Mixing and matching my Anthology kits

     I love to mix and match kits and the Anthology by Lisa Bearnson line makes it so easy for me. Coordinating colors and coordinating products, such as the stamp sets that coordinate back to layout kits,  allow me to extend the number of projects I am able to create without searching through my stash for other products.
    

 The layout above is one of the pages that I created using elements from the Lemon Squeezy Pocket Card kit and the Rosey Posey Collection kit.  Both contain 'cards' of various sizes, with coordinating colors.  The "Me" and "You" are letter stickers from one of the kits, while the "&" is a diecut element from another kit.  Because I was not on this trip with my husband and son, I would like them to fill in the details and their favorite memories from each day and want to be sure to make this easy and fun for them.

                                                                  

Most elements on this 2-page spread are from the "Better Together" Pocket Card kit, but again, I was able to add a few pieces from the other two kits as necessary, coordinating with the colors and topics of my photos which were taken over a span of several years. 

Do YOU like to mix and match kits, collections or brands/product lines?  I'd love to hear from you!  Have a wonderful week!SCRAP ON!

I completed more than 12 pages during the local "play date", utilizing the Anthology CEO Layout kit & August Layout kit.

Free Spirit, Joyful Play (Using the "Take Time To Play" kit), Hooray, & You Are Beautiful layouts are all from the Anthology CEO Layout kit.

 

 

I completed this layout at home after reprinting a photo to the size I wanted.

     The following layouts were creating using the August Layout kit.  

I forgot my journaling block on this while working on it at the crop (socializing can do that sometimes lol), so I simply mounted it onto a piece of cardstock and added elements from the kit that I had not used yet.

Layouts that I did not complete during that time (we DID socialize a bit lol) I easily completed at home. 

Getting my scrapbooking groove on with Anthology products!

    

     I've returned from my first Summit, and met SO many wonderful people and heard SO many stories of LIFE-CHANGING health results.... now it's time to play with scrapbooking goodies again, as I document some of the wonderful experiences OUR family has had as a result of my Youngevity Distributorship.
     One of the first goals I had set for myself was to be able to buy a larger dirt bike, a golf cart, or similar item for Wesley, to help keep him entertained this summer.  I mentioned this to a family member during the graduation party of our niece,  & they said "We have one for sale!"
     I cannot believe that I managed to keep it a secret from Wesley.  Michael had no problem, but I was so excited that we were able to do this for him, and that MY income paid for it!

      He has enjoyed his time buzzing around the house this summer and into fall, and I can now do more 'My new ride' layouts for him!  I also have enough photos of his various 'rides' through the years that I can easily do a THEN & NOW or THROUGH THE YEARS layout or mini album.  I cannot wait to see what we can purchase for him within the next year or two!
     If YOU would like to join me in this wonderful adventure, simply go to www.scrapstreams.youngevity.com and click JOIN in the upper right corner of the page, or visit me at www.facebook.com/groups/AnthologywithDaleRoseStream, and I'd be glad to get you started.  It only takes a few minutes to get YOUR FREE company replicated & maintained site started.

My new venture with Anthology by Lisa Bearnson, and Youngevity products.

    

     With one local event on the records, and a busy summer ahead with ( a surprisingly EARLY Memorial Weekend this weekend, our son's cub scout campout next weekend, the end of the school year with all it's activities, graduations, etc.,   I will be trying to fit in progress on my little home based business.
     Merging and/or expanding fb pages, updating my blog, contacting friends and family as well as the public in order to tell them of the wonderful opportunites with Anthology, as well as the Health and Wellness benefits of the 90ForLife products that we are now utilizing, wow... it's a bit overwhelming.  Thankfully, there are SO many people in the Anthology/Youngevity FAMILY, yes, it feels like family, who WANT to HELP us succeed with this venture and transformation!!!
     Speaking of transformations, I have also signed up for the Healthy Body Challenge, and hope to lose 20 pounds, and rebuild some of the muscle that I have lost from no longer wading upstream for hours a day while streamshocking for Salmon and Trout, or setting and lifting nets every day.  Those nets were loaded with the wonderful bluegill, pumpkinseed, perch, large and smallmouth bass, dog fish, etc that we are so blessed with as part of our natural resources here in Michigan, which I was BLESSED with helping to manage for over 10 years.... How I miss my job with Fisheries Division. 
     But as people say, one door closes (my former relationship with a beloved scrapbooking and paper crafting manufacturer) and another one opens.... the new relationship with Anthology by Lisa Bearnson and Youngevity's family of products.
    Okay, am I getting a bit too sentimental?  Oh well, that's me.  What can I say?  I'm a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and SCRAPBOOKER.
    If you would like to learn more about Anthology by Lisa Bearnson or Youngevity, please contact me at:
                                                               231-845-2906
                                                   scrapstreams@yahoo.com
                                            www.scrapstreams.youngevity.com
                  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ANTHOLOGYwithDaleRoseStream/

Another winter layout completed with Inspired Inc Top Page Layout kit: Part 4, Mixing & Matching w/ kits by 3 Birds, & LAKE MICHIGAN ICE.

     Last winter the Ludington area received 110"... yes, that's ONE HUNDRED TEN INCHES of snow!  This year, it seems we are getting more wind than snow, at least they are in town.  Wesley & Michael went to the State Park to take part in an evening snow shoe walk on Saturday, with the path lit by mini Coleman lanterns.  Unfortunately, there was so little snow that the snow shoe walk turned into a regular snow BOOT walk to the beach. There was a bonfire before hand, and Wesley & Michael also continued their own walk within the park later in the evening..
      Friday, they were going to head out to 'look for snow', in anticipation of the potential snow shoe walk....  they ended up going down to the beach and bringing back 3" thick pieces of beautifully clear LAKE MICHIGAN ICE.

     On their way home, Wesley told Michael "Let's see mom scrapbook THAT!"  You can BET I will.
  
     Before they left for one of their adventures, Wesley & Dakota were playing outdoors.  I asked Michael to take a few photos for me (I was in the middle of another project downstairs) because I had a layout I wanted to create.  They were still playing a few minutes later, so I took some more.....you can never have TOO many photos to scrap, right?

      I used the Winter Wonderland layout kit by Inspired Inc, using all but 2 pieces of the kit. 

      I ADDED one piece of 3 Birds Sticky Sparkly Glitter & Foil Set, part of their GRACEFUL SEASONS COLLECTION.  The foiled red "Smile" which sits beside the two 2.5 inch photos near the center of the two pages fits those photos and the mood of their activity that afternoon.  I like that the foil not only catches your eye, drawing your attention to the 2 smaller photos, but I like that the foil also helps liven up the page, since there are so many other dark colors within it.  I also layered some pieces cut from banners from an earlier 3 Birds border kit and placed them below the chipboard "winter".  I LOVE to sort through my stash and find things that match the colors in my photos. 
     I also LOVE to mix and match kits as well as collections, so to any of you who are purists in terms of using kits or working with only one company's products, I apologize.  BEWARE:  I DO THIS QUITE OFTEN... You've been warned lol.

Creating layouts with 3 Birds kits at local crops: Part Two.

      This layout was created during the Crop & Craft for Missions fund raiser.  It's rare that I get even one page completed during the local fund raisers, since I'm not only there as a vendor, but I also ESPECIALLY enjoy chatting with friends and walking around throughout the day to see what others are creating.
     Another blast from the past in terms of kits, but here it is combined with 2014 photos and more of the earlier 3D embellishments offered by 3 Birds.
     This Labor Day Michael and Wesley walked the Mackinac Bridge with THOUSANDS of others, as part of the Annual Bridge Walk between the two peninsulas.  I chose not to go, thinking it would take about 3 hours to complete the walk, and I didn't want to hold them back.  Plus, if I went, I wanted to take my beloved Dakota with us.
     It turns out that they completed the walk in under an hour!  I also believe that they said others brought their dogs with them for the walk, so I WOULD be able to take Dakota... I told them that it sounds like we need to go with them next year.
     As usual, Michael & Wesley took a side-trip, this time to Sleeping Bear Dunes.   Wesley had seen the signs for it on their way to the bridge that morning, and since they were done early enough, off they went!
     They got home late, especially when you consider that Wesley's 1st day of school was the next day, but they really enjoyed themselves.

Using Inspired Inc Top Page Layout Kits... installment 3.

     Today's installment covers a different type of walk than Wesley, Dakota and I usually take.  This particular day I decided to take Dakota to our local dog park, 'Bark in the Park'.  Rather than merely going inside the doggy park to roam around and play with others dogs if present AND well behaved, we decided to explore part of the adjacent walking path which winds through the woods between the dog park, local cemetery and the Lincoln River.

    This is another situation where I needed to create a companion page in order to include all or at least most of the photos that I wanted to use.  I searched my stash of papers, cropped corners to match those of the kit pieces, and used some of the remaining kit items to pull the pages together.
     I also had to adapt the layout to fit the number, sizes, and orientation (vertical vs horizontal) of the photos I wanted to work with.
     I'm not crazy with the outcome, due to the fact that the blue camera pattern paper is busier than I usually use, and more of it is exposed therefore making it more visible, but the theme works well with this story, and the blue and black coordinate with Wesley's clothing and Dakota's coat.
    

Creating more layouts by utilizing Top Page Layout kits by Inspired Inc: Part 2

     Hello friends and family.  This will take a while for me complete, but I am working diligently to play 'catch up' on postings of my projects from 2014-2015.
     Below are 2 pages completed with one of the Inspired Inc Top Page layout kits, followed by a companion page that I created in order to include more of the fun photos from an afternoon of family play time in our home town.  The colors of this kit fit really well with the colors of our clothing as well as the BEAUTIFUL blooming tree which is part of the mini golf course.  I used part of another Top Page Layout kit, specifically the rainbow portions, to pull the colors from the prior two pages into the companion page.

     As you can see, I had to alter the layout suggested to fit my photo orientations, number and sizes, but the colors really helped to pull the pages together.
          

       Wesley joined Cub Scouts this year, and their only fund raiser is their annual popcorn sale which takes place in front of the local hardware store where the scout leader works...brilliant!  When combined with the fees each cub scout pays annually, this fund raiser covers the expenses of some of their activities.   Our favorite popcorn that they sold is the dark and white chocolate popcorn which Wesley is holding in one of the photos... a very popular seller.

    This layout kit featured brown tones along with orange and green accents, which worked well with our annual outdoor chores or activities.  Wesley has been learning to drive our lawn mower on his own, actually enjoying some of the outdoor chores since he's been allowed to drive.  Sometimes Michael lets him just zoom around the yard for fun.... typical kid at this age range.

 

Completing more projects utilizing kits from 3 Birds: Part One.

     During two of our local fund raising crops, Crop For A Cure & Crop and Craft for Missions, I was able to crank out a few more projects by using some of my huge stash of kits by 3 Birds.

     This is one of the many diecut page kits that 3 Birds has offered since I discovered them around 2009.  Since I am a 3D embellishment lover/hoarder as well, and have so many pieces which coordinate with their color schemes over the years, I took advantage of the situation to create a quick (it usually takes me hours to complete a layout), balanced and fun layout.
     Not only was this our first vegetable garden at this home, it was Wesley's first opportunity to grow his own pumpkins.  We were quite surprised to see that we were able to get not only one or two, but 4 pumpkins.  The pumpkins were small, but it was a nice learning experience for Wesley as well as Michael and I, as we learned a bit about how well some things may or may not grow in relation to its location in our yard, the amount of rain we did NOT receive this year, and the cooler than normal temperatures we also experienced during this odd summer season.
     We planted 3 types of tomatoes, locating them on the West side of the raised bed so that the corn was less likely to shade them out.  What we learned about the tomatoes:  they grew like MAD in relation to the other plants, and therefore are going to have their OWN bed next year!
     The peas tasted WONDERFUL and were the family favorite, with us fighting over the few that we were able to harvest.  The tomatoes growing like weeds shadowed them out, plus we definately need to plant more pea plants next year.
     The corn didn't do diddly.... too little heat as well as rain (yes, we watered the garden almost daily)
caused our corn to only grow a few feet, not being any where near 'knee high by fourth of July'.  Local farmers struggled with the same problem, but we were able to buy a fair amount of locally grown sweet corn from the 'Larsen Girls', granddaughters of my scrapbooking friend, Judee Larsen.
     I accidentally picked one of only 2 peppers that grew this summer, upsetting Michael a bit.  I didn't check the label of that particular plant before picking the lovely green pepper which was calling my name.  When mature, it was supposed to be red....oops.  I got to enjoy it since it never fully ripened, and Michael was no longer interested in it.
    Next year we plan to build at least one more raised bed like this one which Michael and Wesley built for me.  As mentioned above, we will definately be giving the tomatoes their own bed, perhaps with corn getting it's own private 'suite', and lots more peas being planted.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... again. Squirrel's "Seal/t of Approval" layout.

     Yes, I know that it's a typical cat thing, but Squirrel has been EXTRA cat-like lately.  Not only did she sit on a clean plate that sat at the table before a meal, like she did last year by sitting on the plate that I had in Leon's spot before the Gleason Christmas we hosted, but she has been nearly EVERYWHERE she could possibly be in relation to a current project we were working on this Christmas season!  She even sat on top of the box which contained Michael and Wesley's snow shoes I gave them this year, not even moving while they were unwrapping it (see photo in the upper left hand corner of the page)!  They had to physically move her, as our requests went unanswered each time we asked her to move.  Table settings, freshly washed and ironed table cloths & gift wrapping paper are just a few of the other items she decided to 'bless' with her presence.

     I fell behind on my usual Christmas decorating schedule, and after living with the decorations as they were for a couple of weeks, I finally found more of the large ornaments on sale, along with a spray sealer that I wanted to add in order to extend their finish.  Christmas Eve found Wesley helping me complete the task by holding them for me as I applied the finish outdoors (to save our lungs and nostrils), but it didn't always completely solve the problem (see upper left photo on the right hand page lol).
    BTW, the Mr. Huey's 'Shine' spray mist that I used STILL has not dried, despite repeat attempts to speed the process with my heat gun and laying it out to dry for weeks now.  I posted a question about it on scrapbook.com's forums, as well as sent a note to the manufacturer's website.  No one else who responded had the same problem for an extended amount of time, and the manufacturer asked if I had mixed the medium (yes) and then suggested that I contact another part of their company's website if I was still unsuccessful.  DEFINATELY. 
     I have a LOT of other photos I would like to scrap to commemorate this Christmas, so be prepared for more red, silver & blingy projects.

Birthday fun... VIDEO GAMES anyone?

     It's that time of year again. Our son will be 11 years old, and is definitely at that 'tween' stage of his life.  He made a major leap of his main interest a year and a half ago, going from Thomas the Train to Star Wars, is becoming more independent (he made Jiffy Pop popcorn completely on his own the other night) and is totally obsessed with electronic games.
     We invited 3 of his classroom friends (Jonny, Deakon & Carter) over for his birthday party on Saturday, one day before his birthday.  Michael suggested going to the pool for an hour or so before hand, or going sledding, but all the boys invited immediately turned down the pool activity.  At the time that we were planning his party, we didn't even have any snow, then it warmed up after we did get some.  We have snow once again, but I don't expect them to spend even a few minutes outdoors during the actual party, let alone going to the state park or the water tower hill to go sledding, as they are all big into gaming.  Perhaps in the late afternoon, or tomorrow morning, anyone who stays overnight might be more interested in going outdoors.  Carter wasn't able to stay overnight because of wrestling, but he stayed a few hours longer, only leaving when he had too lol.
     Wesley's main gift is still in transit, as I ordered it earlier this week.  I had hoped it would be delivered by tomorrow (FedEx delivers on Saturdays here, but UPS does not, unless it's a 'special delivery'), but it has only traveled from it's origin of Texas to Tennessee as of this afternoon.  Michael had told me that he didn't care if it was a couple of days late for his birthday, and not to ask if the seller was willing to change the delivery method in order for us to get it sooner.  I totally understand that outlook, as this item was a splurge, considering that I had already picked him up a few smaller and less expensive gifts.
    On a related note, as a birthday gift to myself, I ordered a canine DNA tester for Dakota this week as well.  It was listed as being on the FedEx truck for delivery today, but it turns out that they took it to the post office for delivery instead.  Oh well, another couple of days doesn't really matter, but it would have been nice to get it today as it was listed.
     UPDATES:  The party was a hit, with two of the boys asking to come back over for another sleepover this weekend, but I had told Wesley not so soon... I need a weekend off lol SO TRUE!
     Surprisingly, the boys DID go outside, wandering out while Dakota and I had gone for our walk.  As we got 2/3 of the way home, I could hear the boys yelling.  Soon I realized that it was so loud that they must have opened the slider for some fresh air....no, they were actually OUTSIDE!   Normally, when I let Dakota off her lead as we approach our property line, she merely trots ahead of me, usually getting a bite or two of some fresh, cold snow, before heading in with me for a big drink of water.  This time, she ran ahead and straight to the back yard to play with the boys,  assuming her self-assigned roll as the 'referee' which her fur coat resembles.  If people or other pets get loud, she assumes they are getting too rough and therefore steps in to break things up.

      Wesley & I bought this HDTV in the evening of Black Friday... LOVE it!  We also set up the old HD large screen that my brother Leon gave us when they moved home.

    

It just so happened that there were FOUR boys, and when Wesley ran upstairs before we sat down to have cake (cowboy brownies) and icecream, he came back with the FOUR Star Wars character masks he had collected so far.  Perfection....

   While looking for cake decorations, I saw these tiny mustaches, remembered what Roberta Davis's family (Jonny's mom) had done a previous summer, and added into account the boys' ages...hmmm!

  

 

I misspoke earlier... there were actually FIVE BOYS attending!  Michael had to show the boys his record high score!

Wesley received some great cards, cash gifts and a GameStop gift card, all of which are perfect for his current interests as well as the locally limited variety of gaming or Star Wars items.  Now he can combine his money to pick out something larger/more expensive which he has wanted for a while, or even order something online.

      The tv we replaced, Leon's pass-me-down.  I think the boys used 3 different game systems: Our Wii and PS2, plus one of the boys' game cube, seen on the floor in the above photo.

    We ordered 2 Hungry Howie's (Wesley's favorite) pizzas for lunch.  Dinner was a high-class kids' favorite: Mac and Cheese plus hot dogs.  Dad even gave Dakota a hotdog bun (some were stale).

        NOW I see why they have the wrestling game out!

     The boys were still pretty loud at midnight, but around 1 am they were talking quietly.  I laid in bed, worried that one of the boys would soon be walking into our room to tell me that they wanted to go home because they missed their family, which has happened in the past.  Nope... Michael said they were probably talking about GIRLS!

4-Wheelin' For Our Health...

    After a frustrating day yesterday, dealing with Fibro fog and the resultant mistakes on my part, as well as the dishwasher not dispensing the cleanser AGAIN, today started out on a better track.
    Until..... I decided that I needed to buck up against the negative wind chill temperatures today (it was already 9 degrees warmer this morning than yesterday morning) to take Dakota for a much needed walk.
     We had trudged through the 6-10 inches of fresh snow nearly all the way back to the furthest corner of the cemetary before I remembered that I had planned to drive over with my truck each time we got a fair amount of snow, thus keeping a walking path cleared for the two of us.  The past 2 winters we lost a lot of walking days, especially last winter, with over 110 inches of snowfall here in Ludington!
      So off we went, 4-wheelin' together again!  I would LOVE to know what Dakota was thinking each time we do this..."But mom, we were just here... walking!  Why are we driving around and around again?"
    After I had made 3 or 4 passes through the cemetary, taking alternate routes so we would have a few different paths to walk, the county plow came down the road.  I made sure each time I approached the road that there was NO traffic coming, so I would not get stuck attempting to get out onto the road after stopping for traffic.  I lucked out and the plow did not bury the driveways more than my truck would handle.

     It has now been a few days since I originally began this post.  Problems with the 2 pellet stoves, a few days apart, are now past, and we are REALLY blessed to have them, as we have had our first BLIZZARD conditions of this winter, and the new year. 
     Three days off from school, LOTS of wind, blowing snow, and MULTIPLE MULTI-CAR (30-100+) PILE UPS on US-131 as well as I-94, have created a lot of concern, worry, and headlines this week.
     Perhaps this weekend I will take the time to post some of the photos we've taken both at home and while driving home from the store in a white-out, which came up while Wesley & I were at Meijer to pick up a few things BEFORE the storm hit.

   The photos above do NOT do it justice.  Even at speeds of 30 mph we were driving beyond our visibility, so it was a headlights on, even lower speeds, white knuckle drive home.  I would NOT have gone out if I knew it was going to get this bad so quickly!

     The photo above was taken after we had received 10-12+ inches of fresh snow.  Wesley is shoveling a path for the cats so that they can jump from the deck to their cat door which comes into the living room.  As usual, Dakota was enjoying the snow storm tremendously, and I had to call her in and dry her off with the blow drier.  If she wasn't black on top, we'd never find her during the snow storms.
     The biggest snow days were Jan 8-10th so far, and with the warm weather (36+ degrees) today, Dakota and I finally ventured back to the cemetary with the truck.  What a greasy, slippery mess it was when you'd try to turn.  I was able to make a few laps though so we have more paths, and wider ones at that for our walking....until the weather changes AGAIN.