Mapping the Journey

Weekend Scrapping

Credits can be found here.

Credits can be found here. 

I created . . .

. . . this layout:

and I was selected for Jennifer Schmitt's Creative Team!  I'm very excited because this is my first team, and I can't wait to use Jennifer's wonderful templates!  Jennifer's designs are at KB and Friends. Okay - off to create!   

Jason and Kendra

This is my latest layout, inspired by this week's Lifts with a Twist #8.

Credits can be found here.

Bad Girl

Okay, I have been very bad lately, but I have to show you the goodies that I have bought recently:

Dangerous Desire by Corina Nielsen - Funky Playground Designs

 

Nancy Comelab - Photo Clusters from My Digital Muse

Tracy Ann Designs from Scrapbook Bytes

This is just a sampling of my recent purchases.  I love buying girly kits and elements, unfortunately, the only other girl in the house besides me is Nellie, my dog.  Oh well - I will use them somehow!

Stonefly or Caddisfly?

I created this layout for Lifts with a Twist #7.  This was so much fun, and I actually made a cluster of elements in the corner - joy, joy! 

Comfort

I created this for the Trendy Tuesday Challenge, 2/13/07.  It's not my usual style, but then, I don't know that I have a usual style, yet.  Enjoy!

Snow Day and Lifts with a Twist

Today is a snow day, for me and the kids.  I did get one scrapbook layout done so far, in response to the Lifts with a Twist #6 challenge.  Here it is:

This was a lot of fun to scrap, the the Lift challenge was just what I needed to get going.  Alex went to the TMS Math/Science club kickoff to do water quality monitoring on a 3 sites in Ohio County, on Wheeling Creek.  I went along, since it is job related for me as well.  We had a lot of fun.  Well, I did, and most of the kids did; Alex wasn't thrilled with it, but he did enjoy getting to play in the water.

What I Like About You

A few weeks ago, I saw this post on another blog:  Dare 54.  So I asked Vincent to tell me what he likes about me.  It only took, well, a few weeks, but this is what he said, and what I created.

This is way beyond the typical "journaling" that I normally do on layouts.  I just don't like to journal because I have a hard time deciding who I am writing to.  Anyway, this is what it says:

When I think about what I like best about you, I always seem to go back to what I've always thought about you from day one, and that is what attracted me to you.  It's the fact that you have always been very intelligent while still being beautiful on the inside and out.  There are intelligent people who are mean spirited, and you are not this, because you have a friendly personality.  There are intelligent people who don't have the looks, and you are not this either, you have both.  There are intelligent people who don't have common sense, and you are not this, as you have common sense too.  Of course there are people who aren't very intelligent, but can have looks, personality, and common sense too.

Most people to me seem to be overbearing in one area or another or can be described by certain characteristics.  You are not that type of a person, as you have all good qualities.  No one can say, "Nicole talks all the time (like "some people")", or "Nicole smells bad", or anything bad.  You can't be pegged with a bad or weird persona.  You are not the one that has a characteristic that everyone talks about, people only say good things about you.  I think this is because of your intelligence.  You know how to handle yourself around people. 

So, you may view this as a general answer, it's really not to me.  I just think it boils down to the fact that you have everything connected from the inside all the way to the outside.  You don't have any missing links!  That has always been my attraction to you, because you truly have the smarts, the looks, and the common sense that makes you a wonderful woman.  I feel this makes me very fortunate to be your husband. I feel blessed when you tell me you love me, I'm so lucky to have you.  Just think, if we didn't go to Mister Donut that day 15 years ago, our lives could be a whole lot different!  I know that I'm glad we did, I'm glad we are still together.  I love you!

I'm not crazy about the layout, but I love the message, and that's what's most important to me on this one.  I'm just glad I got it scrapped.

Credits:
Doodles - DaniB - Digital Graffiti
Papers - Carole Neale - DigiScrapShak February Mega Kit
Journal block - Carrie Stephens
Ribbon - Diamante Designs - the Digi Shoppe February Sampler

Next weekend, we are going away, just the 2 of us, for a weekend to celebrate our 15th anniversary.  Yes, he is such a good husband that he is taking me shopping!  Woo-hoo - I can't wait!  I just wish it would warm up because it's an outdoor mall that we are going to.  Oh well, nothing that closeness can't cure!  LOL

Trendy Tuesday Challenge-Update

I forgot to add the link to the Trendy Tuesday Challenge, which has so much more.  The site is A Fancy Word for Simple, and it features a daily quote to get your creative writing juices flowing, in addition to the Trendy Tuesday Challenges.  Fun stuff here!

Trendy Tuesday Challenge

10 Favorites

Favorite Color:  There are so many great colors it's hard to choose, but today I would have to say "coral" - a perfect blend of red, pink, and orange.
Favorite Food:  A perfectly blended cheesecake.
Favorite Month: April
Favorite Song:  Oh, this is tough because I have so many songs that I love! But the song that chokes me up everytime I sing along I "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns - love them, love their music
Favorite Movie:  "Mrs. Soffel" has always been a favorite; and "The Wedding Singer" - what a contrast!
Favorite Sport: Definitely Football!
Favorite Season:  Spring!
Favorite Day of the week: Sunday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Butter Pecan or Rocky Road, always Breyers
Favorite Time of Day:  evening

9 Currents

Current Mood: tired
Current Taste: wanting chocolate
Current Clothes:pink sweater and jeans
Current Desktop: my lap
Current Toenail Color: chipping away fuschia-ish
Current Time: 5:44 pm
Current Surroundings: my living room, with my dog beside me
Current Thoughts: thinking about what I need to get done this evening

8 Firsts
First Best Friend: Tami
First Kiss: Charlie - we were 5
First Screen Name: nicviars (ooh, almost as exciting as my current screen name, nviars!)  Somebody help, please!
First Pet: Cheyenne - norwegian elkhound
First Piercing: ears, then had to get re-pierced when 1 earring tore out of my ear
First Crush: Bobby?
First CD: Stone Temple Pilots (1st cassette - Chicago)

7 Lasts

Last Cigarette: college, probably 16 years ago
Last Drink: New Year's Eve
Last Car Ride: about 1.5 hours ago, driving home from work
Last Kiss: last night
Last Movie Seen: The Longest Yard
Last Phone Call: 20 minutes ago, from DH
Last CD Played:  CD?  I just play my iPod

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Guy/Girl Friends: yes, and I married him
Have You Ever Broken the Law: yes, but not habitually :-)
Have You Ever Been Arrested: No (by the grace of God)
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: No!  And I want to!
Have You Ever Been on TV: yes, in high school
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: yes . . .

5 THINGS
Thing You're Wearing: always jeans
Thing You've Done Today: went to work, spent way too much time talking, laughed, almost cried when a co-worker got bad news about his dad, picked my kids up after school, cooked, worked on a newsletter, ate dinner
Thing You Can Hear Right Now: a truck driving down my street
Thing You Can't Live Without: my faith in God, my family, my computer
Thing You Do When You're Bored: eat

4 PLACES YOU'VE BEEN TODAY: Home, my office, the ski lodge (to pick up my kids at their bus stop), the "Convenient" store (yes, it is really called "Convenient", as opposed to the generic "convenience store")

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO: I can't think of 3 people that I can tell anything to, nor do I want to tell everything! 

2 CHOICES
1. Black or White: Black
2. Hot or Cold: Hot

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE: Go Skinny Dipping!  LOL (Or open a bead store)