Currently: December 2014

Watching:  The Good Wife on Amazon Prime

Reading:  The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Listening:  Christmas Music!

Making:  A December Daily Album

Feeling:  Busy...does it ever really stop?

Planing:  Family Christmas card photo, when to visit Santa, all the fun stuff to do in December

Loving:  Online shopping!!!

Napa Valley

Another quick layout using my Studio Calico November kit Walden.  On Friday of our Napa trip the Taris' treated us to a ride on the wine train.  We started off in the dinning car and had a gourmet lunch.  I had tuna and I remember it was very good.  All the while we were heading north up through the Napa Valley. We finished our trip in a lounge car with dessert.  Our stop was Castello di Amorosa, a winery built to look like a castle.  We had a tour scheduled and ended up with a great guide and the best part was the wine tasting at the very end!  What an awesome day to remember forever.  Thanks TnT!

P.S. Do any of you ladies remember Tonya's sister and brother in laws names?  I will add names to the layout if you do!

Mumm Napa

Ahhh Mumm!  Who knew that starting out the day drinking sparkling wine would be so fun!  Last year I traveled with some of my best college girlfriends to Napa Valley California to celebrate Tonya's momentous birthday!  On Saturday we made it to five different wineries but stated out our day at Mumm.  What an awesome view and the drinks were pretty tasty too.

I used my Studio Calico November kit Walden and scrap lifted this great layout by Kelly Noel.

P.S. Let's do this sometime again...SOON!

So Happy Together

I am getting down to the bottom of my stack of photos to scrap for 2013.  That is a good thing!  I won a paper pack at Scrapbook Generations birthday party and used it for layout in Ashley's school album.  So I threw this layout togheter with all the scraps.  It is kinda girly for a skid loader photo but oh well. 

Allison Joy

I couldn't do a layout about Ashley without one for my favorite two year old Allison.  Again I used a Scrapbook Generation super saver layout from the same class as Ashley's layout.

Allison at four:

• Playing with Calico Critters
• Loving anything Frozen
• Learning how to write her name
• Watching Misses Michelle (Full House)
• Sleeping with her blankie
• Wanting a baby (her current plan is to take Liam's new baby)
• Pushing our buttons to see what she can get away with
• Copying everything her big sister does

Ashley Dawn

Another quick Scrapbook Generation super saver layout of my most favorite seven year old ever.

Ashley  at 8 years old

• Reading and loving Harry Potter (on the 2nd book now)
• Learning times tables in 3rd grade
• Rubbing her belly button
• Loving gymnastics class
• Hunting doves with Dad
• Watching Full House (still!)
• Talking all.the.time.

Oh Happy Day

Have I mentioned before how much I love Scrapbook Generations super saver Saturdays?  This layout was from on of those Saturdays, they go together so quick since all the design/layout work is done. 

Tradition says that the Wiseman and Cowan families spend the weekend after Thanksgiving together in St. Louis.  On Saturday the guys go one way and the girls and kiddos go another.  Last year we headed to the Zoo.  We lucked out and had awesome weather.  One of the many things I miss about living in St. Louis is the awesome Zoo.

In other news.... My Hello Summer layout was published in the November create magazine,  check it out on page 233.

Girls

A quick layout of my two crazy girls.  I used my Studio Calico October kit The Underground and this layout by Andrea for inspiration.

It seems like every time we stop by Grandpa's shop the girls can find some kind of trouble to get into.  This particular day they were playing on an old tractor and the steering wheel had turned their hands all black.

Currently: November 2014

Watching:  DVR'd shows...I am so behind in Fall TV

Reading:  The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

Listening:  Yesterday in the car I wondered if it was too soon to find the all Christmas radio station

Making:  Meeting agenda for Ashley's Girl Scout Meeting tonight

Feeling:  Busy busy busy (and the holidays have not even started)

Planing: I should be planning our spring break vacation

Loving:  Atlas' shop is booked into 2015!!!!

Ashley's Photo Walk

Another quick layout this week using my Studio Calico October kit The Underground!

When Ashley has a day off school and we have to work I usually ask Aunt Donna if she will take Ashley for the day.  That way she doesn't sit around all day watching TV.  Last October for Fall Break Aunt Donna gave Ashley a camera and they walked around taking pictures.  Ashley loved it so much, she wants to do it again this year.

Trout Park

It's been really hard this month to make time for scrapbooking.  It seems like there is a million little things pulling me in multiple directions.  I needed to use my Studio Calico October kit The Underground before my November kit arrives.  So I made some time last night, this one is not complicated...hence the no time factor.  But it's another page in the books!

One weekend Dave's sister and her family were in town we headed to Mountain Springs Trout Park to let the girls do some fishing.  How lucky are we that this place is only 30 minutes away.  You just show up, they give you poles and bait and you start fishing.  You just buy what you catch.  The trout are fairly easy to catch, which I think makes it super fun for the girls. It was a beautiful day and the girls had so much fun!

NASCAR

A quick layout for Dave's scrapbook.  I have an album for all his solo work travels and fun things.  It is 8.5x11 landscape.  It is kind of fun to rotate the layouts and try something new.

What a lucky guy...Dave and his Dad for the past couple of years have had hot passes for the Kansas City Nascar race.  So they basically can get right up next to everything and sit on the pit box during the race.  On this trip they were guests of Bass Pro and Mark Martin was racing in the car that day.

Fall Festival

A quick post tonight of another fall layout that I cranked out with the papers I just picked up.  I can't believe it is just next week and we will be doing the Fall Festival again at Allison's school.

McKenna Farm

I am on a roll getting all my fall 2013 layouts done. I am on a mission.  I like to have all my previous year layouts done by the end of the year.  So I only have about two months left. Yikes!  This is another collection that I picked up shopping last weekend specifically to get these photos on paper!

Pumpkin Patch

So I might have spent enough money this weekend at my local scrapbook store to earn me a free Fall kit.  I love these kits they put together, it makes a layout go together so easy.  I started this one last night and glued everything down on my lunch break today!

Last year I finally found a local pumpkin patch that has activities for the kids beyond the patch and a corn maze.  St. Louis spoiled us with Eckerts, Rombachs and Thies Farms.  McKenna Family Farm does it right; slides, mazes, corn box, hay bales to climb, hayride.  The girls and I went early in October to check it out when David was in Kansas City for the NASCAR race.  We had so much fun that we headed back their with friends and family to celebrate Allison's 3rd birthday.  We hope to make it there again this year!

Halloween 2013

This weekend while shopping at my local scrapbook store I picked up this Halloween line by Simple Stories so that I would finally get my 2013 photos scrapbooked.  I used this cut file and my Silhouette Cameo for the back ground.  Love that little machine, I just need to use it more!  Inspiration came from this layout by Paige Evans.

Costumes are bought for this year!!  We will have a mermaid and peacock.  How fun!

Hello Summer

The last time I was in my local scrapbook store Scrapbook Generation I came across the Solstice line by Pink Paislee and had to buy it.  I immediately knew I would use it with this picture from this summer.  I used a free sketch in the September issue of Create also published by Scrapbook Generation.

Ahh summers at the lake.  What is not to love?  One of my favorite weekends is when all my college girl friends and their family's get together.  The kids are finally outnumbering us... scary.  I snapped this picture of them all playing on the dock Friday night before dinner. Making memories for sure!

Currently: October 2014

Watching:  Blacklist and Parenthood (so happy my favorite shows are back!)

Reading:  Just finished Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Listening:  The girls as I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Making: Cool weather foods

Feeling:  Happy

Planing:  A Friday fun day for Columbus Day

Loving:  Fall temperatures

Berries

A quick and easy layout using my Studio Calico September kit Poet Society.  Ashley and Allison too,  love love love to pick the strawberries and raspberries from the garden.  It is unusual for us even to take a bowl since the girls will eat them right off the plant/bush.  How convenient that I took almost the same picture with both berries!

Shine On

Another quick layout last night before the Survivor Premier (does anyone besides me still watch this?).  I used my Studio Calico September kit Poet Society and scraplifited this awesome layout by Magdalena.

What a sweet photo of Allison and Liam, she loves that little boy and always wanted to help feed him when he was still a baby.

Miner Mike's

I finally broke into my Studio Calico September kit Poet Society this week.  A quick layout, that looks kinda funny because it is on white card stock which is not showing up.  A fun girls only weekend at the lake with the Schmidt girls.  Of course since the weather has turned Ashley keeps asking when are we going back to Miner Mike's.

Pumpkins

Another quick layout I put together last night.  I used a super saver layout from Scrapbook Generation. I have two more layouts from that sessions...now if I have photos to match?

Grandpa's pumpkin patch is in overdrive this year!  We went by this past weekend to check it out and Oh my the pumpkins are huge. I am talking over 20 pounds some even 50 pounds.  I am talking state fair worthy.  They are definitely not carvable.  I guess we will have to paint some jack-o-lantern faces this year.

Gymnastics

I actually got away for a short time this last weekend to attend a super saver class at my local scrapbook store Scrapbook Generation.  I did some shopping too which earned me a free page kit....which I used on this lovely layout of Ashley doing some gymnastics.  I love it when a layout is pretty much laid out for you, all you need to do is some cutting and gluing.

Scrapbooking

Two layouts in one night!!! Well the snow layout had been on my desk for awhile and just needed gluing down.  On both layouts I finished off my Studio Calico August kit Sandlot.  My September kit is here and I'm ready to create with it!  James' 1st Birthday layout was inspired by this layout by Andrea.

Snow in May...it was crazy and it snowed multiple times that day.  It was a very wet snow and didn't stick around but it definitely snowed in May.  The girls had fun playing in it after dinner at the Club.  I think my favorite part of the picture of the cousins is Allison looking at everyone else. For a good year she never looked at the camera.  Allison so wants to be doing what everyone else is doing, so she is always looking and following everyone else.

Currently: September 2014

Watching:  Top Chef Duels

Reading:  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Listening:  Ashley reading 15 minutes every night

Making: Girl Scout sit-upons

Feeling:  Tired....the storms and my flea ridden dog  have been keeping me up

Planing:  Weekends at home!

Loving:  Rain...we needed it bad.

Squirrel?

A quick layout I did last night with my Studio Calico August kit Sandlot and this layout by Ginny for inspiration.  There is on tiny little mistake....Trinity is 9 in this picture but she is 10 now, oh well.

Oh Trinity you sure do have a personality.  Anytime you say squirrel, chipmunk or rabbit she tilts her head like she is saying "Where?"  Being 10 she is really starting to slow down but is still in great shape and is pretty active for her age.  We love her!

Lake Air Show

A two pager using my August Studio Calico kit Sandlot!  I need to get 2013 in the books so that I can concentrate on all the mini albums that I have half complete.  I need a Saturday away to get some of my projects done!

After Labor Day the Lake really seems to slow down and the water starts to cool off so we are always looking for fun things to do with the kiddos.  I had picked up a postcard for an Air Show at the Camdenton Airport early in the summer and told Dave we needed to plan to go.  I am so glad we did.  It turned out to be really great and the crowds were not too bad.  They had lots of stunt planes, old military aircraft and even a turbine car that made lots of smoke.  They even raced a car and airplane, fun for everyone!  I am looking forward to the Lake Air Show this year!

As We Speak

 

David

• Uses his free time to fly RC planes
• Tending his garden
• Building gates to join the property

Jennifer

• Devouring books
• Fighting a summer cold
• Happy a school routine is back

 Ashley

•  3rd Grader
• Struggling with proper behavior (nice way of saying she acts like a brat)
• Has crazy long hair but won't get it cut

Allison

• Just started Pre-school
• Loves to swing
• Is a fish in the water

Six Flags

 A two pager!!! We just went to Six Flags this past Friday soooo it made me want to get this one in the books.  Someday maybe I will get caught up and be scrapping current.  I used my Studio Calico July kit Penny Arcade.

Wendy and I only took the big kids to Six Flags.  The older kids are over 48" which opens up a whole lot more fun things to do.  The littles will get there chance in a few years.  Ashley and Aidan pretty much rode everything they could (there are a few 54" rides).  Their favorites were the Mine Train and America Thunder roller coasters.  I don't think they liked the Screamin' Eagle because it is pretty rough.  All in all we had a great day!

Tractor Rides

Nothing fancy about this layout, I haven't been feeling very creative lately.  They all can't be masterpieces but the best part is that it done and a great memory.  I used my July Studio Calico kit Penny Arcade.  I hope to get one more layout done with this kit and to get back my scrapbooking mojo!

1st tooth

My Studio Calico August kit Penny Arcade has been sitting on my desk all month.  I just didn't feel inspired to scrap with it.  Two night ago I just dug in and came up with this lovely layout.  It's amazing what a new kit on the way will do to motivate you.  I also have a second layout in the works right now.

Ashley is up to a total of seven teeth lost.  She lets them hang on for a long long time.  She will let Dave pull them if he first numbs her gum.  She is a wimp.  But the first was pulled by the dental hygienist.  For the longest time Ashley wanted me to make a dentist appointment every time she had a loose tooth.  No way kiddo!

Currently: August

Watching:  Manhattan (new drama about making the atomic bomb)

Reading:  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
                 Just Finished:  Margot by Jill Cantor

Listening:  Any Way You Want It by Journey

Making: Ashley's 2nd grade school album

Feeling:  Being pulled in multiple directions

Planing:  Back to school for the girls (haircuts, shopping, uniform cleaning)

Loving:  The mild temperature summer we are having

Beach

Wow this layout has been on my desk for at least three weeks.  One week I was on vacation.  I have not shared much scrapbooking lately but I have been cranking out layouts.  While on vacation, I started a mini album of our 2013 vacation to Gulf Shores...which is the same as this layout above.  This one used my June Studio Calico kit Hello Hello.  I need to move onto my July kit!

Currently: July 2014

Watching: So You Think You Can Dance Season 11

Reading:  The Barkeep by William Lashner

Listening: Ashley, Kaitlin, Hannah and Allison playing upstairs

Making:  To do lists (so I don't forget anything)

Feeling:  Busy

Planing: VACATION!!!!

Loving: It's the 4th of July tomorrow (one of my favorite holidays!)

Nature Girls

Wow this layout has been on my desk for over a week.  I would do a little bit here and there and I sat down last night with the goal to finish it.  I really like how it turned out!  I used my Studio Calico June kit Hello Hello and this layout for inspiration.

Swim

I dug into my June Studio Calico kit Hello Hello last night.  Just a quick an easy layout with some foam stamping with paint.

My kids are really starting to love the water!  We have started a tradition of hitting up a water park in February with the Schmidts, at least for 3 years now.  Timber Falls at Tan-Tar-A is a perfect place, not too crowded and the water is not too deep.  We give the girls some freedom to run on their own and they LOVE it.  I am not sure what is their favorite part but the water slides are high on the list.

Wedding

Whoops I did it again....I used another Embellish It! kit form CKC St. Louis.  I love how these go together so fast.  The photos are from my cousins wedding last summer at the Magic House.  So fun!

Grow

I am on a roll....my last layout went together so fast from a kit so I decided to keep digging in my stash.  This layout was from a Embellish It! class at the 2010 CKC convention.  It feels so good to use up what I have.

David's garden is a labor of love.  He spends a lot of time down there; planting, watering, weeding, spraying and smashing bugs.  It is amazing all the fruit and vegetables we get out of it.  Already this year we have enjoyed asparagus, rhubarb, lettuce, strawberries and we are currently swimming in broccoli.  I can't wait for the raspberries!!

This is my 400th post! I feel like I should celebrate!