Life Is an Artform

{MME Birthday Blog Hop!!}

We’re celebrating the My Mind’s Eye Blog’s 2nd Birthday with a Blog Hop.  We are also giving away our biggest prize of the year – our entire CHA’s release!!  If you’ve seen Lost and Found 2 and all the other fabulous collections, you know it is amazing!  So – start at the MME Blog and hop to each designer’s blog.

• Grand Prize: After visiting every blog, email Amber the secret words.  One winner will receive one of everything in our CHA-S release.  (7 blogs = 7 words).
• Bonus Entry: We will randomly draw one of our designer’s blogs and draw one winner from the comments on that designer’s blog.  This winner will receive the collection of their choice!

My word for July is CELEBRATE!  This month of full of fun family celebrations and BBQ’s such as the 4th of July and the 24th of July – or Pioneer Day (a state holiday in Utah where we celebrate the day Pioneers arrived and settled our state).  We celebrate with parades, fireworks, and family BBQ’s – so we pretty much get two 4th of July-ish celebrations this month!! 

My absolute favorite Holiday to celebrate is CHRISTMAS.  And who doesn’t love “Christmas in July”?!?!  I created this layout using the FABULOUS new Lost and Found Christmas collection.  The glittered papers and embellishments are so magical!  It is so fun to layer their chipboard elements and 3-D stickers.  I also love the red, green, brown, and cream color palette – such timeless and classic collection.

Thanks for visiting.  Now “hop” on over to Courtney’s wonderful blog.

{Moments that Matter Most}

LOVE this video.  A great reminder to SLOW down our busy pace so we can focus on the most important things in life.

This is based on a fabulous talk by Deiter F. Uchdorf.

{Real Life “UP” House}

If you like Disney/Pixar’s movie “UP” – you’ll love this!  Just 1/4 mile from our rental home they have built a real life replica of the “UP” House!!  Bangerter Homes built it for a model home in the Salt Lake City, UT Parade of Homes (a 2 week open house featuring about 30 homes from various builders, tickets required for entry).  They even got permission from Disney to do it.  It is absolutely charming – my kids just LOVE it!  I am amazed by the details they have included: the weathervane, garden hose, scalloped shingles and shakes, painted mailbox, gate and picket fence – that is only the exterior.  They are finishing up the interior right now.  It even features the picture of the falls over the mantle and the mural Ellie painted in the nursery.  They are custom upholstering the “his” and “hers” chairs and had custom appliances made.  In the basement they decorated a boy’s room based on Andy’s Room from “Toy Story” and a Princess Room for a lucky girl.  It is 2800 sq feet and has an asking price of only $399K.  Of course they will tie balloons to the chimney for the Parade of Homes when it opens July 29th.  So fun – can’t wait to tour it inside (we pass it at least twice a day!)

You can read an article about it here.  

Video Link Here.

 

{Independence Day}

Happy Independence Day!!!  I just love the 4th of July – an opportunity to celebrate the blessing of freedom and our wonderful country.  I love spending time with my family, enjoying barbecues, watching fireworks, and wearing red, white, & blue.  I just love this country and I am so thankful for the sacrifices so many have made so we can enjoy our freedom.

Here is a layout I recently designed – the pictures are from a few years ago, but oh so adorable.  I used the fabulous new My Mind’s Eye “American Made” collection!  I also used the red tinsel from Lost and Found – it reminds me of fireworks. :)

Today we had a fun BBQ with all the little cousins at my parent’s house.  They even made root beer with dry ice – the kids were THRILLED!!  I made our traditional Flag Fruit Pizza with the classic strawberries and blueberries (and two Fruit Pizzas).  We enjoyed a festive firework show for over an hour – wonderful day!

{17 Years….}

…ago I married my best friend.  Today Nathan and I celebrated our 17th Anniversary.  Has it really been that long?  I guess it has, since our oldest in turning 15 in 2 months.  What a special time to reflect on many precious memories, our ups and downs, many moves, and the births of 4 wonderful children. To celebrate – he took a little time off work and we got to go on a walk around our new neighborhood that is bordered with beautiful streams and waterfalls – then hike up into the foothills.  Of course we also went to look at our new house.  I told him that this home takes care of Anniversary, birthday, and Christmas gifts for the next 50 years. :)  We also enjoyed a FABULOUS dinner at Johnny Carrinos – yum!!  We love Italian food and our dishes were fantastic!  There is something so delightful about someone else cooking, serving, and cleaning up your meal – a rare treat. :)  He also surprised me with this gorgeous bouquet of roses.