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b&b

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this is the hager house bed and breakfast.
it’s in oklahoma.
it’s pretty on the inside too.
we just don’t have green grass yet.
raelyn and roger have re-done the entire house!

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our snacks.
it’s safe to say we love our junk food.
and my goodness you ladies can drink!
(pepsi and dr. pepper)
i am the only coffee drinker…get the whole pot to myself.

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the ladies…
all of us in jana’s pigtails.
it really is the perfect hairdo for scrapping.

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breakfast in the kitchen.
it’s a really cute in there and raelyn makes yummy breakfast!

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diana used dental floss on her page!
very creative.

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DANCE BREAK!
Kristi got me moving to ABBA.
we are the dancing queens.
the radio station had hours of a program called Saturday Night Fever.
and we loved it….minus the same commercial we heard 50 times.

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amy and i were scrapping neighbors just like at home…
we’re real neighbors.

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jana made the cutest mini album.
and her first real 12×12 page!
it was a big deal…so excited for her.

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Angie read through Photo Freedom and had a light bulb moment.
does scrapbooking stress you out?
then you should read this book!
this is her favorite page from the weekend. very cute.

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and here i am with my favorite page.
i am not winking…just looking strange.

i loved this trip.
i love my friends.
i love to scrap.
i love to dance to disco songs.
i love to laugh so hard i cry (not hard for me)
it was such a fabulous time.
it needs to be more than once a year…don’t you think girls?

meg duerksen - jessi & eryn – have fun! and you must wear pigtails.
lauren, andrea & jennifer p. – maybe i will be the one to convince you to try scrapping! it doesn’t have to be what you think “scrapbooking” is. there are lots of different scrappers out there. i just want to have fun when i doing it…not worrying about titles or themes. i want color or flow and feeling it as i go.
my imperfect circles…i did with my friends kristi’s exacto knife. for my first circle i traced around a dinner plate but cut around the pencil line loosely then i just made all the rest a little smaller. this idea was copied. 🙂 like all my good ideas.
(good to hear from you again lauren!)
sara – i WILL see you in april. and i can’t wait!
kristi and amy – our weekend rocked!
holly & blanca- thank you!
queenie – did you find that book yet. it will change your world.
traci – your weekend away looked way way fun.

Sara - meg – love the swirling page with the ribbons, so young and fun. You are a child at heart -in a good way. I hope to see you in april when Lorel and I do our painting workshop!

Lauren - OK – so I don’t scrapbook. Never have. Can’t do it. Too impatient.
But seeing your post here MAKES me want to try. Maybe it was the pic of the Dove Dark Chocolate.
Anyway…
how did you get those circles so perfectly imperfect? What’s the secret Meg?
Thanks for sharing your girl-time! God knows that we all need it!

eryn - what fun! I am heading off in a few weeks for a scrappin girls weekend. You’ve inspired me to get my stuff together and get organized!!

Holly - Just found you thru Crystal. Oh…your pic’s are amazing. Such an inspiration. What a dreamy home!!!! Your kitchen and craft room are to die for.
Looking forward to being inspired by your creativity. I’ve been intimidated by scrapbooking, but you inspire me to have courage & fun! Thank you!

traci - glad you had fun!! cute pictures – love the pigtails and pj’s. i wore sweats all weekend any my crop getaway – no jeans or makeup allowed. thanks for sharing.

Kristi - Love the pix, meg! They made me smile and remember a fab weekend. I LOVE YOUR BLOG! heehee
Kristi

Queenie Bee - Awesome photos of what looks to be an even more awesome weekend! And I do indeed need to read that book…

jessi nagy - so so fun! i love scrap girls weekends! im off to one mid april. cant wait.
oxoxox,
jessi
love the pigtails

Jennifer P. - That almost makes me want to start scrapping! So glad you had a fun week out with your friends. You can just see it in your eyes that you were happy and relaxed! And what a great b&b!

amy - “he called me… kind of laughing.” (I wonder if anyone in the OKC area knows this commercial?!)
It was the best time! We should definitely do this more than once a year!

Andrea - Looks like SO much fun! With GREAT friends. It makes me jealous. And I don’t even scrapbook!

Blanca - That looks like so much fun. Great pages too.
Blanca

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so much fun

these are my pages from my weekend of scrapping…

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i felt my scrappin’ groove come back on in the
middle of the afternoon on saturday.
half way into my trip?
where did it go?
just not scrapbooking for so long makes it harder to find i guess.

i also finished my album from our vacation in 2007.
all the pages have 5 photos, a tag, and printed simple journaling.
very plain but clean looking.
i really like it.

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there are 7 double page spreads like this and 2 like the one below.

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pretty simple.
but i did all the fun stuff when i made the mini album.

i got 23 pages done…woo-hoo!

see mom? i’m okay.
just tired from my fun trip.
thanks for worrying.

meg duerksen - thank you ladies!!
the top page “sassy” is made with strips of paper and is a lift of becky novacek. (bottom of the list on today’s creative blog)
the swirly circles are also paper. it was also a lift of ?? someone in creating keepsakes last year. 🙂
and the circles barely stick down…i didn’t really think it though. i tend to do that. i get an idea and then don’t know how to finish it.
and i hope the dancing queen picture wasn’t too disappointing.
we did have fun with that radio station though.
and i think i will add a disco section to my iPod.
melissa – i used to be a consultant too. i did it for 5 years but i quit 7 years ago.
thank again for all the compliments.

Haydee T - I have to tell you..I’m not a huge fan of scrapbooking but your stuff is awesome..you might just make a believer out of me. Well done!

Jenny Pocknall - Wow! There is so much work in each page. I am impressed. A beautiful way to show off your adventures.

amy d - we want the dancing queen, we want the dancing queen, we want the dancing queen! 🙂

Mom - It’s funny when a mom is worried that something is wrong because her daughter hasn’t blogged for several days! Glad you had such a good time. They are beautiful pages.
Now what’s this about the dancing queen??

Allikayes Mama - Oh, wow,wow,wow! I love those pages! You are so creative! I also just spent way too much time browsing through “your house” pictures! I am enthralled with your beautiful home and decor! Such inspiration! And right out of a magazine! :0)

Crystal - LOVE them…I am so jealous of your talent Meg!! Let me know if you are still interested in the swap. 🙂 Or if you know of anyone who is. 🙂 Have a great evening!! 🙂

Lee Ann - 23 pages! That’s awesome. And I love the vacation book….the simplicity. I think it’s perfect for vacation.

melissa @ the inspired room - How fun! I used to do those scrapbook weekends (back in the day, when I was a Creative Memories consultant…). Happy Tuesday!
xo
Melissa

amy - You have to put the dancing queen on the blog! It’s the whole reason I took the pictures!

Jana - That was the most fun weekend ever! So glad you got your groove goin on Saturday. Will we see the dancing queen on the blog? 🙂

traci - I LOVE, LOVE,LOVE the first one with all the ribbons!!! I have a door at work I am responsible to decorate and I am going to steal that idea. LOVE them all though

Karol - Wow, absolutely beautiful layouts. So inspiring.

Julie K - Oh Megan! These are beautiful!!! I especially love the paper swirl page. That is unbelieveably creative and fun and just a feast of expression!! Love it.

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i’m outta here.

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i am off to play with my toys.
be back sunday night!
i am quite excited…to put it mildly.

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thanks craig for holding down the fort all alone.
you are the best.

Queenie Bee - Didja’ have FUN?! My hubby always thinks I’m really just having an affair on him when I go to scrapbooking events because I always come home with very few pages done! LOL!:-) I like talking and looking at other people’s work so much that I get very little done myself! It’s always tons of fun though…and come to think of it, I could probably use some of that kinda’ fun sometimes soon!

Crystal - hi Meg!!! I hope you had a great weekend…I am totally jealous of all of your fun supplies!!!

traci - hi meg – hope you had fun this past weekend. can’t wait to hear all about it.

Allikayes Mama - Oh! I am so glad I found your blog! You are oh so fun! I am bookmarking ya – so I’ll be back! Yay!

Jenny Pocknall - Please show what you created when you get back.
Hope you have a great time.

jessi nagy - have fun creating!!!
oxoxox,
jessi

Lee Ann - You weren’t kidding when you said you were going scrapbooking. A whole weekend! I hope you’ll show us some pictures when you come back…..of the fun and the pages! I’ll let you in on a little secret. I love copying your pages 🙂 Of course it’s “just inspiration”. Hope you don’t mind.

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big tease

that’s what this weather is.
it lets us think it’s time for

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stoller walks

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smoothies

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blowing bubbles

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new sidewalk chalk

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playing in the driveway

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barefoot (she later took her shirt off too)
we spent the afternoon outside playing.
talby and sean had a whole world drawn in chalk…
houses, horses, cars, spiders, and robots.

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i love sean’s robots.

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i do.
i really really do.

but i know better than to think this weather is here for good.
i remember the snow in april ’07 that killed all my acorns.
(i am hoping for that again…man i hate those acorns)
so we’ll just enjoy it while it’s here.

amy - Tag… you’re it. Check out my blog. Sorry. I only know a few people who blog… and I know you’ve got so much time on your hands, right?! 🙂

jeanetta - i have a whole chalk gallery in my driveway and carport. it has grwn so much that they have moved to the picnic table and the wooden playset. its chalk it washes right.

Brenis - Ditto here in Colorado! Even ditto on what the kids have been doing the last couple days. Only difference is i’m not a kodak mama, and didn’t get pics! LOL! Our driveway and sidewalk has been the only color in the neighborhood! haha!
I love the way children (and adults) embrace spring when it arrives! I swear it changes our metabolism, and our emotional well being just to be out in the gorgeous warmer air and sunshine! Enjoy it while it lasts!!!! 😀

hqm - There is nothing like that first day outside playing after being cooped up inside for months…it’s a promise of what is to come!

chris - I have given up on spring ever returning , time spent outside is quick quick quick , because it is still so cold, then our enormous snow banks finally melt we will be in for some soggy weeks I am sure,that will be fun with two dogs and 8 muddy feet .

cynthia - it’s been nice here (in atlanta)too and i’m hoping it stays!
enjoy!

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precious

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my little spot this morning before any kids were awake.
i read this…and decided to share.

From Ugly to Precious:
from Ephesians 2 8:-10

we’re irresistibly drawn to pretty things.
nice restaurants, elegant shopping malls, roomy homes
and sweet smelling happy, easy-to-know people.
we instinctively shun the unlovelies of life.
consequently, we have a terrible time understanding the grace of God.

God’s grace loves when there is nothing good even beneath an awful wrapper.
when layer upon layer is removed and all that appears is more ugliness,
God loves.
it’s not that we’re such precious darlings that he can’t resist loving us.
no, God loves us because he’s decided that we will be precious to him.
He sent his Son to die on the cross for our ugliness.
period.

it’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?
it’s even harder to accept.
we push and tug at ourselves, trying to earn his love and attention,
whe the fact is, whatever package we come in,
God loves us.
dressing ourselves up with good deeds, advanced degrees
and charitable attitudes doesn’t increase God’s love for us.
he simply reaches down into our torn, misshapen world
and makes people who are ugly,
precious.

*devotional from the Mom’s Devotional Bible.
*photo inspiration from crystal

eryn - ooooh. I like it! Thanks f or sharing!

Lee Ann - That’s really good. Thanks for sharing. If only we all loved the “ugly” the way God does…

cynthia - ooooh! I loved that!
so many times we forget this…about ourselves and about others.
thanks for the reminder!
and don’t you love those times alone before everyone wakes up? (i needed a reminder of that too!)

Lanny Stanard - Thanks Meg for sharing the word.
Thanks Lanny S

Crystal - that totally brought tears to my eyes. so beautifully put. 🙂

Crystal - that totally brought tears to my eyes. so beautifully put. 🙂

jodi - Wow, Megan. I so needed that today. I was so mad at my sister in law and that post really speaks to my heart. If God can look past my layers and love me anyway, I know he expects me to do that also.
Thanks for sharing that!
Jodi

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out and about

annie likes target almost as much as i do.

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and why wouldn’t she?
we picked out some candy…
grabbed a coffee…
and then looked through nearly every row.

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it’s good my husband said “don’t spend any money” before i went.
other wise i would’ve bought all of these.
surely my kids would eat much healthier if we had these, right?

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she was in a skittles mood this day…
usually she chooses mini m&m’s (in the pink case).
we also wanted this umbrella.
how happy would the next rain storm be carrying this?
especially if you’d had breakfast on a monkey plate!

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after target and a stop by daddy’s office
we swung by restoration hardware.
annie didn’t mind because she knew it meant the fountain.

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super shopper as always.
i really love our thursdays together.
ready for the warmer weather so we can do things besides shop.
i can’t imagine what the zoo is like with only one child.

Dawn - Thanks, Meg, for directing me to your Nov. 9 post. My husband has bought a lens from b&h as he is somewhat into photography. I’m just now getting the photography bug. 🙂

Linda - Oh Target!! I, too, don’t have one near me, but am going to Bangor, Me. this spring. You can be sure Target will be my first stop!!
Linda
xoxo

kristin - i have that umbrella. : )
but not those cute monkey plates.

meg duerksen - tiffany – i would love pink boots too! i want to get some cowboy boots…i don’t know why i didn’t this year.
chris – YOU DON”T HAVE TARGET?!! you poor poor girl.
were you saying you want some of MY pictures to frame for you? or you think i should frame some of my own pictures? i’d share my pictures with you if you wanted.
cynthia – i really didn’t buy any plates. i bought the coffee, cat food, jelly bellies and a box. that’s it. but i still want them.
gini and dawn- i told about my camera on november 9, 2007. it’s in the archives. i don’t have photo shop but our Mac. came with iPhoto and it has some editing tools. so i do edit almost every photo at least with the Sharpening tool and then i may add some color or brighten it up. i don’t use a flash and mess with the settings to get different light. i usually look at http://www.karenrussell.typepad.com for inspiration and questions.
jennifer p. – don’t move to kansas just yet…our restoration hardware is closing! 🙁 boo hooo. i was there to see if there were any deals. there were not. they are just sending it all to another store.
i am glad i make you all smile. that makes ME smile. thanks alot.
-meg

Liz - Your photos are gorgeous as always! Love the last one of Annie jumping. I’m glad you see you raise your daughters right… every woman should love Target. 🙂

Mrs. Fox - Annie reminds me so much of my younger sister when she was little. Makes me smile every time.

Dawn - What kind of camera do you have? Great pics, as always!

emily loria - I love Jelly Belly’s at Target. They are the secret reason I go there instead of Wal Mart. 😉

carissa - i can’t stand it… look at those monkey plates! they ARE fun! can i some how make a monkey fit into Easter? 🙂
so fun for their baskets!
yall had a really fun… bright day! woohoo
your posts ALWAYS make me smile!

Lanny Stanard - I LOVE TARGET TOO! Who doesn’t very cute pictures!
Lanny S.

Jennifer P. - we don’t have a fill your own bag candy aisle in our target! Nor do we have a REstoration Hardware anywherre but via our catalog. I’m feeling a need to move to Kansas!
Such cute photos! I’m sure Annie will always treasure your days together!

Gini - I am inspired to head to Target today – thank you. Do you ever write about your camera/photos? Do you photoshop them before you post? etc etc. The colors are AWESOME in all of your pictures!

cynthia - i must take my camera out more often!!
so tell us…how many monkey plates did you buy ? HA

chris - I can’t believe how mild it is where you are, the snow banks here are up to my eye balls , seriously, I am so craving spring, and sweaters .
I think it is really quite tragic that we don’t get to have Target here, I need to make a trip across the border it is such a hot spot.
Beautiful pictures as always.
It wouls be great to take some of your photos and frame them.

sara mincy - I love Target too!! Now I am inspired to take my camera next time I go! Great photos!!!

Tiffany - Those pink boots are the greatest, I want some!

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baby-sitter

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we got to baby-sit for london!
she had the chicken pox but we didn’t mind at all.
talby and annie were beyond excited all day.

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poor london was totally over-stimulated.
the girls were in her face every minute and she got pretty tired of it.
i don’t blame her.

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they kept saying “she’s crying mom!” if she whimpered a sound.
she did cry pretty hard as i got the other kids to bed.
she cried all through their prayers and teeth brushing.
i was saying “just pray louder.”
(i was holding her though…she wasn’t alone)
talby was so concerned.
“mom WHY is she crying?”
“she wants it quiet honey and this is not quiet.
i said “goodnight kids” and took her downstairs.
i turned on oprah and that little sweetie was asleep in 2 minutes.
don’t all babies fall asleep to oprah?
mine always did.
“finally some peace and quiet!” she had to be thinking.

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i held her for 3 hours.
and loved every minute.
anytime london needs to be exhausted jen…send her over!

Jenny Pocknall - She is gorgeous!

meg duerksen - melissa it’s funny you say that….
when craig was holding her it was very sweet but had a moment and looked him straight in the eye and said “i don’t want any more babies.” really the first time i knew FOR SURE that i am done. we can’t have anymore anyway but i don’t want anymore either. we were both happy with that comment.
peace.
of course it had nothing to do with london.
love her so much.
but i got to give her back at 11:30!

melissa @ the inspired room - Oh, a B A B Y! Don’t you just want another one???
Happy day!
Melissa

traci - both you and the baby look very content in the last shot. the girls must have loved every minute.

Jennifer P. - All the little chicken pox made me sad! Poor itchy baby :)! But so sweet and cute–and you got to hold her for THREE hours?!–Soooo jealous!

chris - I wish I had had someone just like you to trust my baby with , lucky family.

Mom - Did Lauren take these pictures? They are great. Glad you got your baby fix!

Jenn - It is so nice to leave your baby with a family and see how much she is loved while you are gone! Thank you sooo much for watching her and we really enjoyed our time alone at the concert. I am sure I will be asking again. Jenn

traci - What fantastic mommies they are going to be! How crazy for a little, tiny baby to have chicken pox! I have personally never seen that…the youngest I have seen is maybe a year.
Swaddle and hold a baby and walla…sleep, oh yes, and OPRAH..lol
LOVE YOUR BLOG

kristin - oh wow, this looks fun.
i bet annie was t.h.r.i.l.l.e.d.
did you know she keeps a baby and bottle and blanket with her all during circle time? she feeds and rocks that baby while participating in all we’re doing. sweet.

Linda - Holding a sleeping baby?
Heavenly…
Linda

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