creative scrappers sketch #158

It's time for another sketch reveal! I had so much fun with this sketch! I loved that there were 2 little pictures and one off to the side, I have been using this type of design lately and it's so fun!

Here's the sketch:

and my take:

I stayed pretty true to the sketch, I just flipped the 2 pictures to be vertical:)

Some detail shots:

Make sure you check out the Creative Scrappers blog to check out what the other creative team members did with the sketch.

 To be eligible for this month's prize from Pixie Dust Paperie, you just need to complete at least one layout using sketch #158, 159, 160, or 161 and link it up on the Creative Scrappers blog!
You still have a couple days left (until the 31st) to try for May's prize from Scrapbook Sussies, all you need to do is complete a page using sketch #154, 155, 156, or 157 and link it up on the Creative Scrappers blog. Have fun!

In other Creative Scrappers news, Kristine is currently holding a sketch team call and a creative team call. If you are even on the fence about applying, just do! Kristine is really fabulous to work with and some of my favorite pages have been made with the sketches.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

photo friday

Since Mr. K was sick earlier in the week and then turned into Mr. Clingy the rest of the week, I hardly took any pictures. So I decided to share some phone pictures too:) So from left to right, top to bottom:

1. Alaina, my sweet friend from high school, her little cutie, Eli, and Kieran   2. Making a Jackson Pollack style painting   3. pretty girl   4. this salad, but I added black beans (perfect summer dish)  

5. love footy jammies, they make me feel like I still have a baby and NOT a 2 year old:)  

6. more painting   7. and the start of the phone pictures...A+K giving their new build-a-bear friends baths   8. a note from sweet A   9. K devouring an egg roll at our favorite chinese place...he starts chanting "eh ro" as soon as we pull up in the parking lot   10. a picture for me from A, we're having a tea party:)   11. ponies   12. K getting a haircut...only cooperating *after* the sucker;)   13. at the library   14. we got a fish   15. a big red fish...A was scared of it, but K wanted to touch it:)   16.   at Barnes and Noble, playing with the Thomas table

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend!!! We are celebrating Kieran's second birthday tomorrow and hopefully hitting up the beach if it doesn't rain!

echo park

For those of you that read my blog regularly and are familiar with my scrap style, you know I love Echo Park. They come out with amazing designs and color combinations and have really taken a piece of the industry with their fresh collections. They have moved into my number one favorite company spot and I have been waiting...and waiting...and waiting for a design team call from them. They are shaking things up a bit and holding a very non-traditional call, so here is me throwing my hat in the ring:) Some of these projects have made appearances on my blog before, so I will start with one you haven't seen;)

 Splash & Swim
(supplies: all from Summer Days collection; alpha stickers, elements stickers, journaling patterned paper, diecut patterned paper, scallops patterned paper, quilt patterned paper, scene patterned paper, rainbow patterned paper...other: Bazzill Basics cardstock)

and some close up shots:

This page came together pretty quickly. I created a frame by cutting an 11x11 inch square out of the scene patterned paper, and stitched it on to my cardstock base. I then added a 2x8 inch strip of the rainbow patterned paper across the bottom right of the page and a 2x1 inch strip of the scallops (magenta side) patterned paper to the bottom left of the page. I then added a 4x4 inch square of the rainbow patterned paper (the yellow polka dot side) to the top left of the page and a 4x1 inch strip of the quilt (green side) patterned paper to the top right of the page. I added a .25x11 inch strip of the quilt (green side) patterned paper across the top of the bottom strips of patterned paper and a .25x11 inch piece of scallops (magenta side) across the bottom of the top strips of patterned paper. I then stitched across these skinny strips. I added my photos next...a 3x2 inch photo on the bottom, and then a 6x4, 3x2, and 2x3 along the top. Next came adding all of the elements...I added the Fun in the Sun journaling card to the left of my top photos and my typed journaling to the right of my bottom photo. I then played around adding stickers and my title, using adhesive foam to pop some of the stickers up. That was the hard part...whenever I am using stickers, I very lightly place them so that way I can how they look, in case I need to move them. Once I was happy with where they were, I pressed down...and viola...done:)
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Totally Cute
(supplies: all from Little Boy collection: element stickers, alpha stickers, strawberry patterned paper, journaling cards, rad plaid patterned paper, buttons patterned paper, sail boats patterned paper, road map patterned paper...other: cardstock: Bazzill Basics)

and some detailed shots:

To create this layout, I only had a small strip of the road map patterned paper. I wanted to make the frame around the edge of the cardstock base, so I trimmed the strip into 4 pieces, measuring .25x12 inches. I then glued the strips on the edge of the page...the corners overlapped each other a bit, but that's okay;) The next thing I did was adhere my 6x4 picture to the left side of the page. I used a 1 inch circle punch and punched 2 circles from the sailboats (blue side) patterned paper and trimmed them in half. I cut the "remember these days"  strip from the journaling cards paper and trimmed a piece from the buttons patterned paper measuring .25x3 inches. I then adhered the word strip slightly overlapping the left side of the photo, the buttons paper strip above that, and 3 semi circles of the sailboats paper above that. Underneath the photo I adhered a 2x6 inch piece of rad plaid patterned paper, then a .25x7 inch strip of buttons (orange side) patterned paper under that. I then punched 3 circles from the sailboats patterned paper (blue side) with a 1.5 inch circle punch and trimmed those in half. I then added 5 of the semi circles underneath the orange strip. I added my title under that and my journaling card to overlap a bit of the rad plaid patterned paper and the photo. To do the pictures on the right side of the page, I trimmed a piece of the strawberry paper to 2x6.25 inches and rounded the corners. I then adhered that to the rights side of the page and adhered my 3 photos on top of that strip. Finally, I added some of the circle stickers from the elements sheet and some of the word stickers from the alpha sheet, as well as some decorative stitching on the page. **The sizes are approximate...I made this layout with mostly scraps from my beloved Little Boy kit so some of the measurements may be a teensy tiny bit off;)
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Learning to Ride
(supplies: all from Springtime Collection: alpha stickers, elements stickers, spring day patterned paper, journaling cards, juneberry patterned paper...other: rhinestones: Me and My Big Ideas, cardstock: Bazzill Basics)

some detail shots:

Now this page *really* came together quickly because of that wonderful spring day paper all set up for me to make pretty;)
The first thing I did was add my photos, which were 4 3x2 inch photos. I added them in between the bike and the right edge of the page and just sorta overlapped them on the hill of grass printed on the paper. I then slipped the part of the journaling card underneath the photos and I added my title with stickers on top of the photos. Next I took the sun from the elements sticker sheet and placed it over the printed sun, using foam adhesive. I punched a couple clouds from white cardstock and placed them around the sun. Then I slipped the journaling card under the pictures. I then added some rhinestones to several of the butterflies (stickers and the printed ones). Finally, I typed the date on the juneberry paper and punched it out with a label punch. I added it to the journaling card. Super easy page to make and I love how it came out!!!
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It was so hard to narrow it down to just 3 projects, so if you would like to peek at more Echo Park projects I have made, you can take a peek here! I guess now is the time to hit the send button and to start crossing my fingers;)

wordless wednesday: hold me, mama

ten on tuesday

1. Well, I didn't make the 5k last Saturday...because being the typical procrastinator that I am I waited too long to register for the race and when I went to go do that, registration had closed. Oh well...this gives me all summer to get more prepared for the fall when there are more races available to run.

2. Speaking of racing, the other day in the car I was listening to npr when Kieran starting saying "off...off." So I turned it off and asked him if that was what he wanted off and he replies with a happy "YES!" Then I asked him if he wanted me to sing a song and he said "no....race." So then I asked him if he wanted me to race the car and again he replies with an enthusiastic "YES.......car fast."

3. Speaking of Kieran, he is very aware of routines. After dinner, he has started singing my nerdy bath time song I made up (bath time bath time, it's time to take a bath...bath time bath time, it's not time for math, bath time bath time bath time bath time....hmmm, no wonder he didn't want me singing in #2, ha!). He prances around singing "ba time ba time ba time" and it is really stinkin' cute:)

4. The other day, Aislynn was helping me make a salad for dinner (she likes to do the salad spinner part) and she told me that when she grew up she was going to be a chef...then a construction worker...then a ballerina teacher...and finally, an artist. I am trying to figure out the construction worker bit, but a girl's gotta have dreams, right?

5. Pinterest...I have been pinning like crazy lately. I *might* be addicted to it. Candi-I keep forgetting to ask you if you got the iphone app for it? I am not so patiently waiting for the android app. Some of my favorite food things I have pinned and that I wanna do this summer with the kids are these homemade smores bars, apple sandwiches with granola, pb, and chocolate chips , fruit kabobs (thanks Candi!), and sandwich kabobs.

6. oh yeah...and these popsicles.

7. I have also found some great things for my scrapbook/card friends...cool homemade stamps with corks and buttons, handmade paper flowers, and more handmade paper flowers.

8. Kieran's birthday is Saturday. He is going to be 2. It is sooooooo incredibly hard to believe that!

9. Have you ever played along with Crate Paper's monthly sketch challenge? They have great sketches and I particularly like the one this month because it has spots for multiple pictures, yay! Here's the link if you wanna play along:)

10. The June sneaks are up at My Scrapbook Nook. I am one of the guest designers for June and I am sooooo super excited to play with this kit! Here is a peek at what's in store (looooove the crochet doilies and the alphas so much!)

Looks yummy, doesn't it?!

make it monday: blueberry muffins

Happy Monday? Maybe? For us, K-man has a fever that reappears every time the Tylenol wears off. The only time is is content is when I am holding him...poor guy. I sure hope he feels better soon.

Today I have some blueberry muffins to share with you. I based this recipe from a Smitten Kitchen recipe, but "healthied" it up a bit...honestly? I really liked them how I made them, as well as Shaun. Kieran didn't each much of anything yesterday because he wasn't feeling well, but Aislynn didn't like them. I think they tasted too healthy with the whole wheat flour? Ha!

Blueberry Muffins

(makes 9-10 muffins-I followed the original recipe to make this amount because I don't need a gazillion muffins laying around)

5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup to 1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 10 liners or spray with nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add yogurt and lemon juice.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

4. Dump about half of flour mixture into wet mixture and mix until combined. Dump remaining flour mixture into wet mixture and mix just until flour disappears. Gently fold in blueberries.

5. Fill cups about 3/4 way full, nothing more. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean (there might be blueberry on it, that's fine).

And then you can do what I did, which totally cancels out the healthier substitutions, and smother your warm muffin in butter and devour it:)

photo friday

Hello! It's our first day of summer today and we have been lazy lazy bums this morning. It's so nice to know that the only thing we have to do today is go lounge by the pool with one of my friends from high school and her sweet little boy who are vacationing down here! We finally got my car back yesterday...there was a bad engine coil, then something was up with the distributor, and finally, the radiator needed to be replaced. 

So...I have been totally slacking on the photo posting, so here is a big chunk of the pictures I have taken over the last couple weeks:

This first group is from the beach a couple weekends ago. We went to our usual spot so we could play in the lake and while Shaun and Aislynn fished, Kieran was content to play in the shallow water and I was content taking pictures of him;)

watching a helicopter:)

giving the shrimp some fresh water;)

she took a break from fishing to come play...really she was torturing K in this picture, but you can't tell;)

Aislynn was digging in the shallow water when this guy came up from a spot she was playing in and totally freaked her out, causing her to exclaim she was never going in the water again (ha!). Shaun got him and Aislynn stuck her tongue out at him and called him a big bully...she showed him;)

Here are just a few random pictures...

K and his "popple"

snuggling with sissy's pillow pet...

good thing she didn't catch that or this picture might not have happened;)

The Easter Bunny had brought the chapter book version of Tangled, so we read a couple chapters each night before bed.

Here are the very few pictures we took at that wedding a couple weekends ago...

Cathy (Mimi) did Aislynn's hair and it looked soooooooo so good!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day...

My hair is totally doing something weird in this picture...but A surprised me with a little flower and flower pot she had painted and a card, both she made at school. So sweet!

We took a little walk after dinner...

K enjoying his bath...he loves baths and every time it's time to get out, he is not very happy...at all...

Aislynn and Matthew, her carpool buddy from school. I think he will be the only kid from her class going to her school next year, so I am hoping they will be in the same class!

Then last Saturday I took the kids to the beach...we didn't stay too long because some clouds rolled in and I didn't want it to rain on us:) So we came home and swam in the pool, that way if it rained we could just run inside. Aislynn made sure to point out that it never did rain and we had to leave the beach;)

And then yesterday's graduation festivities.

This is Miss Jennifer. She left about a month ago, but surprised all of the kids at graduation:)

and Miss Barbara, the main teacher. I will admit that I became a little mushy during the slideshow of the pictures of the kids throughout the year. I just can't believe Aislynn is going to be a kindergartener next year and that this year went by so fast. It's one of the things people always said when I was pregnant, was how fast they grow up. After awhile I would just roll my eyes in my mind...but it is SO true. It seems like since I have become a mother, life is going by at light speed. So I guess I just need to embrace it and get excited for this next adventure, right? ;) And next weekend Kieran is going to be 2? *sigh*

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and that summer will be starting for you soon as well!