scrapbooker for hire

love this girl.

 

honoring you, my loving husband.

On this day I remember the 18 month separation that we endured while my husband was overseas. These are just a few layouts that are included in his album.

Here's to you, the love of my love, for putting your life on the line. I love you and I thank you for your sacrifice.    

Just three more weeks to go.

Three more weeks of writing mathematical proofs, reasoning the convergence and divergence of a series and writing cute little beginner computer programs that are seriously, a bit ridiculous.  Just three more weeks and then I'll be back to spending my entire day with this gorgeous little baby girl. Who is, by the way, growing into more of a gorgeous little toddler every single day (which I can hardly believe). Did you know that in nearly a month she'll be two? It's absolutely insane how fast these years have gone by.

We've recently met a couple that lives in our apartment complex (Anne & David) who have a four year old little boy (Ian). He and Terrance have been best of friends since they met.

Today we took a dual family trip up to the Portland Zoo. Anne and I drove up together with T and Ian which was so cute. They totally entertained each other the entire way and made the hour long car drive much better together than they would have alone.

At the zoo Terrance wanted to hold Ian's hand pretty much the entire time, which was the cutest thing that I think I've ever seen (aside from when they hug each other goodbye which is seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen). We packed a picnic lunch and sat on the grass to eat. At one point T was feeding Ian grapes. =)  We finished the trip with a train ride of which both of the kids loved. Why? I don't know; the cars were sweltering hot and I could have walked faster than the train was moving. Not to mention the views of the "exhibit under construction" were not what I paid for. in the end though, the kids had a blast and T had a great nap when we got home. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Sadly, I have no scrappy projects to share and probably won't for at least a month. The house appraisal came back and now all we have to do is sign the papers on June 4th and we can start moving! So, needless to say we must start packing and my scrapbooking room will be the first to go. "Where else are we going to stack all of the  boxes?" my husband says.

I'll tell you where...

today was a beautiful day.

T and I spent the afternoon running through the park playing on the play ground, collecting sticks, rocks and flowers and chasing the squirrels. It's days like this that make me wish I had a nicer camera. For the last five years I've been shooting with a Kodak Easyshare something or other and while I'll admit that it's gotten me some nice pictures it absolutely cannot keep up with this girl. Plain and simply, it just takes too long to take the damn picture and by the time it finally snaps, the photo op has come and gone...again. So, I'm putting it on "the list," which is the list of big ticket items we keep in our heads and whenever we have lots of extra money, we cross a few things off of it. =) So, within the next year I'll have a new camera.

Anywho, this weekend is going to suck.  I'd love to take full advantage of the fact that it's mother's day and make my husband wait on me hand and foot but, I have a crap ton of homework and will be spending my days at the library. Tomorrow I will spend roughly eight hours writing mathematical proofs. The next day I will spend however much longer it takes me to finish the proofs, do my calculus homework and then study for my computer science quiz. While I'm on the subject, here's the layout that I completed yesterday reminding myself why I'm studying these things

Products: Rusty Pickle patterned paper, file folders, and alphabet stickers. Basic Grey chipboard alpha and Doodlebug stickers.

The journaling reads: Because for as long as I can remember I've loved numbers. Because in elementary school I thought the timed math tests were fun. Because counting is a favorite past time. Because the more I know the more I want to know. Because from the first moment that I sat in front of a computer I've loved them. Because computer science flourished from mathematics. Because it's learning a new language. Because it's something that happens naturally in the world which we live. Because it's beautifully technical. Because it's awe inducing and inspiring. Because it makes me happy. Because there's nothing else I want to do more.

That's it. I'm off to bed. Have a great weekend!

finally, something worth posting.

Instead of being responsible and taking advantage of the long weekend to do homework and study ridic ulous math ematical proof methods, I scrap booked.   This is a picture from our Louisiana trip. Somehow this little girl from an apartment in the city became a lover of every where and every  thing outside. She kneeled there for awhile and just pulled up the weeds. The friends we visited lived in the forest next to a lake so, needless to say, there was no shortage of nature. Of which Terrance loved every second of. =)

Products: Rusty Pickle patterned paper, alpha stickers, chipboard photo corners and leafs and rubon.

The journaling on the page is about what she's been up to recently: talking like it's going out of style and saying the cutest thing ever like,  "Is k Joe?." Like, are you okay, Joe? Because we ask her if she's okay when she stumbles and falls or whatever and so, being the sweetest thing ever, she asks other people if they're okay. The other day we were at the store and there was a baby in a shopping cart crying and when Terrance saw and heard him she looked at me square in the eyes and said, "Is k mom? Is k?"

"Yes love, he's okay." 

"Is k mom? Is k?"

Awww, she's just so stinking sweet!

These are two cards that I whipped up for mother's day. One is for my mom and the other for my bff's mom, who is like a second mother to me. =) All products on them are by Rusty Pickle, with the exception of the itty bitty alpha stickers, ribbon and the brad.

Both of these pictures of the babe are from the new house. We were there the other day for the home inspection and she passed the time collecting rocks and playing soccer by herself. Not because we don't want to play with her but because when we do she laughs so hard that she falls over every five steps. So, for her own good, we sit out every once in awhile.

 

Happy 4 day weekend to me!

The Swine flu has spread to Western Oregon. More specifically, Western Oregon University and as a precautionary step to avoid a total outbreak, the campus was closed yesterday and will stay closed at least through Monday. So, as this post is titled, happy 4 day weekend to me! The best part is that I was supposed to take a quiz in my calculus class yesterday, of which I was completely unprepared for so, I get extra days to actually finish my homework and prepare for said quiz.

In other news, we're buying our first house! 

It's a sweet little craftsman style home that was built in 1949.

It has beautiful newly refinished original red oak hardwood floors downstairs (except in the kitchen and bathroom). It has TONS of built-in storage, arched doorways, and a killer backyard. There are two HUGE shade trees that cover the entire house, two apple trees, straw-berries, rhubarb, black-berries (mmm, I see lots of pies in our future), a holly bush and lots and lots of flowers! It has a great little deck that's right off of the master bedroom, a cute brick patio, underground sprinklers (which are connected to a well), a little storage shed AND compost piles that are creating lots of great soil for all the flower beds.

My scrapbook-ing room will be upstairs in the room with the slanty ceilings. Right now it's painted green which makes it really really dark so, I will promptly paint it a lighter brighter color when we move in. I'm really stoked about that room because there are three, yes THREE, closets and an attached half bathroom. =) So, no trips up and down the stairs to wash brushes or pee when I'm crafting. I love it. And the other upstairs room will be the guest room.

There's a room right behind the garage with a fireplace and a built-in bar. That will serve as the "man room." Apparently, the chimney to that fireplace is in need of some repair which is a rather pricey endeavor so, the current owner put an electric heater insert in it which looks surprisingly like real burning wood.

The kitchen is itsy bitsy with very little counter space and NO dishwasher but, I think the scallop above the sink makes up for it. =) I love little character adding details like that.

So, if all goes as planned we should be moving in around the beginning of June which couldn't be more perfect.

In crafty news, I have nothing to share. This term I'm taking two math classes (Calc III and a proof writing class) which consume every bit of time that I have. I'm also just plain and simply burned out and so ready for this term to be over. Luckily, the university doesn't offer anything that I can take this Summer so, I get to take it off! That means that I'll have plenty of uninteruppted time to settle into our house and make it our home. =)

So, now you know why I haven't been updating this thing but, look forward to the coming months as I'm planning lots of great challenges and opportunities to get your hands on some free Rusty Pickle products so, stay tuned!

And now, I'm off to library to study. Blah!

Happy Saturday to you!