Who can resist a good challenge?

Back when I first started scrapping I overdosed on challenges. I think I got kind of burned out. So I went on a hiatus of sorts ... but I found my scrapping slowed down. I had nothing to jump start my creativity. So I started surfing around trying to find a site that matched my style and had challenges that gave me the starting point I needed. Then I rediscovered the Sweet Shoppe again. I fell in love with their challenges. My favorite by far is the Cookie Decorating 101 challenge. I can't help but LOVE a good template and these ones are always top notch! Here is one of my recent layouts from the recent challenge, it is also with Dani's newest kit Love Struck.

What is ahead??

SO, now that I am officially on my 2 dream teams I have to make some new scrap "goals" for the year. I decided to make it a short list, then hopefully I will accomplish them!

• Improve and advance my hybrid skills
• Scrap more pictures per page
• Include more journaling

See a nice short list!

A few good projects

I told you I would be back with some of the projects I have been creating for my 2 new teams. It took me a while, but here I am. Let's start with the projects I have completed with Traci's stuff today.

I got to kick off January with a project that I have wanted to do for a while. I finally made Ellie a bow holder to display & store all her cute little hair clips. It came out SO cute. Here it is with just a few bows on it ... but now it is full. I think I will need to do her whole name if she keeps collecting bows like this. For a full set of instructions go HERE


I am also VERY proud of my Mini Mailbox


I made these cute little tumbers for Ellie class at Christmas before I was on Traci's team, but I still love them!


Check back soon for more projects

My BIG Announcement!

I said I would be back with my announcement but I got busy and didn't get back to post yesterday. If you take a peak at my side bar you may notice the change!! I am now a part of not one but TWO fantastic DREAM teams. You are now looking at an Altered Girl for both Dani Mogstad AND Traci Reed!!!!

Welcome 2008!

I hope that everyone had a fun & safe New Year's Eve. Since the kids were still with their Dad in California, Bill & I decided to spend the evening with my friends Justine & Dominic. Justine was Anthony's very first babysitter about 5 years ago now. For the longest time she was the kids ONLY babysitter. At one point we stopped saying "babysitter" and she became our Nanny. She even went on a family trip to Hawaii in 2004. So needless to say we have been together in good times and bad. Yet through these years we have definitely become friends. Now that she is over 21 and married it is a whole lot easier to be "friends" since we have more in common.

Bill had to work at his store so for a couple hours it was just the 3 of us. Basically all Justine & I did was watch Dom play the Wii (which was MY Wii BTW) Eventually we convinced him that since we did have 4 controllers we could all play!

Once Bill arrived we cooked the Pizza's and opened up the beer. Justine & I opted for a concoction of Rasperry Pucker & Sprite. YUM! I got cut off pretty early so I would be sober to drive home after Midnight though.

The 4 of us had a blast playing on the Wii. Then we rang in the New Year by watching the "pre-recorded" Time Square footage on the local station in town. We had picked up poppers at Wal-Mart while shopping earlier so took a few pictures and then let off the poppers outside.

We then decided to keep the TV off and played Catch Phrase. While this game is fun sober (I should know) it is a LOT of fun when playing with friends that have been drinking. We kept rotating teams and laughing. It was great fun.

New Year's Day was full of excitement as well. First & foremost, I went and picked up my kids from their Dad's. I hadn't seen my kids since Christmas morning so I was definitely overdue for hugs & kisses from them. They had lots of stories to tell and talked just about non-stop till we got home!

At home Anthony was greeted with a brand new room!! While he was gone we took the opportunity to redecorate. He got a set of bunk beds with some new bedding and then we painted over the old border in his room and made a magnetic border all the way around. It just looks like a painted green border - but with the metallic pain under it the magnets stick to the wall. SO COOL! My mom also bought all the "sports" accessories that she could find for his room.




We added some Wallies around the painted boarder:
It turned out SO cute. Pictures to come soon - I promise. As well as some scrapbook related announcements as well.