{discovering} life

Yummy Scrapbook Bakery!

I was honored to be asked to be the guest designer for the August Kit at Scrapbook Bakery! This kit was chuck full of amazing product! I struggled to use as much as I could - I have so much left over! So fabulous!!! You can check it out RIGHT HERE (you can buy it right now too) and then tomorrow, on the 1st, my projects and the kit will be up on the front page. Here is a little sneakie at a simple layout I did..I'll share the rest tomorrow.

Added the rest of my projects now. :)

So fun! Thanks to Scrapbook Bakery for asking me! Loved your AUGUST kit!!! Delicious!

And an update:

Still cleaning my room! Got a major headache the past two days - not fun!

On page 455 in the last Harry Potter book. So good - NEED to finish it! Totally into it! :)

Have a good Tuesday!

The Inspired Scrapbooker

My scrapbook room has been accumulating stuff for months now - all over the floor, on top of my tables...it is a COMPLETE mess! Seriously! I have my fabrics (that I have been collecting way to much of) all stuffed under my large Pier 1 desk against the wall, stamps in buckets, stamps on the floor, projects everywhere, new product I've bought, everywhere - it is a mess!!!

I walk in there and I just want to gag - it is not inspiring me at all!!! I ran across a photo of the new book coming out from Simple, The Organized and INSPIRED Scrapbooker - and I just laughed!!! No wonder I'm not completely inspired right now - my room is an unorganized mess! I've seen this book advertised for awhile now, but the title never quite stuck with me as it did this time. Silly, I know.

When we moved in this house 2 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long), I was totally inspired cause everything was in it's place. All organized, I knew where to grab things...it was perfect. Now, I have buttons on my shelf, buttons on the floor in a bucket, buttons in a drawer, buttons in a bowl. Ahhhhhhh!!!

So, last night I worked on my room. I've been totally overwhelmed with it all so I just started to clean up the piles accumulating on my floor. One step at a time...that's what my hubby keeps telling me. I've been so overwhelmed with it all that I just haven't known where to start. I want everything together that belongs together - everything organized so I know where to go to find it! I've got a lot of work to do!

So - that's on my mind today! Gonna try to work in there more today getting things put together and cleaned up! Any organizing tips? What does your space look like? I was tempted for a split second to share a photo - then I woke up! :)

I also finally got the final Harry Potter book and got that started this week! Already totally into it - I'm only on chapter 6 though - I don't know how some of you have already finished it! :) :) You speed readers! :)

Have a good Friday!

Thank you! And an oldie to share...

Thanks so much everyone for your nice comments of congrats! It means so much to me and I'm so thankful for all of you that I have met through this hobby! Thank you SOOOO much!! For some reason, Typepad is not sending me emails on every comment posted on my blog (anyone else having this problem) - so I'm responding to your comments, but if you don't get one - that is why! But I want you to know that I am so thankful - so please know that ok! ;)

We had a busy weekend - Saturday my hubby woke up and said, very randomly I'll add, "Let's go to Vegas today." WHAT??? We got online and found things to do for kids and jumped in the car. It's only about an hour and a half drive and the kids just watched a show the way there. We went to the Leid's Children's Museum were they were having a train exhibit and Hudson was in heaven! He got to play and push buttons- he didn't want to leave. There was lots to do there - we spend about 2 hours there. Then, we went to the MGM Grand and saw the Lion's there, went to M&M store for them, and then ate at the Rainforest Cafe. We sat right next to the Elephants (which looked exactly like the toy he got at the Lion's store) and he was in heaven. It was a total kid day - but it was a lot of fun! :)

Today...is a holiday here in Utah...the day we celebrate the pioneers coming to Utah. Our church had a breakfast this morning and then we watched the Days of 47th Parade on TV - Hudson just watched for all the train floats! :) Madi is at a friends playing and me and Hudson are hanging out!

I was just going through pictures on my computer to work on a layout and found a folder of all my old layouts in it. How often do you look back on your older layouts? Me, not often. It was so fun - to see how my style has changed, to see the kids, to read journaling, remember memories. That is what this is all about right! :)

Well, I thought I'd share an old layout - done at the end of the year in 2004....it was fun and it will always be a favorite...although it is an oldie! :) I was getting into stamping big time so I was just playing around with this. Not sure if it will inspire you in any way, but I haven't shared it so I thought I would! LOL!

Have a good day! :)

Wowsers!

Last night, it became official! I'm really honored that I would be asked to join such an amazing magazine and such a fantastic group of girls! I'm excited and nervous at the same time...there are always expectations from everyone and I hope that I can provide inspiration through my work and the magazine. I am up for the challenge though and super excited to get busy!

Thank you for those that have sent emails and your congrats - it means sooo much to me! Really - thank you for your support and friendship!

It's gonna be an exciting year! :) Super happy and excited!!! Thank you BHG!!!

Introducing the 2008 Creative Team

Posted 7/19/2007 6:44 AM

Good evening! As promised here are the names of our 2008 Creative Team:

Vicki Boutin

Kim Crothers

Miley Johnson

Sarah Klemish

Sande Krieger

Lisa McGarvey

Jennifer Perks

Valerie Salmon

Jamie Waters

Robyn Werlich

We're so excited to work with these individuals and feature their designs in the magazine.

(Copied from the Better Homes & Gardens, Scrapbooks, etc. Editors Blog)

Crazy few days!

Wow! So, on Friday we ended up having to go up to my parents to take my old car up there. We've been trying to sell it here for at least a year with no luck - so we towed it up there Friday to my parents to have it sold up there. It was a PAIN though! Thankfully, Ryan's parents watched the kids for us so we were able to get a little time away.

I went 'antique/thrift' store shopping with my Mom on Saturday. Thanks to Sande for all her great recommendations, we hit some fun stores and found some fun things! I got some cool metal crates, a # for the kids room, and some other things. It was fun! Good to do something different!

That night my parents had a swim party at their home for my Dad's side of the family so it was good to be there for that. I haven't seen some of my cousins for so long so it was neat - all their families are getting so big.

Home Sunday..

Working on assignments.

Monday...all the sudden, the power goes out. And stayed out for hours. People were panicking and buying generators and going to other towns to spend the night. It was amazing how quickly our house heated up in this 108 degree weather! It got hot fast! I finally had it and we packed up and planned to head about 45 minutes north to a town to spend the night. They said it could be up to 48 hours till they got it back on. All the gas stations were out of gas...just crazy!

It made us realize how important it is to be prepared for something like this. It's amazing all that we rely on just from electricity! It was a bit scary!

As we were heading out of town, we heard that the power was getting turned back on. So, we sat and waited in our cool car until we heard it was on. I'm so glad it came back on and we were able to go spend the night at home. Such a blessing!

Well, the next morning - our internet went out and they just got it back on this afternoon. It's been such a pain! I rely on this thing way too much! :)

Wow - I really went into it there - sorry if your still reading! :)

I wrapped up the last of my CHA assignments and mailed them off to Chicago today. Felt good to be done with it all! :) I still am bummed that I'm not going, but there is always next time right!

So...

This is one of my favorite times in the industry - the trade shows! This weekend is the CHA show in Chicago and I can't wait to see all the photos pop up on the web of all the new product releases!

Today - I saw that the AUTUMN LEAVES CHA SUMMER catalog went up on their site! Pure yummy I tell ya! Love all the paper lines - stamps - everything! I was just working with the new MOD and some new stamps - such fun colors and so inspiring! Love it all! Check it out! And check out the new books coming out! :) :) :) More on that later!

Here are some sites that I always check out for the CHA updates and photos during the show:

Scrapbook Oasis
ScrapTalk (I'll update when they get a separate gallery too!)
Scrap Etc.
Lifetime Moments

If I find or think of more, I'll be sure to share. Enjoy! Are you around this weekend? Let me know! We'll all hang out together! :) Be back tomorrow with more!

I am alive! :)

Thanks for your sweet emails making sure I was still here! LOL! I am! I feel like a turd for not updating this thing - thanks for still coming by! I promise that I will be better - it has just been a crazy busy month! But, I am home and ready to scrap and post fun things!

Over the 4th of July, we went to Lake Powell for the week! We had such a great time! It was blazing hot outside, but my Dad got a new houseboat this year and we were able to keep the AC on all day long. It was pure bliss! The kids had a fabulous time playing with their cousins too! And, despite some fear at the beginning from both the kiddos - they finally got in the water and ended up loving it! They both would want to do it by themselves with their jacket on - it was soooo great!!! I was so proud of them all week - sleeping and being such good kids!

4th of July was amazing! We bought a bunch of fireworks but they were just the little ones - but everyone still loved them. But, then....this boat next to us on the lake had this HUGE firework show! It was amazing - seriously better than anything I've ever seen at a show in the city or anything! It went forever, non-stop! We just sat up top on the boat, with the amazing cliff's in front of us as a backdrop for the fireworks, totally dark, sky full of stars...it was just beautiful! And then...the boat down from them went....tons and tons!! Even better! Then, the boat on our other side went....forever! We were all just dying - it was so funny - us stuck in the middle of all these great shows! It was so fun!

My Mom once again....amazed us all! When does she not! She picks a fun theme each year for the kiddos...last year it was Pirates, and this year, it was Cowboys. She had tshirts made for all of us, hats, water guns, pinata for the kids, a treasure hunt out on the beach with a big treasure back of 'money' at the end - filled with fun little toys. It was just endless. She puts so much time and thought into these things - she just amazes me! So so creative and full of serving and making others happy - all the time! Such a lesson to us all! The kids loved every little thing - it made the trip so fun!

I could go on and on..it was a fun trip! I got a gazillion photos and I am so anxious to scrapbook right now! I just want to play - I missing it! Thanks Mom and Dad for everything - we had a fabulous time!!

We are back and this week has been crazy busy too! My parents and fam drove over here first, to see my sisters baby. My parents were here for a few days so we were doing things with them. I'm dying to go see Harry Potter Movie - I'm hoping tomorrow night!!

Madi has had a camp each day this week with her cousins and I'm trying to wrap up some assignments. Hero Arts and some more that I'll share at the end of this month. I was asked to be a guest designer at a kit site for August and I just love the kit - it's been so fun to play with! I'll share soon!

I'm also bummed....

I was going to CHA with Autumn Leaves and was so excited to go work the booth with them this show! But, then I had something come up and had to cancel recently. I was sooooo bummed! Now I want to go again! LOL! Oh well! Next show for sure! If your going, have a great time! Be sure to stop by the AL booth and check out all the awesome samples and the amazing new products coming out! I so wish I could be there to see everyone and everything! This is my fav time of the year!

Hope your all doing well! I'm gonna be posting lots - I promise! So come by and say hello! Sorry for the long break! Have a great weekend!

Welcome Asher James!

Yesterday, my sister gave birth to her 5th child, Asher James. We went and visited them at the hospital last night (she is the only sister that lives near me - I'm so lucky!). He is just darling! They had a rough 24 hrs at the hospital but they made it okay - and they are both doing well.

Asher James
6lbs. 8 oz.
18" long

Congrats sis! Next week we are gonna take some fun photos of them at home - I can't wait!

Madi and Hudson were so excited to see him - it was so cute! Madi sat by him and sang, "I'm a Child of God" to him - it was the most precious thing ever!

In other scrappin' news...

I can't pull myself away from the new Stampin' Up! Catalog! I placed my first BIG order today - I can't wait to get it. The catalog is up online today if you want to take a look. (That front picture on their site is what is on the catalog - so stinkin' cute! I luv it!) It's nothing like having a copy in your hands so if you do want a copy, just let me know. I can't wait to make some cards and share - I'm feeling so inspired!

Hope you all have a great Sunday!