Play the Day Away - Two Page Scrapbook Layout

 Here's a fun little summertime layout that I'd like to share with you. These pictures are from a playdate with our grandkids. We try to cherish every moment, because the years fly by so fast. Some day soon, they won't want to spend time with their Grandparents anymore. I can't believe two years have flown by since these pictures were taken. How does this happen? (Besides the obvious...it takes me forever to post my layouts!) 💁

I used some paper from a vintage pack to bring out the blues and greens in the photos. The strip of whimsical grass was cut with my Cricut along with the layered title.

I love this layout for multiple reasons....the faces of my grandbabies, multiple wallet size photos, and the colors that bring out the photos. A simple grid style layout pulls it all together simply.

Hope your summer has been full of great memory making!! 

Merry Christmas - Two Page Layout

Here's another two page Christmas layout from 2018. These pictures are from our celebration with our boys and their families. So precious to me!! It's always tough to fit in all the pics that tell the story. As I've mentioned in the past, wallet size pictures help so much, and they add a little variety to the layouts.

It's fun watching the "big kids" open their gifts too. I try to shop throughout the year to find fun things that are unique and special. Especially for the girls!! Raising two boys was fun, but shopping for these girls is a special joy...something that I looked forward to for so long. So I spoil them a bit!

I love watching the expressions on all of their faces as they open things from each other and from us. There's nothing better. 

This paper is from the same Christmas pack as the last layout that I shared. I love the rich colors and the patterns. The title was cut with my Cricut. I used some Wink of Stella to add some shimmer on the bow and also on the poinsettias that were punched with StampinUp! five point flower punch.

Three different patterned papers that all look great together and help show off the photos. I was able to use 10 pictures on this layout and still add embellishments, journaling, and a title. 

Thanks for stopping by for another Christmas layout! Hope your days leading up to Christmas are productive, fun, and memorable for years to come!! 
 

Boys Will Be Boys - Two Page Wedding Layout

It's time to share more pics of the boys today! Having raised two boys (no girls), I kind of "get" them. My two never cease to amaze me or amuse me!!

Here's some photos featuring their sillier side for the wedding album. Boys definitely being all boy!

 My sons are at the top of the page above...My youngest, the handsome groom, on the left and my oldest handsome son on the right!! I love the black and white wallet of them "cuddling"...LOL! Could I be anymore blessed with these two? They keep me guessing, laughing, bursting with pride, and sometimes raising an eyebrow. 😍

 Aside from his one and only big brother, Jacob had three friends from college, and a high school friend stand up with him. I love seeing the more professional wedding-like photos next to the goofing off photos...it definitely shows their personalities.

The brick look patterned paper was a nice masculine background for these photos. The title was cut with my Cricut with a bold block font from Design Space and I added small letter stickers for part of the title. The photo corners were just enough to finish off the page. 

Thanks for stopping by for another wedding layout. More to come!!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Mount of Olives"

Today I have another Israel scrapbook page to share with you.

 Our bus drove by a camel being ridden on the road as we were driving to the Mount of Olives. The same camel is pictured here. They were selling camel rides. Some of our group decided to do this. it looked like fun! The view from this point was breathtaking. This is where we started our walk down the long brick street (Hosanna Walk). Which will be pictured more in my next layout.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Have a scrappy, crafty week!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Beit She'an"

Here's the second layout from this marvelous city of ruins tour from our trip to Israel in 2017. I still have to pinch myself when I look back at these pictures. I never dreamed I'd be able to go to Israel!

 I used a lot more wallets on this page...Again so little room and so many pictures😂! The strips at the top and the middle are cut from travel paper.

 I managed to fit 10 pictures on here, and still had room for a little bit of design fun, a title and journaling. Another pretty simple page once I figured out how to best layout my pictures. Again...print the wallets!!

Hope you are having a lovely, crafty week!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Built on the Rock"

Time to share another layout from my completed Israel scrapbook!

On the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Tabgha, Israel sits this beautiful little stone church commemorating the location of Jesus' reinstatement of Peter. The nearby red brick church sits in the spot where he fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. 

 We stuck our toes in the sea, knowing this is close to where Jesus called his disciples to follow him and be fishers of men.

There were just so many pictures to choose from! I managed to fit 10 on here and still have a bit of room for design.

Hope this layout inspires you in some way!! Have you ever been to Israel? Such an amazing place!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Celebrate Love"

The only thing as good as being blessed with raising two sons, is gaining daughters when they find that special, lovely girl and bring her into the family!! My "baby" boy got married a little over a year ago and we definitely think she's a keeper. It's always interesting when the family dynamics change, but she's definitely been a sweet addition.

These pictures are from a beautiful bridal shower that her family threw for her. We had a great time celebrating this young lady and the love that her and my son share.

 It was so fun to spend time with my oldest daughter-in-love and my sweet granddaughter too! Look at her dancing in front of the mirror. I love her spunk and the way she is all girl, but tough when she needs to be! All of these young ladies bring such joy to my life!!! It used to be I was the only female in our family, raising two boys.... but now I'm so blessed to have these two young ladies and granddaughter to share life with.

 I pray that we will continue to grow closer and that I will shine a light in their life in any way that I can. I don't want to be a just a "mother-in-law", but a second Mom who makes a difference and leaves a special mark on their life. Somebody that they cherish and enjoy spending time with too. So here's to all the special ladies in your life (both young and old)!

I hope you like this layout. I love all the pennants and J & K banner in the upper left. I was able to get 10 pictures on here and still add some fun embellishments.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Cookies"

Do you and your family have the tradition of making Christmas cookies each year? We do! I'm actually surprised how much my grown kids seem to enjoy it and this year, the grands were really enjoying it as well. I love our time together!!

This was the last time making cookies at our old house. Such sweet memories there, all packed in around the dining room table. What a mess, but so much yummy fun! When the cookies were all decorated, of course we had lots of frosting left in the tubes so my youngest boy and his wife decided to take care of it for us. Katie squeezed the tube so hard, the top flew off and frosting went all over her face and jacket!! She took it like a champ. What else can you do, right?

I love my family so much!  We just celebrated our first Christmas with these crazies in our new home. What a blast! I love making all of these new memories in our new place. We made cookies last Saturday together and I can't wait to put together a new cookie decorating layout to share.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Hope you are up to your elbows in Christmas festivities!

Two Page Layout - "I'm Grateful"

Today I'm sharing our Thanksgiving 2016. Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday of the year. I love them all, but Thanksgiving is so very special to me.

 It's a day to be grateful and thank our Lord for all that he has given us. Most holidays have been commercialized, but not this one, except for all of the Black Friday hoopla. It's all about counting our blessings, pitching in on a wonderful meal with special recipes passed down through the years, and recognizing that God has given us everything.

 I'm incredibly thankful for this crazy bunch! I remember when my first daughter-in-love gave me a sign with the saying on it, "Remember as far as everyone knows, we are a nice normal family." This is so perfect for us. I'm most thankful for this tribe of crazies that we call family! They make life worth living and full of surprises.

May your week be filled with crazy good fun, food, and lots of thanksgiving to our creator! Thanks for stopping by my blog today! ...Off to make the pumpkin bread. 😍

Two page Scrapbook Layout - "Family Dinner"

I remember this dinner like it was yesterday. I'm probably still carrying around some extra pounds from it. We were celebrating together with an "end of summer" dinner before my youngest son went back to college. He's pictured here in plaid with his sweet girlfriend (now wife).

 I made baked Hawaiian  Ham Sandwiches, corn on the cobb and the most amazing strawberry shortcake ever. I sliced raised glazed donuts and topped them with strawberries and REAL whipped cream. OH.MY.GOSH! I blame Pinterest!

 I get a little nostalgic looking at these pictures from our old house. We moved in there when I was pregnant with my oldest...just a little two bedroom home that we tried our best to fill with love and laughter as we raised our two boys. At the end of last year we sold it and moved into a brand new home that we designed ourselves! It's been fun and we LOVE our new place, but I still get a little sappy when I see pics from that place. So many memories that we will always carry with us. So many fun family dinners on that little screened in porch!

Hope you are all enjoying the last days of summer! 

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Pier House"

Here's a layout of the beautiful hotel where we stayed in Key West! It was an amazing room and property. We really weren't ready to come home after being spoiled!!

 This pretty paper is from Close to My Heart's (My Reflections) "Skylark". The letter stickers on the subtitle are from October Afternoon. Many of the embellishments were printed right on the paper, so I simply added a few strips of paper, some burlap flowers with button centers, and the subtitle. Easey Peasey!

 If you ever need a place to stay in Key West, you'll have to check out the Pier House. They're right on the water. Even though we didn't have a water view from our room we had the most beautiful balcony. We spent a lot of time out there with our coffee in the morning, and playing cards together at night.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!! Hope 2017 is off to a great start for you.

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Location, Location, Location"

I'm still working my way through the layouts from our California trip last year. This one features pictures from our brief visit to Beverly Hills! Yes, it's beautiful there, but no, we didn't see anybody famous. :)

 I really like the way this layout turned out. The colors are vibrant and it has a vintage look! The title was cut twice from Cricut's "Graphically Speaking" cartridge. I attached them with foam dimensional squares between the two layers to give it extra definition and to create a shadow effect. Placing it on the white circle and setting the title on an angle really made it pop.

 I adore the Route 66 die cut from Cricut's "Nifty Fifties" cartridge! How cute is that!?! My husband and I would like to drive the entire route of Route 66 some day...bucket list trip. October Afternoon's circle alpha stickers add to the vintage look of the page and echo the polka dot patterned paper from Simple Stories "Snap". The arrow and yellow stars are also from "Nifty Fifties". I attached the stars with mini red brads.

Pretty easy page, really, with just enough embellishments to let the photos be the focal point. Using wallet size photos helps me to pack in the pics and still have room for design elements.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I'm going away with friends for scrapping Monday through Thursday of next week!!! I can't wait!!!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Fourth of July"

Happy Independence Day!! Hope your day is filled with fun, family, and friends, as well as a deep sense of pride living in the USA.

This layout is from two years ago. Our grandbabies have grown so much since then. :)

 Our little neighborhood hosts a 4th of July bike parade and picnic each year! I love that we've been doing this for 25 years. We used to pull our little boys in the wagon, or help them decorate their bikes, and now my oldest has two little darlings <sniff>.

 Tons of fun for all of us and great pics to help us savor the memories through the years.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Happy 4th!

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Bixby Creek Bridge"

The Big Sur (Pacific Coast Hwy) is home to some of the most beautiful sites I've ever laid eyes on. The rocks, cliffs, beaches, and absolutely gorgeous blue water stretch up and down the coast for as far as your eye can see.

 The Bixby Creek bridge is a beautiful site to see from all directions. I took so many pictures, but none of them really do it justice. We ventured out to the edge of the nearby cliffs to try to get the best angles. Of course, my husband ventured much farther out than I did.

One of the most beautiful sites we saw while in California, but there are so many more...

The paper and chevron washi from Pink Paislee Indigo Bleu made a nice backdrop to show off the beautiful pictures. The navy herringbone washi is from Studio G. The StampinUp! five petal and triple flower punches made quick work of the flower accents topped with miscellaneous brads. The title font is Cricut's Jubilee.

Thanks for stopping by and taking this California photo journey with me.

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "Happy Father's Day"

Next week is Father's Day!!! I hope you are able to celebrate with your Dad or another father figure in your life. Father's are the unsung heroes of the family.

 When Mom and Dad work together as a team, it's a beautiful blessing designed by God. My hubby is the love of my life, and he is an amazing Dad to our two boys even though they are now grown. He raised them to be strong, faithful, dependable and to love their future wives unconditionally, to treat them like a Princess of great value. My husband does that for me, and most of the time I don't deserve it. Neither of us are perfect, but we never give up on each other in those tough times. Now my oldest boy is also a Daddy of two precious little ones. I watched him take on the role of husband at a young age, and now he is an amazing Dad who loves his family well.

 Father's are such a critical person in our lives. I lost my Dad a few years back (about two months after these pictures were taken) and it's such a feeling of isolation. Once we're grown, we think we don't depend on them as much anymore, but you realize when they're gone, the sense of security, continuity and safety that is lost. He was always there for me and now he's not. When my father-in-law passed away, I remember my husband and I asking each other, "Who is going to pray for us every day, now?"

Now I'm getting all sappy and wiping away the tears, but that's how it is when we remember somebody we loved dearly. So let me distract myself by telling you about the supplies I used on this layout. The paper is MME Kraft Fun Day and the pictures are matted in Bramble. The title is cut with Cricut's Father's Day cartridge. The wood accents are from Bo Bunny.

Enjoy your family today and make some fond memories together.

Two Page Scrapbook Layout - "So Fancy"

Happy Saturday!

Who doesn't love a great wedding. Here's a layout of a family member's wedding. It's such a great photo op when we're all dressed up and in the same place at the same time! :)

 Look at the beautiful humans that I love!

 The polka dot is actually gold foil. I used vellum and gold layers for the flower (SU 5 petal flower punch).

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!!