Around Here | January 2015

I am going to attempt a sort of monthly recap of family happenings here on the blog. I will be doing this mostly just for me to remember but I am thinking that if I keep up with it I am may end up making some sort of mini album at the end of the year. Not sure how yet, if it will be handbook or Project Life style or a smaller mini book with photo collages…we'll see:)

Here is what went on around here in January…

Alli and I started the year just like last year at the American Girl store for their Girl of the Year event. The difference this year is that she had gotten some money from her Grampa for Christmas and bought herself the new doll!

She is head over heals for this doll and it has completely renewed her love of American Girl dolls. She has spent most of her free time this month playing with her dolls. 

She set up a whole market one day…complete with hair salon, clothing store, and of course a bakery for Grace…

And she loves to play family with them, pretending they are all sisters:)

I love watching her play (and playing with her:)).

Al and I were able to get away for a long over due night away…we went to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun and hit the slots!

Alli also turned 9! She requested a room full of balloons and dinner at Margarita's so she could get sung to and get a sombrero:)

Her friend party was awesome…at a place called Girls at Work, INC. They work with power tools and made peg racks…they had a fantastic time!

January always brings lots of basketball with it. Max is having a great undefeated season on his school team. Some pics his friend's dad took…I have yet to get my camera to a game…

And his Winter AAU team is also going strong…only two losses during the season. Max is playing some really great basketball…

And finally, during the last week of January, winter decided to show up…

Doesn't everyone roller blade around the house during a blizzard?? We go close to 3 feet of snow in 24 hours…crazy! School was closed for 2 days.

This girl was pretty happy about it…

And as I type we are in the middle of another snowstorm…we've gotten another foot today and school was closed once again…but I guess that is a story for February:)

Easter 2008 | Bella Blvd's Simply Spring Collection

The last of my Bella Blvd CHA layouts! I just LOVED creating with Bella's new collections…they are so much fun!! My last layout is an Easter layout using the Simply Spring Collection. Again, I dug through some older photos that I never scrapped for this one.

I am in love with the coordinating chipboard for this line. That adorable bunny is the cutest! And you can just never go wrong with clouds in my opinion.

I used a couple of the scalloped chipboard borders and made another scallop border with the striped patterned paper to go with them. And once again I love the font of the alphas. The addition of the hearts is spot on!

For some reason I have a hdd time scrapping Easter photos but this collection made it so easy and fun!. I will be digging out lots more past Easter photos for this Simply Spring line:)

Student of the Month | Bella Blvd's Star Student Collection

So proud of my boy for getting the Student of the Month award back in 6th grade (he is now in 8th grade and will be going to high school next year!! How did that happen??). This new Bella Blvd Star Student collection is perfect for this photo. I was really inspired by the Borders patterned paper and used several of the strips on this layout.

I really wanted to use this journaling card from the Daily Details so I showcased it with my photo. And how awesome is that font of Bella Blvd's alpha stickers?? I really wanted those alphas to stand out on this layout as well.

Lots of sticking on this layout and lots of that yummy chipboard! 

Bella gets an A+ for this collection!

Coloring Eggs | Bella Blvd's Simply Spring Collection

Bella Blvd's Simply Spring Collection is sooooo adorable!! All those cute little bunnies and Easter eggs…the cutest! Makes such fun Easter layouts. As soon as I say the adorableness I had to dig through my older photos to find these of the first time my daughter colored eggs…some of my all time favorite Easter photos. Here is what I cam cup with:

I wanted to use a lot of photos on this layout so I went with s grid. I loved decorating the patterned paper sections of the grid with the super cute coordinating embellishments!  

The paper is cute enough to stand alone but these stickers and chipboard pieces really make it stand out. And of course that awesome felt bow…perfection!

Sure makes me long for Spring!

Scraptastic February Kits

February Kits are live at Scraptastic!!! And they look amazing! here is a glimpse:

This Life Noted…

Check out those awesome acrylics!! This kit looks ah-maze-ing!!!

It Takes Two:

Perfect for Valentine's Day:)

And the Counting Stars Kit:

Love!!

To see more details and check out the kit add ons head on over to scraptasticclub.com!!

Family | Bella Blvd's Color Chaos Collection

Unlimited Inspiration weeks are continuing over on the Bella Blvd Blog. Today I have a layout up using the new Color Chaos collection. Here's what I came up with:

I created a large scallop pattern on the top of the layout by cutting several circles of patterned pape and cutting them in half.  I then layered them, using a couple different sizes. I added stitching for a finishing touch.

I love all the bright colors of this collection paired with lost of black accents. Everything really pops.

To see more inspiration from the Color Chaos collection head on over to the Bella Blvd Blog.

Teacher's Pet | Bella Blvd's New Star Student Collection

Today marks the beginning of Unlimited Inspiration Weeks over at Bella Blvd! Today I am sharing a layout I made with Bella Blvd's new Star Student collection for CHA. I just love seeing my layouts hanging in the Bella booth in Anaheim:)

I love this new Star Student Collection….it features lots of my daughter's favorite things: books, owls, glasses, etc. Its perfect for these back to school photos I took of her last year as she was getting ready to start second grade:

I paired a grid of photos on one side with a large piece of patterned paper on the other divided by some border strips.

I used some of the McIntosh Amorie Alpha chipboard letters for the title which coordinate really well with this line.

I love the coordinating chipboard pieces…so cute!

I stitched around a few of the photos for some added texture and added some of the fabulous new enamel stars. To see more inspiration from the Start Student line head on over to the BELLA BLVD BLOG.