Around here

Today is my 250th (!) blog post. Who knew it would grow into that! My actual blogiversary isn't for about 3 more weeks.


I am flying to Indianapolis today, then taking a van to Purdue University. My brother is driving from West Point, VA and he's accepted a post-doc there. We are on a whirlwind trip to try to find him a place to live. It should be great fun. Haven't gone on a road trip with Tommy (maybe ever?). And there's nothing like driving home on Christmas Eve.

It will be our first Christmas without this baby. She loved to rip the papers off our presents for us.

I've officially signed up to become a yoga teaacher (RYT-200) through Bristol Yoga. The course will last from March - August and I am TOTALLY excited!

Joe and I attended our first Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and had so much fun! He even agreed to be twins. #twinning!

I spruced up my Christmas ornament wreath with the perfect $2 bow from Big Lots. Score!

I tried to remember everyone on my Christmas list (I always forget someone)

We were able to stay warm at Dollywood. Lots of layering! And adorable fuzzy hats help tremendously.

We had milkshakes at Steak 'n Shake. Yum!

I found the cutest pajama pants at Jockey recently.

And I made one more handmade card for a good friend.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and I will see you back here next week. Hope your celebration is all that you want it to be.

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Around Here

Currently.

Enjoying the fall weather and beautiful leaves.

Eating in more often and making good food on cold nights (grilled cheese & tomato soup, chili)

Saying hello to alpacas.

Shopping for fall/winter clothes.

Rearranging a pharmacy. It's better now.

Attending yoga. Making it a priority to go at least once a week.

Looking forward to sunrise pictures Joe and I text each other. We drive in opposite directions to work. His pictures are better.

Starting to think about Christmas (!)

Loving working Saturdays. Joe drops me off at work and we stop for breakfast. He picks me up so we can have a nice "date night" dinner afterwards.

Watching TV in the evenings.

What are you up to these days??

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The Scrap Gals podcast

Hey! Let's get serious for a minute.

Just kidding! Today I'm sharing something super fun!

Have you listened to The Scrap Gals podcast? The hosts, Tiffany and Tracie, are hilarious Southern best friends that love to scrapbook. They are complete opposites in regard to their scrapbooking processes. I relate to each of them on different aspects, and it's always interesting to hear another viewpoint. I literally LOL while listening to them in the car on the way to work. Anybody that looks at me at a red light probably thinks I'm nuts, but I don't care!

When Tracie asked me to answer a question for them for an upcoming episode, of course I said yes! The episode is called "Setting the Stage" and is about the rituals/processes we go through in order to be able to scrapbook. You'll have to listen to hear my answer. There are 3 ways to listen and you can get started right here on their website. I've been subscribing on iTunes since they started!

What are the rituals/processes you go through in order to be ready to scrapbook?

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Trying Brush Script

So I've been infatuated with Kal Barteski's brush script art for quite some time now. I have almost zero experience with painting so I didn't think it was something I could do. But when Mom and I went to one of our classes at CKC Charlotte, we tried brush script. We picked a preprinted phrase, cut it out, and inserted it into a vellum bag. Then we used india ink to trace the phrase onto the bag. The india ink dries a little lighter than I prefer. Part of what I like about Kal's work is how stark and graphic the black words are against the white background. She uses other colors too, but the black and whites are my favorite. Maybe. I'm kind of digging the ones with color behind the words. I'll take one of everything, please!

One night I decided to sign up for Studio Calico's class called Life Scripted. It includes several videos where Kal teaches you how to do brush script. I LOVED THE CLASS!! At first, I used acrylic paint and was somewhat satisfied with it. I went to Michael's later that night and got the medium that Kal uses - it's called gouache ("gwash"). It's sort of an opaque watercolor.

I also practiced the alphabet. I used plain printer paper (cheap!) and a little mixed media sketch book I got at Michael's. I felt a little bit like an artist with all these pieces of paper scattered all over my craft room!

I didn't have quite enough gouache on my brush here. I was also using a larger brush than I wanted. I couldn't find small size 2 or size 4 bamboo brushes at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I did find some online and they're on their way to me! Can't wait to try them out.

This is actually painted on a light blue piece of card stock. My camera wasn't cooperating with me, but that's okay. I plan to cut this down and put it into my sadly neglected One Little Word binder (which I've actually been working on recently. More to come soonish).

Have you tried brush script?

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Around Here

As of late...

• Counting down the days to Disney!

• Getting ready to try Jamberry Nails. I can't do regular polish (I always mess it up) and I'm kind of tired of gels.

• Celebrating Joe's 41st birthday. I got off early last Sunday so we went to Knoxville for the night. Had a great dinner at Ruth's Chris. Walked around Market Square and the mall the next morning before lunch at Pelancho's. 

• Feeling really old when I realized I celebrated my 21st birthday at Pelacho's - 12 years ago!!!!

• Waiting for the estimate from the tile company.

• Thinking about picking out paint for the bathroom. Now to convince Dad to help me paint. :)

• Having fun at Rhythm and Roots this past weekend. Great music, great friends, great food.

• Loving brush script. I'll show you my first attempt later this week.

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July 4th celebrations and a Bathroom Renovation

Hope you had a happy 4th of July weekend! Here's a few highlights from ours:

My first motorcycle ride. Still scared! Not totally convinced.
But not saying no totally.

We saw some great fireworks this weekend.

And I got a hug & kiss from the most precious puppy in the world. Seriously. She is sweeter than brown sugar. She turned 15 on Cinco de Mayo. I love this little baby more than I ever knew you could love a dog. 

Oh and we've been doing a little bathroom renovation here lately. We've been working on bits and pieces at a time and it's really coming along.

We started with this: a lovely pink sink and vanity, built-in cabinet (no drawers!), and lovely Wilson's Econ-o-Tile stuck 4ft up the wall in dark gray/white swirl with pink accents. It matches my pink tub (that will be the next project). I got rid of the pink toilet before I moved in several years ago.

Onto brighter days! Joe and his dad demo'd the old sink and installed the new vanity.

And here's the vanity installed!! Major improvements, but as you can see... there's still that problem of that obnoxious Econ-o-Tile

I'm ready to demo this crap off the walls :)

Then Joe and I went and bought supplies... bead board, chair rail, and baseboards. And I bought 5 different tiles to see what I might like best for a sink backsplash.

I told him all the pieces would fit in my small SUV :) hehe

Here's the first wall completely stripped of fake plastic tiles ... and now, with beautiful bead board installed! We have a smaller piece that will sit right on top of the chair rail and cover the old tile adhesive.

That same piece will finish the top of this chair rail too. We're far from being finished, but we LOVE it already. It's SOOOOOO much brighter in here. Next we'll be doing whatever it is you do to cover nail holes, get a paint for the bead board, and pick a color for the wall. We also have one more decorative piece that will go on top of the chair rail. And then the tiled backsplash.

Are they any home improvement projects you're currently working on?

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Around Here

As of late:

• Dreaming up some plans for sprucing up the house (bathroom, yard, back porch)
• Furniture and mattress shopping
• Yoga. I'm going once a week and my back and neck feel great! Now I'm trying to remember the positions so I can stretch every morning and evening at home.
• Celebrating birthdays (Dad's, Mom's, and mine)
• Joe has been to physical therapy once a week for the past month... and is healing at what seems like lightning speed!
• Loving pears and apples!
• Enjoying the warm weather and looking forward to going camping.

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Workspace Wednesday

Just wanted to share what's been on my craft table lately... embossing powder! I know it isn't new, but it's totally new to me. I'm pretty much in love with this Martha Stewart Antique Gold powder.

This was my first (sloppy and kinda messy) attempt.

This is a Studio Calico stamp.

And another Studio Calico stamp.

I even broke the seal on a set of gelatos I've had for a while... They're a bit messy for me! I'm going to try again soon though. I think it turned out pretty. And now I have some baby wipes to get the gelatos off my fingers quickly :)

Do you like to heat emboss? What about gelatos??

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Exciting News

So I have some exciting news!!

 I am now a City Chick, part of the design team at Scrappin' in the City,  a Knoxville, TN scrapbooking boutique. Even though it's a couple hours away from me, it's the only "local" scrapbooking store in this area! It has a great selection of products and an amazing upstairs space for crops. Seriously, if you're a nearby scrapbooker that wants to have a fun crop one weekend (or weekday depending on our schedules), let me know!

I'm super excited to get started! I get to pick which paper collections I want to work with. I'll be making 3 design pieces each month and displaying them in the store. I'll be sharing the projects on their blog and here as well.

Here's a little sneak peak -
I've been working on projects using Allison Kreft's "Sprinkled with Love", My Mind's Eye "Record it!". Love the colors in each of these. I also have something in the works using Basic Grey's Spice Market... or maybe Bella Blvd's "Lucky Starz" - I haven't decided yet!

Hope you're having a great week! I'll be back with some Project Life to show you tomorrow!

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Around Here

Around here:

• Joe is (officially) off crutches as of yesterday!
• We went and looked at some cabinet and countertop options for our bathroom. Soon it will be goodbye, Pepto Bismol pink sink! (I will miss you a little bit though really). Pink tub, you're next on my list!
• I just found out that my FitBit app will sync with My Fitness Pal and RunKeeper. Too cool!
• I've been able to get a paperwork system down for some work consults. Less stress = smoother appointments = feeling like I (mostly) know what I'm doing.
• I'm loving the flexibility of my work schedule.
• We celebrated our anniversary in Charlotte this past weekend. We totally had a pay it forward moment! 
• My office looks like an episode of Hoarders.
• I just finished PL weeks 5 and 6. Small victory. I have struggled with that layout and walked away from it twice!

What's going on with you?

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I'm Alive!

Just a quick note to say that Yes, I'm Still Alive. It's been busy around here!

I'll be sharing my Jamaica layout (made with the Kiwi core kit!) on Friday.

I've been making some awesome stickers on the Cameo... I'm going to be using them throughout my One Little Word binder that I'm setting up.

I also helped my mom make decor for my cousin's baby shower. Sneak peek - there was a lot of Cameo usage involved!

I also have some pretty exciting news to share, but it will be a few days before I'm ready to spill the beans.

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Around Here

As of late...

• Taking care of Joe after his knee surgery (as much as he will let me - he's very independent!)
• Doing more laundry and cooking than I've done in a long time.
• Starting my new job and LOVING my decision to leave the old one.
• Enjoying the time off between jobs.
• Processing paperwork, orientation, and training related to the new job.
• Dealing with more snow and ice than I care to deal with. Which isn't much at all.
• Getting behind in Project Life. Thank God it's not a race. Currently working on Week 4.
• Not taking many pictures of everyday life. Gotta get back into that.
• Responding to the daily documentation reminder I set up in the Momento app - every day so far this year! This makes it so much easier to catch up when you get behind on PL.
• Still drinking hot tea. I even used the box lid from my favorite flavor in this layout.
• Finally getting around to buying the supplies for One Little Word. More on that soonish. I mean it this time.

What's going on in your life?

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Winner of the Just Add Color kit

The winner of the Just Add Color kit is.. entry #197 - Stefanie K! She tweeted about the giveaway and won!

Congrats Stefanie! Your package will be going out in the next few days :)

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Workspace Wednesday

I thought I would join in on Workspace Wednesday and share a couple of fun things on my craft table.

First up is this new box from Michael's:

I love the inside of this box - fun!

My tools: post-its, a corner rounder, Sharpie pen, adhesive runner, adhesive gum eraser, tape, Burt's Bees chapstick, tweezers, a pencil sharpener and eraser, and a ponytail holder. The cuticle oil got thrown in there, but is optional ;)

And I had to get the coordinating smaller box. Obvi.

Check out these wood veneers I found at Michael's - super cheap and perfect for Project Life! They were part of a new spring display.

What's on your desk?

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There's just 2 more days to enter my one year blogiversary giveaway - a Just Add Color kit. Contest runs through tomorrow night and I will announce the winner on Friday!!

Good luck!

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Jamaica!

Ive been MIA for a couple of days, but I'll be back soon. Right now I'm enjoying a little trip to Jamaica with my hubby.

We're relaxing, soaking up the sun, and eating lots of yummy food. 

We've also been learning how to use a wheelchair and crutches... Hubby got hurt about a week and a half ago while climbing a tree... He has fractured his tibia spine, torn his MCL... we'll find out what else is going on when we get the MRI results this coming Friday. He's a tough cookie!

Delta airlines was amazing. They had wheelchairs waiting to whisk him away at each stop along the way. We also got to board the plane first and got to sit in rows with a little extra leg room. 

No ocean or pool for Joe, but we've been lounging and enjoying the views.

We're making it work!! 

See ya soon!

Just Add Color giveaway!

It's my one year Blogiversary!!  I can't believe it's been a year! I've had so much fun posting to this blog - and I can't wait to continue in 2014! I've learned a lot and am grateful for the support of the blogging community. I'm so glad I finally started this blog!

I want to celebrate by  giving away a Just Add Color Project Life kit. If you aren't familiar with Project Life, check out some more info here and look at my past Project Life spreads for inspiration. It just might be the way for you to document your life!

 This is the full JAC core kit, an album, pocket pages, and stickers - everything you need to get started on Project Life! There's several ways to enter - pick your favorite or do them all!

You can enter through Tuesday, January 28. (USA only, sorry!)
I'll announce the winner on Friday, January 31. Good luck!!!
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Around Here

As of late...

• Picking a word (elevate!) for One Little Word 2014. More about that soon. 
• Finishing PL 2013 and December's #30lists. 
• Making a new blog planner to keep myself organized. 
• Chik-fil-a milkshakes. Two days in a row. 
• On a related note, trying to take 10,000 steps per day (got a FitBit from my hubby for Christmas!
• Putting away Christmas decorations (not those glittery mini houses... They're "wintery" not "christmasy"). 
• Thinking up new topics for the blog. 
• Drinking hot tea. 
• Hanging out on the couch snuggling under the electric throw. Baby, it's cold outside!
• Looking forward to Jamaica in less than 2 weeks. 

• Oh, and that big change (see day 4) I said I was working up the courage to do? I finally did it. Starting a new job on January 27. Can't wait!!

Out with the old, in with the new. 

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