A layout share and some rambling....

Here's my layout that I was able to do on Sunday! I dug into my stash of alpha's to do the title and mixed them all up because I didn't have matching letters to do her name. I would really love to be able to do a layout a day......just that little bit of being able to be creative would be so wonderful!

We actually had to turn the heat on last night! The low was supposed to be around 37 degrees! Wow, we had such a cool summer, I wonder if Autumn is going to be colder than usual. Last year on Halloween we didn't even have to wear a jacket! I was able to put out our Halloween/Autumn decorations today and I also ran to Hobby Lobby and bought supplies to make an Autumn wreath for my front door. I think it turned out pretty nice and maybe I'll share a photo of it later. With the cooler weather, I have really been craving chili and hot soups! I plan on sharing some of our favorite recipes here as I make them. I did share my chili recipe already and you can see it here.

I hope everyone is enjoying their last day in September. Can you believe that? It just doesn't seem possible that tomorrow is October! Take care!

Gratitude Challenge - Journal page 2

This page came together much easier than the first one! I used an ancient stamp set by Stampin' Up! and colored directly onto the stamp with 2 shades of pink markers. Then I went around the edges with a blender pen. The coffee stain ring is an old one by Club Scrap. I stamped around the page with pink Radiant Pearls and also used my finger to rub some across the word "gratitude". I used a glue pen to draw steam and then covered the glue with Diamond Dust glitter.

I'm going to have to take a break from working on my pages now, because the glue for my steam has to dry! Maybe I'll work on a digi page.....I have some challenges I want to do that are at OScraps! I do love a good challenge!

Gratitude Challenge - Journal page 1

I finally did my first journal page for the Gratitude Challenge today! I must admit that I made it way too hard. I am not just to just sitting down with a page and letting loose. lol I have a feeling that besides this being a learning experience on being grateful; it will teach me how to let my creativity flow more naturally onto each journal page that I complete.

I used some supplies that I've neglected for years and years on this. The leaves are an old stamp set by Stampin' Up. I colored them in with chalks and then rubbed some Pearl-Ex on them. I highlighted the words with chalks, also. The background 4 different colors of Radiant Pearls patted on with a stipple brush.

That's about it! Now to go work on page 2! :-)

Family Favorite Recipe - Hashbrown Quiche

Coming up with recipes on my own is something that I just can't do. But, out of desperation to copy a recipe that my mom used to make all of the time, I was able to come up with this super-yummy breakfast-for-dinner meal. My mom used to cook this in a skillet, but that just isn't enough for our big family. You can add anything to this dish to zip it up a bit. I have some picky eaters, so I keep it simple and only add vegetarian bacon or sausage. Usually, I keep it plain and simple though and it's still delicious! If I want to add extra goodies, I cook these up in pie plates and that way I can make each quiche differently, one w/ meat, one w/ lots of veggies, and one plain one, for example. I usually make it in a 9x13 baking dish and we have plenty for dinner and some leftovers for breakfast the next day. We had this for dinner last night with some watermellon. Fruit or a fruit salad go well with this; toast would be nice, too. This is comfort food for sure! I hope you enjoy it!

Hashbrown Quiche-

1 bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes
veggies of your choice - if desired (onions, bell peppers, anything you want really!)
meat of your choice - if desired (bacon, ham, sausage - I use Morningstar Farms vegetarian meat substitutes)
2 cups milk
6 large eggs
1 or 2 fresh tomatoes - depending on it's size and how thick you slice them
shredded cheese - as little or as much as you like (I use Colby/Jack or Cheddar)
a good grinding of fresh black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Saute the hashbrowns in a big skillet in some oil, salt and pepper until cooked through . You can add the veggies to the hashbrowns now so that they get soft. After the hashbrowns are cooked, stir in your choice of meat. While things are getting yummy in your skillet, stir together the milk and eggs. Add some salt and pepper, if desiered. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the hashbrown mixture in the baking dish and spread out so it's pretty even. Slice your tomato and place on top of the hashbrowns, so that they cover the entire top. Sprinkle with some salt and a good grinding of fresh black pepper. (I have been known to use white pepper so my picky eaters can't see it! lol) Slowly pour the egg mixture over the hashbrowns. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes or so. Sorry, I don't have an exact time for this one. It also depends on what size of pan you use. If you cook this in a couple of pie pans, it cooks much faster. Just keep checking the dish in the oven, looking in the center, to see if the eggs have completely cooked and set. When done, remove from oven and sprinkle with some shredded cheese. Let sit for a few minutes so that the cheese melts. Slice into rectangles and enjoy!

I hope this all makes sense. Like I said, I am not one who can create a real recipe. For me, this is a grab from the fridge and stir together recipe. I normally don't measure, except I have found that the 2 cups milk and 6 eggs works the best for one bag of hashbrowns.

I have leftovers in my fridge right now...........hum.....I think I'll go warm some up! It's a prefect breakfast for this chilly morning!

Gratitude Challenge - Day 9

eek. I am a day late again! I really need to get back on track!

I am thankful for:

1. The grace of understanding from others. I forgot about a funeral meal I was supposed to have at church today, so I got it there late.
2. A new book that I bought about spiritual journaling.
3. The new cool-weather clothes I bought for Gracie today.
4. Hashbrown quiche. So simple. So good!
5. The food that I bought at the grocery store today.

Gratitude Challenge - Day 8

I am thankful for:

1. Making time to read my Bible this morning.
2. That Joe can face things with a level-head. I tend to let my emotions drive me all of the time.
3. That Chris can drive to and from school!
4. The Traci has so much faith in me that she'd ask me to take pictures at her niece's wedding.
5. For Monday Night Football!!!! (of course!)

weekend layouts

I actually got some traditional scrapbooking done this weekend! I haven't been able to make it into my scrap area for awhile, so I've been doing a lot of digi layouts lately. It sure did feel good to get in there with my hands and make something. I really enjoy doing digi layouts, but for me, I just can't beat actually touching and feeling the cardstock and embellishments. I'm just too much of a tactile person, I guess. lol Either way, it sure does feel good to create something!

A couple of cards to share

I made these awhile ago but waited to share them here until I got them mailed out! I used to make cards all of the time and stopped. But, now I am trying really hard to start making them again, because I really do enjoy it.


The first is a birthday card that has a bookmark tucked in a pocket on the front. The verse on the outside of it says:
"I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you." Romans 1:8

The second is a baby card and the verse inside says:
"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD." Psalm 127:3

The stamps for both cards are from Stampin' Up and I colored both of the images in with Stampin' Up! markers and a blender pen. I am trying very, very hard to keep myself from breaking down and buying some Copic markers. They seem like such a dream, but there is nothing wrong with my SU! markers and I need to use them until they dry out. Then I can start buying some Copics. I did find a great tutorial about how to use your SU! Markers to get similar results as you would with Copics.

Here it is: Paper Pleasing Ideas-Coloring Tutorial

Gratitude Challenge - Day 7

Wow, it's already been a week! I really need to start working on pages in my journal!

Today I am grateful for:
1. The absolutely amazing day that we had. The wind was blowing and the Autumn leaves were starting to fall. It was just beautiful!
2. That Joe watched Gracie this morning so that I could sleep in a bit. It was so nice to be lazy!
3. That Abby was able to do community service today for the city's Red Ribbon Rally.
4. That Gracie colored on both of her legs with the red marker and not the black one! At least the red that wouldn't come off of her skin isn't as noticeable as black would have been!
5. For an awesome day full of excellent football games on TV!

Gratitude Challenge - Day 6

Today I am grateful for:

1. God bringing new friends in my life.
2. That Joe is such a wonderful and loving Daddy.
3. That Tori has a job and is learning how to be a responsible employee.
4. For the wonderful opportunity of helping do the landscaping at a Habitat for Humanity House today.
5. That I am so close to an awesome craft store that has beautiful scrapbooking goodies!

Gratitude Challenge - Day 5

Ooops! I got behind already! Here are Friday's 5 things that I'm grateful for:

1. That God is patient with me as I struggle with my prayer life.
2. For Joe being such a hard worker so that I am able to stay at home with Gracie.
3. Being able to help Abby get dolled up for school pictures this morning.
4. My beautiful, little house.
5. That my creative juices have been flowing freely this week!

It's all in the details..... - digital layout

I just finished this layout this morning and I am so happy with it. It's super-simple, but I want the focus to be the journaling. This one is for another challenge at OScraps!. I am SO loving that place for awesome challenges! The challenge was to scrap a photo and to journal about what is going on in the background of the photo.....to document the little details lurking around back there. I picked a photo that I took of our dining room one Fourth of July. If you read the journaling, you'll see why this photo means so much to me.

It's all in the details.........

It’s the small things in the background that sometimes catch my eye more than what the actual photo is about. This is just a picture of our dining room on the Fourth of July but when I look at this photo, I see so much more. I see our dinner table that has been in Joe’s family for over 100 years and remember Joe’s dad sitting at that table with us eating dinner and telling us the story of when he was a little boy and had broken his arm. Doctors came to your house back then and the doctor set his broken arm on that very table. The blue table cloth is the same one that
has been on that table since Joe was a little boy and when you see photos from Joe’s kitchen, this same table is sitting there there with the exact same table cloth on top of it. I see the row of plates on the buffet. I grew up with state plates lining the wall in our kitchen and my mom bought me several of those plates. I have onefor each state I’ve lived in, plus a little one for Silver Dollar City that I couldn’t resist. Silver Dollar City is such abig memory from my childhood. I see the stack of books on the buffet. They are old Bibles and prayer books. Each of those books was very special to their owners; Joe’s dads Bible, my Grandma’s Bible that was given to her in 1949,and Joe’s moms Daily Missal, Joe’s great-grandmother’s pocket prayer book. Each of these books holds small treasures inside....notes written on papers of favorite verses, dates of births and deaths....reminders of loves ones who have passed long ago. I also see new trinkets that my children will grow up with. My ever-growing collection of porcelin Saint statues on a shelf and flea market plates.
I hope that one day when my children look at the photos that I have taken, they remember to look in the background, and to see the little things. And I know that they are just things, but they are the little details from our lives.

I hope you all have a blessed day!

Gratitude Challenge - Day 4

Here are the 5 things that I'm grateful for today!

1. My churches couples group. We had our first get-together this evening and it was so wonderful to be w/ other couples, meet new people and have a good time!
2- Abby for baby-sitting Gracie so that Joe & I could go to the couples get-together.
3. That Gracie is starting to entertain herself more and more and not always wanting me to keep her occupied.
4. My Autumn Leaves Yankee Candle.....oh, how I do love Yankee Candles Autumn flavors!!!
5. The way that I can smell Joe's cologne hours after he leaves the house in the morning....even though it makes me miss him even more during the day!

If there ever comes a day.... - digi layout

Here is a layout that I did this afternoon for a challenge at OScraps. It was a challenge to use this quote from Winnie the Pooh-

"If there ever comes a day
when we can't be together,
keep me in your heart
I'll stay there forever."

I absolutely LOVE this photo of my two girls and think it's perfect for this quote! I am really enjoying all of the challenges at OScraps, too. They really get my creativity going!

Gratitude Challenge - my journal

Yeah, I was able to decorate the front of my art journal today that I am going to use for the Gratitude Challenge! I had a ton of fun digging into my stash of scrapping goodies and I was able to do the front and inside of the cover w/o needing to buy a single thing. It feels so good to be using up some of my stash that has been sitting around for years waiting to be used. So now the fun begins.....doing a page each day about the things that I am grateful for. I can't wait to start and hopefully will this afternoon. Sally, you are so awesome.....I am so grateful for YOU for doing this challenge for us!

in motion - digital layout

Here is a layout that I just completed for a challenge at OScraps. The challenge was to scrap a blurry photo. I was thrilled to join in on this one, because I knew that I had the perfect blurry photo for this challenge. I attempted to snap a photo of a church while we were driving down the interstate on night. Needless to say, it didn't come out at all! But, now I am able to document this, even though it's a big blur and tell the story behind it. Silly, I know, but fun and one reason why I love scrapbooking! I love being able to create pages that share the little things in life that are so easily forgotten.

Gratitude Challenge - Day 3

I think that the best way for me to share what I am most of what I'm thankful for today is all in this this photo:


GG and I spent the morning in my scrap room. This is the first time that I let her up at the counter and she was in complete heaven! Who wouldn't love tons of little drawers to open that each had fun, little things inside to play with? lol I was able to make a card while she played with all of my scrapping goodies.

So, here are the 5 things that I am grateful for today:

1. My little Gracie. She is the light of my life!
2. The grace of creativity and the opportunity to share it with my loved ones.
3. My scrap room and being able to have my own spot to create.
4. The amazing morning we had today. It was foggy and cool and a perfect Autumn morning!
5. Wednesday night Mommy & Me dance class with Gracie.

Gratitude Challenge - Day 2

Here are the 5 things that I'm grateful for today:

1. The my husband is able to take the kids to school each morning on his way to work!
2. My absolutely amazing 13 yo daughter who has been bubbly all day because she's excited about her new hair cut.
3. Coffee. I love it. ;-)
4. That my mother taught me how to make deliciously, simple potato soup. I made some for dinner and it is the best comfort food ever!
5. My DVR. I know I shouldn't watch that much TV, but it sure is nice to be able to DVR things and watch them after everyone is tucked in for the night.

Go to Sally's blog is you would like to join in on this awesome challenge!

Gratitude Challenge

A good, scrapping friend, Sally, has started a Gratitude Challenge at her blog and at OScraps. As soon as I saw that she was doing this, I knew that I had to join in. I've had a lot going on in my life and I have really let a lot of my daily stress get me down and cloud my vision of the good things that happen each day. So, I am hoping that this 40-day challenge will help me look for and validate those special, little gifts of grace that God gives me each day!

Here are 5 things that I am grateful for today:

1. My church and the opportunities that it give me to grow in my faith and friendships.
2. That my husband is a great Mr. Fix-It! He fixed one of our outside faucets today that has been leaking badly.
3. Whoever invented the washing machine! With 6 peoples worth of laundry that needed to be caught up today, I can't even being to imagine what it was for women in the days before electric washing machines and dryers!
4. The cool breezes of Autumn.
5. My friends who let me know that they are praying for me and my family.

Now Sally is making fabulous pages in an art journal for this challenge and I really hope to do the same! Maybe that is something that I can do tomorrow as a little reward for spending all day doing laundry!

Have a blessed day!

this is love - digi layout

Here is another layout that I finished over the weekend. I absolutely love this photo of my husband. The journaling says it all.....

I will never forget the evening that Joe & I renewed our wedding vows in the Catholic Church.
I had just officially become a Catholic & Father Don called us up right after Mass to say our
vows. I think that I was more nervous this time than the first time! I don’t know if it was because now I really knew & understood the meaning of our vows or if it was because I loved Joe just as much now as I did when we were first married in 1992. I will never forget how special
this evening was or the look on Joe’s face when he said, “I do.” This is what Love looks like.
15 April 2006

I hope you have a blessed day!

He Is - digi layout

I ran across the lyrics to this song at the K-LOVE website and I knew that I had to do a faith-booking page using it. The words "Even when it feels like there is no one holding me; Be still, my soul, He is" made me think of the "Two Brothers" statue that is located on the grounds at Boys Town. I need to go download this song from iTunes now!


He Is - by Mark Schultz

Father let the world just fade away
Let me feel Your presence in this place
Lord I've never been so weary
How I need to know You're near me
Father let the world just fade away
'Til I'm on my knees
'Til my heart can sing

He is
He was
He always will be
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still, my soul
He is

Father let Your Holy Spirit sing
Let it calm this storm inside of me
As I stand amazed
Lift my hands and say

He is
He was
He always will be
He lives
He loves
He's always with me
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still my soul

Through every fear
And every doubt
In every tear I shed
Down every road
I'm not alone
No matter where I am

He is
He was
He always will be
He lives
He loves
He's always with me
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still my soul
Be still and know
Be still my soul
He is