Here's how I see it....

A little Scrapiness.....

2010-08-29T17:01:00.007-04:00

This is the most productive I have been in a while - lol! I have gotten 2 layouts done this weekend. One last night, and one this afternoon.

Here's last nights:

I love this new Prima Paisley Road line w/ J's tie dye dress. Looks like it was made to go together!

And this one was based on the newest sketch at Creative Scrappers. It is mostly Jillibean Soup, but the scallop circle is from Prima (Paisley Road again).

I thought this sketch worked well with the trumpet photos I took earlier this week. And I pulled out an old Cuttlebug butterfly die and embossing folder - how did I forget about having this thing - I love it!

Hope you all have a GREAT week!
~MM

Catching up....

2010-08-28T22:25:00.005-04:00

This is going to be a hodge podge of happens to get me caught up.

Here's a name frame I made for a new baby at church. Jax is adorable, and I can't wait until he makes his way into the nursery. Perks of being nursery mom.....get to love on all of the babies :)

Next is a little disaster w/ a glue bottle. I was working on a layout for Sweet Memories Birthday Bash using some fresh out of the box CHA goodies. I was so excited b/c I had a game plan - yummy Prima papers & one of my favorite pictures of J ever. I did some pleating on the paper to make a border & thought Scotch Quick Dry glue was the best choice of adhesive. WRONG!I had a glue explosion.

Jennifer had something similar happen a few years ago. She tried to tell me, but I loved this glue so much that I was in denial. No more! So scrapbookers beware - this glue is the devil!

The Birthday Bash was a blast. But I had another scrapbooking accident. Of no fault of my own, I am now sporting a broken bone in my foot!

JenRuhlz & I were in charge of games. Let's just say we had an over zealous participant and she slide into me like home plate. Best I can tell her knee hit my foot. It is a bummer b/c I had began running about 3 weeks ago. I am hoping for a quick recovery so I can still run the NPCA 5K in November.

And lastly, as if Monday's aren't bad enough, last Monday J brought home her band instrument - a trumpet!

I have banned her to her room while she is practicing. I know, but this mom has to keep her sanity!

Take care!
~MM

4th Grader in Da House!

2010-08-14T15:54:00.006-04:00

Yep, I blinked and baby girl is now a 4th grader!

J loves her teacher....

loves her classmates....

and is lovin' life!

RAK

2010-08-07T22:10:00.007-04:00

We're winding down our Summer To Do List. One of the things we had left was "do a RAK". I really want to teach J the importance of anonymous giving. It is really my favorite way to do something nice for someone without them feeling like they "owe" me. I was looking for a file on my computer the other day, and I stumbled across a document I had saved back in the spring. It was a list of things for a Teacher's Survival Kit. I found it when I was looking for some teacher appreciation ideas, but thought it would be something fun for the begining of the school year.

I always try to do something for the teachers that J has had in the past and currently. After 5 years at NPCA, all of the teachers are special to us & we didn't want to leave any of them out. So we decided to make survival kits for all of the lower grade teachers. These were super quick & easy. I'm pretty sure that none of the teachers read my little 'ol blog. There may be a couple of parents who read, so please don't rat us out :) A special service for NPCA students and teachers, lunch & Open House are tomorrow, and we plan on sneaking these boxes on the teachers' desks right after the service and before open house.

I really wish I could remember where I got this list from. If I got it from your blog, let me know, & I will give you credit :)

~MM

Feeling Small Isn't Always A Bad Thing.....

2010-07-25T22:18:00.002-04:00

This is a very simple and quick layout of my favorite pictures from Jekyll Island. Some one wanted to catch the sunrise over the shore, and drug everyone out of bed at 6:00 am. (not exactly everyone else's idea of vacationing!) However, they were all glad they humored me, because it was breath taking! I love this large photo. We are very self-centered and just seeing how vast God's creations are and how small we are....it does tend to put us in our place. I wish you could see all of the golden hues in the smaller photo. The sun was glistening off of the waves, and was creating a haloing effect over everything (even J - which is so far from the truth, lol!)Of course the first thing that popped into my mind was the lyrics from the Leann Wommack song.

Basically this is one sheet of patterned paper, a Hambly transparency, and letter stickers. I wanted it simple b/c I love the photos so much.

Take care,
~MM

Scraps + a sketch = quick layout

2010-07-24T20:47:00.005-04:00

I went to crop last night at Sweet Memories . I mainly went because I had an assignment that I needed to finish. Once it was done, I was having so much fun and wasn't quite ready to come home. I was very limited in what supplies I had with me, but I did have the scraps leftover from this layout. I was planning on making some cards with them. Instead, I used the scraps and this sketch - Creative Scrappers Sketch #112

These were some photos of J and my sweet sister-in-law before she left to go back to Hawaii. J surprised April by coming down stairs in this get-up. Love the socks! (And she does have bathing suit bottoms on under the grass skirt.)

We love and adore April so much. I wish her the best in life.

Enjoy your weekend!
~MM

Gettin' My Scrap On....

2010-07-10T21:15:00.006-04:00

I have done a little scrapping lately. I did a cute mini book of my mother-in-law's surpise luau for her 60th birthday, but I didn't even think to take photos before turning it into Sweet Memories. Don't worry, Sandra - when it is off display, it will be yours to keep :)

I also completed this layout today using Creative Scrappers Sketch # 111.

I loved this picture from last summer. You may not can see the detail in a blog post, but in the real photo you can see every muscle on J's body & every ripple in the water. When I saw this sketch, I immediately thought of the Bo Bunny Sunkissed line. And rest, my friend, is history :)

If you have never used a sketch as inspiration for a layout, I am challenging you to do so. It is a great way to spark your creativity. I have several sketch blogs listed on the right side on mine.

~MM

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-03T17:26:00.004-04:00

I just love that the 4th is falling on a Sunday this year! Do you know what that means? Yep - 2 days of festivities! And the weather this year is PERFECT!

J & I walked in the local parade this morning in support of our local TEA party. We then went to Chick Fila (Christian Chicken, as we like to call it), and had a picnic at the Southwire lakes. Next up is a big batch of Adam's Ribs (seriously the BEST ribs EVER!) all rubbed down and ready for the grill. We are having a feast w/ our neighbors tonight.

Then tomorrow, we will have church, a congregational picnic there, and then tailgating waiting on the Carrollton fireworks display. Praise the Lord I am off on Monday, b/c I will need to recoup!

Hope you all have a safe & blessed 4th w/ family and friends. Take time to remember that polictical and spiritual freedom are not free, and both were paid for by blood shed!

~MM

Recap

2010-06-27T21:17:00.007-04:00

Hello blog, did you miss me? I would say that I have missed you, but life has just been too busy....

I went to Atlanta Fest with one of my girlfriends on Thursday and Friday. It was AWESOME! We heard some great music, and some very inspiring speakers. Just what I needed. The highlights were hearing a speaker who was born w/ no limbs, Nick Vujici, and meeting Brandon Heath as I got a shirt signed for J. Here's a couple of pictures (yes, I am soaking wet from rain!):

J made it home safely from camp. She was wiped out, but she had such a good time. Our new children's pastor is such a blessing, and our kids LOVE him! Here's she is dragging off of the "Screaming Eagle" (which the kids want to drive off of a cliff into a huge lake - air went out on the way home).

On Sunday, we had our annual June birthday party at the Stogner's. Judith had the BRILLIANT idea to put candles on the cake for the total ages of all of the June birthdays.

Seemed like a feasible idea....until we lit them all.

I seriously thought we were going to burn my grandmother's house down - lol!

That's enough for today. Next few posts will be about our beach trip & a surpise luau for my mother-in-law's 60th birthday.

Make the most of your summer!
~MM

It's very quiet around here...

2010-06-16T21:27:00.008-04:00

That's not exactly something that we are used to around here :)

Right now, we are missing this girl:

J has gone to Kidz Kamp w/ our church. She has never been away from home w/o us, so it is kind of a big deal. Our little girl is lovin' life right now b/c of her new-found freedom & hanging w/ 40 other kids and our wild-n-crazy Kidz pastor. Her daddy isn't faring so well. The first day was horrible, but now that we are on day 3, he is settling in. ;)

Here is the gang w/ all of their "stuff":

And here is Ms Thang waiting to get on the bus and acting too cool for school!

~MM

Reality bytes

2010-06-10T22:01:00.003-04:00

2 of my fav bloggers (Stephanie & Michelle) have posts today about blogs and are they really reality. Do we cover up the nitty gritty, and show only the shiny sides of life?

These posts came at a time where I am really struggling w/ the whole blog thing. Why do I blog? Would anyone miss me if I didn't? What things can I do to be more consitant?

To be honest w/ you, I read a lot of blogs that seem very personal, and I often think that people wouldn't want to read that much about me. On the otherhand, those are the blogs that I enjoy most & the people that I feel like I know best in the cyber world.

I don't blog a lot because I struggle w/ what is "blog-worthy" - is it funny enough, is it clever, would someone get something out of my content? I guess I tend to blog the momentous things/projects or things that I think the average reader might like. By doing this, I suppose I am robbing you of the opportunity to see the "real" me. Do you even care to know the "real" me? In fact, is this thing even on?

Well, here you go..... Here are some hard-core "real" facts about me - the good, the bad, the ugly :)

* My dining room table is always covered up w/ mail, books, whatever..... It is the first flat spot that you come to from the front door, and every thing lands there. I try as I might to keep it cleaned off, but no such luck!

* I watch waaaaayyyyy to much junky TV. At my age, I should not have a clue as to who Snooki and The Situation are - but I do (dirty little secret that I have never admitted to). I am also glued to the TV every Wed night for Toddlers and Tiaras and Sunday afternoons for Bridezillas. And.....I LOVE Cheslea Lately - there, I said it! And Joel McHale...yeah, he is the sexiest man on TV.

* My worst habit is interupting people. It is not b/c I think what I have to say is more important - my brain is getting older and I can't remember anything for more than 3 seconds! You gotta let me get it out before I forget :)-

* I am by nature an upbeat person. I try to see the good in all situations. Makes life very interested being married to a law enforcement officer who sees the real shady side of life.

* I absolutely HATE conflict! I don't know so much if I have always had this characteristic. or if it ripened w/ age. I literally get very anxious when people I like/love are in conflict w/ one another, or even complete strangers. You know how women love a good cat fight - NOT ME! I hate it. I feel life is short, and we shouldn't spend so much time tearing each other down.

* Going right along w/ the last one, I am a people pleaser. I can't stand anyone to be upset or disappointed w/ me. I often over-extend myself to do things for others. I say I am going to learn to say "No", but that just hasn't happened. I am not sad about this one, though b/c I do like to help others.

* I really do not enjoy doing laundry or buying groceries b/c I hate putting the stuff up. My closets and cabinets are always in such disarray that it is not fun trying to squeeze stuff in there.

* I LOVE to handwash dishes and clean the toilets. {Yes, you read this correctly!} Know why? B/c NO ONE bothers me while I am doing them. Washing dishes is my 5-10 minutes of no one talking to me. It is my down time. Toilets....ditto.

* I love God & His creations; I love this country & the men/women who protect it; and I love my crazy, lop-sided family - even the liberal ones :)

* I love scrapbooking, but I often struggle w/ where it fits into my life. It is very theraputic for me, but I often feel guilty if the house is messy and I can't bring myself to scrap or clean.

* I am bi-polar when it comes to shopping - on one hand I am a total tightwad, and on the other I will spend whatever on a few things in my life (namely scrap supplies & bare esscentuals make-up)

* I am my own worst enemy. I pick myself apart constantly - not good enough, need to do this, need to stop this; etc. I am certain that is a common characteristic in women!

* I can be too emotional at times. Just last night I was having a conversation w/ J's principal about the teacher we had last year. All of the sudden tears are just pouring out of my eyes b/c of how much this lady meant to us. Where did that come from?!

* I fear that some people take me as fake, but I am very sincere in my motives - if I compliment you, I mean it. And, I actively seek to build people up and thank them. On the flip side, I won't criticize you or tear you down w/o some major provocation.

* I am a work in progress. I really do hope that I am finally on the right road w/ my weight. Thrive has been a godsend for me, and I am so thankful that my skinny friend talked me into joining w/ her.

* I am not motivated by money, possessions or toys. I am content in my 20 year old split level house in our little neighborhood. The people there are great and I enjoy the wooded-lot.

* I am a mother hen when it comes to guarding my child. I filter every TV show, song, and website she interacts with. Sometimes I wonder if I am preventing her from really living.

* I am a die-hard conservative. I will not make apologies for it. I think the Christian values and free enterprise system that this country was built upon is what makes it so great. If you don't like it, move to a socialist country and leave me be.

* I've always tried to do the right things in raising J, especially in nutrition. I used to really obsess on cover all of the food groups in meals, and having everything just so. Probably one of the most liberating experiences I have had, was when my mother-in-law (who is an excellent cook & does go out of her way to home cook most meals) fed my child a frozen dinner one time. It would never had occurred to me to "cheat" like that. Now, we keep one or two on hand for emergencies :)

Please be patient w/ me as I am at this crossroads in my blogging experience.....as I try to figure out what direction this thing needs to be going in.

Peace,
~MM

To Dos

2010-05-31T09:52:00.004-04:00

First of all, it's Memorial Day - a day that we should pause and remember those who have served/are serving and sacrificing the comforts of home to protect our freedoms and keep up safe. It is also a day that I think about all of the families who share their mothers, fathers, sons and daughters with the entire country. I think that far outweighs the "unofficial start of summer" designation.

With that said, one of my scrappy friends, Michelle Whitlow, came across a fun idea for summer. Here's our version.....

Some are fun and simple (waterballoon fight, frog watching on our fish pond), and others are to make us accountable (fix kitchen drawer, memorize a Psalm, do a book report). And some seem almost impossible (teach Kya a new trick, do not disturb Daddy day)! We keep adding, and J can't check off things fast enough! I keep trying to remind her that we have about 10 weeks to accomplish all of this, but she won't hear of it :)

What's on your list?
~MM

To quote Alice Cooper....

2010-05-29T14:02:00.007-04:00

School's out for summer!

3rd grade was tough, but we survived and we now have a 4th grader living in this house. This year's cirriculum was stuff that I learned in Jr High and High School. J has never had to study before; she has breezed right thru school. This year, she had to really apply herself. She did, and she scored A Honor Roll again this year. yay!

Here's some of the end of school year fun.....

The Whole Gang (I can't tell you how much I love these kids - they are just so sweet and alot of fun):

Field Day - girls beat boys at tug of war:

End of year party w/ the sweetest teacher ever, Miss Bloom:

Honor's Day with some of her buddies:

And reward for all A's all year.....American Girl Bistro:

~MM

15 Minute Layout

2010-05-08T18:48:00.004-04:00

Seriously folks, you don't have to invest hours on end in one scrapbooking page. I started with this sketch at Creative Scrappers, 1 cute photo of my cousin's daughter, and then some Sassafrass Lass goodness. And viola!

It's no masterpiece, but it is fun (and it is no longer a photo sitting in a box).

Hope you all have a blessed Mother's Day!
~MM

Cat Burglar

2010-05-02T16:00:00.003-04:00

Janell reminded me that I never shared the story about the intruder we had a couple of weeks ago. I have really been trying to supress the memory, but since she asked I dredged it back up :)

At night & sometimes during the day, we put the cats in the basement. At night b/c they annoy you to the point you can’t sleep and they get Kya-Lou all riled up. During the day b/c the devils have figured out how to open cabinets, and make big messes when left to their own devices…. In retrospect, it probably isn’t a good idea, but we have opened the window in the basement so they can sit in the sill and sun themselves & get fresh air. They love it. We have been doing this for like 4 years, and never any incident.

Bobby had class this particular week, so he was going to leave @ 7:00 to figure out where he needed to go at West GA, and to get a parking spot. He left, but came back in. He asked me if I had been in the basement b/c the screen was out of the window and lying in the flower bed. He said he didn’t see the cats, but he was going to walk down there & look. I just said if they were missing, we couldn’t tell J yet. I would come home at lunch & look, we could pay the kids on spring break to look; etc. When he opened the door a big, longhair black cat ran across the room and into the now closed window (Bobby had pushed it down from the outside). Apparently the thing was going ballistic, b/c Bobby flew back up the stairs & slammed the door. He went back outside, raised the window, and then back down into the basement.

No sign of our 2 cats, and the intruder had gotten so scared that he buried himself under the treadmill in the junk room. I’m thinking how on earth is this going to work…..our cats are MIA (we are assuming outside, which they never go), and a rogue, stray cat is our house!!!!! Bobby opens the door to the outside and goes back in to scare the cat out. I decide to iron my shirt for work b/c I already have 10 minutes invested in this that I didn’t account for, and I needed to get back on track.

While I am ironing, I hear a big “PLOP”, and I recognize it as a cat falling out of the ceiling onto the washer lid. Sadly, it is a regular occurrence at our house, as our kitties love to sit on the rafters. There is one part of the laundry room that they can get up there on them b/c the ceiling was removed (and never been replaced by slacker husband!) It just happens to be over the washing machine…..I have digressed. Anyway, it is Cleo – J’s cat. Whew, if one had to be missing, it did NOT need to be her. So I walked over to her, and she just had a glazed stare on her face, and I could tell she was nervous. I patted her, and asked Bobby what to do with her (he was in the other room slamming stuff around trying to get the other one out of there). He told me to put her in the main part of the house and shut the door. Cleo was so nervous, that when I went to scoop her up, she jumped back onto the rafter. UGH!

I finally sweet talked her, and she came down. I took her upstairs, and came back down. As I was coming down the steps, a black blur ran across in front of me, and out the door. I ran to the door and caught a glimpse, and it was a fairly good size cat.

So Bobby goes to work, and I start back ironing. I’m thinking the scenario thru…. we are down to missing one cat and the bandit is out. I’m feeling pretty confident that I can handle this. Buzz is a chow hound and a home body. I’m thinking it won’t be long before she shows back up. Of the 2, she is the bad butt, so we knew she was taking advantage of the freedom. About this time, who do you think comes slinking out of the space where the hot water tank is? Yep, BBB (Bad Butt Buzz), only now she is WTB (Whooped Tail Buzz). I swear that cat was so loooowwwww to the ground, and she was slinking like a snake. She also had that glazed look on her face. I spoke to her, and she never acknowledged me. She got to the steps, could see the door cracked from where Bobby had left, and took off like a rocket up those steps. She slammed the door open, and ran into the wall upstairs and about 4 feet up it before she hit the floor – it was crazy!

I ran upstairs to check on her, and poor thing was literally panting! It takes a lot to get a cat to pant! Anyway, they were both mentally fried that morning. I had decided to leave the basement door opened so they could roam the house today, but I went down to the basement to leave them some food so they would not go on scavenger hunt thru my cabinets. They wouldn’t even go down there to eat, so it must have been a freakish experience. These cats are usually at your feet at the first crinkle of the bag.

I can only figure that they were lounging in the window sill, psychotic black cat walks by, my girls hiss/growl at it b/c there is a screen b/w them, psycho cat jumps on the ledge, he pulls the screen out, and the rest is a nightmare for my cats! The curtains had been pulled down, so there must have been some sort of altercation. They are balloon valances, and they only hang half way down the window – so there must have been some air action in the altercation.

I mean – what kind of Monday are you set up for when you wake up and a strange cat has broken into your house?!

Here are our 2 spoiled rotten cats at better moments in their lives :)

Have a good one!
~MM

Lucky Girl!

2010-04-26T21:46:00.004-04:00

Okay, so here is my assignment in my new capacity at Sweet Memories. It is based on this sketch from Creative Scrappers. If you are a scrapbooker, you so need to bookmark their site!

Loving the ribbon roses on this layout. I kind of faked the large rolled one, and found the idea for the more open designs here - so easy and super cute.

Also got to meet all of the new Sweet Memories girlies this weekend. I cannot wait to work with them all; they seem like a great group of ladies - very tallented & alot of fun. Be prepared to have your socks knocked off!

Later,
~MM

Time to "Focus"

2010-04-19T22:17:00.005-04:00

So it is no secret that I LOVE scrapbooking. I really enjoyed my year on Sweet Memories Design Team. It was so much fun, and I loved all of the girls. I stepped down a month or so ago because I had Legacy Banquet for NPCA coming up, and I had began to struggle with creativity. I felt like it wasn't fair to Erin that I was just not producing at my best. But deep down, I knew I was going to really miss it.

Well, Ms Erin (that's what J loves to call her) revamped the positions on the design team, and the opportunity came up for me to have a chance to step into a specialized role. I will still have monthly requirements and deadlines, but it will be something more managable for this over worked, over booked, overly eager to please girl to handle. I will now be on the "Focus" portion of the team working with one of my favorite aspects of scrapbooking - working with sketches. Plus I will have a couple of month stints where I will be contributing like one of the main design team members.

I am so excited about this new role, I could just do flips! I love working with sketches - they take all of the design struggle out of projects, and allow me to focus on all of the fun! Here's a double page I did last week using a sketch from Two Chicks Designs. (It's of our field trip to Vulcan Rock Quarry. I know, sounds boring, but we were 400 yards below the surface in a granite pit - the kids LOVED it!)

Have a GREAT week! I'll be back after the Legacy Banquet and Auction to share a funny story that happened a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say that we woke up one morning and discovered we had been broken into some time during the night. And to top it off, the "burglar" was still in the house! (That should keep you coming back - lol!)
~MM

Do what you love.

2010-04-13T22:11:00.006-04:00

In today's crazy random world, there is so much stress and sorrow. If you find something that brings you joy, and it doesn't hurt anyone else - go for it! Other people don't have to "get it".

Case in point, a couple of weeks ago I took J to a dear old family friend's house for a little photo shoot. Charles is a very talented artist, who lives a little unconventionally - like most artists. He lives alone in his studio. It is a beautiful clearing at the base of Tally Mountain. He has meadows of daffodils around his studio - dozens of varieties. (But that will be a special story for another day...)

The other thing that Charles has is "bottle trees". I'm sure most of my readers do not have a clue what I am talking about, so I will show you.

(That sheepish figure trying to hide behind the base is Charles. I consider him part of my family because he's been around as long as most of the blood members. I really need to find out how he ended up in our family, but it really wouldn't change where we are now - lol).

Yes, this is petrified pine logs with bottles lining the trunk and branches - exactly what it looks like. But if you look deeper, you will see where someone took such painstaking measures to make sure every bottle was placed in it's on spot. And look a little closer, and you will see where some bottles were placed where they could radiate their own color in the sunlight....

Sadly, photos do not do justice to what these things looked like with the sun rays dancing over the colors - it really is a sight. I was mesmerized. Charles told me that a census worker had came by earlier in the week - how she found him up the little pig trial that leads to the studio, I do not know! He said she walked right by the trees and stood emotionless at the door. She never even looked up from her clipboard. He said it was odd for someone not to have any reaction to his creations - he usually gets some feedback whether it be a skeptical "Interesting...", or a "man, I wish I had a BB gun", or "That's alot of bottles!" This lady....nothing.

He turned to me, and asked me what I thought. I immediately said "Joy!" He asked me was it because of the pretty colors. I shook my head and said "No, I say that because it obviously brings you joy. There is no way that you would put forth the time and energy if you didn't enjoy it. I don't have to understand it or 'get it' - it's your joy." He smiled and nodded, and I knew for once I had gotten it right.

And on the way home, I thought about it, and realized we all probably have our own type of "bottle trees". Our friends and family don't really understand it. They try to humor us and nod and smile when they see it, but they really don't "get it". But that's okay.....it's not really for them to "get". It's about doing something that brings us joy.

My "bottle tree" is scrapbooking - I do love it. The whole process of reliving the memories behind the photos in my mind, picking out pretty paper, trying to put a new twist on things with each new page. It's okay, you don't have to "get it" - it doesn't lessen the joy I get out of it just because it brings no value to you.

So what's your "bottle tree"? If you don't have one, you really should find one - it will enrich your life more than you could imagine.

~MM

Right here, right now....

2010-04-10T09:08:00.005-04:00

(LO from last spring, but it is fitting w/ this title, right?)

So I have once again neglected my blog. Not intentionally. I mean I come up w/ brilliant blog posts at the most inapprotune times. When I have a chance to blog, I am just not motivated. So I am going to take a prompt from one of my fave bloggers, Stephanie Howell, and post the randomness of this life right now and where I am.....

* dying a slow death from all of this pollen. According to allegery tests a few years ago, I am only allergic to 1 thing - hard wood pollens. Guess what is in full force in GA?!

* utterly shocked that my 9 year old is a)almost to my shoulders, b) going into 4th grade next year, and c)quite possibly could be bi-polar! (bi-polar b/c one minute she is sweet as pie, next possessed w/ her head spinning from emotion. I really DREAD the teenage years!)

* rehabbing my knee w/ a very sweet physical therapist

* finally able to start walking some - yay

* working on the Legacy Banquet auction, and a nervous nelly that it is less than 2 weeks away

* really dreading next week at work b/c they will complete the "restructuring process" and people will be let go

* excited to be a "radical, right-wing activist" b/c I am volunteering for the Carroll County TEA Party rally on tax day

* eternally grateful that Deuce Mullenix is feeling better from his flare-up of back disk issues

* desperately wanting to scrapbook, but can't seemed to get motivated when I have the time

* ready for spring break to be over so we can get back on schedule

* "thriving" and discovering that peanut butter is not as bad as I remembered

* not really doing well w/ my couponing, and it is okay

* loving this Brandon Heath song

* tired of picking up the living room only to have hurricane Jordan plow right thru it 30 seconds later

* not even caring about how many words I have misspelled in this post - not even going to run spell check :)

* refusing to beat myself up about not blogging more

That about sums it up. I have a couple of funny, pee-in-your-pants stories that have happened over the last couple of weeks. I promise to share them soon. Hope you all have a GREAT weekend.

~MM

March Madness...

2010-03-27T22:10:00.006-04:00

I'm normally a positive, upbeat person, but I cannot lie......March 2010 has pretty much bit the big one!

Work is crazy because on an acquisition we have been working on. My knee has gotten to a point that it isn't getting any better, and I am looking at having surgery. The weather has just stunk - lots of rain and no signs of global warming. The politicians have gone mad, and voted in Obamacare. My sister-in-law has moved back to Hawaii. A couple that we were close to at church has moved to Maine. And Bobby's grandmother has been experiencing some health issues. This household has been bummed out!

So we need a good dose of spring to pull us out of the pits. If you happen to see Spring, could you please send her our way?!

~MM

Friendship in full bloom

2010-03-02T20:50:00.006-05:00

Work has been so stressful. Luckily I found a little me time this weekend, and I created this mini book using new Bo Bunny papers, and a My Little Yellow Bicycle chipboard book. Seriously, this really helped me keep my sanity! This is not necessarily what I would have picked out to do this book with, but I am glad it is what I got b/c I think it turned out kind of cute :)

Hope you all have a great week!
~MM

Quite Contrary

2010-02-28T13:33:00.002-05:00

No I am not talking about my 9 year old, b/c the title would "most definitely, super duper contrary"!

I'm talking about the new line from My Mind's Eye, and this little LO I made it with. Fun stuff in this line....

Hope you have a good one!
~MM

Sweet Treats & such

2010-02-26T20:07:00.005-05:00

So let's pick this thing up around Valentine's Day.....

The 3rd grade class requested chocolate covered strawberries, so J and I obliged. Didn't they turn out pretty?

And here are the Valentine's we made for the class. They are owls made out of heart doilies.

And here's a funny little dilly. My wonderful sister-in-law was teaching J to do the hula. This get-up totally cracks me up!

Hope you have a GREAT weekend!
~MM

Technical Difficulties (on so many levels)

2010-02-24T22:05:00.003-05:00

Wow - I really feel like I have been in a time warp over the last month. My computer crashed, I busted up my knee, lots of crazy winter weather, some heart aches, and a new acquisition at work.

But, the good news is....I got my computer back today. So I can finally upload my photos over the last month or so, and pick back up on my blogging.

So what did I miss over the last month?

~MM

PSA: Bears on Patrol

2010-01-17T13:29:00.003-05:00

Bears on Patrol is a non-profit set up to provide bears to patrol officer. These officers in turn pass them out to scared and hurting children when they are working difficult calls of domestic abuse, child welfare cases; etc. It is amazing how these children open up when there is a friendly object with them. I am so proud of my friends, Angie and Blake for tackling this project. I know about it first hand, because Bobby has patrolled for many years with a garbage bag of stuffed toys in his trunk.

They have received a request for 1,000 bears by the Philadephia police dept. This will come to $7,000 for the bears and cover shipping. Seems like a $7 a piece to comfort a young child is a bargain.

Please consider a donation. If not, read about what they have going on, pray for them and their endeavors, and more importantly....pray for the littlest victims. Their website is www.bearsonpatrol.org.

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!
~MM

Attitude of Gratitude

2010-01-14T22:00:00.002-05:00

While listening to a Dave Ramsey podcast (yes, I am still hung up on Dave to my daughter's displeasure!), I heard him say that Zig Zigler tells his readers to make a list of things that they are grateful first thing in the morning to get their heads focused on the positive. I started a few days ago, and have set myself an appt at work for the rest of the month of January to make a little list every morning. (My goal is for it to become habit, & I won't need a silly appt to remind me!)

Anyway, I fill up the whole side of my desk flip calendar page before I do anything else. I tell ya, all of the petty little things that I have no control over have lost their control over me! For all of the problems the US has, we still live in a blessed nation. It is a crying shame that we take it for granted and focus on little meaningless details that don't even have a place in the big picture.

I am so ashamed that I get bogged down and bummed out about junk. I have a secured eternity, my health, my family, my job, my church family, food on my table, a roof over my head, clothes on my back and I could go on and on and on and on..... There are people who are really hurting - lost loved ones, fighting health issues/addiction, battling loneliness; etc. It is a slap in their face for me to focus time and energy on my inconveniences when they are going thru so much bigger trials. So I am proclaiming it - I AM BLESSED in big things, and (even better) in the smalled things in my life.

Want to join me in my "attitude of gratitude" project? It will definitely change your perspective!

~MM

I scrapped!

2010-01-10T16:51:00.009-05:00

Now that the holidays have wound down and the Girls' Room is squared away, I have found a little "me" time. Here are a few of the projects I have knocked out in the last week.

This is an advent calendar kit from Little Yellow Bicycle that I turned into a layout that has a picture and snippet about what was going on for all of the days leading up to Christmas. Everything used was included in the kit! It was super easy, and made me not feel so guilty about not doing a Daily December project.

This is a layout from one of our Christmas card photos. I love it because the look of distrust on Deuce's face is priceless! This is using American Craft's Christmas line from this year.

And this is using some new Creative Imaginations birthday paper. It is kind of wild and busy, but so is a 9 year old!

This one has some fun, tedious stuff in it. Stitching over the faux stitching in the paper, cut the title out and moved it to the top, and then random hand-cut circles to fill in the yellow at the top.

And here is a very quick and simple little card from the scraps:

~MM

Back with photos

2010-01-09T19:49:00.009-05:00

Okay, so the first day was fun. But now I am over this winter weather. I spent all day yesterday working on my scrapbook room. Sadly, it has been a casualty of the holidays, and our re-do of J's room.

This is what it looks like: Girls' Room These are old photos, but it's back in this condition now after a day's worth of work. I cannot even show you the before from yesterday!

I did have time for some snow fun, and lord knows I have plenty of snow themed paper to scrap all of the photos!

A very powdery snowball

Snow Angels

Snow Ninja

The peeled-off layers

And today, Bobby went and got my nephew, Jacob. He brought the sleds, and they attempted to sled around the yard.

And we took them to a back road on the way home and let them sled on the ice.

I got out a couple of times today (thanks to the Bronco), but I really want to go to church tomorrow morning to see some new faces!

And a special "thank you" to the Northerners for indulging me, and not laughing about the "Blizzard of 2010" ;)

~MM

Stop the presses - Snow in GA

2010-01-08T10:14:00.001-05:00

It's better than Christmas morning b/c it is more rare than St. Nick coming to visit. So all of you Northerners be patient w/ the Southern blogging friends with their photos of light dustings, and tall tales of trecherous trips out for "emergency" supplies. This is special for us - let us revel in it ;)

Be back later with more said photos!
~MM

Ringin' in the New Year's....redneck style

2010-01-03T20:31:00.003-05:00

Seriously, I heard a great sermon tonight from Eccelesiates 11. Our preacher has done a series on Soloman from Eccelesiates entitled "Taking a Real Look at Life". Tonight's installment was "Don't Miss Out, and Don't Mess It Up!" Basically it was all about enjoying life and enjoying where you are planted.

Okay, so this is very hard for me. I want to deny my southern heritage when I see things like this. I want to be more cultured. But in another sense, it is just part of enjoying the life that God planted you in. God choose for me to grow up near Tallapoosa (formerly known as Possum Snout), GA. I can't tell you how many Friday and Saturday nights I spent with Mary Ellen Johnson cruising the main strip from the Tasty Treat to The Turnaround package store. Makes me think of the Tim McGraw song that says "I miss back when" or something like that (country music enthusiast I am definitely not!).

Anyway, Tallapoosa has embraced their identity and what God made them. Only in Tallapoosa would you be ringing in the new year w/ a stuffed dead possum in a make shift lighted cage hanging from a bright orange cord. And, there are toboggins to commemerate the event!

Possum Drop

I've heard rumors of this, but never went. Once I saw the pictures I felt like it was something that I have to add to my bucket list, and immediately began working on a posse to go with me next year. I was so sad when I found out that it is only every other year. So 2011 - Possum Drop or bust! Who's in?

~MM

2010...let the games begin!

2010-01-02T00:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I was planning on posting a wrap-up of our busy holidays, but my computer has gotten yet another virus! All of my pictures are on that computer. I am using J's new netbook to post this. I didn't realize how my eye-sight is getting worse until I tried to use this small screen. And, we won't even talk about how fat my fingers are on this tiny keyboard!!!

So far 2010 has been fun. I did have to work for a couple of hours today, but I counteracted that with a little girl fun with a couple of great girlfriends at Sweet Memories today.

Tomorrow will be J's 3rd basketball game. She is so excited b/c the team they are playing is actually their size. This season has been "Facing the Giants" so far, as the kids they are playing against tower over them by at least a foot!

We are also in the process of re-doing J's room for her birthday. That was her request. The walls are painted, and the accessories are purchased. We have a little bit of trimming out to do, and then we need to put it all back together. Hoping to knock that out tomorrow, also.

On the weight loss front, I finished 2nd in the challenge by losing 19 pounds. I have lost another 4-5 over the last couple of weeks :) We are starting another challenge on the 9th. This one will run 9 weeks, and I am enlisting the help of a co-worker who is working on her personal trainer certification. I hope she doesn't kill me, but I really need to be pushed b/c I really want to hit the big 4-0 in style next year.

Take care,
~MM

All I want for Christmas is.....

2009-12-27T15:32:00.002-05:00

a computer virus????? Seriously?! Who has so much time on their hands that they get their jollies out of trashing people's PCs?!

I'm close to having my computer straightened out, and then I will have to play catch-up on this blog. :)

~MM

Merry Christmas from the Mullenix's

2009-12-08T11:08:00.002-05:00

Too much going on around here to even think about, much less post :)

Here's a little Christmas "joy" to tide you over.....

Hope you all have a Blessed Christmas!
~MM

Playing Catch-up....

2009-11-24T22:33:00.005-05:00

What have we been up to?

Some playing:

A little shopping (Sweet Memories Facebook Fan sale):

Throw in some creative cooking here and there:

And a WHOLE lot of walking! The good news is......I have lost 14 pounds in 3 weeks! To say that I am excited is an understatement!

Hope you have a great turkey day! Don't forget to count your blessings.
~MM

SNL - Saturday Night Layouts

2009-11-17T17:21:00.004-05:00

Any local scrapbooking readers - I would love for you to join me at Sweet Memories this Saturday night. Feeling swamped and behind, we are going to knock out 3 single page and 1 double page layouts in a matter of 2 hours!

I wish I had sneaks, but I took the pages to the store without taking photos. Hopefully there will be sneaks up on the store blog soon.

~MM

It's on.......

2009-11-05T20:10:00.003-05:00

like Donkey Kong!

So I love The Biggest Loser - it is such an inspiring show. I just stand in awe of all of the contestants. If you didn't catch this week's show, you really should watch it on hulu.com or nbc.com. It was really cool how Crazy Tracie went back and finished the mile run that she had to be life-flighted from the first time. And, she is now training for a marathon - how cool is that?!

This Monday, the challenge was issued - the Corporate Accounting Dept threw down the gauntlet and started a six week contest to see who could be the biggest loser. There are 25 of us participating ranging in all shapes and sizes, men and women.

Each person put in $15 and winner takes it all. It's not about the money, though. It's about the motivation to behave during the holidays and all of the yummy treats to eat. It's about picking today to start doing something better.

I may not be the biggest loser, but I am going to have a fun time trying! :)

"If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done." Dave Ramsey

Have a GREAT weekend!
~MM

Mostly "tricks" for us

2009-11-01T07:08:00.003-05:00

Hope you all had a great Halloween. It has never really been my holiday, but this year was going to be different. This year, my baby girl was going to actually go trick-or-treating. Every other year, we have either hosted a trunk at our church trunk-a-treat, or stayed home and given out candy. She loves those, but this year I was going to take her to a super-fabulous neighborhood that goes all out.

And then the rain came. It was cold and soggy and miserable. Well, we can at least hit a few houses and the local church trunk-a-treat on the way home.....

And then in a snap, that all change........a snap of Bobby's tendon in his right elbow.

So he and I spent our time in the ER, and we sent J with the in-laws. Everyone was super nice; lot's of people walking around with masks because they had flu-like symptoms (YIKES!); and the Gators/Dawgs game.

Fortunately, I have some great pictures of our little darling........

She reminds me of Tweety Bird's owner, what do you think? Can't you just see her beating Sylvester with that cane?!

Eh, there's always next year :)
~MM

Happy Hallo-weenie!

2009-10-27T23:07:00.004-04:00

Just me and the world's most adorable dog, Deuce Mullenix, popping in to wish you the most ghoulish Halloween filled with treats galore!

We have another pumpkin and a pattern to make one like Kya Mullenix. However, I am certain that instead of posing quietly beside it, she will eat it. The girl is a cross breed mix between a German Shepherd and a billy goat!

Take care,
~MM

I-Spy: Scrapbook edition

2009-10-26T21:29:00.006-04:00

Can you find 2 pink threads, 2 black and white gingham ribbons, 3 trees, a ruler, a paper piercer, a staz-on ink pad, a piece of florist wire and "JOY"?

Sadly this is not a staged photo of my work space. It is the aftermath of a super- cute Christmas banner :) I'll share soon.

Have a wonderful week!
~MM

Just another day with an 8 1/2 year old drama queen

2009-10-23T21:21:00.001-04:00

And there is NEVER a dull moment! HA!

Have a GREAT weekend!
~MM

A more beautiful you....

2009-10-17T15:51:00.004-04:00

So sometimes you just have to step away from all of your commitments and do something for yourself. It makes you a better able to fulfill your commitments - or at least that is my excuse! That is exactly what I have done this week, as far as my design team stuff for Sweet Memories goes. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE doing work for the GREATEST scrapbook store on earth because it keeps me in the trenches and getting stuff done. However, lately I haven't really gotten anything done for me.

I love the whole process of starting w/ photos or a title or even just a design and choosing what paper (out of the 1000s of sheets that I have) to use, digging thru the bins of embellishments (not caring how old they are), and just playing until you get it right or you are completely over it and chunk it - no worries, no deadlines, just play. That is exactly what I did with this layout.

From the first time that I heard Johnny Diaz's "A More Beautiful You" several months ago, I knew I wanted to use it for a page. It has a wonderful message to it - don't be trying to change things about yourself or let other people dictate how you feel about yourself because God made you (and only you) to serve a specific purpose. Because of that, fulfilling His wish makes you more beautiful than anything else. Most of my pages for my daughter are very silly and light-hearted, but I do want to show her some of the more serious life's lessons along the way. I hope she will grow up knowing that a kind heart is more beautiful than any model on a magazine.

So, I now that I have that out of my system, I am ready to go back to the straight and narrow and work on my assignments again ;)See it worked because I picked up this very fun Sassafrasslass paper yesterday, and created this layout with it last night.
(Excuse the fingertips - I meant to take photos of it before I left this morning, and forgot. Thanks to J for helping me out.)

Have an awesome weekend. I am so excited because the weather here is screaming fall!
~MM

Dolly & Me Party

2009-10-02T10:14:00.003-04:00

So my mother saw an ad for this party at Bead Happy, and thought it would be fun for J as an early birthday present. She was a little under the weather (just allergies), and I worried that she wouldn't enjoy herself. Boy was I wrong. That little girl had a BLAST!

She had tried with all of her might to round up a cohort, but none of her friends understood what it was going to be and were unable to convince their mothers into signing them up. They are not happy campers after getting the rave reviews from J! :) (I am just glad that she is finally liking dolls b/c I was beginning to think she was a strange one - lol.)

I thought this a wonderful deal for J and myself. She got 2 hours of fun, games, crafting, & refreshments, and I got 2 hours of no drama shopping! It was amazing how efficient I can be w/o dragging an uninterested 8 1/2 year old around. In just 2 hours I ran by Sweet Memories, Publix, and then to Food Lion to hit the triple coupons one more time.

The best part was, unlike most birthday presents from the grandparents, the bracelet and necklace she made take up no room and do nothing to add to the clutter in the house!

I am going to the grand opening of Sweet Memories Studio tomorrow to scrap the day away w/ my girlies (will miss you Janell!). I have set the bar high on what I want to get done b/c I need to catch up on some assignments.

Hope you all have an AWESOME fall weekend!
~MM

Boo!

2009-09-29T22:06:00.006-04:00

I guess you are surprised to see me, huh?!

It is not that I am a lazy blogger...okay maybe a little. Moreso, life is just in auto pilot right now. Things are cruising along, but not really exciting.

I don't think you really want me to give you a run down of my grocery shopping adventures, the mounds of laundry I have been doing, how excited Deuce Mullenix is over this new food I found for him, or the fact that I was called out in front of everyone in church Sunday night - yes, I was called out for being a Dave Ramsey nerd (I suppose that was better than being called a drunk or a harlet LOL!).

Or I could talk about sopping up water from the basement, cleaning the black gunk off of my car, how wonderful the new cafeteria at work is, or the fact that I am furious that someone opened their car door on my car some time this week and gashed my paint up {grrrrr}!

So instead of torturing you with the boring details of my week, I will just share a little goodie I made for Sweet Memories over the weekend when I found a little "me" time in my sanctuary:

Maybe I will buy a Mad Libs book, so I can come up with a fictiously, exciting life....do they still make those?

~MM

Only The Good Die Young.....

2009-09-22T18:34:00.003-04:00

I have always loved this circa late 70s Billy Joel song. It has a fun upbeat tempo, and the lyrics are fun. It's cliche, but on this day 2 years ago one of the best died way too young.

None of us could have ever dreamed how September 22nd, 2007 would rock our world. How could a seemingly healthy 31 year old be fine one minute and then gone in the next? Adrian Lanning had waited all of his life to finally get to this place. He was happily married with a 6 month old baby boy. I seriously have never heard of anyone who did not like him. (I wish I could say the same for myself.) He was a wonderful, considerate man who was mature way beyond his years in his demeanor and compassion for others. He was also prankster, and didn't seem to get bent out of shape when the joke was on him. He was a man of even temperament - I don't think in all of the 15-16years I knew him, that I ever once saw him mad. He was someone that you could count on - his word meant everything to him. If he said he would do something, you could take it to the bank. He also put friends and family above everything else. If you had a need, you could be sure he would do everything in his power to meet it. He made all of our lives richer for knowing him.

Civil service was in Adrian's blood. I remember him counting the days down until he was 16. Not so much about be able to drive, but so he could be a junior firefighter at the local volunteer fire dept. He worked in the jail at the Sheriff's Dept, and was so excited with Burrell Langley gave him his big break, and sent him to mandate school for the city of Bowdon. He worked there for several years, and then he transferred back to the county. He joined his 2 brothers in serving and protecting Carroll County.

When God took him home 2 years ago, we all lost a part of ourselves that we will never get back. I'm sure I will go to the grave and never understand how this tragedy fits into the big picture. I can't comprehend why God would not let Adrian be a part of his little boy's life for no more than he was. But I know there is a purpose, and nothing happens by accident.

This one is for you, Adrian "Hotdog" Lanning. You will never, ever know how much you meant to me, and how blessed I am for knowing you! Only the good die young.....

Rain, rain - GO AWAY!

2009-09-21T19:10:00.005-04:00

I was working on a blog post about how I am consumed w/ all of the "stuff" in my house and in my life, but that will have to be for another day - because today I am consumed w/ sadness, confusion, and blah from all of the rain that we have been getting. I've always felt compassion for those in other areas that deal w/ natural disasters, but it is much harder when it is people in your community, people you see in passing at the grocery store, people you work with, people that are your friends.

Yesterday morning, I dumped my rain gauge. We had 5 inches from Friday - Sunday. Last night around 8:00, I dumped another 1/2 inch or so. Then the flood gates opened, and it poured all night long. This morning at 5:00 - I dumped 5 1/2 inches, and there is already another 3 from just today. To say that we are water-logged would be an understatement!

I am so over this rain and all of the destruction that it has brought with it. Here in Carroll County, we have lost 3 toddlers to weather related incidents. It breaks my heart to know that these parents will not see their babies grow into sassy 8 1/2 year olds like mine. I know God is in control, but I really have to catch myself from asking why.

Bobby got called in @ 2:00 am this morning. They spent most of the morning rescuing people from their homes. Bobby was on a jet ski, and said it was no where near as fun as it is on a calm lake. Fortunately, they were able to get all of the ones they went after. Most were very gracious, except for one ornery old man who wanted to have a cup of coffee first!

Southwire was also hit - all of the Carrollton plants flooded and were w/o power for most of the day. The plant workers are already on short time, and now they have missed a couple of days. I hope it will all be over and cleaned up soon so those folks can get back to work.

All in all, we personally are good. A little bit of water in the basement, and a day off of school and work. J's out of school again tomorrow, but I will have to work.

Here's hoping for drier weather and happier days!
~MM

Growing up is tough!

2009-09-15T21:20:00.004-04:00

I know, I know.....I have been neglectful to my blog again. Well, just go ahead and report me to DFCS. J would love that b/c according to her, I am a "mean momma". Little does she know that I take that as the highest compliment :)

I am big on personal responsibility, and I refuse to raise an "irresponsible, blame everyone else, and take no ownership of the circumstances" brat. J learned today that I meant business. She has left her book at school a couple of times. The first time, her teacher bailed her out, and let her in the room to get it in after care. Today she forgot it again. Her 1st grade teacher offered to let her in today, but I said "thanks, but no thanks". So for the first time ever, my child will not have her reading homework done tomorrow. I don't know what the punishment that carries b/c we have never been there, but.....I'm thinking for the long run and will take the consequences.

Here's where I got the designation of "mean". I made her write sentences. I know, old school, but I made her say them out loud as she wrote. Hopefully that will stick in her brain next time :)

I promised not to scrapbook this photo, but I didn't say anything about blogging! ;)

And speaking of growing up, someone in our family never will. But he is older! Bobby turned 40 on Labor Day. We had a BBQ, and his mom presented him w/ a old timers necessity kit. He said the sad thing was that he could use most of the stuff!

The craziest thing about the whole day was that the person who doesn't eat sweets ended up w/ 2 cakes! His mother made the one w/ the photo on it, and McGee's bakery here in town did the rockin' GT cake.

Have a good week!
~MM

Daily Dose of Inspiration

2009-09-02T22:04:00.005-04:00

If you guys are not regularly going to Sweet Memories blog, now is the time to get your act together. Erin has implemented a new deal for year #2, and it involves daily updates to the blog that are chock full of great ideas.

There is something for every scrapbooker from the novice to the most detail oriented scrapper. Just think of it as a moment to do something just for yourself. And some days there will even be blog giveaways, and you would HATE to miss that. So bookmark the site and visit it daily. You'll love it - I promise!

Sweet Memories Scrapbooks

~MM

Ode to Chick-fil-A

2009-09-01T19:32:00.004-04:00

The Mullenix girls LOVE Chick-fil-A! We hold it to be the standards of every fast food dining experience. (And sadly, most fail by a long shot.) Kids' nights on Tuesdays are always fun - we see some of the same people each week, there are fun activities for the kids, and no way could I cook for what we pay for the discounted kids meals. It is the perfect excuse not to cook, and yes - we ate there tonight ;)

We also enjoy every 3rd Thursday when CF hosts NPCA School Spirit Night. The Eagles descend on the store, and it is a brawl to the finish to see which class will win the coveted cow.

They also have the coolest special theme days.....Cow Appreciation Day (dress like a cow), Customer Appreciation Day (get your whole receipt free at next visit), and coming up on Labor Day - the Labor Day Giveaway for everyone wearing their team's colors and logos. Hope to see you at the Carrollton store, where we will be sporting our GT gear ;)

I think I'll close this one w/ a song that pretty much sums up how much I love Chick-fil-A.

~MM

Creating is good for the soul

2009-08-31T19:27:00.006-04:00

Even though I have been battling the usual sinus infection, I did find some time to play w/ paper. And that, my friend, is better than any meds the doctor can give you!

First, I decided to give my "Taylor Grace" layout a little omph, and I added some lop-sided buttons:

Then I completed this layout for the next challenge on Sweet Memories blog. The theme is "Sweet Summertime", and I love this photo of Jordan, and I REALLY love this new Basic Grey Junebug paper ;)

And lastly, here are a few goodies for Halloween. These are super easy - nothing at all to them, but sometimes it is fun to get something a little special. I know it is early, but some folks need a head start!

So what do you enjoying doing that lifts your spirits?
~MM

The Art of the Deal

2009-08-26T22:02:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I see blog posts where folks are posting their good shopping deals. Yes, they are fun, and I can appreciate them. However, I'm not so sure that everyone feels that what. I made a little trip to Rite Aid yesterday, and a male co-worker told me I needed to be tooting my own horn after the haul I got.

So w/o further ado:

For the record, this was over $110 retail value. My out of pocket yesterday was $53 (which is still impressive), but after I receive my rebates from Rite Aid in a few weeks - my net total for all of this stuff will be $11! 1 thing of the Zyrtec is normally $23! I am not going to pile stuff in my pantry and closets. My church is doing a missions project for Hondurous, and they are in desparate need of toiletries, so shampoo, toothpaste and Tylenol will be going in that box. I also plan to send later bargains to the local ladies shelter and girls' home.

And since I have been such a bad blogger lately, here are a couple of my latest scrapbook layouts :)

This one is for a stamping challenge that Jen and I hosted on Sweet Memories blog:

And this one is of my niece, Taylor. This is one of the photos that I took of the kids a couple of weeks ago at Shiloh Methodist Church in Burwell. I think she looks so sweet here:

Hope you have a blessed day,
~MM

Attn: GA Scrappers and Stampers

2009-08-24T20:04:00.003-04:00

I was thrilled when I found out about Paper Crafters Corner blog - it is all things pretty paper in and around Georgia. How cool is that?! Now consider yourself always in the know :)

~MM

Birthday Bash

2009-08-20T21:42:00.008-04:00

Yes, I realize that it has taken me 4 days to make this post. It has taken me this long to catch up on my rest! Where to even start, except to say that Sweet Memories throws the best events - evah!

Check out the decor:

And the Schwag:

Here's the "VIP" girls complete w/ attitude:

Wouldn't be a birthday w/ a cool cake:

And a cool faux cake:

On a positive note, I did manage to get 3 circle journal layouts done, 1/2 of Gretchen's album, a whole lot of shopping, and 1 layout for Sweet Memories store.

Thanks Erin and Carolyn - you guys threw a wonderful par-tay!

~MM

How did this happen???!

2009-08-14T18:21:00.005-04:00

Seriously, you blink for one "second", and then you are the parent of a third grader! Doesn't even sound right to say. Seems like just yesterday we were spending Christmas at the neo-natal unit in Columbus, and now she is in {gulp} 3rd grade!

She loved her first day.....several new kids in her class, an exciting vibe in the air at NPCA, and "the nicest teacher than anyone could ever have!"

Here's the girl before we headed out this morning:

And her very sweet teacher, Miss Bloom:

I'm out for the weekend. I will be playing with paper w/ all of my chicas at the "Wild" Birthday Bash for Sweet Memories. It's Michelle's time to play ;)

Peace out,
~MM

Road Trip!

2009-08-09T21:24:00.013-04:00

We took a couple of days to get away last week. It wasn't anything elaborate, but it wasn't Carrollton & that was what we were looking for! Monday, we drove up to Stone Mountain, and spent the entire day doing stuff around the park. It was not crowded, but it was very hot and humid!

We cheated and took the air lift up the mountain.

J loved it!

Bobby - not so much....

We stayed in the park at the Stone Mountain Inn, and then headed north on Tuesday. First stop was Babyland General in Cleveland. Cabage Patch Adoption Dolls were huge when I was a little girl, and I let J live my childhood by going to the hospital.

We got to see a "birth".

And, of course, we had to adopt one. Meet Madison Brooke :)

Then we headed over to Dahlonega for a little gem stoning, gold mining, and shopping. Don't think we can quit our day jobs on Bobby's haul!

After another busy day, J made herself a hideout in the hotel room & hung out with Madison Brooke. I promise we didn't made her sleep here :)

We're possibly looking at another 2-3 road trip in September. Any suggestions?

~MM

Froggy kind of love....

2009-07-23T20:05:00.009-04:00

Well, it is no secret that J LOVES frogs. I bet she has at least 100 stuffed ones. The other night she hit pay dirt, and found a real one! (I would have to say she found it before Deuce, b/c he has gotten sick at least 1/2 dozen times in the last month or so b/c he has caught one and tried to eat it!)

Bobby thought it would be so funny if she brought it in the house, pretended to trip and let the frog loose. (She is a horrible actress, so it looked like a scene from a bad kid's show!) None the less, this creature is loose in the house, and I am furious! Here they are looking for him/her/it:

Funny thing is it all back fired on Bobby b/c he liked to have never caught the thing b/c Deuce heard all of the commotion and tried to put his 2 ~~teeth~~ cents worth into the situation. Sorry, but I was laughing too hard to get the photo of Bobby and J frantically trying to catch the frog fleeing from the rabid mini doxie & the very curious cats! Just close your eyes and think back to the Bugs Bunny days when all of the animals would be tangling it up in a big cloud - you know arms, legs, & tails everywhere! He/she/it is now living free around the fish pond, so all is well.

Hope you have a GREAT weekend!
~MM

2009-07-20T19:35:00.003-04:00

Neglectful – that is what I am! If this blog were a baby, DFCS would be banging on my front door! I have a lot of little nagging things going on right now that seem to consume my time. I am hoping that in the next couple of weeks, that will all be taken care of.

Last week we went took a little field trip to the World of Coke with J’s day camp. No way am I letting 3 Generation Y folks take my daughter to ATL with 15-20 other kids w/o my eagle eye upon J. We are not carbonated beverage drinkers around here, and we are definitely not dark, caffienated, carbonated beverage drinkers. It was fun, but we didn't appreciate it like some of the other visitors did. Basically, it was a huge advertisement for Coca Cola, but what else do you expect from "World of Coke".

Here’s a few pictures from the day:

Whatdaya have? (There is actually an old time soda fountain still open in Cedartown.)

Old school coke machines.

Gearing up for the 4D show. It was very good.

Some of the bottles around the place.

The computer geek's coke bottle made of old motherboards.

My child disrespecting the Penley by pointing at something else. We had an art appreciation lesson afterwards ;)

And, I guess this was like smelling something that you know is going to stink - you have to do it anyway. She has been forewarned about the "Beverly", and of course she had to try it for herself!

Also, if you love paper, embellishments and other scrapbook goodies, you might want to mark your calendar. August 1, 2, & 3 is the clean sweep yard sale at my favorite place, Sweet Memories Scrapbooks in Carrollton. One man’s junk is another’s treasure. So come check out the treasures.

Have a GREAT week!

~MM

Quick LO

2009-07-16T22:11:00.002-04:00

Quick LO I did of J. She even agreed that she looked like a crayon!

Fun Stuff

2009-07-09T21:53:00.004-04:00

So loving Jessica Sprague's online class. I am having so much fun playing w/ my photos.

Lesson 1: Frames and Word Art

Lesson 2: Brushes (fun stuff w/ very little effort)

Lesson 3: Vintage, hand-tinted look

Lesson 4: Adding clipping masks

I can tell you that I have spent way too much free time on the computer, so I am so excited about hangin' w/ my Sweet Memories peeps at tomorrow night's Backyard BBQ. I am so ready to play w/ some real paper.

And, for the most fun ever.....check out the big birthday bash coming up on August 15th. If you are a scrapbooker, you so need to be there b/c it is going to be AWESOME! Definitely will be WILD weekend for the record books!

Happy 4th, Y'all!

2009-07-04T22:07:00.013-04:00

Yes, I am getting in touch w/ my southern roots. It always seems to happen this time of year :) I hope you had a GREAT 4th! We participated in tried and true traditions, and even made a couple of new ones. Warning - lots of photos!

Every July 3rd, North Point Baptist Church host Family Fest. This year, we heavily promoted it as a community event. The count from the fire department before dark was over 2,000. The Nelons held a concert on our new football field. There was tons of food; the kids had a blast in the jumpies & running wild on the soft grass. And Jordan kept Mason occupied:

(I think it is payback for her being such a pest!)

The fireworks were AWESOME! I decided to challenge myself to try to take some photos since we were right under where they were being shot.

Bobby had to work today, so the girls were on their own today. Bright and early this morning, J & I headed to the Carroll TEA Party's Constitution celebration. We manned one of the literature tables, and it was wonderful meeting so many people that feel the way I do about the government stepping into my doctor's office, my wallet, my civil right, and my child's future! (In case you didn't know....I am very political minded!) Anyway, it is a great cause, and I encourage you to attend an event near you. I heard there were around 500 in attendance today.

Then we headed up to Carrollton's parade. This is always alot of fun, and it is always hot! Fortunately, there are always plenty of folks passing out bottled water & pop-ice.

And this always makes me tear up:

Next, off to grab some lunch and a little picnic at the Southwire Lakes. We always go feed the geese, and this year I bet there were a hundred or so when the re-enforcements came charging across the lake. Check out my Geese Whisperer. She was speaking their favorite language - stale Sunbeam bread! :)

Then home for some down time, and a swim this afternoon.

And to cap the day off - a family get together at Bobby's aunts, back home for another swim (and J swam for over an hour at Mickey's), and then sparkler time. (I loved having the fireworks at NP last night; I did not have the normal compulsion to go sit in a parking lot w/ hundreds of people that I do not know to watch fireworks that I cannot see b/c of the trees!)

So needless to say, the Mullenix girls are exhausted, but in a good way. I hope you got your 4th on b/c the weather here was phenomenal. I cannot remember the last time that it was this good. And, even though there are alot of "issues" in this country - overall we are a very blessed nation; & it's all thanks to wonderful men and women who serve and sacrifice, and a loving God who hold us in His hand.

~MM

Hot Hazy Days.......

2009-06-25T12:05:00.002-04:00

As I have gotten older, I have come to the conclusion that I am NOT a summer girl. I HATE the humidity; I HATE the heat; I do NOT tan; and I do NOT have a beach bod. Summer is just NOT my time of year! I am definitely more of spring/fall kind of gal.

I do realize that I am in the summer my life (albeit probably more like the mid to late summer - LOL), and I do have appreciation for that. You would think at this point in my life that I would be settled w/ the way things are always in perpetual motion…..friends come and go, the economy rises and falls, the seasons of the year, people I love pass away and new ones are born; etc. All things I really have no control over. I do admit that I am too grounded in schedules & expectations, and I really don’t like change. I really like to have a game plan and know what I will be doing every living, breathing moment of the day.

How I would love to go back to those more naïve days of care-free, childhood where these realities don’t fog my mind and are not even a passing thought. Praise God I can catch a glimpse of those times thru J. Sometimes you just have to let loose, and laugh!

This is an older LO I did back in the early spring, but for some reason the random silliness of this day back when and the reality of the journaling really hits me today. So I am NOT going to begrudge the heat and humidity - Enjoy your summer, and I’ll enjoy my A/C :)

~MM

Slip Slidin' Away

2009-06-22T18:23:00.003-04:00

Slip N Slide @ Walmart - $6.65
Digi Canon Rebel - $600
Dawn Dish Detergent - $2.49
Water Bill - Heavens, I don't want to know
Fill Dirt for the gooey spot in the yard - Bobby works for free :)
Getting some good shots to scrapbook - PRICELESS!!!

Playing w/ paper.....

2009-06-20T09:18:00.009-04:00

First I must confess, I absolutely LOVE Jenni Bowlin's new line! Here's a couple of LOs I've done with it this week:

This one is about "that girl" that I love to pieces and makes me crazy all at the same time. You can tell by the look on her face that she knows it too! ;)

Not sure why I love this picture so much. I think it is because I caught the motion of the moment. And if you know J, you know she is always scheming and on the go!

And lastly, Jen and I are hosting a series of challenges on Sweet Memories' Scrapbooks blog. These are designed to kickstart you into actually getting something done, and there are some "sweet" prizes involved.

The first challenge is using We R Memory Keepers divided page protectors. These are a GREAT way to scrap a lot of photos in a very short time for very little money. (Did that last sentence get your attention?!) And, they fit right into your 3 ring and most post bound albums. This challenge was so much fun, that I seriously think I am going to use this for my Disney album that is currently a huge box of supplies and about 400 photos.

Here's my version, using Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers and American Crafts Thickers. Yes, they are from the same series of Mother's Day photos as the above LOs. I think I just was drawn to the colors in J's dress, and the fact that she was a character that day! This is the front and back of the page protectors, and took less than 30 minutes for both sides :)

Go grab one of these page protectors from Erin (or 2 or 3 or 10), and join in the challenge. I think there are about 6 or 7 different formats, and they are only a $1. So for a buck and some scraps out of your stash, you can have a double-sided LO in minutes. You can't beat that w/ a stick! Deadline for this round is June 30th, and new challenge will be posted on the 1st.

~MM

Absolutely nothing going on around here....

2009-06-15T21:57:00.004-04:00

And that is a GOOD thing!

But I did want to pop on and wish my most awesomest mother-in-law "a very happy birthday!" Happy Birthday, Nona - you rock! :)

Oh yeah - also have a "freebie" for you. I am trying to get out of my comfort zone and learn to "enhance" my photos thru Photo Shop Elements. Jessica Sprague has a free class in honor of the 2nd birthday of her website. And, you can get a 30 day trial of PSE here.

TTFN,
~MM

Uh yeah....exactly what we need the Mullenix abode!

2009-06-10T22:45:00.007-04:00

ETA - found out that this was an Eastern River Cooter Turtle (thanks, Tonya). Yes, that sounds like a made-up redneck, critter name if I ever heard one. I had to google it (sorry, Tonya) and found indeed that there is such a beast, and it was living in my backyard. I also found out that this turtle needs 10s of gallons of water every day, so he/she/it has been set free in the nature reserve at Katie Lane (ie the creek behind our house). Tonya said this handsome guy/gal could easily be 20+ years old. Wonder what that is in turtle years.......

Thanks, Uncle Johnny - we seriously "needed" a honking, huge turtle/tortouise/whatever in our fenced in back yard!

I have a friend who is a self-proclaimed hard-shell amphibian expert, and she is going to try to identify it for us. She said there aren't any GA native animals as large as this, except 1 that is endangered. For the love of God, please do not let DNR show up at my house because this little girl loves this mean, grouchy walking mobile home!

It's a Dog's Life

2009-06-05T20:35:00.009-04:00

Deuce Mullenix is not your average canine. This dog is part mini dauchy, part sissy butt, and part cantankerous old man (sorry if you are a cantankerous old man).

First of all, he loves to walk around Princess Leia ears. This drives Bobby CRAZY!

He is also cold-natured, and loves shirts, sweaters, and blankets. He will burrow under anything. Imagine my surprise when I looked over on the other side of the bed, and saw this!!!!

And speaking of sleeping....check out this crazy position! (Yes, this photo IS turned the right way!)

I will hand it to him....he is an awesome swimmer.

And gangsta rapper....

Word to your mother....

Not Me! Monday

2009-06-01T18:49:00.007-04:00

I found MckMama's blog a few months ago from Angie Smith's blog. Her precious son was very sick in the NICU at the time. J and I started praying for Baby Stellan every night, and are so thrilled that he is now home and well.

So after the crazy day that I have had - I thought it would be fun to play along w/ Not Me! Monday. It is a day where you do NOT confess to all of those little things you said you would never do. For example, remember when you were a kid and your mom would ask who ate the last cookie? That's right.....Not Me!!!!

Who on earth would let the CLEAN laundry pile up to the ceiling just b/c she hates putting the stuff up?

NOT ME!!!!!

What crazy parent would be thrilled to see her precious child muddy from head to toe all for the sake of having new stuff to scrapbook?

NOT ME!!!!!

And who would be oh so cruel as to torture their precious puppy in hopes of getting the perfect Christmas picture?

Not Me......NEVER! ;)

butterfly, fly away....

2009-05-26T22:53:00.006-04:00

Okay, if you haven't had to see the Hannah Montana movie or had to listen to the soundtrack 100 x 10 times, you are probably saying "huh?". But take my word, it is a really sweet song, and very fitting for the release of our butterflies. The poor things hatched almost 2 weeks ago, but the weather has not been good for letting them go. But today, they were finally free.....

You can get your own painted lady butterfly garden here. It is worth every cent.

Our next project.......a ladybug farm. Should be here any day....

Where did the week go?!

2009-05-25T21:12:00.002-04:00

Good grief....I try to do better, but life just keeps getting in the way!

Year end party for J's 2nd grade class was so sweet! Some times the parties at NPCA get out of hand & are over the top. And I admit, it is the parents' fault - we just want to do it up right for our kids. Not this party - Mrs. Laitres planned the entire thing, and with the help of the kids, they threw a party for the parents. Our precious kids met us as we walked down the hall, and sat us at our seats. The tables were draped w/ linens, and had center pieces of rose bouquets and candles. Then, something really strange happened.....our kids served us a meal!!!! They were so excited to be doing something for us, instead of the other way around. Thank you, Mrs. Laitres, for a party that all of the parents and kids will always remember!

Speaking of Mrs. L. - Jordan adores her, and is sad that school is over. She told me the other day that Mrs. Laitres is the funnest teacher she has ever had. That is a BIG statement!

I am now the proud mother of a third grader - gasp! J finished the year w/ all A's so she was on A Honor Roll. At NPCA, they only recognize at the end of the year, so you only get one chance. Way To Go, baby girl!

And, we finished the week w/ a play date w/ my nephew, Jake. These guys get along like brother and sister. J is very overprotective of Jake, and they nit at each other like siblings. But not today - they were perfect angels! Okay....that's probably an overstatement. But they were good, and I can see us doing it again :)

Repeat!

2009-05-18T21:34:00.003-04:00

So our AWANA Grand Prix was yesterday afternoon, and Team Mullenix brought it again this year!

I seriously think that we have this pine wood car thing down pat. J's car blew the competition away - it wasn't even close! Now if we can only Three-peat next year.....

Gettin' Scrappy....

2009-05-10T18:57:00.007-04:00

So I picked up a few sheets of a very cute new line from Cosmo Cricket, and it rocked my world! I love this paper b/c it works for so many different topics. Just this weekend alone, I did 2 layouts and 3 cards. I could do another dozen projects with it, and still not be tired of it.

More Than A Beautiful Mess:

On The Beat:

And a few cards:

Lastly, I hope all of the moms had a great mother's day. Because of this little wild thing, my life has become alot more interesting! ;)

Baaaaad blogger!!!

2009-05-08T22:22:00.006-04:00

Yep, that's me! Wish I could say I have been living a very exciting life - not so much the case! I have been trying really hard to step away from the computer! This thing is like a black hole, and it seems to suck me in for hours on end.

We have had a couple of happenings going on:

JForce to the Rescue was Sunday night, and it was awesome! I cannot say enough about how much work the children and volunteers did on this, and it was obvious by how well it went.

I also went to one of the sweetest and most memorable weddings on Saturday - my neighbor Heather & her now husband, Brandon. It was the a sweet simple ceremony - not the overblown madness that has become the norm. And as the 150+ were leaving the dock, the heavens opened and there was a torrential downpour! I will never forget this wedding on both accounts.

And, look what we came home from church to:

Bobby was so excited that he uncovered a bird's nest w/ eggs in it as he was clearing the honeysuckle from the back fence. Looks like this fella also found them! Bobby was taking me to show them to me, and I asked if the snake was what he wanted to show me. Needless to say, he just about flipped. We properly identified the snake as a king snake, and let him enjoy his meal - eeewwwww!

I also participated in a fun little girl's party last weekend. It was Scrap and the City - a 36 hour crop hosted by the best scrapbook store in the world, Sweet Memories. I would share pictures, but 1) I don't have any and 2) there are already way, way, way too many of them floating around in cyber space already! ;)

I promise to do better! ~MM

alliteration Sunday....

2009-04-26T18:00:00.011-04:00

A whole lot of Ss (and pictures) going on this week.

Sleep Deprived:
That would be me Monday thru Thursday. I spent countless hours working on the silent (and live) auction for Jordan's school.

And, speaking of which, it the Legacy Banquet was a huge success! S. Truett Cathy is a class act, and was so generous to our school.

We did manage to squeeze in some time for sweets. This is J's cookie for the annual AWANA cookie competition. Considering that I remembered it at 6:00 pm the day before, we are lucky to have just participated!

Wednesday was also Southwire's Earth day Celebration.

And check out one of the cool sculptures on display made with found items. Splendid, huh?

Saturday was J's Special day. She got to pick everything about it! We went to lunch, to the movies to see Hannah Montana, and then did a little shopping. (And, I will confess, the movie wasn't all that bad, and I secretly would not mind having the soundtrack to walk to.)

And Sunday turned out to be a slacker/sick day. J spent the night with my mother-in-law last night, and she called at 8:00 to tell me that J was throwing up. I was supposed to have nursery for Sunday School this morning, and then go to Sweet Memories to help w/ next week's Scrap in the City retreat. Instead, I played nurse maid, and rationed crackers and ginger ale to my patient.

MIA

2009-04-18T23:08:00.002-04:00

Yep - I have literally dropped off of the face of the earth. Been a busy beaver working on a on-line auction to go along w/ NPCA's Legacy Banquet.

I didn't think and I just uploaded some of the goodies to my exisiting Flickr account. So you can see some of them on my live feed - ooppps

Any who - here it is:
Auction

Still have some tweaking to do - doesn't look like a week of my life, does it?!

~MM

Easter fun

2009-04-14T22:02:00.008-04:00

Wow, it was a whirlwind weekend. I like it calm and quiet, but we had nothing like that around here.

We had an egg hunt at church on Saturday. There were so many eggs that J had to use her shirt tail! What kid would not love that????

Coloring eggs outside in the freezing cold - but no mess!

Here's what the bunny left:

My sweet girl in her easter finest - made by my talented mother-in-law ;)

And what better way to top off the weekend other than finding the shiny gold prize egg!

But, as my wise 8 year old proclaimed, "It's not about the eggs, it is all about Him!"

Meeting Addi

2009-04-11T14:27:00.007-04:00

It was a "Good Friday" indeed! J and I finally got to see Addi (and of course meet Janell and Drew for lunch and bumming around on the square). She is just the most precious, squirmy little thing you have ever seen! J couldn't take her hands off of her.

The kids fought over who could push the stroller. This is J's turn:

And of course, J and Drew had to.......well, act like J and Drew!!!!!

Have a blessed Easter, for He has risen!
~MM

My 'lil mud puppy

2009-04-09T21:00:00.004-04:00

Seriously....this is what I came home to today.

J is on spring break this week. Today was her day to hang around the house with her daddy, and apparently the only time she came in the house from outside was to potty and grab a drink. This is the same child that cannot stand to have anything on her face, hands, and clothing! Really, there are no words...the pics say it all.

The ants go marching one by one. Hoorah, Hoorah.....

2009-04-02T19:25:00.004-04:00

Okay, since no one really reads my blog, except for maybe Janell, I feel safe to share my crazy story.

See this:

This is the scrumptious pound cake I baked last night for a dear friend who is having a b-day this weekend. I had my friend, Becky's, world famous (ok, West GA famous) recipe, and set out to make the perfect cake.

As you can see, came out pretty nice, didn't it? Well, I was dragging yesterday, so I set this out to cool on the counter. I wanted it to cool slowly so the crunchy top would remain crunchy and not gooey. (Yeah, you know what I am talking about!) I went upstairs to catch the last 30 minutes of mindless reality show on TV, and had planned to wrap my cake up when the show ended. Well, anyone who really knows me knows that this is not a good idea. If it is dark outside and I get still....that is all she wrote!

Fast forward to 3:30 am this morning when a clap of thunder bolts me straight up in the bed. I immediately think of my computer and how I need to unplug everything. So, I head downstairs to square it away, and wonder to myself why the TV in the living room is still on. Uh Oh - my cake! I had forgotten it. So I wasn't all that stressed out about it. The cats were locked away in the basement posing no threat to my awesome culinary creation. I walk over to find my cake covered w/ ants. I have not seen an ant in this house since last summer when I erradicated them! I guess there is a scout that has been hanging out on the other side of the kitchen window and found that the my counter was like Canaan last night - he brought the entire army w/ him!

So I tossed it, and Luscious Pound Cake: take two is baking as I type.

Monkeying Around

2009-04-01T21:01:00.010-04:00

Okay, as you can see, I am all about monkeys right now! Could be b/c I bought the CUTEST monkey print at Joann the other day. My very tallented, most wonderful mother-in-law is making Jordan and Taylor matching skorts out of it. I have ordered cute little appliques to have shirts made to match them. These outfits are going to be soooooo cute!

These patches came from a cool little site that a co-worker told me about last week.

Very reasonably priced and no shipping. There is a boutique here in town that has clothing items made with some of these, and the prices are outrageous. Everyone knows how I like cute clothes and a bargain :)

Addi

2009-03-06T20:30:00.004-05:00

Isn't she precious?! My friend, Janell, had her baby yesterday. We are all so excited that Addison Elaine is here. All is well with Addi, and she is just adorable. Babies are such miracles.......then they grow up to be migraines (sorry, I digress ;)

Project 365

2009-01-06T21:57:00.002-05:00

So there are thousands of scrapbookers around the country starting a new project for 2009 - Project 365, a photo a day for the entire year. I am so excited about this, and cannot wait to have a snapshot of a year in our little every day life. I will be sharing some of my finds from time to time.

NEW year, NEW purpose for an OLD blog.

2009-01-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

Since I have failed miserably at the latest photo challenge, I have decided to "go green" and repurpose this blog. Basically, it will be a spot for all kinds of miscellaneous things for my benefit. If you get something out of it, that will just be icing on the cake :)

Look for a renovation/remodel soon.

~MM

#19 - Relief

2008-10-02T19:34:00.000-04:00

of the comic kind :)

#12 - Historic

2008-10-02T19:27:00.001-04:00

Blacksmith demostrating how they used to make hooks at the History Museum. My fav part of the pick is everything is authentic, and then there is the bottle of water - ooopppps!

#18 - Priorities

2008-10-02T19:06:00.000-04:00

My gas light was on all the way to school this morning. So finding a station w/ gas was a huge priority for me! Normally not a big deal, but as of late - it's a pretty tough feat.

#21 Spiral

2008-10-02T19:03:00.001-04:00

Cool broom handle at the History Musuem of Atlanta

9. Fun in the sun

2008-09-28T20:58:00.000-04:00

16. Movement

2008-09-28T20:51:00.000-04:00

17. On The Road

2008-09-28T20:49:00.001-04:00

Mason in his new ride.

10. Game on

2008-09-28T20:43:00.001-04:00

Because Pee Wee cheerleading is serious business - LOL!

14. Metalic

2008-09-28T20:40:00.001-04:00

I love the way the water in our pool looks when the sun hits it.

1. Aahh!

2008-09-28T20:37:00.001-04:00

My neighbor's sweet son, Mason, on his 1st birthday cake.

# 6 - Effort

2008-08-25T19:54:00.001-04:00

I guess if I could remember far back enough, I would recall just how much effort it takes to blow a bubble when you are first starting out! Thank God her eyes did not stick this way :)

# 26 - Yummy

2008-08-24T20:40:00.001-04:00

Kabobs + grilled corn on the cob = YUMMY!

Thanks, Bobby - you are king of the grill! :)

# 2 - Accessory

2008-08-23T14:41:00.001-04:00

Jordan was so kind to make us both new fancy flip flops! I've decided that they are my special lounging around the pool flops, that way she doesn't try to make me wear them in public - LOL! (please ignore my toes which are in desperate need of a manicure)

# 4 - Color My World

2008-08-05T19:42:00.000-04:00

Jordan has such an imagination. I walked into The Girls' Room, and this was the scene. I love her alien w/ all of the googly eyes. I'm alittle frightened that he "accidentally blew the earth up". It's no doubt that this little girl really does "color my world"!

# 15 - Moody

2008-08-05T19:36:00.001-04:00

Look up the word in Webster's - Deuce Mullenix's picture is beside it!

# 7 - Flat

2008-08-05T19:29:00.000-04:00

If you ever wondered what 7 years of lovin' looks like, just take a look at Bear! He provides comfort for Jordan every night. She squishes him down, and puts him under her head like a pillow.

# 8 - Framed

2008-08-05T19:27:00.000-04:00

Poor Deuce, he is framed in more ways than one. Life with Kya, aka "The Devil" is not easy at all. Poor guy is saying "Help me, mamma!" LOL!

# 22 - Splish Splash

2008-07-18T19:40:00.001-04:00

The fraction of a second before J goes completely underwater. Not the best picture of a splash that I took today, but I love the way her hair is standing straight up. For that - this one makes the cut.

# 11 - Half & Half

2008-07-18T19:30:00.000-04:00

So, this picture taking gig is a whole lot of fun! Amy, why didn't you twist my arm the other 2 times?! ;)

I have to give Bobby props for the idea for this category. The kids were playing in the pool, and I was in search of "Fun in the Sun". My neighbor's 3 boys were in there doing handstands. I thought "that looks fun" and started snapping. But Bobby made the point on a picture of J jumping in the water that she was "half in and half out". And that's exactly what Danny is here!

And I thought I would never find something for this category.....