tagged for life.

liv’s newness today are these fabulous fabric tags.

(say that five times fast.)

as you can see, I am still incredibly in love with the woodoodled papers too..

(click on the layout for full list of credits.)

I am still just so in love with this pic!!

I did touch it up, just a smidge.  like removing the speakers that were in the background..  I am a little anal that way.  it was a spontaneous shot, I didn’t want it to be too posed or orchestrated, so those things that end up bugging me when all is said and done need to be dealt with afterwards.

it’s the way I am.

I have this relationship with photoshop that I thought I would never have.  I was SO AFRIAD of it!!  but I can tell you, that getting my feet wet with photo editing was what got me comfortable and excited.

I think we all know that I got that start at jessicasprague.com.

(and if you didn’t know that, well, welcome to my blog!!)

jess is doing her yearly free class, to help us all learn, for the experienced ones, it helps us to get excited, for the newbies, it helps show them that this is possible!!

I have signed up, you should too!!

among other things going on here..

I am up to my neck in soccer stuff.  I am the newest (insert title here that has to do with age group coordinating) with our region AYSO board.  my two youngest love soccer!!  it takes involved parents to make it happen.  seriously, in EVERY SINGLE AREA.  if you have kiddos who love something, get involved.  it makes their experience so much better.

we finished our last day of little laker cheer in prep for the parade tomorrow. 

yesterday, peyton wasn’t really much about the whole “participation” thing, aside from clapping. 

today I might have bribed her with a slurpee if she would just raise her hands!!!

she did.

lynn was selected to be the filer for their little stunting group.  she loves it.  all she has been doing for the past 24 hours now is cheering.

she is sad that today is the last day.

we’ve also had a couple of days of dam fun.

and the bathroom re-do has begun.

it is such a wonderful sight to look up, and have WHITE ceilings!!

that’s right, there is an “s” on the end of ceiling..  I decided that while I was at it, I might as well tackle the ceiling in our master bathroom too.  I mean, I did do our bedroom last summer.  it might be about time..

I only wish I dared (i.e. had the energy) to paint ALL of the ceilings white…  6 down, 6 more to go?

so we are saying farewell to “botany beige” (we won’t “miss” it, since it is ALL OVER THE REST OF THE FREAKING HOUSE.  (someday…)  and hello to “turquoise mist”.

we are having so much fun this summer!!  I am so happy with how slowly it is going.  I just love having the girls all home, having non-stop fun, and little drama.

we are making the most of it, and wearing ourselves out  most days..

(if this post seems a little dejavu-ish to you, well, that’s probably because you saw all of this already on instagram, and I would apologize, but hey, now you have the story to go with it, right?)

(you’re welcome.)

my cute little trees.

for these guys, I bought styrofoam cones from the craft store (used my app for some pretty awesome coupons!!), and also purchased some sheet moss.

now let me tell you how much I love this stuff!! 

I love it!!!

it is so much fun to work with.  while it is a bit messy, it is not nearly as messy as loose moss.  not nearly I tell you!!  I have used it a few times.   Making my own moss balls, and let’s not forget my moss covered “P”.

I covered the cones with the moss, gluing with my hot glue gun, trimming as I went.

after they were all covered with the moss, I used some other items from my stash to liven them up a bit.  I used some small, “i-top” brads (LOVE my i-top!!),  papers from the “winter wonderland” paper collection by heidi swapp + jessica sprague, small silver ric-rac, some decorative upholstery nails..

and some enamel paint.

one little tree, I left the upholstery nails silver, but on my taller tree next to the canvas, and the smaller one on my computer desk, I painted the upholstery nails with the enamel paint.  I simply painted it on, and let them dry.  I didn’t bake them or anything, although that is what this paint is meant for.

and these are the little “ornaments” that were made with the “i-top”.

the best way to describe this tool is that it is like a button cover kit you would use for sewing.  same concept, you just get a brad back instead of a looped button back.

pretty easy to use, and I have used it on so many things!!

the last little tree with the small ric-rac, I used straight pins to attach the ric-rac securely to the tree.

I just gotta say, it’s a little merry around here!

a start to your gift list.

have you already started thinking about Christmas?

is your list started?

are things actually crossed-off yet?

what about teacher gifts?

stocking stuffers for your kiddos?

well, I have a solution for you, and guess what, it’s a buck.

click on the image to take you directly to the link in the store!!

it really does make a great stocking stuffer for your kiddos and teachers that my kids have been lucky enough to have, have loved this!

happy one buck wednesday!!

and then there was fun.

this week at jessica sprague, there are 31 (thirty-one!!!) new products in the store.

there is also a new designer.

so guess what?

I have 4 (four!!!) layouts to show off today.

(and you can click on each layout to see a full list of credits, just in case you forgot!!)

first up, the new designer, glitz design: “happy travels”:

and as I post this, I realize I never even recorded our trip to disneyland….

then there’s design by dani, “hello sunshine”:

some fun from spelndid fiins with another (!!!) “knock-out mask”, this time, it’s chevrons!!

and lastly, echo park’s “sweet day”:

I am really digging hexagons lately.  I even have a quilt planned that is all hexagons..  but first, I have to bind my other quilt, and then, well, find more time somehow?

free is good.

one of the many reasons for which I love jessica sprague is that she gives free classes.

they aren’t dinky, little information free classes, the things I get/learn from these classes are some of the things that I use all. the. time.

these free classes are also a great way for you “newbies to all things digital” to start out in this most awesome digital world.

(and you know who you are!!!)

so go.  sign up now.

(I already have!!)

designer spotlight: samantha walker

this week’s spotlight falls on our darling samantha.

this lady and I have a few things in common, well, a couple need to not be a fantasy of mine..

- she loves her family.  (me too!!)

- loves to hike.  (yes.)

- loves her country (uh-huh..  go on…)

- loves to create.  (seriously..)

- designs fabric.  (here’s where the fantasy kicks in.)

she has such a fun style!  I have really loved using her goodies.

right now, her store, like the whole thing, is on sale at 40% off.  go ahead, go shop!

(click on the layout for full credits!)

mother’s day gift idea.

so I totally have mother’s day covered this year.

I know, I am incredible!!

(but thanks really belongs to miss jessica sprague.)

you see, I was asked to test this mini class, as in, get to take it before anyone else did, to make sure it made sense and junk?  and it totally did.  and as was making my little family tree poster, a little idea entered my mind.

“you could so do these for mother’s day gifts…”

and guess what?

when I got my poster and saw it in all of it’s printed, physical glory, I was like, “yeah.  this would be pretty darn amazing.”

and since I enjoy evoking emotions, I planned on doing it.

then, my first-grader gasped when she saw it.

(it helps that we have been finding and reading stories about our ancestors.)

but she GASPED!!

so that pretty much did it.

(mom, you better not be looking/reading.  but whatever, yours isn’t on here.)

so here’s mine:

and obviously, it’s for my kiddos, only goes back to their great-grandparents.

(ash was trying to spot her 5th great-grandfather..  nope, doesn’t go back that far.)

my mother’s day gift version has been tweaked a bit.  it has parents at the base of the tree with the kids and grandchildren up in the branches.

it’s quite sweet.

and I really love this quote:

“looking at the faces of those who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future.”

-Gail Lumet Buckley

so, if you are at all interested, here’s the link to the class.

it seriously took me no time at all to plug in pics and names.  then it gets printed, and you frame it…  so easy.

and all the gasps and tears are totally worth it!

designer spotlight: carina gardner

this week’s spotlight at jessica sprague falls on the lovely carina gardner.

she has such a gorgeous style.  I tend to be more attracted to her more feminine goodies.

this weekend, her entire store is on sale!

here are my favorite layouts using her creations:

(click on the layout for full credits.)

the most perfect monday.

maybe it’s because I am finally back to the land of the living, maybe it’s because it’s clean house monday, maybe it’s because peyton went to her very first tumbling class this morning (and loved it!), maybe it’s the weather (perfect open window weather, plus a thunderstorm that turned into a snow storm), maybe it has something to do with beachy/summery new product at jessicasprague?

(click on layout for full credits)

or maybe it’s because there’s a groupon for a rockin’ deal on classes at jessicasprague?

(perfect beginner classes!)

I don’t know.

it’s probably a combination of all the above I would guess.

spotlight.

another designer is being spotlighted this week at jessicasprague, and surprise, surprise, she is another favorite!

kitschy digitals is a go-to folder of mine for those important little details and for anything that I want vintagey.  her stuff is gorgeous!

so to motivate you to go and visit her store, and shop a rockin’ awesome sale (40% off the WHOLE store, yo.) here is some motivation:

(click on layouts for full list of credits, if you want to.)

dude, it’s february.

I am still wondering where in the heck january went.

don’t mistake me, I am happy it is february.  I mean, I’ve been looking forward to it and all, it’s been on my calendar and such.  I just had stuff I wanted done before february came, and well, it’s not done.  so in my mind, february can’t happen, yet.  my january to-dos aren’t done.

sheesh.

so catching up, in a frazzled-like fashion, here you go..

here’s some january layouts:

(click on the layout for credits and junk like that.)

now I have to go and catch up some more.

our countdown to christmas.

so, sure, we have many countdowns to christmas.  many.  but how can you resist making another cute one?  this one will end up in the trash in the end anyway..

we have darling countdowns that grandma pitcher made years ago, reminiscent of the ones she’d made for her own kids years ago.  they are sweet, and something I have used, but have had trouble with, with the girls at different ages.

with the ones she made for us, you tie each treat onto a long fabric strip with ribbon.  my problem usually comes in with my hands (thank you genes and arthritis..).  it’s always cold, and sometimes stormy, which is a great little story problem that equals aching hands in my situation.  the second problem is one, two, or three little girls, who like to steal treats prematurely.  then I get ornery because chances are, my hands are still hurting after the initial 75 treat tie-ons, and then there is one (most likely more), treat to tie on.

(now I shouldn’t blanket blame all three..  it’s usually a certain culprit..  ahemashleyahem..  who likes to take their sisters’ treats and say that they did it.)

(it is also partly my fault, as they inherited my sweet tooth.)

so I started thinking about this waaaay back in november, and came up with a pretty sweet solution.

(bonus: it is also up cycling!!)

so if you can’t tell, we’ve been saving toilet paper rolls like they are spare change.

it didn’t take us long..  helps to have the hotel pitching in.

I placed three treats in each empty roll cardboard core thing, wrapped it in tissue paper (okay, merrill did), and then twisted the ends, and tied them off with some string.

(okay, merrill did that part too.  my hands aren’t hurting!!  sweetheart.)

I printed off papers that are brand-spanking new from jessica sprague + heidi swapp (genius combo.  can not go wrong there.).  cut them to fit my rolls (got enough for 4 from each 8.5 x 11 sheet), and then taped them on the back side.  I finished each one off with a number to identify just how many more days until christmas, that I printed off and punched with a 1 inch circle punch and stuck that on with a glue dot.

getting them all hooked-up together wasn’t as easy as I initially thought.  I tried glue-dotting the heck out of them, but they just wouldn’t stay.  it was too heavy.  so I resorted to my trusty old glue gun.

worked awesomely.

I took a small piece of ribbon and hot-glued that to the top roll to use as a hanger.

now, all the treats are concealed, and safe, until the right day comes.

the girls tear off one side and there’s the treats!

but really, I love these papers..

love these colors!!

trying really hard not to re-do the scheme of the tree this year….

and it would totally work, I re-painted the wall in the family room as one of my “keep yourself busy because merrill ditched us for two weeks” projects.

links to jessica + heidi’s new collections here and here.

dudes…  they are totally on sale now too, along with a ton of other products!!!