Recently....

...life has just seemed crazy! Every week I think, "this week I'm not going to be crazy busy! I'm going to relax this week." Hahaha. Guess I better just get used to the busy!

Did I ever tell you what my wonderful husband gave me for my birthday?
Three fabulous things:
FIRST, and most exciting, was a visit from my MOM!!! I had no idea she was coming, and the evening before my birthday he just walked in from work like normal...except this time he had my mom with him! I screamed for a solid five minutes, I think! And she stayed for a WHOLE WEEK! Lots of shopping, visiting and fun!
SECOND, a 50 mm lens for our -okay, technically it's his- camera!!! Still trying to figure it out.
THIRD, a gallon of paint and a coupon for some painting helpers to help me paint my scrapbook room! (don't worry, I'm taking before and after pics.)
Isn't that fun!? I think it was the best birthday ever, especially because I got to spend it with my mom...that hasn't happened for several years! What a blessed girl I am to have a husband who is so very, very thoughtful.

Next up....
I had a quick photo shoot with this little girl the other day... had to try out that new lens, right? We spend quite a lot of one on one time together these days with Joshua in school, and it is special time, for sure. We had to take some pictures to document. :)

She's pretty darn cute....and she'll talk your ear off if you let her! Watch out! In fact, as I type this she is climbing all over my back chattering away about the show she just watched. :)

And finally, a card!

As I mentioned, we are painting the scrapbook room, so there isn't a whole lot of creating going on at the moment, but I did manage to get a few cards made before I had to disassemble my room. I used patterened paper, journaling sprouts, a canvas flower, Happy birthday stamp, and stickers from Jillibean Soup, as well as some random cardstock scraps, a red button and a bit of twine.

Hope your day is fabulous!

JAG

Just a little card...

Hello again.

I just wanted to share this cute little card I made using papers and die cuts from the Alphabet Soup Boy line by My Mind's Eye. It is based on a sketch challenge they had on their blog a couple of weeks ago. Isn't that tiger die cut adorable? Oh, and the sentiment is a sticker from SRM...love their clear stickers for cute, quick cards. I would say that I need to buy myself some more, but I am on a self-imposed-scrapbook-supply-buying-freeze. :) We'll see how that goes, especially with all the new CHA releases coming up!! My goal is to make it throught March without buying anything new...wish me luck!

I've been reorganizing my scrapbook room, and it has been quite fun to dig through everything and find all the fun things I had forgotten I had! Of course I am a little disgusted at how much I have that goes unused...hence the buying freeze. :) I could probably make a hundred or so cards just from the scrap stash I have built up! YIKES! Time to get busy!

Not much else going on around here, just keeping busy with the normal school, work, church, life kind of stuff and trying not to get too sick. Seems like someone has been sick since November, but right now we all just have colds and I am praying that is it for a while! In the past we have been blessed with such good health that I guess I have been spoiled. I would maybe take one of my kiddos to the Dr. each year. Poor Joshua has been four times already this year, and Grace and I have each been once! So anyway, I'm hoping this is the end!

I'll try and be back with something a little more exciting soon!
Have a good night!
JAG

Yay! The first Layout of 2011 :)

Well, seeing how it has been over two months since I even made a full 12x12 scrapbook layout, I am quite excited that the first layout of the new year has already been finished! Let's hope there are many more to come. :)

Supplies: Patterned Papers (Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy and Togetherness) Cardstock (CTMH)Stickers (Border - Cosmo Cricket, letters - SEI and Doodlebug) Journaling Spot (Jillibean Soup) Stamps (Journaling Jots by CTMH) Brads (CTMH) Diecut (Apple from A Childs Year Cricut Cartridge - Provo Craft).

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I'm loving a new year. I feel a fresh start.
I'm choosing to be happier with where I am in life and what I am, and I'm choosing to be more hopeful. So much of life is about what we choose to see and do, isn't it?
I'm hoping to be more organized and, thus, productive. :)
I'm working to be more fit spiritually, and physically as well.
Hummm.....it's a lot, but I think it will be very worth it in the end. It all takes effort and time....and stamina, sitcking-to-it-ness. :) I think I've got it in me! Hooray for a new year!

JAG

My Top 10 Favorite Layouts of 2010!!

I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite layouts from this last year.

It's funny how at the beginning of the year there were lots to choose from, but ever since Joshua started school the layouts I've completed have been few and far between. Life is truly full of the best things right now, with family and faith being at the top of the list, but I do hope that I am able to find a little more time for scrapping in this new year than I have the last few months. I miss the time for me, honestly, and not having had much of it recently makes me realize that it is an important part of my life, too. So here is to a new year and to finding....no CREATING... balance in my life! ;)

And without further ado...my 10 favorite layouts of 2010 (in no particular order):

JAG

Dear Scrapbook Room,

Oh how I miss you! You have been turned into a stash-anything-Christmas-or-Birthday-related MESS! I hope to unearth you soon! I have so many fun things that need me to play with them! :)

Love,

Me

Yeah, it's been way too long! I would love to post some fun creation, but I have almost literally made nothing in over a month! I say almost because I have been doing a December Daily Album that is {mostly} up to date. Once it is {really} up to date I will share some pages with you! It has been a lot of fun, and definitely a tradition I want to keep doing from year to year.

Anyway, I'll be back soon...........

JAG

halloween pics

BOO TO YOU! :)

Happy Halloween y'all!

Just had to share some cute pictures of my kiddos in their costumes,

ready for our trunk-or-treat Saturday night.

This year they chose Spiderman and a Fairy Princess.

Grace started out as a ballerina,

then moved to fairy,

but couldn't quite leave out the princess,

so we ended up combing them all!

Joshua wanted to be Spiderman from the very beginning.

I even offered to buy him the little fancier costume with the muscles,

but he wanted this one and nothing else.

Easy Peasy...all I had to do was sew a tutu,

and once the tulle and I fought it out,

it wasn't too bad! :)

I love seeing them all dressed up and excited for the holiday!

And I was glad we got some pictures before Grace biffed it while running across the yard and got dirt from her chin to her knees! :) There is always something!

Too Cute!

Hope you had a fun Halloween!

JAG

Sisters - this one is for you Maren! :)

Hello there.

I should be getting to bed, but instead here I am, with a new layout to share with you! :)

There is a challenge going on at the American Crafts blog to create a girl themed layout with at least two AC products. Well, I have been wanting to do some layouts about my siblings, and since I have been blessed with three wonderful little sisters this was the perfect inspiration to get me started on those layouts.

I created this layout about middle younger sister, Maren.

She rocks. Really. I admire her a lot.

The pictures of her are from a little Senior Pics photo shoot we had. She was kind enough to be my photography guinea pig. :) It was fun because she is a lot more cooperative of a guinea pig than my children are!

Supplies:

Patterned papers (City Park by American Crafts), Card Stock (CTMH, Georgia Pacific, and Paper Studio), Alphabet Stickers (American Crafts), Badge (Flair by American Crafts), Pearls (CTMH), punches (Martha Stewart and Fiskars).

And a little close up of the journaling, just in case any of you are like me and like to know the story behind the pictures: :)

Well I think that is it! I am excited the weekend is almost here. It is going to be a busy one, but full of lots of fun things. We have a new couch being delivered (YAY!!), a football game, a soccer game, a birthday party, and a baptism to go to! It's going to be a good one!

JAG