Wednesday's quote

While I sit here patiently (sorta) waiting for msn to sort out the email issues this morning, I figured I'd post a quick photo/quote. On our way up to Oregon last month we passed by a few hot air balloons that were descending for the day, which made for some great closeups! It's always fun to photograph something out of the ordinary!  

Today I will edit photos, clean up my craft room and prepare a few things for the etsy shop. With the kids back in school I'm still trying to figure out a good schedule for myself, haven't quite gotten back into the swing of things just yet. Blame it on the month long vacation or our ridiculously hot summer days but I need to get moving on the mommy-school-schedule again! 

Here's to half way through the week - already! 

twinkly lights

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

I found this quote last night and thought it matched the photo pretty well. I was taking some photos the other day when, without warning, my camera started getting fussy with me. It didn't want to focus on anything in particular and instead blurred some of my photos. Somehow, I think it's even lovelier this way!

a Valentines Day Card swap...

just for us grown-up girls! :))

So, I've decided... Why wait until next year? Let's do a Valentines Day swap now! If you're interested in making and swapping 1 little handmade Valentine card, leave a comment below!! I'll match up swap partners next week, and that should give us lot's of time to make and send a Valentine before the 14th. {Since this is my very first time organizing a swap, any helpful advice is very much appreciated! and who knows, maybe this will turn into a regular event around here!}

and incase you need some Valentine color inspiration, I took a few photos yesterday. Enjoy!











I'll be back tomorrow with some new scrapbook-ish stuff. :)) Oh and don't miss the giveaway on the Crate Paper blog today!! I can tell you that the Emma collection is already one of my forever favorites!!

Sweet November, Welcome to Autumn

Hello there. Thanks for dropping by! This week will be something completely new for me! Jessica from Scrumdillydilly and I wanted to share a few crafty posts about our favorite season, and at the end of the week, Saturday, we will both be hosting a giveaway. Join me tomorrow night here and fall into something pretty with us!!

Something tells me that this will be a very Sweet November!

What is it about Autumn that makes it so irresistible? Is it the cool crisp air that renews our creative souls and awakens the dreamer in all of us? The golden leaves that lightly dance from the branches of an old oak tree? Or maybe it's the sense of nostalgia, memories from our childhood of magical Fall traditions?

For me, it's a little bit of everything. Although I never jumped into a pile of maple leaves or rode on a hay-wagon as a child, I did,however, visit my fair share of pumpkin patches and trips up to Apple Hill. My grandparents always made the Autumn season special for us girls. I suppose, I see Fall as a new beginning, a season that let's everything start over as something new and exciting again.

Want to hear my favorite song? If you close your eyes, you can almost envision walking along a Maple lined path. The wind rustling threw the trees limbs, and leaves scattered along the ground like confetti.

There's a small part of me, that... experiences some disappointment with living in an area that lacks clearly defined seasons, but as I looked around my home here in the high desert, I started to realize that I had prepared for the season in small, less obvious ways. (I haven't carved out any family traditions yet, but those are sure to come later on when the kids are a little older... and able to travel.) I did gather a small pile of tablecloths and blankets to take on crisp afternoon picnics in the park. My home smells like cinnamon, thanks to a pot of apple cider with cinnamon sticks and crab-apples that simmers on the stove. There's a vintage wire basket full of miniature white pumpkins sitting on the counter of my kitchen. I guess Autumn really is all around us, even here in the desert.

I also made 2 color combinations for this season!! I always decorate my home with the traditional warm Fall colors, but over the years, I've really enjoyed mixing in a few whimsical colors like limes and frosty pink. It keeps my traditional home new and bright!

sunflower - burnt pumpkin - olive green - walnut

frost pink - cranberry - cream - citron

So how do you welcome Autumn? Do you have fun Fall traditions that you participate in every year? Or maybe you're more like me and just appreciate the new season with friends and family. However we welcome Autumn, it's truly a season worth celebrating!!

getting your mojo back..

One of my favorite blog readers sent me an email last week about feeling less than creative lately, but still wanting to jump in and scrapbook. Which led me to think about: "What do you do when you have a creative block?"

I get asked that question and variations of the same question with every interview I do, and I feel like I always give the same answer. So, this time, instead of just giving the same old answer, I thought I'd elaborate and share some ideas of mine!

Here's my secret to getting over a creative block:

Find something else fun to do! :)) (wasn't that easy! If you can be creative and enjoy the process of creating, you'll be more likely to regain your mojo or creativity and get right back into scrapbooking.... At least, that's how it works for me!)

If you have a limited amount of time, like me, try to choose projects that are quick and simple. I love making anything on a small scale! So here's my list of things that I enjoy making, that don't include any photos and that can be made within about an hour (or during one little boy's afternoon naptime)!

1. create a project: Marble Magnets (made with glass marbles and an interior design magazine.)


2. create a card
3. create a small sign
4. create an ATC
5. make a photo Frame
6. make a set of gift tags
7. make a bookmark
8. create a small canvas collage

I know there's lots of small projects out there, but these are some of my favs! If you're in a sharing kind of mood this evening, what do you do, when you have a creative block?

take a class with Celine!

Have you heard about Celine Navarro's online class!! Here's a little info about her class, and you can find more details on her blog!


· a private blog with workshops posted every Tuesday and Friday with exclusive and brand new layouts made by Céline
· new color combos twice a week
· new sketches posted twice a week
· TWO new techniques posted twice a week

· inspirational posts posted every week
· my "soccer" and "non-soccer" thoughts and feelings (always in a funny way)
· what's going on during the World Cup with a different look to it : get to know the countries that participate int he World Cup
· VIDEO tips and techniques!
· access to a FLICKR gallery for you to post your beauties
· TWO live chats where you'll be able to ask your questions
· full supply lists of products used on my projects

it's Saturday,

and I wish I was doing something interesting today, like making anything with that bottle of gesso that keeps calling my name.... but I'm not. I'm cleaning and preparing the house for the next group of house guests that arrive tomorrow. May is certainly proving to be a very busy month!! So, while I take a break from the seemingly endless piles of laundry this afternoon, I thought a little post about color combos would be fun!

I seem to come up with various color combos while I'm straightening up the house. Take for instance this photo of a little yellow urn filled with Alaina's jewelry and sunglasses.



These colors (yellow-pink-white-black) gave me the color inspiration to create this notebook:



and this card:



I'm easily distracted by possible color combos!! I even started to jot down a couple ideas for new projects, this morning, based on combining certain colors. Maybe a new Color Book is in order? Here's some of my favs at the moment;

pink-brown-cream
yellow-green-white
pink-red-teal
teal-yellow-fuchsia
fuchsia-light pink-white

What are your favorite color combinations and do they inspire what you create?

some Friday Inspo.

I'm having one of those overwhelming days. You know, the type of day where you call your mom and cry, and then try and get something productive done. ugh.... So, I'm sitting here, trying to get my mind off of the current issues, and to think of something positive. Time to take a deep breathe and remind myself that's it's Friday. That's when I decided that nice photos are always good. You can't go wrong with pretty photos.



I found my baskets at Crate and Barrel that I wanted!! I have them filled with my vintage fabric and doille collection. and while Alaina and I were out thirfting awhile back, I came across 3 bolts of vintage fridge. how divine!! but this teal/green combo is my absolute fav!



I made these Mother's Day cards for our mommy employees at the salon. The amazing part is, I made them entirely from stuff I already had! Those are the best projects, the ones where all of the "shopping" takes place in your craft room. :)


Happy Mother's Day to all of my blog friends!!

eta: The white butterflies are all hand cut from textured cardstock. I made a stencil for the large butterflies on this page from last year. Which is why I insist on saving everything.... you never know when you'll be able to use something again!!

a Winter Wonderland

I'm usually a big fan of color, but this time of year, things seems a little simpler and I end up leaning towards white and other light colors. Alaina has spent the last few days at home with me, (too much shopping this past weekend) and we came up with an idea to take 'light-white' colored photos. It was actually a fun (and a little challenging) idea for a photo theme, while we searched the house for items to photograph. It was also a great excuse to get out the Anscoflex and play with some ttv photos. Oh, how I love that little old camera!!













I'm going to finish my afternoon with a little more gift wrapping, some old holiday music and a Pumpkin Latte. Have you started/finished your gift wrapping already? I feel like I'm behind this year, Christmas is coming much sooner than I anticipated!! I have a small surprise to share, hopefully this weekend and it kind of ties in with my winter white theme. So excited about this one ~ Be back to share photos soon!!