:GIVEAWAY: from AMOM Sponsor Nicole Lombardo...[CONTEST CLOSED]

Nicole has been a loyal sponsor of the AMOM blog for some time now, but this month, she has something special for all of us.

She's sent me an AMAZING collection of her products from her Etsy store to give away to one lucky reader!!

Included in the package are over 30 designs in a variety of sizes and colors. There 12x12 die cuts papers, large scrolls, frames, smaller embellishments (most of the smaller items include two within the package) and even a couple of her new rhinestone designs!

There are an endless number of ways to use these die cuts to enhance your scrapbooking projects!

Would you like a chance to win this beautiful collection?

Simply leave a comment to this post by 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 and you'll be entered for your chance to win this package of Nicole's lovely die-cut designs.

Random.org will choose and I will announce the winner on Friday.

GOOD LUCK!!

:SALES: 10% OFF all NEW products...TODAY only!

Save 10% on all BRAND NEW products, today only at Scrapbook.com. No coupon code is required. The discount will be applied to all eligible items in your cart and will appear at checkout.

Hurry, this offer expires at midnight PST.

Shop BRAND NEW Items Now

*All products where name includes "BRAND NEW" are eligible once they are added to your shopping cart.

:BOOKSHELF: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I read Half Broke Horses last year and new immediately that I wanted to read more from Jeannette Walls.

While the first book focuses on the mostly-true (based on fact, but Walls did need to fill in some gaps in family history, so to speak) of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, The Glass Castle: A Memoir is the memoir of Jeannette's own childhood and young-adult life.

To say that Walls was raised by parents with an eccentric style of child rearing would be an understatement to be sure! To be honest, there were times when I had to wonder if it could really all be true. The juxtaposition of the very obvious love between the members of this struggling and often destitute family and the neglect and lack of parental responsibly was often staggering.

I loved Wall's straight forward  and candid writing style. Considering the contents, there really was no flowering-it-up, to be sure.

Surprisingly though, as easy as it would have been for Walls to take a woe-is-me approach, she maintained a clear sense of hope and direction throughout her young life despite the lack of support from her parents who eventually, after all of their four children had escaped for better lives on their own in New York, became homeless.

Jeannette is now a very well-known writer and journalist. Her success is a testament to her courage and strength.

I didn't see the video below until AFTER reading both of her books. It was interesting for me to see the women that I had imagined in my mind - both Jeannette and her mother.

It will give you a taste of what you will find in The Glass Castle, but it's just the tip of the iceberg.

I would highly recommend both of Walls' books!

NEXT ON THE BOOKSHELF:
The Girl in the Green Sweater: A Life in Holocaust's Shadow by Krystyna Chiger

:GUEST BLOGGIN: Project #5...

Here's a sneak of the fifth and final Adornit project that I be sharing on Georgana's blog this week...

Go here to see more...

:GUEST BLOGGIN: Project #4...

Remember that 16 photo layout I mentioned?

It's live on Georgana's blog today...I hope it inspires you to squeeze in just one more photo...

Go here to see more...

:SNEAK PEEKS: Winter 2011 CHA

With Winter 2011 CHA going on as you read this, there have been all kinds of sneak peeks floating around the web recently.

Call me crazy, but I'm actually quite happy when I don't love everything I see. I've already have quite a stash and my budget just can't handle an endless wish list.

Anybody with me?

Regardless, I may be a little more selective than I used to be, but I still always find plenty of new items that I fancy and am sure will be adding my collection of supplies soon.

For example, here's a few of my favorite sneaks:

Bo Bunny Gabrielle Collection
Initially, I was a little surprised by this one...at least surprised that it was Bo Bunny. It seemed to be a little bit of a departure from their usual 'style'. It might be a departure, but it certainly is beautiful!

Bo Bunny Timepiece Collection
I am a lover of deep reds and browns...both staple colors in this lovely vintagey collection.

Jillbean Soup Dutch Mustard Soup
ADORABLE little hearts in green and orange...two of my favorite colors right now!

My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose Hazel Collection
MME always has something I love...this round it's the Hazel and Mabel (below) collections. I like the distressed patterns and blue and pink combinations.

My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose Mabel Collection

Again...lovely distressed patterns and more of the orange that has been really standing out to me lately!

LET'S TALK:

What's the favorite sneak peek that you've seen so far? Links encouraged!

:GUEST BLOGGIN: Project #2 & #3...

I'm sharing two projects from my FAVORITE Adornit line on Georgana's blog today. Here's a few sneak peeks...

Go here to see more...

:GUEST BLOGGIN: Project #1...

Here's a little detail on the first Adornit layout I'm sharing over on Georgana's blog today.

Go here to see more!

:BOOKSHELF: 2009 Reading List...

After I posted my layout called A Few Good Reads, I received a few requests for the titles of all the books featured in the focal photo collage.

Out of the books I read that year, it's honestly REALLY hard to choose a favorite.

Actually, I really liked all of them! I do remember being a little disappointed with the ending of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle though, but thought that the book was otherwise beautifully written.

If I had to pick a top three for the year, they would be The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Help, and Water for Elephants.

Here is the complete list of books that I read in 2009:

1. The Kite Runner
2. Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter
3. Water for Elephants: A Novel
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns
5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
6. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel
7. The Queen's Fool: A Novel
8. The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel
9. The Help

LET'S TALK:
Have you read any of these books? Which was your favorite and why?

:GUEST BLOGGIN: for Georgana Hall of AdornIt...

A while back I had reviewed an Ella ebook that included some designs by Georgana Hall, who just happens to be the President of Adornit.

She saw the review and said, "Hey, we should do something together."

I'm a big fan, so I said, "That sounds GREAT! What did you have in mind."

Next thing you know, I got a package of Adornit goodness in the mail and I'm guest blogging over on her blog for the week.

Today's my intro day, so I'll hope you'll give her blog a visit and check it out.
In the following four days, I'll be sharing FIVE brand new layouts - all products of my recent Christmas vacation scrapathon - featuring some really beautiful AdornIt collections. There's everything from a two-photo, single-page layout to a two-page spread featuring 16 photos!!

I'm not sure exactly what time Georgana will make my posts live each day, so if it's not there right away, be sure to check back later.

I'm SO excited to be sharing them and I'll be leaving a quick link here each day so you don't miss a thing.

If you like the layouts, I hope you'll be kind enough and leave a comment on Georgana's blog to let her know.

:SALES: 20% OFF all Bazzill

Cardstock is an important staple for most of us...so today may be a great time for you to stock up!

Save 20% on ALL Bazzill Basics Cardstock by the Sheet at Scrapbook.com...today only!

No coupon code is required. The discount will be applied to all eligible items in your cart and will appear at checkout.

This 20% discount in IN ADDITION TO all single sheet quantity pricing (more information available on each product page).

Hurry, this offer expires tonight at midnight PST.

Shop Bazzill Cardstock by the Sheet!

:MEMORYWORKS EXPRESS: February 2011 Sneak Peek - "Love Potion"

Love is in the air here at MemoryWorks!

Watch for further details on this kit coming soon!

In the meantime, enjoy the details of a few past MemoryWorks Express Kits!

A MemoryWorks Express Kit subscription is ONLY $29.95 (plus $6.50 S&H) per month! They are chock full of the latest and greatest in the scrapbooking industry, the items are always timely in terms of the current season or holiday, and the price can't be beat!

If you are interested in subscribing or would simply like more information, please don't hesitate to contact me!

:GIVEAWAY WINNER: The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker from CK Media

As I suspected, there were VERY few of you who claimed a perfectly organized space. (For those of you that did...I'm totally jealous!)

For the rest of us, we can usually use all the help we can get when it comes to keeping our scrapbooking stash under control!

However, it seems that Random.org picked an expecially worthy recipient this time when it chose number 45...

Well, Trisha...it looks like you might have just gotten a little closer to your goal! Congrats! Watch your email for more details on how to claim your prize.

Don't miss out on more great giveaways coming soon! If you haven't already, sign up for updates to the AMOM blog by email subscription or your favorite blog reader through the links in the left sidebar.

:WORD ART: Snowflakes Quote Word Art Freebie

Oh, this one was a CLOSE vote, but the unknown quote came out on top by ONE!

So, here's your word art freebie and I hope you can find a great use for in your winter season crafting...enjoy!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Be sure to check out my other word art downloads to make sure you haven't missed any.

:GIVEAWAY WINNER: The Best of Digital Scrapbooking from CK Media

I wasn't all that surprised when the majority of you said that your were either all or primarily traditional scrapbookers in your comments from the giveaway post for a free copy of The Best of Digital Scrapbooking.

We do love our paper, don't we!? I know I do!

Regardless, digital still has its allure and even for those of us that still love the old-fashioned way, there are definite benefits of knowing how to use technology to improve your pages such as enhancing digital images, creating interesting journaling treatments in word and more.

So, there really is something for everyone in this special issue from CK.

This time, Random.org chose lucky number 27!!

Congrats, Beth! Please watch your inbox for further details on how to claim your prize!

Don't miss out on more great giveaways coming soon! If you haven't already, sign up for updates to the AMOM blog by email subscription or your favorite blog reader through the links in the left sidebar.

:GIVEAWAY: The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker from CK Media [CONTEST CLOSED]

Scrapbookers rejoice!!

The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker was an extremely popular book by Aby Garvey and Wendy Smedley that has been out of print and available for quite some time.

However, CK Media has given it a face lift and it is now again available to help the seriously unorganized scrapbookers among us!

While the content is EXACTLY the same as the original, there have been one change - the size and cover on the book. While the original was a square, hard-covered, spiral-bound book, this new edition is the more traditional among scrapbooking idea books in that it is rectangular and soft covered. Cost wise this can actually be a benefit as they were therefore able to lower the initial price.

I actually reviewed the original edition on my blog and you can read the review here. I have this original edition and love it. If you've followed my blog for awhile, you might remember that I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Wendy at a crop a couple years ago and was gracious enough to even sign my copy! I will NEVER part with it!!!

You can also view a great sneak peak of what this wonderful edition has to offer below:

Open publication - Free publishing - More scrapbooking

The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker is currently available through the CK Media store for $16.95 or on Amazon.com for $11.16.

If you'd like to see more on organization from CK, they are actually currently hosting an organization week on their blog. Check it out!

GIVEAWAY:
I have one copy of The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker to give away to one lucky reader! Simply leave a comment to this blog post answering the following question by 5 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 and you'll be entered for your chance to win! Please include your letter answer and feel free to elaborate.

How organized is your scrapbook space/supplies?
A. My space is a hopeless mess!
B. Sure, it's a little messy, but I can still see most of my table top and floor.
C. My space is organize well almost all the time...except maybe right after I finish a project.
D. I live by the motto: "A place for everything and everything in its place!"

Random.org will choose and I will announce the winner on Friday, January 21st, 2011.

GOOD LUCK!!

:LAYOUT: A Few Good Reads

I love to read and I read a lot of great books in 2009.

To celebrate them, I created a photo collage of the covers of the books that I read that year. I also did pretty good in 2010.

I know that many of you are also avid readers, so I think to keep my reading motivation going and to find new and inspiring reads, a goal for 2011 is to share with you what I am reading and I hope you will share back!

I just finished a book that I enjoyed quite a lot and hope to share a few details with you soon.

Anyway...back to the layout for the day.

I actually drew the inspiration for the patterns and colors of my supplies right from the covers of the books I read.

The strips across the bottom third serve as a shelf for the photo and I hand-wrote my journaling on notebook-style journaling blocks tucked behind the photos and into the strip.

Journaling:
Although I read all the time – blogs, mags, online news – I don’t have as much time for what I would call ‘intellectual reads’ as I would like. Also, I tend to read these kinds of books in spurts. 2009 was a great year for great literature! I read quite a few that will be favorites for a long time to come. Read on…

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Creative Imaginations, My Mind’s Eye, Basic Grey
Ric Rac: Wrights
Journaling Blocks: Jenni Bowlin
Letter Stickers: Basic Grey, Making Memories
Brad: Little Yellow Bicycle
Staples: office supply
Border Punch: Fiskars
Corner Rounder: Marvy
Ink: Colorbox
Pen: Zig

:GIVEAWAY: The Best of Digital Scrapbooking from CK Media [CONTEST CLOSED]

Those of you that have been scrapbooking for awhile will probably remember Digital Scrapbooking Magazine that was part of the CK Media umbrella.

Sadly, this magazine dedicated to digital & hybrid scrapbookers ceased publication with the downturn of the economy (I think around the same time that Simple Scrapbooks ceased publication).

However, CK Media has decided to give DSM a bit of a revival tour through this 'best of' issue.

So, if you were a faithful subscriber and you still have all their issues, this may not be a purchase for you.

But, if you missed this very resourceful magazine or are looking for a way to condense the best tutorials into a more compact edition, you should most certainly consider purchasing this issue! This issue starts off with more basic tutorials such as organizing your digital supplies and progresses in difficulty as you move through the issue.

If you'd like to see more, here's a great sneak peak to give you an idea of the wonderful stuff you'll find inside!

Open publication - Free publishing - More scrapbooking

The Best of Digital Scrapbooking issue is now available for purchase at $14.99 at the CK store.

GIVEWAY:
I do have one copy to give away to one lucky reader. Simply leave a comment to this post answering the following question by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 and you'll be entered for your chance to win!

Do you consider yourself a traditional, digital or hybrid scrapper?

Random.org will select and I will announce the winning comment on Wednesday.
GOOD LUCK!!

:FIFTEEN ON THE FIFTEENTH: Top scrapbook supply picks from the past 60 days...

Since I focused on solely Christmas-themed items for the last Fifteen on the Fifteenth, I decided to go back 60 days for a wider range of products for this edition.

Love Chipboard Alphabet Thickers by American Crafts
I am completely addicted to Thickers...I admit it. I LOVE these...these were one of the first things I ordered with my Christmas gift certificates (along with the cute turquoise set as well!).

Hopscotch Epoxy Stickers by Basic Grey
The patchwork design and retro-inspired colors of these butterfly stickers make them just darling.

DigiKit - Christmas in Your Heart
Christmas may be over, but I bet many of you still have photos to scrap! I loved the warm and cool combination of colors and patterns included in this digital kit.

Cool Stripe Paper from the Little Boy Collection by Echo Park
I'm usually not a big fan of stripes in general, but the slant of these bright colors give a great energy to the design.

Circle Scissor Pro by EK Success
I really do find my Marvy punches, but I'm really considering trading them in for this item. I like the fact that it would offer me the option to create circles in a much greater variety of sizes AND take up a lot less space.

DigiKit - Make it a Double 12x12 Templates by Angie Kovacs
If you're a digital scrapbooker, there are a plethora of new layout templates at Two Peas in a variety of styles.

DigiKit - Cheers by Tricia Chapman
Here's a freebie for you! Yup...these adorable digi-papers are available for free download.

Mary Glitter Paper from the Family Keepsake Collection by We R Memory Keepers
You don't see paisley patterned papers nearly as much as you used to in scrapbooking, but I must say I like this one from WRMK.

Campfire 8X12 Chip Shapes by October Afternoon
This is one of the other items that I had to buy right after Christmas. I have some camping pictures to scrap from last September and this collection was just right...I purchased almost every piece of the collection.

Snickerdoodles 12X12 Modern Homemaker Collection Paper by October Afternoon
I love the bubbly look of these polka dot pattern.

Flourish Square Punch by EK Success
I love punches that are versatile and this cute flourish sided square fits the bill! It would be great as a small journaling block, base for a title or embellishment grouping or could easily be cut in have to use as a tab.

My Type Cling Stamp by Hero Arts 
I honestly don't own a lot of stamps. There just not a go-to item in my supplies. BUT this little typewriter with custom messages is just too cute!

Brambleberry Blossoms Paper from the Garden Party Collection by Imaginisce
The color and pattern of this beautiful paper has me dreaming of spring.

Glitter Paper Pack from the Flora and Fauna Collection by K and Company
Beautiful! I love the music sheet/text/script embedded within the floral design of this glittery paper!

Umbrella Paper from the Seaside Collection by Kaisercraft

Honestly, I'm not sure what it is about this particular paper that I find so appealing. Maybe it's the subdued colors, the distressing or the cute little multi-colored umbrellas sprinkled throughout the pattern.

  

(Note: The links above lead to further information on the listed products either at TwoPeasInABucket.com or Scrapbook.com. Remember, the Two Peas FREE SHIPPING code for January is NYRESE.)