i am currently...

Drinking: lemonade-iced tea, yum!

Eating: gobstoppers, my weakness

Reading: The Keeping by Nicky Charles

Wearing: a blue tee and b&w and hot pink nike shorts lol,

i just woke up and this is what works after a long overnight :)

Feeling: Excited for all the new ideas I have running through my head

and Blessed for all of the amazing people in my life right now!

Weather: gorgeous-it's about 77 and sunny here on Long Island, NY.

Wanting: to sleep until tomorrow and to read forever,

i have some good books on hand that i'm just dying to get to!

Needing: to clean the bathroom, ack!!! lol.

Thinking: i'm totally jealous of this apartment makeover

this couple is getting on the Home TV show ;)~

Enjoying: a little blog hopping while my pup is snuggling on my tootsies.

A big thanks to Leigh Jenner of To The Full

for this awesome update post (she borrowed it from a fellow blogger as well :) ),

thanks for letting me share this with others with my personal update!

Happy Scrappin' Everyone!!!!!

great read!!!!!

and every day!!!!!

I just finished reading:

this book was definitely out of my paranormal box

and it was just amazing.

the story is based on the true story of an appx. 10 year old boy

and his journey through life for the next 4 years or so-

his travels from Afghanistan to Italy, a mother's decision,

a story of life, survival, trust and value.

It was just inspiring. I cried at the beginning and at

the end and all in between was a roller coaster of emotions.

i am truly grateful for everything God that placed in my life

and will definitely be looking at things a lot differently.

i see much reflection on the way things are going on right now

in my immediate future-i have a feeling the journal-er

in me is about to find the light again!

i highly recommend this book,

i actually picked it up in error at my local library...

certainly it was meant to be!

scrapboooking frenzy and irene!

while at the Scrappetizer Retreat,

I started my Aruba Scrapbook from the

vacation Sean and I took this past April.

I just put some of the final touches this morning

and took these pics the best I could

considering the unwanted Irene Hurricane

is just around the corner.

I decided on an 8 1/2 x 11 album and to use only

Kraft Cardstock as my base for all the pages because

1. it would fit nicely and magazine-like on our coffee table

and 2. because I wanted it to be sweet and simple,

capturing the moments without taking too much

away from the story and of course the photos of Aruba.

I was inspired by ATC's to create my cover page

and decided from here that this was going to

definitely be a font-filled album :)

These pics were ALL taken from my seat on the plane,

I must say i'm quite proud of them along with a few

other shots I thought came out nothing short from fab!

here we are on our first night in Aruba at

the restaurant on the beach of our timeshare La Cabana.

that pinchito in the top left was literally that tiny lol!

only 1 was served to us on a tea plate-

can you believe that was an appetizer!?

needless to say, the sunset was gorgeous and

the food was just incredible!!!!

Materials:

Paper- Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey, K&Co.

Stamp- Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps (Swirls v:I)

Stickers- Cosmo Crickets Tiny Type,

Basic Grey Alphabet Stickers

In this double page LO, I numbered each of the photos

with clear number stickers and then created

a list of "fun facts" from our vacation.

Balashi is Aruba's home brewed beer and

the Nutty Monkey was my drink of the week-

malibu rum, coconut and some other goodness in a cup!

Materials:

Paper- Crate Paper

Stickers- Thickers Alphabet

Other- Tiny Type Clear Black Letters,

White & Kraft Cardstock

De Palm Island is a small island off of Aruba that

is an all inclusive island park type of thing...

for 1 price per person you have access to the entire island!

snorkeling, eating at 2 restaurants, small dance classes,

waterpark access and banana boat rides as much as you'd like!

the only extras were massages and the sea trek adventure,

which of course we both did!

Materials:

Paper- Crate Paper,

Blue, White and Kraft Cardstock

Stamp- by Studio G (Simple Enjoy it All)

Ink-Studio G Brown

Other- Cricut All Mixed Up Font Cartridge,

Adhesive Pearls by Recollections

here is the infamous banana boat ride that will

most certainly never be forgotten!!!!!

let's just keep it short and simple,

Sean was thrown from the thing about a 1/2 mile

and had to swim back and the bottom part of

someone's suit went right down, she shall remain nameless

at this point lol-mortifying!

Materials:

Paper- white cardstock

Stamp- Autum Leaves Clear Stamp (Swirls v.I)

Ink- white by Studio G

Other- Adhesive Pearls by Recollections,

scrap ribbon from Let Me Do You A Favor,

Thickers Alphabet, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type

This is a double page LO I started to work on of all my

favorite shots while on De Palm Island. It's still a WIP :)

this is a pic of our last sunset at Aruba,

definitely bittersweet, I didn't want to leave,

but I couldn't wait to get home.

guess what...i'll be back next year :)

Materials:

Paper- white, blue & kraft cardstock,

Crate Paper matting

Stickers- Doodlebug Designs Alphabet Stickers

Other- Adhesive Pearls by Recollections,

Paper Printed Flowers by Recollections.

I entered some of these layouts to the following challenges,

gotta be in it to win it right?

Truly Madly Crafty Challenges (summer colors)

How Much is Too Much (just relax)

Casual Fridays (use stickers)

Just Add Ink (use something from your stash)

Craft Us Crazy (anything goes)

Crop Stop (anything goes)

Paper Play Time (anything goes)

Dutch Dare Challenges (anything but a card)

Opus Gluei (seaside escape)

For Your Inspiration Challenges (vibrant pic inspiration)

the Paper Variety (travel/transportation)

Creative Inspiration (text me!)

AUD Sentiments Challenge Blog (anything goes)

Basic Grey Challenge Blog (sizzling summer)

Scrapping Everyday Miracles (photo & inspiration challenge)

All That Scraps (earth tones)

Thanks for joining me,

i'm so happy to be back and scrapping!

My thoughts and prayers are with those in

the direct path of Hurricane Irene, including myself.

Be sure to get that paper in some plastic lol :)

Hopefully everything we did to prepare my family

will be good enough to fight her back,

i'll be at working at the hospital-

we're in for a busy 2 nights because of overflow from

the hospitals on the shore. i've got my over night pack ready to go!

xoxo

Happy Scrappin'!

Scrappetizer!!!!

last weekend danielle (a scrappy-awesome bff)

and myself head out to Florham Park, NJ to the

Scrappetizer Scrapbooking Retreat.

This was our very 1st slumber party and it was amazing!

We arrived Friday morning about 11 am and left

Sunday evening about 645pm! The hotel, vendors,

food, people and music was great! The goodie bag,

games and fun was even better!!!!!

We definitely will be booking a trip again,

sooner than later I hope, with this group!!!!!

definitely check out the dates and locations and

of course let me know if you go, hopefully some bloggie

scrappie friends can plan a get together!!!!!

Piccys from L to R, Top to Bottom

(click the pic to make larger if you desire)

1. Danielle and I were the very last scrappers,

scrapping while everything was being taken down,

cleaned up and put away.

2. Danielle and I striking a pose in front of our

very favy vendor of the evening Donna.

3. Me with a simple double page layout I completed.

4. A view of only half of the scrappettes in the conference room.

5. Our new friend and favy vendor of the weekend,

Donna of "Let Me Do You A Favor"!

(hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of her, she def rocked!!!)

What I accomplished on this weekend:

6 double page LO's (8 1/2 x 11)

2 LO's (8 1/2 x 11)

2- 20 page mini albums (6x8)

2- cards to match the mini's

Story of the weekend...

on our first night there, I decided to head out to our

room and change into my comfy shirt at about 12am...

I changed and was heading on back standing near the elevator.

I look over and the entire JETS football team was walking

by all smelling nice and dressed up to an event.

one of them called out to me, "Nice Shirt!"

I turned beat red, said my thanks and left asap.

My comfy shirt is a 3/4 sleeve NY Giants Tee lol!

I couldn't believe they were staying on our floor!

I'll be back in a bit to share a few of my LO's

that I just finished putting the final touches on :)

xoxo

giving it my all...promise.

just be happy.