The Swedberg Project

Taking a Break

2012-02-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't stopped scrapbooking, but we are building a house and all of my stuff is packed up. . .so I'm taking a break. I'll be back in May 2012! I have a 16x14 scrapbooking room to look forward to that is being sheetrocked as I type. Can't wait!

Here is where the house is 3 months from completion:

Adopting Truman & a Mardi Pardi!

2011-03-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

The last time I was at my LSS I had to get a few sheets each from My Mind's Eye's new lines. This was my first attempt with them and I just love them! I also tried some paint which isn't my thing, but I'm sure I'll get better with it. :0)

The sketch came from Get Picky. This blog has the most elegant layouts and inspirational examples and I'm so glad they did a double pager this go around!

Chipboard, pearls, brads, ink, and of course. . . Glossy Accents!

I used my heart punch to make some super quick simple flowers.

I just LOVE this paper!

I was dreading scrapping the Mardi Gras Party the boys had at Daycare because how do you not make Mardi Gras colors obnoxious. . .I did my best, but WOW! they are bright!

This is another double page sketch from Sketchy Thursdays. They always have my favorite sketches and when I saw it was a double this week- I was sending the LOVE!

I made my own beads with rhinestones and my new white Souffle pen on this layout. . .I love those pens!

I has real beads on here, but it was way too much so I popped them off and covered the glue with the purple and white ribbon. . .much better!

I doodled away with my new pens in white and black on this page! With such a mix of papers I think it turned out pretty cohesive. :0)

Super Cuteness Warning!

2011-03-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know everyone says it, but I soooo do have the cutest puppies ever! Yes, I count my sister's little white Maltese in the mix since he comes next door to play often. I had one day to scrap before Aspen and since Kristy was working (and couldn't finish the ski trip with me) I had no choice but to scrap the pups! So... WARNING... get ready for some serious CUTENESS!

This first sketch came from the Scrapbooking Competitions blog. I loved this layout when I saw it and really wanted to use some black and white photos with the adorable bold Little Boy line by Echo Park.

Truman and Quincy are really doing well in puppy training class.
Their graduation is in two weeks. :0)

I am seriously going to have to seek help for my addiction to Glossy Accents! This stuff belongs on EVERYTHING!

I love having Granny's Collection of Buttons to use-
I'm so impressed she saved so many unique ones!

This next double pager came from two one pager competitions. The left side is an amazing Sketchabilities sketch. I really love how the sketch could be interpreted so many ways. I missed the entry date, but still so love that sketch! The right page came from a Stuck? sketch that I turned the line of photos vertically instead of horizontally. I really love how they work together.

I enjoyed playing with the Adorn It papers while creating this layout. I was fussy cutting up a storm- I guess I was thinking about Audrey's scrapbooking class I took today. She is the Fussy Cutting Queen!

I hand journaled on this page which I NEVER do- I just hate my handwriting, but I had to use my cool new Souffle pens. :0)

Retreat Layouts- Four Now...

2011-03-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

Well, this is it for the retreat but not the trip. I still have 4 double page layouts to go, but with Aspen in less than a week those will have to wait. Bring on the SPRING snow!

I really love my Silhouette! I mainly use it for titles, but I plan to branch out a bit more. I also love the new fonts I found on the Fonts for Peas website.

This double page layout came from two different competitions. The first page used several different kinds of media. My Creative Scrapbook's March 2011 challenge called for the use of mixed media, which for me included distressing inks, Stickles, Glossy Accents, glitter, embossing, and a Perfect Pearls mist. The second page was a sketch challenge from Pencil Lines Sketch 228. They always have the best ideas!

(Click to enlarge)

Stickles and Popdots. . .Staples of Scrappin'

Yes, the inked chipboard was another bingo box marked off. I think I bingoed a total of 7 times!

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I loved the picture I took of me in Kristy's goggles. :0)

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Granny's antique buttons really add a lot to our layouts.

That's all for now. . .

Retreat Layout: Third Installment

2011-03-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

The hot tub was a major player in our ability to ski- without it we would have been hobbling around like we were 80! On this layout we really wanted to use the adorable snowflake circles from the My Mind's Eye paper. You can see them strung across the pages below.

(Click to enlarge)

We popped a few of the snowflake circles and used the Basic Grey chipboard frames to add a bit of dimension.

I won an awesome set of Souffle pens at the retreat, so I added a little bit of steam above the letters (which I Glossy Accented of course).

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It is unusual for me to use a solid cardstock as the main paper, but I may have to do it more often because the snowflakes I fussy cut stand out so nicely against the solid blue.

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I layered a little bit of tulle on the flower to check off a square on our Scrapbooking bingo game. It was great motivation!

Rhinestones, glitter, tulle finish the layout off.

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This picture of Kristy and me was my favorite of the trip!

(Click to enlarge)

This paper I won from a blog contest was a bit thin (notice the bubbling), but had great color!

Retreat Layouts- Two for the Money!

2011-03-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to do a monochromatic layout so here it is! These beautiful snowflakes were on a piece of Kristy's paper that I stole from her. I fussy cut them before she knew what I was doing. :0) I really have the bestest sister/scrappy buddy ever!

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Cutting letters, Dotting stickles. . .

Popping flakes, blinging flakes. . . Viola!

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Wow! It was hot in the condo once you were dressed and waiting patiently. My face says it all!

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Note: I finally use the felt cutout border I had to have 20 of at our first Scrapbooking Convention!

Crazy with the 3D snowflakes. . .so pretty!

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Kristy and I had so much fun just skiing and taking pictures when the boys tackled the blues. Here are a few shots from our leisurely runs. :) This layout was inspired by the 3-9-11 sketch on Let's Scrap. They have THE best collection of 2 page sketches!

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I'm not sure these will fit in a page projector, but I love how they look!

I played with my Martha Stewart punches on these accordion flowers.

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I looked up a ton of titles before we left. . .pretty creative huh?

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I loved how the acrylic paint looked like snow on the letters.

Basic Grey's little felt snowmen MELT my heart!

Retreat Layouts- Take ONE!

2011-03-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

I think my cover page was my favorite one of all! Kristy stitched the edges of my paper since I am SSI (Seriously Sewing Impaired). The colors, embossing, shimmering and layering just work for me! Thanks to one of my very favorite blogs, Sassy Lil' Sketches for their inspirational sketch!

I used a Big Shot for the first time on my own and fell in love. We are going to have to break down and get an embossing machine.

Gotta add bling wherever you can right?

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This was the last double layout I did for the retreat and the paper ended up being so busy (and I was so tired) the embellishments are very simple.I kinda like the simplicity though. :)

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Chipboard, distressing ink and a little Glossy Accents. . .need I say more?

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I really love the festive Basic Grey and My Mind's Eye papers we chose for to scrap this vacation. They are so easy to mix and match!

For this layout I gave myself a challenge. I decided to turn the gorgeous sketch on Stuck? this month into a two pager. Here is my go at it!

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The title of this page involved a little chalk ink and Glossy Accents (sooo my favorite addition).

Basic Grey's Jovial layered flowers and brads are so beautiful!

Holiday Decor!

2011-03-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

I had such an amazing time at Brenham's Ant Street Inn at the Crop Stars 2011 retreat. I finally caught up on my sleep and found a nice day to snap a few pics of the MANY pages I finished. One of my favorite activities we did was a Christmas page competition. We were given paper, embellishments and a paper cutout that we could combine with whatever else we wanted to create a layout. I had a ton of pictures of our holiday decor and this is what I came up with. . .and the best part was I won a Hobby Lobby gift card! Now that is a place that I can find some fabulous goodies!

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I got the ideas for this layout and transparency layering from my LSS instructor Audrey's blog. . . she's pretty darn creative and definitely serves as an inspiration for me!

Let's Scrap. . .Finally!

2011-02-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to have more time this new year to scrapbook, but all of my spare time has been filled by the four-legged furballs in our house. We added a new member to the family, Truman, and he is a cutie! I was able to do a few pages for a Let's Scrap Blog Hop and here they are!

Kristy, Greg and I ran in Woodforest's 5k/10K.
Here are a few quick iPhone shots to remember the day.

Baxter was the cutest jester ever this Halloween and even won Petsmart's Halloween competition. I am already taking suggestions for this year's costume for him and Truman!

A Visitor for Christmas

2010-12-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I have scrapped! I had to multitask with contests this close to the end of the month from a few of my favorite blogs. One of the reasons I haven't been able to scrap is because the sweetest little puppy has been visiting us for two weeks while her "person" is out of town. Lucy has quickly made herself at home cuddling, wrestling and just being all around adorable. Here are a few layouts created from memories of her stay.

Page 1:
For this page, I used a sketch from Sketchy Thursdays' new Facebook page. I'm not going to link to it because they say it is super secret, but check out their blog to learn more. I also used a Number recipe I found for a contest on Challenge Heaven. The recipe called for: 1 cardstock (red), 4 printed papers, staples, a two word title & Three flowers (which I made from a recent ribbon haul at our LSS that is going out of business.)

A few zoom ins so you can appreciate the Stickles, Glossy Accents, and fabulous ribbon flowers!

Page 2:
I found this great sketch on Scrapbooking Competitions and knew it was a perfect companion for the previous page. I also am entering it in a color challenge from Scrapbook Challenges which simply requires a page using traditional Christmas colors~ RED & GREEN!

Zoom in and see the journaling and little white doodles I made with my favorite new pens. :0)

Page 3:

This was my favorite challenge so far! A few weeks ago on My Sketch World I had to pick ingredients for a holiday meal. My selections were: tamales (Red Cardstock), gingerbread (Ric Rac), nuts (sprinkle of the Bling Bling), & hot chocolate (Brown Or Kraft Cardstock). I used a sketch from The Scrappiest which has AMAZING sketches!

Small Pic:

Zoom and see my chipboard that I painted, glittered, highlighted, glossied & blinged!

Page 4:
This page shows how much fun these NEW friends have in the backyard! I am using this layout for the NEW challenge on Paper Issues. You should check out the AMAZING paper projects on this blog! WOW! The design was inspired by a sketch from Sketch Inspiration~ That Trisha is so talented!

Zoom in to see the doodles and ric rac fun!

Christmas Pets 2010

2010-12-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

Double Click on the video to view full screen. :0)

Baxter Meets the Great Pumpkin!

2010-11-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

Baxter had so much fun on his first trip to the pumpkin patch! Here is the first page I scrapped of the trip. I used a great sketch from Get Picky. There are more pictures to come- and yes- he is wearing a costume in some of them!

A few close-ups:

THE Cutest Pets on the Block

2010-11-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

Those of you that know us well know how spoiled our pets are. Bogart loves it now that he gets to share all of the fun with his little brother now. . .just wait until you see Baxter's Christmas photo shoot!

Bogart had so much fun wearing all of his hats last Christmas for his second annual Cat in the Hat Photo Shoot. When I saw the challenge on My Sketch World to make a layout inspired by the ad below I knew I had the perfect pictures! I also entered in another challenge on their blog for a layout with at least 5 pictures.

"Cat in the Hat" layout inspired by:

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Okay, I'll be the first to admit that we were pretty clueless as dog parents when we got Baxter, but boy has that changed now! He is the proud graduate of, not one, but THREE Petsmart obedience classes. This layout was made of pics from his intermediate graduation where he graduated at the top of his class! The "My Little Shoebox" Challenge at the PageMaps blog provided the perfect layout to show off one of his proudest moments!

"So Proud" layout inspired by:

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I have never officially scraplifted before this layout! Scrapbook Challenges selects layouts to inspire you- I chose Week 1: Alyssa's layout. Can you see the elements I lifted?

"Happy Dog" scraplifted from:

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This final layout is a companion page to "Happy Dog". The layout is from one of Audrey's classes at Lonestar. I just used most of my own paper to fit theme of the boys' album. :0)

Heading Home!

2010-11-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well this is it it- the last four NOLA layouts! I loved working with the bright Echo Park Papers! I think this is the fastest I have ever scrapped a trip and the first time I did each page for a challenge.

This is a layout I did a week or so ago from Sketch Inspiration. I really liked the candle pic Greg took. He has such a good eye!

I just found a new-to-me blog, Pencil Lines, and I am soooo glad I did! It is full of amazing layouts! Here is my take on sketch 214. I really love how I used the pics as a pocket and you can pull the brochure out to read.

Scrapping a page about myself is not my idea of fun, but here it is! This is for a double challenge on BoBunny's Layout Challenge Friday.

This page came together so quickly! What a great sketch by Liz Chidester for the Sweet Peach Crop Shop November Layout Contest! My cute husband is getting much better at smiling! I couldn't think of a better page to end my NOLA trip with!

Happy Accident!

2010-11-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

I have saved the best for last from our NOLA vacation- FUN & FOOD! We went to listen to the Next Generation Brass band that plays on the corner of Bourbon street before our Anniversary dinner at John Besh's restaurant, August. We had no idea we would end up front row for the St. Patrick's Day parade! I guess I stood out since I was dressed for a nice dinner and ended up with a TON of beads and flowers!

I really hate my doodling so I thought I would make myself try it on this great sketch from Trisha at Sketch Inspiration.

What a fun sketch from Sketchabilities. If you haven't checked out their inspirational work- make sure you do! You won't regret it. :0)
I really love this new flower Audrey taught us how to do in our Fabulous Flowers class at Lonestar! I am on a roll with handmade flowers thanks to her. :0)

I'm pretty happy with how this page turned out- maybe it's the memories of the fabulous food we ate there taking over! I particularly LOVED this sketch from Sketchy Thursdays because it allowed me to feature several pictures. They have the most creative, challenging sketches! They are soooooo one of my favorite blogs! I added glossy accents to all of my lettering and made my flowers from a heart punch- so simple!

How could you go wrong with this sketch from Sassy Lil' Sketches? The minute I saw it I knew I had to use it to showcase the beautiful bright Echo Park paper I have been using for this album. I had taken a zillion pics of the signs for all of the places we ate, but I just couldn't figure out how to use them on a page, so instead I typed the restaurant names and created a colorful border around our pics.

Contest Crazy!

2010-11-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

I took a scrapbooking vacation for a while there, but finding all of the great online scrapbooking communities have really helped me find my motivation again. I have decided to scrap my entire NOLA vacation using a contest for every page- a little personal challenge for myself. :0) I'm getting close to finishing sooo. . . a few more vacation pages and SUPER CUTE puppy and kitty shots are to follow. :0)

Both of these pages are the second in two page layouts (first pages are in previous posts . . . see if you can match them up.) :0)

Lafayette Cemetery page 2:
I found a great new community this week called Challenge Heaven. Oh my gosh! They have the best challenges! This is my first one for the word challenge. You had to use the word "remember" and distressing. I inked a lot and distressed the edge of the photo mat paper with my paper scrapper. You will see more pages inspired by their challenges soon. . .Love this new ning!!!

Oak Alley Plantation Page 2:
What a fantastic layout from Sassy Lil'Sketches that fit my pics perfectly. I inked my chipboard letters "time" with distressing ink and then covered them in Glossy Accents. I was pretty happy with the outcome. :0) I just have to add how proud of myself I am that I'm journaling along the way- woo hoo!

Everything is Better Fried. . . and Covered in Sugar

2010-11-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

So when we were in NOLA we did a ton of walking- not for exercise, but to walk off the millions of calories we consumed. Oh my goodness- there is no exaggeration for how fabulous the food is everywhere you go. Cafe Du Monde definitely lived up to our expectations with their super yummy beignets. WOW!

Below: So I got my sketching mojo working with the help of a few of my new favorite blogs. Cookbookin', has a November sketch competition going on that involves food, so of course I thought of my vacation to NOLA. It was hard to choose which delicacy to feature, but the beignets won out.
Above: When I saw Sketchy Thursdays 11.11 Challenge's super cute sketch I knew I had the perfect trio of pics to feature. My cute hubby LOVED him some beignets. :0)

More Sugar . . .

Get Picky's Inspiration picture has had me thinking for weeks about what to do. Finally, I stopped fighting and gave into the obvious because this inspiration pic couldn't be more perfect to show off our shots from Sucre, a sweets shop we happened upon in NOLA. Get Picky is quickly becoming my favorite blog site- those girls are talented!

Inspiration Pic:
My take on it:

Sketch Inspiration

2010-11-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

Sketch Inspiration has truly been a scrapbooking inspiration to me...it and Audrey (my favorite Lonestar Instructor ever!) I'm excited that I have started scrapping more lately and found an extensive online community to truly inspire me. I have submitted several layouts to Sketch Inspiration and even won a prize! I'm even starting to branch out to other blogs. I think I have finally found the motivation to update my blog more than once a year! Thought I'd share the layouts that I did for Sketch Inspiration that didn't make it to my blog . :0)

Click on the images to see the full size pic:

Baxter having a great time his first time at a real park

a NOLA plantation stop

a taste of our B&B

more of our walking tour

Staycation

2010-11-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Greg and I decided to stay at home this summer since we had just gone to NOLA in March. We had so much fun! One of our favorite excursions was a day at Messina Hof winery picking and stomping grapes, a tour of the winery, a fabulous lunch, a guided food and wine pairing and of course drinking a ton of wine! Here is one my first page made with beautiful BRIGHT Bo Bunny papers and embellishments.

On the Way Back from NOLA...

2010-11-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

To make the trip home from NOLA interesting we decided to visit a few plantations. We were so fortunate that the weather was beyond beautiful making the drive was really enjoyable. Our favorite stop was Laura Plantation. We were impressed because the creole plantation was ornate and elaborate, but because of how each person there truly cared about its history and the former owners. if you ever are nearby you must stop!

I got my scrappin' inspiration from a few layouts I came across this week. I am always so grateful for the motivation all the blogs/nings I "stalk" provide. :0)

1st page: I pulled out my new stamps and added some ink to my pages. I also tried out an accordion flower for the first time. I sure hope I get better the more I practice! I'm excited about taking Audrey's Fabulous Flowers class next week at my LSS. :0) Thanks to Page Maps for another fabulous sketch!

2nd page: WOW! What an amazing, challenging sketch! I used my new flourish stamps on this page too, but dressed them up a bit. To the stamps and the rest of the page I added a few types of bling- Stickles, Glossy Accents, shiny ribbon and a few rhinestones. Thanks Sketchy Thursdays for the great sketch- super fun!

NOLA

2010-10-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Greg and I had a great time in New Orleans during Spring Break. I'm just now getting around to scrapping the pictures. I bought two of the Echo Park paper lines- Walk in the Park & Sweet Summertime and I am LOVING the bright colors. Here is a two page spread I just finished!

Sketch Inspiration Layout (above)

Get Picky Layout (below)

We also visited the Lafayette Cemetery- what a peaceful place rich with history. I got my page layout inspiration from the Page Maps Blog- Sketch Contest 2.

Highlights from the Past 8 Months...

2009-09-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since anyone has heard from us. Where has 2009 gone? Here are a few highlights with picture posts of to follow. :0)

January
Greg became an official licensed architect in the state of Texas-WooHoo! Alicia got her Bodybugg and began the challenge of losing 50 more pounds for a final total of 85. :0)

February
We spent a nice Valentine's day together and a TON of time at the gym. Stats is making Alicia MISERABLE!

March
The economy was hard on Allegro and in March Greg was the last architect standing. Alicia is bargain hunting for a new wardrobe since nothing fits anymore!

April
Greg's little black car was smashed from the side. Months and thousands of dollars later it still won't be the same. Alicia wins the HIPPO contests at Travis Intermediate and the Admisitration building. Over 500 dollars and prizes and 75 pounds lost.

May
Greg and Alicia went to Puerto Vallarta for a fun get away with Kristy and Aaron! Screw the Swine Flu!

June
Alicia works Camp TAKS as a Literacy Coach for 3 weeks and then starts her new job as an Instructional Technology Coach for Conroe ISD the last week. Alicia decides to bid farwell to the reading doctorate program after a year and a half of post graduate work.

July
WORK, WORK, WORK! Greg designed a new office for Allegro and they moved across the street.

August
2ScaleArchitects, Greg's new design firm, was born. Good thing because we had major renovations- new exterior paint, new water heater, new air conditioning. AHHH!

Puerto Vallarta Memories

2009-09-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Splish Splash!

2009-09-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Resting after one of our many invigorating float races.

The boys participated in lots of rousing water activities.

Thank God for Girl Time!

Yes, Kristy even made me do a little water aerobics...weird!

Relaxation.

Zipping Around!

2009-09-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Anticipation!

Yes, I an upside down!

Other than laying by the pool and eating we didn't do much in Puerto Vallarta. We did make it out one day to zipline and play with the monkeys.

Monkeying Around!

2009-09-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Puerto Vallarta! The little monkeys were so cute. They LOVED their coconut cocaine!

Cat in the Hat

2008-12-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

Bogart loves his annual "cat in the hat" photo shoot. The pics this year were pretty cute and he purred so loud during it! He just loves attention!

One more shot . . .

2008-12-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

We worked super hard to get a good picture for our Christmas card this year! We took no less than 25 shots...I looked the exact same in all of them and ...well...Greg is continuing to work on his smile. :0) Here are just a few. . .Bogie just chilled by the fire as we shot one picture after another. This has been his favorite spot this season :0)

Birthday at Bedford

2008-12-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Greg actually surprised me this year for our birthdays which is super hard to do since I know him so well. He took me to Bedford, the restaurant he designed with Chef Robert Gadsby. I had the feeling we were going to dinner there, but little did I know that one of the investors was treating s to dinner at Table One where Chef Gadsby personally made us a 7 course meal! It was such an amazing experience...I must admit I was a bit starstruck!

Sorry for the terrible pictures...you would think the designer would have put better lighting in there. :0)

Chef Gadsby meticulously preparing one of our 7 unbelievable courses.

His famous Mimosa Salad...yes that is egg top and we know how I feel about eggs. Greg enjoyed his double dose of egg. :0)

I know this might be one of the worst pictures of me, but it is the only one I have of us from the night. . .oh well I can't be beautiful every minute of the day. :0)

Jason Gets Married!

2008-12-31T21:04:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I promise to catch up over the next few days. :0) One of Greg's and my good friends from high school days just got married. We had so much fun catching up with everyone at his wedding in Brenham.
Fact-Greg and I actually met for the first time in 1995 at Jason's house...thanks Jason! What a beautiful wedding ...Erin is a lucky girl to have such a sweet hubby!

Bad Bad Kitty

2008-11-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

Bogart is always getting into trouble and of course I wouldn't dream of disciplining him. . .I just take pictures of him doing bad things and go on about how cute he is. I soooo don't think I am mature enough for real parenting. . . :0)

All within 5 minutes. . .

He started by licking the faucet and then splashed water all over the mirror.

After trying to eat several stems on my flower arrangement, he then proceeded to repeatedly scratch the mirror.

Finally, he cuddled up in the very expensive comforter he isn't supposed to be in and gave himself a bath.

Feeding the Mind

2008-11-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to go to San Antonio this past weekend for the NCTE, National Council for Teachers of English, conference. I got to meet one of my all time Writing Heroes, Barry Lane, author of Reviser's Toolbox and many more amazing books!

I was totally starstruck!

Weekend Backyard Warriors

2008-11-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well, you all know how much Greg and I love a fun home project and a fabulous bargain. I try to browse Woodlands Online at least once every few days. A few weeks ago I found a great deal. . .landscaping pavers only $100! Little did I know how many there would be!!! Greg and I spent an entire day loading and unloading over 500 square feet of rather large pavers. For the following few weekends we have been working hard to make our backyard fancy.

This is about 1/4 of the stack. . .only 1/2 of the leftovers.

View from the backdoor.

This is much nicer than the crooked, weed-infested landscape rocks we have had for the past several years. We are now looking for two nice chaise loungers to lay on a watch the fire in our chiminea.

We even added an extra path and a base for the trash can. ;0)

A before picture. . .what a change!

Slow and Steady. . .

2008-10-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

Back in May I started to get serious (again) about losing weight. I had hit my all time high (again) and realized that now at the ripe old age of 31 it was never going to get any easier. After a few months, the scale showed the weight was slowly but surely coming off until a few weeks ago. I started getting very discouraged about my plateau and started thinking I really wasn't losing noticeable weight after all. I changed up my workout routines (average 5 times a week) and really started watching my meals. I still wasn't noticing a big difference on the scale, but then I started going through pictures from last year. Here is a side by side from the same family reunion one year apart. I finally saw a difference even if the scale didn't always agree! I guess I will drag my sore, aching body to the gym in the morning after all. :0)

It isn't as easy to tell here, but Greg has lost some weight too just being so supportive of me. I actually enjoy getting up and going to the 5:30 am gym classes with him. :0) Seriously!

Family Reunion. . .The Torch Has Been Passed On

2008-10-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it was the last year for Kristy, Mom and I to host the family reunion on Dad's side. We enjoyed the past four years hosting, but with our lives being so busy we gladly passed it on to the Kutach klan. :0)

Fun Group Photo

Greg and Aaron led the Kiddie Pinata fun!

Kristy and I always have fun decorating to a theme. :0)

Thanks Heidi!

2008-08-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel like Heidi always has the coolest things. Melissa and I were saying our entire week in Michigan how we wished our backyard was as beautiful, we wished our Farmer's Market was as cool, we had 2 fancy lakehouses to visit, we had a snazzy navigational system like hers and so much more. The one item I coveted most of all was her Keurig coffee maker. I used it almost everyday and was sold. Being the coupon queen I am, I found the best deal around and now am the proud owner of the best tea/coffee maker ever! Thanks Heidi for the inspiration!

Here is mine-

Michigan Madness

2008-08-19T20:36:00.001-07:00

Birth Control

2008-08-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Never again will I give a poor crying, screaming baby's parent a dirty look while in a public place.

I just returned from a week long trip to visit my friend Heidi in Michigan. She has the most adorable 14 month old, Ava. One of my other friends, Melissa, and her 4 month old, Addison, were my travel companions for the week. Even though both children are beyond adorable and absolutely fabulous, I realized once again how I am so not ready to be responsible for another life. I just don't know how they do it and make it look so easy!
I couldn't believe what amazing weather we had to enjoy the entire week! I was almost tempted to move to Michigan for a while, but then I remembered the long winter and decided to stay in Texas. . . Here are a few pics of our fun-filled week.

We ate the most amazing food this week! Wow, Heidi can cook! This was a quick pic from our night out in downtown Grand Rapids.

I really missed Bogart, but having Sheriff around made it a bit easier.

Mark was so sweet and spent a few nights fishing with me in their amazing backyard. We caught some HUGE carp with De magic Korne.

Heidi's sister let us visit her beautiful lakehouse on our day trip to Sagatuck. What a neat town!

One of our last outings was to the Farmer's Market. Just another thing to love about Michigan! The only trick was figuring out how to pack my jelly and many bread products. :0)

Relaxation, Sun & Sand

2008-08-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Greg and I just returned tonight from a much needed vacation! We spent the last 6 days in Cabo San Lucas at Riu Palace, an all inclusive hotel, eating a TON of food, swimming, and mostly relaxing. I actually read two books that weren't about teaching reading and Greg and I got to spend quality time with each other. Even though this was the tamest vacation ever for us we did have a few fun highlights. . .eating at every restaurant at Riu Palace, riding zip lines over canyons, repelling down a 180 foot cliff, boarding a water taxi from the ocean shore, shopping in town, and attending a friend's wedding. We did sweat from the minute we stepped off the plane in Mexico and experienced several varieties of motion sickness, but overall the trip was a nice getaway!

One Week Down!

2008-07-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week teaching summer camp at the Woodlands Prep. The picture is of my writing camp. I did the Writing Camp in the morning and Drama in the afternoon. I was a little bit worried that I had forgotten how to teach since I have been out of the classroom for a year now. Well, first day my instincts kicked in and I realized it is like riding a bike! In writing we published our own classbook from scratch and in drama the kids performed in a great showcase on the last day. This week made me realize how much I miss having my own classroom and having my own kids. . . Wish me luck because next week I have Reading and Writing with 1-4th graders. Should be fun. . .

I Love Lucy & WE LOVE WINE!

2008-07-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Greg and I really enjoy going on tours of wineries. Canada, Napa, and of course Texas! Here are a few pics from our latest Texas Wine Trail trip. And yes. . grapes do stain. :0)

Stress, Termites, and a Touch of Insanity

2008-07-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well. . .I know I have been just about the worst friend in the world this month. I just finished my last day of Camp TAKS and I am having a very hard time remembering where June went. Here's a quick update of what I actually can recall from the past month.

Stress. . .
My calendar has never been as full! Between Camp TAKS, my other 4 summer camps, my 5 upcoming staff developments, home projects, going to the gym, and two upcoming trips I have so much to look forward to, but at the same time so much to plan for.

Termites. . .
Yes, a five year old house has termites. . .seriously! In addition to repainting, removing border, reorganizing my scrapbooking room, and laying a new patio in the backyard the last thing Greg and I expected we would be doing was killing termites. After Greg's thumb went through the backdoor frame this weekend we had a new project at the top of our list. Who knew you were supposed to get a termite inspection every year?

A Touch of Insanity. . .
I have just completed my first class in the quest to obtain my Doctorate in Reading from SHSU. I know you are asking yourself why in the world I would commit to 3 more years of school after just finishing 2. . . only one answer. . .insanity.

What exactly is a bearkat?

2008-07-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well. . .I swore the day would never come, but I am officially a bearkat (not to be confused with a tiger). I graduated with my Master of Education in Instructional Leadership Minoring in Reading from SHSU. Whew! I had a great time at the graduation and will truly miss my cohort of friends.

2008-04-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Greg and I planned a VERY last minute trip to Destin, Florida for Spring Break. On the last morning of our vacation we were finally able to parasail. It was very windy and FREEZING cold. Greg even gave me his socks to wear so I wouldn't get frostbite. 800 feet in the air I began rethinking our final adventure in Florida. . .

Best Friend, Neighbor, & Sister...

2008-04-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

In Italy

On our cruise to Mexico

At a family reunion

How did I get so lucky to find all 3 in one!?! Kristy and I do just about everything together, shopping, garage saling, and scrapbooking are at the top. I can't imagine life without her. . .

Water, Oh Lovely Water!

2008-04-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Every morning as I get ready to face the public Bogart insists on having dripping sink water to drink and splash all over the mirror. When he gets tired he will circle and squeeze his ample fluff into the sink until I finish.

2008-04-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Greg and love to travel together. We are spoiled since we don't have children and try to go on at least two vacations a year. We love to visit wineries as often as possible. Here we are in Napa Valley on our trip to California.

Here's Bogie

2008-04-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Bogart is a 21 pound orange tabby that was rescued by Greg's former boss. He runs the house and is full of personality. Anyone that knows Bogart knows he is a spoiled rotten Mama's boy.

Bailey

2008-04-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Meet Bailey. . . she is a 7 year old tabby we rescued from the shelter. She has some issues, but is one of the sweetest cats you'll ever meet.