Learning a new trick...

Well - I have been wanting to learn how to design digital kits for a little while - but hadn't dabbled much in it. Then, thanks to God and Vi - I won Photo Shop Elements 7.0 - a perfect excuse to learn this program and see what I could design on my own! I have played with Digi Scrapping and love it! I have a lot of kits I have downloaded off the net and love them... all for personal use and most were free! But I am an artist and while designing the pages for clients is still my passion - to be able to design the materials TOO is just too fun!

I was contacted by a company looking for scrapbook designers and so that, along with the new software to learn, really put a fire in me this week to set aside some learning time to see what I could come up with! Not sure what will come of the possible new venture - but I am loving this new aspect of scrapping - even if I just do it for myself and a few clients!

Here is a layout that I came up with this weekend... it is pretty basic I know... not a lot of stuff going on - but everything on there, I made! I designed the papers, made the brads, drew the clipart, etc! So - for my first ever design project, what do ya think?

I personally love it! I see a few things now that I uploaded it to tweak - but overall - for my first attempt - I am happy with it! I can't wait to play more! But alas, today is Easter - and we are off to spend the day with family... just wanted to update you with a little something to let ya know I am still alive and well!

Happy Easter! He is Risen!
~Karrilee~

"- from you... I learned it from watching you, Bucket!"

OK - so I know that you are all wondering why these layouts seem strangely familiar even though I just made these LOs last night... well - it's because I did a Digi or two using these photo's!? Yeah - well - I learned this little trick from a friend in Boise... who shall remain nameless... and we won't mention the photo's of her cuties that were seen over and over and OVER... at least my LOs differ in that ONE is DIGI and lives in my computer, and ONE is old school and lives in my Family Album now?!

Still... I had a great day yesterday - a walk with my sister in the morning... which is not only bringing a bit more daylight... but sunshine and warmth as well! Yeah - I am a fan of that! I loathe those mornings when I can see my breath and not feel my legs... so Spring is better! After that I spent my Thursday afternoon as I do every Thursday afternoon - with my friend Lori - chatting and praying over coffee for hours and hours and hours! Oh - you think I am joking... but I am not! In fact, my daughter can attest that I am not joking because almost every Thursday I am rushing to pick her up on time because we couldn't stop talking!? Always a great afternoon! THEN - we went to develop some photo's that she took at school of her and her friends... and I came home to pre-plan my LOs and pack up my scrap supplies! After a quick dinner (Subway! Yum!) I was off to Scrap Happy - the monthly Crop I host! We had 10 people there... which is great because the past few months it had been me and one or two other gals... still fine - but more funner with a larger crowd! I managed to complete 4 pages and am once again all caught up!? Here is what I worked on:




(Yeah - those Friends' photo's were taken, printed, and scrapped within a matter of hours?! Is that wrong?!) I was hoping to get a few cards done as well... but maybe this afternoon!? We'll see?! We have my SIL and her two boys in town this week - they live in Nashville and so we rarely get to see them in person! We met up for lunch today at one of our old meeting/feeding places - a local burger joint which we love because of the 'special fry sauce'! Yum! Now - it helped that I weighed in today and hit the 70 pounds gone mark today - so I was not about to blow it - but I survived Burger Ranch with little to no damage done! Nice! Sad that Ruthie had to introduce me to her babies (again)... I guess last time was almost two years ago... but still!? Hopefully by after dinner they will be more comfy around all of us strangers!

So - all the family gatherings in the next week - and a few more gatherings in the near future - I am sure I will have some photo's to play with SOON! I can not, however, promise to not reuse them in Digi-land AND kickin' it old school! I DO have a meeting next Wednesday evening with a client - so hopefully I will have some fun wedding photo's to play with soon!

OK - off to work on some birthday cards...
Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~

I am alive and well... just lazy, apparently?!

Hello... hello! How have you all been?! I know - it's been FOREVER since I last posted... you would think I was Chuck (or Tracy maybe?!) with my lack of updating! I don't even really have any kind of good excuse?! I haven't been busy with work (rats?!) or with anything super exciting really... just every day life stuff!

I was able to go and scrapbook with a friend last week... I had nothing to do and she had literally 1000s and 1000s of photo's from her recent trip to Disneyland - so I got to play with her photo's and make a couple of pages. Oh how I wish I would have remembered to bring my camera so I can show you how cute they turned out - but you'll just have to take my word for it! I played with Tinker bell photo's... so fun! My little one is not so little anymore and we never did make the trip to Mickey's world - so I have never actually played with Disneyland pix! I didn't have access to all the things I would normally have on hand when scrapping my own things - but still - she did have some fun stuff and we had a great time! She used to scrapbook - but with FOUR little ones, she just sort of fell out of the habit. So our little get together was great to get her creative juices flowing again and now she is once again excited about scrapping! She is even talking about coming to my once a month Crop next week!

I did make a couple of cards (Shaker style - thanks to Denice!) and I cut out some Cricut Spring shapes for a SWAP on my Cricut SparkPeople Team... here they are:

I am hoping to print out some photo's over the weekend so I have something to work on next week - but if I don't, I know Michelle will have plenty for me to play with!? LOL!

I have been reading a bit lately - (which partially explains my absence here, I am sure!?) I read books back to back and so sometimes some of them get sort of lost in the shuffle... I just finished Maeve Binchy's newest book - it was good... I read Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman and can't believe how it ended and am now wondering how long I really have to WAIT for Book Two?! Patrick is a friend of the family in a round about way... he and my Uncle are very close. In fact, it was my Uncle and another co-worker who really encouraged Patrick to submit a chronicle he wrote for his kids to be published, and that turned into his first award winning series, The Land of Elyon. Anyway - we love his books - children's/young adult fiction. This new series - Skeleton Creek - is part book, and part video - which is so cutting edge/hi tech it's really going to catch on! My Uncle who used to, as they say, 'work in the business' filmed the video portions.... surely he has Book Two already, right?! LOL?! Maybe we can score an early copy?! I doubt it - I am sure he is under some sort of contract or something... I am just not good at reading series until they are done and I can devour them all in one sitting?! I also read a couple of Jentezen Franklin books, and am reading "Eat This, Not That", and a few others that are NOT library books?!

I have also been busy with SparkPeople... I have hit yet another plateau! I am still stuck at a total weight loss of 67pounds. This is great, I know... but I am not done yet so the plateau is frustrating! I will press through though! I have been busy trying to promote our Local Team... I finally talked with a local tv reporter and he is planning on coming out to our Team Walk on Saturday and maybe joining us on Tuesday for a Team Lunch as well... he is working on a feature story about health and fitness in our area! We recently were voted the 8th Fattest City in America! Nice?! Are you serious?! It was NOT a very scientific study - but still?! This is not the publicity we want... drugs, gangs, and obesity! There's a nice little tourist package for ya?! So - hopefully we will get some tv time for our local team! We have lost over 860 pounds and most of us joined in 2008! (We have 68 members but only about 2/3 or less are still active!)

I host a study in my home on Mondays as we go through Bill Johnsons' The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind. On Tuesdays I meet with a friend and we are going over the Book of Psalms and praying together. On Thursdays, I walk with my sister and then meet up with another friend for some visiting and prayer time. On Fridays I ATTEMPT to keep open for a weekly Online Chat with my fellow Spark Scrappers. In addition to those things - I have every day life stuff like cleaning house, doing laundry, grocery shopping, workouts 6 days a week and oh yeah - being a wife and Mom! Anyway - these are the things that have been taking up my time... life is good; I am truly blessed.

I will end by sharing this... I got a new workout DVD from SparkPeople.com It is the new Coach Nicole's Cardio Blast DVD. This consists of six 10 minute workouts. Oh - she starts out SOooooo super cute... a bit perky, but isn't that how those workout video instructors are supposed to be, right?! I was REALLY excited about the 80s Blast Aerobics section - and it was fun, but NO 80s music?! Just classic Jane Fonda/Let's Get Physical Aerobic moves... I was a bit disappointed. Then I can't even remember what was next - but after whatever THAT was - comes the Jump Rope section. I don't own a jump rope - but Coach Nicole assures me this is ok... yeah - it is ok - because if I had one I am SURE I would have used it as a weapon!? Halfway through my knees were ticked off at me and my lower back was asking, "What the @#%%?" I haven't JUMPED since - well - I can't even think of when I actually JUMPED!? I mean - sure the occasional Jumping jack on the past year or so... but only occasional. I would go as far as to admit that even when I have gone to concerts in the past several years - when they all do that stand and jump/mosh pit thing - I would actually just give my calves a nice workout and sort of bounce... never actually having to defy gravity at all. I liked it that way... my chest was happy - and apparently, my knees LOVED this idea WAY MORE than the idea of jumping Rope?! So - I barely make it through the ten minute workout! (I know - shut up!?) and we are on to the next section. Dare to guess what that one was titled? Oh yeah - it's called "Hop To It!" Um - how is this different than jumping rope?! Well - let me tell ya - my left knee especially will tell you boldly that there is no real difference?! Hopping (back and forth, and side to side... scissors, hopping on one foot, etc.) is much the same as jumping rope - only harder?! Coach Nicole is sweating... Good! I am so glad that she is sweating... and even sort of losing her breath... this will make it easier for me to knock her over and hurt her! LOL! I finally gave in and resorted back to a march instead of continuing to inflict pain to my knees... the last section is called BOOTCamp Cardio - I kid you not?! Whew?! I DID make it through... and I managed to do most of it - but crawling up the stairs was quite a feat! I woke up this morning at 2am with my knee screaming bad words at me... well - to be fair, I think we were both yelling at Nicole! I am oh so pleased to announce that my knees are feeling much better today... I did NOT brave another round of Cardio Blast today but opted for some Pilates instead... maybe tomorrow I will attempt it again... maybe?! I wonder if Coach Nicole will start out Oh so cute next time, or if she will still look a little like the devil to me?!

So - Scrap Happy...

Spark On...

and remember, Coach Nicole is not REALLY the devil...

sometimes people just LOOK like they are the enemy - but we can overcome!

~Karrilee~

Custom Card...

OK - here is a SUPER quick post - I know, I know - it doesn't even really COUNT as an Update... but I got a super fast Custom order for a card late last night... and it needs to be off in the mail in a few minutes to get it to the client in time!

So - the info I got from the client was it is for a male birthday... (It DOES say Birthday Greetings inside!); his favorite colors are blue and orange; he loves his Harley, to go camping, and she mentioned maybe wanting clean lines on the card... so - this is what I came up with... what do ya think?!

The Transparency idea actually came from my friend Denice... she totally rocks and I LOVED the idea... and then, after printing it twice I realized that I do not have the correct type of Transparency for my printer... so I went with it anyway and I love the alcohol ink-style look it took on... I am hoping the client will love it! Off to the post office... I will post a 'real' update soon!

~Karrilee~

Birthday Cards, Cut-n-Paste LOs, and some Digi Fun...

OK - a real quick update...

Last night was my monthly Crop - we had a few new people show up and that was great... I managed to get a LO done and start on a couple of cards as well as FINALLY paging through a stack of Scrap Mags that I just hadn't gotten to yet?! I STILL haven't READ them mind you - but at least I have folded pages to go back to later!? LOL!? I hate to even type it out but I wonder sometimes if I really NEED so many subscriptions?! I have only kept two for this year... and plan on letting one of those run out as well...

Anyway - these are the latest projects I have worked on:

Now... on to a bit of Digi-Fun:

This weeks Challenge on my Scrap To Lose Team is to use 6 photo's on a LO, or use Red or Pink... so - ya know - the over acheiver that I tend to be included all three!

You KNOW my list of Random Things that I loved about Valentine's Day was SCREAMING to be Digified!!!

I was able to use a bit of my SWAP gift from Amy and part of the RAK I won from Christina too... thanks again girls! So fun!!!

Now - once again... I am all caught up... and still waiting for my latest client to get her Wedding photos to me so I can pick paper and place an order...

Scrap Happy!

~Karrilee~

14 Things I LOVED about February 14th...

I had an amazing day yesterday - not because I was lavished with diamonds and furs and pampered with perfumes and a massage... because I wasn't... not even close?! But that is okay because my day was amazing because I simply happen to live a very charmed life and was able to enjoy those special moments in time when you want to freeze frame things and file the photographic memory away in your heart. I had MANY of those yesterday - but I will just share a random list of 14 things that I LOVED about Valentine's Day ('09):

1. Sleeping in with my Honey on a Saturday - a rare treat somehow for us?!

2. Waking up to Flowers!

3. Going out for a Romantic Breakfast!

4. Being able to open my Valentine SWAP Gift from a fellow Sparker! (Thanks again Amy!)

5. My Favorite RED Lipstick! (I rarely wear red - but I LOVE this new color!)

6. Going for a brisk walk with my Honey in the afternoon! (Even though I DID get hit by a car... and I am not joking!!! Like - as in - my physical person - hit by a car!?)

7. Laughing with friends & getting Valentine's Wishes via mail and internet!

8. Listening to Dave play through his Set!

9. Watching Mama Mia with my daughter all snuggled up on the couch!

10. Scored on the Fortunes - my daughter and I both got great 'fortunes' with our Chinese dinner:

11. Finding (once again!) the PERFECT card from my hubby! He simply has the knack for picking out the best cards and left me a card after he took off to work!!!

12. Going Shopping with Kayelyn - and shopping off of the same rack! Nice!

13. Meeting a personal goal! I bought a new pair of jeans yesterday...

Maybe you couldn't tell from that photo... but look closer:
Yep - those are a size 13/14! My goal since Jan 1 was to fit into a Size 14 on Feb 14th! I didn't share this with anyone until last week because I am really not a big 'numbers' person but I was SO so happy to be able to pull on these jeans and LOVE them (and be able to breathe in them too!) I am even on my TOM - so I was a bit leery of going shopping - but I scored!!!

...and lastly, # 14. I had someone leave me a comment on my SparkPage saying that my new Profile Pictures look like Drew Barrymore...

Now, of course - I just don't see it - but still - Nice!!!

I hope you had a great day yesterday too! I may not be the most prosperous person I know financially speaking - but I am RICH in the blessings of God and I know that I am living a charmed life! Thanks to Sparks - and all of you - now, there is just no holding me back!

Spark On & Scrap Happy!

I am starting to believe that we really can do ANYTHING!!!

~Karrilee~

P.S. - I was just enjoying a bit of Blog Stalking and found that my dear sweet friend Pam has tagged me... this is the Award that I won:

This award comes with a few simple rules: I have to say one nice thing about the man in my life, list six best things in my life, and then pass this award on to only five other bloggers. Well - I think my above post really covers this whole thing and then some - and I am passing on tagging more bloggers... but please feel free to take this post and make it your own!!!

~K~

My First "Official Race"!

Wow... what a difference a year makes! I am praying that I will be saying that exact same thing next year too! Today I entered and finished my first ever official Frosty Four Miler race! Now - the fact that I even entered is huge... so not anything I would have ever thought that I could do - or want to do?! However, this year I walked the route with my sister... we crossed the finish line at 1:07 so that means we walked a 16.75 minute mile (four of them?!). Next year, I am hoping to jog or run parts of it and beat our time! Still - we were not the last to cross the finish line - but more importantly than that - we crossed the finish line! That in itself is testimony of the changes that we have both made in the past year!

We met up with a fellow-Sparker and got this photo:

Polly did great - beat her goal of coming in at under 45 minutes! I had a few other friends who were there and ran it as well... Kim and I were just thrilled that the dreaded 'hill' that every runner was murmuring about was not as intimidating as we thought it would be. In fact, it is less of a hill than the route we take on a weekly basis around our house! Nice surprise!

Last month, through Spark - I joined a Bootcamp... it was a month commitment to do a video series 7 days a week plus cardio... I made it through and ended up losing 6 pounds and 5 inches overall. So -I am feeling on track and focused on reaching more short term goals! Nice!

I am still all caught up - but I did do a custom birthday card and a few fun Digi's on Friday while chatting it up with my fellow Scrap2Lose Sparkers! Here's what I was working on:

So - that's all I have tonight... I just finished the second of three Monk novels I have from the library and I am ready to dig in to the next one!!! Making some hot tea and snuggling with a book now...

Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~

Valentine's Day Cards... Done!!!

Hey there...

I have a super quick update here... just took some pictures of the Valentine's Day Card order I completed last night... and wanted to upload them before delivering them to my client! I got to play a bit with my 'new' toy - the Cricut I bought before Christmas time!? I hadn't really played with it much- but I am loving it! I am hoping to buy the software that enables you to use your fonts on your computer - rather than spending all that $$$ for cartridges per font!? But - until then - I have three carts to play with and I am sure I can borrow and share, as well!

So - this is what I have been doing the past few days:

And now I am finally - yes, FINALLY!? - kitting up those Flipbooks for the Workshops I am leading tomorrow! So - that explains why I have so few words to share...

Oh - but I DO need to share this... instead of our normal routine of walking outside and then playing the Wii yesterday, my sister and I went bowling... Oh yeah... it's true - and without Dave... so - you just KNOW what happened, right?!

So - we even (ever so slightly) improved our scores, too!

However, because we played yesterday - I am playing catch up today!

Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~

I've Been Tagged...

It's true... I have been tagged by Frenchie (aka Denice... aka http://being-craft-de.blogspot.com/ )

You KNOW I have some Valentine's cards done for my client - however I haven't photographed any yet - so this will just be short and sweet!

I am busy with the card order, and making Kits for Saturdays workshop!

I was tagged, and this tag only had a few rules:

1. Go to where I store my pictures and find my 6th folder and post the 6th picture in that folder 2. Explain it.

3. Tag 6 CyberFriends to play along!

Then Tag some other cyberfriends to play along!

So - here is the 6th photo from my 6th file:

Goofball!? This is my precious Kayelyn at age 9... we were in Walla Walla and I was doing a 'photo shoot' at Pioneer Park (taking my own 'school portraits' again!) She could only pose for me so long before goofing off or trying to crack me up! She'll LOVE that this is out here now in cyberspace! LOL!

So - Tag... play if you want, pass if life is busy - I know how it can be!

Darcie (http://three-monkeys.blogspot.com/)

Natalie (http://nataliemyrwold.typepad.com/)

Corinna (http://www.clstevens.blogspot.com/)

Kay (http://www.kdedid.blogspot.com/)

Sherrie (http://sherkayscreativecorner.blogspot.com/)

and lastly - a new friend from Spark -

Carla (http://coopscreativeconcepts.blogspot.com/)

Scrap Happy!
~Karrilee~

All Caught Up and Ready to Work(shop)!

Hello again...

Whew?! I am once again all caught up! I was a busy, busy girl last week and managed to finish up our personal Family Album for last year. I was focused to get caught up before starting a new Wedding project for a client - although our meeting was postponed due to sickness (on her part - not mine) I still managed to complete my own pages so I would not fall too far behind! I am CERTAIN that much of the reason I was able to get caught up and on top of things is thanks to the lovely Day Planner that Chuck sent my way!

Here are just a few things that helped to make me a Happy Happy Girl this week:

Yep - there she is... she's a beauty, isn't she?! All nice and pink and happy! Along with my Day Planner, is a few happy CDs I have been enjoying this week, and some fun HIP eye make-up, the new line of facial products that I rec'v as a gift that I LOVE, my journal that I try to write in on a regular basis, and a new wallet that my sister got for me that matches my (current) favorite purse! Yes - all of these things made me happy - but that paper there on the bottom put me over the edge! It is an essay that my daughter had to write in narrative form (after reading The Outsiders) for a class... and while she got a B rather than the A that she was hoping for - it is the content that made me cry! What Mom wouldn't want an essay written like this - especially at 13? Oh my... I am blessed! While I want to type out the whole thing - it would seem, well - a tad bit gloaty maybe?! LOL!? So - I will refrain... let's just suffice it to say she talks about our friendship and how I balance that with the Mom card and I am her best friend, she said, "My mother is incredible. When she puts her mind on something, she achieves it." This is a huge statement for me as I have really been working on achieving some goals and improving my follow through! Lastly, she ended with: "I only wish that I could be a hero to someone like my mother is to me." (Insert sobbing here!) Nice, right?

Between that, and this nice full week:

...I have been busy and yet - organized and on top of things!

Amazing what a little day planner can do! LOL!

So - here are all my 'final' pages for our Family Album including the Title page, our Christmas pages, and a couple of Friendship pages... I also worked on a SWAP Friendship page but won't post that now as the recipients don't have them yet! (But they ARE on the way, Michele!) Anyway - here are my last pages completed:

This week - well, I just got a large Valentine's card order so I am working on that today and this weekend... next week I will pick up all the papers and pre cut all of them and place them into Kits for my Workshop on the 31st! I can't wait! So far I think I have about 16 people signed up! Not bad... hopefully we can get a few more and have a full classroom!

My daughter has an amazing time at camp... is still feeling the lack of sleep of it all though but has managed to not get sick (which I cannot say for many of the kids who went unfortunately?!)

OH - I didn't have my camera - (since I gave it to Kaye for Winter Camp) so while she took pictures on the bus and of people sleeping, I would have been taking some fun Disco Night Bowling pictures! Oh yeah - that is right, people! I (yes ME?!) went bowling!? No big deal... except I have never gone bowling before. Well - that is not entirely true... I attempted to go bowling several years ago with friends and I was so incredibly self-aware and lacking any confidence or ability to understand that everyone was NOT judging me as harshly as I was judging myself, that I simply quit after trying about 3 frames. I sat out the rest of the night... horrified at my own behavior and locked in a prison of my own making. Fast forward several years, and add in the fact that my sister (a fellow Sparker) got a Wii for Christmas in which we have been playing bowling, we decided that it may be fun to go 'real' bowling with our hubbys! Knowing it would not be like the Wii, and knowing that we would not be that good (but not knowing HOW not good we really were?!) - we still decided it would be fun and something new and we wanted to give it a go! So - my hubby and I met up with my sister, her hubby, and their daughter and we attempted to bowl a couple of games! I think my total score (for BOTH games) was around 80 or so... yes - I said for BOTH games?! LOL?! I stink! However, I have learned that it is NORMAL to not be good at something the first time you try it... I have learned that the more you do it - the more you practice, the better you get - but just getting better should not be the goal... even though I hit the gutter more than I hit the pins - I had a blast! Not ONCE did I wonder if anyone around me was noticing how bad I was (or how overweight I was... or if I looked dumb... etc!) Not ONCE?! This is an amazing statement! I have been with my hubby for 18 years... not once have I ever embarrassed him in public! I was always too shy and too afraid of drawing attention to myself to even consider doing anything that could - well - embarrass him! However, apparently those days are over!? LOL?! With the 80s music (starting with Prince!) blaring and the disco lights twirling, I was having a great time... So when "Thriller" came on - I just couldn't help myself... I did stay SEATED, but when the time was right - I started in on the dance routine! Nothing big - just that arms going up from side to side part... however, before I got back to the original 'side' my husband, beat-red, pushed my hands down and shook his head back and forth, seemingly saying no! ...um, what?! I couldn't believe it?! I was not planning on standing up and going all out... but for the first time in our life together - he couldn't be sure! Incredible! I think this is INCREDIBLE!!! And such a testimony to SparkPeople and the amazing year of transformation. Never in a million years - even pre-weight issues, would I have ever dreamt of being so free of what others think of me... it literally took me a few seconds to understand what was happening and why he was holding my hands down! He was not being mean - he just didn't want me to stand up and start the Thriller routine full force! The funny thing is... I would not have done that... (at least I am pretty sure?!)... but the fact that he wasn't sure if I would or wouldn't brought me a lot of joy! I mean, I LOT of joy! (and really- it sort of made me want to stand up and finish the dance?! But I refrained!) We did however agree to go bowling again sometime soon... and I am sure my honey is praying for no 80s music just to be safe?! However, not only do I have that Thriller video on VHS somewhere... I also have my own MP3 Player... so he has NO IDEA... Now, if I want to make him nervous, all I need to do is sort of throw my head to the side by my shoulder a couple of times... Oh yeah!

Scrap Happy everyone!
~Karrilee~