Inside the Art: Girl Power

This month, the Inside Out Visual Journaling kit stole my heart.  It is full of Simple Stories and I just fell in love.  I had instant sparks of inspiration.  The theme is "Inner Gifts."  I decided to start the month by reflecting on one of my strongest inner gifts, my drive.

My drive has saved me from so many dark places.  It has dragged me out of holes and helped me move in more positive directions.  My drive has helped me reach my goals, personal and professional.  It has helped me foster my relationships to go from being happy to being content.

I had fun cutting paper for this page.  All the triangles are hand cut and randomly placed, almost serving as arrows.  

Of course, I had to use the car on this page since it matches my theme of driving!  I like to take the steering wheel and turn my life in the right direction.

I really enjoyed making this page.  Be sure to consider what your inner gifts are.  Knowing them will help you continue to grow those gifts and be more forgiving of yourself.

Sharing the Not So Perfect

Well, I am far from perfect.  Although if you look on my Facebook page, you would think that life is all good.  It really is, but there are parts of my life I would like to alter.  Parts of myself that I would like to change.

I shared some not so perfect facts about myself on the following page.  We all have different sides of ourselves.  When I was asked to explore the idea of inner child, I thought about a small part of me that sometimes feels angry.  Angry about some of my past, the bad things I lived through.  Dealing with these feelings makes me a work in progress.

I am going to focus on the fact that I am trying.  That is what a work in progress is.  

A Message to my Kids

We are back into the swing of life...soccer, orthodontic appointments, work and meetings.  It has been busy and crazy.  The carefree joy of the summer is over.  We had fun this summer.  Real fun, loads of giggles.  Day trips and adventures.  I don't want them to ever lose that sense as their lives grow more and more busy and crazy.

I scrapped about it and sent them a message on a page.  I used the September kit from Inside Out Visual Journaling.

I loved the gorgeous colors on this paper.  I also loved how it looked like a patchwork, perfect for a page about my family.  I caught the photo of my kids at the Dinosaur Place this summer.

I want them to have a sense of adventure and to explore life.  To really enjoy it, while also pursuing stable careers and managing their own work and families.  You can always keep your inner child alive.

Safe Inner Child

Think about that fragile side of you.  The little girl or boy who feels vulnerable and nervous.  Do we all have that part of ourselves?  I know that I do.  She tends to watch from afar to size up the safety of a situation.  I don't mean safety in the physical sense, but more the emotional.  She has taken risks in the past and has been hurt.  Disappointed. Abandoned.  I think that is what she is afraid of the most.

Then Steve walked in.  I was in a great place in life and was taking care of myself.  I was ready for love.  Was my inner child?  I decided to push past fears and take that leap.  It was the best decision of my life.

I scrapped about it using the September kit from Inside Out Visual Journaling.  I love, love, love this kit and all its goodies.  Many of the items served as inspiration for my pages.  I love this big Sigh card.  Kinda sums up how I feel.

Not only do I feel safe and loved, accepted and cherished.  So does my inner child.

Blessings in Disguise

I truly believe in blessings in disguise, that every situation has something positive to offer.  Truth be told...I don't always react to every situation with that as my immediate thought.  But, given some processing time, I usually work hard to search for that lesson.  All lessons really are blessings, right?

This summer, I found myself in a new situation.  For over ten years, Steve and I were together each summer...on those awesome teacher vacations.  This year and a new job for Steve, it was me and the kids.  I wasn't so sure.  The kids weren't so sure.  We were going to miss our family unit.

Then the unexpected.  We created a new normal.  My inner child came out!

I decided to have fun creating this page, using a bold title and scattering lots of embellishments.  This is my favorite image from the summer.  This kids and I had a fun adventure that day and we ended up  going to Old Wethersfield for ice cream.  We walked over to the Webb Barn, where Steve and I actually got married.  I explained to them the significance of the place.  We took some photos that showed how happy we were.  

As much as we missed our family unit, we bonded and moved forward.  We created fun memories with Steve too, all of us learning to appreciate each other in a new way.  I learned to be more flexible.  To go with it and see where an adventure brought us.  I tried new things and took risks.  In some ways, I felt like a kid again too.  It was a blessing in disguise.

Head in the Clouds

I have spent many moments this summer just being present.  When outdoors on a nice day or experiencing something new with the kids, I have worked hard to just breath and enjoy it.  Living in that moment has done wonders for me.  I am calmer, more relaxed and, certainly, more grateful.  The kids and I have laughed so much and I believe it can go back to my level of being present.

The new August kit from Inside Out Visual Scrapbooking involves the theme of Live Your Dream.  I really thought about how grateful I am.  I appreciate where I am now, especially compared to where I came from.

I loved the cloud motifs in this kit and hand cut them to use around my page. Living today in the moment is key. Being happy and content where I am keeps my grounded. Even when my head is in the clouds.

Let's Get Real

Whether I am watching the Bachelorette or General Hospital, even when I am reading books, love is always portrayed as ultra romantic.  Does he bring flowers or treat you to elaborate dates?  The way love is depicted doesn't typically match real life.  It can set a girl up for disappointment.

I realized that love isn't all that elaborate stuff (although it is nice...).  Love is the everyday stuff.  It is about changing alongside the person or at least hanging in when one changes and the other isn't there yet.

I explored this idea of dream love when creating with the August Inside Out kit.  The theme is Living the Dream.  I believe I am living the dream, but not because of the uber romance.  I made a page to communicate what my dream love is all about.

The paper from Pink Fresh is so cute and I just went with the large Love as a design element.  I added the you and us stickers.

I shared my feeling about the concept of a dream love.  It is based on real life.
and it is real love.

Time to Shine

I love the idea of the word SHINE!  What makes you shine?  Sometimes we don't quite know, someone's strengths are not quite evident yet.  But I believe that everyone has strengths.  They just need to be put in the right situation to make them become apparent.

I had the opportunity to watch my son discover one of his strengths this school year.  It completely changed his personality and confidence level.  This once shy boy became a leader.  I guess that is why we encourage our children to try different things.  I used the July Inside Out kit to scrap about this year.

 

I am not quite scrapbooking like I once used to.  I can't find the time or motivation most days.  But I do love the craft and participating with Inside Out fills many needs for me.  I get to work with great kits with new products.  I also get to tell my stories.  That is why I always scrapped anyway. 

 

 

This is one story that I loved to tell.

 

 

Being the Opposite

Ella saw one of my latest pages and asked me a question about it.  "How can you be both fragile and strong?"  They are such opposites and she couldn't figure out how someone can be both.  I tried to explain that sometimes you have to be strong when you are really fragile on the inside.  From that place of fragility comes a brick wall, fortifying your spirit.

She didn't totally get it and I understand.  She will have a better picture as she grows older.

 

I used last month's kit from Inside Out Visual Journaling to create this page.  I love the feathers on this page because they are the fragile.  The woodgrain represents the strong.

 

 

I journaled along the bottom of the top border.  It is a personal page where I am looking for healing.  That is both strong and fragile.

 

Adjusting to Our New Normal

Geez....a month since my last post.  I know I haven't been great about blogging, but it stretched this time.  I am adjusting to our new normal.  Steve got a promotion, which has presented us with a big, wonderful opportunity.  But it means working longer hours, being at meeting after school and working summers.  So each of us is figuring out the new routine and dynamic.

I decided to scrap about it using the June Inside Out Visual Journaling kit.  The theme is I Am and I really loved the goodies in this kit. 

 

I used this picture of the three kids and me because we are spending a lot more time together.  I went with the idea of travel because it is a new journey.  I am realistic about life and know that we are dealing with a positive situation!  We could be going through far worse situations as a family.  Even having that perspective, there have been moments were it has been difficult. 

 

The kids and I start summer vacation today and I am excited to see what it brings.  Change is good and I am going to embrace it.  I will find ways to balance out our routines and make it a great summer.  Adjusting to a new normal can be quite powerful and I am faced with that in more ways than one right now.  Let's see what the future holds!

 

So Rad

Soccer season is in full swing!  It gets stressful and busy, but I love being a soccer mom.  Watching my daughter learn about teamwork while also improving her personal skills is very cool.  It helps that I really like the other parents so hanging out on the sidelines is a good time.

I made this page to document the soccer moments.  I decided to go with bold colors that pop together.  I used the Webster's Pages Happy collection by Alison Kreft.  I am a big fan of her collections.

 

I incorporated the papers in the collection, doing some hand cutting.  I also added in some oldie, but goody products like the center bling in the star.

 

 

I am rushing off now to get ready for a game!  I am glad Ella and Nathan will have memories and positive experiences they can hold on to!

 

 

Inside the Art: Joy Always

This month's kit over at Inside Out Visual Journaling is about This Moment.  I love the word moment.  A  moment frozen in time, I moment you will never forget or a moment you wish never happened....there are so many possibilities.

I went with the idea of the moment when my kiddos were born.  I have the worst long term memory.  Yet, I remember how I met my husband and the birth of both of my children so vividly.  I wanted to write some details down about the moments.

 

I love the papers in this kit and use this gem as is!  I simply added some extra details and a cluster with my photo.  I wrote a ton of journaling to share the memories.  Without Steve, I wouldn't have these two blessings.  One amazing moment led to two more.

 

Truth be told, there have been many other moments since then that are unforgettable!

 

 

Mother's Day Love

In celebration of Mother's Day, I am thinking about how much my two kiddos have impacted me.  They make me crazy, cause extreme irritability and fatigue.  But I can't imagine life without them because the giggles and hugs and love makes it all good.

 

I love this card from the Beautiful Chic line from Webster's Pages that speaks to how my kids are the best thing to ever happen to me.  I am so thankful for them and all their antics. 

 

 

I tell them often how I feel.  I say sorry when I yell too much or get grumpy.  I never apologize for holding them responsible for contributing to our house. 

 

This Mother's Day, I want to be spoiled.  But at the same time I am want to be grateful for all I have.

 

 

Heartfelt

I love it when you capture those awesome shots of the ones you love.  For this one, it happened to be Nathan's First Communion and my family was all dressed up.

Everyone happened to be all smiles too because it was an exciting day.  I created a heartfelt page about how blessed I feel.

 

 

I used the Strawberry Fields collection from Webster's Pages to make this page.  I love the grid design on one of the sheets of paper and simply cut along the edge to make a large border.  I grounded the page with the You Make My Heart Smile card.

 

 

I journaled my thoughts and added in some details.

 

 

 

It was a quick and fun page to make!  Still loving Webster's after all these years!

 

 

Happy Monday!

A couple of weeks ago I got a box in the mail full of new Webster's Pages goodies!  I jumped in and started creating.  I love looking at the journaling cards from each collection because they serve as my muse.  Often times a sentiment or phrase will spark an idea.  T

The idea of Dream in Color made me think of my kids and the message I want to send them.  I want them to believe that they can do anything.  They talk a lot now about what they want to be when they grow up.  I knew my profession by age 8.  I want them to dream big and see where that dream takes them.

 

I grabbed that journaling card and made it a focal point on this page.  I also used the bold black oval to draw attention to that side of the page.  I hand cut the scalloped border on the top and added  bunch of goodies from Webster's all around the page. 

I wrote directly to my kiddos, letting them know that they should dream big.  I included what they often talk about because it will be fun to see 10, 20, 30  years from now.  Will they become any of those things or will life take them in another direction?

 

I can't wait to see.