December Daily- December 1st

It’s December Daily time again.  I enjoyed this project so much last year that despite life’s chaos right now, I’m going for it again.  It brought so much to the holiday season last year.  I knew I needed to keep it simple so I created a basic design to be printed at home on 4X6 photo paper.  This year is all about making these simple for me.

I don’t have real internet access these days (hoping that changes next week, she says crossing her fingers), so me and my cell may get behind in posting these.  And these probably won’t be the normal quality images- I’ll be sure to post those when we get internet and update my layouts gallery.  (You can see last year’s December Daily there or do a search here.) We also don’t have TV yet and I think that’s about to drive Cody crazy.

I also realize I haven’t shared the current chaos with you but this DD lets you in on some of it.

Inspired: My Craft Channel

A new website launched last week and I’m finding myself really inspired by it.  I’ve learned a number of things and now have several projects floating around in my head.  The site is called My Craft Channel (www.mycraftchannel.com).  Each weekday, there’s about thirty minutes of video- two different segments and a tip.  Topics include sewing, baking/party throwing, scrapbooking, jewelry making, photography, and more.

I caught my first one on Tuesday- the Books & Crafts with Ella Publishing.  Several scrapbook layouts came to mind as I watched- one of which is done and I’ll share it with you later this month.  since Tuesday, I’ve made the show a part of my day- Cody comes home to watch PTI on ESPN, I settle in to watch my craft shows.

I’m really looking forward to this new part of my daily routine.  Check it out!  (You can go back and watch previous episodes too!)

Saturday, I went to Hobby Lobby to get some scrapbook paper and glue to the Book Binding technique that Heidi Swapp showed on her Create to Remember show.

Here’s the results:

This first book, I added calendars to- just printed some from Patti Knox/ Designer Digitals.  I still plan to add some embellishments I’ll print from my digital supplies but I need to get printer ink first.  I’m thinking I’ll use it for meal planning.

The second, I’ve no idea what I’ll do with it.  I wanted to play with the different size pages.  I did find it easier to line up edges by cutting them once adhered together- It would make things much easier to do them all after adhering them, I think.  This was a case of just wanting to commit an idea to memory by actually doing it.  I love the fun colors though.

I do wish I’d used something different for adhesive- Hobby Lobby didn’t have what Heidi used and I wasn’t entirely happy with what I did get.  I did use my corner cutter to round the corners and loved the finished look it gave me.

For directions, check the episode out here.

Reflective Snapshots and Reflective Scrapbooking are now Ordinary Details

So, I’ve been working to merge things together and thinking about some things I’d like to do in the future.  Add to that some thoughts I’ve had about life today and you get: Ordinary Details! 

Reflective Snapshots and Reflective Scrapbooking will now be combined as Ordinary Details.  

Being online for me has always been about sharing personal expression.  I’ve seen several phases in my sharing and I think the overall contributer to that is change and growth.  It’s interesting, to me, to see how we all find our way in life- especially our way online. 

I’ll be blogging about the ordinary details of our every day life, making my hobbies a part of the ordinary, and, of course, my own personal thoughts about life- the joy of ordinary life.  I’m hoping I’ll be sharing some scrapbooking freebies, tutorials, and more soon.  I’m also wanting to share more recipes and ideas. 

Now, if only I could finalize a design over here and get some pictures uploaded.  I’ve got stuff I want to record here on my blog.

A Week in the Life 2011

Late last month, I participated in documenting a week in my life. We were super busy finalizing a month and a half long project.  For me, that meant keeping it really simple.  I really love this project.  I loved seeing the differences from last year to this year.  I love getting to capture small tidbits that otherwise seem to get lost- like my love hate relationship with watching the X-games.  What can I say, I just love simply capturing every day life. 

Title/Intro Page for 2011

A lot of my pages captured all the things we checked off our to do list.  This one also captured soemthing I’d forgotten how much I used to enjoy- sitting on the back porch reading and resting.

Monday seemed like a fitting day to reminisencse on the polka dotted sidewalk in our yard.  (Many moons ago it seems, Billy, Cody, and I could do nothing but laugh as it was raining while we were pouring the concrete sometime after about 10 PM)

Oh Tuesday- this one was not our typical date night for sure.

Loved the Ryan Bingham album I downloaded on Wednesday.

Oh my gosh the fork incident.  I could have filed this under the weird things I wonder category. . . .

Women really are smarter than men.  Our locks were determined to show Cody that it seems.

I was so glad to get to Saturday.  Cody was super glad to see his freedom to go on ride-a-longs return.

Back Cover Page:

Want to see my pages from last year?  You can check them out here.

We’re All A Little Bit Crazy

I believe, no really, I know that all of us scrapbookers are just a little bit crazy. Not because we want to capture our memories. But we will go to “extreme” heights in order to do that.

Here’s case in point:

As a coach in Finding Photo Freedom, I’m doing blog posts for the class. I wrote today’s post about the importance of archiving. And then thought about the two things I would grab in case of fire etc- probably even before my pictures. My quilt that my best friend’s granny made me and my waffle iron. Literally, I’ve been known to put my waffle iron in our fireproof gun safe. I love it that much!

I realized I wasn’t sure if I even had pictures of my waffle iron. And if something did happen to it, I’d want to at least have a picture to remember it by. (And yes, I dread the day it stops working)

So, I set out to rectify that. I made my husband go to Wal-mart and get some buttermilk. So, I could make waffles. Not so I could eat them- but so I could shoot them with my camera. Of course, I did eat the waffle I made for dinner last night and will use the batter this morning for breakfast. I even purposefully over filled the waffle iron so that I could get it to overflow like I remember happening with mom’s when I was child.

The next thing I did as I thought about all the reason it was so important was go ahead and make this page.

Journaling Reads:  This waffle iron is one of my two most prized physical possessions- seriously, It’s one of the first things I try to protect when a hurricane or wildfire comes our way and would be one of the first things I’d grab in a fire.  You see, it’s probably not replaceable.  It must be over 30 years old.  I got this waffle iron from Aunt Elta’s house- oh how I loved that house growing up.  I knew instantly I’d hit the jackpot when I found this waffle iron- it’s just like mom’s was.  I cringe at the thought of the day that will inevitably come. The day when it won’t work anymore, it’s given me a couple of scares and we’ve had to replace the cord several times.  I have so many memories wrapped up in this waffle iron.  Memories of mom making waffles and watching (and silently hoping for a disaster) when the batter would ooze over as a child.  Mom was good at that.  Her waffle iron gave up the ghost a long time ago but it was nowhere near as perfectly seasoned as this one.  It makes perfect waffles- all I have to do is whip up some homemade batter- never the powder mix.  Mom spoiled us that way and I’ve passed that down to my nephew who can whip up his own batter.  And of course, waffles always make a god dinner.  This waffle iron is so very precious to me.

Supplies: Ali Edwards- template, twill, label; Carina Gardner- ribbon and papers; Anna Aspens- stitching; Splendid Fins- “lace”

What crazy things have you done to capture a story?

Beloved Waffle Iron of Mine

Have I ever told you about my waffle maker. It’s more precious to me that you might imagine. Ask me what I would take if I had 5 minutes to save stuff out of my house and my waffle maker would be #1 or 2 on the list. Seriously, I’m a bit crazy about it and the quilt that my Lisa’s granny made me.  I’ve been known to put it in the fire-proof safe at times

This waffle iron is unlike most any other waffle iron- you’d be hard pressed to find one like it that works today.

Here’s I’ll let the layout do the talking.

Journaling Reads:  This waffle iron is one of my two most prized physical possessions- seriously, It’€™s one of the first things I try to protect when a hurricane or wildfire comes our way and would be one of the first things I’d grab in a fire.  You see, it’€™s probably not replaceable.  It must be over 30 years old.  I got this waffle iron from Aunt Elta’€™s house- oh how I loved that house growing up.  I knew instantly I’€™d hit the jackpot when I found this waffle iron- it’€™s just like mom’€™s was.  I cringe at the thought of the day that will inevitably come. The day when it won’€™t work anymore, it’€™s given me a couple of scares and we’€™ve had to replace the cord several times.  I have so many memories wrapped up in this waffle iron.  Memories of mom making waffles and watching (and silently hoping for a disaster) when the batter would ooze over as a child.  Mom was good at that.  Her waffle iron gave up the ghost a long time ago but it was nowhere near as perfectly seasoned as this one.  It makes perfect waffles- all I have to do is whip up some homemade batter- never the powder mix.  Mom spoiled us that way and I’€™ve passed that down to my nephew who can whip up his own batter.  And of course, waffles always make a god dinner.  This waffle iron is so very precious to me.

(And yes, mom, I overflowed it just to capture that memory of something you almost always did!)

On the Scrapbook Front: Happenings You Might Not Want to Miss

Finding Photo Freedom- Registration Ends Saturday around Noon Central

I mentioned that I’ll be a coach in Finding Photo Freedom at Big Picture Classes.  If you’re interested in telling you’re story through words and photos, I highly recommend this class- especially for all scrapbookers.  You can read my posts about it here and here.  You can register for the online class here.

Joplin Support

I woke up Sunday with Missouri on my mind.  That’s when the inspiration for this layout about my Show-Me State nature hit me at 5:00 in the morning.  I nearly finished this layout before church and finished it when we got home. 

Less than a few hours from when I finished that layout, Joplin was hit with a tornado that killed over 100 people and wiped out a good part of the town.  Cody and I typically go through Joplin on our way to Kansas City and one of the pictures in the landscape picture in this layout is from that drive.  The bridge featured in this layout was part of our Route 66 windings that went right through Joplin where part of the tornado caused damage.

My cousin helped inspire me to do my own part to try to help the tornado victims up there.  And, so, I’ve decided to donate proceeds from sales of my digital scrapbook supplies and created a digital kit that will be available throughout the summer will benefit Joplin.  You can read all about how I’m working those details out here.  I’m also doing two digital scrapbook webinars today and tomorrow to kick it all off.  If you even just want to see how I put my layouts together, I encourage you to sign up for one or both- they’re free.  You can read about them and find the links to register for them here.

My Little “Vacation” Coming to a Close

Scrapbook Escape

It seems I was handed a chance to scrapbook more!  Ok, perhaps, I’d trade teh office for the couch but at least I can manuever the laptop so that I can scrapbook.  Here’s the pages I’ve created over the weekend and yesterday.

It’s All About You!

Yesterday, I shared with you some thoughts about how my pages are “All About Me” even though the story may not be about me.  Today, I thought I delve into that a little more and then ask you to do the same with your pages. 

I’ll share five basic facts about me and five character traits represented in my pages- ones that I wouldn’t classify as being “All About Me”.

Basic Facts:

1) TV Shows- I love NCIS.  I shared this layout yesterday but it bears repeating.  I also used to watch 90210.

2) I’m a hockey fan (and a Nascar fan, somewhat, and a huge Baseball fan.)

3) I get headaches.

4) I like genealogy and history.

5) I like to drink cokes.

also confirmed in this layout:

Character Traits

1) I’m a geek. . . as shown in this layout about having more memory on my SD card than my brother and getting shots of him without his camera.

2) I wouldn’t be caught dead in a shirt that read “Wanna See My Tattoo” or “Seriously” (But I have a best friend that wears them all the time.)

3) I believe there’s more than one way to measure winning and success.

4) My Christian Faith- see above or this layout or several others:

5) I appreciate and am grateful for many things- big and small

Now, it’s your turn:

What five basic facts and five character traits are resprsented about in your pages- the ones that you wouldn’t classify as being “All About Me”?  Feel free to share in the comments or add a post to your blog and share a link below.