Keeping Calm & Carrying On

Love Calculator: A Lovey Dovey Layout

Thanks for joining me for another wedding-themed post. Our wedding is officially less than a year away! Should I start to feel the crunch? I hope not yet. No stress yet. ;) I recently created a scrapbook layout remember mine and Steven's five-year-dating anniversary.

I thought I'd share it with you today. I used my Lovey Dovey collection along with plenty of Sophisticates chipboard numbers.

If you read this journaling, the chipboard numbers will make much more sense to you!

Little did I know that exactly one year from this day (our five year anniversary) that Steven would  propose!

2.6 million minutes together. wow. Have you every calculated your love in months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds? It's kinda crazy.

1,825 days together.

This is one of my favorite pages as of recent. The photo of us isn't all that great, but I love what it means for how far we've made it, how long we've lasted and that it's just the beginning!

Athlete: Bella Blvd's Making the Team

Ciao Bella! Did you make your way over here from Bella Blvd? Lookin' to win some random Bella Blvd scraps from our not-so-spring-office-cleaning?

Here's How to Enter to Win My Scraps Giveaway:

Leave a comment below telling me the one scrapbooking product/tool that you cannot live without! I'll announce the winner right here on Tuesday. Good luck!

School's almost out for summer which means I will be catching many-a-basketball tournament, gymnastics meets and little league games; Rootin' on my nieces and nephews any opportunity I can get. The layout for today documents my last season coaching my niece Anabelle before she enrolled into middle school. 

I mixed together my Mr. Boy and also my Making the Team product collections.

I fed the graph patterned paper (from the Family Dynamix collection) through my printer for my journaling and then trimmed it into a pennant banner. 

I had to journal about how at this moment in Anabelle's life she is so similar to how I was at that age. I see so much of me in her sometimes that it's scary. And because of Bella's recent team-up with the Twinery have some left over twine o play with! 

The school team is The Star of Bethlehem Stars...so KI's star puffies were a perfect match for the layout, along with Bella Blvd's new Star buttons and referee looking Designer Tape! Here's the finished page that will go into my 2010 album.

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday weekend!

I {heart} "us"

It's a phrase that I say over and over again, "I love us." I thought for today's installment of Wedding Wednesday I'd reflect on some of those things that make us "us". There are things that we do, over and over again or places that we love that make them "us", or "our thing." Know what I mean? 

1. Fujiyama: Hibachi (and of course I must share this layout with it!) We discovered "hibachi" in Texas and ate out in Frisco at least once a week. While it cost us a pretty penny, it was "our thing," our date night each week and we looked forward to the delicious steak, crunchy edamome and sweet ginger dressing.

This layout is from my 27^th birthday, when Steven took me out for hibachi dinner at Fujiyama.

Papers by Doodlebug. Embellishments by Bella Blvd.

Love ripping and then curling my paper around the needle of my paper piercer. Make for great layering and texture(s) too.

It's quite crazy to believe that this time next year we will be just days away from the big wedding day and saying "i do." I honestly feel like it can't come fast enough, I'm so anxious and excited.

Throughout the six years that Steven and I have been dating we've seen hundreds of movies, eaten hundreds (yes I'm pretty sure hundreds) of steaks, DVR'd so many reality TV shows including Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Biggest Loser and so many more. 

Something else that makes "us" us is praying hand-in-hand almost every night simultaneously. I love this tradition as we both silently thank God for all our blessings and pray for the people we love or the will He has for us. 

We both have truly become puppy-dog-lovers and enjoy traveling together and watching sports.

These are just some of the things that we love to do together, and find ourselves doing over and over again....and never tiring of them.

Do you have traditions/rituals with your hubby or bf or fiance? Please share?! Maybe one or two of them will inspire a new date night for the two of us!

DIY: An Art Fair Project

It's that time of year, when my sister and my nieces call me up for help with the grade school's annual Art Fair projects! It's secretly something I love...probably even more than the kids do. ha!

This go-around, it was Madelyn's turn, and trust me I know how these things go. The fourth graders show up with these MIRACULOUS projects that "they did all by themselves." You mean to tell me that you hand-cut, carved and painted that wood bird house? I don't think so. I know that YOU KNOW what and who I'm talking about!

So, it's important to me that this project is completed BY MADELYN, on her own!

YARN LETTERS! LET'S MAKE YARN-WRAPPED LETTERS!

This was such a great project for her to do because it requires TIME and patience. Plus, you can do this anywhere anytime. Madelyn has been looking for things to decorate her room with and so we bought brown paper mache letters from our local JoAnn Fabrics store, spelling out her name.

We brought her pillow case with us to JoAnns and picked out perfectly matching colors of yarn for each letter.

Depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, one roll of fluffy plush yarn can cover 1-2 letters.

So we went shopping together and I sent her home, giving her ONE WEEK (that's one letter a day) to wrap all her letters and with yarn and told her after they were done we'd get together again and "embellish" them.

So just a few nights ago she came over with her letters all wrapped up and I had pulled out a bunch of scrapbooking cotton and paper flowers from my stash including Bella Blvd's Blooms A Bella flowers, some handmade Etsy embellishments I purchased a while ago and some Prima paper roses...all that coordinated with her color scheme.

After the hot-glue gun was all warmed up, we worked together (so that no flesh was burned in the making of these darling letters) to cluster them together and glue them on. 

After the Art Fair they're going to look so adorable on a shelf in her bedroom, don't you think?!

Scrap Lifted: Bella Blvd Project Sheets

One thing that is wonderful and fabulous about owning Bella Blvd is that I can now have aDesign Team & Special Projects Coordinator. Her name is Laura Vegas. She's wonderful. Have you met her? If not, I highly recommend that you visit her blog--she's super talented has lots to share!

Back to the point: Laura Vegas has been with Bella Blvd almost one year already! It's amazing how quickly the time goes by when things are manage, organized & efficient. Anywho...one of Laura's assignments every month is to create a layout (around a challenge and product collection that I provide for her). The layout becomes a brand-new-never-featured-before marketing piece for both retailers and consumers known as our 

Monthly Project Sheet. 

The Monthly Project Sheets provide step-by-step directions and supply list alongside a large color photograph of the project for customers to duplicate, teach or do with as they please. Recently I was super inspired by the March Project Sheet that Laura created featuring the Sophisticates products, the new Crochet Flowers and Designer Tapes too:

To download the pdf of this specific project sheet click here.

You can see all the project sheets and download them by clicking here to scroll through.

Well, I loved the paper flowers inspired by the sticker flowers so much that I did a page myself! Because I'm on a Christmas kick you shouldn't be surprised...

I mixed and matching Christmas Wishes patterns with Winter Wonder and Sophisticates papers.

I must say I prefer how Laura's turned out better. I should have known that the "rule of odds" would prevail. I should have used 4 flowers instead of 5...but I got a little lazy and didn't want to cut out so many. None the less, another page is complete and I'm almost finished with 2010.

Have you heard of these Project Sheets? They're perfect if you like to scrap lift or need some inspiration to boost your creativity! Be sure to check them out!

Single Page Layout: Birthday Brunch

I started this 12x12" layout while croppin' in Puerto Rico at The Scrapbook Gallery. I was inspired by a layout that one of my Design Team girls created with the new Baby Girl and Button market products. This layout was my inspiration; created by Becky Williams.  

I love how Becky created a heart with the wooden and plastic buttons....so I made one too!

I wanted to focus on the wooden buttons, and so I used several packages of the Green Burst buttons. I threw in a couple wooden Snowflake buttons because the layout is of my birthday which is in the middle of winter (December).

The layout documents what we did on my twenty-seventh birthday: after church we all went out for brunch and pie at our local Baker's Square. And even though I'm not in this photo, all my favorite guys are (dad, Carson, my Uncle and Steven). 

The patterned papers are were selected from my stash from October Afternoon (stripe), Kraft numbers (Jillibean Soup) and Vintage text (Echo Park). All the other embellishments including chipboard, flags and letters are Bella Blvd's.

I just love this photo and how handsame they all are ;)

I sure did "junk it up" as I like to say---meaning I put a whole bunch of product on there! I do love all the colors and dimension though. What are you doing this last Sunday in April,...scrapbooking???

Fox Six TV: A Bella Blvd Layout

Remember when Bella Blvd was featured on The Real Milwaukee news show last year? It was so much fun to show off handmade Christmas gift ideas live on the morning show. 

I've been holding onto these photos since then and am glad to have finally created a 12x12" layout documenting the fun local experience. I mixed several patterns together both from Bella Blvd and also Echo Park and My Mind's Eye.

I added monochramatic pink alpha stickers (Bella's High Five Alphabets) to the pink cardstock background. I want the title to be subtle, with more attention to the photographs.

I love adding texture to my layouts by tearing, then inking the edges and rolling up the torn edges to the page. 

I had fun digging into my Bella "stash", as some of the products here are more than 2 years old, like the patterned paper from the Estate Sale collection. Happy Monday!

Friday Photos: Puerto Rico Part I

Ciao ciao! Today I'm recapping my trip to Puerto Rico, which was devine by the way. I traveled to PR for both business and pleasure and enjoyed every minute of it. I feel, literally, like I have a whole 'nother family down "der". ;)

I can't even tell you how much I laugh when I hang out with Nilamarie (she's on the far left). Nilmarie owns a darling store, The Scrapbook Gallery, and has some wonderful customers and employees!

I love how the pink tablecloths reflected onto the ceiling....love it!

The workshops were full of peeps, some of which had returned since I met them last year and also plenty of new-bees.

We created this darling "HOME" themed mini album.

Don't even ask what's going on here.....

:) I told you we like to laugh!

There was plenty of Bella Blvd to go around!

Thank you Nilmy for an amazing stay in PR. You are like a sister to me, and your family is amazing. I wish you all the success and happiness in the world. I am SO GLAD we have become such great friends in the process.

For those of you interested in the "pleasure," or vacation portion of my trip to PR be sure to visit again tomorrow ;) for plenty more photos!

Ciao ciao for now!

Random Updates

Hi there. How are you? Today I'm straying from Wedding Wednesday because I have several updates to share with you. Thank you for being pateint with me as I took just a couple of days off from blogging. I had a great weekend with some special friends and can't wait to show you all the pics!

First things first! I am excited to announce today that at Bella Blvd we have organized our first-ever Warehouse Box Sale. This is for ANYONE and EVERYONE. If you can't find Bella near you, or if you just can't get enough, now you can purchase a box full of overstock and previous Bella Blvd products at 70% retail prices! It's a steal of a deal that's for sure and the response already has been a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Boxes are limited and will all ship on or before May 11^th.

Want to Order One? Here's How:

Email us at: sales@bellabvd.net using the subject line: BOX SALE + (YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME). Include how many boxes you would like to order and the shipping address. In addition, list a phone number so we can contact you for payment.

For additional questions and answers regarding box contents, shipping charges and more please click here to download the Warehouse Box Sale Flyer.

 

Onto update no. 2. Today Bella Blvd released the April Issue of The Bella Buzz Newsletter!

It's Bella's free digital newsletter that includes exclusive new projects created soley for The Bella Buzz. All the inspiration inside has never-been-seen or published before. And...every newsletter includes a Bella Blvd FREE giveaway too! Be sure to download the April Issue of the Bella Buzz here, or visit the Newsletter Webpage for past and previous issues!

Tonight I'm headed downtown for the 2012 MIAD Senior Exhibition. So excited to see the gallery of artwork prepared by some of the top student artists and designers in the state!

Hope you're having a great Week! 

December 2010: A Winter Wonder Layout

The large Calendar element from the Sophisticates Calendars embellishment paper is one I find myself trimming out and using quite a bit lately. It's that large black & gray one---

For this single page winter layout I used it as the dominating background peice, and edged it with the red polkadot Designer Tapes.

Everything else on the layout features my Winter Wonder products including patterned papers, chipboard, Stick Pin Flags, buttons (white stars) and cardstock stickers. I also included a snowflake decoration (from my local dollar store) and layered a Doodlebug snowflake embellishment to the center.

I'm just about done with my Winter 2010 photos! So excited about that! 

To check out more Winter Wonder scrapbooking inspiration visit the collection gallery at the Bella studio blog by clicking the link.

Athlete: A Making the Team Layout

I'm honestly not quite sure if I've shared this layout with you before. I created it for Bella's CHA Booth display, and just recently I've gotten around to completing the coordinating layout for the right side.

The product featured is my Making the Team collection. The products have lots of grays and browns and whites, and includes the common sports colors like red, royal blue and hello. Last year was my niece, Madelyn's, first go-around at basketball.

I used nearly all the chipboard embellishments pieces throughout the layout. Here's a peek at the Making the Team chipboard elements from Bella Blvd:

      

I used  both of these sets---you know me and my need for alpha letters by now ;)

I added several little details to this page including sanding the edges of the elements to create the rustic white edge, adhering coordinating monochromatic pearl to the polka dot and pattern, and also laying word stickers across the dense areas of the alpha title "athlete".

Also incorporated are several of the Cute Cuts paper elements, along with some bling stars by my friend Teresa Collins.

 

The coordinating left-side base is a 12x12" photo enlargement that I adhered strips of the Borders embellishment pattern to the top edge.

Here's a glimpse of the Borders embellishment paper:

"No 23" are corrugated alphas from Jillibean Soup that worked perfectly. I also used one of my favorite supplies, the Photo Signature pen by EK Success to journal right on top of my photograph without having to worry about any smudging.

Love love love this pen (I think I have five at all times in case one dries up or runs out). You can find them here at Amazon for less than $3.

I also added some of my fun brand new Stick Pin Flags to the layout as well.

Have you purchased any of these cuties?...there's so many different kinds, colors and themes...

Two Peas in A Bucket and Scrapbook.com have a whole bunch of them for sale!

I'm excited to have finished this layout after starting one side several months ago.

If you'd like to find more ideas featuring my sports products, visit Bella's Making the Team collection gallery by clicking here. 

An Amazing Gift

What a Tuesday it was at Bella Blvd yesterday. Little did I know (or remotely expect) to receive a surprise gift from some of my favorite peeps! Did you happen to catch this photo I shared I facebook yesterday? (Okay I know it even makes me laugh every time I look at it....)

So--back up 24 hours--when I arrived at the studio after a morning meeting Carii (my Creative Assistant) says, "We have a surprise for you, come here" and she handed me this beautiful hot pink & black damask hat box. I mean, I am IN LOVE with this box! But I was incredibly clueless. 

"What the heck is this? Why are you buying me gifts....I don't need any gifts, what the heck is this for?" I kept saying over and over as they insisted that I open the box.

I had no idea...seroiusly, none.....then I opened it.....

WHAT IS GOING ON?! What is this little mystery package with pretty things inside??? I'm still so confused....until I find the darling handmade card that reads,

"Stephanie & Steven,

Congratulations and Best Wishes from all of us on the Bella Blvd Team, Design Team and your local Artistas. Enjoy with Love!!"

Little did I know Carii organized this super exciting engagement gift for us. Seriously? Are you for Real? How blessed am I? It's hard to accept this super generous gift because the girls gave me a large amount of money to be spent on a PhotoBooth at the wedding reception!

The hat box was filled with photo props like feather boas, a Fedora hat, that funny mardi gras mask, broaches and more fun stuff to use with the Photo Booth.

 I am so thankful and do not deserve this. The Bella staff and all the design team girls DO NOT NEED TO KEEP surprising me like this. (I mean, a girl isn't going to lie and say she doesn't love it! ha), but seriously girls, STOP BUYING ME THINGS, I love you just the way you are!  ;)

Yes, I guess that's me saying thank you. Steven and I saying thank you, because you didn't have to and you did anyways and we love you all so very much and cannot believe your generosity and excitement for us to be getting married. 

Bella Blvd has provided me with many many new opportunities, one of the most memorable is making friends from all around the United States and the entire world, that share common interests and passions----those people that you instantly connect with simply through a hobby like scrapbooking. Making memories is so important to each of us that we always want to contribute to helping others make fabulous memories too. I am so grateful for that gift.

I am speechless, and don't even know how to say thank you. Or repay you. I hope you girls will travel long and far and spend a weekend in Milwaukee for my wedding next Spring. Start planning now ;) hehee. How amazing would it be if we were all to party the night away in person?

I plan to make a fun little sign or something cute next to the PhotoBooth at the reception that says "thank you to my Bella girls that gifted this awesome creative gift for our special day!" So that way, even if you can't make it ... or aren't there....you'll be thanked and see the photos afterwards!

I love you all! What a great Tuesday! One of the best ;)

Together: A Winter Wonder Layout

Bringing you one more Christmas Tree-cutting layout today. I recently shared a couple coordinating layouts from the same day in 2010. You can see those layouts by clicking here and also here.

The Miniatures stickers in the Bella collections make for fun little "tags" and embellishments.

More playing with Bella's new Designer Tapes. Have you bought yours yet? Now that the new products are hitting stores be sure to stock up! (I know 2Peas has them here).

I love the photographs on this one. Steven looks so "strong" carrying that big-ol' tree. And Carson took the other photo of Angela and I all by himself----with my Canon 50D. What a awesome shot for a then four-year-old, don't you think?

Products used are all Bella Blvd: Winter Wonder Collection, Designer Tapes, chipboard and Sophisticates. The blue twine, from The Twinery.

For more Winter Wonder scrapbooking ideas visit the Winter Wonder Collection Gallery here.

Ciao Ciao for now!

 

 

Christmas Layouts: Bella Blvd

Well, it's "Christmas In March" around here today as I continue plugging away at 2010-year end scrapbooking layouts. What do you do with your annual Christmas Card? What do you do with some of your favorite Christmas cards?

In 2010 I saved my sisters Christmas card and mine as well. They were both 5x7 photographs that I just love.  I didn't want to distract from the photos at all, do I kept my patterns and embellishments minimal. By using 1 and 2-color patterns the page stayed simple and not busy.

Of course I wanted to incorporate some Christmas colors so I added only two .75" strips and red bows. (tis the season). Here's how the layout turned out. Gosh that's nearly 2 years ago already. Time goes by so quickly!

The layout is a combination of all things Bella from the Winter Wonder, Christmas Wishes and Sophisticates product collections.

At the same crop, I completed this next page, documenting mine & Steven's St. Nick tradition.

Each year St. Nick comes on Steven's birthday (Dec. 5^th-Lucky him I know right?!) We each prepare stockings for each other and also little treats for Baby Mio and exchange that night. It's fun to see what he puts inside---some of my favorite things usually like Reese's peanut butter cups and "pink" things. So sweet.

Baby Mio is always very curious too---Christmas is 1 out of the 2 days of the year we dress up the little pups. In 2010 he had the cutest little Santa outfit ;) The entire layout features my Christmas Wishes collection for Bella Blvd.

Love layering those Cute Cuts elements, and playing with the miniature sized patterns on the Quadrants papers. Here's the final product:

For more Christmas Wishes layouts and ideas, visit the Christmas Wishes Collection idea Gallery over at the Bella Studio blog!

So, what are you scrappin' these days? I have a few more Christmas-themed layouts to do and then I'm onto 2011--woot woot! Slowly but surely I'm playin' catch-up!

Baby Girl Cards: Bella Blvd

I am definitely not a "card-maker." Instead, I make cards from the scraps I have left-over after finishing my 12x12" layouts. It's a fun way to play on a smaller scale and use up scraps. Plus, who doesn't love receiving a handmade card? I don't go all out like my friends Gail, Gretchen, Sheri and Kathy...they are super talented when it comes to cards. I adore theirs. 

After trimming a couple Cute Cuts from the Baby Girl sheet and wrapping some twine my little baby bundle was complete!

Nothing makes me happier than a quick and simple card. 

And one more for you today....pink pink pink = monochromatic. You know me, I just can't help myself! Pink clouds, pink hearts and the "baby love" sticker make a sweet sentiment, don't you think?

For more Baby Girl ideas (including altered projects, layouts and cards) visit Bella Blvd's Baby Girl Idea Gallery by clicking here.

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!