Christmas in review *photo heavy*

There's only one day left before the year ends and I'm still in shock at how fast this year went by.
I just uploaded the pictures I took from Christmas events into my computer and decided to blog some of them. Here's what kept me busy....

Dec. 19- we had our Ward Christmas' party this night. The kids got to participate in a singing performance by all the children in the party and then they got to see Santa.





Dec. 22- We had some friends over and we made our Gingerbread house. Our friend Sara and her two girls came by the house. We both had a kit so each group got to make their own. Marcus felt that there should be a competition involved as to who's house is the best. I think they're both great and it was fun hanging out with our friends even if it's just a couple of hours.



here's our house....


Dec. 23- It was cookie baking day for me. I made three different kinds- oatmeal chocolate chip; thumbprint and macaroon cookies. We had enough to do a cookie swap with some friends and give a plate to a few of our neighbors.





Dec. 24- Tonight we went to my uncle's house in Glendora for a reunion/Christmas eve celebration. The kids got their first batch of gifts tonight. When we got home, we got the kid's dressed for bed and placed the very important plate for Santa. Marcus thought that Santa needed something healthy in his plate other than the cookies so we added an apple. Maddie made some "reindeer" food in preschool so we placed that on the counter too.



Dec. 25- THE BIG DAY! The kids got up and as per instruction (by me) awakened me up before they started opening their gifts. Last year they let me sleep in and I was not able to take a photo of them when they opened their boxes so I made sure that this year I didn't miss a thing. Santa was right on this year, getting everyone EXACTLY what they've asked for. After opening our presents, we had our traditional "Christmas" morning breakfast.


This breakfast was the start of many good meals today including a lunch at my parent's house and then dinner at the Tolman's.

We had our annual Christmas exchange at the Tolman's and everyone seemed to have left with what exactly they wanted. We also sang some Christmas carols as a group. A new thing that might become a tradition from here on out.




Dec. 27- Tonight we had our post Christmas, pre New Year's Eve gathering with my parents. Mom always work during those important dates so we make sure to gather in between them. Food was delish and everyone went home with a generous helping of gifts.


Marcus got a DS from Santa and Uncle George and Lola (grandma) got him some more games for it. Look at that grin, Christmas is definitely one of his favorite holidays. :)


Maddie got the princess dress from Santa and she has been wearing it all day and night for the last week. Besides the gloves and winter hat, she also got some barbies and fun little girly things from her Uncles and Aunts.


Here's two of my most precious gifts.

So that's all for now. I'm drowning in projects and I feel with CHA fast approaching, the deadlines are just beginning.

Take care everyone.

Till next time,
Grace

December events minibook

Hello everyone. Hope all is keeping sane as we approach the "big day". So far, so good in my end. Gifts have been bought, cookies were baked, house decorated and we even got make a gingerbread house with some friends. Things are definitely moving along around here.

Anyways, just emailed my December Crazy daisy minibook to Kimberly and thought I'd share it with my blog readers as well. A crafty post to get you inspired through the hustle and bustle of the week.

December Events minibook

First of all, I just want to say how lovely the Chatterbox mini included in this month's kit was. I love the flocked cover and the pages have a dry embossed edge. I just think it's so gorgeous.

So since the theme of the kit was Christmas/Holiday, it was just fitting that I focus my minibook to that topic as well. I printed some pictures from last year's celebrations in 3x4 sizes, matted them and divided them into date categories.

I love the dry embossed edges of each page but I knew it would not show very well in picture, so to make it come alive a little more, I rubbed inkpad on it so it creates some dimension.

Another thing that I really liked in the kit is the big thick white lace. At first I didn't know how to incorporate it in my project but then I realized that it should just take center stage and that's what I did, using it in the front page of my book.

I used a simple design sketch for all the pages and added tabs made from various papers in the kit on top of the pages. I incorporated pictures about our Christmas baking, candy making, kid's school celebration, family time and even our official Christmas card and picture in the mix.



At the very last page of the book, I added a chipboard quote that I thought summarized the book very well.

To dress up the very ornate cover, I just added some velvet ribbon, tied it to make it look like a gift and added a flower in the middle.

Thank you for looking and to find out more about the kit, check it out here.

Merry Christmas everyone,
Grace

Upsy Daisy December share

Have you seen the Spirit and Hot chocolate lines from Upsy Daisy designs? Well if not, then you're definitely missing out on some great paper lines. I love that this line is totally opposite from each other and yet they lend the great designs and images that this season provides. Here's a couple of projects that I made with these wonderful papers....

Our Christmas tree layout

I used the Hot chocolate line for this page. Did you notice the arrangements of the pictures? I made it to mimic a Christmas tree.

I created a cluster of embellishments using UD Stamps and handcut designs from the papers. I also added a rhinstone for the "shine" effect.


To make my title stand out from the beautiful background, I slapped some white paint on there before adding my title. I cut most of the letters from the papers as well.

Altered Christmas bag

I recycled a small shopping bag for this project. I covered the front and back side of the bag with the Spirit papers.

I used this stamp for the title block and handcut the trains from this paper, also from the Spirit line.

I followed the theme with the tag as well.

So that's it for now, hope you are all having a great weekend and staying healthy in this very busy season.

Till next time,
Grace

December Crazy daisy layouts *photo heavy*

I feel so ashamed that I'm just now posting my projects with the December kit. This month as been crrrraaaazzyyyy for me but luckily I was able to sit down yesterday in my scrap area and play with my December Crazy Daisy kit goodies. It was a fun kit to play with, lots of festive projects that will sure bring the excitement and joy of the season to any of your holiday projects. Here's what I made so far.........

1. Christmas baking

The kit definitely helped me feel the "festive" appeal of the season with its bright and fun colors and products. This page was brought by that inspiration.

I used a lot of the products in the kit here like the papers, Prima letter stickers, flower, brad, the fun Kaiser scrapbook rubons and the stamp set.

I used the rubons to create my visual triangle. I love the ease to transfer of these rubons.

2. Light show

Continuing my goal to show you that the products in this kit can absolutely work with double page spread, here's mine for this month. I love that the papers are double sided and provides lots of ways to add them to the layouts.
Since my pictures were on the dark side, I used a white background and kept the pattern papers to simple designs so they don't overpower the pictures.

I used the Kaiser rubons to hold my journaling and played around with my stitching as well combining the zigzag and regular straight stitch.

I also created a cluster of embellishments on the right corner of the two page spread to add some interest.

3. Santa and Me

This page is about my daughter's preschool party last year. I love that this kit contained so much products and inspiration that I was able to dive into a lot of my last year's Holiday pictures and get a lot of them scrapped.

The Santa ribbon was perfect for this page.

I also used the ornament glitter stickers to emphasize the theme.

4. Trimming the tree

This one was inspired by the big ornament design on one of the Making Memories Mistletoe papers.

I cut them out and used them as accents on the page. I also loved the Christmas tree ribbon which I used as a border here.


5. Splish Splash

Who said that you can't use a Christmas kit for a summer page? Well I sure didn't listen. LOL.

I was inspired by the green scalloped paper, I cut the inside part and used the outside as a frame for my pictures and papers. It was a little challenge to get the pictures on there and trim the edges but with a few tricks with the adhesive, I was able to get them to stick together seamlessly.

I added a cluster of embellishments on the top corner so the eye can go all the way around the page.

So there you have it, if you have not checked out the kit, check them out here.

Thank you for looking

Till next time,
Grace

Oh please time slow down.....

even just for a bit so I can get my life back in order.

Yep that's exactly how I'm feeling right now. I'm sure I'm not alone on this, especially during this time of the year, right?! echo....echo....echo..

Anyways, I wanna give you a heads up that I might not be popping in here as much for the next two weeks. I'll try but I'm not promising anything.

Work is getting to be longer and later (last year I was coming home from work at about 1am on the last week before Christmas); I have a wedding reception to pull together on Saturday; I have a board meeting to plan and execute plus prepare two crafts for my church's children group; I'm working to mail off my first batch of Christmas cards; Presents need to be bought and handmade gifts to make (yes, I'm that insane that I'm still thinking of handmade at this point) and cookies to be baked.

So if you pop in here and it's the same old thing for a couple of weeks, I apologize and know that if I have the power to stop time, I would do it in a heartbeat.

But before I go away and dive into the many projects that I need to do here's a few things I wanna link you up to....


the December Crazy Daisy kit is up and ready to be shipped. I got mine in the mail last week and I have to tell you, it's cheering me up just looking at all the fun Christmas themed products in it. Not too mention the wonderful minibook that came in the main kit. I can't wait to play with this kit. If you want one, check it out here.

PULLED OUT FOR PUBLICATION

One of the projects that I showed a sneek peek of in the last post have been posted in the GCD Studios blog. Here's the link to see what my process was in making this craft. This is definitely one of my most favorite projects. It's easy, fun and inexpensive.


Upsy Daisy designs is having some great deals like this one on the site. Check it out. I am fortunate to have these lines and I love, love, love them. Truly brings the spirit of the Holidays in every projects that I make.

So that's it. Now off to check off some stuff on my list....

Merry Christmas everyone and till next time,
Grace

random friday

Hi all.

How's everyone doing today? relieved that it's friday? stressed that it's the 4th day of December? happy to see all the Christmas lights displayed at night? shopping like crazy and trying to get everyone's wishlist checked off without breaking the bank? Keeping warm with a blanket and some hot chocolate?

Well if you ask me, I'm all of that and then some.

Gosh, this month is really a big STRESS for me but I have plan.....I will take it one day at a time and breath with every issue I have to tackle. How's that for positive thinking. *smile*

Anyways here's a few things I wanted to share today....

With the weather looking more and more like Winter lately, I had to go to my local Bath and Body Works store and get my "winter hand lotion". I got this as a gift from my visiting teacher a few years back and ever since I've been hooked. This is the only product (that I know and have tested) that really keeps my hands soft and uncracked despite the bitter cold weather. It's a little pricey for hand lotion but if I figure in that I will use it for an entire season (3 months) I can justify the purchase. *smile*

I got a coupon from that store that if I purchase a certain amount, I get a free product of my choice and while browsing through the many things I wanted to get, I was struck with inspiration when I smelled this....

this is my new fave scent and I love the gentleness of the flower smell on it. Try it, it's great!

Like I said before, I'm dreading this day....

I bought some stuff for the kids that Santa will be bringing to them on Christmas Eve (*wink*) but they have changed their minds about 4 times since I bought the items. Hence I will be bringing said items back to the toy store and will be waiting till the last week before Christmas so I don't have to make anymore unnecessary purchases.

Oh and if you're looking for some great Christmas projects. Hop on over the GCD studios blog. All this month we are having 25 projects for Christmas. 25 days of fun, inspirational crafts, Can't beat that! Here's a sneek peek of my projects.



Stay tune to know when this will be posted on the blog but for now check out the other dt's work. They're fabulous.

So that's it right now. Hope you all have a great weekend. I'm planning on putting up my decorations tomorrow morning. Maddie's been bugging me all week long about it.

Till next time,
Grace

a wonderful weekend

how was your Thanksgiving weekend?

for me- it was WONDERFUL!!! Full of stuff, lots of going on and didn't get to sleep in at all. But I'm not complaining cause most of my time were spent with family and that's my greatest blessing.

Before I go on to my main topic for this post, I wanna say to my dear friend Cassey.....I hope you won't get mad at me that I saw this movie without you. I still love you my dear friend and I can't wait to go on a flea market date with you one of these days. *smile*

So anyways, on Friday I worked in the morning. Gosh I was so surprised to see all the shoppers that morning. Seriously where's the recession? I can't see it in our mall.

I got home early and our night was free. Mitch asked me what I wanted to do that night and because of some exhaustion, I just said let's just chill at the house. So the wonderful hubby that he is, got pizzas and rented DVD's for us to watch. I let him pick the movies and when he came home from getting the food and the movies he handed me three DVD's. I remarked at why he got three but then I looked at the top movie and it was this......



I seriously screamed!!!!

He knows that I've been stalking the cheap theater for this. I have wanted to watch this movie ever since I saw the trailers of it on TV.

Don't you just love hubbies that get you? *smile*

Anyways so after dinner and getting the kids cleaned up, we cozied up on our bed where, because of p90x, we now have a DVD player in our room and watched the movie.

My take on it- it's a definite chick flick and I LOVED every bit of it. Oh there was this one scene that Julie Child's husband's character blurted the F word which really irritated me cause it's so unlike the era of where the scene took place. But other than that, the movie was right up my alley.

I was amazed at how Meryl Streep turned into Julia Child so remarkably. From the voice, even to the little malnerisms. Just pure amazing!

The thing that I loved most about it is how Julie Powell (Amy Adam's character) resonated to me so much. She was (at that time that she started her cooking project) 29, and looking for more meaning to her life. I too am having that feeling that I'm in the middle of a crossroad in my life. Being 29 and going into the 30's it makes you wonder what you've done so far and what you can still become/amount to in the next decade of your life.

Now, I know my purpose but I loved that I could relate to her need to find a passion and be successful at it. Oh how I love to be able to quit my retail job and be able to pay the bills with scrapbooking checks.

I also love how through her cooking with the Julia Child's book she found that woman inspirational and became somewhat of her imaginary friend. I have that same feeling with Jane Austin. Everytime I think of her novels, I feel like she's one of my friend that's filled with creativity.

Another fun thing is that Julie Powell's project started as a blog. I too have a blog *smile* and maybe this will lead me to become a writer just like she did. Hehehehehehe. Maybe but I doubt it!

And finally I love that these women are taking charge of their lives. Not being happy with the norm and finding their "niche" in this world. I really love that idea! I know we can't have it all at the same time but with determination and lots of support we can achieve our dreams.

And I will end this post with that. If you are looking for a fun chick flick to watch. Give "Julie and Julia" a try. It'll at least make you wanna try to make "Beef Bourguignon".

Have a great day and till next time,
Grace