Gettin' By

Simple Saturday | Smile

Since I tend to use the basic grid on a lot of my pages (like every.other.page I do!) I've had to come up with new twists on this basic design to keep all my layouts from looking the same. One simple way to make a grid look fresh is to tilt it just a bit. This unexpected orientation adds a touch of whimsy and energy to the page that I love. Also adding energy to this layout? The BasicGrey Highline collection, which is a fabulous mix of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows in bold, bright patterns. It's a favorite of mine and a line that I think will be fabulous for all the fall photos I plan to take!

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

I had three photos from this series that I wanted to use on the page and I started by converting them to black & white and printing them at 2 x 2. (With the white border, they end up just slightly larger than that.) Next, I punched out 13 squares from patterned papers and journaling cards to use within my grid. This 2-inch square punch makes it a breeze to pop out consistently-sized squares for a grid!

On a piece of cardstock trimmed to 8 x 8, I began adhering my squares, leaving blank spots where I wanted my three photos to go. I embellished several of the squares with chipboard, stickers, die cuts and vellum tape before adding a zig-zag stitch to the gutters of the grid. After adhering my photos with foam adhesive (at a slight tilt to help them stand apart from the bold background), I mounted to whole grid on red patterned paper to frame it out.

 

Before I adhered the finished grid, I set up journaling to print directly on the white cardstock background. I tilted the text boxes so they'd match the angle of the grid and left a space of 8 1/2-inches in between them to allow the grid to fit. Then I die cut my title and added a few epoxy embellishments and a border of stitching.

So if you're looking for a new way to implement a tried-and-true design framework, try giving it a little tilt! You just might see the layout from a whole new angle. (I'm just so punny!)

Enjoy your weekend!

Wardrobe Wednesday | Croppin' It

 

Welcome to Wardrobe Wednesday. On Thursday. (I never claimed to be good with deadlines.)

Something else I am not super good at? Discerning exactly which fashion trends best suit my age and/or body. If it's been prescribed as new and hip, I'm pretty much willing to buy it. I may have single handedly kept stirrup pant factories in business back in 1982.

So when crop tops started appearing in my favorite stores, I pondered for quite some time whether I could actually pull one off. I think the last time I wore one was 1998 on our honeymoon in Cancun, with a pair of jean shorts so high waisted that there wasn't much actual belly exposure at all. Like if they made the Mom Jean version of shorts, these might be it. Proving my point that sometimes, I'm a horrible judge of what trends work on me. And that some things just shouldn't be photographed.

But since my abs are really the one part of my body that aren't currently dimpled, wrinkled, or sagging, I figured this might be one trend I could swing. Plus, the newest versions of crop tops are a little more demure - a bit boxy and less clingy. In other words, more Audrey Hepburn and less Pam Anderson. I nabbed this black lace top at Target (on sale) and figured that if it didn't work out, I was only out $11.48...and a modicum of dignity.

Turns out, this has become one of my most-worn tops over the summer. I've dressed up it with skirts like this one, dressed it down with shorts and jeans, and layered it both under and over shirts, which means it should work seamlessly as a fall transitional piece. (You can see the other ways I styled it here.) And unlike the spiral perms, MC Hammer pants and jelly shoes of my fashion past, I'm hoping I actually got it right this time. 

_____________________________________________________
xhilaration crop top (sold out) | similar, similar, similar
Old Navy skirt (old) | on ebay
Isacc Mizrahi for Target heels | similar
lavand messenger bag (unavailable)
lulu's necklace | similar
ray ban sunnies

And I didn't even go to medical school.

The good news on this Tuesday is that Mike's dad is now home and doing well, and hopefully enjoying his lake views and taking it easy while he recooperates in Grand Lake. We are pretty darn thankful that he's made such a huge turnabout in health this last week (and appreciate all the good thoughts you sent our way!)

The bad news is I've got a kiddo home today with the back-to-school coughing crud (a highly scientific medical name you'll be shocked to learn I totally made up). The pediatrician says it's nothing a Z-Pac won't fix, but I'm throwing in some chicken noodle soup and Dr. Who episodes on the iPad just to help speed his healing along. Not to mention manically wiping every surface in the house with Clorox, in hopes that the rest of us can avoid the germs and not be infected with odd ailments that I have to create new names for.

So while he naps, I'm getting some work done, which includes a few assignments and a more organized blog schedule for the upcoming months. I'm inspired by all the fresh new fresh school supplies on my desk (am I the only one who treats herself to new pens and notepads each fall?!) and a brand new blog planner to help get my act together. If nothing else, I can at least write to-do lists in pretty, pretty ink colors.

Today I'm also sharing a pocket page spread that I did awhile back for Two Peas, but never posted here. It's all about my currently sick kiddo, Hayden, and his swimming accomplishments last season. I opted to use pocket pages to allow more room for all the details I wanted to include, and this is what resulted:

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

 

The left side is a 12x12 page with pockets for six 4x6 photos. I've filled the first column with an enlargement that spans three of the pockets and adhered my title to the white space in the lower part of the photo. The right is a smaller page, with pockets for three 3x4 and three 4x4 inserts. I've varied the contents to include die cuts, journaling, photos and memorabilia (a photo of his first-place blue ribbon.)

 

 

I tried to keep all of my supplies in the blue, green and aqua color palette to coordinate with the photos and maintain a consistent look across both halves. The spread contains a mix of products from BasicGrey, Studio Calico and Crate Paper, but they are all united by color.

 

 

 

 

I also made a video with the start-to-finish process of this page and it's still live on the Two Peas YouTube channel if you'd like to check it out.

 

Hope you all have a terrific day and are successfully avoiding the back-to-schoolitis and other associated maladies! 

 

 

Simple Saturday | Laugh

When I was digging through my pile of layouts to post online, I found this one towards the bottom and knew this week was a perfect time to share it.  Because there hasn't been too much laughter heard around here lately. Monday brought news that Mike's dad had been airlifted to a hospital in Boulder with an apparent heart attack. His doctors were not optimistic about his recovery at that point and we spent a somber 24 hours waiting to see if he would stabilize. But he's one tough guy, and on Tuesday he underwent a pacemaker implant and has made huge strides towards recovery ever since. He's still hospitalized and likely will be for several more days, but we are so happy that he seems to be on the road to recovery.  We're finally able to exhale, release a bit of the fear....and look forward to seeing his smile and hearing his laugh again!

Seeing this page reminded me how precious laughter can be (and how much you miss it when life is being sucky!) so I wanted to share it here today.

S U P P L I E S:

InLinkz.com

It's a simple design - just squares of paper, vellum and a few vintage tags. (Just a note: the polka dot background paper was an exclusive to JBS Mercantile Kits, but I listed a few similar options in the supply list). I adore the color combo of aqua, orange and yellow and mixed in the vellum as an additional element that wouldn't distract from this color scheme. Vellum is a great way to add layers without pattern or color, and create a softer look for your page.

I stamped on one piece of it, and I love how it allows the papers below to show through. Since vellum has a slightly coated surface, I like to use Stazon ink when stamping so it doesn't smear. (I learned this the hard way!) I also used vellum to add a die-cut shape and title to my page. For the title, I cut the word twice and layered them together to make the vellum a bit more opaque.

 

I'm looking forward to a weekend with family and lots of love, laughter (and maybe some scrapping, too?!) Here's wishing you a weekend filled with the same!

Back to the Books.

Well hello there friends. This week marks the start of school for my (not so) littles and we are grudgingly giving up the lazy days of summer to get back into some semblance of a daily routine. We bought the fresh new pencils and notebooks, a few new pairs of shoes, and headed back to school yesterday. I'd show you the cute photos I took, but my camera battery died in the process and my spare (as well as the stupid charger) have gone missing. If you could see the disaster area that is my office, you'd be amazed that the charger is the only thing I can't locate. Which reminds me, has anyone seen my clear ruler?!?

So today I'm hoping to muster the gumption (re: consume a whole crapload of caffeine) and try to get my workspace into some kind of order. But while I'm waiting for the coffee to kick in, I thought I'd share a quick layout designed with my beloved grid framework:

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

This was a random assortment of photos that were taken over the span of a week, and I combined them with my Weekday Squares Printables in a grid of 2.25" squares. This printable (along with several of my other designs and cut files) are available in my new etsy store - there's a link in the sidebar as well.  I'll be adding additional designs frequently, and I'd love it if you stopped by and checked it out!

I added an assortment of color-coordinated embellishments to each aquare, including chipboard, stickers, scraps of patterned paper, flair, and enamel dots. Some accents are purely decorative; others I tried to tie back to the photo (the number "4" on the chalk drawing of our family, the "yum" sticker on the food photo).

The "everyday" title is from my Weekday Script titles and it one of my most used cut file sets. It's great for week-in-review pages like this or Project Life documentation. Let me know if you have any suggestions for sets you'd like to see. I'm always looking for versatile design ideas!

So with that, I'm off to tackle this mess! (I added that exclamation mark in hopes of rousing some enthusiasm here. It's not working. Maybe I'll just have one more cup of coffee...)

Happy Tuesday!

JBS Mercantile Kits | August 2014

I wanted to pop on today with a big thank you to everyone who has sent love and good thoughts this past week. They have been much appreciated and truly a source of comfort. I know that there are people facing much, much bigger problems in this world than mine, but sometimes it's hard to make your rational mind overcome your emotional heart. Your kind words have made my heavy heart a bit lighter. So thank you for that.

I have not been at my scrap table very much lately, but I did manage to complete a layout with the August JBS Mercantile kit. It's absolutely lovely and sold out very quickly, but I went ahead and created a supply list should you wish to look for some of the individual pieces. The mix of the new Webster's Pages Ocean Melody line and the Pink Paislee Solstice collection are really beautiful and perfect for summer scrapping. Which is exactly what I documented:

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

I loved the vintage touches in this month's kit and used the graph paper and cigar labels on this layout. I cut all my strips to 1-inch high and varied the lengths to make a staggered striped backdrop. A bit of stitching (with regular thread and some baker's twine!) added some texture to each strip.

I also tucked in a few die cut pieces - a diamond design that is the August Kit Cut - just for an extra layer of interest. And the gold epoxy accents were so fun and perfectly summery!

Yesterday I had the fun opportunity to be guest on the Paperclipping Roundtable. I always love the discussions that Noell and Izzy facilitate, but this one was especially close to my heart! We chatted about personal style and how (or if!) it infiltrates your craft, personal fashion and home decor. It was the first time I've reallly made a connection between my scrapping, fashion and decorating style and it was fun topic to delve into.  Hope you'll check it out - the link to the podcast is above!

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Thanks again for bringing a little bit of sunshine into my cloudy world. Sending a big MWAH! out to each and every one of you!

What Matters Most.

It's been a tough week at the Dickinsons.  Our sweet Tater passed away last Thursday, and we've been missing her terribly. For such a small little creature, she was a huge part of hearts and lives. I've been lucky to have all my pets live long, happy years, so losing her at such at young age has sent me reeling. I didn't realize how much of my day was spent caring for her the past few months, and now I'm left with a lot of time to somehow fill.

It's never easy to grieve the loss of a pet, and I know from experience that with time, the pain will ease and we'll be able to talk and remember her with smiles, not tears.  Yesterday I decided to load up the kids and head to Elitches, in an attempt to boost our spirits and distract from the sadness with some good old fashioned roller coasters and rides. It was a good day and for a few hours, we were able to forget some of our sadness....and man, that felt good. 

I've avoided the blog since I haven't felt like I could compose a post that wasn't a total downer (and I'm not sure this one isn't either, but I'll try to end on a more positive note!) I know that no one wants to come here and be sad. But this blog is a reflection of my life and heart, and to be authentic, I have to include both the ups and downs. Thanks for being patient and understanding. 

I'll end by sharing a page that's almost five years old, but it's one of my favorites and I return to it often. I have the journaling on repeat in my brain lately - and it helps remind me of what matters most.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who sent messages via Twitter and Instagram this week - I have felt your virtual hugs and am thankful. And thanks for stopping by today, too!