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Monday Update..

A second birthday party and a new, snazzy issue of Domino magazine just about sums up my weekend. Ethan celebrated his second birthday once again with Eric's family. All went well. We had a chance to catch up with each other and for the first time, we spoke about Eric as a "group"- out loud. It was sort of surreal. When you speak of someone in "past tense", you're reminded that the person is gone. I found myself sort of looking around, as though Eric were just around the corner or in the room with us. My rational self knew that Eric wasn't there, but the automatic response was to think that he was there. I quickly reminded myself that Eric was with us in spirit. After the brief conversation about Eric ended, I noticed there were no tears. We simply smiled and moved on to the next topic. Finally, we can talk about our beloved Eric and feel happiness. Eleven months it has taken to reach this new "place". Only an eternity, or so it seems. As grief lightens it's load, it allows us greater access to the past. I'm grateful to remember so much. There was good and there was bad. The good is resurfacing. Healing is happening...I'm reclaiming what seemed forgotten previously. Perfect timing; Ethan's birthday.

There was a lot of happiness and laughter at Ethan's party. He had us relight his birthday candles four times. We kept pretending to let him blow the candles out. He had no idea that his Uncle Pete was making the flames go away. Laugh. He made quite the mess of himself eating a birthday cupcake. At least this year, he didn't get frosting in his ears...love toddlers. Laugh.

This was something we picked up for him on his birthday. I took him to Creative Kidstuff (a stylish, alternative toy store that we only visit every couple of months..if that. Laugh.) the day of his actual birthday . He located this push truck an hour after being in the store. I didn't even see it there and some how, this little guy did. It didn't take long for him to fall in love with this earth friendly, non-battery vehicle. The round, small light in front is fueled by the turning of the truck tires. So far, Ethan has been playing with this truck non-stop since we brought it home. I'm liking it because it's made out of all recyclable materials. How cool is that? It's designed and manufactured by "Sprig".

The October Afternoon die-cuts were oh so tempting. Laugh. I couldn't just let them be and allow them to sit on my desk, especially the wanna-be scary monsters. I took out a couple of fun photos of Ethan, the laughing fellow shown above. Perfect for pairing with funny looking monsters. This is what came about after a few hours of scrapbooking. Kept the process rather simple. Left a lot of empty space to emphasize the "boo" factor of the monster in the top, right corner of the page. It's my favorite part of the layout. Sometimes "less is more". In this case, "less is definitely more". Plus, the photos are so small, I didn't want them to have to compete with "clutter". I'll admit, I'm a connoisseur of clutter. Usually, I lean towards "The more the merrier".  It's good to let go once in a while and keep things simple. It also means less time working on a single layout. It's a nice change..but no worries, it's not permanent. Laugh.

One of my favorite things about the new OA die-cuts are the small, detailed die-cut pieces that can be used to enhance the large die-cut pieces. There are an extra set of "eyes" for each die-cut monster. I attached these ones using pop-dots.

If you haven't already seen the December issue of Domino magazine, this is what you're missing out on. Look at these holiday colors?!! Deep turquoise, gold, dark brown, deep red..oh my! Also, note the inspiration board covered with Christmas cards..Dear Santa Domino, please send me a board just like this. Delectable.

 

Happy Turkey Day!

We had a delightful turkey day, though food wasn't on Ethan's priority list during the festivities. Note the pretend turkey dinner that Ethan has concocted for himself above. Laugh. I didn't partake in his meal. Instead, I scooped up freshly oven baked turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, and warm buttered bread for myself to eat. Ethan wasn't in the mood for the traditional thanksgiving dinner. He didn't start eating until he found his birthday cake sitting on the kitchen counter. Once he landed himself in the cake, he stuffed himself silly. Not exactly the "ideal" meal for Thanksgiving Day, but it's his birthday and rules don't apply on birthdays (not his anyway). Today, we gathered at my mom's place to celebrate the holiday, family and all. We made it a combo celebration; Thanksgiving & Ethan's Birthday. Ethan had a blast! He was super tired by the time we got home, which was around late afternoon. We had a busy day of interacting with all sorts of people, eating, and opening gifts. Ethan managed to open all of the gifts by himself (without my help). I was impressed to say the least. He was really getting into the gift opening thing. While tearing paper left and right, he was throwing it in the air and laughing. I caught a couple pictures on the special moment. Birthday celebrations are always fun with little ones. Now that Ethan is slightly bigger and has a higher level of awareness, he's more involved in the celebration process. Nothing makes me happier than when he's happy. He was extremely happy today :)

If you haven't seen these yet..which will be almost everyone, you'll want to check them out! They're October Afternoon's new die-cuts and journal cards for "Night Light", "Good Cheer", and "Weathervane". We're excited to finally share them with you guys. They arrived a few short days ago in the OA warehouse. The die-cuts and journal cards are absolutely adorable. Instead of going with the usual die-cut shapes that OA is presently known for, OA has mixed things up a bit and designed a whole new set of die-cuts that are more specific to their new product lines and larger in size to better fit the needs of the standard 12" x 12" layout. You will love them, especially the quirky, upbeat monsters. Die-Cuts & Journal Cards now Shipping!

Sassafras Sort of Day

Even when scrapbooking Autumn, I still enjoy using bright colors on my layouts. A couple of my favorite colors this season are "Purple & Fuchsia". Both are vibrant and work wonderfully with warm colors such as "Gold" and "Yellow". They also coincide well with warm neutrals  like "Tawny" and "Deep Chocolate Brown". I created this layout using a balanced combination of both cool and warm colors. I referred to my Sassafras stash for this project. It's a Sassafras sort of day. I recently received Sassafras's newest Christmas line, "Life at the Pole". I adore this new collection. I'm especially fond of the Wintermint paper. For the above layout, I used some of Sassafras's Serendipity pattern paper; Queen Anne's Revenge . I also used their "Sunshine Lollipop" Sweet Treat stickers for many of the flowers. My most recent addiction with Sassafras has been their "In a Stitch" buttons. I'm all about "prestitched" buttons. For some odd reason, me and hand-sewing aren't the best of friends. I'm clumsy when it comes to needles and thread, though I'm able to sew well with a sewing machine. Go figure. I used a fare number of "In a Stitch" buttons on this layout. Below you'll find a close-up image of those buttons along with a fun, little technique I used to enhance each of the buttons.

"Circle Windows". Here's how I made them:

1. Using a 2" circle cut-out template (punch a 2" circle from a thick piece of cardstock and use punched out area for painting circles on paper), paint multiple circles on pattern paper using acrylic paint. Let dry.

2. Punch a 1" circle from cardstock and use circle to trace and cut 1" circles from painted 2" circles.

3. Back pattern paper with "Burgandy" cardstock. Attach buttons as shown.

4. Draw around buttons in a floral pattern using gel pens. I used a Pink Souffle gel pen and Gold gel pen.  That's it!

*Just for fun-the latest "Scrapbook Trends" is out and it's a great issue! Love the layouts from "Vicki Chrisman", "Emeline Seet", and "Anabelle O'Malley". Inspiring. I'm also excited for the new "Simply Handmade" publication coming out in December from Northridge Media..the Christmas trees on the cover have definitely peeked my interest for the new magazine.

Back into the groove...

I'm finally settling back into my usual routine since arriving home from California. I spent much of the week playing "catch-up" and working at the October Afternoon office. Once the weekend arrived, I decided it was time to relax and take a little time off from the busy pace of the work week. Because the holidays are just around the corner (along with Ethan's second Birthday), I took Ethan to one of my favorite garden centers, Gertens, to visit with the many trees and Christmas decorations on display at their store. It's a Christmas haven to many locals in the area. Gertens sells every Christmas product imaginable during the holiday season. There are trees styled and covered in ornaments galore, along with lights, trim, flowers, and both traditional and non-traditional items. There are rows and rows of Christmas decor items that inspire holiday spirit and creativity. It's not easy to walk out of the place without an item or two. We purchased a few gifts for my parents. They've done a lot for us this last year since having lost Eric. I couldn't help but pick up a little something for them while at Gertens today.

Ethan had a fantastic time at Gertens! I couldn't pry him away from the Christmas trees if I tried. He was fascinated by the lights and ornaments. Laugh. He would approach a Christmas tree and touch everything on it. I had to carefully watch his every move. He even got a good look at one of the inside of the trees. He couldn't figure out why there weren't any ornaments on the inside of the tree. I had a good laugh. While navigating the trees, he came across some life size toy deer in the back of the store. He called out to them and tried to get them to visit his hand. He truly believed they were real. I can hardly wait for him to see Santa this year..laugh. So many new things for Ethan to see and investigate. We had so much fun today!

I took a few photos while at the store. You can see them below. Also, I finished a layout this weekend. It took a little bit of time to get used to working with a 12" x 12" palette again. I must of stared at the page for hours before completing it. I moved a lot of pieces around and tried out some fun new techniques. I took out my Sassafras product and put together a jewel tone montage of papers & embellishments. I don't remember the last time I used the hue "purple". I combined it with neutrals, turquoise and pink. I wasn't able to catch a picture of the entire layout today, but I did grab a detail shot of the layout this evening. I'll post a picture of the entire layout tomorrow along with some techniques I used for creating the layout.

hmmm..what's this stuff?

Ethan taking a close look at the deer behind the fence.

I love these flocked, glittered houses. So pretty...

Tinsel pink Christmas trees..oh my goodness.

Really like these red pedestal stands. Great for displaying just about everything.

More tomorrow..have a great night!

A Trip to Disney

I'm posting photos of my trip to Disney during my visit to California. It was my first time to the spectacular adventure park. I was truly in awe of the many various surroundings located within the park grounds. It was a "magical" place indeed and one I hope to revisit in the near future. There was so much to see, though we had only a few hours to navigate the park. We entered through Downtown Disney..a fantasy, animated town with lots of well established, large box shops and beautiful architecture. I've not seen anything like it before...I could spend a few days easily in this part of the park. Once we reached the "official grounds", we met up with "Mary Poppins" and "Cruella" for a brief exchange. It's amazing how "real" they appear...the kids just love them. After our visit with Mary and Cruella, we walked around the park and rode a few rides, including the new "Finding Nemo" underwater ride & "Space Wars" ride. Even though we were there for only a short period of time, I experienced a great deal and took quite a number of photos..nearly 500 in all. Laugh. It's a photographer's paradise at Disney. Every detail is accounted for on the grounds. The place is it's own little world. So glad I made the trip...below are a few of the photos I took while there. 

I couldn't leave the park without picking up one of these for Ethan; a "Mickey Mouse" cap and on the back, his embroidered name. This was an emotional purchase for me. While the cap was being stitched, I couldn't help but think of Eric and how much I missed him at that very moment. He would of loved the park, especially the "Star Wars" displays/stores. He would of been fond of the Mickey Mouse cap..and the name "Ethan" on the back. Miss you Eric!! Love you.

Settling In...

I returned home late in the evening as of yesterday. My four days in California are complete and I'm adjusting to being back at home. California was blazing hot at around 90 to 95 degrees. When I left Minnesota, it was some thirty degrees. Talk about a serious climate change within a period of five hours and two plane rides. My trip to California went really well. The first day was spent mostly traveling via Minnesota to California. Once I got there, I did a variety of things, including shopping, sightseeing, socializing, and of course, teaching. The classes were a big success. Each class lasted a total of three hours. There was a fare amount of information to share and a lot of ground to cover. I enjoyed teaching each of the classes and watching other's work on their projects. They had their tables covered with product and supplies. Most students had stayed for both classes. I had a chance to meet with everyone and as expected, they had an opportunity to hear me lecture using the traditional, ever-so-funny Minnesota accent. Who doesn't love to hear a Minnesota gal say "Minn-a-sooo-da" and "Yu Bet"? Laugh. I had a ton a fun while in California. I got to see and experience everything "California" during the trip, including forest fires,  Santa Monica winds, and unexpected hot weather. You'll find it all in the photos below. 

*Thank you to all who attended classes on Saturday! It was great meeting all of you :) Also, a special thank-you to "Scrapbook Oasis". Looken' forward to returning...

This week, I'll be posting a few more pictures from my trip to California. I took quite a number of photos while there and I don't want to share them all at once..this post would go on forever if I did. I'll share a few of them here and there throughout the week. 

I'm back on board with the blog, so expect the usual number of weekly updates from me. I'll also be working on organizing kits for both Holiday Cheer and Golden Harvest. The first kit newsletter will go out the first week of December. There will be a limited number of kits available, so reserve one if you haven't already. Hope all of you had a great weekend! More updates soon!

 

Still can't get over these gigantic palm trees. Gorgeous.

An unexpected occurrence while in California; This is smoke from a fire only fifteen minutes from where I was staying over the weekend. Sadly, many homes were lost due to this unsettling fire in Orange County. Fires have been more prevalent in California these last few years for multiple reasons. Never did I think I'd see one while there...at least not this close. 

Who could this be?! hmmmmm.....Thanks again Karen!

 

One Week...

until I leave for California. Well, more like four days. Laugh. I spent the weekend picking up some last minute items to bring along with me on the trip. These next three days will involve lists, organizing product for classes, cleaning the house, finishing up some last minute work at OA, and packing bags for myself and Ethan. I'm leaving Thursday afternoon and arriving back in town Sunday evening. The day I arrive in California, I plan to relax and recover from all the traveling (I have a connecting flight). On Friday, I'm visiting Disneyland, which will be my first time to the amusement park. Can you believe it? Actually, this will be my first time visiting California. To be totally honest, I've been ready for palm trees and warm weather for the last month or so. Minnesota is finally starting to "cool down". We had a warm, record breaking October, but it's not the sort of warm that makes you want to jump in a pool or hang out near the beach. I think it's going to be great to be in a new environment and have the opportunity to see new things. I'm looking forward to meeting all of those attending my classes and at the Oasis during my time in California. This has been a huge undertaking and I've learned so much about traveling and teaching in the last six months. I've had a lot to prepare to get to this point, so to see it all come together this Saturday will be fantastic. Of course, my blog will have to wait while I'm away over the weekend. This will actually be the last blog update until next Monday. I'm taking the entire week off from the blog. To keep things interesting here, I'm posting a few more pictures from the "Holiday Cheer" mini album. Have a great week everyone! Stay warm (for those of you in the Northern states!)

  

Updates...

A complete holiday album; "Good Cheer". I finished it last night at around 1:00am. Laugh. I haven't stayed up this late in months. Wowza! I had a great time creating this album. It's chalked full of traditional holiday symbols (no die-cut machines here) including Christmas trees, snowflakes, candy canes, ornaments, and more. I let my glitter jar fall open a few times while working on pages. Snowflakes call for sparkly "glitter". I did a lot of hand-cutting of borders, images, and shapes. For those taking the class, be sure to bring both a small and large size scissors for this project. Supply lists will be available shortly for both classes at Scrapbook Oasis's blog. Note: I changed some of the "Good Cheer" kit contents. There's actually more product in the kit! I removed OA's "Holiday Cheer" 12" x 12" alpha sheet stickers and "Holiday Cheer" die-cut journal cards. I simply didn't use them in the album. They weren't quite the right fit for what I was doing, so I set them aside. I replaced these items with cherry red cardstock, red ribbon, additional OA pattern papers, OA Daydream die-cuts, and a Heidi Grace Christmas Add-On chipboard pack. I realized I hadn't included any chipboard in the kit after starting on the album. Chipboard is one of my favorite dimensional products and it's difficult for me to create a mini album without it. The new Heidi Grace Holiday Chipboard Pack matched the colors of the album perfectly. You'll get the "entire" chipboard pack when working with this kit. You'll need all the contents of the pack to create the album.  If you want to see more of the "Holiday Cheer" mini album, you'll find more photos of the album in the kit newsletter, which will go out the first week of December. 

I continue to work in the OA office part time. I plan to work full time at the OA office starting Mid-November. So far, I love being there. I look forward to going to work and I enjoy the environment and product. I feel very lucky to work for OA. Looking back, I never pictured myself "here". After I lost Eric, I never thought it possible that I'd find stability again. There wasn't a prospect of a "job" or happiness. I didn't see my life going anywhere. I sort of felt stuck. This is all very normal for someone who's grieving, none the less, the inner void of loss is unavoidable. It's easy to feel trapped in one's own grief. Luckily, I had Ethan to keep me going. I knew that if we were going to make it, I needed to get back on my feet. Plus, time doesn't just "stop" for those grieving the loss of someone they love. Rebuilding my life from the ground up was the only option available to me after Eric died. Looking back, I think I've done ok. I remember telling Eric during a car ride a couple years ago that I wasn't sure if I could survive without him..ever. He wasn't ill at this point. We were living out the normal routines of marriage. Back then, I would of never guessed that I would actually have to find a way to live without Eric. The idea of Eric and I separated was inconceivable. Here I am, two years later and widowed. I'm working full time, playing the role of a solo mom, and traveling in between. I'm meeting lots of new people and trying new things. It's strange, though gratifying. I'm tremendously grateful for all I have. It's taken me a long time to get to this place...here I am. Life is disguised in blessings unimagined, even in loss.

An Update + October Afternoon

October Afternoon is once again hosting packaging parties this week. We've scheduled two parties. The first party will be held Tuesday evening, November 4th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at OA's new warehouse location. The second party will be held Wednesday evening, November 5th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm once again at OA's warehouse. This will be the last opportunity to attend one of OA's packaging parties. If interested in signing up for either parties, please email October Afternoon at packaging@octoberafternoon.com.

I've included some photos of items that OA is providing to party attendees. Check them out below:

 

This is a new product that just arrived at October Afternoon's warehouse. It's their first 8" x 8" pattern paper pad. The pad was designed around one of their new lines, "Good Cheer". All party attendees get to take one of these home. *Note: The patterns are smaller and ten times cuter. I hope they make more :)

 

I continue to pave away on my second mini album. I've had a few people inquire when I'm going to start working on layouts again. I promise, layouts will find there way back into my life after Mid-November. There are a lot of things I want to do after completing my classes. I've already started a "to do" list for December. I'm going to address the list when I arrive home from California. Between coordinating last minute items for each of the classes and work, I haven't had much time to focus on other tasks. Time is a sensitive issue for me right now and one I need to take advantage of as much as possible. I'm grateful for the "hour" we gained over the weekend...I used that for some much needed sleep. Laugh. What did you do with the extra hour?

Kit newsletters will go out the first week of December. I know you guys have been waiting for me to send out one of these deals and I promise it will happen early December. I want to have both albums completed before sending out any newsletters.

Because I've been out of the loop with the on goings in the scrapbook community, I would love to hear what's been going on...if you have a project you think I should see or news I should know, fill me in! I'm in need of a serious update. Laugh. Thanks ahead of time :) Off to scrap!