Wednesday, September 28, 2011

train show


When my parents were in town this past summer, my dad heard on the radio about the National Train Show that was being held at the Sacramento Convention Center. What is a Train Show? I'd never heard of such a thing. For those of us that scrapbook, it is equivalent to CHA--only for train enthusiasts! Every kind of model train imaginable. It was simply amazing! All of my kids LOVED it, but my two-year old was in heaven and could not stop pointing and yelling, "Train!" all day long. It was a fantastic memory!


I used my October Green Tangerines Kit for this layout. You can check out the blog to see what the other design team members have come up with using this same sketch. It's "sneak week" over on the blog and the full kit will be revealed along with a gallery of inspiration on the 5th of October. 

We moved from the San Francisco Bay Area 7 years ago to the suburbs of Sacramento. This past weekend we went back for a visit with our good friends and took the kids to the beach! I think it was our last beach trip of the "summer!" 




They wish we could go play in the big sand box everyday!



Monday, September 26, 2011

stretch your sketches

My Ella Friend Donna Jannuzzi has been hosting a series over at Ella Publishing on how to make the most of your sketches. This was the last sketch of the series and I had the honor of contributing the layout:



If sketches motivate you (I use them all the time!), be sure and check out all of Donna's previous sketch posts. Also, if you are into playing along with the sketch and into prizes, check out today's sketch! You'll find that Lawn Fawn is sponsoring this month's prize! Not only that, but you'll receive a FREE copy of Donna's fabulous eBook, Stretch Your Sketches. Go now!

Happy Monday!

Friday, September 23, 2011

september kit cards part 2



I hope you have a great weekend! We are headed to San Francisco to visit some friends and take our kids to their last "summer" day at the beach!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

september kit cards

Here are a couple of cards that I made with my Green Tangerines September Kit. More to come!




Have a great day!

Monday, September 19, 2011

recent pubs

I thought I would share my excitement over a few recent publications in Creating Keepsakes Magazine. I've shared these layouts in the past, but had to pull them down from my blog until now.

In September's issue:


This layout was selected for their "Creativity Heals" column in which people share about difficult times they have gone through and how scrapbooking has helped them process their struggles. I originally created this layout for a faith blog post with Ella Publishing and then submitted it to CK. I created this layout so that my kids could one day read about what I was going through at this time difficult time in my life and how my faith and family got me through.



 This SILLY BANDZ layout was selected for their Reader Gallery. I had fun documenting this fad that my kids are totally into. I tried 4 different adhesives when trying to attach a few silly bandz before I finally hand-stitched them on with clear thread!

In October's issue:


This layout is also in their Reader Gallery (just got my magazine in the mail today!). It is one of my favorites because it focuses on the photos. And  these photos of my kids are some of my favorites! Thanks for sharing in my excitement! Have a great day!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

scrapbooking boot camp with ella

Need some help getting in shape? Scrapbooking shape that is . . . Look no further than what Ella Publishing has to offer starting next week!




Spend six days in an intensive online scrapbooking Boot Camp this fall, where four expert Drill Instructors will lead you through a series of 10-minute drills that are guaranteed to:
  • jumpstart your creativity
  • excercise your scrapbooking muscles
  • get that scrap-bootie in shape
  • give you concrete starting points for a minimum of 12 awesome scrapbook pages (plus ideas for at least 36 more)!










These 5 lovely ladies all offer something unique to your boot camp experience. Check it out on Ella's blog where they include some sneak peak videos to get you excited!

Did I mention they will have daily giveaways from some awesome sponsors for those participating? And as an extra perk, here is a coupon code to save you $3 right now! Just enter YESMAAM when you check out! I can't wait till Monday!

Monday, September 12, 2011

our 11th anniversary


I've been married to this great guy for 11 years. To celebrate, on Saturday, we drove to San Francisco to bike the city for the entire day (it's a tradition of ours). We biked across the Golden Gate Bridge and into Sausalito. It was a WINDY day to be biking across the bridge!


If you are looking for a fabulous lunch, I highly recommend the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. It's near the baseball stadium. They use premium ingredients to make gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. This is the Turkey Club. Yum! And they even have gluten-free bread if you so desire.


We ate dinner at Hot Spud near Fisherman's Wharf. This place came recommended from a friend. They use local ingredients and their menu is 90% gluten-free. This healthy option in the sea of unhealthy options down by the wharf was refreshing! We did, however, follow our healthy dinner up with a little chocolate from Ghiradelli Square. Just don't want to give you the impression that I am always good when it comes to eating!


We had a great day to ourselves. I am so thankful for the life we share together and for the three kids God has blessed us with. As we biked around on Saturday, we took note of the helicopter armed with a large gun flying around certain key locations in the city. I'm imagining they were taking extra precautions the day before September 11th. I am thankful to live in a country that cherishes freedom. I don't want to ever forget the men and women who have given their lives so that I can continue to love on my children and to grow old with my husband. Thank you.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

grandma and grandpa



It's been a crazy month of homeschool prep for me. We officially started school yesterday, so I feel like things are winding down and we are settling into a routine. This layout is of my parents recent trip out to California for a 2-week visit. The visits are always to short and we can't wait till the next one! Hope you are having a great week!

p.s. The Green Tangerines Kit Club gallery is loaded with double page, single page and card inspiration! Go check out with the other Design Team members did with the September kit! (The layout above uses the September kit.)