Scrapbooking From the Inside Out Blog Hop!

Welcome to our blog hop!
The purpose of our hop today is three fold :)
We are sharing the July Communication kit one last time, giving you a chance to get to know the design team members, and posting a peek or two of the new August Escape kit.
In addition, we have a great prize to give away to one of you :)

I have already shared my five projects here on my blog this month. But for anyone new to my blog, here is a quick look at how I used the kit.

You can see the individual layouts a little closer as well as all of the other design team members terrific work in the SFTIO gallery here!

Now that I have worked with the July and August kits, I have noticed that I have a specific approach to planning and completing my projects.
When I first learn the theme for the month, I brainstorm ideas and think about photos I have that might fit.
Once the kit comes, I sort through the product and see if any of it inspires me. Let's just say that all of the little rotary phone embellishments that kept popping up, inspired my "Those Were the Days" layout in a big way :)
Another great place to look that may spark some ideas is the SFTIO inspiration page! Each kit has it's own page with journaling prompts, a link to our Pinterest board (one for each kit), music playlist, and quotes. The work is done for you!
Then towards the end of the month, Rachel provides amazing, thought provoking challenges on the boards.

I love these kits because for me it is about sharing the good as well as the rough times. And it is about lessons learned. How I get through those rough times and feel stronger as a result.
It is also about the memories of times gone by that won't be coming back. But I have those memories to share and that is what counts!
And maybe by sharing a piece of myself, I can inspire or help someone else going through something similar. : Or just give them an "aha" moment :)
Like C.S. Lewis said, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."

 And now, here is a peek at the August kit...

 And here is a peek at one of my layouts...

I will share a few more peeks on Monday and then the reveal will be on Wednesday.

And now for the prize! Leave a comment on my blog today and you will be entered to win this collection pack by Nikki Sivils...
You may recognize a few pieces of paper from the July kit in there :)
The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 29th at 9pm Pacific time.

Next up on the hop is Nicole Martel.
And if at any point you become lost, the SFTIO blog is here.
Thanks for stopping by today!