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ahhhh vacation!! It’s been such a great time of relaxation! Everyone relaxes in a different way. After catching up on some much needed sleep, we explored (Pinel, Phillipsburg’s boardwalk, Marigot’s traffic)we ate (some of the best food), we drank (some of the best Island Ruhm)! Then we had down time & nothing planned. It’s a small island and my blue white skin can only take so much hot Carribean sun a day !! The temps are beautiful – about 80-85 each day, but that sun is hot 🥵!! Closer to the equator?? Idk 🤷‍♀️ maybe 🤔

Thankfully, we are able to stay at a great resort with views to die for! Our patio over looks the famous Maho Bay, and we get the pleasure of watching the planes come and go and seeing all the idiots from the cruise ship excursions lining up on the beach waiting to be blown away by a plane taking off!! We see someone get hauled off daily by the EMS! Hey! It’s cheap entertainment and since there seems to be no shortage of idiots in this world, it’s limitless as well! As the American 🇺🇸 planes fly over, the Americans cheer – as the the French 🇫🇷 planes fly over, the French cheer, etc etc.

Anyway, my favorite way to relax and enjoy my down time is to create! Even though I did find a craft store on the island this time around, I can only bring so much with me to work on! Finished my diamond painting in a couple days & I made quite a bit of ephemera as well, so I pulled out my pens and started to color & doodle. I created the cutest little wreaths to add to cards or pages. I will add a picture tutorial to show you how I created them! As with most stuff I do, they are easy peasy and I hope you give it a try! Remember it’s only paper – if you don’t like it, use it as scratch paper and move on! Being creative doesn’t always end in a finished project – sometimes it’s just exploring and playing and giving your mind time to wander and come up with something amazing!!

Even if you aren’t on the islands, find yourself a corner, put on some beach music, pour yourself a drink & put a little umbrella in it to make it feel festive! Get out your pens and some paper and just doodle & create! Let your mind wander… soon you will be living your best scrap happy life with me!!!

I hope Christmas was peaceful for everyone. Ours was quiet. We have a daughter in California, a son in New York, a son in Kansas, and a son at home ( who had to work today). While peace & quiet is welcomed, I certainly miss the excitement of tearing open stockings & eating up all the Christmas goodies & seeing those messy chocolate faces!!! For those parents that are tired out and happy it’s all over, I say treasure these times because it will be quiet all too soon! Let them be little & gobble up the sugar & be loud & silly! You can clean it all up tomorrow!! Take lots of random pictures – the silliest ones will become your favorite! Get those photos printed & in books to treasure when life becomes quiet again! Grab all the scraps of goodness no matter where Christmas finds you and live your scrap happy life!

Heres a 2 page layout i did at a crop last weekend. One of the ladies gave me her left over paper because she knows i make lots of cards & I decided to fussy cut them & use them as corners on my pages. Then I backed the corners with coordinatong paper & fussy cut the borders for the corners.

I knew the November Kiwi Lane Club templates would be perfect for this paper! I used the lantern for a birdhouse & the poinsettia & the cardinal & the borders in brown! I Used a card from the kit to tuck behind my picture mat for journalling. I actually made this page for me. The paper just spoke to me! My son came home for a few days this year & those family pics will be used on this layout!!

This page came together in no time & was basically scraps! Use up those scraps, ladies! Live your best scrap happy life!!

Do you ever get a creative block? I sat down to make some cards the other day & was at a loss. It happens, but it doesn’t usually happen to me! What do I do? I stumbled around Pinterest for a little bit & searched a few things I had saved to ”try later.” Nothing. I was staring at a blank card base. I went to my scraps pile – nothing jumped out at me. I went to my favorites on youtube – it was all so involved.

Then I remembered those card kits I purchased at the scrapbook expo! These are cute! I must admit, I like to make my own designs, but I needed help! I started putting them together – what a relief – I actually finished a card!!! Before i knew it, there were 8 finished cards in front of me. Now, yes, the card kit made this very easy, but what it also did was cleared all the daily crap out of my head and allowed me to focus! The card kit I was working on was from photo play & it provided 8 card bases & most of the stuff! It also provided ALOT of extra papers & ephemera & stickers, etc! Look at that – four more cards complete!

The card kit gave me a jumping off point and helped me release my own creativity that was trapped by the every day stresses we all feel. Playing & creating brings me peace & joy & it makes me happy! Are you creative? I bet you are!!! What’s stopping you? Please let me know if you ever want to give it a try! I’m always more than willing to share my passion. One of my favorite things is watching someone who says “i don’t have a creative bone in my body” complete a card, a page, a layout, or a scrapbook! Or their face when they realize, its really not that hard! Please always remember – it’s just paper!!! Give yourself permission to play!!

I’m so glad I could release my inner creativity & get past that block with a simple card kit! I know for some it takes more! My hope for my friends is for them to enjoy a scrap happy life!!

Some of you may have already seen my cards from the photo play kit, but I’m attaching them here as well!

I’ve been a crafter all my life! For most of their lives, I’ve been a single mom to two boys. To their credit, they have humored me in their judgment of my crafting – good job mom – yep its ”cute” mom, etc. Every now & then i would get a sincere “YOU made that?” Brats! lol

I like to repurpose a lot of stuff into different things & Tyler has heard me say many times “trust me – i see a snowman!” He just rolls his eyes & moves on – pacifying me as he carries pieces of wood thru Lowes or Home Depot or as he drags something out of the trunk i picked up at a garage sale!

Well, guess what??? A couple of weeks ago, Tyler brought home 12 bright, shiny, tin jar lids they were going to throw away at his work. He thought I could use them for something. How about that?!?!?!?! Of course, my brain immediately went into creative mode / I’m sure i could use these!!!! 6 snowmen & 6 gingers were born this weekend! (see pic below)

Score one for mom! While I may not impress them with my “talents,” at least i made an impression…..of sorts!! I love that they think of me in collecting other people’s junk! lol

I also love that they are enabling me in leading my best scrap happy life!

There are few places better than the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo for paper crafters! The latest & greatest – the tried & true – the fancy machines and all the thing-a-mah-bobs – all that pretty paper – all that shiny bling! Seeing all the vendors we love & embracing all the new vendors taking that brave step & finally venturing out on their own! Seeing smiling faces – people doing what they truly enjoy!! Women from 90, to a few 12 year olds their with a family members, to everyone in between. Happy to be in person again, catching up on the past two years! Soaking it all in.

I love introducing people to what i do & love. I really enjoy the look on their faces when they’ve completed that card or that page or that book!! But nothing compares with sharing with others of like minds & creativity. Always learning – always reaching! This is our little slice of heaven!

I was sitting at the make n take tonight & i realized the entire room was working on one card from the same, cloned kit, but what we produced individually was unique to us. They all looked similar, but each person put their own creative stamp on their work! That’s what makes it so cool! There are no two alike -just like snowflakes – just like us! We were all just as happy as the next – happy to be back in our happy place – happy to be living our best scrap happy lives!!!!

Smile – say cheese – yep , that one is going in the scrapbook!!!!

Good morning peeps!!! It’s Wednesday! For those of us with M-F, 9-5’s (or the like), this means the dreaded work week is almost half over! It’s when we stop thinking of last weekend and start to look forward to the next one!

It’s a trap! Don’t let that crazy cute, albeit annoying, camel from that famous car insurance commercial fool you! It’s what you make it! If you live for Wednesdays, then you do you, Boo!! I’m just saying there may be another way to look at it!

Make each day a joy ride! Each day can be a reset. Enjoy your Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, etc. too! Eat the cake, order pizza for dinner, buy the shoes – you know you want to!!!

Hop on the train, buckle up buttercup, throw those hands up and scream! Life goes by too fast to white knuckle it till Wednesday or Friday or Monday! Take all the scraps that life throws your way & make YOUR masterpiece! Living my scrap happy life!! You’ve got this!!

It doesn’t take much to convince this old girl just how little I know about the new and changing world of computers and websites and blogs etc! But I’m bound & determined to not let it get the best of me! Hopefully, I will have it fixed and back up & running soon!!!!! Fingers crossed 🤞 maybe a few prayers wouldn’t hurt!!! 😂

It doesn’t take much to convince this old girl just how little I know about the new and changing world of computers and websites and blogs etc! But I’m bound & determined to not let it get the best of me! Hopefully, I will have it fixed and back up & running soon!!!!! Fingers crossed 🤞 maybe a few prayers wouldn’t hurt!!! 😂

As we begin to restart our lives AGAIN, I am restarting this blog. Please come along with me & share the journey!!

I’m wondering? Did covid put things into perspective for you? After bouncing around like those little super balls we were all amazed by as kids, did you just land, or did you land, then spring forward?

I hear alot of people say “return to pre-covid!” No! Let’s not go through that again!! Let’s strive for post covid. Let’s strive for a better, more aware, less complacent, healthier place!

I challenge each of you to take a look at yourself…are you where you want to be? Not where you think you SHOULD be, but where you WANT to be? This is a tough one, and it probably can’t be fixed over night. Baby steps are still moving forward! Never go back – there’s always room for improvement & growth! How do you want to grow? Well I want to grow up – certainly not out! Just kidding – what’s life without a little humor to keep us all sane!

Challenge yourself! Add one new thing a week to your routine, but make it for your pure enjoyment! What will you add? I thought about this for a bit. What do I want to add? I want to add growth – I want to add happiness! How do I do that? That answer is different for everyone! What’s your challenge? Make today the day!

I’m challenging myself to get back to blogging & sharing what I love! Crafty goodness! Please follow me in my journey to grow! Living my best life – one scrap at a time!!