Merry Christmas

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December 1st

Since it is the first day of December I thought it would be appropriate for me to post a layout from our Christmas morning last year.  If you haven't stopped by The Shabby Shoppe Blog lately, you really should!  Today they posted another wonderful FREE template for all my digiscrappin' friends. I used that template to create this layout

 CREDITS HERE
Thanks for stopping by.

Braden

This is my sweet senior ....
that I love so much!!!

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I went to my Thursday cycling class this morning....

...it was fun but it wasn't quite like this. LOL!!!

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I can't stop scrapping!

Brett is out of town on business in Chicago.  Of course when he is away it is open season at the computer and I have spent 90% of my free time sitting and scrapping! In fact, my bum is getting a bit sore! NO LIE!!!

Here are some of my creations. This first one is created especially for Jacob's memory book. I think this kid has the most pages in his book because I went digital right after he was born and I have volumes of layouts. I love that I can print them for his memory book and put one in our family album also. Digital is so cool that way!!!
CREDITS and COMMENTS HERE

Of course I am missing Brett so I scrapped a layout of us...
CREDITS AND COMMENTS HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Birthday Jennifer

It is my niece's birthday today. Happy 25th Birthday Jennifer!!! I made the sweetest layout with a picture of her daughter Madison. I created this one for a post over at the
Shabby Shoppe Blog spotlighting "Happy Trails."

Jenn, this isn't your real gift but I thought it would be fun to show you my creation with Maddie's adorable photo!

CREDITS and COMMENTS HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

Gracie Collection and Laundry Day Templates!

I am so excited this morning because I am finally able to post some of the layouts that I have been working on! You see, Shabby Princes just released the most beautiful collection and templates I have ever seen!!! I am in love with these goodies! Go take a look HERE

This is my sweet Breanna on her first day of third grade.

CREDITS HERE

I have been looking through some photos from the beginning of the year.  I had so much fun scrapping Braden's 16th birthday. Although this photo is not the best, I wanted to make sure I wrote down some memories from his special day.

CREDITS HERE

Last but not least, here is a layout about the sweetest girl in my world - Kelsey!
CREDITS HERE


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Love You Sweetheart!

The Shabby Shoppe blog just posted the

Easy-As-Pie Template Challenge {16}

Head on over to download a fabulous free template!
Here's what I did with mine

                                                                       CREDITS HERE

                                                                    Thanks for stopping by.

Play at Your Own Risk!

I'm afraid of geese. I can't remember all the details but I know that I have had a run in with an angry goose in my past. Because of this, I DO NOT mess around with these birds. I was a little surprised when my youngest son, Jacob and my oldest grandson, Charles (along with two other crazy boys) thought it would be fun to chase the geese.

Here's my layout of the boy's craziness created for my
Product Spotlight over at the Shabby Shoppe blog.

CREDITS HERE
Thanks for stopping by.

Awesome!

I've been reading a blog called 1000 Awesome Things. Usually when it shows up in my google reader, I smile about the subject, laugh and think "Yeah, that is pretty awesome!"

Here is one of my 1000 awesome things!

SUNSETS

Around our house, we think that sunsets are spectacular. We have such a great view of the sky from our yard!  Here's an especially pretty summer day turning into night!

CREDITS HERE

I adore my Dad!

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this great man! We just spent our family reunion up in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho where I got to spend lots of time visiting and laughing with him. My Dad is getting older (he's in his seventies.) I don't know how many years we have left together so I cherish every second! Yesterday was a bit nostalgic and I scrapped a page about our
2011 Father's Day

CREDITS HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

What happened to my Summer!

I am looking at my blog today and cannot believe that I haven't posted anything NEW for months! How does that happen? March 3rd was my last post and it is already August! WHAT?!!!

I have still been writing for the Shabby Shoppe Blog so I haven't completely given up on blogging! If you click on my name (under the team contributors) on the right hand side you can see any posts I have created!

In fact, I have been creating some really fun pages with my Shabby Shoppe goodies! I wanted to post some recent layouts that I have had a ball scrapping!

I created both these layouts for the NEW RELEASES over at the Shabby Shoppe!

This is my sweet grandson, Charles and his mom, Kelsey! Love these two!!!
You are Mom's Superstar!!!

Follow Your Heart
 This is me and my sweet daughter, Breanna!  I've always loved these photos of us together!

Thanks for stopping by.

NEW

Since I blogged last I have scrapped 2 new layouts. 

I never take the time to post but today is the day!

Remember the "Sweet Sweet Smile" Carpenter's song HERE

I was humming it as I scrapped this layout- I always loved that song when I was a kid!

CREDITS HERE

Today there is a new free template and challenge posted  at the Shabby Shoppe Blog. This is the layout that I created for that post.  As I was working on this layout, my sweet Breanna and our dog Zoey were laying at my feet (no lie) cuddled up together. I was working in Photoshop recoloring her shirt (which I am really not that happy with) when she said - "Mom, I look like a bobblehead!" Hilarious. I looked closer and she did - LOL!!! But, I ran out of time and was unable to work any more on the recoloring - ah well - Bobbleheads ROCK! 

And Breanna, you are an awesome bobblehead!

 CREDITS HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

Mom and Me

Here is a fun layout I came up with for the product spotlight over at the Shabby Shoppe HERE

Journaling - My dearest Breanna, you are seven years old now. You are much more stubborn and always wanting your own way. In many ways you remind me of myself at your age. I remember my second grade teacher, Mr Pugh, always telling me to have a better attitude. I laugh when those same words come out of my mouth in the mornings as I am helping you get ready . You still enjoy snuggling with Mom, which makes those difficult mornings worth it! Despite your attitude problem. you are still my baby, my youngest, and my sweetie pie. 

CREDITS HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

First Bike Ride of the Year!

This weekend was so fun! The weather was a little warmer so Brett, Garrett and I decided to go for a bike ride to the elk farm. I was excited because I had new bike shoes and Garrett bought and installed some new clips on my pedals for Christmas. WOOHOO - First bike ride of the year!

As the guys were helping me get clipped in for the first time Breanna said "Does Mom know how to ride a two wheeler?" We all burst out laughing. Seven year olds are hilarious! 

Luckily we bundled up so it wasn't too terribly cold.  I biffed it twice before I got the hang of my new shoes. Have you ever had your feet stuck in your pedals and fallen over sideways?! Needless to say, it was pretty funny. Almost like watching cartoons - I'm sure! My knee got pretty banged up and my wrist is sore but after the first five minutes I was getting the hang of the new pedals and locking in and out. All of this practice and experimenting plus the strong wind made the ride to the elk pretty slow! Poor Garrett! Having to wait for your parents does not make for a fun ride!

 Here's Brett and I at the elk farm - too bad you can't see my bloody knee!

This is one of the three of us! Can you see the elk in the background?

Garrett and Brett - I love G's i-phone, because without it we wouldn't have snapped these pics!


While we were out riding, Luke & Kelsey and the kids were getting some cute photos taken out in the yard. Jessica was their photographer!  I scrapped one of my favorite photos.
CREDITS HERE

Of course they got lot's of fabulous photos so watch for more layouts with their fun pics!

Thanks for stopping by.

My 1-11-11 Layout

I think numbers are cool! Did you realize that today is a 1 11 11 day!
This has nothing to do with the layout I am posting except that I am uploading on this date!
This is my sweet Breanna with her new dog, Zoey

I created this layout for the Product Spotlight HERE

Layout Credits HERE

Thanks for stopping by.

Template Challenge Eight at The Shabby Shoppe

Do you want to try something fun this month? I love the Easy as Pie Template Challenges at the Shabby Shoppe blog. You have the chance to win a $25 Shabby Shoppe gift card.
Check out all the details HERE

This is the layout I created with the fantastic free template.

CREDITS HERE
Thanks for stopping by.

Please LIKE me!

LOL - the title to this post is incredibly funny to me at this moment.

I just entered to win $50 at Persnickety Prints with the comment below

"$50 from Persnickety Prints sounds awesome!!! I am going to win because I have the most sweet friends in the whole world and all of them are going to like this comment because they know that I only print my layouts with my crappy HP ink jet printer and they would look so much better printed professionally. Then I would stop hanging the layouts around the arch in my living room because my crappy HP Printer recommends a seven day wait before you put the printed page into a page protector - SEVEN DAYS people! SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN DAYS! See it even took a long time to read this comment! Imagine how long it takes to wait for that ink to dry! You know you want to like this comment! JUST DO IT!!!"

CLICK HERE!!!  It only takes a second - Please scroll down to comment #36 (watch for my picture - the same pic as on my blog) and click "LIKE" on my comment so I can win!
Thanks to all my fabulous friends

Transformation In Progress...

2010 was a great year!!! In January 2010 I set a goal to lose 52 pounds. I said to myself, "You have 52 weeks in this year. How hard could it be to lose a pound a week? Well it was harder than I thought but (woohoo!) I lost 45 pounds!!!  I got within 7 pounds of my goal. Not bad!

Then I went to Hawaii over the Thanksgiving break Then add in a month of Christmas craziness and I was already up 10 of the 45 pounds I had lost. Oh well, I was still down 35 pounds on December 31st. That is 35 more pounds than I would have lost if I hadn't set any goals, so I was pretty happy!

Enter January 2011. I was feeling sick from all the holiday goodies. I seriously had a stomach ache the last two weeks of December because I ate so much junk. I was ready for a change.

I sat down to write some goals. I had been following Cathy Zielske's blog and she has inspired me to do her Move More, Eat Less Challenge. Why not? I want to lose another 40 pounds this year! I want to stay regular with my exercise, so I am also setting a goal to exercise (for at least 30 minutes) 300 times in 2011.

So with those two goals in mind, I went to the gym this morning at 5 a.m. I was on workout # 5 for the year and I had already lost 5 pounds since Monday (it always comes off fast the first week.) I saw a poster in my Gold's Gym that advertised a "Body Transformation Challenge." It seemed like good motivation to me so this afternoon I put on a two piece swimsuit (scary), had photos taken and signed up.

With all that said, it looks as if I am going to be making a twelve week transformation! I am in the 40-49 age category. There is a $500 prize. It ends April 1st. WATCH ME WIN!!!

With the two challenges and my two goals - "How can I lose?!!!"
 Or should I say "not lose" (weight & body fat!)

Here's my first layout for the Move More, Eat Less Challenge (I created this page on the fourth so my journaling doesn't mention the Gold's Gym challenge. I will write about that in next month's update.) Look at that gut - hopefully it's the first thing to go!

Wish me luck and thanks for stopping by!!!

Scrapping on New Year's Day

I stopped by the speed scrap at SugarHillCo
This is the layout I came up with...

Thanks for stopping by.

This one made me smile

My sweet friend, Maxine sent me this link
with a note that said HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! (Turn on the speakers)!

Thanks Max - you made my morning

 Celebrate 2011 sign created with Peppermint Creative's Free Kit HERE

Thanks for stopping by.