Embrace Life

We Have a Cookbook WINNER

Thanks to everyone who participated in my Jamie Oliver Cookbook giveaway.

Congratulations to WENDY!

Oooh, I love beets! I need to learn how to roast them.

(There were 13 comments, but two abstained from the draw.)

So Wendy, send me a note with your mailing address to: linarstudio.lc at gmail dot com and I'll get your cookbook out to you!

Toot: Simple Aussie Girls

Have you been over to the Simple Aussie Girls blog? It is a relatively new collaborative effort of a group of Australian mums who decided to start a blog to share clean and simple pages. Pages that make the journalling the most important feature. Count me a fan! The design and the photos are wonderful too, but I love the focus on the stories.

A while back, my friend-in-the-computer Amy, contacted me about submitting a couple of layouts.

I was flattered! I am flattered!

My layouts were featured a few days ago. I received a couple of comments on the SAG blog as well as on FaceBook, so here are the layouts including materials list and a blurb about each:

(click image to enlarge)

MATERIALS: Cardstock: Bazzill | Printed Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle | Stickers: Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp |
Font: VT Portable Remington

I always find "white space" to be a bit of a challenge. To keep it all cohesive and balanced is not always easy. I think this layout works. My pages are all very representative of our everyday life as opposed to the big occasions. The longer I scrapbook the less photos I use on each page. One photo represents the story or the mood and the journaling puts it all together.

(click image to enlarge)

MATERIALS: Cathy Zelske template - retired (from Design Your Life course) | Papers: All old, all free and all before I figured out how to save properly: lynng-crisp-2, PinkPeacock_Talkative_Paper1 | Fonts: Dymo, Agnes.

I want my scrapbook albums to be authentic and honest. Raising children is hard. I don't want, when they look back at their stories, to give the illusion that life growing up was easy or perfect. That would set my kids up with unrealistic expectations when it's time for them to be parents themselves. At the same time, I want to relay to them that humour is key. So, with humour and love, I make real pages.

It was so nice to "meet" the ladies over at the Simple Aussie Girls blog. I wish them all the success in the world! I love everything they represent :) If you haven't been over, be sure to give them a visit.

Another Toot!

It truly is award season - Golden Globes, Oscars, Blog Friends!

I just received a blog award today!

Thanks Xnomads - who I met ages ago either through a BPC class or on LOAD. It's been such a while I can't remember, but I'm so glad I did. She and her family live a fascinating life overseas. Go on over and check out her blog.

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There are a couple of conditions for the award:You have been TAGGED and want to participate? Then create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image. You should also blog the persons link that gave you the award and inform her/him that you accept the award. You can then choose 3 - 5 favourite blogs which you also link in your post, then each blogger will inform you that they have been tagged.

Please note: The aim of this action is that we bring unknown, good blogs to light, so I was asked not to blog fellow bloggers that already have 3,000 followers. Again, I am not adding this requirement for those I'm passing the award on to; that choice is up to the recipients.

I will start by thanking my friend for thinking of me as a worthy recipient and sending along this award! I accept :)

I am forever recommending blogs so I found this to be a challenge to only come up with 3-5, relatively unknown, blogs that are new (to me) and bursting with potential. Too much choice! So, here are four from my Yesterday & Today course at Big Picture Classes - chock full of brilliance!

Anastasia

Amy

Lynn

Briel

Congratulations! Have a great rest of your week, ladies :)

A Toot From Tina

A couple of years ago I discovered Tina's blog via Jill who is always finding good stuff and, even better , she finds good people. It was a thrill to get a note from Tina that I was to check her blog to collect an award. Not just an award, but a Stylish Blogger award!  It is always a joy to receive such awards and fun to explore new blogs.

As a recipient of this award I am to tell 8 things about me and then pass the award onto 8 other blogs.

About me (I know, can there be more?):

1. I am really trying to incorporate the regimen outlined by Jason, my naturopath. I'm finding it hard to start my day with hot lemon water. I much prefer my first sip of coffee!
2. When I speak I swear, a lot. When I write, it doesn't even occur to me to drop an f-bomb. Weird.
3. I have been watching ABC soaps since I was a kid and still enjoy them. My Nanny (grandmother) had her "stories" and now I have mine.
4. I cannot be a passenger in a car for two reasons: I get really bad motion sickness and I'm a control freak. (Third reason: my husband is a Quebecer and they are notoriously bad drivers.)
5. With the news that Target is moving into Canada, I'm very tempted to brush off and update my resume.
6. I no longer give my kids money but have replaced cash with gift cards. Works like a charm! (Knock wood, no one has lost their cards yet!)
7. We have a Garmin GPS and Claire has programmed it to speak in an Australian male voice. We now call it "Hugh" since she's such a huge Hugh Jackman fan.
8. I have been a font addict for a very long time. At last count I had over 1,350 fonts in my FontBook! I use about 10 on a regular basis. Crazy - but at least it doesn't cause any visual clutter!

... and now to pass the award on to other stylish blogs...

I am always inspired by the look and the content of the following blogs:

Monika

Shirley

Valerie

Jody

Lori

Amy Gretchen

Sherry

Amy

Celebrating Everyday Moments

is what I do. I find that when I sit down to review my year, I have almost no photos of the "big" moments: birthdays, Christmas, parties because I'm the one orchestrating those events. What I do have, between my blog and my photos, are little celebrations of the every day moments of our life.

I really thought I was alone, especially when I would see all of the wonderful tributes - in layout and mini book form - all over the www celebrating Christmas, Easter, Hallowe'en, Birthdays and more only to discover I would have to reenact events in order to capture them! I was so thrilled to find the Log Your Memory blog, book and forum this year and realized that I am not alone in my celebration of the every day! Sweet validation that my albums and memories are just as valuable in their everyday simplicity as those memories of the "big" moments.

Mid year, I submitted for inclusion in the 2011 Log Book and had one of my layouts chosen! I then got very brave and submitted to join the challenge team for 2011. Guess what? I have been chosen to join the Challenge Team for the first half of the year! The log book is an incredible tool, full to bursting with ideas and plenty of space to keep track of your memories. So many ideas to make your memory keeping simple. And done.

Head on over to Log Your Memory and meet the whole team. I'm excited to get started and work with this group of talented and inspiring women. I'm already signed up for a few assignments, I can't wait to share!

While you're over there, sign up and join the forum. What a wonderful place for encouragement, inspiration and ideas. I enjoy every visit. Hope to see you there!

Do you have paper issues?

I have paper issues!

And I was thrilled to find out I'm not alone.

During one of my blog journeys a couple of weeks ago, I went from one link to another to another (so I don't know to whom I owe credit) and discovered a new challenge blog:

I didn't find just a group of incredibly talented ladies, I found a site that completely appealed to me. The day I visited, they had posted a call to join their creative team. I took a look around and realized the fastest way for me to become invested would be to be a part of the group - so I took a chance and I sent in my application. That was a couple of weeks ago and I just heard from Cassie. I'm so flipping excited that I've been asked to join as a member of their layout team!

Yay!

If you're looking for a dynamic group of talented women with paper issues, this is the place for you. Paper Issues is a tremendous new resource filled with layout, card and altered inspiration. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Come join me on their blog or click on over and join the Facebook group. I can't wait to see what YOU add to the group!

Toot! Toot! PUBLISHED + a Give Away!

I've long admired Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine and have been known to send copies off to my out-of-country friends to let them know what our national Canadian-content magazine looks like. To date, all reviews have been positive! It is published quarterly and I eagerly await the next issue. You can't begin to imagine how excited I was a few months back when I was contacted, totally out of the blue, to participate in the Canadian Scrapbooker "Passport to Creativity" portion of their Winter Edition. Not just any edition but their very special 5th Anniversary Edition!

Yesterday, this was what I discovered in the mailbox:

I quickly flipped through and on pages 78-79 I discovered:

ME! Well, more accurately, an article about me and three of my layouts are included! I'll let you in on a secret: I've never been published in Canadian Scrapbooker before. What an honour to have my very first layouts be accompanied with a whole article! Thank you so much Jackie, Katharina and Sue :)

The layouts in the article (click on to enlarge) feature my favourite topic! The four personalities that fill my life every day:

Now, that being said, err, shown, there were some more layouts, not chosen. I haven't shared them as I was stuck for a reason. I know, I'm far too literal sometimes.

Oh, and a photo of me. (I know I sent them in, I just didn't like the one chosen!)

I've read this issue front to back and back to front again - a couple of times - and I have to say this anniversary issue is FANTASTIC!! Jam-packed with inspiring layouts and some incredible ideas for winter crafting. My head was reeling with plans by the time I was finished ... the first time through!

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Yes, there is a GIVE AWAY! I have TWO copies of the 5th Anniversary Collector's Edition for two of YOU!! It is such a great issue. Leave me a comment and let me know which of the layouts above you like best. I love them all, of course, but my favourite of the bunch wasn't chosen for publication ;) Was yours? The winners will be drawn on Sunday, November 28th at 10PM.

Keeping Quiet

Do you remember this layout?

I submitted it for consideration with Kristin Rutten of Log Your Memory way back in August. I'm so excited to (finally) share with you that this layout was chosen for inclusion in the upcoming 2011 Log Your Memory edition! I am terrible at keeping exciting news quiet, I'm so happy I can share :)

If you are unfamiliar with the Log Your Memory concept let me tell you how wonderful it is! It is an all-in-one memory keeping calendar, journal, planner and idea book. As you know, I am an "everyday" scrapper (as opposed to an "event" scrapper) but I'm also a busy mum and I often find the details of some exciting happenings elude me when it comes time to make my layout or blog entry. My copy - which I got at the last part of this year - is now filled with small and big memories. Lots of little details to bring memories back to life! For more information, Kristin has it all right here.

Who doesn't need a bit of a memory jog every now and again?

Click on over to Log Your Memory storefront and check out the oodles of formats from which to choose and get yourself a copy available TODAY. Kristin has also put together an affiliate program. If you decide to get yourself a copy and I've helped convince you to do so, click on the affiliate blinky that will be put on the blog as soon as the storefront is up and running (probably early next week). You have a few days to mull :) Start the new decade with a plan to make 2011 your year to record your big and small moments. Use a Log Your Memory book to assist you! Even better? There is a whole community that Kristin has built filled with inspiring, kind and energetic ladies willing to share ideas and provide creative support. I've enjoyed getting to know them over the last few months.

Enjoy your copy. Oh, and flip to Weekly Challenge #38 and check out my Freedom layout. It's right there! :)

Honoured :: Twice!

This has been quite a week. I've received the Kreativ Blogger award ... TWICE! Two ladies I greatly admire found me worthy of it's receipt: Lain who is always challenging me to be better by following her lead; and, Kyla who inspires me daily with her gentle nature and genuine kindness. Ladies, I am truly honoured to have been chosen to receive this award.

Here are the particulars:

1~ Thank the person giving the award, so, THANK YOU Kyla and Lain. You are both such lovely women, I'm thrilled to be a part of your lives just as I'm thrilled to have you as part of mine.

2~ Copy award to this blog:

3~ Place a link to their blog: Lain can be found at 5 Things (as well as many other places on the world wide web!) and Kyla can be found at The Kreative Life.

4~ Name 7 things people don’t know about you! Given my lack of subtlety, I'm not sure I can come up with 7 things, especially after posting my Me: The Abridged Version project, but I'll try my best.

• I was born in Saint John, New Brunswick and moved when I was four. I spent almost every summer of my childhood in the Maritimes and went to University there. I really consider myself, in my heart, a Maritimer.
• It took me a very long time to recover from my childhood and it is what propels me, daily, to be the best mother I can to my four children. I believe my recovery was complete the minute Claire was born. Now I just do the complete opposite of my mother and we're doing fine!
• I love folding laundry. Just the idea that a project is started and finished gives me a feeling of great satisfaction.
• Never, in all of my tennis matches, did my parents ever attend. In fact, no parents attended. As competitors we were fine with that. I wonder what kids think of all the parent spectators of today? All that hollering and yelling and instruction from the stands. As a former athlete, I would think, at best, it is distracting, at worst, it is spirit crushing.
• My arms are too long for my body, by at least an inch. I can't buy sweaters or long-sleeved tops ever long enough to cover and end up pulling up the ends so it doesn't look so weird and apish.
• I loathe using the phone. I always feel that I'm interrupting when I use it to call someone. And when it rings here it is usually a telemarketer, or someone else, at dinner time. I'm an e-mailer or texter!
• You know that saying about "swearing like a sailor"? That's me. Whenever I'm stuck for a word I throw in an expletive to buy some time :)

5~ Nominate 7 bloggers (doing my best not to duplicate anyone listed by either Kyla or Lain!)

Brenda came into my life last year. I have no idea how or when, but I'm so glad she did!

Audrey one day I stumbled onto Audrey's blog and I have enjoyed every entry since. She is so talented, inspiring and approachable. Love her.

Sharyn was taking the blogger for scrapbookers course over at Shimelle a few months back. She is so talented and I love her style! 

Marta is amazing. I like everything she does. EVERYTHING. I think I want to be Marta when I grow up :) (Clarification: she's at least a decade or more younger than me!)

Melissa is another lovely woman I met via the Shimelle class. Very real, inspiring and talented.

Jessi is amazing: sewing, scrapbooking, cooking, you name it, she can do it! She has so much energy. I miss her on the JustCre8 board, but thrilled to read her adventures on her blog.

Gigi has one of those blogs that every single time she posts there is something I just love. A project, an element, a whole scrapbook page. Her work is incredible.

6~ Place a link to these bloggers (just click on their names above)

7~ Leave a comment on their blog notifying them of the award (okey dokey!)