Sun Fun.

I got to play with some of my new Echo Park Summer Dreams today. I used this month's sketch + mood board inspiration at Let's Get Sketchy. I felt like the colors in the mood board were  representative of the Summer Dreams collection and the photos of the pineapple and drinks reminded me of lying on the beach for a week. Ahhhh I wanna go back!

Thanks for looking!

haul video: Echo Park Wedding Bliss

special day.

Last weekend, my brother and his girlfriend came home and we celebrated my mom's birthday early. We went to a new local brewery which was awesome and then out to eat at one of my favorite places (and my mom loves it too). My mom got a piece of cheesecake to celebrate her birthday; our waiter was pretty cool.

I used the April 1 Stuck?! Sketches as inspiration for my page.

The patterned paper I used for the background is a really old Pink Paislee paper. I have two sheets of this paper I've been hoarding. Everything else is Elle's Studio - mostly the Live Love Laugh collection.

Thanks for looking!

always this.

Hey there! I have a layout to share today combining challenges from Paper Issues and A Cherry on Top. PI's Pawsitively Pet challenge this month is to use three manufacturers and ACOT has a sketch:

I took this photo of my pups on National Pet Day - April 11. I used Elle's Studio, Studio Calico, and American Crafts.

 Thanks for looking!

supplies
ink: Studio Calico
stamps: Elle's Studio; Studio Calico
patterned paper: Fancy Pants (Millie & June); Elle's Studio; Amy Tangerine (Stitched);
washi, die cuts, vellum hearts: Elle's Studio

spring.

When the days start getting a teeny bit warmer and my flowers start poking up through the ground, I get more and more excited each day to see the flower blooms. My daffodils did really well this year, though they don't last long, I sure enjoy seeing the first signs of spring.

I used the April 15 Stuck?! Sketch (shrunk to 8.5x11 size) + the spring flower challenge at Lasting Memories. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Lily Bee
journal tags, washi, die cuts, stickers: Elle's Studio

Memories.

I've had these pictures sitting around for a couple of years and I finally decided to use my new Elle's Studio Live Laugh Love collection for them.

Sketch N Scrap sketch 126 was my inspiration for this page, but I converted the sketch to 8.5x11 size. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papers, die cuts, stickers: Elle's Studio
ink: Versafine (onyx black)
stamps: Technique Tuesday (Summer Adventure 2016); Elle's Studio (Right Now Sept 2016; Travelogue)

Notes.

I got my new Live Laugh Love collection from Elle's Studio this week and I've been dying to play with it. Last August we took a trip to Green Bay and this fun collection has some greens and yellows that match the Packers' colors.

I used the Elle's Studio recipe challenge + sketch 272 from Sketches in Thyme. The recipe calls for a vertical photo, patterned paper background, wood veneer, stamping on a tag, and journaling on a tag.

Everything is from the Live Laugh Love collection except the puffy stickers and the stamps. I layered to 6x6 papers from the collection side by side on the bottom half of the page... I wanted to try to cover up the colors that weren't green and yellow. I think your eyes focus on the photos and are drawn up to the green and yellow stripes.

Thanks for looking!

 supplies
stamps: Kelly Purkey (Go See Do 2017); Elle's Studio (Love You; Travelogue; Right Now); Studio Calico;

dies: Die-namics (File Folder Edges)
ink: Versafine (onyx black)
wood veneer: Studio Calico

loving this life.

I used the Paper Issues Sketchy Saturday sketch from this weekend to make this page about our recent vacation to Isla Mujeres. Just thinking about being on the beach, looking at the water, reading a book, with a Jack and Sprite in my hand... makes me wish I was there now.

I used THIS Scrap the Girls moodboard. The seaglass moodboard features greens and blues and has a beachy feel, which is perfect for my photos of me on the beach.

My journaling is from Dierks Bentley's song: Somewhere on a Beach

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papers, die cuts, stickers: Crate Paper (Oasis)
enamel dots: My Mind's Eye
stamps: Technique Tuesday (Going Places); Kelly Purkey (Spring Break 2016 and Beach Day 2016); Kellie Winnell (Looks like Summer)
ink: Versafine (onyx black); Memento (jet black); 
washi tape: Freckled Fawn

love.

I got to use my Summer Fun collection from Echo Park today! I thought this picture of Austin's sister and brother in law would be great for these papers and embellishments.

I was inspired by the March Scrappy Friends challenge. For the tic tac toe board I used three patterned papers, tags, cork (I don't actually have any cork so I subbed for wood veener - hope that's ok!), gold and circles. Here's my page:

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papers, die cuts: Echo Park (Summer Fun)
rubber shapes: Amy Tangerine
gold heart stickers: twine + ink (Studio Calico)
wood 'love:' Elle's Studio

we belong together / Lasting Memories guest designer.

Today I have my last layout to share as guest designer at Lasting Memories. The challenges this month all had an underlying birthday theme and this challenge was to use five patterned papers on your layout.

Last summer I ordered a brand new Toyota 4Runner from Japan. I picked it up the week after my birthday so it was kind of a birthday gift to myself. Spoiler alert: I absolutely love it.

Thanks for looking and thank you, Lasting Memories, for having me join you this month. It's been so much fun!

supplies
patterned papers: Doodlebug (Sweet Cakes); Pink Paislee;;
stamps: Elle's Studio (Love You); Technique Tuesday (Going Places)
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)
embossing powders: Ranger (super fine detail silver); Sparkle N Sprinkle (black detail EP171)
die cuts: Elle's Studio (Dec 2016 & Feb 2017 kits)
puffy heart stickers: Fancy Pants (Sweet Nothings)

3 year anniversary in my house!

I started this post in November, which was my actual three year anniversary. 

November marks three years since I purchased and moved into my first home! About a year ago, Austin and his dog Jack moved in with me and my dogs and now I've got my eyes set on finding a bigger home for us. A 1500 sq ft tri-level is perfect for one human and two dogs - it's crowded for two humans and three dogs!

Anyway, I have a few updates to share today. You can see how far I've come from 6 months in HERE, to ONE YEAR HERE, and to 2.5 years HERE.

The backyard is still a work in progress. It's been a year since they dug up my whole backyard to fix a major plumbing issue that they actually didn't completely fix. In February, I had to call them back again. After a small tantrum, a big breakdown, and a phone call to my dad, they have it fixed again... for now.

I wanted to build a deck this summer, but we didn't get around to it. I think I worked too much so that's on the agenda for next summer.

The major project this spring/summer was to grow the grass. The plumbing company just piled the dirt and left it to settle over last fall/winter. We had to level it out and get the grass growing this spring, but it has finally filled in now.

Summer 2015 I had started re-doing this garden area, but I got chiggers and quit. I wanted to remove the small white fencing and just replace it with the black garden edging.

This summer, I finished it up:

But the main thing that we finally finished this summer was the master bedroom! I did the living room, the main bathroom, and the spare bedroom first. Finally I am done with the master bedroom! My bedroom has essentially looked the same since I moved in.

I sold my bedroom set on Craig's List. Loved my sleigh bed and had it for years, but it was too big for this room. I wanted just a fabric headboard, which I finally found at the At Home store. I also found the rug there, which matches perfectly. I love that place - it's huge and has so much stuff!

The dressers are from Ikea and took weeks to put together. Lighting I ordered from Lamps Plus. July we spent painting - still need to paint the ceiling. The walls are a khaki color with a dark chocolate accent wall. I'm looking for darker chocolate curtains.

The big thing this winter was the new fireplace!

I've lived here for three years and never touched the fireplace. I actually wasn't sure how much we would use it, but for re-sale purposes it needed to be maintenanced anyway. After talking to the guy, it was going to be worth it in the long run (although more expensive up front) to replace it with a vent-free gas log fireplace.

You can read more about vented vs vent-free HERE, but basically if we (or anyone in the future) ever planned on using the fireplace to produce heat, we wanted the heat to stay inside the house, not go out the damper.

We ended up using the heck out of this thing this winter and (what I was really worried about) didn't really notice much of an increase in our gas bill.

fun in the sun.

Vacation page! I was inspired by the March 1 sketch at Let's Get Sketchy. I really liked the diagonal line on the sketch, but I used embellishments instead of strips of paper. I also switched to 8.5x11 size instead of 12x12 in the sketch. Here's my page:

The colors are much brighter and fun in real life!

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper, stickers, die cuts: Echo Park (Summer Fun)
enamel dots: Prima
gold palm tree: My Mind's Eye (Palm Beach)

hello spring.

Since today is the first day of spring, I'm sharing a spring page today! My day lillies did so good last spring and summer and I found this Instagram photo I took last year just begging to be scrapbooked. I don't know if day lillies can do bad; they're pretty easy flowers to grow, but I have a few plants with issues that I haven't figured out yet so I was thrilled that my day lillies took off like they did.

This page was inspired by the Paper Issues spring crop challenge - all the pretty flowers - to use a floral background. My yellow patterned paper is quite old from my stash, but all the embellishments are brand new. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Lily Bee
cards,, puffy stickers, & die cuts: Elle's Studio (March kit)
stamps: Kellie Winnell (Looks like Summer); Studio Calico (Aloha kit);
ink: Studio Calico (clean slate)

going home / Lasting Memories guest designer.

Today I'm back at Lasting Memories sharing a page for the challenge to use three tags on a layout. Birthdays are the theme this month and this page was a bit of a stretch to meet the theme. My little cousin was born last year and spent some time in the hospital before he was able to go home. This picture was from the day he finally got to go home!

I'm having so much fun guest designing and playing along with these challenges! I can't wait to see what you all make!

supplies
die cuts & stickers: Elle's Studio

on our way.

Today I have a layout to share inspired by the March 1 challenge at Stuck?! Sketches.

 

I had a page idea in mind while I was taking Snapchats of our travel day. A few weeks ago we took a vacation to Isla Mujeres. I love the time stamp filter on Snapchat and it's great for documenting something like this. Plus, I was able to use a lot of travel themed items from my stash!

Supplies

patterned paper: Lily Bee

die cuts: Pink Paislee (Atlas); Bella Blvd; 

enamel dots: My Mind's Eye

puffy stickers: Elle's Studio