2011 New Year Goals Display

I’m really excited about this one.  Setting a goal and putting a plan into place to reach it are truly part of my Capricornian nature.  (Although I tend to be a little Pisces about seeing it to fruition sometimes…no offense to you Pisces…)
Here is a display I created to feature our family’s individual goals for 2011.  Keeping it right in the kitchen will hopefully be a daily reminder to tighten up!


You can’t exactly read our goals, so if you’re interested…
RICH- 
     * Lose 15 lbs. by Hawaii (June)
     *  Be more positive about myself
CORI-
     *  Pay off credit card
     *  average 2 scrapbook pages a week
     *  Do a pull-up
Savannah (5)-
     *  Learn to tie her shoes
     *  Ride a two-wheeler
Madeline (3)-
     *  (unintelligible scribbling)
     *  Consistent letter practice and write her name
Lexi (7)-
     *  Read 2nd Guardians of Ga’Hoole book by myself
     *  Earn 3 ribbons in Fine Arts Fair

And here are some more detailed pics of the display. 

I used CTMH’s “Aspen” paper for a nice wintry look and liquid glass to make the letters pop.  My Cricut came in pretty handy for the letters and snowflakes- Storybook, Plantin Schoolbook, and Christmas Cheer.

And of course, my trusty never-ending supply of stickles gave a nice icicle glitter to the flakes.
I have to take a moment to brag on my husband (and myself) for reaching a major LIFETIME goal just this past Christmas.
When we got married, we were a whopping 600 lbs. combined.  I looked more like a rotund snowwoman than the ice princess look I was going for at our Christmas wedding.  We could barely get our arms around each other, much less have Richard carry me bride-style over the threshhold.  It’s always been a little romantic wish of mine for my husband to be able to whisk me up.  (Some call it the Fireman’s carry- I call it bride-style.)
2010 was dedicated to our health and to date, I’ve dropped 110 lbs. (size 22 to size 12), and my husband is down 75 lbs.  Just before Christmas he made me get up on a kitchen chair and go for it!  It wasn’t “whisking me up,” but he did it, even took several steps, and said, “that wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.”  Hooray!  And Merry Christmas to me (us)!
Thanks for looking!

Friends layout

Wow!  I hope your computer is interpreting the colors here better than mine.  That hunter’s orange is actually a softer peach in real life, but whatever.  I had a lot of CTMH’s “Key to My Heart” paper left over and decided it was perfect for friendship. 
I always enjoy seeing how the girls alter the layout to make it their own.  Some scrap teachers leading a layout claim there is a “right” way, but in art, my philosophy is whatever goes!  Gluing the pages together facing each other is the only line I’ve had to draw thus far.  : )

Jingle Christmas scrapbook layout

My 11 little scrapbook club ladies may only be ages 5-10, but they are hard-core scrappers!  We’re pulling out all the stops, not to mention glitter, snowflakes, and even some freehand drawing.  This is one of the two layouts we completed at our last meeting New Year’s Day.  Gotta love the Jingle paper from Close to my Heart.  Who knew red and pink could work together?  CTMH’s Building Block stamp set (“Merry”) is probably the set I use the most.  I just realized I DIDN’T use my Cricut on this page.  I guess there’s hope for me afterall!…

Christmas tags

A quick little blog tonight to get back in it- it’s been a long time since I’ve uploaded anything, but I’ve got some good stuff coming.

Getting Christmas cards in the mail makes me giddy, especially photo cards.  They go on our “wall of love” as seen here…

…and after the holidays, it’s a tradition to turn them into a cool craft I’m sure I’ll blog later.  The traditional Christmas cards may not get the same display space, but we love them too.  By punching out tag shapes and cutting out large images, we turn them into next year’s gift tags.  Here’s the pile it produced this year.


I hope everyone had a full and happy holiday!  Thanks for looking.

Joy Display

 
The other side of the “Thanks” display is “Joyful,” besides CTMH’s Mix’n’Mingle acrylic album and Mistletoe paper, you’ll also need:

• gold glitter sticky paper
• sander/distresser
• pine tree stamps
• stickles
• gold pigment ink
• corner rounder
• red ribbon
• adhesive
• Christmas Cheer cricut cartridge
• Plantin Schoolbook cricut cartridge for the letters
• paper piercer

Thanksgiving Display

  

This is a workshop I did using CTMH’s Mix’n’Mingle  acrylic album and the Olivia paper pack.  You’ll also need:

• chocolate ink
  
• sander and distresser
  
• pewter brads
  
• twine
  
• adhesive
  
• cricut to cut out the letter with the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge
  
• chocolate ribbon
  
• gold pigment ink
  
• gold thread
  
• paper piercer
  
• “Playful Flourishes” CTMH stamp set and any leaf stamp set will do

Owl & Nature Bedroom

     Our major project this summer was switching around bedrooms.  The 2 1/2 year-old’s nursery became my 7 year-old’s OWN big girl room, something she had been “requesting” for some time.  Little bug was just too happy to move into “the princess” room, and my 5 year-old got to move up to the TOP bunk.  Something for everyone!
     After I put the brakes on a very teenage looking peace sign room, Lexi decided she liked the Owl and Nature line from Target.  (Thank God- Target is definitely doable.)  Here’s what we came up with.

My favorite piece in the room is the hedgehog bean bag, although the only occupants are usually stuffies.

     The walls are left over from Little Bug’s Pottery Barn “Under the Sea” nursery.  Since it didn’t completely clash, we just left them.  We’ll be moving in a year or two anyway.

     We had fun decorating this corkboard, edging the whole thing in funky ribbons…

…and making fun magnets with cardstock stickers.

     The Life’s Delights paper pack from CTMH leant itself well to the colors and tone of the room with name frames…

…as well as a yucky brown clock I got at a yardsale we took apart and completely redid.  It’s a work in progress, but she is happy so far with her own “grown-up” space.