We planned to use part of our income tax refund on this:

my new toy

Can I tell you HOW incredibly thrilled I am to have it? The picture quality is insane. I love it.

I've been playing with it today... finally putting into practice things that I've been reading about.

And seriously? This is priceless. Hehehe

Labels: funny, kids, links, pictures

Hey y'all, just wanted to update you with one of the classes at Scrap Etc. this weekend for National Scrapbook Day:



Katie B's class is a Play Banner!

It will cost $15 at 2:00pm on Saturday, May 3rd.

It is so cute, using lots of Accucut Dies and Hambly! . She used the word PLAY and has several pictures of her two kids on it.

You will be able to use any 4 letter word........well, not any! Let's keep it clean!

You can see that most of the shapes are using the Accucut machine. The papers are Fancy Pants, Hambly and Prism cardstock.

It would be so fun hanging in your kid's room or over the mantle for a little spruce up for Summer!

Labels: classes, links, pictures, Scrap Etc., scrapbooking misc.

Parenthood (and other relationships) never fails to amaze me about what it can teach me about God's relationship with me.

Sometimes, I probably take it a little too far... I mean, you can't read into EVERYTHING and make it about your relationship with God. However, I think in certain moments, His Spirit has softened my heart to notice something that I do every day and remind me about how God treats me, His daughter.

Case in point...

Em is calling me into the bathroom today, to wipe her after pooping. (Oh yes, good times.)

I started cleaning her up, and she started trying to help.

I told her, "No Em, don't touch. I don't want you to get messy. Let me clean up your poop for you."

Now, I'm not going to oversimplify the gospel- but seriously- in a lot of ways, that IS God's grace. He sent His Son in my place so that He could "clean up my poop" so I didn't "get messy," so to speak.

(Granted, that's not to say that sin doesn't have consequences that we sometimes have to clean up, but Jesus did provide grace and mercy for us for the ultimate price that we would have to pay.)

All that said... Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to clean up my poop.

Labels: faith, family

(I can just hear some of my friends totally cracking up at the fact that there is a National Scrapbook Day. So those of you cackling right now: no need to read further. This will be a full-on nerd post.)

So next week, on May 3rd, scrapbookers everywhere (well, I guess just in America because it's only *national* scrapbooking day, not international... or maybe not. Who knows.) will be celebrating this fun hobby.

Scrap Etc. is holding a weekend long scrap bonanza.... read below for more details (and to see the layout I created for it!):

National Scrapbook Day

May 1-3

Sales, Sales and more Sales! We are going to be giving you GREAT discounts on select merchandise. Be watching on the Blog for more information. I will try to send another email to give you more scoop on the BIG sale!!!! We are going to have Escape Night Crops at the store on Friday and Saturday. Come and crop with Tracy and Molly from 6pm-Midnight both nights! Cost is $5. There will be room for 8-10 people and lots of giveaways!

Vanessa's class on Thursday night at 6:00pm. is using a clear album we have created on the Accucut Machine. You will be using Heidi Swapp Runway papers and chandelier charms. Cost for this class is $20.00 Please call the store to sign up ahead of time.

Tracy has created this adorable photo album. It is the perfect size to fit in your bag to use as a brag book! It would also make the perfect Mother's Day gift for mom's and grandmother's! Come in early on Saturday (8am) and Tracy will show you how to make this adorable album. Cost $5.00. Please call the store to sign up in advance.

Katie will be teaching a Summer Banner class using Hambly, AccuCut, Fancy Pants, and My Mind's Eye. I saw it today- it is SUPER cute!

I created this layout with the Heidi Swapp World Traveler papers. If you came to the event you got to do Heidi's version. Come and use the same stuff to get a whole new layout! If you didn't get to come to the event......now's your chance to get a hold of the awesome products we used! Cost FREE!!!
I won't be there to teach this layout because of a prior engagement, but I'm getting my amazing scrapbooking friend Gretchen McElveen to teach it for me. (Thanks, Gretch!) She'll be teaching it on Saturday, May 3rd at 11:30 am.

Don't forget about the Sale. There are going to be some AWESOME deals!!!!

So....

are you ready to scrapboooooooooooooooooooooooook?!!!

(That was for you, Donnie. heheh)

Labels: classes, Craft ideas, layouts, links, pictures, Scrap Etc., scrapbooking misc.

Get Ready

Photograph fact sheet

(even if you're not a scrapbooker, you should check this out. How cool will this be to look back on??)

Labels: challenges, classes, family, links, mini albums, pictures, scrapbooking misc.

my husband's blog.

He likes weird stuff.

I suppose that's why he married me.

But I digress.

Topics this week include:

Indian Toilet Instructions

Weekend at Bernie's- real life style

A priest who is floating with balloons

Koolaid as a gateway drug

and many other interesting and often strange bits of news he's stumbled upon during his countless hours surfing the net.

One of today's posts talks about a search engine that brings up results via images (screenshots of the actual website) instead of text. It's pretty cool, especially if you're really visual like I am. Check it out!

Seems like that could be pretty handy to a scrapbooker... ;)

Labels: family, funny, links, pictures

-packing peanuts that were scattered all over the living room floor are cleaned up. Yipee.

-so LoViNg the amazing job my sweet husband did with laying a new floor in our dining room. I keep telling him it looks like a magazine picture to me.
-still need to bleach out the bathroom and clean up this mess that my little artiste did with lipstick:(think this means "Welcome Home Mommy" in toddler speak?)

-am LOVING this candle that my secret sis (Tina Cloer) got me. Oh my, yum yum. I'm burning it so quickly that I can see I'm going to have to make a run for a new one soon!
-I started the Couch to 5k running program today at the encouragement of my friend Kim. I'm actually quite proud of myself as I am NOT a runner or active person in the least. I really want to change that. Plus, after seeing pics of myself this weekend, I'm seeing that I really need to lose this post-baby belly (and extras lbs.) I've got hanging around.

-I've got some big plans in the works for the Little Bellwether Fashionista blog... I'll let you know when they go into effect! (Hopefully next Monday, but I'm not making any promises.)

-Still working on getting my scrap area organized. I already have a HUGE BAG full of stuff that I've cleaned out (and will post on here later this week).

This is my version of the clip-it-up. Gotta keep it up high to prevent little hands from getting into it.
-This pic is TOTALLY cracking me up.

-Love the snuggles from this boy. I missed them.
-Em & I have been butting heads a lot this week. It's been a bit of a struggle. I am constantly amazed at how grown up she is (and she thinks she is!).

However, these moments make it all worth it.






At least, that's what I keep telling myself. ;)

Labels: family, home, kids, links, pictures, scrapbooking misc., video

I'm about to attack my scrap area tonight, and clean out a ton of stuff.

I'm going to post it here on my blog in lots or mini-kits to sell, within the next week or so.

I'll be using a paypal widget to process any funds so that everything is on the up-&-up.

I'll also be using the flat-rate priority boxes from the USPS (unless you live locally and want to arrange a pick-up/drop-off. And you're not a serial killer).

Labels: scrapbooking misc.

So very, very tired.

Must unpack.

Here's some photos. More coming soon once some peeps email me theirs. Forgive the lack of quality in them... sometimes it's all about just trying to capture the moments. :)

Labels: pictures, Scrap Etc., scrapbooking misc.

For those of you just here for the scrappy stuff, here's a little project I did the other night. (sorry for the not-so-great pic, I took it in a hurry!).
I used a page out of a Maya Road chipboard album as the base and painted it. Added American Crafts papers and Chipboard Thickers, Jenni Bowlin Paper, Creative Imaginations Paper Lace, and Heidi Swapp crystals and bling
.
The verse in the middle is a great verse, one I discovered recently. It says, "When she speaks, she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly." (Proverbs 31:25, MSG) WOW! That is so convicting to me... I really struggle with my
tongue and the things that come out of my mouth.

Labels: Craft ideas, faith, scrapbooking misc.

Yesterday, my little brother graduated from police academy.

It's crazy to think that the same little guy that used to pretend that sticks are guns, wore a knight's helmet around, and had a favorite GI Joe named "Crazy Legs" is now deputy sheriff!

I'm so proud of him. He won an award for the most improvement in his physical training. He takes his duties very seriously.

And I even think he likes donuts. ;)

Donovan at lunch before the graduation. He's such a cutie. I'm sure he loves me saying about him, too.




Me embarrassing him in front of his fellow officers. Actually, now that I look at it, I think I'm just embarrassing myself. ;)
Love that he's really smiling in this pic. See how our eyes disappear when we smile? heh

My bro with our grandpa

Strike a pose, dude!


Donovan and Grams
Donovan had just said one of his trademark one-liners.


Donovan, Mom, and Dad
Once we went into the graduation ceremony, I got the kids settled quietly with coloring books and markers. "Good," I think. "They seem to be entertained."

And yet, Atticus can never, ever, ever stop talking. Constant monologue with that boy. You hear the absolute quiet in the room? That's because around 150 people were all sitting there quietly at the beginning of the ceremony as they bring in the graduates and the flags.

So yeah... me and the kiddos ended up going outside for a bit. LOL

Atticus and my little sis Mallory

What a poser.I am jealous of her hair.

Finally, this pic is exceedingly precious to me.



Later dudes! Need to go work on some Event stuff!

Labels: family, kids, pictures, video

Okey dokie, artichokies...

I did a photo shoot with my friend Kari Ann, her sister Leslie, and her mom & dad. They were SO much fun to hang out with and to watch interact.

And, I might add, super photogenic!
HELLO! Are they not the cutest?!

I have more pics (um, yeah, shot 200 pics!) that I need to edit, but here's what I got so far because I know Kari is anxious to see them:

Labels: family, funny, kids, links, pictures

(Yipee seems to be my new "woohoo." I don't know why, but I've started saying it a lot lately.

Anyways.)

Just wanted to give y'all a heads up... in case you've given up ever being able to chat again on the Scrap Etc. Forums, the slow-as-molasses issue that they were having is gone away! YAY! Yipee!

It's fast as lightening... so fun. So glad I can chat with my friends on there again!

Oh, and p.s. Linda- you were asking if you had missed an email about a swap for the Event- it's not an "Event" thing, per se... it's something I joined up with some other girls on the message board. Just something extra for "fun" (aka Why in the heck do I add extra stuff to my plate??!!) ;)

One more:

Why do the weather guys make it sound like it's a good thing to have tornados?

"The conditions are favorable..."

"You really need warm air all the way to the ground if you really want a tornado to touch down."

What the ??

Back into our safe place. :P

Why does stuff make me "happy"?

Why can't I seem to use my time more wisely?

Why did I wait so long to pay my $22 library fine?

Why is my scrapbooking desk an enormous mess?

Why can't there be an invisible shield around my front porch to keep all of the pollen off?

Why can't it be much, much easier to leave the house with three kids?

Why is our library so freaking cool about having three little kids running around in it (well, minus Sabriel, she can't really run around. Yet.) ?

Why do kind people get taken advantage of?

Why haven't I finished making my rolodex cards for the swap at the Event?

Why do the Hills have to move to Mississippi?

Why can marriage be so hard sometimes?

Why do the little rolly pirate skulls from the Happy Meals make me laugh?

Why does my husband put up with my shenanigans?

And why does he continue to laugh at my "Wachovia" joke? Oh wait. He doesn't. That's me that still laughs at it. hehe

Why did I have to tell Atticus FIVE TIMES THIS MORNING, "Stop asking me to put on your tiara!!"?

And why does this make me wonder exactly how secure he is in his masculinity? ;)

Labels: faith, family, funny, home, kids, links, marriage, Scrap Etc., video

Three years in the making.

Happy birthday, my sweet Em!


We had a simple little family party tonight... just us 5. We are having a "friends & family" b'day party later this spring and doing a joint party for Em & Atticus. This was just a little something special today to mark the occasion. :)

Labels: family, kids, pictures