Back from DC

We are back from our trip to Maryland, and DC. We had a BLAST!! I will write more later, but here is a picture of me and the kids and Kimmie (who we stayed with - our cousin) What a GREAT time we had! HUGS
Ann

Cool Bug

Today I was coming inside after visiting Jaimie and Vicky and their CUTE babies, and there was this "hummingbird" type moth/bug thingy drinking nectar from my red verbena in my front flower bed. So of course I grabbed the camera and got some shots, none too great, but some shots of this cool bug, never-the-less. It is a snowberry clearwing hummingbird moth ....picture from the web So, here's a picture from MY garden! Have a great weekend!

HUGS
Ann

My Flowers

All A's

Kaitlyn got all A's this year in the third grade and we are so proud of her! This is a Layout commemorating her achievement!

WOW!

Life has been crazy-busy lately! I think the reason for the craziness is how busy we have been at work. All I can say is that 9 months ago, it must have been REALLY cold cause we have been SLAMMIN' every night for the past 2 weeks. Hey, job security, right?! Other than work, we have been back and forth to Hendersonville. The kids went and stayed with MawMaw last week and had a really great time. I have been scrapbooking a little, and knitting some too. I got the new Harry Potter book and have been devouring it over the past couple of days. Almost done! Good book! No spoilers here tho. Hope you all are well! HUGS
Ann

Faces of John

Last weekend we went to the mountains with our friends David and Jaimie and their 2 kiddos and had a blast! This LO is done with some of the pictures I took of John - showing his many faces! It is another Digital LO -- fun stuff! They aren't intricate, but I don't have the software for them to be! Thanks for looking!
Ann

Finished a Baby present

My friend Vicky just had a baby on July 1st and I finished her baby gift today. I knitted a baby sweater for her baby to wear this fall. His name is Brayden and he is SO cute! Thought I would share with you all! HUGS
Ann
(baby doll model)

Moments

Sometimes life isn't always what we expect it to be. There are LOTS of different moments. Happy moments. Confused moments. Calm moments. Sad moments. Chaotic moments. Blessed moments. No matter the moment, we want you to know you are always LOVED! may 2007

Layout completed 7/11/07 - photo taken in Hendersonville, May 2007 -
hand-doodled/stamped/drawn by me :-)

Gone Digital again

Well, I was organizing some of the digital scrapbooking stuff that I downloaded, and decided to try another LO. This one isn't fancy, but I really like how it turned out! These pretty papers are from ShabbyPrincess.com. Thanks for looking! HUGS
Ann

Another New LO!

Well, I finished another quickie Layout -- this one is of Kaitlyn and her cousins (my twin neices) Aubrey and Ashtyn last week at Nanny's house. They love playing together and this picture shows it! This was a quick layout from a Stampin' Up! kit - which is now retired, but they have some great ones in the new catalog!(check it out by following the link to the right!) Thanks for looking!
Ann

VBS 2007

The kids had a great week at Vacaton Bible School this year! At the end of the week, they had a special climax featuring Dan Breeding of Creatures of Creation where he brought some of his creatures. He brought a Gibbon, a squirrel monkey, a monitor lizard, a horned owl and especially he brought an ALLIGATOR that the kids were able to pet and have their photo taken with it. They were soooo excited when they came home and told us all about it. What a great week learning about all God has made! This is a layout featuring some pictures that Nanny took of them with the alligator. "What could be 'GATOR' than this??" (click on layout for larger view)

HOW COULD I FORGET?!?!?!!!

THE NEW STAMPIN' UP! CATALOG IS HERE!!!! You can see it online at http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/stampinup/index.aspx?pagename=storefinder&storeid=1038724 There are some really cute things and must haves here!!

One of the new stamp sets is called Baroque Motifs. This set is awesome for how it can make beautiful cards with little effort! Here are 2 examples that I have made (using the new In Colors too!!)


Another set that I have is called Zoofari - this is a cute animal outline set. I have used the new IN Colors on this one too!

Pick A Petal is a new set that has lots of possibilities!

And one last one uses 2 new sets, a hostess set Garden Silhouettes and Holidays & Wishes.


There are also lots of new accessories like rhinestone brads in circle and square shapes, tons of new chipboard, GREAT designer papers and the beautiful 6 new In Colors -- Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, Groovy Guava, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, and River Rock. GORGEOUS!

Be sure to check it all out, and let me know if you NEED anything! *wink*
HUGS
Ann

Finally took film to be developed

Well, later this week, I am going to have a TON of pictures from over the past EIGHT months back from the developer! I have been using my digital camera mostly during this time period, but I started using film again and finally remembered to take them with me when I went to Sam's today. I cant wait to see what is on some of the older rolls. I know a lot of it will be from our beach trip to the Outerbanks that only lasted a couple of days. I have also been using my zoom lens and been taking photos of my flowers in my flower beds that I have grown this year. I am loving my pretty flowers that I have grown from seed! I hardly ever get anything to actually grow, so I am proud of these! I have red poppies, Nasturtiums, Portulaca (moss roses), zinnias and what looks like baby's breath (planted from a wild flower seed mix). I also have taken pictures of my roses. I planted 3 roses this year; a red rose, a yellow rose and a hot pink rose. And I also finally brought my white rose bush back to my house from my mom's house where we took it when we moved. I am loving them, but HATING those darn Japanese bettles that are loving to eat my roses. UGH!! I have never really considered myself a gardener, but I am really enjoying my flowers this year. I have also planted wave petunias (white and red), verbena (red and purple), blue salvia, and some blue bells(?) that are all doing well in amongst the hosta that I planted when we first moved in. We are also growing tomatoes and jalapeno peppers in the back yard. These are some digi photos of my flowers that I have taken. I cant wait to see if I got any good, artistic shots of them with my SLR camera. I will be sure to share if I do!

WOW -- I have been tagged....

Well, this is def. a first for me, being tagged that is... So... I am supposed to list 7 random and very interesting facts about myself...that may be hard, but here goes...
1. I lived in the same house growing up until I got married (minus college).
2. The farthest west I have been is Memphis TN (or would New Orleans, LA be farther>??) Anyway, I haven't been OUT west and would love to go someday.
3. I wanted to be a nurse from the time I was a small child (like 3 yrs old) -- and I AM ONE! :-)
4. I knit - I have made sweaters, blankets, xmas stockings, and even SOCKS! and I love it!
5. I can tat! Do you even know what tatting is? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatting check it out
6. I used to be an ATM custodian and carried $100K or more in my car with an armed guard to refill and check on ATM machines (while in college).
7. I have 2 beautiful and very smart children -- DD is going into the 4th grade and made straight As all year this past year!

I guess that is all for now...and I guess I should tag someone but I am not sure who so I will leave it as this for now! Thanks Margaret for tagging me -- FUN!

First Digital Layout!

Well, after much hemming, and hawing over whether or not to try digital scrapbooking, and "talking" it over with my online buddy Margaret, I decided to TRY digital scrapping. So, I did a google search for some digi tutorials and free downloads, and found some great stuff at http://www.shabbyprincess.com/ . There are tutorials and free downloads, and you can even sign up for a newsletter! What fun! Jump on over and check out her cool site!

So, I downloaded the Sun Porch by Amy Teets kit and jumped in. I have PhotoStudio2000(ArcSoft) that came with my Canon scanner years ago, so I am sure there are better/easier softwares out there, but I was able to create this LO with my limited knowledge and skills -- pretty cool. Now the journaling and title are kinda corny, cause I was just foolin' around, but it was cool to see everything take shape! I had fun! Thanks to everyone, especially Margaret (her blog http://lembckechronicles.blogspot.com/) for all of the encouragement and inspiration! BIG HUGS!

Ann

Companion LO to Beauty

This LO of Jacob is a companion LO to the one I did of Kaitlyn. Melinda took these photos the last week of May, and I love how they show the different sides of Jacob! He is such a trip, and I think you can tell it from these photographs. Thanks Melinda for these priceless treasures! The title is made up of 3 different components....the "simply" is typed onto the gray oval and then printed and cut out. The "irrisistibly" is cut with my Craft Robo, and the "YOU" is stamped and embossed with my Stampin' Up! supplies (well worn alpha, going gray ink, certainly celery ink and clear embossing powder) and then cut out as well. The swirls on the 2nd page are cut out from extras after mounting the photos in black. I am lovin' this LO and this kid! He is IRRISISTIBLE!! Thanks for looking!
Ann

Scrappin' Again!

Well, I took the plunge this week, and got scrappin' again. It has been a while, and with all of the recent events in our life, I needed the break. But now I needed the therapy of scrapbooking. These photos that I used of Kaitlyn were taken by our cousin Melinda while we were in Hendersonville. She is a talented photographer and I appreciate these photos so much! I was inspired by the July 2007 issue of Scrapbooks, Etc. (by Better Homes and Gardens Creative Collection). I CASE'd a layout from page 67. It felt good to be creating again though.

I also wanted to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers that you have been sending our way since Tommy (Kevin's Dad) passed away. We all are having our moments, but we are doing OK. Continued prayers would be appreciated! Love you all!