Maybe I Should Change the Title?

We started teaching Nathan how to ride his bike early this summer.  He quickly got the balance part...the hard part.  But he.would.not.pedal.  Steve tried the belt tied to the back trick and ran alongside him.  We went down a slightly sloped road.  He.would.not.pedal.

Nathan is reserved, cautious.  A bit anxious.  He was convinced he would fall if he pedaled.  We tried several times, but he wasn't ready.  I made this page a week and a half ago.  I decided to name it Real Life Ride and document the reluctance.

 

We went on vacation and he showed his braver side.  He went on water slides and amusement park rides.  There was a shift.  When we tried the bike again on Monday, he finally pedaled.  And got it.  He has now biked at least four times each day...can't get enough.

 

I used Allison Kreft's collections for this...mostly Composition & Color with some Sweet Notes.  I fell in love with these papers again!  Huge Allison Kreft fan!

 

That smile.  I am so proud of him.  It is weird to see your child riding a bike...it is a rite of passage.  I love this braver side and can't wait to see more of it!

Maybe I need to change the title?  or at least add in a few more sentences of journaling!

Monday's Musings: Our Anchor

This past week my family of four had the chance to vacation with the rest of my family of 14.  It was five days full of excitement, turmoil, fun, laughs, some tears, yelling and many slams of the front door of the cottage.

I had the chance to see my nephew bond with my kids.  We don't see each other often enough so I didn't realize how well everyone got along.  The big kids took care of the little kids.  It was a special time.

We were in South Maine...York Beach, Old Orchard Beach, Wells and Saco.  I got to revisit many of the places I adored as a child.  Interesting to live it again as a parent watching my two fall in love with the simplicity and fun of it all. 

We all bombarded my grandmother's and grandfather's house.  They are both 87 years old.  They have been married for 66 years.  They were holding hands while we were getting ready for the family photo.  It is really inspiring.  I loved that house and all the adventures it held. 

The man at the center of the trip is my dad.  He treated us this vacation, took care of our houses and our water park passes.  He really is an anchor in our world.  It was beyond awesome to see him and Steve connect on a whole new level.  Each night ended with drinks and talks until 1:00 in the morning.  Steve is so much like my dad.

I consider myself a lucky lady.

 

I love how she is looking at my dad here.  I have looked at him like that a million times in life.  With awe and love.

 

 

I used the Family Stories collection from Teresa Collins to make this layout!  What a great line...full of endless possibilities.

 

This collection will help me document so many family moments.  One of the greatest involves our love for our dad.  Thanks for the great time and the chance to build memories with each other!

Tuesday Trending: Which Direction?

Happy Tuesday!  Do you remember hearing about the different kinds of layouts you could follow when scrapping?  I remember learning about the visual triangle or placing photos and elements using a Z shape because it draws the eye.  There are circular patterns you can follow to move the eye all around the page.  Lately, I have been obsessed with the diagonal. 

Every now and then, I just put things down without thinking about it.  I layer and add until it feels balanced.  So what layout does this follow?  I think there is a bit of a diagonal there?

I used the Pinwheel collection by Lily Bee to make this page!  Lisa Dickinson and I showed you how to add splashes of color over at the Lily Bee blog. 

I cut the cloud in half to make two, flat-bottomed ones.  I added in some color with the circular sun.

I also layered some stickers to make the cluster right next to the focal point picture.  I am not sure which layout template this fits, but I had fun creating it!

 

At Home: Master Bathroom Details

They say its all in the details!  They don't realize that sometimes those details can make a girl nuts.  Making sure everything ties together can be tough.  That is when Pinterest comes into the picture. 

When designing the master bathroom, I knew what color cabinets I wanted and what style I was shooting for.  I wanted a vintage feel to the bathroom while still maintaining practicality.  To help me shop, I made a mood board of some of my favorite colors and trends.  I shared this once, but will share again.  Soft yellows and greens were a must for me.

 

Here are these details in action.

 

I went with rectangular sinks from Kohler.  They are really beautiful, deep and add a pretty touch to the counters.  My faucets are Portsmith from American Standard.  I love the vintage feel.

 

 

I found the little silver tray on the clearance rack at Target for $8.00.  The vase of faux roses was pricey, around $25.00 at Home Goods, but it is really pretty.  I love to look at it each day.  The small perfume decanter is an antique I picked up when shopping with my sister, Sara.  The pulls on the counters are from Lowe's and I couldn't love them more.  They are weighty without a hefty price tag.

We decided to not build a closet in this space as I have a pretty good size one in the other full bathroom, and it didn't fit the layout.  However, I knew that I needed storage.  We had a duct to deal with right behind that black shelf.  It wasn't too deep, but definitely stuck out.  Our solution was to build a tower to go in front of the duct.  After searching for options, I found this great bookcase (Stockholm) at Ikea.  No building from scratch was needed.  The baskets hold my medicines and little glass jars hold soaps and cotton swabs.

Here is a story, a mishap that was a blessing in disguise.  I purchased the bookcase believing it was all black.  My contractor put it together while I was at work.  I was surprised to walk in and find it two toned.  After looking at it with open eyes, I realized that it gave the bookcase depth and allowed me to bring in different wood tones.  It also matched nicely with the River White granite.  To make the bookcase appear to be built in, we finished it off with a kitchen panel from Ikea.

 

 

I found this antique-looking shelf at Home Goods.  I figured it could hold towels and add some black to the room.  I love that it had number plates, one for each member of my family. I placed baskets of lotions, and soaps as well as towels and a spa brush on the shelf.  I like to have my vignettes tell a story.  It helps me to decorate.

 

 

See the art?  I made it using a book that included many illustrations of flowers.  I simply ripped out the illustrations I loved best and framed them, placing them all around the room.  It is an inexpensive way to create art that perfectly fits your décor.  That print only cost $6.00.

 

 

We decided to place our toilet behind a pony wall and I am so pleased with that decision.  Had we not, you would have walked in to the sight of the potty.  My contractor built it and finished it off with a pretty shelf with detailed moldings.  See the art to the left of the pony wall?  I made that using the same flower book as above.  The print above the toilet was a Home Goods find.

 

 

And the floor.  My contractor was so proud to show me and I couldn't have been happier.  I love the warm contrast of the floor with the lightness on the cabinets and walls.  It really grounds the space.  I decided to go with gray grout to really have the herringbone pattern pop!

 

I adored creating a room from scratch.  Making a mood board with all of my thoughts really helped me to make decisions and know what I was shopping for.  A little creative DIY projects using frames and illustrations helped me to fill up wall space in a cohesive way.

 

Life really is in the details.

 

 

New Goodies

CHA time! Lots of new goodies!  What are you loving?  I need some links!  Today, I am sharing a layout made with the new Recorded collection by Allison Kreft and Webster's Pages.  Love this line!

That world map paper makes me swoon!  and I am digging the salmon color too!  It is just a fresh color combination!  This layout means a ton to me!  We came from all different places this past spring to spend some quality family time with each other.  It was such a treasure to spend time with all 4 of my siblings, to witness our interactions and to get to know each other better.  

I wanted to remind you that Teresa Collins is sharing her releases this week and they are also amazing. Yesterday, she shared the Family Stories collection, which is my all time favorite from her!  It is simply awesome! Her last collection will be revealed today (and she is doing giveaways...)!

Sneak Peek: Santa's List

I am popping in today to share the new Santa's List collection from Teresa Collins.  It is one gorgeous winter and Christmas line full of amazing embellishments.  I had a blast creating!

Here is a peek:

See the chipboard and the borders?  Fantastic stuff.  Here is a sneak of a project I made.

What products do you spy?  All this week, Teresa is sharing sneaks of her collections.  They are the best yet!  Be sure to head to her blog for the chance to win!  

At Home: Master Bathroom Renovation Complete

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today I am going to share the completed master bathroom renovation!  We are so happy with the final outcome.  It is my favorite room in the house.  I designed this room to be peaceful and serene. It is an odd shape because we combined two rooms, but I think the final design makes good use of the layout!

To see the before pictures, head to this post.  It is really dramatic.

The view from the bedroom door.

I will share the shower with you another time.  It is amazing!  Right now, it is covered by a curtain.  The plan is to put in beautiful, frameless glass doors.  We will get there soon. The floor is one of my favorite design elements.  It is tile from Lowe's that we placed using a herringbone design.

This vanity wraps around the other side of the L-shaped room.  When my contractor and I were going through the room prerenovation, we were having trouble figuring out the vanity placement.  We brainstormed this and then I worked with the kitchen guy from Home Depot to create the vanity.  It is just as I imagined. Steve and I have our own spaces to get ready.

My side of the vanity shows some more details.  We went with tilt mirrors and schoolhouse lights.  There is no closet in this room so having enough storage was key.  I created the nook to hold towels.  It is empty right now, can you tell I have to do laundry? The basket holds extra rolls of toilet paper.

This is the view of the opposite wall.  We built in the shelf from Ikea and it looks so good.  I have my medicines and other things in the baskets and jars.  We built a pony wall to create privacy and to make a divided area.  Now, we have a changing area complete with a mirror that doesn't feel like it is right next to the toilet.

I went with shutters in this room, covering up only the bottom portion.  It is a really nice option as they can be opened for light or closed for privacy.

Another view showing the relationship between the shelf, my side of the vanity and the shower.

I love getting ready each day.  We did Ella's hair and got her dressed for her dance recital in this bathroom. I envision her using the space to get ready for her wedding one day!  A spoil that was truly worth the wait.

Supplies:
Vanity:  Baltic Bay color by Thomasville from Home Depot
Countertop:  RiverWhite Granite
Wall Color:  Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore Aura
Flooring:  Lowe's Porcelain Tile for only $2.48 per sq ft
Grout:  Natural Gray from Lowe's
Shelf:  Ikea Stockholm
Full Length, stand up Mirror:  Lowe's
Shutters:  Lowe's
Mirrors:  Delta from Home Depot
Vanity Lights:  Home Depot

I will be back next week to show the details as well as to share some tips on how you can decorate on a budget!

It Feels Like Christmas

It is CHA time!  There are sneak peeks and reveals happening everywhere.  Its the most wonderful time of the year!  Webster's Pages is releasing 6 new collections, two each from Brandin, Allison Kreft and Adrienne Looman.  Each collection is so unique and varied...it really feels like I am designing for three different teams.  At the same time, they all have that beautiful Webster's feel and quality!

I have been creating like crazy using the collections and can't wait to share.  Today, I am showing a layout that uses the Its Christmas line by Allison Kreft.  I dig her stuff, plain and simple.  She gets trends and funk and uniqueness.

This page came together really quickly because of the neutral base, those awesome journaling cards and that cool diagonal paper.  I divided this page into thirds, but created a heavy bottom.  Scrapbooking is the only time where I want a heavy bottom.

I cut just the Christmas Love from the journaling card.  I love how the two cards together convey the emotion of the photo!  

You need to check out all the collections over at the Webster's Pages blog...the embellishments are awesome and the chipboard buttons are back!  I love those things.  There are metal frames that are fantastic as well!  Good stuff!  There are some giveaways so be sure to head over soon!

Cards on Wednesday

I am having a love affair with the sun.  Summer has something to do with it, but I am talking more about sunbursts, sunrays and sunshine found in scrapbooking.  I have always had a weakness for clouds and now the sun has joined them in the sky of my imagination.

I created a sun on my newest Lily Bee project.  I used an adorable sketch created by Wendy Sue Anderson.  The sketch and cards made by Wendy Sue and Summer can be found on the blog.

The theme for this week is fun in the sun so I was inspired!  I created the sunrays by cutting a typography border in smaller pieces.  I added some blue and orange as a contrast.

A close-up!  Head over to the Lily Bee blog and play along with the card sketch challenge for this month!

At Home: Garden Sanctuary

The joys of summer...I have been busy making numerous updates to our home.  A little paint and rearranging does a world of good.  I am so inspired by color, particularly all those vibrant pops I am seeing on all the design blogs and in magazines.  I will have updates to share soon, but for today, I am focusing on the outside.

We spend a great deal of time outdoors in the summer.  I love to entertain and have cookouts.  Our yard is pretty well established, but I made some changes and additions this year.

First, the view you see when you walk into our gate.

This part of the garden is full of hostas and lily of the valley plants.  I had a big whole right in the center where my dog trampled so I filled it with astilbe and zebra grass.  I added that white flowering plant to the left side this  year to give the beds some movement.

Our shed, which is one of my favorite features about the yard.  Lots of daylilies and hostas.  I have a ton of hostas that grow along the side of my house, on the other side of that fence.  I split them each year and transplant to other areas in my yard.  Don't be afraid to split your plants and use them in other places.

This is a new bed.  We had four large Burning Bushes here that went out of control.  They were too overgrown so last year, we chopped them down to nothing.  The plan was to pull the stumps out.  Lo and behold, they started to grow back this year.  I am going to try to keep them in this bed, but prune them regularly.   I really want a cottage garden feel so I planted a variety of plants close together.  It is mostly a shade garden so it limits my creativity.  I went with liriope, ferns, astilbe, coral bells and more grasses.  I can't wait to see how this grows in a year.  I will then figure out what color to add or maybe put some height in near the wrought iron stand.  If you have any suggestions for good shade plants, let me know!

I planted my flower boxes on my shed.  I like to mix in geraniums and some kind of hanging plant like ivy or licorice plant.

My brother in law had some extra shutters from their house and was planning to throw them out.  I asked for  two of them and also asked him to make me a potting table using a third.  For now, I have the shutters leaned up in a corner with a little vignette of garden things in front of them.  I will share the table soon...it is a stunner.

This is the view from my front door.  I added in some color this year with purples and pinks...although they are not lost by my blooming daylilies and black eyed susans.  Ribbon grass grows all along the side of the driveway.

This WAS my front porch decor.  Very classy and pretty.  Remember that obsession I am having with color?  I decided to punch it up a bit.  The little table was rusting a bit so I decided to spray paint it.  Here is what it looks like now.

I went with a Valspar spray paint called Exotic Seas.  I bought it at Lowes.  I am so in love that I am now bringing the color to some furniture in the back of the house.  To tie the bright table and the chair in together, I found this bright seat cushion at Walmart....for $5.00.  In all, this upgrade cost me only $9.00.

Upgrades using inexpensive plants, replants from your own yard, a little paint and some bargain shopping make your house a sanctuary.

Eek...I was Kidnapped by CHA

CHA is just around the bend and I have been playing with lots of awesome goodies!  I have been so inspired, I dropped off the face of the universe for a while!  I can't share projects yet...but soon, oh so soon!

Before I was kidnapped by the scrapping fairies, I had the chance to create this layout.  I used the Stationery Noted collection by Teresa Collins.  Great collection.  I cannot wait to show you her new stuff...awed!

I created that little journaling pocket using one of her mini file folders.  It was really easy and works well.  If you want to see how I made it, head to this post for a tutorial.  

 

I love to cluster all Teresa's embellishments...brads, buttons, enamel dots, stickers and chipboard.  The options are endless.

I have two more CHA layouts to create~then I am coming up to the surface.  Good times.  The Best.