reflecting on 2009

Just a quick layout I got done after work - I had the pic printed and all the mats laid out yesterday just didn't have the ooommmpphhhhh to get it finished! This is based off a sketch challenge over at Scrapbooking Deals 4 U! I am so digging their kits that I am starting my sub in January but have enjoyed playing along with the challenges this week and feeling a little mojo flowing!!



Thanks for stoppin' by and happy scrappin'!!! Not sure if I'll have anything else to show this week but I do plan on making a post on New Year's Eve so make sure you stop back by!!!

Christmas Joy

Wow, 2 posts so close together! LOL I am delirious at this point and sick as a dog but I managed to get a layout done today!! It is a very simple layout and a scraplift challenge over at Scrapbook Deals 4 U but it was good to get the old mojo flowing again! The picture was taken on Christmas day by Cait using my new camera and since pics of Rob and I together with him NOT making faces are rare I figured I should take advantage of this! Again, this is a very simple layout but I like how the focus remains on the picture of us. I did journal around the edges which is a little mushy but basically tells him how as we begin each new year together I can not imagine loving him more but throughout the year my loves grows stronger and stronger - he is my Christmas Joy!



Thanks for stoppin' by - I think this is it for me today as my body is yearning for the recliner to watch my Dallas Cowboys play tonite and eat a hearty pork chop dinner which Rob is cooking right now!!

Happy Scrappin' all!!

Merry Day After Christmas and All That Jazz!!!

Well, here it is the day after Christmas - actually, almost 2 days after Christmas according to the time I am posting. I made it through the holiday rush in my first ever role as a retail manager!! I'm quite proud of myself as I did not have the desire to kill anyone - that includes staff and customers - and, I have made some new friends. With the obstacles of long hours and grouchy shoppers out of the way I am truly looking forward to the beginning of 2010 in my role as retail management and hope I can continue to affect people positively - staff and customers - considering 2 of 3 government contracts have fallen through and the third I am not sure if I am interested in as of now as the pay is quite a bit less than what I am making and the hours are just about the same so why lose money when I am actually enjoying what I am doing right??? Only time will tell though for sure!!!

Christmas here at the Brooks house proved uneventful although my in-laws in Texas had a white Christmas - meh! I could SEE snow so I guess that counts but they had snow in their front yard, on their porch, blah blah blah!!! My husband says he will never hear the end of it - we went home the one year from Corpus for them to get snow for the first time in like 80+ years on Christmas day and we move from Texas altogether and bam, they get snow on Christmas day and it wasn't ice this time, it was powdery snow.

Regardless, we had a great Christmas. We all received more than we probably deserved and it was nice to get spoiled by our kids this year since they have jobs and money of their own. A few weeks before Christmas I upgraded Rob's cell phone to an Iphone because he wasn't getting half his messages or calls and it was past the point of irritating so that was part of his gift along with a case/belt holster to protect it and some clothes. The kids got new coats, clothes and gift cards for the most part. Me, I was spoiled :) Dylan got me a sweater, purse, scarf and necklace/earring set while Cait got me slippers, earrings, necklace and ring (I think I am forgetting something but can't figure it out for sure). Rob spoiled me - I've been wanting a new camera so he bought me a new Canon Rebel Digi SLR - yeah, jaw dropping huh?? He got a really good price on it and I am so proud of him for getting me something I've wanted for a really long time - he really does listen to me sometimes!!! LOL

Anywho, here are a few pics from Christmas day taken withe my new camera:


















I am loving these pics and my camera! A lot to learn about it but one step at a time is my motto right now!!

On to scrappy stuff - not much! LOL I have lots of ideas just haven't had the time or health to do anything. I have been sick with a head cold and am still fighting it. Right now I am at the point of the annoying, hacking, pain in the butt cough and still a bit stuffy. I just don't like being sick at all so this is not working well with me LOL!!!

The one scrappy thing I did get done was this card:



Which was based off a sketch challenge over at Scrapbooking Deals 4U - a new site I found and am stumbling around a bit at.

Copics used:



That is all for tonite. I have great aspirations to get a layout done tomorrow but we shall see what happens - when I plan I usually don't follow through so right now I am going to leave it up in the air a bit. Might just spend the day veggin' with the family since I'm still sick.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas with a safe and Happy upcoming New Year!!!

Thanks for stoppin' by and happy scrappin'!!!!

Ain't No Stoppin' It

Christmas that is! Wow, time is flying so fast that I can not even dream about keeping up! I am working just one job now but it is management in retail while I wait til after the first of the year for the government contract with Lockheed Martin to be finalized so wow, it is crazy out there! I've been putting in 10 to 15 hour days with very few days off so no time for family much less crafting. I am not looking forward to the holidays being the blur they are becoming but at least when they are over it will slow down for me!

Tonite has proved to be one of my bad nights. My fibromyalgia and MPS is acting up so no sleep for me - even though I have to work early in the morning. So I decided to put that time to use and make a card for a sketch challenge over at Scrap Fit. It isn't much of a card or anything near my norm but it was all I had in me at midnight being exhausted but not able to sleep.



Thanks for stoppin' by and happy scrappin' - I am on the search for Neenah paper here in Albuquerque so I can get to stampin' again, it is horrible being out without any scrap stores around that carry it. I am hoping one of the local printers carries it otherwise I will resort to buying it online and hoping it makes it here (our mailman is horrible and half the time I don't get things that have been sent to me with them being returned to the senders and other times they just don't show).

It's Wacky Wednesday Time!!!

Are you thinking I'm wacky? Well, yeah some days but seriously, it is Wacky Wednesday over at Robyn's Fetish today and I must say, my wacky image was just too cute for "ewe" not to love...........bahahahahahahahaha, or should that be baaaaabaaaaabaaaaa I crack me up! Sorry, I digress - I really swear I am ADD or ADHD or something like that because my focal points bounce around all over the place no matter what I am doing!!!

Anywho - back to WW at Robyn's Fetish!!! This week we are using Sally da Sheep as our image and guess what, she is FREE - yep, you read that right! Sally da Sheep is totally free to you for one week only so pop over and grab her while she is still available and, if you create with her we would totally love to see!!!

Here's my WW Sally da Sheep card which was based off the sketch at Friday Sketchers (I just love their sketches):



and Copics used:



For those that know me, I hoard paper. I have more paper than any sane scrapper should probably have - I know there are those out there that know what I am talking about, just look around you! Anywho, I used My Minds Eye Coastal Laundry Line papers that I got at Archiver's when we lived in Austin - see the connection, that has been a year and a half and I just opened the darn pack!! LOL The image of course is from Robyn's Fetish and the sentiment I typed in Word using Kristen ITC Font that I got from one of the free font sites. Copics used to color and the stick pin is from my stash - I truly don't know where I got it! I made the flowers using a couple round embellishments from the paper pack and then punched a couple different flowers and layered them. The "how many? how much? what number?" also came from the paper pack and I thought it worked so well with the "I love ewe".

OK, now don't forget to link up your creations to our WW post at Robyn's Fetish and look out for Saturday when I'll have another card using one of her cah-yute Christmas images - I can't tell you which one but just think that in some parts of the world it is a little "frosty" out there!!! Boy, I crack me up!!!

Thanks for stoppin' by, happy scrappin' and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

PS I have stepped down from the Charisma Cardz design team as I was not able to keep up with the challenges due to my hectic schedule and I also took a short hiatus at The Cuttlebug Spot but the New Year should bring about some amazing challenges and work from all the sistah's over there so hang in there, the year is almost over with new adventures for us all!!!

Robyn's Fetish Blog Hop

Welcome to the Robyn’s Fetish Blog Hop!! If you arrived here from Kym’s blog you are on the right track, if not you will definitely want to go back to Robyn’s Fetish Challenge Blog to start and hop along with all of us!!! If you are here by accident or because you are a follower of mine - THANK YOU!!! Either way, you are in for a real treat so please check out the Challenge Blog for the full hop list!!!

Now, if you haven't seen Robyn's digi stamps yet you are really missing out!! I've been a somewhat "silent" follower downloading the free images she has once a week on Wacky Wednesdays but very soon I'll be designing using her images (would have had one completed for this week if my printer hadn't gone kaput!)!!!!

Since I don't have a printer this week I am going to share one of Robyn's new images with you - it is definitely a cah-yutie pie of an image! My son works at McDonald's and all I could think of to go with this image was "Do You Want Fries With That" as the sentiment! My son found it a little amusing but not totally.........LOL.

So, here is the adorable Doug with his burger and Fries (the old Charley Pride song popped in my head to, you know "Burgers and Fries and Cherry Pies"......la la la la la la la la). Sorry I got carried away with the singing!!!

Anywho, check out this image and then head on over to the next stop in our blog hop:






Didn't I tell you he was too stinkin' cah-yute!!!!

Now, your next stop is to see the lovely and talented Jeanette!!! Thanks for