Tracy's Whimsical Thoughts

Dance Class

2011-07-08T14:55:00.003-04:00

Pictures of Dance Class! I love it!

Dance Recital!!!

2011-07-08T14:41:00.004-04:00

I have never been more proud of my daughter than when she dances. This pages are from her recital.....

Down on the Farm!

2011-07-08T14:36:00.003-04:00

Back in November (!) of 2006, I met up with some friends that I met on an online pregnancy group! We stayed at a B&B in Lancaster County, and then we visited Christmas Candylane in Hershey! Here are the layouts from that! :)

Family Party!

2011-07-08T14:08:00.003-04:00

I am SO behind in uploading pictures here, but I *have* been scrapping! In fact, a few weekends ago, I got together with some BFFs for a weekend of friendship, scrapbooking, laughter, and fun! I got 34 pages scrapped, but more importantly, I scrapped TWO events that are from a few years ago!

These pictures are from a family birthday party from 2009! I'm so glad to have them finished!

My grandma and Kacy

2011-03-15T17:51:00.001-04:00

Here is a CTMH digital layout I did of my grandmother and my daughter. Love the colors!!!

Easter 2009!

2011-03-15T14:06:00.001-04:00

With these layouts, I am ALL CAUGHT UP with Easter pictures!

At least, until this year! :)

Easter 2007

2011-03-15T13:54:00.003-04:00

Yay!!! Easter 2007 is DONE!!!

Took long enough, right?

Princess Tea Layout

2011-03-08T13:57:00.002-05:00

My daughter went to a Princess Tea party last summer. The layouts aren't fancy, but I like them anyway! :)

Beautiful scrapbook pages...

2011-03-07T21:08:00.002-05:00

If I do say so myself!

I've had these pictures for quite a while now (as you can see by the date stamp on the photos!). I was waiting for paper that was "just right" to use, because these pictures are just gorgeous (I didn't take them, so I can say that).

I've had this paper since last summer. I love, love, LOVE purple, and I love, love, LOVE this paper!!! And I was waiting for just the right pictures to use for this gorgeous paper.

Serendipity, perhaps?

Nope. Just desperation to scrap *something* in a short amount of time. I do love it when something wonderful happens quite by accident! :)

Enjoy!!!

Christmas cards

2011-02-06T20:27:00.004-05:00

I'll admit it- since my daughter was born in 2005, I haven't sent any handmade Christmas cards. For shame, for shame.

Now, I *have* sent photo cards to show off my adorable daughter, of course! But I have a goal to mail out handstamped cards AND include a picture of my adorable daughter! A lofty goal, indeed!

That being said, my goal is to stamp 10 cards each month so that I'll be all ready for Christmas! Here are my first two....

Another Christmas layout

2011-01-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

This was a harder layout for me to do. I'm used to doing a two-page layout for each event or occasion. This layout has two different events on it. Both Christmas, but definitely different. But I think it turned out okay.

I especially LOVE the Salvation Army layout! I was SO proud of Kacy for ringing that bell for almost an hour. Her adorable little face and hard work made for a lot of donations in that kettle. What a wonderful experience it was for her- and for us!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2011-01-29T21:33:00.001-05:00

Here is a layout of us decorating the tree. I especially love the picture of Kacy's reflection in the red ornament! :) I also love the blurry picture of the tree- Kacy took that all by herself!

Christmas layouts!

2011-01-29T21:31:00.002-05:00

Here are a few more Christmas layouts!

Christmas Eve 2010!

2011-01-29T21:29:00.001-05:00

Here is a layout from Christmas Eve!

Hello Kitty Birthday Party invitations

2011-01-20T13:51:00.003-05:00

Here are the birthday party invitations I created for my daughter's birthday party! I am seriously Cricut-challenged, so this was a HUGE accomplishment for me! Plus, I had to make 26 or 27 of them, so they had to be simple!

Although you can't see it very well, I used a light pink Stickle for Hello Kitty's nose. No way was I cutting and glueing all those little noses on!

Hope you like them!

Ballet, Dance, and Jazz layouts!

2011-01-09T17:09:00.004-05:00

New Year, New Pages---- right?

We won't talk about the fact that it's been 9 months since I've posted. Let's just start anew, shall we?

That being said, here are some layouts I did of my daughter's dance class and recital!

For those on Spark People, these layouts cover last week's challenge of bling, and this week's challenge of using something round. Yay, me!!!

Enjoy! :)

Chat Room Project

2010-03-19T21:51:00.003-04:00

Winter Layout

2010-03-10T11:11:00.000-05:00

Blue's Clues Birthday Party layout

2010-03-10T11:09:00.001-05:00

These are pictures from Kacy's *first* birthday! Her first birthday is FINALLY all scrapped! LOL

Ice Skating Scrapbook Pages

2010-03-10T11:06:00.002-05:00

Here is the second layout I did when Kacy was ice skating last month. There is another layout, but the first page in that layout is one that I submitted to our LSS for a page contest! I'll post it when I get it back! :)

Roller Derby Queen Scrapbook Pages!

2010-03-10T11:04:00.002-05:00

Kacy went to a roller-skating birthday party back in November. Here are the pictures from there...

Wedding Scrapbook Pages!

2010-03-10T10:59:00.002-05:00

Over the last two Saturdays, I've been able to finally scrap all of my wedding pictures! Here are a few of my completed pages.

I would appreciate some good thoughts, positive vibes, and/or prayers. I can't find any of my honeymoon pictures, and I can't find an invitation from my wedding. I would REALLY like to find these things, so if you can, I'd appreciate any help I can get! :)

Baby Kacy layout

2010-01-12T14:10:00.001-05:00

A little busy, but I think it came together nicely!

Chocolate Face Scrapbook Layout

2010-01-12T14:08:00.001-05:00

These pictures are nearly 4 years old! I have tried over the years to scrap these pictures, and it just could not come together! Finally, inspiration struck, and here they are!!!

Birthday Party Layout

2010-01-11T11:07:00.001-05:00

MaKenna and some of her classmates with birthdays that are close went together and had a sleepover birthday party at Paramount Sports Complex! Kacy goes there for gymnastics, and she loves it! She even slept over the entire night- first time ever sleeping over away from Mommy and Daddy! Of course, she went to sleep at 3:30 in the morning, and was up around 7:00 am, but still.... better than nothing! :)

Easter Layout

2010-01-11T11:06:00.003-05:00

Here is a simple Easter layout. My goal is to scrap ALL my Easter pictures from the past 3 years BEFORE this Easter! LOL

Wedding Scrapbook Pages

2010-01-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

Here are some more wedding album pages I completed over the weekend. Only about 24 more pictures left to scrap! Then it's on to scrapping the cards and other memorabilia!

Gymnastics Show Layout

2009-12-16T22:01:00.002-05:00

Here are pictures from Kacy's first gymnastic show back in 2007:

Relay for Life layout

2009-12-16T21:56:00.002-05:00

I scrapped some pages last Saturday. Here are two Relay for Life layouts. Nothing special, but I definitely wanted to remember them. We have several Survivors on our team and in our family, and we started our team in honor of them. These pictures are from June 2009.

Christmas Layouts

2009-11-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

These are older pictures, and I finally scrapped them!!! Yay, me!!!

Tap Dance Pictures!

2009-11-22T21:18:00.001-05:00

Oh, how I love to watch her dance!!! She is SO into it!!!

I know the paper isn't your typical dance paper, but seriously, I loved the music notes in the background and just could not resist!!!

Yes! I'm posting! Fall Layouts, even!

2009-11-22T21:14:00.004-05:00

Busy, busy, busy!!! Other than that simple word, I have no excuse for not posting. Other than the fact that I really have NOT been scrapbooking, either (shocking, I know). I've just been concentrating on other priorities, and unfortunately, scrapbooking moved down the list a bit.

But... I did host a Scrap-a-thon to benefit my Relay for Life team! That was yesterday, and I got 12 pages done! Woo-hoo! And today I did a few more!

I'll spread them out over a few posts so as not to overwhelm you all! :)

Penn State Scrapbook Layout (Nittany Lion AND JoePa!)

2009-08-15T13:11:00.002-04:00

I think the title says it all! We are HUGE Penn State fans, and Kris graduated from there, too. We took Kacy to State College for the first time last month, and no trip is complete with a photo with the Nittany Lion!

We were hoping for a picture with the Joe Paterno statue, but it POURED that day on and off. It was pouring the first time we passed the statue, but we circled around and by the time we reached it again, it had stopped raining- just for a couple minutes! But that's all we needed to get the shot! :)

Playground Scrapbook Layout

2009-08-12T12:58:00.001-04:00

Honestly, I have more pictures of Kacy at the playground than almost anywhere else!

I hope you like it!

Wedding Scrapbook Layouts

2009-08-11T09:58:00.001-04:00

Here are some more wedding pages! Again, I used our wedding colors of purple, black, and white, and the Wisteria Line by Basic Grey. I also used Pagemaps for a LOT of my layout ideas!

Using Pagemaps is definitely stepping out of my comfort zone, as I'm a die-hard Close to My Heart layout girl! But I think it's good to mix things up- don't you? :)

Wedding Album Layouts

2009-08-08T21:56:00.002-04:00

Here are a few more wedding layouts I've done... more to come by Monday!

Wedding Day pages

2009-08-06T15:36:00.002-04:00

Part of the reason I haven't posted in THREE MONTHS (yikes!) is because I've been working on my wedding pictures. What a daunting task, let me tell you! I found paper (the Wisteria line by Basic Grey) that I just loved, and it works VERY well with my wedding colors of white, black, and purple.

I would love to post all of my pages, but I'll just choose a few to share with you. Maybe I'll even post more tomorrow! :)

Cards Ideas using CTMH stamps!

2009-08-06T15:34:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted cards (or, let's be honest- anything!), but here are the cards I stamped for my Top Ten Sellers on my Tastefully Simple team for May and June!

Both cards are made with CTMH stamps sets.

Winter Layout (with a penguin, too!)

2009-08-05T16:59:00.003-04:00

This layout took me FOREVER to do!!! I just couldn't make it work so that I liked it! And I love penguins, so this was particularly frustrating!

Here is the final layout. It's not my best, but it's cute...

Christmas Picture Layout

2009-08-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

This was a fun and easy one to do!

Playground Layout

2009-08-05T16:52:00.002-04:00

Wow- three months since I've posted on here. I feel like I've been in a whirlwind for the past three months! I had no motivation, and just kind of was "blah"- you know?

I did scrapbook here and there, and here is a layout of Kacy and MaKenna at the playground. I used CTMH products... hope you like it!

Kacy's third birthday party (still!)

2009-05-19T09:48:00.001-04:00

Here is another layout from her third birthday! Can you believe I STILL have more pictures to scrap???

Tracy

Kacy's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-05-18T17:42:00.002-04:00

Here are 8 of the 10 pages I got done at my all-day crop earlier this month! They're all from Kacy's third birthday. Would you believe I STILL have pictures to scrap from her birthday??? Sheesh!

I'll post the last 2 pages in a bit- I ran out of room on my camera card for them! :)

Tracy

My cute little desk organizer!

2009-04-24T14:57:00.003-04:00

Okay, I have NO IDEA where I saw this idea, but I bought the pattern and did it! It turned out REALLY cute, if I do say so myself! It's my first, so it's not perfect, and it was definitely easier than it looked!

Papers are Close to my Heart!

Cousins Layout (with Fox and Hedgehog paper!)

2009-04-20T11:43:00.003-04:00

Here is a quick layout I did yesterday with my adorable FOX and HEDGEHOG paper!!! (and they said it couldn't be done!!!)

Kacy and her cousin...

Kacy's Third Birthday Layout!

2009-04-20T11:37:00.004-04:00

Okay, so she's now FOUR- I'm getting there! It's not like I haven't done her second birthday (well, ONE layout of her second birthday!)! LOL

She had her birthday at Paramount Sports Complex. She took gymnastic classes there, and her teacher, Miss Lynnette, offered to do her party. We couldn't resist that!

Of course, it was a "Disney Princess" theme!!! Hope you like these pages- I still have more to do, but I wanted to get these posted!

Easter Layouts from 2008

2009-04-20T11:20:00.001-04:00

I think I'm finally caught up on Easter 2008! Now, to do Easter 2007...

"Before Kacy" pregnancy layout

2009-04-20T11:14:00.002-04:00

I found (yes, found!) this layout from when I was pregnant with Kacy. Sadly, there aren't many picture of me pregnant, so I cherish these (yes, I *found* them!).

These were taken in January 2005, one month before Kacy was due.

Another FAVORITE layout with my FAVORITE Close to my Heart papers!

2009-03-23T13:47:00.003-04:00

Have I mentioned how IN LOVE with these papers I am???

This is another layout that I started a couple of months ago, but I needed a title. I'm great at journaling, but I'm not that great at coming up with titles. So this sat on my table for a LONG time, until FINALLY the journaling and the title came together! I had journaled a while ago, but only finished the title today.

I really do love how Kacy is always "Embracing Life"! As adults, we tend to forget that at times, don't we?

Princesses on Ice

2009-03-23T13:46:00.002-04:00

Last year, Kris and I took Kacy to the Giant Center in Hershey to see "Princesses on Ice". Unfortunately, my camera isn't top of the line, so the pictures weren't great, but I scrapped them anyway (of course!)! I used lots of Princess paper, which made it easy to do these 12 pages, which I completed at the March all-day crop!

Princesses on Ice!

2009-03-23T13:42:00.001-04:00

Here are the rest of the pictures from "Princesses on Ice"!

An Easter Layout

2009-03-23T13:40:00.003-04:00

I started this layout at my all-day crop in February, but only finished it up today. I needed to add just a few things to it, but until today, I didn't know what those "few things" were!

A couple quick cards!

2009-03-23T13:37:00.002-04:00

As always, I send out cards to my Top Ten Sellers on my Tastefully Simple team every month. Here were January's and February's:

I HAD TO HAVE the set with "You Rock" in it! I *always* say that, and to have it in a stamp set.... ahhhh, it was wonderful!

Both stamps sets are CTMH!

More Scrapbook Layouts...

2009-03-09T14:39:00.006-04:00

Here are just some random layouts I've done and never put on here:

Mother's Day 2008

Kacy at the playground. I love, love, LOVE this set of papers from Close to My Heart! Look how perfectly they match the pictures, and how lovely the colors are together! I am IN LOVE with this set!!!

This layout I did for a Christmas page swap. I really like how it turned out!

Christmas Scrapbook Pages- 2008

2009-03-09T14:37:00.001-04:00

Here are some more completed at the January All-Day crop!

Christmas Scrapbook Pages- 2007

2009-03-09T14:28:00.001-04:00

And from my all-day crop in *January*, I present Christmas layouts.

For this crop, I had NO IDEA what to pack or what to work on. I finally just grabbed Christmas pictures, all of my Christmas paper, some matching pads and stamp sets, and went to town! That's the reason the paper isn't all the same, but you know what? That's okay! I don't mind- the pictures, and memories, are scrapped and that is all that counts in my book! :)

Enjoy!

Easter Layouts

2009-03-09T14:24:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been since January that I've posted on here. Between being sick and being stressed (and let's not forget tax time!), I shall from this day forth, refer to February of 2009 as "The Lost Month".

Here are some layouts that I scrapped at the last all-day crop. I have one more almost completed- I just need a title for it.

This was Easter 2008...

Meeting in person was AWESOME!!!

2009-01-31T21:20:00.006-05:00

I belong to a free weight-loss site called Sparkpeople.com and I have met some truly wonderful friends on there!!! Some of us are getting together and meeting at a scrapbook retreat in June of this year- can you believe it???

Two of us are from PA, and even though we're only a little over an hour apart, we've never met in person... until today!!! Robin and I met at "Times to Remember" scrapbook store in Hershey, where we- what else?- scrapbooked!!!

Here is a picture of Robin and me...

You know, I think I need more paper...

Robin also found some paper...

Sadly, I bought more than Robin- hard to believe, isn't it? I think it was the paper that put me over the top...

I had THE BEST TIME!!! And we promised to do it again, soon- right, Robin?????

Thanks SO MUCH for such a FABULOUS afternoon!!!!!!!!

Love,
Tracy

Quick update, and a TAG!!!

2009-01-27T09:22:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted my pages because... are you ready for it???.... I have NO ROOM ON MY CAMERA CARDS!

We have 4 camera cards: one 128, two 256, AND a 1 GB. Plus the internal memory on the camera. One would think there would be a FEW slots open for new pictures, yes?

Not here. Please... am I the ONLY one with this dilemma???

I did print out, oh, a LOT of pictures last night. Today, my goal will be to upload them on my computer and then... delete them from the card! Oh, I get nervous just thinking about it!

Seriously, what did we do before digital cameras? We printed out the photos, and that was that. No saving them to cards, no putting them on the computer.... why do I stress about them now?

Anyone? Anyone?

Okay, on a brighter note, Denice tagged me! This is fun and easy! Here is what you're supposed to do:

- Go to where you store your pictures and find your 6th folder and post the 6th picture in that folder and explain it.

I'm going to look at mine right now... it'll be a surprise to even me!

Here it is...

This is Kacy, taken in September of 2006, I believe. We were at my grandfather's 80th birthday party, AND of course, Penn State was playing that day. My dad and my husband huddled over a portable, 3-inch television screen that my dad smuggled, I mean, brought, to the party!

Here are my tags... have fun!!!

Carol

Kelly

Alicia

Gina

Sally

Kathi

Scrapbooking Goal Update

2009-01-19T11:32:00.002-05:00

I went to an all-day crop on Saturday and I got 12 pages done! That may not seem like a lot, but let me tell you, that is a LOT for me!!!

My total so far for the year is 18 pages- only 191 more to go! I plan to do at least 4 pages today yet.... make hay while the sun shines and all that! :)

I promise to post my pictures later today, but I was so excited that I had to share now!!!

Scrapbook Layout with Ribbon

2009-01-15T22:27:00.003-05:00

This was a Spark People challenge, and I actually did it! That's two in a row- yay, me!!!

I don't think I mentioned this on here, but I upped my 150 page total for 2009 to 209. Everyone else was doing it, you know?

Six pages done, only 203 more to go!

The layout uses all Close to my Heart products and RIBBON (which was the SP challenge part). Hope you like it!

On a non-related note (Well, it actually *is* related because I will eventually scrapbook it. Maybe.), here is a picture of my goofy daughter doing the "Wubbzy Wiggle". Only people with young children will know what that is...

Strolling Along...

2009-01-13T08:58:00.002-05:00

I've held on to these pictures for nearly 3 years. They were SO adorable, but I could never find the "perfect" paper for them. I was trying too hard, gravitating towards greens and reds. They would have matched, but I also think they would have overpowered the pictures.

I went to a friend's house for a few hours on Sunday to crop, and I grabbed these pictures and the Boom-di-ada paper pack from Close to My Heart. It worked! I was THRILLED!!! I don't have the matching stamp set to go with the papers, but I used an old one called "Freshest of the Bunch". Even with the fallish colors, I think it pulled together beautifully!

My friend Georgine took these pictures. She should be a photographer, I swear. Her pictures always capture something that mine just don't. It's definitely a gift!

Scrapbook Pages- Spark People Challenge!

2009-01-13T08:55:00.004-05:00

Here are my completed pages for a January Sparkpeople challenge!!! We were to use a white background and two other colors only. White, black, and purple were my wedding colors, and I thought this turned out simple, but nice!

All products used were Close to My Heart, except the bling brads. I used the new stamp set from CTMH, "Key to My Heart". It's a gorgeous set- I can't wait to make another layout using it!

Two quick cards

2009-01-13T08:52:00.002-05:00

These are the cards I sent to my Tastefully Simple team for Top Sales for November and December. You probably can't tell from the picture, but the round thing on the card on the left? It's a hedgehog! I hate to color, so I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I punched out, stamped, and colored *36* of them!!!

Blog Candy Winner!

2009-01-10T13:57:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's a week late. I know. But I don't think the winner....

VANRON aka Vanessa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...will mind! :)

Vanessa, your goodies will be on the way this week! Enjoy!

Decorated Card Tin and Cards, too!

2008-12-31T08:07:00.004-05:00

Here is the tin that I made for my grandparents for Christmas:

Here are some of the cards I made to put in it. I thought I'd continue to give them 20-25 cards or so each month to add to it:

I hope they like it!

Scrapbooking Goals for 2009... and a Giveaway!!!

2008-12-29T08:16:00.002-05:00

Everybody else is doing it, so why shouldn't I? :)

A scrapbooking goal for 2009...hmmmm... I never set a scrapbooking goal, but maybe it's time. This has been a bad year for scrapbooking for me- I really should have gotten more pages done. With all the pictures I have (not to mention all the paper!), there is no reason other than poor time management.

So, with that in mind, I'm setting my goal at 150 pages. I know that's not much, but it's more than I've gotten done this year! LOL

Now, for the giveaway! I have no idea what I'll be sending, but I can promise it'll be fun! Just share YOUR scrapbooking goal here by midnight January 2nd (Eastern time, of course). I'll have my daughter pick a winner on Saturday!

One more...

2008-12-27T12:16:00.005-05:00

Okay, I guess I should have put these in the last post, but I'm having a brain cloud.

Here are a few more Christmas pictures...

In front of the tree....

Striking a pose (note the bow on her head!)...

Here is Kacy decorating the tree...

Christmas Picture

2008-12-27T12:13:00.001-05:00

Of course, no pictures of me were taken on Christmas (why is that???). But I had Kris take 3 of Kacy and me on Christmas Eve. Out of the three, I love this one the most...

Can you see why? :)

I hope your Christmas was magical!!!

Coaster Calendar and Picture Frame!

2008-12-27T12:03:00.002-05:00

Here is something that I made really quickly on Christmas Eve for a gift! I made 3 of these- they're simple and cute!

A post! With decorated buckets/tins!!!

2008-12-22T13:53:00.004-05:00

I have no excuses for not posting in over a month (yes, a month!). Moving on...

I made these buckets for Christmas gifts for two of Kacy's friends who are 8 years old. Totally girls, of course, so I made the buckets as "girlie" as possible!

Where did I get the buckets, you ask? Why, I'll be happy to share! They are the empty buckets from Tastefully Simple drink mixes! It was a sacrifice, but *someone* had to drink all those Cosmos!

Front and top views. I had so much fun making these!!! I then put their Christmas gifts inside the buckets (Webkinz squoosh in there very nicely!).

2008-11-17T07:50:00.006-05:00

So I am obviously a big dork when it comes to this blogging stuff! Denice was awarded with this blog award, and she then had to nominate others for it. I was one of them, although I suspect it's more because I sent her Chocolatini than it was because of my actual blog. :)

Because I'm a complete dork, I had NO idea that I was actually supposed to put this award on *my* blog and then nominate others. The big test was figuring out how to actually put this award-thing on my blog. Clearly I overcame that obstacle, so now to the rest of it. I have to list six things I value, six things I don't value, and then nominate 6 other bloggers for this award.

Seriously, this is WAY too much pressure on a Monday morning!

Things I value:
1. My family!
2. My friends!
3. My health!
4. My heart, both physically and emotionally. It's never let me down!
5. My faith!
6. Time... there's just never enough!

Things I do not value:
1. Snobbishness
2. Excuses
3. Irresponsible parenting
4. Superiority
5. Mushrooms
6. Rudeness

My six receivers are:
1. Anne
2. Aaron
3. Lisa (who doesn't have to respond because she just received an award!)
4. Lynn? (I'm assuming this is her name!)
5. Kathi (again, she was just nominated, but her work is SO INSPIRING!!!)
6. Alicia

It was hard to choose just six, because there are SO MANY out there that simply inspire me!!! And yes, I may be "cheating" because I'm choosing two blogs that have recently been nominated, but honestly, go look at them. You WILL be inspired! These ladies are BEYOND creative!

I'm off to each site to let them know they were nominated!!!

Another Blue's Clues/First Birthday Layout

2008-11-02T18:05:00.003-05:00

Kacy will soon be four, and here I am, working on her FIRST birthday. We did take a LOT of pictures, but still.... I finally have the main ones scrapped. The others are more action shots of family and friends. I WILL get them done, but I'm happy with what I've completed!

The page on the left was done two months ago, but I finished the one on the right yesterday at the all-day crop. I always do a 2-page layout, and I can't believe it too this long to finish the other half! But finished it is! :)

A quick card...

2008-11-02T18:03:00.001-05:00

As you know, I send out cards to my top ten team members who had the highest sales. Here is the card I mailed out for September sales...

I just LOVE this CTMH stamp set! I also used a saying from the September Word Puzzle set.

Baptism Layouts!

2008-11-02T17:54:00.006-05:00

We had our monthly all-day crop yesterday, and I was SO excited to go!!! I haven't been creative at all this month. I did my polka dot layout and a card since my last all-day crop.

In my defense, I was on vacation for a week, and I was also sick for this past week. But that's no excuse, and I know it. I don't know what it was, but I hope it's over!

It is a shame that I don't actually get more finished at these all-day crops, but something is better than nothing, right? :)

I did a few things yesterday. Kacy was baptized almost two years ago, and those layouts are finally complete...

While I was at it, I also did a layout for my niece's baptism...

An idea worth sharing!

2008-10-29T16:41:00.003-04:00

I read this on another blog I'm on, and thought, "Hey! What a great idea!" I wanted to pass it along, and here it is!

Click here to read

Polka Dot Challenge Layout!

2008-10-26T22:55:00.002-04:00

Well, I didn't get it to Vi in time for voting, but I wanted to have proof that I finished it! :) I think I over-killed the polka-dots, but it's still cute!

A catch-up post, and vacation pictures!

2008-10-21T08:56:00.009-04:00

I haven't stamped, scrapped, crocheted.... nothing creative at all since October 4th. How sad is that??? It's just been a whirlwind here.

We were on vacation from October 5-10 in Ocean City, Maryland. We go every year around this time, and I just love it! There are no crowds, many things are still open, and it was warm enough to wade in the ocean! Kacy missed her house, her friends... basically everything! But she loved the sand and the indoor pool, so all was good.

The hotel we stay at has an atrium which is home to several parrots and other exotic birds. They are so friendly and so cute!

The week after we came home was just non-stop! Three Tastefully Simple parties, a team meeting, gymnastics class, and a myriad of other things just kept me going and going with hardly a minute to spare!

I did get to watch the Penn State game on Saturday. Kris was at the game, and I spent most of the first half yelling at the TV. Luckily, a completely different team showed up after halftime, and Penn State beat Michigan!!! YAY!!!

Life kind of calms down of the rest of the month, and for that, I am grateful. I still have three parties this week, and that is a good thing! But my schedule isn't as crazy as it's been since the beginning of the month, and I can focus on being creative again!

Here are a few pictures from our vacation!

Kacy standing with the seashells she collected!

My dad, Kacy's great-great-aunt Kay, Kacy, and me after Kacy fell in the water! We thought she'd have a meltdown, but she loved it!

Kacy and Kris

My favorite bird, Curly!

Dillon the parrot, strutting around! He followed one woman around for over half an hour, and when her boyfriend got too close, Dillon went for his ankles! Too funny!

The view of the atrium from right outside our room. Isn't it pretty?

My first Flip Book!

2008-10-04T22:09:00.005-04:00

WOW!!! These are SO COOL!!! They look complicated, but if I can figure it out, trust me: you can, too!!!

I finished this one yesterday, and today I started another. I had grand plans to spend several hours at the scrapbook store making 2 or 3 of these babies. Instead, I spent several hours making ONE almost-completed flip book. But I did show two other friends how to make them, so it was totally NOT a wasted afternoon! :) And let me tell you- their creations are just beautiful!!!

First of all, I got the inspiration and the link to the directions at this blog. My creation isn't nearly as pretty as hers is, nor did I take as many pictures as she did! But I hope you like it anyway! :)

Second, I used the Close to my Heart paper set, and I'll be darned if I can remember which set this is! But it made it easier for my first one to use the paper set. I added Chocolate just because I liked it! :)

I hope you get inspired by this like I did!!!

October Layout

2008-10-01T10:51:00.002-04:00

Happy October!!!

Wow- where did September go??? I can't believe it's over!

I love October, though! It's when it truly starts to feel like fall. The leaves changes, the air turns crisp, and the ground crunches. My husband and I got married on October 2 (15 years tomorrow!!!), and overall, I just LOVE fall!!!

Here is a layout that took me over a week to finish- how pathetic is that? I kept it on my office table, and everytime I'd wander past, I'd look at it, add something, change something, but I still wasn't happy. However, I REALLY need my table, so I had no choice but to finish it up!

I love these pictures, and I love the paper, and I didn't want to mess it up. I know, I know... you really *can't* mess it up, but I wanted this to be a special layout.

I used two layout ideas from pagemaps.com- did I mention that I love that site??? The pictures were taken almost 3 years ago. I'm a little behind! teehee

Tag! You're it! 7 things about Tracy!

2008-09-24T08:07:00.002-04:00

This is the first time I've ever been tagged, and therefore, it's also the first time I'm doing the tagging! I hope I'm doing it right! :)

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 things about Me!

1. I have lived in the same town all my life.
2. I can say the alphabet backwards!
3. If I could get paid to read, I would be in heaven!
4. I'm obsessed with the Harry Potter books!
5. I can't start the day without a Mt. Dew!
6. I am fiercely loyal to my friends.
7. I never, ever got detention in school.

I was tagged by Meredith!

I've tagged Alicia, Michele, Denice, Karrilee, Scrapping Virg, Kay, Amy, Vi, and Pam!

HEART TO HEART Blog Candy!

2008-09-21T20:46:00.004-04:00

As you can see, I follow many, many blogs! Whenever they are updated, I am there! I read each and every one and I get SO many ideas from them!

I came across one today that is giving away over ***$1000*** in "blog candy"! This all benefits the Alzheimer's Association, and it's a very worthy cause.

All the information can be found at her website here

Please check it out. The sooner we can get rid of this horrible disease, the better!

Autumn Layout

2008-09-21T10:08:00.006-04:00

We're heading to Hersheypark this afternoon, but I finished these pages this morning and wanted to post them!

I've been waiting for my LSS to get this paper in. Isn't it gorgeous??? The pictures simply do NOT do it justice! It's by BoBunny, and it's just stunning!

These pictures are from 3 years ago. Kacy was so little then!

I used some black and some copper metallic paper to contrast with the BoBunny paper. I really love this layout!

Numbers Layout and Spark People Challenge!

2008-09-20T17:56:00.003-04:00

The challenge was to use 5 pictures, 4 colors, 3 brads, 2 stamped images or stickers, and 1 journaling block. I did it using pictures of my niece, my in-laws, and two great-aunts!

A quick card...

2008-09-15T11:11:00.005-04:00

Each month, I send out cards to my Tastefully Simple Top Ten team members with the highest sales for that month. Those cards are usually quick and simple- no layering or fancy stuff! LOL

This month, I decided to start sending out anniversary cards to my team members. This is the card I came up with- what do you think?

It's very, very simple. It's SU! paper, and the flowers and saying are from one of their retired sets (I believe it's retired, I could be wrong). The retangle is an old CTMH stamp.

Being as I eventually have to stamp well over 100 of these over the next year, I wanted to keep it simple, but pretty. I think it works!

Congratulations to my husband!!!

2008-09-15T11:05:00.003-04:00

My husband entered his third body building competition on Saturday (for those on Spark People, that's where I was ALL DAY). He placed FOURTH in each of his categories- WOO-HOO!!!

I am so incredibly proud of him. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to do this. His willpower is amazing- I'm in awe, I really am!

Here are some pictures...

Family Scrapbook

2008-09-09T08:53:00.004-04:00

I LOVE these "word books" made by Bo Bunny! They have so many to choose from: Family, Beach, Travel, Party, Love, Believe, and a few more that I can't remember! LOL

I did this Family one back in July or August, and I wanted to share it here! If you have any of these books, please share your pictures! This is my first one, and it's not overly embellished, but I really like how it turned out! Kacy likes looking through it, too- after all, it *is* for her! :)

Here is the front, and 2 pictures from the inside of the book! Enjoy!

Want some blog candy?

2008-09-07T22:44:00.007-04:00

(by the way, I am SO doing this sometime soon!)

But for now, I found out about this awesome blog, and I wanted to share the opportunity with anyone who visits here!!! Enjoy! :)

First Birthday with Blue's Clues!

2008-09-07T14:26:00.009-04:00

My goal was 10 pages at my crop yesterday, and I finished 9! WOO-HOO!!! Not too bad, I don't think, considering the first 3 hours were eating and socializing! LOL

Kacy is 3 1/2, and I have yet to scrap one single first birthday picture... until yesterday!!! Here are the pages I did:

On this one, I did some "hidden journaling" for the first time, under the cake picture. I don't know if my cutter isn't cutting properly or if it was me (gee, imagine that!), but my paper didn't fit together very nicely in some of these layouts. I was a little discouraged by that, but I think they got pretty good anyway! :)

Here is the next one:

I used CTMH paper in Pansy Purple and Moonstruck, and then I had several Blue's Clues papers, as well. I know it's not as "bright" as perhaps a first birthday should be, but the colors all work well together and the focus is definitely on the pictures!

I was so excited that I remembered to save one of her birthday napkins!!! I also, for the first time EVER, used rub-ons! I bought some at the store to try at home, so we'll see if I really like them.

I love these pictures! She was peeking at her gifts- what child wouldn't? I mean, really?

Coaster Picture Frame

2008-09-07T14:22:00.004-04:00

We were talking about coasters on a recent Spark People Scrap to Lose thread, and I mentioned this picture frame coaster. My friend showed me how to make these- this is the only one I've finished so far, but I have more coasters on the way!!!

Kacy's First Scrapbook Page(s)!

2008-09-07T14:19:00.005-04:00

I was at an all-day crop yesterday, and Kacy got there with about 5 hours to go. She did some "scrapping" of her own! I think her pages are just lovely! :)

Last of the paper purse/paper tote bags!

2008-08-30T14:57:00.001-04:00

These are the two that I finished during last night's crop/chat! The stamps are CTMH, and the papers I bought at my LSS.

Heeeeeeeeeeeere's Micah!!!

2008-08-28T22:31:00.004-04:00

I just had to share this picture. We have 4 cats- two of those we literally inherited back in April. Micah is one of them. He's an interesting cat....

More paper totes!!!

2008-08-28T22:22:00.006-04:00

Can I say once again that I am IN LOVE with these??? I have had a BLAST making them!

The reason I'm doing so many is that I am, in fact, going to use them for booking bags for the Taste of Home show. I have a Tastefully Simple table every year, and I'm hoping these bags will entice bookings for me!

These were done using CTMH stamps and papers. The tab is an SU! punch, and yes, I finally broke down and bought a Cropadile. Yes, I was still using a hammer! However, it did not work with this easily, so I finally did it.

These bags were done with mostly CTMH stuff. The leaf paper I found at Michael's- I thought it was really pretty!

I now have a total of 10 of these I've done, with 4 more to finish. I'll post those when I'm done!

Christmas Scrapbook Layout

2008-08-26T22:16:00.004-04:00

Here is a layout that I started a week ago and finally finished today! I struggled with the title for the past week- everything else was finished! I'm not bad with placement, and I'm great with journaling, but titles... not so much.

This was Kacy's first Christmas, and her "big sister" got her some toys. I just love the looks on Kacy's face!

I've been holding on to this adorable penguin paper for a long time now, and I decided to just use it up! I added some black to mat the pictures to make them stand out. The flip side of the penguin paper was that cool green and red striped look, and the solid cardstock is CTMH Holiday Red and one of my favorites, Clover Meadow.

Thanks for looking! :)

The CUTEST little purse/tote!

2008-08-26T22:11:00.008-04:00

I am such a sucker for these, I really am. I found a purse/tote on another blog, and I just HAD TO MAKE IT!!!

I'm very pleased with how they turned out. The colors are much more muted than they appear in the picture. The stamp set is an old CTMH one that I simply can NOT part with! The colors I used were Pansy Purple, Autumn Terracotta, and Olive. The plaid paper I bought at my LSS. Isn't it gorgeous?

I have some paper cut already to make more tomorrow. Wouldn't they make cute booking gifts??? I can't wait to make more!!!

Disney Princess Album pages

2008-08-16T20:43:00.006-04:00

Last night was our monthly crop at our LSS. I just didn't know what to pack to work on, as it was only a 4 hour crop (next month is 13 hours- WOO-HOO!!!!!!!).

I've been collecting lots and lots of Disney Princess stuff for Kacy. I really don't have THAT many pictures of her dressed up like a princess, but I figure the day will come and I may as well be prepared!

So for last night, I grabbed that folder, a few pads and markers, and did 10 8x8 scrapbook pages. Like the Chuck E Cheese pages, they're nothing fancy, but Kacy was dying for me to make a special album just for her (not that I don't have 12x12 albums full of pages of her or anything like that!). It was, of course, a Disney Princess Album, and she LOVES it!

Two cards!

2008-08-16T20:40:00.004-04:00

I've been busy (for me!) the past few days!

Every month, I mail out cards to my Tastefully Simple team's Top Ten in Sales. I was a little behind on June's, but I was pretty good about July's!

The card on the left is using Close to my Heart's June Stamp of the Month. I really LOVE this set! The other card is using a really, really, REALLY old stamp from CTMH that I just love and couldn't part with, and a word set from SU!

Another SP Challenge done!

2008-08-13T11:28:00.006-04:00

I have no idea when I posted this challenge! Actually I could have put this under two different challenges: using 5 pictures OR using Outdoor Pictures. I'm going to officially submit this under "Outdoor Pictures"!

I love this paper from SU! I really had fun playing with the different patterns, and it just goes SO WELL with the Ocean and Chocolate from Close to My Heart!

What I struggled with was the title. I just didn't know what to put on there. I started out with chipboard letters spelling "FRIENDS", but the single pictures of Kacy just didn't fit with that theme.

Then I was going to do "Life is... beautiful" but again, it just didn't feel right. THEN... I found my CTMH stamp set with "magic moments". I used that for the title and completely changed what I was going to journal.

This layout, too, is really outside my comfort zone, but I love how it turned out! The layout ideas are from pagemaps.com- check them out if you haven't already!

A lost layout and definitely a Spark People Challenge met!

2008-08-12T13:19:00.004-04:00

I go to a crop at a LSS once a month. Of course, once I came home from July's (EARLY July, I might add!), I never opened my box with my paper and pictures in it.

Late last week, I was wondering what on earth I actually scrapped at this crop. For the life of me, I couldn't think of a single thing! The mind is *definitely* the first thing to go, people. So I did what I should have done a month ago, and I opened my still-packed box.

Lo and behold, there were three pages done! (let's not talk about the fact that I only finished THREE pages at a 5-hour crop, okay?) I totally forgot I did these pages- is it just me who forgets things like this? Seriously?

I'm posting two of the pages that make a layout, as I always make a 2-page layout. I'll post the other layout when I finish the other page to it! :)

I used www.pagemaps.com to do these two pages- LOVE that site!!! So there is a SP challenge met- woo-hoo!!!

This layout is actually really outside the box for me, but I really like how it turned out! The cardstock is CTMH (Chocolate and Ocean), and the patterned paper is SU!'s, I believe. It matches really well!!!