Gettin' By

Five {Random} Things

1.  I have spent my life spelling out my first name, Elisabeth (it's an S, not a Z) and the last 13 years spelling out Dickinson (it's two Is, no Es). Which is why I've given Riely the same gift (curse?) and christened her with a uniquely-spelled family name rather than the more common Riley.  If nothing else, she'll be forever diligent on the correct spelling of other people's names.

2. It is possible I might have an obsession with what I call June Cleaver dresses, as evidenced by my recent ModCloth wish list containing all these cute frocks:

            

 

3.  I had gone all summer running no farther than 6 miles and being perfectly content. Then I went on 10-miler this weekend with some friends and realized that I did indeed miss that post-long-run-euphoria that often lasts the remainder of the day and gives you an excellent excuse for consuming large plates of nachos.  Damn this addictive sport. (Today, I'm shopping for new running shoes.)

4.  My kiddos are not the only ones going to back to school this fall.  I'm going to be teaching at Ella Publishing's Boot Camp (Sept. 19-24)  and the Spawn of True Scrap (October 20-22).  I'll be the nervous one, sending up silent wishes that you don't pelt me with spitballs and put tacks on my chair. I'll be bribing you with giveaways in the near future. :)

5.  In case you need some convincing to get the September JBS Mercantile kit, take a look at these yummies:

The exclusive stamp this month (the oval frame) is fabulous and so is the acrylic mask. Plus, you'll get an exclusive edition of The Gazette newsletter, filled with inspiration and ideas for using your kit.  Kits will go on sale September 1, or you can sign up for a membership subscription to guarantee fabulous scrap goodies in your mailbox every month!

Happy Tuesday!

Give-It-Away Thursday: Tag - You're It!

Back in college, we used to affectionately refer to the week leading up to finals as Hell Week.  In those seven days, you made up for a semester's worth of slacking by catching up on required reading, writing papers and studying for exams.  It was also an occasion to throw all conventional personal hygiene out the window (no daily shower necessary - just reapply deodorant!) and spending all week in the same flannel pajama pants was perfectly acceptable.  You maintained your energy by consuming Taco Cabana bean & cheese tacos and giant mugs of Big Red at regular intervals and listening to the mix tapes of motivating songs you made the week prior (yes, I'm THAT old.)

This week has proven to be my own modern-day Hell Week and while there is no mix tape to provide a soundtrack, nor any TCs in my neighborhood, I've coped in similar ways.  Here's a few things I've learned:

• If you're dragging in the afternoon, Vanilla Coke Zero will not only give you energy, it will also make you wildly creative and crafty.


• If one Vanilla Coke Zero can do that, think of what 5 can do!
  


• Vanilla Coke Zero consumption will be largely responsible for the blooper reel while filming my Ella Boot Camp videos as Design Drill Instructor. (Um, have you signed up yet?!)


• When you're wide awake at three in the morning due to excessive Vanilla Coke Zero consumption, the infomercial on The Shark steam vacuum is oddly entertaining. And you might come to the realization that you cannot, indeed, function for one more day without this piece of amazing technology in your possession.You should, however, refrain from waking your husband to share in your excitement of this modern marvel because, um, he hasn't consumed five Vanilla Coke Zeros and is content to sleep soundly.


• It is quite possible that after this week, I will need a Vanilla Coke Zero intervention.

And now onto today's giveaway!  After the late-night (early morning?) excitement brought on by The Shark, I was compelled to clean out a few bins in my scrap cabinet.  The one with tags and journal spots is completely overflowing, so I selected an assortment to give away.  It includes more than 125 tags from Elle's Studio, 7Gypsies, Fancy Pants, Studio Calico and more:

 

If you are interested in receiving this lot, just post a comment below telling me what you've learned this week (and please check out the fine print below!)**

Now, where's my Coke Zero?!?!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until Saturday, August 27 at 12:00 noon(MST) at which time the winnner will be randomly drawn from the comments.  The winner will be posted at the bottom of this post and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage. And that concludes the fine print. :)

 

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: Thanks to everyone for your comments  - I've enjoyed reading about everyone's life lesons!  Today's randomly selected winner is Shannon:

 

So much for "Keep Calm & Carry On."

I have know for about a month that this week, in particular, was going to be a very busy (and slightly stressful) one.  With three major project deadlines looming for me, the start of Hayden's football season, and general back-to-school craziness, I was mentally prepared to be the paragon of efficiency, productivity, and organization for the next 7 days.  I had planned exactly what needed to be accomplished every day in order to kick those deadlines' butts, and I was ready!

And then on Sunday night I got several frantic emails from a (very good) client who needed some last-minute projects designed and ready for press by um, yesterday? And because I suffer from the affliction Can't Say No, I replied that of course I'd fit them in..no worries! completely disregarding that little voice deep in my brain is screaming "You just agreed to WHAT?!?!" 

It took a few moments to sink in.  But of course, you know what happened next. I proceeded to freak.the.hell.out. 

You would think that an almost-40 year old girl with plenty of life experience in meeting tight deadlines and dealing with unexpected disasters might be able to handle a little wrench thrown into her perfectly planned schedule, no? Well you would be wrong.  Because rather than deal with the onslaught of stress in a level-headed and mature way, I chose the yell-and-stomp-and-cry-and-throw-things-and-completely-lose-your-shit  method of coping. And then, as dictated in the Good Mommy Blogger Code, I blogged about it.

So anyway.  After several hours of shouting "Serenity Now!" and putting my nose to the grindstone for much of Monday, I am in a much better state today.  It's quite amazing what you can accomplish when you're not curled up in a fetal position on the floor of your office sucking down a chocolate bar listening to the voices arguing in your brain.

But enough about my meltdowns. I'll will leave you with happier scenes of my two littles on their first day of school last week:

Let's all be thankful that they both seem to have inherited their daddy's calm and cool approach to life. (And being the smart kiddos that they are, I think they know the tantrums are best left to experts like Mommy.)

Hope your Tuesday is stress-free!

 

Five on Friday.

{the giveaway below is still open!}

Fall is trying its hardest to elbow into August, despite summer's insistence that the mercury remain north of 95˚. I absolutely love fall and am impatient for its arrival - falling leaves, hot cider, pumpkins and crisp autumn nights, anyone?? But until then, I will give thanks for my air conditioning and do a little cardigan shopping (because for me, autumn is all about the cardi, people!)  Here's five of my faves!

 

1.  Dot After Cardigan ($47.99).  I am beginning to appreciate the longer, oversized sweater style as it pairs well with the skinny jean trend (that's not always flattering to ample rear ends.  Ahem.) This dark grey  knit with the happy polka dots is a good mix of practical and whimsical.  And it's on sale - woo hoo!

2.  Wool Ruffle Bolero ($22.95).  I found this lovely eggplant sweater on etsy, which is a regular tresure trove of upcycled and handknit gems.  The color is gorgeous for fall and the added ruffles of satin and ribbon and lace make it so girly and sweet.

 

3.  French Girl Sweater (48.00).  I can't quite get over the whole sailor-stripe/nautical trend. And this 3/4 sleeve, ruffle trimmed top is doing nothing to help me.  I'd pair this with a lime green tee, dark trouser jeans and a pale yellow ballet flat.  Ahoy, matey!

4.  Collegiate Knit Cardigan ($17.80).  Hey, it's back-to-campus time and even thought I'm not a student, my heart still goes pitter-pat for anything collegiate-inspired.  And this would be a great sweater to pair with cargo shorts and my Chucks....sold!

 

5.  Malaga Beach Cardigan ($79.50).  Um, it's pink with a big ol' flower and sash at the waist?!? Yes, please!  This sweater is the perfect way to make my standard jean-and-t-shirt uniform a bit more polished. And the pink is just so puuuuuurty.

 

Have a fabulous Friday everyone!

 

 

Give-It-Away Thursday: Jenni Bowlin mini-kit

It's the first day of school at the Dickinson household, which means it's just me holding down the fort while the littles head back to 5th and 1st grade. To keep from missing them too badly, I'm diving head first into my to-do list...at the top of which is to get my disaster of an office organized!

To help with that, I've got a little assortment to give away today. It's pieces and parts from the sold-out August Jenni Bowlin kit. And while I loved playing with these goodies, there are a lot left over that need a new home. I've included several 6 x 6 versions of the papers, lots of tags and journal spots, some flowers, lace, tickets, and doilies, and a few vintage pieces as well.  Oh, and there's an almost-complete chipboard set from Fancy Pants in there too!

If you'd be interested in receiving this mini-kit, just post a comment below sharing your best organizational tip. This girl needs help!   (and please check out the fine print below!)**

And here's to a productive Thursday!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until Saturday morning, August 20 at 6:30am (MST) at which time the winnner will be randomly drawn from the comments.  The winner will be posted at the bottom of this post and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage. And that concludes the fine print. :)

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: Thanks to everyone for your comments about organization -y'all have some great ideas!  Today's randomly selected winner is Kathie:

Stop back next Thursday for another giveaway, ya hear?!?

Lift This {Two} Pager!

I don't make two-page layouts as often as I should (I think I find it difficult to design in a rectangular space) but every now and then, I need a lot of photos to tell my story and the extra space is nice. I did this simple spread with the August Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit and it's an easy design to lift:

Feed the Birds | supplies:  Bazzill cardstock (Cream Puff, Green Tea, White OP) + Basic Grey patterned paper + Bazzill Flocked Vellum + Fancy Pants flocked transparency + JBS medallion stamp + Studio Calico wooden alpha + Prima pearls & jewels + JBS inks (Fountain Pen, Chili Powder, Stick Candy) + Creative Memories circle cutter + Typenoksidi font

1. Matte photos on light green cardstock block. I used 3 - 4x6 photos and 5 smaller photos, all sized to a height of 2 inches.


2. Cut approximately 13 circles in various sizes from patterned paper, vellum, transparency, or stamped cardstock. (I used the medallion stamp from the kit for several of the circles). Arrange circles across the two page spread.


3. Dab wooden letters with black ink and let dry. Adhere to lower left side of spread.


4. Print journaling on white cardstock. Cut into strips and adhere around title lettering.


5. Adhere block of matted photos to layout using foam squares.  I aligned my block so the first 4x6 photo is on the left side of the center line and the rest are on the right.


6. Embellish some of the circles with pearls and rhinestones:

This layout is also featured in the debut issue of the JBS Mercantile Gazette, a newsletter available now on the Jenni Bowlin blog.  Go download the pdf file and print it for future inspiration! It's packed full of layout ideas, tips and tricks from the Jenni Bowlin design team.  After this month, the Gazette will be available for anyone who purchases the monthly kit or who has a kit subscription (so go reserve your membership now - kits have been selling out quickly!)

And enjoy your Wednesday, my friends!

Give a Hoot.

Last week as we were shopping for school supplies, Riely was a bit disappointed to find that her list specifically required her to get plain, solid-colored folders in red, yellow, blue and green.  Because Target has a great selection of much cuter folders with puppies, penguins, Paul Frank monkeys, and (wait for it...) JUSTIN BIEBER!! EEEEEEEEEK!

So to ease the pain of not being able to purchase a folder not-so-subtly emblazed with the baby-faced crooner (um, we already have a bag, poster, t-shirt and cd, despite my attempts to convince her that Scott Avett is much cuter than Justin) I promised her we'd decorate the plain folders and make them look super cute. And way better than any stupid Bieber folder. (And then I proceeded to receive poorly-worded death threats via Twitter.)

But onto the crafting! Riely had picked out these cute pencils and erasers, so we used them as our inspiration:

I drew up the simple shapes of the owl and flower in Illustrator and used my Silhouette to cut them out of various cardstock colors. We ended up with these little guys:

Along with a printed nametag, we used them to adorn the folders (covering them with a strip of packing tape to protect them!)

And we also topped off her pencil box:

If you'd like to make your own little hooters (heh, heh!  I said HOOTERS!) you can download the shapes for cutting on the Silhouette right here.  We used these colors of Bazzill cardstock to make ours: Lime Crush (green), Berry Sensation (pink), Sunshine (yellow), Butterfly (orange), North Sea (blue), White OP, and Raven (black).

Enjoy your Tuesday! (Hoot Hoot!)

 

 

 

Give-It-Away Thursday: Jenni Bowlin stamps!

After skipping a few weeks of Give-It-Away Thursdays, my giveaway box is once again filled with items looking for new homes. This week I've got two Jenni Bowlin Studio clear stamps  - the adorable Whimsy Silhouette (how can you not love this little girl?) and the Faded Label.  I used the little girl stamp on this card for the JBS booth at CHA:

Both of these stamps are duplicates in my stash, so they are brand new in packages and have never been used!  If you are interested in receiving them, just post a comment below telling me what you'd create with them if you won (and please check out the fine print below!)**

And hey, have a fabulous Thursday!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until Friday evening, August 12 at 6:30pm (MST) at which time the winnner will be randomly drawn from the comments.  The winner will be posted at the bottom of this post and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage. And that concludes the fine print. :)

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: Thanks to everyone for visiting! Today's randomly selected winner is Kelly Adams:

         

Lift This Page!

We are officially entering our last week of summer vacation...and so begins the frantic cramming of all those last-minute summer activities into our schedule.  I always have mixed emotions about August...I love the idea that school supply shopping and crisp fall days are just around the corner, but part of me mourns the passing of yet another fleetingly fast summer. {s i g h }

So, yep, the next seven days will be packed. Hayden is off with Grandpa for a fishing/golfing adventure; Riely has a sleepover and a VBS camp, and I am getting myself organized (and excited!) for two different scrapbook teaching events this fall....details to come! It's a crazy time, but the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel is the sanity and structure that a regular school/work routine will soon provide.

And now, onto today's layout! It's based on a simple "divide & conquer" method I like to use when approaching a page.  I've created four main quadrants with patterned paper and filled each with photos, journaling, a title and embellishments:

Easy | supplies:  Bazzill cardstock (Date Swirl, White OP) + Lily Bee patterned paper (Porch Swing, Milk Bottle, Cottage Garden, Pearls & Heels, Cider ) + Lily Bee stickers (Picket Fence Cardstock, Picket Fence Alpha) + Lily Bee Chipboard accents + Basic Grey chipboard letters + Creative Memories circle punch + Martha Stewart butterfly punch + Bazzill twine + Courier font + machine stitching

1. Cut four pieces of patterned paper to approx. 3.75" x 5.25". Adhere to center of cardstock.


2. Print two photos (3" x 4.25") and use foam adheisve squares to adhere to two of the quadrants.


3. Use existing chipboard or die-cut flower shapes (I used these from Sassafras) to trace flowers onto Lily Bee patterned papers.  Trim out and embellish the centers with circle punches or buttons.


4. Print journaling on white cardstock. Trim into strips and adhere to lower right quadrant.


5. Use small letter stickers + chipboard letters to create title.


6. Embellish as desired using stickers, punches, chipboard, twine, buttons and machine stitching.

Be sure to stop back on Thursday, as I've got a great giveaway you won't want to miss!  Enjoy your Tuesday!

Five on Friday.

1.  You Called Dress by Knitted Dove ($39.99) I originally fell in love with Knitted Dove dresses after seeing them at Ruche (they currently have a similar one listed for $88.99). So imagine my surprise when yesterday's zulily email featured several Knitted Dove dresses for bargain prices!  This one is my fave, as I love the gray plaid with the tiny touch of pale aqua on the ruffled button placket.  Simple and easy and adorably cute! (And if you don't get the emails from zulily, you can go sign up here!)

2.  Skins by Tammy Kushnir ($10.95-$20.95). Need protection for your phone, laptop or iPad? Purchase one of these skins by designer Tammy Kushnir and you'll be helping animals, too.  Tammy is donating proceeds from her beautifully designed skins to a charity near and dear to my heart, A Place to Bark animal rescue.

 

3.  Cameras 8x10 Letterpress Print ($20.00)  Have you visited the Two Peas in a Bucket Boutique lately? I am loving the crafty treasures to be found there! Like this graphic print of quirky cameras, perfect for the photographer in your life (and that would be YOU, right?!)  From notecards and stationery to office supplies and washi tape, the Boutique has some wonderfully unique offerings you won't find anywhere else! 

 

4.  Sentiments from SomeEcards.com (Free). Need a sarcastic and slightly irreverent greeting to email to a friend? Then someecards is the place to search.  From birthdays to thank yous to apologies, this site has some pretty damn funny e-greetings for when you care enough to hit send.

5.  Once Bitten Toothbrush Holder ($9.99)  How cute are these little suction-cup creatures who will faithfully hold your toothbrush while not in use? I'm thinking my kiddos would love these chompers (and maybe it would cut down on the watery toothpaste stains all over the bathroom counter? A mom can only hope!)

 

Enjoy your Friday!