This is the layout that I didn't mean to do this month. Don't get me wrong, I love the photos and had intended to scrap them sometime, but not necessarily with this kit. And then I had the little goof-up that I mentioned a week or two ago with my One Item Wonder post for this month's kit at Scrapbook Circle and ended up doing a fifth layout. I rifled frantically through my photos looking for something- anything- that would work with all the pink in this kit, and finally landed on these photos of my niece, Sophie, and my Dad.

So finally I showcased that little tag paper like I was supposed to (I cut a bunch of them out, tied them with baker's twine, and used them as pennants), but more importantly I got this funny moment from Beth's birthday party earlier this year documented. Sophie kept reaching for Dad's hat, so finally he just plopped it on her head. :)

And with this fifth and final layout, I'm wrapping up my posts for the January kit. Layouts from the February kit coming soon!

cha winter 2012 | studio calico

Next up on our tour of CHA Winter 2012 booths is the incomparable Studio Calico. They're unveiling three amazing new collections at this show, and I stopped by to take tons of photos of all the new goods.

Take Note is probably my favorite of the three give its versatility and the varied yet cohesive color scheme. This line was developed in collaboration with the creative team from Sassafras, and their signature funky style is definitely on display here coupled with the classic timelessness we've come to expect from Studio Calico.

bella blvd inspiration unlimited week | sunshine and happiness

Yesterday Bella Blvd kicked off a full two weeks of sharing all the great new projects that the design team has been busily creating with the new paper collections and embellishments. Today the new Sunshine and Happiness line is taking center stage over at the Bella Studio blog, and I've got a new layout made with these bright, sunny papers to share!

Darren's brother and his family were in town visiting for a few days (it's hard to believe that it was back in 2010!!) and we were both so busy that we hardly had any time to spend with them (they came during the week when we were working and not over a weekend). They hung with Darren's parents most of the time, but we did manage to have dinner with them one evening and also spent an afternoon with everyone at Darren's sister's lake house (which is where this photo was taken).

And it just so happened that miss Natalie's beach towel on that particular day was the perfect match for these papers!

Did you notice the details in the cloud print? Stephanie is always doing something cute with those! Bella's last Halloween line had little lightning bolts coming out of them, and this collection styles them up with chevrons and dots. So fun!

cha winter 2012 | pink paislee

CHA Winter 2012 is officially underway, and it's time to let the booth tours begin. You'll be seeing lots of up-close and in depth looks at many, many manufacturer booths in the coming weeks (not to worry, there will still be plenty of projects and geekery mixed in!!) as I work through the hundreds of photos I've already taken and the hundreds more that are sure to come.

I'm starting with the always fabulous Pink Paislee, who really decked their booth out with a gorgeous tablescape to set the mood!

Doesn't it look like something straight out of Martha Stewart Living?!? ::sigh::

heidi swapp layout | edge of the world

Part of the awesomeness of being on the Pink Paislee design team is that I also get to work with Heidi Swapp's brand new collections, as well! Pink Paislee is handling all the manufacturing and logistics while Heidi has full creative control, and the design team falls under that "logistics" category. :) Whatever the long and winding path that lead to it, I was thrilled to be asked to make a layout with her new No Limits line for her booth at CHA!

The only problem? These papers were a perfect match for some of my photos from our trip to Aruba last year, and scrapping them in the middle of winter made me miss that place so much!!

These photos were taken at Arashi beach on the afternoon of our first day there, when, after walking out into the ocean on beds of seagrass and seeing moray eels fleeing our feet, we declared it to be the best vacation ever- and it was just getting started!

I adore these map trim embellishments from Heidi's line- they've got just the right amount of subtle glitter on them!

Ah, Aruba, I miss you. I'll have to console myself by scrapping more pictures of you until we can book the next trip!

project life 2012 | week 2

Week 2 of Project Life for 2012, and I'm still completely in love with this format!

This week I took it "easy" mostly used items from the Project Life Amber Core Kit. Not every week has to be an amazing scrappy masterpiece. In fact, most won't be!

A close up of the left side...

This is actually the back side of the 4x6 chevron piece (from Keri Bradford Studio) that I used in my Week 1 layout. Did you see that Keri has a whole set of nothing but 3x4 and 4x6 background files out now for Project Life?

I added a fabric flower by Bella Blvd and some Tim Holtz tissue tape to perk it up a bit, though I am going to have to watch out for using too many bulky embellishments as this album grows.

I added a Sassafras (oh, how I miss that company!!) Paper Whimsy to the top of this journaling card from the Amber kit.

And here I did get a little scrappy. The supah pretty printed cupcake is from Pink Paislee's Soiree line, and I layered over a shipping tag (and on another card from the Amber kit) with a bit of baker's twine to finish it off. I did refrain from stitching it, though, just to prove that I do have some small amount of self control.

One of the things that I totally love about Project Life is the "stuff" that gets added to the album. For instance, where else in my scrapbooking would I use part of the packaging from my husband's latest beer obsession? I realize that beer obsession may have been a poor choice of words- really he gets a 6 pack every six weeks or so, and it takes him about that long to drink it all.

And here's the right side...

I used a couple of Elle's Studio tags (which are much easier to find now that I've organized my Project Life supplies) on this week's spread, too. I love these little guys!

The honeycomb piece was cut on the Cameo using a border file from the Silhouette store. I resized it so that the width was right for the pocket, then trimmed the length on my paper trimmer.

And I totally didn't plan this, but look how cool the cupcake is going to look showing through the back of the honeycomb on Week 3!!

Speaking of Week 3, it may be a bit delayed since I'm using the new kit from Scrapbook Circle and have to wait until it's posted on the blog there before I share it here. Every once in a while I may have to show weeks out of order because of something like that- just a little advance warning!

sponsor | new cha winter 2012 preorders at stop and scrap

Today is the first day of CHA, and I'm getting ready to hit the show floor as soon as it opens this morning! I'll be bringing you a close-up look at many of the new products over the next few days and weeks, but I wanted to let you know quickly this morning that Stop and Scrap already has many of the items up for preorder, with more on the way in the next few days!

Here are just a few of the collections that are available, and you can get an extra 12% off the already-discounted prices by using the code scrappyjedi. This code is eligible for multiple uses, so you don't have to worry about "saving" it- feel free to use it over and over!

Simple Stories- Documented, Awesome, and Fabulous.

Echo Park This and That and Dots and Stripes 2.

Basic Grey Konnichiwa and Plumeria.

The also have the new Jennni Bowlin releases, Magpie, available, as well.

I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on some of the new Basic Grey and Echo Park- what are you looking forward to from the new releases?

chattanooga december 2011

I'm still in catch-up mode in a few areas where last December is concerned. One of those areas is getting my photos blogged, but I think that I'll be done with that after this post!

So, about two weeks before the craziness that was Christmas started, Darren and I spent a couple of days (okay, more like 36 hours over the course of two days) in Chattanooga. Neither of us had ever been to the Christmas light displays at Rock City, and it had been forever and a day since we'd been to the aquarium. After asking Darren if he preferred a hotel or bed and breakfast, I got our trip booked in late November.

In case you're wondering, he picked a bed and breakfast. We stayed in the Vanilla Sky room at the Garden Walk Inn in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. It was a cute place- nicely furnished and everything, but for the price I think I'd stay at a hotel next time.

scrapbook update | my cha winter 2012 sneak peek picks

The sneak peeks have literally been pouring in for the last couple of weeks now, and there are so very many new goodies to be excited about! I've chosen a few favorites and am sharing snippets of them with you below, but I've also got an entire article up over at Scrapbook Update highlighting these items and so many more! Be sure to head over and check it out!

friday favorites | january 27, 2012

Happy last Friday in January, peeps! I'm putting the finishing touches on all my CHA packing (I pack light, which believe it or not takes more time than just bringing it all!) and getting ready to turn in for the night, but I just couldn't do that without sharing some fun links with you first!

From the top left:

• Amy Atlas has a great pattern board with tips on which one to use for certain occasions and events. Plus, it's just super pretty!
• Learn how to make this super cute wall art with paint swatches at A Beautiful Mess.
• Michelle Wooderson walks readers through her Project Life layout process. Can you ever read enough about other people's scrapping processes? I love it!
• This flow chart at Pix IQ shows why you should be shooting your photos in RAW (as opposed to JPEG).
• Julie Fei-Fan Balzer recently posted an entire week's worth of art studio organizing tips on her blog!
• This bright, fun keyboard is covered in bits of washi tape! Check it out at More Design Please.
• Monica McNeill also shares her Project Life process. 
• I wonder if my Silhouette Cameo is cabale of cutting something as intricate as these wedding invitations featured on Design*Sponge.
• And, finally, if you're like me and still have a pile of Christmas card laying around after the holidays, this idea from Eighteen25 might just help you organize them!

Have a scrappy weekend!

pink paislee sneak peeks | prairie hill + a layout

I simply love this next release from Pink Paislee- as soon as I saw the new releases, I said that Prairie Hill was my one of my favorites!

I love the colors- the aquas, the oranges, the yellows- the patterns (just look at those chevrons!), and the overall vintage summer-y feel of the collection. Here are just a few bits of it- you can see it all (and enter to win a collection of your own!) at the Pink Paislee blog.

Prairie Hill was one of the collections that Rebecca asked me to work with for the CHA booth, so I pulled out some awesome photos of our visit to Harper's Ferry (a side-trip on our visit to DC) last fall.

And that's the last of the new releases around here, guys! Tomorrow I fly to LA and shuttle over to Anaheim for the show. You'll be seeing lots and lots and lots of photos of all the pretties on my blog over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!