50th Anniversary Cruise Layouts #8-9

Welcome back to my series of layouts for my parents' 50th anniversary cruise!  (If you missed the first installments, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.)  Again, I used the Postcard Perfect collection for this tropical vacation.  (You can get yours right HERE while supplies last!)

Layout #8 uses the second of three Cut Above layouts from the kit to showcase some highlights of the ship experience itself.  (By the way, we were sailing on the Carnival Magic.)

I left several places for journaling.

 Our final day aboard was our second, fun sea day.

Since I wasn't able to use the long journaling strip from the Cut Above kit on the layout it was "supposed" to go on, I thought it worked really well here.

We enjoyed high tea and then went on to win a coveted "Ship in a Stick" for tying to win Harry Potter trivia! 

We had such a wonderful cruise together!  Tomorrow I'll post our final layouts of the amazing vacation.

50th Anniversary Cruise Layouts #3-4

As promised yesterday, I'm back with more finished layouts for my parents' 50th anniversary album.  (If you missed the first installment, click HERE.)  Again, I used the Postcard Perfect collection for this tropical vacation.  (You can get yours right HERE while supplies last!)

Our first port of call was Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.  Since this isn't our first family cruise (and ages span three generations), we all feel very comfortable doing different things during the day.  We have the tradition of gathering in my parents' stateroom before dinner and dining together nightly.

My family wandered around the port with the Grands, while my sister's family took a zip line tour and my brother's family swam with dolphins!  (On this layout, I again used the CTMH/Cricut Flower Market cartridge to cut my title.)

Our cruise ship docked the next day on beautiful St. Thomas.

The beautiful florals you see on the right page were stamped with the Postcard Perfect stamp set (no longer available) and my title was stamped with Inked Alphabet stamp set.)

This right page will have flip flaps added so that I can show off more of our beach pictures.  (They work best when added on top of your page protector.)

Thanks for letting me share my layouts from our trip!

CTMH New Product Blog Hop

Have you had a chance to look at the new CTMH Annual Inspirations Idea Book yet?  If so, what is your favorite new product?  If you don't have a favorite yet, I'll bet you'll fall in love along this new product blog hop!  (If you're already on the move and hopping through, then you should have arrived from Julie's blog.  You'll go to Michelle Stewart's blog next.)

Check out the beautiful new Seaside collection: paper pack, My Stickease, and metal assortment!  My layout is based on a sketch from Imagine.

If you look closely at the background, you'll see that I made a "beach" by tearing a piece of the beautiful new Glacier card stock to mimic a wave crashing on the shore and then glued it to a Colonial White card stock base.

To make my title stand out a bit, I inked the edges with Desert Sand ink.  Also notice the nautical knots that I made with our hemp baker's twine.  

Don't you think those metal charms would look fabulous on some base & bling jewelry?!?

Complete hop list HERE

Thanks for checking out my layout.  I have lots more new ideas to post, so be sure to come back often.  Now hop on over to Michelle's blog!

*I'd also like to link this up to the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Inspired by Nature scrapbook challenge.

Yum! (Layout #26)

The title of this layout, "we love chocolate" says it all! The photos are from Macey's birthday this year, but the layout will actually go in our "Things We Love" album. (Remember the Library of Memories?)

These pictures totally crack me up! Sorry if you find the one of my nephew gross; I think it's hysterical!!! I ended up choosing the "Leading Lady" sketch from Imagine, the Life's Delights paper pack, and of course my Chocolate alphabet stamps. I would have never thought to pair Chocolate and Cocoa together, but that is something we did at last year's Convention. It works so well here to showcase the scrumptious chocolate.

To create the sinfully rich title, I stamped each letter of "chocolate" in Cocoa ink and then immediately sprinkled clear embossing powder on them. Can you see the shine on the detail shot? In the green file folder, I have included a hand-written copy of the cake recipe that we love (see below).

To embellish the layout, I used some Chocolate ribbon and some of the metal pieces from the Chocolate Mini Medley accents. Do you detect a pattern here?

Now, here's a little something just for you. The girls have requested this cake for the last several birthdays, so here's the recipe for you. I think that it originally came from my Aunt Carolyn, but I got it from my Mom. Betty Crocker we are not, but I promise this cake is easy and delicious!

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 box deep chocolate cake mix

1 sm. box instant chocolate pudding

1/2 c. oil (or applesauce + 1-2 Tbsp oil)

1/2 c. strong coffee

8 oz. sour cream

4 eggs

12 oz. (1-1/2 c.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease Bundt pan. Mix everything except chocolate chips for 5 minutes w/mixer. Add in the chips. Pour into the prepared pan and back for 65 minutes. When completely cooled, turn out onto cake plate. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Easter '08 (Layout #16)

Easter '09 will be here before we know it! I completed this layout of last Easter on our cruise. You can find out all the details if you go to my CTMH website (on the sidebar at right) & click on My Art.

Using vellum for your journaling is a nice way to share your story without hiding the artwork underneath.

Cruise & Crop Christmas Album Class (AKA Layouts # 8-15)

We signed up for 3 classes on our cruise, and the first, for advanced scrappers, was the Christmas mini album.

We started with a black 6"x6" spiral bound album- sorry I can't remember the brand.
We used Basic Grey's Scarlet's Letter 6"x6" paper pad plus a few extra sheets of 6"x6" cardstock.

(Here are the tags that go under the flap.)

We embellished with the Rusty Pickle "Grinch-mas Stamps" stamp set (which we got to keep) and 7 Gypsies Joy/Joie stickers.

We also used various eyelets and some fun metal circles (on the cover), plus various fibers and coordinating fabrics.

(Here are the tags in the pocket along w/a photo I also added to the pocket.)

When I got home, I realized I had already printed my '08 Christmas pictures (yeah!), so in they went. What a great match!

Of course no project of mine would be complete without some Close To My Heart product. Notice the white rub-ons and the White Daisy ink and markers to finish mine off.

(A peek-a-boo album flap, opened)

(This red tag pulls out to reveal a photo underneath.)

All these tags came out of the diagonal pocket. I had to add the clip to hold the tags in the pocket.

Since I already had so many pictures, I made this flap on the inside back cover to showcase two photos instead of just one. I just used scraps from this project!

I couldn't resist slapping this funny picture onto the back cover.
Too bad I smeared my name on the cute sticker, "Created by the Head Elf _____."

I'm quite pleased with how all this came together. (DH thinks it's too busy, but I like it.) It was fun to be the student this time and not the teacher. I definitely learned a thing or two that will crop up again in my future. Hopefully my cohorts won't be bored when they see fabric or dice again!

Hoppin' John

"Hoppin' John" on New Year's Day is an old Southern tradition. Granddad Ralph always fixed hog jowls, greens (turnip or collard), black-eyed peas, and rice. I always had my "Windy Wood Bite"* because those are NOT my faves. He said that it was important to eat them for health and wealth for the upcoming year.

In keeping with tradition, BJ fixed us collards, black-eyed peas with ham, rice, and cornbread (plus mac & cheese). Since we couldn't remember what represented what, I googled hoppin' John to find out that supposedly the peas represented coins and the greens represent $$. No health was mentioned anywhere, but I did find peace. At least we can think positive thoughts, and beans are good for you, right?

I thought this quote signifies the day:
Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year. Rice for riches and peas for peace.
~ Southern saying on eating a dish of Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.

How did you spend the first day of the new year?

*When I attened Camp Windy Wood for many, many summers, we had to take a bite of everything at each meal, hence the term "Windy Wood Bite." I made the mistake of telling my parents about it so they adopted the tradition, too.