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!

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!

new show starting tonight ...

For those that don't know ... Kiefer Sutherland is starring in a new TV series on FOX called Touch, and it starts tonight.

I was a HUGE fan when he starred in 24 (gosh how I miss that show).  I'm hoping that this series strikes my interest from the premiere tonight.

A litte about the show ...

Blending science, spirituality and emotion, the series will follow seemingly unrelated people all over the world whose lives affect each other in ways seen and unseen, known and unknown. At the story’s center is MARTIN BOHM (Kiefer Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). Caring, intelligent and thoughtful, Martin has tried everything to reach his son. But Jake never speaks, shows little emotion, and never allows himself to be touched by anyone, including Martin. Jake is obsessed with numbers—writing long strings of them in his ever-present notebooks—and with discarded cell phones.

Social worker CLEA HOPKINS (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) believes that Jake’s needs are too serious for Martin to handle. She sees a man whose life has become dominated by a child he can no longer control. She believes that it’s time for the state to intervene. So Jake is placed in foster care, despite Martin’s desperate objections.

But everything changes after Martin meets ARTHUR TELLER (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Martin learns that Jake possesses an extraordinary gift—the ability to perceive the seemingly hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet. While Martin wants nothing more than to communicate directly with his son, Jake connects to his father through numbers, not words. Martin realizes that it’s his job to decipher these numbers and recognize their meaning. As he puts the pieces together, he will help people across the world connect as their lives intersect according to the patterns Jake has foreseen.

Martin’s quest to connect with his son will shape humanity’s destiny.

Sound interesting to you?  Will you be watching?

have you been watching ...

For those Oprah fans out there ... have you been watching her Lifeclass Classes?  I have been faithfully taping them each day and have ten episodes to watch.  I started watching the very first one this morning. It is all about The False Power of Ego.  Let me just say, with just watching ten minutes of the first show, I was hooked.

Other episodes that have already aired ... and you can catch them on OWN are:

• Letting Go of Anger
• You Become What You Believe (can't wait to watch this one)
• The Truth Will Set You Free
• Joy Rising (Car Giveaway)
• Who You Were Meant to Be
• Aging Beautifully
• When You Know Better
• You're Responsible for Your Life
• Joy Rising (Flashmob)
• Your Life Speaks to You in a Whisper
• Holding on to the Past
• When People Show You Who They are, Believe Them

You can also go here to learn more.  There is also Daily Life Work, Daily Questions, and much more.

her new favorite show ...

Rebecca pretty much loves any show that has music in it.  Some of the shows she has currently been watching are:

• Play with Me Sesame
• The Backyardigans
• Little Einsteins

But the one that most intrigues her is ...

 
DORA!  She especially loves the backpack song and even tries to sing it (at least the word backpack).  When she is watching an episode, she completely gets zoned on what they are showing on the screen.  You can't even get her to laugh when trying to tickle her.  Nicholas watched Dora when he was younger too, and I even catch him watching episodes now with Rebecca.

Well, today is Wednesday, so that means time for my responses to the Wee Bit Wednesday questions.

{one} how many times have you been a bridesmaid/maid of honor? I have been a bridesmaid in four weddings.

{two} what’s the last thing you do before you fall asleep at night? I usually play Words with Friends or check updates on Twitter.

{three} you just won your dream vacation, all expenses paid. where are you going? I would definitely go to an island and relax on the beach with a good book.

{four} what is your favorite outdoor activity? I'm really not much of an outdoorsy person.  I do love to spend time at the park with my kids though.

{five} as a child, what did you want to “be when you grew up”? did you end up there? I always wanted to be a teacher, and still regret to this day that I didn't take that path in life.

{six} what are 3 things your dream home would have that you don’t currently have? A wrap-around porch, a deck in the backyard, and my own scrapbook room.

{seven} what’s for dinner tonight? Chicken tenders, but not sure how I'm making them.  Any suggestions?

{eight} if someone stopped by your house unannounced on a typical Saturday night, what would they find you doing? We would probably be watching a Yankees game (I know, not very exciting).

{nine} what’s your average monthly water bill? We don't have water bills.

{ten} what do you do to relax? Scrapbook by myself or read a good book.

For more entries this week, go here.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

oprah finale ...

I have been a viewer of the Oprah show since I was in high school.  I remember days when I couldn't wait to get home from school so I could tune in to see who her guests that day were going to be.  Well, today is the show finale and I'm a bit sad about it.

I have about 11 episodes from the past few weeks that I still need to view.  There are two reasons why I still haven't watched them ... 1) because I haven't found the time, and 2) I know that once they are all watched, that will be it.  Who is going to be watching today?  I have to tape the last show since I'm working, and probably won't even get a chance to watch it today, but at least I know that it will be there for me to view, and I'm sure there will be tears.

Some of my favorite memories over the years are:

• Little Mattie ... so, so inspirational
• The day Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah's couch
• ALL of the Favorite Things shows
• The 24th Season opener with every dancing in the streets in Chicago
• The Oprah and Gayle Road Trips
• The day she gave everyone a car
• Oprah's 50th birthday celebration
• When Oprah introduced a new book for her book club
• All of the Nate makeovers

And many, many more.  Oprah will be missed ... especially in my house.

And so I move on to my answers to the Wee Bit Wednesday questions for today.

{one} what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?  I went on a date with this guy I thought I knew pretty well.  I could just tell from the moment he picked me up that I would not have a good time.  We ended up going to a comedy club.  I remember the comedian coming up to our table and asking us if it was our first date ... I remember whispering under my breath ... and our LAST.

{two} if you could be any other person for one day, who would it be? Julia Roberts ... she is so talented and beautiful.  She has a great career and a beautiful family.

{three} what is your favorite kind of cheese? Provolone ... the stinky cheese

{four} do you remember your 1st grade teacher? Yes, her name was Mrs. Farr.  She was this little old lady with grey hair. 

{five} who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? Usually my mom.

{six} were you ever in a school talent show? Yes, I think I was in the 4th grade.  I remember singing a Charlie Brown friendship song (at least I think that is what it was).

{seven} who is your favorite fictional character? Jane Eyre

{eight} can you open your eyes underwater? I am actually afraid of water now after my scare in Bermuda when I thought I was drowning, so NO, I don't open my eyes underwater.

{nine} do you look at the keyboard when you type? I do not ... I've been typing for about 25 years now, so I don't need to look anymore.

{ten} when was the last time you took a nap? Probably right after Rebecca was born ... needed to get some sleep sometime during the day.  I LOVE naps!

For more responses to Wee Bit Wednesday, go here. 

Enjoy your evening everyone!

for the love of the binkie ...

Day 2 layout for LOAD was completed last night.  The layout is all about Rebecca and her binkie.

 

Rebecca has at least four or five different binkies, but it is always the case that we can only ever locate one of those binkies at any given time.  Rebecca is now in a phase where if there is something on her tray, or just in her way, she picks it up and tosses it.  Sometimes she throws it far enough where it will go into something or under something, and then ends up missing ... for hours, or days, or weeks.  We just found one of her missing binkies in Nicholas' toy box in the basement, and another in the toy box in the living room.

This layout was based on another sketch from Ella's Stretch Your Sketch challenge.

So, how many of you caught The Voice last week?  I wasn't planning on watching it, but I kept hearing all these great reviews, so I watched the encore presentation last week.  I LOVED it.  It is on again tonight, and I can't wait to watch it. 

Thanks for stopping by ... come back soon!

o is for oprah ...

The Oprah Show is down to its last few weeks on air since starting in 1986.  I was in the eighth grade at the time.  Even being that young, I remember the days when I couldn't wait to get home from school to tune in to see who her guest(s) would be.

I've learned over the years that you are either a person who likes Oprah (and watches her shows), or are at the other end of the spectrum and turns the channel as soon as Oprah appears on screen.  Well, I'm one of the many that has been following Oprah for a very long time.  I even have a subscription to her magazine and now watch many of her shows aired on OWN.

Some of my favorites on OWN right now are:

• Season 25:  Oprah Behind the Scenes
• Oprah Presents Master Class
• Our America
• The Judds (have three episodes I've taped and need to watch, but I think I'm going to like the show)

I'm going to miss going through the Guide every week to see what the shows are going to be about and tape the ones that I want to watch.  I'm still wondering what they are going to place in that time slot after the show ends.  I'm sure whatever it will be, it will not compare with her show (but we'll see).

For more posts from the A to Z challenge for letter "O," please go here.

Moving on ...

Last week's color for the Project 64: Out of the Box challenge was magenta.

 

There was an additional challenge this week ... the picture was to be taken with a phone (if possible).  Well, Rebecca just happened to be all decked out in magenta the other day.  In this picture she was sleeping in her car seat (even though you can't see her face) after an afternoon of shopping.

 
And here is a picture of her sleeping.

 
It's oh so quiet in the house when she is asleep.

For more photos from the Project 64: Out of the Box challenge, click on the link below.

 

Enjoy the rest of your day everyone!

d is for days of our lives ...

So, one of my guilty pleasures is watching a soap that I have been watching since grade school ... "Days of our Lives."  My best friend's mom got me hooked.  During the summer months when I would be at my friend's house, we would all sit and watch Days of our Lives together on a daily basis.  Oh the drama!

So, with that said, my post for the A to Z challenge (letter D) is all about Days of our Lives.

 
The show has been on the air since 1965 ... before I was even born.  It is the second longest-running scripted television program on television in the United States after General Hospital. 

On November 8, 2010, it celebrated its 45th year anniversary and was given a two-year renewal by NBC through September 2013 with an option for a renewal through 2014.

Some of my favorite characters (past/present) are as follows:

• Bo and Hope Brady
• Jennifer Deveraux
• Adrienne Kiriakis
• Doug and Julie Williams
• Alice and Tom Horton
• Billie Reed #1
• Nathan Horton
• Melanie Kiriakis
• Kayla and Steve Johnson
• Belle Black #5
• Isabella Toscano
• Marlena Evans

A book came out in 2010 called Days of our Lives 45 Years.

 

I haven't seen it out in stores (but I wasn't looking for it), but I've been reading mixed reviews about it.  People are saying that it is not a true display of the 45 years, that it is more of a contemporary book with more recent events.  If you have this book, please let me know if it is worth purchasing.

That's it for today ... thanks for stopping by. 

Enjoy your evening!

a is for american idol ...

What better way than to start off the Tossing It Out "A to Z" Challenge with American Idol for letter A, especially since it was on last night.

I actually ended up watching the show after it aired because I wanted to watch the season opening game for the Yankee's that Rob taped and didn't watch until I was able to watch with him last night.  I'm hoping the win by the Yankee's will give them an incentive to play well the rest of the season.

Anyway, getting back to Idol.  I was a bit up in the air about who went home last night.  I was also shocked to see Paul in the bottom three because I like his voice (not his moves though).  I definitely would have picked one person in particular (and I won't say who because I don't want to insult anyone) to have gone home last night instead of one of the girls.  What were your thoughts?

My favorites right now are:

Pia

 

Lauren

 

and James.

 
For more entries to the a to z challenge, visit here.

Enjoy the rest of your day everyone!

the dreaded laundry pile(s) ...

So, I am getting back to my commitment to participate in One Little Word - Captured (to take a picture every week) for my One Little Word (patience) for 2011.

I know I'm not the only one that dreads laundry day,or in my case laundry days.  I really don't mind doing the laundry, it's the putting it all away that gets to me.  I'm embarrassed to say that sometimes the laundry that just comes out of my dryer sits on the back of one of my living room couches for a day (or two, or more).  I really don't know what it is, but on most days, I can't bring myself to just put the darn laundry away.

 
So, for this week, I need to take time to have more patience in dealing with my piles of laundry and just put the clothes away.

For more One Little Word - Captured entries, go here.

To my Idol fan peeps out there, "Did you watch the guys sing last night?" I seriously thought the show was just "ok" last night.  There were just too many ballads for me for one night, and it was getting a bit boring.  In the end, I'm hoping the following five guys get to stay.

• James Durbin (even though I am not a fan of rock)
• Stefano Langone
• Paul McDonald
• Casey Abrams
• Clint Gamboa

Looking forward to hearing the girls sing tonight.

Have a great evening everyone!

season premieres ...

We have a very busy Saturday ahead of us ... Nicholas starts CCD, haircut appointment for me, and our town Community Day is tomorrow.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so it should make for a nice day.

When I'm not busy running around this weekend, I need to catch up on some season premiere's that aired this week.

This one ...

 
This one (Top Chef - Just Desserts) ...

 
And this one ...

 

What are your plans for the weekend?  Whatever they are, hope you enjoy yourselves.

what (scrapbooking) products do you use ...

For all my scrapbooking peeps out there, I'm curious as to what some of the products you are currently using.

For months now (maybe even a year), my handy Fiskars paper trimmer was not cutting my paper/pictures straight.  I thought it was me at first, but it kept on happening time after time.  I was getting tired of having crooked paper/pictures, so I purchased a new Fiskars trimmer ... one of their SureCut Trimmers.  So far I love it.  What trimmer(s) do you use?

 
And what about adhesive?  For years I have been using Hermafix adhesive.  I haven't had any problems with it, but just wondering if I should try something that might be better.  Any suggestions?

 

And, if there are any new products out there that I should know about, please let me know.  I love to know about new products.

Today I'll leave you with a picture that I took the other day of Becca.  The picture was taken with my camera lying on the living room floor ... a challenge from Becky Higgins.

 
You should try it ... it gives you a whole different perspective.

Enjoy your evening everyone ... and for those SURVIVOR fans ... the season premiere is TONIGHT (Wednesday, September 15).  I'll be watching!

very lazy sunday ...

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  We said goodbye to Nanny and Poppy again this morning ... at least for a few weeks.  I believe they are coming back towards the end of June. 

Yesterday was a busy day ... the kids, Nanny, and I went shopping.  Went to the mall (Sears and a few other stores), lunch at Pizza Hut, Target, Shoprite, and the AAA Travel Store.  My dearest Becca was an angel the whole day.  She really doesn't mind being out at all.  Nicholas on the other hand was in rare form ...

Here are my latest LOAD creations.  I even found time to get a layout a day done with Nanny and Poppy here.

           

Looking forward to watching the Yankees/Mets game tonight.  I'm hoping that the Yankees can win at least one of the three games (they've already lost the first two).  Tomorrow is the series finale of "24" which I'm very sad about ... been watching since Day 1, and haven't missed an episode.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday ... till next time!

a winner and my new favorite show ...

Thank you everyone for visiting my site and for leaving a comment to try and win the Rachael Ray bakeware.  I picked a random number last night, and the winning number was "19."  That means Ann G. is the winner. 

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 19 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

 

Nothing I bake ever comes out tasting good. So any good bakeware might make my desserts more pallettable (did I spell pallettable right? Is "pallettable" even a word?) I am only responding to this because I never blogged before (is "blogged" a word for crying out loud?...Plus I wanted to tell you how beautiful Becca is. You and Rob certainly produce good looking kids. Hope you are well.

Posted by: Ann G. | Friday, March 26, 2010 at 03:18 PM

Congratulations Ann - please send me an email with your address to where the bakeware can be shipped ... so happy for you.

On to my new favorite show ... have any of you seen Parenthood?  The show airs on Tuesday evenings at 10pm (ET) on NBC. 

 

I just LOVE this show.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend catching an episode (or two, or three).

Enjoy your day everyone!