life in general

project life // february 2013

A few highlights from the month of February!  All of these layouts were photographed with my iphone.  I tried to pull out the big camera, but the battery was dead (?) and I have no patience for charging.

FEBRUARY 4 - 10

LEFT PAGE // I had fun emphasizing the love theme on a few of my February layouts.  And I think I've decided that I love my Project Life pages best when I include more than 1 photo from an event / happening. In between these pages I added a sheet protector and filled it with the love notes we made for Family Home Evening and hung on our kitchen cabinets all month.

RIGHT PAGE // Washing dishes (that quote is priceless), a little bit around the house, and a date for Scott and I.  

FEBRUARY 11-17

LEFT PAGE // This whole spread was more about love and family rather than specific events.  I love the shadow capture on our walk to school and the family picture at the tennis courts.  The red card with a heart was a card that I received and cut down to 3x4.  The quote has always been a favorite of mine -- I whipped this up on the computer super quick and printed it out.

RIGHT PAGE // All about Valentine's Day.  I included the kids' photo valentine's day cards and a journaling page that Anna wrote in class.  She was feeling bad that Conner was home sick on Valentine's day.  I used a Design D photo pocket page on this side.

FEBRUARY 18 - 24

LEFT PAGE // So many fun pictures from our hike that it spilled over onto on insert.

RIGHT PAGE // Anna's Glee performance, the art festival at school, and some random Sunday photos.  I came across the quote on Pinterest this week and decided to include it on my layout as well.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PRODUCTS USED //

Project Life Core Kit - Seafoam Edition

Photo Pocket Pages - Design A

Photo Pocket Pages - Design D

Roller Date Stamp

File Folder Labels

American Crafts Precision Pens

Mini Label Stickers

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Project Life is a back to basics approach to memory keeping. I've been dabbling in Project Life since Becky Higgins released the first kit in 2009.  I love that it is simple, streamlined, and keeps the focus on the photos and the memories. (The extra supplies & design-y stuff is totally optional.)  Learn more about it here.

project life // january 2013

I'm back at it again!  It's been a while since I have worked on my project life album.  In fact, last week Payton was flipping through our album when he asked, "When are you going to add more pictures to the book?"  Well, that was motivation enough to get me going!

Our album sits open in the family room, for everyone to look through.  Payton, I've noticed, spends the most time looking through it.  So when I finished the month of January I went looking for Payton and told him that I needed to show him something in my craft room.  When he saw the new album and new photos he said, "oh wow!"  And with a smile plastered across his face he slowly turned the pages, studying each photo, reading the words, and giggling at the memories.

This is what makes memory keeping so worth it.

Here's a peek at January:

DECEMBER 31 - JANUARY 6

LEFT PAGE // New Year's Eve Party, Christmas Break, ice on the pool . . . . I love the quotation cards.  I can tell I will be using those a lot.  The "Today" card is a folded journaling card and inside I included the recipe for Candy Crack.  I made waaaaayy too much on New Year's Eve.

RIGHT PAGE // Natural History Museum, a double birthday date, and the start of Downton Abbey Season 3 . . . . I made sure to include my one little word, "thrive", on this layout.  Font is Bebas.

HIGHLIGHT // I was so proud that I saved the movie ticket stub from the boys' birthday date!  I created a 4x6 canvas in PSE and threw on a plus sign (+) and the instagram photo from our dinner at Red Robin.  I made sure to leave enough space to glue the ticket stub on top.  

JANUARY 7 - 13

LEFT PAGE // all iphone photos.  Not much going on this week.  I used the journaling cards and arrow stickers to write tidbits about what I was working on and the random things we were up to.  There was a quote that inspired me this week and I attempted to print it, but the background is so light that it doesn't show up very well.

RIGHT PAGE // hanging around the house, the Pinewood Derby . . . . I included a collage of instagram photos from the week (most from our morning walks to school).  I just love the titles and word bits on the journaling cards -- today is good, this is what life looks like, remember this.  They just fit so well with our everyday, boring-but-real photos.  This really is what life looks like!

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3

LEFT PAGE // Again, all iphone photos. Conner was Student of the Month, new shutters, shelves going up in the craft room, a visit from my mom and dad . . . I included the invitation to the Student of the Month breakfast of champions in one of the small pockets.

RIGHT PAGE // The whole page is dedicated to Payton's 10th birthday.  The two instagram photos are pieced together thanks to a free download from Design Editor HERE.  I use this file all the time.  Added American Crafts foam stickers on the photo of Payton.  "Payton is Awesome" is another folded journaling card.

HIGHLIGHT // Just some stickers and goodies added on top of the photos so I could get all my journaling/notes in.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PRODUCTS USED //

Project Life Core Kit - Seafoam Edition

Photo Pocket Pages - Design A

Arrow Stickers - Grey

Roller Date Stamp

American Crafts Precision Pens

Mini Label Stickers

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Project Life is a back to basics approach to memory keeping. I've been dabbling in Project Life since Becky Higgins released the first kit in 2009.  I love that it is simple, streamlined, and keeps the focus on the photos and the memories. (The extra supplies & design-y stuff is totally optional.)  Learn more about it here.

I'm linking up with The Mom Creative for her Project Life Tuesday.

101 in 1001 // new year update

While it's January and we're all talking and thinking about goals and things we want to do I thought I would re-visit my 101 in 1001 goal challenge.  Yes, I haven't forgotten about it!  My 101 in 1001 page is up to date with everything I have completed so far.  But I did a little math and forecasting and I realized that I need to kick things into gear if I want to accomplish these things by my end date!  

Also, I've already missed a few months in my goals like journal every month, send happy mail every month, etc. etc.  Ack!  But I have decided not to beat myself up about it.  Well, I did for a second and then I moved on.  Whatever number I reach, whether it's 30 or 13 over the course of this 33 month project, will be an accomplishment in my books.  There.

Today, I wanted to give a little update on a few goals that I completed over the last few months.

Anna had a little bit of a rough transition to her new kindergarten class after our move last spring.  The curriculum & methods were just so different from what she was doing in Oregon and it really threw her for a loop.  She lost her self-confidence (going from thinking she was an amazing student to thinking she was a horrible student) and things kind of screeched to a halt.  At the end of kindergarten her reading skills were not where I would have liked them to be so we set a goal to read 100 books over the summer.  And boy, it was just the thing she needed.

We went to the library every week and checked out a big bag of books.  Nearly everyday we would spend a little time sitting on my bed reading those books.

She started to love reading and she definitely improved.  I'm so glad we completed this goal because it set her on the right foot for 1st grade.  And today?  She is a great reader.  And loves it.  She has begun chapter books.  Each morning she begs for more verses to read in the Book of Mormon.  And I couldn't be more pleased.

This little video is typical Anna.  Shot way back in July, she's having some fun with our reading time. 

We kept a list of the 100 books we read.  Here are a few of our favorites:

• Yes Day! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
• The Best Kind of Kiss by Margaret Allum
• The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willem
• Beware of the Frog by William Bee
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
• The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

In August I spent 3 separate days taking each child individually on a back to school shopping date.  This was the first time I had done something like this and it worked out really well!  Oh, I can still remember the trauma & frustration from the back to school shopping trip of 2010.  Never again.

On each of our dates they got to choose a place for lunch.  With Conner we ate at Applebee's (he had received a coupon for a free kids' meal through the summer reading program).  Payton chose Wendy's so that he could eat the Son of Baconator.  And Anna wanted something "healthy" to eat so we ended up at Chipotle.  ??

It was so great to have one on one time with the kids and I know they really enjoyed it too.  I loved it when Payton hopped in the van after lunch and said, "this is fun."  That was enough for me to know that this time was well worth it.

Has anyone else been through this situation:  You purchase your kid a kit/project type gift for Christmas, and everytime the kid comes asking if you will help them do it (because it requires adult supervision) you say "not now" and then 2 years go by and they are still asking and you feel totally lame.  Anyone? . . . . Just me?  Alright.  But I'm owning up to it.

A while ago we bought a crystal kit for Payton.  He LOVES crystals, rocks, minerals, gold, and shiny things.  And the poor kid has been so patient while I've put him off and off.  I decided that this Christmas break it was going to happen!

Just look at that happy look on his face.  We currently have crystals growing in our dining room.  And I feel like a good mom.  Now, we just need to hang up that Darth Vader Fat-head we got for Conner's birthday 6 weeks ago . . . . .  

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies - These were very good and the kids really liked them.  Just a touch on the oily side, though.

Nutella French Toast -- I had high hopes for this one, and it does look so pretty, but it was just too soggy for me.  I cooked and cooked and cooked it, but just could not compensate for the layers of bread & nutella & egg mix that had saturated everything.

Nutella Brownies (4 ingredients) - These were super quick & easy to make (beware, the batter is thick).  And it makes a small batch of 12 mini brownies.  Perfect for when you just need a little snack.

For Christmas I pulled together the photos from Scott's first 9 years of life and compiled them into a project life album for him.  It turned out so great!

There is more work to do (ages 10-18) but for now I am calling this goal complete!

project life // from august & september

I'm longing for some Project Life catch-up -- namely, October and November.  But . . . .  there is unpacking to do and organizing and preparing for guests (yippee!!) and Thanksgiving and even more guests (yay!).  All good wonderful stuff that I am really looking forward to. So, for now Project Life is taking a back seat. 

I have the album sitting in our family room out in the open.  In a place where it is easy to walk by and look at the photos or stop and flip through the pages.  I love it that way.  I find the kids looking through the album often.  Which I love.  AND it motivates me to fill in the gaps and get it up to date.

I was flipping through my album and thought I'd quickly share some layouts from August and September.  I don't have time for linking products, fonts, etc. but if you're curious leave a comment and I'll get back to you.  (Click on the photos to see anything larger.)

 

project life 2012 // catching up

So, remember when I used to do project life and share it here on the blog?  I made it through mid-February with weekly layouts, then life got really busy, then we moved, and I just haven't gotten back into the groove yet.  

But I've been craving it!

Last week my blog friend Emily (who is now my in-real-life friend) came over for an evening of project life-ing and it really helped me to get my groove back.  Too bad she moved to California this week.

Anyways, I just wanted to share a few of my recent layouts.  There is a lot of catch-up I need to do.  But rather than focus on just catching up, my plan going forward is to work on the current week and one catch-up week as I have the time.  And if some of the weeks don't make it into the album, it is okay.

Catch-up layout #1 -- This spread covers just 2 days.  Two.  And it was all about the photos.  I've already blogged about the Vintage Spring Sorbet, and I'll probably make a photo book of some sort.  So for the purposes of PL I just wanted to throw some photos into the album to make mention that it happened.

One of my favorite things . . . the row of 8 Instax photos in the journaling pockets.  A perfect fit.

6 x 12 page insert.  The pink chevron pattern is a paper cookie bag that I cut into strips.

Washi tape + word stickers to adorn this cute photo.

Catch-up Layout #2 - There wasn't a ton going on the week before and after my trip, so I combined several of the random happenings into one layout.

For the date card I used a collage of instagram photos.

Catch-up Layout #3 -- A semi-normal week around here.  5th Grade Parent's night, day camp, mother's day, finishing up a science project, cooling off at the splash pad.

I love the transparent circle journaling spots.  They were a free download from Design Editor.

I knew this photo of Conner would be perfect for a 6x8 enlargement.  I love the look of spreading it across several journal/photo pockets.

More of the same . . . . The "quote" journaling card was a free download from Cathy Zielske (somewhere deep in her PL archives).

***********************************************

That's all!  And guess what . . . it's wednesday and my May 14-20 layout is finished and in the book!  I'm on a roll.

Linking up over at The Mom Creative

project life 2012 // week 3

Someone recently asked me, "what is project life?"  In case others are wondering the same thing, here is an answer.

Project Life is a scrapbooking kit/system that was developed by the Becky Higgins a few years ago.  I bought that first kit in 2009.  And again in 2010.  Back then it was called Project 365.  The idea was to take a photo a day and using the P365 kit you could simply and quickly scrapbook an entire year of your family's life.

Then and now the bones of the project are:  album + divided sheet protectors + journaling cards

Slide your photos in, jot down a bit of journaling, and wah-lah! you've just scrapbooked.  Easy and adhesive-free.

What I love about the evolution of this into "Project Life" is the freedom to use it however it works for you.  Photo a day.  Week-at-a-glance layouts.  Or even simpler with a month in review.  Highlight the big events.  It could be a child's scrapbook that covers several years.  Or simply use it as a photo album and get your photos out in the open (you know, all those photos that are sitting in boxes or on your hard-drive.  Guilty!).  I have a box full of photos from Scott's childhood.  Someday I would love to use a Project Life album to organize all of that.  And maybe he could add the journaling.

I hope that answers some questions.  Becky offers more answers on her website here.  And you can buy the kit on Amazon.

This year, I'm not approaching this with a set plan.  The first 2 weeks I did week-at-a-glance layouts, with various photos from nearly every day in the week.  For week 3 I did a full spread about our two snow days.  It was a big deal and I took a lot of photos so I wanted to focus solely on that event.  I've had some fun "dressing-up" the kit with other supplies.  But I am sure there will be weeks I stick to the bare bones basics.  Which still looks pretty awesome.

So here is my Week 3 spread:

turn the insert page and you can see the rest:

left page is all about Tuesday . . . 

For the title card I used See & Stamp transparent stamps.  They have been on my amazon wish list for a long time so I finally bought them.  For only $10 I don't know why I waited so long!  I love the kraft scalloped trim and I'm thinking I need to get some more.

I wanted to include a few more pictures so I added a page flip to the bottom left.

The right page is all about Wednesday . . . 

I love the wood veneer asterisks which double as snowflakes here.

I had a few more non-snow photos from the week that I wanted to include so I trimmed a page protector that is made for three 4x6 photos, down to just two.

Isn't that photo of Anna so totally awesome?  The 4x6 card was a free download from Design Editor.  Thanks!

On the back of the insert . . . Conner's fried egg from Sunday.  And some Cub Scouting with Payton on Saturday.

Another week, done!

one little word 2012: january

I counted back and I've been doing this one little word thing for about 6 years

Past words have included:  nurture (2011), joy (2010), organize (2008), play (2007), simplify (2006)

For 2012 I had a general feeling for what I wanted my word encompass.  I began making a list in December.

begin
welcome
discover
bloom
open

They were each right on the cusp, but not quite there.

So I began reading the list of "words" that Ali Edwards posted on her blog last year.  

And I found it.  I know that I've found my word when the little hairs on the back of my neck get tingly, my heart jumps, and my eyes tear up.

Why such a reaction over a simple word?  Well,

that one little word is something I will carry in my heart over the course of the year

that one little word will whisper to me "do better, try harder"

that one little word will remind me to live intentionally

that one little word is a stepping stone to get me closer to the person I want to be

My one little word for 2012 is . . . . Embrace

To make sure I stay accountable to this word throughout the year, I signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word Class.  Each month there is a prompt or assignment to help you refocus on your word.

For January . . .

definition:  

to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly
to take in with the eye or the mind
to take or clasp in the arms; hug 

 

thesaurus:  

welcome
accept
seize
grasp
adopt
embody
take in arms

I chose this word because: 

With the move to las vegas this year there are so many changes in the horizon (ward, friends, school, bigger city, and not to mention the weather!).  I feel like I need this word to help me embrace all the new experiences and be ready for new opportunities.

quotation:  

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new . . . There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."  -Alan Cohen

{what this quote means to me:  I don't take this from the perspective that I'm releasing familiar & secure relationships (those I will always cling to and hold dear).  I like this quote more from the thinking that it takes courage to embrace the new.  Courage is admirable quality and it's one I want to have.  Life is always changing/moving/evolving and I like how this quote reminds me that a full life (adventure, exciting posibilities) can be found in movement.  I don't want to be moving all the time (I like being settled), but I need to remember that this can be an exciting, exhilirating adventure and to appreciate it for the memories, bonding, and growth that it will bring to our family.  Finally, "in change there is power."  This change allows me the power to decide who I want to be going forward and how I'm going to present myself in this new life.  I also have the power to choose my attitude.}

with this word I invite:  

new beginnings
adventure
growth
possibilities
openness
discovery
love & connection

I'm looking forward to spending 2012 with this one little word.

project life 2012

I'm jumping into Project Life again.

Never-mind the fact that I have two unfinished project life albums (2009 and 2010) sitting in my scrapbook room.  I just couldn't resist!  For two reasons:

1. The Clementine kit is adorable.  Love the colors and designs and sentiments.  Just couldn't resist.
2. There are going to be a lot of changes for our family in 2012 and I want an easy, straightforward way to document it all.

I gave myself permission to give it another go only because I've let go of my previous "photo-a-day" style.  I'm going to approach this project with a great amount of flexibility.  Some layouts might feature a photo a day, some layouts might feature a single event.  And I may skip some weeks altogether.

Monday night I put together my first layout.  And you know what?  I really really love it.  :)

Here's a closer look at the left hand page . . . . 

There is an insert in the middle with a Happy New Year picture that Anna drew, and Payton's patent for the Scooter Basket.

And a closer look at the right side . . . 

I'm trying to set myself up for success this year by doing a few things

• allow some flexibility (as I discussed above)
• use my iphone to capture some everyday or random moments - don't worry about lugging the camera everywhere
• pre-fill the whole album with journaling cards and title/date cards.  All the basics are in the album already.  I just have to add photos and journaling.
• set up a basket for my supplies
• keep the album out in the open

This is my "out in the open" spot.  

Out in the open so I can remember to do it.  And out in the open so the family can enjoy it.  Lately, Payton & Anna have spent more and more time pulling the scrapbooks off the shelves and flipping through them.  They love seeing pictures of themselves and reading/hearing the stories of funny things they said or did.  I think they are really going to love flipping through this album as well.

 So my little supply basket . . . 

Isn't it so cute?  I love it.  Anna and I spent a morning at the Container Store last week and found some good items to pull this together.  Basket + letter sorter + file folders.

My basic supplies . . . 

Mini Stapler, post-its, pen (Pilot G2), moleskine notebook (for jotting little notes each day), folders (for holding daily ephemera), clear pouch (for patterned paper scraps), adhesive, scissors.

My creative supplies . . . 

I bought a few more supplies to supplement the kit when I'm feel extra crafty.  I was excited to find some things that go with the clementine kit, but not too matchy matchy, that give a subtle vintage-y vibe.  I discovered Studio Calico and love them!

Studio Calico butterfly stickers, cloud rub-ons, 6x6 Autumn Press Paper Pack, fabric rips, border stickers, and wood veneer pieces - houses and asterisks.

Also 7 Gypsies mini label stickers and a few patterend papers.

Wish me luck!  I don't plan to share my layouts on a regular basic (again, trying to let go of pressure / self-imposed expectations).  But you might see one pop up from time to time.

I'm excited to document our lives this year.  All of it . . . the everyday, the random, the big, the small, the happy, the hard, the messy, the silly.  Our real life.

let's go on a date: august

the date envelope

contents   gift certificate for 2 nine-hole rounds of golf with golf cart

cost  $48

the plan

Scott loves to golf but doesn't get to do it very often.  I want to learn to golf.  I thought this would be a perfect date idea for the both of us.  We are one year away from the kids being in school full-day so I thought this would be good timing to start practicing the golf here and there.  Maybe in the future we could do more golf dates every so often while the kids are in school.

the date afternoon

This was my first time playing on a golf course since our engagement or early marriage.  We started having kids and schedules suddenly weren't so flexible for things like this.  For our date I used Conner's new clubs, a little short, but almost my size.

It was a beautiful day to be on a beautiful course!  When we sat back and thought about it, what better surroundings (picturesque, quiet, calming) to be in for a lovely date.  It was so nice to cuddle up in the golf cart as we drove from hole to hole, sometimes having to sit there and wait for our turn.  But that was perfectly fine with me.

As far as my golf game . . . I got somewhere around an 82-ish.  I think I lost 3 balls.  :)  Scott did pretty good considering the distractions (me) with a 40 - just 4 over par.

We both really enjoyed this date and are looking forward to when we can do it again!

Afterwards Scott took me to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  Fore!  Score!

the scrapbook page

next month

picnic - hike - dessert

To see each of our monthly dates in 2011, go here

let's go on a date: july

the date envelope

contents  $15 Blockbuster gift card, 2 Do You Know Your Husband/Wife Quiz books

cost  $27

the plan

It's a slumber party for two!  I also grabbed this idea from Love Actually.  My little note above explains it all -- get comfy & cozy in front of the tv, order in some pizza, fill out the Do You Know? quiz books, pop in a movie, enjoy some popcorn, and stay up all night talking or whatever.  

the date night

July was a busy month.  We were on vacation half the month, and Scott was out of town for the other half of the month.  So when we planned a spur of the moment weekend in the city, we decided to bring along the date envelope.  Yay for separate / adjoining hotel rooms!  But . . . I got food poisoning that night so nothing fun was going to happen.

Just goes to show that sometimes your best laid plans go awry.

We tried again a few weeks later.  I put together a fun date basket

There was so much to do -- 2 movies, quizzes, discussion, treats . . . . We ended up spreading it out over an entire weekend.  We ditched the living room floor idea (because that would mean we'd have to walk downstairs) and chose the comfort of our bedroom instead for movie watching and late-night talks.  

The quiz books . . . so. much. fun.  And I can truthfully tell you that Scott really enjoyed it too.  There are 100 questions in each book so we worked in 20 question increments.  We'd quietly jot down our answers about the other person and then go through it together one by one.  I have to say that we know each other very well!  Very few wrong answers in there. Some of the questions were totally random (like, what pocket does he put his wallet in?), some were good "what would he/she do in this situation?" questions, and others asked about their childhood, personality, and habits.  I highly recommend it as a fun activity to do together.

the scrapbook layout

no photos this month.  I cut out some of our answers from the quiz books to include on this month's layout.  (click on the photo to see it larger)

next month

drive, chip, putt

To see each of our monthly dates from 2011, click here.

let's go on a date: june

the date envelope

contents  Restaurant.com voucher to local restaurant, deck of cards, list of 2-player cards games & instructions for play (not seen)

cost  $5

the plan

As the note says, this month marks 13 years since our first date.  We dated over that summer and spent quite a bit of time outside.  I wanted this month's date to be slightly reminiscent of that.

My idea was to get some dinner at a local Hawaiian restaurant (I was able to buy a $10 voucher on Restaurant.com for just $2 -- you can find great promo codes from time to time).  And then we would stroll across the parking lot and sit at one of the picnic benches in the park on the river.  Pull out a deck of cards and enjoy a nice summer evening playing some card games.

the date night

Dinner at our local Hawaiian place was great, as usual.  But the weather was a bit overcast and nippy outside -- not the greatest conditions for sitting outside for an extended period of time.  So no card games for us.

Instead, we walked down to the docks to get a closer view of the river and boats -- the river was the highest we have ever seen it.  Then we took a nice walk up and down historic mainstreet, peeking in the shop windows, with me essentially giving Scott a tour of the town we've lived in for the last 9 years.  :)  

Then we decided to go to Burgerville for fresh strawberry milkshakes (yum!) and use their free wi-fi to play around on our ipads.  In the photo below we look pretty lame - sucking on a milkshake, zoned out on our ipads.  But really it was just perfect to get to sit together, surrounded by quiet, piddling around on our devices.  It's the little things.

Before leaving home Scott had downloaded a 2-player card game (Speed, I think?) and we had a really fun time playing that together.  Yep that's us . . .  just a couple of 30-something parents, out on a friday night, playing card games in Burgerville.

the scrapbook layout

next month

getting to know you

to see each of our monthly dates in 2011, go here

let's go on a date: may

the date envelope

Sorry, no picture.  This date falls into the category of "for our eyes only".  If you're putting together a year of dates, be sure to include one at-home date that he is sure to enjoy.  I found a creative idea on the Love Actually blog (scroll down to see a list)

Cost:  $0

the plan

Instead I'll share another date we went on in May.  It doubled as a birthday present for Scott.

the date night

I got tickets to see Riverdance!  In his college days Scott had several people tell him he looked like Michael Flatley, of the Lord of the Dance.  Since then, whenever we flip through tv channels and happen to come across Riverdance on PBS or wherever we always stop and watch for a few minutes.

Before the show Scott suggested that we go to dinner at Mexican restaurant.  This is ground-breaking people because he doesn't care all that much for Mexican food.  But apparently he had visited this restaurant with co-workers and enjoyed it, so he knew I would too.  Yay for me!

The show was great.  We loved the dancers and the Celtic soloist & instrumentalists.  There was also a dance-off between tap dancers and Celtic dancers that was pretty darn amazing.

Afterwards we had a serious hankering for a treat.  Ice cream or frozen yogurt.  We managed to find a frozen yogurt place just a few blocks away.  The kind that offers self-serve yogurt and toppings and you pay by the ounce . . . . my absolute favorite.  It was the perfect ending to a great evening out.

the scrapbook page

(forgive the photo quality -- it is an especially grey morning.)

next month

summer lovin'

to see all of our monthly dates in 2011, go here

let's go on a date: april

the date envelope

cost: $20

the plan

A pretty simple, straightforward date this month.  Dinner at a favorite Thai restaurant and a session at the Portland Temple.  We're always trying to be better about going to the temple more often so I made sure that this was included in one of our pre-planned dates for the year.  

the date night

Like I said, it was pretty straightforward.  We ate Thai food.  We went to the temple.  It was perfect!

the scrapbook page

We always joke about the stark differences in our Thai food tastes.  Scott orders it as spicy as they will make it.  And I order my pad thai with no spice whatsoever.  

next month

getting in the Celtic spirit

to see all of our monthly dates in 2011, go here

my quote box

While I was cleaning out my scrapbook room . . . every drawer, box, basket, and corner sifted through . . . I came across a black index card file box.  I opened it and was flooded with memories of the organizational OCD that was a part of my early scrapbooking days.  

Inside there were alphabetical tabbed dividers.  And behind each tab sat multiple cards, labeled with a category (blessings, children, dance, fall, food, outdoors), and handwritten quotes that fell under that subject. Where did I get all my quotes?  Creating Keepsakes Magazine - every month I would scour the pages for thoughtful, playful, or themed quotes in the articles and on layouts that were printed in the magazine.  Why?  Because someday I might have a picture of my kids talking on the phone to grammer and I would need the perfect quote to go on my scrapbook page.  Again, why?  Because this was before the internet [was usable].  And I was a little obsessive about my scrapbook hobby.

Back in those early days I also labeled the back of every scrapbook page with all the supplies I used.  Just in case I submitted it to the magazines and it got published.  Which, did happen several times.  So I wasn't totally crazy on that one.  

This obsession gained a name while I sat at a crop and organized all my ribbon into little baggies by color.  One of my lovely friends said, "We should just call you Bree."  Referring to the ultra-organized and obsessive compulsive housewife, Bree Van de Kamp, on Desparate Housewives.  Yep, just call me Bree.

But I think I've relaxed quite a bit since then.

For example, I'm about to throw out that quote box.  All that work and I probably used 2 or 3 of those quotes on an actual layout.  Sometimes I wonder why I wasted all that time.  But, I'll probably look back in 10 years and wonder why I wasted all that time on facebook.  But not pinterest.  Pinning is time well spent.  ;)

But a few caught my eye, so I thought I'd jot them down . . . 

"If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love." -Maya Angelou

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." -Kahlil Gibran

"God has given us memories that we might have roses in December." -J.M. Barrie

The purpose of life is to discover your gift.  The meaning of life is to give it away.

"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things." -Henry Ward Beecher

"One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats." -Iris Murdoch     (I actually have this one printed on the lid of my candy jar.)

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.  Before him I may think aloud." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiousity." -Eleanor Roosevelt

"There are two ways to live your life. One as if nothing is a miracle, the other as if everything is." -Albert Einstein.

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In other news . . . 

- I pulled a 13.5 inch long zucchini from our garden

- I've made it onto the elliptical 3 times this week

- Anna lost her tooth!

week in the life // monday

This week I am participating in a Week in the Life project, hosted by Ali Edwards.  This is my third go around at this and I love the results every time.  

The first time was May 2005, I was pregnant with Anna (in fact, we found out her gender during my week in the life project).  That August I attended CKU-Albums in Provo and was in Ali's track where we spent 3 days putting everything together in a gigantic "week in the life" album.  Really, the album is ginormous.

The second time was September 2008, Anna was turning 3.  I was the soccer mom and carpool mom. I followed along with Ali on her blog and used her digital templates to create my pages at home.  

Now it is July 2011.  Summer vacation.  Anna is 5.  Payton is 8.  Conner is 10.  Life definitely has a different rhythm and flow than it did in 2005.

That's what I love about this project.  Taking the time to document life . . . real, everyday, in the trenches, folding the laundry, loving & hugging, grocery shopping, bedtime routines kind of life.  And how it changes from year to year.  Because it does.

So this week I'll share some of my photo highlights.  I'm taking notes along the way as well.  And next week I'll decide how it will all come together.

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Monday, July 25

overcast, a few sprinkles, 70 degrees

breakfast: Special K Granola + skim milk

lunch:  vanilla yogurt + granola + peaches

dinner:  leftover tuna casserole and salad

other:  swedish fish, rolo McFlurry