the.amanda.sewell

I cannot believe how fast this month has zoomed by! Seriously time is flying this year. EEK! I had fun playing with my Vintage Picnic set again. I know, I know . . . but there are just so many fantastic stamps in it, good for so many purposes, I just had to. I also used my awesome Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird crafting kit ( available by clicking here to go to Embellish-Online ). Check back in with me tomorrow for my final project this month for Embellish-Online. Stamps : Vintage Picnic (Papertrey Ink) Paper : Early Bird (Cosmo Cricket), Retro Mod Squad -{red} (Core'dinations), chocolate chip (SU!), old olive (SU!), solar white classic crest (Neenah) Ink : Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko), Creamy Caramel Classic (SU!) Accessories : Chocolate CandyDots (Pebbles Inc.), Chesnut Mini brads (American Crafts Elements), Tangerine Mini brads (Doodlebug Design Inc.), 1" Bloom White Paper Flowers (Bazzill Basics Paper), Assorted paper flowers (Prima Marketing) Copic ciao markers (Imaginati

THE CHALLENGE: August is the month that Papertrey celebrates all things autumn! What better way to get inspired for the upcoming season change than each other! Our challenge to you is to create a project inspired by any aspect of fall. How about texture like fabrics, burlap, courduroy or stitching. Then there is color with hues found in autumn leaves, fall berries and other late season delectables. Patterns or motifs such as leaves, pumpkins, wheat and more. Try to use these attributes in fun and interesting ways that may be a little out of your normal comfort zone. We look forward to seeing what you come up with! I have been a closet Papertrey Ink junkie for a long time . . . but I decided that this month I would take my purchases and put them to use for my first ever blog hop with Papertrey. Stamps : Vintage Picnic (Papertrey Ink) Paper : Retro Mod Squad - Vintage Collection (Core'dinations), Sugared (Basic Grey), Recess (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink : Onyx

I am not a HUGE tea drinker, but from time to time, I really need a cup of tea. It calms the soul. It settles my tummy sometimes while I am pregnant. I came up with the idea to make a tea box, and at first I was thinking larger scale, like to hold a lot of tea, but then I came across this metal gift card tin from Lowes in my alterables stash, and I thought it looked about the right size to hold tea bags, so I tried it and it worked, fit perfectly, and this project was born. I was thinking you could keep this in your purse and always have tea at the ready for those *stressful* moments when you need it! I used some more of my Basic Grey Lemonade papers and jounaling cards with transperancies(Basic Grey), which you can purchase over at Embellish-Online. The ribbon I found which just happened to match perfectly, was from Basic Grey Lily Kate collection, which apparently has some similar colors. Stamps : Tea For Two (Papertrey Ink) Paper : Lemonade (Basic Grey) Ink : Onyx Black versafine (T

Are peaches in season where you are? We had some big fat juicy ones at our grocery store this week from California and they were cheap cheap. This morning I had some peaches on my counter that needed to be used up! As it turns out, my son prefers nectarines just like mommy. I just detest the fuzz. Anyway, I will be peeling some peaches for him later. I came across this muffin recipe and with a few alterations it is just fabulous! I know I haven't shared a recipe in like forever right? Hope you try them and if you do, let me know what you think! Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup chopped pecans (I left these out) 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup peach or vanilla yogurt (I opted for peach and used 6oz. rather than 4oz.) 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped peeled fresh or well-drained canned peaches DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar and baking powder. Combine egg, yogurt,

Welcome to my "Pick of the Crop" blop hop project, for Embellish-Online! I am so excited to participate this month with the AMAZINGLY talented design team @ Embellish ! There is ABSOLUTELY nothing better than yummy veggies!! At this Farmer's Market however, the vendors are offering up some dynamite designer papers, spectacular stamps, beautiful bunches of flowers, rockin' ribbons and just about every embellishment you could ever want! Ooh! And don't forget some yummy Lemonade, Basic Grey has a new recipe and its quite refreshing!!! Okay, I lied, scrapbook/stamping stuff might actually be better than fresh veggies. *grins* A little gift package has been put together by the various vendors which will be awarded to one lucky person! Nope, its not tomatoes, corn or carrots! (*phews*) It's a special prize of American Crafts, May Arts Ribbon (ooooh, love this) and Thickers (ahhh, need these)! In order to get in the drawing for that special gift package there is jus

I am absolutely in LOVE with this Basic Grey lemonade paper that you can pick up at Embellish-Online . I love that yesterday's card and the one I have for you today look SO different but came from the exact same paper pad. HELLO -- can we say versatile???? Awesome!!! Sketch is Mojo Monday 98 (Mojo98) Stamps : Pink Passion, Bashful Blue, Solar White (Neenah), Basic Grey - Lemonade Ink : Everyday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink) Paper : Versafine (Onyx Black) Accessories: Large Pink Fabric Brads (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), white button brads (Making Memories), sewing machine, white thread, white rick rack

I know some of you may have read this on the sidebar, but I am the guest designer this month over at Embellish-Online . I am so excited for this opportunity! I thought I would share a project with you today that I made just for them. This project and I are featured on the Embellish Online blog today ! Go check out my funny interview! Layout is WSC92. Stamps : True Friends (F1189 - Stampabilities), With Sympathy - Loss of a Child (Papertrey Ink) Paper : Creamy Caramel (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Lemonade (Basic Grey) - available at Embellish-Online Ink : Creamy Caramel Classic Ink (SU!), Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko) Accessories : Labels 2 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Candy Dots (Pebbles Inc.), sponge, sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), brown stitched ribbon (The Paper Studio) Be sure to check back tomorrow for another fun project I have designed exclusively for Embellish-Online!

*Beat L.A., Beat L.A.* It had been a long time since we had gone to see a baseball game. M's boss offered him some tickets and so we went. Our seats were pretty good -- just past third base (lots of fly balls came out there). It was a lot of fun and SO needed. It was a cool game because the crowd had lots of Dodgers fans there too. It made it more fun I think! I also thought it was funny that when Manny Ramirez came to bat everytime, the crowd boo'ed him! He was so hated. *giggles* M and I before the game started! Ramirez at bat Final Score Board M and I at the end of the night with the field in the background

Today was an interesting day. We homeschooled E last year, but with the new baby on the way, and baby E only 8 months old, and J starting kindergarten this year too, we decided that maybe school would be the best, so we found a charter school opening up in the area and decided it would work for us. It was a rough choice because I want to do what is best for my kids, but at the same time, I want to protect my sanity too! Today they started classes, E in first grade and J doing halfday kinder and I think they had some fun. It was weird being home for three hours with only the baby, but I am sure I will get used to the quiet. This morning while J was home too we went and got his hair cut which I have been meaning to do for awhile but it was just easier with one less kid with us. Here are a couple pics from their first day . . .

What an awesome vacation we have had. We decided the perfect way to end it was to go to the beach. We lucked out and got free parking really close, and we spent a couple hours at Mission Beach and then hopped back on the 8 and headed home. I am just SO tired, but here are a couple pretty beach pictures! Apparently sand tastes yummy cause he kept on eating it! J Learning to ride waves E learning to ride waves

Legoland was fun but absolutely EXHAUSTING! Seriously, don't know how we used to do Disneyland until 11 pm or midnight. Legoland was open till 9 pm, we left about 9:30 and I was SO TIRED!!! The kids loved it. I am glad we went. Here are some of my favorite pictures: J and E posing with LEGO Bob the Builder Dad and E looking at the Inaugauration at the White House Having a blast on CARGO ACE Land of Adventure - LEGO Sultan and Camel Round 1 - I wonder if E is a little scared? lol Round 2 - That was fun mom, can we go again??? My two crazy kids sliding down the big slide! Love their faces! J battling LEGO Darth Vader Me and he who lives in a pineapple under the sea . . . I took some more pictures in Miniland USA, of Las Vegas cause I thought it was cool! I will save those for another post though! Hope you enjoyed Legoland through our eyes!

I just love Las Vegas, NV. The first time I went there I was just amazed by the lights and the Bellagio Fountains and just everything, so when I saw that in LEGOland Miniland USA, they had their own "strip" I took a bunch of pictures to share. How cool -- hotels made out of LEGO! Hope you like 'em!