Gramma's Little Chickadees

I can't believe that I've done so much scrapping in the last few days - it's amazing!  Especially after not having done any for so long.  But yay for me - I'm not complaining!

I did this layout for two challenges - the weekly challenge over at Club CK to use something new on a layout and Stacy's challenge at SNC to pull out the stamps and use two different ones on a layout.  I used a little bit of this and that for this layout.

I did the title using my new banner alpha stamps from CTMH - love them!  I wanted to add "Little Chickadees" in small alphas but I don't use them that much so I don't have a variety of colours.  The ones I have wouldn't work with this colour scheme.  So, I pulled out my new Bic ultra fine markers and voilà.  I'm not convinced I love my printing in the title but at least there's some of my printing in the album.  Everyone says how important it is so there you go!  lol

I pulled out a new little birdie stamp that I got in a RAK last year but have hardly used.  I thought I'd add them along the banner for some added interest.  I used my new CTMH watercolours to colour in the stamps.  I can tell I'm going to need lots of practice to make my stamps look better but it's a start!  I'd  never shaded in stamps before so another new thing for me.

I added a little button cluster to the baker's twine on the left and then a sticker, a birdie card, some sparkly bling and a bit of ribbon to finish it off.

A...So Sweet

This is a layout that I began before we left Jamaica but wasn't able to finish before we left.  Well, it had been left untouched until this week when I finally dug out my scrappy supplies.

It's so funny how my layouts always change as I'm going along.  I had initially thought of just the borders, the bears and a title.  As I was working on it, I decided that I needed more embellies with the bears so along came the hearts, flowers, tags and stitched circle.  I wasn't sure how I'd do the title, but I knew I wanted it to go in that space on the left.  I thought I'd use up some of the monograms I have from CTMH and then stickers from the kit I used.  I wanted to add some ribbon to make it part of a challenge over at SNC so I added a little tab of it.  When I was finished, I hadn't journalled anything but it wouldn't fit into the design - this happens to me often!  But I really wanted to include the story of how this was one of my favourite outfits of A's.  So, hidden journalling it was!

One Little Word

This past week there has been a lot of talk among scrapbookers about their One Little Word.  Ali Edwards is the person who created this concept and she has a class about it.  I've never done the class but have been interested in the concept for a while.  I chose a word last year but honestly, I don't even remember what it was.  I obviously didn't connect with it.  This year, however, it was different.

I haven't been doing any scrapbooking for the last six months because of the major life changes that have happened.  This Christmas vacation has allowed me to slow down, recharge my batteries and reflect.  One day, my word came to me.  Peace.  That is what needs to guide my life this year.  I need to live a life of peace.  I need to slow down.  I need to return my focus to my family and to myself.  I need to sleep well and eat well.  I need to give to others as well as to myself.

And so, that is my One Little Word.  Over at Club CK, there is a monthly challenge happening focused on your OLW.  I'm so excited to be a part of this challenge, along with the monthly Thanks Living challenge, and I feel that doing them will make my year be a great one.  Here is my project to inspire me throughout the year.  I googled inspirational quotes about inner peace and I chose my favourites.

Supplies:  Vanity Fair Aubergine digi kit (Jen Allyson)

Font - Francine

Santa Claus Parade

I am posting a layout - yes, you read that right!  In fact, it's a two-pager!  :D  I started these about a month ago after we went to the Santa Claus Parade here in town and then December got so busy that I never finished them.  Yikes!  So, I sat down a couple days ago and put the finishing touches on them.  Yay!

I took the kids to their first Santa Claus Parade and they loved it!  We got hot chocolate and then waited for all the floats to arrive.  You can tell we're in Western Canada with the theme of the floats - chuckwagons, tractors, Harleys.  :D  It's been so fun to be back home for Christmas.  All the festivities and preparations are just awesome and it was the first time K and A were able to experience it.  Yay!

The layouts are very simple.  I used a template by CZ, made some adjustments to suit my pictures, did the title, just location and date and that was it.  I wanted the pictures to tell the story and not let my words dictate the layout.  I'll tell the story another time.  :)

Template:  Cathy Zielske

Papers:  Echo Park - All I Want for Christmas

Festive Word Art:  Ali Edwards

2012

Wow, it's 2012 already! Where has the time gone? These last few months have been a whirlwind of activity for me. Once we decided to move back to Canada, life has flown by at a frantic pace. Our summer months were spent finding jobs, getting resettled in Canada - getting banking issues worked out, doing our driver's tests and road tests again, all that good stuff! - buying a house, renovating said house. We had two weeks to get as much done in the house before starting our new jobs. We obviously did not get it all done but we've been working slowly at it. The floors and walls are done now. We still need to replace lighting and windows but that'll happen in the spring.

I went back to work after staying at home for five years with the kids. I'm so utterly grateful to have had those five years. I loved that my job was to cook healthfully for our family and to raise our children. Of course, D was so supportive and is such a great husband and daddy and has been an equal partner in it all. However, with the move back home and having to buy a house when housing prices are very high meant that I'd be going back to work. I'm very thankful to have a wonderful homeroom class this year. I'm teaching 83% in French Immersion and Core French. I really enjoy teaching but it is so busy that I have found that life is very unbalanced. So that's one of my goals for 2012 - to find a better work/family/me balance.

K started kindergarten in the fall at the same school I'm at. She goes every other day. She has made some good friends and has a fantastic teacher, which makes her school experience great! A is staying home and we have family who is coming out to take care if the kiddos. My aunt, mom and D's parents take turns coming out and it's been so wonderful! One of the things that we didn't want to have to do was put the kids in daycare and this arrangement is perfect! The kids get to know family better and we know that they're being raised with the values that are important to us.

It was a frantic last few months but we're getting more and more settled in our new home. We like the schools we're at, our neighbourhood, our town. It's just a matter of being able to slow down enough to enjoy it! One thing we did amongst the madness was to make Sundays "family day". So we stopped all the busy-ness of life and just enjoyed time with the kids and together as a family. That made things so much better!

Happy New Year to everyone! I plan on being around more this year than of late. Now that my scrappy area is out and organized, I will be creating more!