Starting a new album

Gosh, I didn't think I'd be done with Joe's Second Year album so quickly, but I am! And I even made a video of the results (that some of you have seen already, so bear with me for the repetition). Daddy loved it especially. ;)



I had to leave out a few pics to be able to fit the timing on the music, but I think it turned out cute anyway. And I was still surprised to see how much difference there was between my scrapping at the beginning of the book and scrapping at the end. I guess that means I'm improving! :P Thank goodness. lol

And in all that, I've started Joe's Third Year Album. Woah! My plan is to catch up with the Third Year album, and while I keep up with it, I can play with my other projects, like my wedding album. I haven't given it any time lately, and I really want to finish that one up sometime soon. And now that I'm learning more about photo editing, I can start using pics other than the professional ones in this album. :)

As for the Third Year album, I've made several pages already, including these:



This one was a lot of fun. Joe was so good while we were ornament shopping! And he got a really big kick out of picking out his special ornament, the one with Mickey Mouse on it. Yeah, he's going through a Mickey phase right now. :P



It's so rare that I get a sad or mad picture of Joe. For one thing, he's a ham. For another, he never seems to stay sad or mad long (unless he's sick, and then I'm not a camera hog). So I thought it was fun to see him in this one. It's a lot like another layout I did of him, but I just love the sunny colors with that sad face. Makes me smile. :)



Daniel worked so hard on getting this extra special present ready for Joe, I couldn't help be feel like this deserved its own layout. We were together until around 11 pm on Christmas Eve wrapping gifts, but he was the one who stuck it out until the wee hours of the morning. We really thought it was more put together than that! Daddy's rock. :P



Of course, we didn't just stay home on Christmas Day... the grandparents would have been upset! We went to Daniel's dad's house first, since he always wants the morning. Joe had a wonderful time! Great company, fun food, and wonderful gifts. A great time for all.



And, last but not least, I had to go back to pick up this event at Granny's house. She has a Christmas party annually where everyone who's ever been a part of it is invited. This was Joe's second time to attend the party (and Daniel's first). He had even more fun this year than he did last year. It was almost impossible to get him to sit still for a photo, but I got plenty of sweet photos of the other kids. :) The pics were really overexposed, so I'm kind of proud of all the work I put in to process the pics so they would look nice.

As always, I have all my designer info on these in my Flickr album, so be sure to visit it and see where all the talent came from. ;)

I'm still going strong in the Journal in Weight Loss journaling class. This last prompt was pretty tough, but I think I finally slugged it out. I'm looking forward to seeing what the other ladies have to say. And I really need to make another layout for all this! I'll bet I could do something about my new goals...

Until next time, j'éspere que vous êtes très heureux et sûr, mes amis!

Woah... end of the book!

So, I have several pics to show you. Yes, all at once. Believe it or not, I've had a layout spurt. Yes, I've been procrastinating about some other things, namely my prompt on our board. But yeah, I finished my book! This first one, I went for a retro look because the pictures were pretty overexposed. Plus, I always think old timey when I hear a calliope. :)



This one is just another example of why I like Fa Maura. Perfect kit for going to the park layouts! Aren't the colors sweet? Besides the pictures, I like the little squirrel the best. :D



You know, this one is one of my favs in the whole album, and I'm not sure why. I usually hate this palette for a kit, and I love it here. And Joe is so cute! Maybe that's why. :D



We had a fantastic time on Joe's birthday. I'm glad I got so many pictures of him having fun! It worked out perfectly.



And the final page for the whole shebang... I was surprised I found so many fantastic face shots of Joe that I didn't use in any other layouts. It worked out so well. :) But how can you go wrong with such a wonderful little face? He just makes it happen!

Of course, if you want to know more about whose works I used here, please click the pics to see my Flickr page... all my designer info is there! And keep your eyes open here... I'll be making this into a video soon, if I can make my choices a little better this time. lol Until then, take care, my friends.

Monday post for Deeds

I'm not much of an activist. Heck, I'm just not very active, period. lol But I have a cyber friend who is. Her nest of monsters is a groovin' place to be, and she always keeps her eyes open for injustices and people needing help. So if you're like me and want to know more about what's going on in the world of special needs, you should visit her anyway. And if you want to know more about Deeds and his amazing family, please visit today. He's an amazing little boy! And if we can, as a caring world, help him get the autism dog he needs, it will be worth every bit of effort.

I am toodling along in the scrapping. I guess it's because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this task. I'm almost done with this book! :D And because I know dh, aka Football Fiend Daddy, will love this, here is another pic to share with you all.



I'll have you know, I thought I was done with this layout yesterday evening. Then I showed it to dh, aka Football Fiend Daddy, and he said that he was disappointed that I didn't include that cute pic of Joe "helping" the cheerleader. After all, cheerleaders are a part of football, too. (As if I were arguing that.) And he thought it should be there. Yeah, right about... there. (giggle) Since this is the first time he's taken an interest in editing any of my layouts, how could I refuse? So in she goes. Hope she doesn't mind. :P

The Journey in Weight Loss is going along quite well. I've had some setbacks with an infection that is making me *not* lose weight right now, but I am not discouraged. Check with me later on that one. lol For now, though, I'm just glad that I'm making so many positive changes in my life. Oh, and I've even stopped a couple of times just to say wow to myself. That's pretty amazing in itself. Dh also says that these last two days have been more high energy and feel good for me than he remembers in a long time. That is definitely telling. :)

Keep the faith, my friends! (((hugs)))

Getting so close...

I finally finished the cover for Joe's second year album. It was probably the most intricate layout I've ever made, and it certainly took longer than any other layout I've ever done. It was actually more like two big layouts in one. But it was worth the work. I'm so thrilled with it! And I'll definitely have to do something similar another time. I think the best part was picking out the particular magazine I wanted to make. It wasn't easy! There are many more cute kids magazines around today than I ever remember seeing when I was younger. I'll have to remember to maybe ask for this one for a gift for Joe next year; it's really more for the 3-5 year old crowd. ;)

There's really only about 3 or 4 layouts I want to add towards the end, and after that, the album will be complete. :) And since that is the case, I'll be looking around again for options for making this into a movie. It might fall through again; the hard part wasn't the programming but the right music. lol But regardless, I know that I will be prepared for the family reunion this year with just the right thing to give folks.

Hope everyone is doing well! (((hugs)))

Happy New Year's Eve!

Hello, lovely people! I hope you all have some fun plans for ringing in 2011. I have to admit, I really don't have anything particular planned. Generally, if I'm going to do something, I go out with friends. Well, for the last couple of years, I've had a compelling reason to stay home. :P And while there was some talk about getting together tonight with Jo and James, I'm not sure we'll be able to do it because Daniel has to work tomorrow at an ungodly early hour. So, we might be homebound. But that's ok... we'll have fun no matter what.

I have another layout that I finished a couple days ago.



Joe is rarely sick, so having a sick day layout is a different thing. Sure, he had lots of bumps and bruises from learning to walk, but fever and stuff? Not so much. (Thank goodness!) So I had to take the opportunity and run with it.

Ok, no other big news to report... other than that I am *so* excited to start the Journey for Weight Loss tomorrow! I can't wait to see who are our fellow journeymen and women are. It's going to get exciting! :D

Have a safe New Year celebration, everyone!

Accomplishment

I don't know if I had mentioned this before, but I was lucky enough to lay my greedy little mitts on a copy of CS5 this holiday season, and I'm loving it! I finally feel like I'm starting to get the basics firmly under my belt, so here shortly, I'm going to have to start learning to get past the basics. The fun thing about this, is the basics I am learning are really the nadir of what I had learned to accomplish already in GIMP, so that means I'll be able to take my scrapping to a whole new level... in less than a month's time! Since I spent an entire *year* initially learning all this, I find this incredibly exciting. I know that it's because of the similarities between the programs, but that doesn't make me any less happy about it.

So, this is my latest creation du jour:



I am almost halfway through catching up with myself in Joe's 2nd year album, so I'm feeling good about that. I know I didn't finish it for the holidays, but at least I'll have it ready for the family reunion. :)

I am taking part in a great program this year, and I am really excited about it. Linda and Carolyn have done it again and come up with another cool idea. This time, it's an art journaling program called "A Journey in Weight Loss."

I have seen some of the material, and I think everyone is going to be really impressed with how well this is made. If you want a few more details, be sure to check out the store! If you want some awesome support on your weight loss journey, I think you'll be glad you did.

Ok, I've gotta hop back into things. I've accomplished so many things today, I'm pretty impressed with myself, but that's no reason to rest on my laurels! Until next time, my dears.

Happy Holidays!

I hope this post finds you all well and happy. I've been lazing around today after going out to get Daddy (my husband Daniel) his big Christmas present; a new netbook. We really lucked out... the only one left of the one he wanted was a floor model, so we got a great discount on it. We didn't think that we would be able to afford to do that; he had already gotten some really nice work boots and a couple other little things, so he wasn't neglected. But that was partly because we had really thought there was no way to get him this. He's really sick, so he's been having a hard time getting all excited. But I can tell that he's really thrilled. So add him to the list of happy campers! Joe has been having so much fun. He was exhausted after that long day yesterday; he went from about 8 am to about 10 pm with only a 30 minute nap in the car between houses. Even so, he's still really excited and happy, which is a miracle when he's that tired. I'm proud of my munchkin; he was such a good boy all day yesterday and today. And I'm soooo glad he had so much fun for Christmas. Score!

In celebration, I decided to finally finish *last* Christmas' layout. So, here it is!



I hope everyone is still having a fantastic holiday season! Much love to you all. :)

Day 8 of More About Me

So, did everyone have a great Thanksgiving? We had a good time. Joe was out overnight with his Aunt Becca Wednesday night, which was good for Mommy (lol), but we were so glad to see one another when we got to his Papaw's house. He just laid on my shoulder for a couple minutes. You know, when your 2 year old does that, that you truly are loved. Definitely worth being thankful for. :)

Ok, so I took the day off yesterday from blogging, but in my defense, I did have said 2 year old sitting on my arm. I challenge you to write a coherent blog post with a 2 year old on your arm screaming for kitty kitty videos. lol

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.

Wait, didn't I cover this when I did eight ways to win my heart? Well, maybe not. :P

1. Let me play with your hair, please? I mean, I love hugs and touching, but let me play with your hair. Mmmm.

2. I love to give massages almost as much as I love getting massages. Either one will do. Or both. ;)

3. Look me in the eye and tell me how much you love me. Or say something suggestive. Or both. I'm an equal opportunity listener. lol

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I was lucky enough to get the chance to win a copy of BrittBree's new kit, Spring Candy. How fun! I thought it only right that I share with everyone how cute this new kit is. I'm afraid I don't do it justice with my little layout, but as soon as I saw these elements, I fell in love. :) Very fun for a spring layout with the little ones in your life.

Today's been a strange day. I guess I'm not exactly feeling my best. Joe has been very mischievous, which is fun, but he hasn't liked being put in his pen for the number of times he's tried playing with the wires behind the television. He loves to pull plugs out and put them back in. Luckily, it hasn't been the dangerous cords, but we've had a time trying to convince him to come out and leave them alone. He's not terribly fond of being in his "box," which is what we call his playpen. Wish there was a way I could reason with him; I hate it when he's this upset.

Well, wish I had something exciting and interesting and fantastic to share, but I just don't. Which is probably a good thing; if every day was exciting, I'd have no need to blog. And I wouldn't want to miss out on that. lol Take care, everyone!

Furbaby

Fur
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I had a good bit of inspiration in the last few days, and for the first time in a couple weeks, my eyes are killing me with allergy fuzzies. Sooooo.... I have a couple new layouts that I did today alone! :) This first one was inspired by Jacquie's new fantastic Pets - Dogs word art set. Awesome, huh? She finds awesome quotes and stuff. If you haven't checked out her blog before, I highly recommend it, and not just because I'm on her CT. She's fantastic!

I've learned a few new things about GIMP lately, which makes me rather happy. I still feel like a beginner with GIMP, even though I know that I'm probably closer to intermediate. But there is a huge amount of things that one can do with GIMP that I have yet to tap. So, I'm enjoying learning new things, like new Script-fu stuff. There are so many Script-fu settings in the "basic" model of GIMP that I'm not familiar with that are really helpful with sprucing up one's layouts. Besides that, I want to do more designing. I really enjoyed making that first set. (It's still down there, if you want to look at it. Just saying. :P)

I also made a little layout with Daniel and Joe for Easter egg hunting. Joe didn't really get the whole hunting thing. He saw lots of kids running, so he ran after them. He saw one purple egg, so he picked it up. So, Mommy got him a few eggs. After that, he got Daddy to open his eggs. It was precious. I did it with this Font Challenge's font, Happy Days.



I also have a couple of cute baby moments to share. Joe is so funny these days! He's starting to show that he has a sense of humor. For instance, we're not certain if he really does think that unh unh (the no version) mean yes or if he's just pulling our leg. (He shakes his head no simultaneously, and we're pretty sure he knows that means no.) It's really cute, though, to watch him do it. Plus, he is such a player! He loves to do things to get your attention and then pretend like he wasn't doing it. That, and he loves to play kiss and hug. He'll do that over and over. Talk about making your heart melt!

Ok, this is late at night for me. Mommy is getting sleepy! lol So I'll let you wonderful people go. Have a great night!

Easter Madness

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend! Ours was busy, to say the least. First up was the Easter egg hunt at Clark Springs Baptist on Saturday morning. Joe was in his finest (as you can see in this video), and Mommy and Daddy were excited to see what he would actually do on his first egg hunt. I didn't get any good pictures of it, but the verdict was that he was more interested in chasing the other kids at top speed than actually searching eggs, so Mommy picked some up for him. Daddy trailed behind faithfully as he waved the one egg he picked up (purple, which is why it caught his eye, I'm sure) and chattered at the other kids. He had a blast. It would have been even better had it not been for Mommy's overprotective streak. I covered him with sunscreen. Unfortunately, some of it got in his eyes. He wasn't a happy camper about that, but since he got more chocolate than he had ever imagined existed, he was ok with it. He also got some cool cars from Nana in his basket. He really liked that. :)

After that, we loaded a (very very tired) baby into the car and went to the park to meet with Aunt Jo. It was a perfect day for Kiroli Park. We piled up on a table and ate fried chicken while Joe had fun on the "fire truck."



We also did the swings and stuff, but I haven't uploaded that video yet. Joe had the best time watching Daddy swing in the swing next to him. Unfortunately, that meant that the yellow baby swing wasn't good enough for him anymore. We'll see if that lasts when we get to the park again. We also did a nice walk through the (shortest) nature trail, and I got some good shots of azaleas and other things. If they turn out well, I'll try to extract them and pass them along for everyone to share. The colors are too awesome not to look great in a spring layout. ;)

As for Sunday, we chilled out. And it was a good thing, too... Mommy hasn't felt her best. Maybe it was the candy, maybe it was her body's way of saying "noooooooooooooooo!" Whatever it was, I could use another Sunday to make up for it. :) I guess I'll have to wait a few more days for that, though. Joe and I played a lot, and Daddy was the only one who woke up early enough for sunrise service. Good Daddy! :)

Oh, and one of my blogging buddies Brandi is supposed to have her third child/first daughter by c-section today. Happy thoughts for welcoming little Karis into the world!

Doing my best Sinatra impression

Doing my best Sinatra impression
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I had a lot of fun doing this layout. There's not really much of a story behind it; Daniel, Joe and I were out for Saturday grocery shopping and stopped for breakfast at Shoney's first. When we got back in the car, Joe was looking so cute in his little blue outfit that I whipped out the camera and got a couple of shots in. Of course, I'm always torturing him this way. lol Actually, he loves to ham it up for the camera, just seconds before he attempts to take it from me and push buttons or pretend it's a cell phone. (sigh) Children. ;)

I probably should have picked a kit that had some good navy blues in it along with the greens, but something about this one hit me as regal and perfect for the look on his face. Then again, maybe I'm a weirdo. After all, I do like to look at single pictures for long periods of time. :P

Live is going fairly well at the moment, just busy. We're gonna get a breather here soon enough, so I think I'll make it to the weekend. Jo, Joe, Daniel, and I are going to the park this weekend, so it's something to hold out for. Park trip! :D

Hope you all have a lovely evening!

Remembering

So, things are getting better. I know I was really sad when last I talked to everyone. Now, well, I'm feeling a bit more nostalgic. I've been looking for cute pictures of Ike and Joe together, and while there aren't many, I really am enjoying them. I have especially been enjoying some of the pictures of Ike when he was more of a puppy. I think I'll have to scan some of them, tonight if I get a chance, and use them for a layout about his life. Jacquie posted the sweetest word art for someone who loves their dog as a freebie on her blog today, and it is perfect for a good look at these pictures. It just reminds me of how grateful I am to have such good friends, both in person and online. It makes the sadness at losing such joy a reminder that the gift is worth that time of mourning.


All of this also reminds me that my son is, as yet, too young to know or understand that he has lost a friend. I know my first instinct is to protect him completely from such things, but knowing that he would miss out on the gift of that relationship to avoid such things completely makes me realize that safety is just another word for loneliness and missing out on opportunities for the greatest heights and depths of experience. And believe me, as a person who is forever worrying about being safe enough, that's a pretty big concession. :P  I'm a bit of a worrier (that was sarcastic understatement, y'all), so while I can't see any reason to let my son risk falling and splitting open his skull because he just *has* to rock on the rocking chair, standing up, not holding the sides or back, I'm trying my best not to coddle him. I don't want him to learn the useless fears that I am fighting. I want him to learn the normal caution found from falling and bumping his knee, and then picking up and trying again.

Ugh, trust me to wax philosophical on a Monday morning. I even made my own brain hurt. lol  Hope all of you have a wonderful week, and hope something like this reminds you (as it did me) of the value of the relationships around you.

Sleeping while standing?!

Hehehe... Never had seen a person fall asleep while standing, until now! And yes, as Daniel said, he got attacked by a chocolate milk before nap time.

A challenging post! :)

Hey, folks! Hope everyone's having a great day! My day has been less than stellar, since I'm still coughing like an old smoker. lol It was kind of fun, hanging out with the baby, but watching him trying not to go to sleep has even been more of a challenge than making this ad. Which, by the way, is what the challenge is about! I am the hostess for the font challenge this time, so I got to make the ad and pick the font! Click on the ad to go to the challenge forum. Tomorrow, I'll have the thread started and the font we're using displayed.

I'm probably going to have to post again today; I got the funniest video of Joe that I've just gotta share. As soon as I can get it up on You Tube, I'll share it. :)

Hope everyone's having a great day!

Ready, set, walk!

Ready, set, walk!
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

One step closer... Every picture I had of Joe when he was eleven months old was of him learning how to walk. Some were better subjects than others; he got some pretty impressive war wounds this month. He didn't seem to mind, though. :) I did this LO for the font challenge at MLAS, and it has elements from the Naughty Little Monster kit by Isabella La Roux and the alpha from Boys Club by Scrappy Kat. It was super fun to do!

Joe is still a little pitiful this evening, but he's doing better. Slowly and surely! I'm just soooo glad he doesn't have that awful fever anymore. On the negative side, though, the dog smells like she rolled in something dead. I am *not* looking forward to that bath. Wish it were warm enough to wash her outside! lol

Park Buddy

Park Buddy
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I'm getting so close! For a while, it seemed like I would *never* finish Joe's first year album. Now, I've finished 9 and 10 months old with one page each, and 11 months old looks to be the same deal. After that, I have the 1st birthday, the party, and the wrap-up. I see the light! Now, I get to work on making the video out of the pages, picking out music, burning to dvd... lol. Perhaps I was a bit too ambitious with this project. Then again, you only get to live your first year once! Besides, Joe deserves it. :)

I also have to go back and fix some pages. I started this album when I first started doing digiscrapping, so there are some pages that are so different in quality from the other pages as to make them look like they don't belong. Yeah, my pride is talking here. lol Luckily, it's really only about ten pages, and I only really have to do some embellishment work on most of them. I can handle that.

Joe is doing better today, but he has definitely wanted to be snuggly. I *love* being snuggly with Joe, but I worry when he wants to be with Mommy so much that no one else will do. I have a hard time letting go of him, so I have to watch myself to attempt to keep from holding on too hard. I always make a point to honor when he wants to be let go unless there is a compelling reason not to, like his safety. But it sure is hard to let him go when he's sick. Mommy needs to calm down and let it be. But Mommy doesn't necessarily want to. :D

I think that almost everyone that reads my blog right now is involved, but for anyone who isn't and enjoys digiscrapping, I highly recommend attending the celebrations at MLAS. The birthday stuff right now is really awesome, and everyone is very good to each other. Having taken part in various online groups on different occasions, I can only think of one other time where I was so impressed with the atmosphere of caring, compassion, and friendship that is being fostered there by its owners, designers, and active participants. (Can you tell I love MLAS? LOL!) So come visit!

Ok, gotta get back to it. Hope everyone has a wonderful afternoon!

fresh washed angel

fresh washed angel
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

Joe and I were invited to go with Uncle Jeremy to the zoo on Sunday. We couldn't take a dirty baby Joe for his first visit to the zoo, so we had a nice, fun bath, complete with squirting boat and floating sponge letters. He was in such a good mood afterward, he decided to cheese for the camera. Of course I had to take a few pictures. Then, Aunt Jo said he looked like a fresh washed angel. I couldn't resist scrapping that!

Joe is feeling better now. He hasn't had a fever since yesterday afternoon, and he got to go see Granny and his friends at daycare. He must have had a lot of fun, cuz now he's very, very sleepy. :) I know he looks angelic all the time, but he looks especially sweet when he's asleep.

I haven't had a red letter day; I managed to twist my ankle when I was leaving work today. It feels a little better now, so hopefully it'll be ok tomorrow. We'll see.

A Busy Month

A Busy Month
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

Yesterday was a very busy day. Joe was having a terrible time with his fever. It ran over 103 every time his medicine went out of time. I felt so sorry for him! Luckily, his new medicine is helping him somewhat. He's been playing a lot today, even with a low grade fever. I'm proud of him. He's really acting like a big boy throughout the entire thing. Even when he felt his worst, he was still a very good boy.

I really didn't have a lot of time to scrap yesterday or today, but when he started his nap, I was able to get one done. Wow, a whole month on one page?! Didn't know I had it in me! I got inspiration from a page by chrissyw, one of my favorite template makers. :) Poor Joe... he went through a lot that month!

Hopefully, he'll feel up to going back to Granny's tomorrow. I know he misses going, and I know she misses him. The kids there really didn't like him not to be there with them. Turning a trio into a duo makes a big difference. I'll keep everyone posted on how he's doing.

First Haircut

Page 78
Originally uploaded by mawkinberd

I've been looking forward to doing this little LO. I can't claim the pictures, because I knew I would be busy and called Aunt Jo to document the event. :) She did an amazing job, as you can see. Kylie also helped with filming. We made a good dinner party with it, and Daniel made his famous chicken and cheese enchiladas. Mmmmm.... I think that was the last time we had those. That was too long ago! 7 months is too long to wait for really tasty food like that. lol

Joe and I had a grand adventure today. We went to the zoo with Uncle Jeremy! Jeremy wanted to go so he could get in some practice for his camera class, which was his Valentine's Day gift from his partner. So, we took lots of aperture experiment shots. Plus, I got some great shots of Joe looking at the animals (as well as just Joe and just animals). I'll probably make a layout of some of them for the birthday challenges at MLAS, which kick back up for another round starting tomorrow. Can't wait!

I also saw something I had never seen before today. I saw something on the road, and I thought it was an animal. But when I got close enough to start swerving, I realized someone had tossed their weave into the road. How bizarre is that? Were they taking advantage of the fabulous weather by riding with the windows down, and the wind blew it out? Or did someone just snatch it off someone else's head and just throw it? I mean, the possibilities for humorous possibilities are endless. I'm still entertained just thinking about it.

Ciao for now!