Hello Again!

Hello again, my lovely blog readers. I have so much to share with you! I guess that's what happens when I don't post anything new for over a month, right? Let's see, where shall we begin . . .

I have layouts! I made this first one from a Cathy Zielske sketch (have I mentioned that I love her?) I printed all of the patterned papers on my new, amazing Cricut Imagine! Anyway, I was pleased with how this one turned out. All the focus is on the photograph, just the way I like it! Isn't my girlie-pie beautiful? :)



This next one was made with some of the new American Crafts patterned papers - they are so adorable! I made coordinating buttons with my new super-cool Epiphany button thingies. I loved the simplicity of this page so much that I made another one!



Aren't these little felt flowers sweet? They're by Pebbles and American Crafts. Really, they could be used on lots of things - picture frames, headbands, baby hats, etc. Super cute!



When I started this layout, I planned to use some of the new Doodlebug Christmas papers and embellishments, but it didn't work out. Turns out, this Christmas line by American Crafts was a better match. Look at how young my girls look! Sob!



I'm still making the banners for the Friday morning masses at St. Edward, the school Jack and Matt attend. These banners are four feet high by five feet wide, so they are something of an undertaking, but I like being able to contribute this way. I'm not much of a volunteer. Between having four kids and a husband who works unpredictable hours, you won't see much of me at PTO meetings. Making the banners is a good fit for me. And they're fun, too! Here are pictures of the last three. Cute, right?







Halloween has come and gone, and I've got the pictures to prove it. Anna was a sassy little cowgirl, all dressed in pink. Even her boots were pink!



Jack is into Mario Brothers video games big time, so guess who he had to be? You got it, Mario himself!



Matthew wanted to be a puppy dog, but because I am a procrastinator, the puppy costumes were all gone by the time I went online to place my order. He was very good about the lion costume, even though it wasn't his first choice. He roared for days!



A few days after Halloween, Matt climbed up onto the back of the sofa in our den. Before Gil could finish saying "Get down before you get hurt", Matthew lost his balance and tumbled over the back, apparently landing on his right wrist. He's got a compression fracture, which scored him a glow-in-the-dark cast. He was in a bit of pain for the first few days, but is feeling much improved now. His cast was pristine in the beginning, but is looking fairly grungy about now.





You may remember that we are in the process of renovating a house. When I say "we", I mean our contractor and all of his handy helpers. Well, it's looking better every day. I'm starting to think that we might actually live there soon! Here is a picture of the kitchen sink. I love, love, love antique copper. When I found this one online, I knew that it was meant to be! I was a little worried about how it would look with the cypress cabinets, but I think it's going to work out okay.



Here's a shot of my scrapbook room. It's a good bit smaller than the one I have now, but it's on the first floor and has a really beautiful view of the oak trees in the front yard. I can't wait until I can start organizing all of my scrapbook goodness in here!



Our master bedroom has a really lovely window seat. It's my favorite part of the room! The wood still needs to be stained, but this is what it looks like so far. The windows look out onto the Bayou Teche.



I went by myself to choose the granite for the kitchen. This made me nervous because once it's purchased and fabricated, there's no turning back! When Gil finally saw it, he really liked it, so I was relieved! The pattern is called "Iguassu", but I call it "Malignant Melanoma" for obvious reasons. It's "leather" finish, which means it's matte, not shiny. It works well with the rustic feel of the house, I think. Here is the piece that will go on top of the island.



We got some really great news recently. Gil's brother Mitch and his wife Tiffany are moving from Las Vegas to Louisiana, and will be living within twenty minutes of us. We are thrilled! They're bringing along a curly-haired little lovebug named Hudson. We can't wait until they're all settled in so that we can see them all the time, instead of a couple of times a year. Yay!



I hope to post again soon and share more good stuff with you. Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me! :)