Come and Retreat With Us!

The invitation is still open for anyone who wants to come to the retreat. I have been busy getting all kinds of goodies ready for those of you who are coming. Yesterday I had a visit from "the man in brown" and he brought two big boxes full of scrumptious scrapbook stuff! I know you are going to like what I got.

So, if you haven't already, sign up for the retreat and join the fun! (There was a deadline, but I still have room.) Call or email me today to reserve your spot. I'm getting so excited.........

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

This is where I wish I could be right now - Destin, Florida!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

I love taking pictures of my children's feet. And this one is one of my favorites because it shows how much we like to go barefoot and play outside (there are those holey knees again, too!).

Summer is my favorite season!

Where Do You Buy Your Scrapbook Products?

I love bargains. I will wait for weeks until something I want goes on sale before I buy it. And the lower the price, the better the item looks to me. So, I do understand why people want to buy their scrapbook products at discount prices. However, I have discovered that cheap isn't always good. For example, don't you sometimes wonder why there is a lot of an item hanging in a store and it is marked down to say, 10 cents each when the original price was something like $5.00? Don't you think maybe the reason it is still there is because it is not actually a good deal?

I do.

I wonder if maybe some people tried it and found something wrong with it, told all their friends, and therefore no one else bought that product because it simply would not do what it promised.

Well, friends, I would like to pass something along to you that one of my friends has shared. Miss Elizabeth's products are not the best scrapbook products around. The post my friend wrote gives just one example of this. And I have experienced some of the same. The products just do not live up to the quality standards that one should expect in the scrapbooking industry. No matter the cost, they are not worth it.

I will not buy Miss Elizabeth's products again.

A Whole Weekend of Scrapbooking!

I still have room for more at the retreat in August. There will be great door prizes, lots of good snacks, a variety of products for sale, a beautiful view of the mountains, and much more! I have been extremely busy getting everything ready and I know we will all have a great time. Won't you join us? Email me at ladybugmemories@gmail.com to reserve your space.

Midnight Oil Scrapbook Designs

Here is one blog you just gotta see! It is the blog of Midnight Oil Scrapbook Designs. This company makes the cutest word books you will ever see. I am proud to be one of their retailers. I currently have the following chipboard books in stock:

SUMMER
SOCCER
FAMILY
FAITH
SCHOOL
FRIENDS

If you see something on their website or blog that you like, let me know and I'll be glad to order it for you.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

Oh, I almost forgot about the Fiesta today! Here's another favorite pic from my "stash":



This is my youngest child, showing me how to wash my car with a water gun! Isn't she smart and creative (just like her mother :))?

More Inspiration

I love color! I get really inspired when I see things with colors that look fresh and cool. It just feels like a breath of fresh air has blown over me. I can't help but want to rush to my scrapbook table and create!

Looking at some of my favorite websites today, I came across these:

Not sure about where I found this one, but don't you think you would have nice dreams sleeping on this?:




From Target:

And, these last three are from one of my favorite websites, Little Miss Matched:

Cute, huh? Now go, create something!

Moon Ko Photography

I have already posted the link to this blog, but I wanted to mention it here. If you haven't taken a look at this one, please take a moment now. I really like her scrapbook style and her photography is simply beautiful. Thank you, Moon Ko, for such a nice blog!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

I took this picture at the 4th of July celebration in our city last year. This man did not move a muscle while I was taking his picture. He looked so regal and serious. This is one of my favorite shots I have ever taken.

Happy 4th of July!

Inspired by Erinzam

If you are interested in making books, I have found a blog that I have enjoyed reading. Erin Zamrzla is a talented bookbinder and artist who sells her work on Etsy. I first saw her work on Ali Edward's blog. When I got a look at the cute little books she made, I had to try them myself. I will try to take some pictures of the ones I have made and show them to you soon. In the meantime, check out Erin's blog. You will be inspired, too.

Scrapbook Book Review: Clean and Simple Scrapbooking

There are two of these books from Cathy Zielske: Clean and Simple Scrapbooking and Clean and Simple Scrapbooking: the Sequel. If you are like me, you sometimes (or maybe all the time) want to just get pages done without all the extra. You want a streamlined look that doesn't cost an arm and a leg for one layout. If so, then this book will inspire you!

I have enjoyed Cathy's approach for several years now. Her pages are clean (like the title says), refreshing, beautiful, and well, simple! When you read her journaling, you feel as though you could just sit down with her over a cup of coffee and discuss all kinds of family and life issues. She comes across as real and she's funny, too!

This book is a resource that will be referred to time and again when those juices refuse to flow. And when you only have a few sheets of cardstock on hand and want to create without having to run to the scrapbook store and max out your credit card. Cathy is your (wo)man!

These are available at Amazon. Look for the link at the bottom of this blog.