Springing back to life~

I AM alive! I am enjoying the new baby soooooo much that I really can't spend a single moment without her. As a matter of fact, I NEVER leave her. I just don't want to. She is so sweet and bubbly, she smiles at everyone and she absolutely loves to be held. She laughs and twinkles her eyes at you until you just HAVE to pick her up. I don't want to spend one minute away from her so I just...don't. 

Spring has sprung around here and so fast that I had to rush out and shoot all kinds of photos! 

Ready for some cuteness?

I had so much fun hauling her all over the yard to take all these cheesy but oh-so-cute photos. Here are just a couple more;)

And then she "said" she'd had enough;)

So I grabbed the older girls:)

Recent photography lessons have me really playing with aperture, which is super FUN!

And then there was EASTER! Egg coloring is always a family favorite! Mr. Multi-Tasker proves I'm not the only baby hog around! He was just lucky to snatch her from daddy, who also tends to sit around with the baby, just because he wants to too:)

Funny story with this little guy...he started coloring his egg OUTSIDE of the dish. He just put the egg right on the table and spooned the dye over the egg! Lucky for me I saw it pretty quick so the mess was minimal;)

And the hunt was on:

 No help needed for these two girlies!!!

Or for this big boy!

But LOTS of help needed for her and plenty of it available;)

HAPPY EASTER

from the whole bunch

As for the scrappy side of life, not much action there but I do have 3 projects in the current issue of Scrapbooking, Cards and Stationary magazine. Mostly I have been sewing baby blankets, altering burp cloths, *thinking* about making a couple little dresses and of course snuggling the day away with my little bundle of joy. Scrapping can definitely wait;)

Happy Spring!

And now there are six...

BLESSINGS~

We are thrilled to have our newest little angel to hold in our arms.  And I do mean OUR arms. The sweet thing is passed around and around and there is usually a LINE to hold her. I have even witnessed my kids FIGHTING over "getting" to change her diaper! 

I can honestly say that I have never been happier having a new baby...maybe it's because I'm old enough to have grandchildren;) I've heard being a grandparent is even better than having children but I doubt that~at least for me...I'm one happy mommy:D

Not that I'm biased, but she is incredibly beautiful ~not a stork bite in sight;). 

AND she is a HUGE smiler, already!!! 

I've taken HUNDREDS of photos of her already. Yes, really. I'm just wrapping up my second photography class in as many months and I'm determined to overcompensate for the remote possibility that the other kiddos could have more baby pictures. These photos were all taken at the hospital without a flash!!! So excited that I know how to do that now!

Next time I'll share some of our "at home" photos~

The Rocket Center and an easy Microbead Embellishment Tutorial!

Last summer we hopped in the minivan and drove south to Huntsville, Alabama to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. It was a day of fun, family and LOTS of photo opportunities.  So when I received my July Scrapbook Circle Kit in the mail {THANKS mom!} and found it filled with October Afternoon Rocket Days, I knew just which photos to print. I used a sketch from Cheri over at Let's Scrap to get me started.

Not too often that I pose for a cheesy photo but every now and then it happens;). I just love all the fun ephemera included in the kit, where else would I find rocket suit trading cards or tickets to the moon?!? 

I misted the Bazzill borders with sunshine Glimmermist and added baker's twine and ric rack to the already full to the brim kit. I also added RED microbeads to the star...more on that below;).

I had lots of fun painting and then distressing the little chipboard rocket. When I started off playing with it, I didn't really intend for it to land on the layout but by the time it was finished I was so happy with it that I just had to find it a spot.

I love flags, especially itty bitty ones flying on toothpicks so I had to add one of those as well.

*******************************

Now for the quick and easy microbeads: messy but so much fun...

Grab a glitter tray, your chipboard (or whatever material you'd like) and a vial of microbeads

 Next, cover your chipboard with PLENTY of adhesive. I just used my Xyron- it is quick, easy and relatively mess free. You can use a variety of different adhesives here and lots of people use a wet glue but I find working with a wet glue to be difficult as I always seem to end up with big clumps of microbeads both on and off my chipboard.

 Once you have your chipboard COMPLETELY covered with adhesive, poor the microbeads right over the top. Make sure you cover your chipboard well. Then press down on the beads just to make sure they get good and stuck. This is one of my favorite steps;)

I shake my tray gently to find my chipboard piece and then I carefully remove the chipboard and poor the microbeads right back into the vial. Next I push and poke the microbeads around until they are all exactly where I want them. After all the baeds are in place it is really important to seal the microbeads onto your surface. For this I use Glossy Accents. LET IT DRY completely, you all know what happens if you don't...

Happy Scrapping,

Oregon Trip Highlights, Part 1

July 2011

~Leaving Nashville~

This is what a weather delay after boarding the plane allowed us to do! Totally worth the minor 30 minute delay:)

The Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon

Time with Grandpa. I don't know what it is about this photo but I LOVE it!

At the Eugene Emeralds baseball game

He's waving at the mascot, Sluggo, who he fell in love with instantly

The Oregon Coast

Here I am trying to manipulate the results of the kids' race down the dunes...

And they finish in age order anyway;)

 Bliss

 Sea Lion Caves

 The girls were FREEZING since they left their hoodies at grandma's house

 Hood up and long sleeves on the beach. Being from SoCal, this still amazes me

 Can you title the layout for this one???

 Yaquina Lighthouse in the morning. Here I found out I have developed a sudden and INTENSE fear of heights.

 Same lighthouse, that afternoon. Still freezing but much prettier:)

Low tide on the cobblestone beach...some of the best tidepooling ever!

More to follow,