On A CT & A Freebie

I have the huge honor of being asked to join The Urban Fairy's creative team and of course, I said yes.  In celebration of that (and to promote her kit, Afternoon Break) I'm offering up a frame cluster that I created using her kit.  Here's the preview and you can download it here.

To check out more freebies using the kit, check out The Urban Fairy blog.

Layout: GDS August Progressive Final

One more post today and another I'm really proud of how it turned out.  Another progressive challenge (I love them a lot).

Papers and elements designed by Verena Karolyi from her kits:

Never Forget

Like Green

Beautiful Thoughts

Earth Inspired

I'm not sure if you can easily read the quote with the page this size or not.  It reads:  "The mountains are calling me and I must go." -John Muir

Layout: GDS August Shape Challenge

I went a bit different for this months shape challenge.  It's my son's school schedule with no photos on it.  The challenge was to use at least five office supplies which was easily taken care of with 2 pencils, 1 pen, 3 thumb tacks, and a pair of scissors.

Paper and elements from "Journal Me This" by Studio4 Designworks

Just as an explanation if anyone is curious, he is virtually schooled which means it's public school, but he works from home on the computer. The classes with times are live classes with various teachers except for Speech Therapy which is in person. The classes below are also done on the computer, but can be done at any time and involve the typical text books, assignments, etc..

Stories Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Between the Olympics, a massive migraine, getting stuff ready for the new school year, scrapbooking, and a general airheadiness, I haven't posted in awhile.  So today, I went and backdated a whole lot of posts of the layouts I've done this month.  If you feel up to it, look through them and tell me what you think.

School starts on Monday for the Munchkin.  Where did the Summer go?!  From the sounds of it, it's going to be an extremely busy and challenging year.  The last year of middle school.  He really needs to stop this growing up thing, it's disturbing.

Layout: GDS August Junkie Challenge

To prove that I'm a GDS Junkie, I created this page with items only from GDS designers.  Actually, I do a lot of layouts like that so this really isn't that special, except I think it's really cute.

Paper and elements from "Hot Summer Days" by Rossi Designs

As you can see, Missy is making another appearance in a layout.  This time she brought her best bud, Beaver, along as well.  I really like how it looks like they're stepping out of the frame here.  It made an okay photo look a lot better in my opinion.

Layout: GDS August Font Challenge

Here I was given a font (or actually 2 this month) and need to do a layout that includes the font/s.  Since I'm a font whore, this is right up my alley.

Papers and elements from "Moment's Gone" by Rossi Designs

The photo was taken about 1905 and is of my Great Aunt and Uncle (that's my Maternal Grandfather's aunt and uncle).  I love the photo and how amazingly this kit highlighted it.

Layout: GDS August Lottery Challenge

The lottery challenge is where you are given a set of numbers and have to match those to papers and elements to make a page.

Papers and elements from "Love Me Tender" and "Moonlight and Roses"

Both by Scrapbrat Designs

My numbers:
2 - ribbons
11 - feathers
8 - papers
1 - photo
10 - leaves
13 - flowers

Quote:
Being deeply loved by someone
gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply
gives you courage. 
-Lao Tzu 

The photo is my parents on their 40th wedding anniversary cruise.

Layout: The Studio Back-To-School All About Me Challenge

Okay, I absolutely love this idea and wish someone would have showed me it years ago.  You make up a card about the good and bad parts of your child and send it to their teacher/s at the start of a new year.  Although the Munchkin is now virtually schooled, I'm still tempted to send this off to those teachers he'll be dealing with this year.

Template was by The Urban Fairy

Paper and elements from "Future Leaders" by BooLand Designs

Layout: The studio August Template Challenge

I was given a template by ScrappyCocoa and had to create a layout.  I did turn it and change it a bit to fit my needs a bit more.

Template by ScrappyCocoa

Paper and elements from "Blue Skies and Sunshine" by BooLand Designs

Photos are my parents during their cruise to Jamaica.  No birds were harmed in the taking of these photos, my parent's hair is a totally different story.

Layout: The Studio Late August Featured Designer

This time the mini-kit was from Aimee Harrison and a mini of her "Blueberry Pickin'" kit that I loved so much I had to buy it!

Papers and elements from Aimee Harrison and elements from her "Blueberry Pickin'"

Photo is my nephew, Tyler when he was allowing photos on Father's Day.

Layout: The Studio August Progressive Challenge

I actually won the best layout with this one. I was so excited because it meant I got the whole kit!  The way The Studio does their progressive challenge is you're sent a couple papers or elements each day for about a week and you can to incorporate them into the layout with the instructions given.  This is what I came up with:

Papers and elements from August 2012 Mega Kit "Tropical Beach"

The photo was from my parents Caribbean Cruise.  This "Pirate Ship" sailed beside them for awhile.

Layout: GDS August Sketch Challenge

A double layout this time.  I don't do many of them, but if I get a cool enough template or have a lot of similar pictures, I tend to lean in that direction.

Template is by Andrea Gold

Papers and elements from "Life Unscripted" by Andrea Gold

Photos are my parents on their wedding day and also from the time around when they met (he was in the Air Force and she was in nurse's training).

Layout: The Studio Early August Featured Designer Challenge

Here the featured designer, Amber Shaw, offers up a mini-kit of their work and you do a layout.  Words cannot express how much I loved this mini-kit.  Here's what I came up with:

Papers and elements by Amber Shaw from a mini-kit made from her "Sail Away Kit"

Layout: GDS August Collab Kit Challenge

This is a layout I really like and spent quite a bit of time on.  I didn't do much to the papers or elements in the kit (besides rotating and erasing a bit while layering), but there are so many layers on here.  Anyway, I really like it, although I'm not sure if anyone else has even really looked.  Aren't you glad you get to?

Papers and elements from GDS August 2012 Collab Kit

Photo is of my husband when he was about 1 year old.

Layout: The Studio August Less Is More Challenge

For this challenge we are given a mini-kit and we have to use it all in a layout. This is what I came up with.

Paper and elements by Studio4Designworks

The Little Angel in this case is my niece, Renee.

Layout: GDS August Journaling Challenge

I love this layout!  Not because I'm anyone with a huge skill in digital scrapbooking, but because it's the memory of an incredible night.

Template is "Inspire Me template #2" by  Created by Jill

Papers and elements from "Starlight Blue" by Created by Jill

Both photos were taken that night.  I'm not sure if you can read the journaling, so I'm posting it here:

From the first time I heard the song, “Seasons
of Love”, I’ve been a huge fan of the musical,
“Rent.” Unfortunately, I don’t live anywhere
near New York City. So I listened to the
Original Broadway Cast recording a lot and
once the movie came out, watched the movie
often. 

In June 2011 it all changed though.
Pioneer Memorial Theatre was doing
a production and Dale bought tickets
for the two of us to go as a late anniversary date.
Hearing the first notes as the play started, I realized
that none of my listening or viewing would ever compare to
a live showing of my favorite play. I laughed as Maureen
sang “Over the Moon”, fell in love a bit as Collins and Angel
sang “I’ll Cover You”, and cried as Collins sang alone on
the reprise of “I’ll Cover You” after Angel died. Although I knew everything that was going to
happen ahead of time, it was like seeing it all, hearing it all for the first time. 

Layout: GDS August Digidish

For the digidish challenge, we're given a select "recipe" of papers and elements to use and have to make a page.  Here's what I came up with this month:

Papers and elements from GDS collab kits from June 2011 and May 2009

Photo mask made by me

This is my parents spoiled little girl, Missy when they were camping this year.  She's a mastiff mix and just the cutest (slobbering-est) thing.  

Layout: GDS August Scraplift

For the challenge this month, we were scraplifting a layout from my friend, Andrea.  Her pages are always so amazing that she's the perfect choice and a really tough act to follow.  Here's what I was able to do:

Papers and elements from Verena Karolyi's "Never Forget"

Alpha from Andrea Gold's "Bold Browns"

Andrea's layout was done with a photo she had aged, so I decided to do the same.  I took it when we were celebrating Giles' 12th birthday at Wheeler Farm here in Utah.  It's actually the milking barn and a very cool building to tour.  I love this layout because it reminded me that you don't always have to use a frame in the traditional sense.

Layout: GDS August Heritage Challenge

Made using "Bubbles & Blues" by Debra Anderson

The photo is of my Mother-In-Law and her brother when they were kids.  The challenge was to use paper folds, which truthfully I had forgotten how to do.  So when I started to do this page, I got a bit carried away doing eight of them.  I do like the look of the paper being peeled back from the photo though.

What A Difference A Haircut Makes

This is my last day being the mother of a pre-teen.  Starting tomorrow, it's the Big 1-3.  Really, he's way too big.  I'm contemplating cement bricks on top of his head or something to try to stop the growth spurts that never end.  Seriously, if he's 5'9" at 13, what's he going to be at 18?!

Anyway, we've celebrated this last day of pre-teens by getting the Munchkin a very-badly-needed haircut.  Here, I will post proof of just how bad I allowed it to get.

Around the house look

Trying to calm it with water & a comb

Post haircut with his glasses on

He always looks older to me with his haircut.  Which could be why I don't push for him to get it cut until after it starts looking like something could be living in it.  Anyway, Sports Clips did a pretty good job, even if it's expensive.  Anyone with an Autistic child will tell you though, sometimes you pay a bit extra if they'll do it without complaint.  In this case, the televisions distract him enough that they can cut his hair without too many problems despite his not wanting people to touch his head.

So that's my day.  Now I'm off to make the birthday cake or brownies, he hasn't decided which he wants yet.

Another Day. . . A Progressive Layout Done

Have you ever done a progressive scrapbook layout?  It's when someone (who you often think might have sadistic tendencies) gives you instructions on how to complete a layout.  The problem is, you do the steps over a set period of time and once a step is done, you can't go back and change it.  See where the sadistic thoughts start coming in?  Anyway, it can be a true challenge to end up with a layout that you don't want to blame your dog for putting together.

I bring this up because I just finished the July Progressive Challenge over at GoDigitalScrapbooking and I LOVE my page!  It just worked for me this month, so you get to admire it too.

It turned out pretty good, don't ya think?  Anyway, I was lucky enough to use paper and elements from several kits.  GDS Collab Kit December 2009, GDS Collab Kit July 2012, Created By Jill's Lavender Dreams, Verena Karolyi's Beary Christmas and Make A Wish.  The Christmas lights were courtesy of the Salt Lake City Temple Square during a Mother/Son outing a couple years ago.  We probably should do that again this year if we've got time.  

Getting Back to Normal. . .Well, My Normal

I did something last night and this morning that I haven't done for quite awhile.  I worked on a scrapbooking layout for no reason other than I wanted to do it.  There was no challenge to fulfill and I wasn't doing it for a gift for someone.  I just had a photo that I loved and an idea of what I wanted to do with it.  It felt good.  Want to see what I did?

Papers and elements from "Lavender Dreams" by Created by Jill

The adults are the hubby's Great-Great Grandparents and the little girl on her mother's knee is his Great-Grandmother.  Pretty cool picture huh?  I'm not sure I did it justice, but I had fun.  It's been a year since I've scrapped for no other reason than just because it's fun.  I've missed it.

In the other news of the day, the hubby won some k-cups for our Keurig and they were delivered yesterday.  He thought it was only going to be a 24 pack, but it ended up being four 24 packs.  Pretty sweet deal, especially since he's sharing the bounty.  Don't tell him, but I think he spoils me quite a bit.  He not only supports my coffee addiction, he supports my chocolate one as well.  Plus, he did most of the laundry yesterday. I think I got lucky with that one.

Happy 24th of July

It's a holiday here in the happy state of Utah. Is it the day Utah became a state? I hear you ask. No, that's in January and is barely acknowledged most years. So why do you celebrate? Why is it a holiday that most people get the day off for and the biggest parade of the year happens? You ask again. You're just full of questions today, aren't you? Personally, I'd rather be full of coffee, but I guess each to their own.

Anyway, the holiday. See, I remembered your question. July 24th is a holiday in Utah because apparently Brigham Young saw the Salt Lake Valley for the first time on this day back in 1847 and said, "This is the place." The Mormon pioneers had been walking across the plains for quite awhile by then and were happy enough they made it a major holiday I guess. Of course, rumor has it (and you didn't hear it from me) that Brigham Young was too sick to do much proclaiming when his wagon first came upon the valley. There's also some debate on whether or not his wagon actually got here on the 24th or a couple days later. Or maybe it was earlier. I wasn't there so I don't know.

So anyway, it's a big day filled with parades, BBQ, and fireworks. For us here in this household, it has been filled with sleeping in, doing laundry, and being sarcastic. Wait, that last one seems to be done everyday whether it's a holiday or not. I will close saying if you are in Utah, Happy 24th of July and if you're not in Utah, Happy 24th of July.

Does anyone ever read the first post of a blog? I mean besides the person who wrote it. I don't think I've ever went back to the very first post of a blog I discovered. Well, not if there were more then a couple posts made anyway. So, keeping in mind that no one will ever really read this, I could put pretty much anything here. Of course, I know my luck well enough to know that someone would read it if I put something really strange or disgusting here. Well, the strange would probably be about the same as what will be posted here from here on out. The disgusting would only happen if the Munchkin(my to-be-thirteen-in-five-days son)had any say in what I post.

So, if you are reading this. First of all, I'm sorry. You really must be bored or trying to torment yourself. Secondly, welcome to my insanity fueled by coffee and chocolate. Third, because I really need a third if I'm going to have a first and second, I hope you stick around.