Gypsy Chicks Challenge

Yesterday a few of the Gypsy Chicks got together to scrap the day away! Brigit played with ink, Steph made cards, Joyce worked on a mini book and I stamped and coloured my version of this year's Christmas card.

Brigit brought us copies of Scrapbook and Cards Today and in there we found a "one challenge". Use one piece of cardstock, one piece of patterned paper, one brad, one tag, one label, one word title, one rub on, one picture, one stamp, one button, one 3-D embellishment. I cheated a little and used two extra brads because my label looked naked without them. I'm giving myself a pass though because I am just about 100% certain that I am the first one to finish the challenge!

Here's the first page of what will be my Santa Claus Parade (2004) album:

Yes, the stamped tree is a little crooked, but I'm letting go of my perfectionism and just going with it!!!

What do you think???

Time for a little blog candy!!!

Have you heard of BzzAgent? You should check it out! It's a word of mouth campaign company.

You sign up, they ask you to do a campaign, and you get free product to try, coupons, etc...

I joined recently and was asked to take part in a campaign about Fruits and Passion. I got some product to try out and some gift cards to give away.

I had a BLAST shopping with my gift card (some SERIOUSLY yummy stuff in that store!) and now I want to give some away.

RULES:

• You MUST live in Canada
• Go to the Fruits and Passions website and tell me what your fave fragrance/set is this holiday season
• Post here and tell me what it is, then post to your blog and tell YOUR friends your fave fragrance/set and mention my blog candy on your blog
• Link me to your blog so I can check it out!

That's it! Go see what YUMMINESS you can find at Fruits and Passion.

Thanks for stopping by!

What have you done???

I saw this on Barb's blog and thought it would be fun to do here and challenge those who come here to do the same.


How many have you done? I bolded the ones that I've done

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain (well, not all the way to the top)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (if Scrapbooking counts)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (does my parents garden count?)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when youʼre not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (does the Venetian in Vegas count?)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (both)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangeloʼs David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (from a plane counts, right?)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someoneʼs life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

So... what have you done? I think I need to get out more...

Thanks for stopping by!

It's November, right?

Because to see this picture you sure wouldn't know it!

Jonathan headed out to the park for a little bit this afternoon...and yes, he's just wearing a t-shirt...no sweater. And yes, it is indeed November the 5th, I checked the calendar.

Scott and Lauren aren't home yet, so I have yet to hear how their day went.

Colin, on the other hand, is home and thrilled beyond reason with the "UV crime kit" that he got from scholastic books with some of his birthday money.

I'll be back later with a "work report".

Thanks for stopping by!

Take Your Kids to Work Day

Today, across the province of Ontario, is "Take Your Kids to Work" day. So...Lauren (in proper business attire) went to work with her dad.

She will be learning all about pilots and airplanes...and if she's REALLY lucky, she'll get to go on the flight simulator.

The kids asked if I ever went on a "Take your kids to work" day with my Dad...and you know...I honestly don't remember. I remember once or twice going to work with my dad, but not sure if it was a specific day like we have here in Ontario. I remember going to work with Dad was a blast because there were so many cool things to play with! Dad is/was a graphic artist and worked in the print industry, so there were always easels and colouring pencils and lettraset - WOOHOO!!! Maybe that's where my love for rub-ons started...hmmm...

I sent her with the point and shoot camera (digi) because while I offered the DSLR it was causing me heart palpitations this morning, so I had to rescind it. Hopefully, she will remember to take pics though I'm not sure how good they will be since the P&S was acting up and was the reason for purchasing the DSLR.

I'll let you all know how it went!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cards are moving

On the advice of many people who LOVE my work, I'm trying something new...I'm going to try and turn this card making thing into a small business.

I won't be joining Stampin' Up (because I tried that with Creative Memories and in one word "DISASTER") but I will be selling the cards that I make with the wonderful Stampin' Up sets I own and will continue to purchase.

To check out my new card blog, just click here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Halloween Haunting

Yesterday was Halloween.

So, just before it got dark, we headed out. We live in a high rise condominium complex (4 buildings) and while the kids can't trick or treat throughout the buildings (how cool would THAT be?), they can go into the lobbies of each of the buildings and trick or treat there. That started off the evening on a good note as the folks handing out candy were VERY generous!

After doing the buildings, we headed across the street to the townhouses. A fair number of them were dark, so there wasn't much to be had there. I did find this cool light strand and took a picture though.

After that, we did the houses on the next couple of streets and the boys got quite the haul. I got a picture of this graveyard that looked pretty cool. It's a little blurry 'cause I was shooting in night mode (for effect) and didn't want the flash to ruin it all - no flash = slower shutter speed = slightly blurry.

Hope all your little ones had a GREAT time trick or treating and that you enjoyed imposing the candy tax. WHAT??? You don't impose a candy tax? Haven't you heard? Candy taxes are in the parents charter of rights. "They who take the little goblins out for Halloween are by law permitted to impose a candy tax".

Thanks for stopping by!

The cutest mini book - EVAH!!!

I've this mini book pattern for what seems like AGES, but I've recently re-discovered it. I think I got it from Two Peas in a Bucket a few years ago, but it's been a while...so who knows. I do know that if you want your mini book to be all the same colour (pages and cover) that you can actually make it from one sheet of cardstock!


This one is made from Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette and Chocolate Chip. I stamped the snowflake (from Snow Swirled) in Chocolate Chip on Pink Pirouette and then sponged the edges, first with Pink Pirouette then with Chocolate Chip. I ticket punched the corners and matted it on a piece of Chocolate Chip, added brads and adhered it to the front of the mini book. To further embellish the front cover, I added some paper piercing using the template from the mat pack.

I tied it closed with a ribbon (white organza) and also punched a hole along the spine near the top and added a second piece of ribbon to allow the book to be hung on the tree like an ornament.

I'll be selling them, along with MANY other goodies, at the Hospital for Sick Children fund raiser that I'll be doing with Caroline on Dec. 1st.

STAMPS: Snow Swirled
CARDSTOCK: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red
INK: Chocolate Chip
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Brads, Paper Piercer

Either later today or early tomorrow, I have the coolest thing to show you!!! Won't you come back and check it out???

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You Gift Set

I so enjoyed making the gift set for Colin's teacher, that I decided to make another!


I used some Imaginisce DP again and paired it with Purely Pomegranate (can you tell that I get REALLY attached to my favourite in Colours?) I love using a full sheet of DP to make an entire set of cards...seems so easy and there are rarely any scraps to deal with - PERFECT!

For this one I used a recipe that I found in the "Joy of Card Making" magazine and added the sentiment at the bottom.

The DP was cut and flipped to make the design on the front of the card. Each of the pieces was sponged with Purely Pomegranate ink before being adhered to the card face.

The Oh So Lovely image was stamped in Purely Pomegranate on Whisper White and was punched out using the 1 3/8" circle punch. It was matted on a scalloped circle that was cut from Purely Pomegranate using Quickutz nested shapes and my Quickutz Revolution.

I tied white sheer ribbon around the top of the card before adhering the image using dimensionals. The sentiment was cut and sponged before adhering it to the bottom of the card. (Note to self: Get word window punch!)

I constructed the box and added a piece of Imaginisce DP to the top. I tied it up with the same sheer ribbon used on the cards.

STAMPS: Oh So Lovely, Stem Silhouettes
PAPER: Imaginisce DP
INK: Purely Pomegranate
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Gift Tags/Enclosures

I was having fun making little 3 X 3 note cards earlier this month and had some DP from Imaginisce that I was looking to use, so I came up with these:

They're 3 X 3 gift enclosures/gift tags (if you use them without the envy).


I stamped the image in Purely Pomegranate (Thanks Caroline for discovering that extra pack - I LOVE that colour!) on Whisper White and punched it out with the small tag punch. The image was matted on a tag punched from Purely Pomegranate with the larger tag punch. I stapled a piece of Regal Rose ribbon to the top of the tag and adhered it to the card face using dimensionals.

The DP was cut to 2 3/4" X 2 3/4" and sponged in Purely Pomegranate before being adhered to the card face.

STAMPS: Tags So Much
DP: Imaginisce
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate
INK: Purely Pomegranate
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Staples, Dimensionals

I made custom envies too, go along with the set of 4. I'll be selling them at the Sick Kids fundraiser on Dec. 1st, along with all the other fun goodies I've been making.

I need to make some more gift tags, because they were a HUGE hit last week at the hospital when we were there for check ups and tests. I'm going to use some brighter colours this time though (from last years Stampin' Up Simply Scrappin' Christmas Kit) as I had such fun playing with those yesterday (that post will be up in a couple days!)

That's it for now! Check back later on for some more good stuff! Thanks for stopping by!

I am, most assuredly, "THAT" Mom

You know..."THAT" mom. The one that can't let a holiday go by (major or minor) without doing SOMETHING.

Case in point? Halloween. The kids at school always exchange treats. I decided that just regular treats weren't enough...and also decided that not only would the kids at school get treats, but that I would make treats for the friends at cooking school and the friends at the bus stop...

So...Ninety (yes, 90) individually wrapped Hershey nuggets, 45 die cut ghosts, 45 die cut skulls, 30 bag toppers and 15 hand stamped boxes later, he has Halloween treats...in SPADES!


STAMPS:

• Haunting Halloween (stars on sides of boxes)
• Hero Arts (Witchy Bird on top of boxes)
• Tags So Much (Bag Toppers)

Ink:

• Staz-On, Basic Grey (Stampin' Up)

Paper:

• Ghostly Greetings DP (to wrap chocolates)
• Whisper White and Tangerine Tango (Bag toppers)

Accessories:

• Ribbon

Tomorrow I'll do some more going backwards, but I REALLY wanted to post these today...I'm almost caught up with the rest of the month though...so not too much more going back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Colin's Birthday Party

Colin turned 10 this year. How did that happen? If you figure it out, could you let me know? Oh...and do it QUICK because Lauren is about to turn 14 and I am TOTALLY clueless where that came from - YIKES!

He wanted to have a swimming party, so that's what we did. We headed out to our community pool and enjoyed a swim for about an hour and a half. Just before the swim ended, Scott went out to get pizza to feed the masses.

The boys enjoyed pizza, drinks and chips before having birthday cake.


Ahhh...the cake...(bad mommy moment coming up). There are always lots of cake on display at the grocery stores and I was under the mistaken impression that you could actually BUY the display cakes. Turns out I was wrong - OOPS! So Scott went out in the morning to buy a cake and had to buy a pre-made cake...with roses on it - YIKES!

The plan was to take the roses off before we served the cake, but we weren't quite sure how to go about that, so we left them on. Turns out the roses were a HUGE hit and the boys were thrilled to each get one for that added sugar boost - UGH!

I carved a 10 into the cake with the knife and it was a big hit!

After cake came presents...then, as a favour to the parents of the boys, I had them play tag and run around for about 15 minutes before they were picked up...of course, I did send them home with goodies bags that were full of sugar - LOL!


Colin asked his friends how they would "rate" his party on a scale of 1 to 10 and they all said "10", so I guess everyone had a great time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scott's Birthday - October 16th

October 16th was Scott's birthday.

I decided to get creative with his birthday goodies...

So, I bought Pop Shoppe Pop (12 bottles), because that's the pop he used to drink as a teenager, back when there actually WAS a Pop Shoppe in Montreal. Did you know that Pop Shoppe is a Canadian company and that they have been around since 1969?

We had a BLAST reading all the "funnies" on the sides of the bottle, like "I know you are but what am I?" and "My dad is bigger than your dad!". Things we used to say on the playground as kids - HYSTERICAL!

I made him a box of Hershey Nuggets and spelled out "I love you" with rubber stamps (now he doesn't want to eat them - LOL!)

They boys bought him his two favourite chocolate bars (Coffee Crisp and Wunderbar) and I bought him an almond croissant. I also bought him a new umbrella (he needed a new one), some bottle caps candy (another flashback) and baked him a giant chocolate chip cookie.

For dinner we had Chicken Carbonara - one of his favourite dinners.

We capped off the night with a "Sing Star" party by his choice...and a good time was had by all!

Here's a pic of all his goodies! Don't mind the mess on the rest of the table...I was busy creating!

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving Weekend

I told you that I had to keep going backwards to finally get forward...

So, we went to Scott's parents for Thanksgiving Sunday. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and the fall scenery on the way there was STUNNING!

This one is SOOC (Straight Out of Camera). The only thing I did was convert the depth (it was shot RAW) and resize for web.

ISO 400, 1/2000, f/5.0. 18-55 @ 18.0 mm

While we were there, we had a Blue Jay come visit. The Blue Jay is friendly with Scott's parents as they feed him peanuts on a daily basis, so he came pretty close. I used the zoom lens too. I did some editing on this one, so it's not SOOC.

ISO 400, 1/1600, f/5.6, 75-300 @ 130 mm

Hope you're all having a WONDERFUL weekend! I'm heading out to a friends house to do some card making, so I'll be having fun!!!

On December 1st, my friend Caroline and I will be at the Hospital for Sick Children (555 University Avenue, Toronto) where we'll have a table and we'll be selling cards, etc...if you're around you should come by and say hi!

Thanks for stopping by!

You have to go back to move forward...

...and that's what I'm going to do to catch you up on my crazy month!

On October the 9th, Colin and Jonathan's school had open house. That's where we get to meet the teachers. I had already met Jonathan's teacher (they usually keep the same teacher for Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten), so I only had to go in for Colin's teacher.

Miss Hall is just delightful! She's young and full of energy and I can see why Colin likes her. Plus, she likes to chat, so she and I are going to get along GREAT! LOL!

The day after the open house, I sat down to make her a little gift set to thank her for the meeting and to let her know that I looked forward to working with her this year.

My intentions were also a little selfish as I figured if word got around the school then people would know I made these wonderful creations and I could then sell some at the school. My intentions were not ENTIRELY selfish as I donate the profits from selling the cards to the Hospital for Sick Children...so I figured it would be a win-win all the way around.

It's now the 22nd and I STILL haven't delivered the cards, but I'll be doing that today. It's never too late to send a thank you note...right???

Here's the set I made:


The small note is the thank you note that I tucked under the ribbon on the front of the box. I put it into a lined envelope that I learned how to make from Jami who posts on SCS. They are SO cute and SO easy to make!

There are 6 cards inside the box, all the same as the one in the picture. I made the box to fit the cards, by adding 1 1/2" to each side of the card, scoring and folding...if I had more time right now, I'd show you exactly how, but that's out...so will have to wait till there are more hours in the day - LOL!

The stamp on the mini card and the box are Stampin' Up and the stamp I used for the actual cards inside the box is from Penny Black.

I sponged Marigold Morning (and all the other pieces) in Pumpkin Pie (think I had Thanksgiving on the brain? LOL!) and assembled the cards. Ribbon was tied around the card, the sentiment was ticket punched and mounted on Marigold Morning. Brads were added before it was attached to the card using dimensionals.

I'll be back later with some more updates...for now, I'm off to the school to pick up Jonathan and head downtown to shoot some video of him for upcoming Sick Kids TV specials.

Thanks for stopping by!

Has it been that long???

YIKES! It's late now...so it will have to wait till tomorrow when I can take some pics in natural light...I've been busy creating - WOOHOO!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Sketch Challenge Pizza Box

The weekend is my favourite part of the week. Not only because I get to sleep in (as much as you can when you have children clamouring for breakfast) but because Beate posts her weekend sketch challenge! I don't always get a chance to play (there are NEVER enough hours in the day) but when I can, it's always fun and this weekend is no exception.

I was going to try to do two challenges at once and combine Beate's WSC61 with LSC189 over at SplitCoast Stampers, but my Quickutz Scalloped Circle was calling my name and it doesn't qualify for LSC189 which is "Rock, Paper, Scissors".

On Monday, the Technique Lovers Challenge was mini boxes (like the ones I made here) and I had so much fun making them for Colin's party invitations, that I had to make another one.

I stamped the cut and scored pizza box using my snowflake stamps (one is from Holiday Tag Time and I'm not sure where the other one is from as I bought it on eBay quite a while ago) and my Versamark stamp pad and then put the box together.

The snowman image was stamped on Whisper White in Buckaroo Blue, coloured with Prismacolour Pencils and mounted on Buckaroo Blue and again on Whisper White. The smaller circle was stamped with snowflakes and mounted on a piece of scalloped Whisper White. I cut the small circle off the corners of the box and then mounted the main image on dimensionals. The ribbon was tied around the box and slid it just under the main image.

STAMPS: Holiday Tag Time, other unknown set
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Buckaroo Blue
INK: Buckaroo Blue, Versamark
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Prismacolour Pencils

Hope all my Canadian friends have an AMAZING Thanksgiving Weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Queen for a Day

Today, the challenge over at SCS is to use a monogram on a card. I only have one...and yeah...it's a "Q". I know, I know...

This is how it happened. About 2 years ago, when Hero Arts came out with their alphabet line, some of the girls that I scrapbook with decided to buy parts of the alphabet and share them. Somehow, I ended up with "Q". It's an O.K. set...kinda cute...

This is the card I came up with:


I'm going to use it for DD's birthday for next month.

I stamped all the elements in black Versafine and then coloured in the "Q" using my Buckaroo Blue re-inker and my water pen. I added glitter to the crown, but you can't really see it in the pic.

I punched the right hand edge of the card with my threading water punch and mounted a small piece of white cardstock to the inside of the card.

STAMPS: Hero Arts
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Buckaroo Blue
INK: Buckaroo Blue, Versafine Black
ACCESSORIES: Glitter

Thanks for stopping by!

Sahara Sand Trees for all Seasons

Yesterday was too busy for me to be able to play. Jonathan had cooking school, we made our monthly trek to Costco and we had to stop at the drugstore to pick up test strips for Jonathan's finger pokes.

By the time we got home, it was all I could do to get dinner on the table before 6 p.m.!

Dinner is running a little late today because I just HAD to do the sketch challenge over at SCS. I knew I wanted to do a fall card when I saw this one in the gallery, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with mine. I was inspired by Beate Johns who must have gone through a "three" phase in her early stamping career, because as I cruised HER gallery from way back when I saw LOTS of multiples of three. As a side note, if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing Beate's work, you should REALLY check out her blog and her gallery over at SCS. She is one TALENTED lady!

I knew I had some of the striped paper like the one in the card above, but it turned out that it wasn't fall themed, it was spring themed. Clearly THAT wasn't going to work, because I had my heart set on a fall themed card. So, I looked through my stash of paper and came across a "Simply Scrappin" kit that turned out to be PERFECT!

First I cut Sahara Sand to 8" X 9", scored and folded it in half to make a 4" X 9" card base. I then cut a piece of the DP to 3 3/4" X 8 3/4" and a second piece of DP to 3" X 8". The piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock was cut to 2 1/4" X 7 1/4". All pieces were sponged with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink.

Each of the three images were stamped on 2" square pieces of Whisper White. At first I just sponged the outside edge of each of the three main images, but then I saw a "spot light" in my head and punched out a 1 3/8" circle using my circle punch. The circle was placed over the three image and I sponged Chocolate Chip around the circle mask leaving the middle of the image white. Not one to leave well enough alone (LOL!) I decided to ticket punch the corners of the cardstock and further darken the outside edges with more Chocolate Chip Ink. To further my "fall" theme, I coloured the leaves on the tree (and a few on the ground) as well as the tree trunk with my Prismacolour pencils.

The images were mounted on the piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and brads were added to accent the corners. I pierced the end of the of the cardstock, added a ribbon and mounted the entire piece on dimensionals for a finishing touch. I was inspired by THIS card to add the photo corners on the two pieces of DP.

CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand
DSP: From a Simply Scrappin' Kit
INK: Chocolate Chip
STAMPS: A Tree for all Seasons
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Brads

Hope you were inspired to create something beautiful today!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pizza Box Birthday Invites

So, I popped over to SCS this morning after the previous incredibly L-O-N-G post in order to find out what the Technique Lovers Challenge (TLC) was for today.

Pizza Boxes? What? That's not a technique...order a pizza...get a box. No problem, right?

WRONG!

Turns out we were supposed to make our OWN pizza boxes out of cardstock. OH! Now, I get it.

So, I look in the gallery and start seeing all these TOTALLY adorable boxes. Then I call Scott to discuss details for Colin's birthday party on Oct. 18th.

After I hang up, I look at more boxes and get a lightbulb moment...pizza...boxes...YES! A pizza box party invitation! So I call Scott back and get WAY over excited about this idea that I have to go out and buy those disgusting gummy pizza things and include those IN the pizza box!

I picked up Jonathan from the bus and we hit the dollar store (no luck) and then the mall (SCORE!) in search of the aforementioned disgusting gummy pizzas.

We came back home and then I made these:


I constructed the pizza boxes and adhered the orange DSP to the lid. I printed the "It's a party and you're invited" on the computer on Whisper White and then trimmed that to 3 1/2" square. DS helped me by sponging on Old Olive around the white square. I stamped on the Haunted House (clear acrylic stamp by Imaginisce) and coloured it in with markers and coloured pencils.

I stamped the "EEK!" spider and punched it out with the small tag punch and DS sponged on some Old Olive again. Then, it was mounted on a piece of black cardstock that I punched with the large tag punch.

I punched a hole through the tag and attached the ribbon. The tag was mounted on dimensionals.

STAMPS: Imaginisce and another SU set that I can't remember the name of
CARDSTOCK: Bazzill/Chatterbox Dark Olive, Whisper White
INK: Old Olive, Black Versafine
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Markers, Colouring pencils

And so now DS has his party invitations and I had a blast making them with him - WOOT!

Thanks for stopping by!

Of Generosity and Tee Grabs

This:

is Adriano Belli. He plays Defensive Tackle for the Toronto Argonauts...and he can sing! He sang the national anthem at the Argos game we attended on Friday night. We played the BC Lions...and we lost...but that doesn't matter.

Adriano gives back to the community by hosting kids from the Hospital for Sick Children in his suite. After the game, he has been known to take the boys on tours of the Argos locker room (no girls allowed). We weren't in the suite this time, but we did get to hit the field...at least Jonathan did!

At the end of August, Jonathan was invited to do the "tee grab" after the opening kick off the game. Unfortunately, things did not go in our favour, there was an "incident" and his five minutes of fame were not to be. So, when Caroline from the Sick Kids Foundation called last week and invited us to go again, we were thrilled.

We made sure we were at the SkyDome in PLENTY of time and got to enjoy some "on field" time before the game started. Jonathan practiced his football stance (with his brother Colin standing by):

These:

are the Argos Cheerleaders...or more precisely their butts. I was a cheerleader once...I am SO not anymore. Guess who took THAT shot???

This:

is Mike Vanderjagt. He's the one who initiated the "tee grab" idea. Thanks to him, Jonathan (and other kids on various home game days) was able to participate in the game.

We listened to Adriano sing the national anthem:


and after the kick off, Jonathan got to run out onto the field with the equipment manager and grab the tee. He did a GREAT job! Even Penny from the Foundation said she had never seen anyone run SO fast!

On his way back to the sideline, Jonathan even had time to give the equipment manager a "high five".


Check out this smile:

After Jonathan was done his job, we were escorted to our seats where we got to enjoy the rest of the game.

The last time we attended a game, it wasn't much to watch as the Alouettes pretty much wiped up the field with our Argos and beat us 32-14. This game against the Lions was quite a bit more interesting to watch. Besides...I'm really a closet BC Lions fan...but don't tell anyone!

After the game, we again went down to field level, where Adriano came out and signed autographs for the kids. Colin had one of his Sick Kids shirts signed and Adriano also drew and arrow up towards his face and wrote "STUD" on his shirt - which pleased Colin to no end.

Which brings me to this:


It's definitely one of my more simple cards, but because it's going to Adriano, I didn't want it to be all frilly and girly like.

I stamped the sentiment and the main image on Very Vanilla sponged with Cranberry Crisp. They main image and sentiment were then mounted on pieces of Buckaroo Blue before being adhered to the card front. The main image was mounted on dimensionals.

STAMPS: Sketch an Event, Many Thanks
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Buckaroo Blue, Cranberry Crisp
INK: Cranberry Crisp

Thanks for stopping by!

Update on the Chocolate Chip Cookies

Michael was thrilled and he remembered that I would have them for him today (SO sweet!) and all the other kids loved them too and wanted to eat them right away but were all told they had to wait till after lunch.

I found out from Michael's mom (her name is Suzie, BTW) that Toopi and Binoo were going to be at Sherway Gardens today (nearby mall), so Jonathan and I headed out for that as soon as I picked him up from the bus stop.

When we got to Sherway Gardens, we were walking to the food court and who should we spy but MARKUS! HOW COOL and what a NICE surprise!

We enjoyed the show and Jonathan got to hang out with Olivia and Michael which was nice. I didn't have my camera, so no pics...but as Scott pointed out, "Don't you have enough pictures of Markus?"

Ummm...yeah...I guess I do - LOL!

We're off to the Argos football game...we're playing the BC Lions, so we'll probably lose.

Thanks for stopping by!

YUM YUM Chocolate Chip Cookie Treats

There's a little guy at the bus stop who's name is Michael. He is the most ADORABLE thing on two legs (after my own children, of course) and ALWAYS brings sunshine to my day. I think he's about 2 1/2 or 3, but he talks like he's 5. Such a big vocabulary for such a little boy.

While I am waiting for Jonathan, he waits with his mom to pick up his sister Olivia...and we chat.

The other day, he was telling me about his weekend and I was telling him about mine and about the new cookbook I bought at Word on the Street. I told him that I would be making chocolate chip cookies this week and asked him (while trying to look at his mom at the same time) if he would like some. He was VERY enthusiastic (and mom nodded yes).

On Wednesday, I made chocolate chip cookies. You can find the recipe here at the Pioneer Woman. They are REALLY yummy...though a bit crispy for my taste. Side note: If anyone has a yummy CHEWY chocolate chip cookie recipe, PLEASE send it my way...I've been searching for YEARS!

Yesterday, I made some bag toppers to go on the bags that hold the cookies. The finished packaging looks like this:


I'm going to deliver the cookies to Jonathan's friends today when I pick him up at the bus stop. Of course, I couldn't just make a package for Michael, because I didn't want the other kids to feel left out. So, there's a package for Michael, Olivia, Marco, Jonathan (of course), Michael and Olivia's mom (don't know her name) and Zarita (the boys' godmother).

I stamped the "YUM YUM" in Chocolate Chip (how appropriate - LOL!) on Very Vanilla and punched it out with the small tag punch. I then punched out a piece of Chocolate Chip with the large tag punch and mounted the Very Vanilla tag to it.

The bag topper is a 4 1/4" piece of Buckaroo Blue folded in half to which I added a 4 " X 1 7/8" piece of Winter DSP from the Four Seasons Paper Pack.

I punched a whole through the matted tag set and threaded a piece of "faux" Chocolate Chip ribbon (I say "faux" because the ribbon is from a different source than Stampin' Up, but it matches almost perfectly) through it and then tied it around the folded bag topper.

The chocolate chip cookies were added to the bag and the topper was stapled with two blue staples...and voilà! Treats!

STAMPS: I'll have to check...I don't remember - LOL!
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Buckaroo Blue
DSP: Winter from the Four Seasons Pack
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Staples, Bags

Thanks for stopping by!

*SIGH* That's better!

So this morning, Scott asks me, "Are you going out today honey?" He added "honey" on there, so I KNOW he wants me to do something for him. I tell him, "Yes, I have to go out...I'm going out to the big WalMart (we just got a Super WalMart nearby) to get some cheese. Do you need me to do something for you?"

"Yes, so and so is going on maternity leave and we collected money for a gift card. Can you go to Babies R Us and pick one up?"

"There's $55 here. Should I get a $50 gift card and charge you $5 for making a card?" (only half joking)

"No, we already have a card." (me: insulted!)

So...off I go to run my errands with little man in tow. We hit the library, Babies R Us and the Big WalMart.

Then I had to come home and do SOMETHING. I just couldn't deal with this whole "store bought card" thing. So I came up with this:


I made a gift card holder as well as 6 thank you cards and matching envies that mom can use once the baby is born.

I used the "Sketch an Event" stamp set for the rattle image. It was stamped on Very Vanilla in Buckaroo Blue (I know it looks darker than that in the pic). I then sponged around the Very Vanilla Circles in Buckaroo Blue and mounted them on a circle of Buckaroo Blue.

The gift card holder is a piece of 4 1/4" X 7" of Buckaroo Blue folded to hold the gift card. I used pieces of the Four Seasons DSP to accent the gift card holder.

The envies were custom made to fit the 3" X 3" cards.

STAMPS: Sketch an Event
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla and Buckaroo Blue
DSP: Four Seasons
INK: Buckaroo Blue
ACCESSORIES: Cream Coloured Twill

Thanks for stopping by!

Battling a NASTY cold - UGH!

So...it started on Sunday with a bit of a tickle in my throat. I gargled with salt water. Problem solved, right? NOT!

On Monday it started...congestion - ICK! By Tuesday, I was having to take drugs for it (Tylenol cold day AND night) and had entered what I call the "shoot me now" stage of the cold. Not good.

Yesterday was a fairly good day...the congestion had left my head and I could actually function. But then yesterday afternoon, the whole thing went "upper respiratory".

So now, I'm coughing and hacking my way through the day...it's nuts! Not like I have time to be sick for heaven's sake!

On another note, Jonathan was asked to go to the "tee grab" at the Argo's game tomorrow night. We had an opportunity near the end of August, but unfortunately there was an "incident" (read: I dropped Jonathan on his head when I tripped while carrying him) and he wasn't able to go on to the field. So, we're trying again this Friday.

On a creative note, Saturday is world card making day, so I hope to have LOTS of goodies to share with you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Word...

...on the street that is!

We had a GREAT time today!

We headed out just before 10 a.m., which was a good thing, because as we approached downtown, we began to see traffic...lots and LOTS of traffic...and blocked exits...ALL the ones we could have taken to reach our destination.

So...here's what we did...

We had to go ALL THE WAY to the end of the Gardiner, turned left on Carlaw and then left on Eastern again. Eastern became Front Street at which point we followed it along to Yonge and turned right. We had to go up Yonge quite a way before we found a spot where we could actually CROSS Bay Street. Lo and behold, our chance appeared (coincidentally) at Elm. We turned on Elm so we could park at the Hospital for Sick Children. On Sundays the parking is CHEAP ($6.50) and all the money goes to research at the hospital...so it's a win-win situation. (edit: the money from the parking goes to research at the hospital every day...not just Sunday - OOPS!)

It took us about an hour and a quarter to get downtown...it didn't even take me that long when we went down for Jonathan's photo shoot on Thursday and we were driving in rush hour traffic - YIKES!

So, we parked the car and headed out of the hospital...all the while giving Lauren's friend Heather the equivalent of a "tour" as she had never been there before.

We walked up University Ave. from the hospital to Queen's Park, pointing out all the hospitals that were there: Mount Sinai (where Jonathan was born), Toronto General (where Lauren and Jonathan will go once they are 18) and Princess Margaret. We also pointed out where I went for my bi-weekly appointments with the high risk OB's near Mount Sinai. Scott remembered pushing me along the under ground tunnels between Mount Sinai and Sick Kids...there are a LOT of memories in downtown Toronto!

We all just love going to Word on the Street! Scott and I like to people watch and see which bargains there are to be had...the kids are all about trying to see how much money they can get us to spend.

The boys (Scott included) got some graphic novels, Lauren got herself some chick magazines and a book on Pirates and I got a new cookbook - WOOHOO! Heather picked up a couple of books too.

Just before we were done for the day, Scott and Colin stopped in one last time at a booth where Colin wanted a Star Wars Clone Wars graphic novel and Scott looked at some other things too.

As Scott was browsing, I snapped this:


I just LOVE that they all like to read!

Then we headed back towards the hospital. We wanted to get some coffee (Starbucks) and found one with a patio outside of Toronto General Hospital. So, we all enjoyed some drinks and snacks and on our way back to the car, I spied this:


and had to snap a pic!

Hope you all had a stellar day! Thanks for stopping by!

Did I tell you about Sing Star???

It's a game for the PS3 system that we have. The kids LOVE it! It's like a karaoke machine that plays on your TV - kinda cool!

The disc comes with songs on it and then you can go to the Sing Store and buy more. Scott and I quite like Billy Joel, so we bought some of those to play. Funny enough, the kids have really taken to his songs too. That's good, because if I have to listen to "Mr. Brightside" one more time...things might not be so "bright" - UGH!

One of Jonathan's favourite songs is "Uptown Girl". And this:


is Jonathan's "Uptown Girl".

Heather is Lauren's best friend/non-biological sister. If one of the girls isn't at the others house, then something is wrong.

Heather came to sleep over today as we are going to Word on the Street tomorrow. Jonathan was VERY excited to be seeing his "Uptown Girl" - so stinkin' cute!

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh So Lovely Thank You

YIKES! Can't believe I haven't posted a thing since Wednesday...how bad is THAT???

On Thursday over at SCS, the challenge is "Ways to Use It". I love this challenge, because more often than not, it sends me into my stash of goodies and I use up stuff I forgot I had (too much stuff maybe???).

This week the challenge was to use charms. I decided that a belt buckle counted and went to work with that...at which point DD reminded me that I used to put buckles on EVERYTHING at one point in my scrapbooking journey. She's right! People would ask me, "This needs something...but I don't quite know what." My answer was almost ALWAYS, "It needs a buckle!"

So, armed with my buckles, my "Oh So Lovely" and "Stem Silhouettes" sets, I set to work.


The base card is a Creative Cafe card from a set. The next layer is a 5" X 3 3/4" pieces of sponged and ticket punched Soft Sky cardstock. On top of that is a piece of Soft Sky DSP and Whisper White cardstock on which I stamped my main image. Both pieces were, of course, sponged and ticket punched.

I threaded the white ribbon with the buckle and used glue dots to adhere it and wrap it around the white cardstock.

The sentiment at the bottom (as well as one stamped inside) was stamped using the sentiment stamps from the "Stem Silhouettes" set coloured with a teal marker.

STAMPS: Oh So Lovely, Stem Silhouettes
CARDSTOCK: Soft Sky, Whisper White
DSP: Soft Sky
INK: Soft Sky
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Buckle

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry and Bright

First, a funny story (out of the mouths of babes)

Yesterday was Tuesday...Jonathan had cooking school...he takes cooking lessons at Loblaws, which means that we inevitably do some grocery shopping after class. I don't mind that...it works out, since the Loblaws that was near our house is now a "SUPERSTORE" and they don't carry the specials as Loblaws does - kind of annoying. But I digress...

Jonathan uses the flushable wipes when he goes to the bathroom. Over the weekend, he ran out, so we needed more of those. Over the weekend, I also ran out of baby wipes. No...we don't have any babies in the house, but I use baby wipes to clean my stamps when I'm done using them.

Before Jonathan was potty train (not long before) we had been to Costco to buy a MEGA box of wipes...I JUST used the last of them and he's been trained since just after he turned 3 years old. Yep! The box was THAT big!

All that to say that I needed more baby wipes...we're in the wipe aisle picking his flushable wipes and I say, "Oh wait! Mommy needs some wipes so I can stamp. I ran out and I need them because I WANT to stamp." Jonathan says (without missing a beat), "NO Mommy! You NEED to stamp!" I stopped the cart to give him a hug and a kiss right there! How much do I love that kid? SO CUTE!

So...today I stamped - WOOHOO!!! I missed it yesterday...

On Monday, our challenge was to create a book mark...but not just a regular rectangular bookmark...we were to create that would fit over the corner of a page. I started it, but didn't finish it.

Today, our challenge was a sketch. I LOVE the sketch challenges, because they always give you a great jumping off point...especially if your MOJO has left you hanging the day before - UGH!

I decided to incorporate my bookmark in with the card, so that you could give the card and a small "gift" at the same time.

This is what I came up with:


I think it would make a great Christmas card for someone who is an avid reader.

STAMPS: Merry and Bright
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Buckaroo Blue
PAPER: Four Seasons DSP
INK: Buckaroo Blue
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon

The base of the 5 X 7 card is Buckaroo Blue (in Colour '07) which I sponged in the same ink colour. The next layer is a 4 3/4" X 6 3/4" piece of Whisper White also sponged in Buckaroo Blue. The next three layers are 4" X 4" pieces of cardstock and DSP all sponged in Buckaroo Blue.

The images were stamped in Buckaroo Blue on Whisper White and then mounted on Buckaroo Blue mats.

The bookmark is tucked behind the piece of Whisper White so the whole card will fit in a 5 1/4" X 7 1/4" envelope.

My next goal is to work on yesterday's colour combination challenge...sort of...'cause I don't have the EXACT colours...

Thanks for stopping by!

It's busy around here!

I started working on my bookmark yesterday and it's about 1/2 constructed - LOL!

I wanted to attach it to a card so that there would be a small "gift" with the card, but that is only 1/2 way done too - UGH!

Since I already had out my Buckaroo Blue and Four Seasons DSP out, I decided to use that...so far so good...just not done!

In other news, the school routine seems to be really sinking in, which is GOOD! I've even got Colin making his bed every day without having to bug him...too much. Jonathan springs out of bed in the morning and makes his bed before he even leaves the room.

So far, there hasn't been any rushing around in the morning...the kids know they have to be ready to walk out the door with teeth brushed, dressed to shoes, lunch made and back packs ready before they can have any electronic privileges. That seems to be working out well too!

That's about it for now...life is good...though a little hectic sometimes, but definitely GOOD!

I need to get some chores done and then just MAY have time to stamp a bit before it's time to pick Jonathan up at the bus stop and head off to cooking school. Hoping to have something to share with you later.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ready to Fly!

No...we're not going anywhere (POUT!)...I just made this card yesterday and decided that "Ready to Fly" was a good title for it.

Every Sunday at SCS, the challenge is "Featured Stamper". The challenge hostess picks a stamper and we get to go into her gallery, check out all her cool stuff and then pick a card to CASE (that's Copy and Steal Everything). The rules state that you have to change at least two things about the card. Our Featured Stamper this week is Shannon. I had SO much fun looking at her gallery!

Here's what I came up with:


I changed the main image and used a second image instead of an embellishment. I also used different DSP and different coloured cardstock. I REALLY liked the layout of the card, so I kept that...and can even see me making more with this same layout - SUPER easy!

The images were stamped on Whisper White and then cut out using my coluzzle. The mats for the images were also cut using my coluzzle. The small camera image was popped up on dimensionals. The card base is 4 3/4" square. The next layer is 4 1/2" square and the top layer of DSP is 4 1/4" square cut and then one piece was flipped - gotta love double sided DSP! Inside, I stamped "Are we There Yet?" I think this card would be just perfect for someone going away (especially in winter since I used the winter DSP from the four seasons pack).

I sponged all the elements with Buckaroo Blue...just 'cause I could...I've been on a sponging kick lately - LOL!

I have some 5" square envies, so the card which is 4 3/4" square will fit nicely in those.

STAMPS: Travel Time
DSP: Four Seasons
Cardstock: Whisper White, Buckaroo Blue
Ink: Buckaroo Blue

Today's Challenge is try a new technique and we're making a different kind of bookmark. Can't wait to play with that...but first, there are chores to do!

Hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Crisp Happy Holidays

I was looking for a project today (one I knew I had somewhere on my computer) and ended up over at Andrea Walford's blog and came across a neat little project for some Christmas tags.

I spent the afternoon creating and made 5 sets - WOOHOO! They'll make great gifts!


First I stamped the images on Whisper White cardstock then punched them out with my 1 3/8" punch. I then stamped off the "to and from" so it wouldn't be so strong and stamped it on top of the image. Then I used my Quickutz Revolution to cut out the mat for the image from Cranberry Crisp.

The package is a small cello bag stuck to True Thyme and topped with a scalloped piece of Cranberry Crisp and the "Happy Holidays" sentiment.

All the items were lined with a gold leaf pen.

Later on I hope to participate in the Featured Stamper challenge over at SCS. I have my sketch ready to go...so it'll probably be an "after the kids go to bed" project.

Hope everyone had a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Sky Thank You

This one was done for the Inspiration Challenge and also for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. I took my inspiration from the colours in the "Mondo Dishes" photos.


Stamps: Oh So Lovely
Cardstock: Whisper White, Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Ribbon


Thanks for stopping by!

More stamping goodies!

I was having so much fun stamping yesterday, that I just kept going! Till after 11 p.m. - YIKES!

Then DH and I played Sing Star for a bit and since it was after midnight, I checked out the inspiration piece for today's Inspiration Challenge over at SCS.

So yesterday's challenge was the Limited Supply Challenge. You have to make a card using only the supplies the challenger decides upon. Yesterday's challenge was called "White Out" and we were meant to make a SIMPLE card using white as the main colour. Very Vanilla was an option too.

Well, I made Frankie, but when I re-read the instructions, I realized that I shouldn't have used orange to colour his shirt (we were only allowed ONE extra colour other than white and black or another neutral) and that I shouldn't have used green to sponge the white cardstock.

So...I went back to the drawing board after making the card that I did for Scott and came up with these:


The card base is 4 X 4 Very Vanilla, the next layer is 3 1/2 X 3 1/2 Chocolate Chip and the top layer is 3 X 3 ticket punched piece of Purely Pomegranate. The image is stamped in Purely Pomegranate on a 2 X 2 ticket punched piece of Very Vanilla. There is a sentiment inside that says, "from the bottom of my heart".

Stamps: A Light Heart
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Brads



I made this using the Free Standing Pop Up tutorial that I used yesterday to make the pop up card for Scott.

The panel on the front of the pop up is a 1/2" piece of Very Vanilla stamped in Purely Pomegranate and matted on the same, then attached to the Chocolate Chip base.

The pop up part is the same Very Vanilla stamped with Purely Pomegranate and matted on the same and then matted again on Chocolate Chip.

I added an eyelet and ribbon at the top.

Stamps: A Light Heart
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Eyelet, Ribbon

Then, since I was on a roll and still enjoying using white, I made some of these:



They didn't qualify for the challenge (because of the yellow and red), but I had fun making them! The size of this card is 3 X 6 - a fun little size!

I stamped the main image on a piece of 2 1/4 X 5 1/4 piece of ticket punched Whisper White cardstock and then coloured in the star and balls on the tree using my Ident-a-Pen from American Crafts. The white was mounted on a piece of 2 1/2 X 5 1/2 piece of ticket punched Wild Wasabi before being mounted on the card face.

Stamps: Sidekick Sayings
Cardstock: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Ribbon, Markers

I'm off to play a game of Dora the Explorer Candy Land with Jonathan, then I'm going to attempt the Inspiration Challenge which I'll like use with Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge and kill two birds with one stone.

Hope you have a great day/weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Purely Rose Love You

I'm not sure how long this stamping bug will last, but while it's here, I'm going to go with it!

I made this for DH, so while it's pink, I tried to keep it somewhat masculine by not over embellishing. He's crazy busy at work right now, so I know he won't see this before I get home.


I used colouring pencils and Gamsol to colour in Mr. Elephant and used my Tombo markers to colour in the flower hearts and grass. The image was stamped on Whisper White and was then mounted on Purely Pomegranate and the card base is also made from the same cardstock The ribbon tab and ribbon around the base is Regal Rose.

Stamps: Happy Heart Day
Cardstock: Whisper White and Purely Pomegranate
Ink: Going Grey
Technique: Free Standing Pop Up Card

Thanks for stopping by!

Jonathan's Journey Part II

At about 5:30 p.m., we were in Dr. Hornberger’s office getting the diagnosis. I thought my heart would break. She told us Jonathan had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome – a very serious heart condition where the left ventricle doesn't develop properly. We were given four options. The first was to terminate the pregnancy – something that we never even considered. The second was compassionate care – Jonathan would be born and made comfortable, but nothing would be done. The doctors would just make sure that he wasn't in any pain until he passed away. That thought just broke our hearts. Our third option was a three stage surgery – the first to be completed only days after Jonathan was born, the second when he was about 6 months old and the third at some point after second birthday. The final option was heart transplant. Because of the small number of infant hearts available, this option was not recommended.

We chose to go with the three stage surgery. Dr. Hornberger explained what would be done with each surgery and we were confident that Jonathan would be just fine (at least Scott was, I was just VERY worried!)

We were told that Jonathan would be delivered at Mount Sinai hospital so that he could be transferred to HSC (right across the street) shortly after he were born.

I began bi-weekly treks downtown to Mount Sinai for ultrasounds (I got to see Jonathan often!) and check ups with a pair of new obstetricians. Dr. Ryan and Dr. Seaward were very patient with me and answered all of my questions

Just before Christmas, Jonathan gave us a bit of a scare, and I thought for sure he would come early. We headed down to Mount Sinai so I could get checked out. They hooked me up to some monitors so they could check on Jonathan. It turns out that he just wanted to make sure we were paying attention and was letting us know that I needed to take a bit of a break and slow down.

Scott and I met with pediatricians, neonatologists and lots of other important people to ensure that Jonathan would be safe when he was born. We were told that we might not be able to see him right after his birth, because he might need to be ventilated in order to help him breathe.

After visiting the Special Pregnancy Clinic at Mount Sinai for four months, we found out when Jonathan's cardiologist would be on call and scheduled his birth for January 21^st, 2003. I waited for a call from Dr. Seaward's nurse Christine and she said Jonathan would be born around 1 p.m. on that date.