Happy Halloween

Here he is, my debonair vampire. Kind of ironic though, he doesn't even know what a vampire is. This costume was chosen more for what it wasn't then what it was. The requirements? The costume could not have a hat of any kind, nor could it be difficult to walk/move in. That rules out a lot of costumes. It was either this or a Hershey kiss sans the hat, and I could tell dh wasn't crazy about the second idea. I absolutely love his pose here, again, even funnier since he doesn't know what a vampire is. This was one of only 3 photos I got before the party and the rain last weekend. I hope to get some more today. I did the photo extraction technique again, so great for dramatic Halloween photos. 

Honestly, I'm not sure how long J will last tonight. His bed time is between 7-7:30pm, so right about the time he should be getting ready for his bedtime routine, I'm going to put him in a costume and he and I will go roam the neighborhood. Since it's Friday, things could get started even later, and it is going to be cold here. It's really cold this morning. I have a feeling a major public meltdown could be in my future. Even if we go to one house, it's still better than last year. At 11 mons last year, we didn't even make it out of the house in a pumpkin costume. To be honest, I really don't care if we just turn around and go right back in the house. He wore the costume at the party, so I feel like I got my $20 worth. So, I'm keeping an open mind but when he is done I won't be pushing it.

Can you believe the start of the holiday season is upon us? I can't. Here's the latest with Cosmo's Oh Joy! (Love, love, love Oh Joy.)

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy Patterned Paper: ; Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy Ornament Diecut; Cosmo Cricket Buck Naked Ornament Chipboard; Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy Gold Ribbon plus Making memories glitter alphas.

Instructions: Print photos with a white border. Add alphas. Design circle journaling on the computer using photoshop using ellipse tool and text tool. Print to fit inside the ornament die cut. Tie a bow with Mr. Campy ribbon, add with glue dots to the top of the ornament. Add a straight line of ribbon and place ornament with bow on top.

I've got a December birthday to prepare for. Off to research fire truck birthday themes. If you want a great price on some Oh Joy, go to A Million Little Things. They have paper packs (just one sheet of each paper in the line plus the strip and the journaling cards, no diecuts though) for around $6.  I haven't seen a better deal. 

Happy Halloween everyone!

Now what?

The Cosmo Cricket altered project I was going to show you today got picked up yesterday by Papercrafts magazine for their cards and gifts issue. So, not sure what to do now. Speaking of publications, if you happen to have the latest issue Nov/Dec issue of Memory Makers Magazine, I'm your calender girl. A layout of J is in the calendar section. I haven't seen that layout in months, I'll have to dig it up and post here.

So, I can show you some other things I've been working on. Completely off the topic, is it normal when you have a little boy to have a fleet of vehicles in the living room? Just curious. J learned how to say please yesterday, and he says it in the cutest little voice (peas). It's just the best.  I made this quick layout with Fancy pants journaling tags, loved how the journaling is already done for me. I'm all about that.

And here is another card for the mail this week. See, this is why you have to be a crafter because I don't think you would get very far going into hallmark asking for a spooky thank you card that was just as spooky as your gift. Gotta do that yourself I guess. 

Cosmo Cricket Spooky Thank you card

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Haunted Patterned paper in Macabre, Ominous, and Nevermore ; plus K & Company glitter sticker.

Instructions: Cut Cosmo patterned paper-4 x6 for background Macabre; 3.5 by 3.5 for accent Ominous; and 2 x 4 for Thanks piece Nevermore. Adhere sticker.

It's going to be a busy day, tomorrow is Halloween. This weekend is Day light savings time fall back on Sunday too. Hope you are plowing through that to-do list, I know I'm trying. My purse strap broke yesterday, working on sewing that back now, but honestly I'm debating a new purse. It's just that I kind of like this one, I know it's old but it's me. I really don't handle change well.

Wednesday already?

So sorry I didn't update yesterday, time just got away from me. I saw a mother nursing a new baby yesterday and it made me a little wistful.  J recently gave that up 2 weeks ago. I spent the evening looking through J's first year. I had been avoiding that, thinking it would just make me feel overwhelmed with more to do. But it actually made me feel renewed, ready to get those stories down. Anyway, I didn't spend my time very productively on the computer yesterday, even if I do believe in the end it was spent wisely. You all almost talked me into keeping the album, almost. :) So, the album goes to: #7

kimber-leigh said...

sorry the party was such a challenge for you...i never like going places for the first time either (and the military life definitely encourages getting used to that, doesn't it?)

hmm...i've never scrapped 6x12 before but it might be fun to make a nice sized mini album for gifts.

Please p-mail me your address at 2-peas or Studio Calico "vtpuggirl".  I'll mail it out when I mail my parents anniversary card and some photos.

Here is the quick anniversary card I made for my parents, made with SEI poppy:

And here is a recent Studio Calico layout with the Oct kit.

I ordered these last night too. This sweater vest and shirt (on the little boy) for J for thanksgiving:

And this red sweater for Christmas:

 From Hanna Andersson. J has khaki pants that will go with both shirts. I am always afraid HA's stuff will sell out before Dec, and it frequently does. So I ordered early. One thing off my holiday list. Hope you are having a good day, crossing things off your list too.

Faith, a mini, and a little RAK (Random much?)

Good Monday morning. What an interesting adventure we had getting to the Halloween party Sat. Now, this was a party for my dh's work, and I knew going into it that there was a very good chance that I would show up and not know anyone. I accepted that. I was hoping that a handful of women that I met at the graduation would show up, but I knew that at least one had a new baby and it was a long shot. 

So, I got J up from his nap and we got his costume on. We were on the road by 2 pm, and I was feeling good that we would arrive in 10 mins. Until I got to the base, and realized that the gate we normally use is closed on the weekend. I had to pull over and call a friend. Her husband gave me new directions to another gate, about 15 mins away. I took the directions on faith. I'm not good with driving directions, and never having been that way before, I had no idea where I was going. But I found my way somehow. 

We got to the building, and I tried two doors, both locked. And as I walked back to the parking lot with my little Dracula in my arms, both of us soaking wet from the pouring rain.  I just wanted to cry. Just then I ran into the commander's wife who helped guide us to the party. At that point, I no longer had  the resolve I once had to walk into a party not knowing a soul. The commander's wife must have seen all this written on my face and she remarked, "It takes a lot of guts to come here alone, not knowing anyone." Yeah, I said, thinking I am either really tough or really stupid. J would not let me put him down for 1.5 hours out of a 2 hour party. I wanted to go to get out of the house, for something to do. Mission accomplished!

I've been meaning to work on some mini albums, but I felt like I needed to do some research first to understand how they are generally put together. So I made a digital mini. Here are some pics of it:

I hope to make one more.  I'd love to make 3 and save on shipping, but I'm afraid I won't finish by the holidays. This site is super easy to use, you get your own account to upload pics. You can edit the pics before or after you upload them, including turning to black and white. I just felt like it was really user friendly and had such neat graphic books to choose from (Stories by Everyone). Just my style. As someone who was feeling really overwhelmed by having lots of pics not in an album format, this was quick and simple. And now I feel more confident in making my own mini too. I'll show you the next one I do, and let you know what I think of the printing when they arrive.

Which leads me to the little RAK. I accidentally got the wrong album, not sure if this was my mistake or the place I ordered it from. I wanted an 8.5 x 11 beige album. I got a 6 x 12 chestnut brown American Crafts corduroy album.  

Only it is brown. It's brand new, in the package still.  I need to go to the post office this week anyway, so if you want it, leave me a comment about why you scrap 6 x12, or why you are going to start, or whatever. I just think that is an odd size, you know? Anyway, with my new digital minis coming, I need room on my book shelf and this has to go.

It sure is a Monday. :) 

Not even close to being done . . .

With the Cosmo giveaway fun! Julie's out of town and those boys are running a muck on the Cosmo blog, giving away a Cosmo Holiday fun pack. So get some friends and go check this out!

Cosmo blog

You could win this:

Have a great Friday my friends! Our Halloween party is tomorrow, so excited about that!

Holiday OCD

Real except from medical text: You can tell the extent of the OCD by how psychotic a person gets when things aren't just so. . .

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't an organized person in real life. I think you can tell by the straight lines of my pages that I like things, how I like them. The holidays stress me out, and I'm already behind.

It always starts with the same old things:
1. Buy and wrap some gifts.
2. Put the tree up sometime.
3. Bake something somehow, which may or may not ever get done.

That was before I had a baby 12 days before Christmas. Since then the whole thing has turned into a landslide into Christmas. I'm already behind because I haven't ordered J a holiday outfit, which means I can't take a holiday picture by Nov., and that means I can't work on Christmas cards any earlier than the end of Nov/beginning of Dec. And that's when I'll be planning the birthday party for a 2 year old. Instead of shopping, and buying Christmas gifts and wrapping them.

Which means I don't know when I'll get the dang tree up, and I'll bake something some time. And if anyone needs me I'll be hyperventilating into a gift bag . . . . and looking for a candy cane to poke my eyes out.

Supplies: I used the front of the Cosmo Cricket Paper crafting packet of Haunted for the patterned paper; Cosmo Cricket Haunted Rub-on Candy corn; Black and white Bazzil cardstock, American Crafts thicker, Fiskers Treading water punch.

Instructions: Print Text via computer on background white paper. Punch border with treading water punch. Add Cosmo patterned paper and American Crafts thicker punctuation. Add tiny text on computer and add to the bottom right corner. Apply Cosmo Candy corn rub-on overtop.

Do the holidays make you crazy or is it just me? We are heading to a Halloween party tomorrow, hoping to get a picture of J in his costume before he tears it up. Hope you have a great day.

Just another day in paradise

Thought I would do something a little different, show you some photos I'm enjoying. I've taken the Aleida challenge and handed off my camera several times to dh. I've also purchased a part so my tripod works and a wireless remote. I think Aleida would approve.

Have a great fall day. How early can we carve the pumpkins?

Don't you just love Chemistry?

I do, but then, I guess I've spent a disproportionate amount of my life taking and teaching chemistry class. Actually, I took a assistant teaching position for a couple of semesters to earn money to visit my dh at his college. And I needed that chemistry minor to get into physician assistant school.

Yep I love chemistry.

Especially this new release from Cosmo Cricket:

You will want to visit the Cosmo blog too. You could win some! :)

Yesterday we went to the patch. I was worried for about 1/2 hour that we had been stood up, my friend and her dd were very late. But, it went really well and J was tired after the experience. So was I too though. The pics are still on my camera. It was a rough night last night for poor J, he fell out of bed! I heard the thump and then the wail. Just awful, and I'd love to forget that awful sound. He doesn't appear to have any injury from it, and I doubt he even remembers this morning.

Just a really quick layout with the Studio Calico Oct. kit:


Happy Tuesday! And go get you some of that eye candy that is Chemistry by Cosmo. :)

Waste not

It isn't that I'm a pack rat, not at all. But when it comes to scrap supplies, I feel like you have to make the most of it. Not hoard it, just stretch every little bit. That is how this project was born, my attempt to stretch my scraps as far as possible. And let me tell you, these bags were so easy I may never buy gift bags (for $1-$5) again. Outrageous!

Hoping to pull off our pumpkin escapade this morning with Amy and Ella, provided the weather holds out. I made the bag for J to give to Ella, he loves doing that kind of thing. He helped a young girl with her sippy cup yesterday after she dropped it. That made his whole afternoon.

Cosmo Cricket Haunted Halloween Candy Bags

1. First thing you do is dig through your scraps. I had two pieces of Striped Haunted Cosmo that were approximately 6-7 inches x 12 inches.

2. Then get a box about the size of the bag you want. I wanted little bags, so I got a jewelry box. If you want a big bag get a cereal box (and more paper!). Fold the bag around the box, and use strong adhesive to seal the edge. The paper will hold the indentations of the corners, but work them a little to make sure you can see them later on.

3. Fold the bottom. Fold the sides in first, then the top and bottom flap. If you plan to put anything heavy, consider a rectangle piece of cardstock in the bottom to anchor your adhesive. I didn't do that for candy, it's not heavy.

4. Fold the top in (if desired) and punch holes. Add ribbon of choice.

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Haunted Patterned Paper Strip (one bag is the front, the other is the back), Cosmo Cricket Haunted Ribbon, plus hole punch from Staples.

Just in case you are curious how I think these things up, it's not hard when my 22 month old tears open the shopping bags to "see how they work." I was so excited and intrigued I think I ruined what could have been a great toddler trouble moment for him. Instead I sat down on the floor and said, "Can I see that?" It's been the start of a beautiful relationship, where I keep an open mind and he gets to see me have fun. Things have been going really well the past few days. I don't know if you noticed, but a couple pieces of candy were missing from that bag on the left. J ran off with them. I later found them in my shower. I wish I understood why he does that. More layouts tomorrow. Happy Fall!

Change in plans

Well, our plans got cancelled. I cleaned up yesterday so that we could go to the pumpkin patch with my friend Amy and her daughter Ella today. But, Amy called yesterday afternoon and said Ella was sick. Plus the weather was supposed to be bad here this morning, although it is beautiful now. So, now we are supposed to go Monday instead. That gives me time to make Ella a little Halloween something or other this weekend. The silver lining right?

Today I am thinking of running up to Toys R Us to look at somethings I've seen online that I have my eye on for J for Christmas. I think I'd like to get J a toy kitchen, but I want to look at them first. Step 2 has a diner, which seems a little more boyish I guess. Just some things I'm considering. I love the Step 2 catalog, such great stuff in there. My only concern about a kitchen or whatever is the size! Where do you put these things? My friend Nora Ann on the Memorable Seasons board had the best quote though, I love this: 

Trying to clean while the children are growing is like trying to shovel snow while it is still snowing.

I'm so using that on a layout soon. :) Well little man is talking up a storm, that's what the layout below is about:

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Jack's World Lessons (front and back); plus Black and White Bazzil cardstock, American Crafts thickers, Pink paislee letter stickers, and 7 Gypsies sticker 

Instructions: Print text on white cardstock via computer. Cut Cosmo patterned paper, about 3 inches off the side and turn over. Adhere as seen here. Add letter stickers and quote sticker. Mount to black cardstock.

I've got some projects I'm working on, hoping to finish this weekend. I hate when my desk is a mess. Hope you have beautiful weather for a wonderful fall weekend. 

Beetlejuice

Does this tree remind you of something that should have been from the movie Beetlejuice? I realized that there is only 2 more weeks left before halloween, and I have no decorations save an uncarved pumpkin. All you will need for this project is your Haunted Cosmo Cricket Blackboard with matching diecut stickers and ribbon. Oh, and the Halloween tree of your choice. I got mine on sale a month ago from Micheals. It has wonderful bendy wire branches, perfect for displaying spooky stuff.

The first step is to cut your ribbon and then make a loop. You can see the Cosmo Blackboard shape in the background.

Next, get the matching Cosmo die cut sticker and place on top of your loop.

Then sandwich your ribbon between the sticker and the blackboard. I left the adhesive backing on the blackboard, my tree sits in a corner. However, if this bothers you, you could remove the blackboard backing and sandwich between the two adhesive sides, if your shape is reversible (not all of them are).

Then hang on your tree.

Ready for the advanced portion of the program? If you want to hang the Cosmo skeleton (2 come with each blackboard set), then you will need to gerry-rig the parts. Here is how I did it. I took black thread and "connected" each part and then placed the sticker body part over it. It works, and it holds pretty well.

One more picture so that you can see everything on the tree a little better.

Supplies for Cosmo Blackboard Tree Ornaments: Cosmo Cricket Haunted Blackboard shapes, Haunted Adhesive Diecut Stickers, and Haunted Ribbon plus tree from Micheals.

This did not take very long, and is a great way to use up your stash of blackboard. I really should go try to find the cutting tools to carve the pumpkin, I think they got lost in the move. And it looks like I'm going back to the pumpkin patch at the end of the week. I ran into my friend Amy, who really wants to go so I said I would. More pumpkin photos, eeekk!

Autumn Overdose

Ok, I have fall picture overload. And I'm pretty sure that I was able to cram all my new autumn memories into one week, last week. And I still have all of last years fall photos to scrap too. This is getting way out of hand. I went to a blog the other day called Paper Rhino. And I laughed because I'm sure that title fits me, but not as much as Photo Rhino. And I know I should try to maybe scrap more than one photo at a time, but that's part of my simple philosophy in life. Just do what is easy and makes you happy and doesn't bother anyone else on the planet. It's kind of a bummer that it will take me the rest of my life to scrap all these pics. I guess I can think of worse ways to go or spend my time.

Some Cosmo for you; Haunted meets some new embellishments from Studio Calico:

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Patterned Paper Haunted: Eerie, Them Bones, Gothic and Nevermore; plus Basic Grey Obscure chipboard letters and Me and My big ideas pumpkin.

Instructions: Use scraps of patterned paper cut in the above pattern. Print text on scrap paper via computer. Add pumpkin and letters.

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Patterned Paper Haunted: Them Bones and Ominous; plus My Mind's Eye Circle Tag, Tim Holtz hardware, K&Company Glitter sticker and Bazzil black cardstock.

Instructions: Place photo, text and title in photoshop document and print. Add strips of Them Bones patterned paper to Ominous patterned paper and adhere to black cardstock. Place circle tag, make a hole in the center for hardware attachment. Add photo, then add glitter sticker. Adhere extra hardware to the cardstock.

Kind of struggling with something. What do toddlers like to eat? Any ideas? I'd love to know, as mine changes his mind on what he likes by the hour. I'm thinking of trying some new things out, really confuse him. Hope you have a good Tuesday.

Not forgotten

This day 3 years ago, dh and his men were seriously injured when an IED was detonated while there vehicle drove by. Dh and K spent time in the San Antonio Burn Unit, and M was killed instantly. 

The rose is from his wife. Today, here is what I know:

1. I will never be over it, but I can learn to live with it peacefully.

2. I'm so grateful dh is alive and functional in all aspects of his life.

3. I'm so sad for M., for M's wife, for M's family. 

4. I feel badly for K and K's family too, as he is significantly disabled.

5. I remember that phone call and that day so vividly, and later on I took my dog and went for a drive in my truck down to the river. I stopped beside a flag pole and really looked at the flag. There seemed to me a lot of red (blood) on the flag, a great deal of men/women have died for us, for our freedom, for this way of life. I have never forgotten that when I have since seen a flag. 

We shouldn't forget.

October

A super simple one, but it was good to get these feeling out on paper. Just some pics of the pumpkin patch/farmers market. The journaling is about me and how I feel about fall. Hoping we are making enough good memories to drown out the bad. All Scribble Scrabble stuff on here:

Supplies: Scribble Scrabble Patterned paper Autumn Afternoon and Apple Chipboard sticker "chipper" plus Kraft cardstock.

Nothing much happening today. We did some shopping yesterday. Aj got a rain jacket and a new pair of shoes. All the while trying to take his clothes off in the REI shoe dept. (this is new) Might need that rain jacket today. I hope it doesn't rain on our plans. Or yours. Happy Thursday!

Spooky or Ironic

Still not much in a blogging mood today either. We went to the fire station and J got to sit in a fire truck. Then we went to the pumpkin patch, it's actually our local farm's market but it's huge and they have a really neat little area set up for the kids and pumpkins and everything. Of course I chased my child threw it all afternoon. We might have to take him back again this week just to wear him out. All these pics are still on my camera, need to upload them today. Esp because we are off again this afternoon.

Here is a quick Cosmo Cricket layout using Haunted:

Supplies: (Not a digital layout) Cosmo Cricket Haunted Nevermore Patterned paper (both sides), Cosmo Cricket Haunted Blackboard-shaped bat, Cosmo Cricket Haunted Adhesive die cut bat sticker plus Bazzil Black and White Cardstock

I know J gets his intensity from me. And perhaps his hyperactivity. I hardly ever sit down I've realized, always doing something. Funny, it doesn't stop me from getting frustrated that he won't sit still. Stubbornness also apparently runs in the family. Until tomorrow.

Monday, monday

Still here, still scrapping. Not much to say today. We are planning some outings this week, hopefully get some good pictures. Dh is off the whole week, so we are going to do lots of fun stuff. Here is a quick one with the Studio Calico Sept kit, trying to use it up a little. The Oct one comes tomorrow, yikes!


Hope you had a great weekend!

I appreciate him. . .

Not very happy right at the moment. Just got out of the shower and I can't find my makeup bag anywhere. I know who is behind this (J), but I can't seem to figure out where he would hide it. So, until then, no lipstick or under eye concealer for me. absolute joy.

Aside from this recent trauma, we have had a splendid week. Spending lots of time with dh, and I've cooked a lot recently. Not much scrappy happening, hopefully this weekend. 

His graduation went well. It was a lot smoother than I anticipated. I just couldn't imagine my child sitting still for more than 5 mins. The ceremony was only 20 mins long, and I swear I checked my watch 10 times during it. There were a handful of other children there, some older, some younger, some the same age. None seemed to be as restless as mine. I know that every child is different, but it just seems to me that mine is much more intense than most. And much more active. But he was like this in the womb, kicking constantly the whole time. I feel as though people judge me to be a "bad" parent because he is like that, constantly on the go. But he has always been this way.  I'm learning to work with it, and not against it. I can't change who he is, nor would I want to.

The ceremony itself was so nice. I caught just a few phrases that made me proud:

"The best of the best." 

"The best the military has to offer."

"The family is the strength of the soldier, the soldier is the strength of the military, the military is the strength of the nation."

I don't have any pics that I can share. There will be no parades or public displays of gratitude for what he does. He is as always, the quiet professional. But he is there, defending our nation proudly, doing what he does. 

An unsung hero. That's my love. **

**Who incidently just found my makeup, hidden under the sink behind the toilet paper. :)

Here is another Cosmo Haunted card:

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Haunted Patterned Paper: Nevermore and Them Bones ; Cosmo Cricket Haunted Rub-ons; Cosmo Cricket Pumpkin Blackboard with Adhesive diecut sticker plus white card from Michael's and Martha Stewart punch.

Instructions: Punch fence border in Nevermore Patterned paper. Add Them bones patterned paper on top of it. Adhere both to white card. Apply Haunted rub-on phrase "hey pumpkin". Apply Haunted rub-on flare underneath pumpkin. Dress Blackboard pumpkin with his matching diecut sticker and apply on top of flare rub-on. Giggle, because the pumpkin is so charismatically goofy.

TGIF