Garage Sale Bargain!

OK, I don't usually go to garage sales because I work FT.  Well, every Spring, my neighborhood has a garage sale the weekend before "junk" day (where you can put anything out on the curb to be taken to the dump).  Anyway, I found this cute little wooden table for Hope's dolls (or animals) to have a tea party.

Isn't it cute?

This was the only thing we purchased on our walk the other night, but I think it was money well spent (only $10).  I had actually been looking for something similar to this, and had wanted to get it for Christmas last year, but didn't find anything.  Well, now her dolls are all set!  :)

We have a very busy weekend (good friends visiting, dance recital, circus and hot tub parties), so I hope to catch up with everyone next week.  Have a good one!  And hopefully you are lucky enough to be celebrating National Scrapbooking Day by actually scrapbooking!  Enjoy & Happy Creating!

Darla

Aren't they Pretty!

Ok, these are the BEFORE pictures of our kitchen and bathroom.  

Say goodbye to the UGLY white counter tops with the bright BLUE beveled edges.

And the white counters in the bathroom too!

And say hello to beautiful new countertops!!!  Aren't they PRETTY!!!

I love them, and just keep feeling them like I can't believe we finally did it.

We have had them for a week now, it they are AWESOME!

We extended the island to make a bar area.  Hope has already eaten at the counter several times the past few days.

Obviously, we need to fix the wall behind the old mirror (and we are looking for a larger mirror too).  I can't wait to have it all put back together again.  I love how warm and rich the kitchen now feels.

We have a very busy weekend coming up, so may not hear from me in a while.  I know (BIG SURPRISE).  :)  Have a great weekend!

Darla

I am on a roll...

Hello again!  More layouts to share.  

Sun & Lots of Fun was my 2008 Summer overview layout.  I usually like to make a mini album of all our everyday summer activities, and then I make just one overview layout for Hope's main album.  The products I used include:  My Minds Eye papers, Pink Paislee chipboard letters, Prima flower, Making Memories glitter number stickers, Misc-buttons, gems and ribbon.

The Dr. George layout was all about Hope's surgery to remove her cyst (in 2008).  There is a hidden tag that pulls up behind the large George picture (I forgot to take a picture of the pull out tag).  It has a picture of Hope's neck where you can really see the cyst and journaling about how brave she was during her hospital stay.  Products used:  My Minds Eye and Stampin Up papers, Ms. Grossman stickers, Making Memories chipboard and letter stickers and Misc. buttons.

My little Lady Bug focuses on how facinated Hope was with a ladybug we found crawling inside the house.  My how times change.  Just this morning she was freaking out about a fly in the house.

Products used:  Reminisce and Cosmo Cricket papers, My Minds Eye Transparency, Jenni Bowlin letter stickers and Misc-title letters, brads, lady bug stickers and buttons.

Well, that is all for today.  Enjoy!

Boo!

Ok, I know I am a little off on my seasons, but I am trying to get caught up on Hope's pages.  I am nearly done with 2008.  Yeah!  So here is a Halloween layout.

Products used:  Cosmo Cricket papers, stickers, black chipboard, ribbon; Making Memories paper, Fancy Pants glitter transparency, Pink Paislee glitter letters and Little Yellow Bicycle felt words.

My journaling tells a story that happened during that Fall, instead of the traditional Halloween journaling.    I had a lot of things I could have journaled about, but Hope had turned on one of the overhead lights in our van and it sat on overnight.  So when we got up the next morning to go to preshool the van wouldn't start.  Hope said a ghost must have gotten into the van and turned it on because she didn't do it.  :)

We haven't had any more ghosts to turn on the lights, but we still can't figure out who used an ink pen and wrote "hope" on the ceiling fabric of the van.  There is also a large "H" on the back of the headrest.  Good thing we love her, because she is FULL of lots of ideas like that!

Til next time!

Darla

Grandma & Me

Here is one last Pink Paislee layout using the Amber Road line.  Hope loves her Grandma Deloris, and luckily I got this great picture of them together.

Products used:  Pink Paislee papers, Prima gems and flower, Jenni Bowlin stick pin, My Minds Eye rubon, Tim Holtz ticket and Misc-ribbon.

Have a good day!  Darla

Sweet Thing

Ok, here is another layout.  I used more the same products as in my Thankful layout, with the addition of Martha Stewart punch, Prima flowers and Making Memories letter stickers.

The title "sweet thing" is on one of the journaling cards (actually 2).  I cut the words off the card and joined the plain areas together so it was big enough to put my title.  

I typically order my pictures from Shutterfly, so the pictures on the strip were cut from the index print provided by Shutterfly.  I had so many pictures I wanted to use, but just couldn't justify making a lot of pages just to scrapbook them.  :)  So I used the index prints.

I also love the new Jenni Bowlin stick pins.  I have bought them in several colors and can't wait to find the perfect layout to use them on!

I hope you enjoyed this layout.  I still have more to come in the following days...Have a great day!

Darla

Dancing Queen

Hope had a dance performance this afternoon at the mall.  She did a great job, and loved all the attention she got from her Grandmas, Aunts and Cousins who came to watch her.  One more to go next weekend and we are done with dance for the year.  

This was her dance class.  They were all SO cute!

I am sure Dance layouts will follow (someday).  You know, I am only 2 years behind at this point.  :)

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. 

New Layouts...

OK, I finally have a moment to post some layouts I completed quite some time ago.  These are photos from 2008, which were taken the day before Hope was to have surgery to remove a cyst in her neck.  Luckily the cyst had shrunk enough you couldn't see it anymore, but when we first discovered it it was the size of a dime.  Very scary, because of course we jumped to the worst conclusion.  Luckily it is something that is fairly common in kids her age.

I used Pink Paislee papers, Jenni Bowlin stick pins, Tim Holtz ticket, Prima gems, Heidi Swapp (clear heart) and misc. flowers, buttons and ribbon.

I will post more layouts in the coming days.  Have a good weekend!

Darla

More Elton John photos...

Ok, I finally got some of them resized so I wouldn't overload my post with large photos.  Here are some of my favorites from the concert.  I can't wait to scrapbook them.  I am also going to make a shadow box to hold my ticket, which will be added to our concert signs in the basement.

During the last three songs, the front 3 rows were allowed to go up to the stage.  I handed my camera to a guy and asked him to get me and Elton both in the picture.  Then I took one of him on his camera.  

Below is my ticket, which was signed by Elton John himself.  :)

This boy ended up on stage, and the body guy started to come over and Elton said it was ok.  Then he went and took his hand and brought him over to the piano where he let him sit down beside him while he finished the song.  The kid (Brody) knew all the words to the songs and was just singing along.  I took some pictures on the off chance I might be able to get them to his family.  Luckily, my sister Dawn was standing by his dad and I got his email before we left.

Today, we had new counter tops installed in our kitchen.  They look awesome.  I will post pictures of the before/after tomorrow (or this weekend).  I hope everyone has a good night!

Darla

Sir Elton John...

Well, at the last minute, my sister Dawn decided to try and get us tickets for the Elton John concert last night.  She ended up getting 2nd row (just released) tickets, on the floor, center stage.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!

I have a lot of great pictures to post, but I need to resize them and no time to do it right now.  Hopefully tomorrow.  We had a great night!

Thanks Sir Elton John!

Darla

Kindergarten Experience

Hope visited her school (kind of) today and met the three Kindergarten teachers, one of which will be her teacher.  This past year they have been renovating the school she will go to, so she didn't actually get to see the school she will go to, but it was still good to meet some of her classmates and the teachers, etc.

She was so excited to show me the picture she made while spending time with the teachers and said they had a cookie too.  She asked when she got to go there all the time, and was also excited about the computers in the media room.

I also got to meet some of the other parents and chatted with them, and even found out some of them live right in my neighborhood.  It will be fun getting to know them better.

I can't believe my baby will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall!  She has grown up so fast.

On a scrappy note:

I finally got pictures taken of some recent layouts I completed.  NOW, I just need to find the time to post them on here.  Again, where does the time go!

Have a good night, and keep an eye out for my next posting!  You just never know when it will be!  Goodnight!

Darla