March Madness

Our internet went wonky last night in the middle of this post. Let's try this again.
My version of March Madness involved ALOT of scrapping. I completed 24 layouts this month which is almost unheard of for me. I have been spending alot of time unwinding in my scrap nook at night. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Have a great week!

PS- Did you know that HIMYM makes a Teen Wolf reference tonight? It's like the best of all my worlds are colliding. I love Teen Wolf. Reminds me of my siblings. We watched it so much the tape wore out!

Friday Fill Ins

1. Why do we have an obscene number of tupperware containers without lids?



2. Prepping the coffee the night before and shutting the toilet lid (little hands make big splashes) are now habits.



3. I have crazy Mom hearing.



4. I had never heard the phrase "Possimpible" and it rocks. I love Barney and HIMYM!!



5. Sit on the couch with a blanket on your legs the way I always do.



6. How was I to know the basement would flood this week?



7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing a whole lotta nothing, tomorrow my plans include having movie night with Nick and the girls and Sunday, I want to go to the park!

You Color Me Happy

It's Wednesday and it's still gross and gray outside. I'm not an eternal optomist but I play one of tv. :) So- that being said here are two recent layouts about Bennet that make me smile.

Both layouts are inspired by sketches from the Feeling Scrappy Sketchapooloza class I'm taking. This week is the last week. I love all their classes, but the sketch class in particular really gets me motivated. Plus, I finish soooo many layouts.

I also did this layout for the ScrapFreak Freaky Friday challenge. We were challenged to use our ribbon stash in 2 different applications on one layout. I used navy on the bottom left corner and ric rak for the rainbow streams. I even stamped on this one. I RARELY use stamps.

10 Happy Things

It is a miserably mopey, rainy, gray Monday. Things just kind of stink and I'm feeling blah. When I was little and feeling this way my Mom would always make me say things I was happy about out loud to make them real. "I am a good person" So- I am going to take a 5 minute break from work and list 10 things that make me happy RIGHT NOW

1. Nick made delicious tuna melts for lunch. I really like tuna melts.

2. How I Met Your Mother is new tonight

3. I'm going to be an Auntie in less than 2 weeks (give or take)

4. I still have Thin Mints frozen in the deep freeze and the girls don't know so I don't have to share.

5. I'm having a good hair day.

6. I still have a job.

7. It's bath night and I love snuggling with the girls afterwards. They smell so wonderful.

8. I haven't heard a Phil Collins song all day.

9. Scout did this adorable hop while running combo to come and give me a hug over lunch.

10. I'm good enough. smart enough and gosh darnit people like me.

I Was Bitten

I just finished watching 'Twilight' for the first time on BluRay (mad props to Nick for buying it for me!)

Let's talk about the books first. The journaling of this layout says alot.

I was not going to buy into the hype. I was not going to cave. Then I was bitten. As soon as I started the first book I devoured it. I was consumed. Sitting in my car between meetings - eyes fixed to the page. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I dreamt about it. I developed a little crush on Edward. Ok- a big crush. That idea of true love and someone so committed to keeping it safe. The classic pull of the human heart between two loves. I cannot wait to reread them and get enveloped again.

It's safe to say I enjoyed the books. Ecilipse was my favorite, New Moon my least and it's a tie for third between Twilight and Breaking Dawn.

Onto to the movie. I enjoyed it alot. Was it as good as the book- No. Will I watch it repeatedly. Absolutely.

I think most books are better than their big screen counterparts. Here are a few exceptions where the movies are as good as or better than the book. What are yours?

Green Mile
Forrest Gump
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Shawshank Redemption
Shoeless Joe Jackson (Field of Dreams)
To Kill a Mockingbird

Friday Fill Ins

1. When I look to the left, I see a mound of kids toys.
2. Our living room is the room that has the best view in my home. (Although we really don't have a view of much)
3. Let it work out that Katie has a nice, mellow labor :)
4. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap! (Damn you AC/DC!)
5. Saying please and thank you is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
6. If you have any wine corks feel free to send them my way. I'm going to make a wine cork baseboard or bar top someday.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Twilight , tomorrow my plans include helping Nick install a new ceiling fan and Sunday, I want to go to lunch and Target.

Happy 1/2 Birthday and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Unofficial Birthday Nick!

Nick's birthday is July 16th (Mark your calendars now!) But when he was little he never got to bring treats to school due to his summer birthday. I know- pretty tragic. So, his very clever mom had him pick a day. Being a Sweeney he chose St. Patrick's Day.

Every year we make cupcakes to celebrate. They are Nick's favorite- Duncan Hines Yellow.

Here are the posts from 2007 and 2008. Look at how much the girls have grown!!

Last night

Today:

Ok- this isn't from today but wanted to share it anyways. Bennet took this photo- with our Canon no less. She could be the next Annie Lebowitz :)

Gackstick

I did a quick layout Friday night for the Freaky Friday Challenge at ScrapFreak. It's all about Bennet's current obsession with 'Gackstick'

JOURNALING: You are going through an obsession with Chapstick. You've been known to wake me up at 3:30 a.m. for a fresh coat. You, our chatterbox, sit with your mouth shut & try to talk without moving your lips. You're afraid it will rub off if you open your mouth.

Suddenly I See

In June 2007 I hosted a Scraptacular Crop at my inlaws fabulous cabin with some girlfriends from college. I was 6 months pregnant with Scout at the time.

My friend Julie was there and had made a comment about the KT Tunstall song "Suddenly I See" and that if she ever had a girl she would use it on a layout. She is incidently pregnant and due with her first GIRL this June. Two years after she had made the comment in passing. Now isn't that ironic?

As soon as I saw the paper from ScrapFreak for my to use for my Feb Guest Designer gig I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was going for a fluffly cloud theme throughout. Between the clouds in the photos, the embossed cardstock, the cloud paper and the clouds themselves. I printed the lyrics out on a piece of scrap paper and cut them in to cloud shapes. I stitched around each cloud with floss. I painted the alphabet right on the large sheet in a navy blue. I used a Bracket die cut to use for birds.

The photos were taken on Scout's 1st birthday last September.

Julie- Thanks for the inspiration!! I can't wait to meet your sweet girl and to see the layout you'll make for her in the future!!

Friday Fill Ins

1. Sending a homemade card to a friend was my last random act of kindness.

2. Another place I'd like to be is the cabin

3. I am sentimental and passionate in matters of the heart.

4. Coffee, tea or both please.

5. Life has taken me on separate paths from some friends but I know we will always be there for each other.

6. Our girls laughter playing together reminds me that there is still good in the world.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to organizing for my crop, tomorrow my plans include scrapping at Casie's with Jess and Kim and Sunday, I am going on a day date with Nick to see the Watchmen

Crop Happy

The site I design for, Scrap4Life, is having a Crop this weekend.

And ScrapFreak is celebrating it's 2nd Birthday with a crop as well.
Hope you're able to check them out! I am going to scrapbook on Saturday and can't wait!

A Scrapper You Should Know

I had the most wonderful surprise come across my email the other day. I'm featured on the Feeling Scrappy website as A Scrapper You Should Know


Amy totally made me blush with her compliments about me. Thank you Amy for making a girl feel good!!

Stoli Kitty Party

Last Saturday we had a Kitty Party. Not for a breathing Kitty- oh no, that would be too normal. This party was for a tried, true, stuffed animal friend, Stoli Kitty.

The Guest of HonorOn the day Bennet was born Nick bought her Stoli Kitty in the hospital gift shop. The two of them have been inseparable from about 8 months of age on. As you can see, poor Stoli has seen better days. She can't hold her head up due to repeated hugs. Her whiskers were kissed off long ago. Her eyes are a little scuffed from love. She is a bacterial nightmare but she is Bennet's Velveteen Rabbit and that somehow makes the shabbiness tolerable.

Last week while reading bedtime stories we mentioned that Stoli was 3, just like Bennet. Well of course as soon as she heard that she decided that we needed to have a Kitty Party. She talked about it ALL WEEK!

She told Dad that she wanted a chocolate cake in the shape of a heart with sprinkles. She was very specific. She's lucky Dad likes to make cakes :)

She also told me that she wanted purple and blue crepe paper to be wound around the stairs just like at her birthday party. Good thing I had some left over. I smile at the things 3 year olds latch onto like party decorations.

Bennet in her party dress with Stoli Kitty. Bennet's other kitties, Jones and Purrs came to the party too. Grandma T and Megan attended as well. We sang a very spirited 'Happy Birthday' and blew out the candle.

There is Stoli sitting next to B.
Even Scout had on her dress for the party. Can you see why we call her Scout Monster? Grrrr Cake good! Frosting good!

Not the Sleeping Beauty of my childhood

Last weekend Nick rented 'Sleeping Beauty' on BluRay for our weekly Movie Night. Holy crap. This is NOT the Sleeping Beauty of my childhood. I remember Sleeping Beauty as muted and a bit grainy. They aren't lying when they say it's been digitally remastered. This doesn't do it justice but for the sake of argument here are photos.

Original

BluRay

To say the colors are vivid is an understatement. The images are crisp and off-the-charts bright. It was like watching it for the first time. My kids eyes are so spoiled. :) Nick, my mom, Megan and I just couldn't get over how saturated and intense the colors were.

On a side note did you see that Pinocchio is 70 years old? It was released in 1940. To put it into perspective my 93 year old Grandfather may have seen it during the original release when he was 20. WOW!

Play

Good Monday morning to you! I need to upload photos from the Kitty Party from last weekend. Until then here is another layout I did as a Guest Designer for ScrapFreak
I distressed the large square. I painted the letters right on the alphabet sheet.

JOURNALING: A warm Sept. afternoon spent having fun in the backyard.

Friday Fill Ins

My answers are in bold.

And...here we go!

1. I'm sentimental , I'm thoughtful , I have a short temper.
2. Why do I have crappy eyesight and not 20/20 vision?
3. How does this work, anyway?
4. Every morning, I put glasses on my face because of #2.
5. I consider myself lucky because I know I'm loved.
6. One day we’ll see a cure for cancer
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my Mom and sister Megan coming to visit, tomorrow my plans include a kitty birthday party for Stoli (the stuffed animal) and sledding and Sunday, I need to start our taxes.

Wednesday

I am all over this week for work. I'm in Eau Claire today and am taking a break in a little cafe called 'The Living Room'. It's my first time but I'll be back. They have comfy leather couches and really good Chai

I think I'm going to take photos of my favorite coffee houses. I have regulars spots all over Central Wisconsin. Wouldn't that be a fun scrapbook page?

TGIHump Day. Here are some more layouts I did as a Guest Designer for ScrapFreak.

69 Remarkable Years

This is my grandparents, Bud and Leona Kline's, wedding photo.

I used my corner rounder to create the vintage curtain looking mat underneath the photo. I alternated between gray and patterned paper. I painted the Riff Raff chipboard with two shades of blue and slightly sanded it. I used ModPodge to adhere the glitter. - I stitched the ribbon around the trunk. I also stitched the bough on with floss.

My FAVORITE part is the glitter I added to the berries. My grandmother (who passed away just last month) gave me the glitter from her craft box about a year ago. So it holds special significance for me. She was an accomplished ceramics painter and used the glitter on her holiday projects.

Beautiful You

Photo of Bennet from last summer.

I cut the busy patterned paper into different width strips and created the background behind the photo.

Sunshine, Snow, Sunday

Nick and I have both been fighting colds. I was out of commission most of last Thursday-Sunday. I went to bed at 8 p.m. on Friday night. That hasn't happened in awhile. Now Nick is in the thick of it.

I had wanted to get outside for several weekends but something always got in the way. No way the aches and pains would keep me inside last Sunday. The fresh air did me good :)

Bennet and Scout couldn't wait to get outside. The smiles on their faces just made me giddy! Bennet wanted to climb all the mounds and slide down.

Scout just kept doing hot laps up and down the sidewalk. Poor girl has hand-me-down boots that are too big for her. Solution? Wear footy pj's underneath :)

What I Love About You

I haven't forgotten about the HOMEMADE AMBUSH drawing. I'm going to let Bennet pick the names and will get to that tonight.

Until then I thought I'd share a layout I did as a Guest Designer for ScrapFreak. They did something a little different this month with the design team projects.

Normally each design team member gets to choose their own supplies, but this month we all got the same kit! Monica selected a fun mix of products, with a bit of this and a bit of that!

A 8 1/2 x 11 Layout for my BOM that focuses on 10 little things I love about Nick. The photo is from the Luther wedding back in Oct. 2002. A month before we got engaged :)

I used the Scenic Route patterned paper and put it on top of the 'LOVE' chipboard and sanded the edges.

I stitched the heart by hand. I cut out a heart from scrap paper and used it as a guide for my stitching. I chose a bright pink as a contrast to the other colors in the layout.