It is Time...

Who else thinks of the Lion King when they hear that?

What is it time for? Lots of things. New directions. New adventures. And, of course, new cocktails. Find my new home here:

Sips & Scraps

Please join me in my new adventure!

In Memory of Miles

I have been extremely lucky to be on some amazing scrapping Creative Teams with some amazing scrappers. The inspiration is endless, and it is always so heartwarming to see the community come together for the good of another.

I am currenty on two teams with one of these talented ladies, Kellie. 2 years ago, her little boy was taken from her. As my own little boy sleeps quietly upstairs, I cannot begin to even fathom the pain she must have endured. She asks that anyone able to do something special for someone else, to please do so in his name, and for all other children who were taken too soon. To let her know how special, strong, and inspirational she is, we have come together to create this amazing, huge FREE kit, in memory of her son Miles.



It can be dowloaded at Christina Renee's Blog.

Also, the gals on Lauren Reid's team have created some amazing quick pages using this kit:



They can be downloaded from her blog, Color Your World.

Please share in our celebration of Miles' spirit, and in the precious lives of all children!!

Live. Love. Create!

Spring Break Edit

I'm a terrible Mommy! I completely forgot to upload my favorite photos of my little man. He had his own "unique" way of playing pool and air hockey that I just thought was so cute! And this photo of him with his Papaw is priceless! It's tiredness in true Alex form, complete with scowl and finger in the belly button.

{Recent Layout}

{My Brother's Eyes}



Live. Love. Create!

Spring Break 2007

Have I mentioned how much I love my new camera? I'm still snapping like crazy. I could probably document my life (well, the lives of the people IN my life) with photos by the hour! Who needs a diary? Well, actually, I love the words too. Maybe that's why I love scrapbooking so much? The art of the everyday - photos and journaling all in one!

I finally got to see (and hold!) my brand-new nephew again. I had a little impromptu photo shoot and took a TON of photos of him! I'm hoping to convince my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law to let me be their "professional" (HUGE exaggeration there!) photographer. These are some of my favorites:



Then we were off to Gatlinburg for a short Spring Break vacation. 3 glorious days and nights in the fresh mountain air. We decided not to go into the city this time so that we could spend all our time together in the luxury cabin, or out hiking among nature's finest creations. Of the hundreds of photos I took, I managed to get quite a few good ones.

Smokies Throughout the Day: Afternoon, Morning, and Evening


Smokey Mountain Waterfalls


Mountaineer Morgan


Hiking Helen


Jaunting Jessica


It was a wonderful trip, with perfect weather. Totally refreshing!

{Recent Layouts}

{Unafraid}



{Shine}



{Finally}



Live. Love. Create!

Learning About RAW

I'm not a professional photographer, and I don't pretend to be. All I want are wonderful photos of my family. But I am a perfectionist! I want those photos to be the best that I can possibly get them! Shooting in RAW has several advantages, and now that I have acquired a large memory card, I have space for these files on my new camera! But I've never worked with RAW before, and I'm not sure I completely understand the concept. Fortunately, I am a fast learner! So I've been scouring the web, and practicing! I've shot more than 400 photos in 4 days! I don't think this RAW thing is going to be as hard as I thought. I still have lots of technicalities to learn, but I think my photos are already better! Take a look:

Luckily, Alex has been a better model lately. Good thing for me, since he's the only one home with me during the day! Turns out a little bribing helps...





Morgan has no problem stopping to pose when I point the camera at her! Jessie is starting to get a little tired of it, though! I think Helen just runs and hides. I can never find her when I have it in my hands! Even DH is being a good sport ;)



I don't think I will run out of photos to scrap for awhile! Scrapping with good photos is so much more fun!

Puppy Dog Tails



See credits here.

Test Drive



I did this layout because I'm hosting the Sweet Inspiration Challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs this week. So go play along! Details can be found here.

Live. Love. Create!

Playing Catch-Up

I have been a bad, bad, blogger! February was so busy and full of excitement that I just didn't have the time. I spent a weekend in Nashville at the Needlework Market helping out a designer that I do some model stitching for, Cross Eyed Kat, and that was so much fun! I finally got to meet a lot of online gals!

We spent Mardi Gras weekend in New Orleans for an impromtu trip that my brother schemed up. I have been to New Orleans, but never to Mardi Gras, so that was an experience! I loved all the parades, and taking pictures of the sights. We stayed with a friend of my brother's, whose family was soooo nice! His parents made us breakfast every morning, and we got some very nice spare bedrooms. It was like staying at a bed & breakfast! I just wish we could have stayed longer. Two days is not enough to take in that city!

In other news, some of you may have seen my PopWeekly challenge layout at Sweet Shoppe Desings that hinted on a large purchase:



Well, my splurge arrived yesterday!



I am so in love with this camera! It uses the same lenses that My film Canon (EOS3) uses, and shares all its accessories. The pictures this thing takes may even be better! I have had this thing in my hands since it arrived, and have been having a blast! I haven't even had time to learn how to mess with the white balance or anything, and I am so happy with the shots I have been getting! Be warned: there are going to be lots of photos going up here in the next few days (or weeks)! Here are some of my favorites so far (note: These are on the LOWEST quality setting since I don't have a memory card big enough for the high resolution photos yet, and they are completely UNEDITED! Yet I am still thrilled!):

Alex started off so good letting me take his photo:





But it didn't last long:



He won't even let me point it at him anymore! LOL Luckily, I have other more willing subjects:





And I just love this candid one of Jessie and Alex!



We're going to the Smokey Mountains next week for a short Spring Break vacation, and I can't wait to take this baby with me!!

Ok, now for some scrapping updates! I am totally LOVING my SugarBabe gig! I feel like my scrapping is evolving everyday, and I'm having a blast with all the layouts I get to do! I also get to be a guest designer for Dani Mogstad this month!! Here are a few layouts I've done with her kits so far. Check my DST gallery for credits.





If you like to work with templates, Teresa Ferguson is having a special call for a template CT! Apply, gals! Teresa is such a joy to work with!



I just have to end this with my most recent layout. I was quite pleased with how it turned out, even though Alex will never forgive me!



If you've made it all the way to the end of this post, I applaude you!! Thanks for bearing with me, and I will do better at staying updated!

Live. Love. Create!

SWEET!!!

Today is the grand reopening and one year anniversary of Sweet Shoppe Designs!! I'm sure most of you have been over there and joined in the festivities by now! New look, new forums, a new gallery that everyone can post in, and new challenges! That's not all, either! A new designer, Dani Mogstad, has joined the team! We also have some brand new SugarBabes! I say "we," because I am one of them!!!

We have been working our tooshies off the past week to make this celebration AWESOME, and it has surpassed all our expectations! So come join the fun! And bring your PayPal account - there are so many new goodies you will want, and they're all on SALE!!

Some Valentine Love

I love Valentine's Day! It's almost February, so it's time to get out all the red, pink, chocolate, and all the HEARTS! Yeah, all the froo-froo stuff that DH hates, but I LOVE! I just feel so blessed this year already. I've been playing around with paper again (shocking, I know), and came up with this little album, just in time for Valentine's Day. It sits next to my desk, to remind me of my favorite people, and the reasons why I get up every morning!

It's made from altered index cards, and has photos of my family, in the order that I met them. I made the journaling pages turn independent from the photo pages. The idea was that each journaling page could go with any of the photos. It closes with a dowl (cut wooden skewer!) through some ribbon loops that connect the front and back covers. You can see close up photos of each page here.



On a little side note, you may notice this little guy in my galleries:



That's right, my first published layout! Look for it in February's Digital Artist Magazine!!

Shopping Therapy

I was having a bad day last week. Feeling unloved. Being pouty. So what do girls do when they don't feel good? Go shopping! I've been wanting to get my hands on some Amy Butler fabric for the curtains in my office / studio, so I finally caved and ordered some. It came ultra-quick from QuiltHome.com, and it was wrapped up so nicely in tissue with a twine ribbon and everything! I highly recommend them for any fabric needs that can't be fulfilled by your local stores!!

I quickly sewed this gorgeous fabric into some simple drapes, but I can't hang them, because I don't have a rod yet. BooHoo! I think more shopping is in order! Isn't it gorgeous fabric, though?



I'll post another photo as soon as I get the curtains hung!

Did you happen to notice my new blinkie over there? I've been chosen by the talented Jessica Bolton to be on her creative team! She has some amazing kits, and I just love her style. This layout is the first of many to use her designs:



Full credits can be seen here. I'm really digging those ghost letters I made!

That's it for now! I have a feeling this is going to be an incredible year!

Live. Love. Create!

I'm Honored!

The uber-talented CD Muckosky now has her own Scrapbooker of the Year Blog at Creating Keepsakes. I am a huge fan of her work, and participated in one of her challenges. The layout that resulted has become my favorite layout so far!



Credits can be seen here.

Apparently, CD loved it as well, because she featured it on her blog! Wow!

In other scrappy news, Teresa Ferguson has a new kit out at Sweet Shoppe Designs called "Enjoy the Ride." I absolutely adore Teresa's papers!



It was the perfect kit for some older photos of my Helen. The ghost letters were created by myself:



I'm loving my new computer and tablet! It lets me do things so much better and easier! I've been adding my own little elements and doodles to my layouts. Let's hope that doesn't turn into a designing interest! The last thing I need is another obsission!

Live. Love. Create!