Long Time No See!

It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog. The good news is that I've been filling all of my time doing things that I love. I find that all the time that I spend on the computer at work and working on digital scrapbook projects doesn't leave much time for blogging. I'm back tonight to post a book that I threw together pretty quickly from the cruse my husband and I just returned from last week. I had a great offer for a free book on Shutterfly and it had to be ordered by yesterday. That didn't leave much time for a major creative project so I just made this in Shutterfly. It's the first book that I've made in Shutterfly and not used My Memories Suite or Smilebox in a very long time. It's not as customized as I have become accustomed to but all in all, it turned out pretty well.

Our cruise was so wonderful. We loved the ship and the itinerary. It was the first cruise my husband and I had been on by ourselves since our honeymoon - 20 years ago! We loved it and I hope you enjoy seeing a bit of our adventure through the lens of my camera.

Enjoy!

Suite Success! (Spoiler Alert - Don't read if you want to wait for the book version)

Patrick's birthday book is ordered and just in the nick of time! It's scheduled to arrive the day before his party!

I love working on the photo books that I make each year for my grandsons more than I could ever express. I love picking out the colors and designing the layouts but the best part about working on them is going back through the photos that have been taken over the year. It is so wonderful to think back on all of the special moments that make up a year and eventually a lifetime. Back when I started this project for Dylan's first birthday I limited the book to the twenty pages that were included with the book and they were nice. Over the years the books have expanded from being simply a photo book to a something that captures not just holidays and special days, but the ordinary days as well. Once I started using My Memory Suite digital software and discovered I could create pages to be whatever I wanted them to be I have found that I just can't help myself. I want to make pages for everything! So, my twenty page books are more like fifty pages!

Here's the cover of the book. If you came here to see the entire book I am sorry to say that I removed the link. After I posted it I realized that not only could people view the book, they could add it to their Shutterfly account and have access to all of my photos and order a book of their own. That's just a little more access than I am comfortable with.

The Mary Before Me

It's been nine years ago since I was lucky enough to spend time with my Mom, Mary Lang Hemmons Wright. It was the Saturday before Mother's Day just like today. It's hard to believe it's been that long.

Now that I am older and have experienced my children becoming adults and have grandchildren there are so many things that I see differntly now then I did back then. So many things have changed and there are so many things that she has missed. Even though I was obviously an adult nine years ago, I feel much more grown up now and in a lot of ways I am a different person. Not different in any fundamental way, just a little more wise, a little stronger, more tolerant and more forgiving. Her unexpected death left me without the chance to say goodbye and reminded me that life is so short and that no day should be taken for granted.

I am sad that she didn't live long enough to be in love with her great grandchildren. They are the sunshine in my days and I wish she could have shared some of the family traditions that she helped establish and be part of the things that she loved that are now being passed along to a new generation.

Today, Mother's Day and every day, I miss you Mom.
Love, the Mary after you
Mary Elizabeth Wright Spengler

So Much To Scrap...So Little Time

Today is International Scrapbooking Day and there are all kinds of fun challenges going on over the MyMemories Facebook page and the blog! There are so many fun games to play and chances to win and I want to do it all. I just made this for the weekly challenge. I just love this picture that my daughter tood of my grandson today on Thomas the Train at the B&O Train Museum.

#Winning!

Okay Ladies! It's time to pick a winner of the MyMemories digital software! It seems I have a long way to go before my blog goes viral and that's good for you because your odds of winning are really great!! Here's your number for the random drawing:

1 - Pam
2 - Allie
3 - MaiThreeBoyz
4 - Alison

I'm going to have my husband help me with the drawing so I will be right back with the results. Good Luck!!

Here we go................And the winner is:
  
 Allie! Congratulations!! I'll get the info you need for your free software to you you very soon!

Everyone else - thanks again for commenting on my blog. You can use the code on the right side bar to save $10 on the software and get $10 to spend in the MyMemories store. That's not as good as free but it's something. The software is really great and definitely worth the investment!

Beautiful Things

There's a challenge over on the MyMemories blog this week that required the following quote to be incorporated on the page:

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.

They must be felt with the heart.”

~ Helen Keller 

I thought using a photo from my my friend's January wedding in Key West was perfect for this page.

Jenn from Dancing Princess Designs is hosting this week's challenge and I have a chance to win a gift certificate for purchases from her MyMemories store. Even if I don't win, I had fun making the page!

Patrick's Pantry Party

My pantry has been a favorite place for my grandson's to play and explore since Dylan first discovered what was behind that door. He was two, just as Patrick is now. Patrick LOVES the pantry. He visits on a regular basis. It might be long enough to grab the animal cookie jar that used to be bigger than him when he first started carrying it around or he might sit and stay a while. Today he stayed a while. Dylan, Pappy and I were invited to join Patrick in his 'house' for a party. Patrick's hospitality was warm and welcoming! We enjoyed animal crackers and Spiderman and Phineas and Ferb fruit snacks and Patrick rattled off other possibilities like syrup, cereal and rice. I can't wait until I get another invitation! There was a speed scrap on the My Memories Facebook page so I took the opportunity to make a page for Patrick's book with a few of the photos that I snagged of the event. Enjoy!