calvinball: the last day

story: this is the second time i've scrapbooked this event.  the photos and story were just too good.

photos: taken with my canon rebel dslr.  i actually had the boys take a couple of them for me.

technique: i used watercolors on the white cardstock and didn't really like how it turned out.  i should practice more.  i then did circular swirls over it with white(ish) paint and it looked much better.  the cardstock was incredibly warped though, even after staying under a heavy tray all night.  i ended up stitching it down to a second piece of cardstock and it straightened out quite nicely.

i also glittered some clouds i cut out with my silhouette.  i love the chunky sparkly goodness.

design: i had fun with little bits of patterned paper on this one.  all the little bits together reminded me of my grandmother's quilts that the boy are lying on.

and the facing pocket page.  i went ahead and used some of the same papers and labels even though it wasn't the same event.  the pages look pretty side by side.  i also used some silver and gold sparkly things to mimic the sparklies on the facing page.

product:  these were also made with the patterned paper kit that i made for calvinball.  i am so stoked that i used up the last bits of those vintage checks and the martha stewart labels that i've been working through for forever, and the recent(ish) heidi swap glitter sticker purchase.  it feels so good to throw away empty product packaging and know i've used it all.

this is my last day for this round of calvinball.  i'm afraid i've petered out.  life is getting busy, busy, busy!  final totals coming soon . . .

cocoa daisy: april planner pages

i worked on my april planner pages off and on between housework most of the afternoon on sunday.  i think i am finally finding my groove.  this cover is my favorite yet.  how could it not be with that adorable bunny and sheepie?  the cross hatch and cut out floral are april cocoa daisy exclusives while the other pieces are a cut apart sheet from the patterned paper add on.

the april divider page is also my most favorite ever.  i just love all the positive and motivating quotes that christine finds.  they really match my philosophy on life so well.  i used the yellow dotted overlay, also from the patterned paper addon because it reminded me of those days when it drizzles while the sun is shining.  and isn't the exclusive emoji just perfect?

on the left, i have another great paper pad clipped to the side with a bulldog clip.  i also added a second paper pad in that smiling kraft guy.  he's also clipped on with a bulldog clip.  the bulldog clips hold my pretty paper quite tenaciously.  i just have a few random papers and my april sticker sheet in the pocket there.

i still die over the ribbon tabs.  i mean, look at that vintage embroidered floral.  i get happy looking at my ribbon bits every time i open my planner.

space cadet alert.  now how in the world did i not realize that cocoa daisy offered free calendar downloads each month that perfectly match the kits?  this where i write down important dates, my blog topics, and part time work hours.

this month i went crazy and made a pocket to hold ephemera and receipts.  loving that cocoa daisy exclusive pineapple paper.  too cute.  the pocket is a piece of patterned paper that is adhered to the pineapple paper with washi tape.  then that paper is adhered back to back with the calendar on the other side.  it's sturdy.

the tiny calendar is another piece from that cut apart sheet i used on my cover.  i thought it would be fun and/or motivational to use stickers to record my walking miles each day in april.  fingers crossed that it works.  i've got to get back in the daily exercise groove!

the flip side is another card from the same sheet.  i thought i'd record the highlights from april there.

i use the week at a glance pages to remind myself of my weekly planned activities.  i've started stamping on these to pretty them up and give my stamp collection a much needed work out.  i try to coordinate the stamps with the events, so this week is all about heading to florida.  woot!

i love that the weekly pages have lots of places for making notes.  i think better with pencil and paper.

i also get an extended week at a glance and have started using that as a workspace to write out what i need to do for each blog post and then check them off as they're done.  who doesn't love a place to check things off?  so rewarding!

more cute note space and the front side of the daily pages.

the back side of the daily pages and my washi dashboard decked out in spring colors.  how are your "plans" coming along?  :)

me on monday

he attended his first boy scout campout sans mommy last weekend.  i'm sure you all know i was slightly nervous on the inside (okay, and on the outside too).  i think he was too as he complained of a stomachache right before dropoff time on friday.  that was almost enough for us both to bail, but we pulled it together and he went.  i sat in the car watching them help put up the dining fly and then their tent all on their own.  i think this must have been the beginning of me watching him grow up from a distance.

i went back saturday to make sure he had survived the 26 degree night and to see if he looked happy.  of course he was in his element.  and dressed for it too with his shirt buttoned askew yet again and sporting a brand new faux coonskin hat.  they were all graciously welcoming and i could have stayed all day if i hadn't had things to do.  so after a tasty campfire stir fry i went home to take care of papercrafting business.  some of you will be proud to note that i enjoyed my very first ever round of flickr tv show binge watching saturday night.  i also finished my april projects in time for the reveal party at cocoa daisy.  yay!

sunday i brought my baby home and he was all mine once more.  when i asked him if he was going to get a shower, he responded with a "why?  i'm not really dirty."  this after admitting that he'd worn the same shirt and boxers all weekend and had only changed the pants because he spilled hot chocolate on them.  the boy obviously still needs his mother for a while longer yet.

and today we are back in the swing of it.  i'm hoping he gets off the bus at the high school in time for us to sneak out before the teenagers.  i've gotten a mad craving for french fries all of the sudden.  then i have a date with some wildflowers.  i spotted them out the window at the elementary this morning.  a whole sea of white.  they are calling my name . . .

linking up with the delightful sian fair from high in the sky.  :)

cocoa daisy: april reveal!

cocoa daisy's april reveal was last night!  suffice it to say, the april kits are like a party in a box.  i know opening mine friday afternoon truly seemed like happy hour.  i haven't had much time to work with mine yet.  i got this layout done friday night and another layout + pl combo done on saturday (those can be seen in the designer gallery).  be sure to check back next weekend as i'm sure the gallery will fill up by then.  poor christine has been having a heck of a time getting product in these last couple months with the port strikes on the west coast.  hopefully, it hasn't affected you too much, but as we get our boxes a couple weeks earlier it's been hard to get them to us and created in time.  fingers crossed that the strike is over by next month!

this is one of those layouts that more or less created itself.  i am usually in love with the end product when that happens.  those layouts are just kinda extra expressive, you know?

i did want to tell you that christine was able to get a second run of the april planner pages in both a5 and personal size.  if you missed them, you can run grab a set quick and have them for the first week of april.  i really think they're the cutest things ever and the more i use them the more i figure out how to use them if that makes sense.  like this month i've realized what i can do to make them more like the one aspect that i miss from the composition style planners (that would be the keeping of data once the year is over).  it was kind of a "duh" moment to be honest.  anyway, this is what i'm working on today.  getting my life organized and planner prettied for april.  i'm about to make a copy of this free calendar page (another "duh" moment - how did i not realize these were there?) and a divided page with this free cute file (just as soon as i can kick my kid of my laptop).  hope you're having a productive and/or relaxing sunday!  :)

quality literature: looking for alaska

i want to say this is a good book.  i'm sure it is a good book.  i got stuck in the middle for a couple weeks (or more), however, which is usually not a good indication of my enjoyment of a book.  honestly, i think i am just way tired of teenage angst reads.  i've read too many lately and i am probably done with that genre for a while.  also, i think perhaps the author was trying a little too hard to be profound and so the trying was quite obvious.  so, yea.  but don't listen to me.  back in the day, the catcher in the rye wasn't my favorite either.

using my stash: my how they've grown

another layout using the kit i built for calvinball!  i must get busy this weekend!  we're fast approaching the end of calvinball!  only four more days plus today after work!  ;)

design:  i went with a monochromatic color scheme for the background.  i randomly cut the yellow papers from my kit and layered them up the page.  i like how it helps reinforce the growth theme.

story:  these three planted tiny sunflower seeds earlier in the year and by july when g's two friends came to visit again they simple could not believe that these huge sunflowers were from those tiny seeds they planted.  they were almost 12 feet tall!

photos:  the sunflower was taken with my dslr.  the other two were with my iphone.  the tiny photo was edited with the pictureshow app and then resized with diptic before printing.

technique:  i stamped on the tag, but then covered most of it up.  i've been trying to use my stamps more lately.

product:  most of the time i do a layout first and then if there's a project life page next to it i'll use the same product for that.  this time i did the project life page first and i guess it's pretty obvious that i was trying to use my freckled fawn wood veneer stash.  i think all the embellishments are freckled fawn here.  i then used the patterned paper kit that i created for calvinball on the layout and made sure to include some wood veneer on it as well.

and the project life page and layout together in my album.  :)

wchs: dinosaur wars

so as i was photographing the teeny tiny succulents on the first day of spring, i had this idea to bring some of g's old toys over for another little photo shoot to show you the scale of these sweet little plants.  i was glad i hadn't gotten around to taking the goodwill for drop off as i dug down to the bottom of the bag to rescue these cutie dinos.

i told g that i needed him to come help me set up the dinosaur wars.  he told me dinosaurs didn't have wars, it was just a predator/prey relationship.  ha!  he quickly agreed to help me though as he's just an all around great kid who loves his mom and is very tolerant of her quirks, especially those involving the camera.

these poor plant eaters have no chance!

g's bff spent the night, so got to come on our excursion as well.  he's known me since he was four months old and is also tolerant of my camera fetish.

they were very impressed with the idea of dinos making their last stands on cliffs.

i'm sure you can tell the boys didn't set this one up.  i simply couldn't resist!  isn't he awesome to bring her a flower like that? ;)

the duckbill managed to get away . . .

so this guy had to look for fresh meat in the valley below . . .

herd spotted!

the boys also found some living creatures while we were out there.  g thought j had killed this one; it was so still in his hand.  turns out it was just playing dead; it sure zipped off fast enough when he put it down.

g spotted this patch of itty bitty blue flowers for me.

he knows what i like.

the bees liked them too.

the boys got their shoes wet.

i just got mine dirty.

these little flowers were the most gorgeous shade of yellow green. 

i wanted to bring this clump of clover home with me; i'm hoping my wild patch from last year comes back.

joining with annie and "how does your garden grow?"

using my stash: first harvest

design: i went with the wonky look and cut out pieces of patterned paper to mimic the veggies in the photo.  i like it!  it's edgy and hipster.  ;)

story: the first few veggies harvested from my garden last year.  precious.

photo: taken on my deck with my dslr.

technique: journaling always looks tidier to me when it's contained.  i boxed mine in on this layout with simple sketchy pen lines.

product:  i made my own patterned paper kit for calvinball and then started pulling some "archaic" product to score some extra bonus points.  i will never grow tired of my heidi swapp ghost letters, old foofala, and ki memories color theory.

and, of course, some project life pages to go with it.  these follow that same format of project life cards + freckled fawn embellishment kits with a few barcode strip words thrown in for good measure.