Friday, February 25, 2011

Five for Friday - What I Am Loving This Week

Here are a few things I am loving on this week:

1.  Have you heard about Pinterest?  It is a free virtual bulletin board.  As you are browsing on the net you can save photos to your board.  I am extra excited about being able to save all the great things I find to one place.  No more trying to remember where I saw "that idea".  Right now the site is in beta testing and is by invitation only.  If you are interested leave me a comment and I will send you an invite. 

2. Any General Hospital fans out there?  Of course if you have been reading my blog for a while you know I am a long time fan.  The story line is finally picking up and James Franco returns today! EEEEEEK!  I am so excited.  It is really fun when Franco is back!

3.  I need to get this For The Record line from Echo Park!  I love everything about it.  The colors and patterns are beautiful.  I must convince my husband that I may simply die without it!


4.  Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies straight from the freezing are the best.  Fortunately they are only sold once a year and we only bought one box.  I was a good mommy and shared with the girls and James. 

5.  We have had a pretty harmonious week here and I love that.  Things have just kinda flowed on at a decent pace and we all have gotten along fairly well.  Really, this is a huge feat for me as I usually let little things bother me more than they should and that tends to make me and everyone else grumpy.  I hope this harmonious way of life continues on here as James gets ready for 3+ weeks of training away from home including a trip back to the States.  I am just a bit jealous that he is going back, even if it is for training.  We haven't been back stateside in 2 years and I really, really miss it.

That's my five things for this week!  I hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to leave me a comment if you are interested in an invitation to Pinterest.  I will need your email to send the invite unless you are one of my Facebook friends because I think I can send the invite straight from there.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

I Love Surprises!

Last night while Aubrey was supposed to be in bed she was drawing/writing instead.  I love finding her art all over the place but this one melted my heart.  She drew every thing on the page, even the lines for her letters, and I went into Photoshop to add the names of her stick people.  I adore the cute daddy drawing.  I am proud that she has picked up on her letters so quickly. Finally, she even added my friend Sara to the drawing...how sweet! 

I love seeing Aubrey's skills develop and her sweet personality shine!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

My Dolls

Have I mentioned how much I love Club CK's 1-Hour Challenges?  Because I really, really do!  I made this page for a challenge back in December.  I am so thankful for these challenges as I actually get layouts completed.  I find I need a kick in the rear to get layouts done sometimes. 

The photo was taken last spring at the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland.  The have a new theme every year and last year it was "From Russia with Love".  When we came upon these large matryoshka dolls I knew it would make for a cute photo.  It is seriously one of my most favorite photos of the girls and me!


I used Bazzill cardstock for the base.  The patterned paper and chipboard embellishments are from Cosmo Cricket's Pixie-Licious line.  The black felt stickers are from American Crafts and the purple ricrak is from Maya Road.  The pink and purple bling is from Kaisercraft.  I used a Fiskars border punch for the journaling spot and on the blue patterned paper below the photo.

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Friday, February 18, 2011

Five for Friday

Happy Friday!  Thanks for joining me for another exciting edition of Five for Friday.  Lets get things started.

1.  I am so out of touch with new music these days.  I only listen to the radio when I am in the car while running errands locally.  If we are on a road trip we listen to our iPods.  So, tell me, what is your favorite new-ish song?  Pop, rock, country...it doesn't matter.  I just want to know what is rocking your socks right now.

2.  The girls have birthdays coming up...Aubrey in 4 weeks and Lolo's in 6 weeks.  I am going to try my hand at these Hello Kitty cake pops.  I have never made cake pops before so I might have to make a practice batch soon.  I am working on putting together some sort of celebration for them.

3.   Loving this idea over on the Dear Lizzy blog!  I bet your little princess would love to make her own  magic wand.  I am going to help the girls make these as soon as I get some yarn.  My girls love making  crafts and I love helping them be creative.  Wow!  I used love alot in this paragraph. 

4.  Aubrey has become quite the encourager this week.  She has been giving Lolo lots of hugs and saying "I am proud of you"!  Let me tell you that it melts my heart to see Aubrey being so sweet to her sister and encouraging her in the potty training effort. 

5.  I am glad it is Friday!  This week has had a few low moments and I am ready to enjoy the long weekend with my family. On a positive note if things keep breaking it is less stuff to get rid of when we move back to the States next year.   I should be thankful for the chance to purge things early.

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Scrappy Winner Is........

Thanks to everyone who played along and visited my blog for a chance to win this giveaway.  I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
I consulted with the trusty random.org and they suggested that I pick number 14.  That would be Ellen!  Ellen, I will send you a PM through Club CK to get your info.

Thanks again everyone!  I hope you have a great Thursday!


Since no post is really complete unless there is a photo I am leaving you with the yummiest cupcakes ever!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

***SCRAPPY GIVEAWAY***

I can't believe I have been blogging for 2 years!  I started this blog so I could share my photos and scrappy projects with my family and friends who were not on Facebook.  I had no idea that I would actually enjoy blogging and find it to be a bit therapeutic at times.   I certainly never thought that 2 years later I would still be blogging. 

In honor of my blogging anniversary I am hosting a giveaway!  That's right!  It is my blogiversary but you can win the gift.  How about an Echo Park Little Girl paper pack?  I am so in love with this line.  The colors are so bright and cheery.  Even if you don't have a little girl to scrapbook imagine all the great cards or layouts you can make for/about your friends....birthdays, miss you, encouragement, baby showers, etc.


If you want to be entered to win here is what you need to do...First, leave me a comment!  Any comment will do.  For a second entry become a follower of my blog and enter a second comment.  If you are already a follower leave an extra comment telling me you are.  So, you can enter twice.  This is going to be a short turn around....No entries after midnight PST, Wednesday, February 16th.  I will select a winner Thursday morning.  Good luck!!!

P.S. - If you are reading this on Facebook please be sure to visit my blog to enter by clicking on this link:  http://scrappingandtraveling.blogspot.com/

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

I will be celebrating Valentine's Day with JG and our girls today.  We generally don't plan anything over the top for Valentine's Day and this year is no exception.  I made JG and the girls Valentine's cards weeks ago last night.  Since I planned ahead waited until the last minute to finish them they are simple and went together quickly.  Here is the one I made for JG....


I used the Create A Critter cartridge for the Cricut to make the adorable sheep.  I love this cartridge and have been using it constantly since I received it.  The background paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Pixie-Licious line and the pink letter stickers are Cosmo Cricket's Tiny Type letters.  I am sure you all know of my undying love for all things Cosmo!  I punched the heart from a scrap of purple paper and then covered it in Stickles.  The twill ribbon is from Martha Stewart Crafts.  The card took me 10 minutes to make and I actually like it!  I don't think I have ever had a project come together so fast before.  I guess sometimes it pays to procrastinate.

I promised the girls a midday bubble bath for Valentine's Day.  I can appreciate that they enjoy the simple things still.  Then I am making ribeye steaks for dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed zucchini.  A little pound cake with fresh strawberries for dessert to top it all off and that is what I consider to be a perfect day.

Do you have any plans?  So many people dislike this day but I think it is a great day to shower those you love with a bit of extra love and treats. 

P.S. Make sure you come back tomorrow as I will be having a giveaway to celebrate my 2 year blogiversary! 

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Schloss Lichtenstein


We visited Schloss Lichtenstein in early September.  The weather was gorgeous and the castle was stunning.  It is small but definitely a sight to see as it sits high atop a hill overlooking a beautiful valley.  We paid a small admission fee of 2 euros for each adult to walk the castle grounds freely.  You definitely need a car to get here but the view is amazing and worth the quick stop.




If you are would like more information about the castle such as its history or prices for tours you can click on the link above.  It will take you directly to the official website that is in German and English.


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Got Milk?


I used mostly My Minds Eye Alphabet Soup line for this layout.  I really liked these photos of the girls trying to milk a cow at the Open Air Museum in The Netherlands that I took last year.  They were so excited to milk the cow that they didn't want to leave!  It was fun seeing them so excited!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Tutu Layouts

I completed these layouts over the summer but don't think I posted them here yet.  I loved these photos of my girls so I wanted to do something extra special with them. 

For the first layout I used tulle that I had on hand from wrapping a gift or something like that.  I cut it into 3 strips and used one for the border below the photo, another for the ballerina tutu and finally a gathered flower at the top of the page (it is hard to see in this photo).  I also used 3 different border punches for the layered border. 






For this layout with Aubrey's photo I hand cut the butterflies since I do not have a butterfly punch or a plain butterfly image on a Slice Design Card.  The swirls at the corners of the photo were cut using the Wedding Design Card.  I embellished a couple of the butterflies with some Kaisercraft pearls. 


I purchased the tutus from Paisley and Posies Etsy shop. 

Friday, February 4, 2011

Five For Friday

Happy Friday!

1.  My girls have decided that every day is a holiday.  We have been bouncing between Christmas and Halloween this week.  Once they learn about the Easter Bunny I imagine we will add that to the mix.

2.  Potty training is not fun!  I thought Aubrey was stubborn but Lolo takes the cake here!  I am going to pick up some really good prizes today and hope it will motivate her to finally move away from diapers and into panties.  I have been changing diapers for nearly 4 years now and I am ready to move on.

3.  Valentines Day is 10 days away!  Do you love it or hate it?  I am a firm believer in telling the ones you love how you feel about them daily but I do think it is great to have an entire day devoted to love and romance.  I learned a long time ago not too expect much from James but I don't mind as I am happy to have him home this year.  It doesn't hurt that I like hearts and pink and red either.

4.  Is it totally crazy that I was sad I wasn't stuck in a blizzard?  I love the snow and I love being tucked safely inside with a cup of coffee, a good book and heat!  And a blizzard?  That is something to tell the grandchildren about.  When I was a young whippersnapper....!

5.  The girls looooove the song "The Time (Dirty Bit)" by the Black Eyed Peas.  They ask to listen to the song nearly every night after dinner.  Aubrey is a natural dancer and has a few signature dance moves such as "the car dance", "the bowling dance" and "the jump dance".  They both make me laugh hysterically when they get their groove on.


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Chloe


This is my fur baby Chloe!  I love this cat so stinkin' much.  We picked her up from the animal shelter at Ft. Lewis in November 2003.  She has helped me through many deployments and is tolerant of the girls who love to maul pet her.  I took these photos of her enjoying the late afternoon sun the other day.


I do have another cat, a beautiful long haired black and white girl named Jasmine, but I think she may be part vampire!  She doesn't come out until the girls have gone to bed and panics if they are even in the same room together.  She is a little very skittish and like a typical cat everything is on her terms. 

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Miss You "Sew"

I completed this layout for a Club CK 1-Hour Challenge in early January.  The challenge was to create a layout using the rule of thirds and I just lifted the sample because I was too tired to think of something different and I loved the original by the über talented Maggie Holmes.


The photos are from the last time I hung out with my McChord girls before we moved to Germany!  Hi Elina, Yanahlyn and Lisa!  Princess Brittany didn't join us this day and I am sad she wasn't there. Look how small Lolo was...she was just 2 1/2 months old!  And Aubrey...well, that little toddler has grown into a beautiful little lady.  Time just goes by so quickly.

I used Bazzill cardstock and the rest of the materials are from Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl line.  Just like everything else from Cosmo Cricket, I loved this line so much!  A huge, huge thanks to my Club CK Secret Santa (Hi Patty!) for sending me the Material Girl Paper Crafting Kit! Since the line has a sewing theme throughout I played on that word and used Tiny Type stickers for my title, "Miss You Sew".

Thanks for stopping by today!