Scrappy Friends Challenges

I love scrapbooking with my friends......I mean it's really fun to scrapbook whenever I can, but it's especially fun to get together with friends  compare layouts, ask for advice, and learn new techniques.  Or maybe it's just being encouraged to try something outside of your comfort zone.  My scrapbooker friend, Kayla, is always participating in layout challenges for blogs she follows.  I think it's great because it gives you inspiration to try to get something accomplished and I've always wanted to try it!  I read the blogs every month and think "this will be the month" and the month comes and goes and no go.  So this month is the month.  I participated in three of the four challenges and accomplished two layouts.  I really enjoyed participating and I did move a little out of my comfort zone to get the desired results.  Here they are:

 

This layout  attempts to satisfy both the sketch challenge from Scrappin' Happy and the color combo challenge (blues, greens and  yellows) from Rochelle Spears.

 

This layout was really fun!  The challenge was to use the theme "Keep Calm and ......"  The challenge can be found here.

 

A big Thank You to the ladies for hosting the challenges and I can't wait to participate again!!!!





Organization rocks!!!

I found this wonderful idea for organizing ribbon rounds on Pinterest and it made so much sense I had to try it.  Also, i'm amazed by the creativity of some people!  As you know, we have a lot of stuff and very little storage space.  This is compounded by the fact that a.) we have a toddler who has a lot of stuff and is messy and b.) I also have a lot of crafting products.  I've converted half the guest bedroom closet into craft storage, and it's enough, but not perfect or organized.  So here's my new trick:

This would be my "bucket of ribbon."  Yes, there's a lot and yes, it's messy.

Bought these cute little pant hangers off ebay.  They have a swinging arm.

 
This is my ribbon pushed onto the hanger "arms".  First let me say, I thought I had way more ribbon, and now that I have more space to store it, I can add to the collection!  Loving it and it just hangs in my "craft closet".

It's confirmed.....we are total pushovers!

So, our sweet precious little boy has been telling us that he "needs" a pet.  Of course our curiousity was peaked because really, what does a two-year-old consider a pet?  They have a guinea pig at school for a pet, we of course reminded him that he does, in fact, have two pets:  Boots and Rocco. The reply? "Nooooooo Waaaaaay!  They not pets!"  He has been telling us he needs a pet fish.  And he  constantly wants us to read a particular book that has a pet fish.  Today we obliged (he's spoiled, we know!), but the smiles were worth far more than $5 worth of fish and a Wal-Mart aquarium starter set!

While daddy's away..........

Well today begins the seasons upon seasons of hunting as it's the opening of Dove season.  Eyler always wants to go hunting with daddy, and since he's much too little (and too loud) to go, we always do something fun to appease him and make sure it's just as fun to stay home with mommy as it is to go with daddy.  Blackmail?  Maybe............

So here's our fun today.  I bought some cheap Barbasol shaving cream and colored it with basic food coloring.  Eyler used it in the bathtub to "paint".  It turns the water nasty brown with all the combining of colors (and he smells a little like an old man), but he had a blast and I din't think I was ever going to get him out of there.

Thanks, Mom!!

Well, most people are busy putting up the bounty from their home garden, I however; am busy putting up things given to me from OTHER people's gardens.  I very much have a love/hate relationship with gardening right now.  My mom was gracious enough to provide us with enough rhubarb to feed a small army, so I got it ready for the freezer.  I realize that rhubarb is not a fruit of choice for most people (is it even a fruit?), but one of Andy's favorite pie fillings is strawberry-rhubarb.  So for him I baked pie.

The one that got away..........

Well, we had a beautiful morning and we had been talking about taking Eyler fishing for a while now (even though we knew the concept of fishing and two-year-old attention span are not harmonious things)....but, we have this cute little Disney fishing pole and the weather was great so off we go.  We went to a creek where Andy normally goes turkey hunting and got all situated, putting up chairs and worms on to hooks.  I would have given anything to know what was going through Eyler's head as he was figuring out "feeding" the fish worms!  So, Andy tells him that he'll cast it out and then he can sit and "fish"....which is actual Eyler lingo means to constantly cast and reel.  Andy casts it out, turns to give it to Eyler and "WE  GOT A BITE!".  Andy and Eyler reel in this decent sized catfish on a three foot $8 Disney Cars rod and reel set.  Andy walks down the bank to pull the fish on to the bank.....slips...breaks the line and plop goes the fish back into the creek.  Unfortunately in all the rush I wasn't really ready with pictures, but had I been able to capture their faces it would have told the story of the one that got away.

After all the excitement, we came home for naps then braved the waterpark this afternoon.  This is the last weekend they are open and we've been meaning to go all summer.  Eyler must have been having a good time because he kept saying "Thanks for coming here, mommy".  We all had a blast and we'll all be sleeping good tonight!!

Cutest thing ever!

Last weekend while visiting my mom, we traveled to Colby, KS to take Eyler to the Dinosaur Train premier party and decided to head on over the Brewster to visit a craft store I had heard about, you can check them out at http://craftpeddler.net/ .  They had some great products including these cute candy cookie molds.

So, I of course had to try them out.  My first time, so I didn't go overboard and do anything too fancy, just some white chocolate over Oreo's.  My next attempt will be so much better and prettier, but either way they turned out very cute and tasty!!