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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!

meeting famous people ...

The This is Me Challenge prompt this week is "Who is the Most Famous Person you have Met?"

The first famous person I ever met was someone I didn’t actually know was a famous person.  I was attending a concert with my mom (don’t remember who we saw ... maybe Connie Francis).  I was definitely in grammar school, but don’t recall what grade I was in.  I sat down into my seat, and the person next to me introduced himself to me as Brendan Byrne.  He was the governor of NJ from 1974-1982.  When I was younger, I didn’t have any desire to learn about our past or present history, so I sadly have to say that I didn’t know anything about him. 

The next famous person I met was when I was in NY City attending the musical “The Goodbye Girl” starring Martin Short and Bernadette Peters.  After the show, we went to the door of the studio where all the actors leave from.  We were lucky to have been standing right in the pathway of Martin Short.  I was able to get his autograph on the Playbill for the show.

At another show we saw in NY City (“Grease”) in 1994, Maureen McCormick (the Brady Bunch) starred in the show as Rizzo.  We again waited at the actor’s exit door at the end of the show and luckily was able to get her autograph as well. 

And, back in 1999, I attended Country Music’s Fan Fair in Nashville, TN.  I was able to meet new and  upcoming artists, as well as current popular singers.  I stood in line for over an hour to meet, have my picture taken with, and get the group Lone Star’s autograph.  The entire few days I was in Nashville was one of the best events I have ever attended. If you are a big country music fan, this is an event you should at least attend once in your life.

What famous people have you met in your life?  Who would you like to meet?

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!

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!

choices ...

This week's prompt at the This is Me Challenge Blog is "choices."  I could have gone in many different directions with what kind of layout I was going to create.  I decided to go with a choice that I made in the seventh grade ... one about my hair.

The journaling in my layout reads …

In 1986, I was in the seventh grade.  Up to that point, my hair was very thick, and just kind of "wavy."  That was until my best friend Suzanne decided that she was going to get her hair cut and layered.

Well, I needed to be just like her and decided to get my hair layered too.  Looking back now after all of these years, that was probably one of the worst CHOICES that I ever made.

I have wondered so many times since then that if I hadn't gotten my hair layered way back when, would my hair still only be "wavy," and not so "curly."

What were some choices in your life (big or little) that you often think, "Did I make the right decision?"

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!

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 story challenge ...

What a perfect week to do a layout about my love story.  That is the This is Me Challenge prompt this week.  Our story began in the late eighties, but didn't really start until the mid-90's.  This is our story. 

(photos from 1995).  Oh for both of us to be that skinny again.

How was your Valentine's Day?  Did you receive any sweet gifts?  I received candy and a card ... more than I expected.  As I stated last week, I celebrate Valentine's Day for the kids.  They LOVED their little goodie bags they received from us yesterday morning.

Nicholas had a little party in school.  He had to make a box for his valentine cards, so he came home from school with his box full of cards and other goodies from his class.

Getting off the topic of Valentine's Day, I wanted to tell you about a workshop (if you want to call it that) that I will be participating in.  Are you a list maker?  If so, you will want to sign up for 30 Days of Lists which kicks off in March.

It basically explains itself ... you get prompts everyday to create a new list about something.  Sound fun to you? Just click on the link above to find out more.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

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!

grandparents ...

The This is Me Challenge prompt for this week was ...

What are some of your favorite memories with your grandparents?

My grandparents were a big part of my life growing up.  I’m fortunate to have one of my grandmothers still alive.  She has gotten to meet and spend time with both of my children, and that is so important to me.

This week I created a layout highlighting some of my favorite memories with my grandparents.  The memories I have with all of them will always stay close to my heart.

And my journaling ... just in case you can't see it on the layout. 

Thanks for stopping by everyone.  If you want to see more responses, please click on the This is Me Challenge button to the right.