Chipboard Challenge

I'll tell ya all about the birdie tomorrow, I'm gonna try to phrase what occurred in a manner that will be pleasing to aviary lovers everywhere.
I'm just not sure of a good synonym for "oops" yet.

Until then, the challenge this week over at ScrapYourCrap is to use up some chipboard.
I have a ton, so this challenge was one of the easier ones.
I used naked chipboard and inked it up with some white pigment ink and embossed them as well before added some stickers to them.
And also used the new Providence line from Scenic Route that I got from Noel's store and I love the colors.
It wasn't really on my must-have list, but since I have gotten it, I can't stop using it.
I also used some Scenic Route chipboard letters and inked the edges of my patterned paper.
Just a simple LO of Max's dog.
He is always looking for attention and secretly wishes he was a lapdog but at 100 pounds there is no way he sitting in anyone's lap.

The RAK is still open til Friday, so don't forget to leave your comments there!

Come 'n Git It!

Man, after the 45 minutes of flurries we had yesterday, I am doubting whether we will get summer at all this year?
Here's just a little something to thank everybody for reading and commenting for the past 3 years...just a little summer delivered right to your door.

Just lemme know what you love most about summer in your comment and I'll pick a winner on Friday morning who's gonna get all this loot...
These will come in handy for a challenge over at SYC in a couple weeks!

This Day is for the Birds

This morning I heard some very loud tweeting near my head at about 6am.
I thought I had heard it last Friday too but it didn't seem quite as loud as this morning.
And we were away all weekend, so I kinda forgot about it.
So finally, after much tweeting and flapping, I figured..better open the blinds and take a look to see if the neighborhood birds had decided to hold their morning meeting on my window ledge.
Open the curtains, lift the blinds...
What?!
A nest.
A whole lovely nest that some nice bird must have constructed all weekend.
No eggs, just an empty nest.
Close the blinds, shut the curtains...try to get a little more sleep before the alarm...
Nope, not gonna happen...more tweeting and flapping, ugh!

Once the alarm went off, I called for Max.
"Max...You've gotta see this crap!"
"What is it? Something good, something shocking? What? What?"
(he is very much like a hyper puppy when he doesn't know what's coming)
"Look. A nest!"
"Wow, no eggs though."
"No eggs but plenty of noise. What the heck am I supposed to do?"
"Ya want me to take it."
"No, I don't want that thing in here."
"But, it's cool. I could take it to school."
"And say what? Hey teacher, check out this cool nest I stole from a poor bird and brought in."
"Fine, then just push it off."
"Naw, I don't want the karma that follows destroying nature."
"Then, I guess you're gonna have to live with it."
"Wait, go back to the pushing it off...how would I go about that?"

I don't think I'm gonna push it off people.
Although I want to.
{I know I am a horrible person that hates birds and ladybugs too!}
I am seriously afraid of karma, so I can't just "Oops, did I push that when I was opening this window in 40 degree temperatures?"
But I definitely can't listen to that thing every morning and especially if she fills it with little squawkers, ugh!
Could you imagine the noise?
I am unpleasant enough in the morning with 8 hours of sleep, I can only imagine the pleasantness that would follow all the mornings of that.

Anyone got any ideas on how to relocate a bird?
That 6am chirping is making for a grouchy kinda day.

Cute Cards

At the end of March was my little sister's birthday and I was flabbergasted when my mother pulled out a storebought card.
Egad!
I only have hundreds of cards at my house.
She only lives about 3 miles away.
And here she had gone and spent hard earned money on something that I make hundreds of a year!
So, a couple weeks ago, I packed up all my cards and took them to her house for everyone to take their very own stash.
You know, keep a little supply of the necessities...birthday, thank yous.
Well, everyone was looking through my cards, picking out what they could use and my little brother says, "Man, everything is just so cute. I can't give anyone one of these cute cards, can't you make something a little more guy like?"
Cute??!!
I am a person who tries to limit her cute.
Seriously.
So after I tried to defend my box of perfectly proportioned cute cards, I looked through them myself.
And wouldn't ya know...They are all cute!
Bleh!

So, I am now on a quest for non-cute.
I need some guy stuff, something that a guy could give and receive.
Less cute, more manly. Grrrrr.

But in the meantime, look at the latest cute....
This is an image I got from Michele, she will I am sure pipe in and tell us who makes it in the comments section, won't ya?

I also sent out a ton of cards for RAK lists and to peeps I just love, just cuz.
And I plan on sending out many, many more.
The problem is that the blogger RAK group I belong to on SCS is less than desirable.
I don't know how many of you are on this list, but last year alone I sent out about 30 cards and only received about 10...hmmm.
Plus, I had many cards that weren't even acknowledged at all, which is just plain rude.
So, I am hesitant to send out too many more cards to this list, especially with the price of stamps these days.

Would anyone like to join me in starting a new list?
A new group of blogger RAKers?
Or does anyone know of another more reliable group?

Just your typical weekend chaos...

Friday night I spent my time entering product for my new job.

Oh, did I fail to mention a new scrapbook store is opening up in my neck of the woods?
Yep, you heard right Illinois residences, a new shoppe is currently underway.
Well, we are working as quickly as possible.
Where, you ask?
Arlington Heights.
When, you say?
After we make it look more like a store and less like this...

There was an 8am soccer game Saturday morning which I did not attend.
Yep, I am the bad parent that opts out of games earlier than 9am for my own sanity.
And then, after that and the world's fastest shower, we headed off to Max's interview which was at 11am.
Parking is a major PITA in the part of town, seriously.
It cost me $11 for an hour and a half!
But the kid did awesome and looked great, so think we may be a shoe in.
The best news I heard was that they had 400 applicants and only interviewed 100, so that alone impressed me.
Now, all we need to do is be one of the 65 they take in the program.
The worst news is that he will be in school almost all summer, full-time, which really puts a damper on some of our normal summer fun.
But he did let me take this picture, in front of the other school building, so as not to embarass him too much.

Then we drove 2 hours to University of Illinois to visit my baby brother.
We usually go down a couple times a year but this was the first time due to our crazy schedules.
We went to dinner, watched Juno with some of his friends and just hung out.
We also walked around campus because it was a perfect day yesterday and I always think this is one of the coolest looking campuses.
These two are really starting to look like twins, they even wear the same shoes!

We walked super far just so that the kid could get one of these...
What?!
Never had a bubble tea?
Drove back home with some of my brother's junk to move back home.
We needed to be back to go to Sunday night dinner, it's our family tradition.
Got back, raced to make this page for the SYC challenge this week.
I was so happy this page took me like a total of 30 minutes, start to finish!
I used the new Scenic Route Providence line I got from Noel's store.
And 24 brads!

And now it is Monday, the weekly chaos starts all over again!
Although sometimes the weekends are more exhausted than the week days!

I see I am now at 40,000 visitors {thanks!} so I will post the blog candy tomorrow, I need some photos of the goods so that you know what you'd be winning, right?

1990 Re-Visited

I have been pulling out old photos lately to inspire me to scrap.
It seems to be working.
But it also seems like more of a walk down memory lane than anything else.
I've been thinking a lot about my life, where I've been, who I am.
I've pulled out old pictures of me, or the kid, and on occasion, I've even been getting a little misty.
So unlike me.
It's amazing how fast time flies.
And I look at old me and try to imagine what she would think of this current version of me.
Would old me walk right up to current me and give her a good smack, "What have you done?"
Seriously.

When I found this picture of me and the man, I instantly felt like I was 18 again.
Totally stupid and naive.
And completely smitten with this man from this very first prom night.
It was the easiest I have ever fallen in love in my life and the hardest, for sure.
And as much as I hate this picture of me (I remember I was eating fruit salad as it was shot), the memories of myself in this moment, in this picture, are priceless.
It just makes me want to take more pictures.
And pull out some more oldies.
I'm still astounded at how skinny we were and amazed that these too people made the coolest kid on the planet.

Paper is Theresa Collins and Foofla, Stickers are Making Memories, Grungeboard heart, Making Memories flower and brad.

Weird Happenings

* I won the contest over at Noelmignon.com for my ballz page.
I am the GDTM for May, so expect some new pages soon with all my new goodies.
She has an awesome kit right now too, that Treehouse kit...Wow!

* The kid has been applying for some special gifted programs he was invited to apply for because of his rocking ISAT scores and grades and we have an interview on Saturday at High Jump which is a crazy intense educational program to groom kids who want to go to selective enrollment high schools.
They go to school Saturdays for 2 years and sessions in the summer too!
It is crazy learning.
But I think it is the only way he will get into his choice high school which was named #25 on the best schools in the country.
Plus, he is just way into school, which is totally weird.
(he definitely did not get that from me!)
And in the same week he was invited to apply for a gifted off campus program for next year that will give him high school credit.
He's excited that his Fridays would be half day at school if he gets in.

* And I have some other exciting news coming that will be revealed somewhere big in the next few weeks that I am absolutely giddy about.
It is just weird to have so much luck in one week, I am about the most unlucky person I know.

* And there are definitely weird things going on in the medicine cabinet.
I'm now scared to brush my teeth!

Mother of One, Again

No, the mother does not read the 'ol blog.
She most probably doesn't know what a blog is.
And if she did, I wouldn't care...I told her all this in person and on the phone.
Us, single moms need to stick together!
Which is the reason I watch this kid to begin with, to help out my fellow SM.
But last week was so mentally exhausting, I was completely worn out on Saturday.
I did absolutely nothing.
Max was so excited to have order in the house again.
Went to a family dinner and took some headshots of my baby brother, but that was it.
And yesterday was pretty much spent the same way...doing nothing.
I watched bad Tv and stayed in my jammies all day.

This page is up at Scrap Your Crap for the challenge this week.

It's Tool Time over there this week.
So pull out your tools and try to use 2 or more on a layout, project, card...whatever, just use them!
I used my Sizzix (the old school red one!), my Bind it All and the Cropadile on this page.
And I realized that I broke my Cropadile!!
Has anyone else done this?
The little nib that holds the eyelet to set it was broken off.
I guess I don't know my own strength.
And now I need a new one because it sets the eyelets all wonky without that piece, which is why mine look weird here.

Ballz Challenge

It's 6:47pm, Friday and that extra kid is FINALLY gone.
The mom was supposed to be home Wednesday night but she was booked on American Airlines.
Then there were storms last night.
And today I got to spend all day at home with the boys because there was no school...
so I am pretty much exhausted mentally.

If there is one thing I learned this week, it is that my child is VERY well behaved and every time he opens his mouth to get all teen sassy, I am going to have to remind myself of this long week.

I got one layout done today and I had intended on scrapping all day, that didn't happen...
It was for the challenge over at Noelmignon.com.
I know this picture is not the best, a bit blurry.
I got a new lens last week (50mm/1.8f) and I am still getting used to it.
I used some Scenic Route patterned paper and the Making Memories letter stickers that are my favorites.
I also used those washers with the words on them, which have been in my collection for many, many years!
The ribbons are Michaels, Target $1 spot and Creative Cafe.

I am looking forward to my weekend as a mother of one.
I just hope all that talk about getting snow was just another one of those pesky weatherman errors.

And the week goes on...

Yes that extra kid is still here.
And yes, I am still coping...barely.

It is unfortunately THIS child that is making me want to slap someone.
THIS child who doesn't understand what it means to talk with an inside voice.
THIS child who is still in possession of stolen merchandise and refuses to return it to school.
And THIS child that has had every possible privilege already taken away, the only thing I have left to threaten him with is food.
"You better behave if you want to eat!"
And the sad thing is that with nothing to possibly do but sit and read and sleep, his response is "oh well, not so bad."
Yeah...someone needs a good ass whooping!
Seriously.

Today I hid back in the room of crap while my responsible child did his homework himself and is now out at the park practicing soccer because the season starts this week.


It is more of Elly's Squirrellystamps!
This time it is the little gnomie and the house.
When I first saw the little mushroom house I mistakenly referred to it as the "smurf house" but Elly quickly set me straight.
I colored the image with my Copic markers and added a nice white fluffy beard with some liquid applique.
It just didn't look right without it.
That green rik rak is from the Target $1 spot, I am thinking I shoulda bought more when they had it, I am nearly out of all three colors.
Don't forget to check out Elly's etsy shoppe for more great designs.
They are all unmounted rubber and work great with double sided tape or ez mount!


Back to babysitting duties.

Malfunction...

My week with two boys under one roof is...interesting.
One of them has already tried to play the waterworks card, didn't work.
I am a ruthless leader.
And one of them has difficulty telling the truth which in my book is the #1 worst thing you can do.
Unfortunately that one doesn't fear my wrath as much as the one who has put in 12 years with me, so it is hard to scare any sort of sense into him.
Unfortunate.

I made this card over the weekend.
Thought I would get in a little crafty time yesterday but I was too busy listening to excuses and explaining what "possession of stolen goods" meant in jail terms.
This is another belated birthday card that needs to go out.
I am a total slacker friend and family member.
I used this awesome stamp I got from Elly who sells these cute stamps at her etsy shoppe and did I mention they are totally cheap and are awesome.
This little robo guy is just $4!!
And she sells the little gnomie guy too that I love so much.
The paper on this card is the new Cogsmo line from Cosmo Cricket.
I colored with my Copics and on the inside it reads.."Malfunction...Happy Belated Birthday!"

Off to look up jail times for petty theft...

Beautiful Monday!

We had a beautiful weekend here in Chicago.
The temps were in the 60s, sunny skies and it was gorgeous.
Kids were in Tshirts and shorts (we get a little carried away when it gets just a tiny bit warm here) and our park across the street was packed.
We even grilled some steaks on Saturday, I almost forgot how good that is.

I unfortunately spent a lot of my time indoors on Saturday doing some much needed spring cleaning.
I even moved the couch!
You shoulda seen the colony of dustbunnies under there.

And I rewarded myself by pulling out the Copics and making a few things, like this card.
The image is from Whipper Snapper, I got it from Joanne a couple weeks ago.
And that sentiment is SU!
That ribbon was colored with my Copics to match the birdie.
I have been trying to make a bunch of belated birthday cards as it seems that I am always late.
And see all those buttons?
Well, we are getting all button crazy over at Scrap Your Crap this week, so if you are like me and have a few (I have well over 1000!) then join our challenge this week.

I am playing mom to an extra kid this week.
The little boy I babysit afterschool has moved in til Thursday.
So I am up to my eyeballs with, "He hit me! I'm bored. Why?! Max said..."
It's only been a day and I am ready to ebay both of them.
Anyone in the market for 11 and 12 year old boys?
But it is a good reminder that having one kid is a good thing.
It cures the baby woes real quick.
Now, I just need to figure out a way to get two only children to get along for the next 4 days...
(or I'll just be hiding in my room of crap!)

Wassa Goin' On?

Man, I am a slacker, huh?!
But I am too exhausted to have been slacking.
I'm just busy...yeah, that's the ticket...busy.

* I am working on stuff for Scrap your Crap.
This week we're all getting felt up...no, not in a back seat kinda way!
So if you've got some felt laying around, come on over and join us.
My LO makes me giggle, look at how little the kid is.
Now we're eye to eye!

* I watched the movie, The Mist last weekend.
It's the one by Stephen King.
I can't stop talking about it.
Watched it twice.
It was a totally commentary on human nature and scary true.

* A very lovely gal sent me one of these to try out and review.
I guess cause she saw my video and knows I have a lot of ribbon.
So, expect to see that coming up next week.

* I'm also catching up on Rock of Love.
But I'm only on season one, still.
Without cable, I have to watch these things on DVD or in this case I bought it from Itunes so that we could watch it on the plane from Jamaica.
I am hooked.
The stripper just got Bret's name tattooed on the back of her neck....omg...I thought for sure he would stop her.
But that would be sane!
And even though I know who he picks at the end, thank you very much Greta, I am still enjoying the process immensely.
"Don't threaten me with a good time!"

* And I went and saw my buddy Michele last Friday all the way in the south suburbs which is a feat in and of itself on a Friday night during rush hour traffic.
We traded some images.
And Joanne showed us how to make this card.

Isn't this stamp cool?!
It's from Outlines stamp company and after lots of coloring with my Copics and cutting, lots of cutting, it look totally cool.
I think we successfully convinced Joanne she needed Copic markers.
And a blog. (just sign up already!)
Until then, you can see her gallery here.

* I also got a challenge done for NoelMignon.com.
And it was on time, for a change.
It was a sketch challenge, if anyone is looking for a good sketch, it is still up at her site and it's a good one.
And she has a new challenge posted as well.
The winner will get a spot as Guest Designer and the topic is balls.
Heehee...I said balls!

This LO is totally Scenic Route.
Perfect Camping paper.
And because it came with letter stickers and coordinating cardstock...this was super easy.
Even those chipboard circles are Scenic Route.
Again, super old pictures that make me laugh.
Man, I was hammered in that group shot but boy was it a fun weekend.

* I am addicted to the group Vampire Weekend.
Love the whole album.
It is exactly my kinda music.
The kid is now appalled that we like the same thing.

* Hell's Kitchen just started again this week.
I am addicted to people cooking and Gordon yelling at them.
I know, it's a sickness.
But there is nothing like high pressured lobster bisque.

That's about it, I think.
Just busy.
Today is sunny and I hear it will be almost 55 degrees...woo hoo, heatwave!
So before it turns totally gorgeous and perfectly 70 degrees I have been crafting up a storm and working on more videos.
Because once 70 hits, there is no way I can be kept inside.

Oh and it looks like I am coming up on 40,000 hits.
Can that be?
Really?
I'm just shocked when one person reads this wackiness.
Well, when that bad boy hits the big four-oh, I am giving away a little prize package filled with all kinds of summery goodness.