Dear 2009,

You were not my favorite year. You brought heart ache & a quarter life crisis. You brought the break up of the guy I thought I'd marry... 2 cavities, a broken camera, a mole biopsy... you ripped the skin off during eyebrow waxing & blew up my boat 2 days after buying it. You had more bills insurance wouldn't cover & 2 job interviews without offers. You had one of my best friends not speaking to me for a month & an email intervention from my BFF. & you got me r o o f i e d. Through it all I've become stronger & I am over you. Leave peacefully & take your drama with you. 2010 will be good! Thanks in advance. -Ashley

Hello Heaven.

My bff said as the boys brought us our drinks at my friend's wedding reception.

We were bridesmaids & it had been a long day.

December Challenge Masters.

I don't really have room in my one bedroom apartment for a big Christmas tree, nor do I have the storage for it for the other 11 months of the year. So I dug out my little two foot tree my aunt made me 20 years ago.

My mom said, "Can you believe you're old enough to have something that is 20 years old?!" No, I can't actually. Thanks mom.

It's still in good condition. All the ornaments & decorations will still intact. Well, they were intact from when I packed it up for the last time however many years ago. The lights even still work! I was crazy surprised when I plugged it in & they came on.

I got some pink disco ball ornaments from Hobby Lobby & some silver beads from WalMart to bring it into this decade. & it's so pretty! K makes fun of it because it's so small & he says it isn't a real tree. But it's pretty & it's mine. & it's 20 years old!

C h r i s t m a s cactus!

mini fun.

I decided to make a mini with the pics from S's bachelorette party. Moonie gave me this one in TX & I've been waiting for the perfect use. It's small & there's not much room for embellishments, especially bulky ones. I kept it simple with stickers & rub ons & a little bling because what's a bachelorette party without bling?!

time heals.

Our journaling challenge is up at Challenge Masters.

I used some song lyrics + a pic from TX.

Check it out here: http://challengemasters.ning.com/group/journaling/

exciting news!

I am on the design team at Challenge Masters!

http://challengemasters.ning.com/

It's a new site that will have several challenges posted every month. It's going to be fun!

there is such a thing...

technique when it comes to taking shots.

Plug your nose!

For Category Stories October prompt: http://categorystories.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/oct-category-2-there-is-such-a-thing/

wedding weekend.

finally finished!

With my Bon Jovi 8x8 album from his concert in April 2008.

winner!

I won the Gutter Girlz challenge with my eat the words layout.

http://guttergirlz.blogspot.com/2009/09/end-of-month-mojo-sept-09.html

I rarely win anything so I'm kind of excited!

red is my color.

for the challenge at All About Me.

http://itsallaboutmechallenge.blogspot.com/2009/09/aam-challenge-2-what-color-am-i.html

Gutter Girlz #28.

Scrap Muse crop.

Here's one of my challenges from the Scrap Muse crop:

[aren't we cute?]

August Scrap Muse.

(inspired by Christine's old challenge at Tally that I never got to)

We are having a crop at Scrap Muse on Saturday, August 22. There will be lots of challenges & games & prizes. I can tell you one of my challenges involves Texas & the popular notion that everything is bigger there. You'll have to come check it out!

August is here already.

I hate that summer flies by. Hate it. Especially because winter seems to laste forevvvver.


[my most favorite Garth song. for my soundtrack album. August Scrap Muse kit.]


[idea jumpstarted by Amy, whose work I adore. love this movie. August Scrap Muse kit.]

July Scrap Muse!

June TMiR.

One of the few layouts I got done while in TX. Christine gave us a the big letter part of those 7 Gypsies stickers & we had to use it. Mine went in jUne.

July.

[July Scrap Muse]

more June kit.

[June Scrap Muse kit]

Tuesday my friend Tyler & I went to Chicago for the Cubs game. It got postponed due to rain. Which totally sucked because we drove like 4 hours to get there. & it rained the entire time. We went to Navy Pier & ate at Bubba Gumps. It was yummy. Had ice cream at Ben & Jerry's that was heavenly. & then came back.

[Louisiana Lemonade]

June kit!

In the spirit of making me feel better, I'm going to share a layout with the June Scrap Muse kit, which I loved. Missy's putting together some amazing kits. July's is even more amazing.

Scrap Muse travel kit.

I forgot to share these & this was such a gorgeous kit! I have lots of ideas... mostly not even vacation related!

June Scrap Muse sneak.

{ June Scrap Muse kit}

May Scrap Muse kit.

my sentiments on kids at the moment

[May Scrap Muse kit]

sneak of May's Scrap Muse.

I've been working with the May Scrap Muse kit. I am really liking the fun, summery colors in this kit & these puffy Thickers are my favorite so far! This is another one for my Bahamas album. Only 6 more pages to go & it'll be complete!

sneak of April.

more March Scrap Muse.

This was our headwaiter on the cruise. Cannot remember his name or how to spell it (he is from Indonesia), but he was amazing. We loved him. & tipped him accordingly our last night :)



This picture sucks. It was the printer; I'm going to print a new one. But I just adore this picture of us :)

March Scrap Muse kit.

the last of February's Scrap Muse.

February Scrap Muse.

(this is a rhythm strip from my first heart attack. kinda weird? perhaps. totally love it? definitely.)

(this is one awesome picture. if I do say so myself.)

Latte's scraps.

Got this done with Latte's scraps:

& this, for a scrappy friend who's having a baby soon.

a sneak at February's Scrap Muse kit.

I miss this. But we'll be on the beach again in six days!

what I see.

Here's another from January's Scrap Muse kit :)

January Scrap Muse.