Saturday, June 28, 2008

HE'S A HOOT!


I'm having so much fun jotting down the things Owen says -- that I think sound much older than he is (2 months + 1 week short of 4)

O: Mommy, when can I take my shower?

Before I could answer (we're going to my sister's house today for a birthday party)

O: I don't want to smell "offensive" to my cousins!


Did another page this morning! I found this list in my bedstand a couple weeks ago (never go through it, obviously), and I just knew I had to do a page about it.! This is my favorite picture of Owen as a newborn.
again, much brighter than the picture shows
blessings, joie

Friday, June 27, 2008

SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES

One of the things I'd like to do for fellow scrapbookers is to list some of the supplies I use on my pages. If you look back at the last post, I've revised it, so that you can see where the page is. Hope this helps.

blessings, joie

TWO DAYS IN A ROW!

Here are the pages that I had to finish up with the journaling. Went to the airport this morning -- earlier than usual -- to see if we could get there during "rush hour". We still didn't see that many planes. I'm ready to give up! It's so disappointing. When the boys ask if we can leave, then I know it isn't too exciting! I bring along a magazine, so I don't mind sitting there for a while

Stopped at Michael's and picked up an American flag. We hadn't had a pole in a couple years, so we haven't displayed one on the front of the house. We had the flags, just no poles. We were the only house in 5 or 6 that didn't have a flag! Walmart had them for $24 -- too much for me! Michael's had them for $12.99, and I had a 50% off coupon! We're good to go! It's a good thing -- Owen just learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Actually, we've had one hanging on our livingroom wall for a couple years!

We're in the market for a pool WITH some kind of filter - just don't know where to put it. Our backyard is a parking lot, and down the hill it's only level in one spot -- THAT's where the trampoline is! I think Jim's picking up a 10 footer on his way home from work. It's a good thing. We'll figure something out. WE NEED MORE ROOM!

**Change of plans. I'm going to Big Lots right now, so I can't check my spelling and grammar!!
** UPDATE 6:20pm Friday -- we bought the 12' pool, plus a cover, skimmer/vacuum, and extra filters.

Enjoy the pages!

Isn't this vintage paper cool!
Forgot what it is; I bought it from someone on Ebay!
Patterned paper: Daisy D's; date numbers cut from Sizzlit Girls are Weird alphabet dies; stars cut from Cuttlebug die; "list" stamp: Inque Boutiqe; Metal "precious" label: Making Memories; pen: American Crafts.


Patterned paper: ?; letter & number typewriter stickers: Rebecca Sower Designs Nostalgiques by Sticko;
"NOTES" stamp: Fontwerks; stocking cut from Sizzix die using the inside of red
sweatpants material!; pen: American Crafts; various ribbon.

To make red scalloped edge, I used EK Success small corner rounder. You take off guide,
and carefully line up to make scallops (one at a time) It takes a while, but it's SO COOL!


My niece, Rebecca
Patterned paper: DCWV; "PLAY" metal letters: Making Memories Mailbox Alphabet;
grid stamp: Fontwerks, "ball" stickers: Provo Craft AlphaBiggies; font: downloaded from internet



My bad attitude little boy!
Patterned paper: DCWV; Cardstock: ?; "Attitude" letters made from red craft foam, cut from QuicKutz Blossom alphabet dies; black letters cut from Sizzix Sizzlits Girls Are Weird alphabet dies. Fonts: downloaded from internet

blessings, joie

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

LOTS OF PICTURES!

I've been meaning to post; really I have! I just know it takes a while, so I keep putting it off! I have a few pages and some pictures from the distant past and some of current stuff.

Last week, I went to visit my parents for a belated Father's Day lunch. While I was there, I found the pictures that I'd been looking for at my mother's. I hit the jackpot! There were loads of pictures of my childhood and even pictures of my mother as a baby and my grandmother before I knew her! The next day, I scanned them. It took ALL DAY! I had so many, PLUS my scanner isn't really that fast.

Here goes:
My Dad, a dad for the first time (Terri)
Love this photo!


Summer 1964 (a year plus before Brenda)


Brenda's first Christmas 1965

Christmas 1965 (Brenda must've been napping)


Nathan was amazed at how much he looks like ME! We were just looking at my childhood school pictures, and he was the one who told me to crop the photo to show me how much he looks like me! I got a big kick out of his enthusiasm!

Owen posing in his new reading corner in his play room. Please excuse the SOCKS!
I read this book to him when he was ONE! He just rediscovered it!


Nathan playing a new piece that he learned -- for Daddy


Nathan last summer using the Magic Splash program
to make his eyes colored in a b&w photo


Owen does this alot, but this time, he lost his balance and he couldn't get up! I think it's
his brain growing and getting heavier! Anyway, the rest is self-explanatory!

Last week, Jim stopped by the house in between deliveries
(to fax something to work) so I got these great pictures!

He still LOVES his job and is SO THANKFUL for it. However, the hours are very long -- today he worked 14 hours! Our evenings together as a family are extremely short. He goes to bed an hour or so before the boys -- just after he eats dinner. He's exhausted. So if you feel led, please continue to pray for our family. It's not perfect, but it's much better. He enjoys his work, and he loves working in the daylight!

I'm in the process of working on 5 more pages -- need to journal on all of them and add embellishments to a few. I love doing this! I have more ideas than the time I have to do them all!

Last week, my father was bitten on his leg by a brown recluse spider -- so his doctor says. We were very surprised, as website after website shows that the brown recluse spider is not known to live up here in New York. He since has developed a rash. I guess he doesn't feel bad, but his body is reacting to something. The dr. doesn't think the rash is from the bite. My sisters and I are not too sure about this dr. Today he went for blood work, so that's good. Again, if you feel led, please pray for him (Donald or Don). Although he appears to be healthy at 75, there may be something in his system that's causing him to react this way

I should have several more pages to post next time, (Donna)!

blessings, joie

Friday, June 13, 2008

JUNE 13, 2008

Really nothing going on. Enjoying the low humidity. Nathan said it was going to be 76 next week. Woo-Hoo! THAT'S the kind of summer I enjoy!!



Can I just say, the colors on this page are much more vibrant than what you see here. I should take care to photograph them better in good lighting. Sorry!

Still working on pages. This journaling came to me the other day out of the blue, and I just jotted it down as I was sitting on the back porch. In going through old pictures, I found this one that was perfect. At the time of the photo, I was in Bermuda visiting my sister, Brenda, in the Navy. It was during that sad time in my life that I was "back to waiting" for Mr. Right. Brenda and I had a great time in Bermuda, however!

blessings, joie

Thursday, June 12, 2008

MUCH NICER, THANKS!

The "heatwave" broke, and we're now in the 80's. It's beautiful! The lack of humidity makes all the difference! It was great to have the window fan on last night instead of the A/C! Here's a page from last summer -- we've been going to the airport since Nathan and Jared were little. With the high gas prices, not so much! Another super simple page, and I LOVE IT! When will I learn that stressing out over "crafty" pages is foolish AND non-productive! I hope to complete at least 50 pages this summer!


My dictionary from college makes me happy.

It makes me sad that my dictionary from college is finally falling apart -- I've had it for 27 years! I've always been big on using the dictionary. I remember growing up, my younger sister would ask me how to spell a word or ask for a definition. I'd always tell her to look it up in the dictionary! It probably made her mad, but I think she was learning more when she looked it up herself. I'm teaching the boys the same thing. I use it myself pretty regularly. That's why we have dictionaries in the kitchen (on the homeschool shelf), in the living room bookcase and in the older boys' bedroom. Sometimes I use definitions on scrapbook pages. You can buy them pre-made, but you're limited. It's easy to make your own -- just copy what a definition looks like in the dictionary, and type it up in your word processing program!

Owen learning how to use a table/butter knife to push his food on his fork (instead of his thumb). You can't see the knife, but he was doing it quite well. I was surprised at his coordination! I can't believe my baby's going to be 4 in a couple months!

I have SO MANY page ideas in my head. Now I just have to get them down on pages!!!! When I'm sitting waiting for something -- while the boys are outside playing and they want me to sit outside, or last summer when I was waiting in the hospital for my father to have knee surgery -- I like to make journaling notes -- childhood memories; favorite things; things I DON'T like; etc. Sometimes I'll start a page with the journaling and then look for a picture -- sometimes it's the other way around.

Our new favorite song: Today is the Day! by Lincoln Brewster

until next time...

blessings, joie

Monday, June 9, 2008

MONDAY, JUNE 9TH

A page of Owen with his puppy. This one has a "cold nose" and would wiggle and pant IF we ever put batteries in it! But we've chosen not to. He's very happy with his puppy. He uses his imagination for the rest.




Spent the day with the boys at my sister's house. We had a nice visit in the cool air-conditioned house. The boys wanted to ride bikes, but it was just too hot!

The boys played on the trampoline around 9, which gave them a while to play before it got hot hot! As homeschoolers, we like that our schedule can be flexible to play outside first thing in the morning BEFORE the heat sets in on hot days like this! I love that about homeschooling!

blessings, joie

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Hi! IN THE 90's

It's been summer here the last couple days! Wednesday and Thursday, it was in the low 70's -- just the way I love it! NOT so today and yesterday -- low 90's and very humid! That's supposed to go on for a couple more days. Tuesday's forecast WAS 100, but they've dropped that a few degrees. Somehow 97 sounds so much better than 100! Okay, I HATE the heat and especially the humidity! As I said, I love the 70's!

Owen spends a good deal of his time running around
the outside edge of the trampoline! It makes him happy!


Jared loves to teach Owen. It's so incredibly sweet to witness it. Usually it's way above Owen's comprehension! Here, he's teaching him how a bicycle works! From gears to brakes to sprockets... It may be way over Owen's head now, but someday he'll know where his knowledge of bicycles came from!

SO talented! Yet a little creepy too!


Things are going well. Jim is very happy with his new job! His sleep is getting better -- just not enough! He's been working long days, but the hard work is good for him. He's proudly sporting a sun-tanned left arm! He's been sun deprived for so many years, this is so great for his physical and mental health!

Nathan hasn't been a subject of my photographing the past week or so, so I thought I'd go back to my archives and show you one from yesteryear.

He wore Blue Velvet (title of future scrapbook page!)

Nathan was dedicated at 3 months old. This is the outfit that he wore -- blue velvet! This adorable photo was taken a week or so before.

I ordered a WHOLE BUNCH of prints from winkflash last week, so I have several envelopes of photos. For a challenge, I'm going through each envelope and choosing a photo (or a few from a particular event of photo shoot) to scrapbook! I MAKE myself do a page from something in that certain envelope. If I don't do that, I'll keep going through my pictures STUCK on what to do next! This challenge seems to be working for me. Last week I sorted TONS of photos -- Nathan, Jared, Owen, 2 or 3 boys together, Jim (from childhood until now), me (same as Jim), photos of Jim and me together, Jim's family, my family, ancestor pictures, etc.... I think that'll help me too.

A friend from church expressed interest in learning to scrapbook! She'd like me to teach her! I can't wait! I have to keep reminding myself what I want to teach her (and what I taught ladies when I was a Creative Memories consultant: KEEP IT SIMPLE!! Some of my favorite pages are ones that I just did and didn't stress over ("just do it"!). I love patterned paper, so if I can add that and a fun title and journaling along with my photos, it makes me happy. I'm never going to win any awards for creative pages. Although I love to complete creative, crafty pages, my ultimate goal is to scrapbook as many of my photos and stories as I can -- as quickly as I can! I have a few thousand! I realize that I won't put them all in scrapbooks, but I want to get many of them in!


Until next time...

blessings, joie





Friday, June 6, 2008

ONE FOOT, TWO FOOT, WHITE FOOT, BLUE FOOT!

Owen Matthew

Been wanting to scrap these photos for a while! For weeks, Owen insisted that he wear this sock at nap time! When nap was over, we'd take it off until the next day!

I love my Girls Are Weird Sizzix alphabet dies! They're a nice size -- not too big, not too small. One thing really neat about them is that there are 2 sets of capital and lower case letters. There are letters like what you see on this page AND larger letters that act as shadows BEHIND the letter. I typically don't use them -- always in a hurry to get done, but I have before and they look very cool! And, of course, I LOVE LOVE to cut out craft foam (Fun Foam) I buy 9 x 12 sheets -- usually on sale -- at my "local craft store", AC Moore. Even the thinnest dies (Quick Kutz) will cut through craft foam easily!

I want to run errands today, but it's been raining pretty hard. I might just wait...

Until next time...

blessings, joie

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

WELCOME JUNE!

I can't believe that it's already JUNE! The weather's been beautiful lately! I'm going to keep this short with a photo of a scrapbook page. I have so many pictures, and I just ordered a BUNCH more from Winkflash -- I had scanned tons of older pictures -- Nathan's and Jared's little boyhood! Plus some pictures of nieces and nephews when they were little... and my parents... and a few ancestors... oh and Jim and me when we were little... that about covers it!

Here's a new page that I did.Enjoy tomorrow!

blessings, joie