blog love & a fun give away

did you happen to notice the fun changes on my blog? a banner with happy, colorful polka dots = pure love in my book. i am so happy with the new look of my blog. i have been on the look out for that new look, for some time. i hadn't been able to find anything that screamed me. I happened to stumble across a link for blog designs by two happy mamas & voila...instant blog love *sigh*. the really cool thing about this site (besides Kristina who is darling & so amazing at what she does)is that there are options for all budgets & blog levels. You can start from ground zero if you are new to blogging & she will work with you & custom design your blog for you. or you can purchase one of her super cute, premade blog packages. The bonus is that she has little extras that can be added to your blog for that added little touch.

okay friends, it is time for a fun give away. head over blog designs by two happy mama's and check it out. make sure to check out her premade blogs & the fun extras (frames, happy pieces of art,etc..). the happy pieces of art are a fave of mine...hoping to add more soon :-).
leave a comment on this post. tell me why you blog & what inspires your blog posts. in turn, i will enter your name in a drawing for two custom additions to your blog:). kristina has graciously offered to donate a signature(your signature) that will automatically be added to the bottom of each of your blog posts. she is also going to add a frame(see my red scalloped one)of your choosing to a photo on your blog. i am really excited about this & i know you will fall in love with her work. don't delay, check her out now.

here is this weeks kit...another year in review style layout. these type of layouts have saved my scrabooking life. sounds funny...but oh so true! being the mommy, to 4 young(er) children doesn't always afford me the time i would love to devote to my scrapbooking. i am always on the hunt for sketches that house multiple photos. if you head over to the green tangerines blog, mer (just because she is awesome like that) has a link all set up(with a tutorial,i might add)that will help you create the photo strip at the bottom of the layout. i was able to get 9 more photos(on top of the 4 - 4X6 photos) on this particular layout just by adding the strip at the bottom. again, i love these year in review type of lo's. with a quick glance, i am reminded of all the fun we had in 2009. those favorite memories instantly come flooding back.

rainy days are perfect for...

- snuggling the little while watching Dora.

- cleaning the blinds in my bedroom, way over do.

- a cup of hot cocoa, with marshmallows.

- bright yellow rain coats.

- starting another little sewing project.

- cute, colorful, fuzzy socks (making me smile for sure)

- browsing itunes for new music to add to my collection.

- catching up on friends blogs. i am so thankful for the internet & the chance to stay connected.

- reading a good book(i'm finishing up the hunger games, can't wait to start the next book in the series).

- scrapbooking (hoping to finish up my December kit club layouts tonight).

oh, how i love rainy days. i know some people are ready for the rain to go away. i, on the other hand, am enjoying it. living in california doesn't provide us with too many rainy days. when they do come our way, i soak them all in :-).
p.s. i reserve the right for my feelings to change :-).
i realize that i may feel a little different this evening, once all of the boys are back home (from school, chess club, indoor soccer). it can be a little crazy when they don't have the chance to play outside....i just might be begging for that sun to shine again :-).

you know you are a...

scrapbooker when you can provide your kindergartner with 100 letter g's for the 100th day of kindergarten poster...and you still have lots of g's left to spell that cute little kindergartners name in your scrapbooks :-). please don't tell my hubby that all of those letters were found in my scrapbook room :-).





















garrett & his pal, c.

today marked the 100th day of kindergarten. wow! time sure is flying by. before we know it, the last day of kindergarten will be here. they had a great day. everything had to do with 100. his little poster board was part of his homework this week. those letter g's were a perfect project for him...just peel and stick. they had to create a board with 100 of some item of their choosing, hence the 100 letter g's. they had yummy snacks that they counted today(conversation hearts, goldfish, marshmallows, raisins, fruit loops, etc...). garrett came out of the classroom sporting these cool glasses.















we sure do love kindergarten & the amazing teachers who put so much time & love into their classrooms & students.

so, if you had to fill in the blanks with the statement "you know you are a___________when___________. what would yours say? play along, i'd love to know :-).

Happy friday and 100th day of kindergarten to all.

kotw - snow much fun!

it is that time of the week...kit of the week. I have fallen behind in my blog posts and i am trying to catch up. i am happy to report that my treadmill time has (semi) replaced my blogging time. i have been diligent about getting on that bad boy a minimum of 5 times a week since the new year started.















this weeks layout is perfect for your snow/tahoe pictures. i was able to scrapbook these older(2005) pictures of tanner & carter. i can't believe how little they look.
products used in this weeks kit are:
pattern paper by american crafts, glitter brads by american crafts, bazzil cardstock & bling, ribbon, gems & a custom title created by mer. i also used my handy dandy circle punch...one of my go to supplies for sure.
this kotw can be found at green tangerines 916.771.8010. happy scrapbooking.

league champs

team valor took the league champ title this year. they had an awesome season. they had 26 wins. 3 ties. 4 losses. this was an interesting year for tanner. he played up a level, making him one of the youngest boys on the u-12 team(as a 10 year old). it was a big accomplishment for him & he worked hard for that spot on the team. we are so proud of him & his entire team. the team also played in the association cup tournament. they made it through the first weekend but sadly lost this last saturday.

p.s. i wish i could say that soccer is over for the season...but we still have tanner & carter playing on indoor teams...soccer season lives on at our house.

this weeks kit

here is a peek at this weeks, kit of the week. it is all about birthdays.i figured since tanner just celebrated his 11th birthday (and I took photos) that i better scrap his 10th birthday photos first...mission accomplished.


















even though my layout is all birthday, you could really use this layout for any occasion. it would be perfect for family photos, new years eve, park days, vacation and so on. in your kit, you will receive a whole package of luxe rub ons, thus allowing you to create the title of your choice. other products that were used in this kit are: american craft pattern papers, bazzill cardstock, creative cafe flocked brads, and my fiskars circle punches. this weeks kit is available at green tangerines (916-771-8010)
p.s. they will ship right to your door.

my world...this week

- i am enjoying a new book from the library. i am reading princess academy by shannon hale.

- i feel so frugal & "green" every time i check a book out form the library. i love that.

- i have decided that sundays are perfect for church & a good, long nap.

- i am tired of this nasty cold. i feel miserable today.

- our family has had dinner at home every night since the start of the new year. this is huge considering how much time we spend in the car going from one sporting event/practice to the next. we are pretty proud of ourselves.

- i have not had a cold in like, two years.

- praying that this cold will get the clue & disappear. i don't have time for this.

- i really enjoyed helping in tanner & carters' classrooms today, despite feeling miserable.

- i feel like I have been bathing in purell.

- currently caught up on my {project life} photos. i know i am only one week into this project...i am still proud of myself :-).

- wondering why people think they can be so rude sometimes?

- i have scrapbooked 5 layouts since the start of the new year...hooray.

- 3 of those layouts were for my oct.-nov. gtkc...an even bigger hooray in my book.

- still haven't had a diet coke. that is 13 days w/out one. now that is a HUGE hooray.

- brody got a new haircut. he looks cute. if you ask him to show you that new hair cut, he bows his head & then pats the top of his head. so stinkin' cute.

- i am so happy for tanner & his soccer team. they won all of their games last weekend & are headed to the championships this coming weekend.

- my house is very quiet right now. john has all the boys & is delivering(or picking up) them to their various activities (soccer practice, bb practice, scouts).

- can i just say that i love my husband!

- i guess that is one thing a cold is good for, it got me out of chauffeuring the boys all over town tonight :-).

- dinner is in the crock pot, waiting for all of the boys to get back home. White chicken chili with cheese sprinkled on top. mmmmmmmmm good.

- i am looking forward to scrapbooking with the girls on friday night.

- you know i am sick when the laundry is piling up & i really don't care.

just another week in the life of raimi. i wouldn't have it any other way. okay, maybe the cold situation could be different!

game on

my adorable grandma is at it again. i went to pick up our mail(still dealing with the broken mail box from the mail thief) & there was a note from my grandma. i thought it was a thank you note for the calendar that my sister, amber & i had made for them for christmas. I tore into the envelope & this is what i found.























that little stinker(said with so much love) beat me again. do you see that date? she beat me at the "first christmas card received - 2010 addition" game...again! I have been brain storming on ways to play her game, get back at her if you will. i am hoping that all of you can help me. i am asking that all of my blog readers take a minute and send my grandma, a christmas card. it can be a left over card from this last christmas or if you have any printed ones laying around with your family picture on it, even better. just make sure you date it with the 2010 year. she may have beat me at being first but i think we can beat her with inundating her mailbox with fun christmas cards. please help me do this! i know it will add a smile to her face. if you are interested in helping me with this little endeavor, email me at jrkrupp@surewest.net & i will email you back with her home address. thanks in advance. i am popping my card in the mail, tomorrow morning.
p.s. do you love how she signed the card...love,grandma & her games. i totally laughed out loud. i love her!

kindness

i totally believe in this. i'm sending out a challenge to all who read my blog. find a stranger(or someone you know) today & do something nice/simple to brighten their day!
it can be anything...small or big!
ready...set...go!
p.s. if you take on the challenge, leave a comment & share your random kindness.

kotw - year in review style

here is a peek at this weeks kit of the week.












I was able to squeeze 12 photos (one for each month)on this layout. I tried to pick photos that highlighted our year. I am really loving the year in review LO's that already exist in our albums. I place them at the beginning of each album even though I created them at the end of the year. It serves as our table of contents for each album.
(Product used: American Crafts Junior line, Bazzill cardstock,Creative Imaginations tag, Fiskars Star punch, Pazzled title, ribbon & my Uni ball white pen)

This "The Year in Review" kit is available at Green Tangerines. As always, you can reach the store at 916*771*8010. If you put scrapbooking on your New years resolution list this year, this is the perfect way to get started. The product is all picked out for you. You just need a little time, adhesive & your own photos :-).

I sure hope everyone is enjoying their 2010 thus far.
I am on day SEVEN of no Diet Coke & a minimum of 45 minutes of my treadmill. I am feeling inspired & capable of doing ANYTHING!

check her out

my friend kinsey is at it again. she was invited to create a sketch over on the basic grey site. you can find her work here, on her blog. her sketch is fabulous & her actual layout is even better. she really is a big deal & so talented.
way to go kinsey!

another year older & wiser too...

happy birthday to you! Today is Tanner's 11th birthday.




























We can't believe, let alone stand the fact that he is getting older. Where has the time gone?It really feels like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. I have never, EVER seen John drive as slow as he did the day we brought Tanner home from the hospital. It was just the beginning of all things wonderful in our world.

Tanner had a great day. It was a calmer birthday for him this year. His birthday, landing on a Sunday this year. He told us he woke up at 4 am, ready to open his presents. He went back to bed but was up & ready at 6 am. We told him it wasn't Christmas & that he needed to go back to bed -LOL! He was dying to open his presents so we let him tear into to his presents. He received the World Cup (Germany) soccer jersey that he has had his eye on.



























He was so thankful for everything he received. He must have said thank you at least 20 times. We made it a fun day at home. We had church from 9 am to noon & they sang to him in Primary. When we got home, John made a big breakfast for lunch (eggs, toast, bacon,). Then we watched a movie that Tanner had been wanting to see. He enjoyed phone calls & visits from friends and family. We ended the night with birthday dinner(his pick) & a double decker birthday cake made by Dad. Wishing Tanner a very happy birthday.

2010 word...remember

I have always loved this fun idea(see below). Each year, January 1st rolls around & I instantly forget to pick my word. Not this year, I am on board & ready to focus.

Taken right from Ali Edwards blog(her words (in red), not mine)

Back in January 2007, as a way to celebrate these beginnings, I started a public tradition of choosing a single word to focus on over the course of the year.

Many of you are familiar with this tradition and have been joining me in selecting a new word each year. If this is your first time reading about the idea of one little word I recommend taking a few minutes to read my original post here.

Here's a look at my words from the past three years with links to the original posts.

2007 : Peace [ read my post for 2007 ]
2008 : Vitality [ read my post for 2008 ]
2009 : Nurture [ read my post for 2009 ]

Essentially the idea is to choose a word (or let it choose you) that has the potential to make an impact on your life.

Maybe you want to invite something or maybe you are hoping to subtract something. Maybe your word will be practical or hopeful or creative or fanciful. Maybe you need a big word, something in-your-face that will challenge you everyday. Maybe you need something smaller and quieter that will whisper gentle tidings as you make your way throughout the year.

Whatever word you end up with, make sure it is your word (not your sister's, mom's, partner's, child's, etc). You can share it publicly or keep it close to your heart.

So the week before Christmas, I really began to ponder what my word for the year would be. After much consideration, I chose the word:

REMEMBER

This is how the dictionary defines REMEMBER:

Main Entry: re·mem·ber
Pronunciation: \ri-ˈmem-bər\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): re·mem·bered; re·mem·ber·ing \-b(ə-)riŋ\
Etymology: Middle English remembren, from Anglo-French remembrer, from Late Latin rememorari, from Latin re- + Late Latin memorari to be mindful of, from Latin memor mindful — more at memory
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 : to bring to mind or think of again
2 archaic a : bethink 1b b : remind
3 a : to keep in mind for attention or consideration b : reward
4 : to retain in the memory
5 : to convey greetings from
6 : record, commemorate

AS I make my way through 2010, I am really looking forward to focusing on taking the time to REMEMBER what I am thankful for. To REMEMBER all of the things I have been blessed with on a daily basis. Along the way, I will take time to REMEMBER the fond memories I have gathered over the last several years.

I think this word for the year challenge is such a fun concept. Please let me know if you join in on Ali's challenge.