:REVIEW: Crumpler's $8 Million Home

Crumpler is a well-known name in the world of camera bags - and for good reason!

I recently had the opportunity to review their $8M Home and it really is a great option for any professional or serious amateur photographer with a DSLR, a few lenses and other photography gear which needs to be toted around safely.

It features a water resistant shell in four stylish color combinations. The entire bag is very well padded and the interior dividers are configurable to suit your photo gear needs. There are also 6 pockets for various accessories. The adjustable shoulder strap is padded for extra comfort (camera gear can get HEAVY, after all) and it even sports a removable 13” laptop sleeve for those of you that like to do your editing on the go.

One new (and wonderful) feature of the $8M Home is the Velcro silencer which allows you to be a little more stealth during your photo excursions. This might not seem like that big of a deal, but sometimes it can make all the difference in creating natural portraits if it isn’t announced to the entire room every time your camera (or a lens…or a flash…) comes out of your bag.

Another thing that is great about this bag is that it does allow for vertical storage of a camera body WITH a lens attached. A great feature if you like to be ready to shoot quickly.

Personally, I love the look of this bag. The messenger-style, low-profile design is just a little bit trendy and the color options are great. At the moment, it's a little overkill in terms of my personal camera gear, but I hope to grow into it, so to speak.

If you’re looking for a sturdy, yet good looking, camera bag, this might be just the one for you! However, if this ones size doesn't quite suit your needs, Crumpler has a wide range of options within their product line. All the sizes and specs are available on their website.

:LINKS: Digital freebies and printables just in time for some Valentine's Day fun...

If you're looking for some beautiful freebies to help you out in creating some lovely Valentine's Day layouts, decor or treats, the web is a wonderful place to find a few heart-filled freebies perfect for the holiday of love!

This free digital patterned paper collection by Jeri Huish is just darling and available through the Scrapbook Trends blog.

The Rubber Punkin has these sweet little Valentine's tags to offer.

I'm going to be using these lollipop labels by Aly Dosdall to create some super-simple treats for our student workers this Valentine's Day!

Martha Stewart offers this hand-cut heart pattern that would make some simply stunning wall art for your home or to use as an embellishment on a crafting project.

How about a heart banner to decorate your child's room on Valentine's Day? Download the design and follow the directions offered on the Kind Over Matter blog.

Here's a few more lovely tags from Winks & Daisies.

And one more simple, yet elegant, Valentine's Day treat. Cover some mini chocolate bars with these darling little wrappers from Nice Package.

Have you found any other sweet freebies in your online meanderings lately? Please share a little link love in the comments below!

:GIVEAWAY WINNER: A Year in the Life by Write.Click.Scrapbook from Ella Publishing

Thanks for all the great comments to the review for A Year in the Life eBook by Write.Click.Scrapbook from Ella Publishing! It was so much fun to read about why each of you love your month of choice.

As I was reading them, I thought, "Hey, it would be neat to chart this and see which month's come out on top." (Boy, I didn't realize that I was such a nerd!)

So, here's the chart...

I was a little surprised that no one seems to love the love month...poor February...but every other month seems to have some devoted fans.

Not surprisingly, June, the beginning of the summer season, is loved by many. However, the months containing the end-of-year holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas) seem to tower above the rest of the year when considered collectively.

This actually gave me an idea for a layout...how about scrapping a family layout that records each member's favorite month of the year and includes journaling in their own words?! Could be fun!!

Anyway, without further statistical ado, the winner of a free download of A Year in the Life is...

...lucky commentor #39! Congrats, Debbie!! Watch your inbox for futher details on how to claim your prize...

Stay tuned for more great reviews and giveaways coming soon!

:QUOTES: on LIFE according to Anderson, Emerson, & Lincoln

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON:
"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale."

RALPH WALDO EMERSON:
"It is not the length of life, it is the depth of life."

ABRAHAM LINCOLN:
"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

:REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: A Year in the Life from Ella Publishing

It's no secret that I'm an Ella fan. Ever since they have started publishing last year, I've been amazed by the variety and quality of eBooks they have produced.

Early this year, they released A Year in the Life which is a collaborative effort from the very talented group of ladies over at Write.Click.Scrapbook.

This is the perfect companion for any scrapper - novice to experienced - as you start a fresh year of celebrating your life through the pages of a scrapbook.

This 30-page treasure includes 24 sample layouts - 19 of which are multi-photo, two-page designs in a mixture of 12x12 and 8 1/2 x 11 formats. There are both traditional and digital layouts represented as well.

There is one layout sample for each month. As you might guess, the general themes are traditional for the time of year. However, I was pleasantly surprised that they all had a quite unique and creative twist to them. I shouldn't have expected the 'same-old, same-old' from Ella, right?!

After each monthly layout sample is an 'anytime' themed layout to help you record the important things that make up your life in the here and now.

Inside this eBook are great ideas for themes, design, journaling, photos, techniques, title treatments and more.

One thing that really stood out to me as I enjoyed this eBook is the numerous ideas for compilation layouts. In the mix of our busy lives, it is so great to have new and inspired ideas for scrapping photos from an extended period of time (rather than 'moment' scrapbooking) or showcasing multiple people on one layout in a creative and cohesive way.

These typles of ideas are exactly what is need to make our piles of photos seem significantly less daunting and takes the pressure out of scrapping every individual event.

At the end of the eBook, there is also an wonderful collection of 10 photo ideas for each month of the year to help us make sure we are recording what's important throughout the year.

To check out the other great Ella Publishing Co. eBooks, check out their website.

All of their current titles can now also be purchased for instant download at Scrapbook.com.

GIVEAWAY:

Would you like to win a free download of A Year in the Life by Write.Click.Scrapbook? Well, all you've got to do is leave a comment below answering the following question by Friday, February 5th, 2010, 11:59 p.m.:

What is your favorite month of the year and why?

Random.org will select the winner on Saturday. Be sure to come back to find out if you've won!

GOOD LUCK!!

:SPONSORS: February 2010 AMOM Sponosr

FEATURED SPONSORS:

NICOLE LOMBARDO

Nicole is an amazing artist and every month she's got some great new custom designed die-cuts in her etsy shop. She is always adding new designs and colors just perfect for the season and/or holidays ahead.

Here's one new one that caught my eye on my last visit. It's called Swirlin Tulip. I think I love it because the design and sunny yellow has me dreaming of warmer days.

In addition to her wonderful scrapbooking items, she has also started offering a few pieces of handmade jewelry that are also quite stunning!
Visit Nicole's shop and find something perfect for your next layout today!

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WOULD YOU LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BECOMING A SPONSOR OF THE AMOM BLOG? If so, please contact me and I would be happy to provide you with further details.

:MEMORYWORKS EXPRESS: February 2010 Kit - "Mamma Mia"

You're going to fall in love all over again with this month's charming kit, Mamma Mia!

The February MemoryWorks Express kit is packed full of classic, vintage glamour and appeal that will never go out of style. You're going to adore the simple yet elegant timeless designs and matching page enhancements.

This is no ordinary MemoryWorks Express kit! We've gathered the most captivating patterned paper, embellishments, and add ons to make this kit one of a kind. Stand back and be amazed at all that comes with this kit from glitter borders, letter stickers, and fabulous florals to the BIG altered project we've included. This kit is so extraordinary you're not going to want to miss it so be sure to subscribe today!

Patterned Paper
{1} 12x12 Mia Notes Die Cut Paper (Crate Paper)
{1} 12x12 Mia Hooked Circle Die-cut Paper (Crate Paper)
{2} 12x12 Mia Cherry Blossom Paper (Crate Paper)
{2} 12x12 Mia Mingle Paper (Crate Paper)
{2} 12x12 Mia Sparkle Paper (Crate Paper)
{2} 12x12 Mia Whirl Paper (Crate Paper)
{2} 12x12 Mia Water Lily Paper (Crate Paper)
{2} 12x12 Mia Sparkle Paper (Crate Paper)
{1} 6x12 Sheet Vintage Valentine Cards (Fancy Pants)

Solid Cardstock
{1} 12x12 Sugar Cream (Prism)
{1} 12x 12 Kraft (Prism)
{1} 12x12 Suede Brown Dark (Prism)

Embellishments
{1} 12x12 Mia Glitter Die Cuts (Crate Paper)
{1} 12x12 Mia Border Glitter Die Cuts (Crate Paper)
{1} 12x12 Mia Alphabet Stickers (Crate Paper)
{3} 12x12 Sheets Biggest Board - Book It Chipboard (Fancy Pants)
{1} Rectangular Kraft Mini Envelope (Maya Road)
{1} 1" Pink Crystal Heart Charm (Prima)
{3} 2" Plum or Cream Daisies (Prima)
{2} 1 ½" Fuchsia Wild Roses (Petaloo)
{2} Brown Binder Rings (Creative Imaginations)
{1} Ounce Brown Buttons (Creative Imaginations)
{1} Yard Pink Sheer ¼" Ribbon (May Arts)
{1} Yard Fuchsia Grosgrain 3/8" Ribbon (May Arts)
{1} Yard Brown & Cream Dot ½" Ribbon (Creative Impressions)

Bonus Cards
{1} 5.5 x 8.5 Kraft (Prism)
{1} 5.5 x 8.5 Sugar Cream (Prism)
{1} 5.5 x 8.5 Island Mist Medium (Prism)
{1} 5.5 x 8.5 Wizard Medium (Prism)
{1} 5.5 x 8.5 Suede Brown Dark (Prism)
{5} 5 3/4 x 4 3/8 Natural Envelopes

ALL FOR ONLY $29.95!! (plus $6.50 S&H)

Take a look at the amazing projects the MemoryWorks Design Team created using this yummy kit in this month's free Idea Express download (includes exclusive PageMaps sketches)!

If you are interested in this kit or subscribing to the MemoryWorks Express Kit Program, please contact me today for further details!