Another sketch and layout

Just wanted to share another sketch and layout. I have been so busy with all kinds of things the last few days, and Jacob has been on graveyard so I just haven't had a chance to get on the computer. So since I posted this sketch and layout on the stores blog, I thought I would jump on here real quick and post it here as well. I usually have a ton of pictures I am trying to figure out how to fit onto my layout. However sometimes there are occasions that I have one picture that I really want to use to capture a moment in time. I did an entire album of my sister in laws wedding, but still wanted something to document the event for our scrapbooks. So I chose one photo, printed it larger than usual and in black and white. Her dress was a light shade of pink, so I wanted to highlight that in some way on the layout. So I used black and cream paper and hightlighted it with pink ribbon. I like this layout alot.

I have been working on alot of wedding stuff, and birthday party stuff for Jacob. I can't believe he is going to be 4 in a few weeks. We are doing a sports theme for him since he loves all sports. Instead of a cake, I am making cupcakes and decorating the tops of them to look like different sports balls. I have so many ideas for it , and I can't wait to put it all together. I have always loved planning parties, I should have been a party planner.

I have to work this Saturday, and then I will be in major party shopping mode for birthday party stuff and wedding stuff. I'll share my great finds, if I find any.

Off to bed.

A sketch

Ok so really 4 posts in one day. WOW. I guess I just had a lot to say today. This is the last one though for today. Actually probably for the next few days as well. When Jacob is off I don't really get on the computer, and he is off until Tuesday night. We usually just spend family time together, especially since it is over a weekend.

Ok so no more blah blah blah. Here is the sketch.

and here is the layout to go with it.

I really had more than the 3 picture for the spot for the 4x6 photos, so I just trimmed mine down and put them in the same spot. Again another way of just making a sketch your own and adapting it to your own needs and style.

Ok I think looking at this layout is just adding to my itch to want to go to Las Vegas. We haven't been in several years, and I would love to go again. Maybe this year we will get a chance to go.

Wedding preperations

Thought I would share some wedding stuff that I have been working on lately. First is the necklace that I made for myself to wear. I think this is funny since I don't even have a dress yet. Oh well. I knew from the beginning that I wanted a necklace like this and couldn't find anything like it, so I just made it.

These are the wine glasses for our toast.

Here are the bubbles for when we leave.

I am still working on the invitations however. It is coming along, but there is still SOOOO much to do.

Our dinner date

I just realized that I said nothing about our dinner date last Friday night. OMG. It was great. We haven't been out like that, just the two of us sine my birthday in July. We took the kids to my moms and went to dinner first since our movie didn't start until 7:15pm. We were originally going to go to the movie first, but we didn't want to be eating dinner at 9pm. So we went to the Olive Garden . Our wait was only about 20 minutes. We first ordered an appetizer . We ordered the make your own with 3 items. We got zuccinni, chicken, and motzerella. OMG can I just say that the zuccinni was the BEST I have ever had. It tasted like it was covered in italian bread crumbs and then it was maybe baked. The zuccinni was really soft and the coating was not too crunchy, but not oiled like it had been fried either. It was so good. Then Jacob got soup and I got a salad. He ordered the seafood alfredo. He said it was great. There were more shrimp and scallops in there than noodles.

I of course got my usual for when we go out to eat at italian food. I got the ravioli. It was wonderful.

We were both so stuffed from the appetizer and our soups and salad though that when the girl brought our food, we asked for boxes too. We both knew already that there was no way we would be able to finish our food. It was so nice and realizing to just be there together.

So then we went to the movies (which were in the same parking lot). We had decided to see BRIDE WARS . Well OK actually Jacob said I could pick the movie and I really wanted to see this one, so he said that was fine. It was a really good movie. It was a "girly" movie for sure though. Jacob didn't mind though. He even admitted to seeing it to the guys at work the next day. :) I really like Kate Hudson too, and she was just as good in this movie too. I defiantly recommend it.

Layout overload

Wow if this isn't layout overload then I don't know what is. Thought I would finally share some of the layouts I have been working on lately. I realize they are not the greatest pictures ever, but you get the general idea. So here you go...

(ok note to self : do not put this snow day layout in the scrapbook this way. Total blonde moment here and didn't notice when I took this picture that the left side of the layout is sideways. Oops!)

Some of them are more detailed and have more "stuff" on them, and some of them are really simple. I have another one that I took to the store yesterday and forgot to take a picture of first, so I will do that on Sunday when I work.

Love of reading and some other stuff too.

I just finished this book this morning. A Cedar Cove Christmas. I really like Debbie Macomber and the Cedar Cove and Blossom Street series of books. I have been reading them like crazy lately. Before this one I finished up Twenty Wishes, and has inspired me to do a list of wishes as well. I am working on that list.


I used to love to read all the time, and I really enjoyed Danielle Steel books. I just stopped reading, and then just this past year picked it up again. The Cedar Cove series has a new one coming out in September, and I want to read all the ones I haven't yet in the series before it comes out. I have recently discovered a used book store that we have here, and I have to say that it is really great. I can get the books for over 50% off the cover price. I got a hard cover book before Christmas for only $9.00. It was a $25.00 book. I read that after Christmas.
So now I am going to do a layout of all my DM books stacked up together and journal about my love of reading.
Got alot of stuff done today, including our taxes. Jacob got his W2 printed out at work today, and I called the tax guy to make an appointment and he said to come in today, and he could get me right in, and then we will have our check next Friday. WOW. Totally cool. I don't know why we usually wait to do our taxes until the last minute, but we always seem to. But not this year. We are so AHEAD of the game this year. Feels great to know we will have that money so soon (we have wedding stuff to do with some of it), and that the taxes are now out of the way.
I still need to photograph alot of the layouts I have done lately. I will do that tomorrow maybe.
Tonight we are going to see a speaker at my moms church at 7pm. I have put a london broil in the crockpot and letting it cook today. (I LOVE my crockpot). Tomorrow night we are having potatoe soup from the crock pot. I love putting something in the crockpot and letting it cook all day. Dinner just cooks itself. I love that.
I need to get on looking for a wedding dress. Actually I really like this one. Bad thing is that it is only available online and not in stores. So I am going to try one on that is similar in fit, so I know what size to order. I have been working on the invitations, the wine glasses, the bubbles, I made my necklace and want to make a matching bracelet. I am going to go to Joanns and get the cake knife and server to decorate as well. I need to make our guest book too. Oh my gosh there is still so much to do and it is so close really. Aprill 11th will be here before we know it. I need to contact Lisa from work about a photographer she knows again. I don't know if we will have a photographer, it depends on the pricing.
Ok off to get a few things done since BOTH babies are napping right now. How that happened I have NO idea.

Words of Wisdom

Here is a layout I did recently, and wanted to share. It is called "Words of Wisdom". I put a few things down in writing that are things to the boys that we have learned as we grow wiser in with our age. I have a bigger list, but just wanted to jot down a few on this layout for them. I really like the cute owl too. He is a quickutz die. This was a simple layout, but I like the message most of all behind it.

Layouts for sketches

Here is the layout I did for the first sketch that I posted. (I did notice that I forgot to attatch my journaling, oh well.) The journaling will go on the right page right under the photo. I love all the hanging ornaments on this one. Amber did a layout at the store that had something like that on it and that is what inspired me to do those.

Here is the layout I did for second sketch. This one has 16 photos on it. I love when I am able to fit alot of photos onto a layout. Especially if I have alot of photos from several different days worth, but of the same kinds of outing.

16 Photo Sketch

This sketch has 16 photos on it. What a great way to put alot of photos onto this layout.

Still here

Just been busy creating alot of layouts I guess.
So far this year I have created

1 page layouts: 2
2 page layouts: 3
Cards: 1
That is really a total of 8 layouts. So I think that is pretty good for being the 12th of this month.
My camera card is full so that is why I haven't been able to take a picture of them yet. Soon though.

I have also been really into downloading fonts lately. My favorite site is THIS ONE . I have found some great ones. I think they are all free, but not positive. I have been doing a bit more computer journaling and stuff for a few of my layouts lately and I am really liking it. I am not usually a huge computer journaler, but I think it is a nice change for sometimes.

I am working on a bunch of layouts from when it snowed. I had so many pictures I had to come up with "catagories" so I could do different layouts and figure out how I was going to group them for layouts. Here is what I ended up with.
1. Building a snowman (A single page layout with pictures from us building a snowman and the kids with the final result)
2. Caleb's first snow day ( A double page layout with all photos of Caleb enjoying the snow including eating it and laying down in it)
3. Snow much fun (A double page layout with an overall snow day recap and photos)
4. Pictures of nature in the snow (A double layout of some pictures I took of trees and bushes and "nature" covered in the snow)
5. The aftermath (A double page layout with all the pictures of what everything looked like the next day. It was much easier to get pictures this day since it wasn't snowing and fogging up my camera lens, and it was sunny which really made for some nice snow pictures).

I *think* this covers all the catagories, but I am not sure. I am still debating on weather or not I am going to do a layout with Jacob pictures, and ones for Ryan and Marcus too. I just don't know yet. I am really loving these snow layouts though. I have BoBunny light blue and brown snow line (I can't remember the name of the line) and I am really enjoying working with it. I do love blue and brown together that is for sure.

In an effort to stay a bit more organized and not so scatterbrained (that happens with 4 boys) I made a list of all the layouts I know that I want to get done this year (or into next if it so be). I went through ALL of our pictures that are printed, and the ones in my "To Be Printed" file on the computer and made a list. I also went through and old box of photos I had in the garage and I found a few things I have been wanting to get out (like my hs graduation photos, my college graduation, some of my dad, some of my passed away grandma and grandpa, my junior high school graduation). It was alot of fun looking through that big tub of photos. So then I printed out my list and am going to highlight them as I get them done. I can add to the list at anytime, and just print it out again. Which happened because just the day after I first printed out the list I thought of 4 other things I wanted to add to my list.
So here is my list, and growing...
Layouts to be completed

Caleb reading
Snow day
Caleb eating and laying on the snow
Words of wisdom
Thanksgiving 2008 at moms
Christmas morning 2008
Christmas day 2008
Thanksgiving mantooth cousins
Elizabeth in pink and blue sweater
Goals for 2009
Jacob leaning on pillar in front yard
Picture day in front yard of ryan
Picture day in front yard of marcus
Picture day in front yard of Jacob
Picture day in front yard of caleb
Jacob thumbs up making cookies
Decorating Christmas cookies
Big bear
Big bear discovery center
Jacob and caleb playing outside in backyard…getting wet
Ryan #14
A week in the life day shift
A week in the life swing shift
A week in the life graveyard
Caleb with angel wings
Jacob and caleb hugging (several pictures)
Caleb wrinkly nose
Caleb walking with hands behind his back
Marcus and Jacob licking the spoon
Ryan and marcus track meet
Visiting santa 2008
Matt and amberleys wedding
Handmade Christmas at mamaws
Group shot of Everyone
Jacobs heart surgery
Wii playing
My work
Jacob and caleb playing legos
Christmas parade 2008
Jacobs motorcycle accidents
Jacobs 30th birthday
Jacob bbqing (get a few more pictures)
My cal Baptist graduation
My car accident in the neon
Jacob pouty face
Jacob at my scrapbook table (get a picture of caleb there too)
Jacob tummy sault
Jacobs love of motorcycle helmets
How Jacob and I met (old photos in bathtub)
Jacobs hospital stays
Mamaw and 3 girls (then and now)
My dad house
Memories of my dad
Memories of papaw
My dads funeral
Matts high school graduation
Old apartment (2 story)
Caleb sitting with pumpkin 2007
Christmas 2007
We recycle
Lessons learned (stolen bikes)
Confessions of a stay at home mom
My high school graduation
My junior high school graduation
Mom and dons wedding
Mamaw and jims wedding
My mom and dads wedding pictures
Grandma rigdon
Me and Jacob through the years
My first car – Honda prelude
My softball photo
4th of july blackhawk concert 2000
caleb in the shower with pajamas on
mothers day 2008
marcus 11th birthday photo shoot
our hotel room at matts wedding
hailee and Jacob (several)
my vacuum
easter 2008
eclipse
oro grand train bridge
Jacob skateboarding in front yard
Marcus and tapatio
Grocery shopping (Include a scanned receipt from store)
Me with ryan
Me with marcus
Me with Jacob
Me with caleb
Hailee in pink in front yard
Jacobs clubhouse
Jacobs truck
Jacob close up from new camera
Jacob and caleb in front yard
My camera
Interview with ryan for 2009
Interview with marcus for 2009
Interview with Jacob for 2009
Interview with caleb for 2009
How I love thee, let me count the ways...
Calebs kissiness
Finding a chirstmas tree
Twenty wishes (inspired by a book I read called twenty wishes)
Bucket list (similar to above)
a love letter to ryan
a love letter to marcus
a love letter to jacob
a love letter to caleb
a love letter to (daddy) jacob

Another thing that I am so excited about that is coming up is a date that Jacob and I are going on. Yes we are actually going on a date just the two of us. For Christmas my brother and sister in law got us a gift card to Olive Garden and movie passes. So my mom is going to watch the kids and we are going to dinner and a movie. I am so excited I can't stand it. We haven't gone out since my birthday back in July. I have no idea what movie we are going to go see yet, actually I haven't even looked. I think I might do that now. We might go register for our wedding at Target that night too, but we will see how timing for it all goes. Jacob is also off on Thursday and I am thinking we are going to rent a movie, get some popcorn and all of us cozy up in the living room and have a family movie night. We haven't gotten to do that since before Thanksgiving. I love those kinds of moments so much.
I have been doing some stuff for the wedding. I am trying to think ahead and plan for Jacob's 4th birthday which is the middle of next month already. I don't even know what we are going to do for it yet. I was thinking Chuck E Cheese, but since Jacob and I both have large families, it is going to cost a good chunck, so I don't know yet. I am still looking into all our options.
I am working on a layout called Confessions of a SAHM. It is the "truths" of being a stay at home mom, versus what I imagined it would be like when I was working full time and had no kids at home. It is going to be a fun layout.
Well I think that is it for now.
Off to finish up those snow layouts. Hopefully I can post pictures of those real soon.

The sketch

Ok so I can't get it to post the pictures next to each other, so the one with the 4 tall photos is the left page and the other is the right. Sorry.

How does time fly?

I swear the days lately just seem to fly by. I really swear that there are not enough hours in one day sometimes.

So I have started a sketch thing on the stores blog. You can see the site here. I will also be posting the sketches here. On the stores blog though I am going to be posting other layouts that are created by anyone in the store as well. So here was the first sketch I posted.

LEFT RIGHT

This is a double 12x12 page layout. I know they aren't the best in scans, but you get it right? So I will post a picture of my layout I did based on my sketch. I am dropping off a bunch of sketches at the store tomorrow afternoon and Vesta is going to scan then for me. (I only have a 81/2 by 11 scanner). I am really getting into the sketch thing and have been really coming up with some good ones. I know one of my biggest challenges in my scrapbooking is trying to fit alot of pictures on my layouts. So my next sketch has something like 16 photos on it. Can't wait to share it.

This is something else I have been up to lately. I made this ribbon mess into ...

this.

I had all this ribbon in a big tub. It just wasn't working anymore. It was too stuffed full to even dig through without having to take it all out. So I sorted it all (with little Jacobs help) by color. He knows his colors well since he was even making sure we sorted by light blue and dark blue. He is so silly. So we put each color on a jump ring and then I put all those jump rings on one huge jump ring. It is hanging on a nail in my storage closet. I like the way it looks all together like that. I would love to leave it out, but the babies would most definately be playing in it. So away out of sight it goes. The one thing about it being in the big tub too, was that I didn't actually get to SEE all of it. So there were alot of ribbons that I had forgotten that I had. So that is another reason I really wanted to get it out where I can see it. I do have to say I don't know what happened because I was never really a ribbon kind of person. With having all boys I always thought it was too 'girly'. Just recently I have really gotten into ribbon and I guess I like it more than I thought I did. LOL.

I am working on some layouts right now. I have written down all the layouts that I need to do for the pictures I have. I have written out the layout ideas that I want to do. I even went through a huge tub of old photos looking for some things. I found my junior high graduation photos, my high school graduation photos, a few of my grandma that has passed away, some of my dads house, and a few other things that I want to get scrapbooked this year. I can't wait to get started. I have a bunch of photos to have printed that I need to add to the list, and have printed out as well.
So I think on that note I will get to printing some journaling for a few layouts right now and then get a few more pages done that are in the process.

We have been so busy since Christmas

Really we have been so busy. I worked the Sunday after Christmas. We took down all the Christmas decorations, had another Christmas gathering at my grandmas house to exchange our handmade gifts, Jacob has been working a TON of hours, my niece has spent the night several nights, I painted a cabinet unit black, rearranged our bedroom, organizing things around the house, putting all the Christmas stuff away, playing TONS of wii, laundry, Jacob had to work on New Years Eve, and just the usual busy stuff.
We had a great Christmas and I will post all the Christmas photos in another post. The kids got SO much stuff really. When I was putting just the babies clothes away they EACH got 13 outfits. We got alot of movies this year. I think I counted 12 movies we got all together as a family. So much stuff, but I will recap all that later.

I was eager to put away all the Christmas stuff because I was ready for the house to get back to "normal". The pine needles were everywhere no matter how many times I vaccuumed.

Remember this cabinet?

Well now it looks like this. I have been wanting to paint it black for some time now and just haven't gotten around to doing it. Well I finally did it. I love the way it turned out. I have a few painting things I need to get finished and a few I want to start now. I want to paint the coffee table black, and I need to finish one wall in the living room, and touch up from where the fish tank was, and I need to finish up our bathroom (with a different shade of light blue), I want to do something with the kitchen cabinets (do you think black would look ok on the kitchen cabinets?), I want to paint the Ryan and Marcus' room and their bathroom too. I guess I need to start on that painting soon if I want to get it all done this year.

Well I had more to post but for some reason blogger is taking a very long time to add pictures tonight, so in fear of losing this post I will just end it now. I will post again tomorrow.