Just a few family pics from our beach trip to Anna Maria Island, FL. Jared has a pretty decent camera, so he took these pics himself with the help of a tripod. These still need some touch-ups when we get home, but I just couldn't wait to post them. And there's a whole bunch more on my Facebook page, so feel free to check them out there if you're on Facebook like most of the free world seems to be. Anyway, the pics include the extended family on my hubby's side, which means his brother's fam. And the last picture is my sweet Emily walking thoughtfully along the beach after the shoot. My little girl LOVES the beach now, and I have a feeling it will be a lifelong thing for her.
Btw, I promise to turn this back into a Cricut blog again when I get home in a few days, LOL! I miss my bug!!

We just arrived today on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Immediately we hit the beach, which is gorgeous - much like the beaches of Hawaii and the Bahamas. The sand is white, and very fine - almost like God dumped a salt shaker out to create a beach. And the water is a gorgeous turquoise and very clear. We could even see tiny fish swimming around our feet.
Although Emily is 4 1/2 years old, this is only her 2nd time at the beach. The first time was in the Bahamas on our Disney cruise, and we only had 2 hours on that beach as a hurricane was coming in. So this was the first time she really got to just take her time and enjoy the day, especially since she got to be with her cousin, Brennan. Em wanted to be in the water (the kid has no fear - scary!), and Brennan just wanted to lay on the beach. They are each like their own mamas, LOL! Em did get to go in the water, but only if I was with her because the waves were getting a bit big and would splash over her head. Emily is now sacked out in her room in our cool little beach villa, no doubt dreaming of hitting the beach again tomorrow. We all had such a blast, and I can't wait to scrap these pictures!!

Just a few pics of our Florida trip so far. To appreciate this first picture of Emily, you need to notice her shirt, LOL! Playing with Emily in the yard, we have my sweet nephew Brennan who is just too adorable digging in the sand. And finally the fam - just the 3 of us after bro-in-law, Rob's graduation. The weather finally let up a bit today, so it's the first time the kiddos really got to play outside. They attempted to jump rope, but figured out their coordination was much better suited to playing in the dirt. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!

I'm on vacation!!! And I have no Cricut for 2 weeks - yikes! So I thought I'd post a couple of my favorite recent pictures. The first picture is of my boy, Chewy. He's 8 years old, and is a human trapped in a dog's body. He fully understands English, and is very sensitive to people's feelings. Not to mention the biggest mama's boy ever. Well, we were hanging out in our scrap room a week or two ago, and he was feeling a bit left out, so he just climbed up on a folding chair that was set up by my mom. Chewy sat there for probably 15 minutes and just hung out watching us scrap. How cute is he, huh??? And then there's my Emily and "her" dog, Stella. Emily is 4 1/2, and is madly in love with "Stinky" as we call her. Stinky is equally fond of her, and they love to snuggle. I was scrappin away when Emily actually yelled "Mom, you gotta get the camera!!!" And this was the resulting pic. Sweet girls!!!
We're having fun in Florida, and I'll post when I can!

The fam and I are off to Florida tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek of my latest class project. This project uses the Indie Art cartridge, and will be held on Wednesday, June 17th at 6pm here at my home in Rocklin. If you've never made an Explosion box, this is a great opportunity to learn how. I've tried a few methods, and this is the easiest one I've found. The finished set is great as a gift for a mom, sister, daughter or friend, and even includes a pocket for a gift card inside. If you'd like to attend the class, you can contact me through the Cricut messageboard, or leave a comment here, but be sure to put your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with you. Class fee is $25. I'll also have kits available later in June, and am happy to ship.

NorCal Swarm #4 was held in Rocklin at the Whitney Ranch Clubhouse. What a beautiful location, and it worked perfectly!! We had about 55 ladies bring their Cricuts for a 12 hour crop, packed with door prizes, amazing goodie boxes, waaaaay too much yummy food, a freebie table, a gallery table to show off our work, ice breaker games, and just a ton of fun.
A huge thank you to my partners in crime for helping plan this event: Wendy, Susan, Angela, Lucy, Rita, and of course Laura. And also to our men for handling the set-up, electrical, and lighting issues.
And to the fabulous ladies who attended, it was great hanging out with you all, and I enjoyed seeing some new faces this time around. I hope you all had an amazing time, and we'll let you know as soon as the next one is scheduled! And btw, there are several more pics in the posts below, but I know that I did miss a couple of tables if people were out roaming around while I had my camera. My battery had died, so thank you Jeane for the battery loan. But that's why I got so few pics. Next time I think we'll need to appoint an Official Swarm Photographer so we can make sure we really cover everything!

Ahhhhhh, the great outdoors. And did you know that now you can actually go camping with your Cricut? But that's entirely beside the point. The point is to enjoy the beauty - and the bugs, dirt and muck. I remember being a kid and exploring with my brothers in Northern California, Oregon and even Alaska. Hiking, camping, swimming, riding our dirt bikes all day long, building tree forts, and thinking every little clue we found out there was a brand new discovery, or a mystery that we were sure we could figure out if we just dug in the dirt a little more. The world had no limits. (I'd love to hear about your favorite outdoor adventure memories if you post a comment!)

Those are the memories and feelings that were my inspiration for this layout, which was made with Graphically Speaking and the Cricut markers. Papers are all from Stampin' Up! I will be teaching this layout at least once, and that class is scheduled for Thursday, June 11th here in Rocklin from 6-10pm. Class fee is $25, which includes all papers, ribbons, and even the SU Build-a-Brads (those things are fun!!). And of course, you'll get my detailed directions and Cricut Cut Chart, which makes it very easy to work at your own pace, step by step. If you're not in the area, you're welcome to reserve a kit for the same price (I can ship too for a small shipping cost). Just contact me through the Cricut mb, or post a comment here - but be sure to leave me your email address so I can actually reach you. The class will also be a great opportunity to learn to use your Cricut markers if you haven't used them yet. Plus we always have some stinkin' FUN! Now get out there and enjoy this fantastic weather!