Babies, Paper and Song

Grateful

My latest assignment for Pebbles Inc. was to create a layout on the theme "Grateful". I decided to write about the relationship between my girls, and how grateful I am that they love each other so much.

This series of photos show Audrey giving Lily a dandilion. It was so sweet and unprompted-- a true moment between sisters.

I customized the Pebbles paper flowers with buttons, brads, stickers and stitches! The possibilities are endless.

 

December Daily

I finally finished my December Daily yesterday-- on my lunch hour, sitting on the floor of the rehearsal hall. You’ll notice that it’s very simple, moreso even than last year’s book. Last year I found that I wanted to have room to build on my photos as I put them into the album, so I just did the bare minimum to let me change up the design down the road.

A few more details:

• The album is 5X7 but I’m planning to fill it with 4X6 photos. Unlike last year, each day gets a double page spread.
• I used a mixture of papers, new and old. The bulk of it is Echo Park, with some Imaginisce, and Basic Grey mixed in. I also used up some tags and chipboard accents from Collage Press "Joyride".
• I am a bit addicted to my new toy, the I-Rock by Imaginisce. It’s the bedazzler for scrapbookers. I figure, if you can’t go crazy with bling on a Christmas album, when can you?

Anyway, that is a sampler of the foundation pages-- no need to post the whole thing! I will post more as it gets filled.

 

This week...

...I started a new job. A short contract workshopping a new Canadian musical. (A workshop is when a professional cast rehearses and then reads and sings through a show in front of an audience. This allows the composer and writer to see what areas of the show still need work. Most shows are workshopped several times before a full production happens.)

...I had lunch at a teeny tiny vietnamese restaurant near the rehearsal space. Apparently it's one of the best in the city. Right before we left Jamie Oliver, the British chef, came in to eat. I think he was in town doing an appearance of some sort. He was very cute in person.

...we attended Audrey's parent/teacher interview. Her teacher had only lovely things to say. We've always known she is a smart cookie, but the best part was hearing how kind and encouraging she is with the other students. She shares her art supplies, and comforts anyone who gets hurt. She also has never had a temper tantrum at school. She saves them all for Mommy and Daddy.

...Lily had a stomach flu, but is all better now.

...I created a memory project for scrappers and non-scrappers alike. (That was yesterday's preview!) I'm really excited about this, and will be offering the files for free here sometime this week.

...the Scholastic book order arrived with some Christmas books that I picked out. I had to wisk them away before Audrey could paw through the bag. I'm planning a Christmas book advent calendar similar to this one.

...we went to our last song circle class at Riverdale Farm. Audrey has aged out of the program. *sniff* We went almost every session for three years-- I will miss it so!

 

Today is my day off, so we are headed to Costco to stock up, then to my parents' for my Dad's birthday party. This is the third time we've tried to do this party, so finger's crossed no one gets sick today!

Coming up

Recent Randoms

A few random things to share:

I'm almost done preparing my December Daily album. Here is the cover and one of the inner pages. I made the design very simple, much like last year. The pages are all 5X7, and I will use a ring binding. Look for more on this album in a day or two.

Here is the shop window that inspired my ribbon treatment from yesterday. (Turns out it was Club Monaco, not Banana Republic.)

A child's desk from the 1930's, I believe, that I found on the side of the street! That's right: FREE.

Audrey's letter to Santa. What a sweetheart.

("Dear Santa Claus, Did you have a good summer? love, Audrey'. Daddy helped with the spelling.)

Lily came with me to Audrey's ballet class yesterday. She insisted on wearing her backpack.

Millie, my little monkey. I think it's starting to set in that she is a senior dog now. (She's 8.) She still has oodles of energy, but also long periods of rest on various pieces of furniture. It's a tough, tough life for a dog.

This next one cracks me up the most. She wants to be on the couch so much that she is content to rest her hind quarters there, front paws on the floor, and head on the coffee table. Seriously.

The Paper Place

Before I get to today's post, I want you to head over to my Studio website to see some photos from my first class! Sketches 1 was so much fun, and I love the layouts the ladies came up with.

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While Claire was here, we popped down to a great little shop I hadn't been to in ages. The Paper Place has all sorts of fun paper products, tools, ribbons and stationary supplies. They have so many colourful Japanese papers in every shape and size, along with something I have been coveting for a while-- washi tape! I have some tapes put out by scrapbook manufacturers, but this is the real thing. Not only are the patterns and colours awesome, they are made to use as actual tape-- so you get a lot on each roll. Enough to share with two little monkeys. Enough to wrap my Christmas presents, as I don't own a roll of scotch tape!

 
(1. tags-- I got the blue ones. 2. The Paper Place 3. Days of the Week washi tape-- I got three colours for $9. 4. Rows of japanese papers. 5. Paper Dolls in the window. 6. Twill ribbon)

I used my wares with the November Studio Calico kit to create a layout about Claire and I at the Distillery District:

The super wide grid washi tape is perfect for journaling. It's slightly sheer, which lets it blend into the background a bit.

In this next one you can see the great burnt orange tape I bought, with print on it, plus a small set of number stamps that are perfect for adding the date to any layout:

I used the grid washi tape on another layout I did, this time for my DT work for Pebbles inc.

The idea for the ribbon detail came from the current Banana Republic window at the mall:

I secured the ribbon at different intervals with American Crafts double sided tape, then put Pebbles Inc. Candy Dots on top to look like thumb tacks.

Confession: I messed up the journaling the first time, but the washi tape is so forgiving I just peeled it right off the cardstock and started a gain. The pen is an ultra-fine Sharpie. LOVE.

 

Have a good one, all!

I Didn't Go to Yoga Today

A caveat to yesterday's post.

Sometimes you can have the best of intentions to go to yoga.

Then your two year old has diarrhea for two days, and the telehealth nurse call you back just as you're walking out the door, so you talk to her for 10 minutes and make a list of things you need to feed said two year old. And then instead of going to yoga, you go to the grocery store to get pedialyte and bananas and such, and then you come home and make lunch, and do the dishes, and make brownies for the dinner party you're going to that night, before going to a meeting, before taking care of last minute details for your class the next day...

and then exercize falls off the table again.

And it will.

Just so long as you keep putting it back up there.

I Went to Yoga Yesterday

I am a lucky girl. Blessed. In so many ways it is hard to count.

I have two beautiful girls who make me laugh, and cuddle on command.

I have a husband I am deeply in love with, who is around during the day to co-parent in every sense of the word.

I have multiple passions and (because of that husband) the opportunity to work on them when I need to.

I have so much in my life, and I am so grateful for it. Truly.

In fact, I feel such a responsibility to live up to those beautiful girls, that husband and those passions.

I feel a responsibility to do better, try harder, and make my passions work for me in every way possible.

I feel a responsibility to live up to my life.

And when all those things get busy, and still the kitchen is not clean, and the girls' room is still not decorated, and I have multiple deadlines...when I am busy living up to my life, the first thing that falls off the table is exercise.

Partially because I have always been clumsy and inflexible, and that makes me self-conscious.

Partially because the last day of gym class rates on the top 10 days of my life.

Partially because even when I'm having a really good yoga class there are many moments when I think to myself, "What on EARTH possessed you to come here?".

And, frankly, sometimes it just feels selfish.

It's easy to justify putting it off for another day, another week...another month.

And yet, when I go to yoga I am a happier person. (I know this, because my husband tells me so.)

I am also a healthier person. (As someone who is on week three of an awful cold/sinus cough thing, I am envious of a healthy me.)

When I go to yoga I fill myself up so that I can give more, do more, do better.

That's why I have to make exercize a priority. I have to take the time. I have to make myself go.

If I want to live up to this beautiful life I've been given, I have to take the best care of the person living it. Otherwise I won't be living up to anything.

 

 

Sketches 1

Hi all! I think I am finally on the mend after a great sleep last night-- thank goodness!

I wanted to remind you about my upcoming Sketches 1 class this Sunday at The Beach Scrapbook Studio! Click on over to the website to find out more!

I hope to see some of my blog readers there!

Winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! The winners of the SCT  PageMaps Calendars are:

 

Gorgeous! Crossing my fingers that you pick my (Canadian) name for the give-away. It sounds awesome.

Posted by: Kathy | November 02, 2010 at 04:13 PM

 

Wow, love these layouts! I'm a US girl here:) I love SCT--my favorite mag of them all!

Posted by: Keshet Shenkar | November 03, 2010 at 09:29 PM

 

Congrats Kathy and Keshet! Send me your addresses and I will get those calendars to you at the beginning of December.