I have a three year old.

And though I LUUUV Harpo Keanohn (God KNOWS I do!!!) sometimes I wonder if the devil recruits him to tantalize me!!!  So the story is this: for Christmas every year this year, I printed my favorite family picture from 2010 and set out to make our too cute cards.  Yeah...NO!!!  I haven't actually completed and MAILED  Christmas cards in years...but I digress!!!  So I ended  up with a BUNCH of prints of the same picture just sitting around.  One night a few months ago, I heard my husband say, "Awww, son...that was for MOMMY!"  Aww dang...you crafty chicks KNOW what that means:  the lil one done DESTROYED something you were gonna create a MASTERPIECE with!!!  I prepared myself and walked into the room to find that he had drawn on one of THOSE pictures!!!  I couldn't tell my husband, "Oh it's cool...I have another THIRTY copies of that print that I used our GOOD ink on and I don't know what to do with them!"  I just told him "DON'T throw it away...I'm gonna scrap that!"  He KNOWS not to ask anymore...he DOESN'T know not to give me THAT LOOK...again I digress!  I really thought the picture was funny because the baby didn't just randomly scribble on it...there was DEFINITELY a method to his madness.  I didn't know WHAT I would use it for until I looked closely at it...WHAT THE..???  Do you SEE THAT???

Why Am I by Keandra Perkins-Willis SUPPLIES: Cardstock:Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper:Sassafras Lass; Alphabet Stickers:Cosmo Cricket; Corrugated Butterfly: Jillibean Soup; Chipboard Flower: Sassafras; Metal Tag: All My Memories; Safety Pin: The Paper Studio; Pearl Pins: Jenni Bowlin; Sequins: Westrim; Pearlized Ink:Clear Snap; Punch: EK Success

I think the bulk may make it difficult for you to read the journaling at the top: I'm the only female in this photo (check out the dress if you need proof!!!)  And I'm not mad atcha for expressing yourself kreatively.  But, since I'm the only one pictured who has breasts can you tell me WHY I AM the one you drew facial hair on??? You are SOO not my friend for this, Keanohn Semaj!!!

You see, he gave himself, his Daddy and brothers cool 90's-type shades (remember LaVar Burton in Star Trek?)  But Mommy had to get a Scotty-from-the-Whispers mustache!  WHAT IS UP WIT DAT???  He's LUCKY I have a sense of humor!  I HAD to scrap this picture now to make me laugh.  I spent all day yesterday making embellishments which I hand paint...guess WHO spent less that TEN MINUTES destroying most of my work?  LAWD LAWD!!!   Would you have scrapped this picture or thrown it away?

There's a song...

...by The Wild Magnolias that says
                                            Every year for Carnival time we make a new suit.
                                            Red, yellow green...purple or blue
                                            We make a new suit.
Each year different Mardi Gras Indian tribes spend lots of time and money sewing elaborate suits with matching headdresses.  It is TRULY a sight to behold the beauty which they have meticulously created over the year.  For artists like us, the dedication is completely understandable.   In my almost 40 years, I've only missed Mardi Gras during our time away due to Katrina or when I've had a young baby...and I have the gazillion pictures to prove it!  It really becomes redundant to create SEVENTY FIVE pages each Fat Tuesday so I've decided to make a mini album each year instead.  I haven't scrapped last Mardi Gras' pictures yet but I HAVE made the 2011 book...BEHOLD!!!!

I formed and sewed the cover first and then covered each page with scraps of patterned paper.   I added my pictures and embellishments to the pages while I waited for the gloss on the cover to dry.  I try to always gloss or laminate my minis since (HOPEFULLY!) they'll be handled a lot!  The "08" was stuck on the cover because I realize the scrap of patterned paper I used had a "3" which happened to be the month...this year Mardi Gras was on March 8th.  I decided to use a theme throughout my book and used the song I mentioned  earlier as the inspiration:

The journaling says, "For us, every year at carnival time...we awaken our sleepy heads".  This was about 5:45 and the "NO" is to convey just how displeased my little was at having his dreams interrupted!!! (My 3 year old is standing next to me while I'm typing this and he just said, "Look at Noonie...he's DIRTY!!!"  He just doesn't know good PHOTO EDITING when he sees it!!!)

Buying food at a parade is like going to a 5 star restaurant on Mother's Day...everybody's prices are jacked up.  So, we start our day with a filling breakfast and bring snacks to munch on all day.  It rained this year so I had to throw on m' rainboots.  Don't feel sorry for me...I LOVE these boots and almost (ALMOST) jump up and down every time I get to wear them!!!

I decided to group some of our posed shots together.

These are some of the shots I caught of the beautiful floats.

While the hubbs and I were posing, it started raining so I threw this STUPID poncho on...WHY when my hair is natural???  I didn't have a mirror so I took a picture to check my hair...a FREAKIN' MESS!!!!  (Note to self: natural hair don't melt, Mama!!!  Next time, step AWAY FROM THE PONCHO!!!)

On the way back to the truck later that day, I took a picture of all the dilapidated and abandoned houses.  The condition my city is in almost SIX YEARS after Katrina is atrocious!!!

My littlest was SOO funny all day!  Whenever a marching band passed he got WOUND UP!!!  He has second-lining in his BLOOD, baybee!!!  I laughed so hard and taped him about eight times!  And I knew he wouldn't last past the first 10 minutes of our ride home but he didn't even MAKE IT TO THE TRUCK!!!  The above picture was taken in the wagon!

We spend almost as much time after Mardi Gras discussing the sights and sounds as we do getting ready for it!  I was walking behind the wagon, trying to make sure the littlest didn't slip out when I caught this shot of my husband and the medium boy talking about the throws they both got.

The last thing I remember when we got home was pulling off my clothes and falling into bed next to the small boy.  My husband awakened me a couple of hours later so that we could eat dinner.  We normally have some form of barbeque every Fat Tuesday.  While we were eating, my husband was plotting how we would leave earlier next year and what we would bring to eat...that dude must think this is a JOB instead of an adventure!!!  I secretly love it, though!  My feelings for Mardi Gras line up to how non-New Orleanians feel about Halloween!!!  What special events are indigenous to your region and what do you and your peeps do to celebrate?

I love...

...receiving gifts!  I love when those gifts are well selected.  I love gifts that we can use over and over.  I love when those gifts inspire me to use old scrap supplies...don't YOU LOVE WHERE THIS IS GOING???

For Christmas last year (yeah, 'cause it's ALREADY FEBRUARY!!!!) my sister and brother-in-law gave my littlest boy the beautiful gift of reading.  Not only did they buy two well known and loved stories...he received the special anniversary editions.  You know those "if you write in THESE or tear THESE Imma SHANK YOU!" books!  Last year was the NINETIETH birthday of Raggedy Ann so Keanohn was blessed to receive a collection of stories about her and her male counterpart, as well as Paddington Bear short stories.  Our Christmas tradition is to go to my parents' house EARLY that morning in our pajamas to exchange gifts.  We then go home to get gussied up before returning that afternoon to celebrate with our extended family.  That's how my baby came to have his books from his aunt and uncle before we even ate breakfast on Christmas morning!  While Daddy cooked grits for us, we snuggled in bed together and I read to him the stories that I read myself when I was slightly older than him!

Reading TWOgether by Keandra Perkins-Willis Patterned Paper: Graphic 45 and
Theresa Collins; Alphabet Stickers:American Crafts; Stickers: Heidi Swapp and Pebbles;Digital Images:JustSomethingIMade.com; Raggedy Ann and Andy: Handmade-kiwithekreator.etsy.com

 Because this is an activity that allows Kea and I to have some " KEA" time (I HAFTA do a page with that title!) I thought the Raggedy Ann and Andy illustration from the book's table of contents was perfect!  And because the Raggedies are so old, I thought a vintage look was appropriate.  You know I am SOO not the queen of vintage so I've had this paper lying around (LITERALLY!) for a year and a half (someone actually sent it to me to CHALLENGE me to use it...FAIL!!!).  I love when we get older papers INTO our albums rather than gathering dust on the shelf!  EVERYTHING else I used to kreate this page was just lying around, BEGGING to be used!!!  I challenge you during this month of love and warm fuzzies to scrap about something YOU love!  But really think outside the box: if you wanna scrap about that pecan candy in your cabinet SO BE IT!  Just give the future generation another piece of info about what YOU LOVED!!!

It may be over for you...

...but here in New Orleans we're just getting into the swing of the holidays.  All of the Mardi Gras festivities have started up...as a matter of fact, our CHRISTMAS activities aren't over yet!  We have a few events like Celebration in the Oaks which end this week.  Another extended holiday activity is the Miracle on Fulton Street.  This is a real street in New Orleans and the "miracle" is that there is snow for kids (old and young!) to play in!  Since it's 67 degrees right now, you can IMAGINE how amazing it is for us to see snow!  This event has been held for a few years now but this is the first time we took our kids out.  I'm SOO glad that we did because the boys were able to see REAL reindeer up close and a HUGE Gingerbread Superdome!  And of COURSE the snow was a hit with my babies!  I took about 150 pictures (not EVEN joking!) but I had to choose just a few for this page:

A New Hollyday Tradition-Cardstock: The Paper Source; Patterned Paper: The Girls' Paperie; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts; Felt Scrolls: Prima; Chipboard: Maya Road; Glitter Paint: Tulip; Floss: J & P Coats

Did you notice the snowflakes I cut and adhered right next to the two "Y's"?  That's because they started out as "X's" that I cut one side from!  I LUUVE utilizing  letters that I normally don't get to use!

 I chose pictures which show the joy that we all experienced that day.  I would share a few more pictures with you all but by the time I post again, it'll be shots of king cake and floats!  What traditions (old and new) did you celebrate with your family during the holiday season?

If you're ANYTHING like me...

...you are  FULLY caught up in this holiday madness!!  I can't STAND the "being packed in the mall like cattle" part.  I meant the decorating while singing Nat King Cole and sipping egg nog!  And of COURSE taking a few moments to scrap some memories!!  Tiare asked me to stop by and tell you a little about my scrap style.  I'm Keandra and I've just come to the realization that I don't HAVE a style!  I mean, sometimes I can do a layout where less is more because I want the focus to be SOLELY on the picture(s).  I just ran across this shot of my 3 year old when he was a little under a year.  He was SUCH a little old man and would pucker his lips whenever he saw the camera.  In the picture, we had evacuated from New Orleans and were staying with my parents until we were cleared to return to home.  Because my parents lived in Baton Rouge, they didn't get the brunt of storms like we do...but there were still issues.   I remember that we evacuated to their house to avoid the hurricane...only to be without lights for four days!  So my littlest was irritated with the heat as well as Mommy's camera when he made this face

 

Little Couch Potato Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Scenic Route and Sassafras; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts and Scenic Route;Stickers: Crate Paper and Mementoes; Chipboard Circle: Scenic Route

 

I laughed SOO hard when I saw this picture...especially when my little one asked why I was laughing at "THAT baby".  I immediately knew that I didn't want  to jumble up the page...I want anyone who looks at this layout to INSTANTLY be drawn to his facial expression!  I added a few scraps of patterned paper to a cardstock base with a few stickers and journaling...my picture is my best embellishment!

I realized about six months ago that I was buying more than I was using (ummm...HOARDER much???)  I also understood that holding onto my supplies would do little to convince my husband that I NEED to make a trip to CHA!  Since then, I've made it my MISSION to par down my supplies.  I've donated some; I've thrown anything manufactured before 1852 away.  But mostly...I've been using them.  I love the challenge of meshing older product with new.  And I love successfully adding BEAU COUP crap to my page without having a jumbled mess!!!  I have three sons who are better than any comedy skit on their WORSE day!  So, it's not unusual for me to catch shots like this

 

YOU Have Energy! Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: American Crafts, Basic Grey, Crate  Paper, Jenni Bowlin and Pink Paislee; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts, Making Memories and Basic Grey; Stickers: Crate Paper and Mementoes; Chipboard Circle: Scenic Route; Chipboard: Scenic Route, Sassafras, Heidi Swapp and Technique Tuesday; Journaling Spot: Jillibean Soup; Rub On: Creative Imaginations; Embroidery Floss: Coats

my teen boy wearing my shirt (DISCLAIMER:  I can't fit this on my WRIST  right now...I wore this before I became a big mama!!!)  I have a MILLION shots of my guys which are VERY similar to this but I love that I thought to include a great childhood memory this time!  When we were acting silly, my Mom would tell my sibs and me "Oh...you MUST have ENERGY!"  Those five words would make us weak in the knees because we KNEW we were about to get FIFTEEN chores to expend some of that energy we OBVIOUSLY had since we had time to be silly.  It's funny now that I'm a Mommy but I wanted to CUT somebody when 15 year old Kee heard her say that!!!

Even though I don't have a particular style there ARE a few components included in most of my work.  I LUUUV stitching.  I mostly hand-stitch with a little machine stitching thrown in and some faux stitching on the side.  I keep PACKS of black pens for outlining...it really makes my work pop!  And I almost ALWAYS focus on the mundane, everyday memories.  I'm just like everyone else...I take at LEAST 200 shots on Christmas day and birthdays.  But, I'm normally so busy scrapping funny memories like how my baby would {{LOUDLY}} say "FRUCK" and "BISH" (Keanonese for "Truck" and "Fish")   EVERY TIME we were in public, that "special occasions get pushed to the back burner.  I think I'll always remember that Kea wouldn't stick his hand in his cake on his birthday; how long will those funny mispronunciations stick with me?

So what about YOU..what's YOUR scrapping style?