Project Life - Weeks 39, 40 & 41

We got over our cold snap. Our blizzard stopped blowing, and then I had to carry on with regular life again, and every day things. I couldn't cocoon myself in front of the computer any longer... Not to complain, but it's definitely put a damper on the 'output of pages'.

Here are my PL pages for weeks 39 & 40:

Week 39 - both pages:

  

Week 39 - Left side:

Week 39 - Right side:

Week 40 - both Pages:

Week 40 - Left side:

Week 40 - right side:

Week 41 - both pages:

Week 41 - Left side:

Week 41 - Right side:

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Week 39

Acrylic Arrows
Washi Tape No.3
Explore. Learn. Grow. Paper & Embellishments


Week 40

Project Mouse Halloween
Explore. Learn. Grow. Paper & Embellishments
Magical Photo Overlays


Week 41

Reflection
Project Mouse Halloween
Magical Photo Overlays


Also, linking up with Jessica Turner at The Mom Creative. Check it out!

December Daily - Days 4 & 5

I knew that once we got over our blizzard and our 'stay inside' days, that I wouldn't be able to keep up with this project quite as well. That's okay. I just need to take it one day at a time!

Here are days 4 & 5:

December Daily - Day 2 & 3

Here are my pages for Day 2 & 3.

Day 2: Left Hand Side:

Day 2: Right Hand Side:

Day 3: Left Hand Side:

Day 3 - Right Hand Side:



Being snowed in, has certainly ramped up my productivity and ability to get layouts done!! We have so much snow on our street, that there's no way my vehicle would make it. Fingers crossed that they plow today, so I can get out of the house again!

December Daily Has Begun - Day 1

Just like that, we're into December, and the December Daily begins. I love this project. This is my 5th year doing it, and we all enjoy looking back at books from the past years. 

This year I splurged and ordered the December Daily kit from Studio Calico. In past years I have created my own albums, using what ever it is I have on hand. I create my own png files to suit whatever size I need. My kit arrived shortly after our Canadian Thanksgiving, and it was super fun to look through the kit and check out all the goodies.

Our November started out with a snow storm and weather advisory. It was the perfect time to get the book started and ready. You need to have this book 'ready to go' by the time December hits. In my experience any way... If you don't do it, as the days are happening, you won't do it. It becomes overwhelming. I plan to continue on with my project life pages as well. I did it last year, and managed okay. [Even though I've only got up to week 38 posted, I'm actually current, and trying to get caught up on the posts]

To create my album cover, I painted the chipboard cover white. This winter, I'm suddenly drawn to all things gold and sparkly. [Silver has been numero uno for the last 15 years] So I was pleased with that finding. I used my heat embosser, and embossed my letters and numbers gold. I added the star and embossed it silver. I also added  a silver strip of sparkly ribbon down the front. I think I'm pleased with this, though I might just add a couple of silver stars on the cover yet...

My title page was using the wood veneer '25', I embossed it white. [My heat embosser has gotten more action in the last month than it has in the last 5 years] I added the gold 'twenty thirteen' on top of the embossed veneer. [Up until now, all things included in the kit]

The red paper, was actually bought paper. I've been hoarding it for years, I've used it very sparingly over the last few years. That's the end of it though. I don't have a silhouette, though I'm green with envy every time I see cut files... Just can't justify the $$.

This page was cutting down one of the page protectors in half, so it's only 2- 3x4 sizes [rather than 4]. I wanted to include the calendar month. The die cut Polaroid is also from Studio Calico, however it was last years stock. I hoard. It's a problem.

Added sequins that I had in a bin, to both sides. I stamped and embossed 'memories' in silver, on the label, that I printed out [digital file] as part of the kit.

First page, December 1. I tried to a few weeks to get my little family together to take a few pictures for this years Christmas card. Between working, hockey, birthday parties, fund raising, brownie camps and Scout camps, we finally got out to take pictures. The afternoon before a blizzard was to blow in. You could say I was motivated. [Mason grumbled the whole time, he couldn't understand why we couldn't just use last years picture...]

Any way, super pleased with the cute shot I took of them, and decided it would be the 'page opener'.

I created my own journal cards, using 4x6 recipe cards. I created a file that looked very much like Ali's. I am so inspired by her take on December Daily. You can check it out here. 

So there we are, day one. And so far I love it. 

Project Life - Week 38

And suddenly, we're in December. Here are my pages for week 38.

Both pages:

Left Hand Side:

Right Hand Side:

These pages were created using the following product from Sahlin Studio.

Acrylic Arrows
Down the Line [Journal Cards/ Buttons, Embellishments & Paper]

Project Life - Week 37

This weeks project life pages are pretty basic. It's the same week that I followed along with Ali Edwards 'A Week in the Life' Project. I keep a separate album with those weeks in it. I don't feel like I can have a blank week in my Project Life book, so I do a really simple week.

I have my week in the life pictures printed, but I've yet to put it together yet... So many things to do, and so little time to do it. I'm kind of anticipating many late nights over Christmas vacation, where I can sleep in the next morning, to get things organized and finished. Hope to have it to post here at some point.

Here are my pages: 

Left Hand Side:

Right Hand Side:

I chose to use almost all black and white photos. There's a tiny 3x4 collage of photos from the week and then a picture of Miss Madelyn. Her and I went up to Nose Hill and did a little photo shoot. The pictures turned out so awesome.

The digital product is from Sahlin Studio.  It's Country Road Line, and I have to say, I just love the soft subtle colours it has in it. 

Project Life - Week 36

Catching up a little bit here with my posts. This is week 36, and it actually takes us all the way back to September and "Back to School". Which already seems like a lifetime ago.

It snowed on November 2nd [thankfully NOT for Halloween] and the snow has still not melted. It warmed up a bit, but we still have snow on the ground. I just heard a weather advisory for Calgary, and guess what... More white stuff is on it's way...

Week 36 - both pages

 
 Week 36 - Left Hand Side:

Week 36 - Right Hand side:

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Week 36

Journal Card - School
Explore. Learn. Grow. Paper & Embellishments

We Survived Another Halloween!

Prepare your heart, this post is picture heavy.

It seems it's been a long time since I've posted any pictures but Project Life or birthday parties. I thought it was time.

Last evenings Halloween was a huge success. It snowed a few days before, but thankfully, all the snow melted, and the kids didn't have to dress up with snowsuits under their costumes. Every mum friend I know, breathed a sigh of relief over that one.

Now, I don't mean to brag. But I've been around awhile. I finally figured out that you don't wait until the time of the event, to take pictures. You take them before hand. Halloween, and the first day of school are prime examples of this. Last year  my kids freaked out about Halloween pictures, because quite simply, they are on a mission. And that mission is:

 C-A-N-D-Y  C-O-L-L-E-C-T-I-N-G. 

That's the ONLY thing they have on their little minds on October 31st. So no, they are not going to pose for you.

Here are the pictures I took at the beginning of the week. Before it snowed...

 

A Castle Crasher Knight [a costume we made painting and cutting a $3 t-shirt, helmet was made from an ice cream pail and 4 litre milk jug, shield was revamped for an old Rubbermaid lid of some sort, and the sword was made out of wood... [I would have made it out of cardboard, to decrease the actual 'weapon' and 'injury' end of things. However, that's what you get when Daddy gets involved] And duct tape... We utilized that for sure. We have enough for the next millennium now, there again, because Daddy was involved.

The giraffe costume we picked up at Wal-Mart early in September. In fact, early enough that I had to remind her numerous times, that she could no longer change her mind. Thankfully she didn't.

 

 And just so you know, just because we take pictures early, doesn't mean there isn't any drama... For whatever reason [you see, it's so silly, I can't even recall the reason why now] there were tears from a certain little girl giraffe. And she stalked off, refusing to participate any longer. These pictures below were taken, before I had even taken a single photo of her, so I made some sort of threat, err, I mean promise... And suddenly all was right in her world again.

Tuesday night we carved pumpkins.

We had 5, but only ended up carving 4. One sad little pumpkin didn't fulfill his jack-o-lantern destiny.

A couple of Mason's friends came over, and they went out Trick or Treating together. This is only the 2nd year he's done that. Miss Madelyn likes to tease the boys, but she made it quite clear, she had no plans on going with them. No. She went with her uncle instead.

Barry accompanied the boys. Mason was concerned he would have to carry all the candy himself...




 Madelyn & Uncle Don, went the opposite direction.
 

After the kids got back from candy collecting, they all poured their loot on the floor, and began to sort and trade. Even Madelyn got in on the action. She was pretty pleased to be included.

Halloween is one of my favourites. It has been as far back as I can remember. Here is some of the 'fun' foods I fed the kids in the past few days. If you follow me on instagram, you will have already seen these little gems. I love to see the look on my kids faces when I do this kind of stuff. And I'm kind of preparing for my eleven year old to think I'm dorky, and want me to stop...

Mummy dogs, ghost pancakes and vampire donuts were on the menu this week.

Thanks to Pinterest, that makes me look pretty artsy-fartsy.

Another Pinterest treasure, was to create my mask below...

The kids school had a Halloween Hop last weekend, so I made this little mask to wear to that. I think it cost $1.60 in felt... It was easy to do, but time consuming. My sewing machine and I are on the outs again you see, so I ended up having to sew it by hand... Grrr...

I racked my brain to come up with something to wear... Madelyn has gone on and on about that ridiculous 'what does the fox say' video on You Tube. Needless to say, the kids all thought it was AWESOME! Score for the mummy!

Hope a fantastic Halloween was had by all!!

Project Life - Weeks 34 & 35

Here I am again... Forever in the state of catching up.

Even though it would seem I'm a number of weeks behind, I still LOVE this project. 

What I didn't love, was waking up to snow yesterday morning. Major bummer. Not ready to head back into the gloomy days of winter quite yet.

It's a treat to be looking back to 'summer' photos. The summer days are definitely over...

Week 34:

Left Hand Side:

Right Hand Side:

Week 35:

Week 35 - Left Hand Side:

Week 35 - Right Hand Side: 

Sahlin Studio Product used:

Week 34:

Country Road Embellishments
Country Road Paper
Country Road Journal Cards
Country Road Word Art
Acrylic Arrows

Week 35:

Acrylic Arrows
Washi Tape No. 3
Country Road Word Art
A Wonderful day

I also used Ali Edwards Summer Sentiment boxes [brush].

How do they do it?

It's no surprise that not only do I love scrapbooking, but I'm pretty much smitten with all things crafty... I have what might just borderline an obsession with Pinterest... Seriously, all things lovely, in one single spot... Be still my beating heart...

And of course, I follow a lot of my favourite bloggers. Lots of my favourite scrappy girls. And while I get ridiculously inspired, by the stuff I see, at the same time it tends to make me feel inadequate at this memory keeping gig.

I know. I know. I scrapbook. I record our every day. I have over a year and a half worth of our 'every day' recorded in albums... For the most part, I'm caught up to date on pictures I want to scrap. And still, I feel like I have so much more to capture... I see mini albums, trip albums, summer albums, and I feel deflated.

I am a stay at home Mum, to two school-age kids. And I do NOT home school. Nope. My little munchkins are out of the house for 7 hours a day, and I can not fathom how these other ladies find time to do all the scrappy things they do. I do my very best to keep up to date with Project Life, but I do fall behind.

My days consist of spending time at the kids school, volunteering. I realize that this commitment will slow down slightly, as they get older and venture into Middle and High Schools [thankfully, for the girl, that's a little ways off yet] I have a house to keep clean. And sometimes the clean house falls to the very bottom of my priority list.  I have laundry to do, on a continuous, never-ending basis. And yes, the laundry piles up. I try to sort of menu plan and feed my crew homemade meals during the weeknights. And yes, we run low on groceries. Sometimes we even run out of milk... I will be the first to admit, that when Friday night rolls around, I do NOT. WANT. TO. COOK. I attempt to get to yoga once a week [knowing it should be more than once a week] and I'm involved with a walking group and walk with them once a week. Sometimes I venture out and meet girlfriends for coffee, but I will be honest, my days are busy.  It seems like I'm in a rush to pick the kids up from school every afternoon. Each day at 2:55 pm, I'm not exactly sure where the day has gone.

Then comes after school. We are busy. Mason is in hockey. Any hockey mum out there knows that is one crazy erratic schedule. From week to week it's never the same. We can have hockey from once a week to 3-4 times a week. Mason is also involved in Scouts. Madelyn is a Brownie. There seems to be something going on, that we have to plan for, most nights. A free night on the calendar is heavenly.

So the long and short of it is, I'm envious to those ladies out there, who capture even more minutes than I do. The mini albums of summer time. A recent trip. And I will continue to pin them to my boards, and one day, might even get around to doing one...

Project Life - Week 30

My first blog post was in late 2008. At that time I had a 3 and 6 year old. I created my blog, to record the little stuff. The things I would surely forget as the years go by. The 'every day' things, that seemed kind of mundane and to be honest, kind of boring... But they were MY boring things. I tried to be diligent about blogging. Keeping up. I did pretty good back then. I wasn't awesome, but I certainly blogged more than 2 times a month... These days, I don't record our 'every day' stuff on my blog. I capture it in our project life book. And life still seems kind of mundane, and every day-ish... I know that in the future, when I look back to these days of my now 8 and 11 year olds, I'll once again be glad that I've captured all the little tidbits that bring the memories flooding back.

I apologize that my weeks are out of order. Not much I can do about that, I'm lucky enough to be part of the Sahlin Studio Creative Team. I get the opportunity to play with the most awesome products. At the same time, some of my pages are used as samples to showcase the product.  I'm so loving this opportunity, and using different digital designs keeps everything exciting and new.

I am continuously amazed at how much I love project life. I'm Nearly two years in [do you realize that to us project lifers, we're in Week 40... As in, there are only 12 weeks left in 2013...] That puts it into perspective a bit doesn't it?

Or it might run a chill down your spine...

Here is the week 30 spread:

Sahlin Studio Product used in Week 30:

Washi Tape No.3
Journal Cards - Summer
Acrylic Arrows
Aztec Summer
Glimmer Paper - Indian Summer