we put our tree up right after Thanksgiving, yay! I am so glad that I found these cute candy cane striped candles at Walmart- not sure if I have the heart to burn them!! I am really lovin the red theme I am going with for the 2nd yr. The girls are lovin the candy dish a bit too much. Our tree is filling up with gifts fast, I am glad that I started shopping early this year. I love seeing the wrapped gifts under the tree. I still have a long way to go. It did confuse Kiela-since Santa is supposed to bring the gifts!! Those gifts are driving the girls & LaVaughn crazy.

I made the wreath in the bathroom...I think I need 2 more pine cones! I also made the tree, check out the JBC Inspiration blog for more on that.

Oh, was Saturday fun...it SNOWED for the first time! Kiela & Daddy played and made a snowman. Kiela couldn't not wait to get out in it. Her two front teeth are coming in and I am going to miss her toothless smile! Mira has gone TWILIGHT on us, she spends hours in her room reading. She has finished the serious and started on some new book-glad she loves to read now. She made honor roll with all A's and a B-woohoo!!

Ok, I had to pick Kiela up from school and hour after she left-tummy ache. Now she is on the Wii, go figure! Need to get her some lunch, later!!



 
 






 
 










 

Tonia G said:

So love the ornaments. Question - what long reach stapler do you use? I've been trying to find one. Thanks girl, your work is beautiful.

Reply | Edit | View | Nov 20, 2009 on tis the season time…

Hello Tonia!! If you look on the left sidebar the amazon widget with all the stuff I recommend has the one I use in there!! It's cheap too...I priced them around my house at Staples & Office Max and they wanted around $30. I love the fact that it has a guide so I can have even staples on my pages!! Hope that helps you.

stephanie said:

Does jenni still have those birds in stock. they are so hard to find!

Reply | Edit | View | Nov 19, 2009 on tis the season time…

Steph, I will have to check on that for you. I am not sure...yes! they are on the Mercantile site!!

Don't miss out on your chance to win a MM Slice!!! Check out the Scrapbook Trends Blog for your chance to win one-go there TODAY for details!!!
This layout "The Scoop" I did for the MM Blog...the title & the flower was done with the Slice. I LOVE making flowers with my Slice the most!! All papers are also from MM new Mistletoe Christmas line.

52 More Scrapbooking Challenges with Elizabeth Kartchner!!! I just got my copies-woohoo!!! Awesome book with awesome designers. This is one of my fave projects that I did using lots of MM stuff!! There is a link to the book from Amazon on my left sidebar<-------------!!

  I can't believe that next week I will be pulling out the Christmas stuff. Yikes, has it flown by again. 

I had this extra photo of Kiela to scrap...I am bad at printing out the same photo by mistake or because it was the wrong size!! I used all Making Memories papers & stuff: green paper, blue paper, straight pin, button, brads, spiral paper; JBfelt bird, paper bird; Prima flower
 
  I did a few ornaments using Jenni Bowlin products for the Inspiration blog.

products: chipboard birds, green pp, red letter pp, red floral pp, chipboard button, calendar card; Heidi Swapp crystals
  
   

   Scallop banners supplies: blue dot pp, red floral pp, bingo card, red circle sticker

-red damasl pp, green pp, numbered button, straight pin, button Joann's

-red music pp, green pp, numbered button, gold star Heidi Swapp
  

lori kraft said:

Please - Where oh where did you get that "school bag" on the school pictures, did i say please

 

LOL, Lori!! Target at the beginning of the school year!!

 

Rachel Anderson said:

I love that page! I was wondering what kind of ink you use for all your stamping? it always looks so great :)

 

Rachel, usually I use Stazon, Stampin Up, Tim Holtz-big thanks!!

Heaven said:

Great pictures. The girls are sure growing up fast! I'm still waiting for those pics of your studio lol :)

Reply | Edit | View | Nov 1, 2009 on picking out pumpkin…

 

I know Heaven, they are coming!!

 

We took the girls to pick out their pumpkins Wednesday afternoon. Boy, was it WINDY!! Argh...so most of my photos the girls have hair covering most of their faces. Especially Mira...I think she thought it was cute. That one. She only took pictures to get her debt she owes to Kiela($8) erased by me! Kiela lost a tooth this week. I swear this one was determine to knock out her 2 top front teeth before it was time. She has hit them pretty hard a few times(drawing blood) and making them pretty loose for the past year. One shifted a bit to one side...and so when the other tooth came out she had this one crazy tooth in the center of this gap. Her daddy nicked named her 'hillbilly'. Every time she smiled all we could do is laugh!!! Thank goodness the other tooth fell out Thursday. In these photos she has that crazy one tooth...

Claudia Black said:

Ever since I came across your blog thru Lizzy's posting earlier this week, you're on my daily blog check. Love how you use pieces of different products!!! Although, I work mainly in mini's, there's so much inspiration from you. Thanks!!! On another note: from all the blogs that I check daily, you seem to be the only one actually replying/ commenting to your readers - and I just wanna give you a big thumbs up for that. And on a totally different note: I have two little girls as well (2, almost 3; and 7). There bi-racial and I have the biggest problem with my older ones hair. It has so changed over this year and what used to be cute little curls looks like a huge mess every morning. My in-laws have recommended several products they use themselves, but I just can't manage for her hair to look as gorgeous as your girls'. What products do you use on their hair. What's your taking on how often to wash it. Do you straighten it at all or is their hair naturally straight? Anything you can help me with, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks a ton!!!

Reply | Edit | View | Oct 8, 2009 on am i on a roll...

Sorry, Claudia...my last post I totally forgot to answer questions. I will have to drop you an email tomorrow or Sunday. Please forgive me for forgetting! All can say about other blogs is give them a break, lol!!! Please. Life gets busy & crazy. It can get hard blogging, keeping up project deadlines, taking care of family and so on. That's why I have to have my comments closed after a week. It was getting overwhelming for me-maybe some bloggers are overwhelmed too. Thanks so much for the thumbs up!!!

Tonia B said:

Hey Keisha - Beautiful layouts as usual. Question: What is the font that you used on the picture on the Pumpkin Layout of Kiela? It's super cute, seems like I've seen in somewhere before, house of 3?

Reply | Edit | View | Oct 20, 2009 on the flu is real...

 

Hi Tonia!!! Thanks, it called VNI-HL Thuphab. I think I got it from www.dafont.com over a year ago. It had about 5 or so in a file!!

stephanie said:

okay, officially, keila is growing up! sorry, mom :) glad you are well again!

Reply | Edit | View | Oct 21, 2009 on the flu is real...

 

Stephanie...DON"T EVEN GO THERE!!!!!! I am so not ready to hear it out loud!!

Kris said:

You are so refreshingly different. Love your unique style!!! Any chance you'd be willing to TEACH???? I'd drive to DC in a heartbeat!!

Reply | Edit | View | Oct 7, 2009 on am i on a roll...

 

Kris, I am so trying to get my act together with that. I am such a scaredy-cat

 

THANKS so much for the comments to all!!

k

We were taken down by the flu last week, it was no fun. It started with Mira-I took her to the docs last Saturday. While there me & Kiela got flu shots. By Sunday afternoon me & Kiela were feeling it. Thank goodness we are all better now. I really tried to update last week, sorry. I started 5 lo's last week these are two that I was able to finish. I love the non-traditional Halloween page!

Pumpkin page: MM products-pumpkin straight pins, lg blue dot pp, sm green dot pp, tag, stickers, button, spiral pp;Prima flowers
 

Pretty is she page: Jenni Bowlin products-die cut pp, 4x4 floral pp, 4x4 green pp, chipboard button, scallop die cut, butterfly rubon, blue label stickers
 

One morning on our way to the bus stop...

Today I used Jenni Bowlin products with a few more of last years Halloween photos. Love the new Halloween bingo cards! I made that funky flower with the Slice.

products-Jenni Bowlin lg bingo card, sm bingo cards, calendar, die cut pp; MM Halloween fetti stickers; Strano ribbon
 

products-Jenni Bowlin numbers, mini calendar, lg bingo card, red pp, blk pp; MM-straight pin, flower, button; Strano ribbon
 
 

This page of Amira I used MM's new Vintage Findings line. I even have some sample projects on the back of some of the packaging-woohoo!! When I told LaVaughn that he had to see and we ran over to Mike's to see, lol.
products: bazzill embossed cardstock; MM Vintage Findings red metal flowers, floral card, ticket, straight pin; MM-flowers, buttons, pp(from Mike's); Strano dot ribbon

Our first Halloween in the states in over 3yrs is almost here!! Last year Kiela was Little Red Riding Hood, this year she says she wants to be a vampire!! I scarpped a couple photos from last year using the new Making Memories Halloween line(text pp, ledger pp, scallop pp, flower made with the Slice Noteworthy card, straight pin, rub-on's, stickers, tag) Swirl stamp by Inkadinkado

Did you see  Elizabeth Kartchner's blog...she announced a new book!!

Just before going to the bus stop this morning I took a few photos!! She has on Amira's old Gap dress, lol!!
 
 
 

Claudia Black said:

WOW, I live outside Philly and my husband is a Park Ranger at Indep. Natl Hist. Park Srvc but I've never seen City Hall in a better view than on your photos. It makes it actually look really great!!!

 

LOL, Thanks Claudia!! I thought it wasn't that great & could have been better. Thank you!!

 

 

Joan Fowler said:

Amazing, as usual. You have such a knack for putting papers and elements together like no one else. Hoping that the saying "flattery will get you everywhere" is true and that you will let me know where to get that beautiful butterfly stamp from the layout "Remember this" as well as the silhouetted ponytail girl stamp. Thanks for the eye candy Keisha.

 

Hi Joan,  All the smaller butterflies in the stamp from Studio Calico including the "remember this moment". The large butterfly under the saying is Martha Stewart. I hope that helps, thank you for the sweet compliments!!

 

april foster said:

keisha, i love these LOs! thanks for posting them in the SC gallery so i can save them to my favorites :) you're awesome to get that many layouts done so quickly

 

April, you all make such cool stuff-that I just love

 

 

Tonia B said:

All I can say is that I just love you and your work even though we have never met. Oh so amazing! I can definitely agree with the other ladies on including more posts of your room but the room you had in China was beautiful from the lighting to the floors. On a side note, I've been searching all over for the glass cabinet like you have. Is it discontinued at Ikea?

 

Thanks Tonia!! Humm, not sure. That's the thing about Ikea-things disappear after a while. Argh!!

This weekend I played with some things from SC...I am a total SC stamp freak!! They have the coolest stamps. I thought I didn't care for the silhouette stamp-BUT i so LOVED it. I hope that you can enjoy some new stuff, I am trying to enjoy this grove I am finally in.

Most of the things I have used on each page is from Studio Calico(and their stamps-the number block, flower, butterfly, abc stamp, remember this, happy(apart of this month's kit), silhouette girl, letter stamps / letter stamps). Some stamps were limited editions.

Shelly said:

OOO pretty. I too would love to see new pictures of your studio. I could look at other ladies' scrap spaces all day long. hehe.

 

Hi Shelly...I sure will do that by next week. It's not as nice as the room I had in China, lol!!!

Heaven said:

Gorgeous as always!! I must agree with Diane, your decorating talents are amazing. I'd love

 

 

Diane said:

Beautiful layouts Keisha. I love the pictures of Philly!! Can you maybe post more pictures

 

Wow, ok Ladies!! Thanks so much. I will get some up with the scraproom photos!!

Yay, I scrapped!!

For this page I used MM Just Chillin' girls line(which is 50% off)-tag,stamps(splatter); Flower Patch flowers stickers; felt flower, straight pin, ribbon, velvet brads; Fancy Pants felt scallop frame

JBS Mercantile Oct 09 kit gallery is up, take a peek!!

I spent Saturday in Philly(my first time there) with Cindy, Linda, and Kelly.