Summer Lovin'

I've been working on scrapping some photos from this past summer. I've been making a conscious effort to use up my stash as I go. Some of the product I've had for almost 2 years. It feels really good to put it to use.

The Climb

These photos are from the 4th of July in Elk River.

JOURNALING: You are such a monkey. If there is something to climb you will find it. Tables, desks & chairs, it's all about

Paint by Fingers
I used yellow paint on naked chipboard for the word 'paint' in the title. I did a little play on words too. Instead of Paint by Numbers I did Paint by Fingers.

JOURNALING: Your 10 digits could hardly wait to create. You loved the way it squished between your fingers. You had paint in your hair and a world class masterpiece. 05/09

Silly Faces

I painted white chipboard with yellow paint and added glitter to the top. It didn't transfer very well when I scanned it. Oh well.

Photos from the 4th of July.

JOURNALING: You think making funny faces is "so silly Mom" & I tend to agree with you. 07/09

Fall Fun Weekend

Last weekend was a wonderful, schedule-free weekend. I absolutely love fall. The colors, the smells, the weather.

Saturday morning we went to the Farmer's Market for Amish English Muffin bread. It really is worth the extra money.

A nice woman gave B & Scout cabbage leaves shaped into flowers. Aren't they cool?

We spent the rest of the morning raking and working on yard work. I even climbed behind some of our big shrubs and did some intense cutting and pruning. My arms sure felt it yesterday. For dinner we grilled out and ate outside on the porch. Bennet thought this was soooo cool. We made a fire in our fire pit and roasted marshmallows for smores. Our marshmallows left quite a bit to be desired. As you can see- Nick has 4 mallows that have congealed into one. They still tasted so-so :) Sunday we went to Helene's Hilltop Orchard in Merrill. We had never been there before but had heard great things. I was really impressed with their play area. The had old tractors and combines that they converted into play equipment. Both B & Scout loved feeding the goats too.

Giddy up cowgirl! Yehaw!Look at that blue sky with perfect fluffy clouds.

Of course we had to take a hayride. Bennet insisted on sitting by herself on the other side of the wagon. "I'm a big girl Mom". This pretty pheasant ran alongside the wagon with us for quite awhile. Chirping and 'talking' to us. Scout even talked back :)

You know those moments when you just feel so content that you want to stop time for just a minute to truly savor it? I had a couple of those moments yesterday at the apple orchard. Both girls running and playing with giant smiles on their faces. Being genuinely excited about the hayride. The fall sunshine glowing off their blond hair. The whole thing just made me happy inside. A simple trip to the orchard as a family turned into a memory to remember.

Mini Album & Friday Fill Ins

Nick and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary earlier this month. I made him a little mini-album. I used product from the March and Sept. Kraft Girl Kits

And now the Friday Fill Ins-

1. One week ago I was driving Nick to the airport.

2. The days seemed longer when I was young.

3. Mama told me that 'No One can make you feel inferior without your consent' Ok- Eleanor Roosevelt said it first but my Mom told me.

4. Between you and me, I've been without a cell phone for over a month and really don't miss it that much.

5. Take your time. Driving 10 miles under the speed limit doesn't bother me at all. (sarcasm)

6. The not-so-pleasant parts of pregnancy will pass!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner out with Nick, tomorrow my plans include making a scarecrow with the girls and Sunday, I want to relax!

Laramie according to Nick

Written by Nick:

As you know (or may not know) – I just got back from visiting my friend Bill in Laramie, Wyoming. It was a great trip and we had a lot of run. (As expected!)

On Friday, Bill and I went on a “short trip” up to see the Medicine Bow Mountains – The Snowy Range as they are referred to locally. The drive was really neat and we passed some awesome trout ponds/lakes - that in retrospect – we probably should have fished. (Next trip)

Once we were up there we decided to take the Mirror Lake hiking trail to the summit – the highest point in the Medicine Bow range… We started at a little over 10,000 feet and hiked up to 12,000…. Our entire journey being a little under 9 miles or so.

I would like to say it was the “drinking till 5:00 am and getting up at 8” that caused the majority of my difficulties - - But on the ascent the altitude made it pretty hard for me to catch my breath – compounded with the fact that I am seriously “under conditioned” for athletic activity. (Read: Wuss) On the way down, that “lack of conditioning” wreaked havoc on my knees. (After the last video I started to “deteriorate” quickly – so I stopped filming.) It was probably about 2 miles/hours more than I “should have” done – but it was a great/awesome/wonderful experience and I am glad Bill and I made the trip. (I should needlessly point out that Bill didn’t suffer as much – if at all - as my complaining ass did.) But we made it down in one piece… myself knowing that every painful step I took brought me closer to the delicious vodka painkiller at the bottom.

After the climb and a short stop for some beers at “The Place” (Some random bar/motor home campsite in the mts, owned by a patient of Bills – who also happens to be one hell of a nice guy) we meandered on to Saratoga Springs. That little burg is a strange place – and something I think this guy sums up nicely: http://newfunny.com/?p=672 If you are ever interested in sitting on some sand bags in a hot river, that may be your place!

Anyway – the following are some videos I made while we hiked up and down. They’ll serve as a reminder of the awesome time we had that day – some of the silliness that ensued – and that with great challenges, come great rewards. Thanks again Bill.


The all day hike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKCyaVC4wgA&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRfAAo_C8rQ&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfWwUeid6WU&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hAGOzF7HSQ&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAWkOM8ip1Y&feature=channel_page

Caught on Film

I challenged myself to mix 3 different paper manufacturers on this one- October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket and Scenic Route.

JOURNALING: A casual trip to the mall made special by a stop in the photo booth. Just the two of us. A rare sight to be

Bye Bye Kraft Girls

Apparently I am the Ted McGinley of the scrapbook Design Team world. It seems that everytime I find a home/team to be part of the site/club goes and has the 'Jump the Shark' episode. First it was Scrap4Life and now it's Kraft Girl Kits.



I'm sad to announce that Kraft Girl Kits is going out of business. I completely understand Pam's decision to spend more time with her young family. Finding balance and harmony in life is always a fine line to walk and I'm glad she made the decision she did.



The upside is that this means a SALE!!! All of the kits with the exception of the September kit are 50% off of the original $32 price…$16!! This is an incredible deal!!! Shewill be happy to combine shipping, so after the shipping costs are calculated, you will receive a refund between the shipping costs charged and the actual costs.


If you want to do it all in one transaction, contact her here and let me know what all you want and I will send you a Paypal invoice.


**Edited (some kits have sold out)** November 08, December 08, July 09, August 09, and September 09 kits are left. To check them out and purchase them, please go HERE!


Happy shopping:)



Pam- thanks for the opportunity to be part of your Team and dream!!

It's a . . . baby. We call it Thermos.

We went for our big diagnostic ultrasound this past Tuesday. As far as we can tell everything looked great. The tech estimated my due date a week earlier (1/25/10) but we're sticking with the original 2/2/10 date. Thermos is tipping the scales at 15 oz.

I know it sound crazy, but even in the ultrasound Thermos looks a little like Bennet and Scout did. Nick made the comment that it has my chin bone structure already. I am always amazed to see baby moving around in there. The tech had a really hard time getting measurements b/c it was dancing like crazy. So much for a low key baby. j/k.

I made this layout to answer the, "Do you know what you're having?" question.

JOURNALING: When it comes to finding out the sex of a baby I am a strict member of Team Yellow. In my opinion there is a huge difference between finding out in a dark u/s room at 20 weeks and finding out on delivery day. Your Dad & I have gone through 9 months of happy times and random emotional crying times. It all comes down to that moment. We finally get to meet him or her. You're finally here. Now I am a big planner. It surprises people that I don't find out. But I don't feel less prepared. I feel excited & ready for one of life's last true surprises. So when people ask, "Do you know what you're having?" I jokingly reply. "A baby." We will know soon enough. 20 more weeks to go.

Red, Granny and the Wolf

Bennet recently fell in love with the movie 'Hoodwinked'. A modern take on the classic story 'Little Red Riding Hood'. It's replaced Finding Nemo as her daily movie request.

She desperately wants to be Red Riding Hood for Halloween and I'm happy to oblige. For our last WooHoo Wednesday of the season we went to JoAnn in search of a pattern and fabric. I found a simple pattern for the cape/hood and am excited to get started. B suggested that Scout goes as Granny and I think that is an adorable idea.

Friday Fill Ins

1. My car is actually clean after we purged and vacuumed it last weekend.
2. Halloween is coming up next. I love that holiday.
3. Lately, things seem to be clicking along pretty darn good.
4. The bathroom is one of my favorite 'hiding' places.Ok- not a favorite but a practical one. Sometimes the only 10 minutes I get to myself.
5. What happened please and thank you?
6. Having a positive attitude is not impossible!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with B & Scout and scrapping at night, tomorrow my plans include sewing Halloween costumes and Sunday, I want to keep my sanity on night three on my own with Nick out of town.

Book Worm

In my pre-child, pre-scrapbook obsessed life I used to read. A-LOT! I was always on the road, logging all kinds of airline miles and would devour 60+ books a year. I truly missed reading and recently made a conscious effort to incorporate it back into my life.

I started with a new obsession with my public library. They have EVERY book out. I started a long list of books I wanted to read. Why drop $15 on a paperback when you have the library?

The other reason why my library rocks? Not only do they email me when my book is ready to pick up, they have a Drive Up window. I don't even have to get out of the car. And it opens at 7:30 a.m. which is perfect for the morning person in me.

Here are the books I've read since June. I'm a fast reader but even I am impressed that I read so many books in 3 months.

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies- Seth Grahame-Smith Nothing could compare to Jane Austen's original but this was humorous and entertaining.

Everything I Needed to Know about being a Girl I learned from Judy Blume This was a collection of essays written by female authors. If you read J.Blume as a young girl you will love this.

How to be Good- Nick Hornby In all honesty I didn't even finish it. I really liked his other books (High Fidelity, About a Boy) but couldn't get into this.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows A very good read.

Eat Pray Love- Elizabeth Gilbert Excellent. Makes me want to travel. I'll be interested to see the movie when it comes out.

Nineteen Minutes- Jodi Picoult I usually enjoy her books and this was no exception. It felt a little rushed at the end but still worth the read.

Breathers: A Zombies Lament- S.G Browne Nick digs Zombies and I got this book for him as a birthday gift. He talked me into reading it. I was surprised by how well written it was. I enjoyed it.

Best Friends Forever- Jennifer Weiner Not as good as Good in Bed or In Her Shoes. I wanted to like it more than I did.

I caught up with Stephanie Plum too. If you haven't read this series you need to start. They are light and funny reads.
Ten Big Ones- Janet Evanovich

Eleven on Top- Janet Evanovich

Twelve Sharp- Janet Evanovich

Lean Mean Thirteen- Janet Evanovich

Fearless Fourteen- Janet Evanovich

Finger Lickin' Fifteen- Janet Evanovich

I'm on GoodReads.com and am always looking for a good book. If you have any must reads, send them my way!

NYC and 9/11

I did this layout for a Challenge over at ScrapFreak. This photo was taken 9/10/01. I've been meaning to scrap it and tell our 9/11 story. I finally sat down and made it happen.

The circle has a brad that is attached to journaling that pulls from the back. I printed the journaling on a subtle green paper.

JOURNALING: In September 2001 Nick and I had been dating about 6 months and took our first trip together to NYC. His parents were living there and had a spot for us to stay. They were traveling so we had the apartment to ourselves until the last night. It was the perfect getaway.

On the morning of 9/10/01 we began our last day in the city. We were down by the World Trade Center. Nick asked if I wanted to go up. I said, “No- we’ll do it next time”. Little did I know that less than 24 hours later we would experience a life changing event and that there never would be a next time.

We snapped this photo of the Brooklyn Bridge on 9/10/01 around the time the first plane would hit the next day. Today it hangs in our dining room. When I look at it I’m reminded of both the amazing, relationship changing trip we took together as well as the vision of people walking across it to safety on 9/11/01.

We flew from LaGuardia to OHare on 9/10 after several delays. At one point they talked about redirecting us to Newark to fly out on 9/11. We would not have been on that United flight but it still hits close to home. We made it to Chicago for the night. On the morning of 9/11 we were in the air flying from Chicago to Madison when the first plane hit.

I distinctly remember walking towards baggage claim and seeing the second plane hit. We were in a hurry but I told Nick, “Wait!! Something big is happening”The rest of the day is kind of a blur. I was supposed to fly back out that afternoon for work. Obviously didn’t happen. Nick’s parents lived 4 blocks from the United Nations and were on complete lockdown. We kept trying to get a hold of them and feeling helpless for a couple of hours until we finally spoke to them.

I remember so many of my friends calling me and my parents to make sure I was ok. They had known we were in NYC on vacation. But what I remember most about that day is what it did for my relationship with Nick. For me anyways. I remember sitting on the bottom step of my loft apartment on the West side of Madison just holding each other and crying. I remember thinking, “I’m going to marry this man. There is no one else I’d rather be with right now”. It was one of those events that put everything into perspective.

Friday Fill Ins

1. Scout is under my scrap desk. That's a fun yet dangerous place to be.

2. Mom; I'm over here!

3. The possibilities include: Kia, Toyota, Honda (we're going to need a minivan soon)

4. Warm soup and fresh bread is one of my favorite cool day foods. (Butternut squash please)

5. How will you know that you can't achieve something if you never try.

6. Thinks Eddie Rabbit was onto something. I love a rainy night and a stormy sky.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having the ladies over to scrapbook, tomorrow my plans include fall yard work if the rain holds off and Sunday, I want to check out the Art Fair!

Kraft Girl Kits HUGE SALE!!!!

Tomorrow (Friday) through Sunday Kraft Girl Kits is having a HUGE SALE!!

Here's the dealio. Purchase a June, July, August, or September Kit and you can get a November or December Kit for $5.

JUNE
JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

For $5 you can add:
NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

This is a GREAT deal! Buy for you. Buy for that scrappy friend on your Christmas list (only 105 days until Christmas by the way) Buy to use as prizes at a crop. Just BUY!!

WooHoo Wednesday- Sept. 9

The leaves have already started to change colors here which means Fall is coming. Tonight is the 2nd to the last night of Nick's golf season so it's our 2nd to last WooHoo Wednesday of the year.

The weather was beautiful today. In the low 80's. A true rarity in Wisconsin. I decided it was a 'Break the Rules' kind of night.

Bennet started without us by running through the sprinkler at daycare. She was still wet when we picked her up.

Our first stop was the playground. Scout loves the merry-go-round. B decided to pick me a bunch of dandelions. She can be such a sweet kid.

My current book complete with my Leinenkugels bookmark :)

Rule Breakage #1- Ice cream cones BEFORE dinner. They both had them polished off before we even got home.

Rule Breakage #2- Dinner in the living room in front of the TV. A big no-no except on WooHoo Wednesday.

Rule Breakage #3- Extra long bath with extra bubbles and splashing.

All in all a very good night. Even with #2 doing #2 in the bathtub. :)

Happy Anniversary!

Another year has come and gone. This photo is a pretty accurate depiction of what we're really like don't you think?

Six years.

Our first anniversary we were celebrating surviving that first year in Wausau.
Our second anniversary found us celebrating the impending arrival of Bennet.
On our third anniversary, we were enjoying a pretty go with the flow year of firsts.
Our fourth anniversary found us in the hospital celebrating the early arrival of Scout.
Our fifth we celebrated Scout's 1st birthday with family and friends.

Our sixth anniversary we are at the cabin spending time together as a family. Unplugging and replugging. The absolute best present I could ask for.

Nick- It seems weird to thank you but I am just so grateful for you. I often sneak a glance at you while we're sitting on the couch together and think "Wow- this is still exactly what I want!" You remind me that when we work together as Team Sweeney every bump that the road of life throws at us is just that- a bump. Never a crater. I love you.

(Last year's post: http://nkbsweeney.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-anniversary.html)

Happy anniversary wishes to our friends Matt & Amy Bell who also celebrate their 6th anniversary today.

This girl . . .

This girl. . .



turns 2 years old today. I thought the first year of her life flew by but the 2nd went even quicker.

Right now she:

• loves shirts and shoes. Her favorite thing to do is to make reference to the fact that you're wearing a shirt. "shirt, shirt, shirt"
• has to do exactly what her older sister is doing.
• LOVES Scooby Doo (we have another fan- oh no!)
• would eat snacks all day long if we let her.
• would eat nothing but cheese and grapes all day if we let her.
• loves puppies and kitties.
• still enjoys growling like the Scout Monster we love.
• oh how she laughs!
• Will respond with a "a uh!" instead of yes. It's adorable.
• Climbs on everything. Her latest is climbing onto the dining room table to dance.
• loves her babies. She likes to wrap them up and pretend to feed them.

Happiest birthday wishes Sciz! We love so much!

Friday Fill Ins

1. I feel pregnant and am tired of pulling my pants up all the time. A-nnoying!

2. Going to the movie theatre is always fun.

3. Right now, I can hear these things: cats bells on their collars, Nick tapping his foot upstairs, and Regis Philbin.

4. It's a long weekend and I'm glad the weather forecast is fantastic. One last taste of summer.

5. The last time I flew on an airplane was when Scout was 5 months old. Feb. 2008.

6. Cannot wait to celebrate Scout's 2nd birthday and our 6th anniversary at the cabin this Labor day weekend.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching the sunset at the cabin, tomorrow my plans include baking cupcakes for the birthday girl and Sunday, I want to enjoy a glass of wine to celebrate our wedding anniversary!

ScrapStreet- September Issue

Back in July I received a request from Jackie Gallagher, section editior at ScrapStreet Magazine, to create a layout using a clothing tag. I had just the thing. My layout was published in this months magazine on Page 40. It was the first time I'd been 'commissioned' so it was quite the honor.

Layout: Almost Time For

In other scrapbook news- Kraft Girl Kits is sponsoring a challenge at ScrapFit. Participate in their challenge running now-Sept 14th and be entered for the chance to win a KGK!!

http://scrapfit.blogspot.com/2009/08/workout-3.html

September Kraft Girl Layouts- Take Two

Here are the remaining three layouts I made with this month's kit. I think the middle one is my favorite of the month. Very classic and linear but for sentimental reasons, a favorite.

Summer Fine
I used crayon and pen to color in the letters for this layout.

journaling: This summer your personality really started to shine through. More giggles, more exploring, more chattering.. It was fun to watch. You helped make our 2009 summertime oh so very summer fine!

Photo credit: Matthew Nohr

What a Difference

note: White rub on alphabets are NOT part of the kit.

I took a photo from each month of Scout's 2nd year (She'll be two this Saturday.) and added the month to the photo itself in white. Just look at the difference from the first photo (last Sept) and the last photo (Aug 09). I used my square punch to keep everything uniform.

I hand stitched the black frame with embroidery floss.

Journaling: 365 short days from baby to little girl.

I like you too sugar

I really wanted to use this label for journaling but had more the say than space would allow if I hand wrote it. I printed it out on a piece of plain paper as a test and then lined the label up and reprinted it. Schnazzy little trick.

Journaling: When you do something to make me smile I tell you "I like you honey" One day you responded with "I like you too sugar" that just made me laugh more. Now it's something we repeat to each other and laugh together. photos- june 2009

September Kraft Girl Layouts- Take One

I honestly LOVED the September Kraft Girl kit. I think I gasped a little bit when I opened the box. The colors were right up my alley and sooooo versatile. At first glance it may look like a back to school kit but trust me it is so much more. I don't have any kids in school and I could barely contain the ideas of how to use this.



I made 5 layouts this month. I'll post two today and the other three tomorrow.



Sun & Fun

note: Alphabets are NOT in the kit.



I love using embrodiery floss on my layouts. I have a stash from my cross stitching days and I'd hate for it to sit unused. I stitched the spirograph sun with bright yellow floss. Instructions on how to make it will be on the Kraft Girl Kits site soon.



Journaling: A day at the splash pad brings smiles and fun in the sun. Keep splashing. June 2009

3 months

I had some more fun with my circle punches.



Journaling: Here we are at 3 months or 14 weeks pregnant. We're officially in the 2nd trimester. I started feeling better around 12-13 weeks which was a welcome change. I felt yuo move for the first time too. I don't think I will ever tire of that feeling. I haven't gained any weight but if history repeats itself the pounds will come in the second half.