sleepy head

My Qute son - he won't wake up in the morning!!! He won't go to sleep at night either..... Well I had to snap a daily shot of him sleeping cuz he really is an angel (while sleeping :) Short but sweet today!
xoxo
amt

WKND CR8 - #2

Joined a group on the internet - yikes- I'm getting brave! anyhow ali edwards had a weekend creative challenge to make the cutest little book - i don't know how folks can be sooooooo creative? Anyhow it was right up my alley cuz it had a sewing feature! Wooooohooooo! So, I made printed all the directions and pages and had a little fun :) Here's what I came up with - It's a "sweet things i love about you" I haven't finished embellishing the book yet but I have all these cute felt cupcake stickers and tags to use. I'm on it for the rest of today after making a valentines sign for Q's class (room mom duty...:)



Have a beautiful day!

Tree for mankind by a kind man!

My sweet husband is always thinking of how or what he can do around the house to make it more cozy. Today he planted a tree! SOOOOOO cool - it was a pretty big tree, it is a bradford pear tree and should provide some pretty great shade in the spring :) We just moved to this house and right when we sit down to dinner the sun shines right in our face...... SO he planted a tree. Very thoughtful and good for the earth - More oxygen for bakersfield! You go!
xoxox anna
p.s. sorry about the thermal shot it's pretty scary - aye?

thermal me!

Howdy y'all - it's a daily shot experiment
just goofing around with my thermal image on the webcam -
so here's looking at me (thermally...)
xoxo
amt

snow on them thar hills!

A pictorial entry (tuesday to friday) of view from bakersfield......mountains to south - toward LA, mountains to east toward death valley, mountains to west toward coast - pismo area....

there's a storm a comin' tuesday jan 22 - 08 (mountains to east - twd death valley)

dust on the street as i'm drivin,



wednesday, jan 23 - 08 pretty cool shot of sun shining thru RAINY day... could really get any other shots.... drove out the "boonies" mountains to the south - twd LA....




thrusday, jan 24 - 08 SNOW! cool to see snow on the hills when you walk out your front door! It's soooo new to me :) mountains to east - twd death valley



friday, jan 25, 08 - cool sun shot at 7:20 am .....mountains to the east (twd death valley!)


fri 1-25-08, this one is just an different view of mountains to the west (twd the coast)

Free Digital Scrapping Elements

I don't know why but I have been into collecting digital elements for my latest book - File folder Resolutions book....

I've gathered lost of cutesy "FREE" stuff from back issues on creating keepsakes websites everything from cool fonts to card templates to taggies to backgound pages! Sweet! here's the link to the back issues archive - click on a month - then browse more articles - look for FREE DOWNLADS or FONTS - not every month has those particular links but majority of them do - I also got a boatload of downloads from their "101 hip handmade gifts" issue. Have fun surfing if it's your thing?
AMT

December Book club

Here is my finished product for December book club! We were challenged with tim holtz grunge board (whole alphabet) - crackle paint, embossed papers and an acrylic dove. The way I view the challenge is to challenge myself to use the entire kit that is given to me - not just one element. I am really into mini albums so that is probably what I will make with very challenge this year.
Since we were given paint - I wanted to use more paint - since i love fabric and sewing - i wanted to incorporate fabric with new sewing elements. Since we had the whole alphabet - i need to think of a way to use very letter - to me it was natural to do abc book or a 2 z book..... since it was december, I wrote down 26 words (from a to z) that encompassed christmas to me :)
I found their definitions on line - dictionary.com printed the definitions on transparency paper and started a page for each letter.




Since Ali edwards is my "idol" - I used some of her signature techniques eg: every page being uniform (not all the same size) .....I tried also to use everyday items....3 page layouts - I read her new book and reread my highlighted points that spoke to me :) I tried to think outside the scrapbook pages. I actually even used some page protectors and cut hole in them to make my pages interactive. It was so fun to create - I was addicted to the project! I couldn't stop making pages until I was done.... I had a lot of fun thinking creating and recreating.
I had SOOOO much fun creating it. I loved my pages! BUT THEN came my nightmare........I just got stuck when I had to put my non uniform pages together! (argh) on top of that, I had to find/make a book to have them fit in! (double argh!!) I really feel like I kinda blew it at that point.... I didn't plan how I was going to put these pages in a book like format! (woops) I faked it - art at it's best - I meant to do that (right?) - Embrace my imperfection! I ended up making a fabric covered chipboard cover/ hole punches held together with binder rings and came up with a title. "Christmas a 2 z"

I learned a lot from making the december book that when I got the JANUARY kit......I picked my book format FIRST :) I saw a cute little mini project in creative keepsakes mag (feb 08 issue)that used file folders cut in half and glued together as a book. I sewed my pages together and left one side open to add pages inside the book. Kinda like the paper bag book. So the challenge this month is "RESOLUTIONS" fun! in years past i have made resolutions but I have never done much after making them.... making a book about it might actually make me stick to my guns??? There's a challenge within a challenge!
xoxox
me!

FORTE GIANT

here's ant's eye view of my forte snow giant! taken one hour ago on his way to kinder :)

Hold that thought....I need to take this call

Oh my super Q, he loves technology. He'll take his dads cell phone and put in his pocket, snap a shot here and there, browse his address book and take a call or two. In this particular shot - he has my phone and he's talking to spider man :) (for real!)

This one here is my other monkey dolittle.. he scored my onion goggles. ??? Onion goggles are glasses with foam all around the openings to prevent strong onions fumes from seeping into your eyes therefore you won't cry.... A goofy find I got at alspaugh's ace hardware in kingwood, tx (when we lived there). My little monkey looks like a flying ace in them :)

So as you can see it's not hard for me to take a picture a day with two super goofy boys. Today I took one of my "FORTE GIANT". He had a snow day (with fog delay) at school today. They are going to have a snow fight at recess (marshmallows) i can't get the pic to upload sorry..... i'll post it next time :)
have a beautiful day!

pictures of art

COOL art - We (my hubby) painted Q's room over the holiday and we FINALLY hung up some pictures in his room - soooo hard to put nails in a freshly painted walls...... anyhow I had to take a pic of these two cool art pics in his room. One of my dailies to inspire....Drew Brophy - we bought this a few years back in Santa Cruz at the original "o'neil" surf shop. I loved the title "pure joy" and obvious rad colors. dude is hanging ten off his board with the sun behind him - SOOOOO COOL ( a little surfer talk for y'all) - this picture inspires to me to be happy in all that I do - even though I don't know how to surf.... something about this surfer's attitude and the pure colors in the print are soooo inspiring to me :) So I hope it will inspire my super Q to find pure joy in all that he does?

Below the brophy is original art for Kingwood Texas! We lived there the past ten years and had a most marvelously humid time making wonderful friends and starting our family. It was certainly our home away from home. Anyhow - Q went to Good Shephard preschool had the most wonderful teachers and learned so much. They had two art auctions and we won this piece it was by their kindergarten students. I loved the colors and thought it would complement the brophy print nicely. Whatta you think?

Odd couple

My goofy boys are best of friends! Marz is a total nut.... he loves trying on new hats, one year after halloween at the super sale i went out on a limb and bought this elvis mask for a couple of bucks. It's one of marz's favorite! He wears it with spiderman, captain hammer, monkey regular clothes... so on and so forth. Anyhow, just a snapshot - almost kind of a prom picture. It's one of my daily shots unfortunately no strange angles or subject matter. Didn't step out my box for this shot but "IT'S OK" sometimes you need the everyday average shot to show everyday average life. Now Super Q - he is experimenting with his smile - He's soooo funny he likes to think of himself as a "funny guy" after I take the pic he says "let me see that funny guy" :)
So it's him as a poser "funny guy" with his bro "elvis the skeleton" My life as a mom of two goofy boys - gotta love it!
xoxoxo
AMT

Play Park!

Here's a new view the park I snapped the other day :), I usually go down the slide with my boys or after my boys - I will also attempt the swing on a good day. I always used to be embarrassed when I went to the park with my little Q, because I was the only parent making a fool of themselves on the equipment, all the other moms drank their lattes and chatted on the bench.... meanwhile Q would never go on the park structures without me. So.... I decided that if I gotta get on the equipment might as well have fun! Who cares what others think. Now that we have number 2 - Q is more willing to go on the equipment since marz is all over it... but I still find myself unable to sit on the bench and just watch. It's too much fun playing on the slide and swings :)



so - these are typical shots of the kids playing.... It was a nice clear day - chilly but clear - you could see the snow capped mountains in all directions. Today it's foggy.... and there's more snow on them thar hills, I'm waiting for another clear day to take a pic for y'all (aka linda) ..... the last two clear days - i did not have my cam handy :(
signing off for now -
xoxox
amt

Look @ the moooooooon

One of my resolutions this year is to take a pic everyday! My quest is to see the world with new eyes. As you may have read from my last entry..... my nephew helped me to gain new perspective. If he had a blog, I'd give you his link but being as he is only almost 3... he hasn't figured out the keyboard quite yet..... I did give him his first laptop for xmas.... it was even bilingual! Sweet! Other things that help me gain a new perspetive out in the blogging wold are:
tim holtz, ali edwards, MUSIC!!!, my bro's music - check out his new song download :) - north swell!!.
All right - I can go in a lot of different directions but back to the moon. I don't have a super fancy camera but it takes some cool shots :) I took this on a drive to gilroy from bakersfield..... It was a clear COLD night! In Los banos We had to stop for a potty break.... and the moon was shining bright! So I snapped a shot :) Anyhow, hope I can inspire y'all to take some pics of your family - your life - your happenings from a new perspective?
That's all for now,
xoxoxo
anna

my nephew

My first holiday with my little nephew - who ran around calling me auntie :) I have spent previous holidays with the little critter but this was the first one where he actually wanted to hang out with me! SWEET! I'm an autie!! OH and the way he says "auntie" just about melted my heart. Like you wanna go to the kiddie store and buy up all the candy he wants and let him have a field day! Crazy thing is - he wouldn't eat the candy if I put it next to a bowl of fruit :0) What a good kid! Did I mention his parents are awesome too!

So, we spent the day after xmas with the cousins, five tremblay boys, one auntie and one tia. We ended up at Jack London State park in Sonoma. It was awesome! I was skeptical at first cuz it was cold, but I had the most wonderful time. The brothers (my hubbie and uncle d) took the wagon and we all went for a hike. Not your typical hike, but the kind where you take the kids and go 1/2 mile downhill and 1/2 mile uphill.
I brought my pink cam, I decided for that day, I was going to take pics and be inspired by nature. anyhow, on my quest to see life through new eyes - I took this pic of him upside down. I laid down on the ground and looked at him from a ant's perspective. He didn't even think I was weird! Just like an almost three year old. I can really take lessons from this super cute kid!

OK - so he's a total adventurer! He has a fabulous imagination, too. He would just take off and start playing with a pinecone or a stick and it was so amazing to see his little mind turning and creating a fascinating little story, only he would truly understand :) So at one point he just bolted. I was ready to take off to catch him but his super svelte mom said "let's see what he does". He found some new friends, go figure! He joined another group of folks and walked them back to Jack's burnt down house. You could see the joy he had spread to them in a matter of a minute. Amazing, kids have the power to spread joy to unknown passer-byers without even setting out to do so! COOL! /so I snapped this shot of him off in the great blue and green yonder. It's a sign..(amercian sign language). It's my favorite sign "i love you". I tried to position him right in the middle of my sign

This shot was taken of the latest and greatest tremblay boys climbing a fence to get into the house ruins. It was cute one of them came up with the idea that they could get into the blockaded area. And the rest of them decided to follow. I think they busted out the little einstein theme song during their adventurous break in...


OK - we ended our tour of wine countryside with a GREAT cup o joe. Check out this cool machine - I want one in my kitchen :) So the coffee shop was located adjacent to a yarn shop. Unfortunately they were closed. I think I left a trail of drool on their window sill. The had tons of embellishing goodies and cute bags to carry it all in. Very cute fabric and yarns to spend my craft cash on :) Well that's it for now. I had fun writing about you my little nephew. You are very special and you spread joy to many unsuspecting people. Your parents are doing a FABULOUS job creating a caring independent creative being! RIGHT ON!!

Peace in 2008

Two things for 2008. PEACE and recycle peace.
Seriously, peace has been a life long quest of mine and I found a true peace in the lord this year. It's very hard for me explain but to me it's real. Now, why peace? I wish that I could share my peace with everyone. Then there would be no need for war or anger. The war is heavy on my mind these days, since we were blessed to share a wonderful holiday with both sides of our family. It breaks my heart that many men and women were not able to do so. I know they were missing their family and their family was missing them. And I greatly appreciate their service for us. I just wish they could be home with those they love. Everyday I read about a new death in the war and it saddens me for a family's loss.

So without getting political or religious........I hope for peace in 2008, and once we achieve peace - let's recycle it!