a little bit of me.

{Project LIFE: Week 2}

Catching up on my PL album (yay!) - Here is what week two looked like for us...

...Eric was traveling for work most of this week, so Monday is waves and high five goodbyes at breakfast.  And then lots of other randomness thrown in throughout the week of me + the boys.  "CARS" has been experiencing a revival in our house since we got CARS 2 on dvd last December.  The boys both love playing with all the characters.  I loved finding them all parked and lined up in one of our low windows in the playroom and knew that a pic needed to be snapped so that it could find it's way into the PL album.

...I created a 4x6 collage of instagrams for the lower left part of this page.  I used one of Ali's brushes across my collage.  And i have to say - best part of updating my phone a few weeks ago was my newfound LOVE of instagram.  :)

...The right side of the week is a little story about Evan's art painting that week - a penguin that he told me was a "sad penguin bc his Daddy was missing" - he brought it home on Thursday and I snapped the pic of him with it bc I knew I wanted to include that little description in our PL album.  Then Eric ended up catching an early flight home that night, so I included part of his boarding pass with the journaling tabs (from Elle's Studio) on it.

There's also some other random shots from the week that i liked, and a mini collage with a couple of pics from Evan's first Basketball practice/game (which was ADORABLE).

...I used a 5x7 protector to house a cute extra pic of Noah from the week on the front and then a little "book" that Evan created at Preschool this week (full of artwork and writing) & I knew that I wanted to save, on the reverse side.

...And I also used Lisa's cute little technique of cutting words into wordbubbles to highlight this selfie pic of eric and I - love how easy it is to do this with my silhouette and know that i will be using the technique a lot more in the future!

And that was week two.  :) 

Will have week three to add here very soon!

PRODUCTS USED ON WEEK 2:

InLinkz.com

{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.

:)