kellicrowe

So I got new glasses for Christmas...

One of my fave pics from Christmas

My boys and my niece, Madison

I was about 1.5 seconds too late to capture the picture of 

them all together by the tree.

I love Alex's expression.

My MIL gave me new glasses

(the beverage kind)

for Christmas.

(which we totally needed)

So I had to rearrange my glasses cabinet

which naturally led to all the rest of the cabinets 

in the kitchen.

Naturally.

Of course, I had to move a few items

out of the kitchen and into storage

so that led to reorganizing the storage area

and then reorganizing the kids' toys...which

were just in the next room

and making sure that all the toys are in 

labled containers.

Of course.

And speaking of containers

I had to get the extra containers organized

onto their own set of shelves.

Had to.

So it is obvious how I was so 

into my organizing that I forgot

it was Tuesday today.

Obvious.

poached

Upon returning from some pre-Christmas merriment

on December 23rd in SC

we came home to see this gruesome site...

Blasted pre-lit yard display polar bear poachers.

(And no..we haven't had any snow in GA.

Our grass is actually white..ish)

TOSGA winners:

Merry Christmas. Hopefully today will be the day I finish up all my Christmas shopping... sigh... why do I wait until the last minute? Oh wait, there is still tomorrow. Smiling, it's not the last minute yet. :) doing the happy dance.

Posted by: Renee D in FL | December 23, 2008 at 07:09 AM

I love this idea!!!! 
I just got home from helping 2 families in need this christmas. My husband is a deputy and our local FOP lodge helps families that need help with presents for their kids. I got to go and buy the gifts for the families. What a feeling that I could do that for them especially knowing them personally!!! 
I am now going to make a cheese ball for my work office party!!! holy cow It is 11:34 and I just remembered that I need to do that.

Posted by: andrea t | December 22, 2008 at 08:35 PM

I am making cookies and finishing Christmas scrapbooks for my two daughters.Busy.Merry Christmas!
Ginny P.

Posted by: Ginny P | December 23, 2008 at 11:25 AM

Just send me a quick e-mail at: [email protected] with TOSGA or blog in the subject line:)  It was so fun to read what everyone was up to!

TOSGA

 

A lo I did a few weeks back for Color Combos Galore.

I am so going to do more challenges this coming year. 

I need to scrapbook more.

More often, more pictures, more journaling and produce more.

Other people are cutting back...I need to get cutting more!

This is a cool group of ladies who have new color combinations every week.

I usually use a white or Kraft background - so it was pretty fun for me to try something different.

(I usually am not a fan of different...but this, I liked)

And....it is TOSGA! 

(Tuesday Old Stuff Give Away!)

So say hi in the comments and/or tell me something you are doing today.

I'll pick 3 winners on Friday to win some old scrapbooking stuff.

And Merry Christmas!!!!

(We are already celebrating with Family...and have had a few adventures along the way.

Not all smooth, but great stuff for the scrapbooks:)

look me in the eye

People really are fascinating to me.

(So it is shocking that I got a D in psychology)

The best book I ever read about kids who don't fit neatly in was 

The Out Of Sync Child.

The second best was this book.

He has Aspergers.

(My David does too)

This guy explains why he hit a kid with a truck 

when he was just trying to make friends with them at 4.

(Kids with Aspergers tend to have excellent memories for childhood experiences)

Kids with Aspergers often don't have social intuition.

Kinda like if you switched from a PC to a MAC.  

You kinda are lost because you have no longer have any

learned skills to fall back on.  

Things are familiar but still very much a mystery as to what to do.

So if you want to read an intersting, well written book about someone quirky

Or have someone quirky in your life

Or you are like me

and just think people are pretty much amazing in general

this is a good book.

And Jenny, please e-mail me with your address because you are the TOSGA winner!

I recently read the "Twilght" series and it was great! Keep warm and have a great holiday!

Posted by: Jenny | December 16, 2008 at 05:07 AM

TOSGA / and the thing about my neck...

Is that it is always cold

I have a long neck....for someone who is so short

If it were normal size

I might not break 5 feet

And I have always felt that is was a liability....

Like, it would be my ruin...

"if only she hadn't had that long neck...the jungle vine wouldn't have gotten tangled around it."

I wear this neck cozy thing all the time

like if the temp goes below 72

fortunatly, orange fleece goes with everything.

I have to wear it upside down (see the Gap label)

because I got brown paint on it and it is scratchy in spots.

If you can sew just a little bit

and have a friend with a giraffee neck

this is a great Christmas gift idea.

TOSGA give away!!

(Tuesday Old Stuff Give Away)

Just say hi or tell me your the best book you ever read

as many times as you like

and I'll pick someone at random on Wed night.

Breakfast, scene 1

The scene opens with the mom and boys gathered in the kitchen for breakfast.

All family members are dressed in a mixture of pajamas and sweats.

Action.

Max - Can I have some milk?

Mom - We have some new milk to try.  It is called Hemp milk.

Max - What is Hemp?

Alex - What does it taste like?

David - I've never heard of a Hemp.

Mom - I'll taste it first and tell you.

(Mom pours small glass and drinks it.

Makes gagging noises and falls dramatically to the floor, as if overcome by the bad flavor)

Max - I'll save you!

(Leaps to her aid and starts to administer mouth to mouth resusitation)

End scene! End scene! End scene!!

Lets just say, that if saliva had resusitative properties, Max has a real future in the medical profession.

GHS

I have had these dingy little socks for a while.

And everytime I put them on

I wonder...

who is GHS?

A camp friend?

Someone from college?

A houseguest?

And is she somewhere with cold feet?

This is what takes up space in my brain

instead of important things...

like how to get home from the store.

Kidding..but only a little bit.

Whale taste buds the size of your fist

Things heard around the house

and suburban

this week....

"That looks like an old fashioned chicken because is it all in 1 piece"

(Max, helping JD cook a cornish hen.  

Old fashioned = whole chicken

New fashioned = nuggets)

"Hey Daddy?

Would a whale that is larger than you have taste buds the size of your hand?"

Max

Alex - "What is that in the road?"

Me - "Tar"

David - "Speaking of tar, were there tar pits in the cretaceous period and, if so, did they lead to the extenction of the dinosuars?"

(Dude, I'm just driving the car....I am not the internet...but wouldn't that be cool to have a voice activated Google/Wickapedia in the car? I wonder if OnStar can answer these questions?)

Me- "EEEAAAHHHH!"

Alex - "Are you ok?'

Me - "Yes, I just forgot that I moved the coat rack.  When I walked into the dark room, I thought it was a person.  Hey - thanks for being the only person in the house to come and check on me when I screamed."

Alex - "You are welcome...can I get more screen time for that?"

(You earn screen time - tv, video game, computer - at our house by doing your lessons, chores and having a good attitude...and maybe responding to your mother screaming over a coat rack in a dark room.)

Winner of this week's TOSGA:

hi! hello! hola! can you pls wrap my presents if I sent them to you? too cute!

Posted by: Rachel | December 10, 2008 at 05:50 AM

Rachel, if you could e-mail me at [email protected]

and put blog or TOSGA in the subject line - that would be great!

TOSGA & Gift Wrap

A few scrapbooking/wrapping crossovers.

I have used lots of my extra chipboard pieces

and sticker letters 

with my wrapping this year:)

The blurry pic with the tag and the googlie eyes

is my fave...it reminds me of a ghost from pac man.

TOSGA: Tuesday Old Stuff Give Away #4

just a quick hi in the comments and you are entered

int he random drawing.

a patient man

People always say John David is such a patient man.

And

Usually

They say it without cutting their eyes over at me.

I personally think it must be fun for him

Being married to me

Never know quite what you are going to get each day.

Guys like adventure

Right?

Enter creative nagging:

This is in our kitchen.

It was like this for a while.

I never had to say anything.

People who came in our house would read it outloud

and then ask JD about it.

It was really brilliant on my part.

And funny.  

To

Me.

Then, one day I came home with the kiddos

and found this:

And she lived happily ever after.

Ok: the winner to Tania Willis' online class...

the first poster!  I couldn't believe I drew out 1!!

Tiffany H - please e-mail so I can connect you to Tania right away.

Just put blog prize or class in the subject line.

I think I am first to comment-that never happens on your blog! I would love to take Tania's class-so much fun!

Posted by: Tiffany H | December 03, 2008 at 07:19 PM

winner, an online class give away and....

Seriously??

2 books in 1 week.

Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants

Mom's copy I borrowed.

Nice.

Another give away: A spot in Tania Willis' online class

I mean - how CUTE is this stuff?

I spy 2 monkeys in thesse sneak peaks.

Dude.

Here is the skinny on the class:

Embellishments: Beautifully Handmade

a.. class will be posted on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for 5 weeks beginning January 13, 2009.
b.. ALL registered participants will recieve a coupon code for 20%, good for 3 uses, at www.scrapsupply.com
c.. includes 10 lessons over 5 weeks. In each lesson you'll see examples and learn techniques for making home-made embellishments.
d.. Work with textiles, dollar-store finds, chipboard, buttons, brads, inks, papers, diamond glaze, watercolors, and more.
e.. Use techniques that include: masking, hand-sewing, texturing, painting, glazing, stamping, and imagining your own original embellishments.
f.. Access to a private forum and gallery for chatting with and sharing your work with Tania and other participants.

If you want to win a spot - just post a hi in the comments.

Tell me what you are reading now...if you want.

And is your book currently water logged?

Or just the hi...and however many times you want.

I'll post the winner on Friday morning.

Thanks Tania for the chance to give away a spot in your class.

I LOVE giving stuff away!

(Oh, and if you like winning stuff - Tania is giving away stuff every day in Dec. on her blog. 

Speaking of which...

the winner of the Tosga box 3 is:

Your little stockings are great. Maybe I'll do those after Christmas for next year. Too much still to do this year. I love the reaction of my kids when they open their gifts from us. I like getting just the right thing that the recipient will love.

Posted by: Julia In MI | December 02, 2008 at 10:37 AM

Julia - just e-mail me at [email protected] with something like blog prize or TOSGA in the subject line:) Thanks for playing!!

Tosga 3!

Our advent socks this year.

I decided to make them out of felt

(because Max's socks are less cute these days and more smelly)

You can see them individually with instructions 

at Two Peas In a Bucket.

There is a project every day for Christmas.

(And yes, those are still the spray painted trees 

that died 3 years ago...now they are

real ever greens)

In this TOSGA

we have a Family Fun Holiday Crafts Book

a Jenni Bowlin designed kit of 7 Gypsies items

and Quotes Volume 1 by Autumn Leaves

and as much paper and embellishments as I could fit in....

all of it old...remember

old.

(The kit I bought about 2 years ago and looks adorable...but totally deserves a better home than I have given it since it is still in the package it came in.)

Just say hi

or tell me the thing you are looking

forward to the most this Christmas in the

comments...as many times as you like.

Did I pick a great time of year to start going to the post office every week or what?:)