I was going to post a layout but I accidently left my camera on and the battery is dead. I would just charge it, if I could find the charger. Mike and I have pretty much torn the house apart looking for it. I finally gave up and just ordered a new one a few minutes ago. I hope it gets here quick!



Thanksgiving was great. We ended up going to four different dinners and I ate way too much! I don't think I've ever seen Drew eat that much. He's usually a picky eater but this day he was far from it. He also discovered a new found love for gravy or "graby" as he would say. Stacey was quite proud of that since her love for gravy is well known. I was pretty sure when Mike and I first started dating and he saw Stacey drink KFC gravy that he was going to run for the hills. I'm passing no judgement on gravy drinking since I've been known to eat a spoonful of A-1. Most of the time if I order a steak, it's all for the A-1. It's more like "would you like a steak with your A-1."

The Friday after Thanksgiving we put up our Christmas tree. It always drives me nuts when I see Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving is even over but the next day, it's fair game to me! I can tell that this Christmas is going to be the start of fun. Drew was so excited to put up the tree. He even tried to help me decorate. He would put ornaments all in one place without hanging them on the tree. He would just sit them on the branch. We have this huge pile of ornaments all on one branch. I don't have the heart to move them. He was so proud of helping. When I asked Drew what he wanted Santa to bring him he said, to our surprise, a baby doll. Wait, did I hear that right? A baby doll! Our son wants a baby doll! I laughed. Mike laughed and tried hard to hide his worry. We decided that if a baby doll is what he wants, then a baby doll is what he will get. Mike's still a little unsure about getting him one and I'm not really sure why. From what I hear, he had a baby doll when he was little. (Thank goodness he doesn't read this! I would be sleeping on the couch for sure!)

Well, after two weeks of working pretty much nonstop I'm all done! That is such a great feeling! Today I'm going to do some scrapbooking. It's funny how my work is all scrapbooking and then when I have a day to do whatever I want, I want to scrapbook! Tomorrow is operation clean scrapbook room. Drew will be at daycare and the only way I see getting this room clean is to drag everything out of it and basically start over. Fun times, I'm sure.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Want to see the rest of the layout? Click here and you can see the whole layout and read about my approach to starting and finishing a layout. This was a fun project to do but it took me so much longer than just a normal page. I kept forgetting that I had to stop and take pictures of each step! I would be in my scrappy "dazed-to-the-world" state of mind and get too far ahead.

As for the layout, I think this might be my all time favorite...for right now anyway. I love it when you finish a layout and are so pleased with the outcome. I was trying a new technique on this page so I really didn't know what to expect the finished product to look like. It ended up being one of those layouts that just went together exactly the way I wanted it to. I love it when that happens!

Gotta run...I've got a pumpkin swirl cheesecake baking in the oven for tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving!!

I've been scrapbooking like a mad woman for the last few weeks but none of those pages are ones that I can post on my blog. I really don't like posting without a picture or scrapbook page, so I figured I would post a sketch that I intend to turn into a page sometime soon! Feel free to use it and if you do let me know...I want to see it! And, if you like doing the whole sketch thing, let me know. I've got books full of them that I can share with you all! Maybe I could have a sketch day once a week.

So this last weekend was a blur. It went by way too fast! I did get a lot of projects done and that's a great feeling. I also managed to squeeze in some cleaning and lots of family time. It was a great balance of everything! If I could just learn to manage my time better all the time...

For the last two Thanksgivings I can always tell when the day is getting close. My mood changes a lot. I don't notice it at first but eventually I realize why it is that I get so moody and emotional. It is the anniversary of my dad's death. When Thanksgiving rolls around and on the drive to my Grandpa Arnall's house that evening I still for a split second think, "Man, I haven't seen Dad in such a long time. It will be great to see him." I do this a lot actually. I haven't even changed my cell phone list so when anyone calls me from our family's lumber company it still pops up as 'Dad'. For a second I get excited that he called. I know that I need to change it because the sadness that follows when I figure out that it isn't him is hard. I guess I just feel like if I erase the name on the number I'm erasing him. I know, that sounds so stupid. I guess we all deal with death in silly and different ways.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I know I plan on eating as much as possible. That may be one good thing about divorced families...you get more turkey! I think we are hitting three different dinners this year! I'll probably gain way too much weight but at least I can use the "eating for two" thing as a great excuse for that extra large piece of pumpkin pie!

*Why in the world does it say I posted this on Thursday when I actually posted it on Friday afternoon! Sometimes blogger is just so weird...

Introducing the new Creating Keepsakes. Starting in January CK magazine will have a whole new look. But the changes aren't stopping with just the cover. Along with the cover they are introducing a new look on the inside as well. To me the most exciting change is the addition of a Creating Keepsakes Dream Team. A team of 10 people to work directly with Creating Keepsakes. So why does this have me all giddy? Because I'm one of those 10!

I can't believe that I'm on this amazing team along with: Emily Falconbridge, Maggie Holmes, Jill Hornby, Ingunn Markiewicz, Emily Magleby, C.D. Muckosky, Amanda Probst, Kelly Purkey and Tiffany Tillman.

When I saw the list for the first time I flipped! I mean these are people that have work that I admire. Seriously? Me...on that list too!?! I think it might take awhile for it to settle in.

Creating Keepsakes has made this last year one that I will never forget. I never in a million years thought that an opportunity like this would come my way and I am overjoyed. I'm looking forward to the new CK and the wonderful year that is ahead!

Life is so unbelievably busy right now! On top of all the Scrapbook Generation stuff I do every month, I've also had a few awesome opportunities come my way that I wasn't about to pass up! I'm still trying to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming! There is an announcement coming up that I have been bursting to tell about for the last month!

I'm anxiously awaiting the January issue of Creating Keepsakes. Yesterday at the store we got a box from CK Media and I got all excited hoping that it was the January issue but no such luck. Hopefully it will be soon!

I don't know how much I'll be blogging in the next few weeks due to a crazy schedule but I'll try to pop in and update as much as I can. I hope everyone is having a great week!

Sick of being sick!

First Mike was sick. Then Drew got it from him. Of course it was impossible for me to dodge it. So, now I'm sick. It is not my idea of fun being sick, taking care of a sick kid and being that pregnant kind of tired. On Sunday Drew and I slept almost all day! I think Drew is on the road to recovery but I still feel like crap. I'll be a better blogger when I feel a little better!

I hope everyone is having a good week!

Trick or Treat

We spent Halloween evening trick or treating in Hartville and Mansfield (our home towns). Since that is where most of our family lives we figure it's a good way to squeeze in some visits and for Drew to get plenty of treats.

Getting Drew in his costume was not a treat, pun intended. I don't know if he was embarassed or what but he hated it. When I bought it I figured he would love it. He is going through this big dinosaur phase. (and technically it's a dragon costume, but I thought it was close enough to a dinosaur.) Every corner in our house has a dinosaur hiding behind it, according to Drew. I believe he even had one in his belly button once. Obviously he doesn't yet grasp what a dinosaur is or their size. Okay, I'm getting off subject. I just knew he would love the costume when I brought it home so I was a little sad that he didn't like it. So much for mother knows best.

After a stop at the store so Karin and Stacey could see him as Drew-o-saurous, we were postive that trick or treating was not going to be fun for any of us. Much to our surprise we were wrong. We went to my Grandpa Arnall's first and once Drew saw all the other kids dressed up in costumes he decided that he loved his. He even managed to give out a few "roars" to people.



Drew ended up with more than enough candy. Since we were visiting family he didn't just get the one treat per customer type of service. Instead he got handfuls and then a few more managed to slip into his sticky fingers when nobody was looking. He even got coloring books, books, and a collection of disgusting insects and snakes. Thanks Mom. Now we have bugs laying around the house that look a little too real for me.

I can't believe that next year we will be trick or treating with two kids. Drew will be the big brother and show the new one the ropes of tricking. It's going to be great!