snap.scrap.share: Thursdays w/ Katie Stories - July 2015

I think I have hit a new blog low...Katie has now officially done my last two posts.  I refuse to make excuses, it is what it is.  There has been a lot going on in my world and I am going to attempt to carve some time out this weekend to get a post or two done...I hope that you will bare with me!

Katie NEVER lets me down...she remembers her post even when it is not even on my radar.  Yes, she is THAT good!  So without further ado, here is Katie for the July edition of "snap.scrap.share"....

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Happy Thursday everyone!

Even though I've been really into making traditional layouts lately, I still think I create more Project Life layouts than anything, because there is always a new week to create a page for!

Some weeks end up having more going on {and consequently, more pictures and journaling!} than others. This was a particularly busy week. School ended + we went on road trip + we visited Atlanta for the first time, so there were a lot of things to document!

Week 23 | June 2 - June 8, 2014

I used the left side of this layout to show everything not vacation related, including the end of the school year things {presents from my students + saying goodbye to my coworkers} and sending back a heart monitor that I had to wear (fortunately, everything is okay)

The right side I filled with pictures + journaling about Harbor Island, South Carolina, our road trip's destination.

But in between the last day of school and getting to Harbor Island, we drove all the way there and stopped in Atlanta! So I used an insert for those pictures. I like that the insert is between the two pages so it stays in chronological order!

Do you like to keep your pictures + layouts in chronological order, or do you prefer to jump around?

snap.scrap.share Thursdays w/ Katie Stories: June 2014

It's that time again....Katie is here to share a super fun layout from her husband's bachelor party last fall.  I could tell you how much fun this paper line is, but then I would be stealing Katie's thunder and I would never want to do that!

Speaking of stealing thunder, I am currently working on some layouts with this same paper line for a coworker. I am going to share a couple of them at the end of this post.  Because of previous wedding memory keeping that she had done, I was convinced that I had to use this line as well, at least for some of the layouts.  And before you think I'm a contributor post crasher, yes, I did get Katie's blessing...she is cool like that!

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Hi everyone!

It's time for the first summer edition of snap.scrap.share. This week I'm sharing a layout from last summer. Well, the layout is from this summer, but the event is from last summer.

A few months ago, I made a bachelor party layout about my husband's party in New Orleans. I used a picture I kind of liked, but I couldn't find the one I really wanted. Of course, I found the picture immediately after I finished the layout.

And, of course, I couldn't remove the other picture and pop this one in there because they were opposite orientations.

I couldn't decide if I wanted to try to add the picture to the other layout, or just let it go, or what to do. Until this week, when I decided to just make another one!

I used the Bella Blvd Engaged at Last line (just like I've been using for layouts of all of our pre-wedding parties!) I seriously love this line, and being able to play with it again definitely played into my decision to make another layout with this picture.

Do you have a favorite paper line? Have you ever made a layout just to have an excuse to use paper that you love?

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How cute is that layout???  Thank you so much Katie for sharing!  

OK her are my Bella Blvd Engaged At Last contributions.  I am working on a wedding album for a coworker/friend and these are from her bachelorette party.

I loved that little strip on the first layout, but kept thinking it needed something.  I glittered the tutu portion of the skirt and loved how it turned out.....

The lady that I was scrapping with suggested that I add a little bling to each element of the strip and we also added a little sparkle to the ring...

It was just what this layout needed to go with the shimmery silver paper that framed the bride to be!  Thank you so much for stopping by today! 

snap.scrap.share. Thursdays with Katie Stories: April 2014

In case you were wondering if I had fallen and was never coming back....I am alive and getting healthier by the day.  Watch for that post later in the week...promise!  But today, it is my favorite Thursday of the month....Katie is here and to go along with my blog makeover, she has spruced up her button and given her monthly post a new name!  Thank you for stopping by for the the first SNAP.SCRAP.SHARE....I love it!

Today, Katie is sharing her process for keeping her pictures organized....wait for it - on a WEEKLY basis!  I have a sneaky suspicion that if I adopted her method I would never get overwhelmed by pictures again.  It is a seemingly simple process if you can just discipline yourself to make the time each and every week....GENIUS!!!

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Hi everyone! Happy weekend eve!

I am extra excited about this Thursday, because it is the last day of school before Spring Break. I'm hoping to get some scrapping done while I am off from school.

But I've got a confession to make. I haven't felt much like scrapping lately. I've done other crafty things, like made an Easter wreath, and finished decorating our fireplace. But as for actual scrapbooking, I just haven't been in the mood.

I'm just hoping it comes back, because there are a lot of pages floating around in my head that I'd like to make before they float right on out of there!

Even when I'm not in a crafting mood, there is one thing that I always try to keep up with, and that is organizing and uploading my photos. And since everyone has a different way to do it, I thought I'd share my method with you today.

I organize my photos chronologically by week. It just works best for me, since my main style of documenting lately seems to be Project Life.

The first thing I do is gather all of my pictures from my iphone + AJ's iphone + our point and shoot camera + my DSLR and dump them in a folder on my computer labeled with the month/day of the week.

Then, I delete any pictures I don't need to save. Usually, these are pictures of layouts that I took for my blog. I figure if I have the layout, I don't really need a picture of it!

And I decide what needs to be edited. I don't do much editing, to be honest. iPhone pics might get a run through the PicTapGo app if they need it when they are taken (or if I'm feeling bored or fancy and want to play around with them). Some camera shots will go to PicMonkey for quick edits, but most don't.

Once all the pictures I want are saved on my computer, edited if needed, I upload them to Shutterfly. I like Shutterfly for three reasons:

• pictures are easy to order and I have the option of having them mailed to me or picked up at a local CVS, Walgreens or Target (since we are always moving or traveling, I like the flexibility)
• sharing is super easy - there is an iPhone app so I can easily access pictures on Shutterfly if I want to show them to someone on the go or I can select pictures to send to my family back home
• at the end of every year I have a CD made of all the pictures I took that year and have it sent to me for backup

Okay, that sounded like a Shutterfly ad, but I promise you it isn't. I just really like them!

When I upload, I use the same file name (the dates of the week) + I add any important events that may have taken place. This album is named 03 31 - 04 06 Opening Day, California, Allie and Jeremy's Wedding. That way if I'm looking for pictures of a specific event, but don't know the exact date - say our friend's wedding - I can find them easily.

Once on Shutterfly, pictures are automatically sent to the My Albums folder. I leave them there until I order pictures. Then I move them over to the 2014 folder. That's my way of knowing which pictures need to be ordered, and which don't!

And that's my picture organization method!

How do you sort your pictures?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: March 2013

You guys are going to get a little break from Disney before I post the last of the album tomorrow.  Katie is here today for Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories.  Katie and her hubby are the proud owners of their first home and you better believe Katie was documenting it all...the good, the bad and the ugly in Week 7 of her Project Life album.

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Hi everyone!

First of all, I have to tell you how excited I am about the changes that Julie is planning for her blog (if you missed that post, you can read it right here) And I am thrilled to be continuing on as a contributor here. It has been wonderful to be able to share here with you, and I am so happy to be continuing!

Second, I have a Project Life layout for you today :)

Week 7 | February 10 - February 16

This week was a pretty crazy one around here (although really, when are they not?) In addition to all of the "regular" craziness, we were moving this week and it was Valentine's Day on Friday. Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday, and this year, we were planning on celebrating by closing on our house! Up until Thursday afternoon, everything was looking great for a 10am close on Friday morning (confirmed several times by our mortgage company)

Unfortunately, on Thursday - while the movers were packing all of our things and loading everything we owned onto a truck - the mortgage company called. Despite all those confirmations for Friday, they weren't able to finish putting together out paperwork in time (due to someone being out sick during the week!) There was a serious chance we wouldn't close on Friday. And everything they just put on the truck was being delivered to the house on Saturday!

Friday was seriously stressful not knowing what would happen. But I was so excited when I found this Project Life card because I was able to lay everything out exactly as it happened that day!

AJ managed to talk to someone very high up at the mortgage company who promised we'd close that day. But there were a few more snafus on the way, including the documents getting to title late, and then the document file not opening, and then the mortgage company not wiring over the money for the seller! It was all crazy, but we finally closed - only 8 hours after we thought we would.

We were so happy to finally have the keys in our hand. And to be in our own home! It was the best first Valentine's Day present :)

AJ and I can't be alone in this home closing drama! Do you have any crazy house buying stories?

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Thank you, Katie for being here today and sharing such a special time with my readers!  Don't forget to stop by tomorrow to see the last of my Disney album.  And people, I got the first glimpse tonight of some of my design elements for the new blog design....I was squealing with delight....so much different than my current design.  I can't wait!  Make it a great Thursday!

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: February 2014

It is that time again and Katie is here for Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories.  If you are new around these parts, Katie doesn't just scrapbook....she does all kinds of crafty goodness...and then sometimes scraps about it too!  I truly consider it a blessing to have her here each and every month sharing her talent and passion for scrapbooking!  If you love what you see, make sure to drop by Katie Stories, and tell her I sent ya!

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Happy Thursday!

This month just seems to be flying by. Maybe its because its the shortest month of the year, or maybe its the craziness of moving into a new house. Or maybe its just because we are getting closer to the end of the school year and I'm counting down the days!

But no matter what it is, it is flying by.

This month, I wanted to share a layout about crafts. Specifically, wedding crafts. We (and by we, I mean my mom and I...not AJ and I!) made almost everything for the wedding. From the table numbers to the banners to the guest book, centerpieces, menus, invitations...the list goes on and on.

And most of it we did in one weekend last January!

So you know it had to get its whole own layout :)

I really wanted to keep this one simple, so the crafts could stand out on their own. All I used was a fall-themed 12x12 piece of paper, some Recollections (I think) alphas and a journaling card from the Project Life Wedding kit that Julie so awesomely gave me in September. Because she rocks! Thank you Julie :)

I'm really glad that I have this layout and these pictures from our craft weekend. Even though my photographer did get shots of all of my crafts, its nice to remember everything that went into making them as well!

Do you ever scrap about any of the projects you made, or any of your other hobbies?

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Another fun layout from Katie and I am so glad that she is putting her Wedding Kit to good use.  I have a feeling when she gets started on that wedding album, we will see a lot more of those cards pop up!

Things seem to be moving at lightening speed lately, and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day.  I am trying to get my groove back, but quite honestly I am having a hard time.  It must just not be me, because I have seen a few VERY regular bloggers, announce that they are taking a "length to be determined" hiatus....maybe it is something in the water.  Anyway, a lot has been going on, but it just seems kind of weird to post things that have happened weeks ago...I don't know, maybe that is just me.  As some of you know I attended an all day crop last Saturday, and I managed to all but finish my main Disney album - 8+ years after the fact..lol.  I have some finishing touches to add to it and then I will definitely be sharing it here.  I really love it and am so happy that I made it a priority to get it documented for Zach.  Lots of good memories!  

I am attending the Scrapbook Expo on Saturday with a fellow scrapbooker from work.  I am really excited about that and can't wait to see all the goodies.  I am only taking a set amount to spend and will not go over my limit, so I have to choose very wisely!  I hope that I will come out with a few new items to add to my stash and a lot of great inspiration.  

Have a great day and thank you so much for stopping by!

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: Jan 2014

As promised when I actually posted yesterday, Katie is here today.  She is mixing things up a bit and instead of a layout she is sharing tips on how to mix tabletop frames, but obtain a cohesive look.  Take it away, Katie!

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Happy 2014 everyone!

I know I usually share a scrapbook layout, but I thought it would be fun to share something a little different today.

Most of my photos get put into albums through layouts or Project Life. But that doesn't mean I don't have photos all over my apartment!

One of my favorite places to display photos is on our built in bookshelves. We have one shelf full of matchy but not matching frames!

And since that might not make sense to anyone but me...here's a collage!

Recently, a friend asked me how to decide which frames to mix.

There are a few basics that I (think) I've figured out to mixing up a bunch of random frames without it looking like you mixed up a bunch of random frames! At least, I think they look nice together :)

The first is to chose a basic style for a majority of your frames. One day, Michael's was having a big frames sale, so I bought a four pewter finish frames with little crystals on them. That became my "basic". In time, we added the "Chicago" and engagement ring frames.

But this could be anything - clear frames, black frames, wooden frames, etc.

Then, I sprinkled in some different frames. They each have an element that ties them all together. The silver writing on the white frames ties in to the pewter finished ones, the black frame ties into the darker portions of the pewter frames, and the wooden frame adds a nice pop of color + the white on it ties into the white frame.

Some of these frames also match other things in our apartment. For example, we have another blue beach themed frame in the living room (near these bookshelves), so it creates some continuity in the room.

All in all, I'm really happy with how these frames all look together!

I know wherever we move next, I'm going to need to find a bookshelf to display my pictures!

Do you have lots of pictures in your home too? What are some of your favorite ways to display them?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: December 2013

Katie to the rescue!  In all honestly, if Katie hadn't been on the ball with her Third Thursday post I would most likely have been MIA through the holiday.  It has been a little rough this season, but never fear....this too shall pass.  She, as always, is on top of it all.  She is rockin' an amazing digital December Daily, she is winding up her 2013 Project Life and still scrapping everything in between...yep, she is my scrapping hero! If you are new around here, you should definitely check out all of Katie's crafty goodness here.

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Happy Weekend Eve everyone!

Wow, I cannot believe this will be my last post here in 2013!

Knowing that the year is ending, and a new year is beginning has really given me a big burst of Project Life energy. I am so excited to finish up my documenting for this year's album, and begin my 2014 album (with my new honey core kit!) soon.

Of course, finishing up the year means I have lots and lots of Project Life layouts to share with you all!

This layout is from the week after our honeymoon. We spent this week trying to get used to being back home. And I spent a lot of time grading! I also legally changed my last name this week! Even though I still sign my old one sometimes still!

The next week was Halloween. I went all out food wise for Halloween this year - candy corn colored waffles, ghost pizza and jack o'lantern quesadillas! (Not all on one day!) We also had a blast with my last minute costume witch's hat!

Its the last day of classes here today, so I am hoping to catch up on Project Life up to last week, so after Christmas, I am almost ready to start my new book!

Do you have any crafty goals during the holiday break?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: November 2013

It is my favorite Thursday of the month....when Katie takes over and shares some of her scrapbook genius. I am sure that I have said it before, but besides the fact that Katie keeps pretty much on top of everything that she has going on, I most love her scrapbooking style!  Like me, she likes to make the most of her layouts and use a  lot of pictures as opposed to focusing on just one.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with either style and I admire both...my preference is just a lot of pictures.  Here's Katie....

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Happy Weekend Eve everyone!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is in just one week? I can't!

I'm a little sad though, because it means that my absolute favorite season, fall, is coming to an end.

This year, in honor of my favorite season, I decided to do a fall list. Its exactly like the summer lists that are always popular, but for autumn instead!

And if I'm going to go to all the trouble to make a list, I'm going to scrap it!

For this layout, I wanted to include lots of pictures of things we did this fall, including:

drinking Blue Moon Pumpkin Harvest Ale
making apple cheddar muffins
decorating our door with a new wreath
sitting by the fire on our honeymoon
walking by the lakes
watching our favorite Halloween movie
lighting way too many candles
getting married

I printed out my pictures two per page and trimmed them down to 2.75"x3.75" so I could fit all of them onto this layout :)

I love all of Bella Blvd's papers, but I really love their Thankful line. I couldn't get enough of these adorable stickers when putting together this page. Fortunately, there are still a lot left over for a few Thanksgiving layouts as well!

This was our whole list...we didn't get to everything. Making s'mores, enjoying caramel apples, picking pumpkins and baking oatmeal bread will have to wait for next year! But I'm very happy with everything we did get to do this year.

Now I just need to come up with a Christmas list! What would be on yours?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: October 2013

Katie is not only a Mrs. now, but she is just one day back from her Bahamas honeymoon....she better be rockin' an awesome tan!  I would have been more than understanding had she asked for a reprieve this month with all that she has had going on, but as always, she was prepared.  I actually received this post mid September.  Not only was she early but she made sure that her layout was season appropriate!

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Hi everyone!

October is going to be a crazy month for AJ and I. I'm saying "going to be" because I'm writing this post way way in advance so I can get it to Julie before it posts (which I guess would be today!)

The reason I have to write it so far in advance is that AJ and I are getting married on October 5! And we are going to be on our honeymoon until October 16 (which I guess would be yesterday...)

So, here I am in August, writing this post for Julie :)

Aside from October being our wedding month, October is also home to one of my favorite holidays - Halloween.

Now, some people are shocked to hear that Halloween is one of my favorites. Scary movies, blood, gore and anything haunted totally freaks me out. As in, afraid to turn off the lights, crazy nightmares, can't sleep for days because of a movie commercial, kind of freaks me out.

But, Halloween also has an adorable side. A smiling jack-o-lanterns, nice witches, friendly ghosts side. That's the kind of Halloween I like!

And this Halloween paper fell squarely on the "cute" Halloween side, so of course, I had to use it!

I wish I could remember what paper pack this adorable paper came from. I know I bought it at Michael's, but despite all my online searching, that's all I can dig up.

My other favorite thing about this paper (aside from the cuteness) was that all I had to add were my pictures, the journal spots and the "fa-boo-lous" ghost. Everything else was already there for me!

Sometimes its so nice to just have to add my pictures and move on. Especially when it is already summer and I've yet to scrap Halloween!

Do you ever use pre-embellished papers?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: September 2013

Not that it is any big secret....but Katie is one very timely scrapper.  In most things scrap related, I am LITERALLY years behind.  This girl is on top of it!!!  Less than two weeks ago, I finally got to meet her sweet self in person....and now, here it is, already scrapped and ready to share on Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories.

The visit was a whirlwind, but we tried to squeeze as much as we could into a very short time (despite the ridiculous heat that we are still experiencing in TX - despite the fact that Fall is right around the corner).  I am so glad that we finally managed to get together, she is a sweetheart and so wish that we lived closer....maybe she would keep me scrapping more regularly! ; )

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Happy September!

A few weeks ago, I got to fly out to Texas to visit Julie! She was a great hostess and I really had such a great time exploring a new city!

And even cooler than seeing a new city was meeting a "new" friend. I'm not sure I should say new, because I've gotten to know Julie from our blogs for so long, but I'd never met her in person before. Either way, it so fun to get to meet her in person - Julie is very cool to hang out with! I had a wonderful time!

Of course, you knew there was going to be a scrapbook layout. And what better place to share than here on Julie's blog!

Now, if this layout looks familiar, its because its scrap lifted from this one...which was based on this sketch! As I was flipping though my scrapbook, I realized I use this layout all the time!

Are there any layouts that you use all the time?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: August 2013

Like the first half of this year, August is flying by.  Can't believe it is already time for the August edition of Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories.  Katie is sharing a simple but cute layout recapping her New Year's Eve. I am not going to steal her thunder, so here's Katie to tell you about her layout.

Hi everyone! Happy Third Thursday of August!

Over the summer, I have more time to scrap (usually!) and I end up going back and scrapping things that I may have missed out on during the year.

One of those things was New Year's Eve.

Our New Year's was super quiet, and I wanted to reflect that in the layout, so I made a very very simple layout.

Even though this isn't my "usual" style, it wasn't a usual New Year's either! But I'm really happy with how it came out. It reminds me a lot of that night, very calm and not busy at all!

What do you usually do for New Year's? Do you like to go out and party, or do you prefer to stay in and have a quiet night? We've done both, but I really liked having a quiet night last year!

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Three weeks from tomorrow sweet Katie is flying to TX to visit little ole me.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally meet her in person.  I am not sure if I had started reading her blog when I was in Chicago - I think that I found it right after.  But when I was there she and her fiance still lived there. Anyway, she and AJ have since moved to Baton Rouge - which thankfully is a bit closer to me.  Her fiance will be enjoying his bachelor party weekend  and she is having a weekend getaway to Texas.....EXCITING!!!!!!!  It will be a short visit, but we are going to try to squeeze in a cattle drive in the Ft. Worth Stockyards, killer margaritas and I am going to find her some good Texas BBQ.  Stay tuned....I am sure this is not the last you will hear about it!

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: July 2013

Katie is here today sharing how she solved a scrapping dilemma...Project Life to the rescue!  In case you haven't visited Katie's blog yet (and if not.....why the heck not????), she documents everything!  In my book, she is a super scrapper and that is what drew me to her blog in the first place.  Anyway, she hit a roadblock in her engagement album and finally came up with a way to showcase her Save the Date cards - just the way she wanted!

Happy July everyone!

I hope your summer is going well!

Last fall and winter, I was working on an engagement scrapbook. But I kind of stalled out when I got to the Save the Date page. You see, I really wanted to show the front and the back of the envelope, but I didn't want to cut it up. So that posed a few problems, and I did what I always do when a page isn't working for me...

I put it away and working out other things until a better idea hit.

6 months later, something finally dawned on me.

No one said scrapbook pages had to be one sided!

I used a Project Life insert and created a page that has two sides. I'm so excited about taking the inserts from Project Life and bringing them into my regular scrapbooking!

And I love the different size layout in my book. It adds such a different dimension. I think I'm going to be using lots of different sizes in the same book now!

What about you - do you ever use varying sized layouts in your books or do you like to have all the same size pages together?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: June 2013

Katie is here today for the June installment of Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories.  I always love to see her latest layout and she never disappoints!  As you will see below, she is a die hard baseball fan and really those are the very best kind of fans.  On a side note,  from a very reliable source I hear that Katie may very well be visiting The Lone Star State - I can hardly stand it!!!!  Stay tuned for more details.....

Its June (already!) Which means baseball season is in full swing!

Of course, my team isn't very good consistent. And unfortunately, more often than not, amazing wins are followed by loooong losing streaks.

But, that doesn't stop me from loving baseball season! And catching a game whenever, wherever I can.

And, of course, being at the game calls for a layout! Sometimes though, I don't want to do (one of my) traditional baseball layouts (like this one and this one).

So even though I was scrapping a baseball game, I broke out the Halloween paper...

I love the stars, because they so remind me of looking up in the middle of a night game. And even though its not decked out in team colors, pennants, logos and mascots - I'm super happy with my not-so-traditional (for me) baseball layout!

Do you ever get stuck in a box for repeated events? Or do you like to jump outside of it!

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: May 2013

Once again, my fantastic contributors are keeping me afloat.  They are truly lifesavers - or I guess I should say "blogsavers".  I am finally getting my craft on this weekend....no scrapping but crafty none the less so there is hope.  Now on to Katie.  She and I were emailing back and forth and talked about how quickly not just this month, but the entire year is flying by...it is just crazy!

Today, for Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories, Katie is sharing a wonderful layout she did without the benefit of pictures.  She did a great job!  Also, if you like what you see - check out Katie's blog where she showcases her scrapbooking , Project Life and all her other craft projects.  It is also not too late to wish her a Happy Birthday....doesn't everyone celebrate for the entire week?!?!?

Hi everyone!

Recently, AJ and I went to a golf tournament. It was really fun, except for one thing - they didn't allow any pictures on the course!

Ummmmm? What?! How am I supposed to do a layout?!

So after I picked myself up off of the floor and stopped freaking out, I realized I could do a layout without pictures.

Yep. Not one picture taken by me on this layout.

So how did I do it?

I made sure to collect as much stuff as I could at the tournament.

Which honestly wasn't too much stuff. Just a pairing sheet and our tickets. Fortunately, the pairing sheet was so big, that it took up a ton of space and really filled up the page!

But, I'm happy with how it turned out. And I'm glad that I made the layout, because this is something that I'd like to remember, especially because we have  no pictures to remember it by!

Have you ever created a picture-less layout? How did you do it?

Third Thursday Scrapbook Stories: April 2013

I cannot thank my contributors enough. Without Katie, Megan and Kaeley these last few weeks my little blog would have been nothing but a barren wasteland.  My move has definitely been kicking my rear...although I thought it would be great having the better part of two months to complete a move, I have realized that it has just prolonged what is a horrible chore no matter how you look at it.  On a positive note, the end is definitely in sight.  I have a few more things to get out of my old apartment this weekend, but I am determined to have it emptied and cleaned by the end of the weekend.  The new place is coming along very nicely - things are coming together, but there is still quite a ways to go....hoping to make good progress here as well this weekend and I promise by the first part of next week to share a few photos.  Surprisingly, I haven't lost but a few followers so a huge thank you to those of you that are sticking by me...things will improve - I promise!

And now, let's move on to Katie.  It is that time again - time for:

Katie has just completed a big move herself.  She and her fiance AJ are new transplants to Baton Rouge, LA...moving all the way from Chicago, IL.  Katie manages to capture all events - big or small and her most recent move is no exception!  I am just crazy for this layout documenting their big drive....take it away, Katie!

Wow. I can't believe the last time I was here we were still living in Chicago, and our things were packed up in a truck headed down to Louisiana.

And now here we are, in Louisiana.

Mostly unpacked, getting used to our new surroundings, trying to find a decent nail salon and a grocery store that sells thin cut chicken cutlets.

But before we could get here and get unpacked, we needed to drive.

And I, of course, made a layout about it!

There are two things I love about this layout, you know, besides the story it tells.

I love that I got to use my Cricut Destinations cartridge (above) and I love the stickers that I found in Hobby Lobby (below).

In fact, these stickers inspired the entire layout - I knew I'd document our trip, but I wasn't sure what it would look like until I saw these stickers. But for some reason (I think it was the arrows) I really wanted to make a 2-page layout once I saw them!

What inspires you when you are creating a layout?