Here ya go...

Because I know blogger still links here and I don't blog much at all -- here's the latest from The Shoe:
https://halfdozeneggs.wordpress.com/2015/06/25/papertrey-ink-blog-hop-june-2015/

One little word: 2015

For several years I've chosen a word for the year, a la Ali Edwards.

My previous words have been MORE (2014), PURPOSEFUL (2013), LIGHT, (2012), JOYFUL (2011), KINDNESS (2010), GENTLE (2009) and FOCUS (2008).  Since 2009, I've also had a verse or some verses to go along with my word - you can read each of those with the posts if you like.

This year, as I've contemplated my word for 2015 I keep coming up blank. I started thinking about it shortly after Thanksgiving, knowing that I would need to have it chosen pretty soon.  Nothing. Big. Blank. Space. Massive brain drain. I am exhausted. I am weary. I'm still in the midst of grappling with some pretty significant grief.  But as I type that, the thought that I'm going to skip OLW this year is erased and I realize just what word I need to use.  I go back in my mind to the morning after Daddy died. I got out of Mom's bed, after a night of very little sleep, and opened my Bible to Psalm 119 - the Psalm we'd just read as part of our Wednesday night Bible study the week prior. My eyes were drawn to v 28.  "My soul weeps because of grief, strengthen me according to Your word."  And I think, perhaps my word is there in that verse - a word that I need - STRENGTH - along with the best way to get it: "...according to Your word."

So, there you have it. My One Little Word for 2015 -- strength -- in a year I didn't think I was going to have one. :)

PTI Blog Hop, Dec2014

When I saw the blog hop them for the PTI Blog Hop this month, my brain immediately went here:

Did yours? {smile}

As I played around with design ideas for cards for a friend's wedding party, I used some silver and gold ink. I mentioned the blog hop theme to my girls and they were all over it.  Elizabeth made the following cards - and since I'm currently eat up with the wedding stuff and kids with flu, I'm letting her two cards be the blog hop entry. I think they're pretty cute.

She did say she wants to stamp a sentiment on the Mehndi Medallion card, but she wants to wait until she decides how she is going to use it.

Supplies are PTI unless otherwise indicated:

          Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Hawaiian Shores, Dark Chocolate
          Stamp sets: Flipping Out, Mehndi Medallion
          Ink:  Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate, Delicata Gold (Tsukineko), Silver (Stampabilities)

 

Smile - PTI Blog Hop, Card 2

I love this card from Maile Belles.  So, here is my take on it for a second blog hop card.  I know I used the same color scheme as the last one - it's the 80s girl in me. Pink & grey. :D (even better, mauve and grey!!!)

I was going to use Round Repeats; but I kept thinking about Reasons to Smile, the limited edition set from Stamp-a-Faire last year and decided to go with it. I haven't used it yet. Well, that has been remedied.  It is difficult to see the sentiment in the photo -- the sun has set and I did what I could with the lighting I have. Ugh. I need more cowbell...um, I mean light!  In hand, you can see the sentiment well.  I used one of the birthday sentiments from Reasons to Smile.

For this card, I used Autumn Rose, Smokey Shadow, Impress Provincial Grey (which is my favorite grey in the history of greys...as one of my kids says) and some accents of silver ink (not embossing).  This will be for a friend who has a birthday this month.

Happy blog hopping all!  I'm off to see more stuff. I haven't looked much since I stopped working and I need to see what all is out there!!!

All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted 
Cardstock: Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow, Autumn Rose
Stamps: Reasons to Smile, limited edition SAF2013
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Autumn Rose, Encore! Silver (Tsukineko), Fresh Ink Provincial Grey (Impress)

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop - September 2014

 The Papertrey Ink blog hop is today. Inspiration is a beautiful photograph uploaded to Pinterest by Sarah Jokisch Asbell.  You can see it here.  Isn't that the coziest looking sweater/jacket?! I want it!!! (unless it is wool, in which case - you can have it because I'm allergic).  :D

Nichole posted the photo on her blog and also included some possible color combinations as well as some sketches. (link opens in a new window...you can download a PDF of the "recipe cards" - I love that).

I kinda-sorta chose one of the color combos she gave -- I chose to use Autumn Rose and Smokey Shadow.  (And as I look at this photo -- the card front looks crooked...I promise in person it is not). I thought the 3rd sketch option was just begging for Round Repeats.  I used generational stamping with Autumn Rose and Smokey Shadow inks.  The stamped piece was mounted on Smokey Shadow, then put it on the front of an Autumn Rose card. I put a little bling in the middle, where the Round Repeats meet; it was looking a bit muddy and needed to be covered.  The sentiment is from Stylish Sentiments: Birthday and is stamped on Clear Cardstock.

I have another idea swirling around based on a Maile Belles card I've wanted to CASE for a while - so I'll probably be back later with that..

All supplies PTI unless otherwise noted
Cardstock: Stampers Select White, Smokey Shadow, Autumn Rose, Clear Cardstock
Stamps:  Round Repeats, Stylish Sentiments: Birthday
Ink: Autumn Rose, Smokey Shadow, StazOn black (Tsukineko)
Other: bling (Recollections) 

Make-It-Monday #173

Heather Nichols posted a fun MIM video on the PTI blog this week - "no line watercolor." It's not really no-line, it just looks that way because of the way the stamp is used. Of course, what pulled me in is the fact that Heather used my *favorite* PTI stamp, Friends 'Til the End.

So, the girls and I started playing around. I tried using Friends first. It was okay; but, there is a lot of room for improvement. I decided I didn't want to use the same set Heather had because I was spending too much time comparing, analyzing every frame of her video...STOP IT!! {smile}...time to look through my stamps.

That's when I came across Enjoy the Ride. I couldn't resist! I thought of the light aqua Bug my parents had when I was little. {bunny trail: I remember going to the drive-in in that little car...Mom would bring a quilt and my pillow, I'd crash in the backseat at some point. Saw lots of John Wayne movies that way!} I decided I would continue with cards for our album - this one is a 4x6. The little car from Enjoy the Ride was stamped on Rustic Cream cardstock. I used several different colors to "paint" this guy: Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise, Lemon Tart, Smokey Shadow, Blueberry Sky  Can't wait to use it in my album!  He's not perfect, but I am kind of fond of him!

Right Now May 2014

So, you know I have been doing a "Right Now" project for several months. I discovered it on Monika Wright's blog (you can see all her's here).  I finally did mine for May and here it is:

feeling: blue - much sadness this Spring
on the to-do list: everything - haven't done any of it
my guilty pleasure: Bota Box REDvolution
favorites: "10,000 Reasons" by Matt Redman
dreaming about: time to get my to-do list done
grateful for: worship songs

A dear family in our church lost three family members in the Arkansas tornadoes that hit in late April.  Our church has created an emergency fund for them. Their house was wiped off its foundation. It is unfathomable to me. But I know God's grace is sufficient - and is given in the hour of need. I have experienced that in my own life over the past two months.

One of the things on the to-do list that I am working on is my Project Life albums. I have 100 photos for 2010 (January through August) and over 450 photos for summer 2013 through Easter of this year. On Mother's Day night I got them in order. The 2010 photos have been put into an album and I'm journaling a little bit each night. That's been good for me to do.

Watercolor Splats

Bitsy has a birthday party this afternoon and we needed to make a card for it -- so we did that yesterday. I wanted to try the "watercolor splats" that Nichole Heady demonstrated on her blog for MIM #161. Since the card was for Bitsy's friend, I let her choose the ink colors (no input from me). I loved that what she chose looked like a rainbow. She's also the one who made the big dots - which is why they look like they're more in a row than random. We also tapped the water brush against my finger to make some teeny, random splats as well.

I had a great time making this card and have decided that I definitely want to invest in some more sponge daubers.  I kinda, sorta thought I could use a few more; but now I know I need more. 

Added plus, the card matches the gift wrap! I need to talk to Bits and see if she wants to add the gold distressed stripe detail so the card really will match the gift wrap. That would be fun. And it actually is a happy accident (channeling my inner Bob Ross). I didn't know we had any more of this gift wrap left. 

So, the card is made with (all ingredients PTI unless otherwise noted)

• Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Plum Pudding
• Stamps: Wet Paint
• Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Melon Berry, Limeade Ice, Aqua Mist, Plum Pudding, Versamark (Tsukineko)
• Embossing Powder: White (Stampendous, I think...I've had it in my stash forever...I need to ditch it and buy new)
• Other: waterbrush (Aqua-Flo by Hero Arts)

links are not affiliate links. Just showing you what I'm talking about. :) 

Life has Changed

I'm pretty sure the five of you who read my blog are aware my Daddy died suddenly on March 20. To say we are crushed with grief would be an understatement. I have found great comfort in the Word of God and the prayers of friends.  The photo at left is a stack of cards that have been in my mailbox (or given to me, as is the case with the envelope on the very top) since that day - such sweet words of prayer, thoughts and encouragement from friends. I am very thankful for them.  Some of them are store-bought sympathy cards. Some of them are handmade. Some of them are blank notecards with handwritten notes. All of them are a treasure to me and have been a salve to my broken heart.  

These cards have also reinforced my thought that a note during a difficult time is appreciated by the person affected and I need to be more intentional about sending these kinds of notes. That's a good reason for me to get busy stamping - time to make more cards.

Another thing that has come to mean a lot to me after my Daddy's passing is the guest book from visitation.  Rather than use the traditional guest book, our family decided to go for something more personal. As we discussed the funeral arrangements we were all pretty appalled that a guest book was $100. No, we weren't "pretty appalled" we were astounded. Daddy would have been horrified - and livid if we'd spent $100 on a guest book. I said, "I want something more than names on a line. Friends have been sharing memories on Facebook. I want something like that." So, I suggested that we do a 6x8 Project Life album with lined journaling cards. Thankfully, my family (mom and siblings) liked the idea. We laid out both 3x4 and 4x6 journaling cards and  invited people (by way of a sign the funeral home printed for us) to share a memory of Daddy, or share a passage of Scripture or words of encouragement for the family. They could also just sign their name on a card if that's what they chose to do. People were packed around the table where we had this set up.  I saw many pick up a card and then take a seat to write.  I look through that book every time I'm at Mom's.  I love it.  I used the Project Life Heritage Core Kit as the accent pieces in this album. The colors in it are perfect for the somberness of the occasion - and an added plus is that my Daddy was a genealogy buff. I like that this kit gives a little hat tip to that part of his life.

 It has been three weeks today. As I look outside, it is a beautiful spring day. Not a cloud in the sky so the sunshine is almost blinding. The birds are singing. It is a glorious day.  And then I realize that the beauty out there today doesn't even begin to compare to the gloriousness my Daddy is experiencing in Heaven. I'm so thankful to know that he is in the presence of God!  It is the greatest comfort of all.

Crafting and Caramel Sauce

I've been wanting to make some cards with a watercolor background for quite some time. Dawn McVey posted a "Make It Monday" video for PTI featuring watercolored backgrounds and heat-embossed sentiments. I loved the look. So, one night after everyone but Harrison (it was his "special time") went to bed, we broke out the watercolor paper and one of those $1.99 kid's art kits I got at Michael's during the holidays. We set out to painting some backgrounds.

There's a "drop" at the top that is a little darker. That was an accidental drip of water from Buddy's brush. :) I left it and didn't try to blend it in.  The sentiment is from Wonderful Words: Birthday. The word "birthday" was stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed with white powder.  "Happy" and "to you" were stamped in Versafine Onyx Black. This was then mounted onto a panel of Tropical Teal and all that mounted onto a Rustic White base.   We gave this card to a good friend for his birthday - along with a jar of the best salted caramel sauce. Seriously, if you love caramel, you have got to try Brown-Eyed Baker's Salted Caramel Sauce. I like it in my coffee. And on a spoon. ;)  My friend, Kimberly, introduced me to the recipe. And for the record, I never use a thermometer when I make it. If I do, it burns - every. single. time. I have to go by how it looks and smells.




The next card Harrison wanted to make with me was his own. He chose these two colors - both in the "clay" family.  I painted the top part of the card - it is splotchy (which is the look I was going for). He painted the bottom, darker, smoother part of the card front. I stamped "Celebrate" from Think Big Favorites #13.  First, I tapped the stamp in Versamark, followed immediately PTI's Canyon Clay so that when I stamped onto the paper, the Versamark was on top and allowed me to heat-emboss with clear embossing powder.   We mounted this onto a Canyon Clay panel which was then put on a Rustic White base. Harrison was very pleased with how his card came out. :)

Then I got busy die cutting the word "birthday" from Wonderful Words: Birthday. I know several people have done it, but the first place I saw "stacked" die cuts was on JJ Bolton's blog. It was this layered "hello." (how fabulous is that?!) I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to do it, too.   Instead of a rainbow, I decided to do an ombre of blues: two layers each of Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Enchanted Evening topped with one layer of Rustic White. It is mounted on a Rustic White card that has been stamped with Circle Scribbles in Blueberry Sky and Enchanted Evening. I moved a stamp block that had some ink on it - and hit the "birthday". Arrrrrgh!  But, I decided to take a cue from Bob Ross and have a "happy accident." I stamped the scribbled lines on the word since everything was already glued together - the ink blobs just blend right in. The sentiment was stamped in Enchanted Evening. I love how this looks from the side...oops you can see how my "b" is lifting a little in this picture. Do me a favor, squint so you don't notice that part. ;)

My next crafting project is getting my pocket scrapping caught up. I'm anxious to get 2013 done so I can get into 2014 and break out my PTI Monthly Moments kits. I've been really inspired to make some fun changes by things I've seen the design team do. They're encouraging me to break out of my "boring" engineer-y box! :) 

Right Now: March 2014

Here is my Right Now as documented March 17, 2014:

• feeling: a little sad
• on the to-do list: sand chalkboard, remove wallpaper in the kids' bathroom
• my guilty pleasure: Papertrey Ink
• favorites: The Confident Mom Household Planner
• dreaming about: a new stove
• grateful for: the new refrigerator

When I wrote this some things had happened with some close friends that was heart-wrenching. However, now, my "a little sad" has taken on heaps of sadness and I am broken-hearted. I had no idea how three days later, my world would be shattered as I got a phone call from my mother. My daddy died at home sometime during the afternoon of March 20. She found him when she got home. We are still reeling and at some point I might be able to blog about it, about the comfort I have found in God's Word and in praying, and in the prayers of friends; of the hope I find in the Gospel. But right now, it's too raw and still too personal.

Girl Scouts and Our Faith

My girls are involved in Girl Scouts. We are reformed, evangelical Christians. I know, I can hear it now - "But, Girl Scouts support Planned Parenthood! Girl Scouts have been at pro-choice rallies in their uniforms! Girl Scouts are SO LIBERAL!"

I had a very long discussion at Sam's Club a few weeks ago when my girls' troop had a cookie booth.  I was approached by a young lady (in her 20s was my guess) who wanted to talk to me and ask me a few questions. She was very passionately pro-life (I'm sure she still is, but since this conversation happened a couple of weeks ago, I say she "was").  She was bothered by the fact that I, someone who identifies herself as I do, allows her children to participate in Girl Scouts. I understand her concerns. I've thought through them. Where do I stand?

Well, here's the deal, pickle:

• Our troop doesn't participate in Planned Parenthood rallies - and if they did, I would leave the troop.
• My children are not persecuted for our family's faith. If they were, I'd leave the troop. 
• We have the opportunity to be blessings to families much, much less fortunate than ours. There are some little girls in our troop whose families are barely making ends meet; where an uncle takes care of a girl and her siblings because the dad is gone and we suspect the mother is in prison. And we serve these families with great joy because we love Jesus. 
• Ultimately, though it comes down to this with me and Girl Scouts: I cannot hold a secular organization to my religious principles. If someone chooses to boycott everything that doesn't agree with their religious or personal values (and this can swing both ways, liberal friends) then they won't do anything or go anywhere. Not sure they'd be able to buy groceries, even, to eat at home. Now, that is not to say we shouldn't take a stand about something where we are passionate (pro-life lady didn't buy GS Cookies - it would've violated her conscience, I get that) or something that Christians are specifically told to avoid...we should.  This doesn't fall in either of those camps for me (the Bible doesn't say we should not participate in Girl Scouts). But, let me say that again in case you missed it the first time: I cannot hold a secular organization to my religious principles. I'm too much of a sinner to boycott every business whose leadership is committing some other kind of sin. 

As long as my troop continues to operate the way it does, we are not persecuted for our faith, and my children are interested, I will allow them to be in Girl Scouts.  The second any of that changes, we're gone. But for now - my conscience is not violated by my children participating in this activity.  If that bothers you, let's talk, please.  We may have to be like me and the young lady at Sam's - we may have to agree to disagree. Hopefully we can do it as civilly as she and I did.

And if you want some Girl Scout cookies - we'll sell them to you. Next year. I'm *done* for this year! (we sold over 1300 boxes)

Right Now, February

*photo by Kimberly Campbell*

It's time for another installment of "Right Now" - documented 2/19/14

• feeling:  a little frazzled
• on the to do list: deliver Girl Scout Cookies
• my guilty pleasure:  Carnivale Cake K-Cups from Community Coffee
• favorites: my cowboy boots
• dreaming about: my new fridge - coming Tuesday!!
• grateful for: paychecks, paid bills...simple stuff

You can find the pages to make your own album on Monika Wright's blog. Read all about it here.  

Birthday card for Harrison

Yes! I am really posting twice in one day!! I think twice in about 2.5 hours, actually.

It's another card for a PTI challenge (scroll to the bottom of this post to see all the options).  This one involves using a "recipe" that contains a color scheme and another "recipe" that contains a sketch.  I chose the color scheme inspired by Dawn McVey -- blues and greens:  Ripe Avocado, New Leaf, Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist and Classic Kraft.  I chose the last sketch.

You know, I often make all these excuses about how I'm too busy to craft. However, I've worked over 50 hours this week...and I've made eight cards, too! (four for challenges, four Valentines...granted I didn't go to bed until 2:00 this morning because I was working on the Valentines). I need to cut it with the excuses. Usually the real reason I don't craft is because I know it means getting everything out.  Honestly, I dread the thought of getting it all out and making a huge mess (see last post). But, I do enjoy it once I get it done.  

I made this for Harrison's birthday tomorrow. He loves blue and green so I'm hopeful he will like it. I can't believe my baby is six!! Oh these years have flown!

Supplies are all PTI unless otherwise indicated:
     Stamps: 2012 Birthday Tags; I Only Have Eyes for You (Simon Says Stamp...faux stitching)
     Paper: Aqua Mist, New Leaf and Classic Kraft cardstock; Hawaiian Shores Bitty Dot patterned paper
     Ink: Memento Bamboo Leaves (closest I have to RA)

Birthday Card and Envelope

So, this is the mess I make when I'm crafting - actually, this is picked up some. I get antsy when the chopping block looks like this. My OCD goes into overdrive. It's hard being Monk-ish. :) Actually, as I look at that now - that's cleaned up A LOT! But anyway, that's not what I'm here to share.







It's another challenge for the PTI 7th anniversary. The challenge today was to make a card with a coordinating envelope.  I have a friend who recently had a birthday and I still haven't given her a card. I decided this would be my chance to remedy that.  I've been wanting to try the chalkboard technique and, again, here is my chance to try it.

I'm pleased with this little set and I hope my friend will like it. It was fun to do and I'll be doing it again, I'm sure. 

Supplies are Papertrey Ink unless stated otherwise:

Stamps: 2012 Birthday Tags, Boutique Borders: Birthday, Movers & Shakers Sentiments, Sketched Shapes, Stylish Sentiments:  Birthday
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, True Black
Ink: Versamark; Versafine Onyx (both Tsukineko); Pure Poppy (PTI)
Other: White embossing powder (Stampendous), Chalk marker (Uchida), Ladybug baker's twine (Bakers Stock); Limitless Layers: 2.25" Ovals dies (PTI); Button (PTI)

Flip Flops

I know! How in the world can I be talking about flip flops when it is eleventy-billion-degrees below zero in half of the country?! Winter Storm Olaf. Let It Go. FROZEN. Have you not been outside? Have you not been to the movies?! Hahahaha. I know, right?  (by the way, Frozen totally had me in tears five minutes into the movie) ANYWAY.

You know the PTI 7th Anniversary gig is going on right now. The challenge today was "Building Blocks". Roll a die nine times. Each roll, visit a design team member's blog and get your "block" for building your card.

So, apparently 1 is my "lucky number" - I rolled it four times!  Nichole stated that if you didn't have a particular supply, you could roll again.  Well, that last 6 required seam binding. I have none. So, I rolled again and got a 3. 3=embroidery floss. Dude, I have floss out the wazoo!! But my color combination sent me over. the. edge. Hawaiian Shores. Raspberry Fizz. Melon Berry. With Vintage Cream as my neutral.  Make a friendship card using generational stamping, brads and embroidery floss.

Hawaiian Shores & Raspberry Fizz - okay. Bright. But fun. Okay. Then, MELON BERRY?!  Melon Berry?! With Raspberry Fizz?! Are you kidding me?! I thought about rerolling. But the fun is trying to have a Tim Gunn Moment and "Make it work!"  So then I thought, "Oh, I can use generational stamping to make the blue and pink softer to work a little better with the Melon Berry."  I decided I could use Flippin' Out - two pairs of flip flops, one each in the bright colors with Melon Berry straps. That would work - and be cute. But how am I going to work in brads and floss? The more I stared at my "rolled" sketch, the more I kept thinking about Nichole Heady's adorable card introducing the set Flippin' Out set (see it here). She had that little strip of cardstock with the floss fringe. Bazinga!!  Still had no idea what in the world I was going to do with brads - other than be married to one (with an uppercase B). OR how I was going to use generational stamping. Then I realized what I could do -- little flowers scattered around my flip flops were stamped using the generational stamping. And, tada, brads make perfect little flower centers.  Personally, I think life is better in cowgirl boots - but flip flops run a close second!

Supplies (are Papertrey Ink unless otherwise specified):
     Stamps:  Flippin' Out
     Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Melon Berry
     Cardstock: Melon Berry, Vintage Cream, Hawaiian Shores
     Other:  Stamps of Life (I think they're Chocolate...but I won them in a goodie box so I'm not sure and they aren't labeled -- they look more brown than black); DMC floss 958 and 3778
     

Right Now Cover

As you may know (or not), I have been doing the "right now" journaling for a mini album. The journaling pages have come from Monika Wright at I Love It All.

Now that I have a Cinch, I'm ready to bind it and make the mini album. Here is my cover:

After I painted the chipboard letters and then stamped them with Sketched Shapes in Pure Poppy. When you see them in person, you see the squiggly lines on the letters.  I'm linking this to the Papertrey Ink 7th anniversary celebration challenge calling us to show a project with stripes. Chevron stripes, stripes in the "wood floor" patterned paper.  Stripes of stamping. Stripey. Stripey. Stripey. I love stripes! And...you know I love the red, white and blue color scheme. :) I'll show the back cover later. I need to break out the Cinch and bind it. I'm pretty pleased. 

Supplies:

     Paper: On the Bright Side-Collection One (My Mind's Eye)
     Chipboard: a cereal box saved from the recycling bin ;); letters (Paper Studio, Hobby Lobby)
     Stamps:  Sketched Shapes (Papertrey Ink)
     Ink:  Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening (PTI)
     Other:  Paint - Claudine Hellmuth Studio "Blank Canvas" (Ranger); Ribbon - red saddlestitch (stash)
    

Hello, the card

Today, the PTI challenge from Nichole Heady was to create a card with a large word as the focal point. I knew immediately what I wanted to do! Several weeks ago, I was filing some scraps of red and white striped paper from a nautical paper pad and I decided then I needed to put it on some navy cardstock to make a fun card (and you know how I love red, white and blue...if you don't, well, now you do).

Our card must use at least one PTI product. I got that part covered!  Here's my happy little hello card. Going to write a note to a friend...

As you can see, my Project Life cards served as a "holder" I really should invest in something more attractive there, ya think? Hey, I'm trying to get this photographed, the picture cropped and uploaded before the deadline. I'm racing in at the last minute!

Supplies are from PTI unless otherwise indicated:
    Stamps: Background Basics: Newsprint
    Die: Wonderful Words: Hello
    Cardstock: White, Nantucket Paper Pad (both by Recollections, Michael's), Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening
    Ink: Enchanted Evening

Snowy Day Fun and Crafting

So, we got about 3" of snow which was pretty interesting as Brad and I had a date - took us 30 minutes to make what is usually a 10 minute drive home. It was beautiful. And we're supposed to get about 6" more Monday night. You know, it doesn't snow much in Central Arkansas - so there's been a massive run on bread, milk and toilet paper. ;)

The kids had a blast playing outside - well, three of my four did. Nin stayed inside and Rainbow Loomed.

I stayed inside and did laundry, blog surfed and crafted. Papertrey Ink is having their 7th anniversary festivities and the challenge today was to make a 3x4 "Monthly Moments Trading Card" in honor of their new product release "Monthly Moments."  I decided that since I was caught up on housework, I'd participae in the challenge! Heather Nichols is the designer of the line and this month, the journaling cards will have a color scheme of Smokey Shadow (dark grey), Classic Kraft (think "paper bag brown"), Scarlet Jewel (a lovely wine color) and Hibiscus Burst (vibrant pink). I decided to use that color scheme on my card, too.

I used Pretty Peonies (the 2012 PTI anniversary set) and put it on one of my "Midnight" Project Life core kit journaling cards. Can't wait to use this in my album with the February Monthly Moments set! :)

Supplies - all from Papertrey Ink unless otherwise specified

     Stamps and dies: Pretty Peonies 

     Ink: Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel, Hibiscus Burst, Classic Kraft, Fine Linen
     Cardstock: Recollections (Michael's); 3x4 journaling card Midnight core kit (Project Life)

Weekly Household Planner

The week after Christmas, several of my friends posted a link on Facebook to this planner from The Confident Mom.  (ugh, I hate trying to edit a post from both my phone and my computer - just FYI, it is impossible!)  I knew that something needed to happen. My Household Management Schedule - which was laminated and hanging on my fridge - wasn't working for us. It just seemed overwhelming, even though things were broken down into daily, weekly, monthly and periodic tasks.

When I looked at this weekly planner online, I thought it was something that might work for us. I had no idea how incredibly helpful it would be!! We have been using it for five weeks (we are in week 6) and it has radically changed how we (kids and I) look at - and do -  our housekeeping tasks.

I heartily recommend this planner! She has two versions you can download: the blank one and the "Just Tell Me What to Do" version. I downloaded them both, but had a hunch I'd be using the "Just Tell Me What to Do" version - and I do. :) The nice thing is, even the Tell Me version is customize-able.  Now, if you want to insert a weekly task, or if you want to add something to the daily tasks or you want to remove something -- you have to do it for every week. But, Ctrl+F (on Windows) makes it easy to find and edit.  Because of that, I recommend printing out two to four weeks, see how you use it and how it would best be modified to fit your family and homemaking "quirks" (we've all got 'em!) then edit the rest of the year, print those and bind them. 

  

As an example of how I used my housekeeping quirks and the specifics of my home to update my planner, I deleted all references to the "2nd floor". The Shoe only has one floor. Also, I have to sweep my kitchen floor at least once a day. I usually sweep it two or three times a day. Sometimes I sweep it before I go to bed and then sweep it again first thing in the morning. OCD much? ;) So, I added "Sweep Kitchen Floor" to my daily tasks. Yes, I know to do it - but having a checkbox for it helps guide me and my kids.

The kids look at the tasks each day and ask "what job can I do, today?" I was concerned that the "new" of this planner would wear off in a couple of weeks for all of us - but so far it hasn't. We are all more motivated than ever.  I find the public areas of the house stay more tidy, laundry is caught up which makes my bedroom and bathroom (laundry staging central) more tidy...I just wish I could figure out what needs to happen to make the kids' bathroom and bedrooms stay picked up!! :) Fairy, perhaps? 

Anyway, I know household management is often a struggle - even for those whose jobs are solely their home and family - so I wanted to throw this resource out there for everyone to check out. I think it is worth it. It is worth the ink to print it. It is worth the cost to have it bound. I highly, highly recommend it. If she goes back to selling this in the future (apparently it was a product she used to sell), I will buy it. Seriously. For our family, it is worth it.