a little bit of me.

{Studio Calico's February "Daydream Believer" Revealed!}

WINNER (via random # generator) is...

**Nora - please email me your address to mail these out!  thanks everyone!  :)

Love all of your layouts...especially "Flying Dumbo". I missed out on the stamps too and would really love them. Thank you for the chance.

Posted by: Nora | January 28, 2012 at 02:26 AM

************

Here we go!

with the craziness of both CHA projects and life in general going on lately, I didn't really blog sneaks for this kit - even though Daydream Believer and it's little friends definitely rank up in my all-time faves.

Here is what I made with it...

..."Sweet" is my MAIN ONLY kit project this month - even though I also got three addons along with my kit, I made "sweet" with just the Main - Daydream Believer.  Loved this month's MAIN - the SC Paper was quite possibly my favorite ever!  Photo is of my niece Ellie (taken by my sister Kristi) and I love the way it worked so well with the color scheme of the main and the butterflies that were included!

..."Flying Dumbo" is a favorite photo (taken via hold the camera out & shoot mid-ride style) from our little disney trip last October.  So glad to get the chance to use it - and use it BIG - here.  :)))  Can't wait till we take Noah back to Disney this Spring with us.  Used some of the new release AC stickers and chipboard available in the shop this month, on this as well!

..."Sweet Smile" is lots more SC Paper and also uses the AC chipboard for the title.  This photo was somehow disgarded into my ever-growing unscrapped 4x6 pile and i love it SO much and just knew that it was perfect for this tree print paper!

..."Right Now is Wonderful" is my favorite this month.  I think it really just is about where I am right now - and the quirky things that Eric & I are loving about the boys RIGHT NOW - and was a fun way to use some leftover b&w 3x4 alternate pics that I already had printed (and ended up not using) for my Project Life title page.  Lots of stitching here - I am itching to start a new sewing project!!!

..."Find Sweetness" is a mix of favorite prints from the kit and the journaling cards from Stepping Stone that I ended up loving.

..."Have the Best Day Ever" is my CHA-Challenge card - look for more details on CHA challenges to be posted at SC this weekend!!! :)

..."U R Splendid" uses my very favorite wood veneer banners from Pleasant Valley - I LOVED this little embellishment pack!

AND, so that is what I made with Daydream Believer (in just a couple of days this past week - I probably would have gone all out crazy given a few extra free days!)

I have to say that I know Stepping Stone was a crowd favorite - and already sold out(!) - I ended up with an EXTRA SET OF THE ALPHA STAMPS that were included in this add-on, and would like to give them away to someone who missed out on snagging the kit tonight.  Please leave me a comment if you are interested and I will pull a winner on Sunday night so that I can mail them next week.

Happy Weekend Everyone! :)))

(lots of Project Life for me to catch up on this weekend - which I'm honestly excited about!)

{Right Now}

Lately, I find myself constantly thinking (& reminding myself) that

Right Now...

...is Wonderful.

:)  {pic is a little sneak peek of one of my February Kit layouts for Studio Calico's Daydream Believer Kit - this was a FABULOUS kit!}

Even though I've spent the past eleven days distanced from the blog.

and even though I sometimes feel like the world (and our days) are spinning faster than ever imaginable.

and even though I sleep an average of 5 and a half hrs a night.  ;)

I'm grateful for this life.

And for being able to spend my afternoons with these two boys.

And for being able to spend a Tuesday morning chasing seagulls with Noah.

And for being able to attend Evan's (very cute) 1/2 Birthday Preschool celebration in Chapel this morning.

And for being able to take lots & lots of photos, and to create a mess in my kitchen with paper and glue and foam adhesive and embossing powder and stacks and stacks of patterned paper, and know that that's ok.  :)

Life is Wonderful Right Now.  I don't want to lose sight of that.

:)))

psst - the past two weeks of Project Life Spreads will be ready to share here SOON!!!  I am LOVING this project more than anything else at the moment!

 

 

{Project LIFE: Week 1}

I really didn't mean to take this much of a "blog break" -- yikes.  ;)  Glad to be back with something to post -- Week One of our Project Life 2012.  YAY!

Can i just say how in love i already am with this project?!  SO GLAD that I took it on this year.  I've kept my camera out on the kitchen counter (the same way i did during the first 12 months of both boys lives) - which makes it so easy to grab and snap when something catches my eye.

When I was putting together Week One - I struggled with the fact that my week of photos is a kind of a big, colorful, crazy mess.  ;)  There's really no color scheme or coordination going on here -- AND THAT'S OK!  this is all for me - the photos and stories that I love and am already enjoying having organized in one place.  :)

I know that others plan out their page spreads, but I'm just not that organized for this project.  I proof my photos throughout the week, and add the digi stamps or text that I like then - so it's kind of a surprise as to what it's all going to look like when I print at the end of the week and put them into the page protectors.

I also desperately tried to handwrite my journaling cards and after the third try told a very, very fabulous friend that I thought I was a PL failure bc I hated my handwritten journaling and didn't want to look at it in my book.  She wisely told me that I'm the boss of my book and can do whatever makes me happy.  ;)  So I printed the journaling out on the cards and was able to fit SO much more onto one card and liked the end result SO much better.  AND i'm thinking that handwriting will be reserved for the small little tags that I add here and there, and that it's OK to be a handwriter-hater.  :)

Since Noah hit his 19 month milestone during this week, I added in a 5x7 protector, and printed his 19 month photo with a little text added on about his "loves" right now.  The reverse side holds a 5x7 watercolor painting that Evan did.  Evan and I made thank you cards for all of his holiday presents from the family during this week, so while we were making them, I had him paint one extra with the thought of including it here.

And that's my Week One.  :)

Supplies used below...

 

InLinkz.com

{at 19 Months...}

I'm attempting timeliness with Noah's monthly post this month.  ;)

We had a chance to sneak out into the backyard yesterday afternoon after he gave up on his nap, and snap a few "19 Months" photos...  (& so glad we did since it's FREEZING today!)

(his hair is getting so much lighter - and is pretty much almost the same shade as evan's now)

And, at 19 Months, Noah...

...Loves toby the poodle.  waves hello to him all the time, pets him (we remind him of "gentle" but usually he is), and also kisses and hugs him at any chance he gets.

...Has had a cold and runny nose for the past month.  and yet another ear infection.

...CLIMBS anything and everything.  our couch.  any box left on the floor.  his new anywhere chair.  eric's parents coffee table.  etc etc etc.

...Starts shouting "DEE-deeeeeee" for "cookie" as we approach the bakery at Publix.  And anytime anyone dares to mention a cookie.  :)

...Peed on the elmo potty for the first time right after turning 18 months.  YAY.  He now will do it nightly before bath and we're working on other times of the day.

...Plays anything Evan likes to play - superheroes, batman house, CARS cars, trains.  And also really LOVES all of our playfood right now, the haba blocks, and the wooden baby puzzles I dug out.

...Is an escape artist in both his carseat and grocery shopping carts.  :(

...waves goodnight to Evan when I get him out of the bath (they take together) each night.

...Will shake his head and tell you "NO" when he doesn't want to do something - but doesn't say yes or no yet.

...Tries to pull his jacket/hoodie off as soon I put it on him and zip it up - he is NOT impressed by multiple layers of clothing.

...& Yells "Maaaaa-MAH" anytime i re-enter a room, as a greeting.  which i love.  :)

PS - I got smart this month and offered bribed him with "can-DEEEE" (=s a few m&ms) so I could hold him still for a few minutes to snap pics...

He understood the "stay in the chair =s getting candy" plan PEFECTLY.  ;)

and thoroughly enjoyed each of the four or five m&ms.  (which he's also been loving after pottying, too!)

we love you little sweetpea.

xo.

{the first...}

of twenty-twelve.

(well... technically the 2nd, BUT for me it's just late at night on the 1st - so I'm going to go with that...)

Happy New Year from us (taken on NYEve...)

our very last installment of our "festive family of four" series...

(i swear eric made his hat "slip" on purpose, and noah is a total no-go on hats these days!)

we've come full circle since THIS last year.

our "festive" photos over the past year are something that I'll treasure forever.  what started out as a timer'd new years eve shot evolved to include so much more and to truly document a year of us.  I just bought a template to have all the shots printed together (I didn't post all to the blog, there were 9 holiday shots total, and then the repeat of new years eve!) - can't wait to share here soon!  And while I loved the results of the year, we won't be continuing it on into 2012 -- although it's definitely something I'd consider re-visiting in the future.  ;)

I wanted to take a quick peek back at what was twenty eleven, and so here is a favorite photo from each month...

January... I can NOT resist this expression + the bear ears hoodie jacket!

February... a favorite of the boys that remains the centerpiece of our gallery wall display.

March...  I love the spring here.

April...  Our family of four + a poodle!

May... A little cheerio love.

June... Love this pic of evan helping to blow the candle out on noah's family cake at home.

July...  Bubbles on the fourth!!!  (E would turn FOUR later that month!)

August...  Afternoons at the beach in late summer, with just my boys (& newly-walking Noah running EVERYWHERE) are something that I'll remember for a long time.

September...  Hello NYC.  and brooklyn bridge.

October...  Pumpkin Picking!

November...  Fall in Rittenhouse is a favorite.

December...  From our holiday card photoshoot in our backyard.  I adore the expressions here - so real.

 

I can only hope that 2012 will be filled with as much love, sweetness, and fond memories as 2011 was.

:)

 

{SC: January's County Fair Revealed!}

Studio Calico's January Kit - County Fair - is now live!  Even though December was crazy -it was DECEMBER after all(!), I still made time to make as much as I could with this kit - bc I loved it that much.  :) 

Took a new approach to accomplishing my scrapping this month >> by spreading everything out on my dining room table and working while the boys played.  It was revolutionary for me, as I've really hated being cooped up during the evenings in my office/guestroom lately.  This may be the new me when it comes to crafting!  ;)

This is what I made with January's Kit....!

..."Berry Sweet E" - This is my "main kit only" page this month - loved the #s stamp and designed my layout around that with list-style journaling.  Photo of Ev from earlier in the month.  Copper Metallic Zing! used with the stamp (looks fab with kraft c/s!)

..."NYC" - a big old pic from our little NYC trip last sept.  and then a photostrip of sorts running across the bottom of the page.  I loved so many of the elements of the Photobooth addon and put lots of them to good use here!  The photostrip is elevated with foam adhesive on top of the big pic - not sure that translates in my photo of it, but I loved the added dimenion it provided.  Note: The stamp used here is part of Ringtoss!

..."Out-takes" - these are just a few of the (what i think are) adorable pics of the boys, that didn't quite qualify as "card-quality", but that i still LOVED, taken during what ended up being our holiday card photoshoot (which =s me randomly deciding one weekday afternoon that the light streaming in through our backyard is TOO fabulous to waste, bartering with E that he could have "no nap" if he cooperated with pics, and repeatedly coercing Noah into giving Evan a "Hug"!)

..."Our Card" - is just that.  the front side of our holiday card.  I used washi tape to attach it so you can flip to the backside which is our halloween "super" family pic, and says "have a super new year!".  That little camera stamp is in Photobooth and is THE.BEST.

 
..."#1 Friend" - made with lots of leftover bits and some chipboard from the MAIN kit!  The heart punches are by stampin up.

..."Thanks" - more bits and pieces!  and LOTS of SHINE!!!! :)

..."XO" - The SC mini wood veneer alpha from County Fair is most def something that I'll be hoarding for a while!  and the stamps here are PERFECT for valentines projects and cards, and are from Shooting Gallery (the other addon that I worked with this month).

the end.  :)

{Project LIFE 2012: Cover Page}

I have been debating committing myself to "Project Life" for 2012.  Because while I adore the idea of recording an ENTIRE year in just a single (or few depending on how much you include) album, I was hesitant on whether I could tackle yet another project.

BUT what i LOVE is that the philosophy of Project Life is SIMPLICITY.

And after reading through (multiple times) my friend Lisa's amazing post on how she's made PL work for her - and seeing how her resulting album REALLY shows her family's everyday life throughout 2011 - I was convinced. 

I want to capture MORE of the little moments that we love.  The funny things Evan says.  The "firsts" that Noah seems to be steam-rolling through.  And the everyday things that I don't think twice about now, but will want to remember the details of years from now.  :)  AND so, I hope to have something even half as fabulous as Lisa's album at the end of 2012.  :)

And 2 days later, thanks to an Amazon Prime trial membership that I am going to HUGELY miss... This arrived on my doorstep.

...the Becky Higgins PL Core Kit in COBALT and Style A and Style F Page Protectors.

I've decided to use one of the many 3-Ring American Crafts albums in my stash to house my album for 2012 - the protectors fit perfectly.

I couldn't resist playing with the kit a bit to create my title page for 2012 - and I'm already in love with this style of scrapping in pockets...

...The upper left corner is a 4x6 pocket, but I really wanted to use two 2x3's there, so I'll just adhere them back to back with the 4x6 that will go behind them, to keep them in place.  :)

...The only thing I added beyond the core kit was the green polka paper, cardstock, and my digital title/volume card (printed as a photo at costco).

I will be sharing my PL "weeks" here on the blog - to hopefully keep me caught up.  :)

Also - Studio Calico has a PROJECT LIFE FORUM set up with lots of helpful info and encouragement for anyone else who might be interested in tackling a PL album for the first time like me.

:)

Supplies...

InLinkz.com

{at 18 Months...}

latest monthly post to-date (i think).  sorry Noah.  ;)

Not only have we obviously been caught up in the craziness of what is December, I've also been struggling all month to get a decent photo of Mr Noahpants.

I really, REALLY wanted to get a wide variety of shots this month, since 18 months is somewhat of a milestone, and instead I ended up with a lot of pics like this...

...he is OBSESSED with his bellybutton lately and will show it to anybody who will look, at anytime.  ;)

I think I had truly forgotten mentally blocked how difficult this age can be (especially when the photographer is just momma, and it's much easier to ignore her and RUN where ever she may place you down for a photo...).

I even dragged a vintage baby toy piano that I've had stuffed in my garage for a couple of years now, out into our backyard to try to get him to stand in one place and LOOK AT ME for 2 seconds...  but no luck.

(He did totally love banging the keys for about 11 seconds, though!)

And so, I'll take a 1/2 smile, because I know how much fun he was having at the park the day I took this - repeatedly sliding off and onto the bench, and chasing after Evan, and running the wooden walk-way paths that stretch over the edge of the intracoastal waterway where we were.

And so, at 18 Months, Noah...

...says momma, dadda, banana (nah-nuh), batman (bah-mah -- and used as a general name for ANY superhero or even Lightning McQueen for that matter), bubble (buh-bah), that (dat), Evan (Ehhhhh), and your new favorite uhoh.

...has 8 teeth and 2 molars.

...wants to climb EVERYTHING from the dishwasher to the couch to the music table to the high chair.

...weighs 23 lbs.

...gives BIG hugs and kisses with sound effects.  ;)

...refuses to let me buckle him in to the front of a shopping cart, and attempts to dive-out at any chance.

...sings/hums the "elmo's world song" at any mention of Elmo.

...is extremely cuddly, loves to be rocked, and will sit in our lap at almost any chance he sees.

...LOVES to get a cookie at the grocery store.  Will CLAP as we get closer to the bakery and then start pointing at the counter and telling me "DAT" "DAT" over and over.  :)

...doesn't miss a beat.  He's observing everything and anything that goes on and astounds us daily with some of what he immitates.

...CLAPS when i pull into the driveway and open the garage door!

...HATES talking woody (from the toy story bin).  Cries and runs away when he comes out.  We've had to hide him lately.  ;)

...attempts to sing along with the ABC's.  It won't be long before he really is.

...gets his shoes out of our shoe bin when it's time to go somewhere and tries to put them on himself.

...and attempts at all cost to keep up with Evan's antics.  :)

***********

And really, the best shot I got of Noah all month, was taken on Dec 1st - so just a day shy of 18 months, and ended up being our Holiday Card pic this year...

(there's a layout coming about this shot... and another on some of the out-takes!)

...We love you SO much, but Evan honestly adores you, N.

:)

{Holly... Jolly...}

The Christmas installment of our 'photos of 4' series... Only one more shot to go this year.  So glad I kept up with this.  :)

Merry Christmas from us!

 

{Sneaks from SC's January Kit!}

Studio Calico's January kit, County Fair, will be available next week.  Here's just a little peek at what I made with it...

Can I just say that the STAMPS WERE OUT-OF-CONTROL AMAAAAAZING this month?!

:)

...I also worked with Addons #3 Shooting Gallery, and #4 Photobooth, and grabbed an Addon Patterned Paper as well. If I had to only choose one, I'd definitely go with Photobooth - the camera stamps, fabric swatches, and hambly camera print overlay were some of my favorite elements of the entire month!

Products used on my Projects for January...

InLinkz.com