merry Christmas.

Going up in the American Crafts gallery this month:

Closeups:

 showing the popped up action of the pictures:

 I think my favorite part of this layout are the candid pictures--LOVE that the Peppermint Express line from American Crafts accents the pictures AWESOMELY!
Thanks SO much for the visit today!!

what I love the most about Christmas.

Wanted to share REAL quick a layout I made for this month using the All is Bright Kit from Scrapbook Circle:

 closeups:

 This Merry and Bright printable is the FREE printable offered by Scrapbook Circle, click HERE to receive yours!
Thanks for the QUICK visit today--I'm off to wrap gifts and ENJOY my family!

love.

In honor of our 17th wedding anniversary I wanted to post this layout of us a couple of years ago in Hawaii (celebration of our 15 year)--time has flown and I sure LOVE this guy!

This layout happens to be up in the American Crafts gallery for this month:

closeups:

 Thanks for the visit today--hoping you have a WONDERFUL day!

take 2.

Life has been moving along and I have been truly enjoying my kids and their concerts, soccer games, a field trip and Lacrosse games.  I do have a page to share with you--it's actually a second take on a page I made a while back for Scrapbook Circle:

And here is my lift for this month using the All is Bright kit:

 I wanted to recreate the border on the top--one of my favorite features of the inspiration page..I also liked using the printables exclusive to each Scrapbook Circle kit for the borders, one other feature that was included on this page were the exclusive Merry & Bright digi cuts.  I think I really enjoyed scrapping something that happened during the month of December..my kids were SO excited to have the local tv station come and visit their school and get up close to the helicopter!
well, I'm off and running have another Christmas party this evening to get ready for--thanks SO much for stopping by!

Scrapbook Circle Blog hop!

The creative team at Scrapbook Circle is ending the year with a bang! We are hopping along and you can win a All Is Bright December kit from Scrapbook Circle. Each Creative Team member is giving away a kit on their blog. That's right — 12 chances to win! We are celebrating the holiday season and YOU get the gifts!

You should have come to my blog from Melissa Mann's blog . You can also start at the Scrapbook Circle blog to make sure you stop back by there to see the full hop list and get some more details.

Closeups:

The paper topped with the button is the FREE Be Merry Gift tag printable offered this month from Scrapbook Circle!

 just a fun closeup of the popped up background and title on the page...oh and the wonderful GOLD paper is in the All is Bright Add on paper pack.

The other final add on kit is the Holly Jolly--I bought this and used it this month as well--FULL of FUN stuff!

Your next stop on the hop is Lisa Andrew's blog! Keep hopping, leaving comments as you go, so you have up to 12 chances to win the December kit from Scrapbook Circle. Good Luck!

HOP ORDER

1. Scrapbook Circle blog: http://www.scrapbookcircle.com/blog 

2. Diana Fisher: http://designbydiana.blogspot.com/

3. Heather Leopard: http://thespottedleopard.blogspot.com/

4. Adrienne Alvis http://adriennealvis.blogspot.com/

5. Audrey Yeager http://audreysreflection.blogspot.com

6. Sara Zenger  http://sarazenger.blogspot.com

7. Jenni Calma:  http://papercardinal.blogspot.com/  

8. Rebecca Keppel http://www.myclutteredcorner.com/

9. Tessa Buys http://precociouspaper.blogspot.com/

10.Melissa Mann  http://melissamann.typepad.com

11. Diana Waite http://wonderwoman-diana.blogspot.com/

12. Lisa Andrews http://lisaandrews.blogspot.com/

*update December 6, 2013*
The winner for my blog has been posted HERE on the Scrapbook Circle blog--thanks!

happy thanksgiving!

I hope that you are finding this day WONDERFUL--I wanted to share with you some AWESOME Black Friday sale with you from Scrapbook Circle:

First, you can take 40% off all remaining kits, add-ons and digital products. We’ve never offered such a huge discount and we are excited to get to share our amazing products with you are a fabulous price! It’s time to clear out the last things in our shop to make room for all of the new 2014 goods.

Second, it’s time for grab bags! This is seriously one of our favorite things to offer each year. We love packing big bags of goods to share at a great price.

Last, but not least, all orders over $15 will receive one of Scrapbook Circle’s exclusive canvas totes. Sweet! No coupon code necessary. Just place an order and the bag will ship along for free.

Plus, Scrapbook Circle has a cool set of gift tags that you can download for free. It’s their gift to everyone this season.

ENJOY and HAPPY shopping!!

thankful cousins.

These pictures will probably seem familiar although I haven't scrapped them before...these were from a few years ago when I had some willing models..these kids were all so photogenic it was just a blast trying to get good shots.  I'm glad we had this time because now these cousins of my kiddos live farther away and we won't get to see them as often.  They LOVE to hang out together and have a good time, GRATEFUL I have these pictures of them together!

This particular layout was featured on the American Crafts blog a few weeks ago (along with yesterday's card) as part of their Thanksgiving week...

closeups:

*I used the Autumn Crisp line to complete this layout*

thanks SO much for the visit today!

thankful.

I am VERY thankful that it's thanksgiving time--I love the time together as a family to reflect on the sweet gifts I've been given.  This card was featured on the American Crafts blog a few weeks ago in preparation for Thanksgiving:

I used the lovely Autumn Crisp line to complete this card--thanks so much for the quick visit today!

sophomore.

Do you ever have one layout that you just LOVE because of the picture or the paper?  For me this particular layout is a favorite of mine right now (I have A LOT of favorites!)  I really love this capture of my girl--she has a genuine smile on her face.  Can't remember what was said to make her laugh but I love it because she is truly being herself in this picture!  And yes, I LOVE candid shots more than posed shots...

Cute little side note, she saw that I was working on this page and she asked me how i got all of the arrows on the page to point to her.  Umm...it came that way... :)  (I had to show her a piece of paper that hadn't been scrapped so she could see...) 

 closerup detail:

I used the FANTASTICAL (love that word!) Home Sweet Home kit to complete this layout.  Thanks for the visit today!

7th grade.

So the sketch challenge went up on the Scrapbook circle blog this past week--LOVED the sketch!  here is the sketch and my take:

I seriously LOVE this paper!!  ALL of it (it's from the Home Sweet Home kit) --this day for my boy was pretty exciting and I'm glad that I have a camera on my phone!  One of my friend's daughter saw me taking pictures of my son and asked, "mom, you aren't going to take pictures of me like that?" said in a horrified tone...I just laughed because my kids and any kid that knows me--has come to realize that I will take their picture ANYWAY!  And the funny thing is--even though they say they're embarrassed they really like it!  And the kids that aren't having their pictures taken really WANT to have their picture taken! (*side note--I found a page I had done of me where my mom tried to take my picture and did anyway, I kept covering my face and acting goofy.  I remember that day!  I was a little embarrassed but my friends stepped up smiled and MADE me take the picture!  And I'm glad I have them now--thanks mom!)

 closeups:

There is a FUN prize for the winner of this challenge go check out the BLOG for all the details!

 thanks SO much for the fun visit today!

smile.

This particular layout is featured on the Scrapbook Circle blog today:

My challenge was a lift of a Corrie Jones layout--SO fun!  I had a total blast using the supplies on hand to create this fun page of my boy and his cousin on the last day of elementary school!  I think it's seriously neat that they get to go to school together.  Funny thing--they were only in ONE class together preschool-6th grade!  Now as 7th graders they have SEVERAL classes together.  ANYWAY, LOVED working with the sketch and digi cuts and the Home Sweet Home kit.

 closeups:

 Thanks SO much for the visit today!

scuba diving.

about a year ago my hubby along with some family members got to go to Hawaii--it was our first visit!  So pretty!!  Two of the four in the picture are certified scuba divers and wanted to take the other two that weren't out.  (They asked me as well but I was MUCH more comfortable on land taking pictures!)  My hubby LOVED it--they took them in the pool first to get accustomed to the equipment and then out in the ocean (which in all reality was like 100 yards from the pool).  They went for a short 45 minute dive and saw a shark, stingray, and a turtle.

up close:

 I think my favorite picture of the bunch is the look of pure delight on my hubby's face!  LOVE candid moments like that. ;)
Just a short visit today...Thanks for stopping by!!

*I used the Cut & Paste line from American Crafts for this layout*

the spirit stick.

these pictures crack me up--he was SO serious about handling the spirit stick for the pack meeting--CONCENTRATED hard on getting it to sound just right...

LOVE that I was able to use the Home Sweet Home kit from Scrapbook Circle--I added a bit of hand stitching around the edges and on the photo corners (used as arrows)..this kit is packed full of FUN stuff--GO check it out!!
Thanks for the quick visit today!

campfire circle.

this layout I shared on the Scrapbook Circle blog a few days ago...I am happy to announce that there are now digital kits exclusive for each kit!  You can download them separately and they really are pretty awesome!  On this layout I used the You are Here digital cut found HERE, the Thankful Digital Cut found HERE, and the Thankful digital cards found HERE.

 closerups:

 just a side note this flair is also a scrapbook circle exclusive in the Home Sweet Home kit--this kit also has an exclusive thankful stamp and a printable--pretty awesome!!
Thanks SO much for the quick visit today--and seriously go check out the digital cuts--only $1.50 each!

dinner bell.

I went to Girl's camp this summer as the official photographer..a pretty big job since there were over 300 girl's there plus the leaders..making it close to 500 people.  I had a BLAST!  While waiting for dinner one night the camp director (head honcho) asked me to ring the dinner bell.  Little did she know this was a SECRET desire since I was a teenager!  Of course I LITERALLY jumped at the chance (not before handing my camera to someone to DOCUMENT the moment), I pulled the cord not expecting it to be so difficult to pull....

 closeup:

Yes, I can LAUGH at myself and these still make me giggle....Life is to short to take to seriously and it's seriously OK to have a good laugh--even at yourself every once in a while!
For a closeup of myself:

thanks for the visit today--ENJOY your day! ;)

*I used the new Cut and Paste Line from American Crafts to create this page!*

you are beautiful.

I think this might have been one of my FAVORITE layouts to make this past month with the So Happy Together kit by Scrapbook Circle.  I LOVED the exclusive stamp set included--seriously AWESOME!!  I used a couple of the stamps on this particular layout (one on the background--I just re-stamped it over and over; the other is the You are with the arrow pointing at the title.)  The picture was taken and texted to me during girl's camp this summer--it features my BEAUTIFUL girl and her friends..

 closeup of the silhouette cut title:

 closeup of the stamped image (I used the VersaMark Dazzle):

 little pop dot action:

thanks SO much for the visit today--sure hope that you are having a FABULOUS day!!

mollie jay.

This wonderful little mini was featured on the American Crafts blog a few weeks ago with a tutorial--the tutorial can be seen HERE.:

 I made this sweet little mini for a friend who *JUST* had a baby--loved working with the Polka Dot party line of paper!