Pie for breakfast.....

I just finished my design team projects using the March kit from C'est Magnifique Kits, and I really love the paper.  It's from Pion Designs, a Swedish company.  This is our niece Erika.  She is such a lovely person.

It's been so dreary, windy, and cold here today.  I'm sure hoping for some sunshine tomorrow so I won't feel so dreary. I wanted to do some art today, but just couldn't get into it.  Maybe tomorrow will be better because I'd like to organize some of my art supplies so they are easier to get to.  I think that way I will use them more.  Right now it's such a pain to get to them, and get them out. 

Valerie Serfozo

Some Recent Layouts

I have a couple more layouts to share using the February kit from C'est Magnifique. The paper is from Riddersholm Designs.

The first layout is using a photo of Jessica, my nephew's wife.  I have always loved this candid photo of her taken at their reception.  She just looks so happy!

 

I must begin by telling you that this photo was not taken at my house.  I've had several people tell me that they really love my house, and although it's a beautiful house with a stunning yard, it isn't mine.  This is my great -niece and nephew, Makenzie and Trevor.  Even though their faces are somewhat shaded by the bright sun, I have always loved this photo of them.  My sister loves them "bigger than the sky" and so do I. 

~~~Valerie Serfozo

A Giveaway and a Layout to Share

First, I thought I would share some giveaway information with you.  Head over to the C'est Magnifique Blog and add your name to the list for a chance to win some beautiful goodies from the February kit, which is sold out.

This week I'll share with you some layouts that I created with the kit.  The paper is from a Danish company called Riddersholm Designs.  Wow, this paper is lovely!

This is my darling niece, Callie Jane.  She is a very special little girl.  If you follow my blog you might know that she was very ill when born, but I'm so happy that she is growing up to be a healthy little girl.  This is a photo that I took shortly after she came home from the hospital. 

~~~Valerie

Happy Friday

I've had a wildly crazy week both at home and at work.  I don't typically work on Saturdays, but I do have to work tomorrow.  I'd rather be scrapbooking or painting all day, but hopefully I'll be able to find some time for that Sunday.

The C'est Magnifique February kits will be mailed soon, and I'll be able to share my layouts.  But I can share one of them today.  I love the beautiful deep purple tones that are a part of the kit. 

This is my beautiful great-niece, Macy.  I love that girl's smile!

~~~Valerie

Take a peek.....

Just a little look at the upcoming February kit from C'est Magnifique Kits featuring paper from a Danish company, Riddersholm Designs.  Wow, are these colors amazing.  I'll share one of my design team projects with you in a couple of days.

 

I really like these!  How about you?

 

~~~Valerie Serfozo

 

10 Things on the Tenth

I'm trying to get back into the things that I like to do, and participating in Shimelle's 10 Things on the Tenth of each month, is one of those things I like to do.  I really don't like to make resolutions, and I'm not crazy about calling them goals, either.  Maybe it's just the word that I don't like.  But at the beginning of each year, after the rush of Christmas, I like to think about things that I'd like to do better and things that I want to accomplish.  The first few months of the year are rather slow (and cold), so it's a good time to get inside projects done.  So these are 10 of those things that I've been thinking about and things I want to do better in 2012:

1.  Clean my studio.  It's got way more stuff in it than I could ever use in my lifetime.  In my opinion, having too much makes it difficult to create.  I have gotten a great start on this and I already feel lighter, and motivated to keep going.

2.  Do more art.  No, I don't call myself an artist (why is that so hard?), but I do love to paint and collage and get messy in my art journals.  But I find that I don't do it very often.  One reason is that my scrap supplies take up so much space that I have all my art journaling supplies packed away out of sight.  Part of cleaning my studio is to get these supplies out where I can see them, and easily move them to my desk. 

3.  Purge my Reader list in Google.  I have SO many blogs in there, that there is no way I can keep up.  I need to get rid of things I really don't care about, and bloggers that don't post much.

4.  I love online classes. Yes, I love them.  But I tend to sign up for too many, and then I can't keep up with any of them.  How many times do you sign up for class knowing that you don't have time to give it all you should?  If you're like me, it happens too much.  So I'm going to be reasonable about what I commit to.  If I don't have time for the class, I'm going to skip it.  That way I can really enjoy the ones I take.

5.  Learn to use Lightroom.  I bought it.  It's loaded on my computer.  It's filled with photos.  But I don't know how to use it.  That's going to change this year.

6.  I like to send hand made birthday cards, and I'm always finding myself rushing to complete one so I can get it in the mail.  I have now listed on my calendar, on the first day of the month, each birthday for that particular month.  I am going to make my monthly cards all at one time, so they will be ready to mail.

7.  Keep working on my photography.  The only way to get better is practice, practice, practice, and I'm going to do that.

8.  Put my layouts in albums.  I have stacks of layouts that need to be put in albums.  If I devote an afternoon to it, I will have them all put away.  I can do that!

9.  Cut back on purchases.  The fact that I have so much stuff, means I purchase too much!  I am going to make a point of purchasing only the things that I want most.  I get a kit club each month, so I'm always going to have something new to play with.

10.  Establish more routines.  I think routines are a good thing.  They keep my life ordered.  They keep me from straying.  10 on the Tenth is one of those good routines!

Since no blog post is complete without a photo, here's a layout I created with the January kit from C'est Magnifique using paper from 7 Dots Studio.  This is my granddaughter in her very first "real" horse riding competition.  She was SO nervous, but placed 3rd.  That's great for her 1st show.

So how do you feel about new beginnings each year?  Do you have anything that you want to do better in 2012?  I'd love to hear about it, so leave a comment below.

Now I'm off to see what others have posted on the this first 10th of the month in 2012.

~~~Valerie Serfozo

Today I head back to work after being off since December 22.  I wasn't scheduled to be off that long, but ended up with a terrible cold that I just couldn't seem to shake, and it's still hanging on.  I'm still not completely well.  Still coughing during the day and at night, which makes it difficult to sleep.  My husband, who had this first and shared it with me, ended up with pneumonia.  He is still trying to get over that.  I sure hope you don't have to go through this.  It's just plain nasty. 

I can't wait to get back to scrapbooking, because I've missed it.  One of the first things I want to work on during the month of January is to clean my studio.  I have WAY too much stuff in here, and I need to pass it on.  It is much easier to create when things are not overflowing.  I have accumulated so much over the past 11 years, and downsizing is way past due.

But I do have some design team projects to share using the January kit from C'est Magnifique.  There comes a time in the dark days of winter that you just have to pull out a summer photo to scrap.  This is my nephew and his family at the beach a couple of years ago. Their wonderful smiles made me happy.  I loved working with the 7 Dots Studio paper in this kit!

Have a great week. For me, it's difficult to get back into the swing of things.  Perhaps you're one of those who are excited to get back to your routine.  Which are you?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

~~~Valerie

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Little Word

Happy New Year!  I hope your 2012 got off to a great start.  My husband and I were both sick for Christmas and are still not well, so 2012 has to start off better than 2011 ended.  But that's all in past (almost), and it's time to move on.  Not every Christmas is guaranteed to be 'merry', and we've decided to just accept that. 

Ali Edwards introduced many of us to her 'One Little Word' concept several years ago.   Essentially it is choosing one word at the beginning of each year, and using that word to guide you through the coming year.  Like many others, I have created a layout and/or journal about my word.  This year, my word is 'realistic'.  I need to be more realistic about what I can actually accomplish.  I seem to take on so many things, knowing that I can't realistically complete all of them (or can't do it as well as I'd like to). 

If you've chosen a word for this year, please leave me a comment and let me know what word you've chosen. 

And I can finally upload my layouts using the January kit from C'est Magnifique.  This kit, featuring paper from 7 Dots Studio, was so popular that it is already sold out.  Here's a layout of my granddaughter prior to her Homecoming Dance this fall. 

I'll upload more layouts using this kit sometime this week. 

~~~Valerie

 

 

Happy Monday everyone.  I've been busy working with the January kit from C'est Magnifique Kits.  We are so fortunate to have the Dreamer collection from 7 Dots Studio.  This kit is already sold out.  It sure didn't take long. 

This is my niece Makenzie.  I can't say it enough......but I am so fortunate to have so many darling nieces and nephews that are more than willing to pose for photos.  I sure do love this little butterfly.  

Have a great week!  I need a little retail therapy today, so I'm headed to Archivers to look around, and pick up one final gift at the mall. 

~~~Valerie Serfozo

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.......

I hope you've been able to follow some of the blogs that have been posting inspiration during the first 12 days of this month.  I've been checking in each day to see Tim Holtz's tags.  There have been some amazing tags, each of which feature numerous techniques.  I use many of his products, and I don't think there has ever been anything that I'd consider a dud.  Everything seems to be well thought out and well made.  I've been leaving a comment each day, along with thousands of others, but so far, I've not been a winner.

But all is not lost.  I've been extremely lucky and was chosen a winner in Pink Paislee's Winter Wonderland Blog Event.  They have been posting some amazing projects each day this month using the awesome Snow Day line that was released for this winter.  In addition, each day's post includes some digital ephemera.  I tell you, they are adorable.  I don't know for sure what I won because they call it a 'Top Secret Prize Package'.  I can't wait to rip into that baby!  Pink Paislee is my all-time favorite manufacturer and I have everything from every line, except the new Snow Day line.  I sure hope I get a box full of it!  I'll be sure to let you know what I receive.

I've also been following the Ranger blog this month, where their design team has been posting projects that are inspired by Tim Holtz's tags.  And wow, they have posted some amazing projects.  I've been checking in there each day and leaving a comment and today, the last day, my name was chosen.  I must say, they are giving away an over-the-top prize package, with a few samples of everything!  Here's what I won:

• an Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet
• a pack of Inkssentials Surfaces #8 Manila Craft Tags
• a bottle of Inkssentials Crackle Accents
• Distress Stains in Picket Fence, Pine Needles and Fired Brick
• Perfect Pearls Mists in Forever Green and Forever Red
• Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Stream and Red Pepper
• an Adirondack Metallic Acrylic Paint Dabber in Silver
• an Archival Ink #0 pad in Sepia
• Embossing Tinsel in Snowflake
• Ice Stickles in Mint Ice
• Distress Stickles in Barn Door
• Liquid Pearls in White Opal
• AND the Distress Ink Winter Seasonal Series, including Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries and Iced Spruce dye ink pads!

Isn't that a generous prize?  It looks like Christmas is coming a little early for me this year! 

Thanks Pink Paislee and thanks Ranger!

~~~Valerie Serfozo

Tis the season!  We picked up our tree yesterday.  It's sitting in the family room, warming up.   We haven't decorated it yet because a cut tree needs to settle a little after it's been wrapped up.  We didn't even have to look through 25 trees before choosing one.  We ordered it in advance, and it was beautiful.  This is much earlier than usual for us, but we got it for a great price, and half the price goes to NNEMAP Food Pantry.  I love to purchase things that also benefit a wonderful charity like NNEMAP.

I really enjoyed working with The Scrap Cake paper in the December kit from C'est Magnifique.   I think there are a few more kits remaining, so head over there if you'd like one.  Here are a few layouts I've been working on:

This one goes to show that those photo sessions with Santa don't always go as planned.  This is my adorable niece, Macy.  She certainly didn't want to sit on this guy's lap.  But we scrap these photos, because they are part of life.  I'm sure she will love seeing this someday. 

I know, each year we line them up and take photos in front of the tree, but I never get tired of them.  This is sweet Sidney, my step-granddaughter.  I enjoy the times we have together.

And this is my granddaughter, Eryn.  It's not a perfect photo (junk in the background, etc.), but I always liked this one, because she looks happy. 

Do you find that some of your favorite photos are not the "best" photos?

 

~~~Valerie Serfozo

Like us on Facebook

C'est Magnifique Kits now has a Facebook page, and we'd love for you to "like" us! 

THIS link will take you to the Facebook page.  'Like' us, and you will be automatically entered to win a prize.  And be sure to follow C'est Magnifique on Facebook for the latest news about upcoming kits!

In addition, Leslie is offering a 20% discount for Cyber Monday.  All the details are on the Facebook page!

 

~~~Valerie

This has been a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.  I hope all of you have enjoyed spending time with your family. 

I've been busy working with the C'est Magnifique December kit, and I'm finally able to share another layout with you.  The paper line from The Scrap Cake is called Cozy Xmas, but the paper can be used for just about anything. 

This is my darling great-niece, Callie.  This little one is such a sweetie.  When I saw this pink paper in the kit, I knew I wanted to use one of her photos.

My husband tells me that my blog has been "under construction" for too long, so I hope to finish working on it soon. 

~~~Valerie

 

Our sweet little boy, Kiefer, is 3 years old today.  He's taking it kinda easy, and is sound asleep under my desk right now.   It has been such a joy to have him in our lives. 

Happy Birthday, Kiefer!

I'm excited to be able to share one of my layouts using the December kit from C'est Magnifique Kits.  The kit features paper from The Scrap Cake (all the way from Poland), along with some chipboard pieces from 3 Tails Craft (Australia), and flowers from both Prima and Basic Grey (along with some other goodies).   I am thrilled to be able to work with these kits which feature international papers each month.  I love creating with lines of paper that are both sophisticated and different from what everyone else is using.

~~~Valerie

November Happiness Project Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Happiness Project Blog Hop, hosted by Stephanie Medley-Rath, author of the Scrapworthy Lives Blog.  The theme this month is 'pay attention'.  I can't tell you how many times I've been guilty of not paying attention.  I've also been ignored many times, and it doesn't feel good.  Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project, states in her book that a secret to happiness and love is to pay attention.  She also shares a wonderful quote by Pierre Reverdy: “There is no love; there are only proofs of love.”  Isn't that a wonderful quote? 

I once heard Toni Morrison say something that I have never forgotten - "When a child walks in the room, do your eyes light up?"  That's paying attention.  That's proof of love.  I have tried my best to remember that quote when my granddaughter, nieces, and nephews walk into the room.  Can you imagine how powerful that can be in a child's life?  It seems like such a simple thing to do, but it can be very difficult. 

How do you juggle the need to be productive and making sure you 'pay attention' to those you love?

If you're following along the blog hop, you would have arrived here from Nicole's blog.  Your next stop will be Kimberlee's blog Scraps and Sass.   In case you weren't following along the hop, I've listed all those who are participating.

Fun Mama

Kiss & Tell Scrapbooking

Melissa’s Blog

Nihao, Cupcake!

Nuggets

Our Life with Spiky Potatoes

Pie for Breakfast  This is where you are

Scraps & Sass

Scrapworthy Lives

Scrap Your Life

Slice of Life

Take a Picture and Remember This

This Kalil Life

1200 Some Miles

Scrapping Mojo

Your Memory Connection

And here's a little happiness to share with you.  This is my happy niece, Macy.  This layout was created using the November kit from C'est Magnifique. 

~~~ Valerie

Today I spent some time working on my blog header.  I knew I wanted to use multiple photos, but deciding exactly which ones to use, and how to organize them, took longer than I thought.  But isn't that the case with most things we set out do.  It was really fun to look through some recent photos of my family and choose the ones I like best.  I saved the Photoshop image as a .pgn file so I can easily swap out photos when it's time to make a change.  It will be difficult to remove any of these photos because I love them all......but change is good.  For now though, I am happy with these.

I have been scrapping a lot lately, but haven't posted a layout in a while.  Here's one I created using the November kit, Enchanted Autumn, from C'est Magnifique.  This is my granddaughter, Eryn, before her homecoming dance last month.

Hope you have a great weekend!

~~~Valerie

Under Construction

As you can see, my blog is under construction.  I'm taking a blog class from the very talented Elise Blaha.  I'm so excited to finally spruce up my blog.  But like some things, it will probably get worse before it gets better.  I can live with that and I hope you can, too!

I had a wonderful photo session with my niece Lauren and her new baby boy, Keegan.  He was born while we were on vacation, but she kept me updated with daily photos.  He was 13 days old when these were taken.  I think he's adorable!  I thought for sure he would sleep through the entire thing, but he was awake for much of it, which made it more difficult, but I was happy to get some photos with his eyes open.   

See, I told you he's a cutie!

~~~Valerie

This month's kit from C'est Magnifique is beautiful!  The paper is from Onirie with a little bit of Bo Bunny and Prima added in.   The colors go really great with the latest batch of photos I ordered.  I always feel so inspired when I have new photos to work with.  How about you?

 

~~~Valerie

 

 

 

The Happiness Blog Hop

My post today is part of the Happiness Blog Hop.  We are a group of women (most of whom are scrapbookers), and each month we take a chapter from Gretchen Rubin's book "The Happiness Project", and post our thoughts about it.   The September chapter is titled Pursue a Passion. 

Reading this chapter made me think about what my life would be like if I did not pursue my passions.  I frequently get asked how I have enough time to scrapbook, make cards, take lots of photos, edit them, and paint, spray, stamp, and generally make a mess while working in my art journals.  I can't imagine my life without creative outlets.  To be honest, these are the things that keep me sane and allow my mind to rest.  I get such joy from them, that I MAKE time.

 Maybe you can't eat off my floors (actually I would advise against it), but that's okay with me.  Clean floors don't make me happy, but being in my studio does.  I am fortunate to have a room that is devoted to my passions.  I don't pay bills in that room.  I don't  plan my day in that room.  I don't manage my grocery list in that room.  When I am in that room, I create.  There are no reminders of my normal life in that room, and that contributes to allowing my mind to rest.  I am a pretty organized person, but my studio is usually pretty messy.  I allow it to be that way.  When I feel like cleaning it, I will.  I am able to forget about the results when I'm in my studio.  In her book, Gretchen talks about being able to forget about the results.  I'm not able to do that in my daily life, but there are no rules when creating!

If you're following along this month's Hop, you would have arrived from Kimberlee's Blog.   Your next stop will be Stephanie's Blog, Scrapworthy Lives.  Stephanie, a sociologist and the host of this blog hop, has a great blog.  If you don't already subscribe, give it a try.  She is always posting something thought provoking.     

Below is the entire list of those participating this month.  I hope you'll see what each of them has to say about pursiung a passion.

My Creative Days in Beijing

Kiss & Tell Scrapbooking

Your Memory Connection

Slice of Life

Take a Picture and Remember This

Scraps & Sass

Pie for Breakfast (this is where you are) 

Scrapworthy Lives

Do you have a passion that allows your mind to rest?  I don't mean that you totally turn off your brain, but that you allow it to rest by not being consumed in daily life.  Believe me, it goes a long way toward a happier life.  

My husband and I recently allowed ourselves to turn off our brains by spending a week in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains.  It was beautiful and so relaxing.  Here's a photo from our trip.

 

--- Valerie Serfozo

 

September Color Comb Blog Hop

Welcome to September's color combo blog hop.  We are using this combo  from Design Seeds titled sushi hues.  If you're following the hop you would have arrived here from Amy Soto's blog.  But if you landed here another way, I hope you'll check out what everyone else has created using this color combination.  I will have the entire list at the end of the post.

When I first saw these colors, I had no idea what to do with them.  Then I remembered this paper from Pink Paislee (my all-time favorite manufacturer) and I knew the colors were a perfect match.  I just added a dark brown background and it came together very easily.  I really love this combo!  Here's my layout:

If you're following along the hop, your next stop will be Stephanie's Blog.   And as promised, here's the entire list.  Have a great weekend.  It's starting to feel like autumn here in the midwest.  It's my favorite time of the year!

Amy Soto

Valerie Serfozo - you are HERE

Stephanie of Scrapworthy Lives

Lesley

Scribble Monster

Bunny Freak

Alysse

Sugar and Scrap

Scrap Your Life

Snaps and Snippets

Michele Roycroft

Curly Scrapbooker

~~~Valerie

 

Today

Tonight is going to be a good night for television.  After suffering through Rachel on Big Brother for the entire summer, it is coming to an end tonight.  It wasn't the best season of Big Brother, but for some reason, I kept watching. 

Also, tonight is the first episode of this season's Survivor.  It was the very first reality show I watched.   I love the mental game that is played, and trying to figure out what each player is really thinking. Anyone else out there watch reality TV?  To be honest, it's about all the television I watch except for college sports, of course - which can also be considered reality TV, can't it?

Here's a layout I created using the September C'est Magnifique kit.  It's really been a fun month playing with all these goodies!

This is my adorable niece Makenzie.  We gave her a tutu for her birthday (and a matching one for her baby).  She ripped open the gift, and immediately tried it on.  It fit.  She did a couple of twirls, then took off for her brother's bedroom to play video games.  Hey, it you want to wear a tutu while you're blowing up things, go for it -- especially if you're three years old!  Love you, Kenzie.

I'll be participating in a Color Combo Blog Hop Saturday, so be sure to check back.  This is the combo we're using.  I think it's a very interesting color combination and as of this moment, I have no idea what I'll come up with (and these aren't necessarily the colors that come to mind when I think of sushi). 

 

~~~Valerie

Weekend Project

I love long weekends, especially when I have a chance to spend a day in my scrap room.  I am working on design team projects for C'est Magnifique Kits, and having a great time doing it!  The owner, Leslie, has quite a vision for these kits, and I'm really excited to be part of the team.

The papers this month are from The ScrapCake and when I saw how one of their designers, Yovi, used the lattice paper, I knew I had to cut out the centers.  So I pulled out my self healing mat and craft knife and starting cutting.  I love the look!

This is my niece, Erika.  Isn't she beautiful?

~~~Valerie

Happiness Blog Hop - "Contemplate the Heavens"

Welcome to the Happiness Blog Hop.  The coordinator for this event is Stephanie Medley-Rath, author of the Scrapworthy Lives blog (thanks Stephanie).  Each month we take a chapter from Gretchen Rubin's book "The Happiness Project: or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun". 

This month we are exploring "Contemplate the Heavens".   I wasn't quite sure I how would use this subject until I read this post on the author's blog (you'll never hear the song "You're so Vain" in the same way again).  The basis for this chapter in her book was a wonderful quote that I used in my project this month. 

I wasn't quite sure how to work this into a scrapbook page, so I decided to get out my paint and my art journal.  I love to keep quotes in my art journal, and I needed an excuse to get it out and play.  It didn't turn out exactly as I had intended, but it never does.  That's why I love art journaling so much, you just can't make an mistake!

Isn't that a great quote?  It made me think of all the worthless things in my life.  Things that I spend too much time worrying about.  You probably have some of those things cluttering your life, too.

If you are following along the blog hop, you probably arrived at my blog from Stephanie's Blog. To continue on your journey, hop on over to the next blog on the list Scraps and Sass.

In case you arrived here by another means, I have listed the entire list of participating blogs below.  Feel free to see what take they have on this subject.  I am looking forward to seeing how each of them interpreted the topic this month.

For those of you celebrating with a day off work today.........Happy Labor Day!

Scrapworthy Lives

Pie for Breakfast (this is where you are)

Scraps & Sass

Take a Picture and Remember This

1200 Some Miles

Slice of Life

Abstracts Mixed with Extracts

Your Memory Connection

Kiss & Tell Scrapbooking

My Creative Days in Beijing

Melissa’s Blog

~~~Valerie

Thanks for your thoughts.......

Thanks for the well wishes for our dog, Kiefer, who was hospitalized last week-end.  He is home now and doing much better - getting stronger every day.  It seems to be one of those cases where we may never know what caused him to get ill, and that is very frustrating.  But we're just glad to have him back with us. 

I have had the pleasure of working with the very first kit from C'est Magnifique, and I must say it is amazing.  The paper is beautiful and very easy to work with.  And since it's from Poland, it's something that is unique, and I like that.  Here are a couple of layouts I completed this week:

 

 

Kits to subscribers are shipping now.  There are few remaining, so if you want one, head over the store and get one for yourself. 

~~~Valerie

 

It's Quiet Around Here

My little guy, Kiefer, started feeling bad yesterday afternoon.  He was lethargic and just wanted to lay in his little bed under my scrap desk.  By 9 p.m. he was vomiting blood, so we immediately took him to the local animal hospital, where he was admitted.  He is still there, and we don't expect for him to come home until at least Monday.  The tests have revealed nothing so far (which is a good thing, yet very frustrating).  He is on IV fluids and antibiotics. 

They are taking very good care of him.  We were able to visit with him this afternoon.  Although he still looks very sick, he is better than he was when we left the hospital last night at midnight.  We are hoping that he has a good night, and is stronger tomorrow.  The house just isn't the same without him.  Both Mark and I keep thinking that we hear him. 

All morning we sat around the house waiting for updates from the hospital.  I finally headed to my studio, because I thought that scrapping would help get my mind off things.  I decided to create a layout about Kiefer, and it was really peaceful.

This week's challenge at C'est Magnifique is to create a layout using some of the old paper and embellishments you have in your stash.  I thought I'd use some old Basic Grey (Motifica and Hang 10).  I have no idea what year they came out, but I know it was a long time ago.  I really enjoyed digging through my stash and I proved that paper doesn't have to be new to be fun!

Check out the C'est Magnifique Blog tomorrow for a new challenge from design team member Beverly Sams. 

~~~Valerie

 

A Good Day

It has been a tradition for many years that Eryn and I go to the Zoo on the Monday prior to her starting back to school.  This Wednesday she will be entering high school.  It doesn't seem possible. Here we are at the zoo in 2003 when she was entering 1st grade (before I had a nice camera).

And here she is today, getting ready to start 9th grade and still willing to go to the zoo with me before her summer ends. 

The polar bears are fairly new at the Columbus Zoo, and quite an attraction.  We were fortunate that they gave this female and her sister some fish treats while we there so we got to see them in action. She looks very ferocious in this photo, but she is actually stretching and yawning before she gets into the water.

I love this photo because she appears to be looking at her reflection in the water.  She is still trying to decide if she wants to leave her rock to get in the water.

She finally took the plunge.  This one shows her beautiful brown eye.  These photos were taken through glass so there is some reflection.

I was so fortunate to catch this shot of her shaking.  I love this one!

We even rode the train today.  The weather was perfect!

And last but not least, "Seriously dude, planking in the middle of the walkway?"  Maybe I'm too old to understand.........

Thanks for a fun day at the zoo, Eryn!

~~~Valerie

August Color Combo Blog Hop

Hi everyone.  Welcome to the August Color Combo.  This beautiful color combination is from Design Seeds.  Wow, I really fell in love with these colors the moment I saw them. 

Here's the layout I created using this amazing color combination.  This is a photo of my son and granddaughter, taken in 2008.  When I recently showed this to my granddaughter, she said she hated the photo.  I asked her why and she said, "Because my hair is so out of style".  Well, that's because it was taken three years ago, my dear, and things change.  Three years from now, your current hair style will look outdated to you. I think that's one of the wonderful thing about photography and scrapbooking - it allows you to take a look back and see how things have changed.  Eryn saw a difference in just 3 years.  Imagine what it will look like 100 years from now when someone is looking through your albums.  We are creating memories that will be extremely important in the future.

I am last on this month's blog hop, so you probably arrived here from Stephanie's Blog.  Speaking of Stephanie, she is a scrapbooker and sociologist who did her dissertation research about scrapbooking.  Very interesting blog.  Hope you spent some time there.

In case you didn't start at the beginning of the blog hop, I will include the entire list so you can start at the beginning.  Have fun taking a peek at how others used this color combination.  And if you did start from the beginning, thanks for sticking it out until the end!

~~~Valerie

Amy Soto - Our Host

Curly Scrapbooker

Michelle Roycroft

Snaps and Snippets

Scrap Your Life

Sugar and Scrap

1200 Some Miles

Sue Althouse

Crafty Goodies

Adrienne Falzon

Alysse Photographs

Everything Digital Scrapbooking

Scribble Monster

Spud Pickle

Stephanie - Scrapworthy Lives

Valerie Serfozo - Pie for Breakfast (that's me!)

 

 

 

 

 

10 Things on the Tenth of the Month

It's time once again for 10 things on the tenth of the month, the brainchild of Shimelle.  You can find a complete list of everyone who is participating at her website.  My mind went many directions when I thought about what I wanted to list this month.  In the end I decided to go with it, and let my 10 things go different ways. 

1.  Last month I mentioned that I was working with someone on something new.  I can finally talk about.  I am on the design team for a brand new kit club, C'est Magnifique.  My friend, Leslie, had a vision for a very unique kit club, and I'm so happy that the first kits will be going out in mid-September.  The kits will be very sophisticated and feature international papers.  She is looking for guest designers, so if you're interested, check it out.  All the information is on the Blog. 

2.  My sweet niece Callie, who was very ill when she was born, is improving.  Each week she is getting stronger.  It's truly an answer to our prayers.  She hasn't completely recovered, but we are happy for all the little steps. I love her sweet little face.

3.  CHA has come and gone.  I am always inspired by new things.  Here's one of my very favorite items - these adorable bird nests from Prima.  I knew I would love all the Prima flowers, but these nests are just too darn cute!

4.  I finally joined Pinterest!  It's been on my "things-to-do" list for quite a while, but I just got around to it.  Oh my, I love all the inspiration that I found.  I could (and did) spend quite a bit of time there. 

5.  Numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are going to be "Quote" finds that I pinned.  Enjoy!

Source: holdonlover.tumblr.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: weheartit.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: avintageposter.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

 

Source: jillmcdonald.blogspot.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: pinterest.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: misskaelovesyou.tumblr.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

So, do you Pinterest (not sure if it's a verb like google)?  If you do, I'd love for you to follow me, and I'll do the same for you.  There is a 'follow' button on the top right of my blog.  After all, if you're reading this, we probably have a lot of the same interests.

If you don't Pinterest and want more info, leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you.  I'm not an expert, but it seemed very easy to use.

~~~Valerie

August Happiness Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Happiness Blog Hop.  If you're following along, you probably arrived here from Jules blog, Scrapping Mojo.  If you found this another way, I will list all the participating blogs below, so you can see what they have posted this month.

When I read that this month's theme is "Buy Some Happiness", I was totally confused.  After all, I've always heard that you can't buy happiness.  I have not been reading The Happiness Project so I had no idea where the author, Gretchen, was going with this statement.  So I went to her website to find out more.  There I discovered this YouTube video which describes her theory on Buying Happiness. 

I loved her first point - people are made more happy by experiences than stuff.  How true that is.  I don't create scrapbook layouts about stuff.  I create scrapbook layouts about experiences!  It's the experiences in life that are "scrapworthy".  Experiences are the things we want to remember.  I then created this layout, where I journaled about the reality of this.

To continue your journey, head over to the Scraps & Sass blog.

 

Scrapworthy Lives

Scrapping Mojo 

Pie for Breakfast (this is where you are)

Scraps & Sass

1200 Some Miles

Slice of Life

Our Life with Spiky Potatoes

Abstracts Mixed with Extracts

Your Memory Connection

Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Melissa's Blog

 

~~~Valerie

Days Five and Six of a Day in MY Life

Yesterday I was so busy working on a Smash Book for dad's 80th birthday that I barely took any photos.  I did jot down notes during the day, but honestly, it was an entire day of scrapping and doing laundry.  And since I don't want to bore you with a photo of my laundry, here's Kiefer, who was under my scrap table all day.

This afternoon my family got together at a restaurant to say goodbye to my brother and his family who are moving to California.  I'm sure they will love it there.  Even though I didn't see him often when he lived nearby, I will miss him.  I took my camera, of course, and shot this photo of him holding the newest addition to our family.  Sorry for the terrible lighting, but they wouldn't let me move the furniture!

And I gave my dad his Smash Book.  By the look on his face, he really liked it.  The wishes from everyone were truly touching.

My mother asked me about the photos from last Christmas, so I guess I'd better start editing some of those!

~~~Valerie

Day Four of a Week in MY Life

 

Short post tonight.  Today I had a lot going on and snapped more photos.  I was able to collect a lot of goodies to add to my layouts.  I think that will be the really fun part of it. 

I also started working on a scrapbooking project.  We celebrated my dad's 80th birthday last month.  Prior to the party, I purchased a Smash Book and had everyone there write a birthday message to him.  Now I need to add all the photos, so I'll be scrapping all day tomorrow.  I can't wait to give it to him this weekend. 

 

~~~Valerie

Day Three of a Week in MY Life

It's day three and I only took a couple dozen photos.  To be honest, it was a pretty boring day.  I was at work for most of it and was really busy.  But there are enough photos to put together a collage of my day. 

I've been diligent about taking notes every day, so I will have plenty to journal about.  I have also been collecting little bits and pieces of my day to add to my layouts.  I think those will be a lot of fun to look back at.

This morning I was a "brave girl" and took a photo of myself first thing.  The dog is much cuter, and of course I took photos of him today, but I thought I'd share this one. 

~~~Valerie

 

Day Two of a Week in MY Life

 

I kinda like the idea of carrying my camera around with me all day.  It makes for some strange looks and sparked a few interesting questions like, "why are you taking a photo of your bowl of cereal".  I took 41 photos today, which is about one-fourth the number I took yesterday.  But, today was a different day than yesterday.  I wasn't around family all day.  I was at work.  But I pulled out the camera before I even got there and took some photos while waiting in construction traffic.

I've also decided to record "what's in the mailbox" each day.  Mostly junk, but maybe something exciting will come this week.  I keep thinking I will run out of things to photograph, but I haven't yet (but then again, it's only day two).

My little buddy and I played ball outside today.  Thankfully it was a little cooler (down to 88 by early evening) and less humid.  He loved it!  He wasn't a very good boy last night, so I'm hoping the exercise will make real tired by bed time.

~~~Valerie

  

 

Week in MY Life

 

This week I am joining a lot of other scrappers in the Week in the Life project.  Ali Edwards is the brains behind this.  I've never done it before, but I think it's an interesting idea.  Essentially what I'll be doing is documenting my day through photos and journaling.  For 7 days I will be carrying my camera around with me all the time.  I'll also be writing notes all day, that I will later use to create my journaling. 

I am going to follow Ali's plan for the most part, but will be tweaking it a little to suit my personal preferences:

1.  As she suggests, I am going to spend the entire week taking photos, writing notes, saving memorabilia, and doing some journaling.  I will not begin to put together my scrapbook pages until next week.  That way I can focus on my life this week. 

2.  I am going to use the same album as Ali, because I love these 3-ring albums.  I chose this one in a beautiful shade of teal, because it's one of my favorite colors to use right now.  I'm using the 8-1/2 x 11 album because I really like her idea of using a baseball card sleeve for each day.  The sleeves have 9 pockets, so that's 18 little slots (using both sides) that I can fill with journaling, photos, and little bits from my day.

3.  Ali has a digital kit that she's put together, but I'm not going to use that.  I want to use some of the beautiful paper and embellishments that I have.

So, today was pretty easy because I had a lot going on.  I took a whopping 180 photos!  I'm sure that won't be the case every day, but I was excited to have a lot to photograph today. 

I plan to share a photo each day this week.  It may be from the current day, or from a previous day.  I haven't posted a photo of my favorite little buddy lately, so here's Kiefer, laying on his blanket that covers half the sofa.  He's pretty good about staying at "his end". 

If you think this sounds interesting, I challenge you to give it a try.  Check out Ali's website where she has all the details.  You don't have to start on a Monday.  You can begin with any day of the week that works for you!

~~~Valerie

My Latest Photography Project

The more I learn about photography, the more critical I am of my own work.  Now that I've taken Karen Russell's class, I think I should be producing images that are as wonderful as hers.  I am sure she would be the first one to tell me that you only get better by taking more photos (practice, practice, practice).  And I know that, but it's not easy to be patient.  We live in a world of instant gratification, you know.

I would like to be able to use my photos straight out of the camera (SOOC).  Unfortunately, I am not yet there.  That means my photos are still in need of editing.  I have learned some new editing skills from Erin Lincoln's Clean Color video.  Purchasing this video was a great investment.  As my photography gets better, I hope to do less post-processing, but for now it's a great help.

I was really excited when my niece, Karen, asked me to photograph the newest addition to our family, Callie.  She is such a sweet baby and we had fun gathering props and photo ideas.  Finally the day came.  I thought the lighting was good in one room of their house that had a sky light.  I set my white balance using an expo-disk (love that thing!), got the aperture and ISO where I wanted them, and began shooting.  To me, everything looks good on the preview.  I did occasionally stop and reset the white balance.  I suppose these photos are better than what they would have been had I been shooting in auto mode, but these are things I could have done better:

1.  I did not adjust the exposure compensation, so the photos were under exposed.  I know that's better than being over exposed, but it would have saved me a lot of editing time had they been properly exposed.

2.  I wish I had changed the aperture more often.  I wanted ISO low, so I most often had the aperture at f/1.4.  It would have been nice to have more depth of field in some of the photos.

3.  I had my husband hold a reflector, and the gold one looked beautiful as it cast a warm glow on the baby's skin.  Well, that look did not look good in the photos.  They were all too yellow, and I had to adjust the color more than I wanted.

4.  We had way too many poses planned.  Next time I think I will limit it to 3-4 poses/change of outfits.  It was a warm day, and I think it just got too complicated.  I need to remember that she is just a baby, and there will be many chances to photograph her.

5.  I edited 83 photos.  That's way to many!  I need to get better at selecting just the best images, and edit only those.

So, here are a few of the photos. 

 

 

 

 

Time out for a little relaxing after she ate.  She seems to be very comfortable in the antique wooden bowl.

 

 

Callie did allow me to get a few photos of her awake.  I was glad to be able to see her beautiful blue eyes.  

 

 

Her big sister, Macy, was so good while we were taking photos of her baby sister.  She had a toy camera, and she was pretending to do what I was doing.  

I would love to hear what you think.  If you can offer any constructive criticism, I'd greatly appreciate it.  In the meantime, I'm going to keep practicing. 

~~~Valerie 

 

 

 

July Color Combo Blog Hop

Happy Saturday everyone.  If you arrived here from Stephanie's Scrapworthy Lives Blog, you are in the right place.  If you arrived from somewhere else, I will have the entire list at the bottom of this post.

I hope it's going to be nice weekend where you are.  My husband and I are going to make our first trip to the farmer's market this morning.  It's still a little early in the growing season here, so I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm sure we'll find something yummy.

It's time for this month's color combo from Design Seeds.  The selection we are using is called "Summer Hues".  When I signed up to be a part of this blog hop I was very skeptical about using a defined set of colors on a layout.  I though I would find it to be a little too restrictive.  But I have found it to be an interesting challenge, and I've been combining colors that I might not have thought of before.

Here are this month's colors:

 

And here is the layout I created, "A Reason to Celebrate"

(Supplies:  Crate Paper Portrait Accent Cuts, Cosmo Cricket Odds & Ends, Lily Bee Stationery, Lily Bee Picket Fence, Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Staz-on Ink, Prima flowers and stamp, American Crafts Dragonfly, Glitz Teeny Alphabet, Paper Reflections clock sticker)

Do you like to work with color combos, or does it seem too restrictive?  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. 

Are you ready to see what others did with this color combo?  All you need to do head over to Kirsty's Blog to continue the hop.  If you are out of order for some reason, the full list is below.

Amy (who puts this together each month)

Scribble Monster

Snaps and Snippets

Scrap Your Life

Crafty Goodies

Michele Roycroft

Bunny Freak

Sugar and Scrap

Curly Scrapbooker

Stephanie at Scrapworty Lives

Pie for Breakfast - this is where you are

Kirsty - this is where you should go next

Through the Camera Lens

1200 Some Miles

Helena

Alysse

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

~~~Valerie