Pocket Page Practice

All those gorgeous Easter outfits sitting in your camera or on your phone today can help fill a few minutes of down time, just load them into your favorite photo grid app and you'll practically have your scrapbook pages complete!

I used the Android app PhotoGrid to create these ready to print 4x4 square photos. There is a really neat app out there called Snapbook that lets you download Project Life style cards in assorted designs. This app also has an editing program for fun borders, stickers, and more, but for this project I just saved a few patterns I thought looked Easter-y and then added them to my photo line-up in PhotoGrid.

I could have stopped right there, but you know, I have what I call a preservists mind set; if there's a story or sentiment leading the day, I want to include that along with the photos. Otherwise known as scrapper's dilemma, journaling is really what makes these more than just cute pics of the kids and family dressed in their best. Without the story, there isn't much for the observer to do other than flip the pages of cute after cute after cuteness.

For example, see those great selfies my mom took up there? I found myself throughout the day turning to point things out to her or just to smile or share a moment during the sermon. Since last week was her chemo day she wasn't really supposed to be exposed to the level of germies present at church yesterday, but thanks to technology, I still brought her to the pew! Adding those sentiments to that photo collage really enhances the images featured.

Now, there is always room for more embellishment, and I'm sure I'll be digging into my extensive Queen & Co. bling collection to complete these mini pages, but they will also make great snail mail gifts just the way they are. I'll be using yet another app to send these to either Costco or Walgreens (half off at photo coupon code is: FIFTYORDER) and then we'll see what their next step in scrap-evolution will be :-) I've got just a few scraps of the April 2015 EmbellishKits Jubilee Card Kit left, so you'll most likely see my layouts on that next card share. Click HERE for the last one.

 Wednesday night I'll be up at Michael's showing you all the tricks of using the Cricut Expression, a magical device that transforms your cut out wishes into tangible embellishments for your cards or scrapbook layouts. I've even used them for home décor pieces so really the options are economical and limitless- just the way they should be!

Right On Target!

Best Friends for Life

 This week my dad was in town and booked us for a few nights in the Silver Chalet condos up on Crystal Mountain, just past Greentree, WA. My brother and I used to go on ski trips once a year with Ed, but once our older brother started his family, and I had my two girls, we now congregate in the summer months. Summer's a beautiful time of year in the Pacific Northwest, but we're talking over 5 years of no snow filled adventures with the dudes in my life!
I managed to entice my long time best friend Jen into coming up to stay and watch the kids, hoping that with her along, I'd find it easier to sneak up the mountain for a couple runs on my antiquated snowboard. They are the same boots, bindings, and short board I started sliding on in 2001, and you know what they say, if it ain't broke, there's no need for an upgrade! Well, they also might suggest that if it takes you a good five years to learn to ride the front edge of the board, you may want to stick with what you know lol.

Sweet & Sunny Shopping

Well, you know I wasn't planning to be up there for three days with no supplies, and I was up into the wee hours scrappin away. I love how these leftovers from an Embellish It Valentine's kit were versatile enough to be used with my fall pictures of Sunday waiting with me in Target customer service. She is such a little cutie. I crack up during each of our photo shoots; whenever I ask her to smile, she sticks her tongue over her top lip. Not sure where she picked that trick up but it's hilarious! I'll add tiny letters to complete my title, "Target of my Love." This was like, our first trip to go shopping together alone. So Sweet.

I'm a cutie and I know it

So did I ever get up the mountain? Well despite my friend being called back work, yes I did get the chance to ride a couple runs with my bro, who still kindly waits patiently at each turn so he knows I'm okay and still behind him. What a gentleman. Almost makes up for the countless snowballs and ice chunks he hurled at us throughout the week! Imagine how I felt when I learned that prior to this trip he had never been around for a bed time observation. He even got a chance to babysit Sunday for the first time, pulling her around in a sled until she slept like a little pink popsicle at the base of the kiddie lift.

Aww, relief- now get these boots off!

Rainier and I signed up for a mother-daughter ski lesson- what an experience! I have never attempted it but last year I found a good deal on some old fashioned skis at the goodwill. Roxy boots that fit perfectly made me feel quite stylish- until the instructor advised me that the skis were actually too small and that she would not want me to go down from any higher than the bunny slope. Fine with me! Riding down with my oldest between my legs was exhilarating enough, I certainly did not feel the need to add any levels of danger to our thrilling descents. She had been up last year with her dad, who actually does know how to ski, so really she taught me a thing or two. I was so proud to see her trying, not giving up, and relishing the thrill of learning alongside me. And was she afraid of the chair lift? oh no, not at all! Wow, another great example and source of strength for her height hesitant mommy.

Beauty is more than skin deep

I finished out the weeks craftings with a reflective page titled, "Embracing my no blush flush." Funny thing is that in this picture, I probably have quite a bit of makeup on, but I wrote about how I've learned to embrace my pregnancy-induced rosatia as this physical reminder of my greatest accomplishment; my Rainier. She helped shape my destiny and focused my attentions of living as the woman I know I can be. Not a day goes by that she doesn't somehow inspire me to love at another level, and I wouldn't change that for any degree of beauty. On the flip side of that inspiration is what she learns from me; hopefully that God made us each perfectly, and that natural beauty comes from the inside!
So what imperfections have you learned to accept? Or do you have a funny mountainside story? Click on that comment link below this post to share!