Orange County's Family Photographer, Tara Whitney

cant help but feel like this is an end of an era

i have failed miserably as the guest designer for SIStv this month.
failed.
miserably.

it has nothing whatsoever to do with ashley's amazing collection. hand drawn designs and funky finds. but entirely to do with the fact that i am just not that into scrapbooking anymore. and its painful to attempt. and i have ended up hating it, and everything i create.

which is so unfair to ashley, who has always been funny and sweet to me. i wanted to give back to her by doing this. and i feel terrible that i havent been able to pull it off.

this is the one measly layout i pulled out of my head. look beyond the pathetic attempt at the super cool stuff used to make it. that date stamp paper is my favorite thing ever right now! and her label stickers have phrases that feel like home to me. i used the orange chopstick to break the page up and for the title. adhered with a line of glue.

my love for the stuff hasnt waned. i love this stuff!!! its the love for doing it that is the problem.

and just to help make it up to her, a public proclamation of my love: I LOVE YOU MISSUS ASHLEY WREN! BURNER OF COOKIES AND LOVER OF RAINBOWS! (forgive me?)

it was like pulling teeth but i did it

i dont know what is up with me lately (and by lately i mean the last two years...) but i have the hardest time squeaking out a page. ive definitely lost the mojo and im not sure it will ever come back. it frustrates me and makes me feel horrible. i used to LOVE scrapbooking. everything about it. the friends, the stuff, the pictures, the finished product. somwhere along the way i stopped wanting to do it, and even started wondering why i ever wanted to do it in the first place.

one of the main reasons i decided to quit the design team at twopeasinabucket.com was in the hopes that i could get some of the joy back for this hobby. being a garden girl was SO fun and so awesome and i loved every minute. the team was a huge part of my life for a very long time. the friendships there were priceless. but it got to a point where i never wanted to do anything. and i got sick of forcing myself to do something i didnt want to do and wasnt having any fun with. and i didnt want to take up space in the team like a lame dog in the back of the pack. it was incredibly hard to make the decision to leave. incredibly hard.

so now where am i? things havent changed much actually. i think my creative outlets are being fulfilled in other ways (photography) so my mind isnt "in it" anymore. but im not willing to let it go altogether and give up.

creating these with my kit was RAD! ive worked with kits before, but not one that i put together! i think its a fun idea for all of you to create your own kit at home of your favorite things to take to your next crop or friends house. just put a bunch of stuff in an envelope and make all of your layouts with it. how easy is that? instead of lugging everything around? im going to try it next time myself.

i ended up having a great time and loving the final result. you can go to cocoa daisy to see detail shots and more images!

for the love of!

this week has totally slammed me! i am caught up on emails and almost caught up with my clients images. almost guys!! thank you for being patient with me while i play catch up. nathan has been sick, complaining of stomach issues-took him to the dr yesterday and after a quick photo of his gut, we found out the poor kid is backed up two weeks worth! no WONDER he has been feeling bad.

this is a layout i did for a dare over at the effer blog. go check it out, especially if youve never been over there before. cool chicks and cool pages. it was fun for me to do. thanks guys!

jeffs going camping this weekend so im SingleMom. hoping to clear OUT my office/scrap area and downsize a lot. its time for a change.

lots of clearing out this weekend! hardy har har. have a good one guys!

my challenge is up

on the look blog! check it out and participate!!

layouts are up

at jennibowlin.com

her kit this month was totally adorable. i love how she gives a mix of stuff. and i have always loved her designs...loved her lil davis stuff. she is now putting her own designs into her kits, so i am so excited to see what she has in store for us! thanks jenni for asking me to be a part of your kit club this month!

the rest are up on her site.

merry christmas everyone!

lookie here

the look book from autumn leaves has landed on my doorstep!

this book has some amazing people in it-people i have loved for a long time, and feel so lucky to be a part of it with them. Lisa McGarvey, Shelley Laming, Erica Hernandez, Maria Grace Abuzman, Jackie Bonette, Jamie Waters, Jenni Bowlin, Kelli Crowe, Danielle Thompson, Elsie Flannigan, Teresa McFayden and Mellette Berezoski.

some of my favorite layouts i have ever created are in here...and i am going to send a free copy to commenters #6, 17, 30, and 131. heehee. just for fun.

*********AND THE WINNERS ARE!************

#6 -- Kelz
#17 -- Michaela Ruhdner
#30 -- Shannon @ 11:26pm
#131 -- Gail @ 6:38am

Email me with addresses and I will get the books in the mail by Friday! :)
Thanks for playing.

sharing a little sumpin'

inspired by the class elsie taught at scrapbook oasis two weekends ago....

i had so much fun making this i cant even tell you. i think paint is my new muse. i added the tags and the plastic thingie to the book. pics from the beach the other day. the fabric tabs and the wavy lines are all elsie. :)

more pages here.

i am just so excited to have this-i couldnt stop playing and adding and adding and painting...this is what creating is all about. having FUN with it.

go do something that makes you smile today. just for you.

go!

look ma, i used paint!

and i really really liked it.

done specifically for kirsty's international scrap yourself challenge!

i painted right on top of a calender i keep on my art table. then stamped into it. i felt so cool doing that. ha

something gorgeous

my friend tracy made me something gorgeous.

this is a charm made out of clay. i think some people call them "photo tiles". she made one for herself, and so many of us wanted one, she made some for us too. when i got it, i was amazed at how beautiful it was. the photo is SO clear. and the charm is so delicate and lovely. i asked her if she wanted to make more and she said she would like to. so if you are interested, you can email her at: tracyhmiller@verizon.net to get details and pricing.

she wont be able to get any made in time for christmas, just to let you know.

just passing the word along. love supporting my fellow friends.

little bits of art

here

i have never been more proud of anything i have created than what i put up at 2peas this month. something clicked. that good magic happened that makes you so happy to be creating and making things.

i am trying to nail down what inspired me so... was it my new room? the theme of music? whatever. i need to bottle it and drink it every day. inject it directly into my bloodstream. put it in the ventilation of my house! haha. i could call it Mojo and sell it online. would you guys link me in your blogs? ;)

my favorite is this one:

© twopeasinabucket.com

the picture was taken the day kenna came home from the hospital.

thank you for all of your support. your comments and emails. i couldnt wait to share the layouts with you. it was a fun feeling. i have had a happy day today, just kind of reveling in the afterglow....you know?

my goal is to continue to push myself to use this feeling of fullness and heart in my pages. in our heritage. that is when i am happiest. sometimes i try too hard to please everyone. to use product i dont necesarily love. to use pictures that i think someone else might like to see. to do event pages or moment pages or pages with one photo or pages with ten photos or lots of product or no product or handwriting or fonts or or or or......

screw it. i am going to do what *I* want to do from now on. no pressure. blinders on to the threads about too simple or too artsy or too moments or too trendy or too MUCH or too this or too that.

i am just me. i am going to do what i want to do. what i want to see in my own books about my own life. (right about now, i have lost one half of you who thinks i am a jerk, but the other half is raising your arm and fist in a sign of common victory.)

is that cool?

are you with me?

:)

*****oh my gosh, 111 comments???? the tara movement, :) i am shaking my head and smiling in disbelief. thanks friends.*****