What a Difference a Day Makes

I was able to finish up a few smaller projects over the weekend and thought I'd share this one before February is over.  I've loved the idea of displaying some of the special dates in our lives and have pinned three or four versions in the last year or so.  And in the interest of my new goal to follow through on things, when I found that good sale on frames a few weeks ago I decided to go back and get one for this project.

 

The dates are:  the day we started dating (in Disney World), the day we got engaged, our wedding date, Kaitlyn's birthday, and Tyler's birthday.

 

 I got it to this point around Valentines Day and then it sat there.  It was just a little too plain with that white background and I wasn't sure what I wanted to use for the backing.

 But I was on a roll the other day at the craft store.  Not only did I find some scrapbook paper that I think works really well in the frame, but I also got a new clock kit so I could fix the clock (that I made a few years ago) that had quick keeping the correct time.  (yay for checking things off the list!)

So there we have the finished product.  I love it!  And the husband was pretty complimentary about it too (I think guys are just as sentimental as we are, they just won't admit it).

 

 

Any bets on how long it takes me to get it up on the wall in the bedroom?? ;)

One Little Word - February Prompts

In contrast to last month, it only took me a week to put together my One Little Word prompts for February.  Somehow though, it felt harder.  Maybe because we're getting past the exploring stage and into something more tangible and active?  I haven't felt as if I've kept my word as present in my mind this month either, though that's probably due in large part to how the month has gone, with our 2nd big snowstorm (remember, NC doesn't get snow so it shuts down life for days and days) and catching a nasty cold at the same time - not fun.  Which is why this post has sat unfinished in my drafts folder for the last 10 days. So before I get interrupted or distracted again...


The first part of our OLW prompts was a quick summary of what we thought of the last month.  I kept mine pretty simple by just printing out the journaling cards provided and putting them in the page protector.  The colors work pretty well with what I used for accents in the previous pages, so why not?

 By the end of the year I'll be a pro about not catching the glare off the page protectors in the photos.  Maybe?

One of the few places you will see my handwriting - at least on something I want to look good.  I've never been a fan of it and even in college when I had to practice it over and over for my drafting class it really didn't get any prettier.  I'm sure there's a lesson about my personality or something in there.  (or my family - my brother and sister both have very similar handwriting)  Doesn't really bother me - typing is much faster and easier most of the time.  But in this case it seemed like the best approach for having all the cards prepped and ready to fill out at the end of each month.

 

The second part of the workshop for February was to create Action Cards based on our intentions for living with our word this year.  It took me a few days to figure out how I wanted to interpret that.  I ended up with 8 for now, though I left some space to add a few more later if inspiration strikes.

One of the trends I've been noticing in my thought processes when I think about living my life with intention is how often I think about/crave the positive.  Quotes.  Blog articles.  Happy ideas.  Music.  Laughter.  It's all reaching out for me right now.  And I think that's reflected in my Action Cards.  They read:

1.  SEARCH OUT THE POSITIVE.  good input/inspiration, recognize happy moments, keep your (good) perspective

2.  Do something SILLY.  Every. Day.

3.  JUST DO IT (this is my reminder to not procrastinate or overthink things.  Just dive in and get it done)

4.  Give them your attention  The kids, Sam, the task at hand - whatever it is, FOCUS.

5.  Sign up for another Color Run 5k and run the whole way

6.  HEAHTY HABITS:  daily exercise/activity, healthy snacks/meals, drink water, cut back on sugar, limit screen time

7.  DANCE (see?  I told you it's calling to me.  I've really been feeling the need to make my life lighter, not so much about going and doing.  So literally and figuratively I want to remember to dance.)

8.  Show Love  (more all-encompassing than "be nice" or "be patient" - plus it works well for Feb, eh?)

 

Can't wait for next month!

Prepping for Valentines

I collect ideas.  All.  The. Time.  And sometimes they stay tucked away in my collection in a notebook or on a Pinterest board.  But, especially when it comes to the holidays, I do like to put a few of them into practice.  So I thought I'd share what I've picked so far.
I really loved the idea of doing a "heart attack" on the kids' bedroom doors.  To drag it out a little bit (and cut down on the Valentines Eve prep) I cut out a bunch of hearts (with my trusty Silhouette) and have been writing a compliment/loving thought or two on them every day since Feb 1st.  By the 14th they should have quite a collection.  I did a set for the husband too.  The kids have noticed and I've overheard them discussing their latest hearts, and Kaitlyn even reminded me one day that I hadn't added a heart yet.  The husband hasn't said anything LOL.

 The school does a fundraiser every year where they deliver candy grams to the kids.  This is Kaitlyn's order form - I was so happy to see that she was sending one to her brother (without any prompting from me!).  The forms have been filled out and turned in - cross it off the list! ;)

 The kids' Valentines for their classmates are all finished and waiting to take to school next week.

 Another idea from Pinterest - cute, right?  (link to inspiration post here)

 And finally, a little lunchbox love all ready to go.  (You can find the printable here)  I was happy to find enough red and pink candy in the leftovers from the New Years Pinata so I didn't have to go out and buy any - score!

I'm still not sure what I want to do for Valentines Day itself.  I have gifts and candy for the kids and a vague idea for a small gift for the husband but I'm not feeling like turning it into a huge event.  Maybe dinner out and a simple dessert like those giant Hershey Kisses made out of Rice Krispie Treats (link for that idea here).  I still have a week to think about it.  Hmm...

We Don't Have Snowboots

Snow in North Carolina is an event.  Even the slight possibility of a trace of snow has schools and businesses closing and people rush to the store to stock up on milk and bread before barricading themselves in their houses.  I find this both amusing and frustrating.  We're from the mountains of Utah where snow isn't unusual, even in June.  In my entire life I think they only closed the school ONE DAY for snow - and we're talking snow so heavy everyone needed the day to shovel off their roofs before they collapsed.  But here, well, they have been talking about this storm for a week.  The school declared Tuesday an early release day (out at 11:00) then at 10:30 PM the night before the county topped that and declared all schools closed for the day.  So we kept the kids home and waited.  No snow at 10:00.  No snow at noon.  No snow at 4:00 PM.  An entire day of having the whole family home with the fireplace going and all stocked up on hot chocolate and no snow.  I think it truly started here sometime around 6:30 or so.  And it really took it's time about laying down the white stuff.  But.

This time around it wasn't a complete false alarm.  The kids could barely wait for the sun to come up so they could head outside to make snow angels and throw snowballs. 

 

When I finally allowed them to bundle up and head (probably around 7AM) out we realized that they don't have snowboots.  Or proper gloves or anything else.  So we did the best we could.  Ty went out in old sneakers and Kaitlyn had to clomp around in my (too big) hiking boots.  I'm sure Sam and I have some stuff in a box in the garage, but it wouldn't have fit the kids so we didn't bother.  And you know what?  They had fun anyway.

 

 And when they got cold they would come inside to warm up.  Play for a while.  Then head back outside to do it all again.

We're now on Snow Day #4 (with no additional snow after that first night).  *shaking my head* ;)

Celebrate the Small Things

Look who turned One Year Old!  I can't believe how fast puppies grow up.

Of course we celebrated - with a two minute photo session (I went all the way to Dollar General just to get her a party hat and had a minor freak out when I discovered I had no cash in my wallet - but that's another story), a new puzzle chew toy, and lots and lots of hugs from the kids.  Bambi didn't care, but the kids thought it was great (plus doesn't she look so cute?!).  And really, that's the point, right?  Well at least it's my point most of the time.  I try to remind myself, often, that it isn't about trudging through that endless list of things that need to be done but more about the fun and memories we are creating with our kids.

What did you celebrate this week?

One Little Word 2014 - January Prompts

I mentioned the word I chose for this year, right? (yup!  original post on that can be found here)  I really want to keep my word, Intention, more present in my daily life this year.  So I signed up for the online One Little Word Workshop.  And so far it's been working!  It has taken me most of the month to complete the layouts, which is probably a good thing.  I've been able to think about my word and the prompts while my hands are busy painting drying racks or working on other things but it was hard to find time to sit down and write it all out and even harder to find the time to work on the layouts.  Typically I would have been quick to sit down and get it all done, but extending the process throughout the month has not only helped me be more clear on my Word and where I want to go with it, but it keeps the word in the front of my mind and I've found that my actions truly do reflect what I've been thinking about, at least a little bit.

 So now that the layouts are complete, I may as well show them off, right?  This is the title page.  The top half is actually on a transparency with the wording done with vinyl (but it was too busy for photos with the next page showing through so I stuck a piece of cardstock behind it).

 I wanted to keep the focus on the process, not particularly the layouts so I did all the journaling first in a notebook.  Then I typed it all up on the templates in Photoshop (first time doing something like that!  I'm not great at Photoshop but it went pretty smoothly and easily) and printed them out.  But let's face it, it's me and I can't NOT add a little personality to a project like this.  Plus, I had grabbed a really cute paper stack a few weeks ago thinking it would be fun to use on this project.  So I added a few patterned paper accents, just for fun.

Sometimes Done Is Better Than Perfect

That's one of the quotes that has been popping into my head a lot lately.  Done is better than Perfect.  Seems like a good mantra, right?  It fits pretty well with what I've been trying to accomplish this month - to get some of those random things I've been meaning to do crossed off the list.  And it's working!
So far I have:

 

 Labeled the garbage can.  We know "right is recycle" but guests don't and I've been meaning to put some vinyl labels on it for months.

 Replaced the rug in the entry.  I've been meaning to do this ever since we moved into this house (over 3 years now).  The above photo is the poor old rug we've been using.  Waaaaaay past its prime.

And there is the new rug.  Found it at Home Goods yesterday for $15.  Awesome!  I'd been looking for something "perfect" and kept rejecting option after option over the months - too expensive, not enough color, found it in Utah and didn't want to bring it back on the plane, blah blah.  I'm really happy with this one.  I don't know if it was worth the wait, or if it's perfect.  But it looks good and was a great price and that's great.

 

Put all my store rewards cards on a keychain.  We all have of a ton of these right?  Usually the one I need is always in my "other wallet" and not with me.  And when I do remember to bring the wallet with all the cards, half of them fall out while I'm searching for the correct one.  So I finally got smart and punched holes in any that didn't already have keychain tags and threaded them all on a keychain.  Not only is my wallet no longer bursting at the seams, but I can keep this keychain in the console of the Yukon then when I'm out shopping and at a store that I know has a rewards cards I can just grab it and take it inside with me.

Some of my other goals:  getting some stuff up on the walls, displaying more of our photos instead of just storing them on the computer, and using some of the stuff I have in the closet that "might be useful someday."  These photos hit all three at once.  When I ran across the photos I had printed from our Christmas card photo session I decided then and there to go see if I had any frames for them.  The frames came from my friend, Audrey's house when she moved a few months ago.  They were painted different colors and there was a dried flower mounted on the matt in one.  So I spray painted the frames, flipped the mats over and painted them with acrylic and now they are a nice matched set that looks great in the bare-until-last-week hallway upstairs.

What do you think, Audrey? ;)

It feels really great to get some of these small things done.  I wonder what else I can tackle this week while the motivation is flowing...