Hi everyone!  Beckie here with you today :)  

I typically bring you lots of photography posts, and one thing I’ve learned from perpetually viewing the past 2 years of our lives through the lens of my camera, it’s that our lives are FULL of thousands of incredible moments.  I’ve spent hours trying to master technique, work on composition,  and create incredible portraits of my family.  I’ve captured the smiling faces of my kids, the happy moments like parties and birthdays, and all usual big moments each year.  I’m SO thankful to have the shots I have!  But when I look through my scrapbook pages, I feel like something’s missing.  I feel like someone looking through my album 40 years from now won’t get a true sense of what we’re all really like.  

I feel like I have lots of photos and pages that capture what we are, but not enough that capture who we are.  

So this year I’m making a conscious effort to document REAL LIFE,  as it is right now.  Imperfect and amazing and overwhelming and even a  little messy.  But I want it to be true and honest, and I want someone looking back through these pages one day to know that my husband is an amazing dad because he sits and plays with the kids, really pays attention to them, every day.  And that my amazing, beautiful daughter has a shy side that I sometimes don’t understand.  That I worry that some day she’ll get taken advantage of or pushed around by the more aggressive kids.  And how about me?  I think I’m only in two photos in all of last year , and there’s truly nothing in my albums that gives any indication who I am.  That I’m strong, independent, and brave – but also disorganized, impatient, and sometimes overwhelmed by everything going on.  

So – This year I’ll be making a few changes.  

1.  No more waiting for the perfect moment to take a photo.  My son has ketchup on his face and chocolate milk on his shirt? Yep, that sounds like him.  So it’s a perfect photo of him right now.  Clutter on the counter on a Wednesday night while my daughter is doing homework?  Yep, probably.  It’s a perfect time to take a photo of what our evenings are like – because it’s our real lives and I never want to forget these days.  

2.  More thoughtful journaling.  I’m going to try to avoid the obvious “so cute, so loved, growing so fast” comments I tend to make in my journaling, and really focus on including little bits of who they are right now.  That my son is obsessed with potty words and my daughter absolutely loves to be tickled when I wake her up in the morning for school.  

3. Pages without photos of people.  Or perhaps even pages without photos at all!  Not every page as to have an amazingly cute shot of one of my children smiling.  Seriously.  I want them to be able to look back and have a sense of what life was like  – including the things that make up our lives right now.  

So my theme for the year is going to be REAL.  I want to capture real moments, real things, and the real thoughts that make up the essence of who we all are right now.  I created two new layouts to get started!

This one is so important to me.  I can’t believe I haven’t scrapped about my husband’s diabetes before now – it’s something very big that we live with.  It’s also amazing to me just how far medical treatments have come in just the 15 years we’ve been together!  I love the idea of having a little time capsule of what it is like to live with diabetes today.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if some day, in our children’s lifetimes, they find a cure?

And on a more lighthearted note, this is another page I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time.  The pics aren’t perfect for sure – but they perfectly capture him as the true pack rat that he is.  He’s grabbing loads of sticks and leaves that he wants to keep, to take home to add to his “collection” (collection of JUNK, that is).  We hope it’s just a crazy phase he’s going through, but regardless – right now he is obsessed with keeping things.

I hope some of the things I’m sharing here today encourage you to share a bit more about yourself and your loved ones in your scrap pages!  If you have any layouts you’d like to share, please link back to them here in the comments so we can go leave you some love – and get inspired in the process! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  The FEBRUARY project SCRAP 2012 templates will hit the blog tomorrow…so be sure to look out for them!!

BeckieInspiration, Uncategorized 25 Comments

Hello and happy Monday to everyone!  This is Rosy here to reveal the layout of the week winner!

This week I’ve chosen ScrappingMom‘s First Birthday layout.

This layout (along with its second page) caught my eye with those happy and messy cake photos and the fun colors that ScrappingMom scrapped them with.  Blossom was one of the first SP kits that I bought and I still love scrapping with it!  I also love the story of an alligator birthday for a little girl named Ali.  Isn’t that cute?!

Congratulations, ScrappingMom and enjoy your $10 gift card (sent via email) from the Shabby Shoppe!

Thanks for checking out the blog today…we’ll be back on Wednesday with some fabulous scrap inspiration!

RosyLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 6 Comments

 Hey Guys :o)  it’s SP…thrilled to be here today for our first ‘official’ CHECK-IN for project SCRAP 2012!!!!!  I’m kinda shocked that February is already on its way out, lol!  Seriously…no idea how it all moves so quickly – I mean, it was like New Year’s…and then the next day – Valentine’s, lolol!  At least, that’s kinda how it felt for us – and I can’t be alone, right?  he he!  Anyhoo – that just means that we should be moving right along with project SCRAP 2012…and that’s why I’m here today!  We have to keep motivating and inspiring each other – that’s how this project works!  If you haven’t completed your JANUARY pages yet…good news – you’re not TOO far behind at this point, lol!  As a matter of fact, it’s probably the BEST month, as there is still plenty of time to catch up with us, he he!  If you are just joining us – JUMP RIGHT IN and start scrapping!

I know that for ME, scrapping January was kinda tough!  I think we were so tired from the holidays (and from finishing my project SCRAP 2011 album, lol) – that we just relaxed a bit in January – and I hardly ever grabbed my camera!  As a result – uhoh, lol – didn’t have many photos to scrap!  So, the January layouts were a bit challenging – but I got them done!  They will not go down in history as my favorite pages, lol…but they are finished and I’m ready to move on to February!  Honestly – I haven’t taken great pics this month either – but there is still time to turn that around, lol – and I intend to :o)  So, here are my ‘less-than-stellar’ layouts, lol…

 So, I’m more excited than ever to show you additional inspiration (there are SO MANY wonderful layouts in the GALLERY - be sure to check them ALL out!)…since I’m not thrilled with my own layouts this month, lol!  Seriously…these girls rocked it and I just know they will inspire you as well!

First, we have layouts by my sweet friend, Lu :o)  That family photo is PERFECTION…and I love the second page – it’s like looking through a picture window at her month!  GORGEOUS :o)  Thanks so much, Lu!

 Next, we have Kylie’s HAPPY pages!  Seriously – just look at all of that color?!  It all just looks so tropical and like PARADISE, lol!  LOOOOOVE :o)  Thanks, Kylie!

 Now for Kim’s pages!  And, how CUTE are they?  REALLY adore this color combo and it is so perfect with all of the precious photos!  Fabulous job, as always Kim – thanks :o)

 Finally, sweet Jenelle’s layouts!  These just look like PURE FUN!  I mean, it looks like her boys had an amazing month, lol!  So happy and full of joy :o)  Thanks bunches, Jenelle!

So, there you have it!  Our first CHECK-IN of project SCRAP 2012 :o)  Many more to come, lol!  We hope that you guys are motivated and scrapping right along with us!  By now, you should have your January pages complete (or hopefully you are very, very close, lol) – and you should be busy taking February photos :o)  Don’t forget those ‘every day’ moments, too!  I think when you have your hands on your final 2012 album – those will be among your favorite photos and memories (at least they always are for me!) :o)   We’ll be sharing February’s templates with you next Thursday!

And, BE SURE to post YOUR project SCRAP 2012 layouts in our special GALLERY!  We look forward to seeing your January, too!

Until then…I’m back to work – busy on a new kit that I hope to release this year, LOL!  Well, it will definitely be THIS year, he he…just hopefully sooner than later :o)  It’s getting there…and shaping up to be a new fave for me!  I love it when I get excited about designing…and I certainly am right now!  Just wish I had more hours in the day/week to do it, lolol!  Thanks for the patience…and hope you love it when it makes its way to the Shoppe :o)

HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAVING A WONDERFUL WEEK…enjoy the rest of it and THANK YOU for stopping by and for SCRAPPING with us!  XOXO — SP!

Shabby Princessproject Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 8 Comments

Hello everyone!  It’s Jenelle here today, bringing you some tips and tricks on browsing the Shabby Shoppe’s inspiration gallery.  Now, I have been visiting this site for many years now and would you believe I have only recently worked out an easier way to view everyone’s layouts and leave comments?!?  LOL!!!  So hopefully this post helps some of you out there who may have been like me – forever clicking the ‘back’ button, trying to navigate my way through all these wonderful layouts but ending up lost!

I love seeing all the latest posts to our inspiration gallery and it is one of the first things I do when I visit the Shabby Shoppe site.  I usually open up the INSPIRATION page (I have it bookmarked for quick access), log in and then I click on 7 days , so I can easily view all the pages that have been posted in the past 7 days (you can also click on 1 day or 14 days).

I am then taken to a new page with all the layouts from the past 7 days – all lined up and very easy to view.  Sometimes there may be more than one webpage if there has been a lot of layouts uploaded that week.  I simply click ‘next page’ to continue viewing them all.   As I am doing this, I can quickly open up the layouts I’d like to view closer by holding the ctrl button on my keyboard (or command button on a Mac I believe) and left clicking my mouse.  The layouts I’ve selected are then opened up and start loading in a new tab in my browser while I continue to look through the gallery.

It is so much faster and I really like the fact that I can keep browsing while the detailed layout page loads.  I can then come back to each layout at my leisure and know it will have loaded and be ready for me!  Plus, it ensures I do not forget about a layout I may have wanted to look at (this used to happen to me a lot!).

Another trick that I have found works for me when I want to leave a comment on a layout, is to click on Post a Comment under the Photo Options tab.  I used to just scroll down under a layout and leave my comments there.  Often that meant I couldn’t actually see the layout as I typed my comment and I had to keep scrolling back up to take another look.  If I do it this way, however, I can see the layout image next to me as I type (plus I can add in all those cute little smiley faces and icons as well!)

So I hope that has helped some of you out there when it comes to browsing the gallery – I certainly find it easier and faster (but then maybe some of you already know how to do this anyway and I am just showing how ‘un-technologically advanced’ I really am!!!  LOL!!).  It really is much quicker clicking on all those tabs separately because I don’t have to wait for pages or comments to load – I simply do what I want to do then click on the next tab. No waiting time!  At the end of my browsing session I simply close the tabs I’ve viewed and click back on my main tab.  Easy!  I used to get lost when ‘straight’ clicking on layouts and sometimes I’d end up at a member’s gallery and have to search through to find the layout I was originally looking for, constantly clicking the back arrow!  Now I am a much more efficient gallery browser… how about you?  Do you have any tips on browsing our gallery or site?  You can let us know in the comments section below.

Anyway, thanks for joining me today.  Please stop by again tomorrow because SP has a terrific Project Scrap check-in post to share and I am soooo excited about Project Scrap 2012 because I am right up to date !!! (Ok, ok, it’s only been one month!!  LOL!!)  See you then and happy scrapping everyone.

JenelleTips and Tricks, Uncategorized 10 Comments

Hello everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!!! :o)  Kylie here with a huge product spotlight…all about happiness and L.O.V.E.!  Today has to be the sweetest day of the year and to celebrate the Shoppe is having a 30% off SALE on all it’s valentine-themed goodies…for a limited time!!  As you capture those too cute to forget moments today we have just the products to help you scrap and preserve them! YAY!  Some kits you may already own, some you may be seeing for the first time.  I’ve included some fun additions and some lovely inspiration from our talented team too…that may help spark some lovely creativity!  Now this post is going to be extra-FULL of love, so first off…THANKS for being ever so patient while the blog post loaded…and secondly, as it’s already jam-packed with bunches of sweet pics SO I’ll let them do the talking and leave the text to a minimum!  How’s that sound?! ;o)

The first kit is as sweet as sweet can be…and a favorite here at the Shabby Shoppe!  The SWEETIE PIE kit is overflowing with papers and elements to create all of your Valentine’s layouts…and MORE!  (I’m forever using little pieces of it here and there!) 

Here is a new page I created using Sweetie Pie!  I just love the colors ~ poppy red, bright and soft pinks, turquoise, purple and little black & white.  Oh and the little ladybugs are too cute!

Looking for last minute cards to send via email?  Well, check out the XOXO cards.  And hey, they make perfect everyday cards too ~ thank you, hello, thinking of you, birthday, announcements…the list goes on!  And if you have not yet laid eyes on the XOXO confection collection you’re in for a real treat…it’s the most adorable ‘treat apparel’ collection there is! 

Next we have Yours Truly!  Ahhh, what a kit! :o)  Full of rich textures and wonderfully happy colors…and a touch of whimsy!  Love, love, love this collection!

…and here is my layout using this lovely, lovely kit.  Yours Truly is an absolute joy to scrap with and looking at it now makes me just want to hug the page! LOL!

If you can’t get enough of Yours Truly then take a look at these little beauties!  The must-have wordart expressions, a gorgeous little badge album, some more cards (my personal faves!) and a sweet confection collection!  Options, options, options!! :o)

It was love at first sight with this kit…the CAROUSEL collection!  SP says it best ~ “The perfect kit to scrap all the loves in your life! People, things and everything in-between, this kit will lend its hand to creating some beautiful pages with your memories!”  Perfectly shabby in every way!

I needed to scrapped one of my very special moments…and Carousel was my go-to kit!  The words shabby, vintage, eclectic…music to my ears… and heart!

Along with the gorgeous digital kit you might like to take a look at the beautifully patterned Carousel Monograms and another sweet confection collection (made from 3 different Shabby Princess collections including Carousel)…treat bag toppers, lollipop covers, candy tents, and mint books…very cute!

And last, but never least, is Wild Love!  Elegant sophistication with a just a bit of wild whimsy will leave you in love with this kit!!!

My nieces love a bit of drama…a recent impromptu tango performance ~ not to be forgotten!  Hilarious!  Wild Love was such a fun kit to use here.  Yes, it can be sophisticated and elegant with its beautiful damasks and textured papers but it also has a light-hearted, whimsical side…and I took full advantage of that!

And before we finish highlighting all the products on sale, let’s not forget about this beautiful little set of treat bag toppers!  They might be a little late for Valentine’s Day 2012 but I hope we’ve at least helped with ideas for next year or for those other special occasions where you might be in need of that little special something to make gift-giving easy and economical…so why not take advantage of our 30% off sale now! :o)

And a product spotlight is not a product spotlight without some BEAUTIFUL INSPIRATION from the girls!

THANK YOU so much ladies!!  I just L.O.V.E. each and every page & project…such heart-melting sweetness in every detail!  And if you’d like to take a closer look at these lovelies -  just a click away is the Shabby Artist Gallery – we will be uploading throughout the day/night.

Hope this post brought a little love to your day…thanks bunches for stopping by!!  Jenelle will be with you tomorrow to share a brilliant Tips & Tricks post!

KylieProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized No Comments