Scrappy: Pure Joy!

My cousin Myles lights up the room when he enters, he is:




Who brings you joy?

Scrappy: Finding my Voice

Something I have been working on recently is trying to speak up for myself. I've always struggled with this, ask anyone who has known me for any length of time. Last week when one of my graduate school friends saw my engagement ring, she went to look up the meaning of the blue topaz and what things are associated with it. We discovered that blue topaz is a stone that supposedly gives one strength to speak out and ask for what the need/want. I find it a coincidence that something that is such a huge part of my growth is directly tied into my ring.

I created a layout about this topic and I added some blue bling to remind me of the significance of blue topaz.

Scrappy: Your Adventurous Spirit

This week my brother left for Cameroon. He'll be there for 27 months in the Peace Corps helping with Sustainable Agro-Forestry. I created this layout last week during Nook University (which is still going on and is SO MUCH FUN!) I'm so proud of Caleb and his desire to make a difference while exploring new cultures and far off lands!




Who inspires you?

Scrappy: Waiting

Hello everyone! The current All About Me Challenge is based off of the One Little Word blog. I chose the word waiting to be the focus of my layout.





I feel like I'm waiting for my life to begin. Waiting to finish school so that I can find a job. Waiting to marry Ryan so that we can start our life together.

Scrappy: Some Cards

I'm sharing with you some cards I made with supplies from my latest My Scrapbook Nook kit. I love this place, both as a kit club and as a place to hang out with scrappy friends online! Seriously- some of the nicest, most talented ladies hang out there!

Right now- they are holding a FREE Scrapbook University Contest, but it is MORE than just a contest. There are classes with theories and advice from their Design Team. Come by, register, and have some fun! If you choose to- tell them I sent you!!! I will get EXTRA CREDIT if I bring a friend- so please be my friend and come to class with me, then invite YOUR friends and get extra credit too!!!!







I'm off to University!!!

Scrappy: Morning Routine

As the school year begins, I'm finding it hard to settle back into a routine. I'm commuting, which means I have to give myself an hour to get to campus. The current challenge over at All About Me is about morning routines. I made a layout about what my morning routine SHOULD look like:


Some mornings I need to leave around 7:00, so the workout gets bumped! But lately I find myself bumping the workout for extra sleep- but that can't happen anymore! NO MORE EXCUSES- MUST WORKOUT!!!

What are mornings like in your household? How do you convince yourself to get out of bed when the pillow is whispering sweet things in your ear?

Scrappy: Strips of Paper

What do you do when you get down to the scraps of paper left behind by a demolished line of paper? Throw them away? I say- use them to create a background for another layout or card!!!



School has started back and my brain is fried- I have nothing left to add!

Happy Friday!!!

Wedding Wednesday: Vol. 3

The location!

I am thrilled to start planning for an outdoor wedding in May. The flowers will be blooming, birds will be singing, and I will be sneezing. The best part is the built in back up plan of moving the ceremony inside in case of bad weather. I must have a Plan B at all times- I can't help that I'm a big planner.

Here is what the Labyrinth looks like without decorations:




I envision some potted plants, some paper cones filled with daisies, white chairs, and candles. Nothing too elaborate, I want the beautiful design and nature to speak for itself.

I have started assembling paper cones to hang on the chairs and I anticipate that I will use them as reception decor as well. I used my very favorite line of paper by Pink Paislee (Queen Bee) for this project. My next post will be about the ceremony decor!

Scrappy Scraplift

We're having a blast at the AAM Forum with the Anniversary Crop!

We have such a talented DT at AAM and I love Janis' work. As a part of one of the challenges I scraplfted one of her layouts:


I used my August kit from My Scrapbook Nook- just beautiful!



Come join us for the crop- there are still many chances to win some fun prizes!

Scrappy: Gratitude Card

I think I have said this before, but SRM Stickers are FABULOUS! I love using them, they are smooth and just perfection!
Jenyfur posted this sketch on the SRM Stickers blog:

I used two accent stickers as the for the linear part of the design, a sentiment, and the bracket stickers!



The crop at AAM is still going on- fabulous challenges and prizes! I am giving participants a chance to win some awesome SRM Stickers- you know you want them!

Scrappy: Celebrate the Positive

The second AAM challenge for August is to create a layout about Celebrating the Positive! We are right in the middle of a fantastic crop over on the All About Me forum! There are still prizes up for grabs and challenges to help you find extra inspiration!



I used some more SRM sticker for this project. It didn't turn out how I expected it would, but I'm trying not to be over critical of myself these days!

What do you do when you create something you don't like?

Scrappy: Happiness is a brother

I've been in the mood to scrap childhood pictures recently. Maybe it is because my little (not so little anymore) brother is leaving soon to serve in the Peace Corps in Cameroon. He will be gone for 27 months and he may or may not have the chance to attend my wedding. Caleb and I have been through a lot together as siblings and I am so proud of him and the fabulous person he is!







Who do you admire most? Who inspires you?

AAM Blog Hop Winner!

Happy Monday everyone! I've been hanging out with one of my dear friends and her son today. It has been a wonderful day!

I wanted to make a real quick announcement that the winner of my RAK is Stephanie!

Stephanie said...

Cute layout and card!

My favorite birthday was 2 years ago. Chris proposed to me on a walk in our favorite park :)

August 14, 2010 12:21 PM

Email me at RachLHawkins at gmail dot com with your address and I will ship your prize ASAP!


Thank you each and every one of your comments- I loved reading about your birthday memories!!!

AAM Birthday Blog Hop!!!

I hope you are enjoying your time during this All About Me Challenge Blog Hop! If you didn't arrive via Donna's blog, then go back to the beginning and start the hop there!

I love birthdays- not because of gifts or cake, but because it gives us a reason to celebrate ourselves and those we love! One of my favorite birthday memories is having an annual sleepover party on a Sunday the week of my birthday because it falls on the same week as Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday and we always had a school holiday. All of my friends would come over and we would have a Birthday cheesecake made by my wonderful mother. Most of my slumber parties were interrupted by my adorable little brother- because, well, that's what little brothers are good for!

One of our Birthday Celebration sponsors is SRM Stickers and they were so fabulous to send their amazing product to the AAM Design Team. I have been creating some awesome projects with the stickers and LOVE working with them!

Here are a few projects that feature SRM Stickers:





I will be giving away some fabulous SRM Stickers as a celebration of All About Me Challenge Blog's first birthday!

All you have to do to be eligible is comment on this post sharing your favorite birthday memory! I will draw a name on Monday, August 16th and will announce the winner here!

Our crop officially kicks off on August 15th, but like any great party- we are pre-gaming already! Come and join us on the forum for a week of fabulous challenges and many chances to win some awesome prizes!!!

I guess by now you are ready for the word that you have been sent to find to complete the phrase for the blog hop. My word is:


Now you must hop on to Melissa's blog!

Scrappy: Beach Babes

It's been a while since I have scrapped a childhood photo so I pulled out one that I have been wanting to scrap for a while now- a picture of my childhood friend and me posing on the beach in Pensacola.



I found that the July Kit from My Scrapbook Nook featuring Lily Bee's Hello Sunshine was just perfect for this picture. The colors were bright and sunshiny and the kit basically scrapped itself!

Wedding Wednesday: Vol. 2

We have set a date- May 21, 2011.

The colors! I want our colors to represent who we are as a couple and our individual personalities.

The backstory! Ryan and I both graduated from Appalachian State University and had season football tickets. We just happened to have tickets next to each other and got to know each other throughout the 2008 football season. Our first date was to a cold, snowy football playoff game at our Alma Mater. It is only fitting then, that I have found inspiration in Appalachian's colors- black, white, and yellow.

The flowers! At this point I am thinking about using white daisies, yellow gerber daisies, and possibly white and yellow roses. I plan on making the bouquets and centerpieces myself. Both of those are just thoughts at the moment...

The cake! A friend from college, Jessica McGloin, has started a cake business in Durham, NC and I'm so inspired by her cake. I have posted a picture of her cake in my collage and I picture mine with black ribbon and fresh flowers all around.

An inspiration collage I made in Picasa:


Photo Credits
Pictures of us- Family, friends, and self
Cake- Jessicake
Bouquet #1- FTD.com- Vera Wang Hello Sunshine
Bouquet #2- The Bloomery

Something a little bit scrappy: In order to keep up with lists and ideas, and to keep myself on track schedule wise, I created a wedding planner for myself.
I used the cover from an old planner...

Added pages and sections and bound it all together with my my Bind It All...

Printed of checklists from a wedding website...




So this will be where I keep all important things for my wedding- I love the Pink Paislee and how it goes with my wedding colors.

We are planning away and I get more excited each day!!!

Scrappy: Junk Food

It is Monday, and one of my favorite Monday night activities is WING NIGHT! I love hot wings. I could seriously eat them everyday. o I love them so much that I scrapped a layout about my favorite junk food.



I used the July Kit from My Scrapbook Nook featuring Lily Bee papers. I love the bright colors of this line! Perfect for fun summer pictures!!!

Scrappy: AAM Birthday Celebration

As a kick off of the fabulous All About Me Birthday Celebration, the first challenge is to create a project centered around the theme of BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

I just have to say that I love SRM Stickers- they were wonderful enough to not only sponsor a prize for one of our fabulous participants this month, but they also sponsored the Design Team. I had admired the stickers from afar since they began, but hadn't been able to get my hands on any. Now that I have played with these stickers, I want MORE MORE MORE!!!

I used an SRM sticker as part of my title on this layout:



This layout was also my first attempt at digital/hybrid scrapping. I used a background from Jessica Sprague in the corner of the picture and then typed the journaling right onto the picture. I'm trying to understand digital, but I'm a slow learner!

AAM Blog Hop will be August 13-14 and then will be followed by a fabulous crop on the forum! Stay tuned for more FUN!!!!!

Scrappy: Being Engaged

As a part of the CHA Celebration at 2peas, several challenges were issued. I completed this layout for the "_________ make me smile" challenge. I promise this will be the last post about the ring for a while! I chose to journal about how being engaged makes me happy!





I've been going through my stash trying to make room for new releases. I LOVE this Pink Paislee that I got from my monthly kit club- My Scrapbook Nook. This place is a wonderful community and has the best kits I've ever seen.
I had to let my subscription go this spring and summer because of finances, but because the kits are packed so full of goodness, I had plenty of beautiful things to work with!
The August Kit broke me though- I have resubscribed to My Scrapbook Nook. Look and this beauty:


They are having a DT call right now- check it out!

Wedding Wednesday: Vol. 1

You may or may not have heard, but I am officially engaged!
Yes, I'm excited! No, we haven't set a date! Yes, I was surprised!
From now until the wedding I am going to be making posts on occasional Wednesdays that will be about Wedding ideas, inspirations, and projects. I plan to have a mostly DIY wedding and I look forward to many projects along the way!

But first, the ring:




It is more than I ever imagined and I'm in awe of it's beauty. Why the blue stone? I knew that I didn't want a big diamond, it just didn't feel like me. I told Ryan that I would like a blue stone and then from there narrowed it down to a Blue Topaz. Blue Topaz is not only my favorite color, but it is also Ryan's birthstone. Every time I look at my ring I'm filled with joy, not only is it beautiful, but it reminds me of the future that Ryan and I will share.

I'm not promising a wedding post every week, but when I do post something about my upcoming nuptials it will always be on a Wednesday!