scrap weekend

even though it doesn't get a lot of attention on this blog, scrapbooking is my thing.

the hobby i give most attention to, you could say.

anyway, some ladies and i like to get together and have these massive crafting/catch up weekends every few months. we've been meeting up to scrapbook since 2007, and yes, we are all in our early twenties. 

erica, danielle, lacie, and i are usually the core, but we have new people join all the time...

[hint, hint, wink, wink]

we pick a date, a house, and dinner and stay inside working on albums all weekend and usually get a ton of layouts done. 

this particular weekend was no exception. i think in total, i put together 17 pages in either my germany album or the most recent album (a.k.a 2011)

 danielle's dining and living room once we got a hold of it.

 just my section of the table.

 love my thickers

 lacie in the craft epicenter

washi tape + pens

my two loves.

some of my favorite layouts from my germany album:

 title page

 please excuse the glare.

as we can see, i am quite the amateur with photographing photographs

one of my most favorites, ever.

and these are some pages i worked on in my most current album

[starting june of 2011]

 title page

above: one half of a layout

below: full layout

 again, picture quality...shameful.

one of my most recent obsessions...the 6x12 page protector.

 fun giants baseball layout with one 12x12 page and one 6x12

funky, jumbled layout.

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i'm hoping to post more layouts as i go through the albums, make it a normal thing on this blog.

if any of my local [sacramento] friends scrapbook too and want to join in our little group, let me know! 

we're thinking of having a girls weekend in february :)

lake taheezy

you guys, i'm trying so hard to make blogging a priority. 

i miss interacting with all of you, seriously.

so here is a small recap of our family trip to lake tahoe this past summer.

i think that we can all conclude that my family went to the lake once and otherwise lived at the golf course. this is true. 

not pictured: 

an impromptu beach meet up with the lovely shannon 

familial dance parties

familial apples to apples [drinking] game

me getting loads of scrapbooking done

me walking, walking multiple miles down to the beach, alone, on the lookout for bears.

[this is most noteworthy!]

twenty three

today is my twenty third birthday.

twenty three.

a very good number indeed; i'm excited for what this next year has to offer. 

cheers to the years, man.

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i've decided to start a new birthday tradition. 

a yearly questionnaire to look back on and laugh, and remember.

and it's not just for me, no. everyone i know is going to do one.

well, everyone that will humor me when i ask. 

without further ado...

name: 

hayley elizabeth

age: 

23

year: 

2012

occupation: 

preschool teacher

but my dream job is:

something artsy, like teaching middle and high school art or managing my own art studio and work space

i live in: 

northern california

t.v show i will never get tired of:

law and order: svu

movies i will never get tired of:

the royal tenenbaum's, when harry met sally, & love, actually

a song that i will always love:

mr. brightside

some of my favorite musicians or bands:

mumford & sons, the killers, the temper trap, b.O.b, jay-z, fleetwood mac, flo rida (yes.), ingrid michaelson, the xx, edward sharpe, lots of talented people.

what is something new you'd like to try before your next birthday:

a new form of exercise. like yoga, or spinning.

a new place you'd like to visit before your next birthday:

i'd like to visit a new state this next year. since i'm planning on living in europe again, i'm holding off on that. but i've come to the conclusion that i haven't seen nearly enough of my  own country.

how are you celebrating your birthday this year:

i had eye doctor and dentist appointments this morning, i got my nails done, and tonight i have german class. exciting stuff. but after class i'll be doing cake and presents with mom, tap, and tucker. tomorrow i'll have dinner with dad, kate, tucker, and jackson; alex is already back in reno. and then hopefully celebrating with friends this weekend.

how would you like to celebrate your next birthday:

with family on my real birthday, of course, and then with good friends. i think that's how it will always be :)

so, here's to another wonderful, precious, adventurous, blessed year of life!

scenes of spring

who are we kidding, spring in california looks and feels like summer.

t-ball season came to an end, a very cute end, at that:

 this kid's been busy with trying to pull me, limb from limb. and also opening his own business:

and earlier this month i temporarily blinded myself looking at the eclipse. even though they said not to. 

i follow directions well.

in other news, i'm flying to europe on monday.

staying in my most favorite place, amsterdam, for a night.

then in germany for two whole weeks.

to see my people.

i will not be bringing my laptop with me. shocking, i know.

but i don't want to be tempted to stay connected with everyone and everything all the time, so with that being said, if you want to see what i'm up too, twitter and instagram will be it! 

have a fabulous next couple of weeks, blog friends!

i'll be reunited with my love...of german beer and cheese.

prost!

sac bloggers: united

remember that one time i met blog friends, in person?

well, it was so much fun, that i did it again!

this past saturday i met up with some fabulous ladies at sienna in el dorado hills. 

tracy put the whole event together and it was wonderful!

thanks girl! 

 see...so much fun!

 with ana 

 the gals from the "origional" meet up: kim, ana, me, and tracy

blog meet ups: where it's okay to photograph everything, and be on your phone the entire time.

very clever candy bar

 see, jane  photographs food too :)

yummy food.

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to see all the gals that were there, head on over to tracy's space:

Then I Got to Thinking

and if you're in northern california, come join us next time!

mark those calendars, september 22nd!

weekend recap: sacramento county fair

last sunday we gathered the troops,

[and by troops, i mean dad, kate, j, and myself]

and went to the sacramento county fair at cal expo.

i have a thing for fairs.

i don't particularly enjoy the smells or the crowds, but the charm of old school rides, ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, i dig it.

what i don't dig so much...

animals.

in any form.

so, you know that i love my family because i went through this:

baby livestock

hairy, scottish cows (?)

side note: turkey's are the ugliest animals in the world.

amen.