Feelin' icky.

I can hardly believe it's the last day of September! The last five days have been full of so much activity! Soccer, a memorial service, a birthday party, a crop night, church and meetings!! I think I got all 'wore' out because now I'm just a tad bit feelin' under the weather! The bloggin and the scrappin came to a hault. I'm tryin' to take it easy so that I don't get SUPER ill.

I just have so much to share, I can hardly wait another day.

Here is a layout I did of my sweet nephew, Tanner. We don't get much of these fall leaves around here so I love it when we visit my in-laws and get to see the gorgeous Autumn colors.










So, before I share any more projects, you'll never believe what I bought. Seriously, my mother is going to fall off her chair! I've had 'sew' much fun sewing on my layouts and cards that I decided to dive into the world of Fabric!!!! Eeek!! I didn't want to just limit myself to felt so I decided to pick up these yummy chunks of inspiration.











I haven't played yet...but stay tuned! LOL! I do have a few projects to share though! The first card is using Heidi Grace Midnight Kisses. LOVE that line!























This second one is using Triple the Sketch #26









I can't believe my sweet Ashley is 7 years old! Actually her toothless smile reminds me every day. Happy Birthday sweetie!! I wanted to share a few birthday photos even though I was missing my Canon camera at this point...dead batteries.. ***Sigh*** lucky I have a back up camera!) Ashley wanted a 'puppy party' so we ended up doing Pink Poodles. She loved it so much. It's so funny to me how her brother is 'hangin' around in the back of all the photos, trying to get in on the action!






















This one is for Grandma and Papa!!

un.be.lievable.

Collage Press made their big announcement today!! I seriously thought it would never come! It feels like I turned in my application ages ago!! Time goes moves very slowly when you are waiting. Well, the wait is over. Look here! That is my name, right?? I can still hardly believe it and I am still so very excited!!!!!!! I really thought this morning that when they said they would make the announcement at 4 pm that all the DT would have already been contacted. So, I was indeed shocked when I went to see who had got on and there was my name.

There's been so much going on today that I still am not sure if it has sunk in. Once I am officially contacted and actually realize that there probably is not another Julie Overby who applied, then I will accept and it may become real! Thank you so much Collage Press! What an honor.

I did manage to get together a layout done for the GDT contest at Create My Keepsakes. My sweet friend, Leslie Ash and new 'photo fixer-upper tutor,' helped me touch up these photos. I'm so excited to learn more about how to do that.
















Now, just to wait out that announcement! LOL!

RAK winner and Shoe Diva!!

First of all, I want to thank you so much for the comments from my previous post. They mean so very much to me.

We have a winner!! Because there weren't as many names this time, I put them all in a hat for Kelsey to pull out. She had so much fun. You'd think SHE was the one winning a prize!

Our RAK winner this time is Katydiddy! Congrats! Email me at julieoverby@peak.org with your address and I'll pop that in the mail for ya!

I wanted to share a fun layout that I did of some shoes. Yup. Some shoes.






















I had planned on doing a bit more journaling with this one but ran out of room. I think I managed to catch the main idea here!! Unlike any 4 year old I know, Kelsey is very big into shoes. Seriously, it's a daily thing for her. She's either trying on mine, her sisters, or trying to talk me into buying her another pair!! She does NOT get that from me despite what any of you are thinking!

One more thing that I've been meaning to post about. My sweet friend Melanie gave me this quite a bit ago. I've been so caught up in everything going on that I haven't had a chance to post it yet.













I was so very honored that she chose me. She is one very talented gal and has been published all over the places and has designed for lots of companies. Seriously, you should see these sweet cards that she just made with Webster's Pages paper. Gorgeous!

Also, my friend Nicole tagged me from her blog!! She is also a very talented scrapper. Her slide show at the top of her blog reveals it all!!

Here are some of my favorite 5 (scrappy supplies that is!)

1) Pattern Paper of course!
2) Alphabet stickers
3) Ribbon/lace
4) Rub-ons
5) Stamps

Because I just tagged a bunch of people recently, I think I'll pass on that part and just say thank you ladies for choosing me! What an honor!

It's not always scrappy times.

I've decided to start this post with a layout of one of the biggest blessings in my life...my sweet daughter,Kelsey. The title is 'The Sparkle on your Face'(it's hard to read it.) The journaling is about the makeup she got into.






















I started out writing this blog because I wanted to record the moments in our family that I didn't want to forget. I also wanted a place to share my scrappy stuff with family and friends who live far away. But for me, it's also a place to express what's goinin' on in my heart and life. Soooooo...***deep breath**** here it goes.

Lesa has been one of my closest friends since we were in Kindergarten toghether. We still laugh when we think about this boy 'Jason' who tried to give one of us a ring (in Kindergarten!) We fought over that ring and who he really gave it to in our own lil' five year old way. Ah...memories. That's one of my only one in Kindergarten! From that time on, we lived close enough to each other that we spent time playing at each other's house. To this day, she is still one of my closest friends. This summer we had lots of laughs as viewed some crazy photos of our boat ride together. When we were just in grade school, I'll never forget how she brought her sister when ever she came to play at my house. Shawnie became a friend too.

I'll though I haven't kept in touch with Shawnie like I have with Lisa, my heart is aching for her today. I just found out that her husband was killed in a car accident. I was just speechless when I found out. Please pray for Shawnie, Lesa, and their entire family while they go through this very difficult time.

Yesterday, I was sitting in church and it hit me hard. Pastoring can be very difficult. You are aware of so many struggles that people go through. Some times very private struggles that not a lot of people know about. It can be A LOT to bare.

On Sunday, I thought about all the people who were in church that we going through a lot. It suddenly seemed as though every where I had turned this past month, I had people who are close to me going through crisis of some sort. One after another. I became so overwhelmed.

It was then I heard the Lord whisper to me that it's okay to be sad. I am sad. I am sad for my dear friend who lost her dad and best friend. I'm sad for Shawnie who lost her husband and Lesa who lost a brother-in-law. I am sad for my good friend Kris who's precious doggy was hit. I am so sad for sweet Bradly who lost his Mommy (my friend) to cancer. I'm sad for my friends nephew who has brain cancer and just lost his Mommy in a car accident. I'm sad the family of one of the great scrappers of our community who was also just killed in a car accident.

Overwhelming to think that those are just some of the bigger things going on. But you know what? As the tears flow, I also hear the Lord say that He it saddens Him when we go through these times and don't know how to let Him comfort us. These are things that we aren't to 'bare.' It says in His word that we He will bare our burdens for us(Psalm 55:22)

My overwhelmingness became the result of His great love for me, and it replaced the sadness. We will always have sad times but I'm so grateful for the hope that I have in Jesus that He has my best interest in mind and that he will never give me anything I can't handle.

If you are going through anything that seems to big for you to handle, I encourage you to believe that God can and will get you through when you trust in Him.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. This is a truth that I hold on to. I hope you can too.

I feel so blessed. I do pray that the Lord will pour out His blessing on you this week as well.

Where did that stack come from? (and a RAK)

Sometimes I get so excited about scrapping the most recent photos that those stacks of photos that have captured different events, get neglected. I had these sweet photos of my kids and our good friends Paul and Janice's kids, in front of the ocean. I've been wanting to scrap them for the longest time! Along came the perfect paper in one of my boxes of 'goodies' that came from a recent publication. Combine that with the perfect challenge from Angela over at the Fiskateer board and I was able to come up with a quick, fun layout. Sometimes, doing a layout just 'for me' is so freeing and I don't feel a lot of pressure. It may not be the best page ever but the satisfaction comes out of capturing the great memories and getting them into my book.















And, it's time for a RAK! I mentioned a few posts back that I wanted to do another RAK in celebration of all the goodies I won. Let me know that you'd like to be entered into the random drawing for the RAK before next Wednesday and I'll send you out some goodies! Good luck!

Ah yes....and one more thing. Some of you were wanting to see the photos that Kelsey took of me while I was taking the ones of her. LOL! Crazy...alllllllright. Here they are! (a little off centered but not bad for a 4 year olds first photo shoot!)

The photo shoot!

Kelsey came home from Jana's yesterday with sparklies and glitter all over her face!! We HAD to do a photo shoot! I've been wanting to try 'sharpening' up my photography skills anyway. LOL! I think I need to find the Canon DVD that Janice gave me so that I can actually LEARN something! Aren't these precious? You'll be seeing them in some layouts REAL soon!


























We had a lot of fun. After taking QUITE a few of her, Kelsey decided that she would like to take some of me. Hee hee. Actually, it was HER idea to have me taking pictures of me while I took pictures of her. So funny. So, here are some sweet shots that I got of her 'figuring out' the camera. (Photographer in training!)





AND, as cute as my girlies are, can't forget my boy! Here's a layout I did of A.J. It was for the Fancy Pants contest at Create My Keepsakes.

Fed Ex and Fiskars Tape!

There's nothing quite like the boost of mojo you get when the rumble of the Fed-Ex truck rolls in front of your house. I always tip toe to the door and open it real quick so they won't ring the door bell and wake up Kelsey. Somehow, they are always so friendly that they seem to have a big booming voice that says 'heellllllooooo.' It was a 'new guy.' I'll get him trained. LOL! Sure enough, it woke up Kelsey but I was too excited to care!

It's so fun getting a box of goodies when you are right in the middle of crafting. It was my prize box from Fiskars from when I won their Father's Day contest. Guess what was in the box????? FISKARS adhesive!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the BOMB!! I have never found an adhesive that I like better and I had just ran out of mine. There are no places around me that sell it either.

Along with the tape, I got a pile of goodies from the new Heidi Grace line called 'Only Time.' Wow, it's gorgeous and quite different from anything I've yet seen. Looky here!



So, of course I got very distracted from my current project and came up with this card.









Remeber those photos a few posts back of my brother's new house?? It kinda looks like the one on this card, don't ya think? LOL!!






















Well...he'll most likely end up getting this card! I created it with some of the other new Heidi Grace goodies that I just got on my big shopping spree at Craftwarehouse!

I also created this sweet....project that I can only post a 'peek' of. It was fun to do and I love how it turned out.











Speaking of which, Delana was kind enough to send some me some photos of the big 'crowning' right after they handed me my $500 gift card. Do I look happy???? LOL!















I have some other things that I want to share that I've been working on but can't just quite yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll post a few 'peeks' and the RAK that I was wanting to do.

Today, I'd like to leave you with one last project. It has a special verse on it. I have a lot of friends who are going through some hard times. I hope this will lift your spirits!

(Triple the Sketch #22)

Wow. What. A. Day. I WON!!!!

So much happened yesterday, I don't know where to begin!!

Eeekkkkk!!! I WON the huge contest at Craft Warehouse! LOOK here!!! Not only did I win for my store (9 stores in total) but I won for the entire Northwest which means I was 'crowned' (giggle) the 2008 Scrapbook Queen. But, best of all, I won a $500 Gift Certificate. Oh my! So much fun!! Thank you to everyone who voted. That helped me to the first round where the judges then chose for each store. Then the winners of each store were all judeged and they picked on GRAND Prize winner. That is a Grand Prize. I'm so excited! So, we drove out the store, which is 3 1/2 hours away, for the big announcement. My inlaws live about 1/2 hour away from the store so Ina Rae got to come as well. Because of the big event, they had a very fun maken'take using Heidi Grace 'Midnight Kisses,' one of my favorite lines right now!!!

They also had AMAZING sales on. BOGO off on the Pattern Paper, all adhesive was 25% off. Needless to say I stocked up. (I feel a RAK comin' on!!!)

Well, we didn't arrive there until right when they were making the announcement. So, we ran into the store. No camera of course. When of the sweet employees there said she would email me a photo that they took. So, Arte and Ina Rae took the kids so I could do some serious shopping. And boy, I did!!!

While I was busy shopping, Arte and the kids were driving home and happened to pass the Oregon Zoo. They decided to stop in to see if they could get a peak at the NEW BABY ELEPHANT!!! He is only 15 days old. TEENY TINY!! Can you imagine? What a life time experience for them. Well, they waited in line for two hours to see it. And, if you can believe it. No camera. ***sigh*** What did we do before camera's anyway? If you want to see the elephant, you don't have to wait in line. Just click here! Needless to say, it was well worth the wait and they LOVED it!

Now for the most exciting news of all. Kaylee had her baby!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!! Kaylee is my very good friend, Lucy's daugther. Her and her husband are also the new youth leaders at our church and she is the one who will be watching Kelsey when I sub every once in a while this year. They are a sweet, sweet couple and now they have this precious baby girl! We stopped at the hospital as soon as we heard the news. We were on our big trip to Craft Warehouse in Portland so it was perfect timing. AND I had a camera!!!!! They aren't the best shots. Lucy is gorgeous and precious no matter what. But I plan to go over their house and take a really good photo shoot of her for them. Looky here!!!








It was a day full of good, happy news. I even found out one more small exciting thing. I went to visit Scrapbook Resumes which is a huge website where many, many top scrappers have their resumes, and one of my layouts was being featured on the home page. Check it out here! This is the second time in the last year. So, that was kind of fun.


Thanks for letting me share in all my very exciting news!!! Hope you have a blessed Sunday.

Feelin' Crafty!

I'm so excited to hear about the DT at Collage Press. When I first saw their papers, I loved them right away. It was about a year and a half ago. As matter of fact, I instantly purchased some of their 'Fresh' line and then hoarded the paper for about 6 months!! I'm so glad that my hoarding days are over and that I can now relax, cut into my paper and know that there is always more paper out there! LOL!

I wish I could share with you the very first thing that I made with my 'Fresh' paper line. It's my most favorite mini album that I've done but it's out for publication. I did however, use the same paper (and I bit of Scenic Route) to make this card for my dear friend who's Dad just recently passed away. This line seems so bright and happy, why would anyone use it on a sympathy card? Well, for one it's beautiful and for two, I think it has just the right amount of elegance.















Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Back to School!

I cannot believe it's that time of year already! This summer just flew by. Of course, we had to take the last few days and cram in as much as possible. He he. So, we went to the Aquatic Center in Corvallis on Saturday and made an entire days trip of it. On Sunday, after church, we drove out to Portland for the rest of the long weekend. The kids got to see Grandpa and Grandma and their cousin Tanner one last time before school.

This morning the kids were so excited for school they both felt to sick to their stomach to eat! After getting all ready for the big **FIRST DAY** we went out and took pictures.

























Aren't they just adorable???? ****sigh***** How do they grow up so fast?

Do you think I remembered to bring the camera and take pictures at school in their class? I suppose most parents wouldn't do that anyway. But, I like to. Oh well...there will be other opportunities!

I whipped together this lil' card and tag to put in their lunches. I only had about 10 minutes so it's nothing super but I wanted to post it for my own memories sake.











When I got home, Kelsey and I had set up our 'preschool' homeschool class and we had fun doing that all morning. Jana came over for a bit while we had our science portion of the morning! They got a new lil' tortoise named Peanut, that can fit in the palm of your hand! The thing I'm most excited about is that she, once again, helped me fix my sewing machine!!!!!!!! YAY!!!! NO more fake/rub-on stitching on my projects!! I can sew again!