News from the land of chaos

I say chaos, because that is how I feel my life is right now. I guess I will just go down the list and update you.

I have been asked to teach Kindergarten at a school I had never been to before. I accepted the position, and we aren't sure if the current teacher will be returning mid-year or if she will be out the full year. This leaves me with so many doubts. How much time, effort, energy, money etc., should I pour into this classroom knowing that I may only be there for a short time. Well, after mulling it over a few days, I decided that I am putting my all into it. At the worst, they will tell me at the end of September that she is coming back. Then I will pack up my belongings, and motor on. But until then, I am proceeding as though this is my classroom. I have already moved the furniture around, decorated and started to meet with the kids and parents. So for right now, it's my room. If she returns, I will have at least given these kids my all for the time I was there, and that is what they need (especially after having met some of them).

So, I am very excited... school officially starts for Kindergarten on Thursday! I have meetings with parents until then.

Madelyn will be starting pre-school this year. We really pondered whether or not she was ready, but we are going for it. She needs to be with kids her own age more, and that was the driving force behind the final decision. It is only three half days a week, but I know she will love it and is already very excited about it!

Lauren decided to get sick my first week of working at the school. She has been running a fever for two days now, and although I am glad it happened on the weekend, it has really worn me out. She is very clingy and just wants to lay on you all day and all night. Poor baby. You can see it in her face, she just doesn't feel good :( There is no feeling like the helplessness you feel when your baby is sick. I remember it all too well from Madelyn. Luckily, my kids don't get sick too often.

I am blessed that way, and hoping it stays that way.

We were supposed to go to a concert last night and didn't make it because I just couldn't bear to leave her. I told Mike to take the tickets and go, but he didn't want to go without me... so here we both sat with our sick baby and poor MJ watching Peter Pan! It sucks because now that Mike's schedule has adjusted and he is off Fridays and Saturdays, he is finally able to do stuff! Concerts, weddings, parties, cookouts.... fairs, carnivals, get togethers with our friends! They all happen on the weekends, and we weren't able to go for so long! This was the first time in a LONG time Mike and I were going to a concert together, and it just wasn't meant to be. We got Wendy's and Dairy Queen instead :)

I am designing two new kits right now, and I am very excited about them. Still have news about my designs up my sleeve that will be let out soon, but I need to keep it under wraps for a little while longer. Hoping to do some scrapping of my own tonite, to kind of wind down from the sickness.

Madelyn's playground is finally finished! We have a deck to build still, but that is the last of it. Here is a picture of how it turned out. Lots of blood and sweat went into the preparation of this baby... but soooo worth it. She loves it !!! Today we erected her PIRATE GIRL flag! You can see it in the second picture!

So, that's the news from the land of chaos.... trying to hold it all together until everything winds down. It will... it always does!

Closing my Divine Shop and some layouts

Well, I have decided to close up my Divine shop, and I have put my resignation in over there. I just don't frequent the site as often as I should, and I know that I need to do that to make my shop as successful as I want it to be.

I have something new up my sleeve but I can't really talk about it yet.

So, for now I am going through my kits one-by-one and revamping then , adding elements and papers, or retiring them. It is hard to go through your older work because you see things as your tastes change that you don't like anymore, or as you learn new techniques, the old ones don't look as good as they once did.

So, keep your eyes pealed for some new and improved stuff from me :) I will be releasing some blog freebies soon too over on the Steel City Scraps blog. I will miss being at Divine for the Ingredients Challenge (which I may still do on my design blog) -- and being with the wonderful friends I have over there.

I have a new Creative Team that is kicking bootie -- some girls have stuck with me from the jump and I ADORE THEM both for their layouts, but moreso for their friendship and support. I also have some new girls who are busting out some incredible layouts - and I would love for you to drop over the CT blog and leave them some love! You can check it out here: CITY GIRLS BLOG.

But, ah, what the future holds...............

On that note: you guys know I am on a few CT's now -- and loving it because it forces me to allot some scrap time in my life --- which I so desperately need!!

So here are some of my latest layouts ---

I created this self-portrait for a Duchess Designs blog challenge last week - I used her Girlfriends: Kathryne kit for this one. Take a good look because you won't see me scrapping a picture of myself for awhile.

SELF-PORTRAIT

The next one was also for the Duchess -- her latest Girlfriends: Peyton -- I love these peach colors!

SUGAR AND SPICE

I did these next two for Danielle Corbitt's featured kit of the week Just a Lil Flirt - this is huge! and it is such a very cute kit! I could have made more layouts with it -- and probably will.

TREAT THAT'S SWEET

For this one I also used her Wrapped in Floral Frames -- really cute !

DADDY AND LAUREN

Lastly, I did two more for Danielle Corbitt using her Backyard Blast kit. This one has a ton of summery elements!

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

PUPPET SHOW

Thanks for looking :) Feel free to drop over to my Digital Candy gallery and leave me some lovin :)

The Wiggles Live

Well, I haven't posted here in a while and I have to apologize. I know I need to make time to put my ridiculous ramblings back on here even if only a few people read them. I still think I am funny, and I love looking back at all the old posts.

So, for my first post back I will tell you about our trip last week to the Wiggles Live. I get pre-sale tickets for all the kids shows in Pittsburgh, so we had 10th row seats for this puppy! It was great, but I should tell you...... I love the stinkin Wiggles. I sing their songs, I do the dances.... if you know me in real life you know that its not a stretch to say that I am a ham. I don't embarrass easily (that comes from falling constantly --- you just get over the embarrassment when people laugh at you and learn to embrace it as a good thing).

So, back to the Wiggles Live.... we didn't take Lauren because we were fearful that one of us would end up standing outside. These shows can be a little intimidating for kids --- the people in costumes are huge and its dark and loud ! So, we decided to leave her with her Auntie Dawn for the show!

MJ loved it, she did all the dances and sang all the songs she knew!
But the best part of the show --- and any Mom who has kids who watch this show will tell you --- is ANTHONY -- purrrrrrrrrrrrr. This man is a goof, but HELLO~ he is a hottie ! Now, I don't know if he is really hot or I have been forced to watch this show so much that I have just found the least hideous of the crew to drool over. But over time, I have built Anthony up to be quite the hottie in my mind --- so whichever it is, works for me !

Overall, a very entertaining show.... they throw in alot of humor for the adults which I love! Like things you know weren't supposed to happen but they did just to mess with each other.

I don't know if MJ will be too old for the Wiggles next time they come or not, but I know I will get to see that Anthony Wiggle at least one more time with Lauren --- WHOO HOOO for me :)

Crazy busy ...

I am not complaining at all --- we have just been so busy this summer. We have had a ton of fun in the meantime, and so it was all worth it. I am not making excuses for my posts being, well, non-personal --- but I will try to do better from now.

So, if you remember correctly, last summer I was basically pregnant and miserable for the first two/thirds of the summer. I pretty much prayed the entire summer away so that I would be done being pregnant. For those who don't know --- it's hard being pregnant in the summer with a two year old wanting to do everything!!! Then, when I had Lauren I was a recluse just loving on her and getting used to being a mommy of two.

By the time I woke up from that daze, summer was over and we had done basically nothing. I was so angry all winter that I felt like I was jipped out of summer --- I whined alot about it truly!

So, this summer it was ON!

Not intentionally, but alot of things came up this summer. My good friend got married in Hilton Head.... and so we went down for that. Long drive, but an amazing time with my amazing friends. We had so much fun. We learned Madelyn was a fish in a former life, and has NO fear of water!

Then, we took our trek to our normal summertime hang - Geneva on the Lake. I was there for a few weeks, and got to meet up with Heather a few times. It was so nice to spend time with another mommy with a baby Lauren's age. Rhiannon was so sweet to MJ and I just had a ball with them!

My in laws were then gracious enough to invite us to go to Myrtle Beach with them, and we gladly took them up on it. We had an amazing condo overlooking the beautiful waters, and we had an incredible time. Very relaxing, and laid back --- just like we like it!

Then I went back to the lake for a few days --- it wasn't long enough, but it was nice to have the closure of going back to pack up the cottage. I miss the cottage so much in the winter, if it had a furnace I would probably go there and just sit --- because there is nothing to do there in the winter at all! I would still love it. I just like being there!

We are getting ready to close the summer out by heading up to Erie to spend some time with some buds who have babes the same age as MJ. We have known each other (most) since they were born and so we try to travel each year to visit. We are from all over the states and Canada, so its not possible for everyone to make it every year, but we sure try. I didn't get to go last year because Lauren was only a few days old when they left to meet up in Niagara Falls. This year it is in my homestate -- so you couldn't keep me away. Even though I will only be there for a day or two, it will still be nice to catch up with my buds and see all the kids together. I love that part!

Then, it will be getting ready for the school year to start!

So, here are some kid recaps :

Lauren is walking, wobbly but walking --- she says daddy and only daddy. She loves her mama but just WILL NOT say it! She is such a delight, has a wonderful personality and is really cute with her big ol' gap between her two front teeth! I later I will be cursing it, but for now it is just adorable !!!

Madelyn is FINALLY potty trained --- PRAISE JESUS!!! She is just as bubbly, social and talkative as ever. She never stops from the time she wakes until she is sleeping in her bed... talking, talking, talking. She loves everyone --- and just wants to be everyone's best friend! So funny!

Mike has finally moved to a schedule that allows him off Friday and Saturday each week --- so we finally HAVE A LIFE! We can go to weddings, go out and have a drink on a Friday night--- we couldn't be more excited about this! We can go catch a movie and get a sitter (not a school night). Wow, I better make a list of things we are going to do !

As for me, I am getting ready to sub again in the Fall. Hopeful that something long term will come my way early on, and I can complete a school year in one classroom. I am still teaching computers at the community college -- and I really love that. Also, I am supposed to go back to coaching the dance team this fall. My sister and I coached together for two years until I started having kids. Then she did it by herself. Now that she has moved to Texas, they needed a coach and asked me. Well, I am not sure ASKED is the right word to use. I am not sure how I feel about that yet. I guess it depends on how that falls in with everything else I have going on--- it will either be awesome or a pain. Not sure about that yet.

So I will post some pics from Erie after the weekend is over. Sorry for the catch up post. I hate that I had to do that... but I also don't want a blog just of pictures and no stories!

Here are some layouts I did yesterday for The Duchess using her new Girlfriends: Makenzie mini kit! I love these mini's --- they are very inexpensive and have enough inside for a few adorable layouts!!!

Some news..........

No, no, no.... I am not pregnant!

I have been invited to be a CT member for Duchess Designs, and an August guest for Danielle

Corbitt!!! How exciting!

I am working on some layouts today for both of them :)

It occured to me that I haven't posted many layouts lately, and I so here are a few!
Birthday pictures later, I promise!!!

(Credits) Sadie's Garden by Beckie Wallace

(Credits) - Amy Sumrall's Over the Grungy Rainbow Kit

(Credits) - Corina Neilsen - Live Out Loud

(Credits) Danielle Corbitt's Starz Kit

(Credits) - Brownie Scraps' Sun Kissed

LIVE from MYRTLE BEACH---- it's us!

Hey there, hi there, ho there---- thought I would upload some pics from our Myrtle Beach VAY KAY!!! Enjoy!

Kyle giving MJ a Skim board lesson--- she didn't do too bad!

Ripley's Aquarium! Look out!

Lauren and MJ enjoying the fishies :)

Lauren watching MJ on the Merry-go-Round!

MJ went CRAZY for these little cars, and begged to ride them twice :)

Maddie misses her Jo Jo

My aunt was in from Indiana for part of the week. Sadly it was to mourn a close member of her family that passed away (quite suddenly) -- but we did get to spend some time with her yesterday. Maddie Jo LOOOOVES her Jo Jo (hence the middle name Jo!) - and asks for her constantly. She doesn't yet understand the 'distance' factor between here and Indiana!

But anyway -- it was a short but sweet visit with Jo Jo-- and MJ misses her already!

Some Layouts ....

Here is the first scrapping I did in a LONG LONG TIME. It was so fun, and it really is my first true love. I do love taking the time out of designing to scrap ! I need to do it more :)

The good news is that Christie and I partnered up for the Birthday Race over at Digital Candy, so my scrapping fix will be met ;)

This one is called Forever Sisters and it is made with Beckie Wallace's AWESOME kit called At the Ballet - it is available now EXCLUSIVELY at Digital Candy - ELEMENTS and PAPERS.

Here is one I did for the Candy Jar Challenge over at Digital Candy!

It's done with an old pic of MJ and you can see the CREDITS HERE.
Here is one I did for the Scraplift Challenge over at Sunshine Studio!

It's called - SWEETHEART and you can see the CREDITS HERE Last is one where Christie forwarded me a blog featuring this free template! It is amazing ;)

You can check out Lauren and the CREDITS HERE.
SOOO FUN!

Happy Birthday Madelyn!

Well, today was my girl's third birthday. I truly can not believe three years has past since I had her; it seems like just yesterday. I know that is very cliche, but it is so true. I will never forget what it was like to have her, and bringing her home for the first time. She is so grown now... so helpful with Lauren --- a wonderful sense of humor and her mommy's clumsiness --- her Daddy's eyes -- and oh, that curly hair!

I know I am so lucky to have Madelyn -- I don't remember too much of what life was like without her. I know I was a totally different person, and she has changed me for the better. Anyway, I know she was given to me for a number of reasons.

A little story, when we found out that my Gram had cancer... I prayed and prayed. I am typically not an overly religious person, but I do pray. I prayed that my Gram would live long enough to see me graduate and to have a baby. Now, at this time having babies was actually the furthest thing from my mind. I was in college, working a few jobs to get by and just really focused on 'my' future career.

A few months later, I got pregnant with Madelyn. It was unexpected, and I really didn't know how this would affect my schooling - yes, that was my first thought. Once it all sunk in, both Mike and I were super ecstatic and very eager to move on to this phase in our lives together.

Unbelieveably it fit in perfect time-wise with my schooling. I ended up having my last final on a Friday afternoon, and giving birth to Madelyn the following Wednesday. We had set up 'back up plans', but it ended up working out perfectly.

So, when I had Madelyn my Gram was undergoing treatments so she was unable to come to the hospital to see us. We left the hospital and drove directly to her house. She met little Madelyn, and I will never forget how she held her and just talked about how 'perfect' she was. She stared at her for a long time, and just fell in love with her instantly.

That was in May, and my Gram passed away in September.

She didn't get to see me graduate the following May -- a difference of a mere few months.

I didn't understand why I had made that wish; that prayer for my Gram to see me graduate. I mean, I was proud of myself and I knew she was proud of me. But this wasn't my first degree, and it was never really a topic of conversation other than in passing. So, why was it so important to me that my Gram be there.

Well, I didn't realize a few things until after they were over.

First, my prayers really WERE answered in a way. God knew my Gram wasn't going to make it to my graduation -- that is why I got pregnant. It was His way of saying, ok then -- we are going to have to mix things up here.

Secondly, it was important to me that my Gram see me graduate because I was selected to be the speaker, although I didn't know it yet when I made the wish/prayer.

So, she didn't make it to see me graduate but, see, I know she was there. I am sure of this, and only 'some' could see -- she was actually standing behind me with her hand on my shoulder the whole time. Otherwise, I am not sure I would have made it through my speech with how scared I really was.

So, Madelyn may not remember her Great Gram but BOY oh BOY do I have stories for her ;)

Wondering where I've been?

I have been like a chicken with it's head cut off! I now have an amazing Creative Team in the works, and my boutique at Divine Digital is up and running.

I have another store in the works - more information to follow on that :)

Other than that, the girls' had their appointments this morning. Still have the vaginal adhesions which make me want to jump off a cliff. We are going to be more proactive though about opening them now. We begin a topical antibiotic with an estrogen creat twice a day. Hopefully this will work because if there is no change, I have to take them both back in six weeks, and possibly to go a specialist :( Luckily, we have an AMAZING doctor whom I trust !

Both girls are in the 90th percentile for height and the 50th for weight- growing great !!

I have been subbing, and I just finished up the job corps orientation, which was amazing as usual. So, I have alot going on right now.

We are starting to gear up for Mike to NOT WORK MIDNIGHTS !!! I am so tired of midnights. But luckily, he is looking at a really great schedule as soon as the new guy is trained. He will FINALLY BE OFF FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS! That means we can finally have a real life :) He can go to weddings, birthdays and we won't have to worry about his schedule interferring with our weekend plans anymore. I am SOOOOOO looking forward to this.

We also have a few vacations this summer that we are looking forward to. A friend is getting married in Hilton Head in a few short weeks, and we are SO STOKED!

That's about all for now... will check it later :)

Selective Coloring Challenge

Over on the IVillage Digi Scrapping board, there was a selective coloring challenge.... well, you know I don't pass up a challenge!!!



Here is My Cookie!!!!

The selective coloring is that her cookie remained pink but the pic is B&W - jazzy huh???

I made this with Beckie Wallace's INCREDIBLE (my favorite kit of all time) Boy Meets Girl Kit!. You can grab it at SAS or Digital Candy !!!!

Beckie also has a SHITLOAD (that's right - its uncensored, remember?) of freebies on her blog. So head on over there and check them out! And check out our Creative Team Blog --- and see our kick ass layouts!

Leave me some love at SAS!

A new layout with my RAK

Over on my design blog, I am giving out a RAK (random act of kindness) to those readers/downloaders/whatever that comment or send me layouts etc.

I did a layout today with it, and I love how it turned out. I did it for the IVillage Digital Scrapbooking boards Friday challenge. Today was a quote challenge!

This is Madelyn, and it was taken 1-4-2006!!! Can you believe my MJ is almost THREE!

Hop on over to SAS and leave me some love !!!

Two new layouts!

I guess everyone has that one favorite kit that they go back to because they love it so much! Beckie has this incredible kit called Boy meets Girl! I love it so much, honestly - I can't get enough of it.

Here are two more layouts I did with it today :)

Leave me some love at my galleries - images and titles are clickable :)

MY COOKIE!

YOUR SONG

Maddie's outdoor adventure :)

We had a little picnic in our backyard today. I can't wait to scrap the photos, and I am so excited for this warm weather because Maddie is finally at an age where she can enjoy it. She has this little playhouse that was given to us that she never really played with and Mike wanted to dump it this year, and I said, "Wait, she is going to really want that this year"... boy, was I ever right! She was running in and out, shutting the doors and windows - playing pretend (which I love that she is old enough to do that now) - just having a blast.

We kept cracking up though because she kept running in and bursting open the shuts to sing 'AHHHHH, AHHHH, AHHHHHHH' like Giselle does on ENCHANTED. I got it on video - thank goodness rodents didn't come to call :)

New Beckie Wallace kit - KISMET

Gotta love this new kit by Beckie Wallace who, by the way, has TWO NEW STORES! She has her shoppe at Stone Accents Studio, and we are currently celebrating her Grand Opening over at Digital Candy as well!

Kismet is brand new, and in both stores so check it out now! It is currently on sale at both stores so be sure to hustle to get it if you are interested.

Here is my new layout using the kit - called DREAMS. Which I just love this picture, well for many reasons. I had just gotten them bathed and dressed for bed. I put Lauren next to MJ on the chair and MJ immediately went for her hand. They were watching Backyardigans, so they were in their regular trance - they just held their hands up in the air. So long, in fact, I had time to run and get the camera - and there they still were holding their hands up like they were doing some kind of Renaissance dance! Love it!

My rambling...

Ok, well it has been an eventful week in our house. First off, Lauren now has FOUR - yes, you read correctly - FOUR teeth. Two on the bottom and two on the top ! Holy crap. She is pretty pleasant but slobbering like crazy! She is also up on all fours and rocking. I think its absolutely hysterical that she doesn't sit on her own unassisted for more than a minute, but she is going to be crawling around within the next few weeks. She really gets going! I will see if I can get a video of it today, but here is a picture :)

On to Madelyn... well, we had a visitor on Sunday night - the 'dinky' fairy came to take her 'dinkies' away. We left the dinkies for her on the table and she took them, and left a present for MJ! She was excited for the present, but cried for the dinkies for over an hour. She actually said to me at one point, "Call her and tell her to BRING THEM BACK!" - then random waking up in the night crying and screaming for them!

Talk about a trauma! If you know me in real life, you know I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE HER A PACIFIER FROM THE JUMP. But my doctor told me it has benefits, blah - blah - blah! I knew I should have tried to take it away before she turned two, but honestly - being pregnant, I was thinking about other things. I also thought how can I take it away, then introduce a new baby with one into our home. So, I put it off - mistake !!!! I should have just taken the damn thing away before she could tell me how much she loves it!

So the last few nights in our house have been ****H E L L**** Last night was a little better, but I think its because she took NO nap yesterday. Eh, lesson learned! Here are her last moments with the dinkies :)

Mike and I got to go out to dinner by ourselves Sunday night -which rarely happens. My mom watched the girls' and we got to eat a nice hot meal :)

Now the week has started and I am just trying to patiently wait for the QOTC winners to be announced :) I am working two days this week in addition to my evening classes ! So getting things prepared is taking some time also. But I am keeping busy, and thats a good thing :)

Queen of the Crop - Day three

Well I was able to finish - although I didn't see it happening. I will explain that in tomorrow's post.


And so I present my last of the QOTC layouts! Honestly, I can't believe I finished this challenge this weekend. 10 layouts??? That's insane! I also was able to keep the house in order, and get some shopping done - go out to dinner, and that is a feat! I am really proud!


Here they are:


The first layout was a scraplift challenge. That means you check out someone's gallery, find a layout that you like, and use it for inspiration to make your own layout. Sometimes these come really easily, and other times you get stuck. In this layout I used Shabby Princess's Vintage Florals, NewLife Dreams 2 Hearts kit and the alpha is from GoodBye to Summer by Mydigistyle.

The next one was to scrap a smile. I used Just for You Kit by NewLife Dreams, and a pink alpha by flergs.

The theme for the next one was 'Splish spash', make a layout with water! I decided to use Heather Roselli's Oceania kit and the frame is from Beckie Wallace's Snips and Snails kit.

The last one was themed 'Interview', in which I tried to actually interview Madelyn. Well, that was a joke. So I made a list of all her favorite things right now. In case your wondering, "Chocolate Bunny kind" refers to Nestle Chocolate milk with the bunny on the carton! I used Robin Carlton's Fancy Pants for this one.

Hot Chocolate

A while back, some designers from Moo Too Designs did a blog train give away and the theme was hot chocolate. I remember thinking at the time that I might have any use for the kits, but they were so cute I couldn't resist downloading them.

Well, when we had our snow day last Tuesday - I got the perfect pictures to use with the kits. I did a little 'pick and choose' between the kits, but they coordinated so well it was easy to mix and match what I wanted !

See credits below:

Credits: Kim's Chocolate Alpha - Kim's Scrappin

Got marshmallow sign -from Hot Chocolate kit by Terrell Sanzone

Cup paper- from Hot Chocolate Kit by Gloria ValVerde

Background paper, hot chocolate mug and swirl, and cardboard from Nancy Wilkins Scrappy Cats Hot Chocolate Kit.

Swirl pushpin- by Coralee Evans

Font used: Thumping

Just in time for the weekend...

Ok, my friend Kelly started a blog and immediately told her readers that she is guilty of the ... between sentence fragments. I AM SO GUILTY OF THAT TOO! I also use the occassional - instead of a comma! Why? Who the hell knows? It's actually ridiculous, as it's not like it takes less energy to make a , instead of an - . Ah, well, anyway... guess I ought to apologize as well, then.


Apparently, I am a blog pusher! A couple of my friends started blogs this week. I did strongly suggest that they blog, since I like the therapy - I thought they would do (damn, theres that - again). But hey, I guess it's cool to be a pusher now, because I love reading whats up with my buds! And their blogs look fabulous too - check them out on my BLOGS list on the right side of your screen !



So, just in time for the weekend, my sinuses are kicking my ass! I just took some nyquil sinus nighttime so I may start rambling any time now! Because I feel increasingly worse as the night wears on, I don't see any scrappin' happenin' tonite! Tomorrow perhaps!



Sorry that I don't have anything too exciting for you to look at tonite - let me see if I can come up with a funny video of Lauren or Madelyn for you .... hang on (damn, there are those ... !)

Snow Day pictures finally scrapped!

I know I promised these pictures a week ago, but I couldn't find just the right kit to scrap them! Finally, I got an email. It turns out that one of the designers I create for made the perfect kit for me to use, and this morning - I put them to use :)

Title: Playing with my Daddy

Credits: Karla Marano's Wintry Wonders available at Karla's Kaleidoscope Designs

Font used: POP

This one is done with the same kit - not necessarily as a Page two - but it could work !

Title: Snow Much Fun

Fonts: goofball, lovitz