Gettin' By

Give-It-Away Thursday: Mini Kit!

Yay it's Thursday! And that, of course, means I've got some goodies to giveaway. It's a collection of things from past JBS Mercantile kits, plus a few items from my stash that I've put together in a little mini-kit.  There's lots of 6x6 papers, alpha and border stickers, some vintage goodness and plenty of embellishments:

If you'd like to find this package in your mailbox, just leave me a comment telling me how you plan to enjoy your upcoming Labor Day weekend (or, if you aren't in the US, just tell me your weekend plans!)** I'll randomly pick a winner from the comments on Monday.

Enjoy your 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 September 3 (whenever I 've consumed enough caffeine to function) 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, dear readers, completes the fine print.

 UPDATED WITH WINNER:

As August slips away...

Well hello Wednesday! We are quickly approaching the end of August (wha??) and that means the new JBS Mercantile kit reveal is just around the corner. I'm currently working with mine (which just might contain a super bonus freebie you're SO gonna love!) and it is definitely a kit for all seasons.

In the meantime, I'm bidding farewell to my August kit and sharing a final layout from it:

S U P P L I E S : 

I simply adore that polka dot square stamp (it will be available for purchase at the Mercantile in January!) so I loaded it up with lots of different ink colors and stamped a background grid. Then I layered lots of bits and pieces from the kits to complete this page about our amusement park adventures this summer.

The Basic Grey envelopes are ideal for tucking away journaling and adorning with brads and stickers.

And in other JBS news, we are looking for some talented people to serve as JBS Ambassadors in the upcoming year. I don't think I have to tell you that working for Jenni is an absolute dream, so get your applications in! (all the info is at the link above).

Finally, I have to send out BIG BIRTHDAY WISHES to my Grandma Neva today, who is turning 95. I wish you the happiest of days, Grandma! You are amazing and I love you!

{Grandma and Riely in 2010}

I bet Prince Harry takes naps, too.

I had truly intended to get up early, compose a riveting blog post, and astound you all with my Monday morning wit and humor.  But here it already 8:30 and I'm still on my first cup of coffee, wiping sleep from my eyes, and attempting to get the day rolling. This is due in large part to a Sunday night engagement with this handsome guy:

Last night we attended a fundraiser for Tennyson Center (an event Mike's company sponsors) which meant an excuse to get dressed up, enjoy a nice dinner & adult beverages and raise some money for an incredibly worthy cause.  And of course we bribed Hayden into documenting it all with photos...

...and provide photographic proof as to why my modeling career never really got off the ground:

Of course, being the total party animals we are, we stayed out UNTIL ALMOST 10:30. On a Sunday night. Because we have a rock-n-roll lifestyle to maintain, y'all. Which means my 5:30 am alarm was largely ignored and repeatedly snoozed until the last possible minute when I had to drag my sorry butt out of bed.

So my post is a bit late. But I got the breakfast made, lunches packed, and the kids off to school.  I've consumed my coffee and am attempting to talk myself into a workout. And I will quite likely be sneaking in a nap later this afternoon. Living la vida loca, folks!

Happy Monday!

 

 

BasicGrey | Design Team Blog Hop

Welcome to the BasicGrey Design Team Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from the blog of Els Brige.

I am thrilled to be a part of the BasicGrey Design Team this year! I have been a fan of their papers for what seems like forever (I remember buying the Urban Couture collection pack and using every.single.piece) and with each subsequent release, my heart still goes pitter patter.

The newest collections are fabulously inspiring and have me alloting some extra scrap time at my desk these days. I was lucky enough to play with the new Serenade line just before CHA and its lovely mix of soft aquas, browns, and yellows. And I'm totally a sucker for the polka dot and vintage map patterned papers.

But my favorite product in the line has to be the Garland that I used under my photo above. The pre-strung die cuts are so easy to layer with embellishments for a custom page banner (with very little work!)

In celebration of the new design team, BasicGrey is allowing me to give away a collection pack of Kissing Booth, a delightfully sweet line perfect for scrapping everyone (and everything!) you love. For your chance to win, see the giveaway box below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now it's time to hop over to Jana Eubank's blog for more eye candy (and another giveaway!) Remember, if you find a link in the hop that doesn't work, you can always go back to the BasicGrey blog for a list of direct links to all of the blogs.

Happy Thursday!

In the last five days...

...we celebrated Grandpa D's birthday at Rock Bottom (with donut holes, what else?!?):

...this little girl started second grade:

...we took a weekend trip to one of our favorite spots in Colorado:

and spent time with Mike's family at the Ford Cabin (and amazingly got 12 people to look at the camera ALL AT ONCE for a self-timer shot!)

...the kids enjoyed time with cousins (and ice cream cones!)

...we took some hikes to amazingly beautiful places:

...we made Uncle Ben chaparone a round of mini golf:

and I forced my cabin mates to play Trivial Pursuit (where I promptly lost my tiara as reigning Queen of All Things Trivial.  I blame it on the beer consumption.)

And after the fun-filled weekend, we returned home where yesterday Hayden headed off on his first day of junior high:

and I tried (unsuccessfully) not to be a weepy, emotional mama.

And today I am adjusting to a VERY quiet house, consoling a moping dog who misses his kids, tackling an obscene amount of laundry and finishing up several projects that have fallen victim to my recent bout of procrastination.  I'll be back later this week to share some fun news and a few scrappy projects as well. Until then, enjoy your Tuesday!

Five on Friday.

Today's list is five things I will miss about summer!

1. Bridgeport Summer Squeeze ($6.49).  This is a girly girl beer - a light crisp ale, with hints of lemon grass and yuzu fruit (which has to be a totally made up fruit just for marketing purposes, no?) and this girly-girl loves it.

2. Smith Serpico Aviators ($118.00).  I may have listed these before on a Five on Friday, but my minty green shades deserve the repeat attention. I love that Smith makes a smaller-sized aviator for those of who don't want to endure Top Gun jokes every time we wear shades. The aqua hue makes them definitively summery, but I love these specs year round!

3.  Crayola 3D Sidewalk Chalk ($19.99). There is nothing better than seeing a huge span of concrete driveway covered in artistic masterpieces. And when you can pop on 3D glasses and have them come to life, it's even better. Seeing a driveway covered in snow (that um, needs to be shoveled!) is just not the same (though it doesn't require 3D glasses).

4.  Havaianas Top Flip Flops ($18.99).  When summer says goodbye, so do my beloved black flip-flops. Though I guess that means I can stop worrying about pedicures, since my tootsies will soon be covered in wool socks, right?!?

5.  J Vineyards Pinot Gris ($19.99).  Yes, there's two alcoholic beverages on today's list. (Do you know me AT ALL, dear readers??!)  I will miss the slightly fruity (with hints of tangerine, Margarita lime and Tahitian vanilla) and always refreshing flavors of this perfect warm-weather wine when autumn rolls in.

Enjoy your dwindling summer!

BasicGrey | Soleil Blog Hop

Welcome to the BasicGrey Soleil Blog Hop!  You should have arrived here from the blog of Waleska Neris. (If not, read on and be sure to visit the previous stops for lots of inspiration and eye candy!)

The bright, unapologetic hues of light dancing through the atmosphere, refracted from a prism or reflecting off the water are captured in Soleil, a collaborative collection by BasicGrey and Sassafras. This line is both serene and invigorating with its harvested-from-the-earth fruit and flower colors like soft lavender, juicy peach, tangerine, blueberry juice and watermelon. Let its calming yet spirited nature inspire your creative soul.



Since soleil is French for sun, I was immediately inspired by the idea of sunbursts for this page. Using a die cut I created, I highlighted several of the Soleil papers within each "ray." The patterns in this line range from simple geometrics to intricate florals to playful doodles, but they all coordinate seamlessly!

In the center of my sunburst, I clustered my photos, title and lots of the fun embellishments from this line, including the die-cut flowers, designer chipboard stickers, flags, and (my personal favorite), wooden buttons.

The Soleil line was the perfect way to showcase these photos of my own little sunshine, Miss Riely!  So how would you like a chance to win your very own Soleil collection pack to create with? See the giveaway box below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if the chance to win a collection pack is exciting, what about the chance to win one of each product in the Soleil collection?  (I thought you might be interested!) Simply head over to the BasicGrey Facebook page and let us know your favorite product in the Soleil collection. A winner will be selected at random from all comments received today.

This is the last stop on the blog hop, but if you missed a blog along the way, you can always hop back to the BasicGrey blog for a list of direct links to all of the participating designers.

Wishing you the sunniest of Thursdays!

Signs I Might Be Getting Old.

1.  I've spent a week scouring Pinterest for the perfect breakfast casserole recipe to serve at an upcoming family gathering. I'm pretty sure that young, hip people spend time selecting the perfect Italian prosecco or asparagus souffle to serve with their brunch, not weighing the merits of bacon vs. sausage in their baked egg dishes. {Ohhhhhhh bacon.}

2. I may have referred to my purse as a pocketbook yesterday.

3. In less than a week, I will be the parent of a middle schooler. Today H has invited several of his friends over for one last celebration of summer, during which I will insist they play with Thomas the Train, dine on a lunch of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and listen to Laurie Berkner cds. Deny, deny, deny!

4. While contemplating the correct grammar for the title of this post, I got caught up in perusing Wikipedia for the definition of split infinitive, which led to more research on dangling participles, and effectively wasted an entire hour this morning.

5. A recent diagnosis of a herniated disc in my lower back has me hobbling around the house like a crotchety grandmother, despite my highly scientific ibuprofen-doping procedures and absolute refusal to accept that I'm old enough to have any ailment involving the word "herniated." All I need now is a cane to raise in the air and shake at the neighborhood kids while I yell "Get off my lawn you no-good hooligans!" and I will officially have achieved senior citizen status.

So that lovely shade of silvery blue I'm sporting on my toenails?? I'm thinking it might be a more appropriate color for my hair. I'll have to contemplate the change over my prune juice this morning.

 

Six on Saturday.

1.  Real Simple's Easy Delicious Home Cooking ($24.95). I had grabbed this book from our library earlier this summer because the book design is simple, clean and makes phenomenal use of white space (all things I love in a cookbook!). Recipes are divided by season and each one feature a full-page photo of the dish with the recipe on the opposing page. After testing several of the dishes (chicken & orange skewers with zucchini rice, chorizo & potato tacos with black bean salsa, and chicken verde enchiladas) AND getting rave reviews from the fam, I went ahead and bought my own copy. (Pssst....it's on sale at Amazon for $14.10!)

2.  Alba After-Sun Lotion ($11.95).  I love every single product I've ever tried from Alba, from face cleanser to shampoo to sunscreen, and this lotion is no exception. It's awesomely rich for quenching summer-parched skin without being greasy. Plus it smells divine - a bit like cocoa and coffee and sun tan oil all mixed together.

3.  Ozo Coffee's Espresso Isabelle ($14.00).  I'm not one to stray far from my beloved Starbucks, but after tasting this local coffee house's espresso, I'm a convert. It is so amazingly fragrant, rich and dark, just opening the bag fills the kitchen with lovely coffee bouquet (I need to convince them to make a candle in this scent!) It makes my morning cappucino totally worth getting out of bed for. And if you're not local, you can order their grinds online!

4.  Moving Comfort Fiona Sports Bra ($46.95) I've passed enough er, unsupported? ladies on my morning runs in the past few weeks to feel compelled to post the link to this bra as a PSA to my fellow well-endowed runner girls out there. I love this bra (own it in four colors!) and it keeps the chest area locked and loaded in even the most high-impact of activities. Because it's sized like a regular bra (cup sizing - no S, M, L) and it has adjustable straps, you get a perfect fit. So the only thing bouncing will be your pony tail :)

5.  Blue Bell Christmas Cookie In July ice cream ($5.69) Of course, we can't talk about running and exercise without mentioning the obvious pay-off - ice cream! And there's none better than Blue Bell. (Um, it's quite likely the reason my Freshman 15 may have turned into the Freshman 45.) This seasonal flavor - sugar cookie ice cream with chunks of chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and sugar cookie dough with candy cane shaped sprinkles and a green icing swirl - is reason enough to go for a run, trust me!

6. Hatch a Color Scheme Flat ($32.99). It's not too early to start thinking about fall fashion, right? I'm adoring these multi-colored vegan flats because I think they'd be the perfect match for a new pair of red skinny jeans I snagged a few weeks back. Plus, I've got several cardis in those hues just waiting to make an appearance when cooler weather rolls in. Yep, I think I'll be adding these to my shopping cart soon!

 

Give-It-Away Thursday: Scrapbook Trends

I know one of my favorite memories of this summer will be riding the roller coasters at Elitch's with my kiddos. So of course I had to do a quick page about that, using some of the Instagram photos on my phone:

S U P P L I E S :

I love how the cut roller coaster "track" gives the page such a sense of motion and whimsy. It's a big impact for a fairly simple technique!

The layered ticket embellishments also play to the amuement park theme I've got going. I'm loving the Pins & Tags from Basic Grey - so tiny and cute!

T H E  G I V E A W A Y :

I've got three extra copies of Scrapbook Trends (February, March & April 2012) sitting here waiting to be shipped off to someone who wants them. If that's you, just leave me a comment telling me YOUR favorite memory of summer.** I'll randomly pick a winner from the comments on Monday.

And have a 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 August 13 (whenever I 've consumed enough caffeine to function) 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, my friends, is the fine print. 

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Melinda T!