TBT in My Studio, today!

Each layout tells a story.  In 4.5 hours today, I created these scrapbook layouts.

All photos are from "Yester Year!"

 

12 layouts total.  Not bad at all!

It's Fall and it is when I usually scrap the most during all of the year.

 

 

 

 

The above layout has a "typo" on the date.  This has been changed to reflect, 2013.

 

Do not get too excited for these two postings in one day. 

Very rare for me, indeed.



NEVER-Ending Winter!

  I woke up Palm Sunday watched the Papal Mass on television and my head just busted loose with overwhelming dread.  Yep, a Head cold.  I have not had one of these in over a decade.

I blame it on the NEVER-ENDING WINTER!

I did scrap on Saturday and would have continued to scrap but felt the scratchy throat begin.

Sneezing, aching, and well...just feeling cruddy.

Feeling like this interferes with my life and activity.

But here is a few of the pages I created on Saturday in my studio.

Easter and Spring break are just 4 days away. 

 Fingers crossed this head cold is just a "few days" affair.

Snowy, windy, SUPER COLD, & just icky outside.

WHERE IS SPRING?

It is that Magical Time of the year, again.

My heart is full of joy.  This year, my present for Christmas is ALL of our family together at Christmas time since 2004!  This will be the first Christmas that Zachary has been with us since 2006.  Tours of Duty overseas and stationed all around the United States...he is trekking home for the holidays.  He arrives on the 20th and Stephen and Lil' Z will be here on Christmas Eve to stay the whole weekend of Christmas.  How exciting is this to me?  I am over the moon with JOY!

With this said, YES, I have already decorated the house as my time is limited on the weekends with many Seasonal happenings and shopping.  The hustle and bustle has already begun.  We have had a busy November.  We had to head South to Atlanta for a "Celebration of Life."  I lost a special sister-in-law to cancer early in the  month.  It has been hard on several members of our family.  But I know that time will heal the hurt and good memories will remain.

Celebrations of babies being born has been a great highlight.  Impending births as well keep me shopping for those special gifts to give as new mommy's and daddy's begin the path of ultimate joy and unconditional love.

So, yes.  This is a time of magic.  A time to celebrate and be thankful for all of those wonderful people in our lives.  I gather great solace and joy in knowing life is wonderful and every moment is a time to embrace and live fully.

I am still creating.  I just to do not upload most of my creations anymore.  They are becoming very personal and are gifts as well for many people in my life.  But I promise to share stories and my day to day scrapping as my time allows.  So, it is with this thought..."Take time to make the memories."  It is truly the greatest gift to give and share with others.  Your time.

Merry Christmas!

Today is the day that is a day of a miraculous miracle come to life in history. We have all heard the story of the Christ Jesus born from the Virgin Mary. Still, when reading the Book of Luke I am amazed and the story is never boring or "over" exaggerated for me in any sense. I love the story of Christmas and I love what it does to the hearts of mankind. This year is special indeed. For we have and continue to love, share laughter, and of ourselves with one another. Once again, I am blessed by my family. My Christmas was perfect although a few of us were in different States. Nonetheless, a JOYOUS Day I will always remember.

This Christmas, I am Blessed Indeed.

Christmas is happening...

All around Bowling Green, Kentucky there are signs that the Holiday Season is off to a grand start. Wreathes, lights, and garland are being designed and hung for all to view and catch the spirit of the Christmas Season. I love that! I have 2 trees decorated and lit in our home. Yes, I know it is early but this year I am doing a little at a time with my full display to be in full view come Thanksgiving weekend.

I am pretty darned excited as I had 2 of my Christmas Canvas sell this morning to one of my scrappy friends. I know that she will enjoy them. She chose the Home for the Holidays and the Angel Wings Ornament canvas.

I have been designing some Christmas cards to see what I want to create in "mass production" to send out this year. But nothing has really "floated my boat." So, I think I will have the Christmas Tree Painting that I created photocopied in originals and possibly have them in sepia toned to adorn the front of my cards.
Makes it easy, fast, and plus everyone will get something original rather than the same old Christmas Designs that appear every year.

With this said, here are a few of the cards I created that were sold this past weekend at the Bizaar Bazaar. I had a great time and really enjoyed the networking and making new friends here in Bowling Green.
Now, off and about to take care of morning errands and clean my studio later on today. Man, can you say..."Disaster Area?"

Christmas Week

We have been busy this entire month. Sunday, Zachary went back to Iraq and will arrive there probably on Christmas Day. Our Christmas week is busy with last minute Santa details and family coming over for food and fun. I have not had time to be creative and I am hoping right after Christmas I can use some of my scrappy goodies and capture some of our December memories on paper.

I hope you are having a wonderful HOLIDAY MONTH as our home has been super busy in activity and love. Saying "goodbye" is never easy but we have lots of wonderful memories and photos to remember Zachary's R&R with us here at home. I think it's wonderful that for the first time since 2003 Christians in Baghdad were able to purchase Christmas Trees out in the open without fear of retaliation. This is due to the work our soldiers have been doing in Iraq. There are currently about 100,000 Christians in Iraq that openly acknowledge their devotion to Christ. I hope that PEACE will come to this part of the world soon so that our soldiers can come home with a feeling that they contributed to securing a safer living economy for those in Iraq.

From Our Home to Yours,

We are wishing YOU a Wonderful and Bright Christmas Day!

Seasonal Update...

Yes, I have neglected this blog lately. But I feel I have a good reason. My son is home on leave from Iraq and will be heading back on 21, December. We are in the throws of the Christmas Season and I have parties, parades, homecoming celebrations, and shopping to keep us all busy. I figure the "dust" can wait. I cannot get this time back and I am in full MOMMA MODE!

IT'S A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS!

I have another blog that I keep with my "heart thoughts" about my son who is serving our country. You can check it out here Bliss of the Unknown . I hope to be able to have some creative fun this weekend if time allows. Once again, our weekend is bustling with joy and creating memories. I hope you are enjoying the Season of LOVE and Joy and make the memories that last a lifetime to reflect upon.

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year...

The Christmas Spirit is really nipping at my nose. I am finding that I am rummaging through old photos of Christmas' past and it always makes me nostalgic for family and friends that are no longer here on this earth. Traditions play a huge part in our home and I am finding that they are slowly but surely changing in ways to accommodate the ever growing ages of my children as well as myself. One of my favorite traditions is watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I simply love this old photo from the 1950's from the Spirit of the Parade. It officially rings in the Season of Love and Hope. I have noticed as I have started to look into windows and specialty shops that ornaments of the old and new collide with vibrant color and styles that were once a "trendy" season of design are now mixed with the "new trends" of Christmas Decorating. Hues of many colors are coming into play that are not of the "traditional" colors of red, white, gold, and green. But colors of pink, blue, silver, and orange are now becoming colors that will grace mantels and Christmas trees world wide. While I enjoy looking at the new colors and the new trends, I tend to revert to the old that brings up smells, feelings, and glimpses of memories that give me a sense of security and love.

I saw a purple Christmas tree the other day and it was simply stunning. I would have never thought to bring the color purple into Christmas decorating but this tree was magnificent in style and grace. It was refreshing and new. Vibrant in its glory and well appreciated by my eye, My heart longs of Christmas old. I just am not sure if I would see a purple ornamented tree 5 years from now in my home although it was funky and fun. This is what is so wonderful about art and those that find new ways to make a striking statement that can linger as well stimulate ones creative spirit. Yes, it is that time of year and I love that beyond the money and gift giving one thing remains constant in our society are the traditions that are upheld by the average American family. Nostalgic, looking back, or simply embracing the new with the old is what drives us to drag out those cute little crafts that we made as children and remember how we felt when we gave it to the one we love and cherish. The feeling of accomplishment and pride in whatever we make and choose to give helps us to not only reflect but know that each year the season brings us hope for another year.

I am creating lots of wonderful Christmas items this year and hope to share a few with everyone here. But I do know one thing...my heart swells with the content feeling that I made another addition to our ever growing Christmas decoration collection that will be remembered and cherished for years to come.

WOW, it is hot!

Yes, the heat index reached over 100 degrees yesterday. It was blistering for sure along with some serious humidity. I am gearing up this week to start school clothes shopping and then meeting up with a few scrappy friends this weekend. We are taking our friend Heather out to eat and give her a "scrappy" goodbye before she heads West of Georgia. Gosh, I am going to miss her greatly.

I have been looking at all of the CHA-Summer releases and I a can honestly say that I am so inspired to go BUY! School is around the corner for the new year session and then the holidays will soon follow. Where the heck did this year go let alone the summer? I have been scrapping and need to get some photos of things I have done recently and get them uploaded. One layout that I really enjoy is one that I did a few months ago that revolved around Christmas. It was the first time I really took an "event" and used a great deal of photos on it to display the day of happenings.

For me, this is relatively a simple layout. But I really enjoyed using up some of my Love Elsie goodies on this page.

That is all for now...have a great remaining SUMMER TIME!