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Hey all! It's freakin Halloween! And if yoiu haven't grabbed my uber-scary Halloween kit, there's no time like the present! For 1 day only, you can get it 30% off!!
And here's another preview of Danse Macabre! Go, run! Grab it right now at a fabulous price!!! It's wicked!! ;)
And on that note, I gotta run, too! I hope everyone has a fabulous Halloween, have fun with the kiddos and the spouses and the fur-babies!! Ciao!
Oh! And don't forget about the freebie in my previous post!!
Happy Monday!
Hopefully this will sweeten your day a bit~ I created these scalloped trims and frames in response to a request at thedigichick.com....only I'm a bit late in creating them. And since they're a freebie...I decided to give them away on my blog! There are 3 links...please only click one! Thanks for stopping by!
So, thanks for stopping by and i would really appreciate a 'Hello!' from you if you decide to partake of the freebie goodness. :) Ciao, all!!
CRAZY weekend here!
Saturday night, we took the kiddos to a Halloween party at the elementary school on base. If it hadn't been for the fire alarm going off (for over an hour before we decided to leave) it would been perfect. Norah got to wear her little kitty suit (Thank you, Drew & Katie!) Mia was the fairy 'Elina' from the Fairytopia movie. And Lara was a beautifully scary witch. Fun times! Laura and her family came over before-hand and all our girls got ready together...and boy were they gorgeous! I mean...seriously...we are truly blessed. This photo...man, it takes my breath away!!
And Norah was about the chubbiest little cutie-pie I've seen in a long time!
Here's Lara in all her scary glory...she LOVED her eye makeup! 
Mia...flapping her little wings...being as good a pretty fairy as she can be. :)
Norah fell asleep as soon as we got there...but soon woke up and enjoyed herself. She was absolutely adorable! 
And the girls and I walked around in a circle in a 'parade'. It was all a bit chaotic...everything was moved outside to get away from the fire alarms... so the kids were kinda cold and hungry...and no one could go through the haunted house that everyone worked so hard on...kind of a bummer night. But, at least we have Tuesday to look forward to!
I'm just glad the girls had a good time. And we got to have cupcakes...and after all...isn't that what this holiday is really all about? The sweets? I think so....so in that sense we came out winners. ;) Ciao!
Yeah, ya heard!
To kick off the holiday season (yeah, baby!)~ my first Hanukkah kit! I love that my family is so mixed and diverse! And I love the fact that now I have something beautiful with which to document their holidays as well! So, this is MY take on the traditional colors for celebrating Hanukkah. I wanted something a bit more sophisticated and classy. Without further ado: Miracle of Light
I really do love this kit...and I spent a LOT of time researching the holiday, talking to family members, and surfing the net. I wanted to make sure I did this properly. This kit really is jam-packed, too!! And here are a few layouts I made (using my beautiful sister-in-law and two of her awesome kids) to get your juices flowing. Even if you're not Jewish, this kit would be PERFECT for creating gifts, cards, and personalized mementos for anyone you know who celebrates Hanukkah! There are also 7 papers here that aren't holiday specific, so you can use this for a number of different pages!
So, I hope you like the kit and I can't wait to get all my other ones finished so I can show them off as well! HA! Feels good to get things done! And I'm not sure if this will be released this week or next...but it will definitely be on sale for the first day...I'm thinking like 30% off...just for a day.. I guess you;'ll have to keep coming back to find out when, huh? ;)
Other than that, our days are kinda boring. Not much going on...jsut me trying to get a bunch of schtuff done in PS. Alright, kids! Gotta run! Ciao! :)
I have a confession. I am a nerd. And not just cuz I like ancient Roman social history, historical fiction, science, architecture, geometry, and social etiquette. While these alone are enough to classify me as a nerd....there's more. I'm even married to a nerd. And we do nerdy stuff.
Yesterday Colin dragged me to a game convention. He is a self-proclaimed 'board game geek'. He hangs out at...yes it exists....boardgamegeek.com. We have over 120 board games....which reminds that I need to take a picture of this mini-phenomena. So, anyway, we like games. We like to play them, critique them, have fun and one day Colin will have a game of his own published. I can't wait. Seriously. He'll develop the concept and I'll design it. Wouldn't that be awesome? :D
Even though I am supportive of his hobby and passion for it...let's just say I'm not overly enthusiastic when it comes to dropping gobs of cash on it and hanging out with people in faerie costumes, swords, devil horns, and renaissance costumes for an entire day. Don't get me wrong...I'm a nerd. I just don't live in Nerd-dom like some of these other hardcore gamers. ;)
So, yesterdaywe all went to Essen Spiel, the largest gaming convention in the world. Publishers show off their new products, prototypes are there to play with and critique, and you can choose from a varied selection of goth-nerd apparel to play role-playing games in. ;)
I was a bit skeptical, and sometimes the overwhelming power of unwashed bodies was enough to make me abandon the game I was enjoying, but overall it was pleasant. We had fun, met game creators, artists, and played a ton of kid games. The girls had a blast and I even had fun, too. Colin, needless to say, was in hog heaven. Here's a re-cap of our time in Essen. 
Loved the oversized games and this 3D chess was just insane...wow.
Loved the green chairs in this booth. And I loved how interactive everything was..really nothing was off-limits, so there were a million diversions for the kids. Lots of fun!
Colin and Lara enjoyed a little game together while Mia and Norah napped. They were really cute in their eye patches. :)
This was a prototype game called Candies!. It was designed by 2 Swedish game developers (who were adorable and oh-so-sweet themselves, too!) and it is LOVELY! Not only is it precious and sweet to look at, but it really is a good game...something adults can enjoy playing with kids as well. When this hits the stores (hopefully in the next year) GET IT!! I promise you won't be disappointed. Colin and I were actually upset that we couldn't buy it...but if the publishers out there know anything about gaming...this will be hitting the store shelves, no doubt about it! Go to www.ozma.se to see more about them. (The designer pictured on the left is the one who played the game with Lara. She really was a treat to meet and talk to.)
Lara and I played Jenga together and her face was priceless when the tower fell. She was having a really great time playing games, running around, and snagging freebies.
So, that was about it. We got home really late and slept in this morning. Fun times had by all.
And in design news...the amount of work that is piling up in PS is just mind-boggling for me lately. This is what I have inthe works:
1) Collaboration kit with one of my designs idols
2) Collaboration kit with one of my oldest and closest scrap girlfriends
3) Hanukkah kit that is almost finished
4) 7 kit collection for all things naughty
5) 6 part collection for all things outdoorsy
See....I really AM working on stuff....it's just a little slow-going considering the amount I have on my plate right now. Hopefully I'll have soem time to finish up at least some of them.
And, last but certainly not least, I finished up De-zine a couple of days ago. This issue is really awesome and jam-packed with information, interviews, a free kit, and more! You will NOT be disappointed! And it's over 10 pages more than the previous issues! This month we were also honored with a FAB interview with Jessica Sprague of Creating Keepsakes. She is amazing! You have to check it out! 
I really had a wonderful time compiling this issue and I am excited about the next one. I'm lucky that Laura trusts me enough to let me run with it and make it the best publication I can. Thank, girl. You're the best.
Alright, I need to get out of here...we've got some new games we're itching to play! Ciao, all!! :D
I know it isn't even Halloween yet, but for some reason...this year...I am REALLY in the holiday spirit. We went shopping on Saturday and since Halloween and Thanksgiving aren't big deals around here.... Christmas and holiday goodness was already on the shelves. Silver, glitter, snow, cherry red...as far as the eye could see. YUM! I lurve the holidays...lurve. I love the baking and the crisp air and the joy of giving. And normally I am NOT this excited this early in the game. But this year...I dunno...something's different.
Speaking of different, the girls have been collecting wild chestnuts on our walks and we have been putting them in a bowl on the kitchen counter. We have over 40 now. Well, we HAD over 40 before last night.
I will give my wonderful husband credit for this much: he thought before he acted.
He actually looked up the proper way to cook chestnuts....we obviously had no idea and hey...wouldn't it be fun to do something really traditional and simple to kick off the holiday season? Just pierce the skin to release pressure and dry roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Sounds simple enough right?
A full 20 minutes after the initial explosion, they were still at it. Pop-pop-popping away in our oven. Teeny dry-roasted bits of chestnut goodness all over the interior of our oven. Huge, loud, startling bursts of nutty incineration.
All over the freakin oven.
Ah, well. Such is the glory of tradition. And although it's a bit early, and although it's been said many times, many ways...
Merry Christmas to you. May you burst with joy. ;0)
Man, it's good to be home! We had such an awesome time, but my body feels broken! 3 nights on a bus and 7 cities in 4 days. Holy freakin crap!
Anyway, I wanted to share some highlights from our trip. We ended up seeing Pisa, Florence, Rome, Pompeii, Capri, and Venice. We also stopped in Sorento and Naples, but I didn't really like those 2 cities and so I don't really count them ;)
First stop: Pisa, Friday Morning
We got there bright and early and Laura and I climbed all the way up to the top. I am a total wuss and my legs were really shaky...that marble on top is a bit slick and the fact that the tower leans so far doesn't really help a girl get control of her balance very easily. But I steeled my nerves and went all the way up. Boy was I ready to come back down though! Laura and I were so giddy and excited that we had these big huge grins plastered to our faces despite spending the night on a bus.
Me being a dork:
Walking up to the top of the tower:
I thought this was so cool...the shadow of the tower on the church below. Neato burrito.
After Pisa, we went to Florence in the afternoon....I didn't take many photos there, but I DID buy myself a little treat. We went into the Misuri leather factory and well...I got myself a jacket. And let's just say that my laptop purchase has been pushed back a bit...considering I have depleted the funds. Yikes! BUT I think this jacket is worth every penny...it's fun, an awesome color and it is SO ME! Check it out....I think I might even have to name her...
Yeah, it kicks ass. I love it.
Ok, So after Florence, we drove to Rome and went straight to our hotel, woke up unbelievably early and toured Rome the entire day. I was a bit disappointed in our tour guide...but whatdya gonna do, right? First stop was the Vatican and St. Peter's....I took this of a mosaic floor in one of the rooms of the Vatican museums..
Here's the token shot of the Colosseum:
And then we walked past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Forum and I took this shot after we passed it a bit:
I love ruins...they make me happy. And the Forum in Rome is by far one of my favorite places in the world. After lunch we went on a walking tour of the city...and I thought this was so clever. We have seen MANY street performers, but this one is probably my fave so far. I mean, how clever is this guy? Totally stationary and so freakin cool. He drew quite the crowd.
I can't remember exactly when in the day I took this shot...I know it's of the Tiber river at sunset, though...so lovely.
After our walking tour, we ate at Papa Rex in Rome and were serenaded by opera singers and had our photos taken with a "Gladiator". Good times. The male singer kept doting on me...handing me the tambourine...taking it away from me because I couldn't keep in rhythm I was laughing so hard. Good times, indeed.
I even took a picture with him. He was very sweet. And I was very drunk. ;)
As we were leaving, another party on the other side of the restaurant had formed a Congo line to the tune of 'The Saints Go Marching In'. Now there's something you don't see everyday!
Sunday morning we went to Pompeii....it was so amazing seeing a city you have read so much history about. Before we actually went into the ruins, I stopped at the restaurant right outside the entrance and snapped this...loved all the oranges and lemons in the sunshine. 
When we actually went into the site, it was mind-blowing...the fact that this city was forgotten for so long and yet so beautifully excavated and preserved. Wow. This photo is of the main courtyard and the platform (top right) is where the main pagan temple stood. On the left (behind the pillars) is where the temple to Apollo stood. The higher peak on the left is Mt. Vesuvius. Definitely wow.
We ate lunch in Sorento and then headed to the harbor for our boat ride to Capri. Wow....again. I have always wanted to go on a Mediterranean cruise and this just sealed the deal. Gorgeous, I tell ya!
I took this of Laura...LOVE it!
My tattooed sandy toes...these were a bunch of old boats we were sitting on by the water.
The absolutely gorgeous water...
After Capri, we took a boat ride to Naples and got on our bus there and headed back to Rome...we had to pick up the people who opted out of the "Pompeii/Capri day" and then we drove all night to get to Venice. Man, was I hurting...my legs were aching from sitting upright in that bus for so long. Ouch!
But on Monday we woke up in beautiful Venezia...such a cool city! We even got to watch it flood a bit. First, we went to a Murano glass factory. It was really neat to watch the demo and see a master craftsman make a glass horse in under a minute...but the kind of stuff they had in their showroom just didn't do it for me. It was a bit gaudy for me...too much gold. Pretty colors, though!
I took this coming out of the glass factory entrance.
When we walked through St. Mark's square, there were SO MANY pigeons! Vendors were selling bags of corn and some people bought them and were feeding the birds. These little guys were fearless. They totally perched on people and did whatever they pleased. Then some of the people with corn started throwing the stuff at those of us without corn to make the birds attack us...freaking hilarious! I was squealing and freaking out and Laura happened to take this of me. Too funny.
There were hundreds. Way too many to count, but that was a nice way to start winding down the day. Then we met up and went on a gondola ride. I've always wanted to do this but I think we got a little jipped...our guy wasn't wearing the B&W striped shirt..nor did he sing opera- but I guess they get sick of doing all this touristy crap...so we just sat and relaxed.
After this, we got back on the bus and drove all night to get back to Germany. I walked through my front door, took a quick shower, and crashed at 3 a.m. I got up at 9, spent the day with the fam, Colin went to work, we had a nice big dinner and then Colin and I watched a movie and just relaxed. I missed my family so much. I'm so glad to be home. I had a blast, but I don't think I could ever do this kind of tour again...it was just too hard on my body. I know I definitely want to go back, though. I really want to explore these towns and read more about them. In the meantime, I'm going to try to recover and hydrate and spend time with my kiddos.
If you made it this far, congratulations! I wasn't planning on writing this much or posting this many photos...but whatever will be will be. Ciao! ;)
That's what everything feels like right now. Sheer madness. Way too much going on!
Laura and I got back from our awesome weekend in Cologne at Photokina and we are exhausted! Now I'm trying to get back into the swing of things for a couple of days before we head out to Rome on Thursday night. I missed the girls like crazy and it's sinking in that I will be away from them for 4 nights. Yikes! Norah still isn't sleeping..gets up at least 6 times a night. I think I am gong to try to feed her more during the day and cut back on her napping...we'll see if that helps. Any suggestions out there for me?
Been working on some pretty fun stuff lately...I have a new holiday kit in the works...about 80% finished. Here's a sneak peek:
And I'm working on a collaboration kit with a woman who is one of my idols in this industry...SO EXCITED!! If any of you know me and how I scrap...maybe you can figure it out. ;) Here's a preview of what we've got going on...
Isn't it fun and yummy? Can't wait to show both of these kits off!
LOTS of things going on...some I can share and some that I can't...but I WILL say that I am so excited, it's not even funny! The doors that are opening and the opportunities that are popping up are enough to make me giddy with delight! Wish I could share more, but I can't til I get the green light. :D
I've got to get back to work, but I hope everyone has a great Tuesday! I may not post again til around the 10th of October...just depends on how busy I get. Ciao!
