creativity part 2

This is the destination album I made to use for Colorado way back when for a class I taught. I definitely have to do pre-made albums more often. It was fun to make the stuff "fit" and to add stuff & pages! I pretty much finished day one (have to type up some journaling)...and probably fit 100+ more pictures. Not sure how that will work. May have to reprint some pics wallet sized! Don't mind the glare on the photos...Walgreens accidentally printed glossy finish for me. Grrrrrr. I didn't want to reprint or wait for new photos.

creativity part 1

I got less than 13 hours of sleep between Thursday and Sunday. But it was by choice, and definitely worth it. I needed some time away!

I went scrapbooking for the first time in a L-O-N-G time. I didn't get a ton done, but I'm proud of what I did!

For the past several weeks I've been hard at work organizing and rearranging my scrap stuff. I have a whole room dedicated to the stuff upstairs...but it spent most of the time in the laundry room (by the back door, most convenient!) I had a post drafted to show the disaster, but just couldn't get myself to post pics of the disaster. I did something daring--I separated almost all my paper and stickers and stuff. I was always a stickler for keeping everything "together" (if I bought paper and stickers from the same company and release, I kept them together). I was nervous as I've never been one to mix it up very much. And while I only have 6 pages to show for it, I have to say the new system was golden. I used stuff that I've had forever and stuff I would've never normally put together. Now if I can just get more time in a day to do some more...

Here's a look at the pages I did.

old Sassafrass scraps & stickers, October Afternoon smiley button & letter stickers, Jillibean canvas & corrugated flower, Jenni Bowlin butterfly sticker

Bella paper, old and new Crate chipboard & stickers, My Mind's Eye tag

I used mist for the first time in my life on this page. I'm not sure I'm a mist kind of person. I see other people do it, and it's so cute...but it frustrated me. The cute tiny circles kind of happened by accident--after punching the circle border all the tiny pieces fell on my page. It looked so cute and I remember seeing it on a page elsewhere. So I glued them on! A tedious task. But cute nonetheless.

Bella chip letters, stickers, & paper, Doodlebug border sticker, Bo Bunny paper, Amy Tangerine fabric paper, Thicker letters, Fancy Pants chipboard, We R tag, Elle's studio tag

Jillibean stickers, die cuts, paper, and pin; Bella sticker, October Afternoon Stickers and paper, Imaginisce ribbon, Thickers and Pink Paislee letters, Love Elsie & Bazzill border

Scrap Within Reach paper, October Afternoon card and letters, Bella, Basic grey, & Webster's Pages letters; October Afternoon card & sticker, Scenic Route chipboard, Jillibean corrugated star, Jenni Bowlin ticket

My personal favorite of the weekend : ) maybe because I just took the pic last week!

My Mind's Eye paper & tag, Authentique paper, Crate paper, buttons, and sticker borders, Dear Lizzie chipboard and button, Little Yellow Bicycle card, Maya Road ribbon & jewel, October Afternoon stickers

Go me : )

Tomorrow I will post the Colorado album...I finished scrappin' day one of my trip!!

home improvements

We've "only" been here three years...so it's about time we spruce up the place!!

I bought some mums on clearance and "spruced" up the porch. Next on the to do list: replacing the three years "temporary" railing going up the steps that Mike put up right before getting the permit so it would pass code so we could move in!


And we replaced our three year old "temporary" mailbox. What I love most is I saw this at Lowe's the other day and took a pic with my phone. I sent it to Mike, and figured he'd say, "I can build that." Instead while I was working on Sunday, he went and bought it and put it up : ) All in a day's work. I LOVE it.


Mike's been hard at work on the addition on the swingset. He put on a roof with gable, and a little awning over the bottom. He's decided he is going to put a porch off the side of the clubhouse, too.


I've been eyeing up Target's blue collection for months and months. I got some phenomenal deals, as it's all been clearanced for a few months now. Finally, our great room has some color & decor!! I even bought drapery and rod that Mike has to put up yet. All of this is from Target. Pillows were on clearance ($6, $8, and $10). The pictures were clearanced: $7.48 each. I bought a couple others that are larger, one was $49.99 marked down to $12. One was $49.99 marked down to $30.

Found this mirror, at Walmart. You guessed it--clearanced. $30. I. Love. It.

It feels great that this house is finally starting to feel and look like a home!!!

back to school success

Another school year begins, and I am determined to keep organized. As the kids get older, it's getting more and more complicated to keep track of their schoolwork, classroom information, activities, etc. So this year, I've developed a new system for myself to keep it all together. So far, it's working. I bought these containers from Target, and they are in the closet of our mudroom. I've been trying to stay diligent about going through papers they bring home each night, and tossing them (I really don't save too many...) or saving them in these containers (also in this container is other things to get put into a scrapbook --awards, ticket stubs, etc.


But of course I save some papers...and I had to save this one that I found in Mad's folder (grrrr I can't get it to turn the right way. )



First, I purchased 3 inexpensive floppy sided binders. I put each child's name on the binder.


Inside each one has a calendar for the month with any activities, piano lessons, sports, due dates of homework, etc. I also put in any school/class info that might prove to be helpful through the year (instead of stuffing it in my island drawer unable to find it when I need it). Any other important papers go in here as well, such as hot lunch forms, spelling words, school picture day info, book orders, newsletters, etc. At the end of each night, we open it up and make sure we have everything ready for the next day.

Something else we have in the binder is a checklist. This is also something new we are trying. We've tried a pebble system, among other things, but so far the checklist is proving to work well. A list of "did you..." questions is on the page, and if the task is completed, we put a star. If it doesn't get completed, we put an "X", and if it doesn't apply for the day, we put a dash. I have also printed "behavior bucks". Each binder has a pencil pouch that will be used to keep track of their behavior bucks and stars. Mike and I have yet to determine exactly the rewards for "X" amount of stars and bucks, but I think we have a good thing going


I found this site to help me with ideas for charts/behavior bucks/etc. Check it out!! Now if only our mudroom still looked like this...(photo taken a few days before school started)

land that I love