Bee Bo

A couple of weekends ago I organized ALL my scrap paper. My big 12x12 paper down to the super small "I can't part with it" paper. It felt so good! Before I put it away I grabbed some smaller pieces and put this layout together.

We call Ellie's belly button from theSandra Boynton Belly Button book. I love this photo- even with the "I- just-woke-up-and-I'm-sweaty" look.

TITLE: Bee Bo

Product: October Afternoon, Echo Park, Basic Grey, American Crafts, Jillibean Soup

Simple Joy

Bennet's cute butterfly sandals were the inspiration for this layout. I love this photo of the two of us. It's an 'arms-held-out' photo that we took at an end of the year field trip to the Center for the Visual Arts where, ironically, she made a mosiac butterfly art piece. I am going to add a couple more tags to the folder. I have alot of end-of-her-first-school year memories and feelings to document.

I used the May Scrapbook Nook kit that featured the Basic Grey Luscious collection.

5 months ago

A little over 5 months ago, Ellie spent 3 nights in the hospital with RSV/pneumonia/double ear infection. I had two photos printed to choose from to scrap and then decided to scrap them both.

Title: There you Are

Journaling: I took the journaling directly from this blog post.

Title: You

Bedtime Ritual

The weekend started out wonderful. Friday night we received an impromtu invite to a fabulous Northwoods beach with our friends the Mann's for Saturday. We were up early, picnic packed and out the door before 8 a.m. We made a breakfast stop to celebrate Nick's birthday at The Mint Cafe before heading out of town. That's when I glanced at Scout's untouched french toast and put my hand to her forehead. Hot. Really hot. Yep- #2 down for the count. Cancel the trip to the beach.

We spent the rest of the weekend attending to her 103 fever and what-i-think is pink eye. All the tucking in and napping reminded me of a layout I've been wanting to make about our bedtime ritual. I used a monochromatic pink color scheme. I keep coming back to a classic grid layout. I just never tire of them.

TITLE: Sleep Tight, Bugs Bite, Moon & Back.

Journaling: Our bedtime ritual. After a hig & kiss we say these 3 things in order. Then I ask, "What are you going to dream about? I'm going to dream about. . . " You say, "Me too!" to which I reply, "Ok- see you there!"

Product: Jillibean Soup alpha & paper, Echo Park paper, Bella Blvd. paper, Scenic Route paper, October Afternoon paper, Jenni Bowlin paper 

10 Things on Thursday

1.Ellie has been waking up at 12:30 a.m. the last couple of nights and won't go back to sleep in her bed. We actually brought her into our bed the other night which NEVER happens. It was about 40% cute having her all snuggled in next to me but 60% uncomfortable with the sliver of bed I was left with.
2. I had my hair cut SUPER short 8 weeks ago. It's still a little too short for me- but it's growing right?
3. Scout has turned into a singing superstar. She sings ALL the time. Not only actual songs but ones she makes up. Sample: "We're in the pontoon going to see baby Morgan Ohh woo woo".
4. I sent my camera off to the Canon repair center. I have two wishes. 1. that it won't cost as much as a semester of college to repair and 2. that it comes back quickly!
5. Bennet's hair is driving me crazy. We're growing out her bangs and the overall length makes for a straggly looking girl. It's a right of passage right? We talked about growing it out until we can donate it for Beautiful Lengths. We have a ways to go.
6. Right now I'm reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
7. Nick and I are going on a day-date tomorrow to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2. Very excited.
8. Happy belated Birthday to my not-so-baby brother Gregg who turned 29 yesterday. (holy s#@$)
9. Nick's birthday is on Saturday. I'd better bake a cake!
10. This weekend I plan on sneaking out Friday night to celebrate my friend Jess's birthday, enjoying the food from a Guys Who Grill practice with Nick and his grilling friend Matt and the general laundry, cleaning.

What a Change

The Scrapbook Nook is hosting a sketch challenge and this month's sketch was perfect for my First Day/Last Day photos. I love this line from October Afternoon. Of course I saved every scrap so I can use it again.

TITLE: What a Change
Journaling: From the first day of 4K to the last  you grew up so much. Just look at you! 2010-2011

Oh Harry!

I am one of the millions (billions?) of people who fell in love with the Harry Potter series of books. I found myself getting lost in them over and over. The characters that were impossible not to love. Impossible not to cheer on.The pages turning as fast as I could read them. I have all sorts of memories related to the books.

I remember watching the first movie, on the first night at a theater in Madison the night before my friend Liz Runquist's wedding (2002). Sitting next to me were Nick, my sister Katie and my now brother-in-law Matt. Matt and I were fans of the books and I can remember the first time we saw Hogwart's on the screen. We both leaned forward and looked at each other with a geeky "this is so awesome" look.

I remember being in Las Vegas for my friend Amy Woodward's bachelorette party when I was 17 weeks pregnant with Bennet. I stayed up for the release of the six book- Half Blood Prince- at midnight and bought the book in a casino :)

I remember waiting in line with my sister Megan outside the Barnes and Noble for the release of the 7th and final book- The Deathly Hallows. Last weekend we rented Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Blu-Ray. We had seen it in the theater but I wanted to see it again before the last film. We watched it once on Saturday night and then again on Sunday. Then I grabbed the book off my shelf and re-read the 2nd half of the book. I was hooked all over again.

Nick and I have a day-date on Friday to see the final movie. It's a bittersweet end, but one that I'm looking forward to seeing all the same. Cheers!


Layout I made in July 2007. I am 7 months pregnant with Scout here. (Wow- is that vintage Rusty Pickle paper?)

HIDDEN JOURNALING: Steven King said it best- I'm having a day of mixed feelings: happy because I'm reading a novel that's full of magic, mystery, and monsters; sad because it will be finished tomorrow and on my shelf, with all its secrets told and its surviving characters set free to live their own lives. And I'm a grown-up, for God's sake — a damn Muggle!”


Words can hardly explain how much I enjoyed the final installment of the Harry Potter series. I got my cup of coffee, favorite blanket and settled into the couch for the book I’d been waiting 2 years for. It was simply wonderful. It was intense, quick paced, surprising and heartfelt. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much. I laughed out loud and I cried even louder. I was more emotional about it than I thought I’d be. The book marked the end of something I cherished dearly. As I finished the book and gently shut the cover I just sighed. Just a happy, yet heavy sigh. Did it answer all my questions? No. Do I care? No. My imagination runs wild with scenarios of how these characters lives have continued on after the book was closed. That’s a gift J.K. Rowling left to her readers- while on paper the adventure may be over it continues in our hearts and minds.

Full Bloom

This girl was sick from last Thursday afternoon until last night. She had a 103.5 fever and complained of a tummy ache, but otherwise was as happy as she could be. I sent her off to summer school this morning and am hoping she is bouncing back.

I look at this photo and my heart aches a little bit. This photo was taken last August at the fair. She has grown so much in the last year. To see her today with her long hair and "growing out" bangs in her face she looks like a whole new person.

TITLE: Full Bloom

Reversible Tote Bags

Both of my sisters celebrate their birthday's in August. Since I would be seeing them over the 4th of July I wanted to have their gifts ready. I found this tutorial for a simple, reversible tote bag.

Katie's Bag- the interior fabric with the leaves is the same fabric that I used for my newly painted bathroom's valance. I love the polka dot fabric so much that I may have to get more for myself.

Megan's bag- Her wedding colors were brown with lime green accents so this fabric was perfect for her.

I used fabric scraps and made them a padded zipper bag as well. Of course I had to make one for myself. It's a black and white pattern with red on the inside.

Mom- I have your fabric purchased and ready to sew :)

10 Things on Thursday

1. We had a wonderful 4th of July vacation at my parents cabin. The girls had a blast. Riding bikes, swimming, catching frogs, playing with their cousins and soaking up the sun! The fact that Nick was sick a decent chunk of the time was the only downside.
2. I took Tues and Wed off to recoup. We spent some time at the Splash Pad yesterday. Ellie LOVED it! Look at her cute little belly!

3. I made Bennet and Scout each a pillowcase dress yesterday during Quiet Time. Thanks to Grandma Barb for the pillowcases.
4. My camera is broken. At first I thought it was a lens issue. It's an AutoFocus issue. Lenses work in Manual mode but not Auto. I'm bummin'. Off to the service center it goes.
5. Last weekend I finished Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. It was a follow up of sorts to Shaghai Girls. It takes place in China during the Great Leap Forward (1960's) I really like historical fiction so I enjoyed it.

6.. Right now I'm reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. Once again it's historical fiction focused on Ernest Hemingway's first marriage during the 1920's. So far it's 3 out of 5 stars.  

7. Big Brother starts tonight. Woo Hoo!!

8. Scout is going to her best friend Cassidy's 4th birthday party this weekend. We are making her these. By 'we' I mean me.
9. Speaking of birthday's- Nick's is next weekend. Better put my present thinking cap on.
10. I plan on spending some quality time in my scrapbook cave this weekend. I've been sucked in by sewing projects the last couple of weeks.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

This is my favorite holiday. I love the colors, the food, the summer night with a sky full of fireworks. But most of all I love that I get to spend it with my family every year. 

To celebrate the red, white and blue I have a layout of Ellie from her first 4th of July last year. I was inspired by the firecracker on her shirt with the exploding stars. I took scraps of patterned paper, rolled them into fireworks and tied with multiple colors of twine. I machine stitched the path to the stars with white thread.

I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July!