{BOYS' BEDROOM LDS PRINTABLES}

We moved about 6 months ago. My boys FINALLY have matching beds and comforters. So my mind has been reeling (and their Pinterest board has been filling up) with ideas. I've had a really hard time trying to decide what to do. I originally thought super heroes because my 4 year old is right in the thick of a MAJOR super hero obsession…but he shares a room with his 10 year old brother, who is well out of that phase.

My husband has always had a thing for maps. He thinks they are so cool, and though at one point it would be fun to hang a large map in their room. I kind of dismissed the idea because my mind was focused on super heroes. Today, however, I came across this image on Pinterest:

In my church when boys turn the age of 18, they are asked to serve a mission for 2 years to teach those who want to listen about Jesus Christ. It is a huge part of their life, something they prepare and plan for for years in advance. They are called to serve all around the world, if my 10 year old could choose, he'd go to China, but they don't get to choose. :)

I decided to create some of my own printables to hang on their wall to remind them of this goal, along with an oversized map of the world. I wanted to share them with you, of course! :) The CTR print is 8x8 and the other 2 are 11x14. (click the images to download)

{2014 MUTUAL THEME PRINTABLES}

**THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED TO ADD 11x14 POSTER SIZES**

I've decided (per the suggestion of a friend) to post some free LDS printables. Word art/Subway art are some of my very most favorite things to create, so I decided to share them with you. I've also recently been called to teach the Sunbeams class (the 3 year olds) at my church. They are absolutely DARLING, and absolutely EXHAUSTING! I will also be posting my lesson helps that I create on occasion here as well.

First up, Young Men/Young Women. These are the youth in our church, ages 12-18, and every year they have a new theme. This year the theme is "Come Unto Christ", so I've made a few printables (all 5x7) that you as leaders can print for you, for them, or for whatever you choose. :)

DOWNLOAD:

5x7 HERE

11x14 HERE

DOWNLOAD:

5x7 HERE

11x14 HERE

DOWNLOAD:

5x7 HERE

11x14 HERE

Click the image to download whichever one you'd like, and let me know if there are any other sayings or variations you'd like to see!

{PROJECT LIFE 2014 & A FREEBIE}

Guess what guys, only 6 more weeks of pages left and I'll be all caught up and FINISHED for 2013!! I'll be posting pages of all the catching up I did over the next couple of weeks.

But for today…I've got a new freebie for you! There has been a lot of interest in new 2014 Calendar Cards, so here you are my friends!

I hope you like them! If you need a refresher course on how to recolor these cute little things, check out THIS POST from last year.

Also, don't forget to check out the new SAGE COLLECTION, definitely my favorite to date! And not only have I created filler cards, papers, and journal cards, this year I've decided to add some extras to coordinate with each collection! You know, ribbons, word bits, word art, washi tape…all the things you need to take your Project Life layouts to the next level!

{AWESOME GRADUATE - FREE PRINTABLE}

It's that time of year again...graduation...everywhere. From Pre-School to College, I'm sure you've got someone in your life that deserves a little celebrating!

I've seen A&W Root Beer used in the "awesome" capacity before, and I decided to incorporate it into a Graduation gift. The nice thing about a small gift like this one, is that it can be as small or as big as you'd like. Give it as it is, or simply adhere a gift card or some cash to the back of the tag!

I used the mini cans of soda. Not by choice, but because my local grocery store didn't carry the regular sized ones in a six pack, only 12...and the last thing I need (while I'm trying to lose baby weight) is six extra cans of Root Beer hanging around my house begging me to drink them! So, the small cans it was. I think they turned out super cute though, and to be honest, I'd probably go for the little cans again. I also included a TWIX bar, but really any candy bar would do.

To wrap them up I used a cellophane bag, some tulle, patterned ribbon, and string. I think they turned out SUPER cute. (If I do say so myself!)

::CLICK HERE::

to download the printable tag

And give a graduation gift to someone special. Graduating is a big deal...they deserve it! :)

{MONTH ONESIES}

Okay, so I originally wrote this post LAST month...when my baby turned one month old. However, I never got around to finishing the free download portion, so I'm just posting it now...that he's 2 months old. :) Haha!

With Gavin (my three year old) I took a picture of him each month on his "month birthday" in the same spot...which happened to be the rocking chair in his room. I LOVED going back through these photos and watching him grow. Naturally, I decided I wanted to do the same thing with Mack. Only this time I decided I wanted him to be dressed the same in each picture. A white onesie was obviously the only choice I had! :) Then I decided to take it one step further and make little month "signs" for each picture. Then inspiration struck, and I realized that I had an entire package of sticker paper sitting down in my office. Why not print them on sticker paper and stick it to the onesie?? Awesome...right? It worked so well and I was so pleased with how it turned out!

And, in true blogger fashion, it just wouldn't be nice for me to share this with you and then not give you a download...right??

::CLICK THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD::

And here is a link to where I purchased the sticker paper on Amazon:

Avery Sticker Project Paper, White, 8.5 x 11 Inches

{HELLO KITTY BIRTHDAY PARTY}

My daughter is obsessed with Hello Kitty. And rightfully so I suppose...I was too when I was her age. There sure are a lot more products out now than when I was little though. :) It was no surprise to me when she requested a Hello Kitty themed birthday party. And in true "Golden Girl" fashion, we went all out...especially since she is my only girl. I don't think I'd be able to keep up if I had more than one! :)

Just thought I'd share some photos and a few printables with you...just in case YOUR daughter is as obsessed as mine.

My cute princess on her special day...

And the party details:

And this is what the invitation looked like:

It was great fun, and all of the girls had a blast. We played Hello Kitty Bingo (free printable at the end of the post), Pin the bow on Hello Kitty, had a Hello Kitty bean bag toss, and duck, duck, goose...or in our case, Hello, Hello, Kitty. (I know, so original, right?) But party games are party games. :) We had a small candy bar with Hello Kitty: candy necklaces, fruit snacks, ring pops, and Pez dispensers. This stuff is out there in ABUNDANCE people, everywhere I looked there was something Hello Kitty! The party favors contained a Hello Kitty: bracelet, hand sanitizer, fingernail polish, and chap-stick. 

So, now for the free download portion! I created 6 bingo cards, an invitation, and a birthday banner that are available for you to download HERE. :) ENJOY, and I hope you have as much fun with YOUR Hello Kitty extravaganza as I did! Happy Partying!

DOWNLOAD BANNER HERE

DOWNLOAD BINGO HERE

DOWNLOAD INVITATION HERE

{PROJECT LIFE EASTER FREEBIE}

Just a little Easter PL Freebie for you! I figured (once again!) if I was making a few extra little filler cards for MY pages, I may as well share them with you. :) And seeing as Easter is in March this year (not too sure how I feel about that, by the way...) I coordinated these with the Sunshine Project Life Collection, since that's what I am personally using for the month of March. ENJOY!

:: CLICK THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD ::

{BANNER TEMPLATE FREEBIE}

A little freebie for you today! I've been loving using these little banners on my Project Life Title cards and thought you might too! Use them just like a digital scrapbooking template and customize to your hearts content!  (PERSONAL USE ONLY)

::CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD::

{FREE PRINTABLE - THANK YOU CARDS}

The countdown has begun my friends. With baby coming any time now, the gifts and meals have already started rolling in from many thoughtful friends and neighbors. (I'm the luckiest girl ever). As we all know, that means lots and lots of thank you cards. I decided to whip up a bunch to have them on hand for when I need them. I designed them in Photoshop and printed them out, 4 to a page. I cut them apart and glued them onto white cardstock (cut it 5.25 x 7.5...you can get 2 out of a sheet). And voila! Super easy, super cute, the BEST kind of project. :)

Want to print them out and make your own set? These are great not only for yourself, but could be a great addition to any baby shower gift.

::CLICK THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD::

(and don't forget to comment if you do!)

{VALENTINE'S DAY PROJECT LIFE FREEBIE}

Just popping in really quick to wish you all a super Happy Valentine's Day! A few weeks ago I shared with you a Valentine's Day Chalkboard printable, and "libbywilko" gave me the fabulous idea to use it in my Project Life album. So I decided to shrink it down and make it into a filler card! While I was at it I whipped up a couple more to share with you. ENJOY!!

{CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD}

{ADD VIDEO TO YOUR PROJECT LIFE PAGES}

So, you've taken lots of digital home videos, but do they ever get watched? That was the case at our house. My husband and I would take videos (mostly on our phones), upload them to YouTube so our parents could watch them, and then there they'd sit, never to be watched again.

ENTER......THE QR CODE!

My husband (he's an Electrical Engineer and is obsessed with all things electronic) has been in love with QR codes since he first learned what they were.  So naturally he was MORE than thrilled when I started using them in my scrapbooks! :) The best part...it is seriously SO EASY!

First you've got to upload your video to YouTube. If you're concerned about privacy, don't worry, you can make your videos unlisted so only people with the direct link can view them. All those options are available when you upload. Once you've uploaded your video, copy the link.

Then go to this website:

www.qrstuff.com

Enter the URL in the "Website URL" field, then click "DOWNLOAD QR CODE".  It will automatically download to your computer.

Now you need to browse and find the code file and open it up in Photoshop. Then you can place is on one of these fancy shmancy filler cards I've made for you! The code may be too small to fill up the space, but don't worry. Just go ahead and enlarge it. You won't lose enough quality to affect the code.

::click image to download::
(click HERE to learn how to recolor black and white graphics)

And there you have it! If you don't have one already, go ahead and download a QR scanner app to your phone and start scanning away! Now all of those precious videos have their own little spot in your Project Life Album!

{DIGITAL PROJECT LIFE - TIPS AND TRICKS}

Digital Project Life. What are my thoughts? Well I think it's fabulous!! That being said, I'm a digi-girl through and through. For me, it's the ONLY way to go. So I'm here to share with you some of my thoughts and pointers for your Digital Project Life.

First off, you need to have access to some sort of Photoshop Program. I recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements. Once you've got that, or something similar, you're ready to get started.

DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to be a beginner Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial, if you need help learning your program, go HERE.

The first thing you need is a template. This seriously takes the majority of the hassle out of it for me. Especially if you're going to be keeping the same overall layout through your whole album, a template will be a HUGE time saver. And it's your lucky day, I've got one for you! (Click HERE to learn how to use a template in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements)

::CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD::

This is the basic template that I use. So that's step one, choose your layout.

Next, you need to decide what theme you'd like your album to have. Do you want to stick with the same colors throughout? Would you like your holiday weeks to be different? Are you going to switch it up according to the season? Do you like the clean line/graphic look? Or do you want it to be more "bulky" with lots of elements? Personally I decided to stick with the same graphic theme throughout, just switching it up for each holiday week. So the week of Valentines Day my pages will be mostly pink and red with lots of hearts. ;) Then the next week I'll go back to my regular green, blue, gray, and pink.

When I was trying to decide what look to go for, I SCOURED Pinterest and pinned anything that caught my eye. That was the best way for me to recognize the theme I wanted to go with. It was easy for me to identify my style, because most of my pins ended up having the same feel.

Just to give you an idea what the difference is, here is one of my pages:

And here is a page I found on Pinterest that's a little more "cutesy-scrappy":

{click here for page credits}

Now that you've decided what theme/feel you'd like to go with, you can start collecting! The fun part, right? There are all sorts of fun elements to spruce up your pages, from cutesy ribbons, buttons, & flowers, to graphic brushes and custom shapes, etc. 

Here's a list of what "I" think the basics are:

1. Template(s)

2. Digital Papers

3. Journaling Cards

4. Calendar Cards

5. Elements/Graphics

6. Filler Cards/WordArt

7. Fonts

I've got lots of fun papers, templates, and word art options in my shop, click HERE to go look around.

As far as fonts are concerned, in my opinion they can either make or break the entire page, so choose wisely. :) Here are some of my favorite Project Life fonts:

Ostrich Sans

Courier New

Century Gothic

KG Eyes Wide Open

Lobster2

Chunk 5

Now you're ready to start scrapping! Inserting pictures and papers into the template is SO fun and SO easy. And the best part about creating digitally is that you can go back and re-arrange things. There have been a couple of my pages that I thought were complete, but when I went back and looked at it the next week, I realized there was something I wanted to change. That's the beauty of digital, my friends. I {heart} Project Life. I already love going back and looking at my pages!

So just a little recap:

1. Choose your layout

2. Choose your "theme"

3. Collect your supplies

4. SCRAP!

Have you gone to a concert or sporting event? Take a picture of your ticket! With Digital Project Life we don't have the option to insert the real thing, but you can make it look real! You can even take it to the next level and staple or paper-clip it onto the picture of you at the event! 

I'll try to post more tips and tricks as the year goes on and I become a more "experienced" Project Lifer, but for now, I hope this at least helps some of you get started.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP GG DIGITAL DESIGNS PROJECT LIFE!

{RECOLORING B&W GRAPHICS}

Want to take those black and white icons and graphics to a whole new level? It's a lot easier than you think. In just a few easy steps, you'll be recoloring to your hearts content. So let's get started!

1. Open up the image you'd like to recolor in your Photoshop program.

2. Set the background color to white, and the foreground color to any color you'd like.

3. Go to >Image >Adjust > Gradient Map, click ok.

That's it! This can also be done with 2 colors, not just a color and white. Play around, get creative!

And as a little bonus (and for something to practice with), I've made up this set of Project Life Calendar Cards for you!

::CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD::

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to comment if you download! ;)

{VALENTINE CHALKBOARD PRINTABLE}

I decided it was time to break out the Valentine's Day decor...and I'll be honest...it was DEFINITELY lacking! I've been wanting to try my hand at creating a chalkboard print and figured this was the perfect time to give it a shot. I loved how it turned out, and when paired with my fun $3 Family Dollar glitter frame, we had a keeper!

And why not share, right? I've included sizes 8x10, 5x7, and 4x6 all in one convenient download, just for you. :)

:: CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD ::

{PROJECT LIFE FREEBIE}

Just popping in with a little Friday Freebie for you all. Technically they're meant to be used as Project Life filler cards, but they could be used for any of your scrapping needs. :) ENJOY!

:: CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD ::