Happy Sunday

Today we ate at the best pizza place in Seattle - at least according to our friend Nancy....and now us. It's called Tutta Bella and it's located in Columbia City, Seattle. It specializes in Neapolitan style pizza - thin crust without being too crisp and crunchy. Sofi loved it! Ate about 2 (1/2 slices) - she let all the toppings slide off and didn't eat the crust.
We also shared a salad of greens, white beans, kalamata olives, carrots and roasted peppers with a vinagrette. For dessert, a bowl of Nutella gelato. Didn't know they made that flavor. We're definitely coming back. Maybe we'll try their "award-winning" tiramisu next!

And, I have some new layouts to share:

1)"A Dreamer" was for this week's Photoshop Friday Tutorial by Jessica Sprague.

2) "Follow Your Heart" showcases one of Audrey's new kits available here.

3) "Water Play" was a quickie I knocked off for a contest. The first person to post wins a huge GC. Don't think I made it in time, but I love the photo cluster I used. (which I also used in Layout #2)

(For credits, click on the titles above.)





And this is the layout I did for the Why Do I scrapbook contest at 2ps.......


And I'm happy to say I got an Honorable Mention! Ali Edwards judged the contest and she commented that she like the circles :)

To view the winners, click here.

So far, a good Sunday.
How was yours? Comment on your day and you'll be entered in a RAK drawing. I will fill up a manila envelope (as much as it can hold!) with scrapbook supplies (some older, some that I've received in RAKS that I probably won't use). Just comment here and leave your e-mail or blog address (any way that I can reach you.) Good luck!

Reasons I love the idea of using digi elements on paper pages:

1) You can use them over and over again!
2) Unlike stamps, they are mess-free.
3) You can print on any paper (that will fit into your printer).
4) You can re-size them and/or re-color them.
5) You can often get digital stuff for FREE. BTW, here's a great place for freebies.
6) I love cutting the printed images out. I cut up a lot of patterned paper for paper pages, too.
7) There is so much digital stuff out there: from doodles to realistic items and everything in between.
8) You can print on transparency to make your own overlays.

dare to be remarkable



{finished this one late last night after the wee one was asleep...I used some of Audrey's word art, doodled photo corners and journal blocks. See here for full credits and links.}


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more good scrappy news....
I was named Page of the Day at the Creating Keepsakes website! It was a digi page using Audrey's stuff!

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and I have my fingers crossed for the Scrapologie DT. I know it will be stiff competition. Ranjini's kits are awesome and many people will be clamoring to get on her team....anyway, thought I'd throw my hat in because you never know what they're looking for!

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MM Idol Season II is starting up again! Did not enter last year, but am thinking about it. Now this is one I have no shot for because I don't do a lot of altered projects (one of the requirements). We'll see.

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And in Sofi news,
Sofi completed a 9-piece puzzle without any help! It's a double sided puzzle with Eric Carle's caterpillar on one side and fruit on the other. We have done the puzzle many, many times with me or Jamie helping her. But one minute I saw her playing with the puzzle pieces and the next it was all done! So proud of her!

more layouts to share






I also finished one for a contest, but won't post til the winners are announced.

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In Sofi news:
She seems to know her left from her right. When I put her hands through her coat or shirt or sweater I ask "Which hand is this?" and she gets it right!

I made up a new car game for the two of us. We look for arrows, numbers and letters. And today at the grocery store, she named the letters in many of the signs around. "s...l..a...r...u...t...a...n" The sign was vertical and she was reading it from bottom to top.

She is also now familiar with the check-out routine. At our grocery store, the cart is given to the checker and he rings up the items as he/she removes them from the cart. And I stand on the other side of the counter. And Sofi is usually in the cart when this occurs. At first she would cry and want to be taken out of the cart, but now she will even tolerate the checker's greetings or comments on her cute shoes or pants or face! Plus, she knows that if we are buying something we have to BUY it first before opening it. And she will happily hand over the item to the check-out person herself.

Today, I got her a small yellow - conversation heart pillow with "I (heart) u" embroidered on the front. "yewwow heart" she said to the checker as handed it over! Very cute.

busy

I've been on a creative whirlwind the last few days. More layout to share using Audrey Neal's designs (among other things) for various challenges and contests.

1) Christmas 06 - This is one's a "hybrid." I printed out a word art quote and some brackets and added to my paper layout. For credits, click here.




2) This one is for a challenge at My Digital Muse. Participants get a free mini kit! Can't turn that down. For credits, click here.



3) This is for the Pub Calls Blog contest that used this sketch. For credits, click here.


I also have a paper layout I've been working on FOREVER! Can't seem to finish it.
And I want to do a mini-book using some transparencies...and there's about a million and one challenges out there that are calling my name....