LOAD Day 28 - Lil Wildcat Punkin!

This is my final LOAD 2009 Challenge layout.

I started to make a different lay out since it was the end of the
challenge but Punkin wanted to know why I wasn't using her
school photo for my next page. Then, as I was pulling stuff out
to make it different she got a bit upset that it wasn't going to
be in the same 'Wildcat Style' as Buddy's. So, with
a big sigh, I put away the cool purple papers I had pulled out and
pulled out the Wildcat papers again.

I'm glad I did because I like the way the two lay outs turned out.
They make a good 2 page lay out in the album. I have journaled
to her on a pull out Jenni Bowlin tag that is hiding on the left
of her big photo. (See the red ribbon tab.) She read it while I was
typing this post and I got a huge hug so I guess she liked what
I wrote to her. (Smile!))

Here are my supplies...
"I will not hit boys" chalkboard patterned paper - Rusty Pickle
"Wildcat" patterned paper & Spirit Scraps Topper - 2 Scrappin' Sisters (circa 2002)
Lipstick red chalk cat eye ink pad - Color Box
Red ink & Blue ink pens - Sharpie
Red ribbon - my stash (I think it was part of an old hair bow)
Staples- Office Depot
Jenni Bowlin Journal card

Not much different from Buddy's page. The chalkboard
paper from Rusty Pickle is really the only difference. It
says "I will not hit boys." and that just tickles me! (and
the Punkin, too! She was laughing at the paper!)

So, with this lay out I am done with my 28 lay outs
in 28 days! I have really enjoyed participating in this
and I discovered there is a way to be creative every day
even if just for a minute or two. There were times I had
to wait until after the kids went to bed, but I was still
able to get a page done before midnight my time (CST)
and posted to the Flickr LOAD gallery by the midnight
(PST) deadline.

I feel like I have really accomplished
something - too bad it wasn't something that needed
to be checked off my To Do List.
Well, maybe it was.

I don't seem to find much time for me, and, in fact,
I seem to spend a whole bunch of my day volunteering
at the school (I'm the Can Day Lady!), running the
kids to their after school activities (or picking them up
from their activities), running errands for Hubby, and
the typical groceries and post office, etc. Needless to say,
I can get that stuff done, make a page/lay out and still
watch 24 (via HULU) with Hubby all before bed!
Who knew? I have felt run-around-crazy over the
past several months but not creative and this
challenge changed the way I looked at my days.

I can be creative. I now know I can do it. I guess
what I mean is I remembered how to do it.
Now, I just have to remember what I discovered
and apply it every week from now on. LOL!

Okay, this blog has been the place to record
all the info about each layout for the entire
challenge and I have noticed several 'go to'
embellishments that I am tired of. I used them far
more than I anticipated and I also discovered there
were other things I never used even though I got them
out for each page. I am going to either stop/start using
stuff or I am going to have to go through my stash and
get rid of even more. Hmmm...Hubby is gonna love that!

Thank you for being here through my challenge
and for the comments that you left. I have had
fun. I will still be posting but I won't necessarily
be doing it every day. Just thought I would let you
know! LOL!

Oh and just in case you thought I was done with
Lay Out Challenges - I'm signing up for the LOAW - Lay Out
A Week! Why not? I'm doing this for me and I really enjoyed
it - besides, a lay out a week should be a cakewalk after meeting
the LOAD challenge. Right? : )

See you before midnight next Saturday night!

xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 27- Lil' Wildcat!

Lain's challenge today was to go 'over the top' with our layout today. This
was a lot harder that I expected it to be for a couple of reasons...

1) We had family over and the house had be cleaned up (read as -my
scrap stuff had to be moved out of the living room and dining room
so everyone could walk around and the kids could play!) and

2) After the Cocoa Daisy scraplift layout, I think my 'over the top'
mojo got up and went! I just haven't had the same intense creativity
since I worked on that layout. Not sure why. Probably burned out
2 of the last 4 working brain cells. That would explain most of the
forgetfulness and goofiness of the last several days, and

3) I just couldn't find a photo that really worked with 'over the top'
today. Again, see 1 & 2 as to why locating a photo was so difficult.

So, when I found the twins' Fall 2nd grade photo I immediately
started digging through my school papers and found the boy
chalk board paper and the Wildcats themed papers and a layout
was born! Thank goodness for school photographers who dream
of celebrity style photo shoots! LOL!

My personal journaling to Buddy is all on a hidden tag that can
be pulled out using the bit of red ribbon showing from the right
of the layout. Now, I just need to complete Punkin's layout and
journaling and I can add them to their School of Life albums!


Here is my supply list:
"I will not chase girls" chalkboard patterned paper - Rusty Pickle
"Wildcat" patterned paper & Spirit Scraps Topper - 2 Scrappin' Sisters (circa 2002)
Lipstick red chalk cat eye ink pad - Color Box
Red ink & Blue ink pens - Sharpie
Red ribbon - my stash (I think it was part of an old hair bow)
Staples- Office Depot
Jenni Bowlin Journal card

Well - it is day 27. Only 1 day left and I will have
made it all the way through all 28 days! Yay!!

Everything is uploaded! See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 26 - Sea Monkeys!

Today's challenge was to complete a layout in 30 minutes or less.
Since I had printed out these pictures yesterday I decided to
use them for today's challenge. And because Punkin gets braces
after school tonight, I decided to make my layout super early!

We have Sea Monkeys living in our kitchen once again. This time it
is thanks to Santa Claus and his Elves. The first set of Sea Monkeys
were given to the twins by their Aunt and Uncle from Boston as a
birthday present. They were doing really well on the windowsill in
the kitchen when they were accidentally exposed to cleaner overspray.
They expired immediately. It was very sad. It was even sadder when
I had to explain what had happened to the twins when they got home
from school that day.

Santa Claus decided we should have a second chance raising Sea
Monkeys and each twin got a Sea Monkey kit in their stocking.
We waited until the temperature outside was in the 60's (F) at
night so they wouldn't get too cold on the window sill. The aquarium
sets were prepped and ready on Groundhog Day. By the next week
we had dozens of tiny dots swimming around. Today, there
are bunches of Monkeys in the bowls.

Of course, throughout the process of taking care of these things
the kids have had questions like "Why don't they look like the
pictures on the food package?" and "Why aren't they cute like
the pictures?" Since they are a type of brine shrimp, we have
been able to Google all the information we want (and more)
so they can read up on their watery pets. Of course, all the
info still doesn't answer the questions about why the guy
who decided to market these things would have come up
with underwater aliens for models.

To be honest, I think they are bit on the creepy side.
I know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that but I
remember being so disappointed when I realized the
real thing looked nothing like the photos and I have
seen the same look on the faces of my children. It is
a good thing to learn, but it does tend to dim the excitement
a bit.

So far, they enjoy feeding and taking care of their
Sea Monkeys and that is a good thing.

Here is my supply list:
Cardstock - Bazzill
Watery patterned paper - Unknown from my stash
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink pad - Ranger
Black ink - Sharpie
Old Sea Monkey ads - SeaMonkeyMania.com

Day 26 is up - bright and early! Now I've got a house
to clean (after I move the Sea Monkeys to a safe place!)
xoxox
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 25 - No lights Mommy no lights...

The challenge today was to use scraps. Well, the ribbon is the only scrap
on the page. I was printing out photos for a different subject when I
found these photos in my Library of Memories drawers.

Looking at these photos brought back so many memories that I had
to sit right down and scrapbook these photos instead of the photos
in the printer. I was a bit emotional for this photo so the camera
shook some. Sorry about that.

The story around the shoes is this...
Buddy picked out these shoes at Payless and wanted them so badly
that we said 'okay'. As we were checking out he started talking about
how they were going to light up in the parking lot on the way to the
car (it was getting dark outside) and that the only reason he couldn't
see them light up inside the store was there was so much light.

We tried over and over to get across to him the shoes did not have
lights and would not shine for him at any time of the day or night.
We showed him they didn't have a place for batteries and there
wasn't a clear spot for lights but he was positive they would light up.

We thought about leaving the shoes and going somewhere else for
him to pick out another pair - one that was obviously not a light
up shoe- but he caught wind of the idea and quickly made it known
that he loved these shoes.

When it was bedtime, he refused to take the shoes off because they
were going to light up and be his night light. He tried everything
to make them light up and even asked for new batteries but we
showed him, again, there wasn't a place to put batteries. After a
while he started saying "no lights mommy no lights" over and over
again and he cried himself to sleep.

It broke our hearts listening to him but he had been
told several times and he chose not to listen. It was a lesson
he needed to learn, how ever painful.

When he got up in the morning we talked about the shoes and
how they hadn't lit up but that they probably had some other
special characteristic. I had him run around 'really fast' outside
and exclaimed he was faster than ever and that I really thought
the shoes were making him fast like Dash from the Incredibles.
He ran around a bit and then declared them his "Dash Shoes".
From then on, he was the fastest of the four of us (treating
us to many displays of incredible speed) and
we didn't talk about the light up shoes again.

He had never shown much interest in lighted shoes before this
and never has since. I guess it was such a disappointment to
him that he doesn't want to bother with it again. Of course, now
he's too old to want light up shoes but that's okay too.

It really made me tear up seeing these photos again almost 5 years
later. So hard to believe it has been that long but time really does
fly.

Here is my supply list:
Cardstock - Bazzill
Star Struck patterned paper - BoBunny Shabby Princess Collection
Green alphabet stickers - Thickers by American Crafts
Red rub-on alphabet - October Afternoon
Black & Ivory alphabet stickers - Creative Imaginations
Red star diecut - Reminisce
Red ribbon - plant tie
Black ink -Sharpie

Day 25 is up and now there are only 3 more days!
See you tomorrow!
xoxox
Csmoferret

LOAD DAY 24 - At the Biltmore

The challenge today was to scraplift one of our LOAD Sister's layouts
and since the majority of the layouts I have been drawn to are digital
with lots of flourishes I used this overlay on this photo of Mom and I
at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina last year.

This photo has been on my desk in my Studio (formerly, my Craft Room)
and I have wanted to scrapbook it. When I found this overlay I knew
it was perfect! This was a fantastic trip!

Here are my supplies...
Cardstock - filler from page protector
Overlay Transparency - Best Creations, Inc
Flocked Alphabet stickers - Martha Stewart
Tiny Chocolate Alphabet stickers - Adornit by Carolee Creations
Black Ink - Zig writer

Short and sweet, tonight. Only 4 more days! I can't believe February
is almost over - LOAD has made it fly by!
Well, Day 24 is uploaded and I'll see you tomorrow!

xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 23 - It's my Birthday & I'll Skate if I want to!

We decided to drive out of state and visit my family the day after Christmas
and that meant I would be celebrating my Birthday there. Since the kids
got skates from Santa and Daddy had a pair of inline skates that we got
as wedding presents (no joke!) I decided I needed to replace my broken
inline skates. So I purchased a pair of "retro rink skates" at Academy on
sale and we drove to the local Skating Rink.

I had the best pair of skates for the slick floors because mine were made
to be used in a rink. The kids and Daddy weren't so lucky. Their wheels
were so slick the kids kept sliding down, doing the splits or just plain
falling down. By the time we got all the way around the rink they were
so tired and upset they didn't even want to try out the rink skates Daddy
rented for them. They did get a kick out of watching Daddy and I skate
around while they had a cool drink and took photos.

We had fun but not as much fun as I had been hoping we would. The next
day Daddy found a really big cement picnic area near the baseball fields and
we were all able to skate around the picnic tables without falling or sliding
down. The fact that there weren't any other people around to get in the way
or laugh at us as we fell made a difference for the kids too. They were able to
relax and enjoy skating. It was a whole lot more fun the second day!

Here are my supplies for the page:
Cardstock from my stash
Patterned paper - Sassafrass Lass
Blue & green Frosting - Glitz
Victoria Journaling card - Jenni Bowlin
Crazy Numbers - Elles Studio (www.shopEllesStuido.com)
Flowers - Prima Essentials 5
Brads - Such Boy brads by S.E.I.
Black & pink ink - Zig writer

I just started grabbing stuff from my big pile of scrapbook supplies in the
dining room for this layout and probably put more on the page than I
would have if I had really been paying attention! LOL! I just kept adding
something here or there. Finally I took a couple of things off and called
it done.

Day 23 is done and loaded on Flickr. Yay! Only 5 more days!
See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 22 - The Many Moods of Gigi Cat!

I have made several mini books about the dog so I decided I needed
to make at least a page about the cat! Gigi is so funny and makes us
laugh, so it was easy to come up with photos of her doing silly things.

Gigi was my Grandmother's cat and joined our family over a year ago.
Since then she has really become an important member of our
household. She spends most of her days lazing on a soft blanket
on the sofa or following me around the house as I do my chores
chittering and meowing as I go. She is a real hoot! We call her
all sorts of names from "Gigi Cat", "Whiskers", "Gigi Weegi" and
"KittyGirl" to "H-H" which is Daddy's name for her based on the
old "HAL"/IBM name from the Sci Fi movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
(Daddy, will you clean G's litterbox? Sorry Mom I can't do that...
see? straight out of 2001!)

Our favorite bit of silliness is seeing her roll over onto her back with all
of her paws sticking up in the air. She looks so comfortable and will
stay in that position long enough to fall asleep. She will waltz
into the room, meow, and then lay down and roll over onto her back
with a look that says "pay attention to me but don't try to pet my
belly!"

She also loves to play with Buddy's shoes and we frequently
find her contentedly laying on top of his shoes after having
washed them clean.

Lately, she has taken to trying to groom Whimsy, the Shetland
Sheepdog. Everything from washing her ears to smoothing
her tail. Talk about an unhappy puppy! She is not the least
bit thrilled and we have to give her a treat every time she
survives a Gigi wash! You'd think she would be a bit
happier with the treats thrown in - but no. She still
gives me the "I can't believe you brought this cat into
my house" look. She's pretty good about it, though.

Anyway - that is just a few of the reasons I decided to make
the layout tonight. Of course, I will journal all of this onto the
page before I add it to the LOAD album tonight!

Here are the supplies:
Cat Toys patterned paper - Hot Off the Press
Sparkle Word Block Rub-ons - Cloud 9 Design
Cat brads - Eyelet Outlet (www.eyeletoutlet.com)
Green Puffy Alphabet stickers - Making Memories
Tiny Alphabet stickers - Making Memories

Day 22 is done and uploaded. Only 6 more days!
See you tomorrow!

xoxox
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 21 - Oh, You 2 are so Lucky!

I didn't go with the challenge for today (tell about your goals, a goal
you are working toward, a goal you have met, or a goal you didn't meet
but wished you had, etc.) because I plan to make that layout about the
28 days of LOAD. We will see if I manage to do that or not. LOL!

So, I found a whole bunch of photos of the twins together in my Library
of Memories photo drawers (under the tab 'Siblings' in the All About Us
drawer) and decided to make my layout about the kids and how lucky
they are to have each other. It was fun looking through all of the
photos and remembering all of the goofy stuff they did in the photos.
Not once did they ever say no to having their pictures taken.
I know that is coming but it was fun showing them all of the
stuff I had pictures of them doing together. They are truly
partners in fun!

Here is the supply list:
Patterned papers & journal block - October Afternoon
Kraft cardstock - my stash
Tangerine orange chalk ink - Colorbox
Poppy paint (brushed onto the '2' w/ my finger)- Making Memories
Brown & Blue Figgy Pudding Alphabet stickers - Basic Grey
White 2 - Chip Chatter
Lucky Bingo card - Jenni Bowlin
Black ink - Zig Writer

Okay, Day 21 is done and uploaded! Only 7 more days!
I can do it! Off to bed to 'rest up'! LOL!!
See you tomorrow!
xoxox
Csmoferret

Punkin's First Scrapbook Layout!!

Today is a ReD Letter Day in our house!

Punkin designed and created and completed her very first
solo scrapbook layout!!!

Here it is...
It is all her design and she worked on it late last night and today.
Take a look at the journaling! Too awesome!

Totally love that she wants to do this too! Of course, now she's not going
to be content with just my leftover supplies! ...Smile... : )

Now, she's got another page in the works. She's very excited about it and
says it will be available for posting soon. : ) I'm very proud of her!

Just had to share!
xoxo
Csmoferret & Punkin

LOAD Day 20 - Ski

Well, Lain's challenge for today was to show snow on our layout.
This was the perfect challenge for the extra photo we purchased
from the professional photographers on the ski slopes in Jackson Hole
this January!

This was the first day of skiing on the annual family ski trip and the kids
were just getting back into the groove when the photographer showed up.
He was able to get some really good shots. We had 3 made into a tri-photo
frame and the other 2 were left for me to scrapbook! Yay!

This was the day that Buddy decided to try his luck jumping creeks...
um, okay, not really. He wanted to ski the terrain park, didn't
decide which fork in the path to take quickly enough and wound up
sailing over a log and into the creek. Punkin saw him go over the
edge and stopped to point Daddy in the right direction. Meanwhile,
Buddy was suspended over the water by his skis. Only his hands were
getting wet! He, of course, was calling for help when Daddy arrived
on the scene. Apparently, Buddy was flying!

Daddy said he had to take Buddy's skis off and lift him out of the creek
by his jacket. It was pretty traumatic and even a warm bath and hot
cocoa didn't bring Buddy out of his funk until late in the evening.
We made sure that he knew there was no way he was going to be
stuck there or that he was going to drown or wash away (the fears
he expressed) and that Punkin and Daddy and Grandpa were all
there and were helping him. He was never alone. (That was a
biggie.)

The next morning he was ready to join ski school
and get up the mountain. It was an adventure he
got to tell all his school friends about when they got back
home! Something Daddy & I won't ever forget either. (I
even walked out with Daddy one afternoon after the
lifts closed and saw first hand where the creek was
and his ski prints were still there 4 days later.)

He laughs about it now, which is good.

Anyway - sorry for that trip down memory lane!
Here are the supplies for the layout...
Red Snowflake border 12x12 paper - ScrapYour Trip.com
Glisten Snowflake - Creative Imaginations
Black Hopscotch alphabet stickers - Doodlebug
Black frame rub-on - 7 Gypsies
Black and white Clear Extras detail from back of packaging - Heidi Swapp
Black ink - Zig writer

Day 20 is uploaded and done.
See you tomorrow!!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 19 - Happy 6th Birthday!

The challenge today was to use lines. Well, I used a line of yellow
wallpaper, a line of lime ric rac, a line of hot pink pom pom trim,
a line of photos, and 3 candles lined up together.

I should have put together this page for the Celebration challenge
yesterday but I hadn't printed out the photos yet. Of course, if I had
printed them yesterday I would probably had enough ink to print
that big photo of the kids blowing out the candles on the cake they
decorated themselves! (See the top of the page - they are writing
their own names on the cake!)

I apologize for the poor photo quality. Since they were blowing
out the candles the flames were leaning toward the camera but
in the photo above it looks as though we should be calling the
fire department! Really, it wasn't that bad. I will be getting
some more ink tomorrow and reprinting the photo so the
details can be seen and the horizontal lines don't show. I
guess that is one of the hazards of making a 'fresh' layout
every day. You tend to run out of stuff like printer ink
and adhesive pretty fast!

Here is the list of supplies I used to make the page:
Yellow vintage wall paper, green ric rac, pink pom trim are all from a SISTV
kit (Scrap In Style TV . com)
Cardstock - Bazzill
Green chipboard 6 - purchased at JoAnn's several years ago but
I can't remember who made it.
Black plastic alpha - Heidi Swapp
Happy Birthday title & candles diecut - My Mind's Eye (a daily special
purchased through PeachyCheap.com)
Black ink - Zig writer

Well, Day 19 is up, I'll see you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 18 - Believe in Laughter and have fun!

Lain's challenge today was to celebrate something (birthday,
wedding, a first, etc.) and I started to 'celebrate spring' so
I cut out the flowers on this sheet of ModaBella (American
Crafts) and layered them onto the Everyday Howdy (American
Crafts) and then got stuck. As I was looking for something else
to add, I came across this photo of me laughing during a crop
night with my closest friends and decided to make
a layout with it instead. (Thanks to RoseMarie & Laura for each
taking a photo and letting me have a copy!!)

So I started searching for a great laughter quote. The unfortunate
thing is I couldn't find one on the internet. I know there are
quote sites out there but the only sites I could find
were rate quotes for insurance companies and quotes
from celebrities I don't recognize.

Well, back to the craft room to dig through some more
stuff and I found this Making Memories Simply Stated
Expressions rub-on sheet (from 2003!!) and decided to
cut it up a bit and make the title. Pretty funny, really.
Ah well, it's done and uploaded so I can't complain
much!

Here's the supply list:
Everyday Howdy & ModaBella Dazzling patterned papers -American Crafts
Simply Stated Expressions rub-ons -Making Memories
Black ink - Zig writer

Off to bed! See you in the morning!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 17 - Survivors!

The challenge today was to tilt something but I couldn't make
it work for my layout - I spent the entire day tilting! I fell
just outside of the chiropractors (best place to fall) , I
couldn't hold ontoanything (I kept dropping everything! )
and I still feel like everything is crooked (one of the twins'
spelling words, ironically!) Ah well, tomorrow is another
day and I can go to bed early (for me) because I have
finished my LOAD layout for today! Yippee!!

I got to use some new Making Memories products for this layout.
The patterned papers are the newest Love Notes line.
Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Here is my short supply list!
Love Notes 8x8 patterned paper & Spiral Journaling book page - Making Memories
Black Alphabet stickers - Creative Imaginations
Red twill tape - unknown (it's from my huge ribbon stash!)
Black ink - Zig Writer

Okay - the scoop on the Sock Hop...
110 kids attended (mostly 2nd graders) and they played
carnival games, sent each other valentines, got their faces
painted and sent each other to jail for 25 cent tickets. The
PTO (Parents & Teachers Organization) set the whole thing
up and it was really pretty cool. The PTO President was
the DJ and everything was really rockin'. There were
dance contests, Limbo, Dance offs, the Macarena, etc. It
was a long night but the kids were great and the music was
pretty good so it was survivable! LOL! The twins loved it
and had a blast and, truly, that is all that mattered! :)

Thanks for checking in! Day 17 is done and uploaded
to Flickr! See you tomorrow!
xoxox
Csmoferret

Cocoa Daisy's Feb Newsletter is out!

and my layout is in it!! Yahoo! Cocoa Daisy kits are my favorites and I was thrilled to be asked by Tricia to contribute a scraplift of a layout designed by Aida from the February Social Butterfly kits. It was an awesome experience. I really enjoyed putting this layout together. Of course, the kits and Aida's design made it easy!

Check out this link. It will download the 2 pages explaining the scraplift assignment results and show you the 3 lifts of Aida's gorgeous layout!
My name is in the article in the newsletter but my
layout is on page 2 of the download.

Here it is in real life, though...


Here is a close up of the top ....

and here is a little closer shot of the lower half...
Now, here is the longest supply list I have ever had for just one page!LOL!
This is listed by February Kit info.

Social Butterfly- Feb Main Kit:
Basic Grey Ambrosia Winsome
Basic Grey Ambrosia Orange Smoothie
Creative Cafe Teal Diecut
Graphics 45 Botanicabella Garden Suite
American Crafts Ash Cardstock
Creative Charms Filigree Butterfly
Prima Center Kisses Floral Sky
7 Gypsies Rubbings - Le Journal Vines
Basic Grey Chip Sticker Shapes
Buttons
Prima Grey Lace

Feb Add-on - Afternoon Tea:
Basic Grey Ambrosia Element Stickers
Daisy D's Rub-ons Family Frame
Autumn Leaves Manhattan Patterned Felt

Feb Add-on - Dinner Party:
Basic Grey Ambrosia Glazed Brads
My Mind's Eye 29th St Market Mellow Pretty Decorative Die Cut
Packaging from Prima Paradise petals

From my Stash-
"A day to remember" sticker - EK Success
Brushed Corduroy Distress ink pad - Ranger

Whew! Okay, it was exhausting keeping that secret! LOL!
I hope you like it!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 16 - It's not Pottery Barn but it'll do!

Okay - fair warning - this is a really long post! Skip down to the bottom
if you are just interested in the layout supplies. : )

Last fall we had pipes break and flood the lower level of our house. This
resulted in all our furniture being piled up on the outside patio and in
our garage. Some of it went to the dump, some went to be recycled, some
was donated to a couple of groups that would rework it and use it. That
left us with the 6 person sectional that had been in the living room. It
has been sitting in the garage and on the patio for several months and
really driving me bananas.

Well, I love to flip through designer magazines that showcase backyard
patio furnishings and decor. I would love to have the place to have some
of the items I see in the magazines and dream of some day carrying a
tray of goodies and drinks out to my family to enjoy on our fou fou fancy
patio.

So, when I woke up from a 'patio dream' the other night I realized
I had the makings of a fairly decent arrangement piled up on the patio
and in the garage! All I had to do was clean it all off and add the striped
WalMart rug I saw while checking out in the Garden Center.

Yesterday, I cornered my Husband and explained what I wanted to do and
how I wanted to move everything around and he nodded and um hmm -ed
me and then got caught up in the computer he was working on. So, no joy.

This morning, I decided I had waited long enough. I was super sore from
jogging this weekend but even with my feet hurting I was determined to
get some work done on the patio.

Well, we moved the swings (adult & child), broke down all of the empty card
board boxes for the recycle bin, put away all of the kids toys that were under
the boxes and furniture (I guess they got stuff put on top of them when every
thing was being rushed out of the flood waters.) and swept and swept and
swept piles of leaves.

I had gotten about 2/3 done when Husband steps
outside and says "You want me to get the blower out?" Of course, my first
thought is no, because that will just spread all of the stuff I have already
swept up. But he proceeds to get the blower out and turn it around so it
actually sucks everything up! Wow! He cleaned up all of the leaves and
even mulched them in half the time it took me to sweep! It was awesome!

So then we unrolled the carpet (its only 5ft x 8 ft) and moved all of the
sectional pieces around. The table top on the ottoman is the leftover
piece from a friends new kitchen counter where the sink was cut out. She
gave it to me as a craft board and I have used it that way for years but today
it became a wonderful table top for the patio!

Even though the weather here was chilly the kids were tickled to be the
first to try it out. They decided to have snack and work on their homework
on the patio. When one of their friends came over, they all immediately
went back out and visited on the sofa. Just exactly what I had envisioned!

Well, it may not be Pottery Barn or any of those other fancy designer
patios but it definitely works like I want it to and I don't have to worry
that the kids will tear it up or mess it up! Love that!

When I read the challenge from Lain this morning I knew my little known
random fact was my love of designer patio 'outdoor rooms' and I had to
make a layout about that. That spurred me on to get the patio done
so I could take a couple of photos for my layout. Mission accomplished!

Here are the supplies I used to make the page:
Moon Pie patterned paper - Pink Paislee
Mesh tube ribbon - Castaways (like Goodwill but local)
Brown rub-on alphabet - October Afternoon
Ivory Alphabet stickers - Creative Imaginations
Flower - Prima Swaney Collection
Aqua card for title - Prima flower packaging
Journal card - Jenni Bowlin
Black ink - Sharpie

Day 16 uploaded and done. Thanks for hanging in
there and reading through all of the details! Don't
forget to leave me a comment (click on 'post comment'
below) and let me know if you would rather I just
display a page with supplies or if my ramblings
are okay. LOL! : )
See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 15 - Silliness

The layout today reflects something that is part of my every day life.
That being said, everyone who knows my family knows that we
are just plain silly - all the time! We quote movie lines to each
other, wear silly hats, make goofy faces, sing silly made up songs
and laugh - a lot and loudly!

When I first met my husband, I was a quiet laugher. I would
tee hee behind my hand and giggle quietly at jokes and stories.
After a few dates with him, I was laughing out loud and feeling
better than I had ever felt. I think it really hit me at the Dollar
Cinema at an weekend afternoon screening of Liar Liar. We
enjoyed the movie immensely and laughed loudly and
truly genuinely. It dawned on me that not everyone
is as lucky. Of course, I realized at the time that most of
the people in the theater were there for the
air conditioning and comfortable place to sit rather
than the movie, but still it made me think.

Ever since then, I have laughed loudly and really enjoyed
the laugh. It does a body good to let it all out and a good
laugh can be exhausting. I know, more info than you wanted
but this layout really made me reflect on this aspect of
our family life. I wanted to show a bit of the silliness
rampant in our house.

Here are the supplies:
Blue cardstock - American Crafts
Green cardstock -Bazzill
Shrek wall decor stickers - York (these are like Wallies)
Felt alphabet stickers -Making Memories
Journal spot - Digitalpaperie.etsy.com
Black ink - Zig writer
Rub-on words - Li'l Davis Designs

The doodling around the edge is scraplifted from a LOAD
layout in the Flickr gallery. I just can't remember exactly
who created it. Loved the look and had to duplicate it
here!

Well, Day 15 was up and on time but this post is past midnight soooo
see you in the morning!
xoxox
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 14...A day to see a Windmill Fly

Okay, today's prompt was to make a half layout (6x12 or 6x6)
as a way to try something new and to celebrate the fact that
we are half way through February! (!!!) Well, it should have
been an easy assignment but for some reason I just couldn't get
anything I put together to work like I wanted it to. So, after all
of the fussing and grumbling about the other photos and
papers and embellishments I wound up with this...


It is full ('cause my cup is too - you know, half full or half empty?)
of photos from our over night trip to see the Windmills near
Abilene back in November. I took over 300 pictures and 60
minutes of Flip video and this is the first time I have done anything
with any of them! Finally, some are on a layout. It was
very full day and that shows in a very full layout! LOL!

Well, the supplies are...
Cardstock - Bazzill
Ambrosia Element Stickers & glazed brad -Basic Grey
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink pad - Ranger
Botainicalbella Garden Suite patterned paper - Graphic 45
Tiny Alphabet stickers - Making Memories
Narratives Alphabet stickers - Karen Russel /Creative Imaginations
Black Ink - Sharpie

Well, it's done and I'm off to help chaperone a Sock Hop
for the K-4th grade kids at the twins' school! Yep - you
read that right! A dance for little kids!?! I guess I'm just
an old fuddy duddy but I thought dances were for High School
Teenagers to agonize over. Not elementary school kids! LOL!
Daddy and I are staying for the whole thing and helping
to clean up. There are supposed to be games and prizes and
such. We will see...I'll let you know how
it went tomorrow! : )

xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 13 - Lucky Together

Lain's challenge today was to 'reflect on luck and let it inspire the page'.
I took that literally and used shamrocks and 'lucky' on my page.

The photo is of all 4 of us on the public pier in Pensacola, Florida looking
back toward shore on January 2nd. Visiting my parents and home
town was a great way to start the new year and give us a fresh perspective.
At least that is how this photo makes me feel...

Here are the supplies I used:
Life Blanc patterned paper - 7 Gypsies
Fundamental Hearts Technique Tiles - Technique Tuesday
Pear BazzInk cube - Bazzill
Say it with Crystals - Prima
Shamrock Laser Die cut - ScrapYourTrip.com
Green puffy sticker alphabet - Making Memories
Black Hopscotch sticker alphabet & heart - Doodlebug Designs, Inc
Black ink - Sharpie

Well, we celebrated Valentine's Day a bit early by going to the
Peddler's Show in Robstown and then to a super delicious
Mexican restaurant just across the highway from the Fairgrounds.
Sooooo good! Even the twins enjoyed their dinners! Awesome!

Okay - Day 13 is in the bag. See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

CraftCritique featured my Valentine Cards...

on their Blog Carnival post - of course it is with a huge list of other
blogs showing Valentine stuff, but still!
Cool, huh? Check their blog here.

Happy Valentine's Day Eve!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 12 - Bloom...

This is a close up of a Double Orange Sunrise Hibiscus that was blooming
in our yard on Christmas Day last year (2008). I was playing around
with the camera and got some really close photos trying to show the texture
of the petals, stamens, etc. When I read the challenge for today this photo
called my name and said "Hey! Use me today!!" So I did. LOL!

The challenge was to use cardstock, a piece of patterned paper, an
alphabet (stickers, chipboard, stamps, whatever) and one embellishment.
Well, I used some leftover October Afternoon patterned paper from a
day or so ago and some Michael's dollar bin glitter chipboard letters
that I have had for a while. There was only one 'O' in this
set of letters (27 to a package) so I trimmed the lower
case 'Q' to make a second one. Sharp scissors are a big help! : )
Even so this layout came together pretty quickly.

Here are my supplies:
Cardstock - from my orange stash
Striped patterned paper - October Afternoon
Lime green glitter chipboard alphabet - Michael's $1 bin
Ghost Clear Extras photo corner - Heidi Swapp
Black ink - Sharpie

Well, it is up in the Flickr gallery and I'm off to fix the waistband
on Punkin's skirt for school tomorrow. See you in the morning!

xoxox
Csmoferret

Little Birdies Valentine photos are up...

The Valentine Card Swap that I participated has concluded and
Little Birdies has posted a photo of all of the cards that were
sent in. You can also vote for their top 10 cards. My card is not
one of the ones in the top ten but there are some
really cute cards in the mix. Check it out here.

Eta: Here is the link to the post showing my valentine cards.

xoxox
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 11 - Going Going Gone...

The challenge today was to use our Happy Colors. Well, my happy
colors are bright yellow, hot pink, coral, lime and aqua. I found the
striped October Afternoon paper and decided it had enough of the
colors to fit the challenge. Then I started grabbing stuff that would
work with it.

The shots of the kids riding their bikes are some I had saved in the
AOL photobox tab on my AOL account. When they closed out that
particular section of the program I had them all printed out and
sent to me. I thought all the photos were old ones from the Farm
and Gin but these photos of the kids were in there too. There
were a couple of Halloween costume pics too. I didn't
realize I had kept them in the AOL photobox. I was happy to
be able to print everything out before they shut it down.

The supplies I used are...
Yellow cardstock - from my stash
Striped patterned paper - October Afternoon
Journaling cards - October Afternoon
Green Thickers alphabet- American Crafts
Yellow sticker alphabet - Frances Meyer, Inc
Red rub-on alphabet - Anna Griffin
Event tickets - from my stash
Black ink - Sharpie
White ink - Uni-ball Signo
Brushed Corduroy distress Ink pad- Ranger
Staples - Office Depot

Well, I'm off to bed early tonight. I was up until
3:30 am finishing up a swap that I will show off tomorrow.
LOAD is loaded. See you tomorrow!

xoxox
Csmoferret

CraftCritique.com is having a Blog Carnival...

Now, I don't really know what that means but it sounds like fun.
I have submitted my Valentine Cards link and we will see what
happens from there. LOL!

If you are interested in participating email your blog link info
to the address on the details page. Check out the
Blog Carnival details here.

See you at the Carnival!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 10 - Celebrate Liberty

I took this photo from the top floor of the Whataburger restaurant
downtown. I was on the wrong side of the flag to get it 'facing'
the correct way but I was just in awe of the size of the
flag and how close we were to it. Of course, I could have flipped
the photo in PhotoShop but at the time I was making this page
I was a bit rushed. We were heading out the door to see
The Pink Panther 2 and I was worried I wouldn't make it back
home in time to get the page done before the deadline. I will
probably reprint the photo and change it out but not tonight.

The supplies I used are...
'Proud to be American' patterned paper & Celebrate tags - Hot Off The Press (Paper Pizazz)
We the People 'Liberty' patterned paper - Stamping Station
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink pad - Ranger
Black Ink pen - Sharpie

Well, Day 10 is up and I'm going to bed.
See you tomorrow!
xoxo
-Csmoferret

PS- the movie is funny and we enjoyed it but it is not as good as the first one. (Sorry Steve.) And that is after seeing it 2 times! Friday night on our own and tonight with the twins. The twins loved it, though.

LOAD Day 9 - No Snow Tonight...

I took this picture from our bedroom window in the condo at Teton
Village, Jackson Hole, Wyoming this January. It was so incredibly bright
and clear that night. The rest of the family was hoping
for more snow but as soon as I took this photo I knew that wasn't
going to happen. It did snow the next day but this particular night
was crystal clear and gorgeous.

The challenge for today was to use lots of white space on our layout.
I'm not too good with that and after creating the Simply Perfect
layout with all of the white space I guess I just locked up with today's
challenge. It is what it is, though...a layout for today! LOL!

Here is what I used...
Cardstock - The Paper Studio
Blue Alphabet Rub-ons - Tinkering Ink
Gold Glitter Alphabet stickers - Making Memories
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink - Ranger
Blue ink pen - Sharpie
White ink pen - Uni-ball Signo

Okay, it is done and loaded onto Flickr. Day 9 checked off.
See you tomorrow.
xoxo
Csmoferret

Paris Hilton's Scrapbook stuff?

I don't think so!

Check out the article discussing Paris' scrapbooking offering at CHA here.
I couldn't believe the reports bloggers were posting about Paris'
constant repeats of "It's fun." or the constant messages that mention
the highly inappropriate designs aimed at teens. The article is
an interesting read that won't take but a minute or two.

Enjoy! = )
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 8 - Bedtime Adventures...

Arrrrgh! Here be Pirates!


Our layout challenge for today, from Lain, was to use Pirate 'something'
on our layout. Pirate themed supplies, pirate behavior, pirate song lyrics,
pirate booty, pirate ships, etc... As I read the challenge, the first thing
I thought of was the book we read nearly every night. "How I Became a
Pirate" by Melinda Long and David Shannon. It is a very funny tale of
Jeremy Jacobs' adventure with Braid Beard and his crew. Every time
BB makes a declaration, his crew repeats it. "Pirates don't tuck!"... "No
tucking!!", for example. This story has led to many a repeated
phrase followed by "Arrrrgh!!!" around our house.

It isn't saved for bedtime either. We throw lines back and
forth constantly. It has made our house sound like a pirate
ship a couple of times! It is fun and makes us laugh and
giggle as we, once again, shout "up yonder pole!" together.

Here are the supplies used to make the layout...
Cardstock - Bazzill
Patterned paper & pirate stickers - Sandy Lion
Roller Doodle Grid Stamp - Glitz
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink - Ranger
Thickers Alphabets (grey) & Shapes - American Crafts
Remarks Alphabet (brown & yellow) - American Crafts
Walnut Inked shipping tags - from my stash
Raffia - from my stash

Day 8 is done and uploaded to Flickr.
See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 7 - Afraid I'll fall off

Lain's challenge today was to scrap something we are afraid of.
While there are scores of things I am afraid of (bugs, hubby/kids
being hurt/stolen/sick,etc.) the one thing that causes me to
be nearly paralyzed with fright is crossing a bridge or riding
on a mountain tram or gondola. If I want to go into town I have
to cross the Harbor Bridge, so I white knuckle my way up and over.
Just writing about this made me break out into a cold sweat.

Here is what I used...
Supplies:
SEI Black Orchid patterned paper
Cardstock -Hobby Lobby
Black lace - my stash
Yellow alphabet - October Afternoon
Red alphabet - Doodlebug
Notebook paper
White Uniball Signo pen
Black fine point Sharpie

This was the first time I have ever scrapbooked anything that
wasn't happy or celebratory. It was, quite possibly, the most
difficult page I've ever put together. The pieces were easy
to put together, the journaling was hard to write. Maybe
this will help me get over this fear.

Well, Day 7 is done. See you tomorrow.
xoxox
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 6 - Simply Perfect

On Sunday last, we decided to have lunch downtown and walk on the
beach along the seawall. The sand was full of oyster shells and debris
but the kids loved it. They ran along the water, slid down the seawall
step seams and played in the sand. All along the walk, they would stop
and scoop up a shell or piece of moss and exclaim "LOOK at this!" and
we would all huddle around them and ooh and ahh over whatever it was.
It was an amazing afternoon and we had a wonderful time being
tourists on our own waterfront.

Lain's challenge today was to use 3 of something on our layout.
I took it literally to mean just use 3 things. So I only used cardstock,
a rub-on from My Mind's Eye, and a pencil. And the photos, of course
but I didn't count them as "supplies".

I finished this layout around 7pm and uploaded it to the group
gallery but I didn't get a chance to add it to this post until
almost the deadline because we went to see the Pink Panther 2.
It was funny and that's all I'm going to say.
You have to go see it yourself! = )

Day 6, done! See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 5 - T-Ball!

Andrew was in T-ball for 3 seasons and this is the first time I have
scrapped one of his team photos. It is from the second season
(Spring 2007) when his team was the Cubs.
He was only 6 at the time and practices and games were
pretty funny to watch. It really helped that he was number 6 and
6 years old. That alone made him want to wear the uniform.

All of the items on this layout are from my huge stash of
sports embellishments. It really feels good to finally be getting
these items out of storage and onto pages. A few of the items
I've used this month are from companies I haven't heard anything
about in quite a while. It would not surprise me to
discover they are no longer in business.

Supplies:
Baseball patterned paper -Sticker Studio
Textured paper -The Paper Company
Cubs laser die cut - Stamping Station
Go Team license plate - Stamping Studio
Baseball equipment & photo corners - Jolee’s by you
Labels - Making Memories
Baseball snaps - Ebay
Journal spot - Every Jot & Tittle

Okay, Day 5 is up and done.
See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 4 The Boots

I took this photo of the twins ...
in front of the Christmas tree as we were trying to get it decorated in
December 2003. They were just over 3 years old and were always trying
on our shoes. Every chance they got they would each put on a shoe and
parade around giggling. This particular instance, Daddy had just taken
off his boots and the twins each grabbed one, stuffed their foot in and
had to hold hands to keep themselves upright. It was so incredibly cute
I just had to snap a picture...

Of course, the photo got developed and put aside to be scrapped. It has
taken me years to finally get that done. Once again, I used strictly stash
items and I'm very happy with the outcome. The Colorbok hay paper
was being saved for a layout about the farm but it just really worked for this
layout and, besides, I have to draw the 'saved for' line somewhere, right?

The fabric alpha is from Making Memories, the tags are from
Deluxe Designs, the bandana photo border is from The Studio Barn,
the journal tag is from Every Jot & Tittle (Etsy.com) and the blue jean
frame is from My Mind's Eye (circa 2004), and the raffia is
a scrap from my stash.


Here is a close up of the journaling spot.

After seeing this page, Daddy snickered and said I was right, he did love it
when they tried on his boots. See, I knew it!

Day 4 is done! See you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 3 - Ready for Spring

Well, we don't really have Seasons here but I guess
I'm ready for winter to move on.
At least that is what my journaling on this layout says.

The cool thing about this layout is it is all stash. The background
paper is a sheet of K&Co that I have had in my Green Patterned
Paper section for a long time. The same for the fence sticker. Yep,
that entire fence, cat and flowers is one big border sticker! (also K&Co)
I love it but I've been hoarding it in my stash for what seems like forever!
It feels good to finally use it. The pink ribbon is from WalMart.

The yellow alpha is from October Afternoon and the tiny alpha
is Making Memories. I didn't realize those tiny letters were so
useful! I've used them on all 3 LOAD layouts this week and I
still have tons left on that one sheet!) The journal tag is from this
Etsy vendor. (If you haven't checked out Etsy you are really
missing out on some interesting handmade items! I love Etsy!!)

Okay, back to my layout for the day. Smile.
This is a close up of the tree...
I took a picture of the sketch book rather than tearing out the tree
and running the risk of tearing it up (I'm really good at that sort of
thing, too!) and I'm really proud of how it turned out.

Silly, I know but I don't just sketch or draw very often so it is
really unusual that what I draw is recognizable, much less
photo worthy!

Either way, Day 3 LOAD is uploaded and done.
See you tomorrow!

xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 2 -Look who's been on the fridge!

I am so happy to report that the very first thing I did today (after getting the kids up and ready for school, switching the laundry, folding the resulting clean load, emptying and reloading the dishwasher...LOL!) was get my LOAD page done! I don't think I have ever gotten a layout done so early in the day.

I was getting ready to clean off the pile of stuff on the counter next to my computer when I heard a small crash behind me. The magnet holding one of the pictures on the refrigerator jumped off and knocked off several other items in it's haste to leave. Soooo, instead of just putting everything back I decided to use all of those preschool and first grade photos on my layout today! So easy, so quick and now my fridge is not as cluttered! Yay!

Here is the page...
The funny thing is - although most of these pictures are the twins,
I don't know the rest of the kids names! I mean, the twins are obvious
'cause they're mine, but don't ask me to identify anyone
else in any of the photos because I have no idea. It has been that long
since I changed the pictures on the front of the refrigerator!
Okay - except Santa Claus...and maybe the Chick O'Lay cow
(Yes, it is 'Chick-fil-a' but I like the "twin speak" version of the name better.)

So, anyway, it's done, it's simple and I'm happy with it.
Enjoy!
xoxo
Csmoferret

Happy Groundhog Day!!

Check out Punxsutawney Phil's winter prediction by checking in here.
I know it's silly but Groundhog Day just tickles me. I look forward to
seeing what Phil has to 'say' every year. I just wish he could predict
rain here too.

Enjoy the day!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAD Day 1

I am participating in LOAD (Lay Out A Day) all of this month. That means
I will have 28 layouts at the end of this month. I was part of LOAD last year
when it was hosted by Big Picture Scrapbooking (or BPS) and really
enjoyed it. It forced me to actually stop for a bit and create a page - it
didn't have to be a work of art or perfect or even the best layout I've
ever done - it just had to be completed by midnight and uploaded to the
group gallery. It was the most crafting I did the entire year and I am
looking forward to doing it all over again. My first layout was done
just after the Super Bowl ended and has been uploaded to the flickr
gallery. So, I'm off and running...

Here it is...
yep, that is one of my valentine cards from the Little Birdies Swap.
I don't know, it was laying there and it just sort of jumped from the
desk onto the layout. It worked with what I was going for with the
photo so it got to stay. I will probably add some more private
journaling inside the card but for now, this layout is done!

Off to bed - LOAD Day 2 will be here soon enough.
xoxo
-Csmoferret

Valentine Card Swap...

Here are the cards I made for the Little Birdies Valentine Card Swap.


I used an American Crafts card base and edged it with a Martha Stewart
border punch. Then I added a strip of paper lace tape from KI Memories
and K&Co so it would enhance the border. Inked up some torn vintage
sheet music with Ranger's Aged Photo Distress ink,
added a piece of Hugs & Kisses ribbon (I think I bought it here
but I don't know who made it.) topped that with a Love, Elsa
self-adhesive fabric (KI Memories) heart cut and embossed with my
Spellbinders Nestibilities hearts dies and then layered with a rosette
sticker from Martha Stewart. Simple but fun.

Here is a close up...

It was fun to make and looks much better in person.
Sorry for the bad flash glare.

Little Birdies should be posting the cards they received
for the swap in the next day or so.
xoxo
-Csmoferret