back in the saddle, again...

Whew! I think there were just as many cobwebs in my blog as there are in our new house! As I logged in tonight, I seriously thought, "do I even remember how to post?" 
It's been an amazing summer! Unbelievably hectic, but nonetheless great. Two biggies: I started a new job at my church working with young children and their families - LOVE it!!  Aaaaand... we finally closed on our new house - YAY! The house needs work, but I have waaaay to many ideas. I think we will just continue unpacking, and just "BE" in the space for a while so I can narrow down my ideas and thoughts to fewer choices. Of course the unpacking would be so much easier if my little darlings would stop making messes in rooms I just straightened!! 
Ok, so I have two MDS projects to share with you today. The first is an "art" piece I made using a sentence from one of my pastor's sermons. I like to create digital "art" pieces (some I print, some I just view on the computer, some I share) with inspirational quotes... thoughts... ideas. It keeps me motivated. This one helps me so much, especially when my days start to feel "cluttered" with lots of little tasks. 

I originally created this for the blog I write as part of my new job, but I thought it might help you as much as it helps me, so enjoy!   :}

My second project is simply because today is "Talk Like a Pirate Day." That's right! And my little Aaron absolutely LOVES everything pirate, so it feels like a holiday created just for him.  He even hid his pirate hat in his backpack to take to school! 

Isn't he a cutie? It was really hot when the kids got off the bus this afternoon, so of course Aaron had to take his blow-up pirate ship for a cruise in the pool! Good times  :} 

Just as soon as I unpack the rest of my stampin' goodies and clear off a desk to stamp on, I'll be back with more fun stuff to share. I wanted to unpack and set up my craft room first, but hubby had this crazy idea we should set up the kitchen and bedrooms instead. That's so unfair, right??!!

National Scrapbooking Day 2013

I usually laugh at all the "made up" holidays (I'll try to find the energy to create an apology if anyone is offended). I mean, do we really need a National Sandwich Day?? A National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day??? You are dealing with someone who doesn't even understand Sweetest Day! But why, oh why, isn't National Scrapbooking Day celebrated with even greater flair than a Federal Holiday?! We should all have the day off work, free babysitting, and hours of scrappin' time. Oh, and maybe even a short parade where they throw out embellishments and ribbon instead of candy!  We certainly shouldn't be freezing our dupas off in the rain at a campout for our cute little Cubscouts. Perhaps I'll stage a sit scrap-in next year... 

I made this 12x12 digital layout with some fun photos I took of my oldest son playing in the snow. My boys were so happy to finally get a chance to use their sleds from Santa. It was pretty strange for us to have to wait until the end of March to see this much snow!  Of course it was gone as quickly as it fell...
I love how my title turned out!! The letters to spell spring are "punches" filled with "paper."  I will probably copy and paste the same title onto the pages for my youngest son. Heck, I might just create duplicate pages and change the photos! Have I mentioned how much I love My Digital Studio?! 
So what are you scrapbooking today??? 

sympathy cards for family

I'll be back in a few days... my husband's grandfather passed away Thursday morning. 

stamp sets: So Sorry, Everything Eleanor 
ribbon: 7/8" Natural Cotton, 5/8" Crochet Trim, Linen Thread

The crumb Cake card stock layer gets it's pretty design from the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder. I used a stamping sponge to rub a little Whisper White Craft ink over the raised areas.

If you have a minute, I would be so thankful if you could include my family in your prayers. Thank you.

Thanks a Million

Well, after yesterday's post, it's time for something a little more normal.   ;) 

How about a simple "thank you" card? I love surprising people with a random act of kindness, and the teachers at the boys' school were due for a treat. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I am so blessed that my boys attend one of the best schools around. The staff is fabulous! So I took in a pretty "thank you" card and left it in the teacher's lounge with some yummy goodness. Inside I wrote a message about sharing something from our old home with our new home.   :}

The Summer Smooches DSP and Bright Blossoms stamp set are so cute together. I chose my greeting from the Word Play stamp set to compliment my crisp, clean design. 
Isn't that Printed Brad through the Button cute? Somewhere... somewhere, in my craft stash are some craft pliers, but since I couldn't find them, I borrowed the manly garage pliers and squeezed the "legs" of the brad to a narrower width so I could thread them into the button holes. I simply poked two holes into the card stock for the brad "legs" to go through. 

For all of the teachers who read through my fabulous and amazing blog posts (wink, wink)... wouldn't you love to find this waiting for you in the teacher's lounge on a Monday morning? I loved the reaction from one of the teachers who said she'd never heard of Kringle, because neither had I until we moved to Wisconsin thirteen years ago. Now, after moving again, I know my tastebuds will miss it (not my waistline!). 
I might just have to plan a visit with some friends soon... I'm getting hungry.   ;)

family first

Hello again stamping friends... long time no "see." The past two months have been so topsy-turvy for me and my family! One of the great things about this job, is that I can fit it around my life. With Christmas, school activities, Scouts, church, packing boxes and loading UHauls so we could close on our house, and comforting my children consuming our days, I decided to take some time off from stamping. I'm so glad I could be there for my family! And now I'm slowly easing myself back into my crafting obsession.  :}  In fact, I have a lovely Valentine's Day card to share with you today!

This is just cute, cute, CUTE! And it went together pretty fast. I started with a Pretty in Pink card base and added a strip of Tea For Two DSP. Then I tied on some Pretty in Pink stitched grosgrain ribbon. I stamped my greeting (Seasonal Sayings) in Calypso Coral ink.

The Hearts a Flutter Framelits made it super easy to die-cut six hearts... three from the Tea For Two DSP, and three that I stamped first using the Hearts a Flutter stamp set. The hearts are adhered to a layer of Crumb Cake card stock, which is layered over Lucky Limeade card stock, and then attached to the card with Dimensionals.

I hope you are feeling the "love" and it keeps you warm on this chilly day!

Thank You, Veterans

The Things That Make A Soldier Great 

                                          -- Edgar Guest 

The things that make a soldier great and send him out to die, 

To face the flaming cannon's mouth nor ever question why, 

Are lilacs by a little porch, the row of tulips red, 

The peonies and pansies, too, the old petunia bed, 

The grass plot where his children play, the roses on the wall: 

'Tis these that make a soldier great. He's fighting for them all.   

'Tis not the pomp and pride of kings that make a soldier brave; 

'Tis not allegiance to the flag that over him may wave; 

For soldiers never fight so well on land or on the foam 

As when behind the cause they see the little place called home. 

Endanger but that humble street whereon his children run, 

You make a soldier of the man who never bore a gun. 

What is it through the battle smoke the valiant solider sees? 

The little garden far away, the budding apple trees, 

The little patch of ground back there, the children at their play, 

Perhaps a tiny mound behind the simple church of gray. 

The golden thread of courage isn't linked to castle dome 

But to the spot, where'er it be -- the humblest spot called home. 

And now the lilacs bud again and all is lovely there 

And homesick soldiers far away know spring is in the air; 

The tulips come to bloom again, the grass once more is green, 

And every man can see the spot where all his joys have been. 

He sees his children smile at him, he hears the bugle call, 

And only death can stop him now -- he's fighting for them all.

Doesn't that poem choke you up a bit??? I'm such a marshmallow... I totally cried. I'm just so thankful for all the sacrifices our veterans give for us to live in freedom.

This is another page I created in MDS2 for hubby. His grandfather, father, and his brothers also share in the honor of having served our country as Marines. Don't you just love a man in uniform???  :}

I can't begin to tell you how completely awed I was on Friday. I am so thankful and blessed that my children attend a school that spends as much effort honoring veterans as it does celebrating other holidays. The school held an assembly on Friday, with coffee and yummies for veterans before the assembly started. I thought the kids were just going to sing a song or two and clap for the veterans... boy was I wrong! 

After the 600 students filled the bleachers and the parents and veterans were officially welcomed, the assembly opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem sung so well by a 5th grade student that it gave me chills. Everyone - EVERYONE - stood, removed their caps, held their hands over their hearts, and saved their applause until the soloist finished. 4th and 5th grade students took turns reading about the history of Veteran's Day and sharing poetry. There was even a flag folding ceremony. And the entire grade school sang five songs so well, you couldn't help but smile. 

My Dad - a retired veteran and teacher - was just as amazed as I was. Although I did tease him for coming just so he could have some doughnuts.  ;)  While we were mingling in the cafeteria, I saw these adorable art projects the students created. 

 inside the speech bubble: We are thankful for our Veterans!!! 

Aren't these projects great?! If I were still in the classroom, I would definitely do these projects with my students. LOVE them!! 

I will leave you with a short video of the students singing their hearts out: 

God bless all the the men and women who so bravely serve our country!  

working through grief

It's been a really long week, and I'm looking forward to starting a fresh one tomorrow. My Grandad passed away Monday night. His visitation was Thursday evening, and the funeral was Friday morning. I'm so thankful we have a close, loving family that is there to support each other in troubling times. 
Maybe it's just me, but music and scrapbooking are comforting to me in times of sadness. I like to hole up in the evenings after the kids are in bed, turn on some of my favorite music, and work with family photos. Sometimes I create digital pages, sometimes I work on traditional scrapbook pages. 
I've been working on a digital scrapbook using some of my Grandad's pictures. My mother made a huge (70 pages!) digital scrapbook, that we burned onto a disc. It was really nice to have it playing at the visitation, and talk about happy times with our friends and family. Here's the scrapbook I made for myself: 

Of course the first few times I watched my scrapbook, I bawled like a baby. But like I said, this helps me work through my grief. As I watch it now, I think about the happy stories and memories my family made through the years, and I'm looking forward to many more to come. The book isn't quite finished yet, but it's at the point I want it to be... for now.
Thanks for stopping by, and a big thanks to those who've kept my family in thoughts and prayers. 

PS- don't forget to set your clocks back tonight!   :}

Stink, Stank, Stunk!

I don't usually create punch art projects... I leave those to the experts. But I was playing in my stamping space when this idea came to me, and it just had to be done. 
This Christmas card is for my hubby. He can be quite the Grinch at Christmas time, which I don't get. I mean, what exactly does he have to get stressed about? Buying all the gifts? Wrapping them? Preparing Holiday meals? Decorating? I do all that! And I still walk around with a big old goofy smile on my face while singing Christmas songs. I think he'll be getting this card the day after Thanksgiving with a friendly note inside ;)

Hilarious, right???!  And I'll bet you're still singing the song... I am  :) 

To make the card base (Grinch's face) I folded 8-1/2" x 4-1/4" Lucky Limeade card stock in half. I die cut it in the Big Shot using the Top Note Bigz Die, making sure that the folded edge did not get cut. 

Here's what I used to make the rest of Mr. Grinch...  

HAT

Cherry Cobbler card stock & Perfect Pennants Bigz Die

Whisper White card stock, 1" & 3/4" circle punches, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder

EYEBROWS

Basic Black card stock "nipped" with the teeny postage-stamp punch

EYES

So Saffron card stock & 1" Circle Punch 

Soft Suede card stock & largest circles in the Owl Builder punch 

Nose

Small Heart punch

After adhering all the pieces to the front, I used a Basic Black Marker to draw the mouth. That's it!

Just curious... do you have any Grinches in your family? What do you do to keep them happy... lots of eggnog and wine???  :) 

speedy notecards

Ugh. That's my word for today :( 
I've given birth to two children. The first with an attempted epidural that turned into a sort of spinal tap, and the second was an ohmygoodness, don'tpush, Ineedadoctor, notimefordrugs, herehecomes experience. I'm quite sure I would rather go through both of those experiences again over having dental work. Yesterday at my dentist's office (thank goodness they're so nice) I had to have some things fixed. I had one teeny tiny cavity, and then I needed a repair to the filling that was coming loose on a front tooth (broke off parts of my front teeth in 2nd grade; running on cement = bad idea). So that means I had two, TWO, shots in the upper gums yesterday.  Ugh.
I spent most of the evening on the couch in my jammies feeling like my head had been hit with a hammer, so today I'm sharing cards made by those two darling children I just mentioned.  ;) 

stamp sets: Need for Speed, Sassy Salutations 

Ben(8) designed his card with the race car, and then Aaron(5) followed Ben's lead. They were making Notecards to thank those who sponsored them in a fundraising walk at school. I had Ben write the message inside: 

I didn't have the heart to correct his spelling.  :} 

My boys love papercrafting just as much as I do! Plus, it's nice to do an activity together that doesn't involve ninjas.  ;) 

When you're ordering supplies, don't forget that your little ones might like something, too. If you're worried about spending too much on the "kid stash," check out my Online-Only Clearance Rack. Several new items were just added. 

Ok, I'm off to tackle this crazy day. Ben has a doctor's appointment out of town, so I'll be getting him from school in a little bit. And when I bring him back to school, I'm finally off to the Pumpkin Patch with Aaron's class. Yay for no rain today!! Aaron has been so upset with all the rain delays. Cross your fingers that I get some good pictures!  :} 

scrappin' Halloween

When I joined Stampin' Up! five years ago, I had visions of getting all caught up on my scrapbooking. Stop laughing. It didn't happen... it's not happening... it won't happen anytime soon. I get a little more done now than I did then... thank goodness for My Digital Studio! I spend a lot of time on each scrapbook page; sometimes it takes me a week or more to finish. So cards are naturally appealing to me as something I can finish in a short amount of time. 
Since I spend a lot of time making cards, I was really happy to get a scrapbook page done for my Halloween class at the bakery. 

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to use this in a new 8x8 album, or if I'm going to add this page on top of a 12x12 page. I like the new 8x8 size; it might help me get caught up on my scrapbooking a little faster  ;) 
Planning my class around the Ghoulish Googlies Bundle made choosing the colors easy (Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White). I added the Basic Gray for a little bit more contrast. 

The bat and the mummy are stamped in black StazOn ink and "fussy cut." After adhering them to the page with Dimensionals, I added the googly eyes... CUTE! 
My Big Shot got a good workout to create this page! The Spider Web Embossing Folder, Sweet Buttons Embosslit, and the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die all got to come out and play  :)

On a side note, I had a beautiful start to my morning. The boys both slept well and woke up in great moods. I successfully tried a new recipe for breakfast. And I got to sit on the deck in the sunshine drinking coffee, while chatting with my hubby. Well, chatting on the phone anyway. I was so glad to hear from him, since he was traveling all night. (Don't you just love how men don't need hotel rooms - they can just take turns driving... ugh.) Chris is traveling to Wyoming with some friends and his brother for an antelope hunt. If you have a moment, any thoughts and prayers for a safe trip would be appreciated :) 
While I'm not thrilled about his little vacation, I do hope they are successful. With the price of meat sure to go up soon due to our dry summer, it would be nice to have a freezer full of cheap meat. Hmmmm, I think a Pinterest search for antelope recipes would be a "productive" way to spend the afternoon, don't you?  ;) 

back to school... back to spool!

Every late-Summer, I think about that office supply store's commercial from a few years ago... the one with the Mom gliding down the store's aisle with a huge grin - while the music "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" plays in the background - and the kids come trudging along behind her.  :}
My boys were not exactly thrilled to start school, but thankfully they are enjoying it now. Aaron is especially excited about it! He loves riding the big bus, and he's happy to be at the same school as Ben. For the past week, Aaron has told me every day, "Mom, I love my new school!" Music to my ears! I adore his teacher, and I think Aaron will always have fond memories of Kindergarten. Ben is still trying to transition to the new school routines and learn his way around, while making new friends. Things seem to be improving, and he is a little happier each day. Plus, he is ecstatic to start Cub Scouts in a few weeks. And apparently, he has a "girlfriend???" since one of the girls told him that she "loves him."  What???? Third grade??!! Lord, help me... 

Here are a few pages I created using My Digital Studio. I had all these fabulous pages planned in my head, and of course the boys wanted nothing to do with photographs on the first day of school. Oh well... 
I created these pages in minutes by starting with a designer template and adding my own touches. I think that the Downtown Grunge and Back to School kits are going to get tons of playtime - they are two of my favorites! Plus, I am working with MDS2, which makes creating soooooo much easier. The more I play with it, the more I understand why Holly Linford had such a hard time deciding which one of the new features was her favorite!

And now that the kids are back to school, it's playtime for Mommy!! You can add some extra fun to your playtime with Stampin' Up!'s promotion for September  :}

click here to shop in my online store

Need a good laugh? Check out this video that Stampin' Up! had waaaaay too much fun creating: 



Well, I'm off to pick Ben up from a birthday party. Happy stamping... and shopping  ;)

I LOVE my dentist!

Yes, you read that title correctly ;} 

I feel so blessed to have found the most wonderful dentist on this planet. And it's not just my dentist who is so amazing... the whole office is! They are some of the sweetest people I've ever met. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had more to say about the kids going to the dentist, so here ya go...

My youngest, Aaron, had no problems at all. It was his first trip to the dentist, so he was a little nervous and silly, but all went well :)
However, Benjamin is going to have quite a bit of dental work coming his way (appliances, braces, etc). Sooooo, to get that ball rolling, Ben had to have those really fun impressions of his teeth taken. Now, my sweet little Ben has the strongest gag reflex of any human. Ever. In fact, his first day of Kindergarten, he gagged on some "lick & stick" paper pieces while working on a craft. I remember the teachers and office staff laughing at how they'd never seen a kid do that before. And don't even think about asking Ben to lick an envelope for you! Anyway, let's just say that the impressions didn't go well. Our dentist was so patient and understanding, and she kept trying to work with Ben. I kept thinking that she probably shouldn't wear such cute shoes to work ;}  Since I'm pretty sure the staff ended up washing two loads of towels that day, I had to put together a funny "thank-you" gift.

After wrapping up the towels with some ribbon, I added a pretty flower (inspired by the notebook on p116 of the catalog). 

And I tucked a cute little 3x3 card under the ribbon: 

I LOVE that I can make coordinating gifts and cards!! 

stamp sets: Daydream Medallions, A Word For You

ink: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Regal Rose

card stock: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Regal Rose, Whisper White

punch: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border

Big Shot and Floral Frames Framelits Dies

Accessories: Daffodil Delight button, White Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones

You can find these goodies and more in my online store  :}

We were pretty bummed that after all that work, the lab couldn't use any of the "top" impressions. So I took Ben in this morning (at 7am- yowza!) for round 2. 

Dr. Natalie tried a few different techniques, and I am happy to report that she got a good impression on the first try!! Woohoo!!!! Now, on to the next step... :}

Have a wonderful weekend!

Back to School!

I can not believe that tomorrow is the first day of school for my boys! Tonight was "Back to School Night," so we got to meet the teachers and drop off school supplies. Here's the little gift I took for Ben's third-grade teacher: 

I wrapped up the "Flat Stanley" series of books in Kraft paper, and then made it all pretty with a band of Storytime DSP. 

I made a quick 3x3 card by punching a strip of Riding Hood Red card stock with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, and then adding two trimmed layers of the Storytime DSP.

I wish I'd found some time to add some stamping to the wrapping paper, but there just weren't enough hours in the days for me this week. Next time :)

making progress

I finally feel like maybe things are settling down... maybe :}  I found an excellent dentist for our family, who does a fabulous job with children (more on that later). I am also blessed to have found a wonderful pediatrician! And because both the dentist's and pediatrician's office staff knew I would be needing 'proof of visit' paperwork and 'signed forms for keeping medication at school' to start the boys in their new school, they had it ready for me, saving me those second trips to collect everything - yay!  And the pediatrician's office even scheduled Ben's appointments for an allergist and a pediatric urologist for me.  Now I just have to get the kids to the eye doctor, and I think all of the requirements will be met... whew!

I literally used up an entire pen to fill out a mountain of paperwork in the past month. Some of those papers were for the new school district, and on Tuesday, I registered the boys at their new school.

I can't believe my little Aaron will be starting Kindergarten!! He looks so small compared to this huge building! Of course I couldn't show up to school registration without some cute little gifts... 

There's nothing like chocolate to help a teacher's day get a little better, especially a 12-hour day! We also met with the school nurse - one of the sweetest people on earth, I think. And we met one of the "Parent's Club" moms and the librarian, too. Everyone was super helpful! 

Here's a side view so you can see the details of this simple card:

I cut my card stock base to measure 3-1/2" wide by 10-1/8" long. Then I used the Simply Scored to score at 5" and 5-1/8" so that the card would close a little easier over the chocolate square. The Whisper White layer is cut 3" wide by 4-1/2" long. (Stamp sets: Friendly Phrases and Bright Blossoms)

Well, I'm off to get the boys a snack before heading to the church's zoo night. Happy stamping!!

where did Jenn go???

I have a confession to make... I am not Superwoman. Oh, how I have tried! But for the past 18 months, my life has been beyond crazy, and it's taking all my strength and sanity to keep everything together.
I feel bad complaining, since I know there are so many other families with more troubles than I have. But I need to let a little bit out... so here goes.
In February 2011, my husband was laid off from his job as a research scientist. Since his job paid the mortgage (among other things), and we have no family even remotely close by, we were pretty stressed. I took a part-time job in retail while he searched high and low for work. (The word "overqualified" has become a swear word in our home.)
To make things extra fun, one week in November, my furnace broke, the radiator in our car died, and my dryer quit. (Hmmmm, almost sounds like a country song...) Thank goodness I have an awesome neighbor who let me use her dryer for several months until we saved enough to repair ours. I'm sure my other neighbors were wondering why I was dragging all of our wet clothes next door! Luckily, in December, Chris did find a job... out of state. So, since then, he has been working in central Illinois, while I stayed in Wisconsin with our boys.
Hats off to all you single Moms out there; I am not cut out to be a single parent! I had to quit my part-time job, which I was really enjoying, since I had no one to watch my 4-year-old in the afternoon. And there were some days I wish I could erase from the books. Getting the kids ready for school and to their buses on time... PTO meetings... teacher conferences... field trips... playdates... Cub Scouts... my stamping business... cooking... cleaning... it's just too much for this one person. Especially while trying not to cry when your boys are crying because they miss their Dad so much.
For the past two months, I have been getting my house ready to sell. I rented a storage place, and started packing up non-essential items. And boy, oh boy, do my children have a different opinion on "non-essential" than I do! My husband has been driving home on Friday evenings, through Chicago-land traffic, to help me work on home improvement projects. He then got up at 3:30 on Monday mornings to drive to work. I'll be honest with you - it's been hell.
Luckily, I had Stampin' Up!'s annual Convention to look forward to. So, after working like crazy the weekend before Convention, I listed my house.

This is a sickening experience for me. We bought our house as a foreclosure 9-1/2 years ago. And we worked very hard to make it a nice home, putting in a lot of hard work and money. I hate to leave it. And I am just awestruck at the negative comments from those who have viewed our home... "confusing layout"... "needs to be move-in ready"... "don't like the decor"... "it's too blue"... and the list goes on... I think HGTV has ruined people's perspective on what they actually think they should be getting in a home. Other than redoing the interior of my home, I'm open to any suggestions you have to offer...
Stamping has always been my "therapy," and having so many of my pretties packed up is driving me insane. I miss stamping with my friends and teaching classes. I'm nervous about starting my business all over. And I just plain hate moving.
As I said, I was lucky enough to be able to attend Convention this year :}  And I promise I will share that experience with you as soon as I can. I already started working on my digital scrapbook- yay!!
So for those of you who have stuck around and managed to make it to the end of this novel, I thank you. I will be sharing more projects sporadically as I get a few minutes here and there throughout the next month or so. Wish me luck, include my family in your prayers, and think happy thoughts!  :}

I'm still here...

Isn't it "funny" how every time you get really good plans into place, with all the details worked out, that something throws every plan out the window??? At least that what happens to me... a lot. I guess that's why I'm not much of a "planner."
Everything started out fine... I loaded up the mini-van and drove to Illinois. It was hot, and there was plenty of construction, but that's to be expected, so no biggie. My hubby and I were helping my brother and sister-in-law throw a party to celebrate my parents' 40th anniversary. While I watched the three kiddos, my hubby worked his magic on the mountain of kabobs, and my brother and sister-in-law prepared the most amazing and beautiful spread of food. My brother works in catering for Illinois State University, so he knows how to make all the pretty little extras and arrange everything so it looks sooooo fancy  :}

We even managed to get a "not too bad" family photo! I'm amazed that both of my boys were looking at the camera! I only wish I had asked one of the dozens of guests to take a photo of the whole family. I'll have to remember that for their 50th!  :}
I was planning on driving back home Monday, but my youngest son's asthma flared up, big time. As it was nearing bedtime, hubby and I decided we needed to head to the ER. The extra meds in the ER weren't working very quickly, so he was admitted. We ending up spending two nights in the hospital with him  :( 
Aaron is doing much better now. He's running around and playing with all his favorite toys. If you saw him today, you would never guess he had been in the hospital this week. Thank goodness kids bounce back so quickly!
So now I'm not only behind on all of my housework and home improvement plans, I'm behind on posting projects, too. I have lots of projects to share, so in between laundry, mopping, painting, etc. I'll be getting those photos ready to share with you. Thanks for sticking around!  :}

digital scrapbook page

I've been working on a scrapbook page for my husband, and while this one is more suitable for Veteran's Day than Memorial Day, I thought I would share it today anyway... 

I created this page using My Digital Studio and the following Digital items: Number One Digital Kit, Downtown Grunge Photobook Template, Keep this Memory Photobook Template, and Staples (included on MDS content disc).

I really like how this scrapbook page turned out... it's a nice tribute to my husband's family's commitment to serving our country. Chris's brothers also served in the Marine Corps, so I might end up working on some pages for them... after I finish my own projects - HA! I am so thankful for the men and women who have fought and continue to fight to keep America free. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their brave loved ones. I can't even begin to imagine that kind of pain.

As America celebrates Memorial Day, let us take a few minutes to pay tribute to those who have given their lives in our nation's wars.