Our day

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My {21 day} challenge to myself is sticking to a good schedule, I guess step #1 is writing one up!, so that is what I did yesterday. I made it into this -kind of layout- and will get it printed 8x8 for the fridge. So far so good, far from perfect but we're getting the hang of our day! I'm already liking the order it creates for us knowing what comes next...hmmm, maybe deep down I am a scheduler and I'm just in denial Big time!!! Sorry to be short tonight but spring break is wearing me right out! I love having Emilea home, and she herself is such a sweet angel, but it's amazing how the addition of one person who is used to a different (busier) day can really change the energy and the dynamic around here! For a list of the wonderful awesome supplies used on my schedule page Click Here

good luck to everyone who has decided to participate in the challenge and Stick to it!!! It's so helpful just knowing there's a bunch of other people out there working at it too!

{21}

So, I have decided to take on Rhonna Farrer's {21} challenge.
I thought and thought about what I would want to create or change in my life, in fact I thought so hard I almost decided not to do it because I couldn't decide. But that's just silly now, right? right. See my delema was that I didn't want to choose something so easy that it was like, well, kind of cheating ( myself that is,out of the experience), and I was worried that if I choose something too hard then I wouldn't be able to do it, and end up disappointed in myself. I guess before I blab anymore I should explain what {21} is;

What *is* The {21} Challenge?
It's a challenge that is based on 2 ideas:

1. The idea of creating or breaking (conquering) a habit in 21 days. Studies have shown that it takes 21 days to change. So, choose a habit you want to create or conquer in these 21 days.

2. The idea that art is therapy. We take the 'art journal' angle on this to create for 21 days & journal our feelings,triumphs, failures, etc. It makes the 21 days go a lot faster doing something we love.
(copied directly from Rhonna's blog)

so that's it! She says do it however you like, and it's never too late to join in. She gives a quote each day to help you along. Check it out here at Rhonna's Blog

I finally decided that making our SCHEDULE my new habit would cover so many of the things I thought I needed to change by making sure to schedule them in!

-eating right

-getting some kind of exercise every day

-getting outside

-doing creative activities with the kids

- getting chores done

- making time to plan and pre-prepare suppers before crazy 4:00 hits

-setting aside special family time every night

Sounds like a lot, but many of these we do already and just need to make them more a part of our regular routine, and I have scheduled things in a way that feels really doable for us. All of the kids, all of us for that matter, but Tiara especially really need to have a schedule, just to know what to expect in their day. Me, I hate it ( because I'm just a happy free-spirit and I like to go where the moment takes me), and Love it ( because then I am sure to do the things I really know that I want to do) all at the same time!

So we shall see how it all unfolds, I'm sure that some days will be better than others, but that is what a journey is all about!

Here is my intro page

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I used Kim Christensen's paper, little jeweled flowers, and staples ( the best out there by far!!!!),

Holly McCaigs' glitter brackets ( on her blog!), Jackie Eckles scratchy brush, and Tia Bennet's doodle flowers and arrow -my first time really using doodles, I never know what to do with them, but this is not a detailed scrapbook layout, more of a journal entry, so doodling on it felt right!

So today wasn't perfect, but I got my schedule made in a way that I think I can really DO it! And we did at least half of our day according to our new routine, tomorrow I will share my schedule here. Goodnight everyone and thanks for coming to my little corner of the world!

Inspiring Monday!

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It's Monday! And that means it's time to share our inspiration! A week ago I challenged you guys to see what you could take from the back of this jewel CD cover. So many possibilities; some kind of circle, angled typing, price code, tear in the background, blue color or white background. As I got links sent to me I was thourally impressed with how people interpreted this. Above is my take on this inspiration. I chose to use a circle, white background and angled typing. I had been waiting awhile to scrap this photo of my baby, it's one of my favorites and I'm always kind of scared to scrap those ones!

For journaling and a supply list click HERE

following ( in no order) are the links to some other ladies who participated please check out their work and be inspired! Thanks to you girls for sharing with us!

Natalie Braxton (Tali)

Traci Murphy

Denise (dee-dee)

Amber Joy Litzinger

Amy ( wolfpakk3)

Cynthia Michener

LaurieG

I decided that every second Monday I'll throw some inspiration on here and whoever wants to play along with me can. I will post the layout links the next Monday. So look out for next weeks' fun!

Today is the start of Spring Break for us here, so I may be extra busy this week having fun with the girls!

c-ya when I can and happy Monday!,

C.D.

Spill the beans!

I can finally tell my secret news! Yesterday Kim Christensen made her long awaited creative team announcement and I am more than thrilled to tell you , she picked me!!! Along with 7 other talented and fabulous women. It will be a real pleasure to work with and get to know them all , I have been keeping this news in for awhile now, so I am openly saying Congrats everyone!!! And Yay Kim! I am so very thankful for another opportunity for growth and friendship.

thanks for letting me share my news!

C.D.

note: Monday challenge results will be up soon!

Sunday fun

I love Sundays, a day of rest and family time before heading into the week. Today we took our kids to a Veggie Tales Live concert. They really enjoyed it and Cam and I, we just mostly enjoyed them enjoying it! It's neat to see Kaiella being more than just "the baby". She was gettin down with the veggies pretty good! 18 months is such a neat age of change and growth and discovery, I just really enjoy this time.

I finished up a layout for some of our closest friends today. We have always lived a province apart but the connection we share with these friends makes it feel like they are right around the corner. Anyways, Braden is a huge outdoorsman! A hunter and fisherman, and a really good guy. So when I saw the photo of him with this 120 lb. Marlin he caught on their recent trip to Mexico I knew right away that I just had to scrap it for him! and the play on words with the title is just for Krista! ( his wife)

To view supplies please click here

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Well that's about it for today! I have to get working on setting up all the links everyone sent me to their Monday challenge layouts! I can't wait to show you all tomorrow the different takes on the Jewel CD that everybody came up with, it's really great how different people take inspiration and do such different things! I'm sure one of them will be inspiring to you! Anyone else who participated in the Monday challenge and wants to share with us, email me the link, ( my e-mail link is at the bottom of the page) and I will add your layout! Next Monday will be a new one, so those who didn't get a chance to play this time keep an eye out for the inspiration next week! Just so you guys know, I'm not making these challenges cuz I think I'm all FAB and stuff! I just really feel that we all benefit so much from going out of our cozy little box and seeing where that can take us, and sharing with each other just takes us even farther, since we each see things so differently!

Happy Sunday and good night!

C.D.

Swallowed up!

Why the title? Well let me tell you, a quick run to the bank with my mom on Saturday night turned out to be quite the adventure as the entire city ( sarcastic exaggeration) seemed to be getting swallowed up by the most enormous pot hole. A quick little fun fact here: Winnipeg ( my city) is famous for crazy potholes, and roads in reallllly bad shape after the snow begins to melt in the spring

So my mom and I were heading to the bank after I had got the kids put to bed, it was dark out, and this huge pothole was filled with water, so it just appeared to be a really big puddle. She hit that hole HARD, I was sure we would have a flat tire after that! We pulled off to the side and put on the 4 ways to check out the car, within minutes "BANG, SPLASH" -which really sounds like more of a "BalaAsh"- another car hit the hole HARD and pulled over, this one did get a flat and a cracked rim. Car after car hit the hole with a BalaAsh and pulled over in shock. Now there is a line up of about 8 cars on the side of the road and more passing every few min. People are carefully getting eachother's numbers to have a witness, or calling someone to come help them with their vehicle, and here I am, Being the sweet caring person that I am ( K...Usually am) all I can think about as I watch the next car approach and wait to see if it balaAshes or misses is; " SHOOT, of all the times for me to forget my camera!!!"

Now, I am sure the sight of my camera-happy scrapping self snapping photos of the line of cars, the Big hole and the next soon-to-be swallowed victim would not have gone over so well. So I guess it's good I forgot my purse and my little camera at home.

that was my big excitement of the day!

and this was my Saturday post

C.D.

Friday friends

well Hello!
I'm needing to do a little blog catch up, there have been so many things I have wanted to post about and just no mind to do it. For those who don't know me, I get some pretty severe migranes, and the last few days have been a bit of a headache/tylenol fog. Sooo.....First of all, Friday was Kim Christensen's birthday! She has been so very kind and helpful ( to me and lots of others too), I admire her always striving to improve her life and seek the Lord. So, for her b-day present I made her this page. You can view the credits: HERE

It is just so great to have good friends, Friday was the worst of my headache days and my friend Kristie offered to pick up Tiara to go over and play at her place ( Tiara's second home!)I was able to get in some rest when the baby napped ( 2 1/2 hours!!! YaY) and try to clear up my head, and Tiara was able to have the super fun day that I wasn't able to give her. I feel so blessed to have such a great and selfless friend! I've been amazed lately as I think of the many ways God brings friends into my life. Whether it be buying their house( Kristie) or online through scrapbooking, or all the other cool ways God has brought me friends from all over the world. I just try to have my eyes open enough to see it.

So that's my Friday post :)
Have a great weekend everyone
C.D.

What kids say

So,I know I've written a lot about Tiara lately but she's got character+++ just oozing out of her! I have to tell you all a little story, she had me laughing so hard today!

I was working on a photo job I had done for someone and the last time I glanced up she was nicely feeding a doll with a baby bottle. Now this is no ordinary doll, it's a potty training doll with a hole in the mouth to feed it water and a hole in the bottom to pee it out ( tee hee! Now there's a word I don't usually get to type; "pee") sorry about that, guess I'll never be terribly mature!LOL

anyways.. Back to my story, I'm working away for a minute before she calls all excitedly "MOM!!!" so I turn around to see what is so amazing and she has her little head all tilted checking out this doll totally in awe, here she has stuck the bottle into the bottom end of the doll and after looking hard at it for a second she proudly announces " HEEEEY, My dolly can drink upside down!"

Now please don't think by reading this that we are some kind of crazy family of butt-drinkers or something, we are not! But we have this amazingly funny spunky little girl who makes us laugh so very hard at least once a day!And apparently her daughter IS a crazy butt-drinker!

Not much other news... I'm working on my page for my Monday challenge. I've already gotten a few really great ones back from some of you guys, keep 'em coming the more we can share and learn from eachother the more fun these challenges will be! I'm taking Emilea to Gymnastics tonight, she just loves it and she seems to really appreciate the one-on-one trip over there with me. She's always having to share and she takes it really well but when she does get a "date" with mom or dad ( something we try to do for each of them) she just appreciates it so very much. I'm off to make something for supper

Have a great night everyone, and remember to stop and laugh at the little moments... Then immediately write them down... And eventually scrap them!!!

roll in the leaves

Just wanted to share my latest page with you all. I did this layout for Kellie Mize's ad challenge at Designer Digitals. I would highly recomend signing up for their newsletter they have 3 new challenges each week and give beautiful products to use for them. For this one, the ad she used was green and brown and she created the brown stamped alpha used on this page. Fun stuff!

I did this one using one of my favorite photos of Tiara from last fall, she really is a fun girl!( and a total little ham for the camera!) I just love love love these colors! Not much to say right now, maybe I'll come back with something interesting a little later.

breathe in a little fresh spring air today!
C.D.

a "good" grade

just a quick post I had to share this cute report card Emilea made for our family!
She just recently got her report card- and for our family who read this, it was really great! So she felt that we should have one too, she's just always such a thoughtful little person. This past weekend I was doing some work for a few photography jobs and Cam ( being the amazing husband that he is) was picking up my slack and getting some housework done up...(thanks sweetie) so near the end of the afternoon Emy glances up to the kitchen where he's doing dishes and says " wow Daddy is like a servant today, he really deserves a day off!" I just think it's great that as a 7 yr. Old she takes the time to notice all the things we do around here. Above is the report card we got from her. We got a grade of "good" for work and "good" for Love and you guessed it..An overall grade of "Good"!!! I just Love this girl so crazy much!


In other news, we had a "meet the CT" chat over at Designer digitalis tonight. What a fun buncha chicks!, I just feel so very blessed to be able to work with them all. I always say that God knows where we need to be, and I think he put me in the perfect place :)


goodnight all

~C.D.~

More Good News!

well, as of today I'm all clear to tell you all my news! I just feel so incredibly blessed by the opportunities that have come my way recently! ( still have one more secret up my sleeve, heehee) I was chosen to be a part of the creative team over at Designer Digitals !!! I'm totally honored and really excited. This is one of my very favorite stores so it will be great to work with their products. I've never been on a creative team so this is all new to me!

This is my "me" page for the team area.
all of the products used here are from Designer digitals. and Cam took these pics of me, (good job babe!)


that's it for now,
Blessings to you all,
~ C.D.~

a monday challenge

I saw the back of this Jewel CD at a friends place recently and it just really inspired me. I thought it would be fun to share this inspiration and see what we could all come up with. So here it is, take inspiration from any part of this and make a page. E-Mail Me a link to your page by next Sunday and I will post the links here on Monday along with my layout. My vision was to have a place of sharing, I think we can all learn so much by sharing our work with eachother. Everyone sees things differently and can create such different results from the same sketch or inspiration. Remember there is no right or wrong when it comes to creating!

Have Fun
and have a great week!

~C.D. Muckosky~

Natural Beauty and the story of finding my Tiara

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This layout is of our sweet Tiara . For a list of credits and to read the journaling please Click Here

I glanced over one day and there was my wonderful little girl who had gotten herself out of her bath and was sitting behind me in a ray of sunshine with her towel struggling to stay in place. I had been wanting to take some natural shoulders- up shots for awhile and in that moment she was just so perfect and pretty just because she is her! Fuzzy crazy hair, ( it's the kind of hair that's not straight not totally curly) half a froggy towel and no pretty clothes or accessories. I did this layout for her because I'm fairly sure there may be a day where she will think that without all kinds of extras she's not good enough ( how many girls or women feel this at some point?) and I want to remind her that she is just incredible the way God made her; perfect and wonderful and incredibly beautiful.

She turned four in January and since about novemberish I guess, things have really been looking up for her ( I will explain).This layout is extra special to me because, don't get me wrong, my Love for her as my daughter has always been plenty strong, but there was a long time ( it felt long) where I wouldn't have felt like making this layout for her. She has many scrapbook pages ( especially because she is totally photogenic and happy to ham it up for me) but most of them are fairly superficial , just a funny moment or about her great smile or her being happy. You see when Tiara is happy she is oh so very happy, but my girl is a girl of extreme passion ( this is what I call it) and when she is not so happy....Well let's just say the whole family ( possibly the whole neighborhood) is affected. Her full name is Tiara Joy Renee and it means a crown of joy and happiness, but she hasn't always fit her name so well.

This is the short ( but still a little long ) version of her story:

When I was pregnant with Tiara I had to have emergency surgery ( my appendix), and we weren't even out of the first three months, I have an allergy of sorts to general anesthetic ( I throw up viscously for weeks) so following the surgery, I spent the rest of that pregnancy in and out of the hospital because I threw up 24/7. It was a crazy time, hard on all of us especially Emilea, and Tiara was born 6 weeks early. So needless to say her beginnings were not so smooth. My mom has always thought that her extreme sensitivity has something to do with all

of this.

For her first year she was just reeeeeally sensitive to everything, and screamed if a stranger even said hello to her, I did my best to go slowly and gently and make her little world as Tiara-friendly as I could and I figured out just what she needed to be happy. By the time she was two there was a whole nether side to her little self that we could see emerging, still just extremely sensitive but with a lot more oooomph. Poor Emilea has been late for school so many times because her little sister was kicking and screaming as I struggled to try to put some clothes or a jacket on her. I remember at one point when I was pregnant with our youngest, I had been so worried cuz she would end up kicking me in the stomach and at this point I was feeling so very stressed out, and that worried me too ( I am a super calm go with the flow kinda person and not much ruffles my feathers). I remember the midwife assuring me that the baby was totally fine, and giving me a wonderful little tip " just pick her up and pack her into the van in the mornings, screaming and all, but instead of fighting with all your might to get her into her jacket simply bring it along", it gets reeeeally cold here in winter so I think I looked at her like she was crazy, she went on to remind me that "it is fairly warm in the vehicle and she's not going to freeze, but she'll probably get cold enough to decide for herself to wear that jacket!" Well, that was a turning point for me, I learned to pick my battles and I got some control back and didn't have to feel like I was afraid of my own toddler ( a horrible thing to feel). It didn't take long for her to ask to wear her jacket and even put it on herself! But this type of thing happened a lot and got especially bad after she turned three ( which is not the most fantastic age for many kids) It's like a switch would go off inside her at any given time and she would just go into a crazy screaming fit about anything, I mean the kind of screaming that goes right through you like someone is torturing her.

And then the most wonderful thing happened ( well, wonderful cuz it gave us a solution)...We found out that Tiara is lactose intolerant! She had never had any obvious signs so we had no idea! Here she was eating cheese and cottage cheese and yogurt and drinking milk pretty much every day and having crazy stomach aches all of her little life, but since she had always felt this way she didn't know to say " my stomach really hurts!" well no wonder she couldn't handle her day! We got lactaid pills for her and stopped giving her dairy products as much as possible and finally the girl I had caught glimpses of for so long emerged! This happy, thoughtful and really funny little person. And for the first time in quite awhile I enjoyed spending time with her. And the rest of our family ( and neighborhood) have a much more peaceful environment. ahhhhhhh ( I felt that was necessary there) So at last she fits her name and our little Tiara Joy Renee is indeed my crown of joy and happiness.

I know this was a lot to share with people who don't really know us but I just figured maybe our story can help one of you guys, even if it's just to know that another mom out there went through a crazy time with a toddler and everything worked out pretty great...Now when she's 15...Well, I hope I'm still blogging so I can ask for advice! But right now I am thankful for today and I know we are so very blessed.

Take care everyone and come back soon for some good news!

C.D. Muckosky

A Happy Friday

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Just a quick one this morning, I finally made a new page yesterday,ahhhh it feels so good to create again! Honestly, my family is still young and I only have so much computer time in a day. I was so caught up checking reading and responding to the message boards during the whole HOF hoopla that there was just no time left in there to create. A big crazy wonderful event like that can sure eat up a lot of time! So yesterday was a day of cleaning catch up and creation. Before I go on too long this is an engagement picture of Cam and I, I haven't scrapped any of our really special pics cause I was afraid I couldn't do them justice, but I guess not scrapping them at all is really not doing them justice either. When I look at this it feels like a whole lifetime ago, we had so many dreams but no clue where our life was going to go ( how fun!) so the journaling on the tag says: "we had no idea then just how far our dreams could take us" Its a simple page but I really wanted the photo ( done by Barry St.Louis our fun fabulous photographer) to stand out and be the main focus. To view my supplies click HERE

I got to go out with my great friend Kristie last night and be silly goofys, I think we both turn into crazy little girls when we get out together without our kids. We went to Applebee's for munchies and made sure to ask for crayons and take some silly pics of ourselves. Man, I need that in my life every now and then! My family has all been sick for so long I've been all housebound except picking Emy up from school and taking her to gymnastics, so it was definitely an overdue adventure ( thanks Kristie!!!!) We came back here for ice cream and I got to teach her a few digi secrets....ahhh paradise...A good friend, ice cream, and digi scrapping! What could be better? oh an interesting bit of added adventure Choclair ( not sure on the spelling) was eating at the same Applebees with his peeps...I personally don't listen to his stuff but still cool since we don't so much get star sightings here in Winnipeg,Manitoba Canada. So on that note; I was reading on a few other blogs about people going to the beach and stuff, and it makes me giggle cause we live in a freezer lately ( with a few springy melty days mixed in) so I will leave you with a few pics of the view from here ( just so all you beach go-ers can feel extra thankful!)

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Have a great weekend and God Bless,

~C.D. Muckosky~

Creating Keepsakes ~ Hall of Fame ~ 2006

skip this paragraph if you are familiar with CK HOF:
Well, For those of you who don't know about this wonderful and exciting contest; every year Creating Keepsakes ( my fav. scrapping magazine) hosts a Hall of Fame contest. This year we ( I say 'we' B-cuz I entered) were asked to put together 10 layouts -(6 assignments and 4 layouts of your own choice). They go through all of the entries and choose the top 75. The very top 25 win the Hall of Fame, and the remaining 50 recieve an Honorable Mention.

I have said so many times since completing and sending off my submission that just working so consistantly to complete it all, and doing all of the HOF assignments really pushed me to grow in my art. Somewhere during the process something just clicked for me and I have felt so inspired in my work ever since. It was such a great sense of accomplishment the day we sent my box in.
That was a great reward and a blessing in itself.


wed. was the day HOF calls FINALLY went out and I was watching the craziness in The Pub ( message board at 2 peas) I am so very excited for everyone who won the honor of Hall of Famer for 2006, how amazing! Like I said, I was feeling really great about what came out of doing Hall of Fame assignments for me, and the other great blessings that have come my way recently ( **I can't tell all yet so come back soon to find out!!!!**) so I was very content to watch the party and congratulate the winners, but then today, soon after I saw the Honorable Mention calls start ( well....re-start) my phone rang........right beside me and I really didn't think anything of it, but I glanced over at the display for some reason and saw an 801 number!.....it was Fred from Creating Keepsakes and someone else who's name starts with a J ...Joannie, or maybe Jana???( I'm so sorry , my head was racing and it didn't stick)...calling to tell me that I WON AN HONORABLE MENTION!!!!! AAAAAAAAA! I am in shock and amazed, and so very honored, I only dreamed of being published someday, this is a really cool way for it to happen. I was strangely calm at the time and just thanked them many many many times but now, well let's just say I really should calm down before writing this cuz I'm sure it's sounding a little frantic and scattered. For those who don't know me I'm ussually easy going and calmer than this......ok truth is I am always a bit of a chatterbox. But anyways.....a Big Congratulations to all of the winners and everyone who took on the challenge of entering, you have all accompolished something great! and to all the other scrappers out there I would highly recomend entering next year. It's an experience you will not regret! I know I'm deffinetly looking forward to doing it all again!

God Bless you all, and good night,
C.D.

I am inspiration...Two Peas Creating Garden!!!

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I have to say, being fairly new to the world of digi scrapping I am thrilled that Anne Heyen ( for those who may not know she is a Garden Girl at 'two peas in a bucket', my fav. scrap site to hang out at) asked if she could use me - well my page anyways, as her user inspiration here in the creating garden!!! I was honored and of course said "yes!" click on the link and check out her scraplift of my "little chubs" page she did a great job! And if you have time to wander a bit, the whole garden is just full of great work!

Enjoy and have a Happy Wednesday!

note: for this page I used a paper pack by Sara Carling, daisy, index card, button and tag from Designer Digitals, Michelle Coleman's paint strokes, heart charm, mini tag, and label holder, outlined alpha from design by dani, circle stitch from Kim Christensen.

Feeling blessed to have these girls

I was just thinking how very blessed I am to have three girls. I never had a sister but I had always thought it would be great, so when we set out to have a family I hoped and prayed for "sisters", after we had the first two girls and it came time that we were expecting#3, It didn't really matter to me what we had, but another girl always felt like a good fit with the life we have. It's totally great as far as passing down my favorite outfits ( the ones I was so heartbroken to pack away that I left it hanging in their closet way after it didn't fit!).

But God is great and he has had this way of challenging us and making us grow in a whole new way with each of our children ( just my theory).
Our first daughter Emilea was the perfect dream baby/toddler the kid that goes anywhere willingly and happily, outgoing and always friendly. Thank goodness for that because we did plenty of growing just adjusting to being new parents, and going through the whole adoption process. Then our prayers were answered and she got a sister, at this point we thought we knew what we were doing, since we had been parents for 3 years and our first attempts had worked out so perfectly ( all thanks to our fantastic parenting, right?) . Hahahahahahaha, God had so much to teach us with little Tiara who was oh so very sensitive right from her very first premature moments on this earth. She cried when she was passed around too much and when we undressed her to change her and when her routine was off, when strangers talked to her, when there were loud noises.........Need I go on? So we learned ( and are still learning) so much about being more sensitive and having a good routine ( not so much my thing, I'm more of a winger than a planner). I am happy to say that as a 4 year old she is really doing so much better at handling life, and the world is an easier place for her to live in.

I always wanted three kids, three just feels complete for me. So Kaiella was the icing on the cake. After she was born I said that my dreams had really all come true . This time I didn't dare to think I know what I'm doing, I freely admit that I don't! And I was prepared that no children are the same, and they come straight from heaven as unique little people from the moment they are born. And of course she did! Always a peaceful little person, but something new for us in our little world of gentle tea parties, she is really Busy! Right after she was born they placed her on me and she held her head up to have a look around! She never was a sleepy newborn, eyes always open never missing a bit of the action. Now that she is 18months and can get around efficiently, she is our first CLIMBER. aaaaaaaaaaaa! I seriously have prayed so much in this child's short life that she will simply survive!

so I know I'm rambling a bit, but what I started out to say is that today I am thankful for the blessing of three amazing little girls! And all of the learning and growing I've done and continue to do because of each one of them. Each of my girls fills my life with so much joy in such totally different ways, and I think, just maybe, that I will learn so much more from them then they will ever learn from me. If you have kids how have you grown and changed because of them? what do you learn from them being in your world? These are my thoughts for today so I am sharing a layout of each of my girls. Hope you like! If you would like to see them larger just click the picture.

my oldest daughter; Emilea. She radiates love and kindness and I learn so much about being a good person just by being her mom. To read my write-up on the layout and see my supply list click HERE,




My middle daughter Tiara, she's spunky and funny, yet sensitive. I hope she will always feel free to just be who she is 100%, I love this picture of her. To read my supply list click
HERE




and my baby Kaiella, our little monkey, she looks so unsure here but she is usually filled with energy and smiles. To read the write up and supply list for this layout click HERE

Hope you all have a great week ahead!

Just me

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well, here is a new page I did for the cover of an "about me" album. I haven't decided if it will be 8x8 or 6x6 but we shall see, Love , love , love these colors.

Anyone watching me take these pictures must have got a good laugh. I was in my van waiting in a long line up of cars to pick up my daughter from school and to be honest, I was bored, so I picked up my little nikon and started making all kinds of faces to the camera ( yes, I'm a nut, but a happy fun nut) I'm actually glad that I did, even if the other parents think I'm bonkers, cuz I've got to try to make sure I am in my girls books too so that I am not just the voice behind the pages, but actually the face of a kind, caring ( and sometimes goofy) mom.

I used a safety pin from Michelle Coleman and a cool new alpha by Gina Miller, everything else on this page is by Kim Christensen. The cool embroidered flowers are a freebie on Kim's blog, and there is another goodie there as well! Just beautiful stuff.

I just want to thank all you guys for the nice compliments on the blog. We're pretty excited about it and it's so nice to have others share that excitement. Sounds like I may need to rent out my man to do some customizing ...LOL! I don't think he wants to be "for rent"

anyways, we've had a pretty quiet weekend around here, everyone's been taking turns with an awful cold ( fever, headache, drippy noses...) so we've been fairly housebound actually for the last week, somehow I've managed to be the only one to dodge it, so I'm just praying that I can stay healthy. Mom's aren't supposed to get sick!!! too many hugs to give and too much to get done. It looks like it may actually be warm enough outside for sticky snow today so I'm hoping to get the girls outside for a little snowman building! I'm such a big kid, I think I love that more than they do!

Happy Sunday!

A big Thank-you!!!

I just wanted to say a very BIG thank-you to Michelle Coleman, Kim Christensen and Katie Pertiet for allowing me to use their designs to create my blog. I Love their work so I wrote to each of them asking permission, and they were all so kind and got back to me right away!
There is a link to each of their stores at the bottom of the page, please go and check them out if you're into digi scrapping and are not already familiar with these ladies. I promise you will not be disapointed!

I should mention there are so many other talented and wonderful designers out there, ( see blogs on the right) I just chose to ask these three favs of mine. I think their styles went together nicely, Thanks ladies!!!

A few vacation layouts

I wanted to post a few layouts I did with some photos from our vacation to Ontario last summer, I had just gotten my 20D and had no idea how to use it so I spent the trip practicing and took hundreds of pictures! It was an amazing trip we saw such beautiful places and spent a really special time with my family out there. I'm just now starting to scrap some of the pics and I haven't even scratched the surface! Eventually I'll get to all of the ones I want to do, but I'm pretty happy with these. To see any of them larger just click on the image

The girls had a great time at the beach in Calabogie, looking for shells and playing in the sand. I'm sure I could fill an album just with pages from that day! It was definitely a trip highlight! This is my two littlest ones enjoying the shallow water along the shore, it was so peaceful and beautiful there. There was even a family of ducks swimming around ( if you look closely at the pic you can see them in the distance). This page is one of my favs, I love the swirly stamp from the Shabby Princess ( a freebie from her blog) and this Kraft paper by Katie Pertiet, and of course the photo! It just takes me right back there to that warm peaceful beach.

My girls in my grandparents garden, they are such good friends ( most of the the time)
I had fun playing with the warp tool in photoshop to bend the flower stems. I've been loving scrapping digitally for so many reasons, but I'm still pretty new to it and I have so much yet to learn! I so very much enjoy learning new things. I love the way this turned out so soft and pretty just like them! and I Love those hats I can't wait for warm weather again just to pull out all the cute summer stuff

we all really enjoyed the butterfly gardens at Niagra Falls. Kaiella was just the right age to be totally amazed with all the butterflies and colorful flowers. She even listened to the tour on headphones!

My Pepere was so great with the kids ( he's kind of a fun big kid himself!) he had so many fun ways to keep them busy! One day he got out his canoe for them, they were thrilled! They packed their bags and strapped themselves in for an imaginary journey to a rainbow!

I used so many different products from different people on these pages and it's really late so if you would like to see credits for these pages please go to my two peas gallery ( link on the left). I'm so sorry for being a little lazy, maybe I will edit this later to list all of the products used but for tonight, or I should say this morning, there is a little girl who has woken up in my lap and it's time to say see ya for now!

my Love, my beanie, and our 7 year old photographer

it's so nice to have a photo of Cam and I, I'm always taking them so we never seem to have any. I just love this man so much! he's so supportive of everything I do, (he's worked really hard to get this blog looking pretty for me). So I was hugging him and Emilea said " awww I wish I had a camera" she really likes taking pictures ( gee I wonder why?) so I handed her my camera and she got this! not bad for a 7 year old, that's my girl!

And the beanie, well... I've kept my eye out for one for a year or two ( I guess I wasn't looking too hard), this white one was in a sale bin at superstore just calling my name, and I love it! it's kinda cute and Just enough to keep me a bit warmer. the best part is it was a buck! can't beat that. well, I'm gonna go and track down a few layouts to post here.

c-ya for now

Here it is!!!

well, here it is... my blog! hopefully this will be a good place, and you will all enjoy the updates on our life and all of the scrapping hullabaloo ( a good C.D. word hey? I just like saying it! hullabaloo...hullabaloo..hullabaloo) sorry I'm getting all giddy and carried away . So, welcome, and here we go....