inspired.

I wanted to share my take on the September sketch at Scrapbook Circle:

here is my take:

 closer ups:

 My FAVORITES about this page:

* the subject matter is dear to my heart.  The Temple, I LOVE to go!  I feel peace and I am inspired when I go--I've made it a goal every week.  My dream as a child was to have more than one Temple in Arizona, it has come true!  I currently live EXACTLY in the middle of two Gilbert & Mesa--about 12-15 minutes away.  If you click on THIS link it will tell you more about Temples.

* The layering, I started this page with another idea--that didn't really pan out, so I covered it up with some FABULOUS papers...

*the gold bubbly borders.

Thanks SO much for taking the time to visit!

pinterest food finds. turkey burgers.

I've noticed the last few weeks that I have shared more of the desserts we have been trying--we have been eating OTHER things too! ;)  Today's recipe is Turkey burgers--these were really delicious and EASY to make!

credit: use Real butter

Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey meat (prefer thigh meat)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced (or whatever fresh herbs you like)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
cheese (optional)

Mix ingredients together and form 4-6 patties. Grill on medium heat for 7 minutes a side. 2 minutes before burgers are done, place a slice of cheese (optional) on each patty. Serve hot.

Looking at this sure makes my mouth water--they were that good!  i'm thinking you could probably make these ahead and possibly freeze them if you wanted to...I will have to try it!

Thanks for the visit!

love amaze.

A lot of us have school pictures of our kids--the standard boring backdrop with our cute kids--hopefully smiling! ;)

I decided to take my kids pictures and scrap them--I found this gem in my stack:

 I had a blast dropping gold paint, sketching and doing tone on tone combos.  This particular layout was featured on the Scrapbook Circle blog a few days ago, click HERE for all the details.

Thanks SO much for the visit today--at a car wash with this girl for her soccer team today, yeah for the hot?--NO!  So ready for it to cool down!

favorite techniques on cards.

So I was looking through my folders and these are the last American Crafts projects that I made for the blog--i REALLY loved the techniques that I used on each of these cards,

quilting:

layering:

watercoloring:

I loved working with my scraps, no holds bard using different collections all together!  Thanks SO much for the visit today!!

butterfly fly away.

look at this precious little girl!  This was 7 years ago--seriously where has time gone?  I remember her being so proud of those butterfly wings and being able to wear her dress from the previous year--we did her makeup and put sparkle in her hair.
Now?  Should would DEFINITELY not be wearing that much makeup and the butterfly wings--no attention please, she says!
This layout was made for the sparkle challenge for the American Crafts blog on using brads, buttons, and bling-I just forgot to share it here!
I painted the background with my own glitter glue.  I had liquid adhesive--poured glitter in it and painted it on my large cut butterfly--easy and FUN!

This is quick but I wanted to thank you for the visit!

Pinterest food finds. mini key lime pies. AND whip cream

So we had my dad over for dinner this week, and my youngest and I wanted to try a new desert--YUM!

credit: the recipe critic

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, crushed (about 12 squares)
• 3 T Sugar
• 3/4 stick butter (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 egg whites beaten
• 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1 T Lime zest
• 1/3 cup nonfat greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Crush the graham cracker squares in a food processor or place in a gallon size bag and roll with a rolling pin.  

2. Add sugar and butter and mix into the crushed graham cracker.

3. Press 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a cupcake liner.  I put 1 T in and then pressed down with my fingers.  You have the option to bake this at 350 degrees for 8 minutes so that it can harden.  DO THIS!

4.  In a sperate bowl, mix together egg whites, condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, and greek yogurt.  Mix well.

5.  Fill the cupcakes about 3/4 of the way full with the mixture.   Bake for 12-15 minutes and cool.

6.  Top with whip cream and garnish with lime if desired.  Store in the refrigerator.

I decided I wanted to make my own whip cream as well--my family loved this too:

credit: Saving Dollars and Sense

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

DIRECTIONS:
Make sure mixing bowl and cream are very cold (put in freezer for 15 minutes).
Put sugar into the mixing bowl and add whipping cream.
Whisk until the cream gets stiff peaks.
Use within 8 hours. Re-whisk if it starts to flatten out.

I will most DEFINITELY make this again--juicing my limes and getting the zest was tedious but my sweet helper REALLY enjoyed the fruits of his labor!

Thanks for the visit today!

family.

wanted to share this fun layout I made for my last American Crafts gallery.  I had a blast working with the Shimelle line and making a quilt.

side note this tall young man had a birthday last week--proud of him as he is currently serving a MISSION for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints.  He has been out for a year and has a year to go--the time is flying and he is growing up and having some awesome experiences! ;)  He was born when I was on my mission in Venezuela a LONG time ago, yep I'm a PROUD Aunty!

closeup of some goodness:

my favorites of this layout:
--the texture of cuts
--layers
--mixing different lines together.

Thanks SO much for the visit today--weekend looks like a busy one filled with date night with ALL my boys watching The Maze Runner, games for my girl tomorrow, and celebrating my dad's birthday on Sunday.  Hope yours is FANTASTIC as well!

benson cousins.

the other day my 11 year old said, "time sure is moving fast!"  I thought it ironic as for adults we are the ones to say that and the younger generation usually says, "time is moving SO SLOW!"  That being said I have been trying to EMBRACE what is going on around me.  FULLY enjoying my children their accomplishments, goals, scary times (as yesterday at the dentist was for a certain young man).  This layout today was based on a circle challenge up on the Scrapbook Circle Blog:

On the blog I go into more detail of the creative process behind the page--I was seriously in LOVE with those sparkly gold circles!

I wanted to talk about the why of this picture.  My uncle passed away suddenly at the beginning of the year.  To say he was a giant teddy bear would've been an understatement.  He was a big man who had a LARGE LOVING heart.  He lived in California but came to Arizona regularly to visit his mom and brothers.  The experience of going to his funeral brought with it some wonderful bonding/solidifying memories I made with my brothers and quick catch up with some cousins who I haven't seen/and don't really know.  I know as we celebrated my uncle's life he smiled down on us as he saw us gathered as a family.  One of the coolest things I thought was, there were TWO professional photographers, one is my cousin the other was my aunt's brother (he took this picture)--GREAT camera (glad I brought mine!) and wonderfully composition.  SO glad I went and took the time--we were only able to stay for a few hours...  Some of the things I've learned from this and other experiences in the past year is TAKE advantage of what you have RIGHT in front of you!  ACT on those thoughts that come to your mind even if you might think they are silly!  DO it!  That time might not come again--EMBRACE life!  That all being said aren't my cousins/brothers a GREAT looking group?!

Thanks SO much for the visit today--hope your day is FANTASTIC!

1st born.

Hello!  Thanks for hanging in there and visiting my blog, I've been off playing and having fun!  I wanted to quickly share one of my VERY last layouts for American Crafts:

 I mixed some of the DIY shop and new Shimelle lines to come up with this fun layout about my oldest child.
here is a little closeup:

I SO loved this time I had to work with AC--they were AWESOME to work with and I think I grew as a designer as well!
Thanks for the visit today!!