:: layout a day ::

In this post I mentioned that I was going to attempt LOAD513 (layout a day May 2013). Well, I'm two thirds of the way in, and I've only missed one layout. Sunday we had a bad storm, lost power, and even some siding off our house! I did not complete a layout that day. I started one, but didn't finish. However, in twenty one days, I have completed and uploaded at least 20 layouts (I think there was a day or two that I actually completed two)!

What I have learned so far:

I can stay awake.
My scraps are my friend.
Read the prompt before bed, think about it all day.
Follow the prompt, stretch the prompt, don't follow the prompt, just do it.
Making that list of stuff that I want to scrap before LOAD began has been helpful.

But the most important thing I've learned is that I can scrap a page in a day or less! Prior to LOAD, it was a challenge for me to create a page a week. With a full time job and a family that I love, it seemed nearly impossible especially at my slow pace. I shared on my blog over and over that I was pretty sure I would "fail" LOAD, especially in May! Mostly, or at least in part due to my inability to scrap quickly enough to actually do a layout a day. But guess what?? I have TOTALLY gotten faster at documenting our lives. Even if I quit LOAD tomorrow (not planning on it), it was totally worth it for just that one thing. Besides which, I have 20 LOs, and only one of them is...something that I'll probably redo. :-) To be clear, I haven't found a way to do this without feeling like I am neglecting my family...so I'm not sure I will do it again...but it's rather addictive, so we'll see. ;-)

Here are a few of my favorites that I haven't shared on the blog until now:

All of my LOAD513 layouts (some with closeups or other details) can be found here.

Scrap Your Story :: welcome flowers

It's Friday! You know what that means -- a new challenge!  This week at Scrap Your Story Challenges we are playing with stamps!

I use stamps all the time now that I get stamps from Ali Edwards (@Technique Tuesday) in the mail every month. They are perfect and totally match my style. This layout was no exception. All of the stamps I used were from Ali. Nearly all of the papers and other materials were found in the May Scrapbook Circle kit : My Favorite. Are these papers fun?!  It's early in the month and I've already used most of the papers in the kit!  WOW!

Here are a few close ups:

I used the flower stamp from Ali's "Favorite Circles" stamps all over this page! I love that stamp! It's super simple and can be used for pretty much anything!

This welcome stamp was from "Memories of Home" by Ali Edwards.

In this photo you can sort of see the phrases that I stamped all over the vellum (along with that flower stamp again). The phrases are from Ali's "This Story" stamp set.

The journaling is in a vellum envelope that cut out using my Silhouette Cameo (I've been doing that a lot lately), and I used this blog post for my text. :-) So happy to get this fun story documented!

I hope you play with us this week!

:: plant shopping ::

Yesterday we went to the store to purchase the last of the flowers for the year (I say that, but, of course, since I am not the flower purchaser, planter, or care taker, I could be totally wrong that it's the last batch, but I think he's getting close).  Every year My One True Love transforms our back yard, deck and patio into a beautiful oasis that helps us escape, enjoy and entertain. Each year B. becomes more and more involved in the process.

The first thing she saw that she really, really  wanted was watermelons (and pumpkins, but watermelons were the fave). We don't really have the space for that, so they were eventually put back, but look at that face??!!  The Grandma's saw these photos on Facebook and decided that either one of the may have the space for watermelons.  :-)  I'll keep you updated.

Early on in the process she saw that they had wagons.  This was a hit.  She was totally in charge of the wagon. 

this wagon photo is probably my favorite one of the day

At three, she is such a little sponge and mimic. As she would pick out plants, Daddy would check the tags. At one point, early on in the adventure, he looked at a tag and said something about this plant not doing well in the full sun. So, that lead to her checking the tags and saying, "Those won't work in the sun." very confidently and convincingly, as if she had really read that. Or, if she really wanted to know, she would just pull it out and ask us (and yes, @3 she asks lots of questions)!

Another phrase we heard frequently, "These are kinda cute." She was saying that exact phrase as she was looking the plants in the photo above. This phrase would typically be heard right before she would try to pick up the entire tray of plants that were "cute" (or pretty, or pink, usually all three). Apparently, we haven't learned that "less is more". 

The conversation that prompted me to take the above photo went like this:

B: "Hey Dad, we need more. See, there're spaces!"

Daddy: "Honey, we don't have to fill up the wagon."

So love her.

Shopping for plants with the family is magic for sure.

Call me crazy, but you just might see these photos again really soon on a layout. ;-) 

Here's a short video clip that I captured. Just prior to this video, Daddy taught her how to smell the leaves of a mint plant. So of course, she had to smell the leaves of all the plants...

Join me tomorrow for another Scrap Your Story Challenge reveal!