Christmas is coming!!!

I think I am more ready than I have ever been for Christmas on Dec. 1st. NO I am not done shopping but alot of it is done and I did alot of cybershopping! My back and feet were not up to lots of shopping on hard store floors and also taking Dylan shopping is a horrible task!!! Dylan is very excited about Christmas and also about the SNOW!!

I think I may cheat on my Dec. daily! these were taken the last day of Nov. but I really think I want them to start my dec. daily! Paper Secrets has the first challenge for Dec. up on it blog! The dec 1-15 and the dec 15th - 30th challenges this month are color challenges!! 











Here is mine!

head over the Paper Secrets Blog and check out the challenge and Prize!!!

Happy November!!!

So are you thinking about Christmas yet!!! just in case you did not realize it, Christmas is around the corner!!!
November 1st is also sketch reveal time on the Paper Secrets Blog!!! The manufacture that we are spotlighting is OCTOBER AFTERNOON!  Go to the blog and check it out!

Here is my layout for the sketch! This is my daughter Mindy and my grandson (her nephew) Noah!!

Lets see what you can do with OCTOBER AFTERNOON and our sketch!!!

Its been a rough month so far

October in the Kithcart home has been filled with sickness, two boys with double ear infections and hand, foot and mouth disease, another one had a severe case of hand, foot and mouth. Now they are finally all kids are well but I have bronchitis.  

But I stilll got to scrap!!! oh and I majorly cleaned my scrap area!!! 

My layout for Paper Secrets middle of the month sketch  was done with Jillibeans Macho Nacho Soup.

Check out my layout and then hop over to the Paper Secrets blog and see the sketch and challenge!!! 

oh and check out Paper Secrets on Facebook!

Such a gorgeous fall day!!!!

Fall has hit in all it's splendor and it is sure pretty here today! The summer flew by and I expect so will fall and soon I will be looking at snow!

Over at Paper Secrets the first October sketch is up! It is a great sketch to work with and I loved using the photos of my youngest grandson Dylan on the sketch and our visit to the state fair!  Head over the Paper Secrets blog and check out the sketch and all the DT's samples!

September Challenges!

Paper Secrets September challenges are up! So get out your Authentique and start scrapping! Here is my 1st challenge!

walking the beach

time for another syao entry! this time I used a photo of my daughter and her hubby walking the beach in Florida!

I used a border punch for my technique
I also used 3 homemade flowers
3 pattern papers
bling
ribbon
and a doily

Dylan and Grandpa

Dylan sure can wrap grandpa around his little finger! He surprises me because he is quite a mouthy little three year old. I don't understand where they learn it so fast although I know how his mom is. I just wish I knew how you stop a three year old from being mouthy.

I think he is a pro at getting his way with grandpa because of his cystic fibrosis!

I did a layout for syao contest with a photo I have of Dylan getting grandpa to give in to him!

MY butterfly bush

Lately I have been having some fun taking photos of the butterflies that visit my butterfly bush! I was disappointed one day that I was grilling and looked out to see a yellow swallowtail. My choice was to burn dinner or take photos. Well the budget said don't waste that food so I missed the swallow tail!

Since then I did have a black swallow tail come visit and got some great photos of that!

I also got some photos of a monarch! which some I have already scrapped! hoping to make it a two pager by doing the swallow too!

I used corner punch for my technique and also the butterflies were painted purple and then embossed
i have 5 buttons
3 + pattern papers
butterflies
banner
ribbon
and a pin

another week another syao layout!

got this layout done by the skin of my teeth! it is due in 1 hour and 8 minutes~ lol at least I have enough time to post it but I am tired!

for the techniques I used paper punch, stitiching and distressing
the items I used
chipboard
pennant
3 + pattern papers
ticket
ribbon and twine

August Already, where has the summer gone?

Can you believe it is August Already!!!!

Well the first of the month means new challenges at Paper Secrets!

we have changed things up a bit this month and the challenges will be found on the Paper Secrets Blog!

Now also check out Paper Secrets on Facebook and if you have not already make sure to like us!

26 weeks!

I have done a layout every week for 6 months (26 weeks) . I am amazed at myself!
SYAO has really kept me motivated!
here is this weeks layout

145 points... winner name drawn

145 points were earned in my little blog contest! Sandi actually posted comments all but 2 days of the month!!!! It amazed me when I figured out the numbers! Then I used a number generator!!! I really appreciate all the post. Oh and Lisa I have some computerized spam but I will try take of the word verification and see how it goes!

Thank you all for participating in my blog challenge and my challenge on Paper Secrets!!!!
Now if the winner would send me a pm on Paper Secrets with your snail mail, a little about yourself what you like/don't like I would like to get a prize out to you!!!

whoops I guess you want to know who you are! Congrats to Tallulah!

Wow another month gone by!

My July Stash challenge is up on the Paper Secrets site. Check it out here . Here is the layout I did for it!

As far as my bonus challenge for June I hope you can give me a few days to figure it all out! I promise to have it done by thursday at the absolute latest.

Blog posting!!! PUTTING THIS AT THE TOP till challenge is over

I seem to have gotten so bad at blog posting! So I am going to do something about it! I think I need encouragement to post more! Maybe comments would help so I am going to post a challenge to win some blog candy! But first I would like to share that the June challenges are up on the Paper Secrets forum! My Dt challenge is a Lyrics challenge this month! Here is my layout for that challenge!!!!

NOW to check out the actual challenge you will have to go to the Paper Secrets Forum! Now for my blog challenge.... I will give a scrappy gift/candy to one lucky winner. Here is what you must do! #1 follow my blog ...... #2 leave a comment....... What can you do to win extra chances for the drawing? #1 I will give you 10 extra chances for doing my challenge for July at PAPER SECRETS Here is the link to my challenge ... SUSIEQ's July challenge #2 For each day during June that you leave a comment I will give you one extra chance for comment (only one per day an please comment on the most recent post on that day, if I have not posted anything new than comment on the old post and feel free to let me have it! lol) (NOW you see that this is my way to motivate me, because if you don't comment on a new post and have to post on and old post, I will feel silly so when a new comment comes through it will remind me to get my butt posting! LOL) I hope I did that so that it makes sense! IF not let me know~ lol~~~~


IF YOU ARE A RETURNING POSTER FOR THIS CONTEST PLEASE POST ON THE NEXT POST .

my youngest ballplayer

I had to show you some photos of my youngest ballplayer (although not the youngest grandson) Noah is 8 and really loving baseball!

I am so please to say that my headaches are getting better, I am losing weight and I am starting to get use to the new med so not as sleepy all the time!

I am so excited!

I am so excited over all the great layouts created from my challenge! I am glad my bonus challenge and the Paper Secrets challenge are random challenges cause I would be lost if I had to choose which was best! It would be totally impossible!

I got up my week 20 layout for the SYAO2 contest! I cannot believe it has already been 20 weeks! WOW!
I will say the title is a bit off  kilter but my head was not great! but I am happy it is done! I am starting the new med twice a week tomorrow so hopefully soon the headaches will be much better although I might be a bit sleepy! lol

I think I will be getting some great photos in a day or two as the pool is finally filled and now it is just a matter of getting the chemicals right! Phew it has been a rough year, first had to replace the liner, than the pump quit and since it has been quite dry we had to rotate back and forth between our two wells alot filling it! but hopefully we will get lots of use and I will do lots of laps!

So many photos to scrap

well I saw my neurologist  yesterday and from looking at the testing done while I was in the hospital (I had insisted they call my neurologist and so part of the testing they did was ordered by her) She was not happy and said if I get that severe a headache again I need to come to her er which is a 2 plus hour drive! but anyways she was able to diagnose me! I start a new med and it is extremely important I lose some weight (I guess those nasty headaches and the fact I could go blind are a great motivation for me) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiopathic_intracranial_hypertension it could have been worse and so I am going to try hard to lose the weight . the biggest problem right now is the new med has made me sleepy.  hoping to scrap tomorrow and forget all this illness stuff. I usually have my worst headache in the morning which I am told is typical. so I plan to scrap tomorrow afternoon if all goes well. Still have some June challenges from Paper secrets to get done!!!  I have some photos I am dying to scrap! Like these

Ups and Downs

I have been up and down as far as the headaches. Been headache free and also some times of severe headache but tomorrow I will be taking a long ride to see my neurologist at Strong Memorial and I have a good feeling she will be able to give me some answers!!! thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts.

Over the past three days I have done some scrapping off and on! So now i finally have 2 layouts finished!

Thank you again for all the prayers and good thoughts and I will plan to add more tomorrow after my visit!

I scrapped!

Yes I actually scrapped! This is not to say things are better, because the headaches continue! I missed church, actually I missed most of the day! But I hoping that tomorrow's appt. or thursdays make a difference! I look forward to your comments! Here is the new layout!

could use some help!

I want to put the original post with the challenge so it stays up the top of the blog! If you know how to do that please let me know! I could probably figure it out but I have not been headache free since I got home! Right now it is only about a 2 on the pain scale so I am handling it okay! Actually going to try to scrap since I don't know what tomorrow will bring and I want to get this weeks SYAO challenge done! So far I have missed 2 of each of my grandson's baseball games and that kills me but hopefully soon I will be better. Hopefully tomorrow we will

home again

I am home as of yesterday afternoon! Still have some questions and the Nurse practitioner is not happy with some of the med changes but hopefully things are improving! Hoping to get some answers Monday when I see my specialist monday. If not then thursday when I see my neurologist! here is my layout for the latest SYAo challenge I am happy with all the wonderful comments since I started the contest!

Well here I post while laying flat post spinal tap. Lol but as of right now no headache. Praying it stays that way. Only thing I know so far is that I have more spinal fluid then I am suppose to. The normal level is below 20 and mine is 27. If they don.t find results on the spinal tap they say it will be considered staticus migrinious {okay lol) they say it meanc astste of continious migraines and will add meds to avoid it hapening again and let me go home. But only if the spinal fluid is ok. Alright forget the boring stuff... how are you doing on the challenge. Do you have a blog to share. Leave it in your comment.

some firsts for me

The first one was a ride at 7am in an ambulance, then posting on my blog from my phone and also from a hospital bed. Hoping tomorrow does not bring a first helicopter ride. My headache returned suddenly (well it never totally went away but came back to a very severe one)at 7am I was on the floor rocking and crying. Bp240/133. Anyways they are again worried about a cerbral hemmorage so doped me up all day then a mri at 6pm if that is neg then spinal tap in am. Deendingon findings and my neurologist in rochester ny even with neg findings but definite with positive findings I will br lifted to strong hosp in rochester ny. Right now the headache is there but I can deal enough to post if I don't move, lights off. Sure wish the idiots in the hall would shut up though. Wow never expected this when I posted the challenge. So sorry ladies. By the way it sure not easy 2 post from a phone.

favorite layout

Do you have a favorite all time layout! Here is mine

This has been my favorite layout for many many years. I have lots of others I love but this one seems to remain a favorite. I love it because of the photo and the face I caught. I know it is nothing fancy but I just love the theme etc. Tell me about your favorite! Lots of chances are being won! Thank you ladies! I promise to make it worth your while!

Thanks Tallulah for the reminder!

Well it has taken me awhile today to post and Tallulah reminded me! But I have a great excuse! Yesterday I had the worse headache most of the day! I get migraines but this was like none I ever had. It would let up a little for a bit but come back with a vengence! Finally 11pm last night it was so bad and I had taken all I could of my pain meds for the migraine so I went to the ER! I was not seen for 3 and a 1/2 hours and was in tears. Now here is the joke, the doctor comes in and asks questions and said with the answer to the questions, bp 197/145 and some other symptoms he feared it was a cerebral hemorrhage! OK and I have waited 3.5 hours! So they did a cat scan which was neg. then he said the cat scan was only 95 percent accurate so he wanted to do a spinal tap! I said NO, the risks to high for a 5 percent chance, I signed against medical advise and they gave me a med in the iv, with no sucess, then a 2nd med. It took it away enough I slept . Home at 6 am, then at noon I woke with the headache still there and bad. more meds, I have slept most of the day but when awake the headache comes and goes and is at times bad. I was told that if it was there still in 8 hours to come back. Which will only mean more meds and pushing the spinal tap! I am waiting till tomorrow to call my Neurologist if it is not better and to also see what she can do if I ever get one that bad again. I really felt like attacking anyone making noise, it was the worse ever. I get botox for my migraines and they had been so much better! okay so that is my excuse but back to good things and scrapping and PRIZES! thank you to all have commented and you have won some chances and Rochelle did the challenge so she has won some extra chances! We took our grandboys to Niagara Falls last weekend! If you have never been there it is a must see! HEre is a bit of proof!!!!

Praying I am up to scrapping soon!

Paper Secrets May blog challenge!

If you have not gone over and checked out the May blog challenge at Paper Secrets, you need to as the prize is absolutely awesome!!!! Paper Secrets May Brand Blog Challenge In the meantime here is mine for the challenge!!! I am also using the same layout for scrap friendzy's distress challenge!

The products that I used from the Paper Secrets store are listed below for your convience! Pink Paislee Prairie Hill Paper - Kite Strings Pink Paislee Prairie Hill Paper - Country Meadow Pink Paislee Prairie Hill Paper element stickers Jillibean Soup Bean Stalks Twine - Mustard Head over now!

Happy Mother's day almost!

Well it has been a week since I announced that I made the Paper Secrets Design Team! I am loving it! Waiting on a great package from the store right now!!! Love happy mail! I really really need to clean my scrappy area, but I am the worst organizer there ever was!!! Got any great suggestions? We had some great NSD challenges over at Paper Secrets. Mine was a stitching challenge and here is my layout!

plus the SYAO2 contest continues and here is my submission for week 14.

I think it is time for some blog candy So be watching in the next couple days, as I will be posting it soon!!!! hope that made you curious!!! happy scrapping!

Challenging News!!!!

I have been dying to tell you that I made the Design Team at Paper Secrets! If you have never been there you really need to check it out!!! PAPER SECRETS. With that being said, MY first challenge is up! My May challenge is for you to scraplift a lovely layout by Stacy Cohen. She was so gracious to agree! Here is my layout

now head over to the Challenge on Paper Secrets and see how you can be entered to win a $10.00 gift certificate from Paper Secrets! May Scraplifting Challenge here! ______________________________________________________ Paper Secrets is not having a NSD crop but we will be putting up some simple challenges that you can use along with other crops! So fun when you can use a layout for more than one challenge! So make sure and come to Paper Secrets May 4th to check out our simple NSD challenges!

So many photos, NEVER enough time!

I took so many photos on our short but sweet spring break vacation! I wanted to run right home and scrap them all! I was glad CVS had a special if you printed 50 or more prints they were 10 cents apiece. So I printed over 60 just to get me started!

I scrapped one of them already for the Paper Secrets SYAO2 challenge! It is a layout with my daughter and her cousin (my niece)

Not alot of scrapping lately but!

I have been scrapping once a week on Paper Secrets SYAO2 contest~! And this week my layout was chosen for the gallery spotlight. Check it out here!

Right now I am busy working on some new photos to scrap! We are on vacation for the first time in years! I took some great photos of the boys yesterday! Sharing a few!

Whats new?

I have done quite a few new layouts that I have not shared!

So lately I have been thinking about things I want to do or change in my life.

Wow that sounds bad! LOL

here is a list of a few things and not necessarily in the order I posted.

1. I want to learn more about photography

2. I want to scrap better...

3. I want to lose weight

4. I want to be better about not procrastinating

5. There is always room to be a better housekeeper

6. I so want to be more organized but how do you learn to be organized

7. I want to be rich LOL

okay now that you have had a good laugh on me. here is a few new layouts

Technique Tuesdays and Idol search

Scrap Friendzy has started something new. Each Tuesday we are posting a technique tutorial. The very first one was posted on Feb. 7th by Tracey, one of my favorite scrappers! She showed how to make these great ribbon flowers. I believe I am addicted! I love them! Stop by Scrap Friendzy and check out Technique Tuesday.

So I used them on the layout I made for My Scraps and More's Idol Search week #3. Stop by and check out the fun challenges

Now I will also share that I tried another technique also. I cannot remember for the life of me where I saw the link on this technique. It was shared on one of the sites I frequent! The technique is where you stamp images on the edge of the pattern paper to add to its design and make it seem as though it is part of the pattern paper. Sure wish I remembered where I saw the idea!