Life in Layout

Jonas singing 50 States Song

2010-05-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

Jonas is singing the 50 States song with his Sing Your Way to Knowledge Class. End of year homeschool co-op program. I don't post here much anymore, due to the ease of sharing with Facebook. This is for all of our friends and family who are not on Facebook. : ). If you are viewing, do you mind to leave a comment? I don't mind to continue to post pics, but only if we have friends or family viewing.
Thanks!

Hilton Head Island

2010-01-30T08:13:00.000-05:00

On our way to Disney we took a 30-mile detour and stopped on Hilton Head Island, S.C. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront. We arrived just before sunset and enjoyed a lovely, albeit chilly, walk along the beach. Our room had a terrific sunrise view. We hit the road the next morning after taking a morning beach stroll and feeding the seagulls (bottom photo).

Disney Vacation Highlights

2010-01-19T14:44:00.004-05:00

http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewFlashMedia.aspx?AID=272118&AT=3
Wow, is it difficult to organize, and narrow down 800+ photos for sharing! We had a great vacation, and we did so very much. These photos are just a few of the highlights. We went into this vacation considering it a one-time shot, in the event that money, circumstances, or other vacation choices prevent us from going back...so we made the most out of it.

We stayed at Disney (highly recommend), and got the dining package (also highly recommend). These two factors allowed us to spend even more time at the parks (more fun). We spent the first four Disney days with a full day at each of the four parks (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot). We opened and closed the parks on those days. On the fifth day, we rested a bit in the morning, swam in the outdoor pool (it happened to be the warmest day of the cold front/arctic belt), and then we repeated Epcot. On the sixth day we repeated Hollywood Studios, and on our final day we ended like we started, with the Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom was the only park at which we only spent one day, but we chose to spend the day there with the extra magic hours (available to resort guests), so we got to stay at the park an additional 3 hours after it closed (5p-8p).

I had planned to make a scrapbook of all the photos, but due to the size of the project, I think I'll end up making a Blurb book, or DVD, and just extra individualized layouts, or 8x8 scrapbooks, for each of the kids (from their perspective, their favorites, etc.).

Try to plan a family vacation in your near future! It was the first time we had spent a entire week away from home, just for the pursuit of recreation! Kids grow up so fast, and those memories will be unique and special. Craig and I both expressed a desire to spend a week away every year (in addition to visiting familiy and weekend trips), even if it's just camping 20 miles away! Who can't afford that, right?

My Simple Stories

2010-01-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

Okay, so here is the link to this new scrapbooking system by Memory Works.
http://simplestories.typepad.com/

I love it, and did I say I love the price??? I don't really get excited about something unless it's a good value! $16.99 for a kit that will organize an entire year's worth of memories is a great deal!

You can order directly from Memory Works (from link, find Memory Works logo on right side, and click on Memory Works Home), using my consultant # - MW638908. If you live in the Tri-Cities area I can show you the kit, or you can host a crop session for a live, hands-on demo (just think...it would only take one Saturday to document 2009!)

I wll be off-line for a little while, but be sure to leave a comment if you'd like more info. I look forward to posting my Simple Stories completed months here on the blog. I hope it will inspire you to document YOUR memories in 2010.

Happy New Year, and may God bless you and yours in 2010!

A new, innovative way to simplify scrapbooking!

2009-12-31T09:19:00.001-05:00

I joined the company Memory Works as a consultant about a year ago. It was affordable - a great deal for getting discount prices on my favorite brands of scrapbooking supplies. Memory Works has recently revealed their first, exclusively Memory Works, product line - Simple Stories. It is a super-affordable, simplified (and cute!) way to get your memories documented, and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Click on the link below for a video preview... more to come tomorrow!
Simple Stories, by Memory Works

Christmas 2004

2009-12-30T12:06:00.005-05:00

These Christmas memories remind me that Christmas can be celebrated any time. My in-laws came for a visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We stayed at a mountain cabin for a few days. It was the funnest Christmas time! We played games, hiked, and just hung out. The kids loved their pretty ornament night-lights, games, and even flannel sheets that Grandma and Grandpa gave them.

This is just a quick collage I made with Picasa. I had to delete so many good photos just to get it to this point...but it's still too busy for me. Instead of chucking it, I'll just make additional scrap pages for each of the kid's albums. That way I can enlarge some of these photos on each page. (These pages I made for the holiday album were created before Christmas. Pages I had planned, but didn't get to, will get created next holiday season... when I'm in the mood again.)

I'd love to hear about fun, non-traditional holiday memories you may have!

Moving Forward

2009-12-29T10:38:00.000-05:00

I took this photo yesterday after I packed it all up. I really do cherish Christmas. I know that, with young children, right now the season is as magical, and full, as it gets! As soon as I get the Thanksgiving dishes put away, I have always been eager to decorate and celebrate the Christmas season. Parodoxically, as soon as Christmas is over, I am just as eager to clean up and move forward! No, I don't pack it up with the same glee that accompanies decorating; but the anticipation of a minimalist, clean space motivates me to attack the job quickly! It's been since my kids were babies that I have left the tree and decor up until New Year's Day; and then I was enjoying mothering little ones to much to be too concerned (or maybe all the clutter that came with little ones made it difficult to see, or care about, the Christmas clutter!)

Regardless, I think the more I enjoy the season, the sooner I am ready to say goodbye to another Christmas. Was I busy? YES. Did I do everything I had planned? Absolutely NOT. Does it mattter? Not at all. I shopped, cooked, wrapped, cleaned and worked. I also reminisced, socialized, played (this year we even got to play in real snow!), reflected, prayed, created, and rested. It's ALL good. This contemplation of celebrating, and living, to the fullest put me in mind of the following quote:

"We only live once, but once is enough if we do it right. Live your life with class, dignity, and style so that an exclamation, rather than a question mark signifies it!” ~Gary Ryan Blair

Christmas Present

2009-12-28T10:01:00.008-05:00

It was nice to host Christmas at our house this year. Our immediate family stayed in jammies all day. Cousin Nichole arrived in her robe, but she was the only guest brave enough to do so! After brunch Papa read the Christmas account, and we lit our advent cross, before opening gifts from each other.

Santa brought the kids Beatles Rock Band (even the adults enjoyed it immensely) and they received lots of great gifts from the extended family, as well. The biggest surprise was the gift that we (mom and dad) gave the kids....but I think I'll wait and show pics of that in the near future. (I don't know if I'm more excited about the gift itself, or that we worked hard in 2009 to save for it, and pay cash for it). Enough of that... for now.

We ate plenty on Christmas, and we played lots of games in between (Canasta, Scrabble Slam, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader, and lots of Wii). We also celebrated my dad's birthday with a strawberry cheesecake ice cream cake from

Baskin Robbins.

Christmas 2003

2009-12-22T08:05:00.002-05:00

This was also Jonas' first Christmas. I will make a real paper and glue scrap page for his book. (This one is for our family Christmas album that I'm working on.) I love how enthralled Jonas was with Grandpa's Christmas train (for his page, I'll zoom in on that photo...I'll also got a few more cute, similar photos that's I'll include on it). I also love how sweet the kids were with each other when they were younger. The get along well now (most of the time); but, needless to say at 11 and 9 years old, they're not quite as affectionate! My brother is in this photo. He lived/lives out of state, so holidays are extra special when he is home!

...more kite flying

2009-12-17T08:55:00.003-05:00

(click on photo to enlarge)

I decided to add more of these photos for family, and just because I like looking at them so much! These sunny photos taken just a week ago are visual therapy on this obviously winter day. I love the sunshine, the color, and the mountains in the background. I love that we live in this temperate climate where we will enjoy brief respites, such as this, throughout our winter.

Let's go fly a kite!

2009-12-13T13:14:00.007-05:00

We had a couple of unexpected events last Wednesday: Craig's Uncle Dean from Iowa was in the area and stopped by for an overnight visit. We also had a crazy windstorm. The surrounding mountains usually provide a windbreak, so it's rare that we get enough wind to even ruffle the hair. Daddy came home early due to Uncle Dean's visit, so we took advantage of the circumstances and headed to the park to fly kites (too many trees on our property).
(It wasn't all good though...we lost our patio table in the windstorm. It blew over and the glass top shattered.)

Christmas Past

2009-12-11T14:43:00.001-05:00

This is me and my little brother on Christmas Day. I think it's 1975, but the year could possibly be 1976. This photo brings back many good memories for me, of both happy Christmas and my baby brother.

Christmas Tree Lighting

2009-12-08T12:57:00.002-05:00

(Picasa collage, using photo as background. Angela, Nichole, Rayanna, and Santa)

My cousin came down from Chicago for a surprise Thanksgiving visit! The following Saturday the entire family headed to a Christmas tree lighting. The choir sang beautifully; their voices sounded like instruments... I could have sworn they were lip-syncing. One of the churches offered free cider and cocoa, too. :)

Another Picasa Collage

2009-12-04T16:12:00.000-05:00

Did I say I love Picasa??? I think I might actually catch up on my scrapbooking using this! Did I mention it is FREE??? Did I say that you can print the collages you make at home, or order prints??? I think I'm addicted. Maybe I can remain excited long enough to catch up with photos I haven't printed (much less, scrapped!), while still scrapping those special photos, and other photos that I'm inspired to scrap.

Perry's Mohawk

2009-12-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Just for Today

2009-09-30T17:49:00.012-04:00

Perry and I at Rock Creek Falls/camping trip

I am

Listening to Norah Jones Pandora station.
Drinking herbal tea.
Reading Addiction-Proof Your Child.
Anticipating another change in our schedule/routine. The kids'gymnastic teacher wants P to be on the competitive boys team (yay!). We think this will be a great opportunity - it's a terrific physical outlet for Perry and God has blessed him with natural ability for the sport *and* the desire (this is the biggie for him!) It's just the thought of the 2x week, 5-hour practices that has me stuck on how to revise our current schedule.
Teaching mental math to J; improper fractions to R; and greatest common denominator to P. (math theme this week?)
Learning that pre-teen kids don't always want to be around their moms, or their younger siblings; but what they do seem to want, even more, is one-on-one time and to be treated as an individual.
Grateful that I can post on my blog. I no longer have to work evenings. I want to make the most of every moment (without trying to do too much...isn't that the dilemna of every busy mother?) Working all the time helped me to appreciate the time I do have. Right now. Today. With just twenty minutes I can read a book to my kids, post to my blog, exercise, take a bath, scrap (okay, maybe just half a page).
Let's see what I can do with the next twenty minutes or so...

Searching for Peace

2009-09-17T09:43:00.008-04:00

Just for today
I am
Feeling: overwhelmed! Gymastics, library, shopping for tomorrow's art and science co-op supplies, school, workout, and 5-hour shift of work tonight. How will I get it all done???
Thinking: about how I have less than 2 weeks of my job! I can then focus solely on my full-time job of motherhood again!
Hearing: my youngest pack his sack lunch for our day of errands and realizing that I almost forgot about the road food! (overwhelmed again)
Praying: for peace amidst the chaos.
Ready: to get my laundry room out of my livingroom. Our washing machine broke down Tuesday. Our new one will be in today. The visual clutter is doing nothing to bring peace to my chaotic day! Wow, I will have alot of laundry this weekend (overwhelmed again).
Praying: for peace amidst the chaos!!!
Looking: for a calm picture thought... how'd I do? It's Silver Beach on Lake Michigan, St. Joseph, MI. We reunited with a high school friend of mine. She has 3 kids, too. We had an absolutely wonderful day with our families on the beach. I hadn't been back since high school. I forgot about the restorative powers of The Lake (unlike the small ones we have here)...similiar to the ocean, and I'm sure it's why the locals here drive to the ocean in droves. It's a quality I can't describe, but I think it has something to do with not being able to see to the other side. Blue for miles....it's a God thing.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-09-02T10:33:00.015-04:00

A photo thought to share:

Just for today, I am

thinking: about my brother becoming a father today or tomorrow and wishing I was there to give him a hug

thankful for: children who are becoming good people

wearing: shorts and t-shirt

creating: a photo frame collage for my new niece

going: nowhere but my front yard to soak up the sunshine and the sounds of nature

reading: Breaking Dawn

hearing: the washing machine, dishwasher, and humming from my 11-year old while he's working on his math

A few plans for rest of week: leaving tomorrow for Indiana, with my family, to meet my new niece

Thanks to Joy for the inspiration. It made me want to post for the first time since.... well, that's my point - I can't remember.

If you'd like to participate in the daybook, or read other daybooks, check out this site:
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Live from Montana

2009-06-12T23:23:00.003-04:00

Hello here from MT here are photos that I took:

Go West, Young Man!

2009-06-07T21:59:00.010-04:00

Perry (my oldest, just-turned-eleven-year-old-son) has been spending time with his grandparents in Montana. He took pictures from the road, and their camping stops en route to Montana - the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and Yellowstone (he got to see Old Faithful - I'm jealous!). They arrived at their home in Montana one week after Perry's road trip began from Tennessee. Upon arrival Perry uploaded, and e-mailed to me, photos of the pictures he took with his camera. The bottom photo is a picture Perry took last Friday (since arriving) on a drive to the Bison Range in Montana.

Mother's Day

2009-05-29T20:41:00.008-04:00

Perry

Rayanna

Jonas

Bottom - Mother's Day photo gift for my mom - Baby Riley, my niece who is due to arrive in August, inspired this project. I also have a dear friend who is expecting a baby boy in July, so I've had baby on the brain lately! It's inspired me to pull out all my baby photos. I had intentions of making a "Me and My Grandkids" scrapbook for my mom; but I found sooo many pictures of her with my babies, that I quickly became overwhelmed. I narrowed photos down to newborn photos, 3 per child, leaving 3 spaces reserved for Riley pics in this 12-photo frame. I just placed cardstock behind the openings so that it would look cute to go ahead and display.

Above - Mother's Day was gorgeous! We spent a few hours at the lake. We had the beach to ourselves and the water was warm enough for swimming!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T09:33:00.003-04:00

Click above to see a smilebox I made of two most special moms to me - my mom and my aunt Mid.

Have a grateful day, ALL you mommies~

Breaking Out of A Creative Rut

2009-05-01T10:01:00.008-04:00

Breaking Out of A Creative Rut

Posted using ShareThis

Loved this post today (click on link above) by scrapbooking celebrity/life artist, Ali Edwards. I can totally relate - it's where I'm at. Funny, I am already doing one thing she recommends - trying something different for a while. For me, it's a couple of quick and easy projects I'm working on - one for Mother's Day, and another for my son's 11th birthday. I think it's doing the trick for me - allowing me to maintain my habit of creativity (and feel productive!), while still giving me extra time to enjoy this nice weather and all the activities it brings - ;).

I'll share my finished projects soon.

Have a great weekend!

Game Night

2009-04-21T08:25:00.005-04:00

The kids have a tradition of making their game player pieces. This started a couple years ago when we picked up a cool game at a swap and brought it home, only to find out the player pieces were missing. The Pictionary game is an example of one where we actually do have the little pencil pieces - the kids just preferred to create their own! Even though my kids came up with the idea (and not me), I would highly recommend starting this with your own family so that when you lose a game piece it's not the end of the world - lol. These photos were taken last Oct - we were on a Pictionary kick that continued through Nov. I don't want to use an entire 12x12 page on these photos, so I think I will make a "Family Time" layout, and try to squeeze a couple more family/home/activity photos on the page. I could make a smaller page, but I'm currently into sticking with 12x12 albums for easier/neater storage. I'll post it when I get it done.

Camper for Sale

2009-04-20T10:38:00.004-04:00

Okay, so this isn't related, but since it's my blog, and my camper that I need to sell...;)
Click on the above post title Camper for Sale to see the Craig's list ad w/photos, if you're interested. Have a great Monday!

Back to Life

2009-04-13T15:34:00.012-04:00

No animals, or children, were harmed for this layout! Perry actually liked to get in the crate with Ziggy when she was small enough for a roomie. I'm not lying, so don't bother reporting me... my friend J once came over when Perry was doing this - she'd testify for me, lol! There was a shadow on right side of layouts - sorry if it's dark. Fun and cheap, I just printed with laser printer on copy/print paper. The only problem was glue stick seemed to mix with ink and made a couple of gray spots (through the paper, somehow)... I'd use cardstock to print on next time.

Here's the homefront update:

Thursday: Dx. of bronchitis and a sinus infection. A breathing treatment and 4 antibiotic-filled days later, I'm back in commission (wow - what if we got commission on our good days as Moms... I digress.) Jonas had taken a turn for the worse Thursday and Friday with fever, but now he seems to have bounced back and is mostly back to himself, too. Perry now has a sore throat and cough, so the saga continues...

Sick and tired

2009-04-07T10:17:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I've had all of the flu symtpoms for a week now without getting over it. I know this is not uncommon, and it is likely to take 10 days to get over it. With the thought that I *am* getting over this, I peeled myself out of bed, pumped myself with drugs and a long steam shower yesterday, to take the boys to the doctor - they had check-ups that I absolutely did not want to cancel and have to wait 3 months to get rescheduled. The timing was good (aside from me looking and feeling like death warmed over), I thought, b/c they have been congested for a week or so. They haven't slowed down, though (soccer practice, gymnastics, soccer game, running around outside for 3 hours on Sunday... you get the picture -;), so I had thought they have colds and I have the flu. It turned out that Perry has a sinus infection and Jonas has walking pneumonia! Since I'm the only one who actually feels, and sounds, crummy, I figured I should take myself in to find out if I have walking pneumonia. So last night after hubby got home I went to our local walk-in clinic. The doctor - well, actually the medical student (no, not an intern or resident, but a medical student) asked me how the doctor diagnosed my son. I told her it was with a finger prick. She said, "Uh, I don't think we have that test here but I'll check" .... What?!?
Turns out they don't have the plasma titer test there, but they can draw my blood and send it to the main lab (just down the road) and I can wait 2-3 days to find out if I have walking pneumonia... Did I say this is an URGENT CARE CLINIC, named (inappropriately) FIRST ASSIST!?! A friend suggested that today I go to the pediatrician's office and ask them to test me for it...not a bad idea since they're set up to diagnose it right there. The kind medical student did say that I should call them after 3 days if I haven't heard anything, in case "they forget". And, if the test does come back positive, they can help me by giving me medication. Well, that's good to know. Kinda why I went in to begin with , thinking they could tell me right away *and* they could give me medication so that I could start getting better. At least they can give me the medication, what a relief. Forgive my sarcasm. This is me feeling crummy for too long, and therefore, easily annoyed by the inconsistencies in health care practice. Sorry no photos - this is as much as I can manage. Hopefully I'll return soon.

Friday Fun

2009-03-27T09:23:00.004-04:00

(click to enlarge)

Journal: My funny Valentines - the kids with their wax lips from Aunt Paulette. 2/17/09.

Have a great weekend!

Montana, American Goldfinch

2009-03-23T15:20:00.012-04:00

(click to enlarge)

While in Montana, we had a great kitchen table view of the birds feeding on Grandma and Grandpa's front porch.
Grandma's Bird Feeder text reads: Grandma says, "The bird is an American Golfinch (Carduelis tristis), male, winter phase. All the tan/grey feathers become bright yellow in the summer. They are common birds at our feeder this time of year."

The kids each scrapped their own goldfinch page.

Sledding at Dusk

2009-03-19T07:53:00.011-04:00

I am so *over* winter that this layout is almost painful to post! (not to mention that I wasn't thrilled w/ this lo, anyway - ;) We've enjoyed sunny weather in the 60's the past couple of days, exchanging snow anticipation for short sleeves, soccer practice, and the playground.

Still here...and Ziggy

2009-03-16T10:19:00.019-04:00

Thought I should check in to let y'all know that I will be catching up soon - we're on spring break this week with no travel plans, so I'm hopeful. Last week I had a few extra happenings, and a few unplanned happenings, that kept me offline... such is mommy life! Let's see if I can find some eye candy to post with this...

Here is Ziggy, our latest, and last, furry family addition. A retriever mix from the shelter, Ziggy is about four months old; she is very sweet and very smart...and very cute.

Kids' First Blog Post/Homeschool Coop

2009-03-09T08:51:00.009-04:00

We went to the Harry W. Meador Jr. Coal Museum on Friday with our homeschool coop. The kids blogged for the first time yesterday, on our coop blog. You can read their post here. The kids actually narrated, and I did the typing. We will definitely be doing this more often - the kids loved seeing their narrations "published"....and I loved discovering another fun, creative tool for learning/teaching! I probably won't scrap the coop photos b/c we will be creating a yearbook just for those pics... but you can keep an eye on the coop blog to find out what we've been up to. We have many outstanding mom, and student, bloggers who contribute!

Now and Then

2009-03-06T08:17:00.010-05:00

Top: Our kiddos, November 2008 - Hiking on Grandfather Mountain.

Below: Our kiddos, July 14, 2003 - Perry and Rayanna meet Jonas. I love this pic b/c it captures how proud big bro and big sis are! My brother and his wife are expecting their first baby in August...the baby excitement is inspiring me to get out all the baby photos. I'm thinking I should work with it b/c I have plenty of baby photos that I still need to scrap.

And, yes, Jonas was a big baby - 10 lbs, 3.5 oz, to be exact! The nurses nicknamed him "Bubba".

Thank you, Suzanne!

2009-03-04T07:33:00.011-05:00

It's very nice when a friend or family member tells me they like my blog; but when someone I don't even know lets me know, that's definitely a pat on the back! What makes it even more complimentary is that Suzanne, who gave me this Kreativ Blogger Award, has a fabulous blog! You can see for yourself here at Shabby Chicks....I'm a pink girl so I was immediately a fan - creative, lovely, and nice music too. As a recipient, I am supposed to list 7 things that I love, so here goes:

1. God's grace

2. My family

3. Cuddling with my hubby

4. Reading to my kids

5. Fresh air and sunshine

6. Mountains *and* beaches

7. Friends - near and far, new and familiar

I need to pass this award along to 7 creative bloggers. I am new to the blogging community, so could you help me by "nominating" your favorite creative blogs in the comments? Thanks for your help - when I reach 7, I'll share them with you.

Our Foster Puppies

2009-03-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

We rescued these adorable 5-6 week old lab mix puppies from a local animal shelter on an extremely cold weekend. We had them immunized, de-wormed, and found a great home for them one week later. Lots of fun....lots of tears. R took care of the light puppy and named her Snowy. P was the brown pup's caretaker and named *her* Frank. Jan17'09

Music Recital

2009-02-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

R (piano) and P (electric guitar) both had their music recitals on the same day. Unfortunately, I only got video on P, but no still shots. I'll need to make stills from the digital video, using Windows Media Player. On the backside of this lovely Cosmo Cricket cs, I adhered another recital program, opened up to show the inside (it lists the teacher, students, and names of the performance pieces).

Montana, Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge {R&J}

2009-02-27T08:47:00.010-05:00

Here are the two layouts I did for R & J. Simple and quick. I got 6 *full-size* 4x6 photos (I frequently crop photos w/cutter to cut down on visual clutter, and to make more room.) on J's page. (thrifty, and why I prefer to scrap in 12x12). This was made possible by journaling directly on the photo w/my photo marker. It does feel *wrong*when you first write on photos, but once you do it, it's quite fun. For me, the fun is that it allows me to actually use more photos... I would have one less photo to display on J's page if I hadn't written on the photo. Another thrifty tip - if you're going to fill up a page, it doesn't matter what paper you use. Use up your ugly paper - you will end up seeing very little of the actual cs (cardstock). Crazy patterns in your pad that you think you'll never use - they work great for photo-filled pages. R's layout - I selected borders (in printing "preferences") on the focus photo. My plan was to write on the borders, but I decided to use stickers instead. I still think it made for a nice, thrifty embellishment. Covering the rest of the cardstock with photos makes the focus photo appear to be framed.

Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-02-26T07:19:00.004-05:00

If I post anything unrelated to scrapbooking, it must be a really big deal to me (and I don't have layouts ready to post!). I should have posted this prior to yesterday's post. This article explains why I began avoiding high fructose corn syrup.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090127/mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup?src=RSS_PUBLIC Webmd is an objective source (too objective in this case, but that's just my opinion - read it and you'll see what I mean). If you'd like more information about this, leave me a comment or, if that doesn't work, send me an e-mail. Otherwise, I'm anxious to get back to my layouts and I won't take up any more blog space on this - ;). Hoping for a sunny day to take more layout photos!

Nature's Own

2009-02-25T07:42:00.010-05:00

"Natural" Cooking - On a warm December day, I found the kids baking these utensils they had made out of clay (dirt). (12/5/08)

The pictures I took of my layouts yesterday didn't turn out. Now I have to wait for the sun to come out to shoot again (it's gloomy). To make your visit valuable, though, here is a little bit of useful information: Nature's Own Wheat Lite Bread contains high fructose corn syrup. I read the ingredient list twice b/c I just couldn't believe it! I will say that I usually buy Nature's Own Whole Wheat Bread, and it does not contain HFCS. Upon closer inspection of the Lite, I notice that the label does read "Enriched Bread" (small print, but still, how could I have missed that!) I consider myself good at reading bread labels - I know to avoid "enriched" and to look for "whole wheat" on the ingredient list. I always check for 3+ grams of fiber. This is an example of how I assumed it was all good. This bread with HFCS has a label that boasts "No Artificial Preservatives, Colors or Flavors". This is not *technically* false advertisement, but it is definitely misleading. Become, and stay, an informed consumer.

Montana, Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge {P}

2009-02-23T19:55:00.019-05:00

A few photos of P taken at the wildlife refuge. This layout is an example of how easy it can be to personalize a page. I place all my pages in one book, chronologically; but when the book gets too full, I will take out the individual pages I've scrapped for the kids, and place them in their own scrapbook(s). How to personalize? We all know how that our son's award ceremony will make a great personal page, but don't forget the shared stuff. Who wants to look at just pictures of themselves, anyway? (I think I dated a guy that did, but that's a story for another day...or another blog...)

Here are a few ideas on how to personalize shared events:

1) Journal to one person in particular (it can be as short, simple, and subtle, as the tag above)

2) Tell the story from one person's perspective (P was climbling the tree while the others were watching the ducks)

3) Feature a favorite acitivity, unique to the person. (tree-climbing)

4) Feature photos of the person you have in mind. Note that I still include J (and I'm going to include this same tree climbing photo of J on his own page, just b/c I like it so much and I think it makes a fun "following in their footsteps" theme).

I think this approach to scrap separate personal pages as you go along, makes it less overwhelming to scrap for multiple children (in the end, my kids will each end up with their own albums, without me having to be intentional about it); *and* it makes it more fun, since I don't repeat the same layouts, or even photos. It's also a thrifty way to scrap - since I tend to take this approach when I end up with at least several good photos of each of the kids, I would otherwise be scrapping 3+ pages anyway. Most likely, the pages will be somewhat coordinated, so you will end up using what you have (versus buying pages later on specifically for her *special* scrapbook).

This is just my opinion, of course. My point is to find out what works for *you* and just scrap it...don't get stuck in the planning phase! Tomorrow I'll post the other two kids' layouts of this trip, which will include thrifty layout tips!

Let me know what you guys are doing... I would love to get, and share, new ideas!

20 FREE Prints- Wow!

2009-02-20T20:50:00.004-05:00

You've only got until midnight, but Walgreens is offering 20 FREE prints, without any additional purchase. Today only. If you don't have a Walgreens nearby, you can select the mail order option. I love Walgreens b/c they have an option to select true digital photo size - 4x5.3. This way everything that shows up on your screen will show up on your print. To get started, go to http://www.walgreens.com/. Select the photo department, upload your photos into the album, select quantity/size, and checkout. Coupon code is ONEDAY. You do have to order exactly 20 prints - I tried with 19, but it gave me "invalid coupon code". Thanks to Felicia at http://felicias-common-cents.blogspot.com/ for this deal. No better time than the present to get your photos off your computer, printed out, and in your scrapbook!

Montana, Birds

2009-02-19T19:49:00.010-05:00

January 14, 2009. Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, Montana. We watched ducks, pelicans, swans, and even a hawk (we think it's a red-tailed).

Montana, Nature

2009-02-18T20:12:00.017-05:00

January 14, 2009. We have many beautiful pictures that we took on this visit to the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, located in the Bitterroot Valley, near Stevensville, Montana. http://www.friendsofleemetcalf.com/index.html
Nothing can enhance God's masterpiece! To crop, embellish, or otherwise place anything else near this, would only take away from its perfect beauty! I know I'm a minimalist scrapper, meaning that I like my pictures and journaling to tell the story without alot of knick-knack; but how could *any* scrapper disagree with me on this one?!? I'll probably frame this; but to "scrap" it - I'll simply enlarge the photo (5X7; I usually do 4x6 or smaller, when cropped), give it a page of its own on neutral cardstock (tan or gray), and write up a small, subtle description in the lower-right corner. If I really want to make my writing even less visible, I'll write directly on the photo with my photo marker (lower-right, where it's darker than the rest of the photo). This will make a nice intro for the rest of the nature photos, which I'll approach in the same fashion.

Montana, Horses

2009-02-17T17:40:00.021-05:00

We spent time in Montana with Grandma and Grandpa's horses. Grandma and Grandpa know alot about horses! Here are a few things the kids say they've learned about horses:

P: Always approach a horse from his front and side at a 45 degree angle. Pet him while you're talking to him, so he will know you're still there.

R: Never walk toward a horse when his ears are back or down.

J: Horses like to eat grass and hay. Horses like to be petted. Be sure to watch your feet and the horses feet. Horses don't mind if you hold their mane while you're riding.

For J's page (middle), the lettering is on the back of an index card. I kept the full size card, and journaled below the dates, which is hidden by the photos. To do this, I formed a pocket with the photos (easy - just limit the adhesive to the corners) and tucked the cards inside, without actually adhering the cards to the cardstock. Hidden journaling is especially nice if you have something personal you want to journal, but you aren't comfortable making it so visible. Just let your loved ones know that it's there; otherwise it may not have longevity - ;). Another reason to use hidden journaling is for visual appeal. That would be why I chose it for this page. I was happy with the LO as is; I didn't want the extra visual clutter.

Montana, Sledding

2009-02-16T18:59:00.007-05:00

Someday, very soon, I will get straight shots on these layouts (aarghh!). I think I do better on the outdoor shots, versus indoor on my wood floors. I think the grooves in the wood are tricking my eyes into thinking the layout is straight, when it's not. (Anyone with advice? J, I know you can help me out -;) If I were more patient (or obsessive!) I'd just reshoot; but it's best to shoot photos (of photos) in natural light, and I'm not waiting 'til tomorrow - got too much scrappin' to do -;).

We ended up with many happy photos of the sledding trips... it was difficult to narrow down to a 2-page layout. The kids had a great time - thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T10:57:00.028-05:00

I received not only one, but two, dozen roses from my honey for Valentine's Day. Before you think me to be a braggart - bear with me, and my story. I first created this blog b/c others I knew had done so, and I learned how easy it was. My intentions were to blog our homeschool experiences, but... inertia set in. I didn't want to spend any extra time on what I was already doing all day! I also realized, around this time, that I was experiencing hs burnout - not unlike other types of burnout, complete with feelings of despair and resentment. I soon realized burnout was due, in part, to my own feelings of inadequacy (why this is prevalent among homeschool moms is a post in itself!), so I've decided to focus on what I do *right* (I also decided to make time for myself, so I set a goal to scrap every day, which led to fresh blog inspiration.)

Now, back to focusing on what I do *right*, and the roses: I have heard it said that the most important thing you can send your children off with, is an example of a good marriage. I may fail miserably when I compare my homeschooling accomplishments, abilities, and resources with others'; but showing my kids a good marriage - I, we, get that right. I am humbled by knowing that the one thing as a parent I *know* I am good at, I can't even do by myself! Without a kind, loving husband, this would just be another area where I often fail.

Have we ever spoken with less than loving words? Sure - we've been married 14 years! Unkind tones are the exception, though, and are usually during times of stress. What I like about what we do right: I have no doubt that my kids will remember that we spoke kindly, and showed affection to each other every day. I can tell my husband is upset (or in the presence of others;) when he calls me by my first name, rather than his term of endearment, and vice versa - :). I love knowing that my kids will likely say we were the most loving when it was just us at home, rather than putting on a show for others and going home to ignore each other, or let their frustrations out on each other. My kids will know they had a regular bedtime, not just b/c they needed their rest and the schedule, but b/c then it was our alone time, together.

On my bad days, when I feel like a failure, I am promising myself to take comfort in knowing that my kids will never know the (all too common) pain of divorce. This we get right... and it's not even a chore.

May you speak kindly to those you love, and focus on what you *get right*.

2009-02-11T13:55:00.004-05:00

Journal: A Bittersweet Day.

We were reunited with the entire family at Grandma's funeral earlier this day. That evening we all hung out at C's parents' house - pictured are C's mom, sister, brother and wife and kids (along with C,P, and R).

(Note to self: make sure not to tilt camera for layout photos -;)

Memories of Grandma

2009-02-10T07:05:00.018-05:00

Top page: I copied a photo C took of his grandma when he was young and in 4-H. I used 3-d adhesive to make this lovely photo stand out. The scripture card was given to me by C's mom, from the funeral home. I made a pocket from it and inserted the memorial service brochure (blue edge) inside. It was a lovely brochure and I wanted to save it without making it a focal point of the layout. I also made a copy of the backside of the scripture card (extended obituary) and inserted into the pocket, as well.

Bottom page: These photos were taken when I first met Alice. We went to Lincoln for her 80th birthday celebration and spent the weekend, along with the rest of the family, at her home in Lincoln. Also pictured are C's parents, uncle, sister, brother and wife. I made copies from the original photos. I used pearlescent paper, decorative edge scissors, and pastel chalks in both pages. The font is just from WordPad.

This layout defined my scrapping philosophy. It was with C's family in mind that I first decided to do this layout. I went back and forth over what pictures to include, how to collect the pictures, etc.... Ultimately, I became more inspired by my own memories and decided that I wouldn't be able to do justice to a layout with the family's past memories, anyway - those are special and unique to them. Sooo, if you are passionate about something that is uniquely meaningful to you, then create for yourself - others will probably enjoy it too! (I do plan to add another page of photos of Grandma and my kids - those photos are more spread out, so I'll just collect them as I come across them to scrap at a later time.)

Montana, A Quiet Morning

2009-02-09T15:00:00.012-05:00

We flew to Montana for Grandma Alice's funeral. We arrived the evening before the funeral and stayed six days.

This was our first morning in Montana. I used 3-D adhesive to make the center photo pop. I love this photo - the kids stood there silently transfixed on the scenery for several minutes. The kids said it was the enormous icicles that they were mesmerized by. There was also more snow than they ever remember having seen, and Grandma and Grandpa's llama, to gaze at. Since we're on EST, (2 hours ahead of Montana's mountain time zone), it was still dark when we woke up.

The kids and I enjoyed "skating" in our snow boots. The kids spent much time playing with Sonny - Grandma and Grandpa's beautiful, and friendly, Golden Retriever. Sonny loves fetching pinecones and snowballs.

January Day at Park

2009-02-06T10:15:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-19T08:26:00.002-05:00

As you can probably tell, I'm covering names for pictures - kinda messes up the design for the blog view.

It was sunny and clear when I went out to take the photo of this layout. I thought I could beat the snow, but it started coming down just as I was taking the photo. That's what the flecks on the photo are. They dried clear, thank goodness.

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-31T10:47:00.002-05:00

My aunt and parents went to Christmas Eve service with us. We spent the remainder of the evening hanging out at our house with a movie. house.

The boys *hung out* more than the rest of us.

Our dog's name is Joy - how appropriate for the Christmas layouts.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-22T08:50:00.000-05:00

My brother and his wife came down for the holiday weekend. Along with my parents, and grandparents, we enjoyed our first family feast in our new home.

On Christmas Day my brother and his wife called, and over speakerphone they announced to us all that they are expecting their first baby! I'm so happy for them, and I'm way excited to have a baby in the family again.

I labeled this layout as our "Family Portait, AKA: the Many Faces of J." Out of about 10 shots, J had a different look in each photo.

Wow - the camera really shows the imperfections in my layouts! Just after Thanksgiving, I made a goal for myself to stay current with my scrapping. I knew this meant that I could no longer make sure every page is *perfect*. Like other things in life, perfectionism keeps us from moving forward. The true test is actually sharing this with family and friends.

Hopefully there is a learning curve in taking photos of my layouts, though. I am noticing haze and blur that is not present in the layout. I'm thinking this could be from adhesive that got on my photos which is clear to my naked eye, yet shows up on the camera? It is also really hard to get a straight camera angle, making it difficult to get an even photo of the layout, especially with the papers that don't have a single-color edge.

I cringe looking at my own handwriting; however I was recently inspired by a celebrity scrapper article that talked about the importance of sentiment and using our own imperfect handwriting in our layouts. It really made sense to me - I love when I come across handwriting from loved ones who have passed away. I don't care whether or not it was neat; besides, the more I use my own script for display, the neater it is becoming.

And as far as my scrapping mistakes go, I resisted the temptation to go back and "fix". I must move forward.~

P's Art Project for Scouts

2008-12-15T08:25:00.006-05:00

This was a project P completed this week to fulfill an Art achievement for Scouts. The assignment was to create a computer design, using 3 or more shapes. P decided to embed his name in the design (self-taught encryption!), too.

P traced his name with a highlighter over the printed design; but I'll just show it as he saved it, and you can have fun trying to find his name!

(Bragging Mom Alert: P completed this in 10 minutes.)