Golden...

Some days are golden...this was one of them.  A perfect day for the Pumpkin Parade in Morton...then a photo shoot with my lovely niece for her senior portraits.  I am loving the warm, golden light.  Her eyes really pop.

What are the "golden days" in your world?  The perfect days that include the people you love, good weather and special moments captured are so fun to capture with the lens.  October begins another LOAD.  I have such a busy life right now but I hope to get create a LayOut A Day. It is so good for my soul - even if I lose a little sleep. :)

Wicked with a Bow

Not much scrap time in my world right now with the start of the new school year.  I have been shooting some pictures so scrapbook pictures are just around the corner.  This is the first photo my niece has revealed from her Senior Shoot.  I call this "Wicked with a Bow" - like it says on the back of her shirt.  Someone said it looks like this photo should be in a magazine.  What a compliment.

This month - I bit the bullet and bought a lens.  It ate all my Amazon points and then some - but WOW was it worth it.  It is going to cut my editing time in HALF or more. I can't wait to show you more - but Ciara gets decide when she goes "public". :)

I love that I have been blessed with the opportunity to shoot pictures of the people I love. I have so few from my childhood that I am crazy with my camera.  My guys suffer through it. I love them for it. I love a willing subject. Thanks Ciara!

Hope you are enjoying some fall fun.

I Believe...

I have been a bit absent from my little blog...but I am hoping to get back to business.  Life has been so very full and after all...and I have had to remember that I photograph, scrapbook and blog because I love my family and have stories to tell. 

This is a photo from my annual photos shoot with my little neighbor Kallie - you have seen other pictures of her and her sister.  She just turned 3 and we have been talking for a month about "when Miss Valerie takes your picture." We did a mini session with just her. What fun - and she got to be the STAR and not the little sister. Her big sis will get her own special time, too. 

I love this shot.  Yes...I added the wings  - but the rest is her.  She has a touch of Pixie and I BELIEVE she has a litttle magic!  
What a cutie.  Adding some words and a bit of a scrappy feel was irresisitable.  Do you have a photo that cries out for you to "play".  Is it calling for added wings...a quote...or even a transfer to B&W?  Just a quick addition can really make the photo memorable.  

Have a great weekend.
Valerie

Anniversary Card 2013

26 Years...                                                                                           

I do my best to make all of my cards...to justify the investment I have in all of my supplies.  I am tempted and fall to an occasional Shoebox but for the most part...I stick to that commitment.  Then...our anniversary rolls around and I feel the angst of trying to figure out how to make a card that reflects how much I love my husband...and our life together.  He always gets me the best cards.

This year, I had a plan!  My LOAD/ScrapHappy friend, Kristie Sloan made a wedding card that has inspired my wedding cards for 2013.  Check out Kristie @ http://kristiesloan.com/about/  She is talented and so very, very nice!  Here is the link to her original post. http://kristiesloan.com/heart-punch-couple/  You will enjoy her work and creative spirit. 

Back on track...I love making that wedding card but I have to give it away every time I make it (for obvious reasons). :) I am usually in a hurry... and never even remember to snap a photo.  I decided to twist the concept from Wedding Dress and Tuxedo to a "night on the town" suit and dress.  Our Anniversary...though several weeks past....is still being remembered as this card sits on the top of the piano. Randy even commented on the design when I gave it to him. It made my day!  

How did I make it? Pick a heart die that will allow you to fit two on the page. Cut 1 black, 1 white, 1 flesh tone (or another white and add flesh color with a marker or stamp pad) and 1 color of choice.  I can't get enough of this tropical blue. 

For HIS suit: Get ready for this...I used an embossing folder I picked up at Hobby Lobby that looks like a memo pad. I strategically placed it to create the pinstripe in the suit. Cut a slit down the center of the heart just enough to allow you to fold back each side to create his lapels. Attach the white heart behind it for the shirt.  I used the animal print ribbon to make his tie ...it knotted up well for just the right look.  I could have used brads or stickers for buttons. Even a bow tie would work if you have a heart punch.

For HER dress: Emboss the dress with the pattern of your choice.  I usually use my swirls, polka-dots or a small flower print. (This cardstock had a bit of a metallic sheen- if it were matte I might have used Stickles to had some bling.)  Have I mentioned that I love my Sizzix/Big Shot! It is the best tool for embossing.  Fast, easy and fabulous! I couldn't resist the animal print belt from my ribbon stash.  The buckle on her dress is from strips of "diamond" self adhesive gemstones strips... the possibilities are unlimited but it was fast and easy to cut to size and stick. Simply layer the flesh tone heart behind the dress to create some cleavage...using marker or ink to create shadows in all the right places. :)  

The stamps are from Stephanie Barnard's The Stamps of Life.  Anniversary stamps are not anywhere in abundance- so I dug until I found combinations that work.  The Words2Color set did have the "Happy Anniversary"...so I was sure to use it.  I added black doodling to  the Anniversary greeting to spruce it up. 

The card still needed something...so I bordered the bottom with a man's belt created from ...are you ready for this shocker....a Sizzix border die that is meant to be a dog collar.  It transformed perfectly to a man's belt.  NOTE: I had no good reason to purchase the dog collar die several years ago except the fact they were practically giving it way on clearance. It is one of those gems that I have used again and again when I "think outside the box".  A frivolous purchase becomes a "go-to" tool! A scrap of gold paper for the buckle.  Voila!  A finished card for the love of my life. I must confess...I was excited to give it to him. 

I hope you enjoyed this little card tutorial.  I would love to see what you create.  

Frogmore Stew

Our children have had the privilege of growing up in a real neighborhood.  They kind where your neighbors call out to you by name and offer a hand when they see a need.  The 17 years have seen some changes but even those who leave the nest we call our home - they remain dear in our hearts.  "Village People" is how we refer to them.

Sharing a meal or a recipe is a time honored tradition. It bonds people together.  This is a favorite:

This recipe was shared from the second family to live in the house next door to ours. Stephanie and Blake  moved in when Kayla was 3 or 4... and they had just had their "Gotcha" Day when Grant was delivered to their family from Korea at about 6 months of age.  She was pregnant with the baby we would soon know as Addie Mae.  They were new and we knew in an instant they would love them...and they had tough shoes to fill- for we loved the previous owners, too.

We made a habit of shared left overs - we called "Must Goes" from the fridge.  This recipe is one they talked about "doing"  not making.  It got our curiosity up and once enjoyed - became a favorite for several of us.  It is all about the shock of dumping the food on the newspaper covered table and grabbing what you want from there that makes it more of an adventure than a meal.  We love it.

Blake and Stephanie have moved away - but the friendship remains...and the memories of our "Must Goes" and Frogmore meals.

This recipe layout  was created in my Memory Mixer program. Easy and a cute way to share.

Chase's First Loft

This is the July 2013 Sketch for ScrapHappy I made my own.  It was a quick and easy way to get this season in our life scrapped as my oldest son begins his grown up life!  

This is the story of our loft hunting adventures. It is so exciting that he has found an urban setting with a "hometown" feel. The first neighbors he encountered were a man that grew up near Peoria but ended up in "the District" after living in California. He has been there five years and loves it.  The next encounter was a spunky little gal of 91, named Gabby.  She lives above one of the theaters. She was a hoot! On her way to breakfast and loving life. It is wild and crazy on weekend nights...and a cozy little neighborhood on weekend mornings. It seemed just right. 

Now, I have to breathe deep and prepare for my first bird to fly the nest.  I have such mixed emotions- but I will never take for granted the gift of his health, the blessing of his educational opportunities that he took full advantage of and the hand of God as he begins this next step in his life. Savoring the gifts and seeing his excitement. 

It's going to be a Wild Ride!

I adore this young couple and had the joy of taking their engagement photos.  This is the first one I finished...I couldn't resist.  This is rope swing hanging on an old cottonwood tree.  You can see the sweetness and joy in their faces. 

This was unplanned and just happened while they played.  It is...of course...the best shot of the night. What are the unplanned photos...activities...or happenings that capture that piece of your life you never want to forget?  

Photos can capture so much, if we let them.  Sometimes we worry about the perfect lighting (I am so guilty of this) that we miss the moments!  Look around...I am trying to use my phone camera a little more often...and click!   You never know what you might capture when you abandon the quest for perfection.