The One with the Ladies Night Out!

Ooohh la la!  Right?!  It's not what you think...

My friend and I decided a month or so ago that we wanted a craft night.  And we wanted something a little different than paper play.  My friend discovered a pottery place that has pottery painting classes.  And, just by chance, the night we were both free there was a ladies night.  

  
We had a lot of fun.  We painted a ceramic "canvas."  And it was a perfect opportunity to create something to make my One Little Word visible.

How trendy is this background?  My friend and I had no idea what we were making before we walked into the classroom. 

I used a silkscreen for the first time. And we painted with our fingers.  It was really freeing.  

And here is the finished project (minus the visit to the kiln).  I hand-painted my word instead of using a stencil.  This was a perfect opportunity to display my One Little Word.  I can't wait to pick this up and hang it in my scrap room.

I am definitely doing something like this again.  This studio has a ton of raw pottery items that are available to buy and then you can pay for studio time to paint!  The hubby and I decided that we would do that for a date night!

For those of you participating in the One Little Word journey, have you made a project to display your word?

xoxo,
Heather

The One with the Liebster Award

Whoa!  Thank you so much Kelly Jean over at Things About Stuff for nominating me for the Liebster Award.  This is my first award and it just gives me warm fuzzies for even being nominated!

So, this award is very special for those of us bloggers that LOVE to share a little bit about ourselves and various passions but may not have too many readers.  The idea of this award is to connect other readers and bloggers to your blog.

I did a little more research on this award and came across this blog post by Lorraine Reguly.  She compiled a list of the different sets of rules for the Liebster Award along with a little background into its origins.

Here is how it works (according to Lorraine's blog post):

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:

1. thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)

3. answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)

6. create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

7. list these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

Eleven Random Facts About Me

1. I hate wet hair.  I don't like the way it feels.  I can't lay down or lean my head against anything when my hair is wet.  I don't like it when it touches my neck when I'm getting dressed.  I'm cringing just thinking about it...
2. I was born in California, but only lived there for 3 months.
3. When I was younger (teenager-ish), I used to read 6 books at a time, reading a chapter a day in each book.  Such a dork!
4. I always try to read the book before I see the movie.  
5. My husband owns more shoes AND clothes than I do...at least three times as many in both categories.
6. I like fruity candy and sweets more than chocolate.
7. I like the idea of a clean house more than I like to clean my house.  Sometimes I say I love to clean, but it's not entirely true.
8. I moved in with my now husband 3 months after we met.  (I know, right?!  Unbelievable, but we knew we were meant to be.  Cliche, I know.)
9. My favorite food is nachos.  I will eat the hell out of some nachos.
10. I'm beginning to realize I like blogging and crafting more than my day job.
11. I have an Etsy shop!  Which hasn't been updated, but it's on my to do list!

My Answers to Kelly's Questions

1. Why do you blog?  Well, I actually wanted to blog originally because I saw a design team post for Citrus Twist Kits back at the end of 2012.  One of the requirements was to have a blog.  I knew then that my goal for 2013 was to start my own blog.  Now, it's not just to apply to design teams (although that is a dream of mine), but to meet people just as passionate about papercrafting as I am.
2. What is (are) your highlight(s) of 2013?  Let's see...I don't think anything significant happened in 2013.  I mean, it was a great year.  I learned a lot about myself as an adult, an individual finally done with school, a wife, a sister, a friend.  Michael and I decided on some serious life plans.  I met some great new friends.  I embraced my hobby.  I focused on being happy.
3. What hobbies do you have?  Besides playing with paper, I love to read.  I'm trying to like yoga.  
4. What is your favorite dessert?  I don't know if I have a favorite...I think it would probably be cheesecake.  Any kind of cheesecake.
5. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Italy.  I'd love to do one of those 21-day tours that take you all over the country.
6. Did you have pets growing up?  Yes, mostly cats.  When I was really young, before the age of 4, we had 2 cats, Midnight and Boo.  After my brother was born, we had to give them away because of his allergies.  Sometime while I was in middle school, we got a dog and my sister snatched a kitten from a field by my uncle's house.  The dog, Mikey, we gave to some friends with a farm a year later.  Our house and yard wasn't big enough for him and we didn't have time for him.  The cat, Stripes, is still alive and kickin'.
7. What is your favorite thing about yourself?  I'm less high strung and more down to earth than I used to be.  I really like that.  As for a physical feature, my eyes.  I've been told I have really pretty eyes.
8. Do you like sports?  If so, who do you cheer for?  I'm a die hard St. Louis Cardinals fan, as well as an Illini fan.  I like the Chicago Bears, but not as much as the Cardinals and the Illini.
9. What is your favorite season of the year?  Why?  I go back and forth between spring and fall.  I like those milder temperatures.  I like being able to wear jeans, boots, and a top with a lightweight sweater or blazer.  
10. Do you have a piece of jewelry you wear everyday?  Yes, I wear my wedding and engagement rings.
11. Name three things on your life bucket list.  Go to Italy.  Go white water rafting.  Go to a vineyard.

Now for my nominations...

Emily Adams:  Mrs. Crafty Adams
Ange:  One Person's Scrapping Compulsion
Christine Cieri:  Christine Cieri
Molly Frances:  Look What I Made
Cristi Wuenschel:  Dysfunctionally-Functional
Jen Schow:  Things That Matter
Kait:  Cafe et Papier
Brittany McLeod:  KraftyBuns
Mary:  Me, With My Head in the Clouds
Holly Ford:  Fordward Moving Mommy
Kaylea:  My Scrappy Life

***I apologize if I didn't stick with the less than 200 followers.  I based these nominations on blogs I like and the amount of followers (if visible on their blogs) for each blog.

My questions for the bloggers I nominated

1. Describe your ideal day.
2. If you could remodel/redecorate any room in your home, which room would it be and what would you do with it (you have unlimited funds)?
3. What is your day job?
4. What did you want to be when you "grew up?"
5. What is the number one thing you want to accomplish in 2014?
6. What do you like about blogging?
7. Do you enjoy cooking or baking more?  Why?
8. What is your favorite TV show?
9. What is your favorite food?
10. What talent do you wish you had?  Why?
11. List three things on your life bucket list.

Writing this post was really fun!  Thank you again Kelly for the nomination.  I'm looking forward to reading the answers, facts, and questions from the bloggers I nominated as well as discovering new blogs!

xoxo,

Heather

My First Layout of 2014!

Man, does it feel good to be making a layout!  After a bazillion Christmas cards, tags, etc. and my Christmas album (which is almost finished!), I really enjoyed doing something non-Christmas.

I was finally able to bust open my Citrus Twist November Darling Scrapbook Main Kit.  This kit has this gorgeous fuchsia streak throughout the month's selection.  And there is a little touch of the Pantone's 2014 color of the year:  radiant orchid.  And if you guys don't know, purple is my absolute favorite color.  When the 2014 color was announced, I was ecstatic!  I'm getting off topic...

As I was saying, I was really looking forward to making a layout.  I hadn't made a layout since the end of October/beginning of November.  

I've been browsing Pinterest a lot recently, especially for layout sketches for a project that I will be posting about in a few weeks.  I was loving all these sketches I had pinned and those I was seeing on various blogs.  I think I'd like to use more sketches as inspiration starting points for my layouts this year.  

Citrus Twist Kits Sketch by Kasia

 I decided on this sketch I found on the Citrus Twist Kits blog from June 2013.  And here is my interpretation of this sketch.

Supplies:  royal blue textured solid color cardstock; Heidi Swapp Mixed Company-Good Life patterned paper;   Dear Lizzy Polka Dot Party-Polka Dot Plates patterned paper;  Heidi Swapp Mixed Company Ephemera pack; Dear Lizzy Gold Soiree Glitter Foam Thickers by American Crafts;   Blue Corn Navy Alphabean Stickers by Jillibean Soup; washi tape; gold doily; fuchsia doily; sequins; glassine bag

Aren't the colors just beautiful?!  Everything I used is from the Citrus Twist November Darling Main Scrapbook kit (linked above).  The only supplies from my stash are the small piece of gray patterned paper (from a previous CT kit), the gold doily, the navy blue alphas, and the tag.  

I purchased a sun ray background from the Silhouette online store.  I resized the original to a smaller image and then cut it out on a different piece of patterned paper.  I then used that as a stencil to cut out the rays from my fuchsia patterned paper.  The image had a frame around it, and I didn't want that as part of my layout, so that's why I decided to create a "stencil" to still achieve the sunburst look.

As you can see from these photos, the only part of my layout that follows the sketch really closely is the sunburst image, patterned paper layers and placement of the photo.  

I love how I can start to follow the sketch very closely, but then I usually get so inspired and my layout becomes my own.  I love the bright, unusual color scheme for this layout.  It has definitely set the mood for my creativity this year!

xoxo,
Heather

My One Little Word 2014: DO

My One Little Word for 2014.  DO.  I am very excited about bringing this word into my life.  Something I will have to learn about embracing this word is not to let my life get too hectic.  DO, for me, doesn't mean I have to say yes to everything; DO every plan I think of; participate in every challenge/activity.  DO means for me that I will not be afraid to go after my dreams; I will just DO it.  I won't be afraid to succeed; I'll just DO it; I won't be afraid to DO what makes me happy; I will just DO it.  I want to embrace my life; I want to live my life.  I'm extremely blessed to be healthy, young, motivated, intelligent, I don't want to waste this amazing opportunity.  

I procrastinate...a lot.  I used to make new year's resolutions about not procrastinating, blah, blah, blah.  It never really worked out.  I think it's because I was focusing so much on that negative behavior:  procrastination.  That's all I thought about:  not procrastinating.  DO is such a positive spin on the stereotypical goal of not procrastinating.  

So, instead of focusing on all these behaviors or things I don't necessarily like about myself, I'm going to focus on what I can DO to make me an even better me.  

I've started a Pinterest board about my One Little Word.  Feel free to follow it, get inspired, get motivated, and just DO.

Here's to making the most of 2014 and to just DO.

xoxo,
Heather

P.S.--I will be sharing my OLW pages on my blog throughout the year.  I do not have a set schedule yet (i.e. weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), but it will be on a Monday.  Looking forward to sharing my journey with you all!

Part II of my Christmas 2013 Album

Happy Sunday lovely readers!  As I mentioned in my Just Two Midwest Girls scrap challenge post, I would post Part II of my Christmas album this weekend.  I have photos below of the Journal Your Christmas prompts #20-25 scrapped in my album.

Prompt #20

This prompt is all about a gift given to someone special.  My journaling will go on the tag(s) in the glassine envelope.  My pictures for the majority of my album do not correspond with my journaling.  I'm just including a photo for each prompt that I had taken throughout the month.  Darwin was my "trimming the tree" partner this year when I was decorating.  All he did was hang out in the tree box...great helper.

Prompt #21

 This page is about the reality of my December 21st; what my house looked like, what my day looked like.  That picture is not what my house looked like on the 21st!  I didn't even wrap any gifts until the 23rd!

Prompt #22

The journaling for this prompt will be about the things that make me smile, give me warm fuzzies during Christmas.  All the kindness, gratitude, and giving that comes with the holiday season.

Prompt #23

This prompt was assigned to December 23rd, or Christmas Eve Eve (that's what we call it).  I'll be journaling about some of our family traditions we do getting ready for the big day.

Prompt #24

Christmas Eve's prompt talks about why I love Christmas.  I made a vellum pocket to hold tags for my journaling.  That paper from Glitz Designs Hello December Line, the paper that says "what I love the most about Christmas," was perfect for this prompt.

Prompt #25

Christmas Day was definitely a two-page spread.  I had so much I wanted to include, that I'll have to include a smaller insert just for my journaling.

If you want to see more detailed photos of my Christmas Album:  Part II, check out my gallery at 2Peas.  Also, Kelly and I are hosting a challenge all about December/Christmas albums.  Details can be found here.  Those that play along could win a $5 gift certificate to Two Peas in a Bucket!

I hope to have my Christmas journal completely done by the end of January.  I have 14 more prompts/layouts to scrap and a few layouts to "touch up."  I'm getting to the point where I just want this album to be done!  If I didn't have a few other projects to complete for future blog posts and Valentine's cards to make, I'd work on this album until it was finished!  

Have a wonderful Sunday!  Stay warm and safe if you're in my area and the northeastern part of the country.  See you all again on Monday.

xoxo,
Heather

Just Two Midwest Girls Scrap Challenge: Christmas Albums!

Welcome back lovely readers!  Hope you all had a fabulous New Year's!

Kelly and I are beginning 2014 with a big project!  Our Christmas albums!  As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm doing Journal Your Christmas, which goes until January 6th.  So, my album is not done yet.  I have been good about keeping up on my journaling and deciding on pictures for each prompt (up until Christmas Day).  I just haven't been able to scrap each prompt yet.

I am proud to let you all know that I have scrapped each prompt up to and including Christmas Day (well, most of the prompts)!  That was my goal by the time we posted this challenge.  I will be taking a week off from working on my Christmas album to start my One Little Word album, work on a couple layouts, and get started on cards for my Etsy shop.  

Here are some pictures of my album so far.  I'm only showing you the completed pages.  I will upload my whole album to my 2Peas gallery when I have it finished (probably in parts because each project can only have 20 images).  I will also be posting my progress and finished pages on Instagram.  Make sure to follow me @hsweet12!

This is PHOTO HEAVY!  I'm not going to post every photo, but you can take a peek here for all the detailed photos.  **Prompt #18-25 I will post this weekend when I have better light.

Here are my title page (on the right because I couldn't get these pictures to post chronologically when next to one another) and my Christmas manifesto (left).  

The photo on the right is just an embellishment page.  Right now, that's my favorite part of scrapbooking: embellishing!  And I have tons of product, so I need to use it.  The photo on the left is all about our Christmas tree.  I have written this prompt in my journal, I just haven't transferred it to this page.

It's not Christmas without those special treats!  On the page of the small paper bag (seen in the photo below), I write about the infamous red coffee cup, which has become a holiday icon.

I couldn't resist cutting that red holiday cup with my cameo!

 This prompt is all about the types of lists I used to make when I was younger.

One of my favorite parts of Christmas are Christmas movies.  Elf is probably my favorite holiday movie.  I love Buddy the Elf.  He is definitely my "merry mentor."  That character always puts me in the Christmas mood.

 The top photo tells the story about that crocheted snowpeople couple.  The photo on the bottom talks about my ideal Christmas Day weather, which is, of course, a white Christmas (which we didn't get here in central IL).

The top photo contains my "still to do" list as of December 17th.  The bottom photo tells the story of the Christmas culture and entertainment I enjoy this time of year.

The top photo talks about when I "found out about Santa."  I wanted this to be hidden journaling just in case, years down the line, my kids decide to flip open the album.  And this bottom photo shows how thick my album is already!  At the time I took this photo, I only had scrapped prompts 1-17.  Yeah....

I cannot believe this album!  I am so, so proud of myself for staying on top of my daily journaling prompts AND for scrapping (almost) each prompt up to Christmas!  I only got to Day 5 in my December Daily 2012 album.  

So, come play along with us!  Show us your Christmas/December/holiday albums.  Link up your pictures in my comments section on this post or in Kelly's comments section on her blog.  It does not have to be a new project.  It can be a past album you already have uploaded elsewhere.  Those people that play along have a chance to win a $5 gift certificate to Two Peas in a Bucket!  Hurry, the challenge is open until Thursday, January 16th at 8pm CST!

Now, go check out Kelly's blog!

xoxo,

Heather

Hello 2014!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  My goodness, I cannot believe how quickly 2013 came and went.  It was definitely a year of challenges, realizations, growing, learning, and happy, happy memories.  I feel like I've become more mindful of myself and how I portray myself to others.  I've become more grateful for my life as it is, but still not forgetting about my dream for the future.  I've been better at being present in the moment.  I've been so much better about communicating with my husband. (Boy, that was something very different for me after I got married.  My husband and I had been together for 3 years when we got married, but 2 of those years I was living in another state getting my Master's degree.  It was difficult for me to open up and talk to him about stuff I used to take care of myself since I'm pretty independent.)  And that will always be an ongoing thing in my life and it's extremely rewarding to have someone like him by my side.  

Some things I want to work on/achieve in 2014:
-making my Etsy shop into a small business/part-time work
-running a 5K
-getting back into yoga regularly
-joining a gym (not to lose weight, but to get in shape and be healthy)
-planning and making more meals
-saving more money
-using my mint.com account (I signed up a few years ago and used it for 6 months or something until I went to graduate school, then I completely stopped.)
-being more thoughtful about my purchases, especially when it comes to papercrafting
-sending out more cards
-visiting my friends
-journaling more
-cleaning out our basement, painting the floor and resealing/painting the walls (it's unfinished)
-painting the living room
-learning calligraphy (I have been loving this trend of modern calligraphy.  Definitely want to jump on the bandwagon.)

I lot of these goals are more of a lifestyle change and will take me awhile to get accustomed to and make a part of my daily life.  Some stuff can just be crossed off a list after it's completed.  I just need to remember that change takes time and work.  I'm not going to succeed overnight.  It may take weeks, even months.  But I need to actively work towards making these goals a part of me and who I am.  There's no better time than the present.  Plus, we don't have kids yet, so I want to make a habit of things so they don't go on the wayside when little ones do come in the picture.  

And here are just some words of wisdom to get you pumped up for 2014:

Here's to a happy, healthy, prosperous new year to you and yours.  Let's make 2014 a kick ass year!

xoxo,
Heather