Help [ME] Ronda

things

busy busy week...

zoo lights, at the Denver zoo with the Youth group from Church

Both kids brought friends and it was a fun filled even

my favorite part was Paige mock throwing a fit to get a ride on the carousel.. so worth it

choir concerts (times two nights), so proud of Lexi with her solo & Paige too

making Christmas presents

as you have seen below...baking baking baking

annual Christmas lunch with Kari (SIL) & the Phil (FIL)

teens hanging out around the house

lots of family time, lots of laughter, and filled with love...

'Tis the Season...

To Do Baking....

Fa La La La... La La La La

• 48+ Ornament Cookies
• 12 Bowls of Frosting
• 6 colored sugar
• 5 different kinds of sprinkles
• 36 Gingerbread Hug Cookies
• 4 Big Jars of Raspberry Jam
• 8 Small Jars of Jam
• 4 Rolls of Necco Wafers
• 1 box of snow caps
• 1 lb of candy coated chocolate
• 6 Cups of Flour in the gingerbread house
• 2 burns from Caramel Syrup
• 4 batches of Royal Icing
• 6 teens creating
• 1 lopsided Gingerbread House filled with love

But who am i kidding...i bake year round

The Christmas Story

 

A couple weeks ago i saw this frame at Target & thought i could do something with it for Christmas.  It was only $8.  I slowly began just playing around with each little frame, trying to decide what words i wanted to use & how i wanted it to look.  An then the idea hit me to have Christ as the center of the message.  The more i played around, the more my idea solidified into a sort of retelling of the Luke Story.   The various frames represent parts of the story, some Christian traditions, and a place to hold our Christmas wishes each year, that is how we are going to bring Christ into the season.

I used my Cocoa Daisy December kit.  I love love love the Pink Paislee mistletoe & CO line in this kit.  It was perfect for this creation.  I love the layers in each frame.  I love how it all came together.  I ended up taking out the glass because of the textures & envelope.  I am a textures kind of gal so i am totally ok with no glass.  Click on each picture below to see details.

what i love...

about our house.  it seems to be the spot for teens to come & hang out.  i am ok with that.  Last week, Lexi & friends made some of these gingerbread hug cookies.  They were excited to do some of our christmas traditions. 

edit:  The Recipe

Hugs..to you

my gift

honored to be a Guest Designer at All About Me. 

The title of this challenge was Processing the Holidays.  I have been staring and staring at this photo of Chrissi & me for a long time now.  It sat on my desk because it is one of the few pictures we have from childhood, let alone Christmas.  So I treasure it dearly & thought one day i will scrap about it.  Today is that day.  Well rather a couple weeks ago.  I scanned and reprinted it so my original is kept.  I decided to do a faux polariod and make it grungy.   My Cocoa Daisy Kit was perfect for it.  The best part is i finally put those thoughts from childhood to paper. 

Love, Love, Love

i love this season....

working hard at getting some Christmas projects underway.

thought i would share some ideas...

• Gingerbread houses ala Martha Stewart, the caramel syrup is just brilliant
• Homemade Fabric Ornaments
  
• Sparkling Snowmen
• gigi's Crayon Stars
• Sew Mama Sew's Ultimate Holiday Handmade Gifts
• lined apron tutorial
• Jessi's Cake Plates Tutorial
  
• Awesome Finger Puppets
• Purple Onion New Holiday Logo Stamps... so going to use them on some baked goodies for the neighbors!

I will bring you more ideas as i stumble across them.  Be sure to share any you have too!  I am always looking for ideas!

ohh Canada....

visiting mrs. lute & family in Canada

love spending time with her.  So far we have shopped, baked, scrapped, chatted, chai-tead it (did you know, it's a verb now ;), & laughed many laughs

i love being here, they welcome me so graciously into their home

Andy joined us yesterday.  He couldn't get into Calagary due to lots & lots of snow, so he flew into Edmonton. Jason is such a good guy & drove to pick him up. 

Tonight is a Christmas Party in the form of a Murder Mystery Dinner.  We have been prepping all day.  Hummus, Baba Ganoush, spiced almond cookies, peppermint yulelogs, yum, yum, yum.  I can't wait to find out whodunit.  

and tomorrow the trip home.  it will be a sad day.  I love visiting but it makes me wish even more that we live in the same town.  Then again, it would be dangerous.... we would never get things done.

Love, lots of it.

Hello Wednesday....

snapped this shot of Anthony on Monday. 

I love it. Love the sunshine pouring in.  Love that it's a moment captured, him getting into the car after school.

it's one of the few of his non-hand shot

every time i get close to him that hand instinctively goes up in front of the camera

and the other day, the little dude had the nerve

had the nerve to ask me.....

"Mom,  i need some pictures of me"

"I have some great shots of your hand"

"Well that won't do.  You should do better than just my hand."

Funny kid. 

La Vie en Rose

Cocoa December Kit.  Such a beautiful kit with lots of Pink Paislee's Mistletoe & Co line.  Yum.   I love love love the colors & accessories in this kit. 

I can say it over & over again.... love living in Colorado.  I love that this little barn is just around the corner from me. 

Lexi said to me the other day, "mom i am starting to forget things about Aunt Chrissi." I want her to be able to remember so i created this layout for her. Now we have begun to stuff the envelop with special memories of her.

 

Sometimes i talk to myself.  It happens.

Oh if you could hear the giggles when they are doing self-portraits.   Just looking at the pictures, i can hear them.  Love the balloons from Webster's pages.  Had to pop one up just for fun!

Fancy my button tree?

I grabbed my Fancy Pants Buttons & Red Pom Pom trim to create my pillow.  Just in time for the holidays.   It was simple to make & directions are up on the Fancy Pants Blog.  I love how it turned out & i can't wait to make more.  

and here are some layouts with the new Fancy Pants lines.

 

Vintage Valentine.  I love Rev & her energy.  She totally cracks me up & so blessed to have her in my life.  I jacked the pictures from her blog.  They were to beautiful not to use!  Love the pops of aqua in this kit so i used them with the paint. 

Frosted.  I had these pictures for a while now.  I wanted to do something with them but still capture the playfulness of the day.  Enter the Frosted line.  I sprayed the chipboard with Sapphire glimmering mist.  I wish you could see how it sparkles.