My baby is THREE!!!

Hard to believe!!!! :)

Just a quick post to share a few photos! She requested a birthday dinner of pancakes and eggs, followed by a mini cake!







I know, these could really use a quick crop, but you get the idea! ;) Have a great day! :)

Hello!

All right I know, I've drifted into one of my disappearing acts. I have good reasons - I promise!

Since the last time I blogged it seems like the sickies have been hanging around on my doorstep. It started with Abigale's hurt foot, then two days later at UTI set in.....THEN another day or two later we BOTH came down with a stomach bug! Yuck! I really think we were both exposed to something with all those extra doc visits! Then the last week or so allergies hit hard and my voice gave out...I'm better now, but I still am not at 100% with the voice. No fun.

Abigale has started ballet and tap at the Little Gym! She is adorable! Her class is now an hour, so the first half is the dance and the second half is the gymnastics. It's mommy free now, so the first class was a bit hard - she was checking for me out the window....but the second was better....by the third she had it down! She definitely has to concentrate a bit more during the ballet. There is more instruction and following the directions, so I think beyond the dance itself, this should prepare her for good listening skills. I took a few pictures before we left for the first day - I'll have to share soon!

AND my baby turns THREE tomorrow! Where did that time go??? At library story time yesterday they sang Happy Birthday and she received a book! She was very tickled!

With the birthday comes the birthday party... We decided to have it in the backyard so that has brought about lots of home improvement chores. The living room has been painted (baseboards cleaned, cracks patched, etc etc), as well as the hallway, and everything is now back in it's place. I'm glad that I can check that off the list for a few years! I still would like to paint the patio, but I think that may just have to wait.

PDP moved over to a brand new shopping cart this week! I'm still working on updating some previews and have a few products missing from the store, but they'll return soon!

Ok, for the few minutes I have I think that wraps up what's going on over here! Today is my mom's birthday so I'm going to try to whip up some kind of birthday dessert - better get to planning on that!

Cute Moment :)

Abigale and I are just hanging out today. I decided to run over to McDonald's to grab lunch so that we could get out of the house for a minute. I ordered and paid when I hear a little voice in the back seat getting my attention. Abigale is holding out all her money...around 6 cents...to pay for her Happy Meal. Sweet thing! :) I told her I'd take care of it this time around. :)

We're working on p.o.t.t.y. training today. I'll update more about this *fun* experience later. :)

If you don't get the pdp emails, just wanted to note that all my stuff is 25% off this weekend!

Happy Bloggaversary to Me! :)

I realized a couple of days ago that I have been blogging (or at least neglecting dear old blog) for 2 years now! My how time flies!

It's been a rough day. Abigale had Little Gym, and was so excited about it, but when we got there she froze up. They have been working on separating the parents and kids so that they would be ready to move up to 3 year old classes on their own. We (the moms) have been sitting against the "big yellow wall" for a couple of weeks and today was the day that Abigale's teacher decided the parents should sit OUTSIDE the classroom. All the other kids are fine with it, doing their thing, playing and following directions. Then there is Abigale, hands wrapped around my legs crying "I want my Mommy!!!" (Which is something she's been doing over the past week even when I AM all hers...but that's a whole other story.) So I did my best to encourage her to play - and she did her best to cling - it was a long 45 minutes. Towards the end I finally had her some what participating when it happens....she turns fast on the mat, twists her foot into some kind of un-natural position and cries a cry of extreme pain. Abigale is one tough kid, she can take the punches with the best of them, but this HURT.

sigh, what's a mama to do?

Anyway, I watched her for a few minutes...she stopped crying...she tried to walk - more crying. I know she had sharp pains based on the way she breathed and cried. We ended up at CareNow (after waiting at home for over an hour - at least they have that online check in!) and they looked it over, did x-rays, watched her walk etc etc. She would only walk on the heal of her right foot - no toes at all. They determined it was most likely a sprain or a bone bruise (there was a specific term she used...but of course it escapes me as I write this up). So glad it wasn't a break, it's just so hard to tell what's going on with these little people!

She seems fine now, no worse for the wear!

I mentioned last post that I was working on a new resolution....really it's an old resolution but I'm trying a bit harder! There is something about the end of summer, and the typical prep for a new school year that always puts me in gear. Even now that I'm not teaching I feel that pull - and it's hit me that I really need to get organized and decluttered. Both my home...and my day...if that makes sense. So I'm really trying to look hard at what things I can change piece by piece to get it all together. I've worked on flylady principles - and bit by bit I'm trying to incorporate her routines into my day. I'm not doing great, I'll tell you that. But I still think any effort is a step in the right direction.

One step, a costly one, was an investment in a new vacuum. The one I had just wasn't picking anything up and the fact that I have a toddler who plays all day everyday on the floor makes me cringe. So, that being said....I am now the new proud owner of this!



A Dyson DC14 Animal! I got a pretty good deal on it - definitely did not pay retail value. I know it's really sad that I'm excited about a vacuum, but seriously, I've thought this out for months. So far we've ran it up and down the hall - and YUCK a full canister. Amazing how much cat hair is floating around here. Is it sad that I take a little pleasure in seeing all the junk it picks up....makes me feel productive...like I've done something. I figure that if we keep this vacuum as long as the old Dirt Devil..approx 10 years...it'll more than pay for itself.

Robbie is now testing out all the Dyson gadgets, he's giving the floor and the furniture a good vacuum! He ordered Italian for dinner tonight since I was stressed after Abigale's foot incident *and* he ordered my favorite chocolate cheesecake. I'm a lucky girl. :)

Splash!

Playing around with Smile Box and the cute pool pics I took last week! I love that Dani has some fun designs on there!! (warning, I didn't do any photo touchups!!)

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

Check it out!! :)

Home Sweet Home!

Warning, this is a really LONG post! :)

Finally home again! It's been a whirlwind week (really two) of CHA Chicago, camping with family, and visiting with my parents in Houston! We're finally getting back in to the swing of things again around here.

I left for CHA (the Craft and Hobby Association Convention) on Thursday, July 19th. Robbie's birthday was that Friday so we celebrated on Wednesday. Robbie has had his birthday well planned out since Rowling released the date of the last Harry Potter Book - so his plan was to race up at midnight (Sat morning) and spend the entire day reading... In a last minute stroke of inspiration I decided to make him a "Potter Reading Fest Survival Kit".....and as in with anything last minute, you can't locate *anything* you're looking for! So despite running around looking for cute Harry Potter themed gifts...I finally decide I have to get really creative and just make it myself! (Mind you this is in the middle of packing and preparing for the conference!)

So, I run through Wal-Mart grab some Jelly beans - the knock offs of Jelly Belly's that have a ton of different flavors inside - and turn those into Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans - except in my rush to do them I couldn't remember the name and didn't have time to look it up...so they became "Burt's" Every Flavor Beans...a big "Hagrid Sized" bag. The sad thing is I KNOW Jelly Belly makes a Bertie Bott's package around Harry Potter promotion time...but I couldn't find them anywhere!! NOW I'm seeing them everywhere...ugh! I also grabbed a bag of Twizzlers to turn into Licorice Wands.

I had already purchased a couple of CDs a friend suggested for Robbie - and labeled those "Muggle Music, Under Investigation of Muggle Artifacts Dept".

And to finish it all off, I made a withdrawal of 20 Galleons (which I of course misspelled) so that he could buy his book.

I threw together the digital part of the product in literally 15 min or so, frantically trying to print and put it together before he walked through the door. (Again - that's my excuse for the misspelled info) It turned out cute none the less. He even asked where I bought the packaging, he thought it looked professional! Silly boy! :)


Here is a quick picture of the final product plus the Pizzazz paper pack (which was in my grab bag, very fun with a bit of sparkle) that I used to put it all together!

On Thursday it was off to Chicago! I was preparing Abigale for the fact that I was leaving and our conversation was priceless....it went a little something like this...

Me: I'm going to leave on an airplane in just a little bit and you get to go see Grammy and Pappaw, doesn't that sound like fun

A: Mama Airplane?? (She has this way of raising her voice really high as she asks short questions to clarify.

Me: Yes, I'm getting on an airplane. :) But YOU get to go see Grammy and Pappaw!!!

A: I go see Grammy, Pappaw?? At Pappaw's house?

Me: Yup!

A: Thinks on this for a minute....Mama go on airplane.... Daddy and Abigale ride helicopter!!!

Me: Ummmm you're going to have to take that one up with Daddy!

Luckily I was able to walk away from the car without tears, I think the fact that the airport scares me a bit (all the rules and directions and people watching you) had me distracted. :)

We made it there safely and had the BEST Chicago Deep Dish Pizza for dinner, YUM!

CHA was great, a whirlwind of activity - complete overstimulation while totally inspiring all at the same time! I had the best roomies, Ashley, Tanya, and Christine! We were able to meet up with Yvonne, she was so busy though! But really, here is the story I've just been waiting to blog about.... :)

Ashley and Yvonne both took part in a discussion over digital in traditional scrapbooking stores. Before the session started we sat in a waiting area right outside of the women's bathroom. Someone walks past us and I do one of those double takes...the "I know that person feeling"...when I spot Genevieve Gorder of Trading Spaces. I definitely do not know her, but I know her face!! :) Everyone was so busy preparing that I just didn't say anything and figured I would mention it later. The discussion went well and afterwards we were standing outside discussing this and that when she walked by again. (She was a key note speaker for the conference and had some kind of seminar later that evening.) This time I asked Ashley if she saw her and before I even finished Ashley spins on her heels tells me to grab my camera and makes a dash to the bathroom door....

Ashley: Grab your camera Amanda! (runs to the door)

Amanda: You are NOT following her into the bathroom!!!

Ashley: Uh, yeah I am! I've done it to Marie Osmond and I'll do it to her too!

Amanda: *I'm* not following you in there goof. (I don't remember if I actually called her a goof, but in retrospect I think I should have!

Ashley: Fine, them I'm waiting right here. (Plants herself right in the entrance so that she won't be able to avoid her)

Genevieve walks out of the bathroom.

Ashley: Can I get a picture with you? :)

Genevieve was so extremely nice. She laughs, says she's just washed her hands and offers to shake Ashley's hand. She asked us about the conference and was just a really all around sweet person - if she was bothered about the bathroom ambush she didn't show it. :)

Yvonne and I both jumped in for a photo too - I mean really Ashley had already started it! ;)

Is she tall or what?

While in Chicago we did some tourist fun things as well. We took the Gangster Tour of downtown, did a little bit of walking through downtown, and spent the evening at Navy pier. Which I have assured my husband was not full of sailors...but he doesn't seem to believe me! :)

Here are a few fun photos:

Did I mention that one of my contacts ripped on the first day? My very last pair at that - so I spent most of the trip feeling like I had just gotten up from a nap!

Lots of fun in Chicago! I returned to jump in the car and drive out to Pedernales Falls for some camping with my parents, aunt and uncle (and some of their family). I felt like a zombie! We did a safari farm wagon ride, toured some caverns outside of San Antonio, toured several LBJ & Lady Bird related museums/home places, visited a working historical farm (set in the 1910's I believe), and walked downtown Fredricksburg. I took pictures of some of those things...but I think I'll have to update on all of that another time! It was definitely an educational camping trip.... lol :)

I wrapped up the week at my parents and ended up home at last on Sunday evening. We spent much of yesterday around the house and catching up on some errands. Abigale was able to spend some time in her play pool and I caught a few cute photos - just haven't downloaded them yet!

Today we spent had a steamy visit to the zoo. I feel like I have to get in at least one trip a month - and the month is over as of today!

I've made some resolutions over the past week that maybe I'll share tomorrow - I really would like to put something into place before I begin babbling about all of my new found goals! Have a great day and if you read through all this I hope you at least enjoyed it! :)

Big Update!

So much has been going on that I've neglected dear old blog again! :) In fact so much that I don't even know where to start!

First, my favorite news, Abigale has a new cousin!! :) A sweet little girl was born to Robbie's cousin on Saturday. She's adorable and already quite a talker!!! We have been able to see her a couple of times and I smelled like baby all yesterday evening. Can't wait to hold her again! :) It will be nice for Abigale to have another child in the family to grow up with!

Second, my disturbing and annoyed news! On Saturday we made plans to meet a good friend and his twins for dinner at McDonald's. Some place where we could talk but yet the girls could play and be loud without annoying anyone. So, I leave the house right on time, walk out and start the car so it can start cooling off. At this point Abigale is standing right beside me. I look over and see that Mr Mailman has delivered the mail and once again left our mailbox wide open. (This is a daily annoyance with me, especially with all the RAIN we've had!!!) So I tell Abigale to stay there and I walk the 10 feet over to the mailbox. Abigale stayed right by the open door exactly where I told her to. I picked her up to put her in her car seat, closed the passenger side door, go to open the back door when I realize it's locked. Yup, while I got the mail my daughter was discovering the joys of automatic locks in all their glory. Ugh! At that point I had one of those moments where you know deep down that all the doors are locked, but you try them anyway, including the hatch. Did I mention that my house key was on the same keyring? Yup, that's right, we're locked out of the house too.

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So are you following me so far? Car running, doors locked, Abigale (thankfully) safe with me locked out of EVERYTHING!

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Some how by the GRACE of God, I had put my cell phone in my pocket. Anyone who knows me knows what a miracle this is - it's usually so far buried in a bag or purse that I can't find it before it stops ringing! I called Robbie, and of course he was delayed on a call and was just leaving downtown. So he's about 45 minutes away. Luckily Dave, our friend, was able to head from the McDonald's out to the house, which was still a good 25 min away. This of course happened the same weekend that our good friends with our spare house key were out of town.

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To make matters worse, the rain we've been having provided a super natural breeding ground for Mosquitoes - I was slapping of 4 or 5 at a time. My legs look like maybe I've caught some kind of pox related condition.

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But, we're safe and happy now and I have definitely learned my lesson.

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This morning I awoke to a different light coming through the window. We have a peach tree right beside the window and there was lots of extra light coming in. I peaked out the window and quickly found the problem. One of the branches was so completely weighed down by peaches that it snapped under the weight. I can't believe how many peaches we have this year!!! I guess that's one good thing about the rain that I can't complain about! Abigale helped us pick a big basket full, and there are still a ton left on the tree that need a little more time to ripen!

Lots of other little things going on in our daily life...I'll have to post more as they come to me. :)

Ok, one last thing...there are 2 days left for the Potato Sacks over at PDP!!! Mine is loaded with $10 worth of stuff for only $2!!!! If you're a little worried about buying, everything will be put in the store for FULL price after the sale! But I promise, it's a STEAL for only $2!!!

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In fact, here's a little sneak peek!

That's all I have to report for now!!!! Have a great day!

Word is out on the street...

that I have a soft spot for stray kitties. sigh. Yes, another one has appeared on our front porch..I think that makes 3 kitties in less than a year. Before anyone gets in a panic I did not let it in - BUT I can't help but leave it some food. It is literally skin and bones, poor thing. I really don't think it could be older than a year. I am a little worried that one day when my child is grown and my hair is grey that I'll be known as the crazy cat lady... :)

Abigale fixed my hair today...or maybe I should say decorated my pony tail. I have three plastic Hello Kitty hair thingies here and there on my head. She says I'm pretty - I'm just going to take her word for it. :)

My goals for today are to get at least 2 loads of laundry washed, folded, and put away, toys cleaned up in the living room, and to work on part 2 of my Potato Sack surprise! I'm hoping putting my to do list her on the blog will provide some kind of accountability to get it done! :)

We are also planning a little Ice Cream stop with Robbie's Aunt and Uncle are in town - should be fun!

Have a great day!

Camo Camper!!!

Just a quick post! My newest kit, Camo Camper is up at PDP!!!

This is such a fun, and a bit grungy, kit! I really love how it all came together so I hope you'll check it out! :) It's on SALE today for 30% off!!!

There are also a ton of other fun nature stuff on sale! Be sure to check those out too!!!

Check out these two fantastic freebies over at Polkadotpotato!!!

My freebie (on the left) includes 12x12 AND 12x24 Lady Liberty papers PLUS a 2pager template ready and waiting for your 4th of July photos!!

Plus you can catch these fun 4th items at 40% off!!!!!!!

You can also grab everything else in the store at 20% off!!!!!!

Have a great 4th!!!!!

SOS!

I'm starting to have fears that Abigale and I may be sitting on our roof awaiting a rescue! The rain has entered flash flood status. It hit hard and fast, and then is gone about as quickly as it came! (pictures to come...scroll down!)

Saturday it rained out our friends annual July 4th party. We still had the BBQ but the fireworks were cancelled.

Sunday - our mad dash across the metroplex was delayed due to rain. It flooded our street and Robbie and the neighbor had to actually push a car that's engine flooded up the street and out of the way. But, as soon as the rain let up... the extra water drained off.

Speaking of Sunday.... we had a baby dedication for Stephen w/lunch following at church, celebrated Robbie's grandmother's 90th birthday, AND made it across town to celebrate Isabelle's 2nd birthday. All with only a 20 min nap for Abigale - it was amazing that she made it through the day without a melt down!!!

Monday we rested up! I found the *cutest* thing ever at Walmart. Abigale *loves* cars (and trains...and airplanes...and helicopters - really any kind of transportation) and immediately started asking for one. She doesn't do this everywhere we go, but I think she's discovered that I generally have a weakness for anything under a $1 and usually give in at Walmart.

Anyway - so we're browsing through the toy department when I find the perfect toy for Abigale. Sure she can have a hot wheel.......OR she can have these really cute girly Polly Pocket "Wheels"! :)

Ok, I know, I think her mama is way more excited about it than she is...but they really are adorable. There are lots of different styles and they come with a cute little Polly person that rides in the car. They are a little taller than a hot wheel - but otherwise about the same size. Abigale is really good about not putting things in her mouth - so even though it says 4 plus, I think she'll be completely ok. They were $3 each....so not as cheap as a hot wheel, but not budget breaking either. (ETA - when I was looking around for a photo I found them for anywhere from $3.50 to $5 - so looks like Walmart has a good deal!) I'm looking forward to collecting them with her ;) :)

Ok, back on track here. Monday night we had dinner with our friend Kara and Scott (and their son Travis too!) They're moving to Arizona soon - so I'm trying not to think about that. We had a great time and will miss them SO MUCH!

Then... there is today, which rounds us right around to the rain again. The street flooded AGAIN and I caught some more photos....crazy I tell you! Our house is elevated from the street so, this is even deeper than it appears. I'm hoping I don't log in tomorrow to tell you we are actually floating down the street!

As promised....

I'm back today with some new product previews!

I like to create things that give people a little time, take some stress out of their day....help them to get 'er done....

This huge collection has 20 templates!!! They are a perfect start to any layout and take some of the brain work out of layout design! Make them your own with your favorite papers and embellishments - get straight to the fun part!!!! Remember, they can be rotated and flipped - so the possibilities are endless! Create an album in a snap!

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....and....

The Big Pic is my next 2pager set! I have to admit, I'm addicted to these! Event layouts were so overwhelming to me, there are so many pictures that all tell the story....and where to put them! ack! But, with these templates, I just choose my favorites and plug them in! Plus, this set includes fun photo curls!!! This set does include some extra page design (unlike my previous set) however you can easily turn off these layers and just use the photo arrangement!

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Ashley did the layout in my preview. Didn't it turn out cute!! All the stuff in both preview layouts can be found over at pdp - just go to the template description for credits.

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Plus, to make the deal a little sweeter - pdp is having a store wide template SALE!!!! You can get these brand new sets for 25% off!!!! Stock up now for all your summer layouts!!!

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AND don't miss the HUGE retirement sale! Over 200 products at 60% off for only 2 weeks...then they're GONE!

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Abigale and I are actually going to stay HOME today! Whew, it sad, but I'm looking forward to just relaxing and maybe getting some laundry done! It looks like more rain is coming in, so maybe it will soothe Abigale for a nice long nap this afternoon....I think we BOTH need that!!

Have a fun day!

Another busy week!

I've been teasing my friend Ashley, "Don't you know, I don't stay home during the summer!!" As much as I joke, it's really true. I feel like Abigale and I are out doing something EVERY DAY!!! It's all fun stuff, meeting friends for lunch, trips to the pool, library story time, Little Gym, picnics and walks over to the park. Something about summer springs me into action and I feel like we should be enjoying every minute. Don't cha know - the less you sleep, the longer summer lasts!!!

One thing I love about story time is not only does Abigale have a great time and an opportunity to see some kids - but it puts me at the library once a week. So, my library books are actually being returned on time! I am a little worried that the library will not be able to run without my financial support! Ok, I'm not that bad, it's just I'm notorious for returning things one to two days late!

Another thing I love about the library is FREE DVD rentals! It's hard to get a new release, but perfect stuff for Abigale. This week her request was a "Tiger" movie. We were able to find a "Between the Lions" DVD and she was willing to settle. Generally, the way it's been working is she tells me what she's interested in (last week it was trains) and we find a DVD and a few books. We were in a hurry, so I didn't grab a tiger book, but we have some here. I'm curious to see what next week's pick is! :)

Now since I've been so busy, that means my house work has been totally neglected...so one more thing before I force myself off the computer...



A HUGE retirement sale is running over at Polkadotpotato! Lots of stuff at 60% off!! Some items are as low as 40 cents!!!!

Check it out, because when it's gone, it's GONE!
Be sure to check back tomorrow, I'll have some new products up and another announcement you won't want to miss!!!

Rain Rain Go Away!!!

The amount of rain we have had lately is just out of control! I drove home in some flash flood type conditions and it was not pretty! Although it's keeping the heat down, it's getting a bit old!

Yesterday I took advantage of the rainy day and did a little scrapping! I've actually had time to do a few pages lately, but I only have 2 posted, so I'll just share those for now!

This first layout is from a recent zoo trip! We go to the zoo more often than most people...so I think I'm running out of ways to scrap it! :) I used one of my Crafty Corners templates, they were available for the Potato Bar, but will soon be available as a set over at PDP if you missed them.



Click here for credits or comments

I decided I wanted to scrap the Ta Da story while it was still fresh in my mind. If you missed it, please read the previous blog post!! I used a new kit by Sarah Jones and Miss Honey Bunny - Twinkle and Sparkle.



Click here for credits or comments

I am fast at work on a few new templates for Polkadotpotato - so look for them on Friday!!!

And on a side note - I don't know what is up with my child. This morning I found her slathering lotion all over herself AND THE FLOOR!!! Except this time it wasn't the 99cent variety, it was Happy perfume lotion! I don't know what I'm going to do with this girl!

Ta-da!

I assure you - you'll understand my title eventually!

It's been a crazy week around our household! Abigale's schedule has been a little off and she's been pushing the limits and a little cranky while doing it. Otherwise it's been a good week. Here's a little run down..

Monday - Robbie and I rented a movie Eragon (I say skip it, but Robbie really liked it) about half way through the movie we hear a guuuuuuuuuush. Yup, that would be Abigale's BRAND NEW container of "No More Tangles" spray being poured allllll over her Little Tykes car. (Which was in our living room only able to more a few feet in any direction to begin with!) So, there has been tangled hair and tears during every brushing this week.

Tuesday - We have an appointment to go to and Abigale is happily "playing" in the living room, so I sneak off to my room to get ready. It was nice, I had uninterrupted time to get dressed, fix my hair - even touch it up a bit with the curling iron, put on a little makeup.....I really never have time to get that far without Abigale at least streaking across the room - so at this point I know something MUST be up. I walk into the living room and Abigale is proudly smiling at her car and then to me, stretches out her hands, and says Ta-Da!!! Yup, that would be her car covered in FOOT LOTION! Every little bit, she took care to even get into the nooks and little details - all covered. Not to mention there were globs all over her little body! It was a laugh or cry moment....so I grabbed the camera. What else was I to do, she was so very proud of herself and even eager to pose for the photos. I did discuss with her that foot cream is not for the car, although now it is shiny and as soft as a baby's butt. ;) I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen again. So - with only about 10 min to spare, I wiped her and the car down, get her dressed, and surprisingly we were out the door and on time!




Robbie took us out to dinner that night at one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants. Abigale was really well behaved and we even went over to Half-Price books to browse. She got a collection of "The Little Train Who Could" stories, and I got a Christian Fiction book themed around Pirates on the clearance section. I'm almost half way through the book and I can see why it made it's way to the clearance shelf - so a little disappointed, but at least it was a different read.

Wednesday - Library story time - the theme was animals, colors, and mosaics. Abigale made a cute little project where she filled in a drawing with color squares that were cut from paint samples. She asked me to draw her a train and did really well filling the squares in on her own! I should take a picture of her artwork.... While at the library, her request was for a Thomas book and a Thomas movie. (Imagine that, are you seeing a theme here???) Thank goodness we were able to find both!

She was really restless for the rest of Wednesday, it was a long day. We did go to the park for a while before sunset and I even got some great pictures, but otherwise it was a loooooooong day!

Thursday - Little Gym - Abigale is now in the last parent/child class so although I'm still in the room - she's expected to do it on her own. The parents sit against the "Big Yellow Wall" and the children stay with the teacher. When needed we join in and help keep them into the sequence they're learning, but otherwise our job is to sit back and allow our children to become more independent. At times I'm a little sad to do this, I want to hold on to her for a bit longer - but I'm also so proud when I see her following the directions and trying things on her own. I saw her do a bear crawl and a sideways walk down a pair of rails, something she's never done on her own before!!

After the Little Gym, we went to a pool with a friend from the class. It was such a fun place with lots of splash area for the little ones. The water was maybe ankle or a tad higher on me. Abigale had a fun time, plus they had a "choo" train!



Friday we went to Concert in the Park with the Thompsons. So fun! We packed a picnic dinner, brought blankets and lawn chairs, and had a good time! Although we ended up near the back, we were right at the isle break - so it was like the front row of that section. This worked out really well for the girls, more room to move (and dance). It was a pops concert with science fiction/fantasy movies and a big emphasis on Star Wars after the intermission. Lots of John William's music. Really entertaining, I think everyone enjoyed it! A laser show took place during the Star Wars music and the show ended in Fireworks. Abigale enjoyed the fireworks until they scared Ashley, then Ashley started screaming, which scared Abigale and she started crying. So, needless to say, the fireworks didn't go over so well.

The Potato Bar just wrapped up. It was a great few weeks, so many fun things on it! If you missed any of my templates...several will be repackaged into sets soon, so look for them in the store in the next few weeks. :)

Abigale is just waking up, so I guess I should close this up!

Have a great day!

Yay Potato Bar!!!!

So our trip to the Apple store was relatively uneventful. One sales person talked to us and made me feel like I was an idiot for having ever used a PC. I mean, seriously, we were in the Mac store because we were interested....not because we needed some kind of Mac conversion. Anyway, he did answer some questions - but he was a little too....I don't know...aggressive for me. Plus, in the middle of this, Abigale decides she's going to give directions as to where she wants her stroller pushed AND any time I was directly talking to the sales guy, she would pipe in, "that's MY mama!" Not in a way that was upsetting, just wanted to remind him..over...and over...and over again.

So, needless to say, we did not leave with a Mac, which wasn't going to happen anyway... but I think Robbie was a little crushed. (Sorry Robbie!)

oh and Laura, I don't mean to say that Cici's is low quality (cough) but this other place taste a little more from scratch..... ;) :)

Ok, and now before I head off to bed...because it is 1:40 after all...my snazzy Potato Bar preview!

Don't forget, the Potato Bar is only running for THREE days! :) There over 200 things to browse through, so grab a snack! :)

Enjoy!

Weekend Wrap Up

What a busy weekend!!!! We hosted church on Sunday, Father's Day, so Saturday was spent cleaning, designing, and trying to deal with a head ache! (yes another one!) Church was great on Sunday and we had lunch with our church family at a local pizza place that is similar to a Cici's but much better quality for the same low price! It was nice spending time with them - conversation is always so easy and we always have a good time.

Robbie loved his Father's Day present. He is now the proud owner of a pair of tan crocs! After months of him teasing about (and secretly jealous of...) my crocs, we got a pair for him. :) Abigale was so funny, she put the present in her little shopping cart and wheeled it around calling him saying, "Daddy, come on, I've got a present for you!!!!". What a mess! ;) :) I'll have to update with some pictures later!

Sunday evening we visited with our good friends the Thompsons. Robbie and Kevin picked out Chicken Express for dinner - Daddy's choice. :) Crystal and I scrapped *ok I didn't scrap...I was frantically finishing up stuff for the Potato Bar* while the guys messed around with the computers ALL NIGHT . We tried to wait out the rain, but eventually we just had to make a run for it - the roads were so flooded, I've never seen them so bad! It looks like we're in for another day of rain today too!

Ok, so I gave you the message that the Potato Bar is coming, well now Ashley has a little sneak peak slide show on her blog. There are almost *200* items for the special!!! I have a few things I'm finishing up on - but I should have at least 10 new items!

Today is Robbie's day off...and his heart's desire is to go to the Apple store... I think I may be in trouble!

Have a great Monday! :)

...and my other new product!

Sorry, it was extremely too late for me to pop back in with my other preview! But, I have it now PLUS both new products are on sale over at Polkadotpotato TODAY!!!

Introducing...Board Shorts!



8 fun 12x12 templates ready to scrap your vacation or any event! I couldn't wait to scrap with them, so here is a little page I finished up last night from our cruise in May!



I also used my Funky Fourth Kit and the new Summer Travel Rub Ons!

Also, while I'm on PDP news - Ashley extended the print special - so you can still get a FREE 6x6 with every 12x12 for a few more days!!!

Plus.....just a heads up, the Potato Bar is coming!!!! Tuesday through Thursday of next week you'll find some fantastic 99 cent buys!!! Remember, this isn't a clearance area for what's in the store right now - it's special limited time only buys - so if you miss it, it may be gone forever!

Whew, that was a lot of scrapping news!

I have a rainy day here with some house cleaning ahead of me! Rainy days tend to make Abigale a little hyper...so I'm hoping for some cooperation (and a little scrapping time this afternoon wouldn't hurt either!!!)

Have a great day!!!

Sneak Peek #1

Coming tomorrow to pdp....this fun rub on set! :)



It's a HUGE set - 48 pieces with dates from '01 to '12 and arrows in day 1 to 14, plus lots of other fun stuff! PLUS it'll be on sale tomorrow! Can't beat that! :)

I think the fun thing is that even though it has a "summer" travel theme - there are lots of run ons that could be used all year around!

Ok, back to work for me! :)

Insert clever title here....

Is it Thursday already?? Seems like the week has flown by!

Abigale is happily cleaning up her toys in the living room, singing the clean up song, and doing all of this without any suggestion from me. I don't think it will last long...or even last long enough to clean the room...but at least it looks like something I'm doing is sticking - and that my friends is what I call progress! :)

I have a couple of new releases in the works for tomorrow at pdp - I'll come back with a little preview when I get the actual previews done - that's on the list for tonight!

I'm so excitied about the new season of "So You Think You Can Dance!" I love watching people trying new things - maybe I'm just a little envious because I *wish* I could dance! The results show is tonight - it's too early for me to pick favorites - so I'm just curious to see how Week 1 pans out!

I have a bit of a headache today (again - seems like I've had one everyday for two weeks) so I'm hoping to take some meds and have a stress free night!!! Until later!

Tuesday Thoughts...

We got in from Houston yesterday evening to a messy cluttered house. I hate coming home to a dirty house, makes me feel overwhelmed! I always *plan* to do a quick clean of the kitchen and living room before we head out...but it never fails, I become overwhelmed by packing or finishing up some last minute project...and the house cleaning is forgotten. I've been working on it this morning though, and I've at least made a little progress!

Do you ever feel like you have so many things running in your head...that you just know you're going to forget one, or even have problems knowing where to begin? It's been like that for me lately - I've had lots of inspiration in product design, layouts, projects - but limited time to actually get any of it started.

Then, at the same time, I've been thinking about all those layouts I have 3 months to work on....then I start thinking about all the kits I've bought, unzipped, and stored on my hard drive.... and my head starts spinning!

OK, so all that being said, I've put myself on a spending freeze (although I really am very careful with how much I spend...it's hard drive space that's the problem) and I am setting some goals.... I'd like to use at least 2 kits a week that are setting on my laptop hard drive...and then move them off to an external to free up space. Hopefully that will kill 2 birds with one stone! Knock down my to scrap list and free up some space!

At least I'm pretty caught up on printing!!!! OH - in case you haven't seen, www.polkadotpotato.com is running a printing special! Each 12x12 comes with a FREE 6x6! This is a great deal, perfect if you print 6x6 brag books to give as gifts or take to work...or even for the kids!

I'm determined to keep on track with this messy house...so I'm kicking myself off this blog and back to the laundry!!!!

Busy Weekend!

So I made it through Friday, dispite my very energetic toddler!

She's such a hoot, definately developing a mind of her own and the need to make her OWN decisions. Perfect example - here is our conversation while trying to pin her down to fix her hair:

Me: Hey you, we need to fix your hair!
A: While running away, "No, it's fine!"
Me: How about a pony tail?
A: NO!
Me: How about pig tails?
A: NO!!!
Me: Okay, you MUST get your hair out of you eyes, what do you want?
A: After some thought..."Cow Tail!"

So I agreed to do a cow tail, which ended up being hair clipped back, and she sat happily letting me do it...crazy I tell you! :)

Friday afternoon I went by Ashley's home (of www.polkadotpotato.com) and picked up some prints. They are GREAT!!! Feels good to have some of my most recent pages printed, some of them aren't even in my gallery!

However, it also hit me that Abigale will the THREE in THREE short months! Her birthday is always my deadline for having the majority of her book done. I'll always be working out of order, here and there, but I like to have it printed and on display for her birthday party, so that people can look at how she's grown and the quirky little things she's done throughout the year. So, I better get busy!!!!!

Abigale also had a great time playing with Ashley's girls and gave Ashley and I a chance to chit chat!

Then, we picked up Robbie at the dart station and headed to Laura's. The guys had a daddy daughter night so that Laura and I could meet up with some friends from high school. It's amazing how fast the past 11 years have flown by!!!! It was so nice to have some girl time, catching up and laughing together. I was truly blessed to have a great group of girls to grow up with! Hopefully now that we're through college and all the normal adjusting to adulthood we'll be able to get together more often like this!

So Laura has already joked that I haven't talked about what happened on the WAY to the restaurant.... There is something aout being in the car with Laura - it has ALWAYS been this way, regardless of who drives.....we just can't go anywhere without at least 2 u-turns! We have gotten lost more times than I can even count! We had quite a bit of a turn around trying to get the the restaurant on Friday - it wasn't visable from the street...and the map was directing us to the middle of the highway (we assumed that wasn't right!). So, I'm not sure what the solution is...duct tape over our mouths? But I will say, we always end up at our destination....just not always on time!

And as if I wasn't busy enough on Friday...Ashley and I met up in Arlington for the Great American Scrapbooking Convention. We just browsed through the exhibits and brainstormed a few cute ideas for upcoming Spud Club projects!

Okay, that pretty much wraps it up for now!

Is there an off button...

for this toddler?

She is seriously bouncing off the walls (and ME!)...it's going to be a long day!

Just thought I would share a layout I scrapped yesterday. I haven't posted it in any of my galleries yet, so I'll update with proper credit later!



Click here for layout credits or to leave a gallery comment! :)

Okay, okay, I get it!

I'm back, after a small (ok huge) break from dear old blog! :)

Robbie has been after me to start posting again, I think he enjoys reading it at work... almost as if he's spying on what Abigale and I are doing while he's out of the house! :)

At any rate, I guess it's time to do some updating. I changed the template a bit, so I lost my festive fall header...but it really is time for something new anyway!

I make no promises to how often I'll update, but it is nice to have a little record of our daily happenings...the things that don't always make it to the scrapbook until the memory is a little more faint!

It's time to get dinner on the table, I made a roast Robbie wanted so badly that he called his mother and asked her to email the directions. (We *did* have the recipe, but somehow it disappeared...I have a bad feeling it ended up in a pile of junk mail and was thrown out on accident! :( ) I plan to put this copy in a safe spot...and enjoy a big plate for dinner!

Until later!

me :)