Christmas is Kicking My Butt

Oh dear, I'll be happy for Christmas Eve.  Then it will be too late to worry about whatever isn't done or anything I've forgotten, lol. 

Tonight is cookie baking night!  I'm going over to Mom's and taking my baking pans with me.  We are a cookie baking family, from the chilled dough right on down to the sprinkles and chocolate chips.  If Lisa didn't already make the sugar cookie dough you'll hear me scream all the way to San Antonio.

I am currently 51 layouts off of my 2010 goal. I had hoped for 350 layouts for the year and I just finished 299.  Blogger is not letting me upload #299 so here is #298:

Lisa is going to be so happy to have her face plastered on my blog, hee hee.

51 layouts in 10 days with a holiday or two in-between?  Could happen...

Down to the Wire

In a wicked game of procrastination, otherwise known as "Don't tell Nicole or she'll pass out and then bop me on the head," I waited to the last minute to finish Logan's 1st birthday album.  Luckily I work well under pressure or I would have had to show up to Logan's birthday party with a paper bag on my head.

So here it is, in all its glory (well, all except the last page which I didn't have time to photograph):

You're Only One Once

1st Birthday Party - Cars

Crawl/Climb

Shuffle/Walk

Thanksgiving 2010

Christmas 2010

New Years 2011

Becoming A Big Brother/Easter 2011

Summer 2011/4th of July 2011

Fun and Candy

Travel the Road 2 - picture not available

So there you have it - a whole year of Cars.  And now, onto Lion King for new baby!  Check back soon for some Holiday Cheer.

Tis The Seas-on

In a break from the traditional holiday subjects that usually consume December, our team at ESS did a nautical reveal this past week.  We used Jen Reed's new Nautical Nights Collection (Papers and Elements).  There are a number of cute layouts up on the blog.  Here's the one I created:

Shuttle Boat Ride

When Michelle and Bob were down to visit with the girls in October, John and I met up with them and brought Bianca and Libby along.  Ages ranging 4 - 7, it was a great match-up and all the girls got along really well.  They had fun together, beginning with the shuttle boat ride we took from Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter to Downtown Disney's Marketplace.

A Warrior, A Scholar, A Husband, A Friend

Uncle Pots passed away suddenly on October 29.  It stunned us all.  Sure, he's had health problems, but even Aunt Yone felt he was doing well.  It was devestating - not just to lose Uncle Pots but to watch Aunt Yone deal with the loss.  It's the loss of her world and my heart breaks for her.  I was able to go up not just for the funeral but for a few days before to spend with Aunt Yone and Uncle Donald, who had rushed there to be with her when he heard the news.  Dad's reaction was almost as quick as Uncle D; he was on a train within 6 hours of getting the news and arrived in Lakeland in time to drive to South Carolina with us.  I'm truly blessed with the men in my life.

I created a memorial plaque for Aunt Yone, and created a poem to recognize the exceptional person that my uncle was:

Fight the battle, win the war
As you did the time before
Down the path, open the gate
Into his arms, you won’t be late

You are precious in his sight
You are safe within his might
Ne’er more to have to roam
Now you wait for us at home

And the time will come I hear
When again we will be near
Until then we face our fight
Walking always to the light

His obituary appeared online and in the Columbia paper:
Rest in Peace: Funeral service for First Sgt. Henry Melville Jackson Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.), 76, will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday, November 2, 2010, at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, with burial with full military honors in Ft. Jackson National Cemetery. Visitation will precede the service at the funeral home, beginning at noon.

Mr. Jackson died October 28, 2010. Born October 8, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was a son of the late Henry M. Jackson Sr. and Gertrude Louise Cumpton Jackson. He retired as a First Sergeant from the U.S. Army, serving three tours in Vietnam. A former Green Beret, he was a life member of the Special Forces Association and the National Rifle Association. He had retired from the SWAT Team of the Columbia Police Department after 24 years service. Sgt. Jackson joined the Columbia Police Department in August 1973 as a patrolman. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1993 and once named “Outstanding Officer of the Year.” Sgt. Jackson played a vital role in the Special Operations group as primary instructor and technical officer for the police department’s SWAT Teams and Civil Disturbance Training. A true patriot, he loved his country and enjoyed wood and leather working. He was a loving husband of 43 years and a loving uncle who loved to spoil his great-nephews.

Surviving are his wife of 43 years, Yone O. Jackson; brother, Donald Jackson of Alabama; sister, Toni Hesson of Florida; sister, Ann Anderson of Alabama; sister, Laura Colquitt of Wisconsin; nephew, Butch Jackson (Susan), nephew Bill Jackson, great-niece Meredith and great-nephew Hunter; nieces Tania Ruiz (John), Nicole Hickey (Dana), and Lisa Roberts; great-nieces Tabatha and Trinity Roberts and great-nephews Trevor Roberts and Logan Hickey; niece Anna Schrock (Brian), great-nephew Christian and great-niece Trinity; nephew, Nobuo Yamashiro (Dawn); great-nieces and nephews, Amy, Ken, Chris and Kyle Yamashiro, all of Irmo.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 520 Gervais St., Suite 300, Columbia, SC 29201.

It's Family History Month

October is Family History Month.  We thought we’d kick off this month’s reveals over at E-Scape and Scrap with a reveal about preserving our family history on scrapbook pages.  This month is an excuse to dust off those old photographs and take another look at the stories behind them.  Take some time to capture the history behind your family; it’s something you won’t regret doing.

This project also motivated me to scan in some more of those old family photos.  That project has been on hold for a while and there are still plenty of pictures to scan.  I would love to dive back into my genealogy research, but that is limited for now until I can renew my membership with Ancestry.com.

Both of my layouts for this month's reveal used Scrapdragon Designs new Family Roots kit.

For my first layout in this reveal, I presented some of the surprising information we've learned about great-grandmother Catherine and Catherine’s siblings.  We're lucky enough to have pictures of most of the children together and the openings in this newspaper template included in Scrapdragon Designs’ new Family Roots kit allowed me to incorporate the pictures and journaling both into the design of the page.

On my second layout I chose to focus on a non-physical trait shared by many women in our family - the love of reading. 

The team did a fantastic job on their layouts as well - check them out here.

It's Like Looking Through a Window

I had the privilege of playing with the new Folded Papers series from Scrapdragon Designs, just released over at E-Scape and Scrap.  These papers are fun!  And even better, in every kit a set of solid papers in the same colors is included, giving you backgrounds for those windows if you choose not to completely fill them with your picture.  I used the Jewel Brights and Pastels lines.

Take a look at what I've done with these:

Ushering in a New Era
Moving Mom last December was a family affair.  Here I used the whole paper and embellished on top of it.

Rocks the Band
I haven't played in a while, but I love playing the drums in Rock Band!  For this layout I chose to use only the top half of the folded paper in order to leave room to show more of my photo.

Concentrate - Create
Trinity drawing; doesn't she look serious about her work?  I wanted to use multiple photos on this page so I backed the whole layout with one of the solid papers included in the folded paper pack and sized my photos to fit along the opening with the solid paper showing through to separate them.

Keeping the Faith

When Kay Eflin put out a request for faith layouts to go along with her new kit, Scrap Your Faith, it really struck a cord in me.  As much a role as my faith plays in my life, I don't think it gets equal time in my scrapbooking and that's sad.  I'm not even sure that the people I come in contact with on a daily basis always know where I stand on issues of God and church, and that bothers me too.  It's hard in these PC-days not to simply talk around your true beliefs; putting them in front of others, especially in the workplace, can cause quite a stir.  But if the apostles hadn't caused a stir back in their days, to the point of persecution, I might not be able to stand up and say "I love the Lord" today.  I might not even know the Lord had it not been for the bravery and faithfulness of early disciples.  So here it is - I do love the Lord, and I count on him for every piece of my life. I am not as faithful as I should be, but I recognize that faith and obedience is a daily struggle, and I fight that fight every day of my life.

Hope for Lisa

My Prayer for Us

God Bless!

Logan Goes Shopping

and other adventures.

Logan Goes Shopping
When Nicole and Dana needed to find the perfect accessories for the guest bathroom after moving into their new apartment, Logan accompanied them on their marathon shopping trip.  I suppose he didn't exactly have a choice, lol, but he seemed happy enough about it.

kit used - My Little Man by Sus Designs

Stop Eating Your Shoe
Imagine how thrilled we were to get pictures of Logan wearing shoes!  Not only does it mean he's close to walking (and since the pictures were taken he's already gotten adept at standing and even moving himself along the length of the couch), it also means we can now buy shoes!  :-))

Journaling:
It must be almost time for walking!
Woot Woot! Logan is finally allowed to wear shoes!
“Logan, stop eating your shoes!”
“Try it, Mom! They taste like baby food!”
“It’s ok, Mom, I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re for.”
But I have a feeling Dana and I still disagree on what kind. He says no Jordans - basketball shoes are for basketball. I say - What? No Way! For the Love of the Shoe! (Although I must say, the shoes he’s wearing are super-cute!)

kit used - Falling by The Busy Elf Designs
 
And the pictures keep coming - Nicole is such a good sister, I get a few picture texts every week with Logan's newest developments.
 
Coming soon, Logan Takes His First Steps, and of course, Let's Meet New Baby will premiere sometime after September 24, when we get the news... girl or boy?!  Until then, Scrap Your Heart Out

Here's Your Sign

I spent some more time working with the new Astrological Dreams Collab Kit that was released as a part of the E-Scape and Scrap 6th Birthday Celebration.  The kit includes full sets of the astrological signs in multiple media - picture cards, sign cards, stand-alone images and even a set of papers.  Whether you are into astrology or not, there's lots of fun to be had with this mega-kit.  Here are a few of the layouts I've finished this week.

Pisces – Virgo
This picture of John and I was taken during his birthday party earlier this year. I listed the positive qualities associated with our signs and our birthdates, found on the “How Stuff Works” website, next to our picture. The sign information in the body of the journaling came from “about.com”.

Journaling Excerpt:
Pisces and Virgo are directly opposite each other on the Zodiacal wheel, but both are mutable, able to 'go with the flow. Pisces likes to wax poetic, or dreamily let their imagination take the lead. Virgo has 2 feet firmly in this world, but constantly refines their body, routine, skills, etc. Virgo likes to be precise & can be detached. Pisces self-expression is looser and filtered thru sensitive emotions. When there is understanding, they stand to benefit from the other's balancing perspective. Whether our signs are compatible or not, John and I balance each other out. And whatever doesn‘t go out with the wash is conquered by true love.

Aquarius Ladies
We are busy celebrating birthdays in February – here are Lisa, Mom and Tabatha, all with birthdays in the first half of February.

If you missed the birthday give away you can still get the kit; it's on sale now in the ESS Boutique.
 
That's it for now - hope you have a Scrappy Day!

As Summer Turns to Fall

In Florida we still have another month of hot pool weather, although the evenings have become bearable again.  All the same, with school in session and Halloween merchandise in the stores, even we are seeing signs of fall.  Julie Mead's new Painted Autumn Trees are just the right blend of summer and fall, and I used them on these two layouts of Bianca's end of summer activities.

Sunshine
We took this picture of Bianca last month, after Rudy and Urania gave her this umbrella that became her “sun shield.”

Hanging on to Summer Fun
Rudy took this picture of Bianca last month as they had fun in the pool.

Other products used:
Colorful Occasions Alphabet by Julie Mead
Play and Grow Forever by Julie Mead

Have you scrapped your summer memories yet?  If not, I hope this inspires you to get to it!  Happy Scrapping!

Puzzled

Our latest reveal over at E-Scape and Scrap is all about puzzles!  There are some fun new puzzle products in their shop, these products were provided to us by the designer for the reveal:
Puzzle Overlays by Scrapdragon Designs
Photo Puzzle Overlays/Frames by Scrapdragon Designs
Puzzle Paper Pack by Scrapdragon Designs (a freebie)

Check the reveal out on the blog.

Here's a preview using a few of the layouts I completed for the reveal.

A Great Vantage Point
These pictures where taken when I visited Vero Beach with my sister, her son and our parents. The smaller picture is our dad watching us from a safe distance, and the larger picture is my sister and I with her son on the beach. Our mom was taking the picture.

Disney's Vero Beach Resort
I took this picture of my sister and her son when we were visiting Vero Beach with our parents.

I hope you'll check out the rest of the reveal on the E-Scape and Scrap blog, the ladies have really turned out some fantastic layouts using these products.

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!

I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke

...and keep it company. (Coca-Cola Company, 1971)  Did you know that this song was first created for a Coca-Cola advertising campaign in 1971 (yes, the one with all the singers on a hillside)?  It was then rewritten to remove the Coke references and became a top 10 song on the charts, performed by The New Seekers, a popular band in London.

Visiting Atlanta this past weekend with John, Nicole, Dana and Logan, one of our stops was at the World of Coca-Cola.  The museum is a lot of fun and well worth the $15 admission.  We had 90 minutes to tour the facility (we arrived at 5, last call for admissions, and the museum closed at 6:30 pm); I would advise at least 2 hours to fully enjoy this experience. 

The museum is 2 stories full of exhibits and interactive experiences.  Upon arrival we entered a waiting area where the guide was providing some information on the memorabilia that the museum had accumulated, including the very large silver sign that used to grace corporate headquarters in Atlanta and several different international advertising posters.  When the doors swung open, we entered a theater and were treated to a Coca-Cola original animated short, where various characters showed us the magic behind the scenes between the second that your change enters a vending machine and the moment an ice cold bottle of Coke slips into your hand.

Filing out of the theater, we were greeted by the Coca-Cola Polar Bear who graciously took pictures with Nicole, Logan and me. Take a look:

Then we worked our way through the first floor exhibits, which took us through the invention of this delicious soft drink, the history of its advertising, and the growth of the product to international markets.  Some of the historic figures were even willing to take pictures with us:

Next we witnessed the bottling process (on a small scale, of course).
Finishing on the first floor, we took the elevator to the second floor.  Our first stop was in the 4D theater where we watched another Coca-Cola original.  This time we followed two "scientists" looking to discover the secret ingredient in the Coca-Cola recipe.  Hint, you can't buy it or grow it.  ;-)  After the movie we walked through the Pop Culture Gallery and rested for a bit in the Perfect Pauses Theater, enjoying advertising of old (and from around the world).  The finale was the Taste lab.  In the Taste lab there are over 60 different types of Coca-Cola products from around the world available for your sampling pleasure.  Some of them we recognized from the Epcot exhibit, such as the delicious watermelon drink from Costa Rica and the disgusting Beverly from Italy (we later learned this was a gag drink).  There was also an area to try all of the various flavored waters and teas that Coca-Cola offers.

The exit from the 2nd floor exhibits funnels you through the gift shop, of course, but not before you are handed a free custom labeled 8 oz bottle of Coca-Cola (the original).  We bought a few items from the gift shop which is filled with every imaginable marketing strategy from plates and glasses to magnets and key chains to wall hangings and jewelry.  My purchase included the stickers used on the layouts in this post.

I hope this convinces you to give the Coca-Cola museum a try the next time you're in Atlanta - it really is a great experience, and a trip down memory lane.

**Supplies used on the two layouts displayed are from American Crafts, Die Cuts With a View, and EK Success.  All products were purchased and the author of this post is not affiliated with Coca-Cola or any of these scrapbook companies.**

Big Things Often Come in Small Packages

Really, it's true!  We proved it with our last reveal over at E-Scape and Scrap, now available on thier blog.  Check it out!  We used the following products, provided by the designers, in our reveal:
Gizmo's Inchies - Angels by Kay Eflin
Gizmo's Inchies - Vintage by Kay Eflin
Teeny Two Inch Frames by Julie Mead

Here's a preview - For this layout the angel squares were the perfect match for the poem used as journaling. There are a number of different frames included in the Teeny Two Inch Frames pack, here I chose to use the one that allowed for 2 photos side by side.

On this layout I cut out large sections of the Gizmos Inchies – Vintage element sheets. These elements come all on one page so that you can use them as a background, a photo mat, or use them individually as elements around the page. The versatile frames allowed 3 photos on this layout.

I hope you'll check the rest of the reveal out on the blog, the whole team did a fantastic job on this one.

Until next time, Scrap Your Heart Out!

The Party is Going Strong

And I have my party hat on!  Check out the fun new party hat templates that Scrapdragon is giving away in her shop!

I thought it would be fun to use a picture taken at my birthday party to celebrate with ESS.  Mom took a couple of good pictures of me, yay!

Don't forget to go out to the ESS blog for clues to the Treasure Hunt (which will score you their new Astrological Dreams Collab Kit - a mega kit with 24 pieces created by ESS Designers), the most recent Guess the Designer game (for cool prizes) and more!

Have a scrappin' great day!

Fun and Games at ESS

A week long birthday celebration - are you missing it?  Here is the first one - guess the designer #1, posted in the Gallery.  Click the link to go there, guess right, and you could win!  More details are listed on the blog - click the blog heading for today to go straight to the ESS blog.  Also the first pieces of teh collab kit Astrological Dreams is hidden in the shop, just waiting for you to find it.  To give you an idea of how awesome this kit is, here is my first layout:

We've Captured the Fairy Princess

My original layout was slightly different - but after finishing it I felt like showing Bianca's feet in the picture took away from the barred window idea.  ;-)  Here's the original, tell me what you think:

I'll have another one for you tomorrow.  You might even see me don a party hat for the celebration.
Until then, Scrap The Night Away!

Birthdays are in the Air!

August rocks.  Of course being my birthday month might have something to do with that.  ;-)  Today I have a new equation.  25 + 12 + Faith X Blessings = Tania.  It's a wonderful life.  Dad and I celebrated my birthday when I visited him for the American Idols concet at the beginning of August.  Nicole, Dana and Logan had a birthday celebration for me when John and I visited them last weekend, complete with double chocolate cake (yum!).  John made me breakfast this morning - pancakes, and made just the way I like them (as thin as they get without becoming crepes).  He actually made a special batter just for me (he likes his pancakes a little thicker).  And Mom invited me over for a birthday dinner this evening.

On Monday, August 30, E-Scape and Scrap will be belatedly celebrating their 6th birthday.  The original plan was to celebrate in July, but then the site had that unfortunate incident and Julie spent the entire month recovering from internet fraud and lost data.  So now that ESS is back and better than ever, it's time to have some fun.  Check out their blog for more information.

Happy Birthday to anyone else out there lucky enough to have an August birthday!

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!

Going Back to School

The kids will be going back to school next week (or the week after, probably, for some kids).  I thought we'd take a look back at Sandy's children on the first day of school 2009, it will be fun to compare this picture to the one Sandy sends me from 2010 (maybe I should remind her I'm expecting a first day of school picture, lol).

This layout was created using Coppercurl Designs new kit "School, Etc.".

First Day of School 2009

Don't forget all that school shopping!  Although if you're starting now the stores are probably already out of the really good stuff, it's been on sale here for a month.

Looking Back on Our First Disney Cruise

Obviously I didn't meet my self-imposed July deadline to scrap our entire first Disney Cruise, so now I have two of them to work on.  I'm doing them separately so I got back to business and finished several more layouts from the first cruise, finally finishing the first day, lol.  Take a look (although if you are going on one and want some surprises, you might want to skip over the journaling, because my goal is to describe the entire experience).  Click on the linked title to go to a gallery posting where all the journaling is typed out and close-ups of the page are included.

Check-in and Boarding
Arriving at Port Canaveral and pulling into the Disney terminal ends the stressful portion of this journey.  Once you are in Disney hands, you are in good hands.  Hi, Mickey!

Our Stateroom
Our checked luggage and our room were ready at the same time, and we were settled in and ready to explore by 3.

Up On Deck 9
Deck 9 - where the party is at.  It's also where the pools and snack bars can be found.  Deck 9 is a great place to be.

Adventures Away
The Sail Away party - say goodbye to the daily grind and hello to vacation!

We Are On Our Way
As the party winds down the shore melts into the background; time to enjoy life at sea.

Animator's Palate
The first night of dining unveils a whole new facet of this experience - fine dining with the Mouse's touch.

First Things First

Logan is growing by leaps and bounds!  As he approaches his first birthday, he's getting quite a few other firsts under his belt.  Take a look!

Logan's First Solid Food
(Rice ceral, of course!)

Logan's First Teeth
(two of them on the bottom)

Both of these layouts were made using Rose Thorn's new kit "Baby's Firsts."

A Hot Mess

"Hot Mess" is the new collection of mini kits that the E-Scape and Scrap Designers are putting together after dealing with several months of downtime due to internet fraud the site fell victim to.  It's has a gorgeous color scheme, perfect for layouts of strong, independent girls/women.  There have been 4 mini kits released in this collection, created by Sus Designs, Cheryl McCain, The Busy Elf Designs and Gouzinette Designs.  I've already finished a layout from each of the mini-kits, take a look:

Take a Picture of My Glasses
The pictures in this layout are of our niece on a recent trip to Disney where she insisted I take a picture of her sunglasses which she had hooked onto her shirt.

Mini-kit by Sus Designs
Fonts used – LD Skinni Minni, LD Steep, LD Normal

Don't Stop the Ride
These are pictures of our nieces on a recent trip to Disney.

Mini-kit by Cheryl McCain
Fonts used – PC Bang, PC Brita

Make That Change
These are pictures of my sister working on one of her school projects; after years raising children she returned to college last year to become a Medical Assistant (which she now is) and to earn her 2 year degree (which she should finish by the end of the year).

Mini-kit by The Busy Elf Designs

One of a Kind
This is a picture of our niece during spring break.

Mini-kit by Gouzinette Designs
Font used – PC Lewis
 

Don't forget to stop by the ESS blog to pick up the free mini kits!

Back and Better Than Ever

Not me, silly.  I'm talking about E-Scape and Scrap, Julie Mead's Digital Scrapbook Boutique.  (I'm on the Creative Team at E-Scape and Scrap.)  At the end of June the store was forced offline due to fraud at their server host.  All changes made to the site and the gallery since April were suddenly gone, with no way to recover them.  That included the custom design of Julie site.  It was obviously devestating but Julie preservered.  Throughout July she worked tirelessly to restore the site, and when that was not possible she worked to rebuild.  The site is now back online, with the added bonus of being available both at .com and .net addresses.  Designers are reloading their products and there might be a surprise or two on the way (don't tell her I told you ;-)).  Also, the designers have created a collaboration kit called "Hot Mess," available free on the blog, as a call-out against the crimes committed here.  Check it out!

In the meantime, the Creative Team is back to work.  Here are the first couple of layouts I completed since the site was up, these are using Cheryl McCain's new Mosaic kit, which she designed in celebration of the reopening of the store.

She Waits
We recently had the opportunity (Lisa, Tabatha and I) to attend a book signing at the Romance Writer's of America Annual Conference at Disney's Dolphin Resort.  Approximately 500 authors were available to sign books, and books were available to purchase.  We found out about it because two authors that we love were a part of the book signing - Maria V Snyder (Poison Study) and Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Boods).  One of them sent it to Lisa in their monthly newsletter.  It's a good thing one of us is reading newsletters.  Here is Tabatha as we waited in line for the conference arena to open - she missed the parade of authors (and Melissa de la Cruz) but she did get to meet and talk with her after we were inside.

Maria V Snyder
Once inside we made a beeline for the authors we knew before wandering around to see who else was there.  Maria V Snyder had one of her new books for sale, Inside Out (which is amazing).  She also had news on her newest of the Glass series books, Spy Glass.  She assured me we'd see plenty of Valek in that book.  Yay!  She was super-nice and talked to us for a while.

I'll see you again soon!  In the meantime, check out the restored E-Scape and Scrap Boutique as well as a couple of my favorite authors.