Christmas Is A Coming

It will be here soon enough, and I am a busy bee!!!

Here are some pics of my 6" holiday circle swap and my recipe card swap. The next few weeks are mucho busy so I don't know when I'll be able to get on again and I don't want to leave the blog so long without an update.

The second set of mini books are done and I will show them as well. I think all will be very happy with them! I know I would. They are wonderful. I have really been utilizing my cricut and big shot with these projects!!

My daughter Desirae just introduced me to the Vitamin String Quartet. Go to my playlist and listen to them! They play all rock and pop music, it sounds so very beautiful. I love music, Sophia says she wants to learn how to play violin as well as the piano now. You might want to use one of their songs with the slide show.

Here are a couple of pics of my gift wrap this year. I take wrapping gifts VERY seriously, I daresay I have wrapping hubris ;) and go very extravagant! The paper has a felt pattern and the silver and gray is covered in glitter, messy as I wrap but gorgeous! I make my own bows for the gifts as well.

I love Christmas, but this year will be bittersweet. The 15th will be one year since my parents came to spend the Christmas Holiday with us and I still scratch my head and wonder how it's possible that he isn't with us anymore. What a gaping hole he has left, my Dad. No wallflower was he!!

A Friend Came Back To Me

Today in the mail, my Circle Journal returned to me! A year ago October, 12 beautiful ladies began a journey. Putting together our favorite papers and embellishments in a box, along with an album, we sent it on it's way to each participant. I had a lot of fun doing this, and today the wait paid off!

I am so very pleased with my book. The gals who joined in this are some of THE most talented scrapbook artists I have encountered. I learn something from them all the time and am so grateful that I was part of this. I have also become very good friends with some of them, and I am so grateful that they are in my life!! Through some rough patches they have been such a boost to me and I love them very much.

A big thank you to Kathi who organized this baby. It was truly a great experience for me. Now I can't wait to fill it with wonderful photos and keep it out for all to see!

Here are the ladies who participated -

Myself, Elaine, Joy, Jessica, Courtney, Serene, Lisa, Jenny, Kathi, Ceci, Stacy, and Carrie

I put each artist's name on the page she did so you can see who did which page. Please enjoy the slide show!

Pumpkin Carving Anyone?

I want to share some of the pumpkins we have carved this Halloween and past ones as well. The kids take it very seriously, to the tune of $95 in pumpkins each year! What they create is amazing though, see for yourself -

MaryAnn's Thriller (MJ)

Johnny-Boy's Joker from Batman Asylum video game



Victoria did Damon from Vampire Diaries

Desirae did Bill (TB)

Sophia did Edward

My Granddaughter Gianna did The Corpse Bride

Granddaughter Aelyn did Snow White

And the man himself, Santino {read me ;)} did Frankie



Some previous years -

Hubby did Elvis

JB did Batman

One of the grand d's did Cinderella




MaryAnn's Gizmo, I love Giz!



JB's Leonidas from 300




Some really cool pumpkins, huh!

I have really been working on getting my mini-books done, they're coming along nicely. When I complete the east coast nieces I'll slide show em for the blog. The kids are off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so I'm going to hit Ontario Mills a major shopping mall here and try to kick some Christmas gift butt! I want my stuff done by Thanksgiving weekend, and I usually do it so, I need to get going.