Un-packed...

I'm happy to report that all the suitcases (all 6--I TOLD you I was an overpacker!!) are empty!! I started tackling the pile of laundry & I'm on load #6. That's the excitement that's my life right now.

I ran to Michael's today to get the mini-album I used for our last trip's autograph album I made but they didn't have it. Damn! So I ran to AC Moore which is farther away & found it there. YEAH! I always find more of what I'm looking for there than M's--wish they had one closer to me.

This seems to be a new tradition with the autograph album but it's fun & the girls like flipping through it. I took blank tags with me & each time the characters would sign the girls autograph books Marissa would give them a tag to sign too. Now it's time to work some magic!! I know I have other projects in the works but I plan on doing a pg here & there unlike last time when I worked strictly on that album.

Yesterday I even started a LO that popped into my head & had to get it started. I just wish I had the time to keep up with all the ideas I'm having right now!! With that I'll leave you with one of the few family pic that we got. I'm still purging & resizing pics from the trip so this is just a little something to make this post more interesting. Now I hear the laundry pile calling my name.....

We're Back!!!

Home Sweet Home. Got back tonight. Flight was good. We arrived an hour early but had to wait on the tarmac for "15 mins." which turned out to be 40 mins., but I'm not complaining. I've got 1 suitcase unpacked & already did a load of wash. Go me!! (Guess which Disney show that's from!!)

Here's a shot that I'm amazed came out of my camera. I never get anything this close to being good! No I'm not bragging, I'm just excited about it. Believe me there were several crappy night pics that got deleted.

I came home with 1,169 pics on my camera. Yeah I said 1,169!! I would rather take a bunch of pics & have a couple come out good than only taking 1 & have it come out crappy. The power of digital photography--gotta love it!! I already started purging some crappy pics & currently I'm down to 1,093 pics.

Got to watch Desperate Housewives--it's back!!! Sounds like the season finale will be a doozy. I'm really looking forward to Thurs. night for Grey's!! I saw a commercial that looks like it's gonna be GOOOOOD!

So that's all here. I'll be back tomorrow with more. Oh, yeah & I did I mention that we already booked our next trip? Yep, the countdown is on for Aug!! Call us crazy!!

Greetings from WDW!!

It's been a beautiful last few days here in FL. The weather started out rough the 1st 2 days were stormy & rained all the time but we managed to have fun. Had a chance to get online tonight & while everyone is sleeping I figured I'd blog. **wink wink**

I'm in paparazzi mode & as of tonight I've taken 731 pics!! I know it's crazy but I like playing with the settings on my camera. Just think by the time we leave I just might reach 1000. You never know!!

Tonight we saw the Spectro Magic parade & while we waited I took some shots of the castle. I am thrilled to say that I got some GORGEOUS shots!! I'm so happy!! I can't wait to share them!!

Off to check some blogs! Night!!

For all you QK Scrappers

Have you ever needed a QK die & not be able to find just the right one? Well check out Scrap-Mart's Blog. There are some neat ideas on how to take a die & create a totally different shape from it. This weeks idea is with the "juice box" die. Did you ever look at it & think "tissue box"?? Well one of the creative ladies there did & made a cute little Get Well card!

Oh and btw--I won this week's "March Madness" challenge (by default--but who's counting!)!! You can see it here.

Target fix

Had to run some errands today. My list was as follows....

Go to the Post Office
Go to the bank
Return some shirts to Kohl's
Buy Joe new sneakers
Go to several mall stores for returns
And my favorite part??
Go to Target!!

Don't let my list fool you they were mostly really quick stops...well except for Target!!

So thanks to Laura I realized I HAD to go to Target this week for an assortment of things but namely this. They re-vamped the scrapbook aisle after their mega super sale from the last time I was there & boy was I a kid in the candy store! I saw American Crafts ribbons, KI Memories, & best of all some new MM kits!! So I stocked up on a few different kits that I've been drooling over, because well basically Laura is an enabler & I will do pretty much anything she says!! LOL!!!!! Then I proceeded to the medicine aisle & picked up some of these....cause well we're all sick again!! Fun.

Yep, my head is congested as I type. The only thing I feel like doing is sleeping. Still have more to pack but don't think I'll get to it before I have to pick up Marissa from school. The plane ride should be super fun as we're all sniffling & coughing....bet you're hoping you're not sitting next to us on the plane!!

Out like a lamb?? NOT even close!

What is with this weather??? It's just depressing! It's currently 48 degrees & drizzling. It's been cold & rainy all day!! Just checked in Orlando--it's 83 with chance of thunderstorms. There's always a chance of thunderstorms so I'm not concerned in the least. I can't believe it's technically Spring. I need some flip-flops, shorts & tank top wearing weather!!! NOW!!!

Someone please alert Mother Nature that she forgot to turn up the temperture in this area. Thank you.

The Kitchen Sink....

I don't know about anyone else but I am an admitted over-packer whenever we go away. It doesn't matter if it's for 2 weeks or 2 days -- I take everything!! Every trip I say I'm going to be better. I say I'll limit myself. Then the packing starts. I start second guessing myself...

What if we need to change for dinner? --that's another outfit.

What if the girls spill stuff all over their clothes? --another outfit.

How about I take an extra shirt to go with those shorts? --this is my way of getting 2 wears in 1 pair of shorts...although it doesn't happen much.

What if it's cold at night? --we need jackets & capri pants

What if those shoes aren't comfortable after walking all over EPCOT? --I'll just take a comfy pair of shoes too-just in case.

See what I mean? I can't help it!! SOMEBODY STOP ME!! Joe gets mad at me when he goes to bring the suitcases downstairs & throws his back out. He yells to me something about the 50 lb weight limit & makes me sort things out to make them lighter. Instead of pairing things down & taking some stuff out I just shuffle them to a lighter suitcase! It's a sickness I tell ya!

What I've been doing....

Did this the other day & just wanted to share. It's for Gianna's album, will probably do a simliar one for Marissa's album. Not the greatest pic but it is what it is. Another one for Gianna's album. We were there last year for Father's day. I used some really old papers on this which made me happy. Loosely based on a LO from Laura. I was trying to be orginal but this caught my eye & before I knew it--well here it is! Not totally thrilled with the way the title came out. It looked different in my mind but it's done.

I know I'm supposed to be packing but I couldn't help myself!

Music Star

On Thursday night Marissa had her "1st Grade Music Concert". It was cute. Each 1st grade class sang & performed a song. Some of the kids even played instruments. Marissa got to play the "xylophone medium". Not just the "xylophone" but the "xylophone medium". Got that? I was corrected whenever I said the "xylophone".

Here she is before the show started. It's one of the few good pics I got. The lighting was terrible & all the other pics have her school friends which I'm not keen on sharing without their permission. Just imagine her in a sea of kids all wearing white tops & black pants.

Afterwards the kids were all pumped up after their performance & were bouncing off the walls--at 8 o'clock at night mind you. We managed to get a few shots of her with us & then we went home to watch the video--cause we're dorky like that!

So ready....Sort of!

This time next week we will be in the "Most Happiest Place On Earth"! Can. Not. Wait!


We'll be staying here. It's got so much history for us & the best part is it's the 1st stop on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

Can't wait to get away from this cold, dreary (& now rainy) place!!

Off to continue my adventures in packing!

Randomness

Hoping to make more of a dent in the packing today. I always put it off/get a slow start on it then come the night before never go to bed so I can finish.

Hoping not to overpack this trip. Ha!! Ha!! Ha!! Ha!!

I'm so ready for the warm weather in FL. Joe asked me what I'm looking forward to the most & I said the warm weather. I asked him the same question & he said to spend time with the girls. Guess I'm just selfish!!

I'm tired today. The alarm company from Joe's shop called at 5am to say the alarm was going off. Love that.

It's been a few days now that I haven't been able to get my "fix" at Confessions of a Pioneer Woman.

Besides the packing would love to sit & scrap a few Disney LO's that I have slightly started.

I hope to take pics of some LO's today.

Tonight is Marissa's 1st grade music concert. She's so excited about it because she's got a xlophone part. Keeps worrying that she'll forget her part then turns around saying how great she's going to do. So cute!

I'm hungry & feel like my stomach is eating itself....off to get myself a slim-fast (hey I'm down a couple of lbs. from last week)

Purging...It just feels GOOD!

This afternoon I was straigtening up the house when I realized that it's been awhile since I'd gone on a "Toy Spring Cleaning". I slowly started purging the "little things". Before I knew it I threw out a small armful of toys & what-nots. It felt good!!

Then I went to pick up Marissa from school only to have her invited to her friend's house for a playdate. Know what I did?? Yep! I came right back home & went through the basement, family room, & their bedrooms & filled up a bag & a half of crap & tossed it without a second thought! I feel good!! I would like to do more but I'm not pushing it.

Just wanted to share how much lighter my house is....

Birthday Tween

Today is my neice Destiny's 12th birthday. She's the oldest grandchild on my side. When she was born we were all ga-ga over her! Since I used to work 5 mins away from my mom's house I would go there for lunch & hold Destiny. As she got older when I had a bad day at work I'd go to my mom's for lunch just for a big hug from her to make me feel better. Here she is as our flower girl at 3 yrs. old. She just loved her Uncle Joe that day!
Now here she is just last week. Growing up so fast. Already looking forward to next year when she'll be 13. She can't wait to be an official teenager!! Just don't grow up too fast, OK??

Happy Birthday Destiny!!

Shopping Spree...Bust

So I went to the mall today fully intending to get clothes for all of us for the trip. My 1st stop was Old Navy. I found some cute tops for myself only when I tried them on they didn't fit good so I gave up. I did manage to find the girls some cute, cute clothes so I was happy with that. The rest of my shopping extraganza was basically directed to those 2 little easy-to-shop-for girls of mine. So I settled on living through them. They will were the clothes I would love to wear if I was a smaller size. Now don't get me wrong, I managed to buy myself "A" shirt however not for vacation. I also bought Joe some new much-needed jeans & polo shirts so that's good.

I'm a little bummed about not finding stuff for me but that should just motivate me more to get myself back on the treadmill.....right after I polish off those brownies that Joe brought home!! Kidding!! Just kidding!! I gave him dirty looks & told him that I appreciate the thought BUT seriously NO THANKS!

So glad it's over

Whew! I am tired!! Yesterday was a crazy day & now that it's over I don't want to do anything until we go away! Well, maybe scrapbook but you know what I'm talking about! It's been non-stop every weekend this month & I'm over it! Yeah I'm complaining a bit but give a girl a break!

The kids had lots of fun with the egg hunt. This was the 1st year we managed to have it outside. It was chilly but they didn't feel a thing running all over the place. That's all the grandkids on my side (my girls are in purple).Today I didn't do much of anything. Just tried to recover from yesterday. Did a Disney LO with a few more in the making. Tomorrow I hit the mall for some much needed things for the trip. Nothing like a little retail therapy to make a girl feel better!!