Can you name this tree?

I can't believe how long it's been since I wrote in my blog. I've been as busy as that bee in my header... above!

Just this month we had both Lily and Britton's Birthdays. Seth went on a Trip to Eagle Bluff. And Greg went to Altanta for a week of work. I've been working on PTO projects and reorganizing my photos the PHOTOFREEDOM way. Organizing my photos probably will take me months if not years to do! One day I will have it all together...maybe when I'm with the LORD!

I love Spring...so glad the weather is warming up. But today we have very gray skies and snow flurries! Can you believe it?

Yesterday weather was warmer with big fat thick clouds. It reminded all of us of Florida skies. Raining one minute and sun shining the next.

I took several beautiful photos of Plants and Trees blooming in my yard yesterday. We didn't plant this tree...so I have no idea what kinda it is...can you name it?

Flower bloom on the tree.

Below are some other things that are growing in our yard too.

Lily had fun splashing in the rain water...she has a very messy PIZZA face too! Doesn't look like she's having fun here but she did! See next photo!

It was her first time playing in the rain! She kept calling it SNOW! She's never seen rain but has seen lots and lots of snow! It was warm yesterday but today freezing cold and very very windy...just a miserable day!

So how's the weather in your neck of the woods?

It's A Beautiful Day!

And it's Mr. Roger's 80th Birthday! Loved watching him when I was a kid. So today I will honor Mr. Roger's by wearing a sweater...even if it is purple! ha ha

Actually, I wear a sweater most days. I have, "living in cold Wisconsin" to thank for that. And being that my scraproom is in my basement I have to wear a sweater to keep warm so I can enjoy my hobby. I love my newly updated scraproom...wish I could spend all day down here but the fact is I have a few sickies home today. So I took time to make it a "Beautiful Day" (as Mr. Roger's would say) for my kiddos by letting them sleep in, watch movies, cooking warm soothing hot meals and drinks to cure what ails them. And for those that have sore throats...some wonderful yummy Bunny Tracks icecream! Can't beat that on the first day of Spring!

Well speaking of Icecream...or cold stuff...we have more snow coming tonight! Expecting 5 to 8 inches! No... no... no...not again...Enough is Enough! All I want from the Easter Bunny is warm, sunny days from here on out! Sadly, I hear more snow is expected on Sunday too...boo hoo! How does one egg hunt in the snow?

Well here's hoping that all my sickies are well by tomorrow...on Good Friday! PLEASE GOD! One wore out Mommy! Gosh... (looking at my photo above) I'm not looking to well either but nonetheless...I'm happy!

Here's hoping all of you have a great Easter Weekend! Many, many blessings your way!

All I can say is WOW!

I've been wanting new shelves in my scraproom for sometime now. It was driving me nuts to have everything sitting around my feet! When we lived in Iowa I had shelves on 2 walls and it held alot...so much that all I had to do was look up...open up one of the many plastic drawers that lined them and viola… there it was...product in hand ready to scrap.
But since we moved in this house all my products and plastic container are on the floor all around my work tables...yes tables...the kind you get a Walmart...plastic buffet tables. They're nice for large tops but horrible to work on. The plastic had too much bounce to hammer eyelets on pages and would melt if I held my heating tool too close...and lets not talk about all the paint it’s covered with.
I could never get a good feel for scrapping in this room. I changed it around so many times I lost count. I only took one photo of my area…wished I had taken more so you can see how bad it really was. This is the only one I have…

Old Style...looks organized but there is tons of plastic containers on the floor around the tables! Couldn't find anothing fast. The tables were wobbly too! SO Furstrating!

So last week after Greg came home from a 5 week business trip...we went out to find some much needed shelves to hang in my room. Instead of us finding shelves...we found an awesome deal at Office Depot. We bought this 8 piece work station for less then $300! At a Whooping 80% savings!

Then he found some wood bookcases at Walmart for $30 each...Greg bought 5 tall ones and one short. And shelves to hang on the wall. Then after we got everything home...put the furniture together...built the bookcases...hung the shelves...Greg went out and bought me a really nice brown leather office chair...it sooo comfortable! Feels so good when you have a broken tail bone!

Total cost for my new room...about $600! Can't beat that!

So here are photos of my new scraproom! Enjoy and eat your hearts out! hee hee

I can't believe how much room I have in here now! I was afraid the desk would take up too much of the floor area. But we have enough across from the main desk that we plan on buying a nice sitting chair for Greg to enjoy...I want to get a massage one for him...he deserves it!

Wall Shelves holds 3 boxes of scrapping trinkets, black paper racks from Hobby Lobby (bought these a few months ago), Scrap rack on Laterial file cabinet!

Main desk area... across the way on the hooks is one of my Purse Alert purses ready to sell on ETSY and where the mauve chair is...that's where we want to put a chair for Greg...lots of room there... enough area there for a loveseat! hee hee

View under my desk. More storage area. Love that I can just reach down and grab things and love that it's all hidden away from view.

Now all my plastic containers have high place to go! Yep hee!

See layout on magnet board to the left? Got that at Office Depot too. Close up photo below.

Metal magnet board...similar to FRED...I think FRED is better. Gonna have to order me one. This one is only 11.5 x 11.5...not big enough to hold a 12x12 page.

Bookcase on the other side of room...love my little TV up high too!

Holds all my albums, mags, photo boxes and fabrics for my purses.

Tall glass jars have flowers and small ones have scrap peices of ribbon in them. Might get the super short ones to hold buttons...love all the colors around me!

Wooden boxes have my clear stamps in them.

And below I made the DIY Clip it up hanger!

I used a metal tension rod rather then the hook screws with dowel rod like the other lady used on her blog.

Huge paper clips cut and bend to make hangers and attached to mini clothes pins to clip things up.

Close up of my DIY Clip it up! Still have lots of room to hang more...

just gotta make more hangers.

Laterial file cabinet holds all my paper scraps in file folders. Top drawer has wooden stamps in plastic boxes from Stampin' Up.

Sewing area where I make my purses. Still need to organize this area!

Greg... the "LOVE of my life" that made it all happen! Thank you honey! You're the man!

I so love my new scraproom and so love you for all your hard work and dedication you showed to making me happy!

Now this is one heck of a scraproom! Isn't it?

If you have any questions please post them in the comment area and I will try to answers them for ya! Thanks for looking!

Finally... BRITTON!

I know alot of you have been wondering about Britton. She calls often and emails me on occassions. And I always ask for some photos of her... finally she sent some. I love, love photo #3...pretty with a lil' sexiness added! hee hee! Here she is...

I miss the old girl! She is happy...working in the Resturant buisness...has a lovely boyfriend, I haven't meet yet but heard lots of great things about him from her. Any man sending flowers to her at work is great in my book! hee hee Love this girl!

Awww isn't this sweet!

Look at those lips!

In the south we call kisses...sugar...you know it's such sweet stuff! It's by far the best word to use!

I've been scrapping away while Greg is gone. Found some of these old photos taken back in July. Actually, these photos were taken on the 4th. Lily was 15 mos old...and for the first time gave up a kiss to her daddy! I've made 10 layouts in the last few weeks and this is by far my favorite! So Sweet!

So what word do you use for sweet kisses?

Now off to make me a new slideshow of my latest layouts! See ya later!

What was I thinking?

What is it about women and their hair? Lately, I haven't been happy with mine!
It looks dull and lifeless. Last time I got a hair cut the lady used a razor on my hair and it really messed it up…looks like I have frizzy hair all the time! The older I get the more my hair changes…no longer do I have beautiful silky flowing blonde hair…it now has some wave in the back…straight in the front…and going darker with a little gray. UGH!

So I decided to take matters into my own hands and color it...I thought it would be a quick fix to my anguish. I went to our favorite getting place…Wally World! The color choices can be very overwheleming! So after about 30 mins of looking I went for a light blonde! Came home and went to work…can I say UGLY! It looked horrible. The color didn't take in all places and I could see the differences...a blob here and a blob there! Yucky! I kept the look for about a week and couldn’t handle it anymore.

So... back to Wally World and this time went with something dark. Why fight what is happening naturally... plus I've always wondered what I would look like with darker hair...so I went for a Medium Brown in a cool color and it had highlights too! YES... this was the one for me! Let's try this again!

Well after I coloring it...it was a deep brown...deeper then I thought it would be! But thought it'll be okay after I pull in the highlights thru! Well the highlights looked brassy and covered the top of my head...I tried pulling it through the bottom layers but I didn't notice a color change. The bottom of my hair looked ashy more blue and purple in color! Can we say YUCK...again!

The next day I went to Bible Study and NO ONE said anything...good or bad about my hair. So I thought "that's it"...time for Professional Intervention!

So Friday I called the local Cost Cutters…again at Wally World! And Holly answered the phone. I said…“Hi Holly…I NEED HELP!” Then I explained what a horrible mess I made of my hair and she said she understood and it could be fixed…she also added that she was one of the best for color corrections there! YEAH! I was sooo relieved!

My appointment was at 2pm…so I had plenty of time to wash, dry and style my new brown locks …take some photos of the “Before” look and later I’d take the “After“ more beautiful look…figuring it would make a great scrapbooking page!

BEFORE

Not too bad

When I arrive at Cost Cutters…Holly was standing at the desk and smiled and said “You must be Mikki!” And I said…“Oh no! Is my hair that bad you can spot me a mile away?”
She laughed “saying no it’s not that bad” Oh thank goodness! But the more she looked at my hair she could see the blue tone on the bottom and the brassiness on top. So her suggestion was to add Highlights and Lowlights. I’m game…anything would be better then having part orange, part blue hair! Then I explain that I just hate my hair cut too…I want something more trendy…some thing fresh and new.

So after 3 hours in the chair this is what I ended up with. Three colors in my hair…and a long shag! Not sure I’m happy with it…but there is no way I can change it now! When will we ever learn to let the professionals have a go at it first before we muck things up?

After

I look like a tri-colored tabby cat!

I think I've learned my lesson...well...NO... not really cause I want to go back and get the medium brown and re-dye my hair again!
Let me know your thoughts…was the before better then the after or the after better then the before. Thanks…love to hear your comments!

Oh my I'm having a ball!

Playing with my photos! Look at these! Ain't she cute?

I have a new Photo Editing program and been having a ball editing my photos!

This is the original and above is the improved version! Much better isn't it? She's got some personality now!

Here's another one...

BEFORE!

AFTER! A Little more sexy feel to it don't you think? Wish I could look like this everyday! Well at least for now these photos will be an everlasting print in your memory! Thank goodness...I look so much better here then in real life!
Pretty cool huh? Can't wait to play some more! Oh yeah...
Remember to leave me some love by posting a comment!

Look above!

I made my very first banner! Yeah!
The photo is Tess and Seth coming home from an
adventure in the snowy wilderness!

I also was able to manipulate the photo so that there is
a spotlight in the center of the photo. You may not notice it
but the edges are darker then the middle of the photo. Such
a cool effect!

Thanks for checking in!

Update: made a new banner...here's a photo of my first banner.

Merry Christmas!

Love the look of a tree with presents under it...but doesn't last long in this house! Our brood is sitting around this tree...ready to attack!

As you can see from the series of photos that follow everyone was delighted with their gifts!

There was only one downer this Christmas...Britton wasn't able to come up and be with us. We had one heck of a blizzard! It was so bad that Greyhound cancelled all travel from Chicago upward! See the photos below.
Now that's some SNOW!

It took us a while to dig out of this one! We had alot of snow drifts. Some places were as deep as 4 feet. Our mail box was covered over! But we only had about 12 inches fall! Only? Shoot for this

southern girl this is alot! And guess what? More is to come! Yep more snow tonight, tomorrow and Thursday! All I can say is WOW...it's wonderful to finally have a White Christmas!

Here's a bunch of fun photos we've taken the last couple of days!

Isn't that the biggest snowball fight you've ever seen! ha ha Greg and I made the kids go outside to help shovel snow. I wanted a snowman and this is what I got. By the time I went to get my camera Tess and Seth gave up and went back inside! Little boogers!

Oh almost forgot these photos...this was an early Christmas present. Rock Band and XBox 360! Don't they look happy? ROCK ON!

Learning how to play the game!

Getting better!

Rockin' out now! yeah baby!

One last photo of Lily with her goodies from her stocking!

Well that's about it from us! We hope all of you had a Merry Christmas! And a very blessed New Year's!