No Foolin'...

Happy April Fool's Day! I hope you share some laughs during the day. I have a few tricks up my sleeve... Be sure to check out Scrapjacked today! Work in Progress Kits is the sponsor this go-round, and Vee is a total sweetheart. I was tickled that she asked!

I also wanted to share Tina's amazing mini book that she created with the April Main kit. She did an amazing job, and there wasn't enough room in the gallery to post it all, so I thought I'd do it justice here!





And for even more inspiration, check out what she did with a step-up acrylic mini she created here. You guessed it--it will be in an upcoming WIP kit!!! The newsletter for the main kit will be out this afternoon, with the project kit later in the evening. My computer is in the process of being updated (yes, tomorrow of all days!) so I appreciate your patience! Have a super Tuesday!

Feeling good...

Man, I had a productive weekend. Taxes. Organizing. Made a new friend over the phone (you Miami gals are really something!). Scrapped a little. Napped. And prepared a ton of the Grade School Album kits for next Friday's sold out class. If you're in the class, I'm going to send out a reminder email tomorrow!
This is a layout I did from the April Main kit. Man, I love Scenic Route. The newsletters for this kit and the project kit will be emailed on Tuesday! And I may be able to squeeze in a sneak or two for the May kit. I got 6 different shipments last week, all for the next 3 months. Other new stuff which isn't released yet is set to ship too. It's going to be a great spring!!

Fun Kids Craft

So my children and I have enjoyed this Spring break immensely, and it is coming to a close. I wanted to share one of the fun crafts my daughter and I did one night...You remember these, don't you? Same concept, different season! I bought the SoftSoap brand of hand soap at the store (yes, they come in a variety of colors and scents!) and took the label off. We used stickers and rub ons and had a grand old time! We even went a little crazy and used the Souffle pens on the AC stickers to add some color. It was a quick, easy and inexpensive craft that is useful. Love that!
She made some for her aunts, grandmas, the mom of a friend, and me. She has loved gifting them, and it is a great way to use my stash.

I am WAY behind on emails, and while I'm trying to play catch-up, I have a tax deadline that isn't budging, so please bear with me--I'm trying!

I didn't watch the Celebrity Apprentice, but I know many of my friends did. I have been a fan of Trace Adkins for some time now, and I know his fan base has grown because of that show. This song gets me--and it has inspired an upcoming project...and I wanted to thank Val for that!

Have a great weekend!

Baby Fever...

No, I'm not pregnant! But I happen to know a ton of people who are right now, and I've been on overdrive in the idea department with shower favors and such. So much so that when I saw this MM circular ledger paper with the pretty scallops, it reminded me of a baby's bib...I used a small bowl as a template to cut out the neck area. I used a fun striped ribbon from Michael's to add some pattern. I cropped 2 photos of my daughter when she was 9 months old, and inked up the areas you see in the layout. I used a punch to do the holes in the scallops...
I added the MM velvet alphas in peach and pink, and then put Bazzill blossoms on for a girlie touch. It came together in a snap! I also doodled along the letters and the edge of the paper.
I plan on making a "Welcome to the baby shower" sign for the front door for my sweet neighbor who is doing a shower this weekend with this one...but it could just as easily be used for a boy layout...
I wanted to mention a few housekeeping items. The re-order for the April Main kit is now sold out again. There are a few of the April Project kits left if you are interested in those. The newsletters for both kits will be sent via email to customers who purchased the kits on April 1st. Thank you to all who got one this month! The subscription option has definitely turned out to be a positive experience!

For you local gals, a sweet gal by the name of Laura Manning is doing a fundraiser crop called Crop for a Cure. The crop will be April 20th, from 9am-6pm in Lorain at Rosewood Place on Oberlin Avenue. The cost is $45.00 and includes food, snacks, beverages, door prizes, a Chinese raffle, and plenty of work space. Anyone interested can contact Laura at sunnygirl0925@gmail.com for more information or to purchase tickets!!

I've had a really wonderful response to the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn, and I've had several people sign up already. I will be posting more details about the weekend on the website, but I've hesitated because the contract isn't going to be official until tomorrow. If you would like to email me specific questions or want a flyer emailed to you, please email me at Turay413@gmail.com. I am going to continue to take reservations and keep you updated right here!

Have a super Friday!

Tuesday Night Tip...

I'm a huge fan of the Cricut. So much so, that when the Expression came out, I didn't have to think twice about purchasing one. I can't tell you how much I use it--and we regularly joke that it has a permanent perch on my kitchen island. I have been using it a ton lately for an upcoming class, and I wanted to share this tip...I've been using this thing for months now, and it really does work! My friend Jen told me about it and I swear by it. When your Cricut mat starts to get less sticky and is covered in paper lint, swipe a disposable lint roller over it.
When you're finished, it will look something like the above picture. Simply tear off the paper and re-use the lint roller the next time it is needed. And the mat? I've been using the same one for 3 months now. See the cut marks on that baby? I use the repositional herma dots on the mat to hold the paper on because the tackiness is long gone. I also hear that painters tape along the edges of the cardstock also works.

Off to cut a little more before the night is over...

Monday, Monday...

Did you all have a wonderful Easter? I hope so! I look forward to taking some of my Easter decor down today (yes, I'm the type who takes it all down right after the holiday--drives me nuts!). But, there are a few things that are spring-like that I leave up. This is one...It's on my hall tree, and it is a simple ribbon garland. My friend Jennifer taught a class with it 2 years ago and I still love it. I put my favorite pics on there and will find 3 from this Easter to go on there today. It hangs on my hall tree in our foyer.

This stuff was a big hit yesterday. I got some of it for my older nieces who aren't into chocolate anymore. You may have heard of Jill from Karen Russell's blog. I love the sample of the soaps she sent--especially this one--I'm going to try those out next time I order!
A few weeks ago, I wound up here and ended up with this. Man, it makes me so happy! I love that it is filled with lavender, and that every time I walk past it, it makes me smile. I plan on using it later today when I get some sewing time in. What's with me and the pincushions?
And for those of you scrap gals out there who love Jennifer McGuire as much as I do, she's started her own blog. You can check it out here. I met her at the Susan Gilman show in Boston back in 2003, and I found her to be sweet, gracious and adorable. She gave birth to her son weeks after I had my third child, and I've enjoyed lifting a lot of her layouts...hee hee!

Enjoy your day!

Happy Easter!

Since there is snow here in Ohio on the ground this Easter, I thought I'd bring you some sunshine from Molly over in Hawaii...

She submitted this layout for the gallery, and I wanted to post it a bit early...She made this layout using the WIP April Project kit. She is known for her attention to detail, and I love that about her work!
I also happen to love that she is the master of photoshop and her photography is amazing...

There are a few of the April Project kits left, and they can be found here. I also did a re-order for the April Main kit since the wait list was long enough! So for those of you who were on the wait list, you should have received your paypal invoice this evening. I also have a few of the April Main Kits left from the re-order, so if you missed out, you can head over here to grab one (be sure to scroll down--it is under the add-on kit now!)

Hope your day is filled with fun and family. Take lots of pictures!!

Last minute Easter goodness...

I made these for my son's class. Mind you, he goes to a Lutheran school...It's called the Jelly Bean Prayer.

Red is for the blood He gave,
Green is for the grass He made,
Yellow is for the sun so bright,
Orange is for the edge of night.
Blue is for the sins we made,
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for His hour of sorrow,
Pink is for our new tomorrow!

A bag full of jelly beans, so colorful and sweet,
is a prayer, is a promise...is a special treat!

My son and daughter both came home with fun Easter crafty projects and I wanted to share this one in case you needed to come up with something fun for your kids in the next few days. It's made with an empty milk carton (the hole cut out is its mouth) and you cover it in cotton balls. Add ears, eyes, a pink nose and some whiskers, and you have an adorable candy display...

Before I brush off to color some Easter eggs, I wanted to make note of this most holy day. I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Easter. Thank you for being part of my life!

Yes, I actually scrapbook...

Honestly, I do. I made this last week using pictures from a bridal shower I attended last year in Cincinnati using K&Co. papers and a BH sketch (of course!)...
I've been working like a dog making class kits for the Grade School Album class in about 2 weeks. I'm continuing to take names for kits, so if you are interested, email me! I promise I'll do my best to keep up!

I wanted to announce a really cool event I've decided to put together on the blog today. I'm going to officially host a Fall Weekend Retreat at the Bertam Inn!! I can't tell you how excited I am to put this together and offer it to all of you!!! Last month I attended an event held there as a participant, and I was blown away by the whole thing. The place was beautiful, and I was so impressed. Not only was the ballroom beautiful, each person had their own 6-foot table, and the room was open 24-hours so some scrapbooked into the morning. The guest rooms were top notch, although I have to admit I didn't spend a lot of time in mine--LOL! The thing that really sold me had to be the 5-star cuisine. I had heard about their food from people who have attended events there, and man, they weren't kidding...

So, a few quick answers to some of the questions I know you're going to ask!! The date is Friday, November 14th-Sunday, November 16th, 2008. Everyone will have their own 6-foot table. Food will include appetizers and snacks on Friday night, breakfast buffet, dinner, and a fondue bar on Saturday night, and breakfast on Sunday morning. The event goes from 5:00 pm Friday through 2:00pm Sunday. Door prizes and daily drawings for giveaways.

Prices per person are as follows: Double Occupancy: $249, Triple Occupancy: $229, and Quad Occupancy: $219. And for those of you who have attended prior events at this facility, you'll know this a steal.

I will have the full details on the website in the next few days, and I'll also post any updates right here!! I look forward to a wonderful Fall weekend with my scrap friends, and I promise the event will be one to remember!! The event I attended last month with Shelly Lamb sold out in less than a day. Although I don't anticipate that kind of response, I do know the spots will fill quickly. To reserve your spot, please email me at Turay413@gmail.com, and let me know what type of room you would tentatively like to reserve (double, triple or quad). Deposits of 50% will be collected by May 15th, 2008, with the remainder due October 15th, 2008. And yes, you can use your paypal account to pay if you'd like!! How cool is that?

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! I'd love to meet some of you bloggers out there, because the local gals in this area are so fun!!

Have a great evening!

Looking forward...

Every Easter, my husband's family goes overboard and goes crazy with Polish sausage. Everyone brings their own kind, and depending on how it's cooked, it can be a hit or a miss. We all have our personal favorites, but the fact that it is a tradition is what makes it special, ya know? (Kind of like the corned beef & cabbage we all enjoyed last night...) This photo was from last year's feast...And I had to laugh at this one. My MIL thought they were cute. I thought they reminded me of rats, and why would I ever eat that? I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So Marcia, if you're listening, go for the petite fours at the bakery this year...LOL!
Okay, I've been tagged by more people than I can count at this point, so if you're reading this and are one of the few who have not...you're officially "it."

Here goes: 7 Random things about me...

1. My dad is one of 15 children, and my mom is one of 10 children. I have 67 first cousins, many of whom live close by. I love that!
2. My middle name used to be Lynne, but when I got married, I made my maiden name my middle name.
3. I live one whole mile from where I grew up. Wow.
4. I hate reality TV. I'm really not into most television--and I've never seen a full episode of American Idol, the Sopranos, Lost, Desperate Housewives or any of the popular ones. I'm not missing a thing.
5. Three of my closest friends, my sister, my aunt and my husband are all named Kris/Chris.
6. I used to be very shy (my mother described me as "backwards") in school--and have always been a home-body. I've been domestic all my life...(Kristin can verify this!). It makes me laugh now!
7. I have a bachelor's degree in social work and in special education MH/SP. I was a teacher for 13 years before doing all of this...and someday I'll go back to it. It is in me, and I miss it tremendously.

Okay folks, that's it for me! Back tomorrow for a special little announcement...

Fun Stuff...

This weekend, I hosted a baby shower at our home, and I wanted to share a few fun and easy tips for throwing one of your own...
Hang a piece of string or ribbon as a clothes line. Here, I used a flower garland purchased at Target last week. Tell your daughter to bring you lots of doll clothes and hang them up all over the place. (This was one of three clothes lines in the house.)
Use large stuffed animals (your children's or borrow) to decorate. Dress them up with bibs, diapers or XL bottles (I purchased a giant one at Michael's and gave it to the mom-to-be for the baby's first bank) and use it to decorate.
Instead of a cake, we did cupcakes. I got the above tip kit at Target last week, along with an XL cupcake tin and cupcake liners. I picked up 2 boxed cake mixes and 2 cans of frosting (white and I used my food coloring gels to get creative) and all that totaled a whopping $19. The best part is that the decor set comes with a piping tip to fill the cupcakes with cream. I know you can't really tell from the photos, but they are really very large cupcakes... Oh, man--delish. I used sprinkles I had in my pantry and I love the way they turned out.

So much so that I'm making them for Easter as well...
It looks a lot harder than it is. In the middle of this pink cupcake, I put a little banner on a toothpick with the baby's name on it...
All the kids got Easter suckers...
And the adults got cute felt bags filled with goodies (sorry, no picture of that one!) They were the blue ones at the dollar spot at Target, and they were the perfect size...

In other news, I wanted to share my latest etsy find...
My first crafty love was quilting. And these homemade pincushions are just darling. The pins in the cushions came with them, and I'm over the moon about them. They make me happy.
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful St. Patty's Day! I did this layout with the March Project kit with an older photo of my children...
And last but not least, I wanted to thank all the wonderful ladies over at Willow Traders! You all made the day so fun, and I really appreciate all the nice things you have said about the kits and the blog. You all inspire me!! A very special thanks to Tina and Janelle who jumped in over there to help out--(and Janelle, you think they loved your sketch or what? :) )

Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top of the Mornin' to you! To all of my friends--Irish or not, I hope you enjoy the day and have a chance to eat some corned beef and drink something green...I'll be raising a glass to you all today!

I'd like to say a special hello to my friends over at Willow Traders. Remember how I told you all to check them out at the begging of the month? Well, TODAY is OUR day to celebrate the WT 3rd Anniversary Bash!!! Be sure to stop by and check out all the challenges--we'll be doing lots of fun things for sure...

So to kick it off, here is Challenge #1:


Special thanks to Janelle Richmond for creating this sketch--it is exactly what I wanted to start the day! A quick and easy layout using a larger picture as a focal point. What could be more simple than that? Upload your finished layout over at WT (or a link to the finished layout on the WIP thread), and the winner of the April Add-on kit will be announced at 11:30pm tonight.

There will be 3 other challenges today as well...so throw some Irish Soda Bread in the oven and get hoppin', will ya?

Cheers!

BFF mini book :)

ok most of you know that molly and i are best friends. we have been since we met online in august of 2004. as soon as i got this kit-- i knew exactly what i was going to do with this fun little mini book. this thing came together so fast-- less that an hour and a half. don't you just love projects like that? i know i do! :)
*warning* sappy journaling ahead!*
ok here it is--enjoy! and i hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!
everything but the potty people ( cover) , the bling and the epoxy stickers is from the main kit.

The April 2008 WIP Kits...

These will all be available in limited quantities at midnight tonight EST here on the website...
If you have already subscribed to WIP, you should have received your email confirmation and the request for your April order email. Any new subscription requests will begin with the May kit as of today.

The April Main kit... Contents of this kit include: 10 Sheets of Scenic Route Providence

papers, 2 sheets of Bazzill cardstock (daisy & lizard), one SR chipboard tabbed notebook, one Redmond white ledger chipboard alpha set, one set SR orange alphas, one SR Providence coordinating sticker sheet, one SR Providence Label sheet, one set of SR Providence chipboard accents, one red SR label sheet, and a variety of cardstock flowers to coordinate with the kit. The kit can be purchased for $34 as a one-time purchase.

The April Project Kit...

Contents of this kit include: 15 sheets of Scenic Route Grafton paper, two journaling tags, one SR Happy Stamp, one set of boy/girl chipboard people from SR, one brown Jenni Bowlin alphabet stickers, one Grafton label sticker sheet, one set of ledger arrows from Scenic Route, one Grafton boy sticker sheet, one At the Beach sticker sheet, one 5x5

notepad, and one clipboard from Pinecone Press. The cost of this kit is $34.

And the Add-On kit...

Contents of this kit include: One sheet Scenic Route ledger paper,

one die cut sheet Jenni Bowlin bracket paper in brown, two Imaginesce double sided papers, three KI Memories papers, one Making Memories Flocked paper (green & brown) and one 6x12 scalloped Bazzill in green, one 7Gypsies Family sticker, one sheet paper labels, one chipboard clipboard, one Magistical Memories checkmark chipboard journaling box, one 7Gypsies label sticker, 20 raffle tickets (5 each of 4 colors shown), 6 Date labels from Elles Studio, and two Tim Holtz Distress paints in peeled paint and worn denim. Cost of this kit is $24.

I also wanted to mention that I rescheduled the crop from last weekend, and so if you are local and would like to attend a fun crop that will surely be eventful, I'm holding one on National Scrapbooking Day on May3rd. If you are interested in signing up, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com. So if you missed out on the clocks before, I will have them as a break out class at this crop for sure...

And I've had a lot of emails regarding the Grade School album. I am still taking orders for kits, but just note that they won't be available until after the class is offered. I'm aiming for April 8th to send out paypal invoices for those class kits. Thanks for your interest!

Enjoy your weekend!

Easter Cookies.

For the past 3 years, I've had a mother/daughter get together with my friends and their daughters to decorate cookies before Easter. It is by far my favorite thing to do...and it is really very enjoyable! I know--very similar to the Gingerbread party...only a cookie decorating one!I first send out invites, and tell people it is low-key. I then assign them a color--and ask that they bring 2-3 sprinkles in that hue. I also ask that the moms bring aprons for each of them (and not good clothing) and 2-3 cookie sheets (because it takes a while for the icing to harden.)
I set up my kitchen, dinette area and morning room with cookies I've already baked and are ready to decorate. Each mom/daughter team gets a dozen cookies that they select, and they start in right away...
I am sure to put out a lot of small bowls for the sprinkles, and I use the packaged royal icing for the frosting. There is some prep work involved here, but it isn't too bad. (Honestly, I am no Martha--I cheat at the cookies and the frosting--more on that in a minute...)
If you try this yourself, be sure to have moist paper towels at the bottoms of glasses for the icing, so it doesn't dry out. If you demonstrate doing the outline of the cookie first, and then fill in the inside, the cookies turn out beautiful and they look like a million bucks. The girls just love it...
Now, before you think I've outdone myself, here is the best part of the whole thing...I use the pre-made sugar cookie circles from GFS. I let the cookies stand in their packaging until they get to room temp, and add flour (about 1/4 cup to every layer of cookies), roll them out onto parchment, use cookie cutters and bake directly on the parchment. If that is too involved for you, then you can use the pre-cut sugar cookies also sold at many stores and do it that way. I buy the royal icing by the bag at a candy supply store locally and I buy 2 bags of icing for every color I mix so there is enough to cover a group of 8-10 mom/daughter groups (which will frost about 120 XL cookies).
Now, as I stated, they are all asked to bring some sort of carrier to take home wet cookies. I also give them 6" cello bags (also at the candy store) so they can package them up beautifully with ribbon for Easter.

I promise you, it is so fun. Give it a try...

PSA.

Okay. So I have to tell you the coolest thing. I do it every year, and every year it gets lots of "oohs and aahs"...and it is SO EASY. Find a basket (or two or four), fill it with potting soil (make sure the baskets are lined with plastic, or do what I do, and buy them that way.) Next, get some wheat grass (Trader Joe's or any nursery) and sprinkle it on top of the dirt. Moisten the soil. Wait a week, water when the dirt gets dry. Then you'll have the most beautiful grass to put on your tables for Easter--I promise you! It is nearly fool-proof. If you have bare spots, put the eggs there. And just so you know, I have to trim it from time to time with scissors to maintain this look...

One year, the kids and I did this inside a huge glass canister and that was also fun...

I also found the butter in the shape of the lamb that we have to have every year at our local supermarket. Kind of a sick ritual--no one ever wants to cut into it...

If you have any Easter traditions, I'd love to hear about them. Do share! I'm going to post about my favorite one tomorrow...

Wanted to also quickly share a few fun things today. Love this and these and these. And I'm sooooooo trying this.

Have a great Thursday!