LOAD213 - Day 13 - Cheeseburger {not} in Paradise

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD213 - Scrap Happier) challenge for Day 13 was to try something new. I thought about what to do all day and really couldn't come up with anything and was kind of figuring I'd just do the same old same old. But, when I sat down to scrap, I thought, Hey! Why don't I use a Chipboard letter. Annnnnnnnd, wrap it with some cord. I've never wrapped a chipboard letter with cord before, so that was new. And kind of fun, even if it didn't turn out PERFECT.

Journaling Reads:

Ashton, you were such a cute cheeseburger, but you did NOT want to go trick-or-treating. Protesting on our porch made you even cuter! It took some convincing, but I was finally able to get you to visit ONE house. They had a motion-sensored decoration that freaked you out. Back at home, you were thrilled every time the doorbell rang. Maybe next year.

LOAD1012 - Day 26 - Yoda

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 26 was inspired by ghosts. Use a transparency or see-through elements. My journaling is written on transparency paper and my title letters are Ghost Alphas from Heidi Swapp. One of the ribbons in the buttons is see-through.

Journaling Reads:

A cute Yoda, you were. Great Halloween costume, it was. The force of cuteness is strong in you.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. I scraplifted a design from someone in LOAD.  Inspiration ABOUNDS in this group.
2. Background paper is actually more cream, and then I dragged....drug?....drugged? a brown ink pad across it to give it some more depth. 
3. Second Halloween page for Ashton's Halloween book. And, as of this very moment, Ashton's Halloween book is "caught up" !! That will change in less than a week. But, for now, I'm good. :)
4. I have oodles of Halloween themed papers, letters, stamps, and embellishments...and in the last two Halloween pages that I've done, I haven't used ONE of those Halloween themed products.  Hmmm.

LOAD1012 - Day 25 - Doggie

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 25 was to create a pocket on your page. I did stick my little flag behind the Doggie title, but I wouldn't really call it a pocket. It's the first prompt during LOAD1012 that I haven't really followed.

Journaling Reads:

You were the cutest little doggie ever! You had a plastic pumpkin filled with organic suckers, and from time to time, you were double-fisted! Every time the doorbell rang, you squealed with delight. -Halloween 2011

 

Some observations about the process and products:

1. The background paper looks pink in this picture, but it's really more grey in real life.
2. I used the K&Company Smash label maker for the small parts of the title.  Well, the E no longer works on the label maker.  So, instead of it saying IN THE WINDOW, it says IN THF WINDOW.  Close enough, right?
3. Not a lick of patterned paper on this page, and that's OK.
4. DOGGIE stamped with an alpha stamp set from Stampin' Up! I need more BIG alpha stamps.  They're fun.
5. Just like each kid has a birthday album, I want each kid to have a Halloween album.  I actually bought the orange albums years ago.  And this is the first page that I've created to go in it.

LOAD1012 - Day 19 - Copy Cat

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 19 was to scraplift someone's page. I can't show you the original here, but I can tell you that the only thing I really lifted was the photo idea, but it was a lift nonetheless.

Journaling Reads:

Whether it's playing the Wii, or playing Legos, or eating a popsicle on the couch, or wrestling, or drinking from a regular cup, or playing tackle football, or even just brushing your teeth...at 2 1/2 Ashton, you love to imitate your older brothers. Liam and Owen enjoy having you as a little buddy. You kind of skipped the Barney-ish toddler phase and went straight to the Ninjago Big Boy phase. You are a lovable bundle of energy and joy.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. All papers and journaling spots came from the Project Life Clementine Kit.
2. Title letters are Heidi Swapp ghost alphas
3. I forgot to document on the page that when Ash wants to brush his teeth, he says "Bruh Tee".  And that means, Brush Teeth.  I'm pretty fluent in Ashish.  Maybe I'll go back and add that.  Maybe that should have been the title.
4. I listened to a This American Life podcast.  I love telling stories, and I love listening to stories. If you don't listen to the whole thing, that's OK, but I encourage you to listen to the Motherhood of the Travelling Pants.  Fun story!  Definitely something for this family to scrapbook about!

LOAD1012 - Day 4 - Too Cute for School

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 4 was: Driving Miss Daisy.  This prompt is to scrap about a journey or process....documentation of a road or train trip or a weight loss journey or a faith journey or even the progression of a pregnancy or relationship. Or, from a process standpoint, you could scrap a page about a favorite recipe or the steps you take to complete a scrapbook page.


I chose to scrap about the journey to the bus stop on the first day of school this year.  Sometimes, when you take a picture, you just KNOW that you need to turn it into a layout, even before you upload the pics to your computer or print it out.  That was the case with this picture, and I was happy I could apply our little walk to the bus stop to this prompt.

Journaling Reads:

Ashton, you cheerfully chased after Owen as we walked him to the bus stop on the first day of school. You happily waited on the corner with him and watched him get on the bus. The doors closed behind him and the bus pulled away. In  an instant, the flood gates opened. You cried as Dad and I giggled at your uber -adorableness. It’ll be your turn to ride the bus soon enough, son.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. I listened to the Johnny Cash Pandora station whilst scrapping this.
2. I ate two mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups and drank my go-to beverage...H2O.
3. My first attempt at journaling was on yellow paper strips, and instead of a 4x6 block and a 5x7 photo, I had two 4x6's stacked on top of each other.  I did NOT like the way this looked.  So, I re-printed my primary photo in a 5x7 size and journaled on the computer.  Much better.
4. I spent entirely too much time trying to figure out how to point out the bus in the background of the 5x7 photo.  I had a circle around it at first.  First a red circle, then a yellow circle, then I created this yellow arrow and sought the advice of my 8 year old who provided his approval.
5. The semi-circle borders are definitely more red than pink.  They look pink in this pic.
6. I FINALLY put tickets on a page!! YAY.  And, yes, they are left over 50/50 tickets from some sporting event.
7. AND, drum roll, please, I used tape in the left corner.  It's part of the Smash product line.  That was fun.
8. Seriously, when Ash started crying, it was the cutest thing ever. 

LOAD1012 - Day 3 - Pumpkin Perfection

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 3 was to use a specific color combination from The Play Date Cafe.  Wine...Pumpkin...Moss

This stretched me out of my normal scrapping style. Normally I think of the story, then find the pictures, then write the story, then print the pictures, etc.  What colors I'm going to use is usually pretty far down in the process. But, I have to say that I loved this website and all of the COLORFUL inspiration.  I'll be visiting it again in the future, for sure.

So, starting with the color palette, I knew what photo I wanted to use.  I had printed this 5x7 of my son, oh about 20 months ago, with the intention of framing it and, well, let's just say I never got around to it.  So, I thought, light bulb, this is the perfect pic for the challenge. 

I wanted to use scraps on this layout so I went to my scrap stash, which I previously thought was organized.  But, as I got into it, I realized it needed a little tweaking.  And by "a little tweaking", I mean a 2.5 hour overhaul.  Previously I had blues/greens in the same pile and pinks/purples/oranges/reds in the same pile.  Um, WHY did I think this was OK?  I mean, within blue, you can have a thousand shades, and you're gonna throw the greens in the mix, too??! Insanity.  So, now my scrap stash looks like this:

As I was in this rabbit hole, I realized that I used to have a SERIOUS scrap saving problem.  Some of the scraps I saved were so minuscule, they weren't even as big as a dime. ....A DIME, people!!  Please tell me I'm not the only one to have suffered from this affliction.  And, if I AM the only one, lie and tell me you've experienced similar scrap psychosis.

 

Without further ado, here is my page:

Journaling Reads:

Ashton models a pumpkin hat for my friend, Sara Fierce, a.k.a. Knittin' Mama on Etsy. 2010

Some observations about the process and products:

1. All of the papers, except for the 12x12 background paper were from the scrap stash. Oh yeah.
2. Sometimes items make their way on to a page to cover up an oops or a blemish.  This is the case for the brackets framing the title and the circle stickers on the photo.
3. I always feel kind of flat when I make a page that doesn't really have an emotional story to go along with it.  And by emotional I mean, funny, sad, meaningful, poignant, interesting, etc.  There really isn't a story here at all.  Good thing the picture is so cute!
4. Title letters, arrows, pumpkin journaling spot, and circles on the photo all came from the same sticker sheet.  Fortunately, that sticker sheet came in the colors of Wine...Pumpkin...Moss
5. Ashton is 2 1/2 now, and we call him a big boy because he recently gave up the bottle.  He told the nanny on the morning of the second day with out a bottle, "I'm a big boy again."  On the afternoon of the second day with out a bottle, he said, "I want a Ba Ba. I don't want to be a big boy."  Honey, if you can formulate that sentence, it's proof positive that you are too old for that daggone bottle.  Anyway, the point of sharing this tidbit is that when I was scrapping this photo, I was waxing poetic for those newborn days.  He was such a perfect little pumpkin baby and now he's a big boy.

LOAD1012 - Day 1 - And She Was!

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 1: What song would play when they announce your name at an Awards show?
The song that instantly popped into my head was Dancing Queen by Abba, but I don't have any recent pictures of me dancing (not professionally, anyway, although I'm sure I have some pictures of me dancing just for S's & G's).
So, I decided to scrap an event and I chose a song that, for me, epitomizes the celebration of St. Patrick's Day.
The name of the song is Black Velvet Band. And, if you've ever been to an Irish Pub, you know that it's customary to sing along with the chorus and, even though I don't think it's an official lyric in the song, there is a certain point where you raise your pint and emphatically sing-slash-yell: "AND SHE WAS!"

Journaling Reads:

March 16, 2012 marked the second annual St. Patrick’s Eve and Corned Beef & Cabbage party at Greene Acres. When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, I think of this song, especially the chorus, and I smile:

"Her eyes, they shone like the diamonds. You’d think she was queen of the land.

AND SHE WAS!

And her hair hung over her shoulder. Tied up with a black velvet band."

There were some new families that attended this year who were a fabulous addition to the mix. I’m so lucky to call these wonderful lasses my dear friends.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. Dios Mio!  Will I EVER be able to scrap a page in a half hour?!?  More like three hours on this one.  Sigh.
2. I might not be able to scrap in little time, but I can scrap with little product: 1 sheet green cardstock, 1 sheet white cardstock, printer paper, shamrock stamp, Stampin' Up ink pad, chipboard letters.  Minimalism.
3. PICASA - Use it a ton.  I love a good collage.  I love text on photos.  I love free.  Enough said.
4. I had to use restraint when stamping my shamrocks...I was tempted to stamp shamrocks all the way across the bottom and all the way across the top.  Case in point  that Less is More.
5. I think I smiled the entire time whilst making this page.  This party makes me smile.  These people make me smile.  That song makes me smile.  The food makes me smile.  This memory makes me smile.  Reason number 5,672 that I scrapbook.

LOAD512 - Day 14 - Anatomy of a two year old

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD512) challenge for Day 14: Manic Monday 3-2-1 (3 embellishments, 2 pieces of paper, and 1 photo)  Do this as quickly as you can.

I put this together in about 30 minutes, but the title and photo and journaling have been swimming around in my head for a few days, now.

Journaling Reads:

1. Wonky haircut because you won't sit still.
2. Cute little toofers.
3. Drool on your shirt at ALL times.
4. "Guys" ...Whether it's Lego guys or Halo guys or Army men, you carry around your "guys" faithfully.

There are a lot of perks to being the baby. But, being number four means that on your second birthday we went to B-Dub's instead of having a party.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. I used one piece of patterned paper, double sided, from Project Life (Clementine kit, I think)
2. I used one photo...that I added numbers to and put a frame around in Picasa before printing and then I trimmed it so that a border of the white photo paper showed
3. I used letter stickers, a border punch, and a couple of markers. That's about it.
4. Kevin and I talked about how Ashton will never remember that we didn't go all out for his second birthday.  Well, now that he has this birthday scrapbook he will! LOL  More material for his future therapy.

LOAD212 - Day 29 - Perfect

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 29 was - Once in a Blue Moon

Couldn't think of anything for this prompt that was scrapworthy, so I told a story I've been wanting to scrap for a long time, about not being thrilled with the pregnancy of my fourth child, my fears and slight depression, and then falling completely in love with this perfect little being.

Journaling Reads:

When I found out I was pregnant with you, I was not thrilled. Dad had been unemployed for seven months, the economy was in a terrible recession, our oldest child would be 14 when you were born and the sibling closest to you in age would be 6 when you were born...we were SO done with babies. I spent a lot of my pregnancy depressed...well, not clinically depressed, but definitely not thrilled. The doctor told me that because my "eggs were older" that I could do some testing to determine if you would have Down's Syndrome. But that information wouldn't have changed anything, we wouldn't have "done" anything about it. And then there were the worries that you, my fourth child, would have to be born by cesarean, when the others were not...

...And then you were born. And it wasn't a cesarean birth. As a matter of fact, it was the easiest labor I'd had out of all of them. From first contraction to delivery only took about two hours. And you were perfect. Your nose, your eyes, your lips, your fingers, your toes, the wrinkles in your skin, your ear lobes, everything about you was perfect. And I instantly fell in love. Completely and utterly in love. And I couldn't imagine my world with out you in it. You completed our family. You served a purpose none of us could ever have imagined we would need. You brought me, and the entire family, pure joy. It wasn't long before we fittingly started to call you Mr. Perfect.

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Stampin' Up patterned paper.



2. Clear acrylic letters from Heidi Swapp.



3. Ribbon from a dress...you know...the ribbons on the insides of garments to help hang the garment up, but if you don't cut the ribbons out, they will slip out the sleeve and everyone will see them? Well, I cut those ribbons out and put them in my craft stash.



4. I can not get enough of Picasa. From journaling on photos like in this layout to collages, it makes scrapbooking much more fun and easier to do.



5. Even though I did this layout two weeks ago, re-reading the journaling and typing it into this blog post had me in tears again. Love this little bugger.

And that's IT! I did it!! I scrapped EVERY DAY for 29 Days in a row!! AMAZING!!! And now to rest.