December Daily 2012

December is only 2 days away and I just finished the cover for my December Daily album.  Not that it took me a long time but I am getting a late start this year. 

I am sticking with an 8x8 format this year.  Inside the papers will be mixed in size with some small page protectors, transparencies, and envelopes tossed in.  I am looking forward to digging into this project even though my foundation pages are not in the book yet.  Baby steps!  I will be working mostly from my stash this year which isn’t what I normally do so I am looking forward to the challenge.

There are so many new things for us to document this year after living in Germany for the past 4 years.  Since the girls were itty bitty when we moved overseas they get to experience the American traditions for the very first time.  I am amazed at the small things I missed while we were abroad and yet I find myself already missing some of the German traditions.  Christmas markets, fun and affordable Haribo advent calendars, the cookies! 

Do you make a December Daily album?  Are you wondering what I am talking about?  Check out the über talented Ali Edwards’ blog and get the scoop!

Easy Christmas Card

As December is only a few days away I figured I better get my butt into gear and working on some of my Christmas cards and my December Daily album.  November flew by and I am not quite ready for the next month. 

A simple card without bulky embellishments that I can mail without extra postage or fear of damage before it reaches its intended recipient was a must for me.  To me the card is simple and elegant.  It shares an important message without having to add very much to it.  

A little bit of info on the card here.  I used watercolor paper and watercolor paints to paint the background blue.  After it dried completely I used a gorgeous stamp set from Hero Arts and black Staz On ink.  The nativity and the phrase are not attached so you have a bit of versatility here.  I then used a clear and yellow Stickles to outline the star and halo over the manger.  I mounted it on white card stock and then stamped  “Praying You Have A Blessed Holiday Season “ inside. 

Easy enough to mass produce if that is your thing.  I usually make 2 or 3 different designs and then make a few of each.  I only send about 30 cards and with a nice coupon from Shutterfly for 10 free cards I only need to make 20 to mail out.  I will make a few extras for my daughters teachers and a couple neighbors. 

I hope this card inspires you to try painting your own background.  It was super easy and I love the watercolor background against the black ink. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

There’s No Place Like Home

 

Hello friends!  It has been too long since I have sat down and written a blog post.  I could make up a hundred reasons why I have neglected my blog but I’ll be honest and say that I just haven’t felt like blogging!

We have been getting settled into our new home and routines over the past 3 months.  In October we went to NY State to visit my brother while my oldest was on her fall break.  I love being in NY, even the small, rural area in which I grew up.  Even though I only have a handful of family members still there, Western NY will always be my home!

While we were there we took our girls to Letchworth State Park.  I grew up just 15 minutes from here and we went there often.  After traveling in the Pacific Northwest and a bit of Europe this place is still gorgeous and one of my most favorite places in the world.  The Genesee River runs through the park and after 10,000’s of years has created a stunning gorge with 3 waterfalls.  In the photo above the train trestle sits high above the Upper Falls.  Sadly, the trestle is supposed to be removed much to the dismay of many.  It is a symbol of the park to a lot of people but it is old and the railroad doesn’t want to maintain it any longer.

 

The third photo is of the Middle Falls, the largest in the park.  The last photo is taken from “Inspiration Point” and it offers the very best view of the Upper and Middle Falls.  The fall colors were gorgeous and I am glad we were able to visit during this time.  I miss NY the most in the fall.  With many hills covered in gorgeous and vibrant colors I haven’t been anywhere that offers such a stunning show of Mother Nature at her finest.

We had a great visit with my family and I cannot wait to see everyone again now that I am back on the east coast!

Halloween Décor Project

I love Halloween and for some reason I make more Halloween décor crafts than any other holiday.  Last week my mom and I were in Pier One and saw an adorable witches hat wall decoration and we were inspired to make our own. 

We went to Michael’s where we found paper mache witches hats.  We split it in half with a craft knife so it would hang flat against the wall.  We painted the hat purple and then covered it on Mod Podge before dumping a lot of Martha Stewart glitter all over it.  After the purple glitter had set a bit we tapped off the rest of the loose glitter and used a one inch foam brush dipped in Mod Podge and added a strip of glue around the base.  I had some fabulous green glitter from Stampin’ Up! in my stash and poured it on the glue. We did this carefully and with the hat on its side to keep the green from sticking in the purple. 
After it dried we added some bling swirls rather than try to freehand a web design.  This has been the most difficult part as I have had to add craft Glue Dots to the back to keep it stuck as the adhesive on the swirls didn’t stick once it was covered with the glitter.  I had a DUH moment here and I should have added a finishing spray of some sorts over the glitter but I didn’t have one on hand and decided to skip it.  So, if you are inspired to give this project a try, I would seal the glitter somehow.
We picked up a plain pine board from Michael’s for the signs and painted them black.  The Martha Stewart black paint is pretty nice and covered well with just one coat!  I had the great green, glittery alpha stickers from Doodlebug Designs in my stash and they were a near perfect match in color.  I went over the board with the Sparkle Mod Podge to seal it. 
We used black wire we found in the jewelry section at Michael’s to attach the sign after I drilled small holes in the wood and the hat.  It is hard to see in the photo but I also picked up some pretty purple diamond shaped beads and added them to the bottom corners of the sign. I wrapped the wire around a plastic spider before attaching it to the hat.  Finally, I used some green glitter ribbon I also picked up at Michael’s to make the loop for hanging it.
This was really a quick project and I love the finished product so much.  I cannot wait to hang it on my front door in a few weeks.  If you are interested in checking out some more of my Halloween projects you can look here for a cute upcycled jar, here for a easy, sparkly framed print, and here for a paper wreath.
Do you have a holiday that you love crafting for? 

I’m sharing my idea on The Celebration Shoppe’s What I Made Wednesday link party and Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday!

Finally Home

After feeling unsettled for the past 14 years, I am finally at home.  Being in the military and then a military spouse means you move around a bit more than the average person.  You try your best to get settled and establish routines but eventually you will have to pack it all up and start again. 

James will be retiring from the Air Force next year after 24 years of service and we discussed at length what we would do back last fall.  Retire out of Germany or take one last assignment back in the USA.  A job came up that he was qualified for at Fort Knox, KY so he applied and here we are.

We wanted to get settled in and stick around for awhile so we found a real estate agent (hi, Glen!!!) and looked at many homes.  We researched the local schools and neighborhoods and made an offer on our very first home.  Things worked out, obviously, and we moved in a few weeks ago.  I have been unpacking, painting, organizing, etc. 

I hope to share some more photos soon and even share our last 2 trips in Europe, Brussels and Venice.  I just felt the need to post and get back to blogging today.  I have missed my creative outlet a bit and look forward to establishing new routines and sharing our stories.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday!

And Then She Soared….

My oldest girl started kindergarten this morning!  I am been a bundle of mixed emotions for days now and this morning I was a tearful mommy as we left her at school.  I seriously bawled all the way back to the hotel (Yes, hotel!  We are still living out of suitcases but that is a story for another day!).  I am sure that my tears were what caused Aubrey to get a little choked up as I gave her one last hug but she but on her bravest face.

I know she will LOVE school!  I cannot wait to pick her up in a few hours and hear all about her first day of kindergarten.  I may just cry a little bit more!

Saying Goodbye

4 years ago we packed up and moved from Washington State to Germany.  It was an adventure we were looking forward to and boarded the plane full of excitement and a little bit of anxiety (traveling with a 15 month old, 3 month old and 2 cats adds a tiny touch of stress!). 

We made it and settled into our home and routines.  We were able to travel to some of Europe’s most beautiful cities and stunning countrysides.  We watched our daughters grow from babies to sweet, beautiful little ladies.  My hair has added a gray strand (or maybe 2), I went from my 20’s into the 30’s.  JG jumped into his 40’s.  We struggled as a couple and as parents.  I like to think we ended this 4 year assignment ahead of the game.  At a better point in our lives.  Maybe we all grew up a bit. 

We moved out of our home yesterday and walking away was a little bittersweet.  My girls grew up here.  All of their earliest memories will have taken place here.  They are excited to move back to the United States even though they have no idea how different life will be there.  I am happy they are embracing this time with joy rather than fear.  I wouldn’t blame if they were scared as this is a huge move for a 4 & 5 year old.  Yet, they act like they have done this a dozen times already. 

I have a huge mix of emotions as I type this.  I have loved this assignment, for the most part, and being able to live in Europe was something JG and I wanted to do.  I will miss many things about Germany but I am ready to get back to the USA!  I have grown to appreciate the slower pace of life here and I will imagine that I will miss this sooner than I expected. 

My 5 year old will start kindergarten in August so this move comes at the most perfect time.  We are ending one chapter in our lives and beginning a new, exciting one for our family.  I am looking forward to the future but will embrace these memories for the rest of my life.