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!

iNSD

Happy interNational Scrapbook Day!  

There are some amazing things going on at P&Co.  Hopefully you took advantage of the Designer Blog hop and got the free More Or Less kit  - if not, what are you waiting for? 

Now on to the Creative Team’s blog hop.  We’ve all contributed journaling cards that we made with the free kit.  Here is a sneak peek:

In order to get these goodies you need to figure out the coupon code by collecting the letters from each of our blogs.  Start at the P&Co blog, then hop to each link along the way.  When you’ve got all the letters, head to the shop and enter the coupon code at checkout to get it for free!

And just in case you get lost, here is the list of creative team member’s blogs 
in the correct order:

P&Co Blog

Sarah Hemmert 
Katherine Hansen
Mandi Buchanan <------------> That's Me!
Kate Christensen
Rachel Alles
Anna Drozd
Jan Fortier
Carey Bridges
Emilie Stevenson
Ronnie Crowley
Amy Kingsford
Jennifer Hignite
Celeste Smith
Melanie Ritchie
Aria Andrus
Jennifer Evangelista
Linda Roos
Christy Carlson
Barbara Unzen
Mary Rogers
Arielle Gordon
Jeryn Carlise
Indah Permata Sari
Melanie Call
Jen Papadimitriou
Erin Taylor
Kelly Mobley
Kim Hammond
Wendy Bretz

Before you take off I’d like to share 4 of my recent faves from the shop and my layouts that were created with them.  Hope you enjoy!

Wild Blueberry ink's Love Story and my layout 7 years

Dawn by Design's Almost Done templates and my layout Solo Stress

Robyn Meierotto's Go and my layout Growing Fast

Creashen's Head Over Heels and my layout Messy Baker

 And finally, here is your letter...

Head to Kate’s blog next!

My digi home . . .

Shame on me for not posting sooner about the opening of an amazing new digi scrapbook store and my new digi home.  I am very blessed to be a part of the Creative Team at Pixels and Company.  We've got a great group and some amazing designers.

There are some great giveaways and fun challenges going on for our Grand Opening - I hope you'll go check things out!

I've got several projects to share - hope you enjoy them!

I created this page with the amazing collaboration you can get for free, just by signing up for the newsletter!

I love this page with Ainsli showing off her awesome boots she got from Grandma & Grandpa for Christmas!

This is my cover page for Project Life - and it's also about my One Little Word for this year, become.

I've been loving my "old" photos lately - maybe I'm sad that my kids are getting so grown up, but I love  remembering - this photo is SO Ainsli.

This is our "Christmas" photo this year - showing off the cute clothes Grandma gave them!