How much was accomplished :)

Looking over the list I had for myself I can see I did pretty good. I managed to list the card and bookmark, here are the pics, these are listed in my etsy shop.

I have just learned over the last few hours about Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson's deaths and I am truly in shock. I was completely aware regarding Farrah's illness and battle but it still makes you take a step back when you know they are truly gone forever.

I was never a Michael Jackson fan (one of the few of my generation I know) but it obviously is something that can affect you deeply, and honestly my heart is broken for his family and for our generation, we have really lost an icon!

I think I need to read about a new baby being born!

Cheers

Let summer begin!!!

So the end of the first full school year is now over for our family. Trevor will be going into the school tomorrow to pick up his report card and then he is done. It honestly still blows me away to think in just a few short months he will be starting Grade 2, I know I have been saying it a lot lately but I really need time to slow down just a bit.

The plan for tonight is as follows: (this is what I have started doing now, told you before how I love lists but lately if I don't have a list to scratch off task by task than I am a goner, nothing will get done)
*Blog (yeah look at this,one off the list!!!)
*Twitter (not as active on that as I should be)
*Load the new card and bookmark I completed into my Etsy shop ( I will have pictures tomorrow)
*Look into finishing a layout for the boys
*Start a new Disney pre-made layout for the shop.
*Some house cleaning (I don't need to go into details here, lol)

So I know I have already completed one off the list, how many more will I get done I wonder.

On a different note I would love your thoughts and prayers, my family has just found out that yet another person has been hit with Cancer. My Aunt Peggy who just finished surgery for breast cancer was just diagnosed this past Friday with bone cancer. I have been around enough cancer in my lifetime to know that this isn't something you recover from. My only hope is that she is comfortable and can enjoy her last days as best she can. It was less than a year ago that we went to New York together and now she has but weeks to live, life moves quick!!
Honestly everyone the most important thing you can do in this life is to truly understand just how short it really is and to enjoy the people in your life to the fullest!!!!

Anyway on that note I am going to sign off the computer and go play a game with the boys!

Cheers

Listed some cards on Etsy

Well it has been a very long time since I have listed any items on either Etsy or ebay. I did today, yahoo.

I have listed the following 3 items and would love if you took a look :)

www.kriskropmemories.etsy.com

Your a Hoot - blank handmade card

Frog themed mini Thank You Cards

and finally
Hoot Hoot Hooray - owl themed birthday card


It feels really good to get some items listed, I would love your feedback!

Cheers

So we are only days away from summer, Trevor has already started the countdown for summer holidays. I think now that I am back to work and more day to day kid stuff is falling on Rory that he is also doing the countdown, his countdown though is for the day after Labour Day, lol.


Trevor only started Grade 1 this year and I honestly can't believe it is over already.

I am in the middle of reading a book right now that has me thinking about the precious time we have with our kids, in a flash they are grown up. I have really made a conscious effort these days to relax more as a parent, don't misunderstand, there is still discipline in the house but the little things that used to drive me nuts I am trying to see past. Like Brendan coming into our bed, drives me crazy, but the other day I was thinking in a few years I would probably love Brendan or Trevor to come snuggle into bed, so why complain about something I will be wishing I had back.

Not sure why I went in this direction today I guess the book I am reading is having quite the impact. It's called 'My Sisters Keeper', I believe it is coming out as a movie this summer with Cameron Diaz. The writing is magnificent! I cry easily at movies but honestly in all my book reading (and I read a lot), I have never been brought to tears while reading a book, not sure why but it's just the case. I have however had a couple moments while reading this book where I have had to push back the tears.

So today is Trevors last baseball game (t-ball)

and next he will be joining swimming, he has been bugging me about his next lessons since late winter. He just loves it. We are not sure though if we will put him back in ball, I know he loves to play but I don't know that its the game he loves or the socializing, at this level that's ok but going forward when the game starts getting more competitive I'm just not sure. I think 1 more year would be ok, he may just find a love for the game, Rory however is not convinced.



I have been finding more and more time to get some scrapping and cardmaking done. It has been nice. I have 3 orders in right now for custom layouts, and my mind is swirling with ideas so I think the best thing for me to do right now is to sit down and make a plan. What layouts (how many), what cards (how many, what size), what types of supplies do I need, what timelines will I need. It is definitely my goal to one day have custom scrapbooking and card/invitation design as my only source of income. You know what they say, life is short, so I figure I should be doing what I love. I can just see myself sitting at the table, surrounded by papers, pens, ink, stamps, embellishments, with both kids in school so I don't need to worry that one will put the others eye out with my scissors, this sounds like bliss!!! I know there are others out there that are this successful that they can do this full-time, I just need to figure out how they did it so I can do it too.

If you know the secrets, pass them on, lol



Cheers

Heatwave, swimming, scrapping, and bbq's

I did not forget that I had a blog but the energy level just wasn't there all last week. Typically here June weather is in the 70's, sunny but comfortable. Well I think the sun is confused :) because it was beating down on us like it was August. We were hitting 95 degrees for a couple days with the rest of the week at 90 degrees.

I know for some this is not a big deal but honestly we are not equipped to handle such heat, most here don't have a/c units because it's really not necessary except for about 2 weeks of the year. So anyway by the time I drove the hour home in my NON-air conditioned car I was done!, have some dinner, watch the kids in the pool, get them to bed and then I didn't move I was just so tired. The most surprising thing though is usually the heat makes Rory and I both very cranky, not so much this time which is a good thing.

Here are some of the pics of the kids in the pool. This is the best investment we have made, they are having so much fun, getting some exercise, and generally wearing themselves out before bed.

I have done some scrapping, just a bit because remember I didn't move all last week, lol. This double 12 x12 page is when the family (pre-Brendan) went to a little theme park (really little) called DinoTown. Trevor loved it and for the age he was (3), it was great. I think he would still like it but I can guarantee that he would rather be at the waterslides next door.
Here is it (I haven't included the journaling yet, getting that added hopefully tonight. We just hooked up a new computer (don't get me started on Vista) and I can't figure out how to get my printer going!)

On a completely different topic it is now bbq season and I would like to share a recipe I tried out last weekend, it was a huge hit. I love to bbq (not the man of the house, Rory does not fit into any stereotypes) but I do get bored of the same steak, burger, hot dog and sometimes chicken, I love to try new things. So this was completely different for me and it was a success. If you know of any recipes or websites that are great for the bbq I would love to hear about them.

Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs

Click on the picture to go to the on-line recipe, it was sooooo good!!!

Finally there is only one week left to enter the blog giveaway, be sure to take part, everybody needs cards throughout the year so why not win them!!!!!
Here is the link to the rules to enter.
http://kriskroppin.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-1-announcements.html

Cheers!

June 1 announcements

So here we are in June already, I can hardly believe it. I'm not sure about everyone else but it feels to me like we were just celebrating Christmas and New Years.

I have a few things to announce today. First the winner of Mays blog giveaway and second the details regarding Junes blog giveaway.

So with no further chatter I would like to announce the winner of the May blog giveaway. All names were dropped into a hat and my husband picked the winner. The winner of the May thank you card giveaway is SHRIMP SALAD CIRCUS!!

June GIVEAWAY info

Next the details of the next monthly giveaway. This giveaway will be open for entries until June 22, 2009 with the draw date the following day.

There are three ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this blog listing your favorite card in my etsy shop (http://www.kriskropmemories.etsy.com/)

2. Take part in the poll on the top right of this blog.

3. Follow this blog

The winner of this giveaway will receive 10 mini cards. As the winner you can choose the type fo card, thank you, birthday, congratulations, thinking of you etc.

On a crafting personal side I finally found the time to pick up photos I had ordered online earlier last week. I can't wait to start scrapping them for the boys books. I honestly couldn't believe just how far behind I was until I showed Rory a picture of Trevor, Rory thought it was a picture of Brendan. Brendan is 3 years younger than Trevor so it looks as though I have 3 years of pictures to catch up on..

I did print some pictures that are going to be hard to scrap. They are of my Mom and Dad and the boys on my Dads birthday. Given his birthday is in September and he passed away in November you can imagine he looked very sick. I wasn't going to scrap them but I figured Brendan who was only months old when my Dad passed away would probably one day appreciate having these photos. I still don't know, what would you do??

The other photos are all fun and will be a great time putting together. I will definitely post a pic when I am done.

Good luck to all that enter the giveaway.

Cheers!