Handwriting Challenge

This is for all of you that do not like your handwriting...
I thought of a cute way to practice and also start a practical mini book.
Go out and buy (or make) a little journal and each day, write one quote in it.
I found a really cool 8 1/2 x 5 1/2, 3 ring binder made by We R Memory Keepers (it is great because I can cut an 81/2 x 11 paper in half!)
Here are some cool quote sites:
http://www.heartquotes.net/Being.html
http://followyourdreams.com/creativity.html
http://www.quotegarden.com/weddings.html
http://www.thinkexist.com
http://www.brainyquote.com
http://rhonnafarrer.typepad.com/


Here are Some Handwriting Ideas that I use:
1. Practice looking at someones writing that you like and copy it. I like to copy one letter at a time. So when I see a cool "w" that I love, i practice incorporating that into my everyday handwriting. That way when it comes time to journal, it will feel more natural.
2. Always write in pencil first
3. Try writing slower (and with more intention)
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
5. Copy over your handwriting a couple of times, making some lines thicker and some thiner (you wouldn't believe how much this changes how a word/title looks)
6. After you write the inital word(s) or title you can go back and add loops and swirls to some of the ends of your letters.

I also use my journal to doodle in. I can usually fit more than one quote to a page, so I doodle in between. I practice all different lines, swirls, flowers, stars, hearts, you get the idea!!!

When your journal is complete you will have better handwriting and a great little book of quotes!

Quote: ...do not put off till tomorrow, what you can do today! ~earl of chesterfield~

Dream, Design, Create!

Happy Birthday Karen!!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday my dear friend Karen,
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!!!!
Hope you had an awesome day.
See you friday at Scraptherapy!!

(ok, I know this is a very scary picture of me, but it is the only one I could find of the two of us! Oh well.)

My Fellow ATCers....

All right girls (JoAnn, Gail, Susan, Melissa and Jessi) I am just checking up on you to see how you are coming along with your 4 ATC's this month. Remember our challenge was to use any combo of pink, brown and turquiose (teal) on 2 of them and the other 2 are whatever theme you want. I just wanted to encourage you all to break out the scraps and start playing!!! The above picture are the 2 for our challenge. As you can see I did not use the traditional shades of "teal" and "pink" mine are much more muted and soft for the vintage feel.

I have been thinking of doing an ABC set (ending with 26 in the whole set when I am done).
Each ATC would be a letter and then I would write, draw etc words that start with that letter.
What do you think? (Melissa this may be a cool way to use those ABC playing cards that we both have.)

I feel it is always important to have a goal to work toward, even with my scrapbooking/ ATC making. So set a goal for yourselves, even if it is getting your ATC's done a couple days before we meet, rather than the night before!!! (smile)
Have Fun and get creating!!!! See you on September 9th.

ciao
Nikki

P.S. For all you that come to class on the 9th I have a little gift for you. It is the perfect little tin to hold the ATC's we are working on till our next meeting!!! (it's a small metal lunch box-too cute- advertizing retro candies)

STM Blog Challenge

The first time I...

The first time I got a positive pregnancy test was October 23, 2003. My girlfriends were taking me out for my birthday. I was getting ready when I realized that I was a couple days late. I took a test (I bought some a couple weeks before, because my DH and I decided to "start" trying) and it was positive. I was so overwhelmed with emotion I didn't know what to do. I decided to take a shower and calm down before I told Sean. I went out to the living room after I showered, handed him the test and the instructions and asked him if I was reading this right. Well, needless to say he about passed out!! We drove to his parents and told them. Then I went to dinner with my girlfriends and told them, then drove to my parents and told them. (I would have driven straight to my mom's first but of all nights she was visiting with an old friend and was getting home late.) It was a night filled with emotion and so much happiness.
The above LO is actually my latest pregnacy test I took this past March. TFL

Belly Picts

At our "she" crop Meghan took pictures of each one of us! I didn't really want face pictures...so I got belly pictures instead. This one I altered and used a negative and transparent effect. TFL

Starbucks Mini Album

I saw this adorable idea on www.Fiskars.com . So, I figured I make one!! I just used the starbucks coffee cup sleeve and added some embellishments. All the epoxy stickers, tabs and plaque is CI. The paper and ribbon is AC. The tape is HS. Other: playing card and micron pens.

Scrap That Moment

All right, for all you web addicted girls out there I found the greatest website!
This website is an online forum and gallery to post your work as well as be inspired by others.

I have never ventured into the online forum world until now.
I realy didn't see any point in posting a thread or comment into a world so huge no one would care...
Well I found STM and it opened my eyes to what a online "home" should be.
They made me feel welcome from my first post!

You can get to their website by clicking here www.scrapthatmoment.com or you can go to my sidebar and click on Scrap that Moment...
you can view my gallery by clicking here or http://www.scrapthatmoment.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=376&password=/ by going to my sidebar and clicking on Everday Elegance's Gallery.

I really hope to see some of my local scrapbook friends on the message board. If you sign up as a member e-mail me your member name.

Acrylic Paint Holder

I saw this great idea to hold your acrylic paints in one of the Creating Keepsakes magazines. I just feel in love with it. It allows you to view all your paints at once and you can keep them organized by color (I just use one row for white, one for reds, one for blues etc...). I was never able to store all my paints in one container so I was constantly having to search through a couple of those rubbermaid shoe boxes. (Any of you that have a paint addiction knows what I mean!)
I was able to make this in about 15-20 minutes. If you want specific instructions, go to my profile and e-mail me.
Thanks for looking.

ATC Class

Here is my lariat I made for our ATC class. You can make one too!!! Some details below and some to follow.

What a fun time we had last night at our 4th ATC class! I explained the process to our newcomers Susan and Melissa, while veteran Joanne worked away on her ATC's. Joanne and I got to show off our nametag ATC's that we made, while the newbies worked on making there own.
Our challenge for the month is to complete 4 ATC's by September 9th (our next meeting). 2 of the ATC's have to have pink, turquoise and brown on them and the other 2 can be whatever we want.

On our Sep 9th meeting we will be making our beaded lariats for our nametags instead of working on ATC's. I will blog more later about the supplies you will need to bring. This will give any newcomers the chance to make something beautiful! If you plan to attend please make an ATC (2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches) that has your name on it. Please feel free to e-mail me with ANY questions. I can send you the info I give all of our ATC members when they attend their first meeting.

We retired our ATC class on Tuesday nights and we changed it to Saturday. I usually teach one Saturday a month from 10:30-12:30, so our ATC meeting will be right after from 12:30 -2:30.

Thanks girls for coming out and supporting the effort to try something new!!!

Productive-Unproductive Day

Can you say MM distressing block? If you do not have one, you need one. I got mine out yesterday and put a little wear on it. My Dad watched Riley for me so I could try and catch up on my scrapbooking, pretty nice huh. Well here are some of the LO's that I completed. Thanks for looking.

On a sadder note... one of my dogs ran by my table I was working on and his leg caught on my laptop cord and pulled my laptop off the table. Needless to say, it smashed on the floor and is unfixable.

ATC/Name tag/Ribbon Class example/ Elsie Challenge

Wow, I didn't realize so many things could fit into something this small (2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches). When I teach classes I wanted to have a cute nametag (cause any of you who know me, know that I am not good at names:) ). Then I realized the name badge holders are the exact size of an ATC (another class I teach), then I added ribbon and thought what a perfect example for the class I am teaching on Sat "Ribbon, Ribbon, Ribbon", and then once I altered the flower I completed one of Elsie's 52 challenges! Whew that was a mouthful. Sorry for rambling on and on. See you on Sat at K2!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

This is a picture of my mom and me at the Ritz Carlton in NYC. It was taken while we were on our mother/daughter weekend in May. I love you mom and Happy Birthday!

My Sleeping Beauty

Riley, you climbed out of your crib during nap time, so needless to say you didn't get one. Well, it caught up to you at dinner time... You fell asleep and didn't want to wake up. You looks so cute and peaceful I didn't want to wake you up. You didn't even flinch when I took a couple picts of you. I love you big boy. Mom

Change makes me happy!

I just changed the window treatment in my kitchen from a green printed fabric to these white lacey curtains and I just love it. It makes my kitchen seem so much brighter, plus with my love for Shabby Chic things, the white just "goes" better. It is a perfect change for summer.

Broken

We went to my friend Ashley's house on Sat. for her son's 2nd birthday party. When we walked up on the front porch I saw the swing, and the sign that said "broken". It just caught me as so funny, that I couldn't stop laughing. I obviously had to take a picture of it too. I went inside and asked Ashley who she thought she would need to warn that the swing was broken, since the whole back of it was dragging on the ground... She started laughing too and said that when they put the sign out, the back was still attached it was just really loose. OK, I guess I will give you that, but it still ended up on my blog!!!

Ribbons, Ribbons and more Ribbons

Wow are we going to have fun next Saturday at K2. I am teaching a class on different ways you can use ribbon in your scrapbooking LO's, cards etc... Here are the examples that I took to the store, and I will be bringing more with me. I am hoping everyone will finish a 12x12 LO and also a card... but we will see. It will be a fun class, I have snacks and give aways to everyone that takes the class.

Stay tuned for next months class "Back to School Message Boards". They are so much fun to make are practical too. There will be snacks and give aways at that class too.

Did you notice the theme of snacks and give aways?!? Well if you take my classes you will know that there will be snacks (usually chocolate) and give aways to all that attend. Who doesn't love free stuff? (The give aways will most likely correspond with the theme of the class.)