Splendid

halloween treats

Hello.  I have no excuses, life has just been so hectic these last few months.  I haven't crafted, scrapbooked or done much creatively. I did however make these gifts for my daughter's teachers. The bigger bag holds a Halloween inspired insulated tumbler, the smaller bags have candy corn.  

I cut vellum paper and sewed them into small pockets and filled them with Halloween colored sequins, added some spooky-ish tags and that was it. I am trying, really trying to figure out a balance between life's things. Family, hobbies, cleaning, exercise, sleeping... how does one do it all? 

If you know, please do tell. 

instaweek

It was "Take your Child to Work Day" and Dave was out of town so I took the girls with me for the day.  We ran errands and then decided to stop by Aruba Beach Cafe on the beach.  It was such a pretty day we thought walking along the beach and enjoying the blue ocean views was a great way to spend some time together. Little sis commented once however, "This is what you do every day while we're at school?" Ha!  I wish!  No, I do not go and have virgin pina coladas on the beach with friends, but it sure sounds like a nice life.  Later in the week the adorable Kelly Purkey came to town and we picked her up and went to Shake Shack for dinner, always nice to see her.  Other pictures are dinner another night at a fun little place we go to on the waterways with lots of fish and wild turtles just a few feet away from us while we eat. South Florida this time of year is beautiful.  I will say I think I will miss it when we move in May. 

it was a good week. 

doors shutting...

I snapped this picture in London while we were waiting for the tube to come.

 

Made with Studio Calico Front Row kit, Marcy Penner printables and evalicious flair.

instaweek.

Well, we had a nice spring break...Las Vegas wasn't very warm so we didn't swim or hang by the pool like we'd hoped, but we were busy house and school hunting anyways.  Anyone who knows me either in person or through this blog knows we are a family of gyspies.  My husband is a corporate gypsy and he has a great opportunity within his company that he couldn't refuse, so we're moving again...Us, you say, that's weird... but yes, it's true.  Las Vegas was pleasantly better than I thought.  We'll live in the outside suburban areas, with more greenery and nice outdoor spaces.  So come May, after the girls' finals, we'll be moving westward.  I hope you'll bare with me through the moving process and my absenses. 

Thanks. 

<3 <3 <3

I love this picture of Dave and I in Amsterdam last month.  We took one of those hop on-hop off canal boat tours (well, actually we bought a 2 day pass because it was nice to go on the many canals through Amsterdam and be able to get off and go eat or go to a museum, then get on again and go somewhere else) (plus it's much cheaper than a cab) (plus it was freezing a couple of the days there so it was nice and toasty warm inside).

I snapped this picture with my phone and uploaded it to instagram. A couple days later I noticed the sweet Alexandra had this on her instagram.  At first I didn't notice who it was, then I did and was so excited, she totally suprised me. Isn't it cool? 

evalicious europe mini

I won this seriously awesome scrapbook mini kit from the talented Evalicious' blog hop.  I was super excited when it arrived, once I saw all the colors and scrapbook flair and tags I knew I'd use it to document our recent trip to Europe. 

 
       
   
   

 
 
         

Thank you evalicious for this fantastic mini book, I absolutely adore it!!!

European vacation recap

Just a photo recap...Even while it was cold this time in Europe, seeing old friends and favorite places makes me smile when I think about it.  Dave and I went to London for a week and Amsterdam for 6 days, and it was the longest I'd ever been away from the girls. That last few days I won't lie, my heart was aching for them, but it was great to get away with my husband who I don't get to spend too much alone time with. (most of these are from my iphone, sad, but carrying around my huge Canon does get tiring. I used it in London and Amsterdam a couple times, and at Stonehenge).  

There are many more pictures, but I won't bore you further.  This was a great trip, so many interesting things to revisit in London, seeing my lovely friends Diane and Jen, yummy restaurants, hair of the dog, British trains and countryside,  Stonehenge...and Amsterdam so many new experiences, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh musuem, old cobblestone streets, the canal tours, walking through the Red Light District (gross) and Jordeen neighborhood, these are memories I will remember fondly. 

California Academy of Sciences

Last summer while on summer break in San Francisco we went to the California Academy of Sciences. These are just 3 of the many pictures I took while we were there, so I have lots more to scrapbook. 

Using part of an Amy Tangerine kit and some of her super cute products, I love the cheery, bright colors, reminds me of her :)   and this fun day! (I realized I spelled Francisco wrong after I sewed it on, duhhh.)

Currrents

Tina had a currents post on her blog, I needed something to put on my blog while I edit Europe pictures and a few pictures of scrapbook pages. Hopefully I will get them done tomorrow :)

Loving: having a long weekend

Drinking: water with a splash of green tea

Wanting: another couple days to this long weekend

Loathing: the cleaning that this house needs

Eating: nothing, already ate dinner (pizza and salad)

Needing: a good night's sleep, my internal clock is still on Europe time

Making: progress on the pile of dirty laundry

Thinking: I should go to bed

Wishing: another couple days to this long weekend (did I already say that?)

What about you? 

mind the gap.

We're here. 

Remembering last summer

Still continuing on with my pile of pictures I need to scrapbook.  Here's a quick page from an Amy Tangerine kit she gave me last summer when she was teaching a class here in Florida.  It was great to see her again and have lunch and catch up, and of course take her class. I just opened the kit the other day and love all the bright colors and fun pieces!  These are from our trip last summer in Portugal, these are from Lisbon, I have 2 other pages coming soon. 

I love these pictures, it makes me smile at the memories associated with them.  Tomorrow Dave and I leave for Europe for 2 weeks, 1 week in London, 1 week in Amsterdam. My mom came out and is staying here with the girls since it would be too much school for them to miss. Usually they travel with us, and I have never been away from them for so long, so I'm freaking out a little.  I know it'll all be okay and they are super close with my mom, but I have to admit my heart feels a little sad to not have them going with me this time. But I look forward to seeing old friends, like Steph Baxter, and spending adult time with Dave (wink). 

these pictures are oldies, but still goodies

Hi there, I know we're in the winter months, many of you up to your eyeballs in snow, but I am still back in 2012 with pictures to scrapbook, so please forgive me. 

These pictures are from our annual Halloween party last year.  Themed foods and Halloween songs, trick or treating and fun costumes. It's really my favorite holiday, so little pressure, just plain goofy fun. ( Big sis went as Big Bird and little sis went as Dorothy, I was a possessed doll and Dave was a devil as you can tell).

2 more days and we're off to Europe!!!  A week in London and a week in Amsterdam!  Whoop!

well, it's been awhile Mr. Gluestick...

I didn't make any new years resolutions this year because I never keep them. But I kinda thought about trying to be better about doing more things that bring me joy this year.  We have a wonderful life and I should document it more.  With instagram and all the other quick social outlets, it's hard sometimes to get those pictures printed out and then onto pretty paper. 

This is a little out of season, but well, you know...

I loved getting these onto paper and recording these memories, maybe I will get it together and keep it going...

no promises :)

hello January...

Hi all!  I know, it's been awhile, but a new face lift of this sad old blog and maybe some frequent blog posts and this baby might revive itself? I don't know about you all, I find it really hard with just all of life's things to keep up with blogging, or looking at others blogs, and there's so many good ones out there, too. For shame...

This is us today, and I have pages for later, too. Gulp, I may even have more later in the week, too. What??

Hello January...

tres vite

I have wanted to scrapbook this picture for 2 years, a cute little car from the streets of Paris.  Throughout Europe there are these older, tiny cars and even though in the States we have Fiat or Mini Coppers, I find these old beauties so charming. 

Alexandra, I thought of you:)

Dearest Heart

Pictures from our Labor Day weekend celebrating little sis' 9th birthday at the beaches around Bonita Springs on the Gulf. Loveliest beaches around Florida in my opinion. 

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Paradise Coast

Where is Bonita Springs, Florida?

Thankful

I am thankful for so many things this year. My husband and best friend, who works so hard for his family and after 18 years still brings me a Starbucks often just because, or sends me sweet emails to say hi while he's traveling. My daughters, each so different in so many ways, yet both so sweet and caring and genuine. My extended family, I miss them often, but am thankful they are all healthy and I look forward to seeing them during winter break. My wonderful friends, each I enjoy to share a cup of coffee with or instagram post. I am thankful for my health, my families health and for the help we have received from my youngest's therapists for her dyslexia. She has come so far this school year. I am thankful for the traveling and life experiences we get to have in this amazing, lovely life. I am thankful for the freedoms and opportunities afforded to my family and for the roof over our head, the food on our table and the warmth in our beds. 

Yes, very thankful. 

it was a frightful night...

We had our annual Halloween party last night.  Themed spooky foods, spooky music and trick or treating. It was so fun.  We love our new neighbors, the girls have become fast friends and we had two other families join us. I also included a couple pictures of the girls and Dave carving pumpkins the day before Halloween. The last picture is the girls and I, big sis is Big Bird, little sis is Dorothy (don't you love how her hair kept falling out...) and I am a forgotten doll from underneath your bed, hair matted, dirty faced...and I am angry you have forgotten about me...very angry. 

It was a good time. 

pumpkin patch

Another autumn spent here in Florida, our second, and I think this fall festival was better than the last. We went up to Boynton Beach/Delray Beach to this cute farm stand that had quite the nice fall festival. The wind was out so it cooled it down a bit, making it feel almost fallish. Hurricane Sandy is heading up the coastline so we've had little humidity and I can tell you I LOVE IT!!!

Apple cider donuts, pumpkins and scarecrows, corn mazes and crafts, reminding us of the northeast or western US fall festivals, it was a good day. Any good fall festivals around your area? 

old fashioned Halloween

Planning anything special for Hallowen next week? 

We're having our annual Halloween party with themed foods, music, games and trick or treating. I can't believe it's almost November!!!

feed the birds

Two years ago when we went to Paris we visited Notre Dame Cathedral and saw an older woman feeding the birds in the front courtyard.  The girls naturally found it charming and much like the scene from Mary Poppins.  The woman obviously spoke French, but we communicated through gestures and smiles and she shared her bird feed with the girls.  She even poured some over little sis' head and the birds flew all around us and a few landed atop her head. Big sis and I laughed with delight, but Dave, always the germaphob, was worried that the birds would give little sis some weird bird flu. :) 

 

After I was all done with these two layouts I realized I put pics of the Eiffel Tower... I should have put Notre Dame..duh. I made two almost identical layouts, one for big sis' and one for little sis' albums.

F + M

What an amazing performer!! Dave and I went last week to see Florence and the Machine. I have loved her since she became popular a few years ago and I think she has probably one of the prettist voices of any singer today.  She is dramatic and beautiful and opulant.  She seems so very grateful for her fans when she often spoke to the crowd and seems to really love what she does. 

 

If you have a chance, it's a show well worth the money. 

mariposa

A month or so before we moved from Mexico City we went up to Valle de Bravo which is about an hour and a half away in picturesque mountains, and there is something magical that happens once a year. Millions of monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico and we were so excited to see it. Dave and I hiked the steep path up the mountain and the girls rode horses until we reached the crest of the mountain where suddenly clouds of yellow-orange wings fluttered about.  It truly was magical, butterflies landing all over your body, so many butterflies on branches of the trees overhead their weight actually made the branches bend. 

I'm glad I finally got around to scrapbookiong these, I had forgotten what a fun day this was. 

getting back to scrapbooking, maybe.

I don't know about you, but life seems more hectic since the girls started school? Is it me? I made this late last night.  (From the Bon Iver concert a few months ago down in South Beach). 

 

So excited, in a couple weeks we have tickets to Florence and the Machine!

Paradise Coast

Hello there!!  Are you still talking to me even though I have been absent?  This past couple months have been awesome, full of loads of great adventures and travels, but I have neglected crafting, blogging and keeping up with regular life... But now back to reality, the girls are back in school and last weekend was our last summer hoorah in the beautiful Paradise Coast ( Naples and Bonita Springs, southern Gulf coast really). We went for the 3 day weekend to celebrate little sis' 9th birthday (today!! Happy birthday big girl!!) and enjoyed days at the beach, mini golfing, jet skiing, shelling and lots of yummy food. 

It was a good weekend.  Happy birthday my little one, I love you so much and am so proud of you. We wish you a year full of lots of love, safety and good times. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

summer sun...

loving being back at my parents; the air is warm, but dry, the food brings back fond memories and hearing my children laughing and the seeing their smiling faces makes this feel like the best summer yet. 

the glades

Yesterday we spent the day in the everglades for Father's Day.  The girls thought it would be a fun outing with their dad to do the whole airboat thing and see an alligator show. We've lived in south Florida for a year now and haven't ever been on an airboat or seen an alligator show, so it sounded like a good thing for dear ol' dad. The everglades are huge, and as beautiful as it is, it is also very dangerous. 

The weather was beautiful, not as hot as it usually is in June, and the captain of our airboat gave us a great tour of the beautiful everglades. We saw 3 alligators and many different species of wildlife. He explained about the exotic vegetation that grows there (most of it is dangerous), the insects that live there (most of them are dangerous) and to never put any body parts over the edge of the boat or in the water (also extremely dangerous). The alligator show was interesting, although it's not a career I'd fancy,it was pretty cool. The show on Animal Planet Gator Boys is shot there and our gator show entertainer J-Mart is on the show. We held a small baby alligator, and while it used my hand as a diaper, the little gator dude was pretty neat, too.  It's crazy to think all of this is literally in our backyard, like our house was the everglades at one day long ago. We often have gators found in residential areas, and it's not strange to hear about people finding gators in the small lakes behind their homes or even in their swimming pools. One thing is for sure, the everglades are beautiful, mysterious, and for sure someplace you do not want to get lost. (or run out of hand santizer). 

PL week 18

Love me some cinco de mayo, I rarely have a picture of me, rarely alone either.  Big sis snapped this picture while Dave was making me laugh when we were enjoying some Mexican food in a new restaurant on Cinco de Mayo. I thought I should add it to the PL. Other good things; big sis and her new friend Emily have graduated officially to mall rats when we took them shopping at the Boca Mall.  Little sis had the cutest show at school where they learned sign language to 2 songs. I.am.going.to.eat.her. 

It was good times. 

DC with Vee

My lovely, sweet friend Vee invited me to come stay the weekend with her and I jumped at it. It had been almost 2 years since we first met face to face, but for awhile before that we'd been blogger pals. She is such a good person, kind, funny and of course talented. We hung out at her house and had cocktails at happy hour at TGIF, walked around DC Saturday and drove through Virginia and had her yummy chocolate chip pancakes Sunday. Her children are wonderful, polite and I look forward to when our kiddos can all get together. ( and I got to sit in the Vee craft space...pretty rad.) 

 

Smithsonian American Craft exhibit, (taken by Vee)

We were so bad, we didn't get any pics of us together and I lugged around my big ass camera and barely took it out.  So lame. 

Can't wait to see her again soon!

 

 

PL week 17

This was a good week. 

Ups and downs, it's life, right?  But all is well. 

keeping up with the joneses

The challenge for the month of May over at the Creative Type is to use the word empowerment in your layout.  Whether you use the word or a phrase about your own personal empowerment, it's all about how you have learned to overcome or appreciate something about yourself or your life that used to make you feel self-conscious, weak, embarrassed, but now you don't give two shakes about it. 

Mine was titled Keeping up with the Joneses.  I think when my girls were really young I worried about how they are doing in comparison to other kids, how my house looked, how I appeared to others. I won't even pretend that I don't occasionally feel self-conscious, I would be lying to say such a thing, but I definitely have lightened up and don't get so preoccupied with myself or things like before. 

So come play along with us!  Vee Jennings is the guest and has so generously donated the prize, a pdf of her popular misting class!  So go play!

PL week 15

I love the concept of Project Life, but I must say that I have a hard time staying caught up. I love looking over the pages of the weeks past though, the faces of family and friends makes me smile, so I'm going to stick with it.  Even if I am a little behind. 

And I added a 3 picture insert.

Week 16 is almost done.  And what is it? Week 19?  O'well. 

Mom's Day book

Hi ya all!  I am getting worse and worse about blogging.  

Just wanted to share with you a folding accordion style book I made my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day.  Inspired/copied from the talented Marcy Penner, I just loved this book!  She used most of the same American Crafts papers and stickers, and I thought it was so sweet. 

Front side                                                       Back side

I made one in light green for my mom (this one is my mom's above) and light blue for my MIL using the same papers and embellishments for American Crafts.  I think they'll love them and I wish I was able to spend the day with them, but I hope when they see these they'll know how much they mean to me. 

as cute as a cottontail...

( little and big sis, circa 2009, El Vez, Philadelphia)

Happy Easter out there to all who celebrate, and to all who don't and celebrate their own holiday, many wishes of good health, happiness and peace to you!

green

Just a few pictures from yesterday's St. Patty's Day.  The leprechauns left a bunch of gold chocolate coins, some glittery, rainbow colored pencils and some minty chapstick for the girls.  They also made a mess in the kitchen, poured flour and cocoa powder all over the floor and counters, geesh... Then we took the girls to the town center to listen Irish music.

Later just the adults went to the town center for a band and a wee bit of Guinness drinking with our pals from the Scotland and Ireland ( oh, and Panama, but whetev.)  It was bloody good time.

PL week 8

A good week.

I used the slim American Crafts 3 pocket sleeve. Then next is a Becky Higgins page.

Renaissance Faire, Tom Jenkins BBQ and Ft Lauderdale beach, new blog design, started a new photography class, walked and did yoga 3x. Yep, it was good.

hear ye, hear ye...

We went to a large Renaissance Festival this past weekend in Deerfield Beach.  It was very well organized and had a ton of fun things to see, eat and do. Having lived the last couple years in Mexico City, where Renaissance Festivals and Faires are not popular, we missed these types of fun and quirky events.

and Kiss?  Who knew they were around in the 1200's???  Well, whatev. ( P.S., look at the tongue on little sis, givin' Gene Simmons a run for his money...)

Turkey legs, henna tattoos, bountiful bodices, sword fighting soldiers, cackling wenches, throwing tomatoes, men in tights.  It was a good day.  

PL week 6

This week is more than half over and I am still remembering last week like it's right now. Agh, I wish life would slow down just a bit........

PL: week 4

I am loving this.
 
( liftable sleeve I made)
This past weeks highlights;

Little sis ran 2.5 miles for her school's Fun Run to raise money for technology. Big sis made some rad duct tape crafts, she is really into it! Dave came home Sunday from London with gifts from our favorite city. We made paper crystals for little sis' door at school, they were the Crystal Kids for the Boosterthon Fun Run. I taught the second grade Matisse art lesson. Big sis was asked out by a boy at school (middle school), she kindly declined. Selina (my fur baby) also declined the advances of a couple dogs at the dog park.

some warmer pages

From my winter Christmas mini album to warmer weather layouts, I finally scrapbooked some of the dolphin swimming pictures from our day in the Keys a few months ago.  

Same design, just different pictures, one for little sis, one for big sis.  And below, my three favorite people!

I don't know about you, but I am having a hard time keeping up with blogging. Sometimes I think I should just go on a blog vacation.  Do you ever feel like that?
Well, I ordered my Project Life album, I'm getting things together to start it hopefully this week.  Anyone else doing one?

and the rest of it...

I took the pictures of the rest of the album yesterday.  I don't know why, but I feel like the last month has been SO hectic! Anyhoo, here's the rest;

So that's all of it!  Even though it feels like December flew by, looking over these pages makes me feel so happy for having such a wonderful family and group of friends.  I hope you had a good holiday as well, and a awesome start to the new year!

is this too late???

I know, so bad. Here's my 2011 December album. I'll do a a few pages today and a few another, a few another. I bought this rad mini kit from Marcy Penner who I adore.

okay, more next time! Stop by Marcy's, she has a sweet store with some pretty cool products!

Happy new year!

Hello all and happy new year! I hope you had a smashing time ringing in the new year! 2012 is going to be a great year!  It's the year of the dragon in Chinese astrology (starting January 23), which means it will be a year full luck, passion, excitement and new accomplishments.  What are your hopes for 2012? I am hoping for many things; exercise more, eat healthier, learn to bake better, get better at photography (like take some classes and get the right photo editing software), make more dates with my hubby, keep traveling, keep practicing my Spanish before I loose it. And there's more, but that's just the first layer...

Here's my The Creative Type layout for January, all about what else, resolutions. I wanted to have a picture of the stockpile of fireworks we bought for our New Years's Eve party.  Everyone wrote down a resolution, wish or goal for 2012, then I taped them each to a huge firecracker my hubby purchased at the Indian reservation ( like, totally scary and unsafe... but a great way to usher in 2012!) It was so cool to see each person's firecracker explode in the sky, sending that wish out into the new year!

We have the amazing Revlie as our guest designer, she is one of my favorites! She is also donating a pdf of one of her lovely classes as the prize this month, soooo, check it out!!!!

santa's on his way...

The girls are loving being on winter break and doing all this holiday-ish. We've been baking, sending out cards and drawings, watching movies with snowmen and miracles, listening to our favorite Xmas tunes and wrapping lots of presents. We had a small Xmas Cheer party, with gingerbread decorating and snow-globe making and cupcake eating ( oh, my Xmas jammies are getting tight.) ( I need to start my New Year's resolution of more exercise sooner rather than later.) ( oh, and I have been working on my December Daily album, but I am way behind, all mixed up and will take pics hopefully in the next couple days.) 

sugar addict.

cookies packages for friends and neighbors

this is little sis' snow-globe...she glued 2 little critters together kissing while another guy hides behind the tree watching....I don't know, I don't know.... ( we still need to add snow and water at this point here)

finished gingerbread houses


Lil' Siszilla strikes again!!!

No matter where you are or what holiday you celebrate, I wish you lots of love and peace!

lots of white glitter snow + a dash of green and red

I'm feeling rather festive here in south Florida.  Minus the weirdness of December and it's 76 degrees, I am loving being back in the States for the holidays. The girls, Dave and I have gone looking at Xmas light  shows, gone to see Xmas movies and have made a couple batches of holiday cookies and treats.

I have more pictures and I'll post them later!  Are you decorating for your holidays?  I'd love to see pictures!

fa la la la la....

la la la laaaaaaa.....

a quick card...

thankful...

The other day I glittered some fallen twiggy branches to make a "thankful tree." We made one of these a few years ago when we lived in Philadelphia, and the girls loved it.  It's nice to have an activity that reminds us to remember what we're thankful for. I also wrapped a G (for Grateful or the first letter of our last name) in burlap and made a burlap flower with a nice yellow organza ribbon middle.  I hand cut some autumn-inspired felt feathers to go along with it.

And I decorated a bit for Thanksgiving...My Mayflower...

Do you have any family traditions?

candy corn craft and muffin luminaries

We made a ton of these little candy corn gift bags this week.  I punched out the scalloped circles and hand cut the simple paper ribbons. Big sis has 6 teachers now that she's in middle school, so these will be easier to take with her. We also made extras for neighbors and some friends.

I wanted to do something kind of special for my littlest's teachers. She is so lucky to have an amazing staff at her school that help her and treat her with so much love and kindness. I bought these metal luminaries and kitchen towels from Target and baked a ton of miny pumpkin muffins. I lined the luminaries with the towel and added the muffins. Tie on a tag and I was done. The teachers loved them.

Happy Halloween everyone!

my pumpkins

This time of year is my favorite time of year, I love fall!!  This past week it cooled off considerably, and I felt renewed.  South Florida summers are humid and hot, and I felt like I might just freak out as I don't really love the heat...but since this past week or so has been mild, I may just stick around...We went to the pumpkin patch with friends and got a couple pumpkins, walked through the butterfly garden and enjoyed some apple cider...

It was a good day.

The 13 days of Halloween

I made this tag book this week, but it's to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas, but this is the 13 days of Halloween.

On the 13th day of Halloween, my dead love gave to me...13 potions brewing, 12 boiling cauldrons, 11 spiders spinning, 10 creepy dolls...

9 zombies crawling, 8 bats a flying, 7 crows a cawing, 6 toads a croaking...

5 cackling witches...4 dusty skulls, 3 black cats, 2 mangy rats...

and a vulture in a dead tree...


This week has been a whirlwind of school activities, baking, Halloween decorating and crafting.  I am IN LOVE with the cooler weather this last week, I even wore my knee high boots on day (grin).  What's your favorite thing about autumn?