{capture the moment}

Trim the Tree Challenge

For those of you in The States, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!  I enjoyed getting to dedicate so much time to my family and indulging in one of my other passions, cooking.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope you did too!

Today we are bringing back a very popular challenge from last year, the Trim the Tree Challenge (you can check out last years post HERE).

I asked the girls to design an ornament that incorporated some of their favorite Papertrey goodness and the results are like those found in small boutiques this time of year.  You'll thoroughly enjoy peeking into each designers world and seeing what they created to add to their trees this year!

Here are their amazing contributions!

click HERE to read more from Michelle Wooderson.

click HERE to read more from Becky Oehlers.

click HERE to read more from Lisa Johnson.

click HERE to read more from Heather Nichols.

click HERE to read more from Betsy Veldman.

click HERE to read more from Anabelle O'Malley.

I hope you gained as much inspiration as I did from all of this innovative projects.  What easy gifts for teachers, co-workers and others that you may want to give just a small token of appreciation during the holidays.  Thank you for stopping by today and I look forward to bringing you the November Honorable Mentions tomorrow!

A good read...

Just finished reading this gem....

Many of you know how much I adore the Anne of Green Gables series.  A well-known author just recently took on the task of writing a PRELUDE to the series.  That's right folks!  The story of Anne's life from the day she was born up until she arrives at Marilla & Matthew's home.  It is SUCH a good read. I was crying (real tears and everything) throughout a few parts of it.  Very, very well-written. 

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at first about someone trying to "compete" with Lucy Maud Montgomery's original works, but this book is so FABULOUSLY well-done, it is a seamless transition.  I highly recommend this as a gift to either yourself or a friend that you know is a fan of all things Anne!  Just had to pass this little tidbit along!

ETA: Many of you have asked what I suggest reading first, the prequel or the original series.  I would actually read the original series first THEN the prequel.  I feel like you "get" the prequel more if you know what is going to happen in the future!  The prequel does a lot of "explaining" that you might not otherwise grasp!  I hope you enjoy!!!!

Changes

Just like the natural transition between the changing seasons, we here at Papertrey Ink have some changes that we are announcing today.  Changes can often times be bittersweet, but are a necessary part of moving with the ebb and flow of life and business.

Lauren Meader has made the decision to step away from her work with Papertrey Ink to explore new adventures with her paper crafting career.  We could always depend on Lauren to be inventive and think outside the box.  She is without a doubt one of the most creative woman I have met in this industry and I know that wherever her path takes her, she will find much success.  All of us at Papertrey Ink wish her all the best in her journey and future endeavors.  I know many of you will miss her contributions to Papertrey Ink, so please be sure to stop by her blog today to wish her well.

As I said previously, all change is bittersweet, and on that note I am pleased to announce that Betsy Veldman will be stepping up to fill the vacant position on the Senior Design Team, so you can look forward to seeing her work featured each countdown week, beginning in December. I am just thrilled to be able to work with her during the release festivities and know that she will offer fresh & fun inspiration to everyone!

 

There will also be a new girl in town!  Kim Hughes is joining our Release Design Team just in time for the December countdown! I've admired her skills from afar for many years now, especially in the many publications you see her work appear in.  She has a signature style that she brings to all of her projects and we are beyond excited to see how she works that magic with Papertrey products!  Welcome, welcome, Kim!

With Lauren's departure will come the end of new introductions to the My Timeless Template line of products.  When we first combined our idea of downloadable & printable templates with Lauren's amazing designs, they took off in popularity beyond our wildest dreams.  For the last few months we have been busy brainstorming behind the scenes as to how we could build upon our original idea, and thought that this would be the perfect time to shake things up and make our printable template concept BIGGER and BETTER than before!  Several different designers, including myself, will be contributing to a broader range of downloadable products that we like to call...

 

Click Simple will be a reference library that you can refer to 24 hours a day for a variety of different downloadable templates available for purchase.  This library will embody all of the current Timeless Templates, along with new introductions each month.  Several different designers will be contributing their designs to these new introductions, so the variety will be expansive and appealing to many different types of paper crafters, no matter their style. 

One key contributor will be the previously introduced Kim Hughes.  She has a fresh and fun spin on the entire template concept that will take you above and beyond packaging.  Her ideas are SO amazing & revolutionary, just you wait and see!  My lips are sealed as to further details until the December release week begins on the 10th *wink*!

We are surely sad to see Lauren decide to depart our tightknit family, but on that same note we are looking ahead to the many exciting changes that will be unfolding in their entirety over the next few months. 

Pioneer Weekend 2009

I returned home last night after a fun filled "weekend" at the McVey Ranch.  It was packed full of laughter, fun, food and memories.  So many wonderful memories that I will look back on fondly for many years to come.  It is a given that Dawn thoroughly planned the weekend with fun activities and good eats, but one of the most special aspects was getting to spend the time with her.  She is just the sweetest friend a girl could have.  So thoughtful.  So kind.  So fun.  Any time spent with her is like a new spring day, it fills your heart with joy and happiness and everything seems new through her eyes.  She looks at life through rose-colored glasses and this weekend she let me try them on. 

And they were a perfect fit.

Dawn & Bart were both the perfect hosts.  When I arrived they had a warm, inviting guest room all prepared for me, complete with a cozy vintage quilt upon the bed to keep me warm at night.  Also on that bed was a bag of goodies Dawn had put together for me, which included a new book, Dean & Deluca chocolates and tea along with a special Nell Hill's ornament as a prelude to future outings of the weekend.  All in the name of pampering me.  This girl thinks of everything!

 

As I said in my FIRST POST about this amazing weekend, one of the motives for heading to Kansas City was that Pioneer Woman would be in town herself for her book tour.  We actually got to see her twice.  Once in the morning for a book signing and again in the evening for a question & answer session.

This intimate event was fascinating and shed much light on Ree's sense of humor.  Laughter erupted at several points throughout the large crowd.  I was especially interested in how she described the viewpoints she had on "doing it all" and "finding balance".  Totally things I could take away and use in my own day-to-day life.

We had to wait quite a while at the evening session to make our way up to see her again, but it was so worth it.  She's so genuine and down-to-earth; she speaks to you as though she's know you her whole life.  I couldn't have possibly left any happier or more content that night.

"Marlboro Man" had his own legion of fans that lined up for his autograph.  He took it in stride and tried to be as accommodating as he could to all his adoring fans!

Ree's youngest boys were in attendance and provided entertainment for all.  Who knew the UFC was in town the same day?

 

Here's Dawn & I with P-dub herself.  *sigh* such a wonderful evening with fabulous company!

Any guest of the McVey's is definitely well fed.  They took me to several of their favorite local eateries while I was in town.  What an amazing, diverse culinary experience I had while there. 

There was lunch at Andre's...

and Oklahoma Joe's.  Dinner at their favorite Mexican watering hole, seafood at McCormick & Schmick's and of course, Kansas City steak at Hereford House.  As Pam and I discussed (insert me waving to Pam!  Hi, Pam!), and you can see from the photos, I went to bed hungry EVERY night! (said in my best sarcastic voice!).

Dawn, Bart & I headed to two different Nell Hill's stores while I was there.  There aren't any in my neck of the woods, so this was an extra special treat.  Especially since Dawn goes on and on about the inspiration to be had there!  Both stores literally took my breath away as soon as I walked in the doors.

 

So many stunning color combinations, eye candy filling every nook and cranny.  Personality & style emitting from every piece, as though it has a history and it's own story.  Just amazing.  I could have easily wandered around inside all day.

 

I think Dawn & Bart thought that it was pretty entertaining to see my reaction to Nell Hill's.  I truly loved getting to experience it first hand, guided by my very dear friend, Dawn.  I don't think it can get much better than that.

The last night I was there, Dawn and I decided that a bit of stamping was in order.  After all, stamping is what brought us together when we first met, so it only seemed natural that we get a little inky during our reunion.

Before we began though, we thought a tribute to Mish was in order.  Mish is ALWAYS trying to get us to do Senior Portraits when we get together.  ALWAYS! In honor of Mishie, we had Bart take some shots that were truly worthy of the official "Pioneer Weekend Yearbook".  Here's Dawn and her cute cheerleader pose! Rah rah rah!

And little 'ol me.  I thought Dawn's glasses would be the perfect accessory to make me look more "studious".  Do you think I pulled it off?

We stamped until nearly 1am, but it was totally worth the loss of sleep.  (Sleep its overrated anyway, isn't it?!?!)  I even helped Dawn get ready for her next color inspiration challenge, so you'll have to watch her blog for our projects!

I neglected to mention earlier that P-dub was kind enough to give everyone at the evening book signing a FREE Pioneer Woman Book Tour t-shirt!  So thoughtful, so generous, SO fabulous!

We had Bart take a photo of us together in our new digs.  Aren't they ca-ute!  I love the pattern, the colors and the fact that it is a memory I can wear.  Souvenirs are the best, especially when they're free!

So, how many of you have purchased your own copy of THE new cookbook? (coincidentally it has already reached #1 on the NY Times Best Seller list!)  Did you happen to notice the last page?  Dawn and I thought that this was so fitting for Ree's personality and just hysterical!

And we thought we would leave you with our own version as a parting shot. *wink*

Before I sign off, I just had to gush for a moment about David.  Not only did he become the lone caretaker for all three kids, but he cleaned our entire *release neglected* house from top to bottom while I was away.  He has always been so supportive of me, knowing when I needed to have some space and getaway.  I owe this wonderful weekend away to him and his willingness to "take it all on".  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, David.  Love ya.

My Little Stick Friend

Hello to everyone from Kansas City!  I'm here enjoying the last day of my visit with Dawn.  It has been such an amazing experience so far, with Dawn and Bart being the best hosts a gal could know.  I will definitely tell you more about all of that later on.  Today I wanted to stop in to tell you all about our very eventful day yesterday, along with introducing you to My Little Stick Friend.

There was actually an ulterior motive for flying across the country to visit Dawn.  Pioneer Woman, one of my all time favorite bloggers, recently released a brand new cookbook, and anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE new cookbook.  She was coming to Kansas City as part of her book tour and Dawn invited me to come down so I could get *THE* new cookbook autographed.  So we headed out to a western couture store yesterday morning to take part in this momentous event.  Mish lives only about an hour and a half from *the city* so she made plans to join us as well to meet the famous P-dub.  

Dawn and I were so sad when Mish called us in the morning to let us know that the roads were too icy for her venture out that day, and we knew she was disappointed to miss meeting Pioneer Woman.  So we came up with an ingenious way to include her in that day's festivities....

I'd like to introduce you to My Little Stick Friend, Mishie!!!  (This is a good time to interject that this was ALL Dawn's idea, no matter what she claims otherwise!)  When we whipped Mish out at the book signing, everyone in line behind us was laughing hysterically and P-dub herself was quite entertained as well.  Ree (Pioneer Woman) was such a good sport.  Additionally, she was warm, friendly, very funny and just overall a very sweet lady.  She had an air of underlying elegance, but at the same time could whip out one-liners before you blinked an eye.  Just an absolute joy to meet, she couldn't have been more gracious. 

After leaving Pioneer Woman, we decided we would continue taking Mish along with us to other outings that afternoon.  Here's Mish with us at Dean & Deluca.  Mish had SUCH a good time there and got to sample all of the delicacies there.  We did however skip sampling some dipping oil because it might have made Mish's ink run!

Here we are at Crate & Barrel.  She gained SO much inspiration there and is looking forward to paper crafting herself later on this week.

We also took Mishie to lunch, which she enjoyed thoroughly.  She skipped dessert because since she was printed on Papertrey's 110lb. cardstock, she didn't want to gain too much weight, or else it might be difficult to cut & score her later.  

It was SUCH a fun afternoon!  Dawn and I laughed so much that we had tears running from our eyes most of the day.  We love you Mish and missed you so much!  

I am heading home tomorrow morning.  A bit bittersweet, but I know we will have another super fun today.