{things i love} thursday
april 30th edition

welcome to thursday.
its been a rough week so far, mostly because i've had a headache pretty much non-stop for about a week and a half now. feeling so drained. :(
but i'm still alive.
still reading blogs.
still looking at pictures
and still have some fun things to share!!

i'm so loving this from the creative mind of dear rhi. brills no? can't wait to see what she creates next!!

and the amazing vee made some ATC's recently that i'm just swooning over! look HERE! and while you're there, look through some of her photostream. she is such an inspiration to me in my scrapbooking.

i thought this week i'd do something a little different and share my favorite tv shows.
chris and i love cuddling up on the couch together to watch some tv. <3
we like: house, american idol, fringe, lie to me, CSI: new york, pretty much anything on HGtv (chris says its like crack! hehe) especially my new favorite "dear genevive." she was my favorite designer from the original trading spaces show on TLC. now she's got her own show. *love* i love america's next top model and say yes to the dress. chris likes overhaulin and anything on the NFL network. that's been a fun one leading up to the draft! good times. :) :D

and now for my Flickr faves from this week.
*sigh*
1. i love you more than pancakes!!, 2. Untitled, 3. i have a problem., 4. href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hneufeld/3475372094/"i <3>, 5. another fake., 6. bathroom*loves, 7. the sea is diamond roses, every gentle wave is wild., 8. Reflecting, 9. 04.30


and speaking of different (on my blog anyway!)
who could resist??
gotta give this a try for sure!

THE MOST DANGEROUS CAKE RECIPE

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT!

also FYI: the ladies over at THe CrEatiVe TyPe have been really sick. :( so we're postponing our prompt till next week. so keep your eyes peeled. its goona be a good one!!

have a great thursday friends!!
tell me what's up with you today... i'd love to hear from you. :D

this is truth

fact: fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing.

that of course has nothing to do with my post or my day, but i thought it was interesting~! hehe.

a couple quick things i'd love to share! while reading through my bloglines this morning i stumbles across my name...as a WINNER!!
i'm so excited and honored!! Nancy chose me to receive some fantastic GCD Studio products. she is their newest designer and decided to give away her newest favorite stickers from them. i can't wait to get these pretties in the mail!!

thank you sooo much nancy!
nancy is one of my favorite scrapbookers. she is on the design team over at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. they create monthly kits that have themes which you use to dig deeper with your scrapbooking. so creative, moving and insirational! you've got to check them out!

secondly... with my recent adventures in film inspired by Work-Your-Soul i won their last prompt!! i was so inspired by it! :D and the prize? a kit specially designed my the talented Kim herself! i'm so stoked!!

so thank you again everyone. :D

i'm thinking its gonna be a good weekend! i've got lots of scrappy projects in the works and i'm looking forward to watching the NFL draft with my boy this weekend. oh yeah...we're cool like that! have a good one friends!!
<3

{things i love} thursday
april 23rd edition

what a busy day. and with a uncooperative computer at that! :( boo.
but anyway.... its all good.

lets start with Flickr faves!


1. I'm trying to hide the pain, 2. My Love, 3. bench monday 5 : bus stop, 4. ohhhhhhh you know. , 5. a bed beneath the stars that shine, 6. indeed it is., 7. bride, 8. first a twirl...., 9. a vintage spring day..., 10. sunday., 11. Untitled, 12. .Go confidently.., 13. The only one who does know truth., 14. :, 15. HAPPY EARTH DAY everyone!, 16. Very Vogue

additionally i've done another blog re-design!! thanks "jenny from the block" for letting me create this for you! i hope you love love love it!


anything you're {LOVING} today??
share some link!!
<3 ya!

a weekend away...

chris and i went to Widby Island over the weekend to visit his grandparents.
our little trip turned out to be just what we needed. some time away...
we enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. they are so kind. they took out out for dinner on sunday night for Chinese food. it was seriously the best chinese food i've ever had!!! and believe me... i'm a fan! so it had to be good. my favorite was the honey walnut prawns. to die for!! wow!
okay...enough about the food. hehe.
the weather was perfect for a road trip and time on the island. bright and sunny and no rain! imagine that on the coast of washington! oh yeah, we lucked out.
i took sooo many pictures! i'll share a few of them on here, but i'm putting most of them on my Flickr. so hop on over there and leave me a comment or two! :)
along the way we drove past some amazing flower fields. tulips and dafoldills. simply breathtaking!


we also spent some time down on the beach. i got some really cute photos of chris. i'm so lucky my guy lets me take so many photos of him. he's such a good sport!



i have some more pictures to edit still, but i wanted to share these! <3 i have some from deception pass and some awesome water pictures.
i also took my mum's film camera along, so once those get developed i'll share them too.
keep checking my Flickr for other edits i do.

all in all, it was a perfect weekend.
<3
thanks for looking!

it feels like new....

there is something about spring that sends shivers down my spine....the good shivers. the shivers of excitment. everything is blooming and turning green and coming back to life. perhaps i will join the croud... find myself again and live this life. my photography lately has been a step in the right direction. i feel like i'm seeing the world around me with new eyes... or maybe just a new lense!
i wish i'd picked up my mum's camera a long time ago.

*sigh*

on friday after work i took both my cameras and took a walk down to the lake. i haven't got the film developed yet but i wanted to share a couple shots from my digital.
it was a cool evening; the wind was blowing just slightly off the lake and the sun was going down. everything smelled fresh and clean and new. i found myself looking down and looking up and really embracing and enjoying my surroundings.
i am eager to learn and become and dive into.
loving this life.

i am reminded of one of my favorite quotes: "even as we are, we are becoming." jerry spinelly.

this i find to be true.

<3

{things i love} thursday
*april 16th edition*

i adore Tara Whitney's photography and blog. i love seeing it come up on my bloglines with a new post. and today was no exception. she shared some recent photos of herself and her husband today. they are just stunning....
take a look at today's post HERE.

the Work-Your-Soul blog is always an awesome source of inspiration for me. list last post was no exception. the fabulous ladies over there encouraged me to pick up my mum's old film SLR and take some pictures.




*sigh* i think i'm in love again....
i bought some more film and can't wait to shoot some more.
look at that film grain...isn't it just perfect?? <3

and now for my Flickr faves!!
1. Christin- Light Test, 2. *, 3. ..., 4. love came down (285/365), 5. Untitled, 6. I'm afraid of that. , 7. Untitled, 8. ||, 9. Heartbreaker, 10. speak, 11. Vision 2, 12. Holy bright button. , 13. Sleepyhead, 14. .LA gothic., 15. Untitled, 16. Low Road

i've been getting so excited for my photography workshop that i won. it starts in june! looking through all these awesome photostreams on flickr i think: hey, maybe one day soon my photos will be just as good! i can't wait to learn even more about photography.
yay!! :D

its that time again...

and we're sooo excited!!

Scrap Outside the Box has the newest prompt up: ENVELOPES!!
there are so many creative and fun ways to incorporate envelopes into your pages.
check out the blog for the design teams' take, and some other fun links.
you're gonna wanna get in on this one!!

here is my take:

and you will love the prize you can win!!
a gift card from Radiant Thespian Design.
come play along with us!

monday monday monday

this last weekend visit with my parents was so nice. its been since january that we'd been up to see them. amazing how fast life goes by...
it was a beautiful drive up there saturday afternoon. *sigh* i love roadtrips. and especially ones where chris and i just talk... no music, no nothing. just awesome conversation. i love him so much!
unfortunately we didn't end up doing a photoshoot. :( i was having a bad hair day, and we don't need any photos to prove it! haha! but that's okay. i'll just have to set up the tri-pod and do some myself!
the Special Assembly Day was on sunday in omak. it was an encouraging day focused on our ministry work. the highlight was that we had a member of the govorning body as our guest speaker: brother jackson. oh my goodness...such an honor. he was a fantastic speaker... funny, encouraging, and moving. definately a highlight of the day. it was also nice to see everyone from my old circuit too. amazing how fast all the little ones are growing up...seeing people i grew up with married and having babies... it was a wonderful day.

so today is also brings a new prompt over at THe CrEatiVe TyPe!! prompt #15 already!! the challenge: words + photos...use words on your pictures. a fun unique way to journal on your page.
here is the layout i did:
this page is completely and unabashedly inspired by my dear dani. she uploaded this page last week and i was instantly inspired! thanks pretty girl!

so what are you waiting for?? this prompt is so much fun! my suggestion: find a photo with lots of "white space" that you can fill with words. pick one and play along! add it to our comments section on the post and don't forget to upload it to our FlickR GrouP!! can't wait to see what you create!! <3

and once again i have something SOOOO EXCITING to share!!! you'll never guess what i won this time?!!!
a photography workshop from 503photography worth $195!!! i am just ecstatic!!! pretty much speechless.... check it out HERE! i am so honored and i can't wait to learn from such an awesome photographer! <3
dude.... i'm so excited!

{things i love} thursday

this youtube video made me smile!! turns out its actually a T-Mobil commercial... awesome idea folks!!


and now for my flickr faves... i decided to go with a theme today. feet*love

1. ..., 2. feet in the mirror, 3. Road to recovery..., 4. day three hundred thirty nine. from the bottom of my sole(s)., 5. family, 6. good morning, good afternoon and goodnight, 7. Autumn escapism (365/199), 8. Make. Happy Toes. Smile, 9. I find my feet addicted to the ceiling when hanging upside down.

i also just finished up another blog design! seems the word gets around! i'm loving it!! seriously fun to create for other people something that expresses: "them"
i did this one for jessica:
check out her blog for the other elements!

right now i'm sooo desperate for some new photos to play with and edit! we're going to my parent's place this weekend so i'm going to ask my mum if she'll take some pictures of chris and i. yay! i *heart* photoshoots!
the drummer in chris' band and his wife are having their 2 year anniversary this month. as a gift i'm planning on taking their pictures for them.
all this thinking about photography has got me wishing i had Photoshop! don't get me wrong, Picnik is awesome for what it can do, and that its free, but i've found all sorts of actions online that i want to try that only work with Photoshop.
wanna see some??
i thought you'd never ask!! hehe

• actions by Michelle Nicole
• Sarah and Sami Present
• Nicole Van
• Pioneer Woman

blogger is not letting me upload anything else today. :( so there are some links for you to explore anyway. they are so much fun!!

well, that's all for today!
looking forward to the memorial tonight and the special assembly day on sunday. its gonna be a busy weekend!!
<3

have a good one!

blog designs and another win!!

the other day a blogger friend and fellow SOTB design team member Ally, asked me about 3-column blogs. so i contacted her about it and offered to do a complete blog re-design for her.
here is the header i created for her using a photo of her new tattoo as the starting point:

check out here blog HERE to see the finished design.
what do you think??
i had a ton of fun creating this for her!

in other news: i must be on a roll! i've won an online prize!! the fabulous designers over at Pink Paislee were generous enough to each give out one kit on their blog. and i won the kit from Holly's blog Charmed Life.
look at this thing!!!

isn't it terrific?? i'm soo excited to get to play with it when it arrives!
thank you sooo much holly for picking me!

i'm hoping you all are doing well.
i'm pretty much sick of being sick.
but getting back online today just made my day.

look for another installment of {things i love} thursdays coming tomorrow!
:)

{things i love} thursday

*april 2nd edition*

1. new crafts=LOOOOOVe, 2. Grungy love, 3. cupcake kiss, 4. out of sync, 5. sittin pretty, 6. Positano, 7. new painting, 8. Fields of gold, 9. theresnothingloveliergirl, 10. elsie design tattoo!, 11. Pastel Collision, 12. what's up?!, 13. “If the fish had not opened its mouth, it would not have been caught” ~ Author Unknown, 14. PINK!, 15. and you realize one day, 16. Have Fun Umbrella

here are my Flickr faves from this week.
things are kinda crazy around here right now. preparing for the audit is in full swing. :( still surrounded by files! and i think i'm getting sick again.... this mold idea is looking more and more plausible! not good.
so this is all i've got to share for now.
i miss you blog-land!!
:(

be back soon.... <3

"@ this moment"

prompt #14 over at THe CrEatiVe TyPe is all about the: @
hop on over, take a look at the design team's creations, and then play along! there are so many uses for that fabulous @ symbol! we can't wait to see what you come up with.