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bed & breakfast : Cocoa Daisy for November

10.28.2011
celebratestitched

Here are two layouts that I created using the November kit from Cocoa Daisy, Bed & Breakfast. I love this kit and am excited to continue using it for my projects that will be shared during the November crop later this coming month. It was also fun to create a two page layout again. It's been awhile and it felt good to use so many photos.

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This layout is pretty simple and straightforward. I used the sticker trims for my border surrounding my photo mats. Easy peasy!

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Check out the Cocoa Daisy store and subscribe today to be sure to get November's kit before it sells out!

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Cocoa Daisy November sneaks!

10.27.2011
2011-10-26

This is such a fun and vibrant kit, I've been having so much fun creating with it. Here a couple of my projects that will be revealed in full in the Cocoa Daisy gallery on reveal night. I have lots more though to share with you during the Fall Crop that's scheduled for November 11-13th. It's going to be a blast (it is every year) and so I hope that you join in on the fun. There are challenges, contests, classes, scrap celebrity chats, loads of inspiration and a ton of laughs. Until then, happy scrapping (and get those photos printed and ready)!

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thinking about Christmas music...

10.23.2011
I caught myself humming a Christmas song in the car today. We don't even have snow yet or have even celebrated Halloween or Thanksgiving yet but I'm starting to get (really!) excited about the holidays already. Perhaps it's because my shopping is officially done for Zoey already.  A first for me, and something that I'm so very excited about especially since last year was such a hustle and bustle crazy time for us. I'm trying to plan ahead a bit more to make time for baking together, playing outdoors and just spending time enjoying one another in front of the tree listening to music. Which, speaking of music, I've come to realize that my holiday music collection is in dire need of some updating. These following albums are on my list of tracks to add to my collection. If you click the links you can listen to some samples of what's on each album.











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around here...

10.19.2011
zoey + leo after school

We are officially back into the school year routine now with Zoey.  After school consists of taking care of homework (studying spelling and math) and having a healthy snack before playing outside (sometimes with neighbor friends, sometimes without) or playing with dolls or doing some creative project inside.  Sometimes I let her play on Webkinz.com...something we are still figuring out.  Some of her friends are on there too which makes it fun.  Then it's dinner time (some days a bath after dinner) and then reading books on the couch or the bed.  Once tucked into bed she listens to a book on CD, right now her favorite is Anne of Green Gables and sometimes I find that I stay and listen a bit too.

So far being in second grade and being seven isn't so bad...in fact, it's kind of nice. And speaking of education and thinking ahead to the future, if you are ever in need of homework help, find resources through online colleges.

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baby tooth # 6 bites the dust...

10.17.2011
Tooth # 6

She's becoming a pro at losing teeth it would seem!  She was eating an apple after school and it became loose and then tonight before bed she was soooooo bummed out that she wasn't going to lose it before going to school tomorrow.  I told her to let me pull it out and she (surprisingly) said okay and opened her mouth. I reached in and plucked it out and she danced around the house for the next 15 munutes.  :)

Tooth # 6

Tooth # 6


I'm just glad that the tooth fairy had the inclination to stop at the ATM earlier today.  :)

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Carving Pumpkins!

10.16.2011
Carving Pumpkins 2011

After the Zoo Boo on Saturday Zoey and I carved some of our pumpkins.  This marked the first year that she scooped out the pumpkin guts entirely by herself.  Quite a milestone don't you think?  :)  She was pretty proud of herself.

Carving Pumpkins 2011

And made me take this picture as long as I promised to post it on the blog.  She is such a nut!

Carving Pumpkins 2011

By the end of carving two of our pumpkins we were cold and she needed to put on a jacket and hat and mittens to stay warm.  She wanted happy and silly faces this year so that's what we did.  We still have her "bumpy" pumpkin to carve yet (courtesy of a good friend who found the perfect one for us this year, thanks Betsy!). A successful event without drawing blood!

Carving Pumpkins 2011

I love this time of year so much!  Hooray for family traditions and time spent with loved ones.

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Zoo Boo 2011

10.15.2011
Zoo Boo 2011

The 5th Annual Zoo Boo was today and we all woke up this morning excited to go, Zoey especially so.  She had her costume on shortly after waking up this morning and was begging for her face to be painted shortly afterwards.

Zoo Boo 2011

Her outfit this year worked out perfectly being that it was a chilly day and that we were able to put several layers underneath her owl "body" including a vest.  No coat was needed!

Zoo Boo 2011

Zoo Boo 2011

Here she is at the actual Zoo Boo...she was all smiles ALL day long.  We missed going to our local Zoo Boo last year since we were out of town so this year was extra special.  I think the best part is getting to see her friends all dressed up...including the candy of course, that's a given.

Zoo Boo 2011



Zoo Boo 2011

Pictured above are her girl friends Gracie and Julia...below we have Christopher and Daniel also known as Iron Man and Zorro.

Zoo Boo 2011

And here we have David, a friend, former classmate and now neighbor who is dressed up as a scary ghost.  I wasn't entirely sure if Zoey was going to stand by him dressed up the way he was but she did.  She skipped all of the "scary" booths that were giving candy at the Zoo...it doesn't matter if they are giving away her all time favorite candy, she is stubborn like that.  :)

Zoo Boo 2011

And then here we are at the end of the day in the car ride home...doing the most important part, checking out all the goodies she scored of course!

Checking out the goods...


Zoo Boo 2011

I look forward to this event every October and it never disappoints!

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Indian Corn Candle Centerpiece

10.12.2011
Indian Corn Candle Centerpiece

I've seen variations of this craft project circling the internet and knew that I wanted to give it a try. I wish that I would have had all of my Indian corn more the same size, but other than the unevenness of the corn, I really like how my centerpiece turned out. I added some burlap tied around the middle and love the look. To create your own centerpiece simply adhere your Indian corn to the candle using a hot glue (or other adhesive of choice) and tie with twine, burlap or some other favorite trim.

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Fall Printable

10.11.2011
Gather Here [Printable]

I love Fall and have fun finding ways to bring it inside the home as well as enjoying it outside.  I stumbled upon this classy downloadable printable while on Pinterest the other day. I knew right away what frame I was going to use to hang it up with in the kitchen.

You can find the printable here.



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the moon tonight...

10.10.2011
October Moon

The moon was just stunning this evening and had some misty, whirling fog around it...a perfect October moon. Twilight and night shots are tricky; find tips online, in photography and education classes.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

I have been craving pumpkin bars for awhile now and finally had the opportunity to make them. I tried out a recipe from Taste of Home and love how they turned out. It's a simple and easy recipe too which is always nice. There is no way that we could eat a whole pan of these so I put together a little box for a friend and just had to make them pretty while I was at it. These downloadable tags from TomKat Studios are just adorable. I simply printed them and adhered them to toothpicks back to back with glue dots and was done.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

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and then it was fall...

10.04.2011
Fall 2011

This is my favorite season for sure. Visits to the apple orchard, fall hikes, trips to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, attending the annual Zoo Boo, trick-or-treating, sipping apple cider and all the fall baking. And of course the beautiful colors that surround us.

Fall 2011

Fall 2011

Fall 2011

I love it all! Time to get out the sweaters and work on compiling my fall reading list! Nature can be the best cure for a down day.

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Halloween links!

10.03.2011
Since it's now October I've been thinking about Halloween and what fun things we will do this year with Zoey and her friends. Here are some favorite links to crafts, food ideas and more that I've come across so far. Halloween is so much fun!




Drink and Juice Box wrappers by Centsational Girl






Fun Halloween printables from Vale Design




Halloween Mummy Meatloaf by The Knead for Speed


Mummy Pizza by Parents.com


Jar-O'-Lanterns by Family Fun


Pasta Skeletons by Martha Stewart



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