Sketchabilities.....

I am probably the one only one who will say this, but this last part of August has moved so slowly.  So it was quite a surprise today when I realized it was the 30th, which means time for a new sketch at Sketchabilities!!  Here's a look at Sketch #54:



And here is what I came up with:



I was really excited about this sketch when I saw it--circles are one of my favorite elements to work with!  I started out by misting my background, something I do almost everytime that I scrap now!  (I can't believe I used to be so afraid of the whole misting phenomenom.)  I layered circles using pretty papers from Simple Stories, added a kraft doily, threw on some tiny sculpted flowers, and mix and matched my alphas.  I finished it off with some stitching to mark the path of a butterfly. 

Make sure and head on over to Sketchabilities to see what the rest of the design team came up with and remember, if you link up your take on Sketch #54 you could be the next guest designer!  Can't wait to see your projects!!

Happy Tuesday!

Everyday with You.....

This has to be one of my favorite lo's.....



This is the first lo where I kept everything kind of monotony and I love it!!  I was also pleased to have used a good mix of product instead of sticking to just one company and being all matchy-matchy.  There is Basic Grey, Sassafrass, Cosmo Cricket, American Crafts, and Studio Calico.  All of the products I used were in this month's kit and it's various add-ons from Studio Calico.

These pics are pretty special too.  I took them one recent Saturday morning when we walked to the park at seven thirty in the morning (notice Maleia's hair is all frizzy--I hadn't done her hair yet).  We had so much fun playing.  We had the park all to ourselves and it was nice and cool. On the way home Hayden and I talked about lots of stuff which is always great because often times he is super busy with his "stuff" or he's tight-lipped with the details.  I just felt so lucky to have the two of them, they make every day a great day....

Hope your Friday is awesome or as Maleia say's it "aw-me"!

Last Game....

My son made the All-Star baseball team for the nine and ten year old division this year which was so exciting!  It meant a lot of traveling, but it also meant a whole lot of fun!  I have lots of photos to scrap and have narrowed it down to three one page layouts.  This is the first one I have finished:



This was the photo taken after their last game.  It isn't the best because there is a horrible shadow running across the entire picture (I didn't have the guts to try and move not only the team but the dozen other parents with cameras to a different spot).  HOWEVER, the picture captures some really great smiles and I love it! 

I chose to use October Afternoon's Boarding Pass because I thought the colors complemented the sunset-ish colors in the pic.  I also got to use my new star punch and new fave technique--applying "confetti" or stars in this case to my page using Mod Podge!  Ever since I saw a tutorial on applying confetti by April Foster on the Studio Calico blog, I have become obsessed with it and am liking the result.  I am a little timid with it still, but that is how I approach any new technique :-). 

Well hope you all have a happy Wednesday, I know I will--today is the first day of school for Hayden which means lots of pics and new pages to scrap!!  I

The Help.....

I am a huge believer in reading the book before seeing the movie, so when I saw that The Help was coming to theaters I decided it was time to read the book......AND I could NOT put it down!!  Before I go any further though, I must apolgize to my children because when I get this obsessed with reading a book I tend to do the bare minimum.  Luckily for them, I am a super fast reader!  LOL. 



This book was so great! I absolutely loved how the book was told from three different perspectives--I always find that this narrative approach is engaging as well as super effective, especially in a book that is dealing with a subject matter that is very dynamic. 

At first the book was sort of hard to stomach because I just felt so disgusted at the behavior of the white characters (minus Skeeter's of course).  It is still so hard for me to believe that human beings treated other human beings like that.  I mean seriously, having a second bathroom for the help because colored people carry diseases that can make white people sick....seriously, how did that sort of logic exhist???  So after I got over myself, I read the book for what it is--a story about how three women--two black and one white--worked together to tell their stories and make their lives better.  And how in doing this, it proved that "We are just two people.  Not that much seperates us. Not nearly as much as I thought."

The Help had me crackin' up one moment, crying the next.  It was excellent!  And I just have to say, Minnie's revenge is a just reward for Miss Hilly's behavior!

Hope you pick this book up if you haven't already!! 

Michelle

Sketchabilities #53.....

Time flies by, I can't believe it is the 15th already which means it's time for a new sketch at Sketchabilities!  Here is the sketch:

And this is what I did with it:



So head on over to Sketchabilities and check out what the rest of the design team came up with! AND remember, if you share your project with Mr. Linky, YOU could be chosen to be the next Guest Designer!

A Bridgeport Fourth of July.......

This past Fourth of July, we were able to head up to Bridgeport...



Bridgeport (California) has an AWESOME celebration.  The town has only a population of around 500, but it pulls off an amazing extravaganza full of food, fun, old fashioned games, a parade, food, and a great fireworks show that draws a whole lot of people!!  (I know I mentioned food twice, but the yumminess is so good!)

The day was jam packed full of fun.   We started with the most delicious Red, White, and Blue Pancakes at the Hayes Street Cafe (I so wish I had taken a picture, but dealing with Maleia at a restaraunt is challenging and I am lucky if I get to eat my full meal).  From there we headed to the parade.  While waiting, Bodie and I took turns following Maleia up and down the sidewalk and she was too cute for words!  I swear, she had this little bum wiggle that said she knew she was cute stuff!  LOL.  After we witnessed the pretty lively parade (some parades are dreadfully dull) we went to the courthouse to check out the games schedule--we had bribed Hayden to do the Grease Pole contest--and then we went back to Grandma's house and watched the mud volleyball game while Hayden and the cousins took turns jumping into the river. We again, were eating.  This time, it was giant burritos from the Jolly Cone. 

Later that day we watched Hayden attempt to climb the greased pole while I ate a fantastic strawberry funnel cake. I wished I had been able to eat it all.... Next it was off to Bodie's aunt's for a BBQ where we got to spend lots of time with cousins and finally when dark arrived--fireworks! Now, I did not get to see the show :-(.  Somebody, who shall remain nameless, did NOT like the big booms, so I went to bed with that little someone snuggled up next to me....Luckily, without my supervision, the boys did not loose any body parts while letting off fireworks.

It was a great time and I highly recommend the Bridgeport festivities.  Next year is actually going to be their 100th consective running of the festivities so I am sure whoever makes it will be in for a great time! 

Michelle

Summer Bliss....

I have lots of Basic Grey's Hopscotch--when it came out I bought almost everything!  I just fell in love with the colors and the patterns and the bloomers....and lucky me, it has proven to be very versatile.  This line came out in the winter and it is somewhat Valentine-ish, but I have used it for so much more.  In fact this is probably the fourth beach layout I have done with it: 

I really think the colors complement the sandy, neutral colors of my photos. I also used a leftover piece of a KI calendar--see, this is why I don't part with my scraps very easily, I use them.....occasionally!  LOL!

Anyhow....darling daughter just got into some flour so I am off to rescue my kitchen!  Happy Saturday!!

Michelle