time flies...

It's true. Time flies - even if you are not having fun. But I am so, it really flies!

I thought it might be time to update - it's only been a few months! Things from the scrapping world have been very quiet. I still have my "inspiration with joey" feature on the Making Memories blog every month and I am developing a class for CKC's next year and that has been a blast. I will post more from that as it is completed. I have started developing other hobbies that I will also post about later on - as things, hopefully, progress.

It is December and 2007 is nearing an end. It seems that this year was shorter than others and I think it may have to do with our move. We've been in our new house for about six months now and the time, again, has flown by. The kids have adjusted very well t their new home, school, and friends. Our ward has been great for all of us and Scott and I have callings now. We have only had one huge snow storm so far and we realized that our snow removal equipment was still in storage. Our new friends and neighbors plowed our driveway on the sly and confirmed to us once again how truly blessed we are to live where we do. This is the photo that will be on our Christmas cards this year - I absolutely love our big, homey, fireplace (you can only see a small part) - and my darling kids!

Scott and I started taking a cycling class at 5:30 AM every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at our gym. Other than having a case of 'bike butt', it has been a pretty good experience although no matter how fast I pedal, I never really get anywhere.

inspired by color...

This month's "Joey" inspiration is up at Making Memories - I love how this page turned out and the theme of the inspiration - for more detail, go check it out here!

We just got back from Lake Powell - a four day house boating trip. We had four couples and 16 kids on a pretty good sized house boat with two ski boats for fun side trips.

Now, I grew up boating with my family - not house boating - ever, but, probably the one person who has boated the most out of everyone who went. Which was probably the reasoning behind electing me captain of the house boat (this was behind closed doors while we were loading our stuff on the house boat - I wasn't present during the decision). Yeah - me and Captain Jack Sparrow are like this... So, just a little frightening piloting, or should I say captaining, a big, honkin', house boat! Plus, when I was younger, we went to Lake Mead for our family waterski trips, not Powell. Lake Mead is

W I D E and big. Powell - oh, it's mainly just a big series of canyons, skinning canyons with walls creeping up on each side and closing down on you, and... okay, breathe. But, you know - it wasn't bad. I didn't even crash into anthing and I would do it again!

On another note - I am totally obsessed with Twilight - the Vampire book by Stephenie Meyer. Actually, I am obsessed with all three books in the series; Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. Wow. I have always loved reading - and have a fondness for books about vampires, so I was naturally drawn to the theme of these books. But I wasn't expecting such an original and unique take on vampires and the lives affected around them. This is a love story that anyone can relate to about an ordinary and very shy girl - she finds herself living with her father in a place she detests, going to a small school where she is noticed by everyone, and is confronted with the most stunningly beautiful and unusual boy she has ever seen.

If you haven't read the first book at least - READ IT!!! You won't be sorry. I read all three books in a week. This was good - I didn't know about the series until there were three books so I could move onto the next and the next, but now - I have to wait a year for book four! What am I going to do? Well, this is enough for now on the Twilight books - I know I will gush much more in future posts.

a big step...

I'd like someone to explain to me how I can be the mom of a 7th grader. When did this happen? Chloe started Jr. High today - or middle school as they call it now. Way back in my day it was Jr. High.

We took her in to get a sassy new haircut on Saturday and of course, with all this new school starting stuff going on, she looks too old now. I'm trying not to be too worried. I remember Jr. High, and for me, it wasn't great. She is already off to a better start with great new friends (thanks to our awsome new ward and neighborhood - yeah move) and a much smarter than mine (back then) head on her shoulders. I don't doubt that she will do just fine. I'm just not so sure how I will do!

another one down...

Yesterday was a bitter sweet day - Oaken started Kindergarten. Another of my kids joined the school attending ranks and I have little Jilly all to myself for about 2 1/2 hours a day. I was doing great there in the front of the school - watching all of those cute little kids waiting to start another phase of their lives. Then, I realized how "little" they were - and started thinking about my little guy and, okay - I got a bit teary. But he loved it! He was even so excited to walk home with Isabel after school and even talked about what he did in school (sometimes he doesn't really ellaborate on stuff). So fun and such a change from preschool two years ago.

And, my brother got married on Saturday - very cool day. I had the honor to play music with my cousins for the ceremony. The Star Wars music I got for him was a hit - he loved it.

This is the cake with Darth Vader and Queen Amidala - he loves Star Wars!





And the romantic mood must have rubbed off on my two little ones - they just started dancing together out of the blue. I think all of the photographers snapping pictures might have had a little something to do with it though - so stinkin' cute!

broken barrier...

Wow. What a week! I realized that my first layout to be published in Creating Keepsakes just came out in the September 2007 issue - Tips and Tricks section. I have broken the CK barrier! WooHoo. Here is the layout in case you were curious...






Also, Isabel started school yesterday. It's so wierd that she starts in the middle of the week, but I guess that's year round school for ya. I'm going to have some crazy scheduling this year with Chloe starting Jr. High and Oaken starting kindergarten next week. Anyway, isn't she so dang cute in her new school outfit and those fabulous leaport print shoes?



Check out the Making Memories Blog for an inspiration challenge they asked me to do. The question was which MM lines did I find was most like me - for the answer - go here!


Just back from CHA - helping out my friends at Traditions Studio - such fun stuff to play with! They have the coolest 12x12 shadowbox frames ever - with an easle back to stand on a table or a hook to hang on a wall. I will definately be buying some of these...I know someone who puts the newest laouts she does in these all around her house. What a great way to enjoy those memories and art we make before they go into the albums! Here is an example of one - they come in black or white.

fabric inspiration...

First of all, I'm back. I think. We just moved in to our beautiful new home - been here a week. We were actually homeless for about 3 weeks having to be out of our old house for the new people to move in. We stayed with my mom and I drove the kids to school from there. But, now we are here and although it is a disaster area with boxes and stuff everywhere...we are here!

For my newest "inspiration" go to the Making Memories blog and check out what fabric inspired a fun layout! You can also post a comment on today's post for a giveaway - they are always so very generous!

the concert...

Well - the concert was fabulous! We missed the opening band, mostly because we were stuck in traffic exiting at Saltaire. A very long line of backed up traffic waiting for the parking attendants to guide us in. But, it was well worth the wait! It was also so much fun to have Chloe there too - I was suprised at how many parents brought their kids, quite a few younger than Chloe. We were, however, treated to a few close proximity make-out sessions, but all in all - it was so much fun.

I am quickly getting ready for our yard sale starting tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. We have been feverishly cleaning out cupboards that haven't seen the light of day for about 8 years and finding all kinds of goodies ripe for the selling! I also am eager to sell off some of my scrapbooking stash - great, new, stuff - just too much of it!

the killers...

So, it's been several years since I last went to a concert. Tonight The Killers are in town and so I gave Scott some tickets for his birthday! Giving concert tickets is a great gift, because the person you gave them to kind of has to take you - at least that is the assumption here. I actually got three tickets, one more for Chloe. I told Chloe she could go with us to The Killers and I would take Isabel to the American Idol concert. Have you seen the prices for that one? $85! For the cheapest, nose bleed section. Now I figure I have to try and win some - it's hard enough paying the $35 for The Killer tickets, but $85? Anyone know of some AI contests going on?

a little inspiration...

It is amazing the places we can find inspiration. Sometimes it is something that we see for the first time, taking our breath away and imprinting itself on our minds. Most of the time, it is something we see everyday. Check out the Making Memories Blog for an example of what I am talking about. You'll find the example there is a copy - almost exactly of my inspiration, and that's okay. Sometimes just copying something gets the creative juices flowing enough to break out on the next layout.


I love unexpected inspirations and will have a monthly feature on the Making Memories blog showing some really basic and sometimes suprising examples of "when inspiration strikes".


Here is a picture of my studio in our new home.




I have had a dedicated craft room in our old house, used for painting, sewing, kid's crafting, and scrapbooking, but this space will be devoted to scrapbooking and memory keeping. And, I am going to call it my studio too - seems more official! It is smaller than the space I had but it is more central to our home. My old room was down in the basement and was on the cold side. This is the bonus room of our new house and just off of the kids' bedrooms. I'm excited to be in this space since I spend a lot of time there and to be among my kids too. I'll post more pictures as things (like the floor) are added. Plus, I need to figure out where I'm going to put this:



My MM Idol winnings! Making Memories is so incredibly generous I just don't know where I am going to put it all.

the flu and ebay...

Wow. Monday night we went to see Shrek the third with the kids (very cute!). The theater by us has a $1.50 waffle cone special on Mondays so, of course, we all had to get one! About halfwy through the movie, I start feeling a little sick - I'm thinkin' it's the ice cream (I had to "help" my two youngest with theirs). Come Tuesday morning, I'm not doing too well at all. I was sick all day - it just came out of nowhere!

So, this morning, I'm trying to get caught up on my ebay entry's. I have a ton of stamp sets, paper packs, and odds and ends, that are worth a lot. I'm selling them for cheap, so if you are interested...go here! Anything that doesn't sell, I will put in my garage sale this Saturday. So, if you are in the area - stop by!

junkitz newsletter...

One of my newest favorite layouts is up on the Junkitz' newsletter for May! GO HERE for the link! It is a layout with my friend Janna Wilson who designs some fabulous things for Junkitz. Here is a closer look!

calling Tammy, come in Tammy...

This message is for my lucky winner, Tammy.

I'm having a tough time getting in touch with you. I have tried replying to your emails, but you think they may be blocked? I also tried the Yahoo Messenger...never done it before and don't know if you got that message. So, just know I'm trying to reach you! Hang in there with me!

we have a winner...

Through a highly complex and mathematical equation, a winner was selected! Tammy Borst is the lucky winner! Congrats Tammy. She will now get to pick her favorite Simple Sweet color family for her prize!

Hope everyone had a great Scrapbooking Day, I wished my husband Happy Scrapbooking Day yesterday and he looked at me like I had actually gone off the deep end! I didn't do anything scrapping related...we sold our house finally and are under a time crunch to get stuff for the new one picked, ready, and installed. So, it was off to select, or re-select tile, look at granite slabs, lighting - just a jumble of stuff! It's all good though.

giveaway...

Okay, this is a first for me. I'm going to do a giveaway - maybe more than one! This comes from fun as well as necessity. We are moving and I have a ton of scrapping stuff that I don't want to move and would rather share! I'm selling some of my product - Simple Sweet stuff on Ebay in color coordinated kits, but I thought I would give some away here...my first RAK.

So, post your answer to this question in the comments section and I will do a random drawing - I need at least 20 comments so pass this along!

Question: What is the one, UNIQUE, scrapbooking tool you can't live without? Something more than just trimmers and journaling pens ;)

The winner will get to choose their favorite Simple Sweet kit for their prize! Here is an example in the Meadow color family:

Good Luck!

a change...

I like change. Well, I actually like little changes - ones that don't involve a lot of thinking and a lot of work. Like my hair. I change my hair style quite often and when I do, it's a little easier to do - (refer to layout below). Less hair equals less time. Oh, this layout goes so well with the new color scheme of the blog too!



So, I changed the look of my blog. Not hard to change - not as hard as I thought it would be, just pick a new template. I have been wanting to change it for awhile now, but just never did. I decided to this time because I wanted to add the MM Idol logo to my side bar and display it with pride and I needed to update the template to accomodate a picture so here it is. Someday, I want to venture into a more personalized touch. Create and add some of my own elements. Right now though, I have no idea how to do that, so this is good enough for now!

15 years ago...

today, I was married for time and eternity to my sweetheart and friend.

Yes, I used to die my hair red - at least at the time of my wedding. It has been several other colors too but we remember the red because of the wedding pictures. 15 years seems like a lot. Especially when I look at how young (and thinner) we were in this picture. Four kids later and working on our 3rd home, we're doing pretty good I think! Going out to dinner tonight...somewhere fancy!

Oh, and Chloe made the lead in her school's 6th grade play - she will be Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. What an accomplishment! We would try to help her ahead of time with her lines and, it's hard to recite and speak Shakespeare talk. I'm very proud of ya, kid.

panic...

Seriously, I had a small moment of panic yesterday. I thought I missed putting up the next challenge for MM Idol. It was weird that after 7 weeks of challenges, I didn't have one to do and it freaked me out a little! There is a little interview up at the Making Memories site...about me. I still can't believe it's over - but I'm really so excited!

I love this Easter picture of Chloe - she was so fun during the contest. She would tell all of her friends and teachers about it and remind them to vote every week. It was so neat to see how proud of me she was and how excited about it all.

And, our house is STILL for sale. This is so stressful. It's been on the market for about 5 weeks and we have shown it close to 30 times. Not even one offer yet. There are so many houses in our neighborhood for sale too so that makes it harder. I had one agent come and walk through and ask if they could leave their car in front to go look at other houses - I mean they are in walking distance. Our house is more money than the other houses too, it's bigger with more upgrades and that makes it harder to compete. Our new house will be finished in about 7 to 8 weeks and I really want this one under contract so I can focus on the new one!

this is it...

...a very special day for Isabel - her birthday! Happy 9th Birthday, Isabel! She is growing up so fast and accomplishing so much - and she is so stinkin' cute in her sassy Easter dress. Love you lots!

...and here it is:

my entry for the MM Idol contest. I was informed a little more than an hour ago that:

I WON!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted, and encouraged me, and stood by me! Thank you to my husband Scott, who was just a nervous as I was and thank you to Chloe, my cute daughter who announced to everyone what it was and what they needed to do! I am so excited for what lies ahead - challenges and opportunities.

the FINAL challenge...

Wow. I can't believe the final MM Idol challenge is here! You can see the projects and vote HERE.

I just want to send a big THANK YOU out to all of you who have been voting and participating in this contest. It means so much to be picked from such fabulous creations to go forward each week. It feels awsome and I am amazed I am here! And, regardless of who you vote for, it is the voting that makes this contest - so thank you!!

So, if you haven't done it yet...GO VOTE!

inquiring minds want to know...

Okay. I'm a snack lover. It shows in my waistline (among other places), and it's pretty bad when I can call a few snacks a meal - and not a very good example to the kids either! So, I have a question for you; but I'll get to that in a minute.

My new friend, Wilna - you might know her as the first and most fabulous MM Idol, has asked me to help her in an awsome RAK she is doing. She needs you to answer a question - in the form of a comment on MY blog. Then, to be eligible for the RAK, she needs you to visit some other blogs and leave comments there too. Here is her blog: Wilna, so you can see what else you need to do!

So, now to the question you need to answer: "What is your all time favorite scrapping snack?" If you care to elaborate on your answer, feel free to!

The layout posted above is all about one of my son's favorite summer time snacks. It's just something you have to eat in the hot summer heat and everything about it is appealing - the intense color, the refreshing cool down in your mouth, and the blast of fruity flavor...yummm.

Welcome...to the final challenge...

Yes - I made it - top 3 of MM Idol! I'm actually a little shocked and surprised - the competition was really amazing and I was so nervous! So a huge THANK YOU to everyone who voted...even if it wasn't for me - your support of this contest is great and very much appreciated by all of us.


If you didn't know already, this was mine. Such a fun challenge with chipboard!

MM Idol Challenge #6

It is that time again...voting has opened for the next round of MM Idol - go HERE. You will notice that there are no names or recognizable family pictures associated with any of the entries. They wanted this challenge to be a truly anonymous project - for the focus to be on the technique and not the person. The technique was to do something new with chipboard.

There are several things I have loved about these challenges each week, the first is the parameters. I like limits. I truly believe - for me - that limits and boundaries cultivate creativity. I'm a little leary about this project though, espcially after seeing the other fabulous creations by the other 4 finalists. They are pretty amazing! I have also enjoyed Wilna's encouraging words on the Making Memories blog. She was the first MM Idol last year and if you have ever seen her stuff, you know why. I look forward to her weekly inspiration and have been able to learn something new every time.

So, if you haven't voted yet - get to it!

WhooooooHoooooo!!!!

Just releaved....I made the top 5 on MM Idol! Thanks so much to friends and family who have been following me on this journey and supporting me with your votes. Here was my project...

...I will get the next challenge a little later today - so you have stuck with me this far, now let's take it all the way baby!

well, did ya?

vote - I mean. There are still just under two hours to vote for the 5th challenge. It was an anonymous post this time, but anyone who knows me or my family will be able to figure out which one is mine - especially if you have the "time" to look :). I'll post the project when the voting is closed.

It is amazing some of the stuff you can find on YouTube! Here is a darling little home made video we found one day, just doing a search on our last name. It's a little dorky in a sweet way - listen to the words. Chris is not related to us (that I know of) but anyone who writes a song about Disney Princesses is okay in my book!

Let's Party...

Challenge #4 is up and it's all about a party so GO HERE to vote! Here is what I did for this challenge - an Expedition Party. The invitation and "field journal" for the scavenger hunt.

Every party needs a favor - mine doubles as a tool box that every explorer needs when going on an expedition.

What's a party without the goodies? Here, I made a pudding/"dirt desser" with the leftovers from the fossil dig!

top 15...

here I come! Thanks to everyone for all the votes - this next challenge should be so fun. It's all about a party and I'll share more details later on. I've just got to decide what to do!

Challenge #3 is open for voting...

So, on this week's challenge, we had to get back to the basics and use a limited number of things for our project. Paper, ribbons, brads, buttons, and pictures were the basic list of what we could use and the project was totally up to us. I opted to create a canvas wall hanging that I basically just adhered a layout to. The canvas was also something that could be used, and I didn't paint it or anything, just used the plain, white canvas.

Voting has begun and as always, I would love your vote! 10 people will be cut this week taking the total down to 15. So, even if I don't make it to the next round, I really love this wall hanging of my Princess JillyBean - it is now one of my favorites! Thanks for your support and go vote!

ding ding...round #2...

The challenge for this week was to create something you can do with a kid. One of my favorite crafts to do when I was a kid was shrinky dinks so Isabel and I updated our designs and materials and made some funky and graphic buttons to decorate a lampshade. It turned out darling...

...almost as cute as my helper...

So, now Round #2 has begun with the voting. This is such a fun contest and the competition is really underway. The other finalists have made some awsome projects - everything looks so fun and colorful. Check it out and place your vote: MM Idol - of course, I would love your vote if you feel so inclined!

MM Idol top 30...

Whooohooo. Thank you everyone who voted me through to the next round! I am having so much fun with this! The next task is going to be so much fun - I will post later on the details. So, as these things go...come back and vote again on the next round. It should be a very interesting round full of awsome creativity!

let the voting begin...again...

Okay - voting has started for the first round of MM Idol - again. The slate was wiped clean after all of the technical problems last week so even if your vote went through, you need to do it again.

Here is the link to the site: VOTE HERE. I'm really looking forward to this fun process and hope to go on to the next round! Go vote and have fun!

good news keeps on coming...

I am so excited and honored to have been invited to join the Junkitz design team! I have gotten to know Stacey over the past few years at various CKU events and just love her not to mention Janna and Teresa (designers) who's talent is as amazing as their personalities are fun and giving.

I really enjoy being on design teams. They give me the creative push I need and keep me current in the latest products and trends. So a big THANKS to Junkitz for giving me this oppotunity - it's gonna be great!

I also wanted to share this "oh so fun" project - a class that I created for All My Memories last week. I call it a Boutique Bag since it just looks like something you would pick up in a fun boutique somewhere. It is also totally unique because it is created by you - no two will ever be alike! This is such a fun way to dabble in doodling - and easy since you use the "stack-em" templates for the doodles!

MM Idol Update...

Making Memories emailed me with their new plan for the voting on this contest...they are starting again from scratch this Monday, March 5th at 9:00 AM MST. The voting will be open until Tuesday the 6th at 4:00 PM MST. So, for those of you who have successfully cast your vote, you will need to do it again.

I have had such wonderful support from family and friends and ask you to be patient a little longer - I think the kinks are ironed out and it should go smoothly. Thanks again to all - this has been so fun!

okay now...vote...

Here is the link to the voting; MM IDOL. After a day of some technical difficulties, they finally got it working. Voting goes until tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 9:00 AM and then we find out who made it to the next round. I'm so nervous - the pictures on the site are so small, it's hard to see the detail...so here is my page up closer:

Thank you everyone for supporting me and helping me out on this - it has been so much fun so far!

mm idol

Wow. I am amazed that I made it to the top 50! For those of you who don't know what MM Idol is, it's a contest that Making Memories is sponsoring and like American Idol, the finalists are voted forward by everyone. This is the first time I have ever been involved in something like this - it's so exciting! This isn't just a layout contest, there are great prizes to be won of course, but there is also the chance to participate in Making Memories publications and become an honorary design team member.

So, now is the time for the shameless plee - to ask anyone and everyone to vote for me. This next stage of the contest is where the voting begins. I have to download a project due by this Sunday at midnight; an All About Me type of glimpse into who I am. Voting begins Monday morning at 9:00 AM and is open to EVERYONE so stop by and cast your vote. You can sign up for an email reminder and every week vote for your favorite. Of course I would love it and greatly appreciate your vote, but look at the layouts and go with your gut - it's fun and inspiring. But in all seriousness - vote for me!

CKU Home Study...

I had the awsome opportunity to develop and film a class for CKU Home Study. The class is called "What A Year" and it's an entire album broken up into levels. The first level is creating base pages from 6 basic templates that are used over and over again for the 24 pages. The next level focuses on monthly layouts with multiple photos, effective journaling, and basic embellishments. The final level is all about advanced embellishments that are added right along side what was just created before.

You can see the same base template for these two pages, but notice how different they look with picture situation, different papers, and embellishments - these are two of the completed pages from the class. If you are interested, check it out here and scroll down a bit. I also created some journaling blocks specifically for this class that can be printed off and used over and over again. I am honored to have participated in such a fun project - I love developing classes and hope to do another soon.

okay, okay already...

I know I've been a bit lax on updating this thing. I have tried several times but it didn't take, or I forgot my login password, or I just didn't have the time. So here it is...an update!

Wow. Valentines Day. This day is my parents' wedding anniversary too. Happy Valentines Day to all! I'm going to make pink rice krispie treats today and I might even share my recipe - it's really good.

CHA was awsome. Such an eye-opener to everything that is out there. I worked the Traditions Studio booth. Made some samples for the catalog, designed some make & takes, and generally had a good time. I am still in awe at how HUGE it all was. It was also good to see old friends again too - like Lara from South Africa! Hey there girl! And Stacey and Theresa from Junkitz - you guys are awsome and look fabulous- as always! And so many others. Here is one of the samples I created for the show and the TS catalog - a new favorite!

My friend and neighbor Meridith was also at CHA with her new company: Lizzie Anne Designs. Such fun and unique stamps. I have had the opportunity to do some samples with these fabulous stamps too like this birthday purse card.

Well - there's the update. I just got back from a cruise and plan to post some pictures from that soon.