Summertime...and the living is easy! (Colorful Creations Blog Challenge)

Hey all! :) I am so excited because I finally sat down and did a digi layout for the first time in a long time. :) I was kind of at a loss for a paper and a glue layout, so I opened up my PSE and sat down and really had a BLAST! :)

Colorful Creations, one of my design teams I am on, is an online group for scrapbookers and paper crafters. We are all pretty tight knit. We share our lives and our happiness and downfalls too with life. :) I like keeping in touch with the members and love all of my "sisters" on the DT. :)

We have a TON of challenges throughout the month and one of those challenges is a Blog Challenge. :) For our blog click: HERE!

For our group site click: HERE!

The blog challenge for this month is HERE and it was the reason why I did this layout. I have been wanting to scrap this picture and still may do a couple of other projects with it. :)

And being that the prompt for this month was "Summertime and the living is easy (we needed to use this on our layout)..I felt that this was the best picture for it. We also had to use flowers and stripes. :) So, this is what I came up with. :)

What I used: Rachel Dickson (Sassy Elements (4 petal flowers, brads, joy, brads), Paper Pack one and two, and Alpha), Kitschy Digitals (Fresh Blooms Kit-Fabric flowers (fuchsia and blue with pearl), and Mom 2 Moo ("lovely" and pink shiny flower.) Done in Photoshop Elements 7.

Thanks for looking! :)

My Lime Light Sister has some BLOG CANDY and a favor!

Hey all! :) As many of you know, I am on The Lime Light Design Team. This DT is one of the special ones to me because it allows me to make things from my heart and give them to people who need them for whatever reason. Lime Light is a charitable design team and every other month we have a "task" or project that we work on.

The "task" we have right now is to make cards (Birthday, Thinking of You, Miss You, etc) for our soldiers in Afghanistan so they can send them home to their families and loved ones.

Right now, my Lime Light Sister, Joanne is having a BLOG CANDY giveaway on her blog.

Click: HERE for her blog.

Here are the deets from her BLOG:

We are making cards of all kinds for soldiers in Afghanistan that they can send home to their families and friends; miss you, birthday, thinking of you, etc. Here is what to do if you would like to participate:


1. Become a follower of my blog if you aren't already (thanx!)
2. Follow this link to The Lime Light and become a follower there (thanx! again!)
3. Post the picture of my candy on your page along with the following link to my blog to spread the word! (http://bigislandlady.blogspot.com/2011/07/joannes-blog-candy.html)
4. Make a card (or as many as you would like!) for a soldier and please leave it BLANK inside

USE NO GLITTER ON YOUR CARD, Stickles may be used.

5. E-mail me at cardsforourtroops1133@hotmail.com and I will send you my address of where to send your card

ALL CARDS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1st!!!!!

I will do a random drawing for the winner and you will win the goodies! So join in and HELP SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!

Here is what she is giving away!!! WHAT A HAUL! :)

So, get over there and start!!! :) Thanks so much! :)

Summer Pics, Blessings, and a Layout! :) (sorry about the novel)

This little girl.....makes my whole family wonder: "HE made another one?"

My parents know exactly what I am talking about! The mouth (shape and what comes out of it at times!! EEK!), curly hair (although it is blond), smiley eyes.....from the bed head when she gets up in the morning to the fact she doesn't like bedtime....SHE IS ME! Sometimes I am not sure how I feel about this. I thought  Jon was like me with his personality, but hands down....Sasha is the reincarnation of me. :) AND....I love it.
I tell myself this all the time....believe me, being a mom to ME is NOT fun (sorry Mom). When we were trying potty training a few weeks ago. We had this conversation:
Sasha: "Mama? Can I ride a HOR-SEE?" 
Me: "Uh, Sash, I am sorry, but only big girls can ride a horse. And you don't use the potty yet. You don't even try."
You could tell this really burned her britches! And she was not about to let that go...NO WAY...and to be frank...at 4...I wouldn't have either. :) So....
Sasha: "Well, I AM NOT using the potty! Sorry, YOU LOSE!"
Me: *****speechless*****
In fact, I called my mom who told my dad and he started to chuckle at the WHOLE thing! Really? Does no one support me in raising this little girl who has more attitude at 4 than most teens? LOL! :)
Nope....I - AM - TRULY - ON - MY - OWN! But, it's ok.....I have a secret weapon:

That would be my best friend! :) That little girl actually listens to him. She cares what he thinks....and when I am at my wits end with both kids...although Jon (my son) will tell you he does NOTHING to upset his sister! LOL! Which is NOT true! He thinks it's funny to upset her! ANYWAYS...when I am at my wits end....he swoops in like superman and takes over. He will get home from work and actually ASK: "What can I do?"
Before you think he is perfect....he is not without some imperfections....which some of my closest friends and his mom know! ;) BUT.....I think the way he is...totally scratches away whatever may annoy me! :) Besides...Like I said: He deals with literally TWO OF ME! And can still be a dad and a role model for this young man:

Which by the way.....WON'T let me take any pics of just him! 

Now, I can't do a post without a layout or something creative. So, here you go, but I had to write the whole thing because this layout made me think of so much! :) I am truly blessed. :)

What the journaling says: Your daddy and I talk all the time about if you really realize just how funny and beautiful you are! You are so carefree and your spirit is amazing! The light you always have in your eyes makes everyday BRIGHTER!

What I used: Bo Bunny (Patterned Paper), My Mind's Eye (matting paper all chipboard stickers except for the butterfly), ribbon and lace (stash), Heidi Swapp (chipboard butterfly). Photo Editing: PSE 7

Thanks for stopping! :)

Colorful Creations has some BLOG CANDY! :)

Hey all!!! :) OMG! A month or so has gone by??? That is so unacceptable! :( I am so sorry! Summer is supposed to be S-L-O-W, right? NOT! Well, at least not for me. :) I will talk more about that in a couple days, but.........as you all know....I am on the DT for Colorful Creations! :) I love these girls....they are quickly becoming like my on-line family. :) We even have some international sisters too now! :) And I thought Canada was as "International" as I would ever meet! ;) HA! ;) Hey, being from Montana, you almost always will have a Canadian friend. I have a Canadian best friend....I will talk about her later though. :)

Onto the BLOG CANDY from Colorful Creations and their blog! :)

They are giving away this:

Awesome, right???? And all you have to do is leave a comment over on THE COLORFUL CREATIONS BLOG (NOT HERE!!!!) and become a follower over there too. :)

Thanks and I will see you here in a couple days. :)