company that's nicknamed brown...hee, hee! Austin and Kyle pretty much formed an instant bond. Both of them are gentle giants, big guys with even bigger hearts. They are hardworking and dedicated to their family, job, and whatever else they chose to put their minds to.

After about a year of Austin working for UPS, I finally got the chance to meet Kyle and his family. Austin won tickets to a Nascar race, so he brought me along; Kyle brought his wife Beth. From the moment we met, I felt like we had an instant bond. If you know me, you know that I'm not normal. I'm a happy-go-lucky goofball. I'm a creative spazoid. I'm an opinionated and loyal friend. That pretty much sums up the Browns. Beth and I are so much alike, yet so different at the same time. Kyle and Austin are the same way. We think the same, talk the same, raise our kids the same. We keep each other in check.

My girls have known the Browns since before they turned two. While I was finishing up my degree at ASU, Austin would often meet the Brown's for play dates and picnics. Their two oldest daughters are basically the same age as our girls, so they built and an instant friendship. C clings to Kelli, while H and Emma are inseparable. Emma could actually be C and H's triplet...

Austin and I knew that we would be friends with the Browns forever, but that bond was tested the year their daughter Amberlee died. We were headed up to Heber-Overgaard for the fourth of July weekend when we got the call. To make matters worse, Amberlee passed on Austin's birthday. I don't know if it was a sign of things to come, but that day brought us closer together. They say you know who your friends are in times of tragedy. Kyle and Beth realized that we weren't going anywhere and that our friendship would continue to grow. Austin and I learned that WE needed THEM in our lives, because with the Browns, life was just more...uh... interesting.

Fast forward to this past summer and through more than eight years of friendship. Beth convinces me to enroll the girls in a summer swim league. C, H, Kelli and Emma are all Dobson Dolphins. From the end of May through the end of July, we were together non-stop. Swimming practice ran Monday-Friday for two hours. For those two hours we would talk and gripe about life and kids. We celebrated the great moments of life and shared our burdens when things were tough. After practice, we ended up at one of two places: the Brown family home or the Parsons family home. You'd think we'd be sick of each other. But nooooo...we kept coming back for more. It was Beth that got C and H into league swimming. They'd been in the pool/swimming since they were six months old, but because of her idea, the girls now participate in a sport that seems to be their one great love. Once again, I don't know if it was a sign or not, but God seemed to bring us together in a place that would change my girls' lives.

On November 2nd, 2009, we said goodbye to the Brown family as they started on the next great journey of their life. Circumstances had led them to Utah to be closer to family and to escape what had once been. That was one of the saddest days of my life. I know it sounds corny and all, but to have friends that you call family is one of life's greatest gifts. The Browns were and always will be one of my life's brightest spots. The almost nine years that I had the privilege of being a part of their lives was a blessing, and it is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

To Beth, Kyle, Kelli, Emma, Lindee, Camille, Amberlee, Riesse and "baby #7" - we love you and miss you. Thank you for being a part of our lives and for sharing your famly with us.

P.S. Have fun freezing your butts off this winter suckers... ;)

Like Father, Like Dogger...

2009-10-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoons on the couch are spent like this:

Hmmm....It must be a boring football game. ;)

A Flashback

2009-10-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was curious what I was doing this time last year, so I opened up the backup drive and started surfing through October's pictures. I found one of my first card holders I ever made. Korin Southerland designed the card holder and sent me the pattern to copy. I made this one using CTMH's Perfect Day paper pack. The colors used are: Cocoa, Juniper, Sorbet, Tulip and Colonial White. Each half of the card holder houses 4 card and envelopes, with a matching RSVP pen in the center. Whaddaya think?

I used my Cricut for the word cut-outs, flowers and stars, prisma glitter, Liquid Glass, Tombow Mono adhesive glue runners, organdy ribbon, brads from Oriental Trading, and a few other odds and ends I had in my stash. I ended up giving the card set to the woman who cleans my classroom, Norma. She's such a nice person and one of the hardest workers I've met. She makes awesome homemade tortillas too! And beans...and rice...and tamales. Oh, now I'm hungry.

A Quartet of Halloween Layouts

2009-10-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here's an oldie but goodie: I started digging through my stash to find papers to make Halloween pages for Callie and Hailey's first halloween and lookie what I found! This is one of the old, old, old, old level 1 kits that CTMH used to sell. I has pre-printed pages for you to layer with your pictures, cardstock and punch-out art pieces included in the kit. This one is for Hailey's album. She was a elephant...and when you pushed a button on the belly of her costume, an elephant roar came out! Too cute. She slept in her costume that night and many nights after that. We would often hear her elephant roar in the middle of the night when she would roll over and accidentally push the button on her tummy. Austin and I woke up in a panic, not knowing what the noise was at first. You should've heard us laugh when we finally figured it out. :)

I used my Cricut to cut out the "BOO-tiful" letters and I put liquid glass over a lot of the punch-outs to make them look like epoxy stickers. Ah, it's amazing how nostalgic you can become when you dig through your paper stash...

October is National Indigestion Month

2009-10-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really, but between getting grades ready for fall break and the stress of dealing with the students (their mind is already on fall break when the calendar switches over), there's only one other thing that gets my blood-a-boiling more. Red Sox Baseball. Oh Lord, this time of year is horrible for me. I watch as much Boston baseball as I can throughout the school year and thankfully, the sports stations are starting to show more of the games out here in the western market. But, it's stressful! They build up a lead and it comes tumbling down. They are losing for most of the game; then they make a comeback in the last two innings. I wish I was one of those girls who could care less about baseball some days. Days like today when the Sox are down two games to none against the Angels. The series returned to Fenway and the Sox look to possibly pull this game out. But ACK! The score is now 5-4 Sox and I can't take much more! My nails are bitten down and my stomach is begging for TUMS. *sigh*

Okay, breathe, it's 6-4 now, but that's still not a large enough lead for my Sox...

I want to thank my mom, who taught me to be active and love sports. She was and still is VERY into sports and baseball in particular. She used to tease me about my yelling and screaming at the baseball games. Yet when she watches the DBacks games, it's her screams that can be heard down the block. Where do you think I get it from?

Oh crap, the Angels have two men on in the top of the 9th. Comeon Papelbon! Pleeeeeeease!

I want to thank my Papa for infecting me with the baseball bug at age 8. For buying season's tickets to the PawSox for most of the years we were in MA, and for taking me to batting practice on warm spring days. For allowing me to do my homework in the sanctuary that was named McCoy Stadium. For teaching me the game, how to respect the players and how to be a good fan. I would love to pass that love on to my girls someday.

Oh NO!!!! Abreu just hit in Aybar. It's now 6-5. The season comes down to one final out. I can't watch it. I'm watching it between my fingers...I'm watching as Guerrero hits in two runs and it's now 6-7 Angels in the top of the 9th. I'm so upset I just want to turn off the tv and scream! How could this happen? The Angels are on Red Sox turf. The Fenway Faithful have been cheering their hearts out. At what point does the madness end?

Well....it ends now. My beloved Sox could not handle the fully-stocked lineup the Angels have this year. Batters 1-9 in the Angels lineup all have amazing numbers and power. They, were the better team and swept the Sox in three games.

Today is a sad day in Mudville, for my Red Sox did not win.
A dejected frown replaces, where once there was a hopeful grin.
And while the sun is shining, in my heart - the rain it pours.
And so the season ends, as the Angels slammed shut the door.

Hmmmmm. I wonder if the Phoenix Suns are going to be any good this year? (And so it begins again...)

A new clipboard for a new job

2009-10-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ginger, our receptionist at school got a new job! She's now our Attendance/Records Clerk. Okay, she does A LOT more than that title lets on, but it's a pay raise and a step up for her. Yay, Gingeeee! In celebration of her new spot, we made this spiffy sign-in clipboard. Now, every parent who signs their student in or out will see a bright and cheery clipboard instead a plain old dull one.

Altered clipboards are cute, but they are very time consuming. In order to make this one super durable, we coated it with Mod Podge 8 times!!!!! Whew. That paper ain't goin' anywhere...

Congratulations Ginger! :)

A bumper sticker that proves a good point?

2009-09-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Austin saw this bumper sticker yesterday and you know what? It actually brings up a really good topic for discussion. Now, being that I am a teacher, anything that has the word "pencil" and "kill" in it gets my ears perked up. You'd be suprised to see what sort of damage a student can do to another student with a pencil. Ewww, *shiver* it's scary. So I laughed my butt off pretty hard when he first told me about the bumper sticker. But then, I started thinking. I started to wonder if someone could actually kill someone with a perfectly sharpened pencil - like some movies have suggested. I also wondered if the the cheap pencils that all my kids at school use are the problem. More than half of my kids can't spell words correctly. I mean, do the cheap pencils have less education than the more expensive and easier to hold Ticonderoga pencils? Do the cheap, uneducated pencils give ALL pencils a bad name for being dim witted and violent? Did the troublesome pencils somehow influence the guns to kill people? And if so, were the pencils able to write out their hit list properly? I mean, how many innocent lives have been lost to hit lists that have been improperly spelled? The world shall never know. I shall file this question with the other unexplainable questions such as, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

I think my answer would have to be this:

Guns kill people. BAN THEM!

Pencils misspell words. BAN THEM!

Forks make people fat. BAN THEM!

Teachers give students grades. BAN THEM!

Spray paint cans turn nice neighborhoods into a ghetto. BAN THEM!

Cars look for bird poop. BAN THEM!

Video games/Songs cause violence. BAN THEM!

Happy evening to all, and to all a good evening.

(P.S. I'm not trying to offend anyone here, I'm just having a little fun.)

Aime & Ariana came over for a class...

2009-09-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

...And this is what they made! My friend Amie made a pretty altered composition notebook, matching pen and fridge magnet with Silhouette papers. Her teenage daughter Ariana made a cutesy desk set of her own using Animal Cookies papers. I think Ariana had fun and realized that while she can't cut paper and glue stuff (I luv ya goddaughter!), this was an easy project and that she and her friends could do this by themselves for around $5. I'm proud of both of them. And I can't wait for next week's dry erase board class. Too bad Ariana has a 9-9 practice for band. I'm sure she'd have much more fun with us. :)

Why Weekends Suck...

2009-09-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's called the endless line of laundry. THIRTEEN loads of madness. How does a family of four create so much laundry?
1) Austin's uniforms, 2) Austin's work clothes, 3) Austin's karate clothes, 4) blacks, 5) darks, 6) reds/pinks, 7) lights, 8) C & H's uniforms, 9) C & H's uniform tops & more lights, 10) whites, 11) sheets, 12) sheets, part 2, 13) towels.

And you know, I don't mind DOING the laundry. It's the FOLDING I can't stand. Thank goodness the girls are old enough to actually help me put stuff away. They would try to "help" when they were younger, but somehow they always ended up burying themselves and/or hiding in the clean clothes instead of putting the clothes away. Either that or I would find pieces of laundry hidden in random places. I mean we all keep our socks in our jewelry boxes right? ("But Mommy, the socks are so pretty I wanted to keep it with my special things.") How about finding your bras under the bathroom sink? (To this day, I still don't know why they did that.) It made sense to C and H at the time...

I'm sure it doesn't help that both Austin and the girls wear uniforms. Every day they go through a set of uniforms AND a set of play clothes. Not to mention that the girls have swim twice a week, so there's more towels and miscellaneous clothes. If this is what it is like with a family of four, I can only imagine what larger families must go through. Eeeeeeek! If y'all don't hear from me in a while, check for me under the big pile of laundry...or the big stack of papers to correct. ;)

Framed Dry Erase Board

2009-09-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

September 26th, 2009 from 1-3 pm - Framed Dry Erase Board Workshop. Create an altered picture frame to use as a dry erase board using my extensive stash of papers, stamps and inks. Workshop prices run from $5-$14. Bring your own frame (recycle what you already have...) and all you pay is the materials fee! Or, I can provide a 11" x 17" frame for you. For more information, email me at ctmhcrafts@gmail.com. You must reserve your spot by Saturday, September 19th, 2009 in order to attend.

This sample uses:
>Silhouette papers/ribbon (CTMH)
>Chocolate Small stamp set (CTMH)
>Pewter Flower Brads (Making Memories)
>Tombow adhesive runner

NEW CATALOG!!!

2009-09-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

The new catalog is out! The new catalog is out! To see it in all it's glory, mouse on over to:
http://www.closetomyheart.com/Ideabooks/AW09US.aspx

Wow, there's some cool new stuff in there and I LOVE the new set up. Stamp sets are shown at 75% of their total size (instead of 50%) and are printed in an easy-on-the-eyes grey hue.

My favorite new paper pack would have to be Jingle, as the prints in that pack are too cute and perfect for making Christmas cards or wintery layouts. My second place vote goes to Twitterpated with it's woodsy feel and Bambi-like papers. I can't wait to make camping layouts for my girls with this pack!

Let me know your favorites! And don't forget to check out the specials in the sidebar.

Mortarboard/Graduation Keepsake Box

2009-09-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

In the new catalog, there's a cool product called a MyCreations Memory Keeper. It's 10" x 9.5" x 3" and it has a magnet built in to keep the lid closed. I've been hemming and hawing about what to do with it when one of my fellow consultants posted that her daughter, a recent college grad, actually fit her mortarboard cap in the box perfectly! DING! The light went on and here's my first Graduate Keepsake Box. I made it for Ariana, one of my best friend's daughters who will graduate in 2012.

I used CTMH's black cardstock, Rhinestone Frames and White Daisy Sassy Strands. I went to Scrapbook's Etc. to pick up the school themed cardstock patterned paper and the coordinating colored cardstock. Again, i used my two favorite adhesives: CTMH's Liquid Glass and Tombow's Mono Adhesive permanent tape runners. I also got out the Cricut for Air's name and grad year. I love playing with my bug!

Somebody pinch me...PLEASE!!!

2009-08-24T21:18:00.001-07:00

Well as some of you know, last school year was H3LL for me. I was ready to walk away and never look back. It was my worst year yet. Everything that could go wrong, did. This year...

Wow, what a difference. Now maybe that's because I'm "older and wiser" and I've grown from the experiences of last year, but how can one class of kids be so different from another? The kids this year are just, different. For example, last year when most of my students were done with their daily journal, they turned to each other to talk, throw things across the room and to yell at other kids. This year, when my kids are done with their daily journal, they pick up their AR book and read. !!!!! ????? The elementary school teachers raised this group well. While I still have my challenging personalities, there are less of them and even those challenging kids are still good natured. They don't tell me to "F" off or that they're going to kill me...

We're in our third week and I'm waiting on pins and needles for something "bad" to happen. I hate to be that way, but it just seems to good to be true. I hope it's not! ;) I'm kinda excited. I'm hoping to be able to do a lot of the fun stuff this year that I didn't get to do last year. I have so many cool grammar and writing tricks in my bag, I'm just itching to use them. Here's to hoping this year is the best one ever!

Upcoming Workshops...

2009-08-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Make sure you check out the sidebar for upcoming workshops and special deals for fall!

9/19/09 - Altered Notebook Set Workshop from 1-4pm
10/3/09 - Altered Clipboard Set Workshop from 1-4pm

Email me at ctmhcrafts@gmail.com to sign up or for more information.

Holly's Magic Moments Album

2009-08-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

I made a little photo album for one of my co-workers, Holly, who will be a mommy for the second time, but this time she's having a girl! This little album holds one 4x6 photo for each month of baby's first year. I started it in September, so Holly better keep her legs crossed for a few more days...wink, wink!

The album is made from CTMH's My Creations 3-Ring Binder, Magic Moments paper pack and MyStickease from the Magic Moments Kit. Colors for this paper pack are: Cocoa, Hollyhock, Indian Corn Blue, Sunflower, White Daisy, Colonial White, Sweet Leaf and Barn Red. The ribbon is a Cocoa brown grossgrain.

I used Liquid Glass adhesive and Tombow Mono Adhesive permanent tape runners for assembling the pages and gluing the papers to the binder. Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy my blog!

Getting crafty with restaurant extras...

2009-08-19T18:55:00.001-07:00

Austin was nice enough to take me to Logan's Steak House last week. They are almost as good as Texas Road House, but cheaper. For dessert, we ordered those "mini-shots" style of desserts, where you get a variety of tastes for dessert and each dessert is only three to four bites big. Well check this out...they came in these cute little tin pails you can take home! :) They're so tiny! I immediatley knew I could do something with them, but felt a little silly that I was already scheming up a way to use them when we had not even taken a bite of the dessert yet. Hee, hee! I ended up using them as a part of a desk set swap I hosted. They were made into pen holders. Aren't they the cutest? I will totally eat dessert at Logan's again, just so I can get the "free" tin pails. I'm hopeless, totally hopeless. But at least I recycled!

Items used for this project:
>Logan's teeny tiny tin pails... :)
>Just Blooms paper flowers (CTMH)
>Unforgettable paper pack (CTMH)
>Connections Club Metal Tokens (CTMH)
>Liquid Glass adhesive (CTMH)
>RSVP pens (WalMart)

Bookmarks for my classroom

2009-08-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the impending doom I like to call the school year, I made some bookmarks for my students. I can't wait to meet my new kids and I pray to God this year is better than last year. Although, anything would be an improvement over last year... ;)

The Perfect Gift Wrap...Always!

2009-07-31T17:05:00.001-07:00

Once you've found the "perfect" gift, it's time to get it wrapped. OR - Can't find the "perfect" gift, but instead get a gift that will just-have-to-do? There's one way to to wrap both without spending extra cash and is sure to get a double look...Stamp it up! Simple craft bags (they come in white too!) can be jazzed up to complement any gift and match any taste with stamping. Check it out...

Items used for this project:
>Natural color recycled craft bags (Walmart)
>Delight in Everything stamp set (CTMH)
>Cranberry, Crystal Blue, Garden Green and Black ink pads (CTMH)

Mini With Thanks...from the Heart Cards

2009-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

I needed a few Thank You cards for some of the gals in my current swap and I wanted them to know that I truly appreciate their efforts. So I got out one of my favorite paper packs of all time, CTMH's Let's Get Together. There's something about the color palette (Cranberry, Breeze, Buttercup, Garden Green and Colonial White) that I am drawn to. And I'm not even a "flowers" person really, but these flowers are fresh, cool and funky. :) So I whipped up these little 3x3 cards to tell my gals how awesome it is swapping with them and that I am truly thankful for their hard work, creativity and attention to detail. After matting two of the papers on the base of the card, I added the matching printed grossgrain ribbon and stamped two 1 x 1 inch heart images. I kept one image plain and then used prisma glitter on the more plain heart to dress it up a bit. Last but not least, I added the sentiment from one of CTMH's card sentiment collections in the bottom right corner. As usual, I used my two fave adhesives: Liquid Glass and Tombow permanent tape runners.

P.S. That cool black mat with the white grid on it is CTMH's self-healing mat. Looooove it! I use it for everything crafty, including cutting my circles with my Fiskars circle cutter. I have tried my best to destroy that thing and it still keeps it shape. I've even popped it in the dishwasher to give it a good cleaning!

Tri-Fold Shutter Cards as Baptism invitations...

2009-07-23T20:18:00.001-07:00

Here are the invites my friend Beth and I worked on yesterday and today for her daughter Emma. They are Tri-fold Shutter cards made out of one half-sheet of cardstock. VERY easy to make and not at all as complicated as it looks. Email me at ctmhcrafts@gmail.com for the template! :)

P.S. How cute is Emma in this picture!?!

Time to play catch up!

2009-07-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

The swim season is finally over! And man did it tire the girls out. The girls had great success over the course of the season (they brought home over 10 ribbons apiece!) and H even made it to the city semi-finals on Tuesday. She came in 16th place, so she did not qualify for the finals, but man she had fun. We are all so proud of her! During the school year C and H will be getting swim lesson once a week in preparation for next summer and the spring competitve leagues. At first, Austin and I weren't sure of signing them up when they asked, but they were willing to sign a contract to keep their grades up, their rooms clean and have less attitude. Did I mention the hormones have started? That's another post...

Austin and I went to see Wicked on Sunday the 12th. We've been waiting over two years to see the show and things finally clicked into place for us this year. Now, I love musicals so going to see this show was awesome. BUT, the best part had to be when Austin leaned over a few times during the show and started to put two-and-two together. He totally called Boq being turned into the Tinman and Fieyero being turned into the Scarecrow! It was so cool to see him enjoying it and getting into the story line. I want to read the book now. I haven't had time to read it yet and now I HAVE TO! I need the recording too.

And last but not least, this monday I report back to school for our first set of meetings. I'm excited. We got new carpet and tile and it looks beautiful and modern looking. We got the exterior and the interior painted last summer, so for once all of the colors in our school match. I can't wait to get in and get set-up.

Okay, back to work. Beth and I are making baptism invitations for one of her daughters. We're using the template for the tri-fold shutter card. I will post our creations later!

Love to all! Tootles...

Guess where I was last night???

2009-07-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

13th row! It was like being a kid again...*giggle*

Mini Cards!

2009-07-07T12:03:00.001-07:00

So I got roped into doing a mini card swap because the hostess of the mini card swap took the last spot in one of my swaps. And you know what? These are fun! And cute. And take up a lot less paper than full sized cards. They are 3.5" x 2" (approximate business card size) and can easily fit into lunch boxes, briefcases, purses, backpacks, and even pockets. Here's my first of three spots I ended up taking in the swap. I hope you enjoy!

Items used for this project:
>White Daisy cardstock (CTMH)
>Game On paper packet (CTMH)

>Natural Twill Ribbon (CTMH)

>Pop Dots (Walmart)

>Star Struck stamp set (CTMH)

>Desert Sand & Black ink (CTMH)

>Tombow permanent adhesive runner (discountofficesupplies.com)

Email me if you are interested in this, or any of the other projects on my blog. I'll be more than happy to share the how-to's.

Tootles!

The Fourth and A Card

2009-07-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a splenid fourth of July. We traveled north to Heber/Overgaard, AZ for their cooler temps (the highs were in the low 80's) and the totally awesome fireworks display. It is simply amazing sight to see. The H/O Chamber of Commerce really puts on a large scale show despite the fact that these are two small and very rural towns. It's the best of both worlds; big city fireworks with the small town feel. The sophomore class at H/O High School sells PIES for their fundraiser at the event...that's small town! I think my favorite part, besides the fireworks themselves, is the echo off of the canyon walls as each firework booms. You can feel it thud in your chest. You are literally sitting underneath the fireworks and are watching them descend upon you as they explode. Very cool.

The second part of this post is to show off a new card I made for a friend of mine who is having a baby boy. This is a take-off of a similar card I made for a co-worker last year. I love the 6x6 size for cards like this because the moms tell me they normally display them in the baby's room for a bit. So it's a card and a decoration! :)

Items used for this project:

>Colonial White cardstock (CTMH)

>Snips & Snails paper packet (CTMH-retired)

>Natural Twill Ribbon (CTMH)

>Copper Star Brads (Oriental Trading)

>Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, Bamboo, Desert Sand and Black ink pads (CTMH)

>Baby Impressions stamp set (CTMH-retired)

>Tombow permanent adhesive runner (discountofficesupplies.com)
>Liquid Glass and Prisma Glitter for the hands and foot prints (CTMH)

Butterfly Swim Meet

2009-07-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

"We made the relay team!" H and C pose in our driveway on the way to their first swim meet in which they made the relay team (meaning they were among the top 8 swimmers for everyone in their age division) . See their relay letter and number on their arms? H is B1 and C is B3. The icing on the cake was that they made the relay team on one of the hardest strokes...the butterfly! I am so proud of their hard work and I love being on the sidelines cheering them on. Even if, as C says, "Mommy we can't even hear you cuz the water splashes so loud in our ears...duh!" Oh well. At least I try. I know they can hear me in their hearts, so that's all I need.

P.S. In this picture, the girls actually have their hair pulled back in little ponytails. Since I started growing my hair out, they've both decided they want to do the same thing. They are so excited. I don't mind it as long as they are going to take care of it. It will save us money on haircuts! But, I suppose it will mean spending more money on shampoo and conditioner and hair ties and cute clips and headbands and all that girly hair stuff. *sigh* They grow up so quickly...

Here is H (left) and C (right) with their First Place ribbons:

Signed,

Proud Momma :)

Happy July!

2009-07-01T18:18:00.001-07:00

You know, I probably wouldn't have even noticed that another month had slipped by if it weren't for the fact that my debit card expired today. Ooopsie! ;) This past year has simply flown by. Yet when I look back, it seems like last month could've easily been last year.

My girls are on a swim team for the summer and they are loving it! I don't have to drag them out of bed to get ready in the mornings since they actually WANT to get up and go to practice. Are these my kids??? H is a natural swimmer and is catching the eye of the coaches at every practice. C is equally talented and truly enjoys the competitive nature of this aquatic sport. At the past two meets they have both gotten first place in their heats and earned first place ribbons for their team relays. (Can you tell I'm proud of my kids?) Unfortunately, we found out yesterday that C has a double ear infection and that she has to stay out of the water for 10 days. That's like a year to her! I talked to her coach today and he said, "That's three meets we won't have her for. Tell her to get better quick so she can get back in the pool." ;) It is awesome for the girls to finally find something they are good at. Being so tall and having "bigger" feet, it's tough to look/be coordinated at this age. They are on a cheer team during the school year, but they still have trouble getting those long legs and arms to do what they want them to do in a graceful fashion. Cheer is good for their coordination and all, but thank GOD we found swim team!

My obsession for the moment...

2009-06-29T13:59:00.001-07:00

I participated in an "altered mini-composition notebook" swap awhile back with one of my CTMH sisters and man, did I have fun. Thanks Maria! I use them in my purse, as quick gifts for co-workers, and my daughters LOVE making shopping lists in the ones we made together.

After conquering the little ones, I decided to try my hand at the standard-sized comp books. Wow, I had fun! These things are addicting...I've made a bunch of them for family members and friends. I even made a few for the girls' teachers at school. They've been a hit with everyone and they are my obsession for the moment. :)

Now I find myself having to make "accessories" for the notebooks. I covered some binder clips with coordinating papers to use to keep the book closed or to mark your place. I've also been making matching 3x3 cards to go with all of them. I'm thinking about hosting a workshop in August with this project because they really are fun and easy to make. It would be nice to do a full desk set of altered items: notebook, clipboard, frame, pens, etc. We'll see what happens...

Items used for this project:
>Standard black/white marbled composition notebook (Wal*Mart)
>Daydream papers (Close to my Heart)
>Liquid Glass and Prisma Glitter for the top of the cupcakes (Close to my Heart)
>Large black binder clips (Staples)
>White Grossgrain ribbon-3/4 inch (Wal*Mart)
>Hollyhock ricrac ribbon (Close to my Heart)
>Tombow permanent adhesive runner (discountofficesupplies.com)
>White Daisy cardstock card base (Close to my Heart)
>Hollyhock brad on 3x3 card (Close to my Heart)
>Sandpaper (Home Depot)
>"Good Times" stamp set (Close to my Heart)

Scraps of Life

My Christmas Present

Things Kids Say...

Mix & Mingle Album Banner

Back to RIO we go!

I inherited a kid for the weekend...

Bowling and Beer

Halloween fun with the Parsons-Geary clan!

Half Day Fun with Kelley and Luci

Back to EVO we go

It's ours!

Could it be true?

House Update #3,463

School's In Session

House Update #3,462

So what do the girls do on their first day off from swim practice?

End of Summer RIO Pool Party

Happy Birthday ALYSSA!

Another altered composition notebook

A Dual Crafting Day

Appraisal COMPLETE

July 30th

Summer Swim Meet #4

Happy Belated Birthday, Margaret!

Happy Birthday Aunt Sue!

We were on TV!

The Fourth

Happy Birthday Kaylin!

Happy Birthday Austin!

Summer Swim Meet #3 Pics

New Home Inspection Tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Mike!

Summer Swim Meet #2 Pics

Summer Swim Meet #1

OPEN Craft Labs schedule for June

Our last day at EVO :(

Dreaming from afar

We have a negotiator...again

The Book is HERE!

Another House Update...*sigh*

The HEAT is on!

Countdown to the Summer Idea Book!

Yolanda's GNO Candle Party

EARTHQUAKE!

I'm a yearbook adviser

House Update...

Our nation waits with baited breath

I'm Rockin' with "You Rock!"

A fresh coat of paint

NEWS! Step 3

News...

I was in the snow!

Shamu attacks! :(

No news is good news?

Tuesday's Texts

A new house...maybe?

Wright Night Out

Stamping on Candles

TIME to craft!

"You Rock" rocks!

A new start in a new school

Candy Anyone? Nugget Tins...

Another NEW Catalog!

"Do I look like Mrs. Obama?" ;)

I'm getting OLD...

What can Brown do for you?

Like Father, Like Dogger...

A Flashback

A Quartet of Halloween Layouts

October is National Indigestion Month

A new clipboard for a new job

A bumper sticker that proves a good point?

Aime & Ariana came over for a class...

Why Weekends Suck...

Framed Dry Erase Board

NEW CATALOG!!!

Mortarboard/Graduation Keepsake Box

Somebody pinch me...PLEASE!!!

Upcoming Workshops...

Holly's Magic Moments Album

Another House Update...sigh