Mini Album - PictureOverload :)

 I made a mini album for our church for a silent auction they are doing in a couple of weeks.  Don't ask me why, but it's going to be hard to part with this mini album (maybe I'll have to buy it back at the auction) :)

I'm not sure if it's because I spent several afternoons working on it or because I've been hoarding this paper forever!  I love it - I can't remember what it's called, but it's by Crate Paper and I LOVE IT!  I've been trying to use up my stash though - so go me!! :)

 The album is a chipboard/acrylic album - every other page and I loved it!!

Front Page (Chipboard)

Back of Front Page (Chipboard)

Second Page (Acrylic) - The red flower is on the back side of the acrylic - I inked the front side of the flowers blue & the back side red.

Third Page (Acrylic)

Fourth Page (Chipboard)

Fifth Page (Chipboard)

Sixth Page (Acrylic) - Don't mind the red/white twine in the picture (that's actually from the opposite page). :)

Seventh Page (Acrylic) - I think this is my favorite page - There's something about that Star card that I LOVE!  It's from a past Studio Calico kit.

Eighth Page - Chipboard w/ window cut-out

Ninth Page (Chipboard) with Window cut-out

Tenth Page (Acrylic)

Eleventh Page (Acrylic)

Twelfth Page (Chipboard)

Hope you liked it - I've got lots going on around here.  I signed up for the 1000 Word class with Studio Calico and I'm working on some Christmas gifts! :) Yay me!
Hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

{ Summer Recap }

Summer is over - here's a few pictures...

Blake played soccer for the first time this year - we used the word played real loosely. :)
They basically just had practices and almost every practice either Eric or I had to be out on the field with him.  I'm so excited though - he got his first team shirt and I'm planning on saving them all and making a quilt for each of the boys when they're older!!

We did lots of camping - these are pictures of Carter & Blake at Lake Chelan.  I would recommend any/everyone to go up to Lake Chelan - it's AMAZING.  I would like to go back next year, but we might plan a trip every other year - it's about a 7 1/2 hour drive so with the little ones it's a bit of a struggle.  (The travel fairy stopped the night before we left though and gave the boys baskets of different games/toys to play with on the drive and it worked out wonderfully!!)

For the Fourth of July, Eric & Blake drove Great Grandpa Swede's tractor in the Mt. Angel parade again (I think it's the 3rd year they've done it)! Carter loved having a strawberry snack waiting for the parade to start!

 We had lots of outside play time - the boys love being outside and playing in the water!

Another camping trip...this was the church camp-out at Detroit Lake - the boys had a blast this year playing in the water.

I love this picture - maybe it's because I don't have a lot of pics of the 4 of us together.  Our friends rented a boat (on yet another camping trip for the OGWA camp-out) and we had a blast tooting along the water.  We'd stop every now and then and some would jump in for a swim. :)

Kristen & Matt got married this summer too, but I don't have any pics of it - the wedding was amazing.  We had soo much fun!  I'll have to post some pics later - the boys were both in it along with Colin and the three boys wore black pants, white shirts with a purple tie & suspenders and black Converse shoes - soooo stinking cute!

It was such a busy summer, but it was a great one!  I hate to even say this, but I am ready for fall now though (I've already got my Fall/Halloween decorations up)!!

Sunshine Box

I'm Back...I'm making myself keep up with this journal because too many of the small things are passing by and as much as I think I'll remember them I know there is a large chance I won't.

Right now Carter -
 - Carter is making car noises all the time
 - He can say several words and seems to be adding more vocabulary every day (I picked him up from daycare today and he had said 2 new words!)
 - He loves to do everything that Blake does - Monkey see, Monkey do! :)
 - He can spend hours (literally) playing on the play-set.  He doesn't want help though; he can climb up and go crawl around and then go down the slide by himself.
 - If he hears Eric on the lawn mower outside he tries to put on his shoes and stands at the back door making vroom vroom noises. :)

Right now Blake -
 - Is loving preschool - he often will start to get a little teary when I leave, but as soon as I leave he's fine and then I have a hard time getting him to leave when I pick him up.
 - He is really starting to get into the little tiny Legos - he's constantly showing me new things he's built (lately he's built an airplane, scarecrow and a camel)
 - Blake wants to be a combine for Halloween - he has been set on it for about a month so this Momma is going to start trying to make one of of a box and various cardboard pieces...wish me luck.
 - He's very into schedules - he's constantly asking what are plans are for the next several days to week (I think part of it is because our schedules have such a mixture.
 - Every time I give Blake a kiss he wipes it off - I honestly think that he doesn't even think about it now, it's become second-nature.  He will let me give him a kiss in the mouth - he opens his mouth as wide as it will go and then I can give him a kiss in his mouth (I can't touch lips or anything though).  I know it sounds wierd, but this Momma is giving or taking any kiss she can. :)

Right now this Momma -
 - Is in the middle of making a mini-album for our church auction and I'm having a blast with it.
 - Is taking a sewing class at Jo-Ann's with my Mom & sister (which reminds me I should be doing my homework because our last class is tomorrow)
 - Just made a Pottery Barn knock-off growth chart with a board and loved it - so I'm making another for the church auction as well - I tease Eric that I'm quite the woodworker now.  :)
 - Is getting really anxious for the basement family room/playroom to be done - I've got lots of decorating ideas
 - Is really needing to start exercising/eating better - Eric & I are going to Hawaii in a little over 3 months and I need to be ready to wear a swimsuit Eeeekkkk!

Right now Eric -
 - Has gotten really into fishing - he's been going almost every weekend - I do have to say that fresh Salmon tastes soooo good!
 - Falls asleep every night in the chair with Carter :)
 - He got the Jeep out this past weekend and we took it to O-fest each day - I forgot how much he loved that thing! :)
 - Is thoroughly excited about buying another boat - that's right another - apparently it's a 'really good deal' and there are different boats that are good for lake fishing vs river fishing (talking to a wall here with me).

Anyway...
My Aunt has been in the hospital for a little while and I saw this idea on Pinterest and I thought it was such a great idea that I had to send her my little version.

The Box of Sunshine was my inspiration - she has some great printables too.  I used one of them, but forgot to take a picture of it.
Here's a pic of the one I created - it was fun putting it together.

I included:
 - Box of Dots Candy
 - Nail file in yellow case
 - Lotion
 - Crystal Light Lemonade mix
 - Juicy Fruit gum
 - Peanut M & M's
 - Hand Soap
 - 2 Yankee floating candles
 - Yellow nailpolish
 - Lemon Drop Candies
 - Small bar of soap

I cut out some stars from yellow paper & added a small get-well note. The Studio Calico boxes that the kits come in each month work great for sending them in the mail!

Hope everyone had a great last day of summer - it's on to fall now!
Jackie

Blake's Birthday Party

I know everyone says that time goes by so fast, but it truly does. How is Blake already 3?

He had his 3-year check-up today and is in the 97% for height (40 inches) and 50% for weight (33 lbs). His birthday party of choice was of course...John Deere.

I didn't get a pic of all the decorations, but here are a few:

I saw the idea on Pinterest and loved the balloon wreath.

Saw this idea on Pinterest as well - it worked out great to add to the dessert table and now it goes perfectly in Blake's room.

I think Blake liked his cake - I just used a box cake mix, but I baked it in a tractor mold, frosted it and used M&M's to decorate it. (The boy loves his M&M's). :)



We had a great party with family last weekend and then on his actual birthday we took him to Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center for dinner and playtime. He loved their Kidopolis playland - he keeps asking to go back. :)




We recently went on our first camping trip in the snow (don't worry we had our trailer) with the snowmobile. We had a blast. I got this picture of Carter and I love it!

Blake loved the snowmobile - he had fun playing in the snow too.

I'm hooked on snowmobiling - the landscape is so beautiful and I love trail riding. :)

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Normally I love the month of February. I love getting all the Valentine's decorations out, but this year I've been a little behind.

Carter had his 9 month check-up today and he's slowed down on his weight gain...he's not in the 85% for height/weight & 98% head size :)

He has this big vein that sticks out behind one of his ears and I was asking the doctor about it and she said it's just a predominent vein - she said "some people have them on their forehead and he just has his behind his ear" - I kind of chuckled because Eric gives me a bad time for the huge vein I have on my forehead. :)

Here's the card I made for Eric for Valentine's Day - not too exciting, but at least I got one made right?

I've also been working on a quilt that I bought as a kit quite awhile ago (I'm not willing to admit it online how long ago it really was). I absolutely love the kit Camp Fun Time by Vicki Stratton for Hoffman California Fabrics. I love it - I'm making it to keep in our camping trailer for curling up in while we're camping.

It has five panels like this and each panel has 11 of these trees - 55 trees to blanket stitch around and I have a whopping 6 trees completed. :) Slowly, but surely I'll get there. I'm thinking it might be a good project to work on during my lunch at work.

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day filled with loved ones!!

Where does the time go...

It's finally starting to slow down after the holidays around here. :)
The boys are growing like crazy! Carter wants to walk so badly - he uses the walker and walks up & down the hallway and he can stand for a little bit on his own - he's ready to go.

And we are working on potty training Blake - it's quite a task! He does pretty good most days at home, but does not like to go other places. :)

I love this picture from the other day of the boys in the bath - they are growing up so fast!

I was able to scrap last weekend briefly - I finished one page. :)
And then I switched modes and started on a quilt kit I bought awhile ago. I'm making it for the camping trailer and decided I wanted to try and finish it before our first camping trip this year.
I also took down the pictures on one wall in the hallway to redo with new frames - thanks to Pinterest. :)

Christmas Mantel

Here are some pics of our Christmas Mantel. I think my favorite thing this year is my new stockings. Since Carter was born we needed new stockings right so we all had matching ones? :)

**Do you love the can of pledge sitting in the window sill? :)**

I really wanted burlap stockings and thought I would have time to make some, but decided that I probably didn't and then I found these ones on Etsy and I absolutely loved them! Here is a close-up of each one - they are all a little different and I love it. You can also see the little tags I made for each one...I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. :)

I ordered the stockings from Turnbow Designs - I love them!

Linking up to Home Stories A to Z, Southern Hospitality and Ten June.