3 Princesses and Charming

Almost March?!?! Must be time for a freebie!

2010-02-26T05:39:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that it is almost March already but it must be because Haynay has her next installment of Chronicling Life available today! Below is a preview of the March Mini Add-on but if you have missed some of the previous months there is also a great bundle (at a grea price!) in the shop as well. Plus be sure to pop over to Haynay's blog for a great P365 template freebie (and be sure to get all the way to the bottom of this post for another freebie!)

I have been working a lot more recently training for a new position and was getting more requests to see pictures of my sweet girls. So I figured it was time to put together some badge size pages and Chronicling Life was the perfect kit - aren't they cute??

And just 'cause I love y'all I made them into quickpages so you can have your own! Don't wear a badge? That's ok - these are perfect for your iPhone or a cute little brag book. Click on the preview below to download.

Well, I am off and running to work with my badge on!

Toot! Toot!

2010-01-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

All aboard the blog train!! Plum Dumpling Designs has put out a FABULOUS Valentine's Day Kit and none of us on the Creative Team could resist the chance to do a blog train. Here is a preview of the kit (click link to pick it up at ScrapMatters):

Great right? Not to pink and girly but lots of fun little touches - I love the paper cut outs! The big girls and I used the kit to make some Valentine's Day cards that attach to a lollipop for their class parties coming up soon:

So that is your blog train freebie! Just print out the Valentine cards (I mounted them on some red cardstock to make them sturdier), punch a couple of holes and slip in a lollipop!

Click on the image below to download and drop a note to say Hi if you do!

You probably arrived here from Lynn's Blog and the next stop on the train is Chel's Blog. If you get lost along the way or are just joining you can start at the Plum Dumpling Blog to make sure you hit all the stations.

Have fun riding the rails!

Chronicling Life in February – and a Freebie!

2010-01-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

Haynay has done it again this month with another great add-on to the Chronicling Life line for February. Whether you are doing P365 or not, this is a great everyday kit with monthly/seasonal add-ons. By the end of the year you will have MEGA kit! Here is the base kit bundle:

And here is the *NEW* February Mini (pssttt - don't tell but there are a couple of extra papers not shown in the preview!):

I decided that my desk needed a calendar so I used the base kit and February mini so put together a CD Case Calendar:

Isn't it so cute?? Want one of your own?? Well you're in luck becuase I turned mine into a Quick Page for you. Click on the preview below to download and leave a note saying Hi if you do!

Happy February!

Back In The Game

2010-01-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

I know that I have been gone for quite a while but I am getting back in the game! And if I am going to get blogging again than I really need to give away some freebies right? Well, come back tomorrow for not one but TWO fun freebies!

Lots to Celebrate!!! So of course there is a freebie!

2009-08-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been absent the past few months but I am back with lots to celebrate!! First
is that the reason for my absence - being in school full time this summer - is done! I have finished my Nursing Asssistant training and things are slowly returning back to normal. Well, as normal as it gets running around after three little monkeys (umm, I mean princesses!).

The second thing to celebrate is the reason for the post today - it is Haynay's Birthday!!! Her ScrapMatters birthday that is:

There are going to be so many give-aways and games that you wont even believe it!!! When Haynay asked us what we wanted to give away for her birthday celebration I just knew that I wanted to give away one of her template packs. Y'all know how much I love templates right? So do you want to get one of Haynay's template packs for free??? All you have to do is show me how much you love templates too but picking up my freebie template below (image is linked) and creating a layout using one of Haynay's products. There are so many awesome ones to choose from - you can click here to check them all out in her shop. The freebie template below includes a psd file, png files AND a page file (for you Storybook users!) so everyone can play along - no excuses!

Once you have created your layout using the freebie template and one of Haynay's kits leave me a comment with a link to your layout and on Monday August 24th I will randomly pick a winner!

Download HERE

Can't wait to see all your layouts and don't forget to keep your eyes peeled at ScrapMatters, DST and DSA for more fun, games and giveaways by the rest of the Haynay CT!

Bad, Bad Blogger - so how about a Freebie??

2009-06-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Life here has been beyond crazy so as a result I have been a bad blogger - I apologize. I will post a little later this week and catch you up on what has been going on here in the castle- but in the meantime I do have some fun news!

There is a GREAT new digi scrap designer on the scene named Sarah Bennett and I am so excited that she invited me to be on her Creative Team!!! She has a new kit out today called Forever Beautiful and is it ever! Plus, you can get it for 25% off today (image is linked to her shop)!

Here is the page that I did using it - there are so many beautiful things in this kit!

As a fun way to kick off the Creative Team announcment, some of us made a freebie for you! I turned my Layout into a QP and I know that there are a few other freebies as well so head over to Sarah's Blog to pick up a great add-on to Forever Beautiful and see a list of where all the other freebies are! You can click on the image below to grab my quickpage.

I promise that I won't be gone so long this time and boy oh boy do I have some news. But first I must do some laundry - so go grab all those fun freebies and come back later for my tale of comedy and tragedy!

A repentant blogger -

Sisters 4 Life

2009-05-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

I know that y'all are just here to laugh at my college photos but a little background first. During my college years I was in a sorority, AOPi at Purdue, and it was the best three years! I lived in a house with 80 women and made more life long friends and memories than any one person deserves. So I was so excited when Sya teamed up with Britt-ish Designs to put together this FABULOUS kit - Sisters For Life:

And let me tell you - this isn't just for sorority pictures! It is packed with all kinds of girly goodness with just a splash of sorority. But I just had to bust out the sorority pictures so here ya go:

Isn't the kit amazing???? Be sure to pick it up at ScrapMatters and visit both Sya's and Britt's blog to pick up freebie add-ons and see more great layouts using Sisters For Life.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Layouts, Layouts and more Layouts!

2009-05-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Whew!! I have been scrapping like crazy for the Queen of Scrap competition!! I have right at 40 layouts for the month so far and it doesn't even put me in the top ten. But I am getting lots of pages done in my Disney album and have already received some wonderful participation prizes. I have also been doing lots of layouts for Sya's Blueprints where I am guesting this month. I mentioned before how much I love her templates and I think that I have now actually become dependent - but they are so great! Here are just a few pages I have done in the Disney album using her templates:

She also has an INCREDIBLE new kit coming out tomrrow!! I will give you a hint - I had to scan in some of my old college photos to get just the right pictures and the name of the kit is Sisters 4 Life. Are you curious? Just want to see my crazy college pictures so you can point and laugh?? You have to come back tomorrow to see my layout but trust me this kit is fabulous! And if you want a freebie add-on to it hop on over to Sya's Blog and sign up for her newsletter.

Ok, I need to put the computer down and get ready for work.

See you tomorrow for new releases!

I have moved into the Guest Cottage

2009-05-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

... for a fabulous template designer - Sya's Blueprints!

I get asked often how I come up with all my layouts. Let me start by saying that there are *thousands* of AMAZING digi-scrappers out there that are incredibly talented -so what I do is not terribly special. And the answer to the question is TEMPLATES! I love templates!!! They are such a great starting point for me and really get my creative juices flowing. Sometimes they are exactly what I need for a page; other times they are the inspiration and the final page looks nothing like the template. There are lots of great templates out there but far and away my favorites are from Sya's Blueprints - which is why I am sooo excited that I am a guest on her Creative Team this month! Here are the layouts that I have done for her so far (you can click on the image to get the full credits):

She also designs page kits - this one uses her kit Happiness Is in addition to one of her templates.

And these all count toward the Queen of Scrap competition I am in this month! However, I don't think that I have a prayer of being in the top 10 scrappers - some of these women are speed demons!! There are some gals that have 30 layouts completed already this month!!! But I am having fun pushing myself to do more and there are wonderful prizes just for competing. I already received the first prize which was - A BIG TEMPLATE PACK!! Here are a couple more of my faves from the month so far:

This one uses a frame and word art from some fun, new element packs Haynay has out today!

This one was for an iNSD template challenge - yep, another template!

Well, I am off to get some more scrapping done! I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day - be sure to celebrate all those special women in your life!

Lady in Waiting -

Get Ready to Celebrate!

2009-05-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is [inter]National Scrapbook Day but celebrations have started a bit early at ScrapMatters! There are going to be a TON of Speed Scraps over the next week with a participation prize for each one (y'all know how much I love the speed scraps!). The designers all have Grab Bags available and if you spend $15 in the shop you get a HUGE Hawian Kit for FREE!!! Plus the ENTIRE store is 40% OFF!!! Trust me that it will be easy to spend $15 on these fabulous grab bags and 40% off everything else. Let me give you a little preview on a couple of the grab bags:

This is just one of the layouts that I did with Haynay's Grab Bag. This Grab Bag is HUGE and there is so much great stuff in it!! It is truly a steal at only $4 - you should RUN and get it right now!

And here is a layout I did with GG Digital Designs Grab Bag. This bag is so fun! There are some really unique things in there plus some staples that you will use over and over again - all for only $3!

They each have a brand new kit in the shop too! Haynay's new kit Just the Right Medicine is just the right one for any medical pictures you have (and we all have them!). Plus, for a limited time you get a free pack of Word Art to go with the kit! And be sure to hop on over to her blog and pick up the coordinating freebie. Here is the layout I did with it featuring Beka's visit to the ER during our Disney trip:

GG Digital Designs new kit is a beauty call My Angel Mother. It is loosely Mother's Day themed but great for any pages - check out mine!

Wow huh??? And in addition to all the NSD festivities ScrapMatters has started their Queen of Scrap competition! Lots of fun prizes up for grabs including a guest CT spot for ScrapMatters!! I seriously would give my left arm for that spot so I have thrown my crown into the ring. Click on the ad for all the details and to jump into the competition with me!

That's it for now - I can't believe that it is the beginning of May already (where did April go?). I need to finish getting ready for our big garage sale this weekend and it is a good thing to - I am going to need to money to spend on all those NSD goodies! Have fun this weekend!

Celebrating NSD -

Milestones

2009-04-19T14:44:00.001-07:00

The life of a mom is filled with milestones and we have hit a few around here worth celebrating. The first one was a couple of weeks ago - Sarah finally decided to take off the training wheels. Abbie took hers off last summer and we thought that it would shame Sarah into it - but no. She said she wasn't ready. Earlier this spring she still wasn't ready. But two weeks ago she decided she was finally ready.

Well, not so much ready as coerced by Drew.

Who refused to take her riding unless she lost the training wheels.

But it worked!

The Everyday Magic challenge at ScrapMatters a couple of weeks ago was to scrap your most recent photos - so these are already done! You can still do the challenge too so check it out.

And check out Sarah with no training wheels:

And then last week we hit another major milestone - Beka is finally potty training!!! She is doing really well too. We have even run errands with just panties on and no accidents!

And I just lost everyone who hasn't potty trained a child. They don't understand and think that I have lost my mind.

So I might as well go all the way and post a picture! Isn't she cute?

All righty then. Still with me? I promise the last milestone does not involve bowel movements.

The prince and I had our 11th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. Which begs the question:

What is the traditional 11th Wedding Anniversary gift? Steel.

Hmmm, how about the Modern one then? Fashion jewlery.

Ok, so no gifts this year but we had a nice day with the familiy. Cooked out for dinner since the weather is nice (or at least not rainy) and then played some games after the kids went to bed. It has been a wonderful 11 years - he truly is a prince!

That's it for milestones for now and frankly I am exhausted!

Off to help the toddler in the bathroom -

Home Run Derby and Trooper

2009-04-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

It is new release Friday at ScrapMatters and check out these fun new kits! First up is a new one from Haynay "Home Run Derby".

Here is the layout it did with it. I didn't have any baseball pictures but with the primary colors it can be used for just about anything! I also used Haynay's 3's Company Template Pack for this one.

Home Run Derby coordinates with Haynay's other sports themed kits and you can get them all together for a MEGA kit at a MEGA deal - just $9 for all three!! And of course she has a little freebie for you on her blog.

GG Digital Designs also has a new kit out today to continue the birthday celebration - introducing Trooper! Isn't this kit fun?? And when you purchse it there are instructions in the download to get custom engraved dogtags as well! There is also another freebie for you on the GG Digital Designs blog so be sure to stop by and pick it up!

Here is the page that I did with it from our Disney Trip.

Well, that is it for today. We are headed over to my parents house for Easter weekend so I hope you all have a blessed Easter.

Need to get packing -

Inspiration that leads to a freebie for you!

2009-04-05T23:21:00.001-07:00

Each month my favorite digi scrapbooking site ScrapMatters has an Inspiration Point Challenge where you are given a piece of inspiration to turn into a scrapbook layout. I admit that I am not always inspired but this month I sure was! Here is the inspiration we were given - it is the back of a cookbook, which might explain why I was inspired since I love to cook and more importantly eat. Hmm, maybe I was just hungry!

I just loved the clean look of it with the photos that bleed all the way to the edge. So here is the layout that I created:

It is pretty different from my normal style, I seriously had to resist putting stitches or a messy mask on there, and I really like how it came out but I couldn't find the perfect word art for it - so I was forced to make my own. I got a few compliments on the word art specifically so I figured that I would give it away as a freebie. BTW - I totally laugh at the idea of me giving away freebies since I don't actually design and sell anything to start with! Anyhoo - here it is - I did it in black for you so that you could recolor however you wanted. Thanks for stopping by and if you download the word art say hi and I would love to see your journey layout using it!

Click HERE to download

Still chuckling about my "freebie" -

Check out my new digs!!

2009-04-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Check it out!! What do you think, is this snazzy or what?? Yesterday Haynay released some really great blog wear so I just had to trick out my blog with it! This uses Sweetheart Surprise (one of my very favorite kits) - doesn't it just look like it was custom made for me??

Here is the preview for the other blog wear by Haynay and if you want to grab one yourself check out her shop at ScrapMatters.

That's it for tonight but I am going to have a little freebie for you in the next couple of days so don't be a stranger!

Can't stop staring at my beautiful blog -

Happy Birthday to GG Digital Designs ... and the Blog Train!

2009-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

It is GG Digital Designs 2nd Birthday and the celebration lasts all month long!!

To start the party off is a brand new birthday themed kit called Celebrate! It is fabulous for either a boy or a girl. Here is the kit and the layout that I did with it - so much fun stuff in here!

And now what you came for - as a birthday present for you the Creative Team has put together a BLOG TRAIN full of Celebrate freebies! You should have come from Brooke's Blog and here is my part - some treat toppers for you! There are some for both boys and girls, with or without pictures. Just print them out and staple onto a ziplock bag full of goodies for a special treat!

Download HERE

From here head on over to Amy's Blog for more Celebrate Freebie goodness! If you didn't get on at the beginning you can start here at GG Digital Designs. We are all in different time zones so if someone doesn't have their part up yet be patient and check back in a bit.

Thanks for celebrating with us and don't forget that the party lasts all month long!

Blowing my Party Horn -

Fun Weekend Coming and March Layouts

2009-04-01T23:37:00.001-07:00

While I have been gone there have been even more changes around the house - most notably a new furnace. So although it has been pretty quiet around here for a while it is about to get pretty exciting! There are several new releases coming from my favorite designs this weekend and GG Digital Designs is kicking off a month long birthday celebration! There will be a blog train and lots of freebies so be sure to pop back in on Friday.

Most of my March scrapping was spent doing a little purse book of our Disney Trip but I still got some other layouts done as well - so here they are:

Getting ready for the fun!

Making some changes around the house

2009-03-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Wow - it has been awhile since I blogged. See what happens when I try to be a good wife and mother? Less time for blogging. It didn't help any that the princesses got hit with the flu-like bug going around school and were home all of last week. But they seem to be getting better and Sarah was well enough to perform in her Little Theater production of The Trial of the Knave on Friday and Saturday night. She played the Dormouse and was fantastic (not that I am biased or anything). This is where I should insert a photo of my adorable Dormouse ... except that I don't have one. Can you believe it? I seriously fell down on the job here and forgot my camera when I went to the performance last night. Hopefully another mom will have some and save me from losing my Mother of the Year title ('cause I am sure that I had a lock on it up till now right).

Anyway, with all the effort to get the house in better order there have been a few changes and more are coming (along with a truck full of my Grandmothers furniture sometime in May). The, first big change is that I have made the decision to quit carrying inventory for my Creative Memories business. The business has changed a lot in the 9 years since I started, with online ordering and more of my clients going digital like I am, and there is little need to carry inventory. I also have fewer workshops since I started working at the hospital on Friday nights negating my need for a permanent workshop space. So this weekend I am having a huge sale to move all my inventory (I hope!) and then I can re-purpose my workshop room into a space for the kids to do homework and an office area for Drew. I am really excited for the change and will post up pictures as we get it set up.

The second big change is our new kitchen table! We just bought it today and they were able to deliver it this evening - isn't it beautiful??

I have had my eye on it for about 2 years and the store is going out of business at the end of the month. I figured if they still had it and I could get a good deal than it would finally be mine! Between this and my grandmother's furniture, our house may actually look like someone lives here soon.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I have a lot of work to get done this week prepping for the inventory sale so I better get to bed!

Making Changes -

Been Busy ... and February Layouts

2009-03-11T20:34:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been a busy week-plus! I FINALLY got all my inventory and business paperwork done - whew! It always takes so much longer than I think it will - which is probably why I put it off as long as possible. With that done I completed another fun job - the tax planner for our accountant. The kids were off school last Friday and Sarah is in the home stretch of play rehearsals for Trial of the Knave so that has kept us busy as well. And we got a new rat!

Ok, the rat story. So you probably know that we had a rat death a couple of weeks ago. Well, it seems that it was all in the plan, because just as we lost Teddy a neighbor needed to find a new home for their pet rat Lucy (due to some terrible allergies). Lucy came over for a meet n great last Friday when the kids were out of school and she and Rosie hit it right off. By mid-morning they were in the same cage and have been together ever since. Rosie seems very happy to have another cage mate and Lucy is a very sweet rat.

In other exciting family news - Sarah moved up to Level 2 at gymnastics tonight! She has been working very hard on her kick over so that she could move up and finally nailed it tonight 4 times! I am really proud of her for sticking with something and working to get better.

Now, I haven't posted any layouts for quite a while even though I have been meaning to. I noticed on a blog I frequent - Plum Dumpling Designs (a fabulous new designer!) - that Mary does a slide show each month of her new layouts. I thought that it was such a great idea that I am stealing it! So, a little belatedly, here are my February Layouts (there aren't a ton since we were in Disney for a couple of weeks!).

That's it for now - I am still working on my Lenten resolution to stop procrastinating. Some days are good and some days aren't but I guess it is all growth!

Chugging Along -

Lenten Reflection

2009-03-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

So we are in the season of Lent – a time of preparation before Easter. Although for the past 7 years my family has attended a non-Denominational Christian church, I was raised Catholic and still observe some Catholic traditions. One of the things that I remember from my childhood was giving something up for Lent – usually candy as a little kid. Now, as an adult, I don’t so much give something up as take a look at areas of in my life that are areas of disobedience to the Lord - and work to correct them. One of those areas is that I am a HUGE procrastinator (I mean hello – Lent started last Wednesday and I am just getting around to this!) and it leads to a slothful nature. Everyone who knows me is aware that I am not the best housekeeper in the world and it is something that weighs on me – I wish that I did better in this area. Yesterday in church our pastor was speaking on service and he said something that hit home. He talked about how the Lord gave Adam a helpmate when he created Eve and at times I am not a very good helpmate to Drew. So this year for Lent I am going to work on being a better helpmate, and the biggest way that I can do that is to do a better job keeping up our home. I figure saying it out loud will keep me honest and I started today by cleaning our downstairs. I do this every couple of weeks but then I tend to “let myself of the hook” for the rest of the week and not do anything else. However, tomorrow I tackle another project that I have been putting off – my year end Creative Memories inventory. Yep – it is March and I haven’t done my year end paperwork yet. So tomorrow is the day for that project and from there who knows - but I have the rest of Lent to become more obedient to the Lord and a better helpmate to Drew.

Getting my butt off the couch -

And then there was one ... rat that is ...

2009-02-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today we buried Teddy the rat. It was a pretty sad day for Abbie and I think that she is going to be a little broken hearted for a while. Teddy was a good pet and now Rosie is all alone and seems a bit lost. We have flushed a few fish but this is the first "real" pet that we have had to bury which is made a little more difficult because these rats are truly Abbie's and she loves them a lot (so much so that she requested them on her birthday cake). Any advice on how to make this childhood rite of passage easier on her would be greatly appreciated.

Goodbye Teddy ... you will be missed...

Wearing Black -

We're Back!! Just a few quick Announcements ...

2009-02-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

We are back from Disney World!! We had a FABULOUS time and it is hard adjusting back to "normal" life. I am wading through all the pictures and ordered our PhotoPass CD yesterday so pictures (and I am sure lots of layouts!) are coming. I am also going to start writing a trip report on TourGuideMike - is anyone interested in reading it? If so, I will post it here as well.

Alright - now for some digi-scrap announcements! My favorite designers have been busy while I was gone so I will catch you up :)

First up is a new kit from GG Digital Designs - The Happy Place!!! Don't you just LOVE this color palette?? It makes me happy just looking at it!

I used it on a layout I did for a Grand Theft Layout Challenge at ScrapMatters (this is what happens with three little girls get a-hold of the camera!):

GG Digital Designs also did a Twice as Nice with Happy Scrap Girl - Fairy Princess!

I thought that it was perfect for documenting Sarah's first visit from the Tooth Fairy! I did this layout at the evening Speed Scrap this week - it was a monochromatic-ish theme and I really like how it came out.

Next up is a new kit from Haynay released today!! She took my FAVORITE paper pack and turned it into a full size kit - yea!!! And of course she has a coordinating freebie for you on her blog.

Here is the layout I did with it.

And lastly - you will not want to miss the new Daily Download starting on Monday at ScrapMatters!!! Haynay was one of the designers on this one so I was lucky enough to get the full kit all at once and you will want every piece of this fantastic kit!! Be sure to visit the forums at ScrapMatters everyday for a piece and get this entire cool kit for free!

Whew!!! Didn't I tell you that they were busy while I was gone??

Well, I better get motivated - these suitcases aren't going to unpack themselves!

Nursing a Disney Hangover -

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E .... See ya real soon!

2009-02-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

The time has finally come to fly off to Walt's World in Florida - we leave in just a few hours!! I can't believe that after planning this trip for over a year that it is finally here but I am READY!! I won't show you all the spread sheets that have been printed out (you know you love a good Excel spreadsheet!) but I did make a few cute things for the trip to share.

This is the contract the girls will sign tonight at dinner before we leave - The Princess Royal Rules! Has things on it like: The servants did not come with us on this journey so therefore I am responsible for keeping my area picked up and my things in order. And of course the most important princess rule: Princesses don’t whine. I won’t whine or throw a fit while at Walt Disney World.

These are a few things I did using my digi-scrap supplies. There is an altered mini M&M tube that holds quarters and nickles for pressed pennies, a stroller ID card for our rental stroller and each of the girls are getting a journal to write in with some activity pages (these came out so great!):

Ok, ok ... so I didn't make this one but I did have so how off my Minnie Mouse pedicure!! This is as closed to dressed up as I get.

Well, that is it! I may or may not post while we are there but I will definately be doing a trip report when we get back and there will be LOTS of pictures to scrap!

See Ya Real Soon!

Half Speed and new kit from Haynay

2009-02-06T09:21:00.001-08:00

Just a few fun digi-scrap things to share. First is that I did manage to make it to one of the Speed Scraps this week eventhough it has been incredibly busy getting ready too leave for The World (Disney that is!). Here is the layout - it didn't seem to be coming together and then we I turned the photos Sepia it clicked. I really liked the Sepia photos for the old cookhouse:

Next up is Haynay's new kit Kamping Rocks!!!! With all our camping/hiking pictures I am so excited to have this awesome kit - plus you can get a great freebie on Haynay's Blog!

Here is the layout I did with it - I just love that bark paper!

Opps! I just realized that I forgot to show you the new kit from GG Digital Designs that was released last weekend! Did you go guess at the name? NO ONE guessed it right - so here it is - Smitten! Plus, she did a ton of Super Cute other things to coordinate like a chipboard album, valentine cards and more - so check out her shop at ScrapMatters to see it all!

And here is my layout - I love the color combo in this kit!

That's all I have for now because I need to go finish the last of the packing but I will be back later to show you all my fun stuff I have for the big trip - only 12 more hours until we leave!!!

Dreamin' of Disney -

Need for Speed!!

2009-01-28T12:09:00.001-08:00

I did two speed scraps in the last 24 hours and they were fun!! Thought I would share my Layouts - they will go next to each other in the completed album.

I also wanted to let you know about a fun little contest at GG Digital Designs. Head over to the blog and you can get a sneak peek at the new kit coming out this weekend - if you guess the name you win it!! It is sooo cute and I can't wait to show you what I scrapped with it!

Alrighty - that is enough playing around - I better go get some work done!

Unloading the dishwasher -

Music to my Ears

2009-01-26T23:33:00.001-08:00

Yesterday the two oldest princesses had their very first piano recital! We were very generously gifted a piano in August (a dream come true for me!) and the girls started lessons in September. I know this totally sounds like an obnoxious mom thing (ok - it is but I don't do it often so bear with me) but they are doing REALLY well!!! I am amazed at what they have accomplished in just a few months. So in classic obnoxious mom fashion, and here for your viewing pleasure, is the duet they played together at the recital yesterday (and just be thankful I didn't put up all their solo pieces and gush about how Sarah even memorized hers!!).

Feel free to comment and tell me how gorgeous, talented and amazing my kids are - or poke fun at me for even posting it (hey, the grandparents want to see ok?).

A Proud Mama -

New Products and New Layouts!

2009-01-25T17:14:00.001-08:00

Haynay released her new FABULOUS pack of templates today so that means I get to show you the layout that I did with them for the release! Here is the great template pack:

And here is my layout (which also uses her kit Football Fanatic!):

Plus, you can pick up an extra freebie template from Haynay on her blog.

Monica also released a new kit this weekend that is a great basic girls kit called - what else? - Basic Girl! Here is the kit:

And here is my layout for the release (it also uses her template pack Keepsake 12):

There are a few more in the works so check back soon and in the meantime join me for a couple of Speed Scraps this week at ScrapMatters! There are some great prizes so you don't want to miss out on the fun. There are two coming up:

Tuesday Night 6pm PST and

Wednesday Morning 9am PST.

Now, I am off to upload some video of Sarah and Abbie's first piano recital!! As soon as I get that done I will post it here - they were so cute and did a great job!!

See ya soon!

Speed Scrap Results

2009-01-21T23:16:00.001-08:00

I have done quite a bit of scrapping this week (instead of house cleaning!) but I can't show most of it to you because the kits haven't been released yet. However, I can show you my Speed Scrap from tonight - it was a fun one!

Well, I better get to bed. I will need the rest because I am doing yoga with a bunch of Daisy scouts tomorrow afternoon!

Totally Tired -

Some Recent Layouts

2009-01-20T09:10:00.001-08:00

Despite all the craziness around here lately I have gotten some scrapping done - it is my time to unwind and I would be MORE insane if I didn't have a chance to scrap! So here are a few of them that I really liked (click on the images if you want to see what kits were used).

This first one was a Tuesday Template Challenge at ScrapMatters. We were supposed to scrap our resolution for 2009. And look - a picture of me (I had to dig one up from 2004!).

These next few were done for Speed Scraps at ScrapMatters. I LOVE the Speed Scraps!! You get a layout done quickly and a freebie for doing it!

This was also for a Speed Scrap and I was pretty impressed with myself because I did a two-pager!!

Here is the LHS:

And here is the RHS:

This last one was for the release of Haynay's kit Be Still My Heart - it is sooo cute and on sale right now!!

Well, that is enough for now - if you want to join me for the next Speed Scrap at ScrapMatters it is tomorrow night, Wednesday 1/21 at 6pm PST. I will be there a little late but will be there for another great time!

Staying Scrappy -

Whew - Busy Week!

2009-01-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

Wow was last week a busy one! First I went to South Carolina to help my mom go through some of my grandmothers things (mostly furniture). We made lots of progress and I picked out some things to keep. The girls REALLY made out though in the costume jewlery - my grandmother LOVED costume jewlery! They got tons of beads, fake rings and clip earrings to use for dress up play.

Drew did a great job holding down the fort but I was sure glad to get home. I worked the two days after getting back and then this weekend was Beka's birthday!!! I can't believe that she is 3 - where has the time gone??? We celebrated her birthday with a trip to the Children's Museum and then dinner at Red Robin. Our friends and their soon-to-be three year old joined us as well as our very favorite babysitter. It was a great time and Beka LOVED being the center of attention! She is a total CARS fanatic and so it was no surprise that she picked Lightning McQueen for her cake - I did cupcakes too but I didn't take a picture of those.

The girls were off of school today and we had a playdate this morning with some friends that we don't see very often so that was fun. Now it is back to normal (is there a normal?) but the countdown to Disney continues - 19 more days!!! I still have quite a bit of stuff to get done before we leave and I will probably start packing this weekend.

I am also working on some layouts for a few products that will be released in the next few weeks and I can't wait to show them to you - but not yet! Well, that's it for now but I will be back soon with new layouts.

Chugging Along -

I am a slacker!!

2009-01-08T22:53:00.000-08:00

Wow did I slack over the Christmas/New Year Holiday! I am really going to be better so how about just a quick recap on what has been going on at the McDaniel house in the last month.

First off - the kids got an extra long vacation because of school closures due to the fact that we were SNOWED IN!! I missed three days of work and there were days we couldn't even leave the house. Seriously I have never seen anything like it in the 11 years that I have lived in the Seattle area - there were drifts in our backyard! We got two feet over the period of a week - check it out - CRAZY!

Then on the 23rd my Grandmother Johnson passed away. She would have been 94 in February and had been in and out of the hospital a lot this year so we are glad that she is no longer in pain but it was still very sad. I am headed to South Carolina this weekend to help my mom go through all of her things and Drew will be in charge of the three princesses for 5 days - say some prayers for him!

We did manage to get out on Christmas Eve for church and were so pleased with the culmination of our Advent Conspiracy efforts. We spent less than half of our Christmas budget and were able to make a donation in the amount of $425 to help fight AIDS - we will definately be doing this again in 2009. Here is a picture of the girls in the Christmas dresses - so cute!

On Christmas Day my in-laws arrived to visit for a week and we had a BLAST!! Lots of snow so we spent quite a few days hanging out at home in our pj's playing games but did manage to get out for a family movie (Bolt - so funny!) and Drew and I had a date night too - it was such a great relaxing week with family. And it was even better knowing that we will be together again really soon in Disney!

Now we are back in the swing of school, work and girls activities and I realized that we as of today we only have 30 DAYS UNTIL WE LEAVE FOR DISNEY!!!! I still have lots of stuff to finish up and the to-do lists are growing!! I have finished up the touring plans in the last week, made one last dinner ressie and the final tweek to the itinerary. Lots of stuff to print and laminate!! The girls are getting really excited and I put together a little countdown calandar for them to start today - it has pictures of things we are going to do while we are there behind each Mickey head:

Well, I guess that gets ya up to date! I did get some scrapping done over the break so I will post some of those tomorrow - off to get started packing!

No longer slacking -

New Layouts and a Freebie from Haynay!

2008-12-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Good Morning! The girls are off to school and I am sitting here with me coffee trying to become a little more human while Beka watches Mickey Mouse - seemed like a good time to post up my most recent layouts! I did these with Haynay's NEW kit releaseed today at ScrapMatters - isn't it FABULOUS?!?! And the best news is that it is 25% off this weekend along with the rest of her store!!

I couldn't help but do TWO layouts with it - here they are:

Plus if you head over to Haynay's Blog there is a great coordinating freebie and you can check out the cute BOY pages that the rest of the CT did with this amazing kit!

Well, I better get motivated and get my chores done because I am going to be at the ScrapMatters Speed Scrap at 11pm PST - come play along and get a free alpha for participating!

Still Scrappin-

The Infamous Rat Cake!

2008-12-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

I have had a few requests for photos of Abbie’s Birthday Cake – the Infamous Rat Cake! So here it is:

It didn’t come out as creepy as I was afraid it would and Abbie was thrilled so mission accomplished! She was also overwhelmed to get Josephina (an American Girl doll) – it was a total surprise! She has wanted her for quite a while but she didn’t think she would get her until next year - she even cried. I can’t believe that she is six years old. In some ways she still feels like my little baby but at the same time she is also an incredibly self assured little lady. She is so kind and truly has a love for the Lord – we couldn’t be prouder!

OK – enough proud Mama rambling – I do have one other fun thing to share! How cute is this?

The Jiffy Pop cover was a freebie from Kari Holt during the ScrapMatters Black Friday Blog Train so all I had to do was print it out and add a little bling. Tie on a movie rental gift card and you have a Movie Night gift - so easy! These went to the caregivers of our Angel Tree kids but they would be a fun and fairly inexpensive gift for teachers or neighbors or anyone!

That is all I have for now but I will be back tomorrow to show off some layouts using an amazing new kit from Haynay.

Until then –

Advent Conspiracy Update (aka - why we aren't sending Christmas Cards this year)

2008-12-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

I promised an update on how the Advent Conspiracy is going in our house and I have to say that I am really excited about some of the different choices we are making this Christmas season. If you need to catch up on what the Advent Conspiracy is go here (there is a GREAT video) – but it is basically a challenge to keep Christmas simple, buy less, and donate more. So that you know that we are trying to practice what we preach here are a few of the things we are doing and maybe it will give you some ideas you can incorporate in your home:

1. The past couple of years the girls have bought gifts for each other which we or course financed. I liked that they were thinking of each other and not just themselves so this year we took it a step farther. Instead of buying a gift for the other sisters each girl picked out a child from the Angel Tree Network to buy for. This has been great because we have been able to go shopping for the gifts to the Angel Tree children together, wrap them together and open up a conversation with the girls about the ways they have been blessed.

2. Drew and I are actually buying fewer gifts. Fewer gifts for the girls, fewer gifts for family and fewer gifts for friends. If you typically buy a gift for us please join us in the Conspiracy and we will gladly be your one less gift – all we ask is that you take the money you would typically spend and donate it to any cause that is close to your heart.

3. We are still giving some gifts because the point of the Conspiracy isn't to go all Scrooge and we do want to show our family (especially our grandparents) that we are thinking of them this Christmas. However, we are spending less on the gifts we buy, giving homemade gifts where we know they would be appreciated and also giving gifts with purpose such as:

- The FABULOUS Homecoming CD -with all proceeds going to AIDS relief

- Microloan Gift Cards - these Microloans help women caught in the sex industry in Thailand get out, gain education and start their own business.

If you are interested in giving these gifts as well just let me know and I can hook you up!

4. Finally, we are not sending out Christmas cards this year. I know this seems extreme but we questioned all our Christmas expenses this year and when I thought about how much money and resources it takes to send our Christmas cards – which I am terrible about getting out in a timely manner anyway – it seemed like a good choice for our family. That money instead will be donated with the rest of our Advent Conspiracy savings. So, here is our Christmas card to you (you can click on it if you want to download a full print quality version):

I never wrote a Christmas letter in the past and I figure that if I actually keep this blog updated you will be able to keep up with our adventures and misadventures throughout the year!

So there is our Advent Conspiracy update! If you would like to join us head over to this website. Need some more ideas on creative gift giving? There are tons here. You can also listen to the AMAZING messages from our church pastors on the Conspiracy here. Can I cram in the links or what??

My prayer for you is that you are having a blessed and peaceful Christmas season so far!
Still Conspiring -

A Scrapbooking Freebie from Haynay and Me!

2008-12-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

Wow - it has been a busy week and I have lots to share but some of it will have to wait for the weekend. Abbie's birthday is today (she is 6!) and so I am making her cake this morning before heading to work. One of our birthday traditions is that I make the cake for the birthday girl and they can request whatever they want. This year Abbie wants a rat cake ... yep you read that right ... a rat cake. As in a cake that has replicas of her pet rats on top. So I am doing it but I may have to turn myself in to Cake Wrecks when I am done!

We are also busy getting ready for Christmas but in a very different way this year since we are Conspiring with our Church - I will have a big update on how that is going this weekend because I am very excited about it!

But the real reason you are here - a Digi Scrap Freebie! Haynay released a new kit today that is really cute called Little Boy Express - even with three girls I am going to get a lot of use out of this one! And if you purchase it this week you get two adorable matching Alpas for Free!

Here is a Layout I did with the new kit:

And now for the Freebie! I had so much fun playing with the Alphas that I made up a little set of Word Art to match the kit and Haynay is giving them away on her blog! Click on the preview to pop over to her blog, see some more layouts using the kit and grab your freebie! If you scrap with them I would LOVE to see it.

That's it for now but stay tuned for how we are Conspiring this Advent!

Up to my elbows in buttercream -

Free Scrapbooking Goodies!

2008-11-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

First a fun announcement - I was invited to another Creative Team - this one for GG Digital Designs! Yea!!!

Next is even more fun - FREEBIES!! Haynay has been sharing a Blessing a Day in November and is going to be scrapping each one for a Blessing Album. To help you do your own Blessing Album she is giving away a Quick Page each day this week on her blog using her new Beautiful Blessings Kit! She is giving away mine today so hop on over to grab it and pick up the other ones from this week - here is a preview of mine:

Lastly - Scrapmatters is have a HUGE Black Friday Sale that you don't want to miss!! The designers are doing Grab Bags (Hint, you don't want to miss Haynay's - it rocks!!) AND there will be a BIG Blog Train to pick up lots of Freebies. This is the best kind of Black Friday shopping - from home without any shipping so be sure to check it out.

Counting my Blessings -

A New Album Project

2008-11-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

The other day I was savoring my time playing with the littlest princess (2 yrs. old) and laughing at her little quirks - I am so blessed to have this time to be with her! It got me to thinking about our two older girls (7 and 6) and remembering what they were like at age 2; so naturally I headed to our family albums. I realized that, although I have scrapbooked since they were babies, I mainly scrapped picture taking events - all the birthdays, holidays and the like. What I have missed chronicling are the everyday moments. All those funny things they did that we thought we would always remember - and are starting to forget. Thus is the birth of a new album project! I am trying to remember all those little things and get them documented before we forget them completely … even if there aren’t any pictures to go with the memories. I don’t have a name for the album yet (Little moments? Favorite Memories? I will take any and all suggestions!) but here is my start:

Remembering the Little Things -

I'm a Hunnie!!!

2008-11-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share that I was chosen to be on the Creative Team for one of my favorite digital scrapbook designers - Haynay Designs!! That means that I get to be one of the first to play with her new products and scrapbook with them (best job ever!). Her newest kit Beautiful Blessings is gorgeous (you can get it at ScrapMatters) and I have really enjoyed scrapping with it so far.

Here is the layout I did with it:

Just wanted to share my good news - I have applications out for 2 other Creative Teams as well so keep you fingers crossed!

Happy to be a Hunnie -

Join the Conspiracy!

2008-11-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... sing along! ... everywhere you go ....

Well, now that I have that song stuck in your head I will point out the obvious. Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is on it's way soon, so it must be time to get ready for Christmas! Actually my Costco has been getting ready for weeks .... ugh.

I have always disliked the way that the Christmas season is rushed (well, except for Peppermint Mocha creamer in the grocery store!) but I admit that even I have started to think about Christmas shopping. You know - the "what am I going to get so and so". Hmm, I better get it ordered so that I can mail it in time. And what about Christmas cards - I will need to get the kids picture taken. It just seems to go on and on to the point of exhuastion. Half the people I know just can't wait for the whole thing to be over! I too have struggled with how to get back the meaning of Christmas and reclaim it from all the STUFF. Which is why I am totally jazzed about what my church is up to - it is a conspiracy - an Advent Conspiracy! It totally gets to heart of what I have been feeling and this video gives you an introduction. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Whether it is clean water, AIDS relief or whatever moves your heart I hope you join us in the conspiracy!

Joining the Conspiracy -

Results of Digital Scrapbooking Day (Weekend?)

2008-11-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't get as much scrapping done as I thought I would but with all the sales and freebies I did get quite a bit of shopping done! I have been sick and so we had a lazy weekend at home with the family playing games and watching movies. It was GREAT just having a chance to relax together and not be rushing somewhere. I did get a bit of scrapping done though so here are a few of my favorites:

Hope you all had a nice relaxing weekend too and thanks for stopping by the castle!

Digital Scrapbooking Day Tomorrow!

2008-10-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it figures that I just get this blog thing started and then get really sick! But, I am going to be feeling better tomorrow no matter what because it is Digital Scrapbooking Day! There will be lots of activities at the digital scrapbooking sites and my FAVORITE store ScrapMatters will have everything 30% off tomorrow (my wallet just cringed!) - plus lots of the designers are going to be giving away fun freebies! If you want to check out all the shops that will be having sales you can do that at the Digital Scrapbooking Day Headquarters. So that is what I am going to be doing tomorrow and will come back and show off some of my work (cause I know you all want to see right?). I have also applied to be on a couple of Creative Teams for the designers that I LOVE and hope to hear back from one of them soon - so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Getting my Download finger ready -

My Two Current Obsessions

2008-10-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

So in my inaugural post I mentioned that I have a couple of hobbies... er obsessions? Those who know me will confirm that I do have a *slightly* obsessive personality and planning for our upcoming Disney Trip (henceforth known as Princess Palooza) is one of them. I spend probably a little too much time on a couple of Disney planning sites and the trip is taking on a life of its own … there are now spreadsheets involved (no mocking allowed!). It is finally starting to taper off a bit as the itinerary is mostly set, plane tickets purchased and all of the dining reservations have been made. I am sure that when I begin putting together the daily touring plans in January it will get crazy again! Prince Charming is a saint and just smiles and nods whenever I start talking in Disney acronyms.

My other current obsession is Digital Scrapbooking. I have been involved in scrapbooking for about 10 years now, and have lots of photo albums to show for it, but I only recently have discovered the HUGE world of digital scrapbooking. I had done a few digital books in the past year but I finally decided that the girls albums were going to be digital - and it has now become a full blown obsession! My paper supplies have been gathering dust (literally) and my collection of digital supplies has been growing exponentially – thanks mostly in part to my FAVORITE store/ digi community ScrapMatters. They have so many fun challenges to participate in, beautiful products and the nicest scrappers I have ever met! I have a little slideshow of my recent digital scrapbook pages over on the right and I am sure that it will be updated regularly as I fit in as much scrapping time as I can. Now all I need is a bigger hard drive to store it on …

Dreaming of terabytes -

Welcome to the Castle

2008-10-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

... although it would probably be more aptly described as a three ring circus. I have stayed away from blogging for a while now because I didn't think that I could keep it up (that remains to be seen) and because I didn't think that I had anything worthwhile to contribute to the "bloggesphere". Well, I'm still not sure that I do but I am jumping in anyway. This will likely end up being a spot for me to ramble about the family and my latest obsessions (Disney and digital scrapbooking) but I hope that you join me for the ride!