Coming soon......

Home Decor goodness!

Another home decor series is up on Ella Publishing! We're profiling the fantabulous (is that a word? I hope so!) Lori Mancini.

Check it out over here!



As this posts, I'll be on my way to Los Angeles for CHA.

Here's hoping that:
a) I will get there ok (major fear of plane crashes here)
b) I'll have a great Shabbos with my hosts (who I don't know)
c) I will find food to eat (when you keep kosher AND follow a fertility diet, it ain't as easy as it sounds)
d) I will see lots of scrappy friends (that should work out!)

If you're going to CHA, let me know to find you! If you're not, let me be your eyes and ears and tell me what you want to see!

And just to make me feel better: Are YOU nervous on planes?

Disney Adventures: Part I (and a question for YOU!)

Now that I'm back in frigid New Jersey (speaking of which, weather.com reported this morning that it felt like negative 4 outside. How, exactly, does one dress for negative 4? ) I've been looking at my photos from my Disney trip and daydreaming.

It was exactly the trip I needed--fun, relaxing, lots of quality time with S, a break from the usual stresses of day to day life (which generally do not include issues such as "how do I get to the castle?")

We got pumped as soon as we landed in Orlando and saw signs for our hotel...


And took pictures of ourselves waiting (not so patiently) for the bus to get moving.....


Our hotel was beautiful. We could see animals from the windows and observation decks, and had some up-close encounters with antelopes and flamingos.

Our first stop was the Magic Kingdom.

The castle was there, looking spiffy as always.

I wanted to eat a lollipop as big as my head, but sadly, they weren't kosher. It's like my dentist and the Disney people conspired!


We took gleeful shots of each other in the park,

tried on many, MANY hats,


and spun in teacups until we (or at least me) almost hurled. (Which, luckily for the little children nearby, did NOT actually happen).

And that was the first day--more photos to come soon!

This trip has made me mull over my system of tackling vacation pictures. The idea of doing a scrapbook layout covering each and every story and photo makes me break out in hives. Instead, I'm planning to do a photobook and then individually scrap photos that inspire me. But, I'd love any help from YOU on finding a cute photobook template!

And while I'm working out my system, I'd love to know: How do YOU scrap vacation photos?

A Brief Interruption....

One of the "babies" I've been working on for a while now is a home decor series I'm doing with Ella Publishing. Each week for 5 weeks, we're going to profile scrapbookers who also have wonderful home decor. We're going to look at the connections between their scrapbooking and home decor processes.

Our first profile is up today, and it features Stephanie Howell! Go here to check it out.


And a little sneak peek into Steph's home decor....

Pretty, huh? Love the banner!

Let me know what you think!

Back to Reality!

Disney was, well magical. As was the Harry Potter park, which was really worth seeing!

I'm still buried under a pile of emails to return, to-dos, and snow, but wanted to resurface to confirm that I do, in fact, and exist and live to blog about it!

I had the pleasure of Guest Designing for Tombow this month, and my layouts are up on their blog!

Here's one to get you interested:)

Photo credit: Alexis Hardy Photography!

In other news, Ella Publishing has some fun stuff going on! A new e-book is out about Event and Holiday scrapping:


And you can see 1 sketch 12 ways on the blog (lots of 'em are double pagers for you double page gals out there!)

In other news, Picasa is currently trying to kill me. I don't know why. It just doesn't seem to want me to write the many blog posts I need to be writing right now. Harumph.

What random and non-sequitor items are occupying YOUR day today?

Hello from Orlando!

Hello friends!

By the time you're reading this, I'll be on my way to sunny (I hope!) Orlando, Florida. The bags are mostly packed, our dining room table is covered with food waiting to go in the suitcase (the joys of kosher traveling! Here's hoping TSA doesn't think I'm running a cheese smuggling business....), and my various gadgets are charging around the house.

Sometimes I long for the simpler days, when I would wheel my Barbie suitcase out the door and call it a day.

Although, knowing me, I probably spent hours stressing out about which Barbies to pack, and what they would wear:)

On a scrappy note, I figured I'd share a layout while y'all are here:


Made with a Sketchy Thursdays sketch and using the glorious Warm Calico mist (I love everything gray lately!)

And on a more serious, note, I am really looking forward to some Disney magic:)
A good friend of mine who has also dealt with infertility always advises me to live life to the fullest NOW. Take the job, go on the vacation, make the plans--don't sit at home and wait "in case you might be pregnant." So that's what we're trying to do.

Right now, life feels happy and so full of good things it's bursting at the seams and popping buttons. It's hard sometimes, too--the pain of infertility is sharp and pierces me when I least expect it to. But I'm trying to weave that pain into something beautiful and true that will be here long after my last baby grows up. As the common Jewish saying goes, this too is for the good.

So here's to magic.

My Schedule Right Now.....

is crazy.

Hence the lack of timely blogging. Just trying to get this here motion off my desk and off to court. Also frantically trying to get everything done before S and I head off to DISNEY WORLD!!!!! for a much-needed vacation.

Speaking of schedules, here's a layout I created on that very topic with Studio Calico's December kit, Metropolitan:

Since I had a profusion of week-themed products (KI scribbles, weekday stamps, etc.) I decided to document what my weekly schedule is right now as a part-timer, and the way I balance my roles as wife, (soon to be) lawyer, scrapbooker, writer, friend, daughter etc, right now. The balance ain't perfect--especially not this week--but I love that my life is filled with things I find meaningful and enjoy.

I read somewhere that there are two planes of happiness--a "macro" plane where you feel like your life has meaning, and "micro" plane where you get happiness from the small things in life. To be really happy, the article said, you need both to align. I think about that idea often when I schedule--how to be busy with the big things, but still enjoy the little things?

It's something I'm still learning as I go along, and I suspect I always will.
How do YOU balance all of your roles? What's YOUR schedule like?

Scrappy Sunday--What if they Don't Like Me?

A few weeks ago, I was on the phone with a friend and when I got off the call, I immediately began analyzing it. Did I say the right thing? Was her response unfriendly, or was she just tired? And the big question--Does she like me?

I've asked myself these questions over and over through the years. But this time was different.

Rather than go through the old rigamarole, analyzing everything I said and she said and worrying about it, I asked myself a question--Why am I so anxious about this? The answer came clearly--it boiled down to this one thought. What if they don't like me?

And once I phrased the issue clearly, I could see how silly all this anxiety has been. People, for the most part, have liked me. Not everyone, but that's ok--I don't need the approval of everyone in the universe to be good, or happy, or worthwhile.

I immediately put aside what I was working on at the time and created this layout. Somehow, seeing the question written out (in adorable little thickers, no less!) makes it feel more manageable. Like it's something I can conquer.

So here's to 2011, where my word of the year is BELIEVE. Believe that all things are possible. Including believing in myself.

What do YOU need to believe in this year?

PS--This is my layout for this week's Sketchy Thursdays challenge! Go here to play along--I love finding new talent and fun blogs that way!

Scarlet Lime January--Vintage Love!

I always love Scarlet Lime kits, but with my penchant for blue, gray, pink, flowers, and vintage bits, I am in LOVE with this month's kit!

Here's a peek at the main:


And here's what I did with it:


The journaling reads: No matter where we go, as long as I'm with you, I'm right at home. Photo credit: Alexis Hardy (have I been getting my scrappy use out of those photos or what!)

A close-up. I'm generally a 12 by 12 kind of lady, but every so often an 8.5 by 11 is just perfect.

This next layout tells the story of our mini vacation to NYC (which included the best massage EVER! Let's just say a secret grotto and eucalyptus steam room were involved. Sigh.)


I am loving anything gray this season, so I amped up the gray on this layout with the background and the patterned paper. If you can see in the photo, the hotel walls were also gray--I approved!

The Frugal Fab kit this month has more of a bold, graphic feel, and some wonderful Pink Paislee touches--note the pleated ribbon and that fantastic blue alpha!

Here's what I was up to with this one:
This layout provides a bit of insight into the craziness that is the S & K household. In anticipation for our future trip to DISNEY WORLD (that's right--we're going in a few weeks!), and our stay in the Animal Kingdom Lodge in particular, we have taken to signing our emails with things like "keshet 'safari queen' starr." It's all very weird, but entertaining!

Love love love that pleated ribbon!

And my last layout is about my trip to see Wicked with my little sis. It was a truly fantastic show--the best part was watching her eyes get so big as the songs and effects lit up the stage!

I didn't get any good pictures that night, but didn't want to let the moment be forgotten. So I used the playbill cover and journaled about what a special night it was. I'm so glad I made it:)

If you're interested in one of the kits, they are still available over at Scarlet Lime!

My question for you is how YOU scrap memories you don't have photos for?

PS--I'm almost at 100 followers (!!!), so whenever I get there, I'm going to have a giveaway! Planning it now!

Beyond my Wildest Dreams

The new WCS gallery for January is up, and it contains one of my new favorite layouts of all time.

I don't think the photo fully captures it, but in lieu of inviting you all to my house (which you are totally invited to anytime, but it might be a long trip!), here it is:

The journaling reads: I prayed for a happy marriage, and He answered, beyond my wildest dreams. I know He'll do the same for my dreams of motherhood. 12-2010.

I used Studio Calico's November kit, Napa Valley, along with some alphas from my stash. The photo is by Alexis Hardy--probably my fave from the summer photoshoot we did.

To see more beautiful black-and-white photo inspiration, check out the WCS January gallery--you can also learn some fun (or in my case, slightly embarrassing) facts about us!

I'm off to attack my to-do list before I head off to a wedding. I love weddings--the music, the romance, the wild dancing, the food (let's be honest here), the dressing up. Or maybe not the dressing up, because I have no idea what I'm going to wear, as usual. Alas.

What are YOU doing this Sunday?