Bring on the Spring!!!

Wow!!!!! April already!!!! Seems we have had a winter of miraculous weather....No complaints at my end... this Saturday is supposed to be +19.....Wowsers, that is unreal!!! I've been so busy with my now 5 month old daughter and my oldest daughter ....Seems I don't get to scrapbook as often as I would like....Tis' a good thing though, I really do appreciate the time I do get now..I was fortunate enough to attend a Scrapbooking weekend with some of my friends...and boys did we have fun!!! I must say APOS consists of pretty amazing ladies!!! I've recently got my hands on Glimmer Mist.. I had seen it at the store and heard all of the stories of how wonderful it was and seen some incredible layouts containing accents of glimmer mist...but I had no interest...Welllllll, let me tell you, at the retreat I was able to use it on a few layouts and am now a believer of how much of a necessity it is!!!! It gave plain cardstock and chipboard that sometin sometin..... Made my plain flowers into something special ......I currently only own 1 bottle but intend to puchase some more at my fav. store....Like you have to ask.....A Pile of Scrap of course!!! LOL.....

As you know I vow to not ever give up my ink and distressing tool.... I neeeeeeeeeed them.. I wish you all a great day and many more to come...

Dee Dee <3

I've been absent way too long....So Sorry guys...

Well hello there strangers, seems I've had a long break from my blog....since last post I've been to Punta Cana, Got pregnant, had a kidney stone,brought my daughter to Montreal to see the Jonas Bros at 8mos pregnant, gave birth to a healthy baby girl, enjoyed the Christmas holiday, celebrated my other daughters 14th birthday and on and on....... Oh yeah and in between I've done some scrappin here and there...as well as get togethers with some of my scrappy friends from A Pile of Scrap....

Time just seems to fly when you're having fun..

:0) ♥♥♥

Toooooooo much fun!!!!!

As you all know we had our first (A Pile Of Scrap)online crop this weekend from Friday until Sunday night..... Well, let me tell you it exceeded my wildest expectations...... What a fun time.... I did miss some of it due to the fact that my bestest friends came down from Moncton to have some quality girls time...... But, I spent every other moment I could online and working away... I'm a slow scrapper..... always adding more detail so with time crunches and certain challenges that I'm not used to, it was an adventurous trip!!!!!! I absolutely loved it.... I feel as if I know all of these girls on the forum.... All regulars, we converse all of the time... And I've not met most of them.... Looking forward to seeing them at the Green Hill Lake Retreat in a month!!!! Yay!!!!!!.......

I thought I'd share some of our work with you..... Us four designers had a challenge to design and then we had to do each others and play many many games and then to do the Crop Circle Challenge etc etc... Well enough chit chat......here we go......... I hope you like......

My challenge was already posted one here....some beautiful layouts came out of that...Good job girls...... go to apileofscrap.ca, forum, gallery to see all the talent.......

Jerusha's challenge was to do a winter scene with beautiful winter paper...(Many of us used the same papers(great minds think alike)Thanks to APOS.......... ♥

Annik's challenge was to use 10 specific items on a page..... without thinking I merged Annik's and Jerusha's challenge into one....OOOOPSY!!!!!!!!....... But it sure is beautiful......

Cory Lynn's challenge was to choose a book and do a layout using the book, title, saying in it, photos from the book etc...... Great ideas!!!!!! Loved this one....

And the crop circle challenge was to use 1- Make a one word title (i.e. IMAGINE, MIRACLE, etc..)2- Include 9 circles - buttons and brads can count, punched circles, etc....3- Use 3 ribbons4- Use flock or glitter or stickles ( 4 u Jerusha ) or dimensional pearls or glossy accents or felt to add a 3D effect5- Use your own handwriting

Tell me how fun that was.....

Then we had a 2 hour crop last night which we had to use only Brown, turquoise and pink in a layout..... I was a tad late but did get it done...... Enjoy......

This is me at 10pm on Sunday night after running around for the scavenger hunt.... A little bruised but giggling the whole time..No pain No gain!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr............

Soooooooooo sorry I'm late gals.....I must confess, I was shopping for clothes for my trip.......... Okay, now for the important things...... Are you ready?????? Here we go..... This was fun.......My challenge is:Seems it is going to be a simple sketch with 2 photos side by side situated in the centre of the page...You must incorporate one of your favorite patterned papers into the layout..... Let's make the theme about someone you admire!!!!!...... Be it a family member, celebrity, hero..... whatever..... Perhaps it's that darn cat having people rub her all day, sleep whenever and wherever you want, and have your meals prepared at the same time every day.... Oh and let's not forget the Pooper Scooper which certainly isn't her..... Oh to be a cat!!!!!

Here is my example...I did change a few things. But for the most part, I followed the sketch...... I hope you have fun with it...... Remember there is a prize for my favorite page!!!!!! Although I know I'll like everyone's the same...... Oh No, how will I choose?????? Eeeenie Meeeenie Minnnnie Mo!!!!!!! Good Luck Gals....I'm off to do the Annik, Jerusha and Cory Lynn's challenges..... Cheerio!!!!!

Check this out!!!!!! Want to add a little spice to your weekend!!!!

Well, another end to a great night... I did accomplish quite a task.... My little surprise for youall to enjoy and hopefull get some ideas.....Tout finis and yes I've finished my first challenge which will be coming up this weekend...You must try it out. And you can win free stuff.... Woot Woot.... Fun and stuff!!!!! What more could you ask for..... Check out A Pile of Scrap Forum... It rocks.....As my fellow design team member, Cori Lynn, said in her Blog.........sorry Cory Lynn I just couldn't say it as well as you.... Thank God for Cut and Paste!!!!! ♥♥

"Yep, it's time we all broke out the prizes and give some stuff away! Our Design Team Gals over at A PILE OF SCRAP were chatting and we all decided that this weekend a few of us may be SuperBored with the SuperBowl so why not do an online crop? And to top it off, we also have Crop Circle starting up this weekend too!!!Sooooooooo....let's fill you in on a few little details First off, in order to win any prizes, everyone must complete the Crop Circle challenge! Jeananne is going to post this on Thursday to help you all get a little jumpstart on things.Secondly, you can choose to do any or all of the DT challenges - each DT member will be announcing their challenges - however many you complete, your name will be entered into a draw for the grand prize that many times! For example, if you do 2 of the challenges (plus the crop circle) your name will be entered twice!You will have until midnight Sunday to post all of your completed challenges. We also have a bingo going on throughout the weekend and some fabby make and takes!! Each DT member will choose one winner of their own challenge and then there will aslo be the grandprize SO we have 4 DT prizes, the Crop Circle prize and the Grand Prize!........ and you never know, there may be an odd game or two thrown in with some extra prizes!! Be sure to head on over and sign up - it's ALL FREE!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Come on Y'all, join the fun...... or are you chicken!!!! Bock Bock!!!!!! Oh that was just pathetic...... I want to see what you can do.... Remember there are NO mistakes in scrapbooking....

Cheerio my friends...

A Scrappylicious Weekend....... Less chit chat and more cutting,wripping,stamping,sticking,and layering........ :0)

This Saturday I had gone to an all day scrap at the Marysville Baptist Church...I am not usually one who likes crops, well actually I love crops but I sooooo dislike choosing and lugging my stuff... I wind up bringing everything and using hardly any of it...They were very fortunate to have APOS donate 2 beautiful Albums for door prizes. Bahhhhh, I did not win.... Well, as always I had a ball. My mother-in-law, Ricki, my daughter, Alyssa and her little friend all went together.. Some great friends were there... 25 I believe... I accomplished alot.... which included chatting, checking out all the layouts, helping people with ideas, and the cricut machine... in between all of this I finished all of 10, nah, 5, nope, you guessed it........."2" pages and a half..... This was one of them... My Girl volunteered with her youth group to BBQ for the Relay for Life.. I was so proud of them..... They did a great job.. A freehand tree, a cricut machine and the cutest little bird stamp, which I purchased at our favorite store APOS...

This brown layour is my wonderful family,(Chosen)... Christmas night we made memories..... This is what the holidays are all about.... Family..... My large brown swirly is a stencil I purchased at APOS.... used a blending tool to go over the page, ribbon etc..... Whoo Hoo I loved it.... then wripping and inking of course... Quite a nice picture in Sepia..... My solution to an orangie picture.... Success!!!

And the last one, I quite impressed myself ... I really like how it turned out.... Love Love Love the paper .......You always find the most beautiful paper at APOS..... and the quality of the patterned and cardstock is fabulous..... This was 6.5 years ago.... my babe and her best friend Katie decided to plant a flower/veggie garden ........ Started with seeds and tiny plantlings...... well alot of TLC.... and Voila..... Baby tomatoes, sweet peas, cucumbers and many pretty perrenials....... Alyssa was so proud....

Get ready for the next fun project I've attempted as a designer from A Pile Of Scrap...... This I am pumped to get your opinions of .... It sure was a challenge.. Won't be long before that is posted..... Have a great work week...

Dee Dee....♥

Your laugh of the day.... Hilarious!!!!

...After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me.... selling a shovel.

Mrs. Harrington

Sitting here thinking of someone who touches my heart...

Wellll, It is Tuesday night, one day closer to Friday!!!!! Yay!!!!!! The more I rush my days the quicker my birthdays arrive!!! I better be careful!!!! "25" Can't last forever!!!! Or can it????

I had a long, exhausting day at work and decided to stop into my favorite store, A Pile of Scrap of course!!! Had a great chat with my friends Alissa, Luanna and Alissa's hubby, Peter.... Well I could sit there for hours, they crack me up..And of course I always walk out with some awesome item or 2... The atmosphere there is so inviting and warm and cozy and homey..... No wonder we all want to bring our sleeping bags and never leave... It's like our heaven away from home... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh........ They truely make you feel pretty darn special from the hug once you enter the store to the frown when you leave it.... :0)

I am contemplating if I want to rest ( that doesn't happen often, I like to stay busy) or scrapbook!!!!...... I think scrapbook.. Perhaps it will help me not miss my girl so much... I have done a couple layouts of my best friend in the whole world.. She is something else.... Her name is Terri.. Sometimes it seems we were separated at birth.. We have both had similar childhoods... But have risen above and become pretty spiffy ladies if I do say so myself !!!!...... We have known each other for 7.5 years I believe... Wow!!!! We met while both volunteering at our kiddos' school.... She has 2 amazing children, Tyler and Katie, 12yrs and 9..who just happen to be my daughter's best friends in the whole wide world too....♥♥. I just love them to death!!!!! Her hubby, Jody, I also consider one of my best friends..He adores his beautiful wife and let's the world know..Awwwww....... A true friend is always there when you need them and when you don't....That she was.....I could always count on her, regardless what situation were to arise..And I still can..... We can sit for hours and just chat..We can almost finish each others sentences!!!! Eeeeeerie!!!!...Terri lives in Moncton, my old stomping ground... and I am all the way up here in beautiful Fredericton... Soooooooo we don't get to see each other as much as we once did... But when we do it is like we had never been apart...... She always knows what to say.. and she actually gets my DeeDeeisms'....... Most don't, believe it or not!!!!! LOL....

So I am missing her terribly tonight... We have already talked a bit earlier, but sometimes I just wish I could hop into my PJ's and run over to watch "Ghost Whisperer" with her and Lori(another great friend). surprise she is coming up with Lori for the weekend in a couple weeks..Yay!!

Tonight my layout is going to be about my wonderful friend..... Silly how you get inspiration for a layout. Often if you apply life happenings to your pages you wind up with masterpieces that have a story...... Interesting and meaningful ones.... Tis' my plan this evening....

Thought I would share this with you all.. Hoping you all have a Scraptabulous night...

A Bientot!!!!!♥

A heartwarming story..... How Lucky got her name...

Another snowy miserable day.... It was actually quite pretty at 7:30 this morning but quite slick on the roads. Schools were cancelled but not my office!!!! Just doesn't seem fair, does it?.... I guess it is good to work hard and come home feeling like you have accomplished alot.. Even though I could have been sleeping and accomplishing alot of zzzzzzzzz's........ Bahhh!!!!!

I've spent most of the weekend scrapbooking... I did give my daughter and hubby some movie time, shopping time, and board game time as well as some quality mother-daughter scrap time.. and yeah, I did cook a meal or 2.... We had a delicious Chicken supper on Sunday....MMMMMM, so good....

I awoke last night at 4 in the morning to a weight on my butt as I sleep on my belly... quickly whipped my head around to see the silouette of my Unique cat Lucky, sitting as pretty as could be staring at the fireplace...... I guess entranced by the flames..It kind of freaked me out for she would not move regardless how much I bounced... So I smiled and fell back to sleep with my Lucky girl sitting on my behind. Wish I had brought a camera to bed with me..Would have been a Kodak moment.....

You see this is a cat that has quite a story and being with us for almost 8 years only just getting friendly the past couple.. We had found her in the middle of nowhere 20 feet high in a tree, moaning horribly...... So tiny you could fit her in your 2 hands, how could we just leave her there..so up the tree to retrieve this kitten we go..... she put up quite a fight for a little thing.... Oh my she was pittiful. So tiny and frail... She was skinny as a rake, proven by the cheekbones, ribcage and bulgy eyes..... she could barely hold herself up.....she was matted horribly with sap, blood and scabs all clinging to her bones.... the scabs on her back were black, very thick and hard as a rock....her tail was crooked and something was up with her back legs.... Quite a sight she was.... So into the truck to give her the only food available, yup, you guessed it, Wendy's fries and some leftover apple juice.... The cup was cut small and the fries broken up into tiny pieces as she gobbled them up like the starving animal she was.... what cat likes fries and apple juice????? I guess when you have nothing you appreciate anything... We had decided to bring her to the Vet down the street from our house and leave it up to them to help her..... Well, my soft heart would not let me leave without knowing how she was going to be.... After what seemed like forever, the Vet came out to inform me that this poor kitten was in fact a 5 month old Cat..Due to the lack of food and abuse it had gone through, it was as bad as it looked..... Now if that wasn't bad enough, he proceeded to tell me that she had recieved the huge scabs down her back from and owl..... which obviously had her in it's grip over and over.....she must have put up quite a fuss, which he explained, was the reason she was so high up in a tree.... The owl lost it's grip and dropped her... He said it had to be quite some time that she was stuck in the tree, with the black hard layer on her back as evidence,.... and now to make matters worse...... she apparrently had 2 broken rear legs and a broken tail...... Well, the tears were flowing at the thought that one tiny little soul could endure so much pain and still fight for dear life..... He said he was not sure if she would live, not knowing what internal damage was done..... I immediately said do what you can to help her, I will pay for whatever she needs..... He did what he could which wasn't much... but did cost me, and it was worth every penny... I had her, tattered and all in a cardboard box with her bandages and medicine in hand..... I brought her home and day after day watched her slowly heal....We had come to love this hero of a cat..... Eventually she was all mended and far from normal but she was ours.... For 6 years she pretty much hid under a bed until everyone was sleeping then went to eat and pee...... So we rarely saw her.. She did not meow or like to be touched..... So we talked to her with affection and gave her the space she required... Believe it or not when we moved to Fredericton she started to come out of her shell....To this day she walks with a funny strut, her back legs are somewhat bent inwards and her tail is a tad crooked and the tip of it shakes like a rattle snake when she is happy..... Just a little reminder of her heroic fight to become a member of our family..... She is now talking to us, if we answer her she continues the conversation until we give her a little rub or a treat..... she now loves to cuddle in the curve of our bellys as we lay.... Still a tad timid, but boys she has come a long ways... I can't help but smile at the simplest things she does... Where would she be if the 4 wheelin' trip hadn't gone that route?.... I can't imagine our life without her.... She was so fortunate to be where she was, when she was...My little girl of 5 at the time, came up with her name , it was so appropriate.. Hence the given name, LUCKY !!!!!!......... Seems we were the lucky ones..... Now you understand why her sitting on my butt, so comfortable and safe touched me so. How the sudden movement of my bounce didn't even cause a fret.... it was because she felt safe and at home.....Finally she loves us as we do her.... She is our miracle....

Anyhow I thought you might enjoy that story.....

Now I am off the wonderful world of scrapbooking....Gonna give my Lucky Girl a little lovin', then put my other angel to bed and smother her in hugs and kisses(they are never too big for that♥).... Up at the top is my latest page of my Amazing Mother in Law, Ricki...... She is one in a million.....as is her handsome Husband, Louis.... I just love them to death..... xo

Good night to you all.....

Keep a watch out for the Big Reveal of my "Jenni Bowlin" book with all of her beautiful papers.. It is breathtaking..... So Bold and Beautiful..... Prepare yourself for the Fireworks!!!!!

Cheerio, my friends......♥

This is the whole kit... using a

few of my own doo da's and Voila.... I still have quite a few leftovers...... and I waste nothing!!!!

Amazing or What?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!