life. photos. scrapbooking.

Another fine use of the Instax Mini :: Thank You Notes by Macho

Spoiler alert. Those of you who participated in the celebration of Macho's 4th year, or sent a gift... You may wanna just stop reading now. Your thank you notes are promptly posted - but they'll look an awful lot like the ones I'm about to show below... so if you wanna be surprised...

JUST STOP NOW, K?

 

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You couldn't help yourself could you?

I know I couldn't.

Yesterday was an "at home with mom" day for the kids and getting Macho's birthday thank you notes checked off the list was a high priority. I'm BIG on thank you notes - getting and giving them.
In this culture of instantaneous communication - we email, text, etc. to get our point across... so sitting down and taking the time to write/create a nice personal thank you note - says "hey, I really give a hoot about you and what you did" or "i'm suuuuuper grateful."

My point is - THANK YOU notes go a loooong way with me.

Stepping off soapbox.... now.

I wanted Macho to do something personal... but he's 4.... hmmmm. Hardly Hemminway at this point.

So I thought about my handy dandy little Instax Mini Polaroid Camera.

I ordered/used it for the little bugs hospital guest book... when she was born in Nov 2010.

You can read all about that HERE.

Anyway - it had been quite awhile since I dusted off this fun little toy and I thought this would be just the project to do it.

Here's how it all went down...

1 - I had my list ready of all of the things Macho had received for his b-day and from whom.

2 -I snapped instax pix of him playing with each of the items. And let them "develop" a couple of minutes.

3 - I gathered some textured cardstock, a few select stamps (which Macho helped choose), permanent ink pad, a spool of ribbon, some glue dots, a sharpie pen and a stapler.

4 - I began stamping the little pirate guy (Stampin' Up! stamp from a few years ago) onto the cardstock... and Macho began to sign the bottoms of the photos.

5 - Macho then glued the photos to the pages and stamped the second "Thank You" stamp underneath my pirate kid.

6 - Finally - after I'd lost Macho's flea-sized attention entirely - I cut some small strips of ribbon and attached them with a stapler to the cards.

VOILA.

Personalized - signed - easy - and something we could did TOGETHER on our day at home.

Check that box, y'all.

 

 

 

Slipcover - An Attempt

I bought this marvelous new desk chair from the Pottery Barn on MEGA sale last month.

My derrier has been thanking me during my long editing stints in front of ye olde computer screen for that cushioned bottom. Veeeeery nice.

It's upholstered in linen with a nailhead trim.... see?

I really do love it. As it goes in homes with small children - anything mommy or daddy loves - the kids usually love too... especially with peanut buttery fingers or drippy popsicles this time of year.

In order to protect my new investment I decided to purchase some cotton twill fabric and try my hand at sewing together a loose fitting slipcover for it.

SO on Saturday - I gave it the old college try. But, be warned... sewing - it's just not my gift. I want to be good at it - but sadly - no.

I washed my fabric first so it wouldn't shrink later.... I did this weeks ago. (been sitting on this praying that the kids didn't ruin the chair with a rogue pen or something until I had the time)

Anyway - step one was to basically just start pinning and cutting out the framework for the slipcover...

I wanted the rough fringed edge to be exposed around the bottom of the chair - so I cut my fabric accordingly.

Really the entire process was more like one big guess. I would pin some - and then go sew it. Come back - pin on some more - then go sew that bit.... and on and on it went.

I thought I was pretty bad a$$ that it was sorta fitting all around - and that I tucked the corners up at the front of the seat and all that. I figured it was the same idea as wrapping a package... so I went with it.

Nothing to lose right?

It was looking pretty good until I finished and turned it right side out. Then it all looked a little wonky.

Usable - but wonky.

Again - I'm pleased that there aren't large gaping holes in between some of the seams - but the fit could be a bit better in some spots. In any case - it's a suitable shield for all the tiny grimy fingers on those who call my "office" their playroom.

Happy Monday!

 

 

Getting organized is half the battle.

As promised (below) - here's the video footage. :)

 

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Oddly enough. Having the boogers in preschool twice a week has kept me pretty caught up with the photography business as of late. Woot.

So caught up - in fact - that last Thursday - I granted myself reprieve on "getting ahead" on things and instead used the peace and quiet - to exercise my piece of mind.

Yes... I got down and crafty y'all. I scrapbooked.

And I was efficient.

You see...  I've developed a new system for helping me to dive in more quickly.

Sometimes I sit down and look at my "TO SCRAP" pile and I just get a little paralyzed. Where to begin? How to flip the creative switch and get busy on-demand? I only have an hour here people! That's what usually goes through my mind.

Usually I start combing through photos on my computer waiting for a great story to come to mind.... or vice versa.... I'll have the story written on scrap paper and I'm hunting for an appropriate photo.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Time's a wasting.

Then there's the process of sifting through supplies... Looking for just the right things that will help the layout sing. Finding those that will help tell the story more completely. The right patterned paper - the right embellishments... finding that bit of life ephemera to staple on.... Just, where did I put those concert tickets... Right?

Any of you suffer from this too? Sound familiar?

And finally -  just when I have everything at my fingertips and I'm about to start cutting and glueing - I'll get interrupted. The phone - the kids - the washing machine.

Derailed.

Fun time - over.

Layouts completed?

Zero.

Mamma puts up a big FAT goose egg on the scoreboard.

Knowing this was the way of things and I was determined not to let myself waste this afternoon in my empty workroom. I had a plan.

In order for me to scrap with speed and efficiency - I lift. I scrap lift. I take a sketch or idea from a layout I've seen somewhere - magazine - Pinterest - blog - book - advertisement... and I run with it. It may be the layout design... or just a color scheme I like... or maybe it's the way the person used some patterned paper that I own in my stash. Something to get me going.

SO! On Wednesday evening, knowing the kids were gonna be in preschool and that I was gonna use a bit of the afternoon to be a naughty little scrapbooker... here's what I did.

I compiled my "TO SCRAP" stuff and started sorting the stories and photos and put each coordinating thing into a simple page protector. Then I started combing through the various scrapbooking magazine tear outs that I keep at my desk.

I subscribe to "Creating Keepsakes" and "Scrapbooks Etc." and when I get them each month insted of dog-earing the pages to the layouts I like and saving the entire magazine (as was my old routine) - I've recently begun just tearing out the pages with layouts I find inspiring and throwing the rest in the recycling bin. I clip the whole stack together and then I would flip through it when I sit down to crop.

But not this time.

THIS time I unclipped that stack of inspiration and tried to find layouts that would pair nicely with either the photos or the amount of journaling that I had already in those page protector sleeves. When I felt I had a match - I slipped them inside the plastic as well.

In addition - I have a few books on scrapbooking (some of which I've written about here) - namely the ones by Ali Edwards and Cathy Zielske.

I leafed through those too looking for inspiration. Since I didn't want to rip anything out of these "reference materials," (or as I like to call my two SIGNED copies of Clean & Simple I & II - "my holy grails") instead I simply tucked the photo and/or paper containing my handwritten journaling inside on the appropriate page.

Organize.... divide... conquer.

I was ready for the day ahead.

Did it work?

Indeed it did.

Come Thursday afternoon - I opened one of those books to the first page I had marked with stuff stuck inside and I got crack-a-lackin'!

And I finished 5 - yes that's right  F-I-V-E layouts in a single afternoon. And completed two more the following evening.

I was on a roll.

Mamma's got a new system - and it's working baby.

Ok, folks - it's pretty late right now - and so I'm gonna hit the hay and get this post scheduled to publish.... but tomorrow morning I'm going to film a very short video showing you this great new system and I'll post it here by lunchtime....

So all you AM readers - come on back for a look-see. :)

And because I wholeheartedly believe that every post needs at least ONE photo... I'll give you one.

"Whassup wich U?"

"Awww. I dunno. Same ol' - same ol'. Whassup wichu?"

Say wah?

:)

Oh yeah almost forgot - ACTUAL fruit of thy labor (the layouts people) will be posted tomorrow! Stay tuned.

xo

Tutorial :: Embossing | Appointment Cards

Last week I rolled up my sleeves and created another batch of the little appointment cards I mail out to clients when they book their session. I was running low. Since the process involves stamping and embossing - I thought it would make for a dandy tutorial.

Ever embossed anything? Well... I can say it's seriously mind blowing. The first time I ever embossed something I stamped - I was all.... HECK this card is fancier than the ones at Hallmark! Running your fingers over the raised glossy image I stamped made me feel like I had made something really special.

I was super impressed with myself.

But that don't take much.

I'm uber goofy.

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The process is simple really.

Stamp - sprinkle embossing powder - tap excess - heat with a heat gun. That's it.

Here are a few photos to illustrate.

Gather supplies ::

Stamps...

Embossing Powder and spoon... (and I use tweezers to hold the paper while I heat it)

Heat gun...

The few essentials to get started... Craft ink pad, paper, stamps, powder, gun.

1) Ink and stamp paper

2) As quick as you can (before the ink begins to dry) sprinkle the embossing powder over the surface of the stamped area.
3) Remove excess powder...
Tap, tap, tap.

4) Evenly heat the surface with a heat gun. This tool is like an extra hot hairdryer that doesn't blow the air too hard. Soft air - high heat.
This photo is meant to illustrate the raised effect you get from embossing. Once you remove the heat - the whole thing is dry in less than 5 seconds. It's like putting an extra fine layer of candle wax on top of your stamped image. A soon as the heat is removed - it hardens up.
5) Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. This pack of cards had twenty five in all...

Next I started on the envelopes. Different stamp - same process.

The packs of envelopes only have 10 in each - so I did two colors.

Now everything was ready for assembly. Appointment cards, envelopes, mini business cards and a little chevron ribbon.
I mark the session date and include a little note on one side...

Staple my business card with a bit of ribbon to the other. Then place inside the little envelope.
That's all folks!

Leave me a comment with any questions.

 

Oooh - I should add - for this project because I wanted the white to be EXTRA white - I used white craft stamp ink AND white embossing powder.

Every other color ink I have I just use clear embossing powder on top.

Ok - Happy Monday!

Easiest DIY Ever.

Scoped out the new line of Martha Stewart office supplies at Staples last week.

Invested in a packet of her chalkboard labels...

Decided to give them a try on some empty cans of my current favorite guilty pleasure - Pepperidge Farms Cream Filled Pirouette sticks.... Mamma Mia.

Step 1 :: Gather supplies.

An empty container + A can of spray paint + Chalkboard label

Step 2 :: Choose a ventilated area and begin coating your can with thin layers of spray paint.

**Note - the blue covered the letters several coats before the orange did!

Step 3 :: After several coats... Let em dry completely.

Step 4 :: Peel and stick the label.

Step 5 :: Identify the contents of your container!

I think doing these ahead of time and saving them for teachers gifts, household organization, hostess gifts, housewarming gifts... the list goes on... would come in super handy!

Happy Monday!!

Addicted To :: Fleabags & NYC Recap

A few months ago I had the pleasure of attending the NYC fashion market with my friend Diane. Diane owns a spectacular little store called Gracie here on the shore and was making one of her regular buying trips. When she asked if I could tag along... I was all..... HELL YEAH!

I had my trusty iPhone along with me and captured some fun little moments along the way...

Like when I arrived - the cab line from Penn Station was RIDICULOUS (and I had to pee!) so I hopped on the back of a bicycle cab... BIG mistake. Homeboy charged me $60 for a ride to SOHO.

A word to the wise... IGNORE the bike cabbies.

Finally - safely inside the hotel.... this was the view. I actually LOVE these old rusty water towers all over the city.

The next morning it was off to Capsule... a funky smallish show NOT at the Javits Center.... where you are likely to find some really unique amazing talent from here in the US and abroad.

Luckily we took a REGULAR cab this time... I just love the beat of the city.

At Capsule... We stopped for a chat with designer, Rachel Antonoff... Isn't she so cute? Her clothes are too!

I gushed over her line of flats that she designed for Bass...

Diane did some business at the Billy Reid booth...

While I rested my dogs... and posted on Instagram.

Before long we moseyed over to a booth called Fleabags where we met both of the creators and designers of this line of handbags... Shira Entis and Alex Bell. Two college friends who live right around the corner in Brooklyn.

We browsed their amazing canvas and leather limited edition creations...

Tried them on for size...

Marveled at the quality and fell in love when we heard their story....

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Here's what their website has to say about their operation....

Shira Entis, a fashion designer and lover of all things tiny and over-sized, and Alex Bell, a lawyer and seeker of adventures, have been fleamarket addicts since they met at Brown University. Frustrated by the inconvenience and environmental hazard of accumulating plastic bags while marketing, they craved a convenient and fashion-hot tote that could fit all of their wares. Fleabags are designed as their ideal solution - dapper, large, lightweight and sturdy carry-alls - that are also eco-minded.

 

Standards

Fleabags strives to create products that are as green as possible while maintaining high quality and covetable design. Fleabags are made with organic and vintage materials, vegetable-tanned and re-purposed leathers, and other parts all sourced in the USA. All silkscreens use water-based ink. Fleabags are made in the USA with good old-fashioned sewing.

 

LTD ED.

Fleabags are locally made, in Limited Edition, by hand, in small production runs.
Support Small Businesses And Feel Good About It.

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Needless to say they've had LOTS of press on their creations... You can check it out for yourselves HERE.

But their most recent accolade in the January 2012 publication REFINERY 29 features the bag that I ended up ordering...

THE ALICE KNAPSACK.

Did you catch that tidbit in the photo caption? The netting on the bag came from an out of work Louisiana fisherman whose business went down the tubes when the BP oil spill happened. They heard about him on NPR - reached out - and asked if he wanted to do something with all his extra net.

Cool, right? I like knowing that not only is my bag made right here in the US-of-A - but it helped breathe new life into a small businessman's operation that was down on its luck.

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Here is their SPRING 2012 Ad.

For the SS2012 season, we took inspiration from the Baltimore ports, the Chesapeake Bay and the  seafaring lifestyle of fishermen.  Our use of electric colors references the bright palette used on buoys and lobster crates. The new ALICE Knapsack is the perfect travel bag to bring on your next boating trip, and you can store all your essentials (and your iPad) in the Traveler's Clutch.

This season, we worked with a craftsman in Louisiana who makes nets for the fishing industry, and he individually cuts and sews each hand-dyed net in the ALICE Knapsack in Seafarer.

We continue to work with Save The Garment Center, an organization that works to preserve, promote and save New York City's garment district. Help support them with the purchase of a Ballet Tote!

Fleabags are locally made, by hand, in the USA, in limited edition.

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After a few months of patience - my bag finally came into Diane's shop and I couldn't be more excited to have it on my back!!!

As a busy mom of two - I no longer have to carry around a separate diaper bag and purse. My ALICE carries it all. And the backpack style leaves my arms free to tote my baby girl around.

I've gotten all sorts of compliments on it already and have been doing my best to share the Fleabag story with all who comment.

Way to go girls!

please visit the Fleabag website at

http://fleabg.com/n2/home.php

to learn more.

WAY TO GO GIRLS!

 

DIY: Measure Me Stick Tutorial

For some time now I've had a hankerin' to make a piece of art that would serve the purpose of chronicling the heights of the kids as they grow.

I didn't wanna just do the old pencil mark on a doorway - just in case we move someday. I'll wanna take it with us.

My sister in law, Liz made a very cool one for her house - and I've seen a few examples on Pinterest and in catalogs (Pottery Barn Kids, i think?).

At any rate - when I finally got my act together and went to Lowes to purchase some supplies - I kind of went without a set plan in mind, except for knowing approximately how big I wanted it to be. I figured - I'd go - see what kind of materials I could score - and the design would just roll from there.

Let me just say this - it was EASY AS PIE to do this. One piece of wood... some leftover oops paint from the baby's nursery (I can't believe I painted ALL 4 walls this yellow color the first time around. It's beige now - thank goodness!) some Frog Tape, black acrylic craft paint and a small brush and some el-cheap-o aluminum numbers also from Lowes.

The taping off part was the most time intesive thing about it - but still - super easy. A monkey could make this.

Here's how ::

Get some wood - I wanted mine to just fill the side of the bookcase - so I measured the width and bought a 1x8x8. Clark trimmed it down so I would have a nice bit of equal margin on all sides.

Slap a quick coat of primer and color on it - whatever you like. I had some yellow - so I used that. :)

He hung it up with a single screw, drilled through the opposite side of the bookcase.

Hang it up before you mark off the height. Makes it easy - just use a tape measure and start at the floor. Make a bunch of tick marks on the side of it with a pencil - then use a contractors "square" to draw your lines in.

I drew a 5" line on every "foot" mark and a 3" line on every 1/2 "foot" mark. And just kept the little ticks on the side for all the inches in between.

this is what I got...

then I taped off some really skinny stripes and went to town with some black acrylic paint (gloss) from my local craft store.... ya know - the 99 cent job.

Of course - what would a project like this be without a little art direction from my main squeeze - Macho.

I let that dry and removed the tape and learned my first lesson in painting straight perfect lines....

See how yucky and messy? Well - the trick is... after you tape it off - you have to put a coat of your base color on FIRST (in my case the yellow) - right over the tape... THEN the black next. This seals up the edges and anyplace it's gonna bleed through. So I started again - I taped off some thicker lines every 1/2 a foot and went back at it.

First with a coat of yellow...

and then with black... and it WORKED!

Woot.

Looking MUUUUCH better.

Time for the numbers I bought. Turns out I didn't need the 7 after all... but heck - they were just over a $1 each.... so no worries.

I just loved that these were metal and had an embossed effect...

Still... I felt like they needed something - so I went to my scrapbooking stash and tried out some of my colored brads in the little holes at the top and bottom of the numbers. And since I had a hard time deciding which color to go with - I chose 6 different colors.

Once I was happy with that - I broke out some two part epoxy and glued them in place.

Alright - we are cooking now...

And then I took a step back and realized that the little tick marks at the 1" lines were just getting lost - now that I had those bodacious big stripes and numbers on there...

So that meant - more tape and more yellow paint -

A coat of yellow and two coats of black later... it was DONE and hung and looking great!

Again - learn from my mistakes here - and it will take you even LESS time. Seriously folks, this was a snap to do. Just a piece of wood - some paint - tape and some metal numbers.

Now GO!

xo

 

 

 

Full Tour :: Finished Master Bathroom!

Hope you enjoyed yesterday's little "teaser trailer."

And now - without further a do....

 

Before...

Yucky Pepto Bismol pink tile - sparkly cheap countertop and cabinetry...

Who could forget Clark's decor "prank" with the deer...

And the RV-sized shower enclosure. Don't drop the soap! There's not enough room to bend over and pick it up!

 

AFTER ::

Sparkling white new wainscotted walls and tile floor, new sink, toilet, and reconfigured closet/shower footprint...

Muuuuuuch better.

New vanity - a few accessories and some custom photographic artwork (oh la la!) and the place is all set.

 

So happy with how this all turned out. Our budget was VERY modest, and as I said in the video - everything but the glass shower door came straight off the shelf at Lowes. Walls, floors, lighting, lumber, paint. All of it was your standard grade stuff.

For us D-I-Y-ers.... we gotta make it look like champagne on a beer budget.

Mission accomplished on this one, I'd say.

Way to go to my master craftsman, husband, Clark Kent! Love you!

:)

 

 

 

The Final Frontier

Thought I'd tease just a bit on the final reveal.

iMovie is totally new to me - and totally rad. One more reason to love Apple, I guess.

Enjoy.

 

Happy Valentine's Day : Jelly Jar Craft Idea

Hope you all have a lovely day today!

Had a little fun last night playing with stamps paper and glue. I always save the jelly jars we go through (All Fruit is what these were from). We eat LOTS and LOTS of peanut butter and jelly in this house so it's easy to stock up on glass jars in a few months time. They are an ideal size to store nice little treats for teachers or a little hostess gift or something - so I hang onto them when they are empty. Just fill it with an appropriate kind of candy or other treat (nuts, homemade oatmeal, trail mix, granola, or even mini lip glosses) - put a cute tag or some embellishments on it and voila. You got yourself something cute and easy and inexpensive.

These jars are filled with sugar coated jelly hearts and are going to preschool today with Macho for his teachers.

Also a very sweet sidenote - the little bugger has been starting to write his name and signed all 14 of his classmates/friends Valentine cards himself. Another little milestone in life now reached.

I sure do wish he would stop growing up so fast.

:)

Here's another little iPhone pic of us yesterday making Valentines.

Kisses kept are wasted;
Love is to be tasted.
There are some you love, I know;
Be not loathe to tell them so.
Lips go dry and eyes grow wet
Waiting to be warmly met.
Keep them not in waiting yet;
Kisses kept are wasted.

~Edmund Vance Cooke