pop culture week: blog loves

so i end my pop culture week midweek because i didn't stay on task last week and on a fickle note as i have a fickle nature apparently.  ok, no, really i don't have a fickle nature except as i relate to social media.  i may have gushed earlier in the year about how much i loved twitter.  i can't remember the last time i was on twitter.  now i love instagram.  ha.  are you with me?  (i'm dorissander there - oh so original).  (oh and i have no rebuttals on the staying on task bit - sadly tis true, too true).

but really this post is about my blog loves.  i still love blogs just as much as the day i discovered them and started blogging myself.  i don't remember when that was, but it was.  last year i posted my ten blog favorites.  i still love spending time with those women as often as they stop by (their blogs).  i thought i would share five more faves with you this year in hopes that you'd share a few of your faves with me.

a beautiful mess - this blog is just beautiful to look at.  i've loved it even more with the addition of elsie's sister to the mix.  tons of variety in post topics.  i'm not interested in everything, but it's all pretty and i like that.

stephanie howell - seeing those little girls' bright shining faces is always a joy.  i am just made happy for a minute with every smile shared.  i'm so thankful stephanie allows me to be blessed through her children.

ashley calder/things that shine - i was enamoured with ashley's poetic journaling back in the day.  and she's back!  with a vengeance and a love of all things golden and shiney!

notes on paper/julie kirk - i find julie absolutely delightful.  witty.  oh so witty.  i have love of a good dry wit.

elise blaha cripe - the epitome of eclectic style.  i've enjoyed her motivating nature.  she is such an inspiration.

i've found this year that i'm more drawn to lifestyle, general crafting, and such.  variety if you will.  i finally got my blog roll of favorites back up (it's over there to the right on my sidebar).  i've added several to lifestyle and added a new category, the eclectics.  these would be my current favorite style or reads, so if you have any faves to recommend, please leave me a comment as i'd love to check them out!

oh!  and the photo is completely unrelated, but oh so cute, yes?  :)

jbs mercantile - donkey kong vday edition!

i just posted donkey kong - the valentine's day edition over at the jbs mercantile message board.  there's a $25 gift card up for grabs just for making valentine's day treats.  come play with us!

i'll be using my january jbs mercantile kits because i'm in love with them.  there has never been a better kit anywhere ever.  amen.

jbs mercantile: january gallery updates

well, last i checked, there were only 4 papercrafting kits, 4 extra paper packs, and 1 artisan add-on left.  are you a jbs mercantile member?  these fabulous kits won't last long with all the amazing exclusives and them and the january special going on.  tick tock tick tock.  personally, i'm already anxious for the february kits as i can't wait to see what else lisa dickinson has up her sleeve and i've already seen the exclusive stamp and it's a must have.  if you haven't been the design team gallery for january updates, then enjoy!

this kit so has me in the mood for "heartfelt" crafting if you know what i mean.  check back tomorrow for a donkey kong valentine's day special challenge!

pop culture week: rise of the guardians

disclaimer - i have yet to see les mis, so that will surely be my favorite movie in 2013.  i should also add here that i don't really remember what other movies i did see in 2012.  mostly kid flicks, i'm sure.

i know someone asked me if rise of the guardians was a risk if your kids still believe.  the answer is NO!  this movie is all about believing.  in fact, that's what i loved so much about it.  it leaves you with the deep thought of how very important it is to believe in something someone bigger than yourself.  and i'm not talking about just the bunny and the big man either.  it's important to believe.

the characterizations are simply charming.

and i will admit here that g and i were both covertly wiping tears at the end.  any movie that can make a 42 year old woman and a nine year old boy cry is surely good stuff.

if you didn't catch it in theaters over the holidays, then catch it on dvd when it comes out.  the bunny features prominently, so i'm betting it'll be released around eastertime.

pop culture week: duck dynasty

i love this show.  i had a couple friends mention it to me midway through the first season.  i caught an episode and was immediately hooked.  i haven't watched a show consistently since g was born, so nine years of not caring if i watched tv or not.  this show, well, i frantically scrambled around online looking for missed episodes and have watched it religiously since.  and i harass my friends until they give it a looksee.

i adore these guys.  during the first season when i was so caught up in indoctrinating all my friends, i remember distinctly chatting about it with a couple coworkers on our planning period.  another teacher had brought some of his kids in for testing help while i was in there talking it up.  next thing i knew, ten high school boys are hanging on my every word and one reverently states, "that's the best show on television."

i appreciate a&e.  why?  for allowing these people to maintain their integrity and for giving americans something decent to watch on television.  yes, indeed, the men tend to screwballs and screwups most of the time.  the show is hilarious and they act stupid.  it is southern redneck to the core.  but these men never swear, they respect their wives, put family first, and each episode ends with a prayer around the dinner table.

hello waltons of the modern generation.  thank you for giving me an hour of television i am proud and glad to watch with my son every wednesday night.

12 on the 11th, not the 10th

i enjoy so much looking back over my layouts from the year to choose my favorites.  i love the looking back at the stories i've told.  it's like reminiscing with myself.  ha.  anyhoo.  this first one i haven't shared here on the old blog yet, but it did make an appearance in the october jbs mercantile gallery and more recently was seen in an article on multiple visual triangles at get it scrapped!

another unshared on the blog layout (only five unshared ones left, well, except for the two new ones i made for january gallery updates and haven't posted yet, lol.  i'm getting close to caught up!)  this one includes the jbs digital cut file that made me buy the cameo.  oh how i love that cut. this one's was also part of the on trend seminar at masterful scrapbook design.

and now on to the ones you've already seen here.  i had to include at least one layout with the infamous oversized yellow flowers.  i cut those flowers from a sheet of basic grey paper and used them on three layouts!  yes i did!  and i'm hoarding the fourth!  yes i am!  and who doesn't love a beach babe brawl?  these photos totally make me laugh.  so fun to be an aunty and photograph the fights instead of breaking them up.

you've seen this one recently.  love that i got this story written down.

another that makes me laugh.  hilarious vomit splat.  thanks for the great idea louise!

adorable.  makes me happy.

sweet.  love the layering and the story-telling, and the softness.

another great story (i get lost a lot).  and so delightful to use unrelated photos to tell that story.

seriously cute.  that's me on the left.  hee.

still in love with the washi tape on the photo technique and still in love with my baby.

this one was pinterest inspired.  really love the arty feel and the title treatment.

a meaningful moment.  i love that scrapbooking adds so much emotion and meaning to the words and pictures.

so there we go.  2012 in review.  per usual, i am all over the place.  i think i used a bit more patterned paper this year?  i do see a penchant for using sentence length titles and older photos.  and perhaps i leaned a little toward soft blues, greens, and yellows.  but the chameleon scrapper is still alive and well.  here's to a great 2013!  thanks for visiting me in my scrappy world.!  :)

cha winter 2013: my contributions

jenni and jared left on an airplane today for anaheim and cha winter 2013.  i sent along these two layouts to show that showcase some of the jbs new release.  so so fun to work with and coming to stores near you around the first of february!  check out the jbs blog HERE for a video of jenni introducing the entire line.