this is how I roll: Quick Layout Edition

I'm finding more and more with Hottie out of town (Jesus take the wheel. Seriously. More on this later.) that I have to find little 5 minute snippets of time for scrapping.... especially since I have to keep putting allllll of my stuff (clutter) away every time the house gets shown. (and half of it is currently in boxes in the garage) 

Generally I consider myself a fairly tidy crafter. I make my creative mess while in the middle of a project but promptly put away everything all neat and in it's place once I'm done. Sometimes a layout will take a few days and it just sits on my desk, waiting for completion, in the middle of what might look like a product explosion. Not anymore. Now I'm at the mercy of potential house buyers (puh-leeeze someone buy my house!!). So it's extra important that if I start something I need to finish it, pronto... 

I did this one, start to finish during a 35 minute time span when Ev was at preschool and Dez was taking his morning nap (the stars aligned for that one!).... 

The cool thing about completing a layout in this short amount of time is that there isn't a lot of time spent second guessing yourself. No, "oh, do I like my title better here? Or there? Maybe I need a different font. Where is that yellow washi?" --ain't nobody got time fo dat.... at least not me, right now. I'm actually pleased with the outcome. To be honest even if I had more time I don't know that I would change anything.... except maybe getting the date on the sticker right (since these photos were taken in 2012) ;) Have you scrapped fast lately?

Mr. Snicklefritz

I thought it was about time for an update on our little (not so little) pup. Fritz is now almost 6 months old. He's a really good dog, and too smart for his own good.. or maybe too smart for our good. He's mostly behaved with the kids. Although when they (Evareaux) see him they get a bit over excited (Evareaux) and run across the room like a wild animal (Evareaux) with their arms flailing, screaming and giggling (Evareaux).. this make him do the same thing... minus the screaming and arm flailing... and it usually results in someone getting nipped in the butt (Evareaux)... then someone getting yelled at (Evareaux and Fritz)

So we decided that it was a good time to start puppy training. (I mean, why not? With Hottie out of town for 5-7 days at a time, whats one more thing on my plate?) (!!!!!!) But really, he needs it, and even though I don't feel all that excited or capable of working diligently with Fritz I know if I put the time in now I will be happy down the line. 

So we called a company that comes to your house to work with you and your pet and I have to say... they. are. incredible. Our trainer (I say, "our" because I am fully aware she is training me even more than Fritz) was here for 3 hours yesterday. After she left I felt a little overwhelmed and like I sounded ridiculous while saying, "bahhhhhh," in a growling tone at Fritz... but after working with him last night I was shocked at the strides he was already making.

I'm excited at the things this means for our family, and for our little puppy.

and this will even mean no more Weim crime.... 

I promise to share the company we are using (as it's a national company that some of you may be interested in using) after some time, and our 4 initial visits, has passed. The proof is in the pudding so I have to first make sure that Fritz and I can train each other I can train Fritz and keep him that way. :)

Project Life Baby Album

I did it! I finished Dezmond's baby photo album. The fact that he has a completed one, as the fourth child, and my others don't is a bit funny to me. (I plan on fixing this in due time.) I owe it all to the Project Life format of scrapbooking. It makes putting things into an album quick, painless, and certainly less intimidating... 

I will say that once I printed out a years worth of photos and started the undertaking of organizing them into chronological order I thought, oh boy, this will take forever.. but once I completed that task the rest came together easily.

I pulled some supplies together along with my baby core kit and hit the ground running.

Project Life is actually intended to be a simple, bare minimum version (you can hear creator Becky Higgins intention here).. I take it up a little notch when I do it. I like to add embellishments here and there, alter journal cards, throw in a bit of texture... I do think her kits are an easy jumping off point, and they help keep continuity in an album, so I always start with them. 

For this particular book I kept things super simple. In the interest of completing the project, but also because I don't want an album full of cheesy trends and things that I would look back on years from now and feel silly about. This was all about the journaling and capturing Dezi's first year in a way that felt organic, complete, and most importantly, heartfelt.

So here are some (too many probably, sorry for photo overload) peeks into his album...

So that's it! What do you think? 

I also want to say, I know I probably sound like a commercial for Project Life, but I'm actually not affiliated with it in any way. (although it is my dream to be, one day) I just really believe that simplifying the scrapbooking process helps get it done, and I'm all about that... especially for this kind of project. This method also allows the photos to be the star as well as opening up spaces to add journaling, notes to baby, milestones recorded, all of the important stuff. It can all happen in one place, and it can all be completed in a weekend if you so desire... that is pretty cool.

American Crafts October

Did ya'll catch my projects on the American Crafts blog Monday? It's Cut & Paste week over there (the newest Amy Tangerine line). Here's what I made.... 

 (btw, my sister is adorable.... and I can say that because we look almost exactly alike.) ;)

Don't you LOVE the way you can hide a little something under the folds of the specialty die cut paper? In this case I layered sequins (using gobs of modge podge) for a bit of shine. This paper is perfect for someone like me who doesn't own one of those fancy shmancy die cut machines (yet)....

A little stitching using the patterned paper as my guide. I swear, Amy Tan makes me feel like I can stitch anything, and should stitch everything!! Love that....

Doesn't this photo just kill you? It was taken on his first day of school this year... Ev was so sad all day, asking when Nakiah would come home over and over, watching at the window. Then when she saw him she bolted out of the door and gave him the biggest hug of his life. Total highlight for both of them.

SO. That's my AC stuff. In other news... it's crazy here. Hottie left for work (IN ANOTHER STATE!)(yes, I totally shouted that) yesterday. So here I am, holding down the fort, taking care of the kids and pup... trying to keep the house nice enough to sell.... trying not to lose my mind.... doing an ok job... but hey, it's only day two.... I'll keep you posted.

Shock and Awe

I'll never forget the first time I walked to Nakiah's school to pick him up after our move in Kentucky. I was a bit early so I decided to follow one of the nearby trails to kill some time. I turned this corner and, BAM! It was just so beautiful...

It was so totally different from California. I knew in that instant that we would love it here. I can only hope that I will get this same feeling once we're in Ohio. I wrote down my thoughts from that day on a tag and slid it into the envelope for some hideaway journaling.

Birthday Boy

Get ready to melt into a big puddle of awwwwwwwwww....

I kept racking my brain the week of his birthday.. what do you do for a baby to make his first celebration special? I couldn't think of anything so instead I did a PHOTO SHOOT! haha, poor kid.

Later that night we broke out the smash cake. He really wanted nothing to do with it at first. But then I put some on his pacifier and he got a little taste of the sugar and it was on....

Isn't he the cutest? We are still finding blue in places I'd rather not mention.... (and no Smurfs were harmed during the making of this cake, I swear.) I'd say it was a successful first birthday, at least I have the pictures to prove that it was. :)