so I was asked veryyyy nicely if I could take a break today .. so I said I would

back tomorrow BIDNISS as USUAL..

mwah

Em

and it was a nice, “status” quo week.  The poptarts will be in next week’s layout LOL.

So??? have you started yet??? LOL

So here’s a little peek into my home.  Feel welcome 🙂

I used many Elle Studio tidbits and doodads.. LOVE.  They just come in SO handy!   I am always on the lookout for new goodies to put in project life.. you know.. to be HIP and CURRENT..LOL  and of course CUZ I NEED NEW STUFF right? hmph

Ok here’s my 2 page spread this week..

welcome to my week! I have highlighted a few images.. if you look closely, you may just see a tantrum happening..LOL. I actually asked tyler what he was not happy about then cuz I couldn't remember.. and neither could he! LOL

Ok so the picture above made me laugh SO hard.. it was taken at Michaels.. they grabbed these hats to entertain themselves.. but the first thing I thought this picture resembled was THIS!  Is that HILARIOUS or what? LOL.  I should include a little picture of this behind the picture but I did write about it next to it..LOL

my STUUUUUUUDDDD muffin.. after a haircut (and a little bit of ELLE studio going down the side)

Now this post it note pad (THE OMG) was sold at my bookstore along with other cute things I picked up (www.knockknockstuff.com).. you will see them throughout the weeks to come. What a shame about Whitney... so sad 🙁 RIP Whitney.

Saturday night CHINESE TAKE OUT Before a VERY big game.. MOntreal vs. Toronto... our home is a very big CANADIENS fan...LOL.. I could honestly care less but gotta pretend. It was funny because I wanted to take a picture of the actual end score on my iphone.. so I went to a hockey website and saw that Montreal was playing last night against North Carolina (i think).. anyway.. Ryan says to me.. I wanna watch the game.. I said nonchalantly, Oh they are playing North Carolina? he was DUMBFOUNDED..LOL. So I am learning some things doing project life..LOL. P.S. I HATE the label I put on top of that picture.. it's dark, does not match and is SO SEALED down I would have to get a truck to lift it so I left it and it is BOTHERING me..LOL

well that’s it :).. and you will notice that I always write TO the kids.. not ABOUT the kids.. that’s just me 🙂

Now let’s see DENABELLA’S layout

and Sheryl’s

and here is Elaineabella’s from the UK!  She finally got her kit and couldn’t wait to play!

Hope you have a VERY crafty day 🙂

mwah!

Em

and I would like to take attendance.  LOL.  I know you are all out there but why aren’t you blabbing on my comments? hmmmm?  Just say hi.. come ON.. I dare you.  DOUBLE DARE YOU.. LOL.  Can it be shorter than hi?  Just put an “h”.. and I will know what it means 🙂

Ok now that I have gotten THAT outta da way.. let’s talk a little bit about Project Life shall we?

After interviewing several people I have realized that Project Life means something a little bit different to everyone.  I can’t speak for anyone else but I can CERTAINLY (as you all know very well) can speak for myself..LOL  .. So here goes.

First of all, I must say that my friends and family CANNOT believe that I have ACTUALLY COMPLETED week 5 of this project..LOL.  Did I not say I was COMMITTED this year?  Let’s not talk about weight loss.. LOL.. let’s FOCUS on Project life.

So what does Project Life mean to me.  Well, first and foremost, I consider Project Life “history in the making”.. I know it sounds dramatic but truthfully that is what I am doing.  I am creating a foundation/a history for my children and the rest of the generations to come of what life was like for me and for them at this very moment in time.  I am being REAL.. I am being RAW.. so in a sense, it is also an outlet for me.. a type of raw journaling that I am “ok” with everyone seeing. I write TO my children in the first person.  They are my audience.  Things I think of when I look at a picture of them etc.   So having said that, Sistahs, if you happen to blow up a picture or two of mine to take a looky, you may see swear words.. you may see raw emotion… you may see silly pictures that you would NEVAH take… but I am essentially inviting you, once a week, to enter my private life.  I am really putting myself out there, which most people don’t really do.  I don’t know if the “others” are smarter than I am LOL.. But I just feel that my purpose is not just a business oriented purpose (as you will notice with all my posts) but it is a PERSONAL purpose… journey for lack of a better word.

I am not only here to inspire.  I am here to vent to you.. to share my life with you.. to let you join in on my ups and downs and goofiness.  By sharing my stamps with you, my art journaling pages, my mixed media canvases, and now my Project Life pages,  I hope you understand that each of those things represents a different side of me.  My stamps are a part of me.. the artwork, the actual artists involved, the steps to getting the final image to convey MY message are all an integral part of my being.. along with all the other outlets.

If I can’t convince you or inspire you to do anything, I plead with you to at least start documenting your day to day.. anywhere!  Create a “lifebook”.. for you and the generations to come.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money (although that really is the fun part..LOL.. who am I kiddinK).. you just need to GET. IT. DOWN.  And no FLUFF.  Get it REALLY down.. what you’re feeling etc.  Everyone will appreciate it later.  Promise.

The nice thing about Project Life, is that if you DON”T feel like being creative, you DON’T HAVE TO!  it’s all prepared for you.. insert cards etc.. all you need to do is take the pictures.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much I regretted the last few years of my children growing up and having NO PICTURES really.. or very few. ..  I can’t regret it forever so I have started NOW, with Project life.. to pick up my PHONE and take pictures.. and I have felt so good taking them..

Every week I say to Denabella .. “uch I didn’t take ANY PICTURES this week”.. and then when I sit down, and recap my week, I see that I did!! And you know what? if I didn’t, then oh well… it was a slow week, I may journal more.. or put in more “WEATHER” pictures..LOL but at least I am doing it.

Another thing that Project Life means to me is that i can FINALLY USE MY STASH OF GOODIES!!!  That’s an amazing relief.. you feel like you are actually using stuff and not just collecting!  Little bits and bobs.. things you find just on your craft table..all can be used in Project Life… it’s DA BEST.

Now another thing I do for Project Life is challenge myself every week.  Like.. what am I gonna use in my layout.. I pick a 6*6 pad or a collection pack that I have never touched and I challenge myself to use that every week and to be creative with embellishments.

This week I got a little OBSSESSED (I know that’s hard to believe) with SEWING on my little cards.  Now you all remember my bEEyOOtiful Bernina my dad bought me a couple of years ago for my birthday?  Well..  I plug it in, the lights go on and ain’t no one home..LOL.. it’s not working!!!  I had Ryan examine it.. I thoroughly gave it a physical.. NADA.  I have to bring it in for servicing.. so of course I flirted with Ryan a little and off we went to Walmart to get another one so that I could sew on my little cards.. Yes I am a little Obssessive but i try to be cute about it 🙂

OK I get all weepy when I write about Project Life… I feel that that is where Scrapbooking is headed.. I feel that we are starting to feel our “mortality” and that is why I feel the need to document.. Uch.. ok I am gonna be happy now… Let’s take a looky at what my week was like.. shall we?  NOW IF YOU DON’T WANNA SEE THE “F” word.. then DON’T read the text portions of my layout..LOL.  and I didn’t even type it.. my friend did.  so THERE.

Another little thing my whole store was obsessing about was our new shipment of ELLE’S STUDIO products.  Honestly.. If there was any tool I would recommend for Project Life, it would be the Elle Studio line.. First I need to shout out to my friend ELLE (pronounced ELL-EE) who was SO amazing at getting me my product quickly.. She is a JEWEL.  Ok what’s so special about Elle’s stuff.  Well, Each card/snippet/tidbit is CLASSIC.. you can use it all over project life.. you can use them 1000 times, and you really wouldn’t notice that you have used it before.  They are all so cleverly thought out and so “a propos” (which basically means.. uch can’t translate.. it means “having to do with the subject at hand” I guess)… They are so much fun to “cut up”.. you get many options on a lot of her product.. I actually think they deserve their own box.. that’s how special they are to me ..LOL  So take a look at what we have.. we have limited stock as customers in the store have RAVAGED everything but I have a few things online that I think you will enjoy 🙂

Ok here we go! My week last week

2 of the 3 inserts for the week

3d page.. including a letter to Tyler explaining why he wasn't in much this week.. and it WASN'T cuz I loved Jayden more..LOL

see the recurring theme? I used an OLD collection pack of Crate Paper called Brooke.. and used the sticker elements to embellish blank journal cards.. and YES. I sewed them on. LOL

you will see our friends here and an "injured" Ty.. LOL. See the date circle and the note spot on the right? all Elle Studio. And YES, I sewed the circly date thingy. LOL

YA YA YA.. we are goofs.. and guess what? I SEWED THAT ARROW DOWN! LOL..

those little fingers that Tyler texted me drove me NUTS with love.. so I had to put them on my WEEK insert... I LOVE them. (and NO I did NOT sew on this one..LOL)

Last week I just walked around our bookstore here and SO MANY THINGS inspired me.. I honestly just took pictures for the heck of it to remind me of how they made me feel.. I didn't even have Project Life in mind.. but once I did the "review" of pictures, I KNEW they had to be in my book

This was a fun moment Denabella and I opening the ELLE'S STUDIO box.. NUM NUM NUM! And YES I was sniffing the envelope with love. Is that wrong?

Umm ya.. there are no rules in my house..LOL. Just kidding. I don't think Jayden thought I saw her. lol

Just to show you that I didn't even journal on the card on the left.. I just loved what it said. and the one on the right? Had an old chipboard thing on my desk that matched perfectly .. so out it came and on it went! LOL

see my little lillybee letters saying the sleepover? Ya, I sewed through them..LOL

Thass my week sistahs!  Now we have some contributahs and even a new one! LISA!  (ok so I forced her.. it still counts. hmph)

Here’s Lisa’s layout

Lisa's double page

closeup of first page

closeup of page 2

Here’s Denabella’s double page

and here’s Sheryl’s post

*sigh*  I love these.

Now tell me.. if you are doing project life, I would love to hear what it means to YOU.  If you aren’t doing project life.. what’s wrong with you?  LOL.. just kidding.  What’s stopping you from doing it.. if it’s a time thing, I can tell you how to do it short and sweet.. if it’s a money thing, I will tell you how you can do it for less.

as Nike says.. JUST DO IT..

Mwah.

Me.

P.S. don’t forget BELLARIFIC FRIDAY this week is a sketch…

P.P.S. AJ monday next week is scraps of fabrics

P.P.P.S. i love you.

bellarific friday has been delayed til tomorrow.. sorry sistahs.. been a little NUTTY..

mwah mwah

Em