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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

sticker storage {a product review}

i have a problem. i buy stickers. a lot of stickers. i buy them when they are on clearance or on a closeout at big lots or tj maxx but i have a lot of stickers. seriously. it's ridiculous.
i've struggled with a storage solution for my sticker sheets. i tried a homemade clip it up. {took up too much room.} then i tried a drawer in my jet max cube storage area. {since they were tucked away, i totally forgot about them and they never got used.} my last solution was a cropper hopper paper organizer. {again, tucked away, and forgotten.}
my poor neglected sticker stash. i have a goal this year to USE MY STASH. especially stuff that been around for 5+ years.
when i saw this cropper hopper sticker stadium storage tool, i thought i'd give it a try. i got mine at archivers with a 30% off coupon. less than $10 and suddenly i had the sticker storage solution i'd been looking for!
my stickers are organized in one compact place, that is visible and easy to access. {and it's pretty stinking cute.}
here's what it looks like with my sticker stash loaded inside:
and here's a side view:

love it!!! i'm probably going to get at least 2 more. one for rub-ons and another to divide these stickers out a little better.

in other news, my lss is closing. :( i stopped in on my lunch break today and everything was 60% off. she carries a ton of bella blvd, which is my absolute favorite paper company. i got the complete lines of making the team, finally fall, too cute to spook, mr boy, and family dynamix {in addition to a few other random papers} for less than $30. what?!?
so flipping excited. can't wait to play with these papers this weekend!

Friday, January 20, 2012

bicycle {a scrapbook layout}

looks like we might just get an ice storm this evening. double yuck! but that means a night of crafting in my scrapbook room {after my son's basketball game, that is. :)}
i put this layout together last week on my friday night crafting session. i got a few slice design cards on sale at michael's for $4.99 each! {i know!} for this layout i used the "remember this" card to cut out my title, "best day" and shape. i'm really starting to love my slice again.


all of the materials with the exception of the journaling card/circle in the corner (Elle's Studio) and twine are from the Scrapbook Circle 5th Anniversary Kit-it's an awesome value, totally recommend it!
here's a closer look at the right side:

and the left side:

i totally love this layout-love the banners, love the washi tape, just love it. makes me smile just looking at it, so bright and happy.
happy friday blog friends, stay safe out there!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

a year in review album {scrapbook album}

last year i contemplated starting project life but decided against it, because i was concerned about keeping up with a picture a day. i still wanted a way to capture our daily activities and year in review. so, i came up with this idea for my "year in review" album.

my materials for this album consisted of:
-13 sheets of kraft cardstock (title pages and one layout per month)
-13 assorted ki memories die cut calender pages (one for each month)
-12 packs of ki memories monthly frosting stickers (January-December packs)
-2 sheets of Cosmo Cricket Snorkel patterned paper (you can use any-I just love that paper)
-alpha sticker/ die cut alpha for title page
-Elle's Studio 2011 Monthly Pennant Tags

throughout the year i kept track of events and daily happenings in my Erin Condren planner. love this planner, i do all of my appointments and work scheduling in google calendar but i love my paper planner for memory keeping-recording stuff my boys say and things like when they lose a tooth, etc. it even has places in the back for sketching layouts, lists. i just really love it.


then at the end of each month i'd transfer all of the info to my ki memories calendar paper, which i had decorated with the frosting stickers.


i'd summarize all of our outings, events and big {and little} news for the month on the journaling space on the back.


and i'd print out a bunch of 2" x 3" photos that represented that month. just highlights really-this was the hardest part, picking photos that represented each month. each month i did the same layout, just with a different strip of patterned paper and monthly pennant {i mixed the placement of those up a little on each page to give the album some variety}


by the end of the year, i went from this:


to 12 layouts that summarized our year!

i fell behind on filling out my calendars in september and finished up those the last week in december. i decided to print all of my pictures and do my layouts in one sitting-if i were doing this project again, and i will be doing this again, i would definitely try to keep up on a monthly basis. but the beauty of having everything in my planner was that nothing was lost-it was all there waiting for me. :)
i am thrilled with how this project turned out. it's a big reason why i am doing project life. {which by the way-i am totally caught up on!! yay me!}
i have lots to share this week-layouts and mini albums and a storage review, oh my!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

december memories {a mini album} and project life progress

it's done! my december memories mini is done. so happy with how it turned out. as i mentioned in previous posts, it's super simple-just kraft, patterned paper and photos. oh, and the stories behind the photos. captured. recorded. preserved for my boys to look at. yay!
i won't bore you with tons of pages but here's a few:
the cover after adding some binder rings and ribbon {everything looks better with ribbon!}:

and some of the interior pages:


the last two pages {my favorite december activity-the christmastown event at the creation museum in bullitsburg, ky}:

so glad i did it. i'm also feeling really good about the progress i'm making on project life.
here's a better picture of my title page:

and here's my journaling cards all done and ready for my prints {ordered and waiting for me to pick up at WalMart tomorrow}:

i need to decide if i am going to print weekly or every two weeks because i'm thinking a weekly trip to wally world is going to get real old, real fast-however, they are the only place that prints matte finish on the same day machines and i don't want to pay for shipping.

so my questions for my fellow project lifers-how often are you printing? and where?

check back later this week, i'll be sharing how i went from this:

to a totally finished 2011 year in review album {it's also finished!!!! what!?! you know that's right!}

happy monday kids!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

grin {a scrapbook layout} and some goals for this quarter

yay! 2012, so very glad to see you. 2011 wasn't great for my family. my mom, who i love dearly and i'm very close to suffered a pretty terrifying health scare that cast a a bad light on the whole year for us. so glad to put that whole year behind us.
in my business, we focus on quarterly goals {annual as well, but the current quarter is the most important}
so here's my q1 scrappy goals:
-finish my 2011 year in review album 
{making excellent progress-calendar/journaling pages done, photos printed, patterned paper, cardstock and embellishments purchased and ready to go-just need to assemble-go me!}
-finish my december daily {ahem, december moments}
DONE! will share this in a post later this week.
-stay caught up with my project life album
{title page done!, journaling day one done!, go me!}
sorry for the lame photo-taken with my iPhone-look for a more in-depth PL post later this month
-complete two layouts a week
{one done already this week-woot!}
-set up a consistent blog schedule
{working on this one}

and because it's been a while, a quick layout to share with you. been seeing a lot of these hexagons and had to do a layout with some for myself. my three year old has the most amazing grin. ever. i challenge you not to smile looking at that little face. :)

happy tuesday blog friends!