Sneak Peek

Check on Friday for the release of Inkin’ Creations’ new kit at Pretty Scrappy

 

Wednesday Freebie

I have another template for you this week.  I got a couple of comments last week but would sure appreciate to hear from you if you think I am on the right track. 

I’m not sure I am liking the color scheme for the template but I will change it for next week.

You can download HERE

Pretty Scrappy Sneak Peek

Astros

So, the Astros aren’t really doing that well this season but Wayne got us box tickets for the game on Sunday so I am not really complaining.  There is nothing better at the ballgame than good seats, great company, great food and basically all the beer you can drink.  This time though I took Ben, Lauren and Lauren’s little sister Tori and drank no beer.  The food was awesome though.

Minute Maid Park from the box

Tossing out the team shirts

 

Thankfully despite the fact that we lost 8 to 3, fun was had by all. 

Battle of the Creative Teams Week 2 Layout

  The theme this week was our personal top 20 playlists.  I have such eclectic taste in music that it wasn’t easy for me to chose just 20 since they change all the time.  Don’t forget to go vote on Monday.

Credits: Drama King by the Pretty Scrappy Design Team and Kisses from Heaven by Armina

Birthday

Thursday we celebrated Lauren’s 18th birthday.  Have YOU ever taken four teenagers out to dinner?  If you have, you know that it is a heck of a way to spend an evening.  Ben had a headache and was crabby, Josh’s allergies were bothering him so he was crabby, Josh and Liz were bickering again (Dr. Phil…can’t you come over and help?) and poor Lauren was just trying to hold on.  By the time we got to the restaurant I was ready to string them all up just on principal. 

When we got inside we were told that we would have to wait for 10 minutes, I was just waiting for the fighting to start again.  Thankfully the Good Lord took pity on me and we were called almost immediately.  Of course, they put all 5 of us at a table for 4.  Good Grief.  Knowing what I do, I grabbed crayons and kids menus on the way past the station and passed them out when we sat down.  There was an almost immediate change in the atmosphere at the table.

Ben was informing me that I was not allowed to take pictures of him during the night.  It didn’t work out that way.

Finally concentrating.

   Coloring on each other’s pages.  Thankfully I brought extra

 

“Ben, I want the blue one”  No – really, that is what she said before she grabbed the crayon.  I said 18th birthday right?

 

I was just about ready for my own table by the time they brought the food.  Thankfully while they were loud and having fun, it didn’t completely deteriorate into juvenile bathroom humor.  You did notice I said completely, right?

After dinner there was the traditional song and cake :)

“I don’t want the check, you are closer”.  Doesn’t ever seem to work that way.  We came home with lots of leftovers and even better memories.

Wednesday Freebie

So, if you missed it from the title of the blog post, I have decided to start posting freebies on Wednesdays.  For a while it is going to be templates until I finish getting my designing legs under me, then I am going to start small. 

I have wanted to design for months but have been afraid to start.  Well, I started and LOVE it….so you get to be my guinea pigs to see if what I design is enjoyed by anyone but me.  I have to tell you, if it isn’t, I am still gonna use it for my layouts LOL.

Here is today’s template from on of my favorite layouts.

Oh, and don’t I look professional????  Tammy of the Queen and the Princess Designs made me my own logo and preview templates.  She said if I am gonna be a designer, I have to look like a designer. lol… don’t you agree?

Get the template HERE

Battle of the Creative Teams Week 1 Layout

I have spent quite a bit of time on layouts during the last few days, I love it when the mojo is just there.

Credits: Sunset Funk by Inkin’ Creations; Quote It: Words to Live By by Inspired Mommie Designs; Oh Happy Day Glitter Styles by GET Designs'; Funk-a-licious Mega Collab by the Pretty Scrappy Design Team; Friday’s Child by Teri’s Thing-O-My-Jigs and Stacey Crossley.

Challenge:

Let's get ready to rumbbbbblllleee! Bust out your EHD's and warm up that tablet cuz the biggest showdown of the year is about to start.
By now you should have read over the contest rules (if you haven't, go now!).

The Round 1 Galleries are set up. This is where you'll upload your layouts.
Each team has a thread in the Round 1 Forums. This is where your team will post their submissions (image and link).

All submissions must be uploaded and posted in your team thread by Sunday, July 19 at 11:59 pm EST (Not sure what time that is for you? Check here!).

Since this is the first week, we thought we'd go easy on ya! Your challenge this week is:
White Space

Quote:

"White space is nothing. It breaks up text and graphics. It provides visual breathing room for the eye. Add white space to make a page less cramped, confusing, or overwhelming."
-about.com

Make a white space (or negative space) layout.
Easy, huh? Not so much! Your team layouts must have a common color theme (examples: black and white; monochromtatic; red, white and blue...).

Optional: For all you over-achievers out there, see if you can come up with a common theme or topic for your team to scrap, as well!
Ready, Set..... SCRAP!

Don’t forget to go to DSA to vote.

Late Night Scraps 50% off Sale!

For one week only Late Night Scraps has everything in her Ahhh Scrap store on sale for
50% off!!
Grab kits, overlays, doodle packs, brushes and elements.
All at a deep discount!

Creative Team Layouts

I have been on a creative roll lately…218 layouts down.  I think I am going to have to adjust my goal before the end of the year. YIPPIE!! Of course if I wasn’t decades behind in my scrapping I wouldn’t have so much to do but oh well.

Here are some of the kits and layouts that I have been playing with.

Credits: Bullfrogs and Butterflies by Teri’s Thing-O-My-Jigs; Template by Gwenipooh.  Kit available HERE

Drool Monster template by: Trixie Scraps

Nasa template by: 3’s Enough

 

Kit and Templates by Sweet Tomato Designs and available HERE 

Kit and Templates by Sweet Tomato Designs and available HERE

Pretty Scrappy

Do you ever wonder what it is about a place that just makes you want to come back again and again and again?  For me it is the people first, cause you really can’t put a price tag on good conversation and people to share with, then it is the activities. 

I remember in Junior High and High School, our family always went on vacation to Branson, MO. and Silver Dollar City.  In the beginning it was HUGE.  We could go on the rides, help make the fudge, drink all the frozen lemonade that we could stomach and see the shows.  After a while though, it got a little stale.  Then mom and dad changed it up.  Christine and I were old enough to go by ourselves, as long as we stayed together of course.  Not that we always did, but we never lost track of each other either.  We got to do our own things and it became different. 

That is what Pretty Scrappy is, at least for me.  The challenges may have some of the same names, but they are never quite the same, and some of them have pulled me COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone.  Here is the list of this month’s challenges:

Personally, I am conducting the Speed Scrap on the 25th and I can’t wait to show you what challenges I have cooked up for you this month.  Won’t you come join in the fun over there, who knows, you could start having as much fun as me. :)

www.PrettyScrappy.com

The Next Four Weeks

I got myself involved in a little challenge called

I am designing for the Pretty Scrappy team and we got our first assignment around midnight today (Wednesday).  Watch my blog for updates and instructions on how to vote for your favorite team – MINE!! LOL

Behind the Times

Isn’t the title so terribly true? We all know that I am a sporadic blogger who just isn’t consistent and often miss out on prime blogging opportunities. Now that we have reestablished this, I feel much better catching you up on what is going on in my world.

This month has pretty much flown by and before I am aware, or even ready it is going to be time to say goodbye to one of my sons and watch the other one head off to sophomore year. Since he is in marching band, I lose him to his schedule Aug 4th so these quiet days and occasional mother/son moments will go by the way of the dodo and will have to be scheduled around orthodontist appointments, football games, marching contests, and the standard life of a high school student. Not surprisingly, he is getting antsy to go back to school since there are only so many games of Halo on Xbox live you can play before you just want to hang out with “real friends”.

Josh is going to take his ASVAB pre-test this week and if he does well he will take the actual test next week. I am praying for his success since while I will miss him, it is time to kick the bird from the nest. I know that it has to happen eventually, and I like the concept but I am sure I am going to be missing him dreadfully.

This month has seen the creation of my new AWESOME computer – don’t ask the specs, this is my hubby’s domain but now this thing opens CS4, creates videos, does blinkies in no time…well, I don’t have any more computer problems. Yippie!!

This weekend was an interesting one. We were supposed to go to the Astro’s baseball game on Friday, in style. Hubby’s business contacts have a suite at Minute Maid Park and believe me, it is SWANKY. Good food, alcohol until you don’t feel like drinking and ICE CREAM SUNDAES. (can you see where my priorities lie?). Unfortunately, this contact forgot to call Wayne back so instead of a baseball game hubby and I sat in the same office working on separate computers and vegging out. It seems that hubby’s computer got jealous of mine and stopped working for a few days, frustrating my husband to no end. He finally got it fixed this weekend and is back to speaking in complete sentences.

Saturday hubby and I ran errands, did laundry and I put together the church service for Sunday. Of course, I didn’t attend church Sunday because we went to the Homecoming reunion that our family participates in every year. A group of people in the 1800’s were members of a community church/school and their ancestors come yearly, work on the family cemetery and eat. It was interesting but it was 103 degrees!! This fat body was so not happy and was informing me that I need to lose weight or die of a heart attack and/or heat stroke. Of course this means exercise…I am not happy!

Oldest Child Youngest Child Family/Community Cemetery

Boys munching on good food from the potluck.

Brothers and cousins enjoying the day

ok – I didn’t start my diet yesterday

The boys took the camera and went exploring. And surprisingly, no loss of life and limb from stupidly climbing over barbwire.

While in Giddings we stopped at Uncle Clyde’s property to look at where Wayne spent his summers as a boy. The house is over 100 years old and looks like something out of the little house on the prairie. It is small but has had 3 additions made over the decades including a new kitchen, bedrooms and a walk in pantry. Before the second addition, they were raising ELEVEN kids in this house. Really??? With no air conditioning and a wood stove???? I was not built for that I promise.

HomesteadThe first vehicle that Wayne ever drove, at age 12 or 13

Yes, they still use the outhouse! (ick)

Add on Pantry Smoke house yes, they used to cook on this. Prickly Pear

Before we left Uncle Clyde asked us to go feed the cows. WHAT???? REALLY???? I can’t say I was excited (103 remember) but ok…I’m game (kinda). It was rather interesting and gross…yeah, lots of gross. When we drove up they came running, just like my cats when it is time for dinner. All in all, it was a good weekend.

This morning I got some bad news. I got fired…well, I guess I got laid off. During this month I signed on as a designer’s Admin Assistant to help her stay organized, run her business and basically be the “do all, catch all” for her business. Her health started to decline so she said she was going to take a break and asked me to wait until she got better. I agreed. This morning I got a rather succinct email telling me that she was done with this business and didn’t need me anymore. She did agree to pay me for my time…but I am kinda..well dazed, upset, hurt….over I guess.

One last piece of information that I get to share with you…I am the head of the Creative Team of the Queen and Princess Designs and we remade the CT blog and it is going to be Awesome. They have some adorable kits and I can’t wait until you get to see them. She just got hired over at DSO or "Digital Scrapbook Obsession" and is opening up at her new store within a month!! Yah.

Ok, I’m gonna assume that no one has read this far but if you did, thanks for sticking with me and I will have more freebies this week.