Welcome....

Seems only fitting that the first layout I completed is about Miss C's birth story.

This layout was completed with Vintage Vogue by College Press Studio for Pink Paislee.

On Saturday, Matt took the kids so I could spend some time cropping in the scrapbook store. It was great to just clear my head for a bit, spend some time away from the kids and just focus on something that makes me happy. I can't explain how much of a difference this makes. I'm so grateful for having the opportunity to have a little me time. I really didn't get that much done but at least I started. I'm thankful that I have been able to clean my room a bit and get reacquainted with my supplies.

The one benefit of not scrapbooking in over a year is that all of my supplies are new supplies, (well at least to me, lol!)

I have to admit that when I received these lovely supplies from Pink Paislee, I was just grinning from ear to ear when I opened this box. So maybe I should thank them for helping me find my mojo again. Thanks so much Miriam and College Press Studio for thinking of me. You really made my day!

2, Yes TWO, NEW Layouts....

Trust me...I'm shocked as well. I can't get over how little time that I have had this pregnancy to make stuff or how unmotivated I have been. I will say that these took a little longer to complete than usual, which actually may have more to do with me not remembering where things are in my scraproom.



I just love this, lol! The pink, the butterflies...the pink! I do feel like it is just starting to sink in that we will be having a little princess/diva in our home soon and we just. can't. wait.

She is starting to accumulate quite a few little dresses and we found a lovely store in the Lancaster outlets that sells inexpensive yet well made little girl dresses and gowns. She may or may not be allowed to wear them anywhere that she likes. :-)



This one I actually completed last night and used a Studio Calico sketch as a starting point. I think that helped since I was able to complete this start to finish in one evening. I misted the chipboard and the word favorite in the title is from an older stamp set. The ticket stub is a Stamping Bella Stamp, these really are some of my favorite stamps. Great impression, little effort.

I used punches, Studio Calico fabrips and rubons for the rest of my embellishments.

As far as a quick Faust update...we are keeping insanely busy this summer between the amusement parks, work, the gym, and getting ready for our little girl, (who still does not have a name by the way). I am 30 Weeks and 4 Days today and have gained a total of 10 pounds so far. Yeah me! (Also the reason that we rescheduled the maternity photos...I just wasn't showing enough last week). Crossing our fingers that everything continues to go smoothly so I can avoid an induction, our little girl doesn't get too big and she stays put long enough for me to get to at least 1 Penn State game this season.

That's it for now...as always thanks for stopping by!

I Can't Believe it Either...

Not only did I finish a LO I also actually took a photo of it and posted it.



I have another College Press LO to take a photo of based on this challenge. I hope everyone gets a chance to play along since it's a great prize pack to win.

That's it for now...I'm in the process of claiming my scraproom back.

This may take awhile.

Here He/She Is......

I think this may be the only time that people look at photos of other people's uterus's (or uteri?) and say awwwwwww :-)

I am 12 Weeks 2 Days today. I don't know if I can make it till the end of May till I find out what we are having.

I'm just a tad impatient.

And I want to know whether to put Mickey ears or a Minnie bow on the Disney shirt I will make for our trip....in 36 days!

And since it feels like forever since I scrapbooked. Here's a LO that I never shared here.



Enjoy the weather this weekend....it's 80 degrees and just wonderful here!

Long Time No Blog :-)

I can't get over how quickly time flies when you are sleeping.

I turned 29.

Matt turned the big 3-0.

And Colin will be 5 in a week and a half.

Hmmm, I wonder if I can pull off planning a birthday party in one week?

I have a feeling that I am about to find out :-)

Just reposting this layout that was seen in February's Scrapbook Trends.



Did anyone see the March/April issue of Creating Keepsakes? Colin has the cutest photo in it with some of his friends from school. It's in the Reader's Gallery section with an appropriate title considering how all of the kids are dressed, lol!

Well I gotta run, I have to work out, go to the grocery store and consume 30grams of carbs before dinner. Sounds like a piece of cake....however there will be no cake involved.

It's 10PM and I'm Still Awake!

Yay!

I doubt I will make it much longer but thought the moment deserved some celebrating!

Thank you sooooooooo much for all of your sweet comments!
I wish I could say that I have been way to busy to post because I have been filling my days with awesomeness but alas...I've been mostly asleep.
I don't remember being this tired when I was pregnant with Colin but I may have been too busy going to Denny's to eat way more than I should that maybe I just didn't notice.

To answer a few questions...yes we've told Colin.
He would like to name the baby Vegas.
We told him we would think about it. *cough...cough*
He is super excited and tells us that he knows that the baby is a girl.

Yes we plan on finding out...we are not patient people. :-)

And yep we had to do the same stuff (infertility) to get pregnant with this baby as we did to get pregnant with Colin. We are thrilled that it seemed much easier this time and we're extremely appreciative to have options.

We are due in October and I should hopefully be cute pregnant during our trip to Disney in May. (I have tons of ideas for really cute maternity Disney shirts)

And I did totally say that I was NEVER going to do this again. I figured that there was no way that I would make it through the treatment and definitely no way that I would make it through the first trimester sleepiness. Who would pick up my slack???

Well I guess they really mean it when they say NEVER SAY NEVER because it seems my mind was changed a few months ago and I have NO IDEA what changed it or why I changed it in the moment that I did. The only thing that I can think of is that this baby must have a special purpose on this Earth because someone was whispering, okay probably yelling, in my ear and I guess I finally was able to listen.

And Matt's not doing too bad of a job filling in for me while I nap :-)

And because no post is complete without a photo...


This went up on the Collage Press blog last week. I would've posted this sooner but please see earlier paragraph about me sleeping.

I used the way cute Label Memory Block Stamp from Scrapping Bella to shape my pattern paper around my photo. I just stamped the image on the side I didn't want to use and then cut it out. A great way to get a little more mileage out of your stamps!

Okay I'm officially wiped! If I owe you an email please know that I am working on it and hope to soon return to my get a million things done, hardly need any sleep, funny, witty, creative self soon!

When In Doubt....

Use a sketch!
I haven't had the energy to scrap in a few days so I packed my stuff and headed to my LSS in Hershey to spend a few hours with my paper and glue.

So I could limit what I took with me I decided that I would participate in the Sketch Challenge on the Studio Calico Blog. Armed with sketch in hand, I picked my photos and product and loaded up my mini van.

Didn't realize that I was that cool to drive a mini van huh?

Anyway here is the product of that session for your enjoyment as well as a little enabling :-)



To make my scallop circle embellishments I used this stamp from Scrapping Bella.

After stamping them onto cardstock I used my scallop circle punch to make cute little text blocks.

I'm not sure what the vanilla cardstock is all about but I LOVE the color combo!

That's it for now and I will be posting soon with HUGE, I mean REALLY HUGE news!

Feels Like Forever...

Since I have shared something...


I used the sentiment from my new favorite typewriter stamp that you can see here.

Sorry about the image, it's out of focus, I'm tired...see below :-)

I been exhausted lately and can barely keep my eyes open past 9:30PM. Unfortunately, this is generally when I am the most productive so needless to say, I have a TON to do this weekend. I tried talking Colin into taking a nap so I could take a nap, but that so did not work.

Oh well.

I'm thinking about a scrapbook date at the Hershey Scrapbook store may be calling my name on Monday. If I start packing now I might be able to plan well enough to get a lot accomplished. We are staying in all weekend so I plan on finishing the 5 or so layouts that need journaling and photos.
Yeah, I have no idea why I do that.
Okay, I have a lull in the storm that is Colin so I am going to attempt to finish everything else. Wish me luck!

New LO....

Love this to pieces...the stamps, the Studio Calico paper...the stamps :-)

The stamps can be found here.

I used the Scraplines Scallopy Border, Label Memory Block, Typewriter, Travel and Happiness stamps from Scrapping Bella stamped on the backside of the Bazzill cardstock. I really like the tone on tone effect of the Walnut Ink and the Vanilla cardstock.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy New Year!

Okay so I know that was like three days ago but trust me...I have a good reason for not posting sooner. First I was working on this...



Is it weird that paper, glue and stamps can make me so happy?

I used the Scraplines Scallopy Borders Stamp and the Happiness Text Stamp from Scrapping Bella. If you look closely you can also see a new gadget that is also available in the shop. I FINALLY got the Tim Holtz tiny attacher! I was like a lot of other people who thought, "what's the big deal, it's a stapler?" Oh how I was so wrong! It's just perfect for attaching little things and it's super secure. Love. It.

The other reason I didn't get this posted yesterday was because Matt and I spent the day shopping till I dropped. Yep, I really dropped, I was sitting on the floor in Kohl's at 11PM because I just couldn't take it anymore. I have no idea why my husband takes WAY longer than me to make a decision while trying on clothes or why he can't tell when something looks awful. Boys are weird.

I seriously left him alone for an hour and he got completely off task and started looking at coats?! He needed pants.

We didn't get home till 12:30AM! That, was all him.

Geez.

Did I ever tell you that when I say something silly Colin says..."Geez lady?! What are you talking about?"

Speaking of being off task...I digress.

I do have a super introspective post planned but right now I want to look at all of the cute things I bought :-)

Next up...toffee in photos!

Christmas Canvas....

This was a gift for my sister in law. Is it bad that I kind of wanted to keep it? I have been meaning to make a canvas for our home (since I really need to get on the ball and finish decorating), but it feels way better to give than to receive.

To make this I got my Iris box of scraps and pulled all of the vintage papers that I liked as well as a few red accents. I had found some vintage labels at a stamp show awhile back and hadn't really found a use for them...until now!

I cut my circles in various sizes and just started adding circles till I felt like it was done. Sorry that there isn't more of a science to it, I wanted it to feel a little random. I did place my red accents on purpose to make my visual triangle and added buttons to connect some of the circles and "ground" others.

That's it!

Seriously, it was a lot easier than I thought and I can't wait to make another!
I used regular acrylic paint as my base and I used Gloss Gel as my glue and sealer.

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

But my productivity is sooooo delightful! :-)



Since I have loads to bake....



Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It's a blizzard here so it is PJ and movie day. Colin is thrilled. I however am not sitting on the couch watching TV, I am placing last minute gift orders and baking.

And ummm, updating my blog.

A girl's gotta have priorities!

Here's my December Collage Press LO. Note, I used the Joyride line with SUMMER PENN STATE PHOTOS! Now THAT'S versatility!



P.S. Thank you so much for all of your encouraging words and comments! I can't wait to get started with my Bella duties and I look forward to getting to know everyone better!

So I Am A Bella Babe!

So I was contacted by the very fun and witty Emily, owner of Stamping Bella, to see if I was interested in designing for her new scrapbooking website, Scrapping Bella. It didn't take me long to say yes to playing with really cute stamps and a fun mix of products. However it did take me a little longer to email her my headshot and bio :-)

So checkout the blog here this week for the official announcement!

To say that I am excited, flattered, inspired, excited :-) would be the understatement of the year. However, I am most of all grateful for the opportunity!

And if you haven't had a chance to check out the website I would encourage you to do so now.

Go ahead, I'll wait :-)

Isn't it awesome?!

Okay that's it for now...I have some new LO's to share and loads of Project 365 photos to share that will shed some light on what the Faust clan has been up to over the last couple of weeks.

Excited? Me too!

The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur so I am anxious to see what we have been up to too!

Oh what the heck! Here's that LO that I was working on in this post where I realized that glue and toddlers don't mix.
You see that ribbon at the bottom of the photo? It's covering the big glue spot courtesy of Colin Faust.



In the end I did thank him for "helping me" with my scrapbooking.

The ribbon was a nice touch!

*ETA* Have you seen all this stuff?


The very generous Emily is providing my readers and new Bella friends a chance at winning all of this loot! So comment on this post to be entered for your chance to win!

Good Luck everyone!

Christmas Planning...

I am thrilled to say that I have gotten most of my shopping already done.
Impressed?
Me too :-)

I am definitely a last minute type of gal so this change of pace feels a little weird but I like it!

I think that this planner has helped a lot and I love crossing things off of each list.

And just in case I forget how many days that there are left to Christmas I have this....


These were my design team projects for the Collage Press Blog. If you haven't had a chance to leave a message over there be sure to do it right now! They are giving away the entire Joyride line and it is seriously the best Christmas line ever!

New Layout

Supplies: Cardstock: American Crafts, Bazzill. Pattern Paper: Cosmo Cricket and Basic Grey. Ribbon: Cosmo Cricket. Chipboard, Rub On and Mists: Maya Road. Chipboard Button: Jenni Bowlin. Brads: Target Dollar Spot. Fence Rub On: Martha Stewart. Stickers: Creative Imaginations.

I love that I was able to use up a few older items with newer paper. Love that!

A Recent Share...

I just added this to my gallery in the last few days and thought I would share it here too. The Past Due stamp is from Studio Calico, have I mentioned lately that they make my favorite stamps? Seriously, this LO came together really quickly...the ones I like the most always do for some reason. I have been keeping my eyes peeled for more of these brads that I used on this LO. I got them in the Target dollar spot over a year ago and never used them. I have no idea why I didn't because they are fab but who knows? Probably because I forgot that I had them. I really need to have a limited number of things on hand so I can remember everything that I have. I have been organizing and purging my space lately, definitely helps me remember what I have. I'm also thinking about moving some stuff upstairs. It's great to have a dedicated room but during the day it seems so far away. It would be nice to be able to create during an impromptu soccer game in the living room.

A girl's gotta multi task :-)

Especially considering the holidays are almost here and I just started thinking about the dress I will probably make for my husband's Christmas Party. Which is pretty impressive for me since I still have about a month to go. I thought about buying one but it is much for fun stressing Matt out that it won't be finished in time.

That's pretty good for me :-)

New LO...

And a bit of self doubt. I spent Friday night at Times to Remember at the Hershey Outlets. I try to do this at least once a month but it has been awhile since my schedule and their midnight crop schedule matched. I go up by myself, spread out my supplies and try to get as much done as I can. This is usually when I realize that I think too much about stuff and sometimes can be painfully slow.

Friday night I only brought a few supplies and just the LO's that I was working on. So I of course forgot a few things that would have made my life easier and was having a hard time with this LO.



I'll be honest...it's only now starting to grow on me. I wanted to finish this first before working on anything else since I started it about a week ago and just was tired of looking at it.

So I called it done and sat it to the side. Well I just kept looking at since I wasn't happy with it. What I liked was the tone on tone color scheme, the die cut paper that I journaled on and the stitching. That was about it. I struggled trying to balance the die cut paper and the rest of the LO. But I was bound and determined to not pull it apart and start over.

In the end I added the floss, buttons and half pearls in the middle, yet it still didn't feel right. Then I added half pearls in the top right corner, that didn't do it either. It wasn't until I added the punched sun embellishment with the staple and half pearl that I started to feel better about it.

Did I mentioned that I also dropped my stamp onto my photo?

Now that I stepped away from it for a bit I am happy with it. I wish I didn't waste so much time on it but I am glad it was done.

More importantly I got this funny story onto paper.

But I will admit, I had a few "I'm a terrible scrapbooker, why even bother to submit stuff," moments.

Luckily I came home, slept and then looked through albums with Colin today and remembered exactly why I do this.

So self doubt gone....scrapbooking can resume :-)

Disney Countdown Chain...

This was our rainy day project for today. Since we are getting so much closer to our upcoming trip and Colin is getting better with time I thought this was the perfect activity for today.



I used two 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of cardstock and 1 scrap piece of pattern paper. I cut the cardstock to 1 1/2 strips with my paper trimmer. I then let Colin put some left over letter stickers where ever he wanted. He enjoyed the first 4 or 5 but then wanted my to do the rest. I used glue on around the rings to adhere them.



After I assembled it, I wrote the number of days left on the inside of each ring. So each morning when we get up we will cut one off.

I found some ribbon that matched my curtains and figured that it was either hang this here or on a sprinkler. I thought the curtain was a much better choice. :-)

I have a few other Disney projects that I am working on this weekend and I also have new LO's to share.

I also think I'm getting pretty close to my 200th post. When I do we will do another HUGE RAK! So make sure to be on the look out for that!

L8TR LO...

So here's the funny story about this one. I had these felt letters that I wanted to use but there were very few things that I could spell for a title. So I glued down
L8TR and figured I would find a way to make it work. Well I had completed almost everything on this LO except the embellishments and journaling. I loved it so much already and honestly...I think I was afraid to mess it up. So I would pull the LO out, look at it and then put it right back. Well I finally finished it! I'm happy with it and best of all...it's done!

I keep telling myself that done it better than perfect!

This seems to work a lot better for scrapbooking than sewing. :-)

I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the sweet comments about my projects and my blog. I read every single one and stalk your blogs accordingly! Just wanted to let you know that your comments bring a smile to my face. As always thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Busy Day...

I seriously think I did like 13 loads of laundry in the last two days.
I scrapped, sewed, played, cleaned, organized and stayed up for the Studio Calico Reveal. Can I say that this month is just stinkin awesome? Honestly I think I could sit and look at the gallery forever, seriously.

Anyway I have loads of pages to share and even more to photograph. So while you are waiting for the debut of my new purse....(which is almost complete), here is a LO that I completed recently during Spirit Week at Colin's preschool.



I think this is going down as one of my favorites! I just started pulling products that went together and used a lot of my favorite embellishments that I have been holding onto for awhile.

I'm also seriously obsessed with that border punch.

Okay that's it for now, I'm going to try to finish my purse and get to bed in an hour.

Do you think I can do it?

Me neither!

Ha!