loved.

One last page for 2016! This was our Christmas card that we sent out to friends and family. It is my favorite engagement picture!

I was inspired by the Let's Get sketchy December week 4 sketch.

Thanks for looking and happy new year!

supplies
patterned paper: Studio Calico (gold stripe); Elle's Studio (green tree); Doodlebug (heart); Bella Blvd (black text)
enamel dots: Teresa Collins
die cut pieces: Elle's Studio; Bella Blvd (CHRISTmas);

Stitch Fix #16.

I kind of can't believe I've done this 16 times! So for the winter, I set up monthly automatic Fixes and I forgot this one was coming so I didn't write a note to my stylist. Luckily for me, Britt has been with me since (almost) day one and she knows me very well.

Tea N Rose Jonn striped cardigan - size medium - white $48

 

This is the softest thing I've ever touched. I want to wear it every day.

Lila Ryan Liza colored skinny jeans - size 8 - dark pink $98

I think $98 is pretty pricey for pants but it seems every pair I get from SF is $98. I loved the color of these first and foremost and they fit perfectly. They are soft and stretchy and I love them.

Papermoon Burkett lace detail knot top - medium - black $48

I don't think one can ever have too many black tops. Especially with pretty lace details like this.

RD Style Rockdale colorblock pullover sweater - size medium - tan $68

I don't like this sweater but it was cheaper to keep it and get the 25% discount for purchasing all five items than it was to send it back. The struggle is real. Anyway. It has these slits all the way up the sides (halfway to my armpits) and I think it's too flowy that it makes me look pregnant. Not the look I'm currently going for. Possibly in a size small I would like it better.

Zad Martini Mini layered metal cuff $28

I'm probably going to check off no more jewelry because she keeps sending me expensive necklaces but I did keep this cuff. I like bracelets and wear them sometimes. Generally I'm just a necklace girl but this is cute and multi-metal will make it versatile.

So... thinking about trying it? Use my referral link.

Father's Day 2016.

I'm getting a few more layouts done for 2016. This one is for the Let's Get Sketchy December week 1 sketch + this month's challenge at Picture This! to use shapes. I used stars.

My picture is an Instagram college my brother posted this summer. He and my dad and grandpa always go golfing on Father's day. I used all Elle's Studio papers and die cut pieces. Even though I used items from different collections, everything coordinates.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Elle's Studio (Sunny Days)
die cut pieces: Elle's Studio (Sunny Days; Little Moments)
alpha stickers: SN@P! by Simple Stories

joy.

My brother moved to Ohio with his girlfriend this fall (I know. It's crazy) and they went last weekend to see the lights at the Columbus zoo.

I'm entering this in the Anything Goes challenge at The Paper Girls + my inspiration was the December mood board at Paper Issues. Here is the mood board:

I really liked the black and white and red color scheme and I was drawn to the Christmas tree pillows. So I used a lot of black and white with some red and green and added die cut trees. Here is my page:

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Fancy Pants (Millie & June); Illustrated Faith (Borders)
die cuts: Elle's Studio; Illustrated Faith (CHRISTmas)
journal cards: Elle's Studio

Love & Theft.

Finally getting this concert scrapbooked from last October! I used some of my new Crate Paper Heart Day collection - it's fitting for these two hotties - and mixed in some of last year's Crate Paper Hello, Love collection.

The sketch is #253 at Sketches in Thyme.

I first saw Love & Theft a couple years ago when they opened for Gary Allan. Not only are they smokin' hot... I really like their music too :) I got free tickets to go see them last October and dragged my boyfriend along with me. He didn't enjoy the show as much as I did....

supplies
patterned papers, die cuts, stickers: Crate Paper (Heart Day; Hello, Love)

good cheer.

Today my boss took me to another facility to work. It's over an hour drive one way and it makes a long day. But I got to see a patient I hadn't seen in three years and he told every one he ran into that day how I saved his life.

Back on December 5, 2013, without going into too many details, I discovered an abnormal heart rhythm on this guy. He'd been having symptoms off and on for two years and couldn't get anyone to listen to him. I did some tests and told him he wasn't going to work the next day. This patient remembers every detail, everything I said to him, everything I explained to him, every single thing that we went through that night, he remembers it all. He said, "I was making $10.58 an hour and you said, 'Not tomorrow you aren't' and you wouldn't let me go to work."

I wrote him a pass to be off work that next day and told him that I wanted him back at 7AM to see the provider when he came in. He said, "You told me you weren't leaving in the morning until I got back down here and the doctor came in." and it's true, I wasn't going to leave.

Sure enough, when the Dr came in that day, we sent the guy to the ER.

You meet a lot of ungrateful, self entitled jerks in the healthcare field. Especially when you work at a prison. You meet a lot of patients who don't know how much you do, how much of your knowledge you use, how much of their outcome depends on you - as the nurse. But to talk to this guy, and see tears in his eyes, and hear how grateful he was for ME... it made my heart happy all day.

When I got back to town, I went to Panera to grab something for dinner, still thinking about that guy and the events from three years ago. One car was holding up the line and I waited over 12 minutes to pay for my food, but when I pulled up to the window to pay, the cashier told me that the person in line behind me had paid for my food.

and when two awesome things like that happen in one day, you have to preserve that memory.

This page is for challenge #36 at Challnege YOUrself and the sketch is from the Dec 15 Stuck?! Sketches.

Thanks for looking!



supplies
patterned papers: Elle's Studio; Teresa Collins (Tinsel and Company)
die cut pieces: Elle's Studio (Nov, Dec monthly kits; Joy journal tags)

Stitch Fix #15.

I just got my Fix #15! My #14 Fix I didn't even photograph - I was so busy I had to ask for an extension This Fix was a 3/5 which is pretty good for me. Here's what I got:

Lemon Tart Nanda textured V neck pull over - medium $68

 I wasn't in love with this when I first saw it and when I tried it on, I didn't fall any more in love with it. Purple is my least favorite color and this sweater just wasn't anything special.

Pistola Isobel coated skinny jean - black - size 8 $98

I asked for some coated jeans or something similar, something a little more dressy. These I loved. I received a pair of Pistola pants once before that felt like butter but were too big in the waist so I had to return them. These are definitely not too big - they run on the small side. I tried to exchange for one size up but they didn't have a size 10 available. Ultimately I am keeping them because I love them. I just can't wear them to an all you can eat buffet.

S & D Lexie suede skinny pant - medium $98

I asked for some funky leggings and suede wasn't what I had in mind, but these fit perfectly and are so soft. I love them.

41Hawthorn Queensland dolman top - black - medium $48

I didn't even get a picture with this one on. I tried it on and cut the tags off and threw it in the laundry basket.

Bay to Baubles Auden Station layering necklace $34

I keep getting necklaces and I don't really spend that much on cheap jewelry so I always return them.

Wanna try Stitch Fix? Use my referral link.

you & me.

This sketch from Stuck?! Sketches this month initially scared me, but then I remembered there was a patterned paper in my Love & Adore collection from Simple Stories that fit this sketch perfectly. When I first saw this paper in the collection pack, I wasn't sure what to do with it so this all came together for me.

We had a wedding to go to a couple of weekends ago and the lighting at the reception was so terrible that the only photo that half way turned out was this cell phone selfie :(

I added a few pieces from Elle's Studio - some of the pinks and blues coordinated with this collection. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper, die cuts, stickers: Simple Stories (Love & Adore)
die cuts:  Elle's Studio (Little Moments)

J & E

This past weekend a cousin from my dad's side got married. This photo is from their save the date card I got in the mail. I received the Simple Stories Love & Adore collection that I purchased this Black Friday weekend and wanted to use it immediately!

This page came together so quickly using THIS sketch from Let's Get Sketchy. I used the diagonal in the opposite direction, but I thought this paper was perfect for this sketch.

Thanks for looking!

Paper Wings Productions black Friday sale!

Paper Wings Productions is having a HUGE Black Friday / Small Business Saturday sale. All in stock items are 50% off with coupon code GOBBLE.

You can shop HERE now through Monday!

#KokomoStrong

Back in August on our way home from Green Bay, we got a phone call from my dad asking where I was because a tornado had just hit Kokomo. By the end of the night, we had five tornadoes touch down in our county. Fortunately, no one was killed, but there was devastating damage to many homes and crop fields.

The following week, Pat McAfee hosted a comedy show fundraiser in Indianapolis to raise funds for Kokomo. My friend is a huge Colts fan and immediately got us tickets. The show was very funny, he had several local celebrities come on stage, and he raised $150,000 for tornado relief funds, which is pretty amazing.

I used the most recent sketch from Let's Get Sketchy to make this page. It might be hard to tell, but the photo is the sign on the front of the building where the fundraiser was held.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Webster's Pages (#Happy)
journal card, die cuts, vellum hearts: Elle's Studio (August, September monthly kits)
circle tag: Fancy Pants (Making Waves)
die cut: Jillibean Soup (Healthy Hello Soup)
alphabet stickers: SN@P!

love this.

Tonight I had some free time and I was itching to work with some new products I recently received. I used THIS Stuck Sketches?! sketch to make my page.

I just got some of the Heart Day collection from Crate Paper and although it's a Valentine's day collection, the colors and the love theme can be used for anything.

Thanks for looking! :)

supplies
die cuts, tags, labels, journal cards: Elle's Studio (Little Moments; Let's Eat)
chipboard stickers: Crate Paper (Heart Day)
patterned paper: Bella Blvd (Valentina)

love.

I had some time before work to make a page today for the Scrappy Friends challenge and combined it with the Pawsitively Pets challenge from Paper Issues this month. For the Paper Issues challenge, we had to use three patterned papers and ink/mist/paint. The Scrappy Friends challenge is a sketch + wood veneer.

This was fun because I haven't used my mists in a long time. I used up some of my Bella Blvd Rover collection and combined it with some new Illustrated Faith, that's actually from the Christmas collection.

Here's my page:

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papers: Bella Blvd (Rover); Illustrated Faith CHRISTmas (God's Love);
die cut pieces: Elle's Studio monthly kits (July, September, October), Sunny Days collection, and Little Moments collection;
sticker: Bella Blvd (Riley);
wood veneer: Studio Calico
mist: Mr Huey (Rudolph)

let's go

I found two pics that would work for the October 1 Stuck?! Sketches. They're from 2014 (and I documented that trip HERE), but I wanted to tell the story about our kayaking trip this summer, for which I have no photos. I was too afraid I'd drop my phone in the river.

Our first trip we were gone for about four hours and I was so sore the next day. Plus, as soon as I put my kayak in the water, I capsized. It was embarrassing. This time I felt like a pro, it was a much shorter trip (about an hour), and I spotted a Bald Eagle which was awesome.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper, die cut pieces, cardstock stickers: Echo Park (Summer Party)
tags, die cut pieces: Elle's Studio

Old Jail.

Earlier this year when we were in Florida, we day tripped to St Augustine and visited the Old Jail. Our tour guide was full of energy and it was really interesting. Maybe because we work at a prison but I thought the cells and the fact that the sheriff and his family lived there on the premises and the area out back for hangings were fascinating.

I was inspired by the October Paper Issues sketch.

thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Studio Calico (stripe); Elle's Studio (star)
die cut pieces, chipboard: Bella Blvd
journal tag and label: Elle's Studio

engaged!

When I saw this patterned paper in a Studio Calico kit I received, I hated it. For some reason I hung onto it and while I was going through my stash today to scrap these photos, I pulled it out and thought it was perfect. I trimmed it down to 8.5x11 size and used this sketch from Let's Get Sketchy as inspiration.

Almost everything is from the October kit from Elle's Studio + some bits from September and August kits + some pieces from the Little Moments collection. I cannot get enough of their little die cuts and labels and now that they have subscriptions to their monthly kits, I am in Heaven!

We had our engagement photos taken a few weeks ago and got them back last week. They were expensive ($400...) and we got 25 images but then you have to purchase each image that you want.... It's a lot of money but I justify it because they turned out SO good and how often do you have professional photos taken?! Rarely.

Anyway, here's my page. What inspired me most from the sketch were the layers and the photo placement.

Thanks for listening to my rambling! :)

supplies
flag: Bella Blvd (Engagement)
cardstock sticker: Doodlebug (mini doodle-pops)
patterned paper: Studio Calico (High Rise) from this kit
decorate tape: Glitz Design

R + K

Last month, my cousin got married in a small backyard wedding at their home. It was a simple, rustic/country outdoor wedding and the bride's dress was beautiful.

I found this Sketch N Scrap sketch that worked well with my photo.

I know this Love and Marriage collection from Bella Blvd is a bit old, but I bought a few pieces recently with the idea of documenting some weddings I've gone to this year, as well as my engagement! :)

design team call at Stick It Down!

It's time for a design team call! We are looking for new members and we're also looking for sketch designers.

Our next term will run from January to June 2017. Please do not apply if you cannot commit to this time frame.

What you will do:

• provide one project per month, with possible special events during the six month term
• comment on all submissions as you are assigned
• post our challenge to your blog and other social media outlets 
• have projects completed and posted one week before the deadline

What you need:

• an active blog
• a Facebook account as this is where the DT "meets"
• a love for sketches
• organizational and time management skills

What we will do:

• provide the sketches one month in advance
• provide your posting schedule and commenting assignments
• be supportive and encouraging
• share your photo and your blog link on the SID blog
• share your project on various social media outlets, including Facebook and Instagram

How to apply:

• send an email to StickItDownChallenges@gmail.com with the subject line "Design Team Call"
• include your name and location
• include a list of current commitments (no experience necessary!)
• include three of your favorite layouts that best display your style and suit the requirements of the team you are applying for (ie submit cards if you are applying for the card team)
• introduce yourself in few brief sentences
• If you have experience or are interested in designing sketches, please include a few of your sketch designs in your application as well.

This call is open to everyone, including our current team members, and will run until 11:59pm on Friday, October 28. The new team will be notified by November 6 and announced on the SID blog on or around November 14. The new design team's projects will be revealed in January. 

 

If you have any questions, please let me know!

sunshine and more sunshine.

I like to make a pocket style page with photos from vacations. I think it's a great way for me to be able to document all the random photos I take without having so many single page layouts of pretty much the same theme.

I used a lot of my Elle's Studio monthly kits + the Spring Break March 2016 Kelly Purkey kit.

stamps: Echo Park (Summer Party); Kelly Purkey (Beach Day; Spring Break; Kelly's Texas); Studio Calico (Aloha kit);
wood veneer: Fancy Pants ;
ink: Memento (Tangelo); Versafine (onyx black)

Navy Pier

In August on our way to Green Bay, we stopped in Chicago for a night. We didn't really have any plans for the evening, but Austin hadn't been to Navy Pier before so I definitely wanted to go there. I also definitely wanted to get some Garrett's Popcorn!

supplies
patterned paper: Amy Tangerine (yes, please)
tags, die cuts: Echo Park (Happy Summer); My Mind's Eye (By the Sea); Fancy Pants (Making Waves); Elle's Studio (August monthly kit)
wood veneer: Fancy Pants

Stitch Fix #13

I can't believe this is Fix #13 for me! As a general rule, my Fixes are better when I ask for specific items (ie colored skinnies, green tops, etc). I stick with the same stylist, Britt, and I think she really has down my style. I also have noticed that I tend to like my winter Fixes more than my summer Fixes. Here's what I got this time...

Le Lis Stessy 2Fer knit dress - size medium - $78

I asked for a dress with sleeves to wear to my cousin's wedding this November and this is perfect. I like the sleeves, I like the colors, I like the design, it fit me well. But when dresses hit me at my knees I don't like he way it makes my legs look. I prefer them to hit above my knee. Plus for the price, I wsan't sure how much use I'd get out of it. So I had to return this.

Loveappella Edgewater knit top - size medium - $48

I love this top. It's like it was made for me. So soft and the fit is perfect. It's great for casual autumn days.

Tinsel Kamala skinny jean - burgandy- size 29/8 - $68

I am hoping I can find these online somewhere in a size 28/6. I have been working out a lot lately so I don't know if it's that or if this brand runs big, but these were too big for me in the waist. I am so sad :( They fit otherwise perfectly, I super love the color, and they were so soft. Plus, the price for pants is great! I tried to exchange them, but they only had a size 14.

Loveappella Roxi lace detail knit top - size medium - 54

I so wanted to keep this top but it fit kind of funky on me. I'm not sure exactly what the issue was, it was just a little bit clingy. I love the lace sleeve detail.

Bancroft Leighton metal bauble necklace - $34

This is pretty, but I don't do big necklaces. When I wear necklaces, they are small and dainty and short. Plus, I don't spent this much on jewelry. 

I only ended up keeping one item this time, partially because we just spent a lot of money on engagement pictures, but the only other item I really, really wanted to keep were the pants. I'm still hoping to find them online in my size!

How it works: You pay a $20 styling fee, fill out a fashion survey, and they send you five items. You can keep all or none of the items. If you keep all five, you get a 25% discount. The $20 styling fee goes toward your final bill. Thinking about trying it? Use my referral link.