CraZiNeSS X 3

Incredibly neglected...

2011-10-18T22:49:00.002-05:00

Yep thats what the new title for this blog should be. Neglected is an understatement..unfortunately I now have NO time for scrapbooking, ever....just busy being a mom and a taxi, and working, maid, cook, you know the drill. I am trying to make a solemn promise to myself that I will update this blog at least once a week. I will start with an easier goal so I dont fail myself :S

I have been making a conscience effort to see every day as a good day....a better than good day, a GREAT day. It doesn't always work, but I keep trying like I should be trying. Wearing a smile is much easier than wearing a frown and it seems to produce much heartier lovely responses from all that you come in contact with. Almost two years ago, that smile was literally removed from my face for a long time when my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I didnt smile for a very long time. Now since she is cancer free and her two year anniversary is in February, I am working everyday to SMILE more. Go ahead and try it...see how good it makes you feel. See if you get good reactions from everyone around you. I dare ya to go out there and just smile. Obvious old quote, keep smiling...it makes people wonder what you're up to. Well I am up to nothing malicious...I am UP to living a better life for me and for my family. A better environment to be in, all around better for everyone.

I am NOT a writer and I have never claimed to be, but what I know is there are days where I would feel a TON better if I could just sit in front of the computer, and blog blog blog my feelings away.

I know my blog cant tune me out or just keep nodding and sayin Uh huh....I see, blah blah blah blah blah! I want to start a journal but not one on paper, fear of people reading it?!?!? Now how foolish is that?? I know some of you still have my blog bookmarked and its now all over the internet for anyone to read :S I think I will also be writing on this blog more about me and posting more pics of my family and such, using it for personal inspiration instead of personal gains (like scrapbooking). Yeah, that's what I will do, a few inspirations from my head, or desperations depending on the day of the week, a few snapshots of family and we'll call it good...that is if anyone else besides me will be reading it.

So for now, a photo about how our family spent the evening...all dressed in black and ready to support the Iowa Valley volleyball team!

Gawl I love thses kids of mine <3 But for now it's goodnite and hoping to post something more interesting later in the week!

April sneaky peeks for JBS papercrafting kit!

2011-03-26T10:33:00.002-05:00

I was giddy with March's kit, and April tops that! I cannot wait to continue creating! But for now, here's a sneak peek!

March kit creations and a JBS CROP!!!

2011-03-02T11:19:00.003-06:00

Thought I would share another layout I created with the March JBS Papercrafting kit AND the Hodge Podge mini album created using the March Project kit first...

I am absolutely inspired by March's kit and have not stopped creating since it arrived on my doorstep. LOTS more to come...
And for some exciting news......

We cordially invite you to "Be Our Guest" at our first ever online crop which will take place next weekend on our new and improved message board complete with chat room! Please help us spread the word! It's going to be great fun with lots of quirky games, inspiring challenges, and chats with our designers. We will be giving away lots of gift cards to JBS Mercantile, plus we have two amazing top prizes! First Prize is a Guest Designer spot for the April JBS Mercantile Kit Club ($75+ value) plus a gift box of new "Be Our Guest" goodies ($75+ value). Second Prize is a Guest Star spot right here on the JBS Inspiration Blog with a gift box of new "Be Our Guest" goodies ($75+ value). You can't win if you don't play, so we hope you'll find time to "Be Our Guest"

I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US!!!!

How bout a preview of March's JBS kit??

2011-02-24T10:58:00.002-06:00

Just a short post for now....thought I would share a preview of the March Jenni Bowlin Studios kit!!

We have a WINNNNNNNNNNER!!!

2011-02-12T08:01:00.003-06:00

For the Monday blog hop.......

The winner is #10........CRAFTY CAT!!!!! I did the whole random integer thing to decide my winner but for some reason blogger is refusing to post it here???? Just my luck for trying to get a winner posted in the morning, right?? ;) Contact me Crafty Cat with all your info so that you can receive your prize! CONGRATS!!!

BLOG HOP MONDAY!!!

2011-02-07T08:57:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Jenni Bowlin Studio's CHA Winter 2011 Blog Hop brougt to you by our newest release, "Be Our Guest!" This is our largest release ever filled with all sorts of pretties from the patterned paper, stickers, rub-ons, bingo cards, and unique embellishments you've come to know and love to a new foray into acrylic stamps and project foundations. You can see the entire release HERE. To celebrate, we're offering you lots and lots of opportunities to win $15 gift cards to JBS Mercantile.

You can enter to win at the following locations:

Twitter : We will be giving away TWO $15 gift cards to NEW followers on Twitter. These will be sent to the winner and to a friend of the winner's choosing, so if you're already a follower of @jbsmercantile then get some of your friends to follow us too! We will also be randomly choosing a winner from those who retweet the "CHA Winter 2011 Giveaway" post.

NEWSFLASH . . . Jenni now has a Twitter account! It's @jennibowlin and we will be choosing a random winner from her followers as well! Follow her on Twitter HERE.

Facebook: Look for the post that mentions, "Be Our Guest Giveaway" and leave a comment to be entered into the first drawing. We will also be randomly choosing a second winner from our NEW Facebook followers, so tell all your friends!

JBS Mercantile Message Board: In the "Town Square," leave a comment on the thread entitled, "Be Our Guest Giveaway."

The JBS Inspiration Blog: Leave a comment on the "CHA Winter 2011 Blog Hop" post telling us which of our new products is your favorite.

I would like to give away a $15 gift card to JBS Mercantile here, too! We'll end it and announce all the winners on Friday. Just leave me a comment!

Get to hopping! and Good Luck!

I wasn't a stamp girl til NOW....

2011-01-20T14:01:00.003-06:00

Check out the newest of the Jenni Bowlin Acrylic stamps....MUST HAVES!!

Just IMAGINE the possibilities!! I think the banner and the receipt are my favorites of them all!!

NEW Project Foundations from Jenni Bowlin Studios!

2011-01-19T11:49:00.002-06:00

I personally cannot wait!!!!!
Hopdge Podge mini albums Jenni Bowlin style! Swooooooon!
A 5x7 bingo card for the base, the cover is a vintage reproduction primer cover, and inside we have a postcard, a seed packet, a photo frame, and a die-cut transparency plus two book binding rings to hold it all together

Tiny tart tins?????? GENIUS!! Wooden spools......amaaaazing!!

And finally there's the classic white on one side raw on the other chipboard. These come in small and large and the small size is just perfect to fit our die-cut pads from our fall release.

Coming out of hiding...

2011-01-10T23:33:00.004-06:00

2011 WILL be a better year...I will blog, and life in general will be better, this I am sure of. I know I am in charge of my own happiness and my own destiny, and I no longer sweat the small stuff. 2011 brings GOOD health to my mother who is battling pancreatic cancer, my family and my mother are my rock, they help me live the good life...I see soo much hope and promise in everyone's eyes. It is definitely contagious. I feel the hope from them and I feel the promise from them, I feed off of that and I KNOW that 2011 is going to be a year to remember. We will all make sure of that!

With that said, in the next few weeks I will be revamping the blog, making a conscience effort to blog about life, about hobbies, about family, about scrapbooking. I realize how important documenting my life and my surroundings are, and I intend to DOCUMENT ;)

So for now, if there is ANYONE that still has my blog on their bookmarks, I AM BAAAAAAAACK!!!!! I have suffered thru the hardest year of my entire life, and I am ready to move on and be THANKFUL!!!

And since I have rambled on, I will leave a few of my favorite photos of recent days...

How bout a sneak peek of an upcoming tutorial??

2010-06-27T15:39:00.003-05:00

Can't wait to show you all how to make one yourself :)

And the winner is...........................

2010-06-11T15:22:00.002-05:00

by random pick is ANN CICILIE!!!!! Congrats Ann and THANK YOU to all that left comments about why you love Jenni Bowlin products AND those of you that also left comments about my mom and her progress. It means the world to me that you care!!

Ann! Contact me via email at hudy5@msn.com with your snail mail address so that we can get your Jenni goodies out to you ;)And once again....CONGRATS!!

I AM BACK and with a Jenni Bowlin GIVEAWAY!

2010-06-08T09:40:00.002-05:00

It has taken me this long to finally come back and blog and to get back in the scrappy world after hearing my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It has been a very long three months and I have NEVER EVER in my life known anyone as strong as my momma. she has endured a MAJOR operation, recovery, major weight loss, eating issues, and now is going thru chemotherapy. All with a smile on her face and positivity in her voice. I am proud to say as of the last scan she is CANCER FREE!!! I am trying to move on and be faithful and know that SOMEONE somewhere is watching out for her and our family. God and prayer have played a huge role in helping me get thru this time mentally. I thank Him everyday. So now I am feeling ready to resume a more normal life, a happier life thinking happier thoughts! and with that said I HAVE A GIVEAWAY!!

JBS Mercantile is introducing a new quarterly kit we are fondly calling the Mercantile "Dime Store" Kit. Each quarter this kit will be packed with classic JBS products at a special price - 25% off of the total retail value! And. . .best of all, it comes with a project idea and basic instructions to get you started.

You can find more of the kit information RIGHT HERE!! And all the purchase info RIGHT HERE!!
The very exciting part about all this is I get to GIVE AWAY the NEW Dime Store kit to someone!! so starting today until Thursday June 10th, at 8pm cst, LEAVE A COMMENT about what you adore about JBS product and your name will be entered to win the Dime Store kit!!! All entries will e accepted until the above posted time, then I will have a winner picked at random and notify you all on my blog on Friday about who the lucky person is.

Can't wait to hear what you all have to say about why you Love Jenni Bowlin products!

There's a reason for my absence

2010-03-24T08:11:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking about blogging about my absence for two weeks now. I am no good at writing interesting stories. I just type what comes into my head and sometimes that isn't all that eloquent, doesn't read like a romance novel, and I dont use extremely large words. But the reason for my absence is extremely large in my life right now. I dont even know how to say it but I will say it....my mother was just recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I remember the phone call on her way home from the biopsy like it was two minutes ago. I froze in my footsteps not knowing how to react. I stuttered over words, I was silenced by fright, and then tried to muster up the courage to give some promising words to her. The minute I hung up the phone, I cried like a baby. I am an only child and dealing with this whole ugly cancer thing is difficult to do it alone. I dont like it at all. Not that I ever thought dealing with a loved one with cancer would be fun, but PANCREATIC CANCER????? I found a quote the other day quite suiting for the situation at hand.... I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. I went thru the whole gammet of emotions, denial, anger, sadness, and I am now focused on HOPE.

For days I buried myself in the internet learning all I could learn about pancreatic cancer, and that made me even more mad and sad and angry, so I just QUIT! So my new quote of the day is Once you choose hope, anything's possible. I have chosen hope and I hope they will be able to treat her and make her well. I hope everyday that she lives a very long life and sees each of her three grandchildren have grandbabies, I hope that she has hope like I do.

My momma left for the Mayo Clinic this morning in Rochester MN. It's all real now, no turning back, no just 'talking' about surgery and treamtents and doctors, its REAL. Time to turn hope up another notch and believe in the doctors and believe they are giving her the best care.

So this is the reason for my absence on my blog and possible absence from scrapping for a bit. I am researching ways to hold a fundraiser for my mom as her medical bills are going to be completely OUTRAGEOUS to say the least. She is only 57 years old and can not get full retirement benefits from her job for another five years, I believe. I want to help her out in any way I can. So if any of you are aware of fundraisers out there, how to organize them, or helpful sites on the internet, let me know!!!

Seriously, MARCH???

2010-03-02T08:18:00.004-06:00

Seems like I have been waiting an eternity for March to come....with the new month brings promise of Spring being right around the corner, melting snow, sloppy yards, and WARMER weather....goodbye grey skies, goodbye snow! well not soo much goodbye snow since we still have mountains of it and the temp right now is 18, but I am dreaming :)

Now for my gallery reveals for the March Jenni Bowlin Studios papercrafting kit using the brand new Homespun line!

I love the whole color scheme and feel of this papercrafting kit, could create just about any theme, boy or girl. Lots more to come from the kit and the project kit during the mid month release on the 10th. If you would like to be inspired by the rest of the JBS design team, go check out the entire gallery HERE!

Mid Month JBS Gallery reveals

2010-02-10T15:51:00.006-06:00

All of the DT reveals should be up soon over at JBS Mercantile so I thought I would share my mid month reveals here, too :)
First up is the JBS February project kit, a mini vintage aspirin tin with LOTS of tiny little vintage goodies inside. I decided to use my circle punch to create a very mini mini album for the inside of the box. I used my sewing machine to sew the circles together leaving a space in between each 'page' that is all being held together by the thread.

I love the look of the aspirin tin being open just a bit. Reminds me of a vintage mini suitcase filled with goodies :)
I managed to crank out a couple more layouts as well with the JBS Mercantile February Kit...

And after all of that creating, I STILL have leftovers to create more!

They are my Everything...

2010-02-04T19:19:00.004-06:00

I created this 'canvas' to celebrate Valentine's day and you can see full instructions at the JBS Inspirational blog :)

What are you creating for your loved ones this year?

JBS Mercantile February Creations and more...

2010-02-01T19:57:00.003-06:00

First off two layouts from the JBS Mercantile February papercrafting kit....LOVE IT!

I absolutely love the fact that with the kit, you have soo much product that matches so well but still can pull off two totally different looking layouts. Much more to come from this kit with the mid month release on FEB 1OTH!

I have the pleasure of being the blogger for the JBS Inspirational blog coming up so I thought I would show you a sneak peek of something I have created ;)

In other news besides scrapbooking, I have decided to take on a very big task of bilding some furniture for the home :) I have really been insipred by some of the blogs I read and the women that are creating all of this GREAT furniture. I decided that after much searching onling and in magazines, a bunk bed for the girls is a necessity to give them more space in their room. Problem being all the beds I find online or in mags are WAY too pricey....well that lead me to try to build my own bunk beds for the girls! I started two days ago and was halted in construction today due to a nasty onset of a head cold, so no progress today. But I do have the head board and footboards built, just attaching some posts and headers and putting it all together, painting, and then I will be sure to post some pictures! wish me luck!!

Jenni Bowlin Studios Home decor anyone?

2010-01-21T20:53:00.005-06:00

I will be the first to admit I am a chronic hoarder of anything butterflies and Jenni Bowlin Studios UNTIL I find the absolute perfect use for them. Well this week has been my week to conquer the mess of my daughters' room. My 7 yr old and 4 1/2 year old share a room and I swear that room fills up with more stuff than I even ever knew they had. So after some cleaning, more painting, dismantling of the baseball ceiling fan that had been in there previously from their brother occupying their room, I decided to 'alter' a ceiling fan for them :) I first painted the blades a shade of purple to match the colors of their room, then just used two different rub ons, alternating which blade they went on and came up with this...

My next little project was a brainstorm of just how I could get my girls to quit using packing tape to hang their artwork on their newly painted walls??? They both LOVE to draw, write, color, and paint and always want their artwork displayed so I came up with an idea of using a regular 1 by 4, adding some JBS Mercantile mini papers to it, then adhering some clothespins on it for hanging papers and now there is NO tape going up on their walls anymore :) Makes this momma very happy!

I definitely think the crappy Iowa winter weather is getting to me...cuz if I don't stay busy creating, sewing, altering, or painting, I just might go INSANE!! Next project...the girls art desk ;)

Random Blathering

2010-01-16T21:44:00.006-06:00

I have not blogged in two weeks and feel I could cover a lot of ground, but would you really be interested in reading it all? doubt it....so I will summarize...

SNOW DAYS X 5 with no snow days built into the school schedule, we will be lucky to be out of school before the 4th of July ;)

THE FLU hit us all like a ton of bricks...first the wee one, I was up with her all night, and then it spiralled downward, we dropped like flies in this order, Kamy, Averee, ME, Brayden, Jason, and then Brayden again? (or was that just a ploy to miss another day of school??)

THE BIRTHDAY Today is Averee's birthday...she is a very glorious seven years old and acts the age of a much older, much more sophisticated 14 year old. I love that about her. She is laid back sometimes, way too loud other times, and just down right, undeniably irresistable. Due to above mentioned sicknesses, all parties are postponed til next weekend when we are all healthy and ready.

SEWING I have been doing some sort of sewing almost every day. To break up the day, to break up the monotony of no sun, to just play around and learn and love and create.

SCRAPBOOKING That has been a big part of the last week and I guarantee it would have played a bigger role, had we not all come down with the plague. JBS Mercantile Janury mid month release :) I give a little tutorial on how to create this on the JBS Inspirational Blog if you would like to see.

I am already working on a project for the JBS blog for February and boy am I in the festive Valentine spirit already! Want a little peek?

Most of what you see here so far is just fabric, but will be asdding lots of Jenni goodies to it to make it complete! Look for my project to be on the blog February
2nd.

January Jenni Bowlin Creations!

2010-01-02T22:43:00.003-06:00

and what a kit it is!! I love the color palette and still have soo much more creating to do. With the holidays now over, and the kids back to school in a couple days, maybe I will be able to get something done :) I did get a chance to create two layouts already...

And there will be lots more to come on the 10th at the JBS Mercantile site, where the design team has a mid month reveal, so don't miss that!

I have been sewing....

2009-12-30T07:43:00.004-06:00

A LOT. I have become one with my sewing machine again and have been trying all sorts of new repurposing projects and I even made TWO dresses from patterns of all things! Yes A PATTERN!!!

since Kamy is my one that is home the most time, she gets to be guinea pig :) I have been bookmarking lots of blogs as well to inspire me and thought I would share them with you to see if you are inspired as well...

Make It and Love It...this gal is SUPER inspiring and can make something out of pretty much ANYTHING!
Ruffles and Stuff...LOTS of very very cute ideas for little girls
Matilda Jane...not a repurposed site but a website for selling dresses. Their color palette and mixture of patterns is DIVINE and their pictures are gorgeous!
My Mama made it...another FABULOUSLY inspirational site for repurposing clothing!

I know this has started an obsession that will hopefully continue and I will get 'good' enough that I will even let the kiddies wear the clothes I make OUTSIDE of the home :)
Sty tuned for in two days is the January release for the Jenni Bowlin Studios papercrafting kit and design team creations! I have barely had time to scrap since the holidays let alone even get all my pictures uploaded to possibly scrap them...but promise to have layouts done already with the kit....YUMMMMMMY!

Revisions to the etsy store...

2009-12-15T10:07:00.001-06:00

and SLASHED prices!!

You can see my etsy store right here!!

Now off to try and warm up by the fire...-3 degrees is waaay too cold!

Snow and LOTS OF IT!!

2009-12-12T18:26:00.006-06:00

Last week my little home and pretty much most of Iowa was SLAMMED with snow and blizzard conditions shutting down school for 3 /12 days and making us a prisoner in our own homes. NOTHING necessary got done, just a lot of me being activities coordinatore for all the kids here making sure they stayed out of mischief, which seems to happen when they get bored :) We actually got to play in the snow before the temps dropped to sub zero...

Of course I have no pics of my son playing in the snow because he was out galavanting with his frineds and sledding. :(
But then the HEAVY snow came, over a foot, and the near impossible to believe temperatures....YUCK! Three snow days and a late start later, i't getting a little warmer. I actually did get to take the girls out again today to frolick in the snow while the boys of the house were deer hunting and before the bone chilling cold comes again next week.

I am completely OVER winter and cold weather and it just started :) Now the next two nights we get freezing rain and a couple inches more of snow.....eeeeh just pile it on what we already have!

And now to share my JBS Mercantile mid month releases!

And I wish I could tell you what in the heck is up with my camera sometimes....it is putting a blue ish tint on some of the pics. I know I have the settings right? Any suggestions??

Taking pictures....

2009-12-05T08:46:00.001-06:00

short post for now....been experimenting with manual focusing :)

JBS Mercantile December Kit!!

2009-12-01T17:08:00.003-06:00

I have two layouts up so far in the JBS Mercantile gallery for now and more to come on the 10th :) I havent even had time to touch the project kit but I know just what I want to do and can not wait to get started! You can find the JBS KITS on the
JBS Mercantile site!

Today all the kiddies were at school and I decided to try out making a crayon roll for my girls. Well I made two and I am going to make some more!! I am absolutely FED UP with the messes they make with their colors and markers and papers and I really really hope this helps in the process of staying a little more organized. Here is one of em...

These just might make perfect Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews :)

lots of VINTAGE goodness

2009-11-17T08:41:00.003-06:00

in my ETSY STORE!! I have been slowly adding to my store some goodies perfect for the holiday season....go check it out! let me know if you are interested in any custom orders and I will see what we can work out...oh and just a reminder....38 MORE DAYS til Christmas :( That is just downright insane! Here's a preview of what's in store :)

How bout a sneak peek of festive??

2009-11-11T18:05:00.001-06:00

and just one sneak for now :)

I will tell you that this sneak peek is from the JBS November Project kit....Jenni puts together such AMAZING project kits! I have loved every one! And of course they are already sold out :(

I am overlwhelmed with inspiration!!

2009-10-30T16:54:00.002-05:00

at the new November kit for JBS Mercantile. This up coming kit is now ranking as my absolute favorite and I am having a hard time NOT creating. Honestly....that is an AMAZING feeling :) Going to be posting some sneaks tomorrow!

As for my life, it has unfortunately not included anything scrappy related in a month :( But the reason is a good one....my little photo biz has taken off greatly and I have been busy busy busy photographing some BEAUTIFUL families. It truly makes me soooo happy that I am able to do what I love and put smiles on the clients' faces when they see their edited pictures!

We carved our punkins lat night :) Just in time for Halloween tomorrow! I already have one kid that is NOT going trick or treating cuz it 'just ain't cool' anymore to go at his age. Time is truly slipping away from me. But still have two little very excited girlies going tomorrow night!

And here is our punkins!

I can do better.....

2009-10-08T19:51:00.006-05:00

You know I have tried blogging four different times in the month of October and blogger has not let me post ONE SINGLE TIME. I am here trying again! I will not give up!

First share is for the JBS Mercantile October kit full of gorgeousness. I think that Jenni bowlin blogged just today how there is only two or so kits left! I can definitely understand why!

as for my life beyond scrapbooking it has really taken a turn lately and for the better I am hoping. I have now launched my own photography biz and tryng to make a go at it. I am just as passionate about taking pictures as I am getting them scrapbooked. I received soo much support from my peers about my abilities that I had to try :) I do have a facebook page dedicated soley to my photos if you would like to see.....

Life's Moments Photography

The process of me even starting a business is a huge step for me considering I have been staying at home with my children now for ten plus years and running strong. I am hoping and praying that it all works out and I will be able to do this on a full time basis....pursuing my dream!

Homecoming Week!

2009-09-23T14:46:00.003-05:00

I just love how the themes are going this year for Iowa Valley's Homecoming! first was Nerd day, then color day, fairy tale day today and rock star day tomorrow. Of course Friday is school color day!

Here are a couple pics to see what my little nerds have been looking like :)

Can't wait for tomorrow's rock star day....getting out the hair color again ;) In just a few more days, the new JBS Mercantile October kit will be debuting and you will not want to miss that! Sneak peeks to come!!!

I feel soo incredibly HONORED...

2009-09-15T20:04:00.005-05:00

to be mentioned on Scrapscene!!! I created a Halloween haunted house with the new JBS Mercantile Halloween Bingo cards and they featured it in a post!!

You can find it RIGHT HERE!!.

And with a step by step tutorial, you can make one yourself RIGHT HERE!! Just follow the link to the JBS Wholesale site!

EVERYTHING on clearance...

2009-09-15T08:15:00.002-05:00

Just went thru my entire etsy store and maked down everything there!! Some as much as 50% or more! Must make some room for new creations!

GO FIND YOURSELF SOMETHING NICE HERE!!

starting to get in the mood for creating holiday items with vintage finds, so the store must be clearanced out!

If you think of something that you would love me to create for you, send me a message and we will see what we can work out!

what have I been doing?

2009-09-09T21:00:00.005-05:00

Not blogging that's for sure...I think this is a record span in between posts! Soo much going on here in the way of school, football practices, photo sessions, editing photos, keeping up with the daily chores, being a taxi, and lastly scrapbooking. Myabe it's better off if I just show pictures insteading of boring you with a lot of typing :)

First off the september JBS Mercantile kit is a MUST HAVE...

And I will keep you informed when my new tutorial will be coming up...just a sneaky peek for now :)

As for my life beyond making sure the kids make it to school on time and dressed and groomed, we here have been eating breathing living sleeping FOOTBALL!! My son's first year in full on tackle football and Jason is coaching. Never thought I would get over the fear of watching him get pummeled by other kids, but I am over it and I LOVE to watch them play. They have their first game on Sunday and I know there will be PLENTY of photos taken by me :) I have been snapping photos during practice and at one of their scrimmages already...

And speaking of photography, my little photo business is starting to take off :) I have been blessed to be able to do three different photo shoots already and have two weddings scheduled. I am soo excited for my new endeavor!

I have tons of photos on my facebook page if you would like to take a look and become a fan of my lil biz :) You can find me HERE

back to school....

2009-08-25T21:37:00.004-05:00

and all three kiddies were really quite honestly, happy to go back! WEll this is Kamy's first year of preschool so it's all new to her!

and once the shock of a new school year is over and we get settled into our routine, life can go back to a little more normalcy as far as I am concerned :)

And coming soon JBS Mercantile September kit creations! I have two layouts done already and ready to create more more more!!!

So much going on right now...

2009-08-20T09:58:00.004-05:00

The countdown has begun....FIVE MORE DAYS until school starts. No more children running around for days at a time wearing only their swim suits, no more trips to the pool, no more sleeping in or staying up late. My youngest starts preschool this year two days a week and I am trying very hard to grasp the concept. And at best I am failing. Seems like just a short time ago I was changing her diapers...now she has gone and grown up and all I did was blink. We will see how I do on the first day that my house is void of little voices, girlie screams, and toys cluttering every step I take.

On a scrappy note, I was flabergasted to see that my distressing techniques were highlighted on the SCRAPBOOK TRENDS BLOG! I didn't even know it was going to be there...thankfully an online friend pointed it out for me. :)

There has been a big development here for me and it's big. As you probably already know, I have a deep seeded love of photography. I have become quite obsessed with my camera and capturing all the candid moments of my children's lives. So I decided to take it just one step further. I am starting my own photography business!! This is soo incredibly exciting for me, yet at the same time soo nerve racking. I am a pretty shy and reserved person, so this new venture will require me to step up my game. A LOT!! And right now I welcome that change :) I have started a facebook page for the business called Life's Moments if you would like to check it out! If any of you reading this are close enough to me in Iowa and would like pricing information, just send me a message!

And if that weren't enough to consume my life....well it isn't....I have always wanted to try sewing the smock dresses for the girls. I love the look of the pillowcase dresses you are seeing everywhere so I thought I would give it a try. I am definitely not a pro at sewing so I needed something EASY to NOT frustrate me! I whipped up these dresses for the girls in literally like 3 hours tops!

Then of course we had to have a photo shoot :) It was already 8pm so it was almost dark here, but the girls had a blast trapsing around in their new dresses.

I think I might have to make a few more! And both of these dresses were recycled! That's the best part...no buying material. Just took two of my old dresses
that I will never wear again, cut off the bottom, and there you have it! It is pretty simple once you get over the fear of screwing it up :)

FINALLY!!!

2009-08-16T20:07:00.001-05:00

I finally have had the chance to dive into some of the new JBS Mercantile product! You are going to want each and every single piece offered, I can almost guarantee it! I have only created two layouts so far but can not wait to use my new bingo cards for back to school! Here are the two layous I have been able to create...

I love the colors I love the patterns, I LOVE IT ALL!!!!

been adding a TON of new goodies...

2009-08-12T10:03:00.004-05:00

to my etsy store the last few days. Clear embellishments, flower embellishments and another VINTAGE ALBUM are all there for the taking :) I am in creating overdrive! Go take a look at all the gooies in my All Things Vintage etsy store to see if anything tickles your fancy :)

Stay tuned for my turn to post on the JBS Insipration blog for a new tip on August 14th!

More Albums in my Etsy store...

2009-08-10T17:22:00.002-05:00

Added two more albums made with vinatge book pages and such :) You can find them in my etsy store called All Things Vintage
Here's a sneaky peek of what's in store.....

A new tutorial on distressing

2009-08-10T09:26:00.002-05:00

is posted over at the JBS Inspiration blog if you would like to learn some techniques on how to distress the edges of your paper :) Distressing is one of my very favorite things to do on a layout and there is RARELY a creation that I make without it. Go check out the tutorial, try the technique and link me up so I can see what you created!

My first OFFICIAL photo shoot...

2009-08-05T08:42:00.008-05:00

My sister in law was gracious enough to ask me to a photo shoot with her darling little one year old, Hannah. It was actually her birthday the day I took the pictures. I have to admit that I was extremely nervous at first, but after seeing Hannah just being 'Hannah', she made it soo easy to get some great shots of her :)

And I'm not even finished editing all of the great ones. I am gaining confidence each day in my skills at taking pictures and would someday LOVE to do this full time. We will see where this road takes me in the future:)

I also did a photo shoot with my girls wearing their new tu tu's I made :) they ABSOLUTELY loved spinning around like little ballerinas outside. It made me soo happy to see that something that simple to make expanded their imagination in soo many ways.

August JBS Mercantile Kit reveal day!!

2009-08-01T10:35:00.003-05:00

I LOVE all the new releases! This kit was amazing to work with and I still have more creations to be made :)

Make sure that you check out the JBS Mercantile Gallery for all the DT reveals today!

How bout a bunch of sneak peeks now?

2009-07-30T09:45:00.003-05:00

I LOVE the new August JBS kits! Just sharing some sneak peeks nad the big reveal on the 1st so check back!!

We have been very busy here with my youngest Kamy wanting to ride her new bike EVERY single day. We try and take her on a bike ride and no amount of distance is ever enough. She wants to keep on going! A couple shots of the happy girl...

Just a quickie post to show...

2009-07-27T08:21:00.003-05:00

a sneak peek of the brand NEW Jenni Bowlin :) Back later to post some more!

Happy Birthday to my baby...

2009-07-24T21:46:00.002-05:00

She's not a baby anymore because now she's four. I am officially without toddlers in my house. I really can't believe my youngest is four years old! Our family spent the day pampering her, doing whatever she wanted to do. I think she LOVED it...HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAMRYN MICHELLE!

Amongst the tragedies....

2009-07-22T17:34:00.005-05:00

there is still my kids that make me smile each and every single day.

There was a murder in my hometown this week, actually right across the street from my home. We are a very small rural town and this shook the town to its core, and definitely me, too. Makes me feel soo good to see it not phase my kids as much as I thought it would, cuz they still want to play, they still want to take walks, they still want to go swimming, and they still want to BE KIDS! So I took this opportunity to snap some photos of them. They make me smile when I see how carefree they can be.

I cherish every moment even more now and when they are starting to wear my patience thin, I try to remind myself just how lucky I really am!

And on a scrappy note, I got a WONDERFUL email this morning notifying me that I wont the contest over at the Pagemaps Blog!!! I will receive a $50 gift certificate from EAD Designs. I can't believe I actually won!!
Here's the layout that was entered....

a big thanks goes to Jenni Bowlin Studios for all the goodies that were used to create this page :)

All the mini's are SOLD....so I added one more :)

2009-07-17T19:49:00.003-05:00

All three ofthe minis sold out so I decided to keep on creating! I made the latest mini album entitled "Beautiful", using some Basic Grey sultry patterned paper and you can see it IN MY ETSY STORE! I am honestly addicted to my heart punch so I believe I will be making a layout just like this with all the hearts for the background :) Go check it out if you like, and here's just a sneak peek for you...

I am felling truly inspired tonight, so back to scrapping I go! I am secretly hoping for an early bed time for the kids :)

JBS Product Spotlight!

2009-07-16T22:12:00.003-05:00

I was lucky enough to do the blog post over at the Jenni Bowlin Studios Inspiration blog today. I talked a little bit about patterned paper and gave a tip on how to make a cute lil heart out of JBS cardstock stickers using the #8 and the letter v. GO CHECK IT OUT HERE!! But for now, here are some sneak peeks of the layout...

Walk together.....

2009-07-15T11:08:00.002-05:00

I love the little things in life....like my view of the girls during walks...they gallop and skip and run and jump and dance up ahead of me or lag behind. Whichever way they walk, it is a moment to be cherished. I hope I never take these moments for granted, because before I know it, they will be grown and gone :)

The flu bug bit....

2009-07-14T23:26:00.005-05:00

and it's biting my lil three year old HARD right now....thankfully it is late at night and she is sleeping, but just about two short hours ago, her fever spiked badly to 103.9 as she vomited and shivered....POOR GIRL! Got her in the cool bathtub, and the fever went down to a little under 102. I am burning the midnight oil here trying to stay awake until midnight so that I may give her another dose of meds before I turn in for the evening. Lets all say a lil prayer for her that she wakes up tomorrow feeling much better than she did all day today....she REALLY wants to go to the pool tomorrow :)
So to keep me awake, I have been editing photos....I will share and then I will retire to bed!! I have got to get me some sleep!

I just wish my son was as cooperative at looking at the camera sometimes as the girls are....he is constantly on the go, so all the pics I have of him are in motion :)

Posted another mini, then a photo....

2009-07-12T16:34:00.003-05:00

I got another mini album made from a vintage children's musical book posted in my etsy store...go take a look HERE!! Working on another one as we speak made from all vintage world atlas pages :)

Just one photo to share with you and nothing scrappy....been way too busy taking care of my kids and keeping them entertained in this WEIRD summer weather we are having :)

Have you ever tried to capture a shadow of your subject you are photographing? May sound like a very easy task for some, but for me with three MOVING subjects, it has eluded me until yesterday!! I finally got a good shot with a good shadow! My three year old was giving her 'baby' a ride on her bike and I just had the chance....

Have you ever tried to get a shot like that? Or am I the only crazy one? If you do have one, share it with me, I would LOVE to see it!

Added a couple

2009-07-07T21:34:00.004-05:00

little mini albums to my etsy store! I decided that I have WAY TOO MUCH patterned paper in my stash that I will not let go unused so I am cranking out the minis to share! You can find them here at All Things Vintage!

Just one photo for the day....one photo that when I first looked at it after uploading, I was not impressed with. But the more I looked at it, the more the picture spoke to me. I added some edits and journaling in picnik and now it's my favorite photo of the week!

Ooooh and I got to see some of the new releases for JBS Mercantile.....WOWSA you are all going to be soo impressed and soo thrilled and want to have each and every piece available!! I am not even kidding! :) There should be some sneaky peeks late in the week so stay tuned!!

What a weekend!!

2009-07-06T08:05:00.003-05:00

All in all it was a fantastic weekend filled with some good weather, some not soo pleasant rainy weather, lots of fireworks, TONS of photos, and now some sleepy kids! They are still trying to catch up on their sleep from being up late watching two different fireworks displays :)

In between times, I already had a chance to scrap one of my FAVORITE pictures of the weekend using the PAGEMAPS SKETCH for the contest they are having on their blog. I knew I wanted to get this picture printed out right away and scrap it, and the PAGEMAPS BLOG gave me just the perfect inspiration!

I am on vacation ALL WEEK this week....nothing planned except for quality time with my kids doing whatever whenever wherever :) I adore having NO PLANS!!!

Happy Independence Day!!

2009-07-04T16:00:00.003-05:00

Editing photos....

2009-07-02T22:58:00.004-05:00

Besides taking photos and scrapbooking, this is one of my favorite things to do. And I am totally NOT into the expensive software that you can do layers and masks and blah blah blah....I just dont understand it, I dont have the patience for it, and frankly I dont know if I will ever understand it. I use Picasa 3 to upload and do the minor editing of each and every photo. It is a free downloadable software program and is VERY simple to learn....that's what I like! :) If I really want to play around with a photo to see what I can come up with, I also use a FREE online service called Picnik. It has soo many free features and soo much experimenting to do! They also have a premiere service for just a small fee but for now I am sticking with free :)

Just thought I would share some pictures I edited tonight in Picnik....can NOT WAIT to be taking hundreds more over the next couple days!!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

It's July reveal day!!!

2009-07-01T08:53:00.006-05:00

and the JBS Mercantile gallery is OVERFLOWING with some superb inspiration!! sharing my part of the reveal here.... :)

What a fantastic kit this was!!! and honestly my favorite part about all of it was the project kit which you can find HERE which led me to create this...

It is a free standing chipboard layout....dont you just love it?? I love that it is on display for everyone to see where ever I want and the kids just love looking at themselves in it :) My son was even kind enough to say that 'Yes Mom, you are VERY Lucky" :)

One more round of sneak peeks...

2009-06-29T13:10:00.002-05:00

before the big gallery reveal on the 1st!!!

I am in <3 with this kit...

2009-06-26T09:52:00.003-05:00

the kit comiing out in July really gives me the feel of summer and fun and fairs and all that it entails....I am lucky enough to share this layout with you before the big reveal!

Besides my current obsession with heart punches, I love the look of the banners on layouts as well as just created them for display! They are soo easy to make, too and gives your layouts a whimsy touch :)

Just came back to add that i have been adding some new vintage goodies to my etsy store if you would like to take a peek see....more to come in the following week :)
All things Vintage

Ooooh la la la....

2009-06-24T10:35:00.002-05:00

I have MORE sneak peeks of the JBS July Kit!! This layout is fast becoming my favorite EVER!!!

And stay tuned for some new additions to my Etsy store!!

It's that time again....

2009-06-22T08:17:00.004-05:00

I have been working with the new JBS Mercantile kit for July and have a couple layouts done so far! How bout a couple sneaky peeks?? :)

And I am continuing to cut paper and be inspired! The papercrafting kit is FULL of such beautiful papers and of course the embellishments that JBS has provided are soo inspiring as well. I can't wait for the big reveal!

And of course I have been busy with the kids and the pool and the games and the non stop rain that we seem to be getting hit with. Pictures tell the story best, right? These first two pictures were edited in Picnik, one of my favorite online editing places.

For the girls picture I just used the "orton-ish" feature and toned it down a bit, then added some text. For the picture of Kamy sitting on the curb waiting for the ice cream truck, I did the focal black and white setting as well as the orton-ish feature. I just love picnik! It's free and has soo many fun things to try!

As for the rain, we could certainly do WITHOUT right now. Last night the sirens in town went off twice and sent us scampering to the basement for a bit...not a pleasant experience withthree kids, but they are real troopers when it comes to bad weather! They stay relatively calm and treat it like an adventure. After all the rain last night the streets in town were full to the brim....

I am officially ready to say I am sick of the rain!!!!

Losing track of the days....

2009-06-17T20:08:00.003-05:00

honestly the time during this summer break is sliding right by me faster than I can even fathom. We have been doing a LOTS of this type of thing...

Games every night between the two kids and the pool....oooh how the kids love the pool! Fine with me now that the weather is warming up...we actually got to go to a game WITHOUT it raining on us AND without wearing a sweatshirt and long pants! so if I seem MIA, that's my story!

Stay tuned within the next week I will be posting some sneaky peeks of JBS MERCANTILE'S July kit that you will NOT want to miss :)

A couple of creations to share....

2009-06-11T22:36:00.003-05:00

I have been running the rat race here with the kids, going hiking, ball games, the pool, you name it, but still managed to crank out a couple layouts with some Jenni Bowlin goodies in my stash :)

And I would love to give a big SHOUT to DORIS SANDER who inspired the 3-d hearts on my page. She is soo incredibly talented and I knew the moment I saw the hearts on her page, that I had to try it. So THANK YOU DORIS!!!

On the go, go GO

2009-06-10T07:41:00.005-05:00

story of my life right now...not barely a moment to spare, ball games every night but Thursday (but on Thursday I work my part time job), the pool, and long long long walks through Gateway Park with five kids and a squirrely beagle :) Wouldn't trade it for the world! Some days I could do WITHOUT the rain and would LOVE to see temps above 80 degrees for a change. What I wouldn't do to watch a baseball game in shorts and a tee instead of wrapped in a blanket with long pants and a sweatshirt, tennies and no flip flops :( Warmer weather seems to be eluding us so far!

So there has been NOT HARDLY A CHANCE for me to create in the last week with all the activities for the kids. I miss that, I truly do. But I keep snapping lots of photos so that when I do finally get some time to create, I have lots of inspiration like this picture I can't wait to get printed out...

SOO FRUSTRATED!!

2009-06-07T08:21:00.003-05:00

And if anyone out there knows what is wrong with my computer and WHY I am not able to upload any photos to any internet site or even to email, could you please let me know? That's the reason I haven't blogged. I have soo many new photos and some new creations to share but cant! Here's what happens. I got to any site like facebook, flikr, my email, whatever, pick the photo I want to upload, click ok, and then it just sits there and only uploads half way. After sitting there and waiting for it to upload, the screen turns grey and goes to a page that says an error message like I can't connect to the internet????? I have googled the problem and searched high and low for answers and NOTHING! One of the solutions says to disable my add ons, so I did. That worked for one day....now it's back to not working! This computer is not even a year old and I am about in tears! soooo the story of my life right now is research into why I can't upload! If you know of anything I should try....LET ME KNOW!!! Until later......hopefully I will figure it out today and be back to sharing....WISH ME LUCK!

UPDATE TO MY PROBLEM!!!!

It's working and I feel sooo much better!!! I spent soo much time last night trying to figure it out and all I did this morning was reset my modem and NOW IT'S WORKING!! So of course I am sharing just one photo for now...

I have LOTS more to share but will wait til later today to post them and you can see just how 'busy' I have been with the kiddies and their new found love of the swimming pool :)

JBS June Kit Creations!

2009-06-01T08:08:00.003-05:00

And make sure you check out the NEW JENNI BOWLIN STUDIOS MERCANTILE site!! Galleries are for June are not up yet but will be soon! Lots of exciting new things to be seen there! I love the new look of the site incorporating the whole 'general store' feeling. It's going to be a BIG hit with all!

Tomorrow is the reveal day!!!

2009-05-31T08:28:00.003-05:00

Over at JBS Mercantile! Are you ready to see all the great new changes? they even have a new look...

copied directly from the Jenni Bowlin Studios Inspirational blog...

The kit club we all know and love now has a new name "JBS Mercantile" and its very own website set to launch on June 1st!

http://www.jbsmercatile.com

You can read all about it on Jenni Bowlin's Blog.

And OF COURSE I am posting a couple more teasers for you to look foward to for tomorrow!

I think this is the longest blog post in a LONG TIME for me....have something else exciting to share....my JBS Patriotic Mini Bingo Cards tutorial is up on the wholesale sit for JBS!! Wahooo! So if you would like detailed, step by step instructions WITH photos to help you along the way, go HERE and you can make this garland to decorate your home for Independence Day!

How bout ONE MORE sneak peek??

2009-05-28T20:38:00.004-05:00

I am soo excited about the reveal on June 1st! Lots of big changes coming JBS way!! The June kit is AMAZING!

My kiddies are officially on SUMMER BREAK!! I am actually feeling really relieved at this point to NOT have to drag them out of bed and push them toget dressed, eat a good breakfast, and out the door. As each year passes, they get older and that just means more and more things we can do together! I think that's what I am really excited for. Pools, long walks, playing at the park, story time at the library, we will stay busy if it kills me! The entire school every year does t shirt tye dye and the whole school wears the shirts on the last day....they looked quite dashing in their shirts I must say! The first picture is of my kids and the daycare clan all decked out in tye dye...

Brayden's solo picture was absolutely nutty since he had to be a goofball in it....so I am saving him the embarrasment and not posting it :)

How bout a full reveal of JUST ONE....

2009-05-27T09:23:00.003-05:00

layout for the June kit for Jenni Bowling Studios??

You can also find more reveals on the JBS Inspirational blog!!

Ooooh and I have just finished another layout that I just HAD TO show you a sneak....this one I have been working on for three days!

How bout some JUNE SNEAK PEEKS???

2009-05-25T13:38:00.002-05:00

I just can't tell you enough how FESTIVE and fun the June kit from Jenni Bowlin Studios is for June! The colors are amazing and I can't stop the ideas from flowing which is a good thing! But for now, a couple sneak peeks to get you excited and curious :)

Time for family get togethers....

2009-05-23T19:57:00.005-05:00

Went to my mom's home today for some wonderful down home cookin on the grill, playing outside, and taking lots of pictures! very relaxing and the weather was great. Got some very cute snapshots that I cannot wait to print out....

Stay tuned in the next couple days I will have some sneak peeks of the Jenni Bowlin Studios June kit that you will NOT want to go without :)

Oh and my favorite picture of the day....if only you could here her calling these 'hewipopters'!!

Want to learn how to make....

2009-05-21T08:15:00.002-05:00

a festive banner like this one below to decorate your home for the July 4th holiday??

well you will be able to do just that and more after June 1st when the new Jenni Bowlin site goes live!! The site is planning on posting tutorials every month along witha ton of other fun inspiration! Bookmark the JBS Inspiration blog for more info!

SERIOUSLY only 4 1/2 more days left in the school year? Say it ain't so! I am shocked how fast this year went and soo excited to welcome in summer and all of our busy activities! Are you ready for your summer to start? :)

A boy and his dog....

2009-05-20T20:05:00.003-05:00

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words and I personally think this picture fits the bill :)

I used all new Jenni Bowlin Studios product aside from the vintage book pages. even used some of my scraps from the patriotic bingo cards to make the leaves of the flower. I am soo inspired by the colors in her new line that I am off and running tonight to create some more!

Beautiful day for some Track and Field....

2009-05-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

The weather couldn't have been more perfect! today was the Elementary rescheduled Track and Field Day. Since I have on child in 4th grade and one child in kindergarten, I was there the entire day!! One in the morning one in the afternoon. Needless to probably say I got a little too much sun, and so did all the rest of my kiddies, but honestly it was such a great day all around and soo much fun to see the kids participate. And of course I have photos :)

Kids were exhausted and now they are crashed! Can't wait til next year!

LOTS of chances to win...

2009-05-17T14:45:00.003-05:00

over at the Jenni Bowlin Studios Inspirational blog! You can find the link RIGHT HERE. THERE'S A CHANCE TO WIN RIGHT NOW!!! Make sure to bookmark the site and check back every day for your chance to win!

New additions to the Etsy store!

2009-05-16T16:16:00.001-05:00

CAN BE FOUND RIGHT HERE!!

Here's a little preview of what's in store ;-)

Clearing out my etsy store....

2009-05-15T21:41:00.002-05:00

I just went thru my etsy store and did a little price dropping! Like half off the albums that are left, so go get them while you can. I need to make room for the new things I will be adding to the store this weekend!

Here's the link:

All Things Vintage

If you see something you would like to have personalized or even a custom order, just let me know. I'm up for just about anything!

Preparing already for July 4th...

2009-05-15T15:34:00.003-05:00

well sort of anyway ;-) When I got my Jenni Bowlin Studios Mini Patriotic bingo cards in the mail, I was immediately inspired. I went straight to work with them and here's what I created...

Working on a tutorial for this one...stay tuned for that.

Those eyes had me...

2009-05-14T12:40:00.004-05:00

at hello....

How can one NOT have their heart completely melt when you look into those eyes? I am seriously wanting to scrap this picture RIGHT NOW! But must find the perfect paper with the perfect shade of blue....any suggestions??

My Jenni Bowlin May creations!

2009-05-13T13:23:00.005-05:00

And there is a lot to share! I really couldn't stop creating with the Jenni Bowlin May kits....you can find them HERE if they are not sold out yet! My favorite thing to create this month had to be the birthday cake! I just fell in love with the new bingo cards!

They obliged me with a photo shoot....

2009-05-10T20:52:00.005-05:00

with absolutely no complaints! and I loved every single minute of it...the best Mother's day present I could ask for ;-)

Happy Mommy's day!

2009-05-10T09:04:00.001-05:00

just to remember what this day is all about...

I can't wait for more of this....

2009-05-09T22:15:00.002-05:00

Aaaah I love May!!

How bout a couple more peeks??

2009-05-07T20:40:00.003-05:00

just two...from what I created using the SOLD OUT Jenni Bowlini Studios May Project kit. But I know now why it's sold out....I was inspired the moment I laid eyes on it ;-)

JBS Sneak Peeks...

2009-05-06T15:19:00.002-05:00

just two sneaky peeks for now....still in the paper flying stage of creating but just HAD TO show you a little teaser ;-)

Be sure to come back May 12th and see the full reveal!

It's Teacher Appreciation week....

2009-05-04T10:27:00.003-05:00

Did you remember? Did you create something for your child's teacher to let them know just how much we APPRECIATE what they do each and every day? If not, you have all week to do something special for that certain teacher! If you have made something, link me up so I can see!

I made a 4x6 scrapbook for my daughter's kindergarten teacher...added lots of pages of patterned paper to have her add her own photos to remember the school year by...

I used some of my favorite items from Jenni Bowlin Studios as well as some vintage book pages and flowers. I hope she loves it!

The Scraplove "Decorate Your Life" crop was a huge success and the girls got soo much done! I am incredibly impressed at all the mojo that was flying around on National scrapbooking day! I even got a couple layouts done this weekend ;-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNI!!

2009-05-01T20:17:00.002-05:00

I hope that you had a beautiful day! I just wanted to thank you for all that you do and for giving me this opportunity to be a part of your team....it is really like a dream come true!!!

JOIN US!!!!!

2009-05-01T06:56:00.002-05:00

Make sure you stop over and join us for the Decorate Your Life Crop at Scraplove this weekend!! You do NOT want to miss out on the fun, chat, challenges, classes, games, and a HUGE prize donated by none other than Jenni Bowlin Studios worth over $50!!!!

Come Decorate Your Life....

2009-04-27T20:44:00.005-05:00

with me over at Scraplove for an online crop I am hosting May 1st-3rd!! It is an unbelieveably AWESOME group of women who chat and scrap together and thought I would give you all in invitation to attend. I will be hosting an online class on Saturday...here's just a sneaky peek of what you will be making...oooh and you will need your glue gun!!

Lots of challenges, games, chat, and prizes, so come on over and get to decorating your life with paper!!

Oooh and thought I would share what I have been creating with the Jenni Bowlin line of product....just a sneak tho...not done yet but almost...

Just a couple of the items I used to create with...

I am smitten with the mini papers! I mean how much more clever can you be than to make the small papers for my small projects?? Nothing goes to waste!

I will be giving instructions on how you can create this one, too during the crop at Scraplove!!

Hope to see you there!

I have sooo much vintage book paper...

2009-04-14T22:13:00.003-05:00

that I thought I would share the wealth and create some things for my ETSY STORE!

I have created two premade albums so far and you can find them here...

All Things Vintage

and just to peak your curiousity...

If you see something you like, and maybe would like an album personalized, just give me a shout out and I will see what we can do!

Jenni Bowlin's April Papercrafting kit!

2009-04-13T07:46:00.004-05:00

Oh I just LOVE this kit...PERFECT for this time of year!! Here's what I have created so far with the papercrafting kit, project kit, and add ons....

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:10:00.004-05:00

What a great excuse to let kids eat candy all day long, right? ;-) Just some pictures to share of the easter festivities in our hometown...

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

MORE sneaky peeks!!!

2009-04-10T17:49:00.003-05:00

;-) The final reveal is Sunday!!! You can find all the creations from the Jenni Bowlin DT RIGHT HERE!!

April Sneaky Peeks ;-)

2009-04-09T07:36:00.002-05:00

for the Jenni Bowlin kit for April!!

More to come soon!

Anything but scrapping...

2009-03-31T10:35:00.005-05:00

that describes my life to a T right now. Have done barely anything creative in the last month due to getting the home improvement bug...will just show you pictures....

Ok I guess that the frames are the creative part...used some GORGEOUS vintage goodies from Jenni Bowlin's kits and a couple of my own finds for the framed wall decorations. What an ordeal this has been, exhausting and soo satisfying both at the same time. So that is where I have been and what I have been doing. I will be scrapping with the new Jenni kit coming out soon and I just cant wait for that!!

And the new dinig room colors...

And last night I got crazy with the STEAL OF A DEAL on a gallon of very girly pinnk paint for the girls room. Have three walls of the pink done and contemplating polka dots on the other wall ;-)

WoW it's been awhile...

2009-03-20T07:29:00.005-05:00

since I updated. I feel not soo overwhelmed by kitchen work animore so things are almost getting back to normal there. At least we can cook now without worrying about sawdust or paint being in our food ;-)

I never posted my creations for the March Jenni Bowlin kit here so I will do that now ;-)

Now I am determined to use my stash. I realized that there is way way way too much paper in my stock. Why not try and use it all, right? I would love to use up what I have before I buy anything new...LOL! Don't see that happening but I can try. I did this layout based on a challenge from Treasured scrapbooking. I rarely EVER use green and this was just the boost of mojo I needed!

this post is seeming to get sort of picture heavy, but that's what I get for not updating in soo long. I have lots of nice weather pictures of the kids that I will post next time. ;-)

Just one more before tomorrow's reveal....

2009-03-11T22:12:00.002-05:00

from the Jenni Bowlin project kit found HERE!

Tomorrow is the gallery reveal at the Jenni Bowlin site, so check it out

RIGHT HERE!!!

March Sneak Peeks ;-)

2009-03-10T15:47:00.002-05:00

Sneaky peeks for the March Jenni Bowlin kit found HERE!

still feverishly creating with all the stuff that comes in these kits! Loving the process...thought my mojo had abandoned me. As soon as I caught wind of the kit, the mojo was back in full force!

Come back in the next few days to see the full reveal ;-)

A little more progress....

2009-03-04T22:31:00.003-06:00

Still too much to do to comprehend paint wise but it's getting there day by day. Loving the fact that we can do all this ourselves for very little money!

And the good news is I AM SCRAPPING!! Have been on a creative hiatus for far too long and now that streak is broken and I just might be up for another hour tonight. I'm on a roll!

Talk about MIA...

2009-02-25T21:10:00.004-06:00

Wow I have not done a blog post in quite some time and this might be an official record for me....I am going to do better. Some things here at the homefront have kept me quite busy for the last week now. We got the bug to redo our kitchen. Just decided we were tired of looking at the white walls and WENT FOR IT FULL ON COLOR! Well at least for me it was a bold step to say the least. ;-) I have thoroughly enjoyed the process and we are in the middle of it being done...disaster of course, painting walls, painting all the cabinets and distressing them, heck I even painted and distressed all the light switch and plug in outlet covers! I can't wait for the transformation to be complete so the mess can GO AWAY. Just a little more painting of the cabinets, removing and adding new hardware, a new floor, and countertops and we are FINISHED. Here are some Work In Progress pictures...

I think that I have the floor all picked out and not soo sure about the countertops as we dont want to spend the MOTHERLOAD on them, either. I am soo excited and this process just couldn't go fast enough for me ;-)
Other than the kitchen I have been busy working my part time job and loving every single minute of it, but I must admit it is taking away a lot of my creative time. I MUST do something to make sure I pencil in some time each week to relax and let me get my creative jouices flowing again! Any suggestions would be MUCH APPRECIATED!

February Jenni Creations!

2009-02-18T06:45:00.004-06:00

I am hoping to get some creative time in this weekend because I am definitely needing it! Winter can just go away at any time now....kids are starting to get sick and bring home germs from other places, miss school, and spring couldn't get here any faster!!

Jenni Bowlin Sneak Peeks...

2009-02-09T14:40:00.003-06:00

I have been diving head first into the February kits for Jenni Bowlin and thought I would share some sneak peeks!

And I still have soo much to create! Check back later this week for more sneaky peeks and the full reveal ;-)