Thursday, December 11, 2008

SNOW DAY!



Seriously! Who would have thought? It's so cool! I had a lot of fun driving Kevin to school. We were ooohhhing and aaahhhing the whole way. "Ooohhh, look at this yard! Aaahhh, look at that roof!" People were stepping out onto their lawns in bathrobes with cameras in hand. I'd see flashes of light reminiscent of one of those traffic cameras (Hey, I KNOW I didn't run that red light!) and then realize that it's only some guy snapping a picture of his house from the neutral ground! And they said it probably wouldn't stick. Well, guess what?! It did.





I took pictures and finally had to do it...build a snowman. Cute little fellow!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Say Cheese!



This photo makes me feel really SHORT. Shouldn't the photographer have had us BOTH standing or BOTH seated or a TALLER chair?! Anyway, it's a pretty nice photo of the two of us and probably the only studio-type photo that we've had taken since...our wedding, thirty-something years ago! It would be nice to get the family together for a professional outdoors photo shoot. NOW I know what I want for Christmas! YES!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Audubon Zoo

LIONS!





























and TIGERS!














and BEARS!






























OH MY!

Since Children's Hospital is literally next door to the Audubon Zoo, we decided on a visit after Kevin's OT appt. on Wednesday. The sunny and mild weather meant the animals were out and about, and ready for their pictures! I could watch the monkeys, especially orangutans and gorillas, all day. They are so fascinating. One big boy reached his arms up into a bush and pulled off a branch of bright red berries for munching. He immediately turned away as if to protect his cache from hungry onlookers.











































Hopping here and there from branch to branch, stopping only to take a bite, these little guys were some of the most active at the zoo! Some of the trees in their exhibit were showing the colors of autumn. It was a striking scene with leaves and fur of orange against the bright blue sky.











































And one final animal...homo sapien. This particular specimen wanted more than anything to climb on the big old oak trees in the park. We found the perfect one on our way to the sea lion pool (his favorite exhibit). He scurried up the big branch that swooped near the ground and posed for several photos along the way. But THEN...about 6-8 feet up, he realized that getting back down wasn't going to be as easy! Ooops! A little coaxing and he backed down far enough for me to catch him. :)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Believe

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson



Another entry for the Magistical Memories DT contest, this layout of Brendan on the beach showcases several pieces of chipboard: a Magistical Memories Window Tab, a Magistical Memories Flutterby (butterfly), a fancy letter "B", and chipboard sand dollar. All of the pieces were given a basecoat of paint and then stippled with additional layers to achieve the shadow and highlight effects.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Are We Human

Every once in a while I hear a great song that has it all...intriguing lyrics and soulful melody. This is one of them. From their new album, Day and Age, the Killers...

YouTube-Human-performed on BBC2's Later

I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes
Clear your heart...
Cut the cord

Chorus

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
Give my regards to soul and romance,
They always did the best they could
And so long to devotion
You taught me everything I know
Wave goodbye
Wish me well..
You've got to let me go

(Chorus)

Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know is your heart still beating

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer

You've got to let me know

(Chorus)

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Are we human
Or are we dancer?

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Feels Like Alaska!

Yep...it's been a bit chilly here in the South! Snow is blanketing other areas of the country. Won't see that here, but two summers ago, we were fortunate enough to see Alaska via cruise ship! Those snow topped peaks were so picturesque. What we heard was true...there was a new postcard view every few minutes! I took soooo many photos and scrapped a few here:

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Inspi{red}

Kevin's BO{RED} T-shirt was perfect inspiration for this page. But, he was definitely not bored. Tired? No, not that either. Wired? Probably! We were heading home after a long afternoon at the school fair, and he was gulping down a Coke, trying to replenish the fluids he lost while playing on the inflatables for a few hours in the heat. The small framed photo shows his new "hip" pose. Every single time I point the camera at him I end up with one of those shots in the mix! Funny!



























A few of my favorite things: Magistical Memory chipboard frames, October Afternoon patterned paper (LOVE that newspaper print!), and a Jenni Bowlin bingo card!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Meant to be mine?

We're badly in need of new furniture in the family room. We've been shopping...but I can't ever find anything that I like or else I'm intimidated by the choices! Last memorial Day we went out to several furniture stores. I even took home sample fabrics. But I wasn't sure what I wanted. Nothing jumped out at me. Until this past weekend. Shuffling through the ads and pricing TVs, I came across this sofa and wow...I fell in love with it! The perfect style. Neutral fabric with nicely patterned pillows. It fit me well.





















And then I read the ad!







Is it fate? Should I go and purchase it NOW...and cover it in plastic until the boys move out...like on that hysterically funny Everybody Loves Raymond episode!? Tee-hee! Well, at least I know what I like now. And maybe when I go shopping again, I can bring this photo along to show the salespersons.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Who's Who

This is one from a while back, but I just LOVE it! ALL of the cousins (well, except for one) are in the same place at the same time...and they are actually standing still for a photograph!!! Everyone was casually dressed for a crawfish boil, and the colorful mix of clothing makes for a fun and lively photo! The inspiration for my title came from the Magistical Memories chipboard owl. I had so much fun dressing him up in paper and paint, and even added a bow...which I guess makes it a "her". :) Now to figure out all the ages so that I can finish filling out the journaling card!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Love Ya Cuz!


"Colorful Friendships" is the theme for this week's Lifetime Moments feature article. The members of the design team celebrate friendship on their layouts, using a variety of colorful scrapbook products. My favorite project this week is a page titled "Love Ya Cuz!"























Bright pastel patterns populate the Basic Grey Urban Prairie collection, and my favorite paper in the entire pack combines every single one of the colors into a delightful, sampler-like design. It is equally amazing that almost all of these colors are found in my photo by way of the kids' clothing. These five are the youngest of the 14 kids on my side of the family, and not one of them are siblings! Everyone has a playmate...or two or three or more.
It makes our week at the beach together all the more enjoyable. Photo taken June 2008.


Thursday, November 6, 2008

There's No Crying in Scrapbooking!

Let these three truths be evident:

In scrapbooking like art, there are NO rules. There are NO mistakes. And there's NO crying in baseball..., er scrapbooking!

Of course things don’t always go as planned. The ink smears, the paper rips, or adhesive spills on an almost done project. Bummer! But, it doesn’t have to mean your work is ruined. Think creatively. Sometimes, those little mistakes turn out to be quite fortuitous. Make the best of them!

Here's an example. While there’s no expiration date on the packaging, rub-ons DO get old. How do I know? Heh-heh…I found out the hard way. Maybe it’s because I’ve had them for YEARS. Maybe it’s because my house had been without electricity and HOT for weeks at a time in 2005. Maybe it’s just the nature of the material. (Maybe they’ve been improved!) Anyway, some rub-ons deteriorate, and it’s not readily noticeable…until you try to use them.

I simply wanted to use an old KI tattoo letter to “dot the i” in the word “friends” on my layout titled First Friends. I rubbed and rubbed. Some of it stuck. The rest was like powder on the page. As I dusted the “crumbs” off, I noticed that a faint outline of the letter remained, and it looked COOL!

Hmmm…what if I took more of those rub-ons and rubbed them on all over the paper?! Oh yeah…that’s what I’ll do! And I did. The imperfect look of those old rub-on tattoos ended up working pretty well with the designs I had already doodled on the page! :)

No worries, no tears, as an "uh-oh" moment turned into an exclamation of "Oh, look!"


Yeah Me!

A couple of weeks ago I submitted a few pages to the Magistical Memories Design Team call. I am happy to say that they liked my entry enough to select me (and 26 other talented designers) for the next round. We will each receive an identical package of chipboard products with which to create. I love chipboard, so what could be a more perfect fit?! They have such an array of original chipboard designs. Painting, papering, inking, stamping, sanding...anything goes with this versatile product and I can't wait to play!

This was one of my entries. Distress EP, walnut ink, and semi-gloss varnish transformed these chipboard train shapes into a rusty-looking engine, car, and caboose. (Aren't the boys cute...and so tiny? Now they're taller than me!)





Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Fortunate for the Opportunity



















This is a fortune I pulled from my cookie after a meal with friends at Panda King on Saturday. How perfect is the advice on this election day?!

"You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours."

So, get out there and vote! We are fortunate indeed that we live in a country where we are free to do so.

Always Vote!


























"Always vote for principle though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -John Quincy Adams

Monday, November 3, 2008

Spook House



Oooooo...the ghouls were peeking from the windows of our creepy haunted house. Made from black plastic sheeting, these are my favorite Halloween decorations. Next year we'll cut and hang additional faces from the dormer windows as well. AND I'll be sure to look for a pumpkin in advance. There were none to be found on October 31st! Ooops!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Trick or Treat

Here's a little project from last year, that I hope to fill with this year's Halloween memories. It was so much fun altering this album that I could not stop. I cut additional pages and chipboard accents, adding ribbons, brads, buttons, paper clips, and assorted pretty papers.

It's a definite treat!

Chipboard album- Magistical Memories.
Patterned papers-KI Memories.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Face Painting at the Fair

I never sign up to work the class booth at Kevin's school fair. This is what I do instead. I totally enjoy it, especially when the littlest ones see their face for the first time with a choo-choo train (or heart, flower, snake, pumpkin, etc.) colorfully drawn on their cheek. Kevin went with the fan favorites, a fleur-de-lis for the Saints and LSU in team colors.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Book Is Like A Garden

I seem to do most of my reading in the summer when there's more opportunity to sit back and relax. Our week at the beach usually affords me enough time to finish a couple of books. Then there are the almost daily trips to the fitness center. I workout while Kevin plays at Kidsport, then read while he swims. I read a lot this summer! Lately, not so much. But I plan to get on the reading kick again, and when I do, I'll have a cool little place to note what I read.


























This page was done for Lifetime Moments and is featured in the October 19th issue of their weekly newsletter. I may have gone a little overboard, but filling the pocket (cut from an old pair of children’s pants) was too much fun. It really does look like there’s a garden growing out of the pocket and trailing down the paper. And I LOVE that miniature library card stamp from Maya Road. This page will be a great addition to my Book of Me!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Ring Dance Shuffle

Brendan was pretty stoked when this girl asked him to her ring dance...and, thinking she was "prom material" , he reciprocated and asked her to his! It turned out that both dances were scheduled for the same night, but that didn't pose a problem to Brendan. Actually, it was like killing two birds with one stone! :)



And then along came hurricane Gustav. School was out of session for a week and the dances were pushed back as well, with Brother Martin on one night and Chapelle another.

TWO days to dress up, TWO dinners to attend, TWO corsages to buy! Bummer! :(

The boy is funny. I think he had had enough with one dance! LOL!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Fall Colors

I sometimes wish we would have fall colors like this, but I'm happy we don't have the cold weather that settles in after this seasonal display! These photos were taken almost 27 years ago in Philadelphia, while on a trip with Tommy and a one year old Laura. It was a great visit with Aunt Rita and Rosie, and my first time in the city. I was in awe of the color present in every landscape and snapped pictures in both the city and Pennsylvania countryside. The photos on this scrapbook page were taken in a cemetery, presumably one where the Fox relatives had been buried. I don't remember. But I DO remember Aunt Rita's scolding when I picked up a particularly beautiful leaf from the ground. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Don't ever take anything from a cemetery or you'll be sure to bring it back...sooner rather than later!" It was a funny superstition, but she would have died herself if I hadn't dropped it right there.
























Another pretty fall scene from a field trip to Red Bluff Farm:







Reunion!

It's been 35 years...since high school. I didn't have to do the math. I got a nice little postcard in the mail reminding me! Requesting my presence at a reunion. It was an interesting event, to say the least. A group of girls actually rented a PARTY BUS for the night! Not that there's anything wrong with renting a party bus. It really was a smart thing to do. Just saying... The more things change, the more they stay the same. :)

The ORIGINAL Pink Panthers
Mt. Carmel Class of 1973

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Great Outdoors

We had the most beautiful weather for our Cub Scout Pack's annual fall camp-out! Days were warm and slightly breezy, while nights had the perfect amount of chill to make the campfire and snuggly sleeping bags well appreciated. For the first time, Kevin and I slept out both nights!

Little Black Creek Campground, Lumberton, MS was our destination and the drive from home took almost 2 hours. We pulled into the camp ground just as the sun and temperatures were dipping. I hurriedly set up our new tent not far from the fire circle and set off for my dinner duty, browning Texas toast garlic bread over one of the BBQ pits. Spaghetti and meatballs rounded out the meal. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing by the fire and by 10PM a bored little boy was ready for bed. None of his Bear scout buddies were arriving until the next day so going to sleep seemed like the best way to hasten the arrival of morning. Tucked into his sleeping bag, he was soon asleep, but I couldn't figure out which was more comfortable, in or out, and spent most of the night alternating between the two. I missed my mattress and by morning, my back ached! A trip into town for Aleve was put on the day's agenda.

We did a little cheating before bed and in the morning by driving down to the restrooms in the van. Tee-hee! Well, hey...it's uncomfortable walking such a distance when you really have to go!

After a breakfast of donuts, milk and cereal, other campers, including Kevin's best friend, began arriving and filled in the rest of the campground with tents. Morning activities included sack races, egg toss, and tug-of-war. I'd swear those eggs were pre-boiled as they bounced and rolled around in the grass when the kids missed a toss. Lunch consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, cookies, and chips. Then, it was on to afternoon activities, which were both instructional and fun!

At the first station, the boys were taught elements of survival...what to pack for a wilderness adventure, using a compass and making a map, rope tying, shelter building, and how to make a sling for an injured camper using just sticks and a tarp. Another station taught them the basics of building a fire: the four necessary ingredients (tender, kindling, fuel, and oxygen), what to use to start a fire (matches, magnifying glass, or flint and steel), fire safety, and different fire construction methods. The third activity was canoing...always a favorite! Then they learned how to cook potatoes in the embers of a campfire by peeling, cutting, and wrapping them in foil. Yum! Since Kevin is not a big potato-eater, his leftovers became my afternoon snack. There's something extra tasty about potatoes cooked over a fire.

Saturday nights at the camp-out are always the best! First we enjoyed a dinner of salad, BBQ chicken, and potatoes with all the fixings. Then the kids separated into dens for a scavenger hunt in the dark. A pack tradition, one of the men dresses up in a bear/wolf/where-wolf suit and jumps out at the kids. They scream and carry on and run around like a pack of wolves themselves, even though they've been expecting it all evening. Finally it was time for s'mores, those roasted marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker goodies that can never be duplicated at home. No problem getting the kids to bed this evening...they were worn out!

Sunday morning was big breakfast day: pancakes, eggs, bacon, biscuits and grits. Then it was time to clean up the grounds, pack up the tents and gear and head on home. Yep...I was ready. I love the great outdoors, but am so ready to sleep in my own bed again!

A memorable quote:

Kevin (overheard while he and Christian were playing inside our tent): "Let's pretend like we're relaxing!"

LOL! Why pretend?! Isn't that what camp-outs are for?!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Happy Birthday Dad!

In a month of numerous family birthdays today's belongs to my Dad. In his honor, I'm posting the following scrapbook page:


























While on vacation in Florida this past summer, we were constantly snapping photos of the kids on the beach and in the water. I think my Dad felt left out. So I got this one of him eating watermelon in the shade of the canopy. I love how it came out. It's so him! Enjoying a relaxing day besides the gulf, cooling off with a slice of ice cold watermelon, wearing his favorite U. S. Army baseball cap...with kids and cousins all around him. I love that we are all able to vacation together like this!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Parking Wars!

It's a silly little game...but so much fun to play with my Facebook friends! It doesn't require a lot of skill...or time...or thinking to move my cars around on my friends' virtual streets (accumulating cash and status over time). But beware! If a car is left too long in one spot, the SIGNS CHANGE...and a legal spot then sports a NO Parking Sign inviting a stiff fine. First thing I do every morning...log on and check my street. I'm so ruthless that my west coast friends know better than to park on my street at night. While they're still sleeping, I'm handing out tickets! LOL! All's fair in Parking Wars!

Here's an ATC that I made to memorialize the game:


Materials used:

Patterned paper-Glitz Designs
Ticket-Jenny Bowlin Designs
Letter stickers-Making Memories, Bo-Bunny Designs
Ticket stamp-Maya Road
Chipboard car button-Maya Road
Also-Magic mesh, dye ink, and one of Kevin's toy cars...to roll around in the ink and on the paper! Fun!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

One Word Answers

Playing along with Petunia in Paradise, I've followed each prompt with a word. It's not always easy to restrict your answers to simply one! Try it yourself!

Your hair? long
Your mother? dancer
Your father? salesman
Your favorite thing (not including people)? art
Your dream last night? dunno
Your dream/goal? fitness
Your favorite drink? Barq's
The room you're in? den
Your ex? none
Your hobby? scrapbooking
Your fear? war
Where do you want to be in 6 year? #3 (My neighbor's house...that we'd love to buy...one day when they...move!)
Where were you last night? parent's
What you're not? 20
Muffins? blueberry
One of your wish list items? maid
Time? scarce
Where you grew up? suburbs
The last thing you did? yawn
Favorite weather? warm
What are you wearing? jeans
Favorite book? (A Tree Grows In) Brooklyn
Your TV? antique
Your pet? none
Your computer? MAC (but it's still at the Apple store waiting for me to buy it)
Your mood? happy
Missing someone? My younger self
Your car? Odyssey
Something you're not wearing? socks
Favorite store? LM
Love someone? Yes
Favorite color/shade? ocean
Last thing you ate? pancake
Your life? busy
Your friends? best
What are you thinking right now? noisy
What are you doing at this moment? Duh!
Your summer? Elmwood
Your relationship status? married
What do you do when you can't sleep? ridiculous!
When is the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? Dunno

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Save Trees...Eliminate Homework

Repost back at 9-18-08 11:55PM

Here they are...first or second day back pics memorialized for all time on a scrapbook page. A T-shirt inspired the title of Kevin's Back2School layout. I'm still laughing at the expression of trepidation on his face.


























Brendan surprisingly enough looks happy as he heads out the door! This totally out of character expression is explained in the post below.


























These scrapbook pages were done for Lifetime Moments and are featured in the September 18th issue of their weekly newsletter. Each issue is packed full of articles about techniques, how to's, tips, member profiles, product reviews, picks of the week from the member Gallery, contest information, announcements, and updates about the latest products to hit the store! Get LM Style in your email every Thursday! Go to: http://www.lifetimemoments.com/newsletter.htm to subscribe!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

What's Wrong With This Photo?!



















#1 It's a Back To School photo of a teenager!
#2 That teenager is Brendan!
#3 Brendan is SMILING on his way out the door to Brother Martin High School!
#4 There are KEYS in his hand!

Ahhh...but the secret is this:
It is the LAST First Day at Brother Martin EVER!

And that makes all the difference in the world to him.

Back 2 School

I thought I'd do something a little different this year...SECOND Day of School Pictures! OK...so actually I was rushing around too much on day 1 and never got around to it. No biggie. There were a few subtle changes in attitude this year. Kevin heard that one of the 3rd grade teachers decorates her classroom in a Spongebob motif, but sadly, it was not his fate to be assigned there. Instead he was put into another third grade classroom. He had also already decided that he wasn't going to like this teacher, having formed faulty opinions based on last year's observations from afar. Thankfully, as the days progress, he is realizing that she is NOT mean and DOES in fact smile. Another plus...his best friend Christian is in the same class! But homework is as dreaded as ever.


Doesn't this face say it all!?