vol.25

ROCKSTAR Overlay Set Release at 50% OFF

Me again! 2 posts in one day is a good thing right? :) I just wanted to let you guys know that I released a new overlay set in the shop a couple days ago- and it is 50% off until this coming Saturday, the 28th. Just use code ROCKSTAR when you checkout. :)

This set was REALLY REALLY fun to design. I was fortunate enough to have Shannon Sewell agree to letting me use her images! The one and only. I've wanted to ask her for ages... but always chickened out. Well, long story short I had some very sweet people give me the push I needed... and well she was beyond okay with it... so I'm pretty excited. Have you seen her blog yet? She is super creative, and I like to think that if I was persuing photography full time I would approach it very similar to how she is. She creates bunches of Handmade backdrops and specializes in kids. She is REALLY good at what she does. I really enjoyed her interview with FRAMED. 

So, I've been enjoying having such an amazing resource for childrens photography and I am scribbling and jotting down notes for future overlay sets/album/card templates that focus on the littles in our life. I know I'm lacking in resources for that department of photography... and hopefully I can change that soon! :)

ROCKSTAR OVERLAY SET: 50% off with CODE: ROCKSTAR EXP/ 1/28/12

I'm also working Facebook Timeline templates, AND I should have February's newsletters out sometime this week! I kinda skipped January! :) My cousin Shannon and I are planning an 80's themed photo shoot this summer with our kiddos, we're thinking cardboard boomboxes, big chunky headphones and lots of other goodies. I'm sure I'll be doing a second Rockstar themed overlay set then! :)

A quote for your week #83

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Happy Monday! :) What do you guys think about today's quote? I'm trying to have a more positive outlook on things in general. I think I'm somewhat of a natural pessimist. I just like to expect the worse so I'm never dissapointed or caught off guard... but I'm finding that isnt exactly the most enjoyable way to live life! :) I seen another quote a few nights ago, and it went something like this:

" If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine. "

Morris West

... and it is so true! -I actually started working on a print using that quote!- Sometimes I spend so much time worrying about all the bad things that could happen and trying to plan what I would do IF that happened... that I somehow miss just how good things are RIGHT now. You know if worrying actually did some good it would be a different matter entirely- but I keep hearing more and more lately about how much worrying affects your health! :) So- I'm vowing to try and look for the good in every situation... It won't be easy but I think I can try. ;)

So- I'll start with MONDAY.... because they arent all bad... I mean after all how awesome is it to wake up to the start of a fresh new week!? :D

Snow and lazy days go together like PB and jelly...

Or maybe more like Chocolate and Peanut Butter... that is a combination I can appreciate more. ;) We got quite a bit of snow Wednesday night,  school was cancelled, and Jaydon got to stay home from work too! This meant a lazy morning was in order...

 

What would we do without technology? Jaydon is using his laptop and Journey is sitting next to him playing her leapster explorer. :) I'm also pretty much done with my taxes! Well, the part I do anyhow. I'm just waiting on a couple of 1099 forms, and then I'll be able to hand them over to our accountant. :) Will be SO glad to finally be able to do that...

I'm really ready for the snow to go away now. 2 days is plently long enough for me. I can handle having it around longer BEFORE Christmas... but after Christmas it isnt nearly as welcome in my opinion! ;) What do you think? Do you appreciate snow after Christmas?

p.s. I'm designing new goodies for the digital shop!

Road trippin-

We hopped in the car last Saturday and traveled to Springfield OR to visit my cousin. My brother and his wife are in CA doing a job for her uncle, so it felt weird without them around... but we still managed to really enjoy ourselves. ;) It is about a 5 hour drive one way, and NO naps were involved. Fortunately the girls did just fine. The addition of electronic devices (leapsters, dvd players) may have helped in that department... oh and can't forget bubble gum.. however there was none for the gum swallowing little miss Journey. Jaydon taught Trinity how to blow her VERY first bubble... and she was quite proud of herself. That may even be the understatement of the century. ;)

When we left home the weather was GORGEOUS... chilly but sunny and blue skies! Shortly after crossing the bridge into Oregon (surprise are you ready for this?) it started raining... POURING was more like it.

I felt bad for the guy in the little Ford Ranger, in the bottom right photo. I think the matress may have been a way of protecting the furniture underneath... but then again, maybe they were trying the diy approach to a waterbed. ;)

My cousin and I stayed up way too late munching on yummy cheese dip (what was that stuff called again Shannon?) with club crackers, surfing the internet, cracking up over this video, and being WAY too giggly. I think our male companions were a bit frightened by our giggleness. It was just one of those nights where EVERYTHING was 10 times funnier. :) It is good to have nights like that every now and then! The next day we all met up for lunch/dinner with friends and had a good time... before heading home for the night.

Today Jaydon is home from work, it is SUPER windy outside, and trying to land trusses in the wind is a very bad, stupid thing to do... so it feels a little like Saturday with him here today. :)

Random Cuteness- handmade wings for the littles in your life

via pinterest pinned from: handmade charlotte

These wings are SOO cute! Trinity and Journey would LOVE to have a pair. Trin likes to wear loose fitting cardigans over her t-shirts so she can pretend they're wings and fly through the house. :) I think it may work to do this with felt? I can't sew for the life of me... so felt and fabritac may be my best bet!? :)

P.S. Yesterday morning Elizabeth Halford shared a link to a blog post she wrote about book printing and I thought it was REALLY helpful and wanted to share it with you guys! You'll have to head over to her blog to get the full scoop, but if you are considering prinitng your digital pictures from 2011, you will definitely want to be sure and read what she has to say.

My etsy shop is open again!

Hello! Happy middle of the week. :) I finally opened up my etsy shop a couple of days ago.

It took some time and lots of trial and error to pair my big printer with the new computer. My touchsmart (previous pc) was running vista, and I had to completely remove the printer and then download a bunch of updates from epson to allow it to run with windows 7. SO glad to have it finally working... and for the most part, I think I finally have all my frequently used programs loaded onto the new computer. I feel a weight lift off just typing that! :)

For the new year I did make some changes to how sales tax is collected on WA orders. See, WA is complicated and requires us to charge the tax rate from the buyers county... so each case will need to be handled individually. This just means if you live in WA, just click other as your payment method when you check out, and I'll send over an invoice with the correct total including your tax rate. :)

Well, I'm going to make today a productive day... wish me luck! :)

a quote for your week chap 82

LOVING this quote I stumbled onto. Definitely one of those quotes you want taped above your bedside table... so you wake up rememebering this every morning. :) I may have to make a print out of this quote, I love it that much!

Are you enjoying the new year? Made any resolutions that you are sticking to so far? :) I havent sat down and made out my list yet, there isnt a rush right? ;) This year I'm really going to try and establish some regular schedules, as far as housework, customer service, and organization. I'm a fairly routine person anyhow so I think with some dedication I may be able to pull it off. I also like to throw in some smaller goals I know I can achieve so that I can accomplish something on my list! :) Small victories are important dont ya think? :)

new computer + new valentines cards released!

So my new computer came in WEEKS early. I've been setting everything up- and gee is it time consuming. Trying to locate programs, and installation CD's, transferring files, etc. etc. It has been a bit overwhelming, so I've put off opening up my etsy shop a bit longer. I definitely didnt plan to keep it closed for so long, and I'm so sorry if this has inconvenienced anyone. I'm planning to have it open the first of next week. Hopefully by then I will also have my taxes just about done. I'll feel so much better when that is finally off my to do list. 

On the brightside, this computer is awesome, almost beast like. :)

Using photoshop is a breeze, no more waiting for things to process, or histograms to be built etc. :) I was even able to add in a blu-ray burner, and that is going to come in handy this summer when I finally get the hang of doing a video!! :) The computer is liquid cooled, and has 5 fans inside!! But it is actually pretty quiet, and it has 32 GB of ram, so I shouldn't need a new computer for a very very long time. Did I mention it was HUGE? I think it may be considered a workstation, because it is much bigger then my older computer.

That was the set-up I was using yesterday morning when I took these pictures... and shortly after my new monitor came in, so I was able to give Trin back the 15" monitor from her room. I'm still somewhat needing to use the touchsmart, so I have the new monitor right in front of the touchsmart. It has a 24" widescreen LED screen so it is just a little bigger then the touchsmart.

SO- about those cards... I finally finished the graphics for the homepage and listed them this morning. I have a new set for 2012 available, as well as 2010's set! :)

2012:

2010:

Each set is 5.00 a piece... I hope you guys love them. I always have SO much fun designing these. This year I re-designed some of the Valentines from the original set released in 2009. You may recognize them! :)

Happy Friday! I hope you all have a good weekend.

 

a quote for your week chap 81

I thought this quote was perfect for the first Monday of the New Year! This year I am going to try and be a better friend, a better sister, mother, daughter, wife. I know everyone is a work in progress, but this year I'm hoping to spend a little extra time on me. :) What are some of your goals, and what achievement are you most proud of for 2011? I have to say, my girls are my biggest acheivement. I'm very proud of them. They have incredibly kind hearts. :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

This is the last post I'll make for 2011. I think every year seems to go by just a little faster than the year before. I feel like we were incredibly blessed this year, and I can only hope that 2012 will be just as great. :)

I've been designing 2012's Printable Valentines, below is a sneek peek! :)

They're super cute! :) I should have them up in the digital shop next Friday.

Tonight I dipped marshmallows in chocolate and then rolled them in other yummy goodies, like peppermint pieces, semi sweet mini chips, reeses chips, white chips, and heath bits. :) I wanted to do this before Christmas to give to friends along with a couple packets of Starbucks flavored hot chocolate (the salted caramel is my fave) but I didnt get around to it. So- I'm doing them as little New Years gifts for a couple people.

I had to be careful or the dipped part of the marshmallow would melt! :) I think one of these little guys would be perfect in a cup of hot chocolate. :) I'll have to update you on just how yummy they are. :)

Happy New Year! We're staying inside tonight, snacking, and maybe playing kinect adventures with the kiddos. :) Trinity is so excited about staying up until midnight. I don't think she will last longer than 10:30 but I could be wrong... :)

How do you celebrate New Year's!? I've been following Rubyellen's blog for awhile, (she is so sweet) and I love how they bring in the New Year!