Purrrfect! {Out for Publication!}

I'm so in love with these photos :) The colors are beautiful and my sweet girl and her friend were so adorable that day, lovin' on the baby kitties. Those kittens are now 3 years old and aptly named "Hungry Man" & "Lean Cuisine". My father is graciously allowed to live in their domain and even gets to pet them whenever they like.



My Minds Eye is one of my favorite manufacturers...but I have a problem using their papers. They are too pretty to cut into, what if I mess up? Bit the bullet and used them on this layout, the colors are just too purrrfect :)

LOVE this color combo!

Finally used some of my stash of Zva Creative bling, a wonderful blog hop win.

The kitty silhouettes were perfect for this layout, you can find them on the Kate's ABC's Cricut cartridge.

I'd like to kiss whomever invented foam squares :)

Look at the sweet little face!

Love all the textures together.

Supplies: Cardstock: American Crafts, Bazzill; patterned paper: My Minds Eye; letter stickers, lace ribbon: American Crafts; flowers: Recollections; brads: Making Memories; crystals: Zva Creative; sticker: My Minds Eye; canvas stickers: Little Yellow Bicycle; buttons: October Afternoon; border punch: Fiskars; corner rounder: EK Success; marker: Sharpie; adhesive: 3L, Scotch, Therm O Web.



Busy day ahead! Dr's. appointment this morning, fix lunch at band camp this afternoon, finish a couple of assignments and whatever else I can fit in!

Dad has to go back to surgery on Thursday, his fistula is partially blocked again. My niece and Brother in Law are here visiting unexpectedly from Tennessee, and Matthew is battling a case of ringworm or impetigo (not sure which or if he has both) a nice present from wrestling camp a week or so ago :(

Can you tell that my mind is in chaos? Off I go :)

Cherish Too

Do you ever finish a layout that you thought was one of your best and then look back later and think "I wish I'd moved this or added that?" That is what happened with this layout. Something about the flowers was bugging me! Out came the UnDu (can't live without this stuff!) and up came the flowers. Shuffled them around and now I'm happy!

Here is the original



and now the improved

What do you think? I'm a firm believer in constructive criticism :)

Love, Laugh & Be Happy *The ScrapRoom*

Hello Spring from Little Yellow Bicycle is right up my alley! I was truly doing a happy dance when I opened the August Doubleshot kit from the ScrapRoom. Bright saturated colors, the cutest icons and happy phrases...who could resist?!

This is my favorite photo of the summer ! Love these girls bunches & bunches :)

The white paper in the center was a diecut with scalloped edges, I trimmed them off and layered the pink over it. The pink is the 'B" side of the adorable madras plaid.

It was fun stitching in a free form circle, much easier that following a straight line.

Used foam squares to add dimension to the stickers, gems and Stickles for some bling.

I can't wait to share the rest of my projects and the other line that came in the Doubleshot kit...

I'm in love :}

If you want to see more amazing inspiration and check out the kits and ScrapRoom store, pop on over to http://scrap-room.com/ and http://thescraproomblog.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cherish

Cherish is a word I'm learning to appreciate. This past weekend at my scrap retreat, I mulled the meaning of this word around in my head. Cherish seemed to be a fitting title for this layout featuring my daughter and her Grandpa John. No journaling on this one, the title says it all. After losing my mother 3 years ago, I'm much more aware of how much I cherish my family and friends. My children are so lucky to have 3 Grandpa's and a Grandma left to love and spoil them.

I was in a very sentimental, shabby chic kind of mood when I created this layout...

and I couldn't wait to break out this Basic Grey Kissing Booth paper!

Love these gorgeous flowers from Petaloo but I only had two left :(  Rummaged around in my ribbon until it struck me that I could make my own. Can you guess which one is mine? (answer at bottom of post)



There are bits from so many companies on here! You should have seen my table when I was finished :)

My love affair with Thickers will never end :)

That little green flower is a hitchhiker! I just noticed him as I was typing this.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper, stickers: Basic Grey; letter stickers: American Crafts; flowers: Petaloo, K & Co., Maya Road, Prima; stick pins: Maya Road; gem flourishes: Zva Creative; pearls: Doodlebug; punch: Fiskars; doilies: Martha Stewart; ink: Ranger; acrylic stamp: Glitz Designs; adhesive: 3L, Scotch; misc: vintage buttons and trims.

*The top flower on the lower left of the page is mine*

I have a couple of more layouts to share but you'll have to wait until my guest spot on the Little Yellow Bicycle blog and the reveal of the Scrap Room's August kit, to see the rest...so stay tuned :}}



Splash!

I just love going through all my photos of the kids when they were little. Such sweet little faces :) Matthew was 8 months in these photos and it was his 1st time in a swimming pool. Aunt Linda & Uncle Vere were (and still are) kind enough to let the Hallgren family use their pool. Daddy got to be the pool buddy since Mommy doesn't really like cold water...in my book anything under 100 degrees is cold!

Used "Splash" from Echo Park. I knew I had some pictures in a box somewhere that would be perfect with this line :)

I've decided I really stink at faux stitching and need to stick to sewing! Anyone have any tricks up their sleeve?

This line came with a great sticker sheet. Popped some of the stickers and layered them.

Love the splash flourish! I actually tore it by accident and solved my blooper by tucking it under the photos and paper strips.

Googly eyes :)

Just looking at this layout makes me happy, with it's bright cheerful colors and silly fishes.

So excited!!! Tomorrow I'm leaving for a 3 day scrapbooking retreat :) Three glorious days of scrapping, eating, and socializing...not necessarily in that order. Off to try and pack my scraproom, how did I acquire so much stuff? I always say I'm not going to take so much but when I try to pack, my mind says "What if I need that?" and "What if I want to stamp and emboss!". My efforts to make kits always results in me changing my mind and wanting what I don't have.

I guess I'll have to endure those looks of disbelief as I drag in half my scraproom. The bonus to everyone else is that I share my tools and scraps... sometimes even embellies :}  Have a good weekend, I'll report back on Monday!

Once Upon a Time There Was a Princess

I knew when I laid eyes on this collection by Pebbles that I wanted to do a layout about my daughter when she was a baby. She was a little baldy until she was nearly 3 years old. I had an entire drawer full of hair pretties that I couldn't wait to use but she had other ideas :( She wouldn't wear any of them, ripped those headbands right off! When she finally had hair she wouldn't even let me use a barrette, no pony tails, nada! Anyway I digress...

She loved this baby doll. This photo of her looking at her in amazement is one of my favorites.

Isn't that little crown precious...if I couldn't get her to wear something on her head in real life, I'll do it in a layout!

The little 3D stickers are so sweet, they remind me of the parks you see surrounding castles.

Went with the storybook format for my journaling :)

I managed to accomplish nada yesterday :( Baked a cake and did a little cleaning. This heat is really taking it out of me. I have to say I'm really looking forward to Fall. Going to a 3 day scrapbooking retreat at the end of the week and have to get ready or nothing will get accomplished. Well...except a lot of visiting and eating :)

In a Flash thinking*through*design {Out for Publication!}

Our assignment for thinking*through*design this week was to use calendars on our layouts. A concept that stumped me for a minute. As I sat looking through photos it struck me how quickly time has passed since the kids were born...and that's when this idea struck me.



 A quick shuffle through my keepsake drawer yielded some old pocket calendars. A grid design seemed a logical choice and fit my linear personality :) My little used 2x2 square punch got a workout. Then I spent a good amount of time searching for this doily like cut in my Cricut cartridge stash. Finally found it in the Straight from the Nest cartridge! It seemed to coordinate well with the pattern in one of the papers from Echo Park. The little camera is on the Going Places cartridge.

Placing the inner square on an angle gave it an element of surprise, it seemed so boring all straight and narrow :)

Tried to use a variety of photos from when they were babies to now to represent the passage of time.

See the little calendars

Yummy Thickers :)

Used photos from my leftovers, the ones I printed and didn't use or extras of ones I already scrapped. A great way to use up all those extra photos, a tip I learned from Stacey Julian.

Pop on over to thinking*through*design to check out the other inspiring layouts ans then create your own layout using calendars!

I'm totally jealous of all the gals on their way to Chicago for CHA :} It's always been my dream to walk the floors  and peruse all the new goodies and meet all my scrapping idols. I know...I'm a goober or stalker as my kids would say! Plus I only live 2 1/2 hours from Chicago!

Off to try to do some scrapping. We have yet another day of 90 degree weather in store and I'm sure the kids will be begging to go to the lake. How can I resist ?!

Cards with Pebbles Sunnyside *The ScrapRoom*

The July Doubleshot Kit from The Scraproom included the Sunnyside line from Pebbles and Summer Fresh from Simple Stories. After completing 2 layouts I decided to make as many cards As I could from the leftovers. Here are the results!

Went simple and elegant with the first one.

Feelin' the banner trend right now :)

A little punch magic...

A little birdie told me :)

and my personal favorite! Look... I actually stamped! Colored him in with pencil I don't have any of those fancy markers :)

A closeup of his cuteness :)

One more layout to share using the Sunnyside Doubleshot Kit and then moving on to use up the Summer Fresh goodness. Hoping to "kill" my first kit by the end of the month! Come on over to http://scrap-room.com/ and http://thescraproomblog.blogspot.com/  for more inspiration and check out The ScrapRoom store too!



Second day of the yard sale today. My faithful friends (Michelle & Mona) manned it all afternoon yesterday so I could pick Matthew up from U of M. He was ready to come home :) I think he'll need a week to recover! He's bruised, blistered, scratched, sunburned, mat burned and just plain sore & worn out. So is his Momma!

Girls of Summer *The ScrapRoom*

The July Doubleshot Kit from The ScrapRoom is full of summer goodness like the Summer Fresh line from Simple Stories. The sticker sheet has the most adorable icons! This layout has a "Recipe Card" along with it, available only to club members.

The chevron is cut from patterned paper and matted with red.

Love the stickers that look like washi tape!

These photos are from our annual campfire. The girls had a blast. That's Mimi doing the "Sprinkler".

Jillibean Soup letters (not included in kit).

I love the pinwheels and mason jar trend. Reminds me of my childhood and riding in the car while holding a pinwheel, watching it spin in the breeze :)

I have a friend that likes to see the journaling so these last 2 are for her :)

I still have lots of goodies left from this 1/2 of the kit so watch for more to come!

You Are Just My Type... *The ScrapRoom*

These adorable little wooden typewriters came in the July Doubleshot kit from the ScrapRoom.

I have to admit I was stumped with these little wooden embellishments at first :) Now I love how versatile they can be! They look great with a spritz of spray ink, it makes them look just like stained wood. Added some of the same Smooch ink to the cream lace to create a vintage look.

This is my niece Grace.She truly makes me happy when skies are grey. I'm really sad she won't be able to visit us this summer :(  One of the lines in the July Doubleshot kit is the Sunnyside line from Pebbles Inc. The colors were perfect for these photos and aren't those butterflies stinkin' cute!

Hand stitched the scalloped border

Jillibean Soup journaling sprouts

Stay tuned for more projects from the July Doubleshot kit and pop on over to The ScrapRoom http://scrap-room.com/ and check out the other kits and the ScrapRoom Blog http://thescraproomblog.blogspot.com/ to see more amazing projects created by the design team. Thanks for visiting :)

Sweet Hugs

We were always catching Elisa and Matthew hugging when they were little. They played dress up and even got married a couple of times :) Now they are independent teenagers and have different agendas. Like many of my pictorial memories, I only had 2 photos to work with. The colors in this paper from Pebbles were perfect!

The white background really lets the photos be the focus.

What would I do without the Storybook Cricut cartridge? I've used this frame so many times and never get tired of it!

Used my trusty flower and circle punches once again. I'm really in a confetti phase right now :)

We delivered Matthew safely to U of M for wrestling camp yesterday, after driving around Ann Arbor for an hour trying to find our way to the field house. Annoying detours!!! He wasn't very happy that he couldn't room with his buddies but apparently  he dragged his stuff to their room anyway. Wow are those dorm rooms small! I guess you forget how small they are when you get older :) A quick text at bedtime asking "Are you having fun?" was answered with "A lot!". I can only imagine the trouble a bunch of 10 through 15 year old boys can get into...sorry for the counselors. Back again on Thursday to pick him up. It sure is quiet around here without him.

Busy day ahead. Appointments and garage sale stuff to gather up. Still no rain in our neck of the woods and none in the forecast :( Those with too much please send some our way!

Party for 2

My daughter is such a pill! Her ability to be silly and mature at the same time is so endearing. She brought this abandoned pinata home from school one day. A week or so later she finished it and I asked her what she was going to do with it. "Hit it Mom" she said, in that "Duh" Mom voice :) The next time her friend Emily came over she asked if they could walk to the store to buy candy. They returned, filled the pinata, proceeded to hang it from the swing set and ...well the rest is obvious. It only took a few whacks and it was over. They picked up the candy and had a sugar fest :)

I wasn't sure how to scrap a pinata whacking without a party ... then this title came to me.

The balloons from the Echo Park Hello Summer collection were a perfect party icon.

Used some brads to hang twine for the banner stickers.

The title was cut from the "Birthday Bash" cartridge and then covered with Glossy Accents.

I love the bright happy prints in this collection. Right up my alley :)

Another day of 100 degree weather in our forecast. I can't remember a hotter or dryer summer! My plants are suffering and there isn't going to be much of a harvest from the vegetable garden. Only the tomatoes and peppers are doing well :( The weeds are definitely winning.

Mimi and I are going to brave a trip to the mall for necessities. Have a great day and try to stay cool!

Summer Fun!

Last weekend we celebrated the 4th of July with family at Shafer Lake. Our annual barbecue at Mike & Jill's was a blast as always :) Mimi brought Kendall and Olivia along for the fun. Of course I was busy with the camera and took about 300 photos! Here are a few of the highlights...

 They are so beautiful.

First they did a little tubing.

Look at that expression!

Then some swimming.

and jumping (with several outtakes to get it just right).

A little game of beanbag toss.

Check out that form ;)

On to a game of barefoot soccer using a volleyball.

Get out of my way she says :)

Cousin Lindsey waiting for a pass.

Then there was the accidental "booby" grab, they were both pretty embarrassed :)

Love this photo of Kendall that I took looking down from the deck.

I haven't mastered the art of nightime photography, it doesn't help that I keep forgetting my tripod.

We ended our night watching the boat parade at dusk, eating ice cream sundaes and watching fireworks...a perfect ending to a perfect day! You may have noticed Matthew is missing in these photos. He was off with the "older" kids, playing games and texting, too cool for all the silly antics. Oh...and soccer isn't his game :}

Hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July!