Splendid

halloween treats

Hello.  I have no excuses, life has just been so hectic these last few months.  I haven't crafted, scrapbooked or done much creatively. I did however make these gifts for my daughter's teachers. The bigger bag holds a Halloween inspired insulated tumbler, the smaller bags have candy corn.  

I cut vellum paper and sewed them into small pockets and filled them with Halloween colored sequins, added some spooky-ish tags and that was it. I am trying, really trying to figure out a balance between life's things. Family, hobbies, cleaning, exercise, sleeping... how does one do it all? 

If you know, please do tell. 

terrarium: mystic black sand

Those who know me know I love terrariums.

Loved these tiny crystal points I found, I think looked so cool with the black hematite sand, monterrey beach sand, amethyst clusters and tiny pebbles. 

 
a little video taken from my instagram. Is there anything you're really into lately? 

Letterpress

Signed up for this awesome class with one of my favorite crafting ladies.

and just bought the Studio Calico letterpress kit and a few inks, so looking forward to doing some fun things again with ink and paper! Hooray for school being back in!

You should totally join, too! 

cheers mate

I love the instagram prints from Persnickity Prints!  I was so excited when these arrived the other day. 

     

(using the Studio Calico Front Row kit)

windowlust

I just found this, I thought I'd put it up before. I saw this window while walking in Amsterdam last month and fell in love with the fun, eclectic assortment of globes and plants.  I dream of a window like this, although you need a super cool house for it to go in... fingers crossed for one day...

 

(most of the supplies are Studio Calico Front Row kit)

<3 <3 <3

I love this picture of Dave and I in Amsterdam last month.  We took one of those hop on-hop off canal boat tours (well, actually we bought a 2 day pass because it was nice to go on the many canals through Amsterdam and be able to get off and go eat or go to a museum, then get on again and go somewhere else) (plus it's much cheaper than a cab) (plus it was freezing a couple of the days there so it was nice and toasty warm inside).

I snapped this picture with my phone and uploaded it to instagram. A couple days later I noticed the sweet Alexandra had this on her instagram.  At first I didn't notice who it was, then I did and was so excited, she totally suprised me. Isn't it cool? 

evalicious europe mini

I won this seriously awesome scrapbook mini kit from the talented Evalicious' blog hop.  I was super excited when it arrived, once I saw all the colors and scrapbook flair and tags I knew I'd use it to document our recent trip to Europe. 

 
       
   
   

 
 
         

Thank you evalicious for this fantastic mini book, I absolutely adore it!!!

Stay lighthearted

and free spirtited...

   

Using the Studio Calico City of Lights kit, I love this picture of my little one.  She is one of the sweetest and funniest person around, and I hope she always stays that way, light-hearted and free spirted. 

the best things in life

are free...

   
I used the Studio Calico kit Summer of 69 (so sad, I just opened it...)(and I have I think 3 other's unopened) (I really need to get it together!)

California Academy of Sciences

Last summer while on summer break in San Francisco we went to the California Academy of Sciences. These are just 3 of the many pictures I took while we were there, so I have lots more to scrapbook. 

Using part of an Amy Tangerine kit and some of her super cute products, I love the cheery, bright colors, reminds me of her :)   and this fun day! (I realized I spelled Francisco wrong after I sewed it on, duhhh.)

around we go.

I loved this blurry picture from the carousel from Pier 39 in San Francisco over winter break. We spent a few days in the bay area and went to some of SF's fun family spots, this night was Pier 39. We ate clam chowder in bread bowls, watched the sea lions barking at each other and all other normal Pier things like salt water taffy and the big carousel. More of some Amy Tangerine goodies are here, the kits she gave me have some of the loveliest goodies!

I do love that city!

2 peas

(Taking a moment over here in the UK to tell you about something you might want to join in on). I was uber flattered when Wilna over at 2 Peas asked me to design a few pages for an upcoming class she is teaching.  My design element was fabric, and I loved using it in these layouts, something different for a change. I used a couple different Tina Givens fabrics that have this fun and funky color scheme. I also used some buttons on two of the layouts staying in line with the whole fabric thing. 

Like Forever

Love this picture of little sis' toes, I want to eat them!  This was our fantastic camping trip in Bodega Bay a couple summers ago. 

Sewing Pretty with Hello Kitty

   
I used some old sewing ephemera to decorate this page of big sis sewing a pouch on her cute little sewing pretty with hello kitty sewing machine. 

Love Everywhere

     

I love this picture of this beautiful egret outside a restaurant we frequently go to.  South Florida has so many interesting animals around, and this bird I thought was so pretty, when he relaxed his neck there was a heart shape in the silhouette.  

The class Wilna is teaching looks amazing, go sign up over at 2 Peas! 

Remembering last summer

Still continuing on with my pile of pictures I need to scrapbook.  Here's a quick page from an Amy Tangerine kit she gave me last summer when she was teaching a class here in Florida.  It was great to see her again and have lunch and catch up, and of course take her class. I just opened the kit the other day and love all the bright colors and fun pieces!  These are from our trip last summer in Portugal, these are from Lisbon, I have 2 other pages coming soon. 

I love these pictures, it makes me smile at the memories associated with them.  Tomorrow Dave and I leave for Europe for 2 weeks, 1 week in London, 1 week in Amsterdam. My mom came out and is staying here with the girls since it would be too much school for them to miss. Usually they travel with us, and I have never been away from them for so long, so I'm freaking out a little.  I know it'll all be okay and they are super close with my mom, but I have to admit my heart feels a little sad to not have them going with me this time. But I look forward to seeing old friends, like Steph Baxter, and spending adult time with Dave (wink). 

these pictures are oldies, but still goodies

Hi there, I know we're in the winter months, many of you up to your eyeballs in snow, but I am still back in 2012 with pictures to scrapbook, so please forgive me. 

These pictures are from our annual Halloween party last year.  Themed foods and Halloween songs, trick or treating and fun costumes. It's really my favorite holiday, so little pressure, just plain goofy fun. ( Big sis went as Big Bird and little sis went as Dorothy, I was a possessed doll and Dave was a devil as you can tell).

2 more days and we're off to Europe!!!  A week in London and a week in Amsterdam!  Whoop!

well, it's been awhile Mr. Gluestick...

I didn't make any new years resolutions this year because I never keep them. But I kinda thought about trying to be better about doing more things that bring me joy this year.  We have a wonderful life and I should document it more.  With instagram and all the other quick social outlets, it's hard sometimes to get those pictures printed out and then onto pretty paper. 

This is a little out of season, but well, you know...

I loved getting these onto paper and recording these memories, maybe I will get it together and keep it going...

no promises :)

tres vite

I have wanted to scrapbook this picture for 2 years, a cute little car from the streets of Paris.  Throughout Europe there are these older, tiny cars and even though in the States we have Fiat or Mini Coppers, I find these old beauties so charming. 

Alexandra, I thought of you:)

Dearest Heart

Pictures from our Labor Day weekend celebrating little sis' 9th birthday at the beaches around Bonita Springs on the Gulf. Loveliest beaches around Florida in my opinion. 

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Flora

I am so bad about using kits, even nice ones from like Amy Tanegrine or Studio Calico.  I seem to put them aside to use in a minute, then months later I open them up, only to discover the treasures inside. This is a Studio Calico kit from I think early summer. I used it for a simple photo I snapped of a book while in California in July. 

Does anyone know the name of this kit? Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Amy Tangerine summer mini

I know, it's fall and Thanksgiving, but I just finished the Amy Tangerine summer mini book that we put together when she came here a couple months ago.  She taught a series of classes at the LSS and I was so excited to see her again and make something from her awesome line, as well as just catch up with my old friend. 

I left out a few pages, but you can see Amy put together a great mini kit, right? I love mini books, they are so fun to look back at a certain time like a vacation or day. As you may can see, I underestimated the amount of pictures I took over the summer and so I made many fold-out accordian style pages so I could add just 5-8 more each page. San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Portugal, friends, family, birthdays, bbqs, swimming, beaches, it was a good summer!

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it was a good weekend

Hanging out with my pal Vee back in May was a great weekend.  We have lots in common and I just think she's one of the sweetest, nicest people I know.  I finally scarpbooked these a couple days ago.  I need to go see her again. OR Miss Vee, are you coming here soon for a family trip? 

feed the birds

Two years ago when we went to Paris we visited Notre Dame Cathedral and saw an older woman feeding the birds in the front courtyard.  The girls naturally found it charming and much like the scene from Mary Poppins.  The woman obviously spoke French, but we communicated through gestures and smiles and she shared her bird feed with the girls.  She even poured some over little sis' head and the birds flew all around us and a few landed atop her head. Big sis and I laughed with delight, but Dave, always the germaphob, was worried that the birds would give little sis some weird bird flu. :) 

 

After I was all done with these two layouts I realized I put pics of the Eiffel Tower... I should have put Notre Dame..duh. I made two almost identical layouts, one for big sis' and one for little sis' albums.

mariposa

A month or so before we moved from Mexico City we went up to Valle de Bravo which is about an hour and a half away in picturesque mountains, and there is something magical that happens once a year. Millions of monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico and we were so excited to see it. Dave and I hiked the steep path up the mountain and the girls rode horses until we reached the crest of the mountain where suddenly clouds of yellow-orange wings fluttered about.  It truly was magical, butterflies landing all over your body, so many butterflies on branches of the trees overhead their weight actually made the branches bend. 

I'm glad I finally got around to scrapbookiong these, I had forgotten what a fun day this was. 

getting back to scrapbooking, maybe.

I don't know about you, but life seems more hectic since the girls started school? Is it me? I made this late last night.  (From the Bon Iver concert a few months ago down in South Beach). 

 

So excited, in a couple weeks we have tickets to Florence and the Machine!

true

Using most of the October Afternoon 9-5 line, I made this for an older pic with my hubby and me.  We were at a concert in a park in the bay area. He's my best friend, my confidante, makes me laugh, makes me feel safe, makes me proud, frustrates me, makes me smile when I see him with my girls, and we truly enjoy each others company even after all these years (almost 20!!)

grand

(using the Studio Calico So Cal kit...love.)

remember, go back

I found these pictures the other day from when we were in Bodega Bay, California.  I don't know why, if it was because it was our big summer break from Mexico or what, but I love this summer's pictures.  We came back to the States for like 5 weeks and 12 of those days were spent seaside camping in my parent's RV.  It was a great summer full of really wonderful memories, so when I look back at these pictures, it makes me feel sorta sad and wistful. Life here in Florida has been good, but not like these days in these photos. I want to go back. 

Luckily we're going to California and Lake Tahoe for 3 weeks this summer.  2 weeks at my parents, 1 week in San Francisco and then Bear and I have a week in Monaco and Nice, France! Hopefully make some new, lovely memories!

( btw, I used the Studio Calico So Cal kit.)

my girl.

I got the new Studio Calico So Cal kit last week and made this yesterday.  This picture is from our week seaside camping last year in Bodega Bay, Cali. I loved this picture of big sister between some huge rocks on the beach.  This picture mirrors her personality, too, sorta deep, thoughtful, sensitive, sometimes dark and stormy. (especially in these tween years), yikes...

 

today forever

I really am the luckiest. Two nights ago I stayed up late after watching the Real Housewives of NJ reruns and did this. Taken a few months ago in Naples, Florida, I love this picture of my husband and me, but mostly because when I look at it it reminds me of how lucky I am to have him. 

PL week 18

Love me some cinco de mayo, I rarely have a picture of me, rarely alone either.  Big sis snapped this picture while Dave was making me laugh when we were enjoying some Mexican food in a new restaurant on Cinco de Mayo. I thought I should add it to the PL. Other good things; big sis and her new friend Emily have graduated officially to mall rats when we took them shopping at the Boca Mall.  Little sis had the cutest show at school where they learned sign language to 2 songs. I.am.going.to.eat.her. 

It was good times. 

PL week 17

This was a good week. 

Ups and downs, it's life, right?  But all is well. 

PL week 16

Moving along...

It was a good, but busy week. Are you doing a PL?  Are you loving it?

keeping up with the joneses

The challenge for the month of May over at the Creative Type is to use the word empowerment in your layout.  Whether you use the word or a phrase about your own personal empowerment, it's all about how you have learned to overcome or appreciate something about yourself or your life that used to make you feel self-conscious, weak, embarrassed, but now you don't give two shakes about it. 

Mine was titled Keeping up with the Joneses.  I think when my girls were really young I worried about how they are doing in comparison to other kids, how my house looked, how I appeared to others. I won't even pretend that I don't occasionally feel self-conscious, I would be lying to say such a thing, but I definitely have lightened up and don't get so preoccupied with myself or things like before. 

So come play along with us!  Vee Jennings is the guest and has so generously donated the prize, a pdf of her popular misting class!  So go play!

PL week 15

I love the concept of Project Life, but I must say that I have a hard time staying caught up. I love looking over the pages of the weeks past though, the faces of family and friends makes me smile, so I'm going to stick with it.  Even if I am a little behind. 

And I added a 3 picture insert.

Week 16 is almost done.  And what is it? Week 19?  O'well. 

Mom's Day book

Hi ya all!  I am getting worse and worse about blogging.  

Just wanted to share with you a folding accordion style book I made my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day.  Inspired/copied from the talented Marcy Penner, I just loved this book!  She used most of the same American Crafts papers and stickers, and I thought it was so sweet. 

Front side                                                       Back side

I made one in light green for my mom (this one is my mom's above) and light blue for my MIL using the same papers and embellishments for American Crafts.  I think they'll love them and I wish I was able to spend the day with them, but I hope when they see these they'll know how much they mean to me. 

go.

Using Studio Calico's story hour kit mostly and some veneer letters, with Tina's lovely polaroid prints.

Go.

granny chic

Hi there all, how are you?

I've been using this kit a lot, which is not like me. I have a hard time sticking to just one kit. Here, the Studio Calico Storybook kit is mostly what I have, then I used a picture I snapped a few weeks ago of my fave chair and crocheted throw.

Do you have a "style" of your place? 

PL week 10

A good week really. Big sis got 3 A's on really hard tests (she studied a lot!, good chica), I had lunch Amy Tan and Kelly Purkey in Miami Beach while they were here for a couple days( so nice to see Amy again and meet Kelly), little sis got on a soccer team and we made some cute little candy bags for her to hand out to her classmates since this week she's on Spring Break.

Are you doing a Project Life?  How's it going for you?

sk8ter nerd

I loved this picture of little sis in one of her favorite shirts. Then I saw an October Afternoon sketch from a couple weeks ago and I thought it would work well with these 3 pictures. I also used the latest Studio Calico kit, Storyboard. I have a couple other pages in the works, plus last week's PL, so I shall return.

magazine inspo

The March Creative Type challenge is to use either the front of a magazine, ad or article spread as inspiration.  I saw this lovely picture in Somerset the other day and knew this would be a fun one to use.

and here is mine;

The talented Rahel is out guest designer and is donating a stamp set for one lucky winner!  Go play along with us and win this stamp set!!

PL week 8

A good week.

I used the slim American Crafts 3 pocket sleeve. Then next is a Becky Higgins page.

Renaissance Faire, Tom Jenkins BBQ and Ft Lauderdale beach, new blog design, started a new photography class, walked and did yoga 3x. Yep, it was good.

PL week 7

week highlights:

-Valentine's Day, I got a dozen long stem roses and the girls got daisies and Roses from Dave. -Little sis had her second grade Olympics, she won 2 first place ribbons and 1 second place ribbon. She also had the Second Grade Hero Show at school with singing and poems. (so cute!)  -Ladybug Release Day at the Science Museum, the girls were handed about 20 ladybugs to take out to the garden and release.  The new otters were there, too. Dave got another tattoo, his right arm is a full sleeve now (oy vey...)

we are the champions

A couple weeks ago little sis had her school's Fun Run to raise money for new technology.  My little sweet-tart ran 2.5 miles in 40 minutes!

 
She raised $450 in pledges and we're super proud of her!

PL week 6

This week is more than half over and I am still remembering last week like it's right now. Agh, I wish life would slow down just a bit........

celebrity crush

Hello ya all. The Creative Type has it's February challenge up, Celebrity Crush.  Tina Azmus has so kindly donated the prize, a set of her Currents journaling cards and polaroids, pretty cool, eh?  Then go over and play!!  Here's mine...

I think Zooey is adorable, funny and so talented!

Now come play along with us!!!

seashell searcher

From last weeks daytrip to Naples, same design, but different pictures, each tailored for each girl's albums. (When I finally PUT them into albums, but, hey, you know...)

It has been "unseasonably warm" people tell me here...I can tell you, I am feeling slightly jealous of my pals in the northeast or Lake Tahoe area, who are getting some snow and brisk air. It seems unnatural to have summer all year 'round...but I guess I shouldn't complain, there's nothing you can do about the weather, right?

PL: week 4

I am loving this.
 
( liftable sleeve I made)
This past weeks highlights;

Little sis ran 2.5 miles for her school's Fun Run to raise money for technology. Big sis made some rad duct tape crafts, she is really into it! Dave came home Sunday from London with gifts from our favorite city. We made paper crystals for little sis' door at school, they were the Crystal Kids for the Boosterthon Fun Run. I taught the second grade Matisse art lesson. Big sis was asked out by a boy at school (middle school), she kindly declined. Selina (my fur baby) also declined the advances of a couple dogs at the dog park.

valentine

I used the new Crate Paper line (and some oldies stuff) to make a Valentine-inspired page with my favorite guy.

( my Valentine gets back later tonight from being in London for a week, so excited to see him!) I'm also wanting to make a couple crafts for Valentine's Day, I have 2 ideas in the works. Any craft ideas you want to share?

terrarium love: beach escape

I have problems. A terrarium day dreaming addiction.

White sand, river rocks, seashells, white and aqua seaglass and an airplant.  This terrarium sits on my coffee table and people comment all the time how nice it is to look at.  Word.

Project Life; Week 1- 3

Okay, I was a little behind starting this, but I'm ready to go with my Project Life album for 2012. Here's weeks 1-3, I can't believe how much has already happened in 3 weeks, agh, I'm exhausted...

week one  (front first, then below back) ) (I used the 3 long sheet insert )

week 2

 

week 3

 

and close- ups of week 3, I copied my friend Vee with her liftable sleeves ( thanks Vee!)

I've already started week 4, so I'm finally ahead of the game... I've seen some awesome PL albums out there, but I'd love to look at yours, too, let me know if you're doing one!

some warmer pages

From my winter Christmas mini album to warmer weather layouts, I finally scrapbooked some of the dolphin swimming pictures from our day in the Keys a few months ago.  

Same design, just different pictures, one for little sis, one for big sis.  And below, my three favorite people!

I don't know about you, but I am having a hard time keeping up with blogging. Sometimes I think I should just go on a blog vacation.  Do you ever feel like that?
Well, I ordered my Project Life album, I'm getting things together to start it hopefully this week.  Anyone else doing one?