5 for Friday.

1. About an hour after I got up this morning, I looked out and saw this. SOOC. Magical.
2. Sometimes I have really good ideas. I was hungry and decided sourdough toast spread with garlic and herb cheese, topped with tomatoes and avocado. It was so good I had to have 2.
3. I don't understand the internets obsession with S'mores or Nutella. Don't get me wrong. I like both. But why does everything need to be turned into a S'more? Or Nutella added to everything? I saw a S'moretini the other day.
4. I was so happy I didn't have to get up at the b/c of dawn (that would be butt crack o' dawn) and take anyone anywhere. I always get up early, but that's me time. Jake takes an outdoor ed class and for the last 3-4 months it's been on Fridays. We switched back to Monday's this week and it has been SO much better. I'd much rather get up and go on Monday than on Friday.
5. Also, I'm happy our out of town plans got cancelled for this weekend. We've been gone every weekend this month. I'm so glad to be staying home. Though I do hope we reschedule our original plans soon!

Happy Friday!

Yes, I'm bragging a little.

I can't help it.
This girl is reading like I can't even believe. We checked this book out from the library the other day and I figured it would be one that I read to her or that we read together. She's mostly been reading those "I Can Read" books at level one.  Then she just picked it up and started reading this herself.
The video is kinda lame since it's with my phone. I should have turned it sideways.



I promise she's never read this before.

Week 3.

I liked the way this weeks layout turned out so much more than last week. I think it was a combination of getting into a groove, working with a more familiar layout (design A for both pages), and using different products. I decided I really like certain things about the Clementine PL kit, but it is lacking color and I prefer more color. So there. Thanks to Nicole and Beth and Pinterest I've found a plethora of digital/printable products that I can use to spice things up a bit.
I just realized there's a typo on my Sunday journaling. I wish photoshop had spell check! Luckily I saved that and I just went and reprinted it correctly. :)

This one.

This is one of those pictures that, I think, are going to be a real treasure when she gets older.

This is the one she'll look at and say Oh yeah, remember that heart blanket I used to have? There's my horse blanket! That was my favorite. And oooh Miss Kitty! Remember how she used to sleep in my room almost every night? What was all that stuff taped to the wall? Mom, you really let me have all that crap on the wall? Look at my hair! Look at all the clothes spilling out of the drawer under the bed!
This is her life, her room, right now at 5.
I don't have any pictures of my room when I was 5 or 8 or 15. Of course I remember it in my head, but...this is so much better.
Just a reminder to myself to step back and take a wider look at what's around us. Life is in the details.
I love pictures.

Week 2. Project Life.

First let me just apologize right now for these horrible, horrible images. It's dark, so there's no good lighting but I knew that if I didn't just sit down and do this, it wouldn't get done.
I'm also not really happy with the way week 2 turned out. For some reason it seems to lack color or something. I really love the Clementine kit, but now that I've worked with it a little, some of the colors almost seem a little too muted. I can't quite put my finger on it. Anyway, it's done. I'm not going to harp on it. I've already stared week 3 and it's looking much, much better. I think I've finally found my groove.
Side 1:

This is the Design F page protector. I really like this format. It was a little intimidating at first, especially since I can get an entire week on just one side of these if I want. But they're also great for extra pics, extra journaling, or 'stuff'.
Side 2: (using the old version of Design A)

See what I mean? No color. Even with the 49er thingy. It's just not doing anything for me.
The top left is a collage I made with some of my 12 of 12 and other random pics. I plan to do a bigger one that actually includes all 12 and put it in a separate 5x7 page protector. I just need to get me some of those. The collage was made from a template I bought online. Lilly Pad designs I think? The pack came with a TON of collages for 4x6. You can find a link for it on my Project Life Pinterest board.
Anyway, there it is. I'm more excited to show week 3 cuz I already like it so much more. :)
By the way, I changed up my weeks this year to go from Monday to Sunday. I'm liking this format a lot. Last year I think for half of it was Saturday to Friday and that seemed weird. Then I changed it to Sunday to Saturday. I like Monday to Sunday best. How are your weeks organized?
Also, I'm not focusing on a photo a day as much as I did last year. What about you?

10 on Tuesday.

Oh yes. It's back. 2012 style.

1. I was kinda getting down on myself for so far only using iPhone/instagram pics in my project life album. But you know what? I actually kinda like 'em. And It in-and-of-itself is part of life right now. You know what I mean? I know it's kinda lame...but my phone is attached to my hip. I don't go anywhere without it.

2. However, all that being said, I'm resolving to get out my really nice, beautiful, easy to use, fun BIG MAMMA JAMMA camera out and USE IT.
3. Last year with my project life album I pretty much didn't do anything fancy. I followed the day to day/week to week pattern and never really added anything special. Not too much anyway. This time around I thought it might be fun to get a little more creative with it and bring back some of my love for scrapbooking. Funny thing? It's like I'm having to re-teach myself to A) remember what I have in my stash and B) how to use it.
4. We have been on the road a lot already this month. Somehow we have/had ourselves committed to someone or something every single weekend this month. Something out of town every. single. weekend. It's so not like us and while it is kinda fun, it is very wearing. I just wanna stay home!

5. On Sunday we had our belated Christmas gathering with my Step-mother and family. I was SO STRESSED about this. We don't talk a whole lot other than email. I hadn't been to my dad's house since the memorial service in May. I wasn't sure how she was going to act. I wasn't sure how I was going to act. I was unsure of how it would feel to be there without my dad. I literally lost sleep over it and ended up with a ginormous worry zit on my chin because of it. (well that and probably hormones!) But it actually turned out to be just fine. More than fine.
6. There was a bit of drama this weekend though, and it came from a very unexpected place. I'm not going to go into details here. Lets just say I'm a fan of disciplining children. Not necessarily corporal punishment but I think one of the most important things any parent can do is: follow through. If you say your going to do something: DO IT. If you say your going to take away their TV privilege, then do it. If you say you'll take them out to pizza for getting an A, then DO IT. Be realistic about your threats and rewards and follow through with them. Children not only learn respect, but also trust.
7. I'm NOT a perfect parent. I don't know any perfect parents.
8. We made butter the other day. It was easy and fun and Megan and I liked it. Jake didn't. Of course.
9. Did you ever want a rock tumbler when you were a kid? You know those things that take a dirty old normal rock and make it into a pretty, shinny one? I totally did too! Well Jake got one from my stepsisters for Christmas. Did you know it takes almost an entire month to do ONE rock?! I didn't either! There's apparently all these different steps and processes to go through and thing has to be on 24/7 for 20 something days? We actually had to print out a little calendar for him with reminders on when to do what. Crazy. I had no idea.
10. We're expecting rain tomorrow. It hasn't rained here in over a month. I'm not one to complain about no rain, but it sure has felt weird. Makes me wonder if we'll be swimming in rain till July?

Looking back at 2011...

Through photos.

Just some of my favorite things about last year. 

I could have probably made at least 3 more of these collages, but I think 2 will do.  I'm really looking forward to starting up Project Life again and taking many, many more pictures of our every day!