Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Doggy naps

Summer Mini Book-Part 2

When we last left off, I shared Part 1 of my summer mini, so without further ado, I present part 2:

Another Hambly transparency

Outside Fun: Durant Nature Park, around the townhouse, seeing tobacco fields.

Bike Riding at Spring Forest Park-Check, and no hands= Bonus Points.

Other Fun Things-H20= Isabelle's rest time new vice, going to see Madagascar 3 with the kids, walking a baby doll around the mall with a stroller and homemade baby sling= blanket and hair tie.

More loves-Heroes, going to Red Robin and Adventure Landing.

Lots of fun doggy time with Elizabeth, Daisy, and Dutch.

Mom and Kodi man coming to visit=CKC Charlotte, i-pad love from the grandkids (LOL,) and sweet secret banana messages (PSSssstttt love you too mom.)

Arriving back in Raleigh, just in time to tear a ligament in his ankle, a few weeks later he was back to his old self, after a week of crutches and taking it easy.

Unfortunately painting and decorating the outside of the album did not happen today as planned.  For now, it is in an Aqua Snap album...a 3-ring album with an aqua side where the binding is.  I am doing some major purging and organizing right now, so it might stay this way for awhile. I kind of like it plain, but am also open to the possibility of jazzing it up down the line.

Supplies Used for Parts 1 and 2 of 2012 Summer Mini:

• Studio Calico Heyday paper 
• Studio Calico Mister Huey in Taxi, Mint Julep, Pretty Pink, Shine, and Dark Calico
• Studio Calico Mistable Buterflies
• Studio Calcio Heyday ephemera
• Letter stickers:  (Studio Calico Heyday Pink letter Thickers in bliss font, Studio Calico Heyday Aqua Thickers in Ali, Studio Calico Mistable Heyday Thickers in Bree font, October Afternoon Mini Market Stickers)
• Studio Calico Wood Veneer-Stars, Transportation, Butterflies, Cameras, Heyday Typewriters
• Studio Calico Masks: bubbles, circle graph, zigzag, heyday mask.
• Stamps:  Studio Calico Summer Stamp School, Heyday Thoughts, 
• Washi:  Freckled Fawn and My Minds Eye.
• Doilies:  Paper doilies from Michaels, Martha Stewart, and Studio Calico
• Stickers:  October Afternoon Woodland Park
• Journaling cards:  Snap.
• Album:  Snap album in Aqua.
• Punches:  Martha Stewart Butterfly
• Vellum bags and coin collector bags:  Studio Calico
• Twine:  My Mind's Eye, The Twinery, and Doodlebug
• Dog paperclip:   Office Supply Store
• Flair buttons:  Finding Nana, CKC Convention badge.
• Ink: Versamark, Versafine in Onyx Black, and Hero Arts.
• Embossing Powder-Zing (pink glitter, aqua, and yellow)
• Hambly Transparency
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Ali Edwards Digital Brushes

Happy Friday!

Toni

Summer 2012 MIni Book-Part 1

This mini began with Ali Edwards, as many great and creative things do. I just adore her, she is so awesome, and I even had the very fortunate experience to meet her at a Creating Keepsakes Convention years ago in Portland, Oregon. She is such a sweetheart and someone I greatly admire.
This summer, Ali Edwards had an idea to make a Summer Manifesto, which for her, consisted of a list of thirteen intentions of possible shared experiences, or things her family of three wanted to do or create this past summer. Ali listed a variety of things they wanted to do or accomplish, or experiences they wanted to share together, and documented it along the way. Her finished product turned out amazingly wonderful (not that I am at all surprised.) I am including a link for those that want to be inspired by this, I highly recommend you take a look when you have the chance.  http://aliedwards.com/2012/10/2012-summer-manifesto-album-complete.html

I also felt, very much like Ali, that I wanted to be especially present this summer. I felt an innate longing to really hold onto to those two months, and an enormous sense of just how quickly my children are growing up.

My family and I started a list of things we wanted to do, see, or experiences we wanted to share together. We ended up with a list of twenty things, and we accomplished eighteen of them, and I documented all of it. Literally. All. Of. It. I really loved this project, every aspect of it.  I spent time really reflecting on where I wanted this project to go, we had numerous conversations with our children about what we wanted to accomplish/ experience, and then I was just present with a ready camera.

After Labor Day weekend, I began really organizing the photos with the stories, and put all of my supplies together, and I began developing pictures using my trusty Epson XP-400 home printer. I then began putting it all together, I should warn you that I took a lot of photos of the finished project-which is why I am dividing this up into two posts, I will share part 2 tomorrow as well as a list of supplies used.

Without further ado: The First Half

Lightning bugs were the highlight of the summer for Isabelle. She is quite the expert little catcher.

Relaxation at home, out of the sticky heat, love the one of the two cuddling.

Lots of fun Hambly transparencies thrown in there for layering fun.

Meeting Nicole Harper (check, and yes she is uber amazing,) Cutting 18 inches off my hair and donating to Locks of Love, Orthodontist appointment for both kids-beginning braces in Spring for Elliot and a Retainer/ Expander combination for Isabelle= Good times.

Elliot hamming it up-being a human hamster, rock climbing, and dressing as Abe Lincoln, because, well he is a "Really Cool Dude."

Fun things: Prison Break (serious heartthrob alert,) Getting pedicures, and learning to slingshot water balloons (yes, Isabelle is now quite the expert:  I can testify.)

Good eats: Lots of cooling summer foods around here-watermelon and ice cream goodness.

Miss Isabelle has become quite the Daddy's girl this year. So sweet.

Beautiful flower and butterflies everywhere we looked all summer long.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope to see you tomorrow for part 2. I will reveal the rest of the album tomorrow, including the cover, as well as a detailed list of all products used.

Happy Thursday!

Toni

Online Challenge Win #1 "Hello Third Grade"

Super excited today to share this great news. I won my first online challenge through
fortheluvofart.blogspot.com. I had no idea that I had won until I received an e-mail today from the lovely Sherrie. Thanks again for choosing me to be your winner!

Hello Third Grade

Happy Wednesday!

Toni

*43 for Jonathan challenge for October-currently at 19 miles

http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/6111-43-miles-for-jonathan

October, currently.

Driving on Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway.
Listening to the crunch of leaves...shuffle, shuffle, stomp
Unpacking our van at dusk.
Watching Eric building a fire.
Sorting through our cooler and organizing supplies for a barbecue.
Smelling charcoal grilled burgers.
Hearing my children ask each other very enthusiastically, "Do you see how big the fire is?"
Playing UNO way too many times.
Sleeping in a mummy sleeping bag very cozily.
Shivering in the early morning crispness in the air.
Noticing my breathe leave my body in little puffs of smoke.
Realizing my husband is a genius for purchasing our little propane heater, years ago.
Watching a plethora of oak leaves blowing around our campsite in the early morning hours before settling in for a long rest on our tent; in one word: Magic.
Braiding long pigtails every morning.
Eating hot oatmeal for breakfast.
Drinking hot chocolate.
Witnessing the children interacting with nature, trying to sing back to the birds.
Relaxing and listening and seeing and doing.
Hiking on two different trails and feeling free.
Seeing Stone Mountain for the first time.
Believing that anything is possible when you look at scenery this beautiful.
Wishing I could share this firsthand with everyone.
Reflecting on crossing an item off my bucket list: Camping in Blue Ridge Mountains.
Contemplating another camping trip next spring.
Taking the last photographs of our weekend trip.
Smiling and laughing and feeling so eternally grateful for such a blessed weekend with my little family.

My kiddos: Isabelle (9) and Elliot (12,) taken on 10-20-12

I highly recommend visiting North Carolina in the fall, it is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Happy Monday!

Toni

*43 for Jonathan challenge for October-currently at 13 miles
http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/6111-43-miles-for-jonathan

Wordless (ish) Wednesday

A short re-enactment of Saturday afternoon for you guys:

Me: "Elliot, (age 12) are you doing your homework?
Elliot: "Yes, mom, I am working on it."
* Five minutes pass or so and the kitchen is too quiet, I walk around the corner and this is what I see.

I was very proud of myself for not laughing, I just got down on the ground and took this photo. Elliot sort of smiled and kept on laying there. I then went upstairs and showed my hubby this photo and we cracked up, LOL...kids-they do and say the darndest things, especially twelve-year old boys named Elliot.

I hope this made you smile, and as always,

Happy Wednesday!

Toni

Project Life Tuesday

Today I have a Project Life week to share, and I still LOVE this project. I have been Project Life-ing (yup it is a word) all year, and I fall in love with it more and more each week. For 2012, I have been fairly organized and have done a great job for of keeping all of my supplies together and somewhat organized. Every week I print photos (mostly from home) and complete the two-page spread for the previous week. That being said, I got a little behind for the month of September, but should have all of that month caught up by the end of the week, here's hoping anyways. I think the important thing with this project, or any large project, is not to stress if you get behind, but make an action plan to break it down into little steps to help you get caught up. I spent last week catching up on two of the weeks that I missed in September and this week I will catch up on the other three.

Week 40: October 1-7, 2012

Left Side

Right Side

And some more photos

Title card-I used the Summer of 69 Digital Printable from Studio Calico, a date stamp, and and Elle's Studio Tag, and my trusty tiny attacher.

A close-up of some of our Titanic memorabilia and a different angle of all of the photos on the left page.

Backwards day at Isabelle's school, she even styled her hair backwards-HA! I couldn't help but laugh (super silently) when she came downstairs to show me her hair creation. Also a photo of the beautiful park by our home that I love to walk around, it has a great walking path, and oh so many gorgeous oak trees. Just love it oh so much!

Journaling cards, some stamping, and a photo of the package I mailed with over 20 stamps on it, a new record, (addresses are washed out for privacy.)

 More photos, having a popcycle after running 25 laps for the school fundraiser, and our Titanic tickets.

My weekly checklist of random happenings, some stamping on that card, more journaling (house numbers washed out for privacy,) and a close up of the house we are interested in purchasing, as well as some fun Asian measuring tape washi that I received from a super cool swap friend I met through the Studio Calico message boards. Thanks again Kim.

For this week I used the Summer of 69 Printable Digital Downloads from Studio Calico throughout the entire spread. This download included journaling cards, some tags, and arrows as well. I also incorporated a 2012 October banner from Elle's studio, October Afternoon mini market letter stickers, American Craft Aqua Thickers, a large pink shipping tag, some ribbon, a little memorabilia, and of course lots of fun stamps and ink. Additionally, I used quite a few digital brushes by Ali Edwards; 

Are you working with Project Life at your house or doing something similar?  How is it going? Have you been keeping up all year. How many years have you been doing Project Life? If not Project Life, what kind of scrapping or crafting are you involved in? What about moving right before the holidays-any pointers for crazy people like us? Let's chat.

Happy Tuesday!

Toni

Hello Autumn, Thank You Very Much.

There is just something about fall that inspires me to get crafty, and not just in a scrapbooking-kind-of-way. Fall makes me wish I was a much better seamstress and I could whip out quilts in a blink of an eye, but regardless, I do enjoy all kinds of fun endeavors this time of year. Autumn is also a big card making time of year, and not just because World Card Making Day is on October 6th. I have already started my Christmas cards, and my nine-year old little girl and I made Halloween cards last weekend, and had an absolute blast doing it!

Today, I am going to share a card not inspired by a pumpkin or a ghoul, but rather, based on using the color combinations of orange, dark blue, and dark green. This color combination made me think of Autumn in North Carolina and the sun...and this is what I came up with....something fun, and sunny, and happy, because that is how I feel right now, and that is how my hometown seems to me.

And here is my card:

This was  a fairly straightforward card and a lot of fun to make. I used orange cardstock as the base card and cut a small white square that was slightly smaller than my card to put on top. The card is a standard A2 card (or 5 1/2 inches by 4 1/4 inches) and the white square was cut  5 1/4 inches by 4 inches. I then used a section of blue patterned paper for the top and green patterned paper for the bottom. The top was adhered first, followed by the bottom green paper second (after I cut the top of it in a haphazard fashion in an effort to make it look more like grass.) I then added a punched circle in orange and bands of orange and yellow rays, using yellow and orange patterned paper. Next, I added some enamel dots to the end of the sun's rays for some more added whimsy. The sun is a veneer circle that I affixed on top of the cut out circle using Diamond Glaze. I also filed in the circle with a layer of Diamond Glaze on top to make it look kind of shiny and like epoxy, but it is just glue I swear. The last things I did were to add a wood veneer bird to the bottom of my card and the white paper sentiment that I had already stamped and cut out. I adhered "Thank you Very Much" using pop dots to give the card some added dimension.

Products Used

• Orange and white cardstock by Bazzill
• Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow patterned paper are from Bella Blvd's Fall 2012 Thankful collection.
• Wood veneer tweet and circle by Studio Calico
• Thank you Very Much stamp by Studio Calico 
• My Minds Eye enamel dots in an exclusive color, sold by Studio Calico

Are any of you making anything lately that is Autumn inspired? Or perhaps weather inspired? Anyone else already working on their Christmas cards or Halloween cards (I might be the only one that makes cards for that holiday, LOL.) What about quilting, any quilt makers out there? Oh how I wish I could sew that well. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Monday!

Toni

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Park near our home...great for daily walks, LOVE the oak trees!

*43 for Jonathan challenge for October-currently at 4.5 miles

http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/6111-43-miles-for-jonathan

October, currently.

Packing a bag to take to Archiver's to scrapbook today while the kids are in school.
Pleading with my daughter into letting me french braid her hair today.
Folding laundry that is piled up on the couch.
Organizing my desk.
Contemplating how sweet Elliot is when he says goodbye to me at least five times every morning.
Making way too many lists.
Thankfully, marking some items off my lists.
Drinking coffee= Heavenly.
Planning to make pumpkin pancakes for dinner tonight.
Feeling so blessed and happy
Sorting paper into recycling.
Picking up items in the family room
Loving my washi tape.
Using lots of Studio Calico masks on projects lately.
Being. Just being. Present.
Witnessing my dogs interacting with one another, always a comedy show around here.
Reading a book about design principles I picked up.
Enjoying spending fall evenings on the couch with my husband.
Missing my parents and best friend back in Washington State.
Waiting to hear back from someone.
Looking at a Halloween drawing made by my daughter.
Thinking I need to go for a long walk once I take Isabelle to the bus.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Glasses, Jenga, and a dog, life does not get much better.

October Goals

This past week was super busy, LIFE, and all of that. Not as much creative time as I had hoped for, but I did some work in Project Life and I worked quite a bit on my Summer 2012 mini album, but I will not share until I am a little further along.

I am just loving Elisa Blaha Cripe's blog...such as source of inspiration and entrepreneurship...just love her...I am now going to be doing a monthly goal list at the beginning of the month inspired by her goal list. http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2012/10/october-goals.html.

For the month of October 2012 I choose to:

1. Get caught up with Project Life-for the first time ever I am not caught up, what can I say, LIFE got in the way. I have to finish the complete month of September, but I WILL get caught up this month, some weeks the layouts might be super simple:  That is what I love about this project, it can be simple or complex, whatever you want/ need it to be.
2. I will walk/ run/ bike ride/ skip 43 miles. Why that exact number? I was super motivated by Becky Higgins challenge in honor of her recently deceased brother Jonathan who would have turned 43 this month. You can read all about that at the link below and please join me, but basically you just log any activity, with the goal of reaching 43 miles the month of October. I will share my progress throughout the month.  http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2012/09/a-challenge-to-move-in-october/.
3. I will finally go through the last six boxes of random things in the Master Bedroom...we moved over 15 months ago, and there are still some things that I have not decided what to do with, I can probably part with approximately 1/ 2 of it.
4. Post and sell to Craigslist, my increasing pile of finds that we no longer need...then I can actually use the back door (the large pile is currently stacked in front of it.) Does anyone else get super excited every time they get rid of something? I swear it is just as exciting as getting new craft items, well maybe not quite that exciting. ;-)
5. To go camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
6. Get better about taking daily photographs.
7. To sew Isabelle's new Brownie uniform.
8. Document Fall-North Carolina has the most gorgeous Autumn season, I am hoping my I-Phone 4s will do it justice.

What goals do you have? Any monthly goals you are working on? Anyone willing to join me for the October fitness challenge? What about getting rid of not needed items-do you sell? Donate? Combination of both? Anyone else love getting rid of stuff and squeal in delight (and sometimes out loud) when they drop-off items at the Goodwill? I want to hear, let's commiserate together.