Are you still out there?

 I'm still here!

Here's a super condensed version of what we've been up to!

Doing the same old stuff.

Making weekly trips to Home Depot, Lowes, etc for our Home renovation.

Our kitchen is almost finished, just need to finish our tile walls.

 Last month, we went to the Lilac festival!

Which is extremely popular not just here in Rochester, NY, but with 

my two girls.  I admit I tried to skip going because of the incessant rain but 

Nora and Charlotte were adamant we had to go!  

They enjoyed the flowers, the walking, even the rain, but best of all....the row of concession stands.

Snow cones anyone?

We broke out the bikes and Pinky has new reasons to fear for her life from Charlotte.

Charlotte looks absolutely gleeful, but assured me Pinky was never in any danger.

Uh huh.

Good thing, the Pink dog is savvy to Charlotte's ways.

I'm still churning out layouts and getting crafty.

I made invites and decorated for the PTSA sponsored Staff Luncheon at the girls' school last month.

I've always been very active at their school volunteering and helping out in both their classrooms and for the PTSA, but now my role has gotten a lot bigger because I was asked to become a PTSA Building co-chair for their school.  It's exciting and I'm looking forward to it!

This is an Alice in Wonderland tea party I hosted for Charlotte's birthday.

12 kindergartner girls and a whole lot happening.

This party deserves it's own post for which I'll edit some pictures and put up this week.

This party was this last Saturday and I'm still, like really tired from it!

Our sweet Lulu looking absolutely lovely for her Senior Ball!

Especially standing between such sassy bookends!

I can NOT believe she's graduating this weekend and off to Ithaca College in the fall.

We are so proud of you and we WILL be stalking you all summer to spend as much time 

with us as you can!  

Bwahaha!

quick post

My girls have the best cousins!

I am the youngest in a family of 7, so they have quite a few cousins!

Nora & Charlotte are the youngest and I can say with absolute

certainty, that every single of their cousins would not hesitate

to pick up some bubbles and sidewalk

chalk and get down to play with them!

I love my family!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 Yippee!

I adore Valentine's day.

The girls are off to school with their little valentines.

All the girls get a Barbie valentine with a pencil and the boys will receive a

Batman valentine with a Batman pencil.

No treats this year.

In the beginning of the school year, we got a letter asking we not send in candy or cupcakes for birthdays,

only stickers, pencils, or something non food related.

I think it's part of preventing childhood obesity.

I totally understand this, but sharing a sticker on your birthday is

not the same as a cupcake or cookie. 

Just saying....
So for V-day I sent in pencils, just in cause there is a candy ban on holidays as well!

This layout came together super quick thanks to Shimelle's free class

at Two Peas 4x6 photo love.  I'm a big fan of Shimelle's

classes and participating in a free class led by Shimelle and offered

by Two peas...sign me up!

Have a very Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

wildcat weekend

 Yay!  CHA weekend!  I look forward to this weekend to see all

my favorite manufacturer's new products!

I am totally loving everything I've seen so far by my favorite Sassafras!

Love the whimsy and free spirit in their lines!

Crate paper, The Girls Paperie, Cosmo Cricket, Studio Calico,

and the house of three stuff by Pink Paislee are ranked very high on my list as well!

 Another reason I love this time of year...all the challenges to participate in!

I'm a girl who loves a good challenge!

It pushes me creatively and I always end up with some new favorite layouts.

 Especially if its a challenge I'm not entirely comfortable with, like self portrait in a mirror.

Ugh.

I look crazy eyed, for sure!

But it was fun to journal, overcooking all meat just a normal dinner hour around here!

Not dealing out trichinosis here, not on my watch!

Reminds me of a time when Craig and I went to this expensive restaurant

and we both got a chicken dish  (not a very inspiring menu)

and he started eating it and got this weird look.

I saw his look, started freaking out because I know it meant BAD stuff.

He wasn't going to show me, but I made him turn his dish toward me and it was RAW people!

He was eating a raw chicken cutlet!

Ugh...mine was cooked, but I pushed my plate away!

Needless to say, we never returned to that restaurant.

I still shudder when I drive past it!

 A calm moment for Charlotte.

My girls have been fighting like wildcats this weekend.

It seems like there's a fight a minute.

Alright, so I'm exaggerating, but they're picking fights over every little thing!

I'm exasperated.

Next weekend they are spending with their grandma.

Another reason it was so sweet to move back where there's family!

Scraproom = disaster area!

Confession

 First layout made using my who's who kit from Studio Calico.

I love the colors so much!

This is one beautiful kit and I've can't stop printing out photos to scrap. I

have a couple of more layouts that just need some finishing touches.

The thermometer outside the window read in the negatives this morning.

Having my birthday in the winter, I love the snow and cold,

but it's getting kind of ridiculous!

My girls were waiting for school to be cancelled this morning.

No such luck for them!

Confession time

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills anyone?

My guilty pleasure of this TV season.

What a C-R-A-Z-Y episode last Thursday!

Hello Reunion!  You can not get here soon enough!

keeping busy

I think these photos were only taken 2 years ago.  Eep!  They look so little!

On a different note, how long does an unopened jar of pumpkin butter last?
I think I've had it 2 years.  Its from Trader Joes and I just never got around to using it.
I know I have a jar of capers that's at least 4 years old!
That's one of my problems, I'll see an obscure item on a grocery store shelf and pick it up because I read a recipe once and this was required.  I never go back to the recipe though.  I think it's time to clear some stuff out!

Very exciting

 Featured layout of the day at Two Peas on 1/6/2011!!!

 Yes, I took  photo of my screen.

I couldn't help myself!

 This girl has been very social lately.

More play dates and birthday parties than we've ever experienced before.

Craig joked that Charlotte needs to tweet her whereabouts to her followers

and I'm getting a workout being her social secretary.

 This girl is doing so well reading books by herself.

She has to read a small book everyday and we log it.

Yesterday I bought her two new movies for her collection @ Blockbuster.

She read her book aloud on the car ride home so she could start her movie marathon

when she walked in the door.  She LOVES movies, any movie-all movies.

 All these layouts were made using the Dec. Studio Calico kit plus an add on

patterned paper supplement.  I've actually made 6 layouts so far. 

Not one Christmas or winter related.

It's been a very versatile kit.

I finished my December daily a week ago.

I do like it and feel accomplished, but then I put it away.

It turned out to be more of a chore than a pleasure toward the end.

I'm glad I made it and I will definitely appreciate it more a couple months down the road.

So because of Dec. daily burnout, my layouts henceforth will not feature any

Christmas theme!