{ scraptherapy }

Living Room and Kitchen - where we're at today

2012-01-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Not everything is finished. It's hard for me to photograph rooms and post them when EVER.Y.THING. isn't done...but oh, well! I'm learning that that's life, and it's important sometimes just to share where we're at today.

So, here's what our living room and kitchen look like TODAY.

Kitchen First...

What we did:

- used "smart tiles" to change the backsplash from country wheat to modern grey...super easy and fast stick-ons!

- painted the top of the kitchen black (it was a country blue...and the previous owners actually had it looking super cute, but country just isn't my thing)

- upgraded the faucet

- added drawers inside some of the cabinets instead of just shelves

What we still want to do:

- get a black fabric with jewels chandelier for over the island (you know the one I have in my head, right?!)

- maybe a few black bar stools

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Living Room next...

What we did:

- custom built in cabinets over the shelving along each side of the fireplace

- custom built in mirror with frame over mantel

- painted entire focal wall and mantel etc

What we still want to do:

- DECORATE that HUGE mantel! I'm thinking topiaries...I love topiaries :)

- better curtains?!

- art above the couch!!! or a clock?!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

TFL!!!!!

Master Bedroom - before and after

2012-01-12T17:01:00.001-08:00

Finally! Some pictures of our house! Thank you mom and Misty for coming for a visit, so we finally got our place looking decent ;) lol

Our Master Bedroom is one of the most complete and finished rooms in the whole house. Really, all I want to add is some art above the bed and a nice new laundry hamper...then it's all done!

I knew that grey was the perfect neutral for our walls, but wanted one warm that would still look good with lavender/pewter accents. We've always loved purple and silver (see: Wedding Day!) so it was fun to try this combo again in a much more modern updated look. I was totally inspired by pinterest, of course! Check out my pinterest.com page if you're interested :)

So, now for the magic:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So...What all did we do??

- Textured paintable wallpaper from Home Depot (Canadian Tire also sells a beautiful damask print by Debbie Travis; ours is Martha Stewart)

- Crown moulding! Thanks Tim and Jo!

- Paint colour is "Stone" by Benjamin Moore

Curious about where we got what??

- Ottoman: Home Outfitters

- Bedspread: (100% cotton!) Kohl's

- Nightstands: Ikea (David was very opposed to these)

- Curtains: Target (black), Urban Barn (sheer stripes)

- Wardrobe: Ikea (David was not as opposed to this)

- Mirrors: Ikea

- Lamps: Homegoods (like Homesense but in the US)

- Chandelier: Home Depot

- Headboard: Homemade!!! (wouldn't recommend this, however...the project took days and about $200...why not just buy one and save the work?? next time...)

That's it for now! Thanks for looking!!!! Sorry it took me so long...more rooms to come :)

Paper Heart Banner Tutorial

2012-01-02T23:24:00.000-08:00

I've never given a tutorial before on my blog...at least not that I can remember. So, here's a fun little project to use up those piles of beautiful scrappin paper and make something fun for Valentine's Day!

1) Cut a 12X12" scrapbooking paper into 1" strips. Each piece of paper will make two hearts.

2) Then, cut four of each size: 12", 10", and 8" strips. Set aside the four 4" strips that came from the 8" cutting.

3) Use double sided tape to make the 4" strips the same pattern on each side. This will be the tab that the heart will hang from at the top.

4) Take two piles of the 12"-10"-8" strips and put them face to face; staple them at the bottom.

5) Fold the top of the strips over into the little tab - I found my stapler wasn't strong enough to staple through all this, so I used my crop-o-dile and a brad.

6) TA-DA! Now, just poke holes at the top and thread them through to make a pretty banner!

Things are coming along...

2011-12-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

Soon and very soon you'll see some pictures of our lovely home! I am just putting some finishing touches on our master bedroom...it's really the only room that's almost completely finished. Here's an abbreviated list of what the last two months in our first house has entailed:

- tons and tons and tons of painting
- custom built ins throughout the house
- complete re-vamp of the laundry room
- new faucet, chandelliers, lawn lights, garage lights
- security system installed
- heat pump installed (this also required two house inspections)
- the rest I blacked out...

And, just because I think Evalie is so cute...

Why you haven't heard from me...

2011-11-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

I am buried in boxes and piles of stuff everywhere. It's taken us an entire week just to get to THIS point...be aware, this is NOT pretty!

I cannot WAIT to send you "after" pictures to accompany these...for now, commiserate with my misery in this scary, crazy, hectic, disorganized environment. Being in this house, in this state, causes not only my mind to be absolutely blurred and confused, but also my body to be exhausted and drained. I can't ever seem to find energy, and yet I am SO MOTIVATED to clean this up! I work and work every day and feel like I just get nowhere...ever experienced this?!

Believe it or not, this is our kitchen:

Living room:

Dining room:

My scrapbooking HEAVEN (this colour is SO WILD but I totally love love love it and am going to make it look good...soon...):

Basement family room:

Laundry room (such a difficult one to tackle that I am hiring my interior designer friend Stefanie Westerburg with LaMode Designs to fix this room!):

David's den/office/man cave:

Front sitting room:

Our master bedroom:

Guest bathroom:

Guest room (what am I THINKING with this colour!? Will it turn out when it's all finished? I hope so!)

Evalie's bedroom (stripes take a LOT of work...):

All of these photos to say: I'm a little bit busy right now.

moving chaos

2011-09-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we're in the process of moving BACK across Canada...from London Ontario to Abbotsford B.C. We've moved so many times...I am just excited to finally buy our first house, settle down, and not have to smell an apartment filled with cardboard boxes anymore (it really IS a unique smell, you know?!).

I am sitting here alone; the baby is asleep, the hubby's out playing basketball, and the puppy is too tired to realize that I haven't even bothered to feed her dinner yet. It's dark, because our lamps are all packed and this apartment has crappy lighting. There are piles of boxes everywhere, and our stuff is away away away. Sealed shut: away.

The internet has been my entertainment. Many would see it as a waste of time, but it's funny: I NEED TO FILL MY CREATIVE WELL RIGHT NOW. (For more on the "creative well" idea read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron...she describes us as periodically needing filling...then we have fullness from which to overflow onto the canvas, page, blog, etc...) The internet is providing a need: I need to peruse picture after picture of beautiful art and photography. It helps me feel safe, warm, happy. I LOVE staring at other people's perfectly alphabetized pantries, spray-painted pink chandeliers, and decadently sparkled yellow cupcakes. Because, when I look up from my screen...I see chaos.

Last night we were having dinner with some dear friends (for possibly the last time...sad) and their 9 year old boy and I had a lovely conversation! He explained to me that he is definitely the most organized and "tidy" one in his family. He said he likes things "even" because when they aren't that way, he feels dizzy and his stomach hurts. WOW. THAT'S ME. I have always been this way; I need it "even"!

So, after all this internet browsing, I have decided to create some of my own order out of all this chaos. I am picking up my camera (despite the extremely low-light situation I have here) and I am going to MAKE ART out of our cardboard filled messy little bungalow.

Now, if I had only not packed the cord to upload the photos onto the computer!!! OOPS. They'll be here later, friends ;)

Photo Shoot Mini Album

2011-09-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems that when I am MOST busy, it's then that I NEED to create something. Does that ever happen to you? It's the way I handle my stress, the way I escape, the way I cope. I don't bother with TV, so for all of you wondering, "How does she have the time?!" that's how ;) My baby is also spending a lot of time enjoying her jolly jumper...

My sister requested that I do a b&w photo shoot with her and Evalie, and I thought I would create a little keepsake of our fav photos for her (I am making myself one for my stash too...eventually...) I emailed my sister and asked what accent colour she'd like used in the book (after all, b&w's look GREAT with a colour next to them)...but after a number of days with no reply I realized that my question was probably similar to that of, "What colour should we paint the living room?" in stress levels for her. So, I opted to stick with the request she originally made: black and white all around!

Thank you to my lovely sister for letting me photograph you and Evalie together - these are photos I will treasure forever!!!

The cover is velvety...love the texture.

Found this perfect ribbon with little cameras in my stash - love it!!

Kept the embellishments simple. This scrolly paper is actually from a halloween line by KI Memories; I know my sister will like it because it's irridescent.

Put all the vertical photos together in the second half of the book.

What's a mini album by Erika without transparencies??

Added little bits of the Tim Holtz vintage transparency film strips.

Used these white clips by Making Memories; my sister actually bought these for me and they're from a wedding line, but the words work perfectly for this too!

The END :) Thanks for looking!!!!

Can I...DARE I?

2011-09-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

DARE I call myself...

...an ARTIST?

When I was in the 5th grade, my teacher made up little pretend newspapers announcing what we would be when we grew up. Mine said that my art was proudly hanging in a gallery in Hawaii and that I enjoyed drawing and painting for a living.

But that never really happened...

I've been painting, drawing, playing with paper, making STUFF for years now. But, I never called myself an artist because, well, I just think of my art as PLAY. It's not work, it's "just for fun." I would devalue it; you know, trying to not make it a big deal. I remember one time a few years back when I was talking with a "friend" about my art. She told me that she was going to commission a painter to make a canvas for her; I said I thought that was super cool, and that I like to paint too. She said, "Oh, no she's a REAL painter. I think you just paint with your fingers, don't you? She like, REALLY paints." That stung. It stuck with me.

I am ready to shed that and let it go. I am also a REAL PAINTER!!!!! So, take that!

Yet, when I am at a party and someone asks the big question: WHAT DO YOU DO? I always say that I am a children's mental health therapist. And...I am.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my career - what I want it to look like, where I want to work, when I want to go back to work...etc. I really don't want to do mental health work full time exclusively; my soul can't handle the stress. But, "there's no money in art," is the thing that lingers in my mind.

I think it's time for me to admit that THAT'S NOT TRUE!

I have sold a number of original paintings. I have sold dozens of handpainted journals. And, recently I sold my most expensive painting yet!!! I am THRILLED at this breakthrough in my life. YOU might not be surprized...you might say, "I always have thought of you as an artist." But, for me to truly admit this, own this, identify with this - THIS IS HUGE FOR ME.

"The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown is the book that I have recently been devouring. Check out her TED talk here: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html (thank you Tara-Lynn for sharing this with me!) Her chapter on Cultivating Meaningful Work was enlightening for me; she discussed the concept of "slash careers." These are things like "surgeon/playwright," "accountant/cartoonist," etc.

So, I am officially a therapist/life artist. That's my new title!!! (aside from mother, of course!)

I'm owning it :)

Here are some paintings that I gave away as I was inspired to make them for specific people...

This was hanging in my first office, and then I left it for the Delta Mental Health team as an appreciation/goodbye gift. It still hangs in the office there for all to enjoy.

This pink one is for my mother and hangs in her bedroom. She loves to garden and she REALLY loves pink!

This "home" painting went to my brother in law and sister in law when they purchased their first home in Ft. MacMurray.

This one is a series of three that hangs in my sister and her hubbys romantic bedroom.

AND, this is the one that I recently sold. It will be going to a lovely lady named Linda who will be moving into our apartment when we leave it. She said that she's been viewing the apartments on our street for months trying to decide if she wants to sell her beloved house and downsize. When she saw our apartment, she fell in love with the positive energy and asked me if I would be willing to sell my painting. I told her that it would be quite expensive, but I got more than I ever dreamt I would for my art! I am thrilled that she'll love this piece of work as much as we have, and that our home will have someone wonderful living in it! Her and two friends also kept asking me if I was an interior decorator. They all said that I should be, and that they're suprized that's not my career. Hm...I see another SLASH coming on!!!! :)

(photo below c/o LTC photography, London Ontario)

Book Reviews...Let the Reading BEGIN!

2011-09-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

I like to read. I can't say this was always the case. That's part of why I chose to be a math major in university: Math is straightforward. Reading, words, papers...well, they're not.

But, ever since I graduated, I have felt differently. Books are a source of education, information, knowledge, wisdom, guidance. These were once things I got from professors; now they're things I get from the written word.

I also have to say, I like REAL TANGIBLE BOOKS. I don't have a Kindle. I don't retain very much information when I am surfing the web. But, I LOVE the feel of a real book in my hands - the smell, the weight, the escape of a really great bit of lit. I like to highlight, underline, and fold the pages. I like to make my real books REALLY MINE.

Oh, and just so you know, I don't read very much fiction.

But before you go writing off my book reviews because they're not entertaining novels, give me a chance! I read books to get ideas, change my perspectives, and improve my life. Even though the books I read aren't mysteries, action thrillers, or romances, they're VERY inspiring, funny, and useful.

My plan is to also post a couple other book reviews about different topics - art, spirituality, and brain/psychology stuff! We'll see how it goes...Let me know what you think! And, feel free to post your favourite books on any given subject :)

I thought I would begin by sharing my top 10 books (in no particular order) about pregnancy and early infancy...seems how that's sort of what's on my mind right now. And, yes, I have read WAY more than just 10 books. But, I'll brief you on my opinion of the books, and then let YOU choose which you pick up (or give as gifts to your friends/family who are entering motherhood)...

1) The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems

Here's what I took from this book: EASY street. E=eat, A=activity, S=sleep, Y=you time. Do these things in this order and you won't set your baby up to need to eat before she sleeps. Simple. But, she didn't solve all my problems.

2) Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child

Everyone RAVES about this book! It's one of the most highly rec'd books on baby's sleep, and so many new moms sing it's praises. But, to be honest, I am not sure why. I found it very unorganized, boring, repetitive, and difficult to follow (and I read it BEFORE I was an exhausted new mom!) It has lots of science and medical info about how sleep works, which is good. But, seriously, there is no "step by step" help in this one. It's confusing, long, and I think the biggest help with sleep is that it will induce some shut eye itself!

3) Expecting 411

A fabulous reference for pregnancy. Definitely my go-to book on any questions that I had! Loved how the Q&A format makes reading the sections you actually NEED to research quick and easy. Written by doctors, which of course I am partial to ;)

4) The Happiest Baby On the Block

Another quick overview: the main part of this book is the "5-S's." Swaddle, Shhhh, Swing, Side/Stomach, and Suck. Do these 5 things in this order, with appropriate intensity, and you'll help your crying newborn calm down like a pro.

There, now you don't need to read the book.

Just kidding...read it ;)

5) The Mother of All Pregnancy Books

A Canadian favourite! Funny, quick, witty, and informative. However, you then don't really need to bother with her next book, The Mother of All Baby Books, as the first half is a repeat from this book. I read both, and found the second one a waste of time. I highly rec'd this book as a great resource for pregnancy first-time moms.

6) Your Pregnancy Week By Week

Great resource, but boring and not super-well written. The Your Baby's First Year Week By Week is the same flavour: informative, but not entertaining. One of my peeves about the way that these authors write: they'll often say "from 2 to 3 weeks until 4 to 6 weeks..." Why don't you just say, "from 2 to 6 weeks"!?!?! Too much for a pregnant or new-mom brain to follow...

7) The Mother Dance

Harriet Lerner is a feminist from the 80's, and she is a well-known author with her series of "dance of..." books (ie Dance of Anger, Dance of Intimacy, etc.) I've read a few of her books, and I just LOVE to soak up her perspectives! This book was an enticing read that discussed the struggles that all mothers deal with...and how we can work through them in our society to live fulfilled motherhood lives.

8) Yummy Mummy Manifesto

Found this one on the discount table for about $5 at Chapters...hilarious, entertaining, fun, quick, easy read. Love the encouragement that this book brings to be yourself, find your own style, and love your body through all the different stages of pregnancy and early motherhood. Definitely lifted my mood to read this one!

9) The Baby Sleep Guide

This was a good overview of various sleep training suggestions. It offered a brief summary and the pros and cons of different strategies. It was well-organized, informative, and easy to read. It's a great little handbook to have around, and I appreciate how straightforward it is.

10) Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan

This is the latest book I have read on baby's sleep (to add to the above list, I have also read the SleepEasy Solution). I really appreciate this pro-active, preventative, reasonable, balanced approach to sleep training. The only thing I can say about this one is READ IT DURING PREGNANCY OR AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF BABY'S LIFE. It's a preventative strategy that works best if you start from the very beginning; trying to play catch up later on requires a little more creativity and patience. So far, this is the best method I have found for helping Evalie sleep.

TFL!!!!!

Sharing Her Last Year

2011-08-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of people die. Well, not like David has. I mean, he has actually been there and SEEN people die. I have seen the before-ness and the aftermath of death. I have been to way too many relatives funerals - so many I really can't count. I even remember burying my own father.

But, there is one woman who recently died in our life that has left quite an imprint. You know, we weren't too close to Betty Anne Gallagher before we moved out here to London, Ontario. But, she lived here - just five minutes away - so we got to know her pretty well.

Just before we arrived in London in the Summer of 2010, Betty was declared cancer free and had miraculously defeated the disease! We would enjoy our year with her. Until, recently, she took a sharp turn for the worse, and passed away this last Saturday night.

You would think that my mother-in-law's cousin wouldn't have had such an impact on me. But, she did. She was there at every major event of our lives this last year - from moving into our little apartment, discovering our pregnancy and baby's gender, all the holidays, giving birth to our first child, campouts at the cottage, and birthdays. She was generous - always giving way more than we needed both in physical gifts and in lovingkindness!

What was truly remarkable about Betty was her calm peace. She knew she was going to die. She knew her time was limited. Yet she wasn't frantic. She wasn't worried. She wasn't scared. She just calmly knew where she was going and got her affairs in order to make it as easy for the surviving as possible. A blessing until her last day. And, a blessing evermore.

I will miss you Betty - we love you! See you in Heaven...

Betty gave Evalie Rose a stocking full of toys...even while she was still in my tummy :)

Betty loved her granddaughter Rachyl :)

Betty and Evalie Rose at her baby shower.

Family really IS the most important thing

2011-08-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am enjoying over three weeks of having my only sibling visit Ontario to spend time with Evalie (oh, and me too). I've been looking forward to this month of "August with Auntie" all summer! And, it's turning out to be even better than I anticipated.

Krystal is busy learning the ropes of what this whole Auntie thing is like. She's noted quickly that my life is VERY different than it used to be. She keeps waiting, she says, for a moment when we're "just chillin'" when there's nothing on the agenda, when we can just hang out. Yeah. Those moments don't happen very often anymore.

Another thing that's different is that we're tired all the time (she just yawned and said, "Man! I am tired all the time!" And to think: she's not even the one who's up every two hours all night long...).

But what she DOES do is get up in the morning with Evalie. The first morning Evalie came into Auntie's room, I made her breakfast in bed and Krystal exclaimed, "Wow! She's smiling so much!" And, I said, "Yeah, she's really happy in the mornings." Then, Krystal stopped and looked at me and said calmly, "You mean she's really happy to SEE ME." "Oh, yeah, yeah, that's right! She's so happy to see you." lol ;)

In the mornings Auntie Krystal helps Evalie with her learning and growing. She was the first one to see her roll over from her back onto her tummy; and Krystal is very proud that Evalie has mastered moving her arm out into the front and pushing herself up in this position.

On the downside, Evalie got some shots the other day, and she was super moody for the days following. We suspect that's why she would SCREAM whenever Auntie Krystal was left alone with her...at times she would just INSIST on being with Mama and even when Auntie tried to put on E's socks she screamed like someone was torturing her. Krystal tried not to take it personally. She still tries not to take it personally.

All these moments that I get to witness make me remember the many years that Krystal and I have talked about the "one day" that we'll have kids. We used to wonder what it would be like...and what the kids would think of their Aunties. Will she like me? Will she remember me even if I don't see her all the time? Will she appreciate her American heritage? It all starts with building relationships one very tired precious day at a time.

Thank you Auntie Krystal for visiting!

1-2-3-4 I declare...

2011-07-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

My baby is FOUR months today! Here are some of the many things she can do this month that she wasn't able to to last:

- laugh and giggle (this is my favourite!)

- pick up a toy and put it in her mouth

- roll from her tummy to her back

- smile at people from across the room

- clearly understand and respond to her name

- pet Jolie (this is adorable btw!)

- tolerate the car seat without screaming her head off (see last post - YAY this is over!!!!)

See how she's grown...a picture of her on the 26th of each month since April (going backwards):

I have to say, I think she gets cuter and cuter with time :)

I am DONE

2011-06-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

Before I begin my rant about what exactly I am "done" with, let me begin by offering some of my favourite aspects of being a mommy to my baby girl. For, if I do not speak of the positive aspects of parenting, I fear I will sound like one of those super unhappy mommas that only complains about how terrible it is to have a child...someone who begs the question, "Well, what did you THINK it was going to be like?" If I don't offer up a balanced view before my coming complaints, my skewed negativity may actually MAKE me more of a pessimistic mommy, and I just don't want that.

So, some WONDERFUL things about my little baby girl:

1) Since Evalie was only about 4 weeks old, we have been enjoying between 5-8 hours of solid sleep per night. This is a gift worth more than any parent could ask for! Every once in a while, she breaks this pattern, but more often than not, I wake looking at the clock then smiling.

2) Evalie is super happy at home. She smiles, she explores, she plays, she brightens my life.

3) I haven't had to deal with any breastfeeding difficulties (besides just the usual learning of the dance). She eats like a champ, and I am continually thankful for God's provision for milk and a good latch.

After seeing the above tremendously wonderful boasts about my baby Evalie...you may wonder, "Whatever does Erika have to complain about?" Well...let me tell you.

I am DONE with driving Evalie around. SHE HATES HER CARSEAT. She hates the car. She hates being buckled in the car seat. And, before you go offering all sorts of unsolicited advice, please realize that this is NOT for lack of trying EVERYTHING we can think of to remedy the situation. Unlike many parents who talk about driving around their babies for hours to try to get them to stay asleep, we have the opposite problem.

And I am DONE.

I just can't do it anymore. I think I have given it a good shot...12 weeks is a pretty good amount of time to try to deal with it. But, anytime I want to go anywhere, I have to listen to crying crying crying. And, not just the usual, "I am tired, I am hungry, I am sad" crying. Nope. This is the, "Mom!!! You know what is wrong! Get me outta here! Why won't you help me?! You KNOW how to fix this problem...so why won't you FIX IT NOW!?!?" It's the red in the race, eyes wide open, sweat dripping down her head kind of crying. And, then I join right in.

Yes, I cry.

I cry right along side my baby girl. Because I know that I COULD make it better. I could easily take her out of that car seat (which I do right in our parking lot before I even take her into the apartment building) and hold her and shhhh her and make it all better. But, I choose to keep her safe, to keep her locked in that terrible monstrous contraption that is ensuring her life continues in case of an accident. Yes, I know she is unhappy, but she is also SAFE.

It breaks my heart. And, I just can't do it anymore. Aside from the rare errand where we MUST drive, I am now walking everywhere with her (case and point: dentist appointment today...what a wonderful dry warm overcast day for a walk). No more road trips. No more long days running about town to a whole bunch of different events. No more missing feeds and naps and all those things that make me and my girl happy. I need a break.

And I am taking one.

83 days...

2011-06-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

This was the first night she wore her first sleeper...As you can see, she is SWIMMING in this newborn sized piece of clothing.

This is tonight, 83 days later. It will be the last night she wears this sleeper, because it's officially too small for her. Her arms barely fit...her feet are pushing against the bottom so hard that the top goes off her shoulders in a scandalous way!

In 83 days, our baby has doubled in size. She has learned to soothe herself to sleep (on rare occassions), how to splash in the bath water, and how to push herself up with her legs. She's discovered her hands, her tongue, her feet, and the feel of Jolie's fur. She makes eye contact, smiles, and plays copycat games. She pays attention to hockey games, talking, singing, and books. In 83 days, or baby has gone from super tiny to just tiny, from sleeping 20 hours per day to only 14 hours per day, from looking like her neck would break to having excellent head control, from still learning the breastfeeding dance to being able to anticipate and communicate about nursing.

In 83 days, I have learned her pain cry, sleepy cry, hungry cry, bored cry, dirty/wet cry, and overstimulated cry. I have learned how to bathe her by myself, how to change a diaper almost anywhere, and how to manage all of her complex transportation details. I have discovered her favourite games, her favourite times of day, her favourite sounds. I know how she likes to be held, when to give her a soother, and when the only thing that will make her quiet is ME.

In 83 days, we have discovered each other. I am still learning her, and she is still learning me...but we've come a long way. In 83 days, I have become a MAMA and she is my BABY.

Thoughts on Thirty

2011-05-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Many people dread turning 30. It seems to be this big "over the hill" life change for the worse in our society. We fear aging. We hate fat and wrinkles. We dye our hair to hide the grey.

But not my mom.

She taught me to embrace aging. She left me a legacy filled with hope and joy with each passing decade. I still remember her turning 30 and later explaining to me that it was MUCH better than the 20's!

Why?

During my 20's I was filled with self-doubt. Constantly criticizing all the things I had said and done...and especially hating my body. No matter how many people told me I was beautiful, I never believed it. I always wanted to be more like the models in the magazines. But, not anymore! I thought I knew everything and wasn't afraid to say so...oops. I compensated for my low self-esteem with an opinionated air of pride. Another oops.

In my 30's (starting on May 24, 2011!) I am beginning the season of REAL self-confidence. I no longer care quite as much about what people say and think. I can stand up for myself with healthy assertiveness. I don't value what I used to. Instead, non-material things are what is really important in my life: health, love, friends, laughter, my relationship with God. These attitudes are what make me glad to enter my 30's.

In addition to all that, although my body isn't as thin and flawless as it used to be, I feel more and more beautiful every year. I have gained countless pounds since my 20th birthday, but I have gained MORE wisdom, faith, joy, love, and peace through the many experiences God has given me.

For those of you who have already enjoyed your 30's, my mother has also explained that the 40's are even better! She says that's when your sexuality as a woman really flourishes (can I say that on my blog?!) and that the 4th decade is so great the 30's melt away. On top of that, the 50's are the best yet...with a complete freedom to enjoy silver hair, beautiful wisdom-wrinkles, and the respect that only comes with age. Oh, to age with such grace and dignity!

Thank you Mom for leaving me such a wonderful perspective. Unlike the saying today that "The 30's are the new 20's," I am embracing what I really am in only 24 hours: 30 and lovin' it!!!!

Thank you to all my friends, family, and sweet husband and daughter for also making this the best birthday ever. Indeed, it is the first one where when asked, "What do you want for your birthday?" I could honestly truthfully answer, "I already have everything I could ever want."

More scrappin!

2011-05-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

Oh yes...I have headed the advice of my many momma friends who also scrapbook: ENJOY YOUR HOBBY WHILE SHE'S YOUNG, SHE ONLY GETS MORE BUSY! So, while baby was sleeping...this is what I was busy doing (oh, yeah...I SHOULD have been sleeping, though too, right?!)

(below - thank you to my friend Joanne for reminding me of this awesome new 7 Gypsies paper...I made this layout right after I saw your blog! Put Glossy Accents over the title to make it pop...took the pic while it was still a work in progress...)

Happy Mother's Day to Granny Bev!

2011-05-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Momma -

Thank you for the years of investment in my life. Thank you for the work that you did on yourSELF to become who you are today...so that I can be who I am. Thank you for teaching me, loving me, playing with me...for every poopy diaper, crayon-colored wall, and every ruined piece of furniture. You are a treasure to me...and now you're a treasure to your granddaughter Evalie Rose too!

I have learned how to be a mother from you. I love you...

Your Cindy Girl

(Photos are professionally shot by LTC Photography London, ON)

To Scrap or Sleep, That is The Question

2011-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

To scrap or sleep??? That is the question of my life these days! Both scrapbooking and sleeping are equally important to my sanity. It's a difficult choice. You'll notice that "showering" is not a part of this all-important question, because that is easily discarded. I don't mind stinking a little while I am scrapbooking, and I don't mind if my hair or make up isn't done (unless of course I am leaving the house...then it's a little different!) I also don't mind if the laundry piles up, the dishes lay in the sink, or the garbage cans fill (although thanks to a loving and amazing husband this actually hasn't happened yet...)

But, to capture memories, express my inner artist, and continue to leave a legacy of stories about our daily life DRIVES ME. It keeps me happy, human, and sane. It is food for my soul. Thanks for looking!!!

Been really REALLY into buttons lately...I think it's the whole baby thing (you know: cute as a button?!)

I started with only three circles on this one...then just kept on goin'! Some very old paper from a company called PaperWerx...love when those old things in my stash come in handy!

I was peeling off the blue protective plasticy stuff off these clear butterflies, when I realized that I really liked one layer of the blue stuff on them, because the color went with my scheme. So, i left one layer on!

My title is a series of various stamps. And, the bottom butterflies are the leftover scrap of part of a Hambly transparency.

Been really into using whole pieces of patterned papers as backgrounds lately...unlike me!

I decided to stamp my title (yay for Stampin Up stamps!) but it wasn't bold enough, so I colored it in. I layered Certainly Celery with Barely Banana marker inks to get just the right shade of green. Then, I created shadows with Old Olive.

I was too lazy to put beautiful threads through all the buttons, so I just stuck little knots of ribbon over a few of them. A decent middle ground, I figured.

These pictures (above) are from when Evalie was only 2 days old...she looks so different already! It's really fun to have so many pictures of her and watch her change quickly.

My mom's visit is already dearly missed. Scrapbooking about the wonderful times we shared makes me feel like she's still here...in a way. The flowers I used on the above layout were chosen together by us while she was here and we had a fun shopping trip at Michael's. I also thought of a new technique that I have never seen before; I used it on this layout. The background cardstock has a white core, so you can sand it. I put a Tattered Angels stencil behind the cardstock and sanded it so that the flourish image softly appeared in the top corners - I love the way it turned out!

On this layout, I got really stuck. I asked David for help, and he suggested using "Zs" on the page - PERFECT finishing touch! And, what a great way to use up my letter stickers! Thanks for your creative genius, David :)

I don't know if you can read the journalling on this one, but it's about how "It's OK to cry." My mom always taught me this, and I was really glad she did...it's something I hope to pass on to Evalie.

The three little hearts on the side have epoxy heart letter stickers in the middle that say, "I *heart* U" - I have seriously had these stickers for YEARS! I got them at the dollar spot at Target, and I have contemplated giving them away many times, because I hadn't used them. But, NOW was the time - and they're perfect! Do you see why we scrappers can sometimes hoard a little?!!?

{{{Now I need to go to bed.}}}

Journalling Inspired by Ali Edwards...

2011-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

SHE is the centre of our world in every way right now.

SHE has the most beautiful head of hair I have ever seen on a newborn.

SHE cluster fed from 4 am until 8 pm yesterday. SHE must be growing!

SHE already likes mobiles and watching interesting patterns while she's awake. SHE can focus her eyes incredibly well.

SHE breaks my heart when she cries.

SHE is so fun to dress up; it's hard to do it only once a day!

SHE likes to be in her sling carried against my skin when we walk or go to the dog park.

SHE has been super attached to momma lately.

SHE is our perfect little angel baby!

More baby pictures...enjoy!

2011-04-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is what I often wake up to: Granny Bev and Baby Evalie resting their eyes in the living room together so Mommy can sleep!

Yes, they BOTH look really great in purple, don't they!?

Silly faces!

Cousin Rachyl LOVES to hold Evalie!

Her very first time in her awesome swing! She loves it...

Jolie is very curious! What is this little thing???

Daddy's Girl

2011-04-04T05:13:00.000-07:00

Today Evalie is wearing a shirt that says "Daddy's Girl." She sure is :)

xoxoxoxo

Seriously, is there anything more romantic than seeing the man you love with the baby of your dreams??? Can I get any more blessed?!

Whispering "I love you's"

The HOTTEST guy at the grocery store!

Yes, he still studies! lol

TFL!

2011-04-04T02:12:00.000-07:00

A few of the photos I am using for the first week of Evalie's project 365 (with more fun Ali Edwards' brushes):

This one (above) was my first morning with her in the hospital. I loved the way the light was shining on her - my angel!

Can anyone truly describe how proud I am of my perfect baby girl???

Evalie Rose's first kiss from her Auntie Lindsay *xoxoxo*

And even more kisses from her Granny Bev - looks like they're both pretty happy to me :)

just one quick photo...

2011-03-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

...then I need to go nap!

Kissing Pregnancy Goodbye...

2011-03-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Things I won’t miss one bit about pregnancy:

- Taking over 5 minutes just to flip over in bed

- People making comments like, “Wow! You must be due any day!” even though I was only 20 weeks along.

- Headaches, backaches, bloody noses, hemmeroids, nausea, stretch marks, breathlessness, sleeplessness, Braxton hicks, achy hips, water retention, fatigue, heartburn, blurred vision, breast tenderness, and itchiness

- Gestational Diabetes

- Feeling fat and ugly one day then beautiful the next, and never knowing which mood I will wake up to

- Getting used to one stage, then having it change just as quickly

- A head-butted cervix

- Excess mucous…everywhere

- Insatiability

- Tacky maternity clothes (having to look at them in the stores; I didn’t actually BUY tacky maternity clothes!)

- Hoping people will let me go to the front of lines, offer me their seats, and open doors for me, but never actually experiencing this

Things I will definitely miss about pregnancy:

- Feeling beautiful and magical and completely feminine

- Getting compliments from people

- Cute maternity clothes

- Having a huge belly for a purpose

- The closeness between me and Evalie

- Not having to deal with a crying baby because she is always able to sleep perfectly, eat endlessly, and be completely comfortable

- Sleeping when I can

- Prenatal exercise & education classes

- How WONDERFUL apples taste (or anything else I am craving for that matter)

- A feeling of anticipation and looking forward to the future

- Celebrations & showers & presents

- David taking such good care of me

- Extra massage therapy and pedicure appointments

- Free time; lots of free time

- The nesting instinct; I love the motivation and energy of this drive to clean and organize. Oh, I also love having such a clean house all the time.

- Creativity; it just flows!

Overall…

Pregnancy has had its ups and downs. It’s had wonderful moments, and painful moments. The funny thing is, though…even though the lists are about the same length…I look back FONDLY on this season in my life! I have treasured, savored, LOVED being pregnant! I have enjoyed the good stuff and focused on it. I have minimized the bad stuff and just let it pass. I am so very thankful that God has given me a spirit of optimism during this precious time in my life, because it’s helped me to appreciate things so much more. And, although everything is going to change when Evalie arrives outside my womb, I hope that my same bright outlook will continue. I am not naïve. I know that parenting will be difficult – no one hesitates to tell you about that! But, people don’t often go around talking about how amazing it is to watch a child smile for the first time, or say their first word, or learn how to read. Everyone worries about how much they’re “sacrificing.” But, what about the gains? What about the fact that we’re adding so much to our lives, to our communities, to the world? I am excited to become a mama, and I can’t wait to experience the next chapter…as I say goodbye to this one…

{Photos by Kelly MacDonald}

Her Nook

2011-03-11T10:21:00.001-08:00

Our apartment only has two bedrooms, which I suppose for most people would mean that their baby gets a room as a nursery. But, for a variety of reasons, we've decided that Evalie's space will be a wall in our master bedroom. It sounds like it's not much, but I think it's adequate! So, here's the details of her little "nursery":

A couple good views of the whole area. You can see that our master bedroom is MASSIVE, so I think it still feels spacious in there:

Her "bassinet" is by Arm's Reach cosleeper's. I chose it because it's super sturdy, and the bassinet part holds up to 35 lbs. Then, the top bassinet part comes and and it's like a pack n play that holds up to 50 lbs. So, there's a possibility we'll be able to go without a crib altogether! And, it wheels right next to the bed, with the side of it lowered to make mid-night breastfeeding a breeze - woo hoo!

A homemade apple hat (because I have eaten so many apples during pregnancy that she'll be MADE of them!) from Etsy shoppe "DebsAranKnits":

One of Evalie's first Christmas presents; a sheep piggy bank from Auntie Krystal:

More sheep from the Lambie collection at Bath and Body Works (my mom and I had stocked up on these years ago when I thought a lamb "theme" would be cute for a nursery...since then I've decided to have a more modern theme...but the lambs are still cute in there!):

Some of the wonderful books we received from all you awesome friends:

This wall vinyl was made by my friend Jodi from Scrapbooking Memories here in London. She whipped it out with her Sillouette in no time! Thank you Jodie!

To hang up her hats, I hung ribbon from strong sticky hooks on the side of her dresser. I found these ADORABLE and IRRESISTABLE mini pink glittered clothespins in the scrapbooking section at Michaels to clip the hats onto...how flippin cute! This bunny hat is from the Etsy shoppe "Saidonia":

My AWESOME nursing chair! This was a splurge for us, and we're SO HAPPY that we got it! This was pretty enough that we can incorporate it into our living room furniture one day - and it's sooooooo comfy. It's from a family owned American company called Little Castle. You can order them at target.com.

This gorgeous canvas is an original handpainted piece of art from my dear friend Tammy in Victoria - it's so incredible! Also, there's another amazing handmade quilt on this stack of blankets from my friend Jen in BC - I am totally touched by handmade gifts!

Muslin swaddling blankets - a MUST have for summer babes!

Evalie's BEAUTIFUL homemade quilt from her Auntie Lindsay - love love love this!!!

All her clothes are ready and waiting for her cute little body:

TFL all you auntie's- to-be!!!!

I've been scrapbooking again!

2011-03-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

Part of my nesting instinct that's ruling my life right now is the need to catch up on my scrapbooking projects. I want to have room - to be ready - to enjoy scrapbooking just Evalie and the millions of stories I will want to tell when she arrives. For the most part, I am getting very close to "caught up." I have had to let go of certain goals - like scrapbooking Greece for example :( That's hard for me...but I also have to be realistic, ya know?

Very happy about the projects on my list that I did complete {listing for my own enjoyment...makes me feel good to write it down...}:

- Karen and Kenny's Wedding Album

- Moving to Ontario mini

- Starbucks mini

- San Fran Babymoon complete 12X12 album

- Prepping of Evalie's 365 album

- Nesting mini (to put photos in later - just got crazy inspired and had to make it!)

- Pregnancy Journey mini (in progress; as caught up as possible)

- All of 2010 and 2011 ALMOST caught up (including Christmas - woo hoo!)

Thought I would share some of the artwork that's flowed from my crazy drive to produce! TFL!!! Hope it inspires you :)

These (below - next four layouts) are some page protectors that my friend Kristin picked up for me thinking I would like them...she was right! They were perfect for these beach photos that I had so many of...I just cropped them all to 4" squares, and then used patterned paper and embellishments in some of the other pockets. Super easy and fast - and love the way that it still looks like a layout instead of "just" pictures in pockets.

I've been really into two-page layouts lately, I've noticed...more than usual anyway.

Yay for an oversized printer so I can journal directly onto the 12X12 pages! I have the Epson Stylus Photo 1400...it ROCKS. And, it comes with Photoshop Elements too!

Am so in love with mixing the different page sizes in with my albums. Above is my first ever two-page 8.5X11 vertical layout - love that size! Handy if you need something bigger than 12X12 but don't want to do a full 12X24...ya know?

Don't know WHY, but I am totally in love with the layout below. I just really like how it's so different than my other pages - the layout is totally different, but fun.

Finally found the BEST WHITE PEN I HAVE EVER USED!!!! Yes...this one REALLY REALLY works. I know they always say that...but take it from me (and see below). I have tried the Sharpie (dries out too fast), UniBall (doesn't write on pictures), and Gelly Roll (very uneven and not dependable). But...*drum roll please*...the Sakura Color Products Pen-Touch works WONDERFULLY!!!! I think I got it at a little stationary place that sells Japanese stuff...It's AWESOME.

Always wanted to use these little word stickers this way! Finally did it...

Thanks again for looking!!!!

Don't Do This

2011-02-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

In addition to my other house-wife mishaps, including shaking a tight plastic bottle full of hot chocolate as it exploded all over my kitchen and knocking the door handle off my bedroom door in the middle of the night rendering myself locked INSIDE my room...here's another doozie:

Never leave a glass lid on top of a burner that's still on high. You may hear a loud POP sound as the glass explodes in your kitchen. If your dinner is on a burner near said explosion, you may find yourself not only eagerly praying before you ingest your meal, but also carefully examining it, to ensure that you don't cut up your mouth full of glass pieces.

Lesson learned. Wisdom shared.

for those of you who like to read...a note from my journal

2011-02-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

Becoming Mama…

There are crazy identity crises that I am going through right now. For one thing, I am not working. Although I never really thought my career mattered a ton to me, I have realized that after investing a whole decade of my life to education and the application of that knowledge, it really is important and central to who I am. When I meet someone at a party, they’ll always ask what I do for work. Having to answer that I am unemployed since we moved to London has been a change in how I see myself. I don’t want to be labeled as lazy or dumb; I want people to see me as a hardworking educated woman. But without a career in my lap, I have to find security in other ways.

Another way that my identity is changing is through my body. It’s no longer slim and slender. It’s got lumps and bumps and droops and marks all over it. I’m no longer attractive to the average guy – although I notice that women look at me with admiration. My body will forever be different; I don’t expect to ever be what I was. I am okay with that – it is for a purpose. And I am just thankful that I have a loving husband who always finds me to be the most beautiful woman in the world!

Emotionally, I cannot even comprehend the love that I have for you, my little unborn baby girl. And, yes I know that this love is only a tiny bit of what I will feel and experience once I meet you and get to know you. The emotional and hormonal swings during pregnancy have been strong – although not overwhelmingly so. I have felt fairly stable, and have enjoyed having time to process my “deep thoughts” about becoming a parent. I am guessing, though, that my emotions will certainly be stronger once you arrive in my arms!

Cognitively, my mind is filled with new information – things I never thought I would invest so much time in learning about: breastfeeding, healthy sleep for children, various aspects of my reproductive organs, how to keep marriage strong in parenthood. I’ve gone from reading highly educational textbook material to pop-psychology and medical advice. My brain doesn’t feel nearly stimulated enough, and I wonder if this reading material is making me smarter…or dumber. Nonetheless, I am desperate to be careful to not reinvent the wheel with parenting, so I long to gain any insight I can from the “experts.”

All of my relationships are also changing. My relationship with Daddy is about to go strictly from “couple” to parental. Friendships are different; I am drawn to other young moms going through similar stages in life. Everyone in the family has a new name – Auntie, Cousin, Nana, Granny…they all relate to you. I am concerned about my single girlfriends, and making sure that I nourish those relationships – I don’t want to be someone who just talks about baby stuff all the time and neglects the other aspects of life. I also find that I don’t have as much energy to waste on trying to people-please; my own family and home is more and more of a priority.

Yes, Momma-Bear is growing inside of me. I don’t care nearly as much as I used to about what people think. Despite all the changes going on, I am accepting them – not fighting them. I prioritize my space, my body, my marriage, my life. I feel like I have to – because no one else will. I know that I will be the protector, the safety net, the nourisher as you enter this world. It will be a huge responsibility and a tremendous privilege.

You will become the center of our universe – even more than you already are. The attention and questions and inquiries of everyone around us will revolve around you. My head will usually be cut off in pictures, I won’t get nearly as many Christmas presents as in the past, and David will likely greet you first when he comes home from work. But, I won’t care. I am happy to bring you into a family that’s filled with love and caring for you. Soon enough you’ll understand that the world doesn’t revolve around you in reality…but for now, it will seem like it does!

As I enter motherhood, I realize that I am stepping over a major threshold. My old life will be forever gone. I will never walk around this earth strictly concerned about my own needs; I will always be thinking about you. Parenthood is the most permanent of commitments, the most transforming of choices, and the most emotionally powerful of relationships. I always say that the most difficult aspect of parenthood is that the child doesn’t change to fit into relationship with the parent; the parent has to do the work of changing, growing, maturing to fit into a pleasant and influential relationship with their child. I hope that I will be flexible enough!

{and just because I like pictures more than words}:

The Day We Got Engaged (December 15, 2003)

And Now We're Expecting (January 2011)

Nieces

2011-02-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some Christmas pictures of my two sweet little nieces, Isabella Marie and Kalli Janae. ARE THEY NOT so super CUTE!? I can't wait for them to have another little playmate all dressed in pink :) Our three Melnychuk girls are going to have so much fun together!

Love you sweethearts!

Request GRANTED!

2011-02-18T09:17:00.001-08:00

I was so flattered the other day when a friend of mine called and asked if I could post some handmade CARDS on my blog for inspiration. How nice is that?!

And, she was right...it's been a LONG while since I had posted any cards! There are some other postings on here. I've finally figured out how to add labels to my posts (thanks Alyssa!!!) so if you look under "scrapbooking" then there are cards listed there too...hopefully these will get your creative juices flowing!

If I need inspiration:

- I call a friend and ask for ideas ;)

- I rarely go online for card inspiration. I find it helpful for layouts, but not as much for cards. I end up spending WAY too much time trying to search search search...and not enough time creating

- I have invested in purchasing a few expensive magazine/idea books with great card layouts. I find these books really get me going!

- "Cards" by Northridge Publishing (same makers as Scrapbook Trends)

- My Stampin Up catalogue (always a good one!)

- "Paper Crafts" magazine (I don't waste my money on the usual publications; I only splurge and get the special editions - such as the newest "Color Inspiration" idea book that they've published. I find that I would rather have just a FEW great mags instead of a bunch of ones filled with advertising that I am just going to recycle later anyway...ya know?!)

These three sizes of cards are my favourite:

1) traditional (which is 5.5"X4.25")

2) skinny (which is 3"X6" - use a quarter of a 12"x12" piece of cardstock)

3) mini (which is 3.5"x5" - LOVE this cute size!)

My favorite tools in cardmaking include:

- stamps and ink (hello Stampin UP!)

- PUNCHES - I love love love these and use them allllll the time!

- ribbon

- the rule of thirds (esp when I am adding patterned paper to a card)

You'll notice that I keep my cards pretty simple. I like to add dimension too, whether through buttons or ribbon. Making sure things are nicely edged is something that "anchors" my cards.

Don't be afraid to "scraplift" yourself! If I find a card or page layout that I really love, I will repeat it various times through different themes or albums.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING!!!!!!

Brushes are my New BEST FRIEND

2011-02-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ever since I met so many wonderful hybrid-scrapbookers (part digital scrapbooking and part traditional) in Greece, I have been hoping that I would be able to figure out how to use "brushes." Brushes are like the digital version of a rubber stamps...and I LOVE RUBBER STAMPS in real life.

What's cool about Brushes are that apparently they're easy to use. I have been sitting on a CD of PhotoShop Elements for a couple years...never even downloaded (way too intimidating!) But, finally I have gotten up the courage. It's taken me a few days, because I am just technically dumb...I think the motivation has come with this whole NESTING thing. I am worried if I don't figure out how to do this now, then with a crying baby in arms I DEFINITELY won't figure it out. Also, I want to be able to use some different date brushes (like these: http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/product_info.php/products_id/9544) when I print up pictures for Evalie's 365 album.

But, I AM SOOOOO EXCITED AND SOOOOO HAPPY WITH THESE RESULTS! This is from that photo shoot that David did with me...how flippin awesome are these Ali Edwards brushes?! You can check them out here: www.designerdigitals.com They're only like $4 per package - and there are endless uses (you can even just print them onto paper anytime you want forever!).

On Ali's blog (www.aliedwards.com), she also gives tutorials for how to do all this fun stuff. Oh, and any other suggestions from all my digi/hybrid scrappin friends on where to find good tutorials?!

TFL!

Aaralyn Soleil

2011-02-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Met this baby's momma in prenatal aquafit class...and then I got the privilege of photographing her today (happy 2 month birthday baby girl!) Thank you Katrina for letting me practice on your beautiful baby!!! You are an INCREDIBLE mother, and it was a joy to be with the two of you :)

Here are some of my fav's...

Thanks for looking!!!!

Kelly MacDonald is AMAZING!

2011-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at some of Kelly's photos of us with our pregnancy photo shoot yesterday...I am in love!

http://www.kellymacdonaldphoto.com/blog/

Thank you Kelly for your incredible talent! We had a WONDERFUL time with you :)

Evalie Rose's 365 Album

2011-02-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

Before anyone gives me credit for this...just know that this idea was from my friend KRISTIN! She is the creative genious (along with Becky Higgins) behind this project ;) She's the one who suggested taking Becky's Project Life and making it into a baby's first year album.

Becky Higgins is a famous scrapper who invented what's called Project Life 365. You can hear all about it here: http://beckyhiggins.com/videos/. You can buy a kit for this project and literally just throw all the pieces in pockets, take a picture every day for a year, write about the pictures, and at the end of the year you're DONE!

BORING (to me).

I have a MILLION (well, thousands) pieces of cardstock and patterned paper. I also have a paper trimmer. Paper + trimmer = card that will fit into little pockets.

The one thing I did need to buy for this project was Becky's AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME pocket page protectors. You can buy them here if you're in Canada: http://scrapbookersinnercircle.com/cart.html#ecwid:category=177912&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal

Well worth the $$$!!!! They are incredible! And, you can't buy them anywhere else...

In addition to Becky's basic layout, I did the following:

1) I have an intro 12X12 page for each month. This is a KI Memories Calendar (my sister picked them all out for me!)

2) An ending 12X12 layout for each "photo of the month." I'll use an 8X8 photo each month to show how Evalie has grown.

3) An intro and ending page for the entire album

4) Space for a two-page 12X24 layout at the end where I will either do something like a square-punch grid of a bunch of photos over the year, or some other way to quickly document the growth of Evalie over the whole year.

In Becky's album, the entire thing has a "theme." Meaning, there is one colour scheme, one kind of "look" to the whole thing.

Again, BORING. I couldn't scrap an entire 365 days looking the same! I like variety!

So, each month of my album has a different colour scheme, a different theme to it. The one thing that brings cohesiveness to the entire album is the colour PINK! How appropriate!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a look at the album, all ready for our little beautiful baby girl! Now all I have to do for her first year of life is slip a picture in a pocket for each day (and who cares if I CHEAT?!) and by the time her first birthday rolls around, we'll be able to see how much she's grown! YAY!!!!!

April 2011 (the month we're expecting HER!!!):

May 2011 (has purple, because May is my birthday month and MY fav color is purple!):

Wasn't afraid to use some stickers on the outside of the pages.

Things I loved about doing this project:

1) Although it took quite a lot of time to put this together (mostly CHOOSING papers was time consuming), it is SO NICE to have this accomplished and ready for our baby!

2) Once I made the choices of papers/themes for each month, I was able get it done fairly fast (overall the whole thing probably took me about 25 hours total)

3) The coolest thing was USING UP MY STUFF!!!! I went through ENTIRE SHEETS of stickers and paper! NO LEFTOVERS!!!!!! Love doing that! Love the feeling of using something I have enjoyed seeing in my stash for a long time...to putting it in an album where I will see it forever :)

June 2011 (love the soft grey/silver with the white and pink of this month):

Mmmmm....TRANSPARENCIES!

July 2011 (bright for SUMMER!):

August 2011 (uses the new Hopscotch line by Basic Grey...a fav!):

September 2011:

October 2011 (isn't this Basic Grey line just YUMMY??):

November 2011 (simple in just pink and brown):

December 2011:

January 2012:

February 2012:

My plan for the year looks like this:

1) I will have NO PROBLEM taking pictures of my baby every day! I am sure of that!

2) If I forget a day, or a number of days...it's OKAY! I can live with that

3) I'll order pictures online and upload them every week or two. Then, I can just walk to Costco with little Evalie in the stroller and pick them up (and get a hot dog!)

4) Some of the pictures will be vertical and some horizontal...some will be colour and some black and white...some will be 4X6 and some 3X4...I am flexible

5) I'll journal on the little slips whenever I want to. If time goes by and I haven't journaled, I will LET IT GO and keep moving on! NO PRESSURE!

6) I will ENJOY this project. I will not allow it to be on my "to do" list as a chore. IT IS FUN :) It's for the purpose of maintaining my sanity as I adjust to motherhood!

March 2012 (love the fresh green papers by October Afternoon in this one!):

April 2012:

Mission: ACCOMPLISHED. Ahhhh...feels good!

Sister Visits the BUMP

2011-01-31T13:42:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got to spend a whole 10 DAYS with my sister Krystal...we met in Surrey BC to enjoy a number of post-Christmas activities together. Words really can't express how excited she is to become an AUNTIE! This was the only chance she had to see my belly bump, and we savoured our time together.

Auntie Krystal, thank you for taking the pics of me and David...and thanks for letting David take pics of US!

I HEART you!

Pictures by David

2011-01-25T17:50:00.001-08:00

My handsome hubby just keeps getting more and more talented with the camera! Here are the latest of my belly bump :)

And a few notes about being 30 weeks pregnant (today!):

- I have officially moved from the "I am so happy to be pregnant" stage to "I am SO EXCITED to meet my baby!" stage

- This belly is seriously heavy to lug around...I can't believe how much slower I am!

- We can see Evalie Rose kicking from the outside now...Just this morning while I was getting ready in the mirror I saw her kick and it fluttered my shirt :)

- The to-do lists are HUGE. Hoping this helps the long long long-ness of the third trimester feel quicker!

NESTING

2011-01-22T12:21:00.003-08:00

"Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the 'nesting' instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world."

Pregnancy Weekly

Hmmmm....So it would seem that this what I have been up to lately! The urge is overwhelming and energizing.

But, this belly that I have attached to the front of my body really slows me down, lemme tell ya. Not only do I still need ridiculous amounts of sleep, but sometimes my back will just GIVE OUT and not let me continue. Sometimes I have Braxton Hicks and just have to sit or lie down, because my tummy is so tight/cramped. Sometimes I am just plain old outta breath.

I have to say, though, that I LOVE NESTING! I love folding and putting away all her fresh clean little pink outfits. I love brainstorming and beginning her scrapbooking albums and announcement cards. I love having a closet with everything neatly stacked and organized by color. I love waking up to a house that doesn't appear messy, even when you look inside the closets (not all of them yet!) I love being motivated to get things checked off my list that have been haunting me for months (or even YEARS!)

The man who puts together all the big stuff, and keeps the garbage/recycling empty as I purge, sort, CLEAN! And, he doesn't question my crazy nesting behaviours...

YAY! We FINALLY have a carseat and stroller...now we can officially bring baby home when she's born!

Everything labeled and in its place. Empty prepped scrapbooks ready for pregnancy photo shoots and Evalie's first albums!

Daddy's diaper bag is all ready to go. Meanwhile, Mommy needs to save her money for the Coach baby bag that she really wants...oh, to have such expensive taste!

Prepping my mind for early parenthood. And, leaving pacifiers/baby toys around the house to train Jolie not to eat them!

TFL!

My Little Snow Girl

2010-12-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Hopefully these pictures speak for themselves...love love love you my little baby girl!!! Can't wait to meet you face to face :)

My first day of the THIRD TRIMESTER!

{Photo is imitating the work of photographer KellyMacDonaldPhoto.com)

Our puppy is so silly!

2010-12-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

Seriously, puppies are flippin' adorable. And, Jolie just seems to keep getting cuter...even as she ages. I suppose I can't really call her a "puppy" anymore - at 18 months of age - but she totally does the silliest things!

Laying between the sliding glass door and the blinds:

Twisting herself in the curtains:

Falling asleep under the coffee table:

Sprawling out on the couch like she owns the place:

Peeking through the sheer curtains with her nose sticking out (she'll lay like this for hours!)

Using pillows like a human does:

Taking advantage of the comfortable support of my belly/breastfeeding pillow:

Acting like it's all just no big deal!

Love my sweet Jolie Violet!

KJ & KJ wedding album

2010-12-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

Here are the promised photos of the 9X9 wedding album (that I am keeping for my collection) of Karen & Kenny. Seriously such a beautiful event! The photographer was flown in from Ontario to BC to take these marvelous pictures. I love having these albums of other photographer's work on hand for inspiration. They're so fun to look at!

Many of you know that I can whip through a wedding album very quickly. Often times, at retreats, I would complete a wedding album the first night of the weekend. It's so rewarding to have a whole album finished so quickly! There are reasons, though, that my wedding albums go SO FAST. And, here are some of my rec's:

1) KEEP IT SIMPLE AND CLASSIC. I use a black, cream, or chocolate background, depending on the theme of the wedding.

2) CHOOSE ONE ACCENT COLOR. Or, at the most, two. In this album, I chose red, because her flowers were red. Every once in a blue moon, I would do a page with maybe different colored photo corners or matting, just because it made the picture look that much better.

3) NO PATTERNED PAPER. As much as I adore patterned paper, it's very difficult to choose patterns that are truly timeless. I want a wedding album to look beautiful for the next 50 years, not to look fun and funky and trendy. That's just not what I am going for.

4) KEEP EMBELLISHMENTS TO A MINIMUM. I love using Making Memories Definition stickers in wedding albums. I also like to use a dab of metal embellishments here and there (although I didn't in this one). Photo corners are handy. Maybe a little bit of ribbon is okay too. But, other then that, keep it simple!

5) USE STAMPS. Stamps are an incredible way to repeat something a hundred times. In this album, I used a damask stamp because that was one of the themes of the wedding. I embossed black on the black cardstock for a subtle look that adds texture. In another album, I did snowflakes embossed in robin's egg blue sparkles, also on black cardstock.

Thanks for looking!

Snowed In = Projects DONE!

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

I am sure a lot of expecting mothers are like me: long to-do lists titled, "Before Baby Arrives." Well, I not only have my household/nesting list before baby arrives, but I also have a long list of creative/scrapbooking projects to complete! I don't often make to-do lists when it comes to art projects; I find as soon as it's in the have-to-do category, my creativity is GONE. However, the fact that my MIND is also gone right now (seriously, BABY BRAIN is real!) means that I must write things down, or I will completely forget that they exist.

I was snowed in this week - no hubby to shovel me out (he comes home tomorrow - yay!) So, I took advantage of the free quiet time (although Jolie was definitely NOT impressed without her daily trips to the dog park). I finished three projects:

1) Starbucks mini book *check*

2) Christmas Canvas *check*

3) Karen and Kenny's 9X9 wedding album (for myself) *check*

Here are pics of two of the projects; the wedding album has yet to be photographed in decent daylight (it's dark here at 5 pm!)

STARBUCKS MINI BOOK:

This book's final size is 5.5" X 8" or so...It's a VERY different album then what I normally do!

It's funky, and wild, and messy, and chunky, and odd-sized, and all those fun things.

This is a book to hold all my SB memorabilia - my pretty gift cards, my cool sleeves from around the world, and my pictures from my many memories there.

It's also a book to tell the stories of my beverages (as they change each season), and all the things I LOVE about Starbucks!

I decided to try a totally different way of binding this book (above). I used binder rings, but put them through the paper parallel to the edge instead of perpendicular. Then I used Tim Holtz tape to wrap around the edges. I don't recommend using the rings this way, unless your project is less bulky (it was REALLY hard to get the rings in, and I tore some of my paper this way).

So the reason this book is such a different size is because I have been collecting the SB ads that are printed in Real Simple magazine over the last couple of years (since they first began advertising). They're about 8.5X11", but that was too big for my liking for a "mini" book. So, I decided to glue them down and fold them in half. So, all the pages open up and have room inside for an add or other things like pictures, journalling, etc. And, there are extra pages for more things as I collect...

CHRISTMAS CANVAS:

Oh, how this project evolved! That's the cool thing about canvases, though, is if you don't like something - you can just paint over it! Originally, I wanted to do 2 square canvases back in the summer for our bedroom. Suffice it to say, I didn't like the way they were turning out, and after a silver-glittery background evolved, I just STOPPED and complained to my friend Kristin. She remarked the silver-glittery reminded her of Christmas, and maybe I could do something with snowflakes...GREAT IDEA!

So, I ran with it...

Used my Cricut to cut all the letters (thanks mom and dad - it was my Christmas gift last year); vinyl snowflakes from both Treasury of Memories and Stampin Up; a TON of modge podge; and some snowflake ornaments for depth/dimension.

It's still not my fav canvas I have ever done, but it works!

Thank you for looking!

Oh, and during the making of this blog post, I ate a whole pizza. By myself. Mmmm.

OH Christmas Tree!

2010-12-07T10:31:00.001-08:00

The Story of Putting up the Christmas Tree

by Jolie Violet, 2010

This year our tree did not smell like usual. It smelled like plastic instead of wood. This was very confusing for me, but I decided that I would eat it anyway.

I like to help Daddy put up the ornaments, but not the lights. He gets sort of frustrated when he does the lights, and so I just sniff things.

Mom and Dad always get to have treats while they decorate. Fortunately this year, although they didn't share the Cini Melts from McD's with me, they did let me chew on the empty Coke bottles after their "Cheers!"

Sometimes I like to sit on the couch, listen to Christmas carols, and watch the pretty tree. The other day I did try to eat a glass ornament, and it didn't really suit my taste, so I left it shattered on the carpet for Mommy to clean up.

I am very proud of our Christmas tree this year. I hope you like it. And I hope that I will get a bone or two in my stocking this year. I think I have been pretty good! Well...and if I haven't been good, I am at least CUTE, right?!

Merry *ruff!* Christmas to everyone!

(the end)