What i'm listening to this week......

What I have been reading and re-reading for the past month......

More minis.... that I have been meaning to post pics of

Random Ramblings with Anna...
kinda like a flashback to the "Deep Thoughts with......" from SNL




I LOVE YOU book for Matt... it's only about the two of us. No mention of the sweet little angels we bore..... i think it's important to highlight just the two of us :) Except for the cover all product is from cosmo cricket one of my fav companies at the moment.....





If I had one hundred wishes.... this is what I would give to you.... cute paper from heather bailey (she also produces fabric - yum yum) sheer album by maya road




My latest BOM (book of month) kit. Cover made with a clear acrylic sheet... in the shape of a house. All other pages are mixed fabric and paper from various companies. Anyhow the book again is for my hubby. It's called "HOME" . It highlight's all the places we lived. 2 apartments, 6 houses!!! in 13 years of cohabitation and 10 yrs of marriage. Yet at the very end, it summaries home is where the heart is and my heart is with him and our family that we have created. :)



awe...... what fun.... I have been staying true to my self made promise that I would create at least one mimi album per month for an entire year..... so far... the stash is good. Although, I just need a better place to display them so people can touch and feel when they come to visit...... but not so accessible that my curious boys would destroy them?? Suggestions?

xoxo,
AMT

I wanna be a ROCK STAR!!!

So... a few weeks back I mentioned that my 1st grader's new favorite saying is ROCK STAR! Well can I tell you how stoked he was a real live rock band came to our house and stayed the night? My brother is in a band called North Swell (you may have noticed my link ???) Well they happened to be "passing through" bako and decided to crash for a night. In true rock star fashion they showed up some time in the middle of the night.... after a gig.... and so my boys had to wait until the morning to meet them all!!! The boys (my boys) had soooo much fun in. First they met Steve (Eric's dad visiting from michigan) and of course they decided he was their long lost uncle.... Then they met Seth.... crazy dude with lots o piercing to make things interesting - then they met Eric relatively quite fella but very nice. AND finally their real UNCLE woke up from a long nights slumber.

Seth taught them how the piano works.... I need to post about our newest addition.... the piano.

Then they all went for a swim because it only like in 90's by 10 am..... it was a hot day for sure.....

Later that morning, the rest of the band showed up... Jessie, Mike and Ben.... So again true rock star fashion... they have no map in the car.... so we let them borrow one but they forgot it... :)

Then they had to hit the road.....

Here's Jess sporting an SLR ....


Marcel saying please don't leave uncle lawrence...... i will miss you.....


It was swell having "the swell" in town. We look forward to some more great music and all the perks of rock star success when you hit it big!

xoxo,
ur sis

Andres David

My new nephew Andres,
We showered you this weekend at Caffe Riace in Palo Alto. I truly hope you turn out to be a manly character such as this fellow who watched us shower you......

Here we are... the ladies in waiting....... one BFF, one nina and one auntie (me)....oh yah - and your mom - front and center!.. what we wait for is the chance to hold you in our arms.... We were all in your parent's wedding we were only missing Ana from Boston.
Anywho - we and our mothers were present to show you love and give you best wishes before you enter the great big wonderful world. And from the looks of your mommy I doubt it will be much longer til you get to meet the world! You are due in Oct but honey you might not make it that long????

Here's Nina Sonia and Auntie Anna. Nina got a new car later that day.... how fun!!


Here's "My Jennie", she as lovely and sweet as looks in this picture. You will be lucky to have her as part of your life :)

YUM! the food was tasty as it was beautiful. There were four courses and all just got better and better....... You even taste tested the food - you stud!!

The gift part was fun! I like to shoot different angles of everyday stuff - so this was my interpretation of "gifts". We all wrote you "wishes" on guest tickets from the restaurant. I plan to find an OLD menu book to make an album for you to commemorate the event.

Well that about sums up the festivities. It was lots of fun and a beautiful day to help spur along the idea that it is OK for you to enter the world ....whenever you want.... I know your mom would appreciate it :)
We can not wait to meet you Andres! I think your big brother is excited too!
xoxo
Auntie Anna
(yes - like the pretzel)

Ike

I really have not been able to bring myself to post anything on the blog as I have been preoccupied about IKE and the damage he left behind in the gulf coastal region of SE Texas. So I decided I should write about it...

I lived there (with my family) for 10 years and by the time I left I thought of it as my home. When we moved back to Cali - I truly did leave behind part of my heart. I have several VERY VERY dear friends that live in the path of destruction that IKE left behind. Thank goodness they are all fine and actually so are their homes. Yet from what I understand, in our hometown of Kingwood, about every 3rd or 4th house was affected. It is a very wooded area and when a stiff wind blows thru a branch or tree is bound to break.

My friend, Travis, stayed up all night to hear and watch the storm. He said the eeriest part was the "eye" passing over them. He said it was about 2 hours of silence and calm. Can you imagine 2 HOURS??? At the time the eye passed over, minimal damage was done. IT was the second half of the storm that did all the damage, in Kingwood.

As of today, they still do not have power and virtually everything is shut down. Everyone is now struggling to find food/water and/or gas. It really is a sad situation. Please pray for all those affected by IKE, especially those who are now "homeless".

Sincerely,
Anna

a creative escape

alas - I have some pictures to share with you on a mini book I made for my grandfather. The book is one of many minis I have made this year for my book club.... all the papers (except for the album covers) are from our July kit. Every month we meet and get a kit of papers and embellishments (worth $10). Every few months we pick a new book..... we are currently using is Life Artist from ALI.... we take challenges from the kit and create layouts from there. This particular month's challenge was to use the entire kit.... I used ALL of it but one 6x6 flowery paper...I was happy with my end result and I am headed to Gilroy this weekend to give it to my Grandfather. You can click on the pictures to make them larger if you wish to see detail.... getting closer to getting an SLR so I take much better pics of my projects...... :)

STAR SPANGLED SERVICE
this is the cover I used with a WHITE acrylic 6x6 album from D Reeves Design House first heard of her from my guru ALI......


inside cover - first pic in air force

page 3&4 (all the pages are wht cardstock (plain or covered with pattered paper from my BOM July Kit)
grandma in his uniform

page 5&6
a letter to my grandpa from HARRY S Truman

pages 7&8
family photos from 1952

pages 9 & 10
my mom and the proud dad

pages 11 & 12
the wars he served in, and the 22 medals of Honor he earned !!!

pages 13 & 14
retirement from the service after 20 yrs


back cover:


Thanks for bearing with me and my craft. It's part of what makes me... me! For those of you who know (and love) me, and you think you might want to try and make a book like this.... ASK me.... I'd be happy to help you along your way. It's really fun and rewarding, once you have a finished product :) Ohhhhh, I do have some good news on my crafting side, I am going to be teaching my first class in October (then again in November) on Christmas Tags. We'll be making 25 cute little gift tags for those special Christmas gifts. I'll post a link when it gets closer to the date. Right now I am only on the calendar and don't have anything yet displayed.

Much love,
Anna

Marcel turns 4!!

My little "toot-der" has gone and turned four on me. He's no longer a "toddler"! He's a little boy.
We had TWO parties for him. One with family two wkends ago and then one on his actual bday with a few friends.

The bday cake was OREO!! Made from the BEST cake bakery in town. I don't think I have tasted a better cake in my great great state of CA.
Here's the Pirate Pinata filled with pirate booty not candy :) That was fun stuffing little treasures instead of candy in the pinata!!

Make a wish - little guy.... he wishes for toys - no doubt.....

Here are the TOYS he got.... dump truck - remote control HUMMER - chocolate - transformer - legos - u build it truck - new movie. In which his older brother COMPLETELY melted down about.....(he's a movie guy)......

Here's his first day of preschool. It's at the Catholic Church. Matt likes to say we shipped him off to the nuns so they could whip him into shape.... :)


Marz and Miss Rayanne (hey - she does not look like a nun?)


Marcel is all boy. While we are very proud of our little guy - he's quite a handful. He's a sharp little pistol (sharpest in all the wild west). He's all about dirt, rocks, bugs, dress-up?, legos, getting his own way, being a sly guy..... etc Anyhow - we did ship him off (for a few hours a day) to the catholic school but that did not stop him. It turns out he's already had his first visit to the Principal's Office (on the third day of school)! WHAT!! The kid has some serious shaping up to do or we are getting kicked out of Pre-k and going to boot camp for boys. (just kidding - I hope!!) Turns out he's learned his lesson (for now) & we are off to make paper flowers for the two wonderful teachers who will help steward him along the path to "good behavior". (fingers crossed....)

xoxo,
the nester in need of a margarita....

The Blog Award goes to......

I received a wonderful blog award from my dear friend linda but I forgot to pass it on......



So the lucky winners are:

Lawren Coope of Green Gals and Guys......

Ashley Meeke of Scrap Like Mad

and
Alessandra Posada of Halls of Ulmo

Q's first day of 1ST Grade

Here's the NEW big boy backpack.....

here he is walking to his school from the car.....

Just because mom likes everyday stuff.....

walking the halls of his new school

His desk.....

Walking into class after lining up from the playground :) your fav thing was tether-ball (until you discovered basketball!!!)


QJ - Who could be more proud than mom and dad? Our little baby boy is now in the big leagues..... 1ST grade. Your making new friends and surveying the scene to see what might catch your fancy. Your fav. new saying is "Rock Star"..... definitely got the from the playground.... but I think it's hilarious! The greatest thing about you Q is your amazing desire and motivation to learn. You are so EAGER to go to school. You are so proud of the fact that you can read. You are so amazing to me (and dad too).

We could not be happier for you.
xoxo
mom

Two things Wednesday........

Because my son has quickly forgotten all about Tiger woods.... and the olympics is all over.....
I thought I would post this phunny picture.....
Michael Phelps is Q's new hero.... with this picture.... I think Michael Phelps might be my husband's new hero???


Thing number two - I am officially over my hump of NO posts..... I'll be back in business with-in a few days..... and while I was away.... my DEAREST friend Linda gave me an award! How cool huh????
I would first like to thank the academy......my producers..... my editors...... oh I'm joshin yall!



bigs hugs and bigs kisses
XOXOXOXO