Today I'm here to share one of my newest scrapbooking process videos. I'm finally getting my webcam to cooperate with Windows 8 after being forced to upgrade when my laptop HDD failed earlier this year.
I hope you enjoy.
Thanks for watching and visiting.

I don't usually go to sketches for inspiration, but I'm going to start challenging myself to do so. This revelation all started when I saw this sketch on the Studio Calico blog based on a layout by Ali Edwards. 

I followed the sketch pretty closely, using photos from an Incubus concert a few years ago. I don't usually go back and scrapbook past events or stories, but since I was already doing things I don't usually do, I decided to go for gold. :) I really loved Ali's layout when I first saw it, so I wasn't surprised that I loved the outcome of my own version of the layout. 

I love scrapbooking. I love it when it's made with paper and glue, I love it when it's made on a computer, I love it when its a combo of the two. I'm just a fan, period. I like making pages and sharing stories no matter the format. Today I'm going to share a page I made recently about our kitty Mo. She's such a fun loving little girl and I've always got something to say about her (& all of our cats for that matter).

I used some new products from One Little Bird called Sunshine in my Soul. I use these types of products for so many digi made projects, including my blog header, titles, buttons, pages, e-vites, an so much more. I absolutely love to use them digitally, but did you know that if you have a Silhouette, you can use the digital elements as print & cut images. If you would like a tutorial on that leave me a comment and I will get to work on that. :)

Thanks for stopping by & checking out my Digi Made project!

For today's Traditional Tuesday I'm sharing a page from my 2014 album. Ryan and I went to Jekyll Island in January for a Health & P.E. Convention, so I have a ton of photos I want to scrapbook from the trip. It was Ryan's first time on the island, and it had been over a decade since I had visited it. So it was kind of a big deal. During January and February, the Jekyll Island Visitors Center holds a daily scavenger hunt for glass orbs created by local artists. They are some of the most beautiful pieces of glass art I've ever seen. Each one is hand made and unique. I REALLY wanted to find one, but unfortunately I never did. We spent a little bit of time each day on the hunt, so I wanted to make sure I created a page to remember the hours of walking and searching. Even though we never found one of those beauties it certainly gave us a chance to see a lot of the island. I'm already counting down the days until we can go back next January and I'm going to really make a greater effort to find a glass orb of my own. 

 For the background I used a Silhouette cut, Design ID #53723, its a Jillibean Soup cut file available in the store. I edited it so that only the circles were cut, not the outlines. Then I backed each circle with either a piece of pattern paper from the Dear Lizzy Daydreamer collection or my photo of Ryan keeping an eye on the rock wall on our walk down the beach before dinner one night. 

 I chose 2 circles to embellish, in order to create a triangle between them and the photo, as well as between them and my journaling. I used some pieces from a pack of Heidi Swapp ephemera I bought at Michael's on clearance along side some stickers from a variety of scrapbook colletions, including the Daydreamer collection.

 For the title, I wanted to ensure that my point of the journaling was made known. So I decided to call it on the hunt, I used letters from the Simple Stories Daily Grind collection and Bella Blvd Sophisticates, which is a couple of years old.

I have to say this is one of my favorite pages from those I've made using photos from our trip.
Thanks for stopping by & having a look. I'll be back in a few days with another traditional layout to share.

A New Video: Rawr

I've got a pretty good thing going here. I've stopped myself on many occasions from taking my filming "equipment" down. It's always there. Reminding me I need to keep this going. Make a video, edit it, & upload over night.

My next video maybe a few weeks away. But I assure you it's going to be worth the wait ;)

So I'm still trekking along in my attempt to scrapbook all of Steph & Sue's photos. So far I have 19 for Steph & 20 for Sue.... OMG I just realized that's a full scrapbook. awesome. But I'm nowhere near finished. I'm not scrapping in any particular order or anything, just using which photos speak to me at the moment. So they are all over the place chronologically speaking. That's okay though.

I have another page to share today. I made this a couple of days ago. I'm really loving the BasicGrey Hey You & Hey Boy collections. For some reason, primaries & bolder colors are my go to shades right now. So I'm sticking with what keeps me motivated & because I'm not scrapping in straight chronological order, it won't look like I went through a primary color stage once the book is put together. :)

Anyways I quit blabbering typing incessantly & show you my page. I hope you like it.

and of course, here's the video to go along:

It's March!! *Elle's Studio DT Gallery*

I can't believe we are already into March, it's almost Spring here in Georgia & I'm so excited about that. This cold weather is getting to me. I'm ready to be outside & soak up some sun without being blasted by freezing winds & seemingly constant rain. Seriously... why oh why are we plagued with downpours all winter, when its already so cold, but in the summer, there is hardly a drop of water that falls from the sky, but you can still count on the humidity. I don't get it. :)

Ok so I'm not here to bore you to death about the weather. I'm here to share my Elle's Studio March Design Team gallery. If you haven't been over to the site, you definitely need to. There are so many inspiring projects up, it's so awesome getting to be apart of such a talented group. 

So I made 3 layouts this month. All of which I love dearly. 

I used tons of Elle's Studio You & Me collection. Instead of traditional journaling, I decided to stamp a quote from one of my favorite songs of all time, Walk the Line by Johnny Cash. If you don't know me personally, you might be surprised to know that Johnny Cash is my favorite single recording artist of all time. Seriously. His music makes me think of my dad, who I love dearly. This song in particular is such a beautifully written love song. Ryan is my 1 and only & the words on this layout are truer than true. I would do anything I could for him. 

Here's some close up details:

The photobooth strip from our trip to the bowling alley is so indicative of who Ryan and I are as a couple. 

The photo on this layout makes me smile from ear to ear. Every year I take care of my 2 little cousins & to me they are like little sisters to me. I can't imagine my life without them. But that's not what this layout is about for me. This layout is about Ryan's relationship with them, he's so kind, compassionate, loving, caring, everything you could ever dream of in a male role model for 2 little girls. His relationship with them makes me realize that if we ever decide to become parents, he's going to be the best dad ever. Boy, do I love him. 

Here are the details:

This layout is a memory that I don't want Sue to ever forget. She & Ryan have a special relationship. They share a love for scary movies, zombies, & late nights. haha. Steph & I LOVE sleep, but these 2 can stay up so late. This was one of those moments, when I woke up & they were sitting together watching a movie late at night during the summer. I immediately had to snap a picture because I knew that it was going to be something that could be overlooked in the future. I hope she never forgets how awesome their relationship is. 

Here's a detail shot:

Another Layout Share

Today I wanted to share a layout I made the other night while Skyping with my good friend Erin from Sweet & Simple. Every once in a while we get the urge & free time to Skype with each other. Since she lives all the way in TX, this is the only way we can see each other, for now. 

I had a TON of Elle's Studio tags that I wanted to use & a layout idea that would work together perfectly. I made a kind of puzzle with the tags on the right side of the page & a large photo collage. So I put them together with the highlights from my year as 24. 

It took a while to figure out the exact placement of the tags, but I love the way it turned out.

To make my thickers glittery I put a layer of mod podge on top, then sprinkled on the glitter and let them dry. It's a great way to alter the thickers. Since they are more pricey than your average letter stickers, being able to change them to fit into any project really makes them worth the price!

I made my photo collage in Picasa, a free photo editing program from Google. I created a custom size, then printed it. I love making collages for layouts and Project Life. 

Layout Share

Okay, so like I promised, I'm here with a layout to share.

I've had a photo of my dad holding me on the day I was born for a long as I can remember. I've been wanting to get it scrapbooked, but I did't know how I wanted the story of it to go, especially since I only know stories of that day, & I don't actually remember it. Well, I finally figured out I would just let it live in perspective of today. So a few weeks ago, I turned 25. That's a big deal, a quarter of a century! So I got my dad to take another photo with me, & I made a page with the 2 photos together. I have to say, honestly this is my favorite page I have made to date. I didn't do any journaling or anything, I let the title tell the story. I'm a serious Dad's girl, so this page really means something to me.

I was getting kind of nervous about the page as I was starting. I didn't want to mess it up, so to speak. Then the 2 photo sizes and finishes kinda freaked me out. But my friend Erin set me straight. She was over at my house for a crop and she challenged me to use the photos as is. No editing. & I'm so glad she did. It gives me the perspective of not only the change in my dad and I but also in the era of photography. Polaroid vs. DSLR. I'm really glad I have these photos and memories to cherish. I know some aren't that fortunate. I love my Pop, with all of my heart & I can't wait to spend 25 more years with him!

MIA

I've been totally MIA from here for over a month! geez. I'm counting down the days until graduation... but more importantly I'm counting down the days until my HUGE research paper is due. I have just over a month to finish it. & that may sound like a lot but that means I need to be writing at least 1 page per day & editing it at the same time. I'm in a slight freak out mode.

Lately the only scrapping I've been doing is when I'm cropping with friends. So I haven't been making videos, sorry. I switched our guest room & my scrapbook room around, so my video set up is gone, I need to figure out a new way of doing it now. I may force myself to take photos of my scrapbook room & organization, it's nothing special though.

I do have a few layouts to share today. I went on a weekend cabin retreat with some of my friends and the weekend was memorable to say the least. I did get 2 layouts & a mini album finished... which was awesome for me. (I hardly accomplish anything around others haha, what can I say? I'm a talker)

Okay so here's the first layout:

I think this is my favorite photo of myself to date. It makes me want a haircut though. lol.

& the second layout:

 

I love this photo of Ryan. The title says it all. 

I don't have photos of the mini album to share yet, I'm working on figuring out the binding... it is TINY, so I have to find a way to bind it without ruining it, or the photos inside. 

Tomorrow, I'm going book hunting with my dad. We're trying to track down a book that is sure to help us in our genealogy quest. & Friday we're hoping to get over to the Archives in Atlanta before they close it... is the state still planning to do that? I hope not. But just in case, we're going there to copy anything that we can. Gotta get some advice from my genealogy pro friend... best to go in knowledgeable than to look like a schmuck. :) Saturday I'm having friends over, we're going to crop until the late hours of the night. I've still got to find out what foods to prepare... yikes. Better get on that!

University.

I have to face it. My last semester as an undergrad is slowly approaching. While I'm excited to be exiting this chapter in my life [finally]. I don't want it to be here. I've had an ENTIRE summer to hang out, create endlessly, lay in bed, read what I want, when I want, & stay on social media all day... those days are about be cut short. I have exactly 13 days left of freedom. 13! That's it. Then I'll be at school 4 days a week... yuck. I'm going to have my head stuck into French Literature & plastered to a computer screen doing constant research for my final senior paper. YIKES! As of today, 15-25 pages seems impossible. That seems like SOOOOOOO much research, reading, note taking, outlining, writing, editing, proofreading, editing again, adding, subtracting, citing, hand cramping, & eyes hurting. I'm not looking forward to it. NOT at all! But I love my field of study & French makes my heart swoon... [wish Ryan could speak it too] so I'll make it through, & in the end I will love every minute.

In the past years, University has been a HUGE part of my life... & French has taken over my brain. I studied French in Junior & High School, but I never felt a love for it like I do today. I had wonderful foreign language teachers in high school, but they are on a different playing field than my professors... I never knew how much a professor could make me love a subject until I took my first "upper level" [past core/major] history course & then again when I took my second university level French course. They have a different mode of encouragement to give out to students. After leaving my final require foreign language courses I really felt connected... so when I came to a crossroad in what I would love to do with my life I knew I wanted French to be a part of that. I still don't know how this amazingly beautiful language will play into my future. I know I will keep it as a part of me.

I decided it was necessary to document just how important University has been to me. I have several photos from my adventures there, & the many books I have had to read throughout a semester. So what better way to document than to scrapbook it? ;)

2 Total Goofs

I've been working hard on getting back in the groove of making videos... it's hard to stay on top of it, life gets busy & YouTube gets slower. I swear. It seems like since I've started uploading videos it seems like it takes longer & longer... but I do enjoy it so I'll keep trekking along working harder and harder to make it more consistent.

With that said I have a new video & layout to share

The title is total truth. These 2 little girls can sure show how crazy they are!!

Here's the process video:

a new video

After a catastrophe yesterday, (my cat knocked over a fresh glass of koolaid onto my project life!!) I haven't really been feeling especially crafty. Luckily it wasn't my first album, which is FULL to the brim, but it was my second album, which I started in May. I have a few photos that I must decide whether to leave them with pink topped borders or reprint. hmm...

So on a happier note. I do have a video to share with you today...

Here's the layout:

& the video:

thanks for reading and watching!!

Layout Share

Hi everyone. I'm here today to share a layout I made yesterday, along with a process video. I've really been inspired by the song, Monuments & Melodies, if you can't tell already. The words speak to me and definitely feel like some of the words were written for Ryan and I, like the words I used for the title of the layout I'm sharing... "you magnify my better half". He certainly does that. :)

Here's my layout >>>>>

I really enjoyed making this. It felt like it flowed right out of me. I think that's the sign that my mojo is back. wahoo!

Here's my process of the whole thing >>>>>

Thanks for reading and watching! I'll be back tomorrow with more to share! :)

Smash*ed.

I seemed to have misplaced my mojo... do you have it?


That being said, the only thing I've felt creative with is my Smash Books. I'm hoping the bits and pieces coming together in my books will help me find my mojo. Let's pray it does. I honestly think the culprit to stealing my mojo is Project Life, which I've been behind in for the past few weeks. I've got the pictures in most of the pockets, but honestly I haven't been feeling up to doing it. I'm past the half way point... this week will be my week 31st week. I should be in the downhill slope, but I'm feeling like its the uphill drag. I find that even though it's summer & we have way more going on day to day, I'm taking less pictures. But I'm determined to finish this year. I have loved the process. I think if I do it next year I will be doing it digitally. I've been doing a digital version for Stephanie and Sue; I've been enjoying the final product. :) 


So now that I'm FAR OFF TOPIC... I'll get back to my point of why I'm here today. I'm here to share my Smash Book. I have 4 total. I have a red one, it is my book dedicated to the people, places & things I LOVE!! I also have an orange one, which I used for our staycation back in 2010. My mini Smash Book which I used to feature all of the photos of Ryan and I on date nights! & finally a new black one that I haven't even started up yet. yay! :) Today I'm going to share a flip through my RED Smash Book, which is unfinished... I want to be able to add new Favorites as they come along with my past and present favorites that I think will hang around for a while.

Studio Calico Sunday Sketch

Hi. I'm here today to tell y'all that a few weeks ago I was asked to contribute to the Studio Calico Sunday Sketch. Needless to say I was super excited and got right to work. Anyways, you can check out my post HERE. I also made a process video for this layout... here it is:

Thanks for reading and watching!!

my favorite flower

Ryan... he's a man. Sometimes he needs help getting the idea. I've told him over and over that I love daisies, and he KNOWS that they are my favorite flowers, but he doesn't KNOW when to buy them. He doesn't get the point of flowers, bought at a store, in a vase. Needless to say, we don't have alot of greenery in the house. :) Anyways, the weekend of Easter this year, while at Trader Joe's in Midtown, we saw the prettiest Gerbera Daisies in a pot. I said something about them, and Ryan bought them. Now he didn't buy them on his own volition, but it's a start in the right direction. Since then he's bought me a another bouquet of daisies, which I lovingly accepted. So we're getting there. Anyways, I decided that I should document this practically momentous occasion, with a scrapbook layout :)

not your typical family photo

I have a new video to share. I'm off for summer break from university and I have been scrapbooking, reading, hanging out with friends, the works. YouTube has been a PAIN lately. I had to upload this video 4 times to get it to actually upload, every time there was some sort of "error". Anyways, I have another video I'm about to upload too, so keep an eye out for that coming soon.

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago, the lighting was terrible, Ryan and I were bumming, so we were both dresses terribly, & overall it just wasn't a photo taking kind of day... but I got out my camera anyways, I wanted to capture what our life REALLY looks like everyday, with me in front of the camera. :) So I got out my trusty camera remote ( I LOVE that thing), we were sitting in our favorite chairs, and I captured what I wanted, but then I thought, we don't have hardly any pictures of both of us + our cats, I mean come on they are our family! So we wrangled them up, sat back down, because they are a bunch of wiggle worm cats. & I snap as many photos as they would let me. This one was close to best...

Isn't that hilarious? Boog looks totally uncomfortable and unwilling to participate in anything, Mo looks like she's trying to get away from Boog, & Ted, well she's just being Ted. lol. So that's our family, I wouldn't change it for anything. :)

Here's my layout:

& a detailed shot

I used some of my Studio Calico Narrative Add-On, plus my favorite stamp, Plano by Hero Arts for Studio Calico & my go to mist Mister Huey Warm Calico. I feel like I've been using them on everything! So without further adieu, here's my video, I hope you enjoy it.

Today I thought I would share a few layouts that I worked on during the last few local crops.

i love my two newest pairs of TOMS, Ryan got me for our anniversary! Best surprise ever.

Ryan and I have started a new date night tradition, we've been going to a local Atlanta restaurant, Yeah! Burger. It's our regular spot. :)

Trying to find some good uses for older product. 

Totally in love with the new Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Collection.

My crazy kitty Ted. She is hilarious. I love how amazing she is. 

Ain't that the truth? Ryan = handsome. 

Best photo ever. Ryan and I acting completely like us. Crazy goofballs. 

Me @ 24 years old.

Project Life Weeks 1-18

I've been a terrible blogger lately. My local scrapbook store closed its brick & mortar store front, so for a month I spent a ton of time cropping there, since it's going to be hard to get together with the ladies I met there. Also, school is kicking my butt. Seriously, who knew French Cinema & Literature could be so time consuming. But I LOVE it, so it's all worth it. So first off I thought I would catch you all up with my Project Life, instead of photos I decided to whip out my webcam and give you a little video, so that you can see up to March 17th, then I will be caught up to what I have finished and what I've posted here. Plus I have loads of newly photographed layouts to share with you here & now that I have MY VERY OWN SCRAPROOM!!! I have been making videos like crazy, but editing is a pain, so it takes a while. Anyways, thanks for hanging in there. I hope you enjoy the video & if you have any questions, leave me a comment and I will be happy to answer them! So without further adieu, here's my Project Life Weeks 1-18:

Project Life Week 4: December 4 - 10

This week was particularly hard for me to remember to take photos. Finals week is SO stressful and the last thing that was on my mind was a photo per day, so I gave myself a little wiggle room, added the photos I had and then filled in the rest with memorabilia and journaling. Simple as that. I actually used 3 different photos from the same day, my little cousin, Stephanie's Chorus concert, mainly because it was her first concert ever and she was really excited, plus I am super proud of her for following her dreams of singing. Anyways here it is, thanks for looking!