A Scrapbook page and LuLu siting! OH FUN FRIDAY!

For my photo of the day yesterday I chose to do it in layout fashion :) since I botched my layout a day challenge in February so bad (shingles and horrific MS flare guhgroannnn) I am scrapping up a storm now. We were to photograph a car.Well I could go out to the garage and just, well ya take a picture of the car but I thought BOoooooorrrrriing,  and I can't just do Boring! This is meee we are talking about. SO, I had these fantastic photos and had previously started a layout at a crop. Hmmm, I thought what a great opportunity to use both. It was already dark though so I knew a good photo of the layout was out of the question, AND since Bella had to be up at the hind crack of dawn to be at the school for filming cool schools, (her school was on the news this morning as the Cool School feature of the week YAY! Go Cottage Hill Christian Academy Warriors!!) I knew it would be TODAY. So there ya go. THE FULL MEAL DEAL MORE THAN YOU ASKED FOR in a great big run on sentence :) I decided to go with the layout of the cars since it was something that I knew Bella bug would really like although it would be a day late. (sorry)  You get 2 photos of the day today BUT, not to fret, Bella helped with photo of the day today. So see if you get smiles.

Punch Bug!

So this is my Photo of YESTERDAY the day. Every thing on there is from Fancy Pants EXCEPT the little stickers in the bottom right hand corner that has slug bug the star and  the yellow car That is American Crafts and the  round chip board  sticker at the left top That is We R Memory Keepers. The Letters are Thickers from American Crafts. All edges are inked with Ranger (Tim Holtz) Distress Stains.
The Journaling says: "You and your daddy like to play Punch Bug" all the time. Any time we go any where you are on the look out racking up points for punching. ~ 2012"


Today's photo of the day subject is sunglasses. I had a little help setting up this photo. You may recognize our model. She is cuddly, she is cute, she is a fashion icon in the Jones home. She is LuLu! (Bella's Build -a Bear errr ughm Lamb?)

LuLu Making her Fashion Statement  with a little help from Bella!

LuLu has been drug all over so her nose has gotten kinda rough there. She loves her Cinderella dress the most according to Bella. She is stylin' in her pink Sunglasses. She tried to get Guido to wear them but he didn't want any part of that. (smart Guido!)
Hope you all are having a great Friday. I am thinking the Bug will have an early night since she was up so early today (PLEASE?!?!)

P.O.T.D. and A Paper Posies Layout

It seems I am always catching up. Have been busy so I am catching up on my photos of the day. Had them on my camera just haven't uploaded them to my computer. (have to use my desktop computer to do all that not my laptop long story and can be a big process some days) ANYYYYWAYYY. Here are my updated photos of the day and I did a layout today.
Something RED:

Something Loud: Oh I could have done SOOO MUCH for this one but I but my Nemesis:

Fork:

I used the literal as it was in Mexican Lasagna!!

A sign: Disclaimer (I just took a group of these signs I am not promoting or NOT not promoting any of these said candidates on these signs, it is just a photo at the election place of a bunch of signs I didn't even notice the names on them before I took the photo. It is just for the photo of the day spirit of photography so if you have to complain about it, THEN, call ya mama cause I do not wanna hear it Thank you!) AND YES I voted! :)

ALL the campaign signs there were tonsss of them.

Clouds: OK there are 2 of these photos Bella liked one I liked the other so I used both:

 

SO now I am all caught back up. I got my kit from Paper Posies. Thought I would catch up on some of my scrapbooking. These are some pictures from a while back but they always make me laugh. Using pastels when I scrapbook is always a difficult task. I know I have heard a lot of others say the same thing. So I tried very hard to not say forget it and just add other stuff. I stuck with the kit. The only thing I added extra is the chipboard letters the tiny letter stickers  some inks  staples that's about it. EVERYTHING else is from THIS MONTHS Paper Posies kit. So see. It is easy to make it work.
Even though her shirt is not pastel colors It blended with the other colors. (the backgrounds.) just pick up one color (the yellow) then the brown  then play off the pink I usually try for 3 colors from t he photo to  blend  this one was the pink the yellow the brown to high light. As you see it wasn't the exact shade as in the photo but it was enough to blend and make it work.  Pastel tone papers  along with Brights in photos will create BALANCE on your layout. just a tip for you.

She Just Can't Resist

You can click on the layout to see it larger. The journaling reads: I am sure the staff at Old Navy cringe when they see us walk in. You absolutely LOVE the "people" at the front.  You will not leave them alone.  You talk to them as if they are real. The little girl and the dog are your favorites. ~2011

I added ruffles to the circle and the edge of the paper by tearing off strips then spraying water on it (after I inked the edges) crinkling it up then gathering it up under the edges in layers.  I know it kinda looks like a mess. It looks better in real life. Hard to see in the Photo. The butterfly is not as dark now either that is a wooden butterfly so the ink  has absorbed into it. It is sooo pretty. Is more of a mauve brown color and the edges are darker.  Hard to get the true photo of it. But I think you get the idea. 

P.O.T.D. 5 p.m. and more

So I am just gonna catch up. Had stuff to do yesterday and felt crappy so didn't upload my pics but I have them :) So I have a few and an updated layout.

So The challenge for Photo of the Day was to take a photo at 5 p.m. I took 2 one of the tv (showing it was 5 pm)
Also a picture of a not so happy Bella doing her homework. (mean mama made her write her multiplication tables over)

Ya she has those expressive eyes (dunno where she gets that from?)

Here is the next one something that I have worn... (didn't say when)

         

This photo is kinda blurry but, I chose to leave it that way.  Haven't worn these boots in a while. Wore them to my wedding. HA! Typical me!  Don't think my left leg would fit in those jeans.  This used to at one time be my everyday apparel.  Now, not so much. Have traded it for t shirts.. boxers and  left that behind.  I will wear these boots again. I have a promise that they will be on my feet when I leave this earth. (please don't let them put any ruffley crapp on me.)  When it all comes down to it in the end... this is just me. who I am. who I have always been and will be.  Just a little more blurry now. (and with a bigger butt)

Todays photo was sup to be out your window. Well one of the views I love I have already shown HERE  out my kitchen window. So I won't bore you again with that.

Finished this page (finally) I know Im slow and indecisive. I added stickles to everything so it had to dry. I know its hard to see but its all over those  PRIMA flowers, and the butter fly, and the paper and the little hearts those are American Crafts comma's upside down. The letters are really brown I just added stickles to them in pink so ya ALLLL that had to dry and little fingers had to stay away. I tore up some of the PRIMA Vine flowers (2 packs) and made the embellishment at the top and the Butterfly(Maya road? chipboard,)  antenna,  Used the other Prima flower vine as a base and added another pack of Prima flowers. bling it out big... all kinda of ribbon I cheated and nope didn't sew YOU KNOW I DON'T sew. That is glue babbbeeey! GO ME!  Tim Holtz distress inks all over, S.C. sticker cut in half and YA THAT is NIKKI SIVILS Frog Prince Paper. .  I just jazzed it up with stickles for Bellas 3rd grade Medieval feast photos. 
Based out on Bazzil Cardstock no less


(Photo taken by me @ chca)

P.O.T.D. Smile Well Thats a smiley Dog If I ever did see one...

He is just the happiest smiliest dog ever. Love our Guido. He is so awesome.

ohhh dats da spot riht dar....

His Girl

He was being so silly

Photo A Day... Her Bedside

Well I guess  you can see what a few of my girls favorite things are just by looking beside her bed. Actually it is a relief you can see the floor. She has been doing really well with it actually.She is doing better, We all are.  When mom is doing better everyone does better. When mom is feeling yuck everything well.. goes to yuck you get the picture.
Today was a good day. SUNNY absolutely GGGGGEEE- GORGEOUS DAY. Cool outside. NICE. I cleaned through our DVD and VCR collection of movies. OH MY WOW. HOW LONG that had needed to have been done!  Also did 2 window sills got the ick out you know what I am talking about? That ew that gets down in the track  when you have crepe myrtles and shrubs in front of your windows? pollen and ick. Am I the only one that gets freaky about that stuff? I don't want to open my windows in the fall and spring and see Window Eww.  BUT it is a daunting task. I can't be up and doing for long to do that. SO, I do them a few at a time, Vacuum clean scrub, clean the screens. Today was good beautiful day for it. I got TWO DONE but You have to realize they were really ew because they were on the side with the shrubs with those lil berry things. So ya. OK ya I'm rambling on.
I was just glad to be feeling well enough to do something. John always KNOWS I feel better when I say OK this house is DISGUSTING how do we live in this filth. (He also hates it when I feel that good and decide we need to clean our house because we can no longer live in this disgusting pig sty) I said we can either clean it or just move. So Clean it we are.

HEY I got 2 windows done, That is accomplishment for me! AND all the DVD's and VCR tapes gone through sorted and reput in the cabinet (with my adoring child's help although It was fought with a few whines but she did help willingly for a good long while till it started resembling that thing called WORK)

SO here is my Photo of the day. BELLA'S Bedside.

The wooden horse was mine when I was younger. Her Aunt Liz refurbished it when she (Bella)  was a baby and made it look more like a live carousel horse. (ya I cried) My daddy made that horse. So it is like she has her papaw Bob there along side her. The Red hat is from Nana Faye, Her guitar,  her huggy bear that is hugging a cat or some kinda critter, her gramma bunny that smells like chocolate, Hello kitty clock, A  Hawaii snow globe I think it is a Hawaii one I dunno,(she has a bunch of snow globes)  That is Lu lu chillin' on the bed, That is her back pack Aunt Cyn sent her she keeps her books stashed that she wants to read at night time and her kindle fire, ipod, Ds and stuff  Uncle Windale Aunt Karen and Aunt Liz spoil her with in so she can sneak and read when she is supposed to be sleeping (YA, like we don't know) Mardi Gras beads and Necklace  and Bunny ears? (no clue)  on the horse... No idea. Yup .. That's my child. love her.
That bed belonged to my, I dunno, HOW many Greats... grandparents. handed down. Wrought iron but my father had sandblasted and redone it. So pretty.

So what is beside your Bed? I think she might find this funny some day. If not she will at least have a photo to show her future therapist.

Photo a day 2 oh ya and 3

Ya ok so Im doin a 2 fer Yesterday was kinda wild so Im getting yesterday and today up today. I am just happy I am doing it! I was VERY ill during L.o.a.d. and I was able to do 1 page. BUT I am so proud of that ONE page.

Ya the photo was kinda crooked. The layout is straight. HEY I HAD SHINGLES all around up on my head and ears I was doing good to take a picture of the layout better yet scrap anything! I didn't post it in the gallery though. Kinda embarrassed because I only got to do ONE page for L.O.A.D.

WHICH BRINGS ME THOUGH... to todays PHOTO OF well yesterday <blush> yayaya

I KNOW yesttterday but whatever. The topic was FRUIT. (was gonna take a picture of my neighbor but thought nah saving that for one of the other subjects) SO, I decided to do a PLAY ON WORDS errr Pictures.
See if you can Figure it out.

Should be pretty easy for you to get....
Our topic for today is :
OUR NEIGHBOR HOOD...
The light I really wanted was yesterday afternoon. It was so pretty but it was also VERY windy. I didn't get the photos I wanted then.
I think I did capture a little of what I think is quaint  about our neighborhood without having to wander off.

Mobile is the AZALEA capital of the south.
Our neighborhood comes alive bursting with color it seems like down here we have the greenest grass, the prettiest trees, the flowers bloom huge,  I can't explain it. it isn't like it was back home.
Everything is just... pretty.
flowers all over the place. stuff blooming all the time. maybe its the tropical air. (Don't get me wrong there are things about back home that are beautiful too!! Different beautiful)

One of the things that makes me smile. I see this when I look out my window in the kitchen. Mr. Dupont. He is in his 90's LOVELY man. Love him so. In his electric wheel chair going to check his mail admiring the beauitful scenery of our neighborhood, calling for the kitties (yes our ferocious beasts)  waving to the girrrl (me or my daughter or diane  any of us that may be outside loooking to see that he makes it back ok) Love that man!
They have the most gorgeous back yard. David and Diane took some GORGEOUS photos of Bella when she was around 3 in their backyard. The most gorgeous photos I have ever seen. I will have to link you to their website. They are amazing photographers here in Mobile. (I am blessed to call them our neighbors)

This is our backyard. See how biggg those azaleas are. Now I did kinda cheat on this a little. I took these photos yesterday. I was afraid the storm was going to take the blooms off. I wanted you all to see how beautiful they were already. They have been lit up since Feb. So early this year. Amazing. That is Fraidy Cat down there chillin. They love to run and play up under all those. They jump out at each other and up into that dog wood tree. They run up into Bella's play house and across to the shed. It is such a fun time to sit and just watch them run and play and chase each other. Don't walk by though or you might get got! (by a kitty)

I wanted to go down to the other end and take a photo coming back the other direction. It is much prettier. You get the idea though. We have rolling hills, coming back the other direction you can see going up the hill the flowers blooming better. Maybe this afternoon. The light will be better. Things are blooming so it is so pretty. I want to take a picture of the entrance. Oh my it is so  pretty with all the azaleas. They have worked soooo hard on it. The temperature has really dropped. We were 80 degrees yesterday, now it is 56, Can really feel it. But I am not going to complain at all. it was as if God put his arms around us and every thing went up.  Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone. This has been horrific. We continue to pray for them weather is so scary and I DO RESPECT the weather.

So did you figure out the photo??
When life gives you lemons... make.... well Lemonade or whatever you wanna make.
Ya kinda corny but I had some lemons and I had fruity pebbles so those were my choices.
:)
Hope you have a blessed Saturday. (both of you that read my blog haha)

ps what do you think of the white background? dunno what happened but the green got lost but Im kinda diggin it. thoughts?

Growing up too soon...

My sweet Bella,
You are growing up much too fast to suit me. So much has been happening in your little life around you.  Scary things.in the world , How do we explain this cruel world to you. We as parents struggle so hard with giving information to you so you will know more how to handle things than we did, but then we are faced with our babies dealing with adult situations and growing up too early. I just want you to be 8.

 You have so much to deal with in your life already you shouldn't have to have all the rest of the crapp that this world is dealing out, ya know. You seem to deal with it like a champ though, I have to tell you.
I fear some day you will need to discuss all this with your counselor and say yup back in 2012.... or whatever they call them when you hit 40 and have little kids running around of your own making your hair need "highlights."


You are wise beyond your 8 years. Although, you are quick to let me know You are almost 9. You worry. ALOT. about everyone, especially me. I try to keep you from doing that. I hide I guess you say, maybe too much from you, about what is going on.  Which makes your mind wonder the worse. Maybe I should explain more about what this is. Shingles scare you more than anything. My shots terrify you. I have tried to explain them that they are no big deal but you see the repercussions.To and 8 year old a shot is horrible and upchucking and a horrific rash well... ya.  How do I get it to make sense to you when We can't make it make sense to us?

You are very intelligent. I know when you are scared and worried.  It shows in your school work. It shows in your behavior. I try to make up for it extra when I feel better. No amount of time, hugs, kisses or words can take it away I know. Maybe that's why I scrapbook so much for you. Just to be sure you know?
You are growing up. You don't need me to buckle your shoes any more. I made this realization today. It hit my heart. You are growing up so fast. Im so very proud of you.I hope you know that.  You are such a smart girl. A brave girl. You make good decisions. You are so helpful and kind. You have such a beautiful heart. I don't want ANYONE to change that. You do have your spunky side too. I like that too. You are funny. Very quick witted. You make me proud to be your mom.

You have always been independent. From the get go. The first look on your face when you came out was one of "OK where am I and lets get this show started." You are so much like me there. Maybe that is why I am so protective of you in some aspects. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. Daddy and I also try to filter away the things that are damaging. I didn't have that luxury.  Maybe thats why we are so particular on the school you go to, the people you hang around, The things you do.. If we seem overly crazy on that JUST KNOW there is a reason. There is a method to the madness baby. It stems from the fact we love you and want the best for you.

I have been down some roads and made a lot of mistakes, have had a lot happen, seen many things,   I do not want you to make those mistakes. I plowed those roads I experienced them. I don't want you to. SO I put up the great big "DANGER DANGER SIGNS" so you won't go there. NOT because I don't want to be mean no wire hangers mom or for you to not have any fun, but, I don't want you to experience the heart break, the pain, the disappointment. Yes I want to protect you. Its mothers instinct.  
Did these experiences make me stronger? yes, Did I learn things from them, OHHHH yes, I can tell you a lot of things that DON'T work... But, I would much rather you learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others than having to learn from the experience it yourself..the hard way. But if your anything like me you are probably going to have to take some of those bumps just to find out for yourself. KNOW your mama will be right here. waiting for you. Ready to listen and beat the bad guy with her shoe. dry your tears, whatever it takes.
So My sweet Bella.. all of 8 years old.. growing up way too fast.. my sassy little mini me. Slow down... Don't be so closed off that you miss the point,  open minds will open hearts,  and just pass by that road  there thats so bumpy that has been down by all of us. . Your mother has already been down that road. It is dark, it might look like it is lots of fun, (and at times ya it kinda was) but in the end... trust me. The one on the right... is the smart decision. Not because I said it was.. Because I lived it and have the battle wounds, scars, memories, and ya Im sure there are photos out there somewhere to prove it.
I love you baby....

THEY ARE GROWING "UP"

never forget.... you can always come home no matter what.
mama.