Scrapbook Generation Blog Hop!!!

 

 

 

Welcome to the SG Blog Hop for June, if this is your first stop, you might like to start at the Scrapbook Generation blog and then hop through each link. Here is the list in case you get lost

Scrapbook Generation blog - http://scrapbookgeneration.blogspot.com/

Ruth - http://scrapmachine.com/

Alisha - http://layoutaday.blogspot.com/

Michelle - http://ownerofchanel.blogspot.com/

Manda - http://mandalikadesigns.blogspot.com/

Sheree - http://www.sheree412.blogspot.com/

Nicole - http://nicolesscrapbook.blogspot.com/

Tammy - http://www.tammygrant.blogspot.com/

Steffanie - http://steffanies.blogspot.com/

Cécil - http://isbahashome.blogspot.fr/

Stephanie - http://craftyholidaygirl.blogspot.com/

Nicole - http://lovemesomepaper.blogspot.com/

Brenda - http://roseblossomlegacies.com/

Kelley - http://www.kelleykreates.blogspot.com/

Lindsey - http://www.scrapping-by-the-sea.com/

Wanda - http://sketch-lovers.blogspot.com/

Mandi - http://mjskraze.blogspot.com/

Laureen - http://mybusyscrapbookinghands.blogspot.ca/

Corrina - http://anotherthingoffthelist.blogspot.ca/

Cicily - http://www.pinkdalmationscrapper.blogspot.com/

Michele - http://michelesscrapycreations.blogspot.com/

Tessa - http://www.scrapwithtessa.blogspot.com/

Sherri - http://www.sherripriest.blogspot.com/

Devra - http://mycreativeview.blogspot.com/

Tina - http://tiggersscrapplace.blogspot.com/

Deborah - http://scrappingmycrazylife.blogspot.com/

Each blog will share a project using one of the SG sketches as a starting point. You can find the sketches in their books and downloads in the SG store, and there is a free one every month in case you wanted to try it out.

My layout is from 2011 and it is one that I love. I apologize that I can't remember where the sketch came from. It may have been from the Sketch Support website or from one of the fabulous SG sketch books. You can't go wrong with any of them. I truly believe that if it weren't for SG and their amazing sketches, I would be so much farther behind in my scrapbooking than I am.

Next on the hop is Lindsey, leave a comment on each blog and one lucky commenter will receive a free sketch bundle of their choice from the store. The winner will be draw on June 10th, so you have one week to leave a comment.

Getting a vision out of my head...

December 14, 2012 was a horrible day. I can't imagine the grief, pain and fear those parents of Newtown, CT went through. I hope that I never know.

I've had a difficult time with this tragedy. I'm sure that's most likely due to having a first grader myself. Those could be his friends. That could be him.

I went and saw the movie Les Miserables on Sunday. It was wonderful. I was moved by a song towards the end of the film called "Empty Tables at Empty Chairs". I won't spoil the movie for you but it's obviously being sung by someone with survivor's guilt. And maybe I have a little of that. Relief that it wasn't my child's school that day. And guilt for feeling that relief.

So ever since then I have had this image in my head of the empty classroom. But not a neat and tidy classroom. A classroom that had obviously been full of life and learning, then had to be abandoned and left behind. While I was at my son's school yesterday morning for a PTA meeting I asked his teacher if I could take a photo of her empty classroom. I told her my vision and she gratefully agreed.

Here is my vision...

I dedicate this photograph to all those affected by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Both directly and indirectly. May healing come to us all.

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

Those words, said by Abilene Clark to Mae Mobly in Kathryn Stockett's The Help, hit me today while I was walking Cookie this morning. It was probably in my head since I've finally gotten around to watching the movie, and have since watched it about half a dozen times, but they really resonated this morning. I think as women we tend to beat ourselves up too much. I know I do. I'm extremely critical of myself and that critical voice in my head tends to scream at me. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about where I want to go with my life. I'm 39 years old and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I feel like I don't have a direction. I don't feel I'm successful at anything, except maybe sitting on the couch, surfing the 'net and eating way too much food that isn't good for me. My kids start school soon. And this will be the first time that they are both gone for the whole day. I'm terrified about what I'm going to do with my time. I have some commitments, like PTA and being the bookkeeper at Riley & Jake's but I'm scared it's not enough. I want to be amazing at something. I want people to say that I am the go-to person for something but I'm not sure what. Hopefully I can figure that out and maybe I can actually begin to believe that I am kind, smart and important.

Chocolatey, yummy goodness...

So this week is Teacher Appreciation Week at my kids' school and I volunteered to provide some food items. Tuesday was a layered taco dip, today was a chocolate hazelnut tart and tomorrow is cookies. I decided to make the same cookies I made for my niece last week, Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies. I used this recipe from the Food Network. I'm so glad for my local Wegman's for some of the more "exotic" ingredients. Giant just doesn't carry dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Anyway, after a morning PTA meeting, a quick run to Target, lunch and getting Jacob on the bus for afternoon Kindergarten, I came home and whipped up a batch. My house is smelling really yummy right now.

 

The dry ingredients...

 

 Melting the chocolate and the butter...

  

Scooped onto the pan...(love my cookie scoops and Silpat liners)

 

The finished cookies...

I don't know how I'm going to not eat these. Good thing I'm out of the house tonight.

Have I got a deal for you...

If you own a Silhouette machine then I have a deal for you! Plum District is offering $30 worth of downloads from the Silhouette Store for only $18! And after you purchase, if you get 3 other people to purchase from your link, then your purchase is free! Can't pass that up! I've got a bunch of designs sitting on my wish list that I can now purchase. So here's my link if anyone is interested. Plum District Silhouette deal 

Happy Shopping!

Using up those scraps...

So after making the 3 layouts from the Scrapbook Generation March Super Saver layouts I had enough extra supplies to make 3 cards. I made a birthday card for my sweet friend Laura, my sister-in-law Kelley (yes, I know, same name and spelling) and a sympathy card for my neighbor. I love when I have extra supplies at the end of my layouts. I've been working harder to use them up right away to make some cards to have on hand. It really is easy to do. I got the ideas for my cards from the Sketch Support site.

Simple, right? My theory is that you can never have too many cards on hand. Who doesn't love receiving a handmade card? (If you don't, just lie and tell me you do.)

I think it should really be a federal holiday...

So it's National Scrapbooking Day today!! Yes, it's a real holiday. Did I do any scrapbooking today? No. We had t-ball this morning, then went to lunch at Panera. After that, I came home and took a nap on the couch. Priorities, right? Maybe tonight I'll get something done. I did do some scrappy stuff this week though. I put together my April Super Sketch kit from the fabulous Scrapbook Generation. That was fun. I also used the scraps from the March kit to make 4 cards. Now I have the April scraps to make more cards!! Yippee!!!