Countdown to 2011 Lo 2 **SiT**

We have another wonderful sketch from SiT, and it is a double LO!!  I made this for a friend about her New Years Eve Party.

So please head on over to Sketches in Thyme and give the sketch a try!!

Enjoy!

Erin R.

Christmas Card 2011

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

We hope that this time of year come to everyone in good heath.  We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!! So here is our virtual Christmas card to each and everyone one of you!!

Reed Family Easter 2011

At the beginning of the year Morgan turned 5!  He had a wonderful birthday party at Chuck E Cheese with lots of his friends.  He "graduated" from Preschool at Christ Church School (a 2 day a week program), and was ready to take on Kindergarten at Lexington Creek Elementary.  He is having some difficulty with the transiting to a full 5 day a week school program, but things are looking up, and with the new year and a wonderful teacher Mrs. Engle we hope things will begin to be even better.  Morgan lost his first teeth in August, and is so proud he showed everyone the gap in his teeth.  Morgan loves to play computer games, Legos, reading with Mom and Dad, any thing Star Wars, and still loves his dinosaurs and dragons!!

Jan 1st-  Morgan turned 5!

First Day of Kindergarten

Brandon celebrated his one year birthday on Dec 31, 2010!!  He loved his little cake, and of course got it all over himself.  He has been growing so much, and has changed so much in the past year that is is hard to keep up!!  His first real word that came out and made sense was "this".  He pointed at everything and said "this?" as if to ask "what is this?".  He has really learned the fins art of running, and now a favorite game of the boys is to play chase around the house. Brandon's other pass time in to jump on Morgan and sit on his head (of which Morgan is very tolerant and gentle).  Brandon has had some minor surgeries to correct a hernia and teeth problems, but all is fixed and he is better than ever!!  Brandon started preschool this year at Christ Church School.  He goes Mon and Wed from 9:30am - 2pm, and loves his teachers Ms. Joyce and Ms. Missy.  I ask him if he wants to go to school and the first things he says is "backpack?".  Brandon is so laid back and gentle, and everyone loves having him, and super happy toddler!!

Brandon's First Birthday

First Day of Preschool

Our whole family got to go back to Galveston for a vacation again this summer.  Lots of time playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean, playing with cousins (Preston, Amanda, and Allison), aunts (Stephanie and Susan, Grandma Marty, and Robert.  Brandon was a bit timid of the ocean at first, but he loved to play in the sand, and eventually he learned that the water was not so bad.  Morgan is like just like his Mom Erin, loves being out in the beach finding sea creature (he caught many snails, a few fish, and some crabs), making sand castles, and splashing around in the surf.  Erin and Mike just their best trying to keep up with the boys, but still enjoy their vacation!!

Both boys loved swimming this summer at Grandma Elaine's and Grandma Marty's house (they both have pools).  Morgan picked up where he left of last year and swam like a fish.  He learned to float on his back, dive down the bottom to pick up toys, jumping of diving boards, cannonballs, and right at the end of the summer the beginning of diving and breathing while he swims across the pool.  Very possible he might join swim team this summer.  Brandon took to the water like a fish.  He loved to jump in from the side, and had no problem going under the water.  He just popped right up (with a little help) and smiled away and gave the baby sign language of "more".  He even learned to push off from the stairs in the pool and swim towards you, about 3 feet away, head underwater and all.

Playing in the pool at Grandma and Grandpa Manz's

Just out of the pool

Mike is working full time with the Texas National Guard, but he now is working at Ellington Field.  This is a joint base for both the Air Force and Army located right near NASA, about a 35 minute drive from our house.  He still reports once a month to the Armory to train his soldiers, as he is the C Company Commander of the 72nd BSTB.  Morgan is so proud of his Daddy being a soldier as he has learned more about it while being in school during the Veteran's day events in November

Picture taken for Morgan's poster he made for school about his father being in the National Guard.  The poster was on display for a month.

Erin has enjoyed being home with the boys.  They keep me busy going to various events, pick ups from school, and day to day activities.  I started working at Michaels Craft Store in Sugar Land teaching scrapbooks classes.  I work one night a week, one day while both boys are at school, and one Saturday a month.  I love teaching at the store, it is such a fun way to get out of the house without kids, do something I love, and get paid for it!  I just recently found out that I was one of the top 25 Certified Scrapbook Instructors for Michaels in North America (about 5000 stores).  I was elated!!  Mike and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this November, it is amazing that is been 10 years.  I still feel the same giddy feeling when he calls me or when he comes home, he is truly the man of my dreams.  Grandma Marty watched the kids for us and we went out to the Symphony and had a wonderful quiet dinner.

We continue to miss our daughter Kristen.  She would have been 3 this past October.  One thing that she has taught me is that life is way to short, so take advantage of every moment, and love the ones around you with all your heart.  We love and miss you Kristen.

Erin and Kristen - 2 months old

We hope that the new year brings you lots of joy and happiness! 

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!!

Candy Container ***Prairie Fairy Fridays***

I was asked to be a GDT for Prairie Fairy Friday Challenge blog this week, and I am so excited!  The theme is holly jolly Christmas, but no red or green.  Wow, try and do anything with no red or green in it for Christmas, that was a challenge, but I think I pulled it off!!

I got to use this super cute image from Prairie Fairy Friday.  I used map pencils to color in the snowman's hat, bird, nose, arms, and buttons (with no red or green).  I then used white glitter (off brand) and painted in the snow and snowman's body (but maybe with a pink hat it is a snow-woman, lol), just to give it the feel of glistening snow in the sunshine.

I am giving this fun little candy container (or cookies if you so wish) to my son's kindergarten teacher.  She has been so helpful with everything, it is the least I can do.

I hope you can pop over and play in the challenge at Prairie Fairy Friday!!

Challenges:

Enjoy!!

Erin R.

Thankful Card **SiT**

I was working with Michaels to collect cards for Operation Christmas Cards this year.  Through my Mops group, people signing cards while I demoed on the floor, the Operation Christmas Cards class, employees signing cards, and some wonderful donations from scrapbookers taking my classes at Michaels we were able to collect 558 cards to send to the troops this Christmas!!

I had two huge card donations, one that dropped a box off with over 150 cards that I believe she collected from her school (I wish I knew her name to thank her) and the other a very nice lady who has come to a few of my scrapbook classes and she personally made and collected over 150 cards!!

Thank you to all those who collected and signed cards for Operation Christmas Cards!!

I created this card for the lady in my classes.  I took the Sketches in Thyme sketch and turned it into a card.  You can play with this great sketch too, so hop on over to SiT and ply along, you have all month!!

I got to play with copic markers for the first time the other day at work, and I am hooked!!  I created the very cool butterfly with them!!

Challenges:

Enjoy!!

Erin R.

Three ways to use your stamps ***Frosted Designs and Anything Goes***

Working at Michaels I get to play with various products to learn them to teach for classes or crops.  I have always had distress inks, but I have never really used them to their full potential......until now!!

For these tags I used various blending, spraying, and water techniques.......come back Jan 1st to learn more in a tutorial!!  I then had fun adding glitter and embellishments to jazz them all up!!

Frosted Designs has a challenge on right now to use GLITTER on any paper craft, so head on over and join the fun!!

Anything Goes Challenge Blog is also having a ANYTHING BUT A CARD challenge going on right now, so head on over and play along!!

I also has fun playing with three different ways to use the same stamp on these tags.  All the papers were Kraft color to begin with before I stamped and ink distressed them.

1) I used distress ink to stamp the tag (before adding any other colors) to create a background print - the butterfly in stamped in purple

2) I stamped in Staz-on ink in black, then blended in red distress ink over the top of the stamped image, cut the image out, and then added some red stickles to glam it up.

3) I heat embossed with red glitter embossing powder, blended with red distress ink over the embossed image, cut the image out, and added orange stickles to glam it up.

Challenges:
http://charismacardz.blogspot.com/-  no cards - 12/13x
http://craftyannschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - bingo - 12/14x
http://doyoustackup.blogspot.com/- vintage - 12/14x
http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/ - bling - 1/1
http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ - creatures - 12/14
http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/ - emboss - 12/22
http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/ - no xmas - 12/16


Enjoy!!

Erin R.