CHA recap.

sorry in advance for the amount of pictures of me! :)  I feel SO blessed to have been able to go to CHA again this year and see all the new stuff!  We discussed it as a group and for us it was the SECOND happiest place on earth next to Disneyland! ;)
So here we go with a photo review:

Friday (arrived safe!)
We arrived just in time to go to California Adventures!!  We had a GREAT time

dinner--southwestern Caesar's salad:

yep, we stood in line for an hour for this, partly because there was a delay... my 10 year old REALLY didn't want me to go on this BEFORE him, he told me I would RUIN it!!  He even told me I wasn't allowed to take pictures--TOUGH kid!  Texted this to my husband--10 year old's reaction--"NO!"

Tessa in yellow--me in the blue--it was INCREDIBLY cold I had 4 layers on and still SHIVERING!!  Note to self next time the weather channel says it's going to be 52, believe it!
(these pictures are not really in order)
Day 1 (Saturday):

American Crafts, was VERY quiet when the show first opened, I walked right up and talked with Elizabeth Kartchner

Scrapbook Circle girls got to meet Kristine, Nicole. Then Me, Heather, Rebecca, Lisa, and Tessa.

Heather, Elle (owner designer of Elle's Studio) Lisa, Me, and Rebecca.

I was INCREDIBLY excited to meet with the TALENTED Celine Navarro--she is ADORABLE in person!

SO fun to meet Becky Higgins!  Had to personally thank her for inventing Project Life, it has brought my family into preserving our family memories and I LOVE it!

Ali Edwards!  SO incredibly cool to meet her--I think I was surprised at how tall she is!  Don't know why I think all creative people have to be about the same height--just funny how you imagine someone and then you meet them in person....(I know TOTALLY random!)

I TOTALLY admire and am inspired with Stephanie Howell--felt like a stalker but she is SERIOUSLY a SWEETHEART--she even posted me on her BLOG!

Happen to glance over and see fellow DT member for Elle's Studio Jennnifer Larson

Heather, Melissa Stinson, Jennie, and Me (the other girls are linked above)

Talented Tina Walker!  We share the same taste in shoes...funny I noticed her shoes BEFORE I noticed who was in them! :)

Sarah love her!

Had to travel ALL the way to Anaheim to meet Maggie Holmes who lives about 10 minutes from me at home!  

Kimber McGray such a FUN gal!

Lovely Linda Barber!

Me, Heather, Paige Evans, and Amy Tan (yes, that is the American Crafts booth behind us)

Me and an elephant--not sure why they had one...actually there was another elephant there as well...

Dinner at the kitchen table at Buca de Bepo:

silly girls posing:

I don't remember what this was called but it was YUMMY:

Day 2:

Okay this makes me TOTALLY laugh!  Suzy Plantamura is HILARIOUS--our humor as you can see is QUITE similar.  I was SO sad I didn't get to talk to her the first day, I thought I wouldn't see her the second.  But as we were placing orders I saw her and RAN down the isle! (I met her last year and we have become instagram friends).  No, there wasn't even one serious shot! :)

Lisa Dickinson had her new line in the Jenni Bowlin booth--fabulous!

Snapped a QUICK picture of Lisa Truesdell, she had JUST arrived and wanted to see the show but kept seeing people!

Tessa, Heidi Swapp, and Me.

Owner and designer of Bella Blvd. Stephanie Hunt.

Shimelle Lane flew in from England--pretty fun to meet her and snap a shot!

Heather, Emily Pitts, Me, and Tessa snapping a quick shot in the Maya Road booth.

the gifted Ck dream team member Laina Lamb!

After turning in all our orders we had to hit the road to get home to our families.  It was a QUICK trip but we were able to plan 5 kits that are AWESOME so seriously stay tuned to the Scrapbook Circle kits they are going to ROCK!!
the road:

the lovely sunset:

And someone was VERY happy to have me home!

If you've made this far I thank you for taking the time to see my CHA review--I REALLY appreciate the visit (this post took me 3 days to do!)

LOVE cards.

I've truly come to LOVE the Elle's studio tags that have frequented Scrapbook Circle kits.  I wanted to share what is on the Scrapbook Circle blog today.  I fell in LOVE (no pun intended) with the Valentine theme, that are featured in the Only You kit.  The large tags are perfect for a title on a page, journaling or EVEN the front of a card.  Here is what I made with these fantastic tags:

I really like that they can be the card greeting!  So fun and fast!  This is a quick post--thanks SO much for the visit today!

sweet together.

Sadly this is was my last month designing for Elle's Studio.  It's been a FUN ride of creativity, using FANTASTIC product and using up my stash.  This was my VERY first manufacturer design team and I felt TRULY honored to be a part--thanks Elle for giving me a chance!

closeup of fun:

 Little notes on this page:  This picture was taken back in October while my kids were on Fall break and we were in Flagstaff.  It's one of mine and my hubby's favorite places, we went to college there and that is where we met!  This particular park I only visited a few times as we only had one car when we lived there and most of the time hubby had it for work.  This visit I made sure we went and checked out the park, it used to be a wild life preserve (it's SEVERAL acres).  Now it's trails and trails with some exercise stops.  (dont' worry I have a layout coming up with pictures from that!)  This picture I took was really fun for me--hubs thinks it makes us look like aliens, I like the fact that it has us united. :)  Truth be told I think this is the first layout I've made of shadows--it was fun to make!
Most of the product I used to make this layout was sitting on my desk, leftovers from other projects and coincidentally (in an effort to use up my stash) the paper is all studio calico.  I used the Sweet Life tags from Elle's studio that can be seen HERE.

busy. celebrate December.

yep, I am!  yesterday was a bit of a catch up day, baking banana bread 2 batches (which is almost COMPLETELY gone), washing dishes, laundry, making dinner...it's the stuff that hasn't gotten done because I am BUSY.  yesterday, I worked up to the last minute before I had to run shower and pick up the boys to go see the girl play.  they played hard, their first loss of the season (for JV) but my girl managed to do this:

she is #20, yes that is her face pushing the goal in. they lost 2-1 like I said hard fought.  I think this is one of my favorite shots just from the reaction of all the other players faces and stances...

I do have SOMETHING crafty to share!  I have some tags up over on the Elle's Studio blog in celebration of December...they are doing giveaways so TUNE in.  here is a little peak:

 thanks for the visit!

believe.

so today I was BOUND and DETERMINED to get those pesky don't want to do but should/need to do done!  I ordered a new screen protector for my phone, it's been needing to be done since September.  Weird thing is I only remember when I'm walking in to the gym--random!  The thing I think I'm most proud of myself is that it started out yesterday when my shelf pin broke in my kitchen island.  I took the broken piece to Lowe's and bought two different packages not know which size would be correct.  Thankfully I opened the right package first and fixed my shelf!  Little did I know that the shelf was being held up by ONE good thing I put the mixing pitcher underneath for support.  Dumb thing was that they are all plastic!  Now I know which size is correct I can go and replace the others in my 17 year old house!

now on to the crafty stuff:

 closeups:

 I created this layout with the Be Merry line from Elle's studio.  I had a BLAST on this layout!  I just rolled with however the crafty stuff took me.  I did a little misting, and embossing and pop dotting, stapling, stamping...AND..having fun!
two of the boys singing are mine...they participated in the program for our Christmas party..they did a FANTASTIC job!
I'm off and running...playing catch up and enjoying the quiet...THANKS for stopping by today!

completing the to do list. 2007

Feels SO great to have a to do list and check stuff off like: returns to Sam's Club, call someone, can beans, address Christmas envelopes, finish Christmas letter, register a hotel for a soccer tournament, do laundry, pick up those yummy chocolate covered cinnamon bears....there was more today but I just can't remember what it was!  This was all after my trip to the gym this morning so I feel good about myself! :) 

I wanted to share a layout I made of my sweet little boy...back in 2007...he isn't so little anymore...but these pictures were in a special card he made for me out of construction paper...it was falling a part so I wanted to keep the picture and message that he wrote to me.  I had a BLAST working with the Elle's studio Be Merry line tags on this:

 His journaling:

 Closeups:

 this envelope has like wax on it, they are Tim Holts, got them on clearance at Michaels...cut is from Ali Edwards

 title:

 stamp by Elle's Studio

the misting on the background was from a cut I made on a separate piece of card stock (a color I wouldn't use!) and then I misted...
I'm off and running again!  thanks SO much for the visit today!!