New Layouts - Rodeo and Holi 2010

I love all these pages I see with a mix of patterned paper strips, but I find them so hard to do. I cheated here and used one sheet of Studio Calico border paper. The quote is a lily bee rub on, they are my favorite rub on, they have the best little sayings! Of course I love pictures that show us covered in colors, but I especially love the top one because you see all the colored powder flying in the wind.




This AC Dear Lizzy ribbon is the best thing. So fun and girly. I don't have many girly layouts to do unfortunately, but I'm sure I'll find more ways to work it in.




I loved the way these die cut pages looked when overlapped, especially over turqoise cardstock. Being that it is a Holi layout, I took the opportunity to use lots of bold colors. I also mix and matched different AC thickers here for the title and another pop of colors.






One of our evening trips to the rodeo carnival. My star punch is perfect for these texas themed LOs. SC patterned paper and the border and die cuts are My Mind's Eye.




I wasn't sure about the composition of this layout, but the OA letter stickers really brought the whole thing together. We were so surprised to learn that you have be at least six to be a mutton buster, but we took Avinash to see the sheep anyway. Love that I get to use all of these OA farm-themed stickers and papers.

Not me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.




Since I love running errands, I did not snap at Ryan for wanting to go to Target all weekend.

And, when we got there I did not have to bite my tongue while I simultaneously squealed over the new Zac Posen collection. I do not have a serious shopping problem here. Not me! I always shop resposibly and consider our shopping budget very carefully. I certainly was not then able to pull out two or three things purchased on my last trip to Target which are still unworn, and then toss those things into the return pile.



I do not have the black lung from a constant hacking cough, which I have not avoided medicating for weeks. I did not just start taking medicine on Sunday finally. I also have not been letting bad thoughts creep in or feel riddled with self doubt. Not me!

Call in sick? Never. I am not still hacking up a lung and in the process of losing my voice. Not me, I always follow my mom's advice and take care of myself before things get bad.

And, I am currently not blogging while Avinash is trying to climb up the bookshelf ladder in our living room. How bad a mother would I be then? Nope, I would never.

My tiny corner of earth.

Well, technically it's a corner of concrete, not earth since all we have is a patio. But it is very spacious and sunny.


Despite previous gardening misadventures - {RIP PomBaby 2007: we bought you at a street fair, put you in our first apartment in New York City, nursed you through a terrible bug infestation, watched you flower and almost start fruiting, but you did not survive. What about the tiny tomato and herb garden I also tried to grow there? All it ever produced was one tiny perfect tomato. I served it to some friends on pasta at a dinner party. Though it was declared to be a delicious tomato by the lucky diner who ended up with that tomato on her plate, it was an only child} - we are daring to try again, this time on an even bigger scale.

Part of our array of new plants. We got lots of bougainvilleas, pink, white and purple. I hope they spread their vines all over the walls. I have basil growing with the tomatoes and mint in a little pot next to them. The mint is growing amazingly, I put it in a pot about twice the size of the plant and it is almost taking over the entire pot. Looking forward to lots of mint tea this summer! We also have a jasmine plant, daisies and marigolds as well on the other side.

And, could it be! TWO WHOLE BABY TOMATOES! I have officially doubled my fruit growing productivity since last time!

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I am missing Ryan and Avinash like crazy while they are off in Pennsylvania/DC. Ryan did another Kudlow interview last night. It was so exciting, he finally launched the top ten Contract ideas. If only congress would actually listen...

This is them last Sunday. (The cuddling only lasted about two minutes before Avinash got restless, heh.)

And, the ducklings Avinash kept trying to chase when we went for a walk last Saturday afternoon. My little duckling loves ducklings too!

18 Months!

Cupcakes, frosting, blondies and cookies, oh my!

New Layout.

Avinash has definite interests and likes that are growing more and more each day. I wanted to create a list to record them all.

The list includes:

chocolate - normally Avinash is very hesitant to eat something we offer him, but if he notices that it looks rich and chocolatey his mouth dramatically opens

cookies, cakes - ditto above

being in Mommy and Daddy's arms

playing outside - he is always thrilled to put on his shoes because he knows that means he will be going outside to play, he even loves just playing on the balcony

dancing, especially tap - usually the slightest hint of music is enough to get his feet going

chickpeas - one nutritious food that he willingly pops in his mouth (for now)

pancakes - especially if he can dip them, syrup or ketchup will do

phones

helicopters, planes - he has eagle ears for the sound of any jet or helicopter engine, then he has to immediately find it and point it out to us

birds - he especially loves it when one lands in the patios

chasing bunnies - who doesn't love that?

seeing dogs (but not touching them)

itsy bitsy spider performances - early and often!

cowboy hats

riding horses

surprises, like peek-a-boo

keys, metallic or computer

pushing elevator buttons, especially the fire button

climbing things

steering wheels

parachutes or scarves

stirring pots and pans

reading books

playing in water

singing and clapping 'jai jai'

giving kisses - the absolute best thing in the world is a big fat baby kiss!

There you have, the list of Avinash's favorites.

Fields of wildflowers...

One of the most beautiful things I have seen in Texas. Miles and miles of bluebonnets and indian paintbrush.

People stopped all along the highway to take pictures with their families. We drove all the way out to Brennam and found a huge field just a little ways off the highway.

At least he's not dressed up like cupid!

Now that my exam is finally over I have been attacking my looong list of things to get scrapped with a vengeance. And, my new and undying love for grey and yellow has been a frequent theme.

These are the pictures of Avinash with 'his' valentine's day flowers. Not sure what I loved more, the flowers or the card attached. I guess being dressed up as a wolf isn't that bad!

Just simple grey paper, punched strips of Jenni Bowlin paper, como cricket chipboard letters and a few Amy Butler flower stickers.

Springtime is here!

Our new apartment is only a few blocks away from most of the Houston museums and Hermann park. On my drive home I noticed that the area in front of the Art Museum second wing is packed full of azaleas. Pink, purple, white and fully in bloom.

I was jumping out of my skin with excitement, wanting to go and take pictures with Avinash. The next free evening we had , I raced home from work, got Avi changed and ready, Ryan even came home early from work and I made everyone rush over there while the sun was still up.

I love living so close to so much beauty.






Using the self- timer.





I kind of liked the test shot more, ha!


Avinash was a bit less interested in flowers than I was, but he is a total outdoors lover. And gravel, the bushes were edged in gravel and he was in heaven! Looking forward to lots more walks, time outside and little adventures!

Ryan and Avi's Safari adventure

Ryan and his friend Raj had a boy's day out with Avinash and his son Gabriel. Originally they planned on going to the zoo, but Raj found this cool safari place just outside of Houston. I couldn't go anyway because I was working, but I think it's great that all the boys got together.

Gabriel is probably one of Avinash's favorite people. He loves playing with him and really looks up to him. Avi was delighted when they got in the backseat of the car together. He started chattering a mile a minute. And it was mostly gibberish. What was Gabriel's reaction? "Dad! I can't understand what he's saying!!" This did little to phase Avinash who kept trying to tell his older friend lots of stories. Both of the boys had a blast on the actual safari. They got to see zebras and giraffes. The bison even knocked the animal food tub right out of Raj's hand.

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After the tram ride the boys got to pet some animals too. Then got to have ride horses too, it was Avi's first horse ride!

Gabriel looks totally excited, while Avinash seems like he is just tryign to take it all in. Though the pictures might not show it, he was enthralled with his horse ride too. The boys did not want to leave. Gabriel picked up a leaf on the way out as a souvenir for his mom, Avinash wanted whatever Gabriel. Raj made him share, despite Gabriel's protests, "he's just going to rip it." About two seconds later they hear Gabriel say, "He ripped it!"

Poor Gabriel, he tried to corral his little friend again at lunch when Avinash started playing with the sugar packets, but to no avail. Luckily there is a big construction site a few blocks away from our place. One site of cranes and excavators and Gabriel was happy as a clam. I wonder if Avinash will be obsessed with construction when he gets older too? I loved seeing it when I was younger too since my mom always read Richard Scary books about it to me and I knew that my Dad built bridges. I hope that Gabriel's fascination wears off on Avinash too!

Weekly Challenge Winner!!

YES! I won my second weekly challenge at Two Peas.

This is my winning layout. The challenge was to use a red, yellow and green color palette, close enough I guess. It's one of my Costa Rica album layouts. I love these pictures, the baby was just so vibrant and happy. I love that it has that enjoy tag, which is from one of the first sticker sets that I bought when I first started scrapbooking- and used in Avi's newborn album.