Happy Mother's Day

I am so excited to be celebrating my 2nd Mother's Day. It feels good to have a special week just for me. This week was full of so much drama and unproductive conversations and I am happy to just put it to rest. Yesterday the husband took me to the Farmer's Market and let me go crazy. I bought enough plants to finally landscape one side of the house. . .pics coming once the mulch is down. Today we are off to my grandmother's for a cookout and much needed family time.

I want to share some layouts of the special little girl that makes this day perfect! (as always click on image for credits)

YAY ME!!!

I announced last week that I had been chosen to participate in the Little Dreamer Apprentice Program - and thanks to all that wished me luck. This week we began our challenges and the actual competition. The challenge was as follows: create 1 glitter element, 1 metal element, 1 stitching element, at least one of these have to have a shadow, and then an element of our choice. Here is my entry

To download your copy just click here

here is a sample layout I did with my elements and the help of some Erin Ink products:

Winners will be chosen by the amount of comments, amount of downloads, and amount of entries into the gallery. The LD Creative Team will also be voting on each entry. Wish me luck!

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT

I am so excited to make this announcement. As most of you know I am a crazy person when it comes to Digital Scrapbooking. I have said it at least a 100 times or more on this blog. I just can't express how much I love it!! When I started scrapping I never really thought about designing papers. I started my Etsy shop and concentrated on my collage sheets. Every now and then I threw in some papers, elements, etc. I think Scrapbooking supplies are great for use in jewelry, cards, etc. Then one day I was reading my blogs and I saw that Little Dreamers - a great Scrapbook Site and Gallery - was having an open call for an Apprentice program. I thought holy cow what a great opportunity. Michelle, the owner, would basically teach me everything she knows and if by grace and luck I actually won I would have a chance to sell my product through her shop. Needless to say I applied and BELIEVE IT OR NOT she CHOSE ME to participate!!!! I am so freaking excited I can't even put it into words!

Here is my mini kit that I created and just FYI it is available for FREE here:

and here are two layouts I created with it:





I will keep you updated on my progress in this competion. The other ladies are so talented and I seriously doubt I win but the things I am going to learn makes it OK!!!!!!!

Wish Me Luck :)

LOVE

Click for credit

click for credits

I Scrapped Again

I did a lot more other stuff but its so much I can't remember hahaha so I will just post these layouts. Click on the image to see the credits.

Latest Pages

It's been a minute since I loaded any pages. Here are a few of the latest ones - as always click on the layout for credit.

A little about me

So I am working on a new book one that is all about me! I hope that one day I can look back and see how I have grown but more importantly I want Aubrey to really know me! Here is this first layout:

click image for credits

35 | Memories

This has been a really busy week for me. I have so many orders, I am trying to get ready for New Release Monday and of course this awesome new book template that Erin Ink is releasing next week. I was so excited when she asked me to be one of the first ones to do a book and I knew which book I would do. I have been waiting for some inspiration for Aubrey's First Birthday Party Book and this did not let me down!

February 4

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

the things you are, the things you never want to lose. "

~From the television show The Wonder Years

Here's the complete book:

Click here to view this photo book.

Holla!

I am so excited to announce that I have been asked to be on a Digital Scrapbooking Creative Team *waits for the cheers to stop*. Yes I am very excited! Last week I received an email from Erin Ink saying that she has always enjoyed my work and asked if I would like to join her team. I immediately knew who she was becaus I have been a fan of her layouts for a while but more than that I kept seeing her designs in the Scrapartist Newsletter. About a month ago I even googled her to see if she had a blog. I guess you figured out by now I said YES!!

I delayed the announcement post because I wanted to have some layouts to show you using her designs so I present to you my latest 3 layouts (as always click on the layout for credits) :

6 | Fly High

It was a pretty awesome day today!! I had an AMAZING day on Etsy. I was asked to be a featured artist on Cara's Blog and wait for it. . . . Shutterfly featured my Words of Wisdom Book in their gallery. Later this evening we had to pick Joey up from work and they were getting ready for some event and had balloons all over the place. I thought how appropriate because the SKY IS THE LIMIT :)

January 6

"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon"

Christmas Wrap Up

Can you believe it? Can you believe that 2009 is over? This year has gone by in a flash for me. If you had asked me January 1 2009 where do you think you will end up 365 days from now I would have not even come close to describing my life as it is today - I will discuss more of the details when I do my post on the 2009 wrap up (cliffhanger lol).

I wanted to take a moment to wrap up our Christmas and Aubrey's first REAL Christmas. Last year she was 4 months old and none of this stuff even mattered to her. I can't honestly say that any of it mattered to her this year but hey at least she was aware of it all - hahahaa. I loved this Christmas - for some reason I was in more of a Christmas spirit than I have ever been. Maybe it was I was experiencing it through the eyes of Aubrey, someone who was seeing it all for the first time. Maybe I have just learned to appreciate things more this year? Whatever the reason was I am not complaining it was a great Christmas.

| THE DECORATIONS |
This was the first time we decorated the outside of the house and I have already warned JoJo (husband) next year there will be climbing and a ladder involved!!!!

The Wreath - gotta love Target

The Windows - I used real garland

The Mantle

The Christmas Tree - we have used the same ornaments
and tree since we moved into our house 3 years ago.
I really do love it!

I love a tree with gifts under it and every year I match
all my wrapping paper to my tree - hahaha!

| MEETING SANTA |

We were so excited to take her to see Santa. Everything was going great. . . she loved standing in line talking with the other kids. She loved all the decorations that were up and she seemed sort of interested in Santa. . . until she met him and then it all went down hill!

Enjoying the wait and the decorations.

Still happy. . . .

Not so happy anymore!

| THE GIFTS |
Of course the gifts we mostly handmade. This year I stepped it up a notch and created shuttefly books. I decided I would create one for my 3 oldest cousins (18, 15, 14). I used my photography plus some family pictures. I then searched the internet for some really great quotes and words of wisdom. This is what I came up with (completely inspired by Brit Girl):

Click here to view this photo book.

** photos were processed using Totally Rad Actions**
**photobook was created with products from designerdigitals.com**

my neck, my back. . .

okay so that might have been a little tacky to use that line from that song but for some reason that is the only song that pops into my head whenever I say "My back". That could be telling me something about me! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted - almost a month! I have been really busy with the Etsy store. I meet my goal every week and I am constantly thinking of ideas to get my customers to become repeat customers. I spend more time designing for my store than I do scrapbooking *gasp*.

I did make some time to scrapbook this weekend. I actually had nothing else I could do. Somehow on Saturday morning I pulled something in my back and I embarrassed to say that I did flushing the toilet!! Yes you read that right. I got up, went to the bathroom, flushed the toilet and my back cramped up and I hit the floor. Thank God Joey was here. I managed to crawl to the bedroom and scream for him to come help me. Ever since then I have been walking around here like a 90 year old women and he has been laughing at me!! I finally feel a lot better this morning! Anyway back to scrapbooking. . . . . These are the 3 layouts I did over the weekend (remember click on the photo for credits)

sorry Hayley and Dawn I know this one made you cry!

In other news I had a complete emotional meltdown last night because for some reason I have started gaining some of my weight back. We have a Christmas Party this Friday night and I thought I was going to wear my little black dress. . . . I may not be wearing it! You will have to stay tuned to find out if I am able to pull off a miracle this week. It is true what they say about having kids - you lose your identity and you pretty much plan your life around them, house, husband, etc. I have found that over the last couple of months that is exactly what I have done. Yes I take time every now and then to scrapbook but again that really is for Bre and the family - not just me. You can tell just by looking at me if you ever see me out. Bre will be cute! Outfit will match, hair will be cute, she will look well put together. Me on the other hand, I usually have a baseball cap on, a sweater, jeans and sneakers. . . . . not a cute look at all.

Ok that's all I have time for today I have a lot to sneak in before the monster wakes up from her nap and besides I hear the sorry neighbor screaming at his dog again. . . .and well we all know how I feel about that!

Weekend Wrap Up

All in all this was a good weekend! Did I get all the things done that I wanted to get done. . not even close!!! I did however get some scrappin' done, I did get to spend the day at the handmade market, I did discover a new absolutely fabulous artist and I did get to sleep all night on Saturday night. I guess you could say that was a good weekend.

First I would like to introduce you to Jaime Zollars she is an illustrator that was selling her prints at the Handmade Market this weekend and let me just say THEY ARE GORGEOUS!!!! This was my favorite:
Doesn't it just speak a thousand words?!?! My first question was "do you illustrate children's books" she sadly said no. That publishers of children's books no longer want Fairy Tales because they don't sale - isn't that the saddest thing you have ever heard!!!

Saturday night Aubrey stayed with her "nana" and Joey and I slept ALL NIGHT!!! It was great and it has been 14 months since we have done that!

I am off now to watch a movie with the husband but before I go I will leave you with 3 layouts that I was able to get done this weekend. . . . it was so nice to just sit down and scrap! It truly is my creative outlet now that I am not working. (dont forget click on any layout for credits)

Still getting the hang of this. . .

No matter how long I have had this I have not yet fully grasped the blogging thing. I mean I love to share my thoughts and my ideas and my scrapbook layouts with people but honestly who cares about my stuff?!?! Sometimes I feel a little silly blogging, I feel like I am just talking to myself but well I guess I do that anyway so why not share the humor with others - right?!?!

I am reallly excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow morning I am going to get up bright and early sit down in front of my computer with a coffee and stay there all day - scrapbooking. It is the final quarter sales at Designer Digitals and they will be doing all day chats and be giving away all kinds of great things and I plan to be there!!!!! I've checked out the chat schedule and I am looking forward to Cathy's chat - I admire how she can keep it simple but somehow manage to make it look different EVERY TIME!!!! And of course Anna - I swear I love everything that woman does and when I grow up I plan to be just as creative.

Who knew 5 years ago when my ideal Saturday would include sleeping, dinner with friends, drinks and then the club I would be here at this point in my life. Have I officially become the old married woman?!? Joey laughs at me sometimes when I tell him "I LOVE TO SCRAPBOOK" and honestly I giggle to myself becuase how many of us used to think at one point in our life that it was a hobby for grandmas who had nothing else to do. . . . . I did.

Off to watch Season 2 of Mad Men - I LOVE THIS SHOW and curses to my sister who introduced me to another show that I must watch!!!

it's close to midnight. . . .

Is it wrong that we have only been home for 2 hours and I have already made this layout?

click image for credits

About a week ago Joey mentioned that we let her go as Michael Jackson, after all they share the same birthday and curl. I guess he thought I would say "NO WAY" I did the opposite I instantly said YES and set out on a mission for the perfect costume which I could not find. So I found some red and black duct tape and VOILA!!!!

Bed Hair and Creative Inspiration

So the ladies at the Creative Inspiration blog have a new Copy Cat Wednesday posted. Here is my take on it:

click for credits

I took a bunch of photos of Aubrey in the bath and when I was processing them I noticed just how "CRAZY" her hair looked. While taking them I thought "Oh these are going to make a great layout about bath time" but of course as you see I took an entirely different path with them. . . . .she cracks me up!!!

and exhale

Finally it is done. . . . I have been married 1 month and 5 days and I have already finished my 58 page wedding album. I had over 4000 photos to flip through but I did it. I guess when I get inspired there is no stopping me. Check it out if you get a chance:

Click here to view this photo book.

TOOT TOOT!

I love love love the Creative Inspiration Blog and to my surprise I have been featured for Copy Cat Wednesday. HOLLA!!!!
Here's the layout they chose:

click here to view the challenge

I pick my niece up from school everyday and on this day Joseph and I took her and Aubrey to Coldstone for Ice Cream. Aubrey loooooooooooved the ice cream, she was suppose to be sharing with her daddy but it didn't quite work out that way.

Anyway thanks lady for the compliment I am so flattered!

TOOT TOOT!

The more time you spend on this blog the more you will realize that I love Digital Scrapbooking. I love everything about it. I remember a time in my life when I would snicker at the thought of scrapbooking. I mean seriously SCRAPBOOKING, I’m way to cool for that. . . . . I TAKE IT ALL BACK. I love the idea of being able to look back on years of my life and remember all the details, especially with these amazing Shutterfly books!!!

How great is it going to be for Aubrey (my daughter) to be able to sit down with her kids and pull out her FIRST YEAR scrapbook. She will be able to show them her first steps, her first tooth, her first day eating and be able to tell them the exact day it happened. Not to mention all the little stories that you always think you will remember but never do. . . . . anyway I am rambling back to the subject of the post.

So I have been scrapbooking for about 9 months now and I really love posting my layouts to this one site - Designer Digitals. They have some really amazing products and the community is pretty awesome. The ladies there offer a lot of support and great feedback. So on Saturday I sat down at my computer to check my email and I receive this awesome email:

Congratulations! I’ve chosen your layout:
Genuine Joy
as layout of the week this weekend!!
In addtion to being featured in tonight’s newsletter, here’s a $5 discount for the store.
Enjoy & Thanks for being a part of our community!
Katie

I was so freaking excited. Here is the layout (click for credits):