Christmas in April (fits the weather, eh?)

In light of the snowstorm about to brew out my Iowa windows...here's the challenge I just finished up for Jen Wilson's Project 52.


Christmas hymns to me are an epitome of the Christmas season. I adore singing; I adore the music, especially when accompanied by piano or organ. And I actually get shivers if there is SATB. When sung in company, the hymns make me feel more a part of a community of God than at any other time I can remember.
I am worried that with the lack of carol singing in this day and age, we are raising a generation of children who will no longer be able to hum the tunes, let alone sing the words, to the carols. I love our liberal United Methodist Church, but am disappointed that we “suffer” (my words) Advent at the expense of celebrating Christmas. It means the carols are only sung on Christmas Eve and the Sunday following Christmas. I hope we are able to have a piano at home in the near future so we can have our own caroling there!


JWD Merry Days First (blended 2 papers together)
JWD Circle Words Holiday (with a chipboard style applied)
JWD Holiday Rings
JWD Seasonal Stamped Borderlines (stamped along the bottom)
Melissa Renfro Star Bright style
Keri Schueller Holiday Time (NOEL)
Jan Hicks Coin Folder Chip style
AL Aunt Marie and Candara font
Seishido.com let it snow brush (star with a glittery style applied)

Catch-up

Here's all the Jen Wilson challenges I haven't posted over the last few weeks...whew! Now if I can just post them weekly as I finish them...



The challenge was to scrapbook a quote/scripture/etc that has real meaning at this time in your life, plus use something you'd never used before, and something you couldn't scrap without.
The thing(s) I couldn't scrap without: JWD solids paper (any of her lines) and Candara font
The thing(s) I had never used before: JWD Lotta Heart brushes, Doreen Stolz lace and Vickie's Pink Mocha alpha
Quote: "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart" -William Wordsworth (journaling says that's why I scrapbook)
JWD Academy: Elementary solids and Laundry Line solids
JWD Lotta Heart Brushes
JWD A Little Love
JWD Being
Doreen Stolz Spring Romantic lace
A Work in Progress- Pink Mocha alphabet
Altas Greeting and Candara fonts



Our challenge was to scrap a less-than perfect photo. This one comes out ok on web, I think, but the original was noticeably blurry and really bugged me, but I love their expressions and what they are doing.
My photo was pretty blurry, so I "hid" that fact by using a chipboard style on the photo to make it look more like a coaster. The style includes a pattern overlay that made it less obvious that pretty much nothing was very focused in the photo.
JWD Laundry Line Zachery papers
JWD Grunge Edges overlay
JWD Grunge Detail Starter
JWD Project 52 Dated Stamp Circles
JWD Cowabunga journaling block
JWD Hand Stitched Starter
JWD Jenerally Speaking "live out loud"
Melissa Renfro Cardboard
Ariadna Wiczling Warped action
Erica Hite Frayed brush
Jan Hicks Coin Folder chipboard style
AL Highlight and Bloktype fonts



Challenge to scrapbook a "bucket list" of the things you want to do before you die. This one is much brighter IRL, despite my resaving it in the sRGB color space that is supposed to be for web viewing. Oh well.
I used a lot of blending modes and had fun with this one...journaling and all!:)
JWD Academy Biology paper and Offset Tinted Stamp Block
JWD Breaking Free Camping Out paper
JWD Jenerally Speaking Live Out Loud
JWD Beginnings Paper Date Starters
JWD Twenty-Nine and Co. Time Flies
Brandy Hackman Retro Family Love (metal corner)
Brandy Hackman Persian Breeze (hinge)
Fonts: Gentle Redhead, CK_Ali's Handwriting, Candara
Journaling: So before I myself kick the proverbial bucket, here’s my list: Oh, and please by all means assume that money and obligations are not an issue!
1. Learn Spanish fluently, and since this is a dream world I’ve entered, I’d also like to learn Italian and French fluently as well.
2. Travel with my family! Florence, everywhere else in Italy, Paris, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Egypt, Israel...
3. Ski at least once per year on a real mountain
4. To be able to make friends and connections wherever I go
5. Learn all the ins and outs of my CraftRobo to use it to its full potential
6. Have time to read ALL the books on my to-read list (you’d need 5 liftetimes for that!)
7. Help President Obama ensure that ALL Americans have health insurance! (And that implies that it’s going to happen in the next four years)
8. Hike in picturesque locations: Yosemite, Grand Canyon, New England in the autumn…
9. Own a truly professional camera and know exactly what makes it tick and how to take a great image
10. Have my very own “Mrs. Gruen” a la Nancy Drew (nanny, cook, and live-in housekeeper all rolled into one person!)
11. Have a PA job that I love…and have PA finally stand for “physician associate”, not assistant
12. Live in a completely green house and be able to eat mostly local foods
13. Have all my heritage memories scrapbooked



Collection Challenge (scrapbook someone's collection of something)
JWD: Being, Delighted, Fancy Free, Rekindle, Academy: Art, Beginnings 05, Laundry Line: Emily, Project 52: Dated Stamp Circles, Stamped Art School Alpha
Brandy Hackman: Sassy's Pumpkin and Hopsack (frame)
AL Charisma font



This challenge was to scrapbook the story behind a name (didn't have to be a person, but I decided not to think too hard since William needed a page about his name, lol)
Journaling:
It was difficult enough for us to come up with one boy name, let a- lone three. I don’t know what made Daddy wait this time, but my line of thinking was that if we waited until you were almost born, there would be less time to argue and agonize. So on the way to the hospital I said I wondered what we’d name you and Daddy said, “How about William Aidan?” I thought, “hm, I like it!” But I still told him what I had been thinking: Andrew Ryan or Andrew Jeffrey (in keeping with our meaningful family middle name thing we had going on with Christopher and Michael). Andrew reminded Daddy too much of someone, but he was ready to compromise with William Andrew. I just didn’t think it had quite the right sound, so William Aidan you are! We didn’t decide for sure until you were 24 hours old, so you were Mr. No-Name/New Baby for awhile. Daddy wanted you to be a “W” name because M is 10 letters past C in the alphabet, and W is 10 letters past M. I think this appeals to his orderly engineering mind:)


JWD Nostalgia 1, Laundry Line: William, His Tuesday Attire, Sugared Tissue Paper Alpha
Thao Cosgrove Endearing (circular elements)
Paula Wright word stickers
Syndee Nuckles Monday and ruler elements
Katie Pertiet date line
Dominican and AFL font nonmetric (journaling)

My Unexpected Wednesday Present

Check THIS out! I'm so excited b/c one TALENTED bunch of women hangs out at this site and it's really cool to be chosen for this week. And rumor has it that I get a prize too...*squeal!* Also, scroll CLEAR to the bottom of this message if you want updates on our lives over the last few days:)



The challenge was to create a layout based on things about your life now that you'll miss in years to come (like Trace Adkin's country song).

I had a bit of a different take on this week's assignment...hope this is not too irreverent, lol. After my Friday 13th, it's a wonder I found ANYTHING to miss about my children. It was the beginning of spring break here and they were at each other's throats (sometimes literally)


Journaling: Things I Will Miss:
Baby kisses
Chubby cheeks
Cute baby clothes
“This little piggie…”
Cooing
The latest Lego creation
Themed birthday parties
Snuggling
Nursing
Babies
Artwork on the frig
giggling
hugs
holiday excitement
baby hands
baby feet
baby blues
“Oh I love my Mommy!”
Stuffed animals
Thomas the Tank Engine and elaborate track setup
Reading books together


Things I Will NOT:
Whining and crying
Temper tantrums
Sibling fights
The Legos all over the floor
Socks strewn all over the house (are they clean or not?!)
Poopy diapers
Potty-training
Guns
Taunting
Picky eaters
Burping and tooting (and incessantly talking about it)
McDonalds
“accidents” (including Poodini and Peedini)
yelling


JWD Academy: Tinted Stamp Block
JWD Project 52: Slightly Imperfect Photo Masks, Unchartable paper, Repeat After Me quote(s)
JWD Complete Boy 02 Accessories
Brandy Hackman Retro Family ribbon tie
Shabby Princess Round Labels: A Child's World (cuddle)
Nitwit Collections Little Men (frog) and What's the Buzz (bugs)
Heather Roselli Backyard Boy (caution sign)
Tracy Ann Baby Boy Kisses Charms
Fonts: Hootie! and Mechanical Fun

Ok, our last few days here: Friday 13th was crazy...Christopher had Thursday and Friday off since last week was parent-teacher conferences at his school. This week is spring break, so they get a LONG break. I'm sure that would be SUPER cool if we were bopping off to Disney/enter your favorite family vacation destination. However, with a 6 and 3 year old who are often at each other's throats (literally, as mentioned several times before), 7 days alone with them is enough to make me cringe. True to form, there were several fights and a couple messes that added to the chaos of me packing for the weekend.

We got through the day on Friday, whew. Saturday morning we all scurried around to get ready for our mini-adventure with my in-laws and sister-in-law and her family (kids ages just turned 2 and 4 months). Then we were off to the Wasserbahn in Little Amana. William was a sleepy and cooperative little traveler, and even stayed asleep for a good long while at the water park. Christopher and Michael had a wonderful fun time, and I did too, though I will admit I was spoiled this summer with the MUCH larger Waterpark of America.

Our favorite thing this weekend (Jeff's too) was the Millrace where supposed to get across the logs in the water. M looked like he was surfing b/c when they wobbled he waved his arms to get balance and was very good at it. C went across on hands and feet b/c weighed too much to walk like M.

M was SO VERY exhausted from no nap and all the physical exertion that couldn’t fall asleep or stay asleep in the night. Christopher couldn't sleep either b/c Michael kept thrashing around due to his exhaustion and they were trying to share a double bed. Mental note: NEVER try to stay at one of these places without adequate notice during spring break!! And NEVER try to stuff TWO small children in a DOUBLE bed, lol. At dinner he fell asleep repeatedly in his food and fussed when head jerked awake. Caught a second wind in mt mother-in-law’s lap. My 2year old niece and b-i-l had to just leave before food arrived b/c she was so tired. No nap for her either.

So despite the usual troubles with traveling with small children it was a fun mini-weekend. I think 1 night was plenty, lol. Oh, and 2 of Jeff's cousins and an aunt and uncle were there too, lol...small world. Apparently they come every year for a day or two for the uncle's birthday and we didn't even know they were going to be there! They had been there a couple days already by the time we got there and we saw them in the hall when arriving, but were never in the pool at the same time b/c they were already getting ready for the uncle's early birthday dinner. Then by the time they were back in the pool WE were eating dinner:)

Official

William is now official: He has his birth certificate, social security card, and I finally (a couple weeks ago) got his birth announcement finished and sent out (pretty much grandparents, great-grandparents, and aunt/uncle only, please don't be offended if you didn't get one!)



I copied this idea from tiny prints and added the "all boys" from my scrapbooking stash...Mindy Terasawa. The dog in the photo is Michael's favorite stuffed animal in the whole wide world. His name is "Little Mouth", so dubbed by Jeff b/c the embroidered mouth has come undone. Michael put him in the car seat with William for a nice nap when William was only a few days old.



I finished this one a couple weeks ago for the Jen Wilson Designs challenge that week: journal a conversation between you and someone, include a framed photo of you and the person (I chose the unusual photo treatment b/c the windows behind us were totally blown out, ie white and very distracting)), repeat everything else on the layout twice, including the title, choose a repetitive design (eg. the background I chose has a repeated pattern).

JWD A Little Love papers
JWD Project 52: Repeat After Me title
JWD Grunged Detail Starters
JWD Hand Coloured (and Glittered) Bloom Starters
Katie Pertiet frame (from free Scrapbooks Etc. kit)
AL Libretto font
Journaling (from a letter from my grandmother): Grandma’s letter to us shortly after William’s birth (and yes, that ’s Michael in the photo): Just imagine if you didn’t have an automatic washer and dryer, disposable diapers, or an indoor bathroom, and milked cows and raised chickens. Ha!I am totally appreciative of modern conveniences, believe you me!But some things never change. . .Grandma said her 3 children acted up the minute she got on the phone. Yeah, that happens ALL the time! Phones ARE cordless now though. . .

Well we spent our weekend celebrating Christopher's 6th birthday (actually the 19th). 8 kindergartners, 1 pre-K, 1 2nd grader, a 3 year-old brother, a baby brother...OMG was our house full! Christopher chose a penguin theme, and as soon as I wade through about 300 RAW photos (don't hold your breath; it'll take awhile), I'll post some pics from the parties. Oh yeah, we had the children's party in the early afternoon and the grandparent/aunt/uncle/cousins/friends of ours party in the early evening. Whew! TG Grandma stayed overnight; b/c Mommy, Daddy, and William SLEPT IN this morning to make up for it!

Thank Goodness for Challenges

If it weren't for challenges on various boards and groups, William wouldn't have nearly this many scrapbook pages yet:)



Jen Wilson Designs is having the most awesome challenges again, and for HUGE prizes if all 12 of your challenge layouts are on time. This one had to be a timeline, include something denoting time (eg. a clock), and have the color blue somewhere on it.
Photos by DH and Kristina Botts
JWD Spoon Dipped Solids (blue)
JWD Time Flies (clocks)
JWD Flourished Swirls (bottom right swirl)
JWD Paper Date Starter
JWD Urban Bohemian (W)
JWD Rough Beginnings word art
Anna Aspnes Make Your Own Timeline
AL Uncle Charles font
Katie Pertiet sanded overlay (subtle grunge at edges)



For this one, we had a sketch to follow, had to include one photo "straight out of camera" and another that had been edited/manipulated, journaling, decorative edge, big title, and the subject matter had to be "addiction."
Journaling: They say mothers can be addicted (in a sense) to their babies. I’d agree with that. I crave the quiet moments with you (not a lot of those in our loud, busy household), I love the feeling of your tiny body in my arms, or the warmth of you snuggled up on my shoulder, your beautiful baby scent, the sweet sounds you make while nursing, and the earnestness of your adorable little face as you look into my eyes.
JWD Academy Elementary Solids
JWD Rekindle (Adore)
JWD Nostalgia No. 1 (this is a moment to remember)
JWD Laundry Line rough remnants, William paper, messy mended circle
JWD Cowabunga frame
JWD Grunge Edges
JWD Beginnings Photo Masked Starter
Brandie Valenzuela Grungelle brush set
Melissa Renfro Sparkle Curls
Amanda Sok Clipped Flowers
Misty Cato Date Bits 8



This one was a scraplift challenge at scrapgirls.com...I scraplifted TysMommy
I just love her page!
Keri Schueller Vintage Nursery dots paper
Thao Cosgrove Stitched Framery Emb templates
Brandy Hackman Sassy's Pumpkin and Hopsack (squares paper)
Syndee Nuckles Alpha Beads Emb Templates (string)
Amanda Sok Alluring Autumn (brown paper) and Frosted Glass 6401 style
Thao Cosgrove GraphX brush set
Ariadna Wiczling Feather (tan paper)
Cheryl Barber Stitching & Holes 4101 style
Matura, Amienne fonts
The challenge was to change something or add something to the scraplift:
Since I chose the more graphic patterned paper up top, I chose a more graphic brush below. I played around with it b/c didn't want the graphic look too strong, so lowered the opacity and added Amanda Sok's Frosted Glass style to soften it.

TFL,
Cheri

Busy Busy Busy

Well you can imagine we are all kinds of busy at my house right now...new baby, ornery older brothers (to their credit, they are fine alone, it's just when you get the 5.5 and 3 yr olds together they are at each other's throats!)...then mix in a Daddy with strep throat, and now a 5.5 yr old with strep...luckily Mom is staying with us through Saturday or Sunday, so we do have plenty of help! And it was pure bliss the other night when my Sunday School teacher brought over a meal:) Even Mom got to put her feet up and not worry about what we were all eating that night.

So of course I'm also trying to keep up with some scrapbooking challenges on a couple of my favorite digital sites. Hey, a new mom is supposed to rest, and what better thing to do when resting than scrap! (it's perfectly logical, and productive to boot!)

The people who wanted to see my "basketball" have already seen this on a local list, but I wanted to post it here too:



JWD Merry Days Twelfth (white paper)
JWD Academy Art paper (brown swirls)
JWD Flourished Stamps (flourishes around circular photo)
JWD Sandcastle ribboned eyelet
JWD Rough Beginnings Word Art
JWD Sugared Tissue alpha
JWD Beginnings Glitter Blooms
JWD round tag from Jessica Sprague "Digi in Deep" class
"sketch"/inspiration from Jessica Sprague and Rekindle tag (colored tag)
Rhonna Farrer Cabaret Fever overlay
Michelle Coleman glitter plum paper
Diane Miller Doting paper template (I colored the brown/purple swirls)
Mandy Steward embed style (for the brown/purple swirls)
Sarah Batdorf sugar coated style (for the flourishes)
Erica Hite fabric pattern (background for the brown/purple swirls)
fonts: Scriptina and AL Uncle Charles
Journaling: Mommy, two days before your arrival in the world. Ready to be done with pregnancy; ready to meet you and join in the beginning of your life with us.

Will be back soon with the first SB page of actual William!