About Me

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Texas, United States
Hello! Welcome to my blog! I'm Jennifer, but most people call me Jenny. I'm a small town Texas girl, born again Christian, mommy to 2 beautiful boys, wife to my high school sweetheart, scrapbook supply junkie, and occasional paper sniffer. :) Here you will find bits and pieces of my scrapbooking projects, daily thoughts, and just general randomness. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Birthday Pages

I've tried to make a birthday mini album for each boy every year, but I'm already 2 years behind in these. :( Feeling guilty about being so behind in birthday pages/books, I decided to make a couple of birthday pages from Evan's 7th birthday (in 2009) using the "Birthday Bash" collection from Imaginisce.

I LOVE this line...it's perfect for pics of a boy's birthday party especially. No cute, frilly pinks or girly looking cupcakes here. I had won this whole collection from the Imaginisce blog a while back, and it feels great finally busting into it and using some of it. :)

This first layout was totally scraplifted from Ginger Williams at scrapbook.com. I loved her layout so much and wanted to copy it. You can see her layout HERE. And here is mine:



See, told ya...it's pretty much an exact scraplift. LOL

Here's the other one:



I've got tons of this collection left, so I guess I need to start a mini album for the rest of the bday photos from 2009. I'll get caught up on birthday photos....one of these days....

Do you have any favorite birthday layouts? If so, I'd love to see them! Just leave a link when you leave a comment, and I'll be sure and check it out. :)

Friday, January 28, 2011

February Sneak Peek Time!

Okay, whew. What a week. The horrible stomach virus hit both of my kids, and it was A.W.F.U.L. Hopefully it's all over with.

Onto other things....

It's almost time to reveal the February kits from The Scrap Room! I love Sneak Peek Week. For my Sneak Peek, I used the My Mind's Eye "Lost & Found" portion of the kit:



This is my favorite pic of my boys so far. I love the way they are squeezing each other tight and smiling so big. :) This was taken on Valentine's Day last year.

Thanks for looking!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Ugh.


A horrible, unrelenting, vicious stomach bug has kept me doing non-stop laundry, disinfecting, and clean-up duty for the past 3 days. My poor baby boy. :( Prayers are appreciated. Will get back to blogging once things get back to normal.



**UPDATE: Aaaaaand now my oldest boy has it too. Sigh...will this ever end?**

Friday, January 21, 2011

The ABCs of Me - Letter D

I'm back with another ABCs of Me post! :) I hope you are enjoying reading these and are inspired to take the challenge yourself. I've had a lot of fun thinking up things from my past and remembering fun times whenever I'm searching for the current category.

So, without further ado...here is Letter D:



1. Dream Home - I wanted (and still do!) this home so bad, it was all I could think about for MONTHS. This was the 2009 HGTV Dream Home in Sonoma, California. Every year, HGTV gives away a "dream home" to a lucky participant. You can enter online or by mail, and I entered online EVERY.DAY. This home was so incredibly perfect for my family. All of the bedrooms are on the top floor, and the kids' room was already designed for 2 little boys. I mean...it was perfect. Wrap around porch, huge backyard with awesome patio furniture, a kitchen that would make even Paula Deen cry, a large family room, a downstairs office (hello, scrap room!!), the most gorgeous entry way. I can't tell you how many times I went to the HGTV site and played the video tour of this home. I was in love. Still am. I even saved the floor plans and printed everything out for when we can get an exact replica built for us. You know, when we become super rich and can do that.

2. Disney World - In the summer of 2009, my family and my sister's family were able to take a vacation to Disney World! I have always dreamed of visiting DW but never thought it would actually happen. To be able to take my children here and watch their faces as they experienced the true "magic" of this place...well, it's something I will never forget. It was such a fun vacation! I still have tons of photos from our trip that I haven't scrapped yet...but I love reliving the memories every time I get a page done. It truly is magical there!

3. Dr Pepper - My soft drink of choice. I love me some DP. When we went to Disney World, all they had was Coke and Coke products....no DP. It was torture! The first thing I did when we got back to the airport was buy a 20-oz. DP!!!

4. DVR - Seriously, what did we do before DVRs? My husband and I use ours ALL.THE.TIME. It seems that if we want to watch a "grown up" show, we have to wait until our kids are in bed so that we can actually hear and enjoy the show. If it wasn't for our DVR, that wouldn't be possible. I have about 20 or more recorded shows on there right now that need to be watched. We'll catch up one of these days.

5. Daisies - My favorite type of flower. They make me happy. :) I had daisies in my bridal bouquet...white and lavender ones. I even named my first (and only) chihuahua Daisy. I just love daisies!

6. Dodge Neon - The time was 1998. I had just graduated high school and needed reliable transportation to go back and forth to a junior college in a town an hour away. My sister needed someone to take over her car payments, and I had a bunch of graduation money saved up. So, voila! I "bought" the green Dodge Neon from my sister, and it became my very first car. No cruise control. No power windows or power locks. No CD player. But it was mine. I loved driving back home from college after a hard day and cranking the music up as loud as I wanted, singing along at the top of my lungs. Since I had no cruise control and it was pretty much all open Texas highway from college to home, sometimes I'd get a little too carried away in my music and look down to see my speedometer at 90 mph or more.....oops. My husband, who was trying to be super awesome one day back when he was just my "boyfriend," decided he would try to impress me by running up and jumping on top of my car. In doing so, he dented in the roof of my car. You could tell right where he landed....butt dent and hand dents. Let's just say...his "smoothness" is not what won me over....

Monday, January 17, 2011

I Just Can't Help Myself!

I made more diaper cakes today. LOL I know, I know...enough already! But, I used up the rest of my "themes," so now they are all made up for samples. I even made a 2-tier cake to show what they will look like.

Thank you for all of your encouraging comments on these. I really appreciate it! And, thank you for visiting my Etsy shop too. :)



Saturday, January 15, 2011

More Mini Diaper Cakes

Happy Saturday, everyone! What's everyone doing today?

I made a few more mini diaper cakes today! These are so much! Please remember to visit my Etsy Shop and spread the word, especially if you know of someone having or giving a baby shower. :)

Which one is your favorite?




Friday, January 14, 2011

The ABCs of Me - Letter C


I love that a few of you are also doing this ABCs of Me challenge! Thank you for playing along and for commenting on my blog posts.

Here's what I came up with for letter C:

1. Community - A favorite of ours on Thursday nights...NBC's "Community." Maybe it's because it reminds me of my days in our community college. Maybe it's the brilliant casting (Joel McHale, hello!). Maybe it's because I want a "Troy & Abed in the Mooooorning" coffee mug. Maybe it's because they have a cool opening theme song. Maybe it's because Senor Chang is hysterically funny. Whatever the reason, "Community" is a must-see. It keeps us laughing and quoting parts of the show over and over again! :)

2. Chicken Pox - I had a really bad case of Chicken Pox when I was around 2 years old. Bad. I have 2 scars up near my left eyebrow and a smaller one on my top lip from this. Darn the 80s and their lack of the Chicken Pox vaccine!

3. Chicago - Ah, yes....Chicago. I have blogged a bunch about Chicago, seeing as though I went there last June with my HYWWP gals for our annual summer get together. LOVED Chicago and the big city life! If I didn't have kids, I could totally live there. Lots of fun memories in Chicago from last summer. Deep dish pizza...'nuff said. What a beautiful, exciting city.

4. C-sections - Ugh. Not a subject I like to talk about much, but it's part of my "story," so that's why I'm including it here. I had to have a C-section with both boys. After over 24 hours of labor with both of them, both pregnancies ended up with a C-section. Not fun, I tell you. Not.Fun. I still remember the soreness I felt afterward. Owwwwwwwwwwwww. Labor and delivery wasn't anything like I had expected, but even with the disappointment of having to have 2 C-sections...the end results were well worth all the pain, of course. ;)

5. Chick Flicks - I'm not gonna lie. I love me a good chick flick. Titanic. The Notebook. You know the type. Laughing one minute, crying the next. A good movie that takes you through the roller coaster of emotions that we call womanhood. Lifetime Movie Channel = Chick Flick HEAVEN.

6. Cello - My favorite musical instrument. I love the way a cello sounds...especially the lower notes. So hauntingly beautiful. So emotional. If I had the ability to master any instrument out there, the cello would be it. I'm totally afraid to try it, though! Stringed instruments require you to build tough fingertips...like calluses. Ew! I know this because my husband is a guitarist. I just don't want calluses on my fingertips. LOL

**be back with letter D soon!** Thanks for reading! :)

My Frosty Friend


Just popping in quickly to show you this layout I did based on a sketch challenge from the My Mind's Eye blog. I loved the sketch, and MME is one of my most favorite scrapbooking companies, so I love working with their products. :) Have you seen some of their new sneak peeks of collections coming out during CHA? O.M.G. Gorgeous stuff!!!!

Well, better get back to cleaning house and doing laundry. Stay warm, everyone! :)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

My Etsy Shop! :)

Okay, so I'm trying my hand at opening up an Etsy shop. For those of you who have never heard of Etsy, it is a website (kinda like eBay) where you can buy and sell all things handmade! Pretty neat stuff there. I've named my shop "Patty Cakes by Jenny." Click on the text below to see my shop. Right now, all I have listed is the mini diaper cakes...but hopefully more things to come soon. If you are needing a baby shower gift, or know anyone who is, please send them my way! :) Thanks for looking.

I also have a little "widget" on the right hand side of my blog (below my blog blinkie) that will take you to my shop.

Click HERE for My Etsy Shop

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Trying Something a Little New :)

So, as if scrapbooking wasn't a big enough hobby to keep me busy, I've taken on the task of creating custom-made diaper cakes!

My "specialty" will be these miniature diaper cakes, made with 8 size 1 Pampers diapers. I will have tons of themes and colors available, so if you are hosting a baby shower or just need a good baby gift, email me at jenny41180@hotmail.com with your request.




The mini diaper cakes (1 tier) will be $10 plus shipping.
The 2-tier cakes will be $20 plus shipping.
The 3-tier cakes will be $30 plus shipping.

I'm debating on opening up an Etsy shop for these, too. Those of you who use Etsy...how do you like it? Is it successful for you?

Anyway...I'm hoping I do well with these. They are fun to make and oh so cute! :) But man...I had forgotten how expensive diapers are!!!

***UPDATE*** Okay, I was talked into opening an Etsy shop! You can view it HERE.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sketch #202 from Sketch Inspiration

Trisha uploaded a new sketch to Sketch Inspiration this morning! The prize is a lovely GIIINNOOORRMMOUUUS prize pack donated by our favorite store and store owner, Cat Beaty from Cat's Creations in Mineral Wells, Texas. Be sure and upload your layout based on the sketch so that you can have a shot at winning that awesome prize!

Here's my take:

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The ABCs of Me - Letter B

I'm back with Letter B for my ABCs of Me challenge. I am having so much fun with these! If you missed my post about The ABCs of Me, please click here to read the details of what this is all about. :)

Here is Letter B for me: (click collage to see larger photos)



1. Bahamas - We honeymooned on a cruise to the Bahamas in 2000. It was the first time I had ever seen the ocean, and I loved it! I'll never forget the feeling when hubby and I were sitting in a lounge chair on the back deck as the cruise ship pulled away from the dock for the first time. Raggae music was playing, all the stress of the wedding and months of planning was over, we were newly married, the weather was perfect, we had a $4 bottle of Coca-Cola in our hands....and life was good.

2. Barbies - My older sister and I had a bazillion Barbie dolls and played Barbies for probably more than half our childhood. We used to store them all in HUGE suitcases, and I know we had at least 3 of those huge suitcases packed FULL of Barbies and Barbie stuff. One of my favorites was the "Dream Glow" Barbie and Ken. I got not one but TWO of these beautiful Barbie dolls for my birthday one year...kindergarten, I think. I gave one to my sister and kept one for myself. I don't remember when or where I got the matching Ken doll, but they were just a match made in heaven. I mean, his vest matched her dress....they were the perfect couple! We had a big closet with sliding doors. We would hold the dolls up to our ceiling fan light and then run and get in the closet and close the doors so that we could watch the stars on their clothes "magically" glow that beautiful Dream Glow.

3. Breckenridge - My home town! Both my husband and I were born and raised here. Our high school mascot is the Buckaroos. Go mean green! It's a quiet little town with not much to do...but it's home.

4. Boys - Never in my life did I ever think I'd be the mommy of a boy....yet alone TWO of them! Growing up with a mom and 2 sisters myself, our house was a home full of mood swings, makeup, hair stuff, nail polish, and PINK. My poor dad. I just naturally assumed it would always be that way since that was all I had ever known. So, to give birth to the first boy in the immediate family, it was quite an adjustment! And now to have a home with 2 rambunctious little boys...well, it's just downright fun. I've traded in the Barbies, Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and Carebears for Hot Wheels, Star Wars, and Mighty Beanz. And I wouldn't trade it for the world! ;)

5. Bay Windows - I have always...always...loved bay windows in a house! They just look so pretty and inviting. I especially like the ones that have a little padded bench seat underneath them. I have never lived in a home with a bay window...but one of these days!

6. Bon Jovi - I never get tired of listening to some good ol' Bon Jovi music! I guess it's the 80s in me. In April 2008, my older sister took me to a Bon Jovi/Daughtry concert for my birthday. OMG. It was awesome. We took this picture of him from where we were sitting. We captioned it: "He loves us thiiiiiiiiiis much!" LOL

7. Blog - Well, it's a given that I love to blog (if I didn't, you wouldn't be reading this right now, right?). I don't really remember why I starting blogging...I think it was just that all the other scrappy friends were doing it, so I started doing it to. hehehe I love it, though. I have gone back and read some of my previous posts, and if it wouldn't have been for me blogging about certain things, I would have forgotten a whole lotta stuff.

8. Baby Magic - Hands down, my favorite smell. I've scrapped about this before. A fresh, clean baby all lathered up in pink Baby Magic lotion...heaven! The original pink Baby Magic lotion just sends me into pure bliss. It has to be the original pink formula, though...not this stuff in the white bottle they have out now. I recently looked on eBay for this stuff because it has been discontinued and they no longer sell it in stores...some of it was going for $40 a bottle!!! Can you believe that?! Guess I'm not the only one who loves it!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

January Kit from The Scrap Room - FULL Reveal!

So, how about starting the year off right with getting some major scrapping done? Sound good? Let The Scrap Room help you! Honestly, using this kit club has helped me get SO many projects done.

Here's what you'll get with the January 2011 kit:



And here are my projects:










AND....one more 2-pager, but I can't reveal that just quite yet! ;)

Be sure and check out The Scrap Room monthly kit club if you are wanting to get a ton of pages done this year!

Monday, January 3, 2011

The ABCs of Me - Letter A

While browsing blogs the other day, I came across this wonderful idea for The ABCs of Me. Brilliant idea! I totally want to get through the whole alphabet this year and then make into a mini album or something. :) I never ever scrap about myself, so this will be a great way to document ME.

For those of you who are interested (and may want to join along!), basically this is how The ABCs of Me works:

I will start with letter A (though you can start with any letter you want, I just get easily confused) hehehe. I will think of things that have to do with myself that start with the letter A....favorite things, places I've been, something about my childhood, etc....just ANYTHING that has something to do with ME. Then, I will blog about these things, as well as include corresponding pictures.

Warning: You may learn more about me than you ever wanted to! ;) But this is gonna be fun!

Make sense? Okay, here I go with letter A:



1. Aaron - Aaron is my youngest son...my second child...my baby. He has always had this "glow" of happiness about him. Even when he was just a tiny baby, people always asked us, "Is he always this happy?" And we would proudly reply, "YES!" :) He's a happy boy. Creative. Charming (and he knows it). Loves to sing, wear costumes, and put on puppet shows. Loves to watch Imagination Movers. Silly, kissable, sweet as can be. Always wants reassurance that he's being a "good boy." Always wants family members around. ADORES his grandfathers, even when he was an infant...he's always had a special connection with both my father and my husband's father. He keeps me on my toes...and he keeps a smile on my face!

2. American Idol - I know, I know...this show is old news. But I still love it and watch it religiously! I love it all...from the tryouts all the way through. Even the dumb stuff they add to make it more appealing to viewers. It'll be different this year with all the judges leaving and new ones taking their spots. But music is music, and I love it. You think it's a coincidence that Aaron (see #1) was born on the night that Taylor Hicks was crowned as the winner of American Idol Season #5?

3. Abilene, Texas - Oh, Abilene. Only an hour away from my hometown, but yet it seemed so far away. When hubby and I got married, we moved to Abilene and lived there for around 4 years. This was the first time either one of us was away from our families and hometown. It was a bigger city. More exciting. More options. Better restaurants and shops. Better job opportunities. But it wasn't home. It never quite felt like home. Our last year in Abilene was probably one of the most lonely times I have ever felt. I had no friends and no family nearby. No church family since we drove back home every weekend to go to church. I had my first baby in Abilene and came home to an empty house. No one there to show me what to do. It was just me, my husband, and our new baby. We felt so alone, so clueless, and so lost. But we made it through and realized that we could do it on our own. We grew up a lot in Abilene.

4. August 8, 2002 - The day my life was forever changed for the better...the day I became a mommy! My Evan was born on 8-8-02. I still remember every detail of that day (the details that the anesthesia and pain pills allowed me to remember, at least). Being a mommy is the greatest gift I have ever been given.

5. April 11 - My birthday! Sometimes my birthday falls on Easter Sunday. I love Spring, so I enjoy having a birthday in April.

6. Ally McBeal - Another oldie but goodie! I loooove this show. Quite possibly one of my most favorite shows of all time. I am THRILLED that Reelz Channel is showing old reruns of Ally on weekdays. I am recording them all on the DVR and watching them whenever I can. I started watching this show when I was going to college and staying with a friend of the family a few days during the week (since college was an hour away from home). We would watch it on Monday nights as we ate supper. I continued watching this after my hubby and I got married and had our own place. I was so sad when the show was over! :( If ever there was a show that had perfect casting for their characters, this would be it! I love all the characters and their weird little quirks...and the Unisex bathroom...genius. So many great scenes filmed in there.

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Okay, it's your turn! If you want to start doing some ABCs of Me Posts (even if you can only do a few this year), I'd love to see what you do! Please comment here and leave your blog address so I can read about your "ABCs of Me." :) Have fun!