Posting some older layouts

I have been under the weather over the weekend but I'm feeling up to sharing some "older" layouts... not real old, just not real new (hee, hee).

The first layout is: the cover to a mini-album about our trip to Arizona. I really loved the paper shaped like a road sign and used it for the front and back of the album.

One of the pages in the album is the next layout. I love to cluster all kinds of embellishments and that's what I did for this layout with a picture of my daughter dwarfed by Montezuma's Castle in the background. We were in Arizona and really liked this picture.

Layouts!

Top layout is about my dear husband, Eric. The picture was taken on our 23rd wedding anniversary - and we just celebrated our 26th Anniversary. Oh well, I'm a little behind but I adore this picture of him. I journaled about: "Anywhere you are is home to me. And it's been that way for 26 years." I saw this Cosmo Cricket line of papers and fell in love with this line.

The purple and yellow layout (what a description) is first. I cut purple (and yellow) circles into flowers to make the flowers and added gems to the centers. I journaled about my daughter leaving for college. So that's all my posting of my most recent creations.

Thanks for dropping by!

Our Girl is in College

Doesn't she look cute and happy? Well, she IS ready to be on her own. AND we are very happy that she's ready. It would have been hard to leave her if she was scared... or didn't really want to go to college. Eric and I have always said that Noelle was born ready to be independent. After we left her on Friday, we were so excited for her!! I mean, I would have LOVED going to college at NGU - LOVED IT - and so I am SO happy for her to be attending there AND playing soccer for them. She is going to have a fantastic four years there.

Eric and I plan to go see about 3 -4 of her soccer games. Since she's about 5 1/2 hours away, we won't be attending many home games but we will travel to Charlotte and Banner Elk for 3 or 4 games. I DO wish we lived closer... but there's not a more perfect place for Noelle. So... we'll go when we can. I am already missing seeing her practice and play soccer. I have been driving her all over the southeast for at least 7 years to play soccer games and tournaments. I almost don't know what to do with myself on the weekends without her. She kept our family hopping with all her activities and drama. Well, at least we can concentrate more on our 2 boys. I believe Cade is enjoying all the one-on-one attention from us. Since he's the baby, he has always had to share his parents' attention with either Christian (his older brother) or Noelle. He's a funny kid too, with a great sense of humor. At least he won't be graduation from high school for 5 years. We can enjoy him for many years yet. If Cade wasn't around, I think Eric and I would be so sad that Noelle left and Christian is mostly gone. Christian lives at home but between work, school, and friends (and the occasional girlfriend) we rarely see him!

Look at this picture of Christian hugging Noelle good bye. It looks more like Noelle is hugging Christian good-bye - he was so grumpy all morning while we packed Noelle's "things". Eric asked him why he was so irritable and Christian said he was upset that Noelle was leaving. He doesn't know how to show his emotions... but he is very sensitive inside. He and Noelle got a lot closer the months before she left.

Scrapbooking Fun at Fellowship Friday

I had such an amazing time at Fellowship Friday's this past weekend! I sat with an old, old friend - I met her some 10 years ago at a scrapbooking weekend in Asheboro, NC! She cooked all the food and the other 40 or so of us scrapbooked all weekend. Well, Nancy and her daughter happened to sit with me on Friday and all day Saturday. We had a great time talking about our children - and she understood what I was saying exactly. I am so thankful I could re-connect with her. I had no idea we had so much in common... we didn't get a whole lot of scrapping done but we sure got a lot of chatting done!

I was also humbled and blessed to win the "best" layout contest for the weekend. I posted a picture at the top of this post with my creation. I had so much fun with the layout and it came together very easily. It was a 5 X 7 picture of my daughter, Noelle, and I. I scrapbooked about how her dad and I give her all kinds of advice... but now, she's flying from our nest and going to be making all her own decisions. Hopefully, all the love, hope, sweat and work we've poured into her life will start to come to fruition this year and all the following years. That's what Eric and I pray for. I used my Cricut Expression to cut the large scalloped circle in purple. I also cut out some light-colored banners with my cricut but the picture quality is so bad that you can't see them. I will try to post a better layout picture soon.

Some more layouts

Well, the first layout here uses the Cricut Christmas cartridge cut out of white cardstock and backed with red paper. One of my all-time FAVORITE layouts that I've ever created. I don't know why. But I just love the detail on the ornaments.

A Christmas layout using the Cricut Christmas cartridge by cutting out a Christmas tree; then backing the cut-out with red ribbons (layout right above on right). Of course, I like using kraft cardstock and distressing.

The third layout using the Cricut Christmas cartridge could be called "Blue Christmas" since I used blue ribbon behind the tree cut-out. Lots of distressing and white pen. Lots of ribbon, too. I need to start using up my ribbon SO I can buy more. Great philosophy. I'll let you know if it works. hee, hee.

Well, I'll post more later. Noelle just had a soccer game - a scrimmage - and her team lost 0 - 3. She hadn't played soccer in 3 - 4 weeks so she just wasn't on top of her game. The temperature was a scorching, HOT 92*F. We sweated. A lot.

For my *&^%$*@# Birthday, Eric and the kids said I could get whatever I wanted. Whatever? Yes, whatever. Well, of course, I chose a new ZOOM camera lens for my "baby" - my Canon Rebel XTi. Eric and I bought the Canon 50-200mm zoom lens last night at Best Buy. It's amazing. I took about a million pics of Noelle on the soccer field. I'll have to look at them later. I could see her eyelashes on the other end of the field through this lens. Is that amazing? or what? Yes, amazing.

I AM GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!!!

I'm so giddy! I'm so excited!! I'm speechless!!! well, not quite. BUT I'm going to be published. YES! ME! I'm actually going to have one of my creations put in a magazine. PUBLISHED. I can't believe it. Having my "heart" creations put in a magazine has been one of my goals for 5 years. I can't believe it's about to come true. It truly is.

My first ever layout is going to be published in the October 2011 issue of Cricut Magazine. Everyone go out and buy the issue. NOW. Well, not exactly NOW. But when it comes out in September.

I will also have 2 creations in the Cricut Magazine special issue: Home Decor. Two creations, yeah, baby. I made two 8" X 10" framed layouts to hang in a baby's room. I would share them here, but can't until the magazine comes out - which I believe is in November or December 2011.

My newest goal and one that I am going to work like crazy at: to be published in the Scrapbook Trends magazine. I dream about that, and pray that I will get my layout published in that ONE magazine. I would be so giddy!!

Well, we just got back from a week's vacay in the mountains of North Carolina. What a trip. I love the mountains WAY more than the beach and I love to spend time with my family there. I will post some pictures soon.

More layouts - Again!

My two most absolute favorite people in the world. I love them so much. I don't know what I would have done if they weren't in my life. The have been two of the most steadfast people EVER - and I don't know anyone that loved the Lord Jesus more than them. And they love each other and take care of each other.