Vintage Lilacs and Shiplap - New Collection available at Society6

Happy spring my friends! Finally! The weather here has been so cold and rainy, but we have finally broken through and are enjoying sunshine, breezes, and flowers! My lilacs bloomed yesterday, so I picked a huge bouquet of them and brought them in the house for a little photo shoot. Because, that's what I love to do! After placing the lilacs on both a white shiplap background and a dark barn wood background, I was in love with the images! And you all were too, based on all the love I got on social media! So I decided to edit the photos up a bit and place them on new products in my Society6 shop!

I want you to be able to bring the reminder of spring and the sweet, fragrant scent of lilacs to your home!

The second look. I love the white shiplap background and then I added a watercolor effect. So dreamy! I am certain it is the romantic in me. Its probably from watching Anne of Green Gables waaaay to many times!

Back to the barn wood and a deeper watercolor effect. Again, so dreamy!

All three of these images are available on different products in my shop. Keep scrolling and take a look at just a few of the items! Oh, and right now, everything is 25% off!

Vintage Lilacs and Shiplap Print

Vintage Lilacs and Shiplap Card Set

Lilacs and Barn Wood Card Set

Lilacs and Barn Wood Framed Print

Lilacs and Barn Wood - A Photograph Canvas Bag

Lilacs and Barn Wood - A Photograph Framed Print

Lilacs and Barn Wood - A Photograph Card Set

Vintage Lilacs and Shiplap Canvas

To view the entire collection click here: Lilacs and Shiplap by Sincerely Yours, Kimberly

(If the images are not showing yet, simply click the description and the images will be available.)

Thank you for your continued support on my new adventures. I deeply appreciate you continuing to follow me. Your purchases speak even louder and fill my heart with joy! Thank you times a million, even a billion! How lucky am I to have such amazing friends!!!!

Sincerely Yours,

where did the summer of 2015 go?

Hello everyone! I don't know about you, but our summer flew by in a rush of activities and traveling and and and. The little man started 4th grade on Monday, so its time to get back into a routine, both at home and here! I thought I would share a little bit of what we were up to this summer. 

The day after school got out, the little man and I headed to northern Minnesota to spend a long weekend with my parents. Spending time on the lake and fishing was a wonderful way to kick off summer. It was a perfect weather weekend!

While up visiting, I got to spend some time with my grandma. She is now 95 years old. I love her dearly, so it was good to catch up and hug her, repeatedly.

My nephew is getting so big and talking so much, its amazing! He loves to play with his E and the feeling is mutual. Here E is showing him how to build his first Lego set. The slippery slope starts so young. :)

We have been attending quite a few Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball games.

Its more exciting now that the Kernels are the Class A affiliate of the MN Twins! It brings more fans to the games, being closer to the Twin Cities, and we get to watch the players develop before they move up! Ice cream and fireworks after the games might also be a big incentive.

We planted quite the garden on our deck this summer. Basil and tons of herbs. Grape tomatoes. Poblano peppers. Green and red peppers. Eggplant. Zucchini. Cucumbers. And sugar snap peas. The basil was quite abundant, so we HAD to eat my husbands homemade pizza often.

On the lawn of Brucemore Mansion in Cedar Rapids, there is a balloon glow. The is the first year we have been able to attend and my parents were also visiting, so it was quite the treat! Music, food, and hot air ballons, plus a fantastic weather evening, made for a memorable night!

Then it was off to our yearly trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Ely, Minnesota. Canoeing there is amazing. The peacefulness. The quiet. The colors and wildlife. It fills the soul each and every time.

Our first paddle was 8 miles with three portages. We paddled Lake One and Confusion Lake. 

E is standing in front of a set of large falls that we had to portage around. The water was very high due to large rain amounts, so it was shocking to see how swift the current moved.

E also got to paddle his own kayak for the first time. He loved it so much, we paddled Lake Shagawa two days in a row!

One of the days it rained, so we headed off to see the sights. E and my mother-in-law were very brave and went into an underground mine. They went down over 1/2 a mile into the earth. No way was I doing that! E was fascinated and is still talking about it to this day!

We spent the rest of the trip at my parents again, relaxing and enjoying the small town 4th of July celebration in my hometown.

Swimming was of course going on this whole time. Our little fishy. He loves the water! All of his hard work paid off as he was the Cedar Rapids All City Fly champion for the second year in a row! This year as a 9-10 and last year as an 8&U. He also took 3rd in the Free and his relay took 1st! It was the hottest day I think I have ever experienced. All that pool water outside, but no getting in to cool off!

He also qualified for the Iowa State Swimming Long Course Championships in two events, which also placed him in two relays! The event was held at the University of Iowa pool, which is such a spectacular facility! It was a great weekend! He dropped time all weekend long. What a great time to swim your personal bests!

Cedar Rapids has a farmer's market downtown every other weekend in the summer. We have only missed one. There is so much to see and do and eat, its a great way to spend an early Saturday morning!

The Titanic exhibit is at a museum not too far from here, so my little history nerd and I checked it out with friends. The stories and the artifacts were amazing! As you walked through the air got cooler and cooler, until you reached a place where they were keeping ice. You could touch and feel and understand just how cold the water and ice truly was. Sadly E and I did not survive, but our friends did.

We broke out the ice cream machine and waffle cone maker. I am still hoping to make one more batch as I also planted chocolate mint. Its mint that smells like chocolate also! It think it will make an incredible flavor!

E also had three science camps this summer. Creating mods for MineCraft, designing apps, and Robotics. He loved them all and our desire for him to be a nerd is now complete. Which makes his nerd mom and dad pretty happy!

We also had multiple visits from my family, my husband's family, and friends of ours from days past in MN have moved here! Its been great catching up with them and helping them get settled, knowing how it felt. Its been 5 years since we have moved here. Time flies!

Which brings us to Monday. When this 59" not-so-little-man started 4th grade. He loves his class and teacher so far and is beyond happy to be back in school. The short course season for swim starts Monday. Here we go again!

I hope you all had a summer full of memories and good times!

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

the summer of '14

Ahhh, summer, the laid-back, relaxing, kick-your-feet up time of year. Oh wait. That wasn't our summer at all! We have been going like crazy all summer. And really, I wouldn't change it for the world! Sorry it has been so quiet around here. Here's a little peek at all that has been happening with us!

This is a personal post, full of photos, so feel free to skip this, if you are looking for paper crafting. :)

The biggest thing this summer was swimming. Both summer rec and USA Swim. The little man was in the pool all summer. He loves every minute. He begs to go to practice. And he works hard. All that hard work paid off as he is the city 25 Fly champ!! His medley and free relays also took first in the city! And he took second in the 25 Free! We are so proud because he earned those ribbons!

This photo is from one of his outdoor meets. I just love it. So much. When I showed it to the little man he said, cool, I look old, and I have GOT to get my head lower in the water when I breathe. Ha. That's my kiddo!

In the end of June we headed to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Ely, MN for our annual trip. We had an interesting paddling journey this time as we battled a very strong head wind on the way back. 

The wildlife and scenery is always so breathtaking. What amazes me most about the BWCA is the quiet. Absolute quiet. Peaceful, soul-filling quiet.

On the way to my parents, a bit farther south in MN, we stopped at Gooseberry Falls in Gooseberry State Park, MN. Its a beautiful set of falls, which considering all the rain up there, was quiet docile. The boys had fun climbing out to the center and all over the rocks.

We continued down the shore to my parents with a stop at Brighton Beach in Duluth, MN. I have always loved this beach, but even more so when my husband got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. (So it was January and -20 below out...you do what you gotta do in winter!) It was a perfect day with my whole family.

One more stop on the way, this is Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton, MN. Stunning falls. Gorgeous rock formations. We had a lot of fun climbing around here!

Sunset on the lake I grew up on. Always gorgeous.

In the end of July I found out that my beloved piano was beyond repairs. Love had blinded me to all its faults and flaws. I played this piano as my dad moved it into the house right after my 10th birthday. I couldn't even wait 5 minutes. My piano has been my best friend. I would play for hours and hours. It was what I was good at. It was my thing. My piano has followed me wherever I have moved. I cried as they moved it out, but the movers were so sweet and let me play it one last time. They also let me keep some of the keys and the top. I have plans for both to keep my happy memories. The new-to-me piano is fabulous and I love it, so my heart is back to full again!

My husband works in the aviation industry and has for almost 20 years. Every year is EAA Airventure, a huge airshow in Osh Kosh, WI. Its been a few years since I have been able to attend and we have never taken the little man. This year was the year! 

The highlight of the visit is always the airshow. To see the planes you have looked at all day in action, in the air, is a thrill! Not to mention the beauty of their flight and patterns.

The show ended with the Thunderbirds. Wow! So much precision and power!

What I am always left with when I leave is gratitude to all the men and women who have served our country to preserve our freedoms. What sacrifice. What bravery. I am humbled.

Our last stop on our weekend away was to visit Madison, WI. We visited the Olbrich Gardens and if you get a chance to stop there, do! The gardens are beautiful! If I had known, I would have planned much more time! I could visit every day and find something new. Not to mention the photography paradise!

Each path has trails and bridges and beauty.

My favorite spot had to be the Thai garden. This garden and building was a gift from Thailand to UW-Madison. It is the only garden like it in the United States! Gold leafing on the building, along with exquisite details, make this like a dream world.

Well, school starts in two weeks and we go back to the pool tonight...we had a busy, but full and happy summer! Hope yours was the same! I will be back soon with the start of the August MFT Release Countdown!

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

April Fool's Dinner

So I just had to share another one of our traditional April Fool's faux dinners! I made this last night for the little man and he loved it! I think he had more fun guessing what everything was, rather than eating it!

Fried Rice: 

Is a cupcake I cut in half, placed on a plate and added more frosting around. Then I poured on Rice Krispies cereal. The peas and carrots are candy I ordered online. The egg is a flattened yellow Tootsie roll cut into small pieces.

found the original idea here

Broccoli:

Green Tootsie rolls stretched out and some split at the top. I rolled the ends in frosting to create a ball and then into green nonpareils. I think this one creeped him out the most. 

found the original idea here

Potstickers:

I purchased a set of presses online and used wheat bread filled with peanut butter. The cook marks were made from me brushing on chocolate syrup. Chocolate syrup is also what the sauce is, with a few sesame seeds added for look.

found the original idea here and so many more

The look on his face is hilarious! Thank goodness for real dinner afterwards!

thanks for letting me share a little bit of our family fun!

~kimberly

whoa!

Long time no chat! Its been a wonderful mad house around here! Our spring break trip to Washington D.C., then a busy week of activities for the little man with a swim team banquet and receiving his Wolf Badge in Cub Scouts, then my parents arrived for a quasi-surprise long weekend visit for my birthday! Tons of fun!

First up, photos from Washington, D.C.:

I took well over 500 photos, so here is a pretty small look at all we visited on our trip. The Lincoln Memorial. The little man's favorite President. He was in awe standing in front of this statue. Then we visited Ford's Theater where Lincoln was assassinated. It was unbelievable. We couldn't believe all the places we stood where history happened. 

The Museum of Natural History. What boy doesn't love dinosaurs? But beyond the dinosaurs, it was a pretty impressive fossil collection. I think the Gem and Mineral display was our favorite. With the butterfly enclosure close behind, at least for me. :) Those photos need their own post. 

We took a day trip to Philadelphia on the Amtrak. A first time on the train for the little man and myself. We saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and so much more all thanks to my wonderful friend and amazing local tour guide, Becky Oehlers. What was really remarkable was standing in the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and then seeing it in person at the National Archives back in D.C.!

Our first night in town, we immediately went down to The Mall. It was a beautiful evening with a full moon. The monuments were even more breathtaking. The scaffolding around the Washington Monument will be coming down in May.

At the end of our trip, we got to tour The White House. Very cool. No cameras are allowed inside. But see that giant lantern hanging by the columns? We walked out right underneath them!

And the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Beautiful building. Amazing views. Sadly, the cherry blossoms were not in bloom. When we planned this trip, we had hoped to catch the earliest blossoms, but it appears the whole country is having a ridiculously long and cold winter. Bummer, looks like we will have to visit again someday!

Paper Crafting news:

I have to confess that I get so busy working on so many great paper crafting projects, that I forget to share with you what is happening! We are busy planning the best issues ever from Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine! The new monthly digital content is so great to work with, we are really able to get creative. And the monthly print special issues are out of this world!

Like this print special issue, Card Creations Vol. 12. I shared some of my favorites from the issue over on the Plugged In with Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Blog. This issue is full of the best cards from the best designers! Its crazy inspiring to me and one I look at constantly!

This is one of my favorite cards from the issue. I stamped on a piece of patterned paper that looks like watercolor with images from several different Avery Elle stamp sets. I love the way I was able to create a larger sentiment as the focal point!

I also have several guest design gigs coming up in the next couple of months. Here is a peek of what I will be sharing with you later this week!

So here is an FYI list:

• The MFT Release Countdown is this week! Another amazing one, again! And a special new product that we cannot wait to share with you!
• You can access and subscribe to the digital monthly issues of Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine here
• You can subscribe and have the monthly print special issues sent to you here
• If you are interested in submitting, check out the publication calls here

thanks for always stopping by!

~kimberly