Shearing Time:

Having some more fun with these un-Historical layouts:



Gracie Belle's face was full of enthusiasm as she entered the room, but the sad fact soon came out that it was shearing time again and the coat she had worked on all winter would be gone!


Vintage Floral by Shabby Princess,
Shear from internet,
Font: Another Typewriter,
Ripped and Torn by Jen Caputo,
Say It journaling block by Dani Mogstad,
photo from art-e-zine


And...check out Carol's newest post: Poor Julie!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::SPF 50:::::::

has little great effect on my melanily challenged skin tone. I am a bit crispy after yesterdays swim. We also stayed out in the pool for about 4 hours. The water was cool and salty and the kids were like a little school of fish. There were aunts, uncles and cousins, oh my! The kids barely ever got out of the water. Noah is so close to being able to make it across the length of the pool. Rachel was bravely scooting around in all directions and Aaron showed off what he had time to learn in his swimming class. They all need to learn technique, so I will need to sign them up for that type of class. Eve took a couple of dunks under when she fell off her noodle, but she desperately wanted, "to be like everybody else". She wanted to take off her floaty suit and be a big kid.

On the way home we stopped for ice cream. Eve looked like she was attacked by a chocolate ice cream monster, since that substance covered her in spots from nose to toe.

The kids were invited to spend the night with my parents, so after a bath for the whole tribe we loaded up for the short drive. My mother made the kids some grits for dinner. All of them, save Aaron, will eat grits any time of the day if granny makes it.
Jim was able to acquire a target, arrows and bows for the kids to practice archery which is going to be such fun.
Michael and I stayed to watch "The African Queen" with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. Jim said he saw that it was on and set it on the channel for our arrival. How sweet! I am so impressed by the acting of those two characters. They are brave, stubborn, inventive and loving. The leech scene gets me everytime! If you haven't seen this film I highly recommend it!

I'm off to apply more aloe with lidocaine...or is that lidocaine with aloe?

Smiles!

Being Neighborly:

Here is a drawing created by one of Rachel's friends. Lydia is also a neighbor. Rachel has hat tacked this drawing to her bedroom door with much pride. Luckily, no siblings have tried to remove and or destroy the art work.




_{Black background from Studio Chic by Shabby Princess, Crayon Doodles by Ida, Faux Jewels by Shabby Princess, Artistic Borderlines 4 by Sande Krieger, Font: Jane Austen/ Taylor Mackenzie.}

:::::::::::::::::::::::Gladiator::::::::



We watched the edited for television version and I continue to marvel at the cinematography and excellent performances of the cast. Russell Crowe is wonderful in leadership roles. I really loved his performance in "Master and Commander" as Capt. Jack Aubrey. Crowe's ability to show strength of character in these roles is captivating. Derek Jacobi has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager watching Public Television. He played the monk, Cadfael, in the mystery series based on the books by Ellis Peters. Jacobi's role as the senator from Rome, Graccus, is superb. Connie Nielsen as the daughter of the murdered Marcus Aurelius and forced to marry her brother, Commodus, plays the role with the perfect blend of strength and repulsion. She is strong for her son and is revolted by her brother/husband and must work behind the scenes to keep her son alive and have her brother killed.
The cinematography for the dream sequences and death are fantastic. The use of the mulitple 360 degree spin works dizzingly well for the the coliseum scenes.

One of the messages of the movie about giving the people a diversion, so you can run the country as you wish is quite deep. The other message of maintaining your integrity was a thread throughout.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::Pirates of the Caribbean::::::::

I plan to take Aaron to see that today. Should be a rip roaring time!

Happy Mother's Day!

_{Seasonal Sampler by Shabby Princess, Fonts: DJB JEN, Jane Austen}

Evey and Shostakovich...

Tonight as Eve and I were driving home from a baby shower NPR was playing Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 as performed by
Lisa Batiashvili, violin and the New York Philharmonic. The radio was still on the station because I had wanted to listen to Says You ,but we missed it because it aired the same time as the baby shower. ANYWAY...the music begins and Evey says, "This music sounds like someone is dead. Who died? It is so sad."
I thought her interpretation of the music was so well put. In a review by ."Evan Stephens he says, "...the hugely popular Violin Concerto No.1. Together, they represent Shostakovich in his most disturbing symbolist vein of composition."

She often says similar things about how music makes her feel. She also likes to listen to classical music and Church music, which is easy to do for her when the other kids aren't clamoring to change the channel. I asked her if she would like to take violin lessons and she said, "I don't like to go where people will look at me. It makes me scared." She understands the concept of a recital and that music is performed for audiences. She really articulates herself, so well!


:::::::::::::::Shutterfly:::::::::

I've recently made several 8x8 purchases from Shutterfly during their sale + Free shipping. I have recieved 3 out of 4 books from my initial order. Unfortunately, Rachel's book was sent to Atlanta, but rerouted to Alabama, then to New Jersey. I'm supposed to give the mail one more day and if it isn't delivered call for a reprint. Rachel is the one most excited...wouldn't you know!

I really like the look and size of the book and Noah and Eve have had a great time looking at their books and showing their friends.



Background paper and frame from Misty Mareda's Tiffany kit, Squiggle Fleur by Jen Wilson, Painted Butterfly by Amber Clegg, Vines by Julie Mead



Background paper from Studio Chic by The Shabby Princess, Robot from Anna Benjamin at Paper Moons, Space Doodles by Kate Hadfield, Arrow from Dear Diary by Erica Hite.

Aaron's book is at my mom's house, so I will post a photo of the cover when I get it back.

I had fun designing the covers. I hope you think they are as super D duper as the kids do. (I didn't watch Barney at all today, so I wonder why I'm using his vocabulary?)

************************Goaded Into a Purchase::::::::

Aaron used the line, "But it will make Eve feel better!" We were at the story picking up her prescription yesterday and Aaron saw the Pink Panther cartoon on video and pleaded with me to get it, so Eve would laugh and feel better. I wonder if Aaron is some undiscovered Urban Shaman? Quick call Frontline! I caved, but I wanted to, so does that make Aaron really more of an enabler? I remember laughing really hard at the Pink Panther and I wanted my kids to see the show. They also really enjoy Rocky and Bullwinkle. My favorite parts of those cartoons are the fractured fairytales.

::::::::::::::::::::Medicine:::::::::::::
I just finished giving Eve her Amoxicillan, so I'm off to bed.

Smiles!

Having Fun at the High:

Acetate + Contact Paper + Construction Paper + Scissors + 4 kids = FUN

The kids really liked creating these vases after taking a tour of the different styles throughout history. Noah's was very linear, Aaron's looked human and the girls were more random.

Studio Chic by Shabby Princess,
Frames by Nancy Comelab,
Font: DB Michael by Darcy at blueflombingo,
Ligurino Condensed.

Do you suffer from...

Photo Anxiety Disorder Or Photograph Avoidance Syndrome?


Do you suffer from
P.A.D., or P.A.S.?
Don't be discouraged! Millions of people have experienced pronounced episodes of the same problem. Photograph Anxiety Disorder and its close relative, Photograph Avoidance Syndrome can be overcome.
Here are a few ways to relieve some of the stress:
1. Relax...at least the person taking the picture thinks you are interesting enough to photograph.
2. before going in public make sure that you aren't wearing anything you would find embarrasing.
3. check your face for any stray bits and things.
4. if the feelings of anxiety become to intense point out any nearby "adorable" children, which usually will distract the photographer long enough for a get away.
5. Buy your own camera and don't be afraid to use it!


Side-effects: You might end up with a really cool picture you like, Family members that live far away will get to put a name to a face, you might end up laughing or smiling. You might find your self looking through scrapbooks for pictures of yourself, not just your cute nieces, nephews, cousins, grandkids and others.
_{Papers and Inked edge from Studio Chic by the Shabby Princess, Polariod by Canay, Arrow dooles from Brushy Sketched Arrows by Cindy Irvine, Designer Digitals chat freebie by sketched corners, Question mark by Jack Eckles, Paper Curls by Anna Aspnes, Doodle line by Amy Martin, Font: DB Michael}

:::::::The person in the layout is one of my brother-in-laws, Reuben. All of my BILs are funny guys. Reuben and I are the same age and have needled each other since Sunday School.


:::::::::::::Art Show and Book Fair:::::::::
Michael and I took Rachel, Noah and Eve to the school art show and book fair last night. Aaron was playing with his friend Jacob after running club. We purchased the framed artwork created by Rachel and Noah, then went to the chaotic book event. I made a list of books to purchase on Wednesday because our neighbor will be working the book fair and can get us 10% discount. The kids also want to each donate a book to their class, so I included those extra books on my list.

::::::::::::::Excerpt from The Phantom Tollbooth::::

..."There were great crowds of people rushing along with their heads down, and they all appeared to know exactley where they were going as they darted down and around the nonexistent streets and in and out of the missing buildings.
"I don't see any city," said Milo very softly.
"Neither do they," Alec remarked sadly, "but it hardly matters, for they don't miss it at all."
...
"Many years ago, on this very spot, there was a beautiful city of fine housed and inviting spaces, and no one who lived here was ever in a hurry. The streets were full of wonderful things to see and the people would often stop to look at them."
"Didn't they have any place to go?" asked Milo.
"To be sure," continued Alec; "but, as you know, the most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that. Then one day someone discovered that if you walked as fast as possible and looked at nothing but you shoes yhou would arrive at your destination much more quickly. Soon everyone was doing it. They all rushed down the avenues and hurried along the boulevards seeing nothing of the wonder and beauties of their city as they went."...
"No one paid any attention to how things looked, and as they moved faster and faster everything grew uglier and dirtier, and as everything grew uglier and dirtier they moved faster and faster, and at last a very strange thing began to happen. Because nobody cared, the city slowly began to disappear. Day by day the buildings grew fainter and fainter, and the streets faded away, until at last it was entirerly invisible. There was nothing to see at all."


::::::::I'm Off:::::
(there never was a truer statement!)...to work on a last minute request for a 10 minute slideshow for the Boy Scout Court of Honor tomorrow. A 10 Minute video takes awhile to make. I'm hoping for some inspiration on a song to use with the canoe pictures. So far I'm using 2 Jack Johnson songs: The 3'Rs (for a clean-up service project) and Upside Down (A love the Calypso rhythmn). I'm also going to grab a portion of Elevation by U2 for several pictures of the boys on top of Mount Yonah in North Georgia. I'm taking about a 10 second sample of the song Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight for one of the scouts who loves to show his arm "muscles". He loves to take of his shirt and is a super ham.

See ya later alligators!

Bug Catcher:

Here is a layout of Eveybug:

_{background paper 9th Avenue by IOD, Princess hat from Hollie Hats and Sun felt from the Sunshine kit by Tiff Brady, Easel doodle by Lisa Dozier, Make up doodles from Girly Girl by Christina Dudley, Dandelion from Donna Rafferty, Chalkboard element from Dinner Party by Sara Carling and Shabby Princess, Star Doodle by Ida, Blue Bird by Keri Schueller called Christmas Whimsy, Fairy by C Bender, Cat doodle by CBaumann, Real Buttons by Lisa Whitney, Note paper from Note This by Gina Miller, Font: Typical Writer}

Text:
Eve had a very busy year in 2006. She participated in Homeschool Run club with Aaron. We visited Disney World with all of the Taylor cousins, aunts, uncles thanks to Granny Sydney Taylor. Every Friday was sleepover night at Granny & Grandpa Jim Towheys house.
Some of Eve's favorite things are the color yellow, eating grits and making biscuits at Granny Sue's house. Eve also loves to do "make overs" with eyeshadow, lipstick, powder and nail polish supplied by Granny Sue. She loves Playing with her cousins Tyler Morgan, Isabell Taylor and Kendall Hardin.
One of Eve's quirkiest things is she actually enjoys being tickled under her armpits. Her favorite snacks are fresh strawberries, raw carrot sticks, and vanilla ice cream with Hershey's syrup. We still call her silly nicknames like "Chugger Bugs" and "Evey Buglet" Granny Sue likes to call her "Evealicious". Her favorite t.v. show for the year was Dr. Who. She likes to pretend she is an animal, like a cat, dog, or pony. Her current aspiration is to grow up and be like her big sister, Rachel.
::::::::::::I GOT CAUGHT::::::::

by the virus going around our family. I was in bed all day. Michael came home early from work to check on me. Aaron was a trooper and held down the fort. Eve was still below par so we hung out together...in and out of sleep. Noah stayed home from school because his stomach hurt. I wasn't about to send him to school with the possibility of a blow out. Aaron cooked Ramon noodles for Eve's lunch and I think Noah only wanted Sprite. Food is not a high demand item when folks are sick, which is kind of a positive trade off on being miserable.

:::::::::::Service Project::::::

Michael and Aaron will be doing a service project at a local bouldering area called Boat Rock. Clean up and mulching are the order of the day.

:::::::::::New Calling::::::

I am the new music leader for the children in primary. I am completely out of my depth here. I don't sing well... Michael says "Pick a note...any note and stay with it", but I can't. I don't play any musical instruments. (I tried piano, but trying to learn staccato did me in. My left hand never seemed to get into following the right.) I don't know how to conduct music either...HMMMM...Crazy, me thinks! My game plan is to know all the words to the songs, teach the kids so they know them, too and tell them to sing louder, so no one hears me. We had a meet your teacher night, so the kids would be comfortable come Sunday in their new classes. I introduced the theme for the year, but first we did "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes". I had Michael and another sister that knows Japanese to come up and help me teach the kids. The words are fun and short in Japanese. I had another couple of folks do the same song in Spanish. I was tripping over the words because there were so many more syllables for every body part. This should be an interesting year. I told the Bishop that all I can do is improve...that's a positive attitude...I think!

Guest C.T. for December

I am honored to be one of the guest creative team members for Julie Howard for the month of December. Here is one of her kits, "Simply Play" that can be found hereSimply Play Kit

miscellanous bits: Inked Edge from Studio Chic by Shabby Princess, Font: Pea Lis, Pottery Barn, Sketchy. Handstamped Alpha by Michelle Coleman.


:::::::::::::Template made:::::::::

Two men came over yesterday to create a template for our granite counter top. We have opted for Absolute Black granite. So, today we run around to the credit union to get the money to pay for that and then off to Ikea for the last of the cabinets.

The Photographer and the Horse:

_{Be Trusting kit freebie on Kim Christensen's blog
Font: Misproject, Franklin Gothic Demi Cond}

Text: Baby Julia Sue Harris seats nervously on top of Sally the horse. It was common for a photographer to go around to homes in the community, so parents could get their children's photo taken.

:::::::::



_{Template by Jen Caputo,
Pink Pepper Kit by Zoe Pearn from her blog,
Sequins and journaling tab (Florist Kit) by Sandra Boddington at The Sweet Shoppe Designs
Alpha from the Splendid kit by Shabby Princess
Font: Century Gothic}

:::::::::::::::::

Neighborhood Bullies:

Aaron was riding his bike and a one of the neighbor boys threw a rock at him and hit Aaron in the side. Aaron came in clutching his side a fell into the chair. He didn't even say what had happened until I asked. When he told us Michael jumped up and had Aaron go next store and confronted the boys. There were two kids, but the one that threw the rock has tried to taunt Aaron into fighting him. The other boy used to be friendly to Aaron until he started hanging out with "W." Michael made sure the boys were aware that if any harm came to Aaron again police would be involved. He also informed both boys they were not permitted to walk through our yard. "W's little sister, "J." is pretty rude in her own right. I think the children are rather indulged by their parents because they are divorced, but both live in our neighborhood.
Both of these boys have moved here within the span of a year, so I assume we are in this for the long haul...JOY! As these bullying situations go the bullies will just wait out the trouble a bit then look for opportunities to get Aaron alone and without witnesses and threaten him. I hope this doesn't keep Aaron feeling like he can't freely go and visit his friend in a nearby neighborhood. I suppose I could get my tail out in the garden and be beautifying the yard, as well as, being a bit of a watch dog.

:::::::::::::


Michael tried to burn the house down tonight. He attempted to make the kids some brownies, but left the oven on broil. Rachel came in from outside and asked, "What's burning?" I ran into check and smoke was beginning to puff out of the oven. I thought burning stuff was my job! I really think Michael needs to learn his roll in the family and stop trying to infiltrate my realm of poor cooking habits! Sheesh!

Family Ties...

Eve and Noah got to pal around together at Stone Mountain. They are both first-rate explorers. They enjoyed leaping from rock to rock and making their day together an adventure!


_{Family Ties Kit by Sandra Boddington and Suzy Nunes at Sweet Shoppe Designs, template by Pattie Knox for DDE, Inked edge from Studio Chic by Shabby Princess, Font: Pea Alesa}

:::::::::::::::

I took some cute picture of Michael and Eve drawing a "rainbow fish" on my parent's driveway with sidewalk chalk today. I will post them as soon as Michael finishes uploading them. Currently he is playing a game of "Bounce Out" on his laptop.

I also have some fun photos of Eve having a tea party with her new plastic princess tea set from Granny and Grandpa Towhey. Noah decided to be the hostess at the party, which was a riot! He was dispensing his fountain of knowledge in regards to proper tea party etiquette!

WOO HOO...More Frig. Art and My Daddy Bill:

"There is an infinite number of worlds, some like this world, others unlike it...For the atoms out of which a world might arise, or by which a world might be formed, have not all been expended on one world or a finite number of worlds, whether like or unlike this one. Hence there will be nothing to hinder an infinity of worlds....And further, we must not suppose that...in another sort of world there could not possibly be, the seeds out of which animals and plants arise and all the rest of the things we see."

Epicurus (341-270 B.C.E.), Greek philosopher, "letter to Herodotus"


_{background paper by Kim Hill, Studded Ribbon from "Birthday Blitz" by Gina Miller, overlay and glitter brackets from Studio Chic by Shabby Princess, Font: Ash94, Old Style Italic}


::::

If you think some kids go to school these days just to play football...think again:





A.A. (Goat) Harris, as he is listed in this 1974 article featuring the 1938 football team of Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, is my maternal grandfather. I knew him as "Daddy Bill". His full name was Arthur Aaron Harris, but he received the knickname "Goat" because he would chew on his tongue and sleeves. He only attended high school during football season, then he would quit and go back to work for his father's furniture store. I suppose he moved onto the knickname "Bill" as it is linked to "Billy Goat".
During his infrequent schooling he defended a couple of his classmates from the school principal and a teacher. My grandfather grabbed the principal and tossed him in a ditch for abusing a student. I wonder if the principal ever picked on the other boy again? On another occasion he had a friend whose arm was broken and a female teacher hit him on that arm, so my grandfather chased her down the hall to the principal's office.


Background paper from "Good Karma" and Brush Stoke Alpha by Michelle Coleman
Scrapbook and corners from Mo Jackson's Primitive Scrapbook
Title Alpha and staples from Shabby Princess' Fall Freebie
Font: Marcishand

I Present: Refrigerator Artwork!

I will be posting artwork my kids have brought home for the last couple of years because today I finally got around to scanning them into the computer. Now there won't be a flood of artwork because much of it, (PLEASE DON'T TELL MY KIDS) resides in a landfill in the great state of Georgia! But the few pieces that passed the "Awww that is cool!" Mommy criteria (I am Inspector 12)...I will post. I present two pieces of artwork today. One is Aaron's and the other Rachel's:



<sub>Painted Alpha by Rhonna Farrer

Layout Credits: Shabby Fall Kit by Shabby Princess, Indian Summer in Seasonal Scraps, button (Delightful element) and blanket stitching by JenWilson, leather roses from Michelle Coleman's Gypsy Rose Elements, Overlay from Carefree Kit by the ScrapArtists
Fonts Used: Stitched font by MoJackson
Special thanks to...: Alb52 for torn circle</sub>

Apheresis. Have You Heard?

_{papers, overlay and frame from Shabby Princess' Studio Chic. Font: Pea Alesa}

The text for this layout is from the American Red Cross. "The word "apheresis" (pronounced Ay-fur-EE-sis) comes from a Greek term meaning to take away or to separate. When you give a regular blood donation at the blood center, your blood is separated into its components -- red cells, platelets, and plasma. Each component meets a different and very important medical need of a waiting patient.

When you make a donation through the apheresis process, you give one specific component of the blood, most often platelets.

Platelets are cell fragments in the blood that enable blood to clot. Cancer and chemotherapy treatments can affect the body's ability to produce platelets. Patients with leukemia, aplastic anemia, those receiving chemotherapy or undergoing bone marrow transplants often rely on platelets donated by healthy volunteers to prevent life-threatening bleeding.

Once donated, this living gift must be transfused to a patient within five days. To assure that platelets are always available, and that each patient will receive the platelets that are the best match, platelet donations are needed every day. On occasion, donors are also needed to give plasma or infection-fighting white cells (called granulocytes) through the apheresis process.

Blood Donation vs. Platelet Donation
Although a small amount of platelets are present in a whole blood donation, it takes approximately five whole blood donations to yield as many platelets as a single apheresis donation. Enough platelets are given in one apheresis donation to help one or even two hospital patients."

This is another reason why I have so much respect for my husband. He makes every effort to go atleast once a month to do apheresis. He has been through Apheresis about 45 times and will be doing so again this Friday. We have met so many people who are in need of this help.

---Unfortunately, I can't go do apheresis with him because their best sticker took the pulse in my veins and told me I was no good. How sad is that?! I can still give whole blood, but I have always had to ask for someone who can find small veins. My husband with a smile tells people she doesn't have veins, she's just a sponge!

Is There Any Such Thing as The Speed of Dark?

This was Noah's profound science question of the afternoon. This kid has such interesting questions. Often times, he is to busy talking to actually let you answer.


_{Popsicle Papers by Shabby Princess, brackets from Colorful Spring by Kristy Ann Nerness, crayon photo from www.sxc.hu, Fun Fibers by Gina Miller, Font: Pea Carrie}

This layout is about one of Noah's journal entries in Kindergarten this year. The teacher, Mrs. Barclay, said it was all she could do to stop herself laughing while talking to Noah about the drawing he had done of me. Apparently, he drew of picture of me taking a shower and of course, I was not wearing any clothes. He delightedly showed the rest of his classmates this crayon rendered likeness of my female form. Mrs. Barclay said that she told Noah to put a towel on me three times very gentle, yet firmly. He was exasperated that he had to alter his great drawing and thought it silly that I would be caught wearing a towel in the shower where it would get wet. Noah has yet to do any more of these risque drawings. I wonder if Noah will some day be included in the likes of Gaugin, Picasso, or Ruben...you know it could be called the Noahesque Period.

Is Something Seriously Wrong with this Guy?

My husband infrequently looks normal when photographed. His appearance is often Pythonesque if you are familiar with the "I want to be a brain surgeon" sketch he looks like he is part of the troop. I choose the pictures that showed him just doing odd things with his eyes and mouth as opposed to the photos where he sticks his finger up his nose because he doesn't want to be photographed (I'm certain this is the reason, otherwise I would sure get the heebie jeebies about him).



_{Papers and embellishments from Gina Cabrera's Lucky Star Kit, polariod frames by Gina Miller in her BYOBB Add ons, Fonts: Pea Alisha, Mailart Rubberstamp, Oopie's Ma, Poornut.}
--------------------

This photo is one of my favorites of Eve. She really was quite serious at this chess game.


_{Studio Chic kit by Shabby Princess, Fonts: Mailart Rubber Stamp and Blackadder ITC}
---------------------
Our family book of the evening wasGrossology, which is a great book for explaining bodily functions to kids (and adults). By the time we got finished with talking about poo, you guessed it...Noah was "pooped out", sound asleep, sawing logs, out cold. I use these phrases as a similar devise used in the book we were reading. The actual book The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis is on a summer hiatus until Aaron and Michael get back from Scout Camp.
I have to go by the library tomorrow and grab the next book in the Aubrey/Maturin series entitled Letter of Marque, and I put a couple of Harriet the Spy books on hold for Rachel.

My children, by their own volition, helped me spray and wipe several of the wall surfaces where they drag their dirty hands, or have worked on their own version of cave paintings. Noah and Eve did a great job and Rachel was enthusiastic on the progress she made. I was really proud of them!

Today Noah was playing the computer game "Robots" based on the movie and was getting really frustrated and pleaded with me to help him. I said why do you want my help? His response was priceless and condescending at the same time---"Because you are the smartest person in the house---right now". Nothing like putting conditions on a compliment to endear a person to you. He said Aaron could do it, but he was a scout camp, which goes to show if I can get my 11 year-old and my husband out of the house my I.Q. level moves into the acceptable range for my 6 year-old. I'm expecting a call from t.v. writers now that remakes are so popular, that is, if they are looking for a 6 year-old version of Archie Bunker. So, did I get around to helping him...Yes, and successfully I might add. So for the rest of the day Noah thought I was great and cool at video games, as opposed to yesterday when I sent him to time out for screaming at me that I was "DOING IT ALL WRONG!" AHHH! What simple moments of pleasure can be derived from learning to use the Jump button and arrow key in tandem. WHO KNEW?!?

Thanksgiving in June?

_{I used Shabby Princess' "Shabby Fall Kit", Mo Jackson's "Cake" and "Dorothy's Kitchen 3". Font used: Pea Jane}

Why a Thanksgiving layout in June you may query? Well, the easy answer is that I get around to things whenever I can, or the whimsy strikes me to scrap the photos. The other reason is that it is a picture of one of the many talents my husband possesses---Baking. Since Father's Day is drawing nigh I will be sprinkling in layouts that have to do with my husband. Father's Day is a celebration of the things that Father's do the rest of the 364 days, so I will be scrapping the photos that show some of the aspects of my husband's life. The fact is that I really like this guy. I enjoy discussing things and being his sounding board when he just wants to talk (this allow me to scrap at the same time, which is kinda duo-tasking...have I created a new word???). He is the assistant Scout Master in our son's troop and he and Aaron are gone for the week. The funny thing, to me, is that I took the time to sew and iron Rachel's Girl Scout patches on her vest. To some that is quite an ordinary task, but you need to realize I save up all patches for Michael because he sews and irons really well. I think I did a pretty spiffy job, so I may unburden him with Rachel's Girl Scout patches from now on and let him concentrate on cooking dinner...YES... he is a wonderful cook, too! It really is have him cook, or eat spaghetti most every night. I am willing to branch out on the whole cooking thing, but right now I'm jonesin' for a smoothie. I really like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, vanilla frozen yogurt and milk. Let me know if you have a kickin' smoothie recipe for me to try. Here is the Turkey Cake link from Family Fun Magazine, which has some awesome ideas: Turkey Cake Instructions.

Mount Rushmore

_{Celebrate kit from Shabby Princess, Stitches One by Mo Jackson, paper slip is BYOBB Kit Add On by Gina Miller, tag by Holly McCaig's Senior Prom Kit. Font: Thomas Jefferson and Perpetua}

Fibs We Tell Our Kids

This was a layout I did for a fun challenge given by Lanne on the Shabby Princess boards:

Shabby Princess Gallery



_{Layout Credits: Studio Chic by Shabby Princess, Inked edge by Robin Cabana, Copy Right symbol by Shabby Princess
Fonts Used: Euphrogenic S/Fairfax Station/Patchanka Px/ Shabby Princess' Studio Chic Alpha
Special thanks to...: Battery Photo from www.sxc.hu}


Early on I realized that my parents were fulfilling a promise that they had made me in childhood. The promise was to buy noise making toys for my future children in repayment for any of my childhood misdeeds. Upon the birth of my first child, Aaron, the noise making toys began to arrive from my parents, their mouths turned up in a smile that appeared innocent and endearing, while somewhere in the Universe their bank account rung up a deposit!

To combat the onslaught of possessed toys that talked when you walked by, even when they were turned to the off position, or toy trucks that drowned out any form of intelligent human thought, or the cacophony of music toys that played the same tune over and over and over again, my husband and I decided to tell our children this lie: "Once the batteries die they can never be replaced!"