...brandi white...

Heifer International card

2010-01-19T16:05:00.021-06:00

Jo Luck, President and CEO - Heifer International, holding the hand of an HIV victim in Africa. Photograph by Heifer/Card design copyright Brandi White 2009

Recently, I finished a card project with Heifer International. Since then I've become very interested in their approach to ending world hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with them and wanted to share a little more about Heifer with you...

Heifer is an organization with a mission to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. "Passing on the Gift" is the concept...the gift is livestock and training, which helps families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. Families agree to "Pass on the Gift" by giving one of its animal’s offspring to another family in need-view the gift catalog here

The card design included black and white photography of CEO{by Heifer}, Jo Luck, holding the hand of an HIV victim in Africa framed with gold embossing, "UBUNTU: I am because you are" printed on tab with sewn zig-zag stitch detail. The card also featured patterned paper, torn edges, gold embossed leaf, rubber stamped images, recycled button embellishment, hemp string detail, all handmade with love on recycled paper. The card was sent to people, including some celebrities, affiliated with Heifer on their birthday. One big name, that I know of, that was included in the 220 cards made was......Oprah!!!

I was able to visit Heifer International headquarters in Little Rock, AR to tour this green building certified by U.S. Green Building Council....LEED-Platinum level

Durability, maintainability, low toxicity, recycled content, and regional availability were taken into consideration when making material selections. Bamboo flooring, shown above, is a very renewable resource. The building was designed to use 55% less energy than a normal office building.

Five story water tower for storing collected rainwater Heifer building project took a brownfield, contaminated for years, and removed 75,000 tons of earth to transform it into a wetland area that controls, stores and reuses surface groundwater

Beautiful landscaping with plant selections native to the area

Green parking lot designed to move storm water through a vegetated runoff collection system that collects, cleanses storm water, and returns it to the environment. For more information about this Platinum Level LEED building herePaintings, fabrics, and other collections from around the world bring the spirit of Heifer into this workspaceConsider giving a gift that keeps on giving from Heifer! http://www.heifer.org/

.lisa leonard designs.

2010-01-05T15:12:00.005-06:00

Pleasantly surprised to see a Lisa Leonard giveaway on WalkSlowly/LiveWildly blog. Three ways to enter...check it out. You can also visit Lisa Leonard Designs website here.

I really like 'key to my heart' necklace and 'fly free' necklace...I'd love to know what your favorite piece is too!

Bryan and family

2009-11-22T00:19:00.004-06:00

My brother Bryan, sister-in-law, Ashley and nephew, Deacon....more photos = click here

I s a a c

2009-11-22T00:15:00.003-06:00

My cousin Kristen and her baby Isaac...more photos on flickr

.O l l i e.

2009-11-07T21:25:00.005-06:00

Sharna and her little cutie, Ollie. here

S e n i o r - E l i z a b e t h

2009-11-07T20:49:00.006-06:00

Senior session with Elizabeth here...so much fun.

Lezlee & Andre*s photos

2009-11-07T20:42:00.003-06:00

Just a few quick photos of Lezlee and her son Andre here.

.Corydon, IN Trunk Show.

2009-11-07T20:39:00.004-06:00

{ Gerty }

2009-10-17T02:41:00.000-05:00

for more of the photo session with my niece Gerty ...click here

.the miller family.

2009-10-17T02:29:00.003-05:00

For more of the Miller family photo session...click here.

.ARTIST TRUNK SHOW.

2009-09-25T18:31:00.005-05:00

There will be items for sale plus you will get an idea of what all the artist can offer. We {Dawn White/Dert Bag Jewelry, Keith White, and myself/Studio Bee Design} plan to hold shows in the following cities in the near future featuring different artist each evening. Carbondale, IL--Nashville, TN--Evansville, IN--Owensboro, KY--St. Louis, MO--We are looking for talent in your area! Contact: Dawn White dwhite61299@aol.com

Hope ya'll can make it out to see the Rex, Dawn White's jewelry---Dert Bag Jewelry, my paper crafts---Studio Bee Design, ...to taste Laura Green's talent in baking ----Sweet Treats and to hear Keith White's music. Should be a fun night of creativity... please join us :)

{ klem family }

2009-09-17T20:54:00.003-05:00

new family photo session up on www.flickr.com/photos/brandiwhite

.Stampin' Up.

2009-08-20T01:22:00.014-05:00

Five lovely ladies from my small group and my cousin's wife, Laura {a nice surprise} came for a night of crafting Wednesday. It was good to finally meet the Stampin' Up demonstrator, Rhonda, who i've been chatting with on the phone for weeks about this class and another project i've got going {i'll share soon!} Also, gotta say i'm happy about having a demonstrator in the same town as me for once-never know when I might need her ;) Here is a link to her website for Stampin' Up products

The photo above is the adorable thank you she brought me for hosting the party. It opens! And there were tiny chocolates inside! Covered in Razzleberry Lemonade patterned paper! i'm in love with it. Made with the new Stampin' Up Big Shot die-cutting system and Razzle Dazzle stamp set
She brought three designs for us to make. The first two using the NEW Medallion background stamp and NEW in color Melon Mambo. Then, for the final project we used Dasher for a Christmas card. I tried to capture its beauty but, the glitter just can not sparkle like in person...so pretty! I love the design Rhonda put together for us-so simple. Background embossed with Big Shot Texturz Plate. What a refreshing evening of crafting with friends along with a preview of all the new Stampin' Up products! My wist is a mile long now! Here are the ladies crafting away. I turned the living room into a craft space by moving the dining table in and rearranging a little. Worked out great and I think I could even squeeze in a few more seats next time.

blackberry jelly

2009-07-24T23:45:00.009-05:00

My first attempt at homemade jelly was a success, kind of...

My grandparents have a huge garden and have always put out a garden as long as I can remember. I picked strawberries and green beans with them as a young kid. It is such a treat to enjoy their produce all year...never realized just how much hard work it is...and they are still doing it at 70+ yrs. old ~ that is amazing to me! I work in the yard/garden for a day and can hardly move my body for 24hrs. at 28yrs. old!!!

I enjoyed picking blackberries with my Grandparents and Mom a few weeks ago. They were huge, beautiful and easily plucked off the bush...and I love tedious work like that ~ could have stayed out there for hours picking. Just this year I've become very interested in the whole process and planted my first tiny garden: tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs: lavender, sage, and basil.

I decided to use the blackberries from my Grandparents garden for jelly. It was a very messy job as you can see below ~ looked like someone had been murdered in my kitchen that night! Actually, any kitchen project for me is messy so I guess that was normal. Oh, and I was wearing white, that was a mistake.

I boiled with sure gel and reused glass jars to store in. The jelly didn't set up firm enough so, Grandma suggested me putting the jelly back on to boil longer so, that did the trick...ended up taking longer than it should have but, I'm enjoying my first jar of homemade jelly ~ especially with peanut butter :)

KSA: Kids Summer Adventure

2009-07-23T20:28:00.019-05:00

KSA graphic design by Skyler Taylor

I took on the project of design coordinator at church for this years Kids Summer Adventure. This was definitely unlike any other design project I've ever tackled. It was very intense since they wanted over the top decorations to go with exciting plans for the week-i love over the top! I do love a good challenge too and God seems to keep tossing them to me...made it through yet another one and it was a blast but, what a huge relief to have this done knowing the kids enjoyed it so much. I'm blessed to have had the experience....here are the details.

The theme for KSA three day event was SUBMIRGED! a dive into the depths of God. Each of the three days the children learned about different areas of the world. I came up with the design ideas and hundreds of awesome serving hearts showed up to help pull it all together for the kids to experience. We spent Sunday night and Monday setting up the underwater theme along with day one area of focus, Japan. Tuesday it was kicked off and that evening we tore down Japan and set up Philipines, tore down Philipines and set up Ghana on Wednesday evening. Thursday when it was all over hundreds of high school kids showed up to help tear down and get the church back in order. I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity to meet so many wonderful people in the church. Hundreds of people came to serve in helping pull this event together. It was such an awesome sight to see the little ones learning about God and other cultures in this space...check it out.

For the underwater theme - 'a dive into the depths of God'. We used carpet padding as rocks. Cut out red coral shapes, made fish mobiles w/ sequence as bubbles, cut out sea turtle silhouettes, used seaweed, shells, nets and built a ship wreck with treasure chest on top and Gold inside {mardi gras beads and Christmas tree tensile} The ship was built around our coffee serving station so it was on casters and moved aside for games in this large space. For the actual event we had the lights down, the room slightly foggy, bubble machines and water ripple lighting effects. Wish I could have captured that on camera :( Also, couldn't get a photo of the decompression chamber space we created - the lighting and sound made that space...which was awesome!

Japan day was so beautiful ~ I took so many pictures of these cherry blossom trees! I made the flags and a few Japanese girls in the church wrote on them-perfect. They wrote things like: Nature, Cherry Blossom, Tokyo, one of them says the title to a song the kids learned from Japan, and one says sumo wrestler.lol

The cherry blossom trees are branches from my bradford pear tree with crepe paper cut into flower shapes glued on. Someone needs to use this idea for a wedding, serious beauty! I sketched the koi fish and they were swimming about the water {blue sheet on the floor} next to the pier. The pier was constructed on site with old barn wood-a guy in my small group put this all together-wow...just what I had envisioned! Thanks TJ!!!

This is one big loooooong string of flags which were cut out one by one for Philipines day. They are so festive and I guess they often string these up and leave them for days in the Philipines. Very fun!

Yep, we made palm trees! If you look close you can see the leaves are fringed to look like palms. The trunks are tall wooden post attached to a wooden round base and covered with craft paper...we just started twisting it around quickly and messy and it turned out great ~ gave it that layered effect. We also built huts and set up a market with a couple of the patio umbrellas.

For Ghana we hung the flag of Ghana, painted 3D stars black to match the star on the flag and hung them around the space. We kept the palms and strung clothes line and hung African patterned fabrics. We clustered baskets at the front of the room and built a huge independence arch from Ghana's independence square. Church members from each of the focus areas {Japan, Philipines and Ghana} taught the children each day. It is so great to be in a church family with so many different cultural backgrounds

The kids were sectioned off into crews and the crews into zones...the zones were marked with these awesome treasure chests. I'm so glad I was able to collect so many to use for the event...13 treasure chest in all! Each and every one was so neat...I had one plus, borrowed from friends, family, and a vintage store. I also purchased a few at thrift stores. On the final day, they were filled with candy! What an awesome treasure to find :) My belly hurt all night last night from eating soooo much candy.YUM! This entire experience was a treat too! Thanks for reading.

Vine Community Church ~ Carbondale, IL

{ my cats }

2009-07-15T08:11:00.009-05:00

As you read to the right "In addition to all things creative...i love my family, my friends, and my cats" Well.....meet my cats ~ there are four.

Lounging on Apple Blossom bedding ~ Garnet Hill

Meet Simon, he spends his day running in and out, in and out, in and out. He loves the neighbors and visits them often. He has a thing with cars...if you visit us he is in or on top of your car -guaranteed, sorry. Once, he got on the school bus-pretty funny. He is handsome but moody...one of those pets that doesn't want attention from us too often but, lets others pet him. He loves everyone but, wants to be the only animal in the neighborhood so he can have all of the attention on him.

This is Sophie. She is fat and lazy...I can say that, she's a cat. She lays around alot and eats alot...she is really pretty and looks as if she's wearing a tiny tuxedo ;) This is her IKEA ratan chair... she sits on it and rolls back and forth as it rocks...it is her favorite place to be-especially when the sun is shinning in at sunset. Her favorite toys are my pony tail holders...she takes them under the dining chairs and uses it as a jungle gym-jumping over/under the chair bars or paws them under doors for fun.

This is Pete. He is all boy...lays in the dirt, rolls in the dirt...prefers to be outside most of the time, loves to hunt. We call him Peter, Peter, lizard eater...or...Peter, Peter, squirrel eater.

Texas is Pete's twin. She is little-a runt and sleeps in adorable places and positions. I can always find her sleeping in the craft room. Her funny habit - she shreds paper into tiny pieces.

i n v i t a t i o n s

2009-07-15T07:55:00.005-05:00

Above: Nephew Deacon

Last year all three of my sisters-in-law were pregnant at the same time! That was very exciting and it has been a very fun year! They all three came in the Spring and Summer of 2008. So, this year calls for lots of celebrating 1st birthdays. These are the invitations designed for the baby showers last year...

...Design inspiration came from baby bedding for the nursery - Land of Nod

Gertrude Bird is the first baby on my husbands side, she 'hatched' in April...the day after my husband's birthday, which was really neat. Her middle name, Bird, was the design inspiration for the invitations...

This card features rubber stamping-birds nest in chocolate, torn edges, patterned paper, mounted on chocolate cardstock

This cutie is my niece Kenlee...sister-in-law, Jessica's, baby girl - Photography by Erin Ivie Photography No baby shower invitation for her but, here are some other designs from the past...

Simple damask print, inked in black with vellum text overlay-single silver brad attachment, mounted on black cardstock for cousin, Kristen's bridal shower

Recent baby shower invitation design, again for Kristen :) Charcoal print on white cardstock, patterned paper-stripe, elephant and ball. Baby Isaac arrived last weekend and is so adorable :)

One of the first invitations I ever put together. It was for a fall, pumpkin themed 1st birthday. I love this design! You can't see the true color in this photo but, there is purple, orange, green, yellow and black in the patterned paper. The ribbon over the orange strip is purple and I love the combination of fonts and also, the fonts together with this single pumpkin.

"cute as a button"

2009-07-14T11:10:00.002-05:00

baby boy mix button embellishments and all kinds of other button cuteness at http://www.evalicious.etsy.com/

I seriously love the saying "cute as a button" because I do think they are so CUTE! I collect them now to use on my cards and scrapbooks but, someday I would love to attempt to make a piece of jewelry using buttons! Check out this necklace using buttons and crochet found on ETSY...i'm just learning crochet but, I hope to have it down by Christmas this year!?!?

Buttercup Buttercup stiched flower button necklace from ETSY

This is a sneak peak of the color palette for a scrapbook I have started. It is for my niece Gerty...using lots of buttons! Hope to have it finished to show sometime soon.

a favorite handmade card using buttonsanother project using BUTTONS :) This is a memory board put together last year for my cousin, Amy's, new babies barnyard themed nursery. Materials used: red check fabric, white ribbon, white buttons, and barnwood frame.

Just one of the many jars from my collection. My friend Melodie picked this up for me on our shopping trip a few weeks back. I love the quilted top. I know i'm not the only one out there that thinks buttons are the cuttest things. What kind of unique projects have you used buttons for?

Resale shopping

2009-07-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

Pretty much one of my favorite things to do is shop resale. My BFF, Melodie, came for a visit from Nashville, TN and we found the best little resale shop in little ol Wayne City, IL. We had arm loads of $1/$2 and less items. Here are a few of my finds:

Glass napkin rings, tiny owl trivet, butterfly salt and pepper shakers, tiny tea pot pin cushion {my favorite find of the day} It is so little and so CUTE! We also found buttons, trunk/chest, pottery, etc.

Oh, one more thing...

I'm doing alot of stopping into these resale shops on a hunt for trunks/chests...i'm collecting them for the underwater themed kids event coming up at church-i'm working as the design coordinator for the event ;) If you have one we could borrow or you'd like to donate, let me know, I need lots more.

kristen { maternity }

2009-07-05T21:00:00.014-05:00

This is my first cousin, Kristen, alot like a sister to me - which explains how excited I am for this baby to come ~ any day now!!!! It was her baby shower I helped throw ~ blogged here a short time ago.

She looks so beautiful. It is a good thing we got these shots when we did because the poor girl is going to deliver any day! She and Tyler were good sports getting in and out of the vehicle, getting up and down, walking lots, plus wardrobe changes in the back seat...that should have helped wiggle him down, right ;)

I love the look of this pretty dress against the old rustic truck...love the contrast :) see more www.flickr.com/photos/brandiwhite

baby india

2009-07-05T20:52:00.006-05:00

see more from this photo session at www.flickr.com/photos/brandiwhite

Mary Kay Color

2009-06-17T22:30:00.006-05:00

I was really excited when asked to do make-up {and hair} for a wedding last weekend! I always enjoy helping & seeing the ladies get all dolled up for a big event. This June bride, Deann, wanted a very natural look for her outdoor afternoon wedding. It was so much fun doing hair and make-up for these girls on Deann's big day! I loosely pinned back curled hair for a natural look on all the girls. For eyes I used Mary Kay Mineral Eye colors in Moonstone, Hazelnut, and Vintage Gold {THE go to colors for a neural look} Eye liner in Deep Brown and Ultimate Mascara in Black. On lips I used Neutral lip liner, Tanned lipstick, and Beach Bronze lip gloss. Same colors used on Alana below...

A few months back I did Mary Kay color for these girls, Elizabeth and Jennifer, for prom. Both with bold eyes and neutral lips. Elizabeth went for fun blues and greens to blend with her teal dress {Coastal Colors-Limited time only!} Jennifer stayed neutral with Granite eye color and had a red dress to compliment her beautiful brown eyes. Finishing touch...false lashes :) Hair on these two girls by Brooke Taylor...Hair Twisters-Wayne City, IL

I'm very excited to have a new Mary Kay consultant signed up. Heading out Thursday afternoon to host an open house with her in Marshall, IL. This trip is a start to a very busy weekend...lots to blog about next week.

Have a great weekend :)

White Oak Resources Office

2009-06-15T00:20:00.002-05:00

My latest interior design project was an executive office space. I made all selections however, layout and lighting had already been decided when I came on the project. I started from stud walls...these are the finished photos....see lots more of this space on my flickr website.I like the gray blues next to the vanilla color...also, love the pop of dark walnut stained doors trimmed in off white on these vanilla walls. Natural slate, carpet, wood laminate and area rugs where used for flooring. Natural/organic/abstract art and accessories transformed this into a transitional space.

All custom vanities, mirrors, and office furniture by Rapp's Custom Cabinets in Dahlgren, IL Area rugs - Pottery Barn Artwork and accessories: Pier1, Kohls, Hobby Lobby, Target, Trees and Trends, JCPenney, and Crate and Barrel

baby shower

2009-06-14T08:01:00.009-05:00

My cousin Kristen is pregnant with her first child who is due to arrive next month-July. We had her a baby shower at the winery in Mt. Vernon, IL last weekend. It couldn't have been more beautiful outside on the deck for her day. Kristen's sister {Lezlee}, cousin's-Amber & Laura, her Aunts and I planned the shower. I designed the invitations {these girls helped me assemble them} and remember Laura blogged here she baked the amazing sugar cookies.

The cookies were displayed in this cute wooden train I picked up at a yard sale.The table decor plan was to to lay a square of green check fabric on top of white linen table covers then, a stack of Dr. Seuss books, and place a wooden toy on top anchoring three balloons. Well, I didn't think this out too well. A little wooden toy, on wheels, on a breezy day....didn't work at all to keep the balloons put. We had to just set them aside and Kristen's nephew, Andre, ended up playing with them all afternoon...at least they were entertainment for the kids. Kristen looked so pretty! There were alot of laughs, a few tears and so many great gifts! I think Kristen and Tyler are well on their way to being ready for baby Isaac to arrive.The Dr. Seuss baby bedding collection from Pottery Barn Kids will be in Isaac's nursery - which explains all the Dr. Seuss themed gifts. Including a few adorable gifts from Seussland online Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss!!!I love this picture because I just caught Brooke's reaction when the baby kicked her hard and Kristen has that looks on her face like she could be sick...

Happy waiting! We love you Kristen!

Cousins

2009-06-04T20:44:00.003-05:00

Just finished editing these photos and uploading them to my flickr site. The little one is my nephew Deacon. Got a few shots of him with his cousins Cayden and McGuire on the Easter holiday weekend this year. These kiddos are so adorable in their little shirt and ties, I just love em'!!! See more of these cuties on my flickr website

yard sales

2009-05-31T21:12:00.012-05:00

Every year I take a trip to the Bloomington, IL area with my grandparents, cousin, Aunt, and my mom...for yard sales. Yes, yard sales! We make a weekend of it and head out super early Friday morning, shop all the way up then, stay overnight and do it again Saturday. We only go to this area because they have town wide sales and we have always had great luck there. I would say we go to 30 to 40 sales over the weekend.

This year it was just me and my cousin, Amy, along with my grandparents. We had so much fun and loved spending the time with grandma and grandpa. We missed having my mom and Aunt Diane along with us...they are both alot of fun! My dad was turning 50 this same weekend so, my mom skipped this year to stay home to celebrate dad's birthday. Happy 50th dad!!!

I've been lucky to attend the past three in a row. I didn't buy as much as in the past but, still came home with lots of goodies. I love the hunt and the unknown of what you will find...so exciting-looking, thinking of different ways and places to use things. It is hard for me to pass up a yard sale...I can usually find something at every sale. Here are some of the finds this year.

A few Dr. Seuss books for center pieces at my cousin Kristen's baby shower coming up. She and I both love wooden toys so, I was happy to find a few. This huge wooden train was only $2.00! Twister...everyone needs a twister game around.lol

a dad diaper bag I picked up for Tyler {my cousin Kristen's husband} for .25...if he doesn't use it i'm sure i'll find someone who will...how could I pass it up for a quarter!I have alot of jewelry and no big storage for it. I picked up this vintage box to use, along with another similar oldie I have of my moms, until I get something more permanent.
I am really excited about the jewelry I found! The necklace, I paid $3.00 for and I like it more than the similar one i've had my eye on at Kohl's...Daisy Fuentes at Kohl'sLots of fabric...I have no idea what i'll use it for, yet...my mom just gave me a sewing machine and i'm ready to use it! I will start collecting my favorite fabrics and i'd eventually like to make a quilt and some other goodies :)

The wine book I picked up for my friends Melodie and David. They are big into wine and I thought it was pretty { i totally judge a book by it's cover, and judge wine by its cover too...all about the packaging :) I'm a total sucker, if is looks good i'll buy it!

all these frames for $2.00! May use them for a collage in Kristen's house!?

Below: Stampin' Up 12x12 patterned paper and a set of handmade paper cards and envelopes in stripes and geometric print.

Little terra cotta planters...see them used here.

Kohl's Sonoma cloth napkins and place mats in clay color, never used, with tags. (4)mats, (8)napkins for $5.00

Black plate rack for $1.00...works perfect in dining room to display the china from my grandmother.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-18T07:53:00.006-05:00

This was my first time to color Easter eggs in years! Dying eggs was not a family tradition of ours...yes, my Grandparents always had a egg hunt but, plastic eggs with candy & money. I see why they switched to plastic...dying them is very time consuming!

I had two baby photo sessions { Grayden & Rylie } really close to the holiday so, I wanted to have eggs on hand. I was thinking it would go really quick but, each egg had to sit in the dye for so long, then dry, then I splattered them with brown paint to look speckled. I thought they turned out pretty cute! Blue for baby boy photo session and pink for baby girl session ;)

Standing them up on pins worked great for drying http://www.marthastewart.com/

Here is a photo you can see them used...I didn't get much with them and actually left the eggs in the refrigerator before second shoot and didn't get to use the cutie pink eggs with baby girl :(

This is little Grayden Conor ~ see more photos from this session at www.flickr.com/photos/brandiwihte

transplanting sprouts

2009-04-17T22:09:00.004-05:00

Gardening has become a new interest of mine! I purchased a few starter vegetable plants {broccoli, spinach, tomatoes} and some seeds {lettuce, basil, and flowers} to start. Wow, plants take so much attention :/ I've been working really hard to get these going. I had to do some gardening research, collect all of the supplies, etc. I used a baking pan to plant the seeds in {which took forever...i used tweezers and placed them individually in rows!}...i've been constantly misting, and warming them on the heating pad to finally see some healthy sprouts! Look at what my surprise was...Texas smashing my hard work!!! I was able to transfer a few sprouts to the little pots today before she decided to make a bed on my tiny flower garden. So far i've had alot of fun doing it...we will see if I can get a few good plants of of them!?

After I master growing the vegetables...I will learn to can them :)

What are you planting this year?

Rylie

2009-04-13T23:23:00.006-05:00

Rylie was my second baby session ever! She is six weeks old and one of the cutest babies i've ever seen {babies w/ lots of hair are the cutest}. She was so fun to photograph! Her momma is a huge Dr. Seuss fan so, we used her collection of books. This was also the second shoot with my new Canon Rebel...lots to learn still but, lovin the upgrade from my point and shoot Canon...

view more www.flickr.com/photos/brandiwhite

Grayden

2009-04-13T16:15:00.007-05:00

This was my first attempt at photographing a little one......not easy. He doesn't sit up and doesn't like to be on his belly so, I shot alot from above. See more www.flickr.com/photos/brandiwhite These are just a few favorites. I like the one of him outside in the clover patch...his parents were married on St. Patricks day ;) I love comments...let me know what you think!

{ For You } card

2009-03-13T21:34:00.007-05:00

This is turning out to be a handmade card blog...I do make alot of them! This card was inspired by these earings from the Buckle I got for my friend Johnna for her birthday. Little did I know it is a favoite store of hers...go me ;) The store just looks so her...Anyhow, I love to match up the card w/ the gift :)

I wasn't really happy with the background color and the green bead doesn't match up just right but, it was a fun card...love the decorative edge on the black strip and the braid. It was so nice to catch up over doughnuts & coffee with her this past weekend :) Hope you had a great birthday Johnna!

kwerner color inspiration #45

2009-03-12T14:33:00.005-05:00

http://www.kwernerdesign.com/ color challenge time again! These are the colors I had to work with this week. I'm a huge black and white fan so, this one was super fun! I like the way this card turned out...I like the balance : ) She usually picks 10-25 favorites and puts them in, what she calls, a color round-up to showcase the winners....

Gray cardstock, VersaFine ink:onyx black, Stampin' up: Baroque Motifs flower stamp, DCWV vellum quote stacks:wedding & romance, decorative scissors, recycled buttons and ribbons

butterflies + glitter

2009-03-08T23:01:00.005-05:00

I spent the whole weekend home relaxing & trying to get over a sinus cold. I was really bummed to have to cancel my weekend trip to Nashville, TN to visit Melodie and Johnna but,...it was so nice to just open the windows, watch movies, work on projects here and there and make a few cards. I feel a whole lot better today but, still not totally well. These are the cards from the weekend...

supplies used: ivory cardstock, Stampin' Up weathered background stamp, VersaColor ultimate pigment ink:polar blue, BASICGREY:PERHAPS patterned paper pack {w/ alphabet - friend} Stampin' Up: fancy flexible phrases/thank you + hi there, Stampin' Up Baroque Burgundy ink, Victorian Butterflies by Cynthia Hart stamp set,

Things on my list today:

*job hunt~looking for a part time job + I may start serving again, hard to beat that fast cash gotta get debt free in 2009!

*shop pier 1~there are a few things i've had my eye on there to use in my current deisgn project

*grocery shop~about all I have to eat here is cookie dough=not good...can't wait to eat veggies tonight : )

*walk a mile~i've had a whole lot of energy and stay up until way late, gonna try to burn some.

*paint~i've been meaning to paint the baseboard in my bathroom for a couple weeks now + touch up places i've patched nail holes around the house and paint all of my hinges to look brushed nickel...maybe now that i've put it on my list and ya'll will see I will actually do it!!!

*clean the SUV~someone is coming to look at our SUV tomorrow gotta bet it shined up : )

*cook dinner~really craving something delicious like ahi tuna sashimi or steak

*mary kay order~can't wait to order myself tinted moisturizer : )

kwerner color inspiration #44

2009-03-07T17:30:00.011-06:00

www.kwerner.com/blog has such great color inspirations...they make me happy : )

Remember these BASICGREY rub-ons...one of my fabulous finds a while back from Hobby Lobby? Well, if you are a scrapper/card maker you need to get your hands on these adorable rub-ons...they are so great! All for baby girl and I know just the lil' one i'll give this card to {she was born today!} Her mom, Sarah, went to Interior Design school with me. This is the mobile used in her nursery and I have to say this is one of the cutest i've ever seen/it is pottery barn.

BASICGREY sugared rub-on {hush little baby}, Stampin' Up chocolate chip cardstock, signature suite:brown/polka paper as background, Hobby Lobby mat stack check paper, daisyd's:nursery pink pinstripe border, daisyd's:nursery pink polka dot, corner rounder punch, Stampin' Up paper piercing, Uni-ball signo gel pen-white, recycled buttons

going green

2009-03-07T14:11:00.006-06:00

Over the past couple of years I have started recycling and trying to become aware of being green and slowly learning how to make this shift. Just recycling makes such a huge difference in our trash output at home. Recycling aluminum, cardboard, plastic {bottles & bags} glass, and now paper pretty much makes up all of the trash that previously went to the landfills.

It always bothered me to buy cases and cases of bottled waters even though I was recycling them. I first made a shift to buying gallons of water to cut down on packaging. Now, i've been reading that the plastic and the quality of some could cause health risks. Also, 25% or more is just tap water bottled and bottled is not necessarily better for you. read more here www.nrdc.org/water

Not sure about the quality of mine but, for now i'm switching to tap and eliminating packaging by going with these cool recyclable/non-toxic aluminum bottles. I found mine on clearance at TJ Maxx {also found at Marshalls} for only $3.00! I'm sure they will be popping up everywhere but, here is the one I have. I love filling them and putting them in the frig for when i'm ready to run out the door...the aluminum keeps water extra cold!

You see reusable bags everywhere now! I have one for almost every store I shop. There are so many cute ones and I just couldn't resist these two from Hobby Lobby yesterday. They were so very cheep one was $3.99 and the other $2.99. I think they are great!

Next, composting...when we purchase our home there was a compost bin I didn't know what to do with. I think the ones like I have cost almost $200.00! I remember my grandparents always having one when I was growing up. Now, i'm thinking I'd like to start...even less trash and good for gardening : ) Working in my flower gardens is a favorite hobby of mine. Spring is popping up and i'm getting so excited to start digging around in my landscaping. Lots of work to be done!

If I do ever have children, yes...I would be one of those moms that cloth diaper. It truly bothers me to contribute all that trash to the beautiful earth God made. It is a challenging but, rewarding shift to make in my life. Can't do it all right now but, i'm making little changes where I see fit to do my part.

I could go on but, i'll stop now. I guess i'm more passionate about it than I knew. Here are the photos of my finds!
oh...and these are my plants starting to pop up : )

kwerner color inspiration #43

2009-03-02T12:45:00.004-06:00

Another color challenge from kwerner's blog! This patterened paper is some i've had since my beginning scrappin days...Hobby Lobby's mat stack {retro prints}. I love pulling out old supplies after they've been stuck away for a while... makes them new again! I pulled out a few others that I can't wait to use soon. This print was perfect for the color chalenge with these given Stampin' up colors: chocolate chip, ruby red, pumpkin pie, old olive, brocade blue.

I used Stampin' Up pumpkin pie cardstock, Retro prints patterned paper, brocade blue circle background, brown ribbon {recycled from Christmas '08 bows ; )} recycled buttons, Victorian butterflies stamp set by Cynthia Hart, Stampin' Up 'Easter Blessings' stamp from Fancy Flexible Phrases stamp set

kwerner color inspiration #42

2009-02-23T11:10:00.006-06:00

http://www.kwernerdesign.com/ always has a color challenge on her blog that I always want to enter. This will be my second entry my first was with Melodie as her guest blogger when I was visiting her in NashvilleTN, a few months ago.

I've gotta say...i love this color combo: more mustard, really rust, kiwi kiss, and whisper white. I don't have a big selection of Stampin' Up cardstock colors but, I did have a new pack of earth elements with the more mustard and really rust.

As said in a previous post...this cute owl/bird scrapbook page kit is for my niece Gertrude's first birthday scrapbook but, I had to pull a couple of pieces to use because the colors were perfect for this color challenge!!!

The owl/bird paper and owl chipboard sticker are from CHATTER B-O-X scrapbook page kit called Happy Day .

fabulous finds

2009-02-02T19:37:00.007-06:00

These are my fabulous finds from Hobby Lobby today! I love these little FLA!R badges that were on sale {40% off} I had my eye on them when they were full price, so i'm happy to make them mine this week : ) Hopefully I can use them right away...valentines day is coming up.

The BASICGREY rub ons are cute, cute, cute! There are tons in this tiny pack and I hope I can put them to good use because i'm in love with them! They are baby girl theme called 'sugared'. Wish there was a baby boy pack available but, wasn't in stock...think i'll keep looking!

The page kit is by CHATTER B-O-X called Happy Day. I'm thinking it could be a good kit for my niece Gertrude's first birthday party. It is 8 1/2" x 11" and should be a nice size for a small birthday scrapbook.

The bright embellishments are also for my niece, Gertrude. I have a huge pack of patterned paper that match these accessories. I am putting together a scrapbook of her first year using these bright colors, glitter, birds {her middle name is Bird}, and wings ~ i have until April to accomplish this : )

Look for these fabulous finds in projects to come!

xoxoxo

2009-02-01T22:05:00.006-06:00

Supplies used: basicgrey-perhaps paper pack, inkadinkado acrylic stamp set, stampin' up old olive card stock, stampin' up fancy flexible phrases stamp set

More of these cards to come in traditional valentine's day colors....I was just not feeling red and pink tonight. Speaking of Valentine's day...I'm in LOVE with basicgrey patterned paper packs! There is a good mix of large and small scale prints to coordinate patterns. This one {perhaps} has been around for a while and i'm so glad I finally broke into it.

So, I stamped while the rest of the world watched the super bowl. I did have to take a break to watch Bruce Springsteen perform the half time show...because i {heart} him!

This is Texas {sleeping} and Simon hanging around while I stamped : )

Birthday party

2009-02-01T19:43:00.012-06:00

Yesterday, my cousin Lezlee had a birthday party for her lil' guy, Andre. He turned three and lots of friends and family celebrated with bowling and cupcakes! It was so nice to see everyone and catch up for a few minutes. The little kids were so adorable bowling!

These cupcakes were made by my cousin Laura Green and let me tell ya, if you need sweets for any occasion...she is your girl. I always look forward to Laura's desserts at every family get together. Not only are they delicious...also, a work of art. She does it all, even gorgeous wedding cakes! Let me know if you need her contact information in the Mt. Vernon, IL or Fairfield, IL area.

winter weather

2009-01-28T18:01:00.007-06:00

It has been so nice to be home, w/ electricity, during this winter weather. I've been lounging around the house in my pjs all day! I baked a loaf of bread {Watkins mix}, worked on this blog layout by the fire, and played around with my new Canon Rebel XS. These lazy days where great but, it is time to get back to work tomorrow. More time to play this weekend.