Denver Zoo

I finally got my Denver Zoo photos scrapbooked!

A week and a half ago, while watching Grey's Anatomy, I spread out all of my photos from 2009 that I still wanted to scrapbook and organized them into piles for layouts and then put them in chronological order. At a crop I attended at PVBC last weekend, I got started on them-- it was kind of fun working in chronological order again! Especially because I wanted my Denver layouts to have a cohesive feel to them, so I worked with the same product lines throughout, which made it even easier.

I thought I'd share the layouts with you:











I normally wouldn't create so many layouts about the same day, but we had such a great time and I really want to remember everything.

Thanks for looking!

Becoming a fan

I have recently become a fan of several things:

1. Cold-FX Mmy throat started feeling a little sore on Wednesday morning & I went to Shopper's to pick up some stuff. My friend Joy recommended Cold-FX and it totally worked! Cameron thought it was a little pricey, but I was still able to work on Thursday, so I figured it cancelled out the cost.

2. Zoo World on Facebook. Austin was playing this and lost his account a few weeks ago. To humour him, I said we could create a zoo on my account and now I'm hooked. Yep. I am the proud owner of a zoo worth almost 20 million dollars that houses 221 animals and 86 species.

3. Cool pants from MEC . I picked up pair for my upcoming trip to the Congo (I can't believe I leave in three weeks!) and have worn them a few times when I've subbed phys. ed, because, really, they're the sportiest looking pants I own. They are so comfortable! I'm sure I'll be tired of wearing them after my trip, but for now, I'm happy to know I have them.

4. Pink Paislee's new scrapbooking lines, especially Queen Bee & 365 degrees. I can't wait for Marcy to get these in at MSS.

5. Sage's forehead. She likes her bangs, but man, when she pulls them off of her face, I just love her forehead! On Tuesday, Val & I went to Winnipeg for my booster innoculation for Hep A & B. We found this little headband/bandana and matching shirt at Mexx. They were on sale and I couldn't resist. She wears so much pink, it's nice to see this burnt orange colour on her.









Have you become of fan of anything recently? Feel free to leave a comment and share.

Too funny!

While we were cuddling in bed this morning, Jonah said something about how scientists think that spiders were the first things to walk on earth.
So, we talked a little about the creation story and in which order God created things. Birds and sea creatures were created on day five and the rest of the animals were created on day six.
And then I said: "I think that spiders might have been created after the fall."
To which Jonah said: "No, I think spiders were in the summer." LOL!

Welcome 2010!

Last night, we attended our church's annual skating & pizza party/NYE's service, which was great, as usual. It's such a great time to reflect on the past year, our highs and struggles. We were given the opportunity to share and I chose to share about one of my highs from 2009-- speaking at chapel at Winkler Bible Camp and how God blessed me through that. I also shared my struggle with going back to work in September and how God has worked in me through that. I was bitter and not happy with going back and God has changed my heart-- now I'm am so thankful for my job and really do enjoy it.

Looking back on 2009 has reminded me of how God blesses us when we say "Yes" to Him and how He is with us every single step of the way.

Amazing.

It makes me very excited to begin 2010 with the anticipation of what He has in store for us this year.

I also wanted to share some layouts that I made this past week, with the January kit at MSS.









I also made some cards with this kit. If you'd like to see them, you can check them out on the MSS blog.

Thanks for looking & wishing you all the best in the new year!

Favourite layouts from 2009

My friend, Danielle, posted her favourite nine layouts/projects from 2009 on her blog a little while ago. Loving this idea, I thought I'd share my favourite layouts, too. Except, well, I had a hard time choosing nine. So, here are my favourite thirteen layouts from 2009. ;)


Here's one that I made in February with some goodies from Scrap for a Cure -- I'd won their monthly challenge.


Kind of a different style for me, but I was really happy with it. It's framed on the shelf above my scrap table.


I love these sweeties! I was quite happy with the simplicity of this layout, which I made during an online crop at My Scrap Shoppe.


This one was created with a game of scraplift tag at Just Cre8.


I was inspired by Sherry Stevenson , one of the DT members at Create My Keepsake, to use her ribbon treatment idea on this one.


I'd entered a Pink Paislee contest at Create My Keepsake with this layout-- and won!


Created with the June kit at My Scrap Shoppe-- one of my favourites.


This was one of the first pictures I took with my new camera-- and I just love this Pink Paislee line!


I just loved how this layout came together using the Little Yellow Bicycle products. I also love the stitching I added to show our travel route.


This was created as part of a sketch challenge on Danielle's blog, and I was so happy with how it turned out.


Created with the September kit at My Scrap Shoppe-- another favourite.


This one was also created with the September kitMy Scrap Shoppe. I liked the envelope idea for tucking in my summer reading list.


And, last but not least, this layout that I made and framed using more Pink Paislee products.

Thanks for looking!

A few more Christmas things....

Well, we spent the day in the city yesterday. I got my shots for my trip (five in all!) and we did a little shopping. I picked up a super cute snow jacket and pants for Sage. It's a little big, but I'm hoping she'll wear it for a few years.





And I wanted to share a few Christmas projects I've done in the last month....

A few years ago, I started making CD ornaments and covering them with photos of my kids and the year. On the back, I journal about each of them: their age, personality & interests. I wanted to make some more for 2009, but I found that the tree was very "photo-heavy" when I put them on it, so I decided to do something a little different this year.

Here are the ornaments, which I used My Mind's Eye and Fancy Pants pp and Pink Paislee stamps (on Austin's) and border stickers (on Jonah's and Sage's.) I drilled holed in the top of each of them.



Then, I collected all of the ones I've made through the years and sorted them chronologically and for each child. I used a small binder ring to attach them together (threading it through the hole I'd drilled for the ribbon hangers.) Then I threaded the three little rings onto a larger binder ring and added some ribbon to decorate it.





Now it sits in a basket on my table where guests can flip through them and see how my kids have grown.

I also made this Christmas ornament, too.



Thanks for looking!
And a merry Christmas to you, too!

A few things to share....

What a relief that the Christmas holidays are here! I have been looking forward to having 16 days off from work and just enjoying some time with my family!

I wanted to share a few things this weekend, some scrappy, some not & some a combination of the two... ;)

1. My church has asked me to be a part of a team that is going to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in February 2010. I've wanted to go for years, where I can be an asset to the team as a French translator, but circumstances haven't always worked. This year, all of the key players were on board (read Cameron & my kids), so I will be going! I'm very excited & it still hasn't really sunk in. Maybe on Tuesday, after I get all my shots, it will seem a little more real....

2. Because we didn't plan for this, I need to raise some money to go. So, I've been doing some baking and selling it. I'm also hosting a "Crop for the Congo" on January 8th & 9th to raise funds. It will be a Friday evening, Saturday all day crop with snacks & lunch provided, door prizes and free classes. If you're reading this and live close to Morden and would like to come, please email me and let me know.

3. I made a little project this week for Sage and thought I'd share it here...

I picked up this metal tray at the thrift store this week....



And using some My Mind's Eye products, I made this:



The trees & snowflakes are glued on, but I attached magnets to the back of the little characters so Sage could play with them:







Thanks for stopping by!

Homemade

... is the theme of December mid-month challenge's at My Scrap Shoppe. Here's the layout I created for the challenge:



And the homemade element I added is the fabric flower at the bottom-right hand corner. I made it following the instructions in the January 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes, but I added a cut out stamped image, instead of a button.



Thanks for looking!

Mistletoe & Co.

I don't think it's a secret that I am a huge fan of Pink Paislee products.

This week, I pulled out my Pink Paislee Mistletoe & Co. goodies and made this layout...



And four Christmas cards for my kids' teachers....









I thought it was great how some of the Mistletoe & Co. product had "Joyeux Noel" on it-- perfect for my kids' French immersion teachers!

Thanks for looking!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The massive snowfall we got on Tuesday helps considerably, as does the decorating that Sage & I did in the house yesterday.

I love her enthusiasm for the holiday.

And, I'm loving the new lens I got for my camera-- it's taking nice indoor shots.









And this afternoon, I got the tree up and the lights on before the boys got home from school. Then, when they arrived, we decorated it (and took some photos, of course!)





Is it beginning to look like Christmas at your house?

Some scrappy stuff to share...

Going back to work has definitely made a difference in the amount of time I spend scrapping. Before, I would scrap at least two to three times a week, if not more. Now, well, let's just say it isn't as often as I would like.

So, needless to say, I was pretty excited to scrapbook at my church on Friday evening with some friends. We had good conversation, snacks and tunes-- what more could a girl ask for? ;)

Packing was easy... I grabbed by trimmer, tools, cutting mat and my MSS December kit (which go on sale today) -- easy, peasy.

And, I was able to get this layout done with the kit Friday night. I also used the sketch I posted on the MSS blog on Friday. (I apologize for the poor lighting-- the background cardstock is kraft, not olive, irl!)



And two more layouts with the kit:

Thanks for looking!