alexandra rae designs

Creativity takes courage.

2012-03-12T20:27:00.004-04:00

I've been repeating this mantra to myself a lot lately. People think that creativity and creating art is EASY. Because so many people use creativity and creative outlets as relaxing time, it's seen as easy work to some people. But really.. It's anything but. Creativity is draining. And exhausting. And it takes courage and faith to implement your creativity and stand behind your creative thoughts. Creativity takes courage.

Easy or hard, I hope you have faith in your creativity. You are creative, and you CAN do this.

creativity takes courage art by me, Allie. Picture taken at sunset on Spring Lake, Michigan, July 2010.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T16:22:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you! Here's a free download for you, wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day! Want to download one in a PDF file with 3 pictures already on it? Go here.

Thanks to the amazing Katrina from Pugly Pixel for the glitter texture. I highly recommend her $5 a month "premium" downloads.

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Want to share some more love today? Share the love of sharing sources correctly and linking with LOVE.

Ink Blots!

2012-01-23T10:35:00.003-05:00

I'm breaking my self imposed blogging break to tell you that the Ink Blots class my friend Elaine taught this past summer is now available as a PDF download!

It's a great class-- and even better? Yours truly (ME!) got to design the PDF with all of Elaine's great information! Hurrah! It's a bunch of great information and is a great inspiration and creative "boost."

Are you in the mood for more inspiration and creative challenges? Check out my Design 101 e-book download!

Do you have a great idea or class that you want to turn into an e-book download, but you just don't know how? Contact me for great rates for designing YOUR e-book!

12 Days of Christmas (Projects!) Making Your Own Crayons

2011-12-17T22:10:00.002-05:00

For today's Christmas projects, I thought I would grab a tutorial out of my archives and share it with you again-- it's the perfect Christmas present for the young (or young at heart!) ones in your life! You could even make it *MORE* festive by just using red, green, and white crayons!

Here's how to MAKE YOUR OWN CRAYONS!

Materials needed:
Crayons (new or old)
baking tray or muffin tin
liners of some kind (cupcake liners, coffee filters, little paper cups...)
Exacto knife or scissors
an oven (preheat to 350 degrees)

I used *NEW* crayons, because I managed to get 10 boxes of new crayons for 10 cents each at Walmart a few months ago, just for this purpose. If you wanted to be super earth friendly (I usually am...) you could do this with your old, broken crayons. It's a great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle!

Ok, so to begin, make sure you take all of your wrappers off of your crayons--the easiest way I found to do this, instead of ripping off the wrappers one by one, was to use my exacto-knife to slice the wrapper down the side--- then I just peeled it off!

Now comes a bit of "prep" work. What I REALLY wanted to do was make star-shaped crayons with the really cool star muffin tins that we already had in the supply closet, but I didn't make sure that we had all of the supplies before I started (oops!) and we didn't have coffee filters or cupcake lines to cover the muffin tin to make sure all of the wax didn't ruin the muffin tin. Instead, I used these *mini* cupcake liners/candy cups for the new crayons. So if you're doing fun shaped crayons, line the muffin tin with the liners. If you're using the candy cups, separate them and place them in the muffin tin or on a cookie pan. I prefer to use a muffin tin, because if they/you move around the pan and wax spills, you only have one "area" to clean up, rather than a whole pan.

After you line all of your "areas" with your liners, you need to break the crayons and place them into the liners. Group the crayons together in color combinations that you think look pretty together! Try to fill the cups, but make sure you don't have crayons hanging over the edge, because that would just be a mess!

Next, place your trays in the oven and WATCH CLOSELY. You want them to be melted, but not PURE liquid. You don't want the colors to run together and make BROWN, you want niceswirls of color. This takes about 3-4 minutes. That's not a long time, so WATCH CAREFULLY!

Take the trays out of the oven and LET COOL. This actually takes at least 30 minutes before you can "pop" out the crayons from the liners.

***

Ta-DA! You have new crayons! Pair these fun new crayons with a new coloring book, and you have the perfect gift for a young (or young at heart!) friend or family member! How fun!

Digital Scrapbooking....Scrapbooking Central Park

2011-12-17T19:53:00.002-05:00

I've been getting really into digital scrapbooking lately-- shocking, I know, considering my love for scrapbooking and my background as a graphic designer. I haven't been making a TON of pages (I just don't have the time!), but what I do make, I would love to share here.

A little over a month ago, I went to NYC to visit one of my best friends, Liz. We had a great long weekend, and took some fun pictures. Isn't she gorgeous?

Do you digital scrapbook? What's your favorite digi scrapping resource? Mine are The Digi Show and The Daily Digi!

12 Days of Christmas (Projects!)

2011-12-17T19:46:00.003-05:00

Wow, Megan has been kicking my butt on these projects! I have a few up my sleeve this week to share-- but for now, check out the awesome work Megan has been doing!

I love this sheet music wreath!!

And these magnets? Adorable. Head over to Nerd Nest to see them!

12 Days of Christmas (Projects) Nerd Nest Day 1

2011-12-02T13:22:00.002-05:00

Are you already having fun with these projects? I know I am! I love Megan's first project-- an advent calendar from recycled cans! How cute!

Head over there and check it out!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 1-- Creating a fun printable

2011-12-01T15:57:00.006-05:00

I'm thrilled that my friend Megan, from Nerd Nest, asked me to participate with her in a fun series called 12 Days of Christmas! From now until Christmas, we will both be sharing 12 fun tutorials and fun Christmas ideas and crafts!

My first project is very digital-- creating some fun "Christmas/Winter" wall/word art!

So how do you make this? Follow along and I'll show you!

1. Open a blank document in your favorite editing/designing software. I used InDesign, but you could successfully do this in Photoshop, Picnik... anything! I prefer a program with layering capabilities, but that's just me! 2. Choose a phrase that you love that's very "seasonal!" I chose "Let it snow" because I'm so happy it finally started snowing here in Ohio! 3. Choose fun fonts-- my favorite place to find fun fonts is dafont.com. The fonts I used here are kavalier kursive and JF Ringmaster. 4. Make your text fun colors! 5. Add in a fun background!

I had a blast making this fun printable-- Now you can go print YOURS off at your favorite developer-- you can make it small (like 4x6)and print it at a photo developer, or you can make it larger (ex. 8x10) and print it at your local Staples or Office Max.

If you would like, you can download the printable I made to print yourself!

Click here to download the free printable!

I'd love to see what YOU make! Leave links in the comments, or upload it to the flickr group!

Want to have MORE tips for projects like this? Check out my Design 101 PDF class!

Loving lately...

2011-11-29T11:09:00.001-05:00

It's been way too long since I've blogged! So much has been going on in my life-- it's been crazy busy!

For now, I'll share some links to some things that I've been loving lately. I hope you enjoy!

This birthday party from Katie is adorable! Love the decorations!
These pages from Ali Edwards are amazing!
I'm still obsessed with this mini from Amy Tangerine's line!
These blogging resources from Amy at Lemon and Raspberry are awesome!
I want to make these soft pretzels from Kyla Roma for my amazing husband soon!
I love this yearbook votive diy from Elsie! Amazing! I can see some fun Christmas presents from it!
I spent way too much money in Kal's Artshop last week-- I can't wait for my new art to arrive!
I love these products from Kara's new shop. Amazing. For sure going on my Christmas list!

What have you been loving lately? I'd love links!

Keeping busy with photography

2011-11-29T05:21:00.000-05:00

I've been busy with a lot lately, but the thing keeping me the MOST busy is my photography business taking off! I've been doing a LOT of Senior Pictures lately, and I'm LOVING it!

I've even created a facebook page for sharing my photography-- I'd love it if you "Liked" it!

*My favorite way to edit pictures is adjusting the levels, vibrance, and using some Totally Rad Actions*

Beer, Brats, Baby-- Bad A** Baby Shower Invites

2011-10-19T14:43:00.005-04:00

These have to be some of the most creative, fun, and well designed baby-shower invites that I've ever seen. Throw in some Bowling Green Falcon spirit, and I'm totally on board. These-- can I call them gorgeous if they are so bad ass?-- invites are designed by my former editor at the BG News, Taylor. I've always admired her for her awesome design skillz (among other things!), and she never disappoints. Be sure to check out her blog for more design eye candy and to get to know Taylor a bit better-- I promise you won't be sorry.

While You Were Sleeping

2011-10-19T13:24:00.003-04:00

One of my ALL TIME favorite movies is While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock. I usually watch it around the time where I start getting nostalgic for Christmas-time, but don't want to actually break out the Christmas movies. For me, that time is RIGHT NOW. I've seen the movie so many times that I can completely quote the movie. COMPLETELY. Which also makes While You Were Sleeping the kind of movie that is great for me putting on in the background while I am designing or editing pictures. Which I have been doing a LOT lately-- so I've been watching this movie a TON.

It's a little cheesy, but mostly just sweet. It really shows the importance of family and true love... and it's just the most adorable thing ever. If you're in the mood for a great movie that will give you a feel good feeling the entire time you're watching, check out While You Were Sleeping.

Do you have a favorite movie? Why is it your favorite? Do you re-watch movies over and over and over again?

**Links are Amazon affiliate links--but I promise you, I would never, ever recommend something to you that I wouldn't buy myself and love to death.**

Making Your Own Smash Books

2011-10-17T14:27:00.002-04:00

Last month, I did a post on Campfire Chic about making your own Smash Book. For the full post and instructions, head over there. For some visual eye candy instructions, stay here!

Want more ideas on how to make your own Smash Books? Check out my Pinterest boards here.

Have you ever made your own Smash Books? Do you have a *real* Smash Book?

Wedding detail shots...

2011-10-14T13:04:00.003-04:00

I'm dropping in for a quick post today to share some of my favorite "detail" shots from my wedding reception! I'm planning on doing a MUCH longer post about the wedding, but for now, here are some of my favorite parts of my homemade reception!

photos by Elaine <3

Currently...

2011-10-13T05:57:00.000-04:00

This October I've been....

Loving the fall weather that's been happening all around.

Taking oodles of senior pictures for high school seniors around town.

Working at Staples way too much.

Designing wedding invitations for couples.

Gazing at my wedding pictures that Elaine just sent over.

Learning lots at Big Picture Classes, through The Good Life class by Amy Tangerine.

Eating lots of apples that we picked this weekend.

Drinking too many Salted Carmel Apple Spice drinks from Starbucks.

Creating many new prints and posters for my etsy shop and the craft fair I'm in next month.

Planning a trip to NYC to see one of my bridesmaids in November!

This post is inspired by these posts by Elise Blaha-Cripe.

What are YOUR currents?

Ohio is for...

2011-10-12T20:26:00.002-04:00

... gorgeous fall weather. The past 5 days have been the most gorgeous, perfect fall weather that I could ever ask for. It's been perfect for all of the senior pictures I've been taking (3 sessions in the past 5 days! Whew!), perfect for going to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard, perfect for dinner and sunset picnics with my perfect husband, perfect for long drives through the Ohio countryside... perfect. I love Ohio in the fall. LOVE. Of course, winter is going to be coming around soon enough, and I'll probably be telling you how much I hate Ohio winters! So for now, I'm enjoying Ohio for it's perfect weather, perfect photography opportunities, and perfect past 5 days.

Have you been enjoying your fall?

Just Create.

2011-10-07T09:45:00.007-04:00

As you might have noticed, I took a bit of a "blogging break" these past few weeks. Why did I take this break? Well, there were a few reasons:

I started working part-time at Staples, and I've worked WAY more hours than I ever expected, and I come home way more exhausted and frustrated with retail than I ever thought possible.
When I'm not working at Staples I've been taking a TON of senior pictures, designing wedding invitations, and designing a website. I'm loving using my talents!
I've become a little frustrated with the lack of creativity, on my part, as far as blogging goes.

Because of all of this, I decided to take an impromptu blogging break so I could readjust to my new "working girl" schedule, rest my creative brain, and then come back here when I felt inspired and ready to share. Because the minute blogging becomes a chore to me, it's time to step back and re-evaluate.

During this time away, I've realized what really motivates me to get things done: written goals and being held accountable. Which is why I've come up with a few goals and things I want to MAKE SURE I accomplish this month through blogging-- and I'm posting it here so I can be held accountable. So here are my goals:

Don't just PIN projects. Do them. Share them. This month, I want to actually DO 3 projects that I've pinned. And then share them with you.
Share wedding photos, projects, and my invitations.
More video blog posts-- especially tutorials. I would like to to do at least 3 v-logs this month. Is there anything that you would like me to do?
Share some of the projects I've been working on-- the wedding invites I've designed, the senior pictures I've taken, the website I'm working on... I want to share them all with you as they are finished!
Actually get my etsy shop UP and RUNNING. This will happen slowly over this month, but I'll for sure be letting you know when things are up, listed, etc. I have a BIG push to do this this month as well, because I'm going to be in a CRAFT FAIR in November. Super pumped!
Just create. Stay creative. Stay inspired.

Will you help me stay motivated and keep me accountable? Are there any projects or prints that you would like to see?

Have you had any blogging ruts? How did you "get out" of your rut?

Inspired and "Pinspired!"

2011-09-21T18:23:00.004-04:00

Pinterest has just been an amazing source of inspiration to me, especially lately. If I am stuck in a creativity block, I troll pinterest. If I'm not sure what to make for dinner, I head over to pinterest. If I don't have the energy to clean my house or my studio, I head over to pinterest to see other people's beautiful, clean homes, and suddenly, I have the urge to clean.

I'm hoping to make this a regular feature on my blog, so I can share some of my favorite "pins" of the week with you. I'd love it if you "linked up" to some of YOUR favorite inspirational sources for the week! Let's share the inspiration!!

Source: houzz.com via Sheri on Pinterest

Source: itstheskinny.tumblr.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: cateaclysmic.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: amytangerine.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: americancrafts.typepad.com via Amy on Pinterest

A-Z of Allie

2011-09-15T21:59:00.005-04:00

This little survey has been floating around the blogger-verse, and I thought it would be fun! This week has been a crazy week and I haven't even had the chance to breathe, much less blog. Enjoy this little "look" into Allie and I promise I'll be back with more posts soon!

A. Age: 23
B. Bed size: Queen! And it's a gorgeous, brand new, white sleigh bed that is super soft and thick. We got so many great mattress toppers for wedding gifts and just piled them on! So soft :)
C. Chore that you hate: Vacuuming. HATE IT.
D. Dogs: Love them. LOVE. My family dogs are my favorites, but I'm really looking forward to the day Ben finally says "Yes!" to it being "the right time" for us to get a puppy. We want to rescue a pug.
E. Essential start to your day: Catching up on e-mails and twitter on my phone
F. Favorite color: Yellow!
G. Gold or Silver: Silver or white gold <3
I. Instruments you play: Piano, flute, piccolo...
J. Job title: Designer, blogger, "Copy Center Tech (Staples!)"
K. Kids: None right now, but someday, two!
L. Live: Ohio-- the heart of it all!
M. Mother’s name: Corlyn
N. Nicknames: Ben calls me "Boss;" my dad calls me "Pumpkin"... I don't really have many others...
O. Overnight hospital stays: Surprisingly... none.
P. Pet peeves: People using Good/well incorrectly, you/you're incorrectly, and their/they're incorrectly. GRAMMAR NERD ALERT.
Q. Quote from a movie: "What will NY152 say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you. " (You've Got Mail)
R. Right or left handed: Riiiighty.
S. Siblings: Younger brother
U. Underwear: A lady never tells ;)
V. Vegetable you hate: cooked peas. YUCK.
W. What makes you run late: Hitting the snooze button wayyyyyy too many times.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Just my teeth!
Y. Yummy food that you make: I make a really awesome chili/cheese/frito dip... and I make awesome pesto noodles :)
Z. Zoo animal: I'm a big fan of the monkeys. Or the manatees....

(photo by Chelsea!)

Antique store break...

2011-09-12T14:02:00.002-04:00

I needed a little break from designing and coding today (Graphics for Bloggers started today! Still want a spot? You can still grab one!) so I took a trip to the crowded (with cool stuff!) antique store near my house. It was a great break, and I got some fun pictures. I didn't get anything, but I got a lot of fun ideas-- and there's still some things I might go back and get!

Where's your favorite place to go for a break from working?

Graphics for Bloggers-- starting soon!

2011-09-09T16:23:00.002-04:00

Graphics for Bloggers is starting soon! Have you grabbed your spot yet?

All log-in information has gone out to those who have purchased or won a spot! If you purchased a spot but haven't gotten your information, email me (alexandraRbandy@gmail.com) and we'll get it worked out!

Not ready for a live class just yet? Take the self-paced class (a PDF download!), Design 101!

Be on Paperclipping Roundtable... CHECK!

2011-09-09T15:58:00.003-04:00

That's right! I had one of my HUGE dreams come true this week! I got to be on an episode of Paperclipping Roundtable! I was lucky enough to be on with one of my heros, Elise Blaha, as well as one of my scrappy friends, Megan, and it was a BLAST! I've started listening to "my" episode a few times, but I can't get over how weird it is to hear my own voice!

Head over there and listen to an episode all about making your own mini-books! You can even subscribe in iTunes!

Are you here from the Roundtable? WELCOME! I'm so excited for you to visit! Want to know more about the graphics and design classes I talked about on the show? Check out the Graphics for Bloggers class here and the Design 101 class here!

I'm so excited!!

Have any of your dreams come true lately? I'd love to hear about them!!

Amusement park fun...

2011-09-08T21:32:00.004-04:00

I'm lucky enough to live really close (less than 2 hours away) from one of the best amusement parks in the world--Cedar Point. They boast some of the biggest, fastest, and MOST roller coasters in the world. My friends and I usually make a point to go at LEAST once a summer, but at the end of this summer, we realized that we hadn't gone in YEARS since we've been so busy.

Two weeks ago, we decided to take an evening trip (cheaper tickets!) to Cedar Point--it was both a "there's nothing to do in town tonight" and a sort of "good bye/final hurrah" for my best friend, Sonia, who moved to Maine this week to work with AmeriCorps. Going in the evening was such a great choice for us-- not only were there cheaper tickets, but we got to ride ALL of the rides that we wanted to because there were less people!

While the rides were a LOT of fun, and spending time with Sonia and Ben was even better, my favorite part of the trip was taking pictures of the rides with my phone-- I had so much fun with Instagram! Even though there are a lot of bright colors and tacky signs all over, it was a lot of fun to make the pictures look like old time festivals and carnivals.

We had a blast on this trip and can't wait to go again! Even though Sonia left, Ben and I are planning on going back to Cedar Point this year for "Halloweekends"-- they do a great job at Halloween!

What are some of your favorite photo apps on your phone? Have you gone to any amusement parks this summer?

my new job!

2011-09-07T18:15:00.005-04:00

Many of you saw on twitter today that I had my "first day" of my new job today. I've kind of kept it "on the DL ("down low")" because I wasn't sure how I would feel about it-- but I LOVE IT!

I'm working in the Copy & Print Center at Staples-- which is really cool because I love nerdy things like color printers, using the laminators, AND I actually get to use my degree! It's part-time, so I can still work on my "business" and I have full plans to continue on with getting my etsy shop up and running---but it's nice to feel like I'm contributing to our household income! It's also nice to get out and actually get to TALK to people! I got a little lonely being at home all alone all day!

It was cool starting a new job today-- when a lot of other people are "going back to school" and starting new things--I was getting nostalgic and missing college already, so this came at the perfect time!

Did you start anything new and exciting today?

The one where Allie kicks off fall with an art fair...

2011-09-06T12:41:00.002-04:00

At 10pm on Sunday night, Ben (my husband) and I decided to head down to Columbus for Labor Day with my parents to go to an art fair--it was near my aunt and uncle's house, and my aunt was a judge. And it was perfect "fall" weather (I even wore a sweatshirt!) and the art was great, the food was great (lots of food trucks!) and it was so nice to see my family.

I also loved observing how different artists set up their booths-- My favorite was one that used a lot of colorful bunting!

What did YOU do for Labor Day?

I used blog templates for the pictures from Pugly Pixel! Love them!

Labor Day BIG Giveaway!

2011-09-05T04:47:00.001-04:00

Happy Labor Day! I hope you have something fun planned--a cookout or a relaxing day at home! I'm excited to go to an art fair and spend some time with my family and my husband!

To make Labor Day a little more fun for YOU I have a BIG giveaway for my readers! To one lucky reader, I will be giving away a FREE spot in my Graphics for Bloggers class that is coming up this month, AND a free copy of my PDF class, Design 101!

How do you win? There's a few ways! Pick just one, or pick all 4 to better your odds of winning!

Comment on this post and tell me your favorite thing about fall!
"Follow" me on Google Friend Connect, Google Reader, or Blog Lovin' and tell me that you're a follower in the comments!
"Tweet" about the giveaway--be sure to link the giveaway in your tweet and mention me (@abandy) in the tweet so I know who to give credit to!---Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know you tweeted! Need an idea of what to tweet? Try this: I just entered to win BIG with @abandy from Alexandra Rae Designs! You should enter too! http://tinyurl.com/2dvschz
"Like" Alexandra Rae Designs on Facebook!

Giveaway will close on Thursday at 10pm EST. Good Luck!

Don't want to risk not winning? Buy your spot in the Graphics for Bloggers class or a copy of my PDF class, Design 101 today!

Guest Post: Allison of Crafted Love and Ohio Blogger Meet Up!

2011-09-05T00:33:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Allison Kaye of Crafted Love here! For the longest time I was sure I was the only Ohio blogger in the universe. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to find anyone else in this little state who shared the same hobbies I did... blogging.

Lucky for me, a while ago I "met" Chelsea and Allie and together, we have decided to put an end to all the waiting!

You are cordially invited to the first ever [as far as I know] Ohio Blogger Meetup! It is going to take place Saturday, October 8th in Columbus, Ohio. The plan is to meet up and do a Gallery Hop and possibly go to a local craft store for a fun class or just to hang around. To end the night we might head somewhere for dinner and/or drinks but first, we need to get a head count!

If you are interested, we would love if you would head over to the blog we have created just for this event-- ohiobloggermeetup.blogspot.com--

This is not an exclusive event- it's open to ALL bloggers, so if you have friends that don't read this blog or our blogs, but would like to come, please reach out to them and direct them to this post. You also do not need to be in Ohio to come to this meetup! If you're from Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, or just happen to be visiting, we want to meet you too! If you'd like to grab the photo below and post it on your blog to spread the word, that would be awesome too! Just be sure to point back to the blog so we can have the initial RSVPs all in one place. I really hope we have a great turn out, and I'm anticipating that we will! It's going to be tons of fun, and a fantastic way to meet new people and connect with other bloggers in the area!

I can't wait to see how many people are interested and planning to come!

XOXO

Allison Kaye

30 Days of Lists-- my mini book

2011-09-04T22:12:00.003-04:00

For how excited I was for 30 Days of Lists to start, I sure got behind quickly! I realized I never even posted about my book!

I FINALLY finished my book--late-- and it ended up being a really random assortment of extra papers I had lying around--lots of colored paper, a lot of notebook paper, and a lot of that fun "printer paper" that have cool designs on them. The cover is made from Kraft cardstock, and I plan on binding it with book rings. I love it in it's randomness.

I'm loving the prompts this time around-- Kam, Amy, and Justine have done a great job with this!

Are you participating in 30 Days of Lists? There's still time to sign up if you're not! I think it's a great concept and it's already a lot of fun! How are YOU documenting your September?

"Pin"spired this week...

2011-09-02T20:17:00.002-04:00

This week I have been really inspired by my boards on Pinterest. From crafts and scrapbooking to fashion to cooking and organization, I've been loving what I've been seeing. Check out some of my favorites, below.

Source: amytangerine.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: balzerdesigns.typepad.com via Julie on Pinterest

Source: None via Allie on Pinterest

Source: notonthehighstreet.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: corduroydreams.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: closetcooking.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: make-happy.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

What has been inspiring you this week?

"Life begins at seventeen"-- a peak inside my "smash" book

2011-08-30T09:26:00.006-04:00

The other day, my mom looked at me and exclaimed, "Allie! I just got an e-mail from one of my stores about these new... "books" that you put clippings in, etc."

I got super excited and asked, "You mean SMASH books? How cool are they?!?"

She looked at me, shocked, and said, "They are just EXACTLY what you have been doing for YEARS!"

And she is right.

Although I haven't been keeping up with my own "Smash" books for the past year/year and a half (graduating and getting married tends to put a damper on my time ;) ) throughout high school, I would buy loads of composition notebooks when they were on sale and completely stuff them full of clippings, drawings, lists-- whatever I wanted! The composition book I have pictured is my favorite one-- I just found it the other day in a pile of things that my parents sent over. I love the xanga (yes, xanga!!) entry from Ben's xanga when we first started dating that I printed out; I love the colored pencil lists that I made--things that made me happy, things I love... all of it. I found pages where my notebook had been passed around in Chemistry and Calculus and my friends and I joked around together--like one really long passed note between us all. It gives such a perfect "snapshot" of what my life was like when I was a senior in high school. I don't know how I forgot about this.

I encourage you--if you've been drooling over the "Smash" books like I have-- remember that it's not the "casing" or book that important-- it's the snapshot of your life that you put in it that's important. I'm sure there are still some composition notebooks on sale in the big box stores-- go grab a few, grab some old magazines, clippings and your colored pencils. Get to work making a snapshot of who you are in this moment. I promise you won't regret it.

Do you have "Smash" books from high school or college? Do you have a "Smash Book" of your own? What is your favorite part of it?

Benefits of Graphics for Bloggers!

2011-08-29T16:49:00.003-04:00

Amy asked me the other day, "What are some of the benefits to taking Graphics for Bloggers?"

And that got me thinking. wow.

We've talked about the specifics of Graphics for Bloggers. We've talked about why you should use graphics in your blog (both on this blog and at Campfire Chic), but have I talked about the benefits you would receive for taking the class? Nope.

So what are some of the benefits?

First off, we'll be dabbling a little bit in Photoshop. I'll be teaching you some basics for creating graphics and using some tools in Photoshop.

Benefit? You learn a new program, new tips, etc, and that can help not only with graphics, but with editing your photos as well. And you have someone to guide you along--no stumbling around on your own!

Second off, we'll be learning how to upload and store our photos on multiple sites-- including, but not limited to: Flickr, Photobucket, Wordpress, Blogger, and Typepad.

Benefit? You'll be learning about these sites and their photo storage. This will help you because it is a small part of storage "back up" as well as ways to make your "blogging with graphics" easier!

We'll also be talking about some design basics so your graphics can look their best.

Benefit? You learn design basics that can help you in other creative endeavors-- scrapbooking, art journaling, painting, design work...

We talked about this before, but why should you USE graphics in your blog? Here are some quick reasons:

It adds visual interest.
Highlights important phrases or ideas.
Illustrates a point.
Gives your readers something to "Pin."

An added Benefit of using graphics? I truly believe that blogs that use graphics have more readers!

Want to know more about using graphics in your blog posts? Or even just creating graphics to use on your blog? Want to learn a few Photoshop skills? Check out "Graphics for Bloggers."Hurry! Class starts on September 12th!

Want to know more about some design basics before you sign up for Graphics for Bloggers?Check out my downloadable PDF, Design 101!

mini-book "cheating"

2011-08-26T16:24:00.005-04:00

A couple months ago, I took Stacy Julian's "Finding Photo Freedom" course. It was a great, great, great class, and I learned so much from it. One of the things that I REALLY took from it was a mini-book idea--using small photo albums!

I found this small photo album (with GLITTER on the front! ::squeal::) at Target for a mere $2, and when I saw that the glitter insert came out easily, I snatched it up. As soon as I got home, I started embellishing.

I made this as a little "photo album" for myself with pictures of my bridesmaids. Every one of my girls means the world to me, but NONE of them live in the same city. This is a little book for me to look through when I miss them bunches. I can't wait to add more pictures of them when I get more of my wedding photos back!

I love this mini! So much so that I went BACK to Target and grabbed 2 more. I can't wait to embellish those!

Graphics for Bloggers FAQ

2011-08-25T16:40:00.003-04:00

I've gotten a lot of questions about Graphics for Bloggers--I thought I would answer some of them here!

Q: What is Graphics for Bloggers?

A: Here are some of the basics:

What? Graphics for Bloggers-- an online class that will show you how to create and share graphics for your blog--to be used in your blog design or blog posts!! I'll be teaching you through text posts, graphics of my own, and a LOT of video demos through screencasts, etc!

When? September 12th-23rd, 2011

Where? Hosted on a private blog-- students will get log in information on September 1st (or sooner!)

How much? $15 USD

Q: What will we be learning?

A: A lot! We're starting with some of the "basics" for creating graphics for your blog. We'll talk about why you need graphics in your blog, how to create backgrounds, headers, widgets, and graphics to go in your posts! I'll show you some cool "basics" and "cool things" to do in Photoshop for your graphics. I'll also explore a little bit in a couple of other programs. We'll also talk about how to save and upload your new graphics to your blog!

Q: Is this an instant download?

A: Nope! This is a full class! You'll have to check the private blog every day for new posts! This is great because we can create a sense of "community" and encourage each other!

Q: When will I get my log-in info?

A: I'll be sending out log-in information on September 1st! If it's past September 1st, you'll get your log-in info within 24 hours of your payment clearing.

Q:Do we need to have Photoshop & Picnik already installed on our computer for this class?

A: Nope! Not yet! If you would like to purchase a copy of Photoshop to use for this class, go ahead and install it/buy it, but if you're just planning on using the trial period of Photoshop (which is free!) then don't install it yet!

Q: I'm SO EXCITED. Where can I sign up?

A: You can go here to see the original post and sign up or click on the pay pal button below!

please make sure your pay pal e-mail is correct! That's where I'm sending your log in information!

I hope I answered some of your questions and got you PUMPED UP for Graphics for Bloggers! I hope you join in on the fun! I think even experienced bloggers could learn a lot from this! Have more questions? Ask in the comments!

Anxious to start learning? Want to get some design basics down first? Check out my e-book Design 101!

Artist Inspiration: Amy Tangerine

2011-08-24T22:38:00.005-04:00

As you might have noticed, every few months, I become obsessed with a new artist or craftster. Recently, probably because of the launch of her new line, I've become obsessed with Amy Tangerine. Her work is adorable, fun, and colorful! I love it! I even signed up for one of her self-paced classes at BPC and will probably be signing up for her upcoming class as well. I love her work!

Source: amytangerine.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Bummer and a wipe-out

2011-08-24T15:23:00.003-04:00

I've been feeling the "bummers" lately. I'm getting stressed out with my goals and visions, and instead of looking at things in a step by step manner, I'm looking too much at the big picture and getting stressed out with "how will I get to this point?" To make things even worse, my camera stopped working--when I have 4 photoshoots coming up. #frustrating.

To top it all off, I had a major wipe-out on a major road in town yesterday-- I skinned up both my knees and even more on my leg where my tires rubbed up against my leg. I'm not sure what hurt worse--my pride or my knees.

Forgive me this pity party post... I promise I'll be back later with a new obsession that is full of creativity and color. Get excited!

Wedding Photobooth

2011-08-23T13:20:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite parts of the entire wedding was the photobooth that we had a our reception. It was a blast, and I love the scrapbook that the photobooth people made for us at the end! Totally a great idea and a lot of fun!

*Last photo by Elaine!*

Why use graphics? Graphics for Bloggers

2011-08-18T22:35:00.004-04:00

I have an online class coming up--Graphics for Bloggers-- and I have had some fun writing the lessons and prepping for it.

Some of you may ask-- "Why do I need graphics in my blog?" I did a guest post over on Campfire Chic that covers that pretty well-- to sum it up here:

Why Use Graphics?

It adds visual interest.
Highlights important phrases or ideas.
Illustrates a point.
Gives your readers something to "Pin."

Want to know more about some design basics before you sign up for Graphics for Bloggers? Check out my downloadable PDF, Design 101!

Found 'Round

2011-08-15T21:15:00.004-04:00

Some links that I'm loving lately...

So in love with this collection of nail polishes from Lex!
Great post from Elise about changing eating habits.
Awesome post and tips from Kam about productivity killers and how to help "kill" the productivity killers!
Great tips for how write great posts.
Seriously. Sign up for 30 Days of Lists. You won't regret it!
Loving seeing my wedding pictures pop up on my photographer's blog! Thanks Elaine!

What are some links that you're loving? I love finding new inspiration!

Some sneak peaks...

2011-08-14T21:46:00.004-04:00

As expected, my wedding weekend was one of the best weekends of my entire life. It was amazing to be surrounded by all of the people that I love with my whole heart.

I was so thankful that Elaine, one of my closest blog friends, was able to be there to capture my day. She did BEYOND an amazing job. (Psssst! She has more pictures on her blog!)

More details and pictures to come!

(All photos done by Elaine! She's amazing and does AMAZING work!!)

Guest Post: Love, Chelsea Lauren

2011-08-11T05:35:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! I’m Chelsea and I blog over at Love, Chelsea Lauren. I was super excited when Allie emailed me & asked if I would guest post while she’s busy getting ready for her wedding! Now, I’m not married just yet, so I don’t have a lot of wedding advice to offer, but I do have a fun DIY project that’s good for anyone moving into their first apartment!

When you move into a new place, it’s easy to get caught up in spending money on all the necessary things and not to worry about those little touches that make things feel like a real home. The point of this project is to use what you have. Don’t go spending a lot of money! I’m sure you have all the supplies you need on hand.

What you need:

- Large frame - use one that you already have at home or go find one at the thrift store. I bought mine for $1.91 at a Goodwill.
- Canvas, posterboard, or large paper - anything you can create on!
- Paint, magazine clippings, photos - anything that makes you happy!

You can do this project in any order, but I’m going to start with the not-so-fun stuff so you can get that out of the way.

Step 1: Choose your frame. I found this beautiful piece of art for less than $2. I mean, although that little pastel girl in a field is precious, but not really my style. Haha. Tip: try to find one that will be easy to take apart.

(The frame I used is in the middle there. I was working on a ton of DIYs at the time!)

2. Disassemble your frame. Most old frames have those little prongs that you need to lift up and take the back out. I somehow ended up with this monster that had screws all the way around. Don’t get mad if yours is the same -- that just means you get to use TOOLS! Take the back off and thoroughly clean the glass.

Step 3: Here’s the fun part! CREATE SOMETHING! You don’t have to be an artist. Paint something that makes you happy. If paint intimidates you, print out your favorite quote or cut out images from your favorite magazine. Make a collage of your favorite photos. Anything that is important to you and will make you smile every day! Get creative and don’t rely on buying something.

I painted this little cloud poster on a thin canvas in all my favorite colors. I then outlined the clouds with a Sharpie.

Step 4: Assemble your new creation in your frame. Try to keep things intact -- if your frame came with a mat, reuse it! If it didn’t, you can easily create one with a posterboard and an x-acto knife.

You’re all done!

Now you have a new piece of art that cost you next to nothing!

Here are some ideas on how to personalize this project:

Paint the frame in a color that you like
Frame your favorite scrapbook page
Cut out shapes or letters from your favorite magazine pages or patterned paper
Doodle or write out your favorite quote.

Guest Post: 30 Days of Lists

2011-08-10T05:41:00.000-04:00

Hi ARD readers!

We're Amy, Justine, and Kam and we want to tell you about a project we are bringing back this September called 30 Days of Lists.

We love two things: lists and being creative in our own way.

We came together to create a project that involved making one list each day for 30 days, invited some friends to join in, and the rest is history!

That's what we will be doing this September: Posting a new list topic each day, sharing our lists, posting your lists, hosting giveaways, sharing creative tutorials, and bonding over a common love for lists.

Don't have much time to spare? That's okay! We saw all sorts of creative ways to document lists: from a few items scrawled on a sticky note to elaborate pages using paint, newspaper clippings, and photos! There is no wrong way to make a list.

Want to know more? Check out the new 30 Days of Lists website, the Flickr pool with almost 2,000 images, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. Newsletter subscribers get up-to-the-minute news on what we're doing behind the scenes and what can be expected for the September edition of 30 Days of Lists.

Ready to start? Register for 30 Days of Lists for a mere $6! You can find out how to register through our website.

Do you like to make lists?

Did you participate in the last round of 30 Days of Lists?

2011-08-08T11:39:00.003-04:00

Chelsea sent over some more pictures from our meet-up on Friday. We had a blast, and I love having new pictures of myself, as selfish as that sounds! It's weird thinking that these are some of the last pictures of me as a "single lady!" And I'm still super jealous of her new lens!

What are some of your favorite pictures of yourself?

Lusting over... photography edition

2011-08-06T04:57:00.002-04:00

I'm lusting over a lot of camera related goodies lately...

This camera bag from Jo Totes....

This lens from Canon, sometimes called the "nifty fifty" and I wholeheartedly agree!

and of course... I'm drooling over a new camera:

I'd love this camera (also from Canon)

What are you lusting over right now? Do you have any camera recommendations to a Canon girl who is looking to upgrade from a very old Rebel?

( Disclaimer: I'm an Amazon Affiliate, which means I earn a teeny tiny commission if you click on one of my Amazon links. I promise, however, that I would never link to or recommend something that I don't love or think that you would too!)

When bloggers get together...

2011-08-05T20:20:00.003-04:00

...it's a blast!

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting my friend Chelsea from Love, Chelsea Lauren in "real life." We had lunch at Bob Evans, and then ventured to Kingwood Center to have some fun with our cameras. It was lovely and I had a blast!

We... tried jumping pictures....

...took lots of pictures.... (and I had a chance to drool over her "nifty fifty" camera lens!)....

....and just generally had a great time!

Have you ever met a blogging friend in real life?

Yellow obsessions

2011-08-04T21:12:00.002-04:00

The closer we get to the wedding, the more obsessed I become with two yellow things...

.... yellow flowers. Yellow flowers of all kind will be ALL OVER the reception. And I'm excited about that.

.... and my yellow-cased iPhone (and the non-yellow man holding my i-Phone). This thing has been a GODSEND with the lists, the phone calls, and the desperate venting tweets. Love everything about it.

Just over a week to go. I'm slightly freaking out, trying not to stress out (and failing miserably) and getting so excited to hang out with my favorite girls and marry the man of my dreams. Oh yes. All smiles around here.

Running on empty...

2011-08-02T12:57:00.005-04:00

With the wedding fast approaching, I keep finding myself saying, "After the wedding, I'll do...." I have so many thoughts, ideas, and plans to put into action for Alexandra Rae Design, but just no time to make it happen right now, since there's SO many wedding related things that are grabbing my attention. I'm quickly losing motivation for those things that I have planned for after the wedding, and I don't like it at all.

To help cure this, I've gone back through some of my favorite "inspirational" posts from some of my favorite bloggers to help get me back on track/get me pumped for everything after the wedding. I thought I would share these with you guys, just in case you need a "boost," like me.

Enjoy!

Source: eliseblaha.typepad.com via Allie on Pinterest

This post from Elise is great on motivation

This post (also from Elise) is amazing (on small business tips and tricks.)

Leigh-Ann always has a great "setup" (see below) and tips and tricks for businesses. And you should probably take Indie Biz at some point from her as well :-)

Source: frecklednest.typepad.com via Allie on Pinterest

Moorea has been doing some great posts around the internet on her tips and tricks for staying motivated. Check them out here and here.

Hope these are helpful to you too!

30 Days of Lists

2011-08-01T19:35:00.005-04:00

30 Days of Lists Pre-registration is here! HURRAH!

30 Days of Lists is such a fun project and community. I did the challenge in March, and I loved it so much that I became a sponsor for the September edition!

I think you should pre-register. Because it's cool, and if you pre-register, you will be cool too ;-) Plus, there are a ton of free printables, tutorials, and giveaways going on if you pre-register. Which is super cool. And you might see someone familiar (cough, me, cough) over there with TWO free downloads.

What are you waiting for? Are you joining in on 30 Days of Lists? How are you documenting it?

(photo by Kam)

Self portraits.

2011-07-29T14:44:00.004-04:00

Today, totally inspired by Elise's new photos, wearing my favorite dress/jean jacket combo, wanting to try out my new tripod and remote... I took some self portraits. Sure, I forgot some things--like to put on make-up, make sure my hair wasn't crazy, to mow the yard, and make sure I didn't pose like a cheeseball. (Totally failed at that).

But how nice is it, even if they are cheesy, to have pictures of yourself? Love it.

Outfit details:

Jacket.

Dress (American Eagle).

Sunglasses: Coach knockoffs.

Shoes via my MIL.

Found 'Round

2011-07-25T09:48:00.003-04:00

That's right! Found Round is back after a long break! Yay!

Some links I've found online that I love lately....

I guest posted over on Kam's blog about using graphics in your blog posts.
I'm so excited to be participating in "A Week in the Life" with Ali Edwards and a million other people this week! Are you participating?
I love this print that I found via Elise.
I'm loving the "Finding Photo Freedom" class that I'm taking at Big Picture Classes and I want to sign up for like, 8 more classes!
I'm excited for Amy's new class, Onward and Upward!
Please tell me you've seen all the hype for 30 Days of Lists: September! If not, GO CHECK IT OUT!

What links are you loving lately?

You cannot do everything.

2011-07-22T12:46:00.003-04:00

I'm slowly trying to figure out this freelance thing. There's so much I want to do, so much I want to be good at, share and just.... DO. But I cannot do everything. And trying to do everything is... not going to work I think. I need to find that ONE thing that is my niche, my forte, and develop that. I need to find out who I really am as a designer, a business woman, a freelancer.

P.S. Want to learn how to make graphics like the quote above? Check out my newest online class.

Friday Flickr Favs

2011-07-22T05:23:00.001-04:00

1. Seeing, 2. todolist, 3. dresser and jewelry., 4. leap, 5. page 23, 6. In My Car. Outside His Apartment. Steering Wheel in my Hands., 7. MAINCONTENT, 8. FreelanceMattersPM, 9. Scrap Corner, 10. Craft Room

A little peak of what I'm loving right now. Want to see more? Check out my pinterest boards as well.

On my list today:

Go to the craft supply store for some wedding supplies
Get our marriage license
Post office
and I'm sure a million other wedding tasks ;-)

What are you up to today?

Absent

2011-07-21T22:02:00.002-04:00

It's crunch time. Wedding lists, details, and "to-do's" are sort of taking over my life right now. Less than a month, and I'm so beyond excited.

P.S. The wedding planner I'm using can be found here. And I love it.

Giveaway Winner: Nerd Nest!

2011-07-19T13:29:00.003-04:00

I'm FINALLY announcing the giveaway winner for the NERD NEST giveaway during Scrapbook Week!

Congrats... Carrie!

Congrats Carrie! Please contact me and I'll get your name to Nerd Nest so you can collect your prize!

Announcing... Graphics for Bloggers!

2011-07-19T10:18:00.004-04:00

I'm so excited to be announcing my next online class!

I think that using graphics in blog posts is incredibly important-- not only do graphics add visual interest to posts & draw in readers, but they make posts more FUN!

For my next online class, Graphics for Bloggers, I'll be teaching you how to make your OWN graphics!

So what will we be learning about in this 2 week online class?

Some design basics to use as the "base" for creating your graphics
A LOT of the basics for programs to create your graphics (we will be exploring a lot of Photoshop and a little bit of Picnik, but more on that later!)
How to create really cool text graphics
How to create really cool photo graphics
How to create charts
Many, many, many ways to upload these photos and graphics to your blog.
and so much more!

MORE Details:

When? September 12th-23rd, 2011

Where? Hosted on a private blog-- students will get log in information on September 1st (or sooner!)

How much? $15 USD

Have questions? Ask in the comments!

Can't wait to get started and want to learn some of the design basics now? Check out my Design 101 PDF!

I love paint...

2011-07-15T05:18:00.000-04:00

So Excited: HP7.5

2011-07-14T14:01:00.002-04:00

I know the interenet is all a twitter (ha!) about the Harry Potter FINAL MOVIE. And as much as I don't like to be a bandwagon fan... I'm totally with them all. I'm SO EXCITED. My friend Ryan and I are going to the midnight showing (we had to get 12:02 instead of 12:01 because they were sold out! Boo!) and I'm super pumped. I've been rereading the books and listening to them on tape the past 2 weeks, and I'm so so so excited.

This is the end of such an era for me. I have such mixed feelings about this REALLY being the end of Harry Potter. It's been such part of my life, and I'm sad to see the anticipation for Harry Potter things go.

RECAP: Scrapbooking Week!

2011-07-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

Last week was SCRAPBOOK WEEK and it was a ton of fun! Here's a recap, just in case you missed something!

One of my favorite features of Scrapbook Week was *Artist Inspiration* ... and I featured some awesome people! Check them out...

I LOVED having some awesome people guest post!

Elaine shared some awesome tips for creating travel albums!

Kam from Campfire Chic shared some of her favorite products!

.... and Megan from Nerd Nest shared some awesome mini books and is even doing a GIVEAWAY! There's still time to enter, so head over here to win a mini book!

What was YOUR favorite part about Scrapbook Week?

Vlog Q&A

2011-07-12T15:33:00.004-04:00

Today I am battling my fears and posting a vlog! A secret about me: I hate my voice, and I'm totally awkward. But I've been feeling that this blog doesn't feel like there's much "Allie" in it, so I threw fear into the wind, started up the camera on my laptop, and just clicked "record." Ach. Sorry for the laptop bouncing around there.

This post/vlog was inspired by my girl thursday and her Q&A vlog that she did a few weeks ago. I did this as a response to her vlog and I would love it if you link me up to yours if you do one!

Here are the questions:

1.Do you have a middle name?

2. What was your favourite subject in school?

3. What's your favourite drink?

4. Favourite song at the moment?

5. What would you name your children?

6. Do you participate in any sports?

7. Favourite Book?

8. Favourite Color?

9. Favourite Animal?

10. Favourite perfume?

Scrapbooking Week: Artist Inspiration: Noell Hyman

2011-07-08T15:40:00.004-04:00

Noell is the face....er "voice" behind one of my new favorite things: Paperclipping Roundtable. Of course, a show all about scrapbooking has to have an amazing scrapbooker behind it! Here are some of my favorite pages from Noell:

(This one is my favorite!)

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week fromAlexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

[GIVEAWAY] Scrapbooking Week: Guest Scrapbooker & Giveaway: Megan from Nerd Nest

2011-07-08T08:47:00.005-04:00

Hello Alexandra Rae fans! I'm Megan, the louder half of the Nerd Nest. Thanks so much Allie for having me over for Scrapbooking Week!

I do a pretty ridiculous amount of scrapbooking to document the life of my little family (proof), but as I've been working on re-organizing my scrapbooks I realized that I've been missing the overall story of our lives. I'm getting those micro moments, but I want the macro look too. I also started running out of places to put my 12 x 12 scrapbooks and housing the pages was getting to be expensive.

ENTER: Mini books.

I used a vintage book to make our 2009 December Daily album and love the result. In the beginning of the album process I went through all of my supplies and threw everything I might use (paper scraps, memorabilia, embellishments) into a big zip-lock bag. Huge time saver. Huge. Because I'd usually have a similar process of going through all supplies for EVERY PAGE. With this method I could just pull magic supplies out of my bag.

I noticed a drop-off in my scrapbooking Spring 2010. So I thought I'd use the same method for my Summer scrapbook. It worked great! I knew that I could get a few events scrapped in under 30 minutes, because all of my supplies were right in the bag. Having a smaller canvas also limited the design possibilities, which was a huge time saver!

I did the same thing for Autumn, building on what I'd learned from the past two books. I used fewer thick embellishments so I could fit in more pages. I added more journaling, even when I didn't have accompanying photos. Pages of just words seem to make more sense in these books than in big 12 x12s.

I've loved the transition to smaller books. I still do some 12 x12 layouts, but scrapping each season in this way gets more of our story told. Putting that story in a vintage book makes it easily fit on the shelves to be displayed. It is easier for guests to look through them; they seem less private. And hey! They don't weigh 25 pounds a piece. Big Bonus.

Here's the book I'm working on right now:

Want to start your very own mini book in a vintage book? Well, today's your lucky day! One reader will win the vintage book mini of their choice from the Scrapbooking section of our shop with a cover decoration add-on! You could also choose a blank vintage book journal if you aren't a scrapper.

Here's how to win!

Head over to Nerd Nest's shop and check out the books--then come back here and tell me (Allie) what book you would choose if you win!

For extra entries:

Leave a comment here telling Allie what your ideal online class would be about!
Follow Nerd Nest and Alexandra Rae Design via Google Friend Connect (make sure you leave a comment here telling us you did! OR tell us in a comment how you follow along (GoogleReader, BlogLovin, etc)
Tweet about this giveaway! (make sure you leave a comment here telling us you did!) Not sure what you should tweet? Try this: Check out this awesome giveaway from @abandy and @thenerdnest: http://tinyurl.com/43jmrv7

Giveaway will be open through next Thursday! Allie will announce the winner next Friday!

I hope these minis were inspiring to you! If you'd like to see more, hop on over to Nerd Nest because I'll be sharing weekly mini album updates!

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week fromAlexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Sharing (more!) work!

2011-07-07T22:57:00.004-04:00

I've been LOVING being able to whip together a few digital pages when I have precious little downtime this week! I've fallen more and more in love with digital scrapbooking!

Here are some of my latests:

(P.S. The green is showing up a LOT more neon than it should be :-/)

What have you been scrapbooking lately?

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week fromAlexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Artist Inspiration: Elise Blaha

2011-07-07T12:33:00.004-04:00

If you've been reading this blog at all, you know that I'm obsessed with Elise Blaha's work. She is, in my opinion, the queen of mini-books. And mini-books are quickly becoming my main choice for documentation. Here are some of my favorites from Elise:

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week fromAlexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Sharing my work!

2011-07-06T13:22:00.002-04:00

I made this digital page today in honor of my fiancee, because today is his birthday!

I used a bunch of digital elements from a Jessica Sprague blog hop-- the elements are called "You Are Awesome." I love the elements, but I also like that the elements are called "You Are Awesome" because it's like a secret of the page--and I really do think he is awesome :-)

I made this page right after we got engaged :-) It was one of my first ever digital scrapbook pages!

What are some of your favorite digital pages? Link me up!

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week from Alexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Guest Post: Elaine from A LIfe in Cupcakes

2011-07-06T08:38:00.008-04:00

Hey all! It's Elaine here from Glow in the Dark Soul and I'm thrilled to be guesting here on Allie's blog! When she asked me to be a guest on scrap week, I was stoked because I've TOTALLY been in the scrapping MODE lately! I'm currently working on my honeymoon album (which I think you'll see peeks of later this week) and loving every second that I can actually sit down and scrap!

Today I'm here to talk about how to scrap a 12x12 album for a vacation! The pages I'm sharing are from my California Trip album that I created long ago. These pages were made about 6 years ago when I was a junior in high school, but I think they're a great example of how you can scrap an entire trip but still have a lot of variety in your pages! These pages are just a FEW from the album, but there are about 25 pages in the album total.

Tips for creating a full size album about one trip:

1. Treat each event or topic from the trip as its own page. In other words, don't try to keep a steady color scheme throughout the album like you would with a mini book. you want the feel of the layout to compliment the pictures of the event and the colors to be cohesive to those photos. (For example: If you go to Hawaii, but you went to see the play "Sweeny Todd" while you were there, I don't think palm trees and candy colors would suit the subject matter of the play. Do you? haha)

2. When you get back from the trip, jot down a few distinct memories and details from the trip that you might not remember later. (For example: something funny your cab driver said in New York, how you felt when you got off the plane, or even something that went wrong that might be funny later!) Those details are what make the memories last longer and you will thank yourself for taking the time to document those details.

3. If you're married or have kids, ask each member of your family what their favorite thing about the trip was and include that in the album quoted from that person. Sometimes we "designated scrapbookers" of the family get wrapped up in our own memories and forget to include our family's memories too!

4. Remember that some memorabilia like gift shop receipts or ticket stubs have certain ink that can be harmful to your photos or even fade out with time. Sometimes photocopying them and using the copies is better so that they will last longer!

5. Create a rough calendar of the trip and keep with your photos, that way when you're ready to complete the album, you can remember specific dates and put the pages in chronological order throughout the trip. It will make you feel like you're really there again!

*********************
Well I hope that was helpful to you and that you can now pull out those old vacation photos you've been dreading and get to work! Having a complete album of a wonderful vacation can be the most magical thing!

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

Thanks for sharing, Elaine! I can't wait to check out what you do with your honeymoon album!

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week from Alexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Artist Inspiration-- Michelle Clement

2011-07-05T10:07:00.004-04:00

I love Michelle's work. She's one of my favorite bloggers and artists. Her style is colorful and layered, and she is never afraid to take a risk with ink. I love her layering and color combination choices, and she has even designed a line of scrapbook paper! She also has her own shop, Bubbly Schnooks, that has a ton of cute things--scrapbook related and not. Here are some pages that I love from Michelle! Enjoy!

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week from Alexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbook Week: Guest Post-- Kam from Campfire Chic!

2011-07-04T22:24:00.007-04:00

Hi, this is Kam of Campfire Chic and I am excited to be a part of Allie's Scrapbook Week! I haven't made a page in about a month (I know, it sounds awful, right?) so reviewing these photos of past layouts really has me inspired to grab some of my favorite tools and products from my favorite lines and tackle my photos!

My style is from two ends of the spectrum: clean, straight lines, or lots of layers and textures and colors! In order to keep my pages looking like they belong to the same person (me!) I generally use the same products and lines from several companies.

My favorite tools and companies:

Thickers from American Crafts

Flair from American Crafts

Sassafras Lass

Basic Grey

Cosmo Cricket

I use a 12x12 D-Ring cloth album in a dark brown color

I like to also use 6UP pages where I can put 6 4x6 photos in my album to compliment another layout

I also can't make a page without my favorite wet and dry adhesive

What are your favorite tools and companies?

If you're interested in reading more about my scrapbooking adventures, check out Campfire Chic.

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

Thanks for sharing Kam! I think I found a few new favorite products! I hope you guys did too!!

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week from Alexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Resources I love

2011-07-04T14:44:00.008-04:00

I'm excited to share some of the scrapbooking resources that I love this week! There are so many great resources for scrapbookers, artists, and memory keepers! Here are a few of my current favorites:

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week from Alexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Scrapbooking Week: Artist Inspiration: Elsie Larson

2011-07-04T04:40:00.000-04:00

I'm kicking off "Scrapbooking Week" with a post that's going to go up every day this week with a different artist each day! Artist inspiration! There are so many great scrapbookers out there, and they deserve to be recognized for the amazing work they do! For today's Artist Inspiration, I'm sharing the first scrapbooker I found online that inspired me to start scrapbooking again in college. Enjoy! (And keep checking back today and this week for more inspiration and scrapbook shares!)

Formerly Elsie Flannigan, Elsie Larson is one of my biggest scrapbooking inspirations. Although she does a lot more fashion designing than scrapbooking now, I still use her scrapbooking as a HUGE source of inspiration. When I discovered Elsie, admittedly, late in the game, I was drawn to the whimsical and "imperfect" look of her pages-- they just seem so REAL! Other scrapbook pages seem so "perfect"and not like, 'real life' but Elsie's pages have the "fun" in it that I think scrapbooking should have. She even had her own line, which I think is the coolest things ever :-)

Here are some of my favorite pages from Elsie:

*all photos from Elsie's flickr page. click on the photo to be taken to the original source!*

This post is a part of Scrapbooking Week from Alexandra Rae Design! Stick around for more artist inspiration, scapbooking tips and tricks, resources, and lots of fun!

Announcing...

2011-07-01T11:02:00.003-04:00

July 4th-8th at Alexandra Rae Design

Scrapbooking Week! Lately, mostly due to my addiction to Paperclipping Roundtable, I have gotten back into scrapbooking. I haven't shared many of my pages or projects on here, but I thought I would JUMP into sharing and DOING more scrapbooking with a FUN PARTY here on the blog! All next week, I'll be posting a TON of fun things related to scrapbooking. It's going to be a party ALL NEXT WEEK! Get excited! There will be pictures, links, giveaways... You know you're excited!

Now, If you're not into "traditional" scrapbooking, don't worry, you won't feel out of place on the blog. There will be a ton of artist inspiration, digital tips, and fun websites to check out-- and while they are RELATED to scrapbooking, they can also serve as resources and inspiration for other art forms!

I'm so excited to start this on Monday! Hope to see you (here!)

Wedding Wednesday-- Invites!

2011-06-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

The thing that has been consuming my life this week is... my wedding invites! Here are some "sneak peaks" of them with my iPhone.. I hope you enjoy! I've LOVED using some new washi tape!

30 Days of Doodles on Facebook!

2011-06-29T10:25:00.003-04:00

Are you following along with 30 Days of Doodles? Did you miss out on this round but want to know when the next round will be? "Like" 30 Days of Doodles on Facebook or head over to the blog and sign up for the 30 Days of Doodles Newsletter!

While you're over on Facebook, why don't you "Like" Alexandra Rae Design on Facebook as well?

Follow with bloglovin'!

2011-06-27T13:13:00.002-04:00

Follow Alexandra Rae Design with Bloglovin!

I'm still getting used to switching over all of my blogs from Google Reader to Bloglovin' but if you've already made the switch, I'd love if you added my feed to your list!

Not comfortable with bloglovin yet? Follow me through Google Friend Connect over on my right sidebar!

Guest Blogging at Lemon and Raspberry!

2011-06-27T06:48:00.001-04:00

I'm guest blogging over at Lemon and Raspberry today about branding yourself! Check it out!!

If you're here from Amy's blog, WELCOME! Look around and check out the blog! I'm so glad you're here!

***

I'm excited about...

2011-06-23T15:35:00.004-04:00

I'm excited about Ali Edwards' "Week in the Life" project. I stumbled across Ali's blog sometime last year, and it seemed like right after I found her blog, she did "A Week in the Life." I was too intimidated last year to try it-- or I started it and fell off the "success train" pretty quickly. But this year... it's going to be different! I WILL succeed, and I'm so excited to have a new project! A project that will get me out of my "comfort zone" and get my camera off of it's dusty shelf where it's been hiding since I graduated. I've gotten into this "rut" after we moved, and I've been hit with the "lack of creativity/drive" bus and I'm hoping this will get me back on track! (Wow, so many "vehicle" metaphors! ) Plus, sharing that I will be doing it on the blog might keep me motivated!

Are you participating?

(All images from Ali Edwards)

Pinterest Foodie

2011-06-23T04:22:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about having your own kitchen is getting to try out new recipes! I've loved being able to experiment and cook foods that both Ben (who is a VERY picky eater) and I will both love. Pinterest has been one my favorite resources for new recipes. Here are some of my favorite ones that I've marked "to try."

Source: thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.blogspot.com via Chloe on Pinterest

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Chloe on Pinterest

Source: abirdinthekitchen.squarespace.com via Chloe on Pinterest

Source: vanillakitchen.blogspot.com via Chloe on Pinterest

Source: freezehappy.com via Chloe on Pinterest

Source: skinnytaste.com via Chloe on Pinterest

Source: appetiteforchina.com via Chloe on Pinterest

What are some of your favorite foodie recipes? Link me up in the comments PLEASE!

Link with Love

2011-06-22T09:14:00.004-04:00

Have you heard about this project, Link with Love? It's the great "brainchild" of Kal Barteski. She turned a horrible situation (her art was being copied, distributed, and sold without her knowledge or permission!) into something great--making a difference in our great internet world. I encourage you--if you EVER post links or pictures online (this isn't just limited to bloggers! ) to check out (and support!) Link with Love!

After Nine to Five...

2011-06-20T19:16:00.003-04:00

I have a giveaway of Design 101 going on over on "After Nine to Five." Which is cool, first of all, since you can enter to win a free copy of my e-book. But it's also cool because you can check out Ashley, of After Nine to Five. her blog is adorable, and I'm loving reading it. I'm so glad I've added her to my Google Reader! I suggest you hop over there, enter the giveaway, and check out her really cool blog!

P.S. I'm loving her concept of the "7 Day Push." For sure going to join in!!

Free Downloads!

2011-06-16T09:20:00.004-04:00

Here's just a friendly reminder that there's some FREE DOWNLOADS to be had on Alexandra Rae Design!

Want to organize your blog post ideas? Check out this blog post planner.

Want to make a big decision? Check out this Pro/Con list!

Is there anything else that you would like to be made into a free download? Let me know!

Something to remember....

2011-06-14T15:02:00.002-04:00

image from The Notebook Doodles

What does GENUINE mean to you? What do you do to STAY genuine and true to yourself?

Summer of Love Giveaway Winner!

2011-06-14T11:17:00.003-04:00

Thanks again to Kara for letting me host this awesome giveaway!

And the winner is.....

Congrats Dana! E-mail me (abandgeek88ATgmailDOTcom) and I'll get your info to Kara!

Didn't win? Purchase your own here! I'm going to be following the PDF class on here this summer, and I would love it if you bought your own and played along!

Want to take another online class (at your own pace, of course!) ? Check out my Design 101 PDF download! It's full of information and design challenges! It's a lot of fun!

I'm coveting...

2011-06-12T22:39:00.005-04:00

.... a Smash Journal . Doesn't it look like fun? I'm sure I could also get the same effect from a composition notebook and a glue-stick, but it's designed so well, looks like so much fun, and I love that the "pen" that comes with it has a glue-stick on one of the ends... super cool!

I love following the "Smash Journal Blog" and watching the promotional video (embedded below!)

Summer of Love PDF Giveaway!

2011-06-09T08:27:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited to be able to announce a GIVEAWAY from the lovely Kara, of "I Just Might Explode."

Kara is such an inspiring person, very creative and talented--- and young! If she's this talented and successful as a college sophomore, I can't wait to see what she does with her future!

Last summer, Kara ran an online class called "Summer of Love." It was such a success and so inspiring to so many people that she's now offering the class as a PDF download! This is great because you can have the class forever so you can be inspired forever! It's also nice because you can take the class at your own pace!

Kara was nice enough to let me read through the class, and I have to tell you, it's AMAZING. I'm so excited to follow this class this summer as I try to stay creative. The prompts and though provoking and exciting, and the photography is amazing. It's a great class, and I'm excited to share what I come up with "during" this class and this summer.

So what does the PDF include? LOTS!

30 journaling prompts
18 photography prompts and techniques
daily art journaling techniques
mini-book cover and page tutorial
email access to the instructor, Kara
2 videos
featured artwork and photography from the gorgeous Michelle Clement 0f Scissor Quirk
featured artwork and photography from the super creative Danielle Thompson of Kitchy Digital

(from Michelle of Scissor Quirk. Click image to go to her flickr paage!)

(from Michelle of Scissor Quirk. Click image to go to her flickr page!)

For more about the class, check it out here. If you want to purchase the class NOW, you can purchase it here, and Kara has been nice enough to offer a discount code! Enter SUMMERDREAMS at checkout for 25% off!!

So how do you enter to win this amazing class? Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite summer activity! Want more ways to win??

Tweet about the giveaway and leave me another comment telling me you did! Not sure what to tweet? Try this: Enter to win a Summer of Love PDF from @karahaupt and @abandy! http://tinyurl.com/3upxu6x
Become a follower of Alexandra Rae Design via Google Friend connect on the right sidebar! Leave me another comment to let me know that you are a follower!
Leave me a good summer book suggestion in another comment!

Good Luck! Giveaway ends on Saturday, June 11!

You can find me... on Adventurous Bride today!

2011-06-07T15:32:00.004-04:00

I'm posting over on Adventurous Bride today, asking for thoughts on RSVPs. I'd love to hear your input, either here, or over there. Join in on the conversation!

Don't forget to...

2011-06-06T20:25:00.002-04:00

Check it out here! I'd love to make this space better for YOU, my readers, because you mean everything to me! Thanks for taking the time to take this (short!) survey about Alexandra Rae Design and what YOU want to see!

i love...

2011-06-06T05:02:00.000-04:00

The fact that I'm moving into a new house this weekend!
Spending time with my roomies this weekend and last weekend.
Chipotle's guacamole. It's an addiction lately, youdontevenwannaknow.
Recreating business plans
Designing for friends' etsy shops
Setting up my own etsy shop
Elise Blaha's Summer Mini Book
Washi tape (and every other free download) from Pugly Pixel. I've been using her washi tapes on EVERYTHING lately. As I'm sure you've noticed!
Riding my bike. Yesterday, my dad and I rode on our county's bike trail for 24 miles. Whew!
My county's bike trail. Flat, shaded, long, amazing.
The crazy warm weather.
TeuxDeux. I'm loving it. I love lists. I do so much better when I HAVE lists.
The fact that Elaine will be visiting in like, less than a week.
The crazy great response to 30 Days of Doodles (you should join in!!)
Tweeting with Cam-- she's so sweet.
Re-reading Amy's e-books. I find new gold every time.
Paperclipping Round Table. I don't know what I'm going to do when I catch up on all of the episodes. My morning walks will never be the same.
Smoothies. I've been addicted to making them. It's sad, really! But so yummy and healthy!
People who have been taking my survey to make this blog a better place!

What are you loving right now?

*I'm loving* A new feature very similar to "Found Round" but a whole lot more random, because there may be links, there may not be. But probably, because I love sharing links. All the time.

graphic designed by me, tape strips from pugly pixel, font is CK Ali's Hand *by Ali Edwards

the one with a blog survey and making this a more awesome space!

2011-06-05T17:39:00.005-04:00

**I'm not sure what this photo has to do with this post, but it's the only photo I could find where it looks like I'm thinking! Haha!*

Wow. It's been forever since I've blogged! Life has been busy around here... We finally found a house to rent, and have been getting things packed up and ready to move!

I've also been spending a lot of time brainstorming ways to make this blog better... and I'd love your help! I've created a survey, and I'd love if you took it! Check it out here! I'd love to make this space better for YOU, my readers, because you mean everything to me!

If you don't want to take the survey, but still want to help me improve, leave a note in the comments telling me your favorite posts/features! I want to know what you like!

I'm also going to be making more of a point to be active in the comments. If you leave me a comment IN the comments, please be sure to check back for my response! I'll be leaving responses in the comments of the posts!

Thanks for being a reader of Alexandra Rae Design. I appreciate you like you wouldn't believe!

30 Days of Doodles!

2011-05-31T17:32:00.001-04:00

Don't forget that 30 Days of Doodles starts OFFICIALLY tomorrow!! Get excited, and get your butt over there if you haven't been there already!!

I'm so excited about this and I hope you are too!

Website re-design!

2011-05-31T11:28:00.000-04:00

I recently re-designed my "main" website, which can be found here. I'm not positive that I like it, but it's for sure an upgrade from how it used to be! What do you think?

A "thank you" to you!

2011-05-30T23:56:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to extend a huge "thanks" to everyone reading this blog. It's my little space on the internet, and I love it, and I love seeing the number of friends who "read along" grow. I'd love to get to know each and every one of you a little bit more! Would you leave a message/comment with a little bit about yourself/your blog? I'd love to do some blog hopping this week and get to know you all a little bit more!

Also, a HUGE thank you to the many people who have been purchasing Design 101 PDFs this week/weekend! Are you interested? Check it out here.

I loved doing my Design 101 class, and I loved meeting new people through the class. I want to run another class, and I have a ton of ideas, but I'm just not sure if they are all "right." Is there anything that YOU, dear readers, would love to learn that isn't "out there" right now? Let me know! :-)

Also, thank you to all of my amazing readers for your support of 30 Days of Doodles. I'm so excited about the response and the group of people taking a part in the challenge! Want to join in? I'd love to have you!

font in header image: CK Ali's Hand that can be found here

Finding Photo Freedom

2011-05-30T22:09:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to be taking another online class! Like some of you may know, I've become addicted to Paperclipping Round Table podcasts, and something that they have been featuring a lot lately is "Finding Photo Freedom" with Stacy Julian. I really want to get a system down for organizing photos and USING those photos, so I signed up!

Anyone else taking this with me? Have you tried Paperclipping Round Table yet? I encourage it!!

Found 'Round

2011-05-25T11:12:00.004-04:00

I'm loving this post, this post, and this post (All from Ali) about working at home and motivation
Some of my pinboards have been getting quite a workout! I'm constantly updating my "decor" pinboard (we're house hunting!), my "office" pinboard (I get a craft room/office in the new house!), my "style" pinboard (I'm trying to revamp my style and make it more "adult" and fashion forward), and my "wedding" pinboard (I'm, uh, getting married.) What pinboards have you been pinning a lot to lately?
Love this feature on Leigh-Ann on Scoutie Girl blog! So informative!
I've been designing SO MUCH lately. I'm loving it! Want some tips on basic design? Check out my e-book Design 101!
I'm seriously loving all of the Summer Mini-book posts and tutorials that Elise is doing. Loving.
Re-reading (for the 80th time) the Better Blog Content e-book. Love it.

What are you loving on the interwebs this week?

Check out these links!

2011-05-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of projects going on right now... make sure you check them all out!

There's some new posts over on Adventurous Bride....

.... And a lot of new people joining in on 30 Days of Doodles! Won't you join us?

Do you have any projects in the works? Link me up! I love new adventures and projects!

Dear 16 Year Old Me....

2011-05-24T11:27:00.003-04:00

I found this video from a tweet from Becky Higgins that she "tweeted" yesterday, and then Ali Edwards blogged today and I think it’s a really important subject, and worth the blog post to share... I encourage you to check it out (the video is very well done). Hopefully this inspires you to check your skin yourself, AND see a doctor to double check.

Check it out...

2011-05-24T04:29:00.000-04:00

If you're reading in a reader, I encourage you to stop by the blog and see the small "facelift" that Alexandra Rae Designs got last night!

What do you think?

Interested in a blog redesign of your own? Contact me for rates!

Fab Freebie! Pro/Con List

2011-05-23T15:48:00.004-04:00

My fiancée just got a job, and so we've begun the process of house/apartment hunting, which is super exciting, but has lended itself to a LOT of decisions, lists, etc, etc, etc. Many of my lists are pro/con lists, because I am horrible about making decisions. Since I "struggle" with decisions and pro/con lists help me out a TON, I thought I would make a "fab freebie" for you, so you could make your own fancy looking pro/con list. Making decisions is easier when the list is fun looking! Go here to download the PDF version! As always, this is for personal use only! Thanks for understanding!

30 Days of Doodles

2011-05-22T16:30:00.005-04:00

That's right, ANOTHER project that I'm starting! My goal is to be as CREATIVE as possible this summer, and I'm setting up all kinds of challenges for myself!

I'd love for you to join and follow along as I attempt to do 3o Days of Doodles in June! Every day, I will post a new prompt (on the 30 Days of Doodles blog), as well as my "take" on the prompt! I hope you join in!

Follow Friday: Paperclipping Round Table

2011-05-20T00:07:00.004-04:00

Whew! It's been a while since I've done a "Follow Friday!" This one is going to be a bit different too, since I'm not suggesting you follow a person so much as a.... PODCAST!

That's right, I'm talking about the podcast, Paperclipping Round Table. Oh man, is it good. I've downloaded so many past episodes onto my iPod, and it's so great to listen to while I'm working out, cleaning, or designing. The creative discussion that goes on is amazing, and so needed. While the main focus is scrapbooking, they discuss so many different topics, such as photography, story telling... the list goes on and on! It's amazing.

So! You should download some of these podcasts (they are FREE!) and start listening to the discussion! I love it!

Do you have any podcasts that you LOVE? Let me know! I'm addicted now!!

P.S. I originally discovered Paperclipping Round Table after Elise Blaha was on. From then on, I was addicted! Elise's episode is still one of my favorites, but they are all great!

I'm an online class junkie...

2011-05-18T05:22:00.001-04:00

Last night while I was being a horrible insomniac (it happens when I stay at my parents' house...) I was thinking about (and visiting the blogs for) the online classes that I've taken in the past 2-3 years. I've become addicted! I love looking through the ones that are still up, the e-courses that I've taken, and the e-books that I've bought. Some of the ones that I've taken are pictured below. Have we been in a class together? Is there an online class that is coming up that I should check out? Let me know! I love all the connections that have come out of these classes!

If you're not interested in taking a full CLASS, Elise does a great job with her (past) workshop PDFs. Amazing content and gorgeous.

Of course, I have to tell you that you can take an online class/read an e-book from ME! Check out Design 101!

My newest project... Adventurous Bride

2011-05-17T05:26:00.001-04:00

If you're my friend on Flickr, you've probably seen the explosion of pictures/headers/buttons that I've been uploading. I'm happy to announce my newest project, Adventurous Bride, a fun wedding blog! The blog still needs a lot of content added, but I'm excited with where it's going!

Have no fear, I'll still be sharing details about my wedding here, as well as my usual updates! This is just a fun "side" project!

Do you like the design of the site? I learned how to work with typepad through Elise Blaha's Web Design for Bloggers class, and I LOVED it. If she ever runs it again, I HIGHLY recommend it!! While the headers, buttons, etc were all put together by me, the tapes and the kraft circles are from Pugly Pixel. LOVE her downloads!

Would you like to help "build" Adventurous Bride? Contribute!

Are you a wedding vendor that would like to advertise on Adventurous Bride? Send me an e-mail and I'll hook you up with a free ad spot! (adventurousbrideATgmail.com) Mention that you're a reader of Alexandra Rae Design!

So tell me... what do you think?

Found 'Round

2011-05-16T18:35:00.005-04:00

I've still been keeping up with my "freelance idols" in my search for advice on the best way to launch a freelance career. Here are some of my favorite (recent) blog posts from some of my idols. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! If you haven't been bitten by the small business bug like I have, have no fear! Hopefully these links can introduce you to some new bloggers and sites. These are gems in the blogging world, I promise!

Right now I'm loving....

This post on how they got started from Young House Love. This post is also full of goodies for small businesses.
This post from Kathleen on her method for keeping track of projects
This post from Kyla Roma on some of her organizational changes to her every day life.
I love that Elise is so open about answering her reader's questions and is such an inspiration on motivation.
And, of course, I have to give a huge shout out to Amy of Lemon and Raspberry. Her Better Blog Content Workshop and E-book rock my world. (Psssst...Click here to visit Lemon and Raspberry. and buy her e-book!)

What are some of YOUR favorite organizational and small business resources? I'd LOVE to know!!