This weekend I finally got a start on Drew's baby album. I kept meaning to start on it but would get to busy and it just kept getting pushed back.
Thankfully Mom is helping me with my kits this month so I got to actually have a weekend instead of working! (Thanks Mom!) On Friday I decided to make the title page for Drew's baby album and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the page went together! That picture is one of my favorites of him! I took it the day we were leaving the hospital. Mike was feeding him before we left and sitting in a rocking chair beside a big window. The lighting was perfect and I ended up with so many great shots of them.


The second page is one that I had done for a class a couple of weeks ago. After I stitched the title I decided to take a little break since the stitching takes so long and to let my fingers rest. I ate a few Cheez-Its and then started working again. After a few minutes I looked down and there was a greasy Cheez-It finger print on my layout!! There was no way I was going to go back and start over. That stitching is too time consuming to do over again! I had to stretch my creative brain and find a way to cover it. Does that make me sound lazy? The circles with buttons ended up being my cover up! You can still see a little peeking out from under one of them but oh well!

Be sure to check out the Consider Yourself Challenged blog this afternoon. We will be posting the showcased layouts and the winner of the prize drawing. It was fun looking through each of the entries! You all really amazed me with your creative takes on the challenge! I'm so glad that so many joined in and I can't wait for challenge #2.

So the Scrapbooker of the Year calls should be going out sometime in the next few days. After HOF I didn't think that I would be going through this again. The torture of waiting for "the call." Jumping every time the phone rings. Checking the message boards like crazy! Thank goodness for the kit clubs to keep me busy! Still in the back of my head I keep thinking about it...just really hoping for a call but trying to not get my hopes up. (It doesn't help that this one has a trip to Las Vegas attached to it!!) I've seen some really talented people that have entered! Best of luck to everyone that entered!!

Now that is some crazy hair!! This picture was taken a couple of days before I took Drew to get a hair cut. I kept putting the hair cut off simply because I love those curls! He looks so different now!

I'm starting to feel a little pressure. I just realized that I've got to have 200 kits done by next week!!!!! So the question is which should I give up?
Sleep?
or
Eating?
The eating thing might be good. I'm sure I packed on a good 10 lbs. during our Chicago stay! Room service was just too tempting. Sleep I might not be too happy about losing. Other than Chicago, I don't remember the last time I had a full night of sleep! It really hasn't been that bad since I've had help from my little friend Red Bull but...I just drank my last one. That's right. This girl is saying bye bye to that tasty treat. Red Bull, you will be missed.

Be sure to check out the Scrapbook Generation design team challenge blog! We will be posting the showcased layout(s) and the drawing winner on Monday, July 30 so you've still got time to join in. I'm really loving the layouts that have been posted. Everyone is doing such a great job!!

I just got a look at the newest newsletter from Scrapbook Generation and oh my...I think we are officially kit club central! It been great to see how well the kit clubs have taken off!

Well I'm off to bed...I hope to have some CHA pictures soon and I'll post them as soon as I can!

I'm back!

I had a great time but I am so glad to be home. I missed Drew more than I could ever imagine! When he saw me I could tell that he missed me too! He ran over and gave me three big hugs and a few kisses. After that he was by my side the rest of the day and every once in awhile he would sneak in a hug or lay his head on me. It feels good to be missed!

CHA was awesome. It was cool seeing all the new stuff. The only thing that sucked was that I couldn't take it home with me!

My favorites were:
--KI Memories, the lace cardstock was so cool. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
--Flair, I loved their calendar paper and stickers. I really want to use it for a class!
--Dream Street, love all their new papers!
--October Afternoon, I instantly fell in love with everything they had!
--Fancy Pants, the new felt shapes are awesome!
--Doodlebug, I love the new sugar coated chipboard alphabets!

Meeting the Hall of Fame girls was fun. It was nice to put a personality with the face. We had a really nice lunch and had a great time getting to know one another! I wish I could have hung out with them more!

I'll try to post some pictures later but I thought I would pop in first and say hello!!

I lied.

I said I wouldn't be posting again before we left.
This just couldn't wait. I had to tell you all about the fabulous surprise I got for my birthday.

Stop by Scrapbook Generation soon and take a peek at the newest issue (September) of Creating Keepsakes. This issue contains my first published layout. There's no need to flip through the magazine...you won't find it. Why you ask?

BECAUSE IT'S ON THE COVER!!!

It's official.
I'm a dork.
Sorry for the lame delivery!
I'm just giddy!

Talk about a wonderful birthday surprise! I had no idea it would be out this quickly. It was such a crazy moment for me to see it in print. Anyway, I just had to spill the news after having to keep my mouth shut for this long!

I'm finally packed and ready to go. I'm pretty sure I over-packed but I always do that. When Stacey and I went to Vegas, we had a suitcase for shoes only. Not a small suitcase. Those really big, I could fit in one, suitcase. Putting Drew to bed was tough. I'm not ready to be away from him for that long. It sucks that we are leaving so early and I won't get to see him in the morning before I leave. Maybe I'll be really really loud when I'm getting ready so he will wake up!

This time I promise this is my last post before I leave.
Bye.
See ya.
I "lub" you.
seben.
FYI-that's how Drew's says bye. The "seben" is suppose to be seven. He started saying numbers after I love you because he thought we were saying "2" instead of too. I'm rambling.
Have a great week and weekend!!

Goodbye 26...

Hello 27!

Happy Birthday to me!
Did anybody else know that "Happy Birthday to Me" is the name of a really cheesy horror movie starring the girl who played Mary on Little House on the Prairie! I used to love it but haven't watched it in a long time! That was a little random but it just happened to be the first thing that popped into my head when I typed it!

Mike's already done a great job for my birthday. At midnight he carried in flowers and a four pack of red bull. He never gets me flowers and hates it when I buy red bull!! He said he knew I would be up late working and would probably need it! How sweet is he!

I'm not really too excited about my birthday this year. Don't have time to be. It really sucks that I'm going to be working my butt off. Not only that but it's the last day I get to spend with Drew before we leave for Chicago. Do I get to hang out with him and play and have fun. Nope. Not happy about that one bit. I don't like the idea of being away from him for 5 days as it is. That's what I get for being a slow scrapper and a procrastinator. I guess. I don't even know when I'm going to find time to pack or get things together for the trip.
That all sounded a little bitchy but what can I say, the lack of sleep is starting to get to me. I tired and cranky! :)

*Update* I've slept and I'm in a much better mood now! Mike did good again this morning...made me breakfast, had a Star magazine (my favorite non-scrappy mag.) for me and a card. The card was a shocker...he never ever does that! I worked late last night and got most everything done so not too much to do today!! Plus it was nice to wake up and have so many emails and comments on my blog! Thanks everybody!!

Well this is the last post I'll get in before we leave so...
I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The 15th of the month rolls around so quickly! Since we have added the Scrapbook Generation DT challenge blog, I've got three pages to have ready on the the 15th. The layout above is for the Hall of Fame manufacturer challenge at Creating Keepsakes. This month we are featuring Fancy Pants and Stemma. The Fancy Pants page went together pretty quick but I'm still working on my Stemma layout. I absolutely love Fancy Pants. Chipboard, rubons, patterned paper, ribbon, stamps...I love it all!

Yesterday we uploaded the first challenge at Consider Yourself Challenged. You'll have to follow the link to see the wonderful pages. No peeks here! I'm really excited about the challenge blog and hope that lots of people play along!

Well, I'm staying pretty busy with our trip to CHA in Chicago coming up soon. I've got to get a lot of projects done before we leave...the mother of mine just won't give me a break! You know she's a pretty fun boss to have! Never thought I would say something like that but she's good about letting me do my own thing at my own pace. I don't know if I will say such nice things after being stuck in Chicago for five days with her!

Hope you all are having a good Monday! I'll post again before we leave!

Well I told you that we, the Scrapbook Generation design team girls, had been cooking up some fun stuff.
So here it is.
This is what we will be serving!
Hope to see you there!

Another random picture! Drew and Sally. She's such a good dog. Not once while Drew was banging her head did she ever get cross with him. She's such a sweetie.

So I've been tagged twice this time!! So I'm going to post 20 random things about myself instead of 10. Yes, I'm weird and like making lists. I think it makes me feel organized when I am anything but that! Also, I love going back and using my blog for journaling.

Here it goes!!

1. I got stuck in an escalator in a major department store. It was Stacey's fault. To make a long story short...my head ended up stuck between a piece of glass and the wall on the OUTSIDE edge of the escalator. Yup. I took a ride up the outside of the escalator and ended up with several cuts across my face. All because I wanted to be like my big sis.

2. I hate odd numbers. I know that is really weird and I have no explanation for it. Mike laughs at me when I turn the volume up/down on the TV and I make sure it lands on an even number. Even=good. Odd=bad. Allison=weird.

3. I have a huge imagination. I'm a dreamer with positive hope for everything. This is the reason I should not buy lottery tickets.

4. Stacey and I raced dirt track. We even built the car ourselves, with a little bit of help from our dad, and raced it every Saturday night in the cruiser class here in Springfield. The cruiser class consisted of two person cars. Stacey did the steering and the breaks from the drivers seat and the gas peddle was moved to the passenger side where I had it mashed to the floor. We were actually pretty good and quickly gained the respect of most of the men we raced against. It was one of the funnest times in my life.

5. Mike and I want so badly to start an adventure in flipping houses but are terrified we will fail. It would be such a huge life changing situation, good or bad outcome. We are currently in the works of trying to gather as much information about it as possible.

6. I handcuffed a boy to his desk in second grade. Nuff said.

7. I've been pulled over 16 times since I've had my driver's license (11 years). Funny thing...I've only gotten one speeding ticket. More than one police officer told me I had an innocent face. HA..if only they knew!!

8. I use sunglasses more for a hair accessory than I do for keeping the sun out of my eyes.

9. I worry way to much about what other people think of me! I credit this to growing up in a small town. Stacey rolls her eyes at me daily for this one.

10. Stacey and I walked all the way across Paris to get to our hotel...at 1:00 a.m. It took us until 6:00 a.m. to get to our hotel. How were we suppose to know that the subway (or whatever they call them) would close down at 12:59 a.m. It was really scary!

11. I once took a road trip to New Orleans that was planned in about two hours. Stacey and I were bored so we hopped into the car.

12. I have had a tattoo removed. I was stupid, 18 and ran out on my birthday and got a tattoo from a huge smelly guy. Mom saw it, flipped and demanded that it be removed. I'm so glad she did because I would be embarrassed if I still had it.

13. I drink out of a Smurfs glass that I bought at an antique store.

14. The first concert I ever went to (Dare to Care here in Springfield) I got punched by a guy, fought over a backstage pass and won, and danced on stage with the Phunk Junkeez.

15. My epidural didn't work when I had Drew. I watched A Baby Story every day when I was pregnant and would freak out when the epidural wouldn't work for some girls. I honestly forgot anything about any pain the instant I heard Drew's cry. (Bad ass alert: Not one scream, yelp, word, or cry out of my mouth the whole time! Hehe..I just had to throw that in there to remind Mike! ***Yes, I realize woman do it everyday, it's just a running joke between Mike and I...read on.)

16. Mike and I argue all the time about who is the bigger bad ass. I'm pretty sure child birth put me in the lead and seriously you should hear the big man of the house when he stubs his toe.

17. I'm terrified of tornadoes. Especially after Drew was born. The sound of the tornado sirens just makes my stomach sick.

18. Drew shoplifted from Wal-Mart once. We ran in to get some stuff to BBQ and got some corn on the cob, which Drew loves. He was screaming because he wanted to hold the corn so I handed it to him. We paid and were on our way out when I asked Mike if had paid for the corn. Nope. We didn't go back. I don't know how many times I've looked at my Wal-Mart receipt and seen how they have double charged me for something. I never go back. Gotta love life's little ways of working things out.

19. Mike and I went to the same high school, our sisters were friends, and somehow we managed to never speak one word to each other until we met in Springfield.

20. Stacey and I use to throw things into Mom's hair and she never knew. Think her hair now X 10!! One day we sat there and threw tomato chunks in her hair and she didn't have a clue. I wonder if she ever found those...

Okay there is my randomness. As far as who I'm going to tag...let me think on that one!

If you actually made it through this whole post...stay tuned! I've got a great secret to spill soon about what us design team gals have been cooking up!

I hate posting without a picture!! This picture is pretty random, no special story to go with it. I was trying to use up a roll (yes, I said roll. I'm still stuck in film land!) and Drew was looking awfully cute with his "sugar puppy", as he calls it.

Okay, so I've been tagged by the always entertaining Jennifer. Here is goes!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don't think so.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? At a funeral. I hate crying in front of people.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not at all. My "real" handwriting looks like a 4th grader's. My "scrapbook" handwriting looks a lot better.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? ewww...none..lunch meat just sounds gross to me

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Just one

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Of course.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Daily. Sarcasm runs in both sides of my family, I was bound to pick it up somewhere.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Um...maybe 10 years ago.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cookie Crisp...I think it has something to do with getting to eat cookies for breakfast.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No...I'm lazy.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint Chocolate Chip

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their hair or clothes.

15. RED OR PINK? Red...never been a big fan of pink.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My shyness...I think sometimes people mistaken it for being stuck up.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? bare feet and red pjs

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? cheesecake dip w/ cinnamon graham cracker sticks...we had people over Saturday night so there is all this great snack food around the house.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Ghetto radio, it's the best iTunes station ever!

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Anything but that baby poop yellowish color.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? race track, brownies baking, dinner being cooked by someone other than me.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mom. She always leaves me messages that make me feel like I'm in trouble and then when I call her back it will be something little, like what paper are you using for your next class. Is it bad that I'm still afraid of my mom?

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, like I said she's highly entertaining and just a fun person to be around.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? dirt track racing and Mike has gotten me to (kind of) like UFC now.

27. HAIR COLOR? dark auburn

28. EYE COLOR? brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope

30. FAVORITE FOOD? It's a toss up between potatoes and cheese.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, although I LOVE scary movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Hysterical Blindness (while scrapbooking) ...the clothes crack me up.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? white

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? That depends on who they are coming from.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Who knows

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Same as the above answer

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? I haven't taken the time to read a book in forever! The last one I read was probably a true crime book...I'm addicted to those.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nothing, my mouse pad is plain black.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? UFC...that was fun, 8 men standing up in the living room yelling at the T.V. like if they screamed loud enough the fighter would actually do what they were yelling.

42. FAVORITE SOUND? Drew's giggle

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Paris

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENTS? I can bowl a 600 series (I was on the "Dream Team" and had to compete in a big tournament, and I've even bowled in a Pro/Am...hahaha)I don't really know if that is a special talent but it was all I could think of.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Springfield, MO

47. WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE? To be invisible would be great!! I would soooo mess with people!!

So there are my answers, most of which are pretty lame!

My new favorite discovery is MySpace. (yes, I know I'm a little late in the game!) I keep finding all these people that I went to school with or friends that I haven't seen in awhile. It's great! I just had my boyfriend from 4th grade contact me...how hilarious is that! I haven't seen or talked to him since I was 12! Anyway, if you are on MySpace too, come over and visit!!

Happy Monday all!!!

Signed. Sealed. Delivered. I'm am offically a Scrapbooker of the Year contestant. I can't believe I actually managed to get that many layouts done in that short amount of time. I got lucky that Mom wanted Drew to stay with her from Sunday to Wednesday. I don't think I came out of my scrapbook room during those days and sleep wasn't on my schedule. I'm really happy with my entry and I'm not concerned at all about winning. I ended up with many pages that I had been wanting to make for awhile and I'm glad I got the chance to get them done.

The 4th of July went well, thank goodness. The person I don't like didn't even show up! It was really nice to just hang out with the Arnall family without stress or worry. Since Drew's birth and Dad's death, family has become really important to me and it's been great being around them all so much! Drew loved the fireworks and was so disappointed when they were over. By the end of the night he was covered in sweat from running around so much. I took tons of pictures, of course, and I'm anxious to see how they turned out! MIke and I just mostly enjoyed being with Drew. We really missed him while he was at Mom's! That was the longest we have ever been away from him!

I'm been really missing my dad a lot lately. Last Friday one of his good friends died in a motorcycle accident just outside of Springfield. Stacey happened to get "the call" as she was sitting in the stalled traffic. It was a complete shock. Since I found out about it last Friday, I can't seem to quit thinking about Dad. It really bothered me that he wouldn't be able to go to Homer's funeral. Isn't that kind of weird? The funeral was really nice, very very fitting to Homer and his life style. Every thing was Harley themed and they even had a ton of Harleys leading the way to the cemetery. I wish Stacey and I would have spoke up a little more about Dad's funeral, but we were too worried about stepping on toes and trying to play nice. Dad's funeral was nice but it just wasn't him. The person who spoke at Dad's wasn't who Stacey and I wanted but there was no way of getting around it since he was "family". I don't know how many people told Stacey and I that he was horrible and it sounded like he didn't even know Dad. I didn't even cry at Dad's, I was so mad at what was being said that I almost got up and walked out. How bad is that? He was painting this picture that wasn't my dad at all and then claimed to be one of his best friends! At one point he leaned over my dad and said "Ha, I've got the last word!" Who does that at a funeral!!! I'm pretty sure a few "non-churchy" word came out of my mouth at that point! Okay, that was a little vent...sorry about that!

Mike has decided that we are the lucky ones to host a UFC get together this Saturday, so I've got to go clean! I hope you all have a great weekend!
(I saw that I have been tagged by Jennifer and I'll post it later!)