packin'...

Getting ready for CKU-Albums in Chicago. Have an absolute TON to do before Wednesday. I love going different places and teaching, but the packing is so stressful. I want to be prepared, but not overpack. I want to take stuff to do, but will I do it? Getting together and chillin' with friends and making new friends always ends up being more fun! This is the cover and some pages from our Album project; Life's Lessons. I really like how it turned out. Just designing (with the help of Mandi!) and making it was fun, but adding the journaling has made it a treasure. I plan to add more to it as I go along - there is still some room in the album! I have another deadline I have to get in before I leave, so I had better get to work!

do you Realize...

This is a scrapbook page I made using my Simple Sweet Boutique Papers. I printed the title on transparency and then painted the back of the letters with bright, pink paint. The effect is bold and vivid. The journaling is the words of this great song by The Flaming Lips; do you realize?
The first line from the song is: "Do you realize, that you have the most beautiful face?" It just fit perfectly with this great picture of Chloe.

spring in the air...

Despite the fact that it has snowed the last two days and has been quite cold, it is starting to look like Spring. Before the snow completely covered the ground, I saw my tulips starting to sprout through the earth. I love Spring flowers - what a beautiful way to welcome the change of season from a dreary winter to an explosion of happy color. The All My Memories Retail store is getting ready for Spring too - we (the design team) are making some Spring time decorations for the store. Here is what I came up with - an Easter basket decorated with my Simple Sweet Meadow papers, and a mini Tag Accordion Basket in Meadow as well. The store will be making a beautiful transformation over the next week - come check it out! Flowers get me excited for Spring and creating with these colors makes it seem like it is just around the corner. Now, all I need to do is get the warm weather clothes out, do a little Spring cleaning around the house, and, get a some sun on my legs!

oakenisms...

A very favorite old layout is this Oakenisms page. Oaken had a unique dialect and I wanted to remember his version of some popular words. He didn't really start talking until he was about 2 1/2 years old and then we had to figure out what it was that he was saying. I love remembering him at this age and am so glad I have this page. Here are the words in the layout: Isabel=beow, binky=weewee, light=yite, truck=tu, buggy=ba ee, outside & slide= yide, pepsi & pizza=pappy, airplane=ma may, juice=ju, chocolate=chaket, milk=miew, fishy=fissy, money=mi ee, & chloe=umm. Whenever Chloe would tell him to say her name, he would just say umm - like he knew he wasn't going to be close so he didn't risk it.

another layout...

This is one of my very favorites. It was actually one of the pages from a class that I taught at All My Memories two years ago. I love using monochromatic colors and black and white pictures and this one turned out great. The title is from a song by Guster and it just seemed so perfect with the pictures. I love using lyrics in layouts - this site is also named after a song by Flaming Lips.

oldie but goody

I decided to post some of my favorite older scrapbook pages after reading the fun challenge that Robyn put out there. Scrapbooking materials, trends, and techniques seem to move and change so fast, its nice to reflect on old favorites. This challenge goes throughout the week so - here is day 1.

progress...

Do you remember the quote from The Sound of Music something like; "Whenever the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window"? For some reason, it popped into my head when I took this picture of Jill. She is my youngest and last and I notice her progress more than any of my other kids (probably because she is the last). She is opening and closing doors all around the house now and this picture is probably the third time she has done it. It caused me to reflect about as we learn things in life, we naturally progress to the next stage. Jill will never again be stuck behind a door (unless it is locked) because she has learned how to get out. She loves practicing her new found trick but it makes me a little sad - she is progressing out of the baby stage and into toddlerhood. Now it is time for me to do a little childproofing and put the kid-proof door handles on - I don't want her to escape out the front door.

another page...

Here is another page I did in my art journal. I tried kickboxing at the gym and it was pretty interesting. I also tried going the next day after kickboxing and my muscles were still too tired - anyway, I slipped on some barbells and fell. I didn't hurt myself but I was embarrassed! Anyway - I would definately do kickboxing again. I used a transparency for the black lettering and squiggles and painted the back of the letters white. I love using transparencies - they are so adaptable to any project!