So Into the Mini Lately!

No, not mini skirts! That was in my younger days! LOL! Mini albums! I made this one using my February kit from The Nook! The title is Love, Yes and it is all about the fads that my family is currently into! I figured that I would appreciate it ten years from now when I look back and see that the Blackberry was the hot phone! I wanted to keep the cover simple, yet interesting so I rolled some strips of paper into little tubes to make a 3D background for my title! I first saw this idea from my very talented friend, Staci Taylor! I used lots of Jenni Bowlin journaling cards as actual pages. If you would like to see a class on this, go here!

Speaking of The Nook, we are having a huge virtual crop this weekend! Girls, the theme and challenges are soo much fun! You won't help but be inspired! Even better, there will be prizes and even an opportunity for you to be a Guest Designer for either April or May! Yep, guest designer! When you sign up, be sure to tell everyone that Stacey sent you!!! It starts on Thursday, Feb. 5th and goes through Sunday, Feb. 8th!

Any way, here is my mini already!














Hope to see you at the crop this weekend! Have a lovely day!

Lovin the First of the Month!

Happy February! A time when love is in the air (except when Steve and I have cabin fever and are ready to kill each other, a month closer to spring (it is tooo cold!), and a month where I get a week off from work (extra scrappy time!). I am excited to share some stuff with you today.

First, the new catergory is up over at Category Stories! I love the prompt of "What I Love About..." as it is wide open, allowing for lots of creative freedom! The team is just so creative and I am truly inspired by them. Go check it out! Our cute little pictures are up along the sidebar! Yes, another self-portrait outing!
Here is my layout for the month. Journaling reads: I love how the two of you have bonded recently. You are quite aware that Cooper is more than just a dog, but a part of this family. This relationship will teach you about loyalty, responsibility, and kindness. Mostly, it will teach you about love! Be sure to link up your project by Feb. 28th to be eligible for a RAK!


In other great news, I have been invited to be a Tres Chic Guest Design for Scrapperie. It is another awesome forum with very friendly peeps and lots of talented ladies. I have been so lucky to find such cool places! Thanks to Sandi for the opportunity!

And, of course, I am all giddy about the Feb. issue of ScrapStreet.com Magazine. I am still in love with this gig! My journaling column was all about using poetry on your layouts. Poetry you find, but also poetry you write. My guest designers (Jen, Nicole, Crystal, Brianne, and Stephanie were such good sports!) Here is a project I did for last months magazine when our sponsor was the very generous Cosmo Cricket!


How are you kicking off your February!?

Let Me Count the Ways!

Let me count the ways can mean so many things lately.

1. How many of us have terrible colds and hacking coughs

2. How many chocolate Teddi Grahams I have eaten this past week

3. How many times I think about being a stay at home mom

4. How many reality TV shows I watch (it really is an addiction...)

5. How lucky I have been in the scrappy world lately! (Did you hear

that I am a lucky winner over at the Dream Street Designs blog? I won all six

of their new collections! WooHoo!)

6. How blessed I am in general--a happy marriage, great kids (even though

they are sooo loud!), a job that fulfills me, good friends...

I made this layout to capture some of my blessings in life! Ella has become a Daddy's girl the past few months and these pictures show that perfectly! I used the Feb. kit from The Nook to create this project! I ordered the scalloped journaling circles as an add-on and knew that I wanted to turn them into flowers! I love this numbered, shaped-paper! My favorite in the bunch!

Let me count the ways that I need to get some sleep! Off to bed now! Wish me luck as I try to shake this cold!

The Start of Something New...

So I received exciting news the other day when I was invited to join the team over at the Category Stories challenge blog! I love the concept of this blog and the work from the team and the participants is just awesome! Lots of artsy, funky styles that I admire, but could never actually do. It is an inspiring place and now I get to be right in the thick of things there. I love the whole journaling-theme-title-process, so it is a perfect match for me. Please be sure to check us out! The category for January is "I remember", which leaves soo many options! Link your work by Jan. 31, 2008 to become eligible for a pretty cool prize!

I have been scrapping a bunch, using the February kit from The Nook! The Jenni Bowlin stuff is just gorgeous. I decided to think outside of Valentine's Day theme and use the kit items to create a layout about Halloween! My two wild ones were pirates and their costumes coordinate perfectly with the Jenni Bowlin papers! And, I mean, we all live for coordination right? I went with the pirate theme to come up with my title, "How much I Treasure You" and took the theme as far as I could go. I created X's as details and made my very own treasure chest! It was fun and I like the final page!

When I look at these pictures, I realize that my kids are not babies anymore. Sorta kinda freaks me out sometimes!

Remembering Old Times

So I recently discovered Facebook and can't get over how cool it is. It has brought me in contact with many old and current friends. It has reminded me how much I loved high school, that life has brought many good memories to me! I have been able to have instant message exchanges with my girls and/or my sister. I probably wouldn't have spent that time on the phone, so it is even more important! Genuis, whoever invented it!

I have gotten some happy mail lately! Two of the three pages I submitted for the Memory Makers Annual Reader Idea Gallery issue were picked up! I am beyond thrilled!

And, I so loved the inauguration this week. Regardless of your political views (and, yes, I know that it is all about politics), it was a pretty cool moment in history! I was having one of my nightly conversations with Nathan about the day and mentioned Barack Obama to him.

He said, "Is Barack Obama coming to our house when we all go to sleep?"

"Um, no, Nathan. He is not like Santa Claus." I replied.

"Is he like the Easter Bunny?" he asked.

Kids. They see the world from a whole different perspective!

I leave you with a layout that I just completed using my February kit from The Nook. I love how it has all the colors of Valentine's Day without being too cutesy or romantic! Jenni Bowlin does some great work, huh!? This is a layout about my two best friends. We have been in each other's lives for over 20 years! Cool, huh.

Time Flies!

WARNING: This will be a photo heavy post! But I just couldn't resist! I spent a few hours this past weekend making a project that I just adore. Think 365-days-of photos challenge, but more manageable! I needed to use up the rest of my Jan. kit from The Nook. I had ordered the very adorable mini-calendars from Webster's Pages. As soon as I got them along with a mini, I knew that I wanted to create a special project! It spans across a year's period and is broken down by the month. My thought is to take pictures of my family each month to show how much my kids grow in one year. Taking it another step further, I plan to document important highlights, accomplishments, and/or information about that particular month. Here is what I came up with. You can see that I already put in my photo for January, along with the journaling. I can't wait to see how this shapes up over the course of the year!

I simply used the calendar cards as the base for each page, adding other details using my scraps and some trim! I created inserts in between each page to use as journaling cards. Made these look interesting with my punches and created journaling blocks with my stamps. Voila! I was done! All I have to do is place the pictures at the end of each month!

Wish me luck as I try to keep up! Maybe I will even post the completed page each month just to keep me accountable! It seems far off now, seeing this to completion. But I have learned that time flies very quickly!

Just For Fun!

TeHe! I had some fun this weekend, playing with a mix of product, some of which I don't use often! I wouldn't call me a "bling" girl, yet this layout soo sparkles. It is fitting because it is about my daughter who loves the shiny stuff. Some guy better really impress her one day! LOL! I love these photos of her from Christmas and just had to put them on festive paper. The journaling reads: "This is what holiday decorating means to you. You put on every jewel & could work those heels. Your favorite gift from Santa." I recently receive some Sassafras as a gift and I forget how much I love that stuff. Such fun patterns! This layout is a take on the Category Stories challenge of using the topic, "decorate". Inspiring place, that blog is!

I have scrapped a bunch lately, but can't post. Waiting on the Memory Makers recent call. We shall see what happens. I have been a bit cranky these days. I need the warmer weather, sunshine and more activity. Anyone else feel this way???

Storytellers

I found this really cool challenge blog called Category Stories! Like many of my favorite blogs, it puts the focus on the story behind the photo and encourages story telling by giving a monthly prompt. I have been scrapping like crazy this weekend, inspired by their categories. January's category is "remember". Got me to thinking about the lack of photos I have from my childhood. So I dragged out what I do have and actually found a few photos. I was just about 2 years old here. It is bittersweet because I have mixed feelings about this time in my life. I have memories of things happening that I should not have seen at this age. My mom filled in the blanks when I asked her about this time a few years ago. But, this seems like a happy memory. I wish I could remember it. So I just had to scrap about it. I used this vintagy looking Sass and I love these Prima flowers! Journaling reads: I don't have many good memories from this time in my life. I saw things I shouldn't have. But finding these, I now know that there were happy times. It means a lot!

I am glad I had the opportunity to scrap it! Happy Monday everyone!

I Resolve!

So I am not usually a big "resolutions" gal! Not because I don't believe in them, but because I usually overanalyze everything on a daily basis, setting goals along the way! But I have been intrigued by the concept of having a word for the year. I saw this first on the Journaler's Junction blog about choosing your word of the year for 2008! For me, it would have to be the word, "Open". I felt like I was open to trying new things, open to taking a hard look at me, open to putting my emotions out there. That openness led to some great things for me and I feel like I am in a great place. Which leads me to my word for 2009, "Be".

I chose the word and wasn't really planning to do much more than that, but The Nook is having a cool photo challenge and Guest Designer contest. The first contest challenge is to scrap a self-portrait and journal about your resolution. Webster's Pages is having a challenge right now to scrap your resolution, so that motivated me too! Perfect! I did take these pictures of myself, setting up the self-timer on my camera. My friend, Jenn, was giggling at me as she imagined me being all dramatic trying to get different facial expressions. I told her that I took these one day when Steve was napping on the couch. I would snap a photo and then turn to make sure he wasn't seeing what I was doing. Yep, it is a bit silly, but important to document myself in all of this!

The journaling reads: I don't typically make New Year's Resolutions, but as 2009 starts, a thought keeps sticking with me. I simply want to be at home in my own skin, be content with what I have (many blessings), be able to surrender control & just let go. Be free of worry that only drains me. I resolve to be myself. Be at home. Be happy. 2009

I think that says it all! How about you? What are your resolutions?

Don't We all Want Something Pretty Sometimes?

So I am not really a girlie-girl, finding myself very happy in a baseball cap and sweats! But I do appreciate pretty things. That appreciation is necessary because I have a diva living under my roof! Ella is the ultimate girlie-girl! She loves different shoes, makes comments on people's accessories, and adores sparkle on her clothes. So, when it came to altering this Prima pail, it was a no-brainer. I needed to do something pretty! I chose Urban Prairie from Basic Grey because it sooo matches her room! (I may not be a girlie-girl, but I do like things to coordinate!) I knew I wanted to turn this pail into a holder for Ella's ribbons, hair bows, and tights. I found the, "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" poem, online and took the one verse that fit! I typed it out, used the BG diecut to create the shape and went from there! I had to call it the "Pretties" pail, just because I couldn't resist. Layered some beautiful paper and Prima flowers, and I was done!

I think Ella will appreciate it in all her Diva-glory! (And she is only 2 1/2, what will I do when she is 16)!

Over the Moon

So many things to be excited about lately! The January issue of ScrapStreet.com Magazine is up and ready for viewing. I want to thank all of my contributors this month--so many ladies I totally admire! Check out my article here to find out what the journaling topic of the month is! Also, I had the pleasure to write the blog feature and chose to focus on the One Little Word blog! I am so inspired by that place, aren't you??? Love that I get to be a part of the team over on the streets!

Speaking of teams, I am thrilled to share that I will be a member of The Nook design team for another six months. I can not say enough about the kits, the members, the community, and the previous DTers (led by the fabulous Leah)! How lucky am I to be able to do this for another six months. The new team is FULL of amazing talent--I can't wait to be inspired and to learn from all of them!

Yet another reason to be happy?? My friend Debbie gave me this on her blog today! Love her work so it is an honor!

As a part of receiving this, I need to nominate 5 other blogs! I am actually going to bend the rules and nominate each of the members of the design team from The Nook.

Amanda Boyles - USA
Delaina Burns - USA
Camilla Ekman -Sweden
Leah Killian -USA
Selena Kimsey - USA
Susan Lui -Singapore
Christiane Mueller -Germany
Amy Parker -USA
Jen Pohl -USA
Ching Tan -USA
Abbie Torroll -USA

Check out their work! You will be blown away! Speaking of The Nook, here is a layout I did using the January kit, which is sold out! I absolutely adored this kit!

Off to scrap now, all happy and giddy! Hope today brings you joy!

Resolutions!

2009! I am soo going to have to get used to that! The New Year means resolutions. I am not one to set resolutions, well because, I am very reflective all the time. I tend to set daily goals all along the way. But I do have something in mind for the New Year. I want to relax, enjoy, breathe and trust. Choose to be happy. Love my husband while letting go of the small things, be present with my children, scrap because I enjoy the process of it, and foster my friendships. My other goals will come to fruition when the time is right for me. I need to trust in that. In honor of my resolution, I created this mini-album. It is based upon the book The Traveler's Gift, which teaches us 7 steps to success. Success doesn't have to mean a promotion at work or being invited to a design team. It means positive living where you embrace happiness and love yourself. So here are my 7 decisions:

I hope everyone had a great time ringing in the New Year! May all of your wishes come true this year!