Monday Moments, and vote for me!

How did it happen that it's Monday again? Wow! Kind of the same way I feel about Caroline being nine months old. She has officially been out just as long as she was in...

I posted this photo of her in the dress I made over on the Michael Miller Facebook page. If you "like" it, I have a chance to win 10 yards of fabric! So go visit and like the photos of people's projects, and if you have a project of your own made exclusively of Michael Miller Fabrics, enter along with me! 

In other news, I have been slacking at posting my Speed Scrap layouts here. I really enjoy the prompts as they force me to try things I wouldn't normally. 

Made with the adorable Brickworks kit.

Last Sunday I did this cute Lego page for Gabe. This Sunday I scrapped some more pictures from the photographer. 

Created with Siblings are Forever

Instead of paying for prints of all of these, then buying a photo album to put them into, I'm making a book. I'm going to try to put most of the 93 photos I got back into it. Some of them are definitely not frame worthy, but they do tell a story and are perfect for a scrapbook! 

Monday Moments: Tuesday Edition

I had a pretty decent week. I managed to finish some sewing, and we took the kids to visit their 96 year old great grandmother. It was a really nice visit, although for pretty sad reasons. Grandma has recently been diagnosed with leukemia and at her age, there isn't much they can do for her. I know that we were all wondering if we were saying goodbye for the last time when we left. She seems to be doing well, but cancer is an awful beast. 


We took some photos with her, but Gabe did his usual in front of the camera and the pictures are not good! I hope we have a chance to get more. 

A good picture of Grandma with the kids, taken two years ago.

A sewing finish!

Back in March I posted a photo of an embroidered face I had finished for a doll. Recently, a very good friend asked me if I had anything I could finish quickly for an auction to benefit the family of a cancer victim. I love it when things come together perfectly!

I love how she turned out in vintage inspired prints in red/pink and blue! I may whip up something else for the silent auction if I have time, but I have a couple other projects that I have promised to my youngest sister that I need to finish first. 

If you'd like to make your own bunny, the pattern can be found here, as can the skirt. I seriously altered it to make this gathered, aproned number, but the skirts included are so cute! 

Layout made with free mini kit

I am always so late posting these challenges, but this week's challenge at the My Memories blog was a great one! They call it "Footloose and Fancy Free" and the only rule was you had to incorporate a freebie from their site. I made this entire page from this Connie Prince Sampler. Connie is also the creator of that adorable Rock N' Roll kit I used in one of my purse cards. She is definitely becoming a "go-to" designer for me when I am kit shopping!


Content from the My Memories store can be downloaded under a general installer, so even if you use another software to do your digital layouts you can still go grab any of their freebies! 

Monday Moments

Standing inside a dinosaur footprint

We took the kids to Chicago last weekend. We had been planning it for awhile when Victoria came bounding home from school one day to excitedly tell us that her field trip this year was going to be to the exact museum we had been planning on visiting this summer. Ugh! Fortunately, at the last minute they offered her class a vote and all of the kids banded together and chose a different activity! 

There's nothing like experiencing a new place together, as a family. When even one person has been it can sometimes be a race to get to their favorite places, a race where you miss everything else along the way. 

Needless to say, Chicago kept us busy, and when we came home my husband and I needed a few days to recover. 

Only recovering isn't so easy anymore. Caroline wants to walk, so badly! She crawls everywhere and pulls herself up to stand on everything. Which is amazing, because at her 7 month pictures she couldn't even get on all fours without falling down every few times. 

Now I'm chasing that cute little butt everywhere! She wants to know about the refrigerator, and electrical outlets and the foot pedal for my sewing machine. She wants to chew on the dog toys (even the raw hide ones) and her brother's shoes, she wants to crawl in the grocery store...

So when I say that I have sewing plans for this week (and I do, I really mean it!) you can now maybe understand if they don't get done. 

Monday Moments: Tuesday Edition

I got my pictures back from the photographer last week, and I thought I'd share just a few of them that I have put into scrapbook pages lately. 

First off, is my entry into the "I want to remember" challenge on the My Memories blog this week.

I want to remember Caroline's milestones. They're coming so fast now! She sat up, and nine days later she crawled for the first time, just a few inches, and now she's completely mobile working on standing on her own! I need to get out the baby book and write these down before I forget! 

Next is the result of my Speed Scrap on the My Memories Facebook page Sunday night. 

I have been looking at these photos for a week now and they still make me melt! Look at those expressions! 

Lastly, because it doesn't fit anywhere else, the challenge a week ago was to create a list of pictures we wanted to capture over the summer. I love this idea! I really think a list like this will make me more likely to get out and take the kids places instead of waiting for the weekends when their daddy is home. Three kids on my own can be a bit intimidating! 

Fourth of July (and other) Scrapbook Freebies

It's Monday, though later than I planned on Monday, and I am back, as promised with the new My Memories Freebie! Cupcake wrappers and toppers (per my request on their Facebook group)! 




This adorable Fourth of July set (and you can use the papers to scrap your weekend festivities later)! 




This adorable picnic themed set that also comes with some great, basic, tone on tone colors. 




And this, seriously classy black and white set! This time they're pretty self-explanatory. Just cut out and tape the wrappers together. For the toppers, either cut out or use a 1 1/4 inch circle punch and adhere to a toothpick with adhesive foam squares. You can even tie cute little ribbon around the picks! 


Of course, you can use any paper in these templates, including outside content! It's so easy to use papers from designers who aren't affiliated with My Memories! Here are some cupcakes I decorated with both My Memories and outside content. 

The bottom two cupcakes came from this adorable Father's Day kit that I think could also make great cupcakes and cards for a dad's birthday (my husband's is coming up soon)! 

The top cupcake and this one were decorated with a kit called Birthday Circus that contains, birthday, party, circus and carnival themed items. It's really cute and versatile! How adorable would these be paired with the crown freebie from a few weeks ago? 

Lastly, if none of these freebies were up your alley, I do know of one more out there. Erin Bradley has a really cute group of Fourth of July themed papers available for free right now! She has a ton of cute stuff on her site that would make an amazing themed party! 

Scrapbook Sunday with Freebies!

I thought I had more time to get these My Memories Freebies to you, but there is a little rumor that they're putting out a new one tomorrow for the Fourth of July! (I may have requested it and seen an amazing preview for it...just maybe!) 


This time the freebie is paper purses to use as invitations or greeting cards. So seriously cute and I didn't want anyone to miss the chance to grab it! 

Purse Card Tutorial

1.  Print your Purse Card templates on cardstock and gather supplies.  (Recommended supplies: small craft scissors, bone folder, 8-12" of ribbon, stapler, tape or velcro)
TIP: To print your information on the inside create another page with the template in place.  Put all your text and embellishments in (leaving a little room on the edges) and then remove the template right before exporting or printing the inside page on the back of the first.  This will keep from having to worry about if the templates line up exactly when cutting out your card.


2.  Using the scissors cut along outside line.



3.  Fold card at indentations.
TIP: Using a bone folder will help you get crisp edges on your project.


4.  Repeat by folding down top flap.


5.  Staple ribbon to both sides of your card on the inside to look like a strap or handle.


6.  Enjoy the finished cards and share.  Don't forget to use your imagination.  The possibilites are endless!

Cute, right? You can choose your free template in the blue and yellow boy version shown here, or one of two girly versions in pink and black or pink and purple. As usual, these templates can be completely customized in My Memories Suite (and if you don't have the software my handy code in the sidebar will get you both $10 off and a $10 credit to the My Memories store)! Ready to see mine? 

Two very different styles (that I have yet to find the perfect ribbon handles for)! I am having so much fun with these new freebies! I used Hush Little Baby and I Love Rock N' Roll with a hot pink background from another kit. It was also the perfect excuse to try out this Facebook fan freebie Wild Child alpha! Love it! 

Check back tomorrow for links to more freebies!