{Beautiful Day}

After more than week of rainy, gray, cool days, we have been blessed with a gorgeous hot, sunny day today. There was no way I was going to spend the day inside with the kids, and they were thrilled to soak up some much needed sun.

We decided to pack a yummy picnic lunch and head to a park. We laid out our blankets under a big weeping willow. The girls LOVED the tree. They were excited to hear that it was the same kind of tree as Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas, and they had fun trying to figure out where this tree's face would be if it could have one. It really was majestic; it felt like we were eating in a special garden room with the most amazing canopy ever. Sasha decided we should find a really HUGE weeping willow and build a house beneath it. If only that were possible . . .

Dixon was in heaven out here. He could run and play and get dirty and just be a boy. He kept trying to blow on this dandelion like you do the "wish" dandelions. So cute!

Clara decided to take a bit of a cat-nap on the blanket under the tree. Man, that is totally what I would have done if I didn't have to watch the kids! It was the perfect spot to fall asleep while reading a book. But then she perked up and became quirky Clara again.

There was a wedding at the park while we were there and the wedding party was having pictures taken by a train not far from where we were. What a day for a wedding! I'm sure the bride was beyond happy that she had beautiful weather for her big day given all the rain we've had. After the party moved to a different area we headed to the train. Dixon is completely smitten by trains so I thought he'd get a kick out of it.

Surprisingly, Dixon didn't know quite what to do with himself! He acted like he didn't want to be near the train for a while and just kind of walked around pouting. I think he was just hot and tired. He eventually began to act more like himself and was jabbering about the train. Of course, by that time we were all ready to go and he pitched a fit because he didn't want to say goodbye to the train. Go figure.

After letting the kids play on the playground for a bit, we called it a day. They were all hot, sweaty, and pink from the sun - just as they should be. I had promised the girls we would go to an art store and get some new supplies, so after that stop we headed home.

What a beautiful, perfect day! If only Cory were here to enjoy it with us. Hurry home, sweetie! :)

{Some New Layouts}

I thought I'd post a handful of layouts I've created recently. Hope you enjoy taking a peek! :) OH - Remember to download my iNSD freebie TODAY if you haven't already. The link will be disabled on Saturday evening!


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Have a great weekend!

{iNSD Blog Train FREEBIE!}

It's finally here - iNSD! This is a day, well, a weekend, that I look forward to every year. For all my family and friends reading this who have NO CLUE what iNSD is, it is International Scrapbook Day! The "day" has evolved into an entire weekend of scrapping, online store sales, games, freebies, contests, chats, and other fun activities. It's a weekend to celebrate the hobby that so many of us love!

Today I am participating in a fabulous blog train sponsored by my favorite digi scrap store, ScrapMatters. The designers at ScrapMatters have seriously been working their tails off creating amazing Grab Bags, kits, freebies and fun for all of us to enjoy. One of their creations is a gorgeous vintage inspired collab kit called "Timeless". It is filled with beautiful papers and stunning elements in a color scheme and theme that you'll go back to again and again as you scrap your family photos. And the best part? It's FREE when you purchase $20 of yumminess at ScrapMatters this weekend during the iNSD sale!!!

To make this even better, a SLEW of the designers and creative team members at ScrapMatters have gotten together and created freebies for you with this kit. You'll find everything from stacked papers to brag book pages on this blog train. I have created an element cluster for you. It is perfect to put beside a photo of a loved one or along the side of a layout. Here is a preview of the freebie as well as the kit "Timeless":

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Your next stop on the blog train is Kelli's blog.

Enjoy the rest of the blog train (it's HUGE by the way!) and make sure you spend some time scrapping this weekend!