What Makes You Smile?

These make me smile. : )

J & V: An Idea Derived From Pinterest

Hi all! TGIF! I am celebrating for the Husband. He has been running percussion camp and band camp the past two weeks out in the heat and I have been feeling so sorry for him. Although he loves everything that has to do with music, band, marching band and pep band, I know it can't be nice to marching out in the heat and most especially hard to be barking orders at kids who would rather be home sitting in the airconditioning. 

Anyway, while he is out roasting in the heat from 9-4, I am at home doing chores in my own pace, in the A/C, and Pinteresting during my breaks. Today's post is an idea I got from one of my Pinterest journeys this week. I love tone-on-tone everything, so when I saw the photo, I jumped on it immediately. 

I'm sorry that I can't show you the photo where I got this idea because apparently, I didn't pin it into my boards. And I just found this out as I was working on the project. The original project used a stretched, mounted 12x12 canvas, wooden letters were used for the initials and I am not very sure about the other letters. But I think it is the coolest idea for this wall art that I have been working on to put in my living room. 

For my project, I just used a 12x12 textured white cardstock and cut all the letters in the same cardstock I used for the background and I used foam adhesive to pop up the initials because I am planning on putting this sweet little number in a shadow box. :) [However, I am thinking about re-doing this because this is my first try at it, so I have glue smothered all over and some of the letters are a little skewed.] 

Lastly, I used a digital cutter to cut the letters with the Sure Cuts  A Lot software. And I used HELVETICA! I don't know why I typed that in ALL CAPS. lol But I will definitely try cutting it in American Typewriter because I love that font too. [I spend too much time at fonts.com!]

I had better go before I go totally geek on all of you. :)

Happy weekend!

Our Week in Daytona in a Layout

Hi all! I found this template yesterday from Two Peas from Nichol Magouirk's Scrapbook Stamping Class  and I thought I would use it for some of the pics I took in Daytona. :) I have been trying to get caught up and making sure that most pics that I have been wanting to archive has been put in a layout before I burn all the pics in a CD to be stashed away. :)

She used the emboss-resist technique on the title and some of the embellishments she used. But I only used the technique in my title since I wanted photos all over my page because I have too many and I wanted to use as much photos as I could on the layout. :) Click on the photos to enlarge them.

To print my photos, I used the Epson Presentation Matte Paper. The pics turned out so great and the paper is not as expensive as photo paper. I got a 100 pc stack of the Presentation paper for $13.99.  I also print from an Epson printer, I have the Epson Artisan 725 and this thing prints pretty decent pictures and it is conveniently WIRELESS. : )

I used Fancy Pants Design's Beach Bum 6x6 paper pad and the coordinating chip stickers [that came with the collection] for this page. I also used Divine Twine, Ranger Stickles, my Martha Stewart 3-in-1 butterfly punch, Inkadinkado Butterflies Cling Set and Glimmer Mist in Moonlight to achieve the Emboss-Resist Technique on the title. I typed my journaling and printed it out. :)

A Week in Daytona Beach

Hi All! I don't know if I still have readers anymore from being gone too long but HI anyway! The Hubs and I went to Daytona Beach together with a group of teens and a few adults to be at this thing called BigStuf Camps. 3,500 students came to the event and it was an awesome experience!!! The only down side, the hotel WIFI wasn't as awesome as the view off of my balcony. I got proof.

this is only one side of my balcony

This is what you see on the other side of the balcony.

But like I said, the WIFI wasn't as awesome as those views! I had to go to Starbucks a couple of times to make sure my scheduled bill payments went through. They have never missed but I just had to check because I couldn't. You know that feeling? Now you know I'm a nutbag. lol 

I took my junque journal with me and people looked at me weird when they saw me rip a french fry box apart at Burger King and started gluing it into my book. Nothing is funnier as when people stare at you like you are a fugitive because you carry a Tombow Dot roller adhesive with you [like it's a deadly weapon] and it even gets funnier when they saw me pull out my white gel pen, however this time, they were more like in awe because they probably haven't seen one before. LOL

Yes, world! There are crazy people like me who do such things at a fast food place. I can't resist myself. If I could pack my craft room and have it handy with me, I would most definitely do that! Crafting relaxes me. It makes me forget how terrible road trips are. It makes me see the good side of things and it directs my attention into the great memories away from my whiney self. It makes me happy like this particular view made me happy:

 
Hope everyone is staying cool!!!

25 Random Things

1. I love to bake. I am good at it. But my best truly comes out through my baked goods when I am upset.   There is no explanation to this. So if you want anything tasty from me, get me upset first... I guess. lol
2. I am not attached to old clothes or shoes and other things.  I am always eager to empty my closet and give my stuff away to make room for new stuff, I am the same way with my craft supplies and baking ingredients.
3. I hate getting up early. Although if asked to, I will do it... Just don't expect me to be all wide eyed and bushy tailed.
4. I don't and can't craft at night.  For some reason this is hard for me to do. I have tried but I have a hard time coming up with original ideas at night. Besides, if we are not with friends for dinner, it is usually date night around here.
5. I don't like the beach. I believe this is the case because I was surrounded by it while I was growing up. I guess I don't not like it. I think I am more like NOT excited by it unlike John and other people.
6. Being my Husband's wife is the best job. I love teaching, I love doing it whether I am paid to do it or not. But being the wife to an amazing husband I believe is way up there for me. Look at it this way, I gave up teaching [5 years] to be his wife! He is so amazing  I have actually enjoyed being the highly educated housewife.
7. I am allergic to cats but I live with 3 of them.  Thank God for the makers of Zyrtec and the injectable anti-histamine!!!
8. I don't do second chances.  There is this group of people that have wronged me awhile back... Yes, I have [truly] forgiven them, but I don't believe I will want to be their friend again.  
9. I don't hate halloween, I just don't see the point in it.  Whoever thought dressing up like silly characters was a great idea was one very very bored person.
10. I wear shorts and flip flops all year round.
11. I married my husband a week after I met him in person. Yeah, I am brave like that. : )
12. Netflix Streaming and our two DVRs saved my [TV commercial/ad-hating] life... 
13. No knick-knacks for me. I thought I liked them for a while but as John and I are working on our house, we have come to realize we do not like them because we don't like to keep dusting them. 
14. I look forward to Sonic's Happy Hour.
15. John and I have two great friends, Sara and Quinton.  If you can't get a hold of me, call Sara. She usually knows where to find me. John and Q have their own thing going on too. 
16. I {heart} washi tape. Otherwise known around here as happy tape.
17. I am an adhesive fanatic. I have at least one from each brand out there. 
18. I prefer printing photos at home. They look better when I print them myself.
19. My camera and I are inseparable.
20. I would like to have an Instax mini. This goes out to my darling Hubby! <3
21. I watch too much Food Network and Cooking Channel.  Way too much!
22. I just started Lisa Nola's Listography. It is so much fun!
23. I am excited about going to Bigstuf camp with our church youth.
24. I don't get to go to regular church anymore, but I sure enjoy learning with my K-5th grade kids at children's church.  The kids keep me going on Sunday! They crack me up so much and I learn a lot of things from them.
25. Lastly, I love babies... especially those that don't have mommies and daddies. It breaks my heart thinking how many kids are out there wanting to find a home.