Apron Strings

Happy Birthday Day #11

2012-02-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Did everyone survive Valentine's Day? Get anything fun? Enjoy a evening as a family? Or go out just you and the spouse? Whatever you did I hope it was enjoyable.

My evening seemed to fly by. Probably because when I wasn't dashing to grab kids, or flying into the kitchen in an attempt to get dinner on the table before people had to leave (which failed, we had three separate dinner "seatings"), or zooming back out to get son #2 to soccer conditioning, I sat catatonic on the couch. Do you have those moments where there's just too much to think about and/or do that you end up doing nothing?

That was my evening. . .unfortunately, that means I also didn't make more cards. . .which is starting to bug me. But here is the one from a couple nights ago; it needs to become my spring board. I am determined to not head into week three with cards left to make from week two. LOL, this is why exercise doesn't stick with me either. . .miss a day and it all falls apart.

I had a question yesterday for Bingo Card holders - this week you won't be using your Bingo Card. We will use them again before the end of the month. Today's challenge is to create a floral embellishment for your page. There are tons of adorable floral tutorials out there: swirls, layers, felt, paper. Find one, or if you already have some, create one. A quick search on Pinterest found THESE (I may need to start a new Pin Board), but I know YouTube has some as well.

Go learn something new.

Happy Wednesday.

Happy Birthday Day #10

2012-02-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hopefully you don't reserve one day a year to tell those you love, and that love you, what they mean to you. I admit it's a totally Hallmark Holiday, but I love getting my Jelly Cherry Hearts - well documented here - and my bouquet of Gerbera Daises. Gone are the mornings of kids, sleepy-eyed though excited, opening little treats. Now they're still sleepy-eyed but they're dragging their unhappy faces out the door. I had one out just before 7:00 this morning, one ready for his field trip to Fun City and excited to give a special Valentine, one dressed up, wearing the tie he learned to tie the night before, ready for his dance this afternoon and one happy little face who only wanted to dig into the chocolate covered marshmallow hearts at 6:30 in the morning. Ah. . .no.

What better way to showcase Valentine's Day than with the following lovey-pinky-hearty layout by Nancy Longo using the Smaller than a Breadbox February kit, the Jillibean Soup line - it's on sale now, so come grab one if you're not on autoship. I love the way the white gown just pops off the page.

Today's challenge is to use the layout above as inspiration - the color combo, the subject, the cute embellishments (love those layered and stitched hearts) - whatever it is. Layouts are due Saturday evening, for a chance at the My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Madison Avenue pack.

Don't forget about joining Apron Strings autoship this month, or referring a friend to do so - you'll both get love back in the form of gift cards to Apron Strings.

Happy Tuesday.

P.S. I did manage to make one card - last night. Photo will have to come tomorrow :)

Happy Birthday Day #9

2012-02-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Technically, I have 15 minutes before it is no longer Monday. I'll make it quick because I still have laundry, a lot of laundry, that needs folding before tomorrow, which is again, 15 minutes from now. . .nope 13 minutes. I don't have any cards, I've officially fallen behind :( I will catch up though.

I do have this fun layout from Kristin Perez, using the February Bigger than a Breadbox kit (which is on sale now), the October Afternoon Farmhouse line. And if I recall, she created this for one in response to one of the first challenges this month, to pull inspiration from Tomi Ann's card. Nice job!

11 minutes. Today's challenge is about time, as well and from the time you select the kit and the photos you have an hour to finish. Worried I was gonna say 15 minutes? Do your best to not agonize over photo and kit selection - take your first picks and run with it. Honor system, tell me how long it really took you to complete your layout. You won't lose points, or be excluded from this week's drawing, which is for a My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Madison Avenue collection. . .yes the entire collection. Go tell your friends because this is the week to play along!! Well, play along all month, but I admit, it's a fab line, so . . .

And with two minutes to spare!

Happy Monday.

Happy Birthday Week #1 Winner

2012-02-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

Short and sweet Winner Post - have Pizza Rolls to make. Find them on Pinterest, kids have been begging for a couple weeks.

Great layouts from last week's challenges. If you haven't looked, do so you'll be inspired. Keep 'em coming ladies. Random.org selected Alison Day as the winner of the 10-sheet Pack of Patterned Paper. Alison, just drop me a note before the end of the month with your info (lori@apronstringsdesigns.com).

Have a good weekend!

Happy Birthday Day #8

2012-02-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Is it Friday? I seemed to have gotten lost somewhere after Monday and those days were lost in a blur.

I believe I neglected to wish my daughter Happy Birthday on Monday, well neglected to do so here. My sweet little girl is now 15! Fifteen. Quince. Fourteen + One. Quinze. Yeah, no matter how I look at it, or spell it, it's still impossible to wrap my head around. Our first born, our sugar and spice, our I-don'-t-do-pink girl is growing up. I still remember clearly that first time I looked at her, with her bent button of a nose and rose-petal mouth, she was perfect and would bring us joy, laughter and consternation (that came later). Happy Birthday, SweetPea! (My favorite picture of her; her's . . . .not so much, even at five she demanded a retake.)

I also believe I neglected to mention the prize for this week's challenges. I mentioned it last night on Facebook, if you're following over there - Jillibean's Spotted Owl TV Dinner. You've got plenty of time to catch up or get started to be eligible. Layouts are due Sunday evening. Today's challenge for non-Bingo Card holders is to incorporate an oversized and embellished photo mat or frame - make it and embellish it yourself or use a premade and decorate away.
Week 2 in my 28 Cards class started yesterday and, yep, staying true to form (so far) I completed my eighth card. Eight cards - stamping, stitching. . .it's card mania over here. Not really, but it is more cards than I've made in years and years.

And because it's Friday, and there's a party going on here - inspiration should be abundant. We have Sous Chef Jennifer's layout using the February Smaller than a Breadbox, using the Pink Paislee line. This line was almost made for her daughter's dress!

Happy Friday!

Happy Birthday Day #7

2012-02-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

"Oh no she di'nt!" Oh, yes I did. I not only stayed on task with my BPC Class (you're gonna be real tired of my talking about it by the time I'm done), but I completed all the assignments on the day they were assigned within the week they were assigned, while the class was actually going on!

Note the use of stamps AND STITCHING!!! Used the We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy Tool! OMGoodness, what is going on in the universe?

I have used up five kits as well!

Now it's your turn. For the non-Bingo Card holders, your challenge for today is to use Non-Alphabet Stickers on your layout. Layouts are due Sunday evening.

Happy Thursday,

Happy Birthday Day #6

2012-02-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've rambled on enough in the past couple posts, so we'll make today short and sweet. I did complete my card for yesterday, I'll share tomorrow. Today you get to enjoy these adorable cards from Sous Chef Nancy Longo, using scraps from the February Smaller than a Breadbox kit. The cards themselves are from the Jillibean Soup line, she's mixed her leftover embellishments. These cards are the right size to tuck into school lunches, stick to a rearview mirror or plop on someone's pillow for Valentine's Day. So sweet.

For those without Bingo Cards, today's challenge is to use and envelope on your layout. Layouts are due Sunday evening.

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Birthday Day #5

2012-02-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

First let's start with a little clarification for those with Bingo Cards. I can't count, nor apparently do I understand the basics behind the Bingo game, because the Cards I created aren't square. Somewhere during my editing I neglected to remove a row, so there are six rows and five columns.

For those of you who asked, you will work one square a day, for a layout or card, using whatever the item is in column/row you chose. For example, the first column starts with "Stamps." To meet that challenge, simply use a stamp on your layout. From the "Stamps" column you can go across and complete four more, or go down and complete five more. If you choose to go down a column you have the choice to stop at five, or do all six. If you complete all six, you'll get a bonus entry for the week (this is where my not knowing the need for a square or being able to count works for you.) It's a layout a day using a square a day. It works out the same if I were posting without Bingo Cards - you'd get a challenge a day, the difference is you can work ahead if you have the time. All layouts from this week will be due Sunday evening.

Today's challenge, for those without a Bingo Card, is to incorporate three tags on your layout.

And finally, the first five cards from the class I've mentioned just a few times at BPC. I'm pretty happy that 1) I actually am participating in the class 2) my participation coincided when the class started and 3) that I'm still keeping up with it almost a week into it. I love the fact that the cards are easy; seriously, they've taken me about 20 minutes tops, even the one I misted! I'm using really old kits, well leftovers from kits that I re-kitted, and I've gone through three and a half. Once I've used what I use the kits are gone - tossed; I know a couple people would be horrified by what I throw away. They've been sitting for years, so I'm okay with tossing the leftovers or passing the larger sized papers into my giveaway box.

Happy Tuesday.

And Then There Was Monday

2012-02-06T22:22:00.001-07:00

My day started out good, but I think that going back to bed after making lunches is where I might have gone wrong. I lost a critical hour. I got up, stumbled to the kitchen to make lunches and then dragged myself back upstairs to try to sleep a little longer. It was going well; chores getting done, baking a batch of cupcakes when my phone buzzed to tell me I had a text. It was my daughter. She has a pretty long off-block - about two hours -- I mean really? What administrator thinks that giving a Freshman a two hour block of time in the middle of the day a good thing? Do they really think they're going to use their time constructively? Anyway, she wanted to go to lunch.

Okay, I can do this. I mean it is her birthday after all. I now have a 15 y.o. soon-to-be-driving girl in my house. There are so many things in that sentence that scare the bejeezus out of me if I think about it too long, I can't tell you. So, I text her back, I'll pick her up about noon, which gives me time to finish her cupcakes (Butter Cream Frosted Cupcakes with Lime Curd filling. Oh. My.) and still get her back to school, while making a quick run to the grocery store to get the remaining piece for the cupcakes and a few things for dinner (Sesame Chicken - the one on my Pinterest board is amazing - even though I did it wrong.) Somewhere in here it would go downhill. I came home to rush and make the Lime Curd and get the chicken marinating. My 3 y.o. had made a couple comments about his neck, but he was still running around so I didn't think anything of it - off we went to do pick-ups. The complaints about the neck increased, the whining increased, the wails when he moved his head wrong. . .We think at some point while playing with the dog he pinched a nerve. Fun.

So this post is a little late and the holy moly, four - YES FOUR - cards I did over the weekend for the BPC 28 Cards in 4 Weeks class, will have to wait until tomorrow. If I'm lucky, I'll have five to show you and I'll remain current with the class WOOHOO!

This week we're using the Bingo Card. I know several of you have a copy of it; if you still want one just email me and I'll send it out to you (lori@apronstringsdesigns.com). There are two things going on this week with the Bingo Card - for those of you with the Card you will select a row; horizontal or vertical. You'll work your challenges from the blocks in the row you select, in whatever order you wish, so long as you complete the row by Sunday evening. All Bingo Cards are the same, so start where you want in the row, but work the row over the course of the week.

For those of you without a Bingo Card, I'll be selecting random blocks from the Bingo Card and you'll complete the challenges as they are posted, as usual, and upload your layout to the corresponding post. Because the cards have six blocks a row, layouts will be due on Sunday evening. Today's challenge for those without a Bingo Card is include a self-altered piece of chipboard.

I've got a few things to do since I sat most of the evening after dinner with my 3 y.o. Good night.

Happy Monday.

Happy Birthday Day #3

2012-02-03T13:21:00.001-07:00

If I enjoyed the cold in the least little bit - like in the being out in it kinda way, not the looking from my cozy perch on my couch, hot drink in hand way - I'd totally be dancing in the 12" and counting snow falling and blowing beyond my windows. Totally crazy, we have that 12+" stacked on our patio table, but there's barely any on the roof-tops. The high winds have blow most of it off. Which means we got our snow-day; my daughter and I that is, boys were already off. Have I done anything productive with said snow-day? Ah. . .no. Do I have plenty to choose from? Ah. . .yeah. I mean I just finally got dressed. I did get dinner in the slow cooker, emptied and reloaded the dishwasher and made a batch of these. . .

Homemade Pop Tarts, the recipe is easy and is on my Pinterest "I Can Cook That" board. Dang, I'm lovin' Pinterest. . .if you haven't started following, do. But beware, it's highly addictive. And are they good? Oh yes. Thank goodness they're mini and two pie crusts only made about nine tarts. I filled two of them with Nutella for my daughter and DH and the rest with homemade strawberry jam, with strawberries from our Berry Patch Farms trip last summer.
Sticking with the whole homemade thing, today's challenge is to create a handmade element to include on your layout. It can be something you make special for this layout or maybe it's something you made for a swap (remember those?) that you haven't used. Upload your layout by Saturday evening to be eligible for the 10-sheet Patterned Paper pack prize.

I'm taking the BPC class, 28 Cards in 4 Weeks and I got my first week's assignment yesterday and I am totally excited to get started; in fact once this is posted, I'm heading down to my studio to create the first two. My plan is to dig out my re-kit'd kits and use them to create the cards. They are super easy, but so cute and I'll have a nice stash of cards. I don't expect them to take me more than 20 minutes a card, a day. Hopefully, I'll have photos on Monday.

Finally, and this is self-serving, but if I call it "advertising" it works for me. :) Head over to the Apron Strings Facebook page, go to the "Self-serving/advertising" post and leave a little note about why you love Apron Strings kits. What do they do for you in terms of scrapbooking? Or staying on budget? Or using products you may not normally choose? Whatever it is, you can say it so much better than I can. Come help me spread the word why Apron Strings is so fun to be a part of. I'm not sure, but there could be a prize associated for some lucky poster. . .just sayin'.

Okay, snow keeps falling and I'm psyched to create a couple cards. That would be a strike while the iron's hot kinda thing.

Happy Friday!

P.S. There's still time to get your Bingo Card for next week's challenges. email me at lori@apronstringsdesigns.com to get one.

Birthday Party #2

2012-02-02T11:52:00.002-07:00

We're under a Winter Storm Watch with a "guess" that we'll get upwards of a foot of snow. If you heard or read of my lament about no snow, if the forecast holds (and if you live in Colorado, you know what a big, fat IF that can be), I'll be getting snow in spades! My boys already have the day off, but my daughter would love a snow day; actually so would Mom, it would save the 6:30 AM scrap-the-car-off-white-knuckle-watch-out-for-stupid-drivers drive to take her to school.

I hope you're creating your first layout from yesterday's challenge. Also, next week's challenges will all center around the Bingo Card. Email me at lori@apronstringsdesigns.com to get your copy to play along.

For today's challenge, let's use Sous Chef Tomi Ann's adorable card. Choose anything from it that inspires you: the color combo, the banner, the theme whatever.

Upload your layout by Saturday evening to be eligible for the prize: 10-sheet Patterned Paper Grab Bag.

My brain is spinning with the to-do list, the every-growing to-do list. I'm off to do a brain-dump of all of it. LOL, maybe then I can focus.

Happy Thursday.

Happy Birthday, Challenge #1

2012-02-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

The first challenge for the Birthday Party is to create a layout and use seven of something: seven photos, seven different patterned papers, seven buttons, seven tags . . . well you get the picture.

Upload your layout by Saturday evening to be in the drawing for a 10- sheet Patterned Paper Grab Bag. If you win and you have a preference on paper "type" or "theme" I can try to accommodate that.

Happy Monday,

Happy Birthday!

2012-02-01T09:00:00.013-07:00

Apron Strings is SEVEN! And we're going to be celebrating all during the month of February - games, challenges, a blog hop and, of course, presents!

Let's start by sharing the love. A party's not a party without people. So first go invite your scrappy friends to come join us and play. Literally. Have them join us here on the blog and at Apron Strings. We've got scrappy pals, virtual and in-person, tell them about Apron Strings the kit club, encourage them to join the autoship. I could list all the great reasons, but you already know. Share your story. Then just let me know who you sent on over, and when they've signed-up for autoship, you'll both receive an Apron Strings gift card. If you're sending yourself, that works. :) This incentive runs all month-long.

Next, we're going to play a couple scrappy-games. One that will recur is Bingo. I'd like to take credit for the idea, but I can't. Betty Orr over at Let's Scrap hosted the idea a few months ago. Anyway, you'll need a Bingo Card to play and I tried to find a place to upload a .pdf, or add an attachment (and I couldn't convert the document to an image file), but couldn't figure it out. If you'd like a Bingo Card (and who wouldn't, hello, prizes!) send me an email at lori@apronstringsdesigns.com and I'll send you one.

I'll let you know as we go about prizes - both what it is (I'll try to snap a photo) and when you'll need to have your layouts uploaded to be eligible for them. Also, I won't be sending prizes until the end of the month.

I'm also planning Weekly Specials, over on the website, so watch for the what and when.

Fun stuff. . .all month long. Watch for the first challenge later today. Go. Go round up your friends and your supplies.

Let's get ready to party!!!

Monday Already?

2012-01-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

It doesn't feel like it was much of a weekend, but oh well, here we are back at Monday. Our weekend was quiet, with our daughter on her Confirmation retreat all weekend and then the older boys were out hunting with DH on Saturday. Sunday was a mixed day of chores and organizing.

Last week DH and I took a trip down to Ikea to pick up one of my Christmas presents. A year ago I was determined to get my scrap space in order. . .and I sorta, kinda got there. A couple of times. Of course I'm not speaking of how it looks now. Anyway, somewhere in the middle of last year I decided that an Ikea Expedit (the eight cube) would be a good addition to my Store-in-Style cubes; cheaper too. Santa had some Elf Union issues and couldn't bring my Expedit on the sleigh, so we finally treked down there to pick it up. On Sunday my 13 y.o. and I put it together. It now stands, mostly full, in the corner. . .and I must say it looks good! As long as you only look at that corner, and no more than six inches in any direction, it's great! I did empty out two bins of kits and got them into two baskets on the shelves and in doing so discovered I need to go through my kits. But don't we all. I wish I could say those were the only bins of kits I have, but alas, it isn't so. I have another cube of kits, most of which I believe are used and I've re-kit-ed them. I have pictures of my progress, unfortunately they're on my phone and I haven't a clue how to get them off.

I do have this lovely layout from Sous Chef Maria Swiatkowski, using the January Smaller than a Breadbox kit (the Fancy Pants line). It's much more fun to look at anyway. If I remember correctly, this the the title page for Maria's Project Life album - she's being a rebel and doing her own thing! You go Maria!

February marks Apron Strings 7th Birthday. AMAZING! Be sure to follow the blog for a month of celebration and goodies to go.

Chores, laundry and a scrap-space are calling to me.

Happy Monday,

Last Friday Blue Plate Special

2012-01-27T12:00:00.002-07:00

It's the end of January. The Last Friday in January. . .how is that possible already?

Anyway, here in Colorado the weather has been nice (until today) - mid-60's have been the norm and NOT a whole lotta snow (until today.) Our snowiest months are still to come, actually. Buuutttt. . .it is winter and while I love the warmer days, I want snow! I want the fluffy flakes. The swirling winds. Frankly, I want something to cover the huge expanse of brown. Brown trees. Brown lawns. Brown flower beds. Even the streets feel brown. Brown, brown, brown. Ick. I NEED snow, and luckily, today, I'm getting it. Tomorrow we'll be back to warm and melted away.

Since I'm not getting my snow fix from nature, I'm looking for it in my scrapbooking and playing with photos and papers that remind me of those cozy snow days.

Today, I've rounded up things that make me think of snow - swirly, sparkly, wintry looking things. And I've put them up at BIG savings, for today only.

Whether you've got actual winter weather, or you're wishing for it, today's your day to stock up to scrapbook it!

Next Month It Could be You

2012-01-26T09:00:00.001-07:00

Starting with this month's autoshipments, there are new rewards with opportunities for members to win goodies. Each month will be something different, sometimes for a few lucky members, sometimes for all lucky members. This month, two members won their choice of a Second Helping of Paper.

Congratulations to Nena Koenig and Brandi Juntunen who'll get their pick of paper packs shipped with their upcoming kits!

You could be the next lucky winner. All you have to do is be an autoship member; you know you've been thinking about clicking that button anyway! Come on. . .just do it.

Happy Thursday.

A Day Later

2012-01-25T09:00:00.003-07:00

So I've had a couple "day later" days recently.

DH's birthday was on Saturday, but we had to celebrate on Sunday because of this guy . . .

Yep, Tim Tebow was in concert . . . er, Brad Paisley that is. I'm not sure when my 14 y.o. became a Brad Paisley fan, but she has. Now that she's seen him in concert (her first concert ever), she's over the moon. Add the surprise appearance of another heart-throb and you have an experience that is out of this world. . .especially if you're a 14 y.o. girl; a 14 y.o. living in Colorado, home of the Broncos' Tim Tebow. Double Whamy!

The concert was a surprise gift for her upcoming 15th birthday - enter big-time Bonus Parent Points here. Now, I've been to concerts. Loud concerts, at that. But when Tim Tebow came out on stage, I have never . . EVER. . . heard an eruption of screams like that. Seriously, I wondered who we were there to see. Him or Brad Paisley. I liken it to what it must have been like to be at an early Elvis or Beatles concert. The screams were deafening. (I now understand the meaning of that.) And my daughter. . .holy crap. She almost fell out of her seat as she flew to her feet, which would have been a long fall given our seats, had her aunt not steadied her. And the screaming. The screaming. . .if I think about it, it's still ringing in my head. She could barely contain herself. She says she cried and I don't doubt it. She immediately was texting friends across the arena (who I'm told were also in tears, and snapped the above photo), then telling her father at home (she couldn't get enough exclamation points on that message), and then posting to Facebook as fast as her shaking fingers could go. If I hadn't seen it, I'd have said you couldn't possibly be talking about MY daughter.

Super Quadruple Parent Points :D

So, DH's birthday was delayed a day. Which worked out fine. Gave me a day to fix a decent dinner, make some scrumptious orange-chocolate cupcakes and round up the kids to make him cards, myself included on that making cards thing. I know. . .what in the world is going on in the universe that I made a card! But I did. Super simple, but it works.

So a challenge for you today . . . see how loud you can scream . . . or better yet, use the colors in the card to inspire your next layout.

Happy Wednesday.

Break Over

2012-01-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll. Sort of. Kind of. I was. Then I sat down to write this post. Got side-tracked by Pinterest (which if you Pin, well, then you know.) Then I needed to clean up today's email. And well, now, it remains to be seen if I have any get-up-and-go when I'm done. Frankly, there's much to do, so getting up and going really needs to happen.

But as I said, I'm on a roll. I have done my Monday chores. Laundry is rolling right along. I wrestled the tree, finally, into sheets to be dragged downstairs. The last of the boxes are downstairs. Dinner is thawing - thank you Pinterest :) Now, so long as I don't think about downstairs, it's all good. When I think of what's been dragged down there and just left, well it makes me want to run away.

Downstairs aside, it's time to be productive again, crafty speaking, that is. I actually made a card yesterday, for my husband, whose birthday was Saturday. I know scary! It turned out well. I'll get you a picture tomorrow. . .cables are downstairs; remember, the place we're avoiding. I have the December Daily to assemble. And I'm participating in the Take 12 at Ella Publishing, so I have January's layout to do. I have my list. . .here's your jumping off place, a nice Becky Fleck sketch.

And then a little eye candy using the January Smaller than a Breadbox kit the Jillibean papers, by Sous Chef Kristin Perez.

I'm off. It's time to get up and get rolling again.

Happy Monday.

A Little Pre-Weekend Inspiration

2012-01-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

It seems like a long time since the word "soccer" or "practice" or "game" showed up in any posting, and dang, it kinda feels nice. Feels good actually. Really good. Yesterday though thoughts of chaotic schedules crept in when I received an update from one of my sons coaches about upcoming conditioning practices. Ick. And when I told said son about the schedule, I think he kinda felt the same way. It'll be interesting to see if this will be his last season. DH and I have wondered about his enthusiasm toward soccer over the last couple of seasons; it seems to be on a decline. Whether that's related to burn-out or realizations that possibly playing in high school (he's currently in 7th grade) is going to be a tougher task than he anticipated, I don't know. I know with as crazy as sports make our schedules, I will miss seeing him play. I love going to their games - all the other crap that comes with it a sport. . .no so much, but games - yes. We've always left what our kids participate in, and when they choose to stop, up to the them. Time will tell, I guess.

Someday, I should really do a layout or two, or 10, about their soccer/sports lives. . .I don't think I've done a sports page about any of the kids since their shin guards actually guarded the majority of their legs, instead of just the shin area. Sous Chef, Maria's layout, with its bright colors makes me want to pull out some of my daughter's volleyball photos and play with them and these October Afternoon papers, found in the January Smaller than a Breadbox kit. I love the bright pops of color.

I'm just continuing to tick away at my to-do list. I feel like I'm getting somewhere, so long as I don't look ahead too much and see how much more there is to do. . .I've learned no looking keeps the panic attacks at bay. See, there's just no good to come from looking too far ahead. I try to tell DH this, but he continues to want to be the long-term planner. Frankly, he can have it, LOL.

Happy Thursday.

Permission. . .Sign #1

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

My One Little Word for 2012, Permission, has already starting popping up. It's crazy how that happens.

In a recent blog post from Lain Ehmann, she linked the following blog post from Stephanie Howell. In it Stephanie talks about "blocks" to scrapbooking. The perfection some of us look for before we give ourselves "permission" to scrapbook, whether that's perfect paper, or the perfect time, or the perfect design, or in this case, the perfect picture. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Is the photo important to you? Is there a story behind it? It shouldn't matter if it fits into the parameters of a "good photo" in terms of crispness, exposure, composition, etc. What matters is that if it's important, you scrap it no matter what it looks like. Give yourself permission to use it. Seriously, who in your family, now or in the future, is going to care if the shot was composed right, or had the proper settings. . .they're not. They're going to see the story. The memory. The people.

As scrapbookers, we . . . me . . . are fantastic at throwing up road blocks for actually not participating in our craft. It's something I've never encountered in any other craft. Knitters, in my experience, don't not knit because they don't have the perfect yarn, or are busy comparing their skills with others. They knit because they love it.

Now, I'm pretty good at scrapping pretty much any photo I take, but that doesn't stop me from comparing my shots with others. I still hesitate when posting my layouts, not just because of the design, but because of the photos . . . especially when I don't think they're "good." I'm giving myself permission to stop. Permission to say, "You, know, I'd love to be out of manual mode, but the fact is I'm an auto-girl. I may never understand an f-stop or depth of field." I knew this when I asked for cameras with good pre-programed modes. Why fight it. That doesn't mean I can't continue to try to understand my camera. Or that I can't continue to improve on what I see through the lens. But I do need to stop beating myself up over it.

Thanks to those of you who shared your word and your perspective on One Little Word. I would agree, Jen, taking pictures that don't interest you does make the project more difficult to follow through on. Your word for this year has more choices for photography and or journaling, as it sounds like it's more exercise related. Maybe if you're walking or running, you could take your camera along and take pictures of what you see while you're "Moving." Briel, I love that you're using your word for passwords - that's a great idea. JLP - love your word. . .I think just smiling, changes your whole demeanor and outlook. Love your layout about it!

Happy Tuesday.

Monday a Hodge-Podge

2012-01-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here in the U.S. we have the federal holiday of Martin Luther King day - offices are closed, no mail delivery, no school. So how come it doesn't feel like a break? Work. Work. Work. I have chores done, dinner is planned, laundry is going, and I'm doing my darnedest to get the last of the Christmas decorations put away and hauled downstairs, where I expect they'll wait just outside the store room for an undisclosed amount of time. Now I'm sitting down to catch up on my AS work and my DVR'd shows, as tax season is upon me and I have a ga-gillion things in my head to do.

Just as my day is a hodge-podge of things going on, so too is it here on the blog. In no particular order, here's what's going on:

Former Card Kit Sous Chef Laura Williams had a card published in the October '11 issue of CARDS (publishers of Scrapbook Trends) - where in the product listing Apron Strings got a little mention. Congrats Laura on a job well done! If you've got the issue, take a gander.
Speaking of Laura, one of her long-lost cards from the December '11 Kit is below. Just the bright spot for a day that is quickly becoming dreary. Snow moving in.

Apron Strings also got a little mention over at Jillibean Soup's blog (scroll way down and you'll also find a Sous Chef's layout!) - they are showing off their upcoming lines - YUM! DELISH! Spring kits at Apron Strings are gonna be exciting!
Apron Strings is a new sponsor over at Birthday Sundaes, an awesome card challenge blog. I know cards are on my list of goals this year (I've signed up for a Big Picture Class to help me achieve that goal.) If cards are a goal for you too, head over there to look at the amazing examples and entries. I love snowmen, so the challenge Apron Strings is sponsoring is just up my alley!
Finally, are you following Apron Strings on Pinterest? If you are, there's a today-only coupon for you. If not, well, go . . . besides the coupon, there's so much to love about Pinterest. Talk about visual eye candy!

As much as I'd rather play today - it's just not gonna happen. I'll play vicariously through you all. Go.

Happy Monday,

Inspire Me

2012-01-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

I'm neck deep in shipping and all the fun that entails. I'm trying not to think of the list of things to do once shipping has been cleared away. It's sunny but cold and windy, so the fluffy snow that fell yesterday is blowing around. I love watching the powder-like snow flying off the rooftops and drifting in land-wave shapes. It's so glittery too. . .but only from inside. Being out in it doesn't make me so happy.
So I'm in need of inspiration or maybe just a respit from the nose-to-the-grindstone mentality I've had. I found it in New Sous Chef, Nancy Longo's layout. She's using the Bigger than a Breadbox kit, the Basic Grey side. I just love those little snowmen and the colors of red and that robin's egg blue are just yummy.

I'm hoping to carve out a little time to print off photos for my December Daily and eventually get that put together to share. The list of to-do's is long and my procrastinating isn't getting them done.

So you, go crop for me and share your creations with me.

Happy Thursday.

One Little Word

2012-01-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan and a follower of Ali Edwards (which I'm sure is fairly obvious if you've followed the blog for long) - I enjoy her perspective and the basis for some of my favorite projects are hers. I'm not the deep thinker that she is, may never be and that's okay, but things I've taken part in, that were spawned from her website have changed my views, or the way I look at things, or just the ability to slow down - even if for a minute. And, for me, that's the benefit.

Last year I undertook her One Little Word project. I didn't make an album, or journal about it or even make one layout about. It was just with me. My word was Simplicity. I was semi-successful. Sort of. Maybe. Almost. The word definitely stuck with me all year long. It was in my mind as I tackled my other goals for 2011. It popped up in things I'd read. Or in things I'd see. The signs, sometimes literally, were everywhere. It was something I strove for, sometimes with desperation and sometimes with a quiet acceptance. Sometimes it seemed totally attainable and sometimes. . .not so much. But the word was with me all year.

It's funny, I don't pick the words. I don't look at a list, and close my eyes and point. I sometimes wonder if I were to look at a list of words, though, if they'd jump out at me, or speak to me. This year's and last year's were just words that, for lack of a better way, came to me. They floated in and took root.

My word for this year is Permission. I'm sure it will change and morph over the year in terms of its meaning and what I want from it (or what the word ends up wanting from me). Permission, in all its forms, is a difficult thing for me to give and to receive. It should be interesting.

Do you have a Little Word for this year? I'd love to hear what it is. If you're not familiar with the project go check out Ali's website. She also has a corresponding class at Big Picture Classes.

Happy Wednesday.

2012-01-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

Have you been? To Pinterest that is. Are you a pinning freak? Or are you totally in the dark about it all?

Well, I was in the dark, even though I requested an invite and set up an account. I think it sat, for months, before I made my first Pin. . .and that, folks, was all she wrote. So many fun things, interesting things, inspirational things. I could lose days. . .if it weren't for that darn husband and kids needing clothes and food and rides to and fro.

If you don't know Pinterest, think electronic bulletin board where you "Pin" pictures of everything and anything to "Boards:" recipes, home decor pieces, room design, holiday items, holiday decor, teacher gifts, outfits, color combos, subway art or inspirational words, gardens, kids crafts and yes, layouts and cards. Some people are selective and some people are like hoarders. Although my eyes would like to be a hoarder and pin everything, my head is much more selective.

And so now, Apron Strings has "Boards" that need following. Boards with Scrappy Ideas, Studio Inspiration, Home Craft Pieces, Recipes (for when you've spent the day scrapbooking) and a couple others. There's also a December Board, semi-filled with layouts created with the December '11 kits.

I want that December Board filled. Do you have any layouts using the December kits? If so, send me (admin@apronstringsdesigns.com) a link to them online and I'll Pin it to the Board.

Note, I cannot be held responsible for any addictive behaviors related to "Pinning."

Happy Tuesday.

NEW Rewards for Autoship Members

2012-01-09T09:00:00.003-07:00

Do you goal-set, make resolutions, give yourself challenges. . .whatever you want to call it. I guess we all do, whether we verbalize and share them or not. Sometimes we have goals far reaching and sometimes it's as simple as taking a shower (note, I didn't say easy. . .I have four kids, I know the sometimes unattainable goal of a shower.) As scrapbookers and crafters I think there's always the assumed goal of more pages, more cards, maybe trying something new.

This year, let Apron Strings help you with those spoken or unspoken goals for your crafting. Join the no-commitment autoship and you'll get ingredients, along with plenty of inspiration, to create. Being affordable, with kits starting at just $19, is just icing on your cake. Autoship members enjoy the benefit of saving 10% over the regular price, unlimited skips, options for flipping or substituting (some restrictions apply), no extra shipping for add-on orders when they ship with your monthly kits and NOW. . .there's a new Reward for members.

Starting with January's kit, every month will be the chance for something different - maybe all autoship members will get a discount code to use, or perhaps you've won a coupon for a free pack of cardstock or patterned paper, or maybe you'll find you've won your next month's kit for free.

How do you get your chance? Join autoship! Come on, you know you've been thinking about doing it anyway. Now's your time. New Year. New Goals. New Rewards.

Happy Monday!

Welcome the 2012 Sous Chefs

2012-01-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

You know, there's just never a good time for changing computers. I received a new laptop for my birthday back in September and then life went upside-down. I had a working laptop so it wasn't critical to move over right away. Enter Christmas when my daughter received a laptop and now there were two to get going.

So the files are moved and I'm more or less up and running. I've been rebuilding my RSS feeds, trying to remember my logins. I'm still missing two software programs and am in search of the discs. Funny, how such a small thing can mess with your routines.

All that is why I'm late in announcing the 2012 Sous Chefs. I want to thank the 2011 team for all the great inspiration they provided last year and kept us creating!

Please help me welcome:

TomiAnn Hill - Card Kits
Jennifer Halleck - Scrapbook Kits
Nancy Longo - Scrapbook Kits
Maria Swiatkowski - Scrapbook Kits
Kristin Perez - Scrapbook Kits

I look forward to the coming inspiration, along with plenty "why didn't I think of that" moments from these ladies!

To kick off the New Year and New January kit, here's Jennifer's layout, using the Bigger than a Breadbox kit using the Basic Grey side. I'm loving the Kraft and Red!

Here's to a great 2012!

Happy Friday.

LAST DAY for BIG Savings

2012-01-03T16:24:00.002-07:00

LAST DAY Don't Wait
December 31 thru January 3rd

If you're the procrasting type, your time is up. If you're the indecisive type, make a choice. If you're the forgetful type, write a note on your hand. Today is the LAST DAY of the Year-end Clearance Sale.

If you haven't been by to shop, there's still a good selection on plenty of items and the savings are still not-to-be-missed!

* Save on Past Kits - Stock-up on those you missed
* Save on Paper Packs - Can't decide which side of doubld-side paper you like best, just pick up an additional pack of paper. ;)
* Save on Embellishments - Have a mini project in mind and need to stock up on embellies? Got a taste of an embellishment in a kit and now you're hooked? Toss 'em in your cart and save!
* Save on TV Dinners and Soup for Ones - A perfect way to test out another size kit is to pick up the TV Dinner. Or maybe the kit itself is sold out, but there's still a piece or two of the "one that got away."

Today check out Table Scraps - it's like the seven layers of the candy cane forest;it's just too sweet to pass up! Here you'll find Past Kits, TV Dinners and Paper Packs, Embellishments, Scrapper's Boxes, Grab Bags of Paper or Embellishments. The savings START at 50% and go up from there!

Want more? Who doesn't? With every order of $35 (before shipping and taxes) or more you'll get a free second helping of paper. Spend $70, get two packs. Every order gets a Return Rewards discount to use at a later time.

Don't wait any longer...come shop TODAY!

Day 3 - Save up to 70%

2012-01-02T11:38:00.002-07:00

We're two days into 2012. How are your resolutions holding up? Did you set goals to eat better, move more, create time for yourself and scrapbook?

If you want to do more scrapbooking, Apron Strings can help you with that part. With such great prices during Day 3 of the End-of-Year Clearance Sale you can certainly stock up on all kinds of supplies.
You'll find lots of selection with savings starting at 25% and going up to 70%! Savings like that is inspiration enough, but think of what inspiration is to come when that little (or big) box is delivered to your door. Like Christmas all over again.

* Save on Past Kits - get the ones you missed
* Save on Paper Packs - restock favorites or pick up extras of kits you have so you don't have to make the tough choice of which side of the paper to use
* Save on Embellishments - sometimes it's just fun to have more sparkle and glitter
* Save on TV Dinners and Soup for Ones - these are great whether you want to try a smaller verison of a kit out, or maybe you only liked one part of a previous kit.
* Find SUPER savings in the Table Scraps area where everything is at least 70% off -

Today check out the Scrapper's Boxes (big or small) - if you like a surprise, need a gift, or just can't make any more decisions after the holidays, a Scrapper's Box is your item of choice. Filled with any number of items: kits, TV Dinners, Paper Packs, Embellishments, Stickers, Ribbon - a great selection at 50% savings.

Don't foget to snag a Grab Bag of Patterned Paper and/or theEmbellishment Bag.

Want more? Who doesn't? With every order of $35 (before shipping and taxes) or more you'll get a free second helping of paper. Spend $70, get two packs. Every order gets a Return Rewards discount to use at a later time.

Don't let your scrapbooking goal fall so soon, get started by stocking up today!

Day 2 End-of-Year Clearance Sale

2012-01-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012!

It's Day 2 of Apron Strings end-of-year clearance. If you had a REALLY good time ringing out the old, grab a cup of coffee and come browse the virtual shelves, stocking up on the great deals.

You'll find a great selection of goodies and you'll save up to 70%! How's that for starting off the new year?

* Save on Past Kits
* Save on Paper Packs
* Save on Embellishments* Save on TV Dinners and Soup for Ones
* Find SUPER savings in the Table Scraps area where everything is at least 70% off

Today check out the Grab Bag of Patterned Paper - a 25 sheet assortment of patterned paper from companies you love. Patterned paper grab bags are a great way to get more from your kit scraps. Have some cardstock left over? Match it up to a sheet or two from your grab bag. They're also great for making cards. In fact, use the pattern paper as the base of the card, add a quick sentiment and a small embellishment for simple yet quick cards. Pair the patterned paper Grab Bag with the Embellishment Bag and you're set.

Want more? Who doesn't? With every order of $35 (before shipping and taxes) or more you'll get a free second helping of paper. Spend $70, get two packs. Every order gets a Return Rewards discount to use at a later time.

What are you waiting for? Yes, there's football if your team has a shot at the playoffs, but there's all that time before and after the game. Come stock up while you're waiting!

Sad News

2011-12-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

It is with extreme sadness, and a whole lotta disbelief, that I let you know our own Sous Chef Anet Tietjen passed away. Anet was just 39, when she died on Tuesday from an unknown heart condition, leaving behind her husband and two small children.

I am having a hard time understanding this and think a lot about the family she has left behind and their sorrow at this time. I try to find comfort that Anet was a scrapbooker and her legacy of stories and thoughts are in her albums, holding comfort for her family in her absence.

If you feel so moved to leave a note for her family, you can find a guest book set up by the mortuary HERE. If you're a member at Willow Traders they are taking a collection for flowers and any leftover amount they are hoping to send Visa cards to use as the family sees fit, or they were talking about getting them dinners from a local make-your-own-dinner places.

My prayers go out to her family. May she rest in peace.

Eek. . .2 Days. . .

2011-12-22T12:06:00.001-07:00

and 12" of snow are not conducive to speeding around the suburbs outside of Denver on a shopping mission. Instead it sucks up precious shopping time with shoveling. Well, I'm not actually shoveling, but the people that need to go out with me are.

So while I wait, toasty indoors, I realize I should be planning the meal I'm hosting on Christmas Eve. It's always nice when you invite people over for dinner that you actually have a dinner. . .take-out pizza probably won't cut it. I should also finalize what's left to get. With DH's help yesterday we did manage to take care of a big chunk of stuff - though I'm sure in his helping me, he is himself further behind in what he needs to take care of. The boys even wrapped a few gifts for me last night, so that helped as well. I also, after two starts and stops, baked up a batch of Spritz cookies (my faves) and mixed up dough for cutter cookies to do later tonight or maybe tomorrow. Though, I'm sort of reserving tomorrow for the dashing through the snow. Literally.

If you're still on the hunt, or you know someone who's still on the hunt for the perfect gift. . .send a gentle reminder about an Apron Strings membership...the gift that gives all year long. There are several pre-pay options available on the website. A more budget-friendly way is to just sign-up with the recipient as the ship-to person, then you just let me know how long to run the membership for. There's also a gift card option (in increments of $25.)

Today, because I can't find my camera cable to upload photos of the snow, or the cookies. . .I leave you with this inspiration, from Sous Chef Jennifer Halleck, using the Smaller than a Breadbox kit, the Echo Park line (I just love, love this line.) She also used the December Sketch.

Off to pick up the mounds of wet outer gear that I'm sure, despite my asking them not to, the boys have tossed in huge wet piles in the laundry room.

Happy Thursday.

Five Days and Counting

2011-12-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have decided I will be one of those hair-on-fire, get-the-heck-out-of-my-way shoppers come Friday - and I'm embracing that. I will no long fuss or fight the fact that, once again, no matter how much I wish otherwise, I am a late shopper. I do, however, have a couple positives - my side of the family is not celebrating on Christmas Day, as usual, we will celebrate a week later. So I'm holding off on that shopping (sorry, guys if you're reading this ;)) And my Secret Santa gifts on the other side of the family are purchased and shipped, as are gifts for my sisters kids in Kentucky. So I guess that's something. The rest will come as it is supposed to. If your in the western suburbs of Denver. . .look out, I'll be on a mission.

Last night, because my days are crazy, as I was tossing together dinner, I thought, "I'll make cookies." My annual cookie bake will most likely not be happening as more than half the family is gone. . .so I thought, I'll just make a couple batches over a couple days. Sounded good. I even had the pound of butter sitting out and softening. Then I made the mistake after dinner, to sit for a moment. . .bad, bad idea. The thought of getting up to clean the kitchen from dinner, let alone stand and bake cookies, was just too much. So, I'll give it a go again today. Maybe if I start earlier.

Or maybe a look-see at this adorable layout, from Sous Chef Amy Crockett, will inspire me to bake later, because clearly the thought of my favorite cookie isn't cutting it, LOL. Her layout captures all the joy of Christmas Morning and I love the throw-back feel of the photos (whether that was intentional or not, I love it.)

Actually, all that's doing is making me wish I had an hour, shoot 30 minutes, to sit and create a page. Hmmm. . .that's not a bad idea either. . .

Happy Tuesday.

Monday. . .I'm Pretty Sure

2011-12-19T11:52:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure it's Monday. Unlike last THURSDAY, when I titled my post "Friday. . ." Ah. . .yeah, like I need to lose a day, you know because I'm so caught up I can afford to lose a day. . .sha, NOT.

The weekend went quickly and it felt like I was doing things. Only time will tell what I did and what I forgot to do. Christmas, it seems, won't be stopped or even slowed down. I did a little online shopping; now the come the positive thoughts that the mail trucks don't get slowed by the storm, or product not in stock even though they said they were in. You know, all the fun things you think of when you place an order five days before you need it to be at your door.

I'm needing some serious time with some paper and adhesive, paper and adhesive that isn't related to wrapping presents. If you're in that space too, go take a peek at Sous Chef Maria Swiatkowski's December Daily album on her blog. Well, the cover and an inside page - loving the cover!!!
Sous Chef Amy Crockett has several pieces in the the Cricut magazine, but in December issue she's got the cover, too. Apron Strings was her first design spot and look at her now! And while it may be a little late for this year, you could certainly make one for next year using up scraps from creating with your December kits ;), but check out her cute countdown calendar. Shoot, you could alter it to countdown to a birthday, a big vacation or things-to-do-over-summer-break.

Now maybe it's because my own cards sit unfinished on my desk (actually they're in a drawer. . .sshhh), or simply because they're just cute, but these cards made from scraps of the December Bigger than a Breadbox kit, the Bazzill Holiday Style line, by Sous Chef Maria are just to adorable. I love the simplicity of them. . .I mean a block of paper, a strip of coordinating pattern, a punched circle and a punched mat for it - she used a stamp, but you could find a digital image, create your own image or use left over embellies. Quick and easy! Love that.

I'm off to try to figure out my day - there are way too many options.

Happy Monday.

Friday Inspiration

2011-12-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Ah, a bright, crisp day. 10 days and counting. . .eek! I see a last minute dash to complete my shopping in my future. Oh well, for me it wouldn't be the holidays if I wasn't running like a lunatic anyway.

I was out and about early this morning, driving kids to and fro, and listening to one of my podcasts, PaperClipping Roundtable. It's one of my favorite scrapbook podcasts - lots of ideas and thought provoking talks, hearing the voices of some industry leaders like Stacy Julian and Ali Edwards. So, imagine my surprise to hear, during the email segment, the hosts mention Briel Schmitz. . .could it be the Briel? The Apron Strings member, who also frequently shares her work here during challenges? I think it might be! I love hearing or seeing people with an Apron Strings connection out in the "real world." So fun.

Add to the fun by sharing another layout using the December Bigger than a Breadbox kit, the Authentique side, from Maria Swiatkowski. I love Maria's layouts lately because I can tell she's big into using her mists, which seem to "mist"ify me! LOL, sorry, it's been a really looonnnggg week. But she uses it so simply, just dusting the backgrounds of her pages. So simple, such a great affect.

Well, one more day of school for my boys - and a half day at that. Today my daughter wraps up her first go-round at finals - or as she says it F.I.N.A.L.S! She did amazing though, once I talked her down from the ledge. We're trying to settle back into our regular routines after having dear husband working a "Catastrophic Failure" over the last four days - I think we counted that he slept about 12 hours over those four days. We'll get there. Presents will be bought and wrapped. A batch of Christmas cookies may even get made.

Happy Thursday.

Goodbye. . .Hello to Come

2011-12-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Good Morning. Did you know there's only 11 days left until Christmas? Really, just 11. I'm not really sure how it happened upon me so quickly. . .I mean I was just carving a turkey for crying out loud! I need to do some serious shopping and it looks like I'll be paying the crap-I-waited-too-long outrageous shipping fees. How's shopping on your end? And if you're one of those who finished before Halloween, you can just be quiet.

On a super-fun positive note, Sous Chef Laura not only has a card picked up for Paper Crafts magazine, but she's got a "Cover Shot." Way to go Laura!!!

Speaking of Sous Chefs, the 2011 team of wonder designers reign is over. I'd like to take a moment to thank them for the fantastic work over the year and their loads of inspiration that they share with us all. Thank you to:

Amy - who will be leaving us after many years designing both cards and layouts. She's got a full-plate of things she's doing - it won't be hard to find her work. Her wonderful creativity will be missed. . .as will her constant push to get me to use my Cricut.
Anet - whose wonderfully clean lined layouts speak to me, and to others who enjoy a less can be so much more approach.
Jennifer - a great multi-photo, multi-page designer (after my own heart) and a good ear over coffee or Chick-Fil-A
Kristin - whose energy and spirit shines through on her pages loud and clear
Laura - who will also be leaving us after many years designing cards. Laura, as you can see is on to great things - keep your eye out, because you'll see her everywhere.
Maria - whose adorable layouts are only made cuter by her little pixie girls.
Melanie - an extremely talented card designer, who is also an amazing paper crafter.
Sarah - an amazing designer whose layouts seemed effortless and whose turn-around time is insane! Made only more insane when you know she's a mom of four, one who is just a couple months old, and was in mid-move on her last rotation!

Thank you ladies, one and all!

I'm off to try to figure out what to do about this Christmas-shopping-day-shortage I seem to have come up against.

Happy Wednesday,

2012 Sous Chef Call

2011-12-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Are you a Sous Chef in the making?

I'm looking for two more designers to round out the 2012 team. If cards are your passion, you could be my gal. I'm also looking for one layout designer. Sous Chefs will be required to meet the deadlines and produce a specific number of pieces (depending on the kit you work with), work exclusively with the kit ingredients, provide high quality .jpgs or scans of the pieces, share their work and "chat up" Apron Strings on their blogs and or message boards. I welcome tutorials for the blog here, just tell me what you've got.

From me, you'll get your kits to work with for free and a 20% discount to be used throughout the year.

Send examples of your original work to lori@apronstringsdesigns.com (you don't need to create new work, or work with an Apron Strings kit. I mean I won't stop you, if that's what you want to do, but the deadline is a short one) . Include three or four examples of your work (cards or layouts or both), your blog address and any boards you are active on, as well as any other design teams, by Wednesday, December 14th. Given trouble I've had this year with getting kits to my international designers, I'm sorry to say that I have to limit my search to those living in the US.

I look forward to your submissions.

Another Peek

2011-12-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

With shipping of the December kits set to take place here soon, thought you'd like another little nibble of the December kits. Today it's from Sous Chef Maria Swiatkowski and the December Bigger than a Breadbox, the Bazzill line.

I love the theme of the page. . .we have an Elf, Abbott, who gets into more trouble than the kids; today he had his head stuck in the cereal container -- I'll have to recreate for the photo. His first year with us, a letter was written to Santa telling him that Abbott hadn't done his job very well. LOLOLOL.

On Maria's layout can you see she misted the cardstock an that she has pen stitching. Love those little touches.

Long day ahead.

Happy Thursday,

Round Up

2011-12-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

And no. . .not the tumbling/gymnastic type of round up, I could never get my limbs to cooperate on that. I mean, seriously, a jumping-jack was a scary sight.

However, last week, in my review of how my 2011 goals went I mentioned The Round Up, an Ali Edwards idea that comes from another blogger, Katie Nelson (whose blog I intend following, just need to click that button. . . ) I'm looking for ways to incorporate more of the everyday stuff, a 2012 goal. I'm not sure I necessarily want to scrapbook it per se, but incorporating notes from a given month or day on a page wouldn't be out of the question. This type of journaling is also something I've often wished I had when I have pictures that don't necessarily have a theme, or they're another birthday, holiday, school deal, or just a photos that don't have a particular story. I think writing down these kinds of thoughts, lists or ideas would be a fun way to put the words and photos together.

With that, here is my November Round Up:

What books and/or magazines did I read this month? No books. :( Magazines, I continued my two fold reading. 1) to clear out my excessive stash of unread photos, and 2) slowing down for a moment over breakfast and taking a little me time. With that I read back issues of Memory Makers (yes, I told you it was old!), Creating Keepsakes, Real Simple and a Woman's Day (I think, it was from my mom.)
What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month? No movies really. We DVR almost everything we watch. . .so Walking Dead! Hello, this is a must see for us. My sister and I usual hash it out after the episodes, but have been known to call during one. Dancing With the Stars, Chopped, and the new show, Hell on Wheels. Why are those dark, smoldering, fault-laden characters so darn gorgeous!!
What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends? Met a friend at our usual haunt, Chick-Fil-A, for lunch. Celebrated my son's birthday. Cooked and enjoyed Thanksgiving. As for fun. . .hmmmm, sadly I'm hard-pressed to think of something fun that I was involved in. That can't be good.
What gifts did I give and/or receive? We're still on the hunt, no pun intended, for Tom's hunting boots. Having a tough time finding a style and size. Oh we'll find the style, but they don't have his size. Or they have his size, but the boot won't work for conditions in hunting. Sigh. . . .
What special or unusual purchases did I make? This would mean I went shopping. . . LOL. . .this is too funny. I have not been shopping for non-essentials in so long, I can't tell you.
What illnesses or health concerns did I have? Thank God, none
What were my accomplishments this month? These are well documented in previous posts. No need to rehash it.
What were my disappointments this month? For now, I'll keep these private, save-to-say, I can't think of something fun I did with my family. That's just disturbing.
How did I do on my goals for the month? (Or any current short or long term goals) Again, well documented in a previous post.
Anything else noteworthy to include? Not this time around.

Ali (and Katie) also include the following monthly tasks. Some are more of a big deal, for me, than others, but I'll list them all in case you're looking tools to help you get organized in 2012. I started on the photo thing, and then got side tracked by a panic attack when I thought of other things more pressing.

Upload all digital pictures to my hard drive and clear off memory cards in camera. Place all photos for the month in a computer folder labeled with the month and year. Make a backup copy of the photos from the month on my external hard drive and a dvd. I also upload all photos to my flickr account (you can use any offsite photo storage site, but here is why I love flickr). Ideally, these activities should be done every time you process any pictures through your computer so you don’t lose any precious files, but if you have lapsed during the month, now’s the time to get it done!
Choose photos or digital layouts to be printed out and get it done while I’m thinking about it.
Backup any other documents or files as needed. I use an external hard drive, I also upload many documents to Google docs. I don’t like to lose stuff.
Backup my blog. It’s easy to do if you have one, just use Typepad backup or blogger backup.
Clean off my work area, empty my inbox, and clean up my computer files. Here’s a link to my digi organization post.

Go, round up your November and start in on those monthly tasks. It's time we got organized instead of just playing. ;)

Happy Wednesday.

Bright and Cold Tuesday

2011-12-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's snowy. It's clear. It's even sunny. But it's downright cold. It was 2 last night. I think it's 10 now. And break out the shorts, it'll be mid-20s for the high. Actually, it's great weather to hunker down and decorate or bake or start a nice big pot of potato soup, or shoot, just to craft away. Now, how do I thaw my fingers enough to manipulate a pair of scissors?

St. Nick visited our house this morning to fill the shoes outside the kids' doors. Naturally they are dad's shoes as they hold more. ;) St. Nick is a nice fellow, bringing new holiday pajamas and then gifts that remind us about being a family and sharing or doing things together, and more so when the kids were little, our faith. This year he lugged up a new desk chair, so mommy isn't having hers stolen (hey, I didn't say I had to share), the Cars 2 movie - load up the butter on the popcorn tonight, a water balloon pump (clearly not for this time of year, unless we're looking for ice balloons) and a Mind Games book (which is already being taken over by one child - again, share?) Dealing with St. Nick and his goodies always throws us off on school days, but he's a nice thing to wake up to.

Looking for something to get you rolling today? How about this adorable layout by Sous Chef Anet Tietjen. Anet is using the December Bigger than a Breadbox kit; the Authentique line. I love this line for its traditional colors and vintage feel. I love the glimmer velvet ribbon in there. . .nothing like a little tinsel!

Chores will keep me warm, but they're not near as fun as playing.

Happy Tuesday.

Monday Morning Q & A

2011-12-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

It was a fairly nice weekend, if you don't count the sub-freezing temps and snow. Some stuff was finished - the tree. Some stuff was started - laundry. Some stuff was continued - decorating the rest of the house continues, book-work continues, kit sorting continues, and my Thanksgiving recipes are tossed back in the pile o'shame. Which had me refer again to ya'lls suggestions about my binder with the following questions:

Briel, you had the great idea of putting the recipes you like in the cover of the book they came out of. Do you do anything else to know which books hold which recipes or do you just flip open the covers until you find your notes?
Kristin, it's a glorious mess, but yes, time consuming when you're shuffling through them every time to find what you need. Do you purchase pre-partitioned pages or do you make your own by sewing them?
JLP - I did realize as I was searching for my sweet potato recipe, stored in the offensive binder, that there were probably quite a few recipes that I have either made and didn't like or weren't really appealing anymore. Now, did I toss them as I was looking? Heck no, that would have made sense. So go you for tackling that one!
HEY Beth!! I like the tapping smaller notecards to full sheets of paper - money saving too.
Patchi - I like the scrapbook idea - I'd like to reuse the binder I have, it has dividers as well; at least until it's full. It's 8 1/2 x 11, and I do have some spare protectors hanging around. I agree, protectors are good for spills and flour and spoon marks.

And then there are the answers to questions like, "What can I do with this month's Smaller than a Breadbox kit?" Well, just take a peek at what Sous Chef Amy Crockett did here with the My Little Shoebox portion of the Smaller kit. Too cute! See more of Amy's fantastic work on her blog HERE.

Catch Apron Strings sponsoring this week's sketch challenge over at Let's Scrap. If you're looking for a jumping off place, sketches are always a fast easy way to get rolling.

Happy Monday,

Month-end Round-up

2011-12-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ahh. . I really like Ali Edwards. Her blog is a constant source of information and inspiration. One Little Word. Simplify is my 2011 word. December Daily. Week in the Life. Various posts that drill home, "there is no perfect or right way." Engage. Be Present (this is a constant work in progress). And so much more.

Now I have this: Monthly Round-up. I think it'd be a fun way to track what's going on on a monthly basis. Now if I can combine it with her other "monthly-to-do" items in that post, I'll be golden. Actually, I did start to mess with my digital photos - I have some coupons and credits to use up. But all of this comes about because I'm starting to look at my 2012 objectives and this will be added to my list.

As we come up on this last month of the year I'm looking back at the goals I set in January. I was posting monthly updates on my progress with them, but I think the last post was in August. . .though I kept on top of the goals, I just haven't posted. I have to say, laying it all out for everyone to see has definitely kept them in my mind all year and I think I was more productive because of it.

Eating/Meal Planning - I just wanted to make my life easier by planning our meals around the schedule of the week. Cut down on our eating out. I did pretty go overall. We definitely ate home more often. Though I didn't start out strong with menus for the week, I have definitely ended that way. For the past few months I've mapped out weekly meals; life is more simple when I do. Tonight - turkey noodle soup. ;)
I wanted to improve my eating. This is sort of the reverse of meal planning. I started out strong with eating three meals and snacking healthily. The last few months and the changes within them have cause my good habits to fly right out the window. I'm working on getting that back on track as well. Some days have been better than others.
I wanted to incorporate some worthwhile movement into my life. I was doing plenty of walking, stair climbing, bending and lifting, but I've been told household chores and chasing the 3 y.o. doesn't count. So I was going to walk. I had moments that were good. Overall, it just didn't happen. I'm not surprised, since no matter what I called it, it was exercise - my feelings about exercise are well documented. I'm not giving up on it, and will take another swing at it in 2012.
I wanted to get my house (or disorganized pockets of it) and my chores under control and back on schedule. The house cleaning is back, more or less, into a routine. I made decent dents in various cluttered spots over the year - the kids' rooms (though they seem to need another go through), a couple closets, a few cupboards, some drawers. Plenty of items have been given away, but it must multiple overnight because it seems there's always more to deal with.
I wanted to really carve out Me Time and I think I did pretty good. The last couple of months aside, I got out to crop once a month, I read three books and have been plowing through magazines. The magazines are double-duty, falling under the heading of both "Me Time" and organizing. I read them over breakfast and I had a huge back-log that I have a nice dent in.
I wanted to wrangle my Studio Space into something that was more inviting rather than the terror-of-doom it had become. Overall, it remains a work in progress. IKEA was put on hold. But it is 1,000 times better than it was at the start of the year. It definitely ebbs and flows with clutter, but it's certainly much better. I'll continue working on it here and there and over Christmas Break I really hope it's in a more "working order" condition.

I think I'll save the actual "Round-Up" part for next week. How did your year wind up? Did you make progress or take giant leaps backwards?

Happy Friday!

Oh My Heck. . .I'm on a roll

2011-11-30T09:00:00.005-07:00

It's true. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my kids were off all week, I managed to get several projects started. The down side is that none are complete. But I'll take the start on them.

Got the tree up on Sunday. . .fluffed it out; no ornaments (which is just as well, there's quite the chunk of lights that are out. Pulled together the fall decorations and got them put away (except the wreath on the front door I just noticed.) Re-started the reorganizing of my studio/office; still piles that need dealing with, but less than before. Tackled the cupboard of stamping stuff down here that annoyed me over the summer. Put away more of my personal kits and papers; but somewhere along the way the top of the cubes are piled with piles. Continued my back-logged paper work spree for AS - that is one of the piles on my almost clear desk and it still seems like a ton to do. My laundry was not only started, but finished by Sunday evening. Shoot we even made an impressive dent in the leftovers in the 'fridge!

All this brings me to a pile or two on (or near) my desk. I sorted through several sets of magazines - Scrapbook Trends and Paper Crafts. I've used or otherwise noted what I found inspiration in for both these magazines, but the getting rid of is always the hard part; especially the Scrapbook Trends. So, if any of you would like to claim dibs on them, I'd love to send them off to another home. All I ask is that you pay flat rate shipping ($10.44). I can send you PayPal invoice to pay through, even just paying shipping makes the per cover price far below the $14.99 newsstand price. I can't remember how many ST magazines I can get in a box, but I have enough I could split them between a couple would-be takers. The same can be said for the Paper Crafts. Both sets of magazines are intact and in good shape.

Leave me a comment, with your email address, or contact me directly if you'd like them (lori@apronstringsdesings.com).

Happy Wednesday.

December Daily

2011-11-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Some kind of snot-runny-nose crap is infiltrating my house. I've got the almost-sick-scratchy-throat, two of the boys are stuffy/coughy and the others are remaining unscathed; I figure it's only a matter of time though. Even the dog is yacking up her food, when she actually eats it. Fun stuff.

I mentioned one of the things I took time to do over the holiday week was to put together this kit, that I'm ashamed to admit I've had for too long. However, I'm not sure what to do with it, maybe you have some ideas. The kit/album (last year's Paisley & Polka Dots December kit), as it is, only holds 12 photos - small ones at that. I could use it for my December Daily, though with that number of photos (and little to no room for journaling) it wouldn't be "Daily." I thought about supplementing the album by tracing some of the shapes of the pages (as you can see it's a mixed shape album) on to coordinating cardstock and using some of the left over stickers to tie the pages into the album. Option #2, I use one of many remaining Christmas kits to create a 6x6 December Daily album. As if I don't have a large enough stash on my own, my arm was twisted to purchase two seasonal kits this year!

Below is the album:

What to do. . .what to do??

Happy Tuesday.

The Monday After

2011-11-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving weekend was great - relaxing, filling, fun! We enjoyed a quiet day, actually a week (the kids are off school for conferences Thanksgiving week). But Thanksgiving was pleasant. I did the cooking for our little family and my in-laws came for dinner - so no extra cooking, no double or tripling recipes to feed everyone and, best of all, leftovers in amounts that are manageable!

Friday was a recoup day - my legs were killing me from two days of prep and cooking. My husband and two older boys took off for the Eastern Plains to do some pheasant hunting - they were out by 5:00 am. Saw a couple, one just five minutes into the morning, but ultimately came home empty-handed, but with great memories!

I slept in, but awoke to the sound of water running in the kitchen. I went down to find the three y.o. fixing himself breakfast. "Mom, I hungwee. I make-a-myself brakfast." And he had. He had the cereal, that one of his brothers had left out earlier, poured into one of his bowls. He had opened a banana and sliced some on top of his cereal. He was washing his hands, he told me, because he had banana on them. The mauled banana lay on the counter as evidence. He was so proud of himself.

Friday I took about half the day to assemble the Christmas Kit album I had gotten last year - I'll show it off later this week. After Xyroning the wrong side of one of the papers (everything was precut, so creative thinking was required) I finished what I could. There are several pieces that will go on once photos are in the album. It felt good to craft and felt good to finish something.

It was a productive week - I'll tell you more about it later.

In the meantime, get your creative juices flowing with a little altered project from Kristin Perez, using the November Bigger than a Breadbox kit - the We R Memory Keepers side. See more of Kristin's work on her blog HERE. So cute, a great re-use of an item AND if you did something similar in Christmas papers you wouldn't need to wrap it!

I'm off to make my rounds on the Internet.

Happy Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T11:55:00.001-07:00

May your home be filled with the people you love and

your heart overflow with warm memories.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble Up Second Helpings

2011-11-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

Isn't gobbling down things fun! Have you picked up anything yet?

In just a couple days it's all about the Second Helpings; pass the Sweet Potatoes please! Today, have as many Second Helpings as you want without fear of the calories or of adding unnecessary jiggling to your various parts.

In case you need them, here are 10 Reasons why you need Second Helpings of paper:

Because you can get more of the paper you love
Because you can get paper you missed
Because they're beautiful and frame-worthy. Easy Home Decor!
Because the kit you received has those papers and you can't decide which side of the paper to use. Thanks go Second Helpings now you won't have to make that choice.
Because you have a mini book in mind and the Echo Park Summertime is perfect for it
Because you love making cards.
Because you want to make a Recipe Book with the Crate Farmhouse papers ;)
Because you picture a "Thankful" banner using the Bo Bunny Forever Fall line hanging on your mantel
Because you have some plain frames and the Oxford line would dress them up perfect for you kids' school pictures
Because today, Wednesday, ONLY you'll save 40%!

Whatever your reason for stocking up on Second Helpings of Paper, you can find them all HERE.

Remember quantities are limited and prices are only good today.

Turkey, Pumpkin Pie and a Layout

2011-11-23T09:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all your suggestions on my recipe-habit; it's always nice to know you're not alone in your addiction. I'll be looking for some divided page protectors to mix in with full-sized ones. I wonder if 8 1/2 x 11 divided protectors are hard to find? I do frequent Recipes.com and have recipe boxes on a couple sites - I just don't have my computer accessible most times I'm in the kitchen, so I don't refer to them often. :D

As usual, I bought my turkey late; I thumped it today and it's still frozen. My pumpkin pie is still in can-form. I have a list of things I need for my Thursday menu, but so far, that's all it is . . . a list. It'll all come together and if something is missing - I'll be the only one to know.

Here's someone who's gotten something done . . . since yesterday was a total bust for getting anything done. Sous Chef Maria Swiatkowski has a cute layout using the November Smaller than a Breadbox kit, the Fancy Pants Summer's End line. I love the white space, the hand-cut pices and the adorable heart filled with brads and rhinestones. Maria was a master of mixing all the kits in the Smaller kit since they coordinated so well.

Well, heaven knows I've got plenty to do and plenty to choose from.

Happy Wednesday!

Gobble Your Way to Homemade Goodness

2011-11-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

So we've gobbled down savings the last couple of days; why should today be any different.

Today we're looking at big, one-day savings on All Year Cheer Card Kits. This time of year may be chaotic, but there are weekends. . .perfect for doing a little creating. Load up on a several card kits to create a stash of go-to cards for use during 2012. Have kids in school? Create the cards, include an envelope, and tie up four-to-six in a pretty bow for teachers (who love handwriting notes home.) Know someone who is more hand-written than electronic? Do the same for them.

Today, Tuesday, ONLY. . .you'll save 40% on All Year Cheer Card kits. You'll find them HERE.

All Year Cheer Card Kits come with complete color instructions for at least six cards. The designers tell me they usually have plenty of left over to repeat designs or get creative all on your own.

Recipes-Annoymous

2011-11-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

I have a problem. . .and I hear admitting it is the first step in solving it.

I love recipes, cooking magazines and cookbooks. The irony is I only have a passing interest in cooking (I'm no foodie). It's the kind of interest that lies in having to prepare meals for my family or we'll go hungry. I guess I sort of enjoy it 9 months of the year - one more reason to hate summer - heating up the kitchen when it's already fires-of-hell hot. What I do like doing is eating. My collection shows the kind of cook I am. . .fast, 30 minutes or less, semi-homemade, freezer pleasers, pre-prep, easy, no-frills, down home, comfort food kinda cookin'. Me and my slow-cooker have a close relationship in the cold months. The grill and I have a love-hate in the heat.

My problem comes from I'll clip almost anything that sounds good - I have a pretty decent sense of what should taste good just from reading a recipe. For the most part I've succeeded there; there are always a couple, "Well, this didn't work." I'm also a strict recipe follower. It annoys the crap out of me when people want me to add more of this or that. I can alter things once I've followed the recipe, but it needs to be followed once to see if it's any good. Chances are, though, if it's good, I'm not touching it.

All this leads to the picture below. . .a giant binder of recipes I've printed, snipped, cut and generally collected. Behind the binder is my collection of cookbooks - though that's only a portion. My pantry has a full shelf dedicated to cooking magazines and other cookbooks. I rotate seasonal ones and keep my baking and specialty cookbooks in there. The good side is I use a large portion of my collection. The bad part. . .if I make a good recipe, especially from my magazines or this printed mess, I forget where it is.

My question. . .what's the best way to deal with this? The binder that is. Nothing is even in the binder rings, it's just all shoved in there. I need a way to store them (I, at one point, actually attempted to rewriting them into the provided pages, hahahahahahah) and they're all different sizes: full pages, 4x6, 5x7. I can sort them into categories, but it's still a mess of papers. What do you do? What would you do? Don't tell me to transfer them to cards. Please, have you seen my posts lately? That's just another "to-do" I can't deal with right now. LOL

And now we're heading into the season of cooking. The magazines with mouth-watering photos, sweet treats, coupons with recipes. AAAHHH!!

Help.

Gobble 'Em Up Savings on Monday

2011-11-21T09:30:00.002-07:00

Hopefully you grabbed a Combo Kit while they were on sale on Sunday. If not, I'm hoping to be able to get a couple more specials up this week. . .LOL, we'll see what the reality is. But I have one for today!

Are you toying with the idea of doing December Daily? Want to dip your toe in the world of mini-books this holiday? Maybe you're shopping for a scrappy friend. Or maybe you just want to treat yourself and stock up on holiday goodies. Today only, more gobble 'em up savings on a plethora of holiday themed goodies: Soup for Ones, TV Dinners, Second Helpings of Paper, Glittery things, all are on sale at Apron Strings. If you're thinking album, grab what sparks your creativity, add a grab-bag of cardstock (let me know if you want the cardstock to coordinate because you're making a December Daily album and I'll do what I can to coordinate the cardstock to your papers.)

You'll find all the goodies in the Blue Plate Special section of the website and your savings will be 40% - today, Monday, ONLY!

Gobble yours down now before they're gone.

Sort of Productive

2011-11-21T08:30:00.003-07:00

I had a pretty good weekend, productivity-wise:

I had a ginormous pile of product that needed loading to the website and now, well. . .go shop, lots of new things up there! ;] I can see my floor next to my desk. I have to say, it's kinda freakin' me out.
Cleaning up the floor led to the store room, which was in pretty good shape. But putting things away led to straightening up a little more, which led to condensing, which led to the uncovering of some delish goodies - giveaway time will be good times!
My personal kit stash was running out of its containers and getting stirred up with other things. I had some vendor samples mixed in, which only made things worse. Now it has now been sorted through. The stash there is now just mine. Not yet purged so much, but there are piles of "vendor," "keep," "thinking over" and "giveaway." The three containers that couldn't hold the kits are down to two and an empty cube drawer is now being utilized, though it still has room. I just need to figure out what to add to it. It currently holds manufacturer craft kits. The anal side of me doesn't want to mix things up. The no-wasted-space girl in me, says "use it!"
I managed to keep the house looking okay while I devoted the time in my studio/office.
I didn't get to putting together my Christmas kit that I am pretty sure I'm going to use for my December Daily this year. It didn't stop me from brainstorming on it though and I realized there's another way I could have gone. Simply cut 12x12 cardstock down to 6x6, add Christmas papers and embellies and punch a whole for either a paper ring or ribbon to bind the album together. I've got a couple mini albums on paper rings and they work just fine. This idea, combined with my productivity led to another - see the post later for the fruition of that idea!

And then I hit the wall. I'm not sure if I got overwhelmed with what I'd done, what still had to be done, or if I got excited I was getting things accomplished and then didn't know where to go next. Going through my stash got all my creative juices going and I want to craft, but then I got too many ideas. I lost my focus and had a hard time finding my previous groove. I hate that.

So, I did what any good scrapper does, I grabbed a handful of candy, turned on Pandora, entered my "anything that sounds like Poison" request and grabbed a stack of invoices to deal with. It's kinda organizing - there are piles of paper work that rival the piles of product I dealt with. I little work before play.

Moving onward today into chores and then more work in my office. I'm determined to move at least one stack of stuff on my desk today.

Happy Monday,

Whew. . .Friday

2011-11-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

First off - Kimberly C., please send me your mailing address so I can send out your goodies. I always love hearing people are being inspired - and that they're cropping because of it!

So what's up with my mind rolling in 30 different directions? Is it the thought of a week without school, without shuttling to school, without homework to oversee, without dragging people out of bed, including myself? Is it the Thanksgiving dinner to plan? Is it the nagging thoughts of Christmas shopping? Or have I had too much coffee?

Let me focus on something. . .how about some inspiration to crop this weekend. Here is Sous Chef Sarah Fleming's layout using the Bo Bunny Forever Fall line in the Smaller than a Breadbox November kit. I love the photo. I love the colors. I love the layered elements in the center. Beautiful. You can check out more from Sarah at her blog HERE.

I have high hopes, LOL, of getting the Christmas Album kit that I've had for a year, done this weekend. Whether I end up using it for December Daily or not remains to be seen. I haven't done anything crafty in a good long while and I really, REALLY, need to. So I figured something pre-cut and pre-planned was just the place to start.

I'm also taking a class, Your Story Matters, over at LayoutADay.com. It's all about capturing your/my story. It's got fantastic prompts and when I joined, even though the class is geared toward getting layouts done, I knew I would most likely just journal. For now. While I've read all the prompts, I haven't taken the time to actually sit down and write my thoughts, and I'd like to do that this weekend, too.

Then there's the whole planning meals for next week and sketching out the Thanksgiving dinner, making a lists for the grocer, blah, blah, blah. I have a few orders to place for Christmas gifts. And then there's all the Apron Strings work that needs doing or catching up on.

So yeah, big plans, high hopes and clearly not enough days to the weekend or hours in the day. Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend.

Happy Friday.

Winners. . .Finally

2011-11-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't the saying "better late than never?" When you're a winner, it's great no matter when you find out. Right?

My apologies for the long delay in posting these, but here we go.

From September's 4 Sketches/20 Days (there were great layouts posted, if you haven't seen, do go and look.)

Week 1 = CJ
Week 2 = Deanna D.
Week 3 = Jengd
Overall Winner = Deanna D.

From Croptober for the Embellishment Challenged

I've made an executive decision to award the ladies who played along in October. So Deanna D., Teddra and Kimberly C. (new to sharing her work her) Congrats!

Congrats ladies on not only your completed pages, but your willingness to play along and inspire others! Contact me (lori@apronstringsdesigns.com) with your addresses and I'll get your treats out to you.

Happy Wednesday.

Tuesdays Are The New Mondays

2011-11-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

As I continue to find my footing and navigate to a new normal, I am finding Tuesdays my new Monday. Confused? Me too.

I'm to the point where I can, safely, lift my head and look ahead a little bit. Like yesterday I was updating my day planner with some upcoming appointments and realized that Thanksgiving is next week. WHAT? Seriously, I had to double check. I thought for a minute I was on the wrong week. Nope. It's next week. Dangit! Which made me think of Thanksgiving dinner (I'm cooking, though just for us, but still) and then to December Daily and Christmas Shopping and Christmas Decorating. (See, this is why looking ahead. . .not always so good, LOL)

The December Daily part actually gave me a little excitement zap. . .crafting, papers, kits, scrapbooking. Hurray! Then I realized I need a plan. If you don't know about December Daily, go to Ali Edwards' blog and read up on what she does. There is a different take on it for just about everyone who does it. There are no rules. No "right" way. It is what it is for you. Some people make only a layout. Some make an album. Some do just a scattering of photos. Some take a photo everyday. Some collect ephemera from the month. Some stick only with words. It is one thing: SUPER FUN.

I've done it two years now, this will be my third. I choose to do albums. First year was an mini, altered album from a kit. Last year was a 12x12 using stuff I had had for a while. This year, I have a couple choices - I have a mini album kit that needs putting together that I'd have to add some pages to, or pulling a previous December Apron Strings kit and getting an 8x8 album with page protectors. I did learn that I won't be doing another 12x12 for this project. Too big for the number of photos I use, since I did a page a day and I don't collect ephemera. So while I'm working around the house, I toy with my choices. The mini album kit would be quick - the pieces are all there, it just needs assembly. The extra pages would just be cardstock, I think. I will also be taking Journal Your Christmas by Shimelle. I took the class last year, but started late. It has great prompts for photos and journaling and I think it'll a nice way to see the same things differently.

December Daily also means chaos-time with shopping and decorating. Eww. But I saw this adorable Christmas Planner on eighteen25 and loved it. I love anything that's organizational. I already have a perpetual Christmas Planner I made during a BPC class, but I downloaded the free graphics and will keep this one on file - you know just in case I need two. Though I can see a mini version of this for my purse. It's inexpensive, a great use for scraps and, did I mention, it's all about being organized.

It's time to wake the 3 y.o. and head out for the daily round-up of children. I'll go with visions of Christmas papers, planners and mini albums dancing in my head!

Happy Tuesday.

No-Soccer Weekend Monday

2011-11-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's true. We are officially done with the fall season of soccer. I had a week of no practices and a weekend of no games. I hardly knew what to do with myself. Neither of the boys went out for the basketball team at school this year and so I'm looking at a winter without sports. OMGoodness - I can't tell you when the last time that happened. My mind spins off in all directions at the thought - I'm giddy, really.

I'd like to say that I spent my weekend enjoying something of my own pursuit. That I tackled my office (it's gone downhill in a bad way.) Or that I had a purge moment and thinned out my closet. Or that I simply sat and read. Alas, such was not the case, it was spent buried in shipping boxes, invoices and sales receipts. Sigh. . .But you know, it's okay - kits are out and I'm determined to get back on track.

Since your kits are winging their way to your doors, here's a little Monday inspiration to whet your appetite to create once your kit is in hand. This is from Sous Chef Kristin Perez (you can follow her on her blog HERE), and she used the Bigger than a Breadbox November, the We R Memory Keepers side. She used a sketch from Sketch Inspiration, where Apron Strings was a recent sponsor.

If you're fingers are itching to get going, but you aren't a current autoship member, you can purchase a kit outright - you'll find them HERE.

If you need additional inspiration, you'll find challenges and an Apron Strings prize over at Cookin' Up Creations (you'll find the sponsor information on their blog and Facebook page, as well as in their newsletter.)
I just got a call from a boy who forgot his gym clothes, so I'm off to dash across town.

Happy Monday.

Is It Friday Yet?

2011-11-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

Is it? Are we close? I really have no idea at this point. . .someone throw me a lifesaver. Better yet, just toss chocolate, and I'll just go down happy. LOL

It's kit billing and shipping time and thanks to some major shipping issues it's more chaotic than usual - but I will prevail! In messing around with the kits last night I noticed a couple fun things,

The We R Memory Keepers in the Bigger kit and the Crate in the Smaller go together excellently. If you love mixing, matching and getting more out of your kits, pick-up a Second Helping of either of these to go with what you'll already be getting. If you want the embellies, grab a TV Dinner
I've looked at the November kits A LOT over the past few weeks and while I can see they have an Autumn Feel to them, don't discount off-the-page ideas to use them up. I mean I love Autumn, but I'd be hard pressed to do that many pages about it: Crate's papers would be great with Summer activities - we headed out to the Strawberry Farm again this year, and this line would be totally cute for that trip. The colors in the We R Memory Keepers line are great for more masculine layouts - remember they're double-sided! Bo Bunny's rich color pallet would also work for Christmas-themed layouts.
I love Elle's Studio tags and whatnot's. They're just so fun, but if the theme on the front doesn't suit your layouts or themes, they are blank on the back and thus become the perfect blank page for journaling blocks, stamped images or words. You can also tuck the "offending" words up behind other elements, cover them in lengths of ribbon or simply cut them off.

I may not be creating physically, but my mind is always working with my kits. Now I just need to get into the habit of making notes about great ideas and sticking them with a kit so when I sit down I'm not doing the, "Now what was my fabulous idea about these papers?" I hate that. I need to be a walking sticky-note.

The Sous Chefs have been working their little butts off this month. Amy's always a font of inspiration, and her layout below is no exception. Love the little owls with the park theme. Amy's used the We R Memory Keepers line from the Bigger than a Breadbox November kit.

Well, I have a full day of chaos and a half full cup of coffee. It's time for a refill and getting my shoulders into the work.

Happy Thursday!

November Already?

2011-11-04T08:40:00.001-06:00

It seems like just yesterday it was a brand new year and here we are in November already. Crazy.

I'm still trying to find my sea-legs after a crazy, sort of life shifting events of the past couple months, but I'll get there. Eventually. Definitely not something I could see or even anticipate at the beginning of this year. . .so thanks for hanging in there.

I will get to the entries for the Croptober challenges and get a winners list posted. I also saw the winners from September never posted, so I'll have to find that or repost it as well.

We've got a new month with new yummies headed your way if your an autoship member. Below you'll find a little bite of what can be created with this month's kits, by Maria Swiatkowski using the Smaller than a Breadbox kit, the Crate Farmhouse line . . . or you will later today when I can get the photo uploaded...story of my life lately, LOL.

Happy Friday.

Croptober #13

2011-10-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!!!

I'm sitting here waiting to hear the cessation of noise coming from the 3 y.o.'s room that signifies he's taking his pre-trick-or-treating nap. So far. . .not so much the quiet.

Next to Christmas, this is probably one of my most favorite nights of the year. I love all the little goblins that come to my door, I love listening to all the kids' voices echoing in the streets, I love seeing families wandering around and the excitement of the littlest ghouls jumping and skipping as they move around the neighborhood, and I love the flicker of candles and the decorated porches of the houses nearby.

This year will be a little bittersweet, as I initiate another trick-or-treater to the thrill of the hunt, I think my group shots will be getting thinner and thinner. This year may be one of the last a couple of my older kids will dress-up. They've himed-and-hawed about it for a couple weeks. Ultimately, I think my daughter will join up with a couple friends and semi-thoughtful costumes to collect candy and my older son will dress up more to take the 3 y.o. around than get candy (though I'm sure he'll go out with bag in hand.) This is just the beginning of such changes coming for my family. Up next, Santa. Is he or isn't he?

Today is the last of the embellishment challenges known as Croptober. Today, find a kit with a little bling, a journal card, ribbon and some chipboard. Remember group smaller items to keep them from floating off like a Halloween Ghost, odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye and layer when possible. Due date for this final layout is Wednesday evening.

Ah. . .is it? Could it be? Silence. I'd better run to my next task while it appears to be so.

Happy All Hallows Eve!

Croptober #12

2011-10-26T09:00:00.002-06:00

Crazy busy day and it's still got plenty of time until I crash. I'm trying to beat the incoming snow storm, which I heard will drop more snow than what fell in November, December, and January combined. So Matthew and I were picking all the remaining tomatoes and cutting all the basil. I have a grocery bag full of mostly green tomatoes and two enormous piles of basil to strip leaves from and do something with.

Today lets get you doing something with some embellishments. Find a kit with ribbon and some good-for-cutting patterned paper. No kit, no problem select from your stash. Combine your ribbon with strips cut from your patterned paper to create a border or frame around your page, a focal photo or along an edge(s). BONUS: Be a new poster to get double entries in this week's drawing.

I'll leave you with the following inspiration from Sous Chef Kristin Perez, though it has nothing to do with today's challenge - except for the fact it was created with October's Smaller than a Breadbox kit, the Lily Bee pack. Plus it's adorable!

Happy Wednesday (though I wrote this on Tuesday).

Croptober #11

2011-10-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

I must apologize for the missing posts last week. I have had some things going on here the last couple months that, at times, are all consuming and are causing major interruptions in my life and time. I am hoping things will stabilize for my family and I soon; the sooner the better. Please hang in there as I try to find a new normal.

The weekend was gorgeous, again. As I was hauling our butts from the north side of town for one game, down to the south side for another, I was reminded again how much I love this time of year. I love the wind (and we've had plenty) tossing the leaves out the trees. I love the blue color the sky is this time of year. I love that early morning crispness - Hey, when you have a field arrival time of 8:15 am, you can't help but notice the crispness. Makes that mug of coffee all the better. I love driving through the neighborhood and watching the leaves dance along behind the car. I love topping hills and seeing all the color in the city stretched out below. I love that both boys' teams pulled out wins - WOOHOO, makes that getting up at 6:30 on a Saturday worth while.

We also are prepping for our first snowfall, expected later in the week. We'll see if it really arrives, but it had the kids out raking (and the toddler un-raking and jumping into) the leaves in the yard. I was pulling ripened tomatoes from the bushes - I'm running out of ideas of what to do with these things! I've got a salsa recipe to try to make later this week. I pulled the remaining jalapenos off the bushes - some for roasting and some for that salsa. I cut the rosemary and have it drying in the pantry. I cut the tarragon and dried it in the oven - smelled like a licorice factory in the kitchen. I'll pull the basil and oven dry it later today. If the temps fall like expected, I'll have to glean the rest of the unripened tomatoes and brown-bag-ripen them - there are still too many out there to let them fall to the frost. I even made a batch of cupcakes that were supposed to resemble candy corn (which I hate as a candy) but the colors mixed too much. But shoot, it's a cupcake, how much time can you admire it before you just have to eat it?

So fairly productive for me. . .were you? If not, let's give you something more fun than figuring out what to do with 20 pounds of tomatoes. Since Croptober is banishing our fear of the embellishment. . .let's create an embellishment. Making your own embellishments are a great way for using scraps and pieces. Today create a tag and embellish with leftover buttons, ribbon, paper scraps or those odds and ends and then, of course, use it! Depending on the size you choose to make, it could be the only embellishment you need. If you make smaller ones, group it with other elements: ribbon, photo grouping, journaling block, title space. Layouts this week are due Saturday evening.

Here Sous Chef Anet Tietjen created great tags using the Fancy Pants Oct. 31st papers from the Bigger than a Breadbox October kit. These kinds of things are great for your layouts or cards, but given the time of year, would be cute on treat bags too.

Alrighty then, I'm off to deal with household stuff and Apron Strings stuff.

Happy Monday.

Croptober #10

2011-10-18T11:35:00.000-06:00

We are officially into Indian Summer. . .our first hard freeze was last night. Everything was covered in a pretty good layer of frost this morning. But as the sun came up that brilliant light filtered through the colors in the trees. I love that light. We have a Green Ash in the back yard, off our bedroom, and Aspens off the front porch that are tall enough to be seen through the daylight window in the hall, both trees are filled with gold leaves, and when the sun filters through those trees the light it produces is . . . magical. Brilliant bright gold covers everything beyond those windows.

Let's produce a little embellishment magic of our own. Find an Apron Strings kit that has a journaling card of some kind, something metal or chipboard and then a pattern paper that you can hand-cut some designs from. (If you don't have a kit, pull those items from your stash.) Papers with hand-cutable (is that a word?) are a great way to use up scraps and get some custom embellishments. Papers with small designs are great for cutting or punching generic shapes, like pennants, butterflies, circles and triangles. Remember when using your patterned papers, look for contrast so they don't blend into the background, (or pop dot them up) and give them something to help give them added weight - grouping or anchoring on tags, journaling cards, envelopes, etc.

Inspiration for today's challenge comes from Sous Chef Sarah Fleming's layout using the Bigger than a Breadbox October kit, the October Afternoon side. You can enjoy more of Sarah's work HERE on her blog. Outside of the fact that Sarah's little man is just the cutest - I love babies in onesies - I want to know how it is she's scrapping him and her other kids. . .he's two month's old! At two month's post-partum, I think I was finally starting to do laundry; scrapbooking was nowhere on the radar. My youngest, as well documented, is three and doesn't have a page to his name. /=(

There's still the frantic screaming of paperwork echoing in my office, but I temporarily drowned it out with banana chocolate muffins this morning. I love baking in the fall. Later tonight, we'll be cheering on the RV Volleyball girls to pull out a fourth win over rivals Arvada West (hubby's alma mater.)

Happy Tuesday.

Croptober #9

2011-10-17T16:36:00.000-06:00

It was a weekend of great Colorado weather: deep blue skies, crisp air, and colors galore. It was also filled with a haul north for a soccer game of cheers and goals - final winning score of 7-2! Woohoo! Then it was a haul back south to our home fields and cheers. . .unfortunately for the other teams' parents in a 8-0, or 9-0 (we lost count) loss. ="( Being 11 y.o.'s, this is their first experience with competitive play and so this fall season is all about seating the teams. We play some teams that are equal to, under and, unfortunately, far above us in play and skills. Taking some liberty from Scarlett. . .Next weekend is another weekend.

We also hit the pumpkin patch over the weekend, snagging an assortment of shapes and colors of pumpkins. There are six soon-to-be full of character pumpkins sitting on the hearth. If they had their eyes it'd be kinda creepy. There are fat ones, skinny ones, small ones, flat ones; it'll be fun to see what the kids carve out. I was craving the caramel apples they had at the stands. . .until I found out they were $4.50 a piece. . .without nuts. So hubby and son took a trip to the supermarket and snagged some Granny Smiths and a tub 'o caramel for a dipping fest for about a third of the cost. No I just need to find a good caramel apple recipe to make. Don't get me wrong, the dip and apples will do the trick, but there's something about caramel covered fruit on a stick that says "fall!"

Speaking of carving. . .it's time for you to carve out some time to create this week as we continue our Croptober for the embellishment-challenged. Let's see what to do this week. . .or today even. . .Let's mix some textures. Find an Apron Strings kit that contains ribbon, chipboard and rhinestones; if you don't have a kit, pull the items from your stash. Make life simple, keep your chipboard naked. Because of the potential smallness of these items, remember grouping gives them an anchor and more presence on the page. Layouts are due Saturday evening. BONUS: To my never posters. . .share a layout from today's challenge and get a double entry in this month's drawing.

I've got practices for two of the four kids, dinner of leftovers to heat up and taxes due in a couple days and there's a stack of paper work to be done before filing that is screaming my name.

Happy Monday.

Croptober #8

2011-10-14T15:55:00.000-06:00

"Oh, CWAP" as my 3 y.o. says far too frequently. Don't you just hate when you hear yourself come out of your kids' mouths!

I didn't mean to miss two days of posting - actually on Wednesday I thought I'd posted; I had to think about it and realized I hadn't. I should just learn to include with the challenge info, that the week of shipping all bets are off, LOL.

Today, let's play with pen detailing. Pen detailing is simple and easy, whether you're drawing straight lines, dashed lines, faux stitching. On your layout create some kind of pen detailing - draw zig-zag stitching between two papers, straight stitching around a block of photos or around the edge of the layout, add dashed stitches to naked chipboard or diecut letters.

I've gotta volleyball game to hit tonight - dinner to make, people to get to a major league soccer game, and then AS work to do.

Happy Friday.

Croptober #7

2011-10-11T13:32:00.000-06:00

The Ralston Valley girls scored a win last night - way to go girls!

My productivity level stayed fairly high yesterday. . .today, eh, not so much. But that's no excuse to let yours slide.

Today we're going to play with flat elements. Today go dig out an Apron Strings kit with some flat elements like ribbon, or a journaling card, maybe some tickets or diecuts, even paper flowers or leaves. (No kit? Snap up elements from your stash.) Layering and grouping flat elements will help anchor them to the page (instead of floating around, getting lost, in the background) and the layering will give the illusion of height. Running a length of ribbon through the grouping will give some added texture; weave the ribbon through, instead of just over your grouping. Remember, odd-numbered items are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Your challenge here, layer, overlap and group at least three flat elements - no pop dots allowed. BONUS: Calling never posters - post with this challenge today and earn an extra entry.

The October Smaller kit has some good flat embellishments - the star diecut, the sticker words, the journaling cards. See how Sous Chef Kristin Perez created a nice grouping of them, using the Doodlebug kit, and in the end created a super cute layout. Did you also note, this Doodlebug kit is more Halloween-y, yet she created an adorable Birthday layout with it! See more of Kristin's great work on her blog HERE.

Happy Tuesday,

Croptober #6

2011-10-10T11:42:00.001-06:00

We had a semi-productive weekend. We had snow and rain on Saturday - yep snow down here (and in the mountains) and about 40 degrees, maybe a little colder. You'd think this lovely combination would cancel soccer, but you would be wrong. Half-wrong anyway. One game was cancelled. One game was not. So we layered, we planed for more layers, we went water-proof and we loaded up and headed for Boulder 45 minutes away. Driving through the rain all the way. Sure enough, upon entering the gates of the fields soccer was in full play. It rained the whole time. We huddled under our super-sized umbrella and watched the boys play hard, but ultimately lose 2-0. We also watched the Rugby game a field over - my 12 y.o.'s response - "Rugby's a violent game." Yeah it is, those men are nuts!

Sunday over a Big Breakfast of pumpkin pancakes with buttered maple syrup (deemed a winner by all), bacon and orange juice we chatted as a family, something hard to come by these days at meal times. After back-and-forth and "wishes" it was decided that the boys - the older two and dad - would head for the hills (with the dog) and do some bank fishing. The daughter, the toddler and the mom stayed home. The daughter played lounge lizard all day. The toddler did what he does, moving from activity to activity. The mom roasted another batch of tomatoes and sent them to the freezer, chopped and froze in cubes the jalapenos that were picked and roasted earlier in the weekend, started laundry, decorated the house for Halloween and got a pork loin roast (another hit) in the oven for a very late dinner. The boys came back muddy, but had a blast, even without a fish hooked.

Monday is starting early, with a 4:00 am wake up call from the toddler. So up and making lunches and getting chores done and now getting AS work done. So you're not left out of the "being productive" vibe I've got going, here's your first challenge of the week. Select an Apron Strings kit with at least three patterned papers (all kits have these, so that's easy enough :D) and ribbon. Today you're going to create a pseudo-scallop border using at least three different patterned papers and top the straight-edge of the border with the ribbon. What's a pseudo scallop border? Super easy and super cute. Simply cut or punch several circles. Then lay out the circles to form a border. Cut them in half if you aren't slipping the edges under another paper block, so you just see half the circle. You can just have the edges of the circles touching or you can slightly overlap them. Adhere a length of ribbon over the straight-edge of the circles or where the circles slip under the paper block to give a finished look.

I'm off - I have a huge list of things that NEED doing and only so many hours in the day. Soccer is on the agenda tonight, as is a volleyball game, so I need to get rolling.

Happy Monday.

Croptober #5

2011-10-07T11:34:00.000-06:00

Well, after driving around for the first set of the volleyball game because my stupid phone had me in the wrong area, I missed the best set of the match - close, they lost by two points, and then totally fell apart during the second set to lose the match. Oh, well. We got to drive through our first hideous weather of the season - 40 mph wind, sideways rain, super fun stuff and then 20 minutes later blue skies. Still had the wind though.

Today is cold, but sunny and field day for my 5th grader. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold and rainy - just the kind of weather sports parents love. NOT. I'd like to think I could cozy up with some scrapbooking this weekend, but billing and shipping are on the horizon, so not gonna happen.

It will for you though, with today's challenge. Today let's layer some relatively flat items. Find an Apron Strings kit with ribbon and a pre-cut border (no kit, the round up items from your stash.) You'll also want to trim some patterned paper to create another border - use a border punch if you'd like. Layer at least three different elements (combo of ribbon, pre-cut border and trimmed pattern paper) to create a border around the outside of the page or around a focal-photo. Overlap the pieces for dimension. All layouts from this week are due Saturday evening. Don't forget the BONUS entries from this week, if you qualify.

Okay, it's time for me and the 3 y.o. to head out to pick tomatoes, jalapenos and some herbs to get roasted, frozen and processed before the freeze comes this weekend.

Happy Friday!

Croptober #4

2011-10-06T10:57:00.001-06:00

The girls pulled out a win last night - though it wasn't pretty. They play again tonight up north. Tonight is packed with soccer as well. They're calling for high winds in the area - red flag warnings and we haven't had those in months. Depending on the winds, soccer may get cancelled. The fields the boys will be on are up against the foothills and the winds are horrendous out there and have been know to blow the goals over. . .on top of players. Since this can be frowned upon by the parents, the club has taken to cancelling when the winds are high. We'll be in wait and see mode.

No need to wait and see for you, my embellie-fearful friends. Today we're gonna play with levels. . .as in pop it up levels. I love putting some elements flush on the paper and then popping up a few things here and there. It's such a simple thing that makes a great impact. This is a great technique if you have a grouping of flowers - a few on the page and then one or two popped up. Also works well for hand-cut elements like circles or squares that you scatter along a border. Pop a few of those guys up and it's a whole different look. Have a title, journaling block or label, lay the the words flat and pop up a heart, flower or other shape over or near the words. Instant eye-catcher. Today, select an Apron Strings kit (if you don't have a kit, collect your goodies from your stash) that includes embellishments that have a few flat pieces and a few dimensional pieces - a good pattern on a paper will work as well (flowers, circles, squares, characters - for hand-cut work). Make a simple grouping or border and pop up a couple of the elements. BONUS: Today's a day for those who haven't shared in a while to earn an extra entry into the drawing. I define "a while" in you haven't participated in the last month.

Apron Strings is a sponsor this week over at Let's Scrap. They have a great community over there, lots of sketches. =D

Hmmm. . .seems like there was something else, but now I don't know. I know I have stacks of paper work, stacks of mail and stacks of sorting - too many stacks and only little me to get through them.

I remember. . .if you don't have pop dots, simply cut some small squares of cardstock, glue a few together into a little stack and attach the stack to the element.

Happy Thursday.

Croptober #3

2011-10-05T11:46:00.000-06:00

First - I added the link to yesterday's post so you can upload your layouts. Sorry 'bout that.

For my embellishment-challenged folks, hang on, today we're gonna do a grouping. Start by grabbing an Apron Strings kit with at least five embellishments in it - Smaller kits will have this amount, Bigger kits will have give you more choices. (If you're not using kits, collect from your stash as necessary.) Create a nice little layered grouping of three or more embellishments. For those who are challenged, this type of grouping looks good in the center of, say, four photos, near a title, or on the corner of a journaling block or focal-photo. Make the group tight, with uneven numbers - so say a small journaling tag, layered with a small bloom and a scattering of small buttons. Maybe a diecut shape, layered with a length of ribbon and a stick-pin tucked into the knot. Just know that this group will help anchor the small pieces within it and give it some weight - the pieces will feel like one element and will draw the eye to what it is near, hence the focal photo, title or journaling.

Got volleyball and soccer tonight - but just one soccer practice and with dark coming earlier and earlier, practices are shorter. Doesn't sound like much, but it is.

Happy Wednesday.

Croptober #2

2011-10-04T10:48:00.001-06:00

So yesterday, I started this month's challenge with a brain cloud (can you name the movie) or something because as I was writing the challenge I kept thinking, "this isn't what I was thinking. . .what was I thinking?" But all I could see was my leaf chair, and that's what I went with. Today, I went for my notes and had my "ah-ha" moment.

Today, and the rest of this month is about overcoming being embellishment-challenged. I know I have frequent issues and have documented them here. Whether you have issues or just need to think beyond what you currently do. . .it'll get tackled and in the process you'll be scrapbooking and completing pages! WOOHOO.

Using an Apron Strings kits, find one with ribbon and buttons (if you don't have an Apron Strings kit, draw from your stash), use the ribbon and buttons in a new way for you. Maybe the buttons are strung on the ribbon for a border or frame, maybe you knot ribbon through the buttons, maybe the buttons are centers of paper flowers. I don't know. . .that part is up to you. NOTE: You'll use the rest of the kit as is, so you may find more inspiration with the remaining ingredients.

Happy Tuesday!

Croptober!

2011-10-03T15:26:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Croptober!!

This is a month of scrapbooking. A month of using your kits. A month of showing your work - remember showing your work? How many of us really got any credit for showing your work when the end answer was wrong? (chirp, chirp, chirp) Exactly. This month, here, showing your work will net you chances to win! It's all about showing your work. Sharing your talents. Inspiring others.

Let's get started. . .I'm looking at the leaf chair in my family room. Not leaf shaped, but leaf patterned, with maples leaves, overlapping in various sizes in greens and rusts and a touch of gold. Today dig out an Apron Strings kit (if you don't have a kit, go dig out some papers from your stash that meet the challenge) that has those colors, a leaf pattern in the papers or, if you're lucky, both. BONUS: If you've never shared or posted before and you do so on today's challenge, you'll get a double entry in the drawing. Layouts from this week are due Saturday, October 8th.

Happy Croptober Monday!

4 Sketches, 20 Days #22

2011-09-30T14:22:00.000-06:00

Last day of September. Last day of 4 Skeches/20 Days.

First let's close out the month with final designs from Patchi. Remember Patchi is holding a giveaway on her blog - super easy, just leave a comment. Also, Patchi was just named to the Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Combo Team! Way to go! Thanks for the awesome work and inspiration this month - your layouts were terrific.

Today, for the final challenge - it's your choice. Here are the three sketches used in the past month - mix them, match them, whatever you want to create your final layout for this month.

With the close of the month, comes a weekend without soccer games (huge tournament weekend for upper level players - luckily we aren't those yet) and my daughter's first Homecoming dance. Nope, wasn't asked by a boy - which is fine by me, and actually I don't think she much cares either. She'll head out to dinner with a group of girls from volleyball and then to the dance. I think she's really enjoyed her first Spririt Week - I know it's been fun watching her, but I miss her being home these days.

This month has been crazy chaotic - more so than usual. It'll be nice to have the down time.

Hope you enjoy a good weekend as well.

Happy Friday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #21

2011-09-29T11:46:00.001-06:00

Quick and to the point today, since yesterday was so late. Using the right side of the top sketch, turn it upside-down and make it the left side page, then use the right side of the bottom sketch as is.

I've completed my chores, dinner is leftovers and so am moving on to "the list."

Happy Thursday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #20

2011-09-28T22:58:00.000-06:00

Seriously, why can't I count or notate properly? What is this the second time I've mis-numbered challenges? Dang. I noticed it yesterday and then some changed on our network made doing almost anything on the internet impossible. I don't worry about the "why" because I married a tech-nerd.

I have no idea where today went - I got up, I got dressed, I got the trash to the curb, the 3 y.o. dressed and the dishwasher half emptied before I left for MOPS. I remember coming home. Now I look outside and it's dark. Dark! I vaguely remember boys and server training, soccer for someone in this house, homecoming week for my daughter, and another son and three of his buddies running around being loud and filming a commercial at the house. At some point I apparently cooked dinner, because I just cleaned it up. The 3 y.o. is in bed so I must have gotten him undressed, bathed and in bed. And now here I am, the dog gnawing on something she probably shouldn't be, the hubby and the 12 y.o. editing upstairs, two other kids in bed - or they're supposed to be (uh, I hear footsteps, someone's not in bed) and it's 10:45 PM. I missed a whole day.

So, luckily you have until the weekend to get these challenges posted (and I've added the missing links to the previous posts.) Today take the right side of the top sketch and turn it 90 degrees and pair it with the left side of the bottom sketch.

Alrighty. . .well, I have piles of things to do and the witching hour is closer than it should be.

Happy Wednesday (almost Thursday, dangit.)

4 Sketches, 20 Days #19

2011-09-27T11:24:00.001-06:00

It's Sneaky Peek day for the October kits. If you aren't already a member - you really need to join! You've seen how much people are getting done - that could be you!

Did you know -

Autoship membership has no time commitment to meet?
Members have the ability to flip or make a substitution for their monthly kits? (some restrictions apply)
Members aren't penalized for skipping a kit?
Members get their add-on orders shipped without incurring additional shipping with their monthly kits.
There's inspiration galore, because kits should be used. . .not stashed!
And BEST of all - autoship membership is budget-friendly. Both you and your significant other will smile - you because you get all kinds of new yummy goodness and your significant other because you're staying within budget!

Don't keep putting it off. . .come join us!

Today use the left side of the top sketch as is and combine it with the left side - turned upside down - of the bottom sketch, which will become the right side page.

Chores are done, yet there's plenty to do.

Happy Tuesday!

4 Sketches, 20 Days #18

2011-09-26T20:05:00.001-06:00

AARRRGGUUHHH! Isn't that what Charlie Brown says whenever Lucy pulls the football away? That's the way my day felt after oh. . . .10:00 am. Which is pretty early to have that feeling. Whatcha gonna do?

The weekend. I don't know. Was there one? Oh, yeah, we had soccer with a tie and a loss. We had gorgeous pre-Indian Summer weather. We had a lot of trying to get things done, but just didn't get there. Again. . .whatcha gonna do?

So this is the last week of 4 Sketches/20 Days. We're gonna mix things up. Literally. (And we're gonna see how good my memory is for where I stored these sketches.) Here are two sketches that we've used. Today combine the left side of the top sketch with the right side of the bottom sketch.

I've got to go be mom-the-engineer and build a train track that will be played with for 10 minutes, but with much appreciation and enthusiasm.

Happy Monday (night)!

4 Sketches, 20 Days #17

2011-09-23T10:41:00.000-06:00

Is it Friday yet, or did I miss it? This week has just been a stinkin' blur and I wouldn't be surprised if it was next week and I missed the weekend completely!

We're well into our nothing-new schedule for weekends which is pretty much soccer game, soccer game, church, food and the late-on-Sunday realization that at least one child has homework that should have been done Friday night. Our weekends look a lot like "Ground Hog Day" the movie.

So you can break up any monotonous schedule you may have going on this weekend, you can play with today's challenge - replace the large photo on the right-side with at least two smaller photos or embellishments.

I have a ton of miscellaneous items that really need to be wrapped up - so I'd best get going.

Happy Friday!

4 Sketches, 20 Days #16

2011-09-22T11:33:00.000-06:00

Today I'm blessed to recall another birth-story. This time of my former youngest child, who was my quickest labor at just three and a half hours. Who was the fastest delivery, with just one push (sorry, but there's no better way to say it.) Who I had the guts to watch being born. Who was delivered by his father (with the OB's help.) Who loves hearing his birth-story because he was the fastest then and continues to take pride in being the fastest still. Who who at 5:30 this morning turned 11! 11. . .seems like yesterday I found him laying on the top stair, where he'd fallen asleep while playing with trains, or on the arm of the couch like a tiger in a tree, while watching Blues Clues. My Jackson is truly unique - from his gung-ho attitude about anything and everything that catches his fancy - look out to the girl he wants to make his wife - to the way his mind works. You were, and are, my cuddliest child with "I love yous" and hugs whenever the mood strikes you. I miss your virtual hugs when I drop you off at school. I love you Jo-Jo, Happiest of Birthdays - you are truly one of a kind.

You know sometimes the hardest part of this month's challenge isn't coming up with how to change the sketch, it's which sketch I used and where I put it on my computer. Usually by Thursday I've got it down. Before I forget, I think I posted on Monday these layouts were due on the 24th, I meant the 25th - all the InLinkz are correct though. Anyway, today use one side of the sketch and because the photos are mounted on a large block, tilt the block on the diagonal.

I'm off to do a little shopping for the birthday boy and try and decide if I should take him out for a quick lunch at his favorite place. . McD's since soccer and volleyball will fill our evening until 8:00 pm tonight which makes going for his favorite dinner as a family impossible.

Happy Thursday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #15

2011-09-21T10:06:00.000-06:00

Are we mid-week already? Seems very unproductive to me and that stinks.

Well, I wouldn't want you to lose steam mid-week, so today's challenge is to rotate the left-side upside-down and then slide it over to make it the right-side of the layout.

Feeling a little off kilter today - going to see if I can find some focus and balance.

Don't forget about the two giveaways on Patchi's and Melanie's blogs.

Happy Wednesday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #14

2011-09-20T11:15:00.000-06:00

That class at Got Sketch that I'm taking. . .yeah, totally spaced out getting my work for Monday! I also forgot about a class/meeting at church. I read the email to remind me the group was starting up at 9:45 at 9:46. As a result I took a good whack at my to-do list. . .how come we never seem to reach the end of those darn lists though?

As if Patchi knew I was a Space Cadet, her layout today is about space from the Rocket Age line from the September Bigger than a Breadbox kit to the theme! It's a great layout. You can find more of her wonderful work on her blog HERE. She also has some great tips for us:

I cut circles from "Black Hole" using a circle-cutter (WRMK) then added to "Blast Off"
I inked the chipboard then added Stickles to the edges.
I inked the cardstock mats
Alphas from my stash (Pink Paislee)

As if Patchi hasn't given us enough to get rockin' on. . .she's hosting a giveaway on her blog for an Apron Strings Smaller kit and all you have to do is comment. Love the easy stuff ;)

Now, let's get you sky-rocketing today on your own layout. Today, using the sketch o'the week, replace at least two spots that were designated as photos for something other than photos - embellishments, paper blocks, whatever.

As if a chance for one giveaway isn't enough, there's another. Sous Chef Melanie (who is one of the designers for the cards in the Card Kits) is hosting a giveaway for an Apron Strings July Card Kit.

I think that's it. I hope so, anyway.

Happy Tuesday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #13

2011-09-19T11:06:00.000-06:00

Is it Monday already? Really? Where did the two days off go. . .'cause I don't think I got them off. Instead it was soccer (won one (hurray), lost one (booo). Those two games alone took up most of Saturday morning, so that by the time we got home it was a blur of lunch, cleaning and church.

Thanks for the "Happy Birthdays" from those of you here and on Facebook. It's the little things that make you happy - and those wishes did it! 'Course I'm not above having presents to unwrap, and I received delish goodies from my sister in Kentucky - lovely chocolate covered fruits. So naturally the box is empty today. Hey, it's fruit, I had to have my daily allowance! And at one of the games Matty brought me a dandelion. Then I was treated to one of my favorite foods for dinner - Gyros! It was a middle eastern feast where the kids actually tried some new stuff (instead of having chicken nuggets). . .and shock!. . . found they liked Hummus and Falafal.

Then there was the birthday party for those three birthdays in September - lots of lasagna, salads and garlic bread all topped off with scrumptious cake and homemade ice cream (thanks my girl!) Presents made all the birthday-people happy and one little one is still enjoying the pile of Cars paraphernalia this morning.

Unfortunately I didn't get time in to do any scrapping - but I'm ever hopeful and since I'm taking a class at Got Sketch, I'm itchin'! But even if I'm not scrapping, you are and here's this week's sketch to kick your week off. To start, use the sketch straight up!

Since the house was cleaned for the party (thanks hubby and kiddos) it means the Monday chores are pretty much done and the 3 y.o. is playing with all his newest goodies . . .it's time to hit that to-do list nice and early in the day!

Happy Monday!

4 Sketches, 20 Days #12

2011-09-16T14:14:00.000-06:00

Three years ago I was getting my first good less-goo look at my newest son - who was supposed to be a girl. My husband was on the phone telling his parents to bring the kids down after school to see their newest sibling and recounting our, no kidding, running out of gas on the way to the hospital, which was still a good 30 minutes away and contractions were 3 minutes apart. This was not so funny in the dash, or rather coasting into a gas station and sitting through several contractions to fill the car. Seriously, we were out of gas. Thank God the gas station at the bottom of the hill, off the highway, was a right hand turn and we had enough momentum to get us up into the driveway. There was some humor in it, sort of, once I was settled into my hospital bed. The past three years have been a little bumpy with our newest, colic-ridden, head-strong, stubborn fourth child. But he's an amazing, funny, smart little boy who completes our family in a way I wouldn't have thought when I found out, unexpectedly, that we were expecting another baby.

Happy Birthday to our Matty! You're going to do great things one day, I know it. Mostly because you won't take "no" from us, so I don't see why anyone else is going to be able to stop you!

Now, if I actually was creating a page for my little 3 year old (who doesn't have a single layout to his name, nor does he appear in any other one) I might, no would certainly, use the sketch from this week to do so. Today, rotate the right side 90 degrees to the left, but otherwise keep the sketch the same. All layouts from this week are due the evening of September 18th.

I was filling out some online forms today and had to check the age box and realized that tomorrow I'll be graduating to the next tired age box. Obviously I've since passed many age boxes and their tiers, this is the first year I've actually noticed it. Maybe I just need some mood-altering chocolate cake and sprinkles. We'll see, it's a standard weekend with soccer for us, so the day won't be anything too special in that regards - maybe that's a good thing.

Hope your weekend is a great one, filled with cooler weather and some chocolate and sprinkles.

Happy Friday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #11

2011-09-15T11:51:00.000-06:00

The rain came, unfortunately after we had already dressed and headed to the fields - we were told "go home, practice cancelled" in a downpour. Figures.

Yesterday never really got off the ground after getting home from MOPS, which is pretty standard stuff. No matter how hard I try, when I lose those morning hours, getting much else done just doesn't happen. So those items on my list I didn't want to carry over, well I'm carrying them over and blowing off some chores to get them accomplished.

I love this sketch - it's a simple, clean layout with just enough photos as is, but there's definitely room for more. Today, flip the left-hand side upside down and use the "title" space for a photo(s).

I've got a volleyball game tonight. . .crossing fingers for a win. Soccer practices that run back-to-back until after 8:00, if the rain stays away and a back-to-school night. I'm thinking sandwiches for the rotating door that the kitchen will be tonight. I'm really not enjoying the fact that we aren't eating dinner together right now - during the week we aren't even all home at the same time until sometime after 7:00, unless my daughter has to stay for Varsity games, on those nights it's after 9:00. Totally sucks.

Happy Thursday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #10

2011-09-14T15:15:00.000-06:00

Cold. Cloudy. Waiting on the rain. Hopefully it'll start raining in the next couple hours and cancel soccer practice, LOL.

Good day so far, though not nearly as productive as yesterday, which I capped off by cleaning the oven. No, instead it was MOPS, which included a craft - fun and searching for a lost car after - no so fun. But as a result little else has happened. So I'm getting started now.

You can get started, or keep being, productive with today's challenge regarding this week's sketch. Hmmm . . .what to do today with it. Ah! Today add two more photos to the layout- how you do that is up to you, whether you flat out add two more or you work them into a space occupied by one.

I'm off to think up dinner - I have chicken tenders thawing, watch for that rain and a few other things on my to-do list that I'd rather not carry over to tomorrow's list.

Happy Wednesday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #9

2011-09-13T14:43:00.001-06:00

It took some serious mental pushing to get started, but today has been pretty productive. I managed to tackle my Tuesday chores - my entry hall smells like oranges and my banisters are glowing, my laundry is down to one load of linens, I have dinner planned and thawing, and I even have 8 half-pints of raspberry jam setting up on the counter. Dang. . .what's up with that?

After weeks and weeks of 90+ temps, I'm eagerly anticipating the 60-ish temps coming our way tomorrow and Thursday. I may have to harvest and process my herbs sooner than I thought, though. I'll have to watch the lows over night or all my beautiful Thai Basil, Tarragon and Jalapenos will be lost. I lost my Cilantro in the August heat :(

Now if only I had time to act on the inspiration provided by Patchi today! Alas, I'm smack in the middle of post shipping, pre-November kit planning. But you can enjoy her great layout using the My Mind's Eye Lime Twist portion of the Bigger than a Breadbox kit. See her fantastic work on her Blog. She's got a few tips for you:

I used a Martha Stewart punch around the page on the "Spring Zag" paper.
I punched out stars from the "Spring Stars" paper and adhered them to the large round brads that came in the kit.
Pink Paislee glitter alphas for the title (Croptoberfest '10 prize).
Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type words added to the journaling list.

More inspiration. . .of course! Today's challenge in the month-long sketch series is simple, flip the sketch completely upside down.

The night gets busy after the kids come home - homework, dinner, soccer practice for the boys, our daughter is scoring a Level 4 volleyball game and then supporting the Varsity team (late night for her), back-to-school night for the 5th grader and DH is at a doctor appointment this evening. But did you see? I have homemade raspberry jam on the counter!

Happy Tuesday.

4 Sketches, 20 Days #8

2011-09-12T12:38:00.000-06:00

Well, it was a weekend. Two soccer games, four volleyball games, gorgeous weather (the leaves on our Autumn Purple are starting to go gold) and little else got done. Shrug. . .whatcha gonna do. But the washing machine is going, which always makes me feel more productive, floors are vacuumed, a bathroom is all sparkly. . .but dinner remains unplanned. Hmmm. . .

Go throw a load in your washing machine and then crank out a layout for this week's sketch challenge so you can feel ultra productive. Today, get your toes wet with this week's PageMaps sketch; use it straight-up, as is.

Off to keep ticking things off my to-do list.

Happy Monday!

We Remember

2011-09-11T09:00:00.001-06:00

It was a "Where were you when. . ." moment.

I was in the kitchen getting my then preschooler ready to go to school, with a toddler in a high-chair and an almost one-year old scooting around on the floor. My husband was in Washington, DC for a class. The TV was on and I was watching the towers, not really comprehending what was happening or seeing. I remember thinking what a freak accident to have a plane hit the tower. I was in mom-get-the-kids-ready-for-the-day mode. My phone rang, it was my husband who simply asked if I knew what was going on and that he was okay - he couldn't talk long - and then he was gone. I still really didn't get what was going on.

I remember finally realizing what was happening and not being able to comprehend it. I remember the empty skies for days. I remember hearing fighter jets at night, but never seeing them. I remember the patriotism flying in every flag on every house, in the words on every billboard and sign. I remember the candles on the porches in the evening. And I remember not being able to watch more than 10 minutes of news updates and photos from the sites.

I remember my husband returning home, after driving cross-country because the airports were closed. His stories of tanks in the streets of DC. Other people stranded and driving home and chatting at the gas stations as they crossed paths.

I remember.