Works of Heart

College Girlfriends Annual Gift Exchange

Last Friday was our annual "College Girlfriends Gift Exchange".  The 10 of us have been through so much together over the years.  Most of us cheered for hockey at UWEC back in the 80s and we picked up a few gals that were HS best friends.  We've been getting together now for 20+ years and it's always so amazing to see how much [and how little] really happens over the course of a year.  This year we were sad that Beth couldn't join us... hopefully next year Beth!

Cindy (my twin) hosted this year despite being laid up on crutches after ankle surgery.  But she is THE Martha Stewart of the day and of course an ankle surgery couldn't lay her up. ;)  Her house is always so beautifully decorated and everything was just perfect.

Unfortunately, the night was cut a bit short this year by the weather -- our first "real" snowstorm that happened to hit during rush hour caused many to be late (me included) and others to leave early to get across town.  Was a bit disappointed that we didn't have more time to catch up.

Lynn took the group photo but these are my favorite photos I took -- one of each of the 9 of us who were there:

Lisa


Cindy (my twin)
  

Nancy
  

Me
  

Lynn:

Maribeth (sorry Mari, the best I had)
  

Shelley
  

Martin (Chris)
  

Mary
  

Already looking forward to next year!  Lynn, post the group photo!! :)

  

 

My Little Maple Tree

  

My little maple in the front year has finally grown big enough to be SHOWY!  Look at how brilliant it is this year!  Maples grow so slowly (this one is about 8 years old), but they are so beautiful and SO worth it!!  I've been waiting ever so patiently for it to mature and I think it's finally there!!!  Just had to share my pretty little tree. :)

Fall Day Trip!

This past Saturday I woke up to a crystal blue sunny sky, warm temps, beautiful fall colors and a day with nothing on the calendar... what to do?!!  Only ONE thing to do!  Take a day trip!

 

 

So my girlfriend Naomi, the boys, and I hopped in the car for a day of exploring the beautiful fall Minnesota countryside.  We headed south down Hwy 169 through Belle Plaine and then veered over onto Co. Hwy 6 that runs along the west side of the Minnesota River.  What a beautiful drive!

Along the way there is a beautiful old, architecturally interesting church... called St. Jessamine or something like that.  So many interesting angles and corners that Naomi (aka "The Paparazzi") and I just had to stop for some photos. :)   Isn't this church cool?!

The next interesting town we came through was Henderson.  A really quaint main street... antique shops, interesting storefronts, definitely worth a stop.  I have to say, I've never before seen a Red Owl storefront like the one there... brick with blue columns and polished brass lightposts and completely vacant of signage except for the words "Red Owl" on the side-street side of the building.  A unique place indeed!

By noontime we'd reached Minneopa Falls State Park just outside of Mankato.  If you have never been there, it's definitely worth a day trip.  The setting along the river is gorgeous and it is a favorite hotspot for photographers in the fall.  Every time we have been there, there has been a wedding on-site in the park.

This year, though, because of the dry conditions we've had, the falls were essentially DRIED UP!  We couldn't believe it!  Still an absolutely breathtaking place and the boys loved the opportunity the low riverbed provided to climb over rocks and "puddles". :)

 

This photo of the boys was taken under the main bridge in the park that crosses over the river and falls.  I assure you, I would NOT have let the boys climb under there had the water been rushing!

And this is my friend Naomi standing on the bridge... you can see what a beautiful area it is!

From Minneopa we ventured west on Hwy 68 over to New Ulm for their Octoberfest celebration!  What a blast!  The towncenter was barricaded off and the street was filled with festivities... a german band playing polkas and authentic german music, beer stand, brat & sauerkraut stand, dancing... all too fun!

Naomi, the boys, and I sat down at one of the tables for a brat and a beer... the man sitting next to us was all decked out in his lederhosen(sp?).  :)

After our beer and brats we took the narrated historic carriage ride through historic New Ulm.  Very interesting... especially all the old "mansions" that have been renovated.  I've heard that New Ulm is the most "native" German town in America.
Besides all the heritage in New Ulm, the city boasts the only glockenspiel in the country.  It is a 45-50 foot tall clock tower with bells along the top.  The bells tolls out beautiful music 3 times a day -- the sound is almost mesmerizing.  And while the bells toll, there is a platform with dancing dolls (animated puppets almost).  Very unique and unusual!

The last stop of the day (still in New Ulm) was Harmann Park where the 102' Hermann Monument resides.  Despite a little "fear of heights", we all managed to climb to the very top of monument (Naomi, you overcame your fear!  Congrats! :)

What an awesome day it was!  Fall is my favorite time of the year... mostly because I look forward to "daytripping" and seeing the beautiful colors and countryside.  Not sure where we'll go next year, but I wouldn't be surprised if we swing a trip to the New Ulm Octoberfest again. ;)

I'm back!

It's been awhile... life has been moving at a crazy pace and with lots going on.  Lots of travel this summer that I need to bring you up to speed on, new house projects but still have my house on the market, doing some scrapping, and just trying to deal with the ups and downs of life these days. 

A quick share... created this layout for Kits & Pieces using the June kit.  The photo of my twin sister, Cindy, and me was taken in May at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs where we celebrated my Dad's 70th with a surprise "roast".

 

I'll be sharing more again soon.  'Hello World'!!  Glad you found me again. :)

Lots to Share!

Been busy creating this month!

The first layout is one I did for my "My Favorite Things" Challenge that I posted over at Kits & Pieces for Week 6 of their 8 Week Survivor Challenge.  My challenge was to create a layout with the following:

* non-horizontal title (vertical, in a circle, whatever... just not straight across the page
* stitching (rubons, thread, no-thread, pens, whatever)
* a decorative edge(s)
* chipboard
* plus one of the following embellishments: buttons, flowers, bling

The new May Kits at Kits & Pieces will be available tomorrow.  I created several layouts using the Happy Day kit which features the new Basic Grey Celebrate papers, Cosmo Cricket blackboard chipboard, Prima Crystals, MM Journaling Book and more.  I LOVED working with this kit.

The first LO is about our obsession with Scrabble when I go to my sister's house.  These pics of my mom & niece were taken last Christmas.  Added a little stitching and tried a fun layered effect for the title.  Also a little "hybrid" going on with the photo collage along the top.

The next LO is about our fun trip to the MN State Fair each year.  This year was especially fun because my sister & her 4 kids joined us.  Even better, it was my nephew Sam's birthday the day we went.  As we were singing Happy Birthday to him in the Food Building while we ate ice cream, a local news anchor came by and we got a spot on TV.  Fun!

Lastly is a LO that's totally outside my zone.  I wanted to create a random/funky no-photo LO of just all the things going on in my life this month.  The concept was good but the execution was not LOL!  Oh well... maybe next month I'll try again and have better luck. ;)

Oh, and one more... this one using the April kit from It Kit Studios.  Another one from the State Fair last year of my nephew pitching.  He's got an AMAZING arm for a 12 year old!

Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to!!

Now... baseball season is starting and I'm not sure I'm ready for the CRAZY schedule.  Both boys are on traveling teams this year and there's only one of me... not sure how that's gonna work?!!  I may not have much time for scrapping this month. :P

Have a GREAT day!! ~Christine

Sharing "A Walk in the Park" Kit Projects

Sharing a couple of DT projects for the My Kits & Pieces April kit, "A Walk in the Park" featuring Prima Caliope papers, Fancy Pants felt, MM 5th Avenue button & blossoms... gotta say I LOVED this kit top to bottom!  So very ME!!! :)

The first project is a mini-album that I'll be giving to my sister as a thank you.  The base is one of the expansion clear albums (LOVED the flower shape!).  Also included are some felt pieces from the Fancy Pants felt pieces expansion.  Virtually everything else except for a couple brads is right out of the kit!  Great job on this one Rosy.  

Oh... and the journaling is actually the lyrics to the Watermark song, More Than You'll Ever Know... fit so perfectly everything I want to say to her.  She surely has picked me up more times than I can count.  She is such a blessing in my life.  Thank you, thank you, Cind!

   

The next project is a layout about my niece (really, 2nd cousin, but who's keeping track? ;) using the same kit.  Yummy Bazzill Ruby Red cardstock, more of the Caliope patterned papers, AC Thickers felt alphas, and used a Fiskars border punch to create the border.

Swing by My Kits & Pieces & say hi on the message board... come see what we're up to!  Lots of great discussion and inspiration. :)

Celebration Tray!

Sharing a project I did for Creative Memories that is in the March Featured Projects section.

 

Didn't this turn out cute?  I just love these new papers... so kitchen-y and cheery, from CM's Primary Power Palette Collection.  You can find complete instructions here.  Check out the rest of March's featured projects too.. lots of great inspiration for cards, pages & home decor items.

Also, for those who have asked, you can see more photos from our Yellowstone trip out in my Picasa album here: Yellowstone Photo Album.

Have a wonderful Easter!  He is risen indeed!

Back From Snowmobiling in Yellowstone!

So sorry it's been so long since I posted.  I'm going to pretend that I can't read the calendar and not even look, okay?  We'll just move on from here. ;)

 

Got back last week from a 12 day venture out to West Yellowstone, MT for a week of snowmobiling with [almost] my whole family.  And can I just say that it was AMAZING and totally BEYOND ALL expectations!  We snowmobiled a ton when we were kids, but I've never snowmobiled so much in a week before in my life.  I LOVED it! 

 

The county in sw MT is SOOO incredible!  The mountains, the rivers, the wildlife, the snow, the sky... all of it. 

We went into the park two days -- one day out to Canyon and the other down to the Geyser Basin & Old Faithful.  It was soooo beautiful.  Imagine trees covered with half an inch of hoar frost, glistening in the morning sun, the mist rising over the river, mountains all around.  After seeing Yellowstone in the glory of winter, I have no desire to go back into the park in summer when it's busy, and quite frankly, not nearly as pretty.

We had the most awesome park guide (guides are required for entry in the winter) , Len, who just so happened to be a professional photographer.:)  My Dad, brother and I all love to shoot pics, so it was absolutely perfect that we had someone who could point out all the best photo spots in the park.  He also took us out to Idaho one day to photograph moose.  The entire week was picture perfect with stunning sunny, rich blue skies.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.  The photo below was taken at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Back row (L-R): Len, Dad, me, Mom; Front row (L-R): Grant, my brother Forrest, Ryan.

It's absolutely breathtaking out there and I would HIGHLY recommend this trip to everyone!  If you don't like to snowmobile, you can take "snow coaches" into the park instead.  It really is one of THE destinations to go for photography in the winter. 

 

We're already planning our trip back next year.  The boys and I may even try to work in a trip back this summer to learn fly fishing. :)   

Lots of News to Start the Year!

Wow!  Been a busy week!

On Wednesday, I accepted a freelance designer position with Creative Memories!  Yes, you heard right... the one and only Creative Memories!  They are branching out, wanting to move a bit into mainstream scrapbooking and I am so excited to have been selected as one of their new freelance designers!

This is one of the sample projects I created for CM.  This is an unfinished wooden frame from Michael's.  I painted the edges then covered with CM papers.  Added a few buttons & ribbon, used a CM quote sticker in the window & a CM alpha diecut sticker for the initial.  I really like how it turned out!

And on Thursday, I accepted a spot on the My Kits & Pieces design team!  I was a freelance designer for Rosy last fall, and now I'm thrilled to sign on as a regular!  Thank you Rosy!  The new site and message boards will be up soon, so keep checking in!

It's been a busy, scrapbook-y weekend too.  I worked on some projects for Memory Makers for the upcoming Ask The Masters 3 book due out this summer.  Love the LO I created!  But you will just have to wait for the book.;)

Last Monday night, I enjoyed Ryan's 1st 6th grade band concert.  Dang, I was AMAZED at how well my new camera/lens setup worked in a concert setting!  I took these pictures at 800 ISO, NO FLASH!!  The extreme close-up at full-out 300mm zoom no less!  I have never been able to take pictures at concerts before... sooooo exciting to get decent pictures even sitting near the back. :) 

Ryan is the french horn player... he's taking after me as I used to play french horn too. :)  I must say, I was VERY impressed with how well they sounded!  HUGE leaps and bounds since 5th grade.  Way to go buddy! :D

 

Tomorrow is my birthday (yay!)... nothing planned to speak of.  Probably just cake with the boys tomorrow night.  Oh, yeah... and Grant and I are starting piano lessons... tomorrow!!  I'm very excited about that!  We got a beautiful (!) Yamaha Clavinova CL240PE digital piano for Christmas (thank you Dad...again!!!).  It sounds amazing... it actually plays and sounds like a grand piano... such a beautiful sound filling the room!  Can't wait to learn to play!

Hope you're all enjoying a fruitful and "scrappy" New Year!! :D  ~Christine 

Pics taken with my new camera!

Downloaded my pics from Christmas and I am thrilled seeing them on the big monitor!

This one of my Dad was the very first shot taken with the new camera.  Love how soft the light is and how nice his skintones came out.  I actually think this is the nicest photo I have of my Dad.

And these taken without flash of the beautiful table my sister set for Christmas dinner.  (Yes, that's her in the background :)

These pictures of the horses taken outdoors in the magical Christmas snow.  The first is taken from fairly close in.  But the second two shots are taken from quite a distance ... the third is at full 300mm zoom, no tripod even... can't believe how sharp everything is.  The VC (vibration control) is awesome!

This last one is my niece and nephew.  The colors came out so nicely even against the all-white background.  LOVE this camera/lens setup!  So fun to just snap away. :)
   

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Dad!!!  I'm grinning ear-to-ear with joy over this new camera!!

Pinch Me!!!

Pinch me!  Pinch me!

OH. MY. GOSH!!!  My Dad got me one of the brand-new Canon 40D's for Christmas!!!

With a Tamron AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 VC (Vibration Control) lens!!!

I am just giddy over it!!  I've had my Nikon D70 (which I've LOVED) for 3+ years now and just recently have started considering upgrade options.  I was looking at the new D80 as I couldn't afford much more than that.

So getting this new Canon 40D has just blown me away!  It is SO much more camera than I could ever have gotten myself!  Granted, I will need a couple new Canon lenses now, but dang!  This camera is AMAZING!

I played with it a bit on Christmas Day taking indoor snapshots of dinner, opening gifts, etc. and it is absolutely incredible in low-light!  HUGE improvement from what I'm used to.  Also took some winter scenery shots and even with the high-contrast "white" snowy pictures, the contrast and color is spot on.  WOW!  I feel like a kid in a candy store... rediscovering the magic of photography all over again!

I'll share some pics as soon as I get them downloaded.  WOW!  Just WOW!!!  THANK YOU DAD!!!

A belated but VERY Merry Christmas to you all!! ~Christine

Reminiscing...

Been so busy lately with Christmas shopping, getting cards mailed, wrapping gifts, etc. that I can barely keep up with it all.  It's so sad... haven't even taken any photos in the past month.  But... got to looking at some old Christmas photos and gosh... they sure bring back memories.

Look at the boys back in 2003...

 

I just can't get over how much they've changed in the past 4 years... wow!  Look at them this year...

Sooo grown up looking.  Ryan's almost 12 (just a couple weeks) and Grant is 8-1/2.  He was just 4 in those earlier pictures.  Wow! 

An item to note... you might think the boys cooperated for that photo I used in the Christmas card above.  But oh no... not my boys... could not, would not even touch one another for a photo together (these on the 1st day of school).  [Little terds!]  Sooo... a little PS magic and who'd know (except me and you now) that it's actually two photos merged together. :)

Do you take the same photo, same place every year?  I always take one of the boys at the top of the stairs before they come down to see what Santa brought.  Will be fun to pull them all together into a scrapbook page and see how they've grown and changed.  What other suggestions do you have for "same time next year" photos?

During this busy time, don't forget to fill your heart with the Spirit of CHRISTmas. 

And remember... it's not the presents that matter, but your presence. :)

~Christine

Girls 21st Annual Gift Exchange

Got my pics from our girls' get-together downloaded... fun stuff!  LOVE these girls!  We have all been friends since 1982 (25 years?!  Eeks!), some of the girls even went to kindergarten together... talk about lifelong friends. :)  Through the years we sure have been through alot together.  And I know we'll be going through alot more.  It's so awesome to have friends who "knew you when". :)

We got carried away with too much chatting and somehow missed getting a group shot this year. :(  Boo.  I did get a pic of everyone individually...

Marys... sorry I didn't get better pics of you two.  Maybe next year you'll cooperate? :)

Thanks for a GREAT, FUN time girls!  I luv ya!!!  I'm already looking forward to next year. :)

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Oh my heck!  How did an ENTIRE month go by since I last posted?!  Egad!  Will someone e-mail me next time I slack so long?  Please?!!

Life... rolling along.  Lots going on.  Been in training for work all week last week and the week before T-Giving (C# & ASP.NET for you geeks out there ;).  Had to drive an hour+ each way to the training center... ugh!  Sure made me appreciate my 25-30 minute drive that I sometimes complain about. ;)

And Thanksgiving was wonderful!!!  Spent some time with my brother & sister-in-law and also with my sister & her family.  Lots of yummy food & fun family time too.  I LOVE Thanksgiving!!

Also managed to hand-make 80 Christmas cards over the past week or so.  Still need to get the envies addressed & sign them all, but the assembly line work is done at least. :)  I'll share a sampling here... all just variations on a theme using Basic Grey holiday papers, Art Warehouse stamps (kinda hard to see the white ink stamped on the red velvet in the scan) & a few jewels.  Fairly simple, but as time-consuming as I'll go when I'm making 80. :)

   

Oh!  and I have a TOOOOT to share!!!  Can't tell you much about it, but got a special assignment from CK last Tuesday for the March 2008 issue!!!  Yippee!!! :D :D   Here's a little sneak peek. ;)

 

Enjoyed the first big snowfall of the season this weekend at my sister's house... played a little Scrabble, drank a little hot cocoa... love hunkering down with family during a storm.  And the boys even got to go snowmobiling today!  They were THRILLED!!!  I so wish I'd have gotten pictures.  Bummer. :\

I have to share yet about our 21st annual "College Girlfriends Holiday Party" on Friday night too!!!  Always a BLAST!!!  But need to download the pics yet, so will hopefully do that in the next day or so.

I promise not to be so delinquent this month, even with all the holiday preparations... I promise!

God bless your day!! ~Christine

Card and Altered Business Card Holder

A couple projects to share today!

The first is an altered business card holder that I made for my niece for her Confirmation this past Sunday.  Isn't this the cutest?  From Target! 

Inside each of the plastic card holders inside, I inserted my own cards.  On the front of each card was one of God's promises to us and on the back was the verse that tell us of His promise.

My hope is that this is small enough for her to carry with her to always have a reminder of God's love, and to offer encouragement during the tough times.

The other item I'm sharing is a little Thank You card I made for my pastor for Pastor Appreciation Day/Month this past Sunday.

  Pastor Dave and his wife have been such an incredible blessing to the boys and me.  Pastor spent 100+ hours working on my house over the summer, he and his wife opened their house to the boys and me when we needed a place to stay, they have given us so much support and prayer throughout the past two years.  I cannot even express in words, and certainly a card is not enough, to share the incredible thanks and gratitude I feel for them.  THANK YOU PD & B!

Our pastors work tirelessly to serve His kingdom.  Make sure to let yours know you appreciate him/her!

Thanks for stopping by!  God Bless. ~Christine

Honor

Since Ryan started 6^th grade (middle school) last month, things have been really strained between us.  It seems he’s always yelling… at me, at Grant… He’s been disrespectful to me and short with Grant.  Is he angry with me?  He assures me ‘no’. 

I understand that he’s going through a lot of changes.  He’ll be 12 in January and I know that puberty is starting.  He’s caring more about what he wears and what other kids think.  (Though I’m happy that he’s veering away from the kids who care only about having brand-name clothing.  My pocketbook sighs relief.)  But I’m worried for him too.  I don’t like the way we’ve been communicating lately (or not communicating as the case may be) and it makes me feel very sad.  :(

I remember middle school.  I hated it.  It was truly the worst years of my life.  I’d always felt safe in my little class of 12 in elementary school.  And all of a sudden I was just one of 180 kids in the class.  My hair was greasy, my face was full of pimples, and I was teased a lot.  I went home crying more days than I care to remember.

Thankfully, I haven’t seen Ryan come home crying yet.  But I know he’s going through a big adjustment.  Learning the routine of changing classrooms and teachers every hour is difficult enough, let alone for someone who struggles with transitions.  Is it just “change” that’s causing our relationship to be so strained?

I bought the book “The DNA of Parent-Teen Relationships” by Gary and Greg Smalley earlier this week.  I’ve only read two chapters and I’m already singing its praises!  The main point they drive home is honoring your teen.  Simple things really… letting them know how special they are, how honored you are to be their parents, giving them space to share what’s truly on their heart without judgment, putting them first and letting them know they’re first.  Basically, just making them feel special and, well, honored.

Yesterday I was so touched when Ryan called me at work after he’d gotten home from school.  He said he had a ‘surprise’ for me when I got home. Wow!  Can I tell you how touched I was that he was thinking about me and wanted to do something special to surprise me!  It didn’t even matter what the surprise was… the thought of the surprise meant more to me than anything.  It was the highlight of my day. J

And last night on the way to his Youth Group meeting, we had a wonderful discussion about the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  This morning he surprised me by getting dressed and ready (and brushing his teeth!) without me having to say a word.  He just smiled knowingly when I told him how happy he made me.  And he even let me give him a kiss as he walked out the door this morning. 

My heart is singing with joy today for the possibility of a new and renewed relationship with my amazingly gifted, beautiful son, Ryan.  I love you to the moon and back buddy!!

Honor your teen today (and tomorrow and the next day!).  You'll be surprised what a difference it makes.  God bless! ~Christine

Toot! MM Editor's Pick!

Remember I shared awhile back about our Thanksgiving in August?  And I told you that you'd have to wait for the November Memory Makers issue to see the layout I created about it?

Well, I just got my November issue and guess what?!  Cool beans!  I'm the Editor's Pick! :)  Here's the write-up online about why the editors chose it.  I have to admit it feels awfully good to hear all their positive comments about my layout.  Definitely makes my heart smile. :)

Been busy otherwise... trying to keep up with school and church activities.  Anyone else find it hard to manage all the paperwork that comes home in backpacks?!  Excited to be getting back into the Word this fall with two Bible studies... one a study of the book of James and the other a Beth Moore women's study.  Good stuff!

Been scrapping some too but for assignment so can't share yet. ;)

Have an awesome day & thanks for stopping! ~Christine

"Joy" Canvas

Sharing a project using my June "It Kit" papers with the 10x10 canvas that Kelly L. sent with the October kit that just arrived Friday.  (Awesome, AWESOME kits!)  Kelly suggested using the canvas for a quote frame w/a woven background using leftovers so I took the challenge!  LOVE how this turned out! 

The quote is a perfect reminder that God is always with us.  Sometimes we expect only to see him in the big things and forget to see him in the all the little things around us.  The papers match my new bed/bath decor and I plan to stand it on my dresser as a daily reminder.

Thanks Kelly for the awesome kits!  And the awesome idea!!  TFL! ~Christine

Lots to Share!!

I am honored to be one of the Featured Designer at My Kits & Pieces for October!  Been busily creating using the yummy Harvest Moon Kit.  It includes some of my faves... patterned papers by Daisy D's and Paper Trunk (a new manufacturer!), AL buttons (can't seem to get enough), AC Thickers foam stickers (my first time using them and I must say I LOVE them!).  I also got to play with Maya Road chipboard album and some uber cool Paper Trunk border stamps!

First LO, Auburn Beauty, uses a combination of both DD's and PT papers.  Cut the semi-circulat design out of one of the PT papers to create a fun frame for the focal photo.  And used the PT border stamps to create a fun edge on the page.  I really like how this one came together.

The second LO I created, called Happiness Is, uses mostly Daisy D's.  I painted on the back of the transparency behind the journaling to allow the journaling to more readable while still letting the pattern show through.   Flowers on a boy LO... yeah it's ok in my book. ;)  Found this old photo yesterday and it made me a bit teary -- I can't believe how short ago this was and yet how much the boys have changed.  The journaling talks about how important remembering is and how important it is to feel and document our emotions through scrapbooking.  (Oh yeah, and how much I MISS having a toddler around my ankles lately. :(

Lastly, is the mini album I created.  I used one of the Maya Road Rolodex-style chipboard albums.  Very fun format!  The album shares some of my favorite memories and photos from our fall daytrips the past two years.  And tried something a little different with the journaling and wrote a little haiku-like poem (5 lines) for each photo. Was a fun exercise and I really like how it came out -- easy to ready but sharing quite alot of info at the same time. I will definitely use this journaling technique again.

You seriously need to check out My Kits And Pieces for really great kits.  The other kit offered in October is the uber cool new American Crafts papers.  Very fun!!  TFL! ~ Christine 

Katching up, sKating & Kitties!

First item of order, my house.  It's now been on the market for two weeks.  I have had 4 showings and two of them have been very interested.  No offers yet, but I'm encouraged by the level of interest so far... a good thing given how slow the housing market is these days.

Had a very busy weekend.  Our friends Kevin (you might know him from my Teaching With Love LO in the  June 2003 issue of CK?!) & Karen came over with their two little girls.  We had dinner, played on the Sport Court & then enjoyed an awesome fall bonfire.  The night was cool and perfect!  (Just one of the those 17 shrubs we pulled remaining to be burned!)

Headed to Stillwater, MN early on Saturday morning to watch my nieces skate in the Maplewood Skating competition.  Karilyn competes at the Intermediate level.  She finished 7th in short program and 6th in long program which she skated as well as I've seen her skate -- nailed all those doubles!  WTG Karilyn!  Kayla competes at the Senior level now (wow!!!).  Unfortunately, there one only one other competitor at the level who scratched due to injury, so Kayla did not get to compete.

I tell ya, the new scoring rules that you hear about on TV are soooo hard to figure out.  It's like a whole new language.  And both competitions I've been to where my nieces skated there have been questions about how things were scored.  Weird how the exact same program/elements skated at two different competitions (with two different technical specialists calling them) results in very different interpretation/possible points.   Seems the system still needs a little work.

Here are pics of Karilyn (13)

and Kayla (16):

They are beautiful aren't they!!  I'm so, so, SO proud of them!!

The last item today is a set of pictures of little kittens that I took yesterday at my sister's.  They have 18 (I think?!!) little kittens running around there right now!  3 separate mamas.  The oldest are about 6 weeks old, the youngest are just 3 weeks old.  (p.s. let me know if you're wanting a kitten, my sister is looking to find them new homes!!  And since her 4 kids are home all day, the kitties are so friendly & used to lots of lovin'.  Because of that, if I ever decide to get a cat, the ONLY place I will get one is from my sister.  Seriously, if you see a kitty below that you want, let me know & I'll arrange it! 

Enjoy the pics of these adorable little kitties!! :)

Have a great day!  And thanks for stopping by! ~Christine