May Work in Progress Kits

Here they are!! They're available here at noon today, EST (or you can email Trish for an invoice if you'd like one reserved at Turay413@gmail.com)...

May Main Kit--$30


Contents of this kit include: 12 Patterned Papers (6 Lily bee Lovely double sided papers, 4 Jillibean Soup, 1 My Little Shoebox and 1 Crate Paper), Lovely Die cuts (4), 3 sheets of bingo paper, 1-10" doily, 1-12"doily, 1 Package Dear Lizzy American Crafts Thickers, 2 sheets My Little Shoebox mini alphas in sunshine yellow, 12" brown eyelet lace, 12" blue ric rac iron on, 2 sheets Lily Bee Lovely chipboard flowers, 5 plastic flowers, and 1 full package Kaisercraft yellow pearls.
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May Project Kit--$25

LOOK at all this cool stuff!! 18 Photo Note Cards!!

And the banner with the Birthday in a Box!!

Contents of the kit include: 18 cards, 18 envelopes, 18 photographs, self-stick kraft photo corners for 18 photos, white mounting cardstock, contents for a Birthday banner, candles, napkins, balloons, ribbon, die cut letters, Birthday confetti, horns and streamers.

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May Add-On Kit--$28

Contents of this kit include: 26 sheets of paper (Full Pack of Cosmo Cricket Core Impressions--Neutrals Collection (20 different sheets), 1 Jenni Bowlin blue butterflies Core Impressions, 1 brown Jillibean Soup Core Impressions, 3 Girls Paperie, and 1 Cosmo Cricket die cut paper), American Crafts glittered chipboard alphas, 12" vintage lace, 9 adhesive-backed buttons, 6 gem brads, 1 Jenni Bowlin Pennant cardstock stickers, 1 Colorbok alpha sticker sheet, 2 My Little Shoebox mini alphas (blue and lilac), 2 Jenni Bowlin stick pins, and 1 butterfly chipboard mini book.

Enjoy your Thursday!!

Pillow Fight

So I'm on a pillow kick now. That's what happens to my in the Spring...goodbye old, hello new!! Here are a few I found on Etsy...

Ruffles are everywhere. I love how this one is all mixed up--so FUN!!

All these pretty ruffles...so bright and pretty!!

This pillow made with vintage handkercheifs just makes me squeal!!

Isn't this ?? So simple and beautiful...

And this one is just too cute...

What are you into this spring?

One Sketch, Two Layouts

I'm not the kind of gal who gets hung up on reinventing the wheel in my scrapbooks. Don't get me wrong--I do have hang ups (I hoard embellishments like nobody's business), but repeating a sketch isn't one of them. I loved the one from the Basic Grey Newsletter so much, I created two layouts with it.

I banged both of these out in an evening, and that's good for me (I'm a slow scrapper!).

So it made me want to ask...What are you really good at? Are you a great photographer? An awesome story teller? Do you work well with color? Know how to place those embellishments? Do you hand-stitch on your layouts? Are you good at post-processing photos?? Can you work a sketch like a mad woman? :) Spill the beans.

And if you're too shy to toot your own horn, feel free to compliment someone else's work or style if you'd like.

I'll start. I'm a sketch whore. Love them. I'm also a sappy journaler.

Laina--killer graphic layouts--and I love her bold use of color. She can also work a Cricut unlike anyone I know (green with envy here.) I'm amazed that she makes her layouts look simple, when there is always more than meets the eye. Blows my mind.

Jamie--her layouts exude her femininity, and I love that. Strong, sweet, mother, wife, sister--all wrapped into one. She also uses white space beautifully. I wish I could grasp that concept. So looking forward to seeing more pregnancy layouts from her!! :) Mother Earth, that's her.

Janelle--I love her silly photos of her family and children. Real life delish stuff--cheesy grins and all. Love that. Also uses white space well, and seems to make all her layouts look fun. I think that is part of her personality that comes out onto her pages...

Emily--She's a thinker. She puts her heart out there on the pages through her journaling and unique use of the most common items. Love seeing her take on things. Her sweet notes to her daughter make me remember being a new mom and it makes me melt.

Tina--The first word that comes to mind with her is "productive." I've never known anyone who is doing so much at once, and finishes it!! She is also sentimental and it shows in all her work. Queen of all things mini and altered. Need a party favor? Call Tina. Ask me how I know...

Michelle--Her attention to detail is something I admire and love. I see it in her photography and on her layouts. No short-cuts with her. I love examining her layouts to see what she tweaked. Great unconventional layouts with lots of layers. Yummy.

So blessed to have these guys on our design team...

Okay, your turn!! Doesn't matter who or what it is--give it a shot!!

Today I am loving by...

Dark Cherry Mochas at Starbucks=Adddiction/Heaven. They have it in Frappaccino Light too.

Old Navy Flip Flops. Ahh...the colors. If I didn't live in cold Cleveland, I would wear these every single day of my life.

Ombre Prints



Crystal Bowersox She brings me back to my hippie loving college days. She better win. :)


Chewing gum. Seriously. I can't leave Target without buying at least 5 packs. I think they add new flavors every week. Sweet Cinnamon Stride is the best but I am also a huge fan of Orbit Mint Mojito.

I'm also addicted to Softlips vanilla. I never wear lipstick anymore. Too messy. I'm just not that kinda girl.

Stampin Up's new color palettes. Can you tell I love color?

and also Pantone's predictions...

Ridiculously cheap Martha Stewart punches at Tuesday Morning. I bought 6 of them for $2.99 a piece. Ok. Maybe seven...not as much as this lady though.

Have a great Monday! -Laina

DPS (Digital Photography School)

I get a lot of questions about photography and post processing. A LOT. I am by no means an expert on the topic, and I consider myself a student in the craft. I do have opinions on cameras and what I've tried, classes I've taken, and what has worked for me. Digital Photography School is a website that I always recommend to everyone. There is always something that everyone can learn--from beginners and experienced photographers alike.

Digital Photography School is a website I've loved and referred to for quite some time. The short and sweet bullet-point tuitorials are the best. I love that I've learned the most random gems from reading their website--and I hope you find it helpful too. Here are a few of my favorites:

Ten Tips to Take Great Family Portraits

How to Take Great Group Photos

Ten Deadly Post Processing Sins

18 Exceptionally Useful Photoshop Shortcuts

How to Choose Your Next Camera--What and Where to Buy

Three Lenses Every Photographer Should Own

I know learning can sometimes be overwhelming, but the way in which these are laid out, you are sure to pick up at least a tip here and there. I hope you give it a try!!

Enjoy your weekend!!

Ahh spring is finally here...

~ If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~

For those of us who share the dreary cold season, spring is a kind of rebirth or reawakening for us. A time of self-renewal, where as things are coming to life outdoors, they can also come alive within your-self.

Where we begin spring-cleaning, or reorganizing our closet, coming up with a new fitness routine or reevaluating our current diet, whatever it is your looking to alter, spring is a time for growth and change.

I know for myself that spring can have so many different meanings. The first spring that arrived after losing my son was an awakening of many sorts. It was a part of learning that life does go on. I could hear the birds singing see the grass growing, the sun shinning, and as much as I didn’t want to see it, it arrived as a gentle reminder to push me to try and begin to live again, even if it was with baby steps…

This year I look forward to spring with new meaning. Of course I want to clean out the closets and begin that spring -cleaning that needs to get done, but I also want to work on myself, my goals and my running.

What positive changes do you want to bring to your life this spring?

Share.

My two uncles. By now you know their names.

I've been pouring through old photos all week, and sharing them on facebook with family members. It has spurred a lot of others to share their own family photos, too--old and new. What an unexpected, crazy-wonderful thing. The memories it has brought back. Feeling really sentimental and full. Feels wonderful.

My mother and father both come from ginormous immediate families. I'm blessed with a large brood, and I don't know any different. I've mentioned before that I have first cousins all over the planet--and we all do our best to try and stay connected, even though it is difficult at times. So blessed to have them all in my life.

This photo was a favorite that was shared this week. My mom is horrible at names. Not that she doesn't know them--she mistakenly calls people the wrong names all the time. (I do the exact same thing. I hate it, but it's true.) At a cook out at our house in 1980, two of her silly brothers got sick of it and made name tags and wore them all day. These two clowns were known for that kind of thing. Oh, the laughs we had.

Uncle Pat passed away 16 years ago. Lots of photos were lost during Katrina (his family resides in Louisiana), so sharing these has been especially meaningful to his two daughters and grand daughters now. How cool is that? And the best part? Other cousins and aunts and uncles are now jumping in on the fun and sharing. It feels like Christmas.

So my message for today is this: Share an old photo with someone you love today. Make it whatever you want--but just do it. If you're not on facebook, email someone you love and connect with them. I promise, you won't be sorry you did.

Crop Reminders

Just a quick reminder...

*Bertram Inn Down Payments are due this Saturday, April 10th. If you plan on attending and have NOT contacted me to reserve a room, please shoot me a quick email so I have a good idea of how many rooms to hold. You can read more about this here.

*I am holding a local crop on Saturday, April 17th at the Waterbury Community Center in N. Ridgeville, Ohio from 10am-midnight, and the cost is $25. Please contact me at Turay413@gmail.com if you are interested in attending!!

Have a great day!

to-do lists

Staying on top of life can often times be more than tricky. Assuming I am writing mostly to women here, this includes possibly being a wife, maybe even a mom, a home manager, student…and on and on the titles go. Recently it came to me that I am even relied upon to be the meteorologist of the family as well. Who knew? Often this makes for an overwhelmed to-do list. And more than often it means I am looking for a way to be more efficient in getting my to-do list done. I mean after all, let’s not forget family documenter and curator titles (read: scrapbooker!)

So recently I read an article by Quinn McDonald in Somerset Magazine titled Putting Your To-Do List to Work for You. That caught my attention immediately. In a nut-shell the article went like this:

1. Write down everything you need to get done in a day. Big, little…write it all. (I even include laundry, is that weird?)
2. Create this list at the end of each day. Good prep for the next.
3. Circle three things that HAVE to get done. This idea really struck a cord with me, and since applying it to my daily list of never-ending things to do, it has really helped me stay on task with those things that I just really have to accomplish.
4. Using an index card, write on the front one of the three tasks; then jot down the steps needed to complete each. O.K., I admit, I don’t necessarily utilize the index card approach, but very often I will use this approach, and it really helps. Try it.
5. Next morning, start with those three ‘HAVE to get done’ items. Oh! And this I have started practicing: don’t check emails first. Sure sabotage to getting any work done. It’s true.
6. There are some comments on managing emails, but that’s a whole other post, I think.
7. Challenge yourself to get two of the top three done before lunch, and then finish the last by mid-afternoon.

These are all just little habits to help our day’s line up in order and decency. Because trust me, I would love nothing some days than to simply scrap, or sew, or surf blogs all the live long day. But reality says we do have to maintain our lives, so I am hoping these little tidbits will be of some help to you.

Wishing you a productive day! Off to check my to-do list.

May Sneak

Enjoy your day!