WELCOME TO BLOGABELLA

and it was a nice, “status” quo week.  The poptarts will be in next week’s layout LOL.

So??? have you started yet??? LOL

So here’s a little peek into my home.  Feel welcome 🙂

I used many Elle Studio tidbits and doodads.. LOVE.  They just come in SO handy!   I am always on the lookout for new goodies to put in project life.. you know.. to be HIP and CURRENT..LOL  and of course CUZ I NEED NEW STUFF right? hmph

Ok here’s my 2 page spread this week..

Ok so the picture above made me laugh SO hard.. it was taken at Michaels.. they grabbed these hats to entertain themselves.. but the first thing I thought this picture resembled was THIS!  Is that HILARIOUS or what? LOL.  I should include a little picture of this behind the picture but I did write about it next to it..LOL

well that’s it :).. and you will notice that I always write TO the kids.. not ABOUT the kids.. that’s just me 🙂

Now let’s see DENABELLA’S layout

and Sheryl’s

and here is Elaineabella’s from the UK!  She finally got her kit and couldn’t wait to play!

Hope you have a VERY crafty day 🙂

mwah!

Em

crabby and rotund.. LOL.. I love that word.

When you see my art journal page, you will notice it is not the usual me… my girls are usually sassy, a bit angry.. LOL.. and BRIGHT EYED.  My girl today is sad and wistful.  Not sure why she came out that way… Wait a minute.  I DO know why she came out that way…  There is one word that my friend Melissa and I text eachother EVERY SINGLE MONDAY MORNING… it could be as early as 6am.. and as late as 9am.. but it is usually within that window.  The word is “FRESSSSSHHHHHHHHH”.  What does fresh mean?  It is an ALL ENCOMPASSING word ya know.  We have been working hard at developing it’s meaning for the last 15 years of best friendship.  Fresh means, “without going into detail… TRUST me when I say…  THAT THE DIET STARTS AGAIN THIS MORNING..”..LOL.. we may or may not discuss the sordid details of what we did over the past coupla nights (because we get together every friday night, we kinda know WHY we need to be fresh).. This morning I had to confess to Melissa over text.  See our exchange below.  SEE??? the FRESH started at 7:48 this morning from her..LOL!  it actually had a SOOO in front of it.. THAT means.. that she was EXTRA bad..LOL (i’m the green girl)

and then my discussion of which diet to be on this week.. and what I need for the diet I was last on..LOL.  WHAT HAPPENED TO COMMITMENT???? hmph.  Yes, it’s back today.. FRESHHHH.. LOL (until next monday)…

Then I looked in the mirror and i honestly almost fainted.  My HAIR.  All of you with curly hair will comiserate.  My darling Jayden red handedly STOLE my conditioner from my shower.  Now a CURLY without CONDITIONER is like … is like… IS LIKE… HAM WITHOUT CHEESE!! LIKE PEANUT BUTTER WITHOUT JAM!!! LIKE POP without a TART!!!! (had to add that in..LOL)- why does everything have to revolve around food?

I had no choice but to wash my hair on Friday SANS conditioner.  IF I TELL YOU what I looked like this morning… OMG.. even my CHILDREN who love me NO MATTER WHAT.. EVEN FRANKIE was a little distant when he looked at me…were mortified.   It was a STRAW BEES NEST just like a CLUMP of hay.  LIKE SOMEONE DIED on my head.  I almost choked my daughter for stealing the above mentioned conditioner.  Actually Ryan went to buy me some more yesterday.. think that was a hint?  I had to SOAK my head in half a bottle this morning.

So along with the ROTUNDED-ness… MIXED with a BEEHIVE.. you will understand WHY this panic girl came out of my pencil…. LOL.  But I DID feel better after she “came out”…

I also have been taking a KAJILLION online courses… the most recent one is that of JOANNE SHARPE called LETTER LOVE.  It’s PHENOM!  It’s affordable, SO MUCH fun and so full of content.  Video instruction ever day in February!  how great is DAT?  Joanne is so down to earth.. you feel like you are in her living room. And if you join the Yahoo group, you will see that I already misbehaved and got a “what for”.. hmph…  I am only on the fourth lesson but having a blast and the classroom is open forever!  SO on my page you will see how I practiced a little lettering goodness..

ok before I DIVE head first into a depressing BLACK HOLE..LOL.. and make you join me..LOL.. let’s proceed with our AJ MONDAY shall we?

Here was the original inspiration of my girl.. I was attracted to her look since I saw the cover of one of my favorite mags

The theme this week was FABRIC.. but it doesn’t really matter.. it’s just a nudge.. you can enter WHATEVAH you want.. just wanna share!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love AJ mondays?  Have I mentioned FRESHHHHHH lately? (you must put a stress on the SHHHHHHHH and make it last a little longer.).. Don’t forget about SOOOOOO FRESHHHHHHHHH (when you were REALLY bad..LOL).. I bet you’re all saying it out loud now aren’t ya. hehehehe

OK next week’s theme… DRIPPAGE.. sounds gross but it really isn’t lol.  Spray ink on top of your page and watch it run down the page.. that is DRIPPAGE… if you want EXTRA drippage or NASCAR drippage (I am actually giggling at myself).. Spray your SPRAY with water.. and watch it drip even more and FASTER (hence the Nascar analogy)!  you don’t have to use ink spray.. put watered down paint, watercolor etc and spray with water and see what fun designs you can come up with.. so that is your background.. and anything goes on the foreground.

READY? SET? GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (said like FRESHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)

Tomorrow is Project Life TOOSDAY!  Send yours in!

Mwah to da sistahs who don’t need to be Fresh.  HMPH

Em

hiya sistahs!

This weeks’ Bellarific Friday is TDF.. grab a coffee and relax and let yourself be inspired.  I LOVE that we had lotsa entries… makes me soooo happy 🙂

Ok now for some winnahs from last week!

Winnah for CONTRIBUTIN’ ($20 in bella bucks) goes to

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11-Maria! YOU WIN!  please email me and I will send your MOOLAH

Timestamp: 2012-02-10 15:18:09 UTC

Now da Winnah for COMMENTAYTIN’ goes to

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

12-Carol W.. you win!! please email me and I will send your $10 in buckeroonis!

Timestamp: 2012-02-10 15:19:34 UTC

ok now down to BID-NISS!

The theme this week was a sketch… it’s a VEHERRRY popular sketch 🙂

simple and BEEYOOTIFUL.  Here is it

Let’s see what our babes came up with!

Cathabella used UPTOWN GIRL LUCILLE

Danabella used Uptown Girl LUCILLE

Ebrubella used TABITHA the TEACUP GIRL

Lindabella used UPTOWN GIRLS PATTIE and DOTTIE FRIENDS FOREVER

Paulabella used FAIRY PRINCESSES by MO MANNING

Paulineabella used ROSES AMONG US

Reganabella used JANE GIRL by JANE DAVENPORT

Robinabella used TURTLE TOTS- SUMMER GIRLS

Shannanabella used MISSMATCH KETTO

Phenom or WHAT?

now let’s  see what da AMAZING sistahood came up with!

Did I not promise you the most GORGEOUSEST cards? hmmmm???

Monday’s AJ theme is using FABRIC on your page

Tuesday- if you are doing Project Life, dont forget to email me yours to post and inspire others!

Leave a comment here and you can win $10 in Bella Buckeroonis!

and contribute to next week’s theme is ANYTHING GOES!  So as long as you use a Stamping Bella image, you are good to go! AND you have a chance to win $20 in Bellarific bucks!!

I wanted to leave you with one of my favoritest songs right now..all you hear my little Jayden is sing “Everybody Everybody Oh oh OH oh.. Oh oh Oh oh..”.. LOL  It’s the song on the lady and the tramp commercial here in Toronto (LOVVVVED THAT MOVIE..  Tramp was hot, no?  is that wrong to say out loud? LOL)… ok here it is

mwah

and I would like to take attendance.  LOL.  I know you are all out there but why aren’t you blabbing on my comments? hmmmm?  Just say hi.. come ON.. I dare you.  DOUBLE DARE YOU.. LOL.  Can it be shorter than hi?  Just put an “h”.. and I will know what it means 🙂

Ok now that I have gotten THAT outta da way.. let’s talk a little bit about Project Life shall we?

After interviewing several people I have realized that Project Life means something a little bit different to everyone.  I can’t speak for anyone else but I can CERTAINLY (as you all know very well) can speak for myself..LOL  .. So here goes.

First of all, I must say that my friends and family CANNOT believe that I have ACTUALLY COMPLETED week 5 of this project..LOL.  Did I not say I was COMMITTED this year?  Let’s not talk about weight loss.. LOL.. let’s FOCUS on Project life.

So what does Project Life mean to me.  Well, first and foremost, I consider Project Life “history in the making”.. I know it sounds dramatic but truthfully that is what I am doing.  I am creating a foundation/a history for my children and the rest of the generations to come of what life was like for me and for them at this very moment in time.  I am being REAL.. I am being RAW.. so in a sense, it is also an outlet for me.. a type of raw journaling that I am “ok” with everyone seeing. I write TO my children in the first person.  They are my audience.  Things I think of when I look at a picture of them etc.   So having said that, Sistahs, if you happen to blow up a picture or two of mine to take a looky, you may see swear words.. you may see raw emotion… you may see silly pictures that you would NEVAH take… but I am essentially inviting you, once a week, to enter my private life.  I am really putting myself out there, which most people don’t really do.  I don’t know if the “others” are smarter than I am LOL.. But I just feel that my purpose is not just a business oriented purpose (as you will notice with all my posts) but it is a PERSONAL purpose… journey for lack of a better word.

I am not only here to inspire.  I am here to vent to you.. to share my life with you.. to let you join in on my ups and downs and goofiness.  By sharing my stamps with you, my art journaling pages, my mixed media canvases, and now my Project Life pages,  I hope you understand that each of those things represents a different side of me.  My stamps are a part of me.. the artwork, the actual artists involved, the steps to getting the final image to convey MY message are all an integral part of my being.. along with all the other outlets.

If I can’t convince you or inspire you to do anything, I plead with you to at least start documenting your day to day.. anywhere!  Create a “lifebook”.. for you and the generations to come.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money (although that really is the fun part..LOL.. who am I kiddinK).. you just need to GET. IT. DOWN.  And no FLUFF.  Get it REALLY down.. what you’re feeling etc.  Everyone will appreciate it later.  Promise.

The nice thing about Project Life, is that if you DON”T feel like being creative, you DON’T HAVE TO!  it’s all prepared for you.. insert cards etc.. all you need to do is take the pictures.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much I regretted the last few years of my children growing up and having NO PICTURES really.. or very few. ..  I can’t regret it forever so I have started NOW, with Project life.. to pick up my PHONE and take pictures.. and I have felt so good taking them..

Every week I say to Denabella .. “uch I didn’t take ANY PICTURES this week”.. and then when I sit down, and recap my week, I see that I did!! And you know what? if I didn’t, then oh well… it was a slow week, I may journal more.. or put in more “WEATHER” pictures..LOL but at least I am doing it.

Another thing that Project Life means to me is that i can FINALLY USE MY STASH OF GOODIES!!!  That’s an amazing relief.. you feel like you are actually using stuff and not just collecting!  Little bits and bobs.. things you find just on your craft table..all can be used in Project Life… it’s DA BEST.

Now another thing I do for Project Life is challenge myself every week.  Like.. what am I gonna use in my layout.. I pick a 6*6 pad or a collection pack that I have never touched and I challenge myself to use that every week and to be creative with embellishments.

This week I got a little OBSSESSED (I know that’s hard to believe) with SEWING on my little cards.  Now you all remember my bEEyOOtiful Bernina my dad bought me a couple of years ago for my birthday?  Well..  I plug it in, the lights go on and ain’t no one home..LOL.. it’s not working!!!  I had Ryan examine it.. I thoroughly gave it a physical.. NADA.  I have to bring it in for servicing.. so of course I flirted with Ryan a little and off we went to Walmart to get another one so that I could sew on my little cards.. Yes I am a little Obssessive but i try to be cute about it 🙂

OK I get all weepy when I write about Project Life… I feel that that is where Scrapbooking is headed.. I feel that we are starting to feel our “mortality” and that is why I feel the need to document.. Uch.. ok I am gonna be happy now… Let’s take a looky at what my week was like.. shall we?  NOW IF YOU DON’T WANNA SEE THE “F” word.. then DON’T read the text portions of my layout..LOL.  and I didn’t even type it.. my friend did.  so THERE.

Another little thing my whole store was obsessing about was our new shipment of ELLE’S STUDIO products.  Honestly.. If there was any tool I would recommend for Project Life, it would be the Elle Studio line.. First I need to shout out to my friend ELLE (pronounced ELL-EE) who was SO amazing at getting me my product quickly.. She is a JEWEL.  Ok what’s so special about Elle’s stuff.  Well, Each card/snippet/tidbit is CLASSIC.. you can use it all over project life.. you can use them 1000 times, and you really wouldn’t notice that you have used it before.  They are all so cleverly thought out and so “a propos” (which basically means.. uch can’t translate.. it means “having to do with the subject at hand” I guess)… They are so much fun to “cut up”.. you get many options on a lot of her product.. I actually think they deserve their own box.. that’s how special they are to me ..LOL  So take a look at what we have.. we have limited stock as customers in the store have RAVAGED everything but I have a few things online that I think you will enjoy 🙂

Ok here we go! My week last week

Thass my week sistahs!  Now we have some contributahs and even a new one! LISA!  (ok so I forced her.. it still counts. hmph)

Here’s Lisa’s layout

Here’s Denabella’s double page

and here’s Sheryl’s post

*sigh*  I love these.

Now tell me.. if you are doing project life, I would love to hear what it means to YOU.  If you aren’t doing project life.. what’s wrong with you?  LOL.. just kidding.  What’s stopping you from doing it.. if it’s a time thing, I can tell you how to do it short and sweet.. if it’s a money thing, I will tell you how you can do it for less.

as Nike says.. JUST DO IT..

Mwah.

Me.

P.S. don’t forget BELLARIFIC FRIDAY this week is a sketch…

P.P.S. AJ monday next week is scraps of fabrics

P.P.P.S. i love you.

Hiya sistahs,

Hope you had a great weekend!  Ryan took Tyler to a hockey tourney in London (2 hours away) and Jayden and I had a Girls weekend.. (you will see the pics on my Project Life post tomorrow :)).. We had a phenom time!  She is 6 going on 16..LOL

Ok.. let’s talk about AJ monday a little.  RETRO DOLLY had a fab idea about giving out prizes or some sort of button (RD, you have to email me some more info on that or just post in the comments so we can all partake in a convo 🙂 ).  If you have any ideas on how to make AJ monday more exciting (although I am not sure I can handle any more excitement..LOL), please post on the comments and we can share ideas!  Ok.. enough BLABLA.. let’s see the PHENOMALISHNOUS sent in by da sistahood! and da BABEHOOD!

Have I mentioned lately  that I LOVE MONDAYS????

If you are on the fence about joining in, PLEASE hop off and join in..LOL.. color scribble write doodle.. whatever! it’s your place!   If you have any questions at ALL about art journaling , please email me and I will try to answer whatever I can. k?

ETA:  I JUST FOUND MORE ENTRIES from SISTAHS!!! please please please forgive da airheadabella !!!!!

SOOOO???? ready to join in yet???? hmmmmmmm????

Next week’s theme is…… FABRIC!  use a scrap, a full piece, stamp on muslin, rip, shred, patch.. whatevah!

we can chat in the comment thread here.. or I have opened a post in our MEMBER GROUP at Splitcoast!  You can find the thread here

MWAH

Em

Hiya sistahs,

sorry for the delay… been so biZzyyyyyyy!!!!

Ok without  further ADOOOOOOOO let’s pick some winnahs shall we?

Winnah for COMMENTAYTIN’ last week goes to ($10 in bellarific bucks)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

30-Julie F!! you win $10 in bella bucks!  please email me and I will send you your moolah!

Timestamp: 2012-02-04 18:43:22 UTC

Now for the CONTRIBUTIN’ sistah who will win $20 in bella bucks

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11- LESLIE!! I could hear you squeal from here! LOL.. email me and I will give you some bella luvin' LOL

Timestamp: 2012-02-04 18:47:20 UTC

OK down to BIDNISS

the Bellarific challenge this week is VALENTINES or red white and pink card!

Let’s see what our babes came up with shall we?

Cathabella used RAMONA FISHING

Danabella used RAMONA FISHING (LOL)

Ebrubella used BFFABUGGS

Lindabella used BLOW A KISS JANE

Paulabella used Frankie’s gift

Paulineabella used RAMONA FISHING!! LOLOL.. she is popular my little ramona..

Shannanabella used CHERRY BLOSSOM BITTYBLOOM

Regabella used our I AM SCRIPT

and now for da SISTAHOOD’s  cards!

JUST LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE them!! I love hearts.. I love valenTIMES day (as my kids say).. makes me HAPPPPPPPPY

Tyler sent this to me.. I thought it was SOOOO cute 🙂

Ok next week’s theme is a sketcharooni!

Don’t forget to post a comment for a chance to win $10 in bella buckeroonis!!

Don’t forget TAPE as the theme for AJ MONDAY!   washi, masking.. etc

Are you PROJECT LIFING yet?  If so, I hope to see your entry on TOOSDAY! (just email me by Monday night or TOOSDAY morning so I can post it).. I don’t care what dates they are.. they don’t have to be so current.. just inspiring!

Am I annoying you yet? hehehehe

Mwah to da SISTAHS who LOVE to LOVE!

Em