Were you worried?

I actually REALLY enjoyed the camping trip, much to my surprise! :)

I have many more pictures to scrap, but check out these layouts that I made using the ADORABLE Out Camping collab kit from MLAS:





Much more to come from the camping, but I've been so busy designing some great new items for the store (HINT HINT... be sure to stop by Thursday for 2 new items half off AND a great THRIFTY THURSDAY deal!)

I admit it - I am a teensy, tiny bit high maintenance. I do not like the outside, and I definitely don't like to be hot or bug-eaten. So I have never, not once in my life, been camping.

Today is the big day for me - as I post this, I am on my way out the door for my FIRST EVER camping trip, with my husband and 4 other couples from our Law Enforcement Families small group at church.

The best part is that the boys already set the campsite up - The Deputy just texted me this picture:



Now all that's left for me is to bathe in bug spray and sunscreen and pray that I survive (you laugh... but I tried to work at a local amusement park when I was 16 and I had to quit because I got heat stroke in April. APRIL! This is JULY!!!)

If you don't hear back from me, you will know what happened. Please send your condolences to my family. :)

I am so excited to release my Summer Splash kit. It is so fun and bright and juicy - perfect for summer! :)

Like all of my items, Summer Splash is available EXCLUSIVELY at My Life & Scrap. And until July 7th, this (and all of my products) is on sale for 28% off, making the price just $3.25 for 65 fab pieces!



AnikA made some BEAUTIFUL layouts that I shared with you earlier this week.

But she also created a stunning Quick Page that I have to offer you for FREE! Click the image below or the link underneath it to download - be sure to share your love with AnikA for designing such a great QP!



DOWNLOAD HERE

Enjoy your summer, and be sure to scrap all the fabulous memories before they get away!

Do I have news for you!!!

The wonderful designers at My Life and Scrap have come together to create an AWESOME blog train, full of freebies just for you!

If you hop to each blog and download the freebies from each designer, you will have not one - but TWO - amazing kits called Polar Opposites (the summer edition and the winter edition).

Here's a preview of the luscious color palettes from the two halves:



I worked on the Summer Edition, and here's a preview of my creations:



Download my portion of the Polar Opposites Kit - SUMMER EDITION here!

The blog train only runs until JULY 4th - so be sure to hop on down the line and snag your AMAZING freebies now!

Also, be sure to check out the store-wide at MLAS - all designers will be offering 25% off (or more!) starting July 1st!

Next Stops on the Polar Opposites Blog Train:
@Jacquies
Samceline Design
Rebecca B
Kate's Digital Designs
Z Pink Boudoir
JK Creations
ScrapElf
Crafty Bits and Battleships - That's Me! :)
Jamie Dell
Miss Mis Designs
Rucola Designs
Karen Wallace Designs
Confessions of a Digiholic
Designs by Amanda
Tempus Fugit
Jusme Digital

In digiscrap news, I have been super-busy! I have 3 new kits in my store and two new store collaborations coming out soon.

Be sure to check out my store TODAY though, because tomorrow is the last day for my store-wide HALF OFF sale! :)

SUMMER SPLASH KIT:
Regular $4.50 - on sale half off through the end of June (that's only $2.25 for 65 pieces!)



And check out these amazing layouts created with my Summer Splash Kit by AnikA





OH SAY CAN YOU SEE KIT:
Regular $4.50. Included in my June-only half off sale AND ~ to celebrate 4th of July, the Oh Say Can You See kit will also be offered at half of for the entire month of July! Grab yours now and celebrate your Independence Day memories in style! (Just $2.25 for 53 pieces, through on July only!)



I absolutely adore these layouts created using the Oh Say Can You See kit by Melonie



and Jac





TEMPLATES SET 1:
And last but not least, these adorable templates - perfect for beginning and advanced digital scrappers! Regular price $3.00, on sale half of through the end of June only (that's just $1.50 - what a deal!) :)



Enjoy - and don't forget ... my store-wide HALF OFF sale only lasts until the end of the day TOMORROW - so grab 'em up quick! :)

Still no news from the Navy... until God slams that door shut with an official and resounding "NO" it is still an option, but as the door slowly creaks shut we've also begun to examine other options. We are open to wherever God leads us - any suggestions?


Photo Courtesy of me :) Taken in Hermann, MO - one of the cities we're considering.

So far we've investigated: Colorado, Oregon/Washington, Texas, New Jersey, Canada, Australia/New Zealand/Tasmania, the Netherlands, Ireland, Southern Missouri, and more. Like I said - we are open to anywhere! Wherever God sends us, we will go.

Where have YOU lived that you loved (or where have you lived that you hated)? What are the pro's and con's of your state/city/country/region?


Photo Courtesy of traveling.lunas, taken in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

We are leaning heavily toward Colorado right now, but who knows where God will lead us, or whether where we decide to go will even matter (if He sneaks us into the Navy through the back door, LOL!). I look forward to your suggestions!!!

Sound the trumpets! My store at My Life and Scrap is officially open, and to celebrate EVERYTHING is 50% off through the end of June!

Currently you'll find three items in the store, but very soon I'll be adding lots of new goodies (at a great discount, of course!) ... check out just a few of them:

4th of July Digital Scrapbooking Kit...


12 x 12 Page Templates...


And here's a quick layout I made combining the two:


The first picture is me and The Princess getting ready for fireworks last 4th of July.

I can't wait to play around some more with these new kits; they are so fun (if I do say so myself!) :)

I also have some great new items coming in July (and some new freebies for you too!) so keep your eyes out!

I wasn't quite sure what to call this post. I started it with "Bad News", but honestly I don't look at it that way.

As I've said before, my dear hubby is trying to join the Navy. I haven't had much time to expound on our story, but to keep it short - he entered the Army at 17 but was sent home just shy of graduating boot camp on a medical RE3 discharge.

Fast forward a decade and a half to today, where we both feel that God brought the Navy into our hearts as an earnest desire for our family to move. We know that the RE3 will make the task of re-enlisting an arduous one, but we also believe whole-heartedly that God is working in this process. We've asked him to open the doors that he wants us to travel through and slam shut those that would lead us astray. If the Navy doesn't work out, we feel that God brought it about to teach us something and (as far as we can tell right now) to urge us to move away somewhere else.

Which leads me to our "negative" news. We've known since the beginning that the Navy is overcrowded these days due to the economy (everyone wants to join and nobody wants to leave). We got the call this week that they've put a stop to all RE3 waivers (which is what we are in the process of doing). Our only hope for entry at this point is if they can squeeze us through because we were in the process before the hold came about.

I know that it has The Deputy a bit down, but I also know that he has the same faith I do. God is working in and through this entire process. We've literally asked him (over and over again) to slam shut the doors to any path He doesn't have in mind for us. If the recruiters confirm that we're out of the running, I have full faith that it's God's doing - and it will launch us on the new adventure of figuring out where He DOES want us to go!

Whew! That was a lot of typing, and there is still so much more to tell LOL! I'll keep you posted as we get more Navy News. In the meantime, as a reward for reading through ALL THAT - here's a nifty little freebie! Click the image or the text link below it to download.



DOWNLOAD THIS FREEBIE

It's a little set of 2 papers - one tan textured cardstock and one really nifty plaid with a distressed, scratched edge. I really like this one :) I thought of holding onto it and designing a full-blown kit around it for the store, but I couldn't keep it under wraps... it hopped its way onto the layout here, and I just had to share! :) Enjoy!!!

YEAH! I have been waiting (seemingly) forever to say this:

MY DOORS ARE OPEN!!!

My store over at My Life and Scrap is officially open, and my first 3 kits are available for purchase.

Be sure to check them out, and stop back here soon for a new freebie, updates on our Navy journey, some adorable pics from this weekend, and more!!!

I am so excited! My store at MLAS is soon-to-open, and I have some sneak peeks of the fun new stuff that I'll be offering there any day now!




I am looking forward to crafting up some layouts with these products, and to announcing that my store is OFFICIALLY OPEN (not yet... but I'll tell you all when it is!) ;)

Let me know what you think of the sneak peeks, and if you have any suggestions for future products! I a busy little bee working away at lots more stuff!

And in the meantime, here's a freebie to whet your appetites! This set includes four linen-textured papers in pretty shades that coordinate perfectly almost any layout! Click the image or the download link below the image to grab a copy for yourself!



DOWNLOAD THIS FREEBIE

Last night was my final class in the brand new Wilton Decorating Basics class. I have to say, it was a success!



Just two years ago I hosted a baby shower for my sister and had a friend ice the cupcakes for me for fear of ruining them myself. More recently I purchased a cupcake decorating set myself and followed the directions on the Wilton website and taught myself some cupcake basics. But as I prepared for this class, I realized that I had never baked a cake before - I didn't even own a cake pan!

So with that in mind, here is my final project. The taste was fabulous (I am SO eating cake for lunch today!) - I used a Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix but substituted Moscato (a really yummy sweet wine) for the water... it makes for a scrumptiously moist cake. I sliced it into three layers (OK, so there were 4 to begin with, but the plain cake was just so yummy, The Princess and I ate an entire layer before I could assemble it!) and filled the layers with ooey-gooey milk chocolate icing. Mmm...

My favorite (and most successful) flower from the class was the Shaggy Mum, so I knew I'd use it for my final cake. I pre-iced a handful of Vanilla Wafers with the same white icing that covered my cake so that in class I could focus on the flowers themselves.



They came out great, if I do say so myself! My technique is far from perfect, but it's good enough for the people I'll be baking for - and the cake underneath tasted FABULOUS (which is what really matters anyway, right?)!

I have exciting news to share! I have been selected to join the design team at My Life and Scrap!

That means that you'll soon be able to find my digital scrapbooking products in the store there - WOO HOO! :) In the meantime, I am loitering in the forums and look forward to seeing you there, too!

I am an all-around crafter, and I hope to share those crafty exploits with you here as time goes by. However, one of my favorite areas of craft-ivity these days is digital scrapbooking.

I've been a scrapbooker for the better part of a decade, and when I became mommy to The Princess (aka my beautiful daughter!) I realized that time and space would become a rare commodity! Digital scrapbooking gives me the best of both worlds; there's no space other than my laptop and no mess to clean up when I'm finished. Plus I can work in snippets whenever I have a moment of free time, which is more difficult with traditional craft mediums!

I am currently looking for a store home where I can share my digital designs. In the meantime (and of course, even after my store is up!) I want to share digital freebies with you here!

For the first, I thought I'd offer a free photo mask that follows right along with the theme of our lives right now... FAITH! We are trusting in God to provide for us, to guide us in our decision-making and to open and close doors as He sees fit. This pretty photo mask sums it all up in one little word! I hope you enjoy!

Click on the preview image or Click Here to download the freebie!

Talk about walking by faith!

God has moved mountains in our lives and turned our world upside down (in a good way!) over the last 6 months or so. For the first time, my husband and I are committed to living for Christ and growing our family closer together and closer to Him. Though we still have a LOT of growth to go, He continues to chip away, moulding us into the people He designed us to be.

In July we will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary (and 9th year as a couple). In the almost-decade we've been together, I've adamantly declared that I will not leave Kansas City. No way, no how. Over the years The Deputy (aka my beloved husband) has investigated job opportunities with the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and various other employers with offices across the country. And I have successfully thwarted each and every attempt to rip up my hometown roots.

Until now. Until God stepped in and changed my heart!

We've tried our best to listen to God's direction for our lives, and so far He has yet to steer us wrong. Every decision that we've prayed on and sought wise counsel for, we've felt like we made with His help and blessing. As you follow me on this journey I'm sure I'll get into even more details, but suffice it to say, each decision (even many made prior to our recommitment to our faith) has led us to the point we are at today!

To make a long story short (oops, too late!), the Deputy tentatively (knowing my past history for emphatically vetoing all such suggestions) mentioned that he'd been considering the Reserves. He explained that the signing bonuses and pay would help pay off our debt, and ran through the list of other pro's and con's that he'd been considering.

I don't know who was more shocked when the next sentence came out of my mouth: "Why would you do the reserves when you could just go in full time?"

WHAT!?!

That's right... I suggested that we leave our hometown, our friends and family, our church home and wonderful Community Group. Or, as I firmly believe, God suggested it through me. That is my only explanation for my response, as it was completely out of character for me.

That was a month or two ago, and I am 100% committed to it to this day. We both believe that this decision is God-directed, and we are walking by faith through the process. Whether or not he makes it into the Navy, we feel like we are being called to move away and move on.

I'll keep you posted as we get news on the process of enlisting in the Navy (and fill you in on where we've gone with it so far). I hope you will enjoy following our little family on this exciting new roller coaster ride called life!