There will be a day...

Just need this today. Hope it blesses you if you need an encouraging word as well.

There Will Be a Day by Jeremy Camp

And they're off...

It's the first day of school! Tessa's first day of "big" Kindergarten and Seth's first day of 5th grade. One year together at the same school... I'm guessing I'll be at the school A LOT! Didn't boo hoo at the "Boo Hoo Breakfast"... thought I'd cry when I got home, but not so far. I always get emotional at school milestones, but perhaps I'm growing up. Or maybe it's because I am THRILLED with Tessa's teacher and know that Seth is happy with his class. Fingers crossed and many prayers said for a wonderful school year! Here are a few pictures:

A little more crafting...

I'm still squeezing in a bit of time here and there during this last week before the kiddos go back to school. Mixed feelings about that... have to admit I'm looking forward to some peace & quiet around the house but Tessa's starting "big" Kindergarten... sniff sniff... and Seth will be a 5th grader! Big year... the only one they'll be at the same school!

Here's what I've been making. Played along in a couple of challenges at Noel Mignon's Summer Sizzlin' Crop, a scraplift challenge (scrapped Tara aka Tay) and a color challenge:

Mix It Up! Challenge Layout

Here's a layout I completed for Mixer #26 over at the Mix It Up Challenge Blog:

Thought it was a great sketch to capture a "favorite things" layout. Also, had gotten this fabric in a grab bag recently and the colors worked with the inspiration piece! This is my first "mixer" but I'll be watching these fun challenges and playing along some more in the future. Saw it posted at Scrapbook Circle and just had to try!

Also, yesterday the kids and I made some "faux marbled paper" using a technique I saw posted by Samantha over at Vintage Plum:

So much fun - will definitely be doing this again! Happy August Creating!

Last LEO layout (about me...)

So, I'm sad to see "LEO" go, but it's only for now... the "Layout Every Other day" challenge will return to Willow Traders in Sept., so come join us then! I joined late (using my 3 skips at the beginning of July) but am proud to report that I completed 12 of the 15 challenges. Here's my last one (yes, that is me riding a carousel):
Since we are now in the "Construction" challenge for August (to spend time creating every day... or at least every other day), I hope to get some cards and sewing done. And, we are also having blog hops every weekend, as well as a possible stamping blog hop on Wednesdays, so there's lots of creating going on under the willow tree. Won't you join us? We love kits, food and each other. Come on over to Willow Traders.

Hello August!

Well, I'm a day late welcoming August! But I wanted to complete one more layout for the Willow Traders Blog Hop last night and post it. I'm sort of "overlapping" challenges (LEO and Construction), but I had so much fun scraplifting a layout for LEO#14 that I just had to do another one, so I'll count it is my "construction" challenge. Here it is. I scraplifted Nicole Samuels' fabulout cover layout from the July Scrapbook Trends (you can see it here: Style).

Yesterday I completed this scraplift of Gigi Kennedy at Kenner Road (see her layout: four).

I had the best time using all those buttons and making a more "masculine" flower embellie! Thanks again for stopping by my blog this weekend!