Mary Jane!!

Our latest May kit is now live on the site...a little earlier than usual because of the web designers schedule...and there are galleries being added right now. (Including mine. LOL.) And our wonderful guest designers also! Just thought I would show you a little bit more of my gallery. I love the vintage touches in this kit. Lots of texture and vintage themed embellishments...make whimsical touches for you pages. I only accomplished 3 layouts in time for the reveal, but I have enough product left over to make a ton more! This kit is really packed!
This is a fun page that I piled embellishments on! I really like the colors in this kit, they are very versatile!
I can't wait to show you the finished product tomorrow! Don't forget the site will be completely updated at 8:00 a.m. CST! Have a great night!

Sneak Peek!

After spending WAY too many hours on just a few pages...I have a few peeks to share. It was fun to sit this afternoon and scrapbook! I feel like I never make the time to sit down in the middle of the day to crop. But when you have a sick day...why not? And especially when you are liking the way things are turning out, you really should keep going...at least that is what I kept telling myself! LOL.

I love SO many things in this kit, but the thing that surprised me the most was how much fun the Heidi Swapp Invisibles alphabet was to work with. It's so easy to color match the letters to your layout. I have already chalked and inked them on the 2 layouts I have done. I even added some stickles for a shiny effect. FUN! (These yellow examples below were done with my old chalks...doesn't everyone have theirs still laying around somewhere? Hee hee.)
Also, while my mom and family came to visit we went junk/antique/thrift store shopping, and then topped it all off with garage sales. We had a blast. I think one of the funnest things about garage sales is meeting new people. We went to a sale just up the street from my house and noticed the woman was selling Sun Coleus. My Aunt decided she wanted some of it and ended up buying the entire flat of it...but needless to say this woman was very (what's a good word for someone obsessed with something) "passionate" about her Sun Coleus that she had grown. It took us forever to get out of there. LOL. But the lady was so cute about her plants and the love she took to grow them and gave us a very lengthy explanation of exactly how to care for and grow them. So here are my cuttings that will someday be planted outside in my planters...that is once they have some roots. (Oh and the old book is from the thrift store...doesn't it have the greatest zebra cover? I love it! However, I have already decided not to read it, because I skimmed it and then flipped to the ending where I read the couple gets into a terrible plane crash and her husband is killed. Um...no thanks! I like the ones with happy endings! LOL.
At least it looks cute!

I also wanted to announce, because I don't think I have mentioned it yet...that Wilna Furstenberg is our guest designer for May! Hooray! She designed for us last May also, and I hope that we can keep this tradition alive, she is such a great person, and totally talented! I'll be back tomorrow with more! Have a great night!

Too much me...

and not enough of HIM! I love the words to this song. It's such a good reminder to me today to refocus my focus. Get my priorities straightened out! Get my head back to where it should be...in His hands.

I'll be back later with some gallery goodness!

Hmmmm...

Do you lose brain cells when you have a sinus infection? I have felt like I am walking around with half of my brain today. Do you ever walk into a room knowing exactly what you were intending to do, and then 3 seconds later can't for the life of you remember what you went to do in the first place? I'm there. I am SO there. So to spare you all, this post will be short and sweet. (It's a wonder I can even form a complete sentence.)


Celeste sent me a few peeks from her May gallery to share here with all of you. Isn't she the sweetest? I love what she created with her kit and I can't wait to show you the whole thing!
Oh and one more picture of Chloe at her tumbling show last night. We were all so proud of this little somersaulting queen. For our family and friends I may try to upload the video I took of it so you can all see her in action...but I guess that would take some brain cells...and I'm all out of them right now. I'm not making any promises for tomorrow either! LOL.
Hope you have a great night!

The sniffles...

Awww, my poor neglected little blog. I have been sick, you know when you get sick, sick, and wish that you were dead. (Yep, that kind of sick.) I finally went to the doctor today and had exactly what I had diagnosed myself with...a sinus infection...fluid in my ears (ouch!)...tonsilitis/or strep (double-ouch!) and to top it all off....pink eye! Yes, you heard me right...pink eye. I have never had it in my life and have no idea where I got it, but it hurts. I like to call it my "pirate eye." I look spectacular, as you can imagine (wink.) Luckily and not-so-luckily I have my family here and so they have been a huge help with the kids! The bummer is that I am too sick to really enjoy their visit! My mom and I were laughing at the doctors office because there were quite a few moms with their children waiting to be seen...their children just happened to be a little bit younger than me! I told her "I'm 32 years old and still want my mom to take me to the doctor!" Some things never change...I don't care how old you get...sometimes you just need your mom. So thank you mom, you can always make me feel better! At least my heart feels better, knowing that someone really cares.

So I will be back to share some sneak peeks of the gallery and blog this week...lots of cute stuff to share. And with National Scrapbook Day just around the corner I think we are all looking for some inspiration! Stay tuned. It's off to bed for me!

Good times...

We have family in town...and that means good times! One of the things the kids get so excited for here each spring is the opening of the "ice cream barn" as they call it. The sign out front said they were going to open mid-April and somehow we hadn't managed to make it there yet. I told them that I thought it would be really fun to wait until our relatives arrived to all go together and so today was the big day.
This is WHY they call it the ice cream barn. And when you live in a tiny town like we do...where things always stay the same, it's nice to have a new "old" place to go!
And look who Tanner brought along for the ice cream experience. I don't think any of these animals got a single taste of his Oreo twister...he devoured every last bite!

And look at what I ordered. It was the "special" so I had to get it right? Yumm....I haven't eaten that much ice cream in a VERY long time!

Wishing you all banana splits! Have a great night!

Happy Birthday to you!

I have to send out a special birthday wish to my dear Dad! (We won't mention his age...because it's only a number right? LOL) I respect this man more than any other person on the planet (along with my mom of course.) His integrity, honesty, passion for God, and love for his family are constantly inspiring me. His love for my mom, and the sacrifice he makes daily for the lives of so many others are unlike anything I have ever seen! Here he is with a few of the orphans that he works everyday to support. Truly his entire life is a total sacrifice for OTHERS. He is completely selfless. He has been the most influential person in my life and I pretty much want to pattern my life after his. Period.

He is the life of the party and a LOT of fun. He always has time to play with kids and be silly...including my own! Chloe knows that Papa will always read her one more story, even when mom has said that it's time for bed. And Tanner knows that he is always up for a game of hide-and-seek. (The non-scary kind of hide-and-seek, you know, where no one jumps out from behind things screaming.) It's very cute to watch!

This was a family game of dominoes while I was home at Christmas time...see what I mean about always indulging the kids! He was severely handicapped during this game in particular...maybe that's why he didn't win? LOL .EVERYBODY loves Papa!

He is leaving a beautiful legacy for these special little ones. One full of love and service to others, and the perfect example of how to live your life for Christ and the greater good. The verse that most comes to mind is Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Dad- to the world it may not look like you've "planned" ahead enough for your retirement, you haven't thought of yourself enough for your security and you don't have a big portfolio of stocks and bonds...because you've been too busy supporting the homeless and the orphans and the widows...and surely you may have "lost" in the worlds eyes, but in whose eyes it matters YOU HAVE WON! I love you so much! Happy Birthday D.O.T.Y (Dad Of The Year.)

Isn't it lovely?

Okay, okay...here is the peek I promised. I am so excited about this kit! EEK! This is just a glimpse of what you'll be getting...there is SO much more! This kit is loaded with fun things! This isn't even the half of it! Isn't it lovely?
I am working on a newsletter right now, so be looking for that in your inbox! Hope you have a great weekend!

Today...

I feel like a professional nose-blower. Other than holding my little guy who is sick with a sinus infection, and taking a shower, that is really all I can cross of the list today so far. And as I sat with Tanner on my lap, looking out at the yard I realized that it already needs to be mowed...with some brown patches and some spots that are getting tall. It would look so much better cut and evened out! But alas, it will have to wait until everyone is feeling better. Last summer I usually tried to cut the grass either early in the morning or late in the afternoon/evening because of the heat and humidity...good thing our lawn tractor has headlights, they definitely came in handy! But this time of year you just have to wait for a semi-warm day with NO rain. Lately there haven't been too many of those! I wish spring would hurry up already!

I did get another box of goodies from one of my favorite scrapbook manufacturers! I can't wait to share the peeks of our May kit with you all! Gotta go, I am being called to Kleenex duty again! Hope you have a great day!

It may be...

freezing cold outside...but my heart is warm today. I have a couple of sick kiddos laying around the house today. (They got colds just in time for school to be back in session tomorrow, I know great huh?) Do you ever have one of those days where the whole world seems to be falling to pieces around you...but you are perfectly at peace? I was there today...and in spite of it all I am feeling all warm and fuzzy. That's what my faith does for me...gives me peace that passes all human understanding!

Here is the little album I started sharing last week. It is stored in this sweet little box. (Mmmm...maybe I should decorate the cover a bit?)

This was a page that I shared unfinished last week. I added the journaling and the acrylic butterfly and cut a heart from the fabric tag to attach near the bird.
The last two pages.

This last photo shows how it's all connected to the cover.

Hope you had a great day! I'll be back to share some sneak peeks of May's kit soon!

love this, love this, LOVE this

Brings me to tears just about every time I hear it...He gave everything for me...and I am eternally grateful!

Easter

It was a beautiful Easter Sunday, so after church I thought we would walk down to the river and do a little photo shoot. This is right outside the church building that overlooks the river. The tulips are blooming!
This is Chloe's Puppy. (Yes, that is his name.) I have been trying to get a picture that shows just how attached she is to this little guy. It's a special bond...and it's strong. If he gets lost in the covers at night...I get woken up to find him. He goes with us EVERYWHERE...even in her backpack to school. He is worn and very well loved.

You know how much I love bridges...I couldn't help but snap a few with it in the background.

We also stopped at this cool old docking building and I got a few good ones. Chloe specifically asked for pink bunny ears this year. Cute huh?
Tanner kept playing with the plastic bugs he got in his Easter basket. It is sometimes so hard to get good shots when their attention spans are about 30 seconds long!

This is the only way to get one of the three of us...we're saying "Easter eggs!" LOL.

I promise to share my latest scrapping projects tomorrow...this weekend just flew by!

eggstravaganza...

Here's the before shot. I decided to do a mix of both white and brown eggs this year so we could experiment with the colors. The kids realized right away that the darker the egg started out...the darker color it turned in the dye. Tanner kept asking me all morning, "Mom...I don't have to eat the eggs right? I mean we aren't going to eat them, we're just coloring them right?" He is so funny, he loves scrambled eggs, but not hard boiled. That leaves me to eat them all...or throw them out! Looks like there will be a LOT of egg salad sandwiches in my near future! LOL.

Tanner tried to imitate all of the silly faces he stuck on his eggs.

I love this shot of Chloe. Look at those eyelashes!! And how her little tongue is sticking out because she's concentrating so hard.

I've never thought to let the kids use markers to draw on the eggs before, but it only took them a few minutes to realize how difficult it is to draw on a slippery oval surface. The orange one in the center has Wall-E drawn on it...Tanner is obsessed with Wall-E. Today at Walmart he asked me if we could go to the bakery and tell them "thank you" for making his special Wall-E birthday cake. The lady looked really surprised and happy that it had made him SO happy, and gave both kids little bags of peanut M&M's. I thought that was really sweet of him...I never would have thought to thank her. And the cake did look exactly like the picture in the book. She did a great job!

Once they gave up drawing on them...the rest of the eggs got sticker faces that came with the egg dyeing kit. I loved the striped ones we did...and the brown eggs always make the colors so much better!

It was a fun afternoon...so much to do to prepare for the big day tomorrow! I LOVE Easter! It's such a special time of HOPE and the greatest gift of sacrifice anyone ever gave...given to the whole world. Hope you have a truly blessed Easter!

99%

I was working on this little project today...and here is what it looks like so far. I have had this Creating Keepsakes kit of the month kit for-e-ver...I think I decided I "needed" it because I love that Ali Edwards designed it, and I thought it would work well for what I wanted to document. It's a little circular accordion album. I think it really is intended for breast cancer patients to document their journey...but it is working really well for my topic. For a while now I have wanted to document the divorce I am going through in some way...it's such a touchy subject because I don't want to dwell on the reasons behind the d-i-v-o-r-c-e. I want to remember what I am learning through it. I want to be grateful for how it has changed me and to remember God's faithfulness to me during this tough time. Scrapbooking to me isn't about just documenting the Kodak moments and special happy occasions...although I love scrapbooking those also, it's really about what your life really consists of. 99% of my life is not a Kodak moment! So this is real life scrapbooking. The kind that is what most people choose to leave out of their scrapbooks, the parts of our lives that make us human. This is my story. The part I want to focus on at least.
I added some cute Sassafras Lass paper whimsies and a button as a finishing touch to the cover.

There are several little circular transparencies that are included in the kit which made photographing it at dusk really hard.

I added the Daisy D's arrow, and a recent photo booth picture to the kit here. The rest (rub-ons, stickers and transparency) were all from the kit.

I layered the circle transparency from the kit over a Scenic Route journaling spot and added the rub-ons. The heart sticker is by Daisy D's and the star epoxy button is Making Memories.

These were all rub-ons included in the kit. I love that HOPE rub-on. There were 5 sheets of these rub-ons in various colors. I used the black here.

The stickers and border on the left hand page were all included with the kit. I added the heart tag and ribbon by Making Memories to embellish it a little. The right hand page has a transparency that reads "one day at a time, one foot in front of the other" I added the felt flower (from our May kit) and the Sassafras Lass sticker.

Up close.

Just a few more photo booth pictures and some journaling added.

Here are some really pathetic pictures (it was nearly dark) of the album propped up so you can see how it is all attached. I still have the back side of it to finish.

Here is the first two pages on the back I am working on next. (I can't believe I'm sharing unfinished pages!) LOL. I need to add journaling to the left hand side. The flower buttons are Sassafras Lass from our May kit and that cute felt bird I found at the antique store. The fabric tag is by K & Company. (Thanks Mandy...I love them!)

The best part about working on a small album like this is how quickly it comes together! I plan on working on finishing it tomorrow.

Also, if you have emailed me to purchase kits from our Spring Cleaning Sale I had a customer let me know that her invoice from Pay Pal had gone into her junk email folder. If you are waiting for an invoice they have all been sent, so email me if you have any issues @ heidi@freehandscraps.com. Have a great night!