It's Been a while......

Life's been hectic...but I'm still here....I've had a lot going on....no time for scrapping, or blogging for that matter.

I'm going to try to get back on track...I've missed this place and I've missed scrapping, too!

Bear with me....it'll all come back around!

xoxox,

Dee

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Friday Friday!

And...here we go!

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is mind your own business.

2. Got clams?

3. When I think of carnivals I think of dirty, toothless people smoking a cigarette.

4. The Gerber Daisy is my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include so much clutter that I can't FIND my desk.

6. This heat makes me wanna stay inside.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to girls night out, tomorrow my plans include a carnival (see #3) and Sunday, I want to wish my wonderful friend Bonnie a Happy Birthday!

I promise a real update soon. With layouts and pictures and words, even.

Have a great weekend!

xoxox, Dee

Wordless Wednesday

This...

is what I woke up to this morning. Yes, my hubby is home. For good. Yippee!! After working 12 miles off the coast of Mississippi for 3.5 months, he is back home where he belongs. It's so nice to have him here, heck, it's nice to be able to talk to him without having to spend the entire conversation saying. "WHAT?!" "YOU THERE?!" "HELLO?!"

Although it's going to take a little adjustment on our part, (I've only had to share my bed with AJ these last few months...lol) I am soooooo happy he is here.

So here's to NORMAL....or our new version of it, anyway.

I'm off to scrap for 54 hours straight starting tomorrow, so plan to see TONS of layouts....I hope. I made 29 page kits...my goal is 20 layouts. We shall see!

xoxox,
Dee

Some Sharing

I just realized that I haven't shared any scrap pages lately.
So here goes:
Busy Body. I found this pic of AJ and had to scrap it immediately. She was almost two in this photo and completely adorable. I didn't have a digital camera back then, so finding pics like this is a rarity. I used a March PageMaps sketch.

Walk with Me. AJ took this picture of us and I totally love it. I used Inspired Blueprints #11.

Spring - Some pics from the Bellingrath Gardens we visited last week in Alabama. I used Inspired Blueprints #12 for this one.

Slide - I used a sketch from a new site I was introduced to, 52sketches52weeks.com
That's all the creativity I have to share. Have a great day!

xoxox,
Dee

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Why do we have to be apart?

2. Eating dinner while watching Friends and AJ coming into my bed during the night are now habits.

3. I have to pee.

4. I had never heard the phrase "Wash it" and it will stay clean.

5. I feel as if I'm becoming the outcast the way I always do.

6. How was I to know that the red sock was in the light colored laundry?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing special, tomorrow my plans include organizing AJ's Spring wardrobe, and Sunday, I want to stay warm as it's going to be chilly again!


Have a great weekend.....

Happy St. Patty's Day...

We spent today driving home from our four day weekend in Mississippi...we didn't even wear green for the ride home...lol

However, on Saturday, we went to the St. Patty's Day parade in Biloxi. It was fun and AJ had a blast!

My family...

Here's the first layout of what will be many of our photo session a couple of weeks ago. There are TONS of great pics and I can't wait to get them all scrapped. This photo is by Jaime Bare. The layout is from a sketch I found on Michelle Lanning's blog.

It's been a good week, but it's about to get 200 times better since we are heading to MS to spend time with Web for FOUR days. woo hooooooooooo! I can hardly wait!

Have a good weekend..I may check in with some pics, but I may not till I get back home. :-)

xoxox,
Dee

Family Weekend and a Bag Tag

Web called Friday and surprised us by coming home for the weekend. Apparently the storm that was over Mississippi caused the National Park Service to close the island down he works on, so home he came!

We had a great time. On Saturday, we went to the beach and had a picnic and then just walked for a while and watched AJ make sandcastles. The weather was beautiful although it was a little windy. About 30 minutes after we got there, though, the wind changed directions and started coming off the water which made it cold. SO we had to leave. We spent the rest of the day just chillin' around the house and Web cooked chicken on the grill.

Buliding sandcastles:


AJ took this of us and I totally love it. It looks blurry and maybe it is a bit, but you can also see the sand rolling down the shore as well as the clouds


Always a self portrait..he rarely smiles..


My shell finder...my OYSTER shell finder. They are her favorites..


Web was all about the "walking away" shots today. I have more, but I don't want to bore you to death....



AND NOW FOR THE BAG TAG:
Jamie tagged me so here it goes...

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house. No cheating!

2) I want to know how much it cost:) And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it.

3) Tag some chicks.

Here's what I've been carrying since Friday:


I was carrying a dark blue patchwork, but I thought it was time to go lighter since Spring is on it's way...This one is the biggest purse I own, it's huge. The price? Oh I paid about $170 for it I think...about two years ago. You know, when construction was booming and Web owned his own business. Read: when we had money to spend frivilously....lol. I love my Coach bags (I have 10 - even after I sold three on evil-bay) and I still see ones I want, but not right now...

Tagees: hmmmm..how about if you haven't done it and want to, go for it!

I'm off to the dentist...Wish me luck!

xoxox,
Dee

It's been a while...

Gee, two weeks since my last post? Why? Well, frankly, not a lot going on here. Just the regular day-to-day goings on. Web came home for 3 1/2 days last weekend. We went and had our pictures done on Saturday. I'll post just one as I don't have them all yet. Jaime and Brittany at Barefoot Images met us in the freezing cold and we had a great time!


So that's about it....nothing on the scrapfront...although there are pics and papers on my table right now.

Hope your week was good!

xoxo,
Dee

Happy Valentine's Day

So it's Valentine's Day. It seems everyone has an opinion about the day - whether it be positive or negative. SO why not give you mine?!

I am a romantic. Yes, I am. I love that my husband still opens the door for me wherever we go; that he sends me cutesy little emails during the day; that he leaves voicemails on my cell phone knowing I won't get them until the next time I am in the car.

Valentine's isn't that big of a deal to us. We usually acknowledge it with some candy and a card. We usually get AJ a stuffed animal and some candy. That's about it and that is fine because yes America, I have a SWEETHEART all. year. long.



Hope your sweetheart is good to you, too!

xoxox,
Dee

Some Red and Pink

The Challenge this month at Scrap Your Crap was to use the colors red and pink in honor of Valentine's Day.

Saturday, I went scrapping with some friends and was able to get two red and pink layouts done:
"Daddy's Girl" AJ and daddy before her dance recital last June. For this layout, I pulled out the Scenic Route Loveland collection that I could never make myself use since I love it sooo much. I actually only used the 'scrap strip' sheet and one piece of the chipboard.


{SWEET} For Halloween, AJ (yes, that IS her..lol) dressed up as Gabriella from High School Musical. I used these adorable AC papers that Greta sent to me in a RAK back in November.


It was nice to use these colors without having to be boxed into a V-Day layout. I had fun with them AND used some of my stash!

Friday Fill-Ins, a Layout and a Crop...

First up...Friday Fill-ins.

1. Please don't tell AJ that I ate her last Star Crunch.

2. Can you function without caffeine in the morning? I CAN'T!!

3. The color yellow makes me want to smile!

4. I have a craving for SUSHI.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it when Web is home so he wouldn't have to leave.

6. Eyes are the one thing I wouldn't want to live without. (Yes, I'm grasping for straws here)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing special, tomorrow my plans include scrapping at the LSS with friends, and Sunday, I want to get this house in order!



Next, my new layout. I used the most current PencilLines Sketch. This is Web and I goofing off in a "plane" in "Mexico" at the Discovery Museum in Gulfport last month. I love that we can be totally goofy. I edited the picture at Picnik. If you've never been there, go. It is a great little editing site and most things are FREE!


Lastly, the crop. Wanna be challeneged and make some cute projects? Join us over at Noel's Message Board February 11-13 for an online crop! It'll be lots of fun.


Have a great weekend!

Live in the Now

The girls over at Forward Progress always seem to have some thought provoking prompts. January's was no exception.

Do you ever think about what you want? It could be anything from wanting chocolate right here and right now, to wanting a better future for your children that you might not have had.

It is a new year, a time of resolutions...but let's be serious...do we stick to them? What is it that you really want? Do you want lose 20 lbs or do you want to just be generally more happier with who you are? Do you want more time in the day for the things that are important? Or do you want a new camera?

you get the idea...have fun with it...or be serious...just be honest.

so...with that being said....our prompt for January is to tell us What you want.

So, I got to thinking. What is it that I want most? There are quite a few things I could rattle off.....happiness, world peace, a new car...the list could go on and on. But the reality of those answers is that they are just generic. They are the "sunday school answer"

I am a pessimist at heart. I always have been. And lately, my glass has been less than half empty, let me tell ya. I struggle with this demon every single day. What someone may find joy in, I usually don't even see. Two Sundays ago, I ran into some friends of ours that I had not seen in a while. I took the opportunity to ask our friend, and fellow pessimist, for some guidance as how to deal with life and all that is involved...as a pessimist, of course.

His words were so simple but yet so profound. He told me, "Darlene, as a pessimist, you must learn to live in the now, be thankful for the day thus far and realize that God has blessed you with all of it. Don't look forward. Just be in the RIGHT NOW."

These words spoke to my heart and I realized that more than anything in this world, I want to LIVE IN THE NOW.

Friday Fill-Ins (a little late)

Here's my January 30th edition of Friday Fill-ins.

1. I'd really like my husband home right now. Oh wait, he IS here...lol!

2 OUCH! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is 9/10 of the law.

4. I {heart} Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like Peanut butter and jelly.

6. It's been going on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to The Linc-Up Dinner, tomorrow my plans include doing a whole lot of nothing and Sunday, I want to be with Web!

Let me know if you played!!

Happy Weekend!

All Is Right With the World...

....well, MY world, anyway. On Tuesday, I got a phone call from Web telling me that he had a change in plans and was coming home!! Woo hoo! He hasn't been home since the 28th of December and was slated to come home NEXT (2/7)weekend. Nevertheless, he's here now and will be until Sunday.

I did stress a little about the condition of the house. I must admit that I had "let it go" a bit---but I was starting to get it ready for next weekend. So I did a speed clean and it turned out pretty good.

It's nice having him home. It's nice to be 'normal'..haha

It's Christmas (again)

So it's been a month since Christmas. In that month, I have completed three Christmas layouts:


I used Inspired Blueprints #7 for this layout of AJ and her friend decorating cookies. I also used Sassafras Lass! This is my very first 8 1/2 x 11 layout ever and I must say it was fun to do!

I'm not real happy with this one. I love the pic, but just couldn't seem to do it justice. I added some wrapping paper to the top and scalloped it. It seemed to match better than the other papers I had.


I used Inspired Blueprints #8 for AJ's Santa pic this year. I had her write a few of the things she asked for. I thought she might get a kick out that when she gets older to see her 5 year old handwriting! (it says Barbie House, Calendar and Microphone - all of which she got!)


Welp, that's all the Christmas I have for now. I have a LOT more pics to scrap, but we'll just have to see how that goes.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xoxox,

Friday Fill-Ins and my First Award

I found this blog called Friday Fill-Ins and thought I would join in!

1. Oh, I am so wanting a cup of coffee!


2. I'm not good with changes, big and little.

3. During weddings, I cry when the bride comes down the aisle.

4. Out of cat litter; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be with my husband.

6. The corkscrew is my favorite gadget. (well, kitchen gadget...hee hee)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking AJ to the Ringling Bros Circus for the first time, tomorrow my plans include scrappy shopping and a birthday party, and Sunday, I want to SCRAP!

That was fun! Click on the link and play along and let me know if you do!






Also, Marie has given me my first award! I got a Your Blog Is Fabulous Award! Thank You Marie for such FABULOUS award. Now I must list five addictions and tag 5 other bloggers!

My five addictions are...

1. Scrapbooking!

2. Coke Zero!

3. Facebook!

4. The Target $1 Spot!

5. Reading Blogs (yes I am a lurker...)

Now for my taggees:

1. Bonnie
2. Colleen
3. Theresa
4. Debbie
5. Julie



xoxox,

Back to the Grind...

We are back from spending four fun days with Web in Mississippi. He gets four days off about every 2 1/2 weeks, so this time we decided to go over there instead of him coming home.
Here's what we did:

• relaxed at the condo
• went shopping at the outlets (LOVE LOVE LOVE the Bath & Body Works Outlet!!)
• took AJ to a museum
• stood in line in the freezing cold to get DONUTS...lol (Tatonuts - apparently the best place in Ocean Springs, MS for doughnuts.)
  
• watched the sunset
• went to the country to eat catfish (Shaw's Fish House) with some friends
• drove to Louisiana
• went across the 24 mile long bridge (across Lake Pontchartrain)

Here's a slide of some pics from this weekend (most are from the Discovery Center in Gulfport):

I'm home with a puny kid today. So hopefully I can get unpacked and into my scraproom while she is napping.
Have a great week!

xoxox,

Becoming One with Nature..

well, not really..lol Last week, when we met Web in Marianna, we decided to visit The Florida Caverns State Park. The caves were closed that particular day, so we decided to walk the trails and enjoy the nature all around us. Let me remind you that this is swamp land in Florida, and although it is January, it was 78 degrees - a great environment for mosquitoes. So even though we have our jackets on and sleeves pulled down, we were HOT! We had a good time though, and saw a bunch of squirrels and a snake [shudder]. Web loves to do this sort of thing and I must admit this is probably the first time I have ever agreed to do ANY outdoor activity that didn't involve the beach!
{Products except for tickets are from Noel Mignon's Love Story Kit (sold out). I used my new Graphically Speaking Cricut cartridge for the title and note paper.}

I'm still working on some Christmas layouts, so there will be a CHristmas post soon!

xoxox,
Dee

It's Your Love..........

When I married my husband 6 years ago, it was more than I ever dreamed of. We had known each other for about three years, he was a family friend. I love the fact that he tried to play hard-to-get, that he said "I LOVE YOU" first, that he let me into his heart. He is my one true love and I cherish every minute we get to spend together.

Right now, his job has sent him 450 miles from home - it's hard and I hate it. But I know we have to endure this in order to have the life we want to have. On Monday, he called to say that he had that afternoon and Tuesday off (he's been working round the clock since 12/28 and wasn't scheduled to be off till the 16th of Jan). I came up with the bright idea of meeting at a half way point in order to spend time together. So, I threw our stuff in our suitcases and off AJ and I went to ren-des-vous with him! We each drove about 24o miles - only 3.5 hours - and met up in Marianna, FL. We had a wonderful time and I am so glad we did it! Even though we only got to spend about 36 hours with him, it was soooo worth it!

Today, after I got home, I was inspired to complete Noel's "Love Song" challenge. I'd had the picture pulled since Sunday, but I wasn't inspired (I have not scrapped since November!) I used her LOVE SONG kit (which is sold out) as well! I chose "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw. The words just fit how I feel about Web.

Dancing in the dark, middle of the night,
Taking your heart and holding it tight
Emotional touch, touching my skin
And asking you to do,
What you've been doing all over again
Oh its a beautiful thing,
Don't think I can keep it all in
I just gotta let you know
What it is that won't let me go

(CHORUS)

Its your love, it just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough, and if you wonder
About the spell I'm under
Ooh...It's your love

Better than I was, more than I am
And all of this happened, by taking your hand
And who I am now, is who I wanted to be
And now that were together
I'm stronger than ever, I'm happy and free
Ooh... Its a beautiful thing
Don't think I can keep it all in
Ooh, but if you ask me why I've changed
All I gotta do is say your sweet name


Ooh....Baby....Ohh

Its a beautiful thing
Don't think I can keep it all in
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go

Its your love, it just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me, I can't get enough
And if you wonder about the spell I'm under
Ooh.. It's your love
Its your love
Its your love.