Living My Dream

MAMBI CHA Summer Releases:

Here are some pages using the EXTREMELY cute new MAMBI products.  I think every one knows I like working with cutsie items, so these were definitely favorites of mine!

Adorable products, huh?  I have more pages to post soon...

Happy Friday!  Suzy

Class at Oasis on Saturday...

Saturday is my second Scrapbook Oasis class for this summer album:

I'm looking forward to seeing many of my favorite scrapbooker's faces there!  This is going to be a FUN one!  I promise to be well behaved (but I will have a karaoke machine with me ... just in case).  Suzy :)

Happy (belated) Fourth of July!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth.  Mine was awesome!  We spent two days with my sister and her family (which meant a VERY full house!).  The best part was meeting my niece's nine month old baby, Jude.  He was the cutest thing I have ever seen and I couldn't stop photographing him!

This is a baby hawk.  He was so pretty!  He got stuck in our backyard trying to get over the glass fence.  Tom helped him over while I snapped some photos...

We enjoyed a wonderful firework show.  I'm sure I was using the wrong settings, but these were the best ones I got...

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July!!!  Suzy

Class at Scrapbook Oasis Coming Soon!

Ahhhh, the most stressful part of teaching for me is over.  I have designed the project (it took me three weeks!) and ordered all the product.  It is now time to get some kits made and for some odd reason, I enjoy that part!

If you visit the Scrapbook Oasis blog, you will see all of the class details.  It is an 8x8 mixed media mini album to scrap all of your summer photos in one spot called "Our Summer".  I used all my favorite manufacturers products including Fancy Pants, MAMBI, Sassafras Lass, Crate and Prima.  The class will be held on June 27th from 4:00 - 9:00. Here are some snippets from the album:

I hope some of you can make it.  And don't sign up for the cookies this year as I think I will bring a vegetable tray instead...just in case that was your motivation!  Suzy

CLASS UPDATE:  The class mentioned above is sold out, but we have added a second class on Saturday July 11th (4:00 - 9:00 pm). 

I am one PROUD mama today!!!

My son Thane is the most amazing kid.  I can't imagine having a better teenage boy.  He has often made me feel so proud to be his mom.  I remember the time he was in Little League and his coach wanted him to pitch all season.  He didn't want the pressure and didn't think he was good enough.  Finally he agreed to pitch in a game towards the end of the season.  I was so nervous when he got up because I knew how nervous he must have been.  He struck out three boys in a row and his wind up was so fast that the other coach complained about it.  Then he told Thane he wanted him on his team next year.  That was a proud mama moment.  

Last night was the most proud moment of all my proud moments as a mom to Thane.  He earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  Seeing him stand in front of the flag quoting the Scout Oath with his red cheeks and shaky voice (afraid he might mess up) reminded me of the pressure he felt that night at his baseball game.  But he rose to the occasion again and did perfect!

Oh my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

And he is definitely a good example of what a Scout should be based on the Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Ok, proud mama moment over - have a great weekend!!!  Suzy

Life IS Good!

I made this layout a couple weeks ago.  I used some Graphic 45 papers that I thought were just beautiful.  This layout is NOT my colors, nor my usual style!  Some times I like to make myself work with products that I wouldn't typically use just to see what I can come up with.

Life has been especially challenging over the past year.  I have had some scary health issues to deal with.  But I realized recently that life has never been better.  My faith has increased and so has my happiness.  Thus the layout sentiment.  It is amazing how our trials make us stronger.  Life is good...

And thank you to ALL of those who have been there for me along the way...

Suzy

So, what do you think?

I have been meaning to update the look of my blog forever!

Yes, it was ugly and old and embarrassing.

Thank you for never mentioning it.

Is this better?

I'm not a big digital girl, so this was the best I could do in a quick time frame.

Hope you all like it!

I bought all these little lovelies at Designer Digitals. 

All are by Mindy - love her stuff!

Suzy

PS - Anyone want to guess what the header is all about?

CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Annie has reminded me that it is time to pick the contest winners.  And here is Annie with her "excited anticipation" face.  Sorry Annie, you didn't win (again!)...

The winner for a Teresa Collins goodie bag is:  

Comment Number 35 (thank you Chloe):

Wow those are all soo gorgeous... those papers and everything are just awesome!!

stephanie

And second, here is the winner for a Easier-than-Ever Scrapbooking 2 book (never heard from erin s, so her time is unfortunately up):

Comment Number 64 (thank you Sophie):  

I neeeeeeeddddd this book!! :) Thanks!

DanielleP

Congratulations to the winners!!!  Please email me with your addresses and I will have your prizes sent out.  CK will be sending the idea book and Jamie Harper will be sending the Teresa Collins product (thanks Jamie!).

Suzy

PS.  Annie, you were number 62...so close you could smell it...

Contest Reminders...

Erin S, you are a winner of the CK Easier-than-Ever Scrapbooking Two book - please contact me with your address so I can mail it to you.  

If I don't hear from Erin S by Thursday, I will announce a new winner Thursday morning!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the last post by this Thursday also to have a chance to win a goodie bag of Teresa Collins products.  I will announce that winner Thursday morning as well.

Thanks.  Housekeeping done.  (ok, only blog housekeeping as my home still needs some attention!)

Suzy

Teresa Collins YUMMINESS (and winners revealed!!!):

Well, let's start with the some fun stuff and then I will move onto the REALLY fun stuff.  If you know me or have ever seen my scrapbook pages, you know I am in love with the word FUN and I really over use it.  I remember my mom telling me once that I should try to find a husband on more criteria then just FUN. Hmmm...  Tom is fun, so I don't know if I agree (and oh, so much more!).  

Ok, on to the fun stuff. My dear FUN (a criteria for friends as well) friend Jamie Harper sent me some (yummy and fun) Teresa Collins products to work with.  I really had never worked with her products before as they are more graphic then I usually use, but when I went to Reflections, my feelings changed.  I took a class from Stephanie Ackerman and she taught me how to use more graphic products in a FUNNNNNNN way!  We made a super cute mini album using the family line that I just loved.  So I came home and decided it was time to work with the products Jamie had sent me.  

Speaking of my fun, cute, loving and much loved husband, here we are celebrating 10 years last May.  I can't decide if that is a look of love OR toleration on his face.

If you aren't having FUN yet reading this blog post, I recommend you leave at this point as it is going to be long.  But then again, I'm not going to announce those WINNERS until the very end...

Here is another layout using some of the delicious pink yumminess.  Yeah, no surprises here; I love my dog... And thank you to the very fun and talented Cindy Tobey who inspired me to tie a bow and make one end long like this (and I can't stop doing it!):

And next, another layout using the family red and black line which was perfect for this photo from years ago I had printed, but never scrapped:

Here are several images of the lovely and fun mini book Stephanie Ackerman taught at Reflections a couple weeks ago.  And if any of the attendees found my "M", could you let me know?  Our home is just not the same without it!

Many of you are probably sticking around for this next part, so without further ado, the winners of the two new CK Easier-than-Ever Scrapbooking 2 books are:

Oooops - I forgot to pick them.  Let me run upstairs where my two girls are in the bath and ask them each to pick a number between 1 and 71.  I'll be right back - the wait is almost OVER!

Chloe picked number 9:  leana  

Sophie picked number 24:  erin s

If this is you, please send me your address and I will have Creating Keepsakes send the book to you next week.  Thanks to everyone for entering!

And have a super FUN three day weekend!!!  Suzy

PS - And to REWARD those who have stuck around for this long, Jamie has agreed to send someone that leaves a comment on this blog post a goodie bag of Teresa Collins YUMMINESS!  (US only please)  I'll announce a winner on Thursday morning, May 21st.  Thank you!