I am so sorry that this is so late. With the different time zones I am actually already on Monday and my Monday morning has been a bit crazy. So I apologize! Hope you can forgive me.

I have the priveledge of spotlighting the lovely Leah. She is new to ScrapMatters as a CT member, but not new to the scrapping world. Here is what I found out about her:

What is your main job/career?
I’m a school psychologist by trade. I work with students aged 3 – 14 manifesting behavioral, social, academic, and emotional difficulties. My particular areas of interest include autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. I’m currently on extended hiatus while I’m at home raising our son.

Are you married/kids/pets?
I’ve been happily married for 7 (holy cow – how did that happen?) years to my best friend, Colin. We have one absolutely amazing and adorable son, Liam, age 3, who is the primary subject of all my layouts.

Where do you call home?
We live in a very rural part of Connecticut along the Connecticut River. It’s quite beautiful and picturesque…we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!

What are your three favorite foods?
Do I have to choose? I love fried shrimp with lots of lemon. I grew up in a suburb of New Haven, Connecticut, home of Yale University and THE BEST pizza in the country (seriously!) So, I’m a real pizza aficionado. I also really like Japanese cuisine – teriyaki chicken and shrimp (no real surprise there!)

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
A local ice cream shop serves the most amazing flavors – one of which is a homemade vanilla with chunks of brownie in it. SO yummy!

Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?
Sweet…without a doubt! I’m a sucker for fruity and/or gummy candy. I’ve been known to eat an entire pound of gummi bears in one sitting.

What is your favorite beverage?
This may sound boring, but I only drink water. I’m addicted to Fruit 2 0. I drink 3-4 bottles a day.

What is your least favorite food?
Anything with mayonnaise or a similar slippery or slimy texture. Ew!

PC or Mac?
I’m equally well-versed in both platforms, but I prefer a PC.

How long have you been digi-scrapping/How did you get into it?
I stumbled upon the digiscrap phenomenon in November of 2006 while surfing on a mommy message board. I was immediately entranced by the way a person can manipulate photos and other ephemera into digital works of art. I asked for Photoshop for Christmas of that year…and I haven’t stopped since!

What program do you use to digi-scrap with?
I have both PSE (my first program which I learned on) and now I have upgraded to PSCS3. It’s ironic because as a former designer, I actually preferred the ease and simplicity of PSE!

What are your hobbies besides digi-scrapping?
I love gardening, shopping, photography, and travelling.

What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?
I have a tough time journaling my thoughts. I try to have the photo and the surrounding art do all the talking.

What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking ?
I’d really like to take a few advanced photography classes. I really would like to perfect the technique.

What are your favorite books/authors?

Oh, I am a total book nerd. I love classics such as Catcher In the Rye, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Bell Jar. Also, more modern novels by Wally Lamb (I Know This Much Is True, She’s Come Undone), Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper), Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night Time), and Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones.)

What are your favorite movies?
I love comedies….the more ridiculous and mindless the better. I loved Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Clueless, Billy Madison, Bring it On, Borat, Napoleon Dynamite, Dazed & Confused…I have a million favorites. In stark contrast, we also watch a lot of documentaries: Supersize Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Bowling for Columbine. I’m also partial to 80s John Hughes classics such as The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

What is your favorite quote?
I have so many. I like “While we try to teach our children about life, our children teach us what life is about.” So true.

What is one of your goals for 2008?
We’re in the process of building our dream home from the ground up…and it’s really trying our patience and testing our frustration levels. I’d like to be able to complete construction and move in with as little hassle and upheaval as possible

I scanned through her gallery, and I found so many amazing LO! Go to the link and have a look for yourself at more of her wonderful creations: http://scrapmatters.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10668. She is so amazing and we are so excited to have her here at ScrapMatters!