Keeping Calm & Carrying On

Little Lauren: A Bella Blvd Family Forever Layout

My newest Family Forever collection has one of my most favorite color combinations ever. Red is hard to find in scrapbooking, that perfect Macintosh red that is, and in this collection is truer than truer and paired with turquoise, navy and lime too. 

 

"Little Lauren and Uncle Steve". This little girl puts a smile on my husband's face like no one else does. He's so happy when he sees her and just get a kick out of everything she says and does. Lauren will be three years old in April. I love looking at these older photos and seeing how different she looks already. She's getting so big.

For more Family Forever ideas, visit the Family Forever Idea Gallery via Bella Blvd's Blog.

Go Pack Go: A Bella Blvd Layout

 

 

My new Lucky Starz collection is incredibly versatile. Have you spotted it yet in your favorite local and online stores? We've been shipping orders like crazy for more than a week now! This layout has one of my very favorite photos of Steven and I on it, a selfie from a Packer Game back in 2012.

 

The new Treasures & Text 12x12" sticker sheet has this fun new whimsical and blocky alphabet on it. I must admit that I can't get enough of those sticker letters! I've been wishing I made them in full alphabet sheets in lots of different colors!

I'm already missing football and can't wait for it to return this fall! But first, the freezing air and mounds of snow need to go. This winter has been dreadful, I've just been wishing for Spring.

13: A Bella Blvd Molly Layout

 

 

A new day means a new layout! There's some great inspiration this week over at the Bella Blvd Studio blog with my newest collections that will begin shipping later next month. 

The subject of this page is my niece, Anabelle, documenting her 13^th birthday. Full of flair and sas and she's alla bout middle-school, texting and friends (including boys :) One could say the Molly collection was a bit inspired by her attitude towards life these days.

Today this layout featuring the new Molly collection is up on the blog. Stop by Bella's blog for more detail shots, layout description and a tip too!

Sneak Peek: Monday Nights Layout

 

I'm sharing a layout today over at the Bella Blvd Studio Blog that I made for the CHA Trade Show display earlier this month. 

The Max collection was inspired by this little man, my nephew Carson, and so I could hardly wait to dive into the new products when the samples came. I love the new sticker alphabet, don't you?

Visit the Bella Blog for the full page reveal and additional details. Here's a close-up of my journaling documenting Carson's rise to little league baseball. He was great!

Warrior 5k: Mixing and Matching w/Bella Blvd

Gosh this layout is really dating how far behind I am in my scrapbooking, but it's okay for me...I love looking back and seeing how far I've come. This Warrior 5k was one of the very first ones I ran. My little sister was training for a half marathon and I thought she was nuts! Now look at the two of us :) The layout combines patterns from different collections including Finally Fall, Engaged at Last and Sophisticates. I had quite a few photos I wanted to use so I printed them wallet-size to get them all unto this layout.

 

The then-boyfriend, took some pretty good photographs with my camera. I was a proud lady :)   Glad I've been able to document my running story as it's truly become a way of life and part of my weekly routine now. Have you documented your weight-loss progress through scrapbooking? a journal or a voice diary?

Free Project Sheet: Elf Adventures!

 

 

 

How adorable is this Christmas Countdown layout designed by Bella's Special Projects and Design Team Coordinator, Laura Vegas?  Do you have an elf causing mischief in your house? Get a jump start on documenting the fun with this month's Project Sheet released today for you!

 

Bella Blvd's monthly project sheets include a complete supply list, and step-by-step directions on how to create this adorable layout. All you have to do is pull out your Bella Blvd Christmas Countdown collection, along with some basic scrapbooking supplies and you'll be finished in no time!

 

Visit the Bella Blvd Studio Blog today for the link to download December's Elf themed project sheet!

For all the past and previous step-by-step Project Sheets visit the gallery by clicking here.

Sign-up for a free copy to your in-box each month by entering your email address on the homepage widget. Happy Tuesday!

A Little Bit of This & That

 

Sometimes I take a break from only using Bella and enjoy some mixing and matching of other products with my designs too. For this layout I wanted to create my own color combination, seeing that the photograph is mostly neutral with lots of black and gray. I used the pop of purple in Madelyn's winter hat to inspire my starting point.

 

The layout has a lot of random different embellishments and sticker letters too, including Doodlebug, Bella Blvd and Crochet Hearts, die-cuts, washi tapes, stickers & a Teresa Collins stick pin too :)

 

I just loved this Christmas Card photo of my nieces and nephew back in 2011 that I had to make a page for my albums.

 

Has is snowed where you live yet? We haven't had any decent snowfall, but I'm sure it will come anyday now. December is notorious around here for old man winter blowing in with a few storms and the frigid cold. 

Family Thanksgiving: A Bella Blvd Layout

 

Since we just wrapped up Thanksgiving I thought I'd share this layout with you before we get too much farther into December. You know that feeling when you create a page that you really love how it turned out? That's how I feel about this one. I just love the colors, the layers and the photos too. The design creates horizontal strips across the page, making it easy on the eye.

 

I blocked out the center row, leaving space for 2 photos (cropped) and the title block.

 

The Crochet Hearts still make me happy every time I use them. They are one of the most simple, yet pretty embellishments from Bella Blvd.

Approaching Thirty & Santa's Helper Mini Album

 

 

 I cannot believe it's December already. Our house is still sporting pilgrims, pumpkins and all things Thanksgiving as I'm trying to recover from one CRAZY Thanksgiving weekend. I cooked 3 birds in 4 days and hosted two large gatherings. How was yours? Mine was definitely worth it, but typically I have a solid week in between to get into Christmas mode...but this year the calendar is so tight!

This week is birthday week for my Mr. Mister you know! We are both turning the big (dare I say it) three-oh this month. Craziness! So I thought I'd share this layout from 2011, remembering the good ol' days (lol) of 27!

 

My Kiss Me collection (valentines themed-Bella Blvd) is one of my favorites, naturally because it's full of pink, pink and more pink!

 

Makes me happy to see "boyfriend" on this layout. I'm so thankful I am done calling him that, and he's been promoted to hubby, hubster, Mr. Mister. Much more grown-up, don't you think!?

 

I'm excited to be starting my December Daily as well. My journaling and photographing has begun and I intend to share with you on a weekly basis my progress. While we talking about mini albums and christmas, have you seen what the amazingly talented Julie Johnson has designed over at her kit club, Paisleys And Polkadots? 

Julie used my Christmas Countdown collection for the kit! I'm sure she was inspired by all the Elf on the Shelf craze when she created this mini album. Check out the darling elf shoes with jingle bells, poinsettias, twine, ribbons and more! Isn't it beautiful? The kits are for sale now on her website, and considering at Bella Blvd several items from the Christmas Countdown collection are sold out, I'd venture to say supplies are limited! Be sure to get yours today!

Merry merry :) Hope you have a great day!

Birthday Party: A Bella Blvd Layout

 

Okay, yes I'm a bit behind...scrapbooking Carson's 5th birthday and he just turned 7....but oh, well, right!? It's a simple, color blocking layout using my Birthday Boy product collection.

 

 

 

 

 

I missed Carson's actual birthday that year because I had a girls weekend getaway planned, so I stopped by one morning just to delivery his gifts :) Still in his jammies, he was so excited about the baseball set and other goodies like the football alarm clock :)

 

 

Coming tomorrow will be the reveal of this year's Thanksgiving Mini Album printables, free for all! Make sure you stop by for the full step-by-step and digi download links. The project is a great way to capture this year's gratitude with each member at your Thanksgiving table.

Riverbend: A Play Date layout

 

Sometimes it's just about getting a page done, right?! I struggled with this one...moved things around, thought it was boring, needed something, etc. But....sometimes you need to just move on, right?! Do you ever get stuck on a layout like that and get frustrated?

 

I  feel like the layout isn't finished, but I'm putting it into my albums just like this, the way it is!

What are you up to this weekend?

(Products used on this layout include my Play Date products, Daily Chevies, Camped Out collection and washi tapes).

It's All in Your Attitude: A Washi Tape Layout

I started this layout with one single 4x4" Instagram photograph. The photo represents my weight loss journey and how it started...with this series of workouts from The Biggest Loser. Because I obviously don't have my camera with me when I'm exercising ;) I often capture a photo later just with my phone. 

The base of my layout is a white 12x12" sheet of cardstock. I began by creating the Washi Tape (Bella Blvd) frame, overlapping in the four corners. Next, I left a thin strip of white for my handwritten journaling to come later, and continued narrowing in by sticking down three additional washi tape frames (yellow, gray and then black). 

 

As my white space became narrower in the middle, it made it easier for me to adhere my photograph in the center of the page.

The embellishments ont he page vary from Buttons to Making the Team pieces like the "attitude" pennant from the Cute Cuts paper.

For more Washi Tape ideas visit Bella Blvd's Designer Washi Tape Idea Gallery here.

Packers Layout & Birthday Wishes

Sometimes you just gotta get pages done, right?! Check out this simple & linear page design for your next quick page. A feather and a few Crochet Hearts jazz it up and finish it off! All products Bella Blvd except green patterned paper (Jillbean Soup).

 Plus, we can root for the Packers today all the way from Puerto Rico! Go Pack Go! Plus today we want to wish a very happy seventh birthday to our favorite little man nephew, Carson Christoper!Happy Birthday!

You are such a stud and we love you very, very much! Hope your day is awesome!

Headed to Puerto Rico Soon!

In the blink of an eye I'll be in Puerto Rico at Scrapbook Gallery teaching five new workshops! Have you signed up yet? I can't wait to see you there!

Introduction Q&A

Over at Bella Blvd's Studio Blog we are wrapping up a couple weeks of new Design Team member introductions. Laura and I are topping it off with our introductions today that include some fun & a bit random Question&Answers from the new DT ladies themselves. Last week I asked them what they'd like to know about me, about Bella, anything goes and that I'd select a few questions from the pool to respond to. Some of the questions were fun to read including things like

What's in your purse right now? and What color do you most often paint your nails?

Then, of course there were more serious questions about my life, my hobbies & my company.

I'm also sharing 2 new layouts I've created, revealing my style, who I am and some of the things (and animals) that I love. These are just a couple peeks, visit Bella for the full layout reveals.

 Be sure to stop by and check it out! Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend!