here's what's new

christening layout ...

This is the third "two-page" layout I have created from the pictures taken at Rebecca's Christening in April 2010 (thank you TT for taking so many beautiful pictures).  I have one more "two-page" layout to create from the brunch after the Christening. 

I'm not a big fan of using purple on my pages, but I thought I could pull the colors from my scarf into the layout.  I've been  having fun digging through my scrapbook supplies ... something I haven't done in months.

And now, the questions for today's Fast Fact Friday.

1. If you could be a character in a TV show, who would you be?  (You would live, act, dress like them.)
2. What TV family best describes your family?
3. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a kid?
4. What reality TV show would you be in (even if you don't watch it)?
5. What was your favorite TV theme song as a kid?

And my answers:

1. Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched.  Would love to be able to perform "magic" by twitching my nose.
2. Our family has a lot of same mannerisms as the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond.
3. My favorite Saturday morning cartoon was the Smurfs.  I could sit there for hours and watch the episodes.
4. Big Brother - I watched it when it first came out (don't think it is even on anymore).  There definetely was a lot of drama, but seemed like it would be a fun show to be on.
5. It is definetely a toss up between the theme from the Golden Girls and the theme from Family Ties.

How would you answer the questions?

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

crib to bed ...

Earlier this week, I switched Rebecca's crib to a toddler bed.  Now we just have to get her to sleep and stay in it.  She likes to sit in it and play, but getting her to stay in there at night is something we need to work on. 

 

This week's Fast Friday Fact's theme is about numbers.

1. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
2. How many times did you have to take your driver's test before you passed?
3. How many schools did you attend?
4. How many siblings do you have?
5. How many states have you been to?

And my answers.

1. Without actually physically counting them, I would say about 40 pairs.
2. I only had to take my test once.
3. I attended seven schools (from kindergarten through college).
4. I have one brother.
5. I have visited 22 states.  My goal is to visit every state.

Thanks for stopping by ... have a fun-filled weekend!

firsts ...

The Fast Friday Facts theme is "firsts" over at the This is Me Challenge Blog.

1. What was your first car?
2. Who was your first crush?
3. Where was your first apartment away from your parents?
4. Where was your first airplane flight to?
5. What was the first school you attended?

And my answers.

1. My first car was a sky-blue Hyundai Excel hatchback.  It was the cutest car and even got me through driving in a blizzard to West Virginia back in 1992.
2. My first crush was Brian, my next door neighbor growing up.  We loved to make mud pies together.
3. My first apartment was in Highbridge, NJ.  I lived on the top floor of a house for a little over a year until I bought a condo.  Living in that apartment was one of the BEST years of my life.
4. My first plane ride was to Disney World in Orlando, FL when I was in the seventh grade.
5. The first school I attended was St. James.  I started Kindergarten when I was only four-years old.

And, yesterday was the 12th of the month, so that means that I had my camera out all day taking pictures for the Take Twelve challenge over at the Ella Publishing Blog.  The pictures that I will be using in my April layout are below.

 

Even though I was at the office yesterday, I was able to capture some pictures highlighting the events of the day.

Thanks for stopping by!

heaven has another angel ...

My sweet, loving, grandmother passed away yesterday morning.  She was a true fighter to the end.  I am grateful for all the years that I had with her, and was so happy to be able to share her with my husband and children.  We loved her so much.

This weekend will be very rough, but I just have to remember that she is in a happier place and is now with her daughter, her brothers, her parents, other family members, and friends.  I look forward to the day we meet again.

When Nicholas was born, I interviewed all of the family members to make a keepsake album for Nicholas.  Well, unfortunately, that album was never put together, but I still have all the answers to the questions I asked everyone ... one person, being my grandmother.

For those of you out there who never thought to do this ... take some time to interview those you love.  You will forever treasure what their past was like, what their present is, and what they want their future to be like.

Some of the questions that I asked my grandmother ...

1. Were you named after someone?  No
2. When and where were you born? 1921 in East Newark, NJ
3. Tell me how you are like your mother/father?  No gray hair like her father, and crocheted like her mother.  She had her mother's nose.
4. Was there a chore you really hated as a child?  Washing dishes
5. What were your favorite childhood games? - Double-dutch jumprope
6. What were your favorite/least favorite subjects in school?  Fav - Drawing; Least Fav - History
7. What school activities did you participate in? Dancing and was in a few plays
8. How did you spend your summers during grade school?  Took vacations to the farm
9. What were the fads during your youth that you remember vividly?  Funny hats - one looked like a funnel
10. Name a friend that you have known for the longest period of time - how many years? Louise, 83 years
11. How did you meet the person that you would later marry?  It was a blind date that a girlfriend set up
12. When and where did you get married?  February 1947 in Arlington, NJ
13. Where did you go on your honeymoon?  Niagara Falls
14. What's been your greatest accomplishment so far?  Living for 83 years (that is when the interview happened) ... and still alive and kicking (quoting my grandmother)
15. How did you find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time?  Went to the doctor's because she thought she had the flu ... but was pregnant.
16. What was your first job?  Clarks Thread Mill
17. Who was the person that had the most influence on you?  Uncle Joe (her father's brother)
18. How tall are you?  5 x 7
19. What color are your eyes?  Hazel
20. How would you describe your sense of humor?  Funny
21. If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?  To be thinner
22. What are your hobbies?  Crocheting, gardening
23. What pets have you had?  Two dogs and one cat
24. What is your favorite style of music?  Oldies
25. What is your favorite instrument?  Piano
26. Who is your favorite singer?  Engelbert Humperdinck
27. What is your favorite TV show?  All game shows (especially Wheel of Fortune)
28. What is your favorite season?  Fall
29. What is your favorite flower?  Orchid
30. What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas
31. What is your favorite color?  Aqua
32. What is your favorite sport?  Ice Skating
33. What is your favorite fruit?  Blueberries
34. What is your favorite vegetable?  Corn
35. What is your favorite drink?  Alexandra's
36. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  Chocolate
37. What are you frightened of?  Mice, rats
38. Do you like rainstorms? No
39. One word on how to live successfully?  Rich

So, there you have it, a little peak into what my gram was all about.  I sure do miss her so much already.

Rest in peace Grandma.

digging in the dirt ...

Yes, we are still enjoying the great outdoors this month.  The kids love to find sticks and dig in the dirt (I remember doing that as a kid too).  I came home the other day and Rebecca was filthy ... good for her for having a great afternoon playing with her brother.

Here they are from the other day .... maybe they are looking for treasures.

What kind of things do your kids do for fun in the backyard on nice days?

Now onto the Fast Fact Friday questions on the This is Me Challenge Blog.  This week's theme is first jobs.

1. What/where was your first job?
2. How old were you?
3. How did you get there?
4. How long did you work there?
5. What did you like/dislike about it?

And my answers.

1. I babysat at an early age, but when I got a bit older, I was hired to work as a clerk in a video store.
2. I started working at the store when I was 14.
3. Since I couldn't drive at the age of 14, one of my parents would drive/pick me up from work.  Once I got my license, I drove to/from the store.
4. I worked there from the age of 14 until I got a full-time (real) job in corporate America.  I believe I was 19 when I stopped working at the store.
5. I LOVED everything about working at the store.  Of course dealing with the public,there were times when a customer would get upset for having to pay a fee on a late return of a movie, but everything from my bosses, to the people I worked with, to the customers (99% of them), to the ability to rent movies for free, it was definitely by far the best job a high school girl could have.

What was your first job?  Did you like it?

Have a great weekend everyone!

twelves for february and march ...

I completed my layout for February's Take Twelve Challenge, but I forgot to post it.  So, here is my layout from February.

The photos that I will use to create my March layout are highlighted in the mosaic below.

I actually took both horizontal and vertical pictures this month.  It is very challenging for me to hold the camara vertically, but I went out of my comfort zone this month to get different perspectives.  Don't you just love the mess the kids create in the living room?

This week's Fast Friday's Facts at the This is Me Challenge blog is about "favorites."

1. What is your favorite drink? (and how often do you drink it)
2. What is your favorite team?
3. How do you like your steak?
4. What is your favorite toothpaste?
5. Where is your favorite place to shop?

And my answers:

1. My favorite drink is milk, and the colder the better.  I even put ice cubes in my milk.  Drink it everyday.
2. My favorite team is the NY Yankees.
3. I like my steak cooked medium and I usually use A1 on it, unless it was marinated in something else.
4. My favorite toothpaste is Colgate.
5. My favorite place to shop is Target.

What are some of your favorites?  Would love to know!

And in ending this post today, I just want to ask all of you to keep my grandmother in your thoughts and prayers.  I would appreciate it.

her first egg hunt ...

The working mom's group that I am a part of held the annual Easter Egg Hunt yesterday afternoon.  This was the first egg hunt that Rebecca participated in.  We definitely lucked out with the weather - it was a gorgeous afternoon.

The kids had fun finding the eggs, checking out all the animals (chickens, a pony, dogs, puppies, cats), trying to knock down the candy-filled pinata, going in the bouncy house, and just spending some much needed quality time outside in the beautiful weather.

Nicholas helped his little sister a lot in gathering the eggs.

Nicholas broke the pinata for all the little kids to get their goodies.

And ... Friday's Fast Friday Facts had a cooking theme.

1. Do you like to cook?
2. What is your favorite dish to make?
3. Do you like cooking for others?
4. Are you a baker or mainly just a taster?
5. What food will you NOT cook under any circumstances?

And my answers ...

1. I cook when I have to.  I am definitely not creative when it comes to cooking.
2. I love to make baked ziti.  I also like to make fresh green beans sauteed with onions, bacon, and garlic.
3. I like to cook for my family.  I get nervous if I have to cook for a lot of people, but I do like to host certain holidays at our house (Easter or Christmas).
4. I like to bake, but again, I am not creative ... just the basic cakes, brownies, and cookies.
5. Even though I eat it if my husband cooks, I personally WILL NOT cook venison.

What would your answers be?  Would love to know.

are you happy with the results ...

So, who watched last night's American Idol?  Are you happy with the results of who made it through to the top 13?  There definitely were some that I wouldn't have picked (would have preferred a few others to go through), but there are some that I'm SUPER glad made it through.  Like ...

Phillip Phillips

And Jeremy Rosado

And Elise Testone

And Skylar Laine

Who are your favorites?

And, the theme this week for Fast Fact Friday at the This is Me Challenge Blog is TRAVEL.

1. Where is your favorite repeated vacation place?
2. How long do you like to go on vacation?
3. Where did you go on your favorite vacation?
4. Where was your most recent vacation?
5. If no were no object, where would you like to go?

And my answers.

1. Definitely Disney World; however, I haven't been there since 2001.  We NEED to bring the kids there.
2. A real vacation is at least a week for me.  Anything less than that is not really a vacation .... by the time you get there, you have to turn around and come back.
3. My favorite vacation was when I went to Europe in 1998.  I went to Italy, Switzerland, and Paris.  BEST vacation EVER!
4. My most recent vacation was a few years ago (yes, a few YEARS ago).  Went to the Outer Banks for my girlfriend's wedding.  We all stayed in a beach house for the week.
5. If money were no object, I would defnitely go to one of the islands, stay in the most exclusive resort, and get pampered from head to toe from the minute I arrived until the minute I was leaving.

Do you travel?  How would you answer these questions?

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

crushes ...

Over at the eighteen25 blog a few weeks ago, they listed their current favorite "crushes."  I thought it would be fun to play along.  I picked some of their topics and came up with what my current "crushes" are.

Main Crushes (my kids)

 Star Crush (Josh Ritter of Parenthood)

TV Show Crush (Celebrity Apprentice) 

Dessert Crush (Applebees Dessert Shooters)

iPhone App Crush (Scramble) 

Food Crush (onion/bacon pizza)

Music Crush (Adele)

 

Ice Cream Crush (New York Super Fudge Chunk)

 So, there you have it, some of my recent favorite crushes.  Do you have any crushes?  Please do tell.

need to get on a schedule ...

I feel like I've been missing out on so many things this past week.  I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in over a week.  Hope you understand.  I even missed Fast Fact Friday #8 at the This is Me Challenge Blog.  So, without further ado, here the questions and my answers.  The theme last week was restaurants.

First of all, I sadly want to say that we do not go out to dinner as much as I would like.  My answers are probably going to be boring to most of you.

What is your favorite?

1. Fast food restaurant? McDonald's (the kids love to go there)
2. Casual dining restaurant? Chili's (love their appetizers and desserts)
3. Expensive restaurant? The Chalet (local restaurant to me)
4. Family-friendly restaurant? Perkins
5. Restaurant that you could go to everyday? TGIF's

What about you?  What restaurants do you like to dine at?

I finally was able to order the page protectors I wanted for my Project Life album, so I need to dedicate some much needed time to start putting that together.  I have been taking a photo a day, which I will place in my album like all other years, but this year, I am going to work a bit different and include other photos that I may have taken on a particular day (i.e., include more than one photo from holidays, birthdays, etc.).  I will also be including memorabilia.

As soon as I get some pages completed, I will share with you my progress.

So, the other day, I went to take a picture with my phone and noticed that there were some new pictures (that I did not take) on my camera roll.  Seems that Rebecca discovered my phone (probably on the couch) and proceeded to take her picture.

Oh those pouty lips ...

Thanks for stopping by!

second attempt ...

I had a post all ready to go for Friday's Fast Fact Friday questions on Friday; however, my computer decided to reboot itself before I had the chance to save the post.  Here are the questions and my answers.

1. Do you collect anything?
2. What is your favorite hobby?
3. What is your style of organization?
4. If you didn't have any limitations, what would you be passionate about?
5. What hobby have you thought about trying, but haven't yet?

And my answers:

1. I think the only thing I currently collect is scrapbooking supplies.  I have gotten a LOT better.  I am concentrating on using what I have and am now only purchasing adhesive when needed.  In the past, I did collect shot glasses, Disney plates, dolphins, and baskets.
2. My favorite hobby is definitely scrapbooking followed close behind by photography.
3. If you are talking about my style of organization when it comes to scrapbooking, I like to organize my supplies by color.  It makes things easier for me to find that way.
4. If I didn't have any limitations, I would be passionate about traveling the US.  There are so many beautiful and historical sites to see in our country ... would love to rent a luxury RV and travel the states with my family.
5. I have always wanted to learn how to crochet.  Both of my grandmothers made many beautiful things over the years.  I would love to learn how to make beautiful blankets.

What would some of your answers be?  Would love to hear from you.

And, I thought I'd share a few pictures from our beautiful weekend here in NJ.  I can't believe it has been in the 50's.  So unbelievable for February weather.

We're just waiting for that snow storm to come ... it just has to hit us one of these weeks.

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy the rest of the day!

love questions ...

Today's Fast Friday Fact questions are about love.  How appropriate with Valentine's Day right around the corner.

1. Do you like Valentine's Day?
2. What is one Valentine tradition that you have?
3. Who do you want to be your valentine?
4. What was the funniest valentine you ever received?
5. What do you want to get from your valentine this year?

And my answers ...

1. I personally think Valentine's Day is too commercial.  You shouldn't have just one day to show how much you love someone.  I think it is fun for the kids though.
2. My husband and I usually give each other a card, and I usually go a little overboard on all the cute valentine trinkets for the kids.
3. My husband
4. I really can't think of anything funny that I received over the years.  I do remember getting a very funny card from my husband one year (along with a really sweet card).
5. I would love to receive a card, and have dinner made so I don't have to make dinner when I get home from work on Tuesday.

How about you?  Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?  How would you answer these questions?

Enjoy your day!

about animals ...

The Fast Fact Friday questions are about animals this week.

1. Do you have/have you ever had any pets?
2. What is your favorite animal?
3. What animal scares you the most?
4. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
5. What is the most exotic animal you have ever seen?

And my answers:

1. We currently do not have any pets.  We can't really afford one right now.  But growing up, we always had a dog.  I also had two cats (outside cats).  My cat Tootsie lived until she was 18.  I would love to get a dog for the kids, but it's just not the right time for us.  Nicholas has had a few Betta fish in the past few years, but we are "petless" right now.
2. My favorite animal would definitely be a dog ... best companion ever.
3. Mice scare me the most ...
4. I would be a dog and would want to live in a house with lots of loving children or be a guide dog for the blind.
5. Hmm, exotic ... maybe an Iguana in Bermuda.  What about swimming with a dolphin, does that count?

What are some of your answers?  Leave me a comment and a link to your post.  Would love to read your answers.

What is everyone doing this weekend?  I am hoping it is going to be a stay-at-home kind of weekend for us. I really want to organize things around the house.  It just seems like my whole house is turned upside down right now.  I'll let you know on Monday how that goes.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

great trade in event ...

I received an email yesterday about the Babies R Us Great Trade-In Event that starts tomorrow.

From Friday, January 27 through Monday, February 20, Babies''R''Us and Toys''R''Us stores nationwide are holding the Great Trade-In event, providing our guests the opportunity to trade-in any used car seat, stroller, travel system, high chair, play yard, bassinet, walker, infant swing, bouncer, entertainer, crib or kid's bed in exchange for a 25% savings on the purchase of any new baby items, in any of these product categories, from select manufacturers.

The Great Trade-In event places an emphasis on specific baby products, such as cribs and car seats that, due to safety concerns, may not be the best candidates to be handed down or resold. Beyond recalls, certain older and used baby items can be potentially unsafe for a variety of reasons, including damage or lack of compliance with recent advances in product safety standards.

Visit your local Babies''R''Us or Toys''R''Us store to trade-in your used crib, car seat or other qualifying baby product. Day care centers or other organizations that wish to exchange items in bulk are encouraged to contact their local Babies"R"Us or Toys"R"Us store prior to returning their used items to ensure adequate availability of new merchandise.

Love this idea, because I have several things that I can bring in.  I would love to put the items that I have on eBay; however, the shipping of big items is something that I don't want to deal with.  Any any items that you can bring in?

And ... today is Fast Friday Fact day.

This week's theme is adventure ... and they are all yes/no questions.

Have you ever been ...

1. Scuba diving
2. Bungee jumping
3. In a helicopter
4. Sky diving
5. Cliff jumping

And my answer to ALL the questions is NO.  I have no desire to any of the above.  OK, so maybe I'm not very adventurous.  What about you?

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your weekend!

it's a movie theme this week ...

This week over on the This is Me Challenge Blog, the Fast Fact Friday theme is movies.

1. What was the last movie you saw in the theater?
2. What was the last movie you watched at home?
3. Who is your favorite movie star?
4. What movie can you watch over and over again and not get sick of it?
5. What movie will you never watch again?

And my answers:

1. The Muppets (2011)
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Meg Ryan
4. The Wedding Planner
5. Heathers (came out in 1989)

And my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE ...

 

What are some of your favorite (or least favorite) movies?

Enjoy the weekend everyone!