first week of school

a few photos of our week. i couldn't load all of them. i'll try a few more after this post as well. things are going well. getting up on time was a bit of a challenge--getting up by 6am even harder. so far Camille has liked each day. she walks to school with some girls in the neighborhood and then the other two get to the bus stop which is so very conveniently located at the top of our street--walk past about 5 houses and there it is. I LOVE THAT. no real homework this week. signing some more papers, getting notebooks organized, buying even more supplies....

since when did it cost a hundred bucks a kid for school supplies...i guess when they started asking for classroom Kleenex and papers and dry erase markers etc for everyone to share. I thought that's what our home taxes were for...but i guess not enough of it goes for that. anyways...

everyone likes school so far. izzy is the only one feeling the effects of this new move, new school etc...in the classroom i mean. she is not finding a friend just yet, and that is very hard on her. she is very social, but in a kinda awkward way, so she either comes off to strong, or maybe shy. shes very sweet and sensitive, and she was not ready to be a big girl and be in 5th grade this year. ive got my eye on her so we'll see. as the mama, i want everyone to be happy, make friends and get all A's--of course!!!

it's saturday. plans for today: throw in some clarol instincts #2 hair rinse to make ALL my hair blonde (the gray hair seems to be multiplying) for the next 6 weeks... clean the bathrooms, have the kids clean their rooms, wash buster, sweep, and pick out a semi sexy nice outfit to pick up alex at the airport this evening. Adog has been in WA for a month now, and we are so happy he is finally moving to maryland with us. maybe things will start to feel like home here with all of us together again. gotta run, be back soon.

xoxo

last days of summer vacation

so...these are the last few days of summer vacation. school begins Tuesday for Logi and Izzy and Wednesday for miss Cam. sheesh. a long eventful summer. some good, some bad. happy for some kind of routine to kick in. glad the kids will be in a social network of some kind...they need to meet some kids in this new town, find their place in it all.














the girls decided to try on outfits and so i grabbed the camera and shot a few pictures of them being silly. nothing fancy..they didn't want to stand there for very long...just wham bam...run back upstairs and try another. camille goes for poses, and isabelle just laughs as she struts her stuff. silly girls. one wants heels and skinny jeans, the other wants flair legged and converse.....such different little girls i have. so sweet and so ornery the both of them.


logan spent a bit of time finding things to check out with his science kit. he took some of the clumped up hairs that were falling off of buster (our poor dog & his allergies) and some bits of leaves, grass, dirt, he even put some ice tea in a test tube to check out what was floating around that maybe we couldn't see....









it was fun to see him get excited about his discoveries. my kids can be a pain when they are bored, let me tell you. they just get in each others faces...but i sure do love the heck out of them. and i love to look at photos that capture who they are right now...seeing them like this, helps me to appreciate how good and wonderful they each really are. (you know its hard to see that during the long days of summer where all they seem to do is argue over who gets what, or who is right, or who won what game etc.....



















well. that's all for now. lots going on in the next few days...really been kinda busy. today i want to put some pictures and decorations on the walls finally. nothing too exciting, but its something i've wanted to do since we got in this house. :)

xoxo

i finally created something

so...here is something i worked on yesterday just to get back into making something. i pulled out some SU pattern paper and some scallop cards and stamps and went to work.

i think they turned out pretty good. i used some older retired products along with some new stamps. i had to photograph them outside on the back deck, there isnt a lot of good light in here yet.






i think i am going to make a few more today to go with these ones. some smaller rectangular sized cards. i'm just gonna create until i get sick of seeing these colors. :)


drop me a comment and maybe i'll send one to you...they have nice chocolate chip matching envelopes too.




here is L-DOG (logan) with his ever growing collection of Marvel heroes. they come in all shapes and sizes. he has spent endless summer days sharing all the tiny tidbits about each character with me...it is absolutely driving me nutso...but if i am ever in the position to talk marvel heroes with other moms, i can almost guarantee i'd run the show on that one. and when i say he shares everything i mean EVERYTHING. it is pretty cool that he is SO into them. his dad is so happy --it beats the littlest pet shop obsession from the previous years...he is finally finding his little boy stuff in the midst of living with two very dominant sisters. my favorite is to walk into a room and find them lined up on a table or hanging off umbrellas as he's done here. i love the way his imagination is taking off with this. we busted out Alex's childhood collection of comics to keep him occupied until Alex's return, and the boy is in complete marvel heaven. he even took his spiderman gloves with the fingers cut off and inserted pencils in the tips to create his own Wolverine hands. did i mention he's a little genius too?? i love that kid!!!


thats all for today. happy sunday!
xoxo

SU! celebrando creatividad & promo

SU! is having a great promotion...15% off select brand new sets. i have already ordered one or two of these. who doesn't love a great discount on their favorite stamps?? just let me know if i can email you the list....

Here is the new cover to the SU! Spanish language catalog. isn't it SO cute? love all that bright birthday stuff. i can feel my Spanish speaking skills getting ready to kick in...

and this sweet little bird book, i got off the SU! demo site. it was an art challenge done by one of SU! official design artists. whoever they are, can i just say WOW. i love it. that cute bird was cut with SU!'s new die cut machine. i really want one of those. but they are a tad pricey...something i will have to save up for. it is really nice though. they have exclusive dies with SU! only designs. birds, and flowers and labels and pouches, etc. i've never invested in a die cutting machine; but i'm afraid i will be soon enough. maybe if i save up i can have it for Christmas...i believe it debuts in the SU! Holiday mini catalog. can you believe it will be time for holiday stuff soon enough? i am just trying to get through summer and school starting--but it'll be fun to have holiday projects to think about.

that's all for today...

xoxo

i told ya...

so here it is....here i am..with my new Stampin' Up! catalog. so darn happy still. let me think what to say about it now...

ok the project ideas in this catalog are by far my favorite. i want to copy every single idea. so INSPIRING!!! i just can't decide what i need most first. i also got the SU! celebrando creatividad catalog. its SU!'s new spanish language catalog. SUPER COOL. all sorts of stamp sets and accessories in spanish. how creative is that? its 47 pages of fun in espanol. it is SO the thing to help me continue on my journey of learning spanish. i have always regretted the fact that i took classes for like 8 years and i let it all slip by me by not using the language, by not speaking it. its my bffs (yolanda) first language and one of my best friends (DIANA) teaches it...so I really have no excuse. anyways. so much going on with stampin up this year. they are celebrating 20 years of creativity, opportunity, and service. and as a little incentive to myself, i am celebrating right along with them.

i wonder if i'll find some maryland girls to be so interested in SU! i hope so. i have a lot to share. once the kids get back to school, im kicking my business in gear. i'm spending the next few weeks just playing with some new ideas and getting things ready. if i happen to owe you cards (Heather M.) i will get them to you soon. i'll forget and then remember...50 times before i get to something...but you know i'll eventually get back to it. :)

ok. off to do some mommy stuff and hopefully have a relaxing day.

xoxo

STAMPIN' UP! : I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

OMGosh!!!
what else can i say???


...i love stampin' up! i am so happy i am a part of this company.



i have waited, and not very patiently. and the wait is OVER. i love stampin up. its that simple.
sometimes i forget that i love this company. and sometimes i get distracted by other companies and all the fun stuff out there. but since I'm a bit scatterbrained and lack focus...it is in my best interest to stay with one company...so i have stuck with SU! i'm so glad i did. my box of catalogs arrived today. so far i have only been able to look through it ONE TIME. i had to get groceries, put them away, talk to Alex on the phone, make dinner for the kids, clean the kitchen...and now i am eating dinner ( a salad) and typing this out before i go sit once again for a take two.

let me give you a few of my thoughts.
i am a card maker.
i am a project maker.
i am sometimes a scrapbooker (it takes me longer).

i am beyond excited about the color combinations in this new fall-winter catalog. they are fresh and wonderful and they make me want to sing and dance and...oh yeah...craft.
the new stamp designs are trendy and so totally cool. the papers and colors and doodads and whatnots...
good grief.

i know it is silly to be so happy over something so materialistic. i mean it is only rubber stamps and paper and glue and "little things"...but i am telling you. it makes my heart happy. it makes me creative. it gives me something to do. it gives me something to share with others. it is simply my thing. years ago, alex told me to find something for me--i'm almost certain he regrets that talk now...but i dont.

oh--one more stamp related thought to share.
i am going to be working on transitioning from a hobby stamper to a hobby/business stamper.
which means i'm gonna try my hardest to share SU! with everyone i meet, and shove it in your face every chance i get. :) no, i'm kidding there. i plan to focus and use my creative skills to expand my demonstratorship into something with classes and maybe a stampers club.
i still will be making cards to sell, to share and give ...i just want to reach for some higher goals this year. i want to see if i give myself a push...what i can actually accomplish.
do you know there is a cruise for demos to go on each year...if you reach certain sales or recruit goals. MAN that would be cool. Alex would think differently of my "envelopes and embossing" if i earned him a free cruise with me...

so please remember to think of me if you'd like the new catalog...if you'd like to order cards made by me ( i do it all even invitations, announcements, birthdays, blank, etc) or if you'd like to order supplies for you to get into this wonderful addictive hobby yourself--or your friends...spread the word... :)

ok.
i must go...the catalog is seriously calling to me....

summer is in full swing

so here's a bit of our fun summer stuff. wanting to get on here for awhile now and just say anything....it's kinda hard when its summer and my job consists of keeping everyone busy.

it seems that no matter what they all seem to be in my face on a consistent basis, waiting for me to somehow entertain them. good grief...enough already--go play!!!

here are some photos of us all in DC...exploring with the kids cousin Bryan. DC is huge and busy and it was amazing seeing all the buildings of importance for our country. the sad part was its about 99degrees, so all of us are just about dying as we walk around trying to site see--it kinda pooped us out before we saw much of anything. it is definitely something that is an ongoing thing--we will be back for more, for sure. there is a really nice place here by our house called Kinder Farm. Its got a huge playground, and acres of trails to walk or bike ride through, and it has a real farm of animals to check out and visit with. our favorite part is that it is free to active military vs the 5$ a car fee for everyone else. Cool place. Once the heat cools off, i can see us going there A LOT!!

Alex is back in WA for a bit, finishing out his command, so we are here finishing out our summer. We found the local library yesterday..it was nice; but way smaller than the Lacey library we were so use to. its ok though, its all about adjustments when you move.

Camille and I had an appointment with her 6th grade guidance counselor yesterday. Ok, that was scary--for me. I dunno, I want my baby girl to get bigger and experience life, but i want her to stay tiny and sweet and innocent as well. she got to choose some classes called encores, and then was placed in advanced language and math to prep her for high school credits later. :) it really is all exciting. the day before that, i got Izzy and logan registered for their school...it seems like a fun place. we discovered ALL the teachers with the exception of the PE teacher--are all women. Kinda funny. so far we just met one of the office ladies, but she was pretty nice and welcoming. Right before school starts we have a new student orientations, so that should help us all get the feel of things soon.

lets see---creative stuff for me...nothing right now. I haven't had much time to myself at all. the kids are staying up way to late with bryan for me to have any alone time to create. im hoping that will change soon. I am expecting a box of SU! goodies today....and the newest fall 08/catalog should be right behind the box. Im so excited to see it, its like all i can think about.....im stalking the mailbox and nothing yet. :)

of course i still have boxes to unpack, things im not sure what to do with yet. and i have not put any pictures on any walls, so that may help everything feel more homey. I still need some bathroom rugs and tiny things here and; but taking 4 kids to the store results in poor purchases for me, and extra goodies for them...so some of these things may have to wait until everyone is back to school and I can shop alone again.

I am getting around okay. did NOT get lost going to the library. i can get to target easily (thank heaven for that)...i think i can get to the superwalmart easily enough although i haven't tried just yet alone. maybe later in the week we can give that a try--the kids are complaining we have no cereal--and they are all of course too lazy to make themselves toast and oatmeal is beyond them. I guess summer causes some slack in capabilities for young kiddos.

anyways.

nice to finally catch up.

its noon --a bit after --and i am finally going up to get dressed for the day and finish my coffee. oh wait, i guess i am a slacker as well. :) i'll just blame it on summer...

xoxo