diva designs

Creative Scrappers Design Team Call.

2010-08-04T16:22:00.001-03:00

It’s time for another Designer Call at Creative Scrappers.

If you enjoy working with sketches and being an inspiration to others then I want your application!

Submissions will be taken until September 10th 2010
New Designers will be posted September 15th 2010

Please include in your application:
Name, address, email address,
link to your blog and online gallery

Please Send us:
3 of your recent layouts to showcase your scrapbook style

The Design Team will be required to:
-Complete atleast 2-3 layouts per month with sketches provided from our Sketch Designers.
-Exclusive to Creative Scrappers
(You are asked to design for our Sketch Blog Only, no other sketch blog is permitted)
-You will be required to post our Design Team Blinkie in signatures where permitted and also on your blog!

-This is a Term position from October 1st until January 31st 2011 (4 months)
- Call also Open to Past and Present Design Team Members
- 16 designers will be selected

Please Mail your entries to
Kristine@Creative-Scrappers.com

little miss sunshine: Creative Scrappers Reveal

2010-07-04T09:34:00.006-03:00

It's a bright, sunshiny morning here on Nova Scotia's South Shore. We're taking advantage of the Canada Day holiday to have a mini-vacay at my parents' place. We've been busy taking in a couple local festivals and visiting family. Relaxing is nice! S is extending her vacation and staying with my parents for the week. I am sure she'll entertain them with all her silliness.

Here's a look at Creative Scrappers sketch # 111 by Nicole Nowosad:

Here's my take on it. We've been having some amazing weather on the east coast and S has already had a few opportunities to try out her sprinkler this year. It didn't take her long to figure out that a swim mask is a necessary accessory for the Elmo sprinkler.

Try out Nicole's sketch and post a link to your design on the Creative Scrappers site for a chance to win a prize from Scrapbook Sussies.

toes: Creative Scrappers Reveal

2010-06-21T07:56:00.005-03:00

Check out what the ladies are up to at Creative Scrappers this week! Here's the sketch we worked with by July Gaceta:

So, I figured out the best thing about sketches...they allow you to scrap really quickly! Somehow I lost track of the days and realized at about 11PM the night before submission day that I needed to get this LO in. Oooops! Thanks to this awesome sketch, the following came together in about half an hour. New record for me, I am a really slow scrapper!

photos in need of scrapping.

2010-06-09T19:20:00.002-03:00

I have a ton of them...unfortunately. At one point in time I was 'real time scrapping' for the most part. Now it seems that I am all over the place. Really, who am I kidding...now it seems I never have time to scrap at all! Here are a few pictures taken last month that are just waiting to be embellished:

Creative Scrappers Reveal Day.

2010-06-06T17:12:00.005-03:00

Sunday is reveal day over at Creative Scrappers. My very first reveal day. And yes, working with sketches still stresses me out a little; being part of the design team is a step outside of my comfort zone. However, our sketch designers make it pretty easy to create goodness. This week we worked with this sketch from Aphra Bolyer:

Here's my take on it:

I used a bunch of old Sassafras papers that I got as part of my 'warehouse' box from a few weeks ago. Tons of goodies in there! My fellow design teams members provided lots of inspiration this week. Be sure to try out Aphra's sketch and share your LO for a chance to win a prize pack from Snobby Walrus Paper Crafts.

design team news.

2010-05-20T12:16:00.002-03:00

I am thrilled to report that I have been asked to be a member of the design team for Creative Scrappers; a super cool sketch challenge blog.

The talent on the team is outstanding, wowzers...I hope I can keep up! Our first reveal will be on June 6, so be sure you stop by and give the sketch a try!

silly girls.

2010-04-29T17:32:00.002-03:00

I LOVE the Dear Lizzie line from American Crafts. I bought like everything I could get my hands on and then used it very sparingly on this LO. I don't want to cut it up...is that weird? I should have gotten two of everything! More pictures of S from Easter weekend. I have to take advantage of the moments when she 'allows' me to take pictures...they are few and far between these days. Thanks for stopping by!

girl in a t-shirt.

2010-04-28T17:20:00.002-03:00

Sofia's favorite song right now is 'You Belong To Me' by Taylor Swift aka 'girl in a t-shirt' when you're three. Seemed like a perfect title for this super cute {if I do say so myself} picture of S taken over Easter weekend. The usual misting, sewing and a little new Sass goodness:

Quick Scrappy Shares.

2010-04-06T19:51:00.004-03:00

These two LOs came together really quickly on Sunday night. Not sure why...I am a really slow scrapper! However, I put these two together in a couple of hours. Unheard of! It could be the inspiration of fresh pictures. I took these shots of the girl on Friday afternoon. She just looks so grown up to me. All moms say that though don't they? Laugh.

I've gotten a little obsessed with the misting and the stitching...I think I might need to change things up a bit!

Scrappy Hiatus.

2010-03-30T08:34:00.004-03:00

Wow...so this is what it feels like to scrap again...and blog for that matter! I have taken a break from most scrappy pursuits as work consumed my life, however I couldn't pass up an opportunity to be a guest designer over at Creative Scrappers. The site is owned by Kristine, a local scrapper who I have actually had the pleasure of meeting in person. I also stalk her blog on a daily basis...gorgeousness!

So Kristine sent me this sketch to work with:

Typically I have issues working with a sketch...I don't take direction well. I always feel like I should follow it exactly, but it never works that way. However...this LO came together in no time. You might recognize the picture...it's not the first time I have used it.

Actually the thing that took the longest in this LO coming together was finding the large paper doilie to use as a mask. I thought it would be easy to find! Four stores later...I should have started at Michaels, but I was hoping for an inexpensive dollar store option! Oh well, I was really pleased with the end result so I guess it was worth all the trouble.

If you would like to try the sketch yourself link your LO up to the Creative Scrappers site for a chance to win!

52 Pick-up Sketch Challenge: Week Two.

2010-01-15T08:54:00.006-04:00

Two for two on LCOM's weekly sketch challenge - not bad. Let's see how long I can maintain the momentum. This week's sketch is by Allison Cope, a super talented scrapper. You should check out her blog...I am quite envious of what she does with mist!

Here's Ally's sketch:

And here's my take on it:

I am attempting to scrap this year's Christmas pictures while they are 'fresh' because frankly I'm not so great at holiday pictures, Christmas especially...birthday only marginally better.

Today is launch day for LCOM's 'So You Think You Can Scrap'. Check out the details here! I am anxious to see all the great work. I'm sure it's going to be a tough one to judge.

2010-01-09T19:10:00.000-04:00

52 Pick-up Sketch Challenge: Week One.

2010-01-09T11:18:00.004-04:00

Starting off the new year with the best intentions to scrap more! I think this challenge could be a big help: every week LCOM will provide you with some fabulous sketches for inspiration! Use these sketches to inspire you to create a layout, 52 weeks of sketches, one layout per week.... a beautiful album of 52 layouts for you to 'pick up' at the end of the year and enjoy!

So far so good...one sketch and one completed LO:

Top 9 of '09.

2010-01-01T12:44:00.005-04:00

Happy new year! 2009 was a fantastic scrappy year. I am most happy with the work that I have done over the past year. I was lucky enough to be on the design team for both My Little Bit of Whimsy and Let's Capture Our Memories. I even designed for the LCOM card team...you know that's a big deal for me. I thought I hated making cards...turns out I don't. Ha! 2009 also marked my first magazine publication in Canadian Scrapbooker and gave me the opportunity to continue the great friendships I have with the crazy and wonderful girls at LCOM.

So, here are my personal favorites of last year:

Happy holidays.

2009-12-27T16:27:00.007-04:00

Last Little Bit of Whimsy.

2009-12-17T22:00:00.006-04:00

December is my last month as a member of the design team for My Little Bit of Whimsy...I am a little sad. However, Stephanie was amazing to work with and I am certain I will continue to support my shopping obsession on a regular basis at the Whimsy store! I can't wait to see what the new design team creates.

Her mother's daughter...finally.

2009-12-11T19:46:00.004-04:00

From the moment Sofia was born the comment has been..."Oh, she looks just like her father." Ah, hello!!! I had something to do with it. Laugh! Finally, after almost three years, I have captured a picture where I can honestly say she looks like me...this is so my 'are you kidding me right now' expression. Sigh! Let's relish in a little motherly pride shall we??

12 days of Christmas LCOM style.

2009-12-07T16:44:00.006-04:00

There are still five days of Christmas challenges to go over at LCOM... the DT girls have come up with some great ideas! It's not too late to go back and check out the first seven days either.

Here's my take on Amy's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas challenge on day one:

Zoe's challenge for day two was to use groups of two...yikes, that was hard one! Why is it three is so much easier?

And here's my tag for Guiseppa's six colours challenge on day six:

Can you tell I'm trying to make tags for all my gifts this year?

LCOM November DT Reveal.

2009-12-06T19:30:00.015-04:00

Tanya provided us an awesome kit again this month...jam packed with Cosmo Cricket goodness (cricket...get it, Tanya?? LOL!) The Earth Love line is pretty far removed from the crazy bright colours I usually gravitate towards, but all my projects came together really easily and I was super pleased with the results. I only did two layouts this month, but I did get quite a few Christmas gifts made with this kit...I won't share those here in case my mom is peeking. Instead, I'll share some goodies from my fellow DT members:

Here are the girls'...

Amy:

Melissa:

Guiseppa:

Zoe:

Ally:

And, these two are mine:

12 days of Christmas: LCOM style

2009-12-04T09:02:00.006-04:00

Today's challenge is brought to you by me!

On the fourth day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Four calling birds...

Let's see four calling birds on your LO, card or tag. If, in the event you don't know what a 'calling bird' looks like then any bird will do!

Christmas card photo {outtake.1}

2009-12-03T19:27:00.004-04:00

Sofia was thrilled when I told her it was time to to take a picture for her Christmas card. She used to love having her pictures taken...not so much anymore. This shot was actually from round two, so you can imagine how well round one went. Luckily, I did end up with a great shot after it was all said and done. This, however, is not it:

December daily album...I have high hopes.

2009-12-02T21:25:00.003-04:00

I get the whole concept behind it, really I do! As Ali Edwards suggested I diligently put all my pages together ahead of time; they were ready to go for Christmas 2008 and now here we are, it's Christmas 2009 and the pages are still waiting. Sigh! Luckily, I was able to gently peel the '8' sticker off and replace it with a '9'...I don't even think you can tell! '09 will be my year to complete the album...I'm sure of it. I've taken one picture...that far surpasses last year's results!

12 days of Christmas LCOM style.

2009-12-01T21:15:00.003-04:00

I can't think of a better way to get into the holiday spirit! The LCOM design team will be hosting 12 days of challenges, there will be 12 days of prizes just for checking the forum and signing up in the appropriate days' thread... and of course something new on sale each day for the 12 days! Hope you'll join us!

Gingerbread tree a la Sofia.

2009-11-29T19:30:00.003-04:00

Green icing and a two year old? Seemed like a good idea when I bought the kit...

Tagged.

2009-11-27T21:06:00.009-04:00

Lame...I know. It's been a loooong week and that's all I've got! I fully intended to post this on Monday, but somehow I blinked and it was Friday. Um, how does a long week fly by so quickly? Anyhoo...this week was my last challenge as part of the LCOM card team. I am sad to be finished but time was just getting a little too tight to continue. Soooo....my challenge was to create a holiday gift tag or card. I used some basic cream tags and dressed them up with my new Maya Mist. I love that stuff! Definitely need to invest in some more. You can check out the rest of the team's creations on the LCOM blog...delicious!
Maya Mist: Bubblegum Metallic, My Mind's Eye Be Merry, Martha Stewart border and hydrangea punches, Maya Road pompom trim, Kaiser Crafts bling.

Congrats HeatherH!

2009-11-23T15:28:00.002-04:00

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 7
Timestamp: 2009-11-23 19:25:10 UTC

#7= HeatherH
I hope Santa brings you that Amanda Muirhead designed LCOM kit subscription that you're wishing for, but keep an eye on your mail box for some goodies from me to tide you over! Just send me an e-mail with your address and it will be on the way!

Thanks for playing along!

Blog hop baby!

2009-11-20T20:00:00.012-04:00

Hi and welcome to the Let's Capture Our Memories Design Team blog hop!!! To start, please go to the LCOM blog. Then visit each of the blogs in the order given below. Leave a comment on each blog and return to the LCOM blog. Leave a comment there telling us you have completed the blog hop and your name will be put into a draw for some fun goodies from Let's Capture Our Memories! As an added bonus everyone who leaves a comment on my blog letting me know what's on their holiday scrappy wish list will be entered in to a draw for some goodies from me!

So, here is the blog hop order!!

L-COM Blog
Zoe Nemburt
Me {{YOU ARE HERE}}
Melissa Mann
Guiseppa Gubler
Amy Daigle
Allison Cope
Back to the L-COM Blog

And since you're here, I'll take the opportunity to share a a few interesting (???) facts about myself:

1. I have a sincere appreciation for all kinds of music, the ability to remember the lyrics to just about any song, and the kind of singing talent that causes dogs to howl.

Don't they look impressed? I no longer serenade them.

2. My addiction to shopping lead to my addition to scrapbooking, who can resist those gorgeous embellies??
3. Black is my favorite colour to wear, though I like to mix it up with shade of grey. **ETA: I just bought two blue sweaters. Yes, I am a wild woman.**
4. I love my PVR.
5. My daughter Sofia makes me laugh out loud on a daily basis. Partly because she is truly comical and partly because wow, she's a lot like me.

Maybe a little wild?

6. I read Perez Hilton's blog on a daily basis. For shame, I know.
7. Shoes are a particular obsession I have; it's in my genes. My mother and grandmother suffer the same affliction.
8. On many occasions I have heard the following comment: "You scrapbook??? You don't look a like a scrapbooker." Ummm, what does that mean exactly??

This is me. Do I look like a scrapbooker? Maybe it's the hair??!! LOL!

9. I would love to have a scrap corner makeover...like could we turn it into an entire room? I have a file of dream scrap room ideas that will find there way into my house...someday.

10. Coffee is a critical first step in making it through the day! Combined with a visit to the LCOM forum and you can't ask for more!

As part of the blog hop fun the design team invited you to ScrapCapture this gorgeous layout from our girl Zoe:

Here's my take on it:

You can see everyones version on the LCOM blog tonight at 9:00PM (AST). Thanks for playing along, and now you can hop on over to visit Melissa.

November Whimsy.

2009-11-17T17:32:00.006-04:00

I love the fact that my three month design team term with My Little Bit of Whimsy has turned into a six month term. Really I would be happy if Stephanie just kept sending me buttons forever! Alas, all good things must come to an end, right? Sad for me, but good news for you...if you are interested in working with Steph's amazing clay creations check out the design team call details on the MLBOW blog! I guarantee you will love working with her products!!

Here are my goodies for November:

ScrapCapture with the queen of LCOM and the design team.

2009-11-16T17:20:00.004-04:00

Please join Tanya, the queen (and owner) of LCOM and the design team for a ScrapCapture! Wondering what a ScrapCapture is? Well, DT member Zoe has been kind enough to let us use her layout for this event! Create your take on the layout - 'capture' whatever you choose, as much or as little as you like. Once you have finished your layout, email it to Tanya at rntmunn@nb.sympatico.ca. The design team is playing along and on Friday, November 20 will be revealing their layouts during a blog hop, along with some other interesting things about themselves! Oh my! The blog hop will begin at 8PM (AST)... and at 9PM Tanya will be revealing the layouts from everyone who participates. The DT will be choosing their favorite to receive a great prize from LCOM. Stay tuned for details of the blog hop!

All layouts must be submitted to Tanya by Friday, November 20 at 5PM (AST).
SOOOOOO.... who is playing ?!?!?!?!?!

Let the Christmas crafting begin.

2009-11-10T23:25:00.006-04:00

So I promised myself that this year I would not leave my Christmas gift craft projects until December. This year I will complete everything well in advance of 'deadline'. Sigh!

I started strong, whipping up this little number for Sofia to give her great grandmother:

I was so pleased with self. I thought this is going to be e-a-s-y. And then October flew by. Sigh x 2! And now it's November...time to get serious. Tonight I whipped up a super simple calendar that Sofia is going to give to each of her grandfathers and also to her 'honorary' aunt. Fortunately (???) none of them read my blog, so I'm not ruining the surprise. I totally took the lazy way out and bought a digital calendar kit. So worth the $3:

I still need to make mini albums in a tin for each grandmother, a bookmark (maybe??) for her other great grandmother and something for daddy...I'm thinking a coffee sleeve mini album as an ode to his obsession with caffeine.

I have 19 days left...

Take a stroll down Bella Blvd.

2009-11-09T22:00:00.004-04:00

Our October design team kit at Let's Capture Our Memories was jammed packed with goodies from Bella Blvd. This was my first time working with this their product and I really enjoyed it. The Flirty line was so usable and fun...I just kept creating. Oh, and there was a little Halloween-y American Crafts thrown in for the 'holiday'. Thanks for stopping by!

LCOM Card Team Call!

2009-11-08T16:07:00.003-04:00

The LCOM card team is looking to add two new card makers to our present team. This is a 4 month term which will begin on December 1st and end on March 31st. International applicants are welcome. To apply, please email Darlene , card team coordinator three of your favorite cards before midnight (AST) on November 23rd, (these do not have to be new) at darlenedeon@ns.sympatico.ca. The card team members are expected to come up with one challenge every 8 weeks for the team, and to participate by making one card for the other 7 challenges during those 8 weeks and most importantly, you must love to make cards!!! They are looking forward to seeing your work.

Monday is Card Day @ LCOM!

2009-10-05T09:56:00.005-03:00

Wow, catchy title! Not! Ugh, I have finally succumbed to the cold that has been going around and I'm not feeling that witty at the moment - please forgive me.

So, you might have heard that Monday is Card Day at LCOM. This week Roberta challenged us to use only cardstock - no patterned paper, no ribbon, no brads. She did 'allow' us glitter, embossing, stamping and/or sewing. Thanks heavens for glitter! It was a great challenge because my card making process is usually grab neutral cardstock for the base and then reach for patterned paper to make it pretty. LOL! In this case, I stuck with the neutral cardstock base and then made flower by tracing various sizes of Sassafras Paper Whimsies onto my cardstock. Add a little ink and glitter - voilà! Stop by the LCOM forum and share your card.

We celebrated World Card Making day at LCOM on Saturday with a ton of challenges. It's not too late to join in the fun, head on over to the site and check out the challenges. You have until 8pm AST on Wednesday, October 7th to upload your creations.

My challenge was to use felt on your card. I have a ton of felt in my stash that has been neglected!

I also completed a couple Card Day challenges from my team mates; Melissa asked us to use some crocheted goodies on our card and Darlene issues the 'Home Sweet Home' challenge. The home on my card looks more like a dog house, but perspective isn't critical in cardmaking, right??

World Card Making Day {October 3}

2009-10-02T12:44:00.002-03:00

Join us at Let's Capture Our Memories on Saturday, October 3 for World Card Making Day. The card team has lined up some fantastic challenges, with some great prizes for playing along. I had a bit of a head start...hope you like the sneak!

Revealing all at LCOM.

2009-09-30T15:33:00.003-03:00

We had our first design team reveal at Let's Capture Our Memories last Friday and the girls really rocked it! I am lucky to be in the company of such amazing scrappers. The kit was not what I would immediately gravitate towards as far as product, but I was really pleased with the way everything turned out. I went a little crazy with the Tsukineko walnut ink antiquing solution - I spritzed a lot of stuff! I think it's great to get out of your element every once and awhile!

This month's Whimsy:

2009-09-21T20:15:00.006-03:00

Stephanie from My Little Bit of Whimsy was super generous with her gorgeous goodies this month, so much so that I couldn't use it all! Here's what I did come up with:

So fun! I just love how much life MLBOW embellies add to cards and LOs.

Since I'm on the topic of fun reveals...here's a little sneak peek at some of the goodies I have been working on for the Let's Capture Our Memories DT reveal on September 25th.

My name is NOT 'Dear'.

2009-09-09T18:30:00.002-03:00

Gloria to Sofia: "Come here dear."
Sofia to Gloria: "Gloria, why you call me dear? My name is So-fee-a. Say it Gloria...So-fee-a."
And repeat x 3. Yup, that's my girl.

So, it's a good thing that I didn't make a door hanger for her that said "Dear".

I'm hosting a party.

2009-09-08T18:08:00.005-03:00

It's a scrapjack party and you're invited.

Location: Let's Capture Our Memories
Date: Tuesday, September 15th (Reveal Wednesday, September 16th 8PM AST)

I found this cuuute card by Jen Gallacher over on the American Crafts blog and I thought I should share it. I would love to see your take on it. More details can be found on the LCOM forum.

Oh...and I'll be doing a draw for a little participation RAK-a-doo.

Let's Capture This Design Team.

2009-08-31T18:07:00.007-03:00

I'm pleased to say I was selected as a member of the first ever design team for my favorite scrappy site - Let's Capture Our Memories. Tanya, LCOM's fearless leader, has done a great job fostering an amazing online community and stocking the store with goodies we need! My team mates Zoe, Guiseppa and Melissa will provide some amazing inspiration...check out their work (blog links are to the left)...I can't wait to get started!

Speaking of inspiration, Monday is 'card day' at LCOM. Jessy challenged us to create a card using the colours of our county's flag in honour of the fact that August 31st is Malaysia's Independence Day. My card represents my version of the Canadian flag - red and white, with a sprinkling of some extra goodies for good measure:

Stop by the LCOM blog and share your card! My challenge is up next week.

Grand Opening Cyber Crop...

2009-08-28T15:20:00.003-03:00

on now at Let's Capture Our Memories:

I think the only people who read my blog are my scrappy friends from LCOM, so you already know about the cyber crop...however on the off chance I have a cyber scrappy lurker, now you know! Check out the Grand Opening Cyber Crop forum for challenges, giveaways and fun!

pool {captured}

2009-08-23T18:33:00.003-03:00

My scrappy friend Emily created a fabulous sketch last week for Let's Capture These Sketches. I had hoped to use it sooner, but it was waaaay too hot last week to scrap - even in the basement - so I am a little behind in my scrapping. I really haven't gotten a whole lot of scrapping accomplished this summer at all. Maybe 10 pages total. Yikes!

Here's my take on Emily's sketch:

I think maybe my choice of paper for the background might overpower the pictures too much, but I'm not a re-do scrapper. Laugh!

slightly odd or playfully humorous, especially in an endearing way

2009-08-19T11:14:00.012-03:00

Time for the design team reveal over at My Little Bit of Whimsy. Normally when I scrap I start with the pictures, but obviously here I start with the embellishment and go from there. It's a different process, but Stephanie's buttons are so fun to work with that these layouts just flew together:

In addition to being super cute, MLBOW embellishments are totally versatile, lending themselves perfectly to cards as well as layouts:

Seriously low-tech embossing.

2009-08-17T14:06:00.004-03:00

Yeah, so I'm not really good at the 'technique-y' side of scrapbooking. So it should come as no suprise that I really have never really done any embossing before. The only 'heat gun' I own is my hair dryer...I'm not certain I can even really call myself a scrapbooker. LOL!

This week at LCOM Dana challenged us to include some embossing on our card. Yikes! I don't even own a die cut machine that you can emboss with. What I do own however is some Fiskars plastic texture plates and a funky embossing tool that my cousin bought for me for $2 at Superstore. When I said low-tech embossing I wasn't kidding! So, in honour of Sofia's obsession with The Bee Movie I dug out the honeycomb plate and used it with some Core'dinations cardstock sanded to highlight the embossing.

sweetness {captured}

2009-08-13T12:31:00.003-03:00

Head on over to the LCOM Sketch blog - Let's Capture These Sketches and check out the latest sketch by guest designer Cindy. Cindy is one of my scrappy crushes...her work is consistently jaw-dropping; this sketch and layout are no exception. AND, if that's not enough...have a look at what the sketch team created. Wowzers!

Here's my take on the sketch:

I am in pieces.

2009-08-10T10:18:00.017-03:00

I have to say I am loving the card making! I guess all I needed was to rub (virtual) elbows with some amazing card crafters to get me in the groove. I have been trying all kinds of new things and this week is no exception.

My challenge for you this week is: incorporate paper piecing into your card.

It can be the entire card or an element of your card. You might have some paper piecing patterns already, but if not there are lots available on-line. Here's one spot: http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/magazine/piecetalk/index.html. I had never done paper piecing before. Some of the patterns I came across were a little daunting with their teeny pieces, but I saw lots of patterns that were much less complicated. I used a cupcake pattern from a past Scrapbooks, etc. issue. My cupcake is frosted with Stickles, sprinkled with some bling from parts unknown and the cupcake paper is fashioned from the thing that keeps your hand from burning off on a Timothy's coffee cup. What do you call that thing??!?!

Have a look at what my LCOM team mates created! Now you know where my inspiration comes from. I would love to see what you can come up with ladies!!

Dance of the Seaweed Princess.

2009-08-08T22:12:00.003-03:00

Collage Story Board Kit: House of 3

A circle of friends.

2009-08-07T09:56:00.004-03:00

I'm a winner. LOL! My scrappy friend Tina gave me this awesome award. Tina is such a sweetie - a super friendly amazing mom to four little ones, who still finds time to make the most beautiful scrappy creations. Wow! Thanks Tina.

So here are the rules:

Nominate 5 other bloggers you feel have become part of your circle of friends. Link to your nominees within your blog post.Include these instructions on how to pick up the award in your blog post. Link back to the person who gave you the award in your blog post, to show your appreciation. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award. Here are my nominations in no particular order:

Expand the circle!

In stitches.

2009-08-04T16:07:00.003-03:00

My ability to think of a clever post title has evaporated.

This week's card challenge over at LCOM has me in stitches...literally. Our fearless card team leader, Darlene asked this of us: include some stitching on your card, it can be hand stitching, or machine stitching or even faux stitching will work. I am the self-professed queen of the faux stitching because frankly I can't figure out how to thread my sewing machine properly and every attempt at 'real' stitching goes horribly wrong. Luckily, I was visiting my mommy last weekend and she knows how to thread her machine, so I was able to incorporate some real (though amateurish) stitching on my card. Behold:

And the winner is...

2009-08-03T21:06:00.005-03:00

Sofia sends her apologies - she was out of town this weekend and totally forgot about making her draw until this morning. She did however add a few more goodies to the pile for the lucky winner...

Congratulations emilysue!!!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the blog and left the great comments for Sofia and I. Emily, send me an e-mail with your address and Sofia will head to the post office with your goodies!

Collage Story Board Kit: House of 3

Paint the town...or at least your card!

2009-07-27T22:34:00.007-03:00

Time for another weekly installment of card challenges at LCOM .

Sandi's Color In Challenge: for this week, I would like you to color/paint on your card. You could use crayons, glimmer mist, markers, ink, chalk, pencils or paint.

I must remind you, I am a simple card maker. So I stuck to the basics...a Heidi Swapp mini mask and some glimmer mist. I stuck a bit of ribbon on it so that it could be used as a card/gift tag combo.

I would love to see your version, join the LCOM forum or share your card through our blog.

Welcome to the jungle.

2009-07-26T21:13:00.005-03:00

She's a character, that's for sure! Her request..."Mommy, I get in the tree, you take my picture." How could I refuse??

House of Three Negative Frame Kit.

Totally random PIF RAK.

2009-07-24T21:25:00.003-03:00

I received a fantastic RAK from my scrappy friend Zoe earlier this week and she inspired me to pay it forward with a little RAK of my own. Pictured below is what happens when you ask your two year old to help you choose the items. She loves purple and immediately went for the purple felt flowers, then threw in a few 'sparkly' stickers for good measure.

If you'd like to be entered into a draw for Sofia's RAK leave me a comment and I will make a draw next Friday, July 31. Thanks for stopping by!

Consumed by the cards.

2009-07-20T19:37:00.007-03:00

I think I might have an obsessive personality. LOL! For the longest time I really disliked making cards. However, since joining the card making team at LCOM I am consumed with making cards. I made eight last week, I hadn't made eight cards total in my life. I have a problem.

In retrospect, I believe this should read 'hoo', but I'm not changing it!

Monday is the day for new challenges from the card team at LCOM. This week Zoe gave us a sketch to work with:

I'd love to see what you come up with! Here's my take on it:

Yeah, I'm Whimsical.

2009-07-16T11:09:00.006-03:00

Yesterday was my first DT reveal over at My Little Bit of Whimsy. I am thrilled to be a part of the team, because I really love the fun buttons and embellishments Stephanie fashions. I am also a little in awe of her talent ' cause when S and I dig out the Play-Doh anything other than a blob is a creative accomplishment for me! Here's what those fantastic goodies inspired me to build. Lots of Sassafras going on in these layouts, I find the clay embellishments compliment the Sass fun so well!

Bare bottoms....and cards.

2009-07-15T21:06:00.006-03:00

Since I can't share with you the picture of S. sounds asleep bare bottomed in her bed with her diaper folded neatly on the pillow 'cause she "was hot Mommy". I'll give you a peak at some of the cards I created for the challenges going on over at LCOM.

Jessy's transparency and ribbon challenge:

Dana's sketch challenge:

Have a great day!

My name is Jenn and I make cards.

2009-07-14T16:02:00.005-03:00

I haven't always made cards, in fact for a long time I really disliked making cards. But here I am, living proof, that anyone can make a card! And I was even invited to join the new card team at LCOM. My six fellow team members are a fantastic group of card makers, you can meet them all and check out the challenges they are hosting on the LCOM blog. Join in the fun and you'll be eligible for a nice little RAK - drawing will take place next Monday.

Here's the card I created for my stamping challenge:

It is by no means an 'original' design, I saw the idea online somewhere but I don't remember where, so I can't link you up. In order to keep the letters straight I was a little sneaky. I didn't actually take them off the plastic sheet they came on. I have a large acrylic block I just taped the entire sheet down to the block and stamped away. Super simple!

Please stop by and check out all the fantastic cards...there's nothing to be afraid of...card making is fun...right Amanda?!?

Big {scrappy} news coming tomorrow...

2009-07-12T21:07:00.006-03:00

in the meantime, here's S doing her best Twisted Sister impression.

Vacay and a scrapjack reveal.

2009-07-06T23:16:00.005-03:00

Woo hoo, it's vacation time and it looks like the sun MAY shine in the Maritimes this week. I saw a glimpse of it today and the forecast for later in the week looks good. S, the beagle and I are down south - by south I mean the South Shore of NS - and B is heading Vegas. What's wrong with this picture?? Oh well, the grand parents (and great grandparents) enjoy having S around and we've already had some great 'scrappy' moments. Sofia and her cousins were rocking out to Twisted Sister 'We're Not Gonna Take It' last night...funny stuff!

Tonight was the big scrapjack reveal at LCOM. Stop by and have a look another example of the fantastic talent in our group! Here's my take on the LO, I incorporated some paint in keeping with the original, even though breaking out the paint is not something I often do. Overall I am pleased with the outcome, though I really struggle at 'lifting' a LO...I usually end up copying exactly, rather than being inspired by. Here she is, the glamour girl...

I Glimmer Misted...

2009-07-02T22:44:00.004-03:00

for the first time last night. Suffice to say, I need a little bit more practice. And what better way to practice than with a whole lot of brand new Glimmer Mist. As you know 'Glimmer Mist is the same great product with a Fabulous NEW Look!' I love this blue colour...hey, Glimmer Mist. Pick me!

Join the scrapjack @ LCOM!

2009-07-01T18:43:00.009-03:00

Scrapjack is actually a combination of the words hijack and scraplift. Basically, everyone lifts the same LO at the same time and all the LOs are revealed at once. Fun stuff!

Amanda hosted our first scrapjack at LCOM and we all lifted a LO by Danielle Flanders. Here is my finished product:

This challenge finally got me out of my scrappy rut. As you can see I liked the LO so much I decided to use part of it for my blog header.

So, this time around I am hosting the scrapjack...details can be found here. And here's the LO will be be 'jacking':

It's a LO by one of my scrappy crushes Elizabeth Kartchner. You should join us!

Still under construction...maybe a sketch would help?

2009-06-30T14:47:00.005-03:00

Under construction...

2009-06-20T18:55:00.002-03:00

Excuse the dust, I'm doing a little renovating around here. Stay tuned.
It's the only scrappy page I have that is even remotely construction related.

Let's Capture Our Memories.

2009-06-18T22:10:00.007-03:00

Well, come on...let's. There's a fantastic new scrapbooking site that you need to check out:
LCOM was started by my scrappy friend Tanya and it's so cool, you'll even find her DH hanging out there every now and again. The forum is full of the sweetest and most talented ladies (and of course, the aforementioned gentleman). There is never any shortage of creativity and conversation. I was thrilled when Tanya asked for my help in designing the header for her forum and blogs...and I am even working on a main splash page... not quite finished yet. My background is in print design, so it's fun (and challenging) to dabble in the web. Go on over and have a look, I know you'll love it!

I even have a few scrappy shares thanks to the card challenges hosted by Darlene over at LCOM...cards {gasp!} Darlene creates the most amazing cards and it's easy to be inspired by her work. So, here are a couple of cards based on her sketches:

I'm a Whimsy Girl!

2009-06-17T17:15:00.007-03:00

Wow! I am super excited to be part of the Whimsy team, check out the fantastic buttons and embellishments I am going to be working with: My Little Bit of Whimsy. Stephanie's creations are quirky, fun and just what your next project needs. Get some...now...they WILL make you smile.

Here are a couple LOs I have done using Whimsy products:

I even make camo look good uses mushroom buttons, which compliment the October Afternoon papers perfectly.

I go on a 'benture uses a fun cloud button, which totally works with the Sassafras goodies!

Stay tuned for more Whimsy news and the design team reveal on July 15th.

Hello! Hiatus???

2009-06-02T20:36:00.004-03:00

So, turns out that life can quickly get in the way for updating ones blog. Wow! Things have been nuts. We embarked on some major home renovations about two months ago and smack dab in the middle of all the siding and saw dust, Brad was laid off. Yeah. Not nice. Luckily, he was given a small 'package' and has found a new job that he will start at the end of this month, but it was a little tense around here for awhile. I still don't think I will totally relax until I see that first paycheck clear the bank. Also, during this same period of time Sofia started a new daycare and unfortunately the transition wasn't as smooth as I hoped. Extreme mother guilt! She was very happy where she was and was receiving extremely great care, but I 'thought' it would be good to expose her to a daycare environment vs. home care as pre-school will be coming along soon enough. And there were also some selfish reasons (insert mother guilt here) the YMCA is 3 minutes from our house and about 7 minutes from my office vs. the 45 minute drive morning and night to the sitter...that's a lot of time and money in the run of a week! So when a spot became available for her at the Y, we took it honestly thinking she would enjoy it. Day one, no problems. Day two..."Mommy, I no want to go to the Y.", followed by tears. Now her teachers assure me the fussing stops when we leave the room and by all accounts she has a great time while she's there, but every morning she says she doesn't want to go. What makes it worse is she never once cried when we left her at the sitter, not even day one. Ohhhhh, the guilt. Every day is getting better though...except for last week when one of her friends bit her. Sofia and I had a talk about it and I explained to her that biting wasn't a nice things to do, and so on. Yesterday at breakfast she proclaims, "Mommy, I bite my crackers, not my friends." I think I am raising a stand up comedian!

Wow! Way to pour it all out in the first post back! On to scrappy stuff. I have nothing to share myself as I haven't scrapped in months (please see ramblings above). However, I'm going to send out a little toot toot to my Mommy, who won the Mystery Page Kit Contest at her LSS. This is the second time in three entries. This picture of Sofia is one of my favorites! It used to be so easy to take her picture. Now she just doesn't stand still.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T12:53:00.001-03:00

I just don't feel like scrapping (GASP!}

2009-05-05T20:25:00.003-03:00

I have been absolutely un-creative for a looong time. I'm not sure what the problems is?? I've gotten new goodies, I've developed new pictures- nothing. I even had a hard time designing an ad today, because I just could not think of anything interesting. That will have to change, or next week in newspapers across New Brunswick you'll see blank space brought to you by Sounds Fantastic. Whoa is me. :) Here's proof I did scrap once upon a time. I did this layout at the Paws crop a few weeks ago.

Tee hee....

2009-05-01T20:17:00.000-03:00

Though really, I can't blame Sofia...I've always had bad hair.

It's a total eclipse of the heart...

2009-04-22T15:12:00.005-03:00

Sorry, no time to blog (or do laundry, or...) the vampires and werewolves have gotten me. LOL! I resisted the call of the 'Twilight' series of books for a long time. Actually, it wasn't even that I resisted, I just plain thought I would in no way be interested in a love story with some creatures of the night thrown in for good measure. Ah, wrong! My sister-in-law lent me books one, two and four on Saturday night...books one and two are finished and I ran to Chapters at lunch today to pick up number three. I'll be back in a few days...

The whole bowl...

2009-04-13T09:03:00.004-03:00

So, I can't seem to carve out time to scrapbook, but at least I am cataloging events on my blog....that's got to count for something, right? We thought Sofia might like to cuddle up in her new sleeping bag she got from the Easter bunny and watch a movie yesterday. Um, not so much...what she did discover however is a love for popcorn. The shoveling motions you see below took her through most of the bowl. Once the popcorn was gone, so was she. Apparently, Tinkerbell just doesn't have an appeal as strong as popcorn.

Happy Easter.

2009-04-12T13:43:00.003-03:00

Sofia and I made some Easter cookies yesterday for Nana and Papa...and of course I took pictures. I just love the look on her face in this shot. It's like she can barely resist the urge to touch one of her delicious creations. Cuteness!Off to search out more Easter goodness. Hello chocolate, buy-bye waistline!

Hop-cha, hop-cha quick like a bunny...

2009-04-07T18:49:00.003-03:00

This is the closest I have gotten to srapping in over a month. I really dislike it when life gets in the way of leisure time! I made this simple Easter banner for Sofia's room - it's hanging from the curtain rod behind her bed. I used scraps of Making Memories Garden Party paper and a lone piece of Basic Grey Urban Prairie. It is embellished with some felt flowers, buttons and bling. Oh, and a little fluufy chick I picked up at Michaels on their 40% off Easter rack. I am off in search of Cadbury Mini Eggs or a Caramilk Bunny!

Feshering poop and other random tidbits...

2009-04-01T19:55:00.007-03:00

It's the first spring-y Saturday of 2009 and the DiPaolo family is enjoying a little fresh air out in the yard. Sofia is scampering about, not at all concerned with Mommy and Daddy until...

Jenn to Brad: "Why is there a bag of festering poop sitting on the snowbank" (referring to the bag of dog poop that has been revealed by the melting snow)

Brad to Jenn: ??? Brad's response is drowned out by...

Sofia: "Ooooohhhh feshering poop, feshering poop....ooooohhhh Rocky, feshering poooooop!

Fast forward 4 days later.

Sofia to Daddy: "Daddy, why you leave feshering poop? Feshering poop. Feshing pooooooop..."

Hmmmm...what is it they say about little people having big ears?

She was innocent at one time:My mom rocked this layout for a contest at her LSS: Bright Ideas Scrapbooking & Stuff. The challenge was to create a layout using at least part of each of the items in the kit. I love how she created the flowers.

If you read my earlier post in regards to The Doodlebops you know it didn't quite live up to expectations. Well, we're trying it again with Dorothy the Dinosaur:She's coming to the Imperial Theatre in Saint John on April 14th. Let's hope she and Wags don't let us down. Sofia is a HUGE Dorothy fan...to the point that the only word she can spell is D-O-R-O-T-H-Y. I'm not sure that's a good thing!?

From beads to strainers??

2009-03-31T16:20:00.003-03:00

What a difference a year makes...I know I said a few weeks ago with the St. Patrick's Day pictures, but sheesh! I'd say both of these pictures are scrapable...one girl's journey from adorning herself in beads to wearing a strainer on her head. And two seconds after it was a hat, the strainer became a basketball net that she really wanted Grammie to play basketball with. My mom is a little woman, who has never played basketball a day in her life, but Sofia figures she should. She's got an active imagination that's for sure. I shall try to parlay these pictures into something scrappy, but I confess I am in a slump, a non-creative funk. I hope that the 28 Days of Spring Challenge starting tomorrow at Paws on Scrapbooking can help as retail therapy has not. Those who know me well will understand the magnitude of that statement. Send me your creative vibes...and another strainer.

The view from my front step...

2009-03-30T12:54:00.004-03:00

Memo to Mother Nature: it is spring! I know, really, it's the Maritimes and there are so many other things to be concerned about, but SERIOUSLY!!! We bought Sofia a basketball net yesterday and she is adamant that she get outside and use it. I suppose she could stand on a snow bank for a better chance at sinking the shot. I'd really like to have something awe inspiring to share with you, but this is all I got.

Here's a layout I did a while ago, but it seems quite fitting for today:

Sober as a judge...

2009-03-28T22:17:00.005-03:00

Sofia had a little photo shoot last night, but she just wasn't smiling! Gabrielle Rubin took the shots and she did a great job...really interacted with Sofia, but she just wasn't going to give up a big grin. All that being said Gabby captured some fantastic shots.

This one is true Sofia:

Such a solemn little monkey! I'm really pleased with them though...that's my girl. If she doesn't feel like doing it - in this case smiling - she's just not going to. We're starting to see more and more of that character trait...I have NO idea where she gets it from.

It's hard work being a princess...

2009-03-26T10:17:00.004-03:00

Sofia is the funniest little princess. She insisted on wearing her pink cowboy boots with her dress to cousin Rebecca's birthday party. Then when she got tired of wearing the dress later at the restaurant she took it off...leaving her only in tights, a sweater and cowboy boots. And me without my camera! Sigh. That is so blackmail material for later in life. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

2009-03-18T21:47:00.007-03:00

one day late, I know. Sofia caught the flu...again...and spent March 17 in her jammies. However, she didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to don her green finery, no she didn't - LOL! Okay, maybe it was me.
Just a little toot for my crafty self...I was searching for a green barrette in Sofia's huge, yet non-green collection and decided to make one. I layered a couple small Prima flowers on a plain silver clip and used the spare button that came with her shirt to create the centre. Voila! Instant, match-y barrette.

Oh, and check out the girl last year:

Doo{not}dlebops.

2009-03-08T22:17:00.004-03:00

We took Sofia to see the Doodlebops in concert on Saturday...what a disappointment! The only thing good about it was Sofia is too young to realize how bad it really was. Firstly, the 'real' Doodlebops weren't even there to perform. If you're unfamiliar with their TV show the story always culminates in their live concert. Which begs the question, if they're not at the concert, what else are they doing with their time? Further to that, the backup dancers spent more time on the stage than the {not} real Doodlebops. Secondly, they played for a grand total of about 45 minutes, with a 25 minute intermission. 25 minutes for a two year old is an eternity! Sofia kept saying, "Mommy, where the Doodlebops? Go open the curtain." Thirdly, they were charging $10 for a dollar store-esque light stick and $20 for a t-shirt or a doll. Thankfully, the tickets were given to us, because it certainly was not worth the price of admission. Sigh! All that being said Sofia did dance it up and seemed to enjoy herself for the most part. I guess the disappointment was mostly mommy's. We drowned our sorrows in McDonalds fries afterwards.

blog candy!

2009-03-02T11:31:00.003-04:00

All the satisfaction and none of the calories!
Tracey, the super talented kit designer at Paws on Scrapbooking has some blog candy up for grabs and you are going to want it! Paws has generously donated one of Tracey's amazing kits and it could be yours...check out the details! Kits are a fantastic way to take the guess work out of matching your papers and embellies, plus who doesn't love to get a little scrappy mail every month? I know I do!

toe fuzz. part two.

2009-03-02T10:26:00.006-04:00

The pictures of Sofia and her toe fuzz were begging to be scrapped and when I received my February kit (Fortune Cookie) from Studio Calico I knew that the paper selection would be perfect...'cause it matched her shirt and I like that kind of thing! My mom and I attended a crop at Bright Ideas! Scrapbooking and Stuff on Saturday night and I got a chance to work on a couple LOs. My mom is just starting to get into the scrapping, but she's got the bug for sure...she was buzzing around the store picking up all kinds on goodies and got three LOs finished. They even posted one of them to the store's website...woo hoo Mom!
Sofia is spending the week with Grammie and Grampie. I spoke to her briefly last night, but she was too busy playing basketball with Grammie to talk. I guess that's a good thing! Rocky is missing her lots and wandered around the house last night looking for her and whining. I hope that doesn't last all week!

Random bits of goodness...

2009-02-26T08:26:00.002-04:00

Akkk!! Where has the week gone?! Not much new to report on the home front. Sofia is as humorous as always. We were sitting at the supper table the other night and Brad was talking, when he was finished Sofia looked up at him and shaking her head said, "Seriously, Dad, seriously". LOL! We are in trouble!!

I just wanted to share a couple of fun sites I came across, one for the chefs - Smitten Kitchen and one for the clothes horse (okay, that might be me)- Shabby Apple. Enjoy!

Oh summer...where art thou?

2009-02-24T19:40:00.005-04:00

Seriously...enough with the snow already! I know, it's winter in the Maritimes, but come on! Sofia received a postcard from Nana and Papa who are on their third week in Floria...I am so jealous and totally reconsidering our decision not to go down south in favor of home renovations. Sigh! In hopes of conjuring up warm thoughts, here's a little summer srcappy business:Sorry if you're having trouble leaving comments! I changed around a few settings, hopefully that will help.
Stay warm!

They said 20 centimeters...

2009-02-23T15:23:00.002-04:00

but it seems like more!

Toot toot!

2009-02-23T12:45:00.003-04:00

I received a fantastic e-mail last night and so did Brad. We are both going to be published in the summer issue of Canadian Scrapbooker. I am pretty excited for me, but I am even more excited for him. The magazine had a call for 'male scrapbookers' and so I submitted one (of the two) layouts he created for Sofia. Let me just go on record as saying my scrap supplies are safe, I don't think scrapping will surpass golf anytime soon as the number one hobby. Basically, I convinced him that it would be really cool for him to do a couple of pages for Sofia from his perspective. The LO they chose took him hours to complete, but in the end he was happy with the way it turned out. And I really do think it will mean a lot to Sofia down the road to know that her dad stepped way out of his comfort zone for her. Plus, how cool is it that it's going to be published in magazine? Unfortunatley, I can't show it to you as it has to remain a secret until publication...look for it this June!!

Fake smiles and toe fuzz.

2009-02-22T20:29:00.005-04:00

Sofia really doesn't like to wear socks. I really don't like to wear socks either so I can't blame her. About a month ago Sofia pulled off her socks and I pointed out the fuzz between her toes. And so, the obsession with 'toe fuzz' began. She pulls off her socks every night at the supper table and checks for toe fuzz. We had friends over recently and Gloria feared Sofia might break a toe because she pulls them so far apart to check for the fuzz. So, being the scrap-obsessed mom that I am, I figured I needed to take some pictures of her checking out said fuzz. 'Cause toe fuzz is of course the perfect subject to scrap! I got some good shots, however when I asked her to look at me and smile, this is what I got:

Okay, that ladies and gentleman is a fake smile if I have ever seen one!

It's Bright Baby!

2009-02-21T13:18:00.004-04:00

The Cyber Crop is in full swing over at Paws and I managed to get one challenge completed last night. I can never seem to do more than one layout in an evening. I am a slow scrapper. This LO is based on a sketch by Joanne Ryan, a member of the Paws sketch team. I finally used some paper that I have been hanging on to for a loooong time. I could never seem to make it work and this sketch is just what I needed! I can't believe how much Sofia has changed in such a short time! She has become quite a character. I was talking with her last night about an upcoming visit she's going to have with Grammie and Grampie in Nova Scotia. I asked her what she thought Grampie was doing now. Her response..."Prob-ly sleeping". Tee hee...

Mushrooms & Weekend Plans.

2009-02-20T14:18:00.007-04:00

I should have mentioned that the super cute mushroom buttons I used on the LO I posted yesterday are from My Little Bit of Whimsy where Stephanie creates the most gorgeous clay buttons (and other goodies). They look great online, but they are even better IRL!

Brad is refereeing hockey for most of the weekend, so Sofia and I (and Rocky and Chloe) are on our own. When I asked her what she wanted to do, she replied "Go outside, kick snow". That seems doable, so that's the plan tomorrow...we shall kick snow.

This afternoon Paws is kicking off its Flashing February Cyber Crop. I have had a sneak peak at some of the challenges and there is plenty to keep you busy all weekend! So, that's the plan for this evening, a little scrapping and a little laundry. Stay tuned for some new scrap works...

I feel compelled to write something...

2009-02-19T14:16:00.015-04:00

because now I know someone is reading (Amandas). Truth is, I guess things aren't really that exciting in my world! Sigh! I am off to find one of those random 'about me' blog posts in hopes that will spur my imagination. In the meantime Amandas thanks for dropping by!

Here's a little scrappy business I did this week. Paws on Scrapbooking is hosting a Winter Sketch Fest and there are a ton of amazing sketches to be seen! This LO is based on a sketch by Heather (aka dollymix):

2009-02-14T13:33:00.001-04:00

I blog therefore I am.

2009-01-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

So...here it is, with minimal fanfare...my first blog post. The blog itself is still under construction, so bear with me - it needs a little more pretty-ing. I expect what you will find here on a semi-regular basis will be my ramblings, my scrappiness and my Sofia. I shall TRY to keep it up to date, but I'm not making any promises. :)