Forever Love

It's been 4 weeks ago yesterday. Wow. Time does fly right past us all. We still cannot believe it's true & this man who is Gia's daddy & my niece Carrie's other half, is no longer with us. So sad & he is missed. His kitties are missing him too. 

I made this layout for my niece & her daughter to keep for the future. I want Giavanna to see her parents together, happy... the way Gia saw her daddy every day. She's only five now, I'm sure she'll remember moments when she's older but she may forget details or his smile, etc. I just want to be sure, for this little girl, this does not happen. There's plenty more photos to create layouts & minis, as well. I hope she appreciates it when she's older & looking through her albums. I'm positive she will & be grateful, we wrote down the details w/photos that she can treasure always. 

**To make the background & heart paper more subdued, I painted Gesso over both. I added stitching to about every corner & added ink splatters by just taking top off bottle & shaking top over cardstock. 

Have a good night.

xo

InLinkz.com

Pix to Share

These pix were in stand by mode for a few weeks to be uploaded! =) So this am, I sat here & here they are!

Graciella's soccer team tournament wkend a few wks ago. I love this pic!

My niece, Carrie w/her new baby girl - Giavanna.

Cousins: Dajah, Graciella, Antonia & Leleanna

These two are only 4 mos apart!

First day of 'Learn to Read w/Me'. Her hair is so long!

I love this one! So angelic-like... ha! If you knew her personally! Ya think?! Perhaps... on some days! xo

New LiFe

Her name is Baby Gia. Well, Giavanna Antonia. Beautiful right?! She is my great niece who came into this world 2 hrs after I wrote my last post! I literally went to bed EXHAUSTED last Thurs nite for 15 mins & Rob called me. They had to do a c-section! The baby wasn't dropping! I hurried to the hospital & spoke to first-time-mom-to-be before she went in on my way. Thank God for cell phones! I ran into the hospital & just missed them rolling her to the OR. I waited & approx 1/2 hr later, I saw her dr walking past the waiting area. A few mins later, Rob (proud daddy) was calling me & holding his new baby girl. I could see in Carrie's room. I ran in there & snatched that beautiful baby up! She had Carrie's nose & looks like her daddy, complete w/his hair-do! She's such a good baby too. I'm SO happy for you Carrie & Rob! CONGRATS on your gorgeous baby girl!

Needless to say, I took TONS of pix of baby & new-time-mama. One person that was missed was Gladita. (my sister & Carrie's mom) This May 7th, will be 4 yrs that she had passed. I know I say it often, but time does fLy! It's crazy!

Here's her stats: Born Thurs Mar 12 at 11:16pm 7 lb 12.7 oz 20 in

Her Apgar scores were a 9. Perfect baby girl!

Since she arrived, I've been running to hospital & back. Graciella had the Ostrich Festival Tournament this wkend too! It's never a dull moment around here! Baby Gia & mommy came home from the hospital yesterday. Both happy to be home! I have lots of pix but I just picked one real quick to share:

Baby Gia

Here's a book I made for Carrie for her baby shower. I had the mom's there share some advice for a first-time-mom. I wish I had this book with my first one! =)

Advice for U as a New Mom

I made this for Carrie & the baby. It's mostly made up of Little Yellow Bicycle products. This book she can write & have a photo of Gia at every month till 12 mos.

Have lots of pix to share but I need to get my day started! Have a great one! xo

FLyiNg bY~

What can't time go a tiny bit slower! This week flew by! Today was a SUPER long day & it's NOT over! First things first. Graciella hurt her right thumb at school. Triston keeps calling her & txting her to say how sorry he is. He was playing a game w/her w/a basketball. It wasn't even his fault at all. He cares... hee-hee. Well, she was crying over how much it DID hurt. Carlos took her to the dr, this way they can order an xray. She went right after that appt & today we got the results. Negative! Whoo-hoo! The dr said for the swelling, bruising & where it hurt - she could have broken her growth plate. Thank God she didn't! She has to wear her brace for another week.

I met Nancy to make her 'For the Love of" book but she was too busy & I got there too late! Ugh! There's 2 kits left for anyone who wants to purchase one!

I know this one is blurry, I just wanted to show a peek of the inside! You can scroll down to see the cover shot!

I took pix of Carrie & Rob a week or two ago now & I haven't had a chance to post them! I just wanted to post my fave one, complete w/a frame. FINALLY, I learned how to do this! THX to Michelle! I owe you one ma'am! I still want to mess w/the pic to make it black & white and color just the flower. Maybe this Sunday between games!

I always wanted to take pix like this one!

Carrie's due date was yesterday, however... I got a phone call at 330am! Carlos wasn't home, I almost forgot! I woke up the girls, got them dressed & off we went to p/u Carrie & Rob. Took them to the hospital & waited. After all was done, she was in a room being monitored & Carlos came after work at 6am to get girls to take them home. Graciella still had to go to school today! I stayed a little while longer & headed home. Got home about 9ish & jumped in the shower, then woke up Graciella to get ready for school. The younger two were still asleep. =) I still had to proof read her 4 pg paper for school! Yikes! Did that & we were on our way! Picked up Gramma on way back to house, woke up girls, got them ready & off to the hospital. Now, we were starving bcuz it was lunch time! Hit the drive thru at Mickey D's & off again! Got the freeway & ate our lunch. Got to the hospital dropped Gramma off at the entrance & drove around till we found a spot far-- away! Oh yeah, I had the girls pack a bag each of things to do while we waited for baby Gia to arrive! Carrie was in her room relaxing, as Rob was layed out on the couch in her room. It was more like a comfy bench! He did get some sleep though! So we played the waiting game all day. Thank you Grace for taking Graciella to soccer & for the ride to Jeannie's! Thx Bill for letting her stay till we got home!

So here I am trying to hurry up & write this bcuz Rob should be txting me soon enough w/an update! I will then head back to the hostibal (as Lele's says!) & hope that my great-niece comes today!! She doesn't have that many hours left in the day!!

Sorry Sandy I didn't make it to the store this pm! There's my story! Me going to bed real late didn't help this day any! Ha! Gotta run folks & get Lele in the bath!

Hope to have good news soon about Carrie & her baby girl!! xo

Cards & Big News

I'm so mad at myself! I made this card for 2sketches4you before the 26th of July deadline... I forgot to post it bcuz I was busy getting girls ready for school that Monday! I could of swore I sent this! I like how it came out too! I'm sending this out to a special someone. (can't tell, just in case they see this first!)

Kazan's Sketch 5 @ 2 Sketches 4 You

(Graphix transp., Bazzill - scallop chpbrd circle, cardstock, vintage music paper, CTMH - white ink, ribbon, Heidi Swapp - ghost bird, fuzzy rubon happiness, photo corners, edge distresser, Autumn Leaves stamps - flourishes, Ranger - pop dots, Maya Road - chpbrd flower, Deco paint pen - white, Around the Block - Pet Ponderings quote, Tim Holtz Distess ink - peeled paint, ColorBox chalk - Chestnut Roan, other - pearl, shimmer glitter) WOW! That was a ton of stuff! I just grab it all when I'm creating!

CONGRATS are in order!! My niece Carrie & her bf Rob are expecting!! Super happy for them both. xoxo This time around, think good thoughts, take care, rest, read up & ask plenty of questions... & ALL will be good! (don't forget to throw mass in there too! That always helps! ;] ) Right now, she's about 8 wks along, w/a due date of March 11th. Finally, another March baby!! Graciella has been cruising alone for years!

This card I made for my nephew, Evan in MD.

(All CTMH, except the Bazzill chipboard circle, Ranger popdots & the UTEE.)

A card I made for my dr that had passed away this May, Dr. Alan Lewis. I found out w/a letter from his office. I couldn't believe it! I was upset, he was such a nice, old school dr that really cared & listened... & actually knew of my rare type of diabetes! Every time I went in to see him, he always had stories about his family, from his wife to his grandchildren, to share w/me. He would talk to his colleagues about me & let me know all that was said. (I liked hearing what was said bcuz not many drs know or even heard of it!!) Anyway, here is the card I sent to his office.

(Cricut - Jasmine cart., Prima - flowers, Basic Grey- lilykate pp, foof-a-la button, Tim Holtz distress ink - peeled paint, my sewing machine)

Here's another I had made for a gal who is Miss Purple Onions Designs. Actually, a gallery. I'm hoping she likes the skillz & I can snag a spot on her DT!! hee-hee! I would love that! Her stamps... I want them all. I started my collection of them already! They're the red rubber kind & I went to Stamp Works, spoke to the owner (who is another real nice gal!) & walked out of there w/adhesive foam that clings to these special sheets for storing them all in a binder, along w/clinging to my acrylic blocks! LOVE it! Really easy to cut through too! And I got my Hero Arts stamp fix! THAT is what I went to the store for to start with! I need to make some more!

(Purple Onion stamps - doodle frame set, Cosmo Cricket pp - Dutch girl, Bazzill cardstk, CTMH - Choc. ink, bling, Colorbox chalk - lipstick red, Ranger - pop dots, my sewing machine)

These cards were made for the little ones on Jennifer McGuire's blog (card drive). There's still time to make some before the 15th!

(Bazzill cardstk, Li'l Davis - Rockstar pp, Colorbok - chipbrd S, Colorbox chalk - lipstick red, my sewing machine)

(Bazzill cdstk, CTMH - vineyard berry ink, Stazon black ink, Prima flowers, American Crafts - Greenhouse felt flower, Ranger stickles - diamond, pop dots, Making Memories clear stamps - Passport, ornaments, flowers, Heidi Swapp - colored pencils, Autumn Leaves stamps - flourishes, Colorbok - chpbrd L, FancyPants pp ??, other - bling)

(Tri-fold card, Colorbok - chpbrd T, Bazzill red & blue cdstk, other: bling & pp)

Graciella & Amy had made some too! Thx a bunch girls!

Graciella's creations

Amy's creations

Today, I surprised Graciella w/an alto saxophone! She had signed up for band & chose the sax. I'm hoping it won't overwhelm her bcuz of Legacy three times a wk & in Sept. she'll have catechism on Weds. She is BOOKED literally, until the end of the school year! She's a straight A student too! I talked to her about the whole responsibility deal, along w/time, homework, rest... she said she wants to do it! I think if she puts her mind to it... she'll do just fine.