February Scrapbooking

Just counted: finished 29 (one page) layouts this month! Like I said, I've been a maniac. Here is a page from one of the mini-albums I finished at Scrapbowl! Yeah me, hope this momentum keeps going.... maybe it will inspire me to clean my house more.

You say "vanilla", I think "nilla"

Zoe came home from school announcing "I had the yummiest cookies in the world today."
I said, "what kind were they."
Zoe replied, "Vanilla Wafers, and they were so good mommy, you have to get some at the store."
Well I am such a good mommy, I went to the store the next day and got the biggest box of Vanilla Wafers I could find, I was planning on riding the best mommy wave for as long as I could. When Zoe saw the box she said, "not those kind of vanilla wafers, the rectangle kind with icing in the middle."

OK, I was stumped. What in the h--- was she talking about? You see, I make most of the cookies we eat, everyone around here loves chocolate chip cookies. On the occasion I do buy cookies, the only ones I get are Oreos or Milano (Pepperidge Farm) so it's been a while since I really studied the cookie aisle at the store. In fact, I try to avoid it!
A late night trip to Walmart found me wandering through the aisles, I don't even remember what I was there for... when I came upon these!

I remember these cookies! I think my mom used to buy them. I had no idea they were called "Vanilla Wafers." I was so proud of myself. Boy was I going to get "mom of the year" or what?! The next morning, after a healthy breakfast of Cheerios and juice, Zoe sat munching on the "real" vanilla wafers. And of course, I was basking in the glow of Zoe saying, "mom, you are the best!" Mission accomplished, lesson learned.

Q & A

Q: How do you use an entire bottle of Tide laundry detergent in ONE WEEK?

A: Have 4 people with the stomach flu, one of which a toddler who wears the leakiest diapers in the world!

OK, just had to vent!

A couple layouts

I have still been a scrapbooking maniac, trying to finish up some of the layouts I have had planned for a while now, working on my goals I made in January (goals- not resolutions!). It's actually quite freeing to just "get em done". I have mostly been using a lot of paper, a few stickers, and an embellishment or two. I was glad when I heard Shimelle Laine say she doesn't stress about her layouts anymore, just grab it, glue it, stick it, done. I am trying to remember that as I finish more and more pages. I am also trying to remember that the whole reason I started to scrapbook was to record our family's history, not to create beautiful, original art every single time I sit at my desk. Now I do have some other projects in the works, some a little more extensive and creative than others which is why I am trying to work on my backlog of pictures. I have a hard time starting a new project when I know my old pictures are just sitting there waiting for me, calling to me, "Jenny, I want some printed paper and ribbon too!" I just love slipping another layout into its protector and each time I am pleasantly surprised at how cute and fun an "easy" page can be. And the best part, it's done! Here are a couple pages I have just finished in the last day or so. Sorry if they are hard to see, I don't have a scanner (I know I am so living in the 90's, gotta get with the new century already) so I just have to take a picture. Zoe's is called "Band Aid princess" and Parker's is "Ssslurp!".

OK, I just noticed both of these have polka dot paper, I swear I did not plan that. Oh and they both have colored brads too. Jeesh!

Scrapbowl recap

Almost two weeks (!) have gone by since my wonderful trip to Chantilly, VA for Scrapbowl. I can't believe I haven't written about it so far. I think I didn't want to admit it was over. It was by far the bestest, funnest, awesomest, scrapbooking trip I could imagine. I have been wanting to take a trip just to scrap probably since Zoe was born, night-time crops were all I had done up to this point. Thanks to my pal, Kristin who rocks, I finally got to go on a dream-come-true trip. I came home inspired, tired, and enthusiastic about creating more scrapbooks. We packed a lot into a three day trip. I still can't believe I actually went, got on a plane, left the state, stayed in a hotel, ate whenever I wanted, tried to sleep in (I was too excited to sleep), and laughed myself silly. Like I said, a mommy's dream come true!

Here are the albums I came home with: some are completed, some are almost done, some are from classes I took at the event, and some I did on my own. Here is the big crop room at the convention center. Look at all these scrappin' ladies, goin' crazy! It was energizing being in the same place with all these women that share the same passion. We did not crop in here, mostly in our hotel room, it was awesome, we had our stuff spread all over, cropping on the beds, the floor, etc. Just like college!

Me and Stacy Julian! I am so excited I got to meet her, she is "altogether too happy" like she says but in the BEST way! She gave us brownies and milk. How sweet is that?

Me and my IDOL!!!!! Donna Downey, I love her! She is just like I imagined she would be. Funny, down-to-earth, inspiring. She just taught us how to pose "skinny", don't I look skinnier? I'm such a nerd, I showed her an email she sent me and we both almost started to cry! I was so mad I didn't have my book for her to sign, maybe next time. It's so nerve-wracking to meet someone you admire so much...

Me and Margie Romney-Aslett from Making Memories. She is a hoot, love her, love her style, love her cowboy boots!

Me and Shimelle Laine from jolly-good England. I loved her class and it was the one I was most hesitant to take! We are making (in progress, b/c the poor thing lost a bag coming from England and so she is sending us the directions!) a book called "Just a Girl" based on the song by No Doubt, using the lyrics to create titles and journal prompts. How cool is that? We also are using lots of pink to embellish- love it! I showed her my Smurf ruler, she was diggin' it. See me holding it...

Here is my best scrapbooking resource/idea-bouncer-offer/cropping pal, Kristin. Thanks for everything chicka, loved it! Are we so happy or what?!

I highly recommend all mommies take a trip with a friend or two or even by yourself. It was better than I imagined and I cannot wait to take another one!

Martha would be proud

So we had a snow day and quite frankly, I was a little t-o-ed! That means another day of being stuck in the house. I don't mind driving myself in the snow but I don't like to take my munchkins out if I don't have to. Who wants to bundle them up and buckle their car seats while they are wearing their giant coats anyway? Who invented those car seats anyway? Obviously, not someone who lives in the Midwest where it's cold forever!!!! Or someone who has children wearing giant winter coats!!! OK, I digressed...

I have had this bag of Hershey's Kissable baking pieces for a while so I thought why not make something with them? We made Rainbow Rocky Road Brownies with our last bag. (Why do I have two bags of these yummy things and why have I not eaten them in moments of high stress? Well, my mother-in-law gave them to me and told me to make somethings with the kids. She thought they were the mini-baking kisses. Well, I don't like to break the rules so I said, "OK, we'll find something to make with them.") After searching the Hershey's website for a while, which made me wish I could find a reason to go to Wal-mart so I could scarf a Hershey bar, I found a recipe for cookies. I am so rambling right now...

As soon as I get out the mixer the kids (and the dog) come running. I used to love baking, when I could do it alone. It is so fun to mix, measure, taste, try, etc. Now I just kind of like it. You see, I am a bit of a perfectionist so when the exact amount of flour doesn't get measured, I panic a little. I am trying to "let it go" but sometimes, that is hard for me. The kids were uber-excited to bake. I've been on a baking strike since the holidays. I overdid it a little in December.

Here they are sampling the kissables... I think they approve.

Gotta lick the beater, usually I give them a spatula also so they won't fight, but I was feeling lazy. They fought, I was annoyed, "letting it go..."
As soon as I move the mixer over to a workable area, the Little Tykes chairs come flying across the room, the dog tears across the floor, and the fun begins. Actually, it's pretty much like this every time I cook. Max loves it when a crumb falls to the floor.

The finished product, good and gooey. Fresh-made cookies, fun, kept the kids entertained, wouldn't Martha be proud?

More snow

Oh my goodness, it snowed some more! Another snow day! (These exclamation points are not due to excitement, they are because I can't believe it!) It looks like another day of playdoh, painting, blanket tent building, and waiting for daddy to come home and take the kids out to play. I am so not a snow bunny, give me sun and sweat anyday. hhhhhhmmmm (big sigh)