AaaaaChooooo.....

Oh, yes, the blog header is way old. Quick, blow away the dust and stop sneezing if you've made your way here. I promise, as part of my New Year's Resolution (actually part of my big resolution I will call "THE BALANCING ACT") I promise to try to be a better blogger. I miss it, I really do. Catching up on what friends are up to and other favorite bloggy places I like to visit. So many changes have occurred in these past few months, hence my absence. I hope to change that - the absence part. More to come - tomorrow.

To all my dear Friends and Family - Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

Love,

Amy

Summer Break is Almost Here!!

...and I am still thinking about the first day of the school year!! At least that is what I have scrapped as of late. Here are a couple LO's to share featuring the first day of school at the bus stop for my kids in 2006, and back to school pics of Izzy and Zach from this school year. We have one more week to go!!




Now I am trying to clean up my scraproom desk and get ready to head to a weekend Crop for the Cure!! I haven't done much scrappin in awhile now. I think I have been mourning the soon to come "big move" of my BFF and scrapping budding, Tracy. Yes, Tracy is heading to the BIG APPLE next week. We have one more last hurrah this weekend and then we load up the moving truck next week and she hits the road for new adventures in the BIG CITY. WAHHHHHHHH!!!! Pass the tissues please!!!

OK - sniffle, sniffle...I'll get by somehow.

Leaving you with one more thing to check out - MY FIRST E-Zine publication!! Exciting stuff!! Here's a link to check out ScrapStreet.com Magazine and my LO of course!!

Oh that cute little bunny...

I love the Sassafras Bunny!! I'm not even going to tell you how many pieces of paper I have with that bunny on it!! Of course I had to do an Easter LO with him! The pictures are actually from a neighborhood egg hunt we had a couple years ago. Isabelle had smashed her finger in the door about a week before Easter and after a trip to the emergency room and several follow-up visits to a hand specialist, we still weren't sure how well her finger would heal. She ended up splitting her whole finger open - like a peeled banana! Just thinking of it makes my stomach turn. I was sooo scared when it happened and felt horrible for little Izzy (yes, she insists we spell Izzy with a "Y" not "ie"). I am glad to report this incident is well behind us, and her finger did heal perfectly. Anyhow, back to the egg hunt. Izzy was absolutely in melt down mode when she realized she could not hold her basket and pick up eggs at the same time due to her injury (don't ask me why she couldn't just set her basket down and put the eggs in!!). Daddy came to the rescue and became her "Egg-sistant" - LOL!- I thought the name was funny, not sure about you. OK, so the colors here don't really say EASTER, but I do love the bunny -isn't he just perfect?!! Wonder how many more of my Easter/Spring projects he'll show up on????

Our Critters

Just sharing some layouts I did this weekend featuring some of the critters in our home. I still have soooo many more pet photos to scrap. The kids take lots of pics using my camera and of course they usually choose our pets as photo subjects.


Picture of Abbey's parakeet, Nikko with Sammy, Zach's guinea pig. They really do enjoy hanging out together, but Sammy recently did chew Nikko's tail off - no worries, Nikko is fine, and the tail feathers will grow back!


In our home, each child gets to choose a pet for their 8th birthday as long as it has feathers or fur - no reptiles or slimy things here people!! I did the frog thing once and that was enough. Of course, no more dogs at this time - two is enough and no cats - Trey is allergic. This leaves us with birds and rodents - I can handle that. Zach's guinea pig Sammy really is cute and boy has he grown since this picture was taken!!


And NO - Lafferty really isn't in the dog house!! Are you kidding me??!! He is like the best dog ever - SERIOUSLY!! I just got this little house in a kit and thought it would be cute. Wish I had a better story to give you, but I don't!! Now if it were Gulliver in the photo, I am sure I would have some stories to tell!!

Speaking of photos, I realize now as another month almost comes to a close, I have barely taken any photos so far this year. I mean, it's really sad. Or at least it makes me sad. I need to get on this!! For instance, I should have taken pictures of ALL THE SNOW WE GOT overnight!! Yes, that's right - MORE SNOW - ewe!! Or perhaps I should have gotten outside with the kids today and gotten a pic of the snowman they built in the front yard. May still be time for that, however, the sun is out and it may have already melted. Note to self: GO CHECK ON SNOWMAN!!

Anyhow, I mean to make amends with myself and start taking more photos starting right after I post this. TTFN...

It's Officially Spring

Yep, it's a little chilly out today, but officially, it's the First Day of Spring!! Well alrighty then! I keep looking for signs of my Spring flowers outside, but no such luck. Instead, I keep finding little holes dug in my flowerbeds. Something tells me Mr. Squirrel has been visiting and I will have NO Spring flowers! At least Mr. Squirrel is getting a good meal!

Just posting a few cards I made this past week. I've been trying to use up all the scraps of paper and such in a Studio Calico Kit I got back in January. I tell you, those scraps can really go a long way!!





Tonight my hubby is taking me out for dinner for my birthday, which is actually on Sunday, but Abbey has an synchro skate competition Sunday that we will be at most of the day. Saturday, I am celebrating my birthday with my BFF, Tracy - some much needed girl time for the both of us. I cannot wait!! I love having birthdays, on or near the weekend - then it becomes your birthday weekend!!

A Little of This and That

A little of this and that... that is what I am leaving you with today. Been finishing some projects up as of late and wanted to share. Sorry for the photos if they aren't that great. My good camera has a dead battery!! Just when I finally have little natural sunlight to take pics too!! I am using my back-up camera, which is just OK.

These LO's are some I did with the Studio Calico Jan. 09 Bibliography Kit and some extra October Afternoon Night Light Collection I had to get after playing with what came in the kit!!





Next is a card I made using a crackle technique I read about in Creating Keepsakes Mar. 09 Magazine (pg 111 in case you are interested). I played around a lot with this technique, but am not sure I ever got quite the same results pictured in the magazine. The technique involves using lots of embossing powder (UTEE) and Alcohol inks. I had fun making a mess over at my bff Tracy's house while doing this!! Sorry Tracy if Terry complained about having to vacuum up after me!! LOL!! Seriously, I did not make that big of a mess, but if you knew anything about Tracy's husband's obsession with vacuuming, you'd understand! LOL!! The little birdie stamp is from Hero Arts. The card itself is in the shape of a little purse with a ribbon strap. I traced a card my daughter got for her b-day to use as a template.


Finally, this is actually a project I completed awhile ago, but don't think I ever posted. The pages below are actually just a couple from an album I made to showcase my Mother's poetry and short stories. Shortly after my Mom passed away, I came upon a folder of old papers that Mom had held onto for many years. Among my sisters' and brother's old report cards, and some of my old art projects, I found a wealth of handwritten stories, poems and letters that appeared to be quite old. Indeed they were, for some dated back to my Mom's youth at the young age of fifteen. Written on tattered pieces of paper in penmanship that could be none other than my Mom's, were the thoughts, stories and poems my Mom adored to write. I knew my Mom had been quite a writer, though I had never really seen any of her work, other than a few poems around the holidays she would sometimes include in greeting cards. I decided to type up her poems and stories and put them in an album so that they could be shared with other family members and not forgotten.

If you are interested, I will try to share a few selections over the next few days, but this is one of my favorites. Mom wrote this poem about her Grandma Pricilla Bowman Buccholz (her Father's Mother). The picture though is actually of my Mom, Agnes (left), her sister, my Aunt Gladys (right) and their Mother, my Grandma Amy Buccholz, who I am named after. I used some of my own stash to make the album, but most of the papers and supplies came in a kit I purchased from The Scarlet Lime Kit Club (Mar. 08 Project Kit).

Bra Shopping...With your Daughter...

is STRESSFUL!!! Not that it is her first bra or anything, but jeesh - the styles - oh my - a little risque' for a tween!! I went to the stores her friends go to and the other Mom's said they go to also, but STILL!! Maybe I am just turning into a bore - not that I wear gramma panties and Platex Cross-Your-Heart bras (AS IF I'd even fill those out!!), but hmmmm... Let's just say it was an experience I will not forget. My baby is getting TOO OLD, TOO FAST!!

As far as my weekend update...I spent Friday night and ALL DAY Saturday having scrappy fun with mi chicas!! Didn't get tons accomplished, but had lots of fun chatting it up, eating Cricket's scrumptious cookies and brownies (ahem... hitting the gym here soon as I finish posting this!!), and restraining myself from shopping too much (darn @!!@@###@@@ BUDGET!!).

So here are a few LO's I finished. Will follow soon with the ones I am still finishing up. It's been oh so long since I have done any BOY LO's and about high time I have scrapped some of my little man Zach!! I stepped away from my norm a little - no flowers, no lace, no distressing, but still had oodles of fun with the bright colors and of course my fav. Kraft cardstock. When I found out Craft Fancy sells Bazzill Kraft paper in both 12 x 12 and 8 1/2 X 11 - I totally did my HAPPY DANCE and stocked UP!! OH JOY!!

The Weatherman Says...

meteorologically we are in Spring with the coldest, snowiest three months now behind us. Seriously??!! As I watch the snow flurries coming down and it is in the low 20's. Oh, but wait, the Weatherman also said we are in for a warm up - 40 degrees by the end of the week!! Hmmmm - somehow, 40 degrees just doesn't sound warm to me.

But, I listened to that Weatherman, and decided it was time to change up my blog header, in honor of Spring - meteorologically of course.

My family is still trying to get over this flu bug. Each one of us has had some sort of flu/cold thing going on over the past two weeks. NO FUN!! I am hoping we are on the tail end of it now. Now that I am feeling better, I plan to spend tomorrow cleaning, and set off a Lysol BOMB in my house - wouldn't it be nice if they really made one of those??!! GOODBYE GERMS!!

Here are a few cards I made over the weekend. Used a new little A Muse Stamp Set I got at Craft Fancy and some new American Craft Papers I picked up too. Liked the bright colors!

Valentine Pretties

Not much happening today. Just working on some Valentines to hang on my Valentine tree. Need to start packing up soon to head to Archiver's to crop with my BFF Tracy, Tracy's Mom, Jackie, and a couple friends, Stephanie and Kim. It's Kim's Birthday today!! Happy Birthday Kim!! Tomorrow, we have a basketball game, then home to make some Valentine Cupcakes with the kids, and hopefully a flourless heart-shaped chocolate cake.

Just found out I have another LO getting published in Scrapbook Trends July 09 magazine. Doing my happy dance here!!

Leaving you now with a few pictures of the Valentine ornaments I have been working on.

In My World...

Well, in my world, ponies don't eat butterflies and poop rainbows, as they do in Horton Hears a Who!! My kids love this movie, and especially love the scene in which the characters describe their perfect world!! I keep meaning to scrap and journal a layout about this. Each of my children has a description of their perfect world. I'd like to tell you they describe their worlds to be ones in which there is no hunger or poverty and of course world peace exists, however, the worlds they describe seem to be more like the ones Horton's friends do - the ones with rainbow pooping ponies and such.

In any case, my world is pretty OK for now. I recently found out I would be having a layout published in Scrapbook Trends magazine in June this year. This finally ends my long dry spell, as I have been submitting on a fairly regular basis, but have not had anything picked up in awhile. It will be my first time in Scrapbook Trends magazine and I am pretty excited, as is Isabelle, since the layout features her.

Let's see, what else is going on in my world...I have started running again. Several sessions into my physical therapy after knee surgery, my physical therapist and I both determined that resuming running as exercise would be possible. So far I have been working back into it slowly. I probably won't ever be able to run as far, or as often as I used to, but at least I can run, and that is what matters most to me. I just have to be more conscious about listening to my body, and when it starts to hurt - stop!

What else - well, the job hunt continues. I left my FT job several years ago when we relocated to Washington state for Trey's job. Since then, I have been a SAHM, dabbling a little in PT work here and there in the craft industry. With economic times they way they are now, and my kids in school FT, I have been hoping to get back to work FT now. It hasn't been easy. I've heard everything from "you're over qualified" to "well you know, since you have been a SAHM for awhile now, you may want to consider going back to school and getting a masters or taking some refresher courses". Yeah - refresher courses in WHAT exactly?? Do they think my brain cells died because I stayed home with my kids - well technically - some may have, but still!! Jeesh. AND - believe me, if I COULD AFFORD to go back to school, I WOULD (well maybe - don't really relish the thought of doing homework), but if I COULD AFFORD to go back to school, I wouldn't be looking for FT employment. Really if you think about it, I've been doing one of the hardest jobs out there for the past 12 years - raising children!! I am a mediator, a negotiator, an event planner - a MOM!! We do it all and you know it is one of the toughest jobs I have ever had, yet one of the most rewarding too - at times - you just have to keep reminding yourself sometimes!! LOL!! So maybe I haven't dabbled lately in Excel, or done any database or product management as of late. I have learned many new things - like how to thread my sewing machine. Seriously, I am blessed to have had time to explore hobbies, I once never had time for like scrapbooking and photography.

Speaking of scrapbooking, here are a few pics of some projects I have been working on. First a little Love Notes book. I finally used a kit I got in Jan. 08 from Scarlet Lime to do this little album. I used some of the designs shown in the kit instructions, and some are my own creations. Also, I have added some pics of little Valentine Hearts I made to decorate the cupcakes the kids and I will be baking this week. Hope to post some pics of my Valentines tree I am working on now real soon.

Victim of Fraud

Yep, it's true. I cannot believe it. I cannot believe I did not catch it sooner! The other day while doing bills on-line, my husband Trey, questioned me about a bill that posted to our checking account that he assumed was a scrapbook kit club charge since in the item line description it said "Paperstreet". I recently cancelled my last kit club membership (boohoo!!) so I too was somewhat surprised and looking at the description of the charge that posted, I also thought it was a scrapbooking related charge. I knew I had not purchased anything lately on-line or otherwise, so I started investigating the charge. The post to our bank account on-line also had a web site notated which was Epoch.com. Epoch is an Internet Payment Service Provider (IPSP) which enables merchants to accept payments online. I had never heard of them before, but maybe some of you have. I proceeded to call them only to be told that somehow someone accessed my debit card number and was using my debit card to pay for a subscription to an on-line adult entertainment website!! Not only that, but this subscription charge has been posting to my account on a monthly basis since Aug. of 2006!!!!!!!!!!@@@@@!!!!! $24.87 a month since Aug. 2006!!!!@@@@@@@@ !!! How both my husband and I overlooked this, I will never know. Epoch told me they had some email address linked to my debit card that neither my husband or I recognized. They said whoever was at this email address had been using my debit card to pay for the adult website. Epoch said they would stop all payments and could refund me up to 4 months (going back 120 days) of payments but that was it. We also called our bank and spoke to the fraud department. They said if we filed a claim with them, they could only credit us back 60 days, so suggested that we wait and see if Epoch would credit us back, since they would go back as far as 120 days. The bank said this kind of thing does happen more often than you think. Weird. I feel violated. Still seems fishy to me.

Well, enough of THAT story. I finally took some pictures of my latest Valentines project. I've done an album like this in the past - "What we Love" - the Adams Family. In fact, I had one published last year in Paper Trends Feb./Mar. 2008 issue!! My very first publication!! It was pretty exciting being it was my first publication and they did a two page spread on it!! It's fun to look back at each family member's list and see how it has changed over the years. This latest album is made with a chipboard album from Maya Road. The papers are from KI Memories Wild Things paper line and the embellies are a mixture of KI Memories and Making Memories.

REDECORATING

Just a little facelift here for my blog. I finally finished updating my blog header. Thought it would get me in the mood for working on Valentines cards and projects. I have all my Valentine scrappy stuff out in my scraproom and am trying to decide on what to start next. Maybe I will check out some challenges and see if I can get motivated!!

Little Bird Out in the Cold

Record low temps here in Wisconsin, and more snow on the way again!! It has been below zero both today and yesterday, with windchill down to -40. School was cancelled both Thursday and Friday. The kids are climbing the walls, as am I!! Today we might go to the local ice rink to skate (indoor - of course!!), then out to a movie later. The kids spotted this little bird sitting in the tree outside by our deck. They couldn't believe he was out in this cold and wanted to bring him inside!! LOL!! This reminds me - I need to get out to my bird feeder and refill it with more winter seed.

I've been getting a little scrapping and submitting done on these cold winter days while I am holed up inside. Recently, I had one of my layouts (Hugs) published in Memory Makers Jan./Feb. 2009 issue. It seems like this was submitted soooo long ago - WAIT - it was!! Just now getting it published!! I have been on such a dry streak lately, I sometimes feel like giving up on submitting, but I guess you don't get published unless you keep trying, so I keep plugging along. Honestly, my favorite part about getting published is my kids' reaction to seeing themselves in the magazine.



Here is another LO I finished recently with one of my favorite paper lines from Making Memories - Noteworthy. I don't think I will ever tire of it. I recently stopped all my kit club subscriptions. Really trying to cut back on spending. I have sooo much scrappy stuff too to play with, I need to stop buying more. I have made a resolution to start working with WHAT I HAVE ON HAND, with maybe a new TIDBIT added here and there!!


Last but not least, I will finish up with my December Daily. Yes, I DID finish it, just never got around to posting the last few days. I enjoyed this project and look forward to pulling it out next year and looking back at Christmas past!! This has prompted me to do a similar monthly picture journal. I got the idea for a picture/journal in a class I did with Danelle Johnson last year. Didn't get it done last year, but no time like the present to start it, this being the beginning of the new year and all. I will post some pics of it at the end of the month. I am sure some of you have already seen this project on Danelle Johnson's Blog. Oh, and promise to myself - update blog header!!






** Sorry, missing Dec. 21, 22 and 24 - can't get these photos to load right.