My Fabulous Digi Blog

FEBRUARY!

2010-02-01T14:09:00.002-06:00

Good Monday Morning!

It's the first, and that means it's time for a NEW desktop wallpaper. I chose Shabby Princess (can you ever go wrong with Shabby Princess??? I think NOT!) and if you like this one, you can get yours HERE (click here).

Enjoy!

That's it for today, I am BUSY BUSY BUSY with my "Monday Morning Office Chaos" - hehe...

Thanks for stopping by!

Daydreaming about summer...

2010-01-27T21:58:00.004-06:00

*SIGH*

I miss summer...

We are having a cold snap here, so I thought I'd scrap a page from summer, hehe...

I've been fooling around in Photoshop, trying to teach myself how to make templates - I am OBSESSED with templates these days, and I wanted to try my hand at it. Lets just say there is a learning curve and leave it at that! But I *did* manage to make a few, and I am getting faster at it, so that's a good thing! I'm hoping this will be a skill that will help my scrapbooking evolve a bit!

Page Credits: One Love Charity Kit from Scrap Orchard; 2Peas Architect font; Template by ME;

One Love - Help for Haiti

2010-01-23T07:58:00.006-06:00

Happy Saturday! We are off and running with basketball, but I wanted to pop in and share this FABULOUS charity collab kit (in case you are like me and shop for digi kits on Saturdays hehe) from Scrap Orchard. (images are linked up)

“One love refers to the universal love and respect expressed by all people for all people, regardless of race, creed, or color.”

Forty-eight designers from around the community have joined together to bring you this incredible kit with the common purpose of raising funds for Haitian aid and relief. Our theme, “One Love”, symbolizes not only our heartfelt effort to help the people of Haiti, but also encompasses the diverse styles of all the designers involved in this project. This kit represents the diversity of our community and shows that even though we are all different, when we come together the result is truly spectacular.

The proceeds from the sale of this kit will be donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. We chose the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund not only because it embodies the spirit of One Love, but also because 100% of the donations will go to the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti and because they are working to provide both immediate relief and long-term support to the earthquake survivors.

This product is only available for a limited time.

Please give back and help give hope to the people of Haiti. How much better can it get when you receive such an amazing kit in return?! I’m so grateful to have been able to contribute to this collaboration!

This beautiful kit includes 114 papers, 356 elements, 3 alphabets, 6 page templates and 1 hybrid template and 16- 12 in. x 12 in. .png quick pages.

Have a great Saturday - thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Eve...

2010-01-22T15:19:00.004-06:00

I *did not* forget about my Christmas album, hehe...

Every year, I am so excited to scrap my Christmas photos and capture the season, but then January rolls around, (and I finally have some PHOTOS to scrap) and hey, guess what? I'm sick of Christmas! LOL! This happenes every year - we tear down our trees and put everything away the first chance we get after New Year's Day, and by then I am SO OVER CHRISTMAS!

But I'm determined to get my album done this time. I might even get the 2008 album done, hehe...

Page Credits: Checkin' it Twice kit by Dani Mogstad of Sweet Shoppe Designs, Template by Connie Prince; Font is CK Ali's Hand;

My Sweet Girl...

2010-01-21T15:38:00.003-06:00

Another completed page from my scrapbooking weekend...

I love these portraits of Miss Maddie so I just had to scrap them! I found the *perfect* kit to compliment her outfit, hehe - I LOVE when that happens!

Page Credits: Sugar High Kit by ScrapKitchen & Lauren Grier at Sweet Shoppe Designs; Template by Cindy Schneider at Peppermint Creative; Font is Every Time I Miss You;

Back in the saddle...

2010-01-19T15:37:00.003-06:00

WELL - I need to shake the dust off this blog! Life just never seems to slow down (except after 8pm when I am not motivated to do ANYTHING, hehe...) and January has been just as busy as December was!

I had a weekend escape to a scrapbooking retreat at the beginning of the month, so I have some pages to share:

YES, we are *those people* and we have a birthday party for our dog! She is part of the family, after all, and the older she gets, the more we cherish these little traditions with her. She was celebrating her 12th birthday here, and of course we had to have a family photo-op!

Page Credits: An Affair to Remember kit by Shabby Princess; Page Template (random freebie, sorry I don't have the source); Everytime I Miss You font;

Christmas Cards!

2009-12-05T06:15:00.001-06:00

I put my 2009 cards in the mail yesterday - WHOOHOO! I am happy to be checking that off my list so early in the season! I am usually a December 15 or later card sender outer, lol...

TODAY - we are off and running! The basketball season has begun! Maddie has 2 games today, and just about every Saturday from now until mid-February. Add little brother with Saturday practices into the mix, and we will be running in all different directions for awhile, lol.

TOMORROW, the kids have their final Black Belt testing for Tae Kwon Do. What a journey that has been! Starting in January, we will step back from that a bit, and try to just focus on one sport, but until then, it's double duty trying to squeeze everything in!

Page Credits: Page template by Bree Clarkson, Holly Jolly kit by Kristin Cronin-Barrow of Sweetshoppe Designs; Font is CK Corral

Thanks so much for stopping by - I hope you have a FAB weekend!

Advent Calendars!

2009-12-03T06:25:00.001-06:00

It's December, so it's time for Advent calendars! We opened ours on Tuesday night - the kids love getting a bite of chocolate each night after dinner! Of course the dog had to get into the photo too. She is not "floating" in mid-air there, I cropped out Dad's arm, holding her in place, lol.

I picked up these Advent calendars at Target, but I am *really wishing* I had known about these VERY COOL LEGO advent calendars! How cool are those??? I am making a note in my calendar for next September/October to pick these up for the kids - SO FUN!

Page Credits: Little Joys kit by Zoe Pearn of Sweetshoppe Designs; Font is CK Ali's Hand;

Holidazzle 2009!

2009-12-02T06:30:00.001-06:00

Happy Wednesday to you!

I am off and running this morning, work-work-work! But I did want to share this page I worked on last night. Last year, we missed the Holidazzle Parade because we just ended up getting too busy, so this year, I was determined to go early in the season! We were actually there on the first night! (Mental Note: The first night plus warm weather equals a BIG CROWD!)

I took a TON of photos that didn't turn out, but I managed to get a few that weren't a blur! I forgot to get a family shot - BAD PHOTOGRAPHER! Bullseye (the Target mascot, and YES she is a real dog!) was the Grand Marshall - so cute! Of course everyone cheered for the Joe Mauer snowman, too!

Page Credits: Jolly Holiday kit by Weeds & Wildflowers; Font is CK Ali's Hand;

December Desktop

2009-12-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

How did it get to be December already??? Is it just me, or did 2009 totally FLY BY? Christmas will be here before we know it - you know how fast December always is!

Here is my December desktop, compliments of Shabby Princess. (You can get yours HERE) I am so happy with the pictures we got from our mini holiday portrait session, I decided to just plug those in. Still waiting for my prints, tap tap tap...hopefully they will be here today!

Thanks for stopping by - have a happy Tuesday!

Holiday Photo Shoot

2009-11-30T16:23:00.004-06:00

Well the long weekend is over, and it was back to the grind today! I can't believe it will be DECEMBER tomorrow! Aaaack! Have you started your Christmas shopping yet??? I am plugging away at it, lol...

I am still working on my Christmas scrapbook project - here is just a quick little page to document our holiday portrait session that we did a few weeks ago. I am patiently waiting for my prints to arrive! Tap tap tap...lol!

Page Credits: Checkin' it Twice kit by Dani Mogstad at Sweetshoppe; template by Janet Phillips; Font is CK Ali's Hand

I hope you had a FAB Monday - thanks for stopping by!

Step into Christmas!

2009-11-27T15:43:00.003-06:00

The bird has been cooked and we are in our "turkey hangover" - LOL! But it's now time to step into Christmas mode - it will be here before we know it!

Rather than making a December Daily album (since I have yet to complete mine from last year, hehe) I am going to do a digital version. Since I have learned that I cannot commit to anything on a daily basis, I will put in the highlights and take the pressure off from frantically trying to come up with something for every day.

I am also not waiting until December! LOL! I'm doing it MY WAY (sing it with me...)

Speaking of SONGS, here is my Christmas 2009 playlist. The last several years, I've done a playlist for myself and the kids. I am addicted to Christmas music!

Page Credits: Happiest Season on Earth kit by Brittish Designs at Scrap Matters; Red/White alpha from Jolly Holiday kit by Weeds & Wildflowers, Font is CK Ali's Hand

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T11:58:00.002-06:00

I hope you are enjoying a relaxing day filled wtih family and good times!

Page Credits: Softly Falling kit from Dani Mostad at Sweetshoppe

Digi Dare #156 - Daughtry at the Cabooze

2009-11-24T17:45:00.006-06:00

This is my *very first* Digi Dare! I've been following along for awhile, mainly for inspiration, but since it's the 3 year anniversary, and they are offering a fab freebie - I just had to play along! It was HARD! LOL! I am not used to scrapping with "rules"!

This page is from this past August when we we saw Daughtry perform at The Cabooze in Minneapolis. We were packed in there like sardines, and it was wall to wall people! It was HOT, and I remember I had on these cute little sandals and Rod said, "Ummm...you need SHOES!" I am SO GLAD I changed! My little toes would have been crushed in the mob!

Page Credits: For Melissa Collab kit from Scrapbook Graphics, Crinklebet Alpha by Zoe Pearn, CK Regal font

My baby girl is growin' up!

2009-10-21T16:04:00.003-05:00

At some point (when I wasn't paying attention) my baby girl went and grew up on me and now I have this MIDDLE SCHOOLER to contend with! I am preparing for the worst, but so far, I've only noticed positive changes (knock on wood!) taking place.

It was a big change to switch to the Middle School - there are combination locks on the lockers, new teachers and classes, and a whole new schedule, but she has adapted beautifully and is looking forward to a fun year!

I had to scrap this first day photo, since we were out of sight of the bus stop (where people might see - the HORROR!) I got a little cooperation in front of the camera, hehe...

Page Credits: Template by Janet Phillips, Studyhall kit by Krystal Hartley, font is CK Stenography.

Wimpy Kid!

2009-10-18T10:47:00.004-05:00

Well as usual, the month is flying right by! I've been finding time here and there for some scrapping, so here is a page to share...

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of Wyatt as he was reading - I surprised him with the new Wimpy Kid book and he immediately dropped everything to just sit and read. He tuned everyone and everything out, hehe...(I did manage to get his attention for a photo though!)

Page Credits: Template by Janet Phillips, It's Elementary kit by Dani Mogstad, Deconstructed alpha by Robin Carlton, font is CK Stenography

Flippin' the page...

2009-10-02T08:43:00.003-05:00

...to OCTOBER!

OMWORD - how did we get to October already??? We're having cool, rainy and wet weather here in MN. I put the fireplace on last night, and have dug some sweaters out of the storage bins. Ahhhh...I love the change of seasons! (Although I prefer a gradual change, and not this 30 degree temp swing like we did this year!)

I have my October desktop all ready to go - photo of my little spooks from last Halloween, I love this photo! You can get your own copy of this desktop HERE, at the Girl Talk blog.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by, have a FAB FRIDAY!!!

Girlfriends...

2009-09-29T20:11:00.005-05:00

WHOA!

Guess I need to dust off the ol' blogger, eh?

Life has been busy - but I'm getting back into the swing of things I think. (I HOPE!) The month of September has flashed by in a blur of back to school chaos, work, and life! I did manage to sneak away over the 19th to a very special girls' weekend. We get together twice a year, usually later in the fall, and again in spring, but this time around, we bumped it up to accomodate our dear friend Candy (pictured front and center below) who has been bravely battling liver cancer. Without going into too much detail, her outlook at this point is very grim, and we are all gathering around her as much as we can these days.

Since our group photos usually are with drinks in hand (and often there is food or appetizers in front of us too, lol), we were looking for something a little more "formal" or "frameable" as I like to say...So I took my gear with me, and we did a little mini photo shoot.

I had to whip up a girlfriends story board - the girls all gave me the "are you crazy?" stares when I said I wanted a photo of our hands. LOL. I insisted, and of course now they think I am BRILLIANT hehe...

We all wanted individual photos with Candy too, and I loved how they turned out! I just had to whip up another storyboard...

This last weekend, I scrapped like a MANIAC, and did even more today, so I'll be back soon to share those pages!

Thanks for stopping by!

Refreshed and Renewed!

2009-08-20T10:22:00.004-05:00

...And now, just trying to catch up!

Last weekend I was blessed to spend a wonderful 4 days with friends (Shistahs!) from around the country at a Retreat in Wisconsin. Ahhhh...it was BLISS! I am lucky to call each of these ladies a dear friend. This was our 4th annual retreat, and number 5 is already on the books for 2010! I would not miss it for the world! There are organized classes, as well as time to work on individual projects, and even some impromptu things going on. The "planning committee" always does a FABULOUS job, and there is a ton of fun and laughs all weekend! It is all topped off by wonderful home cookin' by our own personal Chef HB! YUMMA!

These photos just make me smile! I had to scrap them!

Hope you are having a FABULOUS WEEK! I will be back soon with more to share! Thanks for stopping by!

The road to a friend's house...

2009-08-04T08:56:00.003-05:00

HEY THERE HEY THERE!

Just sharing a quick card today, and then I am forced to actually "do my job" - BLAH! It is August, and my allergies and sinus have turned against me. My eyes are red and watery and I am sneezing like crazy and avoiding the outdoors. Something about turning the calendar page from July to August always brings this on, lol. Thank goodness for Sudafed 12 Hour! (Although I don't care for that icky "out of it" feeling, it's MUCHO better than the watery eyes and sneezing!)

Card Credits: CS from Stampin' Up!; Stamps from Stamping Bella, PaperTrey Ink (polka dots) and a*Muse (sentiment); Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by!

CRIKEY! It's AUGUST!

2009-08-01T07:15:00.003-05:00

HOLY MOLY! This summer is FLYING BY! Aaaack!

I just looked at our August calendar, and it is JAM PACKED! I have no idea where we will fit the whole "getting organized for back to school" stuff into the mix...

Just popping in to say HAPPY SATURDAY! We are off and running this morning, and the Saturday chores are on the agenda. BLAH! I'll have to think of something fun to do as a reward if we plow through all of the chores!

Here is a fresh new August Desktop, free from Shabby Princess (click here to get yours) using her brand new kit Giggle Box - love the fresh fun color scheme!

Thanks for dropping by - have a great weekend!

FREEBIE ALERT!

2009-07-31T08:04:00.004-05:00

Here is a STEAL of a DEAL to start your Friday off right!

The "Hawt Mamas" are celebrating Traci's birthday this week - I fell right off my chair when I saw these templates!

Grab them here...

(Be sure to check out the main page of the blog, as there is another freebie today!)

Check out Traci's store at Sweet Shoppe Designs - she has a TON of cute stuff!

Just Saying Hello...

2009-07-30T09:27:00.006-05:00

PHEW! This week is getting away from me!

The kids have been busy with VBS, and that makes for a much shorter work-day for Mom, plus add in some dental visits and just the regular chaos, and I haven't had a moment to spare all week! ZERO creative time, but I hope to get back on track this weekend!

Just a quick share today, and then back to the "salt mines" for me, haha!

Card Credits: Stamps - "Pete" from WhipperSnapper, sentiment from aMuse; DP by Basic Grey; CS & linen thread by Stampin Up! Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping in! I hope your week is fabulous so far!

Monday Monday...

2009-07-27T09:37:00.004-05:00

Well it is BACK to the rat race after a relaxing weekend!

I had a chance to meet a friend for some stampin' on Saturday - way fun! I'll be sure to share my finished cards this week! I also snagged the new QuicKutz Epic Six machine - LOVE! I have an old old old Sizzix machine, which has served me very well, but it was time to upgrade to something that could accomodate all of the newer big dies that are out on the market these days!

Card Credits: Flower Frenzy & Polka Dot Basics stamp sets (PaperTrey Ink); CS & inks are from Stampin' Up!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great Monday!

Happy FRIDAY!

2009-07-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

WHOHOO! It's FRIDAY!

Just a quick page share today and I am off and running! I am taking the afternoon off to visit a friend, so I have to FOCUS, lol.

This is Mad celebrating her 11th birthday this past March. Just a QP (Quick Page) from the Flower Patch QP Album that I picked up from Melissa Bennett's store at Sweet Shoppe Designs. I like these QPs for quick and easy scrappin' - just drag your photos on, resize, and tuck them behind the photo openings. Slap on your journaling text and you are done! EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY as my friend Bethie would say!

That's all I have for today! Thanks for stopping in, have a FAB FRIDAY!

Remember Me & Dad

2009-07-23T07:15:00.001-05:00

We are almost to Friday, people! Man the weeks are just flying by this summer! Yesterday, I picked up a few SCHOOL SUPPLIES on my way home from my lunch date. Usually, I wait until the last minute and everything is picked over! I still have to go back for more, but I got the basics - markers, colored pencils, crayons, folders and notebooks. Don't you just LOVE school supplies? I stocked up on extra markers and etc NOW while everything is so cheap! We always need that stuff, so it's nice to just have it on hand.

It's almost August, and that means almost time for sweet corn! This time of year always reminds me of Dad, because sweet corn was a BIG favorite of his. (Well who doesn't like sweet corn???) I had this snapshot (Mom and I scanned a quite a few photos of Dad, shortly after he died) of us sitting together, eating corn on the cob. Look how teeny I was! I remember being *so excited* that my Daddy was home to play with me, lol. Even though I had already eaten, Mom said I insisted on being RIGHT THERE by Dad.

Happy memories...:)

Page Credits: Happy Go Lucky (free) kit by Shabby Princess, Notepaper from Smell My Feet kit by Shabby Princess, Alpha (recolored) from Bare Essentials kit by Traci Reed, Font is Georgia.

Did you notice my mom's swanky toaster cover? LOL! I need to phone her and tease her abouta that one, haha...

Thanks for stopping by - have a FABULOUS Thursday!

Life's a Beach!

2009-07-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday, and I feel BEACHY! :)

Okay, not really, lol. But I have a fun lunch date today, and totally feel like GOOFING OFF. Unfortunately, work is calling my name...*sigh*

So here is just a quick card - Yes, I am *still* using up this beachy striped paper from BoBunny! (Did I tell you that I bought another whole sheet of it???) I am back to this surfboard mouse (Whipper Snapper) - I needed to move away from the blues and greens, and make a girly PINK surfer mouse, lol.

I have a pile of cards on my stamp table, and need to get rolling with sending out some snail mail! Thanks for stopping by - the week is flying by, it will be FRIDAY before we know it! YAY!

More from the Big Kahuna

2009-07-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I know I know, you are sick of the Big Kahuna!

Well TOUGH, because I love this little surfin' mouse, lol...and of course, I am still in my coloring mode too. :)

I feel like I am *finally* getting the hang of these Copic markers. The trick is to buy LOTS of markers! *snort* Seriously though, you do need at least 2 shades of each color for any detailed blending. I am just learning by trial and error basically. (I just took the trash out, otherwise I would show you all my errors crumpled up in the waste basket, lol.) I have gotten pretty good results with layering single color markers ON TOP of themselves (does that make sense? I mean by applying a SECOND layer on top of the first...) but I feel like I have much more freedom by having a few varying shades to work with. I also am getting the hang of the blending pen, for moving the color around and, well, blending!

Blah blah blah - what I mean is: GO OUT AND BUY MORE COPICS! You *need* a variety!

I coordinated these surfers with papers from Basic Grey Lime Rickey collection. I think Basic Grey is my favorite paper line EVER, lol. I always say NO. I DO NOT NEED any more papers from Basic Grey. But I end up buying them anyway. Don't judge me!

Thanks for stopping by (I think I am breaking a record for blogging this month!) - I hope your week is turning out fabulous so far!

Making Faces!

2009-07-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ha ha!

I *am* making faces this morning, because it is MONDAY, and that means BACK TO WORK!

BLAH!

I did get some scrapping done on the weekend (it feels so good to be making time for creativity!) and have another page to share. These photos of my nephew Noah really make me smile. He has SUCH a personality already! These were snapped all in succession at the park while visiting "Grandma Shoes" (lol, that is how he says Grandma Sue haha). We were wondering how we would get him to come down from the slides, when he suddenly hopped in the stroller and was ready to go. Well, we figured out as we were walking home that he heard the TRAIN coming, and wanted to see it, lol. I snapped these pics of his funny faces while we were getting organized to head back to Grandma's house.

Page Credits: QP by Ellie Lash, Deconstructed Alpha from Robin Carlton of Sweet Shoppe Designs, Font is Georgia

I hope your week is starting off on a good note! Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Fun...

2009-07-19T00:11:00.004-05:00

Just a quick page share today...

Right before the 4th, we were able to spend a few days at Grandma's and enjoy some "cousin time". These girls have such a good time - it's a shame they are seperated by so many miles! BUT, luckily, this is the electronic age, and they can keep up via email, lol! I wanted to scrap these fun pictures from the park, the girls were just having a good time and hanging out together - lots of girly chit-chat and giggles!

Page Credits: Candy Sunshine kit and template by Sugar Plum Paperie of The Digi Chick, font is Love Ya Like a Sister

Thanks for stopping by, have a FAB Sunday!

Rest. Relax. Renew.

2009-07-18T12:58:00.004-05:00

Ahhh...I just *love* the weekend, don't you?

My company is gone, and it is way too chilly here in MN to float on an innertube, so I spent some time messy-ing up the stamp table again. As you can see, I am still into the chicks (from WhipperSnapper) and the beachy striped paper (from BoBunny)! LOL! It is so good to be stamping again!

I think it will be a pretty quiet weekend, I plan to just relax and enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

The Big Kahuna...

2009-07-15T14:49:00.003-05:00

Well, COMPANY is coming, so I had to clear a path thru my messy stamp space! I had to color this li'l surfin' mouse just one more time before I put the markers away. Isn't he just your favorite?

This is another tabbed card - I found *another* beachy striped paper that I like! (And I also bought another sheet of the one I was using last week, lol...don't judge me!) Both of these lines are from BoBunny and have several coordinating patterns, all double sided, so more bang for your buck!

They are *practically free*!!!

This project did not begin as a tabbed card, it began as just a regular card, HOWEVER, I dropped the inky sentiment stamp and SMUDGED the front of the card. GRRRR! After some PG-13 language, I regrouped, cut the end off, and added a tab, lol...

Crisis averted!

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you are having a FAB week!

Mmmm...Fresh berries!

2009-07-13T20:03:00.004-05:00

Don't they just make your mouth water?

We were planning to go to the beach after Church yesterday, but it wasn't as warm as we hoped, so we moved on to "Plan B" and zipped over to a local orchard/farm and picked berries instead! (What a FAB idea that was!) It did turn out to be a pretty nice day, and it was perfect for berry pickin'! We came home happy, with berry stained fingers and *maybe* a smidge of a tummy ache from eating too many berries, lol.

Can you believe I only snapped THREE photos? I didn't even bring the big camera, and I'm glad, because berry picking is back breaking labor, lol. Anyhow, since I only snapped three, I figured I could get them scrapped right away!

Page Credits: Strawberry Kisses kit by Tracie Stroud of Scrap Matters, template (no longer available) by Janet Phillips, Font is Love Ya Like a Sister.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had a great day!

Her favorite perch...

2009-07-12T18:48:00.003-05:00

...awww! Isn't this the cutest dog ever? LOL!

I had this snapshot of her (well, I have about *NINE HUNDRED* snapshots like this, snort), and I thought I should really journal about how we often find our dog perched on the back of this recliner. It's an excellent vantage point, she can see nearly the entire 1st floor, has a good view of the front door, and she can easily see what's happening in the neighborhood through the large bay of windows in the family room. If she doesn't greet us at the door, this is where we find her - usually with a guilty look for *not* greeting us at the door, haha!

Page Credits: Blossom kit from Kristin Cronin-Barrow of Sweet Shoppe Designs, Font is Lesli Thick Not Fat.

I hope you had a fabulous weekend! We were busy, so I managed to neglect all of my Saturday chores, hehe...I will have to fit that into my busy work-week, but that's okay! Summer is flying by, and I can do housework when it's cold out, right??? I know you are with me on this one!

Some recent photography...

2009-07-10T18:51:00.009-05:00

Right before the 4th, I took the opportunity to take a few days off from the ol' work grind and the kids and I headed up to hang with Grandma. My brother and 2 of his 3 kiddos were able to join us, and the cousins had a good ol' time playing and hanging out. My goal was to get some (what I call) "frame-worthy" portraits of the kids. I need the camera practice, and Grandma loves prints of the Grandkids, so it is win/win!

Well...it has been awhile since I had a 2 year old, lol. I managed to capture a BUNCH of frame-worthy shots of the BACK of Noah's head, lol. Something about me and my camera, he just ran the other way, haha! I do love this photo anyway, and it is totally frame-worthy, even though it was captured with my li'l ol' point & shoot camera.

When you are 2, you are in charge, haha! I did manage to capture his happy smile and sparkly blue eyes!

I did catch this pretty one of Brianna...this was taken at Phelps Mill, on the bridge.

And a few more from Phelps Mill.

Brianna with Daddy...

I call this one, "Noah being Noah" - lol. If it weren't for Dad's tight grip, he wouldn't even be in the shot, haha...

Grandma with the kids, on the bridge...

And the Mill...

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a FAB weekend!

Chicks in green innertubes!

2009-07-09T19:56:00.003-05:00

...for lack of a better title, lol...

I am still in stamping (and coloring!) mode. And I have all these bright paper scraps laying on my table, so I figured I may as well use 'em up!

This is another folder card...I rounded the corners for a different look.

...and here is the inside...bright and stripey!

And lastly, here is just a tabbed card. Would you believe I still have *more* of this striped paper left? 1 12x12 sheet goes a long way, lol...

This was a double-sided heavier weight paper, stripes on one side and the polka dots on the other. I like the coordinated look of them together!

Thanks for checking in!

More creative time for me...

2009-07-08T19:58:00.004-05:00

...it's summer and I am taking the time to be creative! I'd love to make time for it every day, we'll see how that goes - usually work and life get in the way!

I am really enjoying getting inky again these last few days! There is something theraputic about coloring in line images - I guess I always liked to color. Was there ever anything better than a fresh box of crayons?

I've been playing with some bright and summery papers that have been out on my table - I love how bright and fun these papers are! I'm pairing them up with some images from Whipper Snapper, colored in with Copic markers.

This surfboard mouse is fast becoming a favorite! Don't you want to drop everything and race to the beach???

I hope to get some scrapping in this week too, my photos are calling to me - they need some attention, lol!

Thanks for stopping by!

Project of the Day

2009-07-07T20:59:00.010-05:00

YIPPEE LEPINSKI I stamped!

So I am in this online group, and we have been featuring a "Project of the Day Classroom" - I haven't had much time to play, but this project was just too cute to pass up!

Detailed instructions can be found at my friend Lana's blog (click here).

I love these cute little folders - just perfect for tucking a little note and a treat inside! Super easy to whip out a handful of these, and you are all set for sending out some snail mail smiles, or dropping on a friend's desk at work...

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T17:30:00.005-05:00

Well, the bathrooms are still dirty, lol...

We did a little impromptu Father's Day Photo Shoot this afternoon. Can you believe that this wasn't even my idea?

I KNOW!

But I was so happy to have some willing peeps in front of the camera (that makes 2 days in a row people!) There was yummy overcast light coming in through the windows and I think these turned out pretty well! I get so happy when I don't have to spend hours fixing all my exposure mistakes, haha...

I had to whip up a Father's Day storyboard to showcase my favorite shots...

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Saturday Sunshine...

2009-06-20T16:54:00.005-05:00

Ahhhh...don't you just *love* Saturday?

I should be cleaning the bathrooms, but instead, I'm practicing photography, lol!

The kids and I spend the morning at a park by the lake - it's a win win, they get to play and horse around, and I get some practice with the camera!

It's a gorgeous day in MN! Here are my favorites...

Now I suppose I better get to those dirty bathrooms and the laundry - BLAH!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend!

Flower Storyboard...

2009-06-15T18:24:00.007-05:00

Just a quick share and then I am off to enjoy the evening after a busy work day!

On the weekend, I took some time to tinker around in Photoshop with storyboards - I've had this on my "to do" list for quite awhile, and I *think* I got it. Well at least I could make it work, although I'm not sure my method was terribly efficient, haha...

Since I was playing, I decided to add in all my flower photography that I've done recently...

Thanks for stopping by - have a FABULOUS evening!

Sending out snail mail...

2009-06-14T20:38:00.002-05:00

Hey there hey there!

I am *finally* feeling better after being sick with cold/sinus/allergy yucks last week. BLAH! The timing could not have been worse, with that hitting JUST as the kids were out of school for summer vacation! They were not impressed with me and my need for endless boxes of tissues and peace & quiet, haha.

And don't even ask me about my $600 brake job! Pfffffttttt! Talk about crampin' the ol' budget!

Rod and the kids headed down to visit Grandma yesterday, and I found some time to stamp! WHOOHOO! Just a few here to share...

Thanks for stopping by - hope you had a great weekend!

BUSY BUSY!

2009-06-02T12:07:00.002-05:00

We are in the HOME STRETCH for school baby! WHOOHOO! For a change, I am actually EXCITED for the kids to be out of school! Usually I'm more like: "Aaaack! Now what do I do with them???" But this waking up at 6:10am is FOR THE BIRDS! Pfffttt!

Anyway - Thursday is the last day, so I've been busy trying to get all of my office work done by Thursday this week.

Meantime, please enjoy this pretty music!

Miss You, Dad...

2009-05-28T06:15:00.003-05:00

Today is my Dad's birthday - Even though he is no longer with us, I think of him often, and miss him like CRAZY! After Dad passed away, Mom and I went through a bunch of old photos, and I scanned a few. I was so sad to realize how few photos there are of Dad. These days I am camera crazy (obviously, lol), but then, it just didn't seem as important. Make a point of getting EVERYONE in the picture! You will be glad you did, and you (and your family) will one day treasure those photos - even if they are dog-eared, over or under exposed, and sort of blurry.

I did a quick page showcasing a few of the pictures that I do have of Dad - these photos really show what he was about, growing up on the farm, his service in the Army, and hunting & fishing. A perfect birthday tribute! I can *almost* smell that pipe tobacco...

I miss you Dad!

Today, I will ignore the carbs/calories/points and get a Dairy Queen treat. You could always count on my Dad to swing in there for a treat on a hot summer day...

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you get an ice cream treat today!

Just a couple more...

2009-05-27T06:15:00.000-05:00

A few more flower photos from yesterday...

How cute is this ladybug?

Pink Gerbera...so pretty!

A couple new edits from the yellow Gerbera...

This one is my favorite!

Thanks for stopping by!

Garden Goodness...

2009-05-26T12:33:00.008-05:00

Did you have a good weekend? We got busy digging in the raised beds around the patio and planted some annuals. I *had* to get out and snap some pics this morning - good practice for me, with inanimate objects, haha!

Here are some favorites:

Gerbera Daisy

Petunia

"Fireworks" Dahlia

More Gerbera...

Another Dahlia...

More Gerbera...

Dark Horse

2009-05-21T09:39:00.001-05:00

Wow. What a finale! Big smiles here, because this was my pick for the year!

Florida Recap...

2009-05-18T20:04:00.004-05:00

Phew!

Let me just dust off the ol' blog here...YIPES! Good news - I finished up everything I needed to *before* vacation. Bad news - no time to blog, lol!

It was back to the "rat race" today, back to work - BLAH!

Here's a quick page (well I don't know how "quick" it was, lol) recapping our fun Florida vacation. The highlight was being at Kennedy Space Center for the shuttle launch! How cool is that? We didn't plan it, it just timed out to be happening during our vacation so we were lucky to snag some tickets. It was PACKED. And HOT! I don't like crowds, but it was SO WORTH IT to be there! We were quite a distance from the launch pad (had to wait until it cleared the tree line to see the shuttle) but it was still very exciting! Then we sat in the 2 hour traffic jam of "space shuttle traffic" (seriously, that's what they called it!) back to Orlando. But it was *STILL* worth it!

Page Credits: Pop Goes the World kit by Dani Mogstad at Sweet Shoppe Designs, template by Jen Caputo of Scrapbook Graphics, An Unfortunate Event font.

Other highlights included mini golf, Universal Studios (love that Simpson's ride! D'OH!), Aquatica Water Park, and a Pirate Dinner Adventure (our pirate won - YAY!) There was also plenty of swimming in the resort pools and late night hot tubbing - and you can never get enough of those tacky touristy gift shops, lol...

We are already thinking ahead to a "beachy" Florida trip for 2010!

Right now...

2009-04-23T18:55:00.004-05:00

Hey there, hey there!

It's been a busy, but productive week - lots going on, as usual, but I am keeping up, so that's a good thing!

Here's a quick page to share. I've been "e-chatting" with a group of friends and we are all feeling motivated to get back to scrapbooking. There are some exciting trends in scrapbooking, and an "anything goes" approach is just what I need to feel inspired. Paper, digital, hybrid - layout pages along side photo sleeve pages, my goal is to GET IT SCRAPPED! I hope to share more as I whip thru all my years of scrappin' and get all caught up by the weekend. Hehehe...YEAH RIGHT!

Well here is ONE page, anyhow...

Page Credits: Kraft CS and notebook paper from Weeds & Wildflowers, Papers and elements from Blossom kit by Shabby Princess, template by Jen Caputo, CK typist font.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Perfect Day!

2009-04-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

So. Today's my BIRTHDAY! I am old, haha! But I plan to have a PERFECT DAY... ;)

And here's a digi page! Ms. Mad has been saving saving saving, and last week, after raking together all of her birthday money, she had enough for her iTouch. She is one happy happy camper!

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a PERFECT DAY!

A quick page...

2009-04-13T11:53:00.003-05:00

Hey there, hey there!

Easter break is over, and we are back to the "rat race" around here! I am "lunch blogging" so just want to share a quick digi page - this is from Mad's birthday party last year (yes, 2008).

I am WAY BEHIND on my scrappin' haha...

Have a Marvy Monday - thanks for stopping by!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T11:23:00.004-05:00

Yeesh! Weeks go by and no bloggin'!

I have been itchin' to pick up the camera. UGH. It's like starting all over. Okay, NOT REALLY, I actually remember some things, but dang, this hobby is a journey!

Took the kids out yesterday - we are *finally* getting some warmer weather here in MN. The first park we went to had about 10,000 people for an Easter Egg Hunt, lol, so we had to move on to "Plan B". Add in a picnic lunch, and some playground time, and it was a perfect day! After lunch, we went to see the new Hannah Montana movie. Mad and I really wanted to see it, and when Wy said he wouldn't mind going, we RAN before he could change his mind and decide he was "too cool" for Hannah!

I hope you are enjoying a fabulous Easter with family and friends! Thanks for stopping by!

Books and TV...

2009-03-02T18:57:00.003-06:00

Hey I scrapped!

No time for chit-chat, busy busy! But I scrapped on the weekend and wanted to pop in and share my pages. (I think this is some kind of record for blogging lately, haha!)

First - a page showing my "reading list". Would you believe I have started all but two of these books? LOL. Can you say "attention deficit"??? I can't seem to get engrossed in anything besides scrapbooking mags lately. I am OBSESSED with them. Probably because I don't have much time for scrappin' these days...

Sigh.

OH - I have also added to this pile, too. Yeppers. I have a PROBLEM with Barnes & Noble, haha!

And lastly - a page showing my OTHER favorite winter hobby, watching TV! My five favorite characters currently. You think my ancestors will be interested to know that I was obsessed with Sawyer, crime dramas, and polygamy??? Hmmm...

Thanks for stopping by!

March Desktop

2009-03-01T14:25:00.004-06:00

CRIKEY!

It's MARCH already! I don't suppose I can get away with posting that "busy being fabulous" video again???

Here's my March desktop - courtesy of Shabby Princess. You can get yours by CLICKING HERE. I am using a photo from Girls Weekend, May 2007. We have our spring weekend coming up this month - something to look forward too! YAY!

Hope you are having a fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Project for a friend...

2009-02-14T14:32:00.003-06:00

Happy Saturday!

I've been neglecting the ol' blogger these days, but I wanted to pop in and share this page. This is a TOP SECRET project (SHHHHH...) that some friends have organized to send some cheer to a certain someone.

The text reads: A faithful friend is a strong defense and he that has found one has found a treasure.

February Desktop!

2009-02-01T15:49:00.004-06:00

OMWORD - it's FEBRUARY!
Aaaaack!

Just a quick post, and then I am back to enjoying my Sunday and getting ready for the BIG GAME tonight.

Here is my February Desktop - you can download this freebie at San San's Paradise blog (click here) - I am loving this smooches* kit from Scrap Orchard. Very cute for Valentines, but I can see using it for "girly" pages too. I think I will be getting this kit!

Thanks for stopping by!

Courtside at the Timberwolves...

2009-01-29T11:13:00.003-06:00

LUNCH BLOGGIN' again... :)

SO. We were gifted with courtside seats to see the Timberwolves on Sunday, and we had a fabulous night! What a treat to sit courtside!

Mad and Wy were on their very best behavior (except for Mad making the bunny ears on Wy for the photo op, lol...)

Crunch (team mascot) likes to hassle the kids (and everyone sitting courside) - he made a big deal out of posing them "just so" on the court, messed up Wyatt's hair, and then this was the first pose, lol...

OH! THERE'S Wy's face! Thumbs up, Crunch!

The best part of the night? An OVERTIME WIN for the Wolves! They had a slow start to the season, but they are HOT for January 2009! Thanks for stopping by - I hope your team is winning!

Busy being fabulous...

2009-01-26T13:14:00.005-06:00

Hehehe...(enjoy a great song, and ignore the lack of recent posts...)

Here is my February calendar page...

And here is my "new do"...

Going, going, gone...

2009-01-08T13:41:00.007-06:00

Studio Janet is closing down shop on January 15. (*insert my sad face here*) BUT - she has one final grab bag, and it's a DOOZY! If you are a fan of templates, then you have to check it out, because she has some treats in there! In addition to the templates, there is a coupon for a FREE template set, AND a coupon for 70% off!

OH - and the shop says the grab bag ended on January 6, but I just read over on Janet's blog that she is extending that until her shop closes on the 15th. YAY!

I have a list going of my *must haves* from Janet's shop...I am for sure getting one of the Fat Packs, and I also have my eye on a few other template sets.

NOW - on to the GOOD NEWS! Janet is not leaving the digi community forever (YAY!) - she is embarking on a NEW endeaver at The Daily Digi! The site launched on Jan 1 and I am already a big fan - I can't wait to see what she has in store! Right now, it is getting started with lots of tips and tricks and general information - check it out, and add it to your faves!

Are you keeping up with project 365? I've been having so much fun figuring out what to photograph each day - I need to get organized and share my pictures!

Right now - it is back to the "grind" as I am lunch blogging, haha...

Thanks for stopping by - have a great day!

January Calendar Page...

2009-01-05T06:15:00.003-06:00

Well - the tree is down, the decorations are put away, and it's back to the rat race today! I have meetings for the morning, but wanted to pop in and share page 1 of my 2009 calendar...

I originally was going to skip doing a calendar this year, as I never got around to it in December, but then I stumbled on this cute calendar kit by Dani Mogstad, and I just had to make an effort, lol. (Energy, right?) The image is linked, if you are interested in making this project. (It's not too late!) It's in 8x10 format, but I am actually printing it smaller, to hang near my desk. One cool thing - it comes with a blank calendar as well as the 2009 format. SO - you could use this for any year, and just plug in your own corresponding dates.

Here is my January page - photo taken on January 2 - I will share the rest when I get them completed!

Thanks for stopping in, have a fab Monday!

One little word...

2009-01-04T15:02:00.011-06:00

Can one little word change your life? I think it can! Ali Edwards started a tradition in her January 2007 newsletter to pick a word, one little word, to focus on for the year. A few of my blogging friends have been participating in this, and I felt inspired to do this too. We started chit-chatting about it mid-November I think? Then I got caught up in the holiday chaos of Thanksgiving and Christmas, and set it aside (sound familiar? Haha!) Well - we started chit-chatting about it again right after Christmas, so I pulled out my sticky note.

Haha - just ignore that I had frumpy on there. I decided I *do not* want to be frumpy in 2009, lol...I want to be the OPPOSITE of frumpy, so I went with ENERGY for my word. I feel more energetic already! I was so energized, that I had to scrap a page!

I also treated myself to this (with my word "energy" of course). I've been a fan of Lisa Leonard's jewelry designs for awhile, so when Ali posted about the coupon, it was a no brainer. See how energetic I am? *snort*

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? This is the first year in a long time that I haven't actually penned my resolutions down. I guess, since they are the same every year, I feel I can just remember them, haha, insert rolling eyeballs here...you know how it is:

lose weight
drink more water
go green
recycle
give up caffeine (YA RIGHT!)
exercise
get organized
yada yada yada...

Do you see how most of these require ENERGY? Hmmmm...

One thing that I do want to focus on is more scrapbooking! I want to set aside time for this every week. I might even calendar this and set up reminder alarms. I did that with balancing the checkbook and I actually do that every week since it's on my calendar. The second thing I am focusing on is photography - I need to get back to using my camera (either the P&S or the DSLR will do) more often...

Thanks for stopping by - have a fabulous Sunday!

Project 365!

2009-01-03T11:14:00.004-06:00

Jumping in...

So - the "photo a day" concept has been around for awhile, and I think that THIS YEAR, I am going to just DO IT!

And since I'm snapping all these photos, why not SCRAP THEM TOO, right??? (Image is linked to the info at the Studio Matters Blog)

I know what you're thinking! You're wondering WHERE THE HECK are those December Daily pages I promised???

LOL. I swear - I am *not* a December Daily Dud! I snapped the pics, and I jotted notes for journaling. BUT - the holidays are crazy, and I just fell right off the bandwagon! I refuse to feel bad about it! I will get my album complete (but y'all should prepare yourselves that you may not see it until NEXT December, lol...) because the pages and album are all ready to go - I just need to plop my stuff onto it.

Okay, maybe I am a dud.
I will do it.
I SWEAR!
I don't want to talk about it any more.
Don't hate me.

NEXT YEAR - my December Daily will be DIGI. I think that will be a much better fit for me!

ANYWAY - I am hoping that this Project 365 challenge will also get me scrappin' - and at the end of the year, I will have a nice fat album to show for 2009! YAY!

New Year, New Look, New Desktop!

2009-01-01T19:27:00.005-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PHEW - it's been awhile since I had a moment to breathe, never mind keeping up on the blog! Today I had some time, and wanted a "fresh and fun" new blog header, so I was tinkering around, and ended up with a whole new look, lol. (DON'T email me to ask me how I did it, because I have *NO IDEA* lol) I used Dani Mogstad's Sweet Cupcake kit and her Handstitched Alpha - links are in the sidebar. I am now on a mission to get some cute little buttons in my sidebar for archives, labels, and etc.

I wanted to share my January desktop - this is a desktop freebie from Shabby Princess - I just love her stuff! Of course you all know my best pooch, ha ha...

I have a TON to blog about, so hopefully I will be back soon!

Puppy Portrait Session

2008-12-07T06:15:00.001-06:00

Do I really need to explain myself? LOL.

Okay, okay...

I've been wanting some portraits of the dog, I needed some photography practice, and I *really* need to play with my background stand and seamless papers. SO - since my dog is 11, and as you know, that is getting into the senior citizen years in a dog's life, I thought I'd better get moving! All things considered, this went pretty well - I had the treat jar ready, and basically, just kept clicking and handing out the treats, lol. It ain't rocket science!

These were a few of my favorites!

HAD TO get one in the teacup!

Is she sticking her tongue out at me??? This one is my fave - I love the feathers!

Is it just me, or does she look really annoyed here? lol...

Have a FAB Sunday, people!

Happy Birthday Schmoopie Sue!

2008-12-06T14:14:00.009-06:00

Yep. We are *those people*.

You know the ones...they dress up their dog in little outfits, talk to her like she's a person, and then once a year, have a little birthday party and spread peanut butter on a biscuit and sing Happy Birthday.

LOL.

Our baby turned ELEVEN on December 5. I can't believe she is 11 already! It really doesn't seem that long ago that we got her - she's really part of the family (as you can see, haha!)

Being a toy poodle, she was shaking like a leaf with all the "goings on" - and she was positively QUIVERING about a dog buscuit that was slathered in peanut butter.

We made her wait until we were all done singing Happy Birthday!

And finally - here is the whole family.

I think she snapped up this buscuit in one bite!

I can't wait to scrap these pictures, and of course I have to add this in to my December Daily album! I am working on my photos today, and will be sharing my first weeks pages soon!

Thanks for stopping by - have a FAB Saturday!!!

P.S. YES we know this is a strange name for a dog. The Schmoopie part is actually an obscure Seinfeld reference (it's from the Soup Nazi episode, in case you are also a fan) and the Sue part is after my mom, lol. Don't ask...

December!

2008-12-01T06:00:00.001-06:00

OH MY GOODNESS - It's DECEMBER! Are you (like me) wondering WHERE the YEAR has disappeared to??? Aaaack! I don't even want to THINK about how fast Christmas will get here - I am NOT READY! EEEKS! We've done a lot of shopping for the kids, but NADA for the extended family yet.

It's the first, so you know that means it's time for a new desktop! Here is my December desktop - courtesy of Dianne Rigdon. I just love that it's Christmassy, but yet it still has PINK in it!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend - it is back to the "rat race" for us this week! After a long weekend, it's going to be a busy work-week, so I better get crackin'! Thanks for stopping by, and have a FAB MONDAY!

Defy Gravity!

2008-11-30T06:30:00.001-06:00

WHOOHOO - Today we are going to DEFY GRAVITY!

I first saw Wicked in July 2006, and it is *finally* back for an encore! This is such an amazing show - if you get that chance, you HAVE TO GO! HAVE TO!

We have FABULOUS SEATS, and we are off to enjoy the show!

Thanks for stopping by - have a WICKED DAY!

December Daily - The Album Pages

2008-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

WHOOHOO! I am *finally* posting my pages! I'm so excited for December to begin so I can start filling this book!

Now - before I started this project, I wondered if I would have enough "interesting" things to fill the book. I actually jotted down a quick list, and then kept adding to it. Really, this project is supposed to be about the daily stuff too, so we'll see if it turns out boring, lol!

Here is the first series of pages...

Pages 5 through 10

Pages 11 through 16

Page 11 paper bag booklet inside...

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19 - a little envelope pocket

Pages 20 through 25

Pages 26 through 31

And there you have it! I've included lots of envelopes and places to tuck in journaling or photos, and I have a few digi kits that will match my color scheme, so I will likely add some 8x8 digi pages as well and make this a truly hybrid project.

Did you notice that my color scheme includes PINK??? *grin*

Thanks for stopping by! Good luck to all you "BLACK FRIDAY" shoppers out there! Any shopping I do will be online, lol!

December Daily...

2008-11-27T16:25:00.004-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope that you are enjoying the day with family, friends, and FOOD!

December is around the corner - MONDAY PEOPLE! December 1 is MONDAY! Aaaack! I *finally* have my December Daily album ready to go. All in all, this was a very doable project, I just was dilly-dallying getting my pages numbered, lol.

Before I unveil my pages, I want to share a bit about my process for getting this project organized:

First, I gathered my supplies. I started with an 8x8 acrylic album from Scrapworks - the album was 8 pages, including 6 tabbed pages, plus a front and back cover.

The album comes with binder rings, but since I was adding so many pages (I have 31 total pages, plus the front/back cover) I needed larger binder rings, which I found at an office supply store.

For supplies, I gathered up alphabet and number stickers, buttons, ribbons, patterned paper, cardstock, brads, rubber stamps and ink, my Crop-A-Dile, scissors, paper trimmer, and adhsive.

While I was working on my album, I kept everything contained in a large basket. (This is the Large Serving Basket by Longaberger) I will keep the same supplies available to use when I am adding photos and journaling to my pages.

I used a variety of envelopes, folded cards, mini file folders, and even a brown paper bag in the album as pages. I kept my supplies to the same basic color scheme, but tried to not be too "matchy matchy" with my album.

I have to say special thanks to my friends Mish and Pine for sharing the details on this project (original idea by Ali Edwards) and inspiring me to give it a try!

You can see Ali's album here; Mish's album here; and Pine's album here. My friend Kookie also joined in the challenge too! Kooks' album is here.

Tomorrow I will share my pages - JUST IN TIME for December! It's not too late to get this project started! You can skip the Black Friday crowds and work on this instead!

What if I'm the bad guy?

2008-11-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Today I have a HOT DATE with Edward!

That's it! Have a FAB FRIDAY!!!

Gals Weekend...

2008-11-18T06:15:00.001-06:00

Hey! I scrapped! WHOOHOO!

I did some digi shoppin' on the weekend (Sweet Shoppe *finally* reopened, their new site is FAB, and of course, there were a million great new kits, lol!) and so I was eager to unzip my new kits, and get scrappin!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this new kit by Dani Mogstad - Sweet November! These colors are SO RICH! Everything you need is in this kit! I didn't have to go in search of a thing to finish my layout. This is a fall/Thanksgiving kit, without being overly "Thanksgiving-y" - you know what I mean?

I also snagged these funky Tattered Overlays 2 from Lynne-Marie at CatScrap. OH MAN are these FAB! I love the texture, and they are really easy to use (meaning, I got it to work on the first try, lol...). I also grabbed the Photo and Page Overlays too. I can't wait to shabby up some more papers and photos with these!

These photos are from my Gals Weekend at the beginning of November - is it time for the spring weekend yet??? We have SO MUCH FUN on our weekends! As you can see, the drinks were flowing, and there was a ton of girltalk and lots of laughs. We shopped, hung out, and went to the movies - it was a FAB weekend!

Thanks for stopping by - have a FAB Tuesday!

Friday Photo Shoot...

2008-11-17T06:15:00.003-06:00

PHEW! I was so bizzy last week I forgot to blog! Aaack! I have lots to blog about, and zero free time to actually sit down and do it these days - sorry for the lack of posts! Ya think I should just give in and give up sleep completely??? Hmmmm...

ANYHOW - we are OFF AND RUNNING for yet another bizzy week (I'm noticing a trend here, hmmm...), BUT - I just had to pop in and post these shots from my photo shoot last Friday. I was SO EXCITED about this session because I've been reading and studying and practicing all summer, and I am finally feeling like I (sort of) know what I'm doing, lol...

Special thanks to my friend Sara (HI SARA!) for being my best (and only, lol) customer while I learn photography. Could these sweet girls be ANY CUTER??? Seriously. (And mom and dad aren't too bad either, lol!) Here are my favorites - there were SO MANY keepers, I had a hard time choosing! THAT is the sort of problem I like to have, haha!

I call this first one the "money shot", lol. It's my favorite from the day - the lighting was perfect (yucky gloomy Nov MN day = perfect light for outdoor photography).

This one just cracks me up! LOL! Dad is a good sport here, with all the "monkeys" on his back, hehehe...

Here is mom and sweet baby Abigail...awwww...

Hmmm...I wonder if Bella has dad wrapped around her li'l finger? YA THINK?

Baby Abigail chose our session to start crawling! (Okay - NOT REALLY, but she is on the verge! Any day now!) I love how you can see Bella in the background - she was just taking a little break before we headed outside.

Awww...these sweet sister shots are too cute. I LOVE these matching hats!

"Angela, are we going to lunch now?" Heh heh - YOU BET, Bella! (Even though it was only 10:15am, lol). Take special note of the PENGUIN BOOTS here, haha!

Have a FABULOUS MONDAY - thanks for stopping by!

Warmest Wishes...

2008-11-07T12:56:00.004-06:00

...for a FABULOUS WEEKEND!

I am headed out for my GIRLS WEEKEND (mandatory meeting) - WHOOHOO!

Not sure how *warm* it is, as we woke up to... (brace yourselves, people...)

SNOW.

On the ground.

Aaaaaack! Ummm...wasn't it just TUESDAY that we had a record setting high temp of 76 degrees??? Only in MN, lol...

This is another card from when I was putzing with Piney's Rustic Branches set. I've also been slaving away on my December Daily album, and will be sharing that next week! I have the pages completed, and just need to finish numbering them -YAY!

That's IT for me - I'm OUT until Monday afternoon! Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Monday!

2008-11-03T06:41:00.003-06:00

PHEW! It was a super busy weekend - but we all had fun (and are suffering from "candy hangover" this morning, lol).

The weather has been AMAZING - temps way above normal for this time of year. That made for good trick or treating! The kids had a fab time and got WAY TOO MUCH candy, lol. MamaFab enjoyed her visit, and we loved having her. On Saturday we ran around and shopped like crazy people, BUT we managed to get my nephew's birthday gifts, AND Mom got a good start on her Christmas shopping for the grandkids. She likes to get that out of the way early and just enjoy the season.

Yesterday, Rod scored some last minute Viking's tickets (YAY for eBay, lol), so he and Wyatt headed to the game. Mad and I just hung out - she was tired from a Saturday night slumber party, and I was working on my December Daily album. I have 22 pages so far - WHOOHOO! I haven't numbered anything yet, but hopefully I'll be sharing photos this week! I'm *so excited* about this project!

We are off and running for the week! Just sharing a quick page for Halloween 2008...

Page Credits: Template by Heather Ann Designs, Smell My Feet kit from Shabby Princess;

TRICK OR TREAT!

2008-10-31T06:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloweenie!

Just sharing a quick page I whipped up for Halloween 2007.

We are ready for some power trick or treating tonight - YAY! (I wonder if I have enough candy? It's possible I've been sneaking a few treats here and there, lol...)

I'm so glad it's FRIDAY! Is it just me, or has this been a super long week??? Never mind that it will be NOVEMBER tomorrow. Pffftttt! (Confession time: I listened to a Christmas CD yesterday, lol...) I am gearing up for a *busy* holiday season! I know it will FLY BY - they always do!

Have a FAB FRIDAY! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you get lots of treats and not so many tricks!

Page Credits: Template by Jen Caputo, Oogity Boogity kit from Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Baby it's COLD outside...

2008-10-30T07:06:00.003-05:00

ACTUALLY - today's not too bad, lol. But we have had some C-C-COLD mornings this week! I'm hoping this nice weather holds out for trick or treating tomorrow night!

Just a quick share today, and then I am OFF AND RUNNING! On top of my regular schedule, my Mom (MamaFab) said she will be coming down for a visit - YAY! But that means I have to pack up my messy stamp room and presto change-o that back to the guest room! This will get me motivated to box up all the garage sale kids clothes that are piled high in there!

This card is using another one of Piney's Papertrey Ink stamp sets - Snowfall and Snowfall Additions - these coordinate PERFECTLY with the new Marvy snowflake punches! I thought I just needed 2 of the punches, but it turns out that I NEED THEM ALL! My last 2 came yesterday - don't be like me, and waste time, just order them all RIGHT AWAY, lol...

Have a fabulous Thursday! WHOOHOO - it's *almost* the weekend!

P.S. If you click over to Piney's blog, you will see her December Daily album - OMGOSH! It's SO FAB! This is inspired by Ali Edwards (you can see all about it HERE), and I will be doing this challenge, along with Piney, and my friends Mish and Kookie! I'll be sure to post my finished album - I have my supplies gathered, and I'm ready to get started!

Thankful...

2008-10-28T06:30:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today - my to-do list is GIGANTIC!

This is another card from my stamping weekend - have I mentioned how FAB it was to be stamping again???

This is another one of my friend Piney's stamp sets from Papertrey Ink. It's called Rustic Branches, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it! (Almost as much as I love the snowflakes, lol.) This card has kind of a Christmassy feel from my color scheme, but you can make this set work for all seasons - it's very versatile!

This was Pine's very first stamp set as a designer, and it just so happened to debut during a yearly stamping retreat this past August. What a TREAT to have an entire group of us to celebrate this success with our friend! We did a countdown, and surprised her with a champagne toast, as her set when live at Papertray - it was SO FAB!

Pine surprised us all by treating the retreat attendees each to our own copy of her stamp set! I think you could hear the squealing for miles, lol. Here's a picture of us *after* we stopped jumping up and down and screaming, lol...

FUN TIMES!

Have a fab Tuesday!

Too early for snowflakes???

2008-10-27T09:29:00.005-05:00

Hmmm...I feel like it's WAY TOO EARLY, lol, but we had snow flurries on Sunday here in MN! Aaaack! Luckily, the forcast says we will get back to more normal weather this week, YAY! I hate to see the trick or treaters have to bundle up in winter coats on top of their costumes!

I had so much fun stamping on Friday, that I had to continue on Saturday! I packed up all the Halloween supplies for next year (remember - HOARD, people, lol) and moved on to the snowflakes and winter cards! I wasn't in the mood to do anything too Christmassy, but I was itchin' to ink up these new snowflake sets from PaperTrey Ink! I am especially fond of these, as they are designed by my good friend Heather/Pinefeather (or Piney as we like to call her, lol) - she is fulfilling her DREAM of designing her own line of stamps via PaperTrey Ink, and I couldn't be happier for her! I love her rustic, earthy style - if you have a chance, browse through her fabulous samples at her blog! She uses a ton of kraft cardstock and white craft ink, so I had to give it a try - I've had kind of a love/hate thing going with my white craft inkpad, lol, but after spending a day with it, I think I am in total love now, lol!

It felt good to get back to stamping this weekend, I need to spend more time at this! My friend Bevie hosted a VSN (Virtual Stamp Night) for a group of us on Saturday, with fab challenges - it really helped to get back into the swing of it! I was so excited to be stamping, that I forgot to do the challenges, lol! Good thing that challenge #4 was a "freestyle" do whatever challenge, haha! I did lots of that, roflol.

Is it too early to send out winter cards? (Okay, maybe, lol) I guess I need to get back to it, and work in some fall themed cards now!

Have a FABULOUS Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

YAY! I stamped!

2008-10-25T12:30:00.006-05:00

I have been *itching* to stamp these days, and FINALLY had the chance yesterday - WHOOHOO! I was a bit rusty, and my stamp room is a mess (lots of "garage sale" type items from all over the house are piled high in there, lol) BUT, I managed to crank out 10 (yes TEN!) Halloween cards! Not sure why, but I was *obsessed* this year with Halloween stamps and papers! I figured I better use some of my stash before Halloween is OVER and I have to store it all for another year, lol.

First up: This card is so sparkly in real life! Stamps are from Papertrey Ink, and papers were from the Jeepers Creepers line from The Paper Company - they are so glittery and fab!

This next stamp image is from an image swap I was in last year (I think?) - I'm thinking it is Stampendous? And I finally cut into my stash of Stampin' Up! Halloween papers from last year (lol). The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts.

This card uses the same SU! papers from last year (did I mention I am a hoarder?) The spider stamp is also from Stampin' Up!, and the sentiment is by Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs. I love the combination of fonts on this greeting!

Lastly - another stamp set from Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper, and those same SU! papers. (I told you I am a hoarder, lol) And these li'l ghosties were so cute that I had to do a matching envelope too!

Thanks for stopping by - Have a great Saturday!

Scrappin' Fall Colors...

2008-10-16T06:30:00.001-05:00

...and a NEW blog banner!

YAY! I scrapped! I did a little digi shoppin' this week, and picked up two new kits from The ShabbyShoppe - The Gabby Collection, and Autumn Medley.

I upgraded to CS3 in August, but really haven't had a chance to tinker around in it and see what's new - a few things moved around, lol, but I managed to complete a page without too much difficulty.

I love this autumn color pallette!

These pics were from last Saturday, when we walked the trails at Baker Park. The weather was PERFECT for a trail walk - mid 70s (maybe it was even a little hot, lol) and sunny. I keep saying over and over that the colors this year are fantastic! I'm glad that we were able to get out and enjoy them! The kids were on a mission to collect leaves in each color, and I was on a mission to just enjoy the day! (Mission Accomplished!)

The kids are off from school for MEA break - we are looking forward to a nice long weekend! Have a fabulous Thursday!

Page Credits: The Gabby Collection by Shabby Princess from The ShabbyShoppe; Old Typewriter font;

Feeding the Dolphins...

2008-10-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post today - my to-do list is a mile long! BLAH!

YUP! I am *still* working on my pages from Orlando in May. At this rate, we will be headed on our NEXT vacation before this album gets finished, roflol.

This is a page I did awhile ago and never got around to sharing. I love the bright summery colors - of course, now I am in "fall mode", haha!

Feeding the dolphins at Sea World was a HUGE highlight - we got in line JUST as they were roping it off, and not allowing anyone else in. I am *so glad* that we hopped in that line! We typically rushed around from attraction to attraction while on vacation, but this day, our timing was perfect! They have limited times when they feed, so if you go, be sure to check the times - you don't want to miss it!

Page Credits: Gidget and Cabana Boy kits from Sweet Shoppe Designs; Template from Heather Ann Designs, Love Ya Like a Sister font;

Edward is MINE!

2008-10-14T06:30:00.001-05:00

LOL. I have been waiting *forever* for this movie. Okay - maybe not, as I only just discovered the book series in July, but ANYHOW...only about a month to wait! YAY!

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

Twilight fans are EVERYWHERE, so it only stands to reason, that it will filter into the digi-scrap world! Check out these awesome kits!

Here are 2 freebies from Ellie Lash:

AND - Check out this fun "Love Bites" collab kit from Dani Mogstad, Traci Reed, and Shawna Clingerman:

All images are linked up - have a fab Tuesday!

Fall Colors...

2008-10-12T12:49:00.005-05:00

We hit the trails yesterday to take in the FABULOUS fall colors. Is it just me, or are the colors EXTRA pretty this year?

Here are some views from the trail...

I've been a NOT SO FAB blogger these days! LIFE is BUSY! We are slowly getting used to our new school year routine (the schoolbus comes an HOUR earlier this year. AN HOUR, people!) and I finally feel like I can breathe! I'm itching to get scrapping, AND my stamping supplies are calling to me too...

Happy Anniversary!

2008-09-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today we are celebrating 11 years!

I had to drag out the old photo albums, lol. Did you know that my photographer used a camera with FILM??? Dang - that seems like ages ago! These were filed away in a storage box, way in the back of a closet. Behind my wedding gown, haha. I was tempted to try it on!

Eventually, I think it would be fun to scan them all, and tinker with them in photoshop - see if I can improve them. (And then make some really fab digi layouts for a wedding album!) My photographer was actually my uncle, so I have the negatives too, and I think there are some enlargements in frames (probably in another box) somewhere. Remember when you got married and you put pictures in frames ALL OVER the house? I think I packed them away to make room for all the BABY PICTURES that were in frames all over the house.

This first photo was a snap at our wedding reception, right before we were cutting the cake. See how relaxed we are? The stress of the day was over, the ceremony went off without a hitch, (except for 2 groomsmen who can't tell time *eyeroll*) and likely we had had a drink or two, haha.

Here's me with my girls - I'm happy to say I keep in touch with ALL of my girls still! Everyone is married off, and we all have kids to keep us busy...

Walking down the aisle, Mr. and Mrs., and looking forward to a fun party...

Heading to the reception...

Me and my Dad, getting ready to walk down the aisle...Dad passed away almost 3 years ago now, so I'm glad to have this picture - I'm keeping this one out for awhile...

Have a fabulous Saturday!

Back to school portrait session...

2008-08-28T22:23:00.005-05:00

YEESH! Where has the month of August disappeared to??? SORRY for being such a bad blogger - YIKES! (LOL that my last blog post was about how I can't believe it's already August...) I have lots to share - just need to find time to blog about it...

We have been busy enjoying the last weeks of summer, and now are in the "getting ready for back to school" craziness. (DO NOT get me started about the supply lists!!!) Last night (Thursday), we had open house at school for teacher meet n greet, and school begins on TUESDAY! Here's hoping for a FABULOUS YEAR!

I have been trying to make time for a portrait session, and days and weeks were slipping by, so after the open house, we headed out to a nearby lake for a mini portrait session. I'm really pleased with how these turned out (especially since I haven't picked up the camera in a few weeks!) and have already put in an order for some enlargements - YAY!

I think I captured the personalities here, heh heh...

Have a fabulous Friday!

August Desktop...

2008-08-04T06:25:00.001-05:00

It's UNREAL to me that it's AUGUST already! Aaaack! Here is my August Desktop - compliments of Shabby Princess. If you like this one, you can grab your own from the Shabby Princess Blog - she has several sizes available to fit your desktop. I use the widescreen 1280x800 version, to fit my monitor. Pictures are from a recent trip to an indoor water park with family...SO FUN!

I have also stumbled across these cute ones from Ellie Lash and the Girl Talk blog...ENJOY!

Have a MARVELOUS MONDAY!

Endless Summer Freebie! (and some more photos)

2008-07-31T06:25:00.005-05:00

I shared a page earlier this week using the July Songbird Avenue kit - do you know about Songbird Avenue? They introduce a new kit each month to benefit a specific charity. I love it when I am scrappin' for a cause!

The July kit (Endless Summer - preview above) is by one of my favorite designers, Dani Mogstad, along with Jan Crowley and Meredith Fenwick - and Dani is offering up an extra FREEBIE! HOW COOL IS THAT??? To get the freebie (pictured below), check in at the Songbird Avenue blog - I love these chipboard words! SO FUN! And today is the last day to grab the Endless Summer kit too - Happy Shopping! I can't wait to see what's in store for August!

And last, (but not least!) here are a few more photos from my session with sweet baby Abigail...

It's *almost* the weekend! YAY! Have a fabulous day!

Sweet Bella and Abby...

2008-07-30T06:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I had the chance to practice my photography on these sweet girls! Thanks, Sara, for sharing them with me! I was very pleased with how it went...(DARE I SAY that many of these were properly exposed! YAY!)

Here are some faves of Miss Isabella...I love this lolly - SO FUN!

Next up - Miss Abigail...this baby just makes me SMILE! She's at that super fun age with LOTS of smiles! I am already plotting my next visit with these darling girls!

I'll have more to share later in the week - Have a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!

Maddie at 10...

2008-07-28T06:25:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today and then I have a bajillion things to do!

I *still* cannot believe that my baby is TEN! How'd that happen??? I guess we are in the dreaded "tween" years now, lol. Only a few short years until the teen craziness ensues, aaaack!

I wanted a page to chronicle this milestone, and to tell a little bit about what's happening in Mad's life right now...

Page Credits: Endless Summer kit from Songbird Avenue; frame and recipe/journal card by ksharonk from 2LittlePixels, Scallop edge by Jen Caputo from ScrapbookGraphics, Love Ya Like a Sister font.

Happy Monday!

Shamu - Believe Show

2008-07-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

If you are visiting Sea World, the new Shamu "Believe" show is a MUST! (I think this show was brand new in 2006?) I am in such awe of the killer whale - because of their size of course, but they also manage to be so graceful and fluid. It's incredible to see what these Sea World trainers can accomplish with them. They are obviously very smart creatures!

I was really pleased with the pictures I was able to get during the show, (I have a 12x zoom on my point & shoot camera, so I could zoom in really close!) so I felt that Shamu needed his (or is it her?) own page from our 2008 Florida trip.

Have a Fabulous Weekend!

Page Credits: Be Amused kit by Sara Amarie from SweetShoppeDesigns, photo frame collage by ksharonk from 2LittlePixels; Love Ya Like a Sister font

Time for tea?

2008-07-25T10:02:00.004-05:00

LOL!

Ahhh...I love my doggie! She really puts up with me, heh heh. A lot of days, when I want to try something with the camera, she is the only one around!

Can't you see how enthralled with photography she is?

ROFLOL!

This photo is *really* about the GIANT TEACUP (but shhhh...don't tell the doggie!) - I am a member of a children's photography forum (ilovephotography or ILP for short) and these giant teacups have been all the rage for quite awhile now. It's actually a PLANTER from good ol' WallyWorld (Wal-Mart) and it's HUGE. And I finally snagged one this week! YAY!

MOST PEOPLE put darling chubby babies in them, but I am short on babies at my house, so I grabbed my "baby" for a photo op, lol. BUT SOON, I hope to put my friend Sara's darling chubby baby A in this teacup and snap some BRILLIANT PORTRAITS. YAY!

(Sara - my pup would like a word with you, lol. I think a nice peanut butter biscuit and a belly rub would smooth this over!)

Have a FABULOUS FRIDAY people!

A willing subject...

2008-07-21T06:30:00.005-05:00

Now - ordinarily, I get "grumble, grumble" and rolling eyeballs when I pull out the camera, lol. BUT, lately I've been getting some cooperation! YAY! I guess they are getting used to me and my camera practice, lol. I am constantly picking up different tips here and there, and I usually want to test them out right away. A lot of times, it's just me and the dog, - so I'm always happy when there is a son or daughter nearby to practice on!

This is the same photo I shared last week in the Before and After post. And I finally figured out what happened with it - I had the camera set to CWB (custom white balance) from the last time I had used the camera, which was entirely different lighting circumstances - so that is why it came out so dark! SO MANY THINGS to remember with photography! I look forward to the day when it will all be second nature! But thank goodness for photshop magic, to save my mistakes, haha!

Page Credits: Psycho Magnet kit and glitter styles from Studio Flergs at Scrapbook Graphics; Love Ya Like a Sister font, from daFont.

ALSO! Do you see my fresh new blog banner? I love this kit by Dani Mogstad over at SweetShoppeDesigns! Here's a preview of the entire kit...SO CUTE! I adore those darling little postage stamps! (Image is linked)

Pssstttt...And right now they have a HUGE COLLAB available FOR FREE if you spend $10. If you spend $20, you get a matching mini accordian album. Happy shoppin'! Have a MARVELOUS MONDAY!

Why am I up so early on a Saturday???

2008-07-19T06:35:00.005-05:00

UGH! Don't you hate it when you can sleep in, but you wake up anyway???

Just a quickie post today, as I have a to-do list a MILE LONG! BLAH! But I was a real slacker this week on the household chores...

This page came together pretty fast. I was flipping thru an old issue of Simple Scrapbooks, and saw a similar paper layout. I loved the paper strips - a great way to use up your scraps! Well...I don't have any scraps, since I haven't paper scrapped in about a hundred years, lol. And with digi scrappin, THERE ARE NO SCRAPS! That is what I love about it - NO MUSS, NO FUSS, NO CLEAN UP! And all my pattern papers are intact, even though I use them over and over.

With photoshop - you can easily just "cut out" some strips and then "drag" each one over to your layout. I, of course, was cutting each one individually, until I realized I only needed ONE from each sheet, and then I could COPY that layer to a NEW LAYER. DUH!

I am loving this shabby color combo too - this kit is the Gold Membership kit for July over at DigiShopTalk - Summer Cottage by Shabby Princess. It's an exclusive, just for members, but I went ahead and joined, since I love all the designers that are coming up too - I'm sure the free kits will be FABULOUS! Here's a preview of the Summer Cottage kit:

Have a great Saturday!

Page Credits: Summer Cottage kit by Shabby Princess (from DST); Lucida Bright font

Sweet baby Noah...

2008-07-18T06:30:00.002-05:00

This is my nephew Noah - isn't he a cutie??? In June, we spent a weekend at Grandma's and I took the opportunity to have a "mini portrait session" with Noah, and big sister Brianna (will share more another day). I will never get tired of playing with my camera - I learn something new every day! (And that's good, because I have a TON to learn, lol)

I was *determined* to scrap with this new kit called Bounce from The Shabby Shoppe - I *love* all her stuff! This is the "boy" kit that coordinates with the Twirl collection/girl kit (I used Twirl in my blog banner) but I think it would work for both boys and girls. I love the bright colors - so fun and summery! I adore the little stickers that are included (had to stop myself from using them ALL, haha). If you read my post from yesterday, THIS was the kit I was trying to make work with the picture of Mad and her friend with their faces painted - I just love the bright red! So for this page, I actually worked BACKWARDS, and picked a PHOTO to match a specific kit I wanted to scrap with, lol. It worked out so well that I think I'll continue on with that method!

Have a FABULOUS FRIDAY!!!

Page Credits: Bounce kit from Shabby Princess; ZigZag stitches from Melissa Bennett; Photo frame and notepaper from ksharonk at 2 little pixels; Traveling Typewriter font;

I was POWERLESS to resist...

2008-07-17T06:30:00.003-05:00

I simply *had* to scrap this image!

HAD TO.

I haven't scrapped in awhile, so, while this page is pretty simple, it took about 3 hours, LOL! Because I had to find *just the right* kit to use, so I got all distracted looking thru my entire collection of digi supplies! I was determined to use something with RED in it - but in the end, I couldn't make it work with one pink t-shirt and one red t-shirt. GRRRRR!

So I went neutral - with this rich chocolate brown (mmm CHOCOLATE!) and some khaki and peach flowers, and just a tiny hint of spring green.

I think it works!

My inspiration is from THIS POST from ksharonk. She is one of my favorite digi designers - I love her clean style - the focus is on the photos! I liked how she used one photo, and scaled it to be the entire width of the page.

Page Credits: Inspiration -ksharonk; Paper and elements from For You freebie collab; stitching from Bounce kit from Shabby Princess; Traveling Typewriter font;

Before and After...

2008-07-16T09:39:00.005-05:00

WHOA! It's been a long time since I BLOGGED! Aaaack! It's been a fun (and busy) summer so far! I'm still plugging away with my camera and photoshop! I guess I got out of the habit of blogging - hopefully I can get back into the swing of things!

Today - I'm sharing a few Before/After photos. I'm attending a retreat in August, and will be teaching a beginning photoshop class with a basis on improving your snapshots. This is right up my alley - as I could play in photoshop FOREVER! Seriously. FOR.EVER. So I have been polishing my skills, and I definitely see some improvement. And since my quest for perfect exposure is taking longer than I thought...(*eyeroll*) I have a NEED for these PS skills, lol.

This first snap, my son looks a bit "warm" to me. I'm playing with my camera set to "Neutral" for the picture style, and then tweaked the neutral settings a bit, per a suggestion I read in a photography forum. Not sure I like how warm this came out. BUT it was a great image to play with in PS! Fixing color casts and color issues can be difficult, so it's a great skill to have, if you have an image you want to save. This image is straight out of camera (SOOC) and only sized/sharpened for web...

And HERE is my fix! My son no longer looks like an OOMPA LOOMPA! YAY! My "snapshotty" image is now a WOW, with just a few tweaks in PS!

MEOW! My daughter and her friend were at "Music in the Park" last night, and had their faces painted. Of course I had to grab the camera! I actually like this SOOC version, it's just a little dark (underexposed - GRRRR!) and could use a bit more contrast and color "pop"...again, this SOOC image is only sized/sharpened for web...

For my fix, I brightened it up a bit, added some contrast and adjusted the color balance, and then ran a color pop action. (I used Pioneer Woman's "Boost" action from her free action set).

Let me know what you think!

Stopping time...

2008-06-21T18:06:00.008-05:00

I *wish* I could stop time! We've been easing into our "summer schedule" and it's been HECTIC! I thought summer was for RELAXING - I must be doing it wrong, lol. ANYHOW...I've been a bad blogger! Hoping to get caught up now that we are getting into a routine...

I've been getting LOTS of practice with my new lens - and YES, it is possible to get a bad photo with it, lol. BUT - I am learning it, and getting used to the weight of it, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the crisp sharp images I can get with it! This photo of Mad (I stopped time with my lens!) was taken while she was SPINNING on the tire swing - she was SPINNING people - it was a great excercise for practicing exposure, focus, and keeping a moving subject in frame (with a very heavy lens on board, lol).

As of last night, these guys (in the photo below) are OUT OF TOWN at GRANDMA'S for a WHOLE WEEK! The house is SO QUIET! I vegged out and goofed off ALL DAY today and it was FAB.U.LOUS! I miss 'em though...that's how it is. When they're around, they're makin' me crazy - when they're not around, I miss 'em!

Mmmmm...don't these look YUMMAY? We have a li'l strawberry patch in our backyard, and this was today's harvest! I had to take a picture because this was a TON of berries! That's my LARGE Longaberger mixing bowl people! I *never* get this many when I send the kiddos out to pick. Hmmm...

That's IT for today! I hope y'all are having a FABULOUS Saturday!

It's HERE!!!

2008-06-06T15:51:00.003-05:00

*Happy Dancin'*

I had to rip into the box IMMEDIATELY and try it out!

This lens is HEAVY! Oh my GOODNESS! I will be pumpin' iron just to hold this baby UP! Hmmm...

While I was working today, Mad had her friend "E" over, so I snapped a quick couple of pics. This was my favorite...(mainly because they weren't making FACES at me, lol)

I *cannot wait* to have time for some serious play with my new baby!!!

Happy Friday!

Come to Mama...

2008-06-03T08:46:00.003-05:00

...here is my new baby! (Picture is linked to the lens review at The Digital Picture)

Yeppers! I *did it* - I hit "submit" on my order last night at B&H and now I just have to stalk my email for the shipping notification, lol.

NOW - anyone who knows me, knows that I don't drop this kind of schmack without analyzing every detail and option, and obsessing over alternatives and etc. I am ANAL! So I have been looking at this for quite awhile - long enough to have actually SAVED UP enough schmack, lol. But it was still a thrill to just order it! I feel like I've made an informed choice, and I am BOUNCIN' just thinking about getting this baby on my camera! This is my first "pro series" lens, and I can't wait to put it to use and see what it can do.

Happy dancin...

June Desktop Freebie!

2008-05-31T14:38:00.003-05:00

How cute is this June desktop??? I change mine out every month, and just had to share this one! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bright colors on this! I added a family picture from Sea World taken on our vacation. YAY!

Check out Sara Amarie's new design blog *HERE* to download this cute desktop!

AND! The matching kit, Be Amused is available at Sweet Shoppe Designs. PLUS for a limited time, you get a matching Abby Album with it. FABULOUS DEAL!