Crazyscrappers Blog

4 photo shoots!

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:49:40 -0600

It has been an AMAZING month of June.
I am reminded as to why I LOVE summer.
However, I've also been reminded why I hate summer. LOL
Luckily, the LOVES far out weigh the dislikes and summer
pushes on.

We've had nearly 4 full weeks of summer,
and they have been crazy busy. I keep wondering
when things will slow down, but I'm quickly realizing
that life with 4 kids at this age, there is never
a dull or quiet moment.

Besides all the hustle and bustle having 4 kids brings.
I HAVE managed to squeeze in 4 photo shoots.
I am so excited! I LOVE taking pictures and all
this experience is only making me love it more!!

I'll post 4 of my favorite pictures from each shoot.

*I was super nervous and excited to take pictures of this newborn.
This was my first ever newborn shoot. And although baby Hadley
was the PERFECT subject, I tried going into this shoot without
any expectations. I LOVE the pictures I ended up with.
Precious newborn babe. Photographing newborns was pretty
hard and I probably won't take on many jobs like this again.

*Tami is a really, really good friend of mine. And I absolutely ADORE her children.
When she asked if I'd be interested in taking Brynnley's 6month pictures I jumped at the chance. I KNEW they'd be super fun and easy as Brynnley is the happiest, smiliest baby I KNOW!

*ANOTHER really good friend, who often asks me to help make
birthday invites for her children asked me if I'd take pictures
of her little guy who was turning 8 years old. As 8 is a VERY important
age indeed! Carson was so cool, and these pictures, also, were super
fun and easy!

*I'm sooo excited to share pictures of this last family. I met Stephanie
over a year ago. She came to my tumbling class. Her spunky Katie quickly
turned into a favorite preschooler of mine. I've taken their family pictures
once before in the fall. They are moving soon to Texas and I was
excited when they asked me to take them again. I love they way
they've turned out.

If you are interested in having me photograph you or your family and
want more information. Just email me at jacque [@] larsenfamily [dot] com
with PICTURES by Jacque in the subject line!
I hope to hear from you soon! -J

A Wish to Build a Dream On...NEW

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:00:21 -0600

A NEW COLLAB available this weekend!

A Wish to Build a Dream On....collab with Heather Hess.
These colors are SO FUN! AND the kit turned out PERFECT!!
Snag it now... on SALE all weekend long. 20% OFF ALL WEEKEND LONG!

http://www.the-lilypad.com/store/prod...uctid=5549

and just check out all this AMAZING inspiration by our team members!

by ana

by heather

by karen

by keela

by mi

by nikki

by tana

I am so lucky to work with such amazing talent!!!
-J

June Instagram Pics part ONE

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:04:47 -0600

The first 2 weeks of summer.

Jenna is looking forward to swimming this summer and seeing 'The Little Mermaid' at Tuachan. She drew a picture for me.

I have my first newborn baby shoot. I'm nervous and excited. I bought a bunch of fun fabrics to use. So soft and cuddly! Love me some new baby!

I also bought some fabric to recover the ottomans in the living room. Can't wait to have time to do that!

Gas has gone down a smidge. Under $3.50 a gallon, I'll take it.

Dance recital costumes came in. Picture day today! Jenna looked so stinkin cute!

Basketball open gym has started, as well as tournaments every weekend. I love watching this girl play!

Swim team has started. Lars is so excited!

Took our little pool out for the first time this summer. Lots of kids showed up to cool off.

Jenna in her monkey suit.

I created a job jar for this summer. It's chalk full of a million little (and a few larger) jobs for the kids to help me with on Monday, cleaning day. It worked like a charm. Hope it lasts all summer long.

After a hard day cleaning. (2 hours of it. LOL) We went to the sticky shoe and watched Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It was hilarious!

There are fires all around us here in NM. And with the winds never settling the city has been full of smoke and smog. I absolutely hate it. The sun has been read the last 3 days. It's disgusting. I hope wind stops soon and the fires can get under control.

Pulled out Jenna's new pool this afternoon and she had a playdate.

She really loves her new pool. LOL

Playing in the water is so much more fun with friends.

Lindsey doodled me up some fun alphas for the store. I LOVE the way they turned out! She is just so gosh darn creative! WOOT!

Made some sticky s'mores in the oven. Not as good as the real thing, but still pretty good. LOL

There's that red sun again. It's really starting to wig me out.

Breakfast for dinner. A favorite in this household.

A nasty bruise on Jenna's shoulder. This child is always covered in bruises. It kind of freaks me out. After awhile we decided this bruise occurred during a wrestling match between her and Lindsey.

Lindsey is always putting inspirational quotes up on our chalkboard. It's a good thing.

Jenna stayed in her swimsuit all day today. We love summer.

I enjoyed a few minutes of quiet time when my CK mag came in the mail.

I'm not very good at 'words with friends'. But this time I had an excuse. The letters I had to choose from weren't that great!

Recital night. These girls were so excited that it was finally here! Michelle picked up some flowers for after show. They were so stinkin cute!

I was brave today. It's been years since I've taken ALL 4 kids on a shopping trip with me. Today we ventured out to costco. Had lunch, shopped and we all survived. It was a miracle.

Book bags are replaced with beach towels, goggles and swimsuits...ahhhhh summer.

We have so many little visitors throughout the days in our home and I got so sick of the empty or full cups laying around. Last year I came up with the idea to write the kids names on cups and they HAVE to use the same cup all day. It's working great!

I'm always trying to find projects to keep the little kids busy. These little ceramic pieces were only .20 at hobby lobby. Jenna loved painting them.

A typical summer lunch.

Found this picture on my phone. And I'm not afraid to post it. Jens after having one too many s'mores. (that is marshmallow on his chin).

Took the little kids to the sticky shoe for a movie. Took a picture of Lars because that kid cracks me up! It's 95* out and he's wearing long sleeves and jeans. At least he has flip flops on.

Fresh blueberries. Love. We love having fresh fruit around. We made homemade muffins with these today. They were scrumptious!

Today was Lars first swim meet. He decided he wanted to swim the butterfly and the backstroke. He got fourth in the butterfly (out of 4 boys his age) and was so tired that he couldn't swim the backstroke. LOL He's awesome and I know he's only going to get better!

Creating some beautiful papers for a fun new collab coming out on Friday! Can't WAIT!

Ordered this magazine at Easter time. It just barely showed up. Jenna loves it.

These first 2 weeks of summer have been exhausting. I laid my head down on the couch and accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, I couldn't find Jenna. Jared said she had gone outside. I ran around the neighborhood knocking on doors. When Jared came out and said he'd found her. In her room. Asleep. On her bed. Safe and Sound. ugh. That was scary.

-J

Angel Fire

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:24:43 -0600

Our first trip of the summer occurred before the kids even officially were out of School.
However, finals and tests were finished so we took off to a cabin in Angel Fire for a few days. My mom and dad booked for a little family reunion. We were all more than ready to get away. And it was a blast!

We loaded up the car. Didn't even have room for all 4 kids. Lars road up with Andi. HA!

Bought a rack for the van so we could take up the bikes.

Home for the next few days.

Mom and Jenna in the cabin, ready for some relaxin and fun!

Playing connect 4x4. As well as lots of other fun games!

Occasionally finding photos taken by the kids on my phone. Fun.

Jenna really wanted to take her bike. I think this was the only day she rode it.

I love this picture!

Gettin' ready for 'you know what!' (s'mores, in case you couldn't figure it out!)

The kids had a mini table to eat at in their own special little dining area, the cabin was pretty amazing.

Jenna and her cousin.

Baby Kadence.

Me and Belly.

Mom and Jenna, being silly.

Another picture she took of herself on my phone. She's been piggin out at the cabin, apparently.

Went to 'the old park' in angel fire. Same play equipment on it from 25 years ago. The kids loved playing there. We visited this park every day.

The HUGE slide at 'the old park'.

Memorial Day we visited the Vietnam Memorial. The wind was super crazy and not so fun to be in, so it was kind of a short visit. But I'm glad we went.

So many bikers up there this weekend. It was fun to see them!

Another picture of the memorial.

Kids in front of helicopter.

Front view of the memorial.

Kids by the pond at 'the old park.'

Jared and Rob decided to ride their bikes down the mountain. They were crazy. I thought they might die. But they didn't', thank goodness. And rob was dressed for success.

Most my family in the cabin.

We took lots of four wheeler rides. You can see the ski lifts behind Lindsey.

Wow, this has never happened before. LOL

We hiked to some waterfalls. This day was SO much fun!! We loved this log at the beginning of our hike. The water had carved out a little tray in the log. It was so awesome.

Starting out on the hike.

Jenna picking wild flowers.

What Jenna wore on the hike.

Lindsey in front of one of the water falls.

Lindsey and some kids.

On one of the waterfalls we were able to climb out and look down. It was pretty cool!

Another picture of Lindsey I found on my phone. weird.

Seems she's roped her little sister into taking photos with her now.

We were all tired from our fun filled weekend. Especially Jenna, she fell asleep that afternoon under the piano.

I'm already looking forward to our next family vacation! They are always so much fun!
-J

Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:15:01 -0600

and this will be for dinner.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ma...das-127016

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6�-8� tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Additional Notes:

� You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!

� To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400� for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.

� We haven�t tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn�t be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:10:03 -0600

i think i'm going to make these for lunch. LOL

http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/03/01/...ahoo!+Mail

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.
Tips:

*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
*It's best if you pour the batter onto your skillet, wait a minute or so and then swirl the cinnamon onto the batter. That'll give it a chance to set a little before you add the swirl.
*If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, it shouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. If it's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once you micro it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for a while until it thickens slightly.

May Instagram Pics part FIVE

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:09:47 -0600

Last week of May.

Lars trying on a swim cap. Getting excited for swim team this summer.

Lindsey crafting. (again) This time she made a cute little camera case.

I'm teaching today. Lesson is on the priesthood. Cookies for the girls to give to their favorite priesthood holders.

Date Night. Route 66 casino to see a Neil Diamond impersonator. (was it Neil Diamond? I forget. LOL)

We went with my mom and dad. My dad was a huge Neil Diamond fan. We grew up listening to him.

Track season is over. But the scars still remain. LOL

Lars at his archery class this month.

Jenna pitched a fit for about 10 minutes. I couldn't remember what it was about. I dragged her into her room and shut the door. This was 3 seconds after that. HAAAAAA

We walked down to the corner neighbors to pick cherries from their tree. YUM!

Cousins in town. This was a fun night we spent with them. Popsicles on the trampoline. Good times.

Elly in the swing with her baby doll. Swing thing!

Our newest addiction is 'words with friends'. Here we all sat on the porch playing against each other. Andi was holding Elly and getting a pedi all at the same time. Talent, I tell ya!

Last day of tumbling. Taking off for the summer. I'm always sad when it ends. But look forward to the break as well. No worries though, classes start right back up the first week of September!

I met Jennas class at the bio park. We love the flowers this time of year!

Brought Jenna home from her field trip so she could have a little nap before dance. It didn't take long at all for her to fall asleep. I was glad. Although, she was still pretty moody at dance. LOL

Temp reads 94*. It wasn't but it's been so cold that even though it's mid 80s, I'll take it.

Jenna gave me a pedicure.

Jared is a cheater on words with friends. Take your chances if you choose to play with him. HAAAAAAAA

So so sick of the wind. These clouds mean wind. I just want it to be warm!

[image21]

A little note Jenna made for me.

[image22]

Stocking up for summer. Or for the next couple of weeks at least.

[image23]

Little gifties Jenna got from her teacher for the last week of school.

[image24]

Lars got these coon hats when he studied pioneers at school a few weeks ago. He brought it home today and him and dad tried them on. Fun.

So ready for SUMMER!
-J

May Instagram Pics part FOUR

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 22:25:14 -0600

I've fallen behind with posting.
Life has been crizazy!!!!

Jenna drew a picture of a fire girl, and her dog.

Lars practicing his guitar. I am obviously obsessed with these things: food, Jenna's drawings, and Lars' guitar.

Cold, cloudy, windy day in May = cinnamon rolls.

Kids had a celebration tonight at school. This weather has been insane but held up for their performances tonight. We went to Subway after for a quick, easy dinner. Jenna wanted me to take her picture there.

State meet. GO LINDSEY!

Mom, take my picture!

5th in STATE!!! WOOHOO!! We are SO PROUD of our little jumper!!

Sleeping in. Very much needed after the last couple of weeks.

Seeing photos I took in a senior announcement. Awesome. Congrats Chelsea!

She is getting so big! And so excited to be in 1st grade soon!

Jared is helping me put up my new window treatments.

Things are slowly coming together.

Jeep ride.

Cafe Rio rice. YUM.

Sick little girl. Stayed home from school today. Slept in until after 10am. Wow.

10 days left of school! YAY!

Feeling better this afternoon. Had a picnic lunch. (in the wind)

A drawing I created while entertaining Jenna and Sadie during church.

Lars at his archery class.

Wearing hoop earrings.

Showing us her 'pink' eyes.

New haircut. Very much needed!

Jenna on pinterest. Mine and Lindsey's new addiction.

Playing cooties with Sadie.

I'm going to miss this. Cassie movies in a couple weeks and we are so sad.

Jenna's beads.

My kids play hard.

I love how our chalkboard changes through the week.

Roses.

Fresh cherries off our neighbors tree! YAY!

Jenna picked one of Allie's HUGE roses. SO PRETTY!

I saw some cute photo ideas on pinterest. So we played around a bit today. Here are the results.

My 'new' TOMS.

Playing with chalk.

Lars drew a wicked cool skull.

Then they started taking photos of each other. love.

Super heroes.

Super hero princess.

Sometimes I get a pleasant surprise in my photos. Like this cute pic of Lindsey.

Recital dresses came in. Jenna and one of her buddies Abby.

Is there ANYTHING cuter than a little girl in a tutu? I think not!

Besties.

Still sick. Jenna's gone to school 1.5 days this week. OY.

Jenna drew lanterns. And Rapunzel in a tree. Tangled is our favorite movie at the moment.

It's been a fun filled week! FOR SURE!!!

Lindsey's AlphaPets and iGo....2 NEW items in the STORE today!

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:33:49 -0600

Lindsey hand drew these ADORABLE AlphaPets and I cleaned them up and got them ready for the shop. I LOVE the way they turned out!! They are ON SALE ALL WEEKEND LONG!

http://www.the-lilypad.com/store/prod...amp;page=1

and a NEW collab with Gina Miller............

iGo

http://www.the-lilypad.com/store/prod...amp;page=1

Perfect for SUMMER!!!!!!

And just check out ALL this adorable inspiration by my Creative Team!!!!

by Amanda

by Ana

by Heather

by Rona

by Aly

by Ana

by Crystal

by Emily

by Heather

by JenJ

by Keela

by Marlen

by Melissa

by Rona

by Valerie

I hope you are having a GREAT summer!!! -J

S'mores Pudding

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:26:25 -0600

Yes, I have a sick fascination with s'mores.

http://annies-eats.net/2011/06/16/smores-pudding/