some exciting news to share :)

I'm back to designing again!  And I couldn't be happier that after about a year of barely scrapping and just not being that into it, I am back at it and loving it again!

And I am the most happy to share that I am again designing for Michelle at A Million Memories!

To make it even more awesome- she sent me the amazing new Dear Lizzy stuff with some perfectly coordinated embellishments and her unique vintage trims and fabrics.  I've been in heaven!

Here are two of the layouts that I have made- more to come for sure!

The title of this layout and part of the journaling comes from the Jim Croce song, Time in a Bottle.  One of my very favorites.  This layout includes hand stitching, confetti punching and to get the ruffle along the bottom I wet and crumpled up the vellum until it looked like I wanted it to look.  I also added a doilie that I dyed.  Peeking out from the photos is some of the adorable trim that Michelle sent.

This next layout was inspired by the title and title work of THIS amazing layout that I pinned on interest.  The minute I saw it, I knew that I was too inspired to not create a similarly themed layout.  I believe the saying comes from a kids shirt.

Again, I hand stitched on this layout and included a lot of layering.  The little rosette trim is cut from the rosette fabric that Michelle sent me and watercolored to get the color that I wanted for my layout.

I used Dear Lizzy ruffle paper as a mat for my photo and base for my title.  I also included three doilies.  One straight from the package, a hand dyed one and a Martha Stewart shimmer die cut doilie.  Peeking out is more of that adorable trim.

I made the title from mixed fonts and added glossy accents to "dad's lucky" to emphasize it.  I reproduced a similar layered doily look with the cut out sentiment to balance the layout.

Thanks so much for peeking at my blog today and checking out my layouts!

I’m super excited to share a fun new digital/paper crafting kit with you today!

One of my online scrappy friends, Shanna Vineyard, has combined her love of hand-drawing and painting mixed with her fondness of bright, happy colors to bring us a kit that is different than anything you’ve ever seen!   In celebration of her relocating back home to Arizona next week, she was inspired to create this kit, “Home Is Where the Heart Is” that includes over 50 different hand-drawn and painted images.  They can be used in your digital projects or can be easily resized and printed to cut out and use with your traditional scrapbooking and card making creations.  The possibilities are endless and you will have them to use over and over again as much as you like for as many projects as you wish!  So FUN!!!

Here’s what I made using her kit…..

When I first looked at the kit I was immediately drawn to the adorable polka dot hearts and knew that they would be the focus of my project.  I printed one large pink polka dot heart as my large pattern background and then printed 4 more hearts to use as embellishments.  I also decided to add some of the adorable flowers and leaves to really brighten it up and give the layout that perfect lovely, girlie feel.

One of my favorite aspects of this kit is all of the detailed, accented line work in the images.  It gives it that perfect finished, polished look while keeping it whimsical and fun.  I decided to borrow that idea from the kit and outlined my thickers to coordinate perfectly with the kit images.

I used foam squares to pop up some of the hearts while keeping some of them flat on the page to give it the appearance of floating along the page and to really draw you in when you looked at it.

I know that these flowers will find their way onto many of my projects because they are all so versatile!  I popped them up off the page with foam squares after using my bone folder to shape the petals to give them a realistic, dimensional look.  I finished them off by adding small yellow buttons for the center.

Visit Shanna’s blog to purchase this kit and see LOTS of other awesome samples that were created specifically to share with you today!    In celebration of this fun, new release she is also doing a huge giveaway valued at over $275.00 with lots of fabulous new scrappy goodies and several ways you can win!  So head on over and check it out! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

the first Vivienne layouts :)

I'm so excited to be sharing the first (of what I assume will be far too many) Vivienne layouts!  Kristin came over to scrapbook on Tuesday night and I got inspired to finally dive in and start creating some pages of this little beauty.

"a face so sweet"

this layout was made using Studio Calico's Autumn Press collection.  I absolutely adore this line and think it is so perfect for my baby girl pictures.  It's soft, feminine and sweet without being that typical baby pink or theme.  It's also incredibly versatile... I will have another project I made using it to post soon!

I also added some Studio Calico mist (used with a doily) in Cameo, a couple of crocheted flowers from my stash, a Prima flower, some American Crafts thickers, Basic Grey chipboard alphabet and my Jenni Bowlin pennant punch and Stampin' Up! border punch.  The twine is from my Dec. Studio Calico kit add-on... love how I can usually mix and match out of my kits to make them stretch!

Some detail shots:

"Welcome to our nest"

This layout was created using the Studio Calico November kit.  I added some American Crafts thickers and Basic Grey chipboard letters, a vintage lotto game piece (I used a brown marker to color over its original red), a sunflower doily, a creative imaginations twig, and twine from the December kit add-on I purchased.  I used my Jenni Bowlin sparrow, file tab and pennant punches, as well as my Stampin' Up! heart punch.

some detail shots:

It feels so good to have Vivienne's book started and be back to scrapbooking for fun!  I've been so project oriented (Roslyn's birthday party, holiday decorations, etc) that I feel like I haven't sat down and just played in FOREVER.  I'm so inspired and already have my next layout sketched out, product pulled and ready to be made when I have the moments to do so, and a notebook full of ideas for pages I want to make sure to do to capture all of those little things and memories that fade over time.  My goal for the year is to make sure I create every week, so I will hopefully be sharing often!

embracing 2012

I'll be honest... I wasn't looking forward to the whole New Year thing this year.  I'm not sure if I just wanted some more time with 2011 or if I was honestly afraid or nervous about what 2012 held for me... but I had anxiety leading up to it the whole time.

Usually I am one of those people who see it for everything that it is- a new year, fresh start, a jumping off point for whatever you want, hope or dream of and a time to dream big and plan on how to make every single one of those wishes come true.

from Joseph Arthur's song "In The Sun"- 

sums up my state of mind leading up to 2012

But for the longest time, I couldn't even begin to think of what was coming.  Because I have been wrapped up in the whir, the busy-ness and craziness of NOW.  

Lately my life is a series of hurrying up to slow down.  Running to get a bottle or change a diaper or check on sweet Vivi to come to a quiet stillness of meeting those needs.  And a lot of time to sit and think comes after the rush in the stillness of these most important tasks.  I don't always do well with the sitting and the thinking.  The sitting and the thinking often lead me down roads of worry to the city of anxiety and it can be overwhelming to me to the point where I just have to stop.  Stop thinking, stop listing, stop tasking and planning my life with that overwhelming thought of "when will I get this done?"

And then, like a ray of light, I received an email from my friend Kristin.  For the last several years (at least five, probably much more) we've always shared an excitement and goal-oriented outlook on New Years and shared our goals/plans/hopes/dreams/resolutions with each other and we vow to help each other throughout the year achieve them.  We encourage support and even let the other rage-quit a goal if need be.  It's a fun tradition and one that has truly helped me to be able to focus enough to even make goals some years, this year especially.  When I got her email, it finally gave me some excitement and the motivation that I needed so badly to stop for a minute and DREAM and PLAN. Not just THINK and WORRY.

And what I came up with inspired me, encouraged me and helped to give focus to my outlook and help ease the anxiety and worry that I had been feeling.  I emailed them off to Kristin and was immediately showered with love, support and encouragement for my plans, goals, dreams and resolutions.  There are a lot things out there in blog land about how to do your New Years resolutions, ranging from Ali Edwards' 'One Little Word' to making phrase or a mantra for the year, to the ol' tried and true list of resolutions.  I did it all because all of them are a great idea.  So, for 2012~

my one little word- be.

my phrases for the year/mantra- be active. be real. be present.

 

my more specific list of the things I shall do-

• enroll @ Yavapai College for the Fall 2012 semester, starting my associate degree in Social Work
• take my vitamins daily.
• move more.
• rejoin the Y.
• drink water.
• get tattooed (Roslyn's silhouette and the tops of my feet at least).
• blog regularly (4-5 times a week at least)
• date my hubby (cause he's awesome and really really ridiculously good looking). <3
• save $ regularly.
• set & live true to boundaries (with Drew, MIL, etc).
• take lots of pics of my girls (specifically Vivi's monthly pics w/the month stickers).
• see my friends weekly.
• get an eye exam and glasses.
• keep up on my thyroid meds/checkups.
• get ready for my day everyday (hair, makeup, etc).
• maintain hair cut & color and my nails.
• scrap/craft/create weekly.
• finish Vivi's room.
• finish our room.
• put together Roslyn's big bed.
• visit my friends down in the valley (Alex, Audrey, Marina, Teresa).
• go to a concert.
• have mama/Roslyn days.
• don't wish time away or to be faster.
• relish every moment with Vivi as a baby.  every tear, every cry, every bit of spit, every dirty diaper, every smile, every coo, every squeal, every cuddle. CHERISH and RELISH it all, IN THE MOMENT.  BE THERE.

So, here's to a great year of adventures, fun, growth, love, fun, family, trial and error, failures, resolve, trying again, being real, being active, being healthy, being present and so much more.  May it bring you your every wish come true and lessons learned gently.

The Sweetest Li'l Santa

Obviously, our most cherished gift this year as a family has been our sweet Vivienne Claire. Our lives are forever more full, complete, enriched and joyful because of her arrival.  Our first Christmas with Vivi was magical.  She is a magical gift to all of us.

Catching up...

I haven't blogged in over a month!  But I'm pretty sure anyone can guess why.  I've been absorbed completely into the amazing life and beautiful face of this little beauty- Vivienne.  I've been taking it all in, holding her every moment that I can and staring into those gorgeous blue eyes while singing her songs, telling her stories and delighting in the most beautiful smiles one could ever even dream of seeing.  Being a Mama to a sweet little baby that you grew inside you is truly an amazing and inspiring experience.

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family of four- and it was the most THANKFUL and GRATEFUL Thanksgiving ever... so much so now that we are complete in our little family.  Sharing the day with my Mom and John was the icing on the cake and thankfulness was in true abundance all around.

 

Shortly after that- Vivienne turned one month old!  I know, I can't believe it, either!  She eats and sleeps like a seasoned pro, smiles when she looks up into our faces and is starting to grasp at things near her.  She has the most delightful little squeals and exclamations and cheeks that are honestly just too cute for words.  We can hardly deal with the cuteness and I am constantly finding Roslyn at Vivi's bassinet talking and singing to her.  Makes my heart just melt.

Roslyn turned 7 on December 9th and we had her long awaited Minnie Mouse party extravaganza!  To say it was a hit would be an understatement!  She was surrounded and so showered by friendship and love that it was almost too much to believe! 

My beautiful girl- I can't believe shes 7!

during the singing of Happy Birthday

we had friends visit all the way from Kingman- Aunt Crystal, Uncle Joe and the girls!

Mama had fun planning, crafting and baking for the party. :)

See?!  Told you it was a huge success!

December has been spent immersing ourselves in all things Christmas and the magic of the season.  The girls made their visit to Santa and we treated ourselves with a present of a Holiday trip to Disneyland! 

Disneyland with a six week old was not anywhere near as difficult as I worried it may be and when she was awake, she was so focused and aware of her surroundings.  When we rode Small World for the first time with  her she lifted her head and looked around the whole time with those big beautiful eyes of hers and even treated us to some super sweet smiles.  We think she liked it! :)

As if all of this wasn't enough, we still had Christmas morning!  Roslyn loved getting to finally get into her stocking and open all of her gifts.  After the present madness of the morning, we had a nice dinner with my dad and his roommate and then drove up to the Prescott Resort to see the Gingerbread Village, one of my very favorite traditions.

Now that we are settling down from all of the excitement of this last month and a half or so, I have to admit that there is always a small feeling of blah!  We spend so much time gearing up to this one day and then as quickly as it came, it's over and the tree and decorations come down and it's time for life back to normal.

But I despite that down feeling that can come post excitement filled holidays, there is something that I love... the excitement, promise and unknown of a New Year to live to the fullest, to hope and plan for and strive to make the best year yet.  And that is what I am in the midst of doing for myself... brainstorming and dreaming of the goals and possibilities for 2012.  

One of my big goals is to blog regularly (really, I mean it! :-P) and document our lives, our adventures and so much more.  So now is the time when I ask YOU, my readers (if there are any out there ... hi Crystal lol!):

What would you like to see from me in the coming year here on my blog?  

I have some ideas, but I do want to share what you would like to see too.  I know that I want to be open, real, honest and share the loves of my life... so if there is anything at all that you would like to see or a question you have for me, please leave a comment and let me know and/or ask away.

I'm so excited 2012 and our full first year as a family of four... looking forward to loving, creating and sharing that all here.

Wishing y'all a happy, happy new year... I hope it's as amazing as each of you are.