Scrapbooking favorites and Becky Higgins

Let's talk about scrapbooking supplies, this should be fun!

Fave patterned paper line right now: Chatterbox
Fave kind of ribbon:Whatever's on sale at Michael's
Fave embellishment you just love using: I have such a hard time remembering to use embellishments. I have tons, but I forget about them. I guess Staples.
Fave font: Times New Roman
Fave cardstock: Bazzill, of course. But I never use it cause I won't pay that much even though it's worth the extra money
Fave rubons: Making Memories
Fave alphabet stickers: American Crafts

your most fave scrapbooker.....Duh...Becky Higgins of course, For instance a couple of years ago I went to CKU. She had just had her son, so she wasn't teaching any of the classes. I was pretty bummed about that, but I figured....it was still worth going anyway. Then I found out that she was still gonna be there....as a CELEBRITY!!!! Whoo-Hee!!! My sister in law and I were doing Make-n-Takes on Thursday when the announcement over the P.A. came on that Becky was out in the lobby signing autographs. WE didn't even stop to discuss it. We just rushed right out there, and got our pictures taken with her.

Now normally that's where the story ends. But not where I'm concerned. I then took the free picture that HP representatives so nicely produced for me, or maybe it was KODAK. Anyway, whoever it was, I decided to go to the KODAK picturemate thingy (you know, those big yellow machines they have in Walmart) to enlarge my picture of me and Becky. Not only did I enlarge the picture, but across the bottom I wrote BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

Next in my plan was to get her to sign this monster picture that I just printed out. So I went back to get in line, and she looked at the picture and said, "So, we're best friends, huh?" She was so cool about it. She not only signed my picture, but she wrote, "Love YA!" just like you would a best friend. She then proceeded to let me hold the camera out in front of me and take a million pictures of us up close. (okay, so I only took two, but it was sooooo cool.) I have her picture framed in my scrapbooking room. It always makes me smile to look at it.

Anyways, I love her style of scrapbooking. It's so clean and simple. It's awesome.

*****Now I also love Cathy Zielske, but I don't have a good story to blog about her.......YET!***

Kaleb and his crib

Kaleb climbed out of his crib today. I heard a thud and a little cry. At first I thought that he just fell in his crib and hit his head on the crib rungs, but the cry just sounded a different (maybe it was the difference in height). Anyway, I went in there to check on him, an d there he was standing there sniffling, rubbing his head. So needless to say, it's about time to find a new bed for him. We'll have to start looking at bunk beds for the younger boys. This is actually a picture of him sleeping so nicely in his crib (with his butt up in the air).

**Simply scrapbooks *** I discovered the best store around!

I found the mother of all scrapbook stores the other day. I had been getting their newsletters for quite some time and their classes look so tempting. But they are up in Dayton which is about 30-45 minutes away. Since I had to take Eric to the Dayton airport the other day, I figured here was my excuse to go. So I ended up going the long way around, but it was so worth it. It was, by far, the best scrapooking store I have ever been in. (And I have been in a lot!) When you first walk in you are greeted with tons of ideas. There are two table full of premade scrapbook pages using the most current supplies. And everywhere you walk there are more examples of pages, and albums, and mini albums, and tons of great idea stuff. They have all new stuff and the stuff that is slightly out of date is on clearance.

Now I wasn't planning on being there too long because I had all four boys and no stroller. So I sat them at one of the cropping tables after they got a little rowdy and continued to browse with Kaleb on my hip. That was when I heard a wondrous sound. The worked looked at the boys and said, "How would you boys like to go play with some toys?"

Now I had looked for a little play area, but, much to my dismay, I hadn't found one. Only to have her open up a door or wonders right before my eyes!! There was a whole room with a door that had toys galore. It had a TV, couch, and even a slide. The most glorious thing about this was that you could close the door, so the little hands and feet wouldn't wonder out of there and grab all this stuff. THere was a little window where you could look in on them, and well...I think you understand how this just made my day! Let's just say that I was in there for probably over an hour, and I spent...$$$$$$$$$$$. They had everything in stock. I'm so tired of going to scrapbook stores and asking the person for something that I want, only to have them say it's out of stock or they have never heard of it before. LOVE THIS STORE. SO WORTH THE DRIVE!!!!!!

PS I"m frantically trying to find their website, so I can post it on my web. They're about to open an online store....so very excited about this. Here's some of the pics of stuff they had. I wish now I would have taken more. The first picture is what I bought, and the others are all samples. (There is one little album that is made out of office envelopes. How cool is that?)

X-Men 3 The LAST STAND

Must simply write....it was awesome. I had read a review from someone online that said that everybody dies in it. I was pretty bummed that someone would actually put the ending in a review like that, but then I got to thinking what if he was just an annoying punk, and I went with my friend to see it anyway.

It was, let me put this simply........a great way to end the trilogy! (And not everybody dies at the end, punk!)

My Faith in Jesus Christ

I believe that God created the world in 6 days, and on the 7th day He rested.

I believe that God gave all men a choice to believe in Him. He doesn't hand pick certain people to be His children, but we were given a choice. And upon that choice by Adam, SIN entered the world.

I believe that God destroyed the world in a flood.

I believe that God used Moses to part the Red Sea.

I believe that God saved Daniel in the lion's den.

I believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary.

I believe that Jesus healed the blind, deaf, lame, demon possessed, and many others.

I believe that Jesus was God's Son.

I believe that Jesus took all of our sins upon Him on the cross, and that He died for our sins.

I believe that Jesus rose three days after His crucifixion.

I believe that all we have to do is ASK Jesus to be our personal Saviour, Believe fully in Him, and Confess our sins to Him so that we can know for sure that we will go to Heaven.

I believe that Jesus is coming back again one day to take us Christians HOME to HEAVEN with Him.

I believe that we all have a free choice to believe in Him and ask HIm to be our SAVIOUR, and that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Saviour. If you haven't done this yet, please consider doing so. I'd love to see you in Heaven one day!

WriGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE MUSEUM

We all went the other day because we had to take Eric up to the airport for his trip to Texas. Eric had never been there before. I had only been there once when I went with the daycamp that I was working for and I had 12 kids with me. I thought it was cool then, and I still think it's cool even though I still had 4 kids with me. It's just a really interesting place with tons of history in it. LOVED IT!

Luke and his GUM

The other day, the boys asked for some gum while we were in the basement. Against my better judgement, I gave them some. A little while later, Luke tried to sneak back into my room and grab another piece. I asked him where his gum went. He told me that he lost it. I told him that he needed to find it. He then started to cry, okay, maybe weep would be the better word. He was really upset. Now when this kid cries, he makes the most pitiful, but funniest faces, which then in turn makes me struggle to keep a straight face.

Of course, on the other hand, this is gum we are talking about, and I did not want it on the carpet or on the brand new futon cushion. So I told him that he could not have anymore until he found his piece. I asked him if if was on the cushion or the carpet. He said no. I asked him if it fell out of his pocket, and he said no. He said that it fell out of his MOUTH!!! (Now mind you, he's still crying.) Now I'm getting more concerned, so I tell him to go find it. He went on to tell me that he didn't know where it was and that he lost it. He did think, however, that it might be in with the videos. (How in the world can a child lose gum and not even realize that it fell out of his mouth? I'll never understand that one.)

So I told him to take out every single video until he found it. Now there are a lot of videos, and he did take out every video only to come back into my room crying because he still didn't find it. By this point, I was beginning to think he was making up the whole thing, so I told him that I was sorry, but he could not have any more gum until spotted the old piece. About 15 minutes later he came running into my room, screaming, "MOM, LOOK WHAT BLAKE FOUND! And yep, you guessed it; it was his gum.

***LITTERING***and my DRAMA QUEEN, or should I say..DRAMA KING SON

Today on the way home from a little shopping excursion, Luke proceeded to tell me that Blake threw his empty ziploc bag (orignally containg crackers) out the window. We then had a conversation about "littering." It went something like this.......

Mom: "Blake, did you know that if a cop saw you throw that bag out the window you could get in trouble. You might have to pay $500."

Blake: (Squirm, Squirm, Sniff, Sniff)

Mom: "or, Blake, you might even have to go to jail."

Blake: (Squirming frantically, Crying loudly) "Mom, I don't want to go to jail. Are there any policemen around?"

***I think the lesson was taught......DON'T LITTER!*****

These pictures were taken after I wrote this. I went into the playroom and told Blake that I think I heard the doorbell, and that it might be the cops come to take him to jail. He went ballistic, screaming and crying that he didn't want to go to jail...that he would rather die...I told him that he could pay the $500 fine, but he said, and I quote, "BUT I ONLY HAVE ONE DOLLAR." He then asked if I would help him pay it. Finally, Luke leaned over and told him, "mom's just kidding you." (I must be the meanest mom in the history of the world. I not only took picture, but I caught it on video too....It was absolutely hilarious.)


(Thanks, Maureen, for showing me how to do the video!!!!!)

what I'm reading

Well, let's see.....

1. of course, the scrapbook magazines that I subscribe to: Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbook Answers, and Creating Keepsakes. I subscribe to one more, but I haven't paid my bill, so they haven't sent that one in a while. (Note to self: pay that bill!!!)

2. Clean & Simple scrapbooking, the sequel by Cathy Zielske- absolutely awesome book!!!!!!!!!

3. I just orderedt he Joann's scrapbooking book off of WIllow's traders, so hopefully it will be here soon.

4. I read HOUSE by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker......weird, but okay. It's actually gonna become a movie sometime soon.

5. I've almost read all the books in my house that are actually mine except probably the ones I need to read the most: Power of a praying wife, Making children mind without losing yours, Bringing up boys, and how to be a Mary in a Martha World. I have such a hard time reading books like this. I did, finally get around to reading The Wonderful WOrld of Boys. That one's been on my shelf for over a year.

6. THe books I have read that are on my shelf are the Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury. All of her books are awesome. Divine, Oceans Apart, Even Now, the Firstborn series I'm patiently awaiting the release of her next couple books.

7. I also have a lot of Lori Wick and Francine Rivers books on my shelf along with some others too. Those are the books that I love to read when I am in the mood to read, but have nothing to read. Some of those books I've read 5 times, no lie!

8. THis one should have been number one, but it doesn't actually sit on my shelf. It varies where it's sits, but it's my BIBLE King James Version. My goals is to start reading consistently everyday, but I struggle with that one, not because it's boring, but because it tells me all the things that I should be doing for God or shows me all my imperfections. That is such a bad attitude to have. I think I'm just scared that if I make the promise to do it, and then I don't...I'll be a failure before God. I know that God is Forgiving, but I just don't want to let Him down again and again. I guess I just need to keep trying.

Raven And Scrappy

Here's my latest scrapbook page, Raven and Scrappy with Luke. I actually tried to think outside the box and use ribbons and these dogs stickers that I just got at Walmart. These are our neighbor's dog. Luke loved these dogs last year. He still likes them, but not quite as much because Mrs. Dean is always worried that the dogs will get away if she lets the boys hold the leash. So Luke doesn't usually play with them as much as he used to because he wants to run around now. Anyway, I'm trying to get back into the groove of scrapbooking. I did do a whole vacation album last week that was inspired by Cathy Zielske's newest book. (her vacation album using SEI Rusty paper and 200 photos.) Maybe I'll get around to posting some of it.