Vacation Memories

Here are 2 layouts that I have done so far of our summer trip to Brooklyn. The first is my traditional layout of Santino and my cousin Peter. I love the way it came. The colors are nice and bright, to match the picture!

The second is from our trip to my brother and sister-in-law's home in Pennsylvania. We went to a neat little ice cream shop called the Purple Cow Creamery. The kids had fun putting their faces in the cow cut out. The ice cream was just delicious too! It was a quaint part of Pa., Eastern, right next door to the Crayola factory that we went too.

That place was fantastic, and instead of a layout I'm going to make a mini book out of little brown lunch bags. A technique I saw on Jennifer Priest's site and at Collective Journey, my local scrap book store.

I used my cricut for the title letters in both lay outs. In the purple cow layout I used some new techniques. I used my new glimmer mist in purple and sprayed the white paper. I love that stuff. It is great and what a fantastic and versatile effect you get from it! I also did 2 firsts for me, one the multi photo, and second, no pattern paper! I have never used this many pics in one layout, and I sure have NEVER not used patterned paper. I enjoyed trying somehting different and love the layout.

Now since it's Sunday I am including 2 you tube videos from a very talented gal who edits them on the site. One is Eric, who I like much better than Bill and the other is a dedictation to Godric. Ever since reading the books, I can not abide Bill. Godric didn't have much of a part, but in the show they made it more integral, sadly not enough. His character was great.

First Full Week!

Well we've gotten one full week of school down and are onto our 2nd. The kids are liking it. MaryAnn is enjoying going to Junior High, here in Cali it's called middle school. Sophia is in a combo 3rd-4th grade class, which is fine. She tends to move at a much slower pace than Mare so I am happy that she is where she's at. Of course there is Santino in kindergarten! He is doing just fine. I help on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month and will be going on their 1st field trip to the pumpkin farm on 10/30. I can't wait, great pics always come out of it!

True Blood is heating up big time, getting ready for the finale, nooooooo! I have to wait till stinking June for the next season. What's up with that? Why not March? Gosh not fair, and book 10 of the Sookie series doesn't come till May of 10. Oh patience, I must learn ye. Well, I'll be reading up a storm in the meantime. There are some really good ones out there, of course they're series, cause why have all the answers in one book when I can read 10 of em and then wait with baited breath for 8 mos till the author pops out another that MIGHT answer some ?'s.

Here are the kids on their first day, I will also be doing some vacation lay outs and will put them up when I'm done. They are getting so big, time flies too quick. Some have asked, "what are you going to do now that Sonny is in school." I'm going to have some me time!! I deserve it! Hmmm do you all think John will let me take a pic of him on his first day of College next month? Heehee!

Beautiful Miss MaryAnn-

Simply stunning Sophia

And the man himself - Santino

Digital Fun!

Today I worked on my digital layout of Santino and my cousin Peter. I love the way it came! I'm really not that proficient in digi scrapbooking, but I do work with it some, and like making pictures for framing with it. I use my photoshop program and get better all the time. My husband helps me a lot. He is a whiz with the photoshop. I have my own graphic artist to assist me whenever I need it.

I know many love the digital world, but for me hands on is still the only way to scrapbook. I love the feel and texture of papers and embellishments. I love touching, and working with my hands, so I don't think I'd ever convert to digital exclusively. Though, the gals who do scrapbook in this way do amazing work. I have looked through magazines and online at their layouts and would never know that they are one dimensional if it didn't say it. Kudo's to the ladies who love to go digi!

Yesterday I finished two cards for the monthly card swap. I did fall a little behind, but got myself in gear. I tried two new techniques for the cards. I used a stamp roller for the first time and I rolled a stamp image on the ribbon which I adheared to the card. It was neat to do, and will do it again. I also used the acrilyc gloss for the first time. I stamped a little image, cut it out, then squeezed the glossy liquid onto the image. It dried to a really nice sheen! The product was called Glossy Accents, and it came with the Tim Holtz products I had gotten from QVC last year, and first used it now!!! See I told ya I have tons of stuff, some that hasn't even been touched yet. Oh boy am I going to get myself into trouble here ; ). This'll be just our little secret. Hubby doesn't need to know this stuff, heehee. Everytime I go to Joann's, Michaels, or Collective Journey the local scrapbook store in my town, I come back with something.

I just love Collective Journey, she carries so many of the brand spanking new products. Her stock is just amazing and also, she combined some of the items from her former gift store, Cracker Jacks, which she had to close, so going there is such a treat to the senses!

So here are the pictures of the work I did these past couple of days. I will also be doing a traditional layout of Santino and Peter for myself. I'll make copies of the digi one for my Mom and Aunt Toni (Peter's Mom).

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

Well, we arrived home on Tuesday the 4th after a wonderful stay in Brooklyn! The kids had a blast and so did I. Time sure does fly, really quick when you're having fun. All the cousins played great together, and it was nice to see them all having fun. Reconnecting with family does wonders for the soul.

One of the best things to see unfold while we were there, was my 5 yr old son Santino's relationship with my cousin Peter. When Peter was little my husband John was his best buddy "Joe", he would sleep at our house, and come places with us, they were close. Well, Santino became attached to Peter and it was like watching something come full circle. Sonny asked Peter one night, while they were playing Wii, if he wanted to sleep over. "How about laying down with me for a few minutes", he asked enthusiastically. We were all cracking up! My hubby was so happy, he said he knew that was going to happen.

Sadly, my summer is coming to an end. The kids go back to school on Wednesday. We have a modified traditional school year here in my school district in So Cali. They go back in mid August, have a full week off for Thanksgiving, 3 wks at Christmas, then 2 wks for spring break, ending somewhere between the 13th and 16th of June. It really works well, I don't think kids need to be home for 3 whole mos. By that time they are killing each other! My only gripe is getting up early. I hate it, I loooooove to sleep late, well if one considers 8:30-9 late, though I know I could sleep the day away given the chance!

I have begun a new book series by author Karen Marie Moning, it is the Fever series, Darkfever, Bloodfever, and Faefever. The 4th installment, Dreamfever comes out on the 18th and I can't wait. It has to do with dark and light fae's or fairies, though fairy isn't quite a good description since they are NOTHING like Tinkerbell. I have also read some of her Highlander series and it's pretty good too. Light and easy reading, different from the fever books. Take a gander at my bookshelf at the bottom of my blog to see what I've read and what I am reading, and please, if you know an author or a book you really like, leave a comment so that I can check it out! Have I mentioned how much I love my Kindle, better yet, how much I love my handsome hubby who always bends over backwards to give me what I want. I am a lucky girl : )!

My other obsession, True Blood on HBO!!! It is getting goooood! They are really going off the beaten path as far as following the books by Charlaine Harris, but I am enjoying it big time. I can't wait for Sunday nights. My only beef is the MaryAnn storyline. By now in the book she was history, and I wish Alan Ball would have done the same in the tv version. I don't like his slant on it at all, nor do I like Tara or Eggs. Wish they didn't even exsist at this point now. At first I felt ok, so he changed up the Tara character in the book to fit his show, but now it's just getting on my nerves. Laudy Miss Maudy I do like Eric, only because I read the books, when I first started watching I was all for Bill, but now, Bill just ticks me. Read the books and see how you feel. There are a bunch in each vamp's camp. Some just can't resist Bill, regardless of the circumstances, I guess I just lean towards the dangerous ; ).

I have a slew of layouts swimming in my head, I took over 300 pics while in NY and I can't wait to get started. One of the first I'm going to do is of Peter and Sonny, I took a great pic of them and have an idea just dying to get out.

Here's a pic of my kids at the Museum of Natural History in the city. I don't know who that other kid in the sweatshirt is, I'll have to photoshop him out.