It Was Totally Grand!

This is the first of my Grand Canyon layouts - there will be many more.  No matter how large I print the photos, I just cannot do justice to the Canyon experience.  The photo on the left page was printed as an 8 x 10 and I used it full size.  The top photo on the right was printed as a 5 x 7 and again, I did not trim the photo.  The Grand Canyon was so completely.... GRAND.... and that is difficult to document.

The left page contains only two Cricut cuts, the GRAND CANYON frame from Destinations and a photo mat.  The GC frame is supposed to have a canyon cut in the middle section, but I used Design Studio and resized the frame to hold my 8 x 10 photograph.  This photograph was taken by "My Friend Kathy" as dh and I took in the AWESOME view.

The right page contains only one Cricut cut - I saved the negative cut from the middle of the left page frame and used it as a background mat on the right page.  Recycle, reduce, REUSE!  The cute little Bucket List was a purchased die cut from Scrap Your Trip, but I created one for My Friend Kathy's layout using the Destinations cartridge.  And speaking of MFKathy, she had the BRILLIANT idea to use the large background matting as a pocket to hold the brochures!!  How BRILLIANT is that?  I was VERY impressed and I am convinced that idea sharing is one of the big benefits of group scrapping!  Especially when your friends are as amazing scrappers as my friends!!! 

Are you getting tired of my Vegas trip layouts?  I have more to share but I do not want to bore you.

Vegas From Above

This layout represents one of my favorite evenings while we were in Las Vegas.  We attended the Fab Four Show at the V Theater then we visited the Paris Casino and went up the Eiffel Tower.  I loved the view from the top.  The lights of The Strip looked wonderful.

We viewed the fountains at the Bellagio from above, then from ground level (which was MUCH more spectacular).  And finally we went inside and viewed the Bellagio gardens. The gardens were almost as amazing as the fountains.

I used the hot air balloon, the Arc, and the wine bottle/glass cuts from Summer in Paris on this layout.  I honestly do not remember right this second if the Paris cut came from SIP or from Destinations.  As you can see I saved my Eiffel Tower tickets - I have dh convinced that we must save all tickets, tags, brochures, etc. 

No BBTB2 Post For Me This Week

Hello bloggers.  I know that I told you that I expected to be back to crafting today and anticipated that I would have a project to post (BBTB2), but I am afraid that laundry and jet lag defeated me.  I will get back in the groove this week, but it is taking longer than I expected.  Sorry about that.

(Taking in the dancing fountains).

In the meantime, just like I am doing on Busy with the Cricky Cake, I am going to be lame and entertain you with some of the Vegas/Grand Canyon photos.  I will add that I ordered 300+ prints today from trip photos.  I see lots and lots of scrapping in my future!

Look!  It's me with young Elvis.  And then I went to Paris and to the top of the Eiffle Tower.

Dh and I at Mather Point.

Totally NOT Papercraft Related: Michigan State University Moves to the Final Four!!

Happy Dance!! Happy dance!!!  My Michigan State Spartans are on their way to the final four!!  I just had to share - Donna Mundinger and I are both celebrating tonight.... We MSU Alumni take our basketball seriously - as does Sparty - just look at the photo above.

Sparty is quite the guy!  Look at him rallying the team during a game!!  I love Sparty... but then he is the ULTIMATE Spartan! 

Too funny - I just checked Donna's blog to copy the link to her site - and she too has a MSU post.  We Spartans take our team seriously!!!!

Spring Steeplechase and Birthday Bash ... What a Saturday!

I have to tell you that I am wiped out today.  Yesterday was such a full and wonderful day.  We attended the Aiken's 44th Running of the Steeplechase, T H E spring event in Aiken, as well as hosted a 50th birthday party my husband threw for me. 

Steeplechase is a day of tailgating, horse racing, sun (!), friends, food and beverages.  We had such a nice time attending with a few friends, my mother, and two of our three children. We took our E-Z up canopy, tables & chairs, and tailgated from the backend of my minivan.

We then came home and set up a couple of round tables with chairs in our backyard.  We served a selection of food, beverages and of course, birthday cake and ice cream.  We finished the night off with funny rounds of Catch Phrase and Apples to Apples.  It was seriously so much fun.

Today is my actual birthday and it has been a slow lazy day... Now that I am 50 apparently I need a recovery day! LOL. 

I just wanted to share some of my birthday weekend fun with you.  I hope that you will stop back on Monday for the BBTB2 new projects (hint - BBTB2 is celebrating with me also).