Sunday, March 31, 2013

Tortillas Bigger Than Your Head

Last Monday 3/25 Todd and I took vacation days off work so we could hang out and go out for a date.  We both have unused vacation days at work so we like to take a day off at least once a month and spend it together.

We went to Ortega’s in Hillcrest for lunch. Our friends Anne and Gilbert gave us a gift certificate for our birthdays, so it was a perfect time to visit one of our favorite restaurants in San Diego.
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I got Mole Chicken and it was really fantastic.
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Todd got the carnitas plate and loved it as well.
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They gave us two huge handmade tortillas, which came in this cute blue tin container.
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I told you the tortillas was HUGE!  We shared one and didn’t even eat it all.
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After lunch, we walked down the street to Buffalo Exchange, where we procured some used clothing for cheap. Todd tends to find the best shirts at Buffalo Exchange. I found a pair of yellow skinny cords that actually fit me. I had to get it for $10.
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Walking around Hillcrest is so fun. There’s so much to see and do.
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And of course, no trip to Hillcrest would be complete without a visit to our favorite bakery Bread & Cie.  Todd got his favorite Belgian brownie.
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I got a tiny chocolate ganache cupcake. Just the right amount for me.
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On Wednesday I got to eat breakfast with my favorite friend Meera at Original Pancake House. Meera and I try to find one-on-one girlfriend time, but it’s difficult because she’s a teacher and I also work. This was spring break week for her, so we got to eat breakfast together for the first time since school started in the fall!  The sad thing was, our waitress took two photos of us and they were both blurry. Never underestimate a steady hand when taking photos, LOL.  BUT, blurry photo is better than NO photo, I say!
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Yesterday we went running at Lake Miramar. It was so beautiful and clear out! I tested out a new pair of New Balance WT20v2 Minimus Trail Running Shoe that I bought on Amazon because they were 50% off. I’m usually a Nike girl but I thought I would give it a try.
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Unfortunately I don’t like them very much. The shoe is a VERY minimalist shoe that is designed to feel like you’re running with bare feet. Therefore the sole is not very cushioned and is very thin so that you can feel the road/trail. It doesn’t even come with insoles! I like minimalist shoes, but not as minimalist as these. My forefoot got sore from “feeling” the road too much.

The lake was beautiful though! I ran 3 miles and this was about halfway into my run.
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Almost all the photos in my post were taken with my iPhone while out and about this week. Loving the great photos and not having to lug my DSLR around! :)

Friday, March 29, 2013

Lily Bee Design Team Blog Hop | Spring & Easter

Hi there, Lily Bee fans! You may have seen a couple of our new design team’s projects on the blog already but we thought it’d be fun to showcase the talents of our fabulous design team by doing a blog hop! This is especially fun for me since I am new to the team! :)

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Our blog hop continues with this week's theme of Spring / Easter projects! I’m so excited to be making projects with Lily Bee products for this term!
I made a spring and love-themed layout using the new collections. I just love the bright colors that signify spring.

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Supplies:  Sweet Shoppe Collection (Candy Stick paper, Lemon Drop paper, Cotton Candy paper, Label Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers,  Embellishment Bundle), Pinwheel Collection (Ice Cream Truck paper, Chipboard Stickers)

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I used my Silhouette to cut out the word “spring”, and cut out the word “love” and used the negative of the cut to layer behind the photo.
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And earlier this week, I created three spring-themed cards for the Lily Bee blog.

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The design team has created many inspirational projects using the new collections, so make sure you stop by each of their blogs to see their work and leave them some love and then head back over to the Lily Bee blog for a chance to win some Lily Bee Design product of your own!

Adrienne Alvis
Becky Williams
Christine Newman  <—you are here
Cindy Liebel
Diana Fisher
Diane Payne
Heather Leopard
Leslie Ashe
Nicole Nowosad
Patricia Roebuck
Stacey Michaud
Summer Fullerton
Wendy Sue Anderson

GIVEAWAY!

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We’re giving away a Sweet Shoppe paper pack!

  • Comment on the Lily Bee blog post by midnight ET on 3/31/13, letting us know you completed the hop
  • FOLLOW the Lily Bee Design blog in the upper right hand corner of the blog
  • Like the Lily Bee Facebook page and share the blog hop link with your scrapbooking/cardmaking friends! Be sure to tag @LilyBeeDesign 
  • Bonus: Make sure you are on the Lily Bee Newsletter mailing list

Good luck and have a great weekend!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Tutorial Video | Layout Using Stamped Background

I made my first start-to-finish process video showing you how I created a layout with a stamped background mat, using one of my favorite Evalicious stamps!  I love Evalicious stamps because they are deeply etched red rubber and they give a really crisp impression. 

I wanted to use a white mat with gray stamped images to be the background of the main part of my layout, because the 12x12 patterned paper that I used is a very colorful and busy paper.  Using the white mat with the subtle gray stamped images helps to direct the eye to the main part of my layout with my photo and embellishments.

This is the finished layout.
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I love the Love My Cat badge buttons!
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And here’s the start to finish of my process of creating the layout.



 
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