Project Life

I've always been a scrapbooker. Even in 5th grade I was putting photos and ticket stubs into magnetic cling albums. So, when the scrapbooking industry started to boom in the late '90s, I was thrilled. I loved all the books and products.

I've been a faithful scrapbooker for the last 14 years. I've mostly loved it. Sometimes I've felt obligated to get "pages" done. But for the most part I keep it simple and include LOTS of photos on a page.

A few years ago the trend in the magazines and industry was one photo on a page and tons of embellishments. With 5 kids and one on the way it's something I never could get on board with.

Sometime last year I started hearing the words, "project life" and "photo a day" I was intrigued and started googling and trying to find anyone who was doing this method of scrapbooking.

When I finally figured out what Project Life was all about I knew I had to try it. And after 7 weeks, I have to say.....I'm hooked

It's almost Scrapbooking for dummies...This is what a typical layout looks like for one week, or for 7 photos. (you do not have to take a photo every day) But sometimes it's easy to do.

As far as products need to complete the layout. Oh, it's so easy. You only need 3 things.
1.Your project life fully color coordinated box of journal cards and inserts.
2. a pen
3. photos

that's it...no adhesives, no cutting tools, no stickers, no frills

Here's what's inside the PL box. It's all cut and sorted for you. PL is a lot of journaling and memory keeping, but that's what I love. I love all the funny sayings and randomness of our lives. It's almost a throwback to 5th grade

Will I only do this form of scrapbooking now? I don't know.....probably not. I still enjoy a good layout....

But for now it makes me appreciate the day to day and the "stuff" that makes us a family.

Here are a few others I know who do Project Life. Some even do it digitally.
Mechiel

Pieces of Me

cookies anyone?

It's that time again. Seems like just as I get the last penny counted, we are selling cookies again.

This year I decided to only be cookie mom for Mia's troop. It was a gooooood decision.

We are almost thrrough with sales and the money will show up soon. (The money is my least favorite part) thankfully David helps me with that. Because honestly I never know how much money is in my checking account let alone how to balance 2,000 boxes of cookies.

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New Kicks

Ty needed new shoes. We went shopping and he picked out these Lego shows. The souls have little circles on the bottoms. He thinks they are awesome.

Max apparently thinks they smell awesome

and maybe even taste awesome

wait maybe Ty tastes even better!

Four Wheelin Princesses

This photo just makes me laugh...these two "girly girls" riding all over the yard on the four wheeler.
Mia and Abby had a good time doing it!

Across the Pond

My good friend Stacy is moving to London in a few weeks. She'll be there for 3 years, then hopefully move back here.
About a year ago Stacy & Bruce started the adoption process to get a little brother for their family. I got so excited helping her get her paperwork together, that we started the paperwork too. We were going to get our babies together and have fun playdates with them. Little did I know that I'll have to go to London to have a playdate now.

Stacy got her referral for a little 17 month old boy. So, before she leaves we had a surprise baby shower for her. I think she truly was surprised! And half-way through opening the gifts, Stacy realized that this really is going to happen. She's going to be a mom again, soon.

Here's some of the shower friends. ( I apparently did know it was STRIPE night)
Stacy's in the middle with the purple stripes.

Here's a funny little picture we photoshopped for the event. Doesn't he look like he just belongs in this family! Too Cute!
Zane said, "mom you really should have changed the color of his clothes, you know Mrs. stacy would have him in something that matches" Well that will be next year's christmas card!!
If you want to follow her adventure go to http://www.poolsacrossthepond.blogspot.com/ or click on her name on the sidebar.

Christmas Crafts

For Christmas I really wanted to make some special for the kids. It all started with a trip to JoAnns and the thought that I was going to make everyone pajama pants. I looked around the store and tried to pick out fabrics that fit each of their personality.
Then once I got home I was analyzing the fabric thinking how I just spent $7 - $10 a yard for some of this fabric and now I was going to cut it up into pants they would wear for just a little while.

So, my next thought was, why not make it into a blanket....
Everytime we go on a road trip the kids always ask for a quilt and a blanket. Which multiplied by 5 and added to the already full car creates quite a dilemma.

I remembered some time ago Mom had given David a Quillow for Christmas. It's a quilt that if you fold it up, it has a pocket on the front and all the quilt stuffs into the pocket and forms a pillow.

With this they kids could all take their quillow and have either the blanket or the pillow in the car.

Which means.....another trip back to JoAnns because now I'm way short on fabric.

Here it is all folded up into the pillow

I got Mia's center panel at the Houston Quilt Show. I love the cats....if any of you remember how much I liked cats as a teen...then you totally get this. I think it's funny that our black and white cat loves to sleep on Mia's bed during the day. (maybe he feels at home there)

Kaylee's is by far the prettiest. She loves blues and green. Throw in a little pink and we have a winner.

Trent's favorite color is Purple...I had a hard time find 2 purples that would go together. But the second best choice is of course GOLD. I experimented on the stripes and like the way it turned out. (he likes it too)

Zane's is my favorite. It's hard to tell but there are little weenie dogs in bright colored sweaters. In fact this is the material that started the crazy idea.

Ty loves sharks. I really like the contrast of blue and orange in his blanket. He liked it too.

All help appreciated

I asked the 14yr old and the 6 yr old to hang up a stack of pants and shorts. This is what I found later. I have a gut feeling it wasn't the 6yr old that did this.

I'm not complaining, its one less thing for me to do. They'll still go in the closet.

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Cousin Time

For the MLK Holiday we met up with Gabe, Mammie, and Aunt Joyce in Lake Charles.

They brought the King Cake from Slidell, LA. We brought the GiGi's cupcakes from Kingwood and all who ate quickly fell into a diabetic coma.

But we also played lots of "screens", learned to knit, watched the Saints, Watched the Miss America pageant and ate Casa Manana. It was a very relaxing weekend.

addicted to. video games?

Ty. Combines his two great. Loves. Video games & gymnastics

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Zane & Max

Christmas Cards 2

I think one of my favorite Christmas traditions is Christmas cards. I love receiving so many beautiful cards in the mail. I Love, love, love seeing how kids are growing and changing each year. Even more I love the Christmas update letter. Even though I haven't sent one in a few years. I still enjoy reading other people's letters. I have a Christmas tree card holder but it just doesn't seem to hold all the great cards.

So this year I decided to display them differently. We hung some jute rope across the living room and then used clothespins to hang up the cards. The clothespins were a little plain at first but then the girls got busy and helped me modge podge some Christmas scrapbook paper on each pin. Now they look great.

I love walking past them and seeing all the smiling faces. If you don't currently send me a Christmas card, send me one next year. It will be cherished here!

(And I keep all my cards each year on a ring binder clip so that we can look through past years as well) No trash can for these babies

Christmas Card Photo

After a very tiring Christmas last year, I made a decision that I would get things done before the last minute this year. One thing I thought could be done ahead of time was the Christmas Card.

So one Saturday in mid-November we headed out to take our card photo. Armed with a promise of Baskin&Robbins for after the shoot, we got a pretty good shot.

But what I really love are the "out-takes" These shots really show the personality.

And man do we have some personality with these 5.

I even tried to get a few individual shots. Just for fun.

Sometimes though you get a real winner. Like this one of Kaylee....just love those big blue eyes!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas

Dressed to impress

This year Zane's Christmas concert had a (almost) formal dress code. He was required to wear a tuxedo shirt, tie, black dress pants & shoes. He looked very dapper,(if I do say so myself)
It does this Mom's heart good to see him dressed in something other than tshirts & basketball shorts, even if the concert only lasted 15 minutes.

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Zane 8th grade

 

Thanksgiving Feasts

Today there were Thanksgiving Feasts at school. Only Ty's class had a little presentation. Each child got to say what they were thankful for into the microphone while the slideshow was going. I was especially proud of what Ty was thankful for.



t
>Each of the kids had a T-shirt vest. They used their handprints to make the Indian on the back. Then Ty's teacher gave them all Indian names. I love his.....

I'm not sure how she knows that's all he does at home now. But it's probably because he does a lot of flips at school too. Since he started taking Gymnastics he is a flipping machine.

But my favorite part was the little songs they sang. He's been practicing them for a few weeks.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

hat day

During Red Ribbon week at school, one day was declared hat day. Trent went with the biggest hat he could find. No baseball cap for this boy, he wanted the sombrero. His teacher loved it and told me he had a hard time fitting through the door.

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quilt show 2011

I spent my Friday at the International quilt show. This show brings in quilters from all over the world. Some of the quilts are there as award winners but mostly it's a lot of shopping. And by a lot I mean every sewing thing you could imagine.
I've been to the show only once before and that was 15 years ago so I was amazed at all the new stuff. But mostly I like to look for ideas. Different patterns and color combinations.
I had a great day and the best part was all free.(except my purchases) a friend from school offered 2 free passes, so I saved $10. Then a guard with the Astros let me park in their parking lot, so I saved another $10. And lastly, I met up with Jerilyn and the Louisiana crew, she had made chicken salad sandwiches and fixed an extra for me so I didn't buy lunch, so that was at least $10.....woo hoo quilts and bargains can't get much better.

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