Hello everyone…Happy Friday! :o)  Kylie here with a sweet little Food Friday post.  An easy homemade treat that I think is just perfect for Valentine’s Day (or any day, really!!)…Rocky Road…YUM!

Chocolate, marshmallow, nuts and a few lollies thrown into the mix…what a yummy combo!!  Oh, and in Australia, yes, we say lolly…in the US you say candy, and I think in the UK you say sweet…am I right??  Any which way you say it, it’s delicious!!  This recipe is soooo simple to make (no baking required) and you can play around with the combination of ingredients too… always lots of fun!!

Ingredients

• 600g (approx 21oz) Milk Chocolate, melted
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 150g (5oz) marshmallows, chopped
• 1 cup of mixed soft lollies/candies/sweets (your choice)
• 1/4 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
• sprinkles (optional)

Directions

• Grease and line a brownie/slice pan or similar.  Have the baking paper overhang the pan edges so that you can lift out the rocky road after it has been refrigerated
• Combine all ingredients, except for sprinkles, in large bowl and stir well.  Enough to coat all the ingredients with the melted chocolate
• Press mixture into pan and tap, several times, on work area to help remove any air bubbles
• Scatter sprinkles over the top
•  Refrigerate until firm ~ approximately 3-4 hours
• Use a heart cookie cutter to carefully press out shapes or use a sharp knife to cut into square pieces or long strips
• Enjoy!

More information and tips

• Chocolate ~ I used 3 x 200g blocks of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate for my batch of rocky road…so any store bought eating chocolate is fine.  You can use baking or cooking chocolate instead – white, milk or dark…your preference.  And you can even mix the milk and dark chocolate 50/50 for a darker look that isn’t as strong in taste as straight dark.  Melt your chocolate by your preferred method…it just needs to be runny enough to coat all the other ingredients, but not too hot as to start melting the marshmallows.
• Marshmallow ~ I used some large marshmallows I had on hand and got my nieces to chop them into smaller pieces (an easy job for school-age kids) but you can also purchase mini marshmallows which don’t need any chopping and work perfectly, especially if you want an end result that isn’t too high in the pan.  Experiment with different flavours too!  I had the standard vanilla and raspberry but these days there are all sorts of marshmallow flavours/colours.
• Candy ~ chocolate, marshmallow, nuts are the general rocky road ingredients but you can pretty much throw in anything you want…and for Valentine’s Day it’s nice to add a little extra sweetness.  I chose some raspberry jellies/jubes and cut them into smaller pieces.  So any jube type candy, the softer the better – otherwise cutting your shapes becomes difficult, jelly beans, turkish delight or chocolate button candy like m&m’s; all work well.
• Nuts ~ I decided not to use nuts this time as my nieces aren’t big fans.  And if you are giving these treats as gifts it is important to know whether or not any of the recipients have a nut allergy (or any allergies, for that matter!).  If you want to add nuts, then chopped peanuts or slivered almonds are perfect…so are shelled/peeled pistachios – for a gorgeous hint of green…cashews or macadamia nuts work nicely in white chocolate rocky road too.
• Other ingredients ~ don’t be afraid to add other ingredients…just not too many all at once as the combination of flavours might get a little crazy ;o)  Some other ingredients you might like to try adding:  flaked or shredded coconut, dried cranberries, glace cherries, biscuit (not the US ’scone’ biscuit)/cookie pieces, sultanas or raisins.
• Cutting out shapes ~ after refrigeration, take out of fridge and allow to sit for about 30 minutes, or so, to make it easier to cut through.  Using a sharp knife to cut squares is the easiest by far and you get a nice finish.  If you use a cookie cutter, like a heart, make sure it is a metal one with a sturdy handle and not a plastic cutter, as it takes a bit of effort to cut through…the marshmallow and jubes like to ’stick’ to the sides.  I like my rocky road pieces nice and high (about 4 cm or 1 1/2 inches) but if you use a wider pan to start with you’ll end up with a flatter layer of rocky road and it will be easier to cut through…so just keep that in mind.  I also find it easier, when using a shaped cookie cutter to press through the mix and then to remove the rocky road from the cutter, press the rocky road piece from the bottom and up through the cutter…if that makes sense.  Pushing from the top down just cracks the chocolatey top and damages the sprinkles.
• Left-over pieces ~ after cutting out your heart shapes you’ll be left with all those little off-cuts.  So what can you do with those?…chop them up and add them to ice cream, or to a chocolate muffin, cupcake or cake mix, or just eat them!!

To give out my rocky road as gifts this Valentine’s Day I wandered over to the Shabby Shoppe and had a look around at all the inspiration.  Last Valentine’s I had fun with the gorgeous, gorgeous XOXO confection collection…a must have!!  But this year I wanted to do something a little different and actually decided to use the outside layers of the cute little bloom box albums (Clementine and Sprout).  They were so quick and easy to print out and assemble.  I wrapped the rocky road hearts in some cellophane and popped one in each box and tied it all up with some curling ribbon.

And finally…here is a little 4×6 recipe card I created as a FREE download.  I used a Shabby Shoppe French Toast recipe card template and the Sweetie Pie kit (see the TOU, in your download, for font details etc).

Just click on the image below to download (or click HERE)!

THANKS for joing me today!  We’ll see you back here on Monday with our LOTW… until then have a wonderfully “sweet” weekend! Enjoy!! :o)

KylieFood Stuff, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 6 Comments

Hello all… Kylie here! :o)  Hope your week, so far, has been full of smiles, laughs and sunshine moments!  The holiday season has come & gone and it’s finally time to share the next Shabby Shoppe Blog Template Challenge ~  the first one for 2012!  And can you believe that we are now up to number twenty?!!  That’s a whole lot of FREE templates to play with…and haven’t we had a ball along the way!  Joining in our monthly template challenges is super simple and so much FUN…we love bringing them to you!! :o)  This month’s template has a little added sparkle and is perfect if you’ve got any holiday happy-snaps or New Year’s Eve party pics to scrap.  We really hope you enjoy this latest challenge and have lots of fun scrapping with it…it’s all yours, so – to download…CLICK HERE (or simply click the preview image below)!

Now, before we get to all the gorgeous inspiration… let’s go over the GUIDELINES for our template challenges here at the Shoppe?!

The ‘deadline’ for this challenge is FEBRUARY 26th :o) We will announce the template challenge winner on March 1st, when we share Template Challenge TWENTY-ONE! As you probably know, we now announce the winner on the same day we debut a new template challenge. The ‘winner’ of the challenge will receive a $25 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe! Please note that for our template challenges… we select the ‘winner’ randomly – so everyone has a chance to win… beginners and experienced scrappers! It’s a great way to jump in and give digi scrapping (and templates) a try :o)

In order to be entered into the template challenge – you must post your layout in the Shabby Shoppe’s gallery (in the SHOPPE BLOG CHALLENGES gallery) and then post a comment HERE at our blog (on this post only) with a link to your layout in our gallery. This will enter you into the challenge :o) Please keep in mind that all layouts must contain at least 75% SP product (purchased or free). To be eligible for the challenge – you must scrap with the easy-as-pie layered template!

We also have several fun ways for you to obtain ‘EXTRA’ entries to the challenge (please note that in order to qualify for any EXTRA entries – you must first complete a layout with our easy-as-pie template and submit that to our gallery and blog) :o)

• For an extra entry, leave a SEPARATE comment letting us know that you have one of our blinkies (available by clicking on the blinkies link in the sidebar) either on your blog or in all of your forum signatures (be sure to include a link to your blog or signature in your post).
• For an extra entry, leave a SEPARATE comment letting us know that you have facebooked or twittered about our template challenge (don’t forget to include the link in your post).
• For an extra entry, leave a SEPARATE comment letting us know that you have blogged about our template challenge (again, be sure to add your blog link to your post).

So, that means that you have the possibility of entering the challenge up to 4 times! Just be sure each entry is a separate comment, as we will be using a random number generator to choose the winner. Be sure to get your entries in by MIDNIGHT (eastern time) on FEBRUARY 26th, and again…the winner will be announced in early March (the 1st to be exact)!

So again…here is your newest Easy-As-Pie Layered Template! <–click this to download OR click the preview image at the top of this post :o)

Your download includes:

• 12×12 Layered psd template with drop shadows (you can opt to turn them off or use your own)
• 12×12 Layered TIFF template with drop shadows

In the event this is your first time scrapping with a layered template – SP has created a quick and simple tutorial on how to use our Easy-As-Pie templates in PSE and PS. You can find it HERE. We’ve tried to cover the basics, but if you have any questions, please let us know and one of the Shabby Team Members will do their best to answer it.

A little bit of inspiration goes a long way…so with that in mind, lets check out some gorgeousness from the team!  Please remember that you can always visit the Shabby Artist Gallery for more information about each layout – we will be uploading throughout the day/night.

First off…one of mine.  A couple of NYE photos and lots of sparkle!!!  I had a bit of fun with the colour scheme too…always good to try something a little different! ;o)

For my next layout…what can I say ~ Clementine and Gracie, ahhhh…pure scrap sweetness!  Oh and it sure helps that my niece is as sweet as pie too!

Next…we have an extra-cute and playful page by Kim!  What a happy layout…full of wonderful details and cool ideas!

Jenelle created a layout full of sunny summer goodness!  Her lil’ goggle boy is adorable…a day full of fun memories for sure.

The fun and adventures continue with Rosy and her precious page!  Cute, cute, cute!

And finally…a bright and colourful ‘girls just wanna have fun’ kinda page by Casharina. Love how Casharina tweaked the page too, an extra photo and the extra journaling down the side – love that!! :o)

{ Remember to link up to this post only to enter template challenge TWENTY }

And, finally – let’s not forget about TEMPLATE CHALLENGE 19’s winner!!  YAY!!  This time, the ‘lucky’ number was TWENTY-FIVE…and that means that krista824’s lovely challenge entry was selected :o)  A great memory scrapped beautifully!  CONGRATULATIONS, krista824!! You will be receiving a $25 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe in your email box (be sure to check spam folders) this morning…have fun shoppe-ing and thanks for joining in the template challenge fun!

And, as always…a huge THANKS to everyone who participated in the last template challenge. We are so thrilled that you did…and hope you are inspired to scrap some gorgeous pages with our newest template!

Thanks for stopping by today…I’ll be back tomorrow with a Food Friday treat!  See you then! :o)

KylieChallenges, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 4 Comments

 hey guys :o)  SP back again…this time with the ‘real’ PROJECT SCRAP 2012 launch, lol!  It’s been a whirlwind…trying to wrap-up project SCRAP 2011…and get 2012 going at the same time, lol…but I am truly excited about it…and hope you guys are, too :o)  I soooooo enjoyed project SCRAP 2011…and LOOOOVE my album!  I haven’t had much time to visit the gallery to know if many of you have posted album pics…but I really hope you do – we would ALL love to see!  Anyhoo…this post is about project SCRAP 2012 - so i’ll move on, lol :o)

project SCRAP 2012 is going to work very much the same as 2011 did!  There will be monthly templates…and next January – some cover templates as well :o)  We’ll share the ‘new’ templates at the END of the month (for example – the February templates will be shared at the END of February)…and then I’ll do a ‘check-in’ post with layout examples early in the next month!  That keeps us all up-to-date and inspired :o)  It really is as simple as that!  Well, you do have to take your TWO photos per WEEK (easy-peasy, right?)!  We supply the monthly templates (two each month – to create a ’spread’) and try our best to keep everyone motivated and involved!  We can only do so much though…you can HELP by posting YOUR layouts in the gallery!  We have a new project SCRAP 2012 gallery setup for you…so be sure to post any 2012 layouts there!

So, to start off project SCRAP 2012…we have our new, January templates!  LOVE THESE and can’t wait to see your pages :o)  here ya go:

 CLICK the image above to DOWNLOAD…or CLICK HERE :o)

NOTE:  if you are completely NEW to our fun (and practical) SCRAPPING PROJECT – please check out THIS POST…it will fill you in on all of the details and offer some great info, and hopefully help everything to make sense!  It was our official project SCRAP launch post last year – and I rambled on forever…and didn’t want to add all of that here again, lol!  But, be sure to CHECK IT OUT as it spells everything out (hopefully clearly, lol)!

I’ll be checking in with you guys on your January pages around the middle of February…and hope we have TONS of layouts in the GALLERY!  I truly believe this is a WONDERFUL and PRACTICAL way to get our photos scrapped…or I can assure you – I wouldn’t be doing it, lolol!  Life is so busy…but this project allows me to stay up-to-date with ease…and best of all – I get to avoid that awful feeling of BEING BEHIND (you guys know how difficult it is to catch up once you fall behind in your scrapping…and while this might not completely solve that…it will keep you from getting even MORE behind, lol)!

Alright…that does it for now…would LOOOOOOVE for you guys to ’sign-up’ for project SCRAP 2012 with a comment on this post :o)  We love having some idea of how many might be joining us…AND, it will help to keep you motivated, too - i promise, lol!  there is something about ’signing up’ that makes it more ‘real’…and you end up feeling accountable (to yourself, if no one else, lol)!  Of course you do not have to…but it’s fun to ‘get to know’ all of our project SCRAP buddies!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US!  now, let’s SCRAP twenty-twelve together :o)

XOXO –SP

 ~*~a FINAL NOTE~*~  I wanted to let you guys know that while we share our project SCRAP templates for FREE…we are soon going to be removing all of our template downloads from project SCRAP 2011!  If you missed any, and would like them – grab ‘em quick, as within a couple of weeks – they will no longer be offered for free here at the blog!  however, we will be bundling ALL of the 2011 templates together and adding them to the Shabby Shoppe (at a great price!)!  We just can’t keep them out there forever…and I think this is the best ‘compromise’!  Of course, the 2012 templates will be shared here at the blog, free of charge – until we begin project SCRAP 2013 next year (another great incentive to stay involved, he he)!  thanks for understanding :o)  –SP–

Shabby PrincessFree (not desktops), Uncategorized, project Scrap 2012 51 Comments

Alrighty girls (and any guys that might have joined in)…we are ‘officially’ wrapping up project SCRAP 2011 - woohoo :o)  Yep…that’s right…Shabby Princess here today and I’m so excited to share our final templates (ALBUM COVERS)  for project SCRAP 2011…and photos of my finished album (along with a few tips and ideas…and lessons learned along the way, lol)!

So to start…how about the ALBUM COVER TEMPLATES?!  Kylie and I designed these sets for you guys and I love how they came out!  The first set…I selfishly designed, as I knew I did not want a photo on my cover, lol!  I know that might sound odd…as it is a scrapbooking album…and what is it all about, if not photos?  I know, I know – trust me – I get it!  HOWEVER, I personally find it VERY difficult and well, stressful (lol) to try and narrow the entire year down to one (or a few) photos!  I take SO  many throughout the year, and to try and choose just seems overwhelming!  So, I prefer to opt for a photo-free cover for my albums (unless it is a themed album – like a birthday – then I am fine putting a special pic or two on the front)!  Anyhoo – so this first set is what I went with for my personal album, and I love how it turned out – YAY!  But, no worries – IF you do prefer to have one awesome photo on the front…we have you covered there, too!  At the same time – if you like LOTS of little pics…we have that for you as well :o)  Of course, on option 3…you could also just use bunches of little paper squares and NO photos (or a mix of photos and papers, like Kylie did) - totally your choice!  And, if none of our cover options are what you are looking for…just create your own custom version – and that way you end up with exactly what you want or need (you could even re-purpose one of the monthly templates for your cover…or use one of our free temlate challenge templates)!  Just remember that scrapping an album cover is really no different than scrapping a layout…only the dimensions are different!  Alrighty…so here are our three options…all free and ready for you to download: 

 You have FOUR different DOWNLOAD options (clickable links below)!  You may download the ALL-IN-ONE, which includes all six templates (it’s about 135 megs).  OR, you may download each ’set’ individually (three in total).  If you are on dial-up, or have an unreliable connection – I’d recommend downloading the individual sets :o)  No matter which download option you choose…we include each template in both a .psd and .tif (layered).

CLICK HERE to download the ALL-IN-ONE

CLICK HERE to download OPTION ONE

CLICK HERE to download OPTION TWO

CLICK HERE to download OPTION THREE

So, there you have the FINAL downloads for project SCRAP 2011 – we truly hope you enjoy the cover options we designed for you!  Again, remember that you can always modify, customize and tweak…to meet your specific needs – that is the beauty of LAYERED TEMPLATES :o)

So…a few words about FORMATTING your album covers…and, PRINTING your albums/books/layouts!

As far as FORMATTING your covers…it really all depends on the SIZE of your final book/album, and, WHERE you plan to have it printed.  Each printing lab will have different specifications for printing – when it comes to both size and bleed areas (cropping and safe zones).  So, you’ll want to find out WHERE you plan to print…and then decide on the final size.  For me…I had my album printed with WHCC and went with 10×10 book (the size I generally prefer for my albums).  WHCC offers great sizing templates (go to resources and then click on product templates…from there, select free sizing templates)…so formatting was pretty simple for me.  Basically, when you download their sizing templates – they are simple files with only GUIDES (if you do not see the guides, you will need to turn them on (in PS, view>show> guides) to show the bleeds/safe areas.  These are very helpful…and you can see what my final digital file looked like (of course I removed the GUIDES before submitting for printing).  Everything within the blue guidelines is SAFE…anything outside COULD be printed…but probably won’t :o) 

I love looking at the digital version of my cover, and then the ‘real’, printed version, lol!  I think it is a great illustration of how everything comes together!  I truly love my final album…and much of that comes from all of the time and energy spent on formatting :o)  It can be a tedious process, but well worth it in the end! 

So, when it comes to printing…again – I generally go with WHCC (White House Custom Colour).   It might partly be from habit, lol…I’ve been a customer for quite some time – but I also truly love their quality and service.  They are not the most inexpensive when it comes to printing…but at the same time, they are very competitive when it comes to pricing among the ‘pro photographer’ labs :o)  There are definitely less expensive options out there…and I welcome you to research all of them!  In the end, you will have to find what works for YOU and your budget!  In the past few years…sooooooo many printing companies have joined the market for printing scrapbooks…and a quick Google search will definitely turn up lots of options.  I do not want to recommend (or not recommend, lol) any specifically because I have not tried them.  I generally stick to pro (NOT that I’m a pro, lol…but I like the QUALITY and level of SERVICE that I receive with these labs/companies) printing labs like WHCC and MPIX.  One thing to keep in mind about these companies is that you generally have to ‘apply’ in order to become a customer.  Some of the pro labs are stricter than others when it comes to requirements (some require that you have a photography business).  This is completely understandable as they must be fair to their professional photographer customers, and keep their pricing confidential.  Anyway, that is probably way more information than you needed, lol – but I wanted to explain labs like WHCC a little more in the event you wish to print with one of them!

Again, there are many options…many times, including local companies.  Many local printing companies, photo labs and office supply stores now offer album/book options – so be sure to check them out!  More than likely though…most of us will have our albums printed via online labs.  Do your research, look for reviews and compare pricing :o)  Printing albums is an investment…you have to find the best quality that will fit in your budget and remember that the hope is that our albums are forever :o)  This is one reason that quality is so key to me…I want my albums to last, and hopefully be passed down throughout the years!  I’m definitely not saying that you have to pay crazy prices for that to be…just do your homework before you make the investment :o)

There is always the option of just having your layouts printed individually – and placing them in a traditional scrapbook album (found online or at local scrapbook/craft stores)!  You do not HAVE to have a bound book/album printed…it’s just your preference in the end!  I have lots of scrapbook pages in regular albums and love them all!  And, there are so many cute and fun album options, in lots of sizes…something for everyone and every budget!  Personally, I do prefer the bound books – but that is mostly just because of the ‘neato’ factor, lolol!  There is something so polished and professional about the books – BUT, you have a lot more flexibility when just printing pages and adding to an album!  You do not have to be so careful with page ordering…as there is no ‘finality’ to it!  Printing bound books and albums can be a little stressful – just because you do feel the pressure of getting everything ‘just perfect’ :o)  With individual page printing…you can change the order of the pages in your scrapbook album – and best of all…if you find a mistake or typo – you can just reprint that ONE page!  Generally, if I find a typo in my bound books (it happens – even though I proof several times…and even copy/paste my journaling into word for spell check lol) - I just leave it, as it is too expensive to reprint :o)  I just tell our little man…MORE proof that I am not perfect, ROFL (as if he didn’t already know, ha!)!

There are also options that you might wish to look for when it comes to printing :o)  For me…a lay-flat or hinged album is a must!  This just means that when you open your book/album – all of the pages lay perfectly flat, instead of having that ‘bump’ at the binding.  It doesn’t seem like such a big deal, lol…but I’ve had both and if possible – I always go with hinged!  I’m not sure which labs offer this option, and which do not – but it’s something to consider!

 This is something you will want to know before formatting your pages for print.  I know that with WHCC…the formatting is a bit different if you choose a hinged album or book  (on both the pages and the cover).  Another ‘must’ for me, is the ability to design my own custom album cover.  While most companies offer this (for an additional fee)…some only allow you to choose from their premade options.  Again, each and every company will have different specifications for their cover formatting…so you will have to decide on the company, and then work on formatting!  Here are a few more pics of my printed album (sorry for the icky pictures, lol):

  Something else to consider when formatting your pages for printing – DROP SHADOWS and DETAILS!  As silly and insignificant as they sound, drop shadows really do make all the difference in the end!  Realistic drop shadows can make your pages come to life…and literally have people touching the layouts to see if the elements and papers are ‘real’, lol!  It happens all the time!  When formatting…I go back through all of my pages and tweak drop shadows until I find what I like!  Unfortunately…drop shadows are quite subjective.  There is no ‘magic’ setting that will work for everything, lol!  For example…papers should have a smaller drop shadow than a flower (naturally, a flower is thicker and heavier than a paper…and will produce a larger shadow)…and stitching will have it’s own look, too!  Trust your eyes – you know your own preference for shadows…so just go with it – but try to be consistent throughout your album!  Another way to add realism is with stitching…I love to work with stitching and it always add such depth and dimension to my pages!  Here are some details so you can see the results:

Now, if you are NOT going for a ’scrappy’ look…then shadows are not really an issue…but since most of us have ’scrapbooked’ our pages for this album – I wanted to mention it!

Another thing I wanted to show…one of my ‘extra’ pages!  You guys often ‘hear’ me saying that I have too many photos in one month – so I need to scrap extra pages!  Well, I try to keep those pages simple (since I’ve already journaled on my regular monthly pages)…and all about the pics!  Here’s an example of one of my (many, lol) extra pages:

Another thing to keep in mind…most albums need a ‘first page’!  Meaning that when you open your book/album – there will be a single page (actually the back of your ‘left side’ January page) on the right – and most printing labs allow you to customize that page.  In my books – that is generally a letter to our little man…or just a summary of the year (or if it is a birthday album – a bunch of info about the birthday, etc.) – but it can be whatever you want it to be – extra photos, one large photo, kid stats (age, weight, height, school info, etc.)!  That’s the beauty of it…you can make it whatever you like!  Here is mine:

 And finally…just a few more pics of my final album – I believe these are the spreads for November, January and September :o)

 Alright, I can’t think of much else when it comes to formatting and printing your albums!  Again – there are just too many variables for us to be able to give specific information – it ALL depends on the lab you choose for printing – and their specifications for the final album size that you choose!  If you have questions – just contact your lab’s customer service and they should be able to help and answer any questions.  I hope that you all LOOOOOOVE your final albums – and I truly hope you will share photos of them with us in the GALLERY!  You will be an inspiration to all of us :o)  The more participation…the more motivated we ALL become!  We’re int his together!  And, I know that printing this first album will be a learning experience for many…especially those who have never had an album printed before!  So, remember to enjoy the process and try not to get overwhelmed!  When you see your final, printed book – I can assure you – it will all be worth it :o) 

With project SCRAP 2011 being our first year…we were bound to learn some valuable lessons along the way :o)  And, when I say ‘we’…I really mean ‘me’ lol!  I can really only share the things which *I* learned while completing my own album…but hopefully, these tips will help you guys as well :o)

•  If, like ME, you plan to have extra pages some months (i.e. there was an event or vacation or birthday or Christmas and you need MORE pages to fit all of your photos and/or journaling) – DO NOT put it off, lol!  Do the EXTRA pages at the same time that you do your monthly template pages!  I KNEW that I had lots of extra pages to scrap…and while I did scrap some along the way – I saved way too many until the end and found myself in a rush and trying to catch up!  And well, that is the whole IDEA behind project SCRAP…to scrap as we go so we never get behind!  Granted…I was still better off than any other year…but I wish I had kept up with my ‘extras’!
• If you know what size and where you are going to have your album printed…FORMAT your pages for printing EACH MONTH!  I really should have done this!  It’s pretty easy for me as I almost always have my albums printed at WHCC…and I almost always go with a 10×10 size!  But…still, I just scrapped my pages at 12×12 each month (which I always do anyway, in the event I ever want to go back and have them printed at full size…or if my mom wants a 12×12 album, etc.) and left it at that!  And, well, that WOULD have been fine!  However, in my rush to complete my album (so I could share pics of it with you guys today, lol)…it was a PAIN trying to prepare SO many pages for printing at once!  Ya see…with WHCC – when I format my pages for a 10×10 album…the final pages/sides are not true squares…so each page takes a little tweaking…especially if the design is square (like a square border, etc.).  I found that this took me a LONG time and I really, really wished I had done this each month (and I WILL this year, NO questions, lol)!  Now, the only way I would advise against this…is if you do not know what size you plan to print…or where!  Each printer/lab will have different specifications…so I would not put the time and effort into doing this in advance…unless you are certain as to these two decisions!
• If…like ME, you change information, substitute photos, or leave out personal journaling for the page you upload to the gallery – make sure to finish the REAL/FINAL version at the same time, lol!  As many of you know (and like many of you do as well), I keep many personal details private…so most of my pages do not have names, locations, etc. on them – or if they do, they are ‘faux’ :o)  I also do not post photos of our little man’s friends…or certain members of my family (at their request).  So, often – I will substitute other photos in my layouts for the blog and gallery!  No problem at all, right?  Well…no problem except for that I am often in a huge hurry trying to get a post finished…and I think I will just go back in a few days and finalize my ‘real’ layouts!  But, i’m sure you know what happens…YEP – I just get busy again and forget!  Yeah…so when finalizing my album for printing…it was a bit of a pain, lol!  I had to go through all of my layouts and put the ‘real’ info back in…find the photos I really wanted to have printed, etc.  I could have saved myself SO much time and stress by doing this monthly (are you seeing a ‘theme’ here…MONTHLY – just finish each month, monthly, lol)!  Not only the time…but everything was ‘fresh’ on my mind then.  But, when going back to LAST February…I really had to try to remember details, etc.  This year – I will be sure to save out my final version each and every month!  And, while I know this tip will not apply to many of you who do not change out personal info/photos/etc…I also know MANY of you do…so maybe this will help :o)
• In a nutshell…the point of project SCRAP is to stay up-do-date on our photos and scrapbooking…without ever having that overwhelmed feeling of being behind!  Well, in the end – I still felt that (my own fault, of course, lol) – but, I must say, to a MUCH lesser extent, without question!  These are just a few things I can (and will) do differently this year :o)  The object is to stay current – at least monthly…and put NOTHING off.  This means that by the 1st or 2nd week of each month…you have the PREVIOUS month COMPLETELY finished (pages complete…including extras and ready for final printing)!  Lesson learned, lol :o)
• If you learned any lessons…or have any helpful tips to share – we’d LOVE to see them in the COMMENTS section – thanks :o)

 Before I leave you – I had to share Kylie’s album cover pages – aren’t they so SWEET?  Just a little inspiration if you are planning to work with Album Cover Option 3 :o)

 Well, I think that does it!  And, as sad as I am to say GOODBYE to project SCRAP 2011…I am equally as happy to begin project SCRAP 2012 with you guys :o)  So…get ready, as we will be launching the 2012 project NEXT THURSDAY – WOOHOO! 

 Be sure to stop back by the blog tomorrow as Rosy shares a super fun hybrid project with us!  THANKS AGAIN – have a wonderful weekend…XOXO – SP :o)

Shabby PrincessFree (not desktops), Uncategorized, project Scrap 2011 67 Comments

Hi all…it’s me Casharina, bringing you another Food Friday post.  Not too long ago I had a Christmas Party with several of my friends (which I mentioned in my last post!) and we decided to do a “Soup Party.”  Some of us brought a soup, some brought the fixin’s and some brought bowls, cups, etc.  One of the soups was White Chicken Chili, and honestly it was the first time I’d ever tasted it, needless to say I LOVED it!!  It’s very similar to Taco Soup, but different at the same time.  My friend gave me the recipe and I decided to try it over Christmas break while my family was in.  It was a hit!!  This soup is another easy and delicious crock pot meal for those busy filled days, or just a wanna be lazy day!

To make it for my family of four I used the following:

• 2 cans of chicken breast (I used generic from Sams, any type of chicken pieces would work, so use what you have!)
• 2 packages of White Chicken Chili mix (I have since then used generic and it works GREAT too!)
• 2 cans of white beans (I used generic Great Northern beans from Wal-Mart)
• As an afterthought I added 2 cans of corn to the mix, and a can of chicken broth

Now you simply open up the cans, or get your hubby to do it :o) and then dump them in the crock or on the stove if you prefer!  To reduce the sodium, you may choose to rinse and drain the beans before adding to the pot!

 Cook until thoroughly heated.  Aprox. 4-5 hours on high or all day on low.

 Can be served as is, or over crackers.  We also opted to include sour cream, cheese, and a little garlic powder!  I could see cilantro being a yummy addition as well.

click HERE to download the free, 4×6 recipe card (or simply click on the image above)!  ENJOY!!

Thanks for stopping by the blog this week!  We’ll be back on Monday for LOTW…until then have a wonderfully perfect weekend!

CasharinaFood Stuff, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 5 Comments