A little escape...

I love to escape from reality. (Who doesn't, right?) Today brought the perfect chance to do that! Scott invited the kids and I to accompany him to work today to take a tour of the hotel and enjoy a scrumptious buffet breakfast. He stayed to work several hours while the kids and I headed to Perkins Cove and Ogunquit Beach.

Insert trip down memory lane here: Have I mentioned my love of Ogunquit before? I TRULY do love it... it brings back so many fond memories from childhood. Although 2 decades have passed, not much has changed there and such a rush of memories come flooding back when I take my children to the same places I often went with my father as a child! Just a few random things I remember: renting boogie boards to surf the arctic ocean until my body was numb, collecting cans on the beach to buy candy, riding the trolley all around town, The Marginal Way, shopping in Perkins Cove, Turkey Club sandwhiches and Creme Soda at Einsteins for lunch, watching the taffey pulling at Goldenrod's in York, shows at the Playhouse, swimming at the indoor pool at Meadowmere, building sandcastles, buying trinkets from the bathroom attendant (lol)... I could go on for days! (End crazy memory lane babble here!)

Anyway, The Cliff House was absolutely stunning! I could see why the hour+ drive seems like nothing for Scott and why he enjoys working there so much! The views are BREATHTAKING! The arial shots you see on their website do nothing to showcase the views from the dining rooms and pools. Of course I took lots of pictures (which I plan to scrap) but even I wasn't able to truly capture what an amazing view is yours for the taking! Geesh, do I sound like a commercial or what? LOL Be on the lookout for new layouts soon!

It's after 11pm here and I am only updating because I am waiting for the clothes to finish washing so I can put them in the dryer so Scott doesn't have to go to work naked tomorrow. (They probably wouldn't much like that... or maybe they would, rotfl......) Hopefully the clothes are done, so I am outta here! Sweet dreams! XO

Shout out to my girl, Jennifer Beschinski!

Gotta give a big shout out to my girl Jennifer Beschinski! She has taken the leap from amazing paper scrapper to phenominal digital scrapper and now onto cutting edge digital designer! You can view her products right here at www.DivineDigital.com!

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at one of her first two kits earlier this week and I did 3 layouts with them!



Isn't that a super fun kit and so versitile, too?

If I actually get this post through it will be a miracle, LOL. We are having yet another HUGE summer storm with thunder and LOTS of lightening. The rain is coming down in buckets!!

So, I woke with an enormous headache that I just haven't been able to shake so I did NOTHING today. Thats right. I sat around surfing the net alternating with visiting my air conditioned bedroom for some rest on the coolness of my sheets. The hardest I work was climbing the stairs, LOL Youd never know it by the sweat pouring off me, LOL

Gotta scoot to make dinner for the kids! Have an awesome Friday night! :)

It's a pulling my hair out kind of day!

You know the day I am talking about, don't you? Admit it. It starts with waking to 2 little boys punching eachother. It continues on with humidity so thick, it's like breathing water. Then finding that 15 cupcakes in their wrappers are missing. Hmmmmm, can you say "BAD DOG"?

I have approximately 7,802.4 things to do today and no time or energy to get them done. I feel totally frazzled.

So, I worked yesterday. As soon as I got home, I had to take Victoria to her riding lesson. There was a big fiasco with her being "late" the day before (she arrived at 4:28pm for a 4:30pm lesson... don't even ask....) so we arrived 45 mins early. She tacked up. The wrong horse. *sigh* Finally, her lesson started just after 5pm and her instructor was a royal hard ass. It was all I could do to bite my tongue. I know maybe that's what Victoria needs to be an amazing rider, but the kid is just there for FUN. Isn't fun allowed anymore?? I downloaded my pics this morning and apparently I need to learn some skills if I want any good pictures of her riding. She wasn't even going all that fast, yet most of my pictures are blurry. Grrrrrrrrr!


We are not going to the Nashua Pride game tonight afterall. It turns out it's Kim's wake tonight down in Peabody MA. I wish Scott would have been better about letting me know the details so we wouldn't have had this schedule conflict. The kids are busy picking out their clothes now. I think this is probably their 4th or 5th wake. It's sad but I feel like death is a natural progression of life and they should deal with it now so when it's someone even closer to them, it won't be as shocking.

So, how was that for one heck of a disorganized disjointed post? Welcome to the inner workings of my mind! LOL Hope your Thursday is better than mine! :)

Toot, fun stuff & more!

Check out my side bar! Notice a new blinkie? That's right... I AM LOONY FOR LYLE! I made Christy Lyle's Creative Team! Woohoo! Love that girl and am looking forward to doing all sorts of super fun things with her kits! I have created a new category under Creative Team in my gallery just for work I do with her products! Check it out! :)

Speaking of fun products have you seen the new Shelf Letter set from Angela Barton? Holy Moly! This set rocks da house! My mind is racing with ideas, now if I could only get them to translate! Here is one layout I have done using this kit so far...


I worked yesterday... the first full day in several weeks and man, it was hard to get through. We don't have that much going on right now so it was the "wait" part of "hurry up and wait". I am working tomorrow, too. For today, though, I will just enjoy being home with the kids! :)

Have an awesome Tuesday! XO

Lots of things!

First, let me start with a big huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my girl, Lesley! Hope your day was great, girl... oh wait, I know it wasn't because you spent it here with me cleaning my house, lol :) Crazy- total craziness- I tell ya! My kitchen definitely looks awesome, though! :)

What else would a brand new 36 year old do after she used Mother Nature as her shower, anyway? Yes, you read that right, Lesley decided to shower in my driveway! She left her clothes on, grabbed a bottle of shampoo, a bar of soap and headed right outside into the pouring rain! I tried to crop her mental illness out of the pictures, but I think it's still showing. Judge for yourself, LOL :)


I have decided against entering MMM afterall so I have post the 3 layouts I was "saving" in my gallery tonight. They weren't award wuinning anyway and with many mergers recently in the industry and I would rather sit back and see how things go before I jump in with both feet, kwim?

Got a note from Megan's basketball coach today and wanted to share it here with you all (with permission, of course). I know that some individuals and companies are looking for a place to make worthwhile donations. I hope you will consider helping if you are able! Feel free to forward this information if you know anyone who might be able to help in any way!

Good afternoon,
My sister Jeralyn, Mike and Taylor Frost also of Auburn NH, and the rest of our
family, greeted Cody Michael Frost into this world on July 21, 2001. The first
boy into our Cote family, we all celebrated such a cute, always smiling little
guy. On January 27, 2002, six months into Cody’s life and after noticing slow
development in him, Jeralyn and Mike were told by doctors at the Hitchcock
Clinic in Lebanon, NH that Cody suffers from a genetic disorder known as
Angelman Syndrome. Needless to say, our lives changed dramatically that day.
Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a genetic disorder caused by abnormal function of a
gene located in Cody’s 15th chromosome. Because of this, Cody is likely to be
severely handicapped, unless a cure is found. You can learn more about Angelman
Syndrome at www.angelman.org. Angelman Syndrome is a rare disorder therefore
not many doctor’s have even heard of it nor have researched it.
Upon hearing this I began the process of starting Cody’s Quest, a non-profit
organization created to raise awareness and funds for the research and ultimate
cure of Angelman Syndrome. Since 2002, we have raised over $60,000 and have
donated about $35,000 of this to Boston Children’s Hospital for research
directly related to Angelman Syndrome.
On September 8 of this year, we are holding our 5th annual golf tournament at
Stonebridge Country Club. I attach a couple of items. First our current
newsletter. Second, the registration form. Third, a Hole Sponsor Form.
Finally, a Company donation form. If you would like to play, either single or
put a foursome in, please get back to me as soon as possible. For 4 years, we
have filled the course (144 golfers total) and have turned people away. If you
wish to make a donation, there is a form on the newsletter. If you have avenues
to corporate donations and/or corporate hole sponsors, these also are
appreciated.
I do hope you find it OK to send this to you. In this day and age, we all seem
to have our causes. This is mine. All I ask is that you do what you can.
Thank you so much.
Jamie
PS, you can learn more at http://www.codysquest.org/.

Obviously the forms Jamie references aren't attached to this post, but if you are interested in reviewing any of them, feel free to email me at inlovewithdots@aol.com.

Guess that's all for tonight! Have a super yummy Saturday night! :)

The luck starts here, baby!

Remember when I shared the story on St Patricks Day about going to the bank to cash a winning check from some calendar fund raiser and how I filled out a slip to win tickets to the Monarchs and then won a few days later? Well, Tuesday before we went to the mall we stopped at the bank so the kids could take out money. The bank had another contest box, this time to win tickets to a Nashua Pride game. I said to the kids "Oh wait just a minute, let me fill this slip out so I can win"...... got the call yesterday- they pulled my name- I WON! Isn't that crazy??????? I need to start playing the lottery, I tell ya!

Another day without plans and I am loving it. Today's to do list looks like this:
1. Shower
2. Online banking
3. Pay bills
4. Vacuum
5. Laundry
6. Chill out! :)

I am thinking about giving the Memory Makers Masters contest a whirl this year! I have 3 layouts in reserve right now. I would need to do 2 more and then get them printed and sent by the end of the month. I know I can handle the time line... just wondering if it's worth it to lose another contest, LOL I kicked myself for not entering last year and for missing HOF this year. I really need to get back on my game. If only my luck could carry over to talent contests, lol...... guess thats the difference between true random luck and plain ole talent!

Still have a few more layouts to scan from SDV... it's taking me forever... I really hate stitching 12x12's...

Scootin' outta here for today...have an awesome Friday!

Misc stuff on a Thursday morning!

5 more songs from my current favorites folder on my iPod...
1. These Walls -Teddy Geiger
2. Over My Head -The Fray
3. Stacy's Mom -Fountains of Wayne
4. Where is the Love? -Black Eyed Peas
5. Jessie's Girl -Rick Springfield
Yep, I have a pretty crazy mix..... and I am not even telling you the songs that would embarass me if you knew I downloaded them! ;)

Quiet day today... well, that can't be completely true... I have 4 kids and a dog and a Steve, so it's NEVER quiet here, LOL. I need to run to the bank (it's FINALLY payday for Scott) and take Victoria to her Dad's. Other than that, nothing special. I should probably do a little cleaning and of course, I am sure I will have to scrap something! I wish it would rain so I could justify spending the day in the house.

Wanted to share a few of my favorite digi scrappers with you all today. Of course, I have mentioned my love of Jacque before so I won't bore you with my obsession with her amazing layouts! Nikki is a new favorite for me! I LOVE her use of white space! Aud Neal is another one whose work I keep stumbling on and loving! Valerie's sense of style always blows me away, too! It's so unfair that she has design talent & creative talent! LOL

Still no BBQ invite for the weekend... what's up with that? ;)

Have a totally awesome fabulous DELISH Thursday! :) XO

Wednesday- Hump Day- hee hee

I worked today. Bleh. I am not loving working this summer. It's not that anything is wrong with my job, I guess it's that I would rather be home with my kids. Is there anything wrong with that? I think not! I can finish out the summer and surely work the school year, but if you asked me right now about next summer, I just couldnt commit. My heart isn't in it. I want to be home enjoying every moment with my children... they are growing way too fast and this is time I can never get back.

Still loving my iPod. Decided maybe today would be a good day to share some of my favorite songs... not necessarily new, but ones I just can't get enough of.... ones that I never "skip" when they start playing! In no particular order, here are 5...
1. Beautiful Soul - Jesse McCartney
2. Soundtrack to Your Life - Ashley Parker Angel
3. Accidentally in Love -Counting Crows
4. Shoop -Salt-n-Pepa
5. Something's Always Wrong -Toad the Wet Sproket
How's *that* for totally random? Can you tell a lot about me by the music I listen to? ;) If you comment today, please leave me the name and artist of a song or two that I can check out on iTunes. I am in need of some new songs (old or new is great, I don't mind the long forgotten one hit wonders, lol).

Scanned and uploaded 8 new paper layouts today as well as a few new digi layouts between last night and tonight, so check them out in my gallery if you have a moment! :)

Quiet weekend planned. Megan is altar serving on Sunday so we aren't going up north! Maybe if I promise to be really well-behaved, some nice blog reader will invite me to a BBQ or something! ;) I could use a stiff drink or two, lol!

Off to make dinner (call for help if you see smoke, LOL)... have a fabulous night! :)

New phones & a better plan, too!

I took Victoria to the mall today to add her to our cell plan and get her a phone. Afterall, she *is* 14 years old now, you know, LOL While I was there, I upgraded my phone and my plan. Same price, 400 more minutes per month! Yeah! I am LOVING the new phone... it has a camera and video capability. Not that anything could compare to my first love- the Digital Rebel XT- but I am just a technology nut so I couldn't resist. I still haven't added internet to my service yet despite the fact I really want to, so I am showing some restraint. ;)

It is hotter than HECK here in NH this week. I checked the thermostat in the dining room yesterday, which apprently only goes up to 90 degrees and the thing was buried. YUCK! I am hoping for a super nice summer storm to bring in some cool air and break this humidity.

I am still scanning and uploading layouts from this weekend so check into my gallery often if you are interested in taking a peek at what kept me busy at SDV!

Stopped by AC Moore today and bought white t-shirts for the kids. Krista has been watching them on Wednesdays this summer and in addition to taking the to the free movie each week, she has been coming up with a different activity to do. Tomorrow will be tye dye! Isn't she amazing? I tell you, I don't pay her enough for all she does. I wish I could pay her more, but all I can offer is 1/2 of what I make during the summer. I hope that I make up for that on "regular" nights when I use her for recreation. :) She has been watching the kids since Dylan was about a year old, so 6 years now! We have watched her grow up... she really is an awesome girl!

Well, rather than melt here in front of this computer, I think I will go find something else to do. Have an awesome Tuesday! XO

[Just a note for today]

Woohoo! What a weekend! Time went by too fast, as it always does. I did in fact complete 30 pages. I wish I could get some of them posted but my scanner isn't hooked up properly. I may tinker with it later, we'll see.

I have been a mother for 14 years now. Yep, thats right, my oldest daughter turned 14 yesterday! Holy heck, where does the time go? Happy Birthday, Victoria! Love you! XO

Scott is up north with the kids today and quite honestly, I don't know what to do with myself. I think I might be scrapped out, LOL Guess I'll go grab another cup of coffee and relax....

ETA at 1:00pm: I have scanned and uploaded 12 of the 30 layouts into my gallery! :)

Live from SDV...

Live from SDV, it's Saturday night! Just checking in real quick on the hotel computer to make sure I'm not missing any critical scrappin' info, LOL :) I think I just crossed the 20 page mark. I am hoping to hit at least 30 pages for the weekend. Thats quite a challenge with all the laughing going on! :)

Hope you'rte having a fabulous weekend! Hugs & kisses!

Wasting time......

Here I am wastin' time when really I have no time to waste! I am leaving this afternoon for the Scrapper's Dream Vacation I have been mentioning for several months now. I don't feel 100% prepared and I am certainly not 100% packed, but I think I can get quite a bit done this weekend. My original goal was 60 pages in 54 hours, but that may be a bit high, LOL

So, that means I most likely won't be blogging until Sunday night or Monday! :( I know you will all miss me terribly (yeah right) so I will leave you with a few of my favorite layouts from summers gone by...




Have an awesome weekend!! Muah! XO

Dude, that is *so* my name!

OK, not much time to blog today but I am just bursting with excitement about this little toot. If I could do back flips, you would see me happily flipping in the yard right now. So, I get home from work and sit down at the table with the kids. I see the newest issue of CK has arrived. I start thumbing through... great issue, by the way! I stumble on the little blurb that says "I loved these pages, too" in the Reader Gallery. I couldn't help but blurt out "Dude, that is SO my name!!!!!!" I was totally shocked to see that one of my pages was noticed by a CK editor! WOOHOO! What a rush!

Not much else new going on here! As I mentioned, I worked today. I have a million things to do to be ready for SDV this weekend. Not only do I need to get my own self packed but I need to get the kiddos ready for their trip from house to house. Ack- never enough hours in the day! LOL

Did you notice I finally updated my sidebar with some new blinkies? I feel so blessed to be able to create for so many fab designers! Wow, I am so lucky!

OK, outta here.... gotta get some things done! Have a fabulous night! XO

Step back in time... one year....

While looking for some disks to reload on this new computer, I found the CDs with the photos from last July taken in Chicago while I attended the CHA show with Melissa & Lesley. Now that I have this digi thing down a little better than I did when I did my first page on the train to Chicago last year, I decided to rescrap a few pics! Can you tell we had a total blast??











Full credits for the kits used can be found by visiting the layouts in my gallery!

Recovering just nicely, thank you!

Phew! The party is over and behind us. While it was definitely a fun time, I am *so* glad it's over! Us Momma-type-people aren't made to be up until 2am, giggling and screaming and then back up at 6:30am. OK, so here is the low down on the party....
The first girls arrived just after 4pm. Their parents set up the tent for us and then headed out. The girls swam until most of the guests arrived. Around 6pm, myself & 7 girls walked down to thhe pizza store at the end of the road. We ordered 3 large pizzas and then headed over to the convenience store to buy some candy. (WHAT was I thinking?) One of the girls had heard that if you put Mentos into a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke, it will explode, so I knew right away we must try that (watch for a layout coming soon with pictures from this don't-try-this-at-home-event)! We headed back to pick up our pizza which took FOREVER so we ended up loitering outside the pizza joint. Finally the pizza was ready and we *walked* over to the ball field where another party guest was playing an all star softball game. We ran into another team member who ended up joining us, too. Once the game ended at 8pm, we hiked back home. The girls headed for the pool, playing Marco Polo and Chicken. Two more girls showed up, bringing us to a total of 11 girls. Around 9pm, we headed in to do the Circle Journal project. That was a lot of fun. At 11pm, we decided to head out to the tent. Crazy. I must be crazy. Two girls stayed inside but the other 9 and myself piled into ONE TENT! Can you say SQUISHY!? Just about this time, the sugar high hit full force and I was praying for the night to end. Many giggles, lots of screams and a few scary stories later, they fell asleep around 2am! Phew! The morning was a whirlwind of activity- shooting hoops, eating breakfast, painting toenails, parent pick up and making cotton candy (hey, if I had to have them high on sugar, their parents deserve a little fun, too, LOL)! By 10:15am, the last child was picked up and the quiet settled in! Here are a couple of quick layouts I scrapped today with pics from last night:


So, all in all, I *think* the girls had a good time so I am calling it a success. Would I do it again? Give me another 364 days to recover and I'll think about it! ;)

T minus 5.....

Man, seriously, where the heck is this day going? I think a good part of it went to my good buddy, Pam Bumbaca! She called me this morning and we gabbed and gabbed! I spent a couple hours cleaning around here... not that the girls will care tonight but what if the parents have to pee or something? LOL

OK, just a few random things today:
1. Robin Carlton is holding a CT Call. Seriously, I know you love her stuff and getting it for FREE totally rocks. She is just as sweet behind the scenes as she is on the boards, so go check out this call & apply RIGHT NOW!
2. Jan Crowley is coming out with the most super fab kit called Portobello Road! This is a must have! The lace is so real, I find myself wanting to touch it on my screen, LOL Here are 2 layouts I whipped up in about an hour and a half yesterday!


3. I started teaching Victoria how to digi scrap last night. She has her own laptop (the one I took to CHA last summer with the Happy Bunny stickers on it) & digi camera so we worked side by side. I would LOVE to see her really get going with it!
4. I read a super fun thread at 123-Scrap this morning about "Isms"... just a little different than the -isms I posted before about myself, these are funny words you say within your family! Here are a few of the funny ones I added:
Heavy Cologne= Man Whore
Ice Cream Carton= Trough
Comforter= Comfortable
Breakfast= Brefix
and I just thought of this one, too...
Bathing Suit= Bathing Soup
5. I think that's enough randomness for today, LOL. I need to go shower and get the boys over to Sherri's. No boys allowed tonight, you know! :)

Have a super fabulous Friday! :) XO

The countdown is on....

Just over 25 hours until Megan's basketball party! I just got back from the grocery store: 3 cases of soda, a case of water, a case of teeny drinks, several bags of chips, & pretzels, some salsa and some Ranch dip and I think we are good to go! I will order pizza tomorrow since I don't know how to work the gas grill (according to Sarah-age 11, I can't do much, but I can throw a mean party, LOL)! I am secretly hoping that the tent sleeping falls by the wayside. I would MUCH prefer to sleep in my own bed with the AC on low! :)

Shortly after my post yesterday, I turned the negotiation dialog into a layout! You can view it here! I often mean to use my posts as a starting point for layouts, but I rarely get around to it because it seems if I posted it here, it's old hat!

One week from right now, I should be on my way to SDV in Burlington! WOOHOO! 3 whole days of untinterupted scrapping time with my girls, Melissa & Lesley! I can't wait! I picked up some pics from Ritz today... now if I could just find the motivation to start packing! *sigh*

A shout out to today's birthday girl, Barbara D! Woohoo! Happy Birthday!

Time to close this for today. I really need to do some housecleaning and a trip to Wal-Mart may still be on the horizon. We ran out of water softener which makes Steve feel like he is wearing a rubber suit and when he starts talking like that, I start laughing till I pee. (I thank my Mother for that special gift, LOL)

Have an awesome night!

Negotiating with the children!

I have given my boys the fine art of amazing negotiating skills. Here is a brief conversation from this weekend.
Me: Boys! Sit together and smile for me.
Dane & Dylan: (Whining, grumbling, running away)
Me: Ok, boys! I have a deal for you so be quiet and listen up. If you agree to smile everytime I ask you to, I will give you each $1.00 for each layout I have published that your photo appears on.
Dane: Let me talk to my associate about this.
Dane & Dylan: (Whispers)
Dane: Okay, we'll take the deal.

Wouldn't you know it, I had 3 layouts requested today, ALL of Dane. I came home from work to find not one but 2 packages from Scrapbook Trends (May & June issues). Thankfully 2 of the 4 layouts were of Nicole (no deal there) and one was of "stuff", so no payout. The 4th, however, was of Dylan so he put his hand right out for a buckeroo.

So, not only do I have 2 boys that are willing to smile ALL the time, I now have a daughter begging for a deal and kids that are once again excited to see my layouts (and themselves) published. I call that win-win-win! LOL

I finally got down & dirty with some summer reading this weekend. I found a new author that I really enjoy- Nora Roberts! I am not usually much for any "love" in my stories, but her romance scenes were quite enjoyable! ;) Scott's Mom has oodles of books and is willing to share so I am a happy camper!

OK, gotta scoot. I have several things on my "to do" list and I haven't even started dinner yet! Have an awesome night!

Hot, tired & cranky...

Actually, considering how hot I am, I am not cranky at all... I just like things grouped in 3's so I needed another adjective for my post title! :)

So, I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Did you miss me? LOL I missed you all! Several times, I thought to myself "Self, I wish you knew how to update your blog via text message!" lol Not that I had anything exciting to say, really, I just hate the idea of being out of touch!



So I created this photo collage with the idea it would be a quick way to blog several pictures from the weekend, but one thing led to another and I think I am calling it a layout now! :) I used fun goodies from Angela Barton and Christine Smith! Full crediuts can be found in my gallery! :)

A few random digi things for you all to check out:
-Don't miss the Expecting Sweet Struff Layout Contest!
- Check out this super fab little something from Valerie Fowler: Teaching My Child to Understand God. This fabulous little gem would look awesome on your fridge, don't you think? I have downloaded my copy! :)
- A special thanks to Laura Alpuche for the sacrafice her family makes with her honey in the military fighting for our freedom. Hint: You might want to check her blog post today for a fun little goodie, too!

Got my layouts back from Scrapbook Pictures.com. I am quite pleased with the quality! The cost for 12x12 is $5.49 which is a bit high but 8x8 layouts are only $1.99 so I may switch to that size for my printed digi layouts. 4x6 pictures are only 18 cents... ya can't beat that with a stick, anyway! It's SO strange to see my digi work in print... it looks so enormous after viewing it only the web! lol Bigger is definitely better!

OK, peeps, wish I could blog to ya all night with wonderful tales of humor from the weekend, but I am beat! The shower is begging for me! :) Catch ya tomorrow! Have a happy & safe 4th!