So much to Scrap~So Little Time

New Blog Address

Hi Everyone!!!  Just wanted to let you know that I have a new blog address!!! I am very excited about it, and it's a work in progress... but it's up and running... Please update your bookmarks :) I will keep this one going for about a month... Here's the new adress...

juliek.org

 
The new blog houses everything all in one space!!! Family "stuff" crafty projects... one stop shopping!!!

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Now, I totally know that she won't be letting me call her "Baby" for long... at least not where she can hear me :) I already get the hand-on-the-hip... "MOM, I'm NOT a BABY" most of the time when I call her that... but hey, she'll always be MY baby :) Here's a couple pics from the big day... She had a friends party at The Champion Factory... What a Blast!!! Here she is at home, getting ready for the party...

and waiting for her friends to arrive, with her Bratz cake :)

Just for fun... Here's a couple (scanned, so the quality isn't the best... they're pre-digital camera!!) photos from Kathryn's FIRST birthday... Yup... that's the beginning of the sweet tooth :) She LOVES cake!!

Happy Snow Day!!!

Well... We're on Snow Day number 2!!! UNHEARD of here :) I don't think we've had 2 snowdays total in 3 years, nevermind 2 in a row!! (BTW, I am NOT complaining!!! We've had a fun time this morning in the snow!!)  Here's a few pics from this morning, now that the sun's out!!

Sean sliding down the mountain of snow near the front stairs...

Kathryn just laying in the snow... 'cause she can :)

Both of them throwing snow at me...

Finley in Doggie Heaven...

he was bounding in the snow, and digging, and bounding some more...

Literally giddy... Not sure I've ever seen a dog laugh before :) but he was honestly giddy about the snow :) maybe all that bounding will help him shed some of his fatty mcfattyness :)

Happy New Year!

I'm not a huge "New Years Resolutions" person... I usually make them, but I'm not always (read: never) very good at choosing reachable goals... or keeping the unreasonable goals that I've made... So, with that in mind... Here's my list for now... subject to change :)

I know that lots of people have a "word" of the year... Another thing I haven't been successful with... BUT this is the year of "Blessings" As in, I'm going to remember to count them every day... No matter the sadness or struggle, or the wonderful achievements... there are many blessings to have AND to share... And, so that's goal number 1 for this year... Be mindful of the blessings...

Goal 2... Church... I know I'm "odd" but, I LOVE to go to church... For me, it's a restful, peaceful place... but I never go... I don't really have any reason why... but that changes this week... I could use some "mind" rest... and Church is the best place for me to find that. And along with this... I would love to actually finish (as in listen every day, not just a month or 3 weeks at a time) www.dailyaudiobible.com love Brian's voice and view... and would LOVE to get through the whole of the bible in a year.  And, who doesn't love to be read to :)

Goal 3... ummm... the house... I'm going to try very hard to slowly get a handle on the house so that it's cleaner and more organized... we have too much "stuff" and need to purge, but also just set up some routines so that it doesn't always look like a war zone when you walk in the house... Or so that people can actually stop by without panic around the house.

Goal 4... health... I need to get more exercise... not just chasing the kids... but actual purposeful movement...And, with the new Dr. who actually listens, get a handle on the migraines and any other issues.

Goal 5... actually much higher priority... but these aren't really in any order... less yelling... It's not the kids' fault that I have migraines or am tired and crabby... so I'm going to try VERY hard to dig in and find more patience...

I think 5 is good for now... I can always add to the list if I accomplish everything :)

Thank you Santa!!

Well... Santa's elves were certainly busy before loading the sleigh to come to our house!! Here's my 2 favorite shots from the morning gift-fest :) Kathryn with her giant penguin... and Sean with Epic Mickey!!

Merry Christmas!!

Yeah!! The Christmas Family book is done... AND arrived in the mail today... in time to send to my grandparents in FL :) YEAH!!!  So, the book really has nothing at all to do with Christmas... Except that it is the Christmas present for many family members!!!  It's a year-in-review book, starts with January and goes through Thanksgiving... 50 pages, plus a cover... All digitally scrapped, then printed and bound by lulu.com

Here's the picture that's on the cover :) Don't peek if you don't want to see :) The digital pages and elements are by www.shabbyprincess.com She makes beautiful digital elements, and I almost always (the last few years at least) use her piece-of-cake albums for the basis of the book... The book itself is 8.5x8.5 and glossy full color cover and inside pages...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

My very favorite holiday of the year!!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! A few pics of us getting ready to go :) Don't look too close :) The first one will most likely be our Christmas card :) Oh, and did you catch "mr-I'm-too-cool" in his new smirky smile?  that's about all I get at the moment, still cute... but give me a "real" smile!!

 

Summer Reading

Ever since the Easter Bunny brought me an ipad, I've been reading like crazy!!! I've always LOVED to read, but finding time to read and getting books has been a challenge... Not now, when someone can recommend a book, and in about 5 seconds (if that) I can purchase, download, and start reading!!! Here's what I've read so far this summer... (links are to amazon if you want to see the full descriptions... I got most of them in ibooks, but a couple in Kindle) So, if you've been wondering... here's the answer to some of "What did you do all summer" :)

Game Change by John Heilmann and Mark Halpern (actually finished this before summer vacation started)

Pretty interesting behind the scenes view of the last presidential election... Thought it was an entertaining and interesting read... Didn't take too long either :)

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I found this very fast read HIGHLY entertaining... I love the quasi-sci-fi books, like the Harry Potter books, and just loved this one... Gonna get the others as well... Just haven't yet...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book... could hardly set it down, even though it isn't a "happy" book, I just thought it was wonderful!

A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion

Hmmmm... I didn't love this one... I thought it was just OK... The main character didn't seem as scattered as I'd expect, and it just didn't go where I wanted... I'm not sad I read it, but it's not one I'd personally tell anyone to buy...

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

OMG... I read this book a million years ago, but wanted to read his newer one World Without End... So, I decided to reread this one... I'm so glad I did!! It was one of my all-time favorite books, and still is... it's not all rainbows and sunshine... but the story's so good, it doesn't matter that it's not all happy :) So glad I decided to read it again, and also glad I read it before World Without End... I don't think it's necessary to read them together, but I certainly set the mood!!

World Without End by Ken Follett

Yup... LOVED it... I don't think I loved it quite as much as the first one, BUT thought it was great!! Another "couldn't bear to put it down" book :)

Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas

Didn't expect to love this... but totally did!!! It was recommended on a scrappy blog that I frequent, so I bought it... It starts with a kind-of (well, very) sad part of the story... And, you know me... I don't like sad stories!!! BUT it is just a wonderful story from there... Really, don't miss this one... I'd recommend it to anyone!!

What's next?? I'm not sure... I have a couple of samples of books in my reader... we'll have to see, the next couple weeks are pretty busy...

A Pot of Gold...

Well... Although we chased the rainbow all over town, we never did find the pot of gold :) We were driving home from swimming at Nana and Pa's, when we saw this fabulous rainbow... but the camera was at home, of course!!!  So, we raced home and ran across the street with the camera to try to get some shots of the spectacular light show!!! The big yellow house is across the street... we have too many big old trees to see it from our house... I've never seen a rainbow that you could see both ends of before!!! As we drove across the highway overpass, you could actually see it start in the roadway, then go across and you could see the entire arch... but alas... no camera... That's OK :) We saw it...

 

Visit My Project Gallery

Welcome to my blog!!  If you're looking for my altered/scrapbook pages/crochet projects please click the picture below to head over to my Gallery Blog where you'll find my most recent projects, like this Summer Fun layout featuring  American Crafts patterned papers!!

 

Happy Birthday Sean!!!

I find it VERY hard to believe that my little man is now 9 years old!!! We went out this morning and got his "Lego Harry Potter" game for the DS which was released today :) Perfect timing!!!  Well, as a little trip down memory lane... here's a few photos that I scanned (from the pre-digital era)

One of my very favorite photos of Sean... about 1 month old with my sister... He was CHUNKY :) Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks??

 

Then in November with my Gram... Sean was about 5 months old, and I think weighed more than Gram did :) (man, I need to clean the scanner bed... there's some fuzz on there that I know isn't on the photo)

 

Then a couple of my favorite 1 year old photos... just 'cause he's so darn cute :) and his little Michelan Man rolls had rolls of their own :)

 

 
And, now here he is today... a pic from Pack Monadnock a couple weeks ago... No more Michelan Man, but I still like to pinch his cheeks just for fun :)

 

 

Happy Birthday Sean!!!!