(diva)logues

4 years of blogging...must be time for a GIVE-AWAY...

Actually, my first day of blogging was on February 15, 2008.  Not much has changed since then.  Bryn has changed A LOT.  The formatting of my blog changed, too, so my photos were cut-off with only 1/2 the image showing on some of them back then.  I snagged this image from that month...

... and nope... that hasn't changed either.  In fact, I just bought 2 new pairs of shoes recently...

I do love animal print... especially leopard print & snake skin.  Crazy since I really HATE snakes.

Sooo...how about a little give-away to celebrate?  I have lots of extra unused Nikki Sivils' products to share with one lucky reader...the Ellies Day Out paper collection, buttons, brads, a mini book, 4 6x6 paper pads, stickers & Breadless Tabs... 

 

Just leave a comment on this post to be entered into the give-away.  Maybe you could tell me why you read my blog... is it to see my projects or perhaps because you love to see me mention Zumba for the 500th time?  LOL  I get a lot of hits every day, but only a few people leave comments so I'm just curious.  Curiosity killed the cat, you know, so maybe I shouldn't be curious?  Hmmm.

I'll leave commenting open until this Sunday, February 5 at 7pm Central time.  

And much thanks to those of you who have been visiting my blog over the years.  It's been nothing but a great experience in a FUN industry and I have loved every day of it!  Your comments keep me laughing, for sure!   

Big hugs...

Woot woot!!!

The Winter 2012 CHA Trade Show is well underway!  Did you know that Nikki Sivils was chosen for the "Service to Humanity" award by the CHA committee? 

"Nikki Sivils coordinated craft relief efforts following the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo., working with dozens of companiesto secure, organize and distribute $50,000 worth of donated scrapbook supplies to the victims of the tornado. On Sunday, July 10, 2011, Sivils and her team delivered 50 tubs filled with scrapbook supplies to crafters who lost everything in the tornado. The donated supplies also went to local schools, the Spiva Art Center in Joplin and were used for the children’s ‘Healing Through Art’ program. Her efforts following the disaster helped return some normalcy to the local area and scrapbooking community. Sivils selfless activity directly inspired two other craft relief efforts in Joplin where products and funds were raised for St. Mary’s Elementary School, as well as an art auction benefiting the City of Joplin."

Very, very cool!  Congratulations, Nikki!  You deserve it, girl! 

image source...

In other very exciting personal news... I just found out today that I'll be on the next sessions schedule at the YMCA with my own Zumba class on Monday mornings.  I AM SO EXCITED!!!  I've already been working on new routines, but this news will kick my butt into gear to come up with more!  My first class will be on February 20th. 

Woot woot!!!

Free printables...

I'm not participating in making a Project Life book... it's a bigger task than I'm willling to take on... but I did find quite a few FREE journaling card printables on Pinterest the other day.  And since I purchased some of Becky Higgins page protectors just to have the ability to make some quick & easy pages, I think these just might come in handy!  Plus... they are cute, cute, cute! 

Project life printables here.

Journal spots found here.

My lists tags found here.

There are LOTS of printables you can purchase, too, but I'm kinda diggin' the freebies! 

Have a GREAT week!  

A little too connected...

I have to admit...I have mixed feelings about Facebook lately.  It can be a good vehicle for getting hurt feelings.  You know the old saying... what you don't know (or see on Facebook) won't hurt you.  On the other hand, when I went to my 25th high school reunion, I felt like I was still in touch with a lot people BECAUSE of Facebook.  It gave you something to talk about....because you'd already been chatting online.  I liked that.  The majority of time when I'm on Facebook, though, there's something that makes me laugh...sometimes to the point of tears in my eyes.  I like that, too.  I like staying connected. 

Like I said... mixed feelings.   

So... I had a handful of photos from my 25th reunion that happened in September.  I wish I had taken more & especially wish I had one of just Sally, Steph & I since we've been friends forever (since 2nd grade with Sally & since 6th grade with Stephanie)... but I worked with what I had.  And as I was trying to decide what products to use with my photos, I noticed that there was a lot of green & yellow in the School Is Cool collection from Nikki Sivils.  And how perfect is that, since our school colors were green & gold? 

I added a brown Burlap Button to my camera punch-out & I also used some SRM stickers... We've Got Your Number & Class of '10...

 

Got my run in this morning & I'm almost finished choreographing a new Zumba routine...without any help from videos.  And it ain't easy peeps.  LOL

TGIF & have a fabulous weekend, everyone! 

Decaf venti soy latte please...

Seems like there's been quite a few birthdays lately among my friends.  Some BIG celebrations... & some more subdued lunches too.  I've been making a lot of birthday cards though & SRM stickers make the job a little easier.  For this particular card, I used a cardboard Starbucks sleeve to hold my note & a gift card for coffee, of course...     

It's "early release" day at school, so I'm off to pick up Bryn & do something fun together!  Too bad the weather is cold & rainy today...

I'm ready to "exit here"...really... I am...

A couple of my new projects were posted on the Nikki Sivils blog last week using the new "Exit Here" collection.  I love that she created a travel-themed collection this time, as we do a LOT of traveling every year.  In fact, we already have 4 trips planned between now and June!  Yay!  I'm so ready to get out of town!       

I'll be posting more of what I created for Nikki Sivils' booth at the Winter 2012 CHA Trade Show, the closer we get to it.  It's next week already!  If you're attending... look for Nikki's booth #3047.   

Also... there are some brand new badges to go along with Nikki Sivils' 4 new collections.  Post one of them on your blog... and you just might win that collection! 

 

 

Have a GREAT week! 

New product releases for SRM Stickers...

Have you seen the SRM Stickers blog recently?  This week they've been showing all the new products making their debut at the Winter 2012 CHA Trade Show at the end of the month.  My favorite of all the new releases are the ADORABLE border stickers!  LOVE THEM...

 

 

 

I also LOVE the new We've Got Your Invite stickers.  What an easy way to create party invitations!  I've been having lots of fun working on some new projects using the new stickers.  Here's a sneak peek...

Head over to the SRM Stickers blog for a chance to win some new SRM products!  There are 4 different chances to win, so become a follower of their blog & leave your comments!   

Have a FABULOUS weekend, everyone!  

New product releases for Nikki Sivils...

Head over to the Nikki Sivils' blog today to see all 4 brand new collections in detail, that will debut at the Winter 2012 CHA Trade Show at the end of this month! 

You can see each collection in it's entirety on the Nikki Sivils' blog.  I've only had the opportunity to work with the Exit Here collection, so I'm excited to work with the other 3 collections after CHA.  They are ALL so CUTE! 

Also, leave a comment on Nikki's blog for the chance to win the collection of your choice!  Woot woot! 

Craft Storage Ideas...

I found out yesterday that my craft room was featured on the Craft Storage Ideas website.  There are lots of other inspiring craft rooms there as well!  Check it out... it's a fun site! 

You can see more of my craft room right here.  Things have changed a bit since I posted that back in 2010... like our gecko & his little home that's been added to my room... but you get the idea.  ;-)

Off to Fed Ex... to send off 3 new pages, 4 new cards and 1 new mini book that I created using the brand new "Exit Here" collection from Nikki Sivils.  One of my new pages was posted on her blog yesterday.  You can see it here.  I LOVE that new collection!  If you're attending the CHA trade show... you can check out all the new projects & collections in her booth. I will also be posting mine here soon, so stay tuned for that...

Work it, baby...

Happy Martin Luther King Day...

I'm busy working-out & working.  It's a mad dash to finish up my projects for Winter 2012 CHA & get them mailed off in time for my deadline, while Bryn is busy playing with a neighbor friend today.  And speaking of my new CHA projects... have you seen the one that just got posted on the Nikki Sivils' blog?  You can check it out here, along with a detailed look at all the new papers, cut-outs & stickers included in the new "Exit Here" collection.  I adore that new collection... it's just too darn CUTE. 

As for the Nike ad... I tore it out of a magazine. 

It just spoke to me...

"I'm sorry... I'm booked..."

We had our 1st no-school snow day yesterday.  So Bob & I got 3 trips planned last night to 3 different warm-weather locations (what is it about snow that makes me long for some fun-in-the-sun?)... 

• A girls weekend for me in February to Phoenix
• A date weekend for Bob & me in March to Las Vegas
• A family trip to Bermuda in June for all of us (with Bob's company)

We just found out that Bob officially qualified for the Bermuda trip, so we're going out to dinner tonight to celebrate.  He was working really hard at the end of the year to make sure we went... I'm so proud of him.  Also keeping my fingers & toes crossed for a 4th warm-weather trip in the fall, but we'll see what happens.   

And speaking of travel... have you seen the sneak peek for the NEW "Exit Here" collection on the Nikki Sivils' blog?  CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!!!  Perfect for all my travel photos!

 

Happy Friday the 13th!  Have a GREAT weekend! 

Good news...

Check out the Nikki Sivils' blog today for the 2012 design team announcement.  I'm thrilled to continue working with Nikki, as her Retailer Program Coordinator, and have enjoyed being part of her team since the day her company hit the scrapbooking world!  Love her... love her products... love representing her company! 

Thank you again for the continued opportunity, Nikki, and a HUGE congrats to the new team members!  It's going to be a FUN year... and CHA is just around the corner!  Woot woot!!! 

Enough already...

I finished up my December Daily book just in time to get started on some brand new projects with some brand new product.  In fact, I just opened my new box this afternoon!  Woot woot!  The timing is perfect too, since I can no longer stand to look at anything Christmas until next December!  LOL 

My book was made almost entirely using the Nikki Sivils' Gingerbread Land collection.  The Becky Higgins page protectors, cut down to size, kept the design of my book cohesive... 

You can see the book in it's entirety right here.

And speaking of Nikki Sivils'... the new design team announcement for 2012 will be made on her blog tomorrow.  Very exciting!

Hala hala!

The Winter 2012 Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Trade Show is just around the corner and once again, I have the amazing opportunity to create projects to be on display there.  While I'd love to actually BE in Anaheim for the show, it's just as cool to have my work there representing me.  New product is on it's way to my door step & I'm excited to get to work, since I'll have a pretty quick deadline to meet.  I love this time of year!

While I'm waiting though, I'm still keeping up with some new found inspiration to finish pages using what I already have.  On this one, I used some Amy Tangerine paper for my background, some graph-patterned paper from Bryn's American Girl paper pad, and lots of SRM Thanksgiving & fall-themed stickers.  I just printed 6 wallet-size photos & then cropped them a bit smaller to fit...

I attended one CRAZY FUN birthday party on Saturday night.  Aside from my 40th birthday party, it was probably the most fun party I've been to since college.  Didn't get home & in bed until 2am.  Way too late for me... but totally worth it!  Love those girls! 

Happy Monday & have a GREAT week!     

"Old" is the new "new"...

Well... not really.  I love "new."  In fact, I just bought a lot of "new" today... like lots of fun blingy stuff for Zumba & going out on the town.  I even bought a couple birthday gifts today, too, so it wasn't all just for me... even though MOST of it was for me.  LOL  

But for the sake of this post... we'll just pretend that "old" is cool.  Because I have a TON of old product, not to mention a TON of photos that need to get into the books.  And since my goal this year is to get pages finished, whether they're "publishable" or not, I think I may be on a roll here!  Almost everything I used for these 3 pages was AT LEAST a year old, some of it a LOT older than that.  And of course... there's some SRM stickers on all pages.  LOVE those stickers...   

Photos scrapped... check.

Old stash reduction... check.

Don't care if I can post them anywhere but here... check, check, check!

And speaking of birthday gifts.... I have a fun birthday party to attend tomorrow night.  Belly dancers will be there and I'm sure we'll all be dancing as well!  Woot woooot!  Party pics next week!

Have a FABULOUS weekend everyone!  TGIF!

Resolutions...

I haven't really made a list of resolutions yet, but have a few in mind.  Like disconnecting from my phone more often & being more "present" when everyone's home.  Bryn gets on me about that.  I'd also like us to get back in a routine of going to church.  Seems that the busier the weekends get for us, the easier it is to sleep in on Sundays.   

Creatively-speaking, I have some goals in mind too... since I've been feeling uninspired & somewhat burnt-out for awhile now.  I want to get back to creating, just for the sake of creating so I can get photos & memories into the books.  I have so many photos of so many events that are piling up.  And then by the time I get around to doing something with them, I just can't remember the details as well for my journaling.  As far as I'm concerned, that's the most important part, so I feel like I've been failing there lately.

Like these photos for instance.  This night happened back in June.  And it's just one of many pages that I want to get to, but haven't yet... either because I've waited for the right product or I simply just had other things I'd rather do.  Either way, I want back that feeling of doing this because I LOVE it and it's important to me to document our lives... NOT just because I've made commitments to do it.  So when I'm not creating for one of the manufacturers I design for... I prefer to just use what's on hand.  I love to use a mix of products & manufacturers.  Is it the "right" way to design?  I don't really care whether it is or not!  It's me... and it's easier to stay true to me, than to force something else...       

Another page in the book! 

Off to my annual doctor's visit.  Had to say NO to shopping with a friend today because of it.  Now THAT sucks.  LOL

Top eleven in '11...

Happy 2012!  We had a FUN & memorable weekend... a great way to ring in the new year!  And the Zumbathon was a BLAST yesterday.  Getting my tired butt out of bed that morning was the most difficult part, but once I got there... all was GREAT!  Best way to start the new year EVER!   

And following suit in annual tradition of the yearly round-up... here's my top 11 favorite pages from the past year...

Some trends I noticed while reviewing my work from this past year:  stars, word bubbles, banners & 8x10 photos...cropped to fit.

At least you didn't have to see an over-abundance of clouds & rainbows though.  LOL   

Hope you all had a FUN weekend!  And here's to making 2012 a FABULOUS year!

"When I say dance... you dance... and when I say stop... don't move at all..."

I've managed to sneak in some time here & there to finish up 4 more days in my December Daily book.  Could I manage to sneak in some time to take down the Christmas decorations or clean the house?  Ummm... NO.  It's all about having the right priorities, my friends! 

Ok, well I did manage to un-decorate the mantel.  Yay, me.  But the rest of the house is going to have to wait until after we've hit 2012, because I have 2 days in a row of Zumba to do AND some ringing-in of the new year planned for tonight.  Again... it's all about priorities.          

The book has been created, almost entirely, using the Nikki Sivils' Gingerbread Land collection.  You can see all the pages (so far) right here. 

Also... I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone for your kind words & comments over the years.  In fact, in February it will be 4 years since I started this blog.  So much has changed in that time... even in just the past year.  This part of my life, though, has been a blessing for me and I'm truly grateful for all of it... especially for the 2 amazing manufacturers, Nikki Sivils and SRM Stickers, entrusting me to design for them.  It's been nothing but FUN for me with both companies! 

So...on this New Year's Eve, I just wanted to send best wishes to everyone for a very HAPPY, HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS 2012 full of much LOVE and many good MEMORIES!  Be safe tonight & have FUN! 

Big hugs + kisses... 

"She's got a thing for attention... I gotta say, this girl can dance..."

Before you get too impressed that I've already scrapped some photos from our Christmas... let's try to remember everything I HAVEN'T done yet... because the list is LONG.  Like, let's see... Halloween, Thanksgiving, my December Daily, the Mud Run, Austria, and at least 45 other events on my ever-growing list.  You feel much better now, right?  And I suddenly feel worse.  LOL

This one was easy peasy though.  I used Picnik to create my photo collage and the Nikki Sivils' Gingerbread Land collection to create my page.  You don't really have to add too much more to the cute little gingerbread house scene paper.  It makes it easy to create a page quickly.  Even though I like to take extra time obsesssing about details anyway...    

I added some Want 2 Scrap bling on my banner & also added some SRM Happy Holidays Sentiments to the top...

In other more exciting news... I subbed for a Zumba class this morning... my 3rd class ever.  I had a lot of people show up to dance with me, too, which was GREAT because it's normally a class that doesn't get high attendance numbers.  And even better... I get to take Zumba tomorrow in my weekly Thursday morning class that I attend AND I get to help teach at the Zumbathon on Sunday!  

Three days of Zumba this week... be still my heart!  Woot wooooooot!!! 

Christmas 2011...

Aside from my lingering head cold, sore throat, cough... oh and a 24-hour stomach bug that decided to hit me on Christmas Eve... Christmas was a blast.  We enjoyed every second with family... food, drinks, games, and so many laughs that it made my stomach hurt!  My dad is a total nut.  Hope your celebration was special too!

Also... just a quick reminder of the Nikki Sivils' design team call!  The deadline is the 28th, so hurry! 

"Wrap it up... I'll take it..."

Just trying to finish things up around here... wrapping gifts and also cleaning the house since we'll have my family here on Christmas Day.  The grocery store was mayhem today, as was Target's parking lot, but thankfully most people were smiling.  Love people that are smiling.  ;-)

Making gift tags is about as crafty as I could get for our gifts this year.  I used the Nikki Sivils' Gingerbread Land collection for my letter stickers.  I hand-cut my trees, stacked 2 of them on my hand-cut tag, machine-stitched it down the middle, then added a small folded piece of ribbon to the top & adhered it with a staple... 

... same process here, only this time I used a large snowflake punch & stacked 2 of those...

Notice how lazy I am at changing the thread on the sewing machine?  They all got green thread.  LOL

Also, just wanted to share this version of Ave Maria that put tears in my eyes the first time I heard it the other day.  What doesn't put tears in my eyes these days?   I have issues... like hormonal... LOL 

This is my last post for the week, so I'd just like to wish you all a very MERRY Christmas!  Enjoy your time with family & friends this weekend & make sweet memories.  And thank you SO much for always leaving such kind and funny comments.  You all keep me smiling, for sure!

XOXO...

You better not pout, I'm telling you why...

Well, today is the last day of school before Christmas break and I FINALLY started AND finished making the 28 treat bags for Bryn's class party when I got home from Zumba today... which, by the way, was amazing as always.  Not only am I "under-achieving" at creating these days, it's spilling over into everything I have to do.  Just can't seem to get motivated until I'm up against the clock & it's gotta get done this minute.  Is anyone else feeling like this during the holidays or is it just me? 

New Year's resolution #238... get inspired again. 

Off to school for a crazy 5th grade Christmas party!   

"Oh... sometimes... I get a good feeling..."

I think I'm going to have to rename this my December almost Daily mini book.  I had to skip a couple days last week to get caught up... just the 13th & 14th.  And probably the real reason is that I didn't have any photos from those days, nor could I think of anything earth-shattering that happened either.  Or rather, I could've thought of something, but I'm feeling the need to be an under-achiever right now.  LOL

Even though I've tried to simplify the process by using the divided page protectors, this book still takes a lot of time, thought & creativity... of which I seem to be majorly lacking these days!  I will finish it though... and hopefully without skipping any more days since Christmas is already here this weekend. 

I think I can... I think I can...

PLEASE make it go away...

Day #2 of a raging migraine.  But, the water has been shut off in our subdivision for some kind of water system repairs today, so I'm out & about until it resumes.  And besides, no amount of Advil helps my migraines and for some strange reason I do get an hour of relief when I'm working out (I guess it's adrenaline that helps?) so staying in bed is not an option anyway.  Thank goodness for Spin class... and a shower at the Y so I'm not a sweaty mess all day!

Bob & I had a fun "date night" on Saturday night, while Bryn & her cousin were with my parents.  They went to see a live "Grinch" show & then spent the night.  So, Bob & I had dinner at BARcelona, made a quick run through the mall to replace the gifts I had ordered online that never arrived in time because we needed them on Sunday (I'll have to ship those back now when they arrive!), then stopped for a glass of wine at Araka and spent the night at a hotel so we didn't have to drive home.  We had FUN!

On Sunday, we entertained Bob's daughter & her family, and Bob's niece for an early Christmas lunch since we won't see them on Christmas.  Another fun day with family... although I was the hostess without the mostess that day, since I was not feeling well.  I rallied though & made it through! 

Gonna have to get over all this SOON.  It's cramping my style and I've got too much to do!  LOL

Happy Monday and only 5 more days until Christmas Eve! 

Ho, ho, ho...

Who you callin' a ho?

I'm still on a Zumba high from this morning's pre-Zumbathon class with myself & 4 other fabulously fun instructors leading the way.  Such a BLAST.  The Zumbathon is gonna ROCK, people.  If you're local, PLEASE join us on New Year's Day from 10:30-12:30 at the Y.  Plenty of time to nurse your hangover & start 2012 off in a healthy and FUN way.  DJ Pru will be there with his strobe lights and I promise it will be worth your time!  No need to be a member either.  Message me for more details!!! 

Bryn has overnight Christmas plans with her cousin and my parents tonight, so Bob & I are off to our own overnight "date night" with plans to hit the city.  Love that.  But first the house needs to be cleaned & I need to get prepared for his daughter & her family coming over for an early Christmas lunch as soon as we get back home tomorrow.   

Oh & a couple of their gifts still haven't been delivered yet.  The joys of online ordering.  So not cool...  

"On Friday night... I'm sorry, I'm booked..."

As planned, I have continued with my quest to use photos from earlier this year.  And with the weirdly warm 60-degree weather we had yesterday, it doesn't seem too inappropriate to be posting a page about Easter in December since that's typical Easter-time weather.  Umm, right? 

I pulled out my Pink Paislee Hometown Summer collection & added some Easter SRM sticker sentiments.  Nothing too fancy here, but I can finally scratch this event off my list anyway...

Back to normal weather today and... 

• Had Aqua Jog & Zumba classes this morning.  Best day of the week! 
• Lunch with the girls.  Always fun & full of laughs.  Note to self... must see the movie "Hall Pass." 
• Early release day for Bryn & we were off to get a photo taken with Santa.  Even though she told me before we went in, that he wasn't "the REAL Santa."   I got a photo though... yay me!  
• Quick stops at Target & Michaels.  I feel like I'm spending too much time at both places lately & no, I'm still not finished with my Christmas shopping.
• Planning to start wrapping some gifts with Bryn's help today.  She's a really good wrapper.  Better than most adults.  Or at least better than her dad, anyway. 
• Going to a gift exchange party tonight with a bunch of girls from the Y.  Should be more laughs tonight for sure.   
• All of this, while nursing a sore throat for the past 2 days.  Obviously not bad enough to keep me in bed though.  I have to be REALLY sick for that.  And "I'm sorry... I'm booked!" 

"Here comes the rain again... falling on my head like a memory..."

I decided to take a little break from the cold weather + Christmas paper last night and went through old photos that I hadn't printed yet.  I've also had a couple pieces of paper & cut-outs from the Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer line sitting on my craft table for months and went with some photos from this summer.  It's always amusing to see photos of the 3 of us.  Stephanie has a way of making Sally & I look extremely pale.  LOL

I added some SRM sticker sentiments from the Hello set and some Glossy Accents on the tree.  It became apparent when I took this photo that I forgot one dot, too.  Too bad, so sad...

Love that yellow chevron so much. 

Planning to get to some more older warm weather photos later today, too.  I've got sun & the beach on my brain on this cold, rainy day... maybe that will help.  

"In the suburbs I, I learned to drive... And you told me we'd never survive, grab your mother's keys we're leavin'..."

It was another fun weekend, with more holiday celebrations!  Even Bryn got to have fun with friends all weekend.  Had to play a little bit of catch-up yesterday, but somehow I'm managing to stay current on my December book... 

You can see the book in it's entirety, to date, right here.

The majority of my book is being made with the Nikki Sivils' Gingerbread Land collection.  You can find Gingerbread Land online at Scrapbook.com... grab individual pieces or the entire collection!

Have a GREAT week, everyone!

"Good King Wenceslas looked out... on the feast of Stephen..."

Check out the Nikki Sivils' blog today for a chance to win a HUGE giveaway from Provocraft and also a chance to win Nikki's Gingerbread Land collection!

I have a couple Christmas cards on her blog today, too.  Both were made using the Gingerbread Land collection...

And... just to help get you into the spirit of Christmas... how about a little holiday music from one very crazy 10-year old who loves to use dramatic voices when she's on camera.  Not sure where the crazy comes from... because I'm perfectly normal, you know.  Also not sure why she's wearing our Mizzou tiger tail, that we hang from the back of our Tahoe for Mizzou games, as a headband.  I think we can just sum up all of those answers by saying... her & I have spent WAY too much time together in her last 10 1/2 years of life.  Poor thing... LOL

Have a FABULOUS weekend! 

I heart Photoshop...

We had a family photo shoot a few weeks ago.  It was great, for once, to not be the one behind the camera... or to be handing the camera off to someone else who you hope will take a clear photo.  Since most of the time when we have a family photo taken, it's with the self-timer on my camera, I decided this year we were going to hire someone to do it for us! 

If you're local & want an AMAZING photographer, check out Teri Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Fotography.  I know her from Zumba, but didn't realize until recently when I saw photos she took of my friend & her son, that she was also a photographer.  She's fantastic.  So nice, so great to work with & so thorough.  Seriously... she spent over 2 1/2 hours with us and took I don't know... 300 photos?  There were a lot! 

We were outside in downtown St Charles.  Kinda chilly that day, too.  All poses & backgrounds were her idea... we just did what she asked of us.  And can I just say that I love her Photoshop skills.  Airbrush us to the MAX please... LOL       

Just some of our favorite shots.  I'm sure you'll see these pop up again on future scrapbook pages.  ;-) 

Her rates are totally reasonable & worth every penny!  Find her on Facebook and check out her website for more information! 

"You want omelet or cereo?"

Well, I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel with regard to Christmas shopping.  It's more than half-way complete.  There are still a couple people I have absolutely no clue what to buy them, but I suppose I'll eventually have a sudden flash of inspiration.  And no I haven't even begun to wrap anything.  Wouldn't want to be too organized. 

I have the first 3 days of my December Daily finished.  While the divided page protectors make it easy for me to finish a page without much thought... the glare does pose a bit of a problem when trying to photograph the pages.

Off to make breakfast food for dinner.  We're eating in our pj's tonight.  It's a tradition we started several years ago & Bryn's favorite thing to do at Christmas time. 

And the title of this post... something my sister & I say to each other ALL.THE.TIME.  We had a flight attendant ask that to us & everyone else on a flight to St Thomas once & we've been repeating it over & over ever since then. 

I'm not sure English was her primary language, but I'll take cereo please...

"Pressure pushing down on me... pressing down on you no man ask for..."

Ok, so I caved... to the peer pressure I suppose. 

I've made a December Daily book for the past 3 years now.  This year I decided I was way too uninspired, way too short on patience & just frankly have too many things keeping me distracted right now that I wasn't going to tackle this book.  NO. NOT GOING TO DO IT.  But every single year by the end of the month, I'm really glad I took the time.  It even makes me think I can tackle a Project Life book when I'm finished.  And then I come back to my senses & realize it ain't happenin'!   

You can see my 2010 December Daily right here and 2009.  Couldn't find 2008 in it's entirety, but here's a day with some pages from that year's book.

I'm planning to use a mix of products for my book this year (ie. whatever I can find in my stash), but I'll probably use the Nikki Sivils Gingerbread Land collection for the majority of it... 

To add a little more interest & dimension to the cover, I used my Glossy Accents inside all the circles (you know I love that stuff)...

There's also a SRM Merry Christmas sentiment on there (well, of course!).  Speaking of SRM Stickers... check out their blog today for details on how to apply for their design team!  A new call has been posted today!

Before you get too excited about this book (because I know you're on the edge of your seats right now), please note the simplicity of all the pages.  I'm using some Becky Higgins 12x12 divided page protectors, cut down to size, so I can just stick my photos + journaling spots into place.  Quick & easy... hopefully without too much thought.  LOL 

Anyone else doing a December Daily this year?  Link me up in the comments.  Would love to see yours!

FREE printables for the holidays...

Head over to the Nikki Sivils' blog today for some FREE holiday card + envelope printables!

Simply save them to your computer, print them onto a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock, cut on the dotted lines & fold!

They are CUTE cards just as printed, but I embellished my set with some punch-outs from the Gingerbread Land collection, some patterned paper + a border punch and some bakers twine to finish it off.  I also added a little faux stitching with my black Sharpie.  Quick, easy and FREE cards!  What could be better than that?! 

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!    

"Hey good lookin'... whatcha got cookin'..."

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that my mom, sister & I were taking a cooking class at a local grocery store.  We get together to do these classes every once in awhile, not because we need to learn how to cook, but because it's a fun reason to get together.  Plus... usually they do the cooking for us, so we can just sit there & watch, eat & drink.  It's fun! 

This class, however, was held at a different store than we usually attend and we would find out upon arrival that it was a "hands-on" class... thus the aprons.  Wine bottles were opened first thing for all the students.  I was running a few minutes late that night because I couldn't find the store & must've missed the instructions that wine glasses were to be kept at our seats & not on the cooking prep counters. 

So about a half-hour into class, an older man (another student) says to me, "You're not supposed to have your wine glass on the counter." 

My mom, who also had her wine glass on the counter, said to me, "Oh, sorry, they did tell us that when we first got here. I forgot to tell you that.  I guess they're worried we might spill our wine or something."

I said, "Well, I'm going tell him I'm a professional and I never spill my wine while I'm cooking."

Seriously.  That would be a waste of wine.  LOL

Anyway... LOTS of SRM cooking-themed stickers on here.  The crossword puzzle paper is Kaisercraft's Class of '87 paper.  I was planning to use it with some other school paper I bought from that line, but I liked the idea of filling in the spaces with some of the cooking sentiments, so it ended up on here instead...

The paper with the fruit & veggies on it, is an old piece of Karen Foster paper I found in my stash. 

It's December 1st and holiday party season is officially starting.  Tonight is Bob's company Christmas dinner party.  Not the most exciting thing on my calendar, but must make an appearance!  LOL  Tomorrow night is a party with my college friends & Saturday night is a dinner with friends at a new restaurant.  Looking forward to a fun-filled weekend! 

Sunday, I shall rest.  And take Advil.  LOL 

Tis the season!

"Yeah right, picture that with a Kodak... or better yet go to Times Square & take a picture of me with a Kodak..."

It's the last day of November (man, that month went by fast)... so that means it's time for a new challenge on the Nikki Sivils' blog!  This month's challenge is to create a page using photos taken with your cell phone.   

I went with a recent photo I took of Bryn helping Bob put up the tree.  For those of you who haven't already read my Facebook status from that day, I'll repeat the story.  I had a moment of temporary insanity and allowed my 10-year old to talk me into putting up the tree the weekend before Thanksgiving. 

I told her, "We can put up the tree today, but we can't decorate it until next weekend because it's against the law to have your tree up before Thanksgiving." 

With a very concerned look on her face she said, "It is?"

I said, "Well... it's against MY law.  I can only celebrate one holiday at a time."

I used the Gingerbread Land collection to create my page... 

Love the little tree & ornament punch-outs.  Makes it so easy to embellish a page.  Need some inexpensive red + white bakers twine?  Check out my ETSY SHOP!

So... join us in this month's challenge!  Use at least 75% Nikki Sivils' products (old or new) for your page and post your link here for a chance to win the Nikki Sivils' collection of your choice!  The deadline for the challenge is December 31.

Happy Wednesday!  I'm off to Spin class...  

"Jack & Jill went up the hill, each with a buck and a quarter... Jill came back with two-fifty... a working girl, now work it girl..."

6 days without blogging & I'm not even on vacation.  What up with that? 

Aside from being totally uninspired & lacking in motivation to do anything scrapbooking-related lately, here's a little of what's been going on around here lately & keeping me busy... 

... a family photo shoot (more on that later)...

... had a moment of temporary insanity & allowed a 10-year old to talk me into putting the tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving...

... prepared this turkey (inspired by an image on Pinterest), since I SUCK at the Butterball version...

... found out at 7am on Thanksgiving morning that I was going to have to teach the 75-minute Zumba class at 9:15am, when my friend/Zumba instructor said she was sick.  Created a playlist & burned a cd at lightening speed to prepare for the class.  Had about 70 people in the gym that morning... total BLAST...

... spent the rest of the day at my parent's house with my family... being thankful, eating, drinking & playing board games...

... saw 2 awesome movies in one weekend with our friends... (Jack & Jill was HILARIOUS, especially since I was seeing it with my friend, who's a TWIN... LOL)...

     

... some Christmas shopping online AND at the mall...

... wore this mini dress & these thigh-high boots to a dinner with friends and someone said to me, "Cute dress!  Missoni, right?" to which I replied, "Ummm, no... this would be the much lower priced knock-off."  (as in Forever 21... LOL)...

... helping spread the word about the upcoming ZUMBATHON at the O'Fallon YMCA on New Year's Day morning, with DJ Pru, strobe lights, prizes & the BEST WORK-OUT EVER to start your 2012 off right!  EVERYONE welcome & I'll be helping teach a few songs, just sayin'...

... back home from an awesome Spin class now & I'm determined to get to work and meet a deadline that's looming.  In major need of inspiration! 

SOS please someone help me... 

I get by with a little help from my friends...

Let me begin by saying that the title of this page is not meant to be taken seriously... it's just meant to be funny.  I'm blaming Pinterest for it.  I pinned this poster awhile ago because it just reminded me of my crazy friends...     

    

pinterest

Since there was a lot of crazy colors & prints in our dresses, I went with a very colorful background and title, but tried to anchor it all with white directly behind the photo.  I also threw in some SRM sticker sentiments, of course! 

I'm really thankful for those 4 girls. 

It's not every day that you meet someone so cool... let alone 4 people so cool.  We have a lot of crazy fun times together, but this past year has had it's share of tears too.  Somehow even through sadness though, we always end up laughing about something.  And I mean laughing really hard.  We all have each other's backs & we're there to pick each other up when we fall.  

And I mean literally, too.  That's happened.  LOL 

Zumba may be what brought us all together, but it's really liking each other's company that makes us want to spend more than just that hour we have at the Y every day.  And when one of us moves, or one of us isn't at lunch or at a night out... it isn't quite the same.  We miss who's not there.    

I speak for myself when I say all this, but I'm pretty sure we all feel the same way.  And with Thanksgiving coming up, I guess I'm just feeling thankful for many things... especially good friends.   

Have you heard...

Head over to the Nikki Sivils' blog today for the new 2012 Design Team call announcement!

I've been designing for her since her company hit the industry 3 years ago & I can say nothing but positive things about her AND her products.  It's a wonderful opportunity! 

You can find all the details on how to apply right here.

Good luck and have a GREAT weekend, everyone! 

"We ain't done... I said we ain't done..."

I'm meeting my mom & sister for a cooking class tonight.  We all know how to cook... pretty well, I might add... but it's always a blast & an excuse to get together so we try to do it a few times a year.  We're going to a new place tonight.  Hoping it's like the other ones we've attended where it's NOT a hands-on class.  I can cook at home, so I prefer to watch someone else do the cooking & be served, thank-you-very-much.  LOL  We'll see what happens.

Anyway, more often than not, if we're getting together my mom will ask me to bring a wedding card for her.  She has this thing about giving cards that have a "DKM" logo stamped on the back of them.  (DKM... as in mine & my sister's first initials.)  I NEVER have wedding cards already made.  NEVER.  In fact, the only time I make them is when she's going to a wedding, which seems to be quite often.  It's endearing & annoying all at once.  LOL 

So, I mentioned at breakfast this morning to Bob & Bryn that Grandma had asked me to bring a wedding card tonight, so I had to make one for her today. 

Bryn said, "Another wedding?!  How many weddings does Grandma go to every year... 70?!"

I said, "Actually I think it's 71.  And I should know because I have to make a card for every single one of them!" 

Frankly, this card looks more like it should be for a new baby... girl, that is... but I just don't have much in the way of wedding-themed stash sitting around (aside from my SRM Stickers) & the pink crepe paper was still on the brain... so it is what it is. 

All stamped & ready to go. 

Now let's eat...

"It's just another manic Monday..."

Well, it's Monday... and I have to say, I'm looking forward to Tuesday.  There's something about that monthly massage at Massage Envy that makes me feel like I don't have a care in the world.  Even if it is only for an hour... LOL

Here's something that put a smile on my face today... this sweet memory from back in May that I finally got around to documenting.  Just a random mix of products here... so what else is new?   And of course, at least one SRM sticker always finds it's way onto my pages these days.  The "celebrate" sticker was actually from an anniversary-themed set, but it works for any celebration & I liked the gold color for this page...  

I machine-stitched my border and used a Bazzill Just The Edge border strip with some Nikki Sivils' Burlap Buttons.  I pleated 2 rows of pink crepe paper underneath...

And on a different note...

A friend from scrapbook.com asked if she could feature me on her blog this week.  You can see Laurie's first post here.  She posted some of her favorite pages of mine & had me answer a list of questions.  I love how she said, "Let's dig into the colorful and Zumba-filled world of Deana."  My reputation precedes me... LOL  She also asked for a favorite recipe of mine & she'll be featuring that this week, too.  Thanks again, Laurie.  That was fun! 

Have a great week, everyone!

Now that's a STEAL...

 

Check out Scrapbook Steals today only (November 12th) for Nikki Sivils' Gingerbread Land collection!  It's perfect for the upcoming holidays and at only $12.99... it's a STEAL! 

11.11.11 Operation Write Home Blog Hop...

In honor of Veteran's Day... SRM Stickers is participating in the Operation Write Home Blog Hop, along with 10 other manufacturers in the industry.

 

About Operation Write Home:

 

OWH is a 501(c)(3) organization; we send blank handmade cards to deployed service members so they can write home to their families. As of May 2011, we've sent one MILLION cards!

 

The seed of the 11.11.11 idea:

 

This special hop was dreamed up by the OWH blog team - 12 creative women who brainstorm new ways to use blog technology to both inspire and entertain our donors. Celebrating our veterans - both those who have returned home AND those currently serving - is something we love to do, and we're so glad you're joining in with us! We're delighted to share our favorite companies in eleven sectors of cardmaking (two paper because we just adore paper!) - and allow YOU to share your passion for our troops, present some of your wonderful products, and to provide your well-known stamp of approval on our organization too!

I used SRM's 4th of July stickers + their We've Got Your Sticker Plus - Flower stickers for the "thank you" sentiments on my card...

Head over to the Operation Write Home blog for details on how to participate in this cause AND in this weekend's blog hop. 

Also... leave a comment on the SRM Stickers blog for a chance to win a SRM Stickers prize package!

Happy Veteran's Day... and thank you to all of our men & women in the military!

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

Abnormally "normal..."

I received the results from my annual mammogram yesterday and all is normal...in that area anyway.  As for my brain, I'm not so sure sometimes...

SRM "Celebrate Life" stickers found here.

"Yeah, you keep me holding on in Red Hill Town..."

We painted the town red Saturday night.  Well... I was wearing my red pants anyway.  We started with dinner at Modesto Tapas Bar on The Hill.  Haven't been there in at least 5 years, maybe more.  Always yummy food & it's just a great restaurant.  Bob forgot he had told them we were celebrating our anniversary when he made the reservation & they brought us each a glass of champagne.  Nice!  Didn't get to meet up with my sister & her friends afterward, as our dinner finished before theirs... and quite frankly we're just getting too old to stay out all night.  So we stopped at Bailey's Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square on the way home for dessert... some "Chocolate Inebriation."  Bailey's is one of my favorite little hip & swanky places to go after dinner.  It's always packed there, so we're obviously not the only ones who love it.  If only they were closer to home.  Or maybe that would be a bad thing... ;-)

Here's another page using more of the photo collages created with Picnik.  It's just makes it too easy to put a lot of photos onto a page.  And what can I say... I find it difficult to just use one photo to sum up an event.  Maybe that makes all my pages look the same.  I do not care.  LOL  

 

I used a few SRM stickers on here, including the running shoes + lots of Bella Blvd...

 

Happy rainy Monday!  Have a GREAT week, everyone!

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks..."

A little retail therapy at it's finest...

I think I've got things covered from day to night!  For a little while anyway.  You know what I'm sayin'... ;-)

It's Friday!  Headed out for some fun with the girls tonight, Spin class tomorrow morning & then it's "date night" tomorrow night, when we'll hopefully catch up with my sissy & her crazy friends for a bit after our dinner on "The Hill."  I do love having plans...

Have a FABULOUS weekend, everyone!     

Your world is a mirror...

Your judgments about other people say more about you than
they do about the people you're judging. The reason you can
detect the weaknesses and insecurities of others is because
you have experienced those same weaknesses and insecurities.

Similarly, the reason you're able to see beauty in others is
because that beauty lives in you as well. The positive
possibilities you see for others are, in many ways, your
possibilities too.

It's very helpful to think of the world outside of you as a
mirror. Whatever you see beyond you in some way reflects
what is inside you.

The most powerful and effective way to improve the world
around you, is to improve yourself. The best way to bring
real value into your life, is to create real value for
others.

What you admire and appreciate and support in others, grows
stronger within you as well. When you seek to understand,
you will be understood, and when you listen thoughtfully,
you will be heard.

Your world is a mirror, so choose each day to show it your
best, most loving and supportive face. And you'll be
delighted with the face you see looking back at you.

Ralph Marston

"Super freak... super freak... that girl's a super freak..."

Our Halloween was...well...I can't say I remember another Halloween quite like it! 

We had fun with friends, the costumes were all fabulous, Bryn made a haul on the sweets & our pumpkin got carved just in time for the Trick-or-Treaters... which we seemed to have much LESS of this year.  All in all, it was quite the eventful holiday... 

Happy Halloween!

There's lots of Halloween cards posted on the Nikki Sivils' blog today... all created with the Boo-tiful and My Lil' Monster collections.  I added a SRM Halloween sticker sentiment to mine, since the colors in my card aren't your typical Halloween-ish colors.  

Also... a new challenge was posted on Nikki's blog yesterday... to create a page using black + white photos along with any of Nikki's collections for the chance to win the collection of your choice!  Link your entries up here by November 28th.

Happy Trick-or-Treating!  Have a safe & fun Halloween! 

Scrapbook Steals...

Check out Scrapbook Steals today for the Nikki Sivils' Beatrice collection.  You get the entire collection for only $10.99, which is 51% off the retail price! 

How GREAT is that?! 

"... this FREESE frame moment can't be wrong... "

Somehow I managed to miss the end of the best baseball game ever.  At least as far as Bob's concerned.  Who knew?  I went to bed during the 7th inning of game #6 of the World Series, when we were losing 7-5, because I had to get up early today.  Apparently shortly after that, is when all the excitement began.  Let's just say, I could NOT believe it when I got up at 5:45 to run before my (& Bryn's) dentist appointment this morning, that the Cardinals won the game.  All I can say is... there's no way St Louis won't win it tonight.  NO. WAY.  The Cardinals fans are going to be cray-cray Downtown tonight... and, well... everywhere.  Freese is the man!   

And speaking of my dentist appointment...  I left his office in tears this morning.  I've been able to get to know the people in his office pretty well over the past year with all my dental work and also because his office is in the same building as Bob's and they're friends.  So when his dental assistant said hello to me before my appointment, I asked how her mom was because the last time we spoke she had cancer.  She told me she passed away 11 days ago.  So... she talked & talked about everything.  I started to get teary-eyed, but she had to get to her next appointment so I kept it together.  Then, after my hygenist finished with me, she came in & sat down by me while I was waiting for the dentist and started talking about her mom again AND brought up my sister.  I don't always cry when I talk about Kaysy, but between her losing her best friend & me losing mine, my voice was cracking... tears... everything.  And all I had was that damn bib they tie around your neck to dry my tears.  Then she told me she was taking "pills" because it was the only way she could keep from wanting to jump off a cliff and I thought, "Can you give me some?  Because I'm a mess right now."  LOL!  Good grief.  I was still crying when I got in the car.  Bryn just looked at me like I was nutty. 

And umm... I am. 

Anyhoo... you already know that, so here's something you don't know about... this new page.  I'm still digging through my new American Crafts stash... mixing up my City Park, Amy Tangerine & Margarita collections.        

... there's those buildings again... ;-)

There now.  I feel better just thinking about fun times with my friends.  And more fun this weekend, too, with an upcoming Halloween party.  I'll be dressing up as "Pocahottie."  Not kidding.  That really is the name of the costume.  And Bryn decided to be an Indian, too.  Minus the "hottie-ness."  LOL  So, of course, that means Bob's going to have to be a cowboy.  Cowboys + Indians... it just makes sense. 

But first, a friend of Bryn's is staying the night for a sleep-over tonight AND then Zumba tomorrow morning.  Can't wait... I ♥ ZUMBA!

And for the first time in 10 1/2 years, I just officially became an employee.  Part-time... at the Y... as an instructor.  This is what happens when you love Zumba as much as I do.  Your friend manages to make you start working again and suddenly becomes your boss.  Gotta love it!  LOL 

FYI... Zumbathon coming up at the YMCA.  New Year's Day.  It's for a GREAT cause & I guarantee it will be your BEST 2 hours EVER.  More information to come... so mark your calendars if you're local!