color me silly, originally uploaded by jendera.

Ok let me say, before you gat any ideas, Dylan has marshmallows shoved in his mouth. Yes, the kid is a little on the silly side, ok a lot on the silly side. I took these photos over the summer when we had a BBQ of sorts with friends. The kids were roasting marshmallows and having a good time. Turns out Dylan prefers his straight out of the bag, lol.

Now, to address the band aids before someone gets the wrong idea. Dylan had a bit of a scuffle with one of my friend Michelle’s boys shortly before I took these photos. The whole thing looked worse than it was, and poor Michelle was mortified. Mortified Michelle, thats pretty funny. Ok she didn’t think it was funny, and really neither did I at the time, but looking back, well, two boys outside playing leads to these types of things happening. All said and done and moving on…

It is Wednesday, and nothing special happens on Wednesday. It is an early release day from school. The school district changed over to a restructured day and Wednesday they get out a bit earlier while the rest of the days are a little later. Frankly, I find it difficult to keep track of being somedays I’m wandering around wondering what day it is in the first place. *wink*

Denny (for those of you that don’t - he is the hubby) got some new part for a car he is working on for autorama. This car has been about a two year project and really is a nice looking car, as cars go. So anyway, this part comes. It is the original bumper for this ‘57 Chevy. He had sent it out to be re-chromed and straightened. So it showed up yesterday and of course he had to bring it in the house, (thats where all of them seem to end up lately), and unwrap it. I hear him mutter to himself, “Wow, its beautiful!” Beautiful?? It’s steel! I just don’t see it, but he is apparently pleased with it so thats a good thing.

The weather is looking better here today, with each day it gets a little warmer and the snow is starting to melt off. It is pretty foggy out there now, which is ok with me. I tend to like the gloomy and rainy days as long as I get to stay inside to enjoy it.

Here is to the snow melting, and being one day closer to spring!

~j

  

   babe in suit, originally uploaded by jendera.

I did this layout last Saturday at the 12 hour I was at with Amy. Shelby has such a silly face in that center photo! I actually have that series of photos framed around here someplace. Anyway, I used glitter on this layout, and I think glitter might be one of my new favorite things.

I had been giving Amy a hard time about glitter. A few weeks ago I wanted these glitter brads. Well they only came in a big pack with a bunch of other stuff I wouldn’t use (cute packaging though). So Amy convinces me in the store that I need to buy glitter and make my own. Well I’m a gal hooked on instant gratification, and the idea of getting the brads done vs. making my own was not something that sounded real great to me, and glitter, well it makes a mess. Amy didn’t give up and before I knew it, I bought some.

So here I am at this crop, several weeks after my glitter purchase. I must admit that I’ve used the glitter now three times. This layout being the third. Here I took some Heidi Swapp Chipboard Letters (raw) and covered them with ColorBox Fluid Chalk (Blue Iris). I then put a coat of Diamond Glaze over the top and sprinkled silver glitter. After the Diamond Glaze dried I put another coat on to seal it all in. I really like the look, so much so that I repeated it on another layout that same day. So Amy, you were right about the glitter!

It is COLD here today, and I’m not leaving my house, at least I don’t plan to. Shelby and Dylan both have a cold, as usual the never ending cold has passed on to another member of my household. So I’ll be burind knee deep in Kleenex by mid afternoon I’m sure. I’ve been drinking that DanActive stuff like crazy as it is supposed to boost your immune system. I hope it works!

~j

  

   gettin wet, originally uploaded by jendera.

I went to a 12 hour crop on Saturday at Little Scrapbox with my friend Amy. It ran from 12-12, but I hit the road about 10:30 I think. I was beat and the creative juices had stopped flowing, so I thought I better stop while I was ahead. I finished 5 layouts, which is pretty good and about average for me. I had a good time and I’m glad I got to spend my afternoon with Amy, she makes me laugh, and if I had to stare across a table at someone, I’m glad it was her and no one under the age of 7 if you know what I mean. Best part of the day was that no one asked me to cut up their food, Amy does that all by herself.

Little Scrapbox has turned into my favorite scrapbook store in the area. The owners are nice, the accomodations are great, slection is pretty good as are the prices, and the paint scheme, well they are some of my favorite colors. *wink* I enjoyed a slushie while cropping, something I don’t think I’ve done in A VERY LONG time, so I if you stop by there, I highly recommend the Strawberry Kiwi. Anyway, so during the crop they raffled off five prizes, the biggest one being a Cricut. Do I need one? Probably not. Did I want one? Heck yeah! It was the last prize that they raffled off, and much to my delight, I won. When I came home I emailed Jeannie and Michelle, called my mom, and explained to the hubby with the heck it was. I don’t get real excited about anything really, not visibly, which bugs the heck out of most people, but I was pretty pleased that I won it. Ethan and I were playing with it yesterday morning and I hope to play with it a little today. Might have to get myself some more font cartridges. Ahh, new toys.

I have to say that being I haven’t cropped outside my house for so long, I’m pleasantly suprised how productive I’ve been. Using the Craft Lockers is by far the best way to travel with supplies. I don’t really “want” for anything. I didn’t bring along any printed paper, and I only spent $1.86, which got me my printed paper and ribbon. So after I showed hubby my Cricut, I held out my receipt proudly, and I think he almost passed out from the shock of it all. $1.86 spent in a whole day is a lot to take in.  I didn’t take ribbon with me, primas, or punches and I survived. I could have used the primas once, but I found soemthing else. I do have some flowers (Heidi Swapp, Bazzill, and BoBunny) that fit in a drawer in my Craft Locker, so I did have, and used those. I need to find a better way to store primas, I’ve broken those glass bottles a few times, and the buckets are just a pain to take out. I’m open to suggestions that travel well. Maybe a Craft Locker for flowers is in my future, lol.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Ethan and Dylan are on break from school, so we are all hanging out today. No big plans really, just feels good to not really have anyplace to go. I did the grocery shopping yesterday, (I really don’t like doing that), so thats done. Ethan is on chore duty so he will be helping to wash the floors yesterday… he is making up for a “bad decison” he made last week, thus he will be the floor washing assistant today.

Have a great day!!

~j

  

   hog wild, originally uploaded by jendera.

Well it’s cold! Michigan in the winter can be awful, although this year I’ve been lucky and the snow and crazy cold temperatures held off until February. But now, well all I can say is YUCK! I don’t like the kids (hubby included, lol) coming in and making a mess wiht their wet/snowy/muddy shoes on the floor. (Seems like I’m forever washing the floor in the winter.) I don’t like walking through the snow to the mailbox and I don’t like getting everyone all wrapped up until they can hardly move any joint in thier body. I just keep telling myself, its almost over, and hope what I’m telling myself is true. So with that I’m posting a layout today that makes me remember summer time, green grass, and warm days. I hope you enjoy it.

So last night I went cropping with Jeannie, and as I promised an update on my what to take, what not to take problem. Well, as I suspected, I got busy and the packing was a last minute thing. We had a snow day here on Wednesday, so Ethan was home from school on the day that was supposed to be his Valentines Day party in class. Well I was helping out so I had planned to go. That would have worked out ok as it wasn’t a preschool day. But… snow day equals a moved party to Thursday, a preschool day for Dylan. I got all turned around with times, and where I had to be and when, and time just got away from me. Everything yesterday seemed to take a lot longer than I had planned and before I knew it 4 o’clock was upon me. So, what did I take? LOL, took the Craft Lockers off the wall, piled them in my car along with my trimmer and my Seat Tote filled with cardstock packs, photos, and some tools. Ta Da, Packed. I took a lot of stuff, but I was in each locker at least once during the night, so turns out I “needed” it all. I did take my QuicKutz and didn’t end up using those, so next time I’ll leave those home I think.

Next time you say… Yup, Jeannie and I reserved seats for next Thursday. Little Scrapbox is a nice place to crop really, and I needed/need some time out and what better way to spend that time right?

~j

  

   poison oak, originally uploaded by jendera.

So today is a Tuesday, but I keep checking the calendar to double check cuz it sure feels like a Monday. I haven’t been sleeping well lately and got up bright and early, took my shower and sat down with a cup of hot chocolate and began to sift hrough my emails. Really had a feeling that today was going to be a good day and I have been getting a lot done during my “sleep deprived” phase. Anyway, so after email I decided I’d start a layout until I had to wake the kids.

Ok so starting layout, all is going well… I’m flying through it really, and this layout came really easy to me, which usually happens when I really like the photos I’m working with, and Ethans expression here was, well priceless. Anyway, so I start to put things together and want to hang the Queen & Company Chic Charms to the Heidi Swap Clip with jump rings, well wouldn’t you know it, I can’t find my small jump rings… who knows where they ran off too. So moving on I make me own out of wire, not an easy task when they are that small. But I did it, and moved on. So I punched my hole in the clip and it got stuck in the punch, which it usually does, so instead of getting it out with my scissors… I used my paper piercer, and it broke. Ok, moving on… slightly aggrivated now. Ok onto journaling. I usually measure the space I have and type it out in a text box and then print it out. Well now my ruler is gone. Its clear which is good and bad because I can see what I’m doing but it blends in and then I can’t find it. I put a big ring on the end with ribbon, and still I loose it around here. So I had to eyeball, oh well. I’m wondering if this is a sign of the rest of the day to come. So as I grieve over my paper piercer, lol, I brace for daily disaster. :p

Heres to a better day… I hope.

~j

   

  Valentine Gift, originally uploaded by jendera.

Valentines Day is nearly here, and with that I spent my morning making Valentines for Ethan and Dylan to give out at school. This idea came from a Better Homes and Gardens Scrapbook Mag. I modified it a tad, but the principal is the same. I made a total of 50 so they had extras to give out for teachers and such. I waited until nearly the last minute. Dylans party is tomorrow and Ethans is on Thursday. I don’t know why I do that, I’ve had the suckers that went inside, but I guess I work best under pressure. I think they came out pretty cute.

Now, brace yourselfs for a shock… I have registered a seat for myself and my buddy Jeannie to scrapbook at Little Scrapbox on Thursday. They have a big screen and show Greys Anatomy during crop time, so thats a plus.

For those of you that know me, you know that I don’t scrap outside my scraproom except for the one weekend a year that I go on my retreat. I don’t think I’ve gone to a crop in nearly 4 years and about 4 months ago I got rid of all my totes (navigators, xxl, etc.) and only kept one Karen Foster Seat Case that I take with me when I teach classes. (As a sidebar, I don’t suggest that KF tote, I love the bright pink, but it really isn’t very functional.)

I don’t crop away from home for a couple reasons, and both of them revolve around all my scrapbook treasures, and I can’t pick and choose which goodies stay home and which ones get to travel with me. As I’ve said before I have the vast majority of my things in Craft Lockers (6 of the accessory lockers and 2 ribbon lockers) and they travel well, but do I really want to haul ALL THAT?? Am I going to look like a freak at a crop with ALL THAT?? Why can’t I just preplan like NORMAL croppers? The answers… NOT REALLY, PROBABLY and WHO KNOWS! (On top of the Craft Lockers, I have QuicKutz to haul, ugh.)

My second reason, again revolves around ALL THAT stuff. I don’t generally handwrite my journaling. I don’t like my writing, which I’m sure is every scrapbookers number one excuse. I know its important to leave behind a handwriting sample, but those left here to look at the layouts after me, well, they’ll get over it. I have this fear that I’ll get everything all the way I want it, then journal on the layout and make a mess of it. On top of which I usually get it all set up the way I want it, and measure my space for journaling and then type it up in the size text box that I need. (Can you tell that I was a computer neard in my past professional life?) So, my point, I can’t bring my computer, could bring my laptop I suppose and a travel printer, but again that gets me back to ALL THAT stuff!

Finally, and this is again along the lines of the computer, I NEED my Pazzles Creative Cutter. I’m so very lucky to have it, and I use it often. I can create anything I want on the computer and have the cutter cut it out to any size I want out of just about anything you could think to cut. It has gotten to the point now that I don’t even take out my QuicKutz (except for shapes) because I have the fonts that represent the alphabets and I can cut them via the Creative Cutter to any size I want. Well that Cutter is MASSIVE, my scrapbook pals call it “Big Daddy” and for good reason. So that I can’t haul even if I wanted too.

So what is a crazed scrapbooker to do? I’ll probably leave it until the last minute and drag a ton of stuff with me, cuz thats just who I am. I’ll let you know how it all works out. *wink*

~j

  

   laugh, originally uploaded by jendera.

Could it really get any colder here? I guess the answer is yes as the first two days of this week the schools here were all closed due to the cold. I didn’t know they even did that, close schools due to cold I mean. So Monday and Tuesday we (menaing the kids and I) spent the day huddled inside near the fireplace roasting ourselves. I can’t stand this kind of weather, really, YUCK.

Spend yesterday morning with my good friend Michelle checking out a new scrapbook store that opened here this week. It’s called Little Scrapbox, and I think it opened on Monday. Great store! Great Staff! Two thumbs up!! If I were going to crop outside of the walls of my scrap room, and I’m not saying that I am, I would choose to crop there. According to the info I’ve gotten, the building they are in is around 7,400 and they do crops on Thursday (on other days too) night with Grey’s Anatomy playing on the big screen tv, lol, which is the draw for me!! They do have an online store, for those of you that are not local, so be sure to check them out.

At any rate, I shopped, came home, and then called Jeannie so we could plan a trip there today. So again today, I shopped, lol, do you see a theme here. In my defense, Shelby found an album there yesterday by K&Co. that lights up and with a tiara and the word “Princess” on the front. Anyway she ran right up to it again today, so I go it for her. You can see who really runs the show around here. *wink wink*

~j

   

  god mother, originally uploaded by jendera.

Well sadly the weekend is almost over. As usual I didn’t get half of the way through my To Do list. (As usual!) I”m sharing a layout I did during the week. I finally started scrapping some more of the baptism photos I had sitting here from Shleby’s baptism in 2005. I picked up some Bazzill Bling Cardstock the other day while I was out and used it here. I really wish you could see the pretty shimmer in the scan. If you want to pick some up for yourself I’ve seen it locally at Remember When and Scrapbook Emporium. I’m sure you can purchase it online also. I got mine by the sheet but I think there are Trio packs of it now also. Anyway, hunt some down, its pretty stuff.

Ethan turns 7 today. I have no idea how that happened! I mean really, where did the time go. He has changed so much in jus the past year that it just amazes me and saddens me at the same time. With every day that goes by he looses just a little more of his boyish features and I just HATE that part. At the same time all the things he can do now for himself, well that part, uhh, I love. Here is to another year passed and a great year ahead. Happy Birthday Ethan!

~j

   

  enjoy the journey, originally uploaded by jendera.

All new Grey’s Anatomy tonight… who is gonna say yes/no?? I can’t stand the suspense much longer. I don’t get into a lot of shows, but this one is a must watch for me.

Anyway, I scrapped yesterday and got two layouts done. I’m in a simple scrappin mode lately and I like the results. Todays layout is a photo I just got around to working on. I took this on Ethans first day of first gade. He was walking ahead of my a little on the sidewalk and I thought it was a cool photo. I was thinking to myself how many more years he will be walking this same path, and his brother and sister after him.

I had this photo printed in 8×12 and then cropped it down slightly. As usual click for the full supply list on flickr.

I hope everyone is having a good day!

~j

    

  One Cool Dude, originally uploaded by jendera.

So I spent the morning today with my buddy Jeannie, and that generally requires a visit to a scrapbook store, or someplace along those lines. So, we met up at Starbucks, hit Michaels, JoAnns and then another little local store (Remember When… Scrapbooking in New Baltimore). Of course I shopped and got some cool little goodies. I’ve already got all my new found treasures put away in thier “hiding spot” in my new Craft Locker Accessory Lockers, and any remaining evidence of new purchases has been destroyed. {wink wink}

I plan to scrap a little more today, but all I can seem to focus on right now are my new Crocs. They should be here any minute via my favorite FedEx guy. I ordered them last week when I realized all too quickly that my idea that we were going to make it through an entire Michigan winter with minimal snow was really just a pipe dream. The snow has started, and I suppose I shouldn’t complain as its almost February and this is really the first of it, but I hate the cold. At anyrate… I ordered myself a pair of All Terrain Crocs and they are due to arrive today. So I wait…

Speaking of dreading cold weather… for those of you that don’t know, the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show is going on right now in California. Ahhh, wish I was in California, far far away from snow. If you want a good update on what is going on there I’d suggest keeping tabs on Emily Adams… she blogs frequently and provides some good updates and if its a funny you are after, pop by and check out Ginger Rohlfs blog.

Well I’m off, my new Crocs should be here any minute and I’m due for a dose of cold medication. On that note, if anyone has a good suggestion for how to AVOID having a cold for the entire school year (thank to all those nasty germs that seem to come home) please fill me in!! I think I’ve had a cold in some form since September!

~j