(diva)logues

Rock on...

I made a trip to Archivers yesterday after lunch with my date.  I don't go there very often anymore, but I went looking for some of the new Amy Tangerine collection.  Thankfully it wasn't a wasted trip.  I bought some of the paper & a package of the stitched Thickers... love those.  The last thing I need to be buying is more scrapbooking stuff, but that yellow chevron paper... had. to. have. it.      

For now, though, I have another mix of random stash.  I feel the need to use what's still laying around, because once I file it away behind cabinet doors, I tend to forget about it.  This one is a mix of mostly Cosmo Cricket, Bella Blvd & Pink Paislee.  It's not the most rock-n-rollish page, but at our age we aren't exactly diving into mosh pits anymore either...    

 

I altered the iPod cut-out a bit.  The original highlighted music category on there was "hip hop."  So I typed out "rock & roll" on Word, highlighted it with yellow like the original was, printed it & covered it.  I used some of my Glossy Accents on the "screen" to give it a little more dimension...

 

And speaking of mosh pits... I'm loving that song "My Body" by Young The Giant ever since I saw them on the MTV Video Music Awards the other night.  And I must play it really loud... 

"Do you remember... the 21st night of September... "

A new challenge has been posted on the Nikki Sivils' blog for September.  Use any Nikki Sivils' collection or combination of collections to create a page about an OBJECT... no people, no pets, no events, etc.  For example... you might use your favorite book, drink, phone, etc. 

I used the insert that came with my iPad and created a page about it using the My Lil' Monster collection... 

 

I'm actually more addicted to my iPhone now that I have one, but the iPad rocks...  

 

Easy enough, right? 

Create your page using at least 75% Nikki Sivils' paper + products (old or new) and then post a link to your creation here before September 29.  The winner will be announced on September 30 and will win a new collection of their choice!

Off to run and then I'm meeting Bob for lunch at PF Changs.  Yummo!  

Forty is the new thirty...

What a fun, fun weekend.  I had a BLAST with my sister & mom on Friday night at a St Louis art studio.  We had purchased some Groupons last October for a "Canvas & Cocktails" class and FINALLY set a date to use them before they expired.  All I can say is... those poor 2 people sitting at our table with us.  All we do is talk & laugh (mostly at each other) every time we get together... and trust me... this "art" we were creating gave us plenty of reason to laugh.  The theme was "Tuscan Landscape" and we had a table full of postcards & pictures we could pick from to use for inspiration for our paintings.  

I told my mom her apples she painted looked more like "road apples."  LOL  And then someone told my mom as we were leaving, that her painting was so good it should be hung in a restaurant.  We all decided that wasn't a restaurant where we'd want to eat.  LOL  Oh my gosh... I love them so much.  We really need to get together more often than we do.  

I took pictures of each of our paintings along with the postcards we chose as our inspiration... 

 

Then on Saturday night, I was out with Bob & my friends to celebrate a 40th birthday.  I made a quick card for my friend using some of my "Family Dynamix" from Bella Blvd + a couple sentiments from the SRM birthday stickers sheet...... 

 

 

 

 

Forty looks good on her.  Actually I think the forties look good on all of us.  Or maybe it's Zumba that looks good on us... since that's where I met all my fabulous friends.  Or maybe it's all the wine.  It is an antioxidant, you know... LOL   

Whatever it is... age is merely a number... not a state of mind!   

Have a great week everyone!

Little love notes...

 

Love these cute little free printables I found here.  Since Bryn was old enough to eat lunch at school, I've always added a little note to her lunches every day as a way to connect with her while she's away.  With her food allergies, she's never been able to buy her lunch... so let me just say... that's a lot of note writing since 1st grade!  These little cut-outs make the notes short & cute.         

I must add that by the end of last school year (4th grade), she asked me to stop signing the name "Mommy" at the end of my notes. 

I said, "Well, that's my name."

She said, "Can't you just write MOM?" 

I said, "No.  I can't."  LOL

So... I started signing random names to the end of my notes, like... "Love you, Lady Gaga."  or "Love you, George Washington."  etc.   

It wasn't long before her friends were interested in seeing who wrote a note to her that day. 

This year... 5th grade, I feel defeated so I just write "Love you" at the bottom.  For what's it worth though, she does still call me Mommy or Mama... I'm just sayin'. 

Cool or not... that IS my name.   LOL

 

And I love you, too, leopard 5 inch platform pumps that I just bought yesterday. 

Love always, Mommy ♥ 

LOL  ;-)

Have a FABULOUS weekend, everyone!

It's not destiny...

 

 

source

"Girl can't help it... she needs more..."

I have to admit that while back-to-school time is not exactly my favorite time of the year, I've been managing to get quite a bit of work accomplished since school started last Wednesday.  My "to-do" list had been growing by the end of our summer & little by little I've been checking things off.  I'm even finding myself inspired to create just for fun... not because I have to do it.  Funny how uninterrupted time helps with that.   

While cleaning off my craft table (or actually my floor... LOL), I decided to combine some older left-over Bella Blvd lines (mainly "Socialite" & "Family Dynamix") rather than put them away... 

 

I still love using those records from the old Nikki Sivils' Dan The Record Man collection!  I may have use some more again for my U2 concert photos...

 

And speaking of Bella Blvd... I just googled & ordered some of this old, old "Midterm" word bubble patterned paper.  Mine is almost all used up & I really must have some more...   

 

...because word bubbles are the new clouds.  You know what I'm sayin'... LOL.

Sending get well wishes...

 

Please check out the Nikki Sivils' blog today for details on a "card drive" for a sweet little 5 year old girl who's having surgery today for a brain tumor.  Olivia is the niece of Stacy Rodriguez, who will be the Guest Designer on Nikki's blog next month.   

Use Nikki's new collection “Get Well Soon” to make a card for Olivia.  Then post it on your blog or Facebook (or both) and link the post in the comments of Nikki's blog post for today.  Stacy and Nikki will pick 2 winners... one from Nikki's blog & one from Facebook.  You’ll have the next 3 weeks... deadline is Monday, September 5.  That should give you enough time to get the papers (if you have to order online), make a card, post it and then mail it.

 

(Even if you don’t want to play along with this contest, please take a few minutes to send Olivia a card... any card.)

 

Here are the prizes...

 

*4 of the new releases:

School is Cool

My Lil Monster

Gingerbread Land

You’re a Hoot

*A Cricut cartridge

*A Sketch Book by Allison Davis

*A Unity Stamp set that will coordinate with one of my newest collections!

This is a prize package worth over $100!

 

I'm sending my card off tomorrow with some Strawberry Shortcake stickers & a package of tattoos.  Hopefully it will put a smile on her sweet little face.  Thanks everyone & have a GREAT week!

"Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight..."

... or sleep with 2 eyes open, as I've been doing a lot of lately.  

Aging is fun.  LOL

Anyhoo... been creating quite a bit lately but since I have nothing I can post for awhile, I thought I'd make something for fun using a combination of left-over stash that's been laying on my craft table.

Just bits of Echo Park, Bella Blvd, Bazzill Basics, Pink Paislee, We Are Memory Keepers, a SRM sticker sentiment & a Jolee's Boutique roller coaster sticker...  

 

 

TGIF and have a great weekend, everyone!

The first day of 5th grade...

 

 

I asked Bryn last night if she was ready to be a 5th grader. 

She said, "I don't know." 

I said, "Well, I think you are."

She said, "Well, I'm ready for 5th grade camp." 

Hmmm... not so ready for that myself.

And then she fell asleep with a head full of sponge curlers... which only a determined 10-year old could think was a good idea for a restful night before an exciting day.  Funny thing is... I used to sleep with curlers in my hair when I was her age.  Only my curlers were plastic and REALLY uncomfortable.  LOL

Needless to say... I'm looking forward to hearing about her first day.  5th grade already.  Time flies...

Sketches For Scrapbooking...

 

Head over to the Nikki Sivils' blog today.  Allison Davis is the Guest Designer for the month of August.  Her family owns a scrapbook store in Springfield, MO called Scrapbook Generations.  She is also the co-author of the series of books called "Sketches for Scrapbooking."  You can find more of her sketches on her Sketch Support blog.  I was generously given one of her sketch books... volume 4... and it's FULL of 2-page sketches.   

I'm thinking I may get it out and use it for Bryn's first day of school photos tomorrow.  Working with a sketch can sometimes make things go a bit faster...  ;-)

Grazie, Bella!

Bella Blvd's August e-newsletter was sent today & one of my pages was featured in it this month.  You can see the entire newsletter here if you're not already on their mailing list.  Thank you, Bella Blvd!  Your fun & colorful products make it so easy for me to get inspired to create...

 

And speaking of Bella Blvd... I used some of my Family Dynamix line (the yellow patterned paper for my "bow" and the red letter stickers + a blue Baby Blooms flower on top) to make a gift I wrapped just a little more personalized.  I really love those funky letter stickers...  

 

As a matter of fact, I've created quite a few things recently with the Family Dynamix line.  What a fun, fun collection!  More on that later. 

We did end up seeing "Horrible Bosses" on Friday night.  Totally hilarious.  I laughed out loud for most of the movie.  Even when no one else was laughing.  No one else meaning... like out of all 10 of us in the movie theater.  Guess it's been out for awhile.  Go see it if you need a good laugh... assuming you're not easily offended.  LOL 

Oh and Bryn's back home as of yesterday.  Yay!

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Back to COOL...

 

It's almost back to school time.  Next Wednesday for us.  The School is Cool collection from Nikki Sivils is the perfect way to document first day of school photos, school-related activities thoughout the year and teacher cards + gifts.  Check out more fun projects on Nikki's blog today!

And on a totally unrelated subject... my sister's boyfriend, Tony, is in a contest with his remixed Nick Carter song, "I'm Taking Off" (Poplectro Darkhorse Remix).  Would LOVE it if you could take a second and vote for him here.  The lyrics are REALLY cheesy, don't blame Tony for that.  He didn't write the song, he just remixed it and according to my sister... made it sound a whole lot better than the original version.  I told Marci I put my space suit on and voted for him... LOL.  Thanks for your help, friends!

 

Well, more "date nights" for us this weekend... dinner + a movie tonight (Horrible Bosses, I think.  Anyone seen it yet?) and then a birthday party tomorrow night.  And Bryn will FINALLY come home on Sunday!  Yay!  

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone! 

So thankful for the little things...

 

Love that she still wants to hold my hand.  Hope she never gets too old for that. 

Missing her a lot right now...

"Don't stop the party..."

I actually created something for the first time in 3 weeks.  

I mentioned that to Bryn & she stared at me and said, "I think that's a record."  I just laughed... because she's probably right.  

Between taking a quick end-of-summer family trip and hanging out with friends every single day in the last few weeks, I have accomplished nothing.  Not one darn thing.  And quite frankly, I haven't felt even remotely sad about it either.  Ok, well... maybe a minor twinge of guilt that I have some things that need to be completed by the end of the month, but not enough to make me say no to having fun.  LOL

So... since Bryn left yesterday to go to the lake with her cousin & my parents until Sunday (I got tears in my eyes after I dropped her off... 6 days is a long time.  LOL), I decided yesterday would be a good time to get back in my craft room.  So... I started with the page I was "pretending" to make when Great Day St Louis here filming me in my craft room.  Thought maybe I should finish what I started.  And I still haven't heard when that segment will air.  Not that I'm in a hurry to see it, mind you. 

It's just a mix of some Pink Paislee, some Bella Blvd & some SRM Stickers...

 

 

School starts next Wednesday.  It's not my favorite day of the year, I have to say.  Even though we can manage to get on each other's nerves sometimes, I miss Bryn when she's not here.  So, since summer is just about over & I'll only have next Monday & Tuesday with her after she returns from the lake, we went to Six Flags on Monday with our friends.  Haven't been there in at LEAST 20 years... probably more.  The weather had actually cooled off a bit & a lot of schools in the area went back that day, so the lines were tolerable & we weren't totally sweating our butts off.  It was fun! 

 

I'll attempt to spend some time creating this week so I actually have something worth posting here.  I'm not making any promises though, as I seem to be easily talked out of working these days. 

Hope you're enjoying the end of your summer too!

"I like to move it, move it..."

 

source

More fun in the summer sun... with a bag of ice + some Advil...

 

My shoulder hurts.  Clearly... hitting about 36 balls for the first time in about 15 years, without stretching, was not my best idea ever.  In my mind I tend to think I can do anything.  Just jump in feet first.  My shoulder started hurting while we were still there though, so hopefully I just pulled a muscle.  And why aren't Bob & Bryn sore at all?  It's not fair.  LOL

Even in spite of my pain the @#$... or shoulder... injury, it still kinda made me want to play softball again.  May need to look into that...           

"Hanging with my peeps..."

Have you seen the new You're A Hoot collection from Nikki Sivils yet?  There are some fun autum-like colors & patterns in this line, perfect for scrapping your fall or winter photos... especially those from the outdoors.  However, I managed to find some color-coordinating photos from my shared birthday with my friend's daughter.  Even though this event happened in May at a bowling alley... she is a real HOOT to be with, so it worked.  And the "Happy Bird-Day" cut-out was perfect... 

 

I used the "Owl-ville" paper to create a page that came together pretty quickly.  (For once!)

 

 

It was a happy "bird-day" for sure! 

Have a GREAT week everyone!