something from almost nothing- prompt 4

Using up some of our cardstock scrap supply was a tricky one for me...I don't really have a lot of it laying around. I tend to either use the whole piece or use the scraps up pretty quickly on other layouts or projects. 

Shimelle asked us to find a picture that makes us happy. So which to choose? A funny one of our cats? Something from work? Something from Gore? Something from a vacation?

I decided on this...

...because the silly things this man does cracks me up and there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't make me happy in some way.

I think Charlie Chaplin had it right, a day without laughter is a day wasted. 

something from almost nothing- prompt 3

Ribbon is something that I have plenty of, and I certainly love it, especially lace. Before I organized my stash of trimmings I probably would have been happy to just pitch it all and never see it again. But thanks to my new system which makes it just as pretty to look at as it is on a project I haven't wanted to use it ;-) 

But alas, Shimelle made the call to use up some of that stash, and use it up I must! It is a pretty simple layout... I used a leftover piece of pp, some lace, some letters and a little birdie embellishment.

That's it.

Do you know what your personality type is? According to this test I am an INFJ (introverted, intuitive, feeling, judging) person. I'd say it is pretty accurate, with a slight inclination toward extroversion if in the right situation. 

The journaling is an excerpt from the results:

Highly intuitive, protective, strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, patient, strong value system, artistic and creative, doesn't like crowds, sensitive to conflict, not competitive, concerned for other people's feelings, caring, devoted, complex. 

I guess that could be considered true ;-)

How about you? What is your personality type?

(march) showers bring...

It is another sopping wet one here in New England, but that is just okay with me. 

I LOVE rainy days! I like them better when I can be curled up with a good book or a movie and a cozy blanket, but I do  love the rain.
And today was an especially great one...
When I got home from work mmb had brought me home flowers AND my long awaited package finally arrived!

Yay! My new rain boots came in, and just in time... the weather forecast has me wanting to build an ark! I ripped open the box and ran outside to give them a test run. They are so cute! ;-)
No more wet feet for me!

Do you have a favorite pair of rain boots?

i believe

I believe in a cure.

So I walk. And I run. And I sit with kids getting their chemo treatments. 

And I pray.

I believe for those fighting, for those who will have to fight and for those who couldn't anymore. 

Let's be honest.

Cancer sucks.

And nothing ever came true from not believing. 

So, I believe.

Do you?

3.25.10 sketchiness

Well, friends. It is here... my last sketch as the March GDT member for Sketchy Thursdays. It flew by! Thanks to Heidi and Diana for a month full of gorgeous sketches and fun :) 

Hop on over to see what the DT made this week! 

Things have been kind of like a circus around here this week, super busy and trying to juggle a lot of things at once. My plate has been full of progress reports, a big assessment project for grad school, some crafty projects(when I can squeeze in time), house hunting, bridesmaid duties, housework and well, you know the drill...

+

But you know what they say, Work Hard, Play Hard. 

And I intend to do just that ;-) 

I have a very fun weekend lined up. 

Friday night: Fun with my work friends after school. 

Saturday: Annual outlet shopping trip with my bestie and the Motha (can't wait!!)

Saturday also happens to be mmb's weekend to plan date night, can't wait for that either...I'll have to get something new and cute to wear while I am shopping ;-) 

Sunday: Perhaps a couple of open houses and catching up on scrapbooking.

Ahhh, yes. There has been a lot going on around here, but don't you find that it makes the down time all that much more rewarding?

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

happy monday

Things are busy, busy around here. 

I won't be able to bring you a Martha Monday post today because I am busy working on this...

 Can't say what it is because it is a special gift for a special person, but I will fill you in later :-)
Hope your week is off to a good start!

ski weekend '10

Well I am back, my lovely friends. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

mmb and I spent the weekend in the mountains up in Maine for some end-of-the-season spring skiing and we had an a-m-a-z-i-n-g time.  

mmb is an awesome skier...me, not so much. 

But here is the good news...you don't have to be a skier to enjoy a ski weekend getaway ;-) 

I skied Saturday morning on the little slopes while mmb conquered the double black diamonds. We stopped for some lunch about noon and then went back to our hotel for some apres ski fun in the lodge. 

Later that night we took a nap (a luxury that is soooo understated!) then hit up the outdoor hot tub and heated pool. 

It. was. heaven. 

The moon and stars above and a cold breeze blowing through was the perfect combo for relaxing in the hot bubbling pool of goodness. 

After that we went to grab some dinner and then relaxed the night away. This morning mmb got up and skied some more, then we grabbed some breakfast and started the trek from Maine to Massachusetts. On the way we passed a street called "Simplicity Lane", when I remarked about it my ever so sweet boyfriend said, "Do you want to get a picture?". I declined, but kissed this man on the cheek. Because he gets it, and because he is awesome. 

On the way home we stopped at an open house for a home we have been eying and oh, my goodness, was it amazing. Sun drenched rooms, beautiful yard, nice neighborhood, GORGEOUS kitchen (which the realtor who was selling the home commented that I look really good in, haha)  and plenty of rooms so that he can have his own office, I can have my own scraproom, and still with all that, have room for a couple of little ones (someday) running around. 

The downside? Its a tad overpriced right now. We are optimistically keeping our eyes on it because you never know what might happen. 

Whatever is meant to be, will be, right?

Tonight, we relaxed on the couch, watched the news about the Health Care Bill, did some research about the town the house is in and looked online for some more (while sipping champagne because the weekend was that good ;-)...)

Ahhhh, we really needed this weekend. 

Hope whatever you did this weekend, that it brought you as much joy as ours did :)

The cute little restaurant we stopped for dinner at in Maine

The left side view off our balcony

The right side view

good things also come in medium packages

She's here! 

And I could not love her more! My Epiphanie camera bag is here and I am thrilled with it.

It's making the first trip out today...first on a field trip to the post office and then up to Maine for some spring skiing. 

Have a lovely weekend, my friends! 

Happy Spring!

3.18.10 sketchiness

Top 'o the morning to you....wait...I guess that was yesterday. 

Can't we extend it just another day??

Well, when you love an Irish man, just about any day can be St. Patrick's Day.

Hop on over to Sketchy Thursdays to see just what I mean...

And while you're there, be sure to congratulate the talented members of the new design team! 

catching up-Something from Almost Nothing

Like many of you out there, I am loving Shimelle's Something from Almost Nothing class! For a long time I have been collecting piles upon piles of all of these beautiful products and not using them...shame on me. But thanks to this awesome new class, I am inspired to use up what I have and document all of the good stuff in the here and now.

I had grad class all weekend so I didn't get a chance to scrap until Sunday evening before bed, but between then and yesterday I got the first two prompts done. 

Here is my title page:  

I used some scraps leftover from papers that I adore and followed the assignment of using up some of my metals (the book plates and brads). 

Here is prompt 2:

I decided to use up some more of those metals that have been collecting in my scrap stash and use them to help make a patterned paper border. I got a lovely little pack of Melissa Frances mini-frames in a monthly kit which inspired me to paint a bunch of my other bronze and gold colored frames all white. Insert scraps of my favorite colors and, voila, I created a page I love and used up some of those ole dust collectors!

So why make this album?

It seems cliche, but I really am making this book because life is a gift. 

 And because I won't allow myself to buy anything new until I have used up what I need to use up and only keep what I absolutely positively love. (boy, that is hard!)

And because it is almost metaphoric...cleaning out all of these old supplies to make room for new and exciting ones. Loving the past, looking forward to the future, and being grateful for it all. 

Every now and then, one must examine what you have, take inventory and prioritize...whether that be with supplies or life in general. 

I used to think that I appreciated life, but over this past year I realized just how important it is to be grateful for every morning we get to wake up, and to make the best of each day. 

I'm celebrating life because it is a gift.

A gift that should be enjoyed.

A gift that should be lived well, whatever that definition is to you. 

And most certainly a gift to be celebrated.

Are you making something from almost nothing?

3.11.10 sketchiness

It is that time of the week again...

The latest sketch from the awesome Sketchy Thursdays is coming your way!

I really am having such a wonderful time being the March Guest Designer for their team. Getting the new sketch every week is like getting a little present whenever I get the email. It fires up my creativity and gets me excited about sitting down to scrap.

I would really like spring to get here, I just don't want March to end!! 

Here is this week's sketch...

 and here is my take...

 

With this week being my birthday I decided to go back and think about who I was in younger days. Turns out it is not too much different than who I am now ;-)  

Do you ever think about how important it is to revisit what was important to you when you were little?

It is amazing how much it can help you remember what is important now...

And as a side note, for a girl who thought she would neither use digital (I really need a photoshop lesson!) OR sketches, I  sure am loving both. Don't worry though, next week is going to be a paper layout. ;-)

You are going to LOVE what the other design team members did with this sketch! Be sure to stop by and check it out. 

I hope you'll play along this week!

a reminder.

image

happy birthday to me!

It's true. 

I am officially a year older. 

As of today I have spent another 365 days loving, learning and living life. 

Another 365 days filled with laughter and heartbreak and lessons learned and lessons shared. 

Another 365 days filled with opportunities and choices and chances. 

Another 365 days filled with creative adventures and giving and receiving. 

Another 365 days of learning about what makes me who I am.  

Another 365 weeding out what is really important and letting the rest go.

Another 365 days of savoring and documenting.

Another 365 of being infinitely blessed by the challenges and the rewards that have come my way. 

 Life is good.

So as a (very) special birthday gift to myself I bought one of these...

The Ginger to be exact. 

I have had my eye on these since Maile first began talking about them. I haven't wanted to splurge, but I figured hey...no better time than your birthday, right?  Well, that and there is a 15% off promo code if you enter HAVEANEPIPHANIE2 at checkout.  

It was tough to choose between the Ginger and the Belle, but I opted for the more classic style of the Ginger. And she is even lined with a light turquoise color! Isn't she pretty?

Now my beloved DSLR will have proper travel accommodations!

Happy Birthday, indeed!

And I have decided that tonight, when I blow out the candles, I will share a wish with you...

image

So close your eyes and wish away, it's on me ;-)

martha monday & an organizing update

Like pancakes?

Then you MUST try this recipe. 

Martha calls them her "best" buttermilk pancakes and I can vouch for the fact that calling them so is neither a boastful, nor overzealous comment. 

I am not a huge breakfast person, but I do love a good pancake every now and then, and this one more than fits the bill. See ya later, Aunt Jemima...we are only using this recipe around here from now on.

You'd think that making homemade pancakes would be a huge pain in the biscuit, but this was so simple and the results were unbelievable.

Airy, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

You really should give them a go!

And now an update on Operation Organization...

You might remember that I am trying to get rid of the excess in our lives and focus on only the really important things. We are going through all of our things, one room at a time and keeping only what we need and giving the rest to people who could use it. 

We figure it is a win-win: we get to spend more time doing fun things and relaxing instead of cleaning and whatnot and people who might be in need of the things we are donating will get some use from them.

I don't know about you, but organization is bliss to me!

Here are some shots from the bedroom...

Oh, it feels so good.

love notes

 

I have always had a little guilt not keeping the valentines that my students have given me over the years, especially when they are handmade. I have kept a few of them over the years, but sadly, the majority of them end up in the ole circular file. 

Now let me tell you, this is never an easy thing to do. 

I picture the little ones carefully writing out each token of their affection, getting so excited to pass them out and thinking that the recipients will keep them forever. 

Okay, so maybe I am over dramatizing a bit. But still, they worked so hard on the cards and I hate to throw them out. 

I just never knew what to do with them.

That is, I never knew what to do with them until Maya at Basement Chronicles gave me this idea!

 

I used a heart shaped punch to cut a little piece of each valentine and then adhered them to a piece of cork using mini-brads. Add some patterned paper, some alphas and a little bit of embellishment and... Voila! A lovely little way to keep the little tokens of affection from my sweethearts of the school year!

No guilt.

All love. 

And a sweet little way to remember the kids from this year.

confessions of a stashaholic

I have stuff. And lots of it. 

And while my craft collection cannot be entirely blamed on awesome shopping sites like peachycheap and Crop Chocolate, they are definitely contributors. I mean, how can you pass up some of their amazing deals of the day?

In all seriousness, though...those sites are fantastic resources for getting excellent products at VERY reasonable prices. If you haven't yet, check them out. 

Back to the stuff...over the past 4 or so years when I began scrapbooking, I have collected A LOT of stuff. Papers, stamps, inks, brads, eyelets, glitter, flocking powders, embossing powders....

and the alphas, dear God, the alphas....

Well, you probably get it. 

It is time to use this stuff up. Back in January I went through and purged to the hills, only keeping what I thought I would really use. I was able to whittle down my collection, but I still have a lot of stuff.

And to be honest, it is holding me back. 

Sometimes too much of a good thing IS a problem.

You see, this really great collection (which I know I am so lucky to have) can sometimes be a little bit overwhelming. And then I end up not doing anything with it because I don't know where to start. Or I start and then about 100 different ideas come flooding into my mind about how I could use something and then I get blocked. 

Over-think, much?

THE EVIDENCE:

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

So why all this stash talk? Well, the always fabulous Shimelle is up to it again. This time she is offering a class to help us use all that stuff we have accumulated, all while creating an album about celebrating life.

Sounds good to me.

Want to make something from almost nothing? Got stash you want to use up? Come join us!

the square root of three

Here's a little riddle for you...
 

What do you get when you mix one computer genius with one avid scrapbooker?

If you guessed the answer to be "true love", then you would be correct. 

If you guessed the answer to be "a whole lotta dorkiness", then you would also be correct.

And if you guessed the answer to be "a whole lotta dorky love", well then you get bonus points. 

And here's the proof:

 

 A couple of months ago mmb was telling me about a funny movie he was watching and told me to come watch a certain part that was coming up. The movie? Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. The part he was referring to? A super dorky, albeit romantic, part of a really ridiculous movie where the guy confesses his love to the girl using math analogies. 

 What's that you say? You haven't seen the scene?

Well you can check it out here.

WARNING: SOME EXPLICIT LANGUAGE IN THIS CLIP

 ALSO, LOTS AND LOTS OF MATH REFERENCES.

I'll admit, it was funny. 

And pretty romantic in a geeky sorta way. 

But hey, that's us. 

Me and my computer nerd, in love 1.21 gigawatts times over.

Happier than all the binary in the interweb.  

Call me crazy, but I think I could listen to this man talk about c++ forever. 

;-) 

So what's a girl to do when she falls in love with a man whose alma mater's song lyrics give a shoutout to cosigns, tangents and pi? 

Well, embrace it. That's what. 

 

And scrap it. Of course.

the big reveal

Well, the day is finally here! 

My debut as the March Sketchy Thursdays Design Team Member! 

(Can you tell I am a little excited? ;-) )

We got to play with an awesome digital kit from Sassy Designs...a fabulous website loaded with oodles of great digital products.

Hop on over and take a look at this week's sketch and see what we created with it.

Hope to see you there! 

p.s. My bio picture was taken by the 10 year old I tutor, isn't she talented??

page previews

As promised, I'll be posting some pics of the layouts I did at Croptopia this weekend. 

Full pics are coming soon, here are a couple of previews to tide you over...

And now for some other important business...

Another promise that was made was to pass on another one of the awards I was so fortunate to receive this week and here it is:

This is the Sunshine award I received from Tara (thank you, again, Tara!)  Now my job is to pass this award on to three people whose blogs put a bit of sunshine into my life.

If you follow this blog you probably know that I have been getting into a little digital scrapping lately. It is a lot of fun and there are so many great products out there...truth is that shopping for products can be a bit overwhelming at times, so I am glad to have a few "go-to" designers that I know I can always count on for high quality, affordable products.
These three blogs are all from crazy talented digital designers who I hope you'll check out- they really are amazing!

1. Liz

2. Aud

3. Amanda

Do you have any favorite digital designers?