July August and September's favorites...

I am continuing with my countdown of my month by month top favorites. These are not my best work for each month...keep that in mind...these are the ones that are dear to my heart for one reason or another...my personal favorites. I will post another post late tonight before my final favorite for tomorrow...but here goes the next three in the monthly line-up..

Here is July. I think I chose this one for July for 2 reasons...One...the colors just seem to catch my eye...even now...and Two...It was the first time that I think I successfully matched papers to my kid's clothing! LOL...signs of a true scrapper right? I have hidden journaling behind the big circle mat...accessible through the ribbon plking out...it gives the whole story behind the girl and the "Princess Dress"


Here is August...I think I chose this one for the sheer simplicity in it. There is almost nothing to this layout, yet it still calls to me. Maybe the white on white, or maybe the black and white photo...don't know...but I love it anyway.



And September...Skye started school. I think I chose this one not only because I love the simple design...but because it noted her first day of school,, her favorite school outfit, the special bow that I made for her...and because it is so perfect for September. I think I also developed a love for polka dots around this time of the year. I noticed that many of my layouts contained polkas! LOL

This one was pubbed in January Scrap street!!! Go check it out!!!


Thank you for stopping in to see me again! Have a Happy New Year's Eve...and Please Don't Drink and Drive tonight!!!!!! I want you all to come back tomorrow for my final post!

#5~6~&7

Sorry that I am late with this post...kids at home for the holidays make being on time for ANYTHING difficult! I did finally narrow down my # ones for April, May and June...so here they are... (5-6-&7)

April brought on the CK scrapbook Expo to Houston...and I created this layout to enter into one of the contests. I did not win...but came very close! I tried my hand at border punches on this one...which I have since become ADDICTED to. I also used rub ons here...and I found out that I do like them.


May brought on new techniques...like paper burning...!!??? I had never even imagined that I would burn my paper for my scrapbooks...but I did ...and while I love how it looks...it is not a technique that I have maintained as one of my favorites. This layout also is special to me because it is my daughter's song and NAME...a super special little girl!



And now June. I think this layout ranks super high on my all time favorites. Not only did it win in the Scraptathalon challenge that I participated in...but it also won the hearts of many many people. This is my family...all of our hands in a circle...never ending. This is the way that God intended it...and the way that I hope that it will stay. I did circle journaling...which was part of the challenge...and I had never done...I used tons of flowers, stickles, ribbon, and a metal butterfly jewel that had come from a broken necklace. Obviously by now...I have grown a LOT in my scrapping, and in my confidence in my self and my abilities to create a worthy layout.



Thank you all for looking! I will be back again tomorrow with 3 more...THESE will be super hard. It is getting to the end of the year and by now, I am loving more of my layouts than I used to..and I am preparing myself to try out for a Design team for the very first time in my life......stay tuned for tomorrow's reveal!

Top Ten in 2009...

I got an idea from my super talented friend Lady Grace that I just HAVE to follow through with. She suggested posting your personal TOP TEN favorites of your own work in 2009...kind of a year in review. I LOVE that idea! I have over 200 layouts this year...so it will NOT be an easy thing to capture in TEN favorites...but I will try.
I will be posting a few a day...ending with the last one on New Years Day...2010. I will be posting the top ten...One from each month...so bare with me...because I have grown TREMENDOUSLY as a scrapper form January until now. Keep in mind these are not my top ten best...they are my top ten favorites MONTH BY MONTH...for 2009.
We are going to start with January, February and March.

Here is JANUARY's layout. After a 2 year hiatus of not scrapping at all...I decided it was time to scrapbook. I dove into Scrapbook.com and gained tons of inspiration... learned that there were things like bling and flowers out now! WOW!
I set my goal...20 layouts a month for the entire year...and I started. This was done with a map from Pagemaps.com. an inspired by the Jamey Johnson song...You Should Have Seen it in Color.


Here is February...I am not sure that this one was done in February..because in the early part of the year I was not keeping track of my layouts. This one was inspired by a challenge on SB.com...It was a questionaire for each of my kids to answer about their thoughts of me. I LOVED reading the answers...and it is very dear to my heart. Obviously...after the discovery of blossoms and bling...I got hooked!


Here is March...obviously. This is my 2 beautiful daughters smooching at me in the photo. I LOVE this one...because I HATE the color green...but it looks great here for some reason. This is my 3rd month into 2009 and I think you can see that I have already grown a bit in my scrapping. I have used my cricut...infused some embellies...inked... and I even used a paper with a bit of a pattern instead of JUST PLAIN card stock! WOW!


Ok...so these are my #10, 9 and 8 favorites. Tomorrow I will introduce #7,6, and 5...those will be tough...so I have to get busy narrowing down my layouts through June!
Please pop in again tomorrow for the next 3! Thanks for stopping by!

Back to normal...

....or something like that. Joe had to drag himself out of bed to go to work this morning, I had to get up and feed kids, and laundry and dishes are already in their respective washers. The holidays are great, but they tend to create humongous messes that MOM gets to clean up. Oh well...life will go on!

I got tons of pictures over the holidays...and I am ready to get to scrappin'!! With CHA just around the corner...I am super excited to see what will be introdused to our scrappy little world next!!

So...do you want to see a sneak of the {SAS}sy January kit? It looks like it will be a fun one!!.... here ya go!


The kit will be available for purchase in mid January, so don't wait too late to get yours!
Oh...and don't forget about the {SAS}sy Black Tie Crop coming up the weekend of January 8th through the 10th!~

ONLY TWO DAYS!

there are only 2 days left for any last minute Christmas shopping...stocking stuffers...or even your holiday meal. For me...it is 2 days until I get to sit for one whole day stress and worry free and spend time with my family. On Christmas Day...it is a rule in our house that the internet is off limits. We do not leave our house AT ALL...we stay home and enjoy one another. It is all I ask for on Christmas...and I love every minute of it.

This year...Joe is doing our family dinner. I normally do the whole traditional turkey~stuffing~cranberry sauce dinner...but Joe decided he wanted to change it up a bit. He is doing some sort of stuffed pablano pepper with super thin sliced rib eye steak and 3 different kinds of cheeses....my mouth is already watering!

I have a few photos that I am in LOVE with that I wanted to share from our Family gathering over this last weekend...I can not WIATto scrap these!!!!


Here is my family...all of us smiling...or should I say LAUGHING! I just LOVE that look on Dayne's face! I don't remember what was so funny, but it sure made for a FABULOUS photo! I don't even mind that Chance is looking at me instead of the camera!


And here is Skye and "Fluffy". Lacie gave this stuffed dog to her for Christmas and she wanted a picture with just her and Fluffy...so I obliged. I actually LOVE LOVE LOVE this one! I think I will play with it a bit and try to get that old Sears and Roebuck Greeting card feel.


This will be my last post until after Christmas. I really wanted to do more, but time invariably escaped me. Five kids do not make it easy...especially around the holidays! LOL

I do wish you all a very Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas. Thank you for stopping by!

December {SAS}sy reveal

I had soooo much fun working with the Sassafrass Amplified line and the Crate Paper Cottage Collection this month from Lauri! OMGoodness...the layouts just kept flowing and the bright vivid colors are definitely an eye catcher! The strong angular lines and the "amplified" color patterns on the Sassafrass mad it supeR easy to scrap some BOLD photos that I would normally have not even scrapped. I TRULY love EVERYTHING I DID THIS MONTH WITH MY SUPPLIES....CHECK IT OUT....

SD4U December Mega Kit Reveal!

OMGoodness! The December Mega Kit at SD4U is PACKED with goodies for your scrapping pleasure! I have had SO MUCH fun playing with it, and the inspiration is overflowing! I still have a lot of materials that I will work on the super cute chipboard album that came in the kit. I started it, but got sidetracked with my 12x2 layouts....LOL. I just kept getting more ideas for this kit!

My Snow Day layout was inspired by an exclusive sketch povided to SD4U by Kristine over at Creative Scrappers....go check her site out!
And "Cuppy Cake" was inspired by the same sketch from pagemaps that I had the pleasure of working with for the December Pagemaps Samples.

{SAS}sy Sneak!

Here is a little sneak peek of the December kit over at Scrap Attack....





Are you drooling? I am! It is featuring the Pink Paisley Mistletoe line! YUM YUM Getcha~Some!!!!!

I was so excited when I got the e-mail from Becky at Pagemaps inviting me to be a contributor for the December sketches! I knew exact;y what I wanted to do the moment she sent over the sketch! I used the Little Yellow Bicycle Christmas line to create this layout, and I am thrilled with the way it turned out! Thank you, Becky, for the opportunity to create for you!

Here is my layout featuring LYB products and my rotten little Skye:


Here is the sketch that she provided for my inspiration:

Almost December!

Ok...so I did not follow through with my intended daily postings of what I am thankful for. Five kids and a husband (just an overgrown kid) have a tendency to alter your plans! So, I am going to take this opportunity on this last day of November to highlight a few things that I am most Thankful for. These are in no certain order...God has blessed me greatly.

I am Thankful to be a mother to these 5 kids. God blessed me so much with Tamon, Chance, Aubrie, Dayne, and Skye. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with grattitude that He chose me to raise these great...wonderful...precious children that make my life complete. They are worth all of the sacrifices that I make on a daily basis...just to ensure their happiness. Without them, the laughter would not be as abundant in our home.


I am thankful to be married into a family that I love just as dearly as I love my own. My Sisters~In~Law are my best friends, and my "Mother in Love" is very dear to my heart. She has taught me many things over the years...I was only a mere 15 years old when I came storming into her life with all the wild wills of a teenage girl. She has shown me love and understanding when I needed it, and scolded me when I needed that, too! God blessed me with the kind of "Mother in Love" that I want to be.


I am thankful for my Mom. She is my Best friend. She is my supporter, my sounding post, my advise giver, my baby sitter. She is my Mom. She is the grandmother that I always wanted her to be to my children. She has patience and kindness and lots of junk in the house for them when they come over!

I am Thankful for This Man:

Joe is my ROCK. He has been by my side for almost 18 years of my life and, God willing... he will be by my side for many many more. I am thankful that he is a loving and supportive husband. I am thankful that he is a wonderful father to his children, and I am truly thankful that God gave us to each other. I would be incomplete without him. He makes me laugh, cry, sing and dance, giggle, play, work, and encourages me to do the best that I can in EVERYTHING that I do. I could not have chosen a better man to be the Daddy to my children...and to spend the rest of my life with.

I am also thankful for my sisters and brothers, my Dad, my home, my health...and all of those other typical things. God has blessed me more than any one person probably deserves...but I am not complaining! I welcome His blessings...and I am truly Thankful for them Each and EVERY ONE.

November {SAS}sy Reveal!

I just loved working with the kit from Scrap Attack this month! It is so packed with deliciousness to help you complete layouts with MANY different themes and focuses in mind! Check out what I did!!!!

Today, I am Thankful for.....

Jenn over at SD4U has inspired me to start this blog series. From now through Thanksgiving, I will post a daily spot about what I am thankful for and why. Too often, we got through our daily lives taking so much for granted. This is the season for thankfulness and remembering what is most important in our lives, and it is HE who is to thank and be grateful to.

So...today, I am thankful for forgiveness. The last 2 years have been very hard for me raising my nephew...and I had very bad hateful feeling towards my sister for her lack of interest in her own child. Long story short, I hated her. I hated her for what she did...I hated her for what she was doing, and I most especially hated her for what she was NOT doing.

I do not condone my children hating anyone or expressing the word "HATE" in regards to any person...because quite honestly, it is a very strong word that carries deep feeling and meaning. I did not like feeling that inside myself. Through much prayer and guidance, I was able to bury the feeling just to be able to deal with her on a civil level...but it never really went away. Two years down the road...she is finally becoming a mother again and taking care of and interest in her own children. I am able to be AUNT again, rather than Mom to her children.

Today, I was able to talk to my sister and plan a Thanksgiving meal and menu, and laugh, and enjoy the conversation. Today, I realized that I had finally forgiven her. Today, I am thankful to the Lord for the power of forgiveness.

Jack~O~Lantern....

Well, I know it is the 15th of November and Thanksgiving should "be on my plate" right now, but I just wanted to share these photos from our Pumpkin on Halloween before it gets too late to even matter. The girls carved the pumpkin with Joe's help, the boys gutted the pumpkin, and Joe cooked the pumpkin...so it was a family ordeal...all the while, I was taking photos of everything!
Well...these 2 photos are my favorites of all of them. This is Chance and Aubrie playing in the bathroom with the pumpkin. It was still daylight outside, so they took the pumpkin in there to get the glow...boy was it cool! I had to grab my camera and get a few shots. Check it out!





I have been working on SSU projects for Scrap Attack and on my DT reveal...they are all going to be fantastic! SSU Kicked off today so go check it out! If you are unsure of what it is, I will tell you. SSU is a free online series of "classes" or "Tutorials" to help you with ideas and completing projects. The Holiday SSU started today and it will have 11 Christmas related altered projects ...complete with pictures and instructions on how you can do it at home. This is the one place that you can go and get this many ideas and tutorials for free...AND you will have live online help if needed!! At the kick off of every class, one of the DT members or Lauri will be online to assist and answer any questions that you may have. Come on over and check it out! You won't want to miss any of these fabulous classes!

November {SAS}sy Kits!!!

Lauri over at Scrap Attack Scrapbooking has out done herself this month!! She has not one...not two...but THREE FABULOUS kits for your pleasure this month! These kits are awesome and LOADED with unique embellishments and even a little Prima lusciousness! I have the pleasure of working with the kit on the bottom. OMGoodness! I am have had so much fun creating with this kit! It has a little bit of something for EVERYONE...no joke. You will just have to wait and see for yourself...but I promise...you WILL want to get one of these amazing kits for yourself before they are all gone!

Monday~Monday

wow...what a weekend! I spent most of it in the shop making cakes...but I did get some DT work done...I can't wait for the reveal!

TODAY IS CHANCE'S 11th BIRTHDAY!!! And I am going to go to school and have lunch with him. He requested a chili dog from Sonic with a Dr. Pepper. He is such a good kid...so easy to please! His Birthday dinner consisted of Joe B~B~Qing a brisket and ribs...which was not a stretch for Joe to do! I made some baked beans and macaroni and baked potatoes for him to go with it...and he ate ALL DAY LONG!!!! He was in "Birthday Dinner Heaven"~~Chance is such a laid back boy! I love him! Happy Birthday Chancey Wancy Fancy Pants!!! (that is what I call him to pick on him)

I will post a photo of his birthday lunch later when I get home. Have a great week everyone!!

TGIF!!!

Today is Friday, and it has been over a week since I have blogged! BAD ME!!! I have been busy with kids and creations and just life in general.
Tamon had his final 7th grade football game on Tuesday, and if you can imagine a crazy lady screaming to the top of her lungs in the stands...that was me. Not only did his team make an interception and run SEVENTY FIVE yards for a touch down, but they also gained possesion of the ball at the ONE yard line and the QB ran the ball NINETY NINE yards for a touch down! Whew...what a way to end the season!

The Crop over at SD4U was a huge success...and the winners should all be announced soon...I can't wait to see who they are! There were a few who completed 9 or 10 challenges...that is AWESOME!

I have some crafty projects in the works, but no photos to share...so this will have to suffice for now....It is Aubrie getting her hair and nails done at "Glitz and Glam"...she thinks she is a princess!

It's a Give Away!

Jammed packed with Graphic 45's NEW Christmas line: Christmas Past and Prima yummies which Irene Tan (aka. Scapperlicious) will be using in her next mini album tutorial. One lucky winner will win this amazing giveaway in time to start your mini album along side Irene as she posts.

How to win this giveaway? Simply just hop on over to the Crop Spot and check it out!

SD4U's November Flutter Butter is ROCKIN"!!

What amazing kit the Bo Bunny "Flutter Butter" made. I truly enjoyed working with every bit of this amazing assortment! Check out what I created using it....

Unfortunately, Martha has COMPLETELY SOLD OUT in the SD4U store! Come over and check out what is in store for us in December, though, for our holiday pages!!

October {SAS}sy Reveal!

WOW~!It has been a week since I posted! I have been super busy this week...I did my October reveal over at Scrap Attack, and I have been preparing for the Crop!

Check out what I have had going on....

My SASSY Reveal using Jillibean Soup, SEI, Bazzil, and a mixture of a few other lines...I absolutely loved everything!
I made my own paper roses for the Butterfly kisses, I fussy cut out the holly leaves for the centers of the flowers on "Jolly" and "Sing a Joyful Noise"... and I did tons of distressing and just had a lot of fun with these materials. If you like what you see, journey on over to Scrap Attack and grab you some f your own! You will love it!

Prima Picks!

That is Prima's November picks. I have been on such an "all things white" kick lately...here are a couple of layouts I did using the gorgeous yellow trellis flowers that is on their picks list...




You can pick up your own Prima's if you hop on over to the Scrap Attack Online Store. Happy creating!!

SD4U November Kit Sneekies!!!!

Flutter Butter featuring Bo Bunny!


Sam featurine Dream Street Papers:


Simple Pleasures featuring 3 Bugs in a Rug:


I am so excited! These are all amazing kits! I can't wait to see which one I get the pleasure of working with!

So...Our first six weeks of school are done and over...and I have to say, I am a proud Mama. Dayne and Chance both got straight "A"s, Aubrie and Tamon both got "A~B" and Skye has mastered every objective presented in her Pre~K class.
I want to share a few things that I learned this week about my kiddos...

Skye is very enthusiastic and determined...and has every single person in that school wrapped around her little finger. It helps that they all knew me before I got pregnant with her AND they all have oogled over her since she was only days old. Kay Livingston is her biggest fan...and I think Skye is Kay's biggest fan in return! It is not odd to see my 4 year old run into the front office hugging and kissing on Kay Livingston. We love Kay!

Dayne is....well....Dayne. His vocabulary and language usage far surpasses that of a normal 7 year old kid in first grade. He is the talk of the teachers and everyonechit chats about how intelligent he is. I enjoy my conversations (in depth conversations) with my little boy. He is so very insightful. I love him dearly. I have already learned that the 4th grade teachers are very aware of Dayne Willis and cannot wait for him to get to them.

Aubrie is very much like me. Very candid and matter~of~fact. Sh had to fill out an application to join the 4th grade science club...and tell a bit about herself and give reasons why she should be chosen...as they only accept 30 kids. Well...when I read it...all she had written is...and I quote....
I like science. I like school. I am smart and I get good grades.

I asked her if this is all she was going to put in there...she replied..."yes...what else would I put in there? I have a DS and three brothers that annoy me?!"

I could not help it...I burst out laughing and said..."If you think that will get you into the science club...go for it!"

Well...she did. And guess what...she got chosen!!!!!!! I laughed. Only my daughter would do something like that and it work out for her!

Chance is in 5th grade and of course is following in Tamon's shadow. All of the 5th grade teachers loved Tamon, so Chance has a very good start to 5th grade. He, however, is a bit more of a clown. His teachers give him favor...and he is now juggling 3 after school activities along with his regular school work. He is maintaing fabulously. I think he has a bit more of me in him than he likes to admit!

Now for Tamon. My oldest child who has given me the most grief over the years...but not unrewarded. He is getting good grades, playing football and loving it, growing into a very polite young man, and I find out things about him that make me all the more proud to call him my son (as if I weren't already!)

Neysa Bates is Dayne's teacher...she LOVES Dayne, favors Dayne, dotes on Dayne, and calls him her prize student. Well...while I was picking up report cards, she decided to tell me that MY SON...Tamon was her first friend in New Caney. She proceded to tell me that when she first came to the school 3 years ago none of the teachers would talk to her, but Tamon did...every day. She was new to New Caney, and no one offered her friendship or even kind words except my 4th grade son. She told me that she will never forget that...and that she knew then that he had good parents...and wanted to tell me that all of my kids are a reflection of what a wonderful mother I am. I almost cried. I did not expect anything like that...and I will never forget that. Thank you Neysa. You made my day~week~month~year!
So...here are a few shots of the kids...

All of them pointing at an alligator in the water at Brazos bend


Aubrie and her best friend Ally licking their lips while eating cake at Skye's Birthday party...


Dayne and Skye huggin while playing inthe water hose. I love this shot!


Tamon...first day of 7th grade. He is so big. Too big for only being 12.

OCTOBER {SAS}sy Kit Debut!

You will LOVE this kit!!! This kit is just jammed packed with wonderful products – custom die-cuts...Prima bling...Pink Paisley's Twilight line – and did I mention you get some black burlap? Like I said, you are going to go {batty} over our October {SAS}sy Kit!

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, Scrap Attack Scrapbooking is donating $1 from every sale of the October {SAS}sy Kit to the Susan G. Komen Foundation! Pick up an awesome kit and help find a cure for cancer.

--->Hop on over the the {SAS}sy Blog for your chance to win a FREE Kit to 1 lucky follower of the blog!

My Delilah Reveal!

Well...I know I said that I would post the reveal in just a few days, but unfortunately, the weather had a different plan for me this weekend and knocked out my internet again! But, today my internet is working great and I have been playing "Catch up" on all of my e-mails, sites, and chatting! Now, it is time to catch up on my blog!

The Delilah kit from Scrapbook Deals 4U is FABULOUS! I got so much inspiration the MOMENT I opened the box...and I just could NOT quit scrapping...I think I even made the kids eat sandwiches one night just so I didn't have to cook!!! I LOVE this kit! I got girly layouts of course, but it is so much more than that. I got fall themes, I got Thanksgiving, and I got a few cards out of it, too! I am so pleased with everything that I created. Without further adieu...here is my reveal...