Pup's Spring Concert

The Kindergarten classes at school had their Spring Concert last night, and it was fantastic.  The elementary music teacher for the district is a very energetic young woman whom the kids adore.  She's sweet and cute and has an adorable laugh, and when she talks to the students, they light up.

They performed the standard fare, like Over the Rainbow (to which our youngest daughter swayed along on Daddy's lap), as well as a folk song, a rain dance, and...well...they closed down the house Shufflin'!

Those Kinders can dance!  I'd love to get ahold of someone's video, because they were hysterical!  Pup can drop it like it's hot, bahahahaha!

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Spring Break. And the flu.

Spring Break was suddenly upon us this year, and since we had already planned a nice quiet week, we decided to go to Chicago.  (What?!?)  Because, that's what you do when you have five kids... You spontaneously drive two hours to meet up with cousins (who only live 30 minutes away in real life) to stay the night in a hotel with a pool.  Then you drive another hour into a big city to ride the subway, take pictures of your reflection in the Bean, and eat hot dogs.  With a one-year-old who will miss her naps.

Actually, it was fantastic.  The weather was amazing, so walking around the city was great fun, even for Jojo in the stroller.  We took a break in Millenium Park to let her crawl around, and at one point we stumbled across a city playground that all five enjoyed.  We walked past a huge construction zone down by the Lake where the city is building an enormous new park with climbing walls, play areas, and picnic space; the kids are already planning to go back in a couple years to spend a day there!

And then, the flu.  Out of no where.  Only Hubs escaped it.  And it was vicious.  Shudder.  So the first week back to school happened without several of my children.  I hear it's really going around...  But, we're all better now, and all back to school, so it seems that I should probably disinfect the house and catch up on laundry (and do some of the hundred or so projects on my list).

Instead, I'll show you the sketches from the last two weeks!

Sketch 339

Double-Decker Grilled Cheese digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kits: It's a Good Life by Just Jaimee, Enjoy the Everyday by Mommyish; Sketch: 339 by Scrapbook Challenges; Fonts: You Are Loved, Carbon Type

Sketch 340

You Make My Heart Sing digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Storyteller Collab by Scrap Orchard for Persnickety Prints; Font: Caitlyn

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I Used to Post Things Here...A Recap

Once upon a time, I thought it would be cool to have a blog.  And I tried.  And I failed.  So I tried again.  And it seems that writing anything on a regular basis is just *not* who I was meant to be.

So, in the spirit of total haphazardness (if that's a word), I bring you a recap of the last month.  A little bit of life happened:

Zombies and Aliens invaded for the Story Laboratory Book Fair at school...

The youngest-among-us turned one!

And Easter happened...

Then, there were some Sketches:

Sketch 335

Competition Swim digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Graph & Dot Paper, Banner, Paint: Me by Misty Cato; Stripe Paper, Journal Card, Flag, Tape, Love This Word Art: You Are My Happy by Sweet Shoppe Designs; Number Border, Memories Word Art, Staples: Today 2.0 by Mari Koegelenberg; Waves Border: Seaside Retreat by Mommyish; Alpha: Varsity by Lisa Sisneros; Sketch: 335 by Scrapbook Challenges; Fonts: Marcelle Script, Traveling Typewriter

Sketch 336

Lab Zombie digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper, Skull, Dotted Ribbon: I Love Rock & Roll by Connie Prince; Alpha, Bookplate, Ribbons, Splat: Urban Wasteland by Angie Kovas and BZB Designs; Stitching: Machine Stitched Sampler by Traci Reed; Sketch: 336 by Scrapbook Challenges; Font: Carbon Type

Sketch 337

Zombie digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Paper, Edges: Today 2.0 by Mari Koegelenberg; Stitching: Little Sew and Sew by Erica Zane; Edge Border: Painted Border Freebie by Just Jaimee; Paper Tear, Staples: Gunhild Storeide; Sketch: 337 by Scrapbook Challenges; Fonts: Grant's Ghosts, Carbon Type

Sketch 338

Double

One digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Feelin' Peppy by Just Jaimee; Banner: Take My Picture by Just Jaimee; Flowers: Kalea Bits #7 by Creashens; Sketch: 338 by Scrapbook Challenges; Font: Caitlyn

And much, much more.  Someday, maybe I'll find time to post about that, too...

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Sippy Cuteness

Just a lil pic...of just a lil girl...who has finally gotten the hang of her sippy cup.

Goodness, how I love this child.

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SBC Sketch 333

This week's sketch release at Scrapbook Challenges turned out to be quite a challenge for some of us!  But, if you're a storyteller, this is right up your alley...

If you click over to the SBC Blog, you can see what the other DT members have done with the sketch, but I'm warning you that we're a sappy bunch this week!  This quantity of journaling seems to have brought out our collective sentimental side.  Which is cool...some photos require that kind of treatment.  Here's my take:

5 Days in September digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper, Tape, Arrows: Little Boy by Pure Scrap; Stethescope, Thermometer, Bracelet, Red Cross, Word Art: Bumps & Bruises by Miss Mint; Brads, Ribbon, Ink: This Life: September by Penny Springmann; Paper Tears: Gunhild Storeide; Sketch: 333 by Scrapbook Challenges; Fonts: Impact, Underwood Champion

This is a long-awaited redo of one of my first paper pages.  I got as far as taping down the photo and some word bits, but never wrote the story...which is kind of the important part of this layout.  You can click to enlarge it if you care to read the journaling.

And then, because I can be kind of an over-acheiver, I decided to whip up a second page!   I went way less literal on this take, but honestly, it shows the range that you can acheive with a sketch like this:

100 digital scrapbook layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper, Flower: With All My Heat by Juliana Kneipp; Journal Card, Bird Card, Glasses, Leaf, Lace, Tag, Tea Stains, Alpha: This Life: September by Penny Springmann; Bingo card: Fly Away With Me Collab by Sweet Shoppe Designs; Tickets, Buttons: This Carefree Day by Sahlin Studio; Sketch: 333 by Scrapbook Challenges; Font: Underwood Champion

If you look closely, the structure of the sketch is very much present in this layout.  I've just subbed out some of the journaling with extra (granny-chic!) embellishments.  That, to me, it the joy of sketches, especially very minimal ones like this...being able to play on the elements that grab your attention and letting your own creativity do the rest!


P.S.  SBC didn't miss Sketch 332...I did!  I hadn't done a layout with is, so I forgot to blog it!  You should still check it out, though!

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The Daddy-Daughter Dance

Hubs and Banana attended their very first Daddy-Daughter Dance tonight.  It was much anticipated by Banana...she got a new outfit (complete with sequined skirt and shoes), picked out accessories, and planned hair and makeup.

And, then, about two hours before the big date, she went sledding with her brothers.  And ripped open her chin, attempting to "get a running start" down the hill.  So, off to urgent care we went for stitches, hoping to Heaven that the wait would be brief and the dance could still happen.  We took the makeup with us to pass the time.  No girl has ever left an ER sporting four stitches with better looking eyes than tonight...

They made it for the last 45 minutes of the dance.  According to hubs, it was a perfect amount of time to hit the photo booth, eat cupcakes, squeal with little girlfriends...and even dance a bit!

It was a little nuts trying to get them out the door quickly, so we took a couple pictures (in cruppy lighting) when they got home.  I *think* they like each other.  And I *hope* he ruins her for all the boys she meets in the next ten years.

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SBC Sketch 331

Our normal Monday sketch release was postponed this week because a tornado touched down in the town where SBC owner Brynn Marie lives.  Thankfully, her family is safe and her home was remarkably undamaged...but many in Hattiesburg were not so fortunate.  As we enjoy our weekend, let's please remember those trying to salvage and rebuild.

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It is perfect, however, to release the lovely Sketch 331 for Valentine's Day!  Frilly and dainty in its details, this sketch only needs a single, special photo to complete it.

Click over to the blog and see what the talented design team has done...but in the meantime, here's my page!

Anna at Four digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kits: This is Why Collab by Design House Digital for Persnickety Prints; Kinda Awesome by Jennifer Barrette; Stitching: In Stitches by Robyn Meierotto; Sketch: 331 by Scrapbook Challenges; Font: Carbon Type

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