Layout for Get Picky

I'm determined to enter at least one (preferably more) scrapbook challenges each week. Today I have a layout to show you that I did using a sketch from Get Picky.
Here's the sketch and my take on it.

I'm still working my way through my basket o' memories (see this picture) and these pictures seemed perfect for this sketch. I replaced the 3rd photo in the sketch with a journaling block.

I don't normally embellish my journaling blocks but this one was crying out for a couple touches so ... voila! 

And finding a piece of ribbon with the words "ma ma" on it was serendipitous to say the  least!

Close up of the title. I added the subtitle because I really wanted to high light that milestone in Paige's history.

This was a fun embellishment to make. I'd punched out 3 circles from a piece of transparent paper I found in my scrap drawer intending to use them as the sketch showed but felt this corner of the layout needed something ... more ... if you know what I mean. So I took a Jillibean Soup journaling spot and added the circles to it. Then it needed something in the centre so I started playing with another piece of the same ribbon from the journaling block and made this little rose bud type thing. Then I knew I needed to add one of my Twelve embellishments for Family Stories and found this orange flower in my tin. It all started coming together! Once the rose bud was glued on it looked a little lonely so I cut out some leaves and added them. 

There you have it. Thanks for stopping by!

Latest Twelve works

I'm not going to bombard you with a ton of angles of these layouts or even my thought/design processes, if you want that please visit my Flickr gallery. Quickly, here are the last two layouts I've completed this month. If you're keeping track, I'm up to 8 so far. Woo hoo!! Only 4 more to go to reach my Twelve goal of ... wait for it ... 12!!

Okay, this one is of Paige's first taste of "solid" food.

Wasn't she just so cute! Sigh.

This is for my Family Stories category.

The second layout is this one from Thanksgiving of 2006.

I realize that the colours look more Hallowe'en than Thanksgiving but I admit to fighting with it a bit. Anyway, this is for my Holidays category.

And now for some shots of life lately ...

Greg. Poor Greg. 

This was taken on Wednesday after he came home from work because he realized he was NOT as better as he thought he was! He had come down with a flu bug the Friday before and missed most of the week because of it. I think he is finally feeling human again but it's been a long slow recovery. I thought I was coming down with it this past Friday too but for whatever reason (maybe it was the 4 hour nap I took in the afternoon) I woke up Saturday feeling fine. Go figure! 

It's really a good thing ... you all know that Mom's just don't GET sick days!! 

Thursday was Paige's skating lesson day. She complained before leaving, fought me as I put on her skates and then spent most of the lesson skating on her own while the teacher focused on skaters worse than her. Sigh!

Love the tongue though!

Oh yeah, she also spent a huge amount of time on her butt on the ice! I swear she was a better skater last year when it was completely new to her! At least she's smiling!!

Marley and LC were very vocal cheer (or is that jeer) leaders.

Last night we got to hang out with the old Ultimate crowd. It's so nice and familiar and easy to get together with these people. We've known them for (in my case) 10 - 12 years (okay, except my brother!), we've all gotten married relatively close together and had our kids at approximately the same time so even if we don't see each other for months, conversations seem to start up where they left off. 

Of course, even though I took my camera, it sat unused in the diaper bag while I visited. Sometimes you have to get busy MAKING the memories rather than RECORDING them! Right?

Here is a sneak peak of what is new on my Stampin' Up! blog - it's a card for my niece who turns 3 tomorrow! Click the link above to see it in more detail.

Okay, thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Carpe Diem?

I just read an article that touched me. Why? Because I could totally see myself in the article. The haggard Mom at the checkout with kids running rampant, pulling candy off shelves, swinging from display cases and rifling through the Lost and Found umbrellas (true story!)  To read the full article, go here. This is my favourite passage though and kind of sums up what this whole parenting thing is all about ... for me anyway.

"I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

And so I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers -- "ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN'T!" TRUST US!! IT'LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!" -- those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain."

So true. Those old ladies in the grocery store who swoon over my girls and tell me to "enjoy every minute because it goes by so fast" have clearly forgotten all the dirty diapers, sleepless nights, throw up at 3:00AM, fights over dinner/clothing choices/activities/TV time/etc, and generally ALL the day to day drudgery that is parenthood. I was initially going to say Motherhood but to be honest, the Dads get it too!

So Moms and Dads out there ... as the author says, CARPE 15 MINUTES! 

CARPE those stolen moments that are gone so fast we wonder if they really happened at all! 

CARPE the quiet after all the kids are FINALLY asleep and you can hear your own thoughts for the first time that day!

CARPE a glass of wine in that quiet moment!! You know you want to!!

I for one am going to curl up on the couch with a book and nurse this flu that is slowly taking over my body (thanks Greg!!) and when I feel better, I will carpe something. Until then it's hot drinks, blankets and indulging in a little whining! :)

January's 12 on the 12th

Better late than never, right?
I realized that I didn't get 12 usable shots - mostly because I completely forgot to take pictures of the most exciting thing to happen that day - my Epicure party! Doh!! Anywhoo ... here's what I got. A wee slice of life around here (such as it is).

My Breakfast of Champions ... newly discovered Lactose Intolerant Champions that is!

And the all important cup o' joe!

LC's post breakfast snack # I lost count - cantaloupe melon.

Poor sick Paige. She was home all day because of a fever and ear ache. This is taken at 8:38AM.

And here she is again at 4:01PM. Yes, she's still in her pj's!! 

And LC was caught with an extended snuggle with her "ditti" (blanket - supposed to be only for naps but Mommy was soft this day!)