results from "mommy needs some sanity" retreat

To say that May has been busy and utterly draining is an understatment. With my dayhome business getting extremely busy, Maylong Weekend prepartions and a certain little boy's 2nd birthday all in there, I'm hoping for a quieter June. After a near meltdown last week I decided to create break for myself and I went to my grandma's cabin at the lake. Ron stayed home with the kids and I got a chance to recharge and rest. Course I brought my scrapbooking stuff ;) Have I told you all about my new love? That would be Stampin' Up! Kraft cardstock (soon to be called crumb cake) I love that its not too brown but just perfect. This layout was done with Bo-Bunny's mamarrazzi paper. I also used my gypsy (new update rocks!) my spellbinders and my Ali E stamps. Faces of my kids are blocked out on purpose for the web.

I was able to finally use one of my Memory Workshop kits that had been sitting for awhile. This kit featured Basic Grey's Origins papers. I also found that they worked well with Crate papers new release as well.

I quite enjoyed the Jilliebean Soup's corregated alphas even though I really had to plan out what I wanted to say. Thank goodness I brought my cricut/gypsy when I didn't have enough letters.

I've used this placement of papers before but loved how it turned out. If its not broke don't fix it right?

I got to use a new die from Stampin' Up! called top-note (the journalling block) I had purchased it mainly for cards but it totally works well for scrapbooking. Bonus!

This is the mamarrazzi line again paired with Bazzill's swiss dotted cardstock. I rarely ever use die cuts from my cricut but found that this little truck from Paper Dolls for everyday worked well.

Ok don't tell Ron I posted this but wow I have an awesome husband! He agreed to take part in our Maylong weekend talent show and wear this pink beehive wig as part of the act. I had this title and layout in mind ever since I took the picture.

Totally adore these photos. Owen runs to met the school bus everyday. He is always so happy to see Ethan and Abby, so awesome that they have such an amazing relationship. Every morning he waves to the bus and says "bye good day!" then when they come home he runs to give them both a hug :)

The following layouts were all done for a class that I taught using Fancy Pants paper from Just Cre8. The class involved these 5 layouts and one mini album. I totally forgot to photograph the album which I will try and do this week.

Don't you love scrapbooking a favorite photo? I find it so easy to create a layout around a photo I love. Project life has been good for me in that sense because the stories connected with my photos are all recorded but I can scrapbook traditionally the photos that I adore. So no guilt!

just remembered I'd been forgetting something...

Like updating my blog! You know the story that everyone has, busy with family, work and running around to various commitments that we have. I haven't really had much time to do some scrappy stuff but I'm hoping to tonight for an online crop that is happening at Scrapshotz.com .
Just a couple of updates:
* I've been teaching scrapbooking classes at the local school to some fabulous ladies! I love seeing new people getting excited about telling their stories and scrapping their photos :)
* Been making some huge Sesame Street decorations for my Owen's 2nd birthday party (ACK! where is my baby??)
* I've been either gone to Edmonton/Westerose or sick for the past month so my house is "clean"
* Added some full time clients for the dayhome, meaning I have 2 days a week that I'm caring for 5 boys not including Owen. We've been outside for 99% of those days. I'm wiped.
* not getting enough sleep = getting a sore throat and becoming sick, thank goodness for ibuprofen.
* Cutting back on my coffee and processed foods = an 11lb drop in weight + I feel more energized and happier.
* Working on our May Long weekend entertainment...so glad my dh is a good sport!
* Planning some big renos this summer...transforming my closet sized enterance (hello? 3x6!!) to an actual walk in without falling down the stairs enterance. So looking forward to it, so dreading it!
* Cat is still in the house for another 3 weeks with her bandaged leg...making it a total of 12 weeks when she's finished, vets have such a money racket going on! REALLY looking forward to her being outside and so is she.
* Tae Kwon Do is now finished for the year, both Ethan and Abby made it to the next belt level. So proud of them!!
* School is winding down which I'm looking forward too. Tired of packing lunches.
* So looking forward to a Saturday trip to Edmonton with only 1 kid and my sil (and her little man) needing to finish up birthday stuff which could techniqually be done locally but when your sweet mil offers to watch the kids , you don't say no. If I'm still a bit under the weather I'm just going to keeping taking my drugs to say alive :)

Getting a chance to try out the ol'room

I was able to sneek in a bit of time after supper yesterday to play a bit in my newly reorganized scrapbooking room. I've had some requests to go through my storage process and I'll try and do that soon. For now here's some stamping/scrapbooking stuff that I've done recently. This card was made with some cuttlebug embossing strips. They are similar to folders but skinny so they only emboss a small area. Would you believe that they've been in my stash since Christmas and I've only used them in April? So bad!

This card was created with glimmer mist even though you can't really tell. I'm not a spritz kind of girl. I find it messy when I attempt it and it leaves my paper all wonky. However the marshmellow color seems to be ok for me cause I don't tend to overspray the paper, hence less wonky paper.

Just a note...none of these layouts are crooked irl, not sure what happened when I took the photos.

These layouts are all done with an older Just Cre8 kit featuring Cosmo Cricket's Hello Sunshine papers. I love the bright bold patterns! They just seem to work well with lots of my photos. I did add some extra black accents because I felt the yellow was too powerful and the black helps to ground it. Don't you love my boots?

This layout was done for a Scrapshotz challenge about scrapbooking our rides. I drive the truck on a regular basis but not the Camaro because to be honest I'm scared to death of something happening to it! This past fall we got ride of my Mom-mobile (aka mini van) and since we only drive one vehicle (dh has a company truck) we needed something more practical out here in the boonies. I'm beyond thrilled with my truck and love it completely!! The Camaro is a whole 'nother story. Dh saved up for it and bought it when he was 17 and has had it ever since. It was our wedding car and he also plans for it to be his mid-life crisis car! lol! Right now the transmission is in the process of being fixed so its up on blocks but totally hot car!

Just my Owen being silly. He yells COOL! every time he puts on some shades ;)

This photo was so fun to scrapbook. I took this photo of Owen at my mom's and she had just redone her porch swing to this very fun fabric. Too bad Owen was less than stellar at sitting still.

Sponge Bob Easter basket (oxymoron anyone?) on his head...nuff said.