Sunday Scrappin'

For many weeks I have been admiring and commenting on fellow-scrapbookers' blogs. Looking at their pages and designs sure do inspire me. I have been especially impressed with the page layouts and designs by Diane at Forgetfulone and Miss Sniz and Mighty Morphin' Mama, along with a few others (sorry I cannot remember them all - but I love them all!).

I am addicted to scrapbooking as much as I am to blogging. I think they are very similar in the fact that both are creative outlets that allow us to explore, explain and capture daily life and those special, memorable occasions. For me, both offer some "me" time, but result in an archive of experiences and memories that me, my family and our friends can treasure for years to come.

There is a great blog for Scrapbookers that has a neat weekly challenge. It is called Sunday Scrappin' and it offers links to many other blogs that are super amazing.

Last night I participated in my monthly blog Saturday and completed a few pages of which I am very proud and I thought I would take the plunge and share them. Hope you like them!

This is layout is Madigan's birth. I have some wonderful photos that my hubby took during the c-section - including one of just her foot sticking out of me and then the exact moment they pulled her out, bum-first!

This is a series of shots from June 2007. I like my banner on the top of both pages I used stickers and paper to make a long beach scene.

We do an annual hike near our house each October as the leaves are changing. We take a photo of the kids on the same rock every year. This is my 3rd year scrapbooking this event and I think this layout is one of my best!

This layout took a long time as I was not sure how to use the poor photos we took!

Though, I do like the 3 photos of DJ on the left page - one with no makeup, one with me applying the makeup and the final Shrek!

In the past I only scrapbooked specific events. But I am slowly starting to do "month spreads". this two page spread contains photos from a series of hikes we took in the months of October and November. I like the foot prints I drew on the title.

This single page spread does not have any journal writing since all I could write about was how Santa did not take one good photo...he was either blinking or sticking his tongue out or something! Man, it is hard enough to get a good shot of a 3 year old, 2 year old and 10 month old on their own!!!

One the left side are photos about my eldest son's annual heart tests. I included a sticker that quotes Mary Poppins and reads, "Perfectly perfect in every way". I changed it to read "perfectly imperfect" since that is exactly how his cardiologist describes DJ's heart!

The right side of the page is kind of cool since it only has two photos of the boys and the rest are produce and parking meters! This is the street market we visit every summer - we usually shop then swim and eat most of our fruits. Twice last summer I fed the wrong parking meter and got a ticket...so, this page is a neat little summary of our summer marketing.

This was an emotional page! The first day of school for DJ! I love how proud he looks walking to the school bus stop. I drove like a crazy-woman to beat the bus and get a photo of him getting off the bus at school!

Well, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse at what I worked on this weekend. I am hoping to participate in a few more of the Sunday Scrappin' challenges.

Do you scrapbook? Want to share? I would love to see your work.

Murky Waters

Can I say I am new at this??? This whole blogging phenomena? Having never posted a blog, in the true sense, perhaps I am...but then for years I have kept a journal...does that count? Yes. I think it should. So, while I am not new to the catharsis of putting thought, peeve, desire or anecdotes onto paper, I am new to this on-line spuing of inner-thoughts.

Why take the plunge?

While washing the dishes this morning I was gazing out our back window. And there in front of me was our wonderfully refreshing in-ground pool. My pool made me do it! The green, murky water called to me...and I decided to dive right in!

You see, our pool has a crack in a pipe and it has made it near impossible to clean. So, the dirt and crud has settled on the bottom. And if you look closely, or if we do get a bit of the pool vacuumed, you can see the water is blue and clear - it is all the crap that has settled that makes it appear murky, cloudy and icky.

hmmmmmmm.... is it a metaphor of my current life? For years I kept a journal and then when my life took a most fabulous turn - I stopped. I met the most amazing man, started an amazing courtship, marriage and family. I am now blessed with three wonderful children. Life is great - but bumpy at times. So, why not start journaling again? The waters of my life are clear - I have found my calling in being a wife and mother...but at times things are not as clear or clean...and some crud always seems to settle when you least expect it.

So, jump on in and join my pool party...come splash around...have fun and help me perfect the front crawl and back stroke of life.