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I'm buried in paper & gluesticks & Nutmeg. Life is good...

So, yes, we are home!  Other than Bryn's suitcase getting lost in travel, it was a good trip home.  And, thankfully, Southwest did deliver it to us first thing Sunday morning because my running shoes were packed in there!  Saturday night I unpacked at lightening speed, cleaned up the house, went through the mail & got everything back in order right away, so I could jump into my November Hip 2B Square kit that was waiting for me in our held mail!  I addition to the CUTEST main kit + add-on kit EVER, Kimberly also mailed me an extra kit full of the new Crate Paper line (rainbows & clouds... I'm in HEAVEN) to do a special project.  What a great box to come home to...

The possibilities of the November kit are ENDLESS.  Do NOT miss out on this one!  I made 6 layouts (one of which is a 2-pager), a Halloween mini book + 4 cards... all since late Saturday night.  I could make more, but I have a deadline to meet, so I'm stopping there.  LOL!  A week away from the craftroom definitely helps with creative mojo.  Here's a sneak...

It was also REALLY good to go back to my Zumba class this morning.  I LOVE to travel... but there's no place like home.  Happy Monday!

Inspired again...

... by Pottery Barn Kids.  I saw this baby bedding the other day while Bryn was flipping through their catalog.  She said to me, "Isn't this cute, Mommy?"  I said, "Tear that out for me, please.  I'm going to make a sailboat for a card or something." 

Gotta love having a daughter with an eye for design...

When I saw the green gingham on one of the sailboats, I immediately thought of Nikki Sivils My Sweet Cherry Pie line.  Then I added some Henry's Brilliance, a yellow cord brad, a craft flag & Willie Bees font stamps for the number 2...

I also used a small star punch & did some machine stitching in red, just to add another color.

And here's a special birthday card for Evan who will be 8 on the day that he gets to go with his dad & Bob to his first Mizzou football game in 2 weeks...

We just gave him his ticket last weekend.  He was a bit excited to say the least!

Check out this challenge on Nikki Sivils blog!  The winner walks away with all of this...

 

I cannot say enough how CUTE that Christmas line is!

We're on our way home today!  Have a GREAT weekend everyone! 

It's been a great week, but I'm ready to get back to my craftroom. You know what I'm sayin'...

We've been coming out here, anywhere from 1-4 times a year, for the past 6 years now because we purchased 2 time-shares.  It's the equivalent of 2 or 4 weeks depending on how we book our time.  We have our routine & certain places we go when we're here.  Most of the places we like are places we don't have at home.   However, the majority of our time out here is simply about rest & relaxation.  There's always so many "to-do's" on our lists at home, that we just do a lot of hanging-out here.  Even if it's 110 degrees here & 100 degrees + humidity at home... it's a change of scenery.  And that's good.   

But sometimes you're just looking for something else to do, that maybe we haven't done yet.  So yesterday, Bob suggested driving to a little shopping area called The Boulders.  He'd been there once about 20 years ago.  I guess that should have been my first clue... 

B.O.R.I.N.G.  I'm just not into Arizona fashion, decorating, knick knacks, etc.  You know what I mean... like the Southwest stuff?  Bob secretly loves it.  I do not. 

We were there less than an hour... maybe even less than a 1/2 hour before we left.  I did leave with a little something for my friend, Christa, though.  And, Christa will be happy to know it was not Southwest-ish, because I'm just sure that she's with me on the not-liking-Southwest-stuff thing.  But she & I can totally relate to the humor in it, as she is my fellow wine snob!

We're getting carry-out tonight from PF Changs & packing for our trip home tomorrow.  I have LOTS of scrapping material & a Hip 2B Square kit waiting for me...

Out & about...

Yesterday we decided to do something other than the pool.  So... we worked out after breakfast & then hit Whole Foods for lunch.  Bryn loves to eat... not sure where she gets that?  She had grilled chicken, veggies, salad, antipasto & a Chinese orzo pasta salad for her lunch... all chosen by her.  I often hear parents bargaining with their kids over veggies (or just giving into them NOT eating them) & think, "What up with that?"  Clearly the parents must not eat veggies or the kids would grow up not knowing otherwise...

Then it was on to CrackerJax for some outdoor fun.  Not a lot of people there, as it was in the 90's today... only the crazy tourists.  We started with miniature golf & for the first (& probably ONLY time ever), I kicked Bob's butt.  And believe it or not, Bryn came in 2nd place.  Not sure what was up with the golfer in our house, but he was having a bad day.  Par was 41.  I shot 36, Bryn shot 44 & Bob came in last with 45.  I did not rub it in or anything.  Nope, I would never do that. 

Then we did the go-karts.  First time I've done those in YEARS.  First time Bryn's done the FAST ones EVER...

And then the bumper boats...

Bryn spent most of her time under the spray of water (which would be why I passed on that fun event). 

Then back to the villa to get ready for dinner with Sally!  Went to Gordon Biersch in Tempe for dinner.  Love that area.  Reminds me of the 1/2 marathons we've run & since it's near the ASU campus... well... gotta love being in a college town. 

Cool sunsets here, but we have WAY better clouds at home.  :-)

We've been friends since 2nd grade.  And I'm never not laughing when we're together.  Love her.  If only Stephanie were here, then things would really get outta control.  The ol' cheeleading pyramids usually happen when the 3 of us get together.  We're kinda dorky that way.  

Oh & ps... Sally's opening an ETSY shop, that should be up REAL SOON.  You're not going to want to miss this... 

Love you Sal, Scott & Mol!  Miss you Steph, Curt, Hannah & Alexandra!  

More fun in the sun...

More fun at the pool yesterday.  Bryn's getting pretty good at basketball...

Then we were off to see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs in 3D, where we were the ONLY people in the theater...

 

It was a cute movie & funny, too!

We also got to see Julie & her sweet family one more time after dinner (at the Yard House), so we could return her gift from Sarah that she left at our villa.   

My family is always good sports about taking photos & I found that the deck of our villa had a good background for it.  If I had been thinking ahead, I would've packed color-coordinating outfits for us.  But it was impromptu, since we had a few extra minutes before leaving for the movie...

 

They will probably end up on a layout soon, but it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas cards, too. Not that I really WANT to think about Christmas cards, Christmas shopping, decorating, etc... but it is right around the corner I guess. 

Today, we're going to do something other than the pool & then we're meeting my friend Sally for dinner!  Can't wait to see her! 

Just add some Sprinkles...

Had a nice & relaxing day yesterday... worked out in the morning & spent a couple hours at the pool.  We made plans to meet up with Sarah & Gloria again to return their gift from Julie that they had left at our villa.  We met at Sprinkles!  I've heard so much about their cupcakes, primarily from Sarah, & all I can say is sooo CUTE & sooo YUMMY!   

Although after reading the descriptions of all the cupcakes I thought, "I'll have one of each please!" we showed some restraint & left with only 4... pumpkin, mocha, red velvet & banana.  Sarah & Gloria were better & only left with 1 each.  (Although... they have Sprinkles at home & we do not!) 

We tried 2 of them after dinner last night (at Buca di Beppo) split them down the middle so Bob & I could each try both... the pumpkin & the banana.  YUMMO!  Bryn enjoyed an ice cream sundae... vanilla soy ice cream, fresh strawberries & banana slices + some cinnamon cookie crumbles on top.  We were all happy. 

And tonight... we try the remaining two... :-)

Meeting online friends...

... is really FUN!  We planned to get together with Julie months ago during our stay here, but I was also able to talk Sarah into flying here to meet with us, too!  We invited everyone over to our villa for the evening.  Bob BBQ'd chicken, burgers & hot dogs and I had some shrimp cocktail & other appetizers to start.  Plus I did a very small amount of Halloween treats... not easy to do when you're traveling.  Bob laughed when he saw my little ghost yard with alphabet cookies.  I said, "Hey, we have a 3-yr old coming over.  She'll like it!"

 

It was fun to get together with everyone & their families...

There were quite a few photos taken last night between the 3 of us...

Thanks for all the SWEET gifts, too, girls!  Bryn has already named her Build-a-Bear bear from Sarah & Gloria, "Buddy," and she got up this moring & started painting again on her new tea set from Julie & her family.  Plus... I received a big package of scrapping goodies from Sarah & Gloria & some pretty candles & a cool difuser from Julie's family!  Sooo sweet!

We've already worked out this morning & now we're off to the pool.  Life is rough...

So glad to see the sun...

We've arrived!  I'm not sure why, but it always takes FOREVER to get your luggage from the baggage claim at this airport.  A mere 35 minutes this time.  Always fun when you're REALLY hungry.  Bryn was dressed for the occasion though, wearing her pumpkin t-shirt that I made with a blingy iron-on & her Halloween knee socks from Aunt Marci... 

 

She was a little disappointed after getting into costume after dinner last night & heading outside for the "haunted pool."   We found out the haunted pool was actually the night prior & not last night as they had told us when we called from home a few days ago.  They did, however, have s'mores at a campfire & the "Casper the Friendly Ghost" movie showing outside over at the resort, so she got to enjoy the night after all.  And there were other kids in costume, too, so she wasn't the only one missing out on trick-or-treating this year...

 

After lunch yesterday, I visited Anthropologie with the intent of finding a few party favors for our guests today.  I did find something, but also left with a really CUTE tulip dress that was marked $39.95, originally $128.  It's looks better on, than on the hanger... one those things I'm glad I tried on & not just passed by...

 

I like the the cotton tank paired with the black, silk bottom, & the high-waisted sash.  I also left with a long necklace, too...

I think I visit that store every time we come here, as it's only 2 minutes away.  

After running this morning, I saw this Shopbop email & thought, "Ok, I have almost this exact same outfit... black faux fur vest, black slouchy suede boots & a very similar dress."  Now... where do I wear it?  I think a "date night" is in order... 

Off to the pool for awhile & then it's time to get ready for the party! 

Happy Halloween...

After getting made-up for her costume party last night Bryn said, "I don't even recognize myself."

Hope your Halloween is full of lots of sweet treats!  Ours will be full of some fun in the SUN + a "haunted pool" tonight! 

I ♥ to travel...

 

A new challenge is up at These Are A Few of My Favorite Things!  This time we want to know... where was your favorite trip/vacation?   I've been to so many beautiful places & had so many good trips & memories, but one stands out as my best.  It was our 10-day trip to Spain (Madrid & Marbella) & Portugal (Lisbon).  It was my first trip ever with Bob (about 11 years ago) & we had a blast!  Some day, we'll have to return.  I used a combination of products on the page + a map that I found with all the old photos. 

Check out the blog for more inspiring ideas.  There are 3 prizes up for grabs this time, so we'll be picking 3 winners!!!

We are busy packing & getting ready for another trip... one that, according to the 10-day forecast, will involve a lot of SUN.  It will be shocking to actually see some sun, as it's raining yet AGAIN today!  

Right before we left to get Bryn's hair cut yesterday, we noticed a package on the front porch for Bryn.  It was a HUGE package of scrapbooking supplies from my blog friend Nicole...

Thank you SO MUCH, Nicole!  You are just so kind & generous.  You certainly put a huge smile on Bryn's face yesterday! 

And she decided to go shorter...

 

I think she looks cute!  

One more thing... TODAY ONLY... use this coupon for 50% off EVERYTHING AT PAYLESS.  Bryn needs new ballet shoes & maybe tennis shoes, too.  So we're there!   

Sometimes over the top... I guess...

Yesterday, with a 50% off coupon in hand, I purchased this Martha Stewart border punch set at Michaels.  I was surprised that I was able to use it, as I thought all the Martha Stewart stuff was already on sale 25% off, meaning I couldn't use the coupon.  However, it's a new item in her Christmas line, so either it wasn't entered in their system correctly or the sale didn't apply to the new stuff.  Either way though, I came out with a GREAT deal!  

 
As you can probably imagine, I've already been at work using it.  So... much to your dismay, you'll be seeing a lot of that soon!  LOL!   

Bryn has no school today or tomorrow.  I love when she's home.  She does, too.  We are going to get her hair cut (in the pouring down rain... so what else is new?) & then she has dance class tonight.  I have a headache right now.  I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Bob & I thought it would be a good idea to drink wine, eat popcorn & watch some Dr. Oz on the DVR last night.  But... my day goes on as planned!  

The always creative Jing-Jing passed on an award to me... thank you, my friend!  It's a fun & fast one, since you can only give 1-word answers. 

 

1. Where is your cell phone?  counter
2. Your hair?  highlights

3. Your mother?  generous
4. Your father?  hilarious

5. Your favorite food?  everything  
6. Your dream last night?  weird
7. Your favorite drink?  water
8. Your dream/goal?  attainable 
9. What room are you in?  craftroom
10. Your hobby?  scrapbooking

11. Your fear?  snakes 
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?  here
13. Where were you last night?  gymnastics
14. Something that you aren't?  lazy
15. Muffins?  no

16. Wish list item?  Invisalign  
17. Where did you grow up?  St.Louis
18. Last thing you did?  lunch
19. What are you wearing?  clothes 
20. Your TV?  DVR   
21. Your Pets?  none

22. Friends?  awesome 

23. Your life?  happy   
24. Your mood?  happy
25. Missing someone?  forever

26. Vehicle? Tahoe
27. Something you're not wearing?  shoes 
28. Your favorite store?  Target   
29. Your favorite color?  pink
30. When was the last time you laughed?  today

31. Last time you cried?  recently 
32. Your best friend?  funny 
33. One place that I go to over and over?  YMCA   
34. Facebook?  hardly

35. Favorite place to eat?  CheesecakeFactory

I need to pass this award on to five people... Sally, Stephanie, Vickie, Beth P. & Erin (who hasn't posted in about 2 months!  LOL!)

It better not be raining in Arizona or I may lose my mind...

Seriously.  We have had so much rain this month, that it's a record amount of rain here for October since they started keeping weather records back in the 1800's.  It's really getting old. 

 

So, I thought making something sweet & girly might help!  I used the new North Pole Nights Christmas line + some Victoria's Street + one of the chipboard houses from the chipboard house mini album all from Nikki Sivils to make a non-Christmas layout...

 

Sweet.  But it's still raining. 

 

I had Bryn's parent/teacher conference this afternoon.  She's doing really well... straight A's, good student, good friend to her classmates... and I know for a fact that she LOVES school.  So, basically I coudn't ask for anything more.  I am very, very proud of her. 

 

We finished homework after school & then my parents came over for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow is Bryn's last day of school for awhile.  Thursday & Friday are no school days due to teacher conferences.  So, I lined her up a haircut & a check-up with her allergist on those days.  Gotta fit those things in when you can!

 

Getting inspired to pack.  And I don't mean an umbrella either... 

A HERO's welcome home...

Well, Vickie, I hope you don't mind... but I stole some photos from your blog yesterday.  Your post was really moving & I've been wanting to do something for you for awhile now, so here it is.  Will send it to you this week... 

   

Vickie's husband, Steve, just returned home a little over a week ago after 6 months at sea with the US Navy.  She is essentially a single mom, raising their daughter, Hailey, while he is away.  They are 2 of the many unsung heroes... he helping to defend our country, she having the strength to share him with us & keep things going at home.  I have no idea what it must feel like to have to say goodbye to your husband for 6 months at a time, but I do know that Vickie seems to do it with grace & manages to be a great mom in the process.  She is an inspiration & I just wanted to say THANK YOU, Vickie... to you & your sweet family.  

Go leave her some love here... 

A HEALTHY "cowgirl"... YEE HAW!

Bryn went back to school yesterday & is feeling MUCH better!   Today she was ready & looking forward to her class party! I find it curious that we can't call this party a HALLOWEEN party, but rather a FALL party.  Yet, they are supposed to wear costumes.  However... the theme for the 3rd graders this year is "children around the world" which is good, because that gives you a LOT of options.  We went with a cowgirl & didn't have to buy a thing for Bryn to wear (always nice!).  Her favorite part of the costume was the "freckles."  She's all about the makeup...

 

She wants to be a vampire for a costume party she's attending next Friday night.  I found a cape & some "teeth" for about $8.  If I can get away with spending less than $10 on 2 costumes this year, I think that might be a record! 

I made some quick gift tags to put on some teacher's treats for the party today...

And the party was FUN & a success!  (And I'm glad it's over.  On with my weekend!) 

We have really good tickets for the Mizzou Homecoming game tomorrow, but when they finally announced the game time as 7pm we were really disappointed.  Not sure yet if we want to be outside that long with Bryn & have her get sick again after we've made it through this flu week so well.  We'll see what happens!

Happy Friday everyone!

Who wants to win some CASH & prizes?

 

My friend Jing-Jing is a desinger for Purple Cows.  They have this insanely cool contest going on for their designers.  The design team member that has the most referrals wins $2000!  If she wins, she's planning to share some cash with someone who has mentioned her name as a referral!   

In order to help her out...   

Step 1: Sign up to follow Purple Cows blog: Purple Cows Blog, or sign up to be a fan Purple Cows Facebook Fan Page. Be sure to say that Jing-Jing sent you!

Step 2: Once you have signed up and used Jing-Jing as a referral, please let her know so she can enter you into her own drawing at the end of the contest. If she wins the $2000, she will paypal her winner $200, so tell your friends, too!  Even if she doesn't win, she will still have a drawing and send out a scrappy RAK!   "It'll be good stuff."

 

And... there's a public contest going on at Purple Cows as well, with more CASH & PRIZES up for grabs, too.  Check out their blog for more details & a photo of the prize. 

 

Let's all help Jing-Jing!  She is a sweetheart, an inspiring designer & she deserves to win this generous prize!

Treat bag tutorial & a sneak...

Bryn is doing much better today.  While technically she has been fever-free for 24 hours now, I opted to keep her at home 1 more day just to make sure she's 100%.  She still has a bit of a cough, so she's probably better off not being back at the germ center school right now.  Thank you SO MUCH for all your well wishes, thoughts & prayers.  Can never have too many of those! 

Friday is Bryn's school Halloween Fall party.  I've been seeing some projects lately using crepe paper & thought I'd attempt something with the kid's treat bags.  While at Michaels the other day, I saw some paper ribbon in the gift wrap area & thought that might be easier (& sturdier) to pleat for my tags.  Here's the finished bags...

 

I started with some cheapie lunch bags.  The paper is thin, so I thought it would be no problem using a scalloped-edge punch on the top... because, you know, I don't do many scallops so I need more of those in my projects.  :-)  The border punch did work & the result is cuter than just a plain bag, BUT the freakin' punch kept getting stuck/jammed because of doing 2 layers at once.  But... I love to aggravate myself, so I kept going, with determination of getting 21 bags completed.  And no, I didn't have the patience to finish the top of all 21 bags in the same sitting.  I don't love to aggravate myself THAT much. 

 

I punched all my tags with the circle scallop punch + black cardstock...

I used a circle trimmer to cut a smaller sized circle in my black + white polka dot paper and adhered that to the black scalloped tag.  Then I attached a sparkly foam pumpkin sticker.  I found the package on clearance at Michaels.  Then I started pleating my paper ribbon...

I made 10 pleats on each strip, turning it into the shape of a circle as I was pleating...

Once I had it in the shape of a circle, I used some tape to adhere it to the back of my tag.  The tape won't show once it's been glued to the bag, so frankly I don't care what it looks like.  It's secure, so that's what matters!

Yes, you can just buy treat bags.  And yes, it's a lot less aggravation.  But, these are unique & since they're lunch bags, they'll hold a lot of goodies... which I'm HOPING are all at school waiting for me so I can assemble these.  I had fun pleating this paper ribbon, too, so you can bet you'll probably see some more of it on a layout in the future.

I really like the kraft color of the bag combined with the black, white + orange.

And since Bryn is at home & feeling better, I have put her to work.  She's not working too hard though, she's mostly watching Hannah Montana.  I asked her to color some of the spots on the bingo cards for the party that I printed off the internet.  We'll be playing the game at school using Smarties as place markers + they're edible for snacking on during the game.  You can use any kind of candy, but since I'm in charge, I picked something to which she's NOT allergic!  Last year, I used Skittles.  

I have also printed "word finds" from the same site, just incase we need 1 more activity before the party ends.  That site is a great resource for kid's party activities.

Here's a sneak peek at the Hip 2B Square main kit for October.  Can I just say YAY, YAY, YAY for all the Nutmeg collection in there?! 

 

The add-on kit will be posted later today.  I'm really looking forward to working with this kit! 

Boo for the FLU & a BOOTIFUL new challenge...

Well, I have some good news & bad news.  Along with all of Bryn's other typical flu-like symptoms, one of the things she's been complaining about is her throat.  So, yesterday they tested her for Strep.  It came back negative.  The bad news is, apparently that means she has the Swine Flu.  The good news, hopefully is, they've been seeing it last for usually 3 days.  Since the onset of her symptoms began on Saturday evening, I'm hoping that means today is the last day of this.  She has been one sick girl.... SO MANY, "Mommy, I don't feel good" cries with lots of wimpering & whining.  If only I could wave a magic wand & take it all away.  I know all moms wish they had one of those!  Anyway, her doctor said he's not concerned about the actual Swine Flu itself, it's the possible complications from it that are of concern (dehydration & pneumonia).  We are doing well on those accounts, so we'll keep on keeping on & just say our prayers.  There's nothing she can do for this, other than Tylenol/Motrin, rest + lots of liquids. 

Now... onto scrappy things...

Nikki Sivils has a new monthly challenge to start scrapping more about ourselves.  Her prompt this time was to scrap something you probably don't know about me.  It took me awhile to come up with something you may not already know, but to still make it work with the product.  I went with a 6x12 layout (a new format for me).  I do know this is a VERY selfish thought to have, but I can't help it...

I used a pattern from an old Scrapbooks Etc magazine to make my airplane.  Other than the BLAH, BLAH, BLAH (which was part of an envelope from Sarah) everything is Nikki Sivils.

Nikki did mention to me that her parents never flew together until their youngest child was out of college.  So... I guess I'm not the only one who worries about this. 

Check out the Nikki Sivils blog for the other takes on the challenge & to see who was just added to our design team!  Welcome again, Molly! 

And, speaking of Nikki Sivils... here's a few Halloween cards made with the Bootiful line...

  

  

... a quick gift card...

 

... a simple recipe card on a bag containing the best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies EVER... so moist & delicious (no eggs, dairy or nuts means Bryn can eat them, too!)...

... and another layout...

 

And strangely enough, it ended up on the SIS Catwalk today.  Thank you, Andrea Wiebe!

 

This examiner.com article on Nikki Sivils and her BOOTIFUL line is WAY COOL!  It was pretty exciting to see my work in their article!  I've only told her about 500 times, but I really do LOVE designing with her products.  I just received her Christmas line, too, and I think it just may be the cutest line YET! 

Boo for the flu...

Well, I spoke too soon on the fever situation yesterday.  After her fever going up & down all day, I called the doctor's exchange last night.  I had a very thorough conversation with the nurse from the children's hospital (they handle our doctor's exchange calls), and then she called our pediatrician on call.  He asked to see Bryn today.  Based on her history of cough variant asthma, they thought she may be considered "high risk" and a candidate for Tamiflu.   

So, after a very nonrestful night of "sleep," I called the doctor's office first thing this morning.  They'll see her at 4:50 today... the only appointment available.  I'm sure they are busy with a LOT of flu cases right now. 

I wish some day they would come out with a flu vaccine for people who have egg allergies, like Bryn.  Bob & I already received our flu shots 2 weeks ago.  So, assuming it's for the same strain, we should hopefully be in the clear.

Here's a layout I made using some photos from Memorial Day weekend.  Either I could never get inspired to scrap them or I just plain forgot, but either way... I had to use some more Cosmo Cricket for it... 

I also added some Basic Grey felties that I purchased MONTHS ago, some AC trees and some left-over rub-ons from my Hip 2B Square San Diego mini from September.  I also used a very ancient pair of decorative edge scissors for the top edge of my patterned paper.  It's a little crooked.  I quickly remembered why no one uses them anymore.  How does anyone get a straight line with those things?  I say.... you cover up mistakes with another piece from the Cosmo Cricket letters pack.  

I'm thinking a nap is in order today.  Bryn needs one, too... 

More ruffles...

Yay!  I finally got to wear my purple ruffled platforms last night...

   

& paired it with my new boyfriend blazer, some black skinny pants, a couple layered tanks & some silver jewelry.  (Photo editing with Picnik)

 

It was sooooo chilly last night.  We went to PF Changs for dinner, still unclear where the rest of the evening would take us.  Our thoughts were to hit a place in the Valley that has live music on the weekends after dinner.  Bryn spent the afternoon with my parents & her cousin, Sydney, at the circus and then she was spending the night at their house.   

However, once we sat down had some wine & then placed our dinner order... my cell phone rang.  It was Bryn & she was crying, "Mommy, I don't feel good."  She said she had a headache, felt like she had a fever & that her belly kinda hurt.  I asked her if she wanted us to come get her.  She did.  So, I told her to have Gamma give her some Motrin & some Sprite or some juice & to just rest until we got there.  I told her that we just ordered our food, so we'd have to wait until we ate dinner before we could leave, but that we'd be there in about an hour & a half.  She was good with that.  So, our night ended early, but we were both glad to see Bryn.  We both said we missed her already before we had even left for the restaurant.  I was thrilled that she slept through the night, but she did wake up with a bit of a sore throat this morning.  No fever though, so that's GREAT.  I'm hoping this is short-lived!

And speaking of my "ruffled" platforms, my "ruffles layout" is on the "Top 10 By Votes" on 2 Peas.  And THIS TIME, it has nothing to do with my fellow Nikki Sivils team voting for me.  I actually made it there all on my own!  :-)

Bryn helped me make a turkey stew in the slow cooker first thing this morning, so we'll have that for dinner tonight with some fresh green beans that I'm going to steam.  It smells like Thanksgiving in our house today.  Yummy.  And Bob & I both ran this morning... he outside, me on the treadmill.

I need to finish up the treat bags for Bryn's class party on Friday.  I'm in charge on this one, but I ended up with a lot of help this year.  So yay for that!  And I'm finishing up treat bags for kids in the family today, too.  I'm also going to make a couple treat bags for some kids I get to see on November 1st.  Hmm... I think I need some chocolate treats, too....   

Ruffles are IN...

... on clothes, shoes, accessories, even scrapbooking.  I can't get enough of them for fashion or on my layouts, which I'm sure is already painfully obvious to you.   Moxie Fab World has a ruffles challenge right now, so I went with a lot of ruffles (scallops) on my page with some recent photos of my little mini-me strutting her stuff...   

While there was plenty of inspiration on the Moxie Fab World blog, I was inspired by my new J Crew ruffled cardigan.  It's even prettier in person...

The scallops & the orange ruler are from the Nikki Sivils Henry's Brilliance line, with some random stash & a little bit of The Boyfriend thrown in just because I ♥ it. 

Now, it's time for me to get fashionable & head out for "Date Night!"  Hope you're having a FABULOUS weekend!

More from the HIP Halloween kit...

After making my Children of the Night mini, I still had quite a bit of left-over product from my special Hip 2B Square Halloween kit.  So I made a couple layouts + a couple cards...

I love the little green spider I put on the Jenni Bowlin card with a pop dot...

 

 

 

I really love working with these monthly kits!  It's always a good challenge for me to come up with something fresh, while ONLY using the contents of the kit.  Sometimes the ideas just flow, & other times I just sit & stare at a blank page.  And while my projects may not always be favorites, in the end it's photos + journaling and that's really all I'm trying to accomplish with this oh-so-addictive FUN hobby of mine.

"Date Night" tomorrow night, as Bryn is doing something special with her cousin & my parents.  We're still deciding what to do... decisions, decisions!  Also hoping for no more rain for awhile.  Happy Friday! 

Fall is my favorite season...

Well, actually I love that we live in a place that we get to experience all 4 seasons, but if I had to pick a favorite... it would be FALL (with SPRING as a close second!)  What is yours?  We want to know at the These Are A Few of My Favorite Things blog!  

I did a little misting + masking on mine, got out my little leaf punch & hand-cut my tree from some scrap cardboard to balance out the Jillibean Soup title letters.  My journaling around my layout was inspired by a recent layout made by Stacey Michaud. 

Check out the blog for more inspiring layouts from the team & for another FUN post from Julie.  There are not one, but TWO prizes up for grabs this month for the winner... so start scrapping!   

College. Seems like another lifetime ago...

Of course, it has been almost 20 years since I graduated, I guess!  Just playing along with Noel Mignon's college days challenge.  The number of photos I have from college is endless (and also not of great quality, sadly), so my challenge was which ones to pick.  I knew I wanted to go with my college time that included my sister, Kaysy, & this house we lived in with Tammy.  So I scanned a photo of that house & then printed it 5x7 to make it the focal point of the page.  Soooo  many fun & funny memories from that place...   

 

I had some journaling at the bottom of the page, using as many descriptive words about my college days as I could remember.  I'm just sure there's probably a boat-load of things I forgot to put on there, but let's face it... I have enough trouble remembering what happened last week, let alone 20 years ago! 

I had some hidden journaling, as well, that I initially printed on my library card (card + envelope from Sarah), but the printer messed up my card so I had to cover it with another print job.  Totally annoying, but I was determined to use the dang library card on a page about school... 

I always felt like Kaysy was the one person who could vouch for almost everything that happened in my life because she was almost always part of it all.  Then when she passed away, it felt like she took all that with her.  On a positive note, it's encouraging to feel 7 years later that I am actually HAPPY again.  Not sure when it happened & never really thought it would, but it did.  And I know she would want that for me. 

While I love to reminisce about all the fun & funny memories of college, I wouldn't trade my life now as a mom for anything in the world.  It is so much more fulfilling than college ever was... 

A HIP tag book for Halloween...

Hip 2B Square has some great Halloween products that make creating a mini tag book so easy!  It was also a good reason to put all of Bryn's Halloween costumes into 1 spot!  We're still deciding on this year's costume... although since we're leaving town on Halloween, she won't actually be able to Trick-or-Treat.  (And she's not happy about that either!)

The Rusty Pickle cardstock tags were the foundation of my mini.  Since I needed more tags than were included in that package, I just used one of them as a guide to cut more tags with my additional cardstock & patterned paper.  I did the same thing with my Jenni Bowlin mini bingo card that I used as my cover...

I also used a lot of the Rusty Pickle cardstock coupons to embellish my mini...

and I added some black paint to finish off the edges of all my tags & photos...

I used the American Crafts orange buttons, as well as the bling....

If you look closely, you'll notice that when I used the Thickers numbers that I carefully peeled the number from the cardboard backing/sticky part, so I could ahere it with a slight shadow effect.  It just made it stand out a bit more...

 

I didn't do any journaling in this mini because I've already made individual pages on every costume in my past memory books with detailed documentation.  This was just a fun little flip book to highlight her past costumes & growth over the years.  And Bryn is really enjoying looking at it! 

I also made a couple layouts + some cards with my left-over product from my Halloween kit.  Stay tuned for that!  If you're interested in this CUTE & FUN Halloween kit, contact Kimberly at  kimberly@hip2bsquarescrapbooking.com

I just never know what will come around the corner when I'm working on my laptop...

I'm not the only one with an affinity for fashion living here.  Yesterday, as I was sitting in the craft room, Bryn walked around the corner wearing some old things of mine that were set aside in the "garage sale" area.  Her "dress" is an old shirt of mine + my old shoes & sunglasses.  She added her own scarf & knee socks.  I'm not sure where she gets her "pose" ideas... the "mad face" is interesting.  And all I could think about was Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love video.  She keeps me smiling for sure...

 

She has a VERY long day at school today.  Dance club (pom pons) started at 8am, then school from 9:15-3:45, then drama club after school from 3:45-4:45.  So, my guess is that I'm going to have a very tired & hungry girl on my hands when I finally get to pick her up at 4:45 today.  She will be eating dinner immediately!   

And did I ever mention that I really don't enjoy cleaning?  The end.

Pumpkins Galore...

Yesterday, once it finally warmed up a bit, we headed out to a pumpkin patch I'd recently seen advertised.  It turned out to be such a CUTE place for kids.  So many activities, plus we came home with lots of goodies! 

Bryn wrote me a note before we left.  Too cute...

 
How can you not love a pumpkin patch, where the first thing you see is painted hay bales showing pride for your favorite college team...

 

 

I suggested we bring a wagon today.  Bob said, "Why?  Are we planning to get the biggest pumpkin there?"  Why does he question me?  Thankfully they had wagons there for people to use because while we didn't buy the biggest pumpkin in the patch, we did buy 3 pumpkins, 1 mini pumpkin, huge mums, homemade cherry jam & peach butter. 

 

So many fun things for kids to do, like a bounce house, face painting, horseback rides...

The farm animals were my favorite, especially the goats.  Bob & I were having a hilarious conversation about how dumb the goats were...

They would just stand there on the "bridge" waiting for the other to move.  Totally cracked me up when one of them looked at me as I was snapping too many shots of them.  It was like he was thinking, "What?  We always stand here like this."

 
And then they really had a traffic jam on the bridge.  Uhhhh, would someone either back up or move forward please?  Seriously, these goats just kept standing there like that.  I can't begin to say how funny it was.  Man, goats are dumb...

And we couldn't leave without jumping on the see-saw...

Aside from all the mud after 2 days of rain & the chill in the air, it was a beautiful & sunny day!  It was about a 20-minute drive for us, but if you're local & looking for a fun place to take your kids (and get some reasonably priced pumpkins & mums), email me & I'll give you directions!

Yay for FALL!

Oh & ps... Bob placed 3rd in his age group in the race yesterday.  He ran the 5K (3.1 miles) in 25:40.  He was bookin'.  But then again, I think the fact that he could see his breath probably made him run FASTER!

You make me happy, when skies are grey...

Nothing but rain around here for the past 2 days.  So here's some fun & warm finds for the chilly season ahead, that won't break the bank! 

Fur vests are BIG this year.  This one from Express is on sale right now for 30% off + there's a coupon code for an extra $15 off on the main page...

Slouchy boots are also in right now.  I purchased these in black suede from DSW.  (They'll be cute with that black fur vest!)  I had earned a $10 off certificate, but they also have free shipping on all orders over $35...

I love my new J.Crew ankle cords in dark aubergine, but they aren't kidding when they call them "toothpick."  Best not wear those to Cheesecake Factory... LOL! 

Gotta throw in a couple from Forever 21, too.  I'm considering these caged heels... $20.80????

and this beaded tank...

   

American Girl has a cute little Halloween costume for their 18 inch dolls.  Since we are leaving town on Halloween, I thought a little Halloween costume for Bryn's doll would be a cute gift.  The $34 price for theirs was not so cute though.  So... I googled 18 inch doll Halloween costume and found this great site!  Not only was their little outfit less than 1/2 the price at $15.99, but she mailed it to me SUPER FAST.  I received it 2 days later.  Gotta love that! 

This whole site ROCKS!

My sister gave me one of these spiked heel cake servers a few years ago, but mine is now missing it's heel.  Hate when that happens!  Chiasso has one though, so I may have to replace it one of these days...

I also think their chopsticks are cute...

And this just made me smile when I saw it.  I ♥ the 80's...

 

And Rock That Body gets me moving.  How can you not love that they mixed in some Rob Base? 

Just a photo snapped with my phone at dance class last night.  We had to go out in the pouring down rain, but watching her dance certainly put a smile on my face...

Bob is running in a 5K tomorrow morning.  The low temp is supposed to be 34 degrees, the high will be 61.  Of course, at the 7:30am start time, it won't be that warm yet... probably  more like a balmy 40 by then.  He may be running it without 2 fans.  Yowza... that's almost freezing... already! 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Unbelievable...

About a week or so ago, I posted about a new blog I'd found... Nie Nie's Dialogues.  Through my tears & my inability to quit reading more posts from her blog, all I could think was that she would be the perfect story for an Oprah show.  Imagine my surprise 2 days ago, when I saw her family's photo (one I'd seen on her blog) flashed on a commercial for an upcoming Oprah show.  I couldn't believe it. 

The show aired today, so I DVR'd it.  Her story made me cry again.  Bob had tears too. 

Life can change in an instant.  Make each moment count...  

(HIP)py chick...

Well, here it is!  The Hip 2B Square main kit for September...

 

... and the "must have" add-on kit...

And if ALL of that isn't cute enough, which it SO is, the packaging for some of this product was FUN to use, too!  This first layout, for example, used the insert for the Jillybean Soup letters (the black & white letters behind my photos), as well as part of the Prima packaging (the green scalloped edge behind Bob's photo), AND I printed my journaling onto the packaging for the Dreamstreet rub-ons...

 

This football page was made using only products from the main kit.  I'm with my friend, Jing-Jing, who worships the Monstrosity line from Sassafras Lass.  It's so CUTE!

 

More use of Prima packaging (from the felt stems, as well as from the flowers) that were both used on the page as well.  I used the brown paint on the edge of my blue paper to give it a little more definition.  And... I hand-stitched part of my title with my green embroidery floss...

This layout was made with only items from the main kit, too.  More Monstrosity paired with some of the cute October Afternoon paper, that I also REALLY loved using this month...

More use of my brown paint here... on the edge of my layout, as well as on the corrugated title letters...

Plenty of left-over product to make 6 cards, too!

I have had a few questions about ordering these kits.  The main kit each month is $25 + shipping if you are a kit club member.  If you wish to buy the kit one month at a time, it's $30 + shipping.  For more information about purchasing the main kit or to get more information about the add-on kits, please email kimberly@hip2bsquarescrapbooking.com   

Also... I have 2 layouts up on the GCD Studios blog today!  Hope you're having a GREAT Tuesday.  I'm planning to go get a flu shot today. 

Need some help...

Anyone recognize the manufacturer of these self-adhesive bling things?  They come in a strip & I have the pearl ones & the red ones.  I bought them about a year ago, so they're not new.  Prima maybe???  Sorry for the blurry photo, but I can't reveal the layout until December...

Thanks & Happy Monday!!!

UPDATE:  Thank you everyone!!!!  I think I'm going with ZVA, that looks right.   And if that's not right, I'll just politely say, "Oops!  Sorry!"  LOL!  (One of these days I need to quit saving left-over product & throwing away the packaging!)
 

Sneak peek...

Finished 5 layouts + 6 cards with the Hip 2B Square kit for September.  I used a lot of the packaging for the kit, too, because it was all SO CUTE! 

Now... time to switch gears & get into Halloween mode! 

World Card Making Day was spent...

 
... at the Cardinals game.  Bryn's pom pon squad was performing in their pre-game festivities, along with several other squads from the metropolitan area.  And let me just say that while I absolutley adore FALL, it was flat cold out there today.  I was wishing I had worn a winter coat.  My parents, my sister & her boyfriend all showed up to support her & then watch the game with us.  Today is the Cardinals 2nd to last regular season game.  We left after the 7th inning, it was all the cold we could take.  Plus we wanted to stop at Whole Foods for some goodies on the way home, as my parents were coming out to join us for dinner.  (They weren't leaving until the the end of the game no matter HOW COLD it was!)  The Brewers beat the Cards 5-4. 

I took a lot of photos today, but here's a few favs...

 

 

Notice how short I am in ballet flats (5'4" to be exact).  Since Bob is 6'4", I'm pretty confident that Bryn is going to be passing me up in height any day now.  I'll just have to keep buying HIGHER heels, I guess!   

So, I didn't make any cards today, but I did make 3 last night with my new Hip 2B Square kit.  And let me just say that if you decide to get the September kit, the add-on kit is a MUST!!!  I adore the Jilly Bean corrugated letters & have not found them anywhere local, plus the embroidery floss & paint.... swoon!  Go get them!!! 

And since it's World Card Making Day, I did make a card last week for a friend who just got engaged.  Hopefully she's received it by now, but if not I guess I'll spoil the surprise....

 

Have a GREAT weekend.  I'm off to enjoy dinner & "game night" with the family.  (Which means, it's probably going to be a late night...)

Almost TGIF...

Here's an idea for those of you wishing for more opportunities for a "date night" with your husband.  Since finding a babysitter can sometimes pose a big challenge in the evening, why not do a "date lunch" with him instead?  Bob & I did just that today.  Everyone has to eat lunch, right?  And if you & your husband have an hour to get away from the office, meet each other somewhere in between where you both are during the day!  Not that having meals with your kids is a bad thing (I personally enjoy it & LOVE it) but having an extra hour to share a meal & some adult conversation with your spouse is always a plus!  ♥ 

I received my September Hip 2B Square kit today & am so excited to start working on it!  I swear... each kit is cuter than the last.  I don't know how she does it, but I am so excited about this month!  Plus, she sent an extra kit to do another special project, so I'll be sharing that as well toward the end of the month!

Here's an inspiring story of a local mom who decided to get healthy.  It's all about deciding to make a change for the better & then making a goal.  JUST DO IT... comes to mind. 

This Shopbop ad is cool.  I am loving all the fur vests I've been seeing now...

... even if I had legs that would look good in these leggings, which I don't, they just wouldn't work well here in the Midwest.  Manhattan maybe.  Which reminds me, I REALLY want to return to Manhattan some day soon.  I suggested to Bob that next year when we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we should do a weekend there.  We shall see...   

"Good morning!"

It's my favorite thing to say & to hear.  I also love the hugs + kisses part.  Thankfully on MOST mornings we all wake up happy, too.  So, why does this really matter?  A new challenge is up at These Are A Few of My Favorite Things & this time we want to know... what's your favorite time of the day?  

I used some more of my "Boyfriend" stash...

... and lots of other odds & ends on my scrap table.  Then I added all my journaling...

Join us for the chance to win a FANTASTIC prize generously donated by Chris!  Check out the blog for a photo of her prize, as well as all the inspiration from the talented team of designers!  Julie ALWAYS has the funniest & sweetest things to say about everyone's work! 

What up?

Well... lots of stuff...

• Running & working out
• Running errrands
• Volunteering at school & getting extra hugs + kisses
• Finding time to make stuff, that I can't post yet
• Making cards with my left-overs
• Helping with homework
• Entertaining
• Making dinners
• Feeling like Fall is finally here
• Counting down the days until our next trip

... and loving every minute of it. 

So... anyway...

I stumbled upon a new blog today... new for me anyway.  After reading it for the past hour, I realized that I had seen this story a year ago. 

If ever you find yourself feeling ungrateful, unhappy, petty, feeling sorry for yourself or anything other than truly blessed to wake up every single day... read Nie Nie's story... a wife, mother & survivor of an almost fatal plane crash.     

When I found the link, it said to read back at least a year.  So, I did that.  By the time I reached Monday, July 27, 2009, I completely lost it... and I was only a couple months into my reading. 

She really is a true testament of the human spirit.  How can one not feel inspired and want to count their blessings every single day after getting to know her...

Feeling very happy...

Just a few of the MANY things making me feel so HAPPY right now...

I received surprise mail from one of the most talented artists I know.  Chris painted a watercolor for me & I'd swear she's seen my house because the colors she chose could NOT have been more PERFECT!  I got tears in my eyes when I saw it.  Is she not insanely talented?  Thank you, thank you, thank you Chris!

 

I have very neutral colors in my home with pops of red, orange, purple & lime green.  When I asked Bob if he noticed it on the counter he said, "She made that?!  I thought you bought it somewhere today.  She needs to sell those!"  Yes, everyone has been telling Chris to open an etsy shop.   

 

Last night my sister & her boyfriend came over for dinner & "game night."  I laughed so hard, my stomach & my back hurt.  SO MUCH FUN!  Don't get to see her nearly enough.  They spent the night because they were helping Joel's parents out with their garage sale this morning & they live close to us.  I woke to a note she wrote me about something funny from last night & started laughing all over again! 

I also woke up to this note in the doorway of my bedroom from Bryn...

 

Seriously.  I get notes like this almost every day.  Most of her notes are hand-written, but sometimes she'll get on Word & type them.  I tell her all the time that I am the luckiest mom in the whole world. 

Oh... and this makes me happy, too... 

I'm happy with only 4 squares... unlike Dark Chocolate Raisinets, which are just WAY too easy for me to overeat. 

It's a very rainy day, so I'm running 4 miles on the treadmill & then I may just have to hang out in the craft room for awhile.  What's making you happy today?  Could be a great starting point for your next layout! 

I ♥ The Boyfriend...

...Cosmo Cricket's The Boyfriend, that is!  I really have made a point to use the stash that I already have and/or to wait to do my creating when I receive my DT products.  HOWEVER... when I saw The Boyfriend line, I had to buy some of it!  I know it's a line that's geared toward boys, but it works perfectly for Bryn's TRYathlon she just completed.  And well, anything boys can do... girls can do BETTER!

I mixed in a few things from other lines... like my journaling card from Sarah, Basic Grey title letters, Kaiser Craft rub-on clock, K&Co. border strip and the "PS. I love you" tab was on my bag from Bath & Body Works.  I made another layout the other day with more from The Boyfriend that I'll post next week.  I really am loving that line, though!

And speaking of the boyfriend, my boyfriend is bringing home dinner tonight before Bryn & I are off to her dance class.  Gotta love the boyfriend...

Just "popping in" with a couple projects...

Last week I enjoyed lunch with my friends Christa & Stephanie.  Stephanie mentioned that she had just attended a backyard movie night at her neighbor's house & was telling us how cool it was.  The neighbor built a frame for which to show the movie and had a projector that he'd borrowed from work.  They popped popcorn & invited people over.  The neighbors all brought blankets or chairs & something to drink.  She said it was SO FUN & wanted to send them a thank you note.  She said to me, "Maybe I'll just get a card from you."  This, of course, is always fine since I have an insane number of hand-made cards in my craft room.  But then I thought, "I'll just make you something.  I think I have some cardboard popcorn cups in my pantry, so I'll make something with one of those."

I kept the popcorn holder in it's flattened state & here's what I ended up with...

 And the note inside pulled out.  I left a space for her to sign her name or write a note... 

I liked it so much, I told Stephanie I may have to host a "movie night" just so I can use a similar idea for invitations!  LOL!

Here's another layout I made using the new BOOTIFUL line from Nikki Sivils.  I am really loving that purple & orange combo for Halloween...

Everything used is from the BOOTIFUL line except the letters (Basic Grey & Thickers) and my dictionary pages.  If you'll notice I used words from the dictionary that pertain to Halloween (candy, Halloween, spiders, scream, & ghost).  My initial idea was to use my hand-made "tags" for some kind of home decor project, but they ended up on a layout instead.  Sometimes I just never know WHAT I'm going to end up with... 

It's your body. It's your life...

I was planning to post a few projects I've recently completed, but went with something totally different today after watching the new Dr. Oz show for the first time. 

I don't watch a lot of tv.  There are a few things I record in the evenings on the DVR, but as for daytime tv... I just don't watch it anymore.  Even if I'm at home in the craft room, it's usually music or peace & quiet.  This morning, however, while I was running on the treadmill, I was flipping through the channels trying to find my Sirius dance music station when I saw Dr Oz was on.  He's always been a favorite segment of mine on Oprah, so I had been meaning to tune in to his new show.

I'm glad there's an hour devoted to health issues on tv now.  I think it's a show that's needed now more than ever.  It really got me thinking, though, about people.  What is it that's keeping you from living your best life possible?  It's YOUR body.  It's YOUR life.  You only get one body & one life.  Do you want a life that's heatlhy?  What are you waiting for to make changes?  Is it the words...

• "You have cancer."
• "You have diabetes."
• "You just had a heart attack."
• "You need a liver transplant."
• etc...

The mere thought of hearing any of those things scares me.  But why wait to hear those words, when there are things you can do today to avoid it?  Your body will take care of you, if you will take care of your body.

If you haven't caught Dr. Oz's show yet, put it on your list of shows to record.  I guarantee, it will get you thinking about your quality of life... or the lack there of....

More CRATE & SASS from my Hip kit...

Well.... I didn't have much left after creating my Hip 2B Square mini book, BUT I did manage to create a layout + 3 cards with all my left-overs!  For my layout, I decided to hand-write my journaling from my experience with my follow-up mammograms & ultrasound, since the paper was lined.  I ran out of room, but said most of what I wanted to remember about that day.  I also did some editing with the photo I took from the waiting room that day.  I made it all black & white, except for those dumb flowers on the wall I kept staring at...

  

 

 

In addition to having the cutest kits ever... Kimberly has recently added a lot of NEW products to her store!  AND..... right now she's having a 40% off paper sale on select styles!  Go check it all out! 

On a side note...  thank you SOOOOO MUCH to Julie for these ADORABLE tags! 

It's like a rainbow-assortment of colors & patterns!  I can't wait to start creating with these!  You are too SWEET! 

Hitting the streets...

Since Bryn was off to a local fair with her cousin & my parents (+ spending the night at their house), Bob & I decided to hit the streets!  We headed for an area we haven't been to in quite some time.  It's a young, artsy, college area with lots of restaurants, sidewalk dining & little boutique stores... perfect for a beautiful day.  It was still too early for dinner so we walked around & did a little shopping... mostly window shopping really.  It seemed a bit odd to me that in a tobbaco shop store-front window, there were a whole collection of bongs.  Only in The Loop, I guess...

I bought a black ruffly tank, that actually Bob picked out.  (He knows what I like!)  We also grabbed a couple smoothies from Smoothie King... love that place!  We wanted to have a glass of wine at Riddles, but they weren't open yet.  So... we moved on to the West End & found a table on the patio at Liluma.  Just when we decided to stay a little longer & share an appetizer, we felt raindrops.  So we moved on again... 

We settled on Clayton & went to Roxane's Wine Bar... & had some Shrimp Ceviche to hold us over until dinner.  Bob caught up on some of the days football scores from the bartender.  

Afterward it was Maggiano's for dinner.  They told us it would be an hour or more wait for a table, which didn't exactly thrill us, but we put our name in.  Right after we did that, though, we turned around & saw people leaving a table in the bar area, so we took it!  Gotta love when that happens!  We just ordered our dinner in the bar.  My Parmesan Encrusted Tialapia topped with shrimp was SO YUMMY. 

We headed back home after dinner for a glass of wine in our own bar.  It was raining by this point & I didn't want to be out & about really late, when we had things to do on Sunday morning.  Bob wanted to get up to drive to Illinois to visit his dad, I wanted to get up & run on the treadmill & then I had to pick up Bryn. 

We turned on our favorite jazz station, opened some GOOD wine & talked some more.  We called & said good-night to Bryn while we were sitting there, too.  It was a great way to end a really great afternoon & evening...

"I got my money, let's spend it up..."

Did I mention it's Date Night? 

Hope your night is a GOOD, GOOD night...

Hip 2B Square mini book...

Another FUN kit from Hip 2B Square and the products were perfect for my end-of-summer San Diego trip!  I loved the bright blue Doodlebug letters combined with the espresso OA rub-ons...   

The Bo Bunny mini book was a nice change for me.  Each page is a little bit bigger & has a different-shaped border.  I tried to add a little interest to some of the borders with coordinating buttons & ribbon.  To balance that out, I tied ribbon onto the book rings as well...

 

The Crate Paper line was absolutely ADORABLE!  The first thing I did before I decided what photos to use, was to cut & adhere the paper onto all the pages of the book.  I did it without a plan, so I didn't spend too much time over-analyzing what photos matched with what paper.  (Must do this MORE in the future...) 

 

Then I simply added photos & journaling chronologically from the week.  I referred back to my blog posts for help with the journaling...

Loved the cool crushed velvet brads, as they matched perfectly with the letters...

I loved how you could use some of the patterned paper for paper piecing.  The little bird house paper was yummy & used for several pages.  The Paper Posies were so sweet & delicate...  

As always... if you click on each photo, you can see the details & journaling better...

Gotta love that rainbow-striped ribbon!

I love to use envelopes in my mini books for extra things like ticket stubs, menus, souvenirs & extra photos.  For this mini I used a piece of cardstock included in the kit + an envelope template.  If you don't have a template, but still want an envelope that coordinates with the rest of your mini, just take a found envelope apart & use that as a template for tracing around... 

Sassafras Lass stickers always add a fun flair & this set coordinated perfectly with all the Crate paper...

My lion was made with scraps from the kit & was inspired by a Pottery Barn Kids shower curtain that I saw in their catalog...

  

Order this fantastic kit, that includes directions for only $35.  The number of kits still available is limited!  Contact Kimberly at kimberly@hip2bsquarescrapbooking.com to order yours today!  You will not be disappointed!    

This weekend I'll show you what I made with the remainder of my kit! 

Sneaks & other happy things...

The sneak peaks of the Hip 2B Square main kit & add-on kit for September have been posted here!   

I can't wait until they arrive so I can start creating with these fantastic kits!  So excited about how the add-on kit will work with the main kit! 

Here's a link for a lot of templates that could be useful for scrapbooking.  Thanks to Chris for that info!  I think I may need to use the dress form for something... maybe fashion show pics?  The champagne card might be cute for something, too!

Here's a layout I made with a lot of paper piecing, hand-stitching & machine stitching.  I also used one of Bryn's Webkinz tags for the "yard sign."  While she can't have real dogs & cats because of her allergies, she certainly makes up for it with the "stuffed" versions...

And... MANY, MANY thanks for the "happy mail" we received yesterday!  I received the SWEETEST letter & an iTunes gift card from Bekah... thank you SO MUCH, my friend!  You are just SO kind & thoughtful!  Bekah is a great example of a young woman living life in a positive way.  I am always impressed by her devotion to her church, too. 

Then on the same day, a surprise package from Sarah!  She sent the layout she made for me + some scrapping goodies AND some scrapping supplies for Bryn, too!  She wrote a little note for Bryn on the back of a photo of her puppies... 

You should have seen the smile that came across her face when she saw the photo of Maui & Hilo.  The girl is ALL about babies & dogs!

I am constantly feeling so thankful for everyone I have "met" through this FUN world of scrabooking.  I NEVER in a million years would have thought that by creating my blog almost 2 years ago, that it would be such a blessing in my life.  Your kind words, positive thoughts & funny comments ALWAYS make me smile & for that alone... I feel VERY lucky!  

How about a sketch?

Sometimes I really enjoy using sketches!  It makes the page come together a little faster, since I tend to spend too much time shuffling photos & embellies around before I finally come up with a design I like.  All week long, the Nikki Sivils blog is showing how each of the designers interpreted the same sketch, primarily using the new Bootiful line!  Kathleen Glossup created the sketch that we all used...

The Bootiful line is so versatile that you can use it for more than just Halloween photos...

 

I did a little misting/masking on here + some machine stitching to add a little more interest.  Since purple is a big color for fashion this coming season, I thought the purple plaid paper would be perfect for some photos of a few recent purchases.  Check out the blog every day this week for more inspiration!   

Found this blog post at "For Love or Funny" through another blog & it made me laugh out loud. ☺

Tonight is Bryn's first night of gymnastics & tomorrow night is her first night of dance class.  No rest for the wicked...

What is your favorite room in your house?

Mine is my craft room... just ask Bob & Bryn & they'll tell you how much time I spend in there!  A new challenge is up at These Are A Few of My Favorite Things blog, and this time it's all about your favorite room...

Everything I used for this project is from Nikki Sivils, except the title letters (Basic Grey & Thickers) & the colored pencil "fence" (Creative Imaginations).  I'm loving all her new chipboard albums... & I used the house album for this project!  The ideas for how to use her shaped albums are endless! 

Come check out the amazing inspiration from the rest of the team & join us in this challenge!  We have a FABULOUS prize, as ALWAYS, and this time it's been GENEROUSLY donated by Jeanet!    

Also, check out the Nikki Sivils blog all week for the design team September sketch challenge.  Stay tuned for my take on it!   

For the love of fashion...

This photo was fun.  They handed you the remote & had you look into the camera (which also showed you a view of the actual photo) & then click it when you're ready.  Turns out, Marci was looking at the monitor, while I was looking in the right spot... the camera... duh!  LOL!  Oh well... close enough! 

The show was just ok.  It was really more like an off-the-rack show, rather than a cutting-edge, fashion-forward show that we would've rather seen.  But... it gave us time to chat & get caught up with each other, so all was good!   And... I'll always have Project Runway (and the Rachel Zoe Project)!  

And... I made another layout using my GCD Studios paper pad that I won this summer during their blog hop.  I believe Heidi is going to post my "review" of that Sunny Days pad soon. 

 

Everything on the layout is from the paper pad, except the white cardstock, the notebook paper & the title letters (Basic Grey & Doodlebug Designs). 

Off to the baseball game tonight with friends.  Should be a perfect night for a game... although I'm REALLY hoping it doesn't go into extra innings! 

There's a champion in EVERYONE!

Well.... she did it!  Thanks for all the well wishes she received, the goodie bags & cards.  Every bit of encouragement made her smile! 

We had to be at the Y for check-in at 7:15am this morning.  The kids were each numbered on their arm & leg, based on their bib #.  Then we got her bike set up & headed into the pool for the first part of the competition...

 

Everyone had a name tag on the wall, indicating the spot where the kids were to place their running/biking gear below.

 

The event began at 8:00am.

The oldest group (11-13 year olds went first, then the 9-10 year olds, then Bryn's group 7-8 year olds went last).  Bryn's age group swam 50 yards (2 full laps of the pool)...

I got tears in my eyes during the swim event.  So proud of her for doing this...

Bryn was the first one to finish swimming in her group.  Then out to dry off & get clothes/shoes/helmet on.

Next she biked 1.4 miles. 

 

She came through the end smiling (but later told me that she was pooped after biking... evidently there were a few hills!)  She jumped off her bike & started her run (1/2 mile)...

She finished with a smile, but then immediately got tears in her eyes.  I said, "What's wrong?  Are you ok?"  She said, "I can hardly breathe right now."  I told her she needed to walk around & let her heart-rate slow down a bit. 

 

She did SO GREAT!  We are SO PROUD of her!  My parents came out to watch this morning, too...

There were actually more kids that particpated, I just couldn't fit all of them in the photo!  What a FUN & INSPIRING event though.  So great to see so many kids getting out there & doing things that are positive & healthy.  Such a great foundation for life!

I stuck around afterward to run a couple miles & then take the Zumba class (only the Zumba class was taught by a sub., who decided to teach Step class instead).  So... bummer that I missed Zumba today, but I got a good work-out anyway. 

Off to my fashion show tonight.  Took back the black dress.  I wasn't loving it.  I was determined to find something to go with the purple platforms, but nothing was jumping out & grabbing me.  I found another dress to wear, that I'll have to wear with some black platforms I have.  It's not the best dress ever, but since it was the day before... I had to figure out something! ☺

Have a great weekend!