Miracles Momma Designs

Digi Dishing Diva

2012-01-23T22:10:00.001-06:00

I’ve been busy lately but it’s a very happy kind of busy! I managed to create SIX digital projects in the last week. Yesterday I made three cards and one paper layout, and today I sewed two pair of pajama pants. I love being creative! It puts a smile on my face and lots of joy in my heart. I’m going to post the digital layouts on this post, and then later I’ll come back to post pajama photos and paper pages. Here goes…

1: Who I Am

I really love Elle's My Dear paper line. It was perfect to scrap an important quote to remember in relation to my ten year old. I had the perfect photo too because I took her outside a few days ago and we had a really fun photo shoot. (I love it when that happens!)

Supplies:
My Dear Papers
Fabric Covered Buttons Kit
Fresh Blooms Digital Kit
Pretty Felt Feathers
Paper Garden

Other Supplies:
Word Art by Elegant Word Art
Template #10 by Heather Landry (Coming Soon!)

2: You & Me

I'm loving Photoshop Friday in 2012! This is my take on the "Adding Grunge to A Journaling Block" episode. I loved Jessica's design so I didn't change too much. I needed more journaling space so I used a bigger brush and I changed the color of the title.

Supplies:
Photoshop Friday 2012 Adding Grunge To A Journaling Block

3. Dream

This Digital Art Journaling page is based on the prompt Goals/Desires. I chose this quote because I really liked the part that said, "It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream." My goal is to dream big and work at achieving my goals and desires. If I don't succeed, that's okay. Basically, I'm giving myself permission to dream as big as I can imagine. Who knows what will happen?

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class

4: Best Friends

This is my take on the friend prompt in Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling class. I have this amazing friend who always understands where I'm coming from and she's never judgmental. She is such a treasure to me, so I chose this quote to reflect our quirky (FUN!) friendship.

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class
Journal Your Art Out 1
Journal Your Art Out 2

5: Journey

I've been working on incorporating bits of my handwriting and art work into the digital art journaling pages I've been doing in the Digital Art Journaling class. I painted the "journey" word art, and then scanned it in to use as a brush.

I seriously need more hours in the day because I am LOVING this class. I find myself dreaming of page ideas. LOL The woman standing on top of the world was in a dream about a journey. See? I'm art journaling in my sleep now!

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class
Hopeful Art Papers
Impressions Painting Brushes

6: Domestic Goddess

When I think about who I am on the inside, I'm much more than a housewife that does dishes, irons, vacuums, and takes care of the kids all day. Inside, I'm an artist and a creative person. I'd much prefer to be known as a domestic goddess!

I made the word art and some of the journaling on this page myself. I used watercolors for the swirled brushes, and art pastels to make the "domestic goddess" portion of the title. I'm thinking that I may journal on paper a bit too. I had to borrow my daughter's watercolors just so I could play and scan things in.

The household images were from The Graphic Fairy website. I converted them into brushes and stamped them on the background. Then I changed the mode to overlay and did a bit of blending with Nancie's watercolor brushes.

Supplies:

Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class
Journal Your Art Out 3
Journal Your Art Out 2

* I’ll be back soon with more layouts, an update on how this kids are doing in school, and pajama pant pictures. Also, you’ll want to stick around because there’s another free template coming soon!

Such A Fun Day!

2012-01-22T21:57:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! I’d like to share a page that I made with a fabulous Scraptastic Club kit. I got to create with the Button Box kit and add on this month. I found an older photo of my son with his grandpa and I knew right away that I wanted to use it with this kit. The design on this page was inspired by a Studio Calico sketch. I went to their blog to see how their design team was using the tissue tapes that Jessica included in the kit, and while I was there I found an awesome sketch. I love it when that happens! This is my take on their sketch.

I also took some close up photos so you could see how I used the trim. I decided to use it the same way I would use ribbon or strips of cardstock. The tissue texture added a lighter feel to the page. (I used two scraps from older Scraptastic Club kits on this page. The grey resin flower and the white string.)

One of my favorite embellishments in this kit was this butterfly button. It's different and really fun! I layered several diecuts and a few stickers to create this cluster of embellishments.

I hope I managed to inspire you today! Please note: The Button Box kit and add on are sold out. If you want to be notified when the next months’ kits go up you can sign up to get the Scraptastic Club newsletter here. (Trust me, you want to go sign up so you’ll get first choice of the February kits. I’ve seen them and they are incredible!)

Sketch/Template #9

2012-01-17T04:57:00.000-06:00

Good morning everyone! As promised, I'm here to share a sketch and free template with you. I also asked a few of my friends to contribute inspirational layouts for this post. I ended up liking the sketch so much that I made a few pages to share as well. You will find the sketch below. Please feel free to right click on the image and then click "Save As" if you would like to save the .jpg to your computer for later use.

Michelle contributed this page of her kids playing in the snow. I really love how she changed the sketch to work with the photos she had. I also love the misting on the blue paper and the super adorable snowmen!

The next page is by Amanda Johnson. She stayed pretty close to the sketch design, but she enlarged the title and that makes it have so much more impact! I also really like the way she added the brad to the wooden banner in the upper left corner.

Juliann did a wonderful job converting the sketch to 8.5 x 11 so it would work with her scrappy style. I think the way she overlapped the letters is really neat. I also love how she double matted the photos!

I am inspired by the way Jessica left the centers in the alphabet letters. Her design choice really helps them stand out a little more on her blue background. She also cut a flower diecut so it would look like a cloud. That's such a good idea!

Thank you all very much for using my sketch! I really appreciate your help and creativity.

I created the next three pages. The first one is a paper page. (*All of the paper layouts in this post were created with supplies from Scraptastic Club kits!) I loved being able to use lots of different embellishments on this layout. The Prima flower was my favorite accent. It's just so pretty!

I also created two digital layouts using products from Becky Higgins and the other fabulous designers at Jessica Sprague's website. This page was for my Project Life last year, I was able to fit seven photos on one page!

This is the second digital page. Again, it was a page that I included in my Project Life. I used it twice because it was an awesome way to cram a ton of photos on one page. Don't worry, I didn't put them side by side in my book so no one will ever notice!

I followed the sketch and template pretty closely on my pages. It made scrapping go much quicker. That's one of the reasons why I love sketches and templates so much!

If you're a digital scrapbooker and you would like to download the layered template freebie, you can click on either of the links below to download.

4shared OR Box

Digital Art Journaling Love

2012-01-16T05:36:00.000-06:00

I have been on a serious digital scrapbooking jag lately! Between my creative team work and and the AMAZING Digital Art Journaling class I’m taking… I’ve been cranking pages out left and right. I made six digital pages last week and I would love to share them with you today!

1: Treasure

I was at a loss on what to do with the prompt “Treasure” until I found this quote. Then it all came together. I planned the entire page around it and searched the web for brushes and images I could use. I don't normally use darker color schemes when I scrap, but I thought... why not step ALL of the way out of the box? LOL

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class
Sitting Pretty Accent Pack
The crown brush on the bottom was provided in Jessica's Digi in Deeper class.
Digi In Deeper

2: Confidence (I See…)

Journaling: She knew this year would be different because when she looked in the mirror she saw confidence.

Confidence is also my one little word for 2012. I thought it would be fun to tie it in to the Digital Art Journaling project too. Fonts: Bebas and Angelic War.

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class

3: Chaotic (Home)

I should probably explain the journaling on this page a little bit. Many of you know that Alexis has a mental illness, and she's gone through a really rough time. This page was a bit of scrappy therapy for me because I've really been struggling with the fact that our home doesn't feel much like the sanctuary it's supposed to be sometimes. We are praying really hard that things get better for her and us as a family soon.

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class

4: Family

Have I mentioned that I'm having a blast in this class? I love it! I'm putting so much thought and symbolism into the pages that they're taking a bit longer. Not that I mind a bit, I'm loving the end products. This was my take on the "family" prompt. I followed Jessica's techniques but did my own thing design-wise.

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class

5: Beautiful

The prompt for this page was "beautiful" and this is what I came up with. I've always loved the lyrics to the song "You Are Beautiful" from Christina Aguliera so I built the page around that theme.

Supplies:
Jessica Sprague's Digital Art Journaling Class

6: Valentine

Jordan puts a ton of thought into choosing Valentines for her friends every year. I decided to use the Photoshop Friday #2 template to scrap about how her love of writing them.

Supplies:
Photoshop Friday Filling Text With Paper1
XOXO Papers
XOXO Journaling Tag Pack
Be Mine Paper Pack
Cosmo Cricket Glubers
Homespun Stitches
EZ-PZ Template 01 (Overlay)

Other Supplies:
Three Paper Peonies' Warm Woolen Mittens Paper Pack

*That’s all for now. (Thank goodness right?!) I’ll be back tomorrow with a FREE digital template so don’t forget to stop by!

Walgreens' Issues With Express Scripts

2012-01-15T17:05:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm sure that many of you have heard that Walgreens' is no longer an Express Scripts provider. Their contract expired on December 31, 2011 even though they tried to negotiate acceptable terms with Express Scripts. Walgreens was not seeking higher rates during the negotiation process.

Unfortunately, Express Scripts' actions have caused many people to have to drive out of their way to get their medications filled. Walgreens' hours also make it easier for many people to access their prescriptions because they have more 24 hour pharmacies than any other pharmacy network.

For more information, you can read this article from the Associated Press. Walgreens and Express Script

The breakdown in negotiations was due to Express Scripts' demand that they be able to define contract terms unilaterally. Specifically, Express Scripts' wanted to decide which drugs qualify as brand names and which ones were generic. They also attempted to cut Walgreens' reimbursement rate levels below the industry average.

An even more confusing aspect of the dispute is that Express Script admits that their clients will not save money by excluding Walgreens from their network. It's more likely that their costs will go up because Walgreens provides less expensive generic drugs than many other pharmacies.

Another huge issue is that Tricare is a part of the Express Scripts drug program. Tricare is the health and prescription drug care program that covers our military service men and women. Walgreens even offered a Express Scripts a separate contract with even better terms just for the Tricare program, but they were turned down. Walgreens was trying to take care of a group of people that they care about, but Express Scripts refused them at every turn.

Walgreens is doing their best to take care of the customers that have been displaced by Espress Scripts' actions. They are offering a discount on their Prescription Savings Club to ease the financial strain on members that want to stay with Walgreens pharmacies. Members of the Prescription Savings Club can save money on over 8,000 generic drugs. Individuals can join for five dollars and it's only ten dollars for an entire family membership.

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club

Personally, I think it's really important to maintain a relationship with a pharmacist so they know your health situation and can make accurate recommendations. One of the reasons that Express Scripts' actions worry me so much is that they are trying to make people use their mail order pharmacy. What happens when you have an accident and need pain pills in the middle of the night? Or a flu shot? Some things just don't work through mail order pharmacies.

If you would like to learn more about the situation or show your support, you can follow Walgreens on Twitter. Walgreens on Twitter You can also find them on Facebook. Walgreens on Facebook

Sassy Girl

2012-01-14T23:01:00.001-06:00

It’s been a busy weekend so far and I have a to-do list a mile long, but I thought I’d take a second to drop by so I could share a layout with y’all.

I'm sharing a page I made with the Scraptastic Club Button Box kit and add on. I titled the page "Sassy Girl" because my daughter is quite sassy and sarcastic. (I can't imagine where she gets it from?! LOL) This page is an homage to the fact that she has a super sweet side too. I thought this photo captured that aspect of her personality really well.

I absolutely loved the combination of colors in this kit! They matched the colors in my photo perfectly. I really love it when that happens. Here's a closer look at the journaling and the fussy cutting that I did to create the banner.

I loved the monarch butterfly sticker that came in the kit so I layered other embellishments on my page to highlight it. I also used Stickles to make it stand out a little more.

I repeated the butterfly embellishment in the bottom right corner by using one of the journaling tags to partially mat my title. I also used some of the October Afternoon mist that Jessica included as the extra this month. The layered circles were cut on my Cricut. I inked them before I layered them.

I hope I inspired you to scrap today! I can't wait to see what you all make.

(Don’t forget to check in later this week. I have a HUGE post coming with Digital Art Journaling pages, and there will be a free template/sketch this week as well.)

Font Freebie

2012-01-11T05:08:00.000-06:00

I’m offering a freebie today just like I promised! Remember how I mentioned the Digital Art Journaling class I’m taking in my last post? One of the perks of participating in the class is that we get our handwriting turned into a font. I asked if it would be okay to share my font, and they said it was okay! Cool beans right? Here’s a preview of the font.

You can download it through the 4shared site or at Box.net. I hope you enjoy it! You are welcome to play with the spacing and kerning. I’d love to see what you do if you use it. Feel free to email me any completed pages and I’ll feature them on my blog. Please respect my terms of use.

Random Photo Shoot

2012-01-10T19:33:00.001-06:00

I know I’ve mentioned that I’m taking a break from Project 365 this year. I didn’t anticipate that I would miss using my camera everyday. I’ve taken a lot fewer photos so far this year, and when I do take them I find myself reaching for my camera phone. This weekend I persuaded my kids to come pose for me so I could spend some quality time with my poor lonely camera. (Ummm… and the kids.) I put some of the better ones in a collage so I could share them. Gotta love those cheesy grins!

I have a ton of layouts to share today! I have been busy. The kids went back to school after Christmas vacation and I made up for all of the time that I missed. I truly don’t appreciate how relaxing scrapbooking is until I don’t get to do it for a few days.

1: Too Many Grandkids?

This layout makes me smile. I had a bunch of candid photos of my Mom trying to get a good photo with all of her grandkids, so I figured it would be a fun idea to scrap the process.

Supplies:
12 Days of Christmas Full Collection
It's a Start Templates Set 7
Yours Truly Alphas & Journaling Cards

2: Magic

So did you hear that Photoshop Friday is back?! When I saw Jessica Sprague's layout for Photoshop Friday #1, I immediately thought of this photo of Alexis. Cosmo Cricket's Mr. Campy line was perfect to finish the woodsy theme.

Supplies:
Photoshop Friday Ep. 1 in 2012
12 Days of Christmas Full Collection
Needs+Wants: Stitchies Vol.1 {The Crayon Box Collection}
Mr. Campy Paper Pack
Mr. Campy Candy Candy
The fonts are Diesel and Century Gothic.

3: Homebody

I was asked to create this page for a class that just started at Jessica Sprague’s website. It’s called Digital Art Journaling and I’m super excited to participate. I love the look of art journaling but I’m not a huge fan of the mess. This way, I get the best of both worlds!

Journaling: I tend to be a real homebody. I have to watch how much time I spend at home because my tendency is not to go out and try new things. I have to remember that I have to leave my nest if I want to fly.

4: Broken Heart

I also did this page for the Digital Art Journaling class. The first prompt was “heart”. When I thought of hearts, I thought of a really difficult time I went through and I decided to "break" my heart to mimic the emotions I felt then. I made sure to keep my page positive because while those times were tough, I'm stronger now than ever!

I also was able to do a paper layout! I played with the new “Button Box” kit and add on from Scraptastic Club. Unfortunately, it’s already sold out but she still has some “Snow What Fun” kits in stock. (Hurry if you’re interested, they’ll probably sell out soon too.)

5: Just Horsing Around

Everything came from the kit except the small blue gem in the center of the flower and the printable vintage number card that I printed from Elle's Studio. The tiny yellow Lily Bee letters are from a past kit.

I thought it would be neat to sew the buttons on a button card to mimic the way they look in stores. There are a lot of little details on this layout!

I loved the quote on the pencil sticker and those Studio Calico paper trims are awesome. Perfect for layering!

I also tucked a little blue gem into the center of the Primas that I got in the add on. I’m having a blast playing with this kit, and I’ll have more to share soon!

Tomorrow I’ll have a freebie available on my blog, so be sure to stop by. Hint: It’s NOT a template!

She Art Fly Girl

2012-01-07T22:09:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! I thought it would be fun to share the first of MANY projects I've done with the Scraptastic Club January 2012 "Button Box" kit and add on. I wanted to use my kit in a different way this month, so I didn’t do a scrapbook page as my first project. I've been seeing She Art girls all over the internet, and my good friend Nancy sent me one. I decided to make one to send to her in return!

A lot of the embellishments on this canvas have meaning. The three butterflies stand for her three kids that she homeschools. That's where the sentiment came from too! (She's pretty awesome.) I used stamps, paint, bubble wrap, gesso, Stickles, antique lace, rub ons, and mist. I did a ton of masking. As you can see, this canvas has a little bit of everything on it!

My She Art girl is wearing boots because Nancy loves boots. Her boots have stars on them because she's originally from Texas. The extra big sun is to burn the fog off in California. That's where she lives now. I’m kinda jealous of all of the warm weather she has this time of year! LOL

She also has a belt made of antique lace that another friend gave me. I stamped with distress ink on her wings and then misted them. I added lots of bling because Nancy loves bling! Hehe

I also wanted to show you a close up look at the bottom of her dress! I inked the dress with distress ink and then added rub on stitches to the bottom. I used Stickles in between the stitches.

The grass was done in three layers. The first layer was plain green paint that I daubed on. The second layer was made up of darker paint that I swirled through. The third layer was made out of a mixture of gesso and green glimmer mist to add a bit of sparkle and texture. After it dried, I stamped a few flourishes on top with Staz On ink.

I hope that this post inspired you! Don't forget to check out the "Button Box" kit in the shop. It's just gorgeous!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:17:00.001-06:00

I can’t believe it’s already 2012. What happened to 2011? Jeez. I am hoping that this year is peaceful because 2011 was really rough around here. I’m not going to go into detail and rehash everything but let’s just say I’m grateful for a fresh start!

We celebrated the New Year by taking the kids out for lunch. We called it Happy NOON Year since we knew they wouldn’t be up at midnight.

We also went shopping for new shoes! Ronnie and I bought obnoxious neon colored Adidas tennis shoes. I got matching neon colored socks as well because that’s how I roll! Now I just have to figure out where to wear them. The gym maybe?

I haven’t been able to scrapbook much lately but I did manage to finish my Project 365 from 2011. I’ll fit a lot more in this week when the kids go back to school!

1: Autumn Splendor Cards

I had a bunch of scraps left over from my Scraptastic Club Autumn Splendor kit and add on so I whipped up two cards using the same basic background. It was a quick and easy way to use scraps I'd have thrown away otherwise!

2: Week 50

Another week in my Project 365 from 2011. Getting ready for Christmas and dealing with sick kiddos. Plus, a photo with Santa and a horse. You never know what you'll find when you spend a day in my life. LOL

Supplies:

12 Days of Christmas Full Collection
Evidence-Splendid Template 2
DESIGN 365 - A Year of Rubons
The font is "Typewriter".

3: Week 51

Almost finished! This week includes photos from Lexie's 10th birthday and Brandon's fabulous run in with Fifth's Disease. (We thought it was an allergic reaction at the time.)

Supplies:

Template by Heather Landry (Yes, that's me!)
Winter Wonderland Full Collection
DESIGN 365 - A Year of Rubons
baker's twine
Fonts are Typewriter and Impact

4: Week 52

I'm done. Whoo hoo! I finished the entire year without missing a single day. Phew! I'm taking a break in 2012. This project is a lot of work, but is so worth it in the end. Yay!

Supplies:

Creativity By Crystal's Artisan Label Templates No. 4
Carina Gardner's Design 365 A Year Of Rub Ons
Carina Gardner's Design 365 Masks v3
Bren Boone's Midnight Kiss Kit
Splendid Fiins' Go Big Template One
Font: Typewriter

Gift Card Giveaway!

2011-12-30T00:01:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you interested in winning a $10.00 Subway gift card? "Gilbert The Gift Card Machine" is giving away over one hundred gift cards in the month of December. It's all leading up to "Gift Card Weekend"! The Subway gift cards will be given away to Facebook fans who like "Gift Card Weekend". The cards will be given away from December 23-31. There's also an opportunity to receive extra chances to win if you get your friends to "like" them. So don't forget to refer the people in your social network!

Would you like to know more about Gift Card Weekend?

"Gift Card Weekend" is an event that's held every year. (In 2012, it runs from January 6-8.) On that weekend, several different stores give special deals so people can spend the gift cards that they got for Christmas! The stores that participate in this fun weekend are JC Penney, Regal Cinema, Subway, Sephora, Applebee's, Bass Pro Shops, Adidas, Buca di Beppo, Lowe's, Spa Finder, Marriot, and Giant Eagle.

Gift Card Weekend

You should definitely check the Facebook site regularly as well because they will be giving away gift cards all month and you don't want to miss out!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-27T22:59:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, but I managed just in the nick of time. I think it had a lot to do with being able to visit my family on Christmas Eve.

Every year we try to get a decent Christmas photo of my grandparents’ great grandkids and every year we fail! This year was a little better than most because the kids are getting older. At least several of the kids were looking in the general direction of the camera and no one tried to get up and run away. So we’re calling it a semi-success!

I also got a photo of me pretending like I like Ronnie. Just kidding… We’ll be married eleven years in January and I love him more now than I did when we got married.

The kids acted out the nativity scene again this year. I took this photo right before one of the shepherds wacked baby Jesus in the back with a flyswatter. We try really hard to teach the kids the meaning of Christmas and this year my niece read the nativity story out loud while they all “listened”.

My Mom was very happy with the Keurig coffee maker that Ronnie and I bought. She’s drooled over mine every time she visits, so I knew it would make the perfect Christmas present!

I got a new sewing machine and super comfy pajamas from my Mom, two scrapbook kits and a razor from my grandma, and enough money to buy a new cushy office chair from my mother in law. Ronnie’s impatient so I’ve had the gifts he bought me for over a month. He got me my Keurig and a new iPhone. (You all knew that already though!)

Jordan got the American Girl doll that she wanted. She was so impressed with the doll and her wheelchair. She even told my father-in-law that she got everything she wanted. He told her that he could take the presents he bought for her back to the store, and she told him that would be fine as long as she could keep her Molly doll. Isn’t that the cutest thing ever?!

Alexis got her boots and she just had to put them on right away. I love how fashionable she is these days! All she wanted for Christmas was clothes and boots. I think we’re beginning to hit the teen years because she recently asked when she could wear high heels. (Not for a while yet!)

Brandon was thrilled with his Cars 2 game and a new DS! He didn’t even ask for the DS. Just the game… He’s also in love with his new yellow SpongeBob watch. It’s just too bad that we can’t figure out how to set the thing! So he randomly tells me that it’s midnight when it’s only eight o’clock in the morning.

Ronnie’s parents got him a birthday cake because his birthday is this week. Unfortunately, it had almonds in it and we didn’t realize until AFTER Brandon started eating it. I’m starting to think that Bubs was allergic to the penicillin in the antibiotic he was taking instead of the almond extract in the Christmas cookies we made because he didn’t break out when he ate the cake. Because he had such a severe reaction last week, we now have to carry an epi pen everywhere he goes. He still has hives on his arms and it’s an entire week later. Poor little dude!

On the way home from my in-laws’ house Jordan just couldn’t take it anymore. She fell asleep with her head on Brandon’s shoulder and then slid down into his lap. He thought it was funny that she was sleeping on him and at one point I glanced in the back of the truck and saw that he’d put his arm around her. He’s such a sweet brother! Smushed in the middle of two girls and he’s still smiling.

I squeezed in some scrappy time over the past few days. I thought I’d share the pages I created before I head to bed! It’s been a long day filled with sick, snotty kids. They picked up some kind of cold when we visited with our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

1: You + Me = Love

I found this older photo of my girls and it inspired me to journal about how they've come to love each other over the years.

Supplies:
Needs+Wants: Stitchies Vol.1 {The Crayon Box Collection}
Template Tuesday 48 by Lauren
baker's twine
Font: DJB Brittany
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Paper Pack One
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Paper Pack Two
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Element Pack Two
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Alphas And Cards Pack

2: Now Take Another Look

My cousin and I took my kids on a nature hike at a local state park. When Brandon was having a hard time seeing at the observation area, my cousin lifted him up higher. She rocks!!

I used my November Scraptastic Club kit and add on called "Autumn Splendor" to create this page. The only thing I added was a bit of Stickles and a strip of blue cardstock.

3: It Starts And Ends With Family

Another layout I made with my Scraptastic Club November kit and add on! The kit I used is called "Autumn Splendor" and it's gorgeous.

This page was inspired by Kimber McGray's "Colorful Personality" layout on page 92 in the January 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.

Journaling: Oct. 2010 Jordan got up early to help me make apple + cinnamon muffins for everyone. She's such a great little helper!

I promise the layout is straight IRL. For some reason the green strip looks a little slanted, but it's not!

***I hope you all have a very happy New Year! I’ll be back before you know it with a new sketch and free template.

Slim Fast 3-2-1 Plan

2011-12-24T00:02:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's about that time of year. The time of New Year's resolutions and promises to get healthier and more fit! This coming year, I'm focusing on becoming more healthy instead of just worrying about losing weight. I'm hoping that weight loss will be a side effect though! I'm trying to be more active and make better choices as far as what I eat. I'm especially intending to try some of the new Slim Fast 3-2-1 line of products. Slim-Fast

They have a new bottle for their shakes that's easier to take with you. You can tuck it into your purse or work out bag and bring a convenient meal on the go. I think that the Cappucino Delight flavor sounds really good! (You all know me and my coffee obsession.) Slim Fast hasn't limited their line to shakes either. They make yummy meal replacement bars as well. Slim-Fast

The 3-2-1 plan sounds really easy to follow. You eat three 100 calorie snacks that consist of snack bars, fruit, nuts, or veggies. You drink two shakes or eat two additional bars, then you eat one balanced 500 calorie meal. The meal has to consist of half of a plate of veggies, one quarter of a plate of protein, and one quarter of a plate of whole grains. See? Easy peasy! Even I can do that with three kids to chase around. In fact, it's probably easier than cooking three special low calorie meals a day.

Trust me, after spending the holidays with my family I'm going to need to diet! If you would like to find out more information about Slim Fast you can "like" them on Facebook.

How Revealing!

2011-12-23T20:43:00.001-06:00

I know, I said that I wouldn’t be back until after Christmas but I just couldn’t resist! Jessica posted the new peeks for the January Scraptastic Club kits and I just had to share them before things get crazy around here. (Is anyone else completely dreading assembling all of those new toys?)

The first kit is called Button Box and it’s adorable! I love the yellow and blue color combination. This kit feels really Springy and warm. Just what I needed in the middle of a dreary, cold Winter.

There’s also an amazing Button Box add on. I don’t know about you, but I’m really loving those wooden flags. They’re just so awesome!

The second kit is called Snow What Fun and it makes me wish that I lived somewhere it snowed. It’s that cute! My favorite piece in this kit has to be the snowy title stickers.

Of course, this kit has an amazing add on as well! Aren’t those chipboard accents so cute? Like I said, I totally wish I had a reason to scrap with this kit!

You can go to the Scraptastic Club blog or website for more information about ordering these kits. They go on sale on December 30th but you can get placed on the waiting list right now!

I also have a few layouts and projects to share before I go clean up around the house again.

1: Little Red Corvette

Ronnie FINALLY got to drive his Dad's Corvette. He said it was fun but since he is 6'4" tall he found it much too little. That got me thinking of the Prince song, and a layout was born. Ha!

Supplies:
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Paper Pack One
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Paper Pack Two
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Element Pack
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Alphas & Cards
Splendid Fiins Flea Market Brads
Fonts: CK Alayna, Fabulous 50's, and Hurry Up.

2: Louisiana Girl

I took a screen shot of Google Maps and saved it at a higher resolution to make this page about living in Louisiana all my life.

Supplies:
Garden Variety Candy Candy
Sweet Heart Collection
You Are Here Full Kit
Evidence-arrow stamps v1
Modified Template from Template Tuesday by Antonia Krajicek

3: Christmas Banner

I took Jessica Sprague's 2011 Holiday class and this is my finished box and banner. I decided to hang my banner on the Christmas tree when I was finished making it. I couldn't believe that it was 10 feet long when I was done creating. I loved the idea of putting photos of the kids from past Christmases on the banner. I finished just in the nick of time to display it for a few days this year!

Well that’s all for now, I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Sketch/Template #5 Freebie

2011-12-21T05:35:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm back to share another free sketch/template with you. I know, I've posted them out of order but there’s a reason! You can visit the Ideas For Scrapbookers website today to see why if you’re curious.

Please feel free to right click on the image below and then click on "Save As" to save the image to your computer for later use.

I made two example pages to share with you. This page is digital and I made it with Cosmo Cricket's Dear Mr. Claus collection. I really had fun with all of the different banner shapes that I put into this layered template.

Last but not least, this is the paper layout that inspired the sketch. I used a ton of scraps from one of my Scraptastic Club kits to create this page. I'm a very budget conscious scrapper and I always try to use as many scraps as I can!

If you're a digital scrapbooker, don't forget to grab the layered digital template that I created in Photoshop Elements!

http://www.4shared.com/zip/hSu5w5gj/HL_Sketch_Template_5.html

Happy Everything!!

2011-12-20T23:54:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Alexis’ 10th birthday this past Saturday. I absolutely can not believe that she’s in the double digits now! She asked me for lipstick and high heels for her birthday. I gave her flats and my sister-in-law gave her lip gloss. We’re calling it a compromise. I really wish she wasn’t in such a hurry to grow up.

I can remember being her age though and I felt the same way. I was in a huge hurry to shave my legs and wear makeup. These days you have to twist my arm to get me to wear makeup. I guess it’s a case of the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence.

I bought her this fun and funky Christmas dress and a nightgown with a matching outfit for her doll. I’m trying to have her hold onto being little for as long as I can. It’s not working well though. She already looks SO grown up!

Ronnie’s parents and his sister came over for her party. His sister decided to give the kids their Christmas presents early. She bought all three of the kids new bedding and curtains. They were ecstatic!

Jordan got a set with Rapunzel on it, and she pretended to sleep when I took her photo. She’s such a ham!

Brandon got a Cars 2 set and he couldn’t possibly have smiled any bigger. He tucked all of his stuffed animals in before he would lay down to go to sleep.

Miss Alexis got a more sophisticated pattern with hearts all over it. No characters for her anymore! She also got blackout curtains and that means she can sleep later. I had to roll her out of bed around 9:30 this morning so we could go to vision therapy.

The kids are all enjoying their Christmas vacation. We went shopping at Target today so Alexis could spend her birthday money! Target + 3 kids= A giant migraine. I’m just now starting to feel better. Sheesh!

Our Christmas tree is up and I’ve finished wrapping all of our presents. These kiddos are spoiled rotten! I am finally starting to get into the Christmas spirit because there are quite a few things that I can’t wait to see them open.

The kids have also gotten new clothes and goodies from my Dad and my Step-Mom. They also got new toys too, but the girls were especially excited about the awesome clothes. They are pint sized divas! Even Mr. Brandon is wearing accessories these days.

I got a new toy too. My Mom brought me this gorgeous teal and cream cruiser bike. I’ve been riding around chasing the kids on the street. They thought it was so funny to see me riding a bike, and they were SO impressed that I don’t need training wheels. Plus, they thought it was awesome that I could stand up and pedal. Mommy has tricks up her sleeves!

I have one post with a free template coming up in a few hours, and after that I’ll be back when all of the Christmas craziness is over. I would like to thank everyone for visiting my blog this past year! I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

New-Skin Products

2011-12-20T17:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of New-Skin for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about your kids, but my kids are always into something. They are accident prone because they take after me! Poor kids. You can usually find them with at least a scrape or two and I always joke and say that I should buy stock in bandages.

I've found a line of products that will help my kids when they have their little accidents! I recently found out about New-Skin. They have a liquid bandage formula and a scar fade product that would be very helpful around here. They also make a poison ivy treatment. I am highly allergic to poison ivy, so I'll definitely be purchasing it in the future. I love learning about new products!

Currently, New-Skin is holding a sweepstakes and you could win one of three great prizes. You could win a skiing trip to Breckenridge, Colorado or a tour of the botanical gardens in Atlanta, Georgia. There's even an amazing hiking trip to Yellowstone National Park up for grabs! Be sure to click on the link and enter quickly because the first 500 entries will receive a New-Skin waterproof container for free.

New-Skin sweepstakes

I would love to go hiking in Yellowstone National Park! Which trip would you like to win? You can leave me a comment below if you would like to tell me. Also, feel free to share the link to the sweepstakes page on your blog or on your Facebook page. I'm sure your friends would love the chance to win as well. Good luck!

Just Dropping By

2011-12-18T15:34:00.001-06:00

I wanted to drop by today to say that I’m hosting the challenge on the Scraptastic Club blog this week. You have until the end of December to link your layout and the prize is a good one! Click here to check out the challenge.

I also wanted to let you know that if you’re at all interested in doing Project Life next year, Becky Higgins has a ton of information and videos available on her blog. She even featured one of the pages I made with her Project Life digital line. You can see that post here.

THE LONGEST POST IN THE HISTORY OF EVER

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

We’ve been up to a lot lately so please be patient with this super-long photo filled post! I was really glad to be able to makeover the kids’ bathroom with SpongeBob stuff last week. They were tired of the “Winnie the Pooh BABY Scheme” and were ready to grow up a bit. My friend Lisa sent me money to buy them a Christmas present from her and I used the money to make their bathroom a happening place to hang out. It’s not unusual to find one of them in there looking around. Miss Alexis was particularly impressed!

After all of that decorating, we had to run out the door to bring Jordan to her choir performance at the PTA meeting. This is her photo before she went in to perform. She looks a little nervous!

This is a video I took of her singing. The choir at their school is really big this year and they had groups on the stage and on risers on the floor. Miss Jordan gets a front row spot due to her wheelchair.

Red & Green

She was all smiles while posing with her best friend after the program was over. They were dressed so nicely and they looked like little ladies!

I was back at the school next day to watch Jordan at her Terrific Kids’ ceremony. She was selected as December’s Terrific Kid for being a kind, helpful, friendly person in class. This is her fifth year getting the Terrific Kid award and I could wallpaper my house with the bumper stickers by now. LOL

Jordan had a field trip on Thursday and she spent it with her best friend. Those two are like peas in a pod! I am really grateful that she’s found such a close friend. I snapped this photo seconds before her friend accidentally knocked her over. Ooops!

At this point, I was starting to believe that I’d never get a break from school functions. Brandon had his first ever Christmas performance on Friday. I was worried that he would be too shy to sing but he did it! I guess his love of music overcame his shyness. He’s a little like his Momma after all. Hehe

This is a group photo of his class! He’s a full head taller than everyone else in his class. He looks like a giant next to some of the tinier kids. I also happen to think that he’s the cutest in the class, but I might be a teeny tiny bit biased there.

In other news, I’m sick and tired of the cold weather. I miss my sun and warmth. Is it Summer yet?!

I am not sick of my iPhone though. I LOVE that thing. I also love cappuccino. Especially when it’s consumed at a surprise evening out with my husband and kiddos. Yum!

I spent the day with my Mom on Saturday. We watched the newest Twilight movie and then went shopping at Kohl’s. We had a really great time together! I spent the remainder of the evening working on wrapping presents and shopping online. These kids are insanely rotten.

Alexis and I got up early on Sunday morning to volunteer at Horses For Heroes in Folsom. It was a Christmas Benefit Horse Show and we worked at the cashier table selling food, raffle tickets, and t-shirts. Doesn’t she make a pretty ambassador?!

She also got to pose for photos with Santa Claus and her horse Kody. Kody was a very naughty boy and he kept eating the hay bales instead of smiling at the camera. At one point, he even stepped on Santa’s foot. My sources say that Kody is getting coal for Christmas!

Ronnie texted me while I was at the horse show to tell me that Brandon’s eyes looked pink. Sure enough, by the time I got home he had full blown pink eye and he was miserable. I called the pediatrician’s office on Monday morning and they got us in around ten.

I wore my new shoes that I bought from Kohl’s on Saturday. I promptly slipped and fell and busted my knees on the concrete floor in front of God and everybody. I was mortified and my new shoes got all scratched up. When I fell, Brandon yelled at me and said, “Momma, I told you not to wear those shoes!” Umm… yeah. That was helpful.

The doctor diagnosed him with pink eye and a sinus infection. He missed school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday but he went back today. This is what he spent his “vacation” doing. That child is SERIOUSLY iPhone obsessed. He’s worse than I am and that’s saying something!

AT LEAST I DID SOMETHING

2011-12-14T15:34:00.003-06:00

This past week has been insanely busy. I’m barely keeping up so I don’t have many projects to share. I did manage to catch up on my Project Life. I also made a set of four cards to use up the last of my “Little Black Dress” kit and add on so I could clean off my desk. So at least I did something!

1: Week 48

I've really enjoyed doing Project Life this year and I can't believe that the year is almost over. Yikes!

Supplies:
Becky Higgins' Project Life Template A
Clementine Edition Full Collection
DESIGN 365 - A Year of Rubons
Granny's Attic Kit
The fonts are Typewriter and Cafe Rojo.

2: Week 49

This is last weeks’ page. I used Becky Higgins' Project Life digital templates, Basic Grey's Blitzen Patterned Paper, Carina Gardner's Design 365 A Year Of Rubons, and Basic Grey's Dasher Starter Kit.

3: Little Black Dress Card Set

These are the cards I created with the scraps left over from my December Scraptastic Club kit. I used the Little Black Dress kit and add on to create these cards. I was inspired by several December PageMaps sketches.

Sketch/Template 8

2011-12-10T05:13:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm back to share another sketch and layered template freebie. I know this template/sketch is a little bit brighter than usual but I've changed my design palette. Here's the preview of the sketch. Feel free to right click on the image and then click on "save as" to save the file to your computer for later use.

I based the sketch on a page that I made earlier this month. I used my Scraptastic Club December kit and add on called "Little Black Dress". The page is about my tenth anniversary celebration with my husband. (I can’t believe it’s been that long already!)

As usual, I didn't forget the digital girls! Please click on the file below to download the free layered template that I created in Photoshop Elements.

http://www.4shared.com/file/Y_Hb9zEq/HL_Sketch_Template_8.html

Featured & A WiNNER

2011-12-07T06:02:00.000-06:00

I got some great news the other day! Melanie Bauer from Basic Grey contacted me to ask if they could feature my layout on their blog. I said yes, and it was published on Saturday. I was so excited to be featured! It was my “When It Rains” page. You can read the post here.

In other news, I’ve finally gotten a free minute to draw the winner from the Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop. Drumroll please!

Congratulations Emily!

“Emily
November 27, 2011 5:50 AM

I love the clean and simple look of your layout. Those are great photos. Your banner is simply stunning!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you! I will get the banner in the mail ASAP. Please send your mailing address to miraclesmommadesigns(AT)hotmail(DOT)com.

So This Is Christmas

2011-12-05T23:37:00.001-06:00

I thought I’d share this photo of Jordan. It makes me laugh because she was “acting like a zebra”. I bought her an adorable zebra trench coat. I thought it would keep her warmer since it covered her thighs as well. She gets chilly really easily! I think she’s the most adorable zebra ever.

Brandon had a field trip on Friday. Imagine sixty screaming four year olds running in seventeen different directions and you have an inkling of what my day was like! I got some cute photos though. Brandon kept flinging leaves around and I just snapped away.

Brandon has one friend in particular that he talks about all of the time. Here he is waiting his turn to climb up the chain ladder after his friend. They are really fun to watch together!

The Christmas season is in full swing around here! After hippotherapy on Saturday, Jordan had a special needs party at the American Legion. One of our neighbors put the flyer in our door and we had a really great time. It was very sweet of him to invite us and we’re going to make him some Christmas cookies in return!

Later that evening, we went to see the Christmas lights at Koop Drive in Mandeville. It was a little chillier than the kids anticipated. They voted to leave their jackets in the car and then they froze their little butts off. Jordan is giving me her best “What you talkin’ ‘bout Willis?” look in this photo.

We got to see the Honeybees perform in a Christmas themed show and when they were finished they agreed to pose with my kiddos. Jordan and Lexie talked to them for about five minutes. Brandon is in the photo too but you can’t tell. One of the girls rubbed his head and said hello. He’s so shy that he hid after she talked to him. Poor little guy!

Visiting Santa is an annual tradition in our family. We take a big family photo! Thankfully, no one cried this year and I only look a little frazzled.

I have a few projects to share today. One from me, and one reader’s page. I haven’t been able to scrapbook much over the past week. The holiday season is in full swing and there is so much going on! I volunteered for a huge project to help Horses For Heroes and I still have a bunch of Christmas shopping to do as well. I need more hours in the day!

Winter Wishes Card (Echo Park Hybrid)

I just love the little snowmen in this paper line. I thought they would be perfect for creating a frosty Winter card. Credits here.

My good friend Lesley made this lovely page called “You & Me Together” based on my Sketch 7.

Isn’t it cute? She did the most amazing job with the diamond pattern in the background and that photo of her with her granddaughter is so sweet! Be sure to check out Lesley’s beautiful gallery.

News!

2011-11-30T22:13:00.001-06:00

There’s a lot going on lately at JessicaSprague.com that you do not want to miss! I thought I’d come and update you all really quickly this evening. Jessica has a new free class that starts TOMORROW! It’s called Holiday Memories and trust me you want to go register right now.

This is the description from Jessica’s site… “

In our class, we'll be using cardstock and digital patterned paper to create a stunning, but EASY and REPEATABLE garland you can hang from your ceiling, drape around your tree, or hang on the wall. Each year as you create December memories, you can create a new garland. Even the storage box is a keepsake!

In addition to our amazing project, our week-long class will be filled with ideas to make your holiday memory making, and memory-keeping a little brighter and a little more fun!”

There are also two new classes that are available for purchase so be sure to check those out. First, Jessica is offering a Digital Art Journaling class.

“In this instructor-led class, learn art journaling techniques with a digital twist! Includes an exclusive 200+ piece class kit designed by Nancie Rowe Janitz! Runs January 9-29, 2012.”

Exciting right? She’s also teaching The Art Of Poster Design. Have you ever wanted to know how to make those super neat subway art posters? Well then this class is for you!

“Join Jessica in this 3-week, instructor-led class where we explore poster design for advertising, stunning personalized art, gifts or home decor.”

Last but not least, don’t forget that there’s a 35% off sale going on right now. It’s a great chance to pick up some amazing goodies from an incredible group of digital designers.

That’s all for now, but isn’t it enough? Get to clicking and go check out the abundant awesomeness at my favorite digi website!

Little Black Dress

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you’re looking for the Counterfeit Kit blog hop please scroll down or click here.

I had a great scrappy day yesterday! I got to spend some time creating with my Scraptastic Club December kit. I ended up creating four pages. They were all made with the "Little Black Dress" kit and add on. Jessica outdid herself with this kit. It's just lovely! Here are the pages that I created…

1: My 2 Boys

Journaling: Ronnie + Brandon cuddling in the recliner.

I thought it would be fun to thread brads through the centers of the flowers in the lace.

My design on this page was inspired by Creative Scrappers Sketch #156.

2: Me & You

This photo is super special to me because Ronnie and I don't get to go out together often. It's a cruddy hold-the-camera-out-with-one-arm photo, but it says a lot about us so I treasure it!

Again, I used my Scraptastic Club December kit and add on called "Little Black Dress" to create this page. It's not my usual style but I had a blast challenging myself and thinking outside of my box.

Journaling: We celebrated our tenth anniversary at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS. -Jan. 2011

3. When It Rains

Another page with my December Scraptastic Club kit and add on. Did I mention that I loved it to bits? I’m kinda sad that I only have scraps left now.

On this page, I thought it would be fun to scatter punched dots of paper to mimic drops of water on my design. I also used two colors of mist for the same reason. It's different but I like how it turned out!

I journaled all around the edges of the page. My kids have been fighting a lot lately so that's where the journaling came from. Can't we all just get along? Sheesh!

Journaling: When it rains and life gets you down remember that you can always rely on your family. Friends may come and go but your family will always be here for you. Treasure your siblings and try to get along because they're like built in best friends! July '10

4. The Best Day EVER

This is my favorite page out of the four I made today. It was inspired by Liz Chidester's sketch #133. Of course, I used my Scraptastic Club kit and add on called "Little Black Dress". When I saw the sticker word art I thought of this photo immediately because it was what Alexis said after she was done washing Kody!

Journaling: Oct. '11 Alexis finally got her wish. She begged to give Kody a bath and today Erin let her. It was so sweet.

*This has been a BUSY blog week. Are you all sick of me yet?