Scrapbook Answers

John gave me two issues of this new scrapbooking magazine and I can't tell you how impressed I am with it. After several days I'm still not through either magazine! They have some great articles with wonderful how-to's, great instructions, excellent product reviews and beautiful layouts. Plus, every issue comes with a great CD with all sorts of wonderful stuff including free fonts that are easily installed onto your computer! I had heard good things about the magazine before receiving these two issue but was holding out on subscribing. No longer!! I subscribed today and am looking forward to the next issue!! Check out there website here: www.scrapbookanswers.com

Merry Christmas!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! We were very busy but loved being able to spend time with all of our family! Just a few pics for you.

Every year I try and get a really good Christmas picture of John and I. My brother took this one on Christmas Eve at my grandparents and I'm so happy with the way it turned out!



John and I opened presents from each other on Christmas Eve as Christmas Day is so busy. It's nice to be able to take our time and share shopping stories while we are doing this; a very special time for the both of us. Here's both of us with our gifts from each other.

Paint Cans

I made these for 4 of the nieces (+ one boyfriend) and my dad as a way to creatively wrap gift cards. They are quart size paint cans that I got from Home Depot and then decorated with scrapbook paper and some ribbon, brads and paper flowers. Besides the gift cards, I filled them with all sorts of candy. The girls really liked them and I was thrilled that they after opening them they were coming up with different ways they were going to use them!!

Our Tree

It took me 3 hours to put the tree together this year but I'm very happy with the way it turned out. John and I finally found the tri-color lights that we had been looking for at Lowe's and I love the way they look on the tree. Almost every ornament on this tree has a story behind it which makes it very special to me. They are hard to see but the little maroon sled at the top is one I've had since I was 2 mos. old and it's always the first item on the tree and the last to come off and also the highes ornament on the tree, minus the angle of course. The little white bulb towards the top on the right, has a hand painted santa on it and is our new ornament thise year. I try and buy one new one each year from Bronners for me and John. The maroon bulb on the left side, in the middle is the one for our first year as a married couple and the two toned one on the bottom right (next to the purple one) is for our first year in our house.

Basement Progress

John just had some photos developed of the basement to show the progress that has been made. My dad and him have been working on this for quite awhile now and we are getting to the point of being able to put some flooring down! Yeah!! Here are a few pictures of the work in progress.

These two are of the hallway before and after. Dad and John were shocked that I didn't notice that difference between the two in terms of the wall. If you look close on the first picture you'll notice that it goes in a little bit right before the hall ends. In the after picture it's a smooth wall.




The final project painted and you can also see a little bit of the oak doors they put in. This door is for the closet under the stairs.



And finally a look at the opposite wall. This is the wall you see when you walk down the hallway. It's two different shades of green. Also pictured here is the new OAK stair treads that will go in as soon as the tile has been laid in the hallway.