One week later...

well I've been on my diet for one week. I weighed this morning and only lost 1 pound. At this rate I won't make my goal of 15 pounds by my brother's wedding so I better step it up a notch. I'm hoping we start to have good morning weather so Braden and I can go walking, but it's still too cold right now and the poor kid is on a good no sick run so I'd like to keep it that way!

on another note, we've got the card challenges still going on over at the playground. Today's challenge is to use 7 brads on your card - if you get one done pop on and let us know, we'd love to see!

Here are a few of the cards I've done this month -

use blue, yellow, and green together:

Make an Easter card:

use something clear (the snowflake in the center)

use 10 flowers:

use a tab:

use a picture: (this went to my baby brother for his birthday yesterday! Happy 19th Tyler!!!)

use an office supply (label sticker):

Congratulations!!!

Kim Marie! I'll send your email to Jen @ Ready, Set, Create and get your one year subscription set up! Thanks for being the only one to take me up on my challenge :)

Arizona pictures

Okay - here are a few...I'm having some network issues and for SOME REASON Darren isn't fixing it! lol But I'll do what I can to share :)

Here's the "Welcome Sign"....we almost missed it...well we did, and turned around to go back for the picture!

Landscape - it's pretty, but I prefer trees!

This is in Tortilla Flats (pop. 6). Inside is a gift shop, bar, and restaurant...we had lunch here.

The inside is covered with dollars from people all over the world that have dined here. This is the ceiling above our table.

Braden and I outside waiting for everyone.

The famous "toilet seats". There are 2 hanging outside...a larger one for adults and this one for kids. Braden thought this was fun and kept wanting to do it again! lol

The road into/out of town is the kind that makes you nauseous, or it makes ME nauseous. You know, super tight 's' curves....I took Dramamine! It would've help had I not had a migraine fighting it! lol Anyway, the last 2 pictures were taken on the way back down, when I wasn't as green :)

Remember the challenge I gave you?

on Feb 15th here on my blog? well there's still time to do it! Tomorrow is the deadline, right now Kim Marie is the winner!!! Come on, let's get going!!!

http://mysimplelittleblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-challenge.html

You just thought you'd get photos!

Darren is working on the pictures and until he's done I've been denied access! so nothing to share YET!

today I'm starting my diet - I'm really wanting to lose 15 pounds before I go to my brother's wedding in May - that's 2 months and I think I can do it! ya'll are my proof that I'm committing to it!!!

All right Holly!!! Finally doing this

Holly tagged me, and I was on vacation so I didn't get it done, but I don't want to be a slacker so here I go.

5 things you cannot live without under $10
1. Diet Coke
2. Nonfat Caramel Macchiato's
3. scrap goodies - many are under $10 so I'll be generic here :)
4. moisture chap stick
5. twizzlers

5 favourite movies
1. Bad Boys
2. The Replacements
3. National Treasure
4. Saw (all 4)
5. The Island

Baby names you love(but won’t use)
Girls
1. Addison
2. Maggie
3. Hayden
4. Hannah
5. Olivia
Boys
1. Conner
2. Dakota
3. Grady
4. Brady
5. Carson

5 songs you could listen to over and over:
1. Remember When, Alan Jackson
2. Ready for a Slow Down, Dierks Bentley
3. Bring it on Home, Little Big Town
4. Carried Away, George Strait
5. Watching Airplanes, Gary Allan

5 people who influenced your life in a positive way:
1. Darren - he has brought me out of my shell in many ways
2. Mom - always my supporter, no matter what
3. The little people in my house - they remind me of the little things in life
4. Dad - though I don't know if I've ever told him - I'm really like him more than I realized
5. Kimmie - she's such a great wonderful positive friend - I wanna be like her :)

5 things that stay in your purse all the time
1. wallet
2. hand lotion
3. nail file
4. perfume gel
5. trident gum

5 moments you knew changed you forever:
1.my wedding day
2. becoming a mom for the first time
3. then the second time! lol
4. moving to OK, but it took a few years to realize it
5.

5 obsessions you have right now:
1. coffee
2. losing 15 pounds by May 17th
3. scrapping - the shopping, the doing, the whole creative process!
4. trying to get Braden to stop throwing things. ugh
5. coffee

5 places you would really love to go:
1. Paris France
2. Venice, Italy
3. New England in the fall
4. Hawaii
5. Montana or Colorado - I've decided I want to live in one of those states :)

Im taggin these 5
1. Kimmie
2. Marti
3. Mel
4. Erika
5. Nicole

Happy to be home!

We made it home from Arizona yesterday afternoon around 3pm. Our kids are EXCELLENT travelers so the 2 day drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!

I'll be back with pictures later :)

wow, been a while...

so what's happened?

**I turned 33 on the 25th, ugh...why can't we get younger on our birthdays?

**we're finishing up the "beat the blues" event over at the playground

**both kids decided strep sounded fun, so they got it, lol

**I finished Neil & Jennifers wedding invitations and reply cards!!!!

**tomorrow we head out for our 2 day trip to Arizona!

**oh, and this came today!!!!

That's about all I can think of - not much in 2 weeks, huh? We're excited to see my grandpa & Wendy, Auntie Pam & Uncle Ray - not to mention my mom and Joe, Uncle Brian, Tammi & Rich, Vanessa & Kurt - and whoever else shows up! lol PLUS - I get to meet Jen Blackwell!!! The fun owner of Ready, Set, Create e-zine, and my "boss" - lol.

Will update again after the trip - later ya'll!

A day at the park!

Yesterday we had a 56 degree day...so after Hailee got home from school we all went to the park!! Tons of fun was had by all! Except Hailee fell flat on both knees within minutes of getting there and she was so sad :( but she finally perked back up and played with her brother posed for the family photo!

new challenge...

well since nobody did my Valentine challenge, I'm extending, and modifying it! lol

Rules:

Make an Easter card or layout.
Post it in ANY of your galleries, and put the link in the comments section of THIS POST.
Deadline is March 15th.

I'll randomly draw 2 names to get a free copy of the Feb/Mar issue of Ready, Set, Create E-Zine!!!!!!

are you up for the challenge????????????????????

who's up for a Valentine challenge???

I want you to make a Valentine's Day card.....use lots of red with either white or pink. Post the cards in the Ready, Set, Create Gallery by end of day February 14th. Then post here that you did it. I will randomly draw 2 names - those 2 people will get a free copy of the February/March issue of the RSC ezine!!!!!

it starts TOMORROW!

The February Beat the Winter Blues event starts tomorrow over at the Playground. What can you expect?

*challenges DAILY
*games (bingo, scattergories, and mad gab to name a few)
*'it'
*prizes
*and so much more!!!!

so grab some friends and head on over for some fun!!!!

So So excited!

well, I've been submitting a lot of layouts to Jen for her issues of Ready, Set, Create. I guess she got tired of the emails back and forth because she invited me back on the creative team!!! I'm super excited to work for her again. She's amazing, and easy to work for! She told me when I left a year ago that she'd try to have a spot for me later....I'm glad she was able to do that, because now I'm ready!

so I'm gonna jump right in and get to work....be back later when I wash all the glue and paint off my hands!

go check it out - www.readysetcreate.com

Some new shots of my GORGEOUS kids :)

okay - so of course I think they're gorgeous - but look at Hailee! She's so completely away from the baby phase and totally into the little girl-onto big girl phase! wow.

she is SO into the story she was telling me!

do you see this? He's telling me NO-NO!

wow, look at her...totally happy!

stinker! I asked for a smiling face and this is what she gave me! smart kid :)

awwww, looking up at Daddy to get his tools...

Let's see...I've updated my slide on the right. I almost messed up and put my layouts for February in there! That would've been bad.....no sneak peeks here!!

Darren's parents will be here on the 12th to visit for 8 days - very exciting times...it's been a while since they've been to Oklahoma - and they're willing to go to Hailee's Valentine Party at school so boy is she bursting at the seams!!!

There's a BIG event coming up at the Playground starting Feb 4th! Challenges, games, lots of fun, and in the end - PRIZES!!!! SO come check it out! I'm really hoping to get a lot of layouts done this time - I haven't been doing ANY challenges lately and kick myself for it...so bring it on!

okay - so that's all I have to report - OH WAIT! Darren will be putting the PINK paint on the office walls HOPEFULLY tomorrow - which means by Friday Hailee will be in her new room!!! yay! Progress. finally.

I scrapped!!!

wow, I was able to get 3 layouts done the past couple days!! go me :) lol

This is Hailee with my grandma and grandpa. She was 13 months old. This was the only time she was able to be with my grandma. :(



this picture of Hailee was taken sometime last year I believe - so I'm guessing she's about 5.

My sister with the kids...Hailee is 5 and Braden is just 4 months old - wow time flies!

More 3 Bugs work

I made this cute little tag and sent it to Kristi. Just a thanks for all her help at the playground.


And this is a picture of a strand of icicle light that hung on our house for the holidays. This is the beginning of our ice storm...it became much worse. Used Fancy pants felt for the corner...it is sprayed with Glimmer Mist and a Heidi Swapp acrylic snowflake is attached in the middle! TFL!

Crop at the Playground

Kimmie and I are going to do a little mini crop this weekend at Scrapbook Playground. lots of challenges to get you scrapping. games to occupy any time you have left over. and anyone who participates gets their name in my January rak basket!!!!

so who's gonna play???? I'll get bingo started too...I'll try to post words tonight so you can pm me your list by Thursday.

This is last minute so we're gonna move fast...hope you'll join us!!!

Just a reminder....

there's a contest at the Playground! Show us your layouts using 3Bugs in a Rug!!!! Get them in our contest gallery before the end of the month!!!!

3 Bugs in a Rug!!!!!

Holy cow! I just LOVED the Luke & Lola line I was given for my January products! 3 Bugs is definitely on my "faves" list right now! It has sheets perfect for boys AND girls....and isn't that just perfect for my kids???? Here are the projects I uploaded today...there'll be more on the 20th!



Thanks to 3bugs for being a great sponsor, I had so much fun!!!



oh, and if you have some of their stuff in your stash, then head over the Playground and enter our January contest!!!




here is a tag I made for Hailee's backpack...the cool thing? the tag is a diecut!! all I did was add stickles, a cut out flower, and the letter H!!

Here is a layout featuring my Hailee! Such a pretty girl....I used glimmer mist on the white paper for sparkle...she approved, lol.

And my Bubby. Hailee calls him Bub. She saw this picture and laughed at "silly Bub" so that's what I called it....and that's what the journaling is about.

Happy Birthday, Hailee Bug!

Today my little Munch turned 6....bittersweet. She's growing up, and we're so proud of her. But where did my baby go?

Apparently it was "the bestest birthday day ever". lol It was the best Christmas last week so we must be doing something right! lol

Today was just a day with us....we'll do the "party" on the 12th...after people have recovered from the holiday chaos.

Here are a few pictures from today...opening gifts and enjoying her ice cream cone at McDonalds.

Santa was here!!!

We had a very merry Christmas and hope ya'll did too!

Here is a picture of our tree after Santa visited! We couldn't believe the wonderful gifts he left for the kids...that guy ROCKS!!!

Some pictures - to tell the story of the last couple weeks!

Ice. Santa. Snow.

I'll get the pictures from our ice storm damage on here shortly - have to find the folder. Tulsa will never look the same.

Pageframes....and cards.

Well, today is upload day at the playground. This month the design team is being spoiled by Pageframes! wow! their stuff is so cool...it scares me! I'm not creative enough, lol. But, here are my first 2 creations....the rest won't be revealed until the 20th! The first one is their clear bell...I added some Basic Grey paper, ribbon, buttons, and a rubon....too cute! The second, I traced the snowflake with stickles! I just couldn't alter the actual snowflake, because I only get once chance!

Also, I have all 75 or so cards DONE! All I need to get are the cute little Christmas stamps from the post office and these puppies are GONE! yay! I must say, I was really scared about making them, but the came together nicely that it really didn't take as long as I was expecting. So, I'll probably do it again next year! lol

whew!

We spent HOURS preparing for our FAMILY Christmas photo! I told Darren I would not share until all cards are assumed to be received, but wow, what a day. We did all the "prep work" while Braden napped, so we were ready when he was...but by then Hailee was worn out (okay, it could be due to the 100+ fever she has along with a sore throat), but we got it. It took almost 2 hours to get the proper camera settings, family arrangement, and timer figured out...but when the time came, we only took about 15-20 shots before we had the declared "winner"!

So I've printed 54 pictures, matted them to paper (will trim them down tomorrow!), printed 54 greetings and matted them to paper (yes, Darren helped with all of this and I am forever grateful!), will cut those tomorrow too. So, I get to put it all together tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, I'll actually be on time and have my cards mailed by the 5th!!!!

WAHOO!!!

Test shots

Darren needed to test the settings on his camera so that we're ready when it's time to do the family Christmas photo. Hailee was more than willing to be the "test dummy", Braden needed some bribery, but a couple shots turned out good enough for me to put down on paper!

and this one just cracks me up! This is what it's like trying to get Braden to cooperate when he's tired and hungry!!!!