A Successful June

June was a very happy scrappy month for me - so many layouts, and layouts I was happy with too. I finished 40 layouts for a cool 165 layouts in the first half of 2012. My goal for the year is 350, so I'm hanging in there. None of my paper layouts have been posted online yet, I'll get around to those in a few days, but here are a few of the digital layouts that are floating around out there.

Here's Logan in The Waves Roll In, created using SeaSide by StarSongStudio

Connor had his own beach experience in Escape to the Sea, created using SeaSide by StarSongStudio

This is Trinity in She Doesn't Need Pixie Dust, created using Blossoms and Fairytales by TheBusyElfDesigns

Proud to Be an American is about my sisters when we were younger; this layout was created using All American by GreenEyedLadyDesigns

Bianca recently had a proud moment, captured here in Bianca's Recital which is one of the layouts I created using the brand new Collab Kit A Moment of Thanks by the Nifty Designers

Tabatha also had a proud moment at her High School Graduation, and I couldn't help but reflect on her growth over the years into the lovely young lady we know today, captured in The March of Time is Persistent using the brand new Collab Kit A Moment of Thanks by the Nifty Designers.

Thanks for looking!

Which Dream Is Weirder?

So, I recently had two wacky dreams. I don't know which one was weirder.

Dream #1 - John and I were at home with my Dad and 4 talking dogs (two Rotts, one Dalmatian, and one Terrier). A talking alligator came to the house while I wasn't paying attention - a really huge, really ugly, really mean talking alligator - and John fed him and put him in a room. The talking alligator proceeded to tear the room apart, making a complete mess of walls and furniture. John and I relocated the alligator far from the house (a small yellow house on a large piece of land). A few hours later, I was sitting in the back room of the house with my Dad, the Terrier and the Dalmatian. Our back door had no door, and we notice the alligator is marching up to the house. I yell at Dad and the dogs to flee the room, since we have no way to keep the alligator out and he's hungry again. Hungry alligators tend to eat people and dogs, I tell them. The Dalmatian is assuring me that this alligator most certainly won't eat him, seeing as how it talks. Then the alligator announces that he's hungry and most certainly will eat anything he comes across. So then my Dad and the dogs make a mad dash scramble into the other room, hurdling over the dog gates in place to protect us from the outside. The alligator stomped in and John found the only way to keep him calm was to fill the room with containers of water - the kind of containers you find on a water cooler in an office. The talking alligator liked looking at those huge bottles of water. For the record, I would like to note that only my two Rotts behaved in this dream.

Dream #2 - John and I went on a roadtrip with his cousin and a friend. We drove to Atlanta (GA), then to Jasper (AL), then to another city in GA which I don't believe exists, but which I kept referring to in my dreams as The Home of the Braves (I am aware they are from Atlanta). From that city we took a train out to Arizona, where we were visiting with Woody, Buzz and Jessie (yes, the characters from Toy Story). In Arizona I was attacked by two talking geckos - they were fierce. And John's cousin shrunk to the size of a Barbie doll. It was mad chaos out there, although we did get to see our Toy Story friends.

The moral of the story seems to be that talking animals follow John. That can't be good, lol.

And by the way, I think the spelling of the word weird is... well, weird.

Busy Busy Busy as a Bee Bee Bee

What happened to March, you ask? Well I really couldn't tell you - it just zipped on by. So much going on, and lots of travel, kept me away from the computer. Luckily I can update Facebook from my cell phone! What I'd like from April is not necessarily less action, but less injuries. That would be awesome.

I have a few helpful hints for those of you who, like myself, love to win things or get things for free.

The GoodReads First Reads program is amazing. I've won quite a few books since I started entering the giveaways. I only enter for books that sound enjoyable to me, and that is paying off with some very good reading material. So far I've read and reviewed 3 of the books I've won, with another in-progress. If you love books, I highly recommend the GoodReads site, and if you love winning, you should totally check out their Giveaways section. Once you are logged in click the dropdown arrow next to Explore and choose the link for giveaways.

Another fun source of online giveaways is FreebieShark. If you like them on Facebook then the latest sponsor giveaway entries will show up on your News Feed. The idea is that they direct you to Manufacturers/Stores who are giving away free samples, and for the price of your personal information (usually mailing address, email address, and phone number) you can get something in the mail for free. From Oatmeal Squares to Kleenex samples, the mail has started trickling in. Their Facebook site also offers helpful tips for cleaning up your Facebook App associations once you've registered for the free stuff.

This week I've returned to scrapbooking (digital, at least) with a vengeance. Some of our fun March events are included in my subjects. I'll leave you with these...

First visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventures:

kits used: Gizmos ATC Mak'ns Paper Solids, Gizmos ATC Mak'ns Pen and Ink Elements, Gizmos ATC Mak'ns Pen and Ink Papers, all by Sweet Spot Designs

Connor's Birthday Party:

kit used: Vintage Memory Board by AneczkaW

My niece and her boyfriend before Prom:

kits used: Gizmos ATC Mak'ns Paper Solids, Gizmos ATC Mak'ns Pen and Ink Elements, Gizmos ATC Mak'ns Pen and Ink Papers, all by Sweet Spot Designs

(All kits used were provided in exchange for my work as a Creative Team Member at E-Scape and Scrap.)

My First Book Arrived

The first of the books I won arrived at the end of last week, and I dedicated some time this weekend to read it. It was amazing! Check out my review, which I posted on Goodreads:

The Expats: A Novel by Chris Pavone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

The Expats is a fantastic spy thriller that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I was initially unconvinced by the flashback/flashforward presentation of the story, however as the story went on this helped to clarify the situation Kate was in while still allowing the author to throwing twist after twist at the reader, until the ending was as unpredictable as anything that came before it.

Kate and Dexter are your average American couple, raising 2 young boys and struggling to make ends meet, until Dexter informs Kate that they are moving to Luxembourg where he has unexpectedly received a lucrative job offering. Having known she wanted something different in her life, without quite knowing what that is, Kate agrees and begins tying up loose ends. Although it's a littler harder for her than it would be for most wives, considering that her loose ends revolve around a 15-year career at the CIA.

As we follow Kate's journey across the ocean and into a new country, we soon learn, as does she, that nothing is as it seems. Sweet unassuming Dexter has more than one secret he is keeping and some of the Expat wives Kate meets and befriends are not at all what they seem to be on the surface. In fact soon Kate finds herself embroiled in a mystery that rivals anything she encountered in her years with the CIA. She'll need to brush off her rusty field skills to figure this one out before it destroys her family.

My only reservation about this book is the very very end - literally the last 2 pages. The rest was pure enjoyment, with fleshed out characters, interesting twists and turns in the storyline, and a heroine that readers are invested in. Kate is smart and funny and determined and dedicated to her family and not at all perfect, which makes her relatable and easy to spend time with - and spend time with her I did, once I sat down with this book it was very hard to get back up!



View all my reviews

Happy Valentine's Day

Yes, today I'm celebrating a widely recognized holiday, but I think all the other daily holidays I've been celebrating are equally as important. For example, celebrating "Get a Different Name Day" was easy, since I already have a Rock Band Name, Malika, that I love almost as much as my real name. ;-) And I didn't have to live through the never-ending questions "What did you get for XYZ Day?" I was also pretty excited about Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, that's a worthy cause to celebrate if I've ever heard one.

Thanks to Mom, though, for remembering us with cupcakes on this day of love, and to Trinity for helping to deliver them. My manager also sent out a nice note to the department today - she is such a wonderful lady.

Last week I won 3 books from giveaways held over at Goodreads.com; I'm patiently waiting for them to arrive. The books I'm expecting are Expats: A Novel by Chris Pavone, Sinners of Sanction County:  Stories by Charles Dodd White, and The Big Five For Life - 2012 Edition by John P. Strelecky. They all sound fantastic, and I'm so excited that I won!

I finally finished reading Dormia by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski - Mom gave me that book 2 years ago, she stumbled upon an advance copy of it. It was one of those books that takes a while to get into (it took me a couple of tries), but really picks up steam about 7 chapters in, check it out:

Dormia by Jake Halpern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What do you do in YOUR sleep? Do you sleep soundly? Do you dream? Do you sleepwalk? Do you fix clocks? If it's the last two, then perhaps you are a Dormian-in-waiting... perhaps you might even be the next Great Sleeper.

Dormians are best noted for their abilities while sleeping. They don't waste time, as soon as they are asleep their sleeping selves get busy with their own specialties. They are just as productive when they are awake. In fact they make the rest of us look like sloths. Alfonso knows nothing of any of this, however, and is quite disturbed to learn that he does things in his sleep. When his Uncle Hill appears with a strange story of a far-away land, Alfonso is snatched from the comfortable life he has always known and thrust into the adventure of a lifetime.

It's an incredible story that starts off with an odd stranger and builds into an epic adventure. It's rated for ages 10 and up, or grades 5 and up, but it's a hefty book at 528 pages and an intricate storyline. I found it to be a slow read until Chapter 7 - I actually only read the first 5 chapters on my first attempt, but the second time around I stuck with it and I'm glad that I did. By the end I didn't want it to end. The heroes and villains are well-disguised for a good part of the book, increasing the suspense-factor.

View all my reviews on Goodreads.com

Happy New Year - Let's Take One More Look at 2011

According to my blog, I haven't posted anything since July 4, 2011. I can't imagine how that's possible - there was plenty going on in 2011 worth posting about. I guess I was too busy doing to write. It's all about balance!

So before we dive into 2012, a year destined to be even more awesome than the last, let's recap some 2011 highlights.

Lisa and I completed 34 hikes in 2011 - some with kids, some without. If I'm being honest, some of them were without Lisa too, lol. We hiked some tough trails and had some amazing experiences. I recently asked Trinity which hike was her favorite - she answered Lyonia Preserve. That's the hike that I had to pay the kids to finish, the hills were killers! They spent their hard-earned $4 each at the gift shop, and then we picnicked in the pavillion and spent time at the educational center and in the adjacent library. I'll admit, that was a fun day. I can't say I have a favorite - although my least favorite was Hal Scott Regional Preserve - it was grueling, the scenery was static and we got lost. Some of my favorite hiking memories of 2011 are:

• The indoor treehouse at Circle B Bar Reserve (the stench of dead fish and snails on the trail was memorable, if not pleasant)
• Waterfalls at Rainbow Springs (and the tubing - that is a fun park)
• Exploring the chapel, the pioneer village and the Indian village at Withlacoochee River Park
• A beautiful view from the playground at Fort Cooper State Park (and Bianca's impromptu performance in the gazebo)
• A guided tour from the Rangers at Lake Lotus Park, where they pointed out the beehives and the signs of a Florida Black Bear
• Lisa hanging in there with a migraine to hike Split Oak Foret WEA
• Beautiful lush forest and lovely trails at Tibet-Butler Preserve, where I enjoyed a peaceful observation deck
• Surviving a fall through a boardwalk and a face-to-face encounter with an alligator in Crooked Lake Prairie
• Surviving Tiger Creek Preserve and Catfish Creek Preserve State Parks - both interesting and challenging hikes that we tackled very early in our hiking line-up
• Coming across camping equestrians at Lake Kissimmee State Park
• A ferryboat ride and a walk on the beach at Caledesi Island State Park
• Ospreys nesting and feeding at Honeymoon Island State Park
• Watching the kids hit the Fitness Trail at Lettuce Lake Park
• Par Kour at Turkey Creek Sanctuary!
• Lisa giving us a headache with her screams after a snake ran over her foot at Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, and then seeing an alligator footprint on our path
• Sharing a Florida hike with Dana and Logan during a trip to Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, and watching all the kids play in their fun nature center
• Exploring the fort and ruins at Fort De Soto Park
• Taking Dad hiking Dad at James E Grey Preserve and Sawgrass Lake Park
• Hiking an Alabama trail was a nice change of pace and Dana kept our bearings so that I didn't have to figure it out

The verdict: Hiking is fun, and we're going to keep it up! We experienced so many new places last year, I can't wait to see what we find this year. If Lisa's lucky, this will be the year of the bear!

John, Dad and I visited Nicaragua last April - it was Dad's first trip to one of our favorite travel spots. We had the opportunity to spend time with family as well as to explore the country. I finally did the Canopy Tour - exhillerating! Those poor guides, I know I was a handful but they made me feel safe and that's not easy to do. We went deep sea fishing in San Juan Del Sur where Marcos even got to drive the boat. We took our first ride in a Bixi, sailed around Las Isletas, ate tacos on the street in Leon, and explored the market in Masaya.

Lisa's girls ran barrels and poles in rodeos all summer, while Trevor played fall ball. Nicole's boys are growing like Rottweilers (trust me, that sounds much better than growing like weeds). Kuik's girls are Princesses-in-training and Solange is just drooling over the thought of another cruise (I'm sure Melissa is too). We had birthday parties (mine was awesome - we had it at Pirate's Cove miniature golf course in Orlando), holiday celebrations (Dad hosted Thanksgiving and Amanda hosted Christmas), and family trips such as Connor's dedication weekend.

Disney continues to call my name - I can hear it in my sleep, lol. Star Wars Weekends, Fall Festivities at Downtown Disney, Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, The Osbourne Family Festival of Lights, and so many more celebrations were amazing, but I'm equally as happy with just a regular day at the parks. I love Disney! We had a few visits to Disney Quest, the miniature golf courses, and the resorts. Concerts continue to entertain us, and I was able to see Sister Hazel both days that they played this year. Disney even came to Lakeland, where I enjoyed seeing Mickey's Magic Show and Disney on Ice with Amanda, Kuik and the girls, and don't forget Mickey's appearance in the Lakeland Christmas Parade (thanks for the ride, Kuik!).

Speaking of concerts, the tradition Dad and I have of seeing American Idol in concert together every year held up. This year Betty joined us in Orlando. The next day we paid a visit to The Holy Land Experience, always a treat. He came back up later in the year for the So You Think You Can Dance tour, another fantastic show.

The summer was filled with kickball and cookouts at Lake Parker. I coordinated some of my summer vacation days with Amanda's and we enjoyed The Titanic Experience with Libby. Walking through the exhibit is as close as I'll ever get to actually being in the movie, and it was very realistic, down to the chill of ice on deck. Titanic 3D is one of the re-releases I'm looking forward to in 2012, along with Beauty and the Beast 3D and Finding Nemo 3D.

I finished 341 scrapbook layouts/projects in 2011, just a few short of my 350 goal. I've set the same goal for this year and I know I can do it. Even better, I am very happy with how they all turned out. Some were for me, some were to share, and all gave me pleasure to create.

So many great family memories in 2011 - game night during the Hickey visit, Black Friday shopping with Nicole and Mom, Christmas Baking with Mom and Lisa, dress shopping with Tabatha, Bianca's Pre-K Graduation, Connor's Dedication, time spent at Lake Martin, visiting Mamita, Luis and Laura's beautiful wedding, seeing all the cousins (and the Reihers!) on our NY trip, trick-or-treating, theme parks, birthday parties, movies, hanging out... We love our family - all sides of it - and we are so blessed to have an opportunity to see so many of them so often.

Lastly, and most importantly, everyone is learning of the importance of the T. It is the most respected letter, and must be treated as such. Trinity even remembered that I wanted my birthday cake to be covered in T's of all shapes and sizes - I was stunned when Lisa pulled it out of the car. It was awesome - yes, Lisa, it was - it wasn't blue but the red and black perfectly match my pirate themed birthday! I couldn't have asked for more.

I carry many blessed and happy memories from 2011. Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings you've heaped upon us. May your mercy and protection continue in 2012. God Bless!

Happy Independence Day, America!

The 4th of July is a wonderful holiday for The United States of American - we celebrate 235 years of independence this year! 

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.  (by Irving Berlin)

Here is my tribute to our great land and our celebration of independence:

There is another celebration going on this year, and this one is not specific to America.  It's the 7th birthday celebration for E-Scape and Scrap that begins on their blog.

I created a couple of layouts and a quickpage (which you can download for free right here) for this celebration using the new Lucky 7 Collaboration kit for sale in the shop:

In case you missed it above, click here to download your free quickpage.

However you spend the 4th of July, I hope you have a wonderful day.