Candyland Christmas

CHRISTMAS!!!! I'm so excited because some of the season's new Christmas kits are coming out! Like this one: Candyland Christmas by Nikki Epperson! The colors are bright and fun, and she's got some adorable elements in this kit! Love it! Add this terrific kit to a Fuss Free template by Fiddle Dee Dee Designs and you've got some Christmas magic!
I've been listening to the GLEE Christmas album and feeling generally Christmasy! But that's not unusual for me! :D

Digital Deliciousness!

So much goodness out there in the digital world! It's hard to make your way through all the digital shops and wade through the kits and papers and elements and word art, isn't it? I hope that seeing some of my layouts helps your narrow down your search! :D I seriously create for 4 of the best designers in digiland! I just joined Fiddle Dee Dee Designs creative team, so I'll have some of Cheryl's amazing templates to share with you all soon!

Today I'm bringing you digital delights from The Digichick! First up? Jennifer Labre Designs' kit, Daybreak, coupled with a Sweet Start Vol. 7 template by Nikki Epperson. And that cute little girl is ME! ;)

Next up? Fall in Love Again by Elise's Pieces! The detail on these elements is just amazing! These are pictures of Thomas lovin' on his younger siblings. He still loves babies! Another terrific template by Nikki from her Sweet Starts Vol. 7 set!

Finally, Winterland, a frosty kit by Nikki Epperson, coupled with one of her terrific templates from her brand new Sweet Starts Vol. 10! Love the wintery feel in this chilly kit!

If you're feeling overwhelmed in the digital world, I highly recommend The Digichick! All of their designers do fabulous work! New kits are always 20% off when they debut, lots of challenges, sales, and great gallery feedback. It's a warm, welcoming digital community!

Sneak Peeks!

Two new kits hit The Digichick Shop tomorrow! The first is Winterland by Nikki Epperson. She's also got another awesome template pack out: Sweet Starts Vol. 10! I used both the yummy winter kit and the template pack to create this layout:And Jennifer Labre Designs has a cute new mini-kit out, Daybreak! Check it out...and check out these cute pictures of me as a chubby toddler! :) I also used a Nikki Epperson Template on this layout from her Sweet Starts Volume 7. If you don't already love Nikki's templates, you NEED to give them a try! Templates are an awesome time saver for digital scrapbooking, and Nikki's are exceptionally terrific!

Winter Wishes and One Cool Metal Alpha!

Brrrrr...can you feel the cold? I'm laughing over here because the temps are still hitting 80 during the day! It does not feel like autumn, let alone WINTER! But this new kit, Winter Wishes, by Nikki Epperson had me remembering cold, Pennsylvania snow days! Add to it One Cool Metal Alpha by Jennifer Labre Designs and put it all together with one of Nikki's amazing Sweet Starts Vol. 9 template and you've got a FUN layout!

Playing in the Leaves!

Missing home…

Autumn in Palestine isn’t much to speak of—the brown, dry, hot summer kind of slips into a dreary, rainy winter. Autumn passes without much thought. It remains hotter than it should well into November. And every fall I miss home more than before. Pennsylvania has a breathtakingly beautiful autumn. I grew up with nothing but trees across the street and with grandparents whose farm was full of the sites and smells of autumn. Fresh baked apple pies, warm apple cider, playing in the leaves, state fairs, hay rides, hot cocoa and toasting marshmallows over the fire…all memories of autumns past. Right now I’d give anything to smell the crisp, fall air and Na-na’s apple pie….

So, I'm scrapping it! :D

This beautiful and FUN kit by Elise's Pieces and GBG Designs is perfect for autumn memories! Available exclusively at The Digichick! The picture is linked! Aren't the colors beautiful?

And yes...I'm on ANOTHER creative team! Elise's Pieces invited me to join their amazing team of digital scrapbookers! I'm thrilled to be coming along for the ride! And what a FUN kit to start with!

Told you it was BIG week for scrapbooking! Jennifer Labre Designs has got a kit out at ScrapMatters and it is just gorgeous! Deep, rich colors and beautiful elements make it a perfect kit for treasured moments. Red Red Wine is a truly elegant kit. Click on the picture to find it in the ScrapMatters shop!

I used it to create a "through the years" layout of my kids at Christmas time. I noticed the colors in the paper matched Maggie's dress perfectly from Christmas 2001. This also uses a Nikki Epperson template! I love getting to showcase my 2 designers in one layout! :D
Folks, don't be surprised by the little bit of Christmas that is going to start sneaking into the blog. I simply can't help myself! Christmas makes me HAPPY!

So, happy day! Happy Scrapping!

It's a busy week in my little scrapbooking world! Both my designers have new kits out, plus Jenn is being featured at The Daily Digi this month and today is her day!

This is a layout I created with her Daily Digi submission, Touch of Spice. It's a beautiful picture of my Mom and baby GK 5 years ago.
I hope you are enjoying my renewed interest in the blog...and all the scrapbooking layouts I've been creating. I've been having so much fun learning digital and working with some FUN products!

Tomorrow I'll be back with another amazing kit by Jennifer Labre! This one is RICH and beautiful! Stop back by to check it out!

SNEAK PEEK! Autumn Days

Nikki Epperson has got a sweet kit out just in time for Fall! Autumn Days will help you scrap your family's ordinary AND extraordinary autumn happenings! Think pumpkins, scarecrows, apple cider, hay rides, Thanksgiving, falling leaves. It's all here!
She's also got another awesome template set coming out, Sweet Starts, Volume 7! Both are available 20% off at The Digichick starting tomorrow!

I've really been having fun using some older pictures in my scrapbooking! The pictures before we went digital are not in albums. I think it's time to rectify that! Happy Scrapping!

Trauma! ;)

So, yesterday Maggie was working on a poster she had to make for school. She decided to use the paint, but had some trouble getting them to come out. Big brother Thomas offered to help. Can you see where this is going? I'm in my office and I hear a loud gasp from Maggie. I look at Scot and say, "Did you hear that?" We both listen quietly. Nothing.

"Maggie, what happened?"

"Uh, Thomas squeezed the paint really hard and it came out everywhere!"

That was an understatement! But the worst part was that it ruined Maggie's poster. She began to cry when she realized she had to start over from scratch. That didn't surprise me. Maggie is sensitive and cries readily during times of crisis. What did surprise me is what followed.

I heard Thomas crying in his room. Sobbing, really, but don't tell him I told you all! I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Mama, I'm so sorry I ruined Maggie's poster! It was an accident and I feel terrible. And I'm sorry that I got paint all over everything, too."

Remorse? Genuine sadness at having caused someone else pain? Don't get me wrong, Thomas is a sensitive kid. But he also spends his time teasing and tormenting his younger siblings until they cry. And then he laughs. To see him so genuinely upset because of what had happened did my heart good.

After calming down, taking a shower, and regrouping, Maggie was ready to give it another shot. The best part is that Thomas offered to help her out and they worked on the project together. We even had enough time for 3 rounds of Bananagrams before bed!

Ahhh...the adventures of raising 4 kids. They're never-ending, really.

Cow Revisited?

I've really been having fun with the Halloween pictures of years gone by! We don't celebrate Halloween here, so the kids haven't been dressed up for Halloween since 2003! These pictures are all before we went digital! So, Thomas and Maggie wore the same cow costume...and they both looked absolutely adorable, didn't they? :)

This kit is a FUN kit by Nikki Epperson, A Little Spooky. The template is one by Nikki, as well, So Happy Together. Nikki's templates are awesome! You should check them out!