monday vent...and some layouts

View of the pond across from our condo

I originally intended to write this blog entry at 9 this morning. I uploaded some recent pictures, sat at my desk, and then the HVAC guy came to look at our leaking unit. Ugh. We have owned our condo for two years this July. We had some trouble with the AC last year and the first quote we received we were told we would need to replace the entire unit due to the exterior unit having heavy rust damage because of where they were located in the condo complex. My husband was away in El Salvador for National Guard AT so I had to make all these decisions alone. I got a second opinion and they suggested ust getting a few parts repaired for now.

Fast forward to this a.m.

I'm a researcher by nature. I want to know all there is to know about an issue so I can make an informed decision. But unfortunately, my nature stresses me out. We were told this a.m. we need to (at least) replace the exterior unit because 1/3 of the lower coils are rusted out. But because it runs on the type of freon that was outlawed in 2010 we have to replace the outer unit ASAP because they are no longer manufactured. If we don't we will need the entire unit and connectors replaced which will be very costly and complicated because of the set up of our condo townhome. Though from my research we might have to do this anyway since it seems in 2020 the freon used in our older unit will no longer be available.

Ugh.

We are just about to trade in our pick up truck and buy a much needed car. Both of ours are 10+ years old and need to be replaced. We don't want additional debt so we are trying to do that mostly loan free. But now the AC unit?

Ugh.

I'm trying very hard to accept. It is what it is. We will do what we have to and we will get by. It is just discouraging to each be working 2 jobs and still feel like we are just scraping by with a little extra for an occasional dinner out but not much more.

I would like to hit the "good news" lottery instead of the "bad news" variety.

I'm sure others can relate?!

Now that I have vented....I am going to try hard to switch gears and focus on what is good. I have some recent layouts I completed that I really like.

I've been inspired lately by layouts I've been seeing with a grid-like design with clusters of pattern paper "stacks." So I created this using the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan 6x6 pad and a few other random bits.

love

 I scraplifted this layout from one I pinned on pinterest by lilybee. I  documented some of my favorite books.
I wanted to try out the heavy marker lines for my journaling that I keep seeing others do...

some favorite books

I've been enjoying watching all the YouTube scrap process videos I can, browsing pinterest and blogs for inspiration. I don't usually use sketches but have found it refreshing. Changing things up a bit. I think I want to try some challenges too. Any scrapping challenges out there that you enjoy?

Thanks for reading:)

building your nest

A few weeks ago I got the June Cocoa Daisy kit I ordered myself as a treat for finishing the 1st of 2 classes I need to take for my counseling license. I love it. I really want to subscribe again...but really need to just order the months I can for now. I finished one layout with the kit so far...really have to get it together and do some more creating!

I love the background paper and the little details in the kit. This layout has another photo that is one of my favorites from late this winter/early spring. Ellie loves to pull all the blankets and pillows off the couch and make a little "nest" on the floor in the corner of the living room. It is so cute!

Thanks for looking!

buddies

This is one of my favorite recent layouts. It isn't quite finished yet. It is very simple...it needs a few details once I find just the right embellishments. But it highlights a photo from last 4th of July that I love. On our honeymoon my husband bought a stuffed Mickey for the baby. She loves it. Last 4th of July we were walking back home from the parade and she had on a little hoodie that has cat ears on it. It just looked so cute...the two of them. Cat and Mouse! A few months after this photo her original Mickey got lost. For Christmas I called up Disney World with our original receipt and was able to get my hands on a replacement that was a close copy of the original that was discontinued. It is exactly like the lost Mickey...it is still her buddy.

Hoping to find the perfect details to finish this one up....

Happy Friday!

little lady

On friday night we celebrated the life of one of my good friend's mothers. She passed away suddenly last week. There was a small gathering at a local beach where she loved to spend time with her children and grandchildren. It was sad and beautiful.

We really appreciated the rest of our long weekend. The baby and I spent time together on saturday while my husband got together with friends. I went to my LSS and got a few things...a bit of paper, adhesive, nothing too major. The baby can only tolerate so long of me looking around at things she can't grab! That night I did a layout using some Authentique papers and stickers I bought a few months ago. I love them! The photos are from last 4th of July....

I included some journaling written to baby girl. I had some thoughts in my head I wanted to write down for her...

I will post some other layouts I worked on recently later this week. Hoping to catch up on blogs while the baby is sleeping. I have class tonight...first class of summer session two. This will be the last class (hopefully) I need for my counseling license. Ugh. This has been a long hall. Not really excited about going but I plan on making the most of my day at home before class!

Happy Monday!

red

This is a sneak preview of a literal stack of layouts I worked on last week! I was on a roll. I finished 4 in one afternoon and evening. What helped was sitting with an old CD kit and limiting my supplies.

I'll start by showing one that is very out of my comfort zone and usual style. I challenged myself with details and colors I rarely use because they fit the photos well...

I took these photos a few years ago of some tulips in the center of the town where I used to work. They always amazed me and one day I remembered to bring my camera to work. They are beautiful and remind me of when I lived in DC. In the Spring they have red tulips everywhere. I used a really graphic patterned paper I recently got with the houndstooth pattern. I toned it down with a layer of white and dark grey cardstock. All the other elements are from an old CD kit...I mean probably 2 years old since I haven't subscribed in about that long! I chose not to do any journaling and let the pictures speak for themselves. Used a few interesting rubons to create the white grid patterns and the line of black dots. And two old red page turns. It is definately different than my usuals!

Tomorrow I'll post the rest...they all involve photos from a girl's trip I took with my mom and sister a few years ago to upstate NY.

I just have to say I love being home with my sweetpea! I'm nervous because I still haven't heard back from the potential job. They were sending an "offer" letter for approval from thier HR office at the end of last week. Hopefully I'll hear something in a day or two. I'm so nervous about starting something new after 9 years. But also kind of excited. It will be hard getting back to a routine where I'm not with my baby girl though. I really love this time with her.

Anyhow...thanks for listening and thanks for looking!

mom and dad & baby me

I love these photos. These are copies that were slightly enlarged of a photo of each of my parents holding me when I was a baby. They make me happy. But they were hard to scrap. I found myself cutting several patterned papers, playing around with them, and being indecisive. They just didn't seem right with the photos. I wanted something cleaner. Very little extras. I'm happy with the end result. The journaling was cathartic for me and brought up a lot of feelings I didn't expect. I feel truly lucky when I see these pictures and think of my childhood and I'm very aware of this not being everyone's experience. I'm so grateful.

I got some great suggestions on my last post re: my clear stamp organization. I looked up the MS binders and page protectors...they look like they could really work well. I am going to go through my stamps and see how many I have and go from there. My biggest concern is that they are slim but they seem like they would bulk up a binder pretty quickly. Has that happened for those of you that store stamps that way?

Thanks for looking!

generations

This is one more page I decided to work on as a break from the baby's album. I have to say the page looks much better in person than in this photo. It seems like the coloring is harsh here...but it is actually much softer. The layout includes a photo I have had for a long time and had tucked away in an older album to scrap. I used a newer paper that I bought that has the words, "Some people strengthen others by just being the kind of people they are." I got that paper with the sole intention of creating a page about my dad. But I found this photo of my dad and his father sitting in our yard. My dad is holding my little brother who was around a year old then. I love this picture. It is the only one I have seen with my dad and grandfather together. This quote actually is fitting for both of them. My dad is a lot like my grandfather in many ways. Quiet, hard-working, intelligent, introspective, wise. 

Here's a closeup....

I also purposely included the strip of paper that looks like a ruler with a woodgrain. It reminded me of them. My grandfather was a Master Carpenter and my dad is an Electrician who can also build anything. I associate the smell of sawdust and the sound of a hammer and nails with them.

Here's one more closeup of the title...I used some really old rub-on's for the title "Generations:"

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."

So true.






Thanks for looking.

Supplies: Kaiser Craft - Sears & Son - Sidecar; Echo Park - This & That - Yardsticks; Echo Park - Victoria Gardens alpha stickers; SEI Mandera Island chipboard journaling tag; Queen & Co Nightfall pearls; Hambly overlays; 7 Gypsies - Nest - quote sticker.

two years ago

This layout includes two photos from almost exactly 2 years ago. It marked my Dad's 65th birthday and the coincided with a very trying time in our lives. My father and sister's birthday's are only a few weeks apart so they allowed us to have two celebrations at a time when we really needed it. I decided to do this layout and another to tell a few stories of photos that I haven't scrapped. It was also a break from working on the baby's album. I used a really old Cocoa Daisy kit and remembered to write down the supplies this time. I even used the stamp that came in kit. I cut the stamped image in half and used part of the label under "celebrate" and the other half at the top of the page. I sometimes don't feel like dragging out ink and stamps while working on a page but I really like that I can create my own embellishments since I don't tend to buy many. I love my older kits because the product in them is still current in my eyes.

here's a closeup of the title...fun corrugated alphas...

Fast-forward two years...and we are reliving some of the same difficulties again...and looking for ways to celebrate. Which is why sweetpea's birthday was so wonderful a few weeks ago. She brings us all light, joy, and hope. I enjoyed working on this page with all the bright colors and cheerfulness. It helped me.

Thanks for looking:)

Supplies: My Mind's Eye ~So Sophie ~"Best Thing" Red Chevron; Jillibean Soup corrugated white alphas; October Afternoon Night Light ~ Henry ; October Afternoon- Label stickers - Report Card; Cocoa Daisy stamp; Basic Grey stitched brads; K&Co. smash washi tape; mini alphas.

love of family

I finished this layout Monday night. I challenged myself to do a layout using a reaaallly old kit from CD. I'm talking like maybe from October 2010? I still love the papers in those old kits. Paper really has always been my biggest inspiration for scrapping and cards. I just love it. I look at it as a collection of sorts and it was how I got into scrapping orginally.

On the layout I used all elements from the kit with very few exceptions. I added in the 3-D buttons with the bird, "wonder," and "dream" that I got recently (K&Co.), the "Family" sticker I've had forever, The little letters for "of," the "Advice" tag and the tag with the baby image...and a little washi. All the papers, the "For the Record" stamp, alphas, and buttons were from the kit.

It was a fun challenge for myself. It simplifies my process. I really would like to reward myself when I get a job and subscribe to a kit club again. I used to love getting those boxes in the mail! And since I have been scrapping more I should be able to keep up with the product better than in the past.

Here's a closeup...

Writing the journaling was sentimental for me. As I mentioned in previous posts...all of the layouts have been since they were almost exactly 1 year ago. I love that little girl. It really is true that you cannot imagine loving something quite that much until you are a mom.

Her latest trick is giving baby kisses to her Little People princess dolls! I got my first baby kiss last night! I almost cried....so, so sweet.

Well I'm off for a day with my girl....

Happy Wednesday!

fitting it in

Today's layout I managed to finish here and there over the past few days. A little one night, a little during naptime, ...I managed to fit it in. Sometimes I feel there aren't enough hours in the day and I don't get around to my hobbies.

While working on this page I found myself reflecting on the past year. The photos in the layout were taken almost exactly one year ago. Giving my sweetpea her first bath at home. Now fast forward a year:


She's almost walking.
Talking up a storm.
Taking baths in the big tub.
Into everything.

And I have two more days at one of my jobs and then I'll be home with her 3 days per week. I wish I could relax in that idea. I would love to be home with her full-time, or at least part-time. But we just can't do it at this time. We can't even do it now but we will make do until I find another job. This time last year I was on my 3- month maternity leave and I loved it! I enjoy taking care of her, cleaning, cooking, fixing my home. I love it. I am hoping I can find some peace in this interim while I figure out "what's next?" on the horizon for me.

I need that.

Anyhow...here are a few closeups of the layout:

I have been loving watching all the old Glitter Girl videos on Two Peas. I hadn't seen them when they came out originally because I was on my scrapping hiatus. I love her style - it fits in with my natural style. I just don't do quite as much layering. A little simpler. Mainly because I don't buy a lot of supplies regularly and use what I have somewhat sparingly. I'm a saver. I'm trying to move away from that and just USE stuff! I bought it with that purpose in mind...why not?

I used some new(er) paper (not sure on manufacturer -I'm terrible at that!)...layers of other patterned papers...old label stickers...manilla tags...rhinestones...a chipboard tag....and some old washi I forgot I had from Tim Holtz! What a fun surprise in my tool tote! And lots of word stickers. I find I use them on almost every layout. My favorites tend to be ones I pick up at Michael's from K & Co. I use them constantly on pages and cards. I also pulled out an old chipboard heart and sponged on some inks. I like how it turned out. I was inspired by one of the Glitter Girl videos about depth. So I layered a lot until I felt it was finished. I really like how it turned out.

Hope you have a great Tuesday!

dr suess & a blizzard

A quick layout I finished just now...terrible picture quality since it is 9pm here...but I wanted to post while its quiet and the baby is sleeping. Here's a closeup...

I used lots of old and new stuff. I just need to add the date above the photo but needed to look back and see when the picture was taken. Time is going so fast. Baby girl turns one on tuesday. Yikes.

The college is closed tomorrow. Evidently here in Eastern Massachusetts we are expecting quite a storm. Blizzard to be exact. I will believe it when I see it. But I guess we are ready. Cary works tomorrow but he's only 5-10 minutes away so he should be able to get home at 4pm ok. Sweetpea is staying home with me. Hoping my parent's will be ok. They only live about 10 minutes away but my dad just finished treatment #1 and is not feeling well and can't do a lot physically. Last time he was going through treatments my brother was home from school...this time it's just them. But I think they should be set until Cary can shovel for them saturday and my uncle is not far from them either to help with the generator. They live in a very wooded area and the big trees around the house are always a concern.

I am looking forward to a day or two of hiding from the world. I really need that right now.

Thanks for reading...

-Emily

silence

Silence. This is the first time I have been alone in so long. I just got home from work and my husband picked up the baby at daycare and went to get an oil change in his truck. I don't even have the tv on. I was able to do some scrapping last night and it really helped me get my thoughts in order and decompress. I worked on this page in Miss. Ellie's book...

On my way home from work last night I stopped at Michael's and got some K & Co. phrase stickers. They are one of my favorites. I find I use little word/phrase stickers on a lot of layouts because they reinforce a sentiment I have about the photo or event. And that company has some of my favorites for a very reasonable price. This layout is about the day we took sweetpea home from the hospital. I have other photos too that I am in but these are my favorites. The paper is one of the new ones I recently picked up that I love. I have a thing for birds.

I stamped a little chickadee on a square of chipboard for an accent. The round embellishment has a little bird's nest on it...another find yesterday. I tried out some things I saw on one of glitter girl's videos at two peas. I got some suggestions to check out her videos and I love them! I have a lot of catching up to do! I find her style meshes with mine.

One more closeup...the calendars are actually some old washi tape I have from Tim Holtz...the "as it should be" is from K & Co. The alpha stickers I think are old American Crafts. I'm terrible at remember what company's supplies I use. I mix and match a lot.

Well...while it's still quiet...before the madness of dinner and baby kisses I am hoping to check out a few blogs!

Take care,

Emily

Past Year's Projects: Part 2

I promised scrapping and here they are! Not many as I mentioned last time...but a few. I had all intentions of making a full scrapbook of her first year with all my favorite photos. That hasn't happened...though I have kept up with her baby book. That's something!

This first page is one that I actually started way back on maternity leave while the baby was sleeping. It was the first page I had started in over a year. 2011 was a trying year. My dad was diagnosed and treated for cancer, my soon-to-be-husband was at Officer Candidate school for 4 months in MO and I was lost. But in 2012 we were blessed. We got married, had sweetpea, and my dad got a clean bill of health. 2013 is starting out a bit challenging and my goal is allow myself time to do my art projects....

baby announcement spread

I worked on these next pages last week. It was nice to reflect back. A little sad, a little exciting, reminiscing. Sad because it is flying by but exciting because she's here. I was struck looking at pictures of the baby shower how fast it goes! She has already used/worn all of the items in those photos. How did that happen?

"pregnant"

Baby Shower: page 1

Baby Shower: Page 2

Baby Shower: Page 3

In the next post I'll share some of my knitting. Knitting has been my mainstay. It is the one art outlet I have been consistently doing besides photos. I knit when I was taking my dad to his treatments, while I was pregnant with baby girl, and when I was home on leave learning how to be her mom. It is my art therapy.

Thanks for stopping by!

bunch of layouts

Happy New Year everyone! We had a quite night at home, ate Chinese food and watched movies. Today I "killed Christmas" as we put it in my family...aka took down the tree and decorations. That tree was a fire waiting to happen it was so dry because this apartment is like a desert. Anyhow...here are some layouts I worked on at the crop this past Wednesday. I got so much done! I wish I could go every week but it's just too hard when I'm working. Some of these layouts aren't quite finished..some need journaling or a few touches. But for the most part they are complete. I also started one other layout I hope to finish today.
*****
2009 In Review: The first layout is a 2-pager 2009 In Review. It still needs a title and journaling. But I like how the pictures ended up arranged. I used a few different journaling tags and some fun alphas. It still needs a lot to be complete.

*****
Dress Up: This layout is from the October Girl's Night out. I used some paper from a few Cocoa Daisy kits. The journaling metal files I have had forever and didn't know how I wanted to use. There are 4 tabbed files inside the black/white metal "case." I haven't journaled on them yet but they seemed to fit the layout. In general this was a very simple layout. But fun with it's bright colors to go with the Halloween costume theme. I decided not to go with a traditional Halloween themed page.

*****
Skating: This layout was very fun for me. I used some patterned paper and matching tags I bought a year or so ago. I knew I wanted to use it for a winter page. I cut out one of the snowflakes on the paper for a jumbo embellishment. I liked that the colors were all cool but relatively non-traditional snow colors. The pictures are of a friend and her daughter learning to skate. The picture of the skates is me. I figure skated for 10+ years as a kid and so it has an important place in my heart. And I hadn't been in so long. The little girl's mom was a close friend of mine in high school who I recently reunited with...she was a hockey lover/player. Her daughter is a natural skater!

Skating closeup: This was the tag quote I based the layout around...and I used a skate embellishment that I have had forever and love the realistic details. It looks just like my Harlick's when they were new.

*****
Thanksgiving in a farmhouse: The pictures came out reddish and dark. But I tried to work with them. They kind of fit the feel of the house we stayed in. Big old farmhouse in Maine. Cary's sister's and brother-in-laws house. It was my first Thanksgiving away from my family and it was actually really nice. She has four large dogs, lots of antiques and loves to knit. So we had fun. I didn't take any pictures of Thanksgiving dinner so I focused on the "weekend" instead. For example pizza making the day after Thanksgiving.

*****

2009 One Little Word: I decided to do a layout reviewing my focus on my '09 one little word "simplify" and transition the journaling into my '10 one little word "enjoy." This page was a nice way to focus on how I achieved the goals of that word and what I want for myself in the New Year.

Well I'm off to try and make a few birthday cards and a Thank You note. Anxious to use my new stamps!
Have a Happy New Year Day!

layouts

Here are a few layouts using my October and November Cocoa Daisy kits. Had fun with them. Only used a few other accents I already had in my stash...I'm enjoying getting these kits because it is simplifying things for me and allowing me to just create.

Balcony Garden: mostly the Nov kit. The tag and clip with the birds is from Making Memories Vintage Findings. The journaling rubon I've had in my stash forever and finally found a layout to use it on. I love the pearl brads and the pretty ribbon in the kit for Nov.

A Night Out: Used some pieces from the Sept kit on this layout as well. Kept it kind of simple cause I had so many pictures I wanted to use. Hand lettered "RENT" because I didn't have the right alphas to use.


OCS: above are page 1 and 2 of a two-page layout I did. I had purchased the paper awhile ago knowing I wanted to use it for these photos. I only used some ribbon and a postcard stamp from the kits on these layouts. Alphas, words and the postcard chipboard were from my stash.

Summer Sweater: This is my favorite layout I did. It was also the first I did. I tried to challenge my use of color. I have always loved bright blue and red. Used the October kit. The fashion motifs were perfect! Used some accents from other kits.

Free Spirit: This was the last layout I did. Very simple. I only used paper from the kit and the "Free Spirit" rubon is one I've had forever and wanted the perfect place to use it and this worked.

Off to enjoy the day. It's been a busy week and weekend so I just want to lay low and relax today...

Happy Sunday!

layouts and weekend hopes

me at 32

tourist for a day

Finally scrapbooked this past weekend! I just haven't been motivated and have been overwhelmed by things in my life and didn't know where to start. So I challenged myself to only use stuff from my September Cocoa Daisy kit (along with a few basics like adhesive, scissors, etc.). It was so fun! The kits are awesome and they challenge me to use colors, patterns and techniques that I wouldn't go to first if I picked out all the materials at the store. Fun!

And when I got home today...

I got my October kit in the mail.

Yeah! Can't wait to get into that this weekend. Also plan on making a few Halloween cards and finish up a hat I'm knitting for my Dad for Christmas. Then I have another fun knitting project for me up my sleeve...

I am hoping for a calm, relaxing, health-filled weekend!

Off to cook dinner and spend some time with Cary. Happy Thursday!

monday gratitudes and a layout

Misty Sunset

Today I am Grateful for...

1. a hometown near the ocean.

2. love

3. physical comfort

4. good food made at home.

5. lavender candles

6. time and motivation to work on a scrapbook layout this weekend!

7. extra days off...

8. A birthday to look forward to tomorrow!

Here's a layout I worked on yesterday...I just have to add in the journaling.

Supplies: Little Yellow Bicycle journaling card, MM paper flower-Sabrina, Heidi Grace patterned paper, Basic Grey patterned paper, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters colored with Colorbox Chalk in Pumpkin Spice and spritzed with water & Ranger's Perfect Pearls. Accented edges of flower with Pumpkin Spice Chalk and spritzed with water & Ranger's Perfect Pearls.

Happy Labor Day!

one more week of summer

Another perfect beach day. Followed by some card making and leftover "Fajita Lasagna." It was a good day!

Here's the birthday card I made for my friend's 31st birthday. I tried out the yellow-gray color combo I saw recently in some magazines. I had also seen the color combo on a bathing suit at the beach recently I loved it.

Today I also got news that another friend had her baby boy. So here's her card. I used some round Paper Source I had leftover from my Christmas cards several years ago. I used American Crafts rubons for "baby" and hand drew the swirls. I used a tiny heart stamp and went over those with Perfect Pearls in copper. I copied an idea I saw in a magazine (can't remember where!) and used a journaling stamp for the envelope where I will address it to her family.

Yesterday I finished my June layout. I have been doing 2-page layouts every month this year. I got a little behind. I follow roughly the same format each month. On the left page I use a little calendar and write in what I did. I journal using the same prompts each month. Sometimes I add more narrative journaling on the page somewhere. Here's the left-hand page...

I have had fun with this book. Every few months I pick out 2 sheets of patterened paper for a month. I typically don't buy paper for a specific project. I usually just buy a bunch that I like with no plan in mind. However...it has been so fun each month buying a few special sheets of paper that I love and that coordinate with each other and the month I'm working on. Here's the right-hand page...

My boss did an arts & crafts project with one of her groups at work recently. I loved it. It is a topiary. I have done those years ago with a group of senior citizens. However....these topiaries are different. The "stem" is actually a ball-point pen. You "pull" the pen out of the base (which holds the pen cap) and you can write with it! I decided I might make a few and try and sell them along with my cards at the craft fair in October. Here's my first attempt....

Well...that's all for now. I am procrastinating on working out. I can see the little apartment complex gym from my window as I type. I've been slacking in the exercise department! Also need to do some work for school even though I'm on vacation. Today at the beach with my mom it came to my attention that school starts in a little over a week! I was thinking there was another whole week in there somewhere. AHHH!