Here are my final 6 layouts for LOAD Feb 2010!!

Day 23
I found this and the next photo in a stack of things that hadn't been put
away yet and felt like I had hit gold. I love these two portraits and dug
out some school stuff to create this layout for the Buddy. It is so hard
to believe they are in 3rd grade already!

Day 24
I had a hard time with this layout because I just couldn't get over how
grown up Punkin looks. I guess it kind of freaked me out a bit. I love
her color coordination (teal brace bands and aqua & brown top) and
had to use those colors for her. The challenge was also to use scraps
and bits from our stash - the flowered patterned paper and the letter
stickers are all leftovers. I am thinking I may add a few crocheted
flowers but it's good the way it is.

Day 25
Every time I think of our trip to Wimberley, I think of this life-size chess
set in the garden at the EmilyAnn Theater. It was just so cool to play a
game of chess like this. The kids loved it too. I think I will move a few of
the chess pieces from over the title to the top of the photo like photo
corners. That just sounded like a cool idea when I was uploading this
photo.
Day 26
The background in this layout is made using Donna Downey's new
stamp set 'Where you are' and I didn't check to be sure I uploaded
the correct layout with the title over the lower birdcage. It should
read 'PLAY'. The one I uploaded to the LOAD gallery was missing it
so I just used the same photo here. This new stamp set just really
tickles my fancy!

Day 27
Buddy's experiment was carving soap with 4 different tools to see which
worked the fastest. It was pretty cool to watch him set everything up and
then hit the timer and start carving! Soap pieces were flying all over the
dining room! He really enjoyed his project, though and got his display
board all put together and finalized right after school on Friday. It is
due on Monday - so he was completely free and footloose all weekend.
He was quite possibly the happiest guy I know this weekend because
he finished his project before his sister did. That is why I completed
his layout first (even though it will wind up on the right side of the
2 page layout.)

Day 28

The last two layouts are halves of a 2 page set. The 'Popcorn &' should
be on the left and the 'Soap' should be on the right. These are photos
of the twins with their completed Science Project Display Boards. It
really made everyone here happy when they both finished their
projects with several days to spare. So glad they don't know about
procrastination yet.

Well, LOAD is done for this month. I feel pretty good about the
layouts I made this month and I also rearranged my albums and
determined I am sick of postbound albums and will most likely
be purchasing ring bound albums to move everything to very
soon. I am so tired of tiny metal post extensions that don't
tighten down correctly, spine covers that just look stupid
and page protectors that don't get included on the post
even though the 20 before and after do. Ring binder style
albums would eliminate all those hassles. I know they
come with their own set of hassles but at least I would
be able to move things around more easily. So, look
for a change on that front before too long.

Have a great week! See you back here soon!
x0x0x
Csmoferret

PS - Yep! I'll be LOAD'n again in May! Can't wait to
get started again!

Day 22 - Our 2009 Christmas Card

I usually forget to include a copy of the Christmas
photo that we send to family and friends and I
was lucky that Hubby printed out an extra large
copy by mistake. I snagged it and set it aside just
for this purpose. Then, yesterday, after looking
through the LOAD gallery I was inspired by one
of the layouts that had a picture with Santa and
a large nutcracker.

Well, I rummaged through my stash and found
a layered nutcracker, Happy Holidays transparency,
glittered snowflake lace and Christmas patterned
paper and a layout was born! Thanks to
SmileyGurl80 of LOAD! She was the source
of my inspiration!

Well, LOAD is done and uploaded!
Good Night!
xoxox
Csmoferret

Day 16- 21 - Still LOAD'n along...

Well, this is a photo heavy post...
I've been remiss in posting my layouts to my blog and
I thought I would do that before I go to bed tonight.

Day 16
I am looking for some larger sticker letters to fix this title -it's just too
small for the photo and it didn't really show up until after I was looking
at the posted layout in the LOAD gallery. Funny how you don't notice
flaws until you see the layout in a different light.

Day 17
The button in the center of the felt flower says "Joy" on it and
makes the title "Pure Joy". It's the first thing that came to mind
when I saw this photo of Punkin at Gymnastics. The photo
doesn't do this layout justice.

Day 18
The pink flowers are My Minds Eye Vinyl decals and I had a hard
time getting them to lay where I wanted them to without sticking
to everything and I ended up with the smaller one stuck to the
photo in the wrong place. I had planned for it to be a bit further
over on the green dot paper. But, it turned out okay.

Day 19
This layout uses a photo collage that Hubby created in Picasa with our
ski trip photos. He was just playing around with the collage creator and
let me have the practice print he made. It made for a very quick layout.

Day 20
Okay, this layout has problems and it is mostly because the Hambly
Rub-ons did not, in fact, rub on. It did not matter what I used or how I
positioned the ship, skull or title - they simply would not rub on to the
patterned paper. I ended up using a tape runner to adhere them but
it really didn't work all that well either and I have marks on the ship
where I tried to get the rub-on to work.

Anyway-the photo is not of a skull on a pirate ship or
anything like that but it was the start of my
kids singing "Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirate's Life For Me" throughout
the Moody Gardens Aquarium and Theaters. It was a fun thing
for the kids to find just before heading into the iMax film
about dinosaurs.

Day 21
This is one of my all-time favorite photos and it took me a couple of
hours to put this layout together for today. It is also the first time
I have sewn ruffled ribbon on a layout. Too fun!

This was a visit to Pensacola Beach in 2006 and it is the first
time the kids were old enough to play in the sand at the
beach. It was too cold to get into the water but it was a
gorgeous day for shelling. They couldn't stay dry, though
(Duh! They're kids!) and wanted me to take a picture
of them in their wet pants. They had so much fun
running all around and finding shells -just grinning
from ear to ear the whole time. It just makes my heart
swell everytime I look at it. I think this will be going
into my "Photos I Love" album instead of the
"Places We Go" album.

Well, that is all for tonight. I have to get up early
for work tomorrow so look for more later in the week.
xoxox
Csmoferret

Day 15 - Wiley's in the Dog House

He had an accident and then knocked a pile of my newest scrapbook
supplies into the mess. Definitely explains the whole 'Dog House' thing.

More tomorrow!
xoxox
Csmoferret

Happy Valentine's Day!!

We celebrated as a family at a local restaurant which offered a
gourmet dining experience Saturday night and truly enjoyed it.
Then today we spent lunch with the In-laws and friends and
had a good time too.

This afternoon, however, was devoted to Science Experiments.
Buddy carved soap with different implements and timed himself
while he carved with each tool. Soap flakes were flying.
Punkin decided to pop corn using 3 different methods and
counted unpopped corn to determine which popped the corn
the best. That meant counting out kernals of corn for all of the
experiments and prepping before she ever turned on the hot-air
popper, stove or microwave. The results were very interesting
and I can't wait for them both to weed through the data and
decide whether the outcomes match their hypotheses or not.
I'll keep you posted! LOL!

So, after all that was concluded and a good portion of the
popcorn was consumed during a screening of G-Force, they
finally called it a night.

I hustled in and finished my LOAD for today and now I'm
heading off to bed too.

See you tomorrow!
xoxox
Csmoferret

More LOAD layouts!

I've been so busy at home and at my new job that I haven't had the
energy to do anything more than create my layout for the day and
get it posted. That means I'm way behind on posting them to my
blog and I'm going to fix that with this post! Hold onto your
adhesive 'cause there's lots of layouts to share!

Day 4: It's All Fun & Games Until Someone Loses a Toenail.


Day 5: The Duke


Day 6: My 21st


Day 7: BFF, at least until 2nd grade was over.


Day 8


Day 9: Kinder '06


Day 10: Kinder '06


Day 11: I'm Buzz Lightyear!


Day 12: Grandpa's Favorites


and Day 13: Baby Love
Of course, there will be another layout tomorrow because we
are still LOADing! See you then!
x0x0x
Csmoferret

LOAD-ing again!

Here are my Lay Out A Day February 2010 layouts so far...


Day 1

Day 2 (minus a journal block and tiny photo =gotta get those reattached...)

Day 3.

The main goal on these 3 layouts was using up scrapbook stash and it
was pretty easy.

More tomorrow!
xoxox
Csmoferret

Family Ski Trip 2010

(Punkin and Buddy snowboarding!)

(Punkin, Buddy & Snowboard instructor Michelle. This photo makes me think of Astronauts
walking in slow motion... : ) They were heading in for some well deserved & needed hot chocolate. )

(This is Grandpa following the twins skiing and meeting up with the two 4 yr
old cousins as the little ones' ski instructor looks on from the side.)

was a complete success! The twins tried snowboarding for the first time
and did great (read that "Loved it!") and were able to play with the
cousins for hours at a time. The skiing and snowboarding were
awesome and the kids (and adults) were out on the slopes most
of the day but the evening sledding was the big hit of the trip...
check out these awesome photos!

Buddy and AB sledding down the hill near the condo. Actually, Buddy
was stopping the sled so they didn't run over me as I took the photo!

MC after he and Punkin came to a sudden stop. She was laughing
so hard she flopped back in the snow just as I was taking the picture.

The only thing we didn't do this year was get a photo of all of the
kids together like we have in the past. Ah well, these pictures show
how much fun they all had playing together and that is the best
part of the whole trip!!

(Buddy, Daddy & Punkin getting ready to go out skiing some more.)

And I saw a Moose! She walked across the slopes and into this group
of trees just as we were heading over to dinner with the family in one
of the other condos on the last night of our trip. She was so graceful
and beautiful even though she looked 10 feet tall!
Seeing her kept my "Saw a Moose every time we were in Jackson Hole"
record going. It has been a thrill to see the wildlife so close every time
we visit! I think that would make a good layout...hmmm...gotta
hunt all those Moose photos down... and, OH!,

I start LOAD again today and will start posting my layouts soon.
See you later!
xoxox
Csmoferret