Smiles, and Lots of Them!

Ok, so… I’m apparently a negligent blogger.  I’ve been creating, but we added a new baby to the family, renovated a house top to bottom, and moved twice all in the last 18 months.  Somehow, the blogging never fit into this crazy year!  Imagine that!

So now I have 4 kids, a house that is 95% finished but needs constant cleaning (refer back to the 4 kids), and a tiny scrapbook nook that is fully functioning.  No more excuses!  I am stretching my blogging legs as we speak. 

This layout is one that I created for my albums a few months ago.  I mostly scrap in chronological order, and I’m about 18 months behind, so I’m reliving 2015 with each layout. I started this one with some white cardstock and mist, then dug into my scrap drawer for some bits to form the two columns along the edges. 

This photo is of my kiddos and husband on a 3 wheel bike we rented for a Saturday outing in Sofia, Bulgaria (where we lived at the time).  We had done this before, and when it was time to move back to the USA, we let the kids each choose one final activity.  My oldest chose these bikes (and not to worry, the baby didn’t actually ride.  He only sat there while the bike was still.  I needed my photo op!)

The die cut doily is hard to see in photos, but I tried to highlight it with some Enamel Accents from Inkessentials.  These might be my favorite new things to add as a finishing touch to a page.  The flowers are from Echo Park and Crate Paper, and the bicycle is BasicGrey. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the lovely weather and pop back in again soon! 

Alyssa

Three Boys in a Fort

I really enjoy a bold background!  Especially when I find one that fits the photo perfectly.  In this case, the photo is of Elijah and some friends, building a tree fort, and they are peering through the branches.  It fit the striped background exactly.

I also enjoy the opportunity to challenge the “rules” a little and use flowers on a boys page.  Outdoor photos seem to be the best choices for that, and in the case, I think they blend in well with the overall look. 

I traced the twigs from some really old die cuts onto the back of this grey woodgrain paper, and cut them out. I used them to ground the layout and reinforce the outdoor theme.  I think it comes through even on a bold striped paper.

All the papers here are from My Mind’s Eye, though all from different lines.

Go build a fort… or something.  :)

~Alyssa~