How to Bake A Perfect LIfe.....

Finally, I have finished a book!  LOL.  Yes, I swear I love to read.....it's just hard to fit in with my other obsessions :-).  Actually, I think I find excuses such as I am "too tired," which is the truth, but I really love to get into a story and it wouldn't take too long for me to fit in a chapter a day---I am so happy when I am in the middle of a good book, so I have to make it a priority.

So here is what I read:

I have a thing for reading stories that involve food, in this case, bread.  I love food,  I love to watch people make food (which is why I never tire of Chopped re-runs), I love to make food, I love to eat food.....so of course reading about food is right up my ally! 

This book had some of my favorite components:  Various point of views; blasts to the past; and a look at female relationships.  Of course there was some romance too.  I wish there had been some more closure/details about certain aspects, but overall the story had me cheering and crying along with the women in the book, which makes it worth the read!

Happy Monday!

Michelle

P.S. Have already started a new book-The Red Tent by Anita Diamant!  Woo-hoo, I am on a roll!

January Challenges at Burlap and Buttercups.....

I love to do scrapbook challenges--they are like little homework assignments that the school nerd in me craves!  LOL. 

I did two challenges from Burlap and Buttercups for the month of January.  First up is the "Banner Challenge." 

This kit is SO versatile and the colors are absolutely gorgeous.  Really liking th pop of orange Basic Grey paper.  And speaking of "pop," I have become completely obsessed with pop dots!  Must head to the store soon to get some more...

The second challenge I participated in was the "January Sketch with a Twist" challenge.  What we had to do was use the sketch and add distressing.



Again, this kit---the colors are amazing and they worked so perfectly with the darker, more fall like colors in the photos.  I followed the sketch pretty closely, changing up my photo sizes and moving my journaling around.  For the distressed elements I inked my paper edges and the white Jenni Bowlin alphas (which I wish I had more of). 

Thanks for letting me share!

Michelle

Love You Always....

Have reached the final step of my baby quilt and thought I would take a break and do some scrapping (I think I was having withdrawls). 

This next lo is for the Scraplift A Garden Girl Challenge over at Two Peas.  I am always eager to jump into this type of challenge because it usually forces me to try something new.  For this, I chose to lift the misting done on a card by Justlulu and apply it to a layout.  Here's the result: 



First off, this is my first chance to play with Basic Grey's Picadilly line and I will tell you my inner hoarder was shouting at me to buy multiples of all this gorgeous paper!  LOL.  I also played with some Spellbinders dies--my favorites--to make the flowers.  I chose to go with a verticle look to my layout, stacking photos, papers, and journaling.  At the last minute I decided to add some banner strips on the lower right hand corner along with some twine and a really cute button.

Finally, I think these are my favorite to date pics of Maleia.  I just think she looks so pretty and so grown up--at 23 months, I think my baby has turned into a little girl!  Love her to pieces.

Happy Scrapping!

Michelle 

What I Have Been Working With.....

This is what I have been working with this week:

 

This is my other hobby--playing with fabric!  I have been on a sewing hiatus for awhile; I had been (until Christmas!) in desperate need of a new/upgraded sewing machine and had put all my sewy plans on hold.  Now I am ready to go!  My first project is a simple quilt in some of my favorite girly colors for our new baby which shall be arriving in April. Yeah!  I am so excited!

Happy Thursday!!

Michelle

 

Keeping Warm...

A few days ago I was bored (I actually could have been doing a million other things, but I think pregnant ladies deserve lots of time to do nothing) and following links when I stumbled upon Got Sketch?, a sketch site I hadn't seen before.  I instantly fell in love with their most recent sketch,#136, probably due in part to Kimberly Neddo's take on it :).  I thought I would get out some pics I had yet to scrap along with Bella Blvd's perfect winter papers and got to work. 

Ah, I sure love this boy and his willingness to pose with a marshmallow mustache!



I am trying something new with sketches--just looking at it and then putting it away, so that I can really give it more of a "me" look AND of course, my lo looked pretty much like the sketch. LOL. 

Hope everyone is having a nice, relaxing Sunday!

Michelle

Happy New Year....

First off, Happy New Year!!  I am really looking forward to all the good stuff 2012 is going to bring and I hope you all are to!

Second, I have another Christmas layout.  Suprised??  Not really.  I am an obsessed woman this year, so much so, that I think I might have had enough material to do a December Daily this year.  Will have to consider doing one for 2012!

Here it is:

I was so pleased with how this layout turned out!  I found a sketch at Creative Scrappers (#188) that was very "scrappy" and this is the final product.  I kept really close to the sketch, turning it into a two photo layout instead of one.  I misted snowflakes onto the kraft--a technique I have been dying to do all fall :-).  Loving how it all came together, especially the speed in which I popped this one out--something that I really appreciate when I have such an ambitious stack of photos I want to scrap while I am still in the holiday spirit. 

Okay, enough.

Happy Scrapping!!

Michelle