The Mighty Quinn!!

The Mighty Quinn is 6... and he's fabulous. This halloween we went the homemade costume route.... he said he wanted to be a book...... one of his favorite books... SKIPPY JON JONES. How cool is that? This photo was taken when the costume was in the making (design phase 2)......

here's the costume live and scoring big points with the candy-hander-outers......

I can't believe how you have grown and how far you have come. Life has amazing things in store for you SUPER Q!
xoxo
mom

finally I am excited for Oct 31

yes... it is spooky.... some wacky glasses I found at one of my new favorite stores.. called "sweet surrender" right next to my favorite fabric shop called "strawberry patches".... anyhow they have some really cool gifts in there even though they are a bakery..... and I could not resist the glasses.... They pushed me into the halloween spirit, I seemed to have lost this year. Well - I got to keep the glasses for all of about 5 minutes till my boys snagged them from me. Goodness only knows where they are now......

Someone's going to be SIX!!

My sweet sweet baby..... this post is for you :)

I asked you to sit still while I snapped some pics of you for my post.... and here's what I got.....
Some really great blurry shots of you cracking up....... I still love these photos.... You have a great laugh and a beautiful smile and these are some great shots to commemorate that! xoxo, mom

Laying off the videos

Ok..... if your smart enough to navigate the internet and blog around... your smart enough to vote... I'll lay off the videos.....


Here's some really cute pictures of one of my really cute kids....

he had a fall halloween festival at his school - got his face painted.. touched yucky eyeballs and slimy guts.. and mushy brains....so great for the sensory aspect of teaching.....

He's peeking through the window of a little plastic playhouse on his playground :)

I was taking some pics of my QT pie (whose turning six....this week) and Marz was jealous.... so he said mommy look at me!!
He's flexing his muscles....yikes check out my dirty dishes.....


Since I was making " the book costume" this weekend that meant I had the sewing machine out.... I have a backlog of things I need to do with my sewing machine this was one..... turn a t-shirt into a pillow for a friend..... here it is....


Last like I said... My boy is turning 6 yrs old!! AHHHH! here's the b-day invites..... party on Saturday..... bouncy house - pinata - food - yada yada yada...it's a mad scientist invite

xoxo
anna

VOTE.... people.... vote x 2

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead





I'm sorry people but I have to do this.... you have to watch this......

Xmas Glitter House Swap

I joined and online Glitter house swap. It's a tiny little paper house made from a template, I added the doors and windows at my discretion. By tiny... I don't mean micro - just small like about 2 1/2 inches tall by maybe 3 inches depth.... I did not measure it... and I'm not good with math - so it's a total guess... (sorry) back to cute stuff... I used "ice stickles" to glam it up.
The roof is diamond glazed with snowflakes and has silver tinsel ribbon along the roof line (kind a retro effect - remember tinsel??) what a messy fun effect that was......


I added a snow man.... (oh sooooo cute) look at the little carrot nose


Some greenery - too - it's xmas right? oh yah and house numbers....


I made three houses in total.... one for myself - one for a dear friend.... one for the actual lady I swapped with. I should be getting one a similar size from someone else within the next month. I guess I'll have some little paper houses this year - I think I'll need to make some more (two stories... and varying sizes) to make a mini village. Any suggestions for building types??


xoxo,
anna

I'm not playing with a full deck :)

Gals and Dolls -

One of my online groups (linda got me to join)...... Christian Deck, Linda is organizing a group to make ATC's equivilant to the number of cards in a deck.... 52 (i think?) anyhow..... we pick a card and a bible verse that has to do with LOVE and make an atc.... She scans them in- sends them to a printer.... everyone orders a few decks and the printer prints them out.... she mails them back.... we all get customized decks of cards with everyone's art. It's really cool!
This is my first time participating in a swap, as such, but I think this group has put out several decks of card. It seems like a lot of work for the organizer, no? (it is....) anyhow.... I was able to design two cards..... 6 of hearts and 4 of spades.
For my 6 of hearts card I used this image....

It's from 1920's (i believe) It's my grandmother and her godmother on her baptism day. Unfortunately since the card is 2 1/2 by 3/12 I really did not have a lot of room to work with.... so her godmother, Ramona (her aunt) did not make the actual ATC. I used my Grandmother and Jesus (with a gold crown... and the verse "1 Corinthians 13:7" {Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.} This verse really embodies how I truly feel about my grandmother. She amazes me everyday. She is a pillar of strength and has more love to give than I could ever dream up. I am fortunate to still have her in my life and I am soooooooo blessed that my two boys have grown to know and love her very dearly. She is a very special person in my life and I just feel so honored that I was able to make this ATC about her. She loves playing cards and so that will be an added bonus when she gets a deck to use with her friends down at the senior center :) Of course.... I forgot to scan the image/ photograph the image.... so right now it in en-route to Linda and well I'll upload it later.
My second card (4 of spades) is of this picture..... and yes I did photograph the ATC... but it too is en-route to houston and I want it to be a surprise.... for linda.


This last picture is the image of the ATC I made as an entry for the back design of the whole deck of cards......

I twisted the wire into a heart shape and glued silver metallic wings with a red rhinestone heart to the center and named the card as "Love conquers all" It was a fun ATC. I'm really getting into the whole ATC size for making paper art..... it's way fun :)

Vote.... people.... vote

alrighty.... if this don't make you vote.... what will?

a recurring wine label theme

a few months back I posted a pic of "happiness in a bottle"... well my friends here's mystery in a bottle.....

..... who ever said marketing has nothing to to due with selling products..... when it comes to wine....(and let me mind you cheap wine.....) I'm all about the label.... and what ever trader joe's has on sale. So this wine label - I could not resist. The big question was it any good. YES, it was! and on sale for $5.99 @ TJ's. it's a great bargin. It's was a cab-syrah mix from Santa Barbara vineyards. And since I'm trying to make a concerted effort to buy local..... this bottle fit the bill.

furry fall

my DF linda has inspired me to show you my front door....... I made this as a result of one her post... I was all gloom and doom about halloween and fall decorating ((not sure why I love to do that kinda stuff...) anyhow I found something that tickled my fancy and I went with it.....

here's a real close up and personal shot with the cutest bird I think I have ever seen.... whatta you think?
his lady made a nest too..... he's guarding it.......I also added paper.... as inspired by an article I shaw from this lady.....


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Very Important side note: here is my cutie son hoopin it up at his first basketball game :)

oh la la, a french atc swap.....

Bonjour y'all!
I'm hosting an all things french ATC swap over at the Christian Paper Artist yahoo group. The group is mostly women who trade art of various sizes and themes. I've been having fun hosting swaps..... My first swap was a "Going Green" ATC swap, my second was and Owl inchie swap and now... well this is my third. I was inspired by this issue of Somerset Studio to do a french ATC swap. My friend Linda, whom I nudged ever so slyly to join the swap did these ATC's... oh so chic!

As for me the above image is a hint of what I'll be doing(sorta??)...... Since the swap name is "all things french" I'm doing all my favorite french things (with a vintage twist).... chocolate, champagne, perfume.... you get the drift, right? So each of my atc's will be different. (note to self: I'll probably need to make two of each.... one for the swap one for me.) I have found something that inspires me over at the 7 gypsies blog. I am planning to get one of these spinners and start displaying my cool swaps on them.
Anyhow, if you want take part in the french swap - Grab a latte, get some paper, some frenchy french stuff and start making art!!!
xoxo
Anna

a trip to the driving range with dad

Well, it's not a sunday if we don't get some kinda sports activity in for the day.....here's a pictorial post of a recent trip to the driving range with dad (I tagged along to so I could get some snapshots, of course....)

and they are off.........

some pointers.....

the big set up......



sweet shot kid! (please note: the mat....)

so we hit that way right???

I'm trying my darnest dad......

I did it!!!!
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Let me show you how it's done boys........


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how do you hit again?

do you think this visor makes my head look big?

:( golf is hard :(


We'll get them next - tiger.
xoxo,
mom

25 tags of Christmas

I taught my very first class at my fav store the other night. It was a little more work in preparation than I had expected but all in all it was quite fun. I would say the class was a hit, I sold out (12 students).
The product came from one sheet of paper (and a ton of cardstock) by teresa collins line "tis the season". I am teaching it one more time in dec and taking a break from anymore classes til I find something that truly moves me.....I've been trying to put together a class "just because" but I just don't think that is my style. So I will wait till something moves me......hummmmm. below is a pic of the tags that are made for the class :)
have a great day.
xoxo
anna

Is fall finally upon us?

I can't tell you how ready I am for fall..... it's been really hot for a really long time here but alas we had our first autumnal weekend. What??? The temp was under 80 degrees the entire weekend(ohlala) I wore long sleeves shirts, pants, dusted off my UGGS :) Wahoo! The leaves are changing and so is my bluesy mood. Ya'll will be happy hear that......sorry for the debbie downer posts..... but sometimes we just gotta keep it real.




so go kick up some leaves and roll around in the hay (so to speak.....)
enjoy the fall, I'm trying my darn-dest to breathe in the fresh crisp CLEAN air from the pacific fronts...... keep 'em coming babey.... oh yah and keeping abreast with all the election hoopla... Don' t forget to vote, let your voice be heard.
xoxo
amt

This is for you Lawren......

Parenting is a constant struggle. It's a struggle when you are new to it or even if you are an old pro... (NOT ME!) Once I think I have got one stage (sorta) under control they go and hit another stage.... and throw me for a loop. Funny thing is my oldest is only 6!! they have not even reached puberty yet!! arrgh!

Well my story as a parent is one I don't really talk about too much, on the blog.... My old son has some learning disabilities and truly was not able to talk much until about 4 1/2. We've been to plenty of docs and specialist trying to figure out the "label" but really have not been able to pin point one for him. One doc says autism - one says apraxia, one says this - one says that. To me I don't really need a label - just the reassurance that as a parent I'm doing everything possible to help him along his way....... and lots and lots of prayer.........

I do know that when it is all said and done. He will be something truly magnificent due to all his strong will and boundless determination to "catch" up to his peers. Q is an amazing child , I forget sometimes to thank my lucky stars that he is soooooo willing to go to speech therapy and go occupational therapy and physical therapy..swimming.. task..... Not many parents have it as easy as I due when it comes to kids with special needs. Q is very cooperative when it comes to one on one learning and he has come a long, LONG way since he was 2 1/2 (when we started therapies). With lots of help and support from family, friends, therapist and teachers alike....... we will have an "incredible" success story to tell when it is all said and done :) At our current point in time it's a "really great" success story so far......

a couple of posts back - i posted what I've been reading for the past month (over and over and over....) It's a great book called "how to talk to your kids so they will listen and how to listen so they will talk......" {recommended by some really great parents we know - that happened to have just gave birth to our second nephew}........ anyhow this book does not address issues for children with special needs - it's just a plain old communication book. After reading it...... I would venture to say that just about anyone could benefit to read this book and gain better communication skills in the process. Although the "examples" might seem kinda ridiculous if you don't have any kids..... :)

My friend Lawren asked me to share the finer points of the book......well it's the 5 cent version (literally) .... straight plagiarism from the chapter recaps.....i did find a great deal at amazon... when I bought the book "used" for 1 cent and paid 3.99 shipping..... so it was $4.00. Thrift books (green earth company out of portland) anyhow I was soooo pleased to make this because it has helped me capture the major points of the book and I plan to print it off and hang it in every room of our home..... (ok maybe not every room.. )

Lawren - I made the image in pse.....i'm trying hard to learn the program.. muddling thru.... gotta love "control key" + "z".... (undo shortcut) I'm making lots of mistakes....... i used some cool scrapbook paper for the background.

anyhow, good luck.....

just one of those blusey kinda day (for me)

I have these days occasionally and today is one of those days (more like the entire month...... I really have been missing my girls back in houston. It's not easy to pack up your life and leave 10 years of friendship behind.....but thank goodness I'll always have the memories.... (until I get Alzheimer's at-least....) so i wanted to post his picture in tribute to the toothless crew back in Htown. We went on a girls weekend to the hill country in tx and decided that we should just BE BOLD.... go to a water slide park and not be critical of ourselves.... (i.e. we did not care what we looked like in bathing suits) This picture commemorates that day the other day was a wild and crazy day at the outlet center in san marcos...... all I have is the visa bill (for that month) to commemorate that one.... (heheh)



Love you girls and MISS YOU TO PIECES....

AMT

Andres David

Here's the newest kid on the block.... Andres. Wish I could be there to hold him in person but this picture is getting me through to next week when we get to meet you at you house :)
I hear you are a cute sweet baby and hear your real mellow too! Wahoo!
Mom and Dad are sure proud of you, oh and your grandparents too! Lucky you! You have an adoring crowd standing by.... cheering you on as you grow inch by inch.

Welcome to world little Andres!!
Much love,
Auntie Anna

Click - Click - Click

some random pictures..... if only i were a computer guru - I would be able to magically edit the mp3 file to sing the chorus only,..... at least the song is funny- listen to the words .... As for the music..... it's a new addition to the blog.... I don't think I will do it all the time - just a random song here and there to coordinate with my post....

The chorus is my theme song..... not the wedding crashing story of the entire song :)

Back to click click click........don't be afraid to take shots that you see everyday.... here's a sky shot - it's from months ago... but I like it because it reminds me to DREAM..... I love cloud formations....

here's a water shot.... this I love to experiment with water. I love to try and catch reflections.... Although with this shot - there is no reflection just droplets of water.....

last..... it's a disco ball..... wahoo! don't forget to boogie like nobody is watching :)
(trust me - I better pray that "no one is watching cuz I got no rhythm" .....

ciao!