Wednesday, August 31, 2011

OLW Blog Hop!

Hello Fellow OLW peeps! This post will be short today as I am writing it the night before the blog hop and I am super tired. My lil boy, who is soon to be 8 months old is still not sleeping through the night and now is teething to boot. He and his soon to be 3 year old sister are totally keeping me ACTIVE which is my word for the year. I feel like I am go go going, yet have no energy!

This month I finished July’s prompt of “make a playlist”. I knew from prior searches that I wasn’t going to find my actual word in a song. (I tried in the first month of the class) So I chose songs that really resonate with me right now. The artists are all very different as well as the songs....but it somehow works. :)

My playlist is….

“Here We Go” by the Fresh Beat Band

“The Kill” by 30 Seconds to Mars

“Knuckle Down” by Ani Difranco

“Within a Mile of Home” by Flogging Molly

“Closer to the Edge” by 30 Seconds to Mars

“Breathe Me” by Sia

“True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper

“Til We Die” by Slipknot

“32 Flavors” by Ani Difranco

When I was putting this together, I ran out of “s” in a certain color…hence missing an “s” on “bliss”. Lol I hope you and your word are growing together this year.




Lynn is next on the hop! If you get lost along the way, here is a list!
Chrissy


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Week in the Life ~ finished project!

Well...I've been done with this for a while now but I wan't able to get good photos of my project so I made a video. Then I had to figure out how to post a video....then my video was too large for blogger...then I uploaded to youtube.com....then a friend taught me all about embeding the code. Word up. WOW! Alas...here it is!


I love this project and I'm sure I will do it again. This has inspired me to also attempt Project Life which is similar to this but for an entire year. It isn't as in depth, more of an overview but it's a similar format with the page protectors. Ali is doing project life this year, if you want to check it out, go here.

Thanks for stopping by!
Peace and Love
Chrissy

Friday, August 12, 2011

Week In The Life ~ Step 3

After I chose my 7 favorites to enlarge, I had to move onto the smaller photos. I had a ton of photos to sort through because sometimes I had to take 10 photos to get one good one. So my next step started with going through the photos day by day and deleting the blurry and really bad photos that I would never use. After that it was still a lot of photos so for my overwhelmed mind, I worked 4 photos at a time. My inspiration for this came from Ali's post about bringing the photos together. In this she shows how to crop/resize and drag 4 lil photos to one 5x7, in order to save on printing costs. I print at home with my Epson R1900 and eventually ran out of ink and 5x7 paper. HEEHEE. I just got my ink yesterday, so I then put the lil photos on 8.5x11 photo paper, which worked out just as well. Below are the different page protectors I will be working with and some of the photos I have printed. I really lucked out and for each of my family, I was able to make a photo booth type strip...they are super funny. Those are printed on 8.5x11 and the photos are roughly 3x3. (some are a lil smaller to fit in the 11inch height) I'm going to trim them to the same width and cut a regular 8.5x11 page protector to fit, then sew the page protector to hold the strips in. I can't wait to start cutting up these photos! Only 2 more days to print!

Ali is done with her book already and you can check it out here. I'm really enjoying this project so much and I hope you are too!
Chrissy

Monday, August 8, 2011

Week In The Life ~ Step 2

For Step 2, I decided to pick out my favorite 7 photos and print them in either 8 x 10 or 8.5 x 11. Since this is an 8.5 x 11 book, I tried to find some vertical shots. The 3 that I liked that were horizontal, I printed in 8 x 10 and knew I could crop them to fit width wise. On one of the days, I had two shots I really like so one will go in front and one on the back of the page protector.


I wanted to create a simple layout I could use on all 7 pages that will open each day. I used 7 different border punches by various brands, Provence Capital Letter by Technique Tuesday (retired), A Date with Ali by Ali and Technique Tuesday, Echo Park Paper, and Birthstone brads (November).

I'm loving how everything is turning out! I'll be working on more today...step 3 will either include working on the smaller photos or the journaling. Go get crafty!
Chrissy

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Week In The Life ~ Step 1

When I looked through my hundreds of photos and high stack of receipts/tags/napkins/stuff of everyday life, I was a bit over whelmed at the thought of putting this project together. Since Photoshop and I don't get along, I decided to start with the "stuff" since I don't need to edit that. :D I cleared off a long fold out table and laid out my page protectors and put sticky notes above them with the days listed. I reviewed my PDF printouts (thank you so much Ali) and started putting items with the appropriate days. My "stuff" includes lots of clippings, receipts, tags, art by Audrey, napkins, and bottle caps.

It is very neat to see the project starting to come together and I haven't even added photos yet. I ordered a variety of page protectors and my album from http://www.scrapbook.com/. I was a bit disappointed with the album color because online it looks more of a bright yellow but in person it is actually a yellow/orange...a bit dingy looking compared to what I had envisioned but I'm going to make it work. My archival pen seems to be leaking all over me when I write so I will need to go pick up a new one today.

My next step is going to be printing out 7 enlarged photos, one for each day. Then I will open the dreaded PSE and start making collages and trying to work with the overlays.
Happy Crafting!
Chrissy

Week In The Life ~ all about day 7

I am working on putting together my Week in the Life album and realized I didn’t post anything about day 7! Sunday 7/31, might have been one of my favorite days in this project. I know I didn’t get all the photos I wanted but the memories that I recorded on paper are both amazing and hilarious at the same time.

Observations ~ Audrey is a “daddy’s girl” and Dominic is a “momma’s boy”. We talk about poop way too much in this house. (Dominic’s issues and Audrey’s slow potty training)

Gratitude ~ This was one of those days where humor was greatly welcomed. Nick and I have a sarcastic nature and sometimes our banter can get annoying or too much, but TODAY we were on a roll. Making each other laugh and laugh. It was awesome.

Overheard ~ There were so many things I wanted to write down today, so much that I started texting Nick the things he was saying and he told me that “we should just record our conversations today”. Nick said “I now know what stars feel like with the Paparatzi.” At one point Audrey handed him his belt and he put it on, she said “good job” and he said “That’s right, you don’t like boys who sag their pants.” Lol There is another funny one, but might be TMI. So I’ll save that one for the book. J I was talking to the baby and I said “hey handsome” and Audrey looked at Dominic and repeated me, “he hansome”. So cute.

Favorite Moment ~ I have a few for this day. I was tickling Dominic to get him to laugh his awesome laugh and Audrey joined in. She kept trying and trying to tickle him just right. I love that she is so into playing with him. The next favorite moment involves me and a stranger. I went to Best Buy looking for an ipod dock and the sales associate that was helping me was a teenager complete with lil zits. He was turning the music up on a few, then we got to one with a sub-woofer and he found a song on the radio with a good beat. We looked at each other and started bopping our heads, then before we knew it, we were dancing in the aisle with the woofer bumping. Great moment.

A few favorite photos of the day...

Sunrise in the trees.

New sunglasses rule.

Greek food is my favorite.

Nick and Audrey "clicking".

Audrey playing outside before it stormed.

Hope your project is coming along well. I plan to be working on it a lot today! Can't wait to see how it comes together.
Chrissy

Sunday, July 31, 2011

One Little Word Blog Hop (August 1st)

Hello fellow OLW peeps! It has been a few months since I’ve played along on the hop. I fell a bit behind on the prompts but I did keep up with my word ~ ACTIVE. We have been making changes around the house which include eating healthier and getting ACTIVE. Even when we are super tired because our 6 month old is still not sleeping through the night, we are making the attempts to do things. ACTIVE isn’t only about eating and exercise for me, it encompasses all things. I am being more ACTIVE with my creativity and reading more, which is really nourishing me. My husband and I are going out on more date nights and we are also talking about future plans to move out of Arizona to a place where we both will be happy. All this ACTIVITY is amazing. These are a few photos of how my book is coming along. I really enjoyed June’s prompt! I’m still working on July’s but music is a joy for me so it will be done soon.




I hope your word is still thriving in your life. If you are here randomly please check out Ali’s class at Big Picture Classes and you are more than welcome to come along on our hop. Thank you Margie for organizing this. Check out the list below for more inspiration. Jan is next on the hop!

Chrissy

Here is the list of the hop...Enjoy!

Week In The Life ~ all about day 6

Oh Saturday, what fun you were! We went to breakfast at The Good Egg, the kids and I went shopping with Kris and then the family finished the day at Maghen and Kim's new place. Awesome day. I did realize that I missed out on some photos when I looked at what I wrote down for the day but I'm glad I have the stories in the end.

Deets for the day.

Observations ~ Audrey LOVES shoe shopping. Dominic LOVES to flirt with women.

Gratitude ~ I am grateful for the friends that I have. Today I spent the morning with Kris, shopping and talking about our kids while getting some good laughing in. The family then spent the last part of the day with Mag and Kim whom we haven’t seen in a while. We enjoyed see their new house and they enjoyed catching up with the kids. Mag and I talked art and future prospects.

Overheard ~ Audrey doing her best fake laugh throughout the store while I was trying to shop for clothes for her, turning down everything in the store with, “hahahahahahahaha no no”. Finally getting super excited when she saw a pair of shoes that she now owns.

Favorite Moment ~ Audrey being silly at our friends pool. Getting onto the first pool step from the water and bending over, watching all the water cascade down her butt through her legs and into the water. Then almost falling over laughing because we couldn’t stop giggling at her. It’s hard to explain but the picture below will help.









One more day for this adventure. LOVE IT!

Chrissy

Week In The Life ~ all about day 5

This project really does get better, day by day. The multitude of photos and stories make my heart happy. Fridays are usually always good days ~ the end of the work week for Nick ~ the beginning of the weekend brings me some relief with the kids and the renewal of sleep is always a perk. Here are the deets of Friday.

Observations ~ I really dislike Arizona summers and my kids sweat as much as I do in the heat. Dominic needs a baby icepack wrapped in a burp cloth put into his car seat to stay cool. Nick and I are saying the same things to Audrey at the same time ~ total parents. Nick and I love photography. Skye loves toes, anyones toes. I caught her licking Dominic’s toes today and he was just looking at her with the craziest face.

Gratitude ~ In my realization recently about how much I really love photography, I am thankful for my father’s love for it. I grew up watching him take photos. I always wanted to see the developed pictures that he took…to see what he saw through his lens. I enjoyed watching him in action. The last time we spoke on the phone, he had looked through my album on facebook and we spoke for a long time about photography. He said that he was talking to my mother about the photos and wondered if I got that from him. He sounded proud. Of course I got that from you Dad.

Overheard ~ “Sponge Bob Square Pants, are you ok?” Audrey (In the background, Nick laughing at whatever happened to Sponge Bob) “Sit Skye sit. Good boy.” (Audrey) “Skye is a girl Audrey.” (me) “Good boy Chazz.” (Audrey) "Yes, Chazz is a boy." (me) Lol

Favorite Moment ~ Audrey naming everything that came out of the cart during checkout at Bed Bath and Beyond and the cashier talking about how cute she is. Also Audrey saying “OOOOO, yumma Mommy.” At my scrambled eggs and cheese I made for us for lunch.

Photo highlights of the day...






The week is quickly coming to a close and I can't wait to start putting this project together next week. Remember, you can share your days on Ali's blog and also check out others around the world who are participating in this journey.
Chrissy

Friday, July 29, 2011

Week In The Life ~ all about day 4

Thursday proved to be rough also…Dominic is really teething hardcore and fussed a lot today and Audrey had so much energy, it was hard to keep her entertained/busy while trying to tend to Dominic. I think this project is helping me get through these rough days and look for the positive in the mound of crap. J

Observations ~ Dominic is always super happy after he eats. Smiley, Wiggley, Bouncey, Happy. Audrey loves to smell flowers, plants, well everything now that she learned that word and what it means. She says things smell either yummy or yucka.

Gratitude ~ After a long long long day, both kids napped at the same time. The hour of silence was therapeutic.

Overheard ~ “You really are good at what you do.” (Nick talking to me about my attempts at memory keeping through scrapbooking and photography.)

Favorite Moment ~ Audrey asking me to go night night and wanting me to help her with her bedtime routine. (Daddy puts her to bed every night.)

Here are some favorite photos of the day.






Everyday I love this project more and more. If you haven't tried it out yet ~ DO IT!

Chrissy

Week In The Life ~ all about day 3

Wednesday was a bit trying. Dominic woke up at 3 am and wanted to eat, luckily he went back to sleep rather quickly but I had a hard time falling asleep so when he got back up around 5 am, Nick took care of him. This paved the way for a grumpy day.

I noticed I wrote down a little less that day (which is ok) probably because I was having a rough day. I am also realizing that I need, well maybe want is a more accurate word, a better camera. In doing this awesome project and trying to capture little everyday moments (which occur in the house), my camera just isn’t cutting it. We have sky lights which makes everything look washed out at times and when I use a flash, it just makes colors look un-natural and blasts light onto people. So I’m dreaming of a “big girl” camera. I did manage to make sure Nick and I were in more photos...this was challenging but worth it.

Observations ~Interrupted sleep has a negative effect on my mood.

Gratitude ~I am truly grateful for all the work Nick does to provide for our family, which allows me to stay at home with the kids. Even on the tough days, I know I would miss them dearly if I were working.

Overheard ~Audrey’s voice. “Jump Dom Jump!”, “Hey Dominic”, “Doooominiiiic, where are you?”, “Where’s the baby?”, “Where’s the doggie?”, “Where’s Jessie?”, “Where’s Buzz?”, “No, no, no” (complete with hand gesture), “Mommy, come here…come on! Yogurt! Oh Yumma.”

Favorite Moment~Both times Dominic woke up from a nap, Audrey wanted to “go get baby” and then she wanted to get into the crib with him to play. I love that she is really enjoying having a brother.

Here are some favorite photos of the day.






I hope you are enjoying capturing your week. Remember to check out the chick who came up with this project, the amazing Ali.

Chrissy

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Week In The Life ~ all about day 2

Yesterday was a whole lot of fun, thanks to Week in the Life. I had my camera attached to me all day and made sure I was writing on my daily log. Looking through the photos, I can't help but smile. I need to do this project more often so I record the little daily happenings that would normally go undocumented. I did notice that Nick and I aren't in a lot of the photos, I'm going to work on that before the week is out. Also, some of the photos I chose to share aren't the best quality but that is OK because they captured the moments I want to remember.

Gratitude ~

I am thankful for my family. People say this all the time when they speak of their family but noticing all the small things of the day has really made me think about how much I love them and am thankful that they exist.

Observations ~

Audrey really loves to be creative. She really loves to paint with watercolors, acrylics, and finger paints. She also NEEDS to go “bye bye” at least once a day or she gets cranky.

Dominic loves to interact with everyone in the family. He wants to touch, talk and be involved. When he isn’t, that is when he is the loudest. Obviously trying to get our attention.


Overheard ~

Dominic giggling with Audrey as she danced around the living room with Buzz and Jessie. Audrey singing to eentsy weentsy spider and Old Mc Donald had a farm (only when I wasn’t looking at her).

Daddy reading to Audrey @ bedtime. She always sounds so happy when Daddy is off of work and can play with her and he always puts her to bed with a story.

Favorite Moment ~

There are two today! Getting crafty with Audrey is one of them. She loves to sit next to me when I’m scraping or painting and today we painted together. This is when she said Orange for the first time. Orange is my favorite color! It was so amazing to watch her create.

When Audrey was going to bed I said I love you (like I do every night, usually without a response)…and very quietly she said “love you” as she was walking down the hall to her room! Melted my heart. I know she understands what it means because she will give me a kiss after I say it but she NEVER says it back...until today.

This amazing adventure is only 3 days in but you can play along anytime. For the details, visit Ali and learn all about her awesome project.

Chrissy

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Week In The Life 7/25 - 7/31

I am capturing a week in our lives thanks to Ali Edward’s project. Learn more about it here and also view the free PDF materials here. You can play along and share your stories daily on Ali’s blog and also at Big Picture Classes in a FREE community.

This is the first year that I am playing along. I usually feel like I don’t have the time or energy to commit to a project like this. (Taking photos all day and documenting the little things) What’s changed? Nothing. J Life is chaotic right now but I am making changes in my life that include taking care of me, as well as the kids and hubby. This project is only one day in and it is already bringing me so much joy, which is what I need.

Here are some highlights from Monday 7/25.

Observations- Dominic is the sweetest baby boy. At 4am he greets me with a smile and his little hand grazes my face. He no longer cries just to cry. The poor boy is teething and having a rough time with it…he is clearly in pain and it’s rough to see him like this.

Overheard – Audrey is talking all of our ears off, even the dog’s ears. Today she “read” the Target ad to Dominic, telling him about the yummas, colors and horses.

Favorite Moment – Our (mine and Nick’s) favorite moment was when Audrey swam for the first time without us holding her. She was so excited and wanted to do it again and again, saying “SIM SIM”! She even started jumping into our arms. Awesome job Audrey.

Gratitude – I am so thankful for our pool. It is over 100 degrees (which is normal for AZ) with humidity (not normal). We had such a fun time today, playing in the pool.

I found that I have no problem taking a load of photos and the PDF sheets have really helped me document things. Thank you Ali for creating this project!
Play along this week or any other week. Capture the little things in life and ENJOY it.
Chrissy

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Whats On Your Work Desk Wednesday ~ SMASH!

Oh fellow WOYWWers. I was so sad last week when I missed out on the PIF. I didn't get a chance to finish mine because the whole house was sick with a nasty stomach bug, even the lil guy got sick. It was a real bummer. With that said, I can't wait to see what everyone made and exchanged! Kudos and Happy late Anniversary to the lovely Mz. Dunnit. Please be sure to drop by and see what all this fuss is about, remember to get your snoop on!

This week I am working on making a Smash book. Last week I had no idea what a Smash book was. Then a friend shared a link on facebook and I was hooked! Problem is, it is a newer product and is sold out everywhere! Well, I wanted one for my trip next week (more on that later) so I decided to make my own. First you need to check out my new paper trimmer! Holy moly! I got it at Costco, it has a sliding blade which you can interchange the blades with border blades and a super chopper blade (on the right), it also has a bunch of helpful measurements, AND it separates to make the sliding blade portable! Oh yes. :) PS. Both blades lock into place, which is awesome since I have a little one roaming around the craft area sometimes.


Ok. First step was going through my HUGE stash of paper. I went with a polka-dot themed book, since they are my fav! I cut all the papers to 7.25 x9.75. Some of the papers were double sided and some were not so the next step I rearranged the papers so the colors flowed and glued some together or put in a neutral page. It turned out awesome. Once I bind the book I will do a video to show you.


Next I cut the chipboard cover 7.75 x 10.25 (this is the size of the Smash books for sale) with my T!m Holtz super scissors. Now I am decorating potential covers. I wanted to keep it flat since this book is suppose to travel with you (I don't want embellishments falling off), so I am stamping and putting some glitz on to see which I like best.

Once this is done, I am going to bind it using the Cinch. I'll post a pic when I finish it or a video of the whole thing. :)

Next Wednesday I'll be on a plane heading for Portland, Oregon! I can't wait! I'm going to see my best friend for a few days, then I'm off to the coast for a crafty retreat in Gearhart, Oregon. Oh yea! The lodge we are staying at is on the beach and we will be painting, photographing and creating magic. I am so excited.
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by.
Chrissy

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Whats On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Week 103! Only one more week til the big 2 yr anni over at Mrz. Dunnit's brain child and the PIF. Now one may ask, have I started my PIF yet? Nope. EEK! I will, I swear I will! After a bit of organizing, my mojo hit so I actually scrapbooked a few pages! Wow, I know right! Not a card, not a frame, not a letter (oh wait I did that too), but an actual PAGE! In fact, every time I took a picture of my desk (thinking I wouldn't finish what I was working on), I had the time and the mojo to complete all my WIPs. I know, it's staggering info. So this week I'll share with you a little of this and a little of that. :) LO's, organizing and my lil girls desk.

First up is Audrey's desk. She is really into colored pencils right now and pretending to cut paper like her Momma does! So cute.


Now, here is one side of my craft room. I moved all the white shelves so they are together and painted some of those spice shelves from IKEA white and hung them. Looks very nice together. The "embellishment center" is more a ribbon center now. heeehee. And the buttons look lovely in the jars. The other jars are all my random metal letters and embellishments.


This is the first layout, "Hello Beautiful" 12x12. Audrey looks absolutely beautiful in this photo. It was taken at a local park by a friend of mine. I had a lot of fun making this just a "pretty" LO. Supplies include: Paper ~ My Minds Eye, Pearls, Flower trim ~ Plum, Bazzill Buttons ~ Modern Petunia, Distress Ink ~ Milled Lavender, Stamps from Technique Tuesday ~ Kids are cool by Ali Edwards.


My second layout, "The Perfect Mix" is 8 1/2 x 11. This started as a 12 x 12 but just fit better this way. I love this photo of Audrey playing in the dirt while wearing the pink dress she picked out earlier that day. Supplies include: Paper ~ K & Company, lace heart cardstock, ribbon, tags with Distress Ink Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain, stamps from Technique Tuesday ~ Real Life and Kids are Cool both by Ali Edwards.



Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment, I do love them...or even click on "follow", sometimes it's ok to be a follower! I will try to visit as many peeps as I can throughout the day.
Much love,
Chrissy