Merry all the way...

Hoping everyone had a wonderful day filled with lots of love and gratitude! I felt inspired to post a picture of a layout I completed tonight with some photos from our Christmas tree shopping. I recently saw this add in a scrapbooking magazine.....

and it inspired this layout....

I'm hoping to post a bit more in the upcoming year. I'm currently working on my December Daily but need to print some more photos to continue. I am on Day 13 and have hopes of making it to Day 25 before I have to return to work next week. I'm also looking forward to beginning Project Life in 2012...just trying to document all the little details that I don't ever want to forget!! What kinds of things are you planning for the upcoming year?

The Great Pumpkin

Well...actually this is a story about a little boy and a mini pumpkin. This fall has been so exciting because Liam is old enough to take to the pumpkin patch. We opted for the simple, more down-to-earth option of a pumpkin patch only...i.e. no hayrides and other hullabaloo. Just pumpkins...sweet and simple. We visited Lavender Hills pumpkin farm and I am thankful that we chose 'simple' because just trying to focus Liam on a single pumpkin was hard work!

Look mom...isn't this one cute?!!

But this one is pretty interesting as well....hmmmm... let me see....

Hard work picking a pumpkin! I'll just hitch a ride back to the car in this wheelbarrow!

Isn't fall great?!!! What have you been doing to get yourself in the Halloween mood?

Paper Scrap Use

I recently purchased this cute poster from etsy to put in my office at work. There are some days that I really need to remind myself that I "love" what I do! LOL! I had a plain white frame...one of many that I stocked up on this summer during Aaron Brothers' One Cent Sale. Somehow it just looked too blah...so I used a bunch of vintage wallpaper scraps sitting on my table to jazz up the frame. I just cut them into squares and glued them around parts of the frame. I also added a few swatches of my favorite washi tape and now it looks so pretty!!

I just love it....

Project Photo Wall

Sorry I've been missing....I had lots of computer problems during the months of August and September so I didn't want to load tons of new photos onto my laptop for fear they would go missing!! Hubby has fixed the problem so I am back with some photos of a summer project I was so happy to finally complete!! You know how you have this idea stirring in your head for months...thinking about every detail of it and just chomping at the bit to actually do it?? This is one of those projects! It's a little photo wall that you see as you enter the house...and it has some of my favorite pics of Liam's first year...including this precious baby picture from the hospital! I can't believe that that was only 17 months ago!!!

The mini white frame next to it on the lower right corner is a portion of his favorite sock monkey blanket.

"M" of course for Morgan and 3 since we are a family of three! I bought the vintage metal number off of etsy and spray painted it candy apple red so it would stand out a bit. I also sewed fabric swatches for the 3 little hoops at the top of the display..I'm currently obsessed with making and hanging those wooden embroidery hoops!

I took a small old wooden box and lined it with paper to make a cute shadow box for the wall. I then glued one of those Tim Holz glass knobs to the top of the box. Then I mounted a vintage camera inside.....another new obsession being the vintage cameras.
That's all for now!! Thanks for hanging in there with me if you are still checking my blog! I hope it won't be near as long until my next post. Have a great week!

Do-It-Yourself Satisfaction

How many times have you seen something in a store that you think is just too cute, but you cannot possibly justify spending money on it when you think you can most likely make it yourself? And on top of that, you know that you have enough fabric, felt, and other materials at home that you could open a small craft store out of your garage??

I saw a felt/fabric flower recently that I just had to have, but the price tag was over $20. Not going to spend that much on something that was most likely made from the remnants left on somebody's craft table...because I also have those same remnants hanging out on my table that I could use to make it! Tonight I finally had some time to try to replicate the scrap flower I saw...

First, I cut out a felt circle. Then I just started snipping small pieces of fabric, felt, and lace and tacked them onto the circle with fabric glue to hold them in place. Next, I used the sewing machine to stitch from side to side and then in a swirly circle around and around.

Finished it up with a button for the center....

Love it!! Now I'm thinking about making some more of these, but possibly in a bigger size. I'm sure there are all sorts of things I can adorn with these little scrap flowers...fun!!!

Packed and Ready (I think)

Tomorrow we are off for our one-night family vacation in Laguna!! LOL!! After making two 6-hour flights this past year with a baby, I am actually relieved and happy that this is only a one night adventure that we can actually drive to!! We were lucky enough to nab one evening in the cottages at Crystal Cove in Laguna Beach, which we have been trying two years now to get! I'm soooo looking forward to hearing the waves crashing as I drift off to sleep!

Here are the first, and most important, items that I packed....

Inspirational art book, Art Saves *check*

Eye Candy decorating book *check*

Journal *check*

Instax camera *check*

All the good stuff accounted for!

On another note, I thought I'd post a picture of this cute little case I made for my iphone. My third obsession this summer (right behind my new iphone and this blog I mentioned in a previous post) is the magazine Molly Makes. Usually after reading a magazine, I rip out all of the pages that really speak to me and put them in a big binder of inspiration I have. However, this is one of those magazines that I actually keep the entire magazine! I have two issues of it, and I think I've paged through and read each one about 5 times!! The great thing is that on the cover of each issue is a little envelope in which are the basic supplies and instructions for a mini-project. I added the patterned fabric, lace, and vintage button to this case, but the rest was supplied. FUN!!

Inspired by Fabric

I've really been inspired to sew some projects on my machine besides just paper. This is partly the result of my new obsession with this blog. It's a new phase...ever go through that? I think I am making a transition from the vintage shabby chic phase to the vintage modern phase. Anyway, I have been taking my little white Fuji Instax camera with me to the beach this summer to take some pics for my mini album and I am pretty obsessed about not getting it dirty..anal, I know! So...I was thinking about asking someone on etsy to make me a bag for my camera when hubby suggested I give it a try myself. His famous words, "What have you got to lose?" So...two evenings of sewing later, here is what I created...

(Excuse the bad lighting in the picture. The only well-lit spot in my house to take a picture at 10:00 at night is on my bathroom vanity.)

I really love how it turned out!! I'm wondering what all you REAL seamstresses out there think?? I have a few other fabric projects to show over the next week...see you back soon!

Anniversary Fun

Yesterday was our anniversary so we were able to steal a few hours away by ourselves to celebrate. First up was Architectural Salvage, which is the place to go for any sort of architectural items for a remodel or vintage accenting of your home. You name it, they have it! Old wooden framed windows, glass doorknobs, key plates, chandeliers, lights, all sizes and sorts of metal letters, and more! I really wanted to find some use for the old porcelain pink sink that I saw, but hubby wasn't having it! LOL! Maybe at the ten-year mark......

The Cantina located in the building behind the Architectural Salvage had the most amazing murals painted on its outside walls...

Then it was off to dinner at this fabulous place....Cucina Urbana. This is our second attempt at getting a reservation before 9 pm as it is a very popular place to dine! Let me just tell you...and I am NOT exaggerating here...the decor is like you are eating dinner inside an Anthropologie!! Here was the chandelier near our table...

And a display behind the greeters...

I wanted to take way more pictures of the inside, but I didn't think the people dining by all of the other displays and under the amazing painting would have liked me leaning over their table with my iphone! Food was fabulous and they are opening a new location this coming fall in the Irvine Spectrum area. You will looooove it!! Check it out....

The Story of Liam and The Pink Monkey

This is the story of a boy named Liam, who finds a new friend at the coffee shop. One sunny summer morning, Liam's Mommy and Daddy take Liam for a walk at the beach. Following their walk, per the usual routine, they stop at the local coffee shop for a shot of extra energy.

"But what will I do there?" asked Liam, knowing very well that he would have to wait in line and then watch his parents try to enjoy their morning drinks while offering him the usual Cheerios and juice.

"Look!" said Mommy. "Here is a basket full of animals..."

"WOW! You really don't lie to me just to get me inside this coffee shop!!" thought Liam. "There ARE animals in here...a whole bunch of them!"

"I think I'll just check out this cute little pink monkey right here..."

"Mommy...isn't she so cute? Please, can she come home with us?"

"No Liam. Not today," said Mommy.

"Oh, but I love her soooo much!" declared Liam as he gave her a big smooch on the face.

"I know she's cute, but you have lots of other animals at home to play with. Say goodbye to the sweet monkey, and we'll come back to visit her the next time we come for coffee," said Mommy.

"Well, alright," said Liam sadly. "I'm gonna miss you, but my mommy says that we can't take you home today. I'll come back and visit you. I promise," said Liam.

And with that, Liam placed the monkey back into the basket and was distracted two minutes later by a Golden Retriever loping around outside the coffee shop. "But Mommy...why can't we have a dog?..."

Father's Day Pages

I managed to create three different layouts with all of the pictures I took while on our hike on Father's Day. Most of the papers I used came from the recent "Countryside" Collection by Studio Calico...love all of their stuff!!

B is for "boys"... I really loved this picture from the back with Liam on hubby's back.

Liam's hat kept getting pushed over his face by the overhang of the carrier...this was one of the many positions it fell into during the hike.

I read lots of blogs with scrapbook layouts and try to vary my style to stretch myself. This last one was the most challenging because it was most unlike what I would normally do, but I liked how it turned out.

I hope everyone has a fun-filled holiday weekend!! Soak in the sunshine!

Cleaning Up and Clearing Out

I never thought I'd use a "free day" pass from motherhood to clean and be happy about it, but that's just what hubby and I did today while the little guy was at his one-day-a-week-of-daycare. Lots of little things here and there get grimy and overlooked in the daily business of work and caring for a baby over the last year. We made a list of things to accomplish this summer,and I'm happy to report that I already crossed three off the list today! I always start with the easiest and most manageable things to feel highly successful..LOL!! Really yucky jobs come last on the list. One of the things I completed today was to scrub the grout on the kitchen countertops. Who ever thought of grout on a kitchen countertop???!! Someone who loves to clean, that's for sure!! All of you out there who have a solid marble countertop in your kitchen, go kiss it right now, because grout is such a bear!!

These are a few of the things I fantasize about having someday...notice the grout-free item first:

• a grout-free countertop and shower
• an icemaker as part of my refrigerator
• a refrigerator big enough to fit a full week's worth of food into it
• French doors anywhere, but somewhere, in the house
• a stainless steel sink (preferably a deep farmhouse style sink) instead of white enamel which always looks stained to me
• a built in console for the television with bookshelves
• great looking bookshelves that I could somehow make look way more visually appealing than the IKEA particle board ones that we currently have

That's about it...I don't think that's too much to ask for! Maybe someday....

For now, I will be happy in my clean little cozy house while looking at these beautiful flowers I picked up at the market yesterday morning...

Oops...I just realized I inserted these pics twice, but it's time to put Liam down to bed so it will have to post as is!

From Baby to Boy

Today marked my first really sentimental moment when I realized that Liam is not a baby anymore! He's been sporting something of a mullet these last couple of months since his baby hair grew out so much longer in the back than on the rest of his head. So...we headed over to Cuts for Little People and the sweetest gentleman named Marciano gave Liam his first haircut.

Afterwards it really hit me that he is now a little boy and not a baby. Here is Mr. Liam with his new hairdo...

What's not to love about a face like that?! (Good thing I have some experience with disciplining kids or I might never be able to say "NO" to that innocent little grin!)

A Sunny Father's Morning

Beautiful morning for honoring all the dads out there today! Daddy's wish was to take a hike at Los Penasquitos Canyon so that's what we did! It really is a beautiful place to walk with lots of little winding trails and places to have a picnic lunch. Liam loves to be a little monkey on daddy's back...

What a great time!! The bonus was that we discovered a PinkBerry nearby, which was our reward after the hike...yum!! New flavor this season..Salted Caramel...it doesn't get any better than that! Hope you're enjoying your weekend!!