Creative Team Member

I'm so excited to announce I'm part of the Studio 29  Designs Creative Team for Take 10 Kits!! When I started Pocket Scrap-booking a year and half ago, I began following and gaining inspiration from many different design and creative team members at pocket scrapping companies around the world on Instagram and Facebook.

By the way...
If I say pocket scrapping or project life I mean the same thing! Project Life is what Becky Higgins calls it and she's by far the biggest name and promoter of pocket scrapping out there. The majority of the product I own is by her because I like her style and vision and availability.

So anyhow, I began to get inspired and when January (for most companies) rolled around I saw many people talk about applying for design or creative teams. As a beginner, I in no way felt qualified to apply but it planted a dream. Some day.. I thought.. I'll take that leap and maybe I can be on a team like that. I wanted to use my creativity to grow and meet new people and of course get free product. Let's be serious, if you don't admit that's a big draw, you're kidding yourself! ;) I fell in love with a small scrapbook company called Take 10 Kits so when they did a Design Team call this fall, I thought about it. I had bought a few stamps from them and won a kit giveaway one month so they were familiar and safe feeling. I said no... I'm too new, I'm too busy, there's no chance I'll get it. But on the very last day to apply I figured 'why not!'. The least they'll do is say no.

So I applied with this email and a few pictures of my layouts... My name is Laura and I love Take 10 Kits! I've been doing Project Life since August 2013. I always planned to create a baby book/scrapbook for my first daughter. She's 4 now and I never started. Traditional scrap-booking is too intimidating and I hate to cut up my pictures. So when I heard about Project Life, I was immediately excited and jumped right in. I currently use Project Life or Pocket Scrap-booking as a way to document my babies in a chronological/event based system. I have 2 and 4 year old daughters and a baby boy on the way. Some day I hope to document more current events in our lives but I'm still enjoying the baby years. :) Another thing I love about pocket scraping and particularly your kit club is the affordability. I document on a budget! That doesn't mean I don't drool over all the latest cards and embellishments, but I keep my spreads simple and use what I have creatively.

Well, after Christmas passed and I actually thought I'd missed the deadline so I didn't make it, I got an email... I got it!! YAY! So click on over to Studio 29 Designs LLC to learn more about Take 10 Kits and see my official introduction on the blog! Also come follow me on Instagram to see all my pocket layouts! You'll be seeing a lot more about my love of pocket scrap-booking around here!

Pocket Love

I absolutely love Pocket Scrap-booking and I've never blogged about it! What a crime! :)

  

My start... I've been doing Project Life since August 2013. I always planned to create a baby book/scrapbook for my first daughter. She's 4 now and I never started. Traditional scrap-booking is too intimidating and I hate to cut up my pictures. So when I heard about Project Life, I was immediately excited and jumped right in. My first kit was the Baby Edition for Her from Becky Higgins. And though she's not the only person to do Pocket Scrapping, she has completely blown up her version of it called Project Life. Check out her website!
I currently use Project Life or Pocket Scrap-booking as a way to document my babies in a chronological/event based system. I have 2 and 4 year old daughters and a baby boy on the way. Some day I hope to document more current events in our lives but I'm still enjoying the baby years. :) Another thing I love about pocket scraping  is the affordability. I document on a budget! That doesn't mean I don't drool over all the latest cards and embellishments, but I keep my spreads simple and use what I have creatively.

 

 
This is a quick sampling of what I've done. I still have a lot of catching up to do! But I enjoy the process more than the idea of being caught up. :)

Check out my Instagram for more spreads.

Harvest Chex Mix

I just love this chex mix! I just sends me straight to thoughts of fall. I got it at from my mom a few years back and it's been a favorite ever since. Though I don't often make it... It makes a big batch that's best shared and all these ingredients don't add up to a cheap snack. So I look forward to enjoying it once or twice a year!

Harvest Chex Mix Recipe:
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1T cinnamon
Combine above ingredients in a small sauce pan until the butter is melted and you have a sauce. Do not boil.
1 box Crispix
1 box Honeynut Chex
1 can mixed nuts
1/2 bag pretzels
3 packages apple chips
Mix together in a large bowl. Then pour over butter mixture while still warm. Spread on 3 cookie sheets and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&Ms

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I just love this recipe for chocolate chip cookies! It's what I grew up with. They're always soft and they freeze really well too. This recipe is from the good old white (because there's another yellow cover version) Bethesda Mennonite Cookbook. All the ladies in the church submit their recipes and you end up with an amazing cookbook full of home cooked goodness and traditional Mennonite foods. I believe it's out of print but you can always find a copy floating around Christmas gatherings. It's a real hot item for those group pick and swap type gift games!

The Recipe:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 4oz pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
12 oz chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
Combine butter, sugars, vanilla and pudding; beat till smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Add flour and soda; then stir in chips and nuts. Drop onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. For chocolate chocolate chip cookies use chocolate instant pudding. 1 batch = approx 3 dozen.

My husband sometimes asks for 'regular' chocolate chip cookies. You know, the recipe on the back of the bag. That's what he grew up with. These have a cake-ier quality that's good but different than those. But I don't make them very often. I find them dry, crumbly and crunchy after they cool off. But I've heard that if you have a good seasoned cookie baking stone they're better. This particular time I made these cookies was for AWANA Cubbies at church and my daughter really wanted M&M cookies. Because of the possibility of allergies, I couldn't go with my monster cookie recipe so I decided to experiment. So in this doubled batch I put 2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of mini M&Ms. They're just as yummy! And of course, we tested the M&Ms for quality before adding them. :)

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Oreos for Dessert!!

I love to browse Pinterest. Love it. I have lots of boards with tons of pins. But I don't actually have a house that is that clean or decorated that well. I don't make all those beautiful crafts or wonderful dishes. Oh well. I don't think action is actually a required part of Pinterest. So I'm rather proud of myself for trying a few things off Pinterest. I like to make desserts and needed one for flock this week. I wanted to try something new and Oreos were on sale at Super Saver. I made these Oreo Cheesecake Bars yesterday and they turned out yummy..

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 50 min

I adore these bars from cookbook author Beth Lipton. They're quite addicting.

Ingredients:

CRUST:
1 (1 pound) package Oreo cookies
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FILLING:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).
2. Make the crust: Place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.
3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight)
5. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef's knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Tips:

*These work best served on flattened out cupcake papers w/ a fork stuck on top.
Source: RecipeGirl.com (Reprinted with permission from You Made That Dessert?)


This delicious recipe brought to you by Recipe Girl            
http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/09/13/cookies-and-cream-cheesecake-bars/


I had to go through about 6 blogs that adapted this recipe from her but I think this is the original recipe. My oven took the full 50 mins but it's usually slow. And my cheesecake was a little brown on top so I drizzled chocolate syrup on top to make it pretty and a little yummier. :) Usually when I make cheesecake in my springform pan, the recipe calls for a water bath to bake in so I'm also going to try that next time.
Enjoy!

Awhile ago I tried this great recipe for pumpkin scones from Tasty Kitchen. In fact I think I may have heard of it from Heather. They're so good!

Pumpkin Scones

Added by Shugary Sweets on September 13, 2011 in Biscuits and Scones, Breads

Prep Time 15 MinutesCook Time 15 Minutes

Servings 36

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• FOR THE SCONE
• 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
• ⅓ cups Heavy Cream
• 2 whole Eggs
• 4-¼ cups Flour
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ½ teaspoons Ground Cloves
• ¾ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ¾ cups Butter, Cold, Cut In Cubes
• FOR THE SUGAR GLAZE:
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
• FOR THE CINNAMON GLAZE:
• 1-½ cup Powdered Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoons Allspice
• 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream (may Need Up To 3 Tablespoons)

Preparation Instructions

For the scones: In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin, heavy cream and eggs with a whisk. Set aside.
In mixer bowl, using paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices. Add in cold butter cubes and mix until crumbly. Slowly add in pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
Divide dough in half, and form the dough into a 12×5 inch rectangle. If it’s too sticky, using your hands, mix in enough flour so it is easier to shape.
Cut dough into triangles by making three vertical cuts (you should now have 3 rectangles. Cut each of the rectangles by making an X, I use a pizza cutter. Then make ONE horizontal cut across the center. You should have 18 triangles. (See my blog for a picture if you need a visual)
Place each triangle onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 13-15 minutes. Repeat with the other half of dough.
Cool on rack. Make sugar glaze by whisking the sugar with heavy cream. Using a brush, paint the tops of each scone with the glaze.
To make the cinnamon glaze, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a Ziploc bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle the glaze over all the scones. Allow to dry (about 15 minutes). Eat and enjoy!

Shellac removal

I wish someone had told me that removing my shellac manicure was going to be a challenge...
I went to the salon and enjoyed my hour of pampering. The gal told me it would last longer but didn't say how long. A friend told me 2 week. Wow! I was so excited it would last so long. I never get manicures because the polish chips off in 2 days. After about a week, I began to wonder how it was going to come off at all. This same friend said she goes to the salon to have hers soaked off. So I got online to find out what exactly I had had put on my nails.
The best step by step I read was from The Pioneer Woman. She soaked her nails in actone and had pictures showing the process. Then I read the comments which were filled with people saying actone was poison and would ruin my nails and shellac would also make my nails a mess for weeks. Uh oh. My nails are already brittle and weird, I do not need more problems! And soaking my nails in poison, especially when I'm pregnant doesn't seem smart.
So I trimmed my nails and decided I would just be growing them out. Thankfully prenatal vitamins make them grow like crazy so it shouldn't be too bad. But then the bottom started peeling and catching on everything. So I decided to do some light soaking in just regular nail polish remover. Here's what I did...

1. I used regular nail polish to soak my nails for 8-10 mins. I tried to keep out as much of my fingers as possible to avoid my skin getting too dry.
2. Then I used that metal scrappie thing to scrap the shellac off my nails. They still looked awful and had chunks of polish on them when I was done.
3. So I pulled out this nail kit I got in PA from a very convincing nail lady at the mall. First time I've ever been thankful for this! I used the handy file/buffer to buff off the remaining polish.
4. Then I used some cuticle oil and hand lotion to save my skin. I've done this step a couple more times over the following week.

I suppose they look like their normal selves now. As dry and peeling as ever. I hate my nails. I think I might get a shellac manicure again. But I won't get it while I'm pregnant and only for a special occasion. And I seriously think you should get a disclaimer or at least an informational brochure when you leave the salon!!