October 31st!

Happy Halloween! It's finally here...just like Christmas for some of you...today is my day! WOOT WOOT! Can't wait, we literally bought over 1000 pieces of candy. Last night we ran our little Haunted forest again since we made the front cover of the newspaper, we had over 100 visitors last night...and everyone donated! My crazy hubby is out buying more props with those donations! Crazy man! I will be back later tonight with pictures! I am going to get started on my costume right now! Woot woot!

Betty

Almost 35 and my first cavity!

Ok, so I am freaking out! When I was pregnant with Jude I went to the dentist and they discovered my first cavity....ever!! To make matters worst, I was told it was so close to the root that I would be needing a root canal done. Great...pain, I don't like it. I know how is it that I bore children right. So, this discovery was made before I knew I was PG, so we scheduled the root canal for three weeks later. Well, luck me (or so I thought) I found out I was PG and of course my doctor was against it until after the pregnancy because of the drugs or something. So, I went on with this tiny cavity close to my root...that thing spread fast! So one night I am having my favorite snack...popcorn...big mistake! It cracked my tooth! OOOuch! But, again nothing could be done, I wasn't even in pain after the initial crack. Now, I am in pain and now that tooth has to come out and a cap has to be put in place...yikes! Is this pain like labor pain? Will I die from major pain? I am so scared! Nov. 3rd is black day for me...boo hoo boo hoo hoo! Anyone have this done before, can you tell me if its horrible pain? I may just cancel! I know what a chicken, but you don't understand I am such a sissy for pain, especially when it's not necessary! Child birth, well that is necessary...but tooth and mouth pain...now why is that necessary!

Haunted Weekend!

Okay sorry I have been MIA! We had our first run at our Haunted forest. We own an empty lot right next to our home so we turned it into our back yard...but for Halloween we turned it into a Haunted forest for the community. It turned out to be very popular! I helped build it and did the crazy face painting...and I was too scared to go through it! I did and I screamed just like in the B movies, but it was all in good fun! So here are some pics and I hope you enjoy it!

Okay so, here is my son, he was sooo creepy cause he is very thin, tall and just worked this mask perfectly. He would just slowly peep his head and body around corners and just scare everyone...including me!!

See what I mean!

This was my first try at scary face painting, I think I did well!

More scary make-up my daughter Rio, she was a demented doll!

This kid Jessie on of my son's friends really played his part well, he blended into the forest so you just couldn't tell where he was, then he would sneak on the floor to another point and bam! There I would go screaming!

Michael Myers, always a scary situation with him around, and he too was great in his part, walked slow like him, and would just stare at you just creepy!

See there goes Christian sneeking in the background! Just creepy!

So....whatcha think?! We had such a good turn out, and it was just our first weekend! This weekend seeing how it is actually Halloween, I am sure we are going to be bombarded! My husband and the kids are having such a blast! Well, I guess the saying is correct...The family that scares together, stays together! Even my little one was okay with everyone's spooky make-up and all! What a trooper eh?

Hope you all enjoy!

Betty

The Pink Elephant Challenge #38

Recipe Challenge at The Pink Elephant!

The color Black, Hardware, and Distressing!

Here is my creation! I used Mo's Digital Pencil Too's Gothic Girl image. The swirls are from Cuttle bug and I distressed them with my Making Memories sanding block. I used a black felt Queen & Co. flower. The eyelets are from Karen Foster, the metal swirls I unfortunately can't tell you what manufacturer they are from as I bought them in a small bag bundle, a bottle cap and inked it with my Stayz-On to make it black. I then used Diamond Glaze on the bottle cap and once it dried I applied the skull and cross bones by The Cat's Pajamas with Opaque Cotton White Stayz-On! The glitter paper for the "corset lacing" is from Best Creation's Inc. and the fibers are from EK Success! I hope you all like it, I tried to make it different tones of black from dark to grayish on the digi stamp! Happy card making!

Betty

Go Byetta go!

Hello everyone! I have some exciting news...okay so many of you that know me, know that I am diabetic! Ugh! I know. Insulin dependent too! So, I wanna say about two or three months ago, my endo doc suggested a new drug. It is called Byetta! This drug, works with my pancreas, since I am type 2 (which means adult offset) this would help me more than the insulin. Or well not more but would be better in the long run...only two pokes per day instead of every time I eat (which could be up to 6 times a day for a shot in the belly yikes)! So, now I just have to give myself a shot in the belly twice a day, once in the morning before breakfast and one in the eve before dinner! Much better right, that and take metformin, no big deal on the pill! Okay, so here is the cool part...my sugars before this drug were never ever under 300! Can you believe that, no wonder I had complications with pregnancies right!? Jude, was try number 6 for us after heartbreaking miscarriages! Okay, sorry back to Byetta! Now my sugars are always under 140! Woot woot! I feel sooo much better, have less fatigue and have started walking and jogging again. It gets better...Byetta has a side effect...weight loss...true weight loss! WOOT WOOT! and double WOOT! I have lost a total of 31 lbs! Regretfully, I didn't take pics of my before and afters! I thought, with my luck it won't be a side effect on me! I didn't even notice until today, I put on my snow pants cause we were going for a 5 am hike (and it's 27 degrees), I walk out of my room and boom, I tripped! I thought what the heck!? My pants fell down to my ankles and I tripped on them! Is that the coolest or what! I had to weigh myself of course after that, and as I mentioned before I just didn't want to look, or check if it was working cause I thought it wasn't go to work for me in that way! I can't tell you how much better I feel, I know that should have been a dead ringer, but I was in denial! What I guess I had not noticed until recently was that I literally take maybe three to four bites of my food and I am sooo full that I don't finish it ever! That was just not the case for me! I am half Italian and half Hispanic...we loooove food! Carb loaded food too! Now, to be honest there are some really bad downs at times, when I get the other side effects (nausea and dizziness) I get them bad! For the first couple of weeks I thought I was pregnant again! It has been great, it basically did for me what the lap band does...fills you up with little food! Now I know I am going to get to my goal weight, of course I am out of my mind if I think I will be 103 again ever in my life! But I will settle at 125-135! Wish me luck!

Joining The Pink Elephant Challenge!

Hello everyone! I am so super excited to tell you all that I have been honored and asked to be part of the Design Team at The Pink Elephant Challenge! I get to design with those wonderfully creative ladies every week! Yay me! So here is this weeks Challenge and my spin on it. I hope you all enjoy it! And hope you will all hop on over and join in on this week's challenge!

I used this gorgeous stamp from Paper Inspirations. Basic Grey Erie Collection for the designer paper, and Bazzill paper flowers. The rhinestone brads are Karen Foster and the rhinestone swirls are Prima. I really enjoyed making this card, I had pulled that stamp out since October 1st and just hadn't had the chance to use her yet! I hope you enjoyed it and see you all next week!

Betty

Circle Journal Book #2

Okay so here it is! My newest creation for my Circle Journal book! This is my second, and yes I did it on Halloween again, I have sooo many Halloween photos so it makes sense! That and I just love, love, love Halloweeen. But I know I don't have to say that cause everyone knows that by now! Eeeek! Or Woot woot! That seems to have become my little "watermark" maybe we should call our Circle Journal the Woot Woot gals! LOL! Here it is anyway I hope you like it!

Here is the front cover.

The instructions page.

My Sign in Page.

On the sign in page the ladies will pull out a tag which has their name and

a Witch's shoe on the front. On the back I have asked they put their picture

and page numbers of their creation.

Finally my two page layout on my theme. It's a little simple, but

still pretty I think. I usually do so much more on my books, but

I was feeling more simple but elegant. I hope I achieved this!

I hope it inspires a few people out there and I hope at the very least

you all enjoy it!

Halloween Hugs! (that's a regular hug, but with candy corn and candy apples all over it)

Betty

Knott's Scary Farm

We had a blast, unfortunately I was too scared to take too many pictures! Boohoo boo hoo hoo! No worries, we plan on going again. This time not after two days at Disneyland, we are sooo exhausted. We live 2 1/2 hours away from the parks and have to drive up a windy mountain. For Disneyland we did stay at the hotel, but for Knott's I don't know what they heck we were thinking coming home. I mean really we did Disneyland Tuesday and Wednesday, came home late Wednesday night...only to go right back down Thursday night! I blame it on tiredness (uhm is that a word)! But as I said we had a lot of fun!

Here is one picture I managed to get. My sister and her boyfriend Julien.

These two were a blast! Screaming constantly, yes even Julien, he actually threw my sister Elaine to the monsters and would run off. I guess he loves her, but when it comes to monsters every WOMAN for herself!

Sorry I don't have more, half the time I spent watching my back for ghouls and monsters that may be coming after me! Yeah, I know queen of Halloween afraid! LOL!

Halloween Time at Disneyland...

Ok so we had mega fun at Disneyland these past two days. My kids get two weeks off in October from school due to the fact that they only get one month off for Summer. It works out great for me...cause anyone that knows me, knows that I would much prefer to be at Disneyland during Halloween than in the hot summer days when it's over crowded and just icky!

They change the Haunted Mansion theme to one of my all time favorite movies The Nightmare Before Christmas, there are pumpkins everywhere. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy are in costumes! Hot Cocoa, cool nights, Halloween themed Disney merchandise, what more can I ask for right!? It is just a blast. Oh and this year they even changed Space Mountain to Ghost Galaxy it is awesome. They have this crazy orange/purple looks like flames to me skeleton image all over the walls of the dark ride and it chases you (not really as it is all a digital image) throughout the ride. It's just a blast really!

So, here are some photos I wanted to share!

This is what greets you at the front entrance! Are they not just fabulous...I wonder if I can motivate my husband to make me some duplicates for my roof...hmmmm. Singing: The wheels in my head go round and round, round and round, round and round...you get the tune!

Jude meeting Jesse for the first time, "I don't know about this daddy!"

These are sooo cool. They have this area where a pumpkin carver sits and carves pumpkins all day, and these were my favorites! My husband and I went as Jack and Sally one year, he is perfect for it because he is tall and very thin, and I go to pieces from time to time like Sally!

My kids and family friends, Christian is my 15 year old son on the left, London my daughter's best friend, Rio my daughter holding my little one Jude, and Miller London's sister and my son's friend. Those two boys play so well together and there is a big age gap, I love how my son always tries to make little kids comfortable and still plays with them to make them comfortable! He is such a great kid, all my kids are!

And Jude's just about had enough Disneyland and California Adventure he can take! I can't believe how fast he is growing, he is 10 months old, and I bought that outfit for him literally a week ago size 18 months! It's ready for a flood already!

I hope you all enjoyed my ramblings about my kids and Disneyland fun! Of course I didn't manage to get any photos of the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion, but no worries we are annual pass holders for a reason...so I can go as much as I want during Halloween!

Now the real scary part is tomorrow, Knott's Scary Farm! Aaagh! I am sooo scared, yeah I know I am the queen of Halloween, but I like cute Halloween, my husband is dragging me there with our oldest boys, my 15 year old and his 13 year old! Wish me luck, hope I survive, and if I should not make it bury me with my scrapbook supplies and rubber stamps! Oh and I just loaded the camera with brand new batteries so tomorrow I should have lots of fun and new photos of the Scary Farm! Whoot whoot! (ok maybe more like scream, scream, and more scream!)

Hugs,

Betty

Three more days!!

Till Knott's Scary Farm! I am sooo super excited! Last year I missed out on a lot of activities in the month of October due to little Jude cooking in the oven! He wasn't even due till January, but came early in November. I mean, if he was going to be a premie, why didn't he come Ocotber 31st instead of November 30th right!? Just kidding, that would have been really bad, it was heart breaking as it was being a premie at 36 weeks! I thank god every night when I look over at him peaceful and healthy and breathing, that he is here! Okay, I have strayed again...so my kids have two weeks off and we are going to do as much as possible, we are heading to Disneyland for two days on Tuesday for all the fun Halloween decor, the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted mansion. A couple of haunted houses as well because my husband his son and my 15 year old son want to do a haunted back yard this year. So my hubby says it's research. Yeah when I die of a heart attack from the haunted houses, they can research my body at med school!! LOL I know, then how can I go to Knott's right? Well, I hang out by the funnel cake stand, and duck under my husbands shirt when I can, and I really go for all the shows more than the haunted mazes! Okay I should go create now.

Betty

1st Circle Book Club

Okay, I am running behind on our Circle book club, but it is nearly complete. Oh oh and I am going to go ahead and share my very first book Club as a sample. The one I am doing now with our current members is nearly complete, just want it absolutely perfect! I didn't take my time with this one when I first did it, and as you will see it is not the greatest!

So I covered the whole book with fabric, and different strips of ribbon. The fence is balsa wood as is the sign. I distressed them both in black and wrote on the sign with stickles.

Then my first page gives the instructions oh what I would like everyone to do for my book. On this one I asked everyone to do a Halloween layout, they were to add pictures if they wanted to. I asked that the first thing everyone do is go to the next two pages which are the sign in pages.

I had stamped wicked dolls for everyone. I asked everyone to color the doll, decorate her, do what they want with her and on the back place a photo of themselves and their page layout number so all can see which page they did. They then would insert the doll back in their designated pocket. The next two pages was my own double page layout on my theme. I hope you all like it, and remember this is not the book you will be getting. I will be posting that one once it is done.

Here are a few closer looks at the sign in page.

Also, the new book I made is 8x8. I am so excited about it, it is currently drying in various areas as we speak. That is why I couldn't get the pictures on here... I always, always stick my fingers, hair, hands, whatever gets near it, on the wet parts like the stickles, the diamond glaze, embossing powder, what ever I just always mess it up. So this time I thought, I better let it dry before I more it around and take pictures!

So, I am so looking forward to October 15th. That is our first switch! Yippee! My book will be going to Steph, then hers will go to Rio, then Rio's will go to Elaine, and so on and so on. I will be getting Nely's first, and I am sooo excited cause I have never done a page with music, I got all kinds of goodies for this page! Actually, I got all kinds of goodies for everyone's pages! Woot woot!

Oh and ladies please be on the look out for a special welcome package from me in the next week or so! I think you are all going to love it!

Talk to you all soon! Happy Circle Book Clubin'!

Betty