Yard Work

I spent the afternoon raking up leaves and pine needles out of my yard. Will and I just didn't get around to doing it sooner because of having to prepare for him leaving and trying to get the inside of the house the way we wanted it. Now that I have more time on my hands that I would much rather fill with chores than with sitting around letting my mind wander, I decided it was time to clean up the yard. Now, our landscaping that the owner has put in is already terrible, so it can't be helped very much...but it does look better after this...Yes, this is FIVE 30 Gallon bags FULL to the brim of leaves and pine needles from just my front yard. I had to smoosh the bags in order to close them and they kept ripping. So they are over- full and I could easily have probably filled 7 bags, but I was trying to not be wasteful. Can you believe this?? 5 bags of stuff just in my front yard??! And the yard is not that big, let me tell you!

And this is me posing with my bags of yard gunk (Caitlynn took the picture) so that I have proof to Will that I actually DID do this and that I was still smiling when I was done. Although, there are still some in the yard that I just couldn't get to cooperate but definitely way less than before. So obviously, no time to do anything crafty today. Hopefully tonight. I'm really hoping that this means that when we really should be doing this in the fall instead of in January :-) that I'll have a get out of yardwork pass since I did it all by myself this year! Haha, we'll see! Although, I did actually kind of enjoy it. Shh...don't tell him!

A big post

Since I didn't post over the weekend, I am going to share the pages that I finished. I was very busy this weekend. LOTS going on. I have a leak in my downstairs bathroom that I've been battling with for the last couple weeks. Well, I gave up on DIY fixes, so the plumber is coming some time this week. Then I had to pull weeds in the yard. We are renting this house and the landscaping is TERRIBLE. It drives me nuts. I don't even like to go out there. So I decided to try to make it at least look a little better until I can do some planting, etc. Then, I rearranged my living room because I was tired of the way it looked, and I scrubbed my kitchen top to bottom. Yes, busy busy. I also bought Hayley a new toddler bed and tried to get her to take a nap in it yesterday. Didn't go over so well. Ugh. So she's back in the crib. I will find a way to make it work. It's a little early, but I thought I'd try to see how she liked it. She likes to play on it, but not so much to sleep on it. I'm not in a big hurry. She did potty in the potty again, but only once since the first time. Baby steps. We're getting it. Again, not in a big hurry, though being done with diapers again would be fabulous!

Ok, so here are three of the four layouts that I completed this weekend. I'm up to 11 finished for my 31 in 31 challenge. Still going strong. I am hoping that by the end of this week, I may even be a little bit ahead of schedule. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Actually being ahead? I can't even imagine!

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My card for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I just HAD to do this one before I got to work on getting some layouts done for my 31 in 31 challenge. I needed to use my new Nesties!! And I must say...I LOVE THEM!!! :-) I got this stamp set for Christmas from my Mom. It's by Autumn Leaves and it's called Mindy's Zoo. Love the monkeys! The sentiment is by Technique Tuesday and I bought the sentiment set at the Pink House. The papers are from a stack I bought earlier this week by KI Memories. I love all the patterns...so bright and pretty! Love 'em. So I got to play with all my new stuff! I have been experimenting more with "animal" cards because I have to come up with a swap for a get together with the stamp club. This stamp is topping my favorites list. I've got a soft spot for monkeys! Happy Friday, everyone! I hope to have somewhere between 2-4 layouts to share tomorrow depending on how long I can stay awake tonight! I WILL be caught up for the month before the weekend is over!

Less is more

So with as busy as I've been with things over the last two weeks, I decided last night that for this page, I wanted to go with a less is more mentality. I absolutely adore this picture of Hayley. I think she looks like the most beautiful baby and I look at it all the time because it just makes me happy and puts me in awe of the miracle that she is. So, this layout that should have been my third assignment but I shifted it around and did it after my fourth one for the Pink House. This one uses papers by Studio 8 Paper Company. These are gorgeous. They're double sided, and are named after desserts...how yummy is that?! Anyway, love them...go check them out at the Pink House!! I used the papers by Studio 8, the big brads are by Bazzill, ribbon by American Crafts, and the stickers are from Basic Grey and DCWV. I wanted to use doodle bug stickers, but I ran out of the letters I needed! I hate it when that happens. I need to buy alphabet stickers in bulk when I find ones that I like! I think these worked, though.

So all in all, a stretch for me because I tend to do more on a page, but I really actually love the simplicity of this. For those of you that are keeping track, this is layout number 7 for the month of January. I completed another one, but have to wait to show it to you--I'm using it as a contest entry!

Layout number 5

Here is layout number 5 for my 31 in 31 days. I know I have some catching up to do. I have pictures all ready to be scrapped, so it's just a matter of getting the time to do it. If not before then, I should get caught up this weekend when I can stay up a little later and then sleep in!! I used the Rusty Pickle Mayflower line again for this layout, so this is another design for the Pink House. But I used them in different ways than on the first one and I really like the result. I recolored the picture to Sepia and I distressed the photo edges just a little bit because the papers look a little distressed. The chipboard alpha is by Daisy D's. I thought about sanding those down a little too, but it took the glitter away and I think that makes this page look a little more feminine. So there it is :-).

I still have 2 other small assignments to work on for the Pink House that I will hopefully be able to deliver this weekend. It will be nice to take a whole bunch at once! :-) And then maybe Ronee will have something else for me to do...

Let me know what you think...judging by the number of hits I got this week, I know people are looking but no one is commenting...I really appreciate the feedback and/or constructive criticism! :-) Thanks!!!

So so busy...

Those of you that have talked to me lately, know I'm having quite a time getting my routine back to working order since Will left. I have just been insanely busy! So I didn't have time to scrap today yet, but I may do some in a little bit after I work out. SO there may be another post from me tonight. But I have some big news to share...Hayley is having a big week. (She's my almost 22 month old). First over the weekend she counted to ten for the very first time. Which was pretty exciting for me. THEN tonight, she went potty on the potty for the first time! I was jumping up and down clapping and shouting. She was of course laughing at my antics, which I'm sure she didn't quite understand. But I am absolutely thrilled. I know it may be some time before she goes again, but I'm still just so excited. I missed a lot of this stuff with Caitlynn because I was still working in the corporate world when she was this age so the daycare did most of this stuff with her. I'm so glad I don't have to miss it again! I have been so productive today and then that was just the icing on the cake. This is the best day I've had since Will left, not including that and that just put it over the top! So anyway, just had to share that...hope you all had a great day too!!

Rusty Pickle Mayflower

Here is my first creation using the Rusty Pickle Mayflower line. Ronee gave me the papers and embellishments on Saturday. I have plenty more of everything, so I'll probably do one (maybe even two) more layouts using these. They are pretty versatile. I chose this picture of Will on the C-17 because the papers first struck me as being sort of patriotic. But I think I am going to use them next on a page about my girls because even though they are sort of masculine, I think they have a little bit of whimsy to them as well, so with the lace and some more feminine touches...I think it'll work. So back to creating. This by the way, is only layout number 4 for me for January's 31 in 31. I really need to get caught up!!!