Farewell Two Peas...

I was deeply saddened to learn that after July 10th, Two Peas in a Bucket will be closing their doors.

I got an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach when I found out the news last week. I couldn't believe it actually, when I read the words. Over the next few days, more and more girls, whom I admire so much in this industry, responded to the news, as well, these are just a few:

Ali

Cathy

Gluestick Girl
Marcy



I still remember stumbling upon this website. It happened while I was at work. After Mason was born, I went back to work part-time [you didn't have computers at home after all, back in those days...] I adored this website. It completely changed the way I scrapbooked.

I had been scrapping for awhile, in fact, I completed my first scrapbook in 1998 which happened to be of our wedding/honeymoon... A lot of circles and squares. A lot of stickers. A lot of cutting around pictures. A lot of curved papers. Not at all what my layouts look like today.

But to see other peoples examples. To see other peoples ideas... It truly spoke to me.

It still speaks to me. I scrapbook a lot. I began to submit my layouts to 2Peas on a regular basis after getting being asked to be apart of the Sahlin Studio Creative Team last year.

I still love to scrapbook. Though I'm mostly a digital scrapper now. I love all aspects of it. Capturing all of our stories. It makes me happy. I love to look back and remember. This form of art, will never not speak to me.

I don't know what happened. And part of me wishes I did. Though I realize it's none of my business. Not a single bit of it. I just think it would make it easier... To know why. I guess I feel like I've lost a friend. And I wish I knew why.

So, to 2Peas: Thank you for changing the way I scrapbook, and for having so many awesome tutorials, challenges and contests. Thank you for the most awesome Garden Girls. Thank you for the inspiration you gave to me and many others. This memory keeping thing, will never not speak to me.

PL2014 - Weeks 17 & 18

I have been terrible about blogging lately. Not just lately. I've been terrible for not getting to it, for quite awhile.

I'm envious of all the people out there, who seem to have their act together. The ones who have multiple kids, and have jobs, document their lives, and have time to blog. I started blogging, back when I did, to remember all the little things. The every day stuff, that I knew I wouldn't remember if I didn't write it down. Though I never blogged daily, I did keep fairly current. When I began creating my project life albums, the blogging slowed down considerably. Because that was where I began to document the little things. The every day stuff I knew I wouldn't remember if I didn't write it down.

I'm not sure if I just don't manage my time well... I've been a stay at home mum for 9 years. 9 Years...  I worked full-time for 11 years before Mason was born. I got a one year maternity leave after he was born and when I went back to work, I worked part-time, for 2 years until Miss Madelyn was born. I haven't been back to work since. Do I miss working? Nah. I don't. What's to miss? The commute downtown each and every day, in a city that is getting more and more congested with traffic? Nope. Looming deadlines? Absolutely not. Four weeks of vacation a year? Uh-uh, think again. I don't miss working at all. What I do miss is the socializing that went along with work.

However, I think being at home has sadly affected my ability to 'get 'er done'. From what I remember about my 'working days', I was fairly organized. Stuff got done. Now... If something doesn't get done on Monday, I've got Tuesday. If it doesn't get done on Tuesday, I push it over Wednesday. You get the picture. Cleaning bathrooms, washing floors, doing laundry etc, doesn't have quite the same time constraints around it, as say, getting a well package finished and sent off to partners...

I'm grateful. I'm not complaining. I love being a stay at home mum. Even though the kids are both in school full-time, I love it. I love my house, I love my kids, I love my life. What I don't love is my inability to get tasks done in a timely manner.

I am going to work on that, starting in September. The kids have 7 and a half days of school left. We are going to have an awesome summer. It's going to be intentional. Then, come September, I'm going to work on being more accountable to myself.

Now, with that said, here are my project life spreads for weeks 17 & 18:

Week 17:

This week:

- It started to look a little bit like spring.

- Kids did some backyard clean up, and we got out the scooters.

- Mace was chosen to attend the Young Writer's Conference in Calgary, he was one of fifteen chosen to attend from his school.

- Seeing work along our river banks and praying that this spring we don't have any flooding problems.


Week 18:

This week we:

-Went in search of the crocuses on Nose Hill , and weren't disappointed.

- Went on a field trip to Fish Creek Park with the Grade 6's, both Barry and I.

- Celebrated Miss Madelyn's birthday

Keeping with the one page layout, I've been cutting up page protectors so that i can 'flip up' and have a little bit more room to either journal or add a few extra pictures.  

Sahlin Studio Products Used:

Week 17

P.S. I Love You

Week 18

Life is Better with You - mini kit