I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I just LOVE Halloween! Here's some photos of the girls this morning! It's going to be a BEAUTIFUL day, and I'll get lots of outside photos when they get home from school! Can't wait!


Miss America and the grumpy "not a morning person" look WONDERFUL!! Look at Emily's FANTASTIC Miss America sash. My wonderful blogging friend Judy made that sash! Judy, it's PERFECT!! Thank you so much!!


Jessica couldn't keep a grumpy look on her face. She kept laughing!! Love it! On her mug and on her mask it says, "I don't do mornings!"


Emily is looking way too grown up in this photo! We got that gorgeous dress and scarf at a thrift store for $8. It was brand new with tags on it!!


Yes, of course Princess needed to get in a photo! She was seriously waiting to be invited into a photograph! She's such a silly girl! Jessica has her grumpy face on, and Emily is practicing her Miss America wave! FANTASTIC GIRLS!


I've NEVER done an updo before. What do you think? I was patting myself on the back. This turned out much better than I expected. It actually looks like I knew what I was doing!!


Wow! Great hair Emily!


This is Jessica's messy hair! Her hair is gorgeous!


I had to spray in the toussled look! Love it!

So, it was a busy morning getting them ready. They are at school, and I hope their costumes are a big hit, and I hope they have lots of FUN! Have a wonderful Halloween everyone! BOO! Thanks for stopping by!

Hi - 2 Sketches 4 You

I got a chance to create a card for Kazan's Sketch 12 at 2 Sketches 4 You. I love their sketches!


I used Making Memories Fifth Avenue papers, Lil' Davis chipboard letters, American Crafts ribbon, and a grungeboard swirl. I used Distress Ink on the grungeboard. I also added a Prima and a trio of rhinestones on the swirl. Isn't that houndstooth epoxy button on the Prima totally cute? I love it!

I cannot believe it's Halloween tomorrow! Eek! I'm not sure we're ready. The morning of Halloween is always so crazy. Both of my girls are wearing their costumes to school. We love Halloween . . . can't wait! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Fall Concert

The Junior High Fall Concert was last night, and everyone did such a great job!


Here are Emily and Jessica before the concert.


This is the Marching Band on the floor. There were incredible. Both girls are in Marching Band.


I couldn't zoom out far enough, but this is at the end of the James Bond Theme. The Marching Band makes a "007" on the floor. You can see part of the first "0", almost all of the second "0", and all of the "7". It's VERY cool!!


Then the choir sang. They were also excellent! Well done!!

So, it was a very fun evening. The girls and the entire band and choir were just amazing! These kids work so hard, and the band directors are just fantastic! I am now the official photographer for the Music Boosters. I took 70 photos. I have to admit, I'm pleased with how most of them turned out!

I have tons of running around to do, so off I go. Have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #21

This is my layout for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #21 at Sketches! {by Tamara}. Our required items to use on our project were:

• bling
• a punch
• a non-scrapbooking related item

I created this FUN page featuring Princess. I used Cosmo Cricket Halfway Cafe. Love it! All of the papers, the title, the swirls, and the tag are Halfway Cafe. The bling includes two glitter Making Memories brads and six rhinestones. The punch is my threading water punch, and the non-scrapbook related item are the tickets. I added a Prima, and I sewed on a button for the flower center. I journaled on the computer, and then I printed it on a tag. You can click on the layout to see it larger.

If you create a card or a layout using this recipe, be sure to link it back to Tamara's site. Also, be sure to check out what the design team created with this recipe!

Yesterday was a busy and expensive day. Ever have days like that? Luckily for us, not too often!! The girls have their first band concert tonight. I can't wait. They both play in marching band, and they both sing in the choir. I'll be taking lots of photos! I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - Nut Cup Challenge

Our challenge this week over at Bitten By The Bug was to use the nut cup on the Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More cartridge. Be sure to check out all of the design team creations!


I was inspired by a lyric in the Let It Snow! song. One of the lines is, "And I've bought some corn for popping". So, I decided to fill my nut cup with popcorn! I guess that makes it a popcorn cup! Anyway, I used DCWV patterned cardstock. The foam snowflake is attached with a red rhinestone Making Memories brad. I printed the lyrics for the song on cardstock, and I attached them to the popcorn bag with holiday ribbon. Click on the image to see it larger! This is my last BBTB project. I am leaving the team. I originally joined the team so that I would use my Cricut more. However, most of the challenges used cartridges that I do not own, so I was getting a lot of my cuts from DeeDee. I wanted to use MY Cricut, not give DeeDee's Cricut a workout! So, I decided to leave the team. I want to thank Regina! I really enjoyed working with the BBTB team! I'll miss you all!

So, it was a BUSY weekend, and it's going to be a busy week! The girls have a lot of school and band activities, and we still have some Halloween preparation to take care of this week. I hope you all had a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

7 Random Facts

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday! I was tagged by Pearl and Tina, so like it or not, here are 7 random facts about me!

1. I love contests and challenges. However, for me, just participating is FUN! Winning isn't the most important thing. Keeping that in mind, I still want you to comment for ME on Cosmo's Blog! PLEASE!! Just tell them that Carol (ScrapMomOf2) sent you!! I will have a wonderful RAK for one of you that commented if I win!! Thanks!! You are all the BEST!
2. My 15th wedding anniversary is in November. I would marry Dave again in a heartbeat! I love him so much!!
3. I think being a mom is the most important thing that I do on a daily basis.
4. I am so thankful for the life that I live. I have an amazing husband and fantastic children, and I am so lucky to have them!
5. I'm baffled and worried about the economic mess that the entire country is going through.
6. I am the youngest of three children. My husband is the oldest of three children.
7. I still have a Raggedy Ann doll that I got when I was four years old. She was waiting for me in my bedroom when I got home from having my tonsils out. I love that doll!

I was going to skip the tagging part of this, but what fun would that be? So, I'm tagging: Fiona, Lauren, Deborah, Chris, AnnMarie, Carole, and Liz (go comment on Liz's blog -- she has blog candy)!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and a great weekend! I'm chaperoning a PTA dance tonight, and tomorrow the girls and I are volunteering at the used book sale at our local library. Then, we need to finalize Halloween costumes! Thanks for stopping by!!

Can you PLEASE do me a favor?

Go to this Cosmo Cricket's blog posting, and tell them that Carol (ScrapMomOf2) sent you! I would really appreciate it! Thanks!!

Glasses

This is a layout I did a while ago for a design team submission. I just love this page!


The papers and embellishments are We R Memory Keepers, and the title is felt Thickers. I love the dimensional cardstock embellishment under the close up of Jessica. It says "wide-eyed wonder" . . . how perfect is that for a glasses page? Jessica's first pair of glasses were Scooby-Doo frames! I don't know what Scooby-Doo had to do with the glasses since there wasn't anything Scooby-like on the glasses, but she did get a Scooby-Doo case and a stuffed toy. Kinda crazy, but fun! Anyway, I also used my threading water punch and added some Primas to the layout.

It's been a busy week. I'm off today to help set up for the book sale at our public library. Tomorrow, I have errands to run with my husband, and then I'm chaperoning a PTA dance at the junior high. We have lots of little things to get done this weekend. We need to finish up Halloween costumes, and Emily needs to do more science fair testing. I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #20

It's scrapping recipe day at Sketches! {by Tamara}. This week, we were asked to use the following:

1. staples
2. paper piercing
3. gingham

Be sure to check out what the design team created for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #20! The cards and layouts are awesome!


I used My Mind's Eye papers, title, and transparency. The "have fun" is from a Love, Elsie paper, and I used my colored pencils on it. I paper pierced around the title, and I stapled gingham ribbon to it. I also used some gingham ribbon through the center of the Prima stack at the top of the page. The glitter chipboard flower used at the top and the heart at the bottom are both by ScrapWorks. The stamp at the top is by Autumn Leaves, and it's says "June '06 Memories". You can click on the layout to see it larger. I love these photos, and I love the way this page turned out! Silly girls!

I hope you have a great day. It's COLD out today! Brrr!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Saturday

Well, I'm sad to report that because of A LOT of rain, the girls did not have an opportunity to play with the high school band last night on the football field before the game. They were so disappointed. They did, however, get to practice sectionals with the high school band and another junior high school's band. They also got to practice on a side field with the same two bands. They were awesome! Then, the rain came. At first it was a drizzle, but then it was just relentlessly pouring!!


Here's Emily and Jessica after we got back inside. Everyone was soaked! The high school's band director was so disappointed for the kids. They practiced so hard for this night! Before we left, we were able to see the high school marching band perform in the gym. They were INCREDIBLE! It really gets the junior high marching band student's excited about what they will be doing in high school if they stick with marching band.

Today I met my girlfriend for coffee at Starbuck's. I am so happy when I get an opportunity to spend time with any of my girlfriends! It's always nice to catch up! When I got home, the girls and I took Princess to a dog park, and Emily tested more dogs on their paw preference. I posted this request a few days ago, but if you have a dog that "shakes" or gives "paw", can you please email me from my profile page? I would love it if you could help Emily with her science fair experiment!! Thanks!

So, that's it for me. I need to relax a little bit and hang out some more with my family. I made chili today, and it's delicious!! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by!!

Boo!

I have a fun Halloween page to share with you today. I made this a while ago for a design team call. I love using 8x10 photos on a scrapbook page.


This is Mary Poppins and Dorothy with Toto. Emily and Jessica look wonderful! Yes, Princess looks cute too. This is from Halloween 2006. I used Rusty Pickle papers and ki Memories ribbon. The title is QuicKutz. I did a lot of detail cutting on the pumpkin, cat, ghost, and spider. I love this page!! You can click on it to see it larger. DeeDee just commented and mentioned how much she likes the trees in the background, so I'm editing this post to tell you that those maple clump bushes are in our backyard, and I absolutely, positively LOVE them! I'm amazed by them every year, and I love the color change . . . just gorgeous!

I'm getting my hair cut and highlighted today, thank goodness. The girls have a band field night tonight. They go to the high school, and they get to play on the field with the high school marching band before the game. They then stay in the end zone with the band, and at half-time watch the high school marching band perform. After half-time, they can leave. I'm going to be chaperoning and taking photos. It's going to be COLD!! It's an awesome experience for them to get to play on the high school football field with the high school band, so this will be fun too. I hope you have a great day, enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Jump through the Hoop!

There were two online crops that I was trying to participate in over the weekend. Both ScrapCity and 4 Scrappy Sisters were hosting online crops. What's a girl to do? Combine challenges of course!!


I was inspired by the "raw challenge" at ScrapCity. We were challenged to use raw chipboard, kraft cardstock, or cardboard. I used raw chipboard letters, kraft cardstock (as a photo mat under one photo), and a raw grungeboard arrow. The chipboard letters and the "Hoop!" letters are both Basic Grey. I also used some small Making Memories alphabet stickers. I love this page! The girls were training Princess to jump through their hula hoops. Fun! So, this layout also worked for a "no challenge challenge" at 4 Scrappy Sisters. We were challenged just to create a scrapbook page! Works for me!!

I hope you all have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

wet 'n wild

One of the awesome challenges over at ScrapCity during the online Pink Crop this weekend was a sketch challenge using this fantastic October PageMaps sketch. Becky Fleck has the BEST sketches!

This is my page for the sketch. I LOVE the way this page turned out! I used My Mind's Eye papers. I cut the huge bracket and the title on my Expression. I used my threading water punch on a border strip. I did the journaling on my computer, and I cut it into strips. Isn't this just a fun page?

I have a question for all of you dog owners out there. If you have a dog that "shakes" or gives "paw", can you PLEASE email me from my profile page? I want to ask you to do something to help my daughter with her science fair experiment. It's very easy, and takes just minutes. THANKS!

I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #19

First off, before I get to my scrapping recipe challenge for this week, I want to announce that I am on the ScrapCity Creative Team! Yahoo! I love that site, and I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of their design team. I can't wait to get started!! Stop by and hang out if you get a chance. You will love the challenges each month, and it's just such a friendly message board!

Next, here is my page for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #19 at Sketches! {by Tamara}.


The challenge this month was set by ME, and here are the three recipe ingredients that needed to be used on our cards or layouts:

1. Felt
2. Stickles
3. An office supply or a library pocket

I had a lot of fun with this challenge. I finally scrapbooked the photos of the girls from Christmas 2005 when they got Mall Madness from their aunt, my sister-in-law, Kathy. She was so excited to buy this game for the girls, because it was the HOT toy for young girls in 2005!! The girls LOVED it, and they still love it three years later!! I cut my title on my Cricut using Cuttin' Up. I designed the page background to look like the game box. I added Stickles to the title letters and to an awesome felt border at the bottom. I bought that purple felt ribbon at a garage sale for 25 cents! It's thick and just awesome! I used my threading water punch on my DCWV patterned paper, I journaled on an American Crafts journaling sticker, and I added a paper clip with a bit of ribbon to one of the photos. On the other photo, I added a binder clip that says "Christmas". I also added two Primas topped by a felt flower that I cut in my Cuttlebug with a QuicKutz die. The flower stack is attached with a beautiful Making Memories brad. I love the way this layout turned out!! You can click on the layout to see it larger.

Be sure to check out what the other design team members created using my recipe! I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - Accent Essentials Challenge

We were challenged to use an Accent Essentials cut this week at Bitten By The Bug. Be sure to check out what the other designers created. Lots of clever, amazing projects! There is also a contest at the BBTB site. Have a look!


This is my card. The cut we used is the black divider piece on my card front. Isn't that a cool cut? I added some Karen Foster Halloween stickers, and that's it. Quick and easy card.

My girls are off from school today, and I have tons of cleaning and organizing to do. Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

ScrapCity Online Crop!

Have you ever participated in an online crop? They are VERY fun, and prizes are involved!


This weekend, ScrapCity is having a Pink Crop (for Breast Cancer awareness). There are THREE awesome sponsors and prize packages up for grabs. Join the board, and jump right in. There are some pre-crop challenges to get you motivated! I know you'll have a GREAT time! See you there? I hope so!!

WCMD Card and some fun photos!

This is a card that I made on World Cardmaking Day. I love this color combination.


I used some Autumn Leaves papers and epoxy stickers. The "hello!" letters are by Making Memories. The ribbon is from Michael's. Just a quick, simple, and easy card!


Fall is my favorite season. This is one of our maple trees in our parkway. I love that the leaves are just starting to change. It was gloomy yesterday, so I really need to take this photo again when the sun is out!


Emily and I spotted this grasshopper on the pillar by our front door. Cool! I ran inside to get my camera! Can you see that hair? That's a Princess hair! Totally cracked me up that it was stuck to the grasshopper's leg! Princess hair is everywhere!


Another one. Just look at that hair! I love the shadow too. Cool photo, don't you think?

Well, I need to get to the grocery store. The refrigerator is looking VERY empty! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Thank You Cosmo Cricket!

I often think that I am the luckiest blogger around! Julie Comstock picked my name in a giveaway at the Cosmo Cricket blog, and will you just look at what I got as a prize!!?!!


I am blown away by their generosity! They sent fantastic Wonderland 8x8 papers, journaling tags, strip tease pieces, etc. all in an awesome pad. How fun! They also sent the NEW "Oh Joy" 12x12 papers! These are brand NEW!! Wow, are these pretty! I've only seen them on the Cosmo Cricket site. I'm so excited, and can't wait to use these! Included in the "Oh Joy" pack, there are two pages of die cuts, and they fit on the buck naked chipboard that they ALSO included! Woohoo! I'm going to be having some holiday FUN! Thank you so much Cosmo Cricket. I'm overwhelmed and very appreciative!

Look at Tim Holtz's blog today. The Halloween tag he made is just AMAZING! It's probably my favorite tag he's ever made! WOW!

I also want you to check out a touching post by Glee. Do you visit Glee? If not, you should, because her cards are gorgeous! Yesterday, Glee posted an amazing card, and she dedicated it to me! I'm so honored and touched by her incredible sweetness. Wow, with getting amazing goodies and reading Glee's post, I had a GREAT day yesterday!

Well, I hope you have a fantastic day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #18

The Scrapping Recipe Challenge this week at Sketches! {by Tamara} is to include the following on your project:

1. Paint
2. Distressing
3. Buttons

Be sure to check out the wonderful cards and layouts that were created using this Scrapping Recipe #18!

I used GORGEOUS Cosmo Cricket Wonderland papers. I love that strip tease at the bottom of the page! I added it to two strips of paper that I used my threading water punch on. I actually sewed on six buttons, and I adhered that whole border strip to the bottom of my page. Love it! All of the cardstock edges are chalk ink distressed, including my photo mats and the title piece. The "Together" title is a foam stamp that I used paint on. I just love the way this page turned out! These photos are from 2005. That is my father-in-law in the bottom photo with his gorgeous granddaughters! This was our first Christmas with Princess, and she is proudly standing in front of her stocking!

Well, the Chicago baseball season is OVER! The White Sox lost last night. We're VERY used to saying, "Wait until next year." Oh well!

I'm off to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Pear Challenge

At the Bitten by the Bug site, we were challenged to use the pear on the home accents cartridge. Well, once again, I don't have that cartridge, and once again, the wonderful DeeDee came to my rescue and sent me the cut. Thanks DeeDee! I have to tell you, my card really pales in comparison to what the other designers created. You have got to check out what everyone made using this pear. Everyone was really inspired by the cut!


I used some My Mind's Eye papers from a slab that I got at Hobby Lobby. I distressed all the paper edges, and I chalked the edges of the pear. I stamped a $1 acrylic "thank you" stamp and detail cut it for my sentiment. I sewed on three very pretty buttons.

I'm so disappointed by the Chicago Cubs. They really went down, being swept by the Dodgers. They didn't even put up a fight. Disappointing to say the least, but then again, Chicago Cubs fans are used to being disappointed. The White Sox are still alive, so let's see what they do the rest of the post season.

I have to get organized today. I feel like I have tons of things to do, but I never seem to get them done. I'm going to prioritize, and try to get organized! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Happy Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

Halloween Fun

We had so much fun yesterday for World Cardmaking Day. I issued some challenges to the girls, Dave and I "judged" cards, and there were prizes! The girls got so much done, and they were so creative! For the first challenge, I gave them some cardstock, patterned paper, and stickers, all Halloween themed. I told them to create three cards, and this is what they made.


These are Emily's card. Emily is 12 years old -- aren't these fantastic?! You can click on the photo to see them larger.


These are Jessica's cards. Jessica is 11 years old -- she is a great cardmaker! Click on the photo to see her cards larger.


While the girls were creating their cards, I wanted to use my new Snag 'Em stamps that I got from Archiver's, so I created this card. FUN! Love these two stamps! I love the skeleton ribbon too. Dave and the girls got that for me last year at Michael's. I also used a cute bat Making Memories button that I've had for a long time!

So, I have more cards to show you this week. The girls got a ton done, and it was fabulous seeing them so excited about the challenges that were issued. Fun day! Great to see their creativity!

I hope you got a chance to create something. Have an awesome Sunday, and thanks for stopping by!

World Cardmaking Day!

Well, it's World Cardmaking Day, and the girls and I HOPEFULLY will be creating some fun stuff! I'll be posting some creations at the world cardmaking day site! Have fun! Create some cards!!

Friday Ramblings

First off, check out this link. Not only are those cupcakes completely adorable, but do you recognize the name that is mentioned? I've been following along with Julie's weigh-in Wednesdays, and she ends up generously giving away a prize the day after, and I won! Yeah! I love Cosmo Cricket! I have no idea what I won, but whatever it is, I appreciate it very much!! They are so FUN over at that site. I would love to work for that company!

Next, I thought I would share what I got at the garage sale that I went to. I got this for Emily. She loves it! The desk set is called "Handi". Get it? The pen is a arm and hand (can you see the smiley face on the index finger?), the stapler is an arm and a fist, and the tape dispenser is a hand. I just laughed when I saw it, and I got all three pieces for $2. Can't beat that! I set it all up on Emily's desk in her room, and she just loved finding it there!! Fun stuff, and that's why I love garage sales!


Last, can I just say that Thursday was NOT a good evening for Chicago baseball? The Cubs lost their 2nd game in a row, and losing another game is not an option for them. It's a must-win situation. The thing that gets me is that the Cubs have had a spectacular season, and it's so strange knowing that they could be and should be doing better in these post season games. So, come on, go Cubs go. Get it together!! The White Sox also lost their first post season game. Let's go Chicago!

Well, I'm happy to say that I'm meeting at least two of my girlfriends for lunch today. We don't get together often enough, so it will be great to catch up with them. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and thanks for stopping by!

So Much Love

I created this page for a color challenge where we needed to use red, lime green, orange, and black. I just love this photo of the girls with Princess. Yes, we're crazy about our dog! It's really fantastic to see the girls with Princess. They love her so much, and it just warms my heart to see them play and spend time with her!


I used gorgeous My Mind's Eye papers that are in a huge slab that I got at Hobby Lobby a while ago. I love my MME slabs! I was going for a very clean and simple look, so I added strips of each of the patterned papers on one side of the black cardstock page. My youngest, Jessica, later told me that the different length strips remind her of the bars indicating cell phone coverage that you see in some commercials! Not quite what I was going for, but a very humorous and somewhat accurate observation! Anyway, I left lots of negative space, and above the photo, I adhered a Prima, and for the flower center, I used a Scenic Route chipboard circle that says "so much love". Under the photo, I used the same three colors of my patterned paper, and I adhered an orange, lime green, and red glitter Making Memories brad trio. I love the simplicity of this page, because I think it really showcases the photo.

Well, I'm going to try to get to at least one garage sale today. I LOVE garage sales! I'll let you know if I find anything exciting! It's been chilly the last couple of days, but I have to admit, I love it! I'm sad to say that the Cubs lost last night, but hopefully they WIN tonight. I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Relax

At 4 Scrappy Sisters, one of the September challenges was so use a large element on your page, so I decided to use this giant Scenic Route arrow. How fun!


I could not get a good photograph of this page. The colors are so pretty, and I really couldn't capture it. I took these photographs standing up in the girls' skyfort. They were relaxing on the grass in the backyard, and I just couldn't resist taking pictures of them! The glitter chipboard letters are by ScrapWorks. The chipboard piece I used for the center of my Prima says "simple pleasures", and it's also by Scenic Route. I cut the circles with my Coluzzle, and I added two QuicKutz photo corners. I also used my Uniball Signo pen to add some white dot trios. I love the way this page turned out. You can click on it to see it larger.

Well, I don't want to jinx anything, but there is HUGE excitement in the Chicagoland area. Both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox have clinched their divisions, and they will both be playing post-season playoff games. I cannot even tell you how exciting that is for us! Go Cubs Go! That's all I have to say . . . for now!!

I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!