Dream Team

Here is a last minute SOY LO. this was a pic taken at our last team meeting with Sawyers ABA therapy team. it was bitterweet. On one hand we were excited to begin normalcy. But on hte other hand it was so sad to say goodbye to the people we had grown to love. they came 5 days a week for 6 months and 3 days for the last 4 months. It is a beautiful thing to know that your child is an overcomer, and is a testiment blessing. we still have our struggles and are entering a new phase and season of Sawyers Diagnosis, but he will make it! I just know it! every step we take is in the right direction. So for now we keep our eyes up and hopeful. All supplies were technique tuesday {stamps, ink and tiles}, crystals are swarovski, paint is MM.

thanks!

speed bumps of moments

As a mother I am often faced with little trickles of clothing that my kids have shed. on this day the kids had just come home from school and as normal off came the clothes. Everyday I am reminded of just what a wonderful jewel Sawyer is. last year he had no clue how to take off his (shoes or even what shoes were for that matter). Through therapy he has come such a long way. this layout depicts the miracles that we often pass up on our day to day or that we forget in the hustle of life. This particular day I was up to my ears in SOY projects and looking for a few good ideas, but nothing rang out. I began to pick up after the kids and started with the same old monotonous routine. And there they were, sawyer's shoes. I went to pick them up and was suddenly stopped. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of pride and love for Sawyer. here were his shoes in a cute little pile right in front of the door and COVERED in sand. I cried a little and laughed at the cute little size 8 DC's. How many of these cute little monuments have I passed up or forgotten? I am blessed and everyday I am reminded through little thins like this that I am overwhelmingly loved by God and taken care of even in my turmoil. When I found out that sawyer was going to be different I was devastated, but God has held true to his word and each day I am gifted sweet little miracles like these. glimpses into the true purpose of my children. So this Layout is to remind me to stop and take in the moments of life and cherish the gifted miracles I am given. I love the hand made goodies on this one, and it was one of the easiest supply list of all my SOY projects!

thanks for looking!

Soon to be pumpkins~

So this year we decided to grow our own pumpkins. Last week my sister-in-law brought her 3 kids over and we planted then in styrofoam cups. This weekend we came home to our little sprouts popping up out of our cups. The boys are so excited! I am curious as to how much room they are going to take up and how big they will get. we got the Big Max variety which boost to get up to six feet wide. Now we will sooooo not be having six foot pumpkins but a couple little guys for pics I can handle. It has been fun being able to explain the planting and growing cycle with the boys.

well this is sure to be an adventure, hopefully it will work out!

what a week!

I am so exhausted!!! School is getting ready to start again and I am so ready to start sleeping early again. So I got a new toy yesterday. let me introduce you to my new friend Mr. Nikon D40x. he has been so good to me and here are some of the shots I took today. It was a little weird walking around with an expensive camera. I really was so scared to put it down. I am sure I will get used to it. Oh well of to take a nap! enjoy the pics!

Defying Gravity*~

Beign the total dork that I am... i was trying to find a audio link for my blog and came across the wicked video clip of Defying gravity. jackson came up behind me and started to sing, it was so cute I cried a little! the things that make you happy, being seranaded by your five year old son!

One fo those random things that chokes me up. how about you guys, anyhting like that happen to you all?

oh and any good audio clip sites? i guess I should try and fix the audio on my computer first!

~Liz

Tagging~

Here are the rules:

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.

2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. ***IF you have already done your middle name than do the State that you live in with new adjectives!*****

3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts. ***Or state if you have already been tagged before!***

4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.Here is mine:

E-I am eclectic, I love shopping everywhere from nordstroms to the thrift store. I find my style to be earthy, traveled and eclectic
L-Laugh, I love laughter and can never be hurt or upset while my children are giggling and squealing with delight.
I-Inquisitive, I have passed this on to my oldest son who is now 5. I love to know the ins and outs and workings of EVERYTHING. my favorite channels on the TV all are channels that leave you a little smarter (got that one from my uncle tony!)
Z-Zeal, I like to think I live life with zeal. An appreciation for what I am given and a grateful and heartfelt attitude.
A-Awkward, I love being a wee bit awkward. It leaves room for improvement and justification for improvement!
B-Beauty, I feel beautiful but not because of appearances, but because of all the beauty that I get to enjoy everyday. I would only hope that it would radiate through me as an appreciation.
E-Enough, today I realized I have enough. I don't need anything more...I probably have it already in 3 different colors.
T-Today, by Smashing pumpkins is still my favorite song in the whole wide world!
H-helpless and hopeful. the days that I feel helpless are the the days I feel the most hopeful. It is when I am at my lowest that I can truly feel the comfort of God, and know I am his and taken care of.

WOW! That was fun! I really encourage all of you to tag someone you would want to know more about and PLEASE let me know who you tag so I can read all about them and you!!!! And if you don't, well ya stink! Just kidding, we're still buds!

I am tagging:

Ali
Erika~melegs
Kim
Tomie
Rachel

I just did random people because I don't know that many people to match my middle name! PS and if you are wondering about my middle name it is Elizabeth, my first name was actaully Maria.

have fun!!!!

~Liz

OOOOOO so yummy LO!

I normally would not say this about one of my own LO's but this one was soooooo much fun and has TONS of embellies to nibble on. the first page was done on Microsoft picture it. The title is Tropicana, and the background was created using boiling bubbles photo effects. These are pics of the kids at the Aquarium of the Pacific. We go often with the Dees family. This shot of my DS was priceless. I actually had some note cards made up on shutterfly form one of these shots. He casually jumped up into this circle window of the sea lion tank and sat there peacefully as I shot the most priceless pics ever! Of course after being a sweet little angel he ran off into the darkness and hid from me! We have a great time at the aquarium and I just love the way these pics came out, I couldn' t have asked for a better shoot.

thanks for looking!

Dilema to the SLR degree...

What to do...

I am in search of a new camera and trying to figure out what the best deal is. I am torn between the Nikon D80 and D40x. Both I have found in packages but for about $300 price difference.

Humph!

Any solutions????

the wonder years~

Here is one of my hybrid projects. The pics were edited on corel and colorized using the time machine feature. It gives them that old 60's double processed look. As soon as I tried the feature on these pics I new that I had a 'wonder years' LO to do. Another one for my son with PDD, although he is a normal little boy we still have our days that are tougher than usual. the journaling is:

Hearing that you were Autistic changed our world but yet through it all we knew you would be taken care of. You are made in the image of God and through him the miracle of what you are now was possible. Every step of the way he was there holding our hands, catching our tears and guiding us all the way. It is a wonder what you have overcome and a miracle where you are now and where you are headed.

~Sawyer May-18-07

thanks for peeking, this LO is straight from the heart and it was difficult to muster up the right words But I am really happy with how it came out. i really like this digi hybrid stuff, a girl could get used to it. although I am at costco ALL the time and they now knows me as the lady who's son takes a nap in the cart and whose daughter has cute pink boots! Don't worry I already have a LO in mind for that!

have a great monday!

XOXO,

Liz

Here is a little winter bliss to remind us of what we are missing! this was a weekly contest for CK on the MB to use the random challenge generator ( which I miss, RIP) my challenge was to use, black white and one accent color, stamps, ribbon, die cuts, flowers and fabric. Oh and a wopping TEN pics. I would never have thought to do something like this, glad that the RCG was here long enough to stretch my style!

We'll miss you RCG!

O me O my!!!

http://www.oscraps.com/ you have been O so good to me tonight. thank you for all the super sweet free digi kits that I downloaded from you tonight! I hope you don't mind but I am telling my friends all about you! Melegs, you are not the only one with an on-line crush! I even have a special kit just for my new friend Ali who has a fetish for leprachauns~

http://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=16845&cat=287&page=2


Please post here if you find them as helpful as I did!

~enjoy!

AWWWWWW...

Once again I am totally in love with his eyes! This is us in Kauai on our "date". We went to a really nice restaurant and had such a fun time! this is the only pic where my eye isn't doing that funny thing it does.

Laundry...

A few months ago I TOTALLY had it under control, since I finished SOY I haven't even been close! there is always a load lurking around the corner taunting me!!!!!

But I should consider myself fortunate because I get to stay home with the kiddos and do laundry. I have chocolate to keep me company anyways!

Sunday Best~

here is a LO that I made this past easter for Sedona. After two boys it was so nice to have a little girl to dress up and make all cutesy! I know surprise! surprise! it's shabby chic, there are not to many of my LO's that don't ahve brown ink or white paint on the edges!

Not to shabby!

here are two more! Another new one (Sedona) and an oldie but goodie (timeless).

So do you all ever get any late night visits from JFM? Or is it just me??? The first Lo here is one I did of my daughter the same day I took the pics. I got the inspiration at 1 am and stayed up late just to finish it. as stated earlier... I have yet a LO to do that doesn't scream acrylic paint to me. so as you can see demonstrated here on these just how much I love it. Making Memories makes a killing off of me!!!

journaling:

always laugh little one, always be happy for you are the lords treasure!

once again i look back at these and get so excited as to where my style is headed!!!!

thanks for checking them out!

~Liz

Anyone ever notice???

that my banner on top is WAY off line? humph! gonna have to fix that!

Why Melegs makes me laugh...

because she calls me scrapbooker of the century! James called me this once and I posted it here, but the CKMB REALLY makes me feel like the scrapbooker of the century with all of their support! just read your blog Ericka and you are way to nice! everyone check out her blog and have tissue handy as it is sure to make you laugh!

http://ericasdoingsomethingelse.blogspot.com/

I am adding you to my CKMB buds!


check her out she is a riot!


thanks for the laugh!

hey Ali, do you feel like a fabulously awesome celebrity?

My word is still fabulous, with a dash of awesome here and there!

~Liz

something old, something new...

Here are a few others of my SOY LO's I used so me of my older stuff due to lack of time!

painting piggies:

this was my first SOY project

One Year:

this was a LO I made I think in february. I was eager to use my new AL $1 stamps.

I am really happy where my style is headed. I see these which were just done earlier this year and I am like a totally different scrapper. Both of these I love, but it is jsut amazing how you grow through the process.

thanks!

You See Lifes Color...

Here is a LO I did for my sweet son. he is so grateful ( most of the time!) and understanding of what God has given him. This was a day in the backyard that I did a "photo shoot" for the kids. later on you will see another shot of Sawyer taken during the same "shoot". that LO is called the wonder years. the journaling on this one just describes how he allows me to see the world through his eyes even if I am so wrapped up in my own life. It is crazy how wrapped up I can get in doing something that I don't stop and realize all the beauty that is still wrapped around me! So yes, it takes a child to reintroduce me to the beauties God has created! During this Lo I kept remembering the verse "You must become just like a child to enter the kingdom of God". I really need to try and keep things simple, just so i can enjoy every moment!

At twenty-eight...

A little Scrap therapy after SOY. This Lo took me seriously minutes to make but it is one of my favorites. how often do I get to scrap about me? Never! I am taking these next 6 months to work on an album of us for me and James so that our kids can really know about who their parents are.

Journaling:

I found my courage waiting for me on a cliff in Kauai.
For years I had seen myself as Liz, Mother, wife, and homemaker. Although there is no shame in what my life was, I never knew what I had unwillingly given up. As a mother I have taught my children right from wrong, and how to stay safe All the while limiting myself. As I peered down from that ledge I realized I had a choice, was I going to remain the cautious person that I had slowly turned into or would I jump into an exciting future full of twists, turns and the unknown. I leaped, if not for myself than for my children so that they may see their mother in a new light. Not just the person who tells them to look both ways before crossing the street or to eat their green vegetables but someone who seizes the moment and savors it to the fullest.

Congrats my friends!

big shout out to my buds on the MB who made top ten!

Noel and Ali you all rock!!!!!! If I would have know that you had entered Ali I would have made a banner for you too!

Queen Me

Here is the LO I did for SOY that after almost finishing it, I though it was missing something. as I remembered these cute little Queen an co. hearts that Kim had given me and for the life of me I could not find them anywhere! i twas killing me, everywhere I looked, no hearts and all I need was two!!!

So I went to the faithful CKMB and asked if anyone had two. Sure enough, melegs responded and sent me a white one and a black one and finally I can show her the LO she helped me with! the hearts are really small but you can see them handing on the bottom of the chess pieces.

This is a pic of me and my DH the day we were married, the quote is from an Everclear song that my DH use to sing to me and still does.

"My girlfriend is like magic in the hand when I lose my sparkle she's the only one that understands. I swear I'm going to marry you someday" ~Everclear

All stamps are TT and so are the tiles. I also sent this to the creative director of TT as she so graciously sent me a prize pack and asked to see what I did with it. Eileen is awesome!!!

thanks for looking!

~Liz

why Briefus cracks me up...

Because she understands the art of chunky pages! My embellies twin seperated at birth, where have you been all my life?!?!?!

Just wait till you see my "making the pieces fit" LO! talk about a chunk! It is in my CK IG. It is sad when your 12x12 pages turn more into 11.5x11.5 because you have to trim the sides to make the chunk fit!

thanks for the fun ladies!

My Soy Portfolio and mini album project~

Here is the album that I created for my SOY portfolio. I titled it "Clearly Me". the other album is a mini album that I made for my daughter it is titled 10 things @ 1. the mini album was part of my SOY submission. One of these will be the prize for my random drawing at the end of the month. The Portfolio will be blank white pages inside and can be used as an all about me album. the mini album will be sent in the form of a kit so that you can add your own title and embellish it the way you want to. I am not sure which I am going to use as I would like to use one for here and one for the CKMB. So let me know what you think.

~Liz

PS, I think you may laugh at some of my SOY submissions! One in particular looking back, it just makes me laugh!!! Only the CKMB'rs would truly understand!

Blogs, the next generation!

I am really looking forward to seeing my friends new blogs. At first I was really turned off by the idea of a blog. It is so not personal. But in my life I have friends all over the place and I don't always have access to them. I am really happy that I caved in and started this. I love publishing new things here and there for my friends to see and maybe feel as if they are a bit closer than 3000 miles away! So yes, I sold out to the computer age, but will it really hurt to be a little digi savvy?

So blog on peeps! and let me see your stuff!

AUGUST CONTEST...

So as I posted on the CK site, I am running a fun little contest on my blog for the month of August. For everyone who posts on a topic on my blog, I will enter their name in a random drawing. You can post to multiple topics to greater your chances but not to the same topic (unless you are responding to someone, but you will still only get credit for one post) Everyday I will compile the names in a hat and pick a winner September first. There should be new stuff day to day to peek at i will post my SOY LO's here first before I do them on the CK site. this is my own little fun contest and has nothing to do with CK, if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line at my CK pm. I really only intend to brighten the mood after SOY and hope to make someones day a wee bit brighter. The prize will be an album handmade with love by me! It will be a copy of either the one I used for my SOY portfolio, or the coaster album that I used as an entry. Both will be tomorrows SOY pics. So for now, sleep tight, have fun and enjoy the view!

thanks again!

~Liz

SOY Done!!!

Well yesterday the calls went out. I got a call.. from the direct tv lady! She didn't realize that today was the day, so I can't blame her!

I am really hoping and praying for my friend though! I think she could go far with her talent. I am so happy that God gave me her to chat with and bounce ideas with throughout this process.

So what I have learned...

It is all about timing!

Never lose hope!

My time to shine will come!

I have fun with what I do and if there is a kicker of compliments here or there well that suits me just fine!

James still calls me Scrapbooker if the Century, so if he thinks I can do it than why not? God put a passion in my life to be a good wife, and warm mother and to scrap all of our memories. All glory goes to him for giving me my passion.

Here are two of my new projects from my portfolio.

Enjoy!