K&Company's SMASH Book... A Review

In short... I LOVE it

So here's how it went down... I received an email from Two Peas in a Bucket that had a subject line about new CHA released products.  Now I was fairly sure this would cause me to do a little shopping as these types of emails always do but I knowingly clicked open the email anyway. At the top of this email was the SMASH book collection.  Honestly, it was love at first site.  I am a sucker for accessories and the go-withs for this journal were pretty spectacular.  Then I watched this video (Go ahead I dare you.) and knew I need one instantly.  Well, me needing one lead me to thinking I needed to buy one for Jessica and Andrea too because a) I had been looking for an unbirthday gift* for them, b) It would be fun to share the packs of accessories, and c) I thought it would be fun to work in them together.

After doing a little on line research I realized the whole line was pretty much sold out everywhere but got super lucky and found that almost everything was in stock at Scrapbooks.com which meant I could pick my order up in Mesa, save on shipping and handling, and have the loot sooner! (If after you read this you need one too and they are sold out everywhere still be patient, it' so worth it!)

I am having so much fun just adding stuff into my SMASH book!  Some days I am doing a spread and some days I'm randomly attaching envelopes it just depends on my mood.

The best part is that I am using stuff that I was just saving for something special. Somehow it seems like it just belongs in this book.  Check out these l-o-n-g page tabs that I had hanging out in two sizes.  They were perfect for adding a quote to the top of my journal.  I love how busy this looks with the clips etc.

If you Google SMASH books you will see all kinds of people saying, " Why would you buy one just make your own..."  A ridiculous number of tutorials are online about how to make one- most of which involve a hole puncher and a set of book rings.  I say, you are going to spend just as much cash on decorative scrapbook paper to make your own (These books only retail for $12, it would be worth buying to rip the paper out and use in other projects it is so cool!) your not going to have the cool embossed cover or the fabulous SMASH pen, and if I absolutely had to have a SMASH book today and they were all out of stock, I would at least thread up a needle and bind my scrapbook pages together into a book instead of pretending like a pile of scrapbook paper with two book rings is really as cool as a real SMASH book. (No offense if you do but I feel better to have that off my chest. LOL!)

* I will write a post very soon about unbirthdays!

Cute and Easy...

That's how I like my vacation albums.  I got the inspiration to make an album like this somewhere a long time ago and it has been stewing around in my brain until this summer.  I actually started the Disney album on the very first day of my summer vacation and just made the Hawaii album last week.

The idea is simple, just take all of your vacation photos, back them with cool and random scrapbook paper (I only bought 3 sheets with Hibiscus flowers to make these two books, I was all about using what was on hand.), add postcards and random dividers and poof..an album!  I bought one pack of index card dividers for about $2 and a pack of book rings, also about $2 and I still have left over supplies.

In the Disney book, I collaged with labels on the backs of the pages and journaled.  When I went to Hawaii, I bought the postcards and just journaled a little each day so It was already done when I got home making this little album a snap!

Yay Target, Again!

My mom found these great little drawers at Joann, in white, that were exactly the right size for holding pens.  I of course fell in love with them but when I went looking they were nowhere to be seen.  This ended up being lucky for me!

About a week ago I was wandering through Target, trying to mind my own business when I heard these fabulously lime green drawers shouting at me!  I snached two of them for about $7 each (I thought it was a steal)!  After organizing what I though was all of my pens and markers I found another special little pouch and then came to terms with the fact that my school pens wold be jealous if they did not have an adorable little house too so I went back and scooped up two more!
P.S. I know my pen habit is out of control, thanks for understanding!

Yay Target!

Yay Target, for making a box that fits my masking tape collection perfectly! (Yes, I know I have a problem.)

Washi Tape!

The mother load of washi tape arrived this week! (And if you look in the background of this picture you can tell how badly I was in need of it!)  I fell in love with this tape when Kelly was here last and kept ordering and ordering from Washimatta!  You should order from Washimatta too.  The customer service was amazing!  I also got the stickers you see in front of the tape.

Now the only problem I have is that I need another ruler box to store tape in, well that and the fact that Hambly just released their washi tape today.

Getting Back To Normal

Kelly's in town and I can't sleep.  Now I really know things are getting back to normal. :)

Randomness

I have come to realize that blogging, or journaling for that matter, is easier for me when things are roses and sunshine.  I know, I know, real life happens and it is okay to be sad, upset, or disappointed and I understand that sometimes if you talk about it it makes things better.  I got it, really I promise, but I just don't operate like that.  I am more of a think it through myself, take action, report back when things are roses and sunshine kind of girl.  There are times when I appreciate sympathy but it generally annoys me.

In the last few days I have started hearing my journal calling to me.  Now what I'm thinking I need to write is all disjointed and out of order but I have come to terms with that and my OCD side is prepared to deal with it too. LOL.  Luckily, I collaged an entire journal while I was thinking things through and refusing to write about it and have it ready to go for such an occasion.

I realized today that my hang up was that in the past I had come to a point where I was able to photograph all of my journal pages and post them on my blog for people to see and I was torn.  While I want to be able to show my journal pages I also want to keep the ideas on them private.  (See, believe it or not some people actually read the words and sometimes even comment on them. LOL!) Then it hit me.... I could photograph them with no writing and still  post them.  After all a blog with no pictures is no fun and there are only so many times you can post that you are really art journaling again without proving it. :)