Happy Birthday, Lillian Grace!

My best friend's "baby" is one year old today! Here's a recent layout to prove that I have been scrapping. Can you believe that all these photos were taken on my iPhone, indoors, without a flash?

July flew by without a single blog post. Bad blogger! If anyone is interested, I've been doing lots of little things: painting the old scrap room, organizing the new one; gardening, which really equates to watering the dying plants; learning what I can about SEO (search engine optimization), sepecially since the release of Bing and the whole scary Microsoft/Yahoo thang; pouting that I didn't get to go to CHA but pumped that Noell & Izzy are doing such a great job capturing the show; seeing positive effects of yoga and twice-weekly muscle power; oh, and becoming one with QuickBooks and customizing reports.

School starts soon, so Joseph is trying to enjoy what's left of summer. He's in the water at every chance and earned two first place ribbons at BeachFest. Apparently, he's quite the runner. Basketball Camp was this week, and next week he's at Camp Thurman. Then it's orientation week at his new school. Uh, there goes summer!

Boys on the Beach

Back from GASC Arlington: Pics & Thoughts

I thought this LO was too cute not to post right away. This is one of two one-page LOs from the Queen & Co. Flower Power class, designed Jennifer Parks. When my sister showed me the kids' spring portrait, Gregory's green shirt was a perfect match for the Coordinations "grass". The bling and felt embellies are Queen & Co., and I added some touches of color-matching Stickles.

Not my style, but it's just too cute to pass up!

Needless to say, I also stocked up on my Stickles, picked up the coveted

Fiskars Threading Water Border Punch and this cool tool and its Little Sis from Creek Bank Creations. 1/2" Sanding Stick with rotating Belt (big Bro).

I also brought home Rusty Pickle from helping Kim, Libby and Jill set up the booth on Wednesday.

Thursday I did make & takes (stay & plays, as I like to call them) at Piggy Tales, but spent most of Friday in the booth on my feet.

Observations:

• Huge array of consumers, some who came to the stay & play, didn't have knowledge of basic techniques, like sanding. Many said it was their first time at a scrapbooking convention. Some were overwhelmed and enjoyed sitting to do a relatively simple project. See, there are plenty of beginners out there, we're just not reaching them.
• It was quiet! Thanks to the Crop-A-Dile, eyelet setters - and the banging noise that accompanied them - are a thing of the past.
• Convention classes are not teaching experiences; they are assembly sessions.
• People said the Piggy Tales Academy (kit club) was appealing to them because they no longer had a LSS near them. The monthly opt-out program also has the benefit of alerting you to what is in the kit so you can collect and print your photos by the time your kit arrives!

I'm hoping to go to CHA and CKC San Marcos. Don' t know how, but that's all details! Until then, I've got some scrapping to do!

Photo Contest at PTA.org

Picture PTA Contest | PTA

For a quick blog post, I thought I'd share a contest that combines a whole lot of what we love. Photography. Family. Kids. Community.

Go here and spread the word.

Art Walk Photos & Weekend Plans

Here's a little slide show of last night's Art Walk. Wish I took more pictures, but since my new camera battery mysteriously disappeared, I've resorted to the old one that holds a charge for about ten minutes.

So, what's going on in Galveston this weekend? Tonight is the 13th Annual Yaga's Children's Fund Wild Game and BBQ Cookoff, and Eddie is doing his own wild game for Friday Night Dinner: Bacon-wrapped quail on the grill. We've invited Facebook buddy Sonia and hubby Mike. With those two, there's no telling where will end up!

I have two more homes to tour on the Galveston Historic Homes Tour and I want to fit in the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA since I've never been and it's included with the Homes Tour ticket.

Joseph is altar server at Noon Mass, and Eddie wants to fit in a trip to Schlitterbahn, so that should wrap up our Sunday.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Art Walk at GCS

Here's a little slide show of last night's Art Walk. Wish I took more pictures, but since my new camera battery mysteriouly disappeared, I've resorted to the old one that holds a charge for about ten minutes.

So, what's going on in Galveston this weekend?

Tonight is the 13th Annual Yaga's Children's Fund Wild Game and BBQ Cookoff, and Eddie is doing his own wild game for Friday Night Dinner: Bacon-wrapped quail on the grill. We've invited Facebook buddy Sonia and hubby Mike. With those two, there's no telling where we'll end up!

Recent Projects

Tomorrow is Art Walk at Joseph's school. His 5th grade class does not have art class because of their schedule. So in order for them to participate, I raided my stash and led a card-making session. His class made plenty of greeting cards to sell to raise money for needed supplies. Here are some cards I made in preparation:

Joseph's birthday party thank you cards and variations thereof...


Thank you card for Jeyn at Piggy Tales, using their lovely Bête (Beast) Glitter Paper...


Polka dots chipboard from Prima Say It With Crystals packaging...


Here's another way to use your scrapbooking supplies. I used Karen Foster Design paint circles paper and alphabet stickers for "Art Walk", then scanned it in to Picasa 3. Straighten, enhance, add text and voila! A hybrid logo for our event!

When Cheese & Scrapbooking Collide

I'm guessing that when cheese and scrapbooking collide, this is what it looks like. Eddie & I hosted last night's Oenophiles monthly tasting. And there was the obligitory cheese course. And, of course, Eddie asked me to make the labels. I've done it several times before, but this time I added the cartoon bubbles. And with everything in life, there is an appropriate line from When Harry Met Sally:

Harry: ...the words are still hanging in the air, you know, like in a balloon attached to a mouth.
Jess: Like in the cartoon.
Harry: Right.

It's Birthday Week! Let's Go Font Shopping!

Yes, my son turns eleven on Thursday.
(Insert Spinal Tap line here: "It goes up to eleven")
Sorry. Had to do that.

Anyway, a small party at Schlitterbahn is planned for Saturday. Here is the invitation:


Other than white cardstock and Color Box Creamy Brown Chalk Ink and my HP Photoprinter, all I needed were some cool fonts. And Score! I found one of my favorite rub-on alphas in a font: Go Boom is a dead ringer for Karen Foster Designs' calendar alphas, which are no longer available. The blocked font is Starguides. Some other free fonts I downloaded on my recent trip to dafont:

Cake

3Dumb & 2Dumb

BradburySans Light



Sometimes all it takes is a quick "shopping trip" to the font shop to curb the desire to spend money. Consider it a scrapbooker's alternative spending plan!

iPhone and a blonde joke

I know it's been a while since I've posted, so I've been a bad blogger. My excuse is worthy, though. Eddie got me an iPhone. I've had it for a week. I can't live without it.

That doesn't mean I don't have tons to say about the recent goings on. So I'll be back soon to rant, I'm hoping, in a very different way.

In the mean time, here's a link to a great blonde joke. Sometimes it's good to laugh at yourself.