photo {spencer & future daughter-in-law}

ok, i know it's mean to harrass them but i love this child and she's only a year older than spencer so i've decided they should get married :)

this is them at the house for the USC vs Florida game when they came downstairs long enough for a snack break. as you can see, it was slim pickins! most of the fried goodies were all gone.

{little pink tool kit}

for quite some time i have eyeballed a "little pink tool kit" advertised in the airport. i've studied the brochure and couldn't convince myself to waste a hefty amount of money on such a thing... well...then i got lucky.

it might not be nearly as nice, but spencer's school fundraiser book had this little pink tool kit for a mere $15. happiness! it's perfect for my scrap studio and those little projects i may have (saves a trek downstairs to the garage).

{christmas ornaments}

last night i made these felt ornaments while watching tv. i am participating in a couple of swaps (one through Red Velvet Art and one with my mom & sisters), but haven't decided what i'm going to do with these yet. just wanted to make something.

layouts {Christmas}

Last night I tackled getting started on Christmas layouts from last year (I hate not having them completed when the following Christmas rolls around). I only got three done, but it's a start...

The first one is a very blurry picture of Spencer and I in the car when we went to look at lights. The second is Spencer making ornaments with me. The third is Matt and I exchanging one gift on Christmas morning (we do our true Christmas morning the day after Christmas because of Spencer). All the pages are based, at least loosely, on a PageMaps sketch.

{thankful}

In the spirit of thanksgiving, i thought i'd just jot down some of the many things that i am thankful for this season...

- a husband who loves me and keeps me laughing
- a stepson who is bright and does so many things to make us proud
- parents with whom i enjoy spending time with and live close enough to see regularly
- in-laws that care about me as if i was their own daughter
- two amazing sisters that are also 2 of my best friends
- super cool niece and nephews that always make me smile
- a career that is fulfilling and financially rewarding
- a lovely house to call our home
- the two best dogs ever...seriously. i couldn't imagine better pets!
- my husband's recent promotion/raise
- spencer's love of sports and newfound dedication to baseball (i love that he's committed to something that is important to him)
- being involved with the Dalton Help Foundation and helping with such a fantastic cause
- having neighbors that we love being with
- an array of seriously cool friends
- my creative side and the whole existence of scrapbooking...can't imagine life without it!

I could write a book, but I will wrap it up and end with this....
Last, but so certainly NOT least...
I feel so blessed to be an American and there are no words to express my gratitude for the men and women serving in our military and protecting our freedom.

{20 things}

20 Things About Me:

2 everyday things I could not live without: computer & family

2 of my favorite songs (at this moment): hey there delilah (plain white t's) & wake up call (maroon 5)

2 things I want to do before I die: live in what I would consider my dream house & take a really awesome vacation with my whole family

2 things I worry about: would I be a good mother if I had a child of my own? what if something happens to matt? (I'm a worrier by nature, so this is just the tip of the iceburg)

2 stores I shop at: Target (LOVE it) and GAP

2 things that scare me: the thought of being raped (I know, morbid), being a bad mom or stepmom

2 snacks I could eat everyday: mexican cheese dip & chocolate (not together)

2 people I'd be lost without: Matt and my sisters (that's three technically since I have 2 sisters)

2 nicknames I've been given: Thumper & Boo

2 places I want to go on vacation: back to Jamaica or somewhere equally tropical and lovely & Italy

photos {baseball season recap}

I know I've shared pictures as the season progressed, but here is a recap of the better pictures from Spencer's fall baseball season. He played at Tega Cay and his team, The Bees, went undefeated! He has really taken a liking to the sport and wants to focus on getting better (rather than trying other sports). He has two skills camps coming up next month at Winthrop and we hope to get him involved at the Carolina Baseball Center after the first of the year. We are super proud of him!

confession {blake lewis}

Ok, I confess...even though I wasn't very verbal about it on my blog, I loved Blake Lewis on American Idol this past season. I just caught wind that he's releasing an album in early December. I listened to some soundbits online and I'm so ***not*** disappointed. Yippee ChiO!

{cool list}

love this list...

Creative Ways to Spend an Hour

(from the Simple Scrapbooks blog)

quote {southern girl}

love this...

A southern girl is a girl who knows full and well that she can open a door for herself but prefers for the gentleman to do it because it demonstrates a sense of respect. After all, every girl wants to be treated like a princess. We know how to make sweet tea and grits while telling you everything about any football team in the SEC. We pick our battles and fight with the heart of a pit bull while still maintaining grace and elegance. Our mystique is that of a soft-spoken, mild-mannered southern bell who could direct an army, loves her momma and will always be daddy's little girl.

photos {walk now for autism}

I finally got around to editing and posting pictures from the Walk Now for Autism event. Autism Speaks raised $360,000 (over $2,000 from our team). You can check out a few more details on our website.

mosaic {veteran's day}

My most heartfelt thanks to all the men & women who have sacrificed so much for our daily freedom.

"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."
President Harry S. Truman



1. NYC Veterans Day Parade 2006, 2. Manhattan-Veterans Day_107, 3. veterans day, 4. Veterans Day November 11 2006, 5. VETERANS DAY is a time to honor all veterans of the armed services. It is also a day to be proud that we are citizens of a nation made great by the sacrifices and dedication of all our military personnel, both home and abroad., 6. Veteran's Day, 7. The American Flag waving in the breeze - In honor of Veteran's Day., 8. Veteran's Day, 9. Veterans Day, November 11, 2007, 10. We Salute You, Veterans Day 2007, 11. Veterans Day, 12. Veterans Day, 13. Veterans Day 2006, 14. Lone Sailor, Veterans Day, 15. Thank you all - Veterans Day - 2006, 16. Veterans Day, Gainesville, Fla., 17. Veterans Day 2006, 18. Veterans' Day (Part 1 of 5), 19. Veterans Day, 20. kings mountain veteran's day, 21. Veterans Day Memorial

{new coat}

I've been loving red lately. I want some red high heels and have been wanting a red coat for winter. This weekend, while shopping for Spencer's desperately needed clothes, I got this coat in red. Super fun!!!

photo {pet rock}

Spencer had to do a "pet rock" project for school this year. He had to get a rock and do several assignments associated with it - write the story of it (where did he find it, physical characteristics, etc), build the rock a house, give it a name (Rex), and draw or take a photo of it. He opted for the photo and this was the result. Who knows how Rio ended up working his way into the project!

photo {me & grandma}

This is the last photo taken of me & my grandma. It was taken about a month before she passed away. I had forgotten my mom had taken it. She sent me some pictures that she had taken of us before the funeral and as I was flipping through them, she had included this one. I was totally not expecting it and had a bit of a *moment*.

love you grandma!

photo {cute lizard}

My husband found a lizard living in this silly birdhouse that we have. Immediately seeing the irony of it, he was resourceful enough to come inside and grab my camera!

layout {spooky}

I'm finally done with Halloween 2005!!! This is a summary layout for Spencer's album. The title is a Scooby Doo quote (used for a challenge): "Hold on man. We can't go anywhere with scary, spooky, haunted or forbidden in the title".

Supplies: Patterned paper by Reminisce & Doodlebug; Ribbon by Offray; Stickers by Reminisce; Lots of misc. letter stickers; White uniball gel pen

book {freckle juice}

Well, I said that I wanted to re-read some childhood books. So, today I went to the library and grabbed a few. On my lunch hour, in just a few minutes time, I was able to breeze through Freckle Juice by Judy Blume. It was a lot of fun...it was crazy that it was actually familiar despite how long ago I would've read it. I might try to get Spencer to read it...we'll see if he cooperates!

photos {halloween decorations}

just a few snapshots of some of our outdoor halloween decorations...i get to take them all down this weekend...that's the not-so-fun part.

photos {baseball clinic}

These are a few snapshots from a free baseball clinic that Spencer attended back in September. It was at the park where he plays, but offered by Winthrop baseball players (a local college that actually has a very good team). It was a lot of fun for him! He's the one in the blue shirt and hat in all the pictures.

photos {halloween}

pictures from halloween. we hung out with the neighbors in our driveway (about 7 houses worth of people), handing out candy, etc. matt and i took turns taking spencer trick-or-treating. we had a fire going to keep us toasty and warm. spencer was a zombie doctor. some other neighbor costumes include: a ghost, african princess, buzz lightyear, snow white, and minnie mouse. lots of fun!

photos {my niece on halloween}

My sister sent me some pictures of my niece, Maggie, who was a Rock Star Diva for Halloween! The baby is my sister's niece, who was a bumble bee (obviously).