better late than never

here are some pictures from LAST year! better late than never! these are from brandon's holiday cookie decorating party in school.

each kid got 2 sugar cookies to decorate.

even bryan got to get in the action.

brandon really just slathered a bunch of frosting on his cookie, threw some candies and got right to the eating part.

bryan on the otherhand was more into picking just the right candies to put on his cookies.

cooperated with me for a picture!now here are pics from christmas day dinner at disneyland.

i tried to get the red eye out but was too lazy to use photoshop.

gramps and brandonboys opening gifts. see, someone KNEW to buy 2 of the same thing so they won't fight!

grandma w/ the boys










love seeing their reaction opening gifts.....so honest!

i liked brandon's reaction here! so excited for his lil' bro

so proud of having big boy legosbrandon got the mother-load of all bakugan gifts!! (bakugan is a source of many of my migraines)

with daddy

it was another great christmas! we are all so lucky to have family, friends our health and the boys are soooooooooooo active & happy.

hello cupcake

hello! i am back with some more cupcake cards! so craving some chocolate marshmallow ones from sprinkles!!

the tops are cut opened just for a little variety. change it up a lil', KWIM??!! inside says 'hello cupcake'. can be used for valentines or just a friendly friend card.

this is a new hero arts cupcake stamp. i love the size of it! thanks to my friend, leesa, for sending it to me all the way from GA!when my mom was here over the christmas holiday, i asked her to rethread my sewing machine. it was sewing fine on top but the bottom stitching was ugly---obviously, it was threaded wrong by me not knowing how to follow the diagram directions. i would also be the same person who does not know how to read a map. anyways, my mom threaded it correctly for me and here is my 1st card using it. my mom asked me what i was going to sew and i told her cards and she just laughed.

can any paper-sewers give me tips on how to finish off the thread?? i DID mean for the stitching to be crooked but not for them to be sticking out.
BTW, potty training with bryan is going extremely well. we will definitely make the he-WILL-be-potty trained-by-his-3rd birthday deadline! [and yes, bryan is holding a motorola phone. my kiddos gets to play w/ all our old cell phones]

sweet hearts

here are the sweethearts in my life.........
we got a chance to play in the snow this past saturday. the boys' 1st time! they look a little cold don't they?!

i think brandon was ready to throw some snow at bryan's back

doing a snow angel

bryan fell on his butt and was trying to get his very-bundled-body up

brrrrrrrrrr

it wasn't snowing but brandon wanted to make it snow

bryan at his attempt at making a snow angelgame over....eddie decided to sprinkle some snow on bryan and as he ducked, it got all over his neckline and inside his clothes. he cried and said "go home". it was getting dark anyways!working on some valentine's cards. decided to get a head start this year! sorry for the bad pics. the lighting was bad and i had to take pics throughout the day. we are potty training bryan and i needed to keep an eye on the situation. don't want any accidents. so in between being a servant to the 2 boys (i'm hungry, he took my toy, i want a snack, he took my toy, i need to go pee, he took my toy, i want something to drink, he took my toy, can i watch this dvd, he took my toy, can i open this toy, he took my toy, i want to go draw, he took my toy, i want to write, he took my toy), i was trying to have some craft time. it's going well after a rough 1st week. bryan is so stubborn. but we WILL be outta diapers before his 3rd birthday----jan 29th!!!

there is always hope....

short post.

some of you may have remembered me posting this last year. such a sad story but there is always hope............and they have found joy once again. i've been checking in on their blog now and then. so happy when i saw this post. does not replace the dear sweet girl they lost but i am happy they will love again. congrats to the Macs. please take a minute to read cora's story (click the button that says cora's story on their blog that's on the left hand side). really puts a lot of things in perspective and makes me want to hug my boys ALL the time---even when they act like monsters!

cabin fever

it's an ugly day here (chilly & rainy) so we are staying indoors. i know the boys AND myself, will have cabin fever..... i am planning on keeping the boys busy by decorating the gingerbread house we bought over a month ago. yea, i know---a little late. life just got busy. it's a pre-built one so i don't have to worry about it falling apart like the halloween gingerbread house we did.

i got up this morning and made these 4 cards. may give these to a friend or keep on hand to have for myself. TFL!!

free santa

hope everybody is enjoing the holidays with your family & friends. my parents are here visiting and the boys are loving it!
sharing some santa pics and crafty stuff :-)

i cannot believe what luck i had this year...free santa pictures AND i didn't have to wait in line!! i hate going to mall places and paying $7+ for only 2 shots with your own camera or choosing one of their outrageously priced photo packages. this santa was at nordstrom's and i rushed over there after brandon got out of school at 11:23 since santa would only be there until 1. i was expecting a looooong line but i strolled my kiddos right up onto santa's lap!

santa did everything i wanted....1st brandon, then the 2 boys on santa, then brandon off--bryan on, and then, FINALLY, it was my turn! i mean, since no one else was waiting in line, i might as well ask santa for a few things for myself!! i didn't even have to be one of those moms that bossed santa around! santa knew the "mommy drill".

this santa was super patient and fun! i hope to see him next year!

i've been a good girl....................................

after i got all my pics in, santa solicited me-----for business! he also does birthday parties. that's what he solicited me for :-) he gave me his card. brandon kinda had a funny look on his face....i think he overheard santa talking to me. oh well...this santa thing can't last forever right? if you need a santa for hire or need a magician, balloon animal artist, birthday entertainer, get in contact with me. i have his card! apparently, santa wears a lot of hats!
tags i made for eddie's gifts to his coworkers (thanks cheryl---tags are super handy) super fast & easy cards. no stamping when i am short on time! mini tags that went along with the treat bags from brandon for his class mates cards for brandon's teachersthese 2 altered gifts were for the other teacher that helps out in brandon's kinder class.

cutified a plain notebook covered an ugly datebook calender