2014 iNSD - Creative Team Blog Hop

It's International Scrapbook Day! I hope you are all taking advantage of the great sales and contests going on at Pixels and Company!!

• We’ve got a sitewide sale going on, and you can earn as much as 50% off!
• We’ll be refunding one random order daily with our Big Payoff contest!
• There is our popular Dream Cart contest going on.
• We have 2 Speed Scraps on Saturday: Noon MDT and 8 PM MDT, so everyone can have a chance to play along!
• We’ve got chats, games, and challenges going on all weekend long in our Digi Talk forum, with loads of prizes!
• And, of course, our amazing designers created  this fabulous mega collab to give to you:

P&Co. Designer Blog Hop: Bermuda Triangle

It’s yours FREE, and all you have to do is hop through the designers' blogs. You’ll be collecting a series of numbers and letters along the way, and when you get to the end, you’ll have a coupon code that will bring your price on this fantastic kit down to ZERO.  You can get started here.

P&Co. CT Bog Hop

Some of our Creative Team also wanted to get in on the fun, so we're having a hop as well!  Here are the places you'll want to stop by in order to get all of the free goodies that we've made!

P&Co Blog

Lynnette

Amy

Jenn

Linda

Laura

Barbara

Anna

Kelly

Mandi <----

Jen H

Erin

Jennifer E.

Carey

Kat

Rachel

Nettie

Becca

P&Co Forum

I created two journaling cards for you using Bermuda Triangle - here they are:

You can click on the image or here to download.

Fun and Games

I hope you'll join us in the forums this weekend. We have a lot of fun games and challenges going on with lots of prizes to be given away. Some of my favorites are "Lift the one above you" and "Challenge Me" (although I did get challenged to use 10 patterned papers on a layout, so maybe it's not my favorite :) )

Also this month I'm hosting the Journaling Challenge - here.

The challenge is to write a letter to either your future self OR to your past self.  This is my layout.

Next on the hop is Jen H. 

So, hopefully all of these great goodies and challenges will start those creative juices flowing and that we'll all be able to find time to create more!!  Have a great iNSD weekend!!

Doing it . . .

This is my most recent layout.  It wasn't hard to make, but it was hard to post.  So I decided that since I took that step, that I might as well share some of my story here on my blog.

[Made using Robyn Meierotto's $1 kit "Motivate" - get it here.]

June 2012 I hit rock bottom.  I was in constant pain, I couldn't take care of my family, or even myself.  I was only existing.  To say that I was depressed barely scratched the surface.  

Then my angels saved me:  My Mom and my dear husband.  

My Mom made it possible for me to search for the help I needed and finally found.  She encouraged me and made me feel hope again.  Ryan supported me wholeheartedly and made sacrifices as well to make sure I got the help I needed to start my journey.

I started seeing the weight come off and then I was encouraged to reduce my carb intake because I was now diabetic.  Knowing myself, I decided to stop eating sugar altogether and kick diabetes in the butt :)  and I did!!

I lost 100 lbs. before I'd even hit a year!!  The past six months I've been able to take off 25 more pounds.  Things have definitely slowed down, plateaus are a pain - but I'm up to the challenge.

I'm determined not to go back, and to continue my journey of health.  I'm not on a diet and I won't have an ending point.  My goal is simply to work and to live my life.  I got my life back and I'm finally able to do all those things that we take for granted each day.  

The past couple of weeks I've had the winter blahs and so I decided that I'm going to spend some time sharpening those things that have become second nature.  I want to set little goals and track what I'm doing so I can fix things and kick through these plateaus faster.  To help me I'm going to be using these Motivate printables that Robyn Meierotto created.

If you are interested, you can find them here.

The hardest lesson for me to learn has been to make myself more important to me.  That is hard.  But it's something that can't be left out of the equation.  I'm also trying to retrain that voice in my head that has nothing nice to say about me and my abilities.  (shhhhhh)

More than anything I'm thankful for the strength my Heavenly Father gives to me when I'm weak.  For the pain and burdens that my Savior willingly carries if I let him and for my angels.  They have always loved me - through all my very unlovable times.  I am very blessed.

DSD - let's celebrate!

Happy Digital Scrapbook Day everyone! I hope you're taking advantage of all the great sales and contests going on this weekend at Pixels and Company!!

First, the ENTIRE store is 35% off between October 31- November 3. Make a purchase during that time and you’ll be entered to win a Big Payoff, where we’ll reimburse you for your purchase. A new winner will be picked daily!You can also win you your dream cart! Link us to your favorite products by pinning them on Pinterest — one product per designer. One lucky winner will get their entire “dream cart” order!

P&Co. Designer Blog Hop: Piccadilly

If you haven't already snagged Piccadilly then you need to!  It is an amazing collaboration kit.  Our designers have outdone themselves yet again.  

To get these great kit for free start by visiting creashens‘ blog.  In her blog post, you’ll find a letter, the first letter of that special coupon code. Once you have the entire code (it’s 20 characters) jump on our site, add Piccadilly to your cart, add the special code to the coupon discount during check out and you’ve got one heck of a free kit for DSD.

• Coupon code is 20 characters and spells out a phrase. Please enter the code in the “coupon” field (not the “gift certificate” field) with NO SPACES and in LOWERCASE LETTERS.

P&Co. CT Bog Hop

Some of our Creative Team also wanted to get in on the fun, so we're having a hop as well!  Here are the places you'll want to stop by in order to get all of the free goodies!

Pixels and Company

Arielle
Mandi  (that's me)

Jennifer H
Anna
Lynette
Mary
Becca
Jen F
Erin T
Sarah 

Jen E

My contribution is a quick page created from this layout that I made using the Piccadilly kit:

You can download it here.

All you need to do is add your picture behind the opening and some journaling and you are good to go!  I hope you enjoy it!

Don't forget to check out the forums today to earn even more freebies and celebrate this fun day with us!!

Before you go I also want to share this layout that I made with kits from the November Stash:

I used the kit "Tranquility" by Anita Designs and a "Breathless" template by Crystal Livesay.  I love this picture of Aubrei dancing last spring - she is so beautiful.  

I hope you are all able to get some scrappin done this weekend to celebrate - 

Happy DSD!

I made it!!

No, I'm not traveling.  I'm just celebrating that I survived the volleyball season!  This year seemed so much more intense - more games, traveling farther away, overnight trips . . . I may not have been the one playing (dangit!), but it was definitely a big commitment for me too.

Aubrei did amazing this season.  She is the hardest working young woman I know.  She doesn't need to come by anything naturally - she is totally willing to fight until she gets there.  I'm so proud of her - she is the ultimate team player and a great example to her competitive momma!

Here are a few pages I did for my volleyball player:

Brodyn played soccer for the first time this year and he absolutely loved it.  All the running around was so worth it every time I saw his victory dance and beaming smile.  He is so awesome!  I'm secretly glad we are done hanging out in the cold though!

He's been sick for a week now and our crazy weather isn't helping.  I'm loving all the stories and cuddle time I'm getting though . . . Did I mention he's awesome?

Ainsli is doing great.  She has an amazing teacher, who she loves; she is doing great with her piano lessons and dance; she is becoming interested in cooking, so I'm getting a little more help from her in the kitchen too!  This layout is of her and her friend Alexis when they were starting preschool.  This year they are finally in the same class again as 4th graders!  (I seriously think I missed a year or two there . . . not sure how)

I also wanted to share some stitchings I made using digital brushes from the designers I work with at Pixels and Company - love how they turned out!

So much . . .

There are so many activities and projects going on right now that I might start feeling a little crazy.  But truly, I have so much to be grateful for and I'm choosing to love every crazy minute of my life.

Recently I was published in Creating Keepsakes magazine's Sept/Oct issue.  Here is my layout - it was a fun one to make.

We are still busy trying to raise money for Aubrei.  Her dance team has been invited to dance at the Holiday Bowl and parade.  It is such an honor and she's really excited, but it is an expense we weren't prepared for - so we are so thankful for all of her sponsors and all those who supported us at the farmer's market this year.  Here is a layout I did of the diamond dance team she is on.

Ainsli has started taking piano lessons this year.  Lucky girl gets me as her piano teacher.  Let's just call it a project in patience and our part in saving money to get Aubrei to San Diego.  :)

My baby boy started kindergarten this year.  He is doing amazing!  He has a great teacher and loves school, but this Mommy misses her buddy sometimes still.  I can't believe how fast they are growing up!

So yes, between early-morning seminary, school, volleyball, dance, tumbling, soccer, and piano things do get a little crazy sometimes.  But each night when we are together as family reading the scriptures and praying together I am reminded what is truly important and how fleeting all of this will really be.  I am so very blessed and truly grateful for all that this moment in our lives entails!

On Being Published . . .

Something new that has me excited lately is that I've been published for the first time!  In May I had four layouts published in the special "Boys & Men" issue of Creating Keepsakes.  I was so beyond thrilled!  It is amazing to get paid for something you love to do anyway!!

This month I have two two-page layouts in the first ever digital insert of Creating Keepsakes magazine's July/Aug 2013 issue.  Here is a peak of my layouts 

and a link to where you can get a subscription or buy a single issue.  I love having my favorite magazine available digitally.  Fun to browse on my iPad!  

Since then I have had five more layouts picked up by them - so be looking for me in upcoming issues as well!!  

I've always had a passion for recording my history and stories of our life, and with my new love of photography digital scrapbooking has become a big part of my life.  I love that I can preserve these memories so quickly now and share them so easily as well.  

Father's Day weekend

I've had the special guys in my life on my mind a lot lately, because of this upcoming holiday - so it was no big surprise they ended up in several of my recent layouts.  

We had an amazing week at my parent's house and even though my Dad had to work constantly, it was nice spending what time we could with him and Mom.  This picture was taken at their house - the kids were trying to be patient waiting to take turns riding in the baler with Grandpa and decided to try to tackle their Dad - didn't work too well.

 I can't believe Brodyn will be starting kindergarten soon - not sure how I'm going to do with that.  It has been nice having the kids home though.

It's been nice having a break from dance - it was crazy in May - but so worth it!  Very proud of all that the girls accomplished.  Aubrei danced with a stress fracture for several weeks, but it is healing nicely, and she is eager to get her boot off in a week.

Now, if only we can get our gardens to bounce back from these crazy hailstorms.  We had a lot of damage to our siding and deck as well as our garden getting beat.  

Hope you all have a Happy Father's Day!