Monday, February 28, 2011

New Release Monday/Creative Inspiration + Show-OffZ Challenge | All Aboard!

I am excited to release ALL ABOARD!
I hope you will enjoy this little kit that is perfect for all of your little engineers!










Get it now:
Blog
iScrapbook





by Lorilee


by Stacy


by TifLyn






Here is how it works:

Each Monday with the New Releases, I will be posting a Show-OffZ Challenge. You will have until Friday to do the challenge and if you get your layout sent in, you will receive either a coupon to my store or a specific product (each posting will tell you what you are getting)! I will share all the Show-OffZ of the Week on Saturdays!


THIS WEEK'S SHOW-OFFZ CHALLENGE:


I want you to scrap about a vacation where you traveled by plane, train, or boat. Make sure you share the memories about the actual traveling part of your vacation. You must use MY PRODUCTS ONLY to create your layout!
(You can use ANY product by me!)


Email me (dedesmith32@gmail.com) a copy of your 600x600, 72dpi Layout by 10pm EST on Friday, March 4th and your layout will be shared on March 5th on my blog (it could be later depending on my time)! Please include the name that you want listed with your layout.

This week (if you participate),
you will be receiving the All Aboard: Textured SolidZ!


Thanks and I hope you will join in the challenge and come back every other Monday for new releases and a new challenge!




Join me on Mondays for my new releases! Also on New Release Mondays I will be posting a Show-OffZ Call for your layouts - so please don't miss that at the bottom of this posting!



More CT Layouts with BoyZ Will Be BoyZ

My wonderful TearZ Crew has created some layouts with my BOYZ WILL BE BOYZ and I wanted to share them with you! Enjoy!

by Andi



by Mary


by TifLyn



Show-OffZ Challenge | Week 2/14/11

Thank you to the wonderful ladies who participated in my Show-OffZ Challenge this week, your bonus will be arriving via email shortly! Thanks!

This week's challenge was:

I want you to scrap a layout that uses shades of pink and brown papers/elements only (your photo(s) can have other colors in it). You must use MY PRODUCTS ONLY to create your layout! (You can use ANY product by me!)



by dekek


by Jennifer


by Sue


by Sweetheaven


by Tanja


by Zanne




Sunday, February 27, 2011

Life 2011 | Week 9




Monday, February 21, 2011


For Family Home Evening tonight we learned more about President Monson. We played a really fun matching game that shared a lot of facts about him. President Monson is known for his amazing stories that share the teachings of the gospel. Dad read several stories (from his ipad) that President Monson has shared while the kids colored. We ate chicken and stuffing and chocolate pie for dinner (some of President Monson's favorites).


Tuesday, February 22, 2011


It was the Scout Blue and Gold dinner tonight and the cub scouts were asked to bring a cake. JJ loves homemade oreos and he said that he just wanted to make a big one. So this is our "cookie cake."


Wednesday, February 23, 2011



Every morning before Dad heads off to work, Beth is in charge of doing Dad's checklist....keys, ipad, keyboard, backpack, headphones, phone, nook, and you can't forget the Bethie hug and kiss.

We took JJ to the doctor today for his yearly checkup and to talk about our struggles with meal time. The doctor thinks its just a phase in his development and that we shouldn't worry too much and just ride it out. It was good to know that it wasn't something more serious.


Thursday,
February 24, 2011



All month, I have been helping in Beth's classroom on Thursdays. It's been nice to see the things they do and what they are learning. Today was my last day. After school, we finally got JJ's haircut! It looks so much better. We decided to pick up McDonald's for dinner for a special treat and the kids got to watch a movie and have a picnic.


Friday, February 25, 2011


Some snowstorms this weekend. They kind of came and went and melted pretty fast. But the snow was really pretty while it lasted.


Saturday, February 26, 2011


Today Joey had his Constitution class all day. I slept in a bit which is always nice. The kids and I did a little shopping, I worked on some projects and worked on my Primary lesson, we did a little playing, Beth went to a birthday party, and we got to pick up our Girl Scout cookies at the fire station. We will have to start delivering all the cookies this week.


Sunday, February 27, 2011


I gave the lesson in Primary today and it was on "Faith in Jesus Christ." I think it went well and I know that I felt the spirit as I prepared it.

Tonight we watched Groundhog Day for our Family Movie Night. Beth summed it up pretty good when the movie was over, "So the day couldn't change until they loved each other."



And here is my weekly layout:
I used my BoyZ Will Be BoyZ to create this layout!








Saturday, February 26, 2011

Book Review: StarScout Rising by Gary Darby

I'm excited to have my husband be a guest blogger today!

StarScout Rising: First Trail (Volume One)
Book Review by Joey Smith



Purchase on Amazon
Purchase the Kindle version

Please visit the author's blog



Before the muscular viper could recoil to thrust again, Del flung his tall, lean frame backward out of the wispy golden-green fronds where he had just knelt. The mushy soil bordering the tropical waterway softened his landing but not enough to prevent an “umph!” when he landed on his backside in the streams’ wet muck...

I don't make much time anymore for sitting down and reading a book just for fun - not much time seems to be left for reading something just to enjoy it anymore. So, when it came, I leapt at the opportunity to review this book.

The book starts right off in the middle of an action sequence that plays really well, and serves to introduce the reader to the organization of the StarScouts and the universe the author has envisioned. The setting is a future that is close enough to us that culturally not much has changed, but far enough away that mankind has developed faster-than-light travel and has begun to explore the Universe. Most of the characters are part of the eponymous “StarScouts”, which seem to combine college, Boy Scouts, and military Basic Training into one comprehensive program.

Mr. Darby's 20 years of experience in the US Military show through in his vivid depictions of the training exercises and dangerous missions deep into unknown regions of space. The tension the characters felt in times of stress was palpable, and I found myself holding my breath on a number of occasions, unable to turn the pages fast enough to satisfy my curiosity at what would happen next. Even when the book was predictable, it was a positive experience - that the reader could clearly see events from a more removed perspective; allowing us to appreciate the double meanings behind the events that were unfolding while the characters had to slog through it in real-time.

I found the situations and characters believable for the universe I was presented with, and really enjoyed the depiction of the risks inherent in the role of being a "StarScout" - mapping, exploring, and documenting the untold reaches of space and all of its biological diversity. Many of the passages caused me to reflect back on my own time in the Boy Scouts; I could see the characters growing from their experiences in the same ways that my adventures had taught me.

Unfortunately, this well-written book appears to have run into a number of technical problems on the publishing end - layout, spelling and grammatical errors hampered the suspension of disbelief that this story deserves. If you are willing to lay those issues aside you will find an incredibly fun book that reads like a “summer blockbuster”. For my part, this was an exciting read and I am already waiting anxiously for the next installment.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher for review, but this did not influence my opinion.

Friday, February 25, 2011

High/Low: February 25, 2011 + Freebie



My LOW this Week is that I'm in a bit of a creative funk again. I really need this to go away so I can get some design stuff done - thanks for your patience with me!

My HIGH for this Week is that it is finally Friday. LOL It's been a long week and I am just ready for a weekend.



I have a freebie for you today - a VALENTINE BANNER! Hope you can use it!

Have a great weekend!



DOWNLOAD LINK

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Recipe Thursday - Potato Logs



Each Thursday, I am going to be sharing a recipe with you!I will pick a recipe from my collection and I will be sharing where I got the recipe and everything. But I am going to include my own photo of the finished food, the original recipe, and try and share the things I changed when I made it!

I would love your help too! If you have a great recipe, especially week-night dinner recipes (but I would love all kinds of recipes) - please share it with me, by emailing me at dedesmith32@gmail.com. I will try it out and feature it on my blog! If you have cooking tips or anything else in regards to cooking and food - please email me!


This week's Recipe:
I was completely craving Potato Logs a few weeks ago. I was in a designing frenzy and up really late. Yea, so I caved on my resolution to eat less and of course not to eat so late too, but I needed to stay awake, so I decided to try and make these myself. So I improvised with what I have on hand - and sorry, I don't have exact measurements for you - you'll just have to figure it out! But I think they turned out great and my weight on the Wii Fit the next day will tell you that I liked them!


Potato Logs
by DeDe Smith


Potatoes, scrubbed with skins on
Olive Oil
Mrs. Dash
Italian Bread Crumbs
Seasoning Salt
Garlic

Grated Cheese
Fry Sauce or Ranch Dressing

Cut potatoes in half - then cut each half into thirds (so that you have six wedges for each potato)

Put Olive oil, Mrs. Dash, Garlic, Seasoning Salt in a ziploc bag - then add potatoes. Mix potatoes in bag - until seasoning is on all potatoes.

Then add bread crumbs to the ziploc bag and again mix well.

Add a bit of olive oil to your cookie sheet Put on Cookie sheet in a single layer. Tip: Buy the non-stick aluminum foil and put it on your cookie sheet before adding the potatoes for a quick cleanup! I promise you will continue purchasing this foil - I love it!

Bake on 375 for 45-60 minutes. Top with Grated Cheese if desired.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

February Speed Crop tonight!

Please join me for this month's SPEED CROP - tonight!

Wednesday Sayings - 2/23/11



Each Wednesday, I am going to be sharing a quote/saying with you!
I am a collector of quotes/sayings/scrapbook titles, etc. and I love to hear new ones! So, each week, I will share a quote/saying with you that I hope will inspire you and make your day a little better! If you have any great quotes/sayings - feel free to send them in to me at dedesmith32@gmail.com - I would love to use them!


This week's quote:

"If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again."
- Flavia Weedn

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Family History TuesdayZ | Answered Prayer

Here is this week's journal prompt :




Each Tuesday, I am going to be offering prompts or ideas. If you don't write in your journal regularly - I am going to encourage you to write just ONCE A WEEK and answer the question/idea that I give on Tuesdays. These ideas hopefully will spark a memory and you will be able to capture that in what you write/record so that it can be left for your children/grandchildren/family/friends. Give as much detail as you can when answering.

Will you do this for me? Will you do this for your families? You can write it down in a journal, you can type it up on a computer or journaling software, you can take a recorder and talk, you can videotape your answers, you can even scrap a page with the journaling. It doesn't matter how you do this - it's just important that you do it. The memories, the dates, the information is the only real thing we can leave to our families when we are gone.

If I come up with other family history ideas - I will be sure to share it here too - and if you want to share with me your ideas - that would be wonderful and I'd be glad to share them here too. Just comment here or email me at dedesmith32@gmail.com.


Sunday, February 20, 2011

Life 2011 | Week 8




Monday, February 14, 2011


We didn't do much for Valentine's Day. The kids had their parties at school and we just had a special dinner. I was going to make heart-shaped meatballs, but I ran out of time. So instead we just shaped the spaghetti like a heart and then added our sauce and meatballs and garlic bread. We had yummy chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. We had a good family home evening about loving one another and it was just a nice evening at home.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011


The kids were so excited to have a picnic at their school tonight. We picked up a bucket of chicken, potatoes and gravy, biscuits, and rootbeer from KFC and it was wonderful not to cook and still have dinner done. We were able to listen to an hour of storybook telling and eating our picnic. We were sad that Joey couldn't come with us, but after it was over we got to go give some dinner to him at work.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011


Sometimes its just hard being a parent and having to use discipline. Beth had big plans today to have a friend over and she's been so excited. Unfortunately, because of some accidents that she has had, we had to cancel the playdate. Beth cried for the rest of the afternoon but after some talks with Dad and Mom, I think she is doing better and being able to see that her actions have consequences.


Thursday,
February 17, 2011


JJ is so excited to now be a Bear in Cub Scouts. Thursday evenings now mean Scout Time and JJ has really been enjoying it. They got to go to the Public Library tonight and they learned about the things that happened on the day they were born and some other important dates. JJ loves anything involving being on the computer - so it was a fun time for him.


Friday, February 18, 2011


Last Week, something started developing with JJ about dinner time. I thought it was just something that he would get over - but unfortunately it has just gotten worse. My great eater - who was always eating us out of house and home - has turned into a non-eating, nervous and constantly spilling boy. It has kind of upset and stressed the whole family. We don't know what is going on. The only way we can get JJ to eat is to spread out a blanket in the living room and let him eat there. We are seeing his doctor next week and I hope we can figure this out. Everything else is normal about him - but as soon as it is meal time - cold sweats, racing heart, purposely spilling, and other things develop in JJ. It's really been a hard week and I hope we can help him get over this soon.


Saturday, February 19, 2011


A rainy/snowy Saturday and no plans to go out. I didn't feel well all day and we just stayed home. The kids had to find something to do and we discovered them in the kitchen with a broom and their imaginations....they were creating the alphabet with their bodies and other household items. It was so cute!


Sunday, February 20, 2011


My turn to give the lesson to my Primary class today. It went well, though it got done way too early. Beth's class ended up without a teacher today - so they joined my class as well. We had so many leftovers today and it was so nice not to have to cook. We watched "The World's Greatest Athlete" for our movie night and the kids seemed to enjoy it.


And here is my weekly layout:


I used the XOXO - My Creative Life February 2011 Mega Kit - Week 3 to create this layout!