It's about time...

It's been quite awhile since I've shared some scrapbook pages or projects. I've been working more on mini-albums lately.


I'm wrapping up my Week In The Life Album from Ali Edwards. I took pictures to document a week in our life in October. Hopefully, it will be ready to share soon.

Currently, I'm working on my Christmas Memories 2008 album. It's based on same idea of Ali Edward's Daily December album but I wanted to make it a little more broad. I figured we'll be getting my mom's tree in Michigan before December and I may not have something to put in each day. I'm using a Clear Scraps clear album and adding variety of different pages I've created. I'm about done with the pages and will add pictures and memorbilia through the month of December. I really like the concept of doing the album before hand. It really keeps me from getting overwhelmed after a event when I have a lot of pictures. Here is the cover I finished today. It is a little hard to read on the cutting mat but you'll get the idea.

Here are a few layouts of my neice and nephew from our Portland trip:

Farewell, my friend

This week a dear friend passed away. Susan Dallas was an incredible woman and touched many people's hearts. She was the manager at Windy City Scrapbooking, and definitely made an impact on my life. She was passionate and caring, loving and warm. I was devastated by the news that she had a heart attack at the age of 34. She leaves behind her husband and son, Evan, who is only 4 years old. He is the sweetest boy and my heart just breaks thinking of him growing up without his wonderful mother.

I'm praying for her family and the entire Windy City Scrapbooking family.

We know our days on this earth are numbered but we never expect someone so young to suddenly be taken away from us.

Below are a couple pictures from this Spring. I have such fond memories of Susan and she will always have a special place in my heart.

Al & Susan at CKU

Some of the Windy City Family

Showered with Love

Megan, Jess, and I

A couple weekends ago, Peter and I went to Detroit area for my friend, Jessica's, baby shower. Jess and Kyle are expecting their first little one and as you can see - she is beaming with joy. Jessica and I met in middle school and have been friends ever since. We both went to Michigan State and share our love for the Spartans so it was only fitting to watch MSU defeat UM that weekend! My friend Megan also came into town and it was so nice to spend time with both of them. There is nothing quite like being with friends that have been there through thick and thin.

Congrats Jess - We love you and look forward to your little one's arrival!

Trip to Knoxville

A couple weeks ago, we got a chance to visit one of my dearest friends. Jenny and I became friends in 5th grade and have remained close every since. Last year, Jenny and her husband, John, moved from Michigan to Tennessee. We had not seen them in a year and a visit was well overdue.

We had a fun filled weekend including hiking in the Smoky Mountains and going on a boat ride on the Tennesse River. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

October...really?!?

Fall is really here. The air is cool, the leaves are turning, and college football underway. I'm not quite sure where September went but we were on the go and took some pictures so I at least of record that it existed.

With the change of the season, I feel like a lot of changes are going on with me too. I feel like the list goes on and on but for starters...my job is bit up in the air. I'm not sure what will come with my job since I'm in a temporary position through mid-November (I think). At this point, I feel the best thing to do is pray and ask for prayers from those around me. God always has a plan and stressing about it just isn't going to help.

Also, I just feel like purging. You know that feeling when you life is over run with "stuff"? I got rid of a large amount of scrap supplies that I don't use anymore and made some extra cash. I barely notice the dent and feel like I've only scratched the surface but it feels great! Next, I want to tackle more scrap supplies and my overflowing closet and drawers. I certainly don't get this urge often enough so I'd better go with it!

I'm also trying to refocus my time and energy into more meaningful activities. I've been reminded multiple times lately how short life is and that it can be taken away at any moment. I desire to live life to the fullest and cherish everyday.

I've got a few projects that I need to get around to posting. I received the baby quilt back that I was working on and just have the binding around the edge to finish. I also finished my mini-book of our trip to Portland. Starting the project before I left was the best thing I ever could have done. Otherwise, I'd just be sitting with a stack of photos like every other trip!

I'm working on a skirt in my sewing class at Vogue Fabrics too so I'll be able to share it before long.

I'll leave you with a few pictures from our trip to East Lansing a couple weekends ago. In case you didn't hear, my Spartans beat the Irish - Go Green!!

Have a great weekend!

Portland 2008

We took a lot of pictures when we were in Portland but I thought I would share just a couple of my favorites. My neice and nephew are growing so fast and it was fun to capture them at this age. Ruby is 4 1/2 and Jacob is 3.

We haven't all been together since our wedding 3 years ago so it was really nice to get a photograph with all of us together.

We also took time to do some family pictures for John and Jenny. I was really happy with some of the great photos we took with our new camera. Enjoy!

My Feet are back in Chicago

It has been a great couple weeks with all the traveling I've been doing. Our trip to Portland was a wonderful time with family and I can't wait to get back. I just arrived home yesterday afternoon after a couple days in Vegas. It was my first Vegas experience with some fun memories. Although it was for work, I believe I got a good taste of the place they call Vegas.

I'm definitely happy to be back home though. I'm starting to get a concept of what day and time it is and look forward to the fun things we have planned the rest of the month.

Last night, we saw Mike Birbiglia at the Lakeshore Theatre. Peter and I have become fans of his hilarious stories and were really excited to see his tour bring him through Chicago. I was laughing so hard I cried. I definitely suggest you check him out. He'll be back in Chicago on Oct. 4th and has some hilarious stuff online and on Comedy Central.

Pics from Portland to come...

Bucktown Art Fest 2008

Today was the Bucktown Art Fest and I loved every bit of it! It is the first art show we've made it to this year. It seems like everytime one was going on this summer, we had a conflict.

We even came home with a piece of art! We purchased a photograph by a local photographer, David Mayhew. His work is amazing. Our photograph is of the skyline during the heavy storms we had a few weeks ago. The coolest thing is that he took the photograph from the top of Skybridge, which is the building we used to live in. It's our old view with amazing lightening and a purple sky. It is on a plaque and then matted in black and has a black frame. Looks very sharp, if I do say so myself! Here is the photograph on his site.

There were so many great artists. I love all the jewelry and photography is always a favorite. There were some great handbag and crafty vendors too.

Here were a few of my favorite vendors:

HopSkipJump - very cool personalized jewelry

Sassy Designs - great handbags, totally inspired me to make my own!

Lazy Gal

ScrappyNation - I have to be honest, the stuffed animals scare me a bit BUT they had some great little girl fashions, hats, bags, and other craftiness that was really cute.

LaurenCeleste -They have the cutest baby clothes and they were very reasonable. The items on the website are a little more but I'll definitely consider her for gift giving. I'm a sucker for baby goodies.

Karen Hoelscher Designs - more great handbags

This fair is definitely on my list of events for next Summer!

Whew!

I made it through the week! It's been a busy week but a good one.

We made it back to Chicago late Sunday night after visiting the Albrecht's in Ludington, MI. We were able to see Tyler for the first time and celebrate Kara's 30th birthday. It was really nice to see our dear friends and spend time outside the city. On our way home, we were able to have a short visit with our friends Megan and Josh. It's always nice to catch up with good friends.

On Tuesday, we were able to get last minute tickets to the Cubs game. It turned out to be a beautiful night and the Cubs ended up winning. Go, Cubs, Go!

Last night, I joined some work peeps at De Cero. Mmm...yummy Mexican. It's definitely nice to connect with the work buddies that I barely get to see. Today was another work event. Even though we had a short burst of rain, it ended up being a nice day. We took a cruise on Lake Michigan with Mystic Cruise Lines.

This week I've put in some time working on my Amy Butler Swing bag. My sewing machine and I had a tiff yesterday but we're back on speaking terms. I'm definitely looking forward to learning more so I'm not blindly leading myself through projects. I'm sure the class I'm taking will come in very handy.

As much as I hate the thought of August (and Summer) coming to an end, I'm counting down to August 28th. We'll be heading to Portland, OR to visit my brother, John, and his family. My younger brother, Caleb, and my Mom will also be joining us. I haven't seen John and the family since last summer and cannot wait to see them. Ruby is now 4 1/2 and Jacob is 3. They've grown up SO much since we saw them last. It will be great to getaway and spend time with family.

I'm still here

I've been absent a bit, okay a lot, but the summer's been flying by and I'm just trying to take in as much as possible. The fall is quickly creeping up on us. I'm feeling somewhat better now but I had a pretty bad flare which has slowed down my crafting. I just can't sit and scrapbook when I'm in pain.

I have dabbled in some other crafting things lately like quilting/sewing. I made the top of a quilt in a small class through our church. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed really "using" my sewing machine to make something. One of the instructors is putting it all together for us and sending it to us. It will be at least a few weeks but I'll post a picture when I get it back. It was definitely a learning experience but I learned a lot and am really happy to have had the opportunity. It gave me the inspiration to sign up for an eight week beginner sewing class at a local fabric store. It doesn't start until mid/late September so I decided to take on a simple bag project in the meantime. I'll post pictures once I finish it.

We're headed to Ludington, MI today to visit my college roommate and her family. Her little one, Tyler, is 3 months old now and Kara is turning 30! They are having a cook-out for her birthday on Saturday which will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to getting out of the city and spending some time in Michigan.

Two weeks. Yes, in two weeks from now I'll be in Oregon. I can't wait to see my family. I haven't seen my brother, John, and his family in a little over a year. The kids have grown SO much and I'm really looking forward to spending time with them. My Mom is coming from Michigan and my younger brother will travel down from Washington. The trip will be a great getaway and a chance to spend quality time with those so close to my heart.

Well, I've got a lot to do before we head out this afternoon. I should have some pictures to share next week!

Almost Friday

It's been a crazy week at work. I'm supposed to be off tomorrow so I hope it stays that way and I don't get pulled in.

Yesterday evening I got away from the work craziness and headed up to Windy City Scrapbooking. The had all the new Quickutz fonts and I came home with 'Chocolate' and 'University.' I can't wait to use them on some layouts. I also picked up some new Teresa Collins 8x8 Christmas papers. I know, it's a little early to think about Christmas, but I know these papers won't last long in the store. I still need to share the album I made in Teresa Collin's class 2 weeks ago. I've put all my pictures in the mini-album and just need to add some journaling. I'll post pictures soon.

I've signed up for a Learn to Sew/Quilting class at my church next week. I figure it is a great opportunity to use my new sewing machine and get some practice. Tomorrow I'll be running out to get the supplies. Hopefully I'll have a picture of my small quilt to post the following week. I'll need to be disciplined to stay on track and get some work done on the quilt in between the two classes. Wish me luck!

I'm looking forward to spending some time relaxing this weekend at the beach. Ah...sometimes there is nothing better than a weekend with nothing planned.

Gedeon Conclave 2008

The second annual Gedeon Sibling Conclave was successfully held in Chicago last weekend. We hosted Peter's siblings and all had a great time together. Last year we all went to Washington D.C. in July for the first time. Since we are spread out in D.C., Ohio, Denver, and Chicago, it's wonderful to plan an event each summer where we can get together.

Friday night we hosted drinks and appetizers before we headed to dinner at Greek Islands in Greektown. We had flaming cheese, gyros, and Greek wine. Dave kept wanting to throw plates but of course, that wasn't allowed. After dinner, we hung out at our place and spent time catching up. We got the details of Dave and LeeAnn's wedding plans for Labor day weekend of 2009.

On Saturday, we headed up to Wrigleyville for the Cubs/Marlins baseball game. Fortunately, our seats were in the shade because it was definitely a warm day. The game ended up going into extra innings and the Cubs ended up losing by one point. :(

After the game we headed to Taste of Lincoln on Lincoln Ave. We looked at all the vendors, got some food, and listened to some music. Then it was time to head to Navy Pier for the Venetian Night activities. We boarded a tour boat and headed out to Lake Michigan for the Venetian night fireworks. It was a beautiful night and the city put on a great fireworks display.

Dave and LeeAnn had to head out early Sunday morning. The rest of us enjoyed breakfast at Hashbrowns. John and Kierston then headed to the airport and Nancy hung out with us the rest of the day until her flight.

The weekend went so fast but it was so wonderful to be together, even for a short while. We hadn't see them since Christmas and it will probably be December before we see them again. Here is a couple pictures from the weekend.

Peter at Wrigley Field

Peter & I on the boat

The Gedeon Siblings

(Peter, Dave, John, and Nancy)

Let Summer Begin!

This weekend I got to the beach for the first time this summer. Peter and I headed up to North Ave. Beach with our friends Karri, Megan, and Brad. The guys got in some volleyball while us girls soaked up the rays.

On Sunday, we helped throw a shower for our friends Eric and Liz. They are expecting a baby girl on Aug. 2nd. We're really happy for them and looking forward to meeting her.

Work has kept me really busy lately and I'm hoping it is slowing down...

Celebration

God is faithful. This Sunday was Park Community Church's first Sunday in the new building. When we moved to Chicago in 2005 the church had started to started to "Imagine More." We have been preparing for this church for what seems like a long time now. The church has been at 20 locations in over 20 years and now we have a place to base our ministries from. It truly is a special time at PCC. The new building is not the end but only the beginning of more change us as a church body and the city of Chicago.

I'm a Survivor...

of a great wedding weekend. I am sore from head to toe and exhausted but it was a lot of fun. It was so special to see two of people that mean SO much to me, come together in marriage. My friend of 24 years and my cousin wed in Northern Michigan on Saturday, June 14.

Here are some numbers for you from the weekend:

800+ miles in the car
1 Bridal Shower
3 hours of sleep Friday night
2 (pm) Saturday
9 pink cala lilies
5 Bridesmaids
1 amazingly beautiful bride
2 become 1

Peter took over 500 pictures the day of the wedding. He is really liking our new camera. I love seeing him get comfortable behind it. He has learned a lot about the manual functions and is interested in learning more. I love to see him enjoying it as much as I do.

I look forward to sharing some pictures soon!

Wedding Time

Yes, June 11th has arrived. We are heading up north tomorrow morning to be part of the union of two people so close to my heart. My best friend JJ is marring my cousin Charlie. They have been engaged for a year and a half so I thought it would be forever before the day would come!

I've been spending the last 2 weeks getting everything I need for the festivities. I have a new dress to wear for the rehearsal, shoes for the wedding, and everything possible to make everything comfortable!

I'm really looking forward to seeing JJ and spending so much time with her. We'll be together all day Friday getting ready for the big day and then staying together Friday night. I'm SO glad to see her happy and can't wait to see her come down the isle. I know she'll be grinning from ear to ear. It will make it so special to have many family members present. I feel like we get to see them so rarely now. I really miss them.

The weather is finally warming up here which is WONDERFUL!!

As for scrapping...I've been working on a mini book from our trip to the zoo. I've altered some coasters I found at Goodwill. I'm really pleased with how it is turning out so far.

Love and Blessings for a great weekend!! (I know it's only Wednesday but let's get it started!)

My how time flies...Another week has started and it's shaping up to be a busy one. The next couple weeks are the busiest of the year for me at work. I'm hoping I can still accomplish all my goals outside of work.

Peter made it back from Seattle on Friday afternoon. It was so nice to have him home. Although I had a nice time with my friend Liz on Thursday night. We had a sleep over since both our hubby's were out of town for work. I always love "girl time."

We had a great weekend. On Saturday, we went to the Brookfield Zoo in the 'burbs with our friends Andy and Jen. Their daughter came along that is only a year old. She is such a doll and kept us all entertained. It was her first trip to the zoo and I can't believe what a good girl she was. We were out ALL DAY and she did not cry or fuss at all. She took a short nap during the day in the stroller but that was it. We even went out to dinner afterwards where she was also really good. I hope I'm blessed with such good children. Unfortunatly, if they are anything like I was, I'll have my hands full. :)

Here are a few pics from our day at the zoo (we're still learning our new camera):

(Peter and Andy - BFFs)

(Andy, Jen, & Kate)

(Peter & I)

Memorial Day Weekend

It's the end of a great weekend.

Friday night Peter and I went to the new Indiana Jones movie with our friends Liz and Eric. I thought it was good and that they did a good job replicating the Indiana Jones feeling.

Saturday Peter and I took the CTA to the museum campus and up to the Lincoln Park Zoo. We took a lot of pictures with the new camera and experimented with several of the settings. We still have a lot we would like to learn but it helped us get better acquainted with the camera. I definitely like the camera.

Sunday we went to church and then I went to Windy City Scrapbooking for Grace's card class. It's a great class each month and I was finally able to get my friend Sarah there with me. We made a everyday card, Father's Day card, and a set of note cards. It is always fun to make cards with Grace and I look forward to it every month.

Today we got some things done around the house and then spent the afternoon at the beach with our friends Sarah, Jim, Emily, and Greg. It was good to hang out with them and grill out. The weather was beautiful and it was great to be out enjoying it.

Peter leaves for Seattle tomorrow. I'll really miss him and hopefully this week will go quickly.

ta ta for now...

The days of May...

are flying by! I'm excited as I look forward to the next few days. Not that there is anything special planned but I'm looking forward to an unstructured weekend with my hubby. We usually are traveling to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend but have opted out this year due to the weekends we will be traveling to Michigan for weddings this summer. I'm hoping we will get out for a day of picture taking with our new camera. We both need to play around and learn what it can do.

I had a big day this week "scrap-wise." My "Live, Laugh, Love" layout was chosen as the Layout of the Day on Creating Keepsakes Blog for May 21st . It was such a great surprise. I love this picture of my neice and nephew and was happy to finally have the perfect paper and embellishments to use. Due largely in part to my Studio Calico May kit.

I look forward to showing you some pictures from the weekend!!

I'm thrilled to tell you that we got a Canon Rebel XTi DSLR Camera yesterday! I've been wanting one for awhile now and had a hard time talking Peter into the purchase. We bought the kit that came with the 17-85mm Image Stabilization lens and the 50mm. The next lens (awhile down the road) will be the 70-300mm so that we have 17mm through 300mm covered. We have played around with it some but have a lot more to learn. We got a DVD and I'm sure we'll invest in a good XTi book in the near future. I'm hoping that we can spend some time next weekend out and about just playing with the different settings and lenses to get a sense of what each does. I've been reading a lot about them but I need to really "see" what each one does.

I really wanted this camera to take our pictures to the next level. I've always loved pictures and I love scrapbooking them to preserve the moments. Great picture quality is very important to me since they mean so much to me. I look forward to sharing pictures as I begin to play!

Today we went to our friends Andy and Jen's house for their daughter Kate's 1st Birthday. They threw a great birthday part for her with lots of friends and family around. I cannot believe it was already a year ago that we visited them in the hospital after Kate's birth. Wow, how time flies.

Home from Florida

Peter and I had a great trip to Florida to visit my Dad and Judy. The weather was beautiful, upper 80's and sunny the whole time. My Dad was off work all three days we were there and it was really nice to spend time with him. Judy had to work but we saw her as much as we could. We came back to a cold Chicago with quite the sun-burns. Here's a little re-cap:

Friday: Visited the National Museum of Navel Aviation at NAS in Pensacola, FL, Joe Patti's Seafood, Naval Live Oaks, Pensacola Beach and finished with a shrimp dinner prepared by Judy.

Saturday: Visited Navarre Beach and spent time on the beach, in the ocean, and in the sand. Drove to Destin where Peter and Dad had their first "Whataburgers." Enjoyed some great Barbeque and finished the day at Peg Leg Pete's in Pensacola Beach with some great Key Lime Pie.

Sunday: Went to Church and enjoyed Mother's Day brunch with Dad and Judy before heading to the airport.

My First Post

Well, here it goes...I'm joining many of my scraping friends in the blogging world. I'm joining a community of many but am excited that I can take this blog in whatever direction I choose. I plan to keep track of events as time flies by and display my scrappy projects. I'm hoping it will evolve into a place where my friends and family can check in on me regardless of how far apart we are.

Here are some of the things we've been up to:

• Attended Caleb's graduation at MSU in East Lansing, MI on Sat. May 3rd. I couldn't believe it had been 5 years to the day that I had graduated from the same business school. Time certainly has flown but a lot has changed too.
  
• My husband, Peter, and I are heading to Pensacola, FL on Thursday to visit Dad and Judy. It will be a short trip but it will be nice to spend some time with them and show Peter around the area.
  
• We've booked our tickets to visit my brother John and his family in Oregon at the end of August. We'll get to see my neice and nephew that have grown SO much since we were there last summer. (They are inspiration for many of my scrapbook pages.) Caleb will be in Washinton so hopefully we'll get to see him too. It will be a great family affair!
  

I'll leave you with a couple layouts that I've completed recently.

(yes - this is me)

Two of my closest Friends: Jenny and I with Megan on her Wedding Day

Oct 2007