Oh, THERE you are!

Well, better way late ( like a year and a half) than never I guess! I have been working hard at....well, Life. That's not easy, let me tell you. Life can be a big fat nuisance. If you let it. BUT I have found a way (for myself, mostly) to make it a tad more enjoyable.

I give you The Writing With Light Project.

Now, I'm sure you have questions. Like "what the hell is this?" and "why do I care?"  Fair enough. But trust me, if you have access to a camera of any kind, you will love this project.

The plan? Take a photo everyday for a year. I know, I know. It's been done. But not like this. I'm not talking about a random photo everyday, or even photographing yourself everyday for a year as you watch the "magical" change. This project is an organized, thought-out process, which has a set of guidelines that encourage you to explore your comfort zone, then get out of it. It is (quite possibly) the best project I have ever imagined, and each month has been an amazing journey for my so-called "skills". (or, lack thereof.)

The guidelines are kept hidden until the month is over, then when I have moved onto the next month, I allow people to discover one of my ten guidelines. I can share with you that each month has it's own Color, and it's own Word which is spelled out in separate photographs. If you want to know the other's, keep your pants on and be patient, silly!:)

Pictures to come soon...I want to share it NOW, but leave it to blogger to not function properly when I really need it to. ♥

Extra, Extra! Read all about it! The Gauche Girls Open Up!

If you've stopped by the Gauche Alchemy blog today, you'll see that a brand-spanking new design team has been announced, and in honor of that, all the Gauche girls are opening up. How easy are we...to figure out that is! If you haven't started at the beginning of our hop, hop on back to the Gauche blog and start the fun there. There are RAK's up for grabs along the hop, so make sure you comment on each Gauche Girls blog for a chance to win some serious scrap yumminess.

Now for the fun part: Each Gauche Girl has chosen a word that best describes why WE ARE SO GAUCHE! Honey, this is where you need to work it a little. Here's what you do: Find all the words and which hoppin' honey they belong to. Next-head back to the GA blog and post a comment with your answers. If you get it right, you get a shot to win a kick-ass prize pack from the Head Honchettes themselves!

I don't mind being the dirty girl. There is nothing wrong with gettin' down with a big mess and loving it! I curse like a sailor, which makes my mouth pretty dirty too. I fight dirty, play dirty, and I'll be keeping the pillow talk to myself, thank you:) Being Gauche is all about mixing it up, and being who you really are! There are no expectations to be anyone other than YOU. So hop over to the next blog http://madebynicole.blogspot.com/ and don't be afraid to be DIRTY!

Favorites

Since purchasing a new computer, I have had the enormous task of organizing my photos.

Boo.

Although it has taken me a while to catch everything up, put everything into the right folders, add face recognition, etc...I have really enjoyed seeing how much Kain has grown, and how I have been able to keep track of that growth by scrapping about it. I wanted to share my favorite Kain layouts over the last year with you all. Enjoy!

Freebies, 12 Tags and Peace

Lots to share with you today!

I'll start with another layout from the december SFTIO kit PEACE.

My fab husband helped me put this photo together-he made my vision come to life! (So thank you, dear husband of mine). Oddly enough, the layout is about my relationship with my husband:

A freebie is happening on the Scrapbooking From the Inside Out blog! Click here to get the info, and jump in on getting your hands on some yummy scrapping stuff!

Lastly, 12 tags of Christmas has started! As a huge TH fan, I am totally into it this year, and was so happy to get the first tag done! You can check out Tim's tag here and read all about 12 tags.

Seeking PEACE

Scrapbooking from the Inside Out has the perfect emotion for the month of December: PEACE. It really goes hand in hand with what the holidays are all about, and it was so much fun creating with the kit for this month. I had so many different directions that I could go in, and I'm sharing one of those with you tonight!

This layout is all about seeking peace in my own life-I love the serenity that the paper brings. Although its such an emotional layout to create, it was easy for me to put my thoughts and feelings into words. I felt like the words were all I needed, and it was an important focal point for this layout.

Make sure you go to Scrapbooking From the Inside Out to check out this month's kit, it is gorgeous! I'll share more layouts tomorrow:)

Feeling Generous

For the month of November at SFTIO, it's all about GENEROSITY. I loved this kit, everything in it was warm and rich. (Why do us scrappers always use food buzz words to describe our favorite items?) Scrapbooking from the Inside Out is a monthly kit club that allows you to explore your emotions through scrapbooking. You are challenged to look into your inner world, and start scrapping all about YOU. It is a wonderful place to explore your emotions and meet wonderful friends. Check it out, and get in on the challenges- they might show you something about yourself you didn't know before! Here are some of my DT layouts for the GENEROSITY November kit.

Loss Layouts

Scrapping about Loss wasn't easy- but it helped in getting me to explore different kinds of loss, and how I felt about each of them.

Yearning

This month is all about what our hearts are aching for-what we wish for, need or want. The YEARNING kit is an amazing blend of browns, oranges, and teals. Delicate flowers, rich ribbons and gorgeous shimmering papers. You would never think so many wonderful things could come in a little 12x12 box! Explore your heart and find out what you are wishing for-and what wishes you are willing to put on paper! Dive in!

Safety

This month is all about SAFETY! Where you feel safe, what makes you feel safe, what you keep safe and even what scares you. Come over to SFTIO and learn all about the ins and outs of this months emotion. Check out the DT work, browse the inspiration page and find out how you can put your feelings about safety onto a page. Rachel is also having a giveaway this month- so if you subscribe, you are entered to win some awesome new scrapbooking goodies! Here are some peeks for you:

STRENGTH

This month, we're exploring STRENGTH at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. This kit includes Navy, Pale Green, Fuschia, and Goldenrod hues that can really make you think tough! The grungeboard is perfect for creating an altered item, and the gears really make you put your mind to work. I loved creating with this kit- it was just what I needed to work through this month's changes in life.

My Dream Design Team

This month has been a difficult one, since the hubby has been away, and the little bug refuses to sleep. But I got good news just when I needed it! Rachel from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out gave me a call this past weekend- and I was just thrilled to hear that I will be joining their new design team. I have been a member of SFTIO since last June, and I am so excited to start creating with the amazing kits they have put together. SFTIO is all about expressing your inner thoughts and emotions through scrapbooking. It's really an awesome thing to make scrapbooking about YOU, not just about everyone else in your life. As important as it is to scrap about your family and friends, we really should start being selfish with our scrapping. Our pages can be about us too! You have to make sure to check the site out, it's an awesome place with tons of inspiration! Hope we see you there!

Puddle Wonderful

New Layouts, New Design Team

Hi all! I'm excited to announce that I'm apart of a fun new design team- Punk Rock Scrappers has hit the blog world, and it is super exciting! Making layouts about all the crappy, yet hilarious parts of life is what it's all about. I had a blast creating our first challenge, and the challenges to come are just fabulous! You can check it out here. Make sure you do- it's awesome!

Also just sharing a few layouts that make me happy. Enjoy:)

Snow Day

Sharing a layout a made after our crazy snow in NC. I am more than used to snowy weather- growing up in Colorado it was not unheard of to be going to school in 6 inches of snow. But when we got 2 inches in NC this past month, the town shut down and we didn't have any school or work. It was so much fun to be 25 and get a snow day!

Alcohol Ink

I've never had the desire to experiment with alcohol inks, but somehow, I caught the bug-and now I can't stop. I am still very much a beginner, but I am loving the effects alcohol ink can bring to so many things! For the moment, I'm showing you my take on some gloss-paper tags, and some ghost letters. But the possibilities really are endless for this stuff. I want to try it on wood- that will be my next venture, I think. I really recommend trying it out and getting a feel for how things work. Plus- the blending solution is amazing- you can practically start all over again if you feel like your project has become a blob. Enjoy! Let me know if you try it!

Theater Inspiration

I wanted to make this LO for a while, but finally got around to it. I took my inspiration from the movie case of "Moulin Rouge", and I just love how it turned out.

What a Great Start for 2009

Finally, the time has come! I am so super excited to be the Guest Designer for the month of January over at Scrapbooking From the Inside Out. Rachel and Nancy have really been wonderful at allowing me to express my style, and enjoying it for what it is. I am thrilled to be joining them for this months scrapping emotion- PATIENCE. Make sure you check it out Here and to explore the site and all of its wonderfulness. Happy New Year!

Cards Are Fun!

Cards are becoming more and more fun for me to create. I couldn't tell you why- it could just be the holidays, and the excitement of making something from the heart. :) Hope you enjoy!

Recently

Just some recent layouts that I've done, wanted to share them with you!

In a Holiday Mood

I have been in the mood for Christmas crafts since Halloween ended...I am in love with the new paper lines, the fun embellishments, and (my personal faves) the tag pads by K and Company. I'm sure I'll get tired of card making, and Christmas themed LO's soon enough. But for now, I'm enjoying the fun of Christmas creations.