cold but no snow

And I am not complaining about no snow either! We had a few flakes fall on Christmas day so I am good on the snow front for the year. I'm sure it is coming our way and when it does, we're in for some rough days.

Anywho... I am currently feeling pretty lousy due to a lovely head cold that has decided to pester me. It started the day before Christmas Eve but is now in full force since the beginning of the week. Lovely. My poor head is going to explode soon, I just know it.

Speaking of Christmas Eve... here is an adorable picture of my two sweeties before we went out to dinner. Hubby found the red Pikachu shirts and got one for each of them. They were quite happy to wear them and at least they were both in red! Love their little smiles.

I have been working on some pictures that have been hanging out on my desk since April. Yes they have been there that long. It is shameful but things got in the way of my scrapping. Lots of things. Hoping in 2012 that I can keep on top of things and still scrap. I have missed the creative outlet and am drowning in pictures that I want to do things with!

The pictures I have been working on are collages that I created with Picasa 3. Love that program and the fact that it is free... BONUS!! Anywho, since I had a zillion pictures on my computer at the time (fact be told I still do) I used the collage feature to create 8X10's and 5X7's of my favorite pictures for some events. Makes it much easier to scrap now with one picture going on the page instead of cropping and cutting and working in the ones I love versus the ones I just want to scrap. So far it's working great. Hoping to take pictures of the ones I have done and get them posted. We'll see. I have a LARGE pile of laundry calling my name.

Oh yeah... lovely daughter came to tell me she has a ladybug in her room. Off to remove said creature from her sight. She is not big on bugs at all. A mom's work is never done.

scout fun continues

Here was Scout's place on the 23rd. He was guarding presents from two little kiddos who insisted on shaking presents from Nana and Papa. Silly kids.

On Christmas Eve he was hanging from our light on the piano. He was relaxing from doing his self portrait that he left right below himself.

 Not too shabby for an elf!

This morning he left my point and shoot camera in Alex's room with a note to the kids to look at the pictures on the camera. They got quite a chuckle at his adventures through the house on his last night with us! He took over 60 pictures of himself ALL around the house. He had quite a good time. I will have to work on a collage of them all and post it, but the one below was one of the last ones on the camera. The note was there this morning for the kids, but Scout is hanging with Santa until next year.

It was a great day with family here. Good food and now time to relax. Kids were very good and enjoyed all the presents and family time.

Merry Christmas to all! Off to see if I can find my desk so I can scrap. I am feeling in the mood for it.

cookies and scout

This was in Alex's room from Scout. Alex LOVES his Hershey Kisses so these were a nice treat. And the best part, he knew not to eat them until after breakfast! I don't think he ate them until after school that day. Such a good boy.

 Scout was hanging out in Kira's room on her alarm clock, Ashley.

This was the message that Scout left for Kira. Guess he noticed her not listening to us yesterday. ;)

 After school Alex found that Scout had rearranged the days on the advent calendar. He was putting everything back in order for me. He knows how I am. Such a good boy!!

Then he spent the day in our tree hanging out with his friends. He also happened to snag a piece of a spritz cookie to nibble on while he was there!

Here is the process of baking said spritz cookies the day before. My helper was Kira on this day. She loves using the cookie press and it was nice to have the help.

They were so busy eating they didn't want me to take a picture. LOL

Need to get the other Scout pictures off my camera. Maybe tomorrow after the craziness of the day. Gonna miss that little rascal around here.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

scout is at it again!

Seriously loving having Scout in the house this year. He is having a great time and so are the kiddos. On this morning he was hanging out in the stocking on Kira's door. Looks quite cozy to me.

On this day, he was rather hard to find. Alex didn't find him until after school he was hiding so well. He's the little blob towards the 5 o' clock position on the wreath. Yes I love my Mickey wreath that I made. I picked up those ornaments years ago at Lake Buena Vista and they did spend some time on the tree but over the years, I didn't want them getting scratched or lost so they ended up on this wreath. Love it!!

On this day he used dry erase markers to draw on the kids school pictures! So stinking funny. Alex was not amused on this day and erased it after daddy saw it.

Today's 'prank' has been my favorite so far this holiday season. This is what Kira saw when she awoke this morning. Her Build a Bear Rudolph with a note telling her to look in the mirror. hmmm... wonder what that could mean?

This was on her desk blotter. Again... the plot thickens as to what Scout has been up to.

This was also on her desk. Quite messy whatever it is that he did.

Look at my very happy Rudolph!! bwahahahaha... I am loving it beyond words.

This is Alex's Build a Bear Rudolph on his chair with the same note as Kira. And a couple of incriminating cotton balls.

And another very happy Rudolph this morning. bwahahahahaha again I say. I love the looks on their faces. Priceless holiday memories right here!

Here is the little stinker at the very top of Kira's book shelf out of everyone's reach. I do believe both of the kids would have loved to have touched him today and taken away his magic. They were not impressed with his painting job. I was. ;)

And he left a bit of a mess in the family room getting the notes written and the cotton balls together.

Who knows what other trouble Scout will find himself in for the upcoming week??!! I'm sure it will be good.

elf envy

Who knew a little Elf on the Shelf could cause so much envy/ anger/ frustration??

My friend Nicole gave me this link and it is WONDERFUL!! I laughed myself silly. And then I realized... I am one of those people who she is mocking. Good thing I am a big girl and can laugh at myself.

My only concern is... do I need a second elf for next year so that each child has their own Elf to have when they move out???

our silly elf on the shelf (photo heavy)

This is how things went for us with Scout. Starting with the earliest to the most current one (didn't get today's off of the camera yet). Here he is hanging out in the kitchen on our picture wall. He looks quite happy. Alex found him on this day.

On this day, Alex had asked Scout to help with get past this one part in a game he was working on. Looks like Scout was successful!

Then he went to hide on our light fixture in the hallway. Please ignore the dust. It has since been removed. eeek. The least Scout could do was clean while he is hanging out!

Speaking of cleaning... here is the mess he left for us one night. I'm happy he set up some of our decorations for us, but he could have taken care of the boxes!!

Better picture of him hanging with Pooh and Tigger.

This was the sight that Kira woke up to one morning...

And Alex was not left out...

OMG... look what that sneaky elf has done!! He best be hiding behind those goblets on the mantel! He took down our stockings and hung underwear instead!!

 This was on Alex's board on Saturday morning. He even got the sugars and cookie press out!

Kira was going to a friends house for the night so Scout left her a message.

Then he went to hang out with some of our decorations.

Sunday  morning he could be found conducting the singing decorations in Alex's room.

This is the chorus that Alex woke up to.

Then he gathered a few friends to play a game of Trouble. Looks like the Grinch isn't doing so well.

This was yesterday's fun. He took everyone's slippers and a few friends and had a small race using the rug in Alex's room. Looks like Scout is the winner!! My feet were cold yesterday without my slippers!!

It has been a delight to have Scout with us this holiday season. He is feeling right to home and getting into all sorts of fun situations. Kira seems to think he needs a friend so maybe he won't cause so much mischief. I told her that knowing Scout... his friend would be in another room getting into things as well!!

cards i made

These first cards I found the idea on Pinterest and loved them!! I was thinking I could do them for our cards this year, but once I got it all together, it was a tad thicker than I would like. Especially seeing as I made over forty cards. That would be a pretty penny to mail them all.

Instead I made a set of five for the PTA's Turn Off TV Week basket raffle. Along with the cards below this one, a set of six ornaments and the popsicle stick trees I made, will be donated to the raffle in March.

This one I did four more so there will be ten cards total in the basket.

These next cards were requested by my friend Lois. She had finished using up the Thank You cards I had made her previously and wondered if I could come up with some plain cards that she could write the sentiment inside. Well heck yes!! I took a few days and let my papers inspire me. Many of these started as ideas I pinned on Pinterest but never ended up looking like the originals. 

Love the purple of these!! Used my embossing folders, nesties, sewing machine and a butterfly punch. Inked the edges of the butterflies and stickled their bodies. Love these ones.

I had some paper scraps left over from working on Kira's friends ornaments so I used them for the accent papers on these cards. Used the swiss dots embossing folder, a stamp from Scrappy Cat which I punched out, inked the edges and pop dotted.

These ones I did based on Scrapbooks etc's Craft it Forward section from January 2011. Again, doesn't look anything like the original but that's where the idea at least started.

Love punching a circle in a card to place a little something inside the card. I love how these came out. I used my paisley and my circles embossing folder and some miscellaneous flowers.

I had made three of the accordion flowers so figured I could whip one more up and use them on these cards. Love how they came out. I inked the edges, stamped a flower on the pink circle, did a bit of sewing and punched the border. These rock!!

Now Lois and I have to find a time to connect so she can pick them up!! Never easy with two busy moms. I'm sure it will happen before Christmas... I think. LOL

and the fun continues

This morning we found Scout hanging out on Kira's book shelves doing a bit of light reading. I think he liked this book as he was practically at the end by the time the kids woke up!

The day before, he went to spend some quality time with our Pooh tree topper. Both of the kids were giving Pooh all sorts of loving before he was placed at the top of the tree on Saturday night. Guess Scout missed Pooh as much as the kids did.

Saturday hubby and the kiddos went to see the new Pokemon movie that was playing in limited theaters across the country. Thank goodness we had one close enough to us (in Massachusetts) that they could go to. Scout was sitting on the half wall wearing Kira's Pikachu hat all ready to go to the movies. Alex was trying to figure out how to grab him so he could go with them. Pretty stinking cute.

Friday morning found Scout leaving a little note for the kiddos on the white board.

He even watched over Alex while he was sleeping. He looks like he belongs on that shelf!!

I wonder where he will end up tonight?? Hard to tell with that little guy.