Jeff Dunham LIVE!

We're taking the whole family (and Justin's girlfriend Alex also) to see Jeff Dunham LIVE at the Rockford MetroCentre tonight! This gentleman is HYSTERICAL and so talented! He makes his puppets appear so human-like! Be back on Saturday! Have a great weekend everyone!

Freebie Friday!

Yep..... you read it right!!! It's Freebie Friday over at Paper Popsicles!!!

During the month of August, Paper Popsicles will be giving away a FREE DIGITAL STAMP every Friday made by the ever-talented Cheeky Radish! Check it out HERE!

TGIMonday!!!!!!

It was a wonderful YET exhausting weekend! Lauren came home from Missouri and brought Hannah and Maggie back with her....so we had 2 MORE TEENS in the house!!!!!! YIKES!

We filled up 3 days with: All day at an awesome Waterpark, Shopping at the Mall, late night scrapbooking, pool party at the house with old classmates, eating out, watching movies at home and giggling, complaining, laughing and talking!

It was wonderful YET exhausting!

Horsin Around!

I had a wonderful time in Missouri last weekend visiting my dear friend Laura!

They bought their first horse...Misty! Isn't she pretty!!!

We also spent some time out in the fields with the other boarded horses! I was a bit nervous around these amazing animals!

I'm Back!

Had a wonderful time in Missouri visiting my dear friend Laura! Lauren stayed for the week...will pick her and Laura's 2 girls up on Thursday and have them for the weekend!
I'll post some pics tomorrow!

Got a fun "LIST of Things I've Done in my Life" to share with you all! My answers are "Starred". Please copy and paste on your blog...tag me if you decide to do it!

Things I have done...
* 1. Started your own blog
*2. Slept under the stars
*3. Played in a band
*4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world/Disneyland Paris
8. Climbed a mountain
* 9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
* 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
* 18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
* 21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
* 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill Shhhhh, don't tell
* 24. Made a Snow Angel
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (howz about chunky dunking????? lol)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
* 29. Seen a total eclipse
* 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset8
*31. Stood in the rim of the Grand Canyon
* 32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an erupting volcano in person
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
* 41. Sung karaoke
*42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
* 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
*46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
* 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
* 52. Kissed in the rain
* 53. Played in the mud
* 54. Gone to a drive-in theatre
* 55. Gone to a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
*58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Cookies for charity
*62. Gone whale watching
* 63. Been given flowers for no reason
* 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
*67. Bounced a check
*68. Flown in a helicopter
* 69. Saved a favourite childhood toy
70. Visited Buckingham Palace
* 71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt or blanket
73. Stood in Times Square
* 74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job-*
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
* 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Been to the top of the Empire State Building
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
* 82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
* 84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
* 86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
* 88. Had chickenpox
*89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
* 92. Joined a book club
* 93. Lost a loved one
* 94. Had a baby
*95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
*97. Been involved in a law suit
* 98. Owned a cell phone
* 99. Been stung by a bee

Weekend Plans...

Heading out to Missouri with Connor and Lauren to visit our dear friends that moved there over 3 years ago! Connor and I will share the driving...he needs to get some more driving hours on his permit!

It will be so good to see Laura, Scott and their girls...I miss Laura so much!

And Lauren has been best friends with Maggie since they were born!!!!! I am so thankful that we have both worked hard at keeping our friendship alive!

So I won't be hitting the blogs much over the weekend...I'll be back late Sunday!

I finished a layout the other night using the colorful and fun Collage Press paper line, Sweet Shoppe! Love how this page turned out!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and thanks for checking out all my Bolognie!

Scraplift Challenge

Label Tulip is having a whole slew of Challenges this month!
So I jumped right in and joined the Scraplift Challenge! I chose Danielle's amazing layout, "This makes my Heart Sing"!!!!!!


Here's mine....................

This was my first try with some Glimmer Mist.................oh boy, I probably should have practiced using it on some scratch paper........I only wanted to have some "splashes" of the mist in 2 corners BUT...........well, it ended up like this!

Thanks for checking out all my Bolognie..................

Blog Hop Today & Sunday!

It's time for the BLOG HOP!!!!!

Paper Popsicles is having it's first ever BLOG HOP! YAHOO!!!!

How does it work??? You'll be asked to hop from each Paper Popsicle's DT blog to the next DT blog featuring yummy eye candy with a summer theme...and of course what's eye candy without a little blog candy...so just leave a comment before you hop along to the next blog and you just might pick up a prize!!!

Each blog will feature a secret word...these words needs to be collected and then put together to form a phrase. This phrase will then need to be emailed to paperpopsicles@gmail.com by Sunday night, July 12 at midnight Central time to be eligible for our grand prize.

AWESOME HUH????!!!! So......lets get started!!! Start HERE now!

She's a TEEN...13!

My youngest, Lauren turned 13 today! She's officially a TEEN!

She celebrated with friends...swimming, water balloon fights, badmitten and lots of FUN!

One of her presents was wrapped in a cereal box...too cute!It was a good day to be a teen-ager!

Who wants a Cuttlebug?

A FREE Cuttlebug that is!!!!! Melissa over at Keepsakes for Melissa is giving one away! Check it out HERE!

Who's up for a Blog Hop?

Well... hop on over to one of my favorite scrappin websites, PaperPopsiclesPaper Popsicles is hosting their very first Blog Hop and it is going to be LOTS of FUN! You don't want to miss out on this one!

Check the blog later this week for the details! It will run on July 11 and 12....lots of eye candy...and PRIZES!!!

July Blooms...

I just love this month in my gardens! Things are a Bloomin!!!

Here's a preview...........

Phlox...

Day Lily.........

My favorite annual, Zinnias... Strawberry Galiendo....

Coneflowers......

Yarrow...

True to it's name, Bee Balm.......

Asiatic Lily......

Have a wonderful day and thanks for checking out all my "Bolognie"!

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable 4th of July!

Check out Martha Stewarts website for the recipe to this yummy Red, White and Blue Trifle! And what's a party without a FUN cocktail...Berry Spritzer will hit the spot! I totally love this site...such awesome recipes!

Please take a moment today to remember what this day really means to the US of A........Celebrating our great country and of course our freedom! Please reflect on those who have served and those who continue to serve us in order to ensure our safety and freedom!

God Bless America!

ME... from A to Z

I saw this on someone's blog and thought it was a fun idea...


All about ME...........
A – Age: 46
B – Bed size: King
C – Chore you hate: Cleaning the toilets
D – Dog’s name: Vinny
E – Essential start your day item: coffee
F – Favorite color: pink
G – Gold or Silver: silver
H – Height: 5′10"
I – Instruments you play(ed): french horn
J – Job title: Special Ed teacher and of course Mom
K – Kid(s): Justin, Connor, lauren
L – Living arrangements: House
M – Mom’s name: Rita
N – Nicknames: Joanie, Joaniebolognie
O – Overnight hospital stay other than your birth: hysterectomylast year
P – Pet Peeve: talking behind your back
Q – Quote from a movie: "Go ahead, make my day"
R – Right or left handed: Right
S – Siblings: Lynn, John and Jane
T – Time you wake up: 6:45am during the school year, 9am during the summer
U- Underwear: YES!!!!
V-Vegetable you dislike: peas
W – Ways you drink your coffee: hazelnut coffeemate
X-rays you’ve had: teeth, sinus, foot
Y – Yummy food you make: funeral potatoes, amazing oven-baked beans, 5-layered taco dip
Z – Zoo favorite : gorillas

Now pass this on to 5 other friends that you want to get to know better...
1. April
2. Kirsty
3. Heidi
4. Jocelyn
5. Lisa


Thanks for checkin out all my "bolognie"!