Its a party

Well, Nate's big bash went off without a hitch... Well there were a few, but that is to be expected! He acted surprised, which is all that matters! Now that everything is over, I can say that it was lots of fun making the plans and keeping them a secret. ( I was so stressed before the party that I couldn't say I was enjoying it!) There will be more photos to come, but I thought I would share with you a few memorable moments. I made this "cake" for a few reasons... 1. He doesn't really like cake. 2. I could use my crafting/painting skills (which are much better than my baking) & 3. I could fill it with things he really does like. The bottom paper box was filled with chocolate chip cookies. The top box was filled with manly cigars for him to share with all his buddies.

Oh, and the next day... Chance of course partied too. This cake plate was FULL of unfrosted cupcakes, but when I arrived in the kitchen, THIS was all that was left. I knew there was two options... 1. Nate binged on way too many cupcakes for breakfast or 2. Chance snatched them from the counter...I only had to peek into the breeze-way to confirm my suspicions.

The culprit was Chance of course, and I'm sure Theo played his part too.

Always unpredictable, keeping things interesting.

Empty foil wrappers littered the floor... he ate every last crumb, including the paper lining.

Happy 25th birthday Nate... it was a blast.

Canon Camera Fun

I must say, I have always admired the black and white photos with ONE color element highlighted, but hated messing with Photoshop to achieve it. I still love Photoshop and all it can do... BUT WOW this is so easy! My Canon camera does ALL this in a breeze, with the push of a button. It has inspired me to snap a few pics of the store... just a bit of inspiration! I love this ring... all velvet ribbon, pink and over sized. Perfect.

Upcoming events in the store??? There are too many to share them ALL right now, but we have jammed this summer with all kinds of things to keep you busy. Sign up now for our Garage Sale event June 6-8, and don't forget to mark your calendars for our "Schools Out Crop".

This wonderful glitter by Melissa Frances just in. I took the opportunity to sample it last night, it is BEAUTIFUL. The vile comes complete with a flip top lid and tiny hole for the right amount of dispensing!

I love this vintage bin at the store.. it ALMOST lost its way and ended up at my house... weird. It is stuffed full of fun goodies to pick through for your enjoyment. I snapped the photo with the new camera and pulled all the reds out. Fun huh?

Super cute "texting" layout at live.love.scrap by Lead Designer Allison. This is to die for and so appropriate these days! Stop by or call (937)318-5683 to sign up!

Birds are so in right now, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this little book by our designer Carol. Check out other classes by Carol here at the store!

After creating this fun ribbon display at the store, I just may have to make one in my studio. My ribbon is overflowing and busting at the seams. Cute story though... my new pup Chance recently tried to relieve me of some of my ribbon collection. I came home to discover the dogs had accidentally been given free reign of the house all day... instead of eating the bag of chips that were left on the coffee table or raiding the trash, they spent all day in my studio. I arrived at home to find lots of my things out in the yard, including many spools of my beautiful ribbon. Bad dogs!

Now available at live.love.scrap... $7 kits for purchase. They are the perfect solution to the busy summer days! While supplies last.

More Canon camera fun... quick picture of one of my "Polka Dot Owl" handmade card displays. Check me out at live.love.scrap or on etsy.com for all things handmade! My shop is the Polka Dot Owl and I am selling all kinds of fun things!

Another sneak peek at a bird project by Carol. We have been having lots of fun mixing fabric and scrapbooking together. Beware... one you start there is no going back. I am hooked!

Welcome Spring

Everything feels so full of life right now, I just love it. (Except for the herbs I've been growing. They are dead. I'm just not sure what went wrong! Oh well.) All the trees are in bloom and I was pleasantly surprised that my new little tree (below) survived! I love planting trees and this one looked questionable last year, but here he is, more beautiful than ever! I hope everyone is enjoying this time of year as much as I am. I must share something I have been indulging in lately... scrapping in the breeze! I have opened all the windows in my studio and just enjoyed the cool breeze and wonderful light. Try it, you'll LOVE it. Theodore and Chance have been LOVING the weather too! It is perfect for chasing all the squirrels and barking up a storm. Chance has also been enjoying digging up all my plants. They go in the ground, and then out. In the ground, and then out! What am I going to do with you, little stinker?

Theo

Chance

Altered books. This is a project I am challenging everyone to complete! All you need is an old book with a good spine. I have been cutting a small "window" in the front of mine, but you don't have to. I staple together about every10 pages to make a good base... ( i have other great tips, stop by the store for hints!) then i have a blast covering them with photos embellishments and more! This is perfect for recording a small event, vacation or theme. I am currently working on one about " Snow day- a guidebook". It is so stinkin' cute filled with photos of a perfect snow day (Chance's first snow experience)

Okay, I thought this little idea would be perfect to share with all the events coming up this summer.... weddings, graduations, reunions etc. This photo was taken at the CHA Fancy Pants booth. They recently released a cute line of "storybooks". They come in an assortment of sizes with blank white pages in them. They are perfect to decorate the cover and leave the inside blank for signatures- perfect GUEST BOOK! Hurry on in to live.love.scrap before they are all gone!

Another great idea that goes along with the altered book idea. This is an altered music sheet book! ( Created by a Fancy Pants Designer) I love the pom-pom ribbon, it is a current obsession of mine. I cant wait to create one of my own... complete with tons of photos of Nate singing... he never stops singing!

Again, how cute are these storybooks? I know, I love them too! (Created by Fancy Pants Designer) This one is actually scrapbooked. The blank pages are perfect for covering too!

Sassafrass Lass is HERE! Oh my, let me just say... this is so great! The paper lines even come complete with a decorative strip. This company is on the ball with going green, you don't have any waste at all now! There are 4 new lines, that you will adore. Happy Spring and well be seeing you soon!

Howie's Coming Baby

What a time for firsts around livelovescrap! Katie and I have decided we would share the blogging fun between us and so it's my turn!! Oh, my name is Allison and I am the lead designer at livelovescrap. It's really just a title, it means I organize meetings, schedules for classes and get to work with a fabulous group of designers!!

This is a picture of me posing as Howie Mandell at our Spring Retreat ... during our Deal or No Deal Game! So, I definitely think, if they have a look-a-like contest, I would FOR SURE not win. We had so much fun!!!! And the next best thing coming up is ... we are playing again at our Anniversary Crop on the 19th of April! You definitely do not want to miss all the fun and chance to win!!!! We took time out for a short field trip to McMaster and Storm in Greenville while we were at the retreat. This quaint shop is a must go to if you are ever in the area! They have the cutest and coolest vintagy (like that word??) things. Kay, one of my all time favorite people and croppers, is pictured above holding the evidence of one of her vices! RIBBON!!!! And the scary thing about Kay's little ribbon obsession, she had three more stacks of ribbon just as BIG behind the counter already! We adore our Kay!!

Ah, me as I normally appear with my daughter Addie. She decided to come at the last minute and what a wonderful treat it was for both of us. You know, kids (teenagers with their license) get busy and the last thing they want to do is hang out with a bunch of adults, with the exception of Addie. It truly was a joy to spend the weekend with the girls I adore and no cell phone reception!

Spring Cleaning

If you live in Ohio, you are probably thinking... What Spring? We are supposed to get snowy weather again this weekend. Huge Bummer. I have been re-organizing everything around my house and at live.love.scrap. It seems to be a never ending task, but there is something wonderful about change. I guess it makes you see things in a new light, sometimes an even better purpose emerges. Like last night... I tore my entire studio apart to fit a new piece I HAD to have. About two hours later I was just getting over all my frustration and anxiety and everything fell right into place. Now granted, most things were moved twice and STILL ended back into the same spot. Some things did find a new home, with a better purpose and I got organized! And amazingly enough the new vintage piece fit. Ill say this, I THINK I AM FINALLY MAXED OUT IN MY STUDIO (but I will probably still try to fit more later, knowing me!)

I am SO SO excited about October Afternoon arriving at live.love.scrap. It should be here any day! This is a photo I took at the latest CHA show in the booth. I am so in love with the "collage" look, this was a layout by an October Afternoon designer. ( and I LOVE the birds too, they are "so in" right now)

Photo-op in Iowa at my Nana's. I was able to sneak away for the weekend and visit them. hooray! Sorry Nana, I know I caught you a little off guard with this picture.

Okay... I am really in love with my new "old" lamp. I was staring at it the other day and decided I should dress it up. I painted stripes with my new paint from Kaiser Craft. We sell it at live.love.scrap and it is sooooo cute. It comes in "artist style" tubes and about a million colors! I also added little chandelier crystals that are NEW from Heidi Swapp, also available at live.love.scrap! About an hour after my first thought "this needs dressing up"... wa-la, new and improved lamp!

Photo of my studio at home. This is a RARE sight to see it tidy. It only takes about 5 minutes for me to mess everything up, and then I have to start cleaning all over again. One tip I must share with all my fellow scrapbookers/artists/crafters (whatever you decide you are). Have at least one area that is designated for a "workspace" only. I now force myself to clean this space up after I am finished for the day. This has helped me be much more productive and inspired for the next time I sit down to work.

Okay, I thought I was getting the hang of this blogging site. But hahaha, not yet. Just bare with me, TURN YOUR HEAD TO THE RIGHT for viewing this and the next few photos. I just learned how to rotate the photos, but NOT before I had already loaded these (and I cant figure out how to delete them!) Oh well. This pig makes me happy! He is kinda my scrapping buddy, well besides my two puppies Theo and Chance. However, they get bored and go outside to play most of the time, and the pig never does! I purchased it from a boutique in Centerville Ohio called "Ashley & Hilary". They are two sweet sisters and their shop is packed full of goodies.

Tilt your head to the right again! Sorry! Just had to include a photo of my beloved vintage bin that holds all my trims. This took ALOT of searching to find, and I don't know what I would do without it.

Last messed up photo. Tilt to the left! No room is complete without a chandelier. That is a family rule in my house! Trust me you can never have too many of them.

We are BACK! What a blast the RETREAT was! It was such a relaxing and fun weekend. We scrapped, shopped, ate, slept (very little), and laughed (alot) for 3 days straight. This Retreat was held in Palastine Ohio but our next one (Fall) will be held local. Sign-ups have begun for the Fall Retreat November 21-23.

My new obsession, plants everywhere! I am growing herbs and everything else. I think this developed from my desire for Spring to arrive! If you wont come Spring, Ill just re-create you inside! Ha.

We have a little cozy house that is STILL in the middle of being rehabbed! AND yes I KNOW I KNOW.. people think I am CRAZY for painting my hard-wood floors white.... but I LOVE it, it is totally me. Plus, they were in very bad condition anyway.

On a final note, I LOVE VINTAGE GLASS GLITTER. We are now selling it at live.love.scrap because I just had to spread the love. To be honest... most of the time I just admire it. I guess it is that strange fear I might use it all up. I'm getting past that and I have been using it on all my home decor projects, cards and more. I think I would even attach it to clothes if that was possible ( too sharp I know) I love it, I love it, I love it.

Catchin Up...

Exactly one week and counting until our exciting Retreat. I have been trying to clean up my studio for the last couple of days, but I think I made it worse. I went from piles of "organized" messes to scattering things all over the floor! I hope to be somehow making progress that will magically come together at the last minute. I have been looking forward to this weekend for awhile now. The Retreat is held in Palastine, Ohio at an old renovated school. The beds have down comforters, there is plenty of space, and all the meals are homecooked. We literally do nothing for three days but CREATE!

So many new things have been streaming into our store lately that I cant keep up! I feel like I have to have EVERYTHING of course, because it is all soooo cute. If you are a frequenter of Live.Love.Scrap (which we hope you are) then make sure to check out all my "FAVES" like Crate Paper, Fancy Pants, My Minds Eye and more. If you like BLING.... it has arrived! Kaiser Craft offers more bling than you could imagine and its ALL here in assorted colors, shapes and sizes. Be sure to look for the new Wild Aspargus line from My Minds Eye.... I am kind of a "paper snob" and I LOVE this line! It has a great texture and is very thick.. plus it has such a sweet vintage look to it. Its perfect for me. Long story short, you must stop in and be inspired!

Speaking of being INSPIRED... I am not sure if the long winter is to blame or just my personality, but I have emersed myself into sooo many projects lately that I am overwhelmed. I cant seem to find the time to fit everything all in, but I dont want to let anything go! My mom and I took a sewing class the other day and created a purse, NOW IM ADDICTED. Just for informational purposes and laughs, I though i'd list everything ive been up to lately... Here goes:

• Scrapbooking (of course)
• Quilting ( actually that means collecting massive amounts of fabric & just admiring it)
• Knitting (same as above)
• Making purses
• Creating aprons, hand towels & sachets for my new company "PolkaDotOwl" to sell on etsy
• Designing fun vintage/felted hair barrets, pins & etc!
• Creating sweet handmade cards with VINTAGE GLASS GLITTER ( oh my I LOVE LOVE this stuff. We sell it at live.love.scrap too)
• Trying to grow my own herbs.. this is So FUN, I feel silly watching so close to see the first sprout... but oh well. Life's little pleasures huh.
• We are STILL rehabing our house... almost finished I hope. So, I have been tending to the yard and finishing our basement. We have one bathroom left to remodel and then its complete! I go back and forth about being excited to sell it... It is our first house together and I am a little attached. It does seem a little crazy, I mean things are just NOW the way I want them , but I am also anxiuos to start all over again. There is just something about transforming a space... I LOVE it. (We are listing it on the market May 1st hooray!)

I am still getting the hang of blogging and loading the pictures to the site. There are sooo many pictures I want to share with you, and I promise I will post them soon. You have to see my purse I made.... very proud of it (Amy Butler Design). I'll definetly try to include some pictures of my studio and all the things Ive been creating lately. Ill have even more after my relaxing, but hopefully productive weekend at the Retreat! Ill hope to also share with you some photos of my house I am redoing... If you dont already know me, it is a great insight to who I am!

Creating A "Monster"

Okay,

Well... we have been talking about doing this "blogging stuff" for awhile, and its finally here! This will be a "team blog" full of inspirational and creative thoughts from everyone at the live.love.scrap. boutique! (AND I HAVE TO SAY, AFTER MY FIRST POST... I AM LOVING THIS) Make sure you check us out, there is no limit to what we may post! I have found that my LOVE of scrapbooking has since launched me into all kinds of creative outlets. You will also notice that I am a huge fan of "VINTAGE"... that probably should have been incorporated into my name somehow (hmmmmm, maybe Nate can change his last name!), I know it has made it into almost every other aspect of my life. My business, home, my jewelry choices... EVERYTHING! If you love vintage too, you have come to the right place to be inspired!