scrapbooking gal

have you...

2011-04-21T19:34:00.001-05:00

...checked out the new blog yet?

Go to www.jenneymcannally.com/blog and tell me what you think! =)

i've moved...

2011-04-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

Go check it out...

www.jenneymcannally.com/blog

changing things up

2010-08-20T18:24:00.002-05:00

Ok, it's become obvious that I cannot keep up two blogs. =)

I'm going to try posting my scrappy/personal stuff on my photography blog. We'll see how this goes...

Thanks for still being here {if anyone still is.}

looking for my mojo

2010-06-25T16:02:00.002-05:00

I'll be honest, my scrapbooking mojo has been lost lately. Between shuffling kids around everywhere, photoshoots and attempting to keep my house in somewhat decent order {ha!} I just haven't had the energy to scrap. Well, that's gonna change tomorrow. I'm spending the afternoon/evening at The Scrapbook Princess. I'm gonna scrap, eat and chat. Sounds like heaven! Hopefully I'll have some new layouts to post early next week. ;-)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

still here

2010-06-15T05:20:00.001-05:00

I'm still here. Just busy doing this. =)

may challenges

2010-05-29T14:34:00.004-05:00

My sweet friend Paulette at The Scrapbook Princess posts a challenge each month. I love a good challenge! =) This month we created a layout about motherhood and what it means to be a mother. I knew this pic of the boys was the perfect starting point. I love journaling random thoughts like this because I hope that one day the boys will look back and see my side of things. Maybe then they'll forgive me for screwing them up so bad. ;-)

Citrus Tree Studios also has some great challenges up this month. This page was fun!! Misting, scallop punches, and buttons - what more could a girl want. =)
If you're local go on over to Paulette's blog and take part in the challenge. She'll pick a random winner who gets a free $25 gift card to the store - yay!!! And you have until June 5th to complete the challenge at Citrus Tree Studio!

giving it a shot

2010-05-29T14:19:00.003-05:00

Ok, time for a confession - I really miss being on a design team. For anyone reading this who has no idea what a design team is, it's a group of people who design projects for a company/website in order to promote said company's products and sales. That's the business side of it. The fun side of it is that you get products sent to you and you get to play with fun goodies and you get to meet very sweet ladies who love scrapbooking as much as you do. Ever since Scrap4Life went under I've missed being part of a team. Now that Jackson's a little older and I can focus more on myself, I've decided to try out for more teams. So far, I haven't been too successful but that's ok - the fun's in the trying, right? Well My Little Shoebox is adding new team members and I decided to give it a shot. I had so much fun creating these projects!!!Thanks for stopping by!

lots of fun ahead

2010-05-29T13:06:00.006-05:00

{And lots of pictures but you already knew that, right?} Dylan turned 6 a couple weeks ago and while his party was VERY stressful for us, he had a great time. And that's all that matters, right? On his actual birth day, we let him choose where we went for dinner. In his grand 6 year old wisdom he picked....Burger King. It's cheap, not too low on the health dept. score so we agreed. On his 6th birthday, he also lost his first tooth!!! He was soooo excited!! We're not exactly sure where he was when he lost his tooth so we didn't have it to leave for the Tooth Fairy so he had to leave a note. Miss Fairy came while we were out for dinner {she's too tired at night!} and Dylan was shocked that he got money in return for a note. His exact words were "Wow! It worked!" It was pretty cute.

The one present he wanted was Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for the Wii. I have no idea why because none of these are sports he'll probably ever do in real life {except for possibly ice skating} but he loves it. And he was soooo excited when he opened it. He walked right over and gave me the biggest hug. =)

Since I had sooo many pictures to share, I put them all together in storyboards. I couldn't pick just a few. ;-) If you want to see more they're all up on my professional gallery page here.

Instead of doing one big cake, we did little cupcakes. We had red mushrooms, blue mini mushrooms and star men. Our Super Mario Brothers obsessed little man loved them. =)
And before anyone asks, no I did not take all these pictures. My best friend Lelia and I have a deal that we take pictures at each other's kids parties. She took all the party pics and did an awesome job! Thank you!!! I highly suggest trading with a friend and doing pictures for each other - you get stress-free pictures of the big day and you're actually in some of the pictures. If you don't have a friend close by, you can always give me a call and I can come out and take pictures for you. =)

{And that final picture - on the bottom - that made all the hard work totally worth it.} ;-)

so proud

2010-05-12T13:54:00.001-05:00

On Monday evening our baby had his Kindergarten Graduation program. We are so proud of him and how well he's done this year. He started in the "big" school and went all day this year as opposed to half days in preschool. He handled it all beautifully though. He loves school {most days} and thinks his teacher is the coolest ever. ;-) He does great in math and loves to read everything these days. He's also started writing and I just love to read his stories and work from school. Way to go, big guy!!!

For the first part of the program they sang some Sesame Street songs. Dylan's favorite was "Rubber Duckie."
I love how his sweet dimple is peeking out from under the duck. =)
Getting his certificate from his very cool teacher. =)
Shaking hands with the principal.
Tomorrow - he turns 6!!

our life these days {in photos}

2010-05-08T20:12:00.005-05:00

It seems like we've been going non stop lately. We've been busy with birthdays, therapy sessions, school events, etc. I love it though! For some reason, I enjoy the go-go-go much more than the "I'm bored" days.

The only problem with go-go-going is that my list of things to do gets progressively longer. It's all good though. =) I'm pretty behind in editing my personal photos {um, Easter pics would be nice to see} but I did want to share a few snapshots from life that I've gotten lately.

This little dude turned ONE last week. No, he isn't mine but I can {sort of} claim him. ;-) BTW, you can see more photos of Little Man here.
To celebrate the little guy's birthday we took our two cohorts in crime to IJump in Hoover. My little daredevil had the time of his life! He laughed nonstop for two hours. It was great! They have a toddler area that had a distorted mirror. Jackson thinks seeing himself in a mirror these days is just hilarious. He looks at himself and then does different faces and folds his arms together. It's just so funny to watch. I actually got a video of it with my fancy schmancy camera but I have no clue what do with it once it's on my computer. Any tips?Dylan turns 6 in just a few days. How did that happen??? I LOVE that he's all about reading these days. He also loves to write and I love to see how he spells different words. It just completely melts my heart. On this particular morning, I had a grocery list going and he thought he should add to it. =) {In case you aren't familiar with the 5 year old world he requested a Webkinz, those stuffed animals that you can play games with online. He's a bit obsessed. Ask his teacher. ;) }
I've been trying to plan lots of playdates for the little guy. It's really important that he be around other kids so these pics were taken at a playdate at the park. I have no clue what he was doing here but it just makes me laugh. Crazy boy!And because there needs to be some proof that I exist:I hope all the Moms out there have a wonderful Mother's Day! I've already been gifted with a dozen beautiful yellow roses, a precious book created by my baby and a sweet bookmark that I will treasure forever. Happy Mother's Day everyone!

yes, i'm still here

2010-05-03T09:32:00.006-05:00

I really don't know what to blog about anymore. It seems like I post all my "everyday" stuff on Facebook so there just isn't much to say here. Any suggestions? Any questions anyone might want to ask? I'm desperate for blogging ideas. LOL

I have been scrapping some lately. Paulette held another awesome crop at The Scrapbook Princess a few weeks ago and I got several pages done there. Citrus Tree Studios had a fun crop this past weekend for National Scrapbook Day - yes we have our own Day. =) Here are my latest pages:

Happy Monday!

he's growing up

2010-04-08T18:03:00.004-05:00

Sigh...why do they have to grow up so darn fast?! If you read the previous two posts, my baby Jackson turned two last week. Normally, I just do my kids' pictures somewhere near my house {probably because I'm too lazy to take them anywhere.} Well, this year I've decided my kids are getting "real" photoshoots for their birthdays. Jackson and I packed up and headed over to the Botanical Gardens. Lelia tagged along to make sure my little adventurer didn't jump off a bridge or dive headfirst into the water {Fearless really should've been his middle name.} I'm soooo glad I ventured out for his pictures and so glad that Lelia agreed to come along. Not only did my baby stay safe and had a distraction from me {the Momarazzi} she got some awesome shots of me and my little man together. Honestly, the pics of me and Jackson together are my favorite. It's so rare that I'm actually in a photograph so I will treasure these forever {and ignore the crows feet, skin blemishes and awful hair!}
If you're not sick of my pictures yet, I've posted more {yes there are more!} on my photography website. Feel free to leave any advice as to which proofs to print. I can never make that decision!!

celebrating jackson

2010-04-07T10:28:00.006-05:00

This past weekend was Jackson's two year birthday party. I still can't believe my baby is 2?! Crazy!!! Since he isn't into any tv shows or characters, we went with a generic "jungle animal" theme. The monkey sound was one of the first animal sounds he learned so I thought that was appropriate. =) Here are a just a "few" of the pictures we got. I'm blessed with a great best friend who doesn't mind being my photographer for my kid's birthdays so I get to actually be involved in the party instead of being behind a camera. Thank you, Lelia!!!

Yours truly made the banner. I was pretty proud - just don't look too closely at it. =)

Birthday Boy was FAR more interested in the balloons than the people, presents or cake at his party. He just kept saying "Ball!" over and over. It was pretty cute. =)
He didn't care anything about the presents. Big Brother had to help him out.
Birthday Boy loves bubbles!!
Ah, the cake. There wasn't a cake at Wal Mart or Publix that would work with his theme so we made our own. This was my first time to ever make a birthday cake and I must say I was pretty proud. The instructions for it came from Parenting.com. {Disclaimer: Several days before the party, I made a fake cake - as Dylan called it - to make sure I could do it right. That cake turned out great and was immediately recognizable as a monkey. Come party day, I was too anxious and couldn't get my hands steady enough so my husband actually decorated this cake. Comes in handy having a painter for a husband. =)}
The "cohorts in crime" checking out the goods. These two are going to give us a run for our money this summer!
If you're still reading this and you're a scrapbooker in the B'ham area, I'm teaching a class this Saturday at The Scrapbook Princess. We're going to make a layout about our faith and work on journaling from the heart. I know a lot of scrappers struggle with heartfelt journaling so come to the class and I'll help you out. =) Paulette has posted a great challenge for April, too. Go check it out!!

challenge, a birthday, and a class

2010-03-30T13:58:00.006-05:00

That title's better than "randomness," right? I think I've used "randomness" about 100 times. LOL

This month's challenge at The Scrapbook Princess was to scrap about a woman we admire (it's Women's History Month.) Well I decided to FINALLY do a page about me and my best friend. We've been through a lot together and I needed to document that. Plus it's a great excuse to use the fabulous Dear Lizzy line from American Crafts. I loved the line the first time I saw it online but it's not exactly boy-friendly. =) Also, I did misting for the first time on this page and I'm hooked! It's sooo much fun!
Today is a certain someone's birthday! Jackson turns 2 today!!! I'm sooo excited for him but he's my baby so it's kinda hard to watch him get older and become even more independent. You moms out there understand. =) I haven't done his "official" birthday pics yet {it's on my "to do" list very soon} but here are a couple snapshots I've gotten recently.He just learned last week how to eat with a spoon!! We've been working on this for months so we were so proud of him for finally getting it. He's so cute! Every time he takes a bite, he looks up at you and goes, "mmmm!" That boy and his food.... =)Oops, almost forgot about the class part. I've got another "Journaling with Jenney" class coming up soon. It's next Saturday, April 10 at The Scrapbook Princess. We're going to be journaling about our faith. Appropriate for Easter, no? =) Call Paulette and sign up! Better yet, go by the store and sign up. She has LOTS of new CHA goodies in so you can shop, too. Don't buy it all though - I haven't been shopping in a couple weeks and I've got my eye on some stuff. ;-)

Happy Tuesday everyone!! {Does anyone read this anymore?}

new hobby

2010-03-13T06:14:00.004-06:00

I needed a new hobby right? Because scrapbooking and photography aren't very time consuming at all. =)I'd been wanting a sewing machine for forever. Just spending thirty minutes on the web will leave you with countless ideas on stuff to make but I never had a sewing machine - until now. I was very generously "gifted" this machine. It's an oldie but goodie Kenmore and it'll probably outlast me {if I don't break it first.} So far I've made a coaster for my scrap area. Dylan saw it and wanted one for his room so I made him one. I've also made a pincushion but that didn't require any sewing with the machine. =)I also want to make this and this and this and this....

I've been scouring my local thrift store for cheap fabrics and pillowcases and sheets that I can use for fabrics. It's been a lot of fun. Now to actually make things. You know, in all my spare time. =)

One of the best things about having a sewing machine is that I can stitch on my layouts now! I love the end result!! {This page was done with the new Anthology line from Studio Calico - it's available at The Scrapbook Princess.}

I'm off to teach my class today at The Scrapbook Princess. Even if you aren't taking the class you should come by and visit. She has a TON of new CHA products in the store {including Dear Lizzy which I'm VERY excited about!!}

Citrus Tree Studio is having a "Go Green" crop this weekend. Check it out - it's going to be a lot of fun!

Happy Saturday!

class this saturday!!

2010-03-09T05:50:00.003-06:00

In the craziness that is life, I totally forgot to post here about my class this Saturday! I'm teaching a class at The Scrapbook Princess this Saturday at 10:30. We'll learn some fun journaling techniques on a new layout as well as some other tidbits of info you can use on future pages. This is going to be a fun, relaxed time to scrap and maybe work on some things that have intimidated you before {scrappy-wise.} Paulette has generously offered to let anyone who attends the class stay to crop for the rest of the day so you can you put your new skills to work immediately! Here is the layout we'll be making:
If you are attending the class, here's a list of stuff you'll need to bring with you:
- a 4x6 photo of yourself {doesn't have to be you all by your lonesome, your family can be in the picture too}
- paper trimmer
- sharp tipped scissors {like Cutterbees}
- adhesive
- brown pen

If you haven't signed up, what are you waiting for??? There are just a couple spots left so get on it!! You'll have fun I promise! Here are the details: The Scrapbook Princess blog

In other scrappy news, my sweet friend Virginia was asked to join the Lily Bee Design Team yesterday. Yay!!! I'm so excited for her and can't wait to see what she creates for them. They are very lucky to have her!

Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful spring-like weather today! I'm off to two therapy sessions {for the little one} and then to buy party supplies for a certain birthday party {of which I am in total denial!!!} Have an awesome Tuesday everyone!

ready for spring

2010-03-02T12:14:00.004-06:00

So is anyone else REALLY ready for spring?? I never thought I'd say this, but I'm sooo tired of snow and cold! I'm ready for warm weather, flip flops and the pool. Anyone else?

This past week was the deadline for the Lily Bee design team call. I gave it a shot but I'm certainly not expecting a call next Monday. =) Here are the layouts I did for the call:{This next layout is a little about Jackson's journey this past year. I haven't spoken about it a lot on my blog just because I didn't want it not to be his decision to share. However, I did want to scrap it so I wouldn't forget the details. =)}
This next page was completely inspired by Virginia Tillery. She posted a fun sketch on her blog, challenged us to play with it and I ran... This was a fun layout to make and is all Jackson!

Finally, this page was done for last week's Studio Calico Sunday Sketch challenge. We were also challenged to use baby colors. Well, we all know I'm not a pink and baby blue kind of person so this is as close as I could get. =)

Poor Dylan! He's been a little neglected in the scrappy department lately. Guess I need to get on that. =)

want to remember this...

2010-02-23T05:27:00.003-06:00

Our conversation on the way to school yesterday morning:

Dylan: There's a girl in my class who wants to marry me.

Me: Oh really?

Dylan: Yeah, but I don't want to marry her.

Me: Why not? {not that I want to encourage my baby to get married but I was just curious to see what he'd say}

Dylan: Because, I want to marry Emma. But I think she wants to marry someone else.

Melt my heart!!

Believe me this will be on a layout very soon! =)

Speaking of layouts, I spent last Saturday at my friend Paulette's store and it was heavenly!!! A whole day to scrap and chat was just what I needed. Here are some pages I got done:Paulette has started hosting a monthly challenge on her blog. If you complete the layout and post it to your blog or take it in the store for her to see, you could win a store gift card. Score!! This month's challenge was to use a heart on your page. We also get extra entries if we use products from her store. On this page, the Sassafrass papers and the Jenni Bowlin chipboard button are from Paulette. I think you still have a few days left to enter!!I have more pages to share and a fun announcement coming up in a few days. =)

BTW, I posted some information about backing up your digital photos on my JMP blog. Go check it out!

scrappy fun

2010-01-30T08:33:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been into challenges - product challenges, sketch challenges, technique challenges, etc. Those are really getting my mojo flowing these days. =) I'm going to be a bad blogger and post all these layouts without linking you to the challenges. Sorry, I just don't feel like looking them all up again. =)Looking at them now most of these are Studio Calico challenges and/or the sketch challenges from the Ella Publishing blog. They're doing a series of 6 sketches {one per week} so I'm playing along. The grand prize winner gets a Cricut. Cool! =)

As for the "2010" layout - I'm doing the Project 12 challenge {in addition to the 365 challenge} For the Project 12 challenge, you scrap the entire year one month at a time. This is where my favorite images from the 365 challenge will be used. =) Here's a link to that challenge if you want to play along: Project 12

I hope everyone's having a great weekend! I plan on playing with my boys, scrapping, reading and watching some movies from the library. Sounds like perfection to me! =)

project 365 {take 3}

2010-01-10T20:37:00.003-06:00

For the past two years I've attempted to complete project 365. It's a simple concept, you take a photo every day for one year. I won't post every photo I take {most of them aren't too exciting} but I will post some of my faves from time to time. Here are some of my favorites so far:
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all have a wonderful week. =)

snow day {sort of}

2010-01-07T14:52:00.003-06:00

I live in Alabama. Therefore everytime the "s" word is mentioned, the entire state shuts down. Plus, Alabama is playing for the National Championship tonight so it would've been pointless anyway to try to do anything productive on this day. So....we didn't. The boys have played all day, hubby is doing some painting and I'm being lazy. Life is good!

I have gotten some more layouts done. Wahoo!!! Here are some new ones I've done. The first is for a sketch challenge over at Studio Calico.
One of my project for the past week was to get all my pictures printed from 2009. I want to be able to back everything up on discs and external hard drives, get them printed and then get them off my computer. It still feels weird to push that "delete" button when it comes to pictures but "delete" I must. =) Anyway, this is the stack of pictures I got in the mail today. That's 530 pictures for anyone who's curious. Eek...I need to get busy, busy scrapping!
And the {sort of} part of my title. Yes, it snowed and yes it's VERY cold but it didn't stick. Bummer!

One last thing: ROLL TIDE!!!!

01/01/10

2010-01-01T12:55:00.004-06:00

It's so hard to believe it's already January and it's already 2010. How did that decade go by soooo fast? {And yes, that questions makes me feel soooo old!}

Now that things have calmed down a little with my photography bu siness I'm making time to scrap again. I have missed it so much! Citrus Tree Studios is having a crop this weekend with some great challenges. I got three done last night and plan to get my scrap on again tonight. =)

I've also recently joined the community over at Studio Calico. There are so many talented scrappers there and I figure I can stalk them a little easier if I'm on their message board. Just kidding {sort of}. Seriously everyone over there is so sweet and encouraging and even though I can't subscribe to the kit {yet...hint, hint for anyone needing any birthday/Christmas gift ideas next year} they have fun challenges to play along with.

Here are some of the pages I've done recently:

The first two were done with SC new line Homefront. It's totally not my style but I'm in LOVE! Aren't those colors gorgeous?!

This is my first attempt at an ATC. It was for a challenge at Citrus Tree and was a lot of fun to make.
Hope everyone is enjoying the New Year!

2009 in pictures

2009-12-31T15:23:00.010-06:00

{Disclaimer: LOTS of pictures ahead.}

2009 was such a fun, busy, crazy year that it was nice to look back and find my favorite pictures. Some months I barely snapped the shutter (those are the 1 picture months) and some months I took 200-300 pictures. Yikes! It's crazy to see how much these two kiddos of mine have changed in the past 12 months. =)

BTW, I totally stole this idea from Stephanie Howell.

January:
This was such a great trip!!! I'd drop everything and be there in a heartbeat {if someone else was paying the tab.}

February:
March:
This month was all about this little man and his first birthday!!
And we actually got a couple inches of snow. Dylan attempted to ride his tricycle in it. Boys....
Love this! As soon as I snapped it, I knew....
April:
A friend of mine offered to take some family pictures for us. I LOVE THEM!!!! I treasure each image but these are my faves. Thanks so much, Melissa!
Dylan is such a great big brother. I love the pictures I have of him helping Jackson. =)
May:
This handsome little man turned 5 this month. And he graduated from K4. My baby is growing up!
June:
Love it! {And yes, we don't get dressed much during the summer.}
July:
A less than stellar trip to the beach {stomach bugs are no fun on vacation!}
August:
First day of school - he was soooo excited!
September:
I went to my first AL football game. Roll Tide!
October:
Doesn't he make the most perfect Luigi? =)
And our little Yoshi {er, dinosaur.}
This boy. Sigh. I could write a whole blog just about this little man. He definitely challenges us as parents but he is such a sweet boy. I can only imagine what 2010 will hold for him. =)
This year's soccer season was kind of a bust with all the rain we had but Greg helped coach Dylan's team and when he decided to play they had lots of fun.
November:
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture. =)

December:
This is the face of a boy who got exactly what he wanted for Christmas {in fact it was the only thing he wanted - New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii.}
So typical of him - running around not even bothering to be still long enough to open his presents.
Two crazy cousins + the troublemaker in the background who's getting into something he shouldn't = fun at the grandparents.
I have no idea what he's looking at but I this is so him - doing one thing while focused on something else entirely different.
So that's our 2009 in {somewhat} short post. We had a pretty good year and can't wait to see what 2010 holds. Happy New Year!

halloween 2009

2009-12-02T05:56:00.006-06:00

{We'll ignore the fact that this is being posted in December.}

Dylan is currently OBSESSED with Mario Kart Wii. So we found this Luigi costume and he was sooo happy! He even agreed to wear the moustache for a little while. =) Jackson really didn't care what he dressed up as so he was Yoshi {aka dinosaur.} Dylan thought it was hilarious and like I said, Jackson could've cared less. We did the rounds to see the grandparents, did a Trunk or Treat at the soccer fields and went to the Fall Festival at a local church. Dylan LOVED the fall festival. Jackson, however did not. He lasted about 20 minutes and he was done. To his credit, it was VERY cold and past his bedtime. Maybe next year....

Sorry for the overload of pictures but it's too hard to narrow it down between my favorites and the "ones I need to remember what we did." Man, I'm getting old!

Carving the pumpkin...

A picture of the pumpkin goop per Dylan's request.
He always runs from the camera so I have to take them when I can get them. =)
The cutest Luigi ever...
Why he felt the need to have his mouth wide open, I have no idea but he was in hog heaven. A Mario Kart obsessed 5 year old dressed as Luigi riding a motorcycle....he was a happy boy!A very sad attempt to get the two of them together. Why is it sooo hard to get pictures of my two kids together?! =(

The cutest Yoshi ever... {I LOVED his tail.} =)

so thankful...

2009-11-26T06:46:00.002-06:00

for him....
and him.....
and him.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

still alive...

2009-11-24T06:27:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm still alive. Just REALLY busy doing this. =)

first day of school (i.e. dylan's lucky day)

2009-08-13T05:26:00.005-05:00

My baby had his first day of school yesterday. He was excited about this day coming so it was hard for me to be sad about it. Plus, he'd kinda driven me nuts all summer so I was ready for him to be out of the house. =) He had told me the day before that he would walk in by himself with the "big kids." Of course, that shocked me and made me a little sad. When it came time to drop him off at school he had changed his mind. He wanted me to walk him in. So we spent 15 minutes waiting in the massive line of cars to park so we could walk in. As I was pushing Jackson in the stroller and Dylan was walking next to the stroller, he turned around to Jack and said "I'm going to miss you Jackson." So sweet!!! Well we got to his classroom and his teacher put him to work. I'm pretty sure that was the hint to parents to leave. LOL Only because it's a tactic I used in my teaching days. Well I couldn't help snapping just a couple pictures before I left. =) I gave him a kiss (or two) goodbye and Jack and I left. After he got home yesterday he said his favorite part was lunch. Go figure! Hopefully there was some learning and playing mixed in there somewhere. We did see his teacher last night when we went out to dinner and he thought that was VERY cool! So sweet!!! We let him pick the restaurant for dinner (well, sort of - we refused to eat at "Old McDonalds") and he got to get a special desert since it was the first day of school. As we were loading up in the car after dinner, he proclaimed it to be his "lucky day." He got to go to school, meet new friends, eat out of his lunchbox, go to PE, pick the restaurant for dinner, get a special desert, and see his teacher again. Sounds like the perfect first day of school to me!

Oh one sad note to report - he was very disappointed that his teacher's treasure chest is actually a "basket. Gasp!!! =)

And now for the pictures:
The VERY important lunchbox and lunch. Thank goodness we didn't have to have a mesh lunchbox (their backpacks are required to be mesh or clear). Lightning McQueen had to represented somewhere. =)
On the front step, posing for pictures. He was actually telling me how he wanted to pose. LOL
With his teacher, whom we all love. Thank goodness!!!
Signing his name that he brought his lunch. He was so proud that he wrote neatly. I love that kid!! Notice anything - he's a leftie. I need to do a layout about that!
All packed and ready to go! I saved this for last because I wanted to post it with last year's picture. He's grown so much!!!

anyone still here?

2009-08-02T20:07:00.005-05:00

Guess I've taken a bit of a break from blogging. We've had a great summer! We've played countless games on the Wii, played outside in the baby pool a LOT, re-read the Twilight series (and already wanting to read it again!), gotten hooked on Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock (darn Netflix!), bought a NEW VAN, gone on Wednesday playdates, visited the McWane Center a couple times, taken a not-so-fun trip to the beach, and (gasp!) scrapbooked. I have to admit, my mojo has been gone for a while. Well, it's back now, baby!! =) Here are some pages I got done this weekend along with some others I did earlier this summer:

Several of these pages were done for challenges at Citrus Tree Studio. Since Scrap4Life closed down I wanted to find a new site to hang out. Well CTS is so much fun and the girls there are so nice. Please check it out!!!

pictures of the boys

2009-06-17T20:31:00.005-05:00

Summertime is here! We've been spending a lot of time on the go so we decided today to just stay home. Now I know why we've been on the go so much. Staying home ALL DAY with two kids (one of which is teething and the other gets bored every 5 seconds) makes for a long day. But we survived. =) I've been in a major creative slump lately. Trying to break out of it, I broke out the camera and tried shooting in full manual. With two kids that won't be still for more than 2 seconds it made for a creatively challenging experience. LOL Here are some of my favs. These are two crazy boys!!

a girl after my own heart

2009-05-26T06:15:00.003-05:00

For those of you that enjoyed the "small pictures" tutorial that I posted a few weeks ago, here's something even better. This is a girl after my own heart. If you haven't checked out CoffeeShop Actions you MUST run to her site. This girl has so many PS actions and is now doing templates for storyboards. Wahoo!!!! She just posted a template for 4 wallets on a 4x6 image. Yay!!!
wallets template

In other news, we've survived Jackson and Dylan's birthdays and parties, hosted a fun little shower for Lelia and enjoyed graduation. (Need to post those pics, btw.) This is the last week of school. I'm not sure whether to be sad or happy about this. I look forward to not having to get up every morning to get the boys ready but I'm not looking forward to being home ALL DAY EVERY DAY with two kids (one of whom gets into anything and everything). So, yesterday I went and bought a Wii. I'm hoping it'll keep Dylan and me occupied this summer (such a great Mom, huh?). We'll see.... I'm also hoping to get some scrapping done this summer. I just got in a HUGE stack of pictures to scrap and put in albums so that'll keep me busy for a while if I can just find my mojo. =)

in the blink of an eye...

2009-05-13T06:23:00.002-05:00

This little guy has gone from a teeny tiny baby to a "grown up" 5 year old. It happened so fast but I've enjoyed (most) every minute of it. =) Happy Birthday to the sweetest, most tenderhearted, unselfish, creative, fun, and cutest boy I know!! Thank you so much for making me a Mommy. I love you, Dylan!

gallery wrapped canvas contest

2009-04-22T11:36:00.004-05:00

“I am entering this photo in the MCP Actions/Color Inc. Win a Gallery Wrap Canvas Photo Contest at http://mcpactions.com/blog. I certify that I took this photo and give both parties permission to use this photograph on their blogs/sites.”

Wish me luck! =)

recent scrappiness

2009-04-22T11:22:00.004-05:00

I've been on a small scrapping role lately. Yay!! It feels soooo good to be creative. =) I did these all for Scrap4Life (either for a crop or DT work). Thanks for stopping by!

"small pictures" tutorial

2009-04-15T08:53:00.004-05:00

I've had several people ask me how I get small pictures printed at photo labs without paying an arm and a leg for "wallet" size. I'm going to attempt a tutorial here. Please keep in mind I am NO photoshop expert at all - I just learn as I go. And I research a lot on the internet. =)

1. Open your photo editing software. I use Photoshop Elements 7. You can also use any version of Photoshop but you'll need something that uses "layers."
2. Go to "file" and then "open."
3. Open the 4 photos you want to print in the smaller size. At this point I minimize all the photos just because having a cluttered working space drives me insane! =)
4. Go to "file" and then "new" and then "blank file." In the window that comes up, you're going to need to give the new file the sizes you want. In our case, we're going to be printing a 4x6 inch picture so change the dimensions to 4 inches by 6 inches. (Make sure you're using inches and not pixels!)
5. At this point you'll want some grid lines on your new file so you'll know where to place each picture. Go to "view" and then "grid." The new file should be divided by lots of lines. (You can also turn on the ruler to help you measure each small picture, just click on "view" and "ruler.")
6. Now you need to go back to the first picture you opened. In PSE7 you can very easily just look at in the "work bin" section of the screen. In older versions of PS, you may need to click on the picture to view it bigger.
7. Hold the left mouse button down over the first picture and drag it to your new blank file. Now, you should have a copy of the first picture "pasted" onto the blank file.
8. Next, line the bottom right corner of the photo up with the middle point of the new blank file. (This is where the grids and ruler come in handy.)
9. If you have PSE7 you can then click on top left corner "box" of the photo and drag it to meet up with the outside lines of your new blank file. In PS you'll need to click control+T and then drag the corner box. Once you've gotten your picture resized, press enter or click on the checkmark.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 for each picture.
11. Now you should have 4 smaller pictures on one screen put together like a collage. Now you need to click on "layer" and "flatten image." This will flatten the pictures down to create one file.
12. To save your file, simply click on "file" and "save as" and name your file. (Make sure you're saving it as a jpeg file and not a psd file! =)

**A couple tips - Make sure all your pictures are turned the same way when you're printing them as a 4x6 or 6x4. I usually like to turn mine horizontally which would make my new blank file a true 4x6 and it's just bigger on the screen which helps my tired eyes. =)

**If you're wanting to leave a white border around each small photo you'd just resize them a little smaller when you're adjusting them on the new blank file.

Ok, I hope that actually made sense. If you have any questions just post a comment here and I'll get them answered ASAP! =)

EDITED TO ADD: Kari Ann suggested putting even more pictures on an 8x10 print. That girl is so smart!! =)

12 months

2009-04-06T10:34:00.007-05:00

Finally...Jackson's 12 month post. I still can't believe my baby is a year old! How did that go by so fast??

Here are his "stats" for 12 months:
- still drinking out of a bottle; he refuses to use the sippy cup
- went from formula to milk with no problem Yay!!
- took his first steps 2 days after his birthday
- says "Da Da" when he's happy
- says "Ma Ma" when he's not and he needs something
- is starting to venture around the house discovering all sorts of new things to play with (i.e. the cat, Dylan's toys, the carbon monoxide detector, tables, mini albums, window blinds, etc.)
- loves food! has eaten all the table food we've given him except for avacados and mashed potatoes
- Gerber Graduates Lil Crunchers are his favorite snack (he gobbles them up!), cut up banana is a close 2nd with applesauce coming in 3rd
- loves to play with cars, trains, balls (anything that rolls - sound familiar?)
- loves to turn lightswitches off and on
- hates having his face wiped off after meals, putting bibs on, and having buttons fastened on his shirt
- riding in his big boy carseat now and loves it
- "Baby Einstein Baby Galileo" is his favorite show to watch but the opening of any show (including Spongebob) will have him stopping what he's doing to watch and listen
- learned how to throw the ball this month
- pulls up on anything and everything (tables, toys, people, etc.)
- sleeping less during the day (no more free time for mommy!)

And here are the pictures. I took pictures of him all day last week - I think I did 3 separate photoshoots. Oy! I narrowed it down as best I could. Any tips on which pictures to get printed would be greatly appreciated. =)
Random info:
The "birthday boy" onesie is made by Carter's. I got it at one of their outlet stores last summer and I'm not sure if it's still available ornot. The "1" oneisie was made by Shelley at "The Shabby Belle. Isn't it stinkin' adorable!!! She has a bunch of cute onesies, dresses, pillows, and other cute stuff in her shop. Go check it out! She'll even customize your onesie with your choice of number or letter and any fabric you want. Fun!!

two small steps

2009-04-01T19:06:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know it's corny but I couldn't think of any other suitable title...

MY BABY JUST TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS!!!

Watch out world, here he comes!! First birthday party, first birthday, first steps...it's been a big week here!

Here's a picture I took today during his one year photoshoot.

layouts

2009-03-31T09:35:00.004-05:00

Ok, don't everyone fall over from shock but I actually have some layouts to share. I haven't scrapped in forever. I just can't get the energy or the mojo going. These layouts were all done last month or early this month for the Scrap4Life March challenges. The DT always posts awesome challenges!!
Carla posted a great sketch challenge this month and I liked the sketch so much that I kept using it over and over and over...
Happy Tuesday everyone!

one year ago

2009-03-30T14:06:00.004-05:00

One year ago today was my laundry day. It was a Sunday and I was 38 weeks pregnant. I spent the morning doing laundry and as I was finishing up, the contractions started. Because it was my 2nd pregnancy I'd had contractions the entire time so this was nothing new and absolutely nothing I was concerned about - annoyed yes but not concerned. Well, I ate my lunch thinking the food would make them stop, laid down thinking that would make them stop but nothing did. It finally dawned that maybe I should be keeping up with these things? After all my doctor had said if they came 5 min. apart for more than an hour to call. So I started watching the clock. The hour came and went and the darn things wouldn't let up so I called the hospital. Now you have to understand, my kid was breech so I knew he wasn't coming on his own no matter how many contractions I had. I was in no hurry. Of course, my doctor wasn't on call so some strange man (he was a doctor but a stranger to me) called me back about 45 minutes later and said if they were that regular to come in and they'd "take a look." Well I packed my bag (remember he wasn't coming on his own - we had a csection scheduled for three days later) and dropped Dylan off with the grandparents. When we got to the hospital we parked in the parking deck driving right past the "labor and delivery" parking - I wasn't in a hurry remember? Well the contractions were still coming and stupid me had to walk the LONG walk from the deck to L&D. Good times! Oh, and at Brookwood L&D is not easy to find coming from the parking deck. Well we finally got to the right place and were given a room so I could be monitored. By this point the contractions had stopped. Crap! I was going to be one of "those" women who shows up, thinks she's in labor and is sent home. They hooked me up to the monitors anyway and wanted me to sit and wait to see what happened. So we sat and we waited....and nothing really happened. I'd have a contraction every now and then but they weren't regular and they weren't painful. After waiting for about an hour thinking we would be sent home shortly, they started again. And this time it HURT! I paged the nurse because I wanted an epidural NOW! I didn't care if they were going to deliver the baby, I just wanted the pain to go away! The contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and lasted about 20 seconds long - not fun. And remember, I was going through this for nothing, he wasn't coming out the "normal" way no matter what my body wanted. The nurse finally walked in and said the doctor was on his way. Thank God!! By now it was about 10:00 and I was running on adrenaline - my bedtime was 2 hours ago. The nice man with the long needle and drugs arrived and I got my epidural. It was a very bittersweet moment for me because I knew it would be the last time I'd ever feel a baby moving in my tummy - but the pain took over and I wanted the drugs! Hubby went to put on his scrubs and they wheeled me into surgery. For anyone who's ever had a csection you'll understand - it was the most surreal experience of my life. You're lying there cut open (sorry if TMI) and they're pulling on you and some voice keeps counting (don't ask what that's for!) and then finally you feel them pull something from your body. When they got Jackson out he was perfectly healthy except for one thing - he never made a sound. Didn't cry, didn't whimper, nothing. I'm still being sewn up so I can't see much of anything except what's on the monitor and I was scared to death. I thought babies were supposed to cry? Well, my kid didn't. He was perfectly healthy though. 6 pounds 11 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. He was (and still is) the sweetest baby. He has the sweetest disposition and smiles easily to anyone and everyone. He's very easygoing and hardly anything phases him. He has completed our family and made the world a much better place to be in. We love him so very much and can't wait to watch him grow into a toddler and then preschooler! Happy Birthday Jackson!!
I've never actually written down Jack's birth story. I figured his "one year" post was as good a time as any. Sorry for the novel! =)

party boy

2009-03-29T06:49:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was day I'd been dreading and looking forward to for a long time. My last baby's 1st birthday party. It's breaking my heart that my baby is turning a year old but I'm also excited for him - he's on the cusp of learning to walk, he's eating new things, learning how to operate toys, making attachments to people and things. He's growing up!

His birthday isn't actually until Monday but we celebrated yesterday with family and friends. Jackson wasn't sure what to make of it all. He kept looking around as if he couldn't believe all these people were in his house. LOL Before you see the pictures, please understand we had a VERY sleepy little boy on our hands. Naptime has been a little erratic lately (we'll switch to one nap a day soon) and he hadn't taken a nap before his party. =)

Getting a picture of my mom is nearly impossible. Apparently putting a grandbaby in her arms will get her to cooperate. =)
I love this picture of Jack with his Gray and Great-Nanny. He looks so little and I love how he's looking at them. So sweet!
And, here's Jackson with his buddy, Gray.

Jack LOVED the balloonswe had everywhere. He just laughed and laughed at them!

Me and my hubby with our birthday boy. (Yes, I know the middle picture is funky but I like it LOL)

Here's our little man opening his presents. He got right into and I was amazed that big brother stood back and let the Birthday Boy open all his presents. One of the first presents he opened was a little red car (he LOVES cars) and once he saw that car that's all he wanted to play with. We had to hide it just so he'd be interested in opening the rest of his presents. Crazy boy!For me, the best thing about a 1st birthday party is the cake! I love to see how they react to eating cake and all the sugar. =) At first, Jack wasn't too sure about it but once he figured out how yummy it was, he chowed down. He picked up big chunks and shoved it into his mouth. And then he disovered that it was even more fun to "paint" with the icing. He painted his chest and his belly. Needless to say bathtime quickly followed cake time! =) Just to save you from about 20 pictures of him eating cake, I made this little storyboard of his encounter with it yesterday. I love how he get progressively messier! =)And finally these two pictures are my favorites from party. I love his sweet eyes in the first and I love how messy and squishy the icing is in the 2nd pic.Thanks for putting up with all my pictures!! One last note: These were all taken by my best friend, Lelia. She took all the pictures for me so I could sit back and enjoy the day with my little man. Thank so much, girl!!!

crop

2009-03-11T05:43:00.003-05:00

The lovely Karen is hosting this month's cyber crop at Scrap4Life. Come play with us and get lots of scrapping done and a chance to win some fun prizes!!Doesn't that picture make you want to move to Florida?

Random sidenote: I found this story on Fox News this morning for any history buffs out there. Cool!

great friends think alike

2009-03-10T11:21:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I've been a little behind on checking blogs lately. Sorry, girls! Apparently, Elizabeth and Virginia both tagged me. You have to post the 6th picture in the 6th folder of your pictures. Well, I'm a fairly new computer so I don't have 6 picture folders so this was the 6th picture in my 2009 folder.=)No, I don't normally go around taking pictures of the newspaper. This picture was taken for my "picture of the day" back on Jan.2nd or 3rd. My husband went to the game so I wanted to have a picture of the results (which weren't pretty!) for our 365 album. Is anyone else still doing this project? I'm doing it but I've accepted the fact that I will not a picture for each day of the year. It's just too much to remember to bring my camera everywhere I go. My friend, Kelly, is doing an awesome job with this challenge!!! She's such an inspiration!

HUGE sale and 11 month facts

2009-03-07T08:52:00.004-06:00

How's that for a strange title to a blog post? LOL

Before I get to posting Jackson's stats for 11 months (yes, my baby is 11 months old! wah!!!) I wanted to direct any scrappy friends to Scrap4Life. The entire store (except for kits and gift certificates) is on sale for 60% off - yes, 60% OFF!!! The sale only lasts until March 15 and stuff is going fast so get over there ASAP! The discount code is march09.

Ok, onto Jackson. He didn't officially have an 11 month birthday since his birthday is on the 30th. Why didn't that ever occur to me before? What do the people who's baby is born on the 31st do? Anyway, here are some of his 11 month stats:
- unofficially weighs 21 lbs.
- is pulling up on anything and everything
- cruising around his bed and his playpen
- chases (crawling) after his brother like there's no tomorrow (this is usually when Dylan has a toy that he wants)
- his favorite foods are baby cereal, pureed bananas, cheerios, and Chick Fil A biscuits
- loves bathtime with big brother; splashing is his favorite activity there
- gets soooo excited when we walk down the steps to get into the car (he jumps up and down and laughs - soooo cute!)
- is about to switch to his big boy car seat (I know he's not a year old yet but his head is up over the top of his baby seat - it's time, people!)
- loves to just play on the floor in his room by himself (he will do this for an hour if you let him)
- enjoys emptying the diaper basket during naptime (it's since been moved far from his reach, the little stinker!)
- his favorite video right now is Baby Galileo
- he hates putting on bibs or having the buttons on his shirts fastened (must be something about his neck being messed with?)
- has very sensitive skin and gets diaper rash easily (poor baby!)
- has his giraffe and a blanket at naptime

I'm sure there's more I could write but that's it for now. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and enjoy the beautiful weather if you're in the South!

disneyworld pictures

2009-02-25T15:16:00.002-06:00

For anyone who's been waiting (um, Kelly) I've finally gotten our pictures from Disney World posted. Keep in mind that I shot 95% of the trip in automatic and there's VERY little editing done. LOL Oh, and there's a ton of them too. Sorry about that!
link to pictures

big boy!

2009-02-13T12:57:00.004-06:00

My baby pulled up for the first time today! Luckily, I had the camera nearby so I was able to snap a few (dozen) pictures. Here are my favorites. I just love that proud look on his face!
Here are some pictures I took on a recent walk through our neighborhood.
Doesn't Jack look so happy here? LOL
Don't forget about the crop at Scrap4Life this week! Jen has some great challenges posted!!!

long time no post

2009-02-05T10:28:00.002-06:00

I'm supposed to be getting some stuff ready to sell at a consignment sale next week but instead I'm watching John and Kate Plus 8 and wasting time on the computer. =)

Since my last post, we've been to Gatlinburg for a long no-kid weekend and to Disney World for 8 days of driving, walking, rides, food and sheer exhaustion. We're slowly recovering from DW....

Thank you to everyone who gave us Disney tips and info. It's definitely a trip you have to do some planning for but so worth it. We had a great time and can't wait to go back! I've gone through all 800 pictures that I took (knowing me that number shouldn't be too shocking LOL) and am just about to read to post my favorites. Hopefully that'll come in a couple days.

Coming up this Monday, Scrap4Life will be having a 7 day crop!!! Come join us for scrapping, chatting, prizes and all kinds of fun!!!

5:07 minutes

2009-01-08T06:34:00.001-06:00

Please watch this when you have 5 minutes of quiet time. Have the tissues ready, though. =) It'll make you proud to be a woman.

Wahoo....We're going to Disney!

2009-01-06T17:36:00.002-06:00

I just booked a trip to Disney World for me, the hubs and Dylan!!! I'm so excited!

But I'm also a "tad" overwhelmed by all the choices we have to make....where to eat? should we get the dining plan? what are the "must see" shows? what would a 4 year old boy love the most? what should we avoid?

What are some good websites to look for info?

I know some of you out there are HUGE Disney fans (um, Cyndi!) so I'm hoping you'll help a girl out here! If you have tons of info to pass along you can e-mail me at jenneymc@gmail.com.

Thanks everyone!!

9 months

2009-01-02T19:52:00.004-06:00

It's hard to believe I'll be planning the little dude's first birthday party soon...sniff sniff. He's just growing up too fast!! Here are his stats at 9 months:
- unofficially 19 lbs. - his dr. visit is next week
- using the army crawl to get wherever he needs to go
- his absolute favorite toy is a soft plush basketball that has a small rattle inside
- had his first Christmas (loved all the toys and actually got into opening his presents)
- gets up at 7am, eats breakfast (7oz bottle), plays for an hour and a half, takes a nap, eats lunch at 11:30 (7oz bottle + baby food), plays for 30 minutes, naps, plays, eats dinner at 4:30 (7oz bottle + baby food), plays, bath at 6:00 and then bedtime at 6:30 - I realize this is more info than you wanted to know but this is my record keeping
- finally likes 3rd foods and has tried rice husks (loved it the first time but now not so much)
- demands his food when he's hungry (the kid has some lungs!)
- isn't content to play in his exersaucer for longer than about 10 minutes; he's discovered he has the ability to move around on the floor and he fully expects to be able to use that ability at his leisure
- loves to watch Baby Einstein videos
- is finally sitting up for more than a few minutes at a time but he still doesn't last long
- started on Zantac today so hopefully he'll have some relief from the reflux soon
- hates getting dressed; would much rather go around naked all day
- rubs his ears when he's getting sleepy and is still so happy to be in his bed at the end of the day
- loves bathtime especially if big brother is in there with him

And, of course the pictures:
My mom got him this giraffe for Christmas. I'm hoping it'll be his Lion.
He looks so grown up here! (at least he does to me)
Love those little rolls. =)
"Munching" on his favorite toy. He loves this thing!!
Santa baby.
Now I know what my photography clients mean when they say they have a hard time choosing which pics to print. I have to pic one pic for his "9 month picture." Any suggestions? I also have one that I'm definitely getting printed but I can't post it here. It's of a certain (very adorable) bare back. =)

2008 in review

2009-01-02T08:02:00.007-06:00

Before I look too far into 2009, I wanted to find a way to recap '08. For most people it wasn't that great of a year, heck for us it wasn't that great of a year except for one tiny little dude (who as I type this is looking at me with the sweetest smile on his face). He made all the horrible news stories fade away and showed our little corner of the world that there is good somewhere out there. There's no way a sweet little boy like this can't make you smile just a little.

Now onto the year in review (which I completely stole from Megan by the way).

1. What did you do in 2008 that you've never done before?
become a mom to 2 (TWO) kids...it was a huge change for me

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolution and will you make more next year?
I don't remember what last year's resolution was. LOL I know that I did want to accept the changes that were coming with grace and I think I did that. It wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it would be (thanks to Zoloft, bottle feeding, awesome family and friends).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Um, me. =) My cousin's wife.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my Aunt Becky lost her battle with cancer. But she put up one heck of a fight!

5. What countries did you visit?
USA =) (We went to Tennessee and Florida - and drove through Georgia.)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
more time in a day

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched on your memory and why?
March 30 - Jackson was born
April 1 - Becky passed away

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Jackson, having my first professional photoshoot

9. What was your biggest failure?

not being as attentive a wife as I should be

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

does a c-section count?

11. What was the best thing that you bought?

again, Jackson (medical bills count right?); if they don't then I'll say my laptop

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Dylan was amazing in the transition from being the only child to big brother, hubby was (and still is) awesome at helping with the kids so I could get a break and he's been amazingly supportive during my foray into the professional photograhy world

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Um, celebrities, politicians, sports figures.

14. Where did most of your money go?

LOL To Paulette's store. Seriously, gas and food and medical bills.

15. What did you get really really really excited about?

photography!!!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Love Story by Taylor Swift

17. Compared to this time last year are you?

happier or sadder - happier (no longer pregnant!!!)
thinner or fatter - thinner (again, no pregnancy)
richer or poorer - richer (I think)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

spent more time with my husband

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

computer/internet - it felt like I lived on it in December

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We spent Christmas morning at home with our boys and then went to my mom's house for lunch and relaxation that afternoon and then we came back home for the evening. It was a nice, calm day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Twice...once with my husband. Just watching him with our son when we were in the hospital made me swoon. Second, with my newest little guy - he's such a sweet happy baby.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Hmmm....TV really stinks this year for me so it's hard to say. The only show I really look forward to anymore is West Wing reruns. LOL

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

No. There are some people I wish I hadn't heard of this year and some people that I wish would grow up but there isn't anyone that I hate.

24. What was the best book you read?

Twilight!!!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I'm so not a music person but my favorite artist right now is Taylor Swift.

26. What did you want and get?

I got a fourth member of our family. =) And I got a laptop. The two don't even compare, though.

27. What did you want and not get?

2009 Honda Odyssey (came really close but it just didn't happen)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Twilight! (I think the only film I saw at the movie theater. LOL)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 29 (eek!) and I honestly don't remember what I did on my birthday. Sad, huh?

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If my aunt had beaten her cancer and the economic environment in this country wasn't so unstable.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

"Personal fashion concept?" Does that exist? I'm just happy to be permanently out of maternity clothes!

32. What kept you sane?

Tuesday breakfasts with Lelia (and sometimes Wednesdays and Thursdays too), Zoloft, my kid's smiles, a glass of wine at bedtime, scrapbooking

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy most?

Patrick Dempsey?

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I wasn't so much as stirred but just REALLY annoyed. I got very tired of hearing about the Presidential campaigns and candidates. It annoys me that a war in Iraq and a (could've seen it coming a million miles away) bad economy were used to win an election.

35. Who did you miss?

No one.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Easy. That little man at the top of this post. =)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?

Appreciate what you've got and how hard you've worked for it.

38. What is one thing you said this year that you never thought you'd say?

"Yes, I'm a professional photographer. Here's my card."

39. What is one thing you heard this year that you never thought you'd hear?
"I might think about having another baby...one day." Said by hubby and has since been completely vetoed by me!

40. What do you anticipate will be the biggest change in your life in 2009?

My baby (the 4 yeard old one) will start Kindergarten!! I'm sooo not ready for him to be gone all day to the "big school."

If you've read this much, you deserve a medal!

looking forward to 2009

2008-12-29T04:52:00.003-06:00

I had a fabulous day yesterday! The hubs and I went out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel (yummy french toast!) and went shopping for clearanced Christmas stuff. And then after that I went to a crop at The Scrapbook Princess. If you're local and haven't been to one of Paulette's crops, you must go!! She has the best crops. Lots of yummy food, goodies and shopping - plus all the girl talk you could want. =) I got 7 pages done and got my creative juices flowing again. Yay!!

While I was at Paulette's store, I picked up some new page protectors to use for a 365 album. I tried this last year and pregnancy just got in the way. But I'm determined this year. The page protectors are divided into 6 4x6 sections so that should make it easier, no? We'll see....

BTW, Paulette was the only person who noticed that I titled my Christmas layout 2009 instead of 2008. LOL Guess I am REALLY looking forward to 2009. Can I still blame pregnancy? (And NO I'm not pregnant!!!)

Have a great Monday everyone! On my list today - unpack from yesterday's crop, clean up around the house, Jackson's 9 month photoshoot, take Dylan outside to ride his Power Wheels.

christmas day 2009

2008-12-26T14:55:00.004-06:00

Here's a small sample of the photos we took yesterday. We had the best day! Very relaxed and so much fun to watch the boys open their presents and enjoy being with family.(digital elements are from Little Dreamer Designs)

merry christmas

2008-12-24T07:50:00.002-06:00

fridays

2008-12-19T07:13:00.002-06:00

I love Fridays! These are the days when we don't have to do anything. No school, no appointments, nowhere we have to be. I think Dylan and Jackson cherish these days even more than I do. Dylan arks (that's 'art' for the rest of the world) all day and Jackson takes his regular naps and eats when he's supposed to. Although Dylan got a "ridiculous" puzzle yesterday from his BFF as a Christmas present and I suspect that's what he'll be doing many times today. (Lelia, I told you he'd love it once he figured it out.) Life is always calm and good on Fridays! =)

I'll probably spend most of my day on the computer. I've gotten sucked in to Facebook (thanks also to Lelia) this morning. Like I need one more thing to do on the computer. LOL And I'm hoping to scrap today too. We'll see how that goes. =)

Have a great Friday!!!

santa

2008-12-18T06:36:00.003-06:00

This was a fun year to see Santa. Dylan was super excited (even had his list ready) and Jackson was too young to be scared. =) And to top it off, Dylan's BFF was there which made it even better!
Sadly, this is the best picture I got. The lighting was horrible and there wasn't much space to frame my shot. The disadvantages to being a photographer - you overthink these things. LOL

See what I get to work with? A year old who covers his face and a 8 month old who looks away. Thank goodness for an awesome Santa!
A picture of Dylan and Emma together - WOW!!!
And finally, the letter to Santa!! So cute! He wrote the whole thing and I helped him spell the words. =)

8.5 months + other stuff

2008-12-17T05:58:00.005-06:00

I totally missed Jack's 8 month post. =( Photography stuff and Christmas craziness just got in the way. Poor little guy! At any rate, here's some info on the little dude at 8.5 months:

- finally sitting up on his own (yay!!!) for a few minutes
- grabs everything in sight (hair, noses, butter, drinks, utensils, hair, toys, books, Lion, hair,...)
- got his first "bigtime" haircut - Mommy wasn't home for that and was VERY unhappy when she came home and found her child almost bald!
- rolls over all over the place and just smiles when he bumps his head on the carpet
- loves his exersaucer
- gets up on his hands and knees, takes one "crawl" forward and then crashes to the floor
- has this weird sitting/laying position he gets in
- takes 3 bottles a day (7 oz. each with cereal) plus some baby food at lunchtime or dinnertime
- HATES 3rd foods but we've found if we mix some 2nd foods in with it he'll lap it up!
- had mashed potatoes and sweet potatoe casserole for his first Thanksgiving dinner
- takes a morning nap (most days) and an afternoon nap
- sleeps from 6:45 at night till 6:45 in the morning
- loves bathtime
- thinks big brother is just the funniest thing ever and loves to watch him and Daddy throw airplanes around the house (which Mommy put a stop to last night because an ornament almost got broken!)
- saw Santa for the first time and could've cared less LOL
- not interested in the Christmas tree or presents (thank goodness!)
- perfectly happy to be left alone in his room on the floor playing with his toys (until he crawls over to the springy doorstop and scares the crap out of himself!)
- hates shopping (I think his Daddy and big brother taught him that!)
- has 8 teeth (yes, 8 - that's not normal is it?)
- sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time (at Chic Fil A)
- hates getting dressed or undressed but loves getting his diaper changed (little stinker!)
- is the most beautiful, sweet baby in the world!

Sorry for the novel there. Guess I need to update more often, huh? =) And now for the pictures so you can see just how beautiful this kid is.
Note the weird laying/sitting position he's in. This isn't mid-roll, this is how he "lays" for several minutes. LOL
And a couple pics of my big baby. This is how we find him most days - thumb in mouth with Lion close by. Apparently, the holidays and Mommy working are pretty stressful to a spoiled 4 year old. LOL
I just happened to snap this pic of Miss E at the Breakfast with Santa the other day. =)
And, finally some photos from our cookie making marathon the other day. Yum!!!

photo contest

2008-12-16T11:34:00.002-06:00

Greeblemonkey is hosting a photo contest that ends tonight so I'm going to give it a shot. If you're a regular visitor here you've already seen this picture but I never tire of looking at it so, tough! You get to look at it one more time. =) Anyway, the winner of the contest gets a $250 gift certificate to a photography rental company and I'd love to try out that 24-70mmL lens so here's my shot.
Total sidenote: If you have younger children, you need to check this out:
http://72.55.134.30/home

christmas cookies

2008-12-12T06:17:00.003-06:00

I love Fridays! That's the one day of the week that we (me + kids) can do what we want. =) Today we're going over to my mom's house for the annual "Cookie Baking Marathon." Yum!!!!

And speaking of baking, this is on my list of things to bake this holiday season. Another YUM!!!

I've finally gotten some wrapped presents under my tree so that's good. I've got to finish putting out some more decorations and then my house will be completely ready for Christmas. The kiddos are going to see Santa tomorrow. Dylan is very excited to show Santa his list that he wrote yesterday. I'll have to scan it in and post it here - it's pretty cute! I love his ginormous 4 year old handwriting. LOL Of course, it will be Jackson's first meeting with Santa. We'll see how that goes. LOL

Here are the layouts I got done last weekend during KariAnn's fabulous cybercrop at S4L. Scrapping had definitely been on the back burner lately and it felt sooo good to scrap again!!! I got one of these babies from my friend Paulette's store and it ROCKS!!! She might have one or two left if you're interested. It's $14.99 and works like a dream!

christmas fun

2008-12-06T04:56:00.002-06:00

Ok, I normally don't do these type of posts but I saw this on Gretchen's blog and thought it was cute.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. Although I try to use paper for kid's gifts - they love to tear open the wrapping. =)
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I don't like the smell of a real tree. Plus, the needles everywhere...yuck!
3. When do you put up the tree? A week or two before Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? It depends - sometimes the day after Christmas and sometimes a week or two later. It just depends on how tired I am and when I have time.
5. Do you like eggnog? Ugh, Yack, Nasty....simply put "no".
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm.....stereo? I honestly can't remember any specific presents...sorry Mom! I do remember that my Mom was always really awesome at getting presents that we wanted even if we didn't know we wanted them. My favorite gifts from my childhood that I now have are my Christmas ornaments...I have one for each Christmas of my life and I love hanging them on the tree every year. It's a tradition I do with my own kids and Dylan has enjoyed it so far. =)
7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom. She buys everything she wants.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Dylan. The kid wants EVERYTHING!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. It's very cute!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both...I'll mail out some of my custom cards and then e-mail out the image the day before Christmas.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm...can't think of anything.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As soon as I see things on clearance that people might want. Yes, I'm cheap! LOL
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope...I have returned things though. =)
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's christmas cookies!! Yum!!
16. Lights on the tree? Duh! White lights that don't blink although I want to try to get ours to blink this year because I think Jackson would enjoy them.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Mary, Did you Know? (it always gives me chills!)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? stay home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Vixen, Rudolph, Cupid, Prancer, .... that's all I can remember right now
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Bow on one tree and nothing on the other tree. Guess I need to get on that, huh?
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve and the rest the next morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Entirely too much going on.
23. What theme or color are you using? One tree is decorated in blue and silver and the other tree is red and gree.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? My stepdad's fried turkey, my mom's sweet potato casserole, and above-mentioned chocolate chip cookies.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Well, I've already gotten my present (a new laptop!) but in case anyone's still shopping I'd like some new non-stick skillets (fun, huh?), some new pajama pants (mine are so worn you can see through them!), a card reader for my laptop so I can get pictures onto my new computer easily, this lens (yes, I'm dreaming here!), and a girls' weekend away full of scrapping, shopping and chatting.

crop at Scrap4Life

2008-12-05T04:40:00.000-06:00

KariAnn is hosting a cybercrop this weekend at Scrap4Life. She's got some great challenges and fun prizes! In fact, if you've never been to Scrap4Life, this is the weekend to join. KariAnn is giving away an awesome prize pack to one newbie who signs up and participates in the crop. So come play!! Here's the link:
Sounds of the Season crop
My scrapping mojo is completely gone these days so I'm hoping KariAnn's awesome challenges can inspire me! =)

computer help, please

2008-11-25T14:36:00.002-06:00

You guys are awesome at giving advice on everything from haircuts to organizing so I thought I'd get your opinions on something else. =)

I'm on the hunt for a laptop. The hubs wants me off his (it's really supposed to be for his company and I'm on it WAY more than he is) and I want a portable computer for editing pictures and surfing the web. I'm debating between a Mac and a PC. I know some of you own Macs out there. Is it worth the extra $$? Can a PC and a Mac live together in the same house? LOL

Speaking of editing photos, this is what I've been doing for the past four days. I had sooo much fun this weekend. Do you ever have moments where you feel like you're exactly where you belong? That's how I felt for several hours this weekend while taking pictures of these kiddos. =)

huge sale!!!

2008-11-22T06:38:00.002-06:00

Us scrapbookers love a good sale, right??? Well, my friend Paulette has everything in her store on sale for 25% off (with a couple exceptions - Christmas stuff and some kits). Yeah, the girl's nuts, but come take advantage of it. LOL The sale runs from today until Tuesday (including Sunday!) so come fill up your friends' stockings or treat yourself. See ya there!!!

Here's her site for directions and a number to call with any questions:
The Scrapbook Princess

a few spots left...

2008-11-19T11:12:00.002-06:00

There are a few spots left for our Holiday Mini Sessions this weekend. Call Paulette at 205-629-0815 or e-mail her at pmhammond@windstream.net to reserve your spot. Here are the details in case you missed the original post. =)

yeah, baby!!

2008-11-13T04:10:00.001-06:00

Eight more days until this:

I know it could never live up to the wonderfulness that is this book (impossible!!) but I'm sure excited to see them try! =)

And speaking of being a teenage girl all over again, I bought this yesterday. Wahoo!!!

holiday minisessions

2008-11-12T06:49:00.000-06:00

Go here for the details. =)

seven months

2008-11-09T06:01:00.004-06:00

My baby turned seven months old last week. We didn't actually do a "seven month photoshoot" because we did Halloween costume pictures instead. This time around I'm posting different pictures from his 7th month that I liked. Before I get to the pics, though, here's the stats on the Little Dude.
- he has 5 teeth (two on bottom and three on top)
- tried real banana mashed up and he didn't like it at all, in fact there was some lovely gagging going on
- likes real applesauce and mashed potatoes
- taking 3-4 bottles a day (we're tying to wean him off the bedtime bottle)
- takes 2-3 naps a day
- "Thomas the Train Trackside Tunes" is his favorite show to watch - he gets the biggest grin on his face when it comes on (thanks, Paulette!!!)
- is learning to scoot around and does it pretty quickly
- his favorite toys are his "keychain" with pictures and music (thanks, Brooke!), any small (but not too small) toy he can chew on, and the "farmer" see-n-say
- sucks his thumb when he's sleepy or mad
- LOVES the bathtub
- can sit up for a few seconds by himself
- finally giving us a good belly laugh (usually when he's being tickled)
- literally smiles his biggest smile when you put him in his bed to go nite-nite
- the spit up is getting better (on most days)
- pulling on other people's noses, ears, cheeks, etc. is a big source of entertainment for him these days
- he likes to watch the cat walking around (she's black, white and brown)
- he was a puppy dog for his first Halloween

I realize that a couple of the pictures look the same but his face is just a little different in each one and that's soooo him. He makes a million different faces!! And now for the pictures:

I just love this pictures of the two of them!
Not the best "photography technique" wise but I love the angle/perspective of it.

And this picture will be hanging somehwere in my house very soon!!! I love it!

it's friday!

2008-11-07T06:56:00.003-06:00

Is anyone else sooooo happy it's Friday?! I am!! I'm going to get some housework done this morning, play with my kiddos (we're desperately trying to get the littlest man to sit up!) and then get some challenges done for this. If you've got some time come play with us this weekend!!

Two random things:
Most of you know I'm a photographer and get ideas and inspiration I subscribe to about 100 photographer's blogs around the country. This morning I had these GORGEOUS photos to gaze upon. Seriously, they almost make me want to have another baby (or two.)

And one more thingROLL TIDE!!!!!

recovering from halloween

2008-11-03T05:05:00.005-06:00

Does anyone feel like they need a vacation after a big day in "kidland?" Dylan and Jackson had a great Halloween. Well, Dylan had a great Halloween - Jack could've cared less. Although he did like his costume. =) I decided to be a Crafty Gal and make my kids' costumes this year. Dylan decided he wanted to be a puppy dog and I decided that Jackson would play along. Since I have no sewing machine or the skills needed to operate one, I sewed them by hand. I purchased brown shirts and pants and hats and some felt from WalMart, cut a bunch of circles and hand-sewed them onto said clothing. It wasn't too difficult but it was time consuming and finding plain brown hats is VERY difficult - who knew? My BFF Lelia saved my butt on Jackson's hat. His is actually a man's hat that she so wonderfully hemmed for rme. I didn't know you could hem a hat (remember the lack of sewing skills?) Here are the results:

Pretty cute, huh? Anyway, back to the "recovery" part. My 4 year old has been restricted in the sugar department for most of his short life. I had gestational diabetes and that puts him at greater risk of diabetes so we limit his sugar intake. Makes sense, right? Well when a sugar-restricted 4 year old gets hold of TONS of Halloween candy the results ain't pretty. I've had the brattiest child possible for the past three days but hopefully it's about to get better - the candy is mysteriously "dissappearing" today. =)

I'm doing a fun new project for November. For each day of the month, I'm taking a picture of something I'm thankful for. For one day it was Jackson's sweet little smile, one day it was my washer and dryer (the alternative is unthinkable!), one day it might be my computer, today it will probably be my Diet Coke (it's 5:30 and I've been up for 4 hours!). At the end of the month I'm going to either make a mini album or use all the pics on a layout. Anyone care to join me?

I have it on good authority that there's going to be an AWESOME crop this weekend at Scrap4Life. I'd love to have LOTS of participation!!!

Oh, and speaking of Scrap4Life, this month's kit is ADORABLE!!! I'll probably be ordering one soon because it's just too cute!! Jodie just lowered the price of her AWESOME kits so get yours fast - this one won't last long!
I might possibly have a BIG photography announcement to make soon so be on the lookout for it. =)

pumpkin patch

2008-10-31T07:03:00.005-05:00

Since today is Halloween, I thought it appropriate to finally post our Pumpkin Patch pictures. Dylan went with his class and had a pretty good time. They had lots of activities to do (jumpy jumps, pony rides, petting zoo, etc.) but unfortunately he was all about the pumpkin. That was his main focus for that day - finding his pumpkin. He didn't care much for anything else. =) Here are some pictures from our day.
He LOVED riding the train!!!

My future daughter-in-law. =) She looks like she's up to something there. LOL
The poor animals in the petting zoo had no idea what was coming. 20 four year olds yelling at them - poor animals!!
This little guy is a friend of Dylan's. Isn't he just adorable?! (I hope his mommy doesn't mind that I posted his picture.) =)
And, finally, the much anticipated pumpkin!
Happy Halloween!!!

favorite songs right now

2008-10-19T05:36:00.002-05:00

It's no secret that I love me some country music. I love listening to songs that tell a story and country seems to always do that. Plus, the hot guys in cowboy hats certainly don't hurt. =) Anyway, here are my two favorite songs right now (sorry, no cowboy hats but the guys aren't too painful on the eyes). LOL

Might want to grab a tissue for this first one.
just a dream

love story

(Sorry, apparently I can't embed the videos here. I'm sure it's something crazy like copyright laws. LOL)

Scrap 4 Life

2008-10-17T13:52:00.003-05:00

I found out this past Sunday that I was chosen to be on the next design team at Scrap 4 Life. I feel so honored and flattered to be part of this great group of women! They are all so talented and nice and I'm so lucky that I get to work with them for the next six months!! To choose the new DT, we had a contest in which we had to create a layout each week using certain challenges. Jodie always comes up with interesting challenges for us. One week we had to use circles in our background, one week we had to do a "theme" layout without using "theme" products, one week we had to use paper piecing (yikes!) and then the final week we had to alter something. I'll be honest the first two weeks were fun but the last two - wow I had to think outside my box for those! =) Here's what I was able to get done for the contest:

Speaking of challenges, make sure you join us starting Monday for this:

six months

2008-10-12T06:51:00.004-05:00

Just pretend this was posted 13 days ago. =)

My baby is now 6 months old. Wahh!!!! I just want to make it stop! He's getting so big and developing his own little personality. A few tidbits of info for me to remember:
- he weighs 16lbs and 12ozs
- he's 26 inches long (when does it go from being "long" to "tall"?)
- he has 2 teeth
- he can sit up by himself for a split second but then he topples over (it's actually kinda cute to watch - don't worry he's perfectly safe!)
- he LOVES to hear himself squeal (LOUDLY!)
- whenever someone new comes over to talk to him, he just smiles and has this flirty little look to his face (a small amount of drool, dimples, bright eyes and a big smile are usually his weapons of charm)
- he's still spitting up a lot but we're working on that with soy formula and cereal in his bottles
- he LOVES baby food, in fact I think he'd take a full diet of baby food and perfectly happy w/o formula
- whenever he watches us eat he looks longingly at our food (poor kid!)
- he reaches for toys and gets very mad when they're out of his reach
- he can scoot/roll his way towards something if he wants it bad enough
- "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is his favorite song
- he loves to hear that he's pretty and that he's loved (literally - "you're so pretty" and "i love you" always make him smile and laugh)
- he very rarely does a full-blown belly laugh, mostly it's just a half laugh (only his Daddy can get him to really laugh)
- his favorite toy (and mine!) is his exersaucer, he probably spends more time in it than he should LOL
- big brother is still a favorite source of entertainment and ALWAYS makes him smile
- he's started the "empathy crying" - if Dylan is crying about something you can count on Jackson starting to cry pretty soon afterwards
- he loves to get in the bathtub and he's just learned how to kick the water and make it splash
- he's realized that he's a separate person and loves to play with other people's faces
- he loves to look at shiny things like aluminum cans, jewelry, etc.

Sorry for the novel there. You're welcome to skip over all that to get to the best part - the pictures. He's such a cutie!! But then, I'm biased. =)
The quilt he's laying on was a gift from the fabulously talented Amy Hummel. This girl is Supermom - she quilts, she decorates, she scrapbooks, she's a photographer, she does it all! Thanks so much for the quilt, Amy! We've really enjoyed it.

he knows me too well

2008-10-09T07:22:00.001-05:00

As I was browsing some blogs on Google Reader a moment ago, I came across these on Ali's blog. Dylan was looking, too, and asked me "Do you want those?" Why yes I do, baby!! He knows me too well. =)

my baby

2008-10-09T05:10:00.003-05:00

Now has 4 teeth and has learned to grind them together! AHH!!!! To remind that he's worth the horrible, mind-numbing sound here's a sweet picture I took last week.

I'm a bit behind on his 6 month post. The pictures are taken (obviously) but I have to get them all processed. That's on my list for today. =) Along with taking my baby to the doctor's office. I can't wait to see how much he weighs - he's a load to carry around! He has to get 5 or 6 vaccinations today (one of them oral) so say a prayer for him, please!! He always has a rough couple days after a visit to the doc. Poor baby!

lots of craftiness

2008-09-25T11:09:00.004-05:00

I just realized that it's been a LONG time since I've posted any scrapbook pages. For those of you that actually come here to see those, I apologize. If you care nothing for scrapbooking, then just ignore this post. =)
Here are some pages (and projects) I've done in the past month in no particular order.

We've been in our home for 2.5 years and I just got around to completing the "construction" mini album. I used the Accucut machine at my friend Paulette's store and that made it such an easy (and cheap!) little book. I love how it turned out!

Here are a couple altered items I made for Scrap4Life. The first is a Birthday door hanger and the second is a Back to School countdown. Dylan loved using this to count down the days till school started. The clipboard is hanging on my refrigerator (with magnets) and is where I keep all the important school papers. It helps me to remember field trips, fundraisers, etc.
And, finally just some random layouts. Most of them were done for Scrap4Life. =)
If you're needing some mojo this weekend, Scrap4Life is hosting an online cybercrop!! Come play with us!

Also, the Photography 101 is up and running again (sorry about that!) so come learn some fun photo techniques with us! =)

And finally, the Grey's premiere is tonight!!!! Wahoo!!!!

hmm.....

2008-09-11T12:17:00.002-05:00

You Belong in 1959

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Ok the "fun loving, romantic" I'll agree with, but "innocent?" Hmmmm..... =)

2008-09-11T09:24:00.005-05:00

We were able to sneak in a vacation to the beach in between hurricanes. We were actually supposed to go a couple weeks ago and Fay came through. Then we were afraid that Gustav, Ike, Hanna, or Josephine would mess up our plans but thankfully they didn't. We left the littlest man with grandparents and hubby and I took Dylan to enjoy 4 days on the beach. And, boy, did he enjoy them!!! He got out in the ocean, built numerous sand castles, found tons of "shesells", and played untold amounts of putt putt. Oh, and there was also some REALLY good seafood. =) Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Crazy boy! After he'd play his round, we'd say "Great job, Dylan!" He would turn around, bow, and say "Thank you." =)

Our favorite place to eat in PCB is Angelo's. It's known for their steaks but we like the fried shrimp and greek salad. Yum!!! Oh, and their bread --- YUM!!!

Don't forget the Cards for Heroes Drive!!!! (See the post below this one for more details.)

cards for heroes

2008-09-11T06:53:00.003-05:00

As you've probably noticed, it's been 7 years today since our nation was changed forever. We thought we were immune to terrorist attacks but we were proven wrong. As a result of those actions, men and women in our military will be spending this Christmas overseas away from their families. Jennifer McGuire, from Creating Keepsakes magazine and the Hero Arts stamping company is organizing a card drive for our soldiers. It's very simple - you create as many Christmas/Holiday cards as you can and send them to her by September 30. These can be cards to the soldiers as a "thank you" for their service or it can be cards for the soldiers to use to write letters/cards to their families back here in the states. "Skill level" doesn't matter (have you seen my cards???) - just the thought. Please consider participating in this card drive! I love that it's a way for scrapbookers to make a difference in the world. For more information, you can visit Jennifer's blog here:
cards for heroes

a voice from the past

2008-09-03T09:18:00.002-05:00

As I was trying to catch up on blog posts on Google Reader this morning, I came across this post from Monique. Well, twenty minutes later I'm still sitting here watching Debbie Gibson videos on YouTube. Enjoy!

BTW, sadly I still know all the words to these songs. I sooo badly wanted to be one of those dancers in the "Electric Youth" video. Yes, my true "dork"ness is revealing itself. =)

five months

2008-08-31T18:37:00.004-05:00

Yup, he's five months old. Time is just flying by!!

A few facts/milestones about the little man this month:
- eating cereal and LOVING it
- has two teeth now =)
- discovered his feet (so cute to watch!)
- takes a 7 oz. bottle every four hours and cereal for a morning snack or evening snack
- naps a little in the morning, 3-4 hours in the afternoon, and then another little nap before bedtime
- LOVES to play in his exersaucer (he smiles and flaps his arms when he sees it!)
- flaps his arms like a crazy boy when he's playing (even with toys in his hands)
- (already?!) showing a preference for his left hand
- can roll from tummy to back and from back to tummy
- scoots a little bit on his tummy
- can sit up (very) briefly by himself
- his "piano" is his favorite toy
- won't sleep anywhere but in his bed
- will take his paci out of his mouth and plop his thumb in (he's a VERY loud thumbsucker, too)
- weighs a little over 15 pounds

And of course we have to have pictures. =)
(I just ADORE that look on J's face when he's looking at Dylan - such love!!!)

gatlinburg

2008-08-25T07:29:00.003-05:00

If you and your family like to vacation in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area, I know a great little place you can stay. The view is gorgeous, it's decorated beautifully, it's VERY convenient, it's got a great hot tub, and the amenities are top-of-the-line. If you're interested, check it out here:
http://www.vrbo.com/200336
Thanks!

cute baby + cereal

2008-08-24T07:00:00.003-05:00

Total sidenote but I want to remember this for posterity. =) Last night my mom asked Dylan what his favorite part of school was. His response:
"Leaving!" Crazy kid!

life

2008-08-22T09:52:00.005-05:00

Life is a bit overwhelming right now. Feels like there's way too much to do and not nearly enough time to do it in, kwim? It always works out but it's a tad stressful getting to "that" point. Lists always help me so here's my list of things I need to do:
- organize, edit, upload, and print photos
- work on photography blog (it's looking rough right now!)
- clean my house *ugh!!!
- laundry *DONE
- finish reading "Eclipse" *DONE
- pick up all the piles of toys in the playroom (I had them all sorted into categories so that I knew how many bins I'd need at Target. Well, when I got to the store to buy said bins they weren't what I wanted.)
- hang up all the pictures and decorative art that I've bought recently to make my house look a little more lived in
- go through both boys' dressers and put away clothes they've outgrown *DONE
- find a bookcase for my den
- install wire hanging basket in my scrap area
- figure out what I'm going to fix for dinner tonight *DONE
- catch up on the Olympics (I'm about 3 days behind)
- catch up on Google Reader (I'm about 200 posts behind - eek!) *DONE

I'm sure there are several more things I need to add to that last but it'll do for now. =)

And so this post won't be totally boring here are a few pics of the boys. Dylan started school this week and he actually loves it. He just didn't like doing the "back to school" pictures. LOL
Here's a much happier picture of him playing at the park.
And, of course some pictures of the little dude. He's teething right now he's not the happiest baby on the planet. =(

taking a break

2008-08-17T12:08:00.004-05:00

Yup, I'll be taking a break but I'll get to that in a minute. =)

I got my hair cut and I'm pretty happy with it but I have no pictures of it yet. That's the problem with being the person who takes all the pictures - you're never actually in them. LOL

I've got my eye on some storage containers at Target that are on sale this week so I'm hoping to make a trip down there to pick some up and start organizing. I'm soooo in the mood to organize lately. Apparently, I "nest" after my kid is born rather than before. =)

Friday night, Lelia and I got together for a (mostly) kid-free evening of chatting and scrapping. Here's most of what I got done. I can't reveal it all yet. =)

This final layout was inpsired/lifted/copied from Stephanie Howell's blog. If you haven't found this wonderful woman's blog, then RUN over there now! It's amazing...she's amazing! Nuff said!Tomorrow is Dylan's last day of summer vacation. School starts on Tuesday for him, so tomorrow the computer will not be turned on (gasp!) and it will be a total "Dylan" day. He'll be able to do whatever he wants. Wish me luck! LOL Catch up with you guys on Tuesday!

thanks!

2008-08-14T06:22:00.003-05:00

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions on how to keep the playroom somewhat tidy. I'm on the lookout now for some cute, boyish, indestructible bins to keep toys in. I love the picture idea for labeling them!! Of course, anything involving pictures I'm all over, right? =)

Well, tonight is Open House at Dylan's school. I've been explaining to him for several days that we would go meet his new teacher, see his new classroom and see his friends. Well, my kid isn't big on "new." He colored a picture last night for his "new" teacher and I told him he could take it to her tonight. His response - "But, Mommy, I'll be too shy!" Crazy boy!!! This poor teacher is in for it though. She has Dylan, his best girl friend, and his best boy friend all in the same class. I hope they're paying her - A LOT! We've got to spend today labeling all his school supplies. He's going to be HEARTBROKEN when he sees all that lovely "ark-ness" and he won't be able to play with it immediately. (His word for art is "ark.")

Also on the agenda today is a haircut for me. My favorite hairdresser is about to give birth and I know she'll be gone for a while on maternity leave so I wanted to snag a cut before that baby gets here. =) I must be desperate to take a 4 year old and a 4 month old with me to get my haircut. Should be interesting!! I'm trying to decide which cut to get. I always want to get a radical change when I get my hair cut but my hair doesn't always cooperate. I wish I had the chutzpah to get a cute, trendy cut like these but I just don't. LOL

I started Eclipse last night and I soooo wanted to stay up and read but my eyes just wouldn't let me. It's VERY good so far, though. Minor vent: I went to Books a Million yesterday to buy Twilight and New Moon in paperback. I just can't spend the money to splurge and get them in hardback but I do want copies of all the books so.... Well, they had Twilight but not New Moon. It was sold out! How dare they?? Grrr!! It's probably best that I spread these purchases out anyway. Hubby just doesn't quite "get" my vampire/werewolf fascination. =)

Yesterday afternoon, Dylan and I reorganized some of my scrap stuff. That's usually what I do when my inspiration level is at 0. Going through and purging/organizing my stuff always makes me want to scrap. Over at S4L, we got play with SEI stuff this month. They sent us DT members the most awesome pack of goodies to play with. This is the layout I completed with the Chick a Dee line.
We were also asked to do a "technique" layout. I chose to use "layering." Not sure if it worked or not but I love the result. =)
Jodie is having an AMAZING sale!!! The details are in the latest newsletter that went out. If you want a copy of the newsletter, let me know and I'll forward it to you. I'm talking Scenic Route at 75% off!!!! REALLY good sale!

Well, I suppose I need to go take care of my child. Sounds like he's getting into his "ark" stuff. =) Thanks for reading my rambling for today!

I hope you all have a fabulous day!!!

randomness + help needed

2008-08-11T11:58:00.007-05:00

I think I've used that post title way too many times but apparently I'm not feeling too creative today. LOL I just mainly wanted to post a few pictures and things that have been going on in our lives.
We're getting ready for school to start back next week. Not that I'm ready for my baby to be in K4 but I know it's going to happen whether I'm ready or not. And soccer starts back up next week, too. =)
The littlest man is still rolling over but I have yet to get any pics of it. Whenever I have my camera ready, he's always too tired to roll. LOL I'll get them eventually. He tried cereal for the first time on Saturday. He really liked it! Here's a couple pictures of him enjoying his first "real" food.
And, apparently fingers make the best after dinner snack. =)
And here are a couple of "just because" pictures from this past week...
We're watching the Olympics here (opening ceremony....WOW!!!) and I'm VERY impressed with Michael Phelps. Can someone tell me how to get my husband's stomach to look like that?? LOL
And, finally on to the help that I desperately need. This is our playroom. It is in serious need of some help. No matter how many times a week we (and by "we" I mean "I") pick up the toys, they always wind up in a big mess. Any tips on how to organize this mess and how to keep it that way?
I'll leave you with a picture of my little "Lightning McQueen obsessed" man. This is only a fraction of the Cars merchandise that we have. I seriously need to buy some stock in Disney!
BTW, I finally got a copy of New Moon to read. It's good!!! I wish I could just lock myself in a closet somewhere and read it all without interruption. LOL

guess who just rolled over???

2008-08-04T13:16:00.001-05:00

I put Jackson down on his tummy (which he always HATES) and he was holding his head up really well. I just knew (mom's instinct I guess) he was about to roll, so I called Dylan into the den and then he rolled over. I think Dylan was more excited than I was. Of course, we called Daddy at work to tell him.

Hopefully I'll have pictures soon but I just wanted to record the date. =)

obsession

2008-08-04T08:54:00.002-05:00

Yes, 3 posts in one day!!!! Shocking, I know! But I forgot one more VERY important thing that I HAVE to discuss. I've heard several people talking for a couple years about this series of books that they were reading. Something about a girl and a vampire....

Well, I would NEVER enjoy that kind of book. It sounds like a strange premise for a series.

Ha! I was sooooo wrong!!!! I read Twilight last week in about 3 days. I literally COULD NOT put the book down. It is PHENOMENAL. Seriously! I want to read it again and I just might (like, NOW). I'm very impatiently waiting for New Moon to be available from the library so I can find out what will happen next to Bella and Edward. I'm obsessed I tell you!

So, if you're wanting a book to read (and have the time to become totally immersed) I HIGHLY recommend this book!!! Run to buy it now!!

blog list

2008-08-04T07:57:00.002-05:00

I'm in the process of updating my blog list so bear with me. I have 180 blogs that I subscribe to on Google reader so it's a fairly time-consuming process to update this list. =)

what have we been up tp?

2008-08-04T07:16:00.005-05:00

The last month has been crazy busy in our house!! Just a sampling of our lives:
1. We've spent 3 out of the past 4 weeks in Gatlinburg. My parents are getting a cabin ready to be rented out there. If you want to rent an adorable place to stay for 4-6 people, send me an e-mail at jenneymc@gmail.com and I'll send you the link to their website.
2. Getting Dylan ready to go back to school. My baby will be in K-4!!! Yikes!!!
3. I'm trying to "officially" start my photography business. Any takers?? =) Seriously, send me an e-mail if you want to schedule a photoshoot. You'll get 15-20 poses on a CD or DVD with different conversions of each photo for a VERY reasonable price plus you'll have to option to buy prints. If you want to see more of my work, check out my photography blog here. Again, jenneymc@gmail.com. =) **Edited: You will be able to purchase the CD or DVD of your images but they are no longer available for free with your photoshoot. See here for more information.
4. Hubby has been working hard - as always!! Seriously, he works too hard!!
5. Been doing some scrappiness for Scrap4Life. I got to work with the August kit. Yum!!! Check it out:
6. We're planning a trip to the beach in a couple weeks. I cannot wait!!! We've had a great time in the mountains (which Dylan sees everywhere now, by the way! - we even saw "mountains" in Springville last week) but there's just something about the sand between my toes, hearing the ocean waves, and building sand castles with my boy. Can't wait!!!
7. My friend Paulette had her Grand Opening this past weekend!!!! I'm sooooo excited for her. If you visit her store, you'll not only get to see TONS off different scrapbook goodies but you'll also get to see some pretty darn cute kids on her walls. =)
8. We've signed Dylan up for soccer again. He said he wanted to play and now he's saying he doesn't. Well, tough, he's going to play. LOL Should make for some interesting pictures if nothing else. =)

Well, I think that's about it for our little world. I hope you are all doing well!!! Thanks for your sweet comments on Jackson's pictures. He's such a sweet little boy!!

4 months

2008-07-30T12:36:00.005-05:00

4 months ago today (tonight actually) my world became complete. This sweet little boy joined our family. He's such an adorable baby. He's so easygoing and just smiles all the time.

Here are a few tidbits of info that I want to remember:

he's eating 7 ounces of formula (with a little rice cereal thrown in) every 4 hours
still sleeping all night (wahoo!!!)
he's drooling and gnawing on everything (I'm sure a tooth is pretty close!)
he LOVES to sit and watch his big brother play
he got in the big pool for the first time the other day and loved it
he's not quite laughing yet but he's SOOOO close
he HATES being on his tummy - hates it!
started sucking his thumb this month - uh oh!
took his first trip this month to Chatanooga and Gatlinburg (he did wonderfully!)

Here are just a *few* of the pictures I've taken this past month. Sorry, I couldn't decide which ones were my favorites:

This is a silly face he's started making just in the past couple of days.
Notice the drool. Yuck!!

sad news

2008-07-25T09:15:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, I have some more sad news to report. Randy Pausch has passed away. You may have seen him on Oprah or Primetime Live. He's the former Carnegie Mellon professor who amazed us all with his "Last Lecture." He is such an inspiration to me and I will be forever thankful for the grace and attitude he expressed during his time here on earth. If you have some free time, PLEASE watch this video of his "Last Lecture." He's an amazing person and will be greatly missed!!

prayer request

2008-07-20T18:21:00.002-05:00

I just found out that a friend of mine lost her step-daughter this morning in a terrible car accident. Please pray for Shelley and her family as they attempt to cope with this horrible experience. I know that God has a plan for us all and I pray that He will reveal his plan to the Burkett family. Thank you!

christmas in july

2008-07-20T11:31:00.004-05:00

Yours truly is hosting this month's cybercrop at Scrap4Life. Come join me this weekend!!!!
Jodi's having an AWESOME sale right now on all things Christmas in the shoppe. All Christmas products and alterable items are 40% off. Go stock up! =)

Total sidenote - this blog has now had over 10,000 hits. Wow!!! Thanks, guys!

3 months

2008-07-01T05:51:00.006-05:00

My baby is 3 months old. Wahh!!! The time is just going by too fast!! Here are a few facts/milestones about the little dude:

he loves getting his diaper changed
right before he spits up he smiles the biggest smile and then he loves to make noises with the spitup in his mouth (yuck!)
his hands are very yummy (to him)
he hates being on his tummy
he's drooling a LOT right now
he started sleeping through the night this month and will sleep for 12-14 hours if we let him
big brother is his favorite thing to watch (although kid's cartoons is a close 2nd)
he loves to "stand up"
he can't sleep unless he's in his swaddle blanket or a sleep sack
he's lovingly referred to as "tater head" and "tow mater junior" (don't ask! LOL)
he likes the flash on a camera (it's a good thing!)
he hates being alone in a room
he loves being sung to (even with my horrible singing voice)
can push himself up a little bit while on his tummy
can roll to his (left) side
is taking 6-7 ozs. of formula every four hours during the daytime
isn't sure what to think about bathtime but he does enjoy seeing himself in the mirror =)
he's starting to interact with his toys a bit more

Sorry for the long list but this is my record-keeping for the time being. =) And here are SEVERAL pictures I've taken of Jack and Dylan over the past week.

piggy tails

2008-06-28T10:18:00.003-05:00

First of all I just love the name of their company. So cute!! And they name their paper lines after fairy tales AND they use recycled paper. Sweet!!!! We got the chance to work with their fun stuff this month at Scrap4Life and here's what I came up with:
Don't forget, you can get all this Piggy Tails loveliness for 10% off in the Scrap4Life shoppe. Yay!!

"me" time

2008-06-25T06:21:00.005-05:00

Everyone needs it! It's the time we take for ourselves to do whatever the heck we want. Usually, my "me" time involves scrapping, spending time with my best friend Lelia or surfing the net. Now that my boys are on a (fairly) predictable schedule, I have more "me" time. Yay!!! This past weekend I had the chance to go to an all-day crop at my friend Paulette's store. If you live in the Birmingham area, I HIGHLY recommend checking out her store. She's got it packed with all sorts of lovely craftiness!!! She opens August 1!!!!! Here are the layouts I got done this weekend. I wanted to get more done but it was sooooo nice just hanging out with friends chatting that I would've been happy getting nothing done. LOL This month's feature manufacturer at Scrap4Life is Piggy Tails!!! I LOVE their products. Their papers are so versatile and I just love that they name their papers after fairy tales. So cute!! I've got several layouts using their stuff to post but I'm waiting on a newsletter to go out. =) At any rate, their products are 10% off in the Scrap4Life shoppe. So go do some shopping! Also, Jodie just added a bunch of Basic Grey goodness at CHEAP prices!!! You can check that out here. While I'm waiting for the newsletter, here are a couple sneaks of the Piggy Tails goodness.

And if you're not completely sick of looking at my kids (is that possible?) I've posted a few recent pictures on my photography blog. Check it out! They're so adorable - but then I am biased. =)

I hope you all have a great Wednesday with lots of "me" time!

recent finds

2008-06-20T08:25:00.002-05:00

I've been spending WAY too much time lately on the net. In fact, Dylan comes up to me "Mommy, are you STILL on the internet?" Why, yes, I am. Google Reader is an awesome tool that lets me check in on as many blogs as I want. Currently, there are about 120 blogs I'm "subscribed" to. It has this cool feature that recommends blogs based on what you're already reading. That gets me in trouble!!! I've found many cool sites that way! Here are some great places I check out:

2 sketches 4 you - started by SUPER talented friend, Kazan and her friend Laura
inspire me - VERY cool place for scrappy inspiration
stephanie howell - AWESOME scrapper and photographer
audrey woulard - AMAZING children's photographer - I could spend hours at her site!!
heather taylor - I've known Heather for a couples years now and she's soooo amazingly talented with a camera!!!!
precious memories - a LOCAL photographer who rocks!
footprints photography - photog blog with CUTE pictures of kids
image is found - the kind of pictures I want to take when I grow up =)
scrapbook princess - my friend paulette is opening a scrapbook store in a couple months WAHOO!!!! Way to go, girl!!!
picnik - I found this site through Virginia's blog. It's a fun site that lets you upload a picture, edit it photoshop-style and then save it back to your pc. Perfect for those of us who are photoshop challenged. LOL

I uploaded this picture to picnik, did some editing, and got this:
Happy Friday everyone!!

arguing with my kid

2008-06-19T08:26:00.004-05:00

I'm sure this is a common argument in everyone's house:

Me: I love you, Dylan.
Dylan: I love you, too, Mommy.
Me: But I love you more.
Dylan: (smiling) No, I love you more.
Me: I love you more!

Well, yesterday Dylan responded to that last statement with:
I love you as much as I can.

Well, I can't argue with that, can I?

He's saying the sweetest things these days. A few days ago he said, "God gave us the best family" and "God gave us the sweetest baby." So cute and so true!! We are very blessed!!!

Ok, now I'm off to clean. Ugh!! Have a great Thursday everyone!

I should have some new layouts to post tomorrow. Wahoo!!!

photography 101

2008-06-13T07:08:00.002-05:00

If you're looking to improve your photography skills or learn how to use that fancy camera you've got, my friend Elizabeth Bailey and I will starting up a Photography 101 series at Scrap4Life next week. Come join us!!! It'll be fun and stress-free I promise! =) Here's the link:
Photography 101

BTW, sorry about all the blog changes. I can't make up my mind. I obviously have too much time on my hands these days. LOL

This lady has these fabulous blog templates for FREE! They're so fun!!

Have a great weekend!

these eyes

2008-06-11T10:49:00.003-05:00

Just melt my heart!!