Feb 23, 2012

The Catch Up Post

Aaack, I turn around and another week is blown by, my youngest is 5, I am 15 posts away from 300 and February is days from being over. Sheesh!

Anyway, I want to start with something a bit exciting...my first ever Imaginisce tutorial is on the Imaginisce blog. It was posted Weds (but between the eye doctor, getting my eyes dilated and the pounding headache that resulted) I wasn't able to post about it until now. I made this little gift tag:
My tutorial shows how to use the i bond in a few atypical ways. I would totally love if you have the chance to stop by and say hi. :)

And yesterday, I had one of my favorite Scrapbook Circle layouts from the sold out Remember This kit on the Scrapbook Circle blog:
I played around with Echo Park's A Boy's Life again (I may need another collection pack of this line!):
I took my Martha Stewart fringe scissors to some felt for that "faux" hair ;) This hair cut was big news in our house as this little guy has never been a big fan of having his hair trimmed or buzzed. So I also used some Simple Stories to document what we considered a monumental acheivement:
So, yes, he did turn the big FIVE on Monday. We went bowling with a few friends and then back to our house for pizza, cake and playing outside. Yesterday we brought pizza and cupcakes into his school so he could celebrate with his classmates.
Looking at that face, I am just so grateful to see that little smile every day. I am grateful that even though he is five he is still snuggly and lovey. I am grateful that he says things like, "Mom I love you more than Angry Birds," (which, if you saw his birthday haul you would know is a VERY big deal). I am grateful for all the sweet things that he says to me. He makes me so incredibly happy and I love him to pieces. Happy Birthday Little Dude!
Here's to a happy friday and even better weekend!!
♥ Rebecca

Feb 16, 2012

Photo Shoot and Everyday Love

I suggested a photo shoot over the weekend. Lucky me, I always have willing participants. I think the one in the bottom left corner may be one of my favorite photos ever taken :)
Speaking of Little Miss, we are going through yet another challenging stretch. She is SO good at school, such a good kid with friends, so well behaved with every other adult on the planet--other than her parents ;) So I recently had a discussion with her about how even when we are going through a tough time that of course I still love her. And so, of course I had to document it :)
Do you scrapbook the trying moments or just the bright, happy ones?
On a completely different note...I had a quick tutorial on the Therm O Web blog yesterday. Just explaining how I made the sandy "beach" at the bottom of this layout:
(Made with scraps from the sold out Scrapbook Circle kit and Therm O Web adhesives (listed at the end of the Therm O Web blog post HERE).
Have a great night! Happy almost Friday!
♥ Rebecca

Feb 13, 2012

Imaginisce Blog Hop and Valentines Day

Today is Day One of the Imaginisce and Scrapbook Adhesives Blog Hop.

Here is layout I made with both:
All the information about this layout and several other fabulous DT projects is on the Imaginisce blog today and each day this week. Be sure to head over there for your chance to win a package of Imaginisce's Hippity Hop line and a Scrapbook Adhesives prize pack as well!

Now I know Valentine's Day is tomorrow so this may be a little last minute (what else is new lol!) but I thought I would share some of the ways we are celebrating and decorating on a budget.
I already had the indoor wreath in place, but I wanted to whip up one for the outside too. This wreath and foil garland are from the Dollar Tree. I added the tulle and called it a day:
So that basically cost me under $3. Next up was an indoor decoration.
The basket I had on hand (but you can get baskets at the Dollar Tree too), the flowers and heart picks were from the Dollar Tree and I added tulle in the middle.
I didnt even attach anything. I tied the picks together with tulle, cut each bloom off the stem with wire cutters and placed them around the outside of the basket, cut a long piece of tool and crunched it up and stuck in the middle. So this one probably cost me about $5. But what would Valentine's Day be without gifts?
Each kid gets a bucket filled with little goodies. I am not big on doing lots of candy so they get 1 box of  candy hearts and one 1.45oz Hershey Kiss. They each got a fun pen, monogram stamp, pack of cards, erasers and pencils. Without the "big" presents both buckets including presents and wrapping probably cost me about $12. Her "big" present was an outfit for her dolls, his was a replica R2D2.
Her big present is wrapped in Dollar Tree tissue paper, tied with Dollar Tree ribbon and I adhered a paper heart doily on top with Therm O Web Large Zots. I tied the bucket with a big tulle bow.
A packet of  12 pencils from the Dollar Tree is split between both kids. Since I had to open the packaging to break it up, I tied each bundle with bakers twine from The Twinery.
Last, but not least, how about Valentine's for the kids classes? I did not come up with the idea for this one. I saw it HERE. She made mini cards and printed 9 on an 8.5x11 sheet. I made mine a little larger so 4 fit on the 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock.  I made my greeting a bit larger. The kids attached the Dollar Tree heart mazes with Therm O Web Medium Removable Adhesive Zots. On the back they wrote their friends names, signed their names and attached a little goody bag with heart shaped fruit snacks and a mini note pad.

So there you have it--our reasonably priced Valentine's Day ;) The truth is, I was never a big Valentine's day person, but making it special for the kids is fun. Hope your Valentine's is filled with love.
♥ Rebecca

Feb 12, 2012

Places for YOU to win :)

As it happens, I have a few things to share that also involve ways for someone other than me to win some scrapbook goodies. As far as I am concerned opportunities to win free stuff rule ;) First up?
How about a challenge over at Scrapbook Circle? Challenge #25 is all about POCKETS. Incorporate a pocket or pockets into a layout, load it up to the Scrapbook Circle Facebook page by 9:00pm PST on February 15th and you are in the running for a $15 Scrapbook Circle gift certificate! Here is the layout I made for the challenge:
I used 2 Chevron Pockets from Whisker Graphics that were included in the main kit Remember This and one pocket that was included in the Add On. Both the Add On and the Main Kit sold out this month--I told you they would! This layout included 3 pieces of advice to my monkeys. I simply hand-wrote each piece of advice on an Elle's Studio tag included in the kit and tucked them into the pockets. Here is the last piece:
All the details of the challenge are HERE.
And over at Imaginisce, this week was LOVE week. My LOVE Mini Album is HERE. I used the Sole Sisters line to cover the pages of my Maya Road album:
Looks like the LOVE week giveaway has already been drawn, but never fear, Imaginisce loves doing giveaways and we have a blog hop with Scrapbook Adhesives starting tomorrow. Comment each day for your chance to win!
And how about a little tip? I posted on the Therm O Web Blog my favorite way to attach epoxy brads. I cut the wings off (or sometimes just bend them back and forth until they fall off!) and then adhere them with Therm O Web Zots. This way you don't have to worry about poking through your paper, having them end up misaligned or having the backs catch on another layout in your album. I used that little tip here on another Scrapbook Circle Remember This layout:
Good luck with the challenge and giveaway! Hope you had a wonderful and happy weekend.
:) Rebecca



Feb 3, 2012

Best Kit EVER, Imaginisce Sketch and the Faux Hawk

Yipes, here we are in February. My grand plans of doing Valentine's Day up big so far is going to result in store bought Valentine's for the kids classes ;) My Little Guy turns 5 this month and again, anything that I was going to make is now going to be store bought. Sigh. Someday I will get it all together ;) Speaking of the little dude, I had to turn in his kindergarten registration information. I may or may not be handling that pretty well. Yup, you guessed it--not handling it at all. In news that was easier to handle, he finally sat for a real hair cut! We buzz it in the summer but in the winter I let it grow and he always refused to get a professional cut. So this was the crazy before:

and here is the super cute after:

Love this kid. On a completely different note, I am also in LOVE with February's Scrapbook Circle kit called Remember This. I have been madly creating with it trying to get lots done early in the month because most of the design team is just getting their kit. Why? Because it includes LOTS of new goodies including My Mind's Eye Be Amazing papers and buttons. Combined with October Afternoon, Elle's Studio, Crate Paper and the cutest chevron print ever from Echo Park's A Boy's Life and this kit is another MUST HAVE. I had to grab an Add On and I think they already sold out twice! Here is the first layout I made:
The alphas are from my stash, but everything else is from the kit and add on! I did a lot of stitching for the kit and in this layout I stitched three borders (around the My Mind's Eye blue patterned paper, around the Kraft paper and around the yellow diagonal striped Crate Paper.
 And the glitter paper is awesome! It is a little thicker than your average cardstock, but I will still able to punch out sunbursts and the glitter has stayed ON the paper and not everywhere else!
I have a feeling the kit (like the add on) will sell out so if you want one run over to Scrapbook Circle now! 
In other news, the Imaginisce monthly challenge was posted and it is a sketch created by the fabulously talented Diana Fisher. Take a look at this fun sketch:
And here is what I created based on the sketch:
I used the Sole Sisters line and lots of Imaginisce goodies like an i top brad and some layered flowers:
You can see all the details of the contest and the other designers takes on the sketch HERE.
Ok, the one Valentine's project I got done was a wreath, it is up on the Therm O Web blog HERE. I sprayed these Dollar Store flowers with the brand new Therm O Web Glitter Dust which will be available in Mid March--this stuff is awesome, stays put, has a clear adhesive so you only see a nice dusting of glitter:
Ok, so now that I am done with the longest blog post in history lol, thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!
♥ Rebecca