I finally got around to this project! This little paper flower wreath was a big hit with my girls as they pranced around the house with them all day! I recently got a Silhouette from QuicKutz, which makes this little project a breeze! But if you don’t have a Silhouette, the flower shapes are simple and can easily be hand cut.
So, for Project Mania, I’ve put together the pattern for you in both the pdf form and gsd files (for the silhouette). I like these darling little flowers because you can also use them for paper rings (my girls love the brads with jewels on them for the centers). Check out where to buy my paper products and digital products if you want to use these papers for your own little wreath! The papers I use in Felicity’s wreath are from my Bella Bella Collection and my AC Moore’s exclusive paper pads Bella Bella (180 papers) and Paris & Co. (180 papers). Siri’s pink wreath comes from my Bella Bella Collection and Paris & Co (180) paper pad.
It’s the offical “start” of Project Mania! And I thought I would start off with a free download! I’m hoping to inspire you to get organized this month or finish a project that hasn’t been finished.
It’s appropriate that it is Project Mania month because September will be my busiest month yet! We just learned last week that we will be moving into a new house (our very first house, Yippee!), which means I’ll be working on getting myself super organized for the move. So what else is in store for me? Some serious decluttering, deep cleaning, and painting. I also plan on getting my recipes organized, get some digital scrapbooking done, and finish painting a dresser. Oh, and there’s this little download to get me organized with my meal planning! It has a calendar with a month’s worth of meals and a shopping list. I’ve already started using this…sometimes I rip off the bottom to take to the store with me (this is seperated into half sheets so you can cut off the top and place on your fridge) or take the whole thing to remind me of anything I might be missing.
It’s the season of change. I’ve been feeling it more and more as my oldest child heads to kindergarten. It seems even more imperative to capture these fleeting moments, and what better way than with an ABC photo book of my little darlings. It seems appropriate considering the time of year.
I like homemade ABC books because they are so personal. They capture a moment in time, and my children adore looking at themselves in a little hand-held book that seems made just for them. It also can be a valuable learning tool.
For this little project, I tried to accomplish two things. First, I wanted a new ABC book that included Felicity, my youngest daughter (I made one for Siri when she was a toddler). Second, I wanted to give Siri a tool to learn new words as she learns to read. I also wanted it to be fun, so the girls and I went on an “alphabet scavenger hunt” to gather the items we photographed.
This hybrid project uses my ABC templates, which are 4” x 6” templates that you drop right on top of your photo, My Mind’s Eye’s Penny Lane Papers, and pink stamp ink, which I rubbed along the edges. The final book is 5” x 6.5” (that’s the size I cut the papers I mounted the photos on). I got the whole thing spiral bound at Office Max.
ABC books can be used for more than just learning the alphabet…try these fun ideas!
• Capture a vacation using the alphabet. Not only will it be fun to figure out things to photograph using the alphabet, but the book will be fun to look at when you are finished!
• Capture a child or family’s year using the ABC’s. It’s a great way to get a snapshot of your year!
• Use the book as an opportunity to capture things that you love in your home. I made sure to include “red blankey” for Siri and “white blanky” for Felicity because these are their lovies. When do we ever take the time to capture these meaningful everyday items? In 10 or 20 years, long after those blankets are in rags, I know my children will be happy to have these photos.
A couple of helpful hints when taking photos for this project:
• If you are taking pictures of your kids, a second adult is really helpful because one person can hand the items to the kids and one can photograph.
• Remember you need lots of foreground/background…aka…empty space to fit your words and letters!
• Take photos all with the same background for a cohesive look. I used a brick wall in front of my house. If doing a vacation book, you won’t necessarily want to do this so you can capture all parts of your vacation.
• A mix of closeups and full shots make the book more dynamic and interesting.
• Laminating your book makes it more durable for little hands.
Want to buy the template I used for this ABC Book? Go here:
I’ve been a digi designer for a year and a half now and I finally feel like it is time to buckle down and finish a full book! Because I like consistency, I’m working on a book that covers 2009 and I am only using Sproutlets, Sproutlets Album, Imprints, and PhotoCuts. It makes the book look put together (and definitely helps the flow!). Sproutlets covers my paper and color scheme, Imprints takes care of my brushes, and PhotoCuts helps me with on my frames and masks. It’s an easy combination that will make me several beautiful layouts really easily.
Hopefully, I’ll have this book finished for Project Mania next month and get it printed to show off. But for now, here’s a peek…
In anticipation of Project Mania, I have a free download today! It’s an autumn event schedule…something I really needed for myself. If I don’t plan it, I don’t do it.
And last year we never made it to the Pumpkin Patch, I never did my fall cleaning, and I waited until the last minute to buy halloween costumes for the kids. I decided to make this little reminder list to stick on my fridge to remember and start to schedule in these things. When November and December come around, I feel so out of sorts when I haven’t already taken care of Christmas card photos or planned around all the extended family activites. So here it is, a free download for you! It comes on a single sheet (8.5″ x 11″) with 4 of these fit on it. One has some activites already outlined (like the one shown) and one is completely blank so you can customize it. Enjoy!
To download just click on the image or click here.
Check out today’s Warehouse Walk at 2peas with MellyPea. You’ll notice the awesome shout out by MellyPea for my new Spider’s Web line out in paper and just barely hitting stores! Oh, and digital folks, don’t think I have forgotten you on this one…just a few more weeks…
I love Sundays. We usually get together with family and friends and I usual spend a part of my day cooking or baking. Today, we want to my in-laws baby blessing for little baby Grace. It was a beautiful blessing with Gracie crying loudly the whole way through it. Unnerving for the parents, but hilarious to the rest of us!
These are some pictures from the brunch afterwards. I wanted to highlight the little cards I made for the table with Grace’s name. They are so simple and I used the Imprints Collection to make them. Specifically, you’ll notice I used the frames and calendar stamps (for a light background). These Imprint kits hit the store this Tuesday.
I know there aren’t any photos of baby Grace here…you’ll just have to check my Flickr to see more. And if you haven’t looked in the Creative Team’s Flickr account recently, you should check it out! The girls have put some fabulous layouts up! I know you can’t see the photos in the sidebar (I still haven’t managed to figure out how to have 2-3 going!), so I just wanted to point it out!
Happy Sunday! I’m gearing up for a crazy Monday and then hoping for sanity by the middle of the week.
So the big news is that I actually got around to a layout today! This layout took me just a few minutes to put together because I used simple brushes from my Imprints collection and a paper I am always reaching for from my Simply Solid Collection.
This photo is of my daughter Siri and my niece Caroline…who decided to dress up like twins! I even did their hair the same.
One of my collections team members, Jenny, was inspired to make this cake which highlights the digital scrapbooking collection Sproutlets. Other than being totally creative, I thought the idea was fantastically COOL! What a beautiful cake Jenny! Jenny also has a cake blog at:
Jen came into town so the 2pes peeps came out to play. This was my first 2peas sighting and man, it was a doozy. I’ll need another one soon ladies to remember people’s names!!! It really was a blast and my only regret is that the table was long and I didn’t really get to talk to people on either end very well.
Important things I learned tonight: The NSBR Board can be brutal, Nephi the waiter is a patient person, that much cheese fries + ice cream doesn’t kill you on the spot, and Aunt Skiddy never comments on 2peas but always READS everything…so beware! Oh, and possibly I see a 2peas Karoake Party going down at my place (that would be after I buy a house, which I HOPE happens in the next 3 months). Be warned!
I hardly ever have sales…it probably happens twice a year now. So take advantage of this one if you have been eyeing a product over $10 at my 2peas store! Starting tomorrow, all of my products that are $10 and up will be 10% off for a week! Have fun!
We had dinner with Liz and Tim (my sister-in-law and brother-in-law) tonight. I love when we plan a last minute Sunday dinner at their house because it is whatever the two families can throw together from their combined pantries. Sometimes it is pancakes and sausage while other nights, we are able to put on a serious Sunday feast. Tonight, Liz supplied the chicken and grilling team (go Tim!) and I provided the marinade. It’s a just a simple citrus and herb combo that I’d recommend letting the meat sit in, but as this was a quick get together, Tim just dropped it on the chicken and grilled away!
Carina’s Citrus Marinade
Throw together the following ingredients and let meat (chicken, pork, etc) marinade for an hour and bake or grill:
We’re getting started a bit early here (Project Mania officially starts on September 1st!), but I wanted to make sure that everyone has a chance to participate! I’m giving everyone a head start here so that if you have any big projects that need starting or need to clear out your schedule to make way for some great projects in September, you have the time to!
This is a BLOG HOP! Here on my blog, I’ll be posting a plethora of new projects, tutorials, and free downloads to help inspire you. If YOU have been working on some things and want to share OR if you’ve needed a kick start, this is it! Time to get your hands dirty and get going! We all want to see what you’ve done! Whether it is scrapbooking related, sewing, home decor, home organization, crafts…if you’ve been meaning to do it, let’s get it done this September and post it on our blogs! You’ll definitely see plenty from me on these fronts all September.
So you think you want to share what you’re going to be doing September 2009? We’re starting a list right here! First thing you need to do is grab this html code and the little banner to put on your blog. It will relocate you back to this post for the most up-to-date list on blogs/websites participating in Project Mania.
Next, you need to send me the name of your blog and the link you want it to go to so that we can all drop by and see what kinds of things you are getting into! Send it to carina@diginirvana.com.
Here’s the list of everyone participating! Go visit and see what these Project Maniacs are up to!
It’s Tuesday and my small Antique Jar collection hit the store today. To give you a preview of the new collection hitting next week and the week after (I think you’ll like it!) is iMPRiNT! It’s a lot of yummy stamps and brushes!
I also thought I’d give you the heads up…I’ve declared SEPTEMBER to be Project Mania Month here at the CG Studio! I’ve already gotten started and I’m excited to bring you a whole month of blog posts that are project oriented! Get ready for some great downloadables, holiday projects, organization tips and more! I’m pretty excited about as it will get me in gear to really finish some half-way finished projects and get a head start on the holiday season.
I’m sure that if you are like me, October through December is booked! So I’m hoping by having a Project Mania month in September, you and I both will feel inspired to get a headstart.
I don’t care what anybody says, Disney knows how to do it right! My kids had a magical experience which translates into magical for mommy. Yes, I have COMPLETELY BOUGHT INTO THE DISNEY MARKETING MACHINE! I acknowledge it! It’s know I’m being sucked in, but I just can’t help myself! The packaging is too cute (see there are pitfalls to being a designer!)
The highlights of our trip were Splash Mountain (4 times for the 5 year old!), the frozen lemonade (man, it was hot!), Space Mountain (for me, not the husband who can’t hold it together on the roller coasters), the Jedi Training Academy (Siri had NO clue what was going on but was very proud to be fighting Darth Vader), and the Pixar Play Parade.
And, well, what more can say about this vacation? Disneyland is definitely a place to be experienced. We didn’t have a problem with long lines (but then, we used the UnOfficial Disneyland Guide, which was a lifesaver) and we took plenty of photos. We also used the Belkin TuneTalk…very useful if you remember to charge it up (which I managed to forget to do for the second day at DL).
It’s always a bit of a scary thing to get photographs taken of yourself. I had put it off long enough though and recruited Creative Juice Photography to come and get a few shots of me.
With all the new designwork and classes I’ve got my fingers in these days, I’ve needed bios and pics of myself (A hard thing when you are the family photographer, and an amateur at best). My Canon Rebel has been my favorite new gadget this year, that’s for sure! Anyway, the need for headshots was a dire one and Jess came to the rescue! She just posted a few on her blog, and set a few more up for me that I thought I would share.
Today, the girls and I are headed to Anaheim for some Disneyland fun. I’m a planner (ask my husband) and I like to get the UnOfficial Guide to DisneyLand to plan our days there to make the most of our time. I also grabbed some new headphones (Ones that actually COVER the little girls’ ears) movie watching on the airplane. I also was inspired by Heather Baily to buy a Belkin TuneTalk Stereo for the trip. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I participated in her March of Tools and it was now the appropriate time to buy one. These little gadget is a little mic that hooks up to your iPod and downloads all your recordings to iTunes. It’s a nifty little device and useful for recording some precious moments on vacation for us. We aren’t taking our video recorder (I AM taking my camera though) so this will be a nice (tiny!) alternative.
More to post when I get back!!! Have a great weekend! And to everyone at CHA, hope you are having a blast (and if you are not as CHA, I hope you having a blast at the 2peas online CHA!).
…the chat last night was so much fun! Super crazy, but a blast! My kids decided to get up for it, my power went out and my computer had to restart, so I spent the entire hour completely behind! lol. Thank you for attending and we hope you liked the free kit we gave out! We also did a fun questionnaire about Jen and myself. If you want to see the questionnaire (answers are in the post), want to relive the madness, or see what it was all about go here.
And because of the chat along with my three day interlude between vacations, I haven’t had a chance to even mention the kits that came out yesterday! The first one, Petal Patch, is a super-yummy, vintagey-modern digital kit! (Think 1950s kitchen apron). This kit is SUPER sweet…completely sugar-coated…lol. You’ll have to go to the dentist afterwards!
The second, I must admit, I created really for myself. I love the Sproutlets kit…I mean, really, really love it and am planning on doing a few different books with it. So I started the first 10 page album set, which you can now buy at 2peas. Not all the previews are shown unless you go and look in the shop, but here’s my first page with it:
Clean and distressed all at once! Siri is pretty adorable in these photographs too. lol.Once I get these pages into a book, I’ll be sure and photograph it and post it (of course, what else?).
Here’s a look at what my cool collection’s team has done with the Petal Patch kit (eye candy!).
From the Collections Team , from top-left: Jenny, Katherine, Katherine, Lori, Susan, and Yam. Beautiful work ladies!
As a fun gift to everyone who joins the chat, Jen and I have put together this darling little freebie! You will need to post in the chat tonight and we’ll send you a peamail with the link which will only be downloadable during the chat. Be sure and drop by and get it! Visit us in the CHA Summer Forum at 10pm CST.
CHA is in Florida and I won’t be going. In fact, I’ll be headed the opposite direction in a couple of days for a vacation with my family. So, to celebrate CHA, Jen and I are doing a little chat on 2peas today. Come join us in the CHA Summer Forum at 2peas for scoops on what Jen and I are up to, giveaways, and more! Meet us over there 8pm 10pm CST.
BTW, just added a new header to the studio front page and I’ll hopefully have a chance in the next couple of weeks to get together some great halloween projects with my new line The Spider’s Web.
It’s just another Monday and my family is still recovering from a weekend at Bear Lake. We’re also recovering from a lingering virus that managed to take captive the last two members of our family this weekend (Felicity and myself). I managed to get over my fever and aches after a day, but Felicity has had a raging fever for several days. I just took her to the doctor today and the virus has managed to give her a double ear infection. Great. And just 3 days away from our vacation to Disneyland.
Well, the good part is that there is amoxicillian running through her now. And I’ll have her sucking on her pacifier on the airplane to help with the pressure.
A quick report on Bear Lake: my very cool mother-in-law brought all sorts of goodies and games for the kids (the parents were all very grateful). One thing she did was leave a little note on the door for the kids to treasure hunt for some frogs. Fantastic idea, huh? The kids had a blast looking for them.
Be sure and join Jen and me for our Chat tomorrow at 2peas. 8pm CST in the Digital Scrapbooking ForumCHA Summer Forum! Be sure and drop by as Jen and I will be giving away some of our newest stuff.
Just as Siri, Felicity, and I had finished whipping up the vanilla pudding for our Puddin’Pie, our next door neighbor left this lovely green thing on our porch. I just looked at it and said, “Well, I guess I’m making zucchini bread.”
For you know, that this is all you can do with a zucchini of this size. So it was double dessert night and nobody was complaining at my house.
Zucchini Bread
This recipe was taken from All Recipes.com. The user comments were really useful. I ended up using 1 cup of brown sugar to replace one cup of white sugar and doubled the zucchini used (4 cups). It turned out to be TWO zucchini breads (We did one for the neighbor without chocolate chips and one for the kids WITH chocolate chips). Visit the original recipe here. This is my variation on it:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract (or more)
4 cups grated zucchini
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.
Puddin’ Pie
I know you’ve had this dessert before. It’s so easy and delicious. My favorite backup for a yummy summer treat. It’s vanilla pudding, cool whip, graham cracker crust, and fresh berries. I tend to go for the premade pie crust but I admire anyone who makes it from scratch. I mean, it is just graham crackers and butter afterall. I also buy the no-sugar vanilla pudding and the fat free cool whip.
1 Graham cracker crust
1 vanilla pudding package/2 cups of milk
1 cool whip
package of strawberries (and or blueberries, raspberries)
Put together vanilla pudding as instructed on the package. Pour into crust and let sit in the fridge for an hour. Top with Cool Whip and cut Strawberries/Berries on top.
It looks pretty and it’s effortless! Very summery with the berries on top, huh? If you wanted to get fancy you could add glaze to the top of the strawberries (It would also make the strawberries last longer).
And of course, the best part, eating it! Yes, it makes a mess:).
With all these recipes, I have been compiling them in my little recipe box. Pretty soon I’m going to take them to get laminated to keep them from spills.
I got an email from someone who did the Photoshop Silhoutte Tutorial and I wanted to show it off here! Jessica Taufer is the owner of Utah Baby Guide and said that she didn’t do the trace option at the end (something you may not be able to do unless you have Illustrator CS2 or higher). Her’s turned out wonderful and I’m impressed she did the project!!! Nice job Jessica!
Yes, this is it. The big news! I recently signed a fabric deal and you will be able to find my designs in fabric in early 2010! Unfortunately, I have to be very vague about the release because we haven’t even begun first rounds of strike-offs (I will be sure to keep you updated!)! It’s been my busiest summer yet with putting together my first fabric collection and lots of new scrapbooking stuff coming out from My Minds Eye! Next week is CHA and you’ll get to see my Spider’s Web Line which is a sophisticated take on Halloween! I can’t wait to show you how I use them for halloween decorating projects and more!
I also wanted to give you a heads up that Jen and I will be hosting a chat in the 2peas forums (in the digital scrapbooking forum) on Tuesday, July 28th at 8pm CST. It will lots of fun! You are welcome to quiz us about digital scrapbooking or paper scrapbooking (and anything else you may like:). Jen and I are also both doing giveaways throughout the chat! It will be fun that you don’t want to miss!
It’s Favorite Friday, but I couldn’t limit myself to 5 on this one. It’s my sofa post. Yes, sofa’s I love and links to find them:). It’s taken me two weeks to consolidate this post:).
I’m a little ga-ga over these sofas, and although I won’t be buying one anytime soon, it’s always good to know what’s out there for the day you decide to remake your living room. So these are my top picks from what I have filtered through over the last couple of weeks, these oh so yummy sofas that are on my wish list! Now, I will have to be honest, this is by no means a comprehensive list. In fact, I feel like I have just scrapped the surface and will have many more sofa posts to come. And, to be completely honest, I don’t think any of these are the perfect one for me. I’m still looking. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it. So here we go…
I’ve never considered myself a “leather” girl, but recently I’ve been looking into leather sofas because of their sophistication and kid-friendliness. My friend Brooke in Minnesota went from Pottery Barn slipcovered sofa to World Market leather sofa and loved the change. She said she was able to wipe up the kid-mess easily.
I’m sure the reason I have strayed away from leather sofas is because most of the models on the market tend to be overstuffed (comfortable, but unsightly) and too big for most modest-sized rooms. I like this one from Leathercraft because the lines are SO clean and contemporary. The 2730 Sofa has my thumbs up for looking modern but not confining. Don’t you think it would look beautiful in a dark chocolate leather. Ummmm…
I maybe was able to make the transition to leather because Domino featured a couple who had TWO leather sofas facing each other in their living room. I loved the look SO much I wish I could feature it here (but unfortuately there is no Domino anymore). This other sofa I’m into is the 902-00 Leathercraft.
Yesterday, I received an email from Room and Board entitled, “We’ve Created the Perfect Sofa.” Of course, my interest was piqued and I opened the email.
While this really isn’t the sofa for me, there are plenty of things I like about it. I like the lines and it still looks comfortable but not overstuffed. It’s maybe a bit too…masculine? (I’m not sure what the right word is) for me.
On to slipcovered sofas: I thought that these where the perfect kid solution. Just yank them off and throw them in the laundry or send the dry cleaners, right? Right now, my Ikea green sofa is covered by a makeshift white slipcover. It’s a tight slipcover with cushion covers and all. It is SO dirty and I can probably count on one had the number of times I have taken it off and laundered it. Because of this unfortunate experience with slipcovers, I’m not going to show any here. However, while looking at the slipcovered sofas on PotteryBarn, I saw this beauty: The Greenwich Sofa.
I just love the lines on this one! The arms somehow make this a little more feminine. The color wouldn’t work for the kids in the least bit at our house. But it’s beautiful in the photo, isn’t it?
This next one is from Johnathan Adler. I love all of his stuff, and actually my FAVORITE sofa from him is no longer in circulation. So sad:(. But this one is one of my favorites on his site. Something very old school and preppy about it. It’s called the Lampert Sofa.
I think when you are looking for a sofa, there is a fine line between comfort and style. Heaven knows that no one likes to sit in a sofa with a stiff back. This Johnathan Adler version hits the mark for me on both. It also sort of meets the criteria of masculine AND feminine. Strong clean lines with those sweet tufts. Yummy!
It is amazing to me that the subtle in design changes in a couch really do give it a whole different feeling. Take this one from Restoration Hardware. It’s really NOT that different from the pottery barn one, but the lines make it even more feminine in my opinion. I love the spindle legs on this one too.
Okay, I think I’m about done for this week! But, because I didn’t find my perfect sofa yet, I will continue to be on the lookout! Ahh, the joys of window shopping!
My newest kit came out yesterday at 2peas, Sproutlets! The Collections Team have put together some fantastic layouts for this kit so go check them out here.
I wanted to share my Cauliflower Soup recipe. It’s really good…packed with vitamins and a bit of fat. I love using fresh herbs in this. It makes the whole thing really fresh! This is really yummy in the fall for an evening treat.
Carina’s Cauliflower Soup
1 head of cauliflower
1 pint of half and half OR cream
4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of chopped onion
3 cloves of chopped garlic
olive oil
2 Springs of Rosemary
2 Springs of Thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese
Bacon (optional)
What gives this soup all it’s flavor is roasted cauliflower. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On a baking pan hand toss the cauliflower head (roughly chopped), olive oil (drizzled over it), salt, pepper, and 2 springs of rosemary. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Be sure and move around the cauliflower half way. You’ll get a nice brown color. on the edges. While the cauliflower is in the oven, saute 2 tbs of olive oil, garlic, and onion in a large pot for about 5 minutes. Add the thyme (chopped). Pull the cauliflower out of the oven and add to the pot. Saute all together for another 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. I sometimes like to let it sit and simmer at this point for about 20-30 minutes so the cauliflower gets soft. Sometimes I’ll let it sit longer or short though depending on when I started the pot. Add the half and half (or for a creamier soup use cream). Take portions of the soup and blend in a blender or a hand mixer until you get a smooth consistancy.
Let the soup simmer for as long as you want. Add a sprig of thyme, a little parmasian, and even some bacon bits to the top before serving. Yum, yum!
Josh and I spent the weekend in Park City. I was doing a site check of a property (The Canyons). Talk about a wonderful (and very full) weekend. We had dinner at Lookout Cabin on the mountain. The weather was delightful and the seven course dinner wasn’t bad either (they certainly take care of you!). The view was a feast in and of itself!
There is something really fun about sitting with 45 people that you have never met before for a dinner like this. We got to know about 10 of the people surrounding us pretty well after 4 hours. The ambience and the company made the pink sunset even more beautiful and the food that much tastier!
So what did we have? I have a photo of the menu here…and some pictures of the the food. Beautiful, huh?
My favorite was the Artichoke bisque with scallop. Another favorite was this fennel salad, tuna, and toasted crab.
I also have to show of few more photos of the table setting and view. Very beautifully done!
Are you drooling yet?
The next day we had a number of different activites (I had to tour the property while Josh studied for the Nevada Bar). That afternoon though, we attended the Wine Festival held right there in the Canyons. We were probably the only two people there who didn’t drink a bit of wine! The food was FABULOUS though! This cute little candy shop from town called SugarBuzz (located in the heart of Park City) gave out little vials of jelly bellys that you were suppose to eat at one time (and was suppose to taste like wine). It was yummy, although I would have no idea if it tasted like wine or not.
Also check out this amazing cheese tasting held by igourmet.com. They all tasted so unique! I was pretty impressed with their Oregon bleu cheese which was a little harder than a normal bleu. It also had a slightly different texture.
These yummy little sausage sandwichs were being made by Tillamook and had a thin slice of yellow squash on them. Clever, huh? And OH so yummy!
We got home to our kids completely exhausted (so much for a relaxing weekend away!) but very happy (happy to see our darlings and happy to have had a weekend to ourselves).
I’ve been meaning to post this link for some time now, but have managed to forget with all the craziness (and loveliness) in my life! The winner of the PhotoCuts Giveaway on my blog posted some layouts using the Overlays on her blog called http://paperscissorsandglue.blogspot.com. You can check out she uses the overlays there:). The whole blog is very scrap-a-rific with tons of digital and paper layouts.
This will very likely be my last post of the week. I’m getting my 2peas submissions in today and getting ready for a lovely weekend in Park City with my husband. It’s been a long time since it was just the two of us and I’m pretty excited about the break. I know I’ll have tons of things to post next week. I have big announcement to make, pictures from the weekend, and an awesome post I’ve been working on that you won’t want to miss!
4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. In Minnesota, we always went to Bunker Beach during the day and landed in Stillwater for the spectacular firework show over the Croix River. Since we moved to Utah over a year ago, we are still trying to “find” our 4th of July tradition. This year, we went to Toole to be with my in laws for a BBQ. The kids had a blast and Uncle Nate did a fantastic job of lighting off the fireworks. They also liked the baby preying mantises we found on the porch.
Somehow, we managed to forget the “snakes” (Siri’s favorite kind of firework). To satisfy her need for these, we will be lighting them all this week in our driveway.
Photos | 1: Siri and the baby preying mantis, 2: My niece Lola, 3: My sister-in-law Liz and 6 week old baby 4: This kids playing with a lighted magic wand in the dark. The shutter speed was so slow I got this long string of light.
My fabulous Collection Team has done it again! These layouts feature two of the newest PhotoCuts products that came out last week and this week. This popular collection has more kits coming out this month along with a few special items. For example, tomorrow starts the Christmas in July special at 2peas! You’ll find a couple of holiday paper packs from me.
I’m also excited for you to check out my new kit Sproutlets (which now has a preview!) which will hit 2peas in a week. It’s jam packed with all kinds of goodies! The papers are darling and the elements are yummy! Katherine even already sent me this darling layout from the kit. I’m pretty excited to use this kit in my own scrapbooking!
This easily could be the most “layout heavy” post I’ve ever had! I hope it inspires you in your own digital and paper scrapbooking!
I get asked alot “how to become a designer.” There’s really no straight answer to a question like that. I think people are so interested because creativity is an essential part of all our lives. Trying to figure out ways to channel that creativy into a career seems possible by becoming a “designer.” With a little bit of luck and a WHOLE LOT OF WORK, becoming a “creative” is possible. When I say a whole lot of work, I really mean it. Learning the tools of the trade and bettering your eye for building beautiful work are only the first steps. Then comes execution, execution, and more execution. Sometimes I make, make, and make with nothing to show for it.
I received an email from someone asking how they could get started and I thought I would share my advice. I have repeated this advice many times to others who have asked (which is why I decided to share:). I taught graphic design for 5 years at the University of Minnesota and practiced as I taught. My insights might be tainted as a “trained” designer, but I find that raw talent is far and few between and most of us (myself included) needed training to do what I do now. So here’s my email:
Hi,
Thanks for your comment on my blog. The number one thing I can tell you to do is go take a class—get a little more school. It will help you learn the programs you need to get started. Learning Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign is not for the faint of heart, but completely worth it to become a competent (and fast) designer. Second, you need at least ONE (if not more) theory class. Something that will really help you to SEE like a graphic designer. Building your visual skills is SO important. Night classes can be taken at your community college or local university. From there, you’ll sort of figure out what you are good at, how much more school you really need, and how best to approach a career change. It will not be easy, but if you love design, it will be fulfilling.
My Friday is feeling a lot like a Saturday:). Working on some designs today—specifically finishing a mega kit I’m working on called Sproutlets…It’s like 6 kits or more wrapped into one big kit! After I’m finsihed submitting this to 2peas today, I’ll be all set for a fun-filled, laid back 4th of July weekend! I have dinner with my bestfriend Jen tonight who is in town from San Fransico (always a treat!). Our favorite hang out is the Cheesecake Factory (the avacado rolls have some kind of addicting drug in them). Tomorrow, we’ll be heading to Toole for a BBQ with my in-laws. But most of the time, well, I’ll just be chilling with my little girls and having a slow weekend—just the way I like it! Hoep you have a Happy 4th of July!
I finally got around to upgrading my sidebar. I’ve been meaning to add these easy links for a while now, but just managed to squeeze in making the icons and putting it all up this morning! I still have to make some adjustments to the posts themselves (so some things can be downloaded directly from this site), but for now I’m just happy to have this up! You can now click on these links: free downloads, (the ever-so-popular) favorite fridays, tutorials, and giveaways. Check it out on the right-hand side!
I don’t golf. Not even a little bit. I stepped onto my first golf course (as the planner) a year ago, and ironically enough, have been planning golf tournaments ever since. I hardly ever post about my “day job” as an Event Director, but it would be hard not to mention it today because my camera is jammed pack of golf tournament photos and my head is still buzzing from the long day in the sun yesterday.
Since I don’t golf. Sarah (my co worker) and myself spent the day in our little golf cart driving around taking pictures of the foursomes. We had a good time (Sarah was a bit snap happy with the camera—I believe there was even a moment she was pretending to be the paparazzi) and even putted a couple of holes with some of the guys.
It really was a beautiful day. The wildlife was friendly. We even saw this deer walk across the course. Check out that view…
I’m also suffering from a sugar-hangover from yesterday. Sarah and I loaded up the cart before we left the clubhouse. Somehow, all those starbursts were gone by the end of the day. How did that happen?
I got two gorgeous old frames at Emily Jane a week ago and decided they needed to be “funkied” up. So I painted them pink and love them! Siri drew me two sketches so I can display her artwork. The sketches are sweet and just right for these frames. Right now they are in the living room, but they could also move the girl’s room because of the color.
I was actually hoping to have time this week to dig into my own products and work on a digiscrap book…but, *sigh* I don’t think it will be happening this week. I’ve been working on a big project (I’m jumping up and down with anticipation of telling my little secret!) that I can’t reveal QUITE yet. Soon…so soon! How’s that for a clifthanger?
Well, it was a rainy weekend for us in Salt Lake. Once again, we had to postpone going camping, which really turned out to be okay as I had a big design submission to deal with, a work pool party, errands, errands, and more errands, and a Father’s Day dinner to boot (my in-laws included). So it was a full (but as always) a fabulous weekend (because it was a weekend:)).
So here it is Monday, and I’m dragging. I finished the design submission and will have it FedExed off by this afternoon. I’m always happy when the initial first designs are finished.
And, I probably wouldn’t have even blogged today, but I felt like it would have been an incredible injustice to my team to not post these FABULOUS layouts they made last week of the new Garden Vignettes collection. You’ll be able to buy it at 2peas tomorrow. There are 9 digi kits total with 5 element packs and 4 paper packs. All the papers are yummy and distressed as are the elements. IN FACT, the giveaway ends early tomorrow morning, so get your name in quick here.
Here’s who made these gorgeous layouts. The first one is by Jenny, second, by Lori, third, by Yam, fourth, by Susan, and fifth by Katherine. These ladies really know how to make a layout! I am completely inspired by these and will probably be getting together my own mini album with the Garden Vignettes collection of my family’s last vaca or outing.
Hope you are having a more fast pace Monday than me and I’ll be sure and post tomorrows winner of the giveaway!
It’s here! Another collection and another giveaway! On Tuesday, the Garden Vingettes collection will premier at 2peas. There are 4 paper packs and 5 accessories. I wanted this to be a super-digi-scrap-friendly collection so you’ll find that I’ve made multiples of the accessories like the buttons (even in grayscale so you can recolor for other layouts), easy to use brushes (like the alpha, which makes life SO much easier! Plus there are .abr upload instructions!), and fun cards in both color and black and white. The papers are very distressed and absolutely delicious! There are 10 unique papers in each of the sets.
So how do you enter the giveaway? Easy-peasy! Just comment on this thread the “item” that you want. Winner will be announced Tuesday morning as the products hit 2peas! You can also go and enter the 2peas digi blog giveaway for a second try at this giveaway!Go here to enter it:
I just thought I would post these photos of my daughters and one of our friends’ daughter’s. We took take out to their property and I snapped these photos of the girls. We also went to the Movies in the Park, but managed to get rained out from Mama Mia.
I had an outpouring of applications for the Collections Team call I posted a couple of weeks ago. It was such a hard decision but I knew I could only take on 5 more people. I think you’ll agree that the talent here is outstanding! I was blown away by these ladies! To introduce them, they each submitted a cg layout (if you want to know about the products they used here, ask in the comments below! These products can all be found in my digi scrap shop at 2peas.). And here they are:
Katherine
This layout has been removed for publication! You will just have to see it when it is publish:)
Lori
Jenny
Yam
Susan
Beautiful work, ladies! You can see why I’m so excited to have them on the team! They will be doing layouts for their first collection, Garden Vignettes in a week. I’m excited for you to see the collection and their beautiful layouts! There will be a give away starting on Thursday for this collection, so be sure and check back for a sneak peek and a chance to win!
Yesterday during lunch, Josh had his computer on the kitchen table and Siri was singing, “I Need a Hero.” She only knows the song because of Shrek so that got us wondering who sang the original (which I love). Turns out it is Bonnie Tyler. We were both surprised and Josh brought up the YouTube Video. So, of course, I decided we needed to check out the Total Eclipse of the Heart Music Video too. It’s one of my favorite songs and has now led to this post which is now a “Where’s Waldo” of the Total Eclipse Music Video.
Read my list to get a very important and completely RELEVANT visual list. I think I said “WHAT?!!???!!!” every five seconds while we watched this video. My favorite moment? When several swimmers get splashed with water from the side. Very relevant to the song, of course.
Warning: The is not an all inclusive list of the horror flick you are about to watch!
Here’s the play by play: Cue the music candles, romantic wind blowing sheer curtain, moon, and then…possessed man with the “bright eyes,” school boys (which oddly enough are shown when she says “dream of something wild), swimmers with water splashing on them, dancing ninjas, fencing, dancing rockers, football players, flipping gymnast, a porn moment, possessed satanic choir, ballet cavemen, a winged cherub molesting Bonnie Tyler, and last but not least, an EXTREMELY creepy guy (also possessed) that shakes hands with Bonnie Tyler.
Siri and I made a caterpillar from our button jar yesterday and I thought I’d share it. It’s a fairly easy project although it tends to break in little hands (we had a “re-glue” situation a couple of times). Basically, you just need to make 5 sections of 7 buttons each. THe 5 buttons need to be 1 big, 2 semi-big, 2 medium, and 2 small. We used hot glue to put the buttons together. We also alternated colors (3 pink sections and 2 blue sections). We added a pearl button for the nose and 2 pink pins for antenna. All and all an easy project! Siri loved putting it together. Warning: you WILL have buttons all over the floor once you are done!