Nothing to see here folks, move along....

Ugh. I pretty much could have just left my post at that one word. Cause that pretty much sums up how I feel. Really, nothing exciting to read here so I encourage you to move along now before you get sucked into my random whining.

I'm 26 weeks pregnant. Other than feeling totally exhausted (hello, Mr. Sandman where the *bleep* did you go?) I do feel pretty good and count myself very blessed all seems to be going well. Meh, maybe it's just the hormones getting the better of me. Maybe Hugh is traveling too much? I really do hate it when he's gone. He leaves again Monday for the week. Ugh *bleep*

Anyway, he's out right now with Quinn. Boys afternoon out so Mommy could have some quiet time. The first time ever, I've been alone in the house for a few hours since Quinn has been born. I was really hoping to do a bit of scrapbooking (if I can remember how) but apparently I can't cause I got as far as taking out a photo, tag and some papers and now I'm stuck. I guess I'm just meant to be an incubator all day and not be creative in the least bit or that would totally throw Mother Nature off her rocker. Well too *bleep*ing bad for her!

It's a beautiful day out, I can hear kids playing, music blaring and families having fun. And here I sit with not one motivated bone in my body. This makes me feel like a total bucket of *bleep*

Offering a reward for the location of Mr. Sandman and my Mojo (bonus if you can find Mother Nature and flip her the bird for me -- don't worry she won't be mad, she likes birds),

Yay, it's a Blog Hop!

Thanks so much for joining us! We are very excited show you some scrappy projects from the ‘past’ and hope that you gain lots of inspiration and continue to hop with us!!

If you just happened by this blog and didn't realize a blog hop was taking place, please go back to Scrap~tures and start the Hop.

You won't want to miss all the inspiration from our team....... or the chance to win a Rak :-)

Here is my "Retro Layout". Created quite some time ago when I first started scrapping, using some really old photos of myself and some memories about growing up in the 80's!

Journaling Reads: It was a time when every little girl owned a Cabbage Patch Doll (or two, even three)! Sesame "Park" was just a "Street" and we watched Polka Dot "Door" not Polka Dot "Shorts". It was cool to wear neon, and leggings under your skirt. Big hair with lots of hairspray was a must, and so were leg-warmers. We loved Madonna (even though we didn't know what a "Virgin" was), and we owned every one of her cassettes. We thought New Kids on the Block would be around forever, and that Def Leppard was heavy metal music. We cried when Rudy's goldfish died, and we all knew ALF's real name. We wore banana clips in our hair, and we all had banana seats on our bikes. We would practice our Care Bear Stare while we thought we how "truly outrageous" we were, like Jem and the Holograms. We slept on Straberry Shortcake bed sheets, and left our Lite Brite on at night. We would spend our money on Popeye Candy Cigarettes, Pop Rocks and edible Wax Lips. Mr. Dressup always had the coolest stuff in his Tickle Trunk, and we all wanted to be Mr. Rogers Neighbour. There was only one Nintendo video game system and we still went to the arcades. The Goonies was considered a Horror Movie, and when we grew up we were all going to be ghostbusters, and E.T. always found his way home.

This blog hop will run from today, April15th – April 17^th. We will be drawing for winner on April 18th.

Follow along in our blog hop! Your next stop is: Just 'T' (a blog by Sammysgirl)

Blog hopin' & cropin'

Baby Spring Roll!

Oh with a title like that this post could be about so many things! Is it about spring? Chinese food? Mr. Quinn? Well the last one is right. Took me all week but I actually got a layout done. Just a few weeks old here (right before we had to start using the Miracle Blanket to swaddle him cause he kept escaping) this is one of the blankets we used to swaddle Quinn at night. The tighter the better!


He always looked like a little spring roll when we used this particular green & orange blanket. Oh so yummy and way too cute!

Craving Thai now,

It isn't easy being green!

Well, atelast that's what the look on his face would have you believe! My oh so, serious boy! I took this photo less than a month after Q was born. My husband bought him this shirt when he was away on training for his new job with Michelin Tire.

He took the job when I was about 4 months pregnant and was away for 4.5 months. He litterally just made it back in time for Quinn's birth. During one of his trips home though, he brought back this onesie he picked up in the training center gift shop. I could not wait to put it on our son (who was still not born yet)!

I knew it was going to be a scrappy picture for sure. And here it is!

Love my little Michelin Man,

Remember the Shower?

If not, let me refresh your memory (click here).

I finally got around to scrapbooking the pictures! These are some of my fav Q photos! Loved how the page turned out. I handmade the banner by cutting pieces of coordinating cardstock from SEI, inking the edges and gluing them along some embroidery thread. I'm happy with the results!



Thanks for lookin',

Playing "Scrappy" Catch-Up

I got a couple new layouts done today, as well as scanned in a bunch I did a couple months ago. It's been way too long since I scrapped. Hoping my mojo sticks around for a while. Here are just a few {favorites} out of the bunch I scanned. You can click here to see his entire scrapbook.

So I'm almost done his first album, his "baby" book which consists of my pregnancy, his birth and the first 4 weeks. After which I'm doing a mini-book for his monthly photos for the first year (12 pages), then will work on random pictures after that so I'm not freaked out by trying to scrap every moment of the rest of his life. When did scrapbooking become so stressful?

Chaining my mojo to my desk,

I waited a long time to count these...

...Ten {perfect} Little TOES!!!

I love this picture...

Off to count some fingers now,

4 Generations...

No words today, just a layout to share...

Glad it's the weekend,

Not looking forward to doing that again!

So we took the Hobo for his first set of needles yesterday. Not the best day at all. He was so {HAPPY} when he woke up yesterday morning and was really enjoying his checkup at the doctors. He loves laying on the exam table naked, kicking at that crinkly paper that covers the exam table.

He was smiling, cooing, and SO SO SO {HAPPY}! He didn't know what was coming, but I did and I felt so mean! He tolerated the frst needle ok. Just a pout but then returned to smiles. Then the second needle came. The one that she said makes them gasp for air and lose their breath. Yeah, he did just that. Then SCREAMED! For like 10 minutes (which by the way felt much longer).

He wasn't much happier when we got home either. The only thing that seemed to console him was nursing. He didn't even want a bottle. So unlike him. So I nursed him until he fell asleep.

I'm happy to report though, that he is 100% better this morning and his {HAPPY} self again! He now weighs 11lbs 10oz (gained 3lbs 11oz since birth 8 weeks ago) and has grown 2 inches since birth. Measuring in the 50% percentile all around, doctor says he is just perfect!!! Can't believe my baby is already almost 2 months old. Feels like just yesterday we gave him his first bath...


Still feeling bad for my monkey,

Having a Scrappy-Long Weekend

So the hubby let me {sleep} last night and got up to feed our son. He actually got off really easy cause Quinn slept 9 hours straight. So really he only had to get up once (this morning) at 7:30, which he probably would have gotten up at that time anyway. But then...

...when I got up around 8:30, he informed me that it was "Daddy/Son" day, and he was going to take over all baby duties, so I could spend time in my studio. As if I was going to say no to that! So I did just what he suggested, and hunkered down in my studio and got creative!

I do have to admit, it was very hard not to run upstairs every time I heard the Hobo cry or fuss. But I trust DH (afterall he looked after him for the first 48 hours after he was born exclusively while I recovered, and got up with him every night for the first week home). So I let my anxiety go, and let my mojo in {and this is what happened}...

{notes} The flower in the top left was made from ric-rac using this tutorial here.

{notes} The background was made from two sheets of kraft cardstock. One of them was cut into strips and borders using my punches. I slightly chalked the edges of these strips before adhering them onto the other piece of kraft cardstock. I got this idea from a recent issue of Scrapbooks Etc.

{notes} I used drywall tape as a mask to paint the texture you see behind the "Sleep" title. I love my drywall tape! I use it so much! Seriously...go pick up a roll!

See my note above about {drywall tape}. For those of you that know my work, you know that in the past year I've used it so many times I can't even count! I LOVE that stuff! You can use it as a mask, or even attach it right to your layout (it can be painted & inked too)! Hmmm...I think I smell a tutorial in the near future. Would anyone be interested in playing with drywall tape if I gave some ideas and examples? Leave a comment here and let me know. If there is enough interest I'll do one. And if you've already played with it yourself, post a {link} so I can see!

Keep on scrappin,

Daddy's Little Man

Just a quickie post this Friday. Sharing another layout. Needed a mojo boost for this one so I snagged a sketch from Page Maps (love that site)!

Thanks for looking!

Hoping for a scrappy-long weekend,

Sweet Bebe, Anything for You...

What? More layouts by moi? Yeah, it was a good napping day for Mr. Quinn. So I played with my mojo.
Thanks for looking...

One lucky Momma,

I Made a Wish and You Came True!

Yay! Finally, my first layout in Quinn's album with an actual picture of him! Now I really feel like I've finally started his scrapbook. I needed a bit of inspiration, so I clicked on over to Sketchy Thursdays Blog knowing I'd find a great sketch to work with.

And this is what I came up with...

I also got another layout done, the last of my pregnancy layouts. It sort of made me a bit sad when I was scrapping this one, realizing that I may never be pregnant again (long story for another time). But I fully enjoyed my pregnancy with Quinn, so even if that was the only time, I have some fabulous memories of when he was in my belly. I LOVED being pregnant!

Gettin' my scrap-on...

Life is Good!

It's going to be a hot one today. Up to 37C with the humidex! So I'm downstairs in my studio with Mr. Quinn (who's contemplating not letting me get this blog post written) and DH in the next room working in his office. My goal today is to stay cool, and maybe get a layout (or two if I may be so bold) done!

I did this one a little while ago but never got the chance to share until now (who knew looking after a baby was so time consuming)? LOL ...

Anyway, this is the second to last layout until I finally get to scrap pictures of the little monster himself since he's been born! Just a layout of my belly pics to go, then it's all about the BOY!

Thanks for looking...


Hoping to get scrappy,

Scrap Whispers Challenge #62 - Playing for some BoBunny Yummies!

Scrap Whispers has a great new challenge posted on their blog that I just had to try! The theme is all about "changes" and as my peeps know, there are some BIG changes coming to the Stewart house very shortly! So I thought it was the perfect challenge to try!

And it also doesn't hurt that they are giving away this yummy prize pack to a lucky winner (thanks to BoBunny!). How could I resist?

Here is my take on the challenge: we had to use the word/theme of "change" and also change/alter one item on the page. I chose to alter some drywall tape (I painted it blue and stapled it behind the word "big")!!! You know me, I LOVE scrapping with drywall tape!
Also, please note that I based this layout on a "Made in Minutes" sketch from the June issue of Scrapbooks Etc (page 102). Thanks for looking!

Anticipating BIG changes,

Sketchy Thursday: "Growing Strong"!

I needed a mojo boost today so I headed on over to my new favorite sketch blog "Sketchy Thursdays" to see if I could be inspired. And of course I was... Check out their sketches (I'm sure they will get your mojo going too). They always have yummy RAK's to make it even more enticing!

This week they are giving away a FREE stamp set from Unity Stamps!

Here's my take on this week's sketch:


Gettin' Sketchy,

NSD Challenges - I'm on a Roll

Been hanging out at the Citrus Tree Studio today completing some of the challenges. It's a great scrapbooking community to be a part of if you aren't already. And you have until tomorrow to complete their challenges for prizes! So come on over and join us!

Here are a few layouts I've gotten done so far...

Feeling Citrusy,

Whoa, where did all this Mojo come from?

Page #2 in Quinn's album (still need to actually GET an album, but you know what I mean). Not sure where all this creativity is coming from all of a sudden but I ain't gonna fight it.

I got to feed my glitter addiction and played with some Doodle Bug Sugar Coating to embellish the leaves, the bird and the pea pod! So cute! And of course I've always got lots to say in my journaling. Quinn is never going to wonder if his mommy was a Chatty Cathy or not. He'll know...


Thanks for "peeking",

Phew! I finally did it!!!

My first layout since November last year! Wow, that was a long time coming! And how cool is it that I now get to start a whole brand new album for our brand new son (who's still baking in my tummy of course).

And yes, that is my actual pregnancy test. I know I pee'd on it and now it's been saved for eternity. Ewwwww! Right? Atleast I didn't try to fit all 50 of them on a page (I just chose one). I can't even begin to tell you how much money we spent on pee-sticks to confirm this pregnancy. Oh well. It's WAY worth it!
So for you mommas out there...how many pregnancy tests did you take to confirm? Did you save them? What did you do with them? Surely I'm not the only one who had/has an addiction to peeing on sticks when trying to conceive? Am I....?


Your pee-stick-aholic,