Holidays in Hand- some premade layouts

For Jessica Sprague's Holidays in Hand class we got a cool set of papers and a page template. I added some papers from some freebie Shabby Princess kits and made these pages for my album. I have 8 pages in total. So I will rotate them about 4 times. I figure that with changing the pictures and adding appropriate embellishments and journaling that they will look different enough. Hopefully this will help cut down the time I spend on scrapping the memories during the holiday season, and I will spend more time make the memories.
If I have time I will post my pages as I complete them in during the month of December. By the end of the month I will have a fun Christmas album ready for printing.

Holidays in Hand- Day 3

Yesterday for the 'Holidays in Hand' project I got to download some "prompt cards". They have a prompt for something to write about, photograph, do, make, and remember. Today Jessica Sprague put up lists of things we can choose from (or we could make our own) for the make and do portions. I have gleaned from the to do list. Here are some things I want to do during the Christmas Season:

•Put up the Christmas tree, or add an ornament to it
•Sing a holiday song before bed
•Visit a local light display
•Make your favorite treat together
•Go for a walk, or look out your largest window at the stars together
•Read from your favorite holiday story
•Watch a christmas movie with popcorn
•Bake and take gifts to neighbors
•Play board games
•Have breakfast for dinner
•Visit a place you’ve been meaning to go together: a museum, a walking trail...
•Play your favorite christmas song
•Have an indoor picnic
•Wrap a toy and take it to a charity christmas tree
•Celebrate the longest night of the year (December 21) by lighting extra candles
•Have a video chat with a friend or family member who is far away
•Have a fondue night! chocolate and cheese dipped goodies.
•Make Ornaments, either for your home or as small gifts
•Make cards for teachers
•Make homemade apple pie
•Make a peppermint milkshake
•Decorate holiday cookies
•Address your holiday cards together
•Visit some of the spectacular holiday decorations in your town
•Draw and send postcards to cousins
•Slip a little note of holiday love into a backpack, laptop case, lunchbox, or set it on a pillow
•Get in touch--call, write a letter, email, send a card--with a friend or relative whom you haven't heard from in a long time.
•Get some blank pages and crayons and let your kids write and illustrate their own Christmas story

Some of these things we already do (like playing board games and watching Christmas movies) and some I would like to start doing.
Now for the making part of the prompt. Well, we are already gathering supplies. We are doing a completely handmade holiday this year. The kids are [helping] making ornaments for the tree. I am making all the presents (except the socks and underwear). I have designed our Christmas cards and written the letter. Hopefully we will have time to do all the fun things we want to do.

Holidays in Hand: Assignment 1

I'm doing a wonderful class at jessicasprague.com about taking time during the holidays and recording memories. Jessica Sprague is awesome. And the class is free. Well, first on the agenda is to figure out your holiday values and goals.

Value: Keeping in touch with family and friends
Goal: Send out Christmas cards on time

Value: Spirituality
Goal: Attend church and other uplifting holiday programs-not just about santa

Value: Meaningful gifts
Goal: Handmade, thoughtful gifts for everyone this year

Value: Involve the kids
Goal: Kids help make decorations, cookies, and candy trees

Value: Help those less fortunate
Goal: Donate old but decent toys and clothes

Value: Make it magical for the kids
Goal: See the Lights of Christmas, do special things just for the kids to have fun, hide those presents!

K at 1 year

My youngest child just turned one. Here is a digital scrapbook page I did. I wanted to show all her cute little bits and really highlight what she looked like. The kit I used is Cool Summer Porch by Elizabeth Weaver (at Digital Scrapbook Place)

Sewing projects update

Here are some recent sewing projects I've managed to get done. A cute little apron, perfect for a messy child to help with cooking or art stuff (the picture is funky because I didn't iron it or straighten it out before the picture). And a diaper pouch/clutch. I couldn't find a pattern I liked, so I sat down and made this one up. I'm gonna make another one or two out of my fabric stash, so I think I'll post a tutorial/pattern later. And here is a picture of some of my fabric...what will it become...stay tuned to find out.

Camera Strap Cover

A while back I made a cute cover for my camera strap. I used the tutorial on Made by Petchy. It is quite cute I think. Now, if I could just get a photo of it, now that it's on the camera...