Beyond Angry And So Very Sad

Yesterday was a very bad day, and right now I can say I don't like people very much. After picking Sharla up from work and running several errands, we came home and started to fix dinner for the dogs when Hollywood bolted through the doggie dog like he was being chased. Sharla then saw a shadow outside the doggie door and thought it was Zoey, but Hollywood was acting strangely. She looked out and saw our neighbor's dogs in our yard. I went out to chase them back to their side of the fence and saw Zoey lifeless on the ground, with one of the dogs stand over her.

Now I when I say I lost it, that is putting it mildly. I began screaming at the dogs and screaming loud enough that the neighbor behind us heard me over his lawn mower. I finally got the dogs to go back to his side of the fence and got to Zoey, but she was gone. They had mauled her to death.

This little ball of fluff that wouldn't hurt a fly is gone because some stupid people couldn't control their dogs. Now if this isn't the first time we've had a problem with those dogs. They have been tearing up the fence for about a year, they have broken into our yard before, but we've always been around when it happened, so nothing bad resulted. The neighbor has semi patched stuff and blocked holes, but really done nothing to treat the real problem of 3 big dogs in a back yard needing exercise and socialization. The really sad part that angers me beyond words is that my neighbors haven't been home since this happened. I'm not sure if they are on vacation or what, but those dogs (normally I would say poor dogs, but right now I just can't pity them) have been in that backyard 24/7 with the heat index of 105. It angers me that someone would treat their dogs so poorly, and it angers me that they haven't socialized the dogs and it angers me that my dog suffered because of them.

Zoey did not always have an easy life. When we adopted her, she had be on the streets so long her coat was matted to the point they thought she was a boy dog. We had her shaved down and they found a crook in her tail where the mattes had deformed it. But I am proud to say that while she lived with us, she always had food, water, shelter, a warm bed and hugs if she would take them. She could be a grumpy dog, but she never snapped at anyone.

As she aged she grew more and more deaf, but she could hear or feel the vibrations if we knocked on wood. So to call her into the house we would knock on the back door and she would follow the sound. She didn't know what to make of Marley, he had too much energy for her, so she would normally just walk away from him. She was old, but she could still be feisty. In the mornings she was right there demanding her food, and if we didn't wake up early enough she started walking around our bedrooms trying to get us going.

She was a quirky little dog that just wanted to be. She had a big bark for a little dog, and she loved sitting in the sun. She liked to go for rides so long as they didn't end at the vet's office. If she was mad at you she would turn her back to you and stare at the wall. She didn't like being dressed up, but loved to wear a shirt or sweater in the winter to keep warm. From the first day we had her she showed her "princess" spirit, and thought everyone should bow down to her.

We will forever miss our Princess Zoey LaRue. I pray that she is with Mom, Dad, Cooper and Tucker, soaking up the sunshine in heaven, at peace.

And if you are wondering, yes I have decided to press charges against my neighbor for having a dangerous dog. And if I could I would press charges for neglect as well. I truly don't want the dogs to be put down, but I don't want them living next to me either. For now I'm not sure what is going to happen, but if my neighbor hasn't come home by tonight, I've told animal control they can break the pickets on my fence to get to the dogs. For now we're going to mourn Zoey and protect Hollywood and Marley.

Only You and a Freebie

Happy Tuesday all, I hope you're having a good week so far. It has been a good week for me, well for Sharla. On Monday the surgeon released her, and only needs to see him on as needed basis. He said her leg was in great shape. Then today her physical therapist told her she would be "graduating" soon. She is walking more and more without her walker. And she is slowly building up her endurance. But that is not what I came here to show you today.

Digi-designs by Nicole has a great new kit called Only You Bundle. It is a wonderful mix of colors, that will work for all kinds of pages. My page is my three sweeties, Tucker, Cooper and Zoey.

Nicole said we could do a brag book page freebie for her fans and this is what I created for you.

Make sure you head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Only You Bundle soon!!!!!

Thankful

Happy Sunday all, can you believe that February is almost over? It has just flown by for me. Today I am going to show you layouts I made with a kit called Thankful and the add-on to Thankful. They were created by Mom 2 Moo Designs and have such wonderful colors and elements.

My first layout I did for the Word of the Week challenge and I had to use the word "entourage". At first I struggled a little, and then I realized I do have an entourage. They are short and furry, but they still love to hang with me.

My second layout is Callie and Uncle King George. I really love all the flowers in this kit and add-on, they were great fun to use. I also love the richness of the colors.

Make sure you head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Thankful, it will be a great addition to your stash.

Love Bugs and a Freebie

Happy Monday all, and Happy Valentines Day because I know I won't be back tomorrow. But today I'm going to show you a layout I made with a new bundle and add-on by Scraps by Andrea. Love Bugs Bundle and Love Bugs Add-on are great Valentines kits, with bright colors and fun elements.
My layout features my little love bugs, Tucker, Cooper and Zoey. I love all the cute bugs in kit and just had to use them!!!!!

And Andrea asked her team to create brag book pages for freebies, so after you pick up mine, head over to the Stuff to Scrap store and pick up Love Bugs Bundle and Love Bugs Add-on and then check out Andrea's blog to get more freebies. The preview is linked, so simply click on it to download.

Be Mine

Ok, it is official, I'm old, yes I know that is hard to believe, but I am. I am also tired of ERs and hospitals. I have spent way too much time in them since last October. Last night being another trip, this time with my dog Tucker. His blood sugar got so low he couldn't walk. I had to leave him overnight and pick him up early this morning. So very little sleep and an early morning makes me feel about 102. But that is not what I came to talk with you about today. I'm going to show you layouts I made with a new kit by Shell Belle Scraps called Be Mine. It is a Valentine's kit but with a new cool color scheme. I love the mix of pink, brown and gray, very modern looking and it is packed with great elements.

My first layout is of my loves, Tucker, Cooper and Zoey. I love the papers in the kit and just had to show them to ya'll. I also love the elements they are so versatile. The photos were taken at different points last year, because they refuse to sit together at the same time for me.

My second layout is Tom and Mecca, with one photo from their wedding day and one more recent. It is so hard to believe that they have been married over 25 years, again it just shows I'm old!!! I loved playing with the flowers in the kit to create the cluster, but then I do love to cluster.

Now head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Be Mine, it will be a great addition to your stash.

Pine Cones and Holly Berries

Can you believe it is already the 21st of December? Well thanks to Amazon I've got the majority of my shopping done, and lots of it already wrapped. Still waiting for the UPS man to bring a few more and I have to pick up a couple of things locally, and then I'm done. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. But that is not what I'm here to talk to you about today. I'm going to show you layouts I created with this month's Mega Collab at Stuff to Scrap. And it is mega and it is fun!!!! Pine Cones and Holly Berries is a kit that is packed full of elements and great papers, perfect for your holiday pictures.

My first layout is Sharla last year at Christmas. She was quite excited to open her iPad, and who wouldn't be. I love the yellow (gold) in this kit, it really pops against the other colors and I love the flowers, but ya'll know I love me some flowers.

My next layout is a little more whimsical, and I love a kit that can go from traditional to whimsical. The photos are my babies with Santa. We had to miss that this year, with everything going on with mom and Sharla, it just wasn't in the cards. I also love the addition of brown in the kit, it makes the kit so versatile.

So head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Pine Cones and Holly Berries because it will be a great addition to your stash.

A Merry Celebration and Freebie

Happy Monday all, I hope you are all ready for Christmas. I'm pretty close, hopefully I will finish this week (hehehe). But enough silliness, today I'm going to show you a layout I made with a new kit by Digi-designs by Nicole called A Merry Celebration and give you a freebie I made with it. It is a great Christmas kit, that is full of fun elements and great papers. I did pictures of Zoey with Santa last year. With everything going on we didn't get pictures with him this year, but we'll go again next year I'm sure. I really love the color combination in this kit, I think they will work for almost any holiday layout.

I made the cluster into a freebie for you. The preview is linked so simply click on it to download, and feel free to leave a comment.

After you finish downloading the freebie, head over to the Stuff to Scrap store and pick up A Merry Celebration for your stash.

Just Fallin'

Happy Sunday all, with everything going on I am definitely behind, but trying to get caught up as fast as possible. Today I am going to show you layouts made with a great new kit by Flower Scraps called Just Fallin’. It is perfect for your fall photos, and will work for both boys and girls. My first layout I did for the font challenge at STS and I really liked the font called Lily Page. I really like the color concept of blue, green and orange, because the photos really pop with it. And such great papers in this kit!!!!! The photo is Zoey at the pumpkin patch.

My second layout I used more of the greens and oranges and I really love the combination. I also love the shiny elements like the copper brad and swirl, I think they look great on the page. And the lattice green paper is my new favorite. The photo is Callie at her birthday a couple of years ago.

I also created a freebie, and to get it you simply have to go to the Stuff to Scrap Inspiration Blog and download it. When you are done, head to the Stuff to Scrap store and pick up Just Fallin’ too.

Mystery Machine & Freebie

Hi all, I am so behind, this should have been posted yesterday. But with Mom in the hospital, my world has been a little on edge. So far they haven't found anything, but she isn't seeming to improve either. But that is not what I came here to show you today. Scraps by Andrea has just released a new kit called Mystery Machine, which was the blog train theme at Stuff to Scrap this month. She expanded the kit and made a matching Mystery Machine Cardstock. I really loved playing with this kit because the colors were fun, and it had all kinds of goodies in it. My first layout is my three little Scoobys...yep the wonderful Tucker, Cooper and Zoey. Although they are out of sync right now, they don't like the changes to their schedule. I really love the yellow/cream color in this kit, I think it really highlights the photos well. And I loved tucking all the different elements around the layout.

My second layout is Cole when he played the Puppet Master in a play. He had such an evil laugh that it really sent shivers up my spine. Of course he would grin at me afterwards and I would just crack up. Such an odd mix is that boy. I used the more "boyish" colors for this layout and I really how the colors pop on the page.

I also created a freebie for you, and I hope you like. You should check out Andrea's blog and the links to her other CT's pages to get other freebies. Her blog is located HERE. The preview for the freebie is linked so simply click on it to download. And as always feel free to leave a comment.

Make sure you head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Mystery Machine and Mystery Machine Cardstock soon for you stash!!!!!

Lots of Kits

Happy Saturday all, I'm going to show you lots of layouts today and all of them are done with kits by JennCK Designs. I was lucky enough to be invited to be on her team last month, and she has been really creating some great stuff. Now what I am going to show you is a mix of new kits and some re-releasing kits. She has opened new stores at Ginger Scraps, and is a guest this month at Gotta Pixel, so she is one busy lady. I love her stuff because she does lots of flowers and ya'll know me...nothing makes me happier than flowers.

First up I'm going to do the kits she is re-releasing. Fall In Love is a beautiful fall kit that is packed with goodies. I used the matching Fall In Love Templates for this layout of Tom and Mecca. The combination of green, red and tan is one of my favorites.

The next kit she is re-releasing is Delicious and it's matching Delicious Templates, which I used for this layout of Callie and Cole. They are the apples of my eye and I love the bright colors with the black and white photos, and those little apples are too cute!!!!

The last re-release is Indian Summer and Indian Summer Template. I love this kit the flower are TOTALLY awesome, and the colors just are yummy. I coveted this kit for a long time!!!! I used it in a layout with Sharla, Mom and Aunt Jean, and that blue background paper is just so pretty to me. Yes it is a solid paper, but I still love it.

Ok now on to some of her new stuff. First up is an exclusive she has at Gotta Pixel right now called Pride and Joy and if you buy the kit before 11/15 you will get the Pride and Joy Add-on for free. I used both in a layout I did of my little Zoey. I love the rich colors in this kit, and it will go with so many things.

Next is a great Halloween kit called Midnight and it is available in all of her store and if you purchase before 10/31 you will also get the Midnight Add-on for free (ain't that cool!!!). For this one I dug my photos of my little Sweet Pea Tucker. I need to get the costume out again and get some more pictures, because he is too cute in it.

And last but not least are two layouts I made with her Gotta Get It releases at Gotta Pixel (they are on sale for $1.00 per pack for the next week). The kit is called Breathe Easy and it is broken down into Breathe Easy Papers and Breathe Easy Elements and she has two template packs as well. For this first layout of Ms. Angela in a dance pose I used the Paper Inspired Templates Vol. 3 which are awesome.

And on my last layout for today I used the Breathe Easy pieces again along with Modern Style Templates Vol. 3. The photo is my Daddy, Grandmother and Uncle Clinton, three people I truly miss. And as the song says, "If heaven weren't so far away I would pack up the kids and go for the day.".

Ok that is it for today, but as you can see she has lots of great kits out there both new and old, and each of then names are linked. So if you want to see more on them just click on the names and it will take you to where you can see the kit (and buy it!!!).

Fruitilicious

Happy Friday all, I'm so very excited today because I've been given the opportunity to be on the creative team for JennCK Designs. I love her kits and her templates, so it is going to so much fun!!!!!! I just joined yesterday and I already have somethings to show you. She released two new kits and three template packs today, yeah!!!! In this post I've worked with her new kit called Fruitilicious and two different template packs, Modern Templates Vol. 1 and Clean Lines Vol. 1. My first layout is of my three sweeties, and I used the Modern Templates. I really love the colors in the kit and thought they would look good against b/w photos. And I love a kit that has a mix of elements so you can do any type of layout with it.

My second layout is Angela in one of her dance costumes. I also used the Clean Lines templates. I love clean lines and I love this set of templates. I flipped this one, so the photos and paper went horizontally on the page instead of vertically. And don't you just love that daisy paper!!!!

Make sure you head over to Scrapbook Bytes and pick up Fruitilicious, Modern Templates Vol. 1 and Clean Lines Vol. 1 soon. I hope to back tomorrow or Sunday with layouts from her other new releases.

Template Temptation: Vol. 11

Happy Tuesday all, today I'm going to show you layouts I made with Digi-designs by Nicole's newest set of templates called Template Temptation: Vol. 11. They are a great mix of templates that are a great way to jump start your scrapping.

My first layout is Callie and Cole being silly after his graduation. I know I still can't believe he has graduated High School. He was just a baby yesterday, I swear!!!! I love the simplicity of this template, and yet it still makes a great layout.

My next layout features one Zoey Le'Rue otherwise known as Zoey Girl or Stinky Butt, depending on my mood. She ignores me when I call her Stinky, and I don't know why. She is such a spoiled brat.

Make sure you head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Template Temptation: Vol. 11 today (it is on sale for 30% off).

Splendor

Happy Monday all, today I'm going to show you layouts I made with a kit by Designing Divas (aka Designs by Christi and Sexy and Hot Mama Scrapper). The kit is called Splendor and I also used Splendor Add-on. It is a great kit that works for all kinds of layouts, the color mix can work for boys or girls.

My first layout is Zoey, the photos taken in October. She was in a posing mood, maybe because we were outside. She normally walks away inside the house. I love the pink and brown combination.

My second layout is Callie, "playing" the guitar. Ok she is holding a guitar, she never learned to play it. Lot of cute elements in this kit and I love the touches of black.

Splendor and Splendor Add-on will be great additions to your stash so head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick them up soon.

Happy Saturday

Ok if this works I will be able to get caught up on showing ya'll lots of layouts. I'm trying to use the slideshow feature of photobucket. I've loaded all of the layouts I've been doing for Trixie Scraps (since I got the idea from her blog). I think there are about 30 layouts in the mix. It is so much easier than loading one layout at a time. If it works, then I'll try and do more of my challenge layouts this way and maybe I'll get caught up again (hehehe). We can only hope.



All the products for the layouts in the slide show are created by Trixie Scraps and can be found in her store.

Sizzling Hot

Happy Tuesday everyone one. I'm going to show you a couple of layouts I made with a great kit by Adriana's Cafe called Sizzling Hot. It is bold, grungy and really wonderful. I of course didn't use it for romantic layouts, but that is not me. But it worked well for my layouts.

My first layout is of Callie in the play Romeo and Juliet. She was playing the "apothecary". She didn't know what that was, so she asked and was told it was a drug dealer. We laughed at the difference of perspective. Mecca explained it was more like a pharmacist.

My second layout is my three little loves. This is one of my favorite photos of them. I did the layout as challenge where I had to scrap the "back" of something. I love the colors in this kit because they can go with just about anything.

So head over to the Stuff to Scrap store and pick up Sizzling Hot as a great add to your stash.

Ohh Where to Begin

I have so many layouts to show ya'll I don't even know where to begin. It seems like forever since I've had a big blog post, but that changes right now. I'm going to cram as many as possible into this post...ok, I promise not to do more than 15, but I've got to get some out of my to post folder!!!! I think I'll show you challenges I've doing at Polka Dot Plum, since I am the Challenge Wrangler there, I do lots and lots of challenges.

The first up is one I did for an All About Me challenge, where I had to scrap something I use every day. I of course did my favorite new toy my Ipad and the cool little stylus I got for it. The kit I used is called Go for the Goals by Dawn by Design.

My next layout is one I did for a photo challenge. The challenge was to get a close up of some one's face. Well with the weather, I wasn't around too many people and Sharla refused to pose for me, so I used Tucker have he had been out eating the snow. The kit I used is called Softly Winter by Designs by Sweet Mesquite.

Now for a layout I did for a scraplift challenge. The photo is Zoey just sitting on my bed. She isn't fond of the camera, but every now and then she'll let me take her picture without a fuss. this kit I used is A Fresh Start by Sugar Pie Scraps.

Ok I have to show a layout with Cooper just to finish off the trio. This one was done for a twisty lift, you scraplift a page but change it in some manner. Doesn't Cooper look cute!!!! The kit used is Memory Lane by Jen C Designs.

Ok how about a layout with people in it? Hummmm Sharla is so fond of these pictures I took of her in the hospital. I did this layout for a one word challenge where I had to use the word "Time" on a layout. And for those who know Sharla she is doing much better, we are working on getting healthier, and she has come a long way since her second stay in the hospital. I used Sugar Pie Scraps kit A Fresh Start again for this layout.

I've gotten lots of comments in the gallery from other Angry Bird players when I posted this layout. The kit I used is Jangle by Sweet Tomato Designs. The photos where taken on Christmas morning when Tom, Cole and Callie were having Angry Bird races to see who could get through the levels the fasted. It was so much fun to watch because they did not take failure well.

This layout wasn't done for a challenge, it was done for a new designer at Polka Dot Plum called Farynar's Wings. She does wonderful kits and this one is called Mysterious. The photo is Cole and Dani on Christmas Day. Don't they make a cute couple!!!!

Now for another cute couple, Tom and Mecca. The photo is one of the series Sharla took at Thanksgiving in 2009 at Callie's house. It is one of my most favorite set of photos. I use them a lot because they look so good. I did this one for a newsletter challenge and the kit is Bee Mine by Bean Bunny Designs.

Here is one of Callie taken at Thanksgiving this year. She was laying on the floor posing and I just couldn't resist snapping a photo or two. I did this one for Dawn by Design for her to use as a sample in her shop. The kit is called Go for the Goals and I do love the colors in it.

And last for today, because 10 is a lot of layouts, I promise to try and come back tomorrow and Tuesdays and have big post days as well. This last layout is another one I did for Farynar's Wings for her to use as a sample. The kit is Mystic Mountain and the photo is Callie and Mom at Thanksgiving.

Hopefully I'll get several big posts done this week!!!!

Can it be a bad year already???

Ok so far 2011 is not the best year I've ever had. New Year's Eve was spent in the ER with Sharla, she has congestive heart failure...yeah you read that right. I had all these great plans to post out a lot of my layouts on New Year's Day, and over the next couple days, while I was off. But that all went by the wayside. She is feeling better, but they still have her in the hospital, and we're hoping she gets to come home tomorrow.

I have a massive amount of layouts to show you, ok maybe not massive, but enough that I want to get them out of my to do box. Today I'm going to focus on layouts I created for Challenges at Polka Dot Plum. The first up is a photo of Trey, Callie and Cole, taken a couple of years ago. The kit is Christmas Treasures by Charm City Scraps. It was done for a word art challenge and Tobi Dawne did the word art.

Next up is one of Zoey I did for a font challenge, the font was called Font Moochers and I really liked it. Zoey is in my pillows and not happy that I brought the camera out...thus the title.

Now for a Christmas time tradition at our house. Well actually at our pet store. They have a Santa for the babies. This was last year, and it was a real challenge getting three into and out of the store. This year we took Cole along for support. The kit used is Glittery Christmas by Sugar Pie Scraps.

Next is photos from Aunt Jean's birthday party. We all had a great time, and she was very surprised. I used a kit and template by Jen C Designs.

Ok I've discovered photo treatments and am having lots of fun playing with the free ones I've found. My favorite is one called 70's that gives the photos a look like something from the 70's. I did it on this photo of Cooper, it is not the best example, but I really like the effect.

I used the same treatment on this photo of Tucker. It lightens the photo and washes the color just a bit. Which I really think is cool (maybe because I remember the 70s). The kit I'm used on this one is called A Dog Says Woof by Roseytoes Designs.

Here is one I did of Sharla, the photo was taken last spring. I'm not sure I'll ever get her to go back and pose there again, because afterwards I found a baby possum in one of my photos right where she had been standing.

Now for a couple of older photos. This is Callie and Cole playing on the couch. She was tickling him with her fingers and hair and the more he laughed the more she did. Sharla was having a hard time hanging on to him.

I've had many people tell me that if they believed in reincarnation, they would want to come back as one of my dogs. Ok my babies are a little spoiled. Here is Tucker, as he watched me getting dressed one morning. You can see he leads a really tough life.

The last one for now, is Sharla and Cooper. I did it for a lyric challenge, but I only pull a couple of words to use. I love this kit by Secret Stash called The Way That I Am. It works for so many things.

I will try to be back tomorrow with more. I really want to get my stash cleared out and then blog on a more regular basis. Keep Sharla in your thoughts and prayers!!!!