Family Game Night | Studio J

Winter sets in, the nights get colder. The kids get bolder... unless you break out some board games! The wind is whistlin' and the snow, it is a flyin'. It's time to start one of our winter traditions again! This super easy scrapbook layout from Studio J can be assembled in 15-30 minutes online in our studio scrappin' suite from Close To My Heart. Kits are predesigned and come as simple or as intermediate as you want, but with drag and drop ease. Give the gift of your family through the year in photos and words as you easily duplicate your pages or albums to share with ALL your loved ones! Schedule some "studio" time with me online via chat to walk you through a layout of your choice. It's free! And most of all, enjoy the season and Merry Christmas!

Warm wishes,

Small Business Saturday and a Layout {Studio J}

The Mortons in Avonlea, inspired by Karen Pedersen.

Welcome to Small Business Saturday! What is Small Business Saturday? Let Wikipedia enlighten us:

Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. First celebrated on November 27, 2010, it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores respectively. By contrast, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local.

I appreciate your patronage this day especially and invite you to stop by my Brick and Mortar for a spell and some great Black Friday fun, still going on through the end of Cyber Monday. Go here to see what exclusive hourly deals I have to offer today in thanks!

Along with Mom & Pop shops, comes Family. This is one of those typical family portraits for photographers. Since we are usually behind the lens, it can be a challenge to get a good shot of your family with you actually in it (the self-timer option is our friend). You're at somebody's wedding (in this case, my niece, Paige's) and the setting is beautiful, so you gather the family and ask someone to take your picture and hope for the best! Will everybody be looking at the camera, did the makeshift photographer frame it up right, are your faces now in shadow? I find these can be very frustrating if you let them. So I don't!

Now, I find they are the best portraits of our family and often reveal the real McCoy (in this case, Garrett). He's such a character! If anyone is going to be doing something off, it will be him. Mind you, he's only three, so it's okay. It reminds me of the many years previous when it was first Brook, then Aidan who gave this photographer grief. I'm learning to let it go, finally, and just enjoy the moments! I hope you have had or will have many moments this weekend as you celebrate within your own friends and family all the wonderful ideas and character that has made this nation great. Give thanks for the American Dream and thanks for stopping by!

Warm wishes,

Family Ties {Studio J} and Black Friday Preview

Paige & Zac's wedding. Some photos shared courtesy of the family.

Weddings are a great time to get family pictures. This Thanksgiving I am grateful for all of the Family Ties I have accumulated in life. Each one has had an impact on me and I know I am a better person because of these wonderful people. I am so grateful to have my family and sincere friends!

I think hands down, Avonlea is becoming my very favorite paper pack in the Close To My Heart Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book. I love the colors and patterns. So classy! Of course it may be that I am fixated on wedding stuff lately, too! Don't forget, with Studio J, you can use and re-use all of your favorite patterns and Complements again and again as you make beautiful EASY scrapbook pages in a snap to preserve for generations to come.

Okay, okay. I'll get to the point you've been waiting for. My Black Friday Sale will start tomorrow morning at 6 AM MST. Check my blog to get the deets on the best Black Friday specials. EVER. Right Here. Then see the exclusive deals and updates on my Facebook and Twitter posts, to stay abreast of developments as they come throughout the day. I will have some deals that run the whole weekend, through Cyber Monday, ending at 10 PM MST. Other deals will be spur of the moment sales and items for just a few hours during the day. Hint: Jaw-dropping prices on CRICUT!! Hope you have a great Thanksgiving and remember the things that mean the most. 

Then shop 'til you drop!!

Warm wishes,

Lucky 13

I married my best friend thirteen years ago today. It seems like only yesterday, and yet, my how we have changed! A few more additions. 

A few more milestones! 

Brandon is the light of my life and I sure am the lucky one, here. A wonderful partner and companion, he keeps me on the straight and narrow. I know I couldn't have done what I have in life if he hadn't been here beside me. I love you, Bran. So much. And I am proud to stand by you as you stand up for what you believe in. This year is going to be our lucky one!

This layout was from the first class I ever taught as a Close To My Heart consultant. I still haven't finished my wedding album and I kind of consider it a work in progress, but this is still my favorite layout by far. It's remained unchanged since we made them some 4 and a half years ago. A winning combination of words and pictures, patterns and color. Lucky, to have never been revamped amid life's distractions. May the next 13 be as lucky as the past 13 have been! Love you, Bran!

Warm wishes,

It's Elemental

Silliness, that is! In celebration of the Studio J 5-pack deal this month, I created this layout in 15 minutes to show you how awesome Online Scrapbooking is using our My Reflections Elemental paper kit! Whether you need to catch up (a year or ten...) QUICK, like the ease of dragging and dropping your digital prints into a beautiful scrapbook layout or don't have the room to have your very own scrapbook room complete with overflowing shelves of items you've never used (but look VERY PRETTY on  the shelves) then Studio J is for you. Take a look-see on my website to see if it works for you. You can make this layout or any others-as many as you want- and never buy until you're ready to print! If you want to print - then go HERE to get February's awesome special - buy 5, get 5 FREE! It's Elemental.

Now here's a great tip. You can make this cool layout for members only to use as the "bookends" of your book! The family photo was taken for our Christmas cards last year and can go in the last page of my 2011 Album. The right layout is a picture of the kids on New Year's Eve banging their pots and pans on the porch at 0' midnight hours! 

This layout is called "No Limits" and is basically 2 12x12 photographs. I wanted the family picture to stand on it's own, but for the 2012 opener, I added some My Stickease from the Elemental kit and some text. Totally custom digital photo! I have so many plans for this kit. You'll have to stay tuned to see some of them later this month in Colt's baby book!

This layout works well at making 12x12 enlargements for DIRT CHEAP as a Studio J member and I am going to mount my kids' photos on a 12x12 artist canvas to hang on my wall in my hall - something I've wanted to do for EVER. With Studio J, you can even add their names and ages in any of our 60 color fonts and edit your photos all at once. Liven it up with some My Stickease from your favorite kit like I did for the 2012 page. This layout has literally NO LIMITS to your creativity. Learn more about becoming a Studio J member and all of the fabulous benefits (hint: 50% off every order!) by calling, emailing or texting me today!

Warm wishes,