Money Matters

Yesterday, while I was working on re-formatting my blog, Sadie asked me, "Is your wallet in your purse, Mommy?" I responded with a distracted, "Yes," not really thinking through why she might have been asking me that. A minute later, Sadie approached me with a one-dollar bill and asked if she could have it. "Sure!" I replied. Sadie ran off screaming to Eli, "We're rich! We're rich! We're rich! You said we're poor but now we're rich!"

If only it were that easy...

Sadie has clearly not learned a lot from recent bank visits! While the kids have had accounts since birth at our regular bank, last month we took them to a local bank designed just for kids and opened accounts that we hope they will use regularly. They've gone in both April and May, and if they also go in June they will each get a free piggy bank!

Patterned paper: Sassafrass (numbers, cream grid, scalloped-edge), October Afternoon (green grid)
Corrugated letters and numbers: Jillibean Soup
Rub-on: October Afternoon (green star)

Hello Blog Readers, Remember Me?

Thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth, right? Well, things got upended a bit at the end of February. Nothing horrible, just stressful.

Long story short, to keep our kids in school together we have to move one neighborhood over by early August. School choice is a great idea when the school you want to send your child to is not a highly coveted school. School choice turns out to be a not-so-great idea when, three years later, the school has turned into a highly coveted school and there are no spots for non-neighborhood kids. We know that Sadie will be fine at our neighborhood school (which is a great school), but we'd prefer to have our kids together, both for the shared experience and for the removal of the logistical nightmare of two different pick-ups and drop-offs at two different locations and sets of times.

So...with putting the house on the market, blogging and scrapbooking have kind of gone by the wayside. I have squeezed in some scrap time here and there, including time to create a layout for Celeste's article in Scrapbook Ellaments (scroll down to see mine). I've also managed to fit in a few other layouts, I'll share three here:

"S is a Swing"

Patterned paper, wild card, journaling card, and "tree swing" sticker: October Afternoon
Buttons: Jenni Bowlin (these are my new addiction)
Baker's twine: Martha Stewart


"Vacation"
Patterned paper, stickers, journaling card (handcut bird on a branch): October Afternoon
Chipboard letters: American Crafts
Circle punch: EK Success


"Vintage Dad"
Patterned paper, flashcard, stickers: October Afternoon
Foam letters: American Crafts

Now that I'm back, I am hopeful that the spiffy new look to my blog (thanks, Paula, for helping me out with that!) will keep me motivated to post more often! (The long weekend should also help with that!)

Thank You For Waiting (New October Afternoon)

I know, I know, I should have posted a while ago. I came back from CHA to an incredibly busy time at work, a simultaneous visit from my parents and my in-laws, Eli's 8th birthday (hence the simultaneous visit), Eli's "Mommy-and-Daddy-took-on-more-than-they-could-handle" Hogwarts party (complete with talking Sorting Hat, Potions Class, Transfiguration Class, Divinations Class, Bertie Bott's Bean Tasting Contest, and Graduation Ceremony), Sadie and I both got pinkeye (I'm still recovering), and Seth wrecked his shoulder skiing. Yeah, don't you want to be me now? :P

So...now that I have a rare moment of breathing room, let me introduce you to the loveliness that is October Afternoon Fly a Kite and Thrift Shop:

This first one is all Fly a Kite. I used the B side of the Lemonade paper for the background and scattered it with flowers handcut from Front Porch paper. I bent up the little petals on the flowers to add a little bit of texture. The title element comes from the Fireflies paper, and the last bit is scallop-punched strips from the Strawberry Jam paper. I added an American Crafts glitter button tied with some embroidery floss.




This second one is also all Fly a Kite. I used almost all of the papers here. My favorite bit is that I was able to (carefully!) punch the sailboat from the Fireflies paper to use as one of the hearts.


This third one mixes Thrift Shop, Fly a Kite, Very Merry, and Farm Fresh. The map paper is Thrift Shop Great Find, the text strip is cut from Thrift Shop One-of-a-Kind paper, the tiny handcut heart comes from a leftover bit of Fly a Kite Ice Cream paper, and the grid paper used for journaling is Fly a Kite Garden paper. The label stickers at the top right come from the Farm Fresh and Very Merry Label Stickers sheet (again, Kim has worked her October Afternoon genius of keeping colors consistent across lines so that everything coordinates). I added a bit of Martha Stewart baker's twine, which echoes the red and white smokestack visible at the right in the photo of the Chrysler building.

I still haven't sorted through and edited my (mostly crappy quality) CHA photos, but I did two layouts and two cards for the October Afternoon booth with the new lines. You can see both of my layouts on Wendy Smedley's blog (the top two layouts in her post). Apparently I am part of a new trend. Who knew?

I will try to get back here later this week to post CHA photos and thoughts as well as share more of the craziness that was Eli's party.

New Blog Banner

I have been wanting to do something fun with my banner forever and finally decided to just get to it and figure it out (see above). Sassafrass Lass Monstrosity patterned paper, October Afternoon Mini Market alphas, and my beloved kraft cardstock. Posting it here for posterity in the event that I make something cuter and replace this sucker sometime down the line:

New Addictions + An Old & Ongoing Addiction

Baker's twine and American Crafts glitter buttons + October Afternoon (patterned paper, rub-ons, and die cuts):


These cards were two of the seven things (five cards and two layouts) I made in a creating frenzy this weekend. We won't talk about how long it took me to clean up my desk afterwards. :P

The Closest I Get To Dog Ownership

Is this:


Arf. Ruff. Woof. Card Set: Basic Grey distressed solid paper and dog paper, American Crafts Thickers

A Very Merry and Krafty Christmas

Given that we don't celebrate Christmas at my house (well, save for Santa and lots of baking), I sure make a lot of Christmas layouts! I just can't resist those festive red and green papers and accessories! Here are three layouts I made with kraft cardstock backgrounds and October Afternoon's Very Merry line:


Sugar Rush: October Afternoon Very Merry Word Stickers, Label Stickers, Shape Stickers, and Alpha Stickers; American Crafts ribbon and Delight Thickers; Doodlebug jewels.


3rd Annual Cookiefest: October Afternoon Very Merry Word Stickers, Label Stickers, Shape Stickers, and Alpha Stickers; October Afternoon Mini Market Alpha Stickers; October Afternoon Tab Book; Making Memories Slice Fa La La Cartridge (reindeer shape); Doodlebug jewel.


Peppermint: October Afternoon Very Merry Shape Sticker, Flashcard Book, and Fill the Stockings Patterned Paper; October Afternoon Mini Market Alpha Stickers; Bon Appetit Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookie Recipe (trust me, file this one away for next Christmas...or for tomorrow...you won't be sorry!).