5.29.2006

Visit to Conway

Last weekend, I went down to Conway (near Myrtle Beach) and spent a "girls weekend" with my sister (Michelle), niece (Maggie) and my mom. I didn't do a great job of taking pictures because I didn't get any of Michelle or Mom. It was a fun weekend of chatting, scrapping and shopping! I didn't bring much of my own scrapbooking to work on, so I ended up doing 2 pages for Michelle's albums.

This is Maggie playing in her pool. Friday afternoon we just hung out on the patio, chatted, and looked at scrapbooking magazines while Maggie played the pool.







I also met Michelle's new niece, Bailey for the first time. (Bailey is Michelle's niece through her husband, which is why she is not my niece).

Swap - Dianne

Swap layout for Dianne at Scrappin' Fun.

SUPPLIES:
Patterned paper: Die Cuts with a View
Letter stamp: “Simply Fabulous” foam alphabet stamps, Making Memories
“Leaf Green” acrylic paint – Plaid
Journaling Font: “SP Upper West Side”
Doodle Font: “SP Three Ring Circus”
Ink Pads: “Jet Black” Staz On
Green eyelets

Swap - Melissa

Swap layout created for Melissa at Scrappin' Fun.

SUPPLIES
Patterned paper: Die Cuts with a View
Letter stamp: “Simply Fabulous” foam alphabet stamps, Making Memories
“Cardinal Crimson” acrylic paint: Plaid
Ink Pads: “Jet Black” Staz On
Red snaps


Melissa: I created the 3 journaling strips for you which are blank and unattached.

Swap - Jill

Swap layout for Jill at Scrappin' Fun.

SUPPLIES

Patterned paper: Die Cuts with a View
Letter stamp: “Simply Fabulous” foam alphabet stamps, Ma king Memories
“Cardinal Crimson” acrylic paint: Plaid
Journaling Font: SP Spence
Ink Pads: “Jet Black” Staz OnRed square eyelets

(Jill: I made a red dymo label reading "Santa Baby" which I will include unattached)

Swap - Tammy

Yellow version of a swap layout for Tammy at Scrappin' Fun.

SUPPLIES:
Patterned paper: Die Cuts with a View
Letter stamp: “Simply Fabulous” foam alphabet stamps, Making Memories
“Canary Yellow” acrylic paint: Plaid
Journaling Font: “CK Holiday Spirit”
Doodle Font: “SP Celebrate”
Yellow eyelets
Ink Pads: “Jet Black” Staz On

5.28.2006

Dollmaker....

OK, there is this dollmaker thing on the internet. I must confess it was fun!

I guess this is how I see myself...ok, I'm not quite this stylish :) Am I cute or what???? Ha Ha!

Awards Program

Last Friday was Spencer's First Grade Awards Program at school. I took a few shots at the ceremony but they didn't come out well. Afterwards, we took this family shot outside of his classroom. (No we did not intentionally all wear green.) At his school, every child gets an award for something. Spencer received the Citizenship Award.

5.24.2006

Graduation Layout


I'm in a swap doing 8.5x11 layouts. This is my layout to keep from one of those groups. I will be sharing the other layouts within the next week or so.


This is a photo of me at my college graduation. It's been six years exactly...wow. Doesn't seem like that long. I opted to use burgundy as my accent color since that's the dominant color in the photograph. The journaling strips are just basic information - name, age, date, city, college, president's name, major and minor. This page is for my "Book of Me". The "w" is for the name of my university.

The black & white paper is from Die Cuts With A View (one of those big packs of paper - more than I'll ever use!). The letter stamp is "Simply Fabulous" by Making Memories. I added red snaps to my strip journaling and I think the font is from 2Peas. I used two ink pads - "Jet Black" (Staz On) and "Burgundy" (Rubber Stampede). The acrylic paint is by DecoArt I believe.

I'm thinking that I have burgundy Prima flowers at home...might have to add those...

5.22.2006

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by Lu at Scrappin Fun and have to answer these questions:

What's in your...
1) Fridge
Juice & juice boxes
Wine
milk
bottled water (plain and flavored)
beer
cheese (various kinds)
tortillas
cookie dough
tea
butter
whipped cream
lots of condiments (salad dressing, mayo, mustard, ketchup, A1, Heinz 57, Worcheshire, Tabasco, jelly, etc)
eggs
hot dogs
bologna
lettuce
peppers
mushrooms

2) Closet
Lots of my clothes and lots of Matt's clothes
Tons of shoes
Luggage
Hats
Tons of pocketbooks and bags
Belts

3) Purse
Grocery list and coupons
sunglasses
checkbook
lots of receipts
Wallet (debit & credit cards, pictures, etc)
compact
hair rubberbands
lipgloss
chapstick
pocketknife
Lowe's badge
iPod
mints
cell phone holder
Michael's & Linens N Things coupons
pen
aleve & excedrin

4) Car
Learn Spanish CDs
Umbrella
Work bag
Matt's father's day present
White hoodie
CDs
Booster seat
All the stuff I bought this weekend that I haven't taken out of the car yet
Junk in glove compartment (car papers, napkins, etc)

Tamytha is tagged now!!!!

5.16.2006

More Flowers...


This isn't the best photo in the world, but this is one of 2 hanging baskets in front of our house.
















This is a large pot that I have on the back patio. I think the pink flowers are geraniums. I'm not sure about the green cascading plants.

















This is on our front porch. Originally I had some geraniums in here with the vinca vine. However, they were kind of "hiding" so I switched them out for these tall purple flowers.

I have several other small pots around also, but figured this was enough pictures for now. Last night I officially started a gardening journal, which I'm very excited about.

5.14.2006

Swap Layout - Silent Night


This is a layout for an 8.5"x11" swap.


SUPPLIES:
Patterned paper - Designs by Reminisce (circles); Flair Designs (holly); Unknown (stripes)
Vellum title - Deja Views
Christmas Tree brads
Green twill
"Chocolate Brown" and "Metallic Copper" ink pads - Ink It Up
Vintage bottle cap accent cut out from patterned paper by Design Original
Pop Up Glue Dots

Swap Layout - Signs of Spring

This was done for an 8.5"x11" swap, so the photos are not mine (and were only digitally added to the scan).

SUPPLIES:
Prima flowers
Purple snaps
"Hyacinth" VersaColor ink pad
Patterned paper (unknown)
Patterend vellum (unknown)
Sheer Ribbon
Journaling font: 2Peas Magic Forest
Letter Stickers: Artic Frog (large); Making Memories (small)

Three Cards

After finishing a layout, I was pretty pleased with the color/paper combo (surprising since I don't like purple), so I decided to make some cards with the scraps.



This is just a Thank You card to have on hand in case I need it. I went through my stash and realized that was one sentiment I was low on.


This is for my mom on Mother's Day.

This is for my husband's niece who is graduating from high school next week.

5.13.2006

More Softball...


Today was Spencer's 3rd softball game. He struck out when it was his turn to bat, but had a good play on defense so it saved the day. He caught the ball, threw it to 3rd base where the other team was tagged out! It was a good game. Weather was nice - not hot, not cold. Unfortunately the season has been incredibly short. Only 7 games and the first 2 were cancelled. (Spencer also missed one game because he was sick.) They might do make up games and as of right now, Spencer will be out of town for the tournament. I am crossing my fingers that the make-up games will push back the dates of the tournament. His team is 4-0 so far!!!

Cub Scouts comes to an end

After a year consumed with Cub Scouting, it has finally come to end. Like most things of this manner, the last meeting was bittersweet (this past Monday). It was a relief to no longer have the responsibility and commitment. However, I was a little sad to see the boys go, especially since we pretty much know we won't be involved next year. For their activity, the boys painted flower pots and were given seeds to plant at home. We had cupcakes, too. I made small photo albums for each child's family of pictures I'd taken throughout the year. I think the parents were very appreciative. Here Spencer (far left) is with two of his close buddies. They were in Kindergarten together, but not 1st grade, so Scouts has helped to keep them close.

Flowers


These are a few of the flowers I have planted this season at our new house. I haven't taken pictures of the rest yet. Matt & I found this tall plant at Home Depot and fell in love with it. I surrounded it with petunias and some little white flowers.
















I love Gerber Daisies, though I think they tend to be a bit pricey. But I always buy at least one. Mine were looking pretty good until Matt didn't water them while I was gone. There is another bud on the plant so hopefully it will bloom soon. I also put some cascading white flowers in the pot with the daisies.

Blue Bird


Matt and Spencer bought this bird feeder for our backyard several weeks ago. As the weather has gotten warmer, it's become a popular feeding ground. Today, we were all sitting on the patio and saw this gorgeous blue bird enjoying some lunch. I'm not exactly sure what type of bird it is (really a "blue bird" or just a "blue" bird?), but I thought it was such a brilliant shade of blue. I couldn't get very close without scaring it off, so the picture isn't very clear, but thought I'd share anyway.

Mother's Day - Out to Dinner

Tonight we took Matt's parents out to supper for Mother's Day. We did this tonight for two reasons.

1) To beat the Sunday crowd at the restaurants -- Matt's dad can not stand to wait in line.

2) So Spencer can join us, because he obviously will be with his mom on Mother's Day.

We all had a delicious meal and I think they really enjoyed themselves and the splurge. I also think Matt's mom really liked the card from Spencer.

Obviously, this is Spencer with his grandparents.

Cookout


We had an impromptu cookout last Saturday night and here are pictures of our friends/guests. We had a great time. The weather was nice, the food was yummy. Even though not everyone knew each other, they all got along fantastically.

The first picture is Matt's best friend Scott and his girlfriend Cameron. Sorry they are looking down.










These are our new next door neighbors, Christy & Les. Their son Gryffin just turned 2 (isn't he the cutest?). Christy and I actually were in the same sorority in college and knew each other briefly (she was graduating about the same time I was coming in). Small World. They are great neighbors!


These are our old neighbors, Tim & Jennifer with their daughter, Meghan (14 months old). We used to live in the same neighborhood and became very good friends. We moved and actually closed on our new houses the same day (but different neighborhoods). I'm really glad that we have stayed in touch with them.



The woman on the left is our friend Shannon. Her husband was out of town this weekend so she played it solo. The other couple is Sam and Amy, who are engaged. Amy and Shannon work together and Matt met them that way (he didn't work with them but their agencies worked together). Amy & Sam are kind of "new" friends but are a ton of fun.

Overnight Sensation...


This is from Spencer's softball game last Monday night (his 2nd game). This time he hit the ball - AND he was able to make it all the way back home to score, with the help of his teammates that batted after him. He was incredibly excited and proud of himself. In a few minutes time, he went from hating softball to thinking he was a total star! What was the most interesting was that he asked why everyone cheered so loudly for HIM and not everyone else! It shows that they are paying attention. He even made a big deal out of this when he call his mom and Jo to tell them about the game.

Mother's Day Card


Spencer just made this Mother's Day card for Matt's mom. The top part is the front and the bottom part is the inside. (He calls his grandparents "Jo" and "Jim"). As you can see, he raided my scrapbooking supplies. But the awesome thing is that he normally HATES making cards for people and we have to beg him to do it. This was totally his idea and then he did it on his own. It was done before I even knew it was happening. I hope Matt's mom realizes how special that is.

Music Program


Last Tuesday Spencer's music class had a little program where the parents could come and watch. I was disappointed that I couldn't make it because of some training at work, so I made sure Matt took the camera. He got a few decent shots, thankfully. Here Spencer is playing the xylophone in one of the songs.

Spencer being goofy


After the Winthrop baseball game, we had to stop at CVS to pick something up. Matt ran in while Spencer and I waited in the car. Spencer climbed into the front seat and proceeded to take on the role of Nascar driver. It was quite funny to watch - and hear. I whipped out the camera and was surprised to see that instead of ducking (as he usually does), he actually hammed it up for me!

New Author of Choice

You may, or may not, know that I have a few authors that I like and try to keep up with their books. I like this rather than trying random books by different authors - though I do take suggestions from other readers. My authors of choice are James Patterson, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell and Nicholas Sparks. I have a new one to add to my list...

Her name is
Dorothea Benton Frank. She has5 books, all of which are set in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Obviously I am a bit partial, but I think anyone would enjoy her work. I have read 3 of her novels (Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, and just finished Pawley's Island). I still need to read Plantation and Shem Creek. These are all places that I am familiar with and grew up near - especially Pawley's Island.

Upon checking out her website, I see that she has a new book that was just released called Full of Grace.

Winthrop Baseball Game


Two weeks ago, we took Spencer to a Winthrop baseball game (Winthrop is the college in our town that Matt & I both attended). It was a fun outing and they definitely won! It had been chilly that morning but definitely warmed up. The stadium is right in the sun and we were hot! (I got sunburned.) They had baseball bingo which Spencer had a lot of fun with once we figured out the general idea of it. Here's a snapshot of Matt and Spencer in the stands.

5.10.2006

First Softball Game

This was Spencer's first softball game back on the 29th of April. Doesn't he look so serious??? He's played t-ball for 3 years and has finally moved up to softball. T-ball had no rules and very little structure. Everyone batted, everyone played outfield. You swung until you hit - no matter how long it took. Everyone ran all the bases and there was no score.

Softball is a different animal. There are only a certain number of players in the outfield - and Spencer's team is large so not everyone gets to play. Three strikes and you're out. Three outs and it's the other team's turn - even if everyone didn't get a chance to bat. They DO keep score and there is a tournament at the end.

And the biggest difference - the coaches take it seriously LOL.

Spencer wasn't thrilled with the first game. He got to bat, but struck out. He only played outfield one out of three innings and no balls came his way. But stay tuned...it gets better at the next game.

Breakfast Nook

This is our breakfast nook. We had the table in the old house but I still absolutely love it (which is saying a lot for me to like something after a year). It's counter height and I'm not exaggerating when I say that Spencer totally picked this out for us. I bought the placemats around Christmas before we moved in because I saw them and knew that was the color I wanted my kitchen walls. In the photo the walls look more tan, but they are yellow. I just got around to finding the striped napkin rings (Pier1) and silver napkin rings (World Market). I bought some fresh flowers to jazz up the table for our cookout over the weekend. Normally there are artificial ones there.

5.09.2006

My husband does not have the reputation for being the most romantic man on the planet... OK, I don't even know if he can spell "romance". Needless to say, small guestures mean the world to me. I always tell him that anything with a bit of thought and planning (not necessarily money) will make me happy.

Last night after Scouts, Matt & Spencer got home just a couple of minutes before me. When I walked in, Spencer was holding this yellow mug and said "this is to make you smile every time you see it". How sweet! (I drink coffee every morning too so it's definitely something I'll see often).

Then Spencer told me to stay downstairs while the 2 of them went up. I joined them (when I was allowed) and Matt handed me this single rose. Super sweet :) Mother's Day is always a little awkward to Matt I think. And though neither one of them ever said "Happy Mother's Day", I think this was Matt's way of doing something.

The thing that made it so wonderful is that it was totally unprovoked (no hinting from me or anyone else) and that I was *totally* surprised!!! Obviously I had to take a picture of my gifts so I could scrap the moment! Oh, and the coffee tasted extra good this morning out of this mug! I even told Spencer that I was in an exceptionally good mood - which he didn't seem to appreciate too much while he was half asleep!

5.01.2006

Dalton Help Foundation


Very good friends of ours, Brigitte & Strait, have two children. Their daughter, Sydney, is exactly one year older than Spencer. Their son, Dalton, is four. Dalton is autistic and currently is non-verbal. Brigitte & Strait have been amazing since his diagnosis and I can't even begin to fathom how they handle their daily lives. But they are fantastic parents and give everything they can to make a better life for him. They recently decided to start a foundation (Dalton Help Foundation) to help raise money to pay for Dalton's care, as well as help other autistic children in the area. ABA Therapy can run up to $40,000 for ONE year of therapy. I was shocked when I learned this from my boss - who also has an autistic son. Their son, Kyle, is five and has successfully completed ABA treatment and is wrapping up his Kindergarten year in a regular classroom!

As Dalton's first big fundraiser, they held a golf tournament and it was a HUGE success. I helped out where I could - mainly making a ton of phone calls to get donations for sponsors and prizes. Then, the day of the tournament (about 2 weeks ago), I took the day off to help. My main "job" was taking pictures so that I can scrapbook the event, and the foundation, for them. I am tickled that they want me to do this! I must admit it was a fun day. Basically, I spent a gorgeous spring day riding on a beer cart, taking pictures! But the important part is that they raised money for Dalton and other kids and charities!


I realized, a little too late, that I didn't have a picture of Brigitte & Strait together. Brigette is the one on the far right of the photo with four women. And this is Strait making his little thank-you speech to all the golfers before they head out!