If you're ANYTHING like me...

...you are  FULLY caught up in this holiday madness!!  I can't STAND the "being packed in the mall like cattle" part.  I meant the decorating while singing Nat King Cole and sipping egg nog!  And of COURSE taking a few moments to scrap some memories!!  Tiare asked me to stop by and tell you a little about my scrap style.  I'm Keandra and I've just come to the realization that I don't HAVE a style!  I mean, sometimes I can do a layout where less is more because I want the focus to be SOLELY on the picture(s).  I just ran across this shot of my 3 year old when he was a little under a year.  He was SUCH a little old man and would pucker his lips whenever he saw the camera.  In the picture, we had evacuated from New Orleans and were staying with my parents until we were cleared to return to home.  Because my parents lived in Baton Rouge, they didn't get the brunt of storms like we do...but there were still issues.   I remember that we evacuated to their house to avoid the hurricane...only to be without lights for four days!  So my littlest was irritated with the heat as well as Mommy's camera when he made this face

 

Little Couch Potato Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Scenic Route and Sassafras; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts and Scenic Route;Stickers: Crate Paper and Mementoes; Chipboard Circle: Scenic Route

 

I laughed SOO hard when I saw this picture...especially when my little one asked why I was laughing at "THAT baby".  I immediately knew that I didn't want  to jumble up the page...I want anyone who looks at this layout to INSTANTLY be drawn to his facial expression!  I added a few scraps of patterned paper to a cardstock base with a few stickers and journaling...my picture is my best embellishment!

I realized about six months ago that I was buying more than I was using (ummm...HOARDER much???)  I also understood that holding onto my supplies would do little to convince my husband that I NEED to make a trip to CHA!  Since then, I've made it my MISSION to par down my supplies.  I've donated some; I've thrown anything manufactured before 1852 away.  But mostly...I've been using them.  I love the challenge of meshing older product with new.  And I love successfully adding BEAU COUP crap to my page without having a jumbled mess!!!  I have three sons who are better than any comedy skit on their WORSE day!  So, it's not unusual for me to catch shots like this

 

YOU Have Energy! Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: American Crafts, Basic Grey, Crate  Paper, Jenni Bowlin and Pink Paislee; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts, Making Memories and Basic Grey; Stickers: Crate Paper and Mementoes; Chipboard Circle: Scenic Route; Chipboard: Scenic Route, Sassafras, Heidi Swapp and Technique Tuesday; Journaling Spot: Jillibean Soup; Rub On: Creative Imaginations; Embroidery Floss: Coats

my teen boy wearing my shirt (DISCLAIMER:  I can't fit this on my WRIST  right now...I wore this before I became a big mama!!!)  I have a MILLION shots of my guys which are VERY similar to this but I love that I thought to include a great childhood memory this time!  When we were acting silly, my Mom would tell my sibs and me "Oh...you MUST have ENERGY!"  Those five words would make us weak in the knees because we KNEW we were about to get FIFTEEN chores to expend some of that energy we OBVIOUSLY had since we had time to be silly.  It's funny now that I'm a Mommy but I wanted to CUT somebody when 15 year old Kee heard her say that!!!

Even though I don't have a particular style there ARE a few components included in most of my work.  I LUUUV stitching.  I mostly hand-stitch with a little machine stitching thrown in and some faux stitching on the side.  I keep PACKS of black pens for outlining...it really makes my work pop!  And I almost ALWAYS focus on the mundane, everyday memories.  I'm just like everyone else...I take at LEAST 200 shots on Christmas day and birthdays.  But, I'm normally so busy scrapping funny memories like how my baby would {{LOUDLY}} say "FRUCK" and "BISH" (Keanonese for "Truck" and "Fish")   EVERY TIME we were in public, that "special occasions get pushed to the back burner.  I think I'll always remember that Kea wouldn't stick his hand in his cake on his birthday; how long will those funny mispronunciations stick with me?

So what about YOU..what's YOUR scrapping style?