Gettin' Crafty

Believe it or not I snuck in some regular scrapping amidst my Daily December and holiday crafts in the last month or two.

Title: What a Trip

Journaling: We had so much fun on your field trip. You loved the nature walk & held my hand the whole time. I'm glad I could share it with you.

Product: October Afternoon paper, journaling spots and alpha

Title: 9 Months
I took the stats/info from my 9 month blog post and put them on journaling strips.

Product: Jillibean Soup paper, alpha, October Afternoon paper

Eleanor Margaret at 11 months

I honestly can't believe that in one month she'll be 1 year old. Her first year seemed to go by quicker than the big girls although that's impossible.

Here I was a year ago.

And here is Ellie right now. Nick and I often quote the line from Parenthood- "By the third kid, you know, you let them juggle knives." In our case we let her enjoy part of her big sisters birthday cake.

Right now Ellie is:

• Starting to stand on her own. It won't be long until we have a full out walker!
• Still is size 18 month clothes although I see a size upgrade in her future.
• Starting to wave which is downright adorable.
• LOVES bathtime with her big sisters. She gets the biggest smile when she splashes.
• Done eating cereal/baby food and can polish off a hot dog lickety split.
• She likes to babble and repeat sounds back to you. She'll say Mama, Dada, and boop.
• She's fallen in love with her Daddy. She will crawl with great quickness to get to him.
• Loves to stand on your legs and lean her head way back.
• Weighed 24 lbs. 4 oz. at an ear recheck this month.
• Has developed a throaty, hearty laugh. It's pretty contagious!

Happy 5th Birthday Bennet!

Dear B-
I simply and utterly adore you. How can you be 5 years old already? Sometimes I feel like it's Christmas Eve 2005 and your Dad and I just brought you home from the hospital. I remember the house being cold (big surprise) and the cats being intrigued with our new addition. Fast forward 5 years and you've become a big sister twice.

It seems that in the last 6 months you've grown up so much quicker than before. It's like things have been moving in warp speed. Your legs are longer, your sentences & questions are funnier, your personality is bursting at the seams. There are times I catch a glimpse of you walking down the hall or across the parking lot and I have to catch my breath. When did you get to be a little girl instead of a toddler? Where did my little baby go?

I love that you are sensitive and thoughtful. I love that you want to create/draw pictures for everyone from Mrs. Norieka to the pizza delivery boy. I love how you tell me "I love you Mama" at the moments I need to hear it most. I love that your favorite song is Bust a Move. I love that you take Scout's rough-and-tumble attitude without retaliation. I love how you make Ellie laugh. I simply love you.

Happy Birthday Bennet! Enjoy your year!

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa Bud too! He's 95. Happy Birthday to my cousin Tiffany too! She's 24! (Yes- my Grandpa has a granddaughter and greatgranddaughter who share his birthday. Very cool!)

Daily December- Dec. 12-15th

These are the last of the Daily December pages that I'm posting before Christmas. My night time hours will be spent doing last minute holiday trip preparations.

December 12-

The annual cookie baking day at Grandma & Grandpa Sweeney's. Bennet and Scout ate their fair share of dough and sprinkles!

December 13-
One of the benefits of having Scout in child care at work is that I get to see her regularly. Last week they were dressed as angels for a holiday gift project for parents.

December 14-
I finally made myself a paper loop wreath for the holidays. The yellow and red match our newly painted kitchen perfectly

December 15-
Our 2nd annual dinner out with Kim, Casie and Jess. My monthly scrapping friends. Olive Garden just opened here a couple of weeks ago which was a long time coming. We enjoyed food, drink and conversation. I love these ladies!

Daily December- Dec.10- 11

December 10th-

We mailed our holiday cards today. This year I designed a postcard with a collage of 2010 photos. On the back I listed the Top 10 of 2010. I am really happy with how they turned out.  

December 11- We had a major snowstorm. TONS of snow. 13.5 inches in a 24 hour period. The blowing and drifting added to the accumulation. Thank goodness for that new snowblower we purchased a couple of years ago. Bennet would spend all day outside if she could. She doesn't mind the cold, she just loves to play in the snow.

Happy Retirement Dad!

Today is my Dad's last day as a working stiff at Great River Energy after 38 years of service. He started there when he was 22 in 1972. Nick put into words what I couldn't so he is guest blogging today. 

Congrats on finishing the long haul! You’ve been there longer than I have been alive – not that I am that old or anything – but it is still one hell of an accomplishment. That job has brought you through the founding years of your family and into the troubling years of grand children ;) I hope you are as proud of your service as we are of you.

Time to kick up your heels and enjoy the silence. (At least until Bennet and Scout come to visit anyway.) Bill Watterson said it best, “There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” Here’s to having all the time for yourself, your hobbies, your thoughts, your dreams – in short – “Mike Time” – that you’ve earned.

Cheers,

- Nick

Congratulations Dad! Enjoy the next chapter in your life!! We love you!

Daily December- Dec. 8

December 8th-

Grandma Sweeney got the Elf on the Shefl for the girls. He watches what they do and reports back to Santa on whether they are naughty or nice. Each morning he's hiding in a new spot. The girls love it! Some sad face mornings but usually happy.

If the girls are naughty the Elf will have a piece of paper with a sad face with him in the morning. It's usually sad because the girls didn't go to bed without a fuss the night before. When we were at Scout's Holiday program at the YWCA Bennet started crying when she saw Santa walk into the Auditorium. I asked her why she was sad. She said that he was going to be disappointed that she'd been getting sad faces from the Elf. I told her all she had to do was apologize to Santa for misbehaving and he'd tell her she could start over. How precious is she?

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my all time favorite movies. So much so that our blog shares its name. It reminds me that the way I treat others leaves a lasting impact. That it isn't the things, but family & friends that determine wealth. No matter how many times I see it I always end up with tears running down my face.

As soon as George Bailey shouts 'My mouths bleeding, Bert! My mouth's bleeding' and digs in his pockets for ZuZu's petals I'm a goner. They continue to roll as George runs through Bedford Falls as a magical snow falls. When he runs in the house and grabs the loose banister knob, something that had been one of life's problems and kisses it, I'm reminded that all the day-to-day stresses and issues are not as bad as we make them out to be.

I truly do have A Wonderful Life. Clarence the Angel was right- 'No man is a failure who has friends'

Daily December- Dec. 7

One of my favorite traditions of the holiday season is to make the trek to Newby's Farm to cut down our family Christmas tree. We've been doing it for years. Until this year. This year Bennet and I drove less than one mile from our house to the corner lot and picked out a pre-cut tree.

This year I'm determined to keep the stress level low. I'm cutting myself some slack. There are only so many hours in the day. Only so many weekends in December. We can't do it all. We both work full time and have three young kids. While the kids would have enjoyed the cut-your-own variety they are equally happy with the fact that they have a 'big' tree all a glitter in the living room.

It is the smallest tree we've ever had but I'm ok with that too. I'm just going with the flow this year and loving it! We finished decorating the tree tonight while we listened to Christmas music.

Daily December- Dec. 9

Today my co-workers and I went to Allister Deacon's Coffee House for a little holiday get-together. I have an addiction to buttons in my scrapbooking and now it's carried over into gifts. I made these Button Ornaments for my co-workers for Christmas.

I went to an antique store and the Dime & Dollar to add to my stash of buttons. Michael's carries plastic ornaments so there was less worry about breakage. I stuffed some tinsel on the inside to block the gaps. I really like how they turned out. I should probably make one for myself don't you think?

Daily December- Dec. 5- Dec. 6

December 5-

Ellie is just soaking up all the sights and sounds of a Sweeney Christmas season. We're so lucky that she's an easy going kid- she just goes with the flow. Look at that messy face!

We've had 2 broken ornaments already but not she's not the culprit. Matches (Bennet) got to one and Gasoline (Scout) got the other.

December 6-
St. Nick's Day. I remember putting shoes out for St. Nick as a kid but I guess the traditional version involves socks so we go with that. The big girls loved the candy, nail polish, nail stickers and tattoos that they found in their socks. Ellie immediately fell in love with the little pink monkey Nick picked out for her. She's been carrying it around all week.

Daily December- Dec. 4

December 4- Christmas PJ Pants

I used my new sewing machine to make flannel Christmas pj pants for the girls to wear on Christmas Eve. I'm a little addicted to making them. I picked up some cute kitty fabric to make them another pair.

Daily December 2010

The last two years I've made a Daily December Album inspired by Ali Edwards. You would think that with the craziness of the holidays that this project would add to the stress. Not for me. It's such a fun way to document the season as it's happening.

When I purchased paper to make my paper loop wreath they sent me a double order for free. I used all the extra paper and lifted this design from the Jillibean Soup blog. It's set up for 4 x 6 photos so it's quick and easy- no editing required. Super SIMPLE design.

The key to success is to get it prepped before December starts. I prepped my pages in early November and now it's ready to go.

Here are the first 3 days of December 2010

December 1-
Letters to Santa. I loved that Bennet was old enough this year to actually write the letters when I helped her spell the words.

December 2-

Scout's holiday concert, Hanging of the Greens, at the YWCA.

December 3-

A lazy night at home. PJ's, hot cocoa and The Polar Express on TV.

Fun Friday Facts

Listening to: the new Sara Bareilles new album 'Kaledioscope Heart'

Reading: The Ape House by Sara Gruen.

Obsessed with: getting my Christmas shopping done.

Thinking about: Nick who is in Madison tonight to celebrate his friend Bill's birthday. They have a tendency to get into trouble. :) Pray that he comes back in one piece.

Planning to: add photos to my December Daily album tonight. Third year and still loving it.

Dreaming of: dreaming while sleeping on my awesome flannel sheets.

Enjoying: how excited Bennet is with everything related to the holiday season. If I could convert her enthusiasm into power she could tow my car home.

Vowing to: get finish sewing pj pants this weekend.

Working on: decorating the house for Christmas

Excited about: watching all the Holiday movies this year. First up- Love Actually.

Scoutie's Holiday Concert

Last night we attended our first holiday concert in which a child of ours was performing. Scout has been practicing her songs for the Hanging of the Greens concert at the YWCA for weeks. It wasn't unusual to hear her break into 'Must Be Santa' or 'The Santa Pokey' between bites at dinner. I think my favorite song was "Santa Got a Cold on Christmas" it involved alot of "AChoo's" and was downright adorable!!

Once I talked her into putting on her Santa costume (complete with a little sewn in paunch) she did great!  However, the photos did not turn out great. Aren't all holiday concert photos supposed to be grainy/dark/blurry. It's a right of passage.

We were lucky to have Grandma & Grandpa Sweeney attend as well. I'm sure they were as amused by the  2-4 year olds attempt to sing as we were.  

 

Bennet had a something very important to tell Santa last night related to the Elf on the Shelf but I'll talk about in another post.

A Night on the Town

Saturday night Nick and I went to the 20 Friends party at the Grand Theater in Wausau. My brother-in-law Tony is part of a group called 20 Friends. Every other year they put on a big black tie party the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They rent out the Grand Theater on Arts Block downtown and invite a couple hundred people to the event. They have 3 different musicians/bands, drinks and fun throughout the night.

This year was a Spy Theme. Nick designed the invites this year and made a website to go with it.  (use any password). He went all out and wore a cool spy watch complete with video capabilities and a holster w/a gun.

Don't we clean up well? A huge thanks goes out to our friend Jess for taking all three girls overnight. Talk about being an awesome friend. They had a blast and so did we!  We danced, we laughed, we drank, we enjoyed a night with just the two of us!

 Self portrait :)

Eleanor Margaret at 10 months

How is it possible that we'll be celebrating her 1st birthday in 2 short months?

I know that it is normal for parents to gush over their children. I am no exception. But when it comes to Ellie I am just smitten! Her little personality is really starting to emerge and it simultaneously makes my heart swell and my belly ache from laughter.

• She crawls super fast.
• Is pulling herself up on furniture and attempting to cruise. Will we have a walker by Christmas?
• Is pretty much eating what we eat. She LOVES to eat- All.Day.Long. Spaghetti, meat and bananas are her favorites right now.
• She is a great sleeper. Usually goes down without a peep at 7 p.m. and sleeps until 7 a.m.
• Naps twice a day.
• Size 4 diapers.
• Size 18 months or 2T clothes.
• At her 9 month appointment her stats were 22 lbs. 3 oz. and 30" tall. I think she's going to be tall like her Mom. She's close to 24 lbs. now.
• Ellie thinks Bennet hung the moon. B can get her to laugh better than anyone else. 
• Has 4 teeth. 2 on the top. 2 on the bottom. 
• Is getting over another cold. Ear infection again.

Holly Jolly Christmas- ScrapFreak Dec. Kit

ScrapFreak's December Kit- Holly Jolly Christmas

I did two holiday themed layouts and one non-Christmas layout this month. I just loved the sheet of tiny alphas.

TITLE: Archive at 35

Design Notes: This is my favorite layout of the month. I had so much fun listing things about me from my past year. I used a bunch of the tiny alphas along with some Cosmo Cricket word stickers.

TITLE: Your Holiday Joy Shows

Journaling: This year you were old enough to get truly excited about Christmas. We loved singing carols, baking cookies & talking about the "nice or naughty" list. You were on the nice list for sure. 12/09

Design Notes: I cut up the die cut cards and added some patterned paper on the top. I layered the chipboard alphabet on light brown paper to provide some contrast/

TITLE: Labor of LoveJournaling: Nick spent hours toiling away in the garage making the girls rocking horse. Usually layered up to brave the cold, Christmas songs on the radio. Picking out the right wood and screws. Deciding on some special touches like the gold painted rope & embellishments. Everytime I'd go check on his progress I'd tear up a little bit. Such a wonderful gift from a father to his daughters. I can't wait to see their faces on Christmas morning. It's something they will always cherish. 12/09

Design Notes: I found the patterned part of the die cut paper to be distracting for this particular layout so I cut the center out and used the edge.

Let Me Eat Cake

I think birthday layouts are my least favorite theme to work with. Poor Scout doesn't have any layouts for her 2nd birthday. But I did get one done for her 3rd birthday.
TITLE: Let Me Eat Cake
Journaling: This year you were all about the cake- you were very specific. You insisted that Dad make it. It had to be this exact shade of blue. Dad went to get special dye and edible pearls to complete your 'blue cake'

Supplies: Scenic Route pp, Making Memories pp, American Crafts pp, Cosmo Cricket pp, October Afternoon alpha, American Crafts alpha

Moments from my 34th Year

Today is my 35th birthday. Today I move into the next age demographic on all those surveys and forms. Today I am 100% happy with my age. As my Dad says, "Better a year older than dead". Today I feel blessed to have a husband who loves me, kids that adore me, family that accepts me and friends that choose to spend time with me. 

Here are some of the highlights from my 34th year. It was a busy one!

Top to bottom, Left to Right:

01. Movie Date with Bennet
02. Nick's homemade rocking horse for the girls for Christmas
03. 9 months pregnant with Ellie
04. First photo of my three girls
05. Spending lots of time in the wrap (Ellie birth-8 weeks)
06. Storytime at the library
07. Trunnell family visit Valentine's Day weekend
08. Ellie smiles
09. The Great Stomach Flu of 2010
10. Dying Eggs in Elk River
11. Easter weekend in Wausau
12. My first Mother's Day as a Mom of 3
13. MN cabin weekend with just us girls
14. First Fat Tire post Ellie
15. Memorial Day weekend at the cabin
16. WooHoo Wednesday picnic at Grandma Barb's
17. Homemade Zombie doll for Nick for Father's Day
18. Backyard camping with the big girls
19. 4th of July weekend in Wahkon, MN
20. Woodchucks Game
21. Date night to celebrate Jess's birthday
22. Madison weekend for Brett & Caitlin's wedding
23. Scrapbook weekend at Tall Oaks Retreat with ScrapFreaks (plus monthly crops with the girls!)
24. Family walk to the Farmers Market and breakfast at The Mint
25. Jason Yarrington Memorial Weekend in Eau Claire
26. Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay
27. After a decade as a redhead I go to my natural brown
28. After a year being unemployed I start my new job at the YWCA Wausau
29. Beef-A-Rama in Minocqua with the Mann's
30. Looking at the fall colors on Rib Mountain
31. Me & Ellie in the leaves
32. Sewing Bennet's Halloween costume
33. Chaperoning Bennet's Field Trip to School Forest
34. Surviving the day-to-day of raising 3 wonderful girls!

Fun Friday Facts

1. Did you see that Ryan Reynolds was named People's Sexiest Man Alive? Oh- he totally does it for me.
2. Taught a little paper bag scrapbooking class at a middle school this week for the YWCA GIRLS Club. I'll be doing it at the two other middle schools in the area as well.
3. Loved last nights episode of 'Community'. I want to build a giant blanket fort now.
4. Trying to find matching pj's for sizes 6, 4T and 18 months is tough so I'm going to sew some pj pants myself. Adds a personal little touch.

5. Bennet's first school photos came home this week. I love that she's wearing some random novelty necklace. It's so her.  

6. Going to the Wausau Country Club for lunch with Nick today.

7. Scout makes me laugh. She was eating some fancy sundae Nick concocted the other night and said (spoon in mouth)- "mmm... now this is good"

8. I'm already preparing for the Thanksgiving dinner. Not the actual preparation but the eating.
9. My friend Brett and his new bride Caitlin are coming to visit tomorrow/night. I am looking forward to seeing him and getting to know Caitlin better!
10. Starting a new book, A Secret Kept by Tatiane de Rosnay. I really enjoyed Sarah's Key so hopefully her new novel won't disappoint. 

Play x 2

I said that I normally don't scrap the same photo/layout for each of the girls albums. If they are in a photo together I just alternate which album I put it in. BUT- I really liked this photo. It summed up what their relationship this summer.

TITLE: Play
Journaling: The other day the two of you were playing in the living room & giggling non-stop. It made me so happy hearing you enjoying each other. It won't always be the case but I will remember the day you did.

Product: JillibeanSoup, Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon

Product: Bazill Swiss Dots, October Afternoon, Jillibean Soup, Cosmo Cricket

TITLE: Play

Journaling: Today you were sisters and friends.

Wordless Wednesday- Spaghetti Dinner = Bath Night

Perils of Potty Training

Whoever said that potty training was quick and painless never met Scout Ann Sweeney. I know it comes easy to some kids, but not our girl. It has been an uphill battle for the last 6 months or so. If there is a technique- we've tried it. We've tried bribery (Mama will get you a pony!), yelling, reverse psychology, incentive of a potty party, ignoring, treats, money, stickers- you get the point.

Scout turned 3 in early September. It was time. I'm done buying diapers for 2. About three weeks ago Nick and I decided the kid gloves were coming off- it was time for a little tough love. EVERY night after dinner she goes #2. Like clockwork.

5:25 p.m.- it begins. She strips down and sits on toilet BAWLING
(Bennet and Ellie are in the tub at this point. So all 5 of us in our tiny bathroom. Family bonding)


5:35 p.m- still BAWLING 5:45 p.m. - Bennet and Ellie out of the tub and downstairs. Away from the tears. Scout is still wimpering at this point.
6:00 p.m.- I take over for Nick. Scout and I look at pictures of kids using the potty on the iTouch.
6:30 p.m.- Scout wants me to have 'crazy hair' with funny ponytails. Everytime she toots I add a ponytail. Whatever works!
6:50 p.m.- It FINALLY happens and I actually hold back tears of joy. I didn't have to fake my excitement. She had a grin from ear-to-ear. "I did it Mommy! I did it!" I told her how proud I was of her. She said, "Me too! I'm proud too" After a quick wipe she proceeded to streak down the hall and downstairs to tell Nick, Bennet & Ellie.
6:55 p.m.- I hand her a PullUp and she says "No!" Runs into the nursery, grabs the rocking chair, moves it over to the dresser, climbs up and pulls out her Dora underwear. She's earned it!
7:00 p.m.- Celebratory ice cream with Magic Shell.
7:05 p.m.- A call to Grandma Mary Ella to share the milestone.

An hour and a half. 90 minutes of tears and negotiations it happened. Since then it had been hit or miss until last week. On Tuesday she asked to wear 'unnies' to preschool. Ok- here we go. She stayed dry all day-even through naptime-and hasn't looked back. It's a miracle!

Thank goodness!

Fun Friday Facts

1. We painted our living room last weekend/this week. We painted gray on the top and put a new shade of red under the chair rail. We added some new bookcases and an end table to complete the makeover. I didn't realize how much I disliked the old ivory color until the gray went on.

2. Really diggin' Pink's new song- 'Raise Your Glass'.

3. Is loving The Walking Dead on AMC. Nick has been into zombies for years so I am be default.

4. My sister, brother-in-law and niece are coming to visit this weekend. We haven't seen them since July so we're all very excited. Bennet even made them welcome cards last night.

5. It might snow tomorrow. I am ok with that.

6. Having a lunch date with Nick today. We are trying to make it a weekly thing.

7. I chaperoned Bennet on a field trip to School Forest yesterday. We had so much fun. I'm pretty sure Bennet loved having me there since she never let go of my hand.

It had been a long time since I rode a big yellow school bus. Nothing has changed.

8. One of her classmates had a shirt that said "To Hell with Cookies and Milk. Give me Jewelry and Cash" Really? I wouldn't even buy a shirt like that much less let her wear it to school.

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out next week. I am so excited.

10. Scout has stayed dry in underwear for two full days in a row. This is a HUGE deal. Requires a separate post at some point.

Sincere Thanks

Thank you to all the Veterans, living and not, that fought the noble battles to make and to keep the peace and freedoms that I enjoy. Those freedoms that I hope my children come to truly understand and cherish as I do. It is easy to get caught up in the business of day-to-day life without taking the time to appreciate what we have. Today I'm taking a minute to reflect on all that is good and thank those people who helped ensure that.

My grandfather, Franklin 'Bud' Kline served in World War II as a SeaBee. He will be 95 this December. Each May he participates in the Memorial Day service. 2010 marked 65 consecutive years.

My Dad, Mike Trunnell served in the Army during the Vietnam War at the tender age of 22. I love this photo of him. Standing in a typical pose with a full head of hair. On the back of the photo he wrote "Me on a big ass rock". That is so classic Dad! When I showed this picture to Bennet she said, "Hey Mama- PawPaw Mike has hair here. That's cool! "
My father-in-law, Roger Sweeney, is a proud member of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1964. Here he is aboard the USS Tecumseh. I hope I'm not breaking any trade secrets or impairing National Security with this photo. :) Right now he is on vacation in California with my mother-in-law hanging out with several different Navy friends. 40 years later and still sharing stories.

I have to thank my Mom as well. Each year she helps organize a phenomenal Veterans Day program at Twin Lakes Elementary School where she is a Special Ed Teacher. They really include the community as well as students and families. They have a flag raising ceremony followed by a program that introduces veteran guests, and families from their school who have a loved one actively serving. Thanks Mom for volunteering your time to put together such an important program!

Thanks to all vetrans!

I See You

On our last WooHoo Wednesday of 2010 (TyeDye in Sept) my friend Jess captured this photo of Ellie playing peek-a-boo with a tshirt on her head. Around that time Ellie started sticking her tongue out like this. I'm so happy that Jess caught the moment.

TITLE: I see YouJournaling: You steal my heart. Through a simple game of peek-a-boo . . . Product: October Afternoon pp, My Mind's Eye pp, Jillibean Soup pp, American Crafts alpha and trim.

What I Would Tell Her (If I knew what to say)

Last Friday Nick and I went to our first Parent Teacher Conference with Bennet's 4K teacher. I'm sure by the time Ellie graduates high school we'll be old pros, but since it was the first time I was nervous.

I don't what I was afraid of. I guess I was prepared to hear about all the things we needed to work on. I think I was afraid that she had inherited all of our less desirable qualities. Would she talk too much or interrupt?(I tend to interrupt). Would she forget her classmates names? (Nick's not so hot with names). Was she kissing ALL the boys or only Liam? Was she that kid?

It never occurred to me that she may have also inherited some of our most desirable qualities. That perhaps she was listening to what we've been teaching her. That she could be the girl we know and love at school as well as at home.


Her teacher told us that she was a wonderful, thoughtful and caring little girl. That Bennet looks out for classmates and makes sure they are doing ok. She said it was clear that Bennet was happy and loved school.

At this point that feedback means more to me than whether she can write her name (which she can) or can read a book unassisted (which she can't). There are so many moments of doubt when you're a parent. Am I doing it right? Am I doing enough? It makes me feel good to know that Nick and I are doing ok- maybe even great.

It reminded me of this video I saw at the beginning of the year. Katherine Center said it better than I could. I took the words from the video and used it for the journaling on my layout.

What I Would Tell Her (if I knew what to say) by Katherine Center

The Holiday's are Coming- Paper Loop Wreath

You can run but you can't hide. The holidays ARE coming. ScrapFreak is currently hosting a FREE class titled, 12 Days of Christmas. We have 12 days of fun scrappy projects to help you decorate your house and get in the holiday mood.

Here is a project I made for Day 1. I've made this wreath in the past as gifts but I never made one for myself. Since my kitchen is a newly painted muted yellow, I thought it was time I made one for our home.

Don't be intimidated by this project. It takes around 1 hour to make from start to finish. With a wreath from the Dollar Tree is costs less than $10 to make!

I made step-by-step instructions complete with pdf download that are available at ScrapFreak. Check it out!

Right Here Right Now

It's the first Friday of the month which means a new Freaky Friday Challenge at ScrapFreak.

Ferris Bueller said it best, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" My StoryTelling challenge to you this month is to document something happening Right Here, Right Now. Focus on something that you (or someone you love) is really into right now (drink, color, television show).

Journaling

Technique: Sometimes finding the perfect place to journal can be tricky. This month try journaling in a shape. Write around the edge of the page or around an element.

TITLE: Top Top Bottom Bottom

Journaling: You love babies. Your baby dolls & your sister Ellie too. At daycare Amy taught you how to burp a baby. Gently tap her back and say 'top top bottom bottom top top bottom bottom' with a little song. If I do it wrong you are quick to correct me. Always the helpful big sister. 06/10

I have to laugh because Scout did this little thing for a couple weeks and now she hasn't done it in months. I'm glad I remembered to document it.



TITLE: Just Hit Pause (inspired by Bennet when she grabs the remote to pause a show)
Journaling:Chooses egg sandwiches for lunch everyday * Loves checking the weather on the ipod touch in the morning. “Mom- it’s moonlight out today. Wait- there is another place to double check”* Is enjoying puting on her apron for nightly “cooking lessons” with Dad* Loves playing outside & riding her big girl bike* Is developing a wee bit of a sassy, ungrateful attitude that I hope is short lived *Loves to draw her ‘fam-a-lee’*Is embracing school & wanting to read even more books*Will often get up in the morning before I do. I find her wrapped up in a blanket on the couch*Can recognize songs within one or two notes*Thinks SuperHeroes are awesome*Makes me smile when she says, “You’re the best mom ever!”* Calls the store Old Navy - Old Gravy* Helps take the garbage to the curb every week without being asked.*Loves helping clean Stoli & Jones litter boxes* Her favorite tv show is Phineas & Ferb*Prefers wearing skirts to jeans* Wants to talk on the phone to everyone who calls*Is starting to say things like, “When I’m a 5 year old. . . ”*Loads the dishwasher*Enjoys picking out Ellie’s veggie or fruit from the pantry at mealtime* Is still talk talk talk & full of questions*Loves ‘Kids Place Live’ on the satellite radio* Sincerely tells me that I’m a ‘hot hot Mama’* Sept 2010