Hot Wheels, Glue Guns, and Taking Over The World One d.i.y. project at a Time

Chicken Chili With Beans

2012-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

Recipe 1 0f 12....it's a good one! As I wrote in this post, I made a resolution to try 12 new recipes this year. I have had the William-Sonoma 'Food Made Fast' cookbook, for, um years.......why didn't I use them sooner?

{Chicken Chili With Beans}

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and minced
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cans (each 14 1/2 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Cook the chicken
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring once or twice, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Prepare the vegetables
Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan. Add the tomatoes and their juices and 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is opaque throughout and the chili has thickened, about 15 minutes.

Finish the chili
Stir in the beans and cook until they are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the chili into individual bowls, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
Also can be found here.

I wasn't surprised that I loved this. I have never met a chili I didn't like. I left out the onion, and I cooked the whole jalapeno in this pot, then pulled it out. I think that's how you make it spicy, but not too much so. Oh, and I added the corn, because I thought that sounded good. It was so easy, I'll definitely make it again!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week!

Later,

Michelle

About Two Page Layouts

2012-01-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break I had three days of no interruptions, no plans, no nothin'. I stayed in my PJ's most of the time, drank lots of coffee (and other beverages) and made it thru 4 seasons of Dexter. Oh, and I scrapbooked...alot. I try to finish one book a year for myself, and I was trying finish that up. Mind you, I don't always finish one year before starting on the new year, but I had the time, so I thought why not put a neat little bow on 2011?? And, I almost finished, just 2-3 more layouts to get done. Yeah!

While taking a break from serial killers (because, for real, that show is so wrong.....) I caught up on the past few episodes of the Paperclipping Roundtable. It's probably my #1 favorite podcast, all about scrapbooking. One particular episode was about two page layouts and how the trend in magazines and online is to showcase one page layouts with very few photos and lots of techniques and embellishments. They were debating the pros and cons and discussing the pressure that some people feel to make their scrapbook pages look like what they see in magazines and online. It got me thinking:

-I like doing 2 page layouts. Most of my books are 2 pagers.
-I am also more of an event document than a story based documenter. That is, I ENJOY making layouts about birthdays, Christmas, and I like keeping them....... in chronological order. GASP!! 2 page layouts are more conducive to this method, because I can include more pictures

However, I realize that 2 page layouts do create certain challenges. I thought I would share a few of my recent pages to show you how I deal with some of them.

{LADY GAGA}

supplies: fabric paper-American Crafts, letter stickers-OLD Jenni Bowlin, stars-Studio Calico (embossed in silver)

Don't you dare judge me, you know when Gaga comes on while you are in your car, you dance ; )

In this layout I wanted to include a bunch of pictures from the concert that I had printed online, plus a few of my friend and I. I tried to use the patterned paper to a) highlight my favorite photos on the left pages by matting them and arranging in a grid. and b) tie both pages together by using it across both. I also printed out that purple strip (it has song titles on it) and ran it across both pages, hopefully leading your eye from one page to the other.

{DERBY 2011}

supplies: Studio Calico add-on kit Thimble, pocket page proctector-WeRMemory

Another issue that can come up when you scrapbook like me is having too many pictures I want to put in my books. I like doing 2 page layouts because I can fit more than just a few pictures. In facet, I kind of love this combination of one page layout and pocket page. It lets me create a fun page one-with lots of products and maybe lots of journalling, then I can arrange the rest of my pictures in the pocket page. Sometimes I will fill a few of the pockets with paper or extras that match the other page (like I did here) or I just fill them all with pictures. When you put all these different pages in your album, it looks really good!

Obligatory close up picture of the banner I stitched, because I love the way this page turned out ; ):

{2+2}

Hey, look, another banner!

supplies: paper, embelishments-Teresa Collins

OK, I'll give you a minute to recover from the double dose of cuteness............ready? Let's proceed.

Sometimes with a lot of photos it can be hard to focus your eye on ny one picture, so the layout looks cluttered. I tried to solve that by printing some larger than others, and by highlighting the left page's picture. I also try to keep my embellishments more streamlined when doing a two pager. By that I mean, I use less and I keep them grouped-for the most part. By doing this I feel like you can look around from one area to another , but it avoids the overcluttered, busy look. Hopefully.

{YOUR ARE THE BEST}

supplies: cardstock-American Crafts, patterened paper circles Teresa Collins (inspired by Lisa), you're the best-Scenic Route

(Let me just say I miss Scenic Route. I wish they would come back and make more albumsembellishmentsbackgroundpapers....sigh.)

I used leftover scraps to make a third layout of extra pictures I had of my Nephews' birthday weekend. I think that when I flip thru my book in a few years it will be clear that all three pages go together, even though they don't match exactly.

I hope this gives you a few ideas you can use. I am certainly no expert and I am not reinventing the wheel, here. But, the podcast made me think and want to write about it.

Do you use 2 page layouts? Do you use a lot of these new pocket pages? What are your tips or problems with them? Leave a comments, I would love to hear!

Later,
M.

12 for 2012

2012-01-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if you make resolutions in January, then byMarch, well…….ahem.

Not only have I made (and broken) more New Years’resolutions than I can count, but in general I lack in dedication to longterm goals. Whether it’s saving money for a big purchase, losing weight, orkeeping my car clean-I stink. I go all balls to the walls for a few weeks, Ilove the results, but the follow-up/follow-through? I get busy, distracted,move onto the other thing. Sound familiar?

Well, I for one, am sick of it. There are so many things Iwant to accomplish, that I want for my life. I think like any other body part,maybe discipline is a muscle you need to strengthen? A practice you need toperfect? Does that sound totally corny?

In the past two years I have accomplished two major longterm goals. Two years ago I managed to save enough money to go to Europe (Iblogged about that here). That was a loooong slow process, and had I been moreorganized and dedicated it may have only taken me two or three years…instead ofseven or eight. Last year I finally finished paying off all my debts (car,student loans, credit card). Man, did that one feel good! It was also a loooongtime coming, but now I am living freer than I ever have (financially). More on this in a later post. Bothexperiences taught me that I can stick to and accomplish something, that I don’talways need to be impulsive. I can do something I really set my mind to. So,this year I am going to stretch my muscles again. No large, looming,youbetterdothisorelse goals, no I’m going to be skinny by summer goals. Real,motivating actions that will improve different areas of my life.

And this is mejumping on the bandwagon of blogging about my goals and the results.

Of course I needed a graphic, right? Made using my old friend Picasa.

I'm really excited by my plans this year! Check it out:

{12 On The Twelfth}

A while ago I read about a project called 12 on the 12^th.It’s not rocket science, the idea is to get out your camera and commit to takeat least twelve pictures on the twelfth of each month. I’m going to stick withthis for the year for two purposes: to document the little things that I do andexperience during the everyday this year, and to practice my photographyskills. I have an awesome point and shoot camera (Cannon G11) . It has allthese cool features and capabilities that I have no idea how to use. What’s thepoint of paying so much for a great system if I only access half of it? So-I amgoing to read my manual (again) and take on a few of the mystery dials andbuttons: ISO, stitch assist, macro. Whether or not I use them all the time, Ithink it will be fun to know what I can do if I want.

AtWrite.Click.Scrapbook they are putting together a community of people who arealso following along with 12 on the twelfth. You can sign up here for newsletters,inspiration, tips and to see what everyone else is doing. Even if you don’t showthem to anyone else, take the pictures! I would love to see if any of my onlinefriends take pictures and what they have going on (this project appeals to my overlynosy nature….)

{12 Dishes of 2012}

Every year I say I am going to cook more, eat out less.EVERY year I fall back into the same old habits….sound familiar? there’s lotsof reasons why I don’t cook more-all lame (I live alone, I hate the clean up, IREALLY hate chopping vegetables). Lame, right? This year I am going to make ATLEAST 12 new recipes-one a month. It’llbe all sorts of things( desserts, salads,sushi-that one is definitely on mylist), and hopefully I can share the meal with a few of my friends ;). Have youheard of Recipe Spinner, an app you can use to fins new recipes using ingredientyou have already, or you can spin by theme!

Really, there are a million places I can find new recipes.In fact a few years ago my brother gifted me several cookbooks. Oh, and Ibought The Joy of Cooking. ahem…….

{12 Dates With Me}

I am going to have 12 new experiences in the upcoming year. Thisgoal is a little more open ended. ‘Experiences’ means an activity, either astore I’ve never been to, a new class that the gym, a new art project. Justlooking to expand my mind a little. I took one intro to Pilates class at mygym, and I would like to work up to doing a fully fledged class. Oh, and try aPilates machine, those look really cool. I have a few other ideas as well: takea road trip somewhere new, a new park, get a new kind of massage…haha. Obviouslyplaces like Pintrest are a great resource for cultivating inspiration. I mayhave trouble choosing just 12. As long as I DO 12, I win!

{12 New Cars for the New Year!!}

Kidding, kidding….did you see paragraph #3? No more car loansfor this girl. The thing is, I spend more time in my car than the average bear.It’s a crucial part of my job. I often eat lunch in my car, drink coffee in mycar, change clothes….you get the idea. You can imagine the amount ofnapknscupstissuehairscrucnchiesflyers that accumulate. And let’s not forget thecat hair. No, my cats don’t ride in the car with me, but in some ways, theyare. I am SOOOOO lazy when it comes to cleaning out my car, and vacuuming-let’sjust say that is not the easiest task to perform from a seated position.However, the truth is I have a NICE car, a GROWN UP car thatclients/coworkers/friends ride in. ‘nuff said. So I have a monthly appointmentwith my local car wash that offers free vacuums (holler!).

So, there you have it. My plan for the new year. Hopefully Iwill get it together well enough to share what I do here.

Does anyone else havea goal or a plan for the new year? Do tell! I’ll help keep you honest ; )

A vote for Me....is a Vote for Everybody!

2011-12-14T19:51:00.000-08:00

So....you remember this lovely lady I wrote about in my last post?

Well, she had gotten herself all the way up to finalist in the American Crafts Mini Book Challenge on Facebook!

Please please PLEASE take a sec and click over to this photo album to vote for her. She is the last picture, so make sure you don't click 'like' for the whole album, that doesn't up my vote count.

Thank YOU! And, as the title of this post suggests, if I win I will share my loot with one of my fantastic blog readers! Just leave me a comment to let me know you voted and I'll pick a name when I get my PRIZE (positive thinking, I might be a little competitive ; ))

Thanks again!

Making My List, Checking It Twice

2011-12-11T13:37:00.001-08:00

Hey there,

I'm blogging today from my sister's house in Springfield. My immediate family is together this weekend to celebrate Christmas. So far, it's been the best weekend-eating, watching movies, playing. All good stuff.

Since we are exchanging presents today I am all finished with my shopping. How about you?

While making my list (for Santa) I stumbled upon a few fun gift idea I thought I would pass along. The Selphy printer is the only one that actually made it on my list, but I would be totally happy to get any of these things!

Enjoy!

{TECHY GEEKY GIFTS}

Canon Selphy printer

Little Printer

Buy the Fisheye, Macro, Wide Angle and Telephoto Phone Lenses at the Photojojo Store!
Fisheye, Macro, and Wide Angle lenses for your Iphone/iPod. Pretty much everything at the Photojojo store would be awesome for photography nerds, beginners, stalkers....I also like this, this, and this.

Seems like little lenses for your camera phones are popping up everywhere this year. File this one under the 'IhaveabsolutelynoideawhybutIhavetohaveit' category:

Holga iPhone lenses

{BOOKS}

Explosive Eighteen. Janet Evanovich. Be prepared to laugh, alot, out loud. I've read the entire series and they're all great. Note: this is not a series you have to feel like you have to read every single one in order. The author does a great job of catching you up on the important points, and really, the stories aren't that deep anyway. Just good fun mysteries.

Vogue: The Covers. I wish I had heard about this book earlier, it would have definitely been on my list. Serious photography and fashion eye candy from an iconic magazine.

Royal Weddings and Royal Affairs. Both read like historical reality show series. The author has a fantastic voice and a way of making all these juicy stories come to life.

I might have a few more to suggest before the big day, but I hope I gave you a few ideas!

Later,
Michelle

In The News

2011-11-27T00:30:00.000-08:00

Hey There!

Today I wanted to pop in and share two layouts I just finished.

{AMERICANS ONLINE}

The night the news broke about the death of Osama Bin Laden I hopped online and I was not so surprised that Twitter was blowing up reacting to the news. Twitter has become somewhat of a pop culture thermometer to me. People log in and say whatever is on their mind right then. Sometimes that's good, sometimes that's bad. I decided to screen capture part of my Twitter feed from that night to document some of the things people were saying. Some Tweets were serious, some were snarky, and some were-in my opinion, a little inappropriate. No matter what I thought about it, it's a part of my life right now, so it deserved a place in my scrapbook. I have layouts like this before. They're less about a specific event and more about my world's reaction to it, and technology.. I made a pocket behind the teal cardstock to stick a copy of The President's remarks on the event. I thought they were worth documenting as well.

{FESTIVAL WEEKEND}
Sometimes I miss working in the theatre so much. This was one of those weekends. the local theatre here, Actors Theatre holds an annual new plays festival called the Humana Festival. It's right up there as one of the top reasons I LOVE living in Louisville. If you are a theater lover at all, you need to come see some of the productions during this festival! This year I saw almost all of the 10 productions. It was so much fun! I used this page to document some of the shows I saw and the friends I saw them with. Almost all the products are old Basic Grey with a few Thickers thrown in for good measure.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a fun, relaxing Sunday!

Michelle

Oh Las Vegas...You Are SO Over The Top!

2011-11-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I am home from a long, but very fun day in the 'Nati with my family. I ate more than my share of stuffing, cranberries and pie. I love pie and any holiday that involves pie.....especially when Grandma is on the job! I am a lucky girl, I have the best family and getting to see them makes me really really grateful.

Did any of you do Black Friday shopping? I did stop in to Michael's on my way back to Louisville (I mean, it WAS on the way after all....) and picked up a few things with my coupons. A few things I am really excited to use and I'll share more on that soon. I also want o share a few ideas for Christmas gifts and a few projects I just finished. I have a lot of ideas in my little head. Tonight I wanted to share a few pictures from a weekend trip to Las Vegas I took last month.

Man, I am not nearly cool enough for that town. I think I am pretty much the worst gambler in the world, and.....I was in my hotel by 12:30 almost every night. Lame.

However, I did get a bunch of cheesy, touristy pictures......

And drank a LOT of oversized rum drinks.....

And tried an oxygen bar......

And saw the worlds worst Michael Jackson impersonator...

And walked through a LOT of sparkly/busy/gawdy casinos.

In all seriousness The Cosmopolitan might be my new favorite building EVER. It is Gorgeous!

Ummmm, I want this rug.

And this was all around the outside. So clever!

We took a side trip to the Grand Canyon......

And walked out onto the skywalk....

And took some Brian Walker inspired self portraits....

And went to an 'Old West' town to throw tomahawks

And shoot each other with fake guns

Back in Vegas we celebrated my brother in laws 40th birthday!

And went to an ENTIRE CASINO filled with haunted attractions. That was the best!

It was a really fun weekend. No one got hitched, got a tattoo or got arrested. But, we did laugh A LOT, and walked even more. I don't know if I would ever go back, but I am so glad to cross this glittery city off of my 'cities to see' list.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Michelle

Florida Or Bust

2011-11-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

Are you done with your holiday shopping yet? I thought I was....but, no. My problem is I have zero patience when it comes to driving, circling for a parking space and waiting in long lines with tired people....ugh. I tried really hard this year to do all either handmade or small business gifts. It took some hunting and pecking, mostly online. I am working on a post of gift ideas I found here and there that might interest you!

Today I wanted to share a mini album I finished last week. Most of the pieces are from the Almanac Add On kit from Studio Calico. The mini book is a DayBook from American Crafts, included in the kit. It's really cute alone, because it's filled with different sizes and colors, papers and envelopes. It looks like a lot of found item books I've seen people making-without all the work! The size and number of pages were also great. I actually pulled one page out, because there were so many! I hear they are going to release more styles of this journal, I look forward to kepping my hands on them. The pictures are from my trip over Memorial Day weekend to visit my good friend Nathan in Florida. I love that kid, we always have the most fun when we're together-even when doing nothing at all. And, it's Florida, so I got lots of beach time, that's good for your spirit. What I wouldn't pay to get back to Florida ASAP, but I'm getting off track.

{THE COVER}

I had some painters tape left over from painting my condo, so I tried to create a stripe pattern using my Mr. Huey's. It was half successful, I think. I laid the vertical stripes down then sprayed with Sunshine, let that dry, then laid horizontal stripes and sprayed with Piglet. I want to try this technique again on a larger piece of cardstock, and maybe using paint, too.

{THE INSIDES}

hahaaaa...these pictures make me laugh out loud. n the left, Nathan is reliving a scene in a movie where 'Hummels Attack'. One the right is a book- 'If You Can't Stand To Cook-cooking for the handicapped'. haha!!

The flashcards to the left are from Elle's Studio.

OK. So I saw this layout from Dear Lizzy and I thought 'what a cool way to include the beach with your beach photos! I took a page protector, cut down to about 3' x 4', and sewed most of it to the page. I used a teeny tiny funnel to get the sand and the shell in there, then finished the stitching. I love how the shell peeks out the space I punched out of the back! I think this would be a cool way to include: pressed flowers, confetti, coins from vacation, lots of stuff!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek at my book. As always, if you have any questions on how I made anything, leave me a comment!

Later,

Michelle

Week In My Life Album

2011-10-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there. Hope you enjoying fall wherever you are. I am taking full advantage of my favorite month of the year-haunted houses, hot coffee, chili, sweaters...even some football. Oh, and then there's all the crafting.....I have been making projects and getting ideas like a mad woman. If only I had the month off to stay home and play all day....sigh. That would be awesome.

I really can't complain, because as I write this, I am just one day away to hopping a plane-to Las Vegas!! woohoo.....I am MORE than ready for a few days of girlfriend/family fun. More on that later.

Before I can share new projects with you I realized I never published this my Week In The Life album. For those who are new to this, it's an online community of people who commit to documenting their lives for one week. The finished product can be pictures, words, pieces of paper. You can read about it on Ali Edward's site. I shared my pictures here. This project came during a very UN-ordinary week for me-the first week after I moved into my condo! Lots of stuff in here that I will never have again, and it was so much fun putting it all together.

Check it out:

The left hand page here is empty on purpose. I have a lot of mushy, sentimental thoughts I am going to wite in there!

Supplies I used- patterned paper, letter stickers, mist:Studio Calico, Days of the Week and Chevron tags: Ormolu, pictures all taken on my Ipod and edited at Picnik online.

Thanks for stopping by! I will have lots of Halloweeny good-ness to share next week. If you don't hear from me then...well, maybe I ran off and married the Elvis Impersonator of my dreams in Vegas ; )...

Later,

Michelle

House Tour (Part 1)

2011-10-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share a few pictures of my new space. I have a few aunts and siblings that are curious ; ).

disclaimer:

#1-Please try and look past any wonkiness in the pictures. The weather the week I took these was gloomy gloomy= bad lighting.

#2-I am super short so some the angles here are weird. I need a fish eye lens, and a tall friend

#3-these are my two favorite spaces in the condo, I am really happy how they turned out!

Allow me to set the scene- the condo is a u-shape with bedrooms on both ends. The room I sleep in is to the right of the front door, down a hallway. The kitchen/dining room/living room make up the bottom of the "U". It's a pretty large room. The other end of the "U' is another bedroom/turned office and bathroom/turned 'man cave'. I'll show that off in another post. Click on the photo if you want to see it larger!

{BEDROOM}

All the same furniture, because I love my dressers so much! They were my mother's when she was young. They are a pretty color, are minimal but have cool hardware. The finish has worn badly, someday I would love to get them re-done. The bedspread I bought a year or so ago from Target (Liberty of London) and the colors in it are some of my favorites. It inspired the color of the accent wall.

Let me back up a little: the condo is a very modern, open floor plan. There are no doors on the bedrooms, and you can kind of peek in them from the main room. The outside of the "U" was painted white, but it was dingy and old looking. The inside of the "U" was this really nice gray. I kept the gray, and my lovely girlfriends helped me re-paint all the white. It helps with the flow of the place and make it uniform. However, I can't like in an all white house, right? SO.....I put a couple of accents walls in there.

(note to self: You have the best friends ever.......and let's face it-without them you'd have a really boring condo)

I know this is bright, and bold. But I love it. It pops so well and matches the bedspread. I think it gives the bedroom a lot of personality. That light fixture replaces a boring white ceiling fan. Much better, right? I found it at Lamps Plus online. They have a bazillion lights, and great service. I highly recommend them.

Notice the throw pillow? I sewed it from a t-shirt with a famous KY phrase ; )...haha. I was pretty impressed with myself on that one.

A little grouping on top of my dresser:

Overall I didn't spend too much money on the bedroom. Paint, light, a wall shelf (not pictured), a couple of picture frames, and a table lamp. I mixed in a bunch of things I already had-namely two black and white photos that were hanging elsewhere in my apartment. I still need to dress up my naked window and maybe add a rug, but I love this room! I have the best naps in this room.....and that is saying alot.

{LIVING ROOM}

This is were I sit to catch up on TV at night!

This is by far the nicest looking room in the joint. I had the couches and a few of the end tables but alot of the pieces in here are new. Namely the coffee table, pillows, lights, and dining room furniture you will see a little later. Like I said, I got really lucky with the gray on the inside wall. It was modern and very easy to decorate from.

Something else I should point out is that this condo was previously a rental. Read-not cleaned well, dingy and worn. There was an old gray carpet in here that stunk like the inside of a bar. I pulled that out and put down laminate flooring. I know everyone gets hard wood floors, but I had that in my last apartment. They are way hard to maintain with wheelchair wheels tracking dirt and cat paws leaving marks. Laminate is very durable and easy to clean. Really, in this space I have a lot of rugs out and most of the floor is covered, so I don't think you can tell a difference. (did I mention it also took about $1,000 off the cost? right.)

To the left of the couch is this wonderful photo wall. I am totally thrilled with the way it turned out, although I have two last frames to fill with pictures I cannot find. There's a mix of old/new frames, cloth frames, shiny, matted/unmatted, and that great word art I found at Hobby Lobby. How perfect is that? I rarely color in the lines ; ). A wall like this might seem intimidating, but it was not really. If anyone's interested, I can pass along how I did it and tips to make it easier.

Couch pillows made from old couch pillow filling and fabric I bought at JoAnn's. I loved the purple so much that I changed the whole color scheme I was going to use for this room.

{DINING ROOM}

If you are looking at the couch, this is behind you. Many of you I know in real life are probably so sick of hearing me talk about my dining room furniture. But, really.....look at them:

I love them more than is probably appropriate for owner/furniture relations. I knew I need new dining room furniture (and by furniture I mean I needed to replace my $200 Meijer table set). I knew I wanted something midcentury, at least a table and a side board.Then I met Susan. She owns The Deal, the biggest and best antiques dealer in Louisville-specializing in mid-century antiques. The table was my first purchase. It is small and square, but has leaves that pull out if I need more room. The chairs weren't sold with it, but I thought they looked alot better than the ones that were. She sent me to a friends' shop to get the chairs and that's when I met her. The bar set you see above on the right. I have never ever gasped when furniture shopping, but that's exactly what I did when I saw this piece. I fell heads over heels in love with her. She flips open, rotates, hold a ton of wine and screams 'I am Mad Men cool', lol. Her sister on the right had to come home with me, too. I couldn't split up the set, could I?

The cool light fixture is this one from IKEA.

A close up of the china cabinet. I have never owned a china cabinet, but obviously I had NO trouble filling her up. Alot of my barware are things I collected while travelling, and a big supply of pieces handed down from my grandfather.

The prints over my friend the sideboard are wrapped canvases from Canvas On Demand. I tried them on a Groupon, but their service was excellent. They made these pictures I took in Europe last year look like real works of art. Can't recommend them enough. Can you see the little camera in the bottom left? That was a recent purchase with my cousin Jen at an antiques fair. I totally stole that idea from her!

So, that's that. I'll also take a few pictures of my office and the kitchen, but, ahem, I need to clean them first. Actually, clean them and keep them clean for more than an hour-ha! Thanks so much for sticking around and taking a peek, hope you enjoyed the tour!

Later,
Michelle

Making Pretty Messes

2011-09-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Mine was waaaaay to short. Getting up for work on Monday is always so much harder than any other day of the week. Am I the only one who feels that way?!?

I just wanted to pop in quickly and share some cards I made. I have recieved a few housewarming gifts recently and I needed a few thank you cards to send out. I got the Blissful Bontanicals stamp set from Lawn Fawn a few months ago. Are those flowers SO pretty! I think this set could be used a lot of different ways, but for this quick set of cards I went the easy route and just colored them in with colored pencils. I also cut and layered a few of the blossoms so I could mix and match the flowers. Bright and fun, just the way I imangined the card in my head. How often does that happen?

{Flowery Thank Yous}

supplies: sentiment stamp:Hero Arts, flowers: Lawn Fawn, colored pencils, cardstock, black ink

Thanks for stopping by, be back soon with pictures of my new condo!

Later,

Michelle

Lawnscaping Blog Hop & My Philosophy on 'Happy Accidents'

2011-09-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone to the next stop on the Lawnscaping blog hop! You just finished enjoying Paulina's blog and now it's my turn to share a couple of cards I whipped up with my favorite Lawn Fawn stamps! This was a fun challenge and I am so grateful to the Lawnscaping crew for letting me share what I made with you. Stay with me to the end of this post for your chance to win some great prizes!

{True confession time} I had planned to make two very different cards. You see, I am mildly obsessed with this stamp set, and I planned two Valentines themed cards using the hearts and a few of these critters. I had the whole layout in my head and I was just going to whip it up, and all would work out as planned. AHEM. Someone forgot that they lent this stamp set out to a friend and someone waited until last night to actually make the cards and so that someone had to come up with a couple of other brilliant ideas. I also have to admit that I don't have any of the specifically holiday themed stamps (like this one or this one) so I didn't have Kelly marie's cute stamps to make my job easy.

I did a little thinkin' about off the beaten path holidays I could use as inspiration for my cards. One was an obvious one, the other came to me after a little internet search. Check it out:

{HAPPY DERBY}

supplies: Bannerific stamps (Lawn Fawn), letter stamps-so old, no idea who makes them, ink (Papertrey Ink), colored pencils, glitter (Doodlebug), machine stitching

Some of you may be unaware, but the Kentucky Derby is certified holiday here in Louisville. Like, people take off work, kids are out of school, and businesses are closed kind of holiday. I think that qualifies it for it's own greeting card, don't you? (And for those of you who don't live in Kentucky, I think you should start a petition to get the day off as well. I would totally back you up on that). I have sent out Derby cards to my family in the past, with a little bottle of mint julep mix, just to help them celebrate the occassion properly.

I used my favorite Lawn Fawn stamp-Bannerific to get the ball rolling. It was the perfect way to frame my sentiment. I tried to give this simple card a little dimension by reverse appliqueing the white cardstock behind the green base and then layering the banner on top of that. I used Fresh Snow ink to stamp a bunch of small flowers from Blissful Botanicals as a subtle background. Flowers are pretty much everywhere Derbytime, especially red roses. I used one of the flowers from Blissful Botanicals to mimic a bouquet of roses. A little sprinkling of glitter finished it all off.

{TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY}

supplies: stamps (Lawn Fawn, Hero Arts), Ink (Papertrey Ink), colored pencils, paints (Studio Calico, Tattered Angels), patterned paper (Teresa Collins)

Did you know that September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Arrrr Matey! haha, I love it and you can bet I am going to celebrate it right! I mean, really, the possibilities are endless-drinking like a pirate, wearing an eye patch, searching for booty......awesome.

I know a couple of little pirates that are going to get this card and a few related gifts. I consider this a happy accident, I would never have thought of this had I not forgotten my other stamp set. And, really, isn't a Pirate hliday WAY more interesting than a muchy romantic one?

To make this card, I used alot of paperpiercing and masking. It took a little planning to make sure I did things in the proper order. Follow me --> 1. I stamped a few little friends from Critters In The Sea 2. I masked them off by stamping the same images onto Post-It notes, then I dripped blue Glimmer Mist and green Mr. Huey to give the background a little interest. 3.Color in my little fishy friends 4. I stamped and cut out the pirates' hat from a little guy in this stamp set from Hero Arts 5.I used that banner stamp again to create a place for my o-so-original pirate humor. I hope that made sense, I know what it's like to look at a project and try to figure out how it went together. I wanted to make it as clear as I could so you could do the same thing!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope I inspired you to create cards for something other than your regular holidays! Need some ideas? This calendar has a great listing of holidays and this one has more outrageous if not slightly inappropriate reasons to send out some happy mail.

I know what you're thinking....come on already-I want prizes!! haha.....well, leave a comment here for one chance to win. The generous folks at lawn Fawn are giving 4 lucky hoppers a chance to win the set of their choice (when I win, I am going to get this one ; ) ). I also heard a rumor of some MYSTERY prizes along the way.

Hop along to Kim's blog for more cards and more chances to win! If you get lost, just hop back to the Lawnscaping site to start over.

Thanks again for stopping by and hope to see you here again soon!!

Michelle

A Very Un-Ordinary Week In The Life

2011-08-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Anyone else a big HUGE fan of Ali Edwards and her blog?!? I love her, I read her blog alomst every day. She has so many great ideas for simple, yet relevent ways to capture and document her life. She always comes up with these fun projects and invites me to play along-so I do.

A Week In The Life. The idea is to focus on taking pictures, thoughts, and memorabilia from a typical week in your life to document. She invited all her blog readers to follow along at the same time. It just so happens that this year it fell on a not so ordinary week for this girl. It was the week after I moved into my new condo! I was so happy to have the reason and motivation to capture all the little things that made this week so great. And it was a great week-settling in, starting to decorate, adjusting to my new surroundings, meeting neighbors. I think I am going to really like it here.

I am still working on my mini album, but I thought I would share my pictures and a few highlights from the week. I decided to just cary around my beloved Ipod Touch for a camera (the idea of carying my real camera here, there and everywhere was a little too much this year). I processed all my pictures through Instagram and then printed them out at home. So easy and made sure I could print out the pictures ASAP. The album is almost done.....almost.

Check it out:

boxes-lots of unpacking, sorting, unwrapping, throwing away of boxes

Doctors-this was also the week I scheduled some tests I get annually. Very smart,huh?

Cable-I got cable! And Succotash supervised, lol!

Self portraits-I tried to get a few good one, even though I was having the worst hair week ever.

Food-You know I had to capture all the best meals from the week. Oh, pineapple curry, I love you.

Furniture-a few adventures in furniture shopping and assembly

Random Kid-who stepped into my picture at the Farmer's Market is totally going in the book. Look at that face!

Friends-I tried to squeeze in a little friend time, have to remember these pretty faces!

So there you go! Definitely not ordinary, but a great week in my life!

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Decoration Inspiration July 2011

2011-07-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

So...I am now a homeowner!!

I am slowly but surely getting my new condo together, and I finally to the fun part-DECORATING!! Much more fun than: mortgage applications, repairs, negotiations, credit checks...blahblahblah.

I am trying to update my look to match the modern look of the building. Actually, I want a mix of modern/simple lines and mid century modern. I have a real soft spot for furniture from the 50's, 60's and 70's. What I have now is mostly all matching furniture-dark wood, modern feminine, Target furtniture. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice look, but I want to get a little more sophisticated. Mix it up a little, not so matchy matchy. I thought I would share a few places I have been looking for inspiration.

{BOOKS}

Undecorate by Christine Lemieux- fantastic photography, a collection of spaces that embrace a 'no rules' approach to decorating. People who put together rooms by what feels good, not what people tell them look good.

Modern Vintage by Emily Chalmers. Written by the director of Dwell Studio. I love love love the rooms in this book. A great mix of vintage pieces, handmade, and modern design. I want her to come style my house!

Elle Decor. Mostly upscale and pricey products, but great eye candy!

{WEBSITES}
Of course, there are roughly 566723110000 inspiration websited out there, and don't even talk to me about Pintrest. I refuse. But, here are a few I have bookmarked and check often:

Craigslist- I have found so many good deals and great furniture here. I got my stacked washer and dryer from someone who just wanted it gone...and gave to me for $350! New ones sell for $800 or up, so I am pretty impressed with myself on that one.

Apartment Therapy- I have talked about them before, lots of great ideas with a modern and DIY flair. I seriously want to do this and this.

Design Sponge- I have only had time to check this one out a few times, but I found a really good article that taught me alot about refinishing furniture. Hope fully my next project will be a little easier than this one was. ha!

HGTV.com-I have died and gone to DIY heaven! And, lots of pictures.....hours and hours

Smile and Wave- Rachel Denbow used to run a scrapbook company, but now she focuses on lifestyle, mostly vintage ideas. She has lots of handmade ideas, which I love.

Thanks for stopping by, more pictures and updates soon!

Later, Michelle

p.s. I found this piece at a second hand shop here in Louisville. I think I love her:

D.I.Y Bedside Table

2011-07-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there. Having a good summer? good.

I've missed you guys, let's catch up!

The biggest thing happening here in Bazeleyland is I am soon to be a home owner! My recent blog absence is due to lots of paperwork, searching, negotiating, getting repairs done, packing, packing, packing...but-yawn..I know, tedious. However, I get to move in next Friday!! If you have been reading my blog for a while you read this post where I set out a goal of updating my apartment and redecorating a little. At the time I didn't plan on moving until next year, so I was hoping to freshen up the place without spending a lot of money. As life does, things changed and an opportunity came up that allowed me to buy a place a little earlier that I thought. So much better for me, as right now is a great time to be a buyer. I am very excited about getting into my own place (and of course decorating!).

I promised you a few pictures of my updates and projects that I did around the apartment. I did little things here and there, and took the advice of this book-and did a major clean up. Last hing I did was move a few pieces of furniture around. These little things really made a difference!

Major fail.

I am soooooo close to being done packing and I did NOT take any pictures....except these. I have had this bedside table for years, I got it for a steal. I have always loved the off white color, it matches well with the dressers set I inherited. The finish was old and worn, it had a shabby chic look to it. I wanted it to be more of a glossy coat, so I set out to refinish it. This is what it looked like as is....well, except the drawer cover:

It took a long, and I mean LONG time to get all that finish off with stripper and lots of sandpaper (sidenote- did you know bees are attracted to the scent of paint stripper? Um, yeah. I spent a good amount of time hiding for dear life). Recently I discovered that they make hand held power sanders for jobs like this. BRILLIANT! Definitely going on my Christmas list for the next time I want to tackle a project like this.

Once she was all scrubbed off, she looked like this:

To recreate a finish I liked I went to Home Depot. I swear, the people who work there are geniuses. They told me about a method of getting a shiny, off white finish. Mix one part blonde varnish with one part acrylic paint. Pretty easy, huh? Three coats later she looked like this:

I love it. Looks so shiny and new, but also has that cool vintage look that I love!

So, there's my little project. I have a lot of posts in the works, what have you been up to? I would love to hear!

Later,

Michelle

Florida in Photos (Memorial Day Weekend!)

2011-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Ya'll! I just got back from a quick trip to Florida for Memorial Day Weekend. My friend Nathan lives down there and we always have the most fun together! We did lots of hanging out, going to the beach, eating seafood, playing board games, drinking a few fruity cocktails.....and eating more seafood! Seriously, I dream about fresh seafood. There is just nothing like it-yum! We went to this really cool nature reserve called Monkey Jungle-that's where we got to know the gorilla. We also did a bunch of window shopping. I swear, Lake Worth has the best thrift stores, if only I was travelling carry on only, sigh. The third picture from the bottom is Nathan in front of a huge display of Hummel figurines. He kept laughing and screaming 'When Hummels attack!' lol, I guess it's from some movie? I have no idea. He is so silly, but that's one of the reasons I love him!

Anyhoo, lots going on her ein Bazeleyland. I finished my little apartment makeover, I need to post some pictures, it looks so nice! I also just finished a whole batch of graduation cards, with my new favorite stamp set. Oh yeah, and I am moving soon! I have a lot more to share, see you again soon!

Later,

Michelle

Shower Gift & Card

2011-05-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite cousins is getting married this summer, and I made this little combo for her shower gift. I wanted to make a little mini book where she could showcase some of the amazing engagement photos they took. I did something similar for another cousin, and she really liked it. Check it out:

{CARD}
I made this card out of scraps I had left over and one of my 3 new Lawn Fawm stamps. I love LOVE this set and I will be using it for all my wedding/shower/baby cards in the near future...you have been warned.

supplies: stamps: Lawn Fawn and Studio Calico, cardstock: Bazzill, ink: Staz On, white pen: Sharpie paint pen

First, let me say that her wedding colors are more of a colbalt blue, but I love this teal and white combo. I actually picked it because of the dress she was wearing in her photos. Yes, I am sneaky....

I stamped, colored in, and cut out the wedding dress. I really wanted to stamp the sentiment in one of these banners, but it wouldn't fit, so I made a fake banner.

A little close up that shows off the background. I stamped this doily stamp set in Versamark on Vanilla cardstock, then clear embossed. I love the way it turned out, I think it is a really fun, but elegent look. A little machine stitching finishes it all.

{MINI BOOK}

I'll link up to as many supplies as possible, but this is really just a bunch of scraps, cardstock and random buts from my stash. I tried to keep the color scheme simple: teal, grey, white, with a few touches of pink. And, it is worth mentioning that I love my Bind It All. I put everything thru her-plastic sleeves, cardstock, acrylic. And she put them together nice and neat. Any questions about what I used or how I used it, just leave it in the comments!

front cover

inside page=patterned paper, clear photo sleeve, pocket made from cardstock

view of the pocket and the flip side of the clear sleeve

inside pages and envelope

those flowers are awesome! They are so fancy and look handmade...but I bought them!

back cover. Stamped the same doily stamp and clear embossed.

I hope this has given you some fun ideas for ways to use up scraps and make a really unique gift. Something like this would be great for brides, new moms, graduates, someone going on a special trip. I have made books like this for each of these occasions, and they have been a big hit!

Well, I have to get back to work, but I hope you have a fantastic day!

Later,
Michelle

supplies for mini book: stamps: Studio Calico, patterned paper: Basic Grey, letter sticker: American Crafts, envelopes: My Big Idea, flowers: , movie quote blocks: mylivingroomfloor (Etsy seller), sticker: Pink Paislee, binding tool: Zutter

Becoming a Bride

2011-05-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

In addition to the wedding album I made for my friend Torrie, I surprised her with a mini album with pictures form all the pre-wedding activities. This book was a lot more free form-I inked, misted, sewed, and pretty much went all artsy on it! I wanted it to really reflect our personalities and be a fun little memento. I also included several pages of memorabilia-receipts, to-do lists, and notes she kept while planing the wedding. If you ask her right now what it was like planning her wedding, she would say 'stressful' and 'she would never do it again'. Hopefully a few years will pass and she will look fondly upon these memories...hehe!

Due to the hodge podge-y nature I am not totally sure of what products I used, but I noted them when possible!

{I DARE YOU}

supplies: patterned paper-Crate Paper, Subway Thickers, Basic Grey adhesive tape

These are obviously pictures from her bachelorette party. We put together a scavenger hunt, rented a van and my friend Lisa was our driver! It was a blast! To the bottom left is a mini collection of some of the raciest photos. We have to keep a little bit of respectability, right ; ) ?

{REHEARSAL NIGHT}

supplies: patterned paper and overlay-Basic Grey, letter stickers-My Little Shoebox, quote on paper bag-My Little Bicycle

Pretty self explanatory. Just a nice, pretty page.

{AFTERPARTY}

supplies: patterned paper-BasicGrey, mist-Studio Calico, Overlay-Hambly, label stickers-Scenic Route

Dear Scenic Route, I miss you and your awesome products. Try as I may I could not get a great photo of this layout. Stupid, shiny overlay! But, IRL this is one of the best. I sprayed the paper with pink mist before adding the overlay. Then all I needed was the picture and some journalling. The picture is me, Torrie, and two of our college friends. We haven't all hung out in over ten years! After the wedding we stayed up WAY too late laughing and catching up. Torrie said this was the highlight of her night.

Here's another pic, minus my reflection-ha!

{LUNCH DATE}

supplies: doilies-Martha Stewart, Thickers, woodgrain paper, punch-EK Success

One last lunch date as three single women, I love these girls! I covered the doilies with green ink to make them match the look of the page. I have no idea who makes the paper or the black and white tape, but I think they go perfectly together.

I am not sure if you can tell, but these pages were an odd size. I was given a 9x12 white book, and I used it by cutting down the papers and the page protectors. That helped me save money by not buying another book. It was really easy to cut down and sew the protectors.

I had a lot of fun making this book, and she seemed to really like it. That's exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Later, Michelle

Grandpa Brinkman

2011-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hello there,

In my last post I alluded to feeling a little nostalgic lately, I thought I would share why. A few weeks ago my sweet grandfather passed away. It's a funny thing about losing a grandparent. Yes, he was older (89) and yes, he lived a wonderful, full life. But I still feel a huge hole in my heart where he once was. Knowing he was aging and that this was coming has not made it a whole lot easier. But counting my blessings has helped.

1. Grandpa was: funny, loving, faithful, and complicated. He didn't always say the right things, he wasn't always the warm and fuzzy type. He made mistakes. Half the time he couldn't hear what I was saying, he told me I talked too fast. He was a real person, in my family. And he definitely was at the top.

2. He taught me so much about family. When you were in, you were in. Whether by marriage or birth-you were family. My father lived most of his adult life without his father, but Grandpa filled that role for him. He loved him and treated him like a son. When my mother passed, none of that changed.

3. He was just as loving and generous with his great grandchildren as he was with us. This is him with my nephew Tommy. I am so very thankful that he and Suzie got to know him.

4. He found a lot of joy in being generous with his family. Every Christmas he gave the grandkids money (he knew what teenagers like ; ) ) but, getting a gift usually involved solving a riddle or playing a game. He wrote out each Christmas cards, each clue by hand. Every year. And he loved it.

5. My grandmother became ill when I was very young. For years she was in a nursing home. She was total mystery to me. But, he was totally dedicated to her. He attended church with her every Sunday, and he threw he a 50th anniversary party, right there in her room. Always calling her 'Mother'.

6. He said the funniest things, like: 'well, how do you doo doo?' 'don't ever get old Michelle, it's not worth it'. One of my favorite greetings was ' Well, hello young lady', which I followed with 'Hello, young man'. He had the best smile.

7. I always knew that he loved me and was proud of me. I sent him cards often, wrote him letters. He saved every one, because he loved them. One year for Christmas I crocheted him a blanket, and my aunt gave it back to me. He kept it all this time, because he loved me.

8. This last picture was taken at our annual Fathers Day picnic. It was the last time I think I spent time with him. I will love this picture forever. Connor won't remember him, but I love that Grandpa got to meet him. My brother got to introduce him to Grandpa, which was quite a thrill. And my father got a picture of 4 generations-all together

9. I am really thankful this is my last memory of him. I didn't have to see him suffer in a hospital bed. He died in peace and without much suffering- for that, I am the most thankful. I don't have those negative memories to cloud the happy ones. I am free to laugh at stories, look at pictures, and be happy for him. He's in heaven now, with my mother and his wife-two women he loved so much.

So, I guess I can slowly start to move on. To get used to the idea of not seeing him at Christmas and family parties. That I won't have anywhere to send the cards. That will be hard. Losing someone you love can be so hard. This time, however, I have more peace and no unfinished business. No regrets for the things he won't do. Because he did it all.

With a very dry martini....

Thanks for stopping by!

Later,

Michelle

p.s. If any Brinkmans stumble over here, please leave a comment with your favorite Grandpa story, I would love to hear them!!

Yesterday & Today

2011-04-14T20:22:00.001-07:00

Recently my SIL Ann Marie and I took a class over at Big Picture Classes called Yesterday & Today, taught by Ali Edwards. I was looking for a a way to start recording some of my childhood memories, and this gave me the perfect jumping off point. It also came at a time when I was feeling very sentimental, but more on that later. The class included lots of great digi elements, journalling prompts, sketches and layout ideas. The goal of the classwork was to complete a book that showcased pictures from both the past and the present, however, I have decided to slip the present layouts in with my yearly scrapbook and just use this book for documenting childhood or older photos. I have plenty of those stories to tell. I thought I would share a few of the layouts I have finished, hopefully it will give you some ideas for documenting your own stories. (product note: I decided to keep things easy product wise and used the Back 40 kit from Studio Calico. Everything was soft and neutral which really went well with my older photos. I also bought a bunch of extra Basic Grey papers to use as backgrounds) {Cover Photo & A Sassy Hat} Seriously, not to toot my own horn-but how stinkin' cute do I look in that hat sitting on my beloved Sitn'Spin?? Did anyone else have one of those? I used to spin on that thing until I was so dizzy I would fall off-ha! This is the cover page for my book. Includes (from top to bottom: a picture of me weeks after I was born on the frozen Ohio River, me in front of Versailles, a very 80's family photo-hello bowl haircut, and a picture from NYE in New York City). {6 Childhood Momories}

This is my favorite layout, I am totally going to do this again! You just picked 6 random memories, and wrote the stories behind the pictures. I will spare you the long drawn-out details, but left to right: me my brother and sister in very fantastic Halloween costumes, me and my Dad hugging, me, my sister and two of our childhood friends-Cheryl and Lori, me and all my Bazeley cousins, and me wearing a leg cast holding two other leg casts.

OK, maybe I will share this one story, it's pretty funny. For any of you who do not know me personally, I was born with Spina Bifida. I had many orthopedic surgeries growing up. Apparently when I was very young, I had a habit of crawling right out of some of my leg casts. I had no feeling from the knee down, so to me it was no big deal. Hence, why I am wearing one cast, while holding, ahem, two others. My mother thought this was adorable! This is one of several photos like this. She even wanted to use one of them for my senior yearbook! I had to put the no on that one! lol

{Then & Now}

this layout is one that has been stewing in my mind for years-no kidding. The 10 years between 1999 and 2009 were life changing for me in so many ways. I really thought I should document that. Lucky for me, this layout came up in the class, so I was all over it! A few examples of how much my life changed: I moved to Louisville, got my first full-time job, owned three cars, my brother got divorced and remarried, I got a cell phone a laptop and several Ipods. So interesting to look at the changes right there on the paper.

{Facts & Feelings} This was one of those sentimental layouts that perfectly express how I am feeling lately. It details my mother's illness, how quickly it progressed and how I have recovered from it. She passed away when I was in college, but I still think about her every day. Writing this down and preserving this for other's to read was important. I have never really written about it. I probably won't write about it again, but glad I have all these thoughts down.

Thanks for stopping by. This weekend is the kickoff for the KY Derby Festival, but I will be staying planted on my couch. I have the worlds longest stepthroatcoldmysteryillness....I feel like a hot mess. I only have ONE MORE ROOM to finish spring cleaning, but it ain't gonna happen. Unless the cats learn how to clean.......a girl can dream. lol

Have a great weekend!

Later,

Michelle

Wendy! Come on down!!

2011-04-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

You are the big winner! I emailed you to get your address. Hope you enjoy your goodies!

Thanks for all the great comments and welcome to all the new followers. I love seeing people stop by my little coner of the web. I will try to be as entertaining as possible = )

I'll be back later to share a few projects I created for the Big Picture class I just finished: Yesterday & Today.

Happy Tuesday!

Later,

Michelle

CKC Notes and a Giveaway!

2011-03-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday, y'all! I have had this post half-written for weeks, and it is time to put it to press. I had such a great time at CKC Louisville this year, I thought I would share a few pics aaannnddd...give away some loot! In years past I took a bunch of classes, going all day, then squeezing in just a little bit of shopping. This year I decided to only take a few, then spend the rest of the time hanging out with my SIL Ann Marie and, well.....shopping. The classes I took this year I really enjoyed. While I don't think I can show you full pictures, I wanted to show you a few little glimpses to hopefully peak your interest. I added links to products if I have them

{SEI-Amazing Cards, Amazingly Simple} While I respectfully disagree with the title 'simple' part, these cards were a lot of fun to make and the colors are BEAUTIFUL! Check it out: The cards all have one uniques feature: something slides, a shaker box, something pulls out. Really creative designs! One small complaint. There were so many people in the class, and the projects were pretty complicated. With only one teacher, it was hard to follow her or ask questions. I would suggest Having one or two teachers aides who can go around and answer questions. They had volunteers, but they were unfamiliar with all the folding techniques. However, they had excellent color instructions, and they helped a ton when I was confused. Another bonus: The class kit was huge and I had enough leftovers to make a whole other set of cards.

{Studio Calico-Terrific Trends} This was one of three classes I took of theirs this year. They were all great! I have confessed my love for SC and their products before, so I kind of stalked their classes...and their retail booth-ha! This class came with enough products to make a few layouts and extras-including a full pack of wood veneer stars! This was a very messy class...Just ask Ann Marie. She left with more than just a little Mr. Huey on her shirt-ha!

{Studio Calico-Misting & More}

Another messyfabulous class! This time we used their Mr. Huey sprays in a dozen different ways. It gave me a lot more confidence in using them. Look at my cute little projects:

It was orginally supposed to be a two page layout, but I decided to combine the pieces and made a one pager. And it turned out really nice.

I also took the Fabrips Album class. Another winner! This was their first year putting classes into CKC, and they were very well put together. They even dealt with the 'ourfirstyearthingsaremissingfromthekits' hangups with humor and fast fixes. Greg, one of the co-owners got a workout from running fom the booth to classes to help find lost items! HA! Just in case anyone from SC happens to read this the only suggestion I had is it would be really nice to have printed instructions. That would be nice to help remind people of the techniques they tried and finish up any projects they didn't in class. However, I think I overheard one of the teachers saying they were planning on that anyway.

And....the teachers. That may have been the best part of taking the SC classes. It was so fun meeting some of the people behind the website that I frequent almost daily. Kelly Purkey taught two, she was funny and really kept the class going with ideas and techniques she had to share. April Foster, the other co-owner was fantastic! She is a Kentucky girl, so we had lots to chat about. And, we did talk. I kind of feel bad for the other people in the class, I may have monopolized the conversation! :) I pestered her for a picture after class.

possibly the most awkwardly posed picture ever? I swear we don't always look that chessy! lol

On to my lil' surprise....

Look at all that swag! I put together a box full of supplies that I bought at the Vendor Faire, or recieved as freebies. There's papers from new releases (Studio Calico and SEI), a stamp set from Bella Blvd. The doily stamp from SC (my favorite, so I bought one to share!), and a copy of a very funny little book called Snippets from my online friend Lain.See those little white things at the bottom of the picture? Those are butterflies from SEI. They are made wiith resist, so you can ink, spray them and their designs pop! They are so pretty in real life!!

So....how do you win? Easy-peasy. Two ways:

#1 become a follower. Yes, this is a shameless plug to get people to read my blog! (insert evil laugh here)

#2 leave a comment below. I love reading everyone's comments. If you have a blog-link me up! I will be sure to return the favor.

I will keep the contest open until Monday, April 11th at midnight. Sorry, I can only ship to people in the U.S.

Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

Later,

Michelle

Quite Possibly

2011-03-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

The most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in. Seriously, I couldn't stop taking pictures of their lobby. I am sure people thought I was crazy! I got so many great ideas from their decor, tucked into Evernote for the little spring cleaning binge I have been on. Check it out:

And just a quick shot of a fabulous, generous martini I enjoyed at the bar....

These pictures were taken at the Sheraton in St. Louis. I was there for the Autism Works Conference. It was a great event and......maybe the most comfortable bed ever! I tried to put it in my duffel bag and bring it home, no dice. ; )

Later,

Michelle

A Wedding Story

2011-03-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

You might remember a post I did last year about my BFF and her fantastic wedding. It was a wonderful weekend and she has found the most fantastic guy! I was more than happy to put together an album for her highlighting a few memories from the big event (of course, she has a million photos-too many for one scrapbook) She has one album with ALL the photos in it, but this is a little special extra with details that needed extra attention. What she doesn't know is there is yet another album in process with pages about all the fun we had planning her big day-shhhh, don't tell her!

Without further ado, I present Torrie and Jahmal Woolridge:

These are just a few of the pages. I had to deliver the goods before I could photograph them all. I kept things simple and focused on the photos and the journalling. I used pretty much all of the beautiful Claire line from SEI. The colors worked perfectly with her wedding colors. I kind of fell in love with these letter Thickers. My trusty MS butterfly punch and lots of bling made an appearance as well (the first layout features a fantastic embellishment from Prima-they really made that page special).

I liked the simplicity of using one line-I never do that. I wanted lots of white space and simple embellishments, nothing needed to decorate such great photos! This is also a great time saving technique if you want to scrap a large amount of photos. To some it may seem like cheating, but what the heck? I would rather spend my time telling the story and presenting my photos forever than worrying about sifting through all my supplies!

Thanks for stopping by! Soon I will be sharing a few pictures from CKC Louisville! I took a bunch of classes and did a little shopping. Rumor has it there may be a giveaway involved ; )

Later,
Michelle

My Very Own Apartment Therapy

2011-03-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

It has been beeeeuuutiful around here and the spring weather has my creative juices flowing. Every year around this time I go thru my apartment in order to renew, reduce, refresh. Just getting out some of the insane clutter that builds up over the years and give my place a new look. What I really want to do is redecorate, paint, buy new furniture. What my budget wants me to do is give the apartment a good scrub down and make small changes here and there.

I read this book a few years ago, but did not dedicate myself to an 8 week home cure until now. If you have never been to the Apartment Therapy site you must check it out. It has bazillions of great home ideas: from cleaning, decorating, DIY, and lots of visual inspiration! The basic principles of The 8 Week Home Cure are:

1. Clean each room from top to bottom

2. Reorganize spaces that aren't working, tweak areas that are

3. Think about the flow and energy of your space, how you can open up some spaces and use them more efficiently.

4. Make small cleaning efforts every day: buy fresh flowers once and week, clean your floors weekly, and wash and dry all dirty dishes every night.

I am also adding a few new pieces, repainting a few, hanging new pictures. I am really excited! So far, I have cleaned my front door and entrance area, and deep cleaned the living room furniture.

In interest of full disclosure and keeping myself honest, I thought I would let you in on a few dirty little secrets (aka parts of my space that are DEFINITELY not working..hehe) Keep in mind I live in and efficiency apartment: one large living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bath, and two large closets. I have a lot of things out in the open that I wish I didn't, and some of these spaces might seem crazy to you. However, I think in general I have created a really good space with the space I have (motivated by excellent building, cheap rent, and crazy good utility costs!)

Toxic Area #1: 'The office'

This space is dedicated to anything officey I use. My lovely HP 3-in-1 printer sits on top of a repurposed kitchen island. Underneath I keep: blank CDs, various printer papers, extra binders waiting to be fill with ??, mailing supplies, and a bag of stuff I use for OWL. Currently it also being used for: crafty overflow, messy piling, and a cord monster. Scary...

Toxic Area #2: The Kitchen's Bottom Half:

My kitchen is a long, narrow room. It recently got a fresh coat of tan paint and it is really bright! That is, from the top up. The bottom cabinets and floor...well......As you can see my wheelchair has taken quite a few nibbles out of the cabinets and those lovely apple stickers were half removed-by me-5 years ago. I can't believe I just admitted that. These girls are getting a fresh cost, an appleectomy, and the floor is going to get a hands and knees scrubdown. I'll admit, I am not the best mopper, so there are little bits shoved in the corners that will be history soon.

Toxic Area #3: 'The Renaissance Closet'

WOW. Mt head kind of hurts just looking at this poor thing. This is a large, L-shaped closet that is required to hold a LOT of my life: holiday stuff is tucked in the back, Coats are hung up, to the right you can see a poor suffocating baby armoire, and in front are all my crafting supplies. The left is workout weights and a roll or two of wrapping paper. Normally this is a well oiled machine. Months of busyschedulemanyprojectsgenerallaziness have REALLY taken its' toll on this closet. P.S. For those of you that remember the Great Summer Mouse Caper-this is where the little bugger would hide- I wonder why ; )

Toxic Area #4: The Powder Room:

I have to admit-I really like this room as is. I love the purple that we painted it when I moved in, and I have three b&w printing that I love. However I made a deal with my landlord that I would repaint it when I moved out, and I am hoping that will be in a year or so. It will hopefully get a fresh coat of paint and I already have three new pictures picked out.

Toxic Area #5: The dresser:

I need some advice here. I have two vintage blond wood colored dressers, and for years I have had this little collection of favorite photos in silver frames. I always like how it looked together, but it has been years...and maybe time for a change? Any thoughts? I change out a few pictures here and there, but never the frames. I am thinking of maybe keeping some silver frames, adding a few white, and maybe one or two pink (to match my bedspread). I am also thinking about a little vinyl treatment for the wall behind. I have a new place in mind for the BIG B.

Toxic Area #6: The Media Center:

Behold the eyesore of my living room-my circa 2005 5 disc CD changer with tape deck?? Yeah. I think the last time owned a tape was......I have no idea. Also, I have recently loaded all my CD's into iTunes (sounds tedious, but really not that bad), so I really use my iPod and my computer for all my music and radio needs. It is time to use this space a lot more efficiently. p.s.Is it just me or do the books in the bottom right hand corner look like they are trying to squeeze the life out of the silver 'x' bookend?

I am suddenly filled with dread thinking about all the work ahead of me. Luckily, I am not alone. Succotash is fully supportive and ready to work! ha

At least he's cute, he is certainly not helpful.

Thanks for stopping by. Leave me any links you have to great websites for DIY and decorating.Also, what do you think I should do with the photos in my bedroom?

Later,

Michelle

Martini Thank You

2011-03-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

Just a quick card share to jump start the week. I really like the way this card turned out, so I decided to snap a picture on my Ipod Touch before I gave it to a friend who works at my gym. He is starting a new job as a firefighter and I wanted to thank him for all he had done for me. He is notorious as a super healthy eater (unless it's sweets) so I thought the inside of the card would really make him laugh!

The martini glass is a google image I found when searching 'martini glass'. I printed it out (black&white) and colored it in. The 'thank you' stamp is Hero Arts. I just stamped the line over and over to make the background.

Thanks for stopping by!

Later,
Michelle

Free Fun Friday-Ipod Love

2011-02-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Hello there.

I may have shared my love for my IPod Touch. It's a mutual thing, really. I love her and she helps me every day. Yes, she was pricey-but sometimes you have to spend a little money to find true love ; ).

I thought for this edition of Free Fun Friday I thought I would share a few of the apps I have found that have made me happy, and made my life easier. Most of these are free, a few are only a dollar or two. I included links to their websites where available. Enjoy!

{Pageonce}
this app lets me see all my monetary accounts: retirement, checking, debts-all in one place. It even send me alerts when something changes or is paid. Even when Blockbuster online sends me a new DVD. I will say, this one is a little hard to learn, and a few of my accounts will not sync up. This is a minus, but for the most part, I like it.

{Lose It}
This little gem lets me track what I eat during the day, log my workouts, and keep track of weight loss. It has a pretty extensive food database so I can find things that I eat. Minus-it does not stop me from eating dessert for the fifth time this week, but, no app is perfect. This program is really easy to use, free, and has a corresponding website I can access from my laptop.

{The Moron Test}

Note: this app is not always sideways, lol) I think this one was either free or a dollar, and it is the funniest, most frustrating, curse word inducing time waster. Simple tests are put together in a quick paced format. They appear way easier than they are, and when you mess up-you kind of feel like a moron. hehew

{Groupon}

Ah, Groupon.com, how you have made me happy. I have gotten a new haircut & highlights, a pizza from a new restaurant, a 2 hour cleaning service, and a gift code for Amazon. I could go on. It's becoming a problem. The cheapo in me cannot resist a good deal, and suddenly I find myself needing things I didn't even know I wanted. Now, I can access all these great deals (and buy them) right on my lil' hand held friend.

{Pandora}

I know this is not a new site, but being able to steam it right from my IPod is so nice. I can listen while crafting, and even when I am having trouble sleeping. It has introduced me to new artists like Sara Bareilles. This is my favorite one of hers.

{Yahtzee Adventure}

Yahtzee, yawn. Right? This version is really fun. It has a whole imaginary world of characters and challenges. I play this game while: standing in line, sitting thru a boring meeting, or waiting for appointments. Really fun game.

A few more worth mentioning (and i may have before)

-Cardstar: if you have a purse full of frequent buyer cards, you need this. So easy and reliable.

- Living Social: see Groupon, it's a problem.

- I Heart Radio. Cincinnati basketball, anyone? I can stream stations from all over the county right here. Love it.

Happy Surfing!

Later,

Michelle

Free Fun Friday & Some Love

2011-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air......can you feel it?

Just a quick post today to share a few free projects and printables I have stumbled upon. If you are looking for some clever ideas, how's about this:

:source

Or this:

:source

And, who doesn't love a cute ninja?:

:source

And a few more..

Like...

this one

Oh, Martha

you

are

clever (I REALLY wish I had time to make these!)

Enjoy! xoxo

Michelle

Color Inspirations from the Moxie Fab World!

2011-01-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last week one of my favorite FAVORITE blogs, Moxie Fab World, put together a series of challenges based on the new issue of Color Inspiration for Cardmakers. Six different color combos to use as a a starting point for a card project. I had more than a few stamps collecting dust and a need to make a few cards, so I gave it a go!

A winning entry will be chosen in each category, and there are some great prizes. I hope seeing my cards might inspire you to make a few of their own!

(a little disclaimer: I actually found these challenges harder than I thought I would. For whatever reason, I would make one card and it just wouldn't look...right. So, I would scrap that one and make another one. Hence, I have two cards for each challenge (except one).)

{#1-Monochromatic} oooo, I do love pink. This combo features three pretty shades..

Thank You Bubbles

supplies: cardstock-Bazzill, ink-Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, sentiment-Elles Studio freebie, zig writer pen

Thank You with Butterflies

supplies: cardstock-Bazzill, patterned paper- Making Memories, sentiment-Elles Studio freebie, embossing folder-Cuttlebug, gems-from the bottom of a drawer lol!

The bubbles card is the first one I made....heh. It's OK, but not really great. Oh well, I took the idea and bumped it up with a few of my favorites: butterfly punch, embossing and bling! I heart this second card so much, I almost don't want to give it away!

{#2- Pastels} So pretty! I instantly thought of my cupcake stamps when I saw this one!

Sweet Friend with Cupcakes

supplies: sentiment stamp-Inkadinkadoo, cupcakes-Papertry Ink, random patterned paper, embossing powder, glitter, and ZigWriter pen

look how cute those darn cupcakes look! I heart that stamp set.

Happy Butterfly Card
I am too in love with this card, I love the way it turned out! Simple white cardstock, embossed, random punched butterflies embellished with button and bling, simple sentiment. I will be making more of this card, it is waaay too cute.

supplies: stamps-Studio Calico , ink: Stampin' Up, punch-Martha Stewart, embossing folder-Cuttlebug, random bits of paper, buttons, bling

{#3 Metallic} sparkly, shimmery shades of white, silver and gold. This one was surprisingly hard to figure out, but I did manage to finish two.

Shimmery Congratulations Card

supplies: cardstock-Bazzill, Glimmer Mist-Tattered Angels, sentiment-Anna Griffin, brads-Making Memories, ink-Papertry Ink, embossing folder-Quickutz
I thought it would be cool to make a white embossed background all shimmery to create a classy, elegant look. Something I will try again.

With Love Lacey Card

supplies: silver shimmer paper-Archivers, cardstock-American Crafts, lace paper-SEI?, white flower-Boxer, sentiment-InkadinkadooNow this one is a little better. I love the way the papers look all layered and I had one random giant pearl brad that I mounted on a random blingy circle thing to create the center. I think this would be a great wedding card, don't you?

{#4- Jewel Tones} this color combo totally spoke to me, and I knew what I wanted to do right away. Turquoise is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors!

I Love Your Face

supplies: stamp-Daisy Bucket, cardstock-Bazzill, Copic Markers, brads, google eyes

Does that stamp look familiar?? I've used this one roughly tenthousand times....I love him and his face. This card is just simple, clean, great colors....One of my favorites. I am pretty sure I will still be using that stamp until I am old and gray.

Daisy Says Thank You Card

supplies: cardstock-Bazzill, embossing folder-Cuttlebug, sentiment-Elles Studio freebie, flowers=Hero Arts, brads

This one is just too fun. Love the white background, the pops of color, and those free thank you sentiments (I'll link to those at the bottom of this post).

sidenote:I think I am too in love with my new Cuttlebug...and this dotted swiss background.lol

{#5-Neutrals} this was a hard one for me, I am usually a bright color girl. However, I had a few newish stamps that made this card look great!

You're Old School

supplies: stamps-Studio Calico, Hero Arts, ink: Stampin' Up, Archival, grid rub on-Studio Calico, vellum, buttons

The challenge specified that you use the color combo exactly, but you could add in one neutral color. I used this pretty coffee brown ink as my neutral. Really made this card come together nicely I think.

{#6-Bold & Bright} (aka my favorite colors all in one combo!) I dig pink and orange together, add in a little black. Love it.

Lace Notecard in Pink

supplies: cardstock-Bazzill, lace paper-SEI?, ink-Distress Ink, pearls

This card come together quickly. I inked up the white lace paper with lots of Worn Lipstick ink, then just layered and added the pearls. I think it has a nice texture to it.

Happy Birthday Gift

supplies: stamps-Imaginesce, Hero Arts, Copic Markers, Ink-Papertrey Ink, bling

This was the last card I made, maybe that is why it's on the simple side. But, I like it. Cute image, classic sentiment and some of my favorite colors.

Thanks for coming by, I hope I inspired you to make a card and enter!!! go now! go now! And let me know when you do, so I can see the competition ; )

* You can find all the challenges in the right side bar of the Moxie Fab World blog here

* That great Thank You! sentiment is from a freebie made by Elles Studio. *I can't find the direct link, I will try to tack it down.*

Get to work! You have until January 31st to enter!

Later,

Michelle

C-A-R-D-S Cards! Cards! Cards!

2011-01-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

Anybody know that cheer ; )??

Just a little shoutout to basketball season, which is in full swing around here. I finally got the chance to break out some of the many MANY stamps I have purchased recently. I also played around with my new Cuttlebug (purchased with a Christmas gift card). I am kind of in love with the stamps and the look embossing gives the backgrounds.

For inspiration, I used a few of my favorite challenge sites. Many of these do not follow exactly, but they were the jumping off point, so I figured I would still share them.

{Typewriter Set- GS #69}

The herringbone background was an embossing folder I found way back in the Clearance section at Michael's. And I love him. A lot. You will see him again, for sure.

The background paper is brown with a blue core from Core-dinations, and I didn't do anything but emboss it. So cool how the core pops out like that!the stamp set is this one from Hero Arts. I love that sentiment, and the typewriter is the classic kind of image I could use over and over. I finished the card off with a scrap of blue ribbon I had leftover (maybe Making Memories?)

This second one is obviously the same design, and stamp set. I just wanted to play around with another embossing folder. Again, I love how the blue pops out of the brown.

{Winter Note Card Set-LawnScaping #1}

I was inspired to make these by a brand new challenge site, Lawnscaping Challenges. They use and promote Lawn Fawn Stamps, which I love but don't own a lot of. However, I had my 2010 calendar sitting on my desk and these images are two of my favorites, and they fit the winter theme-so I cut them out! I really, really love the simple classy look of these cards. Thanks to the folks at Lawn Fawn for the inspiration!

close ups:

{Butterfly Smile-GS#69}

I have had these butterfly stamps from Studio G since last fall, and I was jazzed to pull them out! The sentiment is a tiny stamp from Studio Calico.

{Winter White Note Card}- Get Sketchy #69, SPCC #81, Lawnscaping #1

What's that I see? Another embossed background?? lol This one is from Basic Grey and after I embossed it, I sprayed it with White Glimmer Mist. Tried to capture that in the picture, but it is soooo pretty in person. The SPCC color challenge included two tones of white with a pop of soft orange. Definitely not what I would normally use, I think it's kind of pretty and subtle.

{One Of A Kind Birthday Card}

This last one was not for a challenge, but for a very special girl's 10th birthday! She is a funny, silly girl-I thought she deserved an equally silly card. I kind of love these monsters. I have used them in all sorts of cards, always love the way they turn out. You can find them here.The patterned paper is a scrap of Cosmo Cricket. And the ribbon is American Crafts. Google eyes from my personal stash ; ).

And this is my niece Suzie, officially age 10!! Double digits baby!

That's it for now. Have to jump off and get ready for the work week. They are predicting snow here tomorrow......Am I too old to hope for a snow day?!?

Later,

Michelle

Hello? Is Anybody Home?

2011-01-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! I missed you! Has it really been TWO MONTHS since my last post?

So, where have I been? December was VERY busy in Bazeleyland. I have a few posts in mind, but if you will indulge me...

Holidays 2010 in photos:

Family parties were even more fun this year....

with two almost oneandahalf year olds running around. Carson and Connor were so much fun!

Carson in the middle of the chaos. Loving it all!

Here you can catch a glimpse of one of my gifts this year-two baby blankets made with Sesame Street fabric that my mother had bought, probably when my brother (their father) was little.

My sister feeding Connor some fudge!
My birthday dinner with a few girlfriends at BBC.

A really beautiful sculpture display, Kaleidoscope. Look at these cute sock monkeys I found in the gift shop!

Enjoying a few Christmas light displays.
More family parties, with both sides of my family
Two of my closest cousins had babies recently, and they got plenty of 'air time' being passed around.

So, that's whats up with me. Back soon with some crafty goodness!

Later, M.

I Want to Cover the World In Glow-in-the-Dark Glitter

2010-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hello there witches and goblins.....this weekend is the big finale to one of my favorite holidays. Sad to see it over for another year, but I have definitely made the most of the season. I have taken LOTS of pictures of my Halloween activities-more on that soon. For today, I thought I would share a little of the spooktacular craftiness that has happened in my apartment this month. Hopefully you will find something that interests you to use next year!

{CARDS}

I have never been interested in making my own Christmas cards, but I do enjoy making a few Halloween cards to send out to my favorites. Too many cute papers, jokes, stamps out there to pass up. I only make about 20, that's about my limit before it starts to feel like work.HA!

I used the same basic design, but I mixed up the papers and embellishments-keepin' it interesting for me. All the cards used my favorite lil skully girl-a stamp from a few years ago, not sure who made it. The October 31 is from the free digi kit I talked about here. Just opened that element in MS Word and printed a page full.

This set was made with papers that were included in the Elles Studio Trick or Treat banner. Black, silver and purple are by far my favorite Halloween colors!

If you look closely you can see that my lil skully girl is very sparkly. I stamped her, then used two different embossing powders: black for the face and black glitter for the bow. I so love the way that looks, but I was decidedly less excited about it around card 15. ha. Anyhoo, what I really jazzed about is the fact that I filled her lil face in with glow in the dark glitter. I know! I bought a jar at Michael's and seriously had to stop myself from covering everything in it. Glow in the dark glitter makes EVERYTHING better, if you ask me.

{BANNERS}

I went a little nutso with these this year, but they were so fun to make, I couldn't stop myself!

banner #1:

This is my front door. I made this banner using the aforementioned Elles Studio banner and few a papers I had in my stash that I LOVE. like this one. I am in love with this banner, I will be seriously sad when I have to take it down.I printed out the letters, then covered them with glow-in-the-dark glitter. Too bad the effect is ruined by the fact that my door does not get enough light to make it glow. Bummer.

A little tip: The ruffle behind the 'OR' was made by spraying coffee filters with Glimmer Mist. SO EASY and worked really well.

Succotash thinks our door is VERY spooky and VERY awesome.

banner #2:

Used most of the Elles Studio kit, with a few scraps of my own paper mixed in, strung on ribbon.

and a glow in the dark spider for good measure

banner #3- made with some brighter Halloween paper I had left over from last year. This banner was supposed to be more cutesy/less spooky since it was made for two little treats in Ohio who may be to young to be spooked just yet ; ).

See, bright and fun...and covered with glow in the dark glitter

banner #4- this was a new technique for me. I wanted to make a second present for the babies and I have wanted to try making this kind of garland. Basically I die cut a bunch of shapes from my Silhouette and gathered a bag of silk leaves. Then I fed one after the other into my sewing machine and just stitched them together. It was actually easier than I thought it would be. If you want to try this yourself, I have two tips: sew slowly and lengthen your stitches. Both help the random pieces go thru smoothly. I got the idea from Elizabeth Kartchner's blog. She has a tutorial on this kind of garland (she even added playing cards to hers, what an awesome idea!)

ACK! I still get excited at how fun this is and how well it turned out. And, I detailed the eyes of the ghosts and skulls with you know what....

{CANVAS}

This lovely little number was made by my more-than-regular-crafty friend Alicia during our girls weekend. I am in love with it, I might steal it next time I am at her house ; ). I wanted to share it because it was so fun to watch her make it and you could totally do this yourself. Just a blank canvas painted in black paint and add stickers, die cuts, ribbon-whatever you find at the craft store that you like.

That's about it around here....what's on your agenda for Halloween? I have two partied to juggle after I take a day trip to Brown Cty, IN. Sunday I am working on getting myself invited over to watch trick or treaters. There are none in my neighborhood, so I have to go elsewhere.

Boo to you!!

Flame Free Confessions

2010-10-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

(an expression my SIL uses. It means you can say whatever is on your mind, and noone can judge you for it. We have a LOT of flame-free conversation late at night ; )

Here's my list:

+ I don't really like talking on the phone. I do it because I have to. I really prefer seeing people in person.

+I hate onions. Always have. I don;t even know how to slice or cook one. When I was younger I picked them out of EVERYTHING (even spaghetti sauce), much to my mother's chagrin. I would do that now, if I thought I could away with it.

+ When I wash my sheets I am too lazy to make up the bed again, so I sleep on my mattress. That's lazy with intent-ha!

+ Speaking of my bed. I have been known on occasion to take a two hour nap. During the week, just because I can and I love napping. lazy.

+ When I clean up my dining room table and my living room I have an irresistible urge to get out my crafty stuff and make it messy again.

+ Sometimes my car gets atrocious. Like empty coffee cups, papers, the whole mess. I HATE cleaning out my car, but I LOVE how it looks when it clean.

+ I wish I had a case manager to make appointments, make decisions, generally run my life (sometimes). Being an adult can exhausting.

+ I get tickled at inappropriate times and can't help but laugh. Like at funerals. Or the zoo.

+ I tend to be really blunt and I don't think that people she get mad at me for saying what I think, but they do. I wish I was a better arguer. I just think I am right and people should agree with me. And I wish I could get people to do what I want all of the time.

+ My coworkers are hilarious and I love them.

+ I already have a Christmas wish list, and I feel kind of childish that I do. Is it selfish to get excited about getting presents? I hope not.

+ I also already know what I want to do on my birthday, which is two months away. Selfish.

+ I can be really cheap. I don't have cable. And I don't pay for the Internet. I 'borrow' it from someone who has a wireless signal in my building.

Whew, that is a long list. Are you judging me? ; )

OK, your turn. Fess up. I want each of you to leave me a comment with one confession. I need your dirt to make me feel better about mine-lol.

Thanks for playing along!

p.s. This post is dedicated to AnnMarie, the creator of the FFC

Truth Be Told

2010-10-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this post.

+I am starting a new position at work. This is nerve-wracking, inspiring,exciting, and 'cominglikeafreighttrain' all at the same time.
+ I am going back to Europe next year. I am ridiculously excited about this.
+ I am slightly grossed out by the amount of spiders and balls of cat hair I am finding recently in my apartment
+ I paying off my student loan this week. This is helping with the ‘Iwillneverbeoutofdebt’ feeling. Thank you Dave Ramsey!

+I am soooo tempted to forget about getting out of debt and just buy a bigger place already.

+This week is ridiculously busy. And FULL of driving. And a little overwhelming. When I feel this way I want to take a nap instead.
+ I love seeing my family. I love my Grandmother. I am fearful of losing her and sometimes it makes me cry. This leads to me thinking about my mother, who would have been the worlds best Grandma, but she never got the chance. Sigh.
+I think I should keep my apartment cleaner, in case I die. I would be so embarrassed for people to come into my apartment and see how messy it usually is.
+ Right now my dining room table is all cleaned off and my crafty stuff is put away. I am resisting the urge to get it all out again. Apparently having a messy apartment does'nt bother me until I die.
+ Sometimes I get really frustrated with being in a wheelchair. When it breaks. When people block my car door. When I come up to yet another building that has stairs and no ramp. Or someone comes up to me at the grocery store and tells me how great I am doing. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes at them.

Succotash is not helping in the 'tidyuptheapartment' effort. It's going to be one of those weeks. Ooh, it feels good to vent sometimes, right? Thanks for listening.

Later,

(Partially) Free Fun Friday

2010-10-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Spooky Blogger Friends....

I am in full on Halloween mode, and I am having too much fun (and paying way too much money) getting my apartment spook ready. I have lots of crafty projects in the works, more on that later. This Friday I want to pass on some of the BEST Halloween themed products floating around out there for you to enjoy. Most are free, but I found a couple that are too cute to pass on.

Have a looksie:

{Elle's Studio Banner}

I alluded to this in my last post. I am making three of these little babies: one for me and the other two are going to other happy homes. By purchasing it at JessicaSprague.com you get access to all the letters and background papers you need to make the banner in a download, which you can print at home. I actually printed one and then took it to get color copied at Kinko's. You could print multiple copies at home, but that can be pretty hard on a home printer and your ink supply ; ). After printing, you just cut and assemble as you like! It retails for $4.99 here.

{Halloween Fonts and Dingbats}

I love fonts. ESPECIALLY free fonts! Dafont.com is a wealth of free fonts for lots of uses, and I found a couple of extra-scary ones that I am using for my projects this year. True Type fonts and dingbats can be cut on my Silhouette (and I think you can use Cricut Design Studio to cut them on you bug), which gives them even more uses!

12 Halloween Sign (I couldn't find an image to add for this file, but click the link and you can see for yourself!

Punkinhead

(how cute would this be cut out in vinyl and put on a mirror?)

Bleeding Cowboys

(background papers}

PaperCrave.com has some FABULOUS ideas for Halloween! Last year I found this set of patterned papers. I used one of the papers for this card I shared last week:

{Free Digital Kit}This kit is FULL of fun bits and pieces you can use for cards, or banners, or even scrapping your pictures!

Jenn Allyson offered this free Halloween digital kit. I couldn't find a direct link, so I added it here: halloweenkit2010
Just to be clear, I did not make this kit. But it was a freebie, so I think it safe to pass it along. Please head over to The ProjectGirl.com and thank her if you use it!!

Hope you have a spooky weekend!

World Card Making Day-and my new Celebrity Crush

2010-10-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Howdy there!

This weekend has been lovely for many reasons-beautiful weather, a stack of DVD's, and a list of projects to get my hands on. Today also happens to be World Card Making Day-one day that many many crafty blogs are buzzing with creative ideas. My non-scrappy friends might be laughing, just a little bit, but you won't be laughing when you get some of this happy mail in your mail box! ha!

The Studio Calico blog had a few challenges that really started the ideas flowing. I made three cards using their prompts in addition to two of my favorite challenge sites. Have a looksey:

{#1: Create a card using the following sketch}

and here's my card. I made it for my cousin who is getting married in two weeks!

supplies: patterned paper: Bo Bunny and OA, brads, stamp: K&Co.

{#2: Create a card using leftover scraps from a SC kit+CPS Challenge 186}

The sketch:

And here's a lovely little baby card for another cousin who is due any minute. We don't know if it is a boy or girl, so I tried to keep the colors balanced. I used lots of lovely leftovers from last month's Back 40 add on kit.

{#3: Create a card using one or more of SC stamps}

I love this telephone stamp. I have used it so many times, and I think it goes perfectly with the good news sentiment (that is super old, I have no idea who makes it). I also used Versamark and the ledger dot stamp to create the background, but you cannot see that in this crummy picture. Sorry! But, I didn't finish these until late, so no natural light! The paper tape is Pink Paislee.

The last little project is still in progress.....but it involves this little number I bought at Jessicasprague.com and some Martha Stewart glow-in-the-dark glitter:

And, who is getting my thru this long day of crafting...my new celebrity crush

I am smack in the middle of Season 2 of Fringe. It's offical, I love him. And his show. And Dr. Walter Bishop. = )

Later,

Day 5: Shaped Cards

2010-09-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Woohoo-FRIDAY!

Thanks for coming back for the last day of the Great Stamp Swap of 2010! The share for the last day was my idea, because I want to start using some of the wonderful shapes availible on my Silohuette. I have downloaded a few card kits, but I wanted to try and make my own card. This little girl is my first attempt, admittedly not perfect, but a good try none the less. Check it out:

{My card}

I welded a bracket frame to a rectangle and got this shape. The friends background is a free digi kit Hero Arts offered at at Two Peas here. I opened it in MS Word (using the tips I talked about here) and printed it out on my printer. Then I die cut it into a smaller bracket shape on my SIL. Love how that looked. I inked it a little with Distress Ink to make it pop, added a couple of flowers (layered) and, of course, a little bling. The inside says "thank you for your fiendship", another HA stamp. (note to self: do not use white core cardstock, even if you love the color, because you will see the core. hmpff.)

{Nicky's card}

Check out how she made this little cutie on her blog.

I'm off to the Lakehouse for a girl's scrapbook weekend. So excited! What's on your agenda this weekend?

Later, Michelle

Day 4:Three Flowers

2010-09-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Um, hello? Is it really 10:oo? Where have I been all day! My apologies for being so late with this post. Busy busy today!!

Without further ado, today's stamp:

So, pretty. I bought this stamp over a year ago and it has been all different colors. However, I have NEVER thought to use it the way Nicky did, genius! Wait till you see what she did!

{My card}

I think I am still mourning the end of summer. Couldn't resist the urge to color the flower pretty pretty colors. The inspiration for the design came from this weeks 2Sketches4U Challenge. Sentiment is also from HA. (tip: I only own one Copic purple marker. To get the light shade,m I used the tip to tip technique. Basically, I touched the tip of the purple marker to the colorless blender and then colored with THAT marker. Gave me a nice, lighter shade.)

{Nicky's card}

Love love love the paper layers here! And those colors are so pretty together! She talks alot more about how she put it together on her blog. Go over there and show her some love.

Tomorrow, actually a few hours from now-day 5! The last day of our stamp swap, you don't want to miss it!

Later,

Michelle

Day 2: Boo to You!

2010-09-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Hump Day! Are you ready for something spooky? I am seriously getting into the Halloween spirit. Have you been on MarthaStewart.com? Soooo many great ideas! Love that she loves my favorite holiday.

{Day 2: Owl-oween)

My card:

(other supplies: background paper-papercrave.com, frame-K&Co, brads)

This guy was a lot of fun to put together! If it didn't take so long, this would totally be a card I would make for my friends this year. The background is a digital paper I got from Paper Crave. I have been waiting to use it forever.The rest is just stamping and coloring and inking. I was trying to make the owls look like they are from the painting American Gothic. Can you tell ;)

Nicky's card:

I am in love with that cute ghosty! Don't forget to go over to Nicky's blog and check out her post

for today!!

Later,

Michelle

2010-09-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hola! Happy Hump Day!

I am sooo ready for the weekend, I have a nice crafty weekend planned. But enough about me, on to the next card!

{Day 3:Owl Christmas}

Can you tell I am OWL crazy? For those of you who don't know, I run a kids group called OWL, and when I see something crafty with an owl on it, I can't resist!

I have to add, this card was fun to make, but I have an aversion to starting any Christmas projects this early. Call me traditional-I don't think I should start working on Christmas until after Halloween....lol

Now that I had so much fun making this card..hmmmm...maybe I can change my position ; )

Take a looksie:

{My card}:

I think those Owls are so adorable!! This is a lager sized card, so I will have to be extra careful to pick the right recipient. How did I put it together? I took some inspiration from last week's 2Sketches4U challenge, and just simple after that: stamped, colored, and cardstock layers. The white background piece is a scrap of Basic Grey's basic paper that I had left over.

{Nicky's card}

So adorable! Her gift bags are making my cards look plain jane! lol I love that we used totally different pieces of the stamp set, thus creating two totally different projects.

Head over to Nicky's blog so you can see how she put his together.

Later,

Great Stamp Swap 2010

2010-09-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

I had a fantastic weekend celebrating year one of two funny little boys...more on that later. This week is a good one on the old bloggy blog. The Hero Arts Flickr Group put out a call for crafters to pair up and create some cards using the same stamps. Sounded like a fun way to get a few new card ideas (and maybe a few new readers? hello there!), so I signed right up.

My partner in crime is Nicky Hsu. Jump over to her blog each day this week and leave her some love. Her cards are VERY creative!!

{Day One: Adorable Baby Girl}
My card:

I kept this card light and simple. I stamped the background in a pale pink, then stamp a mix of the icons on a piece of kraft paper and filled them in with colored pencils. Love that look. Managed to use one of the pastel mini safety pins (one of a million) I have left over from a project last year.

Nicky's card:

Cute, right? I love the look of the white ink on kraft paper!

* A note about this stamp: I got this as a gift, but lately, I have known many more baby boys than girls. I have found I can use this for boys as well, it's got a lot of images on it. I really want to figure out how to stamp the mobile that says 'it's a girl', and mask off the girl. Any ideas?

Come back tommorow for a set of cards that are very fashionable. And maybe a few baby pics ;)

Later,

Michelle

Big Plans For The Weekend

2010-09-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hey there bloggy friends!

So, fall has snuck up on me. At first, I was reluctant and shed a few tears for the days of swimming, weekend trips, Big Brother, etc. The first weekend of sub-90 degree weather cured me of all that. For those of you in other states-the end of the summer can be a little, ahem, fresh (read:hot,humid,ugh). Being able to wear PANTS, and wear my hair down without sweating all day made me very happy! Plus-I have BIG plans for the upcoming weekend.

Here's a list:

1.Guess who's turning ONE on Saturday?!?

Carson & Connor

Sigh. I miss them so much!! This weekend the Bazeley clan is going up to Toledo (or Maumee or wherever they live ; ) ) to help C squared celebrate the big 0-1. I have sub goals for the weekend:

a) hug them-alot. Without scaring them or making them cry. That's a hard balance. lol

b) playing on the floor. I hear there's been lots of crawling, getting into things, chasing the dog. I need to be a part of it. Here's hoping this old aunt can still play on the floor.

c) video them with my new camera. I have not done a lot of video, but I want to capture a few clips of these monkeys. And I love my new camera. More on that later.

d) conspire on ways to get one of them in my overnight bag to bring them home with me. (they're small, they would fit right in my overnight bag, right?)

2. Once all that is over, I need to do a few things here on the home front. Namely, reorganize my scrap space. I have a pretty good system, but it is getting a little unruly.

This may or may not be the way it looks right now. Ahem.

3. Redo my manicure with my favorite new polish for fall. Sally Hansen's Commander in Chic. I have worn it all week and have gotten so many compliments on it! I was inspired to track it down by this picture

4. Prepare for a big week right here on the bloggy blog! I am participating in a Hero Arts Blog Swap with my new Flickr friend Nicky. 5 Whole days of new cards, make sure to come back!

5. Buy almond butter, pumpkin bread, and apple cider. I tried almond butter for the first time last weekend, delicioso. And on pumpkin bread (one of my favorite fall treats)....where have you been my whole life

6. Lastly, I am hoping that #2 will allow me to get to all my snazzy Halloween decorations!! See, I realized as I was mourning the loss of summer 2010-it only means I am that much closer to Halloween 2010!! woohoo!!

So, there's my list. What are you up to the weekend?

Later,
M.

The Birthday Card That Almost Arrived On Time

2010-08-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hey there bloggy friends....

So, I made a note to myself that I had to make cards for two of my friends who had birthdays coming up (they are twin sisters!). Unfortunately, I did not write a note to remind myself to look up their birthday on Facebook...oops. I was reminded, however, when I opened my FB page on Monday and saw.....you guessed it-Kristie and Coutney's birthday. Hmph.

Never fear, I had plenty of inspiration, thanks to a few online challenges I came across. Take a looksey (click on the photo to see the challenge):

Seems like a wide range of looks, colors, and sketches, but I pondered and found a few similarities: The colors in the Moxie Fab room were similar to the colors in the SPCC Color Challenge, just different intensities. I really loved the pop of color with all the white space in that pretty room. So, I came into the middle with the intensity.

The sketches both had a grouping of three, a rectangular overall shape, and were lighter on embellishments.

Hopefully I stepped up the challenges in a way that worked. If nothing else, I came up with two awesome birthday cards!

{Cupcake Card #1: Get Sketchy #52, Mox Fab World, SPCC Challenges}

I kind of smooshed up the GS sketch, because I thought it looked more balanced that way. It also kept the large amount of white space that I liked in the Moxie Fab picture. I tried to accent the white space by using different textures. The card is smooth white, the inset panel is a textured Bazzill, stamped with a Hero Arts stamped with Tattered Angel Glimmer Mist. You can't really tell in the photo, but it is so pretty in real life.

{Cupcake Card #2: 2Sketches 4U, SPCC, Moxie Fab}

This time I took the Moxie Fab picture and took the overall balance of objects. I kept a large space at the top and concentrated the bottom. Worked well with the 2Sketches sketch.

p.s.: I am so in love with this stamp from Papertry Ink. I could use patterned paper, stickles, markers, ANYTHING and make a million different cupcakes. And the sentiments are great for lots of different occasions!

{SYMPATHY CARD}
I needed to make a sympathy card for my aunt when her father died. He battled a long illness, and I hoped to remind her that all the wonderful memories she has will help her remember him. Tough. I happened to see last week's Tuesday Trigger on Moxie Fab World, so I used that as my guide. I forgot to post it there, but thought I would share it here.

The top right and bottom panel are stamped in gold, then the large pink piece is ols flocked piece that I rubbed with gold ink to make the pattern stand out. The dark blue piece on the left was a crinkly old scrap I rubbed with the ink to make the folds stand out. I am not a gold person at all, but I LOVED the way this turned out-so pretty! Even better with the dark brown stitching. Here's a close up:

In other news I am in full on bridesmaid mode this week. My BFF is getting married Saturday and we are all super excited! Cross your fingers for slightly less hot and humid weather (and NO rain!)

Later,

What Do You Call A Bomerang That Doesn't Come Back?

2010-08-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

A stick.

(insert yuck yuck yuck here)

hahaha

That little gem was sent to me by Laurel, who is the lucky winner!

Thanks to everybody for coming to my blog! Hope to see you again soon!

Who's having a good weekend? I am. At the moment I am catching up on podcasts and giving the apartment a good scrub down. Kind of boring, but very necessary. It was getting a little out of hand in Bazeleyland!

I will leave you with some eyecandy

These two little monsters will be one next month! Sigh...

This picture was taken way back and includes a few of my favorite big people, Grandma, my brother Dave, and his wife Beth. Love them.

Have a great one!
M.

Cards For Kids Blog Hop (With a Giveaway! WOOT WOOT!)

2010-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

ETA: I fixed the link to Jessica's blog. Thanks for the heads up!
Hello and welcome to the Lawn Fawn Hearts Cards for Kids Blog Hop!

We have all come together today to make cards for a wonderful cause, Cards for Kids! We hope to encourage you to also make cards for this great cause and have fun along the way, too! So please hop along with us, and leave lots of comments. Many of the bloggers (including me) will be giving away fun prizes!

If you are hopping here from Beth's blog, allow me to introduce myself: My name is Michelle Bazeley and I live in Louisville, KY. I am compulsively crafty, have a vicious sweet tooth, and this is my first blog hop! Hot Wheels and Glue Guns is a mish mash of my life, a place where I share ideas on all different crafty topics (sewing, scrapbooking, cards, crochet), lifestyle talk and tidbits about the world of disabilities. Please stop by again-I love visitors! At least hang on long enough to get to the bottom of the post, so you can see the big giveaway! ; )

Onto the main event!

My cards:

supplies: patterned paper KI Memories & Sassafrass Lass, monster stamp Daisy Bucket, How's It Goin' stamp unknown, picture perfect from Hero Arts, Copic Markers, black ink Papertrey Ink, blue ink Colorbox, brads Making Memories, white picture frame stickers K&Company,googly eyes

I love LOVE this little monster stamp! I might love him a little more with googly eyes ; ). He has seen his way onto many kid themed and funny cards. I add machine stitching to a lot of my cards, I love the dimension and extra pop they give. The card on the right was made out of an ittybitty scrap that I had to piece together and sew! lol

supplies: spray ink Tattered Ink, stamps Imaginesce (monkeys and penguin) and Technique Tuesday (branch and leaves), patterned paper (penguin card) SEI, Copic markers, kraft cardstock

These two cards involved a lot of 'play' time for me. One of my favorite ways to wind down at the end of the day is to get my hands into a project at my dining room table. For each card I stamped the background using a Hero Arts background stamp sprayed with Tattered Angels Mist. I did it because I don't have a good blue ink pad, but I kind of love they way they turned out. For the monkey card, I used masking to put two little monkeys underneath a branch with leaves. It's actually four different stamps I out together in several steps. The penguin I stamped and cut out so it looked like it was popping off the background. Coloring with Copic markers can be very relaxing....

*TOOT TOOT-GIVEAWAY TIME!* One lucky hopper will get a few of the stamps I used to make these cards. I have a lil set of monkeys, a dancing penguin ready to go to a lucky home (very clean, but slightly loved stamps; ). I really wanted to find another monster face to send along, but they were sold out at my local store. Found them on the web here. However, I DID stumble upon two of his friends that one lucky stamper will get to call their very own:

Aren't they adorable!?!

Want to win? Please indulge my love of corny jokes. I LOVE using them in cards I send to kids I know. My current fave:

One cupcake says to another while baking in an oven "Man, is it hot in here!". The other cupcake looks over and says "aaacccckkkk- a talking cupcake!"

LOL I know, hilarious! So tell me your favorite pun or corny joke (kid or adult appropriate are appreciated) and I will choose a winner on Friday at noon EST. Make sure to include your email address so I can contact you!

Thanks for hopping along with us today! Next on the hoppity hop is Jessica !

If you are lost in the hop, you can always start at the beginning at the Lawn Fawn blog.

Later, M.

Using Digital Elements in MS Word

2010-08-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

(Or, as I like to call it-Getting Digi: MS Word Style)

I have to share the most exciting bit of knowledge I came across last month. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I am TOO excited now with my new set of skills.

I have long enjoyed looking at the new digital tools out there, being a semi computer nerd myself, and I always coveted the lovely digi products that have popped up around the web. I have become pretty good at taking photos, then futzing with them using Picasa. I learned how to print out digital elements using MS Word, and I long dreamed of buying Photoshop, so I could use all the fun masks, brushes and etc. that I saw other scrappers use. I live by the blogs of Ali Edwards and Cathy Zielske. However, Photoshop always seemed like a luxury purchase. Sure, it would be fun to have a new tool to make the coolest projects with, but with an average price of $60 and up, it was, well....an expensive (to me) impulse purchase.

So, I put on my thinking cap and tried to figure out how to add bits and pieces to my photos, with no luck. Then, finally, this show:

While listening to the second episode, I got all excited and decided I HAD to learn how to go (just a little) digi. So, I left a comment on the message board, and would you believe it-someone responded, just to me! They gave me SUPER simple instructions on how to manipulate digi products in MS Word. (For those of you who are not familiar, digi scrapbook products come in PNG and JPG formats and I could not figure out how to layer them on top of a photo I had taken). I was SO tickled and have spent the next few weeks trying it out, and I think I finally have the hang of it!

On to the challenge: my first (almost digi) layout! I hope I can share what I learned with you, my bloggy friends. I hope I can explain it to you, step by step, in a clear way. If you have any questions, leave me a comment, and I will ty to clarify with my limited knowledge. I included screen shots of my process, click on them to see them larger.

1. Open your photo in Word, resize to the size you want to print. Then go to Text Wrapping and choose an option, here I chose Behind the Text.

2. Open the digi element in the same document. I used the Summer Kit from Shimelle Laine. It will be large and either beneath or under your photo. Go to Text Wrapping>In Front of Text, then you can use the little boxes in the corner to make it approxiamtely the same size as your photo.

3. Then-The Magic. Holding down the left-click button of your mouse, drag the frame over your photo. You should be able to see 'thru' the frmae onto your photo, and put it in the proper position. Voila! ACCKKK! That noise you hear was the squealing that happened the first time I got that to work. SO EXCITED!

4. Once you have the frame over the photo the way you like, you can print it out as is, or you can be super crafty and add a few more bits and pieces over the top. Shall we?

5. Open yet another graphic, like a butterfly. I decided I wanted it to be a pretty coral color instead of yellow, so I recolored it. In Word 2007 there is a format toolbar at the top of the screen. You can use the Recolor Feature by choosing: Recolor>More Variations>More Colors.

Like this:

6. Now that you have the PERFECT color of butterfly, resize it and do the whole 'On Top of Text' Action. You can also use the small square that appears above the box around the butterfly to change the tilt. That's how I got one butterfly to tilt one way and the other to tilt the opposite direction.

7. Sit back and pat yourself on the back. Done? OK, this is how my photo looked when it was all jazzed up:

Now, you can print her out.

ACCKK! Sorry, I was just admiring my awesome skills. lol. This is how she looks printed on my home printer. You may have noticed on the screen shot that you could see little corners of the photo peeking out from the frame, but when I cut it out, I just trimmed them off.

Now, the rest of the layout:
1. I wanted to use some of the awesome patterned papers in this kit on my layout, so I used the same technique to layer them in a Word document. One difference-I used the 'Crop' button in the Format menu to crop out part of the paper and keep a two inch strip. I used this paper from another kit.

2. I decided to get EXTRA crafty and add a brush to one of the paper strips. (A brush is like a digital stamp, words you can add over a photo or paper.) I used this freebie from Ali Edwards

3. I made a title for my layout using an alphabet from Shimelle's kit. I added each letter one at a time, used the Text Wrapping, resized, then moved each letter together so they slightly overlapped.

All printed out on white cardstock:

Three things to notice: the 'Capture the Moments' stamp over the paper. So pretty. I ran out of room on my 12 x 12 layout, so I had to chop off the stamping the final project-very sad. Also, some of the digi papers have a cool texture that make them look dimensional. Very cool!

4. I printed out a set of freebie tags I found here. The other cool thing about digi scrapping is there are tons of freebies out there. I will link to a few at the bottom of the post. I just printed them out as is on white paper.

gettingdigi3 src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4891459484_a311f589b0.jpg" width=500>

A lot of work printing, now to put it all together! I had my other pictures, I assembled it all, I used a little machine stitching to add some dimension. I also pop dotted the large photo to make it stand out a little. Brads, number stickers, journalling.......

Drumroll, please!!!!

Isn't it pretty! I love love LOVE the way it turned out! It took a lot longer than a purely paper layout would have taken, but it was really fun learning this new techniques and expanding my craftiness. I am really looking forward to doing this again.

A few notes and tidbits:

* This process was slower, some because my Word program ran a little slow. Sometimes I would resize one of the digi images and it would take a second or two for the computer to 'catch up'. That freaked me out at first, but once I figured out it would be OK, I just clicked and waited.

* There are digi elements out there called masks, that crop photos into fun shapes and add a frame. So far, I have not been able to make them work. The inside of hte frame is black, and I couldn't get the shape to go around the photo.

* Think outside the box for creative ways to use the digi elements. You could recolor them, print them out on vellum, transparency or on patterned paper. There are TONS of different looks you can get!

* There is a great series of posts about basic digi skills here by Ali Edwards. She doesn't cover how to layer digi elements in Words, but she does explain a lot of basics.

Products I used:

Capturing Moments (sorry, can't find the link. It's a freebie, so I will keep looking!

Shimelle's Summer Kit

Creativity Prompt Journal Blocks (she has LOTS of free printables on her site!)

Whew....long post! Thanks for sticking with me! Have you tried this technique? Any tips or pointers? Put them below, I would LOVE to hear them!

Off to watch last night's mad Men!

Later, M.

Free Friday Fun-Online Classes

2010-08-08T07:36:00.001-07:00

Oh, the weekend, why do you fly by so quickly??? How is it already Sunday?!? No worries, I had this little list put together and who am I to get stuck on tradition ; ). So here is Free Friday Fun-on Sunday.

A few online classes have come to my attention, and I thought I would pass them along. These are free, low stress lessons packed with information you can use. Two are scrappy related and one has to do with getting a handle on clutter in your daily life. To see more information, click on the title, it will send you right over to their website.

Elle's Studio: Journalling In Your Own Words

During the class we will be featuring 12 different scrapbook designers and they will be sharing how they tell their stories - each featuring a special layout they have made just for our class! Along with other tips, techniques, giveaways and MORE!

Big Picture Scrapbooking: Big Idea Festival!

You are invited to a FREE festival packed full of big ideas at Big Picture Scrapbooking this August! Join us for 13 fun-filled days featuring 13 of our talented instructors. Each instructor will share 3 project ideas with you - that's 39 projects, all for free!
We will be showcasing the creative styles of: Stacy Julian, Elizabeth Dillow, and many more!

Simplify101:

Have you heard about simplify101’s online workshops and wondered Can I really get organized with an online workshop? or How does it work? If so, we've got good news for you—for a limited time you can try one lesson of our upcoming online workshops–for FREE!
That's right, for one week, you’ll get the ultimate taste test of either Organizing 101: Learn How to Get Organized or It’s About Time (or both!) Your risk free trial of our online workshop includes:
* One week of full access to the live workshop.
* Access to all of the downloads and lesson materials for the first lesson including lesson PDFs, audio MP3 files, plus any lesson related worksheets or forms.
* Our friendly and supportive online community.
* Full access to the private forum to ask questions about the lesson content.

So, have I inspired you to sign up? Let me know! I will be following along with the BOS nad the Elle's Studio class and I'll be sure to share my projects here on the ole'bloggy blog.

Before I sign off, a little share. And a little thank you to everyone who reads my blog. It really is a lot of fun sharing ideas with you guys, so thanks for reading!

Later,

Michelle

St. Matthews Farmer's Market

2010-08-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

A perfect way to spend a Saturday morning includes a visit to to the St. Matthews Farmers Market. A huge parking lot filled with handmade vendors, farmers, and yummy fresh cooked food. A few of my favorite vendors:

Babycakes Cupcakes: homemade cupcakes. tons of icing. 'nuff said.

Cake Flour: an organic, mostly vegan bakery. I had the sweetest, softest peach cherry scone there last weekend.

KY Bison Company: have you ever had a bison burger? So good! Kilamanjaro Foods: the former owners of one of my favorite (now closed) downtown spots decided to bottle all their delicious sauces and sell them. Now if I could perfect their cornbread recipe, I would be golden.

Harmony Fields: they always have the most beautiful arrangement of flower bouquets. Love them

Garlic Guy: There is one smaller booth that sells the biggest most delicious cloves of garlic. Unfortunately I forgot to write down his name, so I will have to look it up and I will add it later. Trust me, this guy is super nice and his garlic is perfect.

There it is! I hope to see you there next Saturday!

Just don't take the big tomato. Or the big chocolate cupcake. Those are mine. So, where do you like to spend a sunny, lazy Saturday morning? Do tell.

Later,

Europe Projects (3 of 3)

2010-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

So, I am still getting used to the changes in Blogger. I have figured out the adding pictures thing, but why is all my writing center aligned-even after I hit left-justify? Mystery...)

Howdy Howdy! This is the last installment of the highly (by me and Deanne) anticipated "How I scrapbooked Europe" series....ha! I had a few blank canvases around from long ago plans to paint something. I thought to myself 'how cool would it be to create a collage to hang on the wall?" So, that's what I did.

Can I tell you-it was messy creative fun! I haven't painted a large piece like this in years, and it made me want to do another one. THere's something therapeutic about painting and gluing and futzing with a piece like this, I had no idea when I started what it would look like when I finished. If you're curious about some of the techniques, I thought I would share. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I'll try to help!

* I used some crackle paint from Ranger over a pink acrylic base coat. The result is a really cool crackle textue on the large pink circles (which aren't as bright as they seem in this picture). I sprayed over the crakle paint with some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, which settled into the cracks and gave it a cool sheen.

* I printed one of my favorite pictures from Paris onto textured cardstock. Then I decided to Mod Podge the photo to the canvas. This turned out to be a very bad idea and made the picture smear a little. Oh well, there was no turning back, so I went with it.

* I also heat embossed the dots and the silver foil stamping. That was way harder than I thought, mainly getting the Versamark to stamp evenly on the canvas.

* I used a little of this and that fom my scrapbook stash to bring it all together, including: A large cream photo mat that I inked to a perfect grey, part of an aitline ticket, and those clear letters I have had FOREVER fom Heidi Swapp. I colored them in with a Copic marker, and I love the way they serve as a title.

Overall, I love the way this turned out. I think it might need a bit of a third color, the pink and gray are a little flat. I am still thinking about that one. Unitl then she is hanging in my bedroom. A daily reminder that I see every morning while I am getting ready for work.

So, that's it!! Europe is officially in the can. I really enjoyed each of these projects. They were low stress and really reflected my style and the way I wanted to remember my trip. Mind you, I don't think I would do all 3 for every trip I go on, but this trip was special-the beginning of a new chapter for me, so I thought it deserved special treatment.

Thanks for stopping by!

Europe Projects (2of3)

2010-08-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

After a brief hiatus (wedding planning, lakehouse, work, rearranging, rinse, repeat-that has been my summer) I am back and full of blog posts. Below is a few pictures of the second way I decided to preserve my pictures and keepsakes from my trip to Europe. Like many of you I came back with mucho amounts of photos. While I love them all, the idea of 'scrapping' them all was very unappealing. I did not want to take months making lots of 12x12 layouts which couldn't even contain all these pictures. Ergo, the photo album:

I took a photo album from Pioneer with traditional slots for 4x6 photos and them arranged them by place and topic. I used to stress over keeping a timeline and chronological order, this time I stressed over making sure all the photos fit into each category (some pictures were landscape versus portrait orientation, and that made it a little tricky to fit them, into to the pages). Then I took bits of leftover papers from OA's Road Map line, some stickers my SIL gave me, and paper pieces I collected along the way (maps, tickets, etc.). Note: I LOVE those red and blue stickers with the names of different sites on them. My SIL gave them to me, and I forgot to write down the manufacturer so I could find some for Paris.oops. I'll explain how I solved that problem below.

I love how these pages spotlight the photos and I was able to add words or thoughts as I wanted.

See that Versailles label? I created that in MS Word, then printed them out on photo paper. They aren't quite as nice as the stickers, but they helped me keep the book together visually. The train in the black symbol is from this dingbat. I put it together in my Silhouette software and cut out a bunch. I used them alot in the mini book I talked about there.

Above is the caveat of this system. Since I had so many pictures orientated one way or another, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get them all in the book the correct way (trust me, I tried). In the end, I did the best I could, and decided to not look at this page too long-ha!

Another thing I love about the way this book turned out id the white border around each photo. I do this alot when ordering pictures from Shutterfly, mostly because then the actual picture is a bit smaller than 4x6. Then when I cut them up for scrapbooking, I can fit a few more on a page. In this project I think it added a little polish. Really helps the photo stand out.

Next up, the last Europe project (in case you are not too bored of looking at them!). This was a fun way of remembering the trip, a media I have not visited in years.

Stay tuned!

Europe Projects (1of3)

2010-07-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

A few weeks ago I finished putting together all my photos from my March trip to Europe. Oh Europe....I can't wait to go back. It was so much fun reliving the trip, but kind of a let down to think that is is over. Vacation let-down is the worst, right?

I decided to document my trip in three different ways. I didn't want the pressure of making one huge scrapbook with all my photos and memories. Wanted to remember it in a really unique way. The first is this mini album, filled with a few of my favorite pictures, sized 5 x 7 with lots of journalling and ephemera. I really like how this turned out. Very mixed media, modern, colorful-much like my trip (which was a mixed up, crazy ride).

I used this awesome canvas album from Prima,the Road Map line from October Afternoon, Thickers, and stickers from 7Gypsies. All products are linked on the right ; D

Funny story: in my obsessive crafty, yet impractical way when I returned from my trip I immediately started searching the web for the perfect products to match my photos. I stumbled across this line from Studio Calico and fell in love with it. However, it did not release until June and I knew I wanted to get my pictures done before then. I thought about waiting, I searched and searched for a place to buy it early, and no luck. I know, loser, right? I put waaaay to much thought into it. One day I was working at Archiver's and I saw this fun, retro line from OA. I liked it and decided to stop waiting and just get on with it already! Once I started, I fell in LOVE with the way it turned out.

The front cover. Love the canvas album. It has fabric and clear acetate pages, which make it very easy to get all creative. I have ZERO idea how to decorate the cover. Any ideas?

This is actually in the back of the book. The clear pages are empty like a page protector, so I sewed up a pocket with some of the OA papers and stuffed it with brochures, tickets, etc. oh Paris.....
/" title="OAalbum3 by kychellebelle, on Flickr">
An example of how most of the pages look. Just stuck the pictures right to the canvas, added paper and stickers and LOTS of writing.

A close up of my silly travel mates. Love them. oooolala!

You can see in the right side there I took a prayer card from Westminster Abbey and added it right to the binding, using some deco tape to see it out so you could read it. It just flips like another page.

The very last page is a manila envelope I added to hold more trinkets from the trip. I had a LOT of stuff! lol. That star stamp is from Studio Calico. Worked perfectly here and on a couple other pages.

Thanks for stopping by, I would love to hear any comments you have. I am always curious to see if anyone comes by here!

Later,
Michelle

Some Might Call Them Timewasters....

2010-06-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

ETA: hello, pictures? WHy the heck can't I get Blogger to load and display my pictures. Tried from Picasa and right from my computer, but tinly one that is showing is from Flickr. Any suggestions? I would love to hear them! = D

I call them productive creative inspiration. Time well spent-so there!!

I have been introduced to a host of new blogs, websites, and TV shows.Thought I would share them here in hopes something might strike your fancy. Enjoy!

{PHOTOGRAPHY}
I can't remember if I shared this yet, but my beloved Canon Powershot is on it's last flash. It is such a great camera, but one too many bounces on the pavement seemed to have killed her. I can still take pictures, but only in natural light. Without a flash-kind of limiting. So, I am planning and scheming for my next purchase. I like the Canon so much, I think I might stay there. Maybe this one or this one.

I am only an amateur clicker, but I love reading and learning more about the topic. A few new sites I have seen around.

Photojojo: The want to put the fun back in photography. I love the fun little gadgets they sell and the ideas they send in their newletter for ways you can boost the jojo on your own camera.

Flickr Maps: Did you know there is a way to find lovely places right in your own community to take pictures? Uploaded pictures from your zip code are organized on this database. What a fun way to find a new place for a photo shoot?

Smitten Photo and Design: my cousin Jen has a photography business, and she has a great blog here. Check it out, there are lots of great shares, tips, and inspiration for photography!

{CRAFTY}
I have stumbled upon a few blogs and sites that have great ideas for all sorts of crafty needs

Paperclipping Roundtable: I may have mentioned it already, but I look forward to this every week. Each episode features people in the scrapbook industry and the topics range from how to store your photos to how to collect your memories if you are not a 'scrapbooker'. And, they just started a Digi Roundtable. It is all about the technical side of scrapbooking. Even for a non-Photoshop owning newbie like me, it is very interesting. I even got one of my questions answered on their show post. I learned how to use Microsoft Word to jazz up my photos! I was super excited about this! (I will share what I learned soon). Seriously, I download them to my IPod EVERY week and they get me through long drives and boring workouts!!

Smile And Wave: Rachel Denbow's blog was a random discovery a few years ago, and I seem to go there every day. She is a stay at home crafty mama who shares tutorials, inspiration, and very funny stories. I am going to make these very soon.

Dear Lizzy: a blog from CK contributor Elizabeth Kartchner. Not only does she share ideas for scrapbooking, but fun sewing projects, and her photography is amazing. I learn alot by studying he photos. Another daily read

{IPod Touch Apps}
I am going to say it- I love my IPod Touch. The story behind it, well...I told myself I would NEVER pay $200 for an IPod. I was going to Target to replace my SHUFFLE....ahem....somehow the Touch came home with me. However, she is jazzy and fun and I love her. I just wish she had a camera like the IPhone. (grrrr)

One of the many things I love about her: the apps. I have found SO MANY fun, and yes, timewasting, apps on ITunes. Here are a few of my favorites. You can find them all here:

Drag Paper: the point is to unroll the t.p. as fast as possible. For some reason, this is HIGHLY addictive. If you have kids-get this. It is an excellent way to kill a few minutes in line or waiting for a meeting, etc. Most of my friends have tried to break the high score.

Scramble 2: I love word games. Scramble is like Boggle, a timed game you can play with a partner, alone or online against other people. I am awesome at this game.

Fortune Ball: It's a virtual Magic 8 Ball. This guy has helped me with many many decisions. = D

Cardstar: Whoever invented this is a genius, I want to kiss them. This little app (which, did I mention, is free!) makes it so you don't have to carry around all of those stupid frequent buyer tags on your keychain. Seriously. It has a database of thousands of stores, or you can enter your own local businesses (like the library). You enter your barcode number and it creates a bar code just like on the tag. Then all you do when you shopping is show the cashier the screen and they scan it! I know!

You can thank me now, or thank me later.....or you can blame me when your boss catches you playing Drag Paper ; P

Later,
Michelle

Allow Me To Tell You A Little About...

2010-06-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Connor Anthony. He turned nine months old on Saturday.

He hails from Maumee, Ohio. He recently grew himself a couple of teeth.

That means that he can now enjoy a little cereal, pureed fruit, and pretty much anything else he can put in his mouth.

However, he still enjoys the occasional bottle. Old habits die hard.

He is a budding sports fan. He is innocent enough to believe the Reds really has it this year.

Let's hope he's right.

He enjoys long walks on the beach-in his stroller, and a cruise around the living room in Aunt Michelle's ride.

He is already well versed in the world of technology.

You should also know that he loves tickles, tummy munches, naked time, rolling over,standing, pretending to walk, and squealing. Very loud. When he is happy, it is the best sound in the world. When he is not happy....well......

I learned much about my friend this weekend as we had a long weekend of getting to know each other in Cincinnati. I hope to learn much more about him in the future.

I've grown kind of fond of him.

Later,
Michelle

To My Brother On His Very 'Pecial Day!

2010-06-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Because I wanted to make him feel special (and I forgot to get him a card), I thought I would share a few favorite things about my big brother:

-he can cook.anything.perfectly. Seriously, he could grill duct tape and cilantro and you would swear it was the best dish you have ever tasted.

- he is laugh out loud funny. He has a way of imitating animals and telling stories that makes you laugh out loud. (even if you are the little sister who is the subject of this story)

- he is very smart. We do not always agree about the ways of the world, but he always makes a good argument, and he doesn't mind listening to other people's opinions. And, he doesn't judge them. He actually listens. Alot of people could learn from that.

- How many people can you say saved all their money (since college) and own their dream house at the tender age of 40? Not many, but my brother did just that. He owns a lakehouse on Rough River that he loves and dreamed of owning since he was very young.

So, anyway, enough gushing. I am so proud of him and I want everyone to leave him a little love for his big birthday!!

Freshman Journal

2010-06-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Seems like I am in need of many little gifts this time of year....weddings, birthdays, graduations, shower...you know what I mean. I came up with this idea last year for a friend who graduated from high school. She is an occasional scrapbooker, and I thought she might like a place to record a few special memories from that awesome first year of college! I didn't take any pictures (that I could find) of that one, but this month I had another new college freshman, and I made another freshman journal. The bones were pretty basic: a page to collect list of things from the first year of college, plus space for a few pictures.

My pages were titled:
- my dorm room
- my classes
- 10 top things I love about college
- waiting for me at home (a place for a family pic)
- college friends

The pages are a made from a mix of papers from Sassafrass Lass, stickers from American Crafts and My Little Shoebox, and a die cut or two from Teresa Collins. The book is from RIP Scenic Route. I put a link to all the available products in the side bar. The mini book is a particular favorite because instead of blank white pages it looks like graph paper, which fits perfectly with the theme and gives a great background for journalling!

I used the same kind of idea for a couple who were engaged. You could use it for someone who is moving, or taking an internship, or for lots of occasions! Hope this inspires you to try it for yourself! Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Kicking off the Weekend

2010-05-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ah Friday......how I love thee. I have plans to relax so hard this weekend (to quote my buddy Tiffany). Going to hang out with my BFF, my brother, and my Sis in Law. Love Lakehouse season.

Just thought I would pop in and share a couple of layouts I finished about the KY Derby this year. I put a link to most of the products in the sidebar. I challenged myself to use just the Dear Lizzy line, cardstock, and a piece of this awesome wood veneer. Two Peas is an awesome place to buy lots of scrappy supplies, so I highly recommend them. (if you decide to buy anything., please use my linky. I get a tiny shopping credit for referring my blog readers : D thanks!)

{Pegasus Parade}

{Derby Brunch}

(why is that Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir? Why yes it is...)

I had a lot of fun ripping up and ruffling that adhesive backed fabric. On the brunch layout I used my favorite stamp from Studio Calico on the tag over the journalling. It is a lovely-yet unphotogenic pick. I also cut out a bunch of pieces to make some flowers. I love how they turned out. I had no plan in mind when I started these, I just went for it. Very therapeutic!

Thanks for stopping in. Have a fantabulous weekend!

Tripping Down Memory Lane

2010-05-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

( current view of my dining room table)

The past few months I have taken on the arduous task of organizing photos of my family when I was growing up. Most of the pictures were organized by year in multiple sticky paged albums. Most, if not all had the date and subject written on the back. The rest were in boxes with carefully labeled envelopes. My goal was to get them into binders, organized by year, so that my siblings could see them and enjoy them. Sounds like an overwhelming project, but I really took it one book at a time, and it has been really fun.

I have always enjoyed looking at old pictures, even better when it is my family. Not only are they adorable, funny, and special-almost every single picture was taken and labeled by my mother. She had the kind of perfect penmanship that people kill for and she made sure that each picture had the dates and who was in it. I bet if she were still around she would have been an avid scrapbooker. I can tell that she loved her family and so wanted us to have a record of our lives growing up. It’s a little sad when I come across a certain picture and wonder about the story behind it. I so wish that she were here to tell me about them.

But, enough of the sentimental, I wanted to show you how I am approaching this project and a few funny favorites. I hope this might help you if you are considering doing something similar. Feel free to post any questions you might have, and I can respond to you!

step #1: I removed all the photos from each magnetic photo album and divded them by year and filed them. I used a couple of those file folders people use to hold coupons. Found them in the dollar section of Target (fancy, I know). Now, not all the pictures made it out of the albums alive. For anyone who doesn't know, those old time magnetic albums have tons of acid and chemicals that are death to pictures. If you do nothing else but take your old photos out of those books and put them in a box-do it! You will be so glad you did. I wish I had taken a picture of what some of the pictures looked like, they were so faded and brittle and some of them were STUCK to the page and were thrown out with the empty books.

step #2: I bought a couple of 12 x 12 binders from American Crafts that hold LOTS of pages. I kept a few of the larger clear plastic inserts in them to hold large pictures or other stuff, but mostly I filled the binders with refills that hold 4x6 photos and 3 1/2 x 5 photos. The latter were for the older pictures which were those awesome square pictures from WAY back (like, when I was a baby-100 years ago). I tried putting them in the 4x6 sleeves, which are cheaper and easier to get, but they would just fall out. While humorous at first, got real frustrating real fast. The extra expense and effort is worth it to know they will stay secured and protected.

step#3: I starting filing them into the binders in order, seperating each year with a post-it note, which were fast and if I need to move them around I can. I am still in the process of adding pictures, but when I am done, I will go to.....

step #4: I am going to add a placecard for each year so it is easier to navigate. The are just going to be cards sized like the photos with the year stamped on. May a funny comment about the year (like: the year David jumped out the window, or the year Grandma's roof blew off-both true.)

Here's what the first binder looks like at this point:

Once I am done, I hope my sibs will each take turns keeping them and going through them, maybe pull out some for their own use. They are not just mine, even if I did organize them together. I am trying to finish what Mom started a long time ago. I think it is going to be great. Just last weekend My brother Chris and I looked at one of the binders, telling storied and laughing at ourselves-and our family. Good times.

The caveat: a project like this makes me want to scrapbook a BUNCH of these photos. Looking at them brought back so many good memories I want to tell other people. Like these:

I am going to be VERY busy!

Have you ever done something like this? Do you scrapbook your own childhood photos? If so, I would love to see them!!

I put a link over in the sidebar for the binder and page protectors. Just click on them to see more info. The 3 1/2 x 5 pocket pages I couldn't find online, look here , and you can buy them at Hobby Lobby .

Have a good one!

Let Me Make You An Offer..

2010-05-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

...you can't refuse. LOL

Actually, I am on the other end of annual spring cleaning and I have a couple of crafty things I would love to give to a good home. I had great success the last time I advertised on my little bloggy, so I thought I would give it a try again! Then I was saving money for my trip to Europe. This time I am staying a little closer-Equityville. That's right-all proceeds will go into the down payment I am currently working on for my first home! (Trust me, if you have seen how I am growing out of my apartment, you will know that this is a worthy cause).

Below are the items for sale. Most are new, never used-except where noted. I can bring it to you if you are local (KY or Cincy) or I can ship it to you and accept payment by Paypal.

52 Scrapbbok Challenges by Elizabeth Kartchner. {SOLD}
Awesome book! Full of inspiration to get your scrappy mojo going. Read once, now time to pass it on!!

My price: $15 Retail:$19-$29

Glitz Designs Pack. Awesome pack from their Hot Mama Line. Includes paper, titles, and journalling stickers.

My price: $6 Retail:$10-$15

Graphic 45 Pack: Includes paper, die cut tags, and alpha fom Playtimes Past, Nouveau Times, and Brides & Babies lines. See info on their site.{SOLD}

My price: $8 Retail:$15

HUGE pack from Scrap Within Reach. Includes 11 double sided papers, one large diecut, 2 rub-on packs, 2 ribbon packs, 2 chipboard alphas. Really nice collection of products from their Afternoon Tea and Industrial Park collections. Great for boy and girl pages

My price:$20 Retail $30

Yarn Pack. Someone day I will learn to better estimate how much yarn I need to buy! I have 3 skeins of Caron Simply Soft Pearl Frost, 1 skein Bernat Soft Boucle, and 1 skein Patons Classic Wool in Winter White.

My price:$5 Retail: over $15

and, lastly, the former crown jewel of my DVD collection:

OK, now that you are done laughing, you know you want it! I was a little obsessed with this show when I was in college. Ahem. Now it is time to give it a good home....

I have seasons 1,2,4,5 and Series finale.
My price:$50 Retail: $ 75

Interested in anything you see here? Leave me a comment or send me an email at bazeleycei@bellsouth.net

Happy Shopping!

Derby 2010 in Pictures

2010-05-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorites from this year's Derby Festival:1. Raj from The Big Bang Theory at the Parade 2. awesome school band tearing it up! 3. Make me someo money, boys! (men running the betting machine at Derby Day Party) 4.Lisa enjoying a dirty martini. I stuck with the traditional mint julep. 5. My girlfriends and I went to Lynn;s Paradise Cafe for a rainy Day After Derby Brunch. Met Johnny Weir! He was very nice and took a couple of pictures with us.

A good, if not too rainy Derby this year. Summer has officially started here in the Ville!

A Week In My Life

2010-04-30T20:28:00.001-07:00

I have heard of the WITL project for the past couple of years. I even put one together (sort of) a couple of years ago. I learned about it from Ali Edwards, a scrapbook/blogger who I love. For those of you who don't scrap it's nice because really it's about the photos and stuff you collect during the week. The purpose is to capture and remember a week in the life of you and you family. It could just be a photo album fill with pictures, receipts, bits, apieces. It could be a journal you keep during the week about what your family does each day. The possibilites are limitless.

I decided that I would take a few pictures each day, print out three or four, add a few pieces, thoughts, and fill up a mini book. I also challenged myself to use some old products I had in my stash. I almost met the challenge ;).I loved playing around with the products, some paints and some new stamps I bought at CKC (technically while they are new, I did not purchase them specifically for the project. That counts, right?)

Is my life really that interesting? I am not sure. Will anyone even care to look at this? Maybe my niece and nephews? Who knows. For the most part I used it as a chance to play with my camera, practicing taking pictures, and playing with my art supplies. Good enought for me. THanks for looking, I will put a link to products I used at the bottom. (The journalling cards were a download from Becky Higgins that I printed out last year and never used. So happy with how they look, glad I kept them. Unfortunately, the file is no longer availible, and I deleted so I can't share. Sorry. But there are so many companies who make stuff like that, I am sue you can find cute ones!)

A regular Monday. Just a few pics of my day. Yes, I love a good shower, and lots of fru fru with it ;). I punched all the butterflies out of xtra journalling cards I wasn't going to use.

A boring Tuesday, so I decided to document websites I check everyday and tv shows I love to watch right now. The day rub ons are a set from Rusty Pickle.

Wednesday things finally perked up at Casa del Bazeley. A trip to Target, a haircut, and out for drinks. I add the receipts to a coaster I, ahem, borrowed from the bar. Just punched holes in it and added it right to the book.

Thursday was a long work day. Caffeine was in order, so the sleeve from my iced coffee went right into the book. I love the texture that these pieces add to the project. I also made sure to document the 'tools' of my job: The internet, cell phone, my Ipod and the view fom my dash. I do a LOT of driving in my job,so this definitely represents my life right now.

Friday was a gossip lunch with my friend Lisa, who can make me laugh like noone else, and a trip to see a new plays festival. Backed the postcard from the show with one of the xtra journal cards, and used that to matte the photo of my favorite Thai lunch.

Saturday was very rainy, so I stayed in. Took a few snaps around the house. Did make a run to pick up a couple of things, I stuck those reciepts in this cute Maya Road envelope.

Sunday. The best day. Same as the other ones, including a pic of me reading the Sunday paper-a must.

At the last minute I decided to add a "Tweets of the Week" page. Twitter is a big part of my day, so I thought it would be cute to put a few of my 143 charcters in there. Gems like "Anyone have a Red Bull, cause I need one. STAT" lol

A list of products:
album: Maya Road chipboard-measured 4x9
stamps: this one from Technique Tuesday and this one from Studio Calico
two butterfly punches from Martha Stewart
kraft envelope from Maya Road
Paint: Making Memories and Marshmallow Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels
Black Letters from Amercian Crafts
Day rub ons from Rusty Pickle

Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you decide to put together a project like this for yourself!!

QOTD: Do you have a Derby Hat? I am not much of a hat person, but I do have a lovely flower clip for my hair!

Got In Some Scrappy Time

2010-04-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Howdy! Just sharing a couple of layouts I finished this week. I am saving my money to bet on the Derby, so all week I pretty much stayed in and work on a few projects I wanted to finish. One big project was A Week In The Life, which is lenghty so I am going to put that in another post. Thanks for stopping by?

First LO of my annual ski trip with the OWL kids. Used a kit purchased from Studio Calico. I challenged myself to just use kit contents. Usually I dig thru everything and make a mess, but it was nice to just work with a set of supplies already coordinated for me. I did add a couple of pieces related to the kit: The card on the right with the letters is a promo ad piece set with the kit. The black photo frames are from K&CO, featured in a recent kit. They are glossy, self adhesive, andI love them. Already bought another pack from Michael's. The journalling was printed on the packaging from the aforementioned K&Co frames. The letter stickers are from Basic Grey (seriously, I have waaaay too many letter stickers. Trying to use them as much as I can). Love the way these colors go together!

BTW> I love tubing. Maybe more than skiing. I want to do it everyday! Everything here from the same SC kit. I totally dig they way those circles turned out. Especially love these pictures. Some of my very favoite people in the world.

Finished this one over a week ago. Used a die cut from the Silhouette store. Papers from Cosmo Cricket and a bunch of bits and pieces from my stash. Love this picture.....he is so rotten, but looks really sweet here ;).

Quick post tonight. QOTD: Who's your Derby pick? Looking for a good bet!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here in Louisville was BEAUTIFUL (as promised), and I made the most of it.

Easter Sunday I spent with my friend Lisa who was nice enough to invite me to celebrate with her family (who I love). She brought me to her church St. Mark's, which is an Episcopal. I have never been to an Easter service at another denomination, and it was a real treat. True, Episcopal is very similar to Catholic, so it was not too different, but really nice. We even got to see a baby get baptized! This picture is of her son, Sam and his Uncle Kurt. They are very close and I love that I could get this nice for them. Don't they look handsome all dressed up?

I did spend a little time with my family in Cincy, on Friday. My sister's family came in form Springfield and we all hung out for the afternoon. My dad is recovering from some big time back surgery, so it was pretty low key, but that's nice every once in a while. I didn't get a ton of pictures, but I did manage a few very important ones:

This one is my favorite. My sis is so good about taking pictures of all of us and she takes awesome pictures of her kids. However, she would not let me turn the camera on her and get a few with her in them. hehe. I snuck this one and I love it. Not only does it show her love for photography, it shows the great relationship with her kids. They love her so much and she is so great with them. They have the kind of fun, loving relationship I can't wait to have with my kids.

She has a great eye. Look at these she snapped of me with my nieces and nephews:

This is what I am doing today.

I have been waiting and waiting to buy a few stamp sets from Papertry Ink. Love them.Also, call me a sucker for marketing, I have bought a few new Copic Markers. They are alot like the art markers I used for sketching in college. They are easy to blend, have great colors, and a nice clear consistency. They are also....$4 a pop. Therefore, I have limited myself to replacing colors I don't have and buying them on sale when I can. But I love them. I have been playing with my new stuff and putting together some cards. If I like them, I may show them to you ;).

Lastly, I am trying to forget I ever heard about Gigi's Cupcakes. It's a cupcake cafe situated right by my local Michael's (again, good marketing). And they are to Die for. And, if I buy them planning to share them with friends I will not. I will eat them. And not feel too bad about it.lol.

So, that's all. What are you up to?

Hot Wheels, Glue Guns, and Taking Over The World One d.i.y. project at a Time

Chicken Chili With Beans

Ingredients:

Directions:

About Two Page Layouts

12 for 2012

A vote for Me....is a Vote for Everybody!

Making My List, Checking It Twice

In The News

Oh Las Vegas...You Are SO Over The Top!

Florida Or Bust

Week In My Life Album

House Tour (Part 1)

Making Pretty Messes

Lawnscaping Blog Hop & My Philosophy on 'Happy Accidents'

A Very Un-Ordinary Week In The Life

Decoration Inspiration July 2011

D.I.Y Bedside Table

Florida in Photos (Memorial Day Weekend!)

Shower Gift & Card

Becoming a Bride

Grandpa Brinkman

Yesterday & Today

Wendy! Come on down!!

CKC Notes and a Giveaway!

Quite Possibly

A Wedding Story

My Very Own Apartment Therapy

Martini Thank You

Free Fun Friday-Ipod Love

Free Fun Friday & Some Love

More Digi Tutorials

Color Inspirations from the Moxie Fab World!

C-A-R-D-S Cards! Cards! Cards!

Hello? Is Anybody Home?

I Want to Cover the World In Glow-in-the-Dark Glitter

Flame Free Confessions

Truth Be Told

(Partially) Free Fun Friday

World Card Making Day-and my new Celebrity Crush

Day 5: Shaped Cards

Day 4:Three Flowers

Day 2: Boo to You!

Great Stamp Swap 2010

Big Plans For The Weekend

The Birthday Card That Almost Arrived On Time

What Do You Call A Bomerang That Doesn't Come Back?

Cards For Kids Blog Hop (With a Giveaway! WOOT WOOT!)

Using Digital Elements in MS Word

Free Friday Fun-Online Classes

St. Matthews Farmer's Market

Europe Projects (3 of 3)

Europe Projects (2of3)

Europe Projects (1of3)

Some Might Call Them Timewasters....

Allow Me To Tell You A Little About...

To My Brother On His Very 'Pecial Day!

Freshman Journal

Kicking off the Weekend

Tripping Down Memory Lane

Let Me Make You An Offer..

Derby 2010 in Pictures

A Week In My Life

Got In Some Scrappy Time

Easter Weekend