Echo Park, Sassafras & Smash*

I was over at the Echo Park blog and found an awesome sketch. I had just purchased the Little Boy collection and thought this was a perfect opportunity to use it. The year on this layout is incorrect, I changed it to 2009 after I took the picture. Here is my take on the sketch:

I love how playful this line is. I do wish boy stuff didn't have to always be in primary colors...

Ahhh Sassafras Lass.... how I miss them so. Before they stopped manufacturing paper, I stocked up. Here is a layout I did, I used the challenge 19 sketch over at Lets Get Sketchy! and Sasafras line Sunshine Broadcast. This layout features my adorable (if I do say so myself) yorkie Shelby.  I also used Thickers and some letters from Making Memories on this layout.

Not only did I get a Smash*book for myself but I got one for Aidan. It seemed like the perfect place to record all the silly, funny things he says. Here is a two page spread I did about him loosing his first tooth and the Tooth Fairy. 

My classes for UA start in just over a month, so I have to get alot of scrappin done before then!

Birthday Layouts

I am not sure what came over me this morning. I guess I was craving birthday cake, I scrapped two layouts about birthdays. On both layouts I used MME Hip-Hooray line.

The first layout was inspired by the June sketch at Memory Works Blog.

Here Tamia is showing off her birthstone ring she got for her birthday.

For the last layout I used pics of Azure's 15th birthday. I was inspired by sketch #214 Creative Scrappers

The hubs and I are watching 21 Jump Street, can't beat some Channing Tatum!

School Days

I did two quick layouts tonight. I did school photo's but decided not to use school themed papers and such. On both lo's I used MME Lost & Found.

This first lo was inspired by the June sketch at My Creative Sketches. Here is my take on it.

The photo is of my son Dimitri on his first day at middle school this year.

For my second lo I did a picture of my daughter Azure from her sophomore year. This lo was inspired by the sketch #91 over at Sketch Savvy.

I did these two lo's super quick, I am not sure I have ever scrapped so fast. I am happy with how each lo turned out.

I caught a bug so I Smashed* it!

I am sure as a scrapper you have heard about K&Co Smash* books and all the awesome accessories. When I first heard of them I was a little skeptical, then I did some research looked at others peoples pages and realized how awesome this could be. I realized this was a way to use all those random pieces of stuff I save that I don't have anything to go with. I bought two books at first, one to record all the crazy things my Aidan says and another just for me.
Below is what I have Smash*ed so far.

Here is the cover. I used Sharpies to color it.

Here is my cover page. I found this adorable photo of Hello Kitty and new it was perfect!

Next I scrapped the Tiffany charm bracelet that my husband gave me for V-day. He was thoughtful enough to have a gift card with a sweet message included. I cut the top of the Tiffany box out and added it to the page.



 Here is a two page lo I did from my trip to south GA with my bestie. The "Yes" tab is part of the Smash* accessories. The hearts and XOXO is washi tape that I have had for probably 3 years!!



 Here is another two page lo from that trip.

Here is a two page lo with a pic of me and a couple of quotes I really like. The embellies on both these pages came from a left over page kit from Basic Grey's Olivia line.



This last two page lo was inspired by a challenge at Scrapping the Music. The challenge was to be inspired by Incubus song Drive, I love Incubus and this song is one of my favorite. I used papers from the October Afternoon Road Trip collection. The song also kind of inspired the left side. I saw this quote on pintrest.com and loved the pic of an RV that was with it. The RV on this page comes from Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy line.

 So there are my smash pages up to now. I have a several pages in mind to do, including one about my love for flair!! Do you Smash*? Share your pages!!

Create

Having bronchitis really brings down a girls creativity... I did manage to get a layout done with the sketch inspo from Creative Scrappers sketch #213.

Here is my take

I used Fancy Pants Summers End line with photos of my beach bums in Tybee Island. I really liked the colors in this line and the multi photo sketch.

One Page At A Time

I have been getting a page done here and there, because of lack of time. Aidan's baseball season has wrapped up and I expect Dimitri's to be over this week, that means much more time to devote to scrapping.

Here are some pages I have done in the past couple of weeks. I have been using sketches from Creative Scrappers.  This first lo is based on sketch #212. I used Echo Park's Everybody Love Christmas line.

This lo is based on sketch #211. I used Sassafras Lass Count Me In.



This last lo is of my wonderful Memaw, there is noone like her in the world!! I used sketch #210 as inspo for this one.

Stay tuned for more lo's and maybe a "bug" or two.....



Back from Hiatus

I have been scrapping whenever I had time since August, that hasn't been often. My classes are over until August and baseball will be over in a few weeks for the boys so hopefully I will get to scrap alot more.
Here is a lo I did of Dimitri playing baseball using sketch 208 from Creative Scrappers

Here are more of the lo's I have done lately.

Time's almost up

So I have been scrapping so much lately because my classes at U of A start in a mere 10 days. I am going full time, so I know that once the classes start I won't have time to scrapbook. This could possibly be the last lo reveal for a while...

Based on Sketch 10 over at Paper Secrets. This lo uses the Indie Girl collection from Sassafras. I love this collection!!!

The manu for the month at Paper Secrets is Basic Grey. I created this lo of my sister and her bf.

This lo was inspired by the sketch over at Creative Scrappers, sketch 169. I dug deep into my stash & came up with some SEI from years ago, Petals & Paisley.

This last lo, well I can't remember where the sketch is from... Sad isn't it?? I used items from the Paper Doll collection by Crate Paper. I titled it "Budding Fashionista" my niece is all about her accessories!! She is so cute!!

I hope to get a little more scrapping done before classes start.





Insert Clever Title Here

I have been at home for 3 days with a sick Aidan. It is very difficult to get much work done when he is around. I really hope he feels better soon.
I did a little scrapping this weekend.

This lo was inspired by sketch 77 over at Inspired Blueprints. Everything in this lo is from Sassafras Lass.

This lo was inspired by July 28 reveal at Sassy Lil' Sketches. This lo uses all Echo Park paper.

I had a really hard time with this last lo. Inspired by the sketch over at Sketchy Thursdays, 7.28. I knew what photos I wanted to use, it was the paper that I had a really hard time with. I am not thrilled with the lo. It is reather basic and is def. not my best work. I used an old Colorbok line for this one.

Creative Time

Creativity has struck lately.

Here is a lo I did of my Memaw and her two besties. The quote is from The Design X challenge. I used papers from the Basic Grey Lemonade line & the large flower is from MM Vintage Findings.

This lo was inspired by the sketch over at Sassy Lil' Sketches. The photo's are from last summer, swimming was just too much for these two. Papers & embellies are from Echo Park Summertime.

This final lo was inspired by a lo I found in the Big Book of Scrapbook Pages, I picked up this book at Hobby Lobby. I have found lots of inspo in this book!

On this lo I used papers from Sassafras Monstrosity line. I just love that paper line!!

Happy Birthday!

Today my sweet boy, Gavin, would be 4.

He loved to eat, he wanted to be eating all the time. His favorite food was bacon. When he said it there was this rise at the end, I guess that was his excitement over just the thought of it. Poptarts were a close second, you could usually find a wayward piece stuck in his curls. His favorite drink was “Da Pepper”, he would drink it give that sigh & say “Oh Da Pepper!” He carried his blanket with him everywhere. Every morning we danced with the Mickey Mouse Club to the Hot Dog dance. He would talk Azure to sleep & be her alarm clock in the morning. He loved playing babies & barbies with Tamia. “Burrnin it up” across the living room with Aidan was a daily ritual. Gavin was almost always happy, a twinkle in those big brown eyes, a smile on his sweet face & a bounce in his walk. He loved to sit with me & watch tv, while he sat in my lap I would touch that mess of curls & inhale his scent.

In celebration of him I wanted to share this slideshow.

I hope that his sweet smile will brighten your day. Always remember, today is a gift - make the most of it. Tell those you love, you love them, give some extra hugs today.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!! Momma loves you!!!

Paper Secrets

I came across this site, Paper Secrets, while I was searching for sketch & challenge sites. I loved the colors on their page, so I checked them out.

I easily found their challenge section, where there were lots of options! I started with the July sketch. Here is the sketch

I used papers from Girls Paperie & the Fleamarket collection from Colorbok. The quote says, "The best way to behave is to misbehave." Mae West. Here is my take on the sketch,

I liked this sketch!!

Got My Scrap On

I had a very scrappy weekend. It is funny how much I can get done when I am not focused on a trial.

This first layout I did Friday night. I used the sketch at Sketchy Thursdays as my inspiration.

This lo features my niece Sheila & myself at the Chattanooga Aquarium this April. The papers & embellies are from the Jack & Jill collection by MME. The only piece that is not from that collection is the banner piece on the left side, that is from Sass.

I love this photo of Dimitri. The "D" card is the only embellie I didn't print from online. I hand stitched on the baseball & the red sheet to the blue sheet. I was going for kind of a Field of Dreams, "If you dream it they will come" kind of feel. The very back ground paper is from Bo Bunny.

This next lo I created using the sketch at Creative Scrappers. I used the Abbey Road collection from MME. My sister's in-laws own a trucking company so my niece loves big trucks!!

I think I might have one more lo in me before the weekend is over. I have to get a new blade for my trimmer & replacement for my tape runner this week. Just my luck that the 40% off coupon was last week at Hobby Lobby. I gotta check & see what JoAnns has on sale & the coupons.





Marcia Clark Gives Insight

I have had a thought about what maybe the jury got hung up on. The problem was I couldn't figure out how to get my thought into understandable, followable words. Marcia Clark, the prosecutor in the OJ Simpson case, did it for me.

Marcia Clark wrote an article for The Daily Beast, here is the excerpt that I found closest to what I was thinking.
"

So it was a circumstantial case. Most cases are. But the circumstances were compelling. Maybe not sufficient to prove premeditated murder—and I never believed the jury would approve the death penalty—but certainly enough to find Casey Anthony guilty of manslaughter at the very least.

Why didn’t they? My guess, since I’m writing this before the inevitable juror cameos, is that the jury didn’t necessarily believe Casey was innocent but weren’t convinced enough of her guilt to bring in a conviction. The thinking goes something like this: Sure, Casey’s behavior after her daughter's death looks bad—dancing, partying, lying—but that doesn’t mean she killed the baby. Sure, that duct tape was weird, but that could’ve been done after the baby was already dead—no way to know who or when that tape was put on the baby’s face. Sure, the chloroform computer search seems damning, but that may not even have been done by Casey (her mom took the fall for that one).

And so, every bit of evidence presented by the prosecution could’ve been tinged with doubt. At the end of the day, the jury might have found that they just couldn’t convict her based on evidence that was reconcilable with an innocent explanation—even if the weight of logic favored the guilty one.

Jury instructions are so numerous and complex, it’s a wonder jurors ever wade through them. And so it should come as no surprise that they can sometimes get stuck along the way. The instruction on circumstantial evidence is confusing even to lawyers. And reasonable doubt? That’s the hardest, most elusive one of all. And I think it’s where even the most fair-minded jurors can get derailed.

How? By confusing reasonable doubt with a reason to doubt. Some believe that thinking was in play in the Simpson case. After the verdict was read in the Simpson case, as the jury was leaving, one of them, I was later told, said: “We think he probably did it. We just didn’t think they proved it beyond a reasonable doubt.” In every case, a defense attorney will do his or her best to give the jury a reason to doubt. "Some other dude did it," or "some other dude threatened him." But those reasons don’t necessarily equate with a reasonable doubt. A reason does not equal reasonable. Sometimes, that distinction can get lost."

Reason to doubt is not the same as reasonable doubt. This, to me, is the best explanation of what happened with the Casey Anthony jury. Then I started looking at those all important jury instructions.

The jury instructions was 26 pages long. That is a huge amount of instructions, don't forget that JP pretty much read these instructions to the jury. I know that understanding the directions is a huge deal, but listening to an hour of lawyer speak.... well I would have tuned out after 15 min. You can read the jury instructions here. I read the instructions as to how to convict on each count. Let me tell you, had I been a juror I would have had to sit down with the instructions and rewrite them in plain English!!

So here is what I came up with:

First, you must decide if Casey Anthony killed Caylee Anthony. If yes, then you proceed through the counts. If no, you move out of the homicide & murder categories. Without the belief that Casey killed Caylee you can not consider Felony Murder.

We know that the jury did not believe that Casey killed Caylee.
So now we move to Aggravated Child Abuse
"To prove the crime of Aggravated Child Abuse, the State must prove the following two elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Casey Anthony knowingly or willfully committed child abuse upon Caylee Anthony and in so doing caused great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.
2. Caylee Anthony was under the age of 18

Child abuse means the intentional infliction of physical or mental injury upon a child or an intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child."

In reading this as defined by the courts Casey was not proven guilty. At no point did the state prove that Casey caused intentional infliction of physical or mental injury or that Casey did some act knowing it could injury. Did Casey use the chloroform? Did she put that duct tape on Caylee's mouth & nose? I believe she did. In order for the jury to have found Casey guilty of Aggravated Child Abuse they would have had to believe Casey placed the tape over Caylee's face or that Casey used chloroform on Caylee based upon the evidence.

The key line in the entire instruction is this one--
"It is to the evidence introduced in this trial, and to it alone, that you are to look for that proof."
That sentence means you have to take out how YOU feel, what your GUT instinct is & look only at the evidence.

When I take a step back, remove my emotions this is what I see.
Most probable cause of Caylee's death ---duct tape over nose & mouth
Said duct tape is linked to the Anthony home but not linked directly to Casey
Items Caylee was "buried" in --- linked to Anthony home but not directly to Casey
Heart Sticker --- similar stickers were found in Casey's belongings but not the EXACT one
Decomp in the car-- I felt this was proven, but without a link from Casey to Caylee's remains it doesn't matter.

So, now that I have had days to calm down & I have looked at the instructions the jury had, they made the only decision they could.

Do I agree with it, hell no.
Would I have held out in 11-1, you bet your sweet behind.
Did Casey kill Caylee so she could live that "Beautiful Life", those photos of her partying proved that. Did Cindy most likely know from at least August where Caylee was, yep.
Should Cindy face perjury charges, without a doubt.
Will I continue to boycott the Anthony family & anything that will make them $$$ from Caylee's death, you can count on it.
The evidence did prove that Caylee was murdered & Casey had help in the cover up.

What this says to our children is that if you lie & hold tight to that lie, get everyone to lie along with you, you will not face any consequences.

The biggest problem in this case was that Caylee's body wasn't found until there was absolutely no soft tissue left. Without that soft tissue key evidence could not be recovered, key questions could not be answered, thus on July 17 Casey Anthony will go free.
I urge you to continue in the boycott of all things that will bring the family $$$ from Caylee's death.

Not reporting Caylee missing does not fall under child abuse, thus we must support Caylee's law.

Justice for Caylee.

As always this blog expresses my own personal opinion. I have no intent to misrepresent facts of this case. What is contained here is not intended to be slanderous or malicious.

Hide Yo Kids

Casey Anthony received her sentence today for the 4 counts she was found guilty on.

When she came into the courtroom today her hair was loose & flowing. Her spirits were high, it was obvious, as she flipped her hair & batted her eyes at Baez. I nearly barfed.
Her face changed quickly when JP gave her the maximum sentence & she realized she would be spending more nights in jail. JP also gave her the highest fine possible, $1,000 per charge, plus court costs.
With time served Casey will be released on July 17 (date was changed late 7/7), her total fines are $4, 618. She will begin making payments Feb. 15, 2012 (my birthday) at the rate of $20 a month!!!

All reports say that Cindy, George nor Lee have had contact with Casey since the not guilty verdict came down. Through their lawyer they did make a statement saying Casey's defense was baseless. They also stated they had hoped to get some kind of information as to what really happened through the trial, that didn't happen.

Tim Miller, the founder of Equusearch is considering filing a suit against the Anthony's. Quoted from click2houston.com
""We ended up and spent a little over $112,000 on this search," Miller said.

He also said he went to Orlando because Caylee's grandmother, Cindy Anthony, called him and asked him to come.

"Basically crying and saying, 'Can you help find my granddaughter?'" Miller said.

Miller said he was shocked to hear Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, tell the jury that the toddler was never missing. During opening statements of the murder trial against Casey Anthony, Baez said that Caylee drowned in the family's back yard swimming pool.

"Why in the world did you call us on a girl that was not missing?" said Miller. "So, we were misled. We were lied to, and right now, we are certainly looking at all of our options to possibly file a lawsuit."

Texas EquuSearch relies on donations. Miller said he owes it to his donors to try and get that money back.

"I think it is only fair that we try to recoup that money," Miller said.

Miller said he is talking with his attorney to discuss his options and said if he does file a lawsuit, it will happen soon. "

The state of Fl also filed papers to have Casey Anthony pay the costs of the investigation & her prosecution. Which is only fair, being as she now says she knew Caylee was dead the entire time. The next court date on this matter is set for late August with JP.

I urge all of you that are unhappy with this miscarriage of justice, to boycott anything that will have Casey Anthony benefiting from Caylee's death. #1 ABC, not only did they pay a juror to speak also Baez. This Facebook page details what companies are paying for information.
Also go here & add your signature for Caylee's Law. This law would make it illegal to not report a child missing within a specific amount of time. One would think that child neglect would cover this, but as we have seen in the verdict it does not.

No more nightly posts surrounding this evil woman. I will continue to pass on interesting pieces of information & articles.

Failure of Common Sense

As is most others, I am still trying to wrap my mind around this verdict.

Details that I have learned today:

Juror #3 spoke to ABC. Here are portions of the article from abc.com
Jennifer Ford, or juror No. 3, says the jurors were "sick to their stomachs" after voting to not convict Anthony in connection with the death of her daughter.

Ford, a 32-year-old nursing student, told ABC News in an exclusive interview that she didn't think there was enough evidence to convict Anthony.

"I did not say she was innocent," Ford told ABC. "I just said there was not enough evidence. If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be."
The jury's jaw dropping not guilty verdict shocked court observers, but it was also a difficult moment for the panel, Ford said in an exclusive interview with ABC News. No one from the jury was willing to come out and talk to the media in the hours after the verdict.

"Everyone wonders why we didn't speak to the media right away," Ford said. "It was because we were sick to our stomach to get that verdict. We were crying and not just the women. It was emotional and we weren't ready. We wanted to do it with integrity and not contribute to the sensationalism of the trial."

Instead of murder, Casey Anthony, 25, was found guilty of four counts of lying to law enforcement and could be released from jail as early as Thursday.

Ford praised the jurors.

"They picked a great bunch of people, such high integrity. And there was high morale," she said. "We all joked. We are like a big group of cousins."

Casey Anthony Prosecutor: 'All Came Down to Cause of Death'

Earlier today, the prosecutor and an alternate juror agreed on why the jury had refused to convict Anthony: They couldn't prove how little Caylee Anthony died.

"It all came down to the evidence," said Florida state attorney Jeff Ashton on "The View." "I think ultimately it all came down to -- at least from what the one alternate said -- it came down to the cause of death."

Prosecution was hampered by the fact that Caylee Anthony's body wasn't discovered until six months after she disappeared. She was found lying in a swampy, wooded area. Her body was so badly decomposed that the autopsy could not determine a cause of death and stated only that she was a victim of homicide by undetermined means.

"I don't think it was the lack of DNA" connecting Casey Anthony to her daughter's death that undermined the case, Ashton said. "It was the cause of death."

Ashton said that he and his team felt they put on a good case.

"We were pretty shocked" at the verdict, he said. "We put on everything that an investigation, a really thorough investigation over three years, produced. That's the way it goes. I think I mouthed 'Wow' five times."

One of the most powerful pieces of evidence, he said, was the photo of Caylee's decomposed skull with the pieces of duct tape where her mouth and nose would have been.

"What I've said all along is if a jury looks at that photograph and doesn't see it the way I do and doesn't know how she died, then so be it," Ashton said. "I wouldn't have been involved in this case if I didn't think she did it."

I have also read that the "escape plan" is for Casey to go home with Mason & his wife.

I can not understand how if you knew/felt that she was guilty you would find her not guilty. Why not be a hung jury? Did they not think about that a not guilty verdict means that there could be no retrial?
A lack of cause of death?!?! Based upon the evidence it was obviously either chloroform or suffocation by duct tape.

I am listening to this juror speak & it is almost as if they did not feel they could choose anything but death. I can't help but cry. This juror seems so detached.

LDB said her greatest fear was the jury not using their common sense. That is exactly what happened. This juror just stated, don't be mad at the jurors, be mad at the prosecution for not doing their job.
A + B = C

Skull + Duct tape over mouth = murder

A Voice Silenced

As I sit here, more than 7 hours after the verdict was read, I am still stunned. I could not imagine that the jury would find Casey not guilty on all counts that had anything to do with Caylee. It is difficult to even put my emotions into words.

It seems our technologically advanced, CSI loving society needs DNA evidence or a video of the defendant clearly committing the crime in order to convict. Very few crimes are this black & white. Most often it requires taking pieces of the puzzle, the evidence, & putting them together to reach a full picture. Is the lack of a cause of death a missing piece? Yes it is, but it does not obstruct the vision of Casey Anthony's face. Millions, like me saw this same picture, yet 12 people saw something totally different.

An alternate juror did a phone interview with cnn, he said that the prosecution did not prove their case, that the biggest question was not answered, how did Caylee die. He said he did not believe that Caylee's body had ever been in the trunk. He stated that it was a horrible accident. My question is this, If it were an accident why did Casey not admit that when she was given the opportunity? Why did Cindy & George & even Casey, when she was not in jail, hunt for Caylee, use all of these resources, post flyer's? In the 3 years since Caylee disappeared why would you not stop the craziness & admit that it was an accident?
Believing that this was an accident that "snowballed" out of control, makes Cindy & George as responsible as Casey. How disgusting, twisted do you have to be to place your loved one in garbage bags & throw them into a swap blocks from your home? Did they think of her there submerged in water for months, decomposing? Did they realize that animals would chew on her bones? That does not show love.
Grief or no grief, sexual abuse or not, Casey's actions between June 16  & July 15, when she was practically dragged from her boyfriends home by her mother, are not those of a loving, devoted, caring mother.
I fear the message this is sending is that it is ok to lie, lie lie. In the face of exposure of your lie, divert attention. Having no respect or regard for human life is ok. It is ok to say whatever necessary in order to confuse your questioner.
Jose Baez will now be regarded as an excellent defense lawyer. I shudder to think that someone who appeared so incompetent could be used as an example to look up to.

Will Casey go home to George & Cindy when she is released? The defense says they have an "escape plan". Bet Casey thinks she is going to live with Baez. How long before Baez leaves his wife? Or before Casey threatens or harms Mrs. Baez? Casey takes out whatever obstacle is in the way of what she wants, & a jury of her peers have told her that is acceptable.
This is not the last we will see of Casey, a leopard can not change its spots. Casey will be back in court one day.

Did the jury notice that the tears Casey shed today were MUCH different than the ones she "shed" during the trial? As they got on that bus, refusing to speak to the media, returning to their homes in another county, did they begin to rethink their decision? Could they have just been tired of being sequestered & did the quickest thing that would get them home?

I do not feel justice has been done for Caylee. Caylee's father is unknown, there will be no civil case as there was with OJ. Without a doubt Casey will now profit from the death of a beautiful little girl whose voice has been silenced forever, in more ways than one.

Dear Caylee,
I know that you are in Heaven & I hope that what is happening here on earth is meaningless to you. Yet I can't help but express how sorry I am justice was not achieved for you today. It is my hope that you joined Jesus in the most peaceful, fearless, painless manner possible. Your pretty face & big brown eyes have captured the hearts of millions. Your memory will live on in the hearts of them all. Give Gavin a hug & tell him mommy loves him, his mommy loves you too sweet girl.

No matter what I think or feel, there is a higher court that will judge Casey Anthony.


I had planned to tell you about a letter LDB received regarding Casey inquiring on ways to kill, poisons to use, how to dump a body and even how to find someone to commit murder. At this point it just doesn't matter.

As always this blog expresses my own personal opinion. I have no intent to misrepresent facts of this case. What is contained here is not intended to be slanderous or malicious.

"A lie told conviencingly - is still a lie." LDB

Hello all, I forgot to ask you about heeding my admonitions yesterday. It was late, please forgive me.

Ashton's closing arguments yesterday were movie worthy, I was not sure that anyone would be able to do as well as he did. Then LDB spoke on the rebuttal today. I am not going to summarize all that she talked about, if you have not seen it, it is defiantly worth watching. I am going to mention points that stood out to me. First, I loved how she began. The football analogy was perfect, I think this also clued the jury in that the defense was the reason for all those extra long breaks. She strategically pointed out that in her opening statement she did not make any promises that the state did not deliver upon. Without using the word "slut" she pointed out all the other derogatory terms the defense used & how they were too busy placing blame & name calling to seek the truth. I read on some other blogs that some felt that LDB was choppy in her speaking, I don't think that at all. Her pauses were to let what she had just said sink in with the jury. Despite Baez multiple objections she did not allow him to get her off track, she never even acknowledged him. The playing of the video's & audio drove home how flippant Casey Anthony has been since July 15. Not only did she advise the jury to step back & look at "the big picture" she brought the entire thing into focus with one question, "Whose life was better without Caylee" The final thought she left with the jury, "The only question you need to answer considering why Caylee Marie Anthony was left on the side of the road dead," she then showed a split screen photo with Casey partying on one side & a close up of the "Bella Vita" tattoo on the other & simply said, "There is your answer."  I hope she felt the applause & standing ovation so many were giving.

The jury deliberated for almost 6 hours today, I did think they would possibly come back with a verdict before the day was over. My money is on tomorrow, though. I would bet by tomorrow mid/late afternoon there is a verdict. The prosecution did such an amazing job presenting the evidence & reasons for Casey's guilt the decision won't take long. I did learn that the jury verdict form is 9 pages long, each page has to be answered as to the charges. Those 9 pages will take some time. Also consider that jurors took very very few notes during the closing arguments, this indicates most have already made up their mind.

I found that the transcript from a side bar on June 24 had been attained by the media. I learned several things from this, remember we can not hear what is being said during the sidebars, here are the key items:
Baez wanted to get in an additional picture of Casey pregnant, but while Cindy was on the stand Baez did not question her about concealing the pregnancy, so there was no predicate for the photo. JP also tells Baez & Mason during the discussion about the picture, that it is not his job to tell them how to get things into evidence. This inability to get things into evidence is the exact reason they could not discuss any sexual abuse in their (defense) closing.
Baez also wanted to put up several of Cindy's coworkers, having them testify that the pregnancy was concealed until Casey was 7 months pregnant. This of course is heresay, so not admissible. JP again has to inform the (ignorant) defense that they have not tied the concealment of the pregnancy into their defense. At this point JP asks Baez just what their theory of defense is. Baez states, “The theory of defense is that this was an accident that was covered up and that the behavior of the defendant is consistent with, of course , she reacted that way, acted that way, for various reasons, family dysfunction, her abuse, and she --- this is a family that’s used to covering things up, like the pregnancy. And, in addition to that, the defendant did – it was an issue where, um, you have …    All that was done during the defense’s ---- I mean, the State’s first two weeks we’re talking about her behavior, and why would a guilt ---you know, why would an innocent person act in that manner, this is inconsistent with innocence and only consistent with guilt. That’s allegedly what their –what their consciousness of guilt argument has been."
LDB, at this point, points out that by bringing up the family dysfunction that opens the door to Casey's criminal activity. Mason grunts an agreement. LDB says, "There's hundreds of checks, that she wrote on her mother's account. Hundreds" How does Baez respond, "It's her mother" as if that is supposed to make it ok.... Bozo does seem to be a more proper name for Baez.

I then read an article that was disturbing. The EquuSearch leaders say they always knew they were close to finding Caylee's remains. EquuSearch received a tip from a man working with the Anthony's PI that they should search that specific area off Suburban Dr. That tipster turned out to be Hoover - who a week later shot that video shown in court of DC searching off Suburban Dr & at the abandoned house. EquuSearch was never able to search that area because parts of it were always under water.
--So, this makes me think that Cindy also perjured herself regarding asking DC to investigate that specific area.  More to say on that in a minute.

During the time Casey was bonded out of jail, this had to be in August between 21-30, an EquuSearch leader was at the Anthony home sitting around a table with George & Casey. Holding a map of the area, George presses Casey, "Where do they need to start searching? Would you make a spot on the map? Would you make an X?" At this point Cindy becomes very angry & Casey gets up & goes to her room.
Why does Cindy get so angry? Why would she not want Casey to tell them where to search? Remember up until the remains were found they contended that Caylee was alive. Could Casey have told Cindy at this time what she had done? Did Cindy not want the body to be found because she knew it would not have been fully decomposed? Did she know that there would still be evidence to be found? Hoover calls EquuSearch & tells them where to search & then a week later goes to the same location & records video of DC searching.... Did Cindy tell them to go there & to take the video? This way Baez would be able to say, "Look these guys were out there at the end of Nov. & they didn't find a body so it could not have been there."
Could Cindy's intuition have told her Casey was involved from the time they picked up the car that smelled "like a dead body's been in there"? Remember Cindy cleaned the car, left those dryer sheets & washed all the clothes she found in the car. Could Cindy have not told George what she thought, b/c she knew he would be unable to stand up under the intense scrutiny? Could all that weeping in court when the 911 call was placed be about the guilt Cindy feels for not protecting Caylee from Casey???

There's is your food for thought today.

Tomorrow I have a read doozie to tell you about that you did not learn during court.
I also hope to have a (guilty) verdict to discuss.

Please remember all of my previous admonitions regarding this blog and what I post here. This is a personal blog, I am expressing my personal opinion. I have no intent of misrepresenting the facts of the case. What is contained here are not meant, nor intended to be slanderous. Please remember these admonitions regarding the content you find on my blog.

Weave Me a Tale

At the start of court today it was obvious that JP was in no mood to deal with any bs today. Baez must not have gotten that memo.... Back about June 24 or so JP had Baez redefine what the theory of defense was. Baez again said it was accidental drowning & sexual abuse. At that time JP warned him that there had not been any evidence presented to show that the defendant had been sexually abused. Therefor Baez could not bring up any sexual abuse in his closing. I enjoyed that JP pointed out that no one asked Lee about the abuse... Course Baez didn't think that was important.

Ashton's closing was movie worthy. I sat on my couch entranced by Ashton, I hung on every word. I can only imagine that it was even more dramatic to be in court. Ashton took all these pieces of the evidence puzzle & put them together showing a clear picture of Casey Anthony. As Ashton began assembling these pieces you began to see how Casey Anthony's mind worked. You began to understand the how & why Casey created all these lies. Ashton didn't repeat over & over that Caylee was dead. After about every three pieces where together, Ashton would gently remind that Caylee was in the trunk decomposing, or in the swamp thrown like garbage. Amazingly Ashton was able to do all this without making you think he detested Casey. He "complimented" her on her quick thinking and agility to change the story as a lie was exposed. Ashton points out Casey changed her password to "timer55", & explains why. Ashton says this was the amount of time that Casey knew she would have from the disappearance to Caylee's birthday. Casey knew that on Caylee's birthday she would no longer be able to put off Cindy. Upon hearing her web of lies laid out, as she thought only she could understand, Casey began to "cry". As Ashton continues & Casey realizes that she has been figured out, Casey mutters something to Dorothy Sims beside her. I quickly saw that she called Ashton a son of a _____. Two pieces of Ashton's closing really resonated with me & were difficult to forget. Ashton quotes Dr. G, that there is NO reason to put duct tape on a child's mouth, dead or alive, and when he explains the reason for Caylee's death, "She died because her mother decided the life she wanted was more important than the life of her child."

After Ashton's closing a "short" break is taken. It didn't end up being so short.... When court started this morning, I turned to my husband & said "Baez is going to try to pull some shiz." Sure enough... As the defense begins putting up their props both Ashton & LDB notice some issues. LDB notices this giant poster Baez has, at the top it says "Imaginary Friends" around in a circle is faceless people with descriptions & in the middle is a smiling Casey. So what's the problem? The smiling Casey in the photo is 15!!! A good 6 or 7 years younger than Casey was when she committed the crime. Of course Baez tried to play it off, but JP saw right through it. Baez had to cover up the photo, he went with plain white copy paper. If I had been on the jury I would have immediately noticed this, & would have known that he tried to pull something. How totally unprofessional to present something to the jury that is unprofessional. I am sure the jury noticed, knew that this was probably the reason their "short" break went so long. It seemed like Baez spent a good 5 min. telling the jury what he was going to do... don't talk about it--be about it. I have to honestly say I didn't pay super close attention to what Baez said. Why.... well he rambles, looses his place, his verb tense changes through out. The overall lack of preparation disgusts me & lessens his credibility.

I missed Ashton laughing... I can't say I am surprised he got caught... I had noticed him doing this all through the trial. At the same time, it is difficult to keep a straight face when Beaz is saying such ridiculous things. Thankfully I totally missed all the ridiculousness that Mason had to say. I did feel like Baez & Mason both treated the jury like stupid children. Repeating the same instructions over & over. When someone repeats the same thing over & over, telling me I shouldn't pay any attention to it, that is a red flag to me that I better give that thing a more detailed look.

So the defense uses almost the total 4 hours they were allotted. The jury had to begin tuning them out at some point. I actually think this works out very well for the prosecution. Tomorrow the jury will come back, ready... ready to hear prosecutions rebuttal & ready to deliberate. It was mentioned on twitter several times today that the jurors were not taking notes, what does this mean? Have they made up their mind? Did they feel like the had a total picture & didn't need any additional notes.....

I am looking forward to tomorrow.

How'd you get that way?

Hello readers, did you heed my previous admonitions?

Casey & her lies.... It seems we don't know much of what Casey was like as a young child. The picture I have of her (in my mind) starts around 17. From what I have read Casey was a good student, had pretty good grades until her senior year. Casey never graduated high school, even though she was only a few credits short. This indicates that something serious happened during that time. Next I see the photo of, a very obviously pregnant, Casey at her uncle's wedding. Yet we know from court that Casey did not tell her parents she was pregnant until her 8th month, shortly before Caylee was born. Also, the Anthony's pretended not to see her basketball belly. Why did Casey keep it a secret? Why did Cindy & George turn a blind eye? Poor Lee tried to ask about it & testified that he was quickly told to drop it. This indicates to me that the Anthony family as a whole did not address things that were.... unpleasant. Cindy & George both testified that when they did learn Casey was pregnant they were excited. Hit the BS button ladies & gentleman!! What parent is "excited" when their 17/18 yo child is pregnant with no father in sight? Oh & what about the father? Dorothy Sims said that Casey was never asked who the father was until AFTER Casey was born. Now, lets think about that one for a minute. Lets say your single friend says to you, "I am pregnant." You know your friend hasn't had a steady boyfriend, what is the first thing that comes to your mind???? "Who is the daddy?" Seems George & Cindy didn't want to know. Ignoring something you know is there is the same as lies of omission. Are you beginning to see a trend here? So Caylee is born & everyone is so happy. Well you can't look at that adorable little face & not fall in love & be happy. From what I have pieced together Casey continued to live at home & Cindy & George provided for all of Caylee's needs. This can't have gone over well. Even being so happy to have Caylee, you know they were not happy that Casey was not paying for anything. That is one of the nagging questions I have, how did it go unnoticed that Casey didn't have any money? Perhaps it was because she was stealing it... writing checks off of Cindy's account, stealing Cindy's credit cards, writing checks off of her friends accounts & even her grandparents. Cindy knew about this, she even told the police on that July night that she wanted to press charges against Casey. I bet that Casey had done this several times in the past & the Anthony's took care of it. Reinforcing to Casey that lying is ok. I don't think that the jury heard about Cindy & Casey getting into a physical altercation on June 15, 2008. Allegedly Cindy found out that Casey had stolen money from Cindy's fathers account & upon confronting Casey things got physical to the point that Cindy began choking Casey. Lee broke up this fight. The next day is the last time Caylee was seen alive.

I think what is so surprising about Casey is how detailed her lies were & how she just kept going & going. In her early statement to police she gives her version of what happened on June 16. Here is a portion of that statement.
I got off of work, left Universal driving back to pick up Caylee like a normal day.
And I show up to the apartment knock on door nobody answers. So, I call Zeniada cell
phone and it’s out of service. It says the phone is no longer in service, excuse me.
So, I sit down on the steps and wait for a little bit to see if maybe it was just a
fluke if something happened and time passed and I didn’t hear from anyone. No one
showed up to the house so I went over to J. Blanchard Park and checked a couple of
other places where maybe possibly they would have gone; couple stores, just regular
places that I know Zenida shops at and she’s taken Caylee before. And after about
7:00 when I still hadn’t heard anything I was getting pretty upset, pretty frantic
and I went to a neutral place. I didn’t really want to come home. I wasn’t sure what
I would say about not knowing where Caylee was still hoping that I would get a call
or you know find out that Caylee was coming back so that I could go get her. And I
ended up going to my boyfriend Anthony’s house who lives in Sutton Place


First of all it seems she doesn't start at the beginning of her day, she starts at "I got off work, left Universal.." Note the added detail, she could have just said "I got off work & went to get Caylee." Liars LOVE detail. It makes their stories sound so much better, notice all the extra details.
Caylee's remains were found Baez maintained that Caylee was alive. Yet now, he claims she was never "missing", that she drowned on June 16. There have been numerous times when Baez has forgotten the previous lie he told, stepped all over it & showed everyone he is a poor liar. Casey defiantly did not give him any tips on how to be believable. Has Baez known from the beginning that Caylee is dead? Does he know what truly happened to her? Maybe & no. I don't think Casey even knows the truth anymore. When you continue with one lie & repeat that one part over & over even the liar begins to believe it is true.

Now for the pet burials....  Even when you lie some portion of that language you use comes from somewhere. What Baez hoped these burial descriptions would show to the jury was that George disposed of Caylee in the same way that he disposed of family pets. Instead, Baez caused a light bulb to go off, & several things became clear. We & the jury now see why Caylee was wrapped in such a manner. Casey wrapped Caylee similar to the way she had seen her parents wrap deceased pets. "What was the point of the shovel?" "Why did the cadaver dog hit on that one spot in the back yard?" Both of those questions now have answers. Just as her parents had done with family pets, Casey was going to bury Caylee in the back yard. Either she decided that was too much work or the change in the dirt would have been too easily noticed. Casey's jail house statement "in my heart, I know she is close" & "look close" are now understood. Where did "Zainda Gonzalez" come from, is now understood, Casey saw the name in Sawgrass apartment records.

Casey Anthony is no brilliant liar, only a liar whose lies had never been challenged. Casey thinks only of herself, feels no true emotions & has no empathy for others. I do wonder, why did she "cry" during Lee's "emotional" testimony, yet when George broke down she was stone faced. Could she not force out the fake tears that day?

Tomorrow is the closing arguments. I hope that I get to watch them completely, if not I will watch them on youtube. It should be interesting to see how Baez will follow up his opening statements that have not been proved. Tomorrow I will also tell you my guess on how long deliberation will take.

Never fear, I have LOTS of stuff left to say about Casey, the Anthony's & this trial.

Please remember all of my previous admonitions regarding this blog and what I post here. This is a personal blog, I am expressing my personal opinion. I have no intent of misrepresenting the facts of the case. What is contained here are not meant, nor intended to be slanderous. Please remember these admonitions regarding the content you find on my blog.