2013

Everyone is posting about how great 2013 was for them, but for me it was far from it. I am beyond excited to turn the page and put this year full of hardships behind me. I guess you could say the entire year wasn't bad, just the last 6 months. But overall, I am ready for 2014 and to be happy again. Some people are picking a word for 2014. I think mine should be strength. I really need strength to overcome what happened and to know that what God has in store for me someday will be great. I need strength for the next month to know everything is going to be okay as well. I just had an emergency surgery and because of it I will be out of work for the next month, without pay. It really scares me, but all I have to keep thinking about is that God will take care of me.

While I didn't get to scrap much the past 5-6 months, I do have some favorite layouts to share from this past year. I know my love for scrapbooking will never go away despite all the hardships. Here they are in no particular order.

Let your heart be Light

I completed this layout for this week's sketch at Elle's Studio. I used a couple older Christmas tags of their's as well as the Magical collection by Studio Calico. And of course this adorable photo of my niece Alaina. :) Thanks for looking.

Sketch:

Layouts to share

I have a few layouts to share that I have done over the past month. I also wanted to thank all of you for your wonderful prayers and thoughts. I appreciate them so much. The school board approved my resignation on Monday night and as of next Friday, I will be done with this job. I am so excited. I am so ready to get back to how life used to be. It will be hard to work weekends and holidays again, but I would way rather do that than go through what I am right now. THANK YOU. :)

I made this first layout about a month ago when I scrapbooked with my mom and aunt. I used a credit card and paint to make those fun lines. I love that Crate Paper line [that I bought last summer and finally got to use]! 

Another layout that I did that weekend. I only made two layouts. My mom could tell that I wasn't happy -- I didn't even want to scrapbook! I love those Crate frames!

This photo is from my best friend's wedding at the end of October. I love this big Silhouette cut and thought it would be cute as a background. 

I just did this layout last weekend based on a sketch from Elle's Studio, but of course I didn't get it uploaded in time for the contest. Ugh. I love this cute Crate holiday line.  I wish I would have bought more of the embellies. 

I am so excited to get back to scrapbooking. I am so excited to be happy again. I have faith that 2014 will be a good year for us. :) Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! :) 

Chic Tags Sketch

Here I am! A layout! Yay! This layout is based on a great sketch by Ashley Horton for Chic Tags. I wanted to get some scrap time in over the Thanksgiving weekend and I saw this sketch and had to use it!

I found some Chic Tags in my stash that worked out perfectly! The photos were from our 1 year anniversary when we took out the top of our wedding cake and tried it! What a tradition.. :) 

I've missed you

My blogger is telling me that I last published on July 19. July 19.. so very sad. What is even sadder is how my life changed so much from July 19 until now. And not for the better.. well for the most part.

Right around July 19, I took a new job... that I absolutely hate. I mean, I am miserable. I don't even want to wake up in the morning and I fear that I am drowning myself in a pit of depression. Its actually scary. So much that two weeks ago, I got the courage and I resigned and I will be going back to my old job come the end of December. I can't wait. I was not the same person anymore. I was/am scared for my marriage, my health, and my mental health if I do not leave. I tried to deny it for well, 2+ months or so and finally I hit a breaking point. My husband asked me what's wrong.. and I let it all out.

Not to mention something else that completely changed my life at the same time I started this new job. I found out I was pregnant on July 18. We were so excited and started to plan for our little one. Labor Day weekend we went on a small vacation to one of my favorite places, Duluth, MN and I started spotting the entire weekend. By Monday, Labor Day, my hope was shattered and I just knew it. Turns out that I miscarried at 10 weeks of pregnancy and that week that I started my new job I had to take medical leave to have a d&c. I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life. We all know it can happen, but you just don't think its going to happen to you. I blamed myself and I just didn't get it. Over time I am doing much better and in a few months we will try again, but I am beyond scared.

I am so thankful to have God, my husband, and family by my side throughout all of this. This has honestly been the hardest 4 months of my life and I know that sounds horrible because things could be so much worse. But I am so unhappy. I have to get out of this job and get on with my life. I long to be happy again. I long to wake up in the morning and be my bright and chipper self. I am not the person I used to be. I am counting down the days (11) until I am done with this job and I am praying that the school board approves my resignation and they let me go. They meet on Dec. 9. I could use your prayers as well. I know many of you have already sent prayers and thoughts my way and I appreciate every bit of it. I have faith that God will get me through this. My new job is all lined up and ready for me and I believe with my heart and soul that God had that position ready and waiting for me because he knew that I couldn't stay where I am right now. I also have faith that God will keep me strong when we try to get pregnant again because I know I won't be able to get through it without him. Cast all your cares upon him, for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7.

Thanks for listening. It helped just to write this even though I may just be writing to myself. I hope to spend more time back here as soon as I get back to my old job. I can't wait.

Scrap Your Story - 9 Months

The challenge this week at Scrap Your Story is to make your own embellishments! I decided to make washi tape stickers! It is super easy!

You will need washi tape, wax paper, a punch, and a scissors! Sorry for my picture quality.

Start by cutting two small pieces of wax paper and lay them so that they are overlapping about 1/4 inch. 

Stick your washi tape over the overlapped area of wax paper. 

About 1/2 inch down from the overlapped wax paper line, cut off the excess. 

Punch directly over the overlapped wax paper. 

By punching over the overlapped wax paper, you have created a tab to easily peel the washi tape off! Cool huh? 

I added two cut little hearts to my layout about my niece! I am working on a month by month book for her first birthday! 

Try it out for yourself and be sure to play along with Scrap Your Story! 

Scrap Your Story - On the Go

A new challenge is up today at Scrap Your Story! It is a sketch challenge. I started with the sketch and really tweaked it to get what I was looking for. I used the new kit from Scrapbook Circle!

sketch:

Be sure to play along this week!! 

You're the Best - Scrap Your Story

I am back this week for a challenge at Scrap Your Story! I have been so busy that I wasn't able to play along last week, but back again now! :)

The challenge this week is CHILDHOOD! You can interpret that anyway you want. The easiest way for me was to use photos of children. Well, I have tons of photos of my niece Alaina!  I just love these photos of my niece with my husband. He just loves that little girl and she sure loves him!

I used a technique from Paige Evans to make border strips of paper. Looking back on it, I wish I would have made the strips  a little more crooked, but I do like how it turned out! 

I used the Here and Now collection from Echo Park as well as some papers from their older lines. All of their stuff seems to match! 

Be sure to play along this week with Scrap Your Story! It is an easy challenge! :) 

Featured Bride

I got married back on September 22, 2012 and I was just featured on the Luxe Bridal blog. Luxe Bridal Couture is where I bought my bridal gown from. Luxe Bridal focuses on the "curvy" girls looking for the bridal gown of their dreams. Many bridal stores have one size to try on and it is usually a 4, 6, or 8. This bridal shop makes you feel good about yourself! I loved every minute of my experience. Be sure to check out the link and my story!! Thanks!!

Luxe Bridal Featured Bride 

Life is Beautiful - Scrap Your Story

This week's challenge at Scrap Your Story is to use a starburst/sunburst effect somewhere on your layout! This was easy for me as I am loving that effect on my layouts right now. I have done a layout with the stitched sunburst before, but I think it is timeless!

I got to use this adorable photo of my niece and this bright and beautiful collection from Echo Park. It all came together so nicely! 

That cute little dear is from a Basic Grey die cut pack that I though when along cute with this page. I just stamped "remember" on it. 

Be sure to play along this week at Scrap Your Story! 

Wedding Pages - Project Life Style

For awhile now I've wanted to jump into doing some form of Project Life. Not necessarily  the weekly thing, but just using the overall style. I did it for some of my Mexico pictures and I loved it! I think it provides a lot of flexibility in scrapbooking... especially when you have a lot of photos!

I have thousands of wedding photos. Not kidding. From candid photos family and friends took to beautiful professional photos. I will never traditionally scrapbook all of them and there are many that I would like in a scrapbook so that I can journal about them. Project Life is the answer. I jumped on the bandwagon! Here is what I have done so far!

I've decided that I am going to mix the PL pages in with the traditional layouts in my albums.

For this page about our wedding cake, I used some cards from the Becky Higgins Blush Core kit and lots of my own goodies. I was able to get 8.. EIGHT pictures about our cake on here and journal! I would have done 1 to 2 pictures on a traditional scrapbook page. I love this idea. 

Next I did a page or two that focused on the decorations at our wedding reception. I love that I can mix up the sizes and orientations of the photos. 

For this page I used a lot of the PL cards from the BH Midnight kit. Yes.. I did have tractors as center pieces at my wedding. It was awesome. Just shows how much I love my husband. 

I hope you enjoyed my version of PL! Just shows that it doesn't have to be a weekly thing!! :) 

My Best Girls by my Side

I wanted SO bad to make a layout with each one of these awesome photos of my gorgeous bridesmaids! I used Photosheet to make them small and all fit onto an 8.5 x 11 sheet. I love that application! I love doing the grid style with lots of photos. I just love how it turned out!

I used the lovely Yes, Please collection by Amy Tan and went to work embellishing the page! 

Lots of enamel dots and stickers from the Amy Tan collection 

I put the girls' initials on each of their pictures. Just something to add to each picture.. and to use up those thousands of letter stickers that I have! 

Let No one Separate - Scrap Your Story

This week's challenge at Scrap Your Story is a sketch challenge! I stayed pretty true to the sketch and kept adding layers-- my favorite! I used the Maggie Holmes collection from Crate Paper and went to work! I used both alphas and handwriting for my title. 

Here are some close ups. I used my Cameo to cut that adorable banner! Be sure to play along with Scrap Your Story this week! 

Sketch: