This Post Brought to You by the letter...

photo by Leo Reynolds via flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

S as in...
Saturday... check out the gorgeous fall weather we had a mere 4 days ago...


and now we have Snow, lots and lots of SNOW...you can barely make out the path Tanner and I took on the am walk near the bottom of the picture, snow was up to my knees.



Sew, Sienna and Surprise

Yes I surprised myself by actually finishing the dress I gave you a peek of last week, in time for her to wear it for awhile on Saturday. I gave up on the reversible part, we'll save that for another day. Clearly it's a little big, but we made it work.



Sorry, couldn't find any forward facing shots that showed off the full dress. She's staring off into the pasture where there were horses just a few minutes ago. We took the trail specifically to go on a horsie hunt, hoping to see some horses in their pastures or if we got really lucky, someone riding along. We got our wish, not only did we happen upon some horses in a pasture, but our timing was perfect, the owner of the horses we looked at came out to the field to halter a horse as we were standing by the fence and he brought the horses over. S was in shock! It's one thing to see a horse in a book or out in the field, but standing right next to you is a whole other story.

Speaking of stories, here's the picture of her telling the story in her own toddler-ese as we made our way back down the trail...

Off to make the most of snow day number 2, laundry is going, dishwasher running, maybe I'll hit the scraproom.

I got my wish!

It's a snow day, yippee! But I'm still up and in the morning routine---checking various email accounts for anything of note. I came across this ad from Petsmart...


Seriously? As you know I'm a lover of all things fall, I have many items with the pumpkin spice sent in my house at the moment, but I think I'll draw the line at having Tanner smell like it too. Something just doesn't seem right about that.

Enjoy your snow day if you have one!

A storm is brewing...

and I'm 'not so' secretly hoping for a major one that turns into a snow day. 5-10" is all we're predicted to get so I doubt my wishes will come true, just enough to make driving a pain.

Once upon a time this was a scrapbooking blog, so I thought it only fair that I finally show off a layout or two. I scrapped on Friday and Saturday night with some of my favorite girls, so inspiring they are...and the laughter, so much it hurt.

So for Jen, who I've missed so much a double page layout, with only a couple of buttons...
I love the way Sienna walks with such determination, here she is one the hunt for the perfect pumpkin, which sadly was elusive on this particular day. Oh well maybe next year...
and if you think those are cute, wait until you see her in her halloween costume, we took the essential costume/leaves pictures on Saturday. I have lots of editing to do, but here's a sneak peek for the fam.

"Dressing the Nest' for Fall

How did it get to be Thursday so fast? If you remember way back on Sunday, I promised a glimpse into some of the fall decor I've been inspired to put together. In all honesty, I started this post last night and then got swept away by Glee (Emma as Audrey, simply wonderful). All inspiration credit goes to The Nester and her 31 Days to a Better Dressed Nest Series(although today's post ---fix something not particularly inspiring or maybe it's just because I like to put my head in hole and avoid those things, wonder if a call to the prop manager counts?)

The fall banner(center pic and close up on right) is what started this whole thing. Nester found it somewhere else and made one and you know it was everything I had not to rush out an buy some burlap that very minute. But I couldn't just hang a plain burlap banner ---oh no I decided I really wanted to redo the whole fireplace 'focal wall'. I've been scouting punched tin mirrors at antique stores and outside markets for a few months ---long enough to know the real deal is way out of my budget. So off to Hobby Lobby to try and find something similar, that was a no go, but mirrors were on sale so I came home with a plain black mirror. I painted the molded frame white and rubbed some silver to antique and I'm pretty happy. Banner is super easy...cut burlap into triangles, stencil letters in brown paint (I used some old BG chip letters to make the stencil) then punch 4 holes with your handy dandy crop-o-dile at the top and thread some twine or ribbon. The original poster had twine, but I'm thinking she must not have had cute brown and white polka dot ribbon, otherwise how could she resist.

The Nester is a big promoter of the 'Shop the House' theory for accessorizing and decorating, Yay for her as she has clearly spent her extra pennies on accessories at TJ Max and Ross. I shopped my house and came up with 3 types of things: clothing, craft supplies, and dead and faded dried flowers. Sadly hanging my beloved pink denim jacket on the wall just didn't look right, so I moved on to the craft supplies. Who knew mists could bring life to faded flowers? I wrapped a basic jar candle in my beloved ribbon and stuck a misted prima in the middle. Did you know burlap is super cheap? Not great if you suffer from asthma or allergies, but if you can get past it, this stuff is great for decorating for fall on the cheap. Not only did I use it on the banner, I used as table covers and runners for a bookcase, dining table, and side table. Then I stuffed an old pillow in a folded piece and stitched it up with some twine. Cute, made cuter by hot gluing some silk leaves (in the $1 spot at Target) on the front.

Even my October kit from Studio Calico got in the fun, I copied this from
one of the Tinas on the SC Design Team. Make a tree from Bo Bunny rubons, spell out Autumn with BG letter stickers, add some Cosmo Boyfriend paper, Brown cardstock and green pompom trim and you've got a festive art piece, stick it a frame from Goodwill with some silk leaves hot glued on and you've hit a home run.

I'm still on the search for the perfect pumpkin to be the centerpiece on the dining table, for now the white plastic one is filling in just fine.

How about you, how have you dressed you nest for fall?

I'm alive...v. #123?

I know it seems like most of the posts these days are either ...'I'm alive'(that title is really for my mom's benefit, I presume that most of the rest of you assume I'm alive) or 'Catching Up' so much so I'm thinking maybe I should start version-ing those titles are heck change the name of the whole blog to one of those two. I had good intentions of coming home each night, often writing the post in my head on the way home, but then I get here and Tanner, my tummy, tv and bed get my attention and off to bed I go without a post.

So in effort to make sure another weekend doesn't go by without a nod to anyone who's still reading, here's what I've been up to...

1. I wrangled this box of layouts, plus other random ones laying around my scrap area into albums, yes albums...two brand new red AC albums, as you can see in the second pic, this is my first foray in nearly 15 years (ack!) of scrapbooking that I have attempted any uniformity in the album department.

2. I started and have nearly finished sewing a dress for S, with some fabric I have in my stash for ever. Confession: I bought this fabric almost 2 years ago...Rach I was going to make an apron for you out of it, but now you're the apron goddess that I decided it was probably ok to do something else with it. I think it may be the first thing I've tried to cut from a pattern since 8th grade home ec. And of course all these years of Project Runway have seeped into my brain and I feel the need to off-road it a bit. When it's done it will actually be a reversible, with a small black and white polka dot pattern on the opposite side. Wish me luck that I get it made before she grows out of it.
3. I was introduced to a wonderful decorating blog...The Nesting Place via Michelle from the Kraft Girls team. I love the Nester's motto: 'It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful' This month, she started a series: 31 days to a Better Dressed Nest. Serendipity stepped in and I found these curtains on about day 3 and the desire to redecorate the living room was born.
In all honesty, re-decorate might be a stretch, it would mean that the room was decorated to begin with. Until now, it was a pretty basic room with one major piece of art, several photos, and a Japanese screen...no curtains, TV on a TV tray and a mess of cords for TIVO, etc in plain site. So I've been working on it the past couple of weeks, repeating to my self 'it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful' and it's really starting to come together. I'll post a few pics of some of the crafty projects later in the week.

4. I've been reading more than ever now that for the first time in years --- I got a library card. I think my neighborhood library is in the running for the poshest library ever. It moved to the new 'suburban trying to be urban' development about a mile or so from my house. I has a deck with Adirondack chairs overlooking the courtyard, lots and lots of beautiful computers, my favorite part is the online request and self checkout features...and you may be saying 'so what my library has those things' and I'll say oh yeah well does yours have Valet Parking? Because mine does. Ha! Ok so maybe it's for the whole complex, but the entrance is right across the street from the library.
5. S, her parents and I went out to the madness that is the Chatfield Pumpkin festival. I had no idea what an event this is until I neared the park and saw hundreds of cars, since her parents aren't much for crowds and we were trying to squeeze it in between a Troy's game, naps and a barbecue I don't think her parents had that much fun, S was in a mellow mood too so it was pretty much a bust, but I did get some cut pics like this one, so that's something.

Happy Birthday

to my dad! Sienna has become a huge fan of the webcam so we put together this little gem just for him.

Flash Mob gone crazy...

I like to think the flash mob trend started with our Food Court Musical friends(not true really started by an mag editor in 2003, but not as much fun), long time readers of this blog, all two of you, know I am a huge fan of seeming random and many times humorous events occuring in public places and as such have post videos of some of my favorites over the past couple of years. As of Thursday's Oprah show(I saw some of your rolling your eyes, yes I did, but this one is worth it so get over it) the trend has hit the big time, with 1,000s of people all dancing the same choreographed moves to the Black Eyed Peas. Since this little blog o mine has been tracking the fun for so long now, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to post the 'main event' along with some vintage 'mob' videos from past posts.

Dancing on Oprah


The classic food court musical


And twins on the train

9.9.09

while this date is not quite as cool as 9.9.99 (wonder what I was doing on that day), I thought it was still cool enough to merit a blog post...but what oh what dear friends to blog about, definitely a period of blahness happening around here...totally normal and expected as I come down off the rush of school starting, hard to believe a month has almost come and gone already.

Luckily for you I have a couple more layouts from the September Kraft Girl Kit to share with you. The kit is full of goodies that are perfect for back to school pics, so I thought I'd get into the spirit with a couple of school layouts of my own.

The first is about my typical school day from the admin side...the number of emails, phone calls and paper that crosses my desk...even my beloved water bottle makes an appearance...while I don't always remember to eat, I do drink a lot of water, a girl has to stay hydrated after all.
This one is a few pics of S at daycare, and if you're wondering to yourself 'did she go visit just so she could have pictures for this layout?' well the answer is absolutely, I have no shame, I've taken entire vacations just to have pictures to scrap. I had been meaning to go for months, so this was the perfect motivation...Special thanks to Houston for the alpha border...

Speaking of kraft girls...a shout out to some of the DT girls who's goodies appeared on the Jillibean Soup bloggie today

Just as yummy is the sale that's going on at the site right now...buy June, July, August or even the fab September kit and get November or December for only 5 bucks. I've been longing for the
November kit full of Scenic Route Sonoma goodness, I might just cave and get June July...oh no they're both great I can't decide...

Happy 9s day!

Kraft Girls Kits --- Reveal Day!

I feel like I've only scratched the surface with this kit, can't wait to get deeper in throughout the month...

I know if Sienna wasn't on this page, you might wonder if it was really a Christyn creation...I'm in the midst of a mist addiction (cheesy I know, but I couldn't resist the word play). Until this layout the mist had been contained to chipboard and flowers, but Houston challenged me to spray a whole layout and so I did, plus a little misted bubble wrap ala Rhonda.


This layout is all about 'mr. man's' visit to the vet after he caused a fight at doggie daycare. The report card is one of 6 that combine to make one super fun piece of paper.


I love so many things about this picture, it needed a special layout. I 'borrowed' Rhonda's idea and made flowers with the text paper from Jenni Bowlin included in this kit.


Finally one with a cute picture of my dad and Sienna 'driving the boat', I love the grin on his face.

August Leftovers

I had a little self conflict yesterday posting sneaks, knowing full well that I had several layouts done in August that I haven't posted, some of you who know me well know I am all about order and routine, so you understand the inner conflict. Certainly not all are post worthy, but there were a few that I absolutely loved and felt they needed a little room in the spotlight. So since there is one more day left in the month I thought I'd squeeze them in...

The first one was for the August sketch...contest ends TONIGHT, just in case you're incredibly motivated...


Playing around with scraps...look out...if something is standing still I might just hit it with some metallic mist as is what happened with the thickers and flowers in this layout...


The 'rule follower' in me says I should teach her now that slides aren't for going up and that's dangerous, but the 'embrace the cuteness' me trumped that voice...


Hard to believe it's been almost a year...

September Sneaks

Where did August go? Birthday fun, crops with friends, unexpected vet visits and school starting made for an exhausting month. Even though the kit arrived early in the week, exhaustion from long work days trumped any motivation/inspiration that might have been fostering when I opened the box of crafty goodness. Once the weekend hit, I've been scrapping away...


This kit is totally fabulous, there's a little something for everyone with great products from Cosmo, October Afternoon, Jillibean Soup and Jenni Bowlin to name a few, perfect for back to school, summer, or just 'cause layouts. I sat next to the amazing Rhonda at a crop in Ft. Collins last week and you can tell some of her influence rubbed of on me and ended up on these pages.

Sunday Scraps

pigtails

Now you know I don't really do New Year's resolutions, but I love my friend Arleigh's idea of monthly resolutions. A few months ago I decided that Sunday's would be my day to sort my scraps from projects created over the week. It's my one small step to keeping my scrappy studio in order. Occasionally, as was the case a couple of weeks ago before life got totally crazy, in the process I get inspired by combinations of papers in their color family. The papers in this fun layout all came out of the blue bag and I love the combo. I also love that this page came together in under an hour(super fast for me), of course this cutie pic of the little one doesn't hurt.

Hope you have a great week!

2 days in

to the school year and I am...

image via visualthesaurus.com...love this site!

Now watching the Broncos first season game, I've keep repeating to myself 'building year', 'low expectations', etc. Yet still upset that the defense on first possession gave up 15 yards on a 3rd down and don't even get me started about an interception in the red zone on the offense's first possession...so much for the 'new Broncos', it's going to be a long year.

Calling Louisiana, W. Virginia and Delaware

You may remember my 100th post from a few months ago when I posted a map of the my visitors from around the US...At that time I was missing 7 or 8 states from acheiving my goal. I haven't quite made it, but...I'm so close I can almost taste it. 3 more to go...

I could make sassy jokes about each of the missing states, but I'm afraid that might keep people away so I'll let you make them up in your head, or if you so desire you can leave it in the comments.

So here's the deal, I have some goodies to give away from my stash (a little Cosmo early bird perhaps) to either a. someone from one of the missing states or b. a friend of someone from one of those states that gets their person to come visit. Desperate much? You might call it that, but a girl has got to meet her goals and keep moving don't you think. So the nitty gritty, come visit, LEAVE a comment with either where your from or name of friend from one of those states. Friend must also comment. Picky, Picky I know...if this actually works and I have multiple people to choose from I will use the handy dandy random number generator to choose.

So we're looking for folks from Louisiana, West Virginia, and Delaware.

Thanks for your help!

Video Fun

but not the usual kind you find here in Christyn land, but instead one made by me! Today is my first day to host the blog in kraft girl land and I wanted to do something special. The aha moment occurred about 8 am on Sunday...make a video... So, I sat down on Sunday and was determined to master iMovie and while 'master' might be a stretch at this point, I'm pretty happy with the results, happy enough to show off in two places...

This a 'not so' quick tutorial on making lace edges with various border punches. Hope you find it helpful.

Altered Journal Goodness

Have you noticed the school supplies everywhere you go, I love all of them...crayons, binders, and especially composition books on sale for 50 cents. I usually stock up and by 10 or so. Then I have them on hand when the inspiration hits...and hit it did. I gave this birdy a glitter bath thinking he would go on one of the layouts I posted yesterday, but then he just turned out so wonderful I thought he needed a project where he could really be the star.

I built up his nest with other goodies and adhered them all to the front on a composition book, I know this glittery friend with the cheery yellow will bring a smile to my face on those stressful days that the start of the school year brings.

More Kraft Girls Fun

I have a couple more Kraft Girl Kit layouts to share with you...

A little hybrid action on this layout...I added the frames in PSE and then printed and cut out the frames and the 'memories' quote. As if that wasn't enough newness, how bout a little mist action on the birdy. The kit only comes with 2 birds, but 2 wasn't enough(ok really, I was planning on using the second bird here, but after it got a glitter bath it needed a project by itself) so I traced and cut another bird and then hit it with some Archival Mists. Then...I wanted a little more shimmer so I rubbed some liquid pearl on the wing and on the flowers. I distressed the tag too, just for fun, the white seemed a little too white.



No fancy techniques on this one, who doesn't love black and white polka dots?

If only

all weddings started this way, I wouldn't avoid going to them...



Thanks to coworker Kim J. for posting it on facebook.

It's Reveal Day

(in my head I can hear an HGTV host saying the title)

anyway...

If you've been visiting my blog over the past week, you know that I am over the moon with the August kit from Kraft Girls Kits . From the moment I peeked in the box through 4 layouts(yes 4! and to think usually I do 4 layouts in a month) and a special project, I cherished each element.

You can see all my projects along with others from the rest of the ubertalented design team on the KGK blog or our super duper brand new flicker group. We want to see your kit work there too!

Here's the first of my layouts, I think it's my favorite, but then again I still have lots of goodies to play with...

Be sure to check the main site, there's lots of goodies to come including...

• Instructions for this layout and projects from the other DT members (they might not be up yet, but will be very soon I'm sure)
  

• A chance to win a free kit! KGK will be sponsoring 52 weeks 52 Sketches the week of August 9^th and will be giving away one of the August Kits. (Although I would say you should plan on buying one too, really I could use two and I'm sure you could too. )
  

• There's will be a sketch contest for August, another chance to win goodies

• Plus there will be a chance to win a little goodie on the blog this weekend.

Seriously 3 chances for free goodies, who else does that?

But wait there's more...The November and December 2008 kits are 50% off and the March kit is 25% off. What are you waiting for, jump on over to the KGK site right now.

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