My Polka Dot Blogspot

Dec. Daily pages {13}

2011-12-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

Since we couldn't take many pictures of this event. I added a screen shot of the video we recorded.

I put the program from her recital on the left side.

Dec. Daily pages {9 & 10}

2011-12-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

I used the baseball card pockets like Ali does and cute them off. I put 9 little stars into the pockets and then just sewed across the top of each pocket to keep secure. The 9 coaster is from the Studio Calico kit.

Dec. Daily {Day 6}

2011-12-10T07:58:00.001-08:00

Dec. Daily Day 6. I used the same chipboard star that I used on the cover for this one. I traced it on red card stock and then just used a craft knife to cut it out. I stitched around the star on my sewing machine. The little clear acrylic star, you can barely see, is old Heidi Swapp product. These two girls have so much fun together!

Christmas Card Display

2011-12-09T10:24:00.001-08:00

Here is the Christmas card display I made last year after the holidays. It is a large embroidery hoop I got at JoAnn's. I left both pieces tightened together and painted them white. The brackets that hold the frames tight are actually hiding behind the cards I have clipped to the top of the display. I painted a bunch of clothes pins white and then used a glue gun to glue them to the frame. The number of clothes pins you use depends on the number of cards you want to display and the size of your embroidery hoop. I spread mine out and display a couple cards in each clip. After Christmas I take out the holiday cards and clip little felt hearts in it and it instantly transforms into the next holiday!

Here it is on the wall in this little nook we have in our house.

Don't mind Bella, our scout elf, riding a reindeer today ;)

Dec. Daily { 5 & 8 }

2011-12-08T14:39:00.001-08:00

I will be coming back to days 6 and 7 later. Sometimes due to printing pictures, the days will be posted out of order. While we are on the topic of days; I do love Ali's digital templates (the red outlines printed on the white paper that I use for backgrounds.) However, I am not actually following the correct day of the week with exactly when each even happened. I am simply documenting 25 stories over the holidays. Sometimes 2 things happen in the same day, or I like to work ahead when I have more scrapping time, etc... basically, you don't fit your life into a scrapbook, you scrapbook your life :)

One larger photo with words typed directly on photo using photoshop. It is a little hard to photograph, but the L stamp is Tech Tuesday stamp embossed onto red cardstock.

Just slipped our 2 sided Christmas card into the pocket on the left side.

Dec. Daily {pages 3 & 4}

2011-12-04T11:47:00.001-08:00

Here are Days 3 and 4

Dec. Daily Pages {1 & 2}

2011-12-04T11:18:00.001-08:00

Here are the 1st 2 days of my Dec. Daily album.

December Daily {Cover}

2011-12-04T09:32:00.001-08:00

This is the cover to my December Daily album. This project is the concept of Ali Edwards. I purchased a kit of supplies to get started and then use the rest of my stash to fill in. The binder comes black and everyone designs their own cover. Here is how I designed mine. I painted the whole thing with acrylic paint, then I traces a chipboard star, from an old Jenni Bowlin Kit, and painted inside each start with pearl ivory paint. I painted a chipboard star with the acrylic paint, added the words and number and them used clear embossing powder over the whole star to seal it and give it a glossy finish. I still have plans to spray the entire album with a clear spray coat to protect it from dirty little fingers.

Canvas State Blocks

2011-12-02T23:18:00.001-08:00

I made these blocks on canvas for our gallery wall. They represent the 3 states we have called home. I had a friend who noticed they are the 3 states we were all born in. Even more meaning that I had intended! I bought the blocks at Michael's and painted them. I downloaded the the 3 states to my Silhouette machine and cut out a template on card-stock. Next, I traced my card-stock patterns onto thin balsa wood and then carefully cut the states out of the balsa wood. I painted the states the same color and the canvas and glued them in place. The little hearts are just hand painted and then covered with glossy accents for a little pop.

I LOVE that this is my original artwork, that it has meaning, and adds a different dimension to our little gallery.

Gallery Wall

2011-12-02T23:05:00.001-08:00

I had posted my temporary gallery wall in an earlier post. Now that the house is finally painted, I planned out my new gallery wall. This wall is on the landing of our staircase and it goes from the landing up the the top of the second floor. We had it painted a dark gray color to make the photos stand out more on the background. I intend to continually add, change, and edit the wall as our family evolves. It represents us and the story of our lives together. There are photos, baby outfits, and other momentos that are all about us.

Advent Calendar

2011-12-02T22:54:00.001-08:00

We will be counting down to Christmas this year with a new Advent calendar I made using my Silhouette cutting machine. It comes as a plain wooden box and the digital cutting files to cut out all of the drawers or boxes using the cutting machine. I cut out all of the boxes from Lily Bee Designs, Jingle paper and then decorated them with scrapbook supplies from my stash.

I filled some of the boxes with chocolates, some boxes with small treasures, and some boxes and little cards with family activities listed on them. Things like, go visit Santa at the mall, watch a Christmas movie, make hot chocolate, etc...

We look forward to this advent calendar being a new family tradition that will bring us lots of enjoyment and happy memories.

More Amy Butler Fabric projects

2011-03-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

Remember the dress I made for Gracie with this fabric from the Amy Butler Lotus line. I ordered a lot of this fabric and next on the list, a tiny reversible tie for Owen to wear to his cousin's christening. I found a tie pattern on Etsy here.

The last project with this fabric (for now) was an Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag. It works great for the days that I need a little bit more space than just my regular diaper bag. This bag looks simple, but it really has a lot of details and extras in it, including 3 pockets. If you want a quick and easy fabric bag pattern, this is not it. This one is not difficult, just has a lot of steps, interfacing, and fusible fleece on the lining. Now that I have it finished I love how durable it is! But, I won't be turning these out just for fun anytime soon!

Valentines

2011-02-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

This was the first year Gracie needed Valentines for her preschool class. She loved sharing and receiving Valentines from her friends. I bought the red shovels on ebay and made the little tag with photoshop. I got the idea from my friend Julie who shared this great blog with me!

This was Owen's Valentine this year.

Shadow Boxes

2011-01-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

I like to fill the walls with photos of my kids. But, one other little thing I did shortly after Owen outgrew his outfit, is make these little shadow boxes to display their first outfits they wore home from the hospital. I love the fact that every single time I walk up the stairs I am reminded by how tiny they once were. It somehow helps me remember to cherish every moment. Even if I'm dragging an over-tired toddler in temper-tantrum mode up the stairs!

I got these shadow boxes at Michael's. They already have a neutral canvas on the back that I just left the same. They even came with the pins to stick the clothes on with. The doors swing open without removing them from the wall if I decide I want to switch the contents. I like them so much I even added one with Gracie's little red shoes.

This wall is on the landing in my staircase. It is a work in progress since it still needs to be painted. Once it is painted I'll rearrange everything, but it was a good time to try out hanging things here since I'm not worried about making more holes in the wall.

Christmas Card

2011-01-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

With 2 kids, illness, and travel things got a little crazy just before Christmas and I never got to get our Christmas card for this year posted. I make all of my own cards digitally using Photoshop Elements and I take the pictures myself (hence the reason you never see me in the picture). I order postcards here and envelopes to match from here. It is so fun to see how our lives change year to year. I keep a scrapbook just of the Christmas cards we mail out each year so I can flip back and remember each time in our lives. This year, we added a new member to our family! Taking pictures of 2 kids is way harder than just 1 and I can't even imagine what it is like for those with more than 2.

I have a running theme of using a phrase from a Christmas song as the title for our card, but I doubt that will last much longer.

Here is a look back at our last 4 Christmas cards:

2010

2009

front:

back

2008

2007

LOVE this dress!

2011-01-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

I got a new sewing machine for Christmas and was looking for a new project to break it in. I LOVED this dress pattern I got here on Etsy because it has the sweetest back. The straps go through button holes on the back and tie to make the sweetest bow! I also love this Lotus line by Amy Butler and couldn't resist making a dress for Gracie exactly like the one in the example. My model is taking a nap, so you get the dress by itself. This dress was so easy I think Gracie will have several more before summer gets here!

Hooded Towels

2011-01-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

I invited some moms over for a crafty night and we made these hooded towels. Well, I finished half of one and stayed up way too late chatting for the rest of the evening, but I got right to work the next day and finished the rest. These make great gifts for kids of a variety of ages because you make them using regular sized bath towels. Just a strip of fabric and piping to trim the sides and the hood is a rectangle that you cut a curve by tracing a plate. I happen to like them even better than the Pottery Barn Kids version. Now that I gave these all away as gifts, I just have to find some time to make a few for my own kids!

Little Guy

2010-12-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

This is my first official BOY page! I don't scrap in chronological order as you can see. This is Owen's 4 month page, but I am officially on my way to filling up his 1st year scrapbook.

This is a kit Rough and Tough from Fancy Pants Designs. The twine is "peapod" from The Twinery Layout from Jana Eubank.

Laundry Room Makeover

2010-12-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

This project was from September, but I just now got around to taking pictures of the finished product including my sewing projects of the bench cover and the basket liners. Our laundry room is VERY small and had no cabinets or any storage, so I wanted to find a way to make the most out of every single square foot of it. Now, it functions great for our family and keeps all of our essential within reach, but out of sight!

Before:

After:

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Gracie helped me decorate the table for Thanksgiving. She decorated our place cards with crayons and felt stickers I found in the dollar bin at Michael's.

Halloween Party

2010-12-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

We had a Halloween play date with our friends. Since my 4 month-old didn't want to sleep much this month, I didn't get to make many things for the party. It ended up being a mostly store bought party. I did find one easy idea somewhere online for these cute Jello treats. Just get regular Jello cups and peel off the lid. I got the eyeballs at Target. They were a huge hit with a dozen toddlers!

Halloween Card 2010

2010-12-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Here is our Halloween Card for 2010
I got the little feet from JWIllustrations on etsy.

October

2010-12-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

Once again I've been busying making things, just haven't had the chance to get them posted here so I'll go way back to October and see if I can get caught up.

First up, you have to see how cute my niece is in her little Halloween outfit.

Trick or Treat

2010-09-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

A cute little treat for my niece.

TV Cover?

2010-09-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

My parents called with a request for a TV cover. A TV cover you ask? Yep, they want to watch TV on their patio, so they needed a cover to protect the TV when they aren't using it. Luckily, I had some outdoor fabric left from when I sewed replacement cushions for our chairs so all I needed was something soft for the inside. I could make a tutorial on how to create your very own TV cover, but I can't imagine anyone else would ever have a need for a TV cover :)!

Take That PBK

2010-09-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

So, it is no secret that I LOVE Pottery Barn Kids (PBK). I just don't love their prices. So, I pick and choose which things I can find similar to PBK that aren't quite as expensive, but still give me the same look. Last summer they had a large canvas art butterfly to hang in a little girl's room. I think it was around $200. A canvas with paper glued to it does not cost $200. I went to Michael's used my 50% off coupon to buy a large white canvas. Then, I went home and rummaged through my old scrapbook paper and found I already owned every color I needed. (big surprise right?) I cut out all of the tulip pieces, hand stitched them, and then used Modge Podge to glue them all to the canvas.

Large white canvas $30
Modge Podge $6.50
Foam brush $.50

Beating Pottery Barn Kids at their ridiculously high pricing game,
PRICELESS :)

Fire Evacuation

2010-09-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

On a Thursday in July, we had a VERY crazy experience. A wildfire started in the desert near Agua Dulce. I walked outside to play with Gracie and I saw some smoke in the distance over the mountain to the west of us. It was very far away, but I grabbed my camera to take some pictures of the smoke. As the evening went on and the sun started to set, the flames started to get closer and soon neighbors were gathering in their front yards discussing the potential of the fire getting too close for comfort. We started to worry a little, but still thought we would be OK. At about 8:30pm we decided we should play it safe and begin to collect some things in the event we needed to evacuate. With a 4 week-old infant and a toddler it might be difficult if we weren't prepared and we had heard a typical evacuation is only a 30 min. notice.
   Have you ever actually thought about what you would take if you had to leave your home? Surprisingly, I had. I already had all of our important paperwork collected in a file box for emergencies. I had neglected to document the items in my house for insurance purposes, so my husband began to walk through the house taking photographs and video of everything we own. I packed up the essentials for the kids first, then us. We piled everything by our front door so we could quickly load it in the Tahoe when it was necessary. In the middle of our packing a mandatory evacuation was placed, but we were just one residential block west of the line, so we still had time.
   Pete went to fill the car with gas so we could be ready to leave at any moment. The sound of fire engines were everywhere. The air was thickening with smoke and the mountain just west of us was bright orange with flames. We decided if we were going to leave we would just drive all the way to AZ and spend the weekend with family. We would have just left at that moment, but it was a Thursday evening and Pete was supposed to work the next day. We decided we would wait it out and not leave until we were under the mandatory evacuation. .
   When I got up the next morning, there were no additional evacuations. The fire was still not contained, but we could not longer see it on the mountain because it had burned all the way down the mountain and our view was blocked by homes and the thick smoke. It looked like a foggy day, only it was smoke with a orange/brown hue. Ash was falling from the sky like snowflakes and coated everything in little grey and white specks. The inside of the house smelled like my hair does after a campfire. Pete got up and went to work and I stayed at home with the kids, still ready to leave if I had to. We made a plan of action to determine a meeting place if I needed to leave.
   Throughout the day the officials decided it was going to be easiest to just fight the fire leaving residents in their homes. The traffic of everyone leaving was going to interfere with the fire trucks' progress. The fire burned within one-half mile of our home. They stopped the fire at the cinder-block fences of some people's backyards.
   We never did have to leave, but the experience taught us several things. One, you really do need to be prepared for an emergency or natural disaster, no matter what kind you live by. The second thing that surprised me was in the minute of take-it or leave-it I actually choose to leave most of it. It became VERY clear to me very quickly that the material possessions were not important.
   If you are still reading this, I'd be surprised if you are, I would ask that you take a minute and add to your to-do list for the weekend a few of those emergency preparations that you know you should do, but just never get around to them. Those stories you see on the news, they ARE happening to someone who never thought it would happen to them.

Crafty Again

2010-09-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Though I don't get a whole lot of sleep with a newborn and I have to decide in the evening if I want to craft or sleep (sleep usually wins), I'm slowly starting to work on a few projects. This was my slow start, a tag for a cute little bucket of sand toys for my niece. I used a coaster from the target dollar bins, and added stickers and a rub-on, so simple. I told you it was a slow start!

Meet Owen Thomas Lozano

2010-09-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Introducing our newest member of the family, Owen Thomas. Owen arrived 1 week late on June 22, 2010. He weighed 8lb. 9 oz, 21in.. He completes our family perfectly!

Here was Owen's birth announcement:

Time to catch up

2010-09-16T10:20:00.001-07:00

I realize it has been a long time since I posted last and the biggest reason for that is I have a new little man in my life. I also realized that there are a few blog reader who aren't facebook people or don't look at our babysite, so I'll post a few old things and get caught up. Now that a few months have passed I'm ready to be crafty again and will share a few things I've been crafting lately.

Stroller Striding Again!

2010-05-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Fresh air, exercise, socializing with moms, playing with my daughter, and making new friends are such a great combination! I have been a die hard Stroller Strides fan since Gracie was an infant and I was adjusting to my new identity as a stay-at-home mommy. I am sure that moving away from my daily routine of Stroller Strides was the hardest thing I had to leave behind in Ft. Worth. Now that we are in a new city, I was praying there would be another Stroller Strides group here too. But, there isn't so I even looked into starting one myself! I have decided that with another little one due in a few weeks I really just want to participate, not take on the whole franchise owner role for now.

I was so excited when I found a meetup group of mommies who do stroller workouts on their own! Gracie and I decided to join them today so we could meet some new friends and get out of the house. As I packed up the BOB, water, exercise bands, picnic blanket, I felt so happy to be participating in my familiar routine once again. It won't be the same as my beloved Ft. Worth Stroller Strides, but today's stoller workout did my heart good in more ways than one and gives me hope that this will be a great place for us to call home.
Good thing I got my double BOB waiting in the garage. I'll be out the door and ready to go pushing 2 in no time at all!

If you are a Mom that is looking for fresh air, exercise, playing with your child, and meeting other wonderful women, don't hesitate to look for a stroller fitness program in your area. I'm a little biased to my Stroller Strides, but there are lots of great programs out there that are basically the same thing. www.strollerstrides.com, or search for other groups near you at http://www.meetup.com/ You may just find it changes your life :-)

Cute Baby Bouquet

2010-05-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Cute blooms made from wash cloth, onesies, socks, spoons, etc..

I love a surprise package in the mail! Imagine my surprise when I opened this surpise gift. It made my day! Look at at this ADORABLE bouquet of flowers for baby! Crafty people love putting time and engergy into special gifts for other people, but the reality is they actually rarely get such cool thoughful handmade gifts in return. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this made by my dear friend Julie. I LOVE it because it is creative, I LOVE it because it is actually items I was going to have to purchase for baby this weekend, and I LOVE it because it is from Julie and miss crafting fun things with her.

Thanks Julie! This is too cute!

My 1st "Real" Mother's Day Gift!

2010-05-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

Gracie is almost 3, so of course I've received nice Mother's Day gifts before. But, any experienced Mom will understand why this is my 1st real Mother's Day Gift! It is so much better than any gift they sell in a store. Especially, when it comes with a description in a little voice that says, "I painted it for you, Mommy!"

I always knew my Mom appreciated the things I made for her, but I thought she probably liked store bought gifts better. Now, I know that I was wrong :-)

Thank you for the beautiful Mother's Day gift from my Amazing Grace!

Proud Auntie

2010-03-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

My husband is an only child, and I have just one younger sister, so this is my very first time being an auntie. I got to go visit my new niece in Northern California this weekend. Here is the cutie, miss Keira. I had a great time spoiling her and can't wait to see her again soon.

Me and Keira going out for lunch.

If you have an extra $150K+ just lying around, I recommend getting yourself one of these Tesla's. It is really not that much money when you think you never have to buy a tank of gas ;-). Thanks to my bother-in-law for the fun test drive and Keira got to see where her daddy works.

No Stretch Marks Yet

2010-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Gracie is too funny sometimes. When I was pregnant with her, I bought this large Costco-size tub of Cetaphil lotion to keep my belly moisturized and prevent stretch marks. They say it is hereditary, not lotions that determine if you get stretch marks, but I was lucky enough to avoid them the first time. So I've been diligently spreading on the cream every morning in hopes of avoiding them this time too. Well, Gracie decided she wanted some lotion too. She put some on her feet and then slathered it all over her belly. Too cute!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T13:19:00.001-08:00

Digital card made with Photoshop Elements.

Pen Tablet Class

2010-02-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

I am taking an online pen tablet class by Jessica Sprague. I am finding that I am not only learning how to use my pen tablet, but I'm also learning a ton of great tips and short cuts for Photoshop. Here is my first lesson completed. You will probably see a lot of digital stuff from me in the next couple months as I take this class. The title of this post is linked to the digital class info if you are interested. Enrollment for this class ends Feb. 3rd.

Team Blue!

2010-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

We found out this week that we are having a BOY! Everything looks great, we couldn't be happier!

Tutu Cute

2010-01-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

This pink, girly tutu is on its way to a dear friend on mine for her precious little Jolie. These are easy to make and little girls LOVE them! I often get asked how to make them, so I thought I'd post the tutorial I used when getting started. I have modified a few things now that I've made more of them, but the basics are still the same. If you click on the title of this post it will take you to the tutorial.

These sweet little onesies are even easier than the tutus. I found a couple rhinestone iron-ons at Michael's for $1 and added them to these plain white onesies. They literally take 30 seconds of ironing and they are done.

On the Move

2010-01-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

I'm using up more old pictures again. Actually, I have a stack of photos I printed a long time ago that I had planned on scrapping at one time and I'm just going through and picking a few to scrap during nap time.

I used BG Blitzen paper. I was glad I found another use for some old Christmas paper.
The page is also straight IRL. :-)

Don't laugh

2010-01-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

I finally did a little scrapbooking again. Just don't laugh when you see that I did 2008! I have all of my pictures ready to do 2009, but I forced myself to go back and finish 2008 first. Then I did another old one from Gracie's 1st birthday.

The Journey Begins

2010-01-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

...and so the journey begins. My journey of {Project Life} a project to take a photo every day for 365 days to document my life, our life, together in 2010. Of course we will not get a picture every single day, but some how in some way I will find a way to document the little things that make our life complete.

Christmas Card 2009

2010-01-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

Here is our Christmas card this year. I had a hard time fitting in a photo shoot between traveling and fall activites. The weather wasn't great and I had a whole 3 minutes of light poking through a completely gray sky. Too gray for great cloudy pictures. I was having trouble working in manual and felt my perfect shots drifting away so I reluctantly switched back to auto and took what I could. Good thing I did some in auto, because my others were useless. I love that this year's card captures where we are in our life at this moment enjoying the bigger more important moments of the holiday and less on the decorations, shopping, to dos. I guess we are having a "merry little Christmas!"

Front:

Back:

We Whisk you a Merry Christmas

2009-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

These seem to be popular on the craft sites this year. Here is my version of their Christmas Whisk. I made 10 of them for my Mom Bible study group at church. Definitely not my idea, I saw it on 2 peas and decided I needed at least 1 December craft! The tags are from old Fruitcake BG and I filled mine with soft peppermints.

edited to correct spelling

Not creative

2009-12-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been so creative lately, or good about posting. But, I have a really good excuse, I promise!

Baby #2 due date: June 15th, 2010

Little Pumpkin Baby Shower

2009-11-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

We had a baby shower for my sister on Friday night. Here are just a few quick pics of the details.

Toddler Projects

2009-10-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the Halloween projects we made this month. The Jack-o-lantern Grace painted orange and I cut it out for her, then she spread glue on it and I added the glitter to the glue. Next, I cut out the face and she glued them to the painting. I mounted it on scrapbook paper and a piece of foam board and hung it with a piece of orange ribbon. I hope to keep it for several years.

The haunted house was a kit Grace's Grandma gave us. Grace loved putting candy and squirting the icing all over!

Boo!

2009-10-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for October to arrive so I could decorate for Halloween. I made this super easy word decor using Basic Grey's new eerie line. I got the letters at JoAnn's. I painted the edges and sides with black paint, then adhered pattered paper, glittered the sides of the letters, and added a few embelishments from Basic Grey's line. The woolies (the felt shapes) were really fun to play with. Happy October!

Shoes

2009-09-29T19:54:00.001-07:00

This explains a lot about how I feel in my house these days. Three people live in this house and these live by the back door all too often.

Chucks for running, loafers for working, crocs for gardening, and flip flops for everything else.

Scrapping a few older photos

2009-09-18T09:22:00.001-07:00

I've been organizing my photos and decided to quickly scrap a few old photos so I can get them in albums rather than in photo boxes.

I also did this random Christmas LO for Gracie's book. Just old stuff from my stash.

This one was for a old scrappin' mamas challenge for a family tree. The PP on both of these is old Bohemia.

My new scrappin' buddy

2009-09-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

I had a great time scrapping yesterday while Gracie worked with her own "projects" on her little table. I relocated her play table to my scrap room just for the day to see if she would actually go for it. Well, between a combination of old scrap supplies, Sesame Street.com on the "puter" and noggin on TV, I got 3 LOs done! I hope someday we can scrap together!

A few new layouts

2009-09-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

I got a few layouts done while in the moutains in AZ in August. I always forget how hard it is to scrap away from home, when I don't fully plan ahead. However, it is also kind of a fun challenge to force myself to use what I have available at the time. These pages definitely have elements I would have done differently, but a few more in the book makes me happy enough!

Saying Goodbye to Diapers

2009-09-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Time to pack them up!!?!? I'm so proud of my big girl. But, is it wrong that this has me feeling just a little sad? I definitely appreciate having less laundry to do, and leaving behind the hassle of diapers, but it does make me think about how fast time goes by and wonder where my little baby went. These lovely diapers have served us well and will be in storage waiting for a new behind to cover some day. We waved goodbye to them today and will remember fondly the times we enjoyed together when Grace was "still in diapers."

Watermelon Party Details

2009-08-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Gracie had a great time at her birthday party. Here are a few of the party details for the crafty moms that read this. The watermelon theme came about after seeing Gymboree's watermelon line this summer. I think Gracie owns almost the entire line now. Everything is handmade.
You can see all of the snapshots from her birthday and video at her website www.gracelozano.com

Watermelon sugar cookies

Gracie's smash cake

red velvet cake with chocolate chips

birthday banner

party favors

watermelon carving

the birthday girl

Nap time scrapping

2009-08-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

I love it when I get to scrapbook during nap time. Yesterday, nap time was a nightmare since they were using a jackhammer to replace the sidewalk in front of our house. Today, I got 2 nap times! I used one to clean and the other to make this quick page. PP is old 7 gypsies.

Vacation Life

2009-07-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at our tiny, crowded little Target the other day and a family was in the dollar bin section buying up all of the goggles, beach balls, and sand toys. They were on vacation and stocking up for a fun day at the beach. Then it hit me. How cool is it, that these people are doing that last minute "Target trip" on vacation and this was just a regular errand for us? So, I decided to make a scrapbook page to document this thought. Though it comes with many sacrifices, "This is NOT our vacation, it's our life!

Gracie's Birthday invites

2009-07-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe in just about 1 short month Grace will be turning 2! But, that means I get to have fun making her birthday invitations. Her party is Watermelon themed this year, since watermelon is one of her favorite foods!

Here is the birthday photo shoot:

The outside of her card. It is a vertical tri-fold card, with a watermelon flap. The watermelon was my favorite thing to make. The red color is white cardstock with red glimmer mist. The seeds are black stickles with shiny green bazzill. I cut them out with my silhouette. They were so much fun to make.

The inside is photoshopped and printed as a photo and then glued inside the card.

I'm sure I'll have more fun birthday accessories to post soon.

The Traveling Pants

2009-07-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a little story that will make you smile and reassure you, that there are still kind, generous people in the world.

One morning, I was reading a favorite blog of a perfect stranger, and I saw a post with several questions, including, "Does anyone look good in Hudson jeans?" Not just any jeans, fabulous designer jeans! These are my absolute favorite jeans and they just so happened to be in my size. Katherine, a very talented photographer and mother of 4 beautiful children, wanted to give her jeans to someone who would LOVE them more than she was at the time.

A week later, a fantastic pair of Hudson's showed up at my door. I still can't believe her kindness. There is actually someone who would ship off such a treasure to a perfect stranger? Well, once you "meet" Katherine, this won't surprise you at all!

I promised a picture of me wearing these well-loved jeans and I scrapped my story of the "traveling pants". Someday, if I decide this denim just isn't being loved that way it should, I will pass them on and they will continue to travel! However, I love these jeans so much I'm going to be selfish and enjoy them for a long time!

Check out Katherine's blog http://katherinemariephotography.com/blog/ I think you will find her amazing photography, beautiful family, and homemade treats as inspiring as I do! Thanks for the traveling pants Katherine!

The red tag and boot cut embellishments are from the pair of Hudson jean's that I bought a while back.

Lime Rickey

2009-07-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here is my best attempt with some Lime Rickey, Basic Grey paper. Ugh...I so struggled with this one. I wanted to use yellow..., and busy pictures..., and bright paper.., and I just couldn't give in on any of them, so I got a page where everything competes on the page. Oh well, knowing where you went wrong is half the battle right? The good news, I just ordered a bunch of pictures, so a creative comeback is in the works! Including an interesting story about some traveling pants... stay tuned :-)

My Graduate

2009-07-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail today! Yes, I am going to completely brag on him. DH is now a "Master of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering" We have spent the last 2.5 years of our lives sacrificing so he could work full time and go to school full time for his Master's degree. We had a baby in the middle of it, and moved to CA. This is such a huge accomplishment and I am so excited. He did all the hard work of course. But, I give myself a little credit too. I did all of the work around the house and caring for a baby so he could get his work done. Trust me, it is not easy to stay at home with an infant all day and then take the night shift too. Pete worked all day and spent his evenings and weekends studying. I knew he was done with school, but I think it took until the diploma showed up in the mail today before it actually hit me that we are DONE with all of this! I am so glad that chapter of our lives has closed. Thanks for letting me brag, I just couldn't be more proud of my graduate. Not everyone gets to be married to a rocket-scientist!

Trying on a new size

2009-06-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have decided to try mixing sizes of my pages in one album. Inspired by the lovely Ali Edwards of course. I tried some 6 x 12 layouts last week. These two aren't anything special, I just wanted to quickly document some of the digital cards I make throughout the year. I love how I can quickly add these digital cards to our family album and Grace's album. I want the cards documented in our scrapbooks, but they are already little digital layouts making them hard to scrap. I love how the different canvas size is giving me a new perspective and opportunity to play with the elements on the page. I will be trying more of this size soon!

Try it, break out of the 12x12 box! You will like it ;-)

Baby Sock Cupcakes

2009-06-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I made these baby sock cupcakes after reading Lauren Meaders' blog. I bought the template for the bun in the oven packaging, but I still have to get around to making boxes for them. I think they are cute, just the way they are.

Fun with Dad

2009-06-20T22:27:00.002-07:00

Remembering all the fun we have with Daddy. Happy Father's Day!

Cheap Art

2009-06-19T15:33:00.002-07:00

This is my cheap bathroom art inspired by Jennifer and Stephanie. It is just strips of pattern paper and ribbon that mimicks our towels and shower curtain. This is the "girls' bathroom" in our house, so it is pink and girly. Keeps the mess, I mean males out!

Gracie's hair bow organizers. I got these from IKEA, painted the bracket pink and nailed it to the wall. The plastic cups lift out while we are searching for just the right bow. They usually hang by a longer bracket, but I only used the bottom bracket.

Dale Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

2009-06-17T21:36:00.002-07:00

While visiting AZ in May, I got an opportunity to visit the Desert Botanical Gardens to see Chihuly's: The Nature of Glass exhibit. If you are not familiar with Chihuly, but have been to Vegas, you may know him as the artisit of the famous blown glass ceiling at the Bellagio.
Chihuly's work is incredible. If you ever get the chance to view some of his exhibits or installations, you will not be disappointed. Here are a few of my favorite photos. I have too many to post them all!

Get "In the picture"

2009-06-09T20:46:00.003-07:00

Tonight, during my evening blog browsing, I came across some very inspirational words that are meant to be shared. If something were to happen to you, what photos would your children have of you?

Today I want to urge you to get over your shyness and pride and get in the picture!
I wish, wish, wish I had more pictures of me with our children. It is one of my few regrets.
So here’s the deal…
1. In five years you will look five years older….you WILL look young in the pictures you take today!
2. Ten years ago I thought I was fat. Oh my goodness….I should have taken pictures THEN.
3. Your children look at you all day long. THEY know what you look like. They won’t care how you look in the picture.
I really don’t like how I look in pictures. It pains me. I still want to look like I did when I was 25 years old. And really I’m shocked that I don’t.
But seriously. My children love me just the way I am. Chins and all.
Consider this your call to action!
You can do it. I know you can. If I can, you can!
Let your light shine. You will never regret it!
Encourage one another,

Please read her whole post if you can. She is so right!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2009/05/snap-out-of-it/

May Round Robin

2009-06-08T19:06:00.002-07:00

Here is my Scrappin' Mamas Round Robin Layout for May. Basic Grey {urban prairie}

18 months

2009-06-04T15:25:00.002-07:00

This LO is a little hard to post online because the entire page is a Fancy Pants transparency. I can't scan the whole thing and a photo would show a glare. I love these for a very quick page. I'm not really loving this one, but in general, I do like to use transparencies.

Cards

2009-06-04T09:26:00.001-07:00

Just a couple quick cards.

Graduation:

gift card pocket

Baby:

Valentine's Day Mini Book

2009-06-02T20:56:00.003-07:00

A few looks back at Valentine's Day. I just finished Grace's mini album. These were the pictures I took with the Target $1 bin lollipop. I liked so many of the photos I couldn't turn them into one layout, so I made a whole little book. Basic Grey {bittersweet} the rest is all random stuff from my stash. I love the embelishment freedom these mini books are giving me. Also included is the Valentine (digital) we sent to family/friends.

Gracie's Valentine

Mini Book

Grandpa's Girl

2009-05-31T10:49:00.002-07:00

Quick and easy one I did last night of Gracie with her Grandpa. This is a pagemaps lift (page 16) PP- Basic Grey {urban prarie}, heidi swapp alphabet, american crafts-brown letter stickers

Ladybug

2009-05-21T15:13:00.002-07:00

I never got around to posting this LO here. This is Gracie from Halloween in her ladybug costume. I used an old Jenni Bowlin kit for this one. I really like scrapping with black and red, I hope I find more things to use this color scheme again soon because I have a lot of things in my stash that I could have used on this page.

Extended Rear-facing & AAP

2009-05-09T19:26:00.004-07:00

Yay! The American Academy of Pediatrics has finally set their recommendations for rear-facing children in car seats to a minimum of age 2 or the weight limits of a convertible car seat (most models are 35lbs) as opposed to age 1 and 20lbs.. This makes me very happy because the word will start to get out through pediatricians, that rear-facing really is the safest position for children to ride. It seems many other eastern countries have had legislation to support this for years, but Americans have been lagging behind. I hope that endorsement from the AAP will help educate parents on this topic. If you or anyone you know needs more resources on car seats or extended rear-facing, please don't hesitate to ask or read previous posts on extended rear-facing for more information.

http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a

Happy Girl Layout

2009-05-09T10:18:00.003-07:00

This was my round robin layout. I still want to add more to it, but I'm afraid of regreting that decision, so I'll leave it out to contemplate a little more.

Mother's Day Chipboard albums

2009-05-08T21:06:00.002-07:00

Made these chipboard albums for my Mom and MIL.

Mom's: Crate Paper and mm stickers, fancy pants chipboard embelishments. lil davis paint heidi swapp ghost letters.

MIL's: Basic Grey Paper {Urban Couture} and ribbon, fancy pants chipboard embelishments, heidi swapp ghost letters, lil davis canvas pocket

Car Wash

2009-04-18T20:28:00.004-07:00

Daddy's little helper. Gracie was so serious as she washed everything; herself, Daddy's car, the dog, and even the driveway got a good scrub! She turned 20 months today.

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T20:27:00.002-07:00

Bookworm

2009-04-09T14:49:00.003-07:00

This is a Pagemaps sketch by Becky Fleck. I LOVE Pagemaps!!!! PP is Basic Grey, Oh Baby (girl). I trimmed the circles in the paper to make a scallop border on the bottom. Title- Heidi Swapp block letters (I trimmed them) American Crafts rub ons (worm). I cut the worm out of a felt scalloped border from Fancy Pants. All the other felt shapes are Fancy Pants. I stitched the black worm trail using Bazzill in stitches template. I love these. I had lots of fun with this one even thought it fell into place from a sketch.

Swimming Lessons

2009-04-03T11:26:00.003-07:00

I have had these pictures printed and sitting in my basket, to be scrapped, forever. I finally found a LO I thought I'd lift, but it didn't turn out how my head envisioned it. The PP is Basic Grey {phoebe} I used some pink gift wrap tissue to make a little ruffle/texture. That was fun and easy. I'll be doing that again. I don't love this LO, but my brain hurts trying to make it better, so I'm just going to let go and put it in the book, lol. Lift is of Maggie Holmes "Day Trip" CK June '08.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-30T20:33:00.003-07:00

A digital of my giggly girl in green.

More Scrapping

2009-03-27T21:56:00.003-07:00

Here are some more of the photos from last year I had yet to scrap.

Miss August: The search for the crown for this LO resulted in a week-long re-organization of my scrap supplies. My old system just wans't working for me anymore. I found the chipboard crown that I painted and stickled and a million other supplies I forgot I even owned :-)

Yummy: Crate Paper, heidi swapp chipboard, mm paint, misc. brads and embroidery floss, fancy pants chipboard crown, stickles.

First trip 2 the zoo: I hate this LO. I was trying to be creative and use up a bunch of those tags I never seem to use, but I finally just gave up and glued stuff down.

Scrap Space

2009-03-27T20:49:00.002-07:00

I finally got a few (bad) pictures of my CA scrap space. It is not nearly as nice and the space I had in TX, but I am very thankful to still have a little place to call my own. I love the closet space with adjustable shelving. The walls are old plaster from 1951 so I'm trying to minimize the amount of things I hang on the walls. There is great light in the room during the day and it still has the original hard wood floors.

Happy Girl

2009-03-23T19:16:00.002-07:00

Just sharing a picture of my happy girl today.

5 years ago today...

2009-03-20T10:07:00.005-07:00

we tied the knot.

5 Things you may not know about us

1. We grew up only a few miles from each other, went to the same high school, yet didn't know each other until college. We often wonder how many times we were in the same place at the same time when we were little.

2. We met through a mutual friend. I thought I wasn't going to like Pete being around and he thought I was a totally different person (another girl at school was named Kari Smith)

3. We have been a couple since 1996.

4. Our song is "Have I told you lately" by Van Morrison

5. We are complete opposites in so many ways: one of us likes to party, one doesn't even like to drink; one a Republican, one a Democrat; one organized, one not so organized. But, we think these differences are exactly why we are a perfect match for each other. We can be adventurous and still keep our feet on solid ground. We look at politics from both sides (although admittedly, we usually agree to disagree and discuss things other than politics around the dinner table). We learn that sometimes things can be messy for a few days and other times we can clean up. We may have lots of differences, but we do agree that we love being together.

6. OK, I know I said 5 things, but I'll just add one more for the next happy year of marriage.
We love one little Grace more than anything!

Happy 5th Anniversary to the love of my life!

Silly Grace

2009-03-18T15:34:00.002-07:00

Gracie is being such a silly girl these days. I wish I could have captured this shot without the hair in her face, but then you would get a different feeling from this picture. She wasn't resting calmly. She was being silly and playing "night night".

18 months-old

2009-03-12T15:53:00.002-07:00

I loved this kid before she was born and even more when I saw her for the first time, but I am amazed at how much bonding we have done just during the 18th month. It seems like we are learning to communicate so well even despite the typical toddler tantrums. Just when I think I can't possibly love her any more she amazes me. I guess that is why this 18-month old is my Amazing Grace!

Happy Pancake Day!

2009-02-24T09:48:00.002-08:00

Happy National Pancake Day! Pancakes are a favorite treat in our house. Chocolate chip and banana are our favorite varieties. We had pancakes the last two mornings, but when we found out today was National Pancake Day, we had to go for 3 mornings in a row. Usually, we save them for weekends or rainy days, but we couldn't let this special occasion pass us by, lol!

Yummy pancakes:

Cute pancake eater:

1st Acrylic Album

2009-02-08T21:39:00.003-08:00

I bought this acrylic album in June at The Great American Scrapbook Convention, but I've been too timid to use it until now. I love the acrylic albums, but I am so intimidated by them because I thought they seemed very complicated. Once I got started I really enjoyed it working on this one for Gracie's 1st birthday. I figured out that less is more and other than a few things I wish I could have forseen to hide behind another object it was relatively easy. I could have used a better adhesive solution, but I think I hid most of it. I think I'll be picking up more of these in the future. I wish there were more double sided papers out there to choose from.

I used up a lot of random things in my stash :-)!

First Mother's Day

2009-02-07T10:10:00.002-08:00

Now you can see how far back I have to go to catch up on my scrapping. Here is Mother's Day last year. Basic Grey line- blush again. Sorry the scan is not so great.

My Favorite Thing About You

2009-02-04T20:04:00.002-08:00

Another quickpage. If I'm going to use these quickpages, I really need to be better about giving the credit for where I found them! I'll try and get that info and add it back later.

Journaling:I love that you can find happiness wherever you are and in whatever you do. Your happiness is not persuaded by opinions of others, material possesions, or expectations.

Your happiness teaches me to remember the important things in life and let happiness fill my heart and soul. My favorite thing about you is how much you teach me about life

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

2009-01-31T21:03:00.002-08:00

Just a digital quickpage tonight of Grace on the playground. I think the Quickpage is one of Flerg's.

and while I'm posting...my new message board siggie.

hanging a little LOVE

2009-01-22T11:34:00.002-08:00

Since I didn't get to decorate for Christmas, I'm trying to feel a little Valentine cheer around these empty, white rental walls! This is a mm chipboard love covered with more Basic Grey {blush} pp. Embelished with some stickles, some primas, and a few misc. things from my old Jenni Bowlin kits. The LOVE is from Jenni's Feb. kit 2 years ago, not sure if they are still around.

Breakfast at the Beach

2009-01-18T13:11:00.002-08:00

Today, we spent the morning at the beach. The weather is perfect and so is the view. We took Gracie on the swings and just had fun playing in the sand and hanging out. I was taking pictures and playing with my camera I couldn't help but stop and think about how normally these would be vacation pictures, but this is not a vacation. This is now just any old Sunday that we are hanging out. In fact, Pete wanted to get back in time to watch the football game, but since we are 3 short miles to the beach it was no big deal just just go for an hour. No wonder there are so many people in this crazy place. It is a vacation life every day.

Adjusting to life in CA is not a piece of cake, so we have to emphasize days like these to help us remember why we moved here. Did I mention that it is the middle of JANUARY!?!?

First 2 Layouts of 2009

2009-01-18T13:04:00.003-08:00

Here are my two newest layouts:

The 1st is our Christmas card from 2007. (Yep, just scrapped 2007!) This I lifted from Kelly Goree's "Always" using Daisy D's paper and rub-ons

The second is my Amazing Grace picture I've been wanting to scrap and I'm happy to get put in an album. The journaling is from the hymn Amazing Grace. This one is my own creative juices using Basic Grey {Blush}

My New Favorite Picture

2009-01-10T21:51:00.002-08:00

I'm busy getting my scrapbook room set up. I think I'm a just one IKEA trip away from being ready to work again. Since I don't have any new work I thought I'd just share my favorite new pic of Gracie . I don't know why I'm loving this one so much, but it really captures her spirit these days!

Back to Scrapping!

2008-12-30T20:51:00.004-08:00

Well, my last post was on Oct. 1st. Shows just how long it has been since I have been able to be creative. But, I finally got my first chance since moving from TX to CA to get back to my scrapbooking. This is a digital layout since my scrap supplies are still in boxes, but a fitting LO considering this is about going to the pumpkin patch, which we did on the day of my last post-Oct. 1st.

Hopefully I'll get back to being crafty soon!

Enjoy a look back to October!

New Scrap

2008-10-01T18:17:00.003-07:00

We have been so busy lately between birthdays and vacations. I sure hope I get much more scrapping and blogging done in the months to come. I'm still working on Gracie's 1 year album. I really wanted to get every 1st in her book, since this is my only "baby book" for her. I have a few month layouts left, but I'm making steady progress. Good thing I won't be doing monthly laoyuts for her 2nd year!

I like to skip around, so here are some newborn and a 9 month layout for our family album. Oh yeah, and a card I made for a card swap with some online scrapbook friends.

Scrapping

2008-09-07T17:06:00.003-07:00

Ahhhh... I got some much needed scrapbooking in this weekend. Not enough of course, but a least a few I needed to catch up on. Yes, these are pictures from over a year ago. I had to scrap Thanksgiving before I had another holiday to scrap!

Extended Rear Facing

2008-08-22T12:28:00.003-07:00

When I was a kid we were lucky if we even wore a seat belt. Times have changed. Before Grace was born Pete and I actually took a class at the hospital on how to install your car seat properly!!! How did we ever survive?

I spent a lot of time researching about car seats and the data I found convinced me that Grace will be extended rear facing, which means that even though she is a year old and 20lbs, she will continue to ride backward in the car until she is 35lbs. Car accidents are the leading cause of death in children in the United States. Everyone is safer rear facing (even adults) but especially children under the age of 2 whose neck muscles are not developed enough to protect their spines in the event of an accident.

Below is a video that shows some crash test reults of rear facing and forward facing toddlers.

Yes, Grace may look funny riding backwards and yes, she will have to start crossing her legs as she gets bigger, but we want our Gracie to be safe. If you want more information about Extended Rear Facing please feel free to ask.

Amazing Grace

2008-08-18T17:21:00.007-07:00

Just one year ago today, Grace came into my life. It is a little bitter-sweet to think back a year ago and realize how big my "Amazing Grace" is now. But, as I watch her laugh at my funny faces, tease me with her crackers, stand and try to walk, I can't wait to watch her take those next steps along the way. Grace has taught me so many things about life and being a mother. Although she may not be an only child one day, she will always be my first and that baby that changed the way the world looks to her mother. I look foward to seeing what type of adventures the next year with Grace brings to our family. Happy Birthday Grace, you're AMAZING!