Beaming with Pride!!

It's true! I'm beaming with pride!! Sometimes I find my self sitting for hours shuffling through my pictures - surfing the internet - browsing magazines ... looking for inspiration to spark my creative genius to life but not this time! Yesterday, I was changing out newborn pictures of my daughter with her 1year old pictures from the frames hanging in the hallway. Of coarse, I  was caught in a moment of awe ... how in the blink of an eye this small creature that once lived under my heart kicking my ribs was suddenly running down the hallway full force with the dog chasing behind her as fast as they both could go!

It was Friday night - BFF scrap night - & while my bag laid packed & ready to go with power layouts just waiting to be put together (not to mention the 100 pictures I had just had printed from a recent get-away)  it was this simple 5x7 photo of my beautiful daughter that alone sparked the creative genius!

Products used for this project:

*vintage white lace & eyelet from my Grandma's collection
*vintage pink silk flower (carefully removed from an old garment of clothing)
*Martha Stewart white glitter
*Hobby Lobby light pink tulle
*Hobby Lobby dimensional butterfly stickers
*Hallmark Gift Trim metal embellishment
*pink paper (unknown - checked back has UPC but no name probably from Hobby Lobby)
*Making Memories Stardust Solid Pastel Pink glitter paper (photo mat)
*Wal-mart pink button
*inque boutique long brads (pink)
**BIG shout out to my cousin Barb who took this picture of my daughter when she was about 1 week old**

I

After some deliberation on how to adhere the lace to the paper my BFF gave me the idea of attaching it with brads but the only pink brads I had with me we a dark dusty pink - far too dark for the soft look I was trying to achieve - so it's a good thing it was BFF scrap night - she gave me the idea of toning the color of the brad down by putting some sticky adhesive on the brad & adding some glitter. Perfect!! Normally, I would have done this technique with glitter embossing powder but since I had neither my embossing powder or heat tool with me her idea was a perfect solution allowing me to work with what I had! & I must admit a lot easier than the heat tool method too!

Rather than go out & purchase an expensive charm I simply took a close-up photo of my Grandma's antique Cameo (something that is very special to me!) & cut it out. For a mere 19 cents (the cost of the print) I had a beautiful personalized embellishment!

My metal embellishment is from Hallmark. It's been in my stash forever. It was one of those clearance items at the time that was so cheap I could not pass it up ... & I'm glad I didn't! It had a link style key chain on it & when I removed that there was a perfect hole on that I was able to stick a brad through & attach it to my design.

I have plenty of name brand silk & paper flowers as well as numerous ones I could make with the Cricut .. but staying with my "vintage" theme I used a silk flower off an old dress.

In the end I have to say exactly what I said in the beginning ... this layout has me beaming with pride!  The personal touches that were once items of my beloved Grandma's will make this a cherished layout for years to come!

Playing catch up!

My son turned 3 years old just two days ago ... & while I'm proud to say I have 2 different scrapbooks for my little guy ... I'm ashamed to admit I only have about a dozen pages complete between the 2!! ... just hard to find that "mommy time" for designing! I mentally made a goal to complete 52 layouts this year for each of my children's scrapbooks ... that's 52 for EACH child ... I'm not as far behind on my daughters but I have to admit her age has more to do with that little detail then actual pages complete! (she only has 1 page!) I know bad mama!! But I am working on it!! Now that my scrap space is semi organized & my bff scrapper & I have a standing scrap day on the calendar each month ... hopefully I will reach my goal!!

Mother's Day 2011 (yes, only a year behind!!)

- 

For this layout I used:

*DCWV Valentine paper (yes, Valentine paper! Because I really liked the "love" sentiments
*You & Me die cut is from Cricut Graphically Speaking (LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! that cartridge)
*Envelope die cut is from Cricut Sweethears
*love letter (in envelope) is written on Creative Memories lined paper (not sure it's still available)
*hearts are punched from CM heart punch
* sequence from my endless stash of fibers etc.

 On page 2 I used:
* XO die cut is from Cricut Smiley cards
*Mother's Day 2011 are stickers from my stash originally from HSN

Sssshhh!! I totally 100% scraplifted the layout for my daughter's book! Some may call it cheating ... I call it multi-tasking .. cutting doubles of everything as I went. Of coarse Maggie's book will have pictures of her & not her brother! Now all I have to do is glue it together! Yeah me! by the end of the day I will be 4 pages closer to that 104 (total) goal!

In my spare time ...

... In my spare time

I wish I could take credit for this awesome idea but alas I can't! This idea came from my sister - who is just a novice scrapper but I have to say WOW! She was really a was on fire with this idea!! She described her idea  a fireplace with the kids Santa picture hanging over the mantel ... so my "Gee" & I got to work ... this is the 1st page of a 2 page Christmas layout ...

I love DCWV paper packs! I love the bang you get for your buck but more than that I love that there is always 3 sheets of the same design ... sure makes it easy to whip together 3 identical (for Maggie, Camden & Sophia of coarse!) pages lickety split!! Stay tuned for page 2 of this layout. It's designed in my "Gee" & ready to go just need to find more of that spare time ...

For this layout I used:

• background paper:  The Holiday Collection DCWV (I believe it's last year's but don't quote me on that!) 
• Fireplace paper: brick paper is from my endless mounds of paper sorry I don't know brand guessing DCWV
• Fireplace, fire, & grate cuts: Cricut Joys of the Season (hand cut rectangles from wood print paper for the wood.)
• Holly Vine: Joys of the Season. (I cut red berries with small paper punch)
• Picture frame: Graphically Speaking 
• Christmas stockings: Sizzix die but there are some cute stockings on Joys of the Season as well.
• Fireplace Mantel: hand cut rectangle from wood grain paper 

Most of my paper comes from DCWV paper packs. My paper is organized in 12x12 drawers by color so unfortunately many of my papers I can't way which pack or which year.

What's for dinner ... Cheesy Potato Soup

Super Cheesy! Super yummy in the tummy!!  This is my version of a combination of several different recipes I've found over the years ... I do not take credit!

What you need:

5 or 6 medium/large potatoes
1/2 stick butter/margarine
1/4 c. flour
1 qt half-n-half
16 oz. package velveeta cheese
1 1/2 tsp hot sauce
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c  scallions
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup real bacon bits

1. peel potatoes (if desired) & cut in to bite size cubes - put cubes in large pan - cover with water - bring to boil

...meanwhile ...

2. cut velveeta into cubes (this will make melting easier)

3. in separate medium size pan melt butter & flour together until smooth (can add more butter as needed)

VERY IMPORTANT  - CHECK POTATOES! You only want them cooked about 3/4 cooking all the way will make mushy cheesy potato soup! Once potatoes are 3/4 cooked - drain & put back in pot - set aside

3. over med/low heat - slowly - slowly - add half-n-half - stir constantly (careful not to scorch)

4. stir until mixture begins to thicken (this can take some time don't be tempted to turn heat up!) once mixture begins to thicken - slowly - add cubes of cheese - continue to stir until all cheese is melted

5. Return pot of potatoes to low/med heat & add cheese mixture. Stir gently until potatoes are well coated .

6. Stir in pepper, garlic & hot sauce (we like our's with a bite so I use white pepper & I'm generous with hot sauce!)

7. continue to cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.

8. Put soup in individual bowls & garnish with cheddar cheese - scallions - & bacon bits

9. Eat! Enjoy!!

I serve this with Marketplace (Walmart) fresh baked "everything" bread. Super yummy! Someday I'll figure out a way to make the bread myself but for now $1.60  is an easy yummy side to this soup.

**This soup will be very thick. If you do not want a think soup you can add chicken broth to the flour/butter mixture before adding cheese. This will obviously change the consistency of the soup base as well as the flavor**