A Pocketful of Licorice

Navy Pier

Hey guys,

I've been super busy with work this school year, so I apologize for the spotty updating. Work is pretty much all I do. It's been crazy. But we had our fall crop at Cocoa Daisy last weekend and debuted the November kit, Navy Pier. It's a beauty! Here are some projects I put together...

This one's my favorite. I did it for my messy challenge. The journaling is in the pocket. 

Here's my munchkin. She's getting to be such a big girl!

Be sure to check out the DT gallery because it's full of awesome this month!

Aspen Grove

Heads up! Cocoa Daisy's October kit, Aspen Grove, goes on sale Monday! I loved this one. The design team gallery is really pretty - you should definitely check it out! 

Here are some layouts I made. I ended up getting most of the add-ons, so lots of bits and pieces from those are worked into my layouts this month. 

I really loved the fall colors in this one! And the washi tape stamp set is great!

Aspen Grove Preview!

Hey Guys,

Cocoa Daisy's October kit is Aspen Grove and it's going to be perfect for all those beautiful fall pictures because it's full of beautiful fall colors! And the add-ons are going to cause some serious decision-making anxiety! I ended up with three of them - my favorites are Trailhead and Switchback. And we're featuring a set of stamps that will let you make faux washi tape - it's really neat! Here are a few peeks...

There are a few glimpses of the washi tape stamps up there. I just put them right on the page, but you could also stamp them on paper and cut them out. Don't forget - reveal night is September 28th! Come hang out with us on the message boards!

He Said, She Said

Cocoa Daisy's September kit, He Said, She Said has been revealed, and it's so full of goodies! I loved this one so much, I picked up three add-ons. The paper mix in this kit is one of my favorites ever, and the patterned paper add-on, Compromise, makes it even better. I also got add-on #1, His, and add-on #2, Hers. I really couldn't resist this one. Here are my layouts with the kit...

School's back in session now, but I wanted to remember my summer playlists, so I printed them out and tucked them away on this page. 

Obligatory new hair-do page.

My niece is the cutest ever.

I love the Harvard Book Store. 

I also love science department happy hours. 

This kit is so versatile. I was able to create some relatively girly layouts, and also some more neutral ones. If I'd wanted to do a boy page, I could've pulled that off, too. Make sure you check out the DT gallery - it's full of amazing work. The kit is on sale on September 1st. Don't wait too long - they're going to go quickly!

He Said She Said Sneaks!

Cocoa Daisy's September kit, He Said She Said, was waiting for me at the post office when I returned from beach week and it's a beauty! This one is fantastic, guys. I went a little overboard on the add-ons - you're definitely gonna want to check them out early - I don't think they'll last long! Our reveal is on August 28th. Don't miss it!

Pink and yellow is one of my favorite color combos, and this kit has lots of each!

Main kit and add-on bits here. 

It's such a fun kit! You're going to love it! 

one more with Santa Fe Sunset

Just wanted to share one more layout I did with Cocoa Daisy's (now sold out) August kit, Santa Fe Sunset. This one is my favorite with this kit, I think.

The title lettering was inspired by this piece I saw on pinterest the other day...

from this Etsy artist...

vapor*qualquer.

I kind of love how it turned out!

Santa Fe Sunset

Cocoa Daisy's August kit is called Santa Fe Sunset and it's my new favorite! I love the colors in this one. When I look at all my layouts for a kit together, it's easy to pick out my favorite bits. That black & white chevron paper from Basic Grey? Yup, I used it on every single project. And the wood veneer cameras from the embellishment add-on. They ended up on three of the four. And the only reason they're not on the fourth layout is because I used the wood veneer vehicles on that one. Apparently, I'm really into the tiny wood veneer embellishments. 

Here are my projects with this kit...

I took a bunch of pictures I really liked that weekend, so I needed two pages. I also added some little scraps from the weekend - a coaster from the restaurant and a movie ticket. (P.S. Moonrise Kingdom is magical!)  I LOVE that "you are here" stamp. It's one of the custom Cocoa Daisy stamps for August. I think I'll be using this one a lot. 

Another event with tons of pictures - my cousin Stacy's wedding. Anytime the whole family is together I end up with lots of fun shots. I'm a big fan of the two-page layout again. I used to do them all the time, then I stopped. Lately, I've been working them in again. Mainly for the economy of it, I think. When you've been doing this hobby for over a decade, you begin to have storage issues with all the layouts you've done. So lately, I like the two-pager instead of a bunch of single page layouts. 

That floral Basic Grey paper peeking out from behind my title cut-out is probably my favorite paper in this entire kit. I've got about a half a sheet of it left, and I'm hoarding it!

And this one. Well, it isn't exactly what I wanted it to be. I don't love it. Which is a shame, because I adore those little wooden vehicles. I wish the layout had turned out better. You can't win them all, I guess. 

The kit will be on sale on August 1. I think this one will go quickly!

And don't forget - you can follow Cocoa Daisy on facebook , pinterest, and twitter for all the news! 

Sneak Peek: Santa Fe Sunset

Cocoa Daisy's August kit, Santa Fe Sunset, is pretty amazing. It's full of oranges and blues and it's so pretty. It has some bits and pieces that make it work for travel and summer vacation layouts, but the theme isn't overwhelming, so the kit is really versatile. I love this one! Here's are some little peeks at one of my layouts with this kit...

I love those little tiny cameras! They're in the embellishment add-on pack. Stay tuned for the full reveal on the 28th!

40 before 40

So, I've got about a year and a half until I turn 40. Recently, I sat down and made a list of 40 things I'd like to do before I turn 40. I've seen many variations on this general theme throughout the interwebs. It took me quite a while to write my list. Some of the items on it will be really hard, others will be really fun. I was going for a good mix of experiences and accomplishments. I made a little mini-album with Cocoa Daisy's July kit, Note To Self, to keep track of my progress. I can insert pages as needed. I'm planning to add pictures, dates, and journaling as I work on these things. Here's my list, in case you're curious...

So, that's my list. I'll let you know how it goes! 

practice all day for accuracy

It's summer vacation and I've been a really bad blogger (again), and I'm going to attempt to get back into the swing of things. Let's start with some layouts from the past few months that I never got around to posting. 

There. All of them were made for Cocoa Daisy with our kits. The May, June, and July kits, specifically. I think my favorite is the last one. 

Next, let's talk about summer playlists. Right now I'm alternating between one I'm calling "the alt rock of my youth" (Three Imaginary Boys-era Cure, Dinosaur, Jr., Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Sebadoh, etc) and one with newer stuff (Hercules & Love Affair, Jack White, Delay Trees, Kimbra, Phantogram, Great Lake Swimmers, M83, etc). By the way, each and every person should acquire Jack White's recent solo album and play it on endless loop because he is a badass. What are you listening to lately? And have you tried Songza yet? Songza is the new Pandora. I like anything that introduces me to new artists. 

That's it, I guess. I'm sorry I neglected you, blog. 

That was awkward and painful. I'm rusty at writing blog posts. But I've got some better ones planned for the next few days and will get back on schedule.