Jump, Jump, Jump!

I shouldn't complain.  My arms are getting more buff, but they are seriously tired at the end of the day!  Tired from housework and tired from not only carrying but continuously supporting our near 20 pound baby who likes to "stand."  Alas, we have some new tricks. 

For starters, AJ can now pull himself up well and is pretty good about using the edge of the sofa or ottaman, not great - I mean he is just 6 months old! - but enough to help take the load off of these tired, tired arms.  But we also have a new toy that is helping him stay so very active.  Enter Jumperoo!

Oh, he just loves it!  And he's so adorable as he bounds in there and sways, as the lights go and the music plays (on the quiet setting, of course).  It was a great investment, which we got a super deal on, but so worth saving our strength for a few other things these days.

I've documented this fun journey using papers and elements from a kit I'm currently working on.  I hope to have it done sometime soon, but I also know the holiday weekend is coming up and I'm sure to be outside more than at my computer. :)  However, I hope you enjoy how it looks and will check back for the release of the full kit in the near future!

First Swim!

Last weekend a few things fell into place for us.  First, we finally had some sunny and warm weather.  Geez, it was only mid-June!  Two, the whole family was at home on such a nice day.  Three, AJ was not napping or had just eaten SO why not let him test out his baby pool!

Oh, the prep involved in getting a little one outside is enough but add in blowing up the cute pool my parents got him and filling it with warm water from the sink - well, good thing Matt and I are a great team.  So everything came together and AJ got to take his first "swim".  He spent the whole time studying everything - which is kind of how he is.  In general, the little man likes to take it all in and see what he thinks before getting carried away.  We call this his "serious face."  It's very distinguishable from the goofy grin that normally adorns his cutie pie face. 

He didn't get upset at getting in the water or splashing around a bit.  He even kicked his feet a bit when we laid him back.  Maybe he'll be a fish in the water some day but for now it was fun to see him enjoy it.  Hopefully, we can get some better weather around these parts so he can really enjoy some swimming.

Here are some photos of the event which I have proudly scrapped using my new kit, Summer Slice, which is free until July 6th. 

Well, here's to hoping for more sun!!

About that concert...

Two weeks back we went to a great concert (see post below) and now I've finally got a page for my scrapbook.  I used my new kit, Summer Slice, to complete this page and it feels as refreshing as that day of fun did!!

Summer Slice Kit - Freebie!!

I've been busy this week working on my Illustrator skills and putting together this new kit - Summer Slice.  I had a lot of fun drawing the elements and designing the patterns.  I feel like I learned a ton too.  Looking back, I have no idea how I had time to get this together but I'm so pleased that I did.  The colors just remind me of the freshness of summer and well, summer also makes me think of citrus.  I tend to use more citrus in my cooking during this time of year - think guacamole, marinated chicken, etc.  And well, who doesn't like some fresh lime or lemon wedges in a cool summer cocktail?

I'm excited to use this kit in my own scrapbook and hope to post some pages soon!  And I hope you will like using them too.  I'm offering this kit for FREE until July 6th!!  Simply click on the preview to download it and have fun creating! Sorry, this freebie has expired.  Keep checking back for more in the future!

I'd love to see what you made or what you think - please leave a comment to let me know!

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Yesterday our little man decided that he would roll from his back to his belly...and keep on rolling.  It's very adorable to watch him grab his toes to pull his legs over one way and then flip, and finish by digging his little mitt out from under his tummy.  He's really doing quite well.  And reaching and scooching towards objects in his veiw.  The only down side - he's also doing this in his crib! 

Since all you hear as a new parent is "back to sleep" it made me a little anxious to see him laying there on his tummy snoozing away.  But I know it's ok since he put himself there.  However, he gets to rolling around and all you hear on the monitor is him hitting the crib bars.  It sounds way worse than it is but alas, it got me running up there more than a few times last night.  Oh well...another new thing to adjust to.  I was able to capture some vidoe of it, so that made me happy.

As for scrapbooking and digital design, I've been learning a lot more about Illustrator and pattern making.  It's been fun and challenging, and has my mind spinning.  Hopefully in the near future I'll have some time to get to some designing as I have a few ideas laid out already.

Best Concert Ever!!

What a busy and fun weekend!!  Friday started off fun knowing that Matt would be home from work early.  I always look forward to that!  In the evening we went out to dinner at one of our favorite places to celebrate a good friend's birthday.  The food was so delicious - I had homemade vodka cream pasta with this delicious shrimp skewer.  I do love food!

Then it was Saturday...and this is a Saturday we've been waiting for since December.  Finally, the day was here.  It was not sunny as we had hoped but that did not damper our spirits.  With two good friend in tow and the children safely stowed with their respective other family members, we headed up to Green Bay, WI for a concert at Lambeau Field.  It was the first time there was a concert since the stadium had been renovated and boy did they pick a good one.

It was Kenny Chesney's Goin' Coastal Tour 2011 featuring Kenny, of course, but also Zac Brown Band (my favorite!), Billy Currington, and Uncle Kracker.  The parking lot opened at 11am and we got there shortly thereafter to enjoy some time tailgating.  We grilled and stuffed our faces with food and washed it all down with plenty of beer.  We would have loved to have been in summer clothes, but ah, it was still so fun!  Here's a few pics from the parking lot fun:

The concert was the best I've ever been to, hands down!  The set up in the stadium was amazing and the artists all did such a great job.  The best part for me though was watching them play various songs together toward the end of the concert.  Other highlights included all the tributes that were made to the stadium itself, as well as the Superbowl Champion Green Bay Packers.  ZBB wore a yellow and green hat and one of his crew had on a Matthew's jersey.  Very nice!  During Kenny's show, Coach McCarthy came onto the stage during "The Boys of Fall" to show off the trophy.  Wow!  If you have the chance to catch this tour, I highly recommend it!

Kimono Blog Hop Freebies!!

If you haven't already been over to jessicasprague.com to pick up the Kimono Collab Kit benefiting the victims of the earthquakes in Japan through the American Red Cross, then here is a little something to entice you to do so!  Several of those who contributed to the kit have put together a blog hop full of free quick pages!  Here is my quick page - just click on it to download!

I hope you find good use for this page!  And if you like some of what you've seen in my quick page and the others on the blog hop, then follow the link in the post below to purchase the entire kit for yourself and help a great cause at the same time.

Now head on over to Monique's Blog for the next quickpage.  If you are just starting here at my blog, then feel free to go back to the beginning to collect some adorable pages by heading over to Croppycatters Corner !

Hope you have fun collecting quick pages!

New Kit for Sale - Watercolor Spring

You can now find my latest digital scrapbooking kit for sale right here!  My kit, Watercolor Spring, will be the perfect way for you to record your memories as the cool of winter fades into the warmth of summer!  Featuring 12 papers in a fresh and fun color palette, you'll be sure to capture that warm, wonderful, whimsy feeling that spring brings to us all.  The kit also includes several elements such as frames, journaling blocks, and stickers to help you embellish your pages with fun!

Happy Scrapping!!

Kimono Collab Kit benefiting Red Cross

Today I am very excited to share with you a little something I've been working on with my fellow Art of Digital Design classmates.  Together, we have created a collaborative kit, Kimono, in which all proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross to benefit those impacted by the earthquakes in Japan.  A BIG THANK YOU to jessicasprague.com for providing the hosting and administration so we could sell this kit and make a wonderful donation.

So head on over and purchase yours today!  What could be better?  You get fun, digital scrapbooking supplies and the American Red Cross will receive a donation to help those in need.  As an added bonus, Jessica is offering the entire kit featuring over 50 papers and 35 elements at a 25% discount throughout the weekend.  Click HERE to purchase yours today!