thursday . . .

2.24.2011

the good . . . the bad . . . and the ugly . . .


THE GOOD

* Nicholas has started smiling - I mean the real kind - not the smiles that slip out because of gas or while he's dreaming - but the kind where I tickled him or gave a funny face & he smiles so sweetly at me - makes my heart melt & keeps me sane during the other 95 % of the time when he looks like this . . .

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aka . . . grumpy old man

* Ryan is in LOVE with his little brother - I mean can't get enough of him, always wants to be around him kind of love . . . not to mention he is a MASTER at getting that kid to take a pacifier when he's crying (which is super helpful to mommy)

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* I've shed half my pregnancy weight, although the whole was ALOT (seriously - ALOT) so I still have a long way to go . . .

* Amazingly I have still been able to scrap - usually the 10PM - 2AM time frame - but a dose of scrappy time is always a good thing in my book :)

THE BAD . . . THE UGLY . . .

* Nicholas is a fussy one - like really fussy - usually the worst is from 3 or 4PM until 7 or 8PM - alot of screaming & crying & nothing seems to really calm him down but the bath - unfortunately giving a 4 hour bath doesn't work so . . . we work through the fussy :)

* My house looks like a bomb went off - I can never keep up these days - the laundry, the dishes, the mess Ryan makes as I tend to Nicholas - it is overwhelming at times but I know eventually it will all get done . . .

* I never feel good about my "mommy day" - I only feel as if I have survived it. Not that every day with Ryan before baby made me feel like a rockstar mommy - absolutely not - but these days I feel pulled in both directions & never feel like either is totally happy with me. There are times Ryan says things that break my heart because he wants more of me than I can give right now, and there are times I listen to Nicholas cry out for me as I try to tend to Ryan & it breaks my heart as well. I keep telling myself that my mother had 5 of us & we never, ever felt unloved - so I plug away - creating imaginary birthday parties with Ryan & his stuffed animals, changing diapers & giving bottles to Nicholas, preparing breakfasts & lunches & dinners for Ryan, try to make Nicholas smile with silly faces & tickles, reading Ryan stories & snuggling, telling them both as much as possible I love them.

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My mom always asks me if I am tired or says "you must be tired" - and yes I am - luckily I have been one who never slept much so I'm used to it. I've always capped out at 5 or 6 hours, never was a late sleeper on weekends, never really took naps . . . so that 10 to 2 time, yes well I could be sleeping and sometimes I do but often I scrap. Why some of you may ask . . . because in those late hours, when the house is quiet & I can think . . . I mean really think . . . I choose to spend that me time reminding myself why all this chaos of my day is worth it . . . every second of it . . . as I create pages that treasure all the wonderful moments that I sometimes forget about amidst the crazy of my day. It makes me happy . . . it helps me remember . . . it allows me start the next day with a smile in my heart :)

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On to some sharing . . .

SEI is running another sketch challenge this month on their blog & as a bonus, one lucky person who particpates & links their layout up at the link party the end of this month will win a $25 gift certificate to shopsei.com where you can pick out your own prize - how AWESOME is that???

Here is the sketch . . .

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And here is my take on it using the gorgeous "With All My Heart" collection . . .

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A close-up of the title work - love these cardstock stickers & how they look layered up behind the title . . .

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Oh & the heart die-cuts - so many fun options on the 12 x 12 sheet & piled up they make the perfect corner accent!!!

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I also created another layout with this collection . . . tugs at my heartstrings because this is a pic from the day Nicholas was born . . .

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The heart sequence on this page was so fun to do - a bit time consuming but super easy. I used a Sizzix sizzlit die to cut the scalloped hearts. They come out in two pieces - the scalloped frame & inner heart. I glued down the frames & then glued just the center of the inner hearts down. Some quick stitching down the center of each column & then some folding of each heart inward created a fun series of heart embellishments. A super inexpensive way to add some fun elements to a page!!

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I am still playing with all the fabulous little goodies sent to me by Melissa over at Pretty Little Studio - if you haven't yet checked out her adorable products be sure to HERE!!! I loved the vintage boy flashcards she has created & wanted to use them on a page of Ryan working hard at practicing his letters . . .

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I think I am in love with the 8 x 8 notebook lined die-cut & that cute red bookprint paper I used at the top for the scalloped border!!!

By the way - a new collection is coming out called Hopscotch & it is perfect for the upcoming Spring/Easter season . . . check out the sneaks . . .

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Just leave a comment on the Pretty Little Studio blog for a chance at winning an 8" x 8" paper pack of the new collection!!!

Alright . . . off to finish up a few things before my bedtime . . . lots more to share . . . just not yet :)

Oh a just throwing in a few extra pics of the new little man before I go . . .

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Hope all is well with everyone & be back soon!!

ttyl - julie :)

tuesday . . .

2.12.2011

Currently typing as I hold baby asleep in one hand & playing Thomas MegaBlocks with Ryan with the other. The typing is happening intermittingly :) I did this entire post last night after a 3 o'clock feeding but somehow never posted it and did not save it as a draft so I have to start over :) Happy belated Valentine's Day!!! Mine was really nice - early morning celebration at Ryan's school, lunch at Grammy & Grandpa's, and then coming home to roses & love notes all around the house from hubby :) A great day for sure!!!!

What has been keeping me from blogland????? We had quite the week as both little ones were/are sick . . . Ryan with a double ear infection & sinus infection - yuck - yuck - yuck!!! The little man - well - one thing after the next. It began with a bad case of thrush that led to really bad diaper rash, while at the doctor's we discovered he had an intolerance to milk so we switched him to soy formula which he became VERY constipated on & just plain miserable. We then switched to Nutramagin only to then have him diagnosed with acid reflux - ahhh!!!! Finally, we are feeling a bit better with some medication :) Hope to get back to normal soon!!!

Sharing some pics from the week . . .

Turning one month old . . .

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Finding time just for mommy & Ryan while enjoying the world of experiments :)

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And I promised some more scrappy projects to be revealed . . . but before I do . . . BIG NEWS to share!!!! I am so honored to have been invited to join the design team for Pretty Little Studio . . .

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Pretty Little Studio is a fabulous manufacturer that creates adorable papers, flashcards, journaling tags, bunting flags, and more with a whimsical, vintage flair - you will LOVE them!!!!! Check out their store HERE and their inspiring blog HERE.

I had so much fun playing with the goodies the owner, Melissa, sent me - here is a layout I came up with featuring a mix of papers & embellishments from 4 of their collections - Be My Valentine, Apple Cider, Scrumdidlyumptious, and Storybook . . .

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Close-up of the title work . . . a fun mix of Pretty Little Studio journaling tags, vintage flashcard, and number tag :)

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Another close-up showcasing some more adorable journaling tags & date label by Pretty Little Studio & the punched heart border . . .

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I will have more projects featuring Pretty Little Studio goodies to share with you this month so keep checking in!!!

The new page kits are up for March at A Page 4 All Seasons . . . here is what I came up with for the She Said club using the fun Family Traditions collections from We R Memory Keepers . . .

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Close-up of the left side . . .

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And close-up of the right side . . .

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If you are interested in purchasing the She Said monthly page club - check out all the details HERE.

And one more layout before I go . . . I just bought all the new Jillibean Soup releases and couldn't resist playing a bit when they arrived :) This layout features the new Dutch Mustard Soup collection . . .

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A close-up on the punched/stitched hearts . . .

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And one more on the title work - LOVE the new alpha font & of course their corrugated alphas!!!

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Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!!!! Be back soon :)
ttyl - julie :)

wednesday . . .

2.08.2011

I'm back . . . with some scrappy . . . lots to share throughout this week but TODAY it is all about the monthly Samantha Walker blog hop!!!! If you have been hopping along you should have just arrived from Jennifer Beason's blog. Today I have this fun layout featuring Samantha's Cowboy Collection designed for Creative Imaginations. Check out the layout of my little cowboy :)

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A quick close up of the title work showcases the awesome rub-ons & cardstock stickers in the collection. I also added some fun, whimsical machine stitching around the border of the layout :)

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Another close-up of the journaling & more of those FAB cardstock stickers!!!

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Thanks so much for stopping by - leave a comment on my blog to enter for a chance to win a fabric bundle from Samantha's Enchanted Garden line . . . or Cowboy 2 collection with Riley Blake Designs. Now, head on over to Guiseppa's blog to see some more AWESOME Samantha Walker goodies in action :)


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