{creative} living

oh Christmas Tree...

Roslyn and I finished putting up and decorating the tree today!  We had so much fun and Roslyn simply loved getting to hang the ornaments.  She was such a big help!

   

 

 

 

 

 

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week! :)

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving :)

(buy this absolutely beautiful stamp at Purple Onion Designs)

Happy Thanksgiving all! :)  The thing that I love most today is that it is a day to stop and think about what you are most thankful for and most importantly, to share and celebrate them with your loved ones.  I have so much to be thankful for this year, and every year, that it brings a big cheesy grin to my face when I stop and think it about it all.  This year I am especially thankful for:

Drew- my wonderful, creative, loving, honest, hardworking, brave, thoughtful, kind, authentic and handsome husband.  He has my heart and always will.  Everyday I find something new that blows me away about him and he is my rock... the foundation and the heart of our family.  Without his his love, his support and his honesty I would not be who I am today because he constantly inspires me to be better and to live my dreams and my passions. He is the best of everything and I am so thankful every second of every day for him.

Roslyn- my beautiful, silly, loving, imaginative little dreamer of a little girl.  She's all of the best parts of Drew and I rolled into one amazing little person and I am in awe of her every single day.  She makes me a better person by the privilege of getting to be her mama and she reminds me how to play, how to dream and imagine wonderful adventures.  She is the greatest joy of my life.

My Friends, my chosen family- Jessica, Crystal, Kristin, Teresa... you have all made such a huge impact on my life and taught me things that have made me a better person always. 

Jessica... she has the most amazing heart and sense of friendship and loyalty. She is the best of all worlds... a shoulder to cry on and the one who I want sitting next to me while we laugh hysterically at the simplest of things.  I miss her when I don't see her and I know that rarely a week goes by that I don't.

Crystal... has been my sister for all important purposes for more than half of our lives. 16 years of amazing friendship, laughter, tears, way too many silly conversations and stunts and so much more.  She is always there for me and my crazy life a true constant in my life.  She was the first person who ever proved to me that friendships don't always end and one I look to for advice, laughter and so much more.  She shares my past, is a part of my present and will be my sister in our future.

Kristin...is my missing half in friendship.  The yin to my yang.  She's never given up on me and I have never given up on her and together we have built the most amazing (and crazy and fun and dramatic!) history.  She is the person that I run crying to at 3 in the morning and the person who I can scream like a giddy school girl with happy news.  When something good happens in my life, she's just as happy for me and if it was her news and when I am down, you know she feels it too.  Her heart is open and so full of love and compassion.

Teresa... my soul sister.  We have an amazing connection to each other and always know just when to reach out.  She is the keeper of my stories, my questions, my conflicts, my anecdotes and so much more.  So alike in so many ways yet different enough to somehow fill in all those pieces.  She came into my life when I needed her the most and she has been a constant inspiration to me ever since.

All my friends new and old who I have gotten to spend time with this last year... Natasha, Taylor, Cassie, Marina, Maggie, Aimee, Priscilla... I am so thankful for the time we got to spend together and so thankful for each and every one of you.

To my rad new friend who I have recently gotten to know on line, Penny... I am so thankful to have connected with you and to get to know you and to know that there is a really awesome person out there who lets me fondle her Jim pictures ;)

Michelle and the rest of the A Million Memories  girls... I am so thankful for the opportunity to design for a fantastic site with an amazing woman as the owner and create friendships with my fellow designers.  It is my on line home and I am thankful everyday for the opportunity to create and share art with people who love it as much as I do.

Music...  the soundtrack to my days, the trigger to my most cherished times and memories, the words that I am not always able to express, live experiences to cherish for a lifetime... no day is complete without it and it never lets me down.

Art and Inspiration... this last year has probably been my most inspired year artistically.  I scrap booked, I painted, I sewed, I collage'd, I did photo shoots and I played around with digital art more than ever before.  I am thankful for a creative year and thankful for all of the inspiration that is shared and available to help inspire new ideas and creations.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving and if you weren't mentioned here specifically, please know that I am so grateful for the time you take to read my blog and share your thoughts.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 
 
 
 
 
 

meme style fun :)

11 things you want for christmas:

1. Fujifilm Instax Instant Camera in brown
    
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 comic books in book form
      
3. Angel perfume
    
4. Portable record player from Urban Outfitters
      
5. Dexter Season 1&2 on DVD
      
6. Itunes $ :)
    
7. Making Memories Slice
    
8. new tattoo... will involve music and some of my favorite lyrics
    
9. Grey Chuck Taylors
    
10. Digital point and shoot for my purse
     
11. Bleed American on vinyl
    
    

(I proomise not EVERYTHING else will get pictures- otherwise this would be way too long!)

10 musicians/bands you love:

1. Jimmy Eat World
    
2. P!nk
3. Muse 
4. Neko Case 
5. Wilco
6. Wheezer 
7. AFI
8. Anberlin
9. Fall Out Boy
10. Flogging Molly

9 things you do everyday:

1. Smile
2. Give hugs
3. Listen to music
4. check my email
5. text
6. dream of something artsy to do 
7. consume caffiene
8. read my favorite blogs
9. tell my family I love them

8 things you enjoy:

1. listening to music
2. creating 
3. talking with great friends 
4. checking the mail
5. a good cup of coffee or chai tea
6. taking pictures
7. thrifting
8. drives in the woods

6 things that will always win your heart:

1. Roslyn telling me that she loves me and that I am "her very best friend"
2. Drew's big blue eyes
3. a good cause
4. well written words
5. suprises from Starbucks to make my day 
6. good music

5 favourites:

1. movie: Life as a House
2. song: Kill- Jimmy Eat World
3. book: I know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
4. band: Jimmy Eat World
5. season:Fall
   

4 smells you enjoy:

1. Roslyn fresh from a bath
2. Drew
3. Angel perfume 
4. cucumber melon anything 

3 places you want to go:

1. Egypt
2. Washington DC
3. Washington state

2 holidays you love:

1. Christmas
2. Halloween

1 person you’d marry on the spot:

1. Drew, all over again, every single day.:)
   
   

Halloween Costume pictures

Since we were in Las Vegas on Halloween for a wedding, last week I got Roslyn dressed up in her costume and took some pictures, setting up a "fake Halloween" so to speak.  Roslyn had fun, though she was slightly frustrated when she knocked on our out of town neighbors door to trick or treat and no one answered.  She kept on saying "Trick or Treat!!!" and then turning to me saying "I need to get louder!" and then back to the door to say "Trick or Treat!!!" again.  It was so cute!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"Jolly by Golly" it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Cosmo Cricket is a wonderfully creative and generous manufacturer in the scrapbook industry.  Show after show they release multiple lines that are to die for cute and beautiful and they are always one of the first manufactures to sponsor the team at A Million Memories. 

I have been fortunate enough to get to work not only the Earth Love line, but their adorable Christmas and winter inspired "Jolly by Golly" line.

Thank you Cosmo Cricket and A Million Memories for the opportunity to work with more of your wonderful product. 

 

 

 
 
 
 

A Million Memories November 2009 Kit!

I just LOVE the November kit over at A Million Memories.  It is so pretty and full of product from some of my favorite manufacturers including Prima, Basic Grey, American Crafts and Hambly.  Don't miss this one, it's gorgeous!

This month we are also debuting a new monthly feature, a sketch designed to go along with the kit!  I designed this month's sketch which can be found HERE along with the other designers interpretations of it.  Here is my interpretation of the sketch:

and the rest of my work with this months kit:

 

 Hurry and pick up this kit before it's gone!  It's gorgeous!
 

 
  
  

California Fun AMM Style Mini Album

I spent some much needed time away on an adventure last month in California with some of the A Million Memories  gals in Long Beach, Big Bear and Downtown LA.  It was a blast and a truly fun getaway where I finally got to spend some time with some of these amazing gals that I have the honor to desgn alongside of.  If you want to hear about it from a great story teller, check out Jenn's blog... it's a fun read!

To document my little getaway, I made a mini album using a 4x4 scalloped edge mini album and the Earth Love line from Cosmo Cricket.  I made the cover by covering them with Contact paper then adding on top of it.

I cut down some envelopes to include into the mini to hold all of my plane tickets, receipts, and other misc. pictures, odds and ends I collected during my trip.

I also typed directly onto the mini album pages using my typewriter.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

What I've been up to...

Time for another where the heck has Rachel been post... and a hit and run of pictures.  Since I last updated I have been

in California spending time with these amazing gals...
 
with Stacy, Michelle and Jenn

We went to Las Vegas for Jessica's brother's Halloween wedding where Roslyn was the flower girl and I shot the reception..  

Roslyn was a beautiful purple butterfly for Halloween this year...

I was lucky enough to spend time with friends I don't get to see nearly enough, Maggie and Natasha

I went to another one of Aimee's awesome crops... noon to midnight and full of celebration!  We celebrated 3 birthdays and a little baby shower for Jessica.  Best part?  The PJ party theme!  Best theme ever! ;)

and I have of course scrapped... still working on a bunch of projects that will be appearing in the following days.  I will be sharing more pictures and stories every day this week, so check back often!  I'll be sharing a new mini album, some Cosmo Cricket sponsorship work, the November A Million Memories kit and more!

Hope y'all are having a great week!


 
 
 
 
 

AMM Anniversary Crop Blog Hop & Scavenger Hunt

As part of AMM’s anniversary crop we’re having a blog hop and a scavenger hunt.  Here is how this will work: each one of the AMM Design Team members will have a special post for the blog hop where you will have the chance to get to know them a little bit better.  At the end of the post, there will be a question that will lead you on a hunt through the AMM site and/or AMM blog (the link to the AMM blog can be found on the left sidebar of the main store site).  Be sure to check the anniversary CROP FORUM  for complete information on the Blog Hop Challenge.

Here’s a little interview for you to get to know me better:

What is your favorite item in the AMM store at the moment?


Cosmo Cricket's Nutmeg line.  It is so cute! And you can find it here:
http://www.amillionmemories.com/product_line.php?id=1211


What TV show(s) must you watch each week?
Too Many!  Lets just say that the invention of DVR is a wonderful, wonderful thing!  I watch:
House
Heroes
Gossip Girl
Law & Order SVU
Glee
Nip/Tuck
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
The Vampire Diaries

What are your 3 must have scrapbooking products/tools?
embroidery floss & needles
edge distresser
vintage papers like book pages, sheet music and ledger papers

What is your guilty pleasure?
I am a huge fan-girl nerd when it comes to musicals and their soundtracks.  You never know when you will find me belting out songs from RENT, Hairspray, the origional FAME and more.

Do you shop for your scrapbook supplies more online or at your LSS?
I would say it is about 50/50

What scrapbooking item do you have way too much of?
Rub-ons.  I easily have HUNDREDS of them and I very rarely actually use them, but I won't part with them either.  They are the one thing I wont purge.

Using 3 words - how would you describe yourself?
Kind
Quirky
Passionate

What scrapbooking embellishment or technique do you use on almost all of your pages?
hand stitching.  I rarely complete a project without it!

What are your favorite scrap blogs?
All of the A Million Memories designers of course... links are on the side bar --->
in addition to them I love:
Susan Stringfellow
Shelley Haganman
Silje 
Cheryl Ametewee
Nichole Duenke
 
Now onto the scavenger hunt!  Here is your question:
 
Name the last three guest designers for AMM (including the current one for the month of October).


Now head on over to Stacy’s blog- http://www.stacycohen.blogspot.com/ for your next scavenger hunt question!

the A Million Memories Anniversary Crop is going on NOW!

And you should definately be there this weekend!  We are celebrating the 3 year Anniversary of A Million Memories right now with a weekend online crop that runs through Sunday.  We are featuring tutorials, challenges and a free online class to create a fall banner designed by yours truly.

Here is a sampling of some of what is going on this weekend:

To participate, simply register for the A Million Memories forum and visit the crop section.  There will be tutorial, games and challenges posted daily that you won't want to miss.  We kicked off the fun last night and it's already been a blast.  Don't miss a minute more.

Today I am posting the tutorial for my Vintage Inspired memo board and installment 2 of the fall banner class (at 10am PST).  Here are some sneaks for you!

Come on and join in on the fun... hope to see you there and have a wonderful weekend!