THE UNFINISHED PROJECT

Finally back to Digital Scrapbooking

2012-01-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Now that I finally have a new laptop I started digital scrapbooking again. I had to reinstall Gimp on my new laptop (which is a free software comparable to Photoshop). I highly recommend Gimp, it is very easy to use. I blended a picture of one of the gingerbread houses ino the background on this layout below. I forgot exactly how to do this and scoured the net for a Gimp tutorial on blending a photo. I eventually just played around with the layers and brushes until I figured it out. I didn't realize until I was uploading this post that I did post a link on my blog last year with a link on how to blend a photo in a background. I really like this effect and I plan to use it in more of my layouts.

Reeses Cups were my favorite candy as a child.

2011-12-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

I was crazy for Reeses cups (and Doritos) as a child. My mom told me she caught me several times sneaking Reeses cups under our kitchen table as a toddler. (I thought I was hiding even though the table was made of clear glass.) ha! but I really don't eat candy very often anymore as I'm sorta a health food nut - but Halloween results in an abundance of goodies & if we are lucky there are a lot of Reese's cups in my kids bags ;-) So I decided to write an article on Yahoo called "Easy Desserts Using Reese's cups. " Hope you check it out all the ideas are super simple. I even have an idea for a semi-healthy after school snack (topped with Reeses of course!)

Crochet Cowl with Pattern link!

2011-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

This was a really fun and easy crochet project to get me back in the swing of crafting. I looked through alot of crochet patterns online and I finally found this one. Crocheting is really relaxing when you don't have to follow a pattern exactly so I loosely based my cowl on the free crochet cowl pattern above. I'm already working on a blue one and will post a picture when I'm finished.

Cyndi Lauper iPhoneography Art

2011-10-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

I had a headache all day that finally went away after dinner. I was happy it finally went away so I could play with a new iPhone/iPad app I stumbled upon on Instagram this morning. The app CutOutCreator in the iTunes store is so much fun! The pink swirls and white flower is 'cut out' from my own artwork. I imported a picture of Cyndi Lauper in the ArtRage for iPad app and after I used Toonpaint to make her look more like a stencil. I really like how this digital mixed media piece turned out :-)

This house loves soup!

2011-10-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

We are big soup fans. My husband wasn't at first - now he's turned into one of us. Maybe because it's so cold here in Ohio?! Today was unseasonally warm but I was craving this soup. At least I had the smarts to put it in the crockpot. :)

A whole head of cauliflower and an entire bunch of celery is pureed in. I fold in a container of Greek yogurt which gives the soup a creamy finish with a slight tang. My daughter loves this soup!

7 things I'm thankful for today

2011-09-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

1. Dunkin Donuts DARK coffee
2. The bits of sun peaking through the rain clouds
3. That I have plenty of money for grocery shopping (wasn't always the case in my life)
4. I'm thankful that September is here and that means my fav comedy sitcoms will have new episodes
5. That I have no pain in my knee and haven't in weeks!
6. That I'm become interested in crocheting again.
7. That my daughter cleaned the house!

September's Zentangle

2011-09-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

I'm proud of this doodle. It took forever but the end result was worth it! The picture was filtered in Instagram - so some of the shading was taken out - I'm just too lazy to upload the original sketch ;)

Another iphoneography photo

2011-09-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

I was exhausted from cutting the grass ( I have a push mower & it was so humid the day I took this pic) .. I barely focused in on the capture. Funny thing is that this is my most liked picture on Instagram. :) I did some fancy footwork with iphone camera apps to achieve this look, I guess it is a winner to date :-)

iPhoneography ..it's addictive.

2011-09-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

Another Instagram shot I took. I expected this picture to turn out better than it did... Oh well... Jess & I went to Frisch's Big Boy the other day for lunch. It's right down the street from our house but we've never been there in the entire 5 yrs we've lived in this area.

Filter storm app is so much fun!

2011-08-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

I love the app Filterstorm. I like to blur out backgrounds, it makes a photo more artistic and less cluttered by reducing background noise. It works on both the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. You can get it at iTunes by clicking here. Highly recommended!

2011-08-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is my latest photo on Instagram. This is a view from our local park here in Ohio. We live near a park that is connected next to the police station. I look at this picture and think about how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful and safe city. I have longed to live in the big city somewhere - like New York.. what if? If my life was different? If I made different choices. What if? I'm learning to appreciate what I have. I live in a picture perfect area, I am very blessed - I'm finally opening my eyes at age 36 and realizing all my blessings.

iPhone app freebie!

2011-08-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this freebie shared by a photographer on Instagram. The iPhone app Halftone is now free in the iTunes app store. It makes pictures sort of look like comic strips. Above is an example of a picture I filtered in Halftone. There are tons of filter options beside the one above. You can get it here for free in the app store.

Those flowers pictured above are so beautiful in real life. My Grandma has recently been placed in a rest home & I visit her frequently. She is almost blind so I tried to pick the most vibrant colored flowers I could find. She loved them =)

A Blended Zentangle Drawing

2011-08-03T19:47:00.001-07:00

I'm quite fond of this Zentangle sketch I drew on my iPad. I used a technique I wasn't quite sure was possible on the iPad. (using the art program ArtStudio app) - I successfully blended a scrapbook page sorta behind my Zentangle. I kept the rest of the Zentangle the traditional black and white. I think the burst of color sort of makes it pop. =)

I'm working on another drawing currently all black and white. Again it's being drawn on my iPad. When am I going to branch out and use ole' fashioned canvas / paper / ink? hmmm =)

Purple Haze Zentangle

2011-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

I practiced the Zentangle pattern "Mooka" with this drawing. I drew this on my iPad with just my finger. I'd like to try printing some of my drawings to see how they look. Maybe I should buy a canvas at the craft store and see what I can create the old fashioned way? I'm a little nervous with that for some reason. I have a nearly empty sketchbook but tons of Zentangle digital drawings. =)

I tried to get Isaiah interested in drawing over the summer. He's entering kindergarten next month and I figured he'd be a little like his Mama and like to do art. No such luck yet =( ... I did get him interested in printable online mazes. He likes to me print mazes for him. Coloring books are still not cool to him though?

it's so hot! but I love it!

2011-07-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

I love how this picture turned out on Instagram. This picture is of a field about 3 blocks down from my home. I actually used quite a few apps on my iPod with some filters to achieve this effect. I can't wait until the iPod 5 comes out. I hope it has at least as good camera as the iPhone currently does so I can print some of these photos.

Today its blazing HOT outside. I want go to the beach so bad! My grandmother was just placed in a nursing home yesterday - so I am going to go visit her instead.

Minnie Mouse

2011-07-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

I was at the library with the kids today and I saw this Minnie Mouse sitting on a shelf. I got fancy with some filters and I think it made a pretty cute artzy shot for Instagram :-) If you own an iPod or iPhone you *must* get an Instagram account - its endless fun getting artsy with everyday photos :-)

Oh! and I also recently wrote an article about Tips on How to Stop Waiting in Long Lines. Hope you find it helpful =-)

Reeses 2 ingredient cookies?!

2011-06-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a wonderful foodie blog Picky Palate. Don't these cookies look amazing! (note: this image is Picky Palate's, not mine - I'm only trying to entice you to visit her blog and check out her fab recipes!) Only two ingredients for these cookies and one of them is Reeses Cups? That is right up my chocolate-peanut butter-lovin' family :) I love easy recipes like this and I am going to try this one soon. One of her followers mentioned this is a good way to use up leftover Halloween candy. Although we never have that problem in our house. :)

Current book I'm reading

2011-06-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

This book was loaned out to me by my Christian mentor. It's an oldie but goodie but I recommend it. Very helpful book that explains why God sometimes says no to our prayers too. I have been struggling with the "whys" of this world and this books brought a lot of my worries into perspective.

Physicians Choice Makeup is the best!

2011-05-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

My skin is sensitive now that I'm getting older. I also have uneven redness on my cheeks and dark circles under my eyes. All things I didn't have at age 20! Not fun getting old!! So the best makeup for me and my skin type (and budget) is Physician's Choice Makeup. They even have an organic line! I couldn't resist buying this face powder yesterday at Meijer. It was on sale 40% off too. Usually I use coupons at Kroger and get really good deals on makeup, but I couldn't resist with how cute this makeup is. I'm a sucker for hearts, not sure if this was themed for Valentine's Day perhaps? And the package boasted about it being a mood booster as well? I guess the makeup is infused with some sort of plant extracts that mimic endorphins. I'm all about that!

I also did a little doodling on my iPad last night. I haven't been doodling in awhile, I like to do so when I'm nervous and I definitely was last night. We had terrible storms here & Daniel was working late (I mean really late - like an 18 hour day) ... so my iPad helped me keep my mind off things. :o)

I found a neat freebie

2011-05-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch and also have kiddies like I do then you know how this device is very useful to keep them busy! I find my iPod is a real lifesaver while waiting in unexpected long lines with Isaiah. There are tons of free games for iPhones & iPods but I'd much rather he read whenever possible. (He gets enough Xbox at home anyhow ;) He also graduates preschool tomorrow. Since he's on the road to kindergarten books are very essential over the summer. Anyways, I recommending downloading "Jack in the Box" - it's really cute, Zay loves it.

Instagram love

2011-05-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

I love Instagram. So many gorgeous photos to look at. This one in particular caught my eye today on Extragram.

And I took this photo a few days ago while driving through Perrysburg on my way home from my Christian counseling session. I'm going to counseling for a number of reasons - My childhood certainly wasn't a fairytale, and it's starting to bite me on the butt now that I'm an adult. I need to work through a lot of grief, confusion and heartache. I pray someday I can be free of my past so I don't let it hinder the present!

Spring daffodils are so beautiful when grouped in huge masses like this. I really should invest in more annuals.

Broken hearts, tulips and weird clouds

2011-05-03T07:16:00.001-07:00

Dan and I attended a workshop at our church ( Cedar Creek Church ) - "Parents with Broken Hearts." Our daughter Jessica is going on 15 years old and we are so fearful of her future. She makes everyday a living hell for us at home & we finally decided to quit being quiet about it. I was amazed last night at the class that we are not the only ones going through this! Most children aren't like Jessica, so whenever I would try to explain our situation to people I don't think others could totally relate. It's not that she's "just being a teenager." We've been dealing with behavior problems since elementary school. And it's worsening quickly & scaring us to death! I don't want to get into detail on this blog about it all but I never imagined my beautiful baby girl would be so hateful and angry ALL THE TIME. :(

Well, at this class I felt so much comfort because these people would explain their own situations & it sounded like scenes from my own household. It's a 3 week workshop, but I believe it will turn into a life group for support and I'm really excited about this.

On a different subject I have some pictures to share.....

Here's a day in Ohio.......

....and then the next ;0

I wonder if tulips multiply over the years? I planted those beauties going on 3 years ago and they seem like there are more of them this year? I never actually counted them.. maybe I should google this question & find out.

light painting

2011-04-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun playing with an app on my iPod called "Slow Shutte r" - it's kinda like painting with light. It's a little hard to get at first, this pic above is actually a tiny blue light that my wii remotes give off. With that tiny light I was able to create this image (that sorta reminds me of a flower).

This picture may look all artsy but I am sick of all this rain! This can't be normal not to have adequate amount of sunlight per day. I hope someday to move to a sunnier (is that a word?) climate. Just a few hours ago we had a tornado warning that last 10 minutes. How crazy is that? That's how much the weather changes in Ohio.

I know I keep talking about the weather on this blog which is so retarded in a way, but if you lived in Ohio (especially the Toledo area and vicinity) you would understand why. One minute I'm ready to leave to go run errands and the next minute I'm stopped by sirens from tornadoes. And then ten minutes later the sun is shining. smh..

Amazing Grace

2011-04-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

I was feeling kinda anxious and nervous because Dan is flying today. As I left Meijer Grocery store this was the view from my car. God placed it on my heart to quit worrying that He knows what I need. I immediately felt better! God is good! And about five minutes later Dan called :-)

Our Easter

2011-04-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Me and the kids had fun coloring Easter eggs today. I found a kit at Walmart that seemed to have a lot of bright primary colors which I liked. One of eggs was a little off regarding color so I dipped it a few times to make stripes. I like how it turned out to be the odd ball of the brights below.

Jessica made lemon bread for our dinner tonight. Well it never quite made it to dinner because it smelled so good that we dug in after they volunteered at Church. I stayed home because I haven't been feeling well the past few days. I am so thankful to see summer coming, I'm tired of being sick!

Happy Easter & remember HE has Risen! :o)

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

Right now I'm watching an episode of dvr'ed Modern Family w/the hubby and drinking a (virgin) frozen margarita. Everything would be perfect if I wasn't fighting off yet another cold. That didn't stop me from doing a little doodling though. :)

It's still raining!

2011-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

This weather is insane! It is always so dark and dreary in Ohio for a lot of the year it seems? I don't remember it being like this as a child either? So, has the weather altered naturally *that* much or did I not notice things like this when I was a kid? Hmm. I also recently stumbled upon HAARP and that info sorta makes me wonder? No, I don't believe everything I read on the internet, but I do feel it's a quite unnerving to have it snow in April one day and 50+ degrees the next day.

Ok, enough of that rant. I really don't know much about that topic. I am just confused of the chem trails and HAARP theories and I guess it really scares me. But, my God is bigger! ..Although He did give us free will -I hope we don't end up destroying ourselves with that will!!!

On a totally different topic, I have another Mandala sketch to share:

I like the flow of this one, exceptthe little snake shaped twirls bother me. I wish I could change them. Oh well, too late now i guess!

I need to get off here and get my rear in gear. I need to go to the dentist to get forms filled out for Isaiah's kindergarten registration. I can't believe I am registering my lil guy for kindergarten today. Wow, he's growing too fast. :o)

It's raining and neither of us like it.

2011-04-18T06:00:00.001-07:00

This is our new dog. I have never owned a dog as an adult so I really am new at this dog ownership thing. Thank God my husband knows the ropes though, so it's been fairly easy. Except when it rains. This little dog does not like the rain! She does not want to go outside when it rains. She's very fearful of alot of things (loud noises, quick movements, etc etc ) She reminds me of myself. lol

She's so good with the kids and they are so in love with her. Her name was Princess when we got her from Dan's brother, but we renamed her Jackie. Dan said he wasn't gonna yell "PRINCESS" out the door to call her in. LOL

Over the weekend I made this fruit tart. I used the crust recipe from this website. My family gobbled this up! The crust is so delicious and rich, I think the fruit paired perfectly and I'm glad I decided to make it this way.

This week's musings

2011-04-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

I scored on some really cute vinyl wall stickers for my kitchen. I got them at 75% off at Meijer :). Let's hope they stay stuck on my walls.

I've been trying to perfect making my own seitan (or wheat meat). I finally did it! This seitan was delicious and it's already gone! I love seitan for it's versatility.

Saturday's mandala

2011-04-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

I got a chance to do more doodling this weekend. I like this one but wish I choose a different color scheme. Since I drew this digitally on my iPad I could alter the color scheme a lil bit, but it's 1145 pm and I'm too tired now to mess with it. I've been dealing with a sick baby the past few days too. We ended up taking Zay to the E.R. today. His fever was 103.5 and not going down with meds. The docs started him on a new antibiotic. I sure hope it works...poor guy.

drawing Mandalas are relaxing

2011-04-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

I have been crafting forever and tried just about every craft imaginable. I am a highly tense person & alot of crafts tend to stress me out rather than relax me. I notice when I'm concentrating on a detail of beading or crochet I will even forget to breathe! But not so when it comes to doodling. I tell myself there is no right or wrong way to sketch so I immediately relax. I doodled this (digitally) while watching reruns of King of the Hill :)

last nights dinner

2011-03-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Easy peasy weeknight supper. This is my go to on busy weeknights when Jessica has Girlscouts or Isaiah has soccer, etc.

RECIPE:

Ingredients

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box favorite pasta noodles (uncooked)
any veggies you like( or you can omit) my family likes olives/artichokes/green pepper
mozzerella cheese

Add the pasta & jar of spaghetti sauce to your skillet. Fill the now empty jar of pasta sauce with water and add that to your skillet. Add any veggies of your choice and bring to a boil. Turn it down to medium/low and cook for 25-35 minutes covered. Uncover and add mozzerella cheese and replace cover until melted. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Me the insomniac queen

2010-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

I am always always tired. Especially during the school year. My son has to be on the bus by 8 a.m., that is so early ! It wouldn't be so bad if I slept at night, but 8 am always seems like the prime time I am very sleepy and want to sleep.

Check out the poem I wrote on insomnia here.

My White Picket Fence

2010-09-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

I wrote a poem about how I felt as a single mother.. waiting for the love of my life. As a little girl I didn't pray for fame or fortune, I prayed for a family. A house with a white picket fence.. and children. I grew up and got involved with the wrong crowd & ended up a single mother at 21. I struggled for 3 years until I met my husband online. (Yes! online.. and that was *very* taboo back then) -- I'm glad I took the plunge & let love in because I've been living the life the most people dream of. My husband is the kindest sweetest person I've ever met.

Click here to check out my poem :)

2010-09-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

I found this on Digg today... cracked me up.

Ugh, today is so windy and rainy and crappy. I really hate days like this. Reminds me that winter is nearing. Which means less light ..which means I most likely will start to feel S.A.D. - I decided to finally go ahead & purchase a light to start a light therapyregimen. I hope it will help with my sleep rhythms as well. I can't wait to try it out. Anything with no side effects is a plus!

Halloween Costumes!

2010-09-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

I might be going to a few costume parties this year. The last time I dressed up for Halloween I was Monica Lewinsky & my husband dressed in a Bill Clinton mask *(that had kisses all over the mask & his tongue sticking out) ... I wore a beret (that Monica frequented) and a blue dress. Gosh, I wish I had a picture of us!

Anyways.......I started looking online for costume ideas & inspiration. Not sure if I'll buy one or make a costume this year. Here is a list I published of Plus Size Halloween Costumes. Lots of links & even a few references for some D.I.Y. ideas.

If you could attend any concert, what would it be?

2010-09-21T10:20:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson

Ask me anything

Make a Child Smile

2010-09-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

There's are some cards Jessica & I made for MACS. Please take a few minutes to read my article about this amazing organization. You can help make a child smile who is suffering from a life threatening illness with just a few minutes and a postage stamp.

Panic Prevails

2010-09-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

I wore my heart on my sleeve and wrote a very personal poem about my anxiety. I tend to cover it up. I decided to publish it and can view it here if you want to read it.

Nobody told me parenting would be this hard.

2010-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem a few weeks ago. Funny thing is my kids are acting like complete maniacs today so this is a perfect topic to blog about!

My teenage daughter - A poem on mothering by: Alexandria Diaz

My Commentary on the deadest mall ever!

2010-09-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

I took some photos of a Mall in my area. Isaiah and I like to walk there because it is so deserted. It makes me sad because I remember hanging out there as a kid with my best friend. To check out my pics click the pic below or click here.

Enjoying a break from the heat

2010-08-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to get out of the house & take my son to the park. I hoped to get a little break to read or do some writing while he played on the playground. No such luck as you can see I'm now in charge of swinging. A few moments ago we had our 3rd drink from the water fountain & ate some cookies. *Sigh* i miss when he took naps!!! ;)

Feeling accomplished..

2010-08-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am not a morning person. I would much rather go to bed at 2a.m. and wake at 10a.m. - but having a preschooler & teenager doesn't allow me to do that! lol - i would love 2nd shift!..someday .. someday! when they are all grown up and I can work whatever shift I please.

Anyhow, I'm trying to adapt to my daughter being back in school (she is a morning person & wakes at 7am with Isaiah during the summer) - I know!!! I am lucky, right?! but not when school is in session. I am tremendously sleep deprived. I cant seem to go to bed & actually fall asleep early no matter how hard I try! It is SO frustrating!

Jess has been in school over a week now and surprisingly I am feeling better than last year. I really think it has to do with my new water kefir adventures. This stuff is amazing! I even feel a sense of eurphoria at times. I feel calm. I am a nervous person in general who suffers from anxiety ..I really never realized maybe my disorder was an imbalance on many levels? hmm, time to do more googling on this subject after this post......

Even though yesterday was Monday ( I am always more tired on Mondays because of my weekend sleep schedule) - I did accomplish alot of stuff I didn't think I'd get done being so sleepy. Like I said - THANK GOD FOR WATER KEFIR!

I even posted a new item to Fashion Compassion: (click here for more views )

This basket took forever to make! I noticed I am taking a new interest in recycled crafting. I like the idea of re-using items, but I also really like the organic look and feel of magazine/newspaper/paper too. :)

Pamper yourself on a shoe string budget...?

2010-08-23T08:10:00.001-07:00

I wrote an article on the frugal ways I like to indulge in pedicures and other spa-like treatments without paying big bucks for these services. I hope you find some useful info by clicking here!

I'm excited to be writing for Associated Content. I have so much odd knowledge to share!

I opened my Etsy shop!

2010-08-18T05:35:00.001-07:00

I am excited I finally have a few projects completed and I decided to open my Etsy shop back up! I have one item already listed & just need to take pics of my other creations to upload to Fashion Compassion. This magazine vase took hours upon hours to create but I really enjoyed it. If you click on my shop you can see pics of the bottom and close-ups.

We are a doodling family

2010-08-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

A sneaky cell phone pic of my daughter doodling with me at the kitchen table. She absolutely refuses to have her picture taken. I know its probably the age (teenager), but it makes me sad because she's not going to be 13 forever & I won't have any pictures to remember!

Yesterday she & I were dancing in the living room to "Gun & Roses - Paradise City. She was head banging with the xbox guitar & I head banged with "air" drums. LOL We both have very sore necks today - ... how does Axil Rose do it?!

Mini mobile.post

2010-08-07T13:51:00.001-07:00

A quick doodle session while waiting to pick up my Dad. :)

Tips on TP?

2010-08-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

I was watching some videos on frugal tips on Youtube this morning & I ran across this video which was pretty inspiring:

This Mom even uses cloths in replacement for toilet paper?! I couldn't imagine! So this sparked my curiosity. Does everyone in the world use toilet paper? I imagined many 3rd world countries probably do not? So I started googling & found out that in some countries people use their hand!! Preferably their left hand ( because the right one needs to stay clean to shake hands, no?) Isnt that amazing? Here's a link with more info on this topic. I guess I learned something new today! Maybe right now you wish you gained the minute lost reading this crazy post of mine .. but I can't help but be interested in unusual things :p

Magazine bowl

2010-08-04T10:20:00.001-07:00

Another craft in progress...i cant wait to see the end result! I think its going to be at least a week until this is finished. It took so many pages to make just this itty bitty base! I've seen baskets 'n such at Pier1 similiar to what I'm trying to make above...so I'm excited to try & make my own. And reusing i always better than recycling.

Today I woke up to a great surprise in my email. I won a blog giveaway over at Couponing 101. A $20 gift card for Kroger & a bunch of coupons for free Hefty brand supplies. Yay!

mobile post..........

2010-08-01T19:08:00.001-07:00

A little test to see if this pic makes it to my blog :)
I have so many ideas swirling around in my head for this cut-paper-art. So many crafts so little time! sigh!

Gimme some Carrot Juice!

2010-08-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today while shopping at Target for shoes and a shirt for Isaiah ( for an upcoming outdoor wedding) ... Dan & I noticed the juicers were on sale. Over five years ago we splurged on an expensive juicer that worked well but was a HORRIBLE PAIN IN THE BUTT to clean! This juicer by Waring Pro that we saw today had wonderful reviews online & was only $50. What sold me on it is that many reviewers said it was a snap to clean! Dan just made carrot, celery, apple, lemon juice & it is SO delish! and a snap to clean! double win!

I also bought some nail polish for the wedding. I haven't worn nail polish in 2 years or so and even then it was just a one time event. Being such a health conscious nut I couldn't get past all the chemicals in polish. But today I decided to just go for it when I saw a really pretty turquoise color that boasted about 'less' chemical crap added to their product. Where were all these cool colors in the 80s when I was a teen?! Well.. thank God there are more variety now so I can still sport some pretty polish! :)

Crafts Gone WRONG!

2010-07-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Click on the pic for a larger view..........
I was at the library with Isaiah & Jessica and grabbed a book on basketmaking while Zay was watching a puppet show. I skimmed through it and it grabbed my interest immediately. Even tho the book is era 1970s - the techniques were interesting to me. So i decided to try with newspaper. Well, basket making is ALOT harder than the book makes it look~ LOL!!!! i am determined to learn if it kills me ( which my hands ached after this disaster so bad!)

PS notice Isaiah's green shake sitting over there? its ingredients are banana, kale, pineapple, lemon, stevia & coconut oil. Yum yum!

Our trip to Nashville, Indiana

2010-07-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Click on the pic to see it larger.
Luckily I did get in the creative mood yesterday & finished 2 layouts! Here is one of the layouts from our Mini-Vacation to Indiana ( Dan's work sent him to Indiana & we tagged along ) .. I found a bunch of cute digital freebies from this site & it helped inspire the layout of this page. I like how usually these two pics wouldn't seem all the great without family in them -- but with a little journaling they actually come to life.

Oh and btw, i turn 35 today :-) Not that anybody reads this blog anyhow!!

not inspired today.........

2010-07-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this cute little gadget. You can click on the gadget to feed them.

Today I am trying hard to get inspired to digi-scrapbook. I have a hot cup of coffee and some ice water at my desk...tons of digital paper & embellishments.. and no inspiration. ugh. this happens to me sometimes with any type of creating I might do. I need to quit forcing this and just move on to something else until inspiration hits I guess. Maybe I should just do the laundry instead? BOooo!

2010-07-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

I used this tutorial to blend a picture into a background. She uses Photoshop but I sorta played around with Gimp until I figured it out. I LOVE how this page turned out!!!

Bathing beauties

2010-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

This layout is the first time I cropped pictures into circles. I think it gives the layout a fun feel to it. plus...the circles remind me of bubbles which match the whole swimming/water thing.

Today we are grilling veggies with white rice. I think rain is coming so I hope the food gets done before it starts pouring! We really need the rain though. Our grass looks like a patch of golden wheat. I'm kinda glad I didn't plant any vegetables in the garden this year. I bet I would of had a terrible time with growing good produce~!

Swimming in Indiana

2010-07-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

We spent 2 weeks in a hotel in Indiana while my husband worked at another plant training employees. It was so much fun to stay in a luxury hotel! Complimentary breakfast & dinner made life easy for me and best of all it was all FREE!

i like simple

2010-06-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

As I'm making more layouts & learning Digiscrapping I'm starting to realize I like very simple backgrounds and usually only 1 picture per page. I love how this one turned out - and its just a cell phone picture! This poor kid has swimmers ear today. We swam for two weeks in Indiana and she is in horrible pain in both ears. One ear is worse than the other. I pray the meds work quick! Poor Jess. :-(

moustaches ;-)

2010-06-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

I love how this layout turned out. I think it fits her well. She cracks me up, when she woke this morning she still had a moustache on her face & couldn't get it off (even though the markers are washable?) lol

buddies layout

2010-06-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

I remember Isaiah was talking and talking to me that day. :)

Zoo fun

2010-06-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

there are no animals from the Zoo in this pic... but i thought it was cute how he was playing with this fish statue. We went last month with Jen, baby Nick.. Big Jess & her husband. It was fun - but SOOO hot! hotter than it is now! crazy Ohio weather!

I like this one!

2010-06-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

I found a picture of Jess. It was taken at my Aunts house at Christmas.. The photo isn't super clear but I worked with the unfocused-ness (is that a word? LOL) to match the softness of the layout. I didnt even mention it was Christmas so I could add journaling on what she's into this year. I really like this one!

Baby Isaiah

2010-05-21T07:17:00.001-07:00

Aw he's so little here. I'm on a roll.... Shutterfly sent me a free 8x8 book offer so I need to get 20 scrapbook pages finished so I can have them made into a scrapbook!

I've been feeling pretty icky the past two days. Hope I can get at least one page done today..

Jessica Scrapbooked at age 10

2010-05-19T15:56:00.001-07:00

I found this picture of Jessica in my email saved folder. It's been there sitting in that folder about 3 years!! I absolutely LOVE this picture. I love her hair this length & she looks so good in red! I used my very first purchased kitJessica Sprague's covered buttons (on sale for only $1 too) . They are wonderful and a steal at that price!

Dan & baby

2010-05-18T04:15:00.000-07:00

I finished another layout! My sweetheart Isaiah is still the same way as portrayed in this pic. Just yesterday Daniel said that Isaiah barely left his lap all evening after he got out of work. It might have something to do with Daniel being gone at work for weeks at a time..

Moms Day Brunch with Isaiah - Scrapped Digitally!

2010-05-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

My newest passion is digital scrapbooking. Years ago when Jessica was a baby scrapbooking was just starting to become popular. I loved the idea of being able to be creative and recording precious memories at the same time. I was a single mom back then & unfortunately scrapbooking was an expensive hobby for me. I did find a bunch of non-traditional (and probably NOT acid free ways to work around not having alot of money) and still being able to scrapbook her baby pictures. I have 2 huge binders of her pictures all scrapbooked. She is now 13 years old and I didnt go much beyond that. Now over 10 years later I've decided to dive into scrapbooking again. Technology has made it much better for me to scrapbook nowadays. I am learning digital scrapbooking. It is SO much cheaper and no mess! and I can print if I want to (multiple copies too!) I love it!

Jessica :-)

2010-04-03T14:16:00.001-07:00

I was shocked Jessica actually TOOK a picture of herself and sent it to me. She usually runs and hides whenever I try to take a picture of her.

I love red & pink!

2010-03-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is a bracelet I made for my Aunt's birthday. I really love the clasp. I haven't done any beading in awhile - I really should get back into it. I love doing it when it goes smoothly and there are no knots or kinks to deal with! lol - if i remember correctly this design was pretty knot-free :)

Today Isaiah is at school so I am going to try and reorganize my bathroom closet. Tasks like this really make me cringe ...ugh

..but on the other hand thesun is out so I am really itching to get out of here! and hey.. I can always do the closet organizing thing on a rainy day, right? :-)

Deals!

2010-01-25T12:24:00.001-08:00

I found a few good deals on the net today so I thought I'd pass that info along:

Oreo's are giving away free bags of the golden stuffed Oreo's.. click here for more info.

I also found Shutterfly is giving away free photo books (just $5 for shipping) Click for the info!

I only have a few more minutes until Isaiah's bus will be coming. It's amazing how the days he's in school the hours pass soooo quickly! I did do some mall walking today to get some exercise :) Now its time to finish cleaning the house i suppose.. BOO on that! ;)

Imagination Station

2010-01-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

My husband's Christmas Party was at Imagination Station this year. Unfortunately, we were all sick with the flu at the time of the party so we had to use our tickets at a later date in January. It is such a cool place! So many different stations for children to observe, learn and play. Isaiah had a great time. Jessica had fun too but of course I couldn't get her to take a picture! Ugh! 13 year olds!!!! My my oldest child (my husband LOL) got in on the fun - If you want to check out some more really adorable pics of the fab day we had.. please check out my facebook album.

My Yuca Deal! lol

2010-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to Giant Eagle & in their clearance section there was a ton of yuca for only .50 cents a can! That is such a steal because here in Ohio it costs around $3 a can. My husband is Dominican and this is a staple in his diet so I stocked up at that price. Usually he likes Yuca with grilled onions and olive oil & vinegar. Today I was looking up recipes and stumbled upon this recipe from Kraft.

Sounds alot like potato salad, but I think it would be yummy since yuca reminds me alot of potatoes. Not exactly a Domincan recipe - but hey I can switch it up a bit with all the yuca I have stocked in my pantry!

My very first blog post!

2010-01-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Okay.. well.. not exactly my first post ever.. but for this blog it is the very first post. I have had numerous blogs in the past including livejournal & blogger way way back in the day. For the life of me though I can't remember the url address to my own blog! That's how long its been since I've last been on blogger. So I'm starting fresh & new..many years later I've decided to join to the blogging community again!

I plan to blog my heart out. My life as a mom, a Christian.. a Sims fanatic lol. .. I also craft alot and I'm very interested in home decorating and frugal ways to go about fixing up our old house.

More to Come!