Gettin' By

Five on Friday.

After a few weeks hiatus, my Five On Friday feature is back! Here's what making me happy this week:

1.  Canvassing Backpack in Uptown. ($31.99) The end of summer is drawing near (not that I'm counting down the days until my kids go back to school or anything, but THERE'S 20 DAYS LEFT - can I get a HELL YEAH!!! ) Ahem. So that's got me thinking about back-to-school shopping and how, while we're shopping for pencils and paper and whatnot, I may have to snap up this cute little orange number for myself.  After all, a mama needs a stylish way to carry all her PTA minutes and classroom volunteer notes.  Or bottles of wine. Tomato, tomahto.

 

2.  Shinerbock Ruby Redbird ($11.99/12-pack).  You don't go to college in Texas without throwing back a few Shiners (amongst other decidedly Texan Lone Star traditions we won't get into here.)  And while I have a special place in my heart for the original brew (Hello! My dog is named Shinerbock!) this new summer seasonal is my go-to Happy Hour beer. The light ale with hints of grapefruit and ginger make it crisp, cool and just a little bit girly.  And to be honest, I would have bought it just for the color combination on the label. Lucky for me, it tastes good too.

 

3.  To Grandmother's House We Toe Heel ($97.99)  I can't think of a better addition to my fall wardrobe these adorable floral versions of the classic Mary Jane. They'd be perfect for date night at the drive-in movies with dark skinny jeans or equally sweet with a June Cleaver-type shirt dress + frilly apron while making Thanksgiving dinner.  Because that's what I do when I have a free moment...fantasize about my wardrobe as a 1950s housewife with a husband named Ward.

 

4. JBS Mercantile Medallion Stamp (Kit Exclusive). I am in love with this gorgeous new stamp from Jenni Bowlin.  So much so that I've used it on every single one of my kit projects this month (which I'll be sharing next week!) If you want to get your hands on one (and of course you do!), you need to mark the calendar for August 1st, because they are only available in the August Papercrafting Kit at jbsmercantile.com.  And yes, you can use it on a scrapbook page documenting your love for Shinerbock beer.  Or maybe that's just me.

 

5.  Stained Glass Bauble Ring ($14.99). I have a huge weakness for big, colorful, fun rings like this one. It's like a little corsage for your finger. (And it adds a just a touch of chic, stylish panache when you're flipping the bird to the a**hole driver in front of you who hasn't yet grasped the concept of turn signals.) With all these fabulous jewel tones, it will go with just about any fall outfit.  Not to mention that the red, aqua, and deep yellow tones happen to coordinate perfectly with the ShInerbock Ruby label. One-track mind, anyone?!

Here's to a weekend full of beer, baubles and birds (the feathered kind, you silly people...tweet, tweet!)

 

 

 

Two Hands.

{The Studio Calico giveaway is still open below.}

 

How is it possible that this little baby girl, who I once rocked, swaddled, and gazed upon in wonder for hours on end...

...now needs two hands to show her age?

Happy sixth birthday, baby girl!  I love you so!

 

Studio Calico Blog Blitz!

I was honored to be asked to design some projects for Studio Calico's booth at CHA and even more excited when I found out I'd be using products from their new Memoir line.  Um, teal + orange + green? Yes, please!  And here are the projects I created:

I couldn't decide which of the fabulous papers to use first, so this page incorporates several of the patterns (and the woodgrain is a stamp from the My Happy set.)  I cut them out with my trusty circle cutter and topped them with various embellishments from the line like chipboard buttons, flowers, and clouds. I also used a few stamped images  - the herringbone border, the hearts, and the "love" sentiment - as embellishments, too.

I love the chipboard die-cuts in Memoir, and I used several of them (along with a circle stamp from the My Happy set) to create the ribbon on this page:

The "1" tag is layered over two other tags to form the streamers of the ribbon.  And how perfect are these shades of teal and green for a swimming page?!

My last project was a simple card using the circle and bird stamps from the My Happy set.  I also used the Herringbone 4x6 background with charcoal ink to create a base for my colored circles. The chipboard flowers layered over the coordinating pattern paper add a subtle bit of texture and dimension:

And now for the REALLY exciting part....to celebrate the release of their new lines, Studio Calico is giving away my choice of product to one of my readers. I've chosen the My Happy stamp set because it's so versatile - I used it in all three projects above! If you'd like to win a set of your very own, just comment on this post (and please make sure to sign in with an email where I can contact you!) I'll keep comments open until Wednesday morning, at which time I'll post the winner.**

And be sure to stop by the Studio Calico blog for a list of other designers who will be participating in the blog blitz - you won't want to miss seeing some of the other fabulous projects that were in the CHA booth!

Happy Monday!

**Studio Calico will be shipping the stamps directly to the winner. Because it's a brand new product, The My Happy stamp set might not be in stock for immediate shipment, but will be mailed to the winner as soon as they become available!

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UPDATED WITH WINNER!  Congrats to Carrie D, the winner of the Studio Calico stamp set! Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Get A Clue.

Yesterday Mike spent the day participating in a company-sponsored golf tournament. It's one of the perks of his job: put in several years of 15-hour days, and you'll be rewarded with a day on the links.  Doesn't sound like that great of a deal to me, but my idea of hell?  Is pretty much chasing around a small white orb with a long stick in 90º temps while operating a vehicle that (on a good day) I could outrun, and the appearance of both the beer cart and a port-a-potty is often a mirage or simply a hallucination your mind creates to get you through the insufferable five.damn.hours it takes to get back to the friggin' clubhouse. You might say I don't have an intense fondness for the sport.

But, for some reason I will never quite grasp, Mike enjoys it.  And when he got home last night, he regaled me with tales from the fairway (which, I would guess, I find about as interesting as he finds my scrapbooking sagas.) But you don't maintain a successful 13-year marriage by acting disinterested.  No sirrrreee. You consider it an honor and privilege to have found that one special person to annoy for the rest of your life.

So I feigned interest and heard all about 200-yard drives, pars, water hazards, sand traps and some dude named Mulligan.  And then he told me about one of guys on his 4-man scramble team whose last name happens to be Peacock. To which I may have blurted out:

"And he did it in the conservatory with the candlestick, right?!?!"

And since Mike has never played the classic boardgame Clue, his response was a blank stare. (But in my defense, Hayden thought it was hilarious.) So when Mike continued to tell me about the other members of his team, I might have interrupted with

"Wait - don't tell me!  Was it Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum!?"

Because another secret to a successful marriage?  It's having the perfect punchline at any given moment. Even if your significant other has no earthly idea what's so funny.  Ba dum dum. (I'm here all week.)

Hope your Friday is fabulous!

Lucky Thirteen.

Well hooooo boy, I've sure been neglecting the ol' blog lately, huh? It's been for a lot of good reasons, though - among them pre-CHA creating, kid's activities, and a jam-packed work schedule - but the best reason has to be the four-day weekend Mike & took to celebrate our thirteenth anniversary.

After leaving the kids with Nana, we stole away to Avon (just outside of Vail) to the absolutely amazing Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch. We first stayed here two years ago for our aniversary and loved it so much we decided to come back for Lucky Number Thirteen. This place is just stunning with its log-cabin inspired architectured nestled into the ski slopes at Beaver Creek (I should note that I am in no way affiliated with  this resort. And they are not paying me to say nice things. However, should they wish to throw a free vacation my way, I would probably take it. Make that definitely take it. Oh yeah baby!)

Upon our arrival, there were delicious chocolate strawberries waiting in our room (and they later brought another plate of Happy Birthday chocolates. Mike and I declined to tell them that neither of us has a birthday in July. Because we kind of like chocolate. Even when it's not our birthday.)

And this little guy, Bachelor, the hotel mascot (a 16-week old St. Bernard) greeted us in the lobby:

We spent most of our time lounging at the pool:

and staring at the scenery through the giant windows in the beautiful lodge area:

And consuming lots of adult beverages:

Sunday night we drove over to Vail and had dinner at Russell's, a local steakhouse that sits right on the gorgeous Eagle river:

And we took cheesy phone photos while waiting for our meal:

And afterwards, back at the lodge, I had to pose with my fabulous new belt buckle (because even though the traditional 13th anniversary gift is lace, I wanted sterling silver instead):

And Mike posed a bit more provacatively, ala the Britney Spears Crotch Shot:

Which made me laugh.  A lot.  (It's the key to a successful marriage, I think.)

It was a fabulous weekend of celebration, laughter, and love.  And I can't wait for the next 13 years with this guy.  Happy Thirteen, baby!

 

Hope your Wednesday is wonderful!

Lift This Page!

I'm in the midst of a creating-for-CHA-and-simultaneously-trying-to-pack-for-a-long-anniversary-weekend-away-with-the-hubby-while-hopped-up-on-mega-doses-of-caffeine-and-operating-on-very-little-sleep frenzy over here. Whew! I can tell you that there are some fabulous scrappy products hitting the market soon. And that I really, really despise packing.

Anyway, today's lift is a simple page I made with this month's Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit and I bet you can whip it up in less than 30 minutes. Which means you'll have plenty of time to scrap and then scoot on over to my house and help me pack.  Sound like a plan?

Cheers | supplies: Bazzill kraft cardstock + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Sassafras Lass) + My Mind's Eye brads + American Crafts Thickers + stickers (Sassafras Lass, My Mind's Eye) + punches (Creative Memories, Fiskars) + American Crafts pen + machine stitching

1.  Punch approximately 26 squares (mine are 1.5") from various patterned paper. Arrange in a quilt pattern across the page, placing each square on the diagonal. Trim off any squares that hang over the edge.

2.  Punch approximately 6 squares from kraft cardstock. I stamped mine with watermark ink + the exclusive Soda Water stamp that came in this month's JBS kit, but you can use any stamp/ink you like (or just leave them plain!).  Slice each kraft square in half diagonally and use the halves to cap off the top and bottom row of the quilt pattern.

3. Use a scallop punch to make a 12" border for the top edge. Stitch it in place using red thread.

4.  Adhere a 4x6 photo to the bottom right of the page.  Apply title stickers and embellish with flower and label.

5.  Write journaling with pen and adorn a few of the squares with embellished brads.

And you're done!  Now can you tell me exactly how many pairs of shoes a girl needs for a romantic 4-day vacation with her husband? Please tell me that ten pairs is not too many. After all, one cannot truly celebrate 13 years of marriage if not wearing the appropriate footwear, right??

Happy Wednesday!

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For more great design advice and scrapbook inspiration, check out my Ella Publishing ebook, Design Workshop. In it, I share 10 essential steps to design success with 22 full-color layouts, plus 43 bonus tips and tricks.

They say this is where the fun begins.

Well hello Monday!  I am still floating around in a musically-induced high after what was undoubtedly the highlight of my summer - getting to experience the amazing Avett Brothers in concert at Red Rocks!  Even the early evening rain couldn't dampen our spirits as Mike, Ali and Ryan I and waited for Scott and Seth to take the stage (and a few beers didn't hurt, either!)

The concert was everything I could have hoped for and much more. These guys are just so, so talented. And the love they have for the music and performing is contagious - I got goosebumps when they played my favorite songs. Seeing them live has only made me love them more. It was an unrivaled experience in an incredible venue (and I will now be perpetually stalking the etown website to see when the broadcast of this concert will air so I can re-live it all!)

And an unexpected bonus?  I finally  got to meet my Simple Sister, Elizabeth Dillow (even if it was only for a few minutes in line for the women's restroom!)

So today I wanted to share two of my pages from the Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit. The kit sold out (no surprise, since it's a fabulous collection of goodies AND an exclusive JBS stamp and acrylic mask!). So just a heads up - mark your calendars for midnight on August 1 to get your hands on next month's kit - it's gonna go fast too!

R & E | supplies: cardstock (Bazzill, Core'dinations) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye Joy Woodgrain, My Mind's Eye Buddies Herringbone, Sassafras Lass Kindle, Sassafras Lass Beaming) + JBS stamp + JBS ink (Chewing Gum, Cough Syrup) + American Crafts alpha + My Mind's Eye brads +  EK Success scallop punch + Uniball Signo pen + shoelace, vintage ticket & label, vintage fabric circle, date stamp

I created my own patterned paper using the Soda Water stamp, alternating Chewing Gum and Cough Syrup inks in a checkerboard pattern. I stamped on Bazzill White Orange Peel, which because of the texture, makes the stamped image a bit imperfect.  If you want a clearer image, I'd suggest using the Bazzill Simply Smooth.

Cutie Pie | supplies:  Bazzill cardstock + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye Boy Tapestry, Sassafras Lass Beaming) + Maya Road kraft doily + Sassafras flower stickers + JBS stamp & acrylic mask + JBS Malted Milk ink + American Crafts alpha + My Mind's Eye brads +  Courier font + vintage book page, machine stitching

Here I used the butterfly template to trace the shape onto white cardstock and trim it out.  Then I stamped the Soda Water (with Malted Milk ink) to add some detail to it.  I added several rows of (messy) machine stitching around the edges to highlight the shape on my page.

Hope you all have a great Monday! I'll leave you with one of my favorite Avett Brothers' lyrics (because they have definitely made my world a better place!)

We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way.
--Avett Brothers, Salvation Song

Five on Friday.

I've got a few more summer items to share with you today!

1.  Goddess Garden Natural Sunscreen ($16.99).  I've been on the hunt for a chemical-free sunscreen all summer, and finding one that works AND comes in an easy spray bottle (for applying to antsy kids) has been difficult.  I stumbled onto this brand while perusing the cosmetic section at Whole Foods and have been pleasantly surprised with its performance.  It's easy to apply and absorbs really well, unlike most titanuim dioxide formulas.  And it's made locally, right here in Boulder.

 

 

 2.  Summer Like It Hot Top ($47.99).  I've had a slight case of yellow fever this summer, coveting any piece of clothing or accessory that comes in this delightfully happy color.  And this top is not doing anything to help my recovery.  Flowy yellow fabric and daisy adornments?? Yes, please!

 

 

 

  3.  Baker's Dozen Juicy Pinot Grigio ($9.99)  I love a good white wine for summer, and this one is fitting the bill nicely.  It's a bit sweeter and fruitier than I normally like, but I couldn't resist the yellow gingham label. (It's always appropriate to match your wine labels to your outfit, in case you didn't know.) And it goes great with this Watermelon Feta Salad.  Or s'mores.

 

 

 

  4.  Take Out Menu Binder ($21.99). When you're caught up in the lazy days of summer, it's easy to forget to make a grocery list. Or go grocery shopping. Or cook a meal for your family. (Or maybe that just happens to me, drinking too much of the wine that perfectly coordinates with my shirt.) But that's OK - just grab this adorably cute binder and phone in a fabulous meal. No, it doesn't come in yellow, but the orange is equally divine!

 

 

 

  5.  Holding Pattern Wallet ($37.99) Maybe it's because it reminds me of my favorite Jenni Bowlin paper, but this sewing-themed wallet needs to come live in my purse.  And help me buy all my favorite Five on Friday items. Wheeeeee!

 

 

I've got a post over at the Lily Bee blog today, so come say hi if you get a chance! Hope your Friday is fabulous!

The Fourth {In Photos}.

Some highlights of our three-day weekend celebrating America's birthday:

Fresh watermelon was consumed.

Grilled hot dogs were devoured.

Lego fortresses were built and battles were fought.

Chubby baby cheeks were kissed (and photographed no less than 200 times!)

Matching coral shirts were worn (and photographs were taken to prove how very cheesy matching coral shirts, do, indeed look.)

Girly secrets were shared.

Certain brother-in-laws dared certain sister-in-laws to blog a photo of him flipping the bird. {Names have been withheld to protect their identities.}

Kids looked patiently skyward for any sign of fireworks.

S'mores helped pass the time until dark (and the sugar helped extend bedtime waaaay past normal!)

Sparklers sparkled. Fireworks exploded. And a good time was had by all.

 

Hope your Fourth was equally fabulous!