The Story Matters!!!

Is "relaunching" TOMORROW!

Add yourself as a follower, and you are entered for a prize/RAK!

We are switching up how we do our challenges... so I hope you stop by!Plus the UBER talented Megan Klauer is now on the Design Team!

{applauding} :)

ALso, I have had, thankfully, some bookings for photography... so anyone that "cements" their request by April 15th, will get a FREE 8x10 in their order!!

And $25% off any specialty item, like a canvas wrap! YAY!
(See below for samples.)

OH... and while we are talking about "followers" my current followers, and anyone that adds me by April 15th will get some of my FABULOUS product given to me by Scrapbook Trends!!
They were VERY generous recently and sent me a HUGE box of stuff! I do NOT need it all! And I will try to get a picture on here SOON of all the goodies you could get!

ANYWAY, someone else I know and love did this {ahem-Kim}, so hey-it's genius-bribe you wonderful lurkers into being official "followers" !

Good luck,
and BE BLESSED! :)

GCD Studio Giveaway TOMORROW!

GCD-making luxury affordable! :)

We have gotten some of their awesome and price continence product into the store, and here is your chance to win some of it for YOURSELF! :)
They are deciding on their new design team, and to celebrate, some giveaways!
Who DOESN'T like free scrapbook stuff?? :)

So stop by tomorrow!
You could win!!
Good luck!!

Let it snow??

Blistery enough for everyone?
I LOVED all the people (suckers) that were saying "It's spring, it's not going to snow anymore!"
I would say: "Do you NOT remember that it snowed on Easter Sunday last year? It'll snow again!"

It was awfully pretty though.
It'll melt soon... spring snows always do. :)

This is the layout I did for Pink Sketches this week!
Using the new My Mind's Eye...
Be Blessed this snowy cold day!

What have I been doing??

I have no idea! :)

-I made this layout...
That fabulous trim was from a garage sale! The eyelet and the pink! Hard to see, but there is a tulle layer in the flower... I love my butterfly punches! And hat pins... on a kick! And these THICKERS! I am about to run out! AHHHHH!!!! :) I used the fiskars edge punch on My Mind's Eye Journaling paper (new release at the store.)

-Had a root canal... :(

-Went swimming with Alicia at "The Lodge"...
I only have this picture of Brady,
and blurry others.
Why?
Because there was an accident with my everyday lens, (broke in 3 peices kinda accident. :( )
And all I have left is my 75-300 zoom. Seriously. I have been saving for the 50mm f1.4... but I am going to have to settle for the 50mm f1.8 so I can have a reasonable lens in the meantime!

I also think I am going to save for this camera. Can you BELIEVE? The sensor of the 50D and the video (almost) of the Mark? At hundreds LESS than the 50D? Ahem. I can HARDLY stand it! LOL! Thanks a LOT Candi, for pointed this out to me!!! :)

There must be more??

Maybe not! :)

But I have the scrap bug!

Hopefully even today I will create some more. :)

A True Friend

I love My Friend Alicia...

She loves me too, despite my flaws.
And BOY do I have flaws!
Like forgetting things!!
This is not a new flaw.
{sigh}

I want to say, Happy Birthday to my dear friend....

I missed her last week. I usually go to Hearts at Home with her.
I miss her this weekend. She is in Galina (?) with college friends.

ANYWAY, as this layout says: (did this last fall-while in my "Glitz" phase!)
True Friend
My friend in faith
We pray together
I value her strength.

And I do... I value all she does for me!

Be Blessed, my dear friend! :)

Spring bookings...

I am the slowest EVER to set up my photography blog/site... in the meantime, I would like to start booking for the spring!

Infant/Baby, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, children, family, seniors/class pictures, engagement, and even wedding...
Special interest (hobbies/sports), business (want cool pictures of your business for a website or blog?)... just shoot me an email! I have even done a swim team!

I am offering an introductory session fee of $50 for the next few months... so book now to secure that price!
This is within the Quad City Area-but I am willing to travel... just let me know what you have in mind!

Here are a few samples!







This is my philosophy...
I want to capture the essence of the person/people.
I want who and how you are to be captured beautifully...
I want you to be comfortable, and not all posed and smiling for me...
I want you to smile for each other!
I want you to be able to remember these moments in time that may not be captured otherwise!
I want to take the pictures that you will look back at, and there is a feeling-of someone you love, or the way it felt to be back in that moment in time!
I want to capture YOUR wants!

Babies grow, seniors graduate, couples change.
Let me help you remember the moments that will forever matter to YOU!
Of COURSE I am willing to do groups... but in addition, I hope to get silly, and let each person in that group be remember just how they are-beautiful!

Thanks for looking!
pennyscrapbooks@aol.com

Facebook...

OK, so I gave in... if I was asked ONE MORE TIME if I was on Facebook, I was gonna scream.
So I am now (caver).

Kim, 10 minutes in, this is SO much funnier than before I was on facebook (and it was funny then!)

OH MY GOSH! Facebook is a trip! Only in the modern age can "it" scour my email address book looking for anyone that is already on Facebook. Kinda creepy. :)

Enjoy!

BTW!! Add me as your friend! :) Penny Wagner-Smith. :) (so silly-but kinda fun! )

Breathtaking!!

I have never...

Takes my breath away!
I want a video like this!

Now if only I had $3500+ laying around!

I already love Tara Whitney's photography... and now THIS? :)

Enjoy!

Piper Pictures...

To see a impromptu photo shoot we did of Miss Piper, (keep in mind, I used her camera and lens-and Candi processed them-though she did an EXCELLENT job, I must say!!!) Visit Candi's blog HERE!

Enjoy!!

(OK Megan K., I think I got closer with this toes and ring pose! It's harder to get than it looks! LOL!)

A Great Weekend! :)

I got to CROP!
ME!
I didn't have to check anyone's stuff in, or cut cricut letters... I got to crop and shop!
Don't get me wrong-I love to work crops-but I think I needed the break.

Candi (with pretty Piper) came to Scrapaganza on Friday night to the crop-and to give everyone a make and take layout... Kim, Candi and I stayed up chattin' until after 2am (or was it 3am?)!!
Then the next morning (yes, morning!) we left for Des Moines to go to the crop at Archivers together. Candi was already meeting some family/friends, and invited myself and Kim too...
(Isn't Piper a doll!! Looks EXACTLY like Candi!)
It was VERY fun, it went SO fast, and after going to breakfast after the crop ended at 11pm, we again chatted and got to bed at about 3am!!
And then my air mattress had a hole...

I slept this AM (in my own bed-thank God!) until after 10am-I must be too old to stay up that late anymore! LOL!
Oh yeah, and on the way home, we stopped at Memory Bound too...
I was good-I spent more than I wanted to but less than my cap. :)

Thanks Candi for havin' us up!!

(Can you BELIEVE I forgot my camera-must had something to do with my dumping my HUGE box of alpha's in the front lawn on the way to the car! Picture courtesy of Candi's camera! Thanks girlie!))

Here are the layouts I created at the crop! (Minus one that is already at the store!)

I think this one is my favorite of the bunch...
These wings are Melissa Frances-and are at Scrapaganza!
I LOVE these Thickers!! I HAVE to have every color of these!! LOVE them!!
The pictures on this one are not as dark as they appear in the photo (above)... but I love this simple layout also. :)

This one, I just LOVE the colors! These last three are Prima paper... and then I added glitter paper from Doodlebug... it is so bright and cheerful!
And again, these THICKERS!! LOVE them!
(Below also my Pink Sketches Layout! Go check them out!)
This one I struggle with... I am not 100% happy with it, but for now I guess we'll call it done! :)
Overall, (again, I had one more layout that I don't have a picture of yet) I am happy with getting these layouts done!!
I really like crops!
I was able to get what I wanted done with the two bags (one rolling, one shoulder) and the bin of alpha's I brought... I bought more Thickers, but really I had a good mix of things that I grabbed. I use to think I would never bring enough to scrap with, so crops weren't for me-but I think it's OK... I didn't plan every move out, just threw in things that went together (I was mostly working with bright colors and then the pink and blue) and I worked well with my bag of tricks! I even had things for Kim to use too! :) Boy, she packed light! (Too light my friend! LOL!)

Crops-I highly recommend them!! Cuz they are as much fun hanging out with friends as the cropping I got done!

Happy Birthday Gavin!

8?? He's 8???
No way. Not possible.
I left California just over 10 years now.
Not possible.
Grandma came over-he got a new bike. :)
Didn't see that coming.
He looks so BIG now!!
Grandma is also buying a new seat and handle grips for the hand-me-down Gabriel will be getting from Gavin.
Poor dude-hasn't gotten a new bike yet.
So much for no guns...
I justify these cuz they are laser guns... yeah right.
I gave up the idea of no guns awhile ago.
Frog in the boiling water...
Every hear that story?? It is often referred to when Christians allow certain things in their lives.
If you put a frog in water, and slowly heat the water up, he will stay there and adapt until it kills him-slowly, without his really knowing.
Try to throw the same frog in a pot of boiling water, he's "hot" to jump out. Ouch.
There are things we tolerate, cuz "everyone else does it". Or it has become the norm. Slowly . Over time. I will babble about that later. :)

We had cake-WHITE cake.
(I prefer chocolate, myself and Gabriel, Gavin and Grandma prefer white... Jerry stays out of it. He's scared. :) )
Cake is always a big discussion in our family!
We like every excuse to HAVE cake, but there is always discussion about what kind... who has the rights to choose each time.
There should be a chart.
The funny part is, no matter who chooses, those that like the opposite-we suck it up and eat it anyway. (Takin' one for the team, don't ya know!)
Seriously. Cake is serious business!
What is YOUR favorite kind of cake??
If I could have Red Velvet as good as the Red Velvet Sprinkles cupcakes, I would screw it ALL up and get that. :) Candi-do you have a Sprinkles yet in Des Moines?
Is you do-we're moving! :)

ANYWAY-Happy Birthday Buddy!
We talk about their births on their birthday. We share our wonder and joy at their birth. They LOVE that so much!! Doesn't matter how you gave birth (or adopted)-there is always that moment, where you realize your not alone anymore... or that your not 3 (and on).
It's good stuff! And they love hearing how happy we were to have them...

OK, Gabriel's class lead chapel today... they did a little play. He was the bear. :)
I have to say, we don't have a video camera. That last one my Dad bought me, it doesn't work anymore and we haven't bought a new one.
I think I want the new Flip MinoHD.
Not only is the video quality better than it has been, it is also VERY easy, and I'll admit it-I want the cool skin for it! :)

Though I just read a review on the Kodak Zi6... {sigh}. What to do. :)

But really-will my children be damaged irreversibly because they can't watch themselves on video from their childhood?
Well, there are some video's... but there I was standing there this morning with all the parents with their camcorders (and most had still camera's too) and I was thinking-hmmmm.... maybe it's time to replace our video camera.
But I don't want something too hard to run.
That is why I was thinking a Flip (or similar.)
Anyone that knows me knows I have hors of research ahead...
That's just how I roll. :)

SO in the meantime, here are my totally insufficient still pictures. :)
Here ya go Amy!
Thanks for visiting!
Be Blessed!

Baby J.

Honestly, as I make the decision to take photos as more than a hobby, but for others too, I admit it... I leave a session on cloud nine. I ENJOY it! Immensely!
I take the pictures I wish I could have afforded or knew to take even 6 years ago when I had my last baby... I have the starts of the eye I think I am developing now-but I wish I knew what I do now... (Or that digital was affordable the same way it is now.)

What I can do now is offer photography services to everyone...
At this point, I need a few more examples, so I am making some deals. :)

I will officailly launch my photography blog SOON-and photo sessions like this will be posted there-but in the meantime, you all get to see some of Baby J!

There will be more, but I am tired-this is what I got done tonight.

Just a note... I love to get in there and use natural light, and really capture the essence and the moment... I was surprised just how much I DIDN'T have to crop... I did change some to black and white, and played with a couple affects.

ANYWAY, mom and visitors alike: Enjoy!
(and email me at pennyscrapbooks@aol.com for a booking! :)
Babies, children, seniors, couples, families... I'm game. I use natural light, and prefer outdoors (for babies/children old enough.)

Thanks for lookin'!

My favorite so far: (VERY little editing-no cropping!)
Some more: (click on the slide below for a larger look.)