just playing with my camera...

I have a new favourite photo of Colton. Out of a mini photo shoot this morning here is about the only one I really like. He is such a goof yboy, and getting him in a semi normal pose is an odd occurance lol.

then again I think he looks good in black and white too ;)

I think scanning took longer than creating....

I swear it took me forever to get a good scan of this layout, and even then I am not to sure I am happy with it.

I went all out for this one, I think I am usually pretty basic about my scrapping.

Now it is time go have a shower @ 2:36 in the afternoon lol

that late night blogging thing again...

I get so introspective after dark, and the kids are asleep. Perhaps the quiet lets me finally think.

and right now I have a sudden urge to go and get the pickles....

so I can't remember what I wanted to say.


maybe I am not as introspective as I thought?

Just a quickie,

before I go have a desperately needed anp I wanted to share a project I whipped out. I was working with these papers last night and made a newsletter layout, and then I realized I wanted to do sometging similar for Ashlin's room.

So here it is, an 8 x 8 canvas with her and her cousins. It is a bit softer colors in real life though.



I might be taking a better picture later, I will see how I feel after m nap. If the colors being a bit off is still bothering me than I will get the camera out again ;)

so my Sunday list is now...

my Thursday list (it is Thursday right?) and I have accomplised ONE thing. Yay go me.

I am such a bad procrastinator, it is a habit I can not seem to break.

on the bright side I did get my little tin finished with the September kit from MC
This will be for Ashlin to put pics of her and her school friends from the 2006/2007 school year. I might try and take some better pictures since it is a bit overexposed.

I am really trying to learn my camera. But along with that I need to learn Photoshop. I tell you Nicole is amazing with Photoshop, thank you Nicole for your picture & photoshop help!!!!!

feeling scrappy....

For my dear friend Stayce.

I did this with her September kit (awesome kit BTW!)

now I am off to create with the little tin, I actually have an idea for it. Which of course may or may not work out lol

just another manic monday

(sometimes I really miss the 80's)

yet another weekend gone.


I have a huge list of tasks/errands that I need to do.

Phone calls.

I hate making "important" phone calls. I always forget something inportant, and of cousre my children have th elittle inner sensor that goes off as soon as I get taken off hold - and then they NEED me!

Bills to pay.

I have two different swimming lessons times for the kids, and the middle of one I need to leave and go to a meeting. For the preschool that will be my sons home for yet another school year.

Did I ever say how upset I am that he just missed the cut off date for Kindergarten.
He is SO ready for Kindergarten.

That is one of my phone calls to make, the school board. I must keep saying to myself "kill them with kindness!"

Do you ever feel like one of the mothers whose list of to do never gets shorter, and no tasks ever get the 'done' check.

The good news is I thourougly enjoy watching the kiddos learn to swim.

Ashlin had her final Swim Meet last thursday. She had three races, and she won FIRST in two of them. ANd a second in the third! I am so proud of my little mermaid (as she likes to be called)

ok I am rambling....


maybe I should not blog late in the evening.

my first "non-auto" picture...

Ok so I have had my camera since Christmas 05. And I hate to say it but i have never taken it off any of the automatic settings. I have wanted to but it seems so daunting to figure it all out. My manual alone for the camera is 207 pages of number and symbols I know nothing about.

So I have decided to learn how to really use it. May I present my first picture in the manual field of photography. I was playing with the aperature here, kinda cool. I have SO much to learn, and sadly Colton was not interested in me taking his picture this morning.



But I am just so impressed with myself that a picture appeared. I was expecting to just get a big blurry bunch of nothing....

better or worse?

ok just playing around. But opinions would be awesome :D

What is better - A or B?






so what do you think is better? Is it good that I cropped out his sneer (he could be called the boy of many faces) or keep it like that. And the color is a bit diff. Did I do too much adjusting?

kids - close up..

I have a feeling I am really going to miss the Summer and the natural lighting. I am just loving the picutres I am getting recently. So far I only use the auto settings on my camera and I am pretty happy with my pictures. Do you think I need to learn manual photography at all? It seems so overwhelming.

All I need to do is get my PS reinstalled and add some cool brushes, I miss using brushes on my pictures. Darn Arcsoft won't work with them :(

my son is pretty crazy....

can you tell he LOVES to jump in the pool?

and the HS goodies winner is....

CAMMY!

Congrats Cammy -I hope that you like using Heidi Swapp stuff :D Thanks for playing!

And yes the papers in the MC Sept kit are a Sassafraslass Playtime and Dreamtime mix. I have seen the kit ladies and it is cute!!!

"found paper"

so the DT at Memory Creators did our first monthly inspirations and the theme was "found paper". I am glad that we did it since I created a layout about Colton that I just love!!! Of course I think any layout that I finish is my favourite one, till I make a new one. Is anyone else like that????

Anyways here is my little charmer:



I love that handwriting font! It is from 2peas and this one is called Pea Olsen.

What do you think? Do all the dt layouts for this inspiration encourage you to go and scrap?

the Summer of Swimming

so a couple more weeks and our pool will be closing. I am so sad. Both of the kiddos have learned so much and are both loving the swimming. Sometimes I hate so much that I am such a small town and we lack a lot of kids orientated activites. Other times I am grateful that we are in such a small community, it does afford us a slower, perhaps even gentler way of living.

At any rate though, that is not how I am feeling today. I am totally going to miss the summer swimming in the pool and the lakes. I know my kiddos will too.

the Sept MC kit is peeking out!

Oh this kit looks super cute!!!!

http://www.memorycreators.com/forums/

look at the picture along the top


I hope I get my kit soon so I can play and scrap!!!!!!

Any visitors who correctly guess the pattern paper line and post in the comments by August 15th will be be entered into a draw to get an RAK of HS Journaling spots - 1 pack of each Circles, Tabs and Thoughts themes fresh from CHA 2006! (only 1 winner will be picked) Be sure to check back on Aug 16th to see who will be picked!!!

So start guessing!

is it that bad...

that it is 2PM and both of my kids are still in jammies???? But on the bright side they are comfy, and I have less laundry to do :D

I was busy creating a layout today. Woohooo. I had another picture printed but as I was cleaning my scrap area I changed my mind. I had this one printed for a while but just needed the right mindset to do it. Oh and surprise surprise I am getting back into the "inking" stage. Every edge needs to have something done to it. It is an addiction lol

Anyways I used the Aug Memory Creators kit and just did it.



I am sooooo excited because I just know Stayce at MC is sending me Septembers kit soon (right) and in the pizza box I am going to get the NEW Basic Grey and I am sure that I am going to order the new Cosmo Cricket and more from her. I am even hoping that my Heidi Swapp goodies I ordered are in there!

I love scrapping :D Almost as much as I love shopping for the supplies!!!


ok now that I have closed my store and little ol hubby is buying all my supplies (not that he has any idea how MUCH he is buying :D I am off to scrap and use my goodies so I can buy MORE!)

A Scrapping sort of Weekend

So I have been making more of an effort to take pictures of my kiddos. No matter what and even if there is messy and faces dirty. That has been hard since I have an issues of Ashlins har always looking ratty. I am sure it does not help that my mother makes little comments about her looking like no one cares for her since her hair is messy. (Obviously an issue with me since I always mention it!) Anyways I was less stressed this weekend and I managed to scrap while the kids crafted downstairs with me. Imagine that - they got along!

So first I did a simple layout of Ashlin, messy hair and all.



just kinda sliding into the mojo easy like, so her layout is all about her. Now for Colton's layout I was feeling even less stressed and I wanted to really create. So his all about "more" This was the same day as Ashlins picture.



It feels good to reconnect with myself. As a person I find that I need to create, it is good for me.

And I took some super cute pics of Ashlin that I can't wait to scrap!