Mediation Monday

Good evening blogland friends! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I know I sure did. I just got back late Thursday night from a trip home to New Orleans &Mobile. It was a great trip and I was sad to leave, so many people to see and things to do while I was home! Hubby wasn't able to make the trip with me, we have been really focusing on our finances this year to try and get in the right position to buy a house in the next 10-16 months. So when we got our tax money back, paying off some bills was top prority and getting an extra plane ticket wasn't. He was sad to not be able to go with me, and visit my parents, but he also would have exhausted all his vacation time for the rest of the year. Here are just a few photos from the days in New Orleans, for my best friends wedding, and then some from home. When I got back hubby and I had two great days enjoying the fabulous weather here, Fleet Week in Downtown Portland then a drive out to the coast to meet a contracter at the beachhouse, we are trying to get the renovations done and his mom moved out there asap!! Enjoy the pics:

Fairhope, Alabama :

Amos my parent's cat

Fleet week:

Oceanside, Oregon:

During vacation I did have alot of time to myself, on the plane rides and such and I was able to think about somethings. An upcoming promotion that I will hopefully be getting by the end of the summer, which is ideally bringing more hours on my plate than I already work but more $$ as well which we need. Also I thought alot about my creative journey and how I would LOVE to one day have it soley as my job. But it takes alot of hard work to get there. I have been on an international design team for over a year now and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on it. Not to mention the inspiration from other ladies, and the exposure it has given my blog. But the more I thought about it, with what lies ahead, I think it may be time for me to take a break. I have so many creative things in the works and I barely get free time to myself in between work, trying to stay fit by planning heathly meals for us for the week, walking as much as possible, and all the other responsiblities of life. So I have decided to take a leave next term from this team, and regroup and refocus and see where I am in 6 months. I had so many people from the wedding (bridesmaids and family members) tell me that I should be selling my custom guest book and wedding signs etsy. Well that is another story. I have alot of ideas and have listed etsy items before, but I guess now with renewed interest I should try again. I hope to head in that direction and at least have a few things listed by next month. That is the goal! Pics to come soon from the wedding of the signs I did, just waiting for the photos to come to me from the bride ;)

 Enjoy your week and I hope you get some creative time to yourself this week! I will be spending the next few hours in my studio and I hope to have lots more to share with you soon!! Until next time, Peace Y'all~

Vintage Travel Guestbook

So I'm getting really excited about heading back down south in 2 weeks for my best friend's wedding in New Orleans. It will be a nice break from work, I will be able to enjoy staying in NOLA for 3 days,and then home to Mobile to catch up with friends and fam for 4 days. I can't wait to see everyone!! It will be one of the first times I've traveled by myself, I mean I have flown plenty of times but usually had to keep up with a group (for work trips) or had Jimmy with me. Not that I'm scared or anything, but it will be a new experience for me.

I volunteered to make her a custom guest book for the wedding and I came up with a pretty good idea. I bought a cream-canvas covered Heidi Swapp album about 8x6 and decorated the outside, then made some inside pages that guests can add to. It will be set up next to the photo booth and guests can add pictures and write a message using jars of washi tape and pens! I haven't found the right jars yet but I did finally finish the book and the little sign with 'instructions'. Here are some pics....

And a few closies of the embellshments I used. I used alot of paper from a K&Co travel stack that had these cool stamps. I cut them out individually, inked them with TH Vintage photo, and then heat embossed them. After I had the placement right I added vintage buttons from my stash, flowers, and some cut enamel brads. 

Elephants are a central theme for the wedding too, since it's at the Audobon Zoo and also the wedding logo is elephants. I tried to encorporate that on the front cover as well as using all stamps from places that are part of H &J's story...Mexico, Alabama,  Texas, &  Louisiana.

Here are a few pictures of the inside pages I did for guests to add pictures and write on!

Next is a cute little frame that I found (along with the one used on the front cover). In the dollar$ bin at Michael's...All that's left is to distress it and add the 'instructions' for guests. Also I am letting the Bride-to-Be decide what pic she wants on the front cover!

This is what the mini frame looked like before:

And after! I 'distressed' the detail work with TH ink in vintage photo and some of my Faber Castel Gelatos in gold using a wetted brush, then added the flowers and brad at the bottom.

Here's the 'instruction' part:

And inside the front cover:

Last page of the book,

I had so much fun making this little interactive album that I hope once I bring it down there for the wedding some of my other friends may want one...I could see myself doing any theme. Its basically a scrapbook for the photo booth pics! All that's left to do now is make the jars and buy some washi tape and paint pens in the right colors. I really enjoyed sharing this with you today & love reading your comments...have a great week!

Until Next time~ VV

In LoVe with some ShAbBy cHiC!!

Hello everyone! I hope you have been enjoying your summer. I know I sure have been trying to make the best of more down time at work, along with wedding planning and scrapping time I've been pretty busy! But honestly scrapbooking is such an outlet for me...I could spend hours at night in my craft room with Pandora playing...it really allows me to forget about everything else and just enjoy some creative therapy :)

So I am here today to share another layout I did for July using some BRAND NEW paper lines that we have at Scrapping Frenzy! Including Crate paper and the new Neopolitan line by American Crafts. I really loved all the papers I got in my DT kit, they all worked really well together and it was hard for me just to choose a few for this layout but I picked my favorite ones! I did this layout using some pictures from a friend's wedding. My sister was one of the bridesmaids and I loved the color of their dresses,"pool". So the pics I just thought went perfectly with this paper!! I also based my LO loosely on this month's sketch challenge over at Purple Pumpkin.  This was the sketch by Crece Thomas:

For the butterfly, it's actually something I made a while back using a stamp from a friend, some Tim Holtz grungeboard, and lots of mists. I used some Tattered Angel's Glimmermist in lilypad as well as Clearsnap Smooch Spritz in gold glow. The stamp was inked using Tim Holtz distress ink in tea dye. I did several of them on my grungeboard sheet, so I can cut them out, big or small, whenever I need one!!

In case you haven't noticed over my last few posts... I am totally IN LOVE with the shabby chic look. I love the soft colors, the mix of textures, and of course making some gorgeous clusters of stuff!! This is really simple to do, it's all about placing your elements on the page, big and small, and just moving them around until you're happy with the look. I love mixing and matching different elements like paper flowers, buttons of course (my fav!) and then a little bling or stickles to add some sparkle!! 

I also really like the quote I used underneath the cluster.

And, I will end this post with my favorite pic, I think it showcases all of the yummy soft colors that really bring this whole LO together!!

Alrighty, well that's all for me today until next time. I hope I inspired some of you to try making a cute cluster on your next LO, it's really simple to do and adds a lot of texture and interest to your pages! Until next time, Peace y'all~VV

Scrapping Frenzy Supplies: Crate Paper 'pretty party' collection "papercloth" and scrap of "cake stand", American Crafts Neopolitan line 'heart song' and 'pretty please', Clearsnap Smooch Spritz in 'gold glow' and Tattered Angels Glimmermist in 'lilypad', baker's twine- yellow/green/white by Queen & Co., Clearsnap Colorbox Cat's eye inks in creamy brown, chestnut, and mint. Ranger stickles in 'patina' and Tim Holtz distress stickles in 'dried marigold',Pebbles Crystal Candy Dots, pink and blue. Doily journal block- Crate paper embellishment sheet.

Other supplies: Tim Holtz grungeboard, vintage buttons and ribbons from my stash, flowers- Prima Marketing and Recollections, resin embellishments by Jolee's Boutique, decorative musical note tape- Recollections, DCWV Quotes Sticker Stack 'fun in the sun' and fabric covered buttons by Purple Pumpkin Crafts.

friday randomness & ramblings

Hi everyone! I know this isn't normal for me to post 2 days in a row, I've got to get better about posting, but well I just felt like sharing some random pictures from the past few weeks and also just get some input...MY WEDDING IS IN 4 MONTHS AND 5 DAYS EXACTLY! I am starting to get a little overwhelmed I think. Everytime I sit down to do something on my 'wedding timeline' that I carefully laid out, I feel like I would just rather do something else, like scrapbook for example! Or go to the pool! Is this the normal reaction for a bride to be?? I'm not really sure. I know things will get done it just seems like it won't right now.  I have completed a few wedding crafts that I was planning on doing and I have picked out alot of the smaller things for the wedding, along with a few big things, but there's still just so much!! AH! I am just feeling really weird right now about the fact that I don't want to do any planning, and well I'm just not sure that's normal. Maybe it's just a phase and it will pass, I hope.

okay, well on to share some lovely picture randomness! First, some yummy scrapping things:

 i just got these a few days ago...can't wait to really play with them!!! :)

 And the postman brought my yummy Purple Pumpkin May giveaway prize pack the other day too!

 A bunch of new stuff on my desk, ready to be played with!!!

 i just love this picture. It inspires me!! (taken at Antiques @ the Loop Mobile, Alabama)

 I also like this pic...really cool hallway.

And all the yummy buttons i went home with that day from the antiques store...man i love vintage.

Okay, now for some fun summer pics of me and my man and his best friend Mike. Most of these are from instagram. I would love a reccomendation as to where/who I can print these because I would love to use some for scrapping! I have a big batch of photos that I need to order soon and about half of them are instagram!!

 My honey bear:)

 Mike says 'I love Tacky Jack's bushwackers!' me too Mike!

 My self portrait on the deck at Tacky Jack's.

 Oh man. gotta love some fresh seafood. Raw oysters are definatley a fave!

 Royal REDs are the bomb!!

 My new DC* flip flops and teal-painted toes!!

Okay, that's all for now!! TA TA! Enjoy the rest of your Friday :D Until next time, Peace Ya'll~ VV