Life Is an Artform

{Teacher Appreciation}

Today is “Teacher Appreciation Day" - a great opportunity to tell our fabulous teachers how much wonderful they are.  Our school is celebrating it all week, so I made a couple of projects for my son's 4th grade teacher.

"Thanks for Making Me Such a Smart Cookie" Can

Who doesn't love cookies?  For a unique cookie container, I used a half-sized Pringles can, rinsed well and dried.  I cut a piece of plain white cardstock to the height of the can and covered it with layers of decorative tape.  I wrapped the tape around the edges for a finished look.  I adhered it to the can with strong red scrapbook tape.  I trimmed the edges of the tag with tape and tied it with cheerful yellow and white twine.  The best part - after the cookies are gone, this gift can be used as a fun pencil/pen holder for her desk.

Supplies: Collectable – Remarkable: Decorative tape (Green, Numbers, Stars), Notable: Decorative tape (blue); Unforgettable: Decorative tape (yellow);  Girl Crazy: decorative tape (red); Indie Chic: yellow twine; Misc: White cardstock, hole punch, Small Pringles can

 

 

"M&M Teacher" Pail

A few years ago, I found this sweet M&M poem for teachers.

I had a clear pail in my stash from MME Glittered Chipboard letters. (You can also find them at scrapbook and craft stores, or a glass jar would work)  I removed the packaging and decorated it with paper and decorative tape.  I sorted my M&M's into different colors, so each colored layer showed separately in the clear pail. For the lid, I cut a circle out of yellow patterned paper and adhered the brad and diecut paper with pop dots. I sewed around the edges of the poem and used MME chipboard letters for the "M&M".

Supplies: Collectable - Remarkable: Delightful patterned paper, brad; Notable: Muse patterned paper, Adore patterned paper, Devoted patterned paper; All is Bright: twine; Lost and Found 2: Oliver decorative tape; Red striped decorative tape, Red and Black Lush chipboard letters; Misc: Black ink, red thread, acrylic pail.

Poem:

GREEN is for the inspiration you give me each day.

BLUE is for your patience in showing me the way.

ORANGE is for your warmth and caring style.

YELLOW is for the way you always make me smile.

RED is for my life that you have touched this year.

You’re a very special teacher just like this jar, that’s clear.

You place knowledge in our children’s hands

and melt into their hearts and lives forever.

You’re a “Magnificent” & “Marvelous” teacher.

Thank you for being my M&M

{Powered By Imagination}

I had so much fun using the new MME "Boy Crazy" collection - it seems like this line was made just for my son.  He has an amazing imagination and is always on the go.  Exactly a year ago, I looked out my window to find him racing a truck down our street at incredibly high speeds - powered by the strong wind blowing a Walmart sack. Fun note - he had raided my scraproom to find a piece of string to tie the sack with and I used the same yellow & white twine on my layout (appropriately tied to brads on the page). :)

The title "Powered by Imagination" was perfect for these pictures of his wind-powered invention. I cut the title out of patterned paper, rounded the corners, and sewed a border around it to add focus.

I used a lot of circle elements to echo the wheels and speed in the photos. I especially LOVE the stitched felt sticker - it added great dimension to the layout.

I cut a strip of the multi-colored chevron "Point the Way" paper, and placed it on the left edge of the page to give movement and draw your eye to the bottom of the layout.  I anchored the bottom of the page with a strip of gray decorative tape and dove-tailed the end to echo the "GO" arrow sticker above it. I used enamel dots between the "3,2,1" countdown chipboard stickers.

Supplies: Boy Crazy: Stitched patterned paper, Point the Way patterned paper,Plaid patterned paper,Tags patterned paper, felt stickers, enamel dots, brads, chipboard, stickers; Collectable - Remarkable: Daily patterned paper, tiny word stickers, label sticker; Collectable - Notable: Petite patterned paper; Grey and red decorative tapes; Miss Caroline - Fiddlesticks: Twine; Misc: Black ink and pen, grey thread, pop dots.

{East Crockpot “Loaded Baked Potato Soup”}

When our family returns home from church on Sundays – everyone is STARVING and want to eat immediately.  The crockpot has become a trusted friend and helper with our Sunday meals.  Today I tried out a new recipe in our shiny new crockpot (2 weeks ago our 16 year old crockpot split into 3 pieces while cooking a ham and I came home to a 3 foot puddle of ham juice running over/under my stove and on my kitchen floor – not a fun clean-up).  I have a new 7 quart crockpot from Walmart  that seems to hold A LOT.

I tried out this amazing Paula Dean Potato soup recipe I found on Pinterest here.  I doubled it so we could have leftovers and added a few touches so it tasted like our FAVORITE  Chili’ s Loaded Baked Potato Soup.  My family LOVED it and said it tasted even better than the restaurant’s.   I loved that it was quick and simple to prepare – and deliciously creamy.

Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is a double recipe, and fits on my 7 qt. Crockpot

• 2 – 30 oz. bag of Country Style Hashbrowns (the tiny square potatoes)
• 4 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
• 1 large 26 oz. can Family size Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
• 4 c. shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese (reserve 1 c. to garnish soup)
• 1 c. Costco crumbled bacon, browned – in blue bag (reserve 1/4 c. to garnish soup)
• 4 diced green onions (to garnish)

Thaw hashbrowns in bag overnight, or in the microwave.  Combine all ingredients in crockpot, except for cheeses and garnishes.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or 4 on high), or until the onions are tender.  Stir in the softened cream cheese and 3 cups cheddar.  Top bowls with remaining shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, and diced green onions.

{Meeting Cinderella}

Here is a layout I designed for the MME “Die cut Challenge” on their blog today.  I LOVE these photos of my girls from our Disney vacation 6 1/2 years ago.  Where does the time go?  Desiree was only 10 (Jacob’s age now) and little Tori was 6!  They had such a great time with Cinderella.  She was so sweet talking with the girls and giving them hugs.  A special day!!  Priceless photos!!

   

Some of my favorite MME products are their diecuts!!  Their titles and journaling spots always add the perfect accent to my pages.  Today I used 3 die cuts on my layout from the Collectable - Memorable collection.  The soft blue, green, and pink color palette went beautifully with these magical photos of my daughters with Cinderella.

The "You are PERFECT just the way you are" title was the inspiration for my layout.  The beautiful scalloped doily echoed the circles of their princess mouse ears and reflected the embroidery details on their clothes.  I cut the floral pattern off the top and bottom of the "Life is Good" diecut title, so it would look more neutral with the busy doily shapes on my page.

Not only does MME have fabulous paper diecuts, but the have amazing chipboard and sticker diecuts!  I clustered the chipboard and stickers together to anchor the bottom of my page.  I used pearl accents from the "Miss Caroline" line, I cut the pink swirl in half to frame the cluster of accents.

I cut out more doilies from patterned paper and layered them with the die cut journal card.   I tied a peice of pink lace around the pin and inserted it through the "together" sticker.

I love how the pink decorative tape from the Lost and Found 3 Ruby collection looks like a real lace border. I glittered the chipboard letters and the other elements to give the layout the magical "princessy" feel.

Supplies: Collectable - Memorable: Record patterned paper, Flawless patterned paper, Cordial patterned paper, Adventure patterned paper, journal card, label sticker, layered sticker, title, chipboard, pin, brads, sticker; Lush: Cream paper and blue chipboard letters, Lost and Found Ruby: Pink lace and decorative tape; Miss Caroline - Fiddlesticks and Dolled Up Pearls; Misc: Chipboard letter, glitter glue, pop dots, blue paint, black ink and pen, cream thread.

{California Adventure}

It is still winter, the snow keeps falling, and the temperature is freezing around here.  My heart longs for the sunny rays of California.  Since a vacation isn't financially doable right now - the second best thing is to scrapbook photos of warm sunny days at Disneyland.  It doesn't matter that these photos were from a vacation 7 years ago, the photos still warm my heart.

Supplies: Collectable-Remarkable:Beam patterned paper,Daily patterned paper,label stickers,brads, layered stickers,chipboard,:Collectable - Notable:Petite patterned paper,Devoted patterned paper;Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally:Tickets patterned paper,Token patterned paper,label stickers,die cut title,wood die cut, pearl sticker;Indie Chic-Nutmeg:decorative tape;Misc:gray thread,black ink,pen.

I love how the large photo captures the golden rays of light and the joy on my little guy's face.  I immediately thought of the pearl "Sunshine" accent from the "Miss Caroline" Dilly Dally Collection from last year. I layered it with the wood die cut and placed a layered sticker from the new "Collectable" Remarkable collection.

One of my favorite things about MME products is that the lines are so easy to intermix. The papers and embellishments work seamlessly together. This is good because MME comes out with new papers and emblellishments often. I have quite the stash of older MME that I still love and don't want to get rid of! Luckily older lines mix with newer MME lines very easily!

The"Miss Caroline" title "Our Many Adventures" was perfect for photos of the Disney California Adventure Park.  I cut out the tickets from paper - adding to the amusement park theme.

The "Collectable" chipboard "sunburst" accents echoed the sun on the Ferris wheel in the photos and added to the warm, sunny feel of my layout. Another older product I love is the decorative tape from Indie Chic. I loved adding it to the layout.

{Everything You Need to Know About Girls Camp}

As part of a blog tour, I am reviewing a fabulous new book!

I am so excited about a new book that just came out by author Stephanie Worlton: “Everything You Need to Know about Girls Camp”.  It is such a wonderful, informative, and helpful planning guide. 

A few years ago, I was called to be a YW Camp director only 4 short weeks before our camp.  This would have been an invaluable resource for me!  (and for the 5 other YW Camps I have helped plan over the years). I love how she heavily relies on YCL’s in this book (Youth Camp Leaders who are 16 and older).  Giving them opportunities to plan and help lead camp is such a great way to give them leadership experience (and it is suggested in the LDS church handbook).  I really liked her organization outline, menu planning, theme suggestions, and activity ideas.  I especially am excited to try the delicious looking recipes in the back!  You can tell that the author has excellent organization and planning skills and her witty sense of humor also makes this an enjoyable read.

So, if you (or someone you know) – are trying to plan a Stake or Ward YW camp, this is essential reading material.

Find it at:

and on Goodreads.

Enter to Win:

As part of the blog tour, Stephanie will be giving away two great prizes. Visit her Kreating Krazy author blog to enter for your chance to win a "Camp Leader Survival Kit" or a signed copy of the book. 

{Sweethearts Dance}

Desiree had a ball at the Sweetheart’s Dance.  We made a delicious gourmet dinner of Chicken Cordon Bleu, Potatoes Au Gratin, Dilled Carrots, Chocolate Melting Cake for dessert.

After the dance they watched “Hitch” and ate Caramel Popcorn – yum!

{Valentine Box}

Jacob had a great time decorating his BYU Basketball Valentine Box.  A special thanks to Amber Packer for the idea.  We were able to use items we had on hand: a box that came in the mail that day, an old hoop from the dollar store, cardstock, and pictures from the internet.

Thank goodness we already had everything because he remembered that he needed to make one at 9:00 pm the night before Valentine’s Day!!

{Brotherly Love For You}

Here is a layout that captures the sweet "brotherly love" that my two sons share. 

I stepped a little out of the "traditional Valentine's Day box" and used a lot of blue, cream, and white on my page.

It also gives the page a more masculine feel, since Valentine layouts tend to be very feminine, pink and covered with hearts.

I used the My Mind’s Eye "All is Bright" Christmas collection by Rhonna Farrer - who knew it would be perfect for a different holiday?!

I think it is fun to scrapbook photos from years past.  This picture was taken in 2007, but I pulled it off my computer and scrapbooked it as a Valentine layout.

I saw the hexagon stickers and knew that I HAD to use them on my page.  I LOVE the fabulous and timeless MME Lush Chipboard letter stickers.  I have a bunch in my stash and they seem to magically work with every paper line.  I really like the velvet texture of the blue letters too.

I hand cut the blue chevron paper and layered it with the red chevron chipboard border.  I then layered and clustered the journaling spot with chipboard labels and circle elements.

Supplies:All is Bright: Collage patterned paper, Linen patterned paper, Ephemera Frames patterned paper, stickers, chipboard, brads, and accessories pad; Blue and Red Lush chipboard letters; Misc: Red thread, black ink and pen.

{Valentine Décor}

For me, Valentine's Day isn't just a romantic holiday- it is a day to show all my family members and friends how much I LOVE them and cherish our relationships.  I wanted to capture the happiness and love I feel by decorating my mantle and shelves for Valentine's Day. I also needed an incentive to tackle the task of putting away my Christmas decorations.

I had a ball buying various apothecary jars and filling them with candy.  I found the glittered hearts picks at the dollar store and cut the sticks off the bottom.  The white rose petals and clear glass hearts were from the same store.  The chalkboard art and “I love you more Every day” digital files were purchased from www.rhonnadesigns.com.

I bought the Red “XOXO” blocks from Kneaders and I made the “Love One Another” swag with chipboard letters and Martha Stewart glitter.  I was thrilled when I found the 3 red glitterd candles on the Kohl’s Christmas clearance rack for only $2 each – instead of the original $15 each!!  Score!

I printed black and white photos of my family hugging, a wedding photo, the boys hugging and Desiree giving Victoria a kiss on the cheek.

I had a set of fabulous wood letters that Amber Packer designed and thought the the new My Mind’s Eye Lost and Found 3 Ruby collection would look perfect on them.  I love the red glitter on the paper and the gray, red, and cream color palette.

First, I traced each letter (front side down) onto the back of the paper and cut them out. Then, I painted the sides and back of leach letter in red. I used matte Mod Podge to adhere and seal the papers.  Mod Podge tip: Brush the Mod Podge glue onto the wood letter, NOT the paper.  If you put it on the paper first, it will cause it to warp and bubble and it gets very messy.

After you have brushed it onto the wood, place the paper cutout over it and smooth with your fingers or credit card to work out any air bubbles.  After it has dried, apply a final coat of Mod Podge to seal the paper and sides of the letter. 

I used the Gray doily sticker, chipboard, and brad to accent the wood tag.  The "&" is a red velvet chipboard letter from the MME Lush collection.  I painted the chipboard letters in red, then covered them with glitter. 

Don't you LOVE the glittered heart on the "i" with the curled wire - so fun!  First I painted it in red, then brushed it with mod podge, and sprinkled glitter over it.

They have primed wood letters available at Michael's or you can cut out your own.  These letters were custom cut at the Wood Connection in Utah. You could spell out "LOVE", "HEART", "SWEET", or "XOXO", the possibilities are endless.

Supplies: Lost and Found 3 Ruby: Stripes patterned paper, Doily patterned paper, Medallion patterned paper, Red Floral patterned paper, stickers, chipboard, brads; Lush red chipboard letters Other: Wood letters, Red paint, red glitter, matte Mod Podge, wire, chipboard letters

{They’ve got GAME!}

Michael and Jacob are loving their basketball season with the Junior Jazz.  They both have improved their skills greatly over the last year and have been playing awesomely!  Go team!

{Let it SNOW!}

We have sure had A LOT of storms this Christmas week.  I decided to pull out a ruler to measure the amount of snow we had piled up on our deck.  A full 12”!!!  Incredible.  I have been really sick for a few days, so I am just hibernating and watching the snowflakes fall.

{Merry Christmas!}

We hope your family enjoys a wonderful Christmas!

Here is our Christmas Card for this year.  Special thanks to my talented brother, Stephen Bair for taking our photos.  I LOVE the background he found at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City.  Fall is my favorite season and the colorful leaves behind us worked perfectly with our burnt orange, teal, and gray color scheme.

The “Merry Christmas” title is from www.rhonnadesigns.com  She is on talented gal and a dear friend!!

{Altered Christmas Can–Drawing Names}

Here is an altered project for the MME blog.  One of our favorite Christmas traditions is drawing family names for a gift exchange.  We usually just scribble names on scraps of paper, then draw them out of a bowl.

I thought it would be fun to make a special can with personalized name tags.  I know this will become a treasured Christmas keepsake that we use every year.

I used an empty Piroutte cookie can from Walmart (left over from cookies we dipped in hot chocolate, yum!).I found some green spray paint in my garage and painted the lid.  Then I covered the metal can with these festive papers from the Winter Wonderland collection. 

I used double stick tape and the heavy duty red scrapbook tape (for the seam in the back). The present sticker border was perfect for our "Gift Exchange" can.  I embellished the can with chipboard stickers, enamel dots, a sticker, and twine.

For the name tags, I printed the names in red ink on the light blue "At Home" patterned paper and stitched around them.  Then Iayered the patterned Christmas papers and added decorative brads and present chipboard pieces.

Supplies: Winter Wonderland: Christmas Trees patterned paper, In the Neighborhood patterned paper, Flakes patterned paper, Polka Dots patterned paper, At Home patterned paper, Stripes patterned paper, Presents patterned paper, brads, stickers chipboard, twine, enamel dots;Misc: metal can, black ink, red thread, double stick tape, red scrapbooking tape

{O Christmas Tree}

My whole life, I have dreamt of having a large picture window with vaulted ceilings. My wish came true when we moved onto our new home last year. I finished sewing these 18 foot curtains the weekend before Christmas, so we got Christmas decorations put up a little late. I found this 12 foot tree on clearance at Sam’s Club and got the ornaments on sale at various stores. What a magical and memorable morning, celebrating Christmas in our new home (my Christmas present for the next 50 years!)

To me, Christmas is just a magical time.  I love the sparkling and glistening red glitter on the new Lost & Found 3 Ruby Collection - so I thought it would perfectly reflect the magic of that special day.

This collection isn't intended for Christmas, in fact - it leans more towards another holiday: Valentine's Day.  But who says you can't mix things up a bit and use them for anything you want? :)I also incorporated a bit of the green glittered elements from the Lost and Found 2 Rosy line. I just LOVE the red scalloped glittered border around the Ruby "Floral and Lace" paper, it framed my layout beautifully.

I used an Xacto knife to cut out the journaling spot printed on the bottom of the page so I could layer it with my photo and embellishments.  I used the circular elements to mirror all of the round ornaments on our Christmas tree. Aren't all of these doily stickers, brads, & chipboard amazing?

Supplies: Lost & Found 3-Ruby: Floral & Lace Glittered patterned paper, Red Floral Glittered patterned paper, Stripes patterned paper, Grey Quatrefoil Embossed patterned paper, stickers, chipboard,brads; Lost & Found 2-Rosy: Dry Goods patterned paper, chipboard, brads; Misc: red sewing thread, black ink, pen, pop dots.

{Gathered in Gratitude}

I love the month of November.  I always think of it as a month of thankfulness and make sure to write down and express gratitude for my blessings daily.

Thanksgiving dinner is also a special time to gather as family and loved ones to give thanks and enjoy a special meal together.  I loved using the Lost and Found Halloween collection for my Thanksgiving layout - it is very versatile.

I printed a title and layered it over the crows sitting on top of the pumpkins. I covered the witch on the journaling circle with a doily sticker. To frame the page, I cut down the glittered border paper and covered the seam with a hand-cut border and a strip of orange paper.

Supplies:Lost and Found Halloween: Halloween Cottage patterned paper, Hallows Pumpkins patterned paper, Hallows Music patterned paper, Hallows Rounds patterned paper, journaling circle; Lost and Found 3-Oliver: stickers, metal adornment, brad; Lost and Found 3-Ruby :stickers; All is Bright: rhinestones; Lost and Found 2-Breeze: Train patterned paper; Misc: black thread, ink and pen, orange paper.

{A “Minnie” Skirt!}

Victoria really wanted to be Minnie Mouse for Halloween.  She came up with the fabulous idea of me making a tulle skirt for her costume and an even better idea of me making a matching one in pink for her best friend.  It took me a few days, but I finally finished these just in time for them to wear to school.  The skirt has 2 layers of red tulle, a red satin skirt, then 4 more layers of tulle.  Victoria made the ears out of craft foam and felt.  I think she did a great job!

What a beautiful Minnie Mouse!!!

Hmm, I might have to wear this costume next year.

{Scrap a Family Recipe}

I created this layout for the MME November Blog Challenge: Scrapbook a Family Recipe.

For my family, FALL = PUMPKIN!  We are huge pumpkin fans at our house and usually go through a dozen large cans of pumpkin from September through November.

Some of our favorite pumpkin creations: pumpkin bars, Upside-down Pumpkin Pie, Dinner in a Pumpkin, Chiffon Pumpkin Pie, and Pumpkin Bread.

I have pinned 134 pumpkin recipes on Pinterest and can’t wait to try out some of my new finds.  But one of our FAVORITE recipes has to be these Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins.

The crisp cinnamon streusel topping gives way to a moist pumpkin cake with a creamy cheesecake center.  Pumpkin HEAVEN!  They also freeze very well and are the perfect breakfast treat after 30 seconds in the microwave.

The glittered orange accents of the Lost and Found Halloween collection added the touch of “pumpkin magic” to my layout.

I cut the scalloped border from patterned paper. Then I layered journaling spots and accented them with the perfect pumpkin chipboard. I printed the recipe directions on a card and slid it in a pocket on my layout.  That way, the layout focused on the photo and recipe and it didn’t look cluttered.

Supplies: Lost and Found Halloween:Hallows Cottage patterned paper, Hallows Rounds patterned paper, Hallows Pumpkins patterned paper, Hallows Halloween Ads patterned paper,glittered accessories sheet,chipboard accessories,brads;Misc:black thread,ink and pen,letter stickers,cream/orange cardstock

{Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins}

These are the BEST muffins I have ever tasted!!  The combination of the cinnamon streusel topping, moist pumpkin cake, and creamy cheesecake center is divine!

This is a simple recipe to make, but the filling does require you to think a little ahead of time.  You mix it up, pipe it from a plastic ziplock bag onto a cookie sheet, then freeze for a few hours or overnight.  I often double this recipe (for large groups or freezing) and can fit 48 dollops of filling onto one cookie sheet.  Freezing the filling keeps it from baking into the batter and creates a nice cheesecake center. It also makes filling the cupcakes much less messy.

These freeze very well.  Just warm one in the microwave for 30 seconds and you have a delicious breakfast!  This recipe is from: Annie’s Eats

Filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Muffins:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. ground nutmeg
• 1 t. ground cloves
• 1½ T. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1¼ cups vegetable oil

Topping:

• ½ cup sugar
• 5 T. flour
• 1½ t. ground cinnamon
• 4 T. cold unsalted butter

For the filling, combine the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Spoon mixture into a ziplock bag, snip off a corner, and pipe 24 dollops of filling onto a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze for a few hours, or overnight.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add in the cut butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

To assemble the muffins, fill each paper liner with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Place a frozen dollop of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool a bit before serving. Makes 24 muffins.

{“White and Nerdy”}

My husband is a very talented computer programmer – I think he is really smart and his skills amaze me.  I don’t know how he looks at those thousands of lines of code and makes sense of them.  He has always joked that he is a “nerd”.  He got a kick out of Weird Al’s parody “White and Nerdy” and decided to dress up as him for his work Halloween Party Friday.

Love it!!

You can watch the music video here.

{16 Cousins Together}

Here is a layout I designed for the MME blog.  We had to design a layout inspired by things around us, magazines, etc.

The days here are getting cooler and nights are getting chilly.  I figured it was time to pull out some warm and sunny photos from our fun summer days – these were from our family reunion in Jackson Hole this summer.

I was browsing through the fabulous November issue of “Coastal Living” Magazine and was inspired by two pages.  The first was from an article about a designer and her favorite coastal paint colors.  I loved the yellow, aqua blue and orang-red that the designer mentioned. Of course I had to use the new The Sweetest Thing “Happy” collection that uses all of those wonderful colors. The decorative tape even has the same chevron pattern as table in the photo!

My second inspiration came from the “Nautical Notes” page.  I loved how the stationary was arranged in a random order, like pictures on a wall.  I also liked the white around the edges of the envelopes and cards, almost like picture frames. In my design I left a white border around all of my photos. A great thing about smaller photos – you can fit a lot on a page – I used 14!

We might have not made it the ocean this year, but I had some great pictures of cousins playing at Jackson Lake in the Grand Tetons National Forest.  They have a fun coastal/beachy feel...even though we were in the mountains!

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:Greetings patterned paper,Wishes patterned paper,Beam patterned paper,layered stickers,die cut title,decorative brads,decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:Impression patterned paper,label stickers;The Sweetest Thing-Honey:Best patterned paper, wood button;Lush:alphabet;Misc:red machine thread, brown ink and pen, pop dots, adhesive

{Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie}

Some people call this Pumpkin Cobbler, but we think that Upside-down Pumpkin Pie is more fitting.  This is our most often made pumpkin recipe because it is so delicious, easy to make, and feeds a crowd.  We eat it warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream or chilled from the fridge with Cool Whip.  Thanks to Cambria Blair for sharing this delicious recipe!

Upside-down Pumpkin Pie

• 6 eggs
• 29 oz. can of pumpkin
• 2 t. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cube of margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients in order with a wire whisk.  Pour into a 9x13 greased baking pan.  Melt margarine and mix into dry cake mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the pumpkin mix.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving.  Serve  with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

{Young Indiana Jones}

Love these photos of Michael, our Young Indiana Jones.  It was so nice of My Mind’s Eye to design the PERFECT Halloween papers to coordinate with these photos I took a few years ago.  The skull and spider remind me of the classic movie!

{Remember All the GOOD Times}

I really enjoyed creating this layout.  It gave me an opportunity to simplify my materials and think a little out of the box.  Who knew that just 3 patterned papers (not including the cardstock) and three tapes could be so versatile?

I used double-sided papers from the Six by Six 2 “Happy Day” Pad.

I really liked how well the smaller patterns worked with the circle punch.  I embellished the page by layering  different decorative tapes (LOVE the date label tape!) and a row of the fabulous new enamel dots.

I'm I am a big fan of how the bright colors and fun patterns of the papers capture the bright spirit of our day at Disneyland – the “Happiest Place on Earth”. It is also no coincidence that the circles echo the shape of the girls’ Mickey ears!

Supplies: Six by Six 2- “Happy Day” pad, The Sweetest Thing-Honey: enamel dots and decorative tape; The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell: decorative tape, title;The Sweetest Thing- Lavender: decorative tape.Misc: white, blue, and yellow cardstock, pink machine thread, 1 1/2” circle punch, black ink and pen.

{Desiree’s Sweet 16}

What a night!!  We celebrated Desiree’s Sweet 16 with a fun birthday party.  We spent a whole day baking gourmet cupcakes.

I cant believe this little girl is all grown up.  She is so excited to start dating and driving.  She is such a beautiful, talented, kind, generous, brilliant, and delightful young woman.  We are blessed to have such a wonderful daughter.

Cupcake Flavors: 

• Cinnamon Toast Crunch with Dulce de Leche filling
• Strawberry White Chocolate with a vanilla custard filling
• Key Lime Pie Cupcake with a Key Lime custard
• Oreo Cupcake with an Oreo cookie baked on the bottom
• Almond Joy Cupcake with a Chocolate custard filling

I found many of my recipes on www.yourcupofcake.com – love her blog!

{Card inspired by a Layout}

I created these projects for the MME Blog September Challenge: to create a layout, then a card that coordinates with it.  Kind of like a purse to go with your fabulous outfit!

What a great challenge - I had so much fun creating this layout.  I love how the fresh, summery colors of The Sweetest Thing Tangerine line coordinated perfectly with this photo of my daughter and even matched her shirt!

The banners perfectly described all of the things I love about her unique personality - I added stitching and the enamel dots to accent each word.  I cut out the chevron pattern and layered the papers, curling the edges to give a dimensional look to the page.  The wood buttons are fabulous!  I used a group of 3 to anchor the photo and create a focal point.

Now to create a card inspired from my layout!  I really liked the banners down the right side of the page.  So I cut out my own and stitched around them.

I also wanted to echo the group of 3 circles from the bottom left side of the layout.  So I layered chipboard and wood buttons,brads,and enamel dots.  My layout was so bright and cheerful – so I knew I also wanted to mirror that in my card with the “You are my Sunshine” title (the edges of the yellow title also look like the zig zag of yellow chevron papers on my layout).

The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:Sunny patterned paper,Woodsy patterned paper,Round patterned paper,Chevron patterned paper,Dandy patterned paper,Greetings patterned paper,Beam patterned paper,decorative brads,title,wood buttons,tiny word stickers,enamel dots,label stickers,decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Honey:wood buttons;Miss Caroline:Twine;Misc:brown ink,pen,blue and white machine thread,adhesive

{Back to School}

Well, it’s that time of year again... the days are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler.  It must be time to go back to school.

You may have a child starting kindergarten, going to their first day of preschool, their first year of high school, beginning college, or you might be the one going to school.  Wherever you are in life, it is a great time to take a moment and document that special day.

Instead of the typical “Back to School” title, I thought it would be fun to use the new “Sweetest Thing” Bluebell title – “Good for One Free Smile”.

I don’t know about yours, but my kids are getting to the age where they literally think it is painful to pose and smile for photos. These photos were no different, AND they were worried about being late on their first day of school.  So, I coaxed them along and they were kind enough to cooperate and let me get a few shots.  We also did a silly group shot, as you can see.

So, needless to say, I LOVED this title ticket – I think need a bunch of these to whip out at our next family photo shoot!!

I spotlighted each grade they are in school using MME Lush Chipboard letter stickers and metal tags.  I wanted their portraits and these circles to be the focus of the page.  For the “school look”, I used a punch to give the edge of the lined paper (“On the Bright Side”) a notebook feel.

I love the new wood buttons from the “Sweetest Thing Collection.  I placed an epoxy brad in the center to coordinate with the dot paper.

Can you believe the dot and chevron papers are from the 6x6 School Daze Pad? 6x6 papers aren’t just for cards – they work great on layouts too!

Tip: Instead of using expensive foam pop dots (if you are like me – I always run out of them because they are used so often) – use the leftover chipboard after you’ve punched out your chipboard stickers.  Simply cut it to the desired shape, peel off the backing, and stick it on the back of the embellishment or sticker you want to pop off the page.

Supplies:Indie Chic-Nutmeg:Zig Zag patterned paper, Rainbow patterned paper, 6x6 pad;Indie Chic- Ginger:Spice patterned paper;Nostalgia:decorative brads;On the Bright Side-One:Polka patterned paper,White Wood patterned paper;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:stickers,title,label stickers,wood button,decorative brads; Six by Six 2-School Daze:6x6 pad,Lush: black chipboard letters;Misc:circle metal tag rims, stapler, black machine thread, ink and pen.

{First Day of High School}

Desiree is just a little bit excited to start High School!

{Pinspiration Layout}

I was asked to design a layout inspired by another one I found on Pinterest.  When I saw this beautiful and creative layout designed by Yeva , I knew this would be a fun one to lift.  I especially liked the photo booth strips of photos and collage of papers.

My dad just did a photo shoot of my daughter a few weeks ago, so I already had a great assortment of photos to use.  I designed with the new “The Sweetest Thing Bluebell” collection, it coordinated perfectly with these sweet photos.  I loved using all of the fabulous dimensional MME embellishments: the chipboard stickers, wood buttons, decorative brads, journaling/title cards, and decorative tape.

I did a very straightforward lift of Yeva's layout. I loved it so much I wanted my layout to look very similar!

I kept the layered papers and embellishments,but I stamped along the left side of the photos instead of misting, as Yeva did.

Yeva, thank you SO much for sharing your beautiful layout. It inspired me so very much!

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell: Lively patterned paper, Remember patterned paper, Bouquet patterned paper, wood and chip buttons, stickers, journaling card, title, chipboard stickers, decorative tape, brads; Miss Caroline-Fiddlesticks: stamps;Lime Twist: twine;Other: brown ink and pen, blue machine thread, pop dots, yellow ink.

Original layout by: Yeva Petrovnas

{Footloose and Fancy Free}

I just LOVE the new My Mind’s Eye decorative tapes – such fantastic and creative scrapbooking tools!!  They have such wonderful colors and patterns.  For this layout, I used tapes from Indie Chic, The Sweetest Thing, and All is Bright. I actually used products from seven different collections.  That is another fabulous thing about MME – their lines coordinate so perfectly together.

I pulled the red, blue, and yellow colors from the fun photos of my little guy trying on Mickey Mouse slippers at Disneyland.  I enjoyed the freedom of just sticking on tape in random order to make my background.  It is so nice that this tape is easily removable and forgiving (I need that!).  So if you don’t like the color combo, just peel it off and reposition it. I especially LOVE the bracket shaped tape along the bottom of the page!

Supplies:Indie Chic Ginger: Spice patterned paper, decorative tape, brad,layered chipboard;Indie Chic- Nutmeg: Family patterned paper,decorative tape;Nostalgia:chipboard;The Sweetest Thing-Honey: tiny word stickers, label stickers, decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing- Lavender:decorative tape;All is Bright:decorative tape;Winter Wonderland:accessory pad;Lime Twist:letter stickers;Lush:black chipboard letters;Misc: white cardstock, red machine thread, black ink and pen

{Summery Layouts}

For the first layout, I thought it would be fun to explore the b-sides of the the summery and bright “On the Sunny Side” Collection.

I decided to use a color blocking format to add focus to the fabulous papers that coordinated perfectly with my photos. The chipboard accessories and brads added the perfect touch.

Supplies:On the Sunny Side:Flutter patterned paper, The Sweet Life patterned paper,Play Date patterned paper,Simple Stripe patterned paper,Parade patterned paper,chipboard,decorative brads;Miss Caroline: Wall patterned paper;Misc:red machine thread,black ink,pen

Since I was on a roll with this fun collection, I just had to create another layout.  4 of the 5 papers I used were the “B sides”.  I combined the chipboard and accessories sheet banners to create the festive border along the bottom.

Can you believe the amazing array of decorative brads from this collection?  I also cut out along the chevron pattern to add an interesting border along the top.

{Using Wood Die-Cuts)

Love this photo of Desiree – she reminds me of a supermodel..  She has always hated being taller than everyone, but I think her height is awesome!  I sure couldn’t pull of that skirt and boots.

Journaling reads: “Your radiant smile always brightens the world around you.  We are so blessed to have you in our family.  Your enthusiasm for life is inspiring.”

My Mind’s Eye always creates the most unique embellishments – and I think their die cut wood pieces are some of the most innovative ever.  I was just giddy with excitement when I saw their new die cut wood pieces in January.  Then, they even started PRINTING on them with the latest Indie Chic release!  Heavens!  I used the banner wood piece from the Miss Caroline collection – perfect for journaling with a fine tip sharpie.
The pink “Always Follow Your Dreams” title from the Saffron line is such a beautiful piece, I had to use it too. I love how this layout turned out!

Supplies:Indie Chic Saffron: Filigree patterned paper, Lattice patterned paper, Ornament patterned paper, Daisy patterned paper,Chevron patterned paper, brads, border stickers, decorative stickers, wood label, layered stickers, label stickers, Miss Caroline-Fiddlesticks: die cut wood;Misc:sewing machine and thread,black ink,pen,adhesives

{2 of a Kind}

This is a layout I created for the MME booth at Summer CHA.  I just LOVE the fun and fresh Pink and Yellow colors of The Sweetest Thing Honey Collection.  I also took this photo to coordinate with these papers.  It was a good excuse to dust off my camera and have fun photo shoot with my beautiful daughters.  I can’t believe how grown up they are getting!

I cut out the large doily circles and clustered them with the brad doily embellishments and layered stickers.  I also cut out the pink chevron papers and layered them, curling up tips to give the layout more dimension.

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing Honey: “Love” Bouquet Paper,“Simply Lovely” Damask Paper, “Happiness” Peppy Paper, “One of a Kind” Special Paper, “Love” Fond Paper, “One of a Kind” Notable Paper (b-side), “Simply Lovely” Doily Paper, “Love” Decorative Tape, “Love” Title, “Simple Lovely” Decorative Brads, “Perfect” Tiny Word Stickers, “One of a Kind” Layered Stickers, “One of a Kind” Journal Card, “One of a Kind” Label Stickers, “Happiness” Decorative Buttons. Also Used: 5” x 7 ½” photo, Black ink, pink thread, black pen, Yellow & white bakers twine

{Just Hanging Out}

I can’t believe how quickly half a year has flown by!  This layout was a great opportunity to reflect on our family’s experiences over the last 6 months.  I thought it would be fun for the kids to write about their experiences in their own handwriting. How fun it will be to see it in a few years!  And how lucky for me that there were layered stickers numbered for each of my 4 kids. I have to admit that I actually shot this photo to coordinate with the fabulous Indie Chic Nutmeg collection – it just looks like summer!  The blues and yellows remind me of warm, sunny summer days and the titles were perfect for this layout.

Journaling Reads:

We can’t believe the year is already halfway over!  Here are our favorite highlights and events:

Jacob (1) – Cub Country Camp, basketball, school play, Lego creations

Victoria (2) – State Science Fair, 12th Birthday, Young Women’s, Cousin Sleepovers

Michael (3) – Winter and Fall basketball, EFY at BYU, Turn 14, Huge airsoft wars

Desiree (4) – No More wheelchair or crutches! Swim team, basketball camp, EFY

Supplies - Indie Chic Nutmeg: Southwest patterned paper, Laurel Burst patterned paper, Zig Zag patterned paper, Rainbow patterned paper, Medallions patterned paper, Blooms patterned paper, Family journaling card, Hanging out title, Stamps, Label stickers, Brads, Decorative stickers, Layered stickers, Laundry Line Yellow ink, Black ink and pen, Yellow and blue machine stitching.

{So Very Girly}

Some of my favorite products from My Mind’s Eye are the die cut journaling cards, frames, and titles.  Their unique shapes add such personality to my pages and the titles always compliment my photos perfectly.  I used five die cuts on this layout – they are so fun to layer!  Try using them in different ways: the orange scalloped journaling card made the perfect frame for the photo of my daughter reading.

The bright orange, gold and pinks of the Indie Chic Saffron collection went perfectly with these photos I took of my daughter 3 summers ago. I love how all of the embellishments coordinate perfectly together and add such fabulous dimension to my pages.

Supplies: Indie Chic-Saffron: Daisy patterned paper, Chevron patterned paper, Lattice patterned paper, Ornament patterned paper, title die cut, journaling die cut, die cut frame, brads, border stickers, decorative stickers, layered chipboard, layered stickers, trim; Indie Chic-Ginger: Mellow patterned paper; Misc-pen, sewing machine and thread, adhesive, black ink

{Our Big Adventure}

The patterns and colors of the Indie Chic Ginger collection have a great Spanish style that I wanted for this layout of our adventurous cruise to Mexico.  The embellishments and titles coordinated perfectly with this photo of my kids holding a giant iguana in Puetro Villarta, Mexico.  We especially got a kick out of his little sombrero!

Supplies:Indie Chic-Ginger:Chevron patterned paper, Bouquet patterned paper, Spice patterned paper, Flourish patterned paper, Damask patterned paper, die cut, layered stickers, garland, layered chipboard; Indie Chic-Saffron: Filligree patterned paper; Indie Chic-Citron: brads

{Best Day Ever}

The fresh summery colors of the Indie Chic Citron collection were perfect for these photos of my son’s 6th birthday party at a splash park.  I used two 12x12 papers for my background.  The other five patterned papers I used were from the coordinating 6x6 pad.  I love how the patterns are a little smaller and can have a more subtle effect on the page.

I love using chevrons on my layouts. You have to be careful, so that the patterns don’t compete with each other. But with a little planning, you can combine many on a page – I used five different chevron papers on this one layout!

Chevrons make the perfect banners because they already have the fish tale pattern in them.  I used the 12x12 Grow Sherbet Chevron for the banner under the wood label.  I used the same pattern from the 6x6 pad for the banner across the bottom right side of the page.

Supplies:Indie Chic-Citron: Forest patterned paper, Sherbet patterned paper, 6x6 pad, decorative brads, journal card, label stickers, layered stickers, wood label; Indie Chic-Nutmeg: Southwest patterned paper

{Projects for Ideal World in UK}

Whew – what a weekend!  I spent the last few days designing layouts and cards to coordinate with the fabulous kits that My Mind’s Eye will be selling on the UK Home Shopping Network – Ideal World.  Here are a few of the 17 projects I created.

{Always Bring Your Own Sunshine}

Love these photos my dad took of Desiree last summer.  She looks so happy and carefree.  She just had her braces removed – love that smile.  You can’t tell, but she had torn her hamstring and was on crutches.  Thank goodness for that tree.

I designed this layout using the fabulous new MME “Follow Your Heart” Be Amazing collections by the talented Rhonna Farrer.  So many wonderful embellishments: twine, epoxy paperclips, layered stickers, decorative brads, chipboard, and rhinestones, and TRASPARENCY frames!!

{Teacher Appreciation Gift}

 
The school year is coming to a close and it's time to start thinking about teacher gifts. Instead of the usual chocolates or candles, why not give them some supplies that will be helpful in their classroom, with sentimental notes?

I took at trip to my local dollar store and found this adorable little red pail and tons of fun supplies to fill it.  I made two sets: one for Jacob’s teacher, and another for his amazing Teacher’s Assistant.

The fresh and fun papers from "On the Bright Side" and embellishments from Miss Caroline Dilly Dally, Indie Chic, and On the Sunny Side.  I also really enjoyed using the decorate tapes from the new Indie Chic collections.  I love how all of these different lines worked so perfectly together.  I printed the quotes on the b-side of the "White Wood" paper, it looks just like lined school paper!  I loved using all of the striped twines too.

Supplies: On the Bright Side:Multi Chevron patterned paper, Stitched patterned paper, Floral patterned paper, White Wood patterned paper, Blue Wood patterned paper, Red Wood patterned paper, accessory sheet; Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally: brads, twine, 3D stickers; Indie Chic: decorative tapes, chipboard, twine,brads; On the Sunny Side: brads; Misc.-black ink

 
If you want to make one for your special teacher, you can download the PDF HERE.

• GLUE: You’re the “GLUE” that holds our class together.
• SCISSORS: You’re a “CUT” above the rest!
• MINTS: You were “MINT” to be my teacher.
• GUM: If I had a choice, I’d “CHEWS” you for a teacher!
• PENS: You have “WRITTEN” on my heart.
• ERASER: You’ve given me memories that can’t be “ERASED”.
• PUSH PINS: Thanks for helping me “STICK” with it this year.
• PENCILS: You have “SHARPENED” my mind.
• TAPE: You’re so patient, even when things get “STICKY”.
• POST-IT NOTES: Take “NOTE”, you’re the best!
• HIGHLIGHTER: You’ve been the “HIGHLIGHT” of my year.
• STAPLES: Thank you for teaching me the “STAPLES” of life.
• PAPER CLIPS: Our hearts will always be “LINKED” together.

Gift tag:

A TEACHER… Takes a HAND, Opens a MIND, Touches a HEART, Shapes the FUTURE.