friday

I meant to post Wednesday night but guess what - DATE NIGHT!!! YAY!!  Justin and I were able to sneak out for a few hours & visit the eclectic Red, Red Wine Bar which I just LOVED!!  A must see if you are ever in the Annapolis area.  We also hit Grapes Wine Bar as well before heading home.  Another fun stop with some delicious wines & tasty snacks :)




Not the best pics - such a squinter when I smile :)

On Wednesday my post was up at the Noel Mignon blog and guess what????  A new monthly sketch challenge is beginning!! YAY!!  Here is the sketch for July . . .



And here is what I came up with using the July Boardwalk kit . . .



A quick close-up on my journaling and the fun stitched circle border.  I also used a bit of washi tape from the kit here and there around the outer edge.  I have really started to enjoy playing around with this stuff recently - so fun!!



Hpefully you will join in the fun & play with this sketch.  Feel free to use a Noel Mignon kit (they're AWESOME people!!!) or just some goodies from your stash.  All the details for the challenge can be found HERE and HERE.  Hope to see some of my readers playing along!!!!  I'll be back soon with some more projects to share :)

sunday

Hello all!!  Popping in to share something fun :)  This month I am guest designing for Boys Rule Kit Club - YAY!!  I have known the owner, Laura-Lee, since my 52 Sketches days :)  She is a sweetheart with a fab kit club focused on scrapping those little men in your lives!!!  This month's kit was full of Little Yellow Bicycle & Fancy Pants summer goodness :)  Check out one of the layouts I created using this bright & cheery kit . . .



There were so many fun embellishments to layer up and I had a blast with the title work - breaking out my Cricut again and using those AWESOME Jillibean Soup mini letters found in the kit . . .



Oh, and a sketch!!!!  Feel free to use the sketch yourself & play along with one of the Boys Rule Kit Club monthly challenges.  You can find all the details HERE!!!



Alrighty - off to bed :)  I'll be back this week to share pics from my trip to the mountains and more scrappy stuff!!!

wednesday

Did you realize today was free slurpee day at 7-Eleven??  I actually had no idea, but I promised Ryan we would stop for one after our trip to the park and low & behold - FREE slurpee day - YAY!!  I am busy over here, packing bags, finishing up assignments, and trying to squeeze a little hubby time in before I head out of town Friday with my brothers, sisters, and parents.  I can't remember the last time I vacationed with them without the kiddos or spouses.  We are headed to the woods in Virginia for some rest & relaxation - super excited over here!!!  I'm bringing my camera so I'll be sure to share our adventures when I return :)

As I mentioned above, I've spent some time finishing up assignments & I do have one to share with you today.  The layout below is about little man & his current obsession for all things artsy :)  Be it a crayon, marker, or paint, if he spots it, he's on it!!!



I created this page using the July Boardwalk kit from Noel Mignon.  It has such a fun mix of color & pattern - just perfect for this layout :)  I always love mixing fonts within a title & this page was no different.  The blue ones are from the kit, the black from my stash, and the oversized mixed patterned letters were cut from my Cricut.  Yay!!!  I broke out my Cricut :)



I layered up a bunch of stickers, tags, and embellishments from the kit on this journaling card.  LOVED that colorful mini clothespin from the kit & that gorgeous wood butterfly . . .



Off to bed but I'll be back in the next few days with some fun layouts & a sketch to share - a fabulous guest designer opportunity that I can't show you 'til Friday!!!  Be sure to stop by & hope all is well out there :)

tuesday

Okay, top 10 pics from OC didn't happen yesterday :(  After physical therapy this girl wasn't doing anything but watching TV :)  Good news though - 2 more appointments and as long as everything is still good (fingers crossed) I will be free of my twice a week evening ritual!!!  Yay!!!  No more physical therapy!!!  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad or anything, it is just that I had to go at night after Justin got home from work and didn't end up coming home until almost 9 o'clock which stunk.  Anyways, hopefully I am almost done and now I can use my extra time for scrapping :)

Okay, I must preface that many of these pics seem super over-exposed - the lighting in the beach house is crazy & while I deem myself an ok picture snapper, I'm no professional in ANY sense of the word.  I tried to edit the heck out of some of them because I liked the pics, but in the end I fear some look quite over-processed.  Oh well :)  I still like 'em!!

#1  I have only a handful of pics of us, I'm always taking pics of the kids . . . thanks to my brother-in-law for snapping this one :)



#2  Future hair model - LOVE it!!!



#3 The kids (minus Nicholas) . . . love that they could all enjoy one another . . .



#4  This was just to funny not to include - curious & confused little Bailey with Uncle Justin . . .



#5 & #6  Okay these next 2 pics go together.  See how clean his hands are and how messy his face is while eating this cupcake . . .



That's because he only uses his mouth - that's right, clamps right down into it & never touches it.  That's how he rolls . . .



#7  Okay, when I said over-processed this was one for sure!!!  The light through the glass was just SO bright & it washed so much of the photo out, but I loved the 3 of them together even though Marshall was looking grumpy.  All week, the 3 Musketeers - so cute :)



#8  Beach babies - having fun playing in the sand . . .



#9  Dress up time - silly boys . . .



#10  The whole Bonner clan :)



Okay all - out for now, but check back tomorrow as I will have a layout to share from Noel Mignon's latest kit Boardwalk!!! Yay!!

sunday

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!  I have been away for most of the past 2 weeks, enjoying some vacation time with family.  Tonight I'd thought I'd pop in & share my top 10 pics from our first trip (New York).


Searching for Ryan . . .





Grammy & Nicholas . . .





There was not one group shot where everyone was looking, nor one where everyone's eyes were open, but I still love it & love my grandmother's big old house :)





I look so tired here, the eyes give it away for sure . . . but love, love, love the look on Nicholas' face . . .





Brothers at the park . . .





Too silly not to share . . .





Love, love, love this one . . . so special :)





Feeding time . . .





Hot days at the park . . . why I had a long sleeve shirt on - who knows??





LOVED this guy :)







Nothing crafty to share but soon, promise!!!  As I mentioned last post I have joined the design team for Noel Mignon - YAY!!  The current class run by Virginia on discovering your scrap style looks like TONS of fun, be sure to check out all the details HERE!!





See you back here tomorrow night for my top 10 pics from trip #2 - Ocean City, MD :)

thursday

I had hoped to get this post up yesterday but alas the day slipped away from me :)  I am at the beach with the family & will have tons of pics to share from the past few weeks soon - lots of family gatherings going on & of course great memories!!  I am SUPER exited to share that I will be joining the Noel Mignon kit club design team for the next 6 months!! 






I have been a shopper & subscriber of Noel's store & kit club for the past few years and am truly excited to now be a part of such a talented group of ladies :)  If you have never checked her site out you must!! Noel's kits are amazingly jam-packed with goodies & so well coordinated.  I will be sharing projects once a week and even a monthly sketch so be sure to keep checking in - I may just become a regular blogger now- ha!!!  Well at least once a week :)

For my first post I shared two projects - first up, a fun home decor for the fourth . . .

I found this at a local Joann's and have been hoarding it since last year.  I decided to mix & match the papers & embellishments between the last 3 monthly kits Boardwalk, Summer Wind, and Jack & Jill - check out a close-up of all these layered goodies . . .

The other project I created featured the June kit, Summer Wind.  I just adored the soft color palette of the Summer Wind kit & found it just perfect to showcase this sweet pic of Nicholas meeting his first sand crab :)  

A few close-ups of my "sandy" title work . . . 

And lots of layering . . . 

Hop on over to the Noel Mignon blog for more details on the project & page :)  Hope your fourth was fab & be back soon with vacation pics!!!!