Life Is an Artform

{Easter Message}

Beautiful and touching Easter video:

{School With No Name–”Beyond the Blackboard” Movie}

Sunday, April 24th CBS will show their new Hallmark Hall of Fame Move – “Beyond the Blackboard”.  It is the touching story of a woman, Stacey Bess,  who taught a school for homeless children for 11 years.   My dad met her about 20 years ago, in a metal Quonset hut under a SLC freeway viaduct.  He had been given an assignment by a national magazine to photograph her and her homeless students.

Stacey Bess’s first teaching job is not at all what she expected. She’s assigned to the School with no Name in Salt Lake City, a space in a homeless shelter that is supposed to function as a classroom. The ‘classroom,’ though, lacks basic supplies such as desks and books, and her young students range in age from six to 12.
Based on a true story, Beyond the Blackboard chronicles young Stacey confronting her own fears and insecurities as she struggles to gain attention and respect from her students. She must also win over school board administrators and apprehensive parents.

“‘Beyond the Blackboard’ reminds us that sometimes it doesn’t take an awful lot to make a huge difference in other people’s lives,” said Treat Williams (known for his role in “Everwood”), who plays a superintendent Bess had to persuade for school resources. “In this economy, with so many people having a rough time, I think the message in this film is going to resonate. We’re all in this together, and each person is capable of making a positive difference in the lives of others.”

Article about the movie

Stacey’s Website about her work

Info about the movie

{Birthday Bike Ride}

Here is the layout I designed for the MME April Newsletter – using a fabulous sketch by Jana Eubank.  The Stella and Rose “Mabel” collection matched this photo perfectly!  The banner stickers from the Fine and Dandy “True Blue” collection also coordinated with it!  Love this color combo and all of the yummy embellishments.  I especially like the Orange Lush 2 flocked journaling bracket that frames the flocked Lush title.

Journaling reads: “All Jacob wanted for his 8th birthday was a new bike.  He even got to pick it out at the store.  He spends hours rifing on it every day and even rides in the rain!”

{Cake Pops}

Have you ever tasted a Cake Pop?  They are the most delightful experience!!  They are bits of crumbled cake, mixed with frosting, then dipped in candy/chocolate coating.  YUM!!!  For Victoria’s birthday party favors – we let the girls make their own bouquet of Cake Pops.  Needless to say, the party was a hit!  I was so excited to find these glittered containers at Target in the dollar section.  I inserted a piece of white foam in the bottom.  I got my sucker sticks and Candy Coating Pieces at Hobby Lobby (available at any craft store).  To shape the bottom of my cupcake shaped pops, I used a small metal flower-shaped cookie cutter.  I crumbled a baked 9x13 cake from a mix in a food processors (by hand works too), then mixed with 3/4 container of store-bought frosting. 

These amazing desserts were invented by Bakerella.  She has a fabulous and inspiring blog of her culinary creations: Bakerella.com

She also recently published a WONDERFUL step-by-step book of how to make these adorable desserts.  I LOVE all of her cute ideas and photos.  I was so thankful for her detailed instructions and tips.

Here is a great Cake Pops instructional video by Bakerella.

{101 Gourmet Cupcakes}

For Victoria’s birthday party – I made the scrumptious “Key Lime Pie” Cupcakes and “Pink Lemonade” Cupcakes.  They made the perfect centerpiece for her pink and green birthday decorations.  I especially love the filling in the Key Lime cupcake.  These two EASY gourmet recipes are from Wendy Paul’s cookbook: “101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 minutes”.  Last night I got to hear her speak at a Relief Society Meeting – she was delightful and spoke about using your talents.  I also got great baking and decorating tips!!  The women baked an array of her recipes so I got to sample many of them – DELISH!! 

Of course I own the book – but you can get these two recipes and watch her demonstrate them on this Studio 5 segment:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=204&sid=7788783

I love the “S’mores Cupcakes” and “Rootbeer Float Cupcakes” – she is SO CREATIVE!!  I can’t wait for her next book for “Cake-pops”!

She has a wonderful food blog here “There’s Always a Reason to Bake”: http://www.wendypaulcreations.com/

Our Family - Lush 2 Navy Album

I just LOVE the fabulous new Lush 2 Mini Albums!  The flocked covers are so delightful to run your fingers over. I combined the classy Lush 2 Navy collection with the Stella and Rose “Hattie” line – the perfect match for our fall family photo shoot (special thanks to my talented brother, Stephen Bair).  It is amazing to see how many different paper lines the Lush collections coordinate with – they have such great colors and a variety of embellishments.

Isn’t this die-cut frame wonderful?!?!  I love all of the 3 dimensional stickers and the new label stickers.  Ignore the brown stain on the right page – it got a little too much love at CHA.

LOVE these transparency frames!!  Aren’t the flocked journaling spots beautiful – such unique shapes.

I love feeling the flocked texture of the striped paper!! The Lush 2 ribbon looks so great woven through the chipboard banner title.

You’re never too old to frolic in the autumn leaves!

The Lush 2 rhinestone brads and ribbon add the perfect touch to these pages.

{Copperton Park}

I designed this layout for the February MME Newsletter – using Jana Eubank’s fab sketch.  I used the sketch as the left page of my layout, then rotated it to the right for my second page.  I love the bright and happy colors of the new Stella and Rose “Mabel” collection.  This collection and its journaling spots coordinated perfectly with photos of our fun day at the park.  80 degrees, sunshine, and my family - my favorite birthday present!  Copperton Park is a childhood favorite – full of mature trees and an amazing playground.  I especially love the photo of my husband playing “sardines” behind a tree and my son trying to play tennis, even though he had a broken foot!  A fun layout to create on a snowy day – and dream of warmer days to come!

{Christmas Morning}

What a whirldwind December!  Packing, moving, unpacking, and trying to establish some sense of order.  It was crazy, but I was happy to get my Christmas wish with the sell of our home.  Historically,  people used to wait to put their Christmas tree up until Christmas Eve.  We joke that we decided to celebrate the “Old Fashioned” way and got it up 2 days before Christmas – so we were one day early!

The kids were worried that we wouldn’t really get a Christmas this year with the chaos of the move and saving money for our new home.  They also really missed our home that we have celebrated the holidays in for the last 8 years.  They happily discovered that all you need is your FAMILY for Christmas to feel the same.  We enjoyed a fun Christmas Eve Dinner and gift exchange with Grandparents and their cousins.  Grandpa read Luke 2 and the cousins dressed up and performed the Nativity – so sweet.  They loved opening their traditional gift of new PJ’s and of course everyone matched – even Mom and Dad this year!  Christmas morning was full of anticipation and we gathered for our traditional ‘before” picture.  It was sad to not have our old staircase for the classic photo – but we started a new tradition with all of the kiddos snuggled in our bed.  We had a delightful time opening LOTS of presents.  We did simplify a bit this year, but everyone was thrilled with their new gifts.  Of course we finished off the morning with our traditional breakfast casserole and yummy cinnamon rolls.

{MME Christmas Blog Hop}

Welcome to MME Christmas Blog hop, a fun finale to our 12 Designers of Christmas! If you are just joining us – make sure you start at the MME Blog and hop in order so you can gather each word of the “Secret Phrase”.

• When you have all 12 words, e-mail them to Amber Packer and you’ll be enter to win our GRAND PRIZE – the Holly Jolly, I Believe, and Union Square Collections!!!
• We are also doing a second Grand Prize drawing from the comments on our designers’ blogs. So make sure you leave a comment here, and on all the blogs – the more you leave, the greater your chance of winning!

I have had such a delightful time designing for MME this year. Their products are just incredible and they never cease to amaze me with their fabulous paper designs, embellishments, ribbons, chipboard, brads, and bling. I was asked to share my favorite layout for the year - how could I choose just one? Actually, my favorite MME layout is always the latest one I’ve designed, because I fall in love with every new and beautiful collection.  I do especially LOVE the Lost and Found – the timeless and elegant designs and glitter are so wonderful!

So, here is the Union Square “Magical Day” layout I created for the December Newsletter sketch. I thought it went perfectly with last year’s Christmas photos - the glittered papers and elements added the magical Christmas sparkle to my page.  And there is even RED TINSEL in the Union Square ribbon pack!!!  I also couldn’t resist adding “Oh, there’s No Place like HOME for the holidays”.  I also love the dimensional rosette that coordinates with the Union Square collection (MME does all the work for you).  The red rhinestones and black chipboard are from the Lush collection (I added the black glitter). 

This layout was especially nostalgic because last week we moved from our home of 8 years (we are renting while we build a new home).  Christmas morning is truly such a MAGICAL time.  The excitement and anticipation in the air are just electrifying!  I have fond childhood memories of waiting on the stairs (in our new Christmas Pajamas) before we looked to see our presents – and now love reflecting on the fun photos my parents took of us. :)

MAY your Holidays be filled with joy!! (Hint: this is the first word for the secret phrase)

Make sure you leave a comment for the drawing, then hop on over to Suzanne Sergi’s fabulous blog.

Merry Christmas!

{Christmas Concert with David Archuleta and Tabernacle Choir}

Yesterday my girls, my mom, and I attended the spectacular Christmas Concert at the Conference Center with David Archuleta, Michael York, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  It was BREATHTAKING and magical!!  Such a gift!  Every year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints performs a Christmas Concert as a gift to the community over 4 days. Tickets are free – you just have to request them online during a 2 week period in October.  The tickets are awarded by a lottery system.  We were so lucky to get a set of 4 – there were over 1.5 million requests and only 84,000 available (can you believe the Conference Center seats 21,000 people!?!).  It was fun to see how much David Archuleta has grown and matured in the last 4 years, since he appeared on American Idol.  Of course Desiree is enamored with him and was fixated through the binoculars the entire time.  The talented British actor, Michael York, gave powerful narratives set to music.  The dancers were just delightful and so talented.  Their period costumes were beautiful.  My life has been so crazy since we moved last week – it really hasn’t felt like Christmas.  This concert was a gift to my soul!!

The Deseret News described the concert perfectly:

David Archuleta was endearing; Michael York, distinguished; the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, spectacular.

The music was glorious; the setting, magical; the messages, powerful. The dancers, the orchestra, the bells all added to the special flavor of the night.

It was, in fact, the very essence of Christmas. The annual Christmas concert by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir had all the joy, the reflection, the tradition, the emotion that make the season so meaningful.

You can read the entire article here with great details.  These fabulous photos are from their article too.  I am excited to see the concert again next year when it is aired on PBS and buy the DVD and CD. We have enjoyed watching last year’s concert that was just aired on PBS with Natalie Cole and the Tabernacle Choir.

A few excerpts from the concert

David singing the “Cat and Mouse Carol” – a BEAUTIFUL new Christmas Song.  I THINK THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS EVER!!!   The video quality is poor, but the audio is still just lovely.

PRESS CONFERENCE with David Archuleta and Michael York

Watch as ANREA BOCELLI joins the Choir in singing “The Lord’s Prayer”. I LOVE his voice!!!  It is so wonderful to hear talented artists from different faiths, joining together to sing.

{Peppermint Ice Cream Cake Roll}

My dear friend and neighbor, Jenna, surprised us with a HUGE and DELICIOUS Peppermint Ice cream Chocolate Cake Roll (with a jar of WARM homemade hot fudge sauce).  She figured we would be having a crazy and stressful week with our move and would need a good treat.  She was right and we LOVED every bite.  She is such a fabulous cook, in fact – many of my favorite recipes are from her:  the Broccoli Cheese soup, Rolo Cookies, & Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. She and her adorable daughter also wrote us beautiful and touching cards. Thank you Jenna – I’ll miss you and your wonderful family!  (Can you believe she is also 9 months pregnant with her 4th child, teaches ballet, and our YW president – amazing woman!  How did she have time to bake for us?!)

Here is her wonderful recipe, you can fill it with any flavor of ice cream. Doesn’t this picture just make your mouth water?!

• ½ gallon ice cream
• ¼ C sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2/3 C flour minus 2 tsp
• ½ C sugar
• ¼ C cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Beat egg whites in a bowl until peaks form. Gradually add ½ C sugar. Beat till stiff. Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in ¼ C sugar and vanilla. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Sift together dry ingredients and fold into egg mixture. Grease and flour a jelly roll cookie sheet generously. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Immediately loosen the sides and turn onto a powdered sugar towel. Roll up and let cool completely. Soften ice cream and spread onto unrolled cake. Re-roll and freeze. (Tip: Wash your beaters and use separate bowls when you mix the egg white part and the egg yolk part.  You do them in separate steps and if the beaters aren't clean they just don't beat up as well).  Cut slices and serve with hot fudge sauce drizzled over the top.

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 C chocolate chips
• 1 square butter/margarine
• 1 Can evaporated milk
• 2 C powdered sugar.
• 1 t. vanilla

Slowly melt chocolate chips and butter in a sauce pan, then add the remaining ingredients.  Stir together until it starts to boil.  Let bubble for 8 minutes and then add 1 tsp vanilla.  You may need to boil it longer to get it to the thickness you want.

{And a Little Child Shall Lead Them…..}

So sweet to see Christmas from a child’s perspective.  You just might recognize Amber’s sweet little boy, Riley, at 2:12 in the video and Shyloh’s daughter, Ashley at 0:09 and 1:11.  Precious!!

{Chocolate Melting Cake}

If you have ever been on a Carnival Cruise – the mere mention of “Chocolate Melting Cake” makes your taste buds start to water. This was served every night at our formal dinner, among other fabulous desserts and entrees.  This dessert is PURE HEAVEN!!!  Of course it has to be with all of the chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar! :)  It is surprisingly simple to make.

We like to make it on special occasions, or when we are wishing we could be back on our Cruise to the Mexican Riviera.  Just one bite – and my mind is magically transported back there!

• 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
• 7 eggs, divided use
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 cup of flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter and cool for 10 minutes (this can be done in a microwave or over low heat on the stove). In a separate bowl, mix four eggs with sugar. Whisk. Then add flour and whisk. Add the remaining three eggs and add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture. Pour this entire mixture into 6 individual ramekins and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake until just done, about 15-20 minutes (interior will be melting and the top will be a bit firm). Do not over-bake or it will taste like a solid normal cake. Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream.  DELISH!!

{Touching Christmas Song/Video}

Story behind the song:

“While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four year old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, "where's the line to see Jesus"? My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus. My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it. I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios. It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus... with goosebumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville ... still no response. Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD's, iTunes, anything... we had nothin'. After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring... this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs... the real deal..... and here we are today. Getting iTunes set up, a website put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together.... remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him. We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you. Merry Christmas everyone.”

{Holiday Planner}

This is the holiday planner I designed for the MME Blog’s 12 Designers of Christmas:

If you are like me, my December always feels very hectic. I often feel that there is so much to do, I really don’t get to enjoy the spirit and joy of the season.  Well have I got a solution for you – a “HOLIDAY PLANNER”!  Create a planner to schedule and Calendar all of those holiday parties, concerts, and activities.  Plan your Gift List, write down the Family Traditions you always do and add some new ones, plan the special Holiday Recipes you want to make, plan out your Christmas Cards and write a list.  Finally, use the envelope in the back to hold all of your Receipts in case you need to make returns.

This planner is perfect for your personal use – and also makes a wonderful (and inexpensive) gift!  Since we are only 3 days into December, there is still time to make one and use it to organize your festive holiday season.  All you need is a Composition Book (about $1.50 in the Office Supply Section of your store) – and the fabulous glittered I Believe Christmas Collection! I will also include downloads for the calendar (with or without numbers) and the Holiday Planner title.

Supplies:

I Believe Paper and Accessories Kit, I Believe Glittered Chipboard Elements, I Believe Decorative Ribbons, I Believe Decorative Brads, Red and Green Lush Rhinestones, Blue Lush Scalloped Ribbon, Composition Book, 1” circle punch, green embroidery floss, stapler, corner rounder, paper piercer, brown ink, brown pen.

Instructions/Tips:

• Since the binding is flexible, I like to use the green bottle of Tombow liquid mono adhesive or spray on adhesive to adhere the paper over the binding.  That way, it will bend with the cover as you open and close the planner.  I used double stick tape to adhere the other papers, you can also use the liquid mono adhesive.
• For the “Holiday Planner” title, download the title PDF image and print on a 5x5 piece of the blue paper. Trace the chipboard bracket shape from the glittered Chipboard elements, cut out, and adhere with pop dots on the journaling bracket from the accessory sheet.  There are 3 of the bracket shapes, and 2 other tags – so you can make a lot of planners out of just one sheet! Embellish with Lush Rhinestones.
• Fold the end of a 12” piece of ribbon, then insert the brad through it and the cover.  If you can’t find these I Believe brads, substitute with Red, Green, or Blue Lush Brads.
• Cut the tabs to 1 1/4” x 1 3/4”, round the corners, and adhere with double stick tape.  Reinforce the tabs on the papers with two staples (but not on the covers)
• Cover the inside of the covers next, so the back of the brads won’t show.
• The receipt envelope measures 5 1/2” x 8”. Make sure you insert the brads BEFORE you adhere the envelope together. I punched out the green circles with the 1” circle punch. Knot the embroidery floss around the top circle. Or to simplify – just adhere a pre-made envelope inside.

Download Christmas Calendar[1]

Download Christmas Calendar Blank

Download Holiday Planner title

{So very Thankful}

This is the layout I designed for today’s MME Blog post: “Thankful”.  I enjoyed taking a moment to reflect upon my abundant blessings – I have so many to be thankful for.  I really could have taken two whole pages to write them down, and still had more to write.  This Thanksgiving was unique, my 8 year old came down with the Chicken Pox so we spent it alone while our family went to St. George.  Their absence on Thanksgiving helped me to appreciate their presence in my life even more.  I think it is important to be thankful for the “Little Things” – that make our lives so great.

Layout reads: “Remember to be THANKFUL for our countless Blessings: our Family, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a beautiful home, our free country, our health, the Lord’s beautiful creations, the joy of music, food to eat, breathtaking sunsets, loved ones, the majestic ocean, happiness and laughter, the gift of every precious day.”

The timeless “Life Stories” collection was perfect for this autumnal layout.  I loved layering all of the page elements and frames. The new “Lost and Found” brads coordinated so well. I also glittered the Brown Lush Chipboard letters.  Special thanks to my talented brother for the wonderful family photo.  He came out of retirement to take our family portrait a few weeks ago.  You’ll get to see the rest of the fabulous photos in our Christmas card. :)

{Hope for Adoption}

My sweet sister in law, Ruth, and her husband are hoping to adopt a baby.  They are the most wonderful and kind family!  Ruth is a very talented musician and a fabulous mother.  Cale is a pharmacist and very athletic.  My little nephew, Ocean, is just adorable and would love to be a big brother. 

• You can get to know their fun family here, on their Adoption Blog. 
• You can also read their Adoption Profile on It’s About Love.org. 

If you know anyone who is considering placing a precious child for adoption, please consider this family.

{We are Under Contract!!!}

Can you believe it?!?!?!  After 5 months and  70 showings – our home finally sold.  I guess it was just a matter of timing for the perfect family to come along.  We couldn’t be more thrilled with the great family that is buying our home!  She even LOVES my scraproom and decorating!! 

We close in 3 weeks, on December 10th.  We are renting a cute little home in Herriman while we figure our what we are going to do.  I want to build in The Cove, and Nathan is looking into great deals on existing homes.  Either way – I am sure that we will find a great one soon.

I apologize for not posting much for the last few months.  As you can see – I have just been busy cleaning my house.

{Halloween Costumes}

• Jacob - Our enthusiastic Little Miner.  Complete with pick axe and the dynamite pack he made.
• Victoria – Our beautiful Fall Fairy.  Love the autumnal gold and browns!
• Michael – Our tough Herriman Mustang football player – pretty intimidating!
• Desiree – Our sparkling Tinkerbell – her favorite Disney character.

{Sweet Princesses}

We LOVE to go to Disneyland in the fall!  In fact, we have gone there 4 of the previous 6 years.  So, as the weather has turned cooler -  our hearts have been aching to go there!!  But this year – we are saving our pennies towards a new home (if ours EVER SELLS).  I figured the second best thing is to re-live all of our wonderful memories from there through the photos.  I designed this layout for the November MME Newsletter, using a fabulous sketch by the talented Jana Eubank.  If you aren’t signed up to receive their amazing newsletter every month – you need to sign up on the MME website! (located in their left column)

LOVED using the bright and fresh new “Fine and Dandy” Tickled Pink line.  The chipboard elements, layered 3-D stickers, and epoxy brads are so fun!  The colors coordinately perfectly with the sweet Princess mouse ears the girls were wearing.  Priceless memories!

{Halloween Layouts}

Here are some layouts I designed with the fabulous new MME Haunted collection.  I LOVE the black FLOCKED papers and page accents.  Such a classic and timeless Halloween line – so fabulous and fun to use!

{Banana Oat Muffins}

My two youngest didn’t have school this morning and my two oldest had “late start”.  So I thought I would make something with the bunch of over ripe bananas on the counter.  I LOVE banana bread and oatmeal – so this recipe is the perfect match!  Eating just one is a delicious and healthy breakfast!  I made a double batch so I could freeze some for later – much better for you than a bowl of sugared cereal. Funny – after the first batch was baking and I was clearing off the counter, I noticed the bowl of lightly beaten eggs that I had FORGOTTEN to mix in.  OOPS – guess I should focus more on baking than chatting!  I added eggs to the second half of the batter.  Fortunately the first ones tasted great and you couldn’t tell I had left out a key ingredient (lucky for me).  I’ve had disasters with eggless cupcakes in my youth.  I used applesauce instead of oil to “healthify” the recipe.

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup applesauce or oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed bananas

1. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them. (Or grease a non-stick muffin pan).
3. Bake at 400 degrees F  for 18 to 20 minutes.

{Create Layout}

A layout I designed using the fabulous new Fine and Dandy True Blue Collection from My Mind’s Eye.  LOVE the blue, brown, and orange color scheme.  It was perfect for these photos of Jacob’s Lego Man.  I especially liked its “hair” and the big key it was holding.  He is constantly dreaming up amazing new Lego creations!

{Birthday Celebrations}

Thanks for all of the heartfelt birthday wishes!!  I had a wonderful birthday weekend!  It started with Desiree making me pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.  MMmmmm – they just melt in your mouth.  The whipped cream and maple syrup add the perfect touch.  I enjoyed lunch from Kneaders, a pumpkin pie shake from Iceberg (yum!), and my sweet friend Gail brought me these incredibly delicious Godiva chocolate truffles.  Nathan took me to “The Roof” for dinner, located on the top floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  It is a fabulous restaurant with a gourmet buffet.  The dessert table is amazing - with about 30 to choose from! My favorite part is the breathtaking view overlooking the Salt Lake Temple (where we were married) and beautiful Temple Square.  (The photo is our view – taken with Nathan’s iPhone) I also love the dreamy ambiance created by the live pianist playing romantic songs on a grand piano.  Tip – if you sign up online for their Free Frequent Diner Program, they mail you a Birthday Card that is good for “a free dinner” during your birthday month.  Fits our budget!  We also saw “Secretariat” – a great movie (and it was PG, very rare these days). 

My kids surprised me with two special gifts.  The girls bought this “Mommy” frame from our neighbor’s yard sale – painted it, and printed photos of my little ones.  Too precious and so very thoughtful.  They also made the scrapbook page for me to hang on the wall – and each wrote what they love about me.  Yes – I cried over both presents!  I LOVE handmade gifts from the heart – my favorite!  I am such a blessed mother. Desiree also baked me Pumpkin Cake and they made dinner today too! 

My day was also filled with football: Jacob’s last flag football game at 8:30 AM, Michael’s game at noon, and the Cougars at 4:00.  Another wonderful birthday gift was the perfect fall weather – such a beautiful weekend with warm sunshine.  My birthday is often cold and rainy – so it was a pleasant surprise.

{Sweet Sisters}

Layout of my little “Sweeties” using a combination of MME’s Lost and Found “Madison Avenue” and “Market Street” lines.  LOVE all of the yummy glittered papers and accents!  They even have brown glittered velvet ribbon! I gathered and stitched the pink Lush ribbon to create the flower – added a jeweled button in the center.

{Birthday Boy}

In honor of Jacob’s birthday last month – I’m posting a birthday layout I created of his birthday last year!  I used the fun and bright new Alphabet Soup Collection from MME.  I added Glossy Accents to the circle frame and the BOY title – to coordinate with the cool epoxy brads.  I cut off the end of the rainbow border to create the circle for his age – 7.

{Imaginisce Design Work}

I often have the privilege of designing layouts for Imaginisce.  Their products are so fun and bright!  I especially LOVE using their i-top brad making tool and the i-rock rhinestone tool – so FUN!!  Today I am the featured designer in their blog.  Here are a few of the layouts and projects I have designed over the past year:

Let’s Roll:

Perfectly Posh:

To Love & Cherish:                                      Spookytown:

Splash Dance:

Cottage Christmas:

Scooter’s Vacation:

Enchanted:                                                                                                                   Dino-Roar:

{September Top 10}

 

The new "Fine and Dandy - True Blue" collection was perfect for my MME September Top 10 Album layout.  The "happy" banner title and cheerful colors captured the joy of our many activities.  I LOVE the dimension stickers, chipboard, and journaling tag.  When I saw the fuzzy yellow pom-poms - I knew that they HAD to go on this layout. They added just the right "happy" touch!

We had quite a fun month - it felt like an extra month of summer!  We did have a really scary fire on our mountains, but it wasn’t one of my favorite parts of the month – so it didn’t make my list.  I was also sick for 2 whole weeks and my sweet sister-in-law brought be this beautiful bouquet of flowers!  Top 10: Family hike to Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Michael’s 4 football games (and practice 3 days a week!), beautiful flowers from Miriam, Desiree’s 14th birthday (I can’t believe I have a 14 year old!!), Jacob started Cub Scouts, Nathan baptized Jacob (such a special day), Victoria’s cool and fun tricks on the trampoline, taking the girls to the Kelly Clarkson concert (they were in HEAVEN!), watching Jacob’s flag football games (those little boys are so adorable!), and Jacob’s new birthday bike – he turned 8.

{Luscious Lemon Bars}

My daughters and I made these fabulous lemon bars today.  It is the best and most delicious recipe I’ve tried – the perfect balance of lemon curd and crust.  I’ve made some “not-so-great” lemon bars in the past and had to “chisel” them out of a baking pan.  Secret – line the pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.  Then you simply lift the parchment out of the pan and easily cut them into bars.  Desiree had a ball using the food processor to “cut in” the butter.  Victoria loved zesting the lemons.  They enjoyed using the skills they’ve gleaned from watching countless shows on Food Network.   Also – only grate the yellow part of the rind, not the white piff – it is bitter. 

For crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cubes butter, cut into chunks and chilled
For filling:
2 cups granulated sugar
zest of 3 lemons
1/2 cup plus 4 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbs. lemon juice (6 to 8 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper and coat with  nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, combine flour and powdered sugar; pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size chunks of butter still visible. Transfer the crumbly mixture to the baking dish and press into the bottom and sides of the dish with your hands. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon zest,  sugar, flour and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then whisk in the lemon juice. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust, return to oven and bake for 28 to 33 minutes. The center should be set, but still gooey when poked with a toothpick. Cool completely, at least two hours. Sift powdered sugar over the dish, cut into 24 or 36 bars and serve. To store, cover and chill.

{Back to School}

Here is the layout I designed for the MME “Back to School” Blog Post.

When I think of school - images of red juicy apples and fall come to my mind.  I thought the bold, deep colors and red of Lost and Found “Union Square” were perfect for this timeless "Back to School" Layout.  I changed the photos to black and white (rather than the pink, blue and brown, that my kids were wearing) so they would coordinate together.  I used the Black Lush chipboard to highlight the grade they were each starting.  The title "It's a Beautiful Day" captured the feeling of that exciting and sunny morning - as they hurried off to school with a skip in their step.  The Union Square epoxy brads and ribbon added the finishing touch to the page.

{Lost and Found}

Word cannot express the joy, excitement, giddiness, and awe I experienced as I opened my MME box with the new “Lost and Found” Collection!!!  It is simple breathtaking!  The 4 collections are timeless and covered with GLITTER!!!!  I LOVE the die-cut papers, epoxy brads, shaped album covers, page accents, 3-D stickers, fabulous and ribbons!!!  Here are some layouts I designed for display at Summer CHA:

{Summer FUN!}

Here is the layout I designed for the MME “Summer Fun” Blog Challenge:

One of the highlights of our summer was having cousins visit from Iowa (a 36 hour drive!).  Our kids look forward to it every year.  The title "Never Enough Time With You" perfectly expressed our feelings about this special time together.

The fresh, bright colors of So Sophie Savvy coordinated perfectly with our photos cousins playing together at the Splash Park. The zig-zag stripes even matched my niece's swimsuit!  I LOVE MME journaling tags and titles and have fun layering them on layouts. 

I borrowed Amber's fun idea and cut out the red bracket strip from the barcode end of the paper (that is normally thrown away).

{MME Blog-a-versary Hop!}

How exciting – MME is celebrating their anniversary of one year of Blogging Fun!  To celebrate, they are doing an amazing giveway: one of EVERY - new collection they are releasing at CHA.  That's right: Alphabet Soup, both Halloween (Blackbird and Haunted), both Christmas (Holly Jolly and I Believe) and the entire Lost & Found collections. Are you drooling yet?

 

It makes me want to SHOUT with excitement! 

 

• 1) Grand prize:  To enter, simply begin the blog hop at the My Mind's Eye blog and hop in order so you can have the correct secret phrase.  You will get a WORD at each blog to complete the secret phrase, then e-mail it to Amber when you are done.  One winner will receive one of everything in their CHA-S release.  (6 blogs = 6 words).
• 2) Bonus entry: We will randomly draw one of our designer’s blogs and draw one winner from the comments on that designer’s blog.  This winner will receive our entire So Sophie collection! Make sure leave a comment at each blog to increase your chances of winning.

I was asked to share my favorite MME layout.  How could I choose just one?  I LOVE all of their products.  My jaw literally drops to the floor every time they release a new collection – so their newest releases are my current favorites, until they create more wonderful stuff for me to LOVE!  So here are two of my of my recent MME layouts featuring their new So Sophie Charming and the new timeless Meadowlark Collections:

Now HOP in over to Amber Packer’s fabulous blog to get your next word!  Happy Hopping and come back soon!

{Teen Photoshoot}

Desiree and her best friend decided they needed new Facebook profile photos.  So they had a photoshoot in Des’s Paris bedroom, curled their hair, wore matching black shirts, and deep red lipstick.  They had me do a little Photoshop magic and desaturate the rest of the photo and leave their lips red.

Great shots for two 13 year old photographers – beautiful! :o)

{4th of July Bike Parade}

I love the 4th of July!  The parades, patriotic colors, fireworks, BBQ's, family, and friends!  For this MME Blog layout - I had fun digging through my photo archives.  I LOVE these photos of my little ones taken 8 years ago when we lived in Phoenix, Arizona (before Jacob was even born).  Desiree was almost 6, Michael - 4, and Vitoria - 2.  We celebrated the 4th of July in the morning (before the 115 degree heat hit) with a breakfast at the church, patriotic program, and a bike parade for the kids.

The So Sophie Savvy papers are perfect for summery and 4th of July projects. I had fun mixing supplies from a few lines: journaling circle (inside the metal tag) and letter stickers from Abbey Road, rhinestone strips, velvet and chipboard letters (with Stickles glitter) from Lush.

{Parisian Anniversary Dinner}

 

Tonight we celebrated our 16th Anniversary.  We thought we would try out a French restaurant called “Franck’s”.  I’ve never had real French food before and always wanted to try it.  We had a delightful experience there!  The atmosphere was very warm and intimate – they have a beautiful patio too.  I loved watching them prepare the food via the “Chef Cam” on the large flat screen TV on a wall.  It was a cross between “Iron Chef America” and “Ratatouille”!  The food was DIVINE.  For our appetizer we ate a platter of various French cheeses and French bread – fun to try new flavors!  We had a delicious salad and the most rich and flavorful portabella mushroom soup with violets.  I know it sounds odd, but it was  creamy and DELISH!  I ordered pan-seared duck with Au Gratin potatoes (they just melted in your mouth).  Nathan had Veal, Chicken, and Pork Meatloaf with a savory huckleberry sauce, served over mashed potatoes – it was so amazing.  Dessert was also gourmet – I ordered their Carrot cake, layered with cream cheese filling and wrapped with marbled chocolate.  They lit a candle for our anniversary. Nathan had caramelized apples with Rosemary ice cream.  We even got to meet Franck – and he really is French (and a VERY talented chef)!  What a wonderful evening – I felt so spoiled! (Photos taken with Nath’s new i-Phone)

{Little Chocolatiers}

After watching the TLC series “Little Chocolatiers” – my kids were dying to visit Hatch Family Chocolates in person.  Nothing makes you crave chocolate like one of their episodes!  So, we finally took a trip downtown to the Avenues in Salt Lake City.  I cannot describe how unbelievably amazing their hand-dipped chocolates are!!!  They just melt in your mouth and the favors are incredibly fresh.  We got chocolate and mint truffles, insanely delicious caramels, penoche, and coconut clusters.  They are a little expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for.  We also HAD to get ice cream cones – they were FAB too and huge!  Jacob especially loved watching them make caramel in the huge copper pot.  My kids got so excited when they saw Steve and Katie walk in the store – real celebrities!  They were so gracious and fun to talk to.  Fun fact: Bryan Packer (my friend Amber’s husband) is actually Steve’s cousin! :o)   I am dreaming of our next trip to Hatch Family Chocolates…..

390 East 4th Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT   (801) 532-4912‎

{Home for Sale}

Yes, you read it correctly – we are moving. 

It all started a month ago when out of no where, Nathan and I both had the strong impression that we should move.  Quite a surprise as we have happily lived here for almost 8 years and love our ward and neighborhood.  But, interest rates are AMAZING and we are hoping to build just a few miles away so we can stay in Herriman (LOVE it here). 

So, the last month of my life has been consumed with cleaning every square inch of our home, yard work,  and painting countless rooms and trim.  I’m all tuckered out, but happy with the results.  We listed our home on Monday and already had a few showings.  In case anyone is interested or knows anyone who is currently looking for a home – here is our listing:

MLS Listing

KSL.com listing

Download Home flier

Beautiful home with designer touches in a quiet Cul-de-sac. Back gate opens to a spacious PARK/playground with walking paths, Basketball Court at end of street. Updated light fixtures, custom paint, 3 Car Garage, vegetable garden with berry bushes, fruit trees, and mature landscaping.

Master Suite w/raised counters, double vanity, jetted tub, & huge walk-in closet w/window. Three full bathrooms, built-in shelving in Family Room, Craft Room for HER and Office/den for HIM (could be used as 5th and 6th bed-rooms), Living Room w/crown molding, Food Storage Room with custom rolling shelves, Upstairs Laundry, Reverse Osmosis, Cat 5 wiring.

{April Top 10 Album}

Here is my April Layout for the MME “Top 10 Album Challenge”

"April No. 10"

To me - April is full of bright, fresh colors: Spring flowers, colorful Easter eggs, and yummy candy. The new "So Sophie Clever" collection just looks like Spring to me!  I love that it has pinks and blues that coordinate perfectly with photos of my sons and daughters. The beautiful scalloped journaling spot was perfect - I simply covered the #3 with a #10!

I had so much fun reflecting on our month.  Sometimes it seems like we are just living the same day to day stuff.  As I started making a list of our highlights and looking at photos – I realized that we really do have a fun and colorful family life!

Funny – I noticed after I took this photo that I forgot to punch the bottom two holes.  I fixed that before I put the album rings on. :o)

{Bountiful Baskets}

This is my second week participating in a fabulous Produce Co-op called “Bountiful Baskets”.  For only $15, you get an amazing assortment of fruits and vegetables!  You order Monday and pick it up on Saturday morning.  Every week the selection is a surprise – which I LOVE.  It makes me get creative with incorporating new veggies into our meals.  We even ate artichokes last week and my kids LOVED them!

This co-op is run entirely by volunteers – which is why we get such a great deal on produce.  There are pick-up sites all over Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, and Washington. See their website for locations. We also order their 9-Grain bread – absolutely DELICIOUS, it is now my kids’ favorite.  Funny story: I NEVER buy white bread anymore, only whole wheat because it is so much more nutritious.  Well, I bought a loaf of white bread a few weeks ago.  Michael (who laments that I never buy white bread) said that after he ate it, he realized that he doesn’t like white bread anymore because it doesn’t have any flavor.  Incredible!