Scraptopia?

New to Attic

Ron & I built this new cabinet the day after Thanksgiving. It's not finished yet: we'll face out the front edges and paint it to match the existing cabinet in the room. Notice the wheels... I can move it where I want it!!

Sweet things that are rarely said

Last night I was taking my oldest son, Van, to his basketball practice. I looked in the ashtray just to see what I had left in there & found $2. I said "not enough to run away with" (jokingly) Van said "you can't run away! I love you!" AWE, how sweet is that? This child NEVER says I love you first, it's always a follow up to when I say it & sometimes he just ignores me when I say it. What a sweetie!

too much time with my kids?

it's amazing how much I really really like my job (MAN, I hope JT doesn't read this one!) I've been off work since Christmas Eve around noon & have spent approximately 98% of my time with my family... this, I think, is possibly the most time I've spent with them since birth - amazing how, much like maternity leave, I want to go back to my office. Don't take me the wrong way here, the guys at work are very childlike... but I don't have constant arguing and whining, that is only occasional at the office, where with my children it is pretty much during all waking hours. I think at this point (day 9.5) I am almost to the point of either being deaf or well apt at tuning them out... I'm actually enjoying SOME of the time we spend together. We have had fun playing the Wii (they're sore losers, but then I don't "let" them win either). And today we all shared a giggle while driving by a truck that had turned over on the highway. Ron (the lucky dog) gets to go back to work on Monday while I'm not returning until Tuesday... however, I'm scheming a way to go back for a few hours on Monday - those guys have GOT to miss me by now! I think I'll take the boys with me to share the joy of motherhood...

Office Project - Photos

I took this one this morning when it was about 22^ outside - burrrr. I really like the colors in it. We are doing the project that is still under construction - the tan colored buildings with the arch entrys & windows.

Christmas is overwhelming

it really is. I feel like I'm being pulled in too many different directions. Tonight is Van's UACC concert (yes, on a Monday) and I really hate doing stuff during the week as it completely screws up the schedule. On the 16th is Ike's Christmas program at school & on the 18th is Van's. School is being closed early two days before the Christmas vacation (talk about frustrating!!!), so I had to talk to the boss about what to do with my boys... he's nice enough to let me off early those two days. Next comes Christmas break, my in-laws are awesome and are going to take the boys from Sunday night until we come for Christmas Eve dinner at their house. The off to my mom's house for Christmas morning breakfast, a dash to our house for lunch (it's on the way) and down to my adpoted dad's place for Christmas dinner & stay until Sunday. Then we're home for a few days, next onto my real dad's house on New Years Eve and bring in the New Year with them. Finally I scheduled a little "TGI over" party at our house to play the wii and have some casual drinks with friends - nothing fancy, more about relaxing. Then I'll have Monday the 5th off with the boys and on Tuesday, it's back to normal (uuuu... whatever that is).

Ima whiner! Pass the cheese...

Thanksgiving Decor

The buffet
ready for
pies to
arrive!




Living room
end table
dressed up

The leaves
are the same
assortment
on the buffet
and table, but
you can see
them better
on the table.

Gearing up for holiday

This year Thanksgiving is at our house. As you know, there are 4 of us... 2 boys, dh & myself. Along for the holiday this year are the following: dh's parents & his brother who lives with them; my mom, her step-son & his 3 daughters (oldest is 8); my adoptive dad, his wife & my older brother; my real dad, his wife, my younger brother & his daughter. That makes 19 of us this year. The bonus room is ready for game playing - pool table, dart board, tv, and board games - room is neat & clean.... wait a minute! Ya'll remember that this is also my scrap&stamp room...eek! It's all gone into hiking and (hopefully) safe from little hands. I've folded up the 8' tables & leaned them again the front of the storage bins for my s&s stuff, then hung a heavy green material over everything, using uphosltry tacks to attach it to the ceiling - it's all "out of sight/out of mind" right now!

On Friday, we're making new shelving! WAHOO!! I designed it and will post pictures when it's complete & in place.... until then here's the basic idea. The wall it has to go on is only about 40" tall since it's the "attic" over the garage. The unit will be 15" cubes (similar to the ones from Ikea); only 2 cubes tall, but 6 long... giving me 12 cubes that my paper racks will slide neatly into! Can't wait to show it off....