Creatively Yours

The Leake Family

2011-01-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

A Beautiful Family

Headshots

2011-01-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

Look for him to be the next teen heartthrob. This cutie is on his way.

Seasons do change in California

2010-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

What a beauty

2010-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

Erica and Chris

2010-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

I loved capturing all the love I saw between these two.

Hartling Photo Shoot

2010-08-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

It was such a joy to be able to capture such wonderful moments for Kelly and her family.

Gomillion Photo Shoot

2010-07-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Loved getting the chance to capture such a special time for Wendy and her family

High School here he comes

2010-05-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

School is out and Joseph is going to be a freshman. I don't know if I am ready for my sweet little boy to be in high school.

Little League season is back

2010-03-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hunter is now a Major Pirate. He is so excited and so far really loves his new team.

I go prepared every practice and game all bundled up and ready to cheer for my guy.

A few new pages

2010-03-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

My Birthday

2010-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Another year has come and gone. Why is it that when you are little bumping up your age is the greatest thing ever? Ok it's not that bad now that I'm older but not as exciting either. I had a great day of scrapping the day away at the polka dot whimsy crop with my friend Tammy. She made my day so wonderful with all her sweet little treats she had in store for me. Everyone needs a friend like Tammy. And when I came home my sweet boys had made me cards and a cake. I ended the day with tears in my eyes (happy tears) as I felt the love from my family and friends. Sometimes in the craziness of everyday life I forget how blessed I really am

Here are a few pages from my day

Another snow day

2010-02-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

We have had so much rain this year that it is hard not to resist a day in the snow. When you live on the west coast and don't have to deal with being snowed in the thought of playing in the snow is actually fun. This time we were joined by my friend Tammy and her boys. We had a blast and the weather was perfect. A little scare towards the end when Tammy's little guy had really low blood sugar with his diabetes. But with some juice and a piggyback ride to the car and everything turn out ok. And we can't forget the 2 pizzas the boys wolfed down. Seriously our 4 boys can eat.

Cute heart

2010-02-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

While walking through the mall today I came across this super cute window display. All your pictures in a heart shape. How cute would this be on a empty wall with you family pictures.

Valentine Project

2010-02-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

This was the gift I made for my husband last year for Valentine's Day. I made it for his office but "surprise, surprise" it is still being displayed in the house. I wonder if it will ever end up at work.
I'm still thinking about what to do for this year.

My inspiration

2010-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

I am a total blog hopper and love to read about others through their blog or website. I am gonna share a few places I stop at daily and let you know why.
tammy i I am very lucky to count her as one of my very good friends and holder of many of my secrets. She is so very talented in so many ways. It is not uncommon for me to walk away from her and think I need to organize something.
brave girls club I love to read the daily truths that get sent daily and many days I will read about their brave girls camp and hope that one day I can be a part of it. I know that when I do go it will be life changing
Melody Ross You just need to read her blog to see why she inspires me.
HWTM If you are gonna throw a party this is the place to go. I wish I could take full credit for all my ideas but I can't. I will say that I do tweek them a little

There really are so many more places I visit that I may spill on another day. Have fun

In search of a new friend

2010-01-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that I love my flat iron almost as much as a fourth child. A little extreme, yes I will admit it. But seriously all you girls with any kinda wave in your hair can probably relate. I know this because I have sat with some of you and chatted about this very subject. Well I broke mine the other day, actually it was tossed in a moment of frustration. I kinda shocked myself at that move also. So now I am n the market for a new chi. Should I go a little crazy and get a pink one or shall I stick with the exact model of my last one. I am gonna have to think about this one

Snow Day

2010-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

With all the rain we had last week I knew the snow in the mountains would be perfect for some sledding. It was just a matter of picking a day to go. Every time we had gone on the weekend it is packed with everyone and their cousins. Why now go after school one day. What a brillant idea that was. The closest mountain is Mt. Baldy which is a half hour drive. This my friends is one of the great benefits of So. Cal living. The good sledding hills were almost empty, and these are the same hills that on any weekend has so many people that collision are bound to happen.

After a little over an hour sledding the boys were wet and tired so we packed it up and were down the hill before it was dark. How perfect was that. We now know the secret to uncrowded hills and plan on more of these fun days in the future.

CHA 2010

2010-01-27T12:55:00.001-08:00

I love walking the floor of CHA. Being one of the first to get to see all the new goodies that are coming out. But I still miss walking the floor as a store owner. Trying to decide on what to order and how much to order. But for now I just walked it making mental notes of what to look for in support of the small local scrapbook stores. Some of my favorites were Jenni Bowlin, but then she has always been a favorite. And loved seeing what goodies 7 gypsies, Making Memories, Cosmo Cricket, My Mind's Eye, everyone, I loved it all.

Teresa Collins is actually becoming another one that I am loving also. I have a feeling that those super cute pink frames will be mine next time I visit Ikea. I shall paint them...... well you will just have to wait and seeAnd you can't help but adore the new Dear Lizzy Line from American Craft. I want the pink beach cruiser that they had in the booth.
And something else that I love about CHA are all the cute bags they giveaway. I will be sporting these babies next time I am shopping.

Family Cruise

2010-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

When the family says it's time for another reunion all we have to say is when and where. Another cruise to the Caribbean is where they tell us. The perfect spot for families from Boston, Florida and So Cal to gather all in one place.
Let me tell you I love seeing my husbands family. They are huge and loud and oh so very loving. It is always a little overwhelming at first for me since I come from such a small family.
I really wish that we all weren't all the way across the Country because they are all so much fun and I would love for my kids to know their cousins more.

r

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

I want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I feel blessed to have you in my life always.
Enjoy your parades, football games, turkey or tofu and be sure to save room for yummy pie. But most of all love and enjoy the people you are spending the day with and send some extra prayers to the ones that you wish you were with.

Cancun

2009-11-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

When Daren said he was going to a seminar in Cancun my first response was "not without me". I mean really had he not taken me he may have just found all his clothes in the front yard when he got back. I'm Kidding. But really what kinda of crazy person would want to go to Cancun and spend the weekend inside while you have a beautiful beach outside. Yes my husband is not normal because he was very excited to do just that. I was content to enjoy some alone time on the beach though.
I thought I would make him happy and attend one of the indoor functions, 2 actually if you count the dinner and speeches afterward. Yeah that was a huge mistake on my part because I was not at all feeling what Daren was so excited about. In fact I walked away with some very strong feelings against it. This is going to be one area we are going to have to agree to disagree.

But aside from some craziness I did enjoy myself. The time there was much to short and would have enjoyed it so much more if it was a purely pleasure trip.

But it broke my heart to know that during my trip the boys got sick. I found out at the airport on the way home and all I could think about was I'm not their and nobody knows how to cuddle them when they are sick the way I do. I have since done some extra cuddling with them.

Growing Up

2009-10-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to think that my sweet little girl is getting older. Yesterday she turned 19. Wow where did the time go and how can I get it back. It is crazy to look at her and see her as an adult out in the big world by herself. She really didn't waste anytime spreading her wings and flying.

I love you Miss Ashley but remember, no matter how old you get you will always and forever be my baby girl!!!!

A new direction

2009-10-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

It is always tough to say good-bye to friends. But I am not really saying good-bye. After a a wonderful year on the Scrapping Lounge Design Team I have decided to leave. It was a decision I had been going back and forth about for some time and just had a feeling that now felt right to me. I have enjoyed the wonderful friendships I have formed and will always stop in to say "Hi" and to check out all the fun goodies. Tomorrow night I will be teaching my last class at the lounge and it is one of my favorites so I am excited. Remember this is really not good-bye because from time to time you may still see me walking around shopping.
Stay tuned because who knows what will be my next adventure.

Character breakfast at Disneyland

2009-10-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

When we first bought our passes this year I told my boys that one morning we will splurge a little and go to the breakfast with Minnie and Friends. Oh how I wish we had done this a long time ago. To think all the years we had stood in line and rushed through pictures because there were 20 other little kids waiting to see them. We had so much fun. The characters interact with the kids and will even drag the parents into the fun. We had Captain Hook try to pop balloons and use the boys head to sign their books. The Fairy Godmother talk to the boys about how brave they are to go on Space Mountain. Chip and Dale messing up hair and making us laugh because they were booing the other.
If you have kids of any age this is something that they will enjoy. And to top it off the breakfast was all you can eat and actually really good. So good that I did smuggle a few muffins out for snacks later that day (But SHHHHH don't tell anyone)
And during this time I learned how to tell Chip and Dale apart. So now I'm gonna really test your Disney knowledge. Which one is Chip and which one is Dale????

One warm coat

2009-10-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

My good friend Tammy is part of this wonderful cause.

Help others by giving 1 or more of your warm coats or jackets this cold Winter season by donating them. I have teamed up again this year to help One Warm Coat collect these item's for children, women, and men that are in need of these items more then ever this year. All the coats and jackets donated, will be given to the Los Angeles Mission and all items are tax deductible.

I will be collecting these items from October 21- November 21, 2009

*Please email me if u would like to drop off or need a pick up for these items at: tammyi@mac.com

*The Scrappin' table in Placentia has also generously offered to have a drop box in the store for a convenient drop location for all of your warm coats and jackets.

*You can also show your support and join the cause One Warm Coat/ tammy i on facebook today and share with other facebook friends :)

Thank you for all of your help and please take a moment to share this with others,

tammy i

The season for....

2009-10-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Baking.
I gave in and pulled out the sprinkles for a batch of snickerdoodles. My boys love when I make these although I do have a feeling that they are seeing $$$$ signs in their sweet little heads. Yes I found out last year that they have a little business going at school with the goodies I put in their lunches. What can I say they take after daddy

Playing catch up!!!

2009-10-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Just a few of my layouts that I have been working on over the past couple weeks.
I really need to get caught up on my pages and plan on spending some extra time in my scrap room. I mean really my room is my happy spot that is all about me. You would think I would spend every free minute there.

Fall is in the air

2009-10-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

It is fall!!! Well about as fall as it will get when you are in So.Cal. The weather last week had us walking around in shorts and flip flops and wishing we had a pool to jump into. The weekend showed some signs of cooling off and today was actually a light sweater day. But to truely get a feeling of fall you need to hope in your car and drive to this little town in the hills called Oak Glen. A little piece of heaven but I guess the secret about it is out because it seemed like everyone and their mother's were there also. But if you pick just the right farm the crowds aren't that bad and then when you look around at all the cuteness you completely forget anyone else is around. This trip we were joined by my friend Tammy and her boys. It is so nice when your friends have kids the same age as yours and they actually get along and aren't just faking it. The goal for this trip was to pick apples but with all the crowds any pick-able apple was gone. So instead we headed to one of the many farm stores and bought them. Either way the apple pie I made the next day turned out so yummy. There really is nothing better then the smell of apple pie baking in the oven.

End of summer

2009-09-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Everytime I see this picture I think of one of my favorite songs this summer
I got my toes in the water
ass in the sand
not a worry in the world
a cold beer in my hand
life is good today, life is good today!!!
Well just substitute cold beer for a 7 up. This was the only trip to the beach this summer. With all the traveling we did none of the days included laying on the beach and I don't count the river as a beach.

The boys went back to school a few weeks ago and so far so good. I am loving that they are in the same school this year. It has made drop off and pick up so much easier. Also I feel better when I do send them off on the bike knowing that they are together. I did have to tell Joseph that I don't want the crazy name that all 6th graders get to come home. No calling your brother scab, luckily it really only was made a big deal that first week.

I will say that I am starting to get the itch again ( that would be the decorating itch) looking around the house for a new project I can tackle. And I am also feeling some of my scrappin mojo coming back finally!!!!

Class Launch

2009-08-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

After taking the summer off from teaching any classes I am back now and ready to begin a new year. Friday August 14th will be the class launch at The Scrapping Lounge from 5:00 -7:00 pm

Here is a little peek at what I have for you. But you will have to stop by the Lounge to see more

Summer Days Gone Bye
Wed. Sept 16th

Creepy Spooks
Thurs. Oct 15th

Hearst Castle

2009-08-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to visit Hearst Castle so I took this trip as a good time to finally see it up close. I set up our time on line thinking we would have plenty of time to get from Monterey to the Castle. Boy was I mistaken! We were doing really good until we stopped for lunch. After that is was a race and the fact that we got behind several cars that took their sweet time looking at the scenery. We got there and the lady at the window said to walk VERY fast to the bus. We made it barely
I was a little nervous that the guys would not enjoy this at all but was pleased to hear that they thought it was great. They are already talking about when we can go on one of the other tours to see another part of the house. How bad would it be if next time one of us accidentally fell in the pool. It just looks so tempting

Monterey

2009-08-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

We spent a night in Monterey. The kids loved all the rocks they could climb all over looking for crabs or starfish and I just enjoy the view.
My clan enjoyed all the dinners had along the coast. The best place for seafood. Daren will eat anything, while Hunter loves crab but I think it has more to do with all the work it takes to get the meat out of the shells and Joseph is a shrimp kid. I on the other hand do not want anything to do with seafood. I like to say if it comes out of any kind of water I don't eat it. This little fact bugs my husband and finally after all these years he has cut back on always asking me to try it.

San Francisco

2009-08-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is where Daren finally joined us for the rest of our trip. I would like to say he was with us the whole time but he had to go to Chicago for a few days. Once I arrived with the boys and we successfully navigated over all the hills and one way streets we walked around. Our timeshare was right around the corner from China Town and the boys thought it was so cool. We had quickly discovered that we didn't pack well and should have packed for some very cool days.

We couldn't not take a tour of Alcatraz. I was surprised at all the beauty around a high security prison. The flowers that were grown and all the birds that have made the island home is amazing. And how cool was it to take the tour and explore the cells and common areas.

We were going to take a trolley until we found out how much it would cost for all of us to get around on one so we did the next best thing and used out feet. Walking the hills is exhausting but it is really one of the best ways to experience a new city.

Winchester House

2009-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our first Tourist stop along the way. I have always wanted to see this crazy house. Doors that open to nothing, stairs that went to the ceiling and crazy windows. Did she confuse the spirits that died by the Winchester Rifle or did she just confirm that she was a little crazy. Maybe a little of both

Family

2009-08-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

The first stop during our trip up north was to visit with my grandma. I don't see her as much as I would like so when I got a chance to take the boys for a visit I took it. This is my mom's side of the family and right after my mom passed the relationship I had with them was strained. It was a difficult time for me and I allowed someone to poison my thoughts. It is always hard to believe how some people can be so insecure with themselves that they would set out to ruin other relationships. Thankfully we have healed and I have my grandma back in my life. I want my kids to know and understand why I love her so much. During the trip we also spent some time with my aunt and cousin. Wow has he grown, the last time I saw Bill he was a younger then Hunter
This is a picture of my great grandparents. I think my greatest memory was the cooking that grandma Ruby would do. Oh how I wish I had paid more attention to how she made her pies while growing up. You don't realize how important the things like that are until the person is gone.

From the top

2009-07-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

I had debated if I was up for this next adventure. Mountain biking down from the top of Snow Summit. I had no idea that you could even do something so crazy but my lovely son knew this. My first question was how do the bikes get to the top. I have enough problems just riding the hills by our house.

This is how they got up. They got their own ski lift ride. I had to admit that the ride up was great. I was scared at the thought of some of the hills I was going to encounter. Started off really slow and the guys were good and stopped often to wait for me and as I got more comfortable on the bike they didn't have to stop as much but I still used my brakes a lot. Just when I think I can do this they decided to detour onto another trail that was smaller and little did I know at the time more challenging. But I am proud to say I did not fall. Came close a few times and one time I went over a tree root and almost went head first over my handle bars. Lucky for me I was able to save myself.
I am glad I made it and don't have any broken bones.

4th of July

2009-07-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

This year for the 4th we headed up to Big Bear with the family and some of Daren's family. We have a timeshare and reserved it last summer. We thought how cool would it be to watch the fireworks on the lake from a boat. What a great idea. The only problem was we weren't really dressed for the weather. We had worn our bathing suits although we never really hit the water because it was so cold and we had all brought sweatshirts but we should have brought a few blankets also. They put on a great display though and it was neat to just relax on the boat and watch the fireworks almost right over your head.

He's a teenager now

2009-06-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Joseph just turned 13 years old on Sunday. This year his birthday happen to fall on Father's Day. I tried not to let either of them get slighted but it happens. We headed to Disney for a quick shopping trip to spend his birthday fun card. Since we already have passes we opted for the spending money instead of free admission. This is where dad got slighted because he doesn't have a pass so he waited outside in Downtown Disney for about 2 hours. Then it was to Nana and Papas house to spend the rest of the day by the pool. Joseph wanted to go out to dinner but it was dad's day also so we stayed and spent time with family. I did tell him that he can have his birthday dinner later this week. I will take him to the restaurant he had picked.
But I am still in shock that he is a teenager now. Where did the time go?

The end of elementary

2009-06-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

My baby had his promotion ceremony this morning and tomorrow is his last day in elementary school. His last day is also my last day because he is my baby. Where has the time gone? I am thankful that we had the ability of me being able to stay home and be an active part of his school years. Even though I did step back this last year the teacher always knew she could call if I was needed. Some days it felt like I was at the school as much as the kids between yearbook, room mom, field trips or just fun days. I was just saying today how nice it always was to walk into the office and have the secretary say "Hello Mrs Raskin do you need me to call for Hunter".
Thank you to the wonderful teachers and staff for being so wonderful to my kids. I know that many of you have made a huge impact on my boys and I will forever be grateful.

My loves

2009-06-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

It wasn't until after I had Joseph that I really started taking pictures. And when I see the kids sit down and look through all the scrapbooks I have put together I know that all the pictures are worth it. To hear them say I remember when this happened and see the smiles makes me want to keep going.
I can honestly say that being a mother is what I was meant to do. You never really know and understand unconditional love until they place your tiny bundle in your arms for the first time. I don't think anyone else has the ability to keep me sane while at the same time drive me insane all in the same day and sometimes the same hour.
My first born Ashley came along a little early in my life but she has been a blessing to me. Yes I was a teen mom and those years were some of the hardest years I went through but without them I wouldn't be who I am today. Today she is a beautiful young women and I still worry about her. I don't think that ever goes away just because they are out on their own. Now I just hope that all the lessons I tried to teach her are still there. She is my wild child who is enjoying her freedom, a little more then I would like but I have to let her be. Believe me when I do see her she still gets lectured about what I have seen or read on her myspace page and she actually acts like she is listening. At some point as a parent you have to realize that all you dreamed for your child as they were growing up aren't the same as what they want.
My boys now they are a completely different story. Joseph is a mini Daren in so many ways that at times it is funny and other times a little freaky. It broke my heart the first time he didn't want to hug me in public because he didn't want his friends to see so we don't embarrass him, now have a cool handshake. But then at home he is the biggest cuddle bug ever and still wants me to tuck him in at night. He has a smile that will light up your heart and I am not looking forward to the day when he has his first broken heart.
Hunter now is going to be the one that will push the limits as much as he can. I am preparing myself for him now. He has such a temper that I can see him being the one who will be the one sent home from school for fighting. And this one is stubborn and has a one track mind. When he decides he wants something you don't hear about anything else and it doesn't help that his brother helps fuel the fire.
I love you guys!!!!!!

Day 5 of my Self portraits

2009-05-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

I sat here trying to think of something interesting to talk about and have come up with nothing. So I figured I am going to take this moment and talk about you my friends. I always find it strange that anyone would want to read about what I am doing besides my family. I guess that is the voyeur in us because I love reading about other people and have found through some of the blogs that I read whether a friends or someone I have never met some great ideas. It could be something as small as a scrapbook idea to dealing with personal issues.
Overall I don't share really personnel things on here but in general I keep a lot to myself. I do have my core group of girlfriends that do get some of my dirt and I am thankful that I have them to share things with and offer me some great advice. Some are close by and it's just a 5 minute drive see and others I need a plane ticket so we have to settle for phone calls. You girls know who you are so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I think everyone needs people outside of their family. As much as I love my husband and kids sometimes I just need a few hours away to regroup and yes sometimes to vent. Then I can go back to them renewed and ready to jump back into my role as wife, mother and all the other things that go along with it such as nurse, maid, counselor and well you get the picture
So this post is dedicated to the girls in my life that I have laughed with and at times cried with and also to the girls that find me interesting enough to just click on my blog chances are I read your blog also.

I told you that I would post the bad

2009-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

What am I thinking even taking this picture of myself much less showing it. This is what I look like at 3am in the morning. Not I pretty sight believe me I know. Why am I awake at 3 ? I was asleep in my nice comfy bed when Daren got up to leave. He has some thing he is going to today that is up in the bay area. I'm not exactly a happy camper about him going in the first place. This group he is involved in has been a sore subject between us for awhile now. But I was only half awake and had plans to go back to sleep. No such luck. I can't even count how many times Daren walked in and out of the house before he left which woke up our dog who has been sleeping in the bathroom since his surgery last week. 10 minutes of barking I finally had enough and took him outside to try and go potty then back in the bathroom to sleep. By this time I am wide awake and really not a happy person. I didn't finally fall back to sleep until after 4. Really having a dog recover from surgery is almost as bad as having another baby. So not only did Daren go on a trip I told him I didn't want him to go on because he has been away a lot lately, he left me awake for hours because he woke our dog.

Day 3 of my self portrait

2009-05-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

First let me start this by saying you are all so sweet. The response I got in comments and emails was fun to read. This whole challenge I put on myself is really just that a challenge for me. As soon as I posted what I was going to do I wanted to undo what I had just said. I am not brave at all, this is so outside my comfort zone that I am amazing myself. I am a quite person when you first meet me that some people sometimes mistake for me just being a snob. But I really am not. And it is something that I am really working at overcoming and have had a lot of success. You should have seen how I was years ago. Really when I look at myself 15-20 years ago to who I am today I see a different person. But I do still have a long way to go.

Update on yesterday's missed call. No they never did call back and yes I did try to call back. I talked to a very nice girl at Harpo and she said that unless they left an message for me or I had a name she couldn't really help me but if the number comes up on my caller Id again to be sure and answer it. Well "DUH" of coarse I'm going to answer it. My family has been instructed that if they are on the phone and call waiting goes through with the number they are to answer it. I think I will make this an exception in my call waiting pet peeve. Yes call waiting bugs me. If I'm on the phone I will usually ignore it unless I see it is from the school or the kids or hubby if I know he is driving somewhere. All other calls can leave a message if they want me to call back. And it bugs me that my husband is one of the worst offenders of putting me on hold or rushing to get me off the phone because he has someone on hold or another call is coming through. Just let me leave you a message and call me back. That is one of the main reasons I don't bother calling him half the time.
Oh and to the many questions about what my email to Dr Berman was about. She is a sex therapist so yeah it had to do with that. Daren read my blog probably for the first time and said so you are broadcasting our sex life in an email. No it wasn't really about our sex life. The topic was mainly about my crazy hormones and how it has affected me. So yes technically maybe it was about our sex life because my hormones do affect if he is getting any that day or not.

I can't believe I missed the call

2009-05-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have spent the morning trying to get something done. I don't know how many times I have walked into my scrap room and then walked right back out. I have been distracted all morning ever since I looked through my caller id. Got out of the shower with grand ideas for the day. Do a little cleaning and then let some creative juices out. I picked up my phone and was going to clean out the caller id numbers when the first number that pops up is from Harpo Inc. I only know of one Harpo so right away did a reverse number look up and sure enough all the names that came up under that number were from Oprah. What do I do call the number back with no idea who to ask for or wait and hope thy call back? Wait why did they call in the first place? I remember a few months back while listening to Oprah radio and hearing the sex therapist Dr Berman talk about something that kinda hit close to home but didn't quite cover what I have been going through. I decided what the heck the first email I ever write and it's about my sex life. Maybe they will go through the huge pile of numbers they probably have in front of them and I will get another call one day. But for now I will always think of my missed call from Oprah ( yeah it wasn't from her but close enough)

This is me

2009-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

I took out my camera to take some pictures of the boys playing but instead I plopped down in the grass and turned the camera on me. Wow the camera caught it all. Where did those wrinkles come from? Maybe I should start looking into Botox....... um no. I will say that I am my own worst critic, I think it is a woman thing being able to find the tiniest flaw that someone else may not even notice. So I am going to challenge myself this week and take a self portrait every day... The good and the bad days. I will post a picture every day and maybe in the process give you a glimpse at a little part of me that maybe you didn't know.

This is what happens when you lay in the grass with a dog nearby. Thankfully he was only sniffing around and didn't decide to give me a big wet kiss.

Where have I been

2009-05-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

I know my blogging has been horrible the last few weeks. It is the last few weeks of school and life is crazy so here are just a few things that have made me neglect the blogging world.
Little league~ really how did I do it all those years with Ashley some days I feel like I am a slave to this sport.
State Fair~ I think this is payback from the teachers just because they want to make our life a little more crazy. This is by far one of the most dreaded projects in all of elementary school.
And then just when I see the light at the end of the tunnel our poor baby Baldy had to be a dork and try to eat a corn cob. And my dog isn't smart enough to chew no he swallows things whole. We didn't know it was a corn cob until the vet pulled it out of his intestine. Yes he had surgery. I was not a happy camper because well it is not cheap to do this but also it means that he got a corn from someone other then us. I know this because my boys have braces and I do not make corn on the cob. So that means it was thrown in our yard from someone.

There have been other things like trips to Disneyland, open houses, track meets and a trip into LA to have lunch and see a Dirty Dancing. But I'm not going to bore you with every little detail. Summer is coming and we have lots of fun things planned so I will have lots to share then.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

I want to wish all my mommy friends a wonderfully Happy Mother's Day.
I am in awe when I see pictures of my babies when they were so young and then to see my family today. They grow to fast and I want to absorb every little detail.

Stagecoach

2009-04-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

I think it is now safe to say that I have fully and completely recovered from Stagecoach. Some of you may be thinking "What is Stagecoach?" It is 2 full days of some really fabulous music. I know not all of you like country music and I will be honest and say that I have really in the past 2 years embraced the music. Sure I liked some of it like the crossover stuff but I was more of a pop and old school alternative girl. I don't remember the exact moment that I made the big switch I think it started slow with several friends getting me into a certain person and then suddenly I decided to put one on my XM preset and before long my radio didn't leave the station.
We took the trailer out late Friday night along with our friends Tina and Cliff. Little did we really know what we were getting into. After we parked in our spot for the weekend we discovered we were among the battle of who could play the music louder. The first day we grabbed a spot that we thought was going to be great and started walking around. Sampled some BBQ that was so yummy and checked out everything. Got back to our spot and learned that we really didn't pick a great spot. That's ok Tina was able to smuggle some rum in and it turned out to be super good poured over the shaved iced. The bands that day were great to hear. I love Darius Rucker, Little Big Town and have a slight crush on Brad Paisley.
Sunday were were going to plan better and try to smuggle some more booze in and some food. Before we even left the trailer the jager bombs had to be had and Daren poured the rest in a plastic bottle, some how it ended up empty by the time we got to the gate and security was tight and a few things were found, I did a little trash digging with Tina distracting the guards and was able to get a few of the tossed items. We scored and found a better spot on the lawn and enjoyed the day. Zac Brown, Lady Antebellum, Kid Rock and Kenny Chesney were all great.
I am excited to go again next year. Announce the line up already.

Out on her own

2009-04-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is now living on her own. She moved out of her dads house last week in an apartment she is renting with another friend. So today I went to go see her new home and make sure it was in a safe area. I driving through Ladera Ranch I was thinking wow this place is really pretty and her apartment complex felt really homey with kids riding around and all. We took a drive to Target and picked up a few odds and ends to help her out.
Ashley in her little kitchen that was pretty stocked already with dishes and such but we picked up a few more boxes of her favorite mac and cheese
Here is Ashley in the Living room laying on her bed. Yes she has been sleeping on the floor in the living room. It's a 1 bedroom and her friend pay more so she gets the room. So Nana bought her an air mattress for now and her dad was suppose to be bringing her a couch tonight. Gotta love being out on your own for the first time sleeping on the floor and being totally happy about it.

Some pages I finished

2009-04-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the pages I finished last weekend. I used some of my Scarlet Lime kits. I love that I can just grab one of the kits and know that that is all I need for the night.

This is what I'm doing

2009-04-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I have just started a new business. Let me tell you how it happened.
If you have known me long you know that I have done way to many direct selling businesses. 1st it was Tupperware, then it was Discovery Toys and Creative Memories and more recently it was Mona Vie. I was such an easy sell and why I would sign up to sell is crazy because I am not a sells person. The truth was I did it to get the discounts. Who doesn't love Tupperware and want to get it for 30% less. Hello me.
A few months ago Daren came home with a new company he had signed up with. I'm thinking great Mona Vie was you baby also and look how that turned out. I checked it out and kinda watched him for awhile. Used the products and found that I actually liked them. So last week I decided that I would let him sign me up as a distributor also. What did this company have that I didn't find in others was the team work I saw. All the others always told you we are here for you but I never found that to be true. But I have seen how much the more experienced and successful people in the company work with you and help you so you are not doing it alone. Also the products that they have are really really great. I have been using them and trust that they are high quality. I have also felt so much better.
So I am going to try my best to be successful while at the same time not bugging the heck out of my friends. I don't want to become the person that you try to hide from because I'm always trying to sell you something but if I do happen to give you samples please try them and tell me what you think.
Are you wondering what company I'm with. It is called Visalus. It is a total health and wellness company. Browse through my website here. Let me know what you think and hey if you do want to try anything let me know and I will give you some samples.

Upcoming Classes

2009-04-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some sneek peeks at some upcoming classes I have at the Scrapping Lounge.

"Keeping It Simple"

Date: Thursday, April 23rd

Time: 5:00 - 7:00pm

Cost: $15.00

Date:May 16th
Time: 12:00 pm
Cost $15.00

Friendships

2009-03-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I celebrated the birthday I one of my oldest and most treasured friends. It was a surprise party and we really surprised her. I met Carla in our 3rd grade class and we have been friends ever since. We shared sleepovers with late night calls to KROQ loveline, TPing houses, Marching Band, Tennis and Swim team and she was even there for me during some of my most trying times. Carla was one of the first to know when I discovered I was pregnant at 17 with out judgement and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding. It doesn't matter that we don't talk everyday and yes have gone for very long periods without seeing each other but when we finally do get together it is like we were never apart. I know that if I ever needed anything that I could pick up the phone and know that she will drop what she is doing for me.
I love this girl like a sister and am blessed that she is part of my life. Happy Birthday girl.

That time again

2009-03-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

We have had a nice little break but the time has come yet again. Baseball season. Hunter decided that he wanted to play this season. After years following Ashley around the softball fields you would think that we would be so ready for this time to come. I can tell you that it wears you out. Not so much the sport just everything that comes with the sport like opening day ceremonies I could do without. I do enjoy watching the kids play though and get so excited for them when they make a good play and feel their upset when they have tried so hard but still stuck out at the plate or missed that pop fly. Here is to baseball season, Let's Play Ball

Hello Again

2009-02-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

I know, I know I never seem to keep up with my blog anymore. One of the reason is the darn facebook. I always seem to update on there so if you are not my friend yet you can find me over there.
It was my birthday last week. It is crazy to think that when I was little I thought 36 was so old but it isn't really that bad until I think that I'm only 4 years away from 40. Spent the morning at Disney with my friend Tammy and picked up my annual pass. I was so excited, what is it about Disneyland that can make a person just so happy. Had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants Gyu Kuka.

Saturday night went to a Piano bar for my friend Lisa's birthday and had a blast. Yes because it was so close to my birthday also I didn't escape the embarrassment having to go on stage, thankfully I had a little liquid courage and was up for it.

A big event was I cut my hair. I don't have a good picture yet but when I take one I will show you. I am loving it, it's flowy and an little flirty. Once I got home and played with it all my worry about what I did went away. If you know me you know how I can not stand my hair and had finally gotten to a place that I was ok with it. We will see if I'm still happy once I wash it and then have to straighten it all the time because it is to short for my don't-know-what-to-do-ponytail.

March Class

2009-02-17T12:05:00.001-08:00

My March Class at the Scrapping Lounge is just around the corner. The project is a 2-page layout perfect for those spring pictures you will be taking.
Thursday March 12th
Time: 6:00 pm
Cost $15.00

For my Valentine

2009-02-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have someone special to spend today with. And it can be spent with anyone from that special someone or your kids or even just a good friend. I am lucky that I am able to spend the day with my wonderful husband and my 2 favorite boys.
This year I had instructed Daren that I don't want us to go buy each other gifts. So tonight he is cooking dinner for me, which for my husband is a huge deal because that just never happens so I am going to enjoy such a treat. He also gave me a very nice card. I made a frame for him to take to his office and put on his desk.
Hope you all enjoy your day.

Braces

2009-02-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

This morning was the day the Hunter started getting his braces on. He has been so excited about this day for a very long time. My poor baby has been very unhappy with his teeth. He is going to have a very long and very sore road ahead of him but in the end he will be even more handsome then he is now. He looks so darn cute.

Chambord Hip Hostess

2009-02-06T09:32:00.001-08:00

Tina and I went to the Hip Hostess Event last night put on by Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur and Jennifer Sbranti, founder of HostessWithTheMostess.com at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. This has been our 2nd time we went to this event. The first time it was in San Diego. The drive to get there was so crazy. It was pouring rain and cars were driving so slow with hazard lights flashing and then we hit bumper to bumper traffic. Holy Cow I could not drive that every day.

They had this cool photo booth that we couldn't resist. We loved it so much we did it twice. These were my pictures.

The best part of these events are the drinks. OMG they are so yummy. I had the Chambord French Martini while Tina had the Summer Splash. And then for our second drink we both had the summer splash but I only had about half. I just wanted to taste it so Tina finished it for me. I was the driver.
All the cool decorating party ideas are so fun to look at. Tina and I pretty much analyzed each display looking at how they did them and found that we could copy them fairly cheap. Tina had the ideas flowing so I know that only means one thing. She is ready to throw a party.

Can't wait to find out where the next one will be. We are so there.

Notes from CHA

2009-01-26T09:25:00.001-08:00

It has been so long since the last time I walked the isles of CHA. Wow I loved being back there. The difference was last time I walked around as a store owner picking up catalogs and debating on what new product we wanted to buy. But this year I walked around as a designer for a store. I was just browsing no catalogs I could pick up and sit around pouring over everything, and I could only hope that the store I design at saw something the same way I did and want to order from them.
I spent the good part of yesterday drooling over some fabulous goodies coming out and seeing some familiar faces and finally meeting a few others who I have only really known through blogs and facebook.

I love all the fun displays that some of the companies came up with.
Some of my favorites from yesterday are Jenni Bowlin, 7 Gypsies, Teresa Collins, Graphic 45 and Fancy Pants. I also love the Tattered Angles now that I know how to use it. I see a class in the making soon. I know there is more but I just can't remember. I may just need to go back tomorrow to refresh my memory.

Class Launch plus other goodies

2009-01-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

The Scrapping Lounge will be having their class launch this Friday from 5 pm-7 pm. I will have classes displayed for Feb and March along with all the other talented designers at the store. Be sure to stop by so you can get an up close look at some super cute projects or just stop by to see ME. Also if you sign up for one of my classes your name will go in a drawing for a grab bag full of scrap goodies. If you sign up at the launch your name goes in twice.

Also if our launch isn't enough we also will have a few of our favorite guys from Quickutz showing off some great new stuff. I will let you girls in on a little secret. It has been rumored that the quickutz boys are kinda cute. I've seen a few of them and can tell you that there is something about them that does indeed make the girls swoon. You will have to come in and see for yourself.
Hope to see you Friday

My creative juices are flowing

2009-01-10T17:07:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to the Scrappin Table with my friend Tammy. I was excited to actually complete a few pages. I usually come home from a crop with several half finished pages. We had both set a challenge for ourselves to see what we could come up with using our recent Scarlet Lime kits.

I have a love affair with flowers. I will try to sneak them in every page I can which gets tough because I have two boys.

January and Februay Classes

2009-01-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my upcoming classes I am teaching at the Scrapping Lounge for January and February.

Snow play
Sunday Jan. 18th 12:30-1:30
$15.00

It's the time to bundle up and go play in the snow. Snow Boarding, Skiing, Sledding or just making Snow Angels. You will complete a 2-page layout using Basic Grey and Creative Imaginations Lace paper.Love Mini Book
Saturday February, 7th 12:00-3:00
Cost $25.00

Perfect Valentine's Day gift for the special someone. Acrylic and Chipboard mini book will put a smile one anyones face

And just for fun here is my about me page that will be posted in the store. This was just a fun little project to let everyone get to know the Lounge designers better

Happy 2009

2009-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

It was a very last minute decision to spend New Year's in Vegas. I thought Daren was a little crazy when he first brought it up. In fact until 5 minutes before we left the house to make the drive we had no place to sleep. It was just a fluke thing that I decided to check our time share one last time to see if anything was open and they had one room so I called. The guy said the people had just cancelled and I lucked out. We were planning on just driving home right after.
It was pretty cool how they closed the street down and all the people but I will say with it being Vegas and all I was a little disappointed. The midnight fireworks would have been cool had the firing spots not been at the end of the strip. We couldn't see them and it would have been nice if speakers were pumping music outside along the street. I was so in the mood to dance but wasn't about to pay the huge charges just to get inside any of the clubs. And I just have to say this one thing. If you feel the need to go to Vegas on a big day leave the kids at home. Really the strip is crowded, not normal crowded I mean in some spots packed. Daren always had a hold of my belt loop or something so we didn't get seperated and just to get through you had to just push through and then suddenly you glance down and you see a kid or even better a stroller. Sorry guys I love my kids to and if you want to spend New Years with them stay home or go somewhere less crowded where everyplace they turn they don't see some drunk fool or have beer spilt on them.

New Year's also has special meaning to us because it was that night 16 years ago that Daren and I meet and had our first kiss at midnight.
And just to give you all fair warning I have decided that next year I am having a New Year's party. So book those sitters now because I will not accept any "I can't make it" or "we already have plans". This is your save the date notice

My 2008 reflections

2008-12-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

Saw this on my friend Wendy's Blog and thought what a cute idea.
Now that I have decided to sit down and reflect I am drawing a blank.
I have done a lot of searching within myself this year and am trying to grow more as a person and not let things that I went through growing up affect me so much. I have learned that it is ok to let people go that are not health for me to go even if they are family.
I have had my baby girl graduate from high school. As I sat watching her walk across the field to get her diploma I felt so proud.
Had a great family vacation to Mazatlan. I really wish that we could do more family vacation.
I have joined a wonderful design team for my scrapbooking. See it is not just my hobby, I am making money also.
I have made new friends and have let some other friends go and reconnected more with some old friends.
I have had the pleasure to share some wonderful moments with many of you.
We have also gone through some struggles with Daren's business. This economy is not good for an engineering firm.
And yes even hit a few bumps in the marriage, but I believe that they have only made us stronger because we have been able to work through them.
My children have been a constant wonder to me. How did these little babies grow so much. They are becoming little people with their own ideas and yet I still see so much of both Daren and I in them. I doesn't matter how old they are I will always call them my babies.
There is more but I don't want to put you all to sleep.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of 2008. I will hopefully see you in 2009

Dumont Dunes

2008-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we headed out for some motorcycle riding. It was kinda a last minute plan when we found out a bunch of Daren's family was going. I don't have any pictures because I left my battery at home in the charger.
The first night did involve some drama because our dog ended up in a fight. I don't believe our dog started it and if you know him he is a big teddy bear. My poor baby was so scared and just wanted to cuddle afterwards. After that was all settled we ended up drinking. I did my first Jager Bomb and a few more after that along with other stuff. I will tell you that it is not pretty coming back up. So Saturday I spent most of the day in our trailer laying on the couch in and out of sleep. Sunday was fun though, we went on a nice long trail ride which is always a treat for the kids because I don't ride as much as they would like. We stayed until Monday and just relaxed and hang out.
Ok I found Daren did have a few pictures on his camera but his battery was low we didn't use it much. I think we must have been feeling might good at this point.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year.
Our family had a good one. Christmas Eve was at our house this year so we had both sides of the family. The theme this year was Mexican potluck so we had tamales, enchiladas, rice and all the good stuff. I really enjoy hosting big get together at the house. The food was good, the drinks were flowing, Warm apple cider and spiced rum was the drink of the night and later my special chocolate martinis were mixed.
Yes that is what Daren is drinking. Maybe one day you will get lucky and I will post my recipe.
Christmas morning was also nice. The kids slept past 8, infact we were awake waiting for them to get up and then like every year I get a picture of the kids on the stairs before they go downstairs. I'm sure I will hear from Ashley how horrible the picture is.

The first Santa present being opened is the family gift. Guitar Hero world tour band set, the whoo-hoos could be heard throughout the neighborhood.
It was nice having Ashley home for Christmas. She even stayed with us and didn't go visit friends though I'm sure she made a few stops on her way home.
What is Christmas day without a trip to the movies. We saw Marley and Me. It was so cute and a few tears were shed near the end. After the movie we had to go look at Christmas lights. Almost every house get decorated for Christmas and not just a string of lights on the roof they go all out. This street is amazing but I don't think I would want to live here.

Gingerbread House

2008-12-22T15:31:00.000-08:00

During a recent trip to Trader Joe's the boys talked me into buying them a Gingerbread House that they could put together. I wasn't to excited because in the past I have bought them and they just end up being a mess. But they won and I caved in. If you are ever in the need for a gingerbread house buy it from Traders, they are so easy and the frosting is sticky and dries fast.
I pulled out my handy dandy cake decorating tools and they went to work. It turned out super cute. Now it is sitting on the table growing stale. I now that they are going to want to break into it when they get back from Aunt Stacy's house. I'm just hoping that when don't get more snow in the next couple days. It would be horrible for them to get snowed in away from home over Christmas.

My Layout Challenge

2008-12-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

Being on a the design team at the Scrapping Lounge sometimes means that you have to come up with a layout using paper you may not be fond of at first sight. That was me with this paper by Glitz, it is not something I would normally pick up and think how cute is this. I had no clue what I was going to do but then inspiration hit me that night. I really like how it turned out.

Joseph's Chorus proformace

2008-12-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

Joseph decided that this year he wanted to join the chorus at school. This came out of left field because he had shown no interest in the past. He has really gotten into it and will sing around the house and he even got up at a Christmas party last weekend and sang some songs. I never realized how deep his voice was, it should be interesting when it starts to crack.
He looked so cute in his tie that is a little to long but he refused to let me buy him a clip-on. I loved watching the boys both learn to how to tie them, because you know that Hunter wanted one as soon as Joseph said he needed one.
Joseph is in the front next to the boy that looks like he wants to crawl under a rock and hide.
Also you don't have to watch the video but I'm a mom and thought they were cute. To you they are just some kid singing

This wasn't the video I wanted to post but it was the only one that was loading

More New York Pictures

2008-12-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

I was informed today that I am a blog slacker. OK maybe not those exact words but that was the point right Wendy =)
So here are a few more pictures from when I went to New York

A few years ago I would give Ashley a hard time because I thought Uggs were the ugliest things but I love them now and they kept my feet all toasty warm

Yes this is ice on the fountain. It was cold

New York City

2008-12-10T13:04:00.001-08:00

It is official......I love New York City. Which is kinda crazy because I am so not a city girl. Maybe I would get tired of it if I lived the life for awhile, but for now I'm gonna just going to go on with my love affair for this one big city.
I was so glad that one of my oldest and dearest friends was able to fly out and meet me for a few days. I'm just sorry that Tina was in the middle of a family crisis and couldn't make it, but we I kept he up dated on what we were doing. I think I did more texting in those few days then I have in a long time.
Spent the first few days with Ali and when she had to fly home Daren who was staying with his friend packed up and stayed the last night with me. It was perfect.
We stayed in the Upper West Side in a cute little hotel. It only had a few drawbacks. Shared Bathrooms, yes we had to share the bathroom with a few other rooms but it wasn't as bad as I was thinking. My first shower was possibly the fastest and coldest one I have ever taken, found out later that the hold and cold settings were backwards. Our room was cold and the radiator made some really horrible sounds
The window displays were really neat to look at and all the stores were decorated for Christmas. We tried to see most of them but I know we missed some. The city was so crowded that in some areas you could hardly walk. We just stayed bundled up and walked past as many as we could find.
This was a must on our places to eat. Serendipity is the cutest little spot. On Sunday Ali and I put our name on the list because it was a 2 hour wait and went walking. The wait really was worth it because the Frozen Hot Chocolate was so yummy. I even took Daren the next night just so he could see it and it had no wait so I had to have another. It was still just as good.

I loved walking through the park. I couldn't believe that we ended up walking through the whole park. It really didn't seem so bad until you realized how many blocks it was that we walked. Let's just say our Hotel was 94th st and the park ends around 60th st and then from there we walked to Macy's on 34th. Yeah a little crazy.

Daren and I found this cute little arch in the park on our last day. It was kinda funny I was so intent on getting pictures that I didn't even realize that all over the ground were pages torn from a dirty magazine. I happen to glance down and thought gross. I would have picked them up and put them in a trash can but I was afraid of what was on them.

I will post more pictures in a few days.

Photo Shoot

2008-11-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

Last week I was lucky enough to have 2 friends let me practice on them and their kids. My kids get tired of always having me take pictures and it has been awhile since I have had little ones. I forgot how challenging it can be to get a smile out of them sometimes.

Wendy and her son were so much fun. He has the prettiest eyes.

Olivia and her kids were also hilarious. It wasn't until we were almost done that the relaxed and forgot the camera was around.

Thanks girls, I really hope you and the kids had fun.

Sea World

2008-11-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday we took the kids to Sea World for the day. With Thanksgiving break that week we thought this would be a good time to go. I like visiting Sea World when it's cooler because it never seems to be a crowded, plus the kids don't want to be cold so they stay out of the wet zones.

As a treat I surprised them and made reservations to dine with Shamu. They have been wanting to do this for awhile. If you ever get the chance it is something you should try and do. The boys loved that our table was right on the edge of the pool and we were able to just sit and watch him swim by. The trainers were there telling us about different things and answering questions.

In the video one of the whales was being a little troublemaker, he caught a bird that was flying around.

.

Need some good energy

2008-11-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

I am asking for prayer, good vibes, or whatever else you believe in.
Last night I found out that my friend Tina's Brother-in-law was involved in a very bad accident.
He is a Fontana police officer who was hit by a car while on the job. He is surrounded by family and fellow officers offering support, but they can still use all your positive thoughts right now also.
When you hear about these things it just kinda throws you for a loop.

Twilight

2008-11-22T07:49:00.000-08:00

You all know that I love twilight. I am reading the last book and hope to finish it by this weekend. I have closed my ears to any talk about what happens so the way the story has gone has really surprised me. I should have seen them coming but I didn't.
We got to the theater an hour before the movie started. Found pretty good seats among a sea of teenagers screaming "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" I got a little worried but the screaming stopped and only a few times it resumed. I really enjoyed the movie. It followed the book almost exactly( notice I said almost). I think the big thing you need to remember going in is that it didn't have a huge budget so if you are expecting something like Harry Potter you will be disappointed. My boys LOVED it. We walked out with them both saying I gotta read the books that was so good. Hello I had been trying to get you to pick up the book for a few weeks now. So they got home an started reading. There is really nothing better then seeing kids excited to read and that is what this series has done so congrats to Stephanie Meyer for giving that to our kids.

Sandra Tagged Me

2008-11-20T15:03:00.001-08:00

I've been tagged... by Sandra! OK, you need to post the 4th picture in the 4th folder of your picture files( or if your a MAC owner like me the forth album in IPhoto). I was tagged by Sandra to post & tell about it, then tag 4 more friends to do the same. Here is my picture

This is from our trip in 2007 to Washington DC. We had just parked the car and getting ready for the miles and miles of walking we were about to do, little did we know that halfway through we would be stuck in a rain storm out of nowhere.

I am now tagging Tammy , Olivia, Cherish and Priscilla

Laguna Beach

2008-11-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

We headed to the beach for this years Christmas Card pictures. I was a little worried because I wasn't sure how the fires nearby would affect the air. The winds were blowing in our favor. I pulled out the good old tri-pod and clicked away.

Carrie Underwood Concert

2008-11-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

Last night we took the boys to see Carrie Underwood. They just built a new arena close to us and she happen to be the first to perform in concert. The boys had fun but towards the end Hunter looked like he was ready to crash. That is one thing about my boys, when they are tired it doesn't matter what is going on around them they will sleep. I couldn't allow that so I pulled Hunter up and started dancing around with him. She totally deserved to win American Idol she is so talented. I had a few goose bump moments and all my boys have a little crush on her. Yes I said all of them even Daren. I also really liked her opening act Little Big Town. But the Bon Jovi concert still holds the number one spot for the year.

Dear lord give me strength

2008-11-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is what happened just a few short days after turning 18. My beautiful little girl has permanently and forever marked her body. I was really hoping that the one she tried to sneak by me just months before turning 18 on her foot would satisfy her and she would wait awhile but as you can see that didn't happen. I knew she was thinking about getting something, I just didn't think it would be so big. At least I can be happy she went with something pretty and once it is finished it will look nice and not all scary and gross. I just pray that this will be it and she doesn't get all crazy and go for more. Not that I don't like tattoos or anything, I mean I have 2 myself. I just think that some people go overboard. I will say that after looking at it closely it is pretty and she is lucky to be able to say that she she got inked by Kat.

Cover your trunk

2008-11-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

Cover Your trunk
November 30th 12-3 pm
costs
without trunk $ 78.00
With your own trunk $ 28.00

Have you been drooling over the new Tammyi trunk when you see others at a crop. Well now they are going to be wanting yours. We are taking the trunk to the next level and covering it to your liking

Be sure to sign up at the lounge before all the spots are gone

Reminder to sign up

2008-11-03T09:49:00.001-08:00

Canvas Class
November 13th 5:30-7:30
Cost $26.00
This is a great gift idea for the holidays. We are turning a plain canvas into a beautiful scrapbook page you can display anywhere in your house

If you haven't signed up be sure to call the lounge reserve your spot. We only have limited spots.

Halloween treats

2008-11-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had fun either trick-or-treating or staying home giving treats. My boys wanted no parents following this year so they got a group of friends from the neighborhood together and off they went. Me and Daren stayed home as requested and gave out candy but a few other parents weren't quite ready to give that much freedom so they did end up with some tag-along parents. They ended up coming home with a pillowcase so heavy and full of candy.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

We went searching today for our pumpkin. The boys each picked one of their own to carve. It is kinda nice because they are old enough to tackle this solo now so that means no pumpkin guts for me this year.
They really were not willing participates in any of my picture taking though. First I don't think they were to happy that I made them change clothes before we even left the house. Don't they realize that they will treasure this pictures when they are older. I wish my mom had half the pictures of my childhood that I have from one of their years. It was like pulling teeth just to get a half decent smile from them, you would think that they could humor me.

We didn't end up buying any pumpkins from this patch because I really didn't feel like spending $20 for just one so we headed to a store a bought 2 pumpkins and still paid half of what the patch was selling one for.

18 years ago

2008-10-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

What was I doing 18 years ago? Well to be exact it is the night before her birthday. I was in the hospital crying and asking my mom to make the pain go away. It is true when they say it is worth it but they don't warn you that labor is the easiest part of the whole thing.

Does it mean success that we have all made it to Ashley's 18th Birthday? Yes I will call it a success. We had some speed bumps along the way. Does it mean that at 18 my job is done. I don't think so, I sure I will still have many years of sleepless nights. The worry never goes away.

I am proud of who she is at this point and hope and pray that she will continue to grow and become the wonderful woman that I know she is.

Happy Birthday my baby girl.

Time with friends

2008-10-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

We are back from a nice trip. After Daren went to his meeting in North Carolina we headed to Virginia to see my friend Ali. We have been friends since grade school and she was my best friend in middle school. The first night we went to dinner with Sarah another middle school friend that I haven't seen in over 20 years. We laughed so much remembering old times and looking at our year book. I will admit we googled a few people but didn't have to much luck. Why was is that all the boys we thought were cute have such a common name that when googled so many people pop up.
Ali was brave enough to hand over her camera to Daren so he could get a few shots of us. My man is learning.
I had such a good time catching up with Ali. We even spent Monday night currled up in her bed watching The Hills and sharing secrets during commercials. It feels so good to be able to still be great friends with someone that you grew up with. We were the 2 shy girls in schools and I guess you can say we are still the two shy girls ( well not as shy ).
I am in love with all the pictures she took of me and Daren. If you are ever in the Washington D.C area you should think about booking a session with Ali McLaughlin Photography.

We are off

2008-10-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

We leave tomorrow for North Carolina. Daren has a meeting in Raleigh on Saturday that I talked him into going to. He didn't need a lot of convincing. So Saturday will be a kinda boring day for me. Maybe I should take him up on his offer when he said I could ditch him for the day. No I'm trying to be the supportive wife especially since he is speaking at this thing. I did ask him if it would be rude if I read a book though. I am just starting the Twlight series.
Sunday is my end of the journey we will be driving to see one of my best friends since we were girls Ali McLaughlin. I hate how she lives on the other side of the country. We plan on staying with with her until Tuesday . Got a lot of catching up to do with some sightseeing and taking a few pictures along the way. I will be posting pictures when I get back.

Growing up to fast

2008-10-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that in just a few weeks my baby girl will be 18. Where has the time gone? So I am devoting a few posts this month to my favorite daughter.
These are some of the things that I love about her.
~I love her laugh. She has a laugh that is so her in every way.
~I love that she shares my love for Roller Coasters. We can ride them all day and never get tired the faster the better.
~I love how she can pick up any sport at any time and play it like she has played her whole life.
~I love how she memorizes her favorite movies and will recite the lines seconds before they are said on screem.
~I love how she can adapt anywhere. You could put her in any city and by the end of the day she will have made friends.
~I love the look she gives me when she is ready to confide something to me.
~I love how within 5 minutes of meeting little kids they fall in love with her.

These are just a few of the things that make Ashley so special.
Now it's your turn. Tell me some of the things that makes Ashley special to you.

A day of screams

2008-10-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

I think my favorite part of Halloween is the terror. Yeah I like the pumpkins and all but I love to be scared. Where do we go to get scared here. This year it was to Magic Mountain's Fright Fest. This is the first year that we thought the boys would be big enough to be able to handle it. So off we went in the morning with Hunter's friend David in tow. I hadn't been since I took Ashley and her 3 friends about 6 or 7 years ago and that was an experience with 4 jr high girls screaming in my ear and holding me so tight I couldn't walk. We were hoping that the rain wouldn't get to bad and the weather was on our side so it was on to the coasters until the sun went down and the monsters came out.
Right before dark we decided that we would get the boys ready and went through our first maze. I had bet them all 5 bucks that they couldn't get through without holding on to us. Well we should have said at a normal speed because they power walked so fast that the monsters had no time to scare them. They won that round. The sun was down now though and the mazes were now really ready for us so we climbed up to the really good maze and I took Joseph's hand and Daren took Hunter and David's and we lead them slowly through the next one. Joseph was in a panic about 2 minutes into it and was saying I changed my mind I don't want to go anymore. He finally over came the fear about halfway through and was enjoying himself. But he said the next one has to be a lower level scare so we went to the fun house. Clowns are always freaky and these were no different the boys were screaming so loud but I knew they were fine when as soon as we walked out they got right back in line to go through again. And if I remember right this is a similar maze that when I took Ashley and her friends we all ended up on the ground. The girls were holding me so tight that when one fell we all did and they came out in tears.
This has really gotten me in the spirit that I am ready for some more. I really want to try out Universal Studios soon. Joseph said he needs about a year to man up for that one.

The boys loved all the people walking around and trying to scare them

A Day in my Life

2008-10-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would give you all a small glimpse into what goes into a day for me. My life isn't super exciting but I like it anyways

Up for my 6 am kickboxing class. Yeah it's fun to go at the bag sometimes, if you haven't tried a class you should.
After I get the kids to school it's computer time. Check e-mails and friends blogs. I'm on and off throughout the day
Was able to take a few minutes and attempt to finish a few layouts that have been sitting around waiting to get completed. These were layouts I did halfway at a crop last week.
Laundry I could do without. These are just some of the loads I tackled today. These clothes are clean just waiting for someone to take upstairs to put away. 2 of the baskets are still there, it's the boys stuff
Dentist appointment today. Never good news but it wasn't to bad they just need to fix some old fillings and I do have a old Root Canal that isn't looking real good.

Time to pick up the kids from school. I do sometimes spend a lot of time in my car. I had no book today so I was listening to Rabbi Shmuley on the Oprah Channel. He always has some really good tips on raising kids Joseph while we are waiting for Hunter to get out. This is normal with the head phones on watching a movie. I think they were watching Secondhand Lions
My dogs were so dirty I couldn't stand it anymore. Yes I really do have to straddle my dog or he will run away or shake the soap and water all over me
Homework is sometimes a battle in our house. Today it was fine though.

Well there you go. That's it in a nutshell. But there is still so much more I didn't catch like making lunches, dinner all that other fun stuff

My Scrappin" Trunk

2008-09-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

It seems that the Tammyi trunk is a hot commodity right now. So I am reposting my pictures to show off how I was able to personalize mine. I love all the ohhs I get when I bring it out. Pretty soon you are not going to be able to take a class without seeing your instructor carrying one around. I'm getting ready to do another one soon. And keep an eye on my classes because I have decided to teach others how to make a trunk all their own.

Crop at the Table

2008-09-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

I spent my Friday night scrapbooking at the Scrappin Table last night. Okay really I didn't get that much work done. I drove down with my friends Tammy and Tina. Oh how I'm glad we made it in one piece. And met up with PJ and Pamela who are new friends that are oh so talented. Why I didn't get more done among so many talented fellow scrap instructors, could be that I couldn't get enough of the stories that were told. And as the hours got later my stomach got a pretty good work out from all the laughing.
PJ, Me, Tina, Tammy, Pamela, and Michelle( the owner of The Scrappin Table)

If you are ever in the area of the Table you need to stop into this store and check it out. Super cute.

My Upcoming Classes at the Lounge

2008-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

My classes are now open for sign-ups at the Scrapping Lounge so be sure to call and reserve your spot.

Shape it Up
Oct. 9th 5:30-7:30
Cost $28.00
The kids are back to school and we are also going back to using the basic shapes from our school days. We are working with circles, squares, triangles and rectangles.

Canvas Class
November 13th 5:30-7:30
Cost $26.00
This is a great gift idea for the holidays. We are turning a plain canvas into a beautiful scrapbook page you can display anywhere in your house

Scrapbook Yard Sale

2008-09-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking Yard Sale!!!

SCRAPBOOKING YARD SALE!

September 2oth at 8: 00 am

I wanted to send out some quick information about the Scrapbooking Yard Sale that some fellow scrapbookers, scrap designers, and I are having this Saturday the 20th of September. It starts at 8:00 am and the location is at: . I will post more information tomorrow along with some pics of the products.

There will be tons of great products and deals on: scrapbooking, stamping, crafting, tools, tote bags, tammy i products, paper, stickers, embellishments, fonts, machines, carrying cases, ribbon, punches, stamps, clip-it-up carousel, albums, organizers, kits, mini books, etc...

Any one looking for GREAT DEALS on GREAT Product this is a must place to be this Saturday!

Design Diva Class Launch

2008-09-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

The time has come for our class launch at the Scrapping Lounge. Come check out the classes on Wednesday Sept. 17th from 5-7pm. I have seen some of the classes that are being unveiled and they are awesome. You guys will be in for a treat. I will be offering 2 classes that you can sign up for that night along with any of the other design diva's classes. I hope to see you all there signing up for a class. The Lounge is at 4650 Arrow Highway B9, Montclair.

My music

2008-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

I have had a few questions about some of the music you have heard on the blog. Why did I choose certain songs, I didn't think you liked so and so. So let me explain. I like to think that my music taste is pretty open. I like almost everything except maybe gangster rap and headbanger metal. My teen years I spent my summers working in a record store in Hollywood. Yeah really cool job, lots of the other people that worked their were struggling musicians. That is where my love for bands like Depeche Mode came to be. Before then I was pretty much a old school and pop girl. I still love to listen to everything I loved back then. So that is where the Depeche Mode and Berlin came from (although I think I took some off recently)
The Country music you can thank my good friend Tina. It all started with her bringing in a Tim McGraw CD into our store and playing it over and over again. It grew on me and now I even have a country station preset on my XM radio.
Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood should belong in the country category also but they are kinda crossover girls. I just really like them.
Colbie Calliet I found while ready someones myspace before she was popular and I liked the song I heard. Went out and bought her CD and loved how it sounded different.
Jason Mraz just has a really cool sound.
The broadway music, I love Wicked and the Popular song just makes me happy. Wasn't a huge fan of Rent but I love that song from it.
I can't think of what else I have, I just go and add songs when I think of ones I like and delete them when I'm not in the mood to hear them anymore. But in a nutshell that is where they came from. And I have been told that a few of my readers just leave my blog on after reading my post just to listen to the music. I love that!!!

We miss her

2008-09-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

This week I drove down to see Ashley and how she was doing all settled in her new home. I did the nosy mom thing and checked the place out. Looked in the fridge to see if she had food, it was a little empty for my liking. They could use a trip to the store but at least it wasn't crap that they had. The house passed my little mini inspection. Did more mom stuff and took her to the gas station and put gas in her car and then we headed for lunch.
I sat listening to everything she is experiencing and was excited for her. She is really in her element out there. Living a carefree beach lifestyle, learning how to surf and everything. I just hope she remembers she is there for school.

Remembering

2008-09-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today is the Anniversary of one of the worst days that I can ever remember. I can still remember that morning so well and waking up to horrific images.
Take a moment to quietly remember our heros of 9/11

These are some of my pictures from our trip last summer to ground zero

Mud Run

2008-09-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

I had read about a Mud Run that the Sheriffs Department puts on. And I couldn't pass up signing the boys up for the youth 1K. They were really excited when I told them about how they were going to be able to run in the mud. They looked like they were having so much fun I wish I would have signed myself up for the 5K. I am totally going to do this next year. Anyone want to join me? It was funny to see everyone all muddy. Joseph came in 8th place and Hunter was somewhere in the middle towards the front. They did goodI love this part when Hunter got to the top of a hill and saw the mud pool. You could hear him yell "YES!"

Joseph Taking a leap into the pool

My Scrapping Space

2008-09-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

It is done and I'm in heaven. I love my new space. It just makes me feel so happy and inspired.
I still have a few things that I need to go through and organize but this is how it turned out
My friend Tammy joined me at Ikea to pick up all my fun furniture. Yeah, you probably would have been cracking up if you saw us trying to figure everything out. Thanks Tammy for tagging along with me. Then I got it all home and put it together all by myself. I only needed Daren to help me fit one piece together and give me his engineering expertise in if I should add extra legs because of weight issues.
I choose the Expedite cube shelves and added the feet. We were debating on the size I should get and I think the size I bought ended up just right
I really wanted my work space to be in the center of the room and I wanted counter height so I could stand or sit. I usually find myself standing while working on most of my projects. I fell in love with this table top and really wanted the base but thought I was going to have to settle for something else until Tammy pointed out that I could add the extender legs to give it more height. I love the idea.
On the other side of the room I have a bookshelf and I am looking for a nice comfy chair that you can sit and read in. The kids have already told me that they can lay on the floor and do homework while I scrapbook.