Big Days

There is a day that I look forward to every year since Owen was born. And that is the day the NICU quilt square comes in the mail. There is a huge framed "quilt" that hangs outside of the NICU at Children's Hospital in St. Paul that we walked by every day for 4 months while Owen was there. It was one of the biggest inspirations I had to keep going every day while he struggled though so many obstacles. There were pictures of babies born just like him, some even smaller, and they were thriving and beautiful.
I can't express enough the joy I feel to put a picture of my baby on that wall now. And look at him thrive. We couldn't be more blessed to have been close enough to this hospital. A huge thank you to the nurses and doctors that helped Owen and babies just like him.
If you love preemies like I do, please contribute to the March of Dimes. Their help was invaluable to us, and I know it is to others as well.

Project 12: February 2010

There it is...our February, the abridged version. Those little Scrapworks fabric tags have been in my stash for a very long time, it felt pretty good to finally use them. I have lots and lots to do today so it's a short and sweet one. Have a happy weekend!

Project 12: January 2010

When I saw Davinie's Project 12 from the Scrapbooking & Cards Today Site, I thought that I should make a scrapping commitment to participate this year. What better way to keep tabs on our lives for the entire year? So, here's my layout for January....I decided to use all October Afternoon paper because I have a huge stockpile of it and it all goes well together. Then some misted borders, a little ribbon and Elles Studio vintage calendars.

That's all for now...

The big V-day

The big V-day is here...and here's how our day shook out:

I tried to make heart-shaped cinnamon rolls in the morning, but they just puffed up to their original shape. The taste was not altered by their non-heart-shaped status. :)

Owen did some coloring in a Cars-theme Valentine's activity book.

Jason and I started prepping dinner pretty early on...

...and when it was all done, it looked pretty amazing. I tell you what, that man and I sure know how to cook together.

He, of course, gave me a gift, although it was discussed that no gifts would be given. I have been wanting this necklace for a long time. I am just tickled to finally have it, especially since it meant that he had to shop on etsy.com all by himself to get it. It's from Tiny Tokens Designs. Lots of adorable stuff there.

And this is the man and I, celebrating another dreamy Valentine's day.

Hope you had a lovely holiday.
Kisses!

V-day Prep

I love Valentine's Day. I love it. I love all the candy and flowers and romantic silliness. Usually we go stay somewhere dreamy for a few days, but we are staying home this time with the little man. So, I have lots of things planned, and have done lots of prep.
Toenails painted. Check.
Cupcakes made. Check.

Cupcakes eaten. Check.

Sesame Street Valentine's stamped with little fingerprints. Check.


Flowers received at work. Am I spoiled? Oh absolutely.

House decorated. Check.



Rather than go out to eat, we decided to cook at home tomorrow, and thanks to allrecipes.com and a trip to the grocery store, we are all set. On the menu for tomorrow are Steak with Bleu Cheese-Chive Butter, Grilled Marinated Shrimp, and Berries 'n' Cream Dessert. I plan to serve the dessert parfait-style with some Sara Lee poundcake. Good and good for you, right. :)

Around the house: Stitches and Seams

I am a very lucky girl. I have very, very talented people that are related to me, and that are willing to make things for me. A quick walk around our house and you can see plenty of evidence of their work.
A very lovely sampler from one of my aunties that was a Christmas gift this year. It's already found it's home in our entryway.

Jason and I's wedding quilt. We had people sign quilt blocks instead of a guestbook, and then later my mom assembled the quilt top and took it to be machine-quilted. It hangs on a quilt rack made by my Dad. It is an absolute treasure.

A very fun apron from Mom, note the buttons she covered herself, and the roman blinds also made by my Mom.

The next bunch is from both my Grandma and Mom. I have been looking at antique stores for floursack towels, especially day of the week ones. Mom decided to commission Grandma to make some instead. They are so very lovely. A kitty, a handsome little guy working around outside, and cute little pots with the days of the week. Mom made the towels to hang on the drawer knobs, and they look like darling little spring dresses. They are all going to be hard to actually use because of their cuteness, but they will make me so happy when I do.



The next bunch is a growth chart for Owen also made by my Mom. The picture is from his old bedroom, but you get the idea. I just hung it up last night in his new room, and marked his height on the side. He is growing way too fast. Way.



These are some more embroidered lovelies that brighten my linen closet. The sweet duckie pillowcase is for Owen, made by another auntie, and the last is a crib set my Mom made many moons ago.


See, what did I tell you. I'm lucky.

Since then....

Okay, yeah, it's been a long time. Like months. But, it's a new year and I have lots to share.
Since my last post sometime in August '09 we've...

...celebrated our 5 year anniversary....


...we bought an old house in the country...




...we welcomed fall...




...we dressed up for Halloween...


...this little boy plays and plays, and has started talking and talking and talking...


...I crafted and scrapped and created...


...We braved the cold and went sledding in the yard...


...Santa came...




...and we rang in the new year with chocolate fondue. It was a wonderful, and very stressful couple of months. We sold our townhouse very quickly and moved into the country. There is so much for us to do out here, but I finally feel like we are home.
Happy New Year Everyone!

KRJ Benefit - More Pre-made Albums!

Today was my first day back to work after our Door County vacation. I would have so much rather stayed in bed until 10 and spent the rest of the day with Jason and Owen, but I've gotta work, I guess.
Jas didn't work, so when I got home he had dinner ready (made with fresh zucchini!) with a glass of wine. The glass of wine was for my "transition out of vacation mode" according to him. To which I replied "I refuse to leave vacation mode".
So, in the spirit of that, we had these for desert tonight....including fresh raspberries. Seriously, does summer have to end?


Now, on to more pre-made albums for the benefit. These are the two wedding albums I made. I tried to keep them sort of classic-looking, and they are made for 4x6 pics, so I am hoping they appeal to some non-scrappers.
This one is an 8x8, and many of the pages can be flipped according to the kind of pic you happen to have. I really like that feature :) It has a fairytale theme and would work well for a wedding from 2010 or 1910. I like that feature too.
I used some pretty "old" K&Co patterned paper that I've had around and have loved, and some shimmery Bazzill. I mixed cream and white too, hoping to make it work for everyone.








This next one is 12x12, and has a rather classic theme as well. I kept the design super simple again, mostly to get it done really fast, but hopefully so it doesn't look too daunting for the non-scrapper. It has a "Wedding Icon" theme, which I normally don't like, but I really do enjoy the way it turned out. Very classic. Kinda glamorous. Lots of sparkle and shimmer.
Again, mixed cream and white, with only black, silver, grey. The album and some embellies are Making Memories, and I used the cricut (and Kaity's wedding solutions cart - thanks!! :)) for some of the icons. Then just some simple satin ribobon. Lemme know what you think.










Thanks so much for looking - I'd love some feedback on your tips on making pre-made albums for non-scrappers, or any projects that might go well at a silent auction.
Thanks!