a small toot

One of my scrapbooking dreams is to be published in a scrapbooking magazine. I submitted a page for an online mag and it got picked up! So, I will be in the September issue of Scrapbook News and Review! I was also featured in an article about AC Bailey in the August/September Ready, Set, Create! online magazine. These are small steps, but at least they are steps in the right direction!

Some pictures from our trip

We went up to Washington so that the girls could see their Grandma and Grandpa Nearing, my parents, who they only get to see maybe once a year. During that trip we celebrated Hailey's 4th birthday as well as my dad's birthday went to the beach a couple times and were able to do lots of other fun things. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

I feel so special

I know that it's taken me a long time to do this, Jessica, but I did read your blog and did love the great honor you bestowed upon me. Thanks for being so sweet!

Jessica is one of my sweet fellow AC Bailey design team members, and she has awarded me the BFF (Blogging Friends Forever") card. Thanks, Jess. Check out her cute blog at the She always has so many fun things to share. And she actually really updates her blog. Go check it out!!!



The rules for the “Blogging Friends Forever” award are:
* Only five people allowed
* Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog
* One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog or lives in another part of the world.

You must link back to whoever gave you the award. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

Isn't that so fun? Now I get to choose a few more people to whom I wish to award this great honor. I will choose:

my sister, Ellie
Janelle
Sami
Ginger
and the ever so talented and witty Leah

I know that Leah is pregnant and very sick and may not respond to this but she deserves this award if anyone does. She's on the Cosmo Cricket design team, in charge of the DT over at My Scrapbook Nook among other things. Leah, I hope you're feeling better today! I grew up in California and it definitely fits rule #3. It sure feels like another part of the world sometimes.

So, to all of you who I've chosen, congrats! I think you're all awesome.

MIA

Yes, that's been me. Missing in action. This blog has severly suffered. It has been so long since I've updated, so for the two of you who read this, I will add some new stuff. Please make sure and read about the AC Bailey design team call. This is a wonderful opportunity, and Erica is the best to work with. Check it out down below for all of the info.

It's been a crazy August- I have either been out of town, sick or so incredibly busy most of the month. I didn't even post my August AC Bailey assignments here, so here are a few things I did. These projects were made with the beautiful Detours set by October Afternoon and a few extras from the AC Bailey online store.

Design Team call at AC Bailey

I want to spread the news about a wonderful opportunity. I love AC Bailey, and being on the design team there has been a fabulous experience for me so far. Lucky for you, Erica wants to add some more people to the talented team and you can get in on the excitement. Here is what you need to know:

AC Bailey Designs is adding to its Design Team again! We want 3, talented, motivated, enthusiastic Designers. We are looking for scrapbookers who are not afraid to use the latest products and techniques and are willing to share their expertise and knowledge in the craft.

What are we looking for?
- Talented, motivated, enthusiastic traditional or digital or hybrid scrapbookers
- Individuals who are willing to share new ideas and techniques with our customers and subscribers
- Positive and outgoing personalities
- Those who are willing to help promote and grow our online community and store and direct sales business

What will you do?
- You will be asked for a 6 month commitment to our store and community with your DT memberships limited to being on one other team during that time.
- You will be required to create two 12"x12" layouts and one other small project of your choice with instructions per month using supplies we provide and upload it to our online gallery, blog and forum (additional projects encouraged!)
- You will be required to promote AC Bailey Designs and include our DT membership and link information in your signature line of all the online communities and galleries you are active in.
- You will be required participate daily in the forum and gallery, add a QOTD, SQOTD and Inspirational Tips on a rotating basis, host challenges and contests for the members and contribute to the monthly newsletter and company blog.

What you get! (The good stuff!)
- You will be provided $30 in supplies to create the required layout and projects each month during your DT term - anything you don't use is yours to keep!
- You will get a 25% store discount that can be used anytime and as often as you like!
- You will get credit for all your designs, projects and work submitted to us!
- You work will be publicized in our newsletter, on our site, and in advertising for our company and community.
- Your photo and bio will be featured on our DT page of our site and you will have your own gallery in our online community.


How to Apply
Please upload 4-5 creations into our online Gallery at http://www.ACBaileyLtd.com/gallery. These must include 1 layout about yourself showcasing your personality and scrap style, 2 other layouts and at least 1 other project of your choice. You must also be a registered member of our forum with an average of 25 posts a week starting with the date you apply.

Also submit the following to erica@acbaileyltd.com and cc: lcarroll03@yahoo.com
- name and full contact information
- list of current DT memberships, links to any online galleries that you submit to and message boards or communities that you are active in (please include your board name)
- if you have an online gallery or blog, please provide the link.
- list of any or all publications (when and where)
- and answers to the following questions:
- How long have you been scrapping?
- How would you describe your scrap style?
- Are you afraid to step out of your box?
- What would you like to get out of this experience?
- What can you bring to our store, community and customers?

Call will run from August 27th thru Sept. 19th. Decisions will be made by Sept. 22nd and your first shipment of supplies being sent that week. Your first assignments will then be due Nov. 1st. (All dates are tentative based on response.)

Thank you! Good Luck! And we look forward to hearing from you!
Erica
http://www.ACBaileyDesigns.com

Life's a Beach

I ordered this scrapbooking kit from the Scarlet Lime, a cool company that sells monthly kits. This one had lots of products from the Making Memories Passport line as well as funky trims and buttons and things. It was kinda fun to break away from the clean lines that I normally stick to and not think too much about what I was adding to the page and where. It's a little hodge-podgy, but that's ok. I think that sometimes I sit and stew too much over some of my layouts and this one is more carefree. The picture is from last summer while we were visiting my parents in Washington and was taken on the beach in Ocean Shores on Hailey's 3rd birthday.

Tippecanoe and Tyler, too

Well, Tyler at least. That's where we went for a few days over this past weekend. Every year we get together with Matt's family for a little reunion somewhere, and this year we went back to a resort near Tyler, Texas for a little R&R. Matt's parents, his sister,Jamie and her son, Zach joined us for some fun in the sun, swimming, a trip to the Caldwell Zoo, a bunch of games of Skip Bo (which gets pretty competitive sometimes with us) and lots of fun relaxing. Of course we had an air hockey re-match between Matt and his dad, and our girls found a new love of the game as well.

It was so hot and humid that it was nice to just be able to relax a little and the kids just had fun being together. We are excited to get together with more of the family next week here in Lubbock with Marc and Ginger coming to visit with their kids. Here are some pictures from our trip:

AC Bailey August kit

Here are a few things I put together with this cute AC Bailey kit. Such fun colors and designs in the Cosmo Cricket Hello Sunshine papers. I love how cheery it is. Erica always puts together a fabulous kit, and I love that she lets the design team have some input as well. I can't wait to see the September one, though, since she picked everything out for us.

Anyway, here they are:

get this girl a helmet

Sarah is such a sweet girl, so funny and a joy in my life, but she is so darn clumsy. Seriously. She gets hurt all the time, so much that I think the Child Protective Services would come to investigate if they saw all of her bumps and bruises. In the past year alone I have lost track of the number of accidents she has had, most of the time simply because she is not being careful and isn't watching where she is going. Last week we even cancelled a doctor appointment because of it.

On Monday, I believe it was, Sarah and Hailey were upstairs playing while I made dinner. They were apparently jumping from the couch to the coffee table and back (which, by the way, they have been told numerous times not to do) and Sarah missed the coffee table with her feet and instead hit it with the side of her face. She ended up with a big mark, bump and huge bruise by her eye. Looks like someone smacked her in the face. Matt thought it would be a good idea to cancel her appointment with the doctor. Then he sent me to the police department to turn in a claim form (his truck window got bashed in by a neighbor over the weekend- I guess they thought we called the cops to break up their party or something, which we didn't even know about anyway- another story)- kinda funny. Cancel the doc appointment and send me to the police station instead, where the receptionist proceeded to question me about Sarah's injury. Yeah, that was fun. Today it's getting better but she still looks like a little raccoon. I can only imagine what people thought as they saw her while we were on vacation over the weekend.

This morning Sarah was playing with the water in the bathroom, getting it all over the floor as she is prone to do just about every day lately, and she slipped on the floor causing her to fall and scratch herself on her back on the plastic stool next to the sink on her way down. Lovely. Another injury.

Then, as Matt was getting ready to leave for work this afternoon she wasn't watching where she was going and ran smack into the wall. Now she has a bump and will most definitely have a bruise on her forehead. But, I am not cancelling another doctor appointment.

I guess most families have a child like this...one who is so klutzy and gets hurt all the time. Matt and I have joked about needing to get her a helmet and I am now starting to give it more serious thought.