intensemagic

January 23, 2015

Life and Basketball…

So yeah, life happens and basketball happens. And basketball really takes up a lot of time! That’s where I’ve been…courtside, watching C have a blast. He really loves the game, and while he may not ever be NBA material, he has come so far since he started last year. It does put me in a bind as far as getting things done that I want to get done, but that’s ok…it’s all worth it.

We also had B’s 7th birthday last weekend. It’s so hard to believe she is 7. I don’t know where the time has gone, but she is so great and I am so proud of the dad that A has become. Even with all the obstacles that he and she have faced, they are coming through it and it looks like they are going to be just fine.

I’ve got to do some catching up on getting layouts posted from last week and the new ones for this week! I’ll get them all added to the right pages as soon as I finish this post. I’m really trying hard to keep up with 2 page weekly spreads this year because I love how they come out. We’ll see if time allows me to do that. Traci Reed has a fantastic new PL collection hitting the Sweet Shoppe this weekend and I know that’s going to make it so much easier for me!

Here is my Week 3, done with her new collection

Danyale has a great mini at Scrap Orchard this week that coordinates with her Life, Love, Etc Kit. This also uses some fantastic new templates by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs at Scrap Orchard.

So We Said by Etc by Danyale Fuss Free: Hello Goodbye 2 by Fiddle-Dee-Dee — So We Said by Etc by Danyale
Fuss Free: Hello Goodbye 2 by Fiddle-Dee-Dee

Another page using Fiddle-Dee-Dee’s new templates with Butterflies in My Stomach by Cluster Queen and Juno Designs

Fuss Free: Hello Goodbye 2 by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Butterflies in My Stomach by Cluster Queen and Juno Designs — Fuss Free: Hello Goodbye 2 by Fiddle-Dee-Dee
Butterflies in My Stomach by Cluster Queen and Juno Designs

This page uses awesome new templates by Cluster Queen at Scrap Orchard and her kit, Just Be You

Just Be You by Cluster Queen Gimme Layers Vol 75 by Cluster Queen — Just Be You by Cluster Queen
Gimme Layers Vol 75 by Cluster Queen

And last but certainly not least, it’s Dollar Days at Pixels and Company! There is so much goodness! This is a don’t miss! These pages were done using 365 Days by Gennifer Bursett and are so much fun to play with!

365 Days - Hexagons by Gennifer Bursett — 365 Days – Hexagons by Gennifer Bursett

I have a few more things to share, and hopefully will be back before the end of the weekend! Hope it’s amazing for you! Peace, out 🙂

January 13, 2015

Organized, say what?!

Ok, so I keep saying that I am working on my organizational skills for the new year and so far so good. I still have improvements that need to be made, but I am feeling better about things. One of the biggest things that has helped me has been starting a planner. I would love to have a fancy planner that I could add things to, but I had fun making my own a couple of weeks ago. I used the cover from an old notebook that I loved and customized it so that I would love using it. Here are a few (not so good) photos of it:

I made my own tab dividers using the Winter Wish Collection from the designers at Pixels and Company and added a few pieces of word art and journaling that inspired me. The bulk of the planner is from the Start Fresh Event from Simple Scrapper. It was a 5 day event that I did not get to participate in as fully as I would have liked because of all of last weeks “activity”, but it is now available as a do-it-yourself e-course!! The materials that come along with it are so amazing and so helpful and the key to getting me organized this year! There is going to be so much more This Year at Simple Scrapper to keep me motivated and inspired. I am really looking forward to all of it!

I also wanted to share the pages that I did for Simple Scrapper this month. Their membership materials make it so easy to keep scrapping!

This one was done using Simple Pleasures by Tracy Martin along with a template from the January 2015 Membership materials and a Story Starter from March 2012.

This one was done using Love the Life You Live by Tracy Martin using a Story Starter from January 2015 and a template from September 2013.

So, here’s to better organization in the coming year! Peace, out…

January 12, 2015

One of “those” weeks!

Where do I even start about the last week or so! Yikes! It started off just fine, still mild weather and not a whole lot going on except going back to work after the break. It wasn’t so bad…sometimes adult interaction is just what I need! Then it all went down hill. Winter decided to make an appearance and it got really cold, like below 0 cold. We ended up being out of school on Thursday, but as much as I’d like to enjoy a snow day, having to spend it with frozen water in my laundry takes all the fun out of it. Back to work on Friday and I end up in the ER before the end of the day with a kidney stone. I still have it I guess, I’m not so good at following directions and straining things, but we have been out a lot and I am not carrying those things with me! TMI? Anyway, after getting home from that and going off to basketball practice, I’m thinking things are looking up for a good weekend. We pull in the driveway after practice to water gushing out of the side of our house. The water pipe and burst and flooded the laundry room. Have I mentioned the fact that I hate winter!! So that’s where I stand….still drying floors and washing clothes by hand for the time being.

I’ve been trying to keep up with MOC at The Lilypad, but the events of last week have put me a couple of days behind. As soon as I log off here I am going to try to catch up. I have been keeping up with CT work pretty well and am still always amazed at the goodness that comes my way every week! Here’s what’s new with my awesome designers this week:

Winter Wish - January Collection by P&Co. Designers — Winter Wish – January Collection by P&Co. Designers

In Stitches by Robyn Meierotto Dialogue by Gennifer Bursett and Jen Allyson — In Stitches by Robyn Meierotto
Dialogue by Gennifer Bursett and Jen Allyson

Live, Love, Etc by Etc by Danyale Fuss Free: Somewhere in Time by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs Pocket Love | Arrow Stamps by Cluster Queen Creations — Live, Love, Etc by Etc by Danyale
Fuss Free: Somewhere in Time by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs
Pocket Love | Arrow Stamps by Cluster Queen Creations

ART BOOK - It All Started - Bundle by Val C. Designs — ART BOOK – It All Started – Bundle by Val C. Designs

ART BOOK - It All Started - Bundle by Val C. Designs ArtBook - Posing ART by Val C. Designs — ART BOOK – It All Started – Bundle by Val C. Designs
ArtBook – Posing ART by Val C. Designs

The last page is for Val C’s challenge over at OScraps…it’s a great one, so check it out if you get a chance! And don’t forget that MEG Designs’ template challenge is still going on, with a template created by yours truly!

I will be back tomorrow with some cool stuff from Simple Scrapper to share for this month! Monday is done….Peace, out 🙂

January 4, 2015

Sunday leads to Monday

And that means back to work for me. It’s been a great and much needed couple of weeks off, but tomorrow it’s back to reality and the day to day routine. It’s going to be difficult for all of us! I’m really working hard on making sure that I am sticking to my plan of being more organized in the new year. I spent a good deal of today working on a planner for the new year and making sure little things are not left undone to start the new year. I will be sharing more of the planner in a post coming up in the next few days, but I am really loving how it came together.

I haven’t started my Week in Pockets project just yet, but I do have the photos ready to put in to pages, sorted by date. We’ll see how well I keep up when work and daily routine are involved. I am totally excited to be able to share the news that I am now a Hawt Mama! Yep, I am a creative team member for the fabulous Traci Reed! I am so looking forward to working with her and her amazing designs in the upcoming year!

In other exciting news… You have to check out MEG Designs template challenge for the month of January. The freebie template was created by yours truly! Here’s a little preview of it, and if you click on it, you can head over to MEG Designs’ blog to grab it and play along with us!

And here is the page I created using Recharged by MEG Designs:

Here’s to greeting all those smiling happy teenagers tomorrow! Hope you all have a great week!

January 1, 2015

Let’s Get It On!

The new year that is! Bring on 2015! I’m ready for the new year with new plans and new organization…at least in my mind ha. We’ll see how it all pans out. We had a pretty quiet New Year’s Eve watching the festivities from New York on TV, eating lots of junk, and playing around with silly photo booth stuff that I printed for C. The new year, so far, has been spent doing a whole big bunch of nothing.

I have been working on uploading some scrappy stuff and will be getting my Scrap Pages updated when I wind up this post. There is all kinds of fantastic stuff to start the new year! If you make it to the end of this, kudos to you!!

Danyale has a great new set of journal cards called The Dirty Deck – Holidays. These are so much fun! I used them for this page along with her new release all about Christmas Catastrophes called Better Luck Next Year:

Better Luck Next Year by Etc by Danyale Dirty Deck - Holidays by Etc by Danyale Gimme Pockets Vol 1 by Cluster Queen Creations — Better Luck Next Year by Etc by Danyale
Dirty Deck – Holidays by Etc by Danyale
Gimme Pockets Vol 1 by Cluster Queen Creations

Pixels and Company has an absolutely amazing new collab for January – Winter Wish! I’m telling you, I could not stop using this beauty! Here are several pages with it:

MEG Designs has a fun New Year’s kit as well. Great sprinkles, and even a couple of fantastic coordinating templates:

Cheryl is helping us all plan ahead this year with calendars for 2016! How cool is that..no last minute calendar creations..create them over the course of the year!

Fuss Free: Plan Ahead 2016 by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Getting Artsy: Winter Blues by Cluster Queen Creations — Fuss Free: Plan Ahead 2016 by Fiddle-Dee-Dee
Getting Artsy: Winter Blues by Cluster Queen Creations

I already have a start on my Life in Pockets! The cover page is done thanks to a fantastic freebie from Traci Reed Designs! This also uses her kit – I’ve Got Sunshine.

And if you stayed with me this long…thank you!! Wishing you all the best for the new year. Peace, love, and happiness 🙂

December 22, 2014

The Most Wonderful Time…

And, of course, one of the busiest. I have decided that my New Year’s Resolution this year will be to do a better job in updating my blog! I need to come up with a regular schedule and make it a habit. But I’ve got a few days to think on that! Last week was insane trying to get everything done for work and for C’s school Christmas party. I worked on several different little projects over the course of a few weeks, but last week it was crunch time and boy, did I feel it. Now, since it’s all said and done, I can breathe and show a few photos of the final result 🙂

This is one of 3 mugs I made for C’s teachers. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find plain white coffee mugs? Neither did I! I searched and searched for them. Sheesh

Using Tagged for Christmas by Valorie Wibbens

Using Pocket Stuffers No. 4 by Valorie Wibbens

This is the ornament and soap bottle that I did for my co-workers – 16 of them in all. They all turned out really cute!

These are gift card holders that I did for my 2 nieces. I just love them!

Using Joyful Collection by P&Co Designers 3x4 Envelopes by Deena Rutter — Using Joyful Collection by P&Co Designers
3×4 Envelopes by Deena Rutter

I still have a little shopping to do, but everything else is wrapped and under the tree! I’m hoping to finish up today. C has a basketball game this evening, so I guess I better get moving. If I don’t get back here, I’d like to wish everyone a happy, safe, and wonderful Christmas!

July 19, 2012April 19, 2014

Eventful

Well, it’s been awhile again. Every time I seem to get back on track, something else comes up. This summer has not exactly gone the way I would have planned or have liked for it to go. I won’t go in to all the details or I might be here all day.

My dad passed away on June 19. I’m sad…so very sad. He was the epitome of health and I just knew he would out live me. It was very sudden and very shocking. My dad was my rock, the one person in this world I could always count on to be there for me, no matter what, and without judgement. I’m dealing with it, trying to get as back to normal as I can. Life is going to be a bit of a roller coaster for awhile. He left a business to deal with, where my DH works, and in a month or so he will be unemployed. Not sure where that road will take us, but I just keep saying it’s a new adventure.

A week or so after that, we had a series of storms come through and take down part of a huge oak tree near our house. Still dealing with that. When I moved in here 22 years ago, I was shown the property lines and from what I was told the tree belongs to our neighbor. Nothing has been done about it except us paying someone to come and rig it so that what’s left standing doesn’t fall on our house.The neighbor had someone come yesterday and survey it. Anxious to hear what he has to say…I pulled the deed to the house and have some facts about the property lines. Either way, that tree needs to come down soon!

That’s just a couple of things that have kept me pretty busy and occupied. I’ve been scrapping some, it’s my escape. So I’ll just get right to it and share some layouts that I’ve done recently. I work for some amazing designers. Layouts are linked to my gallery for full credits 🙂