i love my life ...

kiddos on route.

 

I recently took a video of the crew while on route to the grandparents ... I was thinking the other day that I need to keep up with taking videos as well as photo's. I did this with Ethan and I want to keep on top of it with Ava too.

The weekend was crazy buzy and it feels like it hasn't stopped yet !! Finally today after I dropped Ethan off at school, I get to rest a second. It's rainy and windy and cold today and I want to sip hot tea all day long. I am starting to get to my emails ... started the laundry .... the regular duties that I let go for the past 4 days go - time to do a major clean up !!  

This video above was one of the last rides in the car - we sold it over the weekend and are so much more comfortable in the new Van .... Yeah I never thought I would actually buy one, but so so glad we did. Change is good.

grow.fly.live.

December Daily Take : 2 Continued.

It's amazing how an Inservice school day will rearrange your day. With Ethan not having school today I decided to change the days balance a tad bit. So far I got mostly everything done that needed doing today - Plus I added a trip to the bookstore as well and I tell ya that was the happenin' place on a city wide inservice day. So I left off on day 13 of my December Daily Album and here are the Continued pages 14 through 25 .... Hope you enjoy !!!

 
Opening page December 14th I still need to add a number on this one but I kind of like it with all the numbers and nothing else. This is a digital paper from Katie Pertiet that I printed out double sided and cut to fit + Ali Edwards holiday box tag. AE -  6x8 overlay Journal + Photo page below.

 
 
Opening page December 15th - I was working on a design that I wanted to try out this is what I came up with - I printed it out onto white cardstock and used the fiskers hole  punch along the side. I like how this one turned out I think it would make neat wrapping paper too.  AE - circle number tag for the 15 with a larger punched black glitter circle background added. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening page December 16th - I took another piece of vellum and added a felt number 16 + "Celebrate" silver glitter sticker. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening Page December 17th - Another page I went straight into the baseball card page protector added a large gift tag with AE - Holiday word Art + AE - circle number 17. AE- 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening page December 18th - I took a metalic cardstock and trimed it to almost 6x8 maybe a little longer, Used fisker hole punch along the edge and made the { with chipborad + red glitter. AE - holiday box art and glitter white for the 18. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening page December 19th - Using Red cardstock I cut out a tab on the side and did another glitter chipboar for the { symbol. Took an old paper sticker and date stamped it a few times. Metal star on top. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening page December 20th - Patterened paper - I cut out another tab for the top + cut out a red felt to box out the number 20, AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening Page December 21st - Another Grey cardstock with fisker hole punch trimming I also used another Katie Pertiet digital number called musical number and printed it out onto white cardstock. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening Page December 22nd - I just love them another Baseball card page protector with a large gift tag + AE - holiday word art "Tis the Season to be jolly " repeated over the tag. The number 22 is Katie Pertiet found here. I also used an old ornament that will stay in one of the baseball sleeves. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening page December 23rd - Patterened paper with a Katie Pertiet vintage number tag + stapled it to the patterend paper. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
 
Opening page December 24th - Like in the first set I did this transparency page that I had made at my local staples office supply store. The same as day 11. AE - Holiday box tag + stamp dated for the 24. AE - 6x8 Overlay below.

 

 
Opening page December 25th - I took a bigger 12 x12 metallic cardstock and folded it into three then cut to fit the Album - Using chipboard numbers painted red for the 2 + 5. AE - Holiday box tag on top. here is another look at ths day.

 
Opening page December 25th - second look at the folded page I plan on putting a photo along with the holiday wrap up journaling or any special items I might collect over the holiday season. AE - 6x8 overlay below.

 
That's about all there is right now - One thing I should mention too is that in between any of the dates I either have a page protector planned for that date or will be adding one in along the way. Those will hold the templates that Ali designed and are found at the link below. I love seeing this Album all together like this and can't wait till December to start filling it in with our holiday 2010 memories.

Thanks again for all your comments and reading - Even if this isn't "your thing" . I wil post these on to my flickr + December Daily group as well. I had a few questions asked and hope that i answered most of them if you have anymore please leave them here on my blog or on flickr if you like. I hope everyone has an Awesome weekend and if your working on DD then  - Have fun creating !!

Some of the supplies used in this Album so far are :

• Cardstock in White + Cream
• Ali Edwards - 6x8 Holiday overlays found here.
• Ali Edwards - 31 days circle numbers found here.
• Ali Edwards - Holiday word art found here.
• Katie Pertiet - Musical numbers found here.
• Katie Pertiet - Vintage number tag found here.
• NOT SHOWN IN ALBUM YET ... will be using the Ali Edwards Templates pack Vol.3 found here.
• *** My Album is an American Crafts found here.

I must mention that I have really fallin' for this project  + A special thanks to Ali Edwards for creating and sharing her project with us all !! Her work Inspires us so much, go check out her site  + her last years December Daily here. CONGRATS Ali for being featured in Scrapbook etc. for her 2009 December Daily !!!

HAPPY WEEKEND TO ALL !!

grow.fly.live.

 

 

 

December Daily Take : 2

 
It's that time of year for some of us ladies that are looking ahead + making use of time to prepare our Albums for the December Daily 2010 season. Project was created by Ali Edwards of AE design and is enjoyed by the thousands. We share + Inspire each other on the flickr group that Ali created as well. I shared my December Daily Take :1 last week - This is my first year to attempt this project and so far I'm in total LOVE !! Thank you readers for your responses to the first post on here + on flickr !! All your POSITIVE comments boosted my creativity my motivation + propeled me into warpping up the foundation of my album, so here it is .........

 
Inside book cover I placed a hand made library-style book rental slip. With my name as the owner and one of Ali's holiday word art tags. I will most likely put December Daily on there as the title as well.

 
The side view of all the pages stacked up it's fairly full right now but other than a few more page protectors here and there, that's as full as it will be.

 

PEACE + LOVE + JOY - December 1st opening page. That's AE holiday box words. I cut out a felt # 1 and glued it to the page. Grey Card stock with circles and Fiskers hole puches on the side.

 
Side B of Dec 1. AE - holiday overlays 6x8 and I printed them just like that, although my album is 9x9 I still like the look of how these are smaller than some papers in my album. There is also a base ball card page protector behind this page and that's going to hold any fujifilm instax mini's that I take or just receipts that are collected that day.

 
Opening page for December 2 nd - pattern paper ( sorry I can't remember the name )  but I love the soft yellow and snowflakes that are actually felt brings a nice look to the page. Bonus the "two" was already on there.

 
Another view of day Two - I plan on putting the kids letters to Santa inside the envelope. You can also see the journal + photo overlay of day two - to the right bottom corner.

 
Opening page for Dec 3rd - This one I used grey card stock and Katie Pertiet musical numbers as the large tag. And AE holiday box word art. And day three below journal + photo page.

 
 
Dec. 4 Opening page - I used a holiday cutout pattern paper from my local craft store and Adhered it to a piece of vellum ... I love the cloudy-ness behind it. AE holiday box + a felt # 4. Journaling page below.

 
 

 December 5 th - Patterned paper this one also has that felt feeling to it. AE - holiday box + felt number 5. Journaling + photo page below.

 
 
Opening page Dec. 6th - I used another cutout patterned paper found at a craft store. Adhered to vellum then printed out a AE holiday overlay and AE holiday circle numbers for the number 6. Journal + photo page below.

 
 
OPening page for Dec. 7th - I went straight into a baseball card page protector cut down to size and placed a felt number 7 and AE - holiday box tag. journal + photo below.

 
 
Opening page Dec. 8th - Patterened paper + felt number 8. hole punches on the side. Journal + photo page below.

 
 
Opening page to Dec. 9th - Red dotted pattern paper. AE  - holiday word art.

 
Flip side of Dec. 9th + AE - Journal + photo page. I placed an Avery clear acrylic pocket pouch found at staples and placed a felt number 9. I will either add in reciepts or notes about the kids shopping list that i need to get.  

 
Opening Page for Dec. 10th - I took a vellum page and added a painted star and AE - holiday box with number 10. Journaling + photo page below.

 

 
Opening page Dec.11th - Oh how I wanted to add a few transparencies but living in Canada they were very hard to come by. I didn't feel like paying 25 $ for 2.00 paper in shipping fees so I did my own !! Just used a snowflake symbol or brush and patterened it out like that sent it to staples office store and got them to print out a overhead projection transparency TA - DA .... it turned out pretty good I think. AE - Holiday box + Date stamped for the date. journaling + photo page below.

 
 
Opening page Dec.12th - I was thinking about these awesome holiday word brushes from Ali + thought it would make great patterned word paper - loved how it looks all placed together. hole punches along the edge. And a Katie pertiet vintage number tag. Journaling + photo page below.

 
 
Opening page for Dec.13th - I took another vellum piece and hand cut + adhered some stars out in felt red + glitter black. Attached the number 13 by AE - circle numbers. journaling + photo page below.

 
I think I will stop here and add the rest tomorrow. So far you have 1 through 13 here and I will be adding them to the flickr group as well. On Friday I will post 14 through 25.

Most supplies used on this Album so far are :

• Card stock in White + Cream.
• Ali Edwards - 6x8 holiday overlays found here.
• Ali Edwards - 31 days Circle numbers found here.
• Ali Edwards - Holiday word art found here.
• Katie Pertiet - musical numbers found here.
• Katie Pertiet - Vintage number tag found here.

That's it for December daily Take : 2 . Again I will post the final days 14-25 on Friday and the entire album to the flickr group aswell. Are you doing Decmeber Daily ? Chat with me . If your not then get going !! Seriously !!

grow.fly. live. 

About Star wars.

My just turned 6 yr old has a secret that is no longer a secret ... He is clearly a Star wars fan and possible obsessed with them. I know kids go through phases of different characters they like/love - He started out with Thomas the train then Cars from the Pixar Cars movie then TRANSFORMERS that was huge !! Now he is onto a 6 month streak of not letting up on anything Starwars. Most days I see this in his room.

 
Some form of drawing and writting about his Star wars games or movies or books. He has had a poster on his wall of the clone wars for about three years now and he thinks it's time for a new one. He also thinks he is ready to tackle those tiny little lego sets that I am so nervous about buying ... for the Ava + Oliver the pup's sake. lots of Star wars going on in that little boys head - is this a true 6 yr old boy thing ? like a right of passage ?? They have to go through this phase right ??

Ok follow up on my December daily will be posted Thursday or Friday ...depending how productive this day is + how I feel after work tonight. My Halloween mini-album is set to go here is the rest of the preview.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There it is all ready to roll now just to get some fall photo's printed off and added into book + once the Trick-or-treat night is done I will add in a few more photo's of that as well. The last page is a piece of vellum that I decided to draw with a sharpie paint pen ... I love how it turned out.

Check back for December Daily Take 2 soon !!

grow. fly. live.

 

 

Boo !

 
We are all deck'd out ... our house is ready for Halloween 2010 !! This past Friday I was busy spooking up our humble home. Which meant digging out some old decorations in the basement and adding some new ones aswell. OK I love Halloween equally as Christmas so I decided to put my almost ready to go December Daily project on hold for a day and create a Halloween mini-album.

 
The front cover I took an old sketch book and riped off the front + back covers to make them the front + back to my Halloween 2010 mini-album. I punched out two holes for the rings and added the title with glitter stickers + a long glitter strip for the bottom. Good Start.

 
Adding some pages ... I took a velum and cut it to 6x8 size and stapled a tag from my minds eye Halloween collection.

 
Then I cut some pattern paper - my minds eye Halloween collection again. I will keep adding a few more pages and vellum then get to adding in some fall photo's + then our Halloween photo's later on .... Oh I can't wait to see my two kiddos all dressed up and having some spooky fun. Tomorrow I will post a page by page run through of what my mini-album look's like so far.

grow. fly. live.

First sick day of the school year :(

 
 
 
This is how we are starting our Monday morning. Looks more like a Sunday morning - Ethan has had a cold all weekend and after a night of cough meds + kids Tylenol with no change this morning ... I let him stay home today this being his first sick day of the school year , booo !!

We are piled on the couch + watching movies + keeping full of vitamin C . Hoping that Ava + I don't catch it. I hate seeing my kiddos under the weather but I love the snuggles on the couch when they do.

grow. fly. live.

December Daily Take : 1

 
As I Start gearing up for my first ever December Daily I keep thinking hmm this is a big one can I really do this ... Do I really have time ? Isn't December busy enough already ? But then I think "What better way to capture US". I am all into this project + Actually all this pre-gaming has seriously boosted my holiday spirits - even if it's only October.

About my book : The foundation + why I chose to go this route.

• It's an American Crafts Album in 9x9 - I like this style the best !! I did my Summer Album in this size + love that I can add so many different size page protectors in side it ( my fav being the baseball card size ) cut to fit.
• I bought this Album with a set of three for THREE BUCKS a piece at my local Home sense store. You just never know what you will find in there !!! That was a sweet score !!  
• I painted the entire outsides front + Back with Acrylic craft paint - in white.
• I love that this Album can hold A lot of pages.
• I love that it's simple + with the front window I cut out a 3x3 square pattern paper + printed out Ali Edwards 25 freebie tag found here.

 
About my book : The inside view + the pages that I chose + why.

• A ton of christmas pattern paper ... so many I can't remember names righ now ( hence the explosion in the photo below ) .
• I added a few page protectors 8x8 and some custom cut + sew to fit ones I'm still working on.
• A few vellum pages that will transpire into something later on.
• I am eagerly waiting to get a few transparencies in there too.
• A baseball card page protector will nicely hold my fujifilm instax mini photo's ( As tested out  in the  above photo, bottom right corner ).
• I love the line stacks from Ae you can find them here. Peace love + joy is what I hope to have this holiday season it's a perfect way to start the Album.

 
Pulling it all together. A few more days and this Album with be ready to go and at my finger tips as we start our holiday 2010 memories. One more Favorite in the book ......

 
This was a hands down Favorite to add so far for a photo on top + journaling on the bottom. It was so easy to print off, with the "ready to print" pdf attached to the purchase was genius + time saving this Holiday Overlay by Ali Edwards can be found here. LOVE THAT !!! 

OH SO SO LOVIN' December Daily - Ali has started a flickr group so if you want to join in - Do it !! See ya over there too.

grow. fly. live - get your December Daily ON !!

 

Highlights of Fort Whyte

 
 
 

Just a little wrap up of our weekend. Highlights were the waterlands lot's of bridges that connect through out this man made lake.I think Autumn is one of the most beautiful times to go to this place !!! Ethan loved the waterlands and Ava well I'm sure she was just happy to be stollin' + Running after we let her loose.

As usual the holiday Monday is messing me up. Days are all thrown off. I did manage to get a little bit ahead with a few projects. The "foundation" to my album for December Daily is made + drying. The "guts" of the album will be thrown together in the next few days ... sometimes I am frustrated that all the good products are only in the states or online. I have been talking with my local scrap store that we need more modern items. We are in the works for a few things .... YES .... good things coming up.

Oh how I miss I heart Wednesday Art - for real. I feel like sharing - but then don't - but then I think screw it + do it !! new stuff is about to explode on here. Watch for it.

The goal today : Get up, get showered, get the mini dude to school, get a work out done, get at all the things I have been putting off ... screw it + do it.

grow.fly.live.

Proof she is girlie too :)

 

 

Hello beautiful girlie !! I was having some fun with my new fujifilm instax mini over the weekend. It's rare that I get this girl into "pretties" pony tails or barrettes. Lately she just doesn't care for them and wants to run wild with floppy hair and looking like a tom-boy. No worries I'm not forcing her to wear these but it's nice every now and then to see. PS I'm lovin' that little instax mini. more to come.

 
In full view ... she has been a little brusher. totally addicted to clean teeth and showing them whites off to anyone she can. GO AVA I'm all for that !!!

Weekend update : We have just wrapped up our Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada and it was A beautiful + quiet kind of weekend that I love so so much. No where to run, no where to be ... except Sunday dinner with the In-laws. We took the crew to Fort Whyte yesterday .... tons O fun had there. Running after geese + Buffalo turns out to be a whole lot of fun and actually tires out a 6 yr old + a 1.5 yr old very well indeed. I fell in love with the souvenir shop inside the alloway centre. We bought Ava the cutiest knitted hat from there OH MY GOSH cute. All in all a great great Thanksgiving weekend.

Hope you all had a good one too !!!

grow.fly.live.

Happy little Pinecone.

 
I got a little creative the other day. Played around with some watercolour and pencil crayons + pen. I am beyond loving our beautiful & warm Autumn ... longer walks home that find us collecting leaves and pinecones and berries. Going to the local grocery store and seeing all the pumpkins in barrels .... going to my favorite coffee place and enjoying a great treat that says yum autumn is here.

The first person to comment today will get this in print !! It's actually 8x10 and has a message at the bottom. ok fun little giveaway today.

I think the weeks are flying by faster + faster and I really can not believe that this weekend is THANKS GIVING here in Canada. WOW already - yes, I am ready for it. Bring on the pumpkin pie baby !!

Happy Thursday !!

grow.fly.live.