The last few days...

The girly and I took an adventure to my hometown for Old Settler's Reunion.  This celebration occurs every five years and most people who grew up/lived there at one point return to reconnect.  I spent time with one of my classmates and was able to visit with another very briefly, plus see a handful of others from my childhood.  Now I get to share Old Settler's Reunion with my girly!

Our last day before heading home to get some much-needed rest included birthday cake for me!

41 years old.  For some reason this number is harder to take than 40!  It shouldn't matter at this point, the number doesn't signify anything.  Maybe the birthday in combination with Old Settler's made me reflect a bit more than other birthdays, as I've been spending more time on memories lately.  Lots of changes in my life since the last Old Settler's Reunion, mainly the addition of Miss Q in our lives!  

Here's a quick re-cap of the last 5 years:

• Miss Q
• Quitting work to stay home with my girly
• Design Team Member!  Special thanks to Lori at Gossamer Blue and Lisa at A Walk Down Memory Lane for having faith in my work
• New (to us), bigger house that I love.  I've also realized I don't really like houses built after the 1960's
• So many new girlfriends.  Making friends as an adult is about a million times harder than when you're a kid (and by kid, I mean college age and younger).  There are several girlies that have really impacted my life in a positive way--you know who you are
• KIDS.  I love and adore my friends' kiddo's
• FAMILY.  Hoping to stay connected to extended family!  I recently found a few of my favorite cousins from my childhood on Facebook and that is the best. feeling. ever.

There's so much more.  I think I'm going to spend some more time immersed in these memories and thoughts, maybe do a now and then post sometime soon.  It feels like something inside needs rediscovered and I'm awfully close to finding it.

Stay happy my friends!

XOXO

Jill

Miss Q At three

We had quite the celebration last weekend.  Our girly turned THREE.

Cupcakes.  Sugar Cookies.  Balloon's.  Love.  So much love at this party.

It's hard to describe living with a three year old.  Mood swings.  Yeah, I think mood swings sums it up the best.

Our dolly is a delight.  Incredibly imaginative.  She can play pretend with her babies for hours.

Our girl is dramatic.  The smallest things can break her heart.

She's learning to be a friend.

She's understanding what it means to share (although she doesn't seem to care for it).

She still loves paci.  When she is looking for paci and finally finds it, she typically exclaims, "there you are my beautiful paci!"

I know she's too old for paci.  But I don't want her to grow up yet.

This girl is going to preschool in the Fall.  It's all she can talk about.

And in the next breath, asks me if I can stay with her while she's at school.

I know this girl will be amazing.  

She's definitely going places.

And one day she will leave home for good.

Until then, you can find us spending our days like this.

Happy Three our precious girl.

Project 12:2

I finished up my Project 12 spread for February earlier this week.  I used Gossamer Blue February Life Pages kits for this layout.

This month has an 8x8 Project Life insert holding Valentine's from Miss Q's friends as well as a few notes I received from friends.  This photo shows the spread with the insert front.

This photo shows the insert back.  I used a few binder clips from an older kit to keep items in place inside the insert (how many times can I use "in" in a sentence?).

I used washi strips from Simple Stories to date and document on the photos.  Cards are Gossamer Blue exclusives.  The Love This stamp on the title card is another exclusive from Gossamer Blue.  Here's the right side up close:

And now the left:

The enamel dots are on the outside of the pockets.  I also realized I left a word out in my jounaling!

And here's the insert:

That's our February!  I'll post the March Project 12 layout in early April.

Hope your weekend is amazing!  Our weather is supposed to be very Spring-like, and the girly is turning 3!  

Valentines

I love to make Valentines.... there's something about the sweet little notes of love that make me swoon.  I typically make them for the grandparents and my friends, as well as the hubs.  This year I was completely inspired by Gossamer Blue kits, take a look:

I used the Dear Lizzy Serendipity 6x6 paper pad from Gossamer Blue January Bits & Pieces kit for both the envelopes and the mini cards.  Kraft card stock is from PaperTrey Ink.  The stamp set is Lawn Fawn #awesome and Hero Arts Shadow Ink in Raspberry Jam.

I thought the stamp set was perfect for my friendly Valentines.  In texting my girlfriends, we usually hashtag random words or feelings when venting about the kids, or giving each other awesome mom compliments.  The stamps just fit for a playful note to my girlfriends.

I found the adorable treat bags on Amazon HERE.  The pink twine is from The Twinery, I used a 1.5 inch circle punch and Dear Lizzy Thickers from Gossamer Blue February Life Pages Themed Add-on (sold out).  I finished the bags with Glitz washi tape and American Crafts clothes pins.

I put a handful of Dove chocolate hearts in each bag along with the Valentine.  My girlfriends were surprised and happy to receive them, so I believe this was a #win.

Revisiting Earlier Thoughts

Right now I should be getting ready for a special something Rebekah and I are cooking up.

But I'm not.

I'm sitting here, thinking on my One Little Word for 2015.  Revisiting earlier blog posts on creative self-discovery (HERE and HERE).  Hanging on the floor of my messy craft room.

I guess I'll make a list of thoughts, to try and organize myself, my crafting, my mess of a craft room...

1. I'm bringing stitching back (sing it in your head to Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback."  You'll thank me later).  I love hand stitching using Amy Tangerine templates.  Love it.  I just received the Comrade templates and I'm so excited to stitch those big block letters!  In an earlier thoughts post, I said I don't stitch on layouts.  I want to clarify that I don't MACHINE STITCH.  I have my mom's sewing machine and so badly want to use it, but I'm clueless on setting the tension and the thread keeps coming out of the needle.  The frustration isn't worth it.  
2. I spent about 20 minutes looking at layouts on my blog and either they are missing something, some wow factor, or I need more help with photographing them.  It all feels flat.
3. Speaking of layouts, I feel like I'm trying different things (for me), and I kind of like it.
4. I've built up some momentum with being on the Gossamer Blue DT and the AWDML DT.  The idea of those DT terms coming to an end in 2015 scares me to the core.  I LOVE BEING ON A DT.  It's instant friendship and inspiration, and I feel like I need that to continue on my creative path.  I realize I have many months of DT membership left, but thinking ahead to what I want to accomplish in 2015, and knowing 2015 is the end of the DT's....well, it makes me sad and my heart cries a little.  Can you hear it?  
5. I think I figured out a good method for organizing my layout descriptions as I work.  I found a Sugar Paper planner HERE.  I love how I have plenty of room to write down paper names and embellishments as I'm creating.  The Sugar Paper line is amazing, and how cute is the name?
6. I have NOT figured out a good organization system for my DT kits.  I thought I was on to something and it all kind of blew up into a big pile of paper madness.  Using the Ikea Raskog cart has definitely helped with the embellishment organizing, but the paper...yeah.  It needs work.  
7. I still need to focus on my Go manifesto.  But I do have a gorgeous image for each blog post, thanks to the amazing Rebekah!

Together is a Wonderful Place to Be

Hello!  I'm up on the A Walk Down Memory Lane blog sharing this colorful layout featuring Simple Stories, Amy Tangerine and Sew Easy products.  Click HERE to read the how-to for creating this layout on A Walk Down Memory Lane's blog.

I created this as a reminder of just how wonderful my girlfriends are.  We have 20+ years as friends and I love them more now than I ever have!  And now there's 3 mini's running around, with #4 (belonging to my friend A) making his appearance in 2015.  My heart is smiling.

Do you have forever friends too?  The end of the year always makes me a little nostalgic for our crazy days...  But there's so much to look forward to in 2015, I'll be sharing more thoughts and my GO manifesto soon.

December Memories Week Two

I have another week done and in the book!  Woo-hoo!  Have I mentioned how much I love Gossamer Blue December Memories???  This is Year 3 for me on this project, and I believe this is the best one yet :)

Day 7

The photo prompt was Giving (I'm using Rebekah's December Captures List HERE).  The bottom pocket will probably stay like that because who doesn't love Fa La La La La in red and pink???

Days 8-9.  The photo prompt was Star but I haven't found a photo I want to use yet.  I'll go back and fill it in later.  Miss Q received a fun box of Merry Mail from her Nana and Grampy.  The prompt for day 9 is Believe, so I had to share the pic of Baby C, because we definitely believe in the magic of chubby babies!  The ampersand is stapled to a piece of transparency slipped into the pocket.  I heat embossed the back side of it.

Another Baby C pic plus Miss Q & friends at her Little Tykes class.

Day 10:  Quiet.  My bestie Shannon snapped this pic of the kids actually being quiet.  It lasted approximately 1 minute.

Day 11:  We took an All Girls Road Trip to a small town about 30 miles away.  They have a Christmas Wonderland Village.  We took a short train ride, saw about a million Christmas ornaments and Miss Q actually took her first photo with Santa!

For supper that night Quinn had candy canes, chocolate and graham crackers.  Oh well, it's Christmas!  The bottom right pocket is filled with sequins and the acrylic word Joy.

The last of our Christmas Wonderland photos and then on to Day 12.  I cut a strip of the stripe paper and used the Get Happy puffy stickers to spell Family, the prompt for that day.  I like that you can see thru the top of the 6x8 pocket to the next page.

The back of our Christmas card and a few photos for Day 13.

I finished the album cover and spine too:

Hope your December is magical so far!