We enjoyed a pretty chill weekend. The only time we headed out was to purchase the little guy a better snowsuit so we could stay outside longer. Best purchase of the winter thus far besides the sled. Lot's of coffee drinking, some scrapbooking, playing in the snow. The big difference from this winter and all the winters from here on out is that I cannot fall into my snow coma where I live in my sweats, watch endless amounts of television and sleep to my hearts content. Oh man, how I miss the extra sleep.
Having a kid, I'm learning is all about keeping active even when it's cold and dark out and I want to do nothing more than catch up on Grey's. Or play with paper uninterrupted until my eyes burn from creative exhaustion. Part of me misses all of that, not going to lie. This is the part where I say "it's all worth it" because it is...really it is. The balance, the sacrifice, the self evolvement. I feel way more creative than I ever have and I know that's because my time with paper and scissors is limited. I feel more alive being outside breathing in the icy cold air rather than the stale indoor air. (this is HUGE for me as I am a self proclaimed homebody) Naps are few and far between but it's all good. Being tired is second nature to me now. :)
And now my blogging time is coming to an end, the boy should be up from his afternoon nap any minute now. Thanks for reading.
xot.
No promo codes or anything. Simply purchase a calendar and your will automattically recieve one of these cute Holiday cards.
Tyler's first time in the snow. He had a blast. Just need to get a proper snowsuit.
There's always that one item in a kit that I like but don't know how to use. Sometimes I dismiss it, most times I make it work for me. Deconstructing embellishments is something I enjoy, especially flowers. It's easy to to snip a few petals and make something completely different.
Another technique I'm loving is the effortless ink drops. Just unscrew the cap from your Mister Huey, tap off excess ink and fling onto paper.
Again, I'm making it work. Atmosphere was a hard color to work with....I don't do well with darker shades. Now, it's made it into my go to Misters that I keep in my faves box.
Here are the other layouts I did with rest of November kit + ad ons.
xot.
Remember when I was going to go cool for Halloween? Didn't happen. I ended up going cute with this monkey suit purchased at Target.The monkey is a pretty significant animal in Tyler's life. His favorite book? 5 Silly Monkeys. The binding is hanging on by a thread and we read it to him at least 3 times a day. One of two lovies is his stuffed monkey. He rubs this monkeys paw against his face when we lay him in bed at night to sleep. It's so cute to watch.
So I had to go for the monkey suit when I saw it hanging on the rack. No trick or treating for us though. It's snowing like crazy tonight. We're chillin', watching Halloween cartoon specials and waiting for the few trick or treaters we get. (also eating a fair share of Bottlecaps).
xot.
I spent the last few months scratching my head at what to feed Tyler. He's been eating pretty chunky foods for awhile now but it was the same old thing. Roasted chicken breast, sweet potatoes, peas, squash...pretty plain. I really wasn't sure what he could or should be eating at this point. My goal for Tyler and his eating is to enjoy different foods, not feel like he has to eat them because I say so.
Dude, where in the world did September disappear to? I remember August, then blinked and now it's mid October. Goodness.
Wrapping up my last few Fall sessions. Will definitely be more prepared for next fall, that's for sure.
I loved working with Meagan. Kind of a dream cleint. Open to anything & not afraid to get dirty. I couldn't wait to go through and edit her shots.
I'm definitly finding that I love working more with children when shooting. I love all surprises and the off moments they have. The pouting, the laughter and giggles, the all around lightness that surrounds them. Part of me wants to stress out with the looming expectations of parents but I have to let that go. I can't stress enough to inquiring clients to really get a feel for my point of view. None of my photos are perfect or staged and I can't imagine ever expecting that from a young child. I'm all about having fun and working with kids. I probably have more fun than they do. :)
I should compare this image with the one I took a few years ago. Gone are the days of carrying my beloved Coach satchel. Now it's this SkipHop diaper bag I purchased from Target. I received a really pretty Putina Picklebottom bag for my shower but it's a little too big for everyday errands.
My grandma Ruby passed away last Saturday, September 24th.
She was ill and no longer her vibrant self when I saw her earlier this year.
I spoke to her over the phone the day she passed. She could no longer speak but my grandfather told me she nodded her head knowingly.
I hated myself for not being there that day. I hated that I forgot to tell her thank you for everything she's ever done for me. For shaping the person I am today.
My creative drive is all from her.
My love for baking comes from her.
My ability to find a good sale and make a mean chicken fried steak is from her.
My strong will and stubbornness comes from her.
I miss her so much. But I know that she's back to being her vibrant self. She's at peace, no longer suffering. She's in Gods hands now and I pray that she's looking over all of us, especially my papa. The woman he's loved for almost 60 years is no longer here. My heart aches for him so badly. I do hope that with time he finds peace.
(One of my favorite photos of us. We spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking. She was a master at cakes and pies. She probably wouldn't like that I'm showing a photo of her in her curlers but this is how I remember her. She must have just taken her apron off because she always wore one in the kitchen.)
Miss you Grandma.
xot
Love the scripty font of the AC thickers in the Greenhouse add on.
My "main kit" only layout. It was a refreshing change to use only the main. This Sass/SC exclusive paper is so pretty. And the arrow stamp is by far my favorite. Of course I say that now. :)
I adore this photo of Tyler and I'm glad I finally scrapped it.
Another paper love.
And then there was a digi.
Here's my layout for
Another exciting release tomorrow for you digi and hybrid scrappers.
Don't miss the