Holiday Tags and Morton Update {Welcome Colt}

As you can see we've been a little busy around here! This past month and a half we celebrated Halloween, welcomed our new little one, counted our blessings and then decked the halls. Phew! Here's a quick recap of our family but first, let me share this great video on how to make your own decorative tags for great gift-giving that makes a splash!



Happy Halloween
We had some pals come trick or treat with us this year. Uncle Drew and Whitney brought Brayden (aka: Thor) over to reign terror over the streets of South Jordan with us. We couldn't believe how much candy the kids collected this time! The dentist is gonna LOVE this bunch!

Snow Monsters
Our first good snow of the season called for suiting up. Brook and Aidan had a great time making tracks all over the backyard and even fit in a few Monste... er, Angels.

A Welcome Addition

Our house welcomed our new little brother into the world in November. Colt Glenn arrived a day early by cesarean and weighed in at 9 lbs and 11 ozs. He had a hard time adjusting at first due to his size and the c-section and spent some time in the nursery with an IV line until his blood sugar stabillized. When he was born he had a little bit of fluid in his lungs and had started to grunt while breathing, indicating labored breathing normally, so as a precaution they kept him on oxygen for a couple of days. Turns out he just likes to grunt like the other kids did. Completely amazed the doctors. We're glad they took the precautions anyway!



Smile, you're on Aidan's Candid Camera, Mom!

Roast Beast

This year we stayed home for Thanksgiving and had the whole Morton family over. It was great having everyone together again and Mom always puts on a good spread!







Canning

This was a new experiment for me this year. I've dabbled a little bit with freezing produce but really have wanted to learn how to do this and to be more self-reliant. We have a great little garden started and I'd love to be able to put some of our harvest up for a later date.

Last week I tried applesauce for the first time. After a few mishaps and some trials and more errors, I finally got something worth giving! The kids passed it off as a keeper and I gotta say, it feels great knowing that my 7 hours, 2 broken nails and bad temper really was worth seeing those jars on the shelf!

Deck the Halls

Wasn't sure about this adventure this year with a new baby and a 2.5yo Turbo-powered kid running around! Turns out the older two were more, eh.. acrobatic than Garrett. They put every ornament I had on the poor tree and half way through we lost the bottom rung of lights. *Sigh* Mom's fancy trees are a thing of the past for some time to come, it seems, but it turned out pretty nice and they had a great time!



It's been great being off work for the past month. I don't want to go back! I can't say it's been a vacation.. cuz it hasn't. But I've loved spending time with each of my children and my husband and the great way we have come together to work at making our home a great environment for our family. I'm really going to miss that as I move back to the hustle and bustle. Hopefully we can keep a little bit of that in our daily lives. But one thing I am looking forward to... going into the gas station again instead of paying at the pump because I have a car full of kids I don't want to get out of their seats!

Warm wishes,

Glenn Beck and Studio J with {Fanfare}

One of the layouts I finished last month in Studio J features an elightening speaking engagement my husband attended this past year. He was able to tag along with his father and brother when the ladies bowed out and enjoyed the day's many speakers and topics. I wasn't able to attend, but I was glad to document this moment for him.

Check out the fun stitching on this layout to help tie in the My Stickease Letters. These circle patterns are available as an embelishment in Studio J and are super easy! For more fun stitching, check out this layout featuring stars! Studio J is so fast it sometimes feels like cheating, but NO WAY we're missing out on memories because they're still sitting in the box.

Warm wishes,

Cute Pumpkin Card and Video

Here's a cute video to help you get started on your Halloween or Thanksgiving cards. It's short and sweet and explains the Base and Shade stamping technique. Enjoy!


Warm wishes,

New Clearance Sale Items Added

Who doesn't love a good sale? New items have been added to the While Supplies Last section of my website. Bliss My Reflections Paper Packs are now as low as $3 and prices are reduced up to 80% of the retail value. Stop by ASAP before all the goods are gone!

I made this album for Brook this past summer using the Bliss papers to commemorate her baptism in our church. I got the idea from my fabulous upline, Karen Pedersen. You can see the inspiration here. This is such a great and elegant pack filled with neutrals and, like all good things, I am sad to see it pass. It's fantastic for wedding, engagement, anniversary, somber layouts, birthdays, dances and more. Don't let it pass you buy - go here to get yours now! (PS - You can still get it in Studio J, however.)

Warm wishes,

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{Cherry-O} Valentine Cookies Level 2 Layout

I've had a few prints kicking around my desk for several months, not quite sure what to do with them, but wanting to get them scrapped and DONE. Sometimes I'm really good about 'scrapping my photos' as I take them and think in terms of layouts, sizes and patterns. And... Then there's the rest of the time when I'm lucky to get a single cellphone shot of the event and who knows if it's even in focus?

This was an 'in between' event. More than one picture (with my Canon) but not much thought beyond that. Consequently the layout in my head was nowhere to be found.

While looking through my layouts I kept ignoring Cherry-O for this as I felt I'd used it a lot for 2009 and the baking theme was well done.. Then in typical Trish-fashion, I decided, "Who cares?" It works with sweet cookie-making shots for a reason and why not use it when I like it? Lol!

What clenched the deal for me was some fabulous My Stickease found stashed in the packet like a long lost buried treasure. Way too tempting to pass up an easy Level 2 layout and just the approach I needed to get these great memories off my dust pile, Er..DESK pile and into the scrapbook to be enjoyed. May you enjoy it as well and be inspired to take the easy way some days!

Warm wishes,
Trish

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Fall Hooligans Studio J Layout

This layout just cracks me up. My boys get pretty creative with their free time. Sometimes you want to know and..sometimes you don't. This was one of those times where pictures just showed up on the camera as I was going through and downloading them to archive and set up for scrapbooking. (With children who love to play photographer, this happens quite a bit to me.)

Apparently the youngest had made quite a mess out of his breakfast cereal as he is want to do on occasion. Rather than get upset at the mess, Dad decided to get even! He brought out the Dust Buster to zip it in a snippet! This was in the middle of the summer, but this paper with it's cute monsters and mayhem seemed appropriate to document these Hooligans!

All digital, this layout whipped up in a jiffy with Studio J. To learn more, contact me today!

Warm wishes,

New Studio J Layouts

I just got back several Studio J orders and wanted to share what I've been up to. I really love this online software! With being pregnant our budget has been a little tighter as we prepare for our new baby boy this fall. As a member I get 50% off my printed projects, free sheet protectors and free shipping. It's cheaper than bying a paper pack! I haven't had a lot of time to spend in the craft room and Studio J is fast and fun! I've really been able to catch up on my scrapbooking by using the website, especially since I switched to a digital camera several years ago. No wondering if you've got the right size enlargement for your page, just drag and drop as you can see in the Grandma's Garden layout.

Enlargments are no worries with no extra expenses at the print shop, or preplanning your order to get the right photo in the right size. Plus, if I change my mind, I can just drag it to another sized photo well and drop it in! Grandma's Garden took me about 20 minutes to complete. I wanted a fun title for it, so I spent some time adjusting the size of the My Stickease and the layering to get the look I wanted, but the embelishments I used are just the ones suggested (every layout has this option for super quick scrappin'!)

When my sister became pregnant with her first child, I wanted to preserve the memories for her with our family as they live far away and we aren't able to visit often. She knew she was having a baby boy and wanted a rodeo theme for the nursery. I was in luck for the scrapbook with Sarsaparilla. This paper pack retired a few years ago and I've run out of it, but with Studio J, I can use it again and again! Didn't buy the My Stickease? No problem! Studio J has both sheets available to use as many as you want. And if you love one of the images and want to use it over and over again.. you can! No need to purchase a full package to repeat an image, just drag and drop!

If you're interested in learning more about Studio J, contact me today to set up a free consultation. We'll play with the software and even build a layout or two and there's no obligation to buy. It's okay - have fun with it!

Warm wishes,

Blog Award

Ann gave me this beautiful blog award and to accept it, here are the questions that I must answer to accept the award:
Q1) Name your favorite color? Purple
Q2) Name your favorite song? Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean
Q3) Name your favorite dessert? Really? You know I'm pregnant, right? Lol, Bestest ever is Cheesecake!
Q4) What annoys you at the moment?  Drama. Especially from an 8 year old.
Q5) Your favorite pet?  Raynie, bless her heart! She was our family dog for 10 great years and we still miss her!
Q6) Black or White?  Depends. White canvas, Black clothes.
 Q7) Your biggest fear?  The future of this nation.
Q8) Best Feature?  I try to see both sides.
Q9) Everyday attitude?  Mostly negative. (I'm working on this.)
Q10) What is perfection? Heaven.
Q11) Guilty Pleasure?  Reading.
Q12) When you're upset you?   Clean.

I'm passing this award on to :
Nicole  In addition to being a great Studio J artist, she also has some fabulous portrait photography!
Diana  This is her challenge blog but she has a few others. I always fiind a new project to stretch my creativity with when I stop here.
Jayma This lady struts her stuff in many different mediums. She's got talent in spades!

Please stop by their blogs and leave a comment or two. These are 3 very lovely ladies who inspire me and are often at the top of my reading list.


Warm wishes,

October Special and Stamp of the Month

Hello Ladies! Thanks to all of you who have stayed loyal followers the past month and a half. I have had a hard time getting anything crafty done as I progressed to my eighth month of pregnancy. My energy suddenly disappeared and the toll of working twelve hour shifts at work seems to have set in. I was just uploading my photos from my camera and the results are telling.. no photos in September!


This is my most favorite time of the year, however, and the specials at Close To My Heart are no drawback! This month we have a new fabulous Stamp of the Month and a FREE Add-On for new Consultants! Check out the deets below!
                                                                                                  

1. Add-On for FREE!: If you have ever considered becoming a Close To My Heart Consultant like me, this is sure a great month to take the plunge! The price of the New Consultant Kit is $99 (plus shipping and tax). We also offer three wonderful "Add-On" kits that range in value from $80-$130. During October 2011 only, when you sign up to be a consultant and purchase the $99 New Consultant Kit, you get to pick one of the Add-Ons absolutely FREE! To sign up, click here. It's so easy and with the click of the mouse you can be on your way to a new and rewarding career! If you have any questions, I'm just a quick call or email away. I am also here to train you, motivate you, inspire you, and do everything I can to help you be successful!

Here is what you get in the New Consultant Kit ($99 for a value of over $280!):

Here are the three Add-Ons you can choose from for FREE during October when you sign up to be a Close To My Heart Consultant:

Roxie Add-On Collection (over $80 value, FREE in October):

Elemental Add-On Collection (over $80 value, FREE in October):

Studio J Add-On Collection (over $130 value, FREE in October):

2. October Stamp of the Month: I am really excited to see this set. The Autumn/Winter Idea Book is my favorite because I love the colors and warmth of the fall season and all the family holidays as we move into Winter and Christmas. The fun stamp-kissed effect will help make you Christmas cards POP this year!

You can purchase this set for only $5 with a $50 order (before shipping and tax) or for it's full price of $17.95. If you pay full price, the order # is S1110. If you earn it for $5, you will be prompted to add it to your order before you check out. You can start shopping here.




Warm wishes,

September Close To My Heart Specials & Stamp of the Month

Welcome to cooler weather and the start of fall! This is my favorite time of the month and I love the colors and ideas in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book the best! Speaking of great ideas, Close To My Heart has a another round of fabulous deals this month!


1. Did you know that September is National Stamping Month? To celebrate, Close To My Heart is offering their very first DOUBLE stamp set that you can earn for FREE this month. You get two D-size stamp sets together in the same envelope during the month of September when you spend $75! "Pair-a-Phrase" is full of fun designs and sentiments for almost any occasion. You wont want to miss adding this to your collection!

This is a card made by Karen Pedersen using this set. See, sentiment + picture together to make = AWESOME!

2. September Stamp of the Month: This is one of those sets that everyone needs to have because it works for EVERYTHING! It's called Limited Edition, and yet the possibilities are ENDLESS!

You can purchase this set during the month of September only in one of two ways: 

• Spend $50 (before shipping and tax) and get it for only $5
• Purchase it for $17.95 

Ordering Helps:

• To order either or both of these stamp sets, just go to my website and click on Shop Online. 
• If your order totals $50 (before shipping and tax), you will qualify for the Stamp of the Month at $5. If your order totals $75, you qualify for the Pair-a-Phrase stamp set FREE and the Limited Edition stamp set for $5. You'll be prompted to add them before you finish your order. 
• If you just want to purchase the Stamp of the Month at full price, you can type "Stamp of the Month" in the quick search box on the left side of the shopping page and it will come up and you can click "add to cart".
• There is a link on the side of my blog to view the current Autumn/Winter Idea Book if you want to go shopping!

Warm wishes,