New Layout - You Are my Sunshine

Thank goodness it's Friday! Our weekend is another jammed packed one that exhausts me just to think about it, but tonight I did get in a bit of Scrappy time. Yeah! These are photos from almost a year and a half ago when Maddie was just two months old.  

I created each page separately with the intent these two pages would go together.

For the left side, I used the Page Maps sketch below for the current My Mind's Eye contest. You are allowed to use any product you choose, but I am a MME hoarder and couldn't wait to use the Collectable line by Jen Allyson. It was perfect for these bar-b-que photos. 

    
I also played along with Love to Scrap's Challenge #3. This was a recipe challenge. The challenge was to use 3 (or more) layers, 2 patterned papers, and 1 image.  I used lots and lots of layers. Patterned background paper, die-cut flowers, paper flowers, and brads in addition to 3 dimensional stickers. I only used 2 patterned papers (the background and the pink mat on the photo. Finally, I used a single photo of Maddie and I. 

Finally, I played along with The Paper Girls' Challenge #29 "April Showers Bring May Flowers".  The challenge was to use raindrops, umbrellas flowers. Check out the awesome flowers from Debbie's garden.  The challenge only allows you to combine your project with two other challenges, so that is it for this page! LOL.

Here are a couple of closeups of my layout:

Materials used:  Paper - MME, 3-D stickers - MME, die-cut flowers - Colorbok; flowers - Prima; brads - MME; stickles - Ranger; die-cut file folder - Quickutz; journaling block - unknown; ink - CTMH; pen - CTMH.

My second layout (right side) used the super cute sketch from Scrap Africa. I mirrored the sketch and used six 2x3 photos in lieu of the single large photo.

For this layout I played along with the April DT Challenge over at Scrap That. This month's challenge was to use fiber. This includes cording, thread, fabric, burlap, jute, yarn, etc . but no ribbon or lace.  I used twine for the stitching along the bottom of my layout. I have never used twine for stitching this small of stitches. It was more difficult than I expected. I like the simple addition though.

Finally, I played along with Kristi B's Scrappy Friends April challenge - add something that flies to your layout. I used two butterflies and then drew their paths with a pen.

Here are a couple of closeup photos:

Materials used: paper - MME; word stickers - MME; twine - MME; butterflies - jenni bowlin; date sticker - MME; ink - CTMH.

Thanks for visiting!

Project Life - Week 13

Welcome to Project Life 2013! If you are new to my blog, welcome! I hope you will stay a while. I'm Jessica, wife to Juan, mommy to 1 year old Maddie. I am also an electrical engineer by day and I am participating in Project Life, a different way to record our lives by taking one photo a day. This was inspired by the fabulous Becky Higgins who has put together a wonderful kit to make this challenge easier.

I am using the digital kit on shutterfly (hopefully Olive once it has been released), find more info at http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog. This digital version uses Shutterfly and is SUPER easy to use! See my completed pages for 2012 using the Shutterfly Cobalt kit HERE.

And finally, my POTW (pictures of the week):

Tuesday - Tonight I tried another Pintrest recipe, Crock-Pot Chicken Teriyaki: 1 lb diced chicken - 1 c chicken broth - ½ c teriyaki sauce - ⅓ c brown sugar - 3 minced garlic cloves
We poured it over brown rice. The flavor was great, but the chicken ended up being dry.

Wednesday - I have been working 60-70 hours/week for weeks now. I had to work late again this evening, so Maddie and Juan came to take me to lunch. We went to Green Papaya. Maddie was very excited to use the chopsticks, but more excited to eat ice from Daddy's water. Ice is her new favorite thing to eat. We don't let her have too much for fear it will damage her teeth, but today Daddy gave in. She does so great when we eat out.

Thursday - This afternoon while outside, Maddie said "air P" for airplane. She also began saying "Hap-P" (happy) over and over all evening. I'm not sure why, but she put Daddy's underwear around her neck and then repeated, "Hap-P, Hap-P" over and over. She cracks us up!

Friday - I spent the entire evening trying to finish our taxes. Due to the money we had to take out of Juan's 401K last year we took a huge hit and ended up owing a ton of money. Fortunately all of our donations throughout the year decreases what we owed, but we still ended up owing $2,224; money that we unfortunately do not have with Juan still out of work. Maddie spent the afternoon playing in her sandbox.

Saturday - Nana came over to help us dye Easter eggs today. Maddie greatly enjoyed the event. We let her drop the color pellets in the water, then color on the eggs, drop them in the dye bowls, and the pull them out when they were done. There were a few casualties, but overall she did amazing for an 18 month old. We did 2 dozen eggs, then we took them out in the backyard and I hid them for her. She caught on real quick and "found" them all fairly quickly. Her little "basket" was full to the brim and on the last egg she fell down and broke just about all of them. She looked up and said, "uh o". She definitely enjoyed the day. See the video HERE.

Sunday - Today is Easter. We started the morning with Maddie and her Easter Basket from the Easter Bunny (Juan says I made up this tradition). We also let her have a chocolate bunny, although we only let her eat about half of it. Then we headed to Nana's for a bar-b-que with Vanessa, Jakob and Ashlyn. Nana had easter baskets for all three kids. Maddie immediately tried to take Ashlyn's away. After lunch, we hid eggs for the kids. Nana got plastic eggs and filled them with stickers, necklaces, toys, and candy. Maddie understood to find the eggs, but after about the third egg she realized there was something in the eggs and "hunting" the eggs was over. After the egg hunt, Juan put Maddie in the tree. She immediately wanted down, but Jakob wanted up. Juan put him in the tree and he hung out up there for almost 30 minutes. All three kids played on the kiddie slide and Ashlyn/Maddie kissed through the hole. It was the cutest moment of the day!

Monday - Maddie got bubbles in her Easter basket, so we used them this afternoon. You squeeze the bottle and up pops the bubble wand. It makes blowing lots of bubbles quickly very easy. We used the entire bottle and Maddie was still saying, "more, more." We will definitely be re-using the bottle.




Thanks for visiting!

Project Life - Week 12

Welcome to Project Life 2013! If you are new to my blog, welcome! I hope you will stay a while. I'm Jessica, wife to Juan, mommy to 1 year old Maddie. I am also an electrical engineer by day and I am participating in Project Life, a different way to record our lives by taking one photo a day. This was inspired by the fabulous Becky Higgins who has put together a wonderful kit to make this challenge easier.

I am using the digital kit on shutterfly (hopefully Olive once it has been released), find more info at http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog. This digital version uses Shutterfly and is SUPER easy to use! See my completed pages for 2012 using the Shutterfly Cobalt kit HERE.

And finally, my POTW (pictures of the week):

Tuesday - I managed to get all of the herbs planted today. We had to many for our single herb pot, so we used an entire plant stand for the rest of the herbs. Our backyard is definitely starting to come together!

Wednesday - Our first Iris bloomed today. We planted these months ago and they've been steadily growing in our rock garden. I can't wait until they are all blooming!

Thursday - Juan and I caught some sort of stomach virus this week so we haven't done much except lay around; but we noticed the Zinnia's and Snap Dragons were starting to die so we decided to at least get those planted in the front yard. Maddie was ready to jump in and help. Daddy also finished her sandbox today and they both had fun drawing letters in the sand.

Friday - Today is Juan and I's four year wedding anniversary. This year is the year of Fruit and Flowers. Since we are broke and we just planted all those flowers, we decided that would be our gift to each other this year. We actually planted both a Raspberry bush and a Blackberry bush in the backyard, so technically we have the "fruit" covered. This afternoon Juan got out his pressure toy and Maddie had a blast with it. She was so interested in everything it could do! Happy Anniversary my LOVE!

Saturday - Today Daddy went to a movie and Maddie and Mama built a blanket fort. Maddie was very impressed and thought her little "house" was very fun!

Sunday - This morning Maddie brought Monkey Monkey and Mr. Elefant into our bed to show me their diapers. Juan put diapers on them yesterday to show Maddie that she didn't need to scream when he changed her diaper. She was very proud and wanted me to see them.

Sunday - This morning Maddie brought Monkey Monkey and Mr. Elefant into our bed to show me their diapers. Juan put diapers on them yesterday to show Maddie that she didn't need to scream when he changed her diaper. She was very proud and wanted me to see them. Maddie with her hammer in her overalls, running through the house at full speed. Juan says that Maddie is now saying "Tank u" (thank-you) I have not heard her but Juan says that she says it sometimes randomly after he gives her something. She will not say it if you ask her to.

Monday - Maddie's lower left molar is in. She now climbs her step stool and "brushes" her own teeth (which usually involves her chewing on the brush and sucking on the bristles). She is excited every night to "brush-a-brush" so that is good. 


Thanks for visiting!

SYTYCS #14 - Heaven Sent

I'm excited to report that I made it to yet another round in the SYTYCS (So You Think You Can Scrap) challenge over at Colorful Creations. This is my submission for round #14. It is really the only scrapping I've done in weeks. 60 hour + work weeks don't leave much time for simple pleasures like scrappin'!

This weeks challenge was to use the following:

Make your own patterned papers (no pre-printed papers allowed)

Make your own washi tape

Make your own paste

Make your own pinwheel 

I really did not enjoy this challenge. The paste did not work well for me when it was required on a previous challenge, and it didn't work any better this time. I did make my own washi tape out of tissue paper and stamps (it is located across the stick on the pinwheel), but even that did not thrill me as I have a ton of super cute washi tape that I've bought that I would much rather use.  I stamped images on the cardstock background paper and on the paper I used for the pinwheel.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Thanks for visiting!

Videos of Maddie

Happy Sunday all!  I am NOT ready for another week, but apparently it is coming whether I am ready or not. I've been meaning to post a couple of recent videos of Maddie.  They are pretty cute.

The first is Maddie in her tiger sweatshirt. It has a hoodie and Juan taught her to put it up and roar like a tiger. View the video HERE.

The second video is of Maddie dying Easter eggs for the first time. There were quite a few casualties, but she definitely had fun! View the video HERE.

Thanks for visiting!