Christmas in July - Ho Ho Ho

My brother and I both work part time at a bar in Philadelphia.  We happened to both be working on Christmas Eve's Eve (Dec 23, 2013) and we took this photo in our santa hats.

This layout is loosely cased from this one I saw on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177118197818567652/

Papers & Stickers from My Mind's Eye
Large Santa by K&Co

Christmas in July - Our Christmas Card 2012

As I said before, I create a layout each year with our christmas card and I use it as the first page of my Christmas album.  

This is 2012.

Cased from this layout on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177118197819273315/

Supplies
All supplies from October Afternoon Silent Night Collection

Challenges
Lasting Memories Layout Challenge - Use at least 3 Different Papers

Christmas in July - Xmas Night

This layout is from Christmas night 2013.

This layout was cased from Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177118197819202206/

Supplies
All paper & stickers from October Afternoon Silent Night Collection

Christmas in July - Joy Layout

This layout is from opening presents on Christmas morning 2013.

This layout was cased from Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177118197819202204/

Supplies
All paper & stickers from October Afternoon Silent Night collection

Challenges
Lasting Memories Layout Challenge - Double Page Spread

Christmas in July - Pollyanna Layout

Every year, my girlfriends and I do a "Chinese" pollyanna.  We each bring a wrapped gift.  We draw numbers from a hat.  The first person unwraps a gift.  The second person unwraps a new gift or steals the first person's gift.  (If someone's gift is stolen, they can either pick a new gift or steal someone elses).  And so on.  The game ends when the last gift is unwrapped.  

This layout was cased from pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177118197818531114/

Supplies
All paper and embellishments from Crate Paper Bundled Up Collection
Pink Foam Thickers Letters

Christmas in July - Let it Snow Layout

This layout is from our first snow in the new house.  We have a large, fenced in year, so the dogs love frolicking in the snow.  This was a couple days before xmas.  

I cased this layout from pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177118197820865104/

Supplies:
All papers and stickers from Crate Paper - Bundled Up Collection

Christmas in July - Xmas Card 2013

Every year, I make a layout to feature my Christmas card for that year.  It is always the first page of my Christmas album.

Here is mine from 2013:

Supplies
All paper & stickers - October Afternoon Silent Night Collection

Challenges
Lasting Memories Layout Challenges - [Elements Working] Together - I thought the banner worked together nicely

Christmas in July - Santa Paws

I wanted to share a bunch of Xmas layouts I made recently.  I will post them throughout July.

I created this layout with photos of my dogs at Christmas.

Supplies
All paper and stickers by October Afternoon - Silent Night Collection

Thanksgiving & Thanksgiving Eve Layouts

In 2013, we had moved into my grandparents house and were waiting for our house to sell.  We had to leave our house "staged" so that potential buyers could come to see it.  Since we didn't have out dining room set up at the new house, we were unable to host Thanksgiving, and we went to my father in law's house.

It was the first time we were able to go out for Thanksgiving Eve, which is the biggest drinking night of the year!  We went to our local bar and had a great time with friends.

Supplies
Paper by Miss Elizabeth

My 29th Birthday Layout

We went out for Chinese on my 29th Birthday.  My mom, brother, sister-in-law, and husband were there.  My dad was at work.  

My husband even shared his sushi with me, which is why we took a goofy picture of me taking a piece off his plate.  LOL

After dinner, we rushed home to "batten down the hatches."  Hurricane Sandy hit Philadelphia that night.

Supplies:
Paper and stickers by October Afternoon - Cakewalk Collection

Wicked Layout

Each year for Christmas, I give my mom tickets to a show.  For Christmas 2012, I got tickets to see Wicked.  We went to the Academy of Music in Philadelphia to see the show in June of 2013.

What a great show!  And a GREAT way to use some of my Graphic 45 Wizard of Oz paper!

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Wizard of Oz Paper

Thanksgiving 2012 Layout

I saw something similar to this layout a couple years ago on a blog.  Unfortunately, I do not know where I saw it.  I saved a picture of the layout into my idea folder (before Pinterest existed!) and I finally got around to recreating it.  If anyone knows who made the original, please let me know and I will give proper credit.

This layout is or our thanksgiving dinner in 2012.  I host Thanksgiving each year and we invite my family as well as my husband's family.  We usually have 10-12 people.  Along with the journaling on the bottom right, I listed out our menu.

Supplies:
More Mustard Cardstock by Stampin Up
Spice Cake Patterned Paper by Stampin' Up - my all-time favorite fall paper!
Cricut Plantin Schoolbook (Ovals)
Thickers Letters

A Christening Card Using Buggies & Booties

I make a lot of baby cards, since so many of my family and friends have had babies in the last few years.  I made this christening card for my cousin's baby.  Her name is Perry.

I absolutely love all things vintage.  So when I saw the Stampin' Up set Buggies & Booties on ebay, I HAD to have it!  I have used it to make many baby & christening cards.  LOVE IT!

Here's the card & envelope:

Front:

Inside:

Supplies:
Stampin' Up Buggies & Booties + Teeny Tiny Wishes
Stampin' Up Ink in Pink Pirouette & Early Espresso
Nestabilities Oval & Scalloped Oval
SU Word Window & Scalloped Oval Punches

Baby Shower Rings Card

My husband's cousin is having a baby and her shower is today.  She isn't finding out the baby's sex, so I had to make a gender neutral card.

One of the things on the registry was the fisher price rings.  Right away, I knew that was what I would use as my inspiration for the card:

Supplies:
Stampin Up Punches (Word Window & 3/4" circle)
CM Corner Punch
Stampin Up Cardstock
PTI Baby Die

Father's Day Cards

I created a couple cards for the men in my life.

 Supplies:

SU Stamp Set (Letters)

Paper by Graphic 45

SU Buttons

All supplies by Stampin Up

 All supplies by Stampin Up

All supplies by Stampin Up

Scrapbooking Goals

Since our move, I have been scrapbooking at least once a month.  I host a crop at a church near my house on the first Saturday of each month.  If you live in the Philly area and would like to attend, please e-mail me for more info.

I have also been working on my scrap room.  My hubby made me an awesome huge counter height desk/island.  I hope to post photos and a scrap room tour soon.

Over the next couple weeks, I also plan to share a bunch of my layouts and some cards I've made recently.

I know it's way past new year's, but I want to make some scrapbooking resolutions:
1. Photograph my layouts & blog more often!
2. Use my cricut more.
3. Use up some of my stash!
4. Finish layouts that are missing headlines, embellishments, or photos.

I'm baaaaccckkkk!

I've been a bad blogger!  It's been nearly 2 YEARS since my last post, which doesn't even seem possible to me!

We moved in June of 2013 back to Philadelphia, which is where my husband and I grew up.  We purchased my grandparent's house and have been renovating ever since!

My husband and I have been doing most of the renovating ourselves, with the help of my two brothers in law.  I'm glad my hubby and his brothers are so handy!  We have put up a fence, painted our dining room, installed new heater & hot water heater (my hubby does HVAC for a living), re-did the kitchen/pantry/mud room, re-did first floor bathroom.  We also had the entire outside of the house & garage painted, but we hired someone for that!

We still have a long way to go, as all 7 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms have wallpaper that needs to be taken down!  The living room, foyer, and hallways need to be painted as well.  We'll get there eventually...

Here's some photos of our kitchen reno.  We started with light wood cabinets, black & white wallpaper, teal wood paneling, teal windows & doors, black woodwork, yellow/teal countertops, drop ceiling, and AWFUL cobblestone floor.  We got all new appliances, drywalled the walls & ceiling, painted, added crown moulding, added a custom radiator cover/hutch, and tiled the floors.

BEFORE (note the radiator below the table):

My husband and his brothers built me a custom radiator cover & hutch which now stands between the two doors seen in the above photo!  

We painted the cabinets white and it really brightened up the room:

Baby card and framed layout

I created this card for my friend's baby:

Here's the two framed layouts that I made for the baby's wall.  They did a pirate theme for Callen's room.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!