Your appointment with Friday

Happy Weekend everyone!!!  Since Springtime can be light and airy with kind of a dreamy feel, I thought that this would be fun for our next photo prompt:

Photo in a Daydream

This photo was taken on a lovely afternoon in March on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  I blogged about it on my personal blog (Blume & Grow) while I was in Washington, and have been daydreaming about that afternoon ever since.  To me this photo has the feel of a daydream.....the subject is out of focus, and the depth of field is very limited, leaving the photo to capture a memory that is light and happy and soft with a bit of movement.....almost like the subjects are going to come to life at any moment because they are in a haze and you want to see what they do next.

When you go to take your photo try to get the subject slightly out of focus in it's surroundings to create a sort of dreamy effect.  I think it will be fun to try.  Getting the grass in focus for my photo helps you feel how soft and colorful it was to to laying there.  Take what you do get in focus into consideration.  For example, if it's someone standing in a doorway, maybe get behind them in focus so you can imagine where they are coming from and where they might go.  I think it's a different and interesting way to tell a story, and I hope you get a chance to try it out : )

Have fun this weekend!
Love, Carrie

Project Monday

Happy Monday to you : )  First to share her project today is our lovely, talented, beautiful guest, Ally*Cakes.....

when i went to create this layout, i was so inspired by a conversation that nely and i had a day or so earlier,,, we both have this crazy {ahem} obsession with these adorable charms and embellishments,, she had said what a great idea to create a layout with only these precious treasures that we hoard,,,  so i thought this prompt would be so fun to create a layout with just those,,, not to mention, carrie did ask me if i were to create a layout in only one color, which color would that be,,, i just had to prove i really, really meant it!!!

thanks again carrie!!!

{xoxo} ally*cakes

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Isn't she just adorable!?!  Ally's scrapbooking is always so fun and inspirational!  Thanks so much Ally for sharing a super fun photo prompt and your awesome layout!!!  

For my project this week here is my finished Spring 2011 album using instax photos.....there is one page/photo for each day I was in Washington.....and here is an idea of what it looks like (there would be like 30 photos if I shared every page).....I hope you like : )


I used the clips below to attach movie stubs, business cards, etc.....




Each day is a page with a photo and journaling that summarizes my day.  I had to keep things simple since this project was created and completed while I was traveling.....


The instax photos are attached to each page with the decorative tapes from Color Me Miki......


And the page below is a list of my LOVES for Spring this year (you can also see the green envelope popping out from behind a couple layers in the photo below.....it holds extra instax photos from my trip).....




I had to keep the pages as thin as possible so everything would fit, so there is mostly just photos, and journaling with some layered paper/sticker borders.....And the page below is very special since I spent most of that day with my Grandpa.  He told Amber and I stories about his life and we looked at all his old black and white photos.  The instax below is of his graduation photo and on the opposite page are some notes I jotted down.....things he told me about his life that I wanted to remember.....






And in case you didn't already know, I created this handbound journal that holds it all during a lovely afternoon of crafting with my baby brother and sister <3


Have a great week everyone!
Love, Carrie and Ally

Your appointment with Friday

Happy Earth Day, Good Friday, Easter weekend, or whatever your preference may be!  I have a feeling that today's photo prompt will inspire you to be adventurous!!!  And so here it is, along with Ally's super fun take:

Other Cameras Need Love Too

i love the idea of switching up your camera.  often, we tend to stick to what works best, or what we are most familiar with.  case in point, how often do you see photo booths??  until recently, i totally forgot all about them, or, dismissed them, rather, when passing them up.  a few months ago my kids and i were at sea world, which we often do and my little girl said *mama, lets go in there*,, i stopped, and was like, dang, what a great idea.  and of course a wave of regret ran through me because i just realized i had missed so many years of photo booth opportunities.  such a bummer.  now, i make it a point, every single time i see a photo booth, wether im in a rush or not,, stop and take pictures,, maybe even do a few different photo shoots.  its so much fun,, im loving it!!!

thanks for having me carrie, and allowing me to share my story!!

{xoxo} ally

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Aren't Ally's photo booth pictures so stinkin' cute!?!  I just love it!!!.....and I totally feel inspired to go have some taken myself, you? 

For my photos I am sharing some instax that I took the last few days I was in Washington.....

The timing of Ally's photo prompt couldn't be more perfect for me.  Since getting my DSLR last summer, I rarely use other cameras, however, while I was in Washington and snapping away with Clem (my Canon Rebel), I also was taking on an average 2 or so Instax photos a day.  And boy was it a big hit!  Every time I took it out of my purse to take a pic whoever was around got just as excited as me to see how they were going to turn out.....super fun!!!  There is something about being in a place taking a photo and watching the image of what you just took appear before your eyes to cement a wonderful memory in your mind.  The photo upper left is of my baby sister with her puppy.....they are so cute together.....like two peas in a pod!  Upper middle is our visit to Port Townsend.....it was pouring down rain and we all had a blast!!!  Upper right and lower left is Freshwater Bay.....another fun afternoon with my Dad.....we had a yummy picnic lunch together and that was our view.....lovely!  Lower middle is me holding one of my sister's baby duckies.....that was a sweet morning for sure.....little duckies are so soft and make the cutest little noises : )  And last but not least lower right is my last day in Sequim before leaving.....a walk back from The Spit, my Mother looks so tiny compared to all the big beautiful trees <3

What other types of cameras do you sometimes use to take photos?  Your phone?  Or a pin hole camera maybe?  Share your ideas with us (and photos if you have them).....I don't know about you, but I often get excited when trying new things, especially when it comes to photography.

Have a lovely weekend,

Love, Carrie and Ally

Playdate with Ally Serrato

I am so excited to have Ally as my special guest for April!  Many of you know her from the Pink Ninja Addicts and their awesome kits (which I personally LOVE).  To me, she is a dear friend : )  Here are a few things about her you might not know.....

• what artsy plans do you have for the year??  as any lover of all things crafty, i alway plan on expanding my style and working on my creations and projects more & more.  creating is so much fun and oh so therapeutic to me.  i adore it.  but mostly, im really looking forward to the pink ninja crops that my bestie and i will be hosting!!!  the first one is coming up quick, april 30th, {still spots left if youre in the area and interested},, and another june 4th.  cant wait to see how theses pan out and to plan more for the future. 

• if your hair could be any color of the rainbow, what color would it be?  so easy.  pink.  fuchsia actually, and yes, it is in the rainbow.  my rainbow at least.  :-)

• what cameras do you own and use other than your DSLR?  i have a fisheye, never used.  it was sorta a silly impulse purchase.  i have several point and shoot pocket cameras.  ive always got one on me, but as of late, my favorite camera is my good ol iphone.  i swear, is there anything that phone cant do??  i love it so much, especially instagram. 

• whats your favorite Easter candy?  cadbury eggs and reeses peanut butter eggs.  of course, calories dont count, right??  i sure wish i had a body that i could eat whatever i wanted,, sadly, i usually stay away from easter candy.  {sad face}

• what music do you like to listen to while scrapbooking these days?  i love all the top 40 on satellite for scrapbooking, but my all time favorite music is reggae.  i love it a lot, a lot.  

See you Friday for her super cool photo prompt!
Love, Carrie and Ally

Project Monday

This week I decided to make some Easter and Springtime cards for my project.....

Some of the cards are for family and others are for friends and clients.  Below are the other four designs.....

Originally I had thought that a layout would be super fun with one of these photos.  However, once I saw them enlarged on my laptop screen it occurred to me that they might make cute cards.  And I was finally able to finish them all today (I had problems with work timing/Ryan being home yesterday).....and I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out (the photos don't do them justice : )  Now, I am looking forward to filling them all out and sending some snail mail love <3

See you tomorrow with a fun Q&A from our special guest!

Love, Carrie