The Journey

Hello my friends!  Thanks for visiting me today!

I've got another layout to share!

Some of you might know I've been scrappin' up a storm lately.

I used the September 2009 Simply Obsessed Kit (the one I've been hoarding) for this layout.  I LOVE this kit because of all the BEAUTIFUL Bo Bunny printed papers!  I love all these colors together!

I also played with my stamps and Distressing Inks as well as some gold UTEE!!!  Soooo fun!  I took my stamp and inked up the trunk of the tree with Vintage Photo, the leaves with that green ink (can't remember what it's called), and touched the edges of the leaves with broken china.  Didn't it turn out awesome?  I then went in with my glittery stickles and placed dots here and there....too bad you can't see this IRL...the tree is pretty blingy!

I then took a piece of scrap white cardstock and inked it up with some more distressing ink (fired brick).  Next, I inked up my stamp with embossing ink and sprinkled the gold UTEE on it and quickly heat embossed it.  Because I used the Ultra Think Embossing Enamel, the effect is different and there was some beading...which is what I wanted.  The stamped image becomes distorted, but I love the feel of it after it's done!

 I used the current prompt at Scrap That Poetry using the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost.  The journaling consists of part of this poem:

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."

This layout expresses the long journey through life.  I know how lucky I am to share it with these three.  I am truly blessed.  Even though family a joy, it is also a sacrifice.  Like many of you, there are other things in life I have to spend less or no time doing/experiencing (scrapbooking, going to movies/hanging out, freedom to make decisions that affect only one person, spending money freely, going on trips...partying...etc).  But the sacrifice is well worth it all.  I cannot imagine life without these three.  We are all on a the journey called life and I am honored to be a part of theirs.  I love The Ogre and my Monsters!!!!  He he....

Oh!  I wanted to mention also that I recently got this idea of hand cutting your own scallop border from one of the JSYS Challenges at Scrap Freak!  I've used it lots of times in the last week or so...on cards....on a few layouts and I LOVE how IMPERFECT it looks!!!!  Can you see it in the photo above?  So fun!

Okay, I've started on a mini book for my Mom for Valentines Day...I don't think she reads my blog...so I'll tell YOU!  I'll be sharing some pages as I go but I've got a stretch of 4 more days to work before I have a couple days of scrap time at home!  I'll work on the MOTW post for Sunday!  See you then...maybe sooner if Mommyhood doesn't tire me out too much over the weekend!

Hugs,

Mo

You Are My Sunshine

Any of my Vintage Plum members remember this kit?  Yes....I've been hoarding it!  I finally busted this baby open and used it!  Sigggghhhh.....I miss VP :(  Jenny had some kits up for sale at their Etsy site but I don't see anything there anymore.  So if you really want one, send her a convo and she just might have some and never renewed the listings on them!  They were on sale for a good price.  HERE is the link to Vintage Plum's Etsy.

The only items I used NOT in the kit are the distress ink and crackle paint (Ranger)!

This layout is my entry for the latest All About Me prompt  #10 The Soundtrack of Your Life.

I also incorporated some distressing to qualify if for one of my JSYS Challenges on Scrap Freak.

So far I've finished 18 challenges since the 1st of January!!!  (They have daily challenges.)

I chose this song for two reasons.  My sister Emmy gave me this beautiful music box which played that song when you open it.  I was going through a rough time after a break up (yeeeeaaaaarrrrrrs ago...like nearly 15 years ago)...oh yeah...I thought my life was ending...he he!  But it touched my heart and I still have it...somewhere.

Then, when I had my kids, I'd sing this song to them every so often.  It's a happy song...and a heartfelt one....and my kids love to sing it with me.  The lyrics say it all.  They are my sunshine and the reason I'm in this world.  They make me smile when I'm sad and GET me to smile when I'm angry...especially at them.

I had a brush with death a few years ago where I survived a roll over car accident on the freeway....I hit the concrete barrier and survived....WITHOUT A SCRATCH ON ME.  The story about the accident is long and makes me angry (because the driver at fault fled the scene)....but they will "get theirs" one day, if not already.

But I remember right before I hit the barrier, I thought "Oh my God, I'm going to die."  I didn't really have that "life flashing before my eyes" thing happen (I was only 24 or so)...I just held my breath and HOPED I survived....I kinda giggle now that I think about it....because I still do that when something happens and I'm on the edge...waiting.....and boom, it's done and you think "COOL!"....HA HA.

The point I'm trying to make is....I get why I survived.  I still had things to do.  And only 2 months later I met Hubbs....fell in love....and 2 years later my Isabel was born!  Then Gabe came along 4 years later.  This is what life is.  I'm lucky to have so much happiness in mine.

The photos I used were taken at the time of one of my friend's wedding.  I was a bridesmaid but Gabe was only 3 weeks old.  The photographer was sneaking about taking photos and saw me as a GREAT TARGET....he he...he was right!  I bought a bunch of these photos later.....sneaky guy!  But what a blessing to have these photos which are so precious to me (SHOOT!  I just realized I scrapped the ORIGINALS!....sigh....I'm such a dope sometimes!)  Ugh!  Oh man!  I just realized I never put the dot on the "I" in the title...he he..what is UP with me????

Oh well....it'll work out.  Maybe "dude" still has a digital copy somewhere for me to beg off of him!

Yesterday I went to the mall to exchange some clothes...apparently my ass grew over the Holidays and didn't tell me.

I bribe my son all the time!  I told him I only had 2 stores to go to.  If he can be as well-behaved as he could  he would get a chocolate milk or hot chocolate from Starbucks.  He did well!

Here is my Monster posing with his milk.  He's in this goofy pose phase.

He had an AWESOME time at this fountain because by some sheer luck, I had about 25 pennies in my purse he could throw in the fountain/pool!  Yay for me!  THAT gave me enough time to make sure the prissy girl from Forever 21 processed my exchanges correctly (ATTITUDE!).  I wish I was more bi***y, cuz then she'd get a piece of my mind.  Telling me "Did you try them on this time?"....I woulda REALLY said "BI**H, YOU try TOTING around a THREE-YEAR-OLD and see how many clothes YOU are able to F*@$#&%! try on!  You're lucky I'm droppin' $200 bones in your effing store!"  But no.  I bit my tongue, and said my please and thank-yous and left.  He he.  I don't think they realize how many OTHER "Forever 21-ey" type stores there are in the mall these days....I'll have to exercise my spending habit ELSEWHERE next time.  So...for you Washington folk.....that was FOREVER 21 at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood.  A NO-GO!  I shoulda known after passing 4 employees and not getting ONE greeting (I was the only person in the store) that my experience that day would be underwhelming.

Anyway, I snapped  a photo of the fountain.  My fear is...one day, I'll turn away for a second and Gabe will have fallen in the dang fountain!  He he!  Just watch!

See...all he'd have to do is bend over too far!  LOL!
Well, that's it for today!
Gabe says "See you way-toe!"
Hope you have a great rest of the week everyone!  Thanks for visting!!!

Love,

Mo

This Day's GOTTA end SOMETIME!

*****OKAY, I FIXED IT!  YOU CAN LEAVE COMMENTS NOW!  I ACCIDENTALLY SET THE POST TO "DO NOT ALLOW COMMENTS"...HE HE!  THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VISITED...AND LOTSA LOVE TO MY GIRLS WHO COMMENTED ON THE OTHER POST FOR THIS POST....YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE!!!*****

Yay!  The second prompt is up today at The Pink Ninja's Challenge Blog!

I'm really loving these prompts.....creating my layouts has been soooooo FUN!

Ninja Christina came up with this awesome prompt! 

prompt:  PERSONAL MOTTO

~ use stamps

~ pink twist,,, transparencies

The idea is to interpret the prompt how you like and "pink twist" means that element should be pink!

I CANNOT get away from this turquoise, pink, black & white combo....maybe that's why I've ALWAYS loved the Pink Ninja's.....heee heee!

I used my Pink Ninja Addicts kit called "Don't Get It Twisted"!

Love looooove LOVE the KITS!

I used an old photo of me posing with this new watch my Mommy gave me on my birthday...heh heh....it doesn't quite make sense....(if I want a day to end...why am I cheesing up a storm with a watch????)!

Basically, all I mean to say is that even though I am WANTING an awful work day to end....I still try to smile and work through it with positivity....MOST DAYS.

Don't get me wrong....I can't possibly be HAPPY ALL THE TIME....just ask people at work....

They've discovered that when I DON'T GET FED....it isn't pretty!

I loved the ponchello (that plasticy netting type stuff) and all the fibers in the kit.  And to showcase all the nummyness...I just weaved the fibers in and out of the netting to create this piece that I then hot glued to the layout!

I love those glittery alphas!  BLING a bling BLANG!

If you wanna check out a supply list it's HERE.

So head on over to the blog to see what the rest of the DT created.....
my Ninja Ladies are a talented bunch...
YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,

Ninja Mo

where is the freaking light!

I apologize for the AWFUL photo.....ick!  I even tried to fix it up with my Photoshop Elements....this was the best it would look!  Eeeeeek!  Dang Washington skies!

But I'm over it.  I made this using the Sketchy Thursdays sketch for the Second Chance Challenge a few days ago.  I think you have till the 31st to link up to be eligible!  I'm loving those Ippity stamps by Unity....see Heidi to order!

I really distressed the edges and inked it up with some Tim Holtz distressed ink in "vintage photo"...I pulled out scrap pp from my accordion file folder that houses the scraps (which is dwindling down to nothing....yay me...and Gabe who loves to take my edging scissors and go to town on scrap paper...the clean up sucks though)!

What is this, you ask?  A sneaky.....The Pink Ninja's will have a new prompt this Wednesday...and THAT means you should get moving on the current prompt if you haven't done it yet!
I love the next prompt.....it was too fun to do!  I'd have to say this is one of my MOST FAVE layouts I've done!

AND....Ninja Christina is the Ninja Star right now....learn more about this talented girl HERE!

AND...if you haven't already seen this weeks MOTW...go back a post and you'll see who it is!  Enjoy!

I hope to go blog visiting today or tomorrow....
Have a great day!

Hugs,

Mo

Home is Where the FART is!

Okay, so the pic of this layout is REALLY BAD!  There's just not much light here in Washington and its cold and my glass door needs SOME MAJOR CLEANING (see the reflections of the line smudges....courtesy of Gabe's grimy hands)!  Ugh...I've got a Gabe story to tell.....

But first I'll tell you bout this layout.  Once again I played with the Sketchy Thursday sketch (1-21) and really stuck to it!  I loved the sketch and really didn't want to change a thing.  I loved what I came up with!

Basically this layout is about wherever my family is...that's where home is.....sniff sniff.

Can you see Gabe?  He's hiding....tee hee!  I love this photo, but all that's missing is Luke...he's the one who took the pic....poor guy, always the one left out!  Oh well, I know that he's there behind the camera and of course, if he's not there...my home isn't complete...cuz Home Is Where the Fart Is....oops....I mean HEART!

And I snapped this picture yesterday...he he.  Luke and I stared at him all sweet looking...but he's such a TROUBLEMAKER!!!!!  We giggle all the time and I always have to yell at Hubbs for giggling when Gabe's getting a scolding....and next thing you know WE BOTH end up giggling....ugh!

I love the Kool Aid mustache!  He doesn't have a shirt because he started screaming because he had water all over his shirt....because he got wet while playing in the bathroom which he isn't SUPPOSED TO BE DOING!  So I ask him why he's wet and he says "because I'm putting water on my TRAIN TRACKS!"......silly Mommy...don't you know train tracks need some water on them or they're NO GOOD! He he....and HE HATES the feeling of wet clothing against his body...he he...so I stretch out the suffering more by lecturing him on not playing with water and what happens to your clothes...and how awful that feeling is...so "you shouldn't do it again!"....and not too long into my lecture he starts to LOSE IT because he's SOOOO in need of  a nap!

I whip off his shirt and tuck him under the blanket and POOF....a couple minutes later he's OUT!

Siiiiggggghhhhhh.....I love this kid LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART......but I get WEARY!

So....he's spending a few hours at my Aunt's tomorrow so I can find my sanity...I dunno what I'll do...maybe sit at home with my feet up and a DVD in and basking in the beauty of a silent house!  Isabel will probably wanna go there too...so I'm pretty sure I'll be alone!  Wooohooo!

Sketchy Thursdays has also got a SECOND CHANCE challenge (till 1/31) and you can win some OH SO COOL Ippity Stamps!  Yeah!  And you've got till next Wednesday for the current sketch!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!  Get to scrappin' if you can!

Remember to....
1) Vote for the MOTW in the sidebar (if you haven't already).
2) Work on the latest Pink Ninja prompt before the new one is posted Wednesday!

Hugs,

Mo

Playing with the Scrapmaster!

Hey Sam (aka the Scrapmaster)!  I finally got some inspo to do a color combo!  When I do participate...I'm so happy.

Every so often I'll peek at the color combo...but I think I feel

stressed out when trying to put together specific color combos....I dunno, I'm a geek!

At first I was thinking...huh?  Really?  Then as I blogged hopped at some of my blog buddy sites, I saw what they did with the combo and I was quite impressed!

I really ended up loving the combo!

Here's my take.  I wanted to make a Valentine's Day Card.

I also had this urge to put together weird patterns...he he!

I'm so glad I got to stamp!

Yup, I was a STAMPIN' FIEND today!  You'll see the other creations.....

Thanks for the inspiration!  There's still time to play along!  Make your scrappity creation and link up to

SP Color Combos!

Well, that's a quick one!  I'm working on my JSYS Scrap Freak Challenges so I've got TONS to share!  I'm working on doing ALL 40...I think that's how many there are!  AND the Freaky Friday Challenges!
Wish me luck and PLAY ALONG!

hUGS,

mO

You Complete Me....and some Silly Girls

OMG Beth P!  I was truckin' around with my fun outfit with the hat and my cool shirt, skinny jeans and these cool biker boots.....feeling oh so fresh....

I check the mail and what do I find?????

The necklace I custom ordered from my talented buddy Beth!

My dear, it was WORTH THE WAIT!

And soooooo perfect for me!  I love the colors!!!  And look how it matches perfectly with the outfit I wore today!  AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!  Thanks for the touches of turquoise!  Me loves!!!!

And here's another shot of Moi wearing my TOO-COOL-FOR-YOU necklace!  He he!  I LOVE the pearls!  I love how it's soft and girly and sooooo ME and I've got these biker boots on and I love the girly with the badness!  You're necklace sooooooooooo completed me today!  Ha ha!

Thanks my dear!  I sooooo love it!

If you are lovin' Beth P's stuff, or haven't peeked at it yet, go check out her Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bethperry

and her blog

I Love Dirty Laundry

BTW....can you see my dirty laundry in the second photo??????  Ha ha!

I've also got some more craftiness to share!

So I got 2 of  the Pink Ninja Addicts Kits and I'm having so much fun with them!

The one I used below is the Three Little Birds Kit!

Except for the light blue cardstock, the Pink Paislee alphas and the MoMoStamper vintage die cut top note piece, and the CC die cut sticker, all the other elements are from the PNA Kit!

I used a sketch at Sketchy Thursdays for this layout and I love that freaking sketch!!!  I also created this wrap around title for one of the JSYS challenge at Scrap Freak!  If you need some help to Jump Start Your Scrapping (JSYS), head on over to Scrap Freak cuz the've got one for every day in January!

The photo is of Isabel and her cousin "Princess P".  These two girls are so girly and they love each other so!

Bel really loves playing with Princess P cuz she loves having "girl playtime".  I'm sure she craves it because on a day to day basis, all she has are boys to play with....Gabe and my 3 cousins ("Sweet T, Dimples, and J").

So when they see each other...they have tons of girly silly fun!!!!

Man, I'm on a bloggy roll this week!  I can't believe I've done so many posts!  He he!

Oooooooh!  I just figured out the topic of my next Pink Ninja DT layout I need to do!!!   Hmmmmmmm.

Maybe I can give you sneaks of the layout I did for the NEXT prompt!

Oh yes!  Please do visit us and try to play along with the current prompt!  You have a week left!!!!

Think....Resolutions

Black and White Photo

Pink Alphas.....

for more deets CLICK HERE!

OH!  ALMOST FORGOT.....If you missed the last post, you MUST check it out cuz it's PACKED with much EYE CANDY!  I have the Yummi-nees picked out for next week's Man of the Week!  The category is BLOCKBUSTER BABES!  THEN VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE IN THE SIDEBAR!  You have till Saturday 1/23/10 to cast your vote!

THANK YOU ALL for taking the time to visit today!

I love you girls...each and every one!

Hugs,

Mo

It's Yur Birthday!

You might have already seen me make some layouts with this kit.  It's the January 2010 Kit (Dream Street Urban Ink) from Simply Obsessed.  Except for the black Thickers, everything on this layout was created using the SO Kit!

I've been a kit subscriber for a few months now and have LOVED every kit!  They seem to speak to my own personal scrapbooking style.  Now, I am NOT being compensated for any of my SO shout outs...I just really love the kits!

And I struggle with creating masculine pages, so I was sooooo excited when Heather (SO owner) put this one together!  I loved all the gears and the stars!  So stinkin' cute!

I also have been sticking to my goal of getting my inspo from one of my FAVORITE forums....Scrap Freak!  Though they do not sell kits, they do have an online store and an AMAZINGLY active forum where you can find TONS of inspiration through the challenges and other threads!  If you haven't checked them out already....YOU GOTTA!

Right now, I'm working on the Freaky Friday Challenges and they have this DAILY JANUARY CHALLENGES called Jump Start Your Scrapping!  Holy smokes!  I cranked out about 3 layouts so far using these challenges!  Actually, I counted all the layouts I've done since the 1st and I think I'm up to 14!  Not counting cards!

Anyway, back to the point...the challenge was to tell a story with your page and I think I remember something bout Birthdays.....so I came up with this one.

You might recognize these photos from Gabe's 3rd Birthday!  There's my cousing "Sweet T" with the cute lil fake grin!

I took the journaling from a previous blog post I did about Gabe's birthday.  I do this a lot.  It makes it so much easier to focus the idea of a layout and write out the journaling.....SO MUCH EASIER.

Do you use your blog to come up with your srapbooking pages?

Hugs,

Mo

Stop and Smell the Flowers!

The FIRST PROMPT (#29) is up at The Pink Ninjas!!!!!

I'm so honored to be in the company of such great talent.

I just LOVE my Ninja Ladies!!!

Here's the details:

prompt: resolutions

technique: black & white photo

pink twist: alphas

So, I've learned after the creation of my layout that "pink twist" means a pink element!  He he.

My alphas are a sort of aqua color.  Ooops.

A reminder to myself to "STOP and smell the flowers"....

(The photo above is one my BIL shot of my niece and I love it....she's so cute!)

January is quite the busy month for me and I already find myself caught up in it.  But, because I've got my resolution in mind I told myself to take some time to play checkers with Isabel and run the toy cars around the house with Gabe....things like that.

Among other things I plan to do.  Hang out with my sis and Mom and my girlfriends.  I'm usually not the person to plan things....I just show up when summoned.  This year, now that I've got a little more time, I'd like to be the one to plan activities so that my family or friends can just show up and have a good time.

Have you scrapped any of your resolutions?  CLICK HERE to see the awesome layouts the rest of the DT came up with!

hUgS,

mO

Yes....another boy page!!!

Sorry!  No man of the week this week!  January is proving to be a very busy month!  But, I hope to snag some time to work on the Man of the Week post for next Monday because I'll have a stretch of 5 days off!!!!  Woooohooo!  Oh!  We're going inner tubing next Saturday!!  I'm so excited!  I mean...for ME to go down the hill.  Ah hah!  But also for the kids to enjoy themselves!  And that means more photos to scrap!

In the meantime, lemme share another layout I created over the weekend.  (I scrapped about 4!)  But I'll have to hold off on sharing one of them cuz it's for the Pink Ninja's Challenge!!!!  Maybe I'll sneak you a peek though!

 

I headed over to Scrapjacked for this one!

CHECK OUT Stepanie Wheeler's inspiring layout and see what you can do!

I used the January 2010 Kit at Simply Obsessed.  This kit's awesome for scrapping boy photos!

I love all the stars and gears and colors!

I scrapped photos from a day Samual visited.

We were eating some yummy chicken noodle soup!

Here's my cute nephew doing a silly dance!  He's so cute cute cute!

Gabe was sweet enough to feed him!  I soooo loved watching the two of them just hanging out!

They are so sweet to each other sometimes!

I ESPECIALLY love this photo of Gabe feeding Samual....he he!  I loved they way this layout turned out!  I was able to use all 3 photos I took on this layout!

Well, I've got an explosion of Scrapping Mojo and no more challenge blogs to play at till their new prompts!  He he.....anybody got any suggestions??????

Hugs,

Mo

Pay Attention!

Here's my layout for the 1-7-2010 Sketchy Thursdays Challenge!  I loved how this turned out!

I ALSO used prompt #5 at Point Blank Period.  I chose to speak about a decision I made for 2010 and that's to Pay Attention to my babies.  I mean, REALLY pay attention.  Hold them more, spend one-on-one time with them more and just shoot-the-breeze more!  I really need to make it a point to spend quality time with them...because I am reminded by MANY parents that time goes so fast and in a blink of an eye, you could miss it.  I don't want to miss too much!

I'm enjoying all these "resolutions" type prompts at all the challenge blogs!  I'm really trying hard to do different resolutions for different challenges!  For this particular layout, I used the Monstrosity line by Sassafras because I love to call my kids "MONSTERS"!  They're cute ones though!

Here's the journaling.  My kids are HUG FREAKS!  They love to hug and kiss...to the point where I'm like "okay, time to do other things".  I know one day I'll miss it all soooo much.  Especially when that day comes when they will be too embarrassed to hug and kiss their Mommy.

I played with these cute turquoise shell buttons I got at the craft store.  I got a whole stinkin' package and I LOVE IT!!!!

(for a supply list CLICK HERE)

I love this photo of Gabe taken on his birthday where he is chomping down on this HUGE lollipop!  I kept saying, "You better enjoy this kid!" because I let him eat as much of it as he wanted!

The other picture is a photo I took of Isabel during spirit week at her school.  This particular day was "western" day so we hunted around the house for items she could wear.  Luckily, I had this shirt that fit her and it went so well with the rest of her outfit!  She was so happy she got to dress up.  I felt bad because we missed a couple fun days like "crazy hair day" and "sports jersey day" which she really wanted to do...but....what can I say...I FORGOT!!!

This year I plan on doing LESS forgetting and MORE remembering!!!

TIME TO PAY ATTENTION!

There's still time to play along with the 2 prompts!!!  Check out the linky links and spend some crafty time with yourself!

Hugs,

Mo