carrot top x 3

peanut butter chocolate chips balls

2012-01-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Ready for another yummy and healthy treat? Need some extra protein in your diet? Then these are just for you!

1 c. ground oatmeal (just process in your food processor)
.75 c. natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
.25 c. agave nectar
.33 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
.5 c. mini chocolate chips (These do have sugar in them, so you don't have to use them. You could substitute raisins. I use Enjoy Life's dairy-nut-soy free chocolate chips found at Whole Foods.)

Process the oatmeal first. Next, add the peanut butter, agave nectar and coconut. Process. Add the chocolate chips last and process just until blended. Form 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for at least and hour and then transfer into a ziploc bag and store in your freezer. You can eat these right out of the freezer. Yum! Calorie count is 75 calories per ball. Enjoy!

monterey

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

This past November we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for their free homeschool day. We had a blast! (And so did our kids.)

As I've said before, I don't own any die-cutting systems. I wanted to make a jellyfish for this layout and the ric-rack ribbon was calling to me! I used an AC chipboard piece, a little patterned paper and lots of ribbon and twine. It was simple and I'm happy with how it turned out.

Happy Monday morning to you!

cashew date balls

2012-01-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

Want a sweet treat with little guilt? These are good for you and taste great too! And are so easy to make in a jiffy!

.75 c. raw cashews
1.5 c. pitted dates
2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbls. natural peanut butter
1 Tbls. agave nectar (or honey)
1 Tbls. pure maple syrup (no Aunt Jemima here)
.5 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

Blend well in your food processor. Shape into 1 inch balls (I use my small melon ball scooper). They come out a little sticky, so I roll them in unsweetened coconut and they are perfect. I like to store mine in the freezer and eat them cold. They are not too hard to eat right away. You could store them in the refrigerator as well. They are only 75 calories each--a great snack when you need a little pick me up! Hope you like them!

February Card Club

2012-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

I've been teaching card classes at Green Tangerines scrapbook store for over three years. In the past I have taught the classes on a weeknight here and there. Recently, we decided to start holding them on Friday evenings once a month. Want to come play with glue and paper with us?

There are only 24 spots available each Friday night, and at the moment, there is only one left. When you attend the class, you get first dibs on signing up for my next class in March! Hope you can join us! Call the store at 916.771.8010 to sign up. Cost is only $15.

Have a great day!

and the winner is . . .

2012-01-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

Congrats! You will love this eBook! Email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will get you the information you need to get your free eBook. Have a great night!

ella's take twelve challenge giveaway!

2012-01-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

I LOVE the concept of Ella's latest challenge! I have done Project 365, Project 12 and this past year I did Project Life. I have loved how all of them have helped me document the everyday stuff . . . the REAL stuff that happens in life. Ella has put a fun spin on things . . .

It's simple. Take 12 photos on the 12th of each month and make one layout per month with them. At the end of the year, you will have 12 layouts and 144 photos showcasing the everyday little things that happen in your life.

Why do you need this eBook? Because it is loaded with fantastic ideas! What should you focus on when taking your pictures? How should you lay them out? (That means sketches!) What are some fun and different ideas that you can do with these photos? I've read through this book and I love it! Check out the FAQ here. Oh, and by the way, you do not have to start this project in January . . . and you do not have to take the pictures ON the 12th. This is your project!

And the best part of this post is that I get to do a giveaway! Leave me a comment and let me know what you have done in the past to document the everyday. I will choose a random winner on Wednesday night! Be sure and check back!

layouts to share

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great weekend celebrating with family and friends! I have a couple of layouts to share from the December Green Tangerines Kit Club.

This is Seth's One-Year Birthday party. Yes, I scrapbooked his two-year-old party first. I usually scrapbook out of order and scrapbook what I feel like at the time. I love that I finally have this done for the birthday album. I keep all of my kids birthday party layouts in the same album. They love seeing all their parties (and what the theme was) all in one place!

Banners have been quite the trend over the past couple of years and for some reason I have not had the desire to have one in a layout . . . until now. And I love how it turned out. It makes the layout look more "party-like." And yes, I made the barnyard cake. Probably the most time I have spent on a cake!!

I made this layout because I wanted to remember how athletic my daughter is and how involved my husband is in challenging her to try new things. We have never been in any organized sports, but she is not afraid to try new things and loves to be active! She is a natural at most things she tries.

Hope you are having a great start to your new year! I am enjoying new year start without making any resolutions! : )

kale chips

2011-12-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Recently, my friend Gina and I tried out a new restaurant: Baagan. It's completely vegan. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, I love my chicken and cheese. I was a bit skeptical. But after hearing so many people talk about it, I had to try it. OH. MY. So good! If you go, try the spinach veggie wrap with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. I've also tried one of their dairy free smoothies . . . also incredible. But what I discovered that I was most excited about was KALE CHIPS. I had never had kale in my life . . . and never had the desire to try it. After trying one of their samples, I bought a 1.4 oz bag for $4. Yes, expensive. I decided to try and figure out the recipe on my own. After a couple of tries, I am enjoying them at home for a fraction of the cost. And I thought I would share with you!

Kale Chips Ingredients:

1 bunch kale

1/2 medium red bell pepper

1 cup raw cashews (soak in filtered water for 8+ hours, drain)

4 Tbls. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c. nutritional yeast (I had to ask for this--found it at Sprouts)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbls. agave nectar (or you could try honey)

Blend everything in your food processor until it is the consistency of hummus. Next comes the messy part. Tear your kale into big bite size pieces (they will get smaller) and put the kale and blended ingredients in a large bowl. Mix really well with your fingers. Below is a picture of what the kale and mixture looks like before it is dehydrated:

I took this picture at night, so it's not the best, but you get the idea.

I have tried making these with my dehydrator and with my oven. Not everyone has a dehydrator on hand, but never fear, as your oven will work! Ideally, I like the consistency and crunch better with the dehydrator. The oven makes them a tiny bit more crunchy.

With a dehydrator: I make these at dinner time the night before and let my dehydrator run overnight, so it's about 12 hours. Just check them and you'll know when they are done.

With an oven: Set your oven to it's lowest possible temperature. Mine only goes down to 170 degrees. I baked them for approximately 10 hours.

Kale is one of the best vegetables you can eat if you are trying to get more protein in your diet! And it has a ton of other benefits as well. If you are local, be sure and try out Baagan restaurant. The owner is really nice and remembered my name on my second visit! A huge, delicious sandwich wrap is only $6 . . . and I would pay more . . . they are that good! Have a great day!

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

This time last year . . .

This line by Echo Park is one of my all time favorite Christmas lines! I hope you have a blessed Christmas with family and friends!

season's greetings

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share one last Christmas card before Christmas. This was from a class I taught last month. I love the simplicity and "quickness" of this card!

We are having so much fun at the beach visiting family! Once in a great while I miss the snow of Minnesota (where I grew up). But most of the time--especially times like this--I don't miss it a bit!

Anybody know where this is? Just curious who knows their coastline. : ) Have a great day!

snowman card

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

I taught a card class back in July, "Christmas in July," and this is one of the cards that I showed the gals how to make. I love the way he looks like he is dancing. This was one of my favorites!

I hope you are able to enjoy this last week before Christmas. Have a blessed day!

confronting grief

2011-12-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I attended the memorial service of a little boy whose life was cut short at just 9 weeks. The service was beautiful. No platitudes were spoken. Honest and real emotions were present. Both the father and pastor spoke of asking God, "Why?" And yet peace was present.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

Psalm 34:18

Regardless of my faith and the fact that I know God is in complete control, it is still hard not to question God. I don't think it's wrong to question God. I believe it is important to seek those "Why God" questions in His Word. It has been hard for me to not think of my own children this past week and what I would do. My friend has two girls, the same ages as my girls . . . and her third was a boy . . . my third is a boy. My head knows that God can bring blessings out of any situation, but my heart still asks "Why?"

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9

"Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."
1 Corinthians 13:12

I've known my friend, Heather, for 10 years. She lived with my husband and I for a year. I was in her wedding. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be attending the memorial service of her little boy.

While discussing the upcoming memorial service with a friend who has also lost a child, she said something that stopped me in my tracks . . .

"Grieving slows us down to the point that we truly slow down . . . literally to a crawl . . . and our souls become still and we assess life and what it is all about. What is important becomes crystal clear. All the chaos, busyness and distractions of life become absent. It is then that you can truly see eternity and the value of life in a way that you cannot see when grief is absent."

Her comment made me think. In what areas of my life do I need to slow down and reassess? As moms and managers of our homes, we have the job of constantly reassessing our family schedule--what things are important and must do's and what things are good things, but not necessary things. There are so many things I would like to do with my time, my life, etc--so many good and worthwhile things. But God continually tells me, "Not yet. Not this season in your life." When I stop to think about it, my kids will be out of the house by the time I am 51 years old. I will have plenty of good years left in me to serve the Lord and follow some of those dreams and ideas. For now, I want to enjoy my children for the gifts that they are . . . and for children, that is usually through quality and quantity time.

If you have a friend who has lost a child or a loved one, I want to recommend a book that has been extremely helpful to me:

Helping People Through Grief

The book confronts many other topics besides death--everything from the grief of divorce to the grief of a disability. The book shares insight for the person experiencing the grief and insights for the friends and caregivers. You can checkout the full Table of Contents on Amazon.

I want to share one more thing . . . it's a song that I hope you will take a few minutes to listen to. It's about life's trials, our doubts in God's wisdom . . . and the blessings that come from the rain.

more christmas cards and a winner!

2011-12-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

And the random winner of the Ella eBook is . . .

Congrats Kelly! You are going to love this eBook! Email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will get you your eBook info. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! And if you didn't win, you can still get $2 off for a few more days (see previous post for the code). Have a great night!

ella christmas card blog hop + giveaway!

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

My Ella Friends and I are holding a Christmas card blog hop today! And we all made a card that was inspired by this fabulous eBook:

31 Thank You Cards has been one of my favorite Ella eBooks. Of course they are all great, but if I had to play favorites . . . this would rank in my top three.

My card was inspired by Kimber McGray. I have been following Kimber for a little over two years. She puts out consistent layouts and cards that are simple, yet artistic. I always love her style! If you pick up the eBook, the card I was inspired by can be found on page 5.

For those of you that can't wait to get your hands on this eBook, you can use the code CARDHOP and save $2 off the 31 Thank You Cards eBook. The code expires on Saturday, the 10th. (and it cannot be combined with any other coupon or gift certificate.) For those of you that are feeling "lucky," you can leave me a comment and I will choose a random winner to win this eBook for FREE! Just leave me a comment and I will pick a winner sometime Wednesday evening, say 7pm-ish PST. Good luck!

I hope you'll take a minute to visit my other Ella Friends that are participating in our Christmas card blog hop--you might be inspired to make a few Christmas cards today! (And you'll have 8 other chance to win!)

christmas cards

2011-12-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Just popping in real quick to share a couple of Christmas cards. These are a couple of cards from the recent card class I taught at Green Tangerines. I LOVED working with this line from My Mind's Eye! The colors were so fun!

Although I love to make cards, I haven't made handmade Christmas cards in 3 years! That's what 3 kids and homeschooling has done for me. Good ol' Costco is what I have been falling back on. It works for this stage of my life. I have them printed . . . but not addressed. Hope to get to that this weekend!

I hope you have a great weekend! I have date night with the husband tonight and am excited for that! Come back for a visit next week and I'll have more Christmas cards to share. : )

sneak week december kit

2011-11-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Just popping in real quick. Sneak week is going on over at the Green Tangerines blog. The December kit is great for festive Christmas pictures AND for school pictures . . . which is what I did.

Hope you are enjoying your post-Thanksgiving weekend!

gratefulness co-op with internet links

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, with the help of some great moms, I organized a homeschooling co-op on gratefulness and the first Thanksgiving. Our church generously let us use their facility and we had 83 kids join us ranging in age from 4-11. We had a great time! Here are a few of the things that we did . . .

At the beginning of our time together, I played a 5-minute video from Brain Pop Jr. about the First Thanksgiving. Haven't heard of Brain Pop Jr.? You need to check it out! Even if you don't homeschool, it's a great supplement to your child's educational experience. They cover every topic that your state standards cover, have more videos than you could ever imagine (and they are all funny), have easy/hard quizzes, games, art . . . and more than I can describe. My girls play it at least 3 times per week--and it's completely educational--which I, of course, love! You can do a free trial for a week. Your kids will love it!

After the video, I did a short object lesson on gratefulness. From here, we split the kids by age into 5 groups. They then rotated through 5 stations--each station was 15 minutes long. These are the stations we had:

1. How to write a thank you note. Each child wrote a notecard to whomever they wanted. I purchased notecards from the Dollar Tree.

2. An interview with a Pilgrim and a Native American. We had two moms dressed up (as a Pilgrim and a Native American) and a mom that interviewed them. They talked as if they were really there, back in 1621. One little girl later asked the Pilgrim, "So, were you actually ON the MAYFLOWER?" So cute!

3. A cornucopia snack station. A waffle cone filled with popcorn, Crasins, Chex mix and mini marshmallows. This was easy and a big hit.

4. A craft station. I had the older kids make these "Thankful Journals" from Oriental Trading and the younger kids made these "Tree of Thanks" also from Oriental Trading. Totally affordable and easy.

5. A game station. The mom who always does our games is fabulous! She had the kids go through an obstacle course and at each new "obstacle," they had to pick up another gourd or dried corn--all while holding a stuffed animal turkey between their legs. This game was great for all ages!

At the end of our time together we had a question and answer session and then we handed out these "Thanksgiving Stickers" from Oriental Trading. The total time of our co-op was 2 hours. The kids had a blast hanging out together and we moms snuck some learning in as well!

We sent home some ideas with the moms to further educate their kids on gratefulness and Thanksgiving. Here are a few great sites that I found if you are interested in taking this character trait and holiday one step further!

The Attitude of Gratitude Lapbook

She walks you through 12 days of teaching on gratitude. Over the course of the 12 days you will make a lapbook to show everything you have learned! (When you go to this link, click on the “Printables Part 1” and “Printables Part 2.” You can also click on “Instructions for Folding Lapbooks” if you have never made a lapbook before.)

Thanksgiving Bible Lesson Ideas

She has many different ideas, crafts and lessons to choose from.

Thanksgiving Lapbook

She shows you each step of making her lapbook with lots of pictures and internet links to things she used in her lapbook. Super cute!

And lastly, I'll leave you with this cute hand holding moment I caught with Faith and her BFF.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family! And if you have a moment, sneak a thank you note under your child's pillow telling him or her what you are thankful for about them.

turkey card tutorial

2011-11-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Don't those turkey feathers look cute? Do they make you want to run for your scallop punch RIGHT NOW? They are super easy to make!

Using your circle scallop punch (any size will do), punch 3 scallop circles. You'll want to make sure you like both patterns of the paper as they will both show. Next, fold 5 of the scallops down. Flip the circle scallop over so that the orange side is now facing up. Now, fold in both sides--you can see I've folded in just one in the picture. If you want, it helps to make a center fold before you fold the side in so that you know both sides are evenly folded in. Does this make sense? Let me know if it doesn't!

Adhere all three to your card, use circle and square punches to make the remaining parts of your turkey. Your circle sizes will depend on the size of your scallop punch--just make him the way YOU want to make him. For the feet I used a slit punch, but you could use the "v" letter from an orange set of Thickers. You could even use googley eyes to make this turkey more festive! Hhhmmmm, maybe I should have done that . . .

Hope you have a great week preparing for turkey day! We are off to the store to buy ingredients to make Rice Krispie Turkey Pop Treats per my kids request.

on stands now x 2

2011-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was excited to have a layout picked up for this issue that is on sale now!

It's a fun issue full of festive ideas for all of the holidays throughout the year. My kids are displayed in the Halloween section. This is one of my favorite layouts from last year.

Speaking of the holidays . . . are you ready for Thanksgiving next week? I am not even close to being ready . . . better get off this computer and soon . . .

Before I leave, there is one more magazine that I was surprised to find an old layout of mine turn up:

This is one of their latest special issues showcasing fabric and notions. I love to use my embroidery floss any chance I get (and when I have a little extra time to spend on a layout). This special issue has some really fun ideas that I can't wait to try!

You can find this layout that was originally published back in the October 2010 issue:

I didn't realize that they sometimes publish one of their monthly magazine layouts later in a special issue. It was quite the fun surprise. This is a layout I did after my girls played with my old camera for an hour during their rest time--I loved seeing what they thought was interesting and funny. These photos still crack me up!

Hope you have a great weekend . . . this is the last "normal" weekend before the holiday craziness hits!

monterey

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Monterey Bay Aquarium hosts a few FREE Homeschool days each fall and Monday was our day to participate! We had never taken our kids here before, so it was quite a treat!

I think seeing the Jellies was my favorite display.

Faith's favorite stop was the seahorse room.

The Aquarium has several kids areas throughout the displays--it is a great place for all ages! This is the girls with one of their good friends. We went to Monterey with a few other families from our homeschool group.

Hands on learning is so much fun! They had a hands on room set aside just for all of the homeschoolers.

You can go inside a tunnel and a wave crashes over you--the kids thought this was pretty cool!

The day before the Aquarium, we spent the afternoon with our good friends at the beach. This is everyone making a mad dash when an unexpected wave came in!

Seth kept telling Tim to go back for more . . . he loved when Tim waded into the water and then would tell Tim, "Water coming!" at the top of his lungs as a wave came in. He thought this was so funny!

We even found our own sea star!

If you ever get the chance to go to Monterey, there is a ton of family stuff to do. We can't wait to go back and explore more!

november kit club

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

The November Kit is available now! Here is what we did on Labor Day this year:

I used a Becky Higgins sketch from several years ago. I love the simplicity of this sketch.

The orange and white "graph paper" behind the title is actually packaging from American Crafts latest line by Amy Tangerine. I love using up "trash."

I outlined this detail to make it stand-out a bit more. All of this layouts products are from Green Tangerines November Kit.

I hope you are enjoying your Monday morning! We are in Monterey enjoying the Aquarium today!

cardmaking at Ella publishing

2011-11-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

Today, you can find me blogging here at Ella Publishing. Here is a little peak at what I'm blogging about . . .

Check out their blog for a detailed look and directions!

Have you hear about Ella's latest eBook?

I have to tell you, I think it is my favorite! There are 31 cards to choose from--all with directions--and not a card that I didn't like! Simply fabulous it is, I tell ya!

My time as an Ella Friend is drawing to a close at the end of the year. And if you didn't catch this, you'll want to scoot on over and see how you can apply to be on the 2012 Ella Friend Team. Angie and Wendy are so fun to work with!

Have a swell day!

halloween highlights

2011-10-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

We borrowed costumes from a friend this year--Minnie, Mickey and a Queen. All day long I was asked, "How many more hours until Halloween?" I told them it was already Halloween . . . what they really wanted to know was how much longer till we can go on a candy hunt!

These squeaky ears didn't last long, but at least I got a picture.

Oh, to be a kid again!

Hope you enjoyed your evening!

christmas card class

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peak at the cards we'll be making at my upcoming card class . . .

If you are local, hope you can join me!

the patch

2011-10-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Sneak Week has started over on the Green Tangerines Kit Club Blog. November's kit is full of autumn colors!

Last weekend we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch with a few friends. We usually go during the middle of the week, but this year we had to go on the weekend . . . never again. WAY too crowded! The kids didn't seem to mind the lines and still had a great time!

Happy Day to you!

october kit club cards

2011-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

You know I love to make cards with my scraps! Here are a few simple fall themed cards:

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

october kit club layouts

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

We are well into October and I am finally taking the time to put my remaining layouts up:

This was a homeschooling co-op a friend and I put together for 75 kids from our homeschool group at church. We learned all about the difference between bats and birds. It was super fun!

This layout was inspired by Susan Weinroth. She's always got great sketches.

This is from our trip to the ranch this past summer. Cousins galore!

I traced the letters with my white Signo pen to make them pop a little more.

I stitched the bottoms of my journaling strips to add a little dimension and detail.

I'll share my October Kit cards next. Have a great day!

Italian Dip

2011-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Tanya shared this recipe with me a few years ago and it's always a hit wherever I bring it. It involves a little chopping and shredding, but it is SO worth it!

Ingredients:

1 lb. monterey jack cheese, shredded

2-3 roma tomatoes, chopped in little pieces

1 4oz. can black olives, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped

1 4oz. can diced green chilies

1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped

1 package Italian dressing mix (then make according to directions with oil and vinegar, no water)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Pour dressing over and mix well. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with the chips of your choice. Pictured here, I have Trader Joe's Rice and Black Bean chips. Yum!

vacation photos

2011-10-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

We've just returned from our favorite place and I have pictures to share. One of the perks of homeschooling is that we can take our "school" on the road with us whenever we desire. The kids had a great time exploring and learning. We hiked A LOT. Seth put several miles on his little legs this past week and he loved it! (And he took REALLY long naps!) Note to self: Take Seth on a 2-mile walk every morning.

The first snow of the season happened the 3rd day we were there.

The deer are everywhere this time of year!

Blackberries were everywhere . . . too many to pick! Next time I need to bring my canning supplies and make blackberry jam while we are there!

The girls love making faces whenever I pull out my camera. These are their tongues . . . pre-blackberries!

We picked a bunch of apples and had fun feeding them to the horses.

We've read through most of the Little House series, so posing with a covered wagon is always a treat!

Tennis courts are not for tennis . . . they are for roller-blading and scooter riding . . . and lots of running! It always makes my heart happy to see how much fun they have together, and how they include Seth in all their shinanigans.

On our last day at the ranch, the girls found a lizard, a frog and a caterpillar. They talked us into bringing all three home. The frog has it's own habitat, the lizard is at home in an old aquarium we happened to still have and the caterpillar made it's cocoon in the bowl that we brought it home in--they are so excited to see what it will become. Science at it's best!

Whenever we are surrounded by beauty, I try and capture a favorite picture of each of my kids. These are my favorites . . . yes, Seth had two favorites. : )

If you have a moment, tell me which photo of Seth you prefer . . . I'm adding pictures to my photo wall and can only pick one. Hope you have a great weekend!

train show

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

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!

stretch your sketches

2011-09-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

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!

september kit cards part 2

2011-09-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

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!

september kit cards

2011-09-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

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

Have a great day!

recent pubs

2011-09-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

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!

scrapbooking boot camp with ella

2011-09-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

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!

our 11th anniversary

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

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.

grandma and grandpa

2011-09-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

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.)

sneak week at green tangerines

2011-08-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's SNEAK WEEK over at Green Tangerines Kit Club. The full kit will be unveiled next week on the blog. Here is my first layout to share from a recent bowling trip:

Do you own a Cricut or die-cutting machine? I do not. I've never thought I'd have much use for one . . . but occasionally I could see myself using one . . . like for this layout in which I wanted to make bowling pins. Here is how I did it instead . . . I googled "bowling pin clip art" and found an image I liked. I copied it, pasted it in Microsoft Word, and resized the image to my desired size. I printed it out, cut it out and traced it onto my yellow paper. Yipee, I had a bowling pin!

Next, I used several parentheses from my letter sticker sheet (6 to be exact) and laid them over the pin to make the strips. I then cut off the excess. Super simple and cute bowling pins--and I didn't need a Cricut! Yes, it would have been nice to have one, but I improvised!

Have a wonderful weekend!

the little gifts God gives

2011-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went away with a couple of friends to Ft. Bragg to have uninterrupted time to think and pray over our upcoming homeschool year. The scenery couldn't have been better. Our house was 200 yards from the cliffs next to the ocean . . . which I could see from my bed when I awoke. We had no internet, no movies or laundry to fold . . . absolutely no distractions.

I got a good chunk of my semester roughly planned out, but the most important thing that I came away with is that God is in control of what he wants my children to learn this year. He will give me the tools to teach them. He will fill in the gaps that I do not cover in my lesson plans. He will give me the patience that I need each day to gently guide and direct my children. I learned this as I sat and watched the powerful waves crash into the rocks . . . they may appear of control (as I sometimes feel as a mom), but God has these waves completely under His control as well.

God gave us a special gift this weekend . . . we spotted a huge whale! I have never seen a whale in person before (not counting Marine World) and it was only 200 yards from us. We trailed him for over an hour while we ran up and down the coast taking pictures and shouting whenever we saw him blow water or show us his tail. After awhile we just sat and watched. If God can give me this little gift of showing me one of His most amazing creatures, can He not plan out my days for me and my family and give us His best?

Another highlight was going down to this beach . . .

Getting down to the beach was not a simple stroll, we had to go down a rope (I got a little rope burn from hanging on so tight!) to reach the bottom.

Once at the beach, this was the view . . .

It was a great weekend full of little blessings. Hope you enjoy your week!

cards to share

2011-08-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have been a busy girl this summer . . . busy with homeschool planning that is. My scrapbooking has taken a back seat. This weekend my husband is blessing me with a weekend away to LESSON PLAN! Myself and a couple of girlfriends are headed to Ft. Bragg, CA (near the beach) in a few hours for two full days of quiet, uninterrupted time. My hope is to get our goals for the year written out and the first semester of lesson plans somewhat put together. So excited!

I thought I would leave you with a few cards from the Green Tangerines August Kit.

All of them are on the simple side . . . that's all I've had time for this month! Hope you have a great weekend!

family vacation

2011-08-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Every year we go to the JH Ranch for our family reunion. This is a Christian camp that my husbands parents started over 30 years ago. It's a place with so many amazing memories. This year, my kids wanted to take part in the ropes courses. I wasn't surprised as their dad is always doing active things with them, but I was impressed with how high they could climb--to the top!

This is Faith, my 5-year old, all harnessed in and ready to climb!

This is called the Alpine Tower. There are 52 different ways to make it to the top. She made it all the way to the huge triangle on top!

This is Paige, my 7-year-old, just as excited as Faith to climb!

Her rope got stuck in this spot. By the time she got it unhooked, she was too tired to climb any higher--she was so close and I was so proud of her!

Our attempt at a family picture.

Seth's first horse ride.

Some of the cousins.

The pool was FREEZING, but the kids didn't care! They swam in the lake or in this pool every day.

We did this "trampoline" exercise that taught trust and working as a team--this is Paige flying high!

This is called the 757. You climb to the top and then jump to the bar that is dangling in the sky. Faith was too small to make the jump, but she made it to the very top and then they lowered her down. She had no fear!

This is a huge water slide that you go down on a mat. While the water wasn't on, our kids had fun sliding down the 6-foot drop at the very beginning.

This vacation is never relaxing with all the activities we cram in and with all the cousins running around, but we always have a great time! And to not have to cook or clean for a whole week is quite the treat! They actually have pretty good camp food--complete with an awesome salad bar at every meal. Now to get back to reality . . . hope you are having a great day!

all aboard!

2011-08-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last month we had Seth's 2nd birthday and I couldn't wait to scrapbook it! I usually don't get too "themey" with my scrapbooking, but I had this idea to make the pictures into a train (I'm sure it's not a new idea.)

I used my Green Tangerines Kit and even did a little bit of misting . . . my first time. I haven't jumped aboard the misting trend yet. I love seeing what others do, but I haven't felt the pull to do it myself. I just lightly misted the steam puffs and then outlined them. Nothing to crazy.

I hope you are all having a fabulous wrap up to your summer! I have been busy picking out curriculum and games for our new homeschool year. I am really excited about some of the things I have planned! Have a great weekend!

sneak week

2011-07-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sneak week has started over on the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog! Check out what all of the designers are doing with one sketch. Two have been posted on the blog thus far . . . more to come over the next 5 days! Here is my layout that is on the blog:

In case you are wondering why we have a class picture when you know that we homeschool . . . our area has a Christian Homeschool Academy that started up two years ago. It's a place to take extra curricular classes and to meet other kids who are homeschooled. This past year, Paige took sign language, math games, hands on science and Lego engineering--just to name a few. The girls go two days a week for three hours in the afternoon. They loved hanging out with other kids and getting to do some fun things that we wouldn't normally do at home.

Time flies, I can't believe I have a 2nd grader now. I am so thankful for every day that I get to spend pouring into my kids and I'm thankful to live in an area that has so many homeschool support groups--we have so much fun!

Enjoy your weekend!

ella everyday life lists

2011-07-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! Today I want to share with you one of Ella's recent List It eBooks! The List It Everyday Edition journaling guides make it easier than ever to capture important details about your everyday life RIGHT NOW. Some of the 90 prompts in List It! Everyday Life Edition are standard and universal, others are quirky and unique. But they'll all help you paint a complete picture of what your life is like—your schedule and routine, your goals and pursuits, the people you love, your home and surroundings, your possessions, and more.

You can even watch a List It Video to learn more about these unique and AWESOME printable lists!

This is not something I would normally think to scrapbook about . . . websites that I frequently visit. But I am so glad I had this LIST to prompt me to do it! 50 years from now when I am sitting in my rocker trying to remember what life was like in the days of the internet (because I'm sure there will be something even better by then), I will have this reminder of where I gained some information, wisdom and just plain fun eye candy "back in the day."

This layout with photo strips was inspired by the fabulous Susan Weinroth.

I simply took screen shots of some of my favorite websites (though I couldn't fit them all in!) and made a collage in PSE.

Hello to my friends at CHA this week! Hope you are having fun without me! I love seeing all the eye candy you have spotted and shared during the first couple of days!

train party

2011-07-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

We had Seth's 2-year birthday party this past weekend. He is obsessed with trains, so we of course had a train party. I attempted this cake that I found on Family Fun's website. Let's just say, I think I'll keep my creative finger in scrapbooking and not cake decorating . . . this took me forever and I stink at getting the frosting smooth. It still resembled a train though and that was the point, right?

I was originally drawn to this cake because of the popcorn "steam." So easy!

This little man is such a delight!

The kids were more interested in eating the candy off the trains than in the actual cake itself!

Happy 2nd birthday Seth!

*Note to my scrappy friends . . . I've got some layouts in the works to share soon . . . I took a whole month off of scrapbooking!

it's cow day!

2011-07-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Did you know about Dress Like a Cow Day at Chick-Fil-A? I found out about it yesterday and we decided at 9am this morning that we wanted to go! Faith had this cow costume from Halloween last year, I had this cow hat from Seth's birthday party last year and we pulled together an outfit for Paige. You can't see them well, but she has some brown "hooves." We added some cow ears to her cat headband and my dad made rope tails for Seth and Paige. (My mom is throwing the hat on Seth for the picture--could not get him to wear it!)

We'd planned on just getting the kids a free meal, but if you "partially" dress up, they will give you a free entree of your choice. They provide these cow hats you can put on--my parents both scored a free sandwich! This is my dad saying, "Moo!"

This was so fun! My kids thought it was THE BEST and we made a memory. It was so simple to do! So, MOOOOOVE on out the door and get yourself to Chick-Fil-A today! You still have time for a late lunch or dinner! And it's FREE!

our weekend in photos

2011-07-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

My parents are visiting from Iowa for 2 weeks and Tim and I took the opportunity to get away this past Sunday. We drove to Lake Tahoe to go hiking and were shocked to see that the trail we had planned on hiking was completely covered with 6+ feet of snow! It's JULY!!! We still hiked the entire trail--I was very thankful for my waterproof boots. It was hard enough snow that we didn't need snow-shoes.

We've gone to the 4th of July parade with the Coulter's for several years now . . . I've lost track of how many it's been. The parade itself is not THAT exciting, but the candy keeps drawing our kids back year after year.

Our attempt at a family picture . . .

Seth wasn't interested in having a grandparents picture at this particular moment. I tried.

I hope you all had a fun 4th of July weekend!

and the winner is . . .

2011-07-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Congrats! Send me an email at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com with your address and I will get your magazine in the mail! Happy 4th of July weekend!

lentil bean dip

2011-06-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

You are going to want to RUN to Trader Joe's for this recipe! It is SO EASY and SO GOOD! This is all you need to buy:

A gal in my homeschooling group made this for us a couple of months ago and I have made it several times since. Everyone raved about it when she made it! It's healthy and it takes minutes to make. You just dump everything in a bowl and stir! I served mine with organic corn chips and carrots. You could serve it with your favorite bread or pita chips too. (Also, you don't have to buy pre-cooked lentils, you can cook them yourself and save a little money.)Yummy!

p.s. Everything doesn't have to be from TJ's--not everyone has one near them--just bruschetta, lentils and feta--whatever your favorite brands are!

Don't forget, you have until Friday to leave me a comment on my last post if you want to be in on the magazine giveaway. Have a great day!

scrapbook and cards today summer issue GIVEAWAY!

2011-06-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's here! The summer issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today. This is one of my favorite magazines. You can subscribe to it and receive a hard copy, or you can download it for free!

You can find this layout on page 54:

I participated in Project 12 for all of 2010, and this was my month of May. I am doing it again this year, though I am a bit behind!

They sent me a big box of goodies, including an extra hard copy of the Summer issue. While it's fun that you can download this magazine for free, it's even more fun to have a hard copy in your hands! Leave me a comment and I will pick a winner Friday evening sometime!

and the winner is . . .

2011-06-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Congrats! Email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will hook you up with your eBook! Stay tuned next week for another giveaway! Have a great weekend!

ella giveaway!

2011-06-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

How often do you take time to document your childhood? I have to admit, I haven't documented much of mine. I am so busy documenting my own children's childhood, my grandparents childhood and my parents childhood, that I haven't taken time to tell my kids about me!

I know I need change that soon . . . my kids already ask me if I did certain things when I was their age. I am sure when they are teens, it would be helpful for them to see and read a little bit about what I was like. I am so excited to have one of the latest eBooks from Ella! The biggest thing I struggle with is how to get started . . . what topic should I tackle first? What would my kids find interesting about my childhood/teenage years? Ella has just made it SO EASY for me!

Check out Childhood List It:

Here is a little description of the eBook: List It! journaling guides make it easier than ever to write about your personal history! Some of the 91 prompts in List It! Childhood Edition are obvious and universal, others are quirky and unique. But they'll all help you unlock important memories from your childhood—from school memories and family experiences to your childhood fashion and music tastes.

Above are just 2 of the 91 prompts you will receive. These printable, prompted, journaling lists are gorgeously designed and creatively imagined—perfect for use on scrapbook pages, mini-albums, notebooks, and handmade list journals. Just print them out on the paper of your choice and journal away!

Be sure and check the list it videos on their site if you want more information.

And what would an Ella post be without a GIVEAWAY? I have one of these babies to give away! Just leave me a comment and tell me if you have ever documented any of your childhood and I will pick a random winner sometime Friday evening!

note: the giveaway is good for the List It Childhood Edition or the Childhood Digi Plus--for any of you digital scrapbookers.

the big book of scrapbook pages

2011-06-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this book? It's one of the latest books put out by Memory Makers.

I just received my copy in the mail today . . . and on page 84 you can find this layout:

This layout got picked up over a year ago and the book is finally out! There are over 500 single and double page layouts of eye candy. It's a THICK book--256 pages. My kids are currently napping or in rest time and I am making my way through the book . . . gotta get back to it!

Have a great Monday!

p.s. For those of you who don't know me, we don't really live on a farm . . . we live in suburbia with a small backyard . . . but my husband tries his best to get away with what farm animals he can . . . so far, we have very relaxed neighbors!

june kit cards

2011-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of simple cards that I made with the June kit:

This is our last "official" week of homeschooling for the year! Yipee! Next week we are going to take a break to participate in Vacation Bible School at our church. Summer is upon us! Have a great Monday morning!

prayer and marriage

2011-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

This framed verse was recently featured in an article I wrote for Ella Publishing eZine. I wanted to share a little bit more about where these verses came from. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from Galatians 5:22-23 . . .which talks about the Fruit of the Spirit. Basically, these are ways that God wants us to act toward anyone we come in contact with. The passage I have written out has been tweaked a bit to make these traits specific toward our spouses. I pulled this passage from the book, The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage.

This book is for the couple who has a good marriage, but wants to make their marriage a great marriage and it is for the couple who is talking about divorce--and everyone in between. This book discusses communication, rudeness, forgiveness, depression, finances, addictions, infidelity, separation and divorce--just to name a few things. She discusses the issue and then walks you through a prayer that you can pray regarding that specific area of your marriage. She also backs up every topic she writes on with Scripture. You don't have to read the book cover to cover, you can just turn to the topic that applies to your marriage.

Another favorite book of mine that I have used for several years is The Power of a Praying Wife.

Before I started using this book, I would pray for my husband, but they would be pretty general prayers like, "Please help Tim to have a good day at work," "Help him to get over his cold soon," and "Please keep him safe as he travels on business." There was nothing wrong with these prayers, but this book showed me things that I hadn't thought to pray for often. Things like his affection, his temptations, his mind, his fears, his purpose in life, his choices, his reputation, his fatherhood, his past and his attitude . . . there are more too!

She writes a few brief pages on the topic and then she writes out a prayer that you can pray and insert your husband's name into the prayer. Who doesn't love a prayer guide? Prayer is not something that comes naturally to many people--myself included--and this book teaches you how to pray for the man in your life. If we aren't praying for our husbands daily, who will?

I can't say enough about how these two books have revolutionized my prayer life in the area of my marriage. Go and check them out!

kindergarten

2011-05-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm home from my whirlwind trip to Douglas, WY for my grandmother's funeral. It was such a great celebration of her life and wonderful to be able to see my extended family.

There were a bunch of military men on my flight home which prompted me to ponder how blessed we are in this country. One of the biggest blessing for our family is our choice to be able to choose our children's form of education. There are so many choices out there that I know other countries do not have. As we wrap up our homeschool year, I thought I'd share a sneak peak layout that I made with the upcoming Green Tangerines June Kit. This is Paige's Kindergarten year--last year.

Last year we were with a charter school, Horizon--I included her student I.D. card. We switched to Visions charter school this year for 1st grade. Charter schools mean different things in different parts of the country and not every state has them, so I will explain what it means for our family. Basically, I can use whatever curriculum I choose and take whatever extra curricular activities I'd like to and the state will pay for it up to $1600 per year, per student. The only catch is that none of the curriculum can be faith based that THEY are purchasing for me. Since we have chosen to use mostly Christian curriculum, we pay for that ourselves. I use the $1600 to pay for educational games, art supplies, harp lessons and gymnastics. Once a month they send a teacher to my home to check in on us, see what Paige is learning and answer any questions I might have. My teacher is fantastic! She is a Christian, is supportive and encouraging, and she scrapbooks--so of course I love her!

I made this "chalkboard" using black cardstock, oil cloth (the "wood") and my white Signo pen.

There are several cute tickets included in the kit and multiple letter options to choose from!

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Remember to say thank you to the military men and women that you bump into when you are out and about!

i have a seven-year-old

2011-05-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

It's official . . . I have a seven-year-old. I was just talking with a neighbor last night and we were discussing how long each of us have lived in our cul-de-sac. We moved in when Paige was 10 weeks old. I remember painting my kitchen red while Paige happily bounced in the exersaucer at 4 months old. I can't believe we have lived here that long . . . and I still haven't decorated my downstairs guest bathroom . . . I digress. Anyway, yesterday we had her birthday party at the place she takes gymnastics--so much fun!

The red-faced, sweaty kids!

This was our first time ever having one of our kids parties NOT at our house. I only had it off site because they were running a half price deal and that was about the amount of money it would cost me to throw a party at home. My friend Carrie tells me that I will never go back to having a party at home! I will admit, it was nice not prepping a ton of food and not having to clean my house before and after. Time will tell when the next party rolls around . . .

Our tradition of decorating the door continues. The never know what they will wake up to. She was most excited about the electric toothbrush that she gets to decorate herself! Today we are taking the day off of homeschooling and going to the mall to play and have lunch--per her request!

Happy Monday morning!

ella eZine

2011-05-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Need some fun ideas that put your scrapbooking supplies to use outside your albums? Check out this article that I wrote for Ella Publishing that just went up on their site. I included a couple of my favorite decorative pieces and included some decorative work from Autumn and Kristen as well. Here is a sneak peak at one of mine:

My mom flew out last night for a spur of the moment visit. On Tuesday we are going to fly to Wyoming together for my grandmother's funeral. We are so happy to have my mom here for a long weekend . . . she'll be here to celebrate Paige's 7th birthday!

camping and a layout

2011-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went camping! We left on Friday at noon with the intent of staying until Sunday morning. I checked weather.com Thursday evening and it said it would be sunny on Saturday . . . they were wrong. In the middle of the night on Friday a windstorm came in and kept Tim and I up half the night. Sleeping in the trailer was like being on a ride, good thing we aren't prone to motion sickness. At least our kids slept like rocks.

Friday afternoon the girls swam in the lake and rode in the canoe . . . I stayed on shore and attempted to get Seth to nap. Tim rigged this umbrella to the bar of the canoe with some heavy duty tape--he hates the sun! I had a good laugh. I had planned on getting my chance to ride in the canoe on Saturday, but when we woke up to freezing cold wind and choppy waters, we packed up and left!

We've decided that camping is a lot of work with a toddler and are going to wait two more years to try again. Tim is going to sell the pop-up trailer so I can park my van back in the garage. I'm so excited about that! Next time, he wants to buy a trailer that doesn't need to be popped up--they are nice once they are up, but really are just as much work to set up as tents--maybe more!

Back in March we traveled to the JH Ranch where we stayed for a week. Since the camp is only in session during the summer, it was just our family and it was so relaxing and peaceful. We stayed at Tim's parents' home where they live during the summer months. I made this layout using Green Tangerines May Kit. This has been my favorite kit thus far!

Hope you have a great Monday!

photo coasters

2011-05-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Need a quick and inexpensive gift idea? I put together this tutorial for the Ella blog. Head on over to check it out! Here is a look at the finished product. This project is really easy and takes less than an hour to complete.

Have a good weekend!

my grandma

2011-05-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

My grandma died today. She had been battling cancer on and off for the past several years. She was 84 years old and lived a great life. I am happy that she is at home in heaven with Jesus and with her husband who went before her almost 40 years ago. She brought joy to everyone she knew.

I am so thankful that we all saw her last summer and she was able to meet our third child. I am feeling sad today and don't feel like doing much of anything. I am happy that she is no longer in pain. I know death is a part of life, but it still is not easy.

Give those you love an extra hug today!

This was the day we said good-bye on earth. Until we meet again in heaven Grandma! Love you!

cheesy ham and broccoli bake

2011-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Our family does not eat much pasta, my kids don't like macaroni and cheese, but they loved this dish! It is pretty easy to put together and you can make it gluten and lactose free! I experimented with a few different recipes until I put together the ingredients in a way that was healthy for me to eat and yet yummy so that my family would eat it.

Ingredients:

4 cups brown rice pasta (measured dry)

1.5 cups diced ham (I use nitrate free ham found at Whole Foods)

1.5 cups chopped frozen broccoli

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tbls butter

3 Tbls gluten free flour

10 ounces lactose free milk (or regular if lactose isn't an issue)

1 cube vegetable bouillon

.25 tsp salt

3 Tbls plain yogurt (or sour cream if it doesn't bother you)

1. Cook pasta according to directions

2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour until it has absorbed the butter. Slowly add the milk and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add the bouillon and stir until dissolved. Season with salt. Stir in the plain yogurt. Stir in HALF the cheese.

3. Chop the ham into bite sized pieces. Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces. Stir both into the sauce.

4. After the pasta has finished cooking, rinse and drain. Add the pasta to the mixture. Stir well.

5. Transfer entire mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

more may sneak peaks

2011-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few cards I created with the May kit . . .

I folded the orange paper accordian style, then sewed straight through it with my machine. The "watermelon" is a custom embellishment created by the gals at Green Tangerines for the May kit.

Another custom embellishment . . . the cute banner with string. Just string it on wherever you please!

This card gives you a good idea of the patterned papers included in this kit.

Happy Monday morning!

artwork

2011-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

What do you do with all of your child's artwork? Is it stashed in a large portfolio behind the sofa? A thin box beneath the bed? Is it collecting dust bunnies on a counter somewhere?

I am a decluttering type of gal. I love placing garbage bags outside on the curb for a local charity to pick up. They frequent our neighborhood, so I am always getting rid of stuff! While I don't pass on my child's artwork, I don't keep it all. I take pictures of most of it, keep a few favorites and then toss the rest. Yes, it was hard to do at first, but my closets thank me on a daily basis . . .

This is what I do with all of those pictures that I take of their artwork! This is a sampling of some of Faith's best artwork at age three. I kept the layout simple so that the focus would be on the artwork. While it would be fun to have a picture of her actually drawing, I didn't have a good one, so I used a picture of her that I had taken at three that I hadn't used on another layout.

The Design Team is busy working on the samples for the May Kit, and this is just one of the sneak peaks that is going on over at the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog this week. Be sure and check out the other gals cute work! The May kit will be unveiled on May 5th! Stay tuned.

And just a reminder, Ella's Spring Training Event starts today! If you missed the info before, it's not too late to join in the fun . . . here is a sampling of what's going on:

Get Ready to Learn About...

Expert lighting tricks for your photographs
Single-sentence journaling: four simple strategies
How to create a gorgeous stenciled page background
Adding inspiring tricks to your design toolbox
Paint and poetry: a tutorial you'll never forget!
Creating photo-booth effects for your photographs
Distressing 101: paint, sanding, and beyond
Discovering and embracing YOUR signature scrapbooking style
How to "get the shot" that truly captures your subject's personality
And MORE

Check it out! Have a great day!

happy easter!

2011-04-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from our family to yours! God bless!

crazy with photobooth

2011-04-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Switching from a PC to a MAC has been frustrating, but fun. I still have a lot to learn. Even thought it's been frustrating at times, once I figure out how to do something, it actually is saving time and making things easier . . . but again, still a lot to learn. One of the FUN things about owning a MAC is the Photobooth program that came with the computer. My girls discovered it and are thrilled whenever I let them play with it! So, I thought I would document some of the CRAZY photos!!!

Kelly, the owner of Green Tangerines, said she was creeped out by some of the photos . . . but she still hung it up in the store!

I used my April Kit for this layout.

Hope you enjoy your day!

not my usual . . .

2011-04-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is not my usual layout . . . I don't own a Cricut and I'm not much of a die-cut gal. I have nothing against them, it's just not an expense I wanted to invest in for something I might only use on occassion. BUT I had to make some waves, a fishing pole and some fish for this layout! My trusty scissors and a steady hand helped me get the job done!

Faith loves her fishing layout! It was a bit time consuming, but the smiles I got when Faith saw it were worth it! I used my April Kit with the blue banana leaf paper--I love the extra texture that it added. There were plenty of buttons in this kit which made perfect "bubbles."

This past weekend we went fishing. Here is the first fish that she caught with her new fishing pole!

Have a great day!

winner and a layout

2011-04-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

And the random winner of the heritage goodies giveaway is . . .

Congrats Monica! Email me your address at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will get your goodies in the mail! And for the rest of you, be sure and check out Monica's beautiful layout about the women in her family tree--it is so inspiring!

And a layout . . .

Each year I interview my kids and find out what their FAVORITE things are from that year. I want to remember what their interests were at each stage in their life (I forget too quickly!) and I think it will be interesting for them to read when they are older.

I used my April Green Tangerines Kit for this layout. It is full of springtime goodies!

The clouds in this kit were custom embellishments created by our fabulous Meredith!

I pulled a few of these questions from Ali's blog. Dad, be sure and note the one about you!

Have a great weekend!

for the ladies from my card class . . .

2011-04-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

I had the sweetest gals in my card class at the store tonight . . . they were all so nice. For those ladies that wanted to see the other owl card with a graduation cap that I made last year, here is the link for easy finding! Have a great night!

giveaway!

2011-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog for the last three months, you know that I was hosting a Heritage Challenge at Green Tangerines. Now that it is over, I have a few things leftover (and a couple of new, unopened things) that I'd like to pass on to you!

Leave me a comment telling me if you are documenting your heritage--where you came from--or if you plan to do it in the future, perhaps the distant future! Maybe you are just trying to keep up with the present--and that is okay! I will draw a random winner on Friday night after 5pm (PST) sometime. Good luck!

quack, quack

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

My husband strongly desires to live on a farm. So much so that he is constantly trying new things out . . . er, animals in our backyard . . . our California (i.e. small) backyard. If you want to read about our farm life, you can check out this past post. Since that post we've raised ducks and frogs and my husbands latest thing is that he's become a bee-keeper (on someone else's property), but we'll save that story for another day.

I wanted to document the adorable ducks that we raised for about six months. I used the April Green Tangerines Kit.

The girls think their dad is the greatest (he really is) and love when he goes through a new phase. I will admit, I am not much of an animal person (allergic to most), but I sure do love the cute pictures I get to scrapbook!

spring training with ella!

2011-04-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for spring? I am loving this spring weather! Be sure and check out the latest BIG news from Ella!

*Early-bird special - Register by April 15th and use code 8ELLA to save $8 on your registration!*

What exactly is Spring Training?

Four expert coaches: Angie Lucas on journaling, Wendy Smedley on inspiration, Tammy Tutterow on techniques, and Kelly Willette on photography

12 exclusive videos, one per day featuring coached training exercises (watch for 10 minutes, "exercise" for 10 minutes)
A daily layout challenge based on the daily exercise
Daily giveaways from our event sponsors including Big Picture Classes, Jenni Bowlin, Little Yellow Bicycle, and more!
Exclusive downloads and offers
Access to the videos for a full 60 days after the event ends

By the way, participation is FREE in the daily layout challenge and giveaway (without access to the videos, hands-on exercises, and exclusive downloads)

Visit the registration page and watch the introduction video for more details about this fun event!

If you've been wanting to get through your "scrapbook slump" and knock some layouts out quickly, these are the girls to partner up with to help you get a move on!

my weekend plans

2011-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am headed off to the CHEA Homeschool Conference this morning with a girlfriend for two days. I am super excited! I have been attending homeschool conferences since my oldest was 3-years-old. The speakers help recharge me and reconfirm God's calling for our family to homeschool.

I have to admit, there are days when I think, "Remind me why I am doing this? Do I need to listen to that whining about reading AGAIN? Oh, how I would love a 6-hour break to my day . . . " These days are few and far between. Most days I feel very blessed to be my children's primary educator. I LOVE seeing them really GET something, it is so fun! And I love being with my kids . . . playing games, making crafts, cooking, running errands, going on field trips . . . we have so much fun together! I feel blessed to be at home with them because I know the time that they are a part of my everyday life is short . . . college will be here in the blink of an eye!

This past year I've had my girls involved in Mosaic Christian Academy. It's a place for homeschooling kids to take a few extra curricular activities and hang out with other kids who are home-schooled. For the first half of the year, I was there in the mornings with all three of my kids and was involved in the preschool co-op while Paige was in 1st grade classes. This second semester, I moved Faith up to the Kindergarten classes and Paige is still in her classes. They attend for 3 hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons . . . while I am at home with Seth napping. I will admit, it has been a nice break to my week. I can lesson plan, clean the house, do laundry . . . wait . . . did I just say those things???!!! I have 3 hours to myself (well, more like 2 hours since that's all Seth will nap)--I really do things like nap, read a book and scrapbook! It's a little treat to my week. And the girls love the friendships they have developed here. Some of the classes they are involved in . . . Sign Language, Lego Engineering, Math Games, P.E. and a few others. We love this place!

Anyway, that is just a tid-bit of what is going on in our homeschooling world at the moment. I'm excited for a fun girls weekend away and excited to learn what God is going to teach me through this conference this weekend!

And because I can't post without a picture, here is one last picture of Faith from our week at the ranch.

Enjoy your weekend!

card class next week!

2011-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have a card stock pile? Do you often want to send someone a note of encouragement and plan to do so, but never get around to it because you don't have a cute card on hand? I can help you!

If you are local, join me next Thursday, April 14, 6:30pm at Green Tangerines Scrapbook Store for my card class. I'll show you how to make multiple cards using one set of KI Quick Strips! Also, I'll show you how to sew on paper with a sewing machine and how to paper piece an owl all made from various punches. This class is geared for the beginner or the seasoned paper crafter who just wants to make simple and quick cards!

Call the store today to sign up! 916.771.8010. The cost is only $18. And if that isn't incentive enough . . . everything is prepped for you! You just have to put the cards together. Easy peasy! I promise you'll have fun and you'll be ready for the next time you need to send a quick card!

heritage designer's challenge week 12

2011-04-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

It's the last week of the heritage challenge that I've been hosting over at Green Tangerines. There have been some fabulous layouts that people have brought into the store. For my final week, I left the topic open ended a bit. I challenged the gals to document a special moment.

Is there a wedding you’d like to highlight? The birth of someone special into your family? Did your grandfather come home from war a hero? Were you the first in your family to graduate from college? Did you start a business that grew into a big success? Just a few questions to get you thinking . . .

This is my great-grandparents wedding picture and marriage certificate from 1904. Can I just say how much I love PSE? I recently switched to a MAC computer, so I had to buy the latest version of PSE, 9.0. It's healing tool is even better! (I had 7.0 on my PC) Now you don't even have to ALT-click on the spot you want to copy/heal, it just knows what to do! Hard to explain, but you'll just have to trust me, it's awesome! I was able to fix this photo up in a jiffy!

I hope you've enjoyed my tour down memory lane for the past 12 weeks. There are more heritage layouts in my future, but I am going to take a little break. Getting the stories accurate and matching up the pictures is a lot of work--but fun!

Stay tuned for a little giveaway on the ol' blog . . . heritage in flavor . . . hopefully sometime this week! Have a great day!

new winner of ella eBook!

2011-04-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been 10 days since I announced the winner of the Scrapbooking the Everyday eBook . . . time to pick a new winner! And the winner is . . .

Congrats! Contact me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will get you the details on how to download your new book!

our getaway . . . photo heavy

2011-04-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

This past week we were near the top of the state of California at the JH Ranch. My husband's family started this Christian camp over 30 years ago. Tim lived there from age eight on and has seen it grow from five campers their first week to thousands of people coming through the camp every summer. His parents have a house adjacent to the camp that we are free to use when it is empty. It's such a huge blessing when we need a place to get away as a family . . . and get away we did!

It was snowing when we arrived. This was the first time my kids had seen falling snow . . . we've been to Tahoe to sled plenty of times, but we always go up when it is sunny.

Fort building was a huge highlight on this rainy afternoon!

I took this picture for grandpa . . .

We went into the small town of Etna one day to get the kids ice cream . . . this train was screaming for us to stop and explore . . . Seth is so into trains right now!

This is the view from one of our hikes. The pictures don't do God's amazing beauty justice.

This picture is screaming to be scrapbooked . . . I think the topic will be something about the open road of possibilities before Seth . . . hhhmmmm . . . can't wait!

I'm off to finish unpacking. Have a great weekend!

a few cards

2011-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

To make the flower, punch 8 scallop circles out of double sided cardstock. Secure with a brad and scrunch away until you get your desired look. Easy peasy.

All of these card were made using the March Kit. Each one is on the simple side and easy to make. I am totally into butterflies right now . . . something about spring being in the air! Hope you are having a great day!

heritage designer's challenge week 11

2011-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

We're in week 11 of the heritage challenge I am hosting at Green Tangerines. Only one more week to go! I have numerous keepsakes just waiting for a home on one of my pages. What’s a girl to do with old birth certificates, love letters, telegrams and ticket stubs? Document them of course!

I love reading my grandmother’s old telegrams that my grandfather sent to her before they were married. They were short and sweet, but you can still feel the love that radiated through them. I created a pocket with this tag to hold the telegrams.

This week, grab something that isn’t a picture and scrapbook it! If your keepsake isn’t flat enough to put in an album, take a picture of it and write about it.

Telegrams: Was there a special message conveyed to a loved one? A death announced? A baby born?
Letters: What did people write to their loved ones about?
Birth, Marriage or Death Certificate: Write the story of that particular person.
Ticket stubs: What did people do for entertainment? Did they travel? What were the costs involved?

These are just a few questions to get you started. Happy documenting!

happy birthday faith!

2011-03-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

It was my little girls 5th birthday yesterday. I can't believe she is five already . . . I know that EVERYONE says that about their kids, it's nothing new.

We have a few traditions . . . Tim always takes the day off of work for each child's birthday, we decorate their door with a few small gifts and we all go out for breakfast together. Yesterday we went out to Mimi's for breakfast . . . with a coupon of course! We fed the whole family for $11. Score.

Last Saturday we had the NEMO party that Faith wanted to have. When she turned four, she said she wanted to have a Nemo party when she turned five--she didn't forget. She has never seen the movie, Finding Nemo, but she has seen plenty of Nemo in the stores. She is really into fishing . . . we got Faith her very own fishing pole for her birthday . . . she was so excited! Back to the party . . . All of the outdoor games I had planned . . . cancelled . . . rain.

We always take a picture in front of this birthday sign which I made in MOPS almost 7 years ago! The red balloon fell off in storage this year and my husband kindly hot glued it back on. I didn't notice till I uploaded the photo that he glued it on no where near the "string" it is supposed to be on--ha! My mom made this Nemo dress just for the party. I love the "ocean" look she created with the silky blue top layer. Faith was SO excited to wear this!

Blue ocean punch and blue Jello with gummy fish were a treat for the kids. The jelly beans were for guessing . . . whoever got closest to the number got to take the jar home. Not one kid guessed over 100 jellybeans . . . there were 156. Guess we need to work on estimating . . .

They had to drop a clothespin into the fish bucket below. And of course they won a fish!

Each child got to go fishing for a prize over the banister. They couldn't see the adult below hooking on all the prizes. The kids loved using a real pole!

Tim scored this jump house at a garage sale for $15 a few years back. It has been a lifesaver during really rainy weeks. It was perfect for the party!

I love to make my kids cakes, but Wal-mart wanted to make it this year.

The party-goers. Such great kids.

Happy Friday everyone!

and the winner is . . .

2011-03-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your kind comments on my blog and enthusiasm for this new eBook, Scrapbooking the Everyday. This book has inspired me to capture some more everyday memories. If you didn't win, be sure and check it out on Ella's site--it's only $5.99.

And the winner is . . .

Congrats! Email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I'll get you the details on how to get your eBook!

Have a great night!

february recap

2011-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Are you a Project 12 gal? If you haven't joined in on the fun, go and check it out! I followed most of the sketches last year. I'm using different sketches this year, but still loving the concept of capturing all the highlights of each month.

If you are local, this month-in-review kit is on sale at Green Tangerines. Enjoy your Wednesday!

heritage designer's challenge week 10

2011-03-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

If this is your first time joining me, I am hosting a 12-week Designer's Challenge through Green Tangerines Scrapbook Store. We are on week 10--almost to the finish line! Participants pick up a product each week and are challenged to use it with any of their supplies on hand and answer a few of the questions that I provide. If you aren't local, you can still play along and use the questions that I will post below!

This is my grandfather (who died before I was born) and his senior year picture. I had pictures of a report card (totally fun to see!), his diploma, the high school where he attended and a graduation announcement. And to think he was married just two years later and had my mom a year after that! So young!

Here are some questions to get you pondering your school days . . .

Tell me about the school you went to. What was your favorite class in school? What was your least favorite? What kind of grades did you get in school? Did you enjoy school? Did you have a favorite teacher?
Were you a part of any sports or clubs in school? Did you ever play any instruments? What kind of music did you listen to?
Tell me about some of your closest classmates. Do you still keep in contact with any of your classmates? What did you and your friends do outside of school?
Where there any fads during the time you went to school?
What schools did you attend? Did you go to college?
How did you get to school?

If you want ideas for more heritage pages (with questions), you can click on the heritage link under the labels section of my blog. You can also go here to my flicker gallery (also on the side bar of my blog).

Have a great Tuesday!

p.s. It's not too late to join in on the Ella giveaway in yesterday's post!

ella blog hop and a giveaway!

2011-03-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the latest eBook Scrapbooking the Everyday? It is full of 34 fresh new ways to celebrate your everyday life. Today, along with my Ella Friends, we are hosting a blog hop! What's in it for you? Read on and you'll find out!

Have you ever taken pictures throughout one whole day? I am always curious to know what a typical day was like for my mom with my brother and I underfoot. Was she as tired as I am? Did she have time to take a shower, exercise, read? On this day, I documented what I did during a typical day. My everyday schedule has already changed since I did this layout--looks like I need to do another one!

I put this layout together before Seth had come along. It wasn't photos taken all in one day, rather photos that highlighted this particular phase of my life. I simply highlighted things that were important to me or things that are a part of my everyday life--like messes--those aren't important to me, I'd rather do without them, but they are a part of this phase in my life! This sketch is courtesy my friend, Kristen.

Have you ever put together a photo-less layout? Gasp! This was my first! I made this one a little over three years ago. I wanted to record my thoughts on how being diagnosed with Crohn's disease had helped me to slow my life down a bit--forced me, rather. I wanted to focus on something positive about my not-so-fun circumstance.

I made this layout when Seth was six weeks old. I wanted to document what was going on in my kids lives at this particular moment and tell them what I loved about them. It's just a simple snapshot in time.

All of the Ella Friends get to giveaway a copy of this fabulous eBook! That's 12 chances to win! Leave me a comment on this post and I will choose a winner Wednesday evening--around 9pm PST.

For 11 more chances to win, hop on to Donna Jannuzzi next!

To check out the other Ella Friends that are participating in the blog hop, go here.

best of friends

2011-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this new line from Jillibean Soup? It is one of my faves for sure! The yellow is one of their staples and the blue patterned paper is from an older line--but all the fun embellishments and blue letter stickers are new! This is one of my favorite pictures of the girls taken last Spring and these papers were perfect for it.

I especially love this saying. Totally describes my girls relationship--they really are best friends.

The Green Tangerines April Kit will be out before you know it and I chose a ton of Jillibean Soup for this kit! Perfect for Spring! We start SNEAK WEEK over on the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog on Monday!

Have a great day!

heritage designer's challenge week 9

2011-03-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

We're in the homestretch--4 weeks left to go with the heritage challenge! This week I asked everyone to document an event in history. This could be a recent event or an event from 100 years ago that played a role in a relative's life. I chose to document the Great Blizzard of 1949. My grandparents and great-grandparents took pictures during this time.

Sorry for the crummy scan . . . my scanner is having issues. I made a "warning" label to look like a sign you might see on the road.

Over 100 people died during this blizzard and over 1 million livestock were lost. It was a tragic story in history and my grandparents and great-grandparents lived to tell about it. I can't imagine being stranded in my home for six weeks! It was fun to hear my mom's take on the event as well--she was conceived during this LONG winter!

Here are some questions to get you started:

1. Was there a tornado that came through your town? Was there an earthquake that shook you up? (or any natural disaster)

2. Do you remember rationing supplies during a World War?

3. Did someone you love go off to war?

4. Did something you saw personally or on the news impact the way you think about our world?

5. How did an event (big or small) impact your family?

Have a great day!

snow fun

2011-03-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

It's raining here in "sunny" California. On days like these I just want to curl up in bed with a book and stay under the covers all day. I wonder if that's what those of you in the Midwest feel like when it snows day after day . . . not too practical at this stage in my life. We don't have to deal with the snow, and when we want to have a "snow day," we just travel 45 minutes up the road!

I punched the snowflakes and then used the negative images from some of them to make a different snowflake. This layout was made using the March Green Tangerines kit.

Every once in awhile I miss living in a snow state--though Minnesota was a bit extreme. I think Colorado might be nice. I do not miss driving in the snow. Would love to see my kids build an igloo in our backyard! Those were fun memories for me! If you live in the snow, do you enjoy it, or do you wish you lived somewhere else?

Happy Monday!

our favorite place

2011-03-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Some more March kit goodness to share!

There's nothing like Christmas at the beach! It wasn't THAT warm out, but our girls still wore their swimsuits and jumped in the water. Crazy kids! Hope you are having a good day!

heritage designer's challenge week 8

2011-03-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

This week the topic was food. If you are just joining me, feel free to check out the heritage challenge I am hosting at Green Tangerines. I documented my grandmother's work as a hospital chef--it was a job she took to support herself after her husband (my grandfather I never met) was killed. She had this job for almost 20 years--an important part of her story.

This is a less-than-pefect photo of my grandmother (she looks surprised!), but it's the only one I have of her working in the hospital kitchen. Don't be afraid to use photos that aren't the best--it's the story that you are documenting! This was a huge part of my grandmother's life and I wanted to capture it--good picture or not!

Here are a few questions to get you started on the topic of food:

Do you have a favorite dish that your grandmother or mother used to always make?
Describe a typical family dinner. Who did most of the cooking?
Do you have a special recipe that has been passed down that you make frequently or on special occasions?
What food was served at a holiday meal? What were your favorites?
Do you love or dislike to cook? Who taught you to cook?
Do you have any special memories surrounding food?
What was your grandmother’s or mother’s kitchen like?

Have a great Tuesday!

march green tangerines kit

2011-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

The March kits are shipping . . . go here to see the goods! Here is something I made with it . . .

This layout has pictures from a recent family outing. I love the colors of this kit--so great for outdoor stuff! Happy Monday!

kim, this is for you!

2011-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

So, I have never done this before, but I thought it would be fun to surprise someone!

Kim is a perfect stranger to me, I don't know how she stumbled upon my blog, but she comments frequently and leaves the most encouraging comments! (And she's from Iowa--I lived there for 3 years and my parents still live there.) So, I wanted to surprise her today and give her a copy of one of Ella's latest eBooks! Surprise!

Creative Ideas for Events and Holidays is full of fresh challenges to get those memorable events scrapbooked! It tackles holidays, the first day of school, Disneyland vacations and more! And for only $5.99, it's a book worth treating yourself to!

Kim, email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will get you the details on how to get your free eBook!

it's friday!

2011-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad the weekend is here! It hasn't been a bad week, it's actually been a great one, but I always enjoy when my husband is home and we can do family activities. The girls have a "cowgirl" birthday party they are going to tomorrow and they are SO excited! Tim and I have a date night scheduled for Sunday and I am SO excited! I thought I'd leave you with a layout on a certain topic that my girls are SO excited about these days . . . SILLY BANDZ!!!!!!! Are your kids as crazy about these things as mine?

Getting these silly bandz to stay on my layout was no easy task. I tried four different adhesives before I finally sewed them on with clear thread.

I think they will enjoy looking back at this fad they were into. Do you remember the friendship bracelets we wove out of embroidery floss or the pins with beads that we wore on our tennis shoes? I remember how important these silly little things were to me at the time!

Have a great weekend!

and the winner is . . .

2011-03-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Congrats! And since I know who you are, I will email you the code right now!

I'll have a double page layout for you tomorrow . . . think kid fads . . .

heritage designer's challenge week 7 and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

This week on the Green Tangerines blog we are focusing on sibling relationships. I chose to document my grandmother and her three siblings. She was a "surprise" 14 years after her third sibling, so she didn't grow up having them as playmates. She shared her memories with my mom for this layout:

The first picture on the left is from 1913. I am still amazed when I look at photos that old! And I am so happy to have a few. My grandmother is the baby in the far right picture--her oldest sibling, Helen, is taking care of her. Just a note on my pictures--I scan them all and have them reprinted. Most of the originals are in pretty bad shape--I love being able to remove a few of the scratches in PSE. I kept the color the same as the original pictures for this particular layout because I loved the warm feeling.

1. How many siblings did you have and what were their names and birth dates?
2. Do you have a favorite memory with one or more of your siblings?
3. Did you confide in your siblings?
4. Did you get into mischief together that your parents never discovered?
5. What is your relationship like today?

Do you need a jumpstart on getting those photos and stories from the past scrapped? I get to give away one copy of this awesome eBook!

There are some great "non-traditional" heritage ideas in this book! And you don't have to be scrapbooking photos from years and years ago. Last week is the PAST, right? You can check out more of the details on this book here. Feeling lucky today? Leave me a comment on this post and I will pick a winner on Thursday evening--sometime after my kids go to bed! Good luck!

stitching on paper

2011-02-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

Looking for some tips on stitching on your papercrafts? Check out these three posts on the Ella blog from Thursday-today:

faux stitching

hand stitching

machine stitching

A couple of my Ella Friends and I have layouts and cards to share along with some fun tips--a couple I've never done and am itching to try! Have a great weekend!