Lucky, lucky girl

Scrapbooking Classes

Since, you know, I don't already have enough to do... I decided to register for a couple of online scrapbooking classes through Big Picture Scrapbooking.  It's been something I wanted to do for a while and, as I have been feeling in a rut lately. 

The first class is Design Challenges.  It's a four week class with 3 challenges a week. It's pretty fun so far, even if a couple have momentarily stumped me. A good way to get the creative juices going.

Design Challenge 1 - A Page Inspired by an Ad (or something like that)

I saw an ad in one of my magazines that I liked and worked well for this photo from Madtown's dance class. 

Design Challenge 2 - Use a photo as your base

This is something that I have wanted to do for a while.  I have used big photos before, but not as the entire base.  I like how it turned out, even if I had a terrible time writing on the photo (my slick writer and sharpies work SOOO much better on lab processed prints than at home printed ones). 

Design Challenge 3 - Use Orange

Because, apparently, people hate orange. I like orange in moderation, so this one wasn't hard for me at all. My only hard party was finding a story/photo in my stash that worked with the orange scraps in my stash. It was a great opportunity to scrap these photos I had from last fall of Madtown and my FP Schoolhouse.

Design Challenge 4 - Use a Vintage Font

Another easy one for me (I LOVE traveling typewriter and my own typewriter). I thought it was a good excuse, though, to use a vintage photo and scrapped this one of my brothers and me when I was just a baby. 

I have 3 more challenges in my in box now. One that has me stumped and two that I am pretty excited about.  Hopefully will get to work on those today while Little Man is sleeping and Madtown is at Nature Camp.

The other class is Mother Load.  It is a 13 week class and is supposed to be a marathon in scrapping. You start out slow - an article each week which includes a to do, a page assignment and a photo assignment.   The end of the class will be creating a layout a day for 26 days! 

So far, so good. I am going into week 4.

Mother Load Week 1 - Why I Scrap

Fun to remind myself why I do this - why this is the hobby I chose to occupy myself with right now.

The photo assignment was to take a picture of your scrap space. I will save that for later on.

 
 
Mother Load Week 2 - Clean/Organize Your Supplies and Scrap with a Supply You Forgot You Had

I am a total hoarder, so what NOT to use. I founds some stamps that I had kind of forgotten and a snowflake stamp/punch combo that I hadn't broken out in a LONG time.

Photo was "Something That Makes You Happy." THIS makes me happy. My kids getting to live close and know well their 87 and 89 year old Great Grandparents (I lived across the US from them growing up, so it's a blessing).

 
Mother Load Week 3 - Document Your Process - Create a Page Using Your Process

I could have done 2 here. One starting with a photo. One starting with a story. I chose to start with a story - Little Man and his names for us. 

 
Photo Assignment is a Self Portrait. I still need to do that. Urgh.

I will be working on Week 4 next. Use What You Love. Create a Layout with only the products you love.  Going to be tough for hoarder me, but will be my excuse to crack open some of the packages I have been saving. 

Having fun with this and it is just the motivation I need to get some things done.  If you have never taken a SB class and love this hobby as much as I do - I totally recommend it. 

Next week, I join in on AE Week in the Life.  So many projects, so little time. Good thing I like this hobby!

Happy Friday!

He's my lobster.

10 years ago today, we said "I Do." Then, we celebrated.  A lot.

Best decision I ever made was to tell this fabulous man that I had feelings for him - even if my timing was infamously horrid, horrible and the like (but that is a story for another day). 

For our anniversary, we are going to relive a little bit of our past. 

First, Bev's.  The night that Ryan was going to propose (on stage with our favorite band no less), I had decided that I was going to stay home.  One of the few (very few, in fact) Wednesdays that I didn't feel like going out.  So, he had to entice me - too many plans were in place.  First, he had his cousin Jen say she was going. I wouldn't be able to miss a night out with Jen! Then, just for the icing on the cake - he invited me out for drinks at Bev's (one of my very favorite wine bars) first.

Of course, this had me thinking he was going to propose at Bev's.  Thoroughly dissapointed after two glasses of wine and no proposal, we went to "our place."

Bunkers. Where we had our own booth.  Where we danced and drank and hung out with friends every Wednesday night. Where Ryan got up on stage and asked me to marry him.  Where Brian "GB" Leighton gave him a hard time as he called us up to dance and I was already on the phone outside with my bestie telling her the good news.  Where we closed down the bar, celebrating our engagement with great friends. Where there was a cool clock hanging above our "clock booth" - now replaced by a duplicate as the original now hangs in our living room - signed by GB and smelling just a little bit of bar and smoke - a gift from one of the best guy friends a couple can have. 

We might need to have a quick beer at Bunkers.

(don't you love my 11 year old scrapbook page!)

Then, off to Capital Grille.  We have had dinner there nearly every anniversary since we got married (the first one was spent camping with good friends because we FORGOT it was our anniversary when we booked the trip with them!).  It's tradition. 

We are celebrating 10 years of marriage.

Of course, we are celebrating 16 years of friendship as well. He was my best friend LONG before we were anything else. I am so lucky in that.

He's my lobster.

Weekly Album (weeks 24, 25, 26 and 27)

I have been doing a really good job of keeping up with my weekly album - even when I get nothing else done, I get this done.  I am actually debating what I will do with my summer mini-album now since I am realizing how well I am documenting our summer with this book. It makes me happy.  I haven't shared it in a while, though, so I thought I would share weeks 24, 25, 26 and 27.   I am printing photos and such for week 28 today to assemble last weeks pages. We are now in week 29. 

Week 24

This spread contained a lot of bits and pieces from the week. I love that this is a central place to include tickets, artwork, etc.

 
Left Side: I didn't have a lot of actual text (journaling) so I included just one block.  I did play a little bit with the kids water color set to make my own little rain artwork. Lots of rain this week.  I included my name badge and boarding pass for my work trip to Chicago as well.

 
Insert 1:  Madtown made some artwork for me to bring with me on my trip so I wouldn't miss her too much.

Insert 1 (back) and Insert 2:  Little Man's water color painting on the back of Madtown's artwork.  Insert 2 is Madtown's drawing of Gnomeo and Juliet - inspired by our slumber party where we rented it to watch. 

Insert 2 (back) and right side: Back of Insert 2 is the Gnomeo drawing for me.  Right page is a menu from Bubba Gump from a dinner out, a couple of park pictures, what I am reading right, well, then, more trip stuff...

Week 25

Spread.  Another very full week with lots of inserts. Included are photos from Father's Day.

 
Left page: photos from the garden, playing outside, and my lava cake dessert I made for dinner with friends.

 

Insert 1: The Our Garden is actually Insert 1.  Pictures from our garden.

 
 
Insert 1 (back) more garden picks with a little journaling.

 
Insert 2 (back) and Right side: Life (a cut down insert with a Little note) and then journaling and photos on the right.   

 

Week 26

Left side: Pictures from the playground and hanging out at my mom's house while Ryan was golfing.

 

Insert 1: Jounaling blocks about our weekn in general.  Used a stapled ticket as a tab.  Photo of Madtown and Chloe (love that photo).

 

Insert 1 (back): Photos from the pool.

Right side: Included a menu from my dinner out with the kids as well as a receipt from some new clothes. 

 
Week 27

Another really full week.  I had a lot to tell, particularly since the week included the Fourth of July Holiday weekend, so I included a couple of long journalers (Ali Edwards from Designer Digitals).

Left side: Brochure from the Arborteum.  Love the photo that the dentist gave Little Man for his first trip to the new dentist. 

 

Insert 1: Couple of Fourth of July BBQ photos and a little note about my date night with Madtown.

 

Insert 1 (back) and Insert 2: Everyday photos on the back of the insert.  2nd insert is stuff from Mad's zoo class.

 

Insert 2 (back) and Insert 3: Art from the zoo class and then 4th BBQ photos.

 

Insert 3 (back) and Insert 4: More BBQ photos and a long journaler talking about our 4th of July. 

 

Insert 4 (back) and Insert 5 (!!!): Journaling from our Arboretum trip and then photos from the trip out there.  

 

Insert 5 (back) and Right page: More Arboretum photos.  Fireworks. Mad and my tickets from our date night (Cars 2). 

 

Yes. I pack a lot in these pages. It's why I am on album number 2 for the year. But, I love the details I am capturing and the pressure it takes off of me to do more to document our lives. I love looking back through the first book already. It's a project that I am definitely glad I started and that I am sticking with.

Now - next week I will be doing the Ali Edwards project - A Week in the Life.  A super detailed recording of one week.  Not sure what that will do to this book for that week. It's very possible I will skip a week in this book, but I will decide that later on. Wish me luck!

In the Garden.

It's been an odd spring. It's been chilly and rainy and I am (pleasantly) surprised anything is growing at all in my backyard. Yet, growing is exactly what our little postcard size gardens are doing.

Our vegetable garden consists of brussels sprouts (yes, we are HUGE fans at our house), jalapenos, roma tomatoes, green peppers, and zucchini with some basil, oregano and cilantro.  I also have my lavender because I read once in Martha Stewart Living that bunnies don't like lavender and will keep out of the garden. It's worked for me for the past 8 years, so I keep at it.

 
Separately (because there is only so much room in that sunny corner until you hit fence and concrete, we planted a cucumber plant (or future pickles possibly since Madtown likes pickles, but does NOT like cucumber - I am just the opposite) and another Roma tomato in pots.  

 
I have herbs all over in pots, too.  Basil, of course, because you can never have enough basil.  Or oregano.  I also added mint and thyme to the mix. We use a lot of time. Not sure why the mint, but it smells pretty and people might want mojitos or something.

 

 

My clematis is blooming right now as well.  This lovely one (well, two actually, since my pink stripey one on the fence bloomed for the first time in 7 years - darn rabbits - this year!) bloomed over the past few weeks.

 

And, now this (older) one is blooming (in the back with the lovely, deep pink flowers).  I am also loving the viney snapdragons in the hanging basket. Madtown loves those as well and is now a big fan of squeezing them to make them bite (I remember doing that as a girl).

 
My bleeding hearts are at the tail end of their bloom time, but they were lovely while they lasted.

 
I wish I had taken a photo of my peonies - but the heavy rain knocked them down.

Next, though, we'll watch as the warmer weather plants and annuals begin to fill in and bloom.  I will post photos again in the next couple of weeks. 

Happy Summer! 

 

10 Things Right Now...

10 things going on right now:

1. Madtown just finished dance with her spring recital where they danced ballet to Hanna Montana "True Friend." It was terrifically cute (even if the recital was terribly long).  She also did the Hokey Pokey on stage and the finale. I think her favorite part may have been hanging out in the dressing room, though, and playing with the other dancers.

 

 

She loved dance, and I have to admit, although it was a fun thing to do and am sure she will be back in the fall, I am glad to also have the summer off. Saturday mornings are mine again.

2. Madtown also finished preschool.  In September, she will start Kindergarten and I can hardly believe where the time has gone.  He school had a Preschool Graduation during her last week.  I know she will miss her friends, but that's what play dates are for.

 
3. Summer break has started, but the weather has been cruddy.  Cool and lots of rain.  We have been making the most of it, though, with walks, picnics, and play in the back yard.

 
4.  The backyard is a favorite place for the kids right now, which makes Ryan very happy.  He can relax in the hammock or a chair with a good book while the kids run and scream and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.   Little Man had a sincere dislike of the sprinkler, but both kids are enjoying the new kid pool.

 
 
5.  I have been trying to get out walking more again.  The kids enjoy coming with most times, too (adding to my workout pushing the two of them in a stroller up hills).  We walk around Lake Nokomis, stopping at the beach playground then at the coffee shop and then home.  It's a little slice of heaven and reminds me why I love where we live.

  

6. Madtown is infatuated with the lake.  She loves to walk in the water and look for minnows. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been great to go out and hit the beach, but that will definitely be a "to-do" this summer.

 
7. Vegas Baby is now 10 years old.  Growing up, 11 years was a good life-expectancy for a dog so hitting 10 made me a little sad. I keep reminding myself how healthy she is and that the golden next door is already 16 years old. My little old lady has lots of time left with us.

 
 
8. Chole is doing awesome. She is putting on weight and playing more and more and more.  She has discovered that our next door neighbors are usually armed with treats, so she is quick to hang out by their side of our fence.  She is the only one of the "kids" that will nap with me.  She still drives me nuts when I need to get her in the house (she would prefer to hang out outside, thank you very much), but we are working on that.

 
9. We are enjoying the gardens and the settled feeling of the house.  Besides weeding, the yard upheaval is done and all our hard work over the years has resulted in a peaceful place to be. 

 
10. Life has a little too busy for my taste and I am looking forward to the slow down that comes with summer break.  I am glad that swim and dance are over and that the weekends are ours again.  I am glad that the kids and Ryan are home and that I can do early days at work and be home earlier in the afternoon.  I am looking forward to sitting on the deck with a beer, more walks around the lake, trips to the pool...  Summer is here, and it makes me happy.

 

Raining...

 
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. - John Ruskin

Currently enjoying my rainy Tuesday.

Happy Weekend.

Happy Birthday. Happy Easter. Happy Weekend.

In keeping with our life lately, we had another crazy weekend leading into another crazy week. Hopefully, though, this will be the last for a while and life will calm down just in time to start enjoying spring. 

We started off the weekend together with Egg Decorating.  A favorite of Madtown's.

 
Little Man tried to join in the fun, too.

 
His time ended with a huge tantrum when we wouldn't let him take the dye elsewhere, but I choose to remember the good parts.

 

 
In the end, it was a good night and Madtown was SO very proud of those eggs.

Saturday was a day of birthday celebrations. 

 
We celebrated Madtown's 5th birthday with her grandparents and great grandparents. We had lunch, cake and presents.

 
 
 

 

 
 

 

 
After Madtown's party at home, we headed to one of her best friend's birthday party.  He had his part at the Firefighter's Hall and Museum in Minneapolis which was very cool.
 
They learned some history of firefighters. They saw cool old firetrucks and learned how alarms used to be sounded and how fires used to be fought.

 
The slid down a pole.

 
The RODE a firetruck (a highlight - and the windiest, bumpiest ride I have ever been on...not sure how I got roped into that, really...)

 

 

Then they had a chance to play. There was even a firetruck they could play in and pretend to drive.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

It made for a super busy Saturday, but a lot of fun.

Then, Sunday, Easter.  We capped off our Easter Sunday with a celebration at my mom's house, complete with an egg hunt.

 

 

 

 
And, now, we embark on our crazy week. Our house is currently in complete disarray as we prepare for our floor guy to come back and refinish the existing hardwood floors - the kids bedrooms, hallway, closets, living room, dining room.  We head to the hotel on Wednesday, but, until then, we live with our lives crammed into the basement, master bedroom, kitchen and family room.

And, so the craziness continues.

Documenting Life.

I have been pretty diligent about this little album about our lives. It's felt like a bit of work lately, though, so I am adjusting my process a bit so that I can keep up with it.

I am not worrying about a picture or piece of life for each day. I am going to work with weeks as a whole instead.

 
I will still include notes from the week - just not day by day.

 
I may include more than one picture from a particular day (like Ryan's birthday).

I will still include lots of pieces of our lives.

 

 
Already I can feel the pressure lifted. I have a folder in my bag where I am slipping all the stuff from the week. I am taking notes in my notebook. Then, at the end of the week, I will pull it together. I might use everything I collect, but maybe not.

 
In the end, I will have a nice picture of our every day lives - something I will be happy with - just with less work, really.

 
And, suddenly I am lookiing forward to putting this together each week again.

 
Yay life.

Just Discovered Instagram...

...am an already addicted.

Celebrating Five.

Ryan's words: Best Five Year Old Birthday Party Ever. Seriously, though - she had a blast and was so thrilled with the whole thing.  When I later asked her what her favorite part of the party was, she answered: Everything.

First there was the cake.  We let her pick out her own cake from Target.  She knew she wanted Tinkerbell. She picked out the fanciest stacked cake I have ever seen. So fancy that it came in its own special box.

 
And inside that box, the prettiest cake I have seen (and I have seen some pretty cakes - including my wedding cake):

 
All those little fairies are stamps, too, with the little flower on front being a stamp pad.  Too cool (and tasty, too, I might say).

We celebrated at Edinborough - doing Adventure Peak first.  We immediately lost the kids inside.  They had a blast. 

 

 
There were a couple of little ones there, too, including our Little Man who would push other kids out of the way so he could climb.  He is all boy.  
Then we took them across the way to the gym (per Madtown's request). 

 

 

 

 
Then, we sang Happy Birthday, blew out candles (sparkly ones that didn't seem to actually WANT to be blown out) and ate cake. 

 
She had barely slept all week she was so excited for her party and I think it totally lived up to her expectations. 

It was a good way to Celebrate Five.