Scrapmatters NEW daily download

Join me at the Speed Scrap

I'm hosting a Speed Scrap tomorrow (Tuesday): 

Here's the participation prize:

Hope you can join me!

Memory Spark Monday

So, I have a pretty funny story that I like to tell about one of those embarrassing times in life that wasn't so funny then, but is really funny now...KWIM?  I think you will after reading this.

It was Summer, 2005.  I had just graduated with my MBA and my husband and I had just returned from our 5 year anniversary trip to WDW and had just gotten our Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy Rupert too.  Lots of changes in our lives going on.  We were at the point in our lives where we were going to start expanding our family, but didn't have any kids yet.  We were  in our late twenties...mature enough to have productive adult lives, but didn't have the worldly experience that comes with being a parent.

Hubby's cousins were coming to visit his Mom for a week, their parents were going on a trip.  The boys were about 7 and 10 at the time.  Interesting looking back, because my oldest is now 7.  The boys wanted to spend a night or two with Todd and I which we welcomed.  They are really fun, good kids.  One morning, I took them to Old Navy.  They lived in a very small town that didn't have an Old Navy and they liked their clothes.  So, their Mom sent them each $100 to buy some clothes.  I took them on this outing, we happened to live really close to one.

So, let me start by saying I really didn't know what I was in for.  I didn't really realize that they wouldn't really know how to shop for clothes on their own yet, so they needed help with sizes and trying on and matching, etc.  Again, now I am comparing this story to sending my now 7 year old into a store with $100 and imagining what she'd come out with!

Now, the 7 year old can be stubborn, there are other very funny stories to back that up, but I am going to stick with this one for now.  So, we get in there and they separate.  The 7 year old found a toy truck, you know, the Old Navy pickup truck.  He is on the floor and has found another little boy to play with and I am trying to get him to come with his brother and me to pick out clothes, but to no avail.  He seems content and he's behaving and he's in the section we are shopping in, so I decide to let him play while I help his brother pick out clothes.  We shop and pick some things out and go back to the 7 year old and say "OK, it's your turn, let's pick out some clothes and spend your money"  But he has no interest and is now saying that he doesn't want to shop for clothes and spend his money, he's changed his mind.  I am now wondering what his Mom will think that I didn't complete the mission.  What will Hubby's Mom say when I drop the boys back off to her after Old Navy?  Oh, well, can't make him buy clothes.

It is now time to go to the dressing room with his brother for try-on time.  The 7 year old doesn't want to come, but I tell him he has to now because I can't leave him alone in the store.  So, he reluctantly comes along.  The 10 year old doesn't want me in the room with him while he changes, which I understand.  But he won't come out and show me how things are fitting either.  So, again, I am now wondering what his Mom will think if he gets home with $100 worth of ill-fitting clothes he loves!!  He gets done, we've got his choices and head out of the dressing room.  Surprise surprise, the 7 year old is now ready to shop!!!  Sound familiar Moms?  Didn't want to stop playing to shop, but now that he sees his brother's cool purchases, he's ready.

Back to the drawing board to shop for the younger one.  Picking out his clothes, trying them on, same drill on the not wanting to come out and show us.  But we do finally narrow it down to his $100 worth of stylish boy clothes.

Emotionally spent, I head to the registers with the boys and their stash.  I hadn't been authoritative with them up until now.  Even though they were being a little difficult, they weren't being bad and, me not being a Mom, I didn't feel like I had the authority to give them a stern urging to come pick out clothes when I was ready or to come out of the dressing rooms so I could approve of their choices.  I was more like the cool babysitter that was just on the adventure with them.

Did I mention the funny stories about the younger brother?  He's a little mischievous and a little mechanical...the type of boy who likes to see how things work (once took apart a mechanical screwdriver that we couldn't get back together, you see my point).  I am paying with the boys' $100 bills and paying attention to the cashier to make sure we have enough money and the purchases are completed successfully.  "Where are the boys?" it occurs to me.  The older brother is next to me acting like a perfect gentleman...the younger brother, however, is behind me acting, well, like a 7 year old boy!

Do you ever remember seeing the displays at Old Navy at the front of the store where the mannequins are on a round display and the display is slowly rotating?  Well, the 7 year old is spinning the display hand over hand to make it go faster and faster... and succeeding, I might add....I turn around and see this and in a split second I see three full body, standing mannequins (dressed handsomely in the Old Navy item of the week) going around in circles like they were on the Teacups!  OMG, I immediately open my mouth to yell at him and say "Get over here this minute!" but before I could, I saw the centrifugal force take over and one of the mannequins flies off the display, hitting the ground!  And as if that wasn't enough, it's head cracks off as if decapitated and ROLLS across the floor toward the doors!  Old Navy employees rush over from out of the woodwork from all directions, grab the head and the remains of it's body.

Holy $*@&!!!  I now take my opportunity to scream "GET OVER HERE THIS INSTANT!"  and "You stand right here and don't move!" And he did while I completed our purchases.  I profusely apologized to the manager who was not happy, but didn't get angry either.  I figured I'd be banned from Old Navy forever!  For years my family has joked that in Old Navy break rooms nationwide, there is my mugshot with the caption, Do Not Serve this Woman!  The 7 year old is now crying.

We walk out of the store and I tell them to get into the car.  We make the short drive back to my house to pick up their bags from spending the night.  The stubborn younger brother refuses to get out of the car.  I think he was embarrassed too.  You think???  I tell him he must get out since it is too hot and dangerous to stay in the car.  He still refuses.  Again, I don't feel like I can physically make him get out...I know now that I could have.  Remember that parental experience I mentioned earlier?  I feel helpless and now my previous state of being emotionally spent has been upgraded to distraught.  I call my mother-in-law to update her on our shopping outing.  She is saying just tell him sternly that he HAS to get out.  But, I was unable to convince him.

We drive to her house to transfer charge of the boys back to Hubby's mom.  She comes out, opens his door from where he still refuses to exit.  She says in the motherly, serious, stern, angry voice that we all can imagine "You have two choices, you can either get out of this car like a young man, or I can take you out of the car myself!"  And he got out.  It was that simple, just threaten him!  She definitely had more clout than I did in his eyes and, after all, she would return him to his parents with a report on the week, so I guess he figured he'd better do what she said.  Ugh!!

Not so funny then, well, OK, maybe a little funny then.  But funnier and funnier every time I tell the story and have more and more worldly parental experiences of my own to draw on for relevance.

My topic today is most embarrassing moments...wouldn't it be funny to scrap about them so we can remember them and laugh later?  Of course, then I didn't have my camera attached to my hip yet like I do now, so I don't have any photos, but I could get some off the net of the Old Navy logo or of the mannequins at Old Navy or just use photos of the boys then and now.  Can you imagine if I had a picture of the headless mannequin and coordinating bodiless mannequin head to show you or to scrap?  Just imagining it is funny enough I suppose.  So, what's one of your most embarrassing moments?  Please share so I can commiserate with you!  LOL

--Jen

2 New Fun Releases

hey everyone, Loribear here today to bring you the newest products from Chelle.  This week she has captured the feeling of the county fair in Ticket to Ride.  A fantastic fair and fun kit!  This time of year too is perfect for this and if you have one coming up you will want to grab this for sure! Its packed with great elements from bumper cars and coasters to a ferris wheel and popcorn!  You can find it here at Scrap Matters

Her next release is the perfect compliment to the kit and is a wonderful and bright colored pack of glittered papers.  These are certain to add that touch of bling and sparkle to any layout!  You can find these as well here  at Scrap Matters


And this weekend only, you can get All that Glitters FREE when you purchase Ticket to Ride:

No need to add All that Glitters to your cart, the downloads will be included automatically.

  Here are some just awesome layouts that the Creative Team did this week.  Have a great Weekend!

Sneak Peeks!

This is Liz and yes, guys there are two peeks for this week.  Chelle has come up with some beautiful products for this week that I know you will enjoy.  Here is the first one:

As to quote one of my favorite reality show stars, Rachel Zoe, "I die" and "It's bananas!'.  Seriously, awesome kit and you have to come back for the big reveal tomorrow because you are going to love it!

Here is the second peek:

Again, a great product!  One of those beasic you need in your stash for your layouts to add that something special.

Well, that is all I have for you and come back and check out the big reveal tomorrow. 

Memory Spark Monday

Well, while it's Manic Monday over at ScrapMatters today, it's Memory Spark Monday here at Chelle's Creations. I'm Becca (becca372) here with you again as we start another week.

So...I got thinking about MSM (memory spark monday) recently, and realized that when I think of a "memory spark", it doesn't only have to be things from my past...it can just as easily be something from the now that will, in two week, two months, two years, or two decades, bring a memory back to the forefront. And that got me thinking about some little things in my life right now, and I knew my "memory" for right now.

For the past two weeks, I've been wearing this little pair of gold ballet flats. I got them almost two years ago, and they're nearly worn out. Now, honestly, when I got them, I thought I'd wear them ONCE. I needed a pair of comfortable shoes to wear at my sister-in-law's wedding reception. And I had to wear a banana yellow dress. I was so stumped about what color shoes to wear with banana yellow. I happened on these flats at Target, and got them fairly inexpensively, after weeks of scouring online shoe stores and department stores. I did wear them at her wedding reception. But I've worn them for so much more. They're perfect with jeans, with khakis, with little dresses. They're such a great neutral, but add a pop of shimmer or shine to just about any outfit. Two years later (my SIL's 2nd anniversary is in 2 weeks), they're about worn out. I need to find some new ones. These, though, are going to be hard to let go of.

How about you? Do you have a favorite pair of shoes? Your go-to shoes? Or a pair of shoes that, like me, you thought you'd never wear? Why are they your favorites? What have you worn them to? What do you wear them with? How do they make you feel? Take a minute to record your memories of those shoes, so that in two months, years, or decades, you can pull out those thoughts, and be transported back...all by a pair of shoes!

I was so inspired I scrapped my shoes...using Chelle's new Building Blocks, Midnight Crow, and just a touch of Gingerbread.I also used her on the dot alpha in green. I think I've got to work on my journaling some more...but I'm much too tired this evening! Thanks for checking in with us, and happy scrapping! I'm looking forward to seeing some shoe LO's in the galleries!

We're "buliding" something fun over here!!!

Hello folks!

This is Bre here, and I am super excited to show you what Chelle has created for this week's new release! Without further adieu, I ( and by "I", I really mean Chelle lol) give you:

Building Blocks v.1 & Building Blocks v.2!!!

 here

and here

Aren't they just fabulous??? I know that I love that blocked look, but I just don't have the patience to sit down and chop all of my papers into uniform shapes. Now, with Chelle's awesome shape templates, I can just clip and go. The best part? She includes plain, doodle outlined, and inked edges psd shapes, as well as pngs for those that need them. They are truely all-inclusive sets of templates!

Building Blocks v.1 & Building Blocks v.2 are also available in a money saving bundle:

found here

PS: I have also heard that Chelle might be having a sale. Make sure to go check it out!

Now onto some inspiration from the rest of the CT ladies:

 

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

{Chelle here, Bre was right:

All Building Blocks kits are 20% off Friday and Saturday ONLY! 

Sneak Peek Thursday!

Hi everyone! Fiona here and I am so excited to tell you about Chelle's new release this Friday. Well actually I can't really TELL you but I can give you a few hints.....have you ever just felt totally "blocked" when you're trying to scrap? Have you ever con"templated" giving up on your layout? Well you will definitely want to check back tomorrow for an awesome new product that will "build" your creativity! Here's a sneak peek:

and here is another hint...this is what i scrapped with it:



Think you have it figured out yet? Come back tomorrow to see!!

Daily Download QP Freebie #7

It's a little sad to be finishing up our week of freebie QP's.  For my turn I chose one of my favorite kits: Wild Oats.  So here's the QP:

http://www.4shared.com/file/133087017/56217eb7/_2__cc_dd_QP_Chelle.html

And here's a preview & link to the kit:

See you tomorrow for new release day!

Daily Download QP Freebie #6

Summer camping pictures still to scrap? Here's help from Heather:


She used Let's Camp S'more:

See you tomorrow for our last daily download QP!

Daily Download QP Freebie #5

Does this remind you of those warm summer days? Thanks to Becca for today's QP.


She used Half Moon Bay:


See you tomorrow!

Memory Spark Monday

Hi, this is Liz bringing you this Memory Spark Monday.  I know when it comes to scrapping we tend to focus on the happy moments of our lives. Weddings, birthdays, new babies and other such events. And while, these events are great moments and certainly worthy of being documented, the not so nice moments are just as important too.

I thought for this Memory Spark Monday I would focus on moments of fear and apprehension. For me specifically, graduating from college and preparing to enter law school. I always lived at home during my college years. My school was only 30 minutes away so I didn't see the point of living on campus.

But then I graduated and got accepted to a law school in Boston. A city 3000 miles away that I had never visited and had no friends or family in. I was scared out of my wits at the thought of moving. I remember breaking down into tears the months leading up to it and the few weeks living in my new apartment. I was afraid of the unknown and of failing without the support of my parents.

But I survived and grew stronger and more independent having lived on my own. I learned valuable life skills that I could not acquire if I had continued to live with my parents. Basically I grew up.

I would feel that same crippling fear other times in my life, usually right before a life changing moment in time. I made a page expressing some of those feelings I had right around my graduation and how I feel looking back on it. Here it is:

I used Chelle's Onward and Upward, Girl Power, Lessons From My Father, Chunky Chipboard Alpha, You Define Me: Love, The Cutting Edge Templates, History Lessons, and Midnight Crow.

So take some time this week to reflect upon a time in your life when you were faced with uncertainty, fear or apprehension.  Think about how you felt in that moment and what effect, if any, it had upon your life.  Remember that the unpleasant moments can make good layouts as well.

Daily Download QP Freebie #4

We're halfway there. Are you enjoying these wonderful creations! Isn't the CT amazing?

Today we have this LO by Fiona:

She used Gingerbread:

Just a Moment Journal Tags:

The frames are from Make a Splash:

The alpha is Oh My Stars:


You Define Me:

And those edges are created with The Cutting Edge Templates:

See you tomorrow!