Day 326, Tuesday, November 22

Can you say 400 mini pumpkin pies?  Today was Grandparent's Day at our school.  We had 218 grandparents in for lunch, adopt a book and to have their picture taken with their grandchild.  I took 170 photos.  It is a lot of work for the cafeteria to provide that many meals, however the grandparents love coming to eat lunch with the children and participating in all of the activities!

Day 325, Monday, November 21

I worked most of the weekend on Christmas cards.  I followed all of the cards from the Holiday Card Camp.  I think I have 4 more days to complete.  I am thankful the class is available to me on line for as long as I want to view it.  I have learned so much from this class.  If you get one of these cards...be surprised!

Day 324, Sunday, November 20

Jim brought these two vases home to me the other day.  His mom gave them to him.  The pitcher belonged to his mom's mother.  The other one was pretty fenton that she wanted to pass on to us.  I have collected the blue fenton since before Jim and I got married.  Fenton is pretty glassware and most of it is hand painted.

Day 323, Saturday, November 19

I am making some of my Christmas cards using the ideas from the Holiday Card Camp.  Oops, that star one is up side down!! lol  Anyway, I have learned a ton of new techniques.  I still have lots of cards to make...you will be seeing more soon!

Day 322, Friday, November 18

I finished making this rosette pumpkin tonight.  I found the directions on the Archiver's blog.  It took 10 pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock to cut all the pieces I needed to make the rosettes.  Each piece was scored at 1/2" and folded, glued and inked.  Each rosette was glued on top of the next smaller or larger until I had used all 10 rosettes.  The stem was made from brown cardstock that I cut and rolled together.  The leaves are Tim Holtz tattered leaves die cuts and I embossed each one with a different folder, inking the edges and crumpling them up.  Added a tag and some jute!

Day 321, Thursday, November 17

This is my card for the swap this month.  We were supposed to make a holiday card.  I used Stampin' Up paper to create the triangle pocket.  I cut the ornament out of blue paper and also out of acetate and embossed it with Tim Holtz snow flurries snowman.  The paper ornament can be removed from the card and hung on the tree.

Day 320, Wednesday, November 16

My brother-in-law, Scott, went on a business trip to Portland this past week.  He went to the beach one afternoon and took this picture.  These rocks were in the movie "The Goonies".  Wish I had gone to the beach this past week...I miss the beach!

Day 319, Tuesday, November 15

During lunch at school today, the students who raised the most money during our fall fund raiser, got to spend 30 seconds in the money machine, grabbing as much cash as they could hold.  You can see the dollar bills floating in the air around this little boy.  He ended up with $16 in one dollar bills.

Day 318, Monday, November 14

Happy Birthday to my very best friend, Cindy!  I got her scrapbooking and stamping supplies.  I went shopping with the supply list from our Holiday Card Camp.  Cindy is taking this class, too!  Anyway, we had a great day celebrating and of course, talking about our cards that we are going to make using all of our Christmas supplies!

Day 317, Sunday, November 13

I made this card for my BFF Cindy.  Her birthday is tomorrow.  Her favorite color is green (that is why the frosting is green!).  I used a new technique that I learned in the Holiday Card Camp Class.  The background is embossed with a dotted swiss folder, inked with green and purple distress ink and sprayed with perfect pearls mist on watercolor paper.  I can't wait for her to see this card...and to do some more backgrounds like this one!

Day 316, Saturday, Nov 12

Tonight we went to see the play "Young Frankenstein".  This was a Mel Brooks play and I had forgotten how funny his plays are!  We had a great time and can't wait to see our next play, "South Pacific"!

Day 315, Friday, November 11

Today is 11/11/11, Veteran's Day.  This is my father-in-law, Jim Smith.  He is still in the hospital working hard to get stronger so he can return home.  He is a veteran of WW2.  The Big One, he always says.  I am thankful for him and his service to our country and all the men and women who serve in the armed forces to keep us safe on a daily basis.

Day 314, Thursday, November 10

I wanted to take some pictures of the sun shining on the lake.  Well, in Central Illinois, there hasn't been much sun lately...but I saw this lone white beach chair sitting in the sand and it made me warmer just thinking about sun!

Day 313, Wednesday, November 9

This clock is on the outside of one of the buildings at the hospital.  I love the way the brick is laid around the outside edge of the clock.  It always says the correct time, too!  I drive by this clock very often as it is on a busy corner in town.  I love that it has roman numerals and is easy to read.

Day 312, Tuesday, November 8

Cindy and I received a gift today from one of our students.  This beautiful mother of pearl trinket box came from Korea.  Emma went with her mother to visit her grandmother and brought us each a box.  It was wrapped in the paper it is sitting on.  (I hope it isn't upside down!)  Thanks to Emma and her mom for thinking of us when they went home to visit!

Day 311, Monday, November 7

Today is Nate's 30th birthday.  I can still remember the day he was born.  That is something a mother never forgets!  He was actually 3 1/2 weeks overdue.  The doctors just don't let that happen anymore.  I was so happy to have a little boy to bring home.  (We didn't have modern technology to determine the sex of the baby 30 years ago!)  Happy Birthday, Nate!  Love you!

Day 310, Sunday, November 6

Grandma Smith bought this Christmas arrangement during the hospital league gift show.  It has a cute little glittered up reindeer and lots of holiday greenery.  I think she made a great choice.  Grandpa is still in the hospital...hopefully, he will get stronger so he can come home soon!

Day 309, Saturday, November 5

Waiting for the leaves to fall.  This tree will drop the leaves all at once!

Day 308, Friday, November 4

This is a picture of the Lagoon in the park.  As I was leaving the hospital this evening, the sun was shining like a spot light on the building.  It is a pretty place to enjoy!

Day 307, Thursday, November 3

Happy Birthday, Jill!  Here she is with Grandma Smith!  Hope you had a great day!

Day 306, Wednesday, November 2

This is the treeline along Parkway Drive.  The leaves have changed color...mostly rusty tones...however pretty.  The farmer has harvested the corn from this field, too.  We see lots of deer eating corn out of this field.

Day 305, Tuesday, November 1

Peyton and I went to see Puss n Boots 3D over the weekend.  I don't really care for the 3D movies...kinda makes my head fuzzy.  But the movie was really cute!

Day 304, Monday, October 31

Happy Halloween!  Bet you don't know who this werewolf is???  It is Peyton.  I had to help him with his costume this year.  The mask and gloves were purchased and I altered the flannel shirt and jeans.  He had me "rip" holes in the fabric and sew fur in behind them.  I started to cut them...and he said "No, Aunt Aprile...like this...rip it!  So, I did and he was right.  It was better ripped!

Day 303, Sunday, October 30

We went to see Wicked!  Tonight was the last performance of this show at the Civic Center.  I must say...it was amazing.  We have seen a lot of plays in our area...but this one was by far the best!  The actors, costumes, stage and sound were awesome!!  If I had seen it earlier during this run...I would have gone to see it again!

Day 302, Saturday, October 29

Stacie and I spent the day at the Women's Lifestyle Show.  We had mini manicures, fun dressing up and enjoyed walking around checking out all the venders.  We ate lunch at Qdoba and finished our afternoon with a relaxing pedi!  What a great day to spend with my daughter.  Thanks for sharing your day with me!

Had to have a pic with Wolfie!

Day 301, Friday, October 28

Cindy and I dressed up as butterflies for our annual school Halloween parade.  We always celebrate Halloween on our early dismissal day at school.  The children had a parade, special Halloween movie and classroom parties.  It was a fun day to see all the students and teachers in costumes!

Day 300, Thursday< October 27

Today is my birthday!  Jim sent me these roses...they smell so good!  And are very beautiful.  He bought me a new purple Dell laptop, too!  It should be here sometime next week...I can't wait!