Queen of the Crop

Seriously...I really truly cannot stop crying today. BUT....my baby did so great! as did her bff, Jack. We went outside early to get the "1st day of school" pictures, & when the bus came, neither of them even looked back. They got right on the bus & it drove away.... I am soooo proud of her! Here are some pics: I can't wait to hear what she thinks of her 1st day of school!

Cropstop is doing it again! Please join us for our annual "Fall Frolic" online crop and blog hop! The crop will begin on September 1st and go through September 22nd with daily challenges posted by our Creative Team. Participants will have till September 30th to complete and upload their projects in the "Fall Frolic" album in the Cropstop Gallery . Our Creative Team will be offering great challenges, games, a make n' take and prizes!! Visit their blogs during the crop and you'll have a chance to win additional blog candy! Please visit and register on the Cropstop.com forum/message board and in our Cropstop gallery so you can participate in our "Fall Frolic" crop . All guidelines and info can be found in the "Fall Frolic" Online Crop thread on the Cropstop forum !!

Ok.....I am an emotional wreck today....My baby, Emma, starts Kindergarten today. I cannot stop crying! I'm not sure why, but it may have to do with the fact that just 5 & a half years ago, she blessed us by coming into this world. Now we had our struggles in the begining, as she was born almost 3 months premature. She spent just 5 weeks in the hospital (at the time it seemed like eternity) in the NICU. When she came home, it was on a monitor for several months....... But today, I have to let go of my baby girl, & put her on a bus & wave good bye. For some reason, this is really hitting me hard! I am so proud of her for being so excited & not scared at all! She is beautiful, smart, funny (& definately trying at times), & I think I am just so sad that she is growing up. But, the last 5 years were incredible, the next 13 will be just as fun........Right??? I will post pictures later today of getting on the bus & probably of me crying......

Yes, wayyyyyy far behind! I have done 2 crops with From Here 2 Scrapternity , & used 2 months worth of supplies sent to me by Pam (owner of FH2S ). & I just realized that I had never posted any of them! So, let's start with July, & I will post August in another post later this week. For a non-store site, Pam is very very very generous in the supplies that she sends the Inspirational Team (IT) each month to work with, & for that I am really grateful! For July here are the projects that I did using what she sent: Thanks for looking!

I have great news! The very first design team that I was on was Nuts About Sketches. I love Shawn's sketches, & it was so much fun doing them each week. Plus it assured me that I would get at least 1 layout done a week! I was so sad when my term was up. Recently she had a call for a new design team, & you guessed it..... I made the team! Along with these amazingly talented ladies: NAS DT September 2010 - February 2011 Al-Marie Campana Anna Mills Anneliese Grassi Barb Prendergast Cathy Sanders Julie Kight Juliann Merchant Liz Kordek Marilyn Peter Michelle Duncan Michelle Stanzione Rebecca Geile Sarah Facteau Tina Guigui The layout that I used to apply for the team is: Yay! I can't wait to create with her sketches again (not that I stopped, I continued to use them!). Congrats to all of the gals who made it as well!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am really behind on my blogging. Today I am going to share with you the entire month of Sketchy Sunday layouts that I have done for The Everyday Scrapper . August 1st: ---------------------------------------------------------------- August 8th: (this lo was a page design class at Scraptacular which happened to be the same as the sketch) ----------------------------------------------------------------- August 15th: (I was prego w/ Audra in this pic, hence the big ole belly) -------------------------------------------------------------- August 22nd -------------------------------------------------------------- August 29th, tomorrow: A day early, but at least I am early rather than late, right? lol. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stop on by The Everyday Scrapper to check out the fun stuff going on over there. & to see the weekly sketches. It is a fun place to be! Thank you for sto...

If you are reading this the day that it is posted, I am either on my way, or at the Hamburg Hideaway for a scrappy weekend away! I will be having a ball creating, watching movies, listening to music, eating, & hanging out w/ great friends! Have you ever created an ATC (Artist Trading Card)? I never had because I never knew what to do with them, or what the purpose of them is. I did a little research on them, & this is what I came up with (I also posted this on The Everyday Scrapper ): As their name indicates, ATCs are collectables, a brilliant idea born of the older sports-themed trading cards. The one rule that makes an ATC derives from their origins: the dimensions of the ATC must be 2.5″x3.5″. Now, it seems there are a few “rules” that go along with the dimensions: First, an ATC must not be sold, only exchanged , as the whole essence of these tiny works of art is about artists meeting (by correspondence or online if need be) and exchanging their works, thus mee...

For August, Beth at Scraptacular , decided to put out 2 kits again! I was lucky enough to be able to design with one of those kits! They are always fantastic, filled with lots of goodies, & this month was no exception! If you haven't gotten your kit yet, head on over there now to get one of these fabulous kits. Here is what I've created with it:

Wow! Can you hear those crickets, & see the cobwebs? It has been over a month since my last post. That just means that summer is here, & we have been super busy. Going to the pool, amusement parks, picnics, parties, & just keeping busy. I need to keep the kiddos busy or else they drive me crazy! Also, Emma will be starting Kindergarten in 2 weeks. I am really really having a hard time over this! The other night Tony & I were talking about it, & about me putting her on the bus & waving good bye & sending her on her way. As I was saying it, my eyes are filling up with tears, Emma, the big girl that she is becoming, looks at me & says, "Mommy, why is there water in your eyes?" I said that I was sad that she was growing up & that she was starting school & would be away from me. She looks me in the eye, puts her hands over her heart, & says, "Mommy, I'm sorry. But...I am going to be ok." It made me cry even hard...