May 22 2013

Going Old School

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I’ve been ignoring Project Life a little to work on some traditional layouts that have been in progress for an embarrassingly long time. This page about my baby girl had been laid out using a template a couple of months ago. I finally finished it on National Scrapbooking Day using a free kit from Pixels and Company.

I used some watercolor brushes to give the feel of water splashes on the page. I’m really getting into brushes (the digital equivalent of stamps). I have quite a few, but haven’t used them much until lately.

Alyssa-in-the-bath-Oct-2012-web

Alpha is from I Heart Mommy by Shawna Clingerman

Template is Design 365 Layered No. 16 by Deena Rutter

Watercolor Brushes by Little Dreamer Designs

All other supplies are from the More or Less kit from Pixels and Company

May 16 2013

Pinterest Sanity

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I’ve read a couple of blog posts lately about how Pinterest will ruin your life and it’s best just to stay away from it. I’m a little torn about this. I love Pinterest and have found some great recipes and other inspiration there. That said, Pinterest can really distort your view of life.

Our Best Bites (one of my favorite food blogs) has a hilarious list of “what it takes to be an ideal wife and mother” according to Pinterest. I will freely admit doing a couple of these items and wanting to do a couple more. Taken as a whole the list is ridiculous (as it was meant to be!), but I think some people really buy into this weird ideal, especially when it comes to motherhood.

Another favorite blog, Momastery, gave another view of Pinterest. As in, it’s so much pressure that she’s not even going there. I love Glennon and her reminders that you don’t have to love every minute of motherhood. And I totally agree about the bananas.

I fully admit that on a bad day, Pinterest is not the place to go. If your ego has already taken a hit, stay away! There’s just too much perfection, too many beautiful photos of things I’ll never do.

But on a normal day? I’m all over Pinterest. I can look at all the gorgeous furniture made from pallets, the painted mason jars, and the over the top birthday party decorations and appreciate them for the art they are, never feeling the need to try my hand at such lofty pursuits.

I think that we’ve lost the ability to admire what others have done without feeling pressured to do the same.

  • With my last baby, I made my own baby food, but I don’t expect you to do the same.
  • My sister-in-law eats all organic food and grass-fed beef. I don’t and I’m fine with that.
  • Another sister-in-law plays with her boys for hours at a time. I can only last about 20 minutes.

A very nice lady I know makes her kids breakfast every day. She told a few school moms this after a PTO meeting. We turned on her like a pack of piranha. This wonderful mama was met with cries of “Your kids will never leave!” and “You’re spoiling them!” She ignored all of us, thankfully. We weren’t exactly being supportive.

Here’s my secret to Pinterest sanity. If I find something really interesting, I mentally try it on and see how it fits. Homemade baby food seemed like a tight fit, but worth trying on. Super easy slow cooker recipes? Now that fits like my favorite yoga pants. Pallet art is like a pair of jeans 4 sizes too small. That goes back on the rack and I’m happily looking at the next thing.

What’s your secret to Pinterest sanity?

May 4 2013

Happy INSD!

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I hope everyone had a wonderful International Scrapbook Day! I did some shopping on Friday and spent today working on Project Life. I was only a month behind. Now I have the last month organized and the journaling is written. Tomorrow I’ll put it all together, hopefully anyway.

I’ve really fallen for Project Life, both the paper version and the digi one. I fully blame the Honey Edition from Becky Higgins. The colors are so energetic and fit my kids so well. I finally got my hands on the digi version a few weeks ago. Here’s my first page using the Honey edition. It’s simple and I love it!

I didn’t have many photos so this particular week only gets one page. I’ve decided to officially not worry about such things.

Cute kids, cute supplies. I love this page!

Cute kids, cute supplies. I love this page!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you celebrate our wonderful holiday?

 

Apr 28 2013

Keep It Safe?

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A while back I made a scrapbook for my daughter. It’s small, simple and one of my favorite creations.

When I found a chipboard purse album, I knew I had to do something with it for my girl.

When I found a chipboard purse album, I knew I had to do something with it for my girl.

You see, my daughter was about to start kindergarten and I didn’t want my tender-hearted little girl to fall prey to mean girls. Or feel in any way that she was less than enough. School can be tough after all. So I made her a book to tell her how wonderful she is.

Recently someone told me that I needed to put the little album away. To keep it safe. “It’s so precious,” she said. “You should put it away, then bring it out at her bridal shower.” This person said more, but I stopped listening at ‘bridal shower’. Seriously? My girl is 6. Stop talking about bridal showers.

This little exchange has stuck with me. Honestly, the idea of any of my scrapbooks being locked away annoys me. Maybe even angers me. All of my albums are meant to be seen. To be enjoyed.

The inside is simple with a photo on the left and simple journaling on the right.

The inside is simple with a photo on the left and simple journaling on the right.

I admit I get nervous when looking at my albums with my kids. I don’t want pages torn or embellishments ripped off. But my kids adore my scrapbooks. They love hearing the stories and seeing the pictures. They get excited and loud. And when we’re done and the kids walk off, everything from the gleam in their eyes to the bounce in their steps just screams, “We are important! We are loved!”

So I won’t put my daughter’s album away. I keep it out of the baby’s easy grasp, but where my girl can reach it. Where she’ll see it every day.

When the time is right, whether at a bridal shower or a birthday or any other day, I’ll happily pull out my daughter’s scrapbook. And I hope the edges are worn and it shows not only the love that went into it, but the love my daughter has for her little album.

Apr 18 2013

A Few Project Life Pages

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I’m using the Project Life system for two different projects and in two different formats. My weekly Project Life scrapbooking is digital and uses the pocket pages idea with a little alteration. I mostly use 4×6 and 3×4 ‘pockets’ on these pages, although the digital format lets me change sizes and placements as needed. I love that flexibility! When I have all my ‘pockets’ arranged and filled, I resize the whole thing to allow for a about a 1/2-inch border around the page and then fill that border with patterned paper. Finally, I add a very thin solid color mat to the group of pockets. Here are a couple pages I did last month. (Supplies: Patterned Paper and Journaling Cards from the He kit by Dunia Designs, Heart Journaling Card from Family Layered Cards by Cindy Schnedider.)

I love the big heart, it really draws the eye.

I love the big heart, it really draws the eye.

I use matching patterned paper to indicate that these pages are from the same week.

I use matching patterned paper to indicate that these pages are from the same week.

I’m using my new Blush core kit and pocket pages to find a home for all those wonderful photos I’ve taken over the years that just never made it onto a traditional scrapbook page. I’ve gotten a ton done on this project in very little time. Using the paper version of Project Life is a little challenging to me since I’m doing little to no planning (gasp!). So my photos aren’t all horizontal or all vertical and I’m having to be creative to make the pocket pages work. No adjusting the page to match the photos like in my digital pages. It’s been fun though and I’ve really enjoyed spreading out my supplies and physically handling the photos and journaling cards. That’s the main part I miss when I digi scrap. Here’s the first couple pages I’ve put together.

Excuse the photo quality, I'm not used to having to take actual photos of layouts!

Excuse the photo quality, I’m not used to having to take actual photos of layouts!

I like putting two events on the same page, something I would rarely do on a traditional scrapbook page.

I like putting two events on the same page, something I would rarely do on a traditional scrapbook page.

As much fun as I’m having with Project Life and the pocket pages concept, I’m not giving up on traditional scrapbooking so expect to see more standard 12×12 pages here in the future!

Apr 10 2013

10 Things I Love About Project Life

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I started weekly scrapbooking in the Project Life style in late January. I’ve been doing this digitally and using all my normal digi supplies. I wasn’t really interested in trying the paper version, although I’ve seen some of the official Project Life (by Becky Higgins, love her!) sets and I think they are really cute. Then I heard that Project Life sets were going to be on HSN. Yep, that’s all it took. I’m now a proud owner of a Blush Core Kit, album and set of pocket pages. And I’m in love. So, here’s a list of 10 things I love about Project Life.

  1. Project Life can be done digitally or traditionally. I’m a huge digi scrapper, but I do miss paper sometimes. My new Blush Core Kit is going a long way to fulfill my desire to play with real paper, at least occasionally.
  2. While I don’t think either the paper or digital version of Project Life is inexpensive, you get a lot for your money.
  3. The basic, no-frills version of Project Life looks great. You really don’t need anything more than the core kit, album, pocket pages and a pen.
  4. If you have the time, supplies, and desire you can add to the basic Project Life setup and it will look great too. Sometimes I want to add more, sometimes I don’t. Personally, I tend to add more to my digi pages and leave my paper ones more basic. They all look fantastic.
  5. Project Life is not intimidating. It’s easy to understand and easy to see yourself doing. I think it has to do with not needing any time of glue (aka, adhesive for us scrapbook nerds). My sister-in-law is convinced that she lacks the scrapbooking gene and she loves Project Life.
  6. Project Life is super flexible. I always thought of Project Life as the weekly scrapbooking project and that’s it. Boy was I wrong! This system can be used for all kinds of scrapbooking projects. I’m using my paper Project Life supplies to scrapbook old photos that never made it into my albums. My weekly scrapbooking is using the digital version.
  7. Rounded corners. I’m not sure why this makes such a big difference, but it does.
  8. The variety of the different Project Life kits. There are core kits for every style. Want to add baby, childhood, seasonal or holiday stuff to your Project Life album? Project Life has got your covered!
  9. The amazing amount of inspiration available on the internet. Just do a search. On Pinterest. I dare you. Make sure you have a few hours.
  10. According to a video on Becky Higgin’s website (called Made in the USA), Project Life is manufactured in Phoenix. I love supporting local companies.

I’ll share some of my Project Life pages soon. Are you a Project Lifer?

Jan 15 2013

Recovering From Christmas

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It’s mid-January and I finally feel like I’m recovering from the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, the holidays were great, but it’s a lot of work as is having my husband and the kids home for the two weeks following Christmas. It made for some great memories, but little time or energy for creativity.

I was so excited to sit down on Saturday night and make this layout. It uses the Everyday kit by Little Dreamer Designs. I’m loving this kit. It has great colors and no theme so it’s very versatile. This is also the first page I’ve made in a long time that wasn’t based off of a template.

I’d love the say that the funky colors of the photo were due to my amazing powers of photo manipulation, but I’m not that good. I got a set of actions from RadLab before Christmas and they are fantastic! I wholeheartedly recommend RadLab if you like playing around with photos in Photoshop!

 

 

Jan 7 2013

And We’re Back…

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Back to the beginning.

Back to eating well.

Back to exercising.

Ok, so those last two are good things. I’m eating better and exercising again for the first time in a while. But, ‘back to the beginning’ isn’t such a good thing. I think I gained back all the weight I lost since August. I don’t fit in those jeans I was so excited about a couple months ago. And I’m probably obese again. I know that I’m way too chicken to find out for certain!

I could beat myself up about this all day, but there’s no real point to it. I can’t change the past. I can’t go back and not eat Christmas cookies. I can’t go back and stay away from the pumpkin pie. I can’t go back and exercise. I can change what I do today. I can log my food today. I can make a healthy dinner tonight. I can jump on the treadmill after that dinner.

I can also acknowledge the frustration and anger I feel today.

And I can forgive myself.

I was going to make a layout about my slide back into obesity. I think instead I’ll make a layout about forgiveness. That’s more important. I want to get off the emotional eating roller coaster, not sign up for another ride.

How did you do over the holidays? And, more importantly, how do you feel about it?

Jan 1 2013

Hi 2013!

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Happy 2013!

How are you doing this fine new year? I’m entering 2013 with a slight cold and a case of the ‘gimmes’. No, I’m not looking for more presents, although those are nice. I want deals! And coupons. And some terrific sales.

You see, I’m a big couponer and deal hunter. I try never to buy anything for full price. Over the last month or so, there have been so many good deals and new deals were popping up constantly. Truthfully, I didn’t buy most of them, but I love seeing them.

And now, they’re mostly gone.

I have to content myself with simple grocery coupons and Target ads. What fun is that?