little girl layouts

hey gorgeous!

I love scrapbooking our girl. She's just so funny! And I have a good excuse to use cute elements I never could before. The above is my new(er) favorite layout. She was all decked out in her sunglasses (upside down), her play headband, toy cell phone, and one of my wristlets! Ready to go! When I got these diecuts I had no idea if/how I'd use them (the one's that say "Hey Gorgeous," "You are so fabulous")...this was the perfect opportunity!

The next layout has one of my new(er) favorite photos from this winter. We took E to the zoo which we do a lot. The leopard was sleeping up against the glass and it almost looks like E is petting her...she was definitely trying to! I used some Project Life cards from a mini pack, some very old letter stickers and a random pink chipboard butterfly to pick up on E's pink coat in the photos. The background paper is from my stash. If you've read my blog for awhile you know that I never remember to write down products when I scrap. It just isn't part of my process. And I tend to pull from old and new when I scrap. It's all the same to me!

Thanks for looking!

documenting home

I mentioned in my last post a few ways that I like to use pocketed scrapbook pages. Since the New Year I have started a project where I am photographing each room in our home. Little by little. I love looking back at my parent's and grandparent's photos and being flooded with memories when I see their homes in these images. Long lost objects and architecture that created home. I want to document these memories for our little girl and for ourselves. Here's how I've been doing this so far.

Our Room page 1

Our Room page 2

In January I went on a major organizing spree. It started mainly in or storage closet...but since that is connected to our master bedroom in our smallish 2-BR condo...our bedroom was a natural starting point for this project. I took photos around the room and documented the memories...

Since this first spread I have completed a spread about our Living Room & Kitchen which are one open concept space. I tried to get some photos from our toddler's perspective. Low to the ground! I know that someday I'll look back fondly at these photos of her little Princess castles...

Our Living Room & Kitchen page 1

Our Living Room and Kitchen page 2

I'm hoping to continue this project documenting more of our spaces. I think Ellie's room is next. This is an idea I'd like to revisit this from time to time in the years to come as things change.

Thanks for looking!

my take on Project Life

 I admire other scrapbookers ability to keep up with a traditional version of Project Life. A weekly recording of their everyday life. But I find the idea overwhelming. I'm lucky if I get a few hours a week to do any scrapbooking. I have found that for me, if I have "deadlines," self-imposed or not, when it comes to my hobbies...I quickly lose motivation and interest.

I let go of the idea of being "caught up" years ago. What a GREAT feeling that was! Now I scrap at my own pace. Since my daughter was born in 2012 I have been able to keep up with one family album per year. The first being her baby album. And that works for me. I will never be "caught up" with the boxes and boxes of photos I have from previous years. With that said, I am loving using pocket pages in my own way. This year I have found myself doing 1-2 pocket page spreads each month. And occasionally I use the pocketed pages for those events where I have a lot of photos I want to share but can't fit them all on a traditional layout. This is where I can put those photos and little moments that I lived but don't need a whole 12x12 spread to share. (Though I will say, my favorite layouts (and those of my husband) are still my traditional 12x12's.)

January page 1

January page 2

February page 1

February page 2

March page 1

March page 2

I also have another way I've been using them...to document rooms in our home. I find that looking back at my parent's and grandparent's old photos I love seeing my childhood memories of their homes captured. A glimpse of a counter-top, carpet, or piece of furniture. These tell my childhood stories. I want to capture these things for my daughter. And for myself and my husband. Those everyday spaces that we take for granted now will be distant memories years from now. I am enjoying capturing them and their stories. I'll share these spreads in my next post!

Thanks for looking!

little scrapper

This crazy little side-kick of mine has seemed to enjoy all things creative since she could walk and talk! A girl after my own heart! She loves paint and can focus on it for quite a long time for her age (2). As an art therapist it has been so much fun watching her learn and develop creatively. My husband has been saying that I should set her up with some scrapbook supplies and a few extra photos she can play with while I'm scrapbooking. This way I can have some time to do my hobby and she will be entertained...

I tried it out a few weeks ago and it worked! She sorted through some of my old supplies and played while I scrapped at the kitchen table. It was so fun. I have set up a little box of scrap papers for her to play with when I scrap. If I'm scrapping at my desk I give her that or she looks through my little dishes of diecuts and talks about the shapes she sees.

Speaking of scrapping...I got a lot of pages done this weekend! I will upload them and post about them later this week. I love summer when I have shorter work weeks because I'm not teaching at the college. I truly enjoy being at home, playing with Ellie, cleaning, cooking, and organizing. It's when I'm most at peace and happy. But then the chaos begins again in September when I am juggling both of my jobs. It is not easy and I am grateful for this time to breathe. How do you all juggle work and life?

Thanks for stopping by....

Happy Tuesday!

I'm back!

I'm finding I've REALLY missed blogging! It's been almost a year. I blogged at least a few times a week since at least '07 I think! I've been really getting back into scrapping, reading blogs, watching YouTube, creating....and sharing what I do was always part of my process that I enjoyed. I don't really have a group of scrapping friends close-by so this became my network so-to-speak.

I recently subscribed to Studio Calico and have been playing with my first kit: Camelot. Also picked up some goodies yesterday at M's: the Switchboard and Lucky Charm paper pads I don't usually like paper pads but loved these and they were under $7 a piece! I'm on a really tight scrapping budget so I figured I could get creative and get my money's worth with these. I also got a Tiny Attacher with a 50% off coupon. I've been eyeing them. I have a little stapler but the look just isn't the same.

I'm hoping this post will be the first of many as I get back into the habit I enjoy of blogging! Trying to figure out the quirks of blogging from my iPad since I rarely open up my laptop anymore. This is just so much more convenient!

Here's a few of my recent layouts...using mostly the May Studio Calico kits along with a few things from my stash....

Thanks for stopping by! 

Happy Monday!