Last week my oldest, Ethan, got to take the trip of a lifetime! He was honored to have been invited to attend a leadership conference in Washington, D.C. and we were so excited to have him go.

He spent the week in D.C. learning about leadership, visiting all kinds of historic places from Gettysburg to the Museum of Natural History to the White House. He was in his element and his Daddy & I were so jealous as we hadn't been to D.C. since we were his age.

We sent him with only two requests:
1- have a FANTASTIC time and learn a lot and
2 - TAKE PICTURES! I especially requested that he get pictures of himself at these monuments - thus the selfies that would make Kelly Purkey proud! ;)
Here's a little bit of Washington through Ethan's eyes....

1. E and his roommates. 2. Gettysburg battlefield 3. Supreme Court 4. The White House 5. The Capitol 6. The Capitol Rotunda 7. E at the Washington Monument 8. The Washington Monument from the WWII Memorial 9. WWII Memorial 10. Stars at the WWII Memorial (1 star = 100 people killed) 11. WWII Memorial w/ the Lincoln Memorial in the background 12. E at the WWII Memorial (can you tell that was his favorite?) 13. Washington Monument from Arlington 13. The Eternal Flame 14. Tomb of the Unknown with Marine Guard 14. E at Arlington 15. Iwo Jima Memorial 16. and the coolest photo of all? That helicopter? It's Marine One. It had the President on board and it flew over Ethan while on a dinner cruise on the Potomac. Ethan said it had 2 escort choppers as well! How neat, right?!


He really had the best time and the staff and program were first rate. I can't say enough good things about it. I'm so proud of my guy and all he's accomplished!And next time? Next time *I* want to go on that trip!

Stay tuned tomorrow for BasicGrey's NEW CHA-SUMMER RELEASES!!! Are you excited?! I know I am! Trust me when I say they're GORGEOUS!


xoxo,
k.

Happy 4th Anniversary to my dear friends at Studio Calico!! I can't even believe it's been four years already and I'm almost positive can't either! I'm sure it was just yesterday that I met up with April & Shannon for a little GLO (that's girls LUNCH out) at CPK. April had some exciting things she was considering and she wanted to bounce it off the two of us. And *that* began my introduction to all things Studio Calico. I had no doubt even then that it would be something amazing.

So I'm thrilled to say that I've been a Studio Calico girl from the very beginning, right down to being on the original design team. It's my little claim to fame! As a special reward (for me :)) April has asked me and a couple of other past design team members back this month to help them celebrate this amazing birthday! Here is the kit for July that we got to work with:


Pack your bags for a new adventure with July's kit, Mind the Gap! Mind the Gap goes on sale June 28th, 12:00 am EST. Remember, subscribers may order add-ons 12 hours early (June 27th, 12:00 pm EST.)

Isn't it amazing? LOVE this kit. LOVE!

And here's even more fun news direct from the SC newsletter:
Our Fourth Anniversary continues on our blog! We've got four of our past Design Team members back for some fun. Kelly Goree, Caroline Ikeji, Jenn Olson, and Joy Madison will share some new projects using our July kit, Mind the Gap. Be sure to check out their four challenges (and four chances to win!) on July 3rd.

I hope you'll check in with them this month to get in on all the festivities, deals and prizes as well as the challenges! In the meantime, here are the pages I created with Mind the Gap

(As a little hint, this is my layout for my challenge....and it's based off a Becky Fleck sketch who is fabulous for sparking creativity! Now who wants to guess what my challenge is? :))



Thanks again, April & Greg, for letting me be a part of something amazing! Love you guys!

xoxo,
k.

I know I don't have to say (yet again!) how much I love Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine or the amazing people that work for it....I don't have to, but I'm gonna!

I LOVE THIS MAGAZINE and the amazing people that work for it!

I'm so proud to be a part of quite a few of their issues and each time I get one, I think it's better than the last - it's THAT good. Truly. The best part (for you...AND me) is that it is absol-stinkin-lutely FREE! FREE. FREE. FREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't get any better than that! To download YOUR free copy of the Summer issue, simply click HERE!

Here are my layouts from this issue:

Source List: My Mind’s Eye patterned paper, diecuts, twine; Heidi Swapp (Advantus) chipboard alpha, chipboard stars, acrylic paint; Uni-ball pen (white); Pentel pen (black); Century Schoolbook font for journaling (dafont.com); Adhesives by 3L.


Source List: My Mind’s Eye patterned paper, diecuts, stickers; BasicGrey chipboard alphas, alpha stickers; Uni-ball pen (white); Pentel pen (black); Mom’s Typewriter font for journaling (dafont.com); Adhesives by 3L.


Source List: American Crafts Patterned paper, chipboard pieces, metal-rimmed tag, stickers, ink; My Mind’s Eye twine; Bazzill cardstock; Uniball pen (white); Pentel pen (black); Hero Arts stamp; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L; Times New Roman font (there); Cursive Standard font (dafont.com – “friend”); Mom’s Typewriter font (dafont.com – journaling); Quikutz Silhouette (title).

Thank you for allowing me to share, BUT....if you want to see anymore, hurry yourself to THIS LINK and get to downloading! You won't be sorry, I promise!

Have a wonderful Monday!
xoxo,
k.

Today I have to give a little shout out to my friends at Studio Calico. I absolutely love this site and kit club and think April and her crew are one (ok, a few :)) in a million. I've been honored to have a small something to do with this group of people since it's beginning FOUR YEARS AGO (what?!) and am happy to be back this month to help them celebrate their anniversary. Four years is a huge accomplishment in this industry and it couldn't happen for better folks than my fellow Kentuckians April & Greg.

Here's a little sneak with what I've done with their July kit, Mind the Gap. (Such yummy colors - perfect for summer. That yellow? Scrumptious!)




(Check out my old school paper piecing here ;))

And since we're talking scrappy related things, I can't leave this out. Here's a little something from BasicGrey:

Yes, it's true we won't be at CHA Summer as we're taking a little "stay-cation" but we have FOUR new lines that will debut JULY 1st!! Yes, you read that right - JULY 1st! That's just a few days away and a couple of weeks before the Summer Show actually starts! Stay tuned for views and samples from these awesome lines!

And now for the winner of the SUMMER CARD CAMP 2011 class spot -

CONGRATULATIONS to LAB1! Please contact me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com as soon as possible so I can get you registered and ready to go! I hope you have a wonderful time at class and I'll see you there come Monday!

While I'm announcing winners I still haven't heard from my winner of the Oxford goodies! Calling Momma Seigfreid - please, please contact me by Monday morning or I'm afraid I'll have to draw for another winner!

Have a fantastic weekend, all!
xoxo,
k.

Man, I need to get better with my dates and blogging. I know, I know - you don't even need to say it! Here's my attempt to make it up to you. Are you ready?!



As many of you know, there are few ladies as talented at card making as my sweet friends Jennifer McGuire & Kristina Werner. These ladies are seriously amazing and what's even MORE amazing is that they are teaming up to bring you their latest online course: SUMMER CARD CAMP: Focus on Color!

And guess what? As one of their contributing designers, I get to give away a spot to this class! Simply comment on this post with what you'd love to learn from Jen, Kristina or any of the guests and you could be one of the students in this amazing class come Monday!

Please enter by midnight (Eastern) Friday night and I'll announce the winner Saturday! :) And don't worry - if you win my spot and you're already registered, you'll of course get a full refund or you can share it with a friend)! You don't want to miss this!

Happy Thursday!
xoxo,
k.

So sorry it took me so long to post the winner. I actually chose on Friday, but I had a birthday party for my middlest, Father's Day, a visit from my best friend from NJ, and an oldest who left for Washington, D.C. I think it's safe to say I just came up for air!

But without further ado, HUGE congratulations go to:

MOMMA SEIGFRIED! Email me with your addy at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll get your prize right out to you!
Stay tuned for yet another giveaway tomorrow - this time for SUMMER CARD CAMP with Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
xoxo,
k.

CONTEST/GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!

I feel the need to celebrate summer in a small way and the ending of school - so what better than to give away some BASICGREY Oxford!? It's a brand new line just now shipping to retailers so get yours here while you can!

Just leave your name and what you love about summer in the comment section (one entry per person, please) by Thursday, June 16th at 11:59pm Eastern and you could be the lucky random winner of the goodies above! I'll post the winning name on Friday!

Have a great day!
xo,
k.

As many of you know, there are few ladies as talented at card making as my sweet friends Jennifer McGuire & Kristina Werner. These ladies are seriously amazing and what's even MORE amazing is that they are teaming up to bring you their latest online course: SUMMER CARD CAMP: Focus on Color!


Here's a brief description of what all you'll get with this class (hang on to your hats!):

EACH WEEK:
• 3 card ideas and a technique video from Jennifer
• 3 card ideas and a sketch-based video from Kristina
• 6 card ideas from favorite guests
• additional color combination and sketch ideas.

DAILY PDF'S
• a PDF each day in your email inbox starting on the 27th (But you will be able to download the PDFs from the Downloads section of the Summer Card Camp 2011 private blog. So no worries – if you are out of town, you can go back and view the class at any time.)

PRIVATE ONLINE COMMUNITY to share your ideas & creations!

CHANCES TO WIN PRIZES from such amazing companies like:
• Studio Calico
• Hero Arts
• Simon Says Stamp
• My Favorite Things
• Lawn Fawn
• Papertrey Ink
• Ranger / Tim Holtz
• Ellen Hutson
and more.

So in TOTAL YOU WILL GET:
• 48 card ideas
• 8 videos
• 28 color combos
• and have access to a private blog.

Whew!! Are you excited yet?! I know *I* am and I'm even more excited because I get to be one of the guest designers working with these girls! So fun!

Here's a video to talk to you a bit more about the class & how it will work:


Don't forget to register NOW! I'll be posting a bit later in the month to give a spot away for this clas, but don't let that stop you from registering now. If you win my spot, you'll of course get a full refund from Jen & Kristina (or you can share it with a friend)! You don't want to miss this!

Have a great Wednesday!
xoxo,
k.

...here comes my boy!


Ethan - first day of kindergarten & the last day of 5th grade

Please indulge me just a bit as I share this proud mama moment with you. Friday marked a huge milestone for my oldest - he graduated from 5th grade and elementary school. It was an emotional day for all of us - for me because my baby is growing up way too fast and for him because half his class will be going to a different school and it was their last day all together. I expected the girls and mamas to cry, but completely wasn't prepared for seeing all our big guys sharing their tears. It was almost more than I could take.

And so next up is middle school. I'm completely in shock that he's about to do something that for some crazy reason still doesn't seem that far way from when *I* did it. sigh. We're so proud of our bright, handsome young man. He made A/B Honor Roll, got his promotion certificate and a Distinguished medal in Math, Proficient medals in Science and Reading. He's got an incredibly busy summer that starts with football camp - TOMORROW!

Congratulations, Ethan! Have a wonderful summer break. We love & are incredibly proud of you!

xoxo,
mama

(E & a few of his football buddies. Over here boys - the camera's over here! ;))

It's here, it's here! Registration for Scrapbook & Cards Today's Crop & Create in Saskatoon is NOW OPEN! I'm so excited to be a part of this event along side my friends Becky Fleck, Kimber McGray and Vicki Boutin! It's truly going to be an extraordinary event and we so look forward to seeing you there! For registration or FAQ's, check out the website HERE.

There are so many amazing classes that are going to be offered as part of this event and I'm super excited about mine. Here's a brief description of what I'm be teaching and I hope it gets you as pumped up as I am!

Class 1: Paper Mix-Ology!

Are you that scrapbooker who collects sheet after sheet of beautiful patterned paper but has no idea how to mix them together on your scrapbook pages? Are you too afraid to cut into that gorgeous sheet of paper for fear that you won’t be able to “make it work?” Does the idea of using even more than one sheet of patterned paper at a time completely freeze your scissors in mid-cut?! Well, fear not—this class is just for you! Join our patterned paper expert, Kelly Goree, as she takes the mystique and mystery out of using those papers once and for all. In this class you’ll create two double-page layouts that will teach you the fundamentals that will have you mixing up patterned papers as easy as 1-2-3!

Teacher: Kelly Goree
Duration: 2 hrs.
Friday: 8:00 – 10:00 pm
Sponsors: Pink Paislee, Studio Calico

**************************************************************

Class 2: The Designer’s Dozen

We all hunt for those cherished tried-and-true recipes that not only make our lives easier but make us look like we’re Martha Stewart to boot! It’s those favourite go-to basics that save us time and stress in the kitchen and it’s no different when it comes to our scrapbook pages! Join Kelly Goree for a fabulous "scrapbooking baker's dozen!" Well known for her bold use of color, pattern and design, Kelly will teach you how to take your layouts from delicious to extra-yummy with twelve basic design tips! In this class you’ll learn about techniques such as the “rule of thirds” and “focal photos” while you create three fantastic layouts guaranteed to be a hit with those you love!

Teacher: Kelly Goree
Duration: 2 hrs.
Saturday: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Sponsors: Bazzill, American Crafts, BasicGrey
*************************************************************

Have a fantastic weekend!
xo,
k.

Hi, all!!

Happy JUNE 1st! (Seriously? already?!)It's flying by altogether too fast for me. Case in point, early this year, I received an email from Heather at 3 Scrappy Boys asking if I might do a guest designing spot for her sometime in the summer. And all of a sudden it was Summer! And well, HELLO - with a name like 3 Scrappy Boys, it wasn't like she even had to ask!

She generously sent me the June kit, Trio, a few weeks ago and I have completely fallen in love with the bright colors in it. It was so up my alley - especially since I've been such a sucker for YELLOW lately! It makes me HAPPY as you can tell here in this first layout I did with the kit. (Stay tuned a bit later this month for a couple more as well as a little giveaway, perhaps!)


Source list: Bella Boulevard PP and chipboard pieces, Cosmo Cricket PP, Maya Road chipboard word. Other: Studio Calico Mist, Bazzill cs, brown twine



I'm off to awards day (or WEEK at my house!) for Turner & 2nd grade! I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

xoxo,
k.