create

new promise

Well I forgot to post about this last week (when it was more timely), but here it goes.  I am making a promise to myself to do only layouts with meaningful journaling and more than one photo.  I love layouts with one photo - don't get me wrong - but here is where I am coming from.  One year ago (last week) I did my first digi-layout ever and posted it.  I LOVE this stuff, but in one year I am no where close to what I thought I would have in terms of albums for my boys.  I really need to do more layouts with journaling and photos about our life.  It's not like I don't have the pictures - because I do.  I take them.  I just don't do layouts with them because..well frankly...it's harder to do those layouts.  At least it is for me.  The layouts I do finish about the things we do and special events, etc I LOVE.  I really LOVE those.  So...I am going to start to take the time to do the layouts I really need to do to feel like I am heading where I want to be heading.  I don't want to be published...i don't want to be on more creative teams (ok..maybe one special one)....I don't want to design....i don't want to do anything more than just get more "quality" layouts done.  Quality for me is great journaling that will tell the story of what we do together and who we are are.  ok...done for now.

Here are a couple things I've done recently.  Here is my layout for our beach week trip.  Used Dani Mogstad's Sunny Sorbet kit.  Fun.  I originally did this for the digidareya challenge - but got held up finishing it on time...so I am posting it on my blog instead.  Go here to leave me some love at DST.

So I really love Jen Caputo's sketches.  I love that you can use them as a template and spend time tweaking, adding elements, etc.  Takes some of the stress out of it.  So she has some card templates on her blog that I downloaded.  I had been wanting to make a card for my oldest as he started preschool.  I used Dani's Old School kit available here and made the below card, printed it out on my super-duper printer, slapped it on some cardstock, added a ribbon and then wrote him a note inside.  He absolutely LOVES it.  It had to be on his nightstand tonite when he went to bed.  Boy does that make me happy.  See the credits, etc here at DST.

life

So the day started out great....got some scrapping done.  Had my last "free" day - with no work today and no boys.  Once I'm done work and officially a SAHM, that probably won't happen that often.  So, needless to say, I really took advantage of today to just hang out and relax.  I had the window open by my computer and totally loved hearing the soft rain falling.  Of course, my thoughts were with all the kids that were heading to the first day of school - not the best weather for that.

I did two layouts today....both came from the challenges section at the end of Ali Edward's newest book - A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper.  The book is REALLY growing on me...the more I read, the more I find. 

This one was using Dani's and Shawna Clingerman's newest collab kit - Carpe Diem.  The challenge was to use 9 squares of patterned paper/photos.  Ok, so I only used 7 squares - as I made the middle squares one LONG square instead of 3 small squares.  Of course, now that I look at it I realize that I don't have a title...hmmm..that has never really happened to me before - forgetting a title?  Oh well, I may be editing this in the future.  LOL.  This is posted at DST - see link to gallery right over here---->

 

This next one is using my fav kit of Dani's - Old School.  It is available here.  Will post this one tomorrow at DST (too tired now).  Did one of Ali's challenges here as well - use 7 patterned paper strips!!  Fun!!

One last thing...please pray for my old friend Cheryl.  She was a work colleague who moved away a couple years ago.  We lost touch, but I heard some bad news today.  She is in her mid-30's with a 3 1/2 year old and a 15 month old and was diagnosed this May with colon cancer.  She had only been feeling sort of off for a month or so, but figured she was just run down because of having young kids.  Turns out she has a tumor and has had surgery and chemo, but it still looks like it will be an uphill battle as it has spread to her lymph nodes.  I can't get this out of my head.  Pray for her and her family if you are able.

ok...off to bed.  Have to work tomorrow and try to be somewhat productive even though I don't quite feel like it.

on a roll

I am on a roll here.  I did 2 more layouts.  This time I used Jen Caputo's sketch templates.  OK, I knew these were sweet, but didn't really understand until I played with them.  AWESOME!!  I love that it gives me a basic design and then I can add stuff or change a little something.  It really doesn't cut my time down much - but only because I just spend tons of time changing little things and then deciding I don't like it and changing it back - again and again!!

Here are the layouts I did.  The first is using the sketch template that came FREE with the DST newsletter.  I used Dani's Puppy Love kit (from her This Love CD).

This layout I did using another one of Jen's sketch templates that I got before she became quite the sketch celeb (lol...it was free on her blog...lol).  I used Dani's Retro Autumn Spice 2 kit available this week at her store.  I just love that green paisley paper!!

Anyway, I uploaded both of these to DST so go check out the credits and leave some love - see gallery layout link in the right sidebar----->

I am very bitter that my paypal is turned off temporarily.  I was planning on doing some shopping this weekend (mainly to get Jen's newest templates...see I told you I was addicted).  But, for some reason my account was temporarily disabled and I was supposed to answer some security questions to get it reactivated.  OK..so I did those and the last resolution thing was that they were going to place an automatic phone call to my home phone.  Well, I did that...but didn't know that I was supposed to answer the phone and type in some code.  I was so quick, that I just answered and hung up (as it was midnight!!).  I tried to go back and redo it, but it came up that they were going to send me a verification via MAIL (like real postal service mail) and that I would get it in 5 business days.  I about screamed!!  So, now I wait.  I'm going to miss her sale, but oh well.  Ugh...I guess I could open a new paypal account??!!  Hmmm....I'm off to try that.

lazy day

Today we had a really lazy day.  It was awesome.  We so rarely have a day where we don't do anything.  It felt like fall with drizzly rain most of the day and temps in the 60's. 

I did find some time to do two more layouts...wow, I feel like I'm on fire these days.  LMAO!!

The first one is using Dani's Old School kit available at www.acherryontop.com.  The kit is really awesome.  It has orange.  Need I say more.  I really debated about the picture in this one.  I went back and forth between color and b&W.  Obviously, I decided on the color one.  I have a tough time doing a layout with a B&W photo.  I really just love COLOR!!

This next one is with another new kit by Dani (she is making them faster than I can get layouts done...LOL!!).  This is called Maddy's Smile.  I used an old picture of me.  Don't I look like Ben? My parents always say that Ben looks SO MUCH like me (except for the long hair, of course)!!

Okay, bed is calling my name.  I still have a bunch of stuff to say but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

dinner out

Ok, the weather here is unbelievable.  I'm thankful it is actually September 1st today, because I think I would be totally discombobulated if it was still August with 58 degrees and cold rain and wind.  Wow, it is crazy out there. 

Despite the rain, we got a babysitter and went out with our friends (they don't have children YET) to PF Changs which opened up a couple miles from our house.  YUMMY!!  We got the lettuce wraps and I got the orange peel chicken.  Seriously, fattening and totally not on my diet.  Oh well.  I also got an ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE!!  I say that for my DH's benefit as I never drink - so this was quite the event.  The drink was almost as much as the dinner - $7.95!!  It was very yummy (also extremely calorie-laden) and got me totally buzzed.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not against drinking (haha - ask any of my friends from college), but since I've had kids I just hate having any kind of hangover, etc in the morning because the days are long and hard already.  The last thing I need is something else making me feel like crap all day AND having to referree my boys!!

I did a layout with Dani Mogstad's and Shawna Clingerman's new collab kit - Carpe Diem.  Great stuff!!  Check out their new site. Also, Shawna gave us her new kit to play with - Techno Grunge.  It is so awesome - i love that it is really unique.  Doesn't hurt that I had the PERFECT pictures to use with it.   To see additional credits or to leave some love - check out the DST gallery link on the right sidebar---->

Okay, so I made those "flowers" on the layout.  Hopefully, that binder clip flower doesn't look totally stupid.  I kind of thought it went with the whole "be original" theme of the layout.  I typically don't put flowers on my layouts with my boys, but I thought this was kind of cute.??..?

I'm still going to answer Tania's tag - however DH is calling me to watch this movie with him.  Ugh.  He says it is going to be inspirational and lift my spirits.  I am, however, in a very shallow mood tonite and would be just as happy to watch my old Alias episodes on DVD......Oh well, the price of love.....