I Heart Simple Layouts

Hi everyone!

Scrapbooking doesn't have to be complicated with tons of tools, inks and embellishments. Now don't get me wrong, it's super F-U-N to scrap with all of that stuff BUT you don't need it to get your memories down on paper.

Case in point:

Toot was 13 months old in these pictures.

Because the pattern paper itself was pretty "pattern-y" I didn't want to overwhelm it with a bunch of embellishments. (I know, it's hard for me not to overwhelm any project. LOL) I did add a felt heart I found on clearance last Valentine's Day.

I did a simple sequin border around the first picture. I then decided to cut Toot out of the second picture and tried to make it look like she was standing behind the heart. :) A little punch out phrase for the title and there you go! One layout done and it took me about 10 minutes.

Some people find scrapbooking overwhelming with all the bells and whistles. But really, whether or not you have the latest papers or the newest inks or the fanciest machines it all boils down to putting your memories where you'll be sure to find them later. :)

Have a great day everyone!

Friday Night Fab Five: Break It Down Now

Hi everyone and welcome to another Friday Night Fab Five where I list 5 things I love, like, you know, whatever. This week is all about those songs that get me movin' and groovin', especially when I'm doing something BO-RING like cleaning the house. :P Seriously though, nuts to a "spoon full of sugar" to get the house clean, sometimes you need a playlist full of fun music to get anything done around here.

Here we go!

1. Beyonce - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)



Guaranteed to get me to scrub the toilet.

2. The Bees Gees - "You Should Be Dancing"



This one is perfect for sweeping the floor. :P

3. Earth, Wind and Fire - "September"



Go ahead and wash your dishes to this one, it's much more fun.

4. Katy Perry - "Hot n Cold"



Laundry folding, here I come!

5. Kenny Loggins - "Footloose"



This one is great for when you're still bored cleaning but since there's no one around, go ahead and feel free to jump on the couch and shake your groove thang.

So there you have it, my Fab Five for this week! So come on, tell me - What's on your playlist?

**Today I'm being featured at Jacabean Designs, talking about my inspiration board! Just check out the post: Feature Friday - Maggi from Just Add Glitter and Stir

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Girls and Their Toys

Hi everyone!

I wasn't going to post today BUT I've recently gotten a new toy and was excited to show you the first couple of shots from my new...camera! Diamonds are a girl's best friend but a DSLR is a blogger's best friend! :P Here's the first shot ever taken with my new "toy":

I love my little Canon point and shoot BUT have been dreaming of a DSLR for quite a while now. I decided to go with the Nikon D3100 and it is beautiful!

Of course my first few shots are of Toot. Believe it or not, she LOVES to say cheese when this camera is pointed at her. She must be able to smell Mommy's expensive taste...

Now I'm still using the automatic settings which are fine till I figure out what the heck I'm doing...But that's the beauty of this camera, you can taken decent pictures right out of the box and then get into the fancy stuff. :)

I also got a book on this particular camera but unfortunately am having problems. It reads like a text book and my brain wanders like a sheep SO I really need to buckle down and concentrate on getting through it if I wanted to get the most out of it.

Of course today would be cloudy so I haven't tried it outside yet but hopefully soon! I can't wait to see what I can do with this bad boy!

Or is my new toy a girl? Well, it's definitely screaming for a new chic bag and strap so if any of you DSLR peeps out there have suggestions for cutesy bags (that are big enough to double as a purse) and neck straps, please leave me some shop links! :D

Hope you're having a great day! See you tomorrow for another Friday Night Fab Five! :D

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Swappin' Barbie ATC

Hi everyone!

I recently joined swap-bot.com which has been a lot of fun so far. There is every kind of swap you can imagine from crafty to non-crafty to e-mail and everything in between. One of the most recent swaps I participated in was a Vintage Barbie ATC swap.

Let's see, would I like this swap...Vintage? Yes. Barbie? Yes. ATC? YES. Okay, I was in. Now I just needed to make an ATC for my partner and here it is:

I took pink cardstock as my base and used bubble wrap to stamp on red paint. I had these cool vintage-y style Barbie magnets so I used one of those and then added a phrase from an Anne Taintor book.

One of my newest toys is the iRock rhinestone setter from Imaginisce so I used some of the metallic studs as well. And there it is, the first ATC I've made in a longgggggggggg time. lol

If you like to swap, be sure to check out swap-bot.com!

Glittery Guest Blogger: Jacabean Designs

Hi everyone!

You might know by now that when it comes to digital scrapbooking, I am h-o-p-e-l-e-s-s. lol That's why I'm so excited about today's Glittery Guest, Jackie from Jacabean Designs. She is an AWESOME digital scrapbooker and she even designs and sells her own digi scrap kits! Here's one of my favorites kits from her shop:


Today she's going to talk a little bit about the benefits of digi scrapping. Take it away Jackie!

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Digital Scrapbooking is just that... using computer software to create your scrapbook pages digitally. I've scrapped with paper since high school and have a HUGE stash of papers and such.

But why digital scrapbooking? Here are the top 5 reasons that I love digital scrapbooking...

1. I Can Make Multiple Copies

This is why I initially made the switch. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to make a heritage scrapbook. So many family members were interested that I figured if I made it digital, anyone who wants a copy can have one. I'm spending the time to do it, so I might as well get more use out of it, right?

2. The Undo Button!

So you've got this vision, and you're trying that new paper cutter...and it all goes wrong. Grrr...I just ruined that picture. Or how about, I'm writing a paragraph about that special moment, get to the last sentence, and misspell a word. Argh! I hate that! I imagine I'm not the only one...at least I hope :) Anyway, not only can you undo and try again on the computer but many programs also have spell check!

3. My Photos Are Digital

All of my pictures from the past 5 years at least are digital. So if I want some to scrap, I've first got to print them. Unless you're super organized and think ahead (I usually am not), you can't sit down and scrap if you find yourself with a little free time. BUT if I'm scrapping digitally, I pick out my photos and am ready to go.

4. An Endless Supply of My Favorite Things

I'm one of those wackos who doesn't want to use the last piece of my favorite paper because then, it's all gone. I know, it's a waste not to use it but I'm weird that way. With digital, there is an endless supply! Want to put 20 of that one flower on your page? Go for it! Heck, you can put 100 if you want, and it didn't cost you any extra.

5. No Mess!

In my new house, I will have my very own craft room. Yay! However, up until now I've had a bin full of stuff. Okay, well truthfully, many bins. And when I scrap? The living room floor looks like the JoAnn's craft department threw up. It would drive my husband nuts! With digital scrapping, it's just my and my trusty computer...a Mac of course, but yours doesn't have to be :)

Thanks for guest posting Jackie! Check out her blog, Jacabean Designs for more kits and digital scrappin' goodness!




Have a great day everyone! :)

Friday Night Fab Five: From My Fab Four

Hi everyone and welcome to this week's Friday Night Fab Five where I list 5 things I like, adore, drool over or maybe just tolerate for the week. :D

This week I thought I'd get some help from some of my favorite people and find out what one of their favorites is this week. :) So let's get me out of the way first and get going with the good stuff...

1. And My Favorite This Week Is...This Picture of Toot

I don't know if it's because I'm ready for warmer weather or what but I ran across this picture of Toot and just fell in love with it all over again.

2. And Chris' Favorite This Week Is...

When I asked my husband if he had any favorites this week, his response was the following:

"Huh? My favorite what? Like you want to know what I want for lunch? Oh...no I don't like anything in particular this week, just pick something."

Therefore, I'm going to say that Chris' favorite this week is.....ME!!!!

Awwwwww, isn't my husband the cutest for letting me pick for him? And to pick myself, that is so sweet...of him. So yeah, this is me in a bridal portrait circa 2007, but just trust me, I still look EXACTLY like this today! Exactly...like...this...

3. And Toot's Favorite This Week Is...Her Big Girl Bed

I was hoping to wait to put Toot in a "big girl bed" but after she went AWOL 3 or 4 times in the past week, I decided that her being in a toddler bed was better than her possibly breaking every bone in her body climbing out of her bed in the dark. And she loves it.

4. And My Mom's Favorite This Week Is...Baking

My mom loves to bake and she loves to experiment which works...99% of the time (see previous post: NSFW Thanksgiving). But she made these chocolate covered peppermint shortbread the other day and they were definitely a win.

5. And Your Favorite This Week Is...???

I love hearing what you out there adore so tell me, what is your one favorite thing from this week?

And there you have it, another Friday Night Fab Five for the ages! (Or maybe something less dramatic.)

Reminder: I'm opening up my Friday Night Fab Five to bloggers that would like to post their Fab Five here at Just Add Glitter and Stir so if you're interested in guest posting a Fab Five one week, e-mail me at justaddglitter at gmail dot com and I will give you the details. :)

I've got a super guest blogger lined up for Monday so make sure to come back! :D

Have a great weekend everyone!

One World One Heart Winner

Hi everyone!

Just a quick post to announce the winner of my crocheted rainbow from the One World One Heart blog event!

And the winner is (chosen by Random.org)...

Susan of Pieces of Fate!

Congrats Susan!

Be sure to check out Lisa's blog for a big announcement regarding next year's event!

*Exclamation point count for this post: 5. I think it's time I learned some new punctuation. :P

Sad Sack of Scrap

Hi everyone!

When I was pregnant with Toot, I wasn't doing that much "crafty" type stuff. I was working full time, cross stitching her birth announcement sampler and that was about it. I started to notice my fingers getting numb as I frantically tried to finish her sampler before she was born. Luckily it went away sometime after Toot arrived.

Well, now I'm at home expecting our second daughter and "crafty" is one of the regular parts of my day. It's probably needless to say that the little bit of numbness in my hands I had with Toot has been magnified times a bajillion with this baby. I'm crocheting, scrapping, gluing and sewing more than ever, especially now because I'm trying to get finished up and have some projects I can't put on hold.

All that to say that I'm lagging behind...My fingers stay swollen most of the time now and they're pretty painful so my crafting and blogging time have been suffering and for those that know me, you know that I think this s-u-c-k-s. LOL You'll also know by now that I'm stubborn and refuse to stop so with that in mind...

May I present, the most boring layout in the world!!!

Ta da!

Okay, so maybe it's not too bad. I got the Lola flower image from a Charlie and Lola book that Toot ripped to shreds the other day. I was picking everything up off the floor when I thought, "Wait, why am I throwing these away? I can totally glue them on something! :P

But all in all, this layout is pretty blah and boring so I'm going to blame it on the new baby messing with my hands and not on any lack of talent on my part. LOL I'm going to revisit it at some point and see if I can't make it up any better.

I was hoping I could come back to scrapping in full form because I've gotten the cutest Toot shots lately (not like I don't have enough of her to get in a book already, lol)

Of course, my husband is always telling me I'm way too hard on myself so I've come to a conclusion: Whether any future layouts turn out to be something I could hang in the Louvre or not, when Toot is older and I'm gone she's not going to look at this and say, "Ugh, my mom was so boring, why would she use this paper with this picture?!"

She's going to look at this and say, "Wow, my mom must have loved me an awful lot to make something so great for me." Well, at least I hope that's what she'll say...LOL.

So messed up hands or not, I'm carrying on-scrapping, crocheting and blogging when I feel like it. I may just be a little slower in visiting you and getting things done. :) BUT I will be back on Friday for another Friday Night Fab Five so take that stupid pregnancy induced hand problem for jerks!

Have a super Wednesday everyone!

Toot's Biggest Fan

Hi everyone and Happy Valentine's Day! My husband is working a triple shift and I'm pregnant and big as a house so yeah, love is awesome and stuff.

Anyhoo...

One day I noticed that Toot's favorite blanket needed to be washed and so I went to get it from Toot to toss it in the washer. Now although this is her favorite blanket, Toot's never really acted like it's her "blankie". (She actually calls it "fan" for some reason.) So she very sweetly handed it to me when I told her it was going to get a "bath" and calmly watched me throw it in the washer and start it up.

Then, apparently she put two and two together because all hell broke loose. "Where fan?!" "Me fan!" "Where go fan?!" "Out fan, no bath!" "Fannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" So after trying to explain to a two year old the mechanics of a washing machine, she set up camp and refused to move.

She sat here the entire time. Maybe I should wash this blanket more often because it was like a 33 minute cycle. And then to the dryer they both went...

By the way, this wasn't a different day from the first picture and this wasn't taken during Christmas. I got her past the washer long enough to try and dress her. She picked out her "Santa Claus" dress even though it's January and I figured I had tortured her enough for one day so whatever.

In the end she waited until the "fan" came out of the dryer and a look of joy, the likes of which I've never seen, lighted up her face. She turned that look of joy upon me which made me feel like I was the best mom in the world! She gripped the freshly laundered "fan" in her sweet baby hands, promptly threw it to the floor, said "Fan hot" and wandered off to watch Backyardigans.

*face palm*

Friday Night Fab Five: I Love Minis. Period.

Hi everyone and welcome to another Friday Night Fab Five where I list 5 things I like, love or generally adore for the week. This week is all about miniseries. I love miniseries and I love period pieces so with that in mind...

1. Downton Abbey

(Image: Period Films)

Downton Abbey is a PBS Masterpiece mini series and should not be missed! After watching the first episode I was already invested in detesting some of the characters. (The mark of a truly good series, lol) Plus it takes place during the early 1900's so the clothes and jewelry are fab-u-lous!

2. The Pillars of the Earth

(Image: Starz)

Based on a book by Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth is full of love, intrique and dirty dirty double crossing. Set during the mid 1200's this series is very captivating and worth a lookie loo for sure.

3. Pride and Prejudice

(Image: BBC)

I will maintain until my dying breath that the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice (shown on the A&E channel here in the States) is the ONLY version of Pride and Prejudice worth seeing. The.Only.One.

4. Emma

(Image: PBS)

Emma might be my least favorite of the Jane Austen heroines but PBS's 2010 Emma miniseries is definitely my favorite movie version of this book.

5. Anne of Green Gables

(Image: AnneofGreenGables.com)

I know I recently posted about Anne of Green Gables but it bears repeating: I love this miniseries so much!

And there you have it, this week's Friday Night Fab Five, full of awesome miniseries that deserve multiple viewings!

Announcement: I'd love to open up my Friday Night Fab Five and have some guests post their Fab Five here on my blog so if you're interested in guest posting a Fab Five one week, e-mail me at justaddglitter at gmail dot com and I will give you the details. :)

Do you have any favorites this week?

Here Comes Tootie Cottontail...

Hi everyone!

I hope you're having a great week so far! I got some back issues of Crochet Today magazine and whipped up this bunny hat for Toot from a pattern I found in one of them. She was only too happy to model it for me:

"Um hello, trying to color here?"

As you can see, she was WAY into getting her picture taken (/sarcasm)

Maybe this new baby will cooperate better. ;) Have a great day everyone!

Glittery Guest Blogger: Coley's Corner

Hi everyone!

Today I've got a Glittery Guest post for you! :) She's got a great blog and a super fun project how-to for you, just in time for Love Day. :) Take it away Glittery Guest!

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Hi y’all!

My name is Nicole but my guy calls me Honey, my son calls me Momma, and my friends call me Coley. So you can call me Coley too. I’m so excited to be doing my first ever guest post anywhere here at Just Add Glitter and Stir today! I’m a work from home Momma and wife proud to call South Carolina my home.

At my blog, Coley’s Corner, I share craft ideas, recipes, photos and what it’s like to be the parent of a child with special needs. My son, Noah, has cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy and scoliosis so some days my blog is a place for me to vent, share his accomplishments and educate others on disabilities and advocate for the disabled. While other days it is a place just for me to share tutorials on my latest craft project, show you a cool photo or share a recipe. I hope you’ll stop by and take a peek at my little spot in cyberspace.

Today I am sharing a simple and inexpensive Valentine’s Day décor item with you.

What you’ll need:

• Frame
• Scrapbook paper (one piece)
• Cardstock (one piece)
• Rose petals
• Glue (I used a clear tacky glue but a glue gun would work just as well.)

The only items I needed to purchase for this project were the rose petals and the frame both of which I found at the Dollar Tree making this project cost a total of 2.00.

What to do:

1. Take a part your frame and discard the glass. We won’t be using it for this project. Trace the backing of the frame onto your scrapbook paper and cut it out. Adhere your scrapbook paper to the backing of the frame.

2. Draw a heart onto cardstock and cut it out.

3. Begin to glue rose petals to the heart. Start on the edges of the heart with the pointed part of the petal pointing in towards the heart.

4. Continue to the glue petals to the heart overlapping the petals so none of the cardstock peeks through.

5. Once the heart is full of petals, apply a liberal amount of glue to the back of heart and glue it in the center of the scrapbook paper.


Add the frame and you are finished!


Cute, eh? Enjoy!

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Thank you so much for posting on my blog today Coley! Be sure to check out Coley’s Corner and leave her some love! :)

Friday Night Fab Five: The "-est" Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to another Friday Night Fab Five where I list 5 things I adore, love or maybe sort of liked this week. You know, normally I write my Fab Five all during the week. I see something, grab it and blog it. But this week with One World One Heart going on and the fact that I'm pregnant, huge and exhausted, well...let's just say I'm running behind a little.

Luckily once I started thinking about this week, the Fabs just kept coming! Just keep in mind: I'm pregnant and insane at the moment so this week is all over the place. :) Here we go...

1. Cutest Outfit Ever

(Image: Macys.com)

I want to get this for Toot sooooooo bad, wouldn't she be "toot" cute? (Get it? Because her nickname is Toot and I...oh nevermind.) Only issue is the biggest size is 24 month and she might be busting out of it by Summer. But I could use safety pins to keep it on, right? :P

2. Prettiest Man Alive

(Image: CTV.com)

Now, my taste tends to run pure geek BUT both my husband and I have a saying around our house when it comes to deciding whether or not someone is attractive. We say, "Yeah, well...he's no Taye Diggs". This saying can be applied to men, women or dinner. Why this man isn't on the cover of People's Most Beautiful Person every year is beyond me.

3. (Current) Guiltiest Reality TV Pleasure

(Image: TLC.com)

Say Yes to the Dress is a "reality" show on TLC (TLC=The Learning Channel, believe it or not) centered on a NYC bridal salon, Kleinfeld. It follows their consultants as they try to find the bride's dress of her dreams. The budgets are huge (at least to me) and for the most part, there's not as many train wrecks on this show as there are on others. The above picture tells you everything you need to know about the show. I can't stop watching.

4. Sweetest Yarn Out There

(Image: Knit Collage)

I'm a "budget yarn" kind of gal which suits my projects just fine BUT this yarn collection from Knit Collage is suh-weet! I have no idea what I would make with it but I lurve it. Maybe I could just sit it on a shelf where I could gaze lovingly at it whenever I wanted.

5. Bestest Blog Post of the Week

I've bragged about Twinkie Chan and my stalking of her for quite a while now but she wrote a blog post this week that I just adore to the core. It's all about how she's an "accidental model" and it's one of those honest, encouraging posts I love to read and remember.

And there you have it, my "est" edition of Friday Night Fab Five! Do you have a Fab Five this week? Well tell me all about it in your comment OR post about it on your blog and link up your post in your comment! (All the cool bloggers are doing it. :P)

Be sure to come back on Monday as I'll have my very first "Glittery Guest" blogger who has a great Valentine's Day project to show you.

Have a great weekend!

Will Crochet For Scraps

Hi everyone!

Some of you may remember my post, 2011's Shouldas Wouldas and Couldas in which I listed some crafty resolutions, the first being "Less Yappin', More Scrappin'".

Just in case you missed the post, here's what I said:

"Y'all have NO idea how far behind I am in scrapping Toot's pictures. Let me put it this way, she's now two and I think the last I scrapped of her was when she was around 6-7 months old. Oops. lol I would love to get her caught up before the new baby gets here."

So I finally went through and organized what exactly needs to get scrapped and when I finally awoke from my Faint of Overwhelmed Scrapper Who Will Never See the Light of Day Again, I took a picture of just how far behind I am...you know, just in case any of you think I'm exaggerating:

There's not enough tape runners in the world...

Okay, so what you're looking at is two Christmases, a Renaissance Festival, two Easter Bunny meets, plus Toot's pictures from 5 months to one year. This picture doesn't even count what's still in Shutterfly needing to be printed and scrapped which includes Toot's rest of one year through 2 years up to now, another Christmas and Renaissance Festival, a snow day, TWO trips to New York and Heaven knows what else.

Noooooooooooooooooo!

I figure at this point I have two choices: stand on the side of the road with a cardboard sign that says "Will crochet for scraps" or I'll stick all my pictures in a box and stand outside my local scrapbooking store with puppy dog eyes. Maybe one of those scrappin' ladies will take pity on me...