New Technique Tuesday

Sweet Dreams

Little Labels and Story Tellers Ledgers

*sigh* I love getting new Technique Tuesday stamps. They're the best stamps EVER and did you know that they're made here in the good ol' USA? Yep. cool.

We'll miss you, Kiersten

In fact, I miss her already.

From her obituary:

Kiersten E. Hickman-Perfetti, 22, of Highland Park died at home with her parents at her side, after an almost four-year battle with cancer, on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
Kiersten was born in New Brunswick on July 5, 1985. She attended public school in Highland Park. Kiersten played varsity basketball, threw the shot put, discus and javelin, and managed the football and baseball teams at Highland Park High School. She swam at the YM/YWHA and the University Swim Club from ages 5 to 14. Kiersten was an avid music lover. She played the clarinet and was in the high school band.
Kiersten attended Goucher College in Towson, Maryland for her freshman year in college (2003-2004). Kier played basketball at Goucher College her freshman year, and she was awarded an honorary degree by Goucher in 2007. She was an avid Rutgers women's basketball fan and friend to the team, and a member of the Rutgers Cager's Club. The RU women's basketball team dedicated their 2007-08 season to Kier.
Kier enjoyed scrapbooking, reading, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, music, and movies. She took art lessons. Kiersten loved children and became an important person in the lives of many children in Highland Park and at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
During her illness Kiersten developed a list of things to accomplish. She went to The Daily Show four times and met Jon Stewart and Tere Abrams, who were very kind to her. She went to the Ellen DeGeneres Show, several Fab Faux concerts, Saturday Night Live, The Lion King, Rent, the WNBA 2007 All-Star game, and the NCAA 2007 Final Four women's basketball game. Kier also started a foundation, Kier's Kidz, to raise money for research into the treatment and cure of pediatric cancer.
Kiersten is survived by her mother and father, Mimi Hickman-Perfetti and Larry Perfetti of Highland Park; her brother, Keith Hickman-Perfetti of Highland Park, and her grandmother, Betty Perfetti of Maple Shade. Her other grandparents, Al Perfetti, and George and Nancy Hickman, predeceased her. She has numerous other relatives and friends.
Viewings will be held from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, at Jacqui-Kuhn Funeral Home, 17 S. Adelaide Ave., Highland Park. Full memorial services will held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, at Kirkpatrick Chapel, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. In lieu of flowers, Kier would appreciate your making a contribution to Kier's Kidz Lemonade Stand, c/o Alex's Lemonade Stand, 333 E. Lancaster Ave., #414, Wynnewood, PA 19096.

Scouts

A couple layouts for Tiger Scouts:

I love how well the Sassafras Lass Whale of a Tale works with the Tiger Scout pics.

This is a layout I did for my LSS using the K & Co. Tiger collection. I added some BasicGrey dinosaur stamps to it, too.

A few pictures

I love this wall at Trent's school.

New Technique Tuesday

I love this new size for the Broadway font. Also, Remember the Moments. Fun stuff!!

Take a sad song and make it better

We're still listening to The Beatles around here. ;) In Kier's honor, Linda has started a Beatles layout challenge.

Here's my first Beatles inspired layout. I used some of the lyrics from Dear Prudence. All Daisy D's Wonder Years collection.








Thanks and have a great night/day.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

I'm so sick of this movie. I didn't want to see it when it first came out and I didn't want to rent it either. However, the kids have been begging to see it ever since it was in theatres. I would feel pretty darn guilty if I didn't let them rent it.

It's Monday and we rented it on Friday. It has been played five times since then. Ugh! Thank goodness it goes back tomorrow. I'm not buying it no matter how many times they ask.

Here are some layouts:

Sweetwater Everything Autumn plus 3 different pieces of Hambly.

Daisy D's Saltwater Taffy. I love that silver paper!!

BasicGrey Archaic & Sugared.

K & Co. Urban Rhapsody.

Daisy D's Bambino.

I've declared it a Beatles weekend

As some of you know, my friend/our friend, Kiersten, is dying. She is losing her battle with cancer. She's only 22.

Her father is reporting that she hasn't eaten or had anything to drink in weeks. There seems to be no amount of pain medication to relieve her of the pain she feels constantly. She's now starting to hallucinate. I feel so helpless. She lives so far away and I can't visit her or hold her hand or tell her how much she means to me.

Kiersten LOVES the Beatles. Over these last couple of months, her father reports that she asks to listen to the Beatles. She finds peace and comfort in their music. So, while it may seem kind of silly, I'm asking that everyone listens to a Beatles song this weekend in Kiersten's honor.

Here's one to get you started:

Here Comes the Sun

Have a nice weekend everyone. I'll post some more layouts tomorrow. Maybe.

New Technique Tuesday

I love this new set from Technique Tuesday, Home is Where the Heart Is. That little house is just so darn cute!

Also, stamps from Swiss Dots, Loopy Labels, Start Me Up - Broadway and Borderlines: Notions.

Here's a Sassafras Lass layout:

and another Daisy D's Sweet Baby Jane layout:

I changed the background of the layout I did the other day. I like the turquoise background better:

I don't normally rip apart layouts. This one needed it, though.

Have a great day/night.

Some Wonder Years and a Cosmo

I'm still working on Wonder Years stuff. I just love this line.


I used all Cosmo "Get Happy" for this layout. This was made for my LSS, Pages In Progress.

Kiss the Bunny

We always say we're "kissing" the chocolate bunny when we're ready to eat him.
Hope you got to give lots of kisses today. Happy Easter. :D

Wonder Years

I'm not sure why the Wonder Years are just sitting around at Peek. This is my FAVORITE collection from Daisy D's ever. EVER.

The artist for this line is Stephanie DosReis. The only link I could find was the one to her Etsy shop. She does such BEAUTIFUL work.

A little birdhouse. I punched 40 kazillion circles for the roof.

A birthday tag. I used brads for the zebra's arms so they move around.

This one is from the idea book. Shhhhh.... Did you know there was an idea book just for the Wonder Years??? There is. I have 2 other layouts in it.

Now, go buy some Wonder Years from Peek. I promise you will LOVE it. Ok?

Babies

I love Technique Tuesday's Loopy Labels.

Katrina asks me a jillion questions each day. Most of these I don't have the answers to.

One of her biggest concerns lately is whether or not she's going to have to go back in my tummy. That one I know the answer to but I'm not entirely convinced she believes me.

Making Memories Funky Vintage. You know, when I first saw this line, I LOVED it. I had a somewhat difficult time using it. I'm fairly happy with the results, though.

I had these paper scraps sitting around and I got tired of looking at them. So, I made a layout.

Mostly Daisy D's Modern Romance

Why is your tummy bend-ed?

This is what Trent asked me today.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Why does your tummy bend over?" and he made a motion with his hands over his stomach area and then I instantly knew what he was talking about.

I have a Mommy stomach, I guess. It's a bit of extra skin from having a few kids and it just kind of hangs there.

*sigh*

"It's from having babies," I innocently stated.

"Oh, and from eatin' food, too, huh?"

"Yeah, Trent. That, too."

Here's a picture of him from yesterday. He finally lost that other tooth. The second time wasn't nearly as dramatic as the first time.

Glamour

Glamorous fashion and prestige found it's way to the Binnie household last week.

Here is Katrina with Bing(the stuffed otter) sporting a 100% polyester and flame retardant pajama set with gorgeous pink feather trim.

These pajamas are not just for night wear. She and Bing turned heads and gathered numerous compliments that same afternoon when she gracefully walked onto the elementary school campus to escort her brother home from a day at school.

When interviewing Bing later on about all the excitement all she could say was, "tickles".

However, the excitement was short lived when the pajamas went through their first wash. Even though I followed the washing instructions, the feathers shrunk around the waist, became "pokey" and unfortunately the garments could no longer be worn.

They were returned to Kohl's yesterday and exchanged for something not quite so glamorous. A Tinkerbell nightgown with magic wand and matching slippers were chosen to take the place of the feathery ensemble that fell apart during the wash.

We have learned our lesson that maybe pink feathers on nightwear is not such a good idea.

Honestly, if she would just take her nap, I wouldn't have all these funny pictures of her.

HUGE SALE!

Pat at Peek has the entire store at 25% off. All the new stuff, all stamps, all cardstock, all clearance is an extra 25% off.

Go check it out! Oh, you have to spend at least $50.00 to get the 25% off. Not a big deal though, right?

Stacy Julian chat

Stacy Julian is going to be at Peek tonight for a chat. Come join us and ask her all those questions you've been dying to know the answers to. ;)

It's not always sunshine and rainbows

Here are some layouts. Thanks everyone for your very kind comments. :D

Oh, and anonymous asked me about the crowns for Giggle Crew. Those are Maya Road chipboard that I painted, added Prima tape and some jewels to.

This face says, "What are YOU looking at? Stop pointing that thing in my face and either get me something to eat or find someone that can. Geez!"

Rather than re-type my explanation for this layout, I'll just copy and paste what I wrote in the Peek gallery:

Why did I take a picture of the disgusting mess on my floor? I'm not sure. I know you're asking that question to yourself.

I think because I was at the point of total frustration.

I had already screamed.I had already cried.

I had already laughed.

There was nothing left to do but take a picture and record what BAD dogs I have.

When we leave the house, we have to move the garbage into the bathroom so the dogs don't get into it. Well, I moved it but I forgot to shut the door.

You may think, "Why doesn't she leave the dogs outside?" I have a good explanation for that. Really, I do. I just don't have time to go into it now.

Brand spanking new Daisy D's Wonder Years collection. I LOVE it!! Now, go buy it at Peek!

P.S. Check out this clearance section, too.

Finally

The situation with "The Tooth" has changed our normal every day life for the last week or so.

The tooth has been loose and hanging crooked for what seems like a couple months now.

Last week, it started to bleed. It was really, really awful looking. It started to change his speech and he didn't want to talk much. There was no way he was going to pull it out or even wiggle it.

So, for days on end we listened to him slurp because he couldn't swallow properly.
We strained to understand what he was saying because he refused to say any words that made his tongue put pressure on that tooth.
We had tears nearly every day over the tooth and how it hurt.
He wouldn't eat anything other than soft mushy stuff and even then he would only eat on the right side of his mouth.
I started having dreams about his tooth.
I bribed him. He could have the Raiders of the Lost Ark Lego set if all he did was pull it out.

I mean it. This tooth situation has really been hard on all of us.

Yesterday when I picked him up from school, it was bleeding again and was hanging even lower. He couldn't talk. He couldn't eat. His teacher said she thought he knocked it loose again with a Skittles or something from his Valentine's Candy stash.

It bled all afternoon.
It bled all evening.
There was no convincing or pleading or bribing that would get him to take that thing out of his mouth.
We went to bed thinking that tooth would be swallowed and gone by morning.

I had more dreams about teeth.

That tooth was still there when we woke up. I think Trent said, "Good Morning" but it was hard to tell. It sounded more like a grunt because he wouldn't move his mouth. It was now hanging on his lip and it moved every time he tried to say something.

It was still bleeding.

I gave him so breakfast. English Muffin..heehee

Soon, we heard him scream.

Erik and I looked at each other. Could it possibly be? Is it finally gone?

No. It was twisted and bleeding but it was still in his mouth.

Again, there was nothing I could do to try to convince him to pull it out and he wanted me no where near that thing. He cried and cried and cried and said it hurt.

As a sheer moment of desperation, I called the school nurse. I explained the situation and asked if there was anything she could do for him. He couldn't go to school anyway with his bleeding mouth.

She said, "Bless his heart. I can help. Bring him in."

We finished getting dressed and raced out the door. I could see panic setting in on Trent's face.

We ran into the school and met up with the nurse. She put on a glove and said to Trent, "Open your mouth a little bit and let me take a look at that."

He opened his mouth.

She touched it gently, and pulled it out of his mouth like it was nothing.

I was so happy I nearly cried. I gave the nurse a big hug and thanked her. What a relief to have that tooth out of his mouth.

We just got back from Walmart with a Raiders of the Lost Ark Lego set.

Now, the other one is loose.

That was kind of dramatic, huh?

Some more layouts...

Two very difficult lines for me to work with. Believe me, I do enjoy the challenge. :D The first layout is A2Z and the second is Three Bugs in a Rug.




A layout for my LSS, Pages in Progress. WeR Copper line.

Another for my LSS using the brand spanking new American Crafts line.

Thanks everyone for your nice comments on my work. :D It means SO MUCH to me.