to december daily or not...

after last year, I said that I wasn't going to do it again. the December Daily project.
it's not because I didn't enjoy it. I did! to be honest, it was because I
put too much pressure on myself! crazy, right? I know.
the pressure was, " I HAVE to do something for ALL days (1-25) or
it just won't be "official"!" I know now that is, well..., dumb.
life throws its curve balls and you just roll with it.
yes, I have days that I adore out of that album, but to be honest
I had days where I just said life took over and I was not focused on
the album. that is O.K. ok? OK!!!
so after looking at last year's album...

I realized that I was indeed going to give it a "GO" again :)

1) because it was so FUN looking back on what i did capture b/c Dec is typically one of our busiest months as a family
2) i am giving myself more time to plan. last year i literally threw everything together very last minute, which made me feel even more ba-jiggity ;) (see this post)
3) i will probably use the same album concept of using clearly heavy overlays from Hambly. i ordered an extra from last year, so i am good to go.
4) Studio Calico also has a wonderful complete december daily kit on sale, including an album. it's so packed full of awesome supplies, but i NEED to use up my stash!
5) i plan on hybrid scrapbooking this album as i did last year's. i love doing both methods, so it was an easy choice to incorporate.
6) i don't take my SLR with me all the time. i am confident with my iPhone and instagram way more
moments will be captured!!
7) this is why i scrapbook. i can't possibly capture EVERYTHING, but what i do capture will be amazing and i will cherish it. i think that last sentence will be my dec. daily mantra! so, if you are on the fence as to whether to do this or not...JUST DO IT!

scrap crush...part 2: life.love.paper.

yikes! my post about my digital crush seems like forever ago...a month.
i guess the reason i was dragging my feet was b/c i needed to take pictures of my layouts
and upload them to the computer and resize them for web--one of the reasons i probably
don't share as much as i could.
so here we go...
Tina Aszmus. if you are familiar with Studio Calico then you know who i'm talking about!
if not, you should! ;)
without a doubt i gain so much inspiration from Tina's scrapbooking style & her photographs.
i always feel like her blog is such an honest and peaceful place to go when i'm looking for a creative lift!
i'm probably going to head over there after this post, too, b/c the tab is already up!! :D
her style is simple, yet artistic. it's not overly "fluffy" or busy. i just LOVE it. you know that you
are inspired when you can just sit, look and sigh at all of the loveliness. it's where i rest my eyes.
so here are a few pages that i've completed as a result of that inspiration.

i think this one was a result of a challenge on the SC forum talking about One Little Word for 2011.

use of confetti dots and brads here. as well as the stamping idea/technique Tina used once.

this was also a SC forum challenge by Tina--using a color + b&w photo in a layout. it's interesting to ponder this layout b/c i anticipated a lot of the changes for 2011 and some threw me for a loop!

another use of confetti dots, layering, stitching and misting. the confetti dots are just leftovers
from my hole punch!

 

title work and use of instagram photos here as well as it being a mostly neutral layout.

and i am sure i have many more pages that Tina has inspired me to create.
if you pass by here, tell me or direct me to who inspires YOU to create? :)
i would love to know.

me...right now

right now...

*i am getting over my IT band injury slowly, but surely. ironically enough it feels better when
i run outside vs. inside on the treadmill. prior to this injury i struggled BIG time to get my
body to sync with running outside. i think the cooler fall temps have helped.

* i am dreading the onset of the winter months. DREADING.

*i will never understand designer clothes. i will be honest and say most of my clothes come from places like Target, TJ Maxx and occasionally GAP. coincidentally, when i shop at TJ Maxx i wouldn't know a hot, trendy designer label if it slapped me in the face!! ;) and i am OK with that. i just don't get the hype...

*my fatigue issues have gotten much better. i LOVE getting acupuncture done--it makes me feel great!
i definitely have days where i do too much when i feel good then pay for it the next day or two with a slump in my energy. overall, i am improving. Praise God!!

*this girl inspires me to no end!! i could stare at her photos, blog, scrapbooking projects for forever!!
totally my creative crush!!

*as a stay at home Mom i can never manage to "stay at home" as much as i would like or think i should...don't be fooled...it's a misnomer!

* still can't believe my Dad is gone. i know this first year without him will be tough-- especially when we go back to visit family at the holidays, and i know we won't be going to his house anymore.

* i miss my kids being littler. they grow up. i am beginning to understand what my Mom would always say when i was a kid about wishing she could push a button and make it stop. you can't. you grow and learn and get older with them.

*...i can't believe i am 38. SHUT. UP!

* i've been saying, "y'all" a lot lately. i don't know why. i just do. do y'all ever do that? ;)

* i LOVE making soups this time of year! having soup is such a cozy meal! and even though, it's A LOT of work, it is worth it. soups normally last a day or 2 around here and makes life very convenient on those days the girls and i are out late with activities! our favorite right now is a chicken tortilla soup that i snagged off of Pinterest! we are also loving this autumn chopped salad as well! finding lots of yummy and healthy meals on Pinterest these days!! :)

* ...my favorite photo and scrapbooking layout. it just grabs my heart!!

everything is from Studio Calico

have a great day y'all! can't believe October is almost over and November is right around the corner!

oops! almost forgot...got this post idea from Stephanie Howell! she is another scrappy inspiration, mommy to all girls, birthday twinsie, lovely lady!! :)

happy birthday, little bean!!

 

this is Aja (pronounced like the continent "Asia")

we also call her "bean" or "little bean" because she is less than 10 lbs--i had babies bigger

than her!! ha!

she just turned 2.

she's a little sweetie.

we love her.

and although there was i time that i said I would NEVER have a dog...we have 2!

Aja being our 2nd! :)

so...never say NEVER!! ;)

geeking out...

ever since i discovered all things Apple i've pretty much
*geeked out* over everything they produce. not that i have or want
everything they make, it's just so dang cool.
i am a fan.
since diving into photography, all things digital, and my Apple products i've
also become the household IT guy gal. go figure...for whatever reason my
troubleshooting skills have my gang shouting, "Mom!", "Jen!!" whenever
something goes "wrong".
sometimes all i have to do is "show up" and it all gets better/fixed.
it's a mystery to even me.

so this new release of iOS5 for my iPhone certainly had me curious, anxious, giddy,
nervous...all in one.
--curious b/c hey, all things Apple are designed to pique one curiosity, yes?
--anxious b/c i want all those nifty new functions that will make my life
streamlined and FUN!
--anxious b/c within the past 2 months my old 3GS *crashed* and my new 4 suddenly
went down the tubes as recently as this past Sunday. so, yes, i was a little worried that my
phone would be sacrificed in this new download.
giddy...it's Apple...no explanation needed, right? thought so...i mean, all of the cool functions
has this fan girl ready! haha!

the only downside to this is that my OS on my computer is still running Leopard.
what does this mean?
*can't access all of the iCloud functions
*must upgrade to SnowLeopard THEN Lion before all is said and done.
this=pain in the @#%^&%$*!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
enough about that.

right now, i am thoroughly enjoying FALL. BIG TIME.
it's the color. the boots. scarves. jeans. sweaters. the layering.
pumpkin scones. pictures. soups.everything. i am drinking it in.

...because i know, once winter comes and the days become dark and grey...
i will look outside, feel like i live in a snow globe and begin longing for

the renewal of Spring.

maybe this should have been 2 separate posts...i don't know.
but it's where i am at and i am goin' with it. :)

Happy Fall y'all!!

love and fall

This past weekend our family had the opportunity to get some pictures taken
by someone other than me! It was awesome and weird all in one...
Awesome b/c most of the time I feel like a sweating pig by the time we are finished...
like, running to the camera to set things up then going back to actually
get in the photo (at least the ones that require all 5 of us being present). I got to kinda relax this time! :)

It was weird for me b/c:
--I wasn't the one in control
--I didn't get to cull through the images right away
--I had to wait....
Impatient much? haha! ;)

I am completely confident that my fellow photographer friend Chesney will do an outstanding,
amazing, jaw-dropping job!!! I mean, just go check her stuff out! A.MA.ZING!!!
However...I did bring my camera along to snap a few photographs while we waited and try
some poses out.

Here is one with all 3 of my girls! Goofy. Serious. and Goofy 2!!

And then there is this one...sigh...

Looking at these just affirms how much I miss having her around everyday.
Another reason I love photography. I might not have her right here with me, but I have
these images right here with me. Next best thing, right?

So, now I wait....for Chesney's pictures...


Thinking I am in need of going on a Fall photo walk soon. The color in the trees right now are
pretty much at their peek. I don't want to miss out capturing some of it!!

sketch challenge

this sunday sketch challenge from Studio Calico and Tina Aszmus intrigued me.
i will admit right here that i am NOT a fan of sketches!! i know, i know...
but i am OK with it. i just feel boxed in and consider myself more of a "freestyle"
scrapbooker. but because i am a LOVER, admirer, DROOLER of Tina's work,
i took the plunge. BUT not without doing it my way, totally different...digital.
all digital elements are from paislee press collections.

sketch and Tina's layout of her cute little man :)

 my take done totally digital:

i flipped it around. used digital washi tapes. used digital stitching elements. voila!
cool that i challenged myself creatively and ended up with a layout that i love to document a
very special occasion.

LOVE

quick digital layout...
inspired by the LOVE sculpture.