Happy Saturday friends!
I've had a busy day over at Paper Posies for the 4th Anniversary Party! There's lots of fun and games happening in the Anniversary Forum here

I wanted to share the Mini Coaster Album tutorial I posted for this month's Anniversary challenge using the May kit from Paper Posies. I love mini albums because they are quick projects that don't use alot of card stock and make fabulous gifts for friends and family!

Let's get started!

Some supplies you'll need: Coasters ( you can find them in the $1 bin at Target or the $ Store)

Pattern paper ( I used Crate Paper from PP May kit) Zip Dry glue, pencil, file, scissors, Crop a Dial or a hole punch and some ribbon or a ring or hemp to attach the album together.

Trace the coaster on your pattern paper and cut it out. I usually place mine on the top left corner to save paper.

Now you have your paper the shape of your coaster

Apply Zip Dry to coaster

Cover the coaster with the pattern paper and make sure it covers evenly and smooth it on with your hand

Next you'll need to trim the excess paper from the coaster using the file. These files usually come in distressing kits. A regular nail file works just as well. I learned this tip for trimming paper off of chipboard from Kelly Goree at Winter CHA. Hold the coaster in your hand and take the nail file in downward strokes going along the edge of the coaster to trim the paper off.

There won't be alot of excess paper since we traced the coaster on the cardstock.

Finally use your crop a dial or hole punch to make a hole for the ribbon or ring to attach your coasters into a mini album.

Repeat the steps for as many pages of this album you'd like and embellish! When you're done, tie your album together with ribbon or use a ring to hold the pages together.

I'll be back tmr to post my completed project. I hope you'll give this fun project a try.

Have a great night!

More artwork from May's Paper Posies kit

Here's a few more layouts I created using the May kit from Paper Posies We're still celebrating and I've got a card challenge running thru Monday so come on over and join the fun! You could win some great prizes and have fun playing along with the other challenges we have for you!

I really used this kit up and I'll be showing you another fun project I created from the kit soon. This week flew by! I was so sad to see Danny go last night. I really don't care for Adams antics o be honest and I might get some flack for saying so but we all have our favorite Idol and Danny was mine.

Don't forget the check out Unity's Hip Hop! Click here to visit the blog. Come join the Hip Hop chat fun and win some free stamps in the SCS Forum here.

Have a scrappy day!

2S4Y + Bonus Sketch and some fun times with my Dad

Happy Hump Day!!!I posted my second article today for the Examiner. This is really exciting! I want to thank everyone for their support and kind comments yesterday. It means alot!

If I could ask you to sign up for the email notification on my column, you'll get a message when a new post is added. Your visits to my page will make me a success and I greatly appreciate your time! Click the Examiner button I've added to my blog to visit my page and sign up now!

This week's sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You is by the talented Kazan. Her card was amazing and to be honest impossible for me to top. Here's mine

Next we had a bonus sketch by Lori

Here's my take using the new Early Bird line by Cosmo Cricket and stamped sentiment by Unity Stamp Company.

My dad was here Monday visiting just for one day and we had a blast! We took a walk down to the beach since living in Arkansas he doesn't see much of the beach anymore.

Dad and Scott, gosh my son is growing up way to fast

My handsome hubby and sweet daughter

This pic of Scott makes me laugh...

We had dinner here in Redondo Beach

Lily's 1st Fish and Chips, she's my little dipper!

What a great day we had as a family and as I watched my Dad drive off on his Harley Tuesday morning I cried like a little girl. My dad is the sweetest, most awesome Dad ever. I truly miss both my parents more than I can ever explain.

Thanks for taking to time to stop by my blog today. I hope you have a fantastic day!

Look out Carrie Bradshaw! I'm writing a column too!

This is my second post today because I have some exciting news to share with you all! I've gotten a gig writing a Scrapbooking column for the Los Angeles Examiner!

Launched in April 2008, Examiner.com serves 60 major markets across the country and is quickly becoming the premier online brand for local information and events. We are a division of the Clarity Media Group, owned by the Anschutz Company, one of the largest media companies in the country.
Our content is contributed by passionate, informed people known as Examiners. Examiners are people in your community with a common desire to share their knowledge and expertise with others. Examiners are college students, civil servants, retirees, doctors, musicians, magazine editors and stay-at-home parents.

I so excited about this new opportunity to share what I'm truly passionate about in cyberspace! You can view my first article here and be sure to sign up for emails when new articles are posted!

Celebrating Moms!

This week's challenge at Scrapping Out Loud is to celebrate MOM!

We want you to scrap a page about Mom or being a mom , it could be your own mother, or your sister, or your mother in law, celebrate her for all that she gives and all that she does for you.

My mom is pretty special, she's my best friend and biggest support. She's the most generous person I know. She's always helped me with my children and buying clothes and things they need when money has been tight. I appreciate everything she does. It's really hard not having her in CA anymore. We talk on the phone almost everyday but to not be able to hug her is the hardest. I'm looking forward to seeing her in June when I take the kids to Arkansas for summer vacation.

There's still time for you to apply for the Scrapping Out Loud DT call. You can get the deets here

Thanks for stopping by today, have a scrappy day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! I love being a mom, it's my greatest accomplishement so far. My kids make me smile and I feel more love than I ever thought possible when they wrap their arms around me and give a big hug. I hope you enjoy your Mother's Day whatever you get to do.

Yesterday was my nephew's 7th birthday. Wow has time really flown by. I made this card for him with the Lime Rickey prize I won from Kristen's blog. Love it all!

I colored the balloon with watercolor pencils and then used liquid glass to make it shiny. Fun!

It was a pretty low key weekend around here and Saturday I scrapped a layout using my new Early Bird line. It didn't turn out exactly as I pictured but I'm glad I scrapped these pics.

Hope you had a fantastic weekend and Mother's Day. Mine would have been better if I'd gotten ahold of my mom. Just doesn't feel right closing out the day not talking to my mom.

It's Friday, do you have a hangover?

It's Friday peeps! How many of you are hanging from Unity's Hip Hop yesterday? Always fun times and lots of inspiration. The Unity DT rocked up some awesome Unity Scrappy layouts for this week's scrap booking theme. One of my faves was Jen E. She's got some style that's all her own. Check her layout out here

So here are my challenge cards for this week using Unity & my April kit from Little Red Scrapbook

Stop by Unity today to get some Rubbah at a great price. Here's Angela's deal:

We are offering
30% off
All of our Scrappy Goodness!
COUPON CODE: SCRAP
Go to www.unitystampco.com to see all the sales and specials.
The homepage has them listed.
If you would like to go STRAIGHT to the SCRAPPY Sale...
CLICK HERE!

Cute new releases too so be sure to check those out!

I'm scrappin today so enjoy your Friday and your weekend whatever you do!

Design X challenge

I love the Design Experiment challenge blog and I don't get to play along as much as I'd like but this week's challenge really spoke to me.

Here's the challenge:

Music plays a big part in everyone's day whether it is intended to or not. Is there a song that's stuck in your head at the moment? Why? What significance does it have in your life?

Lately I've had a couple of disappointments with Design Teams and the constant struggle I have with my weight. It's so hard to look at myself in the mirror right now but I know I can win this uphill battle. I was listening to some music online a few weeks back and came across a Miley Cyrus song called The Climb. Now since my daughter is too young for Miley I normally wouldn't have been interested but the words struck my soul and just listening to them made me cry. The song said everything I was feeling and I know it was God's way of telling me I can do this! I just have to believe it and believe in me. What an empowering song! Here's a link to the words if you'd like to check it out.

So I scrapped my layout for the challenge based on how the song spoke to me

"I gotta keep trying, gotta keep my head held high..."

It's also Hip Hop @ Unity so head on over here and check out what Angela's got in store for us today! I love Thursdays!

Getting back to scrapping

I'm finally starting to feel better! Yesterday I scrapped this layout about our family walks.

In the evenings for the past two weeks my family has been taking walks before dinner. My husband and I really need to get back in shape so we thought this would be a good way to help. My son likes to ride his bike and miss Lily is thrilled to sip on her sippy cup and take in the sights of our neighborhood. It's a great time for Mat and I to really be able to talk to one another which is nice. I think Lily and i enjoy it the most since we are both indoors most of the day when Cayden is here. I love flowers but i won't let my hubby waste the money on buying me them so I snapped these picks while on our walk.

This is a neat part of the walk. It's a tunnel of tree and actually pretty thick too.

Scott loves this house because of the shrubs cut in the shapes of animals. Can you tell what animals are here?

Time to get off the computer and get a few things done today. Thanks for stopping by!

New Challenge at Scrapping out Loud

Happy Tuesday! I feel like time is just flying by these days. I can hardly believe school will be out for the summer soon. I definitely look forward to spending summer days at the park with the kids and on the beach.

This week's challenge at Scrapping Out Loud is the scrap a page inspired by this Chinese Proverb "Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand."

For this challenge I chose to scrap this layout about my son and his cousin Gavin. My son gets aggravated with his cousin a lot because he's got a lot of energy and is not always a good listener. We explain to Scott that Gavin is much younger and that it's Scott's responsibility to set an example for Gavin. While hunting Easter eggs this year Scott did just that and Gavin turned to give Scott a hug for being such a great cousin and I snapped this pic of the two of them.

Congrats to April's winners of our scrappy RAK Mica & Marit!! Hope you enjoy your scrappy prizes.

This month's sponsor is Scrapdango! If you wanna learn how you can get your hands on some scrappy goodies come on over and visit us at Scrapping Out Loud

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

It's Monday and time for another fabulous challenge at 2S4Y! This week's sketch is by Laura and since Mother's Day is Sunday I better get some cards ready! Here's the sketch

And my take using paper by Core'dinations and K& Company. Prima flowers, Hero Arts bling and misc ribbon.

The new 2S4Y Design Team was also announced for the summer today. I created these cards for the call

Although I wasn't chosen for the team the ladies that were are super talented and their submissions were amazing! I look forward to a summer of great sketches and inspiration! Stop by and look at their submissions here

It's another amazing evening here in So Cal so the family is headed out for a walk. Good Times!

Have a great evening!

Anniversary weekend round up! Warning it's a long blog post!

It's a beautiful morning here in Los Angeles today. I love when the ocean breeze blows thru my window in the morning and onto my face to wake me. This post is gonna be a bit long but I've got so much to share. So I'll start with...

Happy Anniversary Babe!!!!

My sweet husband, although we've only been married 2 years, we've been loving and supporting one another for over 5. I knew the first time I met you, you were the one. Your beautiful green eyes stole my heart and your sense of humor sealed the deal. I love you with all my heart and I'm so glad you are my man.

Saturday I had an amazing National Scrapbook Day in Del Mar. I haven't been back to the fairgrounds since I moved away from San Diego in 1994. I used to go to the horse races there with friends and it was always good times. Heidi and I were able to get in on Kelly Goree's Basic Grey Gal Pals mini book class. So fun!

Here's Kelly

Ahh Good Times! I got back to L.A. with Heidi and we made a stop at Michaels to pick up a frame for DH's Anniversary gift. I framed his autographed Fedor poster from the MMA fight he went to last year.

We went out to celebrate our Anniversary at Bubba Gump's in Santa Monica on the pier. I love going there since it's a really fun returaunt. Here's a few fun pics

And miss Lily being shy...the couple next to us said hello to her and she buried her face in her hands. It was the funniest thing.

Mathew and I exchanged our gifts before we went into the resturaunt. I must say he completely suprised me with Coldplay tickets in July. I had a feeling he was up to something but I had no idea what exactly it was. My reaction was priceless and it's a good thing we were in the car.

After dinner we walked around on the pier and went home to relax the rest of the evening.

After waking up today knowing how gorgeous the day was going to be I tryed to get some things finished around the house here and fit in some scrapping. After being sick for 3 days I was ready to work on some projects and I got a layout done I had been struggling with all week.

In the evening we headed to Manhatten Beach to take a walk and grab a bite to eat. I love that we live 10 mins from heaven. We usually walk the path along the sand and decided to take the pedestrian path near the beach houses instead.

this was the scene when we arrived at the beach

Here's the path we took our walk on

Manhatten Beach Pier

My dream house...Can you believe this place!

It took my breath away!

We stopped and sat down to watch the sunset.

Amazing...

This was the best weekend I've had in a long time. I love my friends. I love my family. Most of all I love my sweet and amazing husband. Coldplay! WOO HOO!!!!

Come join the fun!!! Paper Posies 4th Anniversary Party starts today!!!

It's May 1st and time to kick off Paper Posies 4th Anniversary Party! Come on over and join the fun here

Games, chats and contests are just a few ways we'll be celebrating! See you there!

Here's a couple of layouts I created for a DT call that I wanted to share, although I didn't make the team I'm so happy to have created some great layouts that I'm sure my daughter will adore when she's older.

For both these layouts I used Core'dinations card stock that I embossed and sanded to bring out the core. I also used paper by GCD, Jenni Bowlin, Webster's. I also used the Home Accents cartridge to cut the leaves and titles.

Tomorrow I am headed to Del Mar for the Scrapbook Expo with my scrappy friend Heidi and I'm really looking forward to getting into a class. I'll report back on how the Expo was.

Saturday evening I'll be celebrating my 2nd Wedding Anniversary with my sweet husband. i can't wait to see what he got me cause he's been up to something...

Have a fantastic weekend!!!