january nook kit

I had my Nook January kit in my hands early early this month. I think even before Christmas? But with moving and all that comes with it (why is it that the scrap supplies are the last to get unpacked?) I hadn't had much time to delve into it.

Now the January kit is sold out, so all new subscriptions will start with February...which features October Afternoon Sasparilla:

You can snag yours HERE!!!!

I still want to share some of my January projects though, plus I had a challenge go up today for the New Year Crop, and I would love to see you participate in for a chance at winning the December kit.

Here is one of the layouts I made with the kit (the other one needs to get photographed!):

Love these pictures of little A...these were when she was 3!!

some detail shots:

I am obsessed with this chevron paper. The kit came with 2 sheets, but I need about 4;)

The next 3 cards, I made as examples for my challenge:

I still have a layout to share and I might make some more cards up with this kit....for some reason I am finding Lily Bee easier to make up cards? I adore the colors in this line for love-y, valentine cards;)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

new space

Finally getting around to posting pictures of my new scrap space. In the kitchen, there is a breakfast nook, but since we have a pretty large dining room table here, I snatched up that space as my own:)

Here is a peek standing in the kitchen, looking towards my desk:

Looking out how I have it set up now...I can't believe how I just had all this stuff next to our bed in the condo!

Here is a peek at the shelves:

from left to right, top to bottom I have:
stickers, paper and cardstock, American Crafts goodies, binder with rub-ons, mists, buttons, embellishments, ormolu goodies, nook kits, inks/paints, stamps, embellishments, drawers have twine and bling in them, jar of ribbon

a view of this shelf:

the smaller shelf on the left holds my punches. the tall shelf from top to bottom:
magazines, basket of extra adhesive, miscellaneous things, box of cards, homeless layouts, all my albums. 

in front of the shelf is all of my sewing stuff...which will hopefully get used now that it's not in our closet;)

and a peek of the top of my desk...which has a peek of a challenge I am doing this Saturday for the Nook crop;)

this space certainly isn't fancy or matching, but I love it:) I am one happy girl to have a dedicated space to scrapbook in again:)

i have to share

this.

After working 5 days in a row (someone has been on vacation, I normally work 3), I have been a tired mama. Then this afternoon was kinda blah...kids fighting, throwing all out fits over who got to push the baby doll in the toy stroller, not cleaning up their toys and me threatening to throw them away, not eating their dinners...then on to the evening routine and fits over brushing their hair, teeth, and more over that damn darn baby stroller...a pretty typical evening?

But there were a few bright spots. Like when we played "airplane," where I lay on the floor and put my feet on the kid's tummy and hold their hands and lift them in to the air...and tickles, lots and lots of tickles. Then me and the kiddos snuggled in to A's bed (Shaun was working tonight) and reading this before bed and having the kid's burst into giggles every time I said "hoobie doobie." Then the kisses and snuggles that come before tucking them in.

After the childrens, as Shaun and I call them, were sleeping tight, I plopped on to the couch and started going through google reader. I read this post on Karen Russell's blog and decided to check out the article. As I was reading it, it started to make me cry. A good cry. She hit the nail totally on the head.

Then I came to share it with you all, and I hope that you will share it with all the mamas you know:)

ten on wednesday...scrappy edition

totally missed Tuesday...oops! I have been a bad, bad blogger. I am totally blaming it on the move...we are finally pretty much settled in, thank goodness! I am itching to get into my new scrap space, I have worked a little in there and it is nice having my supplies at my fingertips...not in a separate room!

Anyways, lots of scrapbook shares/news, so this list will be pretty much dedicated to that;)

1. First of all THIS! I am so excited! I love that collection from Little Yellow Bicycle and can't wait to play with it! I am so happy my fellow Nook dt member, Shellye, will be designing along with me:)

2. Ormolu launched a new website recently...check it out! I think it looks awesome! The blog took a little break over the holidays, but is back on full force with some great projects:)

3. My Scrapbook Nook has a month long crop going on, with new challenges posted on Saturday and Sunday, check out the challenges, there are some pretty good prizes to be won...including a chance at the now sold-out January kit.

4. Through the 20th...if you sign up for a new subscription at the Nook, we will send you a free December kit! Read more about that HERE.

5. CHA sneaks are popping up everywhere now...to say I am excited about the American Crafts sneaks is a major understatement. I am pinching myself all over again that I get to work with them!!! Here is a peek at Dear Lizzy's new line, Neapolitan:

yes. that is ruffled paper:)

These come as pictured...how cute are they? Takes all of the work out for you!!

6. Next from American Crafts is Amy Tangerine's new line, Sketchbook...which I can't wait for either;)

how AWESOME is that notebook?!

7. Today, American Crafts revealed Gardenia, which again...I love:)

I love the hand drawn look to the thickers!!

I am a bit in love with the tags (that is always my favorite part of the collections!!), but seriously lovin' the clothespins too!

so cute!!

8. Other things that have caught my eye....
Jillibean Soup Neopolitan Bean Bisque Soup

9. These wood veneer frames from Studio Calico:

 

10. The Storyteller line from Crate Paper:

What do you think? What has caught your eye out of all the sneaks?!

american crafts: favorite photos

My January layouts went up on the American Crafts blog yesterday. My assignment was to scrap favorite photos. This was a fun assignment, but tricky since my favorite photos are always changing!

I knew for sure I would use this photo, even though I have scrapped it multiple times, but I just love it! Such a sweet little moment that makes my heart happy:)

I used the Amy Tangerine line here. I added the little orange heart after the fact since that little girl spilled some orange juice on the page;) Mommy needs to remember to move her pages from the table before kiddos wake up;)

These are some favorite baby pictures of Kieran that I never scrapped. Look how little and sweet he looks here:)

Little model baby:)

I used the Chap line here, and am still loving this collection! CHA is right around the corner and I can't wait to see what goodness American Crafts will be coming out with!

I took both of the layout photos with my phone, since I still couldn't find my camera battery charger. I found it the other night though while packing, yippee!!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

p.s. Don't forget about the Nook crop, which starts tomorrow! It is going to tons of fun and provide great challenges to get back in the swing of scrapping after the holidays! Oh yes...and there will be prizes too;)

ten on tuesday

1. I meant to do a blog post about Project Life before the year started, but never got around to it. Are you doing it? I am and I am really excited about it! I am going pretty low key with it. I didn't order a kit, just pulling from my stash. I am planning on using a 12x12 American Crafts Album and all Design A page protectors (they will be back in stock sometime this month!), adding inserts in some weeks if I have overflow. I have some printable journaling cards from Ormolu, and there are tons of other cute ones out there...like these, these, and these:) I am going to be fumbling through the whole process to get into a groove and will hopefully be able to share week one next week:) I want to dedicate Wednesdays to Project Life posts.

2. We are moving, yes...again. This was a temporary place to call home and we are moving about 10 miles away. We have to be out of here by the 10th, so I am feeling not too stressed...yet. This really should be an easy move and I am so very thankful to my in-laws for letting us rent their beach home. I think Kieran expects that they will be there too, hee hee! And Aislynn says it will make her think of Mimi and Papa all the time;)

3. I am getting my haircut later this afternoon. I want to do something drastic. I think it has something to do with the big 3-0 birthday coming up in less than 2 weeks.

4. We have some fun challenges going on at the Nook starting this Saturday. There will be prizes, of course! HERE is where you can find more information!

5. The Nook is having a special right now, where if you sign up for a subscription, they will throw in a free December kit with your first month (January).  Sounds pretty good, right? Yes. Yes, it does. Go HERE to sign up!
6. I am planning to go mostly vegetarian. I say mostly, because I know every once in awhile I will want a burger;) So far, it hasn't been too much of a change, it just takes more planning. I made this soup and loved it.
7. In an effort to get Kieran to eat more vegetables, I made kale chips. The 2 biggest skeptics (A+S) even liked them:) And K loooooved them. I am beginning to think he will only eat his veggies in snack form;)
8. In an effort to become more organized and better at planning meals, I discovered this site and I love it. You can create shopping lists, import recipes from blogs/websites, add nutrition information, etc. I like it:)
9. In the spirit of organizing, I saw this on pinterest (which I guess I didn't pin, because I can't find it anywhere?), but how cool would it be for scrapbook storage? And for only $20?
10. A goes back to school tomorrow. She is excited, she told me she misses her friends;) Honestly, I am not ready, lol! I like being lazy in the mornings and having her around! But I am also ready to get back into a routine, which I am sure will probably not happen until we are settled in after our move.



Hope your 2012 is getting off to a great start!

2011

You kinda kicked out butts this year. We were going along pretty smoothly and in April decided to move into a much smaller place so that we could save money, then a week after we moved...changes in Shaun's employment left us struggling...hard. So even though this last part of the year has been very tough for us, good things/lessons have come out of the whole situation. Thank goodness for our families, who have been an amazing support. And thank goodness we are employed, so many in this economy don't even have that. I am grateful for what we do have, our health, and each other...I do love this little family of ours so very much and looking back on the year, there have been some great times:

*click collage to view bigger*

Lots of beach time, tooth fairy visits, snuggles, giggles, candles on cakes, visits from grandparents. Lots of kisses, stories read, messes made, pictures painted/colored. Looking back at the pictures from the year, my heart is happy seeing how the relationship between A+K has grown. 

I have no idea what 2012 has in store for us. I am feeling the anticipation that a new year brings...and I like that. Things feel possible.

So I am wishing you a 2012 full of laughter, love, and opportunities.
xoxo

my top ten

Now that we are coming to the end of the year, I wanted to share some (there are a few I can't share until they are published, so that is why I say some) of my favorite layouts from the year.

This was a big year for me in terms of scrapbooking. It is funny to me how it all seems to happen at once...one door opens and then more and more.I am so very thankful for the design opportunities and publications I have had this year, I still can't believe half of it!! One of the best things though...is that I have met so many more great girls through these opportunities, and that I have had my eyes opened to many designers I wasn't familiar with before!

okay, I will quit rambling and share my personal favorite layouts from the year:

and just for fun, some of my favorite cards:

Did you do a similar post?! Link me up, I would love to see your favorite things you created in 2011!!

christmas 2011

Did everyone have a wonderful Christmas? We did....I love the ages the kids are at right now, it makes is so magical:) Santa was good to us all and I was so thankful to have some family in town! My camera battery died early Christmas morning and I have yet to find the charger. So there will be lots of camera photos until I find it! To keep up with my December Daily (my goal is to have it done before January ends, ha!), here are the photos+words from the last part of December:

writing letters to Santa. It amazes me to see how everything (handwriting, spelling, etc.) improves each year.

When I was at work one day, Shaun and the kids created a "winter wonderland," as A called it, using Kieran's train tracks, "snow," and the ice cream cone Christmas trees we made:)

Christmas stories. I love pulling all of the books out in the beginning of the month. We didn't get any new books this year, but the favorites stayed the same, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher.

decorating gingerbread men:)

When we were done, they each ate one and Kieran kept exclaiming, "I ate his eye!" "I ate his nose!" It was so funny!

Love all the fun mail that comes in December:) There were even a few dt box surprises in there, so extra happy mail!!

making peppermint bark:) These guys were such helpers in all the baking we were doing right before Christmas!

My Mom requested an updated picture of the kids, so this was the best we got:)

Uncle Phillip helping out decorating cookies for Santa:)

They had quite the assembly line going on here!

Setting out cookies and milk (and 9 carrots for the reindeer) on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning. Santa brought Kieran some trains and tracks, and Aislynn some Twinkle Toes shoes and oil pastels:) And he filled their stockings with all sorts of goodies, which they are for breakfast;)

A Merry Christmas indeed. Now that we have that all wrapped up (well...our tree is still hanging in there and we are almost done eating the peppermint brownies and cookies and treats we had laying around here), we are ready to ring in 2012! I hope to get up a year-in-review type post if time allows!