Family Review January to May

Ok so I am bad at blogging.....but i did create this fun quick snip it of some of our family highlights from January to May of this year.


If you click on the picture it will open up bigger so you can actually read the captions.

It's a New Year~again!

Here we are again...where did the year go. I find myself watching them go by faster and faster.

Well this is a big year for our family

#1 I turn 40 in August...really I know you can't believe it because i look so young...haha

#2 Emily Turns 18 ...how do i have an 18 year old??

#3 Emily goes to College...yes COLLEGE -BYU-Idaho to be exact. I could'nt be more proud!

#4 Sean and I Celebrate our 20th anniversary.

So bring it on 2012

I must give credit to Katie Sabin who took this great Family photo for us

Organized Holiday Season

It is approaching fast...it sneaks up on us every year and before you know it the holiday season is in full swing and I am usually the one trying to play catch up. But I am vowing ( ok just really trying) not to have that happen this year. I already have been asking my children about halloween costumes and I will (as soon as I am done blogging) put going to pick pumpkins on the calendar ( the fancy google calendar my husband is trying so hard to get us all to use together so updates go to everyone).

That being said I am proud to say I just finished my Holiday Planner. I saw one on another blog which was nice and got me thinking...so i headed to the local office supply store and raided my paper stash and came up with this one....

 I titled it "Have yourself a merry little christmas" but really it contains calendars and to do lists for November 1st through December 24th

Here is what you will need:

1 Binder- I used an Avery mini durable view binder. It holds the 5 1/2"x 8 1/2" pages.

1 Package of  lined 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" paper

1 Package of the same size sheet protectors ( I only used 5 out of the 15 pack so you could split them with a friend or two)

3 sheets 12x12 patterned paper - heavyweight works the best

6 sheets solid 12x12 colored cardstock

3 sheets 81/2" x11" white cardstock

Label maker- or you can print your own labels for the tabs

Fiskars lg. flower punch for the tabs

Adhesive-  i used a wet glue because I thought it would hold up better with all the use this book will get

Brown in to ink the edges of the pages if you like that look

I made 7 sections for my planner and added a tab and a cute saying to each section page

#1 Tab- Calendar            Page title- Merry days & silent nights

This section includes full month calendar for Nov & Dec

#2 Tab-  To Do                  Page Title- Jingle all the Day

includes a sheet of lined paper labeled for each of the days Nov 1st through Dec 24th to use as to do lists each day. (note I use a paperclip to keep track of which day I am on in the book) 

    

#3  Tab-  Gifts                    Page Title- No Peeking

self expanitory- all those gift lists using the line paper

#4   Tab-Card Lists            Page Title- Joy to the World

also self explanitory

#5    Tab- Food/baking       Page Title- Home for the Holiday's

I will use one of the sheet protectors to hold all those recipes i need or want to try for the holiday's and paper for shopping lists

#6   Tab- Parties                   Page Title- Celebrate the Magic

more lined paper

#7  Tab- Misc                      Page Title- Be Jolly By Golly

I have added a couple more of the sheet protectors in the back one for coupons, one for receipts and one for returns.

These are all the things that will hopefully help keep me organized and able to ENJOY the holiday's this year.

It's a BIG day around here!!

Emily had her first day of her SENIOR YEAR! I have mixed emotions I am both exicted for her and Sad for me. It is amazing how we get to where we are and the adventures life takes us on. I am so grateful for the wonderful amzaing talented girl she has become.
This year she will be performing with dance ensemble, writing for the school newspaper, and will maybe throw in some photography classes as well....doesn't that all sound fun? Of course there will be a little english (her favorite) Economics, history, oh and the nast thing called math :{ As well as some ACT studying, college applying and driving herself to and from school (my FAVORITE part) a few football games and some hanging out with good friends.
So here we go a new adventure!!

A Girly Gift

Sarah had to go to a party recently and I wanted to come up with something different for her friend so I came up with the following wood hanging to hold jewelry

It is an 8"x12" wood sign painted black

then I added the vinyl words put some sparkle in your day

next I added some cue glass looking knobs I found at Home Depot.

we then picked out some cute neclaces at Forever 21 and packaged them up

Voila...a cute jewelry hanger every girl would love!

Matching Dresses!

Matching Dresses...That's all I have to say!  No just kidding :) So my two girls participated in the talent show at curch a couple of weeks ago. They both LOVE to dance! So I let them do their thing and choreograph a dance pick music etc. Then came the day of  the acutal Talent show ( Yes I did say the DAY OF) Here is how it went

Mom: So what are you going to wear for costumes
Girls: Umm we don't know yet...we will figure something out
Mom: are you kidding?
Girls: No why?
Mom: because you can't just throw something on ( ok I may be a little oc about how they look at an event as such)
Mom: again..ok let's go to TJ max and see if we can find something CHEAP ( I am a bargain hunter after all)

We arrived at the store picked out several choices for each that would go well together and to my extreme DELIGHT they chose these adorable MATCHING dresses.

Now for most this would not mean anything but you have to understand I am the kind of mom who forced her girls to wear matching dresses for holidays until emily was probably 11 or 12 and then I CRIED when the firs holiday came that I relented and let them have their own dresses.

So I was so embarrassingly giddy at the store when they chose these adorable matching dresses they both loved and could wear again...although they will probably never be worn at the same time again..that would be horrifying to a teenager.

But alas I will relish in one more moment of my two little ( ok not so little anymore) girls and their matching dresses.

P.S. They did awesome and the talent show too!

Enjoy a Card

I am super motivated lately to create some new cards and tags. I am thinking small mini cards and tags to attach to gifts. I think I will refill my tag jar so I am not always trying to whip one up the last 2 minutes before I need to be somewhere. So in the meantime I have attached a card a made for a card swap Christmas party last Christmas. I layered various patterns of paper that was scalloped at the bottom with scissors. I used ribbon with sparkly edges to create the flower and used pins to hold it together and create the center of the flower. I added the sparkly leaves from a christmas floral pick from the craft store. I love use items that were not originally made for paper projects.
Check back soon I hope to have lots of cards and tags to show you soon!