savoring the details

my prince...

The amazing Karla has been up to again, creating the most incredible digital templates and elements over at Designer Digitals. I love these circle stitched templates so much and used one to digitally scrapbook a sweet photo of my prince, Luke.

A digital page...

I am really not scrapbooking anymore, though I still find ways to play with paper via making tags for gifts and various cards.  I do miss scrapbooking though...I especially miss it when I see the pages that I have done for the two older boys and I really have practically none for Jackson (though I have more photos).  So, from time to time, I hope to do a digital page here and there.  I love all of the products Liz offers via Paislee Press. She is currently rearranging her blog and all of her free downloads are front and center in her post for today.  That was the impetus I needed to take the plunge and do a quick page.

Enjoy checking out Liz's site.  She offers tremendous tutorials and freebies and she is super kind as well!

Valentine's Day Projects

While there isn't much scrapbooking going on here right now, I did make these projects over Christmas for my favorite scrapbooking store.  I forgot to scan in the scrapbook page before I took it to the store, so this photo is all I have.  I used these fun papers and products from BoBunny Press.

 

Here is a simple photo card:

  

And a bookmark using a photo of Luke:

 

December Daily: Days 21-25

Finally, I am catching up and completing my December Daily album.  Life has been a whirlwind here with the holidays, contractions, readying for a new little one and getting over a cold.

Here are the final pages of my album:

Day 21: This page includes three photos documenting all the snow we received here in the Northeast.

 

Day 22: For two years in a row, we have gone to our neighbors' house to decorate cookies.  We all have such a wonderful time together.  We truly are blessed to have such special friends.

Day 23: This day was spent in the kitchen baking and making holiday goodies.  I wanted to share these fun and easy snowmen we made using marshmallows, icing, Oreo cookies, pretzels, licorice, and decorative gel.  I know we will be making these again.

Since my page had a clear envelope, I printed out four photos from the day and added them inside the envelope.

Day 24: Every Christmas Eve, friends of ours rent the ice at our local ice rink and we go skating.  Santa visits and sits in the middle of the rink to talk to the children and pose for photos.  I treasure this family photo we take each and every year.

Day 25: We had a wonderful Christmas with our family.  I made a simple collage to highlight some of our special memories.

Thanks so much for all your kind comments on my album.  I treasure your sweet words.   

December Daily: Days 17, 18, 19 + 20

Life has been so busy as of late, I haven't had a chance to update my December Daily album on this blog, so here are days 17-20.

Day 17: This photo documents the new look Sean is sporting...a missing front tooth.  While this tooth was a little loose, it actually fell out due to an impromptu meeting with a tennis ball to the face.  I still have to get used to this new look on him.

 

Day 18: We went to see Santa at the mall and we also went to Macy's so Sean could mail his letter to Santa.

I just love Sean's reaction after dropping the letter in the box.

I love this photo of Luke talking to Santa.  This is his exact look when he is nervous or embarrassed.

Day 19: This is a simple photo of a snowstorm we experienced yesterday.  All of the area schools were closed.  Sean was staying home anyway because he has another bout of strep throat, but it was nice for all of us to hang out and watch Elf while the snow was falling outside.

Day 20: While this is an older photo, I saw this same text treatment on Minted.com and knew that I wanted to replicate it and put it in a frame for my home.  I decided to add it to the album as well. 

December Daily: Days 15 + 16

Again, thanks for all the tips and links on strollers that are working for you...it is a very important purchase isn't it?

Day 15: For the past month and a half, our weekly trips to the grocery store have been more special for Luke since there is a big stuffed Santa waiting for him after we cash out.  I kept forgetting to bring my camera, but finally remembered on Monday.

Here he is giving Santa some love:

For the entry in my album, I just took one of the photos and used one of Ali's December Daily overlays. 

Day 16: Luke is a very lucky boy.  Sometimes after school, we will stop at the Starbucks drive-thru that we pass.  The same sweet girl seems to be working the window nearly every time.  Luke has been putting on the charm when I roll down his window to say hello to her, so sometimes she surprises him with little treats.  Yesterday, she gave him a yummy gingerbread snowman cookie.  I knew that would be my photo of the day. 

I added a digital brush title, some digital stitching along side the edges and my journaling.

For the album entry, I only added a simple gingerbread button embellishment.

December Daily: Day 14

First of all, thanks for all the suggestions for online photo developers.  I am going to be trying a few new ones out!

I snapped this photo of Luke yesterday and knew that I wanted to use it in my album.  He loves to play with this Fisher-Price Santa and reindeer.  Many times throughout the day, I will see him flying  Santa through the air to deliver presents.

 

For the page in my album, I added a few digital elements to the photo from Karla's kits and then I added a strip of patterned paper that I cut with my Fiskars Threading Water punch.  This is a new purchase for me and I love it.  It works so well!

December Daily: Days 10 + 11

I know I said I wouldn't say this, but I am...today's two pages are ridiculously simple, but things I wanted to document in my album nonetheless.

Day 10: I took a photo of my Christmas cards, the envelopes addressed + stacked and some stamps.  Wednesday  was all about getting the cards stuffed, sealed, stamped and taken to the Post Office.

Day 11: This photo was taken in November, but I wanted to include it in this album since we haven't had a family photo taken in forever.  Luke needed to bring a family photo to school and this was exactly the incentive I needed to finally get one taken.  This may indeed be the last photo of our little family of four.

December Daily: Day 9

My page for December 9th in my album is an envelope from Paper Source.  I knew I wanted to fill it with a letter to Santa written by Sean.  So when he came home from school yesterday, we sat down and wrote the letter.  I made the paper in advance and together we sounded words out and decided what was the necessary information to include in the letter.  He did such a great job and I am so proud of him.

Here is the letter:

And here is a photo of him writing the letter:

Sean had made a wish list of Legos he would like to receive, so I scanned that into the computer and made a copy to attach to this letter.  All of these items will be put in the envelope and put in my album.  Together we will go to Macy's and drop his real letter in the mail. 

This was so much fun for both of us!

December Daily: Days 7 + 8

I am not even going to preface any more of these posts with saying that they are simple.  Simple is all I can manage right now.  I am simply taking a photo to document the season and journaling about it.  I'd love to do more, but it just can't happen right now.  I am in the midst of making all my lists of things that need to be done and they just keep getting longer.

Day 7: I took a photo of our stockings on the mantel.  This is the first year in a while that I have a stocking.  I have been changing over our Christmas decor and buying new stockings.  When I finally found what I wanted for Kevin and me, the one I wanted for myself was all sold out.  This year, though I was able to purchase it.  Yippee!

Day 8: Sean brought home this adorable Christmas art project.  He worked on it at school with his 'peer partner.'  The kindergarteners are buddied up with a older students and they work on religion projects together.  I love how in his self-portrait he drew himself with spiked hair.  After every shower and bath, he spikes his hair even though he knows he is not allowed to wear it that way.  He thinks he looks cool, so he is allowed to wear it like that around the house only.  (His hair is not cut to be spiked, so it actually looks quite silly, but for around the house it is fine. ;)

Also, my copy of Twilight arrived on Friday and now I know what everyone is talking about. I CANNOT STOP READING IT! This is totally not what I should be doing right now.  I already ordered New Moon and it should be here by Wednesday.