Keeping Life Creative
Teriyaki Honey Chicken, rice , and veggies was the first meal I cooked for my husband on one of our first dates as freshmen in college! He must have liked it because here we are 10+ years later! The sweet chicken is still a staple for our family and I especially love that it’s EASY (just dump in a bag!) and that it freezes so well.
Come visit me at Once a Month Mom for the recipe!
I don’t know about you, but it’s been a loooong winter in my part of the world, and for me, the first signs of green life popping back up is a happy sight!! Last night we went grocery shopping for GREEN foods to eat on St. Patty’s Day. Green grapes, green apples, broccoli, celery, green jello, green punch, green sprinkles for green frosted cookies. . . Last year we did GREEN eggs and ham (sneakily colored with a bit of pureed spinach–the kids never knew!).
In celebration of the nearing spring as well as St. Patrick’s Day, I have a fun GREEN-themed Giveaway for you!!!
One “lucky” winner will receive:
To enter, leave me a comment sharing your favorite GREEN thing. You can receive an additional entry by “liking” my Facebook page (and leaving another comment). Giveaway ends and a random winner will be chosen on Friday, March 18th.
.
This week is the school book fair and Ryan and I went to choose some books for his new teacher. It was a treat I received from thoughtful parents in my teaching days, so I suppose I want to reciprocate now that I’m on the parent end. Plus, I can’t resist browsing children’s literature–one of those things that makes me giddy! So glad my kids feel the same way.
To make the books a little more special we added some pretty packaging. Dollar store kraft paper makes some of the best wrapping paper.
Embellished the package with some simple twine “ribbon”, a scrap of an old dictionary page glued to a library pocket envelope, and a note written on a library index card (purchased at a school supply store).
Topped it off with a stack of bookplates (free printables here).
All ready for a special morning delivery!
And now, I’m wondering, what are your favorite teacher gift ideas? Teacher appreciation week is approaching, and one must be versed in these celebrations! 
One of the beginning digital scrapbooking questions I’m often asked (and one I also heavily pondered pre-digi days) is, What about printing?
My preferred method (so far) has been to print my completed layouts in easy-to-handle 8×8 hardbound books. I keep these books easily accessible on the coffee table or bookshelf so anyone can read them whenever they want.
And they do!
I don’t have ONE favorite printing place –yet. I’ve tried several, been happy with most. Since I let my kids look at their scrapbooks I don’t want to spend a fortune on printing (maybe later when I print books JUST for me) and so I typically just wait to find great deals and then print.
One of those “great deals” is going on right now with Groupon and Shutterfly. If you’re new to Groupon, it’s a daily deal site that gathers deals in your area and offers a huge discount—usually 50-90% off—for a limited time (usually one day). It’s a good deal for customers (hello, 50-90% off!), and it’s a good deal for businesses because they get new customers to try them out. Sometimes the deals are nationwide (I’ve purchased Groupons for Redbox and Barnes and Noble), and sometimes the deals are for places local to you (I’ve purchased Groupons for a local restaurant and local museum at deep discounts).
Anyway, so back to printing digital. The Groupon deal today is for 67% off a Shutterfly Photo Book. The first photobook I made as a brand-new-didn’t-know-what-I-was-doing-digi-scrapbooker was from Shutterfly, and I was really happy with how easy it was to use. Shutterfly has the option to create your own pages (this is where you would upload your digital layouts), or you can use the premade templates to drag and drop your digital photos (no scrapbooking required).
On another digi note, TODAY is the last day Little Dreamer will be open. My designs are currently 50% off until “doors” close (discount shows up when you click on each design). At this point I do not have plans to move to another digital store–maybe in the future, maybe for a guest spot or two, but for now I’m planning to take a designing break to work on a few projects, cook, blog, and open an Etsy store.
More details to come!
A few years back I convinced Jared I really needed a sewing machine. Christmas came, and he didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately I did (boo) because I don’t really know how to sew, except on paper to create digital stitches–not really what he had in mind during my persuasion!
Falling in love with pretty fabric has recently inspired me though, and I broke out the machine last week to make pillows. I’m loving how they add a fresh, springy feel to the room.
The pillows are definitely not perfect so don’t look too closely at the seams, but I have a feeling they’ll probably have sippy cup milk stains or boogers wiped on them soon anyway, so I’m not too worried about perfection.
Does your decor change with the seasons? What do you do to freshen up a room?
Well, the techy people say my hard drive is fried. Since it’s still under warranty, I’ll likely receive a replacement, which is nice, but really it’s my files I’m worried about. Let this be a lesson. . .backup, backup, backup.
When I got off the phone with the frustrating news I checked my e-mail and saw that Jared had sent me an article about “looking for the good” in our lives. What perfect timing, I thought–sarcastically. I was grumpy and just wanted to immerse myself in a box of Ding Dongs, pout about my files being gone, and kick myself (again) for not being smart about backing up. But that wouldn’t be a good example for my girls or my thighs so I read the article instead.
As I got into reading it, my heart was full with the remembrance that while life is so very full of things out of my control, one thing I do have control over is how I’ll react–for happiness is a choice. (Yes, I often make the wrong choice. But, it IS a choice.)
Not that choosing to look for the good solves my hard drive problem or anything, but I can feel peace about reacting in an honorable way, and I’ve definitely learned a great back-up lesson through the midst of this storm.
Vol. 25I’ve just spent two stressful days trying to figure out why my brand new hard drive isn’t working. And no, I don’t have a backup. I did, but then I canceled my Mozy account when their prices went up and, well–long story, stupid decision.
Besides my initial freakout about possibly losing all my data and not having a backup, I’m still undecided on what I’m going to do about designing when Little Dreamer closes next week. So I guess you could say I’ve “backed up” a bit in that department while I continue to feel out my options.
The Daily Digi posted an interesting backing up article the other day.
And while we’re talking about it, I was rear-ended when I was in the school pick-up line. Thankfully, my van only got a small scratch. But that was the other guy’s fault, as he was going forward, not as I was backing up.
Age wise, Ryan could have started kindergarten in the fall. But since the kid was reading at three-years old, we were worried he’d be BORED. After lots of contemplation, our decision–at the time–became to homeschool, indefinitely.
A few months ago I started to get a strong, undeniable feeling I needed to get more involved in the community–PTA specifically. The feeling was a bit of a shock because I was really pretty content hanging out in my own little world, staying home with my kids, designing, being active in church. And, um, PTA? You kind of need to have your kids in school to be part of that, right?
Then along with the feeling I should get more involved in the community, I felt we should start looking at schools. I argued with myself for a while because I had committed to homeschooling and was worried I was just getting tired, or burned out, or maybe the winter blahs. And from a selfish, somewhat-snobish, mama-bear perspective, I was worried our son would be overlooked in school because he’s already “up to grade-level.” I knew if I continued to keep him home I could push him at his own learning pace rather than the expected grade-level pace.
For weeks I waffled as Jared and I talked and prayed and made public and private school visits. I finally felt peace after collaborating with the vice principal and discussing the option of enrolling Ryan in kindergarten now–3 months before the school year ends, and then starting him in first grade next year. That way he doesn’t have to completely miss out on the kindergarten experience, but won’t have to sit through an entire potentially boring year.
Yesterday was his first day, and he LOVED it, so I’d say it was a success.
One thing I’ve learned throughout this school enrollment process is that for me, there’s not really a homeschool vs. public school vs. private school debate. Last year when we decided to homeschool I struggled with the decision because I hated having been a homeschooled child. But it was right for our family, at the time, so I invested all I could until it was no longer the right choice.
Now that school is the right choice, PTA . . . here I come???
It’s been a while since I’ve shared my grocery scores, but to be honest, I’ve been a bit lazy in the couponing department, so there hasn’t been much to show.
I have lots of meat in the freezer and plenty of eggs and milk left from last week, so this week’s shopping was mostly stocking up on manager’s specials and lunch box snacks. My kids love frozen yogurt, so I scooped up a bunch of markdowns (and used a coupon to save more, of course!). I broke my “rule” of spending less than $1 a box on cereal to indulge my three-year old and spent about $57, a bit over my $50/week goal.
For those of you who shop at a Kroger, it’s the second week of the Kroger Cart Buster Event. I took advantage of some good deals last week and am happy to be stocked back up on toilet paper. Yes, it’s the little things that make me happy.
To help Kroger celebrate their Cart Buster Event I have a $25 Kroger Gift Card to share with one of you! (This card can also be used at Kroger affiliates.) All you need to do leave a comment! Do you coupon? What’s your favorite grocery shopping secret?
Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 8th.
**Special thanks to the good people of Kroger, General Mills/Nestle/Proctor & Gamble and MyBlogSpark for sponsoring this giveaway!
Come see what I’m sharing today (FREEBIE alert!!) over at Tatertots and Jello!!
And what we’re eating over at Once a Month Mom. . .
Have a great weekend .
Yesterday when we were making our potato-stamped portraits, Ryan looked over at Emery’s drawings and commented, “Wow, that one has big hands!!” Emmy replied in a knowing voice, “Yeah, that’s cause she’s a mommy!”
While I’m not exactly sure what she meant (I don’t think my hands are THAT big!), it got me thinking about hands, particularly “big hands” and what that could mean for me–the mommy.
It could be that my hands are just much bigger than Emery’s, or that her three-year-old stature only comes hand-high to my body. But I would love to think she sees me as a provider–using my hands to care for her, create for her, hold her. Being generous with my hands is something I strive for.
Rewind to high school when I worked as a waitress at a little deli/donut shop. I loved that job (and the free all-you-can-eat donuts were a nice bonus! It’s amazing I remained a size 5. . . .).
One day after serving a sweet family sandwiches and donuts, I went to bus the table and was shocked to see they’d left me a $20 tip. Since this was the kind of diner where tips were typically $1-2, $5 if it was a big table, $20 was a big deal–especially to me, since I was saving my pennies for college. I don’t remember a whole lot about that family, but the experience has stayed with me–years later–as a lesson in generosity.
Ever since we were dating, Jared and I have talked about wanting to be the kind of people who are generous with what we give. I want to be that kind of person who leaves a $20 tip for a sweet high school waitress, or hands the grocery clerk an extra $100 bill at checkout to help cover the bill of the single mom in line behind me. I want to be the kind of family who spends a month of our summer vacation digging wells in Africa, or gives our Christmas presents to a family who really needs it.
Right now our family is not in the financial position to be very generous with our money–one of the reasons we’re pushing so hard to pay off our debt. But I think generosity can come in different ways, in different seasons, and maybe right now is my season to be more generous with my time, talents, love, or praise.
This year as our family focuses on “prospering,” it’s become clear to me that if our family expects to prosper, we should expect to be generous–the idea ”where much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12:48.)
And so if that means my ”big hands” are giving hands–I’ll take it.
Potato stamping is a craft my mom used to do with my younger siblings and me. Turns out my kids think it’s just as fun!
You’ll need: a potato (any kind will do!)
Cut the potato in half.
“Draw” a shape with the tip of your knife or a pencil.
Trace the shape with your knife tip as deep as you want the stamp to be, then carve away the potato around the edges of the shape, removing small pieces until your stamp is carved out.
Dip stamps in {washable} paint. Muffin papers make great disposible paint holders! (Vinyl table covering creates a funky glare. . .)
Gather some willing crafters and get creative!!
We also drew self portraits. . .
. . . and created custom stationary (Grandmas, look for mail!!).
So many fun possibilities with these disposible stamps!!
This is the tutorial that was originally featured on UCreate. . . Time to bring it home!
Right now silhouettes are one of my favorite home decor and fashion trends. I love them because they can be made to look subtle and classy, but are also a way to capture and display the detailed charm of your favorite people. I recently created some framed silhouettes for our living room wall and they have become a popular topic of conversation among our visitors! Upon close investigation people always want to know HOW I made them, and especially how I got such detail in my silhouettes.
To create these silhouettes I’m using a digital camera, a cute kiddo, and Photoshop Elements. {Download a free 30 day version of Photoshop.}
First, take a profile photo of your subject against a contrasting background. Don’t stress too much about getting a perfect photo. (The lighting was pretty bad when I took this shot but since I got a good profile, it didn’t matter.)
Upload the photo to your computer and then open in Photoshop Elements (File>>Open). You will see your photo in three places–the main screen, below in the “project bin” (to show which files you have open), and to the right in the “layers palette.”
Go to the image of your photo in the layers palette and right click. Then choose “Layer From Background.” A box will pop up asking if about what you want to name your layer. You can name it or just hit OK. Your photo will now change from a locked background to a manipulable layer.
Go to the tool menu (left side) and click on the lasso to show the other lasso options. Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool.
Outline the edges of the subject with the Polygonal Lasso Tool by left clicking the mouse and and dragging the polygonal lasso tool along the edges until you meet back around to your starting point. When your subject is completely outlined you will see dancing lines. TIP: Before you lasso, you may need to zoom in on your subject to get a more precise outline. (To zoom, click the magnifying glass in the top right corner of the tool bar. Make sure the zoom + option is selected, then zoom in by clicking the magnifying glass on the photo.)
Click on Select, and then click on Inverse.
Now there should be dancing lines around your outlined subject as well as the entire photo.
Hit the Delete key on your keyboard. The background will be removed, leaving only the subject. Deselect the dancing lines by hitting CTRL+D on the keyboard.
Go to the very bottom of the layers palette and create a new layer by clicking the page turning square icon.
Make sure the new layer is selected in the layers palette. Then fill the layer with a solid color using the paint bucket tool. Now select the move tool, then hit CTRL+G on your keyboard. This “clips” the paint-filled layer to the cutout profile.
Hit CTRL+E to merge paint-filled layer with cutout profile.
(When you save your silhouette, to keep the transparent background, save as a PNG file. When you are ready to print your image, save as a JPEG file.)
Now you have your completed silhouette image and the creative fun begins!
Just a few ideas for using your silhouettes. . . .
Drag onto a piece of digital patterned paper and then print on photo paper or canvas to create gorgeous frameable art.
Mix up look by changing the colors and textures by clipping (CTRL+G) different digital patterned papers.
Create memorable note cards
Upload your silhouette to a photo printing website and create adorable mousepads, plates, mugs, magnets, address labels, pendants, postcards, t-shirts, and so, so much more.
Man, you guys have had some haircutting doosies! It was sooo hard to choose only three winners for this one, so after reading and re-reading your stories, I’ve decided EVERYONE who commented needs this kit!
Ha! How’s that for decisive?
Send me your e-mail (pamelaodd@gmail.com) for links and then go scrap those stories!! Oh, and thanks for the good laughs!!
When we decided to sell the house, commiting to the change was emotional as I grieved the loss of the “dream.” But there was also sense of relief in letting the house go, realizing we could start fresh and make a new plan.
It’s freeing and humbling to realize we live in a place where we really CAN do anything and be anything we set our minds to. Isn’t that what they call the “American Dream?”
Having spent time in China and the Philippines, Jared and I knew our opportunity to “dream” was unique. And so grateful that we could, we started discussing options for our new plan.
Jared was miserable in his current field so I asked about his “ideal” job description and we discovered his dream job was a major career change and required more education. Jared had had amazing college experiences and opportunities and so going back to school was an exciting possibilty for him. But going back to the student life was scary for me, particularly as my role had changed from being a student myself to stay-at-home mom and wife of a graduate student.
Eventually I swallowed my pride as I realized it was important to me that my husband was happy in his career so while he finished out the last weeks of his miserable job, I researched schools and came up with possible scenarios to discuss over dinner. And we began to piece together our goals in the form of a vision board.
(to be continued. . .)
I’ve been thinking about “change” a lot this week as Little Dreamer is closing, and although I’m sad and a bit scared, it’s refreshing to realize there’s an opportunity for change. It’s given me the opportunity to revisit my goals and my priorities.
And it’s given me the chance to use this opportunity for change as a blank canvas where I can DREAM.
Being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job I’ve ever had. But it’s also very fulfilling and I believe raising my children is the most important job I’ll have. Having said that, I do understand the monotonous days, the need for a creative outlet, and the desire to follow a dream.
One of my favorite things about the internet is discovering new artists and writers, and especially (but not limited to) creative moms. Etsy is one of my most-often visited sites for creative inspiration, and I like supporting handmade by purchasing when I can.
I was thinking it might be fun to spend some time featuring some of my favorite artists, crafters, and bloggers who I look up to, am inspired by, and feel have ”captured” creativity. (Have a suggestion on someone who should be featured? Link me up!!)
Today I’m introducing the etsy store LilyBella Fabrics because I’ve been frequenting it A LOT lately! I have a sudden weakness for cute fabric, and no, I don’t sew. But yes, I’m amazing with glue and a staple gun. hehehee
It’s hard NOT to get excited about fabric when I see patterns and colors like these.
I read on her etsy profile that Christy, who runs LilyBella Fabrics, is a stay-at-home mom of four that always has a project in the works. I love her already (and no, she has no idea who I am)!
When I ordered some Heather Bailey fabric from Christy’s etsy store last week, she shipped it immediately and this small town girl was happy to get gorgeous fabric without having to drive 2 hours to the nearest fabric store. (Oh, have I mentioned I live in a small town???) I can’t wait to show you the projects I’ve got planned (although I’m kind of afraid to cut into it because it’s SOOO pretty!).
Until next week! Have a great weekend. xoxo
Once upon a time there was a boy who read a barber shop book and couldn’t resist practicing a cut of his own. . .
. . . which inspired his mama to contact her favorite digital designer to create a really fun haircutting kit!
And COME. ON. You need this kit. It’s just too cute to pass up. Perfect for documenting haircuts of course, new dos, accident cuts, etc.
Run over to Jacque’s store, where it’s 20% off this weekend!!
I’m giving this kit away to THREE people! Tell me your BEST haircutting blunder in the comments or on Facebook, and it could be you!!
Bye.
YAY for a sunny day! We’re soooo ready for spring around here. While we were hanging out outside I had my camera, and had a few thoughts I wanted to record for my kids–tidbits of motherly advice.
(She REALLY wanted to stay inside to color, but I made her come out anyway. I know, mean mom. She’s JUST like me I was.)
Elements used (by me): Noteable, Key to My Heart, Rise and Shine, Journaling Strips, Parcel Two by Tangie Baxter
I LOOOOOVE getting mail, yes I do. When I was little I used to get bummed when I didn’t get mail and my mom always said, if you want to get a letter, you have to write a letter. I got really good at writing letters very young! Bless those sweet grandmas who always wrote me back.
This week I got happy mail of a different sort. . .delish Heather Bailey fabric.
Not sure what I’m going to do with it yet. . . .though I’m thinking about pillows for the living room. But doesn’t it just sing SPRING?
Love.
My baby girl woke up sick this morning–the puke soaked bedding kind. (TMI?) If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a momma it’s to be flexible, and so today’s agenda now includes extra laundry and extra snuggles.
I’m feeling a bit sick myself–but not the puke kind, the uneasy, pit in the stomach, nervous-about-getting-on-an-airplane-kind.
Yesterday came news that Little Dreamer Designs will be closing. It was shocking, bittersweet news. Little Dreamer is a special store to me and I don’t think I would have become a designer if it weren’t for this store and Michelle’s inspiration. I know I’ve told this story before, but I first became interested in learning more about designing when I saw an ad for the Little Dreamer designing apprenticeship contest in 2008. I was a new digital scrapbooker, had severe post-partum depression, and was desperate for a creative outlet. When I saw that apprenticeship ad it occurred to me that real people were creating all these amazing digital designs I was scrapbooking with. LOL I knew barely anything about Photoshop but thought it would be so cool to apply and so while my husband worked late nights during his master’s program, I put the kids to bed and devoured Photoshop tutorials. After a few weeks I had worked up several {terrible} design samples, finally settled on one for the application and sent it in. I even put an image of myself as the winner of the Little Dreamer Apprentice Program on my vision board.
S0 I was CRUSHED when I didn’t even make the first round of cuts.
But after some initial sulking I decided to try designing again, and had the opportunity to sell at Elemental Scraps (now closed), Funky Playground Designs, and The DigiChick. Two-and-a-half years after that first contest I was invited to join the Little Dreamer team and it was certainly a “dream” come true.
Over the past couple of months the air has been different in the store and I’ve sensed change coming, so I was not completely surprised to hear we would be closing. But I am sad to say good-bye to my digi home. There is comfort for me though, that the store is not closing because it wasn’t doing well. Judging by the number of e-mails and facebook messages I’ve received, I’m sure that will be a comfort to many of you as well. We’re closing because our amazingly talented Michelle Coleman has received another opportunity that is just too good to pass up in this unstable economy. She is also planning a wedding and expecting a new baby, so while Little Dreamer will be missed, and I know it was a difficult decision for her, I’m sure we can all understand the need to consider what’s best for our families and our health.
Many of you have asked what I am going to be doing now. The truthful answer is, I really don’t know yet, hence the pit in my stomach this morning. But I am incredibly grateful to have options. Overwhelmingly grateful. And I really appreciate your supportive e-mails and kind words and prayers. It means so much to me. Sometimes doors close for a reason and I have a lot to consider.
In the meantime, the store closing does mean there is a major benefit to YOU–and that is a 50% off sale until our virtual doors close on March 15th. If there is something you’ve been eyeing, it’s definitely a good time to stock up!! I’ve noticed things are running a bit slow–maybe because it’s getting a lot of traffic, so if you get an error message, give it a rest and try again. I’ll give you plenty of notice before all my designs are pulled.
Most days breakfast is pretty low key around here, with oatmeal or cereal on the menu. But sometimes variety is called for, and the kids often request french toast. While I love french toast as much as the next person, I’m lazy efficient and often make it in a casserole form. Think french toast marries bread pudding and has a baby.
It’s EASY and fast to put together and cooks up while we get dressed and do our morning routine, which I love. I think I’m just in the stage of life where staying close to the stove to flip soggy bread is not practical and I imagine leaving the kitchen to discover my Oddles have pulled an entire package of baby wipes out of the container, one lovely wipe at a time–or that a marker masterpiece has been drawn on the cursed WHITE carpet.
Not that it would ever happen or anything. {Ahem.}
Shall we get to that recipe?
Ingredients: bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla
Yum.
When I came home with this mirror Jared wanted to know why I would buy such a “gaudy thing.”
“I have a plan,” I told him.
“Hmmm. I’m sure you do,” he said. Pretty sure he thinks I’m going crazy. Cooped up too long at home or in this small town, perhaps. Or maybe that’s just what I say to myself to make myself feel better. Haha
But I DO have a plan. See, I really love this Anthropologie mirror. . .
But the price I can live without.
When I saw the $12 “gaudy” flea-market mirror, it felt like a makeover waiting to happen. And since I’m working on my girls’ room and since there’s nothing a good coat of spray paint can’t do, I thought it could be perfect.
I’m thinking of painting it hot pink or turquiose. Couldn’t decide so I bought both.
THEN, I happened to be cruising the blog world today, and saw this:
CAAARRRRAAAAAZY! So my “original idea” was not so original. Ha. But at the same time I’m glad for the visual and confirmation that I’m not a total weirdo for buying a gaudy mirror.
Seeing Meg’s mirrorgot me thinking, hmmmm. Maybe I don’t want my mirror in the girls’ room. Maybe I should put it in the kitchen or living room??!!
Ahhhh! Decisions.
Papers and embellishments from Key to My Heart.
Oh my. It MUST be February. All I want to do is curl up, watch pointless TV, and eat chocolate. Yes, I get this way about this time every year. Yes, you’d think I’d remember and try to prevent it. *Sigh.* But I don’t and it seems to sneak up on me an steal my mojo.
Last night I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. Thank you freezer cooking. It was easy to pull off a yummy domestic meal without effort. And then after dinner Jared bathed the kids so I could ”get out.” I had been talking to a friend earlier in the day and she commented that sometimes you just need to “extract yourself” from your current surroundings and allow your mind to wander. I needed to take a moment to myself, to clear my head.
Have I mentioned before that I live in a tiny town? No Target, no craft store, not much open past 8pm. That kind of town. So when hubs asked where I was going to go, and I didn’t have a clue.
For a minute I just drove. Cranked up the music, loud. And drove.
Then I went to the flea market. A trip there always inspires creativity for me. It’s weird, something inspiring about fingering vintage paintings and china dishes, stretching my mind to come up with a modern use for them. I browsed for an hour or so then headed home in time to tuck the kids in bed, watch TV, and eat angel food cake and blueberries with Jared.
This morning went as usual. We got up early, read scriptures as a family, ate breakfast, did our morning chores, and hugged and kissed daddy on his way to work. Then Ryan collapsed in our big yellow chair and sighed, “There’s nothing better than just sitting down and doing nothing.”
Before my grandpa got really sick I watched him spend a lot of time outside on the patio, just sitting. He’d built birdfeeders in his yard and he loved to sit and feel the breeze and watch the birds, usually while sipping a Diet Coke. I always worried that he was lonely, but he seemed perfectly content to hang with his thoughts.
The nugget of wisdom from my 5-year-old was just was I needed this morning. Because sometimes, most of the time, I get so busy in my various roles and responsibilities that I don’t take time to just sit, and do nothing except spend time with my thoughts.
I think I’ll do that today.
I’m in love with this Etsy find, The Lazy Octopus. Especially after reading the product description: “This octopus has a busy schedule today: first, some floating, then some laziness. Finally, a bit more floating and a nap! Hope he doesn’t get too tired from having so many things planned!” Sounds nice, yeah?
The winter blues have gotten to me the past few days. But do you know what makes me really HAPPY?
Felt.
Yep, I love it. So much I spent $60 on it this weekend. Yikes. That’s a bit embarrassing to admit.
Putting it to good use though. More coming soon. . .
When I recently I talked about my electric-less memories, Chelle commented that my kids would probably LOVE it if their bedtime stories occassionally included lanterns or flashlights, as was the case in my childhood. Of course I LOVED the suggestion, wondered why I had never thought of it, and planned the experience for our next family night.
Once everyone was cozy on the couch in clean pjs and favorite blankets, we turned down the lights and I told them about my childhood days when my family didn’t have electricity.
I planned to go right into reading a story by flashlight as my mom once did by kerosene lamp, but felt prompted to first take an extra minute to share a spontaneous object lesson. All I had was a minute because the minature attention spans were about to expire, so I simply and briefly explained my belief of the Savior as our true source of light.
Some days I’m terrified about the role I’ve stepped in as a parent. I see things on TV or hear Jared talk about what his college students are involved in, and I swear I will never let my kids out of the house. (Remember that wipes commercial with the mom who kept her kid in a bubble ’cause the world was too messy?) hahaha
Realisticly though, and setting all the freakish sheltering tendencies aside, I know my little people need life experiences to develop. I know they will face challenges and temptations and times when they need to make hard decisions. As much as that scares me, and as much as I wish I could keep them babies forever, I need to daily seek the Light so I can teach these Oddles where to go for light.
I only hope my own actions toward them will exemplify that Light.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, weekly meal planning keeps me sane during that daily evil-hour-before-dinner hour. And I ALWAYS kick myself when I don’t do it.
But lately just “planning” our meals isn’t working so well thanks to a sweet little girl. It seems like JUST when I figure something works, it doesn’t work anymore. hahaha. Lovin’ this season.
I used to be able to prep dinner while Serity munched on a snack or played with the other kids but she’s been SOOOO clingy lately (not that I always mind, it means extra cuddles for me!) so any meal plan I might have is often ditched for something quicker.
A few months ago I got together with a couple of friends and we spent several hours prepping meals for the freezer. It was our first time doing an “all day cooking” sort of venture, so we probably weren’t as efficient as we could have been, but we pretty proud to walk away with around 30 meals. (Sorry, pics weren’t really the priority that day. . . .)
Since then I’ve been doing a lot more freezer cooking. I don’t have a separate freezer (just the one attached to the fridge), so space has been a bit of a challenge, but the challenge is worth being able to grab something out of the freezer to throw into the oven or Crockpot. It’s definitely helping with the crazy dinnertime hour, so I can focus on other things (like some yummy baby snuggles, or readingANOTHER Magic Treehouse chapter!).
In case anyone’s in the same boat (or you just want to save yourselves a bit of time!!), Once a Month Mom (OAMM) is an amazingly helpful (AND FREE!) resource I found a while back. Each month the “once-a-month mom” plans a new menu with foods suitable for freezing and then gives step-by-step directions on achieving a successful cooking day. I have to admit, I’ve never tackled another “all day cooking day” since the get together with my friends, but I have been using bits of time to do extra cooking and thanks to OAMM have learned a lot about creating the freezer meals that are keeping my dinnertime sanity.
And as Martha would say, THAT’S a good thing.
Jared and I were fresh out of college with a new baby when we jumped on the house-buying bandwagon—purchasing a construction-phase “starter” home in a trendy part of town. The mortgage payments stretched past our means, but it was a “good deal” for a new house, and I craved the prospect of “settling”—expecting a house would establish us and fulfill my insecurities. Jared, my adoring husband, supported me and worked hard to provide— aiming to make his young wife happy.
Shortly after we moved into the new house a visitor longingly said to Jared, “You’re living the dream, man. You’re living the dream.”
To be honest, I mentally patted myself on the back, for in my mind, we were living a dream. And in my mind we deserved it. I felt entitled to a reward after having worked so hard. I was a college graduate; had married a loving and committed man; had an adorable blue-eyed, blond-haired baby boy; and now had a new granite-countertopped home to meticulously decorate. What more could I want?
Jared left for work at 5am while I stayed home with my baby and my hobbies. I was bored and lonely and sad, but since I had painted myself the perfect image, I put a smile on my face and continued to pat myself on the back for my job well done. I mean, what did I have to complain about? We were living the dream!
Life has a way of smacking us down when we forget to show gratitude to the One who gives us everything. Truly, our plan isn’t always THE plan, especially when we give ourselves the glory.
I learned that the hard way.
While the housing market was rising, the economy was falling and six months after purchasing the house, Jared’s “stable” job ended.
There was a minute of panic before we began to make a new plan and we spent a lot of time on our knees, pondering the next step. Considering a new plan meant re-evaluating our priorities, and for me, meant reflecting on my motives and intentions. It was time for me to ask myself, what really matters? Who are you trying to impress? What are you trying to “keep up” with? WHY are you trying to keep up with them? What makes you so entitled? Why do you deserve anything?
Although Jared’s previous job had paid well, he was miserable in the line of work so we had a candid conversation one night–discussing our options.
“What’s your DREAM job?” I asked.
And then it clear to us he needed to go back to school. And there was the realization we needed to let the house go. The decisions came suddenly, unexpectedly, and within days our brand-new house was for sale {in the terribly slow market} and we were we applying to graduate schools. We made a new vision board, and continued to pray. Hard.
I cried. A lot. I grieved for my beautiful cranberry-painted kitchen, plush-carpeted craft room, and loss of the dream. Having grown up with financial instability, I was determined my own family would never experience it, and the house spelled security and status in my young mind.
It took a lot of humble prayer before I finally felt peace about selling the house. That’s when I realized it was JUST a house, not our HOME and it was more important that we were together. I exercised difficult-for-me trust in my husband when he promised there would be another house when the timing was right. And so the “dream” was not extinguished, just put on hold.
Luckily, Miraculously, Gratefully, the house sold seven weeks after putting it up for sale—just as were learning Jared had been accepted to our first-choice graduate school and that we were going to have another (surprise!) baby.
(to be continued. . .)
Truly, HIS plan is always better than our plan. I’ve been trying to remember that He does have a plan (though unknown to me) as I’ve pondered our “prospering” dreams this year.
Templates. How do I use thee? Let me count the ways. . .
Once you’ve got the basics of using a template down, you’ll find they can be oh soooo versatile.
Let’s explore.
Here’s the template we started with and the original page we made:
And here are some more pages made with the SAME template which has been flipped, twisted, and tweeked:
The key for me in creating these pages was to use my template as my guide, but to adapt it to fit my stories. That’s the beauty of templates. Let them work for you and you’ll find there are so many, many possibilities!
If you used the {free} “dream” template, I’d love to see your final product! Send me an e-mail, leave a comment on the blog, or link up on our facebook page.
Speaking of templates, I have a new set in the store. Build an Album {Vol. 3} is perfect for creating a themed album or for just upping your collection. Build an Album {Vol. 3} is 20% off this week.
Happy Groundhog Day!
According to the legend, on February 2nd the groundhog emerges from its burrow. If it does not see its shadow, it will come out of hibernation, leave the burrow, and there will be six more weeks until spring. But if the groundhog does see its shadow, it goes back to its burrow and there will be six more weeks of winter.
A while back I was explaining the tradition to my husband, and he said, “Six weeks until spring or six more weeks of winter–that’s the same thing!” Yeah, that’s why it’s funny .
I don’t know about you, but I’m sure hoping for six weeks ’til spring as I’ve got a bit of cabin fever. So, since it’s groundhog day AND Wednesday, I thought maybe we could all use a little mid-week, winter-blahs treat
(P.S. These are digital scrapbooking PNG elements. P.P.S. I did give this out last year, so you may already have it.)
More fun ideas if you’re also experiencing winter cabin fever:
Here’s to hoping spring is on it’s way!
When we woke up on Saturday morning without a plan, my husband rolled over with a kiss and said, “Let’s go thrifting today!”
Gosh, have I mentioned how much I love this man?!
Thrift store shopping is such an adventure for me and I’ll admit, I get slightly giddy about it. And yard sale season is one of my favorites . I know, crazy as it sounds, I’d choose thrift shopping ANY DAY over the mall. Ahem.
{Anyone still reading?}
Let me state I’m pretty picky about what I buy at thrift stores, and I’m definitely no where near hoarding state. I have the sense to look at something, know I would never pay full price for it, and then pass it up. But I also have the sense to spot buried treasure in the rough–which is why thrifting is such a thrill for me.
I’m usually on the search for cool, vintage-y, ready-to-be-made-over decor items, but the latest trip was mostly a success in the clothing department. Awesome, considering these darn kids keep disobeying me when I tell them to stop growing!
Scored on pants. . .
Shirts. . .
Dresses/Skirts. . .
Books. . . (saving the Christmas ones for next year)
And a new outfit for mama!
What are your thoughts on thrift store shopping?
Just ’cause I’m a digi-girl, doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good paper craft once in a while!
Pretty simple here. . .
Free-hand cut hearts out of old book paper and patterned paper. Hot-glue to a piece of red baker’s twine.
Embellish with chipboard stickers, other pretties, and a felt flower.
Display your lovely.
Hope you’re having a marvelous Monday!
P.S. Check out my latest guest post on Money Saving Mom!
We just finished reading Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy.
Junie B. has become one of our favorite characters because she is super funny and incredibly relatable. Last weekend when Ryan and I were having a little mommy time we found this delightful new-to-us book at the thrift store. Best $0.50 I spent that day as Junie B. has humored us at bedtime reading this week.
As you may be able to guess by the cover, Junie B. does a bit of. . .experimenting with scissors and hair. Her fascination starts when she visits the ”beauty shop guy” with her dad and decides her “hopes and dreams” are in scissors, smelly hair gel, and fluffy towels. Once home, she practices haircutting skills on her bunny slippers, the dog, and then herself before she hides her secret new style by wearing three hats to school. The story ends with a lesson she learns from her compassionate teacher and another trip with her dad to visit the “beauty shop guy” for a cute new cut.
The book was hilarious and perfectly entertaining. After finishing I thought the lesson was pretty clear, but had a talk with the kids anyway, reminding them they should never cut their own hair.
Apparently I wasn’t clear enough. Either that or I have a very mischievous five-year old–’cause Em’s beloved Dora doll just got a haircut.
Maybe that’s why someone’s mom dropped that book off at the thrift store.
Since one of our family goals this year is to read more and watch TV less, I’ve been thinking a lot about my own experiences with reading as a child. I was definitely blessed with the example my parents set which encouraged me to love books.
At the risk of sounding Little House on the Prairie-ish, there was a period in my childhood while building our house when we didn’t have electricity. After dinner when the sun was down my family spent a lot of those evenings gathered in the living room around a couple of kerosene lanterns. My brothers played legos, my sisters and I did a crafty project or snuggled in blankets, and my mom read aloud until bedtime–Indian in the Cupboard, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings.
These days our bedtime stories don’t include kerosene lamps, but they often include snuggles and blankets, and are one of my favorite times of day (and I think theirs too!). I admit, there are times I’m so tired I just want to skip reading and send the kids to bed, but most nights I’m glad we took the time to read together. It’s a good way to end the day before brushing teeth and saying prayers.
(And sometimes the promise of an extra book is just the bribe they need to speed up bath or pajama time!)
Hi Friends! Welcome to our chat about digital scrapbooking! So far we’ve covered:
Today we’re creating a page!! It’s a common myth that Photoshop is too complicated but today’s tutorial will {hopefully} smash a part of that. We’re going to be working with Daydream Believer to create a digital layout using a layered template.
Think of a layered template as a digital scrapbooker’s version of a page sketch. Templates are an amazing tool to use if you are feeling mojo-less, as a quick way to pump out some pages, or as a creative guide for your pages. Templates are also one of the easiest ways to get your feet wet in Photoshop. I’m going to be explaining some Photoshop basics as we create this page:
I’m using this template, which is a free download for you {yay!}, and for this tutorial I’ll be working in Photoshop Elements. {You can download a free 30 day trial on adobe.com.}
To walk you through the process I’ve created a video tutorial. I suggest watching it on Vimeo or downloading it to your computer for easier viewing. It’s about 20 minutes long.
Enjoy
Creating a Digital Layout Using a Template from Pam Odd on Vimeo.
(I’d love to hear any feedback and see your completed pages…was the tutorial helpful, do I really sound like a 12-year old!, etc.)
It’s good to dream. It’s good to stay focused on a goal and reach for success. But then it’s also good to take a step back, accept what you can’t control, and just TRUST.
That’s what I learned today.
Like clockwork, every day about 11am my 16-month fusses and little—a cue that she’s ready for warm milk. And so every day I heat a sippy cup of milk and then cuddle her. Our snuggle is short—just long enough for my busy toddler to feel the comfort of warm milk and the love of her mommy. It’s one of my favorite times of the day.
But this morning was extra busy and I missed the 11am cue and was late with the milk routine. Serity was cranky when I realized it was “milk time” and as she watched me fill her sippy she impatiently threw back her head in a protesting wail. Her little fists pumped “milk” in sign language and she screamed “no” when I put the cup in the microwave. To wait 45 more seconds was an eternity for my baby girl.
As she continued to curse the microwave and pump her chubby little hands I realized she was doing all she knew to communicate her desire for milk. I understood and wanted to give her the milk, but I also knew she wouldn’t appreciate it if I stopped the warming and gave it to her—still cold. I tried to hold and talk to her, and told her, “Look—only 12 seconds to go! It’s almost ready!” but nothing calmed the tantrum—she wanted milk and only milk. At that moment I made one of the hardest choices parents have to make—and I just watched my baby girl cry. I knew it would be just a few seconds and the milk would be the perfect temperature. And I knew in this case my perspective was greater and I was doing what was best for her.
When the milk was warm and our cuddle began, I stroked Serity’s hair and wiped the tears from her face and as I held her close and I thought about myself and how in many ways I’ve been throwing the same tantrum. I see myself begging and pleading and crying and throwing back my head in an impatient protest—‘but I’ve worked SO hard, why is this not happening for me?’ I imagine God—watching, knowing, and wanting to give me the desires of my heart—yet in His infinite wisdom seeing a greater perspective and understanding that the timing for my desires—as righteous as they may be—is not yet right. I imagine Him wanting to hold me and stroke my hair and wipe my tears because He loves me and wants me to be happy. And then I imagine Him making that difficult decision to step back and let me cry because if He gives me what I want before I’m ready I won’t appreciate it.
And I won’t have learned to trust Him.
It’s a fun day for me today because I am the creative guest over at UCreate!!
I’m sharing a Photoshop tutorial on creating your own silhouette art:
Stop by and check it out And if you’re visiting from UCreate, HELLO and welcome! So glad you have you stop by and hope to see you again!
When you’re ready to start supplying your digital stash you’ll want to purchase supplies or search for freebies to download. In most cases you will have immediate access to the files. Save the download to your desired location by clicking on “Save.”
The saved digital scrapbooking files will come in a compressed or “zipped” folder that will need to be extracted or “unzipped” before use. If you use Windows XP or Vista your computer should already have an unzipping program built in. You can test this by left clicking on the zipped file and selecting “Extract all.” Now your file should be unzipped and you will see the are individual files inside the folder.
If your computer doesn’t have a built in unzipping program you can download a free unzipping software. I asked around and the most recommended were Unzip Them All or Extract Now if you have a lot of files to unzip, or WinRar if you just have a single file to unzip.
Here is a video tutorial that will walk you through the downloading, saving, and unzipping process.
Downloading, Saving, and Unzipping from Pam Odd on Vimeo.
Of course you’ll need a “freebie” to practice with!! Download Daydream Believer
Up next, creating a digital layout using a template. . .
It’s no secret I love digital scrapbooking as a way to create photo albums and tell stories. I’ve been receiving quite a few e-mails lately so I thought I’d spend a few posts going over the basics and answering some of your questions. (And if you have more, please feel free to ask: pamelaodd@gmail.com)
First off, what do you need to get started in digital scrapbooking?
I’m guessing if you’re reading this you can go ahead and check computer off your list!
Besides a computer, the most important “supply” you’ll need for digital scrapbooking is an image editing program that works in layers and can open/work with .jpeg, .png, .psd, and .abr files. The most common program among digital scrapbookers is Photoshop Elements (PSE) and Photoshop Creative Suite (PSCS).
I started with Photoshop Elements and personally recommend it because most digital scrapbooking tutorials are written for this program and in most cases will do everything you’ll need/want to do. Elements is also quite affordable (around $80) compared to it’s big brother, Photoshop Creative Suite (around $600). You can download 30-day trials of Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop on adobe.com.
Two things I suggest before you purchase any program:
If you’re interested in programs other than Photoshop Elements or Photoshop Creative Suite, The Daily Digi has some suggestions.
An external hard drive is optional to start out, but I recommend having one if you decide you love digital scrapbooking. You’ll be working with photos and other large, high-quality images and they will quickly fill up and slow down your computer’s internal hard drive. It’s also smart to keep a back-up in case of a computer crash (more on this later). When I first went digital I used a small jump drive, then upgraded to a much larger external hard drive once I’d decided digi was for me.
Once you have your program loaded onto your computer and you have plenty of hard drive space, you’re ready to start acquiring digital supplies! Yay! The fun is about to begin!
There are two ways to stock your digi stash:
Up next, downloading, saving, and unzipping digital supplies (and maybe even a freebie!). . . .
I’m a child of the 80′s. I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and Big Bird and being told by the media I could be anything I wanted to be and do anything I wanted to do. But I also grew up in a place where higher education was never encouraged and there was no talk about what I’d like to be or do. And no one would have been been surprised—in fact it was almost expected—that I would just end up another teen pregnancy.
I remember daydreaming about escaping the life I knew to accomplish bigger and better things. Dreaming made survival easier as I made lists and pasted vision board-type collages in my journals. The goals were big and seemingly unreachable to my young teen mind, but I was determined.
Because I seem to have a rebellious spirit, I tend to fight against normal expectations and so instead of becoming that teen pregnancy, I was choosy about the boys I dated and remained a virgin until my wedding night. Instead of dropping out of high school I studied hard so I could be accepted to my college of choice. I worked several part-time jobs (telemarketing, waitressing, daycare) and took 18 and 21 credits a semester to get me through college. And I landed a solid career position before graduation.
Abraham Lincoln is quoted,
I tend to believe and am even inspired by it. I want my kids to believe they really CAN do anything and be anything. Sure it takes work, sure it’s hard, sure we fail. But it doesn’t mean we stop dreaming. Success and failure will always be woven throughout the stories of our lives.
We have family night every Monday. Last night we read a children’s book on Martin Luther King, Jr. and explained Martin’s “dream” in five- and three-year old terms. Then we talked about how we can all have a dream. Jared and I shared some of our dreams for this year and then asked the kids about theirs.
Ryan is determined to get a pet this year.
Emery wants to learn to read.
Seri wants to be a big sister.
Ha! Just kidding on that last one! Whew. . .
But Ry and Em do want to have a clown come to our house to ride a unicycle and do funny tricks. And I’m not kidding on that one. I told them all dreams are good dreams and we would write it down.
I refuse to be a dream squash-er this early in the game.
After the kids went to bed I worked on my 2011 “dream” board.
Seeing my goals helps me keep focus. (Notice how “prosper” is in the middle? All of my goals this year center around our one little word.)
P.S. I’m excited to make Nicole’s dream come true! You are the random winner of the Anybook Reader! CONGRATS!! E-mail me at pamelaodd (at) gmail (dot) com.
Nicole said:
Oh my! What an awesome tool! You did great on the paperclipping show, and I will definitely be subscribing to your feed! Hope I win!!
This year our family is working to “prosper” in family relationships, church responsibilities, faith, health, educational goals, and finances.
One of the things Jared and I have committed to do in order to “prosper” our relationships with our kids is to take them on a monthly one-on-one date. This is the story of the date I took Ryan on this weekend.
Tonight was my turn to take Ryan on a date. He chose the activity–going to a restaurant to get a kid’s meal (something we rarely do). He’s been really excited for his time out with me and when it was time to get ready he exclaimed, “I’ve been waiting for this moment ALL DAY!”
It was almost time to go when I heard him in my bathroom and started to smell the strong scent of Jared’s cologne. I peeked in on him. “What are you doing, buddy?” I asked.
“Making my hands smell good for you,” he replied, his hands doused in cologne.
I wanted to squeeze him and cry at the same time because I was so happy that he would think about me and what I might like. And that he was so excited to go on a “date” with me he would get “dressed up” (in his favorite Superman baseball cap) and “smell good,” knowing it would make the date special.
The date was special. We had lots of laughs, told silly jokes over chicken strips and fries, and I learned some secrets only five-year-olds tell. Being a mom is dang hard, but these are the moments that make it all worth it.
If you listened to the the Paperclipping Digi Show, you learned I usually start with the story when I create my scrapbook pages, which is why I have so many non-photo layouts. It’s one of my favorite ways to use theme-y digital kits.
Just a page with a bit of journaling about one of the goals we have this year: Less TV, More Books.
Journaling:A few days ago Ryan asked what my favorite TV show was when I was little. He was surprised when I told him we didn’t have TV. That’s not completely true though, we did have a TV–a really old one with rabbit ear antennas. But we didn’t watch it often, and when we did it was usually just an occassional VCR movie we borrowed from the library. My parents were very picky about what I watched and encouraged books as better entertainment. As a result I learned to love reading. This year Jared and I have made it a goal to follow my parents’ example and encourage more books and less TV. I don‘t think anything extreme will change from our current lifestyle as we already have lots of children’s literature and are selective about what the kids watch. It’s just that we want to be more conscious of the influence TV can have, while nurturing strong readers.
Part of the thrill of couponing for me is seeing what meals I can make out of the items I have around. At the moment I have an abundance of Maruchan noodles I picked up for free after sale and coupon and am always looking for new ways to use them. (P.S. I omitted the “cheese” seasoning packet and just used the noodles.) This is one of those recipes.
Pantry Chicken Noodle Soup
Total: $4.08 for 8 cups (this made enough for us to have leftovers at lunch!)
Boil water in a large pot. Add seasonings of choice and cream of chicken soup. Chop chicken breast into bite size pieces and place in boiling water. Add carrots. Boil about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add noodles and peas. Boil 2-3 minutes or until noodles are tender then remove from heat. Serve with crusty bread if desired.
For more bargain meals, be sure to check out $5 Dinners or the Ultimate Recipe Swap.
One of our family goals this year is to read more and watch TV less and I’d say there’s probably nothing better than cozying up with a good book and a pile of pillows.
P.S. I’m thinking about ordering this EZ-Forts kit. Wouldn’t it be the BEST for building reading time forts?
P.P.S. There’s still time to enter the Anybook Reader giveaway!
If you listened to the recent Paperclipping Digi Show (still pinching myself!), you heard me talk about my “pick of the week,” the Anybook Reader by Franklin Electronics.
The Anybook Reader is an interactive reading enhancement tool that comes with sound recording stickers you place on the page of a book and then activate by touching with the Anybook Reader. Once activated you record yourself reading the words of the book and then give it to your child so they can follow along in the book.
Since books and reading are big around our house I immediately loved the product and was excited to introduce it to my kids at reading time. Ryan’s currently into The Magic Treehouse series but they are still just a bit challenging for him to read on his own (I mean, sheesh, he’s only five!). So I’ve been reading the books to him, recording my voice with the Anybook Reader as we go. (Sometimes he takes a turn recording his own voice as well.) Then, when he’s on his own he likes to re-read the chapters, following along with the Anybook Reader.
I chose the Anybook Reader as my pick on the Papeclipping Digi Show because I thought it could be a great tool for scrapbookers to share the stories of their pages. My kids love to look at their scrapbooks and I think the Anybook Reader would be an awesome addition to the albums, because they can hear my voice telling the stories of the pages I’ve created.
The Anybook Reader would also be a great scrapbooking tool for preserving voice. A couple of years ago I sat down with my grandpa and asked him to tell me his story. I went through the photo albums and asked him questions and then created a scrapbook. Now that he has passed I look back and think how amazing that would have been to have his voice telling the story of his photos in addition to my journaling.
One of my favorite features of the Anybook Reader is that the stickers are re-usuable and re-recordable. I’ll probably just keep them in my scrapbooks all the time, but I like that I can reuse the ones I place in the kids’ storybooks. The Anybook Reader comes in a 15-hour version and a 60-hour version.
GUESS WHAT? I have an Anybook Reader to giveaway to one of my blog readers!! Waaa-hooooo!
To enter, just leave a comment. . . if you listened to the Paperclipping Digi Show, let me know what you thought, share with me how you think you might use the Anybook Reader, or tell me what you’re having for dinner. I’m not picky! LOL
Giveaway closes on Monday, January 17th, 2011.
Last year I chose a word for myself, but this year our family decided to focus on a ”word” together.
Prosper:
At first thought, “prosper” is primarily a financial word. While increasing our income and reducing our debt is one of our primary goals, we are looking to “prosper” in our family relationships, church responsibilities, faith, health, and educational goals as well.
Although it’s scary to put it in writing, chosing a theme for the year and making specific goals makes us more accountable so we sat down and wrote out some specific goals or activities for each category to help us achieve a year of prosperity.
Just a few things on our list:
I’m taking Ali’s One Little Word class. Excited to put more thought into this word of ours. Planning to make a vision board soon.
I may or may not have screamed, cried, and then wanted to throw up when asked to be on the Paperclipping Digi Show podcast alongside ALI EDWARDS!!!!!!!!!!
Soooo fun. I’ve been a fan of Paperclipping Digi Show since the beginning, so it was totally an honor to be invited to the show to begin with, but then to be invited to be a panelist along with Ali Edwards–PINCH ME, PLEASE!
Wanna go listen? Of course you do!
My 2010 Girls’ Getaway album is finished and ordered!! Always feels so good to get an album completed. (See the final product)
I chose to print my project as a 6×6 album at Artscow because they have a current deal on 6×6 books: $3.99 with FREE shipping using coupon code: 6X6BOOKS. Hard to beat that. I’ve never printed 6×6 before so we’ll see how I like it.
Tomorrow I have a BIG surprise! (Of course you may already know if you’re a Facebook fan!)
Sometimes I dread documenting my “event” photos (birthday, Christmas, vacation, etc.) because I get bored of the same event over and over. However, I’ve found a solution that’s currently working for me and I’ve been organizing these photos into a themed mini album, and then printing in a 20-ish page hardbound book.
Since starting a themed album can be a bit overwhelming, I thought I’d share a few tips on streamlining the process.
1. Organize your event photos into mini themes. In my Seattle Girls’ Getaway album, for example, I have a two page spread for each activity we did. . .
The Space Needle:
Pike Place Fish Market:
But breaking photos into mini themes isn’t always easy. When I’ve worked on reunion albums I’ve sorted through hundreds of photos taken from several different perspectives. Since many of the photos are just random snapshots during the reunion and not particular events, it’s been easiest for me to group several photos around a theme and then create a layout around that idea.
“Good Eats” features random photos centered around preparing or eating food. On the opposite page I documented our family reunion menu.
“Rest and Relaxation” is a collection of photos of people sleeping, cuddling babies, watching TV, etc.
I grouped all the kiddie pool photos in this “Pool Party” spread.
2. Scrap with a kit. I’m not always a kit scrapbooker but when creating a themed album I like my pages to coordinate and it’s easiest to start with a kit. Sometimes I choose a kit that coordinates with the theme of my album, other times I just choose a kit that I love with lots of non-themed papers and elements.
In my recent Girls’ Getaway album I chose a kit and additional elements to carry the theme of the vintage shops we visited.
3. Place multiple photos on a page. When creating themed layouts I prefer multi-photo layouts to help tell the whole story. A bonus to a multi-photo layout is that you can get away with imperfect photography because no one photo stands out. Templates are a huge time saver when creating these multi-photo layouts. Some of my favorite “go-to” multi-photo templates are by Yin Designs. Her blog is full of awesome {FREE} templates and multi-photo layout inspiration.
4. Use a neutral background and keep the accent papers and elements simple. Since it’s a themed album there will likely be lots of photos with lots of different colors. The album will be more cohesive if you let the focus stay on the photos and story rather than the pretty embellishments.
5. Alternate with non-people photos or bits of patterned paper. When I look at scrapbook pages I’m usually drawn to the faces of people, but a multi-photo layout can feel busy and overwhelming so I prefer to include a few stand-out face photos, and then intertwine non-photos or scraps of patterned paper. It helps tell the story of the event, breaks up page a bit, and helps bring the focus to the people. Didn’t take any non-people photos? Look at the photos you do have and consider cropping in on portions of the photo. (See example above of the flower garden spread.)
6. Don’t forget the journaling. Pictures may tell a thousand words, but there are lots of details you’ll forget later on. In my themed albums I’ve done journaling in different ways.
Sometimes I add bits of journaling on each page:
Other times I dedicate an album page to telling the story:
When I’ve created themed albums for others, I like to include a couple of blank pages in the back for them to add their own notes.
One page at a time. My last tip is about as good as that old joke, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Creating an album with hundreds of photos can definitely be an overwhelming project, but with a bit of organization and persistance, your your album will come together. Sometimes I push myself to finish an album when I find a great printing deal, other times I give myself a goal to complete two pages a day, or even challenge myself to see how many pages I can accomplish during the weekly digi show podcast. But in the end, my albums come together, one page at a time, and having the printed book as a keepsake is worth all the work.
A major bonus to Jared’s job is that he has several weeks off between semesters and we’ve been spending our days enjoying lots of family projects–building race tracks, going to the movies, making cookies and waffle breakfasts, reading books, painting the living room, cleaning out closets, planning an after-Christmas party.
Our evenings have been lazy with movies, too many holiday goodies, and for me, some scrapbooking.
The main project I’ve been working on is an annual “girls’ getaway” themed album. Three years ago my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and I left the kiddos with our husbands spent a couple of days exploring Seattle. We had so much fun we decided to make an annual “getaway” tradition.
It’s become my unofficial job to create the getaway scrapbook.
This year we decided to keep our girl’s getaway local and less expensive by taking a “staycation.” Rather than staying overnight we took just one day and spent it exploring new-to-us sites and shops in my mother-in-law’s hometown. We spent our time shopping vintage and consignment stores, eating out, and getting our nails done.
To carry on the old downtown theme I processed the photos so they’d have a faded feel, and then used funky papers, vintage-y elements and Altered Game Cards by PixelWorks.
I’m feeling so accomplished! Can’t wait to get this album finished. Coming tomorrow, tips on creating a themed album.
********
For more information on creating digital scrapbook pages, check out the links in the sidebar.
This is part of the series “Reasons to Digital Scrapbook.”
When Ryan was a few months old I took a very part-time job two evenings a week at a local scrapbook store–just so I could support my scrapbooking hobby. I was fascinated with all the pretty papers and embellishments and wanted all the newest gadgets. I stayed up on the trends as I poured through magazines and product catalogs. But then our income drastically changed, we had a second baby, and Jared entered graduate school, and my memory-keeping, art-creating hobby wasn’t practical anymore.
Then I discovered digital scrapbooking.
Because of our financial situation, the cost of digi was a significant reason I made the transition and today has remained one of the reasons I never looked back. I love that I can buy a full digital kit or a couple of digital element or paper packs for the same price as several sheets of traditional scrapbooking patterned papers. There are also a lot of free digital samples available (I have several links in the right-hand column). And let’s not forget The Digi Files, one of my favorite {inexpensive} ways to stock up on supplies.
THEN, digital is way more cost effective because you can use the same paper/element/alphabet over and over again and never run out! I had way too many frustrating moments of working on a layout title and running out of the sticker E’s or A’s and then having to come up with another creative way to finish my title (that or buy another pack of stickers). And I have a sad confession. . . when I paper scrapped I would often find a paper or element I loved and then never want to use it because I didn’t want to use it up! But I never have to worry about using up my favorite digital supplies. And I can even hoard all I want because the digital supplies require minimal space!
One more reason digi is cost effective is that you can easily recolor items to match your photos. There were plenty of times I’d go to the scrapbook store and find a patterned paper or ribbon I LOVED but it didn’t match the photos in the layout I was working on. Now I can just recolor my digi supplies a bit and waah-laaa! No waste. Oh. And then I can go use that same paper/element on a different layout! Same thing the opposite way. Maybe my photo doesn’t match the paper I love. Just change the color in the photo–problem solved.
So, three cost effective reasons I love digital scrapbooking:
You may also want to read these reasons I love digital scrapbooking:
