I didn't wait quite as long as the last time to post a new entry. Thought I would jump on and post some layouts I have done over the past month or so. Here goes....

This uses a template from Scrapping with Liz @ Scrap Orchard called Scrap Strip Templates as well as the kit, Summer Blues Grab Bag from LCC Amy Stoffel which is now broken in to 6 different kits!

This was to showcase Scrapping With Liz's Faded Masks set. I used the kit, Family Ties, by Tracie Stroud.

This is my own design using the kit, Dreamsicle, by LCC Amy Stoffel.

Again, using Dreamsicle. This was a scraplift of another Scrap Orchard member, Britanee. Her layout can be found HERE.

LCC Amy Stoffel & Wild Dandelion Designs teamed up to create to Preppy 101 kits. One is for the boys & one is for the girls. I used the boy theme, of course! This is my design.




5th Avenue by LCC Amy Stoffel....I {heart} this kit! It is such a great "big girl" kit!! Again, this is my own design.

This is a combination, template by Scrapping With Liz called Simple Square Temps along with the kit, Smarty Pants by LCC Amy Stoffel.

One of my favorite layout designs I have ever created without a template!! Again, this is the kit I spoke of above called Summer Blues Grab Bag that is actually now broken in to 6 separate kits in Amy Stoffel's store.

Summer Blues Grab Bag items again and my own design.

I just did this one and absolutely LOVE how it turned out. It is my design and I used the kit, Mercado Salvage by DeCrow Designs & Tangie Baxter (Studio Tangie). This fun little layout was created for an upcoming challenge I will be hosting at Scrap Orchard.

This is a template by Scrapping With Liz called, Front Page Temps and I used it to showcase a large number of photos. I am getting ready to work on one of these for the other nephew, Caiden as soon as I see if I have enough photos. Ps- I used the kit, Little Charmer by Amy Stoffel for the Paper/Elements and the Alpha is from Retro Whimsy.

Once again, Summer Blues Grab Bag by LCC Amy Stoffel. Can you tell I love love loved this kit??? My design :)

Another one using Retro Whimsy (my design) as well as Torn Bits 3 Element Pack from Creashens.

And last but not least, my design, using the kits Perfect Summer from Designs by Kat & By The Seaside from Designs by Julie Bullock.

And there you have it......I will be back hopefully this week with a post about my two weekends with Trevor & Caiden. I have lots of pics from those adventures :)

xoxoxo
Helen
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Sorry it's been awhile....

I would like to say I have just been soooo busy lately, which is why I have not blogged. Yes, I have been busy but not overly so. No, my excuse is.....are you ready for this? I started reading the Twilight books on June 1st (day after my last post). It is June 12th and I am on book 3, Eclipse and 100% ADDICTED! I would be much further along with Eclipse except Scrap Orchard did this really cool challenge about videos and I have been sucked into watching them. And, not to mention the usual digi-duties I have on my weekly plate. Today......soon.....maybe right after I finish the post and eat lunch I am nestling down and planting my nose back in the book!



So yes, I am working my way to becoming a complete TWERD! Never ever ever thought I would even like the books let alone, crave them! Well, it's Edward & Jacob I crave, lol. I am still just torn between what "team" to be on. But, enough Twilight talk.



Mom & Dad celebrated their 51st anniversary on June 6th. They didn't want any gifts but I twisted their arm into letting me taking them out to dinner. We went to Bella Milano's up in Edwardsville. A delicious Italian restaurant where I have ate the same thing all 4 times I have been there......Pasta Three Way (ravioli stuffed with meat, spaghetti & mostaccoli smothered in a few different cheeses & baked to perfection in their homemade sauce). I {heart} their salad, too. Has crisp pieces of prosciutto through out....oh so yum!



Looking forward to Father's Day next weekend and then just around the corner will be Trevor's 2nd birthday! Speaking of birthdays.....Blake, Caiden's big brother, turned 5 on the 9th! Happy Birthday Blake!!!!!!!! I will post a more recent photo later....this one is about 2 years old!

And, here is what I have worked on since I last posted........

Utah State Template by Scrapping With Liz @ Scrap Orchard also using the kit, The Great Outdoors by Ziggle Designs @ Scrap Orchard This was one of my panoramic shots of Bryce.....oh how I want to go back!!!

One Photo Template Set from Scrapping With Liz @ Scrap Orchard. Also using the kit, Strolling Through The Park by Ziggle Designs @ Scrap Orchard

This was taken just as we entered the Capitol Reef National Park. I almost look tiny on this huge fallen tree, lol.


I double teamed my efforts on this one. I used the template set, Zine Style Templates, by Scrapping With Liz & the kit was Two Peas In A Pod by Lyndsay Riches & simply.scraps at Scrap Orchard. Both released the same week so I killed two birds with one stone! These are various photos of Caiden & Trevor over the last 2 years.


Also using the kit, Two Peas In A Pod but no template....all my design. Brian & Trevor being silly!


Fingerprints No. 5 Template set from Brandy Designs using the kit, Perserverance, both at Polka Dot Plum Haven't scrapped Molly in awhile....she's so stinking pretty!




Using Big Daddy, a collab between Amy Stoffel & simply.scraps @ Scrap Orchard. Again, my design....no template, yay!!! Kind of a "then & now" them with a photo of my daddy long before I was a glimmer in his eye and another one from just a few years ago! He so cute!


Ahhh, Calypso, by Amanda Heimann Designs as she guests at The Digi Chick this month. I fell IN LOVE with this kit!!!! More Molly!!!



Another one using Calypso My happy little bouquet of fresh flowers that are all still going strong even a week later. Well, the 2 large, orange gerbera daisies pooped out but the rest are still happy!

And that catches me up for now. Have a great day....whatever day you are here visiting my little blog! {smooch-smooch}

xoxoxo

Just popping in on this Sunday morning before I start getting ready for church to say hello. Hello!!!! It is Memorial Day weekend, which generally means a 3 day weekend for many hard working folks. I apologize in advance if you are not one of the lucky ones to have Monday off :( This weekend has long since become a "summer kick off" marker weekend. I would love to know the statistics that show just how many bottles of BBQ sauce, packages of pork steaks-hot dogs-brats & burgers are sold and how many gallons of iced tea are consumed on this one day alone!

My Sunday school group has a gathering every year to kick things off, although, this year we will be missing several people but I won't elaborate on that! I am very excited to say I was told to take Tuesday off work so my 3 day weekend is now FOUR!!! Thank you brother....you made my month :)

I have been busy keeping up with the (now) FIVE creative teams I am on for digital scrapboooking. I just recently applied to be on the team for Scrapping With Liz. Liz makes amazing template sets. The only reason I applied after saying "no more" was because she is exclusively at Scrap Orchard where 3 of my other teams are. I have to use 100% Orchard products in two of the 3 layouts I do for her each month so that will be easy-peasy and allows me to kill two birds with one stone, so-to-speak. I realize unless you are a fellow digi-scrapaholic and on a CT you have no idea what I am talking about. Trust me, it's a good thing. However, the one thing that takes SO much time when it comes to being on CT's is getting the layouts your create for your designers posted in all the various galleries. Along with that, keeping track of the links so your designers know 100% you are keeping up with your end of the bargain. And, there is the enabling.........I totally stink at this. So, I took a night recently and reorganized myself for the upcoming June requirements. I created a word document that has various things that need filled in for each kit I work with for a designer. It has a place for the kit/store name...link to the product in the store it is sold at...URL link of the kit preview (for enabling)...a place to put the various gallery links when I post the completed layouts...a place for links for any enabling I do with that kit. This document is stored in its' own folder inside the specific folder that houses the actual kit. I have also started going through my pictures and copying pics to this folder as well. That way, even if I cannot scrap a page right then, I have an idea of some photos I would like to scrap with for that kit. I feel very excited to try out my method for June to see if I can do a better job for my designers and not feel stressed in the process. After all, this is a hobby and it shouldn't stress me out!

Well, I need to be cutting this short. I have gobs of layouts posted. Here goes:

Created with Walking On Sunshine by Tracie Stroud & Jennifer Barrette. The wave shapes were taken from a Wave On Wave template set by Amanda Heimann

This was for a Speed Scrap at Scrap Orchard yesterday afternoon!!! This is by far my favorite SS layout ever!

Created with Serendipity by SuzyQ Scraps

Created with Birthday Bash by Wild Dandelion Designs & Nee Nee Designs

Using the same kit as above.



Using Fancy Free by Wild Dandelion Designs & a template from Scrapping With Liz called Heart Templates

Created using the kit, Curious, by LCC Amy Stoffel & a template from the set, Variety Temps, by Scrapping With Liz

Created using The Happiest Grab Bag from Wild Dandelion Designs & Tracey Howard. The template is from Lots of Circles set by Scrapping With Liz

Created using Dino Safari from Brandy Designs

Created using Refreshed by LCC Amy Stoffel. The wave cut out was created using a wave shape from the Wave On Wave template set by Amanda Heimann Designs

Created using Curious by LCC Amy Stoffel

Created using Going Green by Amanda Heimann

This was done for a May Lift Challenge for Amanda Heimann's blog. I lifted this layout from Chelle (aka Roxxygerlie)




This was created using Lucky The Kit by Amanda Heimann Designs

I created this for a blog post for Amanda's blog last week.

Well, I told you I had lots to show you. Have a great memorial day and be safe!

xoxoxo

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Sunday Catch-Up

It's Sunday. I played hookie from church and stayed home. I am in perfectly good health. I just felt the call of the wild I suppose.

Did some online shopping with a $25 gift certificate I had to Scrap Orchard. I brought in the Sunday paper and pulled out he coupons and sale ads. I proceeded to clip, snip & browse thru the ads for the next 1/2 hour. Then I had to pick up all the left over ads I threw on the floor as I was done with them and pitch them. Would make so much more sense to bring the little trash can over to ME while I do the snipping. Next, I filed my coupons in my coupon organizer.

I called mom to see what she thought about us going up to Kohl's to just browse. She was all over that idea :) Yeah, and my "just browsing" idea cost me $56 but left with a new pair of black shoes that I have been seriously needing for months now. I found a this reed diffuser and just about

did a happy dance in the store when I saw the Eucalyptus & Mint scent. That was my absolute favorite scent in the same reed diffuser from Party Lite except this little baby only cost me $12.49 (on sale)! Then I found a cute little outfit for Caiden for his birthday next week. I love the Jumping Beans line at Kohl's. You can mix & match tops/bottoms and they were on sale for 2/$12 today. Sweet! Mom wanted to look at PJ's. I had already looked at them but as I was helping her find some I came across an adorable, crisp, white, cotton, eyelet 3/4 length night gown with wide spaghetti straps & a big ruffle at the bottom. I just had to have it. It looks so comfy. That was the extent of my "browsing spree". Lord, I will be in big trouble when our Kohl's opens up later this fall.

From there we went to Best Buy where I bought this..........

A new 22" LCD TV for my bedroom. I went in planning to buy the advertised 19" on sale for $159 but the salesman told me about an unadvertised special on the 22" for just $171. I am so happy. I have not had a TV in my bedroom for months since my little rinky-dinky 13" TV/VCR combo died. My poor couch has suffered the brunt of this problem, too, as I fall asleep every night as I watch a brainless TV show! Next stop was Value City Furniture where I dropped mom off to look for some new wall decor and I waited in the car. I had planned to go to Archiver's, however, I had spent more than enough $$ for one day.........shoot, one MONTH is more like it. Home was the final destination (after I ran thru McDonalds to grab a large iced tea, unsweetened). I hooked up my TV and all works perfectly. Except for the fact I need to call AT&T to get my Uverse remote synced to the TV so I don't have to use 2 remotes! Now I can lie in my bed and fall asleep watching this hunka hunka burnin' love......

Mr. Timothy Olyphant in Justified

Here are a few layouts I have done recently but don't think I have blogged yet. This first one uses a template from Brandy Designs from the Fingerprints 4 set and the kit is from Lyndsay Riches Designs called Playful. This is Mr. Trev having a blast on his slide!!!



This one uses a template from Fizzy Pop Designs....a bundle pack of templates I bought from her. I needed to do a layout using this kit, Dino Safari, from Brandy Designs. It is due to release next week. I remembered these photos I had of Trevor out in their yard, exploring. I thought they worked well with the kit.



And this one.....a new favorite of mine.......is using a template from DeCrow Designs, Blueprint No.9 and a kit from Wild Dandelion Designs called Day by Day. This Caiden and I absolutely love how he is standing at this fence with his little foot propped up and his chin resting on his hands. He is gazing at some cows in the pasture and he looks like he would be thinking "someday I am gonna rope me a cow....someday!!"


I have some more layouts but cannot post them just yet since they won't release for a little while.

In other exciting scrapbooking news........I was asked by the owners of Scrap Orchard to come on board and work for them in the capacity of Facebook Updater/Poster. I replied telling Kami I would try it on a 1 month trial basis to see if #1 I could handle it and #2 They were happy with my efforts. It's been a few weeks and I received an email from her yesterday with a gift certificate for my first months work. She sent it to me early so I could take advantage of the 45% off sale they are having this weekend. How very sweet of her to think of me like that. She said they were very happy with my posts. So, looks like I will stick with it. I will be paid in gift certificates to the store where I get to buy all my favorite scrapbooking kits & goodies! Yay!

It has been a lovely Sunday. Sad to see the weekend end especially considering the 8:15 a.m. appointment I have with a certain irs lady tomorrow. I pray the information I gathered for her will be just what she needs to close this case on our business so I can finally breathe again.

Have a great week! I will be back sometime to post more layouts :)

xoxoxo
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Yummy Recipe & Some Layouts

I was searching online for cholesterol friendly recipes since my dr. said mine is a bit elevated. I ended up at the website for the cholesterol lowering drug, Crestor. They have some yummy recipes in the Tools & Resources section. Here is one I tried tonight. OMGosh, it was so good.

Pesto Chicken With Penne Pasta

	Nonstick vegetable cooking spray 1/4 tsp olive oil 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces 1 sliced green onion, including green tops 1/4 (13 3/4 oz) can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained, sliced	1 tbsp basil pesto 1 tbsp low-fat sour cream 2 oz whole-wheat penne pasta, cooked according to package directions without salt or fat 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
	Nutrient content per serving:
	Total calories: 496 Protein: 39 g Carbohydrates: 49 g Fat: 16 g Calories from fat: 29%	Cholesterol: 76 mg Sodium: 437 mg Fiber: 8 g Saturated fat: 4 g
	Instructions: In a skillet sprayed with nonstick vegetable cooking spray, over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When hot, add chicken pieces and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until done. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate and set aside. Add green onion to the skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, basil pesto, and low-fat sour cream. Stir well and add back chicken pieces. Add cooked penne pasta and mix well. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Makes 1 serving.

I rejoined Weight Watchers Online and have been preparing to start the weight loss journey again. I am going to the store later this week to stock up on all my fave healthy foods. I {heart} salads with lots of fresh veggies and some turkey or chicken breast thrown in for protein. I bought a new salad spinner from Bed Bath & Beyond. I have lots of containers for freezing & storing foods/meals. It is my plan to spend this Sunday afternoon cooking for the upcoming week. As for exercise....I have not made up my mind what I am going to do. I am very very nervous about joining the gym again with my knee problem. I am giving thought to searching Craigslist for a used Elliptical for at home. However, going this route will require me to remove my couch from the living room, which I "think" I am okay with as I still have my recliner. I don't want the elliptical in the basement because, well, my basement is scary. Between the spiders, the crickets on steroids that can jump 50ft in one leap, and just plain creepiness....well, let's just say it isn't a place I want to exercise in. No, I would rather be able to watch TV while I sweat.

This upcoming weekend is National Scrapbooking Weekend which means TONS and I mean TONS of fun things happening in digi-world. I recently decided to take the rest of April off from my creative team responsibilities, however, I was doing so well on my weight loss preparations that I decided to go ahead and scrap anyway. Here are a few things I have done that I don't think I have blogged about.

Using an upcoming kit from Lyndsay Riches called Berry Delight

Memaw is getting sweet kisses from Trevor & Caiden.

Ahhh, the tulips in my front yard. Only a few bloomed but the ones that did were gorgeous!

I used several items from various TaylorMade Designs kits & the SMILE border was from DeCrow Designs called "A Word In Edgewise"

Created for a Scrap Orchard Challenge where we had to use just ONE word on our page, either Fresh or Grow/Growing

The kit, So Delightful by LCC Amy Stoffel & the photos are courtesy of Wikipedia

An upcoming kit by Amy Stoffel called Sweet Tart & also using one of Amy's templates for the design.

I am working on a layout of Caiden riding the same tricycle but these photos went really well with this kit!

Using another upcoming kit by Amy Stoffel called To The Moon as well as some new templates by Scrapping With Liz called, Background Templates

Same kit as above, from Amy Stoffel

I have had these photos of Trevor for quite awhile now so I was excited to finally get to use them.

Brandy Designs needed a layout using her kit, Ki Ki. I remembered these photos of Trevor from Sept 2009!!!!

Again, Brandy needed a layout done with one of her kits and this is one using her kit, Gone Fishin'.

These are some photos from mine & Dad's trip to (well, you can see where). Perfect for this kit of Brandy's.

And, that about catches you up. Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you try the recipe I posted....would love to know if you love it as much as I do. God bless :)

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Hump Day Post

I really don't like that I am not blogging as much as I used to :( Thought I would jump on and say hello to my many...okay, 3 followers, LMBO!

There has been lots going on at work and in my life personally recently. Work has finally picked up again so that is a definite praise. I would really like to take a Fri/Mon combo off just have some time away but not sure that is happening anytime soon.

Many many prayer requests being lifted up this last week. Bill Satterthwaite (father of my bff's DD) recovering from colon surgery & now battling a severe blood infection. Shawn Smith & his family in the loss of Shawn's father. However, his dad came to know Jesus during his battle with cancer so we also rejoice in knowing he is fully healed & walking in heaven right now. My mom continues to have complications from her knee replacement surgery. Swelling in her legs (lymphodema) and more recently battling a terrible headache. A friend of mine is moving this weekend and we have yet to find just 2 strong guys to help with the heavy/bulky items. One of my digi-world friends, Trina, lost her grandmother to a stroke this week and is having a very hard time with the loss. Just so many needs.

I, myself, have some good news. My blood work came back normal with the exception of some elevated cholesterol. So, I have reset my eye appt and go in Friday to get my new glasses. Can't wait to no longer have blurry vision in my right eye!

I am beginning a new journey starting in May.....more on that later though. Yes, I am keeping you in limbo so deal!

Leaving you with some recent layouts or at least layouts done since my last post:

Done for a challenge about reflections using She's A Hoot by Wild Dandelion Designs

Caiden looking so happy as he runs around on Easter day!

Using a collab kit from Amanda Heimann Designs & SuzyQ Scraps called Going Green

Same kit....the boys on Easter Sunday while hunting eggs!

Gorgeous kit Amy Stoffel is coming out with on 4/23 called So Delightful

Same kit....another RAK layout for Ramona (her girls are so easy to scrap!)

Another upcoming release from Amy Stoffel & Krystal Hartley called Artesia & yep, another RAK for Ramona...this kit was made for these photos!!!

Kit called Out Of This World by Brandy Designs @ Polka Dot Plum

Same kit...Trevor and his classic Trevor face!

And so, now I can relax for a few days since I finally blogged! Hope the rest of your week is filled with abundant blessings!!

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