Who Needs Border Punches...

when you can cut your own from paper!?

I love those sheets in each collection where there is a distinct linear pattern, whether it be curved, scalloped or triangular. All you have to do is cut along it and you have an instant, interesting border.




Supplies: Joyride by Cosmo Cricket

I wanted to share a line to the Aussie Scrap Source! They feature so many beautiful layouts and I am honored to be included in a recent post. Thanks Katie!

I haven't actually picked up my scrappy things in days now. But I am working on changing that. I think I am going to move my stuff to the main floor. It is currently in the basement, but I can't get to it. It won't look pretty, but the house is in transition now anyway. Kitchen renovations start in just about a month so it will all be crazy anyhow. So why not!

The bottom line is that I need to scrap, need to feed that part of my spirit. I am not the same without it...sounds silly because I am talking about paper and glue, but it is true.

Happy weekend!

Sweet girl...and a cute guy too!

Love my kids

Truly...I see the world differently through their eyes.

I sat here today and watched the two of them today. Playing with the water table, eating chocolate kisses on the lounge chair. Riding bikes on the patio.

They don't care that there isn't a place to put their shoes or that we can't hang curtains yet. They don't care if the house has boxes everywhere.

They are just happy to be here. They are happy to be together.







Thank God for them.

Getting Me Through

When life is crazy, uncertain, out of control and going too fast for you to handle, what do you do?

In the past, I have flown off the handle, overeaten, starved myself, fought with Steven, complained and have taken my frustrations out on others.

Lately, I have exercised, kissed my kids more, dreamt big dreams, reached out to Steven and have complained. There are some improvements there, right?

I am trying to learn something through all of the chaos that I call life. See, moving and ending the school year and living with in-laws and having a new way of life has thrown my routines out of the window. I crave structure and order, but it just isn't going to happen right now. So I try to grow, hold tight to what is important, and see the big picture.

When life is crazy, how about a little ice cream to help make things all better?






Ice cream always helps, right?

A Cute Story & A Tutorial

My kids...they are funny. Anytime Disney or Cartoon Network is on, they become fascinated with all the toy commericals.

Steve might be doing crosswords or I am cooking and we hear, "Mom! Dad! Can I have that?" or "Come quick! I want that, I want that!"

It happened so often that it truly became annoying. At first, I did noble mom duty and tried to explain how you can't get everything you want. I discussed the concept of being greedy and the importance of using imagination.

It didn't stop them. So one day we just started saying, "Put it on the list." I think we overhead brillant Auntie Sue using that line with Christian! It is so smart. They say "Okay!" and it is over.

When I was asked to be a guest designer over at Allyscraps, I got lots of fun Sass stuff. I love Sass because of all the cool scalloped and shaped border edges and the fun papers you can cut apart. When I laid my eyes on the Cherry Delicious line, I was super inspired by the vintage toy theme. What does this have to do with my post...

I made them a "List". A little place they can write down all those toys and gadgets they long for (and will never get...hahaha!)

Check it out!



To make it, cut a piece of nearly solid patterned paper into an 8 1/4 (length) by 8 1/2 (width) inch rectangle. I used a piece with detailing in the upper right hand corner to add a bit of detail. Fold in half to make the mini-notebook. I simply cut a rectangular box full of vintage items and laid that down about 3 inches from the top of the card. Add some stickers and a popped flower and you are good.

But that is not the end...here is the notebook inside.



I made the little pocket for crayons...just cut a rectangle 3 1/2 by 4 1/4. Apply a very skinny strip of adhesive along the two sides and bottom edges and adhere to the card!

To make the notepaper part, I just cut two sheets of plain white paper into 8 1/4 by 4 inches. Score a horizontal line about 3/4 inches from the top. Place a line of adhesive along the top and stick down! Use one of the cool Sass borders to hide the score and to add detail. You are done!

Fun for you and the kids!

By the way, I keep wondering if I get a list too...hmm...

A Lifetime Ago

It seems like a lifetime ago when I didn't have any children, when I went to the gym every day, when I coached high school cheerleading. Yep, 18 young women and I spent 8 straight months with each other...5 days a week plus some Saturdays for five years.

I loved every second. I was a cheerleader for my senior year of high school and all through college. It was a natural progression for me to coach. The opportunity came at a perfect time. I remember when my first marriage ended and the coaching position opened up. It was perfect...something to keep me busy every Friday night. It grew into so much more.

We set goals, built something from the ground-up. I coached, befriended, mentored and mothered. Those girls gave me so much life and me made realize it is easy to make a difference. You just have to care and spend time.

I don't know if you are familar with the National Cheerleading Championship shown on ESPN. I would watch in awe and wish in my wildest dreams to be there some day. Well, 4 years into coaching my talented squad earned a bid and we were off. It was a thrill to see them on that floor and watch them on the big screen that would soon be shown on TV.

One of my coaches had brought her team a few years earlier and they had taken pictures in front of Cinderella's castle. We had a plan to do this on the last day...but it meant getting up at the crack of dawn. We basically we trying to get there before other people to be able to take clear shots. We almost didn't make it based on pure exhaustion...but I am so glad we did. Now, I have this amazing shot for a lifetime!





Supplies: Starlight collection from Pink Paislee: visit the blog here for a tutorial on how to make the large star!

Honestly, coaching was one of the top five life experiences for me. I learned and taught about motivation, drive, success, disappointment. We learned what was most important in life.

An all-star experience!

Thanks Celeste!

So I am sure that many of you know the fabulous and ultra-talented Celeste Smith! She symbolizes simple scrapbooking...great design, interesting photos and strong stories! I actually met her in the airport a couple of years ago as we were both on the way to CHA! We are almost neighbors, only living a few miles from each other. And I have the pleasure of serving on two teams with her!

Last month, she invited me to create a layout for an article in an Ella Publishing ezine Ellaments article. I was honored so I said, "Yes, please!" in a heartbeat.

I wanted to share the layout I created. (As you can tell, I am a little bit behind! LOL...my computer time has been cut shorter these days because of my living arrangement. But I am trying to catch up! Cindy...I will be sharing the rest of my Ally Scraps projects soon with directions!)

For this layout, I was asked to use the Polariod effect! It is a simple download and it is totally fun to use. I love what it did to my photos and of course I am a fan of white borders already.



I used a mix of Pink Paislee here...mostly the 365 Degrees collection! I love those pictures of Nathan! He was giving me his Transformer look...he actually kept posing as I shot!

The article is here and it is very informative. If you want to learn more about photo editing options that are cheap and see some fabulous work, check it out!

Thanks Celeste!

Speaking of ezines, the August Scrapstreet calls are up! I am looking for layouts with unique journaling placement and would love to see your work! Follow the directions here to send them to me for consideration...pretty please with a cherry on top!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mom's day! The one day each year where I get to do whatever I want! Laugh out loud...this morning consisted of making chocolate chip pancakes even though I have a strict no-cooking on Mother's Day rule. All it took was a please from my kids.

Being a mom has totally changed me as a person. I am more loving and affectionate. I have learned to ask for help and realize things are not usually in my control. I try to be a better, more patient person each day.

I want them to remember their childhood and me with love and fondness. I think that is why I scrap. I want to capture all the moments of what they did, where they went and how their personalities are! I think my favorite layouts are about those little moments and details that, unless put on paper, might otherwise be forgotten. We will always remember our summer vacations, but will we remember the cute things they say or their fleeting past times.

Brings me to these two layouts! The first documents Nathan's love for puzzles. He has a gift with them...since he was really young. His preschool teachers bring new ones in to try to challenge him and he conquers them each time.



He was actually putting together a puzzle in these photos. I love to watch his wheels turn when he does them!

And Ella, my drama queen and larger than life character! She always is a mess as girlie as she is!





Supplies: All from the May Nook kit: October Afternoon paper, wildcards, stickers, Making Memories buttons, flowers, October Afternoon & American Crafts alphabet

She is a diva tomboy! LOL!

These two are the joys of my life and I thank God for blessing me with them.

Happy Mother's Day to you!

Quick Stop

Making a quick stop in today. That seems to be the theme of life these days. I made a quick stop into the grocery store yesterday, only have a few quick minutes to work on a layout, making short stops at my favorite blogs and sites.

I need to be cloned, really. But it is beautiful here...warm, sunny and bright. And everyone is healthy and happy so I have no right to complain.

So here is a happy layout today. I misted for the very first time on here! I like the effect it adds and will need to expand my colors.





All supplies are from the May My Scrapbook Nook kits...this one is such a beauty. You should check the kit club out...there is a special membership deal right now!

I need to run to work, have a quick meeting and then begin my day!

TGIF

So Many Visitors

Fun...fun...fun! It was great fun to have so many visitors to my blog this past weekend! Thank you all so much for your kind words and comments. They really brightened my day! Winners of the inspiration tour and blog hop will be announced soon! If you don't win a prize package, I hope you picked up some inspiration along the way. It never ceases to amaze me how many talented and diverse scrappers there are!

Things are nuts right now as it is my busy time of year at work and we are still settling into our new digs. I haven't quite adjusted to a lack of my scrappy space so my mojo has suffered.

It will return, I know it!

I did have the opportunity to create several projects while I was the April guest designer over at Ally Scraps. I plan to share the rest this week and give a couple of tutorials for how I created my projects!

Today, I share this layout. Since we are talking about fun visitors...I need to mention Uncle Jimmy. It is Steven's uncle and there is no one quite like him. He continually makes us all giggle and is the life of the party. He shows genuine interest in others and is easy to talk to. My kids adore him because he is just plain ole fun. Imagine bubbles, silly games, dressing up as certain very important holiday characters. He does it all.

So, of course, he gets a layout!



Made this using the new yummy Sass products that I found at Ally Scraps! I am just in love with banners and Sass has a whole sticker sheet of them!

Be sure to jump over to the Ally Scraps blog for some awesome inspiration! I will be taking my own advice and seeing if the mojo returneth!

giggle!

This Blog is Hopping! (Pink Paislee Tour in the post below)

Welcome to my blog...which has been quite busy the past few days! LOL! If you are looking for the Pink Paislee Inspiration Tour, go to the post below! (Although you may want to check this out also...there is a different, yet fabulous prize).

Starting here:



In honor of National Scrapbooking Day, My Scrapbook Nook is hosting this blog hop! One lucky grand prize winner will receive the entire So Sophie line from My Mind's Eye as well as their other release, Meadowlark. Two runners-up will recieve a Jenni Bowlin kit and a SEI prize package.

Sounds great, huh?!

In order to be entered for these prizes, leave a comment on each blog you visit, including mine. One blog will be picked via random number generator to have three winners chosen from it, also using random number generator! Winners will be drawn May 3rd!

The June kit looks to be packed full of amazing goodies! You can sign up for a subscription or order a kit on the kit page. Here is a sneak!



You can sign up for a subscription or order a kit on the kit page. The current May kit features yummy October Afternoon and many other goodies. Here is a layout I made using the main kit and some add-ons:



I am honored to be a part of The Nook's design team as my fellow members are super talented! My good friend and teammate, LG, has a wonderful sense of design! She wows me each time. Look what she created using the April kit:



She is amazing, isn't she!

Don't forget to post a comment below. When you are done, continue on to visit the talented LG's" blog!

Happy hopping!