Mel-o-drama

Everything's coming up......

elephants????
So weird....but....
it seems that they have taken over my craft space in recent weeks. 
It started out with this LO of my Dad and I.
I just love this picture and have been meaning to scrap it for quite sometime:)
 
Supplies used: Patterned Paper: Crate Restoration line, American Crafts, Echo Park Sweet Summertime Line, & Basic Grey Kraft/ Mist- Inkadinkado in Red/ Pennants- Pebbles Inc./ Scalloped border and Stickers- Sassafras Lass Sweet Treats/ Little envelope- K & Co. Smash envelope/ Chipboard- Cosmo Cricket/ Letter Stickers- Bella Blvd/ Button- Jenni Bowlin Studio/ Star Stickers- Jillibean Soup/ Twine-Martha Stewart Crafts in brown.
and here's a closeup!
 
Not sure what I was doing in that picture but I can tell you I was most certainly having fun! 

and while I was playing along in Card-A-Palooza over at For the Luv of Art ....Mr. elephant just made his way onto one of my cards too!  I liked the way he looked so I let him stay:)
 
Not only have the elephants been marching their way right onto my paper projects but I've been inspired to put them on my canvases too!
 

hmmm...now that I think of it.....it HAS been a circus around here this summer...
 

which is fine by me.....I mean....I love being paid in Peanuts...and besides being their Ringmaster is most certainly THE GREATEST SHOW (and blessing) ON EARTH!!! *sigh*
whatever will I do when my little clowns go back to school?

Saturday scraps...

Last weekend we took another little mini vacation...
to Niagara Falls!! SO much fun and I took SO many pictures.
Now to find the time to scrap them.
I knew this weekend was super busy so...
I got up extra early to steal a little quiet time to create.
Nothing like getting messy with mists first thing in the morning BUT...
a page about the MAID of the mist for sure had to include some misting right?
 
Supplies used: Patterned Paper- Amy Tangerine for American Crafts, My Little Shoebox/ Journaling spots- October Afternoon/ Flair- American Crafts/ Letter Stickers- Doodlebug/ Mist- Studio Calico

here's a closeup...
 
or two...
 
I also decided to kick it old school and actually include some memorabilia on a page:)
Haven't done that in awhile but I included a piece of one of our ponchos on this Layout. 
I have a whole pile of Niagara pics waiting to be scrapped so I guess I better carve out some more time very soon.
Until then...I hope you are all having a great weekend.
Thanks for visiting.  

Hands down summer favorite....

picture of Miss M:)
BTW- Hands down seems to be a favoirte summer saying amongst all of the kids in my care.
of course now it has rubbed off on me!! Soooo.....
I apologize in advance for the probable severe overuse of that saying.
It is no secret that I take way too many pictures *every *day!
I probably delete as many as I take....
Thank goodness for digital photography:)
Anyway...this one was special all the way around.
From the conversation we were having while I snapped it...
to the feelings I had about noticing her maturing right before my very eyes lens
This one is without a doubt my hands down summer favorite....umm...so far;)
So you know I had to pair it up with some of my hands down favorite papers and embellies which I have been saving for that perfectly deserving favorite picture!
 
Supplies used: Patterned Papers- Doodlebug Designs/ Embellishments- Prima, American Crafts, Pebbles, and Doodlebug Designs/ Letter Stickers- also Doodlebug Designs/ Bling- Queen & Co./ Twine- Martha Stewart

I added the journaling onto the picture for this layout since I had a bunch of space to the right of that gorgeous little face:)

Here's a closeup for you:
 
Journaling straight onto the pictures is a fun little technique that I should really employ more often since I tend to leave the journaling until I have completed the layout and then can't always fit all that I want to say on the page! What's your journaling style....do you complete it first so you know how much space to leave or are you a crammer like me?
Hmmm...interesting.
Speaking of the journaling....Marlee and I have a hands down favorite song that we play on our ipod while singing at the top of our lungs....OFTEN....too often if you ask our boys but who's asking? It's not like they don't have a few annoying boyish qualities or anything.   
Anyway....this little ritual is usually done right before bed and in our jammies and it has been a hands down favorite on our Ipod for at least 2 years:)
  
The Best Day by Taylor Swift... 
Taylor is hands down Marlee's favorite artist...of all time EVER!
If you are a Mom and haven't given this song a listen prior to this...well...get your tissues....just sayin'....you've been warned.
The journaling on this LO was somewhat inspired by this song in that I knew I wanted it to both begin and end with the word Today.
Speaking of Today...I think that about does it for todays post:) 
Thanks so much for visiting with me!!
Sweet comments from my bloggy friends are hands down one of the highlights of every single one of my days...winter...spring...summer...fall!
later gators!

all things summer....

we are thoroughly enjoying them:)
We've been busy....
soaking up the sun.....
 
hanging out....
 
crafting.... 
drawing...

splishing.....splashing.....
 
chillaxin'.....
 
resting our eyes....
 
taking leisurely drives..... 
diving.... 
being goofy....
 
and catching up with old friends....
 
ahhh....summer....how I wish you would never end:)

worktable wednesday...

So on Monday I started playing along in Card-A-Palooza!!!
It is so much fun!!
It is the perfect creative outlet for the summer months because the cards can be completed in a matter of minutes...and let's face it...when the kids are home that's usually all I have!

This card was done for yesterday's monochromatic challenge.
 
Supplies used: Patterned Paper- Echo Park/ Embellishments- American Crafts & Prima/ Buttons-Doodlebug Designs/ Ribbon- My Mind's Eye/ Bling-Queen & Co./ Other- Martha Stewart Twine

Man keeping it all one color when you love to mix the brightest colors you can think of was definitely a challenge for me!!
**Oh and just in case you were wondering...the sentiment was left off of this card on purpose. The whole idea of this fun little project is to build your stash of cards for any occasion. In the end you will have 15 beautiful cards that you can quickly add the appropriate sentiment to as the need arises! LOVE that!
Hope you are all having a super Wednesday!
Halfway to the weekend is always a good thing right?
Thanks for visiting today!!