Like a Lemon to a Lime and Lime to a Lemon

friday at oa!

2012-02-17T05:00:00.002-08:00

it's time for another friday guest post over at october afternoon. how is it the THIRD friday in february already?! eek! today, i thought i'd give you a little sneak of what is up over on the blog at october afternoon.

and... share the layouts i've made for them already this month! (there are close ups of these on their blog) These are from the first post

and last week:

Whip it up

2012-02-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

This week I had "Whip it up" at the Pebbles Blog. I made a layout and a card. For more details, please hop on over to the Pebbles blog and peep it out - along with a project from Aphra. :)

Project Life Weeks 1-5

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

i promised my friend randi at scrap again that i would post regularly about my project life. so, i figured i may as well share it here, as well. if you want a little more detail about each week, head over to the blog at scrap again to check it out. here goes:

week one:

week 2:

week 3:

week 4:

week 5:

love is in the air.

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

the theme this week on the pebbles blog is "love is in the air." i made this layout for the blog. hop on over to pebbles for the details and to see the other girls' work!

guesting for october afternoon!!!!!!

2012-02-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

EEEEK! i have to be honest. i am BEYOND excited to be the guest at October Afternoon this february. i think i have bought every collection they have made. i do love me some OA! each friday this month, i will have a post up over on their blog; so, be sure to peep them out each week. for this week, i made a couple of layouts. i'll give ya a little peek here. pop on over there to see the whole shebang. (also you can read a q & a - where it is revealed what a true dork i am!) i am so looking forward to sharing with you all this month!!!!
M

inspired by....

2012-02-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

i have to admit to being one of the worst bloggers ever! i'm just not on the computer often. it was even more so that way last week due to me & all 3 kids being sick! last week i was assigned "inspired by" on the pebbles inc blog. here is what i came up with. ( for more details and to check out what anna sigga did, as well, click on over to the pebbles blog)

Inspired by this:

and this cute little wall hanging

inspired by this:

a little bit of this & that

2012-01-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

i don't know about you guys, but it seems like 2012 is filling up already! i suppose that is what happens when you have kiddos. i failed miserably at my resolutions last year. but, i will try again this year. so far, the only one on the "list" that hasn't been accomplished daily is running. i tried the other day & it left me with stabbing sinus pain. hoping once i get my allergy medication in my system, it will go better. there is always next week, right? lol.

i thought maybe i'd share the tiny bit of craftiness i've been up to so far this year. :)

i made this layout (you know, so i can remember next year what i planned to do & then failed at. HA! or i can say i did it all. maybe this year is the year. :) )

this layout was the last of the 145 i made in 2011. that has to be a personal record for me! ha! i'm happy with the result. and i had been looking for a reason to use that iphone pic forever. (insert kid from "sandlot" saying, "foooreeeevvver" here. ha!)

i did a couple of crafty projects already. i saw a coffee filter wreath tutorial posted online (HERE) and thought it looked pretty. so, i made one! it was easy, but took much long than the tutorial said it would... just FYI incase you want to make one too! :)

this is an iphone pic because i am far too lazy to get the real camera out & hook it up to the computer to get the pic for the blog. i'll own my laziness. lol.

and.... i made my project life 2012 title page. it's far fancier than last year title page. lol. i think i like it. used a lot of cameo cuts & october afternoon farmhouse product. i don't think i will regularly posting my PL weekly pages. it's probably not going to be that interesting to anyone other than myself and family. but, i will occasionally be posting about it over at the scrap again blog. so..... without further ado...

this is probably my favorite cut from the silhouette on this layout. (above) absolutely love it. i used the sunburst circle & the life happening circle (from loni stevens. i downloaded a TON of hers!)

and not crafty in the least - but i can't wait to scrap these pics i took last weekend. i didn't take my real camera... just the iphone. i don't know what in the heck i was thinking. i want to go back. like. now. and take pics again!

Pebbles Free For All

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week my assignment at Pebbles was "Free for All." Do whatever I want? Sure! ;) I've had this layout about our Elf on the Shelf Buddy floating around in my head for awhile now. I wanted to do something with all those Instagram pics I took of him in December... Because there were so many photos, I spread the layout out to a double pager and kept the design simple. I primarily used the Welcome Christmas line, but incorporated a little bit of Fresh Goods & With Love, as well. Be sure to pop on over to Pebbles and check out what Jill Cornell did as well! :)

Make It Sunday

2012-01-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

at Elle's Studio! Elle asked if I would participate in Make It Sunday on the Elle's Studio blog. I made this layout. To get the detailed instructions and enter for a chance to win the Elle's Studio products I used, pop on over to the Elle's Studio blog and leave a comment! :)

december scrap again layouts

2011-12-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

for my layouts for scrap again this month, i did some christmas themed layouts. i am a terrible holiday scrapper, but i went for it & did a couple of super simple layouts. if you haven't signed up for the january crop, now is the time! i can't wait to go & get my scrap on. we always have such a good time.

incase you haven't noticed... i currently have an obsession with these letter stickers from basic grey... i really wish they would make lots & lots of colors in this font!

crate paper projects

2011-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

today, i thought i would share the projects i made for the crate paper blog post last week. warning: SUPER photo heavy post ahead! i LOVE crate paper. they have long been a favorite. i, honestly, had to stop myself from making more & more! didn't want to overwhelm everyone! lol.

i had so much fun making this little album. i thought it would be a fun way to document what was on the kiddos' wish list for christmas this year!

i made this little card in a flash using the random chipboard pieces and the 6x6 paper pad

i love this layout. i used the random collection. that herringbone/ chevron (not sure which it is) print is seriously a FAVORITE of mine! LOVE it! but, i felt like it was too busy; so, i cut it & separated it and added a little stitch down the side.

i made this layout about the christmas tree farm where we cut our tree. we do LOVE that place. i love the instagram pics i took there too. those square photos make great grid layouts! ;)

this last layout uses the random collection again. that cutie patootie belongs to a friend of mine. i take her photos from time to time. she makes for great scrapbooking material. hee hee. :)

if you made it this far, CONGRATULATIONS! and thanks for reading! lol. hope you all have a fantastic weekend before christmas. (psst.... how did that get here already????)

christmas traditions with pebbles

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

this week is christmas traditions week at pebbles. i made this layout about measuring the kids at the christmas tree farm we go to each year. it's so fun to see how much they have grown each year. (and makes me a little sniffly that is going by so fast!)

hmmm... this photo looks a bit wonky. but it is straight! lol! i promise.

guesting for crate!

2011-12-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

last month, christine middlecamp asked if i would be interested in being a guest designer on the crate paper blog for december. um.... YES PLEASE! it was huge honor for me since crate paper is in my top 5 favorites. :) so... pop on over there & check it out, if you feel so inclined. here is a little peek of what i made for them! :)
M

gift giving with pebbles

2011-12-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

this week is gift giving week over at the pebbles blog. i made gift card holders for my boys' teachers. they are super simple to make. simply cut a piece of 12x12 cardstock to the width you would like the holder to be. Then fold, decorate and sew (or glue) closed. be sure to pop on over to the pebbles blog and check out the rest of the girls' work!

with love!

2011-12-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

i was a part of the "with love" week over on the pebbles blog. and so happy i was! i LOVE this new line. full of pinks & reds & krafts. yum! here are the projects i made. be sure to hop on over there & check out the other girls' projects!

the winner is....

2011-11-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

keshet! i can't remember how to get a screen shot. because i am computer illiterate. but, the magic number was comment number 9. so - keshet, send me your address & i will have a few little goodies out in the mail to you! :)

a pinterest challenge and a little giveway! :)

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

a few days ago, my friend diane asked if i would join her and kimberly neddo, sasha farina and emily pitts in a just-for-fun little pinterest inspiration challenge. sounded like fun; so i said, "yes!" kimberly found this image on pinterest. the challenge is to use it as an inspiration.

before i show you my projects, let me link you up to the other girls.

onto what i did. :) i made a layout and a card. both using CHAP from american crafts. man! i love that line. fantastic! i used the inspiration pretty literally. i hope you enjoy! :)

okay.... for the really fun part. i decided to do a little bitty giveaway to go along with it. so. simply leave a comment below to be entered to win. want an extra chance to win? create your own project based on the inspiration piece and leave me a comment below linking me to your creation! i am giving away some american crafts "spice" delights, elle's studio halloween bits and some mixtape from american crafts' nightfall line. all items i LOVE and all items i have multiples of. why not share rather than hoard?! :) so get busy! the time to enter the giveaway ends november 27 (giving you a little extra time since thanksgiving is right around the corner!) internationals are welcome. :)

Pebbles Mix & Match

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

what?! 2 days in a row of posts?! i know, i know! lol! seems like it is pure insanity here lately. i have hardly scrapped (project life & gratitude album aside.) that & troy was out of town and i spent the majority of my evenings watching the past 2 seasons of true blood on my hbo to go app. (eek! it was a lot of eric & i was lovin' it!) i was a woman obsessed.
so... this layout and card was posted on the pebbles blog yesterday. i actually made it right after i received the "with love" line. ( i am IN love with that line btw! definately a must have!) i mixed the fresh goods line with the with love line.

a SUPER quick and easy card. (also uses a little sliver of paper from welcome christmas)

this one mixes "wtih love" and "fresh goods." and a little bitty tag from bananafish studios. :)

scrappy day!

2011-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

so, this weekend, a couple of friends and i drove down to berkeley for an amy tangerine class at scrapbook territory. we had fun working on a mini album (which i will share when i actually finish. lol) & shopping and then lunch at pf changs. (YUM!)

amy, amy, rachel & me

i know this has been out forever & i have copies of it. but, it was fun to see my kid on the cover in the store. on the shelf. lol!

fall

2011-10-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

do you have a lovely fall where you are? i wish we did! it's so warm here. when i was out running errands with my kids earlier, the temp reading in my car was 92! yuck! when i was assigned the "fall" theme over at pebbles, it made me laugh because we get so little of it here!
here is my layout. be sure to pop on over to pebbles to check out kim kesti's layout as well!

toothpick flags!

2011-10-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

i just love the toothpick flags from pebbles! LOVE 'em! i was part of the product parade blog post yesterday. these are the projects i made. be sure to pop on over, check out the other design team members projects and leave a comment for a chance to win some toothpick flags of your own!
happy friday!
m

for this layout, i snipped the toothpick off of the flags to make a banner!

going MIA for a bit & a layout...

2011-10-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

i am going mia this week & next. my husband pinned on major last week (WOOOOOO! finally! 19 months from time of selection to pinning on. not that anyone was counting or anything...) his party is THIS weekend. combine that with minimum days at school + his long work hours + dental appointment + kids' evening activities = an INSANE week for me! lol. and - next weekend, i am running the Nike Women's Half Marathon. (or... more likely hobbling through it because training time has been nonexistent & i am determined to get that tiffany necklace anyway. ha!) so... i'll see ya in a couple of weeks. and because i can't post without a photo... a layout i made last week. :)

pebbles sketchy!

2011-10-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

i had the sketch assignment last week at pebbles. (along with stephanie baxter & sarah webb). i think it's fun to see how different people interpret the same sketch! i stuck pretty close to the sketch. pop on over there to check out the actual sketch and give it a try on your own! while you are over there.... check out the new collection with love. it is awesome! i can NOT wait to get my hands on it! :) pebbles is giving it away! just comment on the with love post for a chance to win!

13.1

2011-09-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

i started this little layout at a crop last weekend. FINALLY finished today! It uses mostly pp from Crate Paper's Random line. and a stamp that i won from my fabulous friend mandy koeppen. i knew EXACTLY what i would use it for when i saw it!
thanks for looking!
m

meet the team at pebbles!

2011-09-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

last week and this week are "meet the team" weeks over at the pebbles blog. today was my & gretchen mcelveen's turn! this is the layout i made for the blog:

i think i may be slightly obsessed with fresh goods! love every bit of this line!!!!

2011-09-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

i made a couple of layouts last week with basic grey's oxford collection. i just love that collection! :)

i knew exactly what i was going to use that glasses pattern for! my daughter loves wearing those fake glasses, and the paper was perfect for it!

to make the little hearts here, i cut the petals out of a couple of the flowers on the sticker sheet.

last year, i made a layout for books i read and wanted to do the same for this year. this collection was perfect for that! (& i am WAAAAY behind on reading this year! lol.) and, i swear this layout isn't actually crooked. my photography is just off today! lol.

LOVE the pencil stickers!

a little boardwalk action

2011-08-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

this weekend, i broke into the sc boardwalk kit. loved this kit. was so glad i got it! :) i've had a lot of fun with the stamps & with the add ons i got! the colors were so fun!

(i think this one is a new favorite!)

taryn - avert your eyes! ;)

2011-08-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago, i made this for my dear friend taryn's new baby girl, harper. mind you, when i made it, harper wasn't here yet. she is now a couple of weeks old! eek! it's on the way to her now; so, i thought i would do a post. it's just a little wall hanging for harper's room. i used mostly scraps of pattern paper. (from crate paper, pebbles & girls paperie). for the honeycomb pattern, i used the basics cartridge on my slice. the "H" & the medallion (is that what you would call it???), i used the reverie cartridge. i loved the way it turned out! i hope she likes it too! :)

chat with me on wednesday & try out miss art's for free this weekend!

2011-08-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

EDIT: my chat is at 10 am tomorrow. not 10:30. back to school has been crazy here! gah!

On Wednesday, I'll be doing a live chat on Ustream with Miss Art's students. That will be at 10:30 am Pacific Time. (So - 1:30 pm Eastern). Check your email for thedetails! :)

Also - Miss Art's wants you to try out Miss Art's Papercrafting School. (details below!)

The kids are heading back to school and you should to!

The headmistress at Miss Art's knows that new backpacks, school supplies and first day apparel can reduce a crafters budget to milk money, so for this weekend only she is offering you a tuition free class. Beginning on Friday, August 26th, you will have 3 days to check out one of our most popular classes for free, no subscription needed. In "The Secret Garden," the talented Stacy Cohen teaches you how to create a shadowbox efffect on your layouts by adding dimension through layering and creating beautiful floral clusters. Stacey even earns a little Extra Credit by providing you a step-by-step demonstration on how she creates her trademark crocheted page accents. We hope to see you in the class room and if you enjoy our class that you'll be kind enough to leave an apple or a comment for the teacher.

a few announcements of sorts :)

2011-08-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

first.

i am beyond excited to tell you that i am on the september 2011- august 2012 design team for pebbles inc. i applied without high excpectations of being asked to join. so. when i got the email from lynn last week, i was beyond excited, thrilled, what have you! i love pebbles products and can't wait to get started!
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okay. also... wanted to point any local peeps to the scrap again crop this weekend. i haven't been able to go for a couple of months & i am really looking forward to this saturday! i believe they still have spots open. if you haven't gone to one of their crops, they are really well run. lots of space, snacks, etc. love going to them! they are also running a special coupon waiving the consignor fee for the consignor sale in september. it's good at the crop this weekend. you can find it HERE.
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last announcement... :) have you checked out miss art's papercrafting school yet? there are some great teachers. this month's classes include a misting class, a journaling class (with jill sprott - love her!), plus all of the prior classes. (i got some great baker's twine tips from sarah webb's class. )

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

2011-08-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

ha! i have to say. i am ridiculously excited about school starting this fall. partly, because all 3 kids will be in school this year & i haven't had time to myself in YEARS! years! and mostly, because my oldest is constantly picking on the younger two. sigh... being 12 & a girl, everything (and i mean every.thing.) they do annoys her. it makes for very long days at home! or grocery shopping. or riding in the car. the boys, who are best friends, are even starting to bicker.
anyway. my favorite back to school commercial is the mastercard one with the little boys. it totally makes me think of noah. i can just imagine him and his little buddies doing the same! i am sure everyone has seen it, but it totally makes me giggle. so... i am going to share! :)

some serious elle's love!

2011-08-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

i've been scrapbooking like crazy lately. don't know what the deal is, but i'm not going to complain! lol. as i was taking photos, i noticed the large amount of elle's studio tags i've been using!i just got a bunch of the new ones last week. they are quite lovely! love how they seem to coordinate with so many other lines!

some old photos of my now 7 year old! i've been holding onto these forever! (pre-digital days! didn't want to waste those prints!) the "oxford" collection from basic grey seemed perfect. i used a tag from the everyday tiny tags.

when my mom was here, we drove down to santa cruz for the day & went to the mystery spot. it was crazy! i think we will go again before we PCS. :) i used the free bumper sticker you get on the tour for the title & the everyday large tags to make a pocket. i also used the travel snippets , the turqouise pennants and the large summer memories circle tags.

for this layout i used the "lawn party" kit from studio calico and the everyday large journaling tags from elle's

another old photo! i used the lil snippets: notes and a kit from scarlet lime (though i don't remember the name of it at the moment!)

(please excuse the crooked photo. there is not a white border on the layout. i just could not get the pic to straighten. grrr.) this also uses that scarlet lime kit. and it uses the large circle summer memories tags.

this is my friend's little girl. i took photos for her back in june. and, maddy makes the BEST faces. she cracks me up!

some more old photos. this is my little guy at the wonder place in west little rock! i miss that place. so fun! i used the "candy shoppe" kit from SC and the lil snippets: travel and the turqouise pennants here.

i think that chevron zig zag with those colors might be my favorite thing! :)

more old pics from the wonderplace! :) and the turqouise lil snippets and owl love you forever journaling circles

this one uses the studio calico "singing in the rain kit" and the lil' snippets: notes and the handmade layers date and place strips

august scrap again!

2011-08-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

today i am going to share my august layouts for scrap again. you will likely notice they all look similar. i started out by making this layout:

i loved this layout. but, i thought, "how can i provide inspiration for the ladies at the crop? many of them are 12x12, 2 page, multi photo scrappers." so, i "lifted" myself and made 2 more layouts to show how you could take the original 8.5x11 layout and make 12x12 layouts with more than one photo. so... let's get started.

so, for this layout, i spread it out to 2 pages and added a couple of photos. you could even use up some of the white space & add another photo in there. i kept the photo strips and rearranged some of the embellishments.

for the last layout i went with a single 12x12 layout. i kept the strips again, but switched it up to more boy-ish product (the october afternoon rocket age collection). i move the journaling to the bottom and the title next to the photos.

lastly, i made a card. same principle with strips of pattern paper.

i hope this has encouraged you to look at layouts differently and see what you can use to inspire you!

a whole hecka lot of layouts...

2011-07-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

so... i challenged myself to make 10 layouts by mid-week this week. i fell short by one. what can i say??? 3 kids. all at home. baseball. doctor's appointments. running errands. friends over for dinner. i did well! granted my laundry is in a state of, um, NOT done. but, after weeks of busyness. it was so nice to just scrapbook! they are not all super fabulous. and. you know what? i'm okay with that! so... i will share what i did. excuse the overload! (a couple of these are ones i just now got around to photographing!) :)

okay... this one is from a month ago or so. but, i FINALLY added journaling this week!

i love, love, love this old pic! the button is an actual campaign button my mom found at my grandma's house!

using some lawn party from studio calico. i loved that kit and had hardly touched it. you will see a bit of it here!

more lawn party. love this picture of my mom's aunt. i am so fortunate to have my mom - who loves old family photos. she has scanned and put onto disk countless family treasures!

annnnnd... more lawn party! and, this is a lift of a layout i made a few weeks ago! nothing says you can't copy yourself! :) still need to add journaling to this one. just haven't quite formualated exactly what i want to say yet!

not my favorite all time layout, but these are some favorite photos from a large family gathering at troy's grandmother's farm last summer.

i do like this one. :) using, guess what??? lawn party! and some of the new elle's studio labels. LOVE the new elle's!

this one i made at a crop a couple of months ago. yep. it got set aside & i forgot to take a photo. but, i love this one; so, i had to share...

and. the ones below are just peeks of 3 other layouts i made for the august scrap again gallery. i'll share those in full a little later! :)

miss art's!

2011-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

a couple of months ago, i was asked by the lovely alyssa mcgrew at miss art's papercrafting school if i would be interested in instructing an online class for them. i was nervous. i've never done this kind of thing before, but it was a lot of fun, and a new experience for me. :) the concept of miss art's is really cool - a monthly subscription to new classes every month & it's affordable. the new classes (including mine) start august 1st!

i'm alive!

2011-07-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

& mostly able to eat! ate solids all day yesterday. it was a very exciting thing for me! ha! still not 100%, but feeling better. my grandma is doing pretty good for a 92 year old who had a major stroke. AND - i never got called in for jury duty - which is good because i was still in a good deal of pain & still taking percocet on the days i was "on call." crisis averted! i even scrapped a little page this week... so, i thought i'd share! hope everyone is having as lovely a weekend as we are here in cali!
m

couple of new layouts for your viewing pleasure...

2011-07-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

...or displeasure. lol. depends on if you like them or not. ha! and then i will likely drop off of here for a couple of weeks. (not that i am the most prolific blogger out there anyway!)

but, i am having my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow, followed by driving my daughter to camp, followed by jury duty, followed by picking her back up from camp! the next couple of weeks will be INSANE! honestly, i am kind of dreading it... Troy will be off work for the surgery and the day after, but that's it. it's all me. ugh. i can't re-schedule the jury duty. this IS my re-schedule. trying to get troy to take off work is like trying to move both heaven and earth. i am hoping they will take one look at me and send me home. (not banking on it. you're talking to the girl who was 36 weeks pregnant and was put on a week long tort trial when called for jury duty in alaska.) but, i a m hoping. then i only have to arrange for childcare ONE day of jury duty instead of however many. my mom was suppose to come in town yesterday. (incase you are wondering why i would schedule oral surgery with no help). unfortunately, my grandma had a stroke over the weekend. she has not been in good health since january. my mom is with her. (not complaining about that. just saying why i don't have help. she SHOULD be with her mom) she re-scheduled her flight for later in the week; but, honestly, a lot of that will depend on how my grandma is doing - which they just don't know for certain yet. so... if you are the praying kind, maybe keep her in your prayers? and my mom? i know this is a really tough thing for her. the past 6 months have been really, really hard on her (and my aunt and uncle.)

whew. that was way more personal information than i normally share here! but, it kinda felt good to share! okay. some fluff. and then i'm off to *attempt* to clean my house (that i just scrubbed 3 days ago - darn kids home all day messing up the place!).

last gallery at elle's...

2011-06-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

sniff, sniff... i can't believe 6 months flew by so quickly! elle was so lovely to work for! thank you, elle, for the opportunity!

Two Peas: Stretch Your Sketch!

2011-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

about a month ago, jen gallacher asked if i'd be a contributor for her june stretch your sketch class. of course, i said "yes!" so, here is my take on the sketch. be sure to go check out the sketch at 2 peas and make your own version!

i flipped the sketch and converted from a 12x12 to an 8.5x11.

thursday sketch at elle's! 6/9/2011 edition

2011-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

i stuck pretty close to the sketch this time. just flipped it over to use vertical pics instead of horizontal. be sure to pop on over to elle's and check out the other dt members takes on the sketch & make your own version!

happy thursday! :)

a little sneak

2011-06-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

for the june gallery at elle's. i haven't posted sneaks on here in forever; so, i thought i'd post a little one for a layout i did today! :)

thursday sketch at elle's!

2011-06-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

this week's sketch was based on my "royals" layout from last month. since it was based on my own layout, i wanted it to look totally different than the original; so, i flipped the sketch on it's side and made it 8.x11 instead of 12x12. :) pop over to elle's & peep out the dt member takes on it. make your own and enter to win a $5 gc. :)

here is the sketch:

and here is my take on it:

some new pages

2011-05-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

hiiiiii! hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. (in the US anyway! lol.) just a few *okay a bunch * new pages & a card to share today!

a fairly quick on describing my littlest & using the napa valley kit from studio calico.

i always struggle with this style of layout. mine never look quite "right." but i like the way it turned out okay.

another quick one from napa valley.

this layout above and the card below were both for scrap again in june. the product to use was burlap. i struggled with it. in the end, i chose to try it out on a gluber. i like the way it turned out! :)

using some more rocket age. seriously, LOVE that stuff!

and.... a peek at my layout for this week's sketch at elle's studio:

sketch thursday!

2011-05-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

is up over @ elle's studio! :) come play along! :)

here is my layout for the sketch this week.

gettin' sketchy wit' it...

2011-05-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

na na na nana na na na na na na na.... gettin' sketchy wit' it. (that was reference to an oooold will smith song btw - for those of you aren't as old as i am. lol.)

i am not typically a sketchy kinda person. i don't know why. i'm just not. this month elle debuted sketches over on the blog. i did it & it went well. so, i decided to do a couple more! hee hee. this one is for the sketch over at sassafras lass...

here is a peek at the one for elle's studio this week. you can check it out on their blog on thursday may 26 & play along by doing your own version of the sketch!

and here is a sneak peek of a third layout that you will be able to see later. very excited about this one. i am in LOVE with the rocket age stuff from october afternoon. (it is NOT for oa; i just love the layout!)

May Elle's Studio

2011-05-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

a fabulous gallery this month over at elle's! here are my projects for the month of may. :)

this pattern paper from 5 & dime was perfect for my baseball layout. :) who would have thought?! :) the baseball tag from the sports vintage flashcards was just what i needed.

also used:

handmade layers cut out tags & vintage note circle tags

for this one, i wanted to challenge myself to use as much elle's as possible! :) the colors of the fun striped circle tags were a match made in heaven for the colors in the shirt my daughter wore for the 80's school dance.

Also used:

this paper and this paper from the "owl love you forever" line.

for this card, i layered the owl love you forever circle tags under a circle i cut from scrap paper with my slice to make a large flower. The purple patter paper is actually the back of some of the packaging from an elle's studio tag set. the the "happy birthday" tags and the candles both came from the large birthday circle journal tags.

thanks for stopping by! :) have a lovely weekend! (what is left of it. lol.)

elle's sketch 5/19

2011-05-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

new at elle's studio blog - sketch thursdays! so, so fun! i am really excited about these. last week's sketch was based on a layout from lory. her layout is fabulous! here is my take on it. pop on over to elle's studio blog and play along for a chance to win a $5 gc. :)

i used the sketch for a quick layout about the little league day at the oakland a's game last weekend. we had such a great time. all 3 kids passed out in the backseat on the way home! here are couple more of my fav pics from the day. (i am sure you will see them on a layout soon! hee hee.)

is it possible this is my baby? yikes!

new at elle's

2011-05-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

kits! i can't wait to see them! pop on over there to check out all the info! plus - elle's giving away an instax. fun stuff! :)

may scrap again & a winner

2011-05-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

sorry, it took me so long to draw the winner! life has just gotten in the way recently! busy, busy! so the winner is #14. (i took a screen shot of the little drawing thing, but short on time today!)

Jenny said...

Super cute layout and card! Thanks for a chance to win!

April 27, 2011 5:58 PM

so, email me at mandiepierce@comcast.net & i will get that out to you asap! :) (actually - i have a trip to the post office planned on monday; so, if you are quick, i'll get it to you fast!)

May Scrap Again. the product challenge this month was ric rac.

awwwwe yeah, baby!

2011-04-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

WE GOT IN!!!!!

(guess this means i will have to start running again!)

anyone else out there try for this & get in?!

you will probably get tired of hearing about this from me & i am going to apologize in advance!

a couple of new things & another little giveaway.

2011-04-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

as mentioned the other day... this year is flying by! totally forgot to post my april scrap again projects! the theme this month was "buttons." not hard for me! i almost always use buttons! they are one of my favorite embellishments. how about you? what's your favorite? tell me & you'll be entered to win a sweetly smitten collection pack & banner stickers from sassafras lass (see pic at bottom.) they sent me a lovely box when i was a guest on their blog being the sass hoarder i am, i already had all of the pattern paper x3 plus the banner stickers! so, rather than hoarde, i decided to share! :) the giveaway will close on monday, may 2. open to international, if you don't mind paying shipping! :)

have a lovely monday!

and a sneak of one of my may projects:

(i know what you are thinking - "i can't believe she used black cardstock!" hahahahaha! i did actually use a little kraft this month too!)

this is the bit i'll be giving away....

and

april elle's studio

2011-04-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

wow! this year is flying by! seriously! when did it become april? let alone - the last half of april!?! here are my projects for elle's studio this month. the rest of the gallery is rockin! be sure to go check it out!

supplies:

elle's studio: month tag, fun striped tiny tags, handmade layers tiny tags

studio calico letter stickers; american crafts, limeade thickers; glitz designs, afternoon muse whatnots, hatti trims; jenni bowlin, number flag banner stickers; my mind's eye, stella rose remember buttons; ki memories, daisy button embellishment clip

supplies:

elle's studio: the details tiny tags, make a list journaling tags

bo bunny ad lib: vertigo, pebbles, glitter stickers; sassafras lass letter stickers; crate paper, toy box buttons

supplies:

elle's studio: handmade layers journaling tags, handmade layers tiny tags

studio calico, countryside: letter stickers, harvest pp, mud pie pp, wildflower pp, houndstooth fabrip, pink tweet ledger rubons

winner! winner! chicken dinner!

2011-04-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

i was going to draw tomorrow, but will be at a crop all day. so, i'm drawing tonite & doing an extra draw - 3 copies. :) okay. so without further ado... the winners are:

Gail L said...

Woo hoo! That is sooo exciting! Congrats!

__________________________________________________________________________________

Mel said...

Eeeks! I'd love to have a chance to have my very own mandielouwho history. :)

________________________________________________________________________________

enbrightened said...

oooooh, i'd love one! you're so talented, mandie :-)

_______________________________________________________________________________

so.... GailL, mel & enbrightened, email me @ mandiepierce@comcast(dot)net with your mailing address & i will have these out to you asap!

thanks, everybody, for playing! i wish i had 55 copies; so i could send one to everybody! but, i have another little something to giveaway soon! :)

it's time to register again!

2011-04-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

for the nike women's marathon/ half marathon. i am so excited. i'm putting together a team this year. it was so amazing last year, but i think it would be even more amazing with a group of friends! i really, really, really, really, really, really, really, hope my girls and i get in this year! i didn't get in through the random draw last year (but rather last minute as a special nike + member invitation.) oh! i hope we make it in the random drawing. it was such an unbelieveable experience! words can not describe it. i'd love to repeat one more time before we move...

giveaway!!!

2011-04-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

my first ever! i'm so excited! so... see this magazine here my boy is holding? the one he's beaming over because he's on the cover?

i have a couple of copies to give away. so... if you are interested in a free copy of this awesome issue of scrapbook trends create: quick & easy leave a comment on this post by friday, april 15. i'll draw for 2 copies on saturday! so excited!

___________________________________________________________

ETA: in response to marina, i don't mind sending to international,if you don't mind if the shipping method is first class :) feel free to enter!

________________________________________________________________

state fair

2011-03-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

just a quick little layout i threw together this morning using state fair from studio calico. it was sitting there, practically begging to be used! so, use it, i did! :) i think i may have a black cardstock addiction at the moment. i can't get enough of it! it's becoming my new kraft. (don't tell the 75 sheets of kraft i have sitting in my room that, k?)

a few new layouts :)

2011-03-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

i've had a little scrappy time this week; so i squeezed in a couple of layouts. finally broke into candy shoppe! it's only been sitting here forever! :)

a note: we are totally fine! it's just been an exhausting, fast paced year with a couple of bumps. just incase anyone was worried.

my bubs last year. he doesn't do school photos well. lol. this is a pretty good face for him. :)

these pics are of my great uncle roy during ww2. he was a bomber pilot. doesn't he look like he just strolled off of a movie set? seriously. i don't know who was taking the photos, but on the disk my mom gave me, there are a bunch! i am glad for it! :)

march elle's studio

2011-03-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

i am behind the game this month. it's been so hectic here. the gallery reveal day just snuck up on me! there is some great work over there. be sure to pop on over & peep it out! :)

i {heart} sass!

2011-03-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

yesterday, i had the priviledge of being a guest over on the sassafras lass blog. so, if you are so inclined, pop on over & check it out! they've been doing guest & design team spots lately. lots of fun stuff over there! :)

tutorial day at elle's!

2011-03-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

so, today is the day. i've been dreading it a little. i've never written a tutorial. the thought of doing it frightened me a little. but, i think it turned out okay! :) so, i made this cute little cupcake topper. hope you enjoy! for the actual tutorial & more pics, click on over to the elle's studio blog & peep it out! :)
mandie

p.s. i can't take credit for that lovely red velvet cupcake. i bought it @ nugget! :)

a few unloved layouts

2011-03-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

...okay. so maybe not unloved. i love them a lot! (& i can't always say that about my layouts!) "unselected" would be better! lol. ck had some calls posted. i did a couple of quick ones to send in. haven't heard & they are pretty quick to respond; so, i'm assuming they weren't selected. but, i do love them. so, i'm gonna share! :)

i do LOVE those sass foldies! LOVE! i hope they keep making them!

_____________________________________________________________

these next 2 were for the "use the same product for 2 layouts" challenge (though i'm certain it had a much catchier name than that! lol)

march scrap again projects

2011-03-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

so this month the "theme" was floss.

for this one i used some of the kit items with pattern paper, buttons & letter stickers from my stash. i had that "hello sunshine" pattern paper pad for years now. felt good to use a little bit of it! :) this photo is of my oldest and middlest.

oh... my youngest. and the things he says. sigh... there are so many silly things!

and this quick little card using up some scraps. :)

2011-03-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

nothing scrappy to share today. so, i thought i'd share a couple of pics....

the copy of quick & easy i ordered came today & noah was quite excited to see himself on the cover! :)

(please ignore the toys on the floor in the background... it looks like this in my house anytime children are around...)

and i took some pics for my friend emily this morning. i'm still working on them, but i just love this sneeze! how is it babies even making sneezing adorable?! i sneeze like that & it's u-gly!

project life...

2011-02-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

...all the cool kids are doing it. are you? ha! i kid, i kid. i caught up on mine today; so i thought i would share... i didn't use becky's kit. they were all sold out when i was looking. so, i bought her page proctors & journaling cards, though you could certainly use some of the lovely divided page protector that we r memory keepers makes, as well. i am using a wrmk album because they are my absolute favorite. for the pattern papers & cute stuff, i am using my studio calico kits. so, for the january pages, i used the december 2010 kit (metropolitan) and for february, i used the january 2011 kit (who's who). i plan to do that for the year. i have used a LOT of pattern paper! i am also using the elle's studio calendars for each week. :) please excuse the icky colors in the pics below. apparently, page protectors do NOT photograph well!
(and for those wondering WHAT IN THE HECK IS PROJECT LIFE?!)

this one is missing a couple of photos. need to get those printed!

plugging along...

2011-02-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

well. i don't know if *one* counts really as plugging along. but, whatever... i'm going with it! i made this one with back 40. another kit i adored, yet seemed like the box was still full... it's paper. i've used most of the embellies. what do you think? break it down into my stash?? anyway... i made this one with another one of those great pics from my mom. i've decided my grandma must have always looked fabulous! this photo is of her and her sisters, and i really think i would wear every one of their dresses!

and a little sneek peek of my march layouts for scrap again. :)

february elle's studio projects. :)

2011-02-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

for this layout i used:

these calendar tags & one from this set (i cut the tag in half... the "remember this portion" is under the photo, and i cut the grid part into a circle to use for journaling.

bo bunny recently sent me some of their new product to use. i used this collection for this layout. isn't it pretty?

for this layout, i used one of these tags & a tag from this set. the color in the "feb 2011" tag matched so perfectly with the paper crush that i used on the layout. love when that happens! :)

and for this little card, i used this stamp set and a journaling card from this set. the pattern papers are from the my mind's eye "fine & dandy" collection and the deer/ squirrel are from a TCP? pattern paper i found at archivers while visiting my parents last month.

a sneak + lots of layouts. :)

2011-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

i've been scrapping. i know. insanity, right? why would i actually want *use* this stuff instead of just looking at it? ha! so, the first 2 are peeks of my elle's studio layouts for this month. they go up on the site on tuesday. i was really happy with the layouts i made this month. doesn't always happen. but, i really loved these 2 + the card i made. :) also - tomorrow the new "layers" stuff comes out. yay!!! can't wait to get that in my hot (actually freezing cold at the moment) hands!

and next up.... i was looking at the iris boxes i hold my studio calico kits in & i have 10 kits, all in varying stages of use. some used a lot. some barely touched. seriously?! TEN! sheesh! so... i decided to challenge myself to go back & make one layout with each kit. i've made it through 4.

okay....

this one is from april 2010, "joyland." i loved that kit. not really sure why i still have some left! but i do!

this one is from party sunny. i've not done much with this kit. it just didn't call me like some of the others. but, i've been hoarding that chipboard piece. decided to buck up and use it!

this one is from continental. a kit i LOVED but have rarely used! i need to get on that. i actually have some old air force photos of my great uncle during ww2. thinking i might need to use this kit for those...

this one is from summer camp. i've made a bunch of layouts with this one; so, i am thinking i can break it down soon... just to feel like i've gotten more done. some old pics of my daughter! eep! she looks so little!

and these last two. sigh.... i ordered a bunch of the new stella and rose from my mind's eye. seriously in love with this stuff. made these 2 at a crop last nite. want to keep using it more & more & more! these 2 are current new favs! :)

my mom has done a great job of scanning old family photos and putting them on disks for me. when i saw this photo of my grandma, i fell in love with it! i think i am going to print one to put up in my house. this stella and rose just seemed perfect for some of these old photos. :)

(and those thickers - how delicious are those? i may or may not have bought several packs.)

this pretty little thing is my friend's daughter. her name is stella. how could i not use this for a layout of her! hee hee!

and that's it for now.... though i have some more scrappy plans. :) so, maybe i'll have some more to share soon!

today's the day!

2011-02-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

a little while ago, paige from american crafts asked if i would be a guest designer for them in february. of course, i said yes! today is the day my projects are up on the american crafts blog. i ended up having to scrap at my mom's house with little other than what ac sent. that was an experience! (no sewing machine. no computer. no stash. did i mention no dewing machine? gasp!) lol. but, i am pretty happy with the way they turned out... if you have some free time pop on over to their blog and check it! they are doing a giveaway of the classics line; so, be sure to check that out too!!!:)

some baby-ish things...

2011-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

...even though i don't have a baby. lol. my dear friend emily had a baby this past week. a couple of days prior, she came over to my house; so, i could snap a couple of photos of her & her daughter. (doesn't she look amazing! i wish i looked that gorgeous a few days away from delivery!) any. way. so, i made this sweet, little layout with a couple of the photos i took.

i made this layout from the february the story matters kit. i added the sassafras letter stickers, pearls and the studio calico nadiya stamps.

and this little card i made for another family in the squadron who *also* had a baby girl this past week. (busy baby week in the squadron, i guess!) we were taking a meal to them yesterday; so, i wanted to add a little card just to say "welcome" to the new little babe.

for this one, i used my january studio calico kit, who's who (which i had not even touched yet! yikes!) + the nadiya stamps, hero arts basic alpha & this cute little stamp from hero arts.

i can not wait!

2011-02-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

how lovely does this look? :) looking forward to seeing it! yay!

crushing on paper crush

2011-02-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

it's not secret that i love sass... the paper crush i ordered came on monday. oooooh la la! i've made 2 layouts. i wanted to share! :)

my sister's dog, aggie... poor, sweet. patient, long-suffering aggie. noah just loved her to bits & pieces. she was so sweet and calm with him. he would follow her everywhere. just petting on her & loving on her. but, she is a dog who needs her alone time. she handled noah like a trooper. and when i saw this puppy on the sweet treats, i knew what it was going to be used for!

i can not show you more of this one yet. but, let me say, it's a new fav! i love how 2 layouts from the same pattern paper line look so different. i am loving this stuff! i am sure there will be much more to come! :)

forgot to add....

2011-02-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

it's still "meet the design team" week over at elle's studio . today is my turn. be sure to hop over there, check out the other designers & leave a comment to be entered to win some fabulous elle's products! :)

February Scrap Again Layouts

2011-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

these are my layouts for the february gallery at scrap again. the crop is february 19 this month. i am so excited because the hub's work schedule is working for me to be able to go! yay!

i've had this cute little owl stamp forever. works perfect for a valentine, no?

the challenge this month was use tulle. i'll admit. i stuggled with it. i tried to make a flower. i just wasn't happening for me. but, i did twist up the tulle & top it with buttons. i like the way it turned out! :)

Elle's Studio January Layouts

2011-01-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

i'm a little behind in posting these. (sorry - air force high flight conference was keeping us busy!) i also wanted to let you all know about the meet the design team week over at elle's studio! i know i am looking forward to seeing everyone's bios & info (& scraprooms!) so, check out the elle's studio blog each day for a new designer!

without further ado, the projects i made for january. :)

my first ever mini album.

i love these little calendar cards! so, so cute!

this song by rascal flatts was on while i was scrapping. it just stuck in my head. :)

February Scrap Again Sneak Peeks. :)

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Elle's Sneaks

2011-01-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

the january gallery goes live tomorrow & i have a couple of peeks from my projects this month for you. so excited! my first month! can't wait to see what everyone else did too!

Done!

2011-01-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

i finished rearranging/ organizing! my scrap space is our formal dining room. it's a good size; but, unfortunately, you can see it when you come in the front door. boo. i guess i should show you what it looked like before, huh?

BEFORE:

eta: that light is hideous, i know. i would change it if i could.

AFTER:

i have printed photos in those ikea boxes. (2 are actually, empty. thought it might be good to have room to grow.) the pink boxes have adhesive and my favorite punches.

i am so glad i picked up this little shelf instert for the expedit. isn't it perfect for displaying pretty punches?

4x4 expedit shelf.

all those pretty boxes are studio calico kits. better get to work using some of them up before i run out of room! ha!

some of my favorite things:

these boxes & magazine holders from ikea.

this. (deer on plaid fabric???)

the curtains i made from the ikea fabric

these cute little stamps. i have a collection of owl ones too. :)

my little wire basket i got forever ago on clearance at target. it houses my jenni bowlin & distress ink pads + an assortment of stick pins & ribbons. and of course, baby nanner. ha! (sorry - inside joke there. hee hee!)

reorganizing

2011-01-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

there's something about the new year that always makes me want to reorganize, add some pizazz and freshen up the decor. i am sure i am not the only one... based on the crowd at ikea today. speaking of ikea, i think i am officially an ikea junkie now. there's so much to see. i go. i get a couple of things & then start thinking about how i could have used this or that. sigh... so, i've been really working on organizing the scraproom. i can't wait to have it all finished; so, i can share! it's totally eclectic, but that works for me. :) i've gotten this:

i know... a scrapper standard. but, it's is fabulous! seriously. love. love.

love these boxes. they were so cheap & super cute & functional. love them. got some magazine holders too.

i adore this fabric. it's so, sigh... i just love it.

how could you not want this frame? i mean, really.

landscape photography

2011-01-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

i've always considered myself a more of a people photographer. but, over the past year and a half, we've been to some amazing places & i got some great photos. during our move out here, we went to mesa verde, lake powell & the grand canyon (though not in that order...) when we got here & i was able to look at all of my photos, i decided i wanted to do a little wall gallery of pics from the places we'd gone. since we've been here, we hit up the redwoods, oregon coast & yosemite (& some other amazing places - san francisco, muir beach, napa valley) i wanted to include some of the new photos. a friend & i were discussing them on facebook yesterday; so, i took some pics of the "galleries" i made on our walls. i decided to share here because it was easier to group them together. so, please indulge me. :)

see that little "gallery" over by the dining table? that's my original set of photos. (please ignore the hideous fan and monstrosity of a fireplace mantle. we are renting. those are NOT my choice. lol.)

(as i am looking at these pics, i see a- took the photo kinda crooked. oops. and the bottom middle pic is off.... need to fix that. annoying.) this set includes the following pics:

grand canyon

mesa verde

above and below are both from lake powell (i think the one below is actually a different angle on the same pic that i framed.)

the grand canyon again

(above and the tree below)

there are a couple others, but looking through the hundreds i took, i couldn't tell which ones. (well. i could. let's just be honest, i was too lazy to scroll through them....)

the "new set:" is on that empty wall behind the loveseat. (this pic is older. if i had taken a full pic of my living room today, you would have seen legos, a star wars comforter & wii controllers all over...) anyway. the little gallery, of sorts, that i hung yesterday is this:

it includes these pics:

this is the one in the big frame. i printed it in 8x12 and had them mat & frame it for me. it was taken at jedediah smith state park in the redwoods national forest (so was the one below)

this one was taken on the oregon coast

and this last one is one i took at yosemite, i printed it out, but it didn't fit. i want to use it somewhere... just need to figure out how to fit it.... suggestions anyone???

scrap again january projects

2011-01-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

here are the projects i made for the january scrap again crop. the product to use this month was brads. i really wish i could go to the crop this month. i love them so much! unfortunately, i won't have childcare due to the hubs' work schedule. (boo!) if you haven't gone to one yet, you need to! they are very well run - organized, lots of table space, lots of fun.

2011 Goals

2011-01-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

source

i'm not usually one for resolutions. i mean. who really keeps them anyway? but, last year, i decided to set some goals for myself. (maybe it's a mental thing... goals seems more decisive than a resolution, maybe? i dunno.) the other day, i was thinking about 2010 & realized i had accomplished the few i had set (minus the weight loss. my body must enjoy being 30-40 lbs overweight. or old eating habits, i.e. skipping meals too much & making my metabolism really slow, are hard to break.) i wanted to get published more. i had 24 layouts & 1 printer's tray selected for publication last year; so, i'd say that was successful. i wanted to make a design team. i made 2! Elle's Studio and Scrap Again (local crop here. if you live in the area, TOTALLY worth going to! very well organized. i love the ladies who run it!) another goal i set was to read more. a favorite past time of mine that had fallen through the cracks in recent years. i think my total books ended up being 42. not too shabby! the other goal i set was to run a half marathon. i ended up walk/ running because i didn't get a spot until 5 weeks out and had not run in months. it was the nike women's. it was A. MAZ. ING. i am going to try again this year. local peeps (or not local, if you want!) i am wanting to try to sign up as a team this year. if you are interested, email me & i'll add you to my list.

so... this year, i decided to set goals again.

*lose the weight. seriously. it's time.

*drink more water.

*scrap more

*spend less. use more of what i have.

*do another half marathon, but more running, less walking. i, obviously, want to try for the nike women's again, but i think i am going to do the avenue of the giants. how surreal! just have to find out hubby's schedule.

*read more

*keep a cleaning schedule. (lame. i know. but since i am the only one in my house who cares, it's hard to stay on top of. i really want to be better about it this year!)

what are your goals this year?

totally rando post

2010-12-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

so. the 'rents are visiting. they came in the day after christmas. we went to napa valley yesterday & went to castello di amarosa. (owned by the same sattui that owns v. sattui.) delectable wine & family friendly. actually, if you've ever seen "bedtime stories" with adam sandler (& if you haven't, you should... good, funny family movie!) the castle scenes were filmed there. ANYWAY... then went into napa for lunch at black bear diner (one of my major faves!!!) and then popped over to downtown to stop into anette's for some chocolates. (truffles for me, a chocolate covered homemade marshmellow for the man - cuz that's just how he rolls...)
today we hit up the jelly belly factory. it's a must when we have company. nevermind that the kids & i have the tour memorized, could take the test to get our "degrees in beanology" and start giving tours. whatever. i guess because of the christmas break, it was CROWDED. we waited almost 2 hours to take the tour. more than twice as long as we have ever waited. but, as always, the kids loved it. i got a huge bag of reindeer candy corn cheap since it is now after christmas. so, everyone was a happy camper all around... :)

so. now. it's pouring rain outside. the hubs & my dad are watching football. my mom & kids have gone to bed. so, i'm sitting in my room half watching dateline, half reading the gibletgate thread @ 2 peas, consuming the rest of my little box of truffles from anette's yesterday & drinking a glass of gamay rouge from v. sattui and posting to say "hiiiiiiiii" and ask how your christmas was? ours was good. the kids loved all of their gifts from santa, played and shared like champs all day christmas. it was fantastic day. totally, totally lazy. just ate random food & hung out in our pj's. the kids actually stayed in pj's all day - only to change into a fresh pair for bedtime & watched "the santa clause 3." (another movie we love!)

oh - and to share this. tomorrow elle is starting peeks for the new lines. i can't not wait to get my hands on the new stuff!!! be sure to check it out!!!

jenni bowlin!

2010-12-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

i had the awesome privilege of making some things for the jenni bowlin inspiration blog! and they are up now. woo hoo! thank you, stephanie, for asking me & the opportunity to participate! :)

a little craftiness

2010-12-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

so.... husband home for christmas break + sick kids + lots (& lots & lots) of rain have allowed me to spend a little crafty time this week. i am truly grateful for that! (not the sick kid part though....) i have a card and a layout that i can't share yet, but will give a little sneaky peeky of another day. :)

i seriously am in love with this card. it's the colors. i used the studio calico exclusives from december + a sheet from glitz + those awesome ki memories scribbles stickers. i love, love, love the way it turned out. to make the "banner" i simply cut out a couple of rows from the sassafras lass/ sc paper, attached a strip from the herringbone paper & accordion folded it. Love the way it turned out & you will actually see the same thing on several of my layouts & cards coming up! :)

i made this one with a sheet from the glitz hoopla paper, my mind's eye crepe ribbon & some pearls. love the way that cake looks. i think i need a couple more sheets; so, i can make some birthday ones too!

another one made from glitz pp. i used this paper and the one in the top card. i used the real state punch and the coordinating stamp from studio calico (in the holiday lights add on)

this lo is from studio calico's december kit, metropolitan. (i think they still have some. if you don't have it, you should snatch it up. it is that fabulous.) this is my girl + my friend's girl + the other "belle" from our church christmas play last weekend. they were the "belles of the nile"

to make this little flower center, i used the stamp from the main kit. i first stamped it one kraft cardstock & then stamped it on 4 different patterns. then, i cut out bits from the patterns & glue dotted them on! love the colorful, mosaic look!

i think i mentioned this in another post, but i am also in love with the new ki memories calendar pages. i think i am going to make a month in review page each month. i've started on december's using the teal one. i'll share it after the month is over & i've finished it! :)

(and a side note: if the dates look "off," it's because i accidentally put june. it should be july! eek!)

So, so, excited!

2010-12-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

i am excited to announce that i made my first ever design team. thank you, elle, for giving me this opportunity. i am so excited to work with elle's products and with the wonderful list of ladies on the team for the january-june 2011 term. :)
check it out HERE

a little scrapping

2010-12-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

well... with all of the craziness of thanksgiving & christmas upcoming, i squeezed in a little scrapbooking last week. wooo! just thought i'd share.
m

the littlest & i drove up to green tangerines last week where i found all of these fun new papers from ki memories. i totally need to go back & get more - one for each month! it's probably a good thing it's a little bit of a drive & i can't just pop over to that store!

this one i made mostly with the watercolor add on from studio calico's october kit + more ki memories letters & scribble stickers.

this one was made with my napa valley studio calico kit & i actually made it a couple of weeks ago. i just haven't had time to take pics of it!

thank heavens for photoshop...

2010-11-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

after the crazy pics we took in napa a few weeks ago, i thought we'd give it one last ditch effort & have troy's mom take a couple of pics in front of the christmas tree this weekend. let's just say... thank goodness there is photoshop & i hope i can merge a couple together to get a decent shot. (& fix the sharpness, etc... i don't think she had it focused on us... and photoshop the black bag out of the back.) well. at least it is "real," no?

couple of napa valley layouts.

2010-11-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

had a crop at the house this weekend. don't ask how much i finished then.... it's sad. we won't go there. BUT.... we did have a fabulous time. drank some delish margaritas, and had some wonderful laughs. but, i did make a couple of layouts with napa valley yesterday & today. so, i thought i'd share! they are both a lot brighter/ less fall-ish than i thought i'd make... trying to challenge my self to use beyond kraft. i get kinda stuck on it sometimes!

this one uses primarily santa cruz. plus a couple of buttons from my stash & licorice mist. i NEED more of that alpha! i used all of the e's! nooooo! lol.

yep... my kids never cooperate. oh well.

the idea came for this one when i was scrapping yesterday & brad paisley's song "then" came on.

incidentally, the photos in both layouts were taken in napa valley last weekend. :)

i think i am in love with these butterflies from making memories! :)

Oh! before i forget.... i have been asked multiple times what the alpha stamps i use all the time are. they are the basic upper case & lower case stamps from hero arts.

napa valley

2010-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

we went there with some friends this weekend. i found some new favorite wines. thank you, nic & jami for introducing us to those wineries. (the one above is vi sattui.) i can't wait to scrapbook our photos using the november studio calico kit, "napa valley" hee hee. how fortuitous, no?

psa

2010-11-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

if you plan to do something like this with your child's hair...

be prepared for the worst when you brush it out.

psa over.

on the easel layouts

2010-10-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

i FINALLY got a chance to break into my october kit this weekend. i am loving it & so, so glad i got all 4 add ons. (psssst... they still have the main + 2 of the add ons still available.) i am still on the fence about whether i love all of the layouts i made, but that's for another time. lol.

i love this layout. the goofy pictures of my kids are so "him." and, i think i love this one also because i LOVE that wood pp from october afternoon. yum! (i'm still loving that addy alphabet set too. definitely worth picking up, if you haven't already.)

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this would be one i am on the fence one. i love all the clustered stufff.... maybe i just don't love the pic of me. (it is pretty goofy looking...)

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(hmmm.... pic looks a little fuzzy. sorry!)

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and, last, but not least... a super simple one of my little guy at easter. this picture cracks me up. one - he makes the goofiest of faces. two- this goofy face totally makes me think of brick on the middle. (if you don't watch that show, you should! HILARIOUS!)

done

2010-10-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

the race was amazing... the views of the city were un.be.lievable. the energy and atmosphere were indescribable. the hills and rain and cold weather were a bear. would i do it again? in a heartbeat... (well...maybe once my legs aren't sore from all the hills.) will post more once i've downloaded the pics from the professional website. :)

this is it!

2010-10-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Body Glide: check.
ipod: check.
Spiffy Coordinating Running Outfit So i look like i know what in the frick frack I am doing: check.
Hotel Confirmations, Race Entry Confirmations, Dinner Reservations Printed: check.

now, we are just waiting for our fantabulous friend who is coming to stay the night with the brood, and we will be headed down to to San Fransisco for the Nike Women's. Eeek! Nervous? Yes. Excited? Yes. can't believe i was insane enough to sign up for this! whew! wish me luck!

oh. crap. i forgot to put my running shoes in the bag... guess i'll go get those before we leave. (i remembered my camera on the first try; so, that has to count for something, right???)

does scrapbooking count as cross training?

2010-09-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

i hope so. with a husband out of town & a boy who was pukey & didn't go to school, that's what i did today instead of running. so, we're gonna call scrapbooking cross training, k? that way i feel a little better about it! hee hee! finally got a chance to break out my studio calico back 40 kit that came last week. LOVING this kit! super lovely!

just wanted to say...

2010-09-19T20:01:00.001-07:00

...my butt hurts from my 7 mile walk/ run today. i have to do almost double this soon! eek! what am i thinking?
that's it. nothing else. :)

it's official...

2010-09-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

...i am insane! i don't know if anyone remembers me saying i had tried for a spot in the nike women's half marathon in the lottery & didn't get it. then, tried to earn a spot by running the most miles i could & then started having knee problems... i figured the nike women's was out for me this year. then, lo & behold, friday last week... i got an email from nike women's offering me a spot in the race. i snapped it up. now, i just have to do a half marathon NEXT MONTH! i think i am insane! lol. it'll be okay. i know i will be walk/ running it. i just can't believe i said "yes!!!!!" to a race in a month & i haven't been training... gah! i just gotta say.... i hope the tee shirt looks like the graphic above. because i want THAT! hee hee.... wish me luck!

another layout

2010-09-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

okay... i know what you are thinking.... 2 days in a row? did someone check to make sure her pulse is steady, that she's not hallucinating? lol. i finished this one up monday night, but didn't have it photographed yet. i love it & wanted to share it. when i saw the togetherness chipboard from cosmo cricket, i knew i wanted to use those foxes for a lo about my youngest & my husband. he ADORES daddy. absolutely adores him. the hubs came home from korea over the weekend, and collin was attached to him like velcro. saturday, i walked past the back window & this is what i saw. i knew it was going to be what i used the cosmo chippy for (& my order from 2 peas came on saturday. it was meant to be!) i used pattern papers from basic grey's new christmas line, jovial. isn't that plaid just delicious? (i am sucker for plaid!) i also used the brads & ruler sticker from crate paper's new school spirit line. (such cute stuff!)

Edited to add a supply list for darlene. :)

Togetherness Chipboard

School Spirit Brads

School Spirit Border Stickers

Yellow Vintage Buttons

Double Embossed Border Punch

Barn Door Distress Ink

Addy Mini Alphabet Stamp This is from the Studio Calico Sugar Woods add on. It's not available anymore, but the alpha will be available in ltd. quantities on Sept. 28, midnight eastern time (i think) in the Studio Calico shop. (Might be October, but i think it will be Sept...)

what??? i'm suppose to blog?

2010-09-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

is that what this thing is for? to actually type something more than once a month? sheesh! my style is more to cram in a bunch of layouts i did over a few weeks. lol. i LOVED the september studio calico kit summer camp (i believe they still have some!) i have made more layouts with it than i have photographed - maybe ten or eleven? i'd have to count. it was a good one! so, without further ado, here are a few of the ones i've made with summer camp. :)

this one was for g's lift the person above you challenge. i lifted rita.

this is 2 of my kidlets on their first day of school...

this one is about my beautiful middle sister (well one of 2 middles.) she came to visit last month. we took a tour of the sterling winery (see first lo!) and i took some pics of her while we were there. (also see below!)

so, our 4 year old washing machine broke in july. we got an estimate to fix it.... $658. are you serious?! we ended up buying a new one (because it cost less!) and recycling the old. i was not incredibly happy to have to fork over the cash for the new one, but i must say... i LOVE my washer. true, it doesn't match the dryer. but whatever. it gets my clothes cleaner. they dry in half the time. it's great!

and a note on the design of this lo. i am NOT a raw chipboard shape gal. i secretly groan when it is in one of the kits. not that i don't think it's adorable. i do. so cute! but, i just never know how to use it! well... wasn't it timely this go 'round with the new washer? ;)

this one (& the next two) were from the kelley purkey sketchbook class over at studio calico.

(i think days 3 & 4!)

this one is of our boys. just playing, happy as can be, for hours one day. they played with their lightening mcqueens & maters & r2d2 all day long. it was fabulous!

see what i mean about loving this kit? it was gorgeous, right? clearly, i love the alphabet stamp set too!

a lotta laughs for today

2010-08-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

now, i know anita renfroe has been around. her songs always make me laugh! well... today, i discovered a couple more. i just thought i'd share... because i was laughing to the point of tears more than once!

AMEN to the second one! hee hee!

Okay... on this one, if you just want to watch the video, skip to about 3 minutes, 15 seconds. :)