Gettin' By

Five on Friday.

Normally, I'm not much of a dress girl, prefering simple skirts & tees for my summer wardrobe.  But these five dresses may change my mind.  They'd all work equally well at the pool or out to dinner and could be dressed up with heels (and a glass of chardonnay) or dressed down with flip flops (and a crisp wheat beer.) Somehow I always manage to include the alcohol, don't I?

1.  Jersey Beach Dress from Boden. ($68)  Love the ruffled collar. Love the simple lines. Love the tropical colors (though it does come in more muted patterns). There's really nothing NOT to love about this dress. Or Boden, for that matter.  Between me and Miss R (who squeals in delight whenever a Mini Boden catalog arrives,) it's the most dog-eared catalog in the house!

 

 

 

 

2.  Quick Change Dress from ModCloth ($47.99) This black & ivory pattern looks grown up at first glance, but the circles and squiggles are whimsical and fun. And the chevron detailing on the sleeves is just perfection! It would be an easy piece to dress up without being too fussy, which makes a good wardrobe addition in my book!

 

 

 

3.  Calypso St. Barth Wrap Dress for Target ($42.99) Nothing says summer like a crisp linen dress and this one, with the girly ruffle details, just might be worth the ironing linen requires. I love this soft gray color (need to find a paint color that matches it!) and the wrap styling is flattering on just about any body type. I can always come up with an excuse to run to Target, and this dress might be my next one!

 

 

 

4.  Cherry Blossoms Dress from Ruche ($69.99) I have to admit, I clicked on this dress initially because I thought the color would look great with the grey Jambu sandals I mentioned in last Friday's post. (which it would!) But the applique detailing, the twisted straps, and empire waist ruching make it a solid contender, too. Ruche always has a fabulous selection of unique boutique-style clothing that I adore and this is no exception!

 

 

 

5.  All Aflutter Dress from ModCloth. ($109.99)  OK, this dress is way over my summer wardrobe budget, but isn't it dreamy??  I am smitten with the retro cloud/bubble pattern in charcoal grey with pops of orange.  And add a little yellow cropped cardi over it? <sigh.> Plus the loose, flowy draping from the bodice would be perfect for covering up an overindulgence of burgers and beers that inevitably happens to me this time of year.

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Give-it-Away Thursday.

Well hello there internet friends!  And welcome to our first official day of summer vacation! We're kicking things off in the traditional way by sleeping in (well, the kids are, at least), having waffles for breakfast, and watching an obscene amount of Spongebob Squarepants today. Which reminds me, I really need to tackle our Things To Do Summer 2011 List, lest we spend every day in the aforementioned fashion.

So onto the giveaway! Today I'm so happy to be sharing a fabulous offering from Mineral Fusion, a Denver-based cosmetic company that is producing some healthy, natural, and pretty dang awesome stuff for your face. I'm loving their new skin care (the Facial Cleanser & Moisturizer smell just heavenly) and my usually fussy skin has been pleasantly calm and (dare I say it?) glowing since I started using it. They are offering two of my readers a chance to try a sampling of their products with the Beautiful Basics kit:

If you'd be interested in receiving one of these kits, leave me a comment below. And if you "like" Mineral Fusion on Facebook (and note that in your comment), I'll enter your name in the drawing twice.  Comments will be open until Friday, May 27 at 6:30 am (MST) after which I will randomly draw two winners and post their names here shortly thereafter.

Are you ready kids?  Who lives in a pineapple under the sea....

(Enjoy your Thursday!)

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UPDATED WITH WINNERS: Thank you to everyone who stopped by! The randomly selected winners of the Beautiful Basics kits are:

      

Lisa & Stacy - please email me at lisa (at) bsdgraphics (dot) com with your address and I will forward your info to Mineral Fusion so you can get your goodies.  Check back bext Thursday for another giveaway!

 

Whip-Up-A-Page Wednesday.

Whew! Is it Wednesday already?!  This is one of those weeks I'm having immense trouble keeping up with what day it is...but yes, today is definitely Wednesday. And it just so happens to be Hayden's last day of fourth grade, and (weather permitting) field day!  Technically, he'll be done with school around 11:30, but he asked if her could stay later and help his teacher, Mrs. Cottle, move her classroom. (She'll be teaching in a different area of the school next year, and thus, has to move into a new room.)  He's concerned that there won't be anyone around to help her, and he wants to make sure she doesn't have to do it all by herself.  And that pretty much sums up my boy - sweet, caring, and concerned. Have I mentioned how much I love him so?

So today here's a page (and quick tutorial) all about Hayden.  And just a few of the the little details about his 10-year old self I don't want to forget:

My Boy  |  supplies:  Bazzill cardstock (White, Mediterranean) + KI Memories patterned paper, chipboard letters, and star Puffies + Creative Memories circle punch + Studio Calico mist + Silhouette die cut machine + Creative Memories pen + Typenoksidi font

I started with my trusty Creative Memories Circle Maker, which has two different sized circles (approx. 1.5" and 1.25").  I punched 20 large circles from scrap cardstock and arranged them on a sheet of white cardstock, which I misted over with Mister Huey in Bonny Blue:

Please excuse my weird blurry hand that looks strangely like a  pterodactyl claw.

Once dry, I traced around the one of the cardstock mask circles with a blue pen to outline the edge of each circle.   I used a dashed line to resemble stitching, but you could use a solid line, too!

Then I used the smaller circle to punch various patterned papers to fill the masked areas.

Since I wanted a crisp white background, I trimmed the misted sheet down to approximately 9" x 8.25" before adhering it to a sheet of white cardstock that was printed with my journaling.

I adhered each of the patterned circles with a foam adhesive square for dimension and topped a few of them with felt star embellishments. I then added my photos (printed 2" x 2.5") across the middle and a title (a combination of chipboard letters and die-cut cardstock.)

And there you have it! Now I'm off to field day in hopes of snapping a few elusive photos of my no-longer fourth grade boy (ack!) Enjoy your Wednesday!

 

Dancing All Your Days.

This weekend we were in the car as a family, running some weekend and family-type errands: picking up paint samples (who knew picking a shade of GRAY would be so impossible?), having lunch at Q'doba, and buying our very first iPad (welcome to 2010, Dickinson family!) 

While we were driving around Boulder, Riely was entertaining herself by writing "stories" in a large spiral notebook we keep in the car for just that purpose.  She's written lots lately, including a story entitled Graduate: "I graduated school on Friday but I really miss my friends Sassa, Emma, Nate, Olivia and all the teachers. I miss everybody.  The End." 

And one called Fights:  "A lot of times me and my brother get in fights, but that's OK.  I have more people to play with. The End."  

And finally, this one (written just after kindergarten graduation, when she and I were both in tears at leaving her little schoolhouse for the last time) The Blues: "The blues are something that, well, it is when you are sad. That's what I get sometimes.  The End."

Saturday, from the backseat, she read us a new story she'd just written, I Love Myself:  "I love myself. I love my hair.  I love my eyes.  My hair is blonde.  My eyes are hazel."

 Just a few simple sentences, written from the heart, but they made me stop and whisper a little prayer that she'll always have the unwavering confidence and esteem of her five-year old self...the ability to say I love me! even when the world is going to try its best to point out all her weaknesses, flaws, and shortcomings.

Her words also made me think - when was the last time I said something that nice about myself? It seems so much more natural to look in the mirror and let the self-doubt and self-criticism take over, pointing out all the things I don't love. But is that really what I want to teach my daughter?

I was reminded of these lyrics from one of my favorite Avett Brothers' songs, Dancing Daze:

I've seen the way you deal with things
The troubles that this life will bring
If it gets to you, then I can't tell by the way you sing
You act like it just doesn't mean a thing

I see you dancing all your, dancing all your, dancing all your days
Maybe you can tell me how it is you got that way
Dancing all your, dancing all your, dancing all your days
Come on, come on there's got to be a way

So today, I'm taking a cue from my sweet Riely, and being just a bit kinder and gentler to myself. Recognizing the aspects I love about myself and not letting them get overshadowed by the list of things that need improvement.  And remembering, that sometimes in life, you just gotta dance:

 

And if you can get your brother to act like a hopping Angry Bird in the background while you dance, well all the better!

(Video courtesy of the new iPad. woo hoo!)

Enjoy your Monday!

Five On Friday.

Some recent purchases I am loving:

1. Saucony Go Girl Run Skort ($22.40). I wasn't sure I would like the wider waist band on this running skirt, but I loved the bold pattern and the sale price made me purchase it.  After testing it on some runs, I love the waistband - it stays securely put on my hips and makes for a comfy fit.  The interior bloomers also have a gripper band around the hem, which means they don't ride up and chafe (big bonus!)

 

2.  Mineral Fusion Luster Bronzer ($24.99). I THINK summer is just around the corner (but with all the endless rain here lately, it's hard to tell) which means I need a good bronzer for my face. I know I can't undo all the sun damage I did with baby oil and tanning beds as a teen, but bronzing (instead of baking!) is a good start. My friend Katrina turned me onto this line, made in locally in Denver. It's chemical, paraben, fragrance and talc-free (which means it's GOOD for your skin!) but it also makes you LOOK good, too! The two shades are easily blended for a more natural, sunkissed look that I'm loving.

 3.  So Delicious Coconut Milk ($2.99)  At Jillian's recommendation, I'm adding this milk to my diet. Apparently it's chock full of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) that the body uses as energy, rather than storing as fat. But I care more about the taste, which is surprisingly good! I steam it for my morning cappuccino and it's definitely less "grassy-tasting" than soy milk. It also is yummy over a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. (Or so my kids tell me. I certainly wouldn't eat that sugary crap. That sugary, crunchy, delightfully delicious crap. That I would never, ever eat. Except maybe in a midnight  pantry raid where no one could see me, and therefore, the calories don't count.)

 

4.  Jambu Grey Espy Wedge Sandal ($69.99). This is my second pair of Jambu sandals - the first were so comfy and loved, I had to buy a second!  I love the grey, as it's just a bit different from the traditional black and/or brown.  The normal price for this pair is $119, but I snagged mine at Zulily.com at a deep, deep discount. (And my PSA for the day - if you don't get Zulily's emails, you should totally sign up!)

 

5.  Cropping Up Cardigan ($24.99). I love short cropped cardis, but most of mine have short sleeves.  This little number looks fab with a ruffley tank underneath and it's perfect for this transitional (uh, chilly!) weather we're having. And I'll just admit it - I have a weakness for polka dots.

 

 

 

 

 

And that wraps it up for this Friday. If you're interested, I've also got scrappy-related posts up over at the KI Memories blog and the Lily Bee blog, so come visit me!

 

 

Give-it-Away Thursday.

It's Thursday and you know what that means...in less than one day, my youngest will graduate kindergarten (can I just start crying now?), my triceps and quads are feeling the wrath of Jillian from yesterday's workout, and the countdown to the weekend (also known as the time I allow myself some wine - booyah!) has begun.  And, oh yeah!  It's also giveaway day!!

I've got a sweet little assortment of Elle's Studio tags up for grabs today, but first I wanted to share a project I made with the Valentine Mix & Match Numbers set. It was the first thing I ever created as an Elle's Studio design teamer, and I don't think I ever shared it on my blog. (And if I have, I'm sorry.  Sue me.)

You can download a template for the pillow box by clicking here (it will automatically download a pdf file to your computer).

Did you know that Elle's Studio has a design team call right now?  I'm sad my term is up next month, but I'd encourage you to apply.  Elle is a dream to work for and her designs are so charming and easy to work with.  So go forth and submit!

Now on to today's giveaway - it's an assortment of tags from Elle's Studio, perfect for scrapbook pages, cards, and (as I've used them often!) as gift tags:

If you'd be interested in receiving these goodies, leave me a comment below.  Internationals are welcome to comment, but you'll have to pay postage. I'll leave comments open until Friday morning, May 20 at 6:30 am (MST) and will randomly draw a winner and post their name shortly thereafter.

Happy Thursday!

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: Thanks to everyone who left me a comment - I read every single one and they always make me smile! The randomly selected winner of the giveaway is RichelleM:

    


Richelle - please email me at lisa (at) bsdgraphics (dot) com with your address and I will mail your goodies out to you.  And yep, there'll be another giveaway next Thursday!

I'm Here to Pump You Up!

It's Wednesday, and that means today I'll start my first workout for Week 3 of Jillian's Ripped in 30.  Week 2 has literally kicked my butt. (High knees & butt kicks?  Pretty much suck.) Remember how proud I was after Week 1, when I successfully executed ONE real push up?  Well Jillian wiped that smirk off my face by introducing Reptile Push Ups this week - a calesthenic move that was surely concocted by the devil himself.  Not only can I barely manage these push-ups, but I look like a dying frog attempting it.  I also like to add-in croaking sound effects, as they serves to frighten any small children and animals that may be in the area.

So yeah, Week 2 is over.  And while I didn't drop any more weight, I can definitely feel muscles growing in places where mushiness has previously resided. My arms and core are showing new definition, and that's motivating me to keep on truckin'.  Because really, is there anything to make you feel more like a badass than flexing a bicep in the mirror? (And adding in my best Hans & Franz imitation is always a hit with the audience.)

But you know what's really keeping me motivated?  Attempting to de-throne the current reigning muscle king in our family - my husband. Because there's nothing like a little friendly competition between spouses:

And BOOM!  Just like that, it was game on.

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Two-fer Tuesday.

Remember that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry and George are pitching the sitcom to NBC and during the meeting George keeps insisting that "the show is about NOTHING!...You get up, go to work - that's a show!" Yeah, I fell asleep watching that one last night and while I'm so familiar with it I could recite lines word-for word, my life right now is filled with anything BUT nothing.  Between the planning for kindergarten graduation, teacher gifts, field day, a field trip, the start of swim team, neighborhood and work dinners, scrapbook assignments and freelance projects, my brain is running on overdrive. And if I get one more client email ending with the phrase "and we needed it yesterday", I just might stick a fork in my eye.

So I'm popping on real quick today to share two more pages from the May Jenni Bowlin Merchantile kit. Please sit and enjoy these for a bit while you picture me running around madly with Post-it lists stuck and pencils stuck in my hair, OK?

Love This  |  supplies:  Cored'inations cardstock + patterned paper (Webster's Pages Sentimental Journey, Webster's Pages Restful Retreat, American Crafts Fancy Free) + Maya Road kraft tag + Maya Road wooden buttons +  American Crafts pen + machine stitching

 

Just Be |  supplies:  cardstock (Bazzill Cream Puff, Kraft) + patterned paper (Webster's Pages Sentimental Journey, Lily Bee Mushroom) + Maya Road kraft tag + Daily Junque ephemera tags + John Allen acrylic butterflies + JBS scallop stamp + JBS Spice Tin ink + JBS label + Silhouette die cutter + American Crafts pen + fonts (Didot, Halo Handletter)

 

And that's all I got for this Tuesday.  While I was typing this, my email inbox bonged no less than 10 times and I'm kind of scared to go see what's waiting for me....where's that fork??

Friday Re-wind.

Today I'm frantically working on a deadline, so I'm replacing my usual Five on Friday topic with a post that originally appeared here on May 14, 2008. Do enjoy it - and your Friday, and I'll return to regularly scheduled blogging on Monday, my friends!

What I've Learned By Having Blue Hair.

 

• Everyone wants to know why you did it and won't accept the reason "Just for fun!"  As if dying your hair requires some kind of noble cause like saving the baby seals.  So I've resorted to a standard response of "NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!"

 

• When you have blue hair, you can get away with yelling "NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS" at friends and family and even random strangers.  If you have visible tattoos, you can throw some profanity in there, too.
  
  
• Navy blue soon fades to royal blue, which then fades to a lovely turquoise shade, quite like the ocean.  The turquoise then fades to a grayish green, quite like a sewer pond.
  
  
• Attempting to re-dye your hair back to the original blue shade is not recommended unless your bathroom decor already happens to be blue.
  
  
• Apparently my husband is not a fan of blue grout in the shower.
  
  
• It is very difficult to make a blue dye spot on your face look like a beauty mark.
  
  
• Nail polish remover burns your skin.  But it does not remove blue hair dye stains.
  
  
• The outrageous fees charged by my hairdresser are looking like a bargain right about now.
  
  
• No matter how polite you are, or how much you smile, the little old ladies shopping for fabric at Joann's will still be scared of you.  This is possibly because your hair is blue, or you have weird blue marks on your face, or you are mumbling incoherently to yourself about baby seals.

 

Give-it-Away Thursday.

Today I wanted to share another page from this month's Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit.  I had some old photos of Riely as a baby that hadn't made it to the scrapbook page yet, so I printed them out and used them here.  I love scrapping "forgotten" photos from yesterday with today's perspective - it's often easier to write journaling for these type of layouts and seeing old photos always brings a flood of memories.  Here's the page the resulted:

You Have My Heart  |  supplies:  Cored'inations cardstock + patterned paper (Jenni Bowlin, Webster's Pages, American Crafts, Lily Bee Design) + journal tags (Pink Paislee, Studio Calico) + spray mist (Maya Road, Studio Calico) + alphas (Sassasfras, Cosmo Cricket) + Maya Road flowers + John Allen butterflies + Type-Ra font + machine stitching

And now onto today's giveaway...it's a mini-kit of sorts, with lots of little goodies I had left over from this month's JBS kit. There are several 6x6 papers, journal tags, die cuts, a recycled JBS notebook, and random embellishments:

 

If you'd be interested in receiving these goodies, leave me a comment below.  Internationals are welcome to comment, but you'll have to pay postage. I'll leave comments open until Friday morning, May 13 at 6:30 am (MST) and will randomly draw a winner and post their name shortly thereafter.

And happy scrapping!

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left comments! The randomly selected winner of the giveaway is Ashley Thomas:

   

Ashley - please email me at lisa (at) bsdgraphics (dot) com with your address and I will mail your goodies out to you.  And come back next Thursday for another giveaway!