template love.

so my sweet friend crystal, asked me to try out her new templates.

you know me, I kinda love crystal, and I kinda love everything she makes, so it really wasn’t hard to say yes.

I used three different templates, from two different packs.

what do I love about them? well, let’s just make it easier and list what I don’t love about them.

(insert crickets chirping here.)

see for yourself:

this is from template pack #1, and perfect to showcase some of my favorite pix from our recent lagoon trip.

I love the white background, but also the option the template gives to change that up whichever way I choose. I love to have the pop of color on the very background, but still have the clean feel of the white behind my pictures.

I used pebbles “seen & noted” paper and elements to tie this all together.

and that stitching.. perfect to pin down all of those little tid-bits.

crystal has made this so super easy, with all the shadows and overlays, even the stitching pre-set (but with the option to turn those layers off if you are not in the mood).

I love this picture, and decided that while it will definitely hold a spot in my weekly project life layout, it deserves a page of it’s own..

I used a template from template pack #4 and “chasing rainbows” paper and elements from dani mogstad. perfect to express that feel of blissful childhood I so totally see in this picture.

this was easily one of the happiest days of our summer so far..

my sister-in-law came home from her 18 month mission to nashville, tennessee!!

(totally deserves to be documented..)

I used another template from template pack #4 (guess you could say it’s my favorite pack? maybe?..) and LDS missionary sister edition from becky higgins project life designed by kimberly church.

I am so completely happy with how easy (and quick!!) these were to use.

now if you have been scrolling through, checking out what these babies have to offer, maybe even clicking on the links, following them to the stores where you can purchase them from, well, I have some completely awesome news for you..

and it really isn’t my news, it’s crystal’s news, I just get to spread it!!!.. and we all know that I am so incredibly good at that…

she is offering a 50% off coupon to purchase her templates here.

just enter the code CWTEMP50 at checkout before june 22nd.

want more eye candy? check out her blog and what she did with a layout a day with these awesome templates.

weeks five + six: strawberry edition

even though we didn’t get much snow this year, it was still winter at the pitcher house.
and how do I know this?
1) I had the uncontrollable itch to re-arrange, re-decorate, and just shake things up in general around the house.

we moved the two youngest upstairs in the loft area, moved their tv room downstairs, and my studio from the basement up to peyton’s old room on the main level. the hopes are that now, every little girl in the house will sleep through the night (I know, 11, 9, and 6.. they got on a fear kick in october, and it still isn’t over), and the other hope is that I will get some of my fun stuff done. it’s not fun going down to the basement alone. where no one else is. to work. where it was not motivating.

(my studio is still a work in progress.. but it is progressing.)

we were also tv starts for a second on a local show, studio 5.

(link to segment here.)

my nephew was baptized.

we enjoyed too much sweet stuff on superbowl sunday (but seriously, that is what the superbowl is all about..).

took a trip to the natural history museum of utah, which was AWESOME and totally AMAZING, and WE WILL be going back. there was so much incredible stuff to see, and we didn’t even get close to seeing it all.

the last little bit is a homework sheet from peyton’s homework packet. I LOVE the phonetic spelling.. her favorite season: summer. things you wear in summer: “swimsoot”. I LOVE this!

and 2) three pictures from this particular week have to do with different people being ill.
seriously.
the ONLY thing I hate (absolutely HATE!!!) about winter.

lynn participated in her first science fair. we tested gum. our jaws are still recovering.

(but 5 gum is the best, in case you are curious.)

took ash to the doctor for what I suspected was strep. it was just a virus (which = a wasted co-pay).

took peyton in to the instacare the next day, for the flu.

wick girls = drama + emotion. this was a quiet moment.

got some sweet thank you gifts from teresa hunsaker for the studio 5 segment. she is SUCH a SWEETHEART!!

this is peyton’s fever.. back again.

took lynn to the 5th grade maturation program and traditional ice cream and “ask me anything you want” afterward.

page 1 credits:

becky higgins project life template “F”

strawberry edition project life

kraft paper and paint brush from liv.edesigns

number 5 from sarah gleason

staples from dani mogstad

paper heart from amy tangerine

stitches from crystal wilkerson

page 2 credits:

becky higgins project life template “F”

strawberry edition project life

staples from dani mogstad

stitched heart from crystal wilkerson

arrow from clementine edition project life

fonts:

“week” bebas

“six” lobster two

journaling and dates done in frenchy

some newness, some oldness, some awesomeness…

shall we start with the newness?

let us..

AC Digitals has some newness in store today:  Crate Paper -  Maggie Holmes collection.

perfection in softness, femininity, and fun.

I just love this photo of peyton, in fact, I have loved all of the photos of her that I took in this little sitting of sorts. 

she’s gorgeous.

(no, I am not biased.)

(papers and embellishments are from maggie holmes collection, tape frame from liv.edesigns, staples from design by dani, and stitching from anna aspnes.)

speaking of lovely things, father’s day was quite lovely.

this “merrill working seven days a week” thing was old the minute it started, and hasn’t gotten any newer or more exciting since then. 

I have been having a hard time with it, and he has too. 

yesterday wasn’t easy for either one of us.

I sat on our bench in sacrament meeting and fought back tears as the girls sang father’s day songs to me, while I sneakily (and perhaps a tad inappropriately) recorded them with my camera phone so I could send it to merrill.

I guess I should look at the positive, I was able to be there and record it.

nevertheless, it sucks that he is gone SO MUCH.

in other news, there will be some re-doing going on here, starting today.

meet the main bathroom:

this bathroom bugged me the second I saw it.

just what bugged me?

- the size

- that shelf thing behind the toilet

- the lack of storage

- the lack of light

- the lack of space

- the fact that the light IS NOT CENTERED OVER THE SINK.

(seriously, can’t plumbers and electricians just work together?)

- and it’s small.

(or did I mention that already?)

the main bathroom at the old house was spacious.  there was a lot of counter space, tons (TONS!!!! I tell you) of storage.  there was all of the space in that roomy vanity not to mention a FULL CLOSET.  everything had a home.  I was severely comfortable with that bathroom.

I mean, okay, it did have it’s faults..

the floor, no shower, the tile in the bathtub area, the floor..  but the size was awesome!  and all those other things could be fixed.

here, the size thing is not fixable.

we have also had our dear towels since I bought them when I was a senior in high school.  I loved them so much, had to have them for my future house, and they stayed packed away for two years..  I still do love them, well, the parts that aren’t dingy, stained, or fraying. 

the ducks have been with us since we bought our first house.  they were a gift from my mother-in-law, and we have loved them, but sadly, the whiteness of the towels isn’t what it used to be, and even sadder, the girls really aren’t into rubber ducks like they used to be (something about getting older I suppose).

the plan is to lighten, brighten, and simplify.

so, here’s the battle plan:

- remove that dang shelf

- paint the ceiling white

- replace baseboard with foamboard that will resist (RESIST!!!) water.  (unlike the MDF that is there and soaking up water like a sponge..)

- frame out the plain old contractor mirror with the same foamboard trim.

- add our new paint color to the walls

- board and batten the east wall

(I am more than a little excited about this part.)

- new shower curtain (buh-bye duckies!!)

- replace all towel bars with hooks

- all linens will be replaced with white which will mean that we will not have as many, which will also help on that whole “lack of storage” issue that exists.

I have started the day off right with a banana and a scotcheroo for breakfast, so I am more than ready to go.

(breakfast of champions I tell you.)

it is still may.

oh, how it is still may.

I should learn to not commit to ANYTHING in the month of may.  well, anything besides the activities for the girls.  it’s a whirlwind of soccer and school.

oy.

we are almost done though!! 

5 days..

(breathe..)

five.

meanwhile, here’s a couple of new products from liv!

another awesome T + Mini: Work of Art.

love her minis!!  they come packed with amazing bits and pieces that you can use with everything and anything.  her previously released minis are some of my favorite go-to products.

(click on layouts to be linked to list of credits.)

and then there’s another volume of loopies!!

we are up to 4, and I can’t wait for 5 and 6 and 7 and…  well, you get the idea.

(I hope.)

we are halfway through another may day.  there has not been a single day this week that we have had nothing to do.  they have all been packed full!

lynn has executed her county report successfully, I hope.  I mean, I was there, and she was awesome!!  but we’ll have to see what the final score is.  she did her report on Kane county, we kinda know a little about it..  going to lake powell as much as we do.  we had the joy (sarcastic font) of putting together her powerpoint presentation rather last minute, and throwing it together from SCRATCH.  it was supposed to have been saved to her flashdrive, not there though.  so after subscribing to microsoft office, and getting the powerpoint program, we were off.  I have to say it really was fun.  my first powerpoint ever, and I am 33.  I couldn’t have done it without lynn guiding me.

our last soccer games are tomorrow.  kinda sad, kinda happy about that one.  the girls have come so far this year!  peyton can actually STAY ON THE FIELD THE WHOLE GAME.  she even runs and plays!!  ashley has become quite the defender.  she prefers playing back rather than forward.

looking forward to summer!

a sweet reunion.

my grandpa passed away friday.

we were waiting, excited for him, but can’t help but be selfish, for us.

I miss him already!

so he’s on my mind.

a lot.

I am thankful to KNOW that he is with my grandma, they are so happy to be together again!!

(it has been five years since she passed.)

these two pictures sat on the table, right next to the chair where he sat and spent the majority of his time.  she was never far from him.

his is no longer hindered by an imperfect body and the pain that comes with old age.

I really am happy for him..  really.

it’s just hard to be without him now.

so here comes the flood.  I don’t expect it to let up any time soon…

(click on layouts for links to products used.)

oh, and then there’s the fact that lynn is growing, or thinks she is..  such a great time of life!!

goodies from AC digitals.

march was not my friend.

march was crazy.

I am glad it is april!

new goodies from AC digitals:

Becky Higgins project life “seasons” mini-

other goodies used:

stitching from anna aspnes.

colored stitches, brown bag paper, and paint brush from liv.edesigns.

metal letters and hearts from karla dudley.

font: “pablo”.

also new today from american crafts, “hello sunshine”.

other goodies used:

paint brush from liv.edesigns.

staples and letters for “so” from design by dani.

cute little pink stitches from crystal wilkerson.

font: “pablo”.

and for fun..

pebbles “seen & noted”.

stitches and frame from liv.edesigns.

staples from design by dani.

font: “my type of font”.

 

another just for fun one.

I snapped this picture yesterday as my pic of the day.  I am so happy it is finally sandal weather!!

(until next week..  this is what living in utah is like.)

can’t wait for greener grass.

pebbles “walnut grove”.

doily stamp from pebbles “country picnic”.

staple from design by dani.

stitches and frame from liv.edesigns.

font: “my type of font”.

I am ready for april..  I think.

floral lane and sketchbook

two of the newest additions to the ac digitals store today!!

first up:  pebbles “floral lane”.

so sweet and girly…

other goodies used:

brown bag paper:  liv.edesigns

yellow stitching (also adjusted to white for the buttons):  liv.edesigns

(with a hue/saturation adjustment to perk up the yellow a bit.)

white heart:  karla dudley

white stitching:  anna aspnes

buttons, epoxy hearts, and ric-rac:  dani mogstad

staple:  crystal wilkerson

font:  “firefly castle”

 

and here’s amy tangerine’s “sketchbook”.

I find it funny, that before I even signed on with ac digitals, I bought some of these goodies in the traditional form…  I knew I loved them before they were even digi!!

stitching:  anna aspnes

turquoise splatter brush, frame, and staple:  liv.edesigns

green misting brush:  splendid fiins

 

I have a certain 5 year old not feeling so hot today.

our day looks like laundry, some cleaning, and finishing up my new magnetic+chalk board wall.

(review on that fun to come soon.)

I am hoping to get to my craft room today, not only to craft, to clean, hopefully to start the chalkboard (notice the absence of magnet there?) and to play.  I found some heidi swapp goodies at michaels last week, I have been itching to play with them for DAYS.

some ac digitals love.

geez.  I feel like I have been out of it for a while!

I have been working away at project life.  it is a blast!! 

(more on that later..)

for now, here’s some good stuff from ac digitals:

this is all ac digitals “soho garden”.

well, except for the stitching..

stitching:  anna aspnes frames no. 3

the next two kits are on sale this week at ac digitals!!

go grab them!

this layout was mostly created with pebbles “with love”  new today in the store.

here are the exceptions:

chevron paper:  pebbles “walnut grove”

all stitching:  anna aspnes (circles no. 2, white no. 3, and frames no. 1)

frame:  katie pertiet “curled photo frames”

ric-rac:  splendid fiins “feedsack” elements pack 2

pink photo corner:  splendid fiins “feedsack” elements pack 1

twill ribbon:  katie pertiet

staple:  dani mogstad “chasing rainbows”

rhinestones:  dani mogstad “a lot like christmas”

date stamp:  liv.edesigns “needs + wants it’s a date stamp”

font:  “my type of font”

this is all ac digitals, “city park”.

well, with the exception of the stitching, again..

stitching:  anna aspnes (white 1, loops white 1)

AND liv’s brownbagger paper.

fonts:

“bebas neue”

“pea sugar noodles”

holiday cheer.

we had a wonderful christmas!! 

here’s just a few of those moments:

(links posted below each layout.)

the lights at ogden’s christmas village.

this song by mindy gledhill really speaks to me.  it is just how I feel about my kids growing SO fast!!  I also identify with it in the respect that I wish the christmas season would just.slow.down.

wood grain paper, snowflakes, and tabs from crate paper “peppermint”.

ric-rac and staple from dani mogstad.

stitching from anna aspnes (frame here and strip has been discontinued).

glitter sheet from shalin studio.

date stamp from liv.edesigns.

fonts:  “ostrich sans rounded” and “lobster two”

 

this one is priceless!!  these expressions were captured while they opened their main gift.  happy girls!!

paper, tab, and tape bits from crate paper “sleigh ride”.

glitter from sahlin studio.

staple from dani mogstad.

date stamp from liv.edesigns.

stitching from anna aspnes.

torn photo frame from anna aspnes.

fonts:  “bebas” and “pea snow”.

 

finally, here’s december at a glance, thanks to instagram!!

so many traditions and happenings pictured here:

- christmas eve wrapping party (a.k.a. no sleep for mom and dad.)

- sleeping around the tree on the 23rd

- wrapping sister gifts

- um, winter + utah = cold.  LOVE my seat warmer!!

- lights at temple square

- white chocolate peppermint m&ms (those had better be coming back next year!!!) #addicted

- seeing ‘the nutcracker” with my girls

- our elf christopher

- our book advent

- snow

- sugar cookies!!!

- my newest nativity

- favorite christmas carols

- stack o’ cards

- christmas village

papers, border, button and santa from dani mogstad.

staple from dani mogstad,

zig-zag stitching from anna aspnes.

circle stitching from anna aspnes.

vellum piece is actually a torn photo frame from anna aspnes with the opacity adjusted.

brown bag paper from liv.edesigns.

fonts:  “bebas” and “pea hilary marie”.

this layout is my last for the creative team at jessica sprague.  it has been a fun couple of years!!  it was a dream come true to be accepted as a part of this team.  I was scared to death to submit to the call, but thanks to the encouragement of one designer, I did it.  one of the happiest days of my digi life was when I got an email from her congratulating me.  I’ve made some wonderful friends and have learned so much!  thanks for all the good times ladies!  xox

many great scrappy things are happening for 2013.. 

I will stay on creating and loving all the goodness that is liv esteban (a.k.a liv.edesigns) at jessica sprague.

(yay!!!)

and I will also be creating and having way too much fun at ac digitals.

I also have MANY goals for the new year, and most of them are craft/scrap/photog related.  time to get back into an awesome routine and start to catch up!!

happy new year!!!

new project life “seafoam” edition.

I have already started mentally compiling my list of goals for the year 2013.

one of those goals is to actually remember to write 2013, not 2012, and when I do write 2012, to not say crap.

another goal is to start project life.

I (taking a deep breath…) am not caught up on all of my scrapbooking.

(huge exhale.)

I know. 

it is like a huge sin for me to not be caught up.

I am not sure if I can even admit just how far behind I am….

but I can say this:

while searching for a couple of specific pictures last week,  I was brought to a realization:  there are a lot (like A LOT) of pictures that have just been left for my hard drive to enjoy.  there are moments captured that I forgot about.  these need to be out and enjoyed. 

project life is so crazy cool, and there are many of my friends who inspire me with their project life layouts.  I just need to start. 

there are a few blog posts, even vlogs out there, that have inspired me further, and even reaffirmed my decision, that this is what I need to do.

you can rest assured, that I have a pinboard started for all things project life.  what would I do without pinterest?  I mean, really?!

pictures are already being organized on the hard drive…

excitement abounds!!

so, diving in head first, here is one for you, with the most brand-spanking new edition of a project life kit at that!!!

this is the seafoam edition, available today at ac digitals.

(psstt!!  you can get it on sale at 20% off until sunday.)

other elements used on this page include:

- becky higgins project life template “f”

- stitching from anna aspnes

- staple from dani mogstad

- date stamp from liv.edesigns

font:

“my type of font”

that old black magic

so with a few things on my plate, I forgot that yesterday was monday, until I realized that today is tuesday. does that even make sense?

whelp, it does to me!

here is a layout created with dani mogstad’s newest kit, “that old black magic”.

(click on layout for full list of credits.)

when I saw it, I immediately thought of my childhood halloweens.  I called my mom to have her scan in old halloween pics of me and my brothers and email them to me.  it was so fun looking back!  it was even funner trying to figure which year each one was taken.

playing catch-up is a great form of exercise.

so merrill is home.

(sigh.)

he has been home for a week, but I have been too busy enjoying his presence that I have not mentioned it.

we have already enjoyed our first halibut dinner.  delicious.

we were also thrust back into real life (i.e. work and the daily routine) rather quickly.

so while trying to be creative, take pictures, mother, cook, clean, organize (because fall puts me in the mood to de-clutter and visit the d.i.), prep. for a certain 8 year-old to be birthday+baptism, soccer, tumbling, and getting a new hotel ready to open, I have managed to have some fun.

I had an especially fun night last night while I cleaned-up the old hard drive on my computer.  organizing the c drive and the external hard drive seriously define what fun is to me.  I am a geek.  I did a little happy dance when I found a long lost (think almost 8 years long) video.  I also did another happy dance when I freed up about 100 gb on my c drive.

I have many projects to document, I allowed only a week of the two merrill was gone, to be depressed, then I got crafty.  they are quite cute, if I do say so myself.

so, you can sit back and be patient, enjoy these here posts as they come.

here’s the scrapbook layouts I got done in september:

(click on the image for the list of products and junk.)

I wanted to do a quick layout of all the snippets of memories from this year’s trip to lake powell, and that is what the journaling of this layout consists of, those little bits.

my favorite memories:

- merrill surprising me with a playlist for the drive that had old, sentimental songs on it.

- ashley jumping off the top of the houseboat!!!  (she is my dare-devil daughter.)

- staying in reflection canyon.  (gorgeous.)

here’s a layout featuring a quote that I have used before, and HAD to use again.  the picture told me to do it.

and, well, I will NEVER get tired of pictures of my girlies reading.

never.

ash was so excited to start moby dick.

scrappy doo.

here’s a few layouts I managed to complete last month.

as per usual, click on the layout for a full list of credits!

can you guess which one is my absolute favorite?

I will give you a clue:  it is the one that took me the most time to complete.

re-wind to july for a second.

due to the lifestyle I have adopted for the summer, I relaxed a bit too much.

I was a slacker.

but I made up for it before july was officially over.

they document some of our fun this summer..  click on them to find a complete list of products used.

some “this is the place” fun:

one of our trips to the dam:

another “dam” trip:

(hehe…)

and ashley’s emotional road to mastering her two wheeler sans training wheels.

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?