Thursday, February 24, 2011

PVS, Challenges, and More

The Facebook group Stephanie and I created for local scrapbookers is going great. We are up to 45 members and have planned our first event and are working on our second. So happy to make some new friends, and feeling really excited about scrapping. We took last week's challenge from this blog, and this is my take on it.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Challenges

There are sooo many challenges for scrapbookers out there, it's hard to sort through them all and decide which ones you'd really like to be a part of. A friend and I are planning to offer challenges every week to our new local scrapbooking group, so I guess for me that's a good a place to start as any! If you have a challenge group you really like, please link me, cause I'm looking for some more inspiration!

Here is my layout for this week's challenge - from a sketch posted by my friend:

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Reading Separately and Together

Now that Esme is older and her reading skills have grown so much, we've lost most of the time we used to spend poring over picture books together. Esme still loves picture books, but it is far more likely she'll grab one to read aloud to me than for me to read to her.

However, we have found a new love - chapter books. She's really enjoying them on her own - everything from Encyclopedia Brown to Beezus and Ramona and Ivy and Bean to Horrible Harry. We also love reading them together. I've read aloud Sarah, Plain, and Tall, The Phantom Tollbooth, Charlotte's Web, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Pippi Longstockings, and we're working on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I find I'm MUCH more motivated to make the time for reading aloud together every night if it is a book I really, really love. When I was a little girl I loved Pippi, but I didn't love it as much this time around. I also wasn't so much on The Phantom Tollbooth, but the rest I've really, really enjoyed. Esme seems really, really interested to know what is going to happen next in Narnia.

The Esme Update - Ed's Kitchen

We are really on a roll with these videos - since we were in CT visiting friends the last couple days we had occasion to eat out, and made another installment of The Esme Update.

Monday, February 07, 2011

The Esme Update - Panera Bread

Esme had such a good time making her Bueno Y Sano review, she decided she wanted to do another one. Panera is usually our go-to spot if we have to be out running errands.

Time for it all.....

I really wish I had time to scrap a page every day, make more cards, paint a lot more, and still be an effective homeschooling mom and Girl Scout leader, as well as work an adequate number of days at my job. As it is, I'll have to settle for doing some of those things. I was really pleased with how quickly this layout came together - these photos were from my brother's family's Christmas card.


This week I am hoping to travel to my bestie's house (about 75 miles away) and spend the night actually scrapbooking with her IN person! It's been soooo long since we could have time together that was about us, and not just running the kids from place to place.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Finished Layout - Best Boy

A friend and I have been going through old scrap magazines and pulling out pages for inspiration. When I looked through my enormous pile, I realized that what I like most is pages with A LOT going on. I love busy layouts!

Some friends and I recently started Pioneer Valley Scrapbookers - a group for local scrapbookers. We used to be part of a really active crop group that was great, but it pretty much fell apart over time. This way we can chat with people locally about our favorite hobby, and hopefully maybe even start up a crop or two. I made this layout for the first challenge.

Friday, February 04, 2011

working on a layout

Still learning to use my Flip cam - will post the finished layout later - thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

snowed in AGAIN

Well this is the SIXTH day school has been cancelled in the city where I work this year. Luckily, my long term assignment ended yesterday so today I would have been off anyway. What's a girl to do when snowed in? Scrap of course!


Since I didn't have any page kits ready to go, I took a bunch of tags and stamps next door so I could visit Shannon and Baby Andrew and just did some experimenting. I am ashamed to say I am totally behind the times when it comes to all the cool mists out there. I have 2 store-bought bottles and one I made myself following tips from 2 Peas. I made three tags using varying amounts of layering, stamping, punching, and misting. Ready to give it a go on a page now.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Summer Pages on a Cold Day

The snow is super deep here and Ethan had to spend most of his day shoveling. We're at about 8 inches so far. Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of summer and parties at Vicki's house. Here's two layouts that include my nephew having fun at her house.