Happy Anniversary

I can't believe it, but it has been 21 years!

They have been happy years, we have been blessed.

Happy Anniversary babe.

xo

Happy Hallo~Weenie!

Halloween was a real TREAT! Around 4ish, Jimmy popped his head in the kitchen door and announced he had a surprise for me...Kirsten! Dad was working outside in the front yard, (sticking Grandma in the ground) when Kirsten's roommate pulled up in the driveway, and out jumped Kirsten. This made a wonderful weekend even more fun. Nothing like having the family together for the Holidays :)

There's Grandma...

Danny & Sandy

Tyler's Haunted Cave.

Playing dress-up...

A huge part of the Halloween fun is making costumes! I thought I would share a mish-mash of costumes in honor of Halloween. Some were from Halloween, others for Mardi Gras, a school report, a school play, and even Christmas. Dressing up is fuuuun! Do you have your costume ready?

One of my favorites...

Yikes! Didn't love this...

Even Slinky gets in on the fun... Doesn't she look thrilled?

17 years old and dressing up as Hannah Montana? I like it!

Peter Pan Pirate

This is a PARTY!

To infinity and beyond...Spencer borrows the Buzz costume that Tyler wore, when he was about FIVE!

It's almost time to bring out Buddy the Elf!!!!

This was an A+ and we really enjoyed this assignment.

Annual Halloween Party. Always fun, lots of laughs and scares...

Happy Halloween!

Fabulous Night at the Fox!

Good friend, good theatre, (is that correct? not sure why i am worried about grammar now...a little late for THAT, huh?) good fun! Nancy showed me a good time at the Fox Sunday night. Phantom of the Opera! I had never seen the show before and wasn't sure what to expect. It is one of ??? or maybe even Nancy's MOST favorite??? Not sure but she knew every move and word! I know Wicked is right up there too...Which is it Nanc? Anyway, it was a wonderful evening. It was the final night and the trucks were parked outside when we arrived, ready to break down as soon as the show was over. When we left the Fox, the parking lot was already full of crates that they had begun packing. It was pretty awesome but it made Nancy REALLY sad. Don't worry Nancy, the Phantom will be back for ya!

Peeking in the back stage door we could see a piece from the Masquerade set. I think that was my favorite part. The costumes were AMAZING! The details were incredible and the fabric...to die for. Just gorgeous.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Nancy, not just for an incredible evening, but for a wonderful memory!

The Darkness...

After spending hours and hours last week watching Haunted House marathon on the Travel Channel, we decided to pack up and check out America's Scariest Haunted House right here in Soulard, downtown St. Louis. Kind of cool, we saw a lot of the characters and props that were on the t.v. show.

Just after I snapped this photo, the one armed ghoul scared the crap out of Kirsten. It was prettty funny.
This was my scariest moment. (one of them) Standing in line, you began to hear the brush rustle and before you had time to figure out what was going on, this guy was running across the hillside heading straight for us. Afterwards, he hit the ground and stayed there, buried in the tall grass for quite some time, waiting for his next victim.
Once we were inside, none of us took a breath for about the first 10 minutes. It was that scary. Tyler visited Creepy World in Fenton, and preferred that haunt to The Darkness.

As for me, I can say...

been there,

done that,

that's all for me folks!

Some Halloween creations to send to the college students...

I grabbed a pack of Basic Gray Halloween Chipboard Stickers and for like $5 or $6 bucks, there were a TON of chipboard pieces. I still have some for next year. Some coordinating paper, and a bunch of fun Halloween goodies collected over time, voila! I hope they enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating...mowahaaaa!!!!

Happy Halloween Creating!

Day of the Dead Shrine...

This all began about FIVE years ago. Remember girls? A group of about 5 or 6 of us gathered Kris' house to create DOTD shrines. It is the same day I met Angelica. Angelica's probably saying, that was you?"- right about now! Yep, my buddy Carol who I haven't seen in months was there, and a few others too. I did NOTHING that day, even though the gathering was my idea. I work better in my little corner of the world, usually when I am alone. Well, I pulled out the little black box this year and played a little bit, and then a little bit more. It was great! I am pleased with it. I sent it to school with Kirsten, the outside of the box still unfinished. Maybe in another 5 or so years I will finish that too.

This is on Debby's blog today...

Classes for November and December!!! Whoohoooo! I'm in!
We are soooooo lucky!
Debby's blog.
For Keeps Sake
314.487.8131

Heere's Debby!

DON'T MISS OUT!

We are So lucky to have Debby coming to town next month to teach some incredible classes. I will finally get a chance to meet her in real life! Barb went all the way to Nashville, (I think) to take some of her classes, and said it was worth every penny and every minute. Here is Barb with a picture of me, so that I could have a picture with Debby...did you follow that? Anyway, all YOU have to do is head over to For Keeps Sake Scrapbook Store, right here in town. (out of towners welcome too!) I found Debby a while back in Blogland and have been nuts about her work, style and personality from the beginning. The FKS gals were fortunate enough to take some classes with her a couple of months ago....fortunate for ALL of us, as they too, fell in love with her.

Get out your calendars & mark them now!

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 20, 21 & 22

Debby Schuh is teaching @ For Keeps Sake!
She is bringing us 4 different workshops & you will want to take them all!

Check out the store blog for more details.

For Keeps Sake

See you there!

Happy Birthday baby bro...

He's a liiiiittle bit older now :)

Great photo I grabbed this off facebook. I have never seen this one before. 8th grade, maybe? love the background. hehe.

once a cutie- always a cutie.

Happy Birthday!

i did it...

it's that time of year and we wanted some fresh apple pie.

i called my pie baker and it seemed she was too busy to bake us a pie. (even at her busiest, she DID offer.) i think i might be able to do it with some baking advice.

so we set out sunday afternoon for a little apple picking...picking the apples up from jen's house that is! when calling for advice, jen offered up some farm fresh apples they picked just last weekend.

with a little help from my expert pie baker, her recipe, her tips and tricks, and even the apples, off i went. i have to say, the pie is good. jimmy said, "it's no jenny pie, but it is a really good pie." i'll take it. doesn't it look pretty? i had to do a little piecing because i couldn't get the top crust on without breaking it a little. just don't look to close :)

this is another reason i enjoy fall so much.

Mama's got a brand new bag...

Ain't i LUCKY???
Just kidding Sis, it's yours...
maybe.

Spooky Saturday...

10-12ish Halloween Book with me.

2-4 Awesome technique packed book with Sue.

Fright Fest!
2 classes!
Spend the day with Sue and I and enjoy a spooky fun-filled day of Halloween classes.
10 & /or 2!
FKS 314.487.8131

Call today, the kit making has begun!

miley cancelled :(

my girl was home and had three requests...
toy story 3D.
steak n' shake.
taco bell.

she came home for the BIG concert event.
unfortunately hannah montana had strep and the concert was re-scheduled...to mid-term time. she will miss that one. she saw miley last year so i think she will survive and it will be nice to have her $180 back!!! yep, you heard me right TWO tickets. yikes!

toy story was great in 3D. the memories came flooding back...and so did the tears. this was the movie that played non-stop in our home for years, and still pops out on family movie night from time to time. tyler has been buzz and woody for halloween and we have tons of toy story gear floating around the house, still! the movie started with the preview to the long awaited toy story 3, short and simple, andy goes to college...

October MTR

two page seasonal layout to display your favorite october photos.

2 spots remain.
tuesday oct 6
6pm
$18
FKS ~ 314.487.8131

wendy has left the building...

but her inspiration carries on...

just a little something to put in the mail for someone special.
someone that is coming home this weekend!

weekend highlights...

a great time was had by ALL! stamps, classes, demos, shopping...paradise!

wendy rocked...no surprise there.
timi and nancy did a wonderful job putting together an awesome, action packed weekend. thanks girls!





ted and michelle, the creative wonders behind stampers anonymous. loads of fun and talent.



an extra treat of a beautiful rainbow, the most gorgeous i have ever seen. it was a double rainbow and we saw it touch the ground just ahead of us. looked like you could reach out and touch it. the end of the rainbow...

truck o' stamps...CALLING ALL SCRAPPER & STAMPERS!!!!

TODAY! Saturday September 26th!
ted and michelle arrived with the truck last night all the way from cleveland full of Stampers Anonymous STAMPS!!! card making templates to die for too! the store is full to the brim with tim holtz (new CRACkLE and CRACKLE STICKLES!) products. maya road! wendy lovin' stuff...and wendy will be arriving at 12:30 to sign her BOOK! don't miss out! you WILL be sorry!
did i mention there is a TON of wendy's beautiful artwork to inspire???
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!! hehe
See you there!

you're gonna need a cocktail after spending this blockbuster day at FKS! it's the BEST!

lunch lady...

yep. i have a dream job working in the BEST scrapbook store in town, teaching and sharing! and now, i have another dream job. seriously, i have talked about being a lunch lady for years. the hours are great, the vacation time...AWESOME, and being able to get a sneak peek into my son's school day...the best! at the start of the school year, i had the opportunity to work a couple of days a week in the cafeteria. i thought i would give it a try. i have been busy learning the ropes of being a lunch lady. this has kept me a little busy.


today was the best day yet- after what?...4 weeks? anyway, the money balanced, the tray count balanced, the kids were so sweet and funny today AND, a 6th grade teacher made it a point to stop and tell me that she overheard her students saying that the new lunch lady was REALLY nice! when i went to school this morning to start my day, the girls had been busy for hours making bread dough to roll the pigs in a blanket, FROM SCRATCH! yes, i was shocked and as if that wasn't enough, after counting the lunch money this morning, i headed back to the kitchen where the girls were preparing lunch. the smell of cinnamon filled the hallway. much to my surprise, the main lunch lady, helen, had baked a whooping pan of cinnamon rolls! this too, FROM SCRATCH! looked like something you would see on the food channel! well, her leftover dough was used to make some goodies for the teachers lounge. this is also a lunch she prepares for the kiddos from time to time. lucky kids! lucky me! yum...

now the last dream job of mine...open a hotdog stand.
someday...

one last note, i thought i would leave you with an adam sandler SNL skit. you know he is my favorite. in my house, we always sing the sloppy joe song WHENEVER we eat sloppy joes. so now this song has even greater meaning.
enjoy!

BIG birthday weekend...

-lunch with maggie grandma, uncle scott & jack
-cards baseball in a luxury box with friends & neighbors
-buddies sleep over
-breakfast at the blue roof... the brown house (chris' pancake house) with grandpa & donna
-fried chicken dinner at grandma j's
-gifts, cakes, parties, FUN! Happy 14th my young man...


we missed sis, she enjoyed her first college football game! GO TIGERS!

On the day you were born...

we became the proud family of a beautiful baby boy...we had hopes and dreams, and we never could have imagined you would grow into such a wonderful young man.







a few of our favorite things about you.

you are...
loving
sweet
caring
strong
smart
helpful
good at X-Box
friendly
always smiling
eager to learn
a good builder
funny
nice
thoughtful
considerate of others feelings
a great dresser, you got style
creative
open to new things, except food things
a great athlete
team player
a good sport

friendly

helpful
loving son
crazy about your big sis
a great hole digger

a great man cave helper

a ladies man, wa wah

the tivo man

a great french toast maker

a great dad helper

a good golfer

good company for dad

overall, the son everyone dreams about
the list goes on and on...
happy birthday!
we love you.
xoxox

photo booth....

looks like the "thing" at weddings these days. the guest gets a photo, and a dup goes to the bride and groom. LOVE them! i have always been a sucker for a photo booth. i always want to stop and play.

me & dad...

loooong weekend!!!!

it was great to have my girl home to share in some shopping and playing! we were all over town looking for some fun necessities. we enjoyed some home-cooked meals, as well as, a dinner out, and another with friends. el maguey for some fresh mex and guac!!! a last minute, late night cocktail with the robbens on saturday, lead to a sunday morning brunch! what more can i say? WOW! I don't know how they were out until 2 and then put on the home-cooked delish spread they did in the am.! amazing! john, your gravy ROCKED!

the "fry-in-ator" whipped up his famous fried chicken for fried chicken sunday! this was a must before heading back to school. monday was spent on the road with a stop at a local bar and grill for a last meal with sis and her roommate. pretty yummy.

My girl is home....

Kirsten is home. I suppose she has the swine flu. The doctor said if they have the flu, it's the swine. Keep her comfortable and watch the fever. (never got too high, in fact we are hoping that it was indeed the swine, and she is done with it!) She is feeling much better. Probably could have stayed at school and made class on Friday. I think she is bored and ready to go back...

Happy to have her home :)

a few more elizabethtown scrapbook...

3 more days our college girl will come home for a visit!!! maybe sooner, looks like she has the flu...swine flu??? hope not but they are sending the college kids home by the dozens. it's hard not to be with her while she is sick :(

Where did summer go?????

I suppose it went to getting ready for college. Now Tyler is an only child. He doesn't like it as much as he thought he would.

An Apple a Day collage, Tuesday...

I will be making kits TODAY, Monday. Don't miss out!
An Apple a Day Collage
Tuesday Aug 25
6 pm
$18
FKS
314.487.8131

Elizabethtown Style Map...

Here are a few pictures of the srapbook I sent to school with Kirsten. Those of you that have seen Elizabethtown, may recognize the concept here...

This time last week...

The pups are roaming around looking for a place to "go back to bed." They get up with me in the morning and quickly head to Sis' room for a morning nap. They are a little lost...We all are. Anyway, while packing last week, we took a break and headed to Six Flags for more fun! We grabbed our buddy Justin and spent the day riding the coasters.

We survived the move...so far!

Move-in day was exciting and fun, and of course, a little sad. We arrived at 11am, unloaded the car, carried everything up to her room and THEN the rain came! Lucky. Her roommate had to stop on the highway because her stuff was in a pick-up. They had to throw her stuff into her parents cars...not so lucky. We were there first, so we were just finishing up setting up her room when her roommate arrived. We went out to lunch to give them some time to set up and dry out. The wait for pizza was long, which turned out for the better because at 2:30, she received a call from a friend saying she needed to register by 3pm for the Greek festivities! I don't know why we missed that note! Anyway, dad and sis ran over, signed in, and arrived back in the door of the restaurant just as they called our name, order-up. After lunch we took her back to her room and headed out about 4pm. Her room is darling, and we are so very excited for all that is ahead of her. We missed her the moment we left...in fact, the car ride home was lonely...and VERY quiet.

Sample Sale Saturday...

Don't miss the Sample Sale on Saturday @ FKS.
* Note to Recipe Class- So may of my "Recipe Girls" have requested first dibs on old samples, so first dibs go to you guys! I will have the Recipe page samples for sale starting on Tuesday at the Recipe class.
Happy Weekend!