Gettin' By

Give-It-Away Thursday: Lily Bee Design!

Have you heard about the brand spankin' new blog for Lily Bee Design? We're launching it just in time to give you the first sneak peeks of all the new paper collections that will be debuting in a few weeks at CHA Chicago. Be sure to stop by and see the new blog design, and check out the new links for galleries, Flickr groups and more!

Since we're celebrating Lily Bee, I thought I'd share one of my recent pages (and I've also got a sweet little giveaway, too!)

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I've used my go-to grid design here with the Double Dutch collection. I love how this design creates little "homes" for all my page elements. Just like rooms in a house, I love decorating each one to coordinate together as a whole.

And now onto the best part...a Lily Bee giveaway! I've got two Tiny Tablets from the Harvest Market and Jingle collections, along with several journaling index cards that match. If you'd like a chance to snap them up, just leave me a comment below.** I'll pick a random on winner on Monday!

And have a very happy 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 the morning of  July 2 (whenever I drag my butt out of bed, make coffee, and log on to Typepad) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage on the shipment. And that concludes the fine print. Yee haw!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:  Congrats to Shelly J, winner of the Lily Bee goodies!

How to Raise Smart & Resourceful Kids. Or Mountain Goats.

A few weeks ago, we began a landscaping project on our backyard. Though "began" is a bit misleading. Saying "we hired someone to come in and finish a job we started five years ago but were too unmotivated to finish" would be much more accurate, but then you might get the impression that we are lazy and would rather spend our summers drinking beer on the patio than planting trees and laying sod. Which would be true.

Somewhere in the design process of this job, the topic of whether or not to install a playground area arose. Since we live within walking distance to several parks, we didn't think it was critical. Then our landscaper showed us several projects where they created more natural "playgrounds" for children using large boulders, dirt, and plantings. And when the kids inevitably outgrow the need for a play area, you're left with a beautiful landscape rather than a trip to the dump to relocate a broken-down swingset.

So it was decided: No playground, just hardscape. And Mike and I were relieved that our marriage had somehow dodged the bullet known as Assembling Play Equipment With Your Spouse.

And the kids reaction? Well, let's just say over the last 10 days that these giant boulders (120-tons of them, to be exact!) have started popping up in our backyard, there is rarely a night the kids aren't happily scrambling all over them. They climb, jump, hide and seek, have Nerf gun wars, and stage time trials around the giant obstacle course. We may pay for it in trips to the ER, but these kids are going to be Everest-ready in no time!

The other night after dinner they were frolicking in the rocks while a summer storm was brewing, stirring up mini dust storms in the expanses of exposed dirt. Not wanting to cut their playtime short due to weather, they resourcefully donned ski goggles to protect their eyes and went about their shennanigans.

Who needs a swingset when you've got a view like this?

Even Daddy got in on the moutain-climbing action.

And why were they wearing ski hats and scarves on a 90-degree summer evening? Um, I opted not to ask. After all, they were willingly posing for photos and inadvertedly providing me with lots of new material for scrapbook pages, so I skipped any opportunity to question their fashion choices. This "smart and resourceful" thing? It's gotta be genetic.

Scrapbook & Cards Today Summer Issue!

I'm excited to be one of the contributors to the summer issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today, which is available for download now, so click on over and get your copy! I created a page for the Got Scraps? column on page 37, using my favorite circle punches and lots of colorful scraps:

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There's also some misting going on here, a technique that may have gotten me in a bit of trouble with the hubby when he discovered the Trex on our front porch had a new aqua tint to it. (oopsie!)

The entire issue is packed full of amazing inspiration and gorgeous projects. I'm hoping to peruse my copy a bit more thoroughly by the pool today! I've also got an extra print copy of the magazine to give away. If you'd like it, just leave me a comment and I'll a pick someone to receive it on Tuesday.

Enjoy your Monday, friends!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:  Congrats to Melinda T, who wins the copy of SCT!

Give-It-Away Thursday.

I bet you all thought Give-It-Away-Thursday went on hiatus for the summer, didn't you?!  Well, after a few weeks of going AWOL, my weekly giveaway is back! Because if I don't get rid of some of these damn scrapbook supplies, I'm going to get swallowed alive. And while that would make for an excellent Lifetime movie, it would really put a damper on Thursday blog posts, now wouldn't it?!?

Since I'm in a festive summer mood, I've put together a little mini-kit of summery-themed items that would love to travel through the mail and find a new home with someone who would love it well:

There's an assortment of 6x6 papers from Hambly, My Mind's Eye, Crate, and Fancy Pants, along with 6x6 cardstock sheets (2 each) in yellow, teal, ivory, green, and pink. There's alpha and sentiment stickers from Bella Boulevard, and a ribbon pack from Doodlebug.

And I've also thrown in a few of the Heidi Swapp Instaframes + stickers and a mix of buttons, flags, and other embellishments. Also included is a sheet of rub-ons from Hambly featuring hot air balloons, kites & clouds, a Basic Grey flower and Maya Road kraft tags.

There's some perforated papers from Jenni Bowlin Studio, an Amy Tan embroidered patch, Doodlebug jewels, Pink Paislee banners and Prima wooden tags.

So......if you'd like to be entered to win, simply leave me a comment below.** Comments will stay open until Monday morning, June 25th when I'll pick someone to receive the whole she-bang of goodies posted above. Obviously, creative and humorous comments will be more likely to win (so entertain me, people!!) Ha!

And hey - happy Give-It-Away Thursday, y'all!!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of  June 25 (whenever I drag my butt out of bed, make coffee, and log on to Typepad) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage on the shipment. And that concludes the fine print. Yahoo! And that should keep the lawyers happy. Now go enter to win! And stop reading this drivel!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Jeannie L! And if you didn't win, don't dispair - look for another giveaway here on Thursday!

It's that simple.

If you've been following me on Twitter or Instagram, you've probably noticed an increase in posts regarding fun-themed activities over the past few weeks. Because, c'mon! It's summer vacation people! And nevermind that my time in any type of educational institution officially ended decades ago. I'm a parent to school-age kiddos. And the biggest perk of that job? It automatically enrolls me in the Summer Vacation Club, too! 

Oh yeah. We've been living it up lately. Amusement parks, swimming pools, arts & crafts, picnics, scavenger hunts, and late afternoon sessions of Draw Something. Sidewalk chalk cityscapes, Play-Doh parties, lemonade squeezing and grill-menu planning...we've been doing it all! And, um, it is at all surprising that we're having a blast?! Well, only to this slightly workaholic-inclined mama who has since realized that the world does not come crashing to a halt if you take an afternoon off to ride roller coasters with your kids.  Who knew??

So inspired by this new summertime schedule, I created my latest scrapbook page:

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It's quickly becoming our summertime mantra: Do More of What Makes You Happy. Yep, it's really that easy. The more happy things you do, the easier it is to forget what isn't (or at least lessen it's importance in your life!) So right now, it's all about packing every bit of happiness we can into our days of summer...are you in?!?

Fashionista Goes to Art Camp.

Last week, our talented artist neighbor, Sondra, hosted an art camp for kids and Riely was so excited to be one of the attendees. Over the course of the week, they learned about Picasso, Matisse, Monet, Seurat, Cezanne, Still, VanGogh, Klimt, Warhol and Mondrian and created a paintings using the techniques of each artist. In between the slide shows and hand-on painting, they were entertained with scavenger hunts, science experiments, water balloon fights and more. Riely came home happy (and exhausted!) every night.

[Riely's version of Monet's "Waterlillies"]

On Thursday evening, the little artists hosted a gallery opening to showcase their beautiful works. We invited some friends and Riely gave us a guided tour all her masterpieces.

Now I've got no more excuses for bare walls in the house (and it looks like I'll be making a run to Ikea for some frames!)

[A Jackson Pollack-inspired splatter painting]

[Pointillism inspired by Seurat]

The only part of camp she didn't like? Having to wear old tee shirts and "paint-friendly" outfits every day to accomodate the messy nature of the activities. On Friday she announced that she was ready to wear "pretty clothes" again. She may love her art, but I'm pretty sure it's fashion that's #1 in this girl's heart!

Enjoy your Monday!

Ocean Breezes

Happy Monday, internets! With a forecasted week of gorgeous Colorado weather (highs around 77 - perfectly warm without making you sweat profusely) we're looking forward to spending lots of time outside. We've stocked up on sidewalk chalk, giant bubble blowers and pool toys and we are ready to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. Which means I've got to get this posted and step away from the computer!

Yesterday the mid-month gallery at Jenni Bowlin went live and it's got some stunning pages from the design team.  I am constantly amazed at the creations these talented women produce each month (and even more amazed that I'm lucky enough to work with them!) My fellow design teamer Jill Sprott summed it up well saying "We are all soul scrappers on this team. It's not just about putting this paper with that paper or that accent.  It's about heart." And I couldn't agree more!

My contribution to this gallery is the page below. It features a series of shots that I took with my sister-in-law, Ali on our way to a wedding in Laguna Beach over Memorial Day weekend. We were totally being goofy tourists, giggling and snapping photos while cruising up the PCH in the backseat of a rented convertible. I'm sure our husbands in the front seat would have described us as obnoxious, but we had so much fun.

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I used the Jenni Bowlin butterfly Silhouette file as a focal point here, enlarging and cutting it almost 8 inches wide from the Blueprint paper. I added a large circle, cut from the Amy Tangerine Sketchbook paper and a title with Studio Calico chipboard letters and a die cut of the word "ocean."

To add a bit of ocean/water effects, I splattered some  Speckled Egg paint in a few spots on the page. Once dry, I topped added wooden stars from Studio Calico. The journaling is hidden in the kraft envelope, and is written on the back of one of the Basic Grey die cut accents. It reads:

"It was a splurge to rent a convertible for our trip to Laguna Beach, but we had so much fun driving around in it! On the short trip up the PCH to the wedding, Ali and I snapped photos in the backseat amidst lots of laughing, sunshine, and ocean breezes!"

And with that, we're off to enjoy some mountain breezes....hope your Monday is amazing!

The Week in Instagrams.

1. Kicking off summer crafting with letter writing

2. Posing with the pup (who hates photos)

3. Scrappy sneak of a project for Lily Bee Design

4. A new summer tradition: Food Truck Tuesday!

5. Some very happy Verde burrito eaters

6. Day trip to Elitch Gardens

7. Roller-coaster fanatics in training

8. Ending the day on the carousel

9. A load of boulders arrives for our landscaping

10. A quick pic before the tea cup ride (I wasn't so smiley when it ended. Me no likey spinny rides.)

Happy Friday, peeps!

He married me for my sarcastic wit, after all.

Recently overheard at our house:

MIKE: Hey babe, you need to be careful not to use profanity in your emails to me at work. One of them got flagged by the guys in IT because it contained the word bitch.

ME: Bitch? They'll flag an email for that? Are you kidding me?!

MIKE: No, really. They frown on all curse words.

ME: So I guess the email I just sent accusing you of being a selfish m@+?®! f#¢*&® for not replacing the g^!@#&d toilet paper roll this morning is really gonna send them into a tizzy, huh?

Have a happy %$!#@) Wednesday!

It's a sure sign of summer.

You can definitely tell that summer vacation is in full swing around here! Swim team practices, trips to the pool, ice cream dates, bike riding, hanging on the patio, s'more roasting, and oh yeah, just a little bit of work (darn adult responsibilities!)....and um, very little blogging. Tis the season to be off the computer and enjoying life, right?!

But I am popping on today to share two of my JBS Mercantile kit layouts, both of which were made using just the Papercrafting kit. It features Jenni's new paper line, Wren, and there's a very limited quantity of the kit left...so grab one while you can!

This first page is for the JBS Design Team Challenge to use a grid + stencils. (And just a heads up for anyone looking to add to their stencil stash - the JBS Mercantile exclusive stencils are 50% off this month!) I used the Star Dot stencil + Weather Vane paint dabber to make a loose grid background for my photo:

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Once the paint was dry, I used a ruler and a white pen to create subtle lines that further reinforce my grid structure. The flowers were cut from one of the new papers, Lace Curtain, and topped with clear buttons. I covered one of the kraft tags with red striped washi tape and used chipboard letters + stamping for my title.

My second page is also based on a grid design (so perfect for Instagram photos!) but I tilted the whole alignment for a whimsical look. The photos were printed 2-inch square and mixed in with several papers and vintage goodies from the kit.

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I loved using a variety of punches, stamps and small paper bits to adorn some of the squares and the Kodachrome slide that comes in the kit was a perfect addition, too!

And with that, I'm running off to swim practice - summer beckons!